From: jgreene@dorm.rutgers.edu (Jeffrey Greene)
Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn
Subject: [Ga] Exits, Entrances, and Naptime
Date: 1 Oct 92 16:02:18 GMT
Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.

[ADMIN: In order to get everyone where they want to be, I used some characters
without permission, but just in cameo roles, and just in the ways they had
posted in previous messages.  This post attempts to consolidate several
sub-plot threads, return us to the plot at hand, as well as link us back to
the Inn with a little scenery.  Or, at least, it tries to.]

Brent turned to leave, after just winning the fixed game of chance.

Zebron turned around to watch him leave, catching Khisanth's eyes; apparently
she had watched the whole affair.  He looked for a glint of understanding, and
found it.  She knew what he had done.  He looked again, but his efforts were
unrewarded.  She didn't know why he did it.

Truthfully, neither did he.

Brent reached for the door knob, "Hmmm....Must be winter again," said the 
guardsman, not even giving the sudden change of season a second thought.  This
was Generica, after all, and the Dragon's Inn as well.

He opened the door to find a humanoid figure, however instead of the usual
flesh and bones type humanoid, this was more of a water humanoid.

Again, this was the Dragon's Inn.  Nothing is unusual.

Brent pushed past the figure and into the hall.  From there it was to the
common room of the inn, and after that was the front door, and...

Wait a minute.  The back door.  The creature, monstrocity, or THING, however
you wanted to call it, did not look too friendly as it stood in the doorway.
Brent hoped that the patrons of the inn could deal with it, as he did not 
want the guard, and therefore himself, to be called in.  Tonight he wasn't
feeling particularly suicidal.

The back door it was, and from there,to...

Well, that's a story for another time.  Right now, we return to the watery
figure outside the door.

"Kyleen? Remember me? Kraska? I cooled your drink?" asked the figure of the
elven maid.

Looking at the figure, and unsure if Kyleen didn't hear it, didn't understand
it, or was ignoring it, Zebron repeated the questions in the elven language,
knowing the maiden's difficulty with trade common.

In a scene that is not mine to tell, Kraska was welcomed by the members of the
group, and introduced by Kyleen as the other patron of the inn she had
contacted in order for their special skills, skills they may need on their
journies.  The first was, as they all remembered, but she wanted to make him
feel more at home with the group, was Mardan, the powerful figure watching the
scene like a guard.  Maybe that's because he is a guard, or he was guarding
something, or someone, but, again, that story is his and not mine to relate.

However, what I can say is this:

Kraska was wondering why Kyleen did not get his message.  The message from
Mardan had been received, so there was some speculation as to what exactly
Kraska was referring to.  Kraska told of how he traced words in mirror script
on the door, but no one had let him in.

"Well, friend," said the drow," as you can see, there is no writing on the..."

His voice trailed off, as he recalled the skills of this creature.  Insight
hit him like a smithy hits an anvil, and the dark elf switched to infravision.
His eyes slowly became accustomed to seeing heat and temperature instead of
light.  And there, in beautiful flowing script was an ice cold message against
the warm wood of the door.

In the elven language, Zebron told Kyleen to look at the door as he had done,
if, of course, she could.  The subtle differences between the elves, surface
and dark, of different realities, had not been fully charted, and he did not 
want to insult her by asking her to do something she was physically unable to.

That being done, Zebron walked over to Mardan, passing by the room's window,
the same one Dusk had originally entered by.  He looked out onto the street
in front of the inn, only to see the creature/monstrocity/THING ecrusted in
blades and razors that had caused Brent to choose the back exit.  Only the
sight Zebron saw was of the THING with pie on it's face, chasing a figure and
child.  There was a trollish creature there as well, but it was difficult to
figure out who's side that was on, as it was alternately being shred by the
THING and cut by the figure.

Not one to impose his help when it wasn't wanted, and knowing that he himself
would be insulted by an offer for assistance in a fight of honor, Zebron
wisely chose not to leap down and join the fray.  After all, it had been a long
day...

Yes, a very long day.

Looking at Mardan, he was sure that the women, Kraska and Garriot would be
safe, so he went to the bed and curled up to take a nap.  Dusk, his raven
friend, also started to sleep, on it's perch on the headboard of the bed.

[ADMIN: Apologies to Kraska if the message wasn't supposed to work like that,
but I figured that it was possible and explained why the character had been
"left out in the cold," so to speak.  Oh, and for all those who are interested,
wake Zebron up should you need him; he's had a long day. (read: Jak just had
2 chemistry tests, 2 chemistry labs, and 3 pre-labs in 2 days)]

-jak
Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn