Organization: Penn State University
Date: Thu, 1 Oct 1992 14:00:24 EDT
From: <ASG102@psuvm.psu.edu>
Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn
Subject: Assassin after E'Karam
 <Oct.1.00.29.41.1992.20734@ruhets.rutgers.edu>
 <Oct.1.00.45.41.1992.21165@ruhets.rutgers.edu>

>[SCENE: about a block from the dragon's inn]
>Kaldir is startled by the message inhis head: "Kaldir, the fool finally took
>the coin. you know what to do" annd the link is passed from Spondeux to
>Kaldir.
>He heads of toward the unsuspecting E'Karam.

E'Karam thought about what he was going to do here in Generica.  He had no
job, he had not friends, he had no money, and his moustache was still
purple...well, he DID have one gold coin that he had just found.  It would
probably be enough to get him a decent meal or something.  For a moment,
he couldn't think of what he liked to eat...and then he gave up thinking
about it.  He would just order the "special" and see what it was.
------

Kaldir walked casually into the bar.  He was wearing a dark cloak and his
movements were graceful.  In other words, he looked like just about everyone
else in the Dragon's Inn...everyone except for the Mind Flayer sitting in
the well-lit center table without his back to the wall.  Kaldir knew at once
that this Mind Flayer was his target.  Silently, he cursed Spondeaux for
sending him after this creature.  His job was to kill people, not monsters.

Reguardless, he had a job to do and he went to work.  For this job, he would
need:
1. To get close to his target
2. To cause a distraction so the other patrons would not notice his work
3. To kill the creature
4. To get away swiftly

Number 4 he had covered...the Low City was close and cramped enough that he
could lose any persuers without a problem.

He didn't want to try poisoning the creature since it was very different from
a human and his poisons might not work.  This left stabbing and explosives.
He had enough of the explosive clay left to take out this creature, but it
would have to be placed under his table in order to be close enough to kill
him.  He dicided to use the clay as the distraction and do the killing
personally...a poisoned dagger in the neck should do the trick.

Kaldir walked over to the table closest to the fireplace and sat down.  When
the barmaid came over, he ordered a shot of Absolut Citron and then set to
work.  He placed the clay under the table and then unwound a ball of twine.
One end he stuck in the clay and the other he dropped on the floor.  At this
point, Serene returned with his drink and he thanked her and stood.

"I've decided to have this drink with my friend," he said to her as he left
the table.  As he stepped away, he brushed the ball of twine knocking it into
the fireplace.

As many other times, he timed his walk so he would be at the Mind Flayer's
back when the explosion occured.  Three steps...two steps...one step.........
------

E'KARAM felt a tingling sensation in his head.  He thought about the feeling
and realized that it was fear or maybe anticipation.  The strange thing was
that it was not HIS fear or anticipation, but that of another person,
someone behind him.
------

Just before the explosion was to take place, Kaldir pulled a small poisoned
knife from its sheath up his sleeve.  He was about to strike when two things
happened that supprised him:
     1. the explosion did not occur and
     2. the Mind Flayer turned to face him

"Hello, I'm E'Karam the Half..." the Mind Flayer started, but Kaldir tried
to stab him in the neck before he could finish.  Across the room, Listener
dropped his Catamount Amber on the floor and dove for his lute.

"Oh my, how rude..." E'Karam said after blocking the assassin't attack with
his arm.  From somewhere deep inside his brain, an instinct stirred and
E'Karam reached out with his mind and touched that of the assassin and he
felt his murderous intentions.  He also felt hungry.  E'Karam faced the
assassin and his tenticles began to wave about wildly.  Kaldir's eyes rolled
into the back of his head and he felt a strong pull against his will...enough
to make him pass out.

I am a Halfling,
Halflings don't eat people's brains,
Therefore I can't eat this man's brain.

With that settled, his tenticles quit their work and relaxed.  E'Karam himself
felt strange.  Already his mind was supressing his other instincts and the
entire event became a blank.  There was a man lying face down on the floor next
to him with an empty shot glass.  The smell of alcohol was in the air.

A man is passed out,
Alcohol cause people to pass out,
The man smells of alcohol,
Therefore he must have drank too much.

Not wanting to disturb the man, E'Karam moved to another table and decided to
order something to eat.

     Love and Peace and Repression,
            -The Dreamer-