Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn
From: kring@efes.physik.uni-kl.de (Thomas Kettenring)
Subject: [Miggung's Magic Shop] Bakr buys an armful of magic
Message-ID: <1992Nov9.022613.14014@rhrk.uni-kl.de>
Date: Mon, 9 Nov 1992 02:26:13 GMT

ADMIN:  Finally, Bakr is back.  I had not much time recently.  The following piece
starts some time ago, just after my last Bakr posting, and extends to just now.

  "No, I don't think I'd want that."
  "I can understand you.  Normally I don't have any Wands of Wonder but, as I
said, this one I got cheap..."  Miggung put the wand back in the chest marked
"Discount".
  "Now, what else can you show me?"  Bakr asked.
  "I have this Wand of Nosebleed.  Your opponent will at least be surprised."
  "Generica sure is a magic-heavy place.  Hundreds of things I never heard of.
OK, I'll take it.  Now perhaps some rings?"
  "Regeneration?  Polymorph?  Teleport?"
  "I'd like a more unusual one here too.  I don't know when I'll come to such
a place again."
  "Oh, you'll leave us?"
  "Perhaps."
  "I have this Ring of Regeneration that has been manufactured by an octopus
magus of Atas Lunalk, but I guess you don't like having slimy arms with
suction c..."
  "NONONO!"
  "Hmm... How'd you like a Ring of Repulsive Stench?  You put it on, and
everybody will run away."
  "Really everybody?"
  "Well, everybody with a nose..."
  "And it's in the right price range?  Fine.  Put it to the wand.  What's
these marbles over there?"
  "Clinging Marbles.  You throw it at the floor close to the feet of your
enemy.  It will look a short time in the future, find out where he wants to
step, and roll there.  He'll probably fall, and the marble will again roll
where he is bound to put his foot until you pick it up."
  "Wow, that's nice!  Heh heh.  I'll take one."
  "You don't want more violent things?  Fireballs and the like?"
  "No, I actually don't like violence very much."
  "Then this will be just right for you.  Sawdust of Pacifism."
  "Passy Fiss Him?"
  "I don't understand it myself.  Must be the the name of the mage who invented
it.  It's made out of wooden weapons using a magical saw.  You throw it in the
face of a person, and the person will despise violence for some days."
  "YES!  I'll have... ten applications?"
  "Just fine."
  "What's that black thing on the counter?"
  "A Glass of the Lynx.  You look through it, and you can see things that are
miles away.  But there must be nothing in the way.  Mysteriously, it seems to
have no magical aura.  If it wouldn't do such an astounding thing, I'd say
it's non-magical, but..."
  "Can I test it?"
  "Just step outside."
  Bakr left the shop, and Miggung followed him.  He put the glass to his eyes.
  "I can see small bright parts, but the rest is dark!"
  "Turn it around."
  "OOOO!  I can see the sailors climbing around in the ship!  Ha!  Now he
picks his nose..."  The overweight mage scanned the roofs.  "Oops, what's that?
A flying horse?  Now it's gone."
  "Let me look.  Over there?  No, that looks more like a large rabbit."
  "Rabbit?  Give it back... Now where was it?  Yuck!  That's a giant insect.
A flea.  It's hopping around but it's no rabbit."
  "Surely it's on the glass."  Miggung wiped it with his sleeve and looked
through it again.  "Ah!  That's definitely a thri-kreen, not a flea."
  "Huh?"
  "Look yourself!"
  "No, I've had enough.  I don't trust this thing.  Let's go back."
  "Up to now it was rather trustworthy.  Perhaps the magic is weakening."
  They re-entered the shop, and Miggung said, "So I can probably throw it
away... Would you like a Generican Calendar?"
  "I don't know if I'll stay long enough..."
  "It's another magical item.  You rip one page off, and it's a day later for
you and all those around you."
  "I guess you sell many of those?"
  "Yes, they're popular.  When you don't like the weather or something, you
just change the day.  Unfortunately this has been over-used recently by
several persons, and I fear they mangle the timeline in this city a lot."
  "Aha.  No, sorry, that's not to my taste.  Anything else?"
  "An Instant Imp, perhaps?  Just add water."
  "Oh.  That powder in the glass is an imp?  I'll try it.  Is that licorice
over there?"
  "Yes, it's Phaver Bezond's Fabulous Licorice of Fur.  You eat it, you get
furry all over.  Better protection against weapons."
  Bakr nodded.  "I'll take five.  Put it to the rest.  I think that's enough
for now.  How much?"
  Miggung scanned the items with a wand that had a red light on it, which
caused the wand to beep, then gestured at a device on the counter.  The device
spit out a small scroll.
  "You can keep that.  It's the receipt."
  Bakr looked at the scroll.  It listed the names of the items, the prices,
and the sum.  "Interesting..."

  When he left the shop, he saw a merchant ripping a page off something Bakr
recognized as a Generican Calendar.  "Hm.  I guess the others will be gone
when I return to the inn..."

--
Bakr ibn Ja'far ibn Musa al Mekneshi, apprentice mage
aka Thomas Kettenring