🚀 go-pugleaf

>>   "KEYWORD : DARK ELF, DROW"  The race was unknown to Dahvyn who only knew of
>>two races of elves, but, one name quickly appeared in the mind of Barnabus
>>Briggs.
>>   Barnabus frowned at him. " well, what does it say?" 
>>   Dahvyn realized suddenly that all of the previous action had passed
>>unnoticed by the rest of the group. 
>>    "Cranach, some of these runes are giving me trouble... would you like to
>>give me a hand here?"

Barnabus was surprised that Dahvyn gave control of the meeting away to
someone who obviously had drow blood in his veins.  Then he thought 'oh,
how smart you are.  Let Cranach tell us what he can see in the writings
and we can tell if he is trustworthy or not.'  Barnabus turned to Cranach
and watched him carefully for any body language that might give away any
deceit.  Mr. Briggs didn't know his traveling partners well yet and wanted
to make sure there were no back stabbers among them, but didn't want to raise
suspicion of himself while doing it.  'Yes let the others talk, and I'll
learn.' he thought.

>	Cranach's eyes narrowed briefly as he stared at the cryptic runes.

Briggs watch a the evidence of internal battle cross Cranachs face
as he scanned the writing.  His face twisted with a bitter smile and then
faded into a mask of no emotion. 'This guy is on the edge' he thought
'Better be careful not to cross that him'.

Cranach began to chant in a strange fashion the following

>"	The translation is as follows":

>	" Beneath the keep lie six devices
>	Each more sharp than the portal keepers,
>	Each item, neither solid nor ethereal
>	will be mastered only once, and provide
>	the doom of the upper -world, if 
>	wielded individually"

>	" 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 ......"

Briggs never stopped watching Cranach as he chanted the verse and witness
a second internal battle.  His eyes softened a bit as if something inside
him had been settled, then his eyes harded again.  His black eyes cold and
and unreadable.

>	" The rest of the runes", he said in a cold whisper,
>	"refer simply to the manner in which we will all be
>	sent to the netherhells, should we fail passing the
>	door-keepers "

'Yea, I bet it does.  Your keeping something back.' Briggs thought

Cranach pulled the hood up to hide his face.  Unfortunately he still wasn't
use to a halfling down below looking up and Briggs saw his scowl replaced
with a dark smile.

Mr. Briggs sat forward "Oh dear, that sounds quite dreadful.  I hope
you all aren't too scared by all that."  He turned to the dwarf who was
now paying attention to the group "Um... do you have anything to add, or are
we ready to discuss fees and rewards.  I'd like to get underway tomorrow.
The winter snow will be falling soon, and I don't want to be caught in the
Troll mountains in the time of the season."

--
Joe Carl Jr.               "It ain't what a man don't know that makes him a
jcarl@jabba.ess.harris.com   fool, but what he does know that ain't so."
                                                           -- Josh Billings