From: sri4495@ritvax.isc.rit.edu
Subject: Mystfo Gets Some Cash
Reply-To: sri4495@ritvax.isc.rit.edu
Organization: Rochester Institute of Technology
Date: Fri, 2 Oct 1992 19:31:51 GMT

ADMIN: Whoops!  I guess I just posted my .sig!  Here's what I MENT to say.
	PS:  This also takes place after they chase The Big Nasty away from the
		door.

ADMIN: Whoops Again!  I did it again!  ARGGGGG!!!!!!! (pound head on terminal)


	Josh leaned back in his chair.  He still wasn't sure about what was
going on, but now he knew that if he was going to go insane, then he would at
least have a good time doing it.  `Hmmm.  Now, do I want to be Don Quixote? 
No... I'm not that nice, or that crazy.  Besides, he's a tragic character, and
that's just not my style.  Perhaps an evil mage?  No, I'm not that nasty,
either.  And they have a tendancy to die in the end too.  A big, strong
barbarian?'  Josh chuckled.  `OK, maybe not.  A buccaneer?  No... an aprentice
mage, just learning the trade?  No, I can't do magic...
	`Waidaminute.  Maybe I can learn!  I could do magic!  I could actually
find REAL magic!'  Josh just sat in his chair for a while, attempting to come to
grips with this new concept. 
	At this point his stomach growled, reminding him of more basic needs.
	`Well, I'm in a tevern or inn of some sort, they seem to have food
here, so I'll just walk up and...
	`And say "hi, I just popped in from another existance and I'm in
desperate need of a BigMac, but I don't have any money.  I don't suppose you
could help me?"  That's a good way to get thrown out.  But I need some money
some how...'
	At the next table he heard "Raise you five bits."
	`AHH!  Is it...'
	"Fold."
	"Call."
	"Whatcha Got?"
	"Three-of-a-kind, Kings high!"
	"FRIGNATH!  I thought you were bluffing!  All I got is a pair of twos."
	`What luck!' Josh mentally chortaled `Poker!  Even by the rules I know
it by, I assume!'
	He got up, and started to marshel his courage to walk to the table. 
Then his stomach growled again and he got the last bit of push that he needed.
	"Excuse me, gentlemen, but are you playing poker, perchance?"
	The five men clustered around the table looked up at him.  They were
all dirty, and many looked like they could eat nails as an appitiser.  Josh
began to have second thoughts about this whole plan, but it was too late to
back out now.
	"Yeh... What's it to you?"  The one with the largest pile before him
grunted.
	"Well, I'd like to play."
	"Hmmmm."  The one who had spoken before looked him up and down.  Josh
could almost see the thought `sucker' cross his brain.  "Sure!  Siddon down!"
	"Fine, I just have no money, so as stake could I use this?"  Josh
pulled the ruby of Tormar from his robe.  Actually, it was only glass, as
anyone who knew anything about gems could have seen, but the eyes of the poker
players lit up.
	"Hmmmm.  I'll give you ten gold for it."
	From the looks in the other player's eyes, he was obviously being
taken, but he needed the money, and he planned to win back the gem anyway.
"Sold!"
	The coins and the gem switched hands, and the game began.
	From the beginning, Josh had them where he wanted them.  The chap who
had been winning the most, who was called Gnosh, was a card shark, or at least
tried to be.  Josh saw through his deals with ease, and decided that if these
poor yokels couldn't see through that, he would have no problem "stacking" the
odds in his favor.
	When Josh had accumulated a pile that was much larger than Gnosh's,
Gnosh suddenly said "Waidaminute.  What was your name again?"
	"Mystfo the Magnificent."  It seemed more appropriate than `Josh'
somehow.
	"Hum, a magician, huh?"
	`Not yet...' Josh thought, but said, "Of sorts... Why?"
	"So have you been using magic on dese cards?"
	"No!  Of course not!"  `I wish I could!'
	One of the other players said "Hey Gnosh!  Check him out!"
	"Hmmm?"
	"You know, do the....."  and then the player made a motion like a
tailor mesuring something.
	"Oh, yeh!  Look you," Gnosh pointed at Josh, "If you're gonna keep
playing with us, then you gotta take my little test."
	"What test?" Josh causiously asked.
	"Just a test to see if you been doin' magic."
	"Ok, so what do I have to do?"
	"Just stand up, with your arms to either side."
	Josh stood up, and extended his arms.  Then Gnosh came over, and took
out a string about seven feet long.  He held it just over Josh's face so it
fell down his frount.  Then he held it length wise along Josh's arms.  He went
on the other side of Josh and did the manuver again.  Then he steped back and
looked at the string.
	"Hmmm, a real powerful out burst awhile ago, but nothing since then.  I
guess you're clean."  A number of Gnosh's comrades were obviously disapointed
by this.  Josh had the feeling that if he had not been "clean" he would have
had a very bad time of it.  Which reminded him that he had better get some sort
of weapon.  Somehow he didn't think that there was a community feeling of
brotherhood here.
	"Well, if you're satsified, Why not continue?"
	They had to agree, if only to attempt to get some of thier losses back.

