Dahlarin's story
				================
 

     As Gernodt completed his tale, Dahlarin leaned back in the 
chair.  A thoughtful look crossed his gentle features as he 
absorbed the information given to him.  His skin was lightly tanned
giving him the dark features one normally associated with a 
traveller, in contrast to the wizard-like appearance of his garb. 
He brooded for a moment, as he rested his chin on his hand, his 
long fingers just touching his nose.  As Gernodt looked at him 
expectantly, he leaned forward.  He rested his arm on the table 
with a soft clunk, as if he were wearing gauntlets beneath his 
gloved hands.  He slowly smiled as if enjoying a joke. 
 
     "Gernodt, it seems we are both fortunate today.  Your story
seems to start just as mine leaves off.  This is much more than I
hoped.  First, I will fill in some of the details in your own 
story.  If I am correct, the falcon you shot was unusually dark for
a falcon, not unlike a raven in colour, yet no so dark as to be 
mistaken for one.  That, my friend, was what wizards call a 
familiar.  It is a beast summoned by the mage to enhance his 
abilities.  Some allow the mage to see through their eyes, to be
as a scout or spy, or simply to amplify the mage's own meager human
vision.  Needless to say, this makes a very powerful bond between
mage and familiar.  Once you killed his falcon, he would have felt
the death as something akin to losing a limb.  Immense agony would
have coursed through his body.  From your tale, it appears he has
already given you a taste of the sort of pain he felt.  This pain
takes a very long time to heal, and affects all aspects of the 
wizard's abilities, including spell casting and fighting abilities. 
However, unlike the scars he gave you in return, time will 
eventually heal over his wounds.  Still, it is not something any
wizard would take lightly, and Qelrik is the sort that will not 
rest until you have paid tenfold for his pain.  You have found 
yourself a formidable foe, and you will need all of your luck and
skill to defeat him."  
 
     Dahlarin paused a moment as he caught the bartender's gaze. 
He ordered a mug of ale, and reaching into one of the pouches at
his waist produced a couple of coins. 
 
     "Now, to tell you of my tale, and how it is that I search for
Qelrik.  I originally did not come from this world.  I was born and
raised upon the continent Ansalon, on the world of Krynn."  


Gernodt nearly missed his swallow. 'Another one from Krynn ! What
incredible chance ! Well, I've only spent a few years there, but 
still....'.
However, thinking it polite to let Dahlarin finish his tale first,
he kept quiet and continued listening.

"On this world, there are many rules that are not followed in other worlds. 
The ones that affected me the most were the rules regarding the use
of magic.  In that world, magic is very regulated.  Only those 
joining the coven of wizards and abiding by their rules may 
practice the art.  I disagreed with their rules, so I shunned their
council and became a renegade wizard.  This is where Qelrik entered
my life.  Once he found out that I was a renegade, he was granted
permission to destroy me, or convert me, whichever was his 
pleasure.  At the time, though, we were both mere novices, and his
strength was not sufficient to force me back to the council.  So
he waited.  Meanwhile, I had met a lovely lady with whom I quickly
fell in love.  I enjoyed nearly a full month her pleasant company
before Qelrik made his entrance again.  Apparently, unknown to me,
he had his sights on this fair lady as well.  Seeing me with her,
and seeing her obvious affection with me made him angry beyond 
reason.  He must have reasoned, that if he could not have her, I
would not either.  While I was away, gathering spell components,
he murdered her.  I returned to my home moments after her death and
caught him unawares.  We fought.  His coven training had allowed
him to advance much faster than me, and he was by far a superior
mage in magic, but my anger gave me strength he had not counted on. 
We came very close to destroying each other that night, and it was
only because of his cowardice that either of us lived.  Each of us
vowed we would destroy the other." 
 
     Dahlarin paused, the memories obviously painful for him.  
After hearing Gernodt's painful tale, however, he could do naught
but continue.  
 
     "Shortly after that encounter, I discovered a means to escape
my world entirely.  Because of the struggles of learning magic as
a renegade, I decided to leave and further advance my magic before
confronting Qelrik again.  Unbeknownst to me, however, Qelrik 
followed me on the wake of my magic, and entered the same new world
as I.  Fortunately, it was nearly eight years later when he finally
tracked me down." 
     "By this time, we had both advance considerably in our arts,
and when we met, there was a battle such you could scarce imagine. 
But although, he had advance further in magic than I had, I still
managed to hold him off.  However, while I was concentrating on 
deflecting his attacks from me, I failed to notice the effect the
magic was having on the structure of the building in which we 
fought.  Eventually, after being strained to its limits, the 
building collapsed, raining tons of rock down on me." 
 
     Seeing his tale was having the desired affect, he continued.

     "I survived, however.  Trapped in an air pocket, beneath the
rocks, my left arm crushed under the stone, I waited for him to 
come and confirm my death.  But he never came.  I drifted in and
out of consciousness for an indefinite time, until a dwarf dug me
free.  But all was not well.  Although I survived, I lost my left
arm, from the elbow down.  Years passed, and I relearned all my 
spells, modified for one-handed use, until I had regained all my
former power.  Then using all of my worldly possessions, I had a
new arm made for me." 
 
     With these words, using his right hand, he removed the glove
on his left hand, revealing a detailed, polished metal hand. 


Again, Gernodt started.  He had never before seen a device like this
in his entire live, which was strange enough - considering that he 
already was 38...

 
     "Although it still does not function as an arm, I have imbued
it with many..  interesting magical properties.  With these I hope
to finally vanquish Qelrik." 
 
*********************************************************************
Next Time:
Yet another watcher...
*********************************************************************