Glendal Lorg in the City, Scene 3

Hi.  It's been a while, hasn't it?  I finally got tired of not knowing what Glendal was going to do, and how he was going to stymie Dassadal's dirty plan to steal the wedding statuette.  Believe it or not, it gnawed on me all these years.  But I didn't feel up to the task to take it on.  I felt absolutely blocked up, mentally.

Finally, something changed.  Let's find out, together, what happens next!

As a reminder, I'm playing a solo Urban Adventure using the Scarlet Heroes rules from Sine Nomine Publishing.

Threat Level = 1

Heat = 0

Victory Points:  Glendal 2, Them 0

Clues I have = 2

Glendal's current hit points: 4 of 6.

One of the first things I did, upon returning to the game and having had a fresh read-through of the rules, was to level Glendal up to a Level 2 Thief.  Previously, I had been perfectly happy to stay at first level as that's where a lot of fun is, and quite frankly I simply forgot to level him up when I began the Urban Adventure.  Here are his stats:

STR 16 +2

DEX 16 +2

CON 16 +2

INT 11 +0

WIS 14 +1

CHA 15 +1

Leather Armor AC 7 + DEX = AC 5.  Attack Bonus +2.  Primary Trait:  Adventuring Thief +4.  Other Traits:  Elven Senses +1; Former Fighter past life +1; Keen Danger Sense +1; Streetwise Info Gatherer +2.  Nothing else really changed, except he has a metric ton of loot from his dungeon crawl.  Yes, his stats are...impressive.  I'm here to have fun, not play some unsalvageable character that dies in his first outing.

* * * * *

Scene 3:  Investigation:  "Trick an Actor into revealing a Clue. Roll a die; on an odd result you face a Fight whether or not you succeed on the check."

It seemed to Glendal Lorg that the obvious next step would be for him to go to Fargle Nex's abode and find out directly from the Cleric of Cernunnos what was going on.  Time appeared to be of the essence, since so much of his movements had already been either anticipated or reported on.  As much as the Elf would have liked to spend an hour or two holed up with a lithe Elf dancing girl to assuage his hurts, he did not think he had the time to spare.

A quick visit to the local Cernunnos shrine, and a gold piece in the palm of the attendant, got him Nex's home location.  Interestingly, it was in a part of town closer to the districts of "ill repute" than might be expected of a ranking priest.  Then again, thought the Thief, considering Cernunnos was the god of virility, maybe it made perfect sense.  Although if what Glendal knew of Fargle's love for his apparent-bride was true, the Priest might have a more difficult time remaining a polygamous Cleric of the cult.  He might have a hard time, the Elf smirked to himself, then he scowled.  Human humor was insinuating itself into his mind.  Very distasteful.

The cautious Thief stood in the shadows across the street from the home.  His keen danger sense warned him not to go bursting in, and his wariness was rewarded.  Shortly after he arrived, a second group made its way through the street:  three Human toughs and a finely-dressed one-legged older man who limped with a wooden leg, who was obviously a priest of some sort.  The shadows made it so that Glendal did not recognize the heraldic device on the man's tabard.

The group knocked and the door was opened by Fargle himself.  After a brief welcome, the men entered and the door closed.  Immediately, Glendal slipped across the street to listen at the door.  Unfortunately it was a stout wooden one and resisted his attempts to eavesdrop.  So instead, he did what came naturally now that the situation had changed:  he opened it and stepped inside.

To say his sudden appearance was unexpected was an understatement.  He took in the scene:  Fargle was demonstrably upset, in the act of gesticulating feverishly; the new priest was looking dour; and the three toughs were caught completely unawares and reacted by drawing protectively about the older man.

The tableau froze as everyone turned to look at the newcomer.  Glendal instantly sized up the toughs as capable men (one more so than the others), and pigeon-holed the new priest:  uncommonly old, even for one of his position; someone who obviously loved public acclaim, based on his finery; yet, a miserable old sourpuss.  A closer look at his regalia showed him to be a Priest of the goddess of war, Morrigan.  What in the world was he doing at Fargle Nex's home?

Glendal hazarded a guess but Fargle spoke first.  "Why, Glendal, my friend, what do you here?"

The new priest scowled first at Glendal, then at Fargle.  "What is the meaning of this intrusion?  Nex, is this some sort of trick?  An ambush?"

Fargle hastened to calm the man.  "Nothing of the sort, Boon Kal.  I am as much surprised as are you.  Allow me to make introductions.  This is Glendal Lorg, a friend who helped me much in a recent endeavor.  Glendal, this is...."

"I know who Boon Kal is," Glendal bluffed, having only just now heard the name.  He hurried on with his guess.  "I was sent here by Dassadal.  Dassadal Ul the Vainglorious Coachman from the Primordial Road, to be more specific.  He told me I'd find you here."

The sudden light of recognition in Boon Kal's eyes told Glendal everything he needed to know:  Boon Kal and Dassadal Ul were in on the intended theft together.  Perhaps Boon Kal hired Dassadal, perhaps it was more mutual; the details were unimportant at the moment.  But as suddenly as the light appeared in his eyes, it was smothered just as quickly as suspicion arose.

"Dassadal Ul?" the war priest said.  "Never heard of him.  Kunstanticus," he gestured to the taller of the thugs, "remove this insect."

With a ringing song, Glendal's sword flew from its scabbard.  There was little room in the entryway area and almost at once he was surrounded.  The dried blood from his earlier fights still crusted his clothing and he knew this might be more challenging than he wanted.  But now was too late to stop.  He tried his usually good move of feinting and stabbing at the leader, who surprised him by slapping it away and just as quickly stabbed back at him.  With luck, it deflected off his leather armor.  A quick jab with his off-hand knife took the first of the thugs down.  In that moment of distraction, the tough named Kunstanticus, who was truly a brute of a fellow, zinged in for a well-placed blow.  Glendal disemboweled the second thug, clenched his arm around the wound, and gave all of his attention to Kunstanticus.  Glendal had hoped that seeing his two compatriots die at his blade would make the brute think better of things, but he was too eager to impress his priestly employer, and so Glendal struck him down with one last mighty move.

As the bodyguard fell to the floor, gurgling in his lifeblood, Glendal breathed a sigh of relief.  For all of his bravado, he was very nearly on his last legs.  With as steady a hand as possible, he pointed his sword at Boon Kal.

The aged priest completely ignored him.  Instead, he addressed himself to Fargle.  "Don't be a fool, Nex," he whined.  "Call off this ridiculous wedding before word gets out, before it's too late."

