From: rhr9081@hertz.njit.edu (Ray Rich)
Date: 31 Jul 92 03:43:43 GMT
Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn
Subject: Re: [Dq:] Week 2, part two

In article <92210.194510344LWKC@CMUVM.CSV.CMICH.EDU> 344LWKC@CMUVM.CSV.CMICH.EDU (Mike Sander) writes:
>- - -
>CUT TO: a few hours before...
>
>SunStorm: "OK, I thank you all for giving your ideas on those blasted
>riddles. Not that I think it helped a lot, it raising more questions than
>it solved, but anyway, here is what I propose. I'll go check, like Valgar
>proposed, with the city watch. Any who want to come with me can do so.
>
>If any of you can do some search of the reasons why the riot happened, then
>that would also help some. I know there are some risks involved with that
>task, since it requires contacting the undergroud. Someone who know the
>city well and doesn't fear the thieves guilds could take care of that part.
>
>Also, although it's less important, if anyone can do some bibliothecary
>search for maps of the local regions, preferably those with caves shown on
>it, well that could also help us. ANy legends about books, caves, or just
>about anything which you think might help us would also be useful, of
>course.
>
>We'll meet tonight, and if all goes well we'll be ready to go tomorrow.
>Don't despair: look what we've assembled in only one evening. I'm sure
>another full day will bring the clues we need to go find TrueSilver. Ok,
>so I'm going to the Watch, now. Anyone want to go with me?"
>
>Lancos: "I'll go with you, since I know the city fairly well. If need be,
>I'll also try to take a look into Low City myself."
>
>SunStorm: "Good".
>
>Valgar: "Err, I think I'll pass. And I don't know the city that much
>anyway. Well, I'll try to amass some info using... other ways."
>
>SunStorm: "No problem. Nobody forces you to do anything, here. Know only
>that the faster we find information, the sooner we'll go. I assume each of
>you three will find a way to gather some useful information, so we'll be on
>our way and meet you tonight.".
>
	After obtaining some pocket cash from Lancos, Valgar left the Inn
to do some searching.  The Low City was definitely out.  He had seen enough
of that area when he hid there during the riots.  Instead, he decided to
seek out a cartographer.  After all, he needed some maps of the environs
himself.
	He questioned a few people and wandered all over the city before 
finally stumbling upon his destination.  "The Generican Guild of Cartographers",
the sign read.  With a sigh of triumph, Valgar entered.
	Valgar thought at first he had opened a tomb, for the cloud of dust
that burst forth from the building made him almost double over.  When he
was finally able to open his eyes with minimal discomfort, he saw that the
interior was a huge room, filled with tables and books of all shapes and
sizes.  The numerous scroll racks lay empty, with their scrolls littering the
floor.  In the center of the room, a lone dwarf sat scribbling on a parchment
and taking long gulps from a hefty mug of ale.  All around his desk were piled
balls of crumpled vellum.
	The dwarf looked up with bespectacled eyes.  "Well, whatdy'a want,
dammit?!  Don't just stand there gawking.  Talk to me!  Grumbli Blisterthum
at your service."
	"I need maps of the local area.  Specifically, any caves near here,"
Valgar replied.
	"You and every other third-rate dungeon-delver.  Do you realize how
long it takes me to transcribe one of these beauties?  I sweat over this
drawing board pumping these little wonders out, and what happens?  The guild-
masters yell 'the location of Specifica has changed, please take a note of
it', 'Merchant Hill's there now', and 'There's no town called Grumbliburg!'"
The diminuitive dwarf leapt onto his stool and waved his arms for emphasis,
knocking his mug over in the process.  A disgusting mix of warm beer and wet
ink ran down the table.
	"Oh, bloody hell!" he exclaimed, sitting down again.
	"I'm looking for the location of any caverns that could conceivably
house a rather large dragon," Valgar said, trying desperately to get the 
conversation back on track.
	"Fancy yourself a warrior, eh?  You're not even carrying a sword!"
	"I'm willing to pay cash."
	"Well, why didn't you say so in the first place?!  Slim!  Slim, get
down here!"
	A tall and bone-thin elf, presumably Slim, descended the spiral 
staircase from the second floor at a pace just slightly faster than that of
a hanging three-toed sloth.  The towering elf yawned and shambled over to the
desk.
	"Get this cash-paying customer a copy of The Atlas of the Known Lands
and Uttermere's Adventure!" Grumbli shouted.  The elf lowered its head and
wandered off towards the bookshelves at the back of the hall.
	"Uddermeer's Adventure?" Valgar queried.
	"Uttermere was a fairly decent explorer.  Helped us a lot when he was
in his prime.  Anyway's he hears about these sea caves, see, that are only
accessible at certain times of the year, when the tide is right. So's he goes
out and gets heself a party of idiots.. oops I mean adventurers, and decides
to go see what all the hubbub be about.  Only problem is, it's not the right
time of year, so he ends up having to pay all these mercenaries anyway.  Poor
guy became destitute almost overnight.  I mean, he couldn't very well refuse
to pay these guys.  They were rowdy types, yesee,..."
	"Did he ever get in the damn cave?" Valgar prodded.  He was growing
quite impatient at this point.
	"Huh?  Oh yeah."
	"What did he find?"
	"Nobody knows.  The three mercs he could still afford were never seen
again and poor Uttermere was confined to an asylum by the Brothers of Issek.
Whatever he saw in there drove the guy completely bonkers.  Never saw anyone
so out of it.  The guy just sat there, babbling and drooling all over himself,
why..."
	"Enough.  Is there info on the sea cave in that book?"
	"Yeah, it's the last chapter.  It's all jibberish, tho.  It was the
last entry the guy ever made, shortly before they put him away."
	Valgar slammed a handful of shekels on the grimy desk and grinned.
	"I'll take it!"

>- - -
>
>CUT TO: The evening
>
SunStorm and Lathan returned to the Inn after their info-gathering.
>When they got inside, Valgar, "Raelf and Kadrys were there, too. SunStorm
>and Lancos went to the table, and SunStorm told everybody about what he
>learned, which isn't much. Before asking the others for what THEY learned,
>he asked LittleFair for a good meal. The reduced giant was literally
>starving...
>

					Raymond H. Rich
					aka Valgar