From: gusar@uniwa.uwa.edu.au (Sean A Reith)
Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn
Subject: [G] Kordane (and the horse) return to the scene
Date: 10 Oct 1992 00:31:52 +0800
Organization: The University of Westrn Australia
NNTP-Posting-Host: uniwa.uwa.edu.au
Summary: of the crime?

ADMIN: Kordane arrives back just _after_ Traveller announced Glysten's
       condition (which was after he also mentioned the tattoo).
       Excuse my quoting the various dialogs Kordane heard in their entirity.
       [G] thread fans get to see this scene yet again! :)

By the time Kordane has led the horse back to the battle field, the
lizardmen are all incapacitated.
Kordane: "Hey, none too shabby, if one is forced to go on a quest,
          one does well to travel with ones such as yourselves."

He notices Glysten lying unconsious nearby.
K: "What's with our fearless leader."
Traveller: "He was hit by a crossbow bolt, looks like it was poisoned."
K: "Perhaps his quest will die with him."
   (he sighs, and continues in a slightly bitter tone, almost to himself)
   "No, these Elders would not give up their game so easilly."

Traveller starts to make camp, and take charge of the situation in
Glysten's 'absence'.
T: "I suggest we post guards and find someone who is skilled in the
    healing arts." 
   (he continues to prepare for camp)
   "Where the hell did Galland go.  She, or whatever it is, vanished
    when all the action started.  I for one am wary of anyone who runs
    from a fight."
K: (under his breath)
   "And I, of anyone who seems so eager to fight."

For lack of anything better to do, Kordane begins to follow Travellers
lead, ungearing his horse, leading it to a shady spot etc, idly
wondering where Galland did go.
T: "Good work Roger you did well with your part.  I guess you all did well."
   (The latter said with a bit of disgust)
   "I guess it is better that Thorr-Kan showed up better late than never."
K: (to his horse, patting it on the neck)
   "You did indeed do well my friend, it looks like we will be together
    for a while yet.  Tell you what, I'll do my best to learn how to ride,
    and you keep your feet on the ground until I can deal with it.
    Fair enough?"
   (to no-one in particular)
   "I must be going mad, I'm talking to a horse."

Kordane takes off his blanket, which is wrapped in a cocoon around the
food he bought at the inn, the ends tied together, and slung diagonally
across his body.  Complaining, mostly to himself,
K: "Why the hell couldn't he give us more time to prepare, a blanket is
    hardly a good backpack.  Will have to remember to pick one up at the
    next town we go through."

After dumping the blanket near his saddle, Kordane listens to Roger
relating his 'vision',
Roger: "The brand of chaos is one sign of who is behind this attack,
        and yet another is a vision that I received at the end of the
        melee.  I saw the Elders seated at a table with the game board
        Glysten mentioned between them.  They exchanged words, and the
        White looked pleased.  I don't know the source of the vision,
        but I think that the Black was behind the ambush.  What worries
        me, though, is that as the vision ended the Black had a smile
        on his face... I advise that we be on our toes and not be so
        stupid in the future."

Roger pauses for a moment, looking around the group, and Kordane hears
Wanderer mumbling something strange to himself, obviously not intended
for anyone but himself.  Kordane's attention wanders to the matter at
hand as Roger continues,
R: "This ain't gonna be no walk in the park, chummers."
Wanderer: "No, it never is easy when outsiders 'play' with your lives,
           but the most fun is to try and upset the table."
          (That sly smile appears again.)
          "Right, I'm no healer, but let me see our great leaders wound..."
K: "The brand...?"

Roger silently indicates the body of the lizardman with the brand, and
Kordane walks over to it and examines the body, noting the brand, which
Roger had refered to as the brand of chaos.  Kordane remembers Glysten
mentioning it being on the amulet, on the black side.

K: "This doesn't make sence, the Elders obviously control vast power,
    they must have known that the lizardmen would be no match.
    If the Elder trully wanted to stop us, then why didn't it send more
    powerful minions?  I do not understand the rules of this 'game', but
    I trully wish they would play with different peices."

Kordane watches the Wanderer wander (ADMIN: couldn't resist :) over to
Glysten to see to his wounds, and notices Galland as she too strides
towards Glysten, rebuking Traveller and Roger on the way,
Galland: "Gentlemen, I think you will find me of much more use to our
          quest unseen in such a little tussle as this.  We seem to have
          plenty of capabality for tearing things apart."
         (She glances meaningfully around the carnage.)
         "We might well have need for other talents as well, hmm?"

Kordane smirks, and bows slightly to her, as he meets her eye for a
moment before she continues towards Glysten.  Once there, she undergoes
an amazing transformation, taking on the features of a man.  Before
Kordane can regain his composure, or close his mouth, Traveller pushes
Galland out of the way, as Glysten screams,
Glysten: "Be they damned!!"

Glysten lashes out a kick at Traveller, and rises shouting,
Gly: "FIRE....burn them all!!"

Traveller recovers quickly, as flame erupts from Glystens sword, and
knocks Glysten out with his staff, as Wanderer moves to protect Galland.
Traveller is again the first to recover,
T: "Not only is he poisoned, but he is also delerious."

Galland gets to her/his feet, and nods towards Traveller and Wanderer,
Gal: "My thanks."
T: "I'm sorry but I'm going to have to get away for a while.  Roger
    or Wanderer watch camp, I'm going to scout around."

Traveller leaves to scout, and Wanderer takes charge of the situation,
W: "Roger -  you'd better guard, I shall attempt to discern what foul
    brew our 'leader' has been infected with.
    Galland - you may help if you wish.
    Thorr-kan - look after your prisoner, we'll need a word with him.
    Kordane and Bran - set up camp and get a fire going" 
K: "What about the bodies?  I realise they may make great seats,
    but the aroma might get a little heady."
W: (matching Kordane's sarcasm)
   "That falls under the 'set up camp' heading.
    Though it could also fall under the 'set up fire' heading..."
K: "Great, the aroma without the utility.  Hmm, wonder what they taste
    like...  Nahh."
W: "Perhaps you could make saddle bags out of them for 'our' horses...
    but I'm sure you'll work something out."

Leaving Wanderer and Galland to deal with Glysten's condition, Kordane
searches the bodies of the lizardmen, piling the weapons off to one side,
which are fairly diverse, including crossbows, quarrels which are
probably poisoned, clubs, knives, a blowgun and a net.  He finds nothing
of patricular value, or intesest, when he's finished, he tries to drag
one of the lizardmen out of the campsite, quickly coming to the conclusion
that a fire is a much higher priority.   He heads into the bush to look
for firewood, looking back to make sure he in sight of the campsite, only
to see Bran make a strange gesture, and conjure a fire into existance.
Kordane wanders back into the campsite, with an unimpressed, tired
expression.  Walking over to the mage, he asks,
K: "Impressive, I don't suppose you could conjure these bodies out of
    the camp, or into saddle bags?"
-- 
Sean A Reith                         | gusar@uniwa.uwa.edu.au
C programmer and net.addict at large | sean@gu.uwa.edu.au
Obquote:                             | reith_s@kultarr.cs.uwa.edu.au
 "I have a cunning Plan" - Baldrick  | sean@his.own.really.fast.machine (RSN)