Fargle seemed calmer now.  "I won't do it, Boon.  You don't know the truth of it all.  I'm renouncing my clerical vows for her sake and that's all there is to it."

Boon Kal was unfazed.  "You'll ruin us all, Nex," he said.  "The Priestly class isn't normally allowed these sorts of things.  I myself would have married long ago but it's just not proper!  It can't be done!"

"That's your own fault, Boon," Fargle argued.  "You had the same choice then as I do now.  You could have been happy all your life with the woman you loved, instead of fighting useless wars and losing your leg."

Boon bristled at the criticism.  "You go too far, Nex," he warned.  "You don't know what I owe to the goddess Morrigan.  Call it off, or I'll call it off for you, and you won't like the way I do it!"

Boon Kal suddenly seemed to become aware of the sword pointed at him.  "Oh put that thing away, fool," he spat.  "I'm no threat to you, that's what those imbeciles were for.  It's obvious the temple needs to up its hiring standards."  He peered more closely at Glendal.  "I don't know how you connected Dassadal Ul to me, Elf, but you'll never be able to prove it.  Now stand aside."  He moved to the door, then stopped and said over his shoulder, "Nex, I'll have some acolytes attend to this mess.  But heed my warning," then closed the door behind him.

Fargle Nex let out a deep sigh of relief, then looked at Glendal.  "My friend, you have the most unusual talent of turning up exactly when I need you."  He smiled, then grimaced when he saw the blood dripping from the Elf's armor.  "Come, step inside my home and let's get you fixed up.  I am still a Cleric with many talents."

* * * * *

Fargle Nex's first appearance in these missives is here.

* * * * *

The Investigation scene d10 roll = 7 "Trick an Actor into revealing a Clue. Roll a die; on an odd result you face a Fight whether or not you succeed on the check."

I rolled a d10 = 3; an odd result, meaning Fight.

I rolled for the "potential foe" and got "Priest of War."  The fight difficulty ended up equaling 2 Thugs + 1 Brute.  The Bute was a 3 HD foe, the Thugs were all 1 HD.  I judged that the Brute was the Priest's bodyguard and that the Priest himself wouldn't fight.

The location was an elite location, "Exclusive Tea House."  This seemed appropriate for a couple of high mucky-mucks.  Naturally, I completely forgot this when I wrote the fiction above.  Sorry.

The Priest was created with the Quick NPC Creation page.  Age:  "Uncommonly old for one of their current position."  Family Situation:  "Unmarriageable or estranged from their family."  Source of Influence:  "The love and admiration of those who know them."  An Engaging Attitude or Temper:  "Miserable, despairing at some personal blight."  Most Powerful Motivation:  "Payment of a debt so great that coin may not be enough."  Most Notable Appearance Trait:  "Missing a limb or eye to accident or battle-wound."

A couple of Oracle questions answered that he is missing a leg.  He is human.  And his name, from the wonderful as always Wampus Country name generator, is:  Boon Kal, the Cannibal Myrmidon from the Living Beach!

The "Trick" from the challenge was, I decided, to get him to admit his part in the scheme to steal the idol.  The "Trick an Actor into revealing a Clue" Challenge = Target Number = 9.  I rolled 2d8 + 1 (CHA) + 2 (Streetwise Information Gatherer) = 13.  I succeed on the Check.

The fight with the Brute and Thugs was a bit of a nail-biter.  Glendal's Fray die took care of the Thugs, one each per round, but the Brute, being 3HD, was immune to it.  Glendal, tired after his exertions 10 years ago, er, in the last scene, missed his attack, took a hit (that did no damage), did one point of damage, took 2 hits (bringing him down to 2 remaining!), and finally, and luckily, did 3 hits worth, killing the Brute.  It could very easily have gone the other way.  The Brute rolled a d10 for damage, and I was very lucky he rolled a 1 first and a 7 second.  A 10 would have ended Glendal.

I asked the Oracle if Boon Kal would back down from his part in the plan, judging it Very Unlikely; d20 = 4 = No.  I similarly surmised that he would not report the swordplay to the authorities, so as not to embarrass himself, or raise suspicions about his involvement.  The Heat will not increase = 0.  (Plus, they were socially acceptable victims.)

I then asked the Oracle if Fargle Nex would offer to heal Glendal's wounds, as a way of saying thank you for the help in exposing his nemesis.  I judged it Likely d20 = 16 = Yes.

Glendal Lorg is now at 8 of 8 hit points.

Winning the Fight and the Challenge means I win the Scene.

Victory Points:  Glendal 3, Them 0.  Clues:  3.  Heat = 0.  I rolled 1d10 vs the total number of Investigations + Action Scene (3) = 7, so the enemy does not receive a VP.

Tune in next time as I finally continue the adventures of Glendal Lorg, Elf Thief.  Really.  I really do plan to continue.

Thanks for reading.

Glendal Lorg in the City, Setup & Scene 1

Glendal goes Urban.

I can't keep away from Scarlet Heroes by Sine Nomine Publishing.

* * * * *

Glendal Lorg, adventuring Elf Thief, has returned triumphant from the Fort of the Unholy Mound, pockets bulging with his blood-won spoils.

He has been back in his adopted city of Sorcerer Crest for some days now, adroitly avoiding his former "friends" at the Phantom Cabal -- those thieves --  and spending his gold on dancing girls and fine drink.

The city of Sorcerer Crest -- for it truly could be considered a city, though a small one -- was, like so many cities where too many Humans lived, crowded and unkempt, especially to an Elf's delicate sensibilities.  It was ruled as an oligarchy, although the Elf didn't really know for sure, primarily because he didn't care as he tended to do what he wanted anyhow.  He thought there to be maybe as many as 25 co-equal leaders, but he wouldn't swear to the number.

Glendal had lived there for many, many years and still found much to smile about in regard to the city's inhabitants.  For instance, he was highly amused by their reaction to outsiders:  they were generally irritated by them, considering them to be boring boors who couldn't find their way down Astrologers Stone Street to Tawney Lane without hand-holding directions.  Never mind the fact that the streets and lanes of Sorcerer Crest were winding, narrow, dirty and unevenly paved; the outsiders were still barely tolerated.

