JEWEL IN THE FOOT, AN AD&D TABLETOP GAME.

GAME 1 - Jewel in the foot

	Our tale begins in a travelers' inn, somewhere at the outskirts of the fabled Forest of Shadows. It is after lights-out and the usual merriment are just getting started. Suddenly, a score of imperial guards burst through the door. After a pause to survey the guests, they split into two groups and start going around the room, questioning everyone as they go. There is some grumbling from the patrons, but all comply with relative good grace... until the guards get to a table where a man in full plate and a child are sitting (There's also a kender.). It's not clear what transpires, but soon the man in full plate has drawn his sword and the clang of steel on steel can be heard. The battle causes a mass panic in the crowded inn as all non-combatants rush to the (unfortunately locked) door. 
	Thinking only to save the front row from being crushed, Inuk summons a sheet of ice in front of the door (stopping the rush) and then directs everyone up to the first floor. On her side of the room, Elexis tries to escape via another door but it too is locked. Scanning the room for another exit, she spots the (strangely calm) half-giant bartender polishing a mug behind the bar. Intrigued by his attitude and having no part in the fighting, she engages him  in conversation. Drael is in the thick of things. He rushed into melee seconds after the beginning of the fight, eager to smash some imperial faces. His shouted anti-imperial slogans certainly make him stand out but don't appear to help him any (He doesn't land a single blow in the entire combat.:).
	His example does inspire others to follow his lead though. One (a man in green garbs) dispatches one of Drael's foes (A beautiful blow, entering the chest and leaving through the mouth.), another (a tall man with an oiled bare chest rippling with muscles.) takes advantage of a guard's momentary lapse in attention (He slipped on Inuk's ice sheet.) to pound him back into that ice sheet with crushing results. Inuk watches wild eyed and powerless from the other side of the ice : a defenseless man has just been killed in what Inuk considers an equally senseless fight. Channeling his anger into a mystic ritual, the inuit envelops the combatant in whitish fog (to stop them from fighting.). The clangs and grunts coming from the mist testify to his failure : the fight goes on.
	Inuk has little time to get depressed about it though : loud bangs on the door announce that considerable reinforcement have arrived... and they want in ! "It is time." States the bartender. With but one gesture and a blue glow, he dispels the fog and ice. "To the back before they come in !" He directs everyone to a storeroom behind the bar and from there, to a secret room underneath. Inuk is not one of them however. He's going from victim to victim, desperately trying to save at least one. Unfortunately, he's too late : they have all passed on to the ancestral plains. (He does note that two of the guards were burned to death...'Maybe a patron was a mage (?)'). Following him in his humanitarian mission is an unnoticed companion : the kender hops from body to body behind the priest and his very large bag swallows everything he can lay a hand on. Inuk catches sight of him out of the corner of his eyes : he's dressed in felt green, except for leather gloves and the plethora of leather pouches on his person. He also sports the ever present "kender staff-sling". The last soul sent on its way (and robed), Inuk and the kender quickly join the Tall man and the child (the later carried under the bartender's beefy arm.) in their retreat to the secret room. The half-giant easily maneuvers the stone slab in place above them and all is dark and quiet... Until the crash of the door and the sound of many imperial feet marching in. With nary a word passing between them, they listen to the guards doing their thing above...
	Slowly, as time passes and nothing happens, the piecemeal group starts moving about and discussing various things. First to react and mindful of her human companions, Elexis grabs a torch on the wall and lights it. Under its flickering light, Inuk can see enough to lay his cold hands on Drael's wounds and heal them. All can see the unfortunate side-effect of his powers : they appear to chill his patient to the bone. While Drael shivers under Inuk's fur cloak, the middle aged priest also tends to the child (Although he's got no apparent wounds, his vacant look could mean some kind of possession...). Seeing him close up during his examination, Inuk notes that he's a dark haired lad, with no shoes and a perpetual blank look. He appears very docile, sitting when told to sit, but he ever speaks. Since he apparently has no one in the world now, Inuk takes pity and declares his intention to return him to his family and care for him in the mean time. 
