Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn From: hutch@ibeam.intel.com (Steve Hutchison) Subject: [Welcome] Crombie: Fate smiles ... Message-ID: References: Date: Tue, 10 Aug 1993 05:10:58 GMT [ADMIN] This is posted for Carl Fogelin, who is suffering from some sort of foolish news blockage, which allows him to post to Haven's Rest but not to Dragons' Inn. Probably has to do with Crombie's anti-magical bent. For the past few evenings Crombie had been coming to the Dragon's Inn to observe what he had come to know as "adventurors." These people were truly amazing, and he spent many a late night dictating his obser- vations for transmission back to the Empire. Tonight was a little different than other nights in that a group had formed in the center of the tap-room and were recounting personal tales. Most seemed to be of distant lands, but so far all were probably native to Nexus. A particularly tall fellow had just finished regaling the group with his tale of UFOs, psionic abilities, and the appointment of a duchy. Smiling at this, Crombie stood up from a side table, grabbed his brandy snifter, and headed over towards the group. "Fine Sirs" said Crombie, bowing slightly towards Luthor and Wraith. "Do you mind if I join you and your" looking around the surrounding group "entourage? I heard your request for a tale and thought I might have one which would be of interest." Luthor smiled at the old fellow and nodded for him to proceed. "My name is Crombie Knaks. I am an anthropologist by trade and I am not from Nexus..." he said, smiling over his snifter, before he took a sip. Some folks mutter incredulity while others waited for Crombie to continue. Crombie waited a little, letting the muttering grow before he continued. "The world I come from is very different from this one, a world were magic is neither practiced nor possible. You see, in that world science and tech- nological advancement is the source of wonderment. "I was born in a small farming community, an artificial biome on the third moon of Cerryl 5." Looking around his audience, "A small backwater world. We supported a mining community and an Imperial terraforming unit..." He waved his hand as if to say 'it didn't matter'. "I am the youngest son of five, and aspired to be be like my father -- a farmer. My brothers and I maintained the kelp bogs, making sure that the growth conditions were optimal. This was hard work with long hours and small rewards. Such is the fate of farmers. A few people around the room nodded their agreement. "Sean, the eldest never wanted to be a farmer. He had delusions of being a fighter pilot. Of the splendor of being in uniform and the glory in fighting for the Empire. But father forbid him to even think of it. He was the eldest. Father was getting old and Sean was next in line. "Sean was frustrated and treated his younger brothers cruelly. Me, being the youngest, he assigned the worst tasks, with impossible deadlines. And when I did not complete my tasks on time (as he planned), he punished me..." Crombies eyes defocussed, remembering those times. But then he shook off the memories and said "but that's neither here nor there... Time passed and each day became another day of shame, of remorse, and anger. Yes anger! Anger that I could do nothing right. Sean's judgements became harder, meaner, and tougher. Oh yes, tougher until he deemed me worthless to the family. I pleaded with him. I begged him to let me prove myself. I can still remember his sardonic smile." Crombie looked around the group and sipped his brandy until someone asked "What did he ask you to do? What was your task?" Crombie smiled said "My task was both simple and seemingly impossible. He told me that I'd never be a good farmer, that I was neither skilled nor smart enough to be worth the food I ate. The only way that I'd be worth anything to the family is through prestige. That if I gained an appointment with the Emperor, he'd welcome me back into the family. That the prestige associated with such an appointment would prove to Sean I was worth something." Crombie paused for another sip of his drink and let them ponder his fate some before he said, "Let me reintroduce myself. My name is Crombie Knaks. I am Erehwon, Royal Anthropologist, intradimensional journeyman for Emperor Shaddachi P. Myrdekorum XII, Emperor of the known universe." With that Crombie bowed his head, smiled and sat down. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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