From: alansz@cogsci.berkeley.edu (Alan Schwartz)
Newsgroups: rec.games.hack
Subject: STORY: Vendik's Tale - Part 3
Date: 10 Apr 1992 05:43:58 GMT
Organization: University of California, Berkeley
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: cogsci.berkeley.edu
Originator: alansz@cogsci.Berkeley.EDU

Someone asked that I do less character development kinda stuff and more
spoiler kinda stuff. This is like that. I haven't decided which way I prefer.
The story develops....



Note: The work of fiction below may contain *spoilers*. If you don't want
any help, you probably shouldn't read on. You may reproduce and
distribute this story at will, provided that the author is credited
and the distribution involved no monetary transactions.



                         Vendik's Tale - Part 3
                           [Thy will be done]


    Outfitted now in blessed scale mail from Possogronoe's, I moved
more confidently through the twisty passages. As I descended further
and further into the depths of the ruin with Virgil at my side, I
successfully defeated hordes of reptiles and jackals.
    Moving northward down a narrow path, I came to a closed door.
My heart was racing as I tried the knob. Locked. I drew back and
ran toward the door, kicking it with all my might. On the second try
it burst open and I found myself in a temple. A great stone was
set up in the center of the room as an altar to the god to whom
the sight was sacred. But which god?
    A sense of peace enveloped me as I saw the priestess of Thoth.
Now, I thought, I might finally repay my god for his aid on my quest.
For indeed, Thoth had come to my aid not a day before, when, fainting
from hunger, I sent up my prayer. Thoth had answered, sparing me from
even considering my only other food alternative, my master's cat.
    I spoke with the priestess, and gave her a small donation for
the maintenance of the temple, receiving in return a blessing of
clairvoyance. My senses thus heightened, I stepped out of the temple
and felt the presence of a group of orcs in the next room. Virgil
and I slew them with little effort, and I hefted the corpses over my
shoulder and ran back to the temple. Leaning over the altar of Thoth,
I raised up the corpses, offering them to my god. Fire shot forth
from the altar, consuming the dead orcs, and I was vouchsafed a
vision of a clover, which I took to be a sign of fortune.
    Thinking to continue to honor my deity, I gathered up Virgil and
we slunk through the caves. A dwarf rose up against us, and after
a hard fight which brought me near death, we had another body to
sacrifice. I stripped the body of its cloak, shoes, and pick-axe,
and returned to the temple.
    Virgil and I continued our jihad for hours, returning each time
to the temple to offer thanks to Thoth. As we raised up the last
corpse, a fiery blade appeared on the altar in its place, and the
priestess spoke:
    "Oh blessed ones! Thoth has seen fit to grant you the mythical
firebrand, that you may prevail over your foes and do honor to his
name."
    Grinning at Virgil, I lifted the blade. To my surprise, it
was light, far more so than I would have expected from such a
great sword. I swung it a few times, exulting in the heat which
rose of its flaming blade. I looked again at the priestess.
    "Thank you, holy priestess," I murmured.
    "Thank only Thoth, supplicant," she replied, "and, should you
have found items you fear to be cursed, cast them down upon the
altar of your god."
    Surprised, I did as she said, laying each thing I carried
down on the altar. A black flash as I lay down two scrolls I had
found warned my that they were protected by curses, but, to my
joy, nothing else I carried was, and one of the potions actually
glowed a delicate amber on the altar! I snatched it up and drank.
    Hey, I thought, this is good. Kind of like that stuff the
master used to get...what was that? Wine, wine, of couse, wine.
Winewinewine. Boy, I do feel great. Just a little fuzzy, that's all.
Look! It's another orc. Well, I'll show that pig-headed fool
not to mess with a Wizard!
    I stumbled toward the orc, tripped, and fell, just missing
Virgil, who gave me a disapproving glance. As the orc came closer,
Virgil engaged it, leaving it dead and eating the corpse. I grinned
merrily at Virgil and picked up the scroll the orc had been
carrying. "Kirje, eh?" I slurred, "Ok, let's see what you can do."
I read the scroll through quickly, but in my drunken state mispronounced
some of the words. A golden glow surrounded my scale mail, and,
running my hands over it, it seemed a waxy film had settled
onto it.
    As my head cleared, leaving me with an awful headache, I looked
over at Virgil. Well, I thought, I guess it's time to keep going.
I cast a silent prayer of thanks up to Thoth for protecting me,
and followed Virgil to another staircase, and another layer
of caves.



----
Alan Schwartz                    | Disclaimer: I represent no one
alansz@cogsci.berkeley.edu       |
UC Berkeley                      | "Life is what happens to you while
Cognitive Science/Women's Studies|  you're busy making other plans"
                                 |          - J. Lennon

Newsgroups: rec.games.hack