	The living taken care off, thoughts turn to the dead. Inuk mentions the two burned corpses above and (to Elexis' question) firmly denies he had anything to do with it. He then proposes to pray for the dead ones safe passage to the lands of their ancestors. Drael agrees wholeheartedly and asks that the prayers for the souls of the guards be left to him. He then proceeds to curse them to hell instead, spitting on the ground in contempt. After a stunned silence, Inuk is the first to speak. He carefully words a question about the fiery elf's reasons for such an act (After all, he can only bring the anger of his own ancestors on his head.). Drael explains that all who serve the emperor are scum. He's had experience with emperors in his homeland, bad experience. In this land, far to the east,  where snow rarely fall and the mighty cities of Tokyo and Nagano stand, he and his brother fought the evils of another emperor. Their struggles did not go well however : they were caught and his brother died in the imperial torture chambers. Drael managed to escape, but still bears ugly scars on his body. He shows one of them (on his throat) to the rest of the group. The exchange also brings forth some details on Inuk's homeland, named Agachak or the "white/snow plain of the people" in his tongue. This land lies 3 to 4 months walking distance in a generally northerly direction and is almost continually covered by snow.
	"Hey guys, look at this !" Elexis, whose been tending the child, is pointing to the bottom of his right foot. Nestled there is a sizable green gem ! How it got in its present location is a mystery as there are no surgery scars (The gem meshes smoothly with the surrounding skin.). The group investigates further, but can find nothing of import. Since direct inquiry isn't bearing fruit, they turn to the kender (whose name is FortPierre) for information on his table companions. Unfortunately, he was only chatting them up (the child is apparently a very good listener. :) so he as little to give... He does have something to sell however. Somehow, the man's sword and his golden ring have made their way into the kender's big leather bag. "15gp for the ring." He announces. After some bartering (mittens, wooden carvings in his effigy and various others are proposed and turned down.), Elexis finally buys the ring for the originally asked price. Close inspection reveals writing on the inside in a tongue that no-one can read (it looks vaguely elvish.). The elven maiden puts the ring on her finger to test out its power(s). Nothing apparent seems to happen, put now the ring is magically stuck. She can't take it off !
	The groups discussion on removal procedures is cut short by the bartender's return. They clamber about him, eager for news of the events above. Things have calmed down considerably upstairs, he tells them, but there is also some bad news : the people on the first floor have put the whole battle on the group's collective head ! Unwilling to blame one of there own, they've found convenient scapegoats in the persons of strangers. Now the imperials troops have their description and are hunting for them AND the boy (specifically). "What will you do ?" 
	Inuk tells of his plan to find the child's family. "The sky spirit will show me the way. It usually knows where it's going..." After being led to the roof (with everybody else), he dances his question to the elements. <broom> Thunder is heard to the north. The inuit stops his dance and points south. "That is the way." Their destination set (at least in Inuk's mind.), Drael begins a long-winded speech about a noble quest and saving the people from the clutches of the emperor. [Inuk thinks he's made the child a symbol of the oppressed people but Drael really only wants to keep the child away from the empire simply because the empire wants him.] About halfway into the speech, Inuk notices that Elexis and the child are nowhere to be seen. Somewhat troubled, he goes downstairs to look for them. (This leaves only Drael on the rooftop, unaware that the others have left...) Looking about, the inuit is unable to spot the two runaways in the main room so he accosts the bartender on the subject. Unexpectedly, the half-giant stares deeply into his eyes, then slowly engulfs his skull in one of his gigantic hands. There is a blue spark and shivers down Inuk's spine. Then it is over. "Go wait in the secret room." Inuk goes, his thoughts filled with puzzlement at the actions of people in this strange land. He's not alone in his waiting though : Elexis and the child are already there, waiting as well. meanwhile, on the rooftop, Drael makes a grand gesture to punctuate a particularly inspiring passage in his speech. Whirling about, his eyes fall on the spot where his audience stands transfixed... no-one... no-one at all. "Inconsiderate fools." He mumbles on his way down the stairs. "wouldn't know a great speech <mumble> Hey there, bartender. Have you seen the people I was with ?" Deja-vu as the bartender does the same routine he used on Inuk (and Elexis as well, it turns out.). Soon, the oriental elf is waiting with the rest of them.
