Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn From: kring@efes.physik.uni-kl.de (Thomas Kettenring) Subject: Bakr: After the Rat Quest Message-ID: <1993May6.032900.27471@rhrk.uni-kl.de> Date: Thu, 6 May 1993 03:29:00 GMT ADMIN: Bakr has recently been grilled by a fireball, broke two ribs falling to the floor with a burnt hammock, and almost drowned in diluted sewage, but he has not been bitten by a giant rat. Characters used: Bakr; some merchants; introducing Elron, Fathi, and Kavedge Characters mentioned: Higar, Firgun, Git, Felchek, Brycur, Luthor, Ilmater; introducing Tollajee After saying goodbye to his companions, Bakr left Glorshanned Keep, aching and limping. The city was in really bad shape, too, after the storm, and the temples were full of wounded people. When he reached the temple area south of the Plaza - he had to walk the whole Arcade of Fountains and a good part of the Arcade of Unforgotten Heroes - his pains had gotten so bad that he felt he couldn't wait any longer for healing, so he entered one lesser populated temple that looked more exclusive than the others. On the door was a sign made out of several crossed bars, and over the door there was an inscription: "Make money. Make others make money." Inside he found a queue of rich-and-wet-looking merchants that had mostly minor bruises and sniffed at him. Two female acolytes gave him looks that could turn undead and make them wipe the remains of their feet at the shoe scraper. A moment later they were already hurrying in his direction and clearly intended to remove him. That was when he lost his temper. "I NEED HELP! AND MY MONEY IS AS GOOD AS EVERYBODY ELSE'S!" He threw some gold coins on the floor while shouting at the acolytes. That seemed to impress them as much as the fact that he directed his Wand of Nosebleed at them. An older priest appeared from some back door. He looked at the coins, then at Bakr, the acolytes, and the merchants. Then he beamed at the scorched mage and said, "Welcome to the temple of Tollajee. I am Elron, the High Priest. Please come over here, I will take you first." Bakr was surprised and embarrassed, and he put his wand away. Elron led him to a table in the back room, careful not to touch him, and motioned him to lay down on it. The mage laid down, Elron looked in his eyes and waved his arms, and Bakr fell asleep. "Miss Kavedge, you'll bring the table with this stinking brute to the Temple of Ilmater. Miss Fathi will help you. Then you clean the table and bring it back." Applauded by the merchants, the two acolytes moved the table, which had wheels, out of the temple. Elron grinned broadly, collected the coins Bakr had thrown on the floor, and asked, "Now who is next?" ------ Much later, Bakr left the temple of Ilmater. He still stank, but he felt good. It had been easy to conclude what had happened, but he had no ill feelings towards the Tollajee priests. After all, he had been spared pain. Elron seemed to have chosen the only viable way, not annoying the adventurer nor the merchants. Now where to go? Before he left Nexus - he would use the World Gate he had heard of, instead of continuing to wait for the "tall person in a cloak" in the Dragons Inn the Oracle had told him about - he'd have to say goodbye to his friends. Higar, Firgun, and Git he had just seen. He'd visit Felchek, whose lab was close by, then look for Brycur in the Low City, then go to the Inn and try to find Luthor... -- thomas kettenring, 3 dan, kaiserslautern, germany The extraterrestrials don't even know this planet has native inhabitants. Their government doesn't tell them.