From: zweldron@ruhets.rutgers.edu (Matthew Charlap)
Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn
Subject: On heroism and elfin words (Ixnaphior thinks on Zebron's words)
Message-ID: <Sep.16.10.53.10.1992.24093@ruhets.rutgers.edu>
Date: 16 Sep 92 14:53:10 GMT

Ixnaphior sat back, listening carefully to Zebron's words. "You speak as one
who has had much experience in the world. I, too, have seen the hero come from
one in the wrong,or right, place at the appropriate time. Not to bore you, but
there was one where I come from called Nordlewz who just fell into a situation
as that which you refer. BY just happening to be where a strange feat of magic
occurred, he got thrown into a quest to recover one of the most powerful
artifacts ever seen in the world, or at least that world. Purely by accident,
I joined onto that quest. It changed my outlook on a number of things, and it
gave me back my freedom from... well, never mind, this is none of your concern.
I won't burden you with this. If you ever return, and happen to be in Isalaron,
stop by the Forgotten Forest, I'll be in there, somewhere, if I'm on-world that
is."
He orders another ale, and drows forth a set of cards. he starts building a 
card house with them, thinks better of it, and begins a game of solitare. The
cards are shuffled, and he turns them up one at a time. Much to his surprise,
the first five cards are, in order, the Ace of Spades, the 2 of Spades, the 3
of Spades, the 4 of spades, and the 5 of Spades. Intrigued, he turns over the
the rest of the stack, and fans them out. ALL the cards are in order, the 
spades followed by the hearts, then diamonds, finally clubs.
Quietly, he comments to himself 'I wonder what future this portends. Last time
this happened, the cards were in reverse order, and disaster struck soon after.
Now they are forward.' He quickly puts the cards away.
Deep in the amulet, unnoticed as yet, a deep black glow starts forming.