Fortunately, the city was reasonably prosperous, with generally low taxes as well as low prices, but ever with the threat of inflation.  The worst part about living in Sorcerer Crest was the poor waste disposal system:  streets often overflowed with refuse and sewer runoff, a legacy to the fact that the city was built up over decades, never with a plan but simply haphazardly.  This more often than was liked led to disease sweeping through the population, and the occasional fire wreaking havoc especially in the poorer districts.

And if those weren't enough problems, there was also the ever-present nearby threat of rampaging hobgoblins.

Despite Glendal having lived in Sorcerer Crest a very long time, and despite the fact that he being an Elf was clearly superior to any short-lived Human, he was still sometimes greeted with racial intolerance.  As well, his noble profession of Adventurer Thief (emphasis on Adventurer, thank-you-very-much) was often the source of look-down-your-nose attitudes as well.  In particular, the city fathers tended to frown upon the Pilfering Arts, and this in spite of the fact that the Phantom Cabal lined those city fathers' pockets quite well to look the other way.  That there were 25 sets of pockets to line should tell you just how prevalent and prosperous the Phantom Cabal was.

Glendal wasn't entirely sure if the Phantom Cabal knew he had left their employ prior to his lark in the Fort of the Unholy Mound.  He didn't really have any intention of going back to them, but at the same time he hated to burn any bridge that didn't need burning.  So he felt he would wait and see what they thought of it first.

Glendal had been splitting his gold and his time between three taverns:  the 'Filthy Ogre,' the 'Acolyte's Pick,' and the 'Captain & Brigand.'  Each offered something the others did not.  The Filthy Ogre was the the place to go to drink when you didn't care who saw you there or what you were going to drink, although they did have an excellent selection of wines.  The Acolyte's Pick was the place Glendal went when he was in the mood for slender, nubile (primarily Elven) dancing girls.  And the Captain & Brigand was known for its exotic weapons mounted over the hearth, and for the fact that it catered to more upscale customers.

It was shortly after his return to Sorcerer Crest -- after he had carefully disposed of much of his money, and turned the non-spendable gems into hard cash -- that Glendal heard the rumors.  Even though he was staying away from the Phantom Cabal, they still had a way of insinuating themselves into his life.

One night, while drinking at the Filthy Ogre, the Elf was enjoying a languorous mood, having imbibed more cheap wine than was necessary, when his attentive ears overheard a whispered conversation.  The room, as always, was dark, and Glendal was in his favorite corner with his back to the wall.  However, there was a table near him to his left, partially in a niche where its inhabitants no doubt thought themselves safe from prying eyes and ears.  Nevertheless, with only the slightly movement, Glendal was able to listen.

Two ne'er-do-wells, both of whom Glendal knew from the Phantom Cabal, were discussing the upcoming theft of ... something ... from ... somebody ....  They were very careful, the Elf had to admit to himself, to not give too much information away.  But what had caught his attention was the mention of the name Dassadal Ul.  Dassadal Ul the Vainglorious Coachman from the Primordial Road to be more specific.  Glendal knew Dassadal from their time together in the Phantom Cabal.  But whereas Glendal considered himself (rightly, mind you!) a cultured and principled Thief, Dassadal was no more than a cretinous Underworld street thug.  Glendal, being an Elf, was old by Human standards (but young by Elf standards) while Dassadal was uncommonly old for his position.  That he was this old and still no more than a common thief only added to his bitterness.

Glendal knew a few more things about Dassadal:  that he was uncomfortably wed with marital strife; that his bitterness often caused him to strike out with swift wrath; and that great physical strength propelled that violence.  Some said he was only inspired by the excitement and thrill of new experiences, but Glendal knew it was more about how he could self-promote:  the term "Vainglorious" was not added haphazardly, after all.  Even though Dassadal was missing an eye from some long-past fight, he still found ways to show off:  his eye-patch was encrusted with glittering gems!

Glendal and Dassadal were not friends, to be sure, yet they were not strictly speaking enemies, either.  They were rivals:  of about the same "rank" in the Phantom Cabal, and of much the same experience.  And while the Elf was mostly willing to leave the Cabal to its own devices in exchange for being left alone, he still couldn't resist the temptation of poking a finger into the eye of Dassadal, especially if it would be amusing at the same time.

So Dassadal was planning to steal something from someone, was he?  It came into Glendal's mind that he would either steal it first, himself, or perhaps prevent it from being stolen, depending on what it was.

He made his plans rapidly, sobering up almost instantly at the thought of the thrill of the chase.  The first thing to do would be to find out the who and the what of it all.

The Human lowlife who had been doing all the talking, Glendal knew as well.  His name was Essem Meem, known as the Orphan Scout from the Unseen Castle.  He was regarded as a mule, a person to whom things could be given and they would then be carried to someone else.  He didn't generally work much, though, because he was lazy.  The main thing that motivated him was trying to impress the boss, and the man who used Essem's services the most was Dassadal Ul.

Essem and his companion finished their drinks and their conversation.  The con artist wrapped a ragged scarf around his face on his way out the door, half-heartedly attempting to disguise himself.  Glendal dropped a few coins on the table and followed Meem at a safe distance.  He would trail Essem, accost him in some dark alley, and force him to tell all he knew about Dassadal's plans.

* * * * * 

The city, taverns and environs have been formed by using the Ultimate Toolbox by AEG, the d30 Sandbox Companion by New Big Dragon Games, and City Street Names by sorry-I-don't-know-who.

I'm using the Scarlet Heroes rule set, and playing an Urban encounter series.  I've never played the urban adventures before, so I'm feeling my way.  I wanted to establish Glendal's home base before I dove into the actual adventure:  I need to know the lay of the land before starting, after all.

Threat Level = 1
Heat = 0
Victory Points:  Glendal = 0; Enemy = 0
Clues = 0

Urban Adventure Plots and Crimes
I rolled 1d8 = 2 :  "An Antagonist seeks to steal something precious to a Target."
"Draw or choose either the Antagonist or the Target, whichever your hero is most likely to care about.  Draw the unknown actor only after a successful Investigation scene spent discovering their identity.  The object being stolen is the Target’s most precious
possession or something important to the Antagonist that the Target possesses.  Scenes revolve around finding the thieves, guarding the object, and snatching it back if it is stolen."

I decided to choose the Antagonist (and create him/her) and let the game create the Target.  I opted to do this because I have no other back-story NPCs to associate with Glendal (at least, none that wouldn't feel contrived to use).  I figure the only reason Glendal will be interested in this potential theft is not that it occurs to someone he knows (unlikely), but that the person attempting to do the theft is known to him (and he will probably want to stop him).