	Thankfully, they don't have to wait long as it is but a few minutes before the bartender's return. After looking about nervously, he boldly announces that he's a member of the Resistance. They don't usually help strangers off the street, but the imperials are seeking that child with entirely too much eagerness for it to be a trivial matter. (His strange rituals have also apparently convinced him of the groups worth and/or moral standing.) He knows of this sage who lives in the rebel city of Visguard to the south (Inuk nods and smiles upon hearing the direction). This sage is the one that discovered the mind controling effects of the bracelets worn by imperial guards (These bracelets were/are crafted by Celestus, an imperial mage). Perhaps he can help them ? The half-giant gives them direction to get to the City of Magic as well as a password ("Soumission") that will make them known to the local Resistance. Lastly, he gives each of them a magical copper piece  and bids them good luck (The copper piece can split into 5 zigs (about 5K gp) on command and return to one copper with another. Very handy to avoid taxation.). Elexis asks for a dress that would fit the child and he goes to retrieve it.
	After the bartender leaves them to their own device, the new companions look at each other. They (Tall man and the kender too) agree to form a band and do what must be done. Formal introductions are made for the first time. It is learned that the Tall man's name is Frust and a name is chosen for the child : he will be known as "The Kid".


GAME 2 - Morals in the woods

	Inuk offers frozen fish to the group (making sure the Kid eats) and they talk a little. In conversation, the Inuit suggests Elexis is going with them to find a way to remove the ring. Elexis hesitates, then agrees that that is why she goes. Since they're on the subject, Frust says he's looking for his lost group of adventurers (The gang that was at the center table with him.). Nothing new comes up after that so they all settle down to sleep till dawn (FortPierre even has a pajama and a night cap :) . Drael feels a bit suspicious when he sees how eager the kender is for sleep, so he ties a string from his wrist to FortPierre's big toe (Without waking him : quite a feat.). Then Inuk puts out the only torch. All is dark.

	In the middle of the night, everyone is awakened by cries of "I'm caught ! I'm caught ! Somebody set me free !". In the dark and with even elven eyes blurry with sleep, nobody knows exactly WHAT is going on. Drael tries to go up his string to find FortPierre, but it goes slack almost immediately. Inuk decides that illumination is the key so he feels the wall blindly to locate the torch. He bumps into FortPierre instead who helpfully hands him the torch. (He's  also got a hand in Inuk's bag, but Inuk doesn't see that.) After several tries (and a bruised thumb), the torch is lit and exactly what happened is worked out. As the situation isn't exactly life-threatening, everyone goes back to sleep with much mumbling about kender antics. Inuk now has the torch firmly lodged in his belt in case of further trouble, but the rest of the night is without incident.

	The next morning (or so they assume by their internal clocks.), Inuk starts the day with a droning chant to appease his deity while Elexis goes right to work putting the Kid in the dress she got for him yesterday. The shoes do pose a problem, but FortPierre happens to have a pair that fit the Kid to a T (What a coincidence ! :). Drael starts to apply makeup to perfect the illusion, but stops when Inuk remarks that disguising only the Kid would be futile : the rest of the group stand out quite a bit on their own. Drael nods and proposes to disguise everybody. This idea is not to the inuit's taste however. Apparently the spirits won't be able to find him in disguise and might get angry (He tells the tale of the hunter who fooled a bear spirit by wearing a wolf's pelt.). Since disguising themselves and just walking on the road by themselves is now out of the question, they discuss alternate ways of getting to Visguard : Drael want to go by boat, but is informed that there is only forest between the inn and their destination. Frust thinks they should loose themselves among the many people in a caravan and make detours separately to avoid guard posts along the trail. He strongly discourages passing straight through the Forest of Shadows, it's VERY dangerous apparently. Around this time, the half-giant bartender joins the group down in the secret room and agrees with Frust on the dangers they face. Inuk and Drael aren't that enthusiastic about joining a caravan so the final decision is not to take the road, but to follow it from a distance (say 20 to 30m.). With but a few details more (Putting the Kid back into proper apparel and distributing the 10 days of rations generously donated by the bartender.) they are off. 
