Gernodt's story =============== Gernodt slowly took another mouthful of ale, considering. There was something about the stranger which told him that he was a powerful person, perhaps a mage or cleric of some sort. He also got the distinct feeling that he was no person to be messed with lightly. Drinking slowly, seeming to savour every drop of ale, he considered his next action. Finally, with a certain amount of resignation, he thought, 'oh well, I think I stand to gain more than I can lose... Qelrik seems to be hot on my heels, judging from the strange attackers...'. "Why, surely, my friend. I'm sure we could at least swap some information, I guess." "By the way, my name is Gernodt T'Slorung, fighter of a certain renown (at least in some parts of the world). I've been hunting (and been hunted by, as well) Qelrik for the last couple of years. While things started out harmlessly enough, at least from my point of view,matters quickly went too far. I made his acquaintance, if I may call it that, when I accidently shot one of his animals while I was out hunting with a pet rat of mine. I didn't even know the falcon belonged to him until he appeared to me, a week later... From the way he reacted, you might have supposed the falcon had been his son or wife - not that he would have either, what with his foul temper." At this point, Gernodt took another sip from his mug, looking askance at Dahlarin. Seeing him looking impatient and obviously eager for more details, he then continued. Dahlarin stared enraptured as the giant man wove his tale. So long he had waited for this information! Seeing Gernodt pause, and look at him, he nodded for Gernodt to continue. While he listened, he shifted to a more comfortable position and pulled back the hood of his cloak revealing an incredible mane of silver hair, disappearing into the depths of his cloak. Although it was predominantly silver, streaks of black showed the colour it had been in his youth, though he didn't appear to be more than about 30 or 35. Carefully, he leaned his well-worn staff against the table, his hazel eyes never leaving Gernodt's face. "Well, a man appeared to me in my dream about a week later. He told me in a voice filled with both rage and hatred that I had "shot his beloved darling" and that, as a revenge for this "unholy deed", he would make me pay, even if he had to hunt me the whole world over... I didn't quite know what to say, since I had not even known that this falcon had belonged to someone and, anyway, I judged this to be a massive overreaction." "However, when I came home later in the evening of the following day, I found that my comfortable little house had mysteriously burned down, including all my equipment, weapons, armor and even my dear pet rat (the follower of the one killed by his falcon's onslaught). I didn't instantly connect this mysterious occurrence to the man, but a neighbour claimed to have seen a man clothed from head to feet in a black robe enter my house just before it began to take fire. He was, however, not sure whether he had left, and no traces of him were to be found..." "I joined an adventuring party the next day since they had just come to my village to search for a guide to the hills. Entering the hills, we found - and slew - a hill giant. As a reward for the services I lent them as both guide and fighter, I was given the giant's sword I still wield. To be honest, I think the foremost reason for this gift was not their generousness so much as the fact that I was the only one of them able to even lift the weapon... Anyway, on our way back we went through a village where we wanted to stay for the night. I claimed to keep first watch, as I wanted to train with my new- found weapon in front of the barn we slept in. A few hours after midnight I thought I saw a shadow moving outside. I yelled a warning to my companions, but to no avail - before they had even awakened, a huge fireball was approa- ching. I stood still for a moment,having never seen a fireball that huge - it was still growing, yet it already seemed to be half the size of our barn. Anyway, a short while later, I decided that the only possible way to survive the explosion would be to jump through the fireball, since it was large enough to destroy the whole barn. Also, I hoped I might wound the mage before the ball exploded... I jumped." Here, Gernodt stopped for a moment, lost in these painful memories. Coming to his senses a while later, he noticed that several other customers seemed to be listening intently. 'Well, I might try to sell my story to a sage or bard someday, perhaps make a bit of money... But I'll have to find Qelrik first...', he thought. "Well, I survived this foolhardy jump. However, nearly all my equipment was obliterated by the fireball's intense heat. Sadly, I only managed to cut the wizard along his left forearm before the fireball exploded, taking the barn and some adjoining buildings with it. I was, in fact, lucky to have hit him at all, since I immediately passed out from the intense pain... When I came to my senses later, I was to learn that not only had the mage escaped, but my whole party had been slain by the fireball. They didn't stand a chance... Nearly half the village and its inhabitants also died before the fires could be extinguished. I was tended by an old local healer who taught me a few skills of his during my time there." "When I first saw what had become of me, I thought it better to die. However, he convinced me that to commit suicide was a unforgivable sin - at least he thought that this was the reason for my sudden determination to stay alive. In fact, all I wanted to do was to keep a vow I had sworn there and then - to find and bring to justice this evil Qelrik, may his beard be infested by bugs, who had knowingly slain six people just to take revenge for the death of a falcon." "Since then, there have been many meetings between me and Qelrik's servants. Until now, I always kept the upper hand, sometimes with aid and sometimes only by sheer luck. However, this vendetta has now been going on for 7 years and, to be frank, I'd really like to just find him and slay him.." Having ended his tale, Gernodt leaned back and swallowed in huge gulps the whole mug of ale that the bartender had thoughtfully provided. Looking at the stranger, he thought 'So, let's see whether he still wants to be helpful...'. ****************************************************************************** Next Time: Dahlarin's story... ******************************************************************************