Using the Scarlet Heroes rules, I rolled on multiple tables:  "Actor Relationships," "Actors, Relationships & Reactions," "Quick NPC Creation," and got the following:

The Antagonist is a Society Fellow (meaning my society), an Underworld Cretinous Street Thug, (likely a former Thief from the Phantom Cabal).  He is uncommonly old for his position; is wed uncomfortably with marital strife; has great personal strength or potential for violence; is wrathful and swift to strike out at all which affronts him; his most powerful motivation is excitement and the thrill of some new experience or lore; and he is missing a limb or eye to accident or battle-wound.

Using the Wampus Country Name Generator I christened him Dassadal Ul, the Vainglorious Coachman from the Primordial Road, who is wanting to steal/has stolen something.

I then had to decide Who is the Target?

Scene 1:  Investigation:  1d10 = 6 "Ambush a dangerous Actor who holds a Clue.  Face a Fight instead of a check."

I rolled on the "Crime Details" table, with the following result:
Location = Business; Witness =  Culprit's minion; Why no Action? = Evidence stolen.

I decide to ambush this minion to find out the Who, What, When, Where, How & Why.

First I must create him.  Again, I rolled on "Actors, Relationships & Reactions," and because I didn't feel he needed quite as much depth, I simply used, "Memorable Traits," "Ruling Temperament," and Immediate Desires."  These produced the following:

Always Carries Things; Lazy; and Wants to Impress the boss.

However, the Investigation Scene description says that this is an ambush and I must fight.

Who, exactly, and where?  I rolled on "Potential Foes," and "Urban (Slum) Locations."
The minion is a Pit Fighter(!), a Human, and I corner him in a Tattered Market.

Finally, I use the Wampus Country Name Generator to give him his identity.

He is Essem Meem, the Orphan Scout from the Unseen Castle.

* * * * *

Scene 1:  Investigation:  "Ambush a dangerous Actor who holds a Clue.  Face a fight instead of a check."

Glendal tailed the thug through several back streets and alleys.  He awaited the appropriate opportunity to corner Essem without interruption.  The second scumbag went his separate way after a while, and Glendal continued to follow the mule.

They wended their way through the warrens into an even seedier part of town.  Finally, Essem appeared to reach his destination, a place in the slums called the Tattered Market.  Once, it had been a thriving marketplace but now it was mainly a disused covered set of stalls, even somewhat maze-like.

Once Glendal was certain the thug was inside, he stepped to the door, knocked, then stepped five paces backwards.  Essem opened the door, carefully looking around.  When he saw the Elf, he scowled.

"Hello, Glendal," he said.  "What do you want?"

"Essem," the Elf acknowledged with a nod.  "I want you to tell me about the little job Dassadal is planning."  He put one hand on his coin purse and the other on his sword hilt.  "I can make it worth your time, in more ways than one."

Essem looked startled at first, not understanding how Glendal could know about the job.  Gathering his wits, he stepped out of the shanty, flexing his muscles and cracking his knuckles.  Glendal suddenly recalled, a bit late, that Essem had once been a pit fighter and retained much of that physique.  (He blamed the cheap wine for that particular lack of memory.)

"I'm not really in the mood for talking," Essem growled.

No matter, the Elf decided.  He could still deal with the thug.

And then four more toughs shuffled out the door into the shadows and sunlight slanting between the stalls.  They were no pit fighters, but certainly dangerous street rabble.

Glendal waited until they stopped moving before speaking.  "The option is still open, Essem.  It's yours to choose but be warned:  I will have my information."

Essem's response was to spit on the ground.  "Bring it, Elf."

Glendal did.

Not wanting to kill the Orphan Scout from the Unseen Castle, the Thief slashed with his sword, deliberately so that Essem would dodge.  He did, right in to the pommel of the Elf's dagger.  The blow connected and Essem dropped unconscious to the ground.

That left just enough of an opening for one of the street rabble to score a strike on Glendal, drawing blood.  The Elf twitched away and the other three attackers missed.

Glendal had been willing to let the villains go, but once his blood was spilled he tended to be much less forgiving.  With a slick flourish, he used the same maneuver to distract the rabble who had dared to stab him, and skewered him with his dagger.

The second thug also was able to hit the Elf, drawing another red line of blood.  Glendal promptly split him in half in payment.  With a backhand motion, he sunk his knife hilt-deep in the third tough's neck.

Pausing only for a moment, Glendal locked eyes with the last thug, giving him his chance to escape.  Instead, the fool taunted him.  Glendal speared him with his sword, felling him.

He wiped his weapons on the dead men's clothing before catching Essem by the collar.  The pit fighter's head lolled limply.  Glendal sprinkled some water from his canteen on Essem's bruised face and slapped his cheeks lightly to bring him around.  Moaning, Essem opened his eyes.  Now the Elf would have his answers.

* * * * *

The Fight Difficulty level is d8 + 1/2 the Threat level (rounded down) = d8 + 0 = 2.
However, the description said he is a "dangerous" Actor, and he is a Pit Fighter, so 2 didn't work for me.  I chose "4" = 1d4 + T Rabble + 1 Veteran (which I changed to Thug).  I ended with 4 Rabble and 1 Thug (Essem).

I purposefully noted on my sheet that I was attacking to subdue Essem, not to kill him.

My Fray die did the job, and I took 2 wounds from the Rabble before I killed them all.  I allowed 2 separate Morale roll chances for them to escape, but apparently they wanted to die.

I won the Scene.  +1 VP, +1 Clue.  I used violence, but in a socially-acceptable location and against socially acceptable targets, so no automatic Heat increase.  I rolled 1d10 vs the total number of Investigation + Action scenes [1] = 7, so no Heat increase.  Heat = 0.

Threat Level = 1
Heat = 0
Victory Points:  Glendal = 1; Enemy = 0
Clues = 1

* * * * *

Essem lay on the ground, Glendal kneeling straddled over him, one hand on the thug's throat, the other holding his dagger.

"You like working for Dassadal that much?" Glendal asked.  "I can make you look like him too," and he gently waved the glinting dagger close to Essem's eye.  "Now I'll ask you again:  What is Dassadal after, and why?"

Essem's eyes crossed as they focused on the point of the knife.  He gulped, and then stammered, "It's a statuette, nothing special, not even worth all that much, just a couple hundred, it's just a statuette."

"Keep going," Glendal urged with a shake of his hand.  "What's it look like?  Who does it belong to?"

