|| -------- -- -----  A E R I E   O B L I V I A N A . singular book of text wandertainment by Frank Edward Nora ------------------- ----------- CLOWN CENTAUR ARCHITECT--CUP 2--"HIGHWAYIST" <-------  ||  Severe Repair  ||  Clown Centaur Architect  ||  -------> (Cup SRcc002, Created v2 (6/7/99), Copyright 1999) = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Thalerdrad, in the year 2717* (*The dating system in most of The Land was begun when civilization was just beginning, and Mount Vrennar in Voltaria erupted.), was staying with his father, Dradmer, in the town of Elorimm, in Rilnar. Dradmer, when he was young, was an adventurer, as was Drey, who went on a few with him. Dradmer taught his son all that he knew about swordfighting, and Thalerdrad caught on fast. Thalerdrad hoped to one day travel through The Land on some quest or similar thing. When Dradmer received the letter, he naturally assumed that, since being from King Drey, it would be for him, but it wasn't, it was of course for Thalerdrad. His father gave it to him, and he read it. As he did, his face lit up, because this was what he was waiting for. The letter was long, but mainly Drey said that he would like it very much if Thalerdrad would travel up to the valley of Darthule to ask the Nomars for some information about the Amarith. "What does it say, son?" Dradmer asked. His son gave him the letter and his father read it. "Oh... well," Dradmer said "you can't go, you're not ready for it." "I'm sorry father, but I'm going. I may never have another chance like this." They argued for a long time, but finally Dradmer said "All right, go, but I know that after you leave, I'll never see you again." Thalerdrad made no reply, but set out to write a letter to King Drey, that said he would go. The way letters and other mail is transported is mainly by being carried by an amazingly fast sort of cat-person known as a Rayvar. A week or so later, they were in the palace of King Drey, the adventurers who were going on the journey to the valley Darthule. The appointed leader of the group was Thalerdrad, the Triltan. His friend Thirk, a gnawling, was accompanying him. Now you see, a gnawling is a short rodent-person, and Thirk was rather small, even for a gnawling. A third member of the party was Gorblame, a huge monstrosity made of black metal called an Obscuriot, since he was a magical construct made of an impervious metal called obscurium. Gorblame's mind, however, was transplanted from an ancient seafarer, whose soul had become trapped within the palace walls centuries earlier, only to be discovered by Illergrom, who fused it with his latest Obscuriot, to save it from oblivion. So Gorblame, Thalerdrad, and Thirk stood before the king, receiving final instructions for the journey, as well as receiving a letter of authorization from the king to show the Nomars of the valley Darthule. Soon it was time to go, and Felptash the Highwayist, Illergrom's magical associate, set about to create a "highway", or magical road, on which it would only take several hours for the three adventurers to reach the valley Darthule, which would normally be several week's journey. Felptash, an ursan, or bear-man, was a brilliant violet in color, and he raised his hands and chanted and opened the highway to Darthule. "Be on your way!" Felptash said "And hurry! I cannot maintain the gateway much longer!" -------> ------------------- ----------- -------- -- -----