	"Well, I guess that's about it!"  The pile before Josh now was all that
was left.  "Unless anyone would like to make another bet?"
	"I would."
	Josh didn't like the tone of his voice.  "You, Gnosh?  What would you
like to bet?"
	"I'll bet you don't get ten feet from this inn."  Gnosh's friends came
up and surrouned Josh.
	Yep, Josh really didn't like the tone of his voice.
	`Oh S***!' Josh paniced to himself, `I can't run, they obviously could
pound me into a bloody pulp if I fought them, and I don't know anyone to call  
to for help, and..'
	A man, who had been watching the table, slowly walked up behind the
sore poker players.  He took out a flute, and began to play it.  Instantly,
Josh began to feel a little more calm, and he some how knew that there would
not be any fight, at least not now.  He could see the faces of the other men
begin to calm, until they were no longer agressive, simply hostile.
	"Ah, he's not worth it.  Not worth giving up our favorite bar for."
	Josh sighed deeply as the men wandered off.  The man who had been
playing the flute stopped, and grinned at Josh.  "You picked the wrong crowd to
hustle!  Those chaps never forgive someone who takes thier money.  Just be glad
you did it here!"
	"Why?  What's so special about this inn?"
	"Didn't you know?  This is the Dragons-Inn."
	Josh looked back at him blankly.
	"The Dragons-inn is a no-combat zone.  That's what makes it so popular
among adventurers, and other shady characters."  The man with the flute
gestured towards the corners of the room.
	All eighteen of them.
	Josh attempted to come to grips with how eighteen dark corners could
exist in one room.  And all of them seemed to be the darkest one.  What's more,
each corner had a shady looking character, who was sitting observing the other
shady looking characters.  "What are they doing?  Just watching each other?"
	"Yep."
	"Don't they ever do anything?"
	"Nope."
	"Then why are they here?"
	"Because only the Dragons-Inn has enough corners for them all."
	"But couldn't some of them go to a different inn?"
	"Well, you see, this is the only place where they can meet thier peer
group (such as it is).  I mean, people who sit in dark corners don't get to see
each other to much, but they can't leave thier dark corners, because then they
are not a dark corners person any more, so they have to go someplace with
enough dark corners for them all.  It's kinda like a club."
	"But... Are they always there?"
	"Well, there is some turn over in dark corner sitters, but then again,
you have some people who are fixtures.  And then you have those people who have
sat in dark corners for so long, they don't know how to sit in the light. 
Those are the really sad ones.  They have to be totally rehabilitated.  You
know, getting them to come out of the corner, as it were."  He whispered as an
asside, "I think what it really is, is that these people were told to go sit in
the corner so much as kids, they got to like it there.  But they don't want
people to know that they were bad, so..."
	Josh still was not quite sure about the multiple corner situation, but
he decided that he could deal with that on his own, since the explanations were
simply confusing him.  "Well, thank you ever so much for calming those guys
down for me."
	The man smiled.  "My pleasure.  By the way, the name is Listener.  And
I wouldn't thank me too much."
	"Why not?"
	"Well, I get the feeling that they are waiting outside for you."
	"Ah.  You wouldn't happen to know where I could get a machine gun,
would you?"
	"you want to munch on what?"
	"Never mind.  I didn't think so.  So, how do you sugest that I get keep
from getting my face pounded in?"
	Listener grined.  "Never leave the inn?"
	Josh grimaced.  "Thanks."
	"My pleasure!  Actually, I suggest you start learning to defend
yourself now.  Generica is not a nice place."
	"Generi-who?"
	"Generica.  This city."
	"Ah.  Well, thanks for everything."
	"Yep!  By the way, what was your name again?"
	"Well, my real name is Josh, but I guess my name here is going to be
Mystfo the Magnificent."
	"Well, nice meeting you Josh."
	Listener wandered off, to play his lute for other patrons, leaving Josh
to contemplate his coins.
--
Life is like a REALLY BIIIG rutabaga./-----\   Shawn, the very,very,very,VERY
I think.                        |    | * * |   eclectic. And God of The Funky
At least, it tastes like one.  -+-   | \_/ |   Hat. And the weirdo wannabe.
Especially with yogurt on top.  |    \_____/   SRI4495@ritvax.isc.rit.edu
Except for strawberry.          | (3:16 of the NT)