Essem squeezed his eyes shut tight.  "Uh, uh, it's made of inlaid wood, plated with pewter.  I think it shows a person, maybe a victim?  I'm not sure.  It's a marriage statuette, it's for a wife to give her husband--"

"I know what a marriage statuette is, dullard.  Who is it for?"

"Immuth Nex, the Scribe from the Fallen Castle."

Glendal paused.  Something about that name or the title sounded familiar.  He thought hard for a few moments while Essem sweated.  Then it came to him.

"Immuth Nex, that's her married name.  What was her maiden name?" he demanded.

"Uh, uh, Raglia Bazh, I think.  Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's what Dassadal said."

Glendal almost laughed aloud.  Ahhh, what odd games did the Fates play with mortals.  Fargle Nex was a Cleric of Cernunnos, god of virility, whom Glendal had only just met during his exploration of the Fort of the Unholy Mound.  They had aided each other briefly, and had parted on friendly terms.  The Polygamist from the Accursed Island had been searching for a cure for his lady love, Raglia Bazh, the Scribe from the Fallen Castle (but more a minor politician or functionary for one of the Twenty-Five) and Glendal had helped him procure it.

Apparently the cure had worked and Fargle and Raglia had wed.  It was common practice in Sorcerer Crest for the married woman to change her name, both her first and last, thus signifying her new life.  Another strange custom particular to Sorcerer Crest and it's immediate surroundings was the giving of a marriage statue by the bride (or bride's family) to the groom, again to show the full "ownership" of the woman by the man.  In this case it would seem the statue displayed a representative sacrifice, of the "victim" bride to her husband's care.  Glendal did not put much stock into these token displays; he had seen too many marriages end far too soon in spite of these customs.  No, fidelity to one's mate was far more important than some pathetic statuette or meaningless name change.  Given Fargle's chosen career, Glendal wondered if the man knew what he was doing.

Breaking from his reverie, Glendal gave Essem one last shake.  "Why?  Why does Dassadal want this marriage statuette?  What is it to him?"

The pit fighter shook his head.  "I don't know, I swear!  All I know is Dassadal wants it."

"Does he have it yet?  Has he already stolen it?"

"No, not yet," Essem replied.  "I'm not sure when he plans to make his move, but he hasn't yet."

Glendal stood, then helped Essem to his feet as well.  Giving the henchman a gentle dusting, he then gave him a gentle warning.  "Don't tell Dassadal.  If I find out...." and he let the word hang in the air, before turning on his heel and striding out of the Tattered Market.

* * * * *

I had won the Scene, so Essem told me...what?

For the Who I rolled on Actors, Relationships, and Reactions, getting the results of:

Elite and Noble, "Famed Courtesan."  For Race, I rolled Shou-blooded (which is Orc) but I didn't see how that fit, so I changed it to Half-Elf.

Next I rolled, as usual, on the Wampus Country Name Generator.  Now keep in mind, this table has 100 entries for all five columns.  Here's the amazing part:  I rolled Nex with a legitimate first roll for the surname.  So obviously this was related to Fargle Nex from the first adventure.

I only assumed I didn't have any NPCs for the Target when I started the game.  And how can it be contrived when the dice themselves tell me what to do!

What was the object?  I gave 50/50 odds to Object or Jewelry.  I got Object.  I rolled between Costly/Precious/Priceless and it became a Costly Statuette of Inlaid Wood, plated with Pewter.

The Tome of Adventure Design by Frog God Games gave me the specifics:  a statue of a "Person (Victim)," "Conferring Ownership."

I asked the Oracle if it had been stolen yet, with 50/50 odds.  1d20 = 5 = No.

I asked the Oracle if Essem knew why Dassadal wanted to steal it.  I gave it Unlikely odds.  1d20 = 9 = No.

Now I know Who the Antagonist is, Who the Target is, and What is to be stolen.  I still don't know When, Where, How and Why.

Glendal has some work to do.

Please check in again soon (hopefully) to see what I find out.

Thanks for reading!

The Adventures of Glendal Lorg, Scarlet Hero (1.4)

And So we continue the tale of the Elf Thief, Glendal Lorg the Visionary, of the Phantom Cabal, as he scours the Fort of the Unholy Mound for fortune, fame and glory.  The immediately prior episode can be found here.

Turn 9, Room 6:

Glendal dusted the bone fragments from his tunic and carefully walked to the doorway leading to the sixth room.  The entrance was hung with tattered remnants of heavy fabric, or perhaps even leather, dyed red, green and blue; age had had its way with the material, however, and it almost powdered away at a touch.

Ultimate Toolbox by AEG, page 215 "Door Types," d20 = 13.

The door headed to the north east.  With the tip of his sword, Glendal slid the hangings aside.  It was just enough to see that the room had been the fort's Smithy:  a huge furnace and bellows were against the far wall, and a few metal-working implements were still in their places on hooks.  The room was empty of other furnishings, however it was not totally empty.  Two grim-faced Looters, both of whom appeared accomplished in their chosen career, faced the door with weapons drawn.  Behind them shivered the four fresh-off-the-street Looters that Glendal recognized from his earlier fight; they had run further into the fortress and had apparently reported his doings to their leader Looters.  Now they took a form of courage in their numerical superiority, and cautiously opposed the bloody Elf.

The encounter rolls were as follows:

Boss roll d20 = 7 = No Boss / Macguffin.  This is the half-way room, so after this I'll be adding +1 per room to the roll.

Room direction d10 = 3 = North East.  This will also be the last room on this level.

Encounter d10 = 10 = Yes.

Treasure d10 = 10 + 3 = Yes.

Hazard d10 = 9 = No.

Feature d10 = 10 = Yes.

The Encounter 3d6 = 3 + 5 + 6 = 14 = "1d6+T hit dice worth of Minions and Elites, with a 50% chance of T hit dice worth of guard beasts or allies."  T = 1 in this case.

1d6+1 = 5 + 1 = 6 hit dice worth of Minions and Elites.  It just felt right that 4 of the 6 would be the cowardly Novice Adventurers from Room 3; the remaining 2 would naturally be Skilled Freebooters.

50 / 50 on a d100 = 69 = No beasts or allies.

Even though it felt right, I asked the Oracle on page 115 of Scarlet Heroes, "Are these the 4 Minions from Room 3?"  I considered this to be Very Likely, d20 = 18 = Yes.

I then asked the Oracle, "Are they expecting me / Glendal?"  I deemed this as Likely, d20 = 16 = Yes.

Next I asked the Oracle for a general sense of their attitude, "Do they fear me?"  I left this as Unknown, d20 = 15 = Yes, but....    I rolled d6 on the "The 'But' is Related To..." table = 6 = "Sublimely bad or good timing by a sudden event."

I had to look up in the dictionary what 'sublimely' meant; it's one of those words you think you know but you really might not.

So I rolled 2d20 on the "Oracular Adjectives and Motivations" table.  It doesn't tell you to roll 2d20; it's actually labelled "1d20," with 1-20 along the top row and 1-20 along the left column.  It would be possible to roll 1d20 and pick one word, based on that one number, but you would never be able to get some of the words, due to how the columns are numbered.  You could roll 2d20 and designate one as the top row and one as the column number, and therefore pick one word; as long as you knew which d20 went to which part.  To me, it makes much more sense to roll 2d20 and pick two words.  This also gives you two words to work with, which is much more fun anyhow.

I rolled 3 and 13, which cross-referenced as "Chastity" and "Madness."

Filling out the rest of the Encounter and room, I rolled on the "Nature of the Feature" table on page 128, d8 = 1 = "A noncombatant inhabitant of the dungeon."  I then rolled on the "Creature Motivation" table, d10 = 6 = "Scout the site for an outside power."

My first thought was of a mad monk.  How could I work this into the story?

Keeping as much in Scarlet Heroes as possible, I used the "Quick NPC Creation" tables on page 113.

--Their Age, d4 = 2 = "Youthful and vigorous."

--Their Source of Influence, d8 = 1 = "Great personal strength or potential for violence."

--Their Engaging Attitude or Temper, d10 = 6 = "Altruistic, inclined to help those in need of aid." (but insane?!, I thought)

--Their Most Powerful Motivation, d12 = 3 = "Cure for a sickness that afflicts them or one dear to them."  Which?  Well, he's "youthful and vigorous," so it must be the latter.

--Their Most Notable Appearance Trait, d20 = 9 = "Hazed by an aura of perfumes or work-smells."

--Their Race (page 116), d20 = 13 = Human.

I felt the need for more fleshing out.  I rolled on the tables on page 117.

--Their Memorable Traits, d100 = 93 = "Tends work constantly."

--Their Ruling Temperament, d100 = 5 = "Bigoted."  Who does he hate?  d8 for Elf, Dwarf, Halflings, or All Demi-humans = 3 = Dwarves.

--Immediate Desires, d100 = 7 = "Avenging a slight."

More!  More!  Who is sick?  Why does he care about this person?  I turned to the D30 Sandbox Companion by New Big Dragon Games.

--"NPC01:  Race, Sex & Occupation Type," page 42:  d30 = 27 = a "female half-elf."

--"NPC02c:  Misc. Occupation":  d30 = 23 = "politician."

What is this new NPC's attitude toward Glendal Lorg the Visionary?  For the answer to that, I returned to Scarlet Heroes page 79, "Their Attitude Toward the Hero is..." table:  2d8 = 14 = "Willing to talk and can be persuaded to friendliness."

So here's what I had so far:  A human non-combatant from outside, here at the behest of some outside power, is in this room with the brigands.  He is young, strong, and ready to use his strength to further his aims, even if it means violence.  He is a do-gooder, being altruistic and wanting to help others.  He is here seeking a cure (in some capacity) for a sickness that afflicts someone dear to him, who happens to be a female half-elf politician.  He smells of incense used in his devotions, and he "tends to work constantly," which fits with a Cleric-style person; they're always trying to convert the heathens.  For some reason he dislikes dwarves, and his immediate desire is to "avenge a slight," which I interpret to mean he wants to stop Glendal from further hindering his (the NPC's) work in the Fort.  However, he's not immediately hostile to the Thief; perhaps cautious is the better descriptor.

At this point I decided to fully flesh him out as a Cleric NPC with real stats and everything.

I used the D30 Sandbox Companion again, page 39, "Classed NPCs:  Quick Ability Score Generation."  The d30 rolls ended up giving the following Ability stats:

STR 18 (+3)  [funny how the random rolls fully agreed with the previous random rolls]

INT 11 (+0)

WIS 15 (+1)

DEX 15 (+1)

CON 14 (+1)

CHR 13 (+1)

--First level Cleric (for no reason other than I picked first level).

--He is armed and armored with d30 = 1 = a club, leather armor and a shield.

--The "Quick Magic Item Determination" chart on page 41 for Clerics resulted in d30 = 14 = "Convert NPC's armor (or shield) to a +1 item."  50 / 50 on a d30 = 11 = +1 Leather Armor!  If Glendal finds out about that, he might decide he wants it.

I needed a name for this rugged individual.  I once again turned to the Wampus Country Name Generator, which I use for all my names, because I love the wackiness that ensues each time I use it.

This youthful paragon of virtue and Cleric-y strength is none other than Fargle Nex the Polygamist from the Accursed Island!

...

...

...the Polygamist?  Really?

Huh.  Must be an interesting church he goes to.

I also decided to use the Reaction Graph I found in an old, old issue of Pegasus magazine from the early 1980s.  This is a fascinating graphical way of finding out an NPC's reaction, other than simply rolling 2d6 on a straight-up table.  It's calculated for Good, Neutral and Evil.  I rated the Looters as Evil, rolled, and got a result of "Fight."  I then tried it as if they were Neutral, and got the same result.  Just out of curiosity, I rolled for Good and got "Help."  This seemed to fit the circumstances so I ran with it.

I felt I needed one more bit of information about this Cleric before I started trying to play him.  Scarlet Heroes doesn't include Alignments, but I've always been partial to the AD&D 1e standard of 9 Alignments, as opposed to the 3 simple ones of Basic D&D.

So I asked the Scarlet Heroes Oracle, "Is this Cleric 'Good'?"  I considered that more Clerics than not are Good, so I rated it as Likely, d20 = 15 = Yes.

Next, I asked the Oracle, "Is this Cleric 'Lawful'?"  Seeing as how this Cleric appeared in the same room as a bunch of Looters, I felt this to be Unlikely, d20 = 5 = No.

Fargle Nex the Cleric is therefore Chaotic Good.  This seems rather fitting for a polygamist.

So why is he here, specifically?  I asked the Oracle, "Is he compelled by a geas, or forced to come here?"  I arbitrarily set this as Very Likely (after all, this didn't seem like the sort of place a Cleric would be, by himself), d20 = 16 = Yes.