	The group exits the inn via a secret passage in the back and quickly makes its way into the concealing forest. The walking order has Drael scouting in front, then Elexis at the front of the group proper followed by Inuk and the Kid on one line then Frust guarding the rear and FortPierre "scouting" the back (Although ForthPierre keeps switching from front to rear guard and Elexis is constantly checking on the Kid.). The forest is thick, cluttered and rather dark. Visibility is limited to roughly 10m on all sides by dangling branches and low bushes. Drael occasionally backtracks to advice them of changes in the road's direction but other then that, there is little distraction. 
	On one of those trips, Drael appears rather more agitated then on his previous voyages. "There are six imperial guards about twenty yards in front of us. Orcs. They're searching the forest !" The groups young age is made clear as each favors a different strategy : Inuk wants to run away while Drael is more inclined to hide. Frust on the other hand is all for a good fight. Elexis' vote in favor of retreat gets them moving just a moment too late : the orcs can be seen but ten yards away and one of them is turning his head in their direction ! Reacting on instinct, Drael flips a dagger through his shoulder blade. Stealth is no longer an option : at the orc's painful cry, all eyes turn to the group and they charge. The battle is on !
	Not flustered in the least, Frust calmly draws his sword and awaits the charge. Elexis is a bit more frantic : concern for the child paramount in her mind, she grabs him and lugs him back to safety behind the group. As she passes Inuk, snow flakes jet from the priest's palms and congeal into ice around the feet of the two lead orcs, rooting them in place and delaying the ones behind. Amazingly, the leader boldly leaps above his rooted comrades, swings on a low lying branch and lands not far in front of the just returning Elexis [He got 100% on his avoid roll !]. Caught off guard and weaponless by the unnaturally agile orc, the lady elf summons a silver spirit blade and cleaves him in two. Unfortunately, in the heat of battle, nobody notices this extraordinary feat. Meanwhile, Drael has closed for melee with the orc he previously wounded. They have time to exchange but a few blows before Inuk repeats his chanting and freezes Drael's opponent to the ground. On his side of things, Frust dispatches his opponent with little trouble. Which leaves but one able-bodied orc. Inuk cries "Don't kill him !" But before the group can do anything one way or the other, there is a loud <bonk> and the last orc falls flat on his face revealing the diminutive form of FortPierre and his trusty staff... The battle is over.
	Looking at the two lifeless bodies on the ground, Inuk is saddened by it all. He spots Drael about to administer a blow to the neck of one of the stuck guards and cries out, trying to stop him from inflicting unnecessary harm. Drael states that they won't feel any pain, just be rendered unconscious but the inuit doesn't seem to believe him. Their conversation is cut short however, by the sickening sound of a sword cutting through an orcish neck. Turning around, they can see that Frust has taken matters into his own hands : he's promptly killing their prisoners. Inuk rushes to their aid but is too late to save any but the one FortPierre knocked down. Shocked, the inuit tries to convey to Frust the preciousness of all life but the big man replies : "Orcs are demon-creatures. Not worth saving." and he bypasses the priest to kill the next to last orc. Very angry now, Inuk retorts that if he thinks that way HE is the demon : "Your kind of people is what's wrong in this world. LEAVE THIS GROUP IMMEDIATELY !". Frust shrugs, "I don't need you.". He goes to leave while Inuk puffs angrily. Thankfully, Elexis calls him back to the discussion. In a calming voice, she says : "We should put away our beliefs and concentrate on the mission at hand." Inuk replies that his beliefs are the only reason he's there in the first place. This sparks a generalized discussion on the ethics of killing and do evil to reach a basically good goal ("Would you become the emperor ?"). To demonstrate his point (or perhaps to cut the discussion short), Frust slaps awake the unconscious orc, hands him his sword and says : "So if I kill him in combat, that's OK ?" Not overly enthusiastic about it but fearing there is little other choice, Inuk agrees and heals the orc of his wound so the fight is not TOO uneven. Even with that help, Frust cuts down the orc without breaking a sweat. Discussion begins anew to determine exactly what "combat situations" are. 
