Wretched Hive… Continued

I just parted company with Lortag the Elder, keeper of the first line of the poem I need to get out of Khare, the famous Cityport of Traps.

I move on through the streets, wondering where I can get a break on the other three lines of the poem… when I’m suddenly grabbed and dragged into a house! The man then explains that he’s lonely and just wants company, and invites me to tea. What the heck? With that sort of personal skills, of course he doesn’t have any friends! I explain that I don’t want to be his friend either, and he pulls a bow on me. I pull out my sword, and have at it. His arrow grazes me for a minor wound, but my effective 12 combat strength makes short work of him.

You know, that +2 armband of swordsmanship is really overpowered.

Being a brave hero, I of course rifle through his house for loot. I find some more gold (now I’m rich!), as well as a vial of poison and a vial of “essence of bark” whatever that is, then I hit the road

I find myself interested by a religous shrine, where some prophet or healer is giving their diatribe. I stop to listen, and the fella presents me with a simple mathematical puzzle. When I solve it, he is so impressed that he gives me the second line to the poem. This is great, two lines in a few minutes.

Feeling pretty good about myself, I head to the Wayfarer’s Rest Inn.

I was expecting a cross between any medieval tavern and the Mos Eisley Cantina, but in fact it’s more like that bar in Gremlins. For one thing, my old pal Flanker is here, drunk as anything and giving away free money as he disappears into the night with some ne’er-do-wells. Man, this day just keeps getting better!

I sit down for a huge pile of dinner, which I appreciate because of my blood loss throughout the day (an arena fight, that fight at the bandit’s house, and DOPing my way out of jail). I meet a sailor who’s buying drinks, too, and heal 3 more stamina. Finally, I toddle off to bed and heal 2 more… and wake up tied to a guilloutine.