One of the nervous Looters who had run away once, pointed a shaking finger at Glendal, and exclaimed, "There he is!  He's the one who killed the others!"  The Skilled Freebooter to his left set his jaw, tightened his grip on his sword, and ordered, "Get him!"

Glendal sensed their fear, and also knew that the only exit from the room was the one in which he was standing.  They would have to go through him to get away, and at least he would have an escape route should it -- almost inconceivably -- become necessary for him to retreat.  He decided to oblige their confrontational attitude, and growled out, "Come get some!"  Besides, he could see a very small pile of uncounted treasure behind them in the room.

At the exact moment that their muscles tensed to send them springing into death, a strident voice suddenly rang out:  "Stop!  In the name of Cernunnos!"

Glendal became aware of another figure in the room, who had somehow gone undetected in the heat things.  There, standing off to the side, slightly behind the Looters, was undeniably a Cleric of some Good religious order:  shining white-wood club held high, gleaming(!) leather armor under a monk-like cloak, his eyes blazing with a righteous fury.  His passion was evident in his face, his features contorted with the urgency he obviously felt to stop the fighting.  And there was the faintest whiff of incense, that smelled a little like a brothel.

I asked the Oracle, "Does the Cleric stop the fighting?"  I deemed this Very Likely, d20 = 16 = Yes.

To further clarify the situation before continuing, I asked the Oracle, "Are the Looters working for the Cleric?"  Again, I deemed this as Likely, d20 = 7 = "Yes, but..."  The 'But' Table, d6 = 5 = "The failure of a piece of gear, either for the hero or an NPC."  Why, this could only mean that the Cleric has hired these Looters to help him find the cure he is looking for (probably a potion of some sort) but that they have not been able either to find it or to retrieve it from wherever it is.

I decided to see where this would go....

Glendal checked his attack swing, watching that the Looters did the same.  Keeping one wary eye on the brigands, he turned to more fully address the Cleric.  The man was large, obviously strong, and apparently used to fighting as well as healing.  He held himself with a sort of calm grace that yet appeared spring-loaded with potential fury.

Glendal spoke first.  "Who are you, and what are you doing here?"

I asked the Oracle, "Is the Cleric truthful in his answer?"  Despite having previously determined that he is Chaotic Good, I still felt that the truth was important to him (as a Cleric), and so gave it a rating of Almost Certain, d20 = 6 = Yes.  (Which a '6' is very close to a "Yes, but...").

Glendal could easily see the man's emotions as they played across his face; he struggled with himself, but eventually it was apparent the truth won out.

"My name is Fargle Nex," he answered in a rich, resonant voice.  "I am a Cleric of Cernunnos, god of virility.  I am searching these ruins for a cure for my lady love, Raglia Bazh the Scribe, from the Fallen Castle."

The Elf, having lived longer than most Humans by this time, knew a little something of Cernunnos, god of virility.  Feeling that the Cleric was being truthful, and yet that he was holding something back, Glendal ventured to say, "I've never known a Cleric of Cernunnos to admit to loving only one lady...if you are a Cleric of that god."

The man's eyes shaded as something like shame overcame him.  He looked down briefly, but setting his jaw he then looked at the Elf squarely.  "You are correct.  Among my brethren, I am known as 'The Polygamist' for so ardently following Cernunnos' teachings.  Or I was," he added, after a pause, "until I actually did fall in love with one woman.  Now, I am compelled, nay, COMPELLED to know no others until I cure her of her dread disease.  It is a geas from Cernunnos himself."

For the name of the god, I turned to the Ultimate Toolbox again, page 68, "Table 2-101:  Pagan Gods":  d20 = 5 = "Cernunnos, god of virility."  Honestly, not what I had been expecting.  But fascinatingly it tied in rather well with the idea of his being a polygamist.  It seems less a religion and more of a cult, really.

I rolled on Wampus Country for his girlfriend's name, Raglia Bazh the Scribe from the Fallen Castle.  I don't put too much stock in the "from..." part yet, as names of places can still be almost anywhere.  I did like that she is a Scribe, which fits rather neatly with her being a "politician."  A Scribe can easily be a minor functionary in some high mucky-muck's regime.  (And knowing Wampus Country, "high mucky-muck" might actually be a real title....)

"Have you found your cure?" Glendal asked.

The Cleric nodded.  "Yes, it is locked inside a protective thing, that these men cannot breach."  He cast a disparaging look at the Looters.  "We have been looking for a key."

There was another pause, and the Elf thought for a moment that Fargle would ask him to help search, but the moment passed, and afterwards the Cleric's demeanor seemed more reserved than before.

I asked the Oracle, "Does the Cleric ask Glendal to help?"  I judged this as Very Likely, d20 = 1 = No.  Not just no, but NO!

So then I asked the Oracle, "Is the Cleric angry at Glendal for killing his men and generally hindering him?"  I deemed this Likely, d20 = 17 = Yes.

The Thief lowered his sword but did not sheathe it, and took a conciliatory step back.  "I have no quarrel with you.  If I find what you are looking for, I will bring it to you.  In the meantime, keep your men out of my way."

Disdaining to spend any more time not finding gold and gems (especially because this room was distinctly lacking any anything glittering), Glendal backed out of the room, keeping an ever-watchful eye on the Looters.  The Cleric's face clouded with anger, and the Elf, even with his sensitive Elf ears, couldn't quite make out what he said.  What he took from the exchange was the Cleric's consent to his demand; what Fargle actually said was, "Only if you stay out of my way."

In Scarlet Heroes, I rolled on the "Reactions" table on page 117, classifying the Cleric as "NPC Stranger."  I also gave the roll "-1 for the risk of significant cost to their actions."  I rolled 2d6 -1 = 4 + 5 - 1 = 8 = "Qualified Consent."  At the time, I completely forgot to add my CHA modifier or any trait, which would have changed things to a degree, but in writing this part up I felt I liked the tension better anyhow.

Deciding to round out the room, I rolled for Treasure.  3d6 = 1 + 1 + 2 = 4 = "Trove type M1 worth of coins, furnishings, or items."  M1 Petty Cash is 1d6 x 10gp = 1 = 10 gp in the room.  Certainly not enough for Glendal to risk starting a fight.

Also, I rolled for the Feature discovered, having forgotten that I rolled for it originally and got what ended up being the Cleric.  (This is the problem with playing sporadically in hotel rooms, days or even weeks apart.)  However, it did not matter.  For the (new) Feature, d8 = 5 = "A dangerous intruder or beast who has entered the site."  I felt this obviously referred to the Cleric.  And for the "Creature Motivation," d10 = 8 = "Reclaim a seeming trifle of actual great importance."  Perfect!  The cure, no doubt.

It's really fun and cool how these things seem to fit together so well.

Turn 9 ends.

Wandering Monster check, d6 = 2 = No (only on a 1).

Turn 10:

Glendal stopped on the other side of the tattered hangings, listening.  He heard some soft speaking from the room he had just quit, but other than that, nothing.

Glendal retraced his steps back the way he had come.  His unerring Elven instincts told him that there were no more rooms on this, the ground floor.  Instead, he must climb the stairs he had found earlier to the second floor.  He cautiously returned back through the Guardroom with the smashed skeletons, and into the Armory.  There, a narrow set of stone steps led up into darkness.

I don't know why I arbitrarily decided that the second floor was above ground, and not below ground like a normal dungeon, or even like many a fort.  Somehow I just had it in my head that it was that way, just like I had it in my head that the Cleric was male, even though I never rolled for it, or that he was Chaotic Good and not Neutral Good.  I try not to lose too much sleep over such decisions though.  You shouldn't either.

The Scarlet Hero solo dungeon rules dictate that it takes one turn to backtrack two rooms.

Turn 11, Back in Room 4:
Glendal approached the stairs warily.  The hole in the upper floor was blackness itself, and the steps were worn from long years of use.  He carefully inspected them for anything unusual, running his fingers gently over the rocky surface.  His caution was rewarded when he found an old, unsprung trap, likely left over from some passer-by years ago.

As he deactivated the mechanism, he briefly pondered how odd it was that the Looters either had not been up these stairs yet, and / or that they had not sprung or dismantled the trap themselves.  Shrugging off the cluelessness of Humans, and certain of his own skills, he ascended the steps, equally certain that he had found the only trap there was to find.

His incredulity was paramount when the fire trap set into the floor-part of one of the steps activated and scorched him for half of his life strength!

Here's how I handled trap-finding in Scarlet Heroes, which does not have a specific skill for doing so.  Instead it uses "checks" with applicable traits and Ability modifiers to assist you to roll higher than a target number.

First, I annotated that I (er, Glendal) examined the stairs for traps.  Next, I assigned a "Check Difficulty" of 11, which is considered Average, and which I felt was appropriate for the situation.  Then I rolled 2d8 + my Adventuring Thief trait + applicable Ability modifier (WIS, I assumed) = 1 + 6 + (3 + 1) = 11!  Whew, just barely made it.  Apparently ol' Glendal is getting a bit overconfident.

What this had accomplished was only to say that Glendal found a trap IF A TRAP IS THERE.  Technically, this room had already been "discovered" when I rolled for it's creation when it was originally investigated back on Turn 6.  Any traps would have been found the first time.  However, since the stairs are sort of an "add-on" to the room, and because I didn't want to re-roll the entire encounter, I used a different method.

In order to determine if a trap is there, I asked the Oracle, "Are the stairs trapped?"  I considered this Unlikely, given the age of the Fort and the comings and goings of the Looters.  d20 = 15 = "Yes, but..."  The "But..." d6 = 4 = "A fact the hero thinks they know is actually wrong."

Hmm.

I asked the Oracle, "Is there more than 1 trap (implying a second trap set by the Looters)?"  I now considered this Likely, d20 = 4 = "No, but..."  The "But..." d6 = 2 = "An adjustment to the physical environment."

Since I didn't say I was searching for a second trap, but I felt it fair to give myself at least the chance of spotting it, I set the "Check Difficulty" at 13, Hard.  It's only 2 numbers higher than Average but that can make a big difference.  I rolled the same 2d8 + 3 + 1 = 2 + 2 + (3 + 1) = 8.  Fail!  Glendal is seriously overconfident, and neither looking for nor expecting another trap.

So what sort of devious trap have the Looters left me?  I turned to the D30 DM Companion, page 12, "RTG1:  Trap Type & Difficulty":  d30 = 9 = a Floor trap (that technically is 10% easier to spot, if you're using regular old-school D&D rules; even if I factored this in by adjusting the Check Difficulty down to 9 [which is similar to what I did in Episode 3], it was still not enough to allow Glendal to find it, even if I were to allow the ret-conning of the result).

Further rolling on "RTG2b:  Floor Traps," d30 = 4 = gave a "single target fire chamber" that did 2d6 worth of damage.  I rolled 2d6 = 3 + 4 = 2 hit points worth of damage.  Glendal was at 4 of 6 total hit points, so this took him down by half of his remaining life energy!  Ouch!  He now has 2 hit points.

What I only now, as I type this, realize is that I forgot to allow Glendal a saving throw against the trap.  Scarlet Heroes has saving throws, which are similar to Checks, and they apply to saves from traps, but I completely forgot to roll one.  However, this time it did not matter, as you will see in Turn 12.

The roar of the blazing blast barely covered the yowls of pain and rage as Glendal absorbed the direct hit of fire from the ground up.  Stamping his boots and patting out his smoking clothing, he cursed loudly and profusely in Elvish and Common.

Turn 12:
Retreating back down the stairs, Glendal found a protected corner and sat down cross-legged.  He broke out the medicinal salves and creams in his backpack, accrued over years of thieving and adventuring, and applied them judiciously to his burns.  Drinking a little water, too, helped him feel better.

Luckily the room was still empty and it was not yet time to check for wandering monsters, so I was able to let Glendal have a "short rest" and heal back those 2 lost hit points.  He returns to 4 hit points.  This also takes the full ten minutes (one turn).

However, now that Turn 12 was over, it was time to check for Wandering Monsters. d6 = 1.  Yes, there is something coming.

Glendal's sensitive ears picked up the soft footsteps of an approaching creature.  It didn't seem to be making any attempt at stealth, particularly, and it was coming from the direction of the Guardroom.  He was momentarily confused.  Hadn't he already checked out the rooms in that direction?  Where would a creature come from?  Were there secret passages he had missed, somehow?  His Elven pride would not accept the possibility of that premise.

Springing nimbly to his feet, Glendal drew his sword with a ringing schwing, ready to meet whatever might appear.

To be continued soon!, in The Adventures of Glendal Lorg the Visionary, Scarlet Hero!

Ta-daa!  How 'bout that for a cliff-hanger?  Oh, and Happy Halloween!