Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 1992 23:24:59 -0400 
From: John Charles Fiala <jf2z+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: [D&F] Delena buys a house, frees a bear, and tries strange and wonderful food (sorry for the long subject)

ADMIN: {
Achem.  For those who have newsreaders which truncate 
the subject, it is:

[D&F] Delena buys a house, frees a bear, and tries strange 
and wonderful food (sorry for the long subject)

I'm using [D&F] For mine and Felix's ministory, which other
people may, or may not, join in.  Won't hurt to ask.

Anyway, the latest installment, subject to protests by Felix: 
}

ADMIN: This starts before the invasion of the inn by all the skeletons
and the dragon, a storyline I'd rather not have to deal with.

	Felix and Delena exited the inn, walking across the plaza of Glittering
Steel, Delena commenting on the odd paving.
	"My.. what odd paving."
	Felix nodded.  "No one's really sure why it's here, although I'll admit
I'm not sure if anyone's really tried.  It's handy, at times."
	Delena smiled at her companion.  "I have something to confess.  My
particular reason for this bout of wanderlust has less to do with exploring
the city, although that's part of it, and more to do with securing some
living and buisness space.  I'm somewhat on several missions, here, one in
recovering something that was lost a long time ago, and another in establishing
somewhat of a base of operations for our people.  And so, I need to know about
how to find a place I can buy a building, hopefully on the eastern part of the
city."
	Felix thought for a moment.  "Well, milady, I suggest we move perforce
to the great library, to the north of here, along the arcade of fountains.  The
caretakers of that great establishment should be able to answer your question
as of where to go to find places for sale."
	Delena nods.  "Capitol suggestion."
	And thus they walked over to the Great Library.  Inquiries there were
returned with directions to Ardrey's, a furniture making buisness that had
persisted for quite a few generations.  (note: see end of this for a map for 
placement, in case someone else wants to go here)  It seems, the monk in
charge of such inquiries, sometime in the past it had become customary to
leave notices of land and buiding sales there, and the practice continued
to that day.  Delena nodded, and left a small donation for the assistance.
	"Well, Felix, given that it's south of here, I think having a look 
around this end of the city first, and then moving down towards.. Ardrey's?..
would be a good idea."
	"Well, as you wish.  Being in your presence is enough to turn this
one's day into bliss, fair one."
	Delena blushed slightly.  "Ah.  You and your complements."

	Later on, after having spent some time wandering about the city,
the pair arrived (after stopping by the inn for a brief lunch) at the 
aforementioned place.  Delena hmmed at the pile of various notices.
	"Mind giving me a hand?  I'm looking for someplace near the east
gate, preferably on Dragon's lane, two or three floors, that can work 
as a shop on the bottom floor, and rooms above."
	Felix smiled, and gave his assent, and the pair went through the
for-sale notices.  He stopped, and looked one over.  "Hey!  Have a look at this
one."
	Delena paused, and looked over the notice.  "Hmmm.. very promicing. 
Hopefully it's still available.  I suggest we pop out that way, and look it
over.  I see the owner is on the same lane, and we can turn Bertha loose as 
well."
	Felix raised an eyebrow.  "Bertha, milady?"
	Delena grinned, and pulled out a familiar carving of a bear.
	Felix laughed, and they went towards the East Gate.

	At the east gate, Felix and Delena looked about.  "Now... " she
mumbled, "we don't want it free so close...  Looking across a bit of field,
she smiled at the nearby woods.  "But once in the woods, she's not likely
to venture forth towards civilization again.  C'mon."  They walked out to
the forest, and then some 20 minutes into it.  "Keep an eye out?" she asked
her companion, who nodded.  She placed the small bear statue some 10 feet
from her, and then retrived what seemed to be a small round stone.
	"I hope I can hit her on the first try..." she mumbled, took aim, and
tossed.  The stone flew out, hit a tree, making Delena wince, and then 
rebounded to hit the stone bear, which explosively expanded to her usual
bear-sized size.  Looking about, the she-bear decided to make tracks, and
walked off.
	"Good.  At least my good deed for the day is over."
	Felix nodded, and then paused.  "Delena?  How are you going to find
the stone again?"
	She grinned.  "It's magic.  If you wouldn't mind turning away?"
	Felix nodded, and turned.  A few seconds came by before he heard her
say, "Found it!  Okay, you can turn around."  He looked at her curiously,
wondering why she'd have him turn around.  Sensing his curiosity, she grinned.
"Girl's got to have her secrets.  Let's head back into town."

