🚀 go-pugleaf

   Vithanus, stretched out from it's hibernation and looked around
warily.  Had it heard something ?  The meeting at the Cloven Shield!!
A sense of desperate urgency overwhelmed it, as Vithanus gathered it's
belongings together and threw them into the embroidered satchel, yet
the bag grew not in proportion.  The patterns, however, subtly shifted
and changed, until a new design graced the surface.

   Making a gesture reminiscent of a prayer, or a salute, Vithanus
hurried off to the rendezvous at the Inn.  The forest seemed to open up
and offer little resitance to this speeding demon.  Soon, the bustling
vicinity of the Inn materialized.  Vithanus stopped abruptly, gripped
two daggers from it's bandeleros and began tracing ancient, beyond the
memory of humankind, runes and patterns into the forest floor.  Moments
later, the grey-scaled creature faded into the deep anonymity of the
forest, invisible to all, save the tree-spirits, whom it now emulated.

   Passing through the staggering humans and elves, Vithanus slithered
through to the backroom wall.  Soon, the wall and the body of Vithanus
were one - seeing and hearing all the wall came in contact with.  A
strange sense of peace descended over the Pilgrim as it took on the
body of the wall and it listened ...

>	" Beware the door keepers, whom the
>	Fire lizard avoids; beware their 
>	unearthly ways, for these are folk
>	who know no customs neither dark
>	nor light ......"
   Vithanus rolled his spine pike-straight.  "By the Earth-Mother's
Salted Tears, what is this miscreant up to ?" the grey scaly Pilgrim
pondered, while this group prepared to meet at the appointed place and
time.

>	" The rest of the runes", he said in a cold whisper,
   "Here it comes..."

>	"refer simply to the manner in which we will all be
>	sent to the netherhells, should we fail passing the
>	door-keepers "
   "...Liar!"  Vithanus spat.  "We shall see, Cranach, when the
diviner's bones are cast and your plan, whatever that may be, is seen
out to it's conclusion."  Flashing animal thoughts streaked through the
mind of this Pilgrim of the Wastes.

>	At this Cranach pulled his hood over his eyes, a dark smile
>	replacing his scowl, and a feeling of fire burning his
>	heart".
   "Yes, we shall see.  Enough delaying.  I have much to prepare for
and much to prepare against.  I must speak with the Sehlin-Tan and
then with Gray."