From: fogelinc@pt.Cyanamid.COM (Carl Fogelin)
Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn
Subject: [Storm][Observer] Oh so close...
Date: 22 Apr 1993 02:06:12 GMT
Message-ID: <1r4uik$ik6@c3po.jvnc.net>

It was a good thing that the child was light.  Otherwise he would have had
severe trouble carrying her.  While it was true that Crombie's "magic dampening"
field filtered out almost all of the storms affects, he still had to wade 
through the flooding.  He'd decided to wade down the middle of the street,
hoping he could avoid most of the debris, but the water was already up to his
knees, and every so often something solid would smack his shins.

'Might as well kill two birds with one stone' he thought, and continued his
discussion on the storm's effects into his mike.  He was now on the outskirts
of the area called the "Low City", the ghetto of the city.  The place was taking
a pounding -- most buildings were either crashed in on theirselves, or in the
process off falling in.

'Such devestation' thought Crombie.  'If this is what magic can work, he
didn't want it.'  Just then the elven child opened her eyes and looked at
Crombie.  'Hmmm, well if my research is true, her race is closely twined
with magic.  I guess their's some things good about magic after all.'

"How are you doing?" Crombie asked the girl.  She was looking a little
nauseous, as if something was upsetting her stomach.  He wondered if maybe
her appenix had ruptured...  'Do elves have an appendix?'  There was so
much more he had to learn about this world.

He rounded a corner and was greeted with the sight of a large shimmering dome
which covered the street.  The dome seemed to be in sections, scarlett seams
which were holding the magical pieces together.  Below the dome were hundreds,
maybe thousands of people, and the dome was protecting them from the effects
of the storm.

'What is this!' thought Crombie.  Shifting the child over to one side, he pulled
one of his metered boxes out and aimed it at the dome.  He read the readings into
the mike, and started to describe in great detail this wonderous sight.  He had
to be in the temple district.  This magic reeked of ghod intervention.  Just 
then something moved on his side -- the girl!  He'd forgotten the injured elven
girl.

Quickly resettling her more securely in his arms, he plunged onwards toward the
dome.  As he got nearer, he encountered a strange sort of resistance.  It was
as if something was pushing back.  He had to get through... the girl...  Straining
as hard as he could, he got three feet closer before his head started to spin.
The girl was becoming VERY heavy, and he felt like he might pass-out.  With what
strength he could muster, he yelled "HELP", and sank to one knee in the swirling
water in a daze. 

*****

Father Kraton was extremely busy, coordinating Issek's minions to help those
in need during the storm.  Periodically he would look up at the dome and marvel
at his god's solution to the current crisis, and mumble a prayer of thanks.
But then another problem would arise and off he would go.  He and the other
priests had been at it for the last 6 hours and he was starting to tire.  There
were so many injured... so many ill... so many dispairing... so few of them
to do the work...  There was Father Dolorus, a pillar of strength, holding
his edge of the ribboned dome high, a symbol of determination, of defiance to
the storm.  And then there were the other temple's priests.  It was truly an
amazing sight, seeing those of different beliefs joined together in this time
of struggle.

'Sigh...' thought Kraton, 'there is more work to do.  It is the will of Issek.'

A commotion near an edge of the dome caught Father Kraton's attention.  People
were muttering about some apparition calling for help.  Apparition or not, when
help was needed, the Temple of Ilmater was there.  Threading his way carefully
through the people he came to the edge of the dome and looked out.

He saw a strangely dressed man holding a small child in his hands, half kneeling
in the flooded street, not ten feet away from the dome.  He seemed to have some
sort of magical field around him, because neither the rain nor the wind were
hitting him.  He was also muttering something... help?... yes, help.

Father Kraton cupped his hands and yelled "Son, get under the dome!"

The fellow looked slowly up and his eyes seemed to focus, briefly.  "Can't
make it..." was all he said, and his head drooped down.  Father Kraton muttered
under his breath, and then quickly prayed for forgiveness for his weakness and
strength to help him through.  With that he plunged out into the full force
of the gail towards the man.

*****

When he came in contact with Crombie's "magic dampening" field, Father Kraton's
stomach flip-flopped.  Never in Minnus Kraton's 47 years had he ever felt anything
like that.  Quickly stepping out of the field, he yelled "Son, lower your magic
shield... I can't get to you until you lower that shield."

"Huh..." mumbled Crombie.  'Someone say something?'  He was so tired.  "...magic
shield...  shield...  ummm... field!"  Reaching down towards a pocket, Crombie
tried to get his ring, but he couldn't open the flap.  Looking at the child,
he said "ring in pocket... put on... me..." and he pointed a finger towards her.

She looked at him strangely, but reached down to his pocket and pulled out a
simple silver ring.  Looking back at him, then at his finger, she slowly put
the ring on his extended finger.

The "dampening field" quickly collapsed around Crombie and the pair were hit by
the full force of the storm.  The shock of containing his anti-magic and his
weakened strength caused Crombie to pass out.  The pair crumpled into the flood
water as Father Kraton raced towards them.

[ ADMIN: Father Minnus Kraton is a NPC priest of the Temple of Ilmater. ]
[ He's basically mid-level within the order, and is coordinating the    ]
[ activity of other priests of Issek while High Priest Liamus Dolorus   ]
[ is doing his part in the dome.                                        ] 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Carl Fogelin (fogelinc@pt.cyanamid.com)   "All opinions are strictly mine" 

   Up the long ladder and down the short rope,
   To Hell with King Billy and God bless the Pope. -- traditional