	Delena and Felix surveyed the place for sale, the fat murchant who
had owned it singing it's praises next to them.  
	"Well," started Delena, "If it's so nice, why are you selling it?"
	The merchant nodded.  "A good question, ma'am, a good question indeed.
I had, up to now, been renting this place out to a sucession of buisnesses.
Unfortunately, each time I would rent this out to a buisness, after a few
months it would fold, and I would be out a few months rent."
	The trio made it's way to the second floor.
	"Well," said Delena, "I'll probably have to replace some of the
furniture..."
	The merchant nodded.  "Finally, my wife, light of my life, she says to
me, 'Morris, you schmuck, sell the thing.  It is nothing but a tsuris.'  So,
what can I do?  I try to sell it.  A seller's market it isn't."
	Delena nodded.  "Felix?  What do you think?"
	"Well.. it seems nice enough.  Some fixing up's needed, but I guess
it's sound.  Not that I'm an expert on buildings."
	With a nod, Delena and the merchant started in on the haggling.  After
some time, she came out of it some rather impressive jewels poorer, and one
building to her name.  "I'll see you tomorrow to register this at the town
hall, noon, allright?"
	The merchant nodded, obviously glad to be rid of such an albatross
at such a good price.  "Good health in your new home."
	Felix grinned.  "Well, now that that's over, I insist you let me
treat you to dinner.  I know this great place, it serves the best
Etarus'ian food you'll find on the continent."
	Delena smiled, and gave in, locking the door to her nascent buisness
as the wandered off to Felix's favorite Etrus'ian restaurant.

ADMIN: Okay, Felix.  Ball's in your court.

NOTE: The furniture place, the real estate notices therein, and Morris, the
landlord, are free to use as people want.

NOTE: Etrus'ian food comes from the completely made up country of 
Etarus'ta, an oriental country similar to Japan, in culture and food.
Details on Etarus'ta when I feel like working them up.  I have plans on it.

NOTE: And here's the map, with the furniture place inserted.


     \ _____________________________________________/\   / /
      \ (19)                |    (8)    |           \/  / /
       \                    |_________(3)       ______\/ /      NORTH
       |                          !!           / _______/
       |                          !!          / /       \         A
  ~  ~ |                          (1)        / /         |        |
       (23)                   (32)!!        / /          |        |
        \        _The_Ceruputhon__!!_River_/ /           |       /|\
 ~  ~    \      /  _______________((________/            /\
         |     / /                !! (18)(27)            \/
         |    / /================(11)======(5)===========+
   ~  ~  |(20) / (21)             !! (4)      (7)        +(6)
          \ / /(28)               !!               (31)  /\
 The Great   /      (33)      (37)!!                     \/
 Blue Sea    \  (9)               !!                     |
   ~  ~  ~     \                  (2)                     \
                |      Low City   !!                       |
                |      (26)       !!(35)                   |
     ~  ~  ~    |             (36)!!                       |
                |    (34)  (29)   {}                       |
                |                 !!(16)                   |
    ~  ~  ~     (22) (12)         !!                       |
                 \ (15)           !!                       |
                  |_____________/\++/\_____________________/\


(37) Ardrey's Furniture Shoppe :)

(note that I have fixed the error in the current map, where the location
of (33), the merchant's hill, is marked by a second (3))


ADMIN: If you read this far, congrats.  For people so interested by
my story that missing it is a calamity, don't worry, I'm keeping files
of everything I post.  In fact, I usually use emacs to write, and then
just send things out.

-john
"No cat out of its first fur was ever deceived by appearances,
unlike humans, who seems to enjoy it."
jf2z+@andrew.cmu.edu	-The Last Unicorn