	Strangely, Frust is the least involved in this discussion; so he is the first to notice the score of imperial guards that are rushing to the scene of the fight. Quickly agreeing to leave philosophical matters for another time, the group moves away from the advancing enemy, crosses the road and enters the woods on the other side. Once there, they settle down momentarily to discuss plans of action. It is decided to continue traveling on this side of the road and not hide (as Drael suggested) since the guards will most likely thoroughly search this area. On they go, as quietly as possible and quick march style. This is apparently the correct strategy for they meet no-more guards this day.
	That very night, in a hurriedly built campsite (while munching on cold rations for lack of a fire), the interrupted discussion begins again. This time tempers are cooler and, after considerable debate, the group agrees to collectively swear to kill only when necessary and in combat situations (still loosely defined.). 

	The next day is quiet except for the passing of a medium sized caravan. They make good headway. Shortly before sunset, Drael comes back and reports a very large military convoy moving along the road in the same direction they are. In hurried whispers, they quickly decide to settle down further into the brush and let the convoy pass. Drael and FortPierre (who could not be convinced otherwise) hide themselves near the road to, as FortPierre put it, "watch the parade".
	An hour and a half later, the exited kender comes bouncing into the clearing where the rest of the group is hiding. He helps them emerge from under the branches concealing their presence, blathering non-stop on the wonderful things he's seen : thousands of armored men, fantastic war beasts, armies of wagons, colorful banners flapping in the wind and that strange group of singing warriors off into the woods... This last item catches the attention of the group. Rather puzzled, Inuk asks what they where singing and the kender is more than happy to belt out his own rendition <shudder> :). Frust is paralyzed by surprised : he knows that song ! It's a tune only he and his lost comrades used to sing. The big warrior practically drags the kender and the rest of the group along as he makes his way there. All do not follow without some doubt or suspicion in their minds, but follow him they do.
	At the end of their trek, they find Drael carefully peering into a clearing where men and women are having a party : most peculiar. Their initial suspicions fade very quickly though and, led by Frust, they happily join the festivities. The mood is bright and voices are cheery. Ale, beer and wine (more to Drael's taste) flow profusely, ice cubes supplied by Inuk floating merrily in them. The whole things seem magical somehow : from hiding in the bushes to this in but a few moment...
	Some amount of time later (no-one is quite sure how much), a hush spread across the crowd as it parts to give way to a blond human child. "Moëra is back !" is heard whispered many times. "Moëra is back !" The one in question wears a starry robe and walks with little movement... on second inspection, she's actually floating a good span above the ground ! Drael tries to engages the mystic child in conversation despite repeated warnings to stay quiet. With but a look of her silvery eyes, she turns him into a living statue of silver (He can still hear and see, but not move.). Her ringing voice makes itself heard, "The door of the South will open in four hours. Until then, sleep well." All around, eyes close, heads roll on slumping shoulders and they sleep a peaceful sleep...

	The group awakens alone in an unfamiliar clearing. In its center, there stands a dark metallic door, apparently leading to nowhere. Dusting himself up, Inuk casually looks at the sky and is surprised to see a swirling mass of grayish shapes instead of the usual clouds. "I think this is the lands of the spirits." He's never been there himself but this more or less fits the descriptions.
	Questioned on what's going on, Frust replies that Moëra is the protector of his people. They had lost her and resisting the imperials had turned into a bitter struggle "...but now she's back and all will be well. " Somewhat reassured, Inuk is the first to step literally 
THROUGH the door. Readying herself to do likewise, Elexis notices that the Kid is now dressed in fine chain links and that a short sword hangs at his side. "Where did you get that ?" she asks rhetorically. "It was given to me." Replies the child. He speaks ! Elexis is so surprised that she doesn't think to stop her momentum and passes through the door, followed by the rest of the group. 
	They find themselves in a cubic room. The walls are a brilliant white. No door, no windows, no visible exits of any kind...


GAME 3 - The City of Magic

	After a slight hesitation, Drael starts to examine the walls for signs of an exit. He's followed by Inuk who tries to help as he can. Meanwhile, Elexis attempts to engage the Kid in conversation but he just sits on the floor with his usual blank look. Letting it go for the moment, the lady elf picks him up in her arms and stops... "Drael ? I think I found something." : the Kid has been sitting on a square block embedded in the otherwise featureless floor. Now that he knows where to look, Drael quickly locates a mechanism. <click> The block rises two inches above the floor... "What now ?" he asks. Inuk shrugs and steps onto the newly created platform. As soon as both feet touch the stone, a column of blue light shines down from the ceiling, encircling the block and its occupant. One by one they step into the light which grows with each new entrance until there is but the width of a man between its edges and the walls. Drael, the last holdout, fits rather snugly in that gap. He stares at the column suspiciously, trying to make up his mind. Finally, he takes a deep breath and steps forward. The column engulfs the whole room, its spectrum rising into blinding white. When it fades, the group is in a chamber much resembling the one they just left... No visible exits here either.
	There IS one notable difference though : on the walls, at about shoulder height, icons form a large band around the room. Carved in low relief, they depict various objects. Intrigued by the strange items, the group spreads out, each one looking at a different wall. Inuk, while examining the icon of a chest full of coins, touches it with a casual hand. <Zappp> The priest is surrounded by sparks and thrown to the ground, twitching. The others look at him, various thoughts crossing their minds. Finally, Drael blinks and asks "Are you alright ?". Inuk's answer is cut short by a sudden outburst from Elexis "We just need to touch..." Silence. "Touch what ?" asks the priest from his position on the ground. But Elexis doesn't answer : she is no longer in the room and neither is the Kid. "Did anybody see what happened ?" Luckily for all concerned, Frust saw it all : Elexis was talking to the Kid and then he reached out and touched an icon shaped like a jewel. Walking over, they can see that said icon is now darker than its brethrens (like it's been painted over with gray paint). Exited, Inuk paces around the room and finds the representation of crystals. He touches it and disappears. FortPierre touches the chest and disappears as well. Drael delays his exit, watching Frust instead (apparently curious as to what the big man will choose.) After some hesitation, Frust touches a sword and is gone. Alone in the chamber, Drael looks at a feathered helmet icon before choosing a staff. The room is now empty.

	Inuk awakens alone in a white room... again. This one is circular and occupied by a bearded man of considerable presence. The patriarch, dressed in a white toga, sits on a golden chair to the left of elaborate doors (possibly leading outside). In a deep voice, he delivers his message : "I am the guardian of the White Tower, in the city of Magic. The child you accompany is of great import, follow his path... Do you have a question ?" Momentarily speechless, Inuk quickly gathers his wits and asks : "uh. Where could I find the child's family ? I have pledged to deliver him to safe hands." To which the Guardian replies cryptically that the child's destiny will be fulfilled soon and with the present company. Nonplused by such an answer, Inuk begs for a second question. "Just one then." Thinking of his quest for the first time in days, the inuit tries to make amends for that oversight. "How can I get to the Land on the Other Side ?" After a pause for reflection, the guardian reaches under his seat and hands Inuk a parchment. Etched on it in fine details and brilliant colors is the way he has traveled from his homeland, including their present location in Visguard. Unrolling the map further reveals only blank parchment... "The map will fill as you travel. Now, go." Thanking the old man for his gift, Inuk enters the city of Magic.
	He is joined by the rest of the group... or were they there before he was ? Strangely, they all appear to have exited at about the same time. "Strange..." The gigantic mass of the tower now stands behind them, its massive white blocks rising up beyond reason and disappearing into the clouds... the same swirling mass of gray they were under before. "Wonder when we'll exit the spirit lands ?" mumbles Inuk. He unfolds his map and tries to make sense of their current location... with no success. Even Drael's help does little to remove the inuit's confusion. Finally he shrugs, puts the map away and contemplates the city before him : stone buildings with red tile roofs are all around them, covering gentle hills with their elegant designs. In the distance, an ebony twin to the White Tower can be seen hovering at the edge of visibility. Closer to them, a door opens in a nearby building and a well dressed couple exits into the street. "Wait here please." says Inuk before taking off at a jog. He catches the couple just before they can disappear around a corner, "Would you happen to know a sage named Celestus ?". Back near the doors, Drael's gaze keeps returning to the impossibly tall tower, "What a challenge... Got to try climbing it." He mumbles. His usual luck dogs him though, for he has climbed barely 3m before he tumbles back down. He's still cursing when Inuk returns with directions (apparently Celestus is fairly well known.). So they set out at a leisurely pace, discussing their respective interviews with the Guardian along the way.
	Turning the final corner, the group discovers a mansion surrounded by high walls. This is not entirely unexpected, but the string of people waiting in front of the gate definitely is. Bypassing the line, they make their way to the gate itself where two guards inform them that this is indeed the residence of Celestus and that they'll have to wait in line to see him. Repeated reference to the rebel's password ("soumission") gets not a twitch from either of them so the group takes its place and starts waiting... all except Drael. The merchant doesn't WANT to wait. He tries to get FortPierre to distract the guards so he can slip by unnoticed. The kender plays along but seems to have a poor grasp of tactics as he consistently misinterprets Drael's commands. Finally, the elf has had enough and they have words. This is not to FortPierre's taste and he wanders off leaving Drael with no choice but to settle down with the others for the long wait. All this waiting (and the previous events) have made everyone a bit peckish so Elexis is sent to gather provisions. She comes back with disturbing news : a small meal of cheese, bread and assorted sundry items costs half a zig (500 gp !). Further bad news is heard when they get at the front of the line : seeing the great and mighty sage will cost them 500 zigs !
	Impressed by the sheer amount asked of them, they gather further down the street to discuss their options. Various solutions are proposed (Selling ice, information on the advancing army, etc.) and rejected in turn. Drael repeatedly states that they only have to wait until tomorrow morning and he'll get them the money. "No problem !" but since he refuses to say HOW he'll accomplish this, the rest of the group remain skeptical (and somewhat suspicious). Finally, they decide that rest is what's needed to get the ideas flowing and set out in search of an inn. It turns out that a night for five (FortPierre is still "lost") is rather expensive. In desperation, they try to use the password once more and explain their money trouble. The innkeeper is sympatethic and (perhaps swayed by the password) proposes them a job. 
	Every year in this town, he explains, there is a Day of Thieves. A day on which anyone may steal with impunity so long as they deposit their loot in the Crypt des Deshérités. Those in need can then enter the crypt and claim what they wish if they can pass through the crypt's many traps first. Sort of a Goodwill for the worthy. On the last Day of Thieves, someone stole a red book from the innkeeper. It's been in the family for generations and he wants it back. He offers 100 Zigs if they can return it to him. "ONLY 100 !" exclaim Drael and then launches into a fierce, aggressive negotiation session. This seems to annoy the innkeeper more than anything, but Drael doesn't relent. Finally, the prize remain the same, but they now have room and board for free (Though it should be noted that everyone else gets a nice room on the first story while Drael is lodged on the ground floor next to the stables.:) 
	Now that the arrangements are settled, Inuk tries to convince Frust to accompany him in a fact-finding mission to the local bars while Elexis and the Kid head to their room. "Going to bed already ?" exclaims the innkeeper, "It's still so early." Inuk wonders aloud how one can tell time in a place continually covered by clouds. "You only have to look up at the sky and concentrate." The priest of Winter immediately sticks his head out the nearest window and tries it out. Indeed, after a brief moment of concentration, the image of the sun about a handspan above an horizon of glaciers appears superimposed on the background of clouds : mid-morning apparently. Interesting... The rest of the group goes to bed nonetheless : it has been a trying day. Frust and Inuk return several hours later, their senses rather blurred by alcohol. By some miracle, they manage to make their way upstairs and collapse on their respective bed without too much breakage. Inuk hugs his pillow with a sight and a clear conscience : everything the innkeeper told them is true, they will not be committing any untoward actions by granting him his wish.
	In the midnight hour, while everybody else is sound asleep, Drael awakens and stealthily makes his way out of the inn. He then goes back the way they came during the day, back to the house in front of the White Tower. He stops short however when he realizes that the streets are lit by the same sourceless light as during the day. "Damn. No hiding in shadows around here." With a shrug, he gives up on the whole project and makes his way back to his bed.

	The next morning (though a quick look at the sky reveals it to be quite a way before dawn), they all assemble in the common room... FortPierre is still missing though. "He should've joined us by now." says Inuk with a worried frown. He proposes to hire heralds to spread their location throughout the city but that option is voted down due to cost considerations. "Let's wait awhile more before doing anything. FortPierre can take care of himself."
	After breakfast, the group heads out to the Crypt des Deshérités which turns out to be a low building with but one feature : a plain wooden door in one of its sides. Opening the door reveals a set of descending stairs and a locked door at the bottom. To everyone's mild surprise, Drael extracts a lockpick from somewhere and picks the lock with little difficulty. "No problem." The door swings open to reveal a large circular room (10m diameter) with a smooth door on the opposite side (no lock or handle). In the middle of the chamber, a gem of some size sits on a waist-high stone pedestal. Dusting himself off, Drael enters the room heading for the gem. With shocking suddenness and a loud grinding of stone on stone, the floor starts rotating, carrying the elf a quarter turn to the left and nearly throwing him to the ground. Puzzled, he takes another step with the same result : he's now opposite the door. From his vantage in the corridor, Inuk notices that the rotating floor is rising with each turn. A good 5cm so far. "Don't move Drael ! The floor is on a screw !" Looking up reveals that the ceiling is adorned with wicked metal spikes and that it's coming down as the floor is going up ! 
	Carefully laying a frozen fish on the floor reveals that it reacts to very little weight indeed. "Does anyone have a rope ?" asks Inuk. Frust does and, on Inuk's instructions, manages to loop it around the middle pedestal. "Now hold it rigid and we can shimmy over and get the gem." Elexis doubts that any man can possibly do such a feat and that he would touch the floor due to the bending of the rope anyway. Inuk disagrees. Cutting the developing argument short, Frust points out that the noose slipped down to the ground without finding purchase, the pedestal appears to be very smooth. That plan is abandoned. Drael, from his point inside the room, asks Inuk to create an ice sheet below him. "Maybe it's the change of weight that triggers it. If I slide across it won't move." Inuk appears doubtful but does as instructed none the less. Even with forewarning, Drael is not quite prepared for just how slippery the magical ice truly is. He takes a dive, triggering the floor. His following spins and contortions proves that the floor indeed reacts to sliding : it's now nearly a meter above the corridor...


GAME 4 - Merry-go-round

	"Maybe we should get Drael out of danger before trying anything else ?" Everyone agrees so they rotate the room and bodily drag him out. After a short breather, the ideas start flying again : Elexis conjectures the existence of a space below the floor and examines the exposed side for signs of an entry, Inuk thinks they should remove the gem from its pedestal while Drael suggests that said pedestal has some sort of pressure mechanism so they should replace the gem with something of equal weight (He's heard a similar story from one of his acquaintances:). 
	Convinced he's in the right, Inuk asks Frust to jerk the rope up the column until it grips the gem itself. The big warrior appears to think about it, then raises his arm in an almost casual wave which settles the noose almost perfectly in place ! But he refuses to yank the gem off its perch. "What if it breaks when it hits the ground ? or removing it triggers the whole thing ?" Washing his hands of the whole matter, he hands the rope over to Inuk to do with as he pleases. Now somewhat worried about breakage himself, the winter priest creates a pile of ice in front of the pedestal before pulling gently on the rope : the gem jumps up as if mounted on springs ! It slips free of the noose and clatters to the ground on the left side of the room. At the same time, the floor starts turning, rapidly rising as the ceiling descends to meet it ! With amazing speed, if little forethought, Elexis dives under the spiked ceiling in a mad grab for the gem. Luckily, Drael is even quicker and manages to seize her legs and pull her back from almost certain death ! Helpless, they watch has the ceiling meets the floor with a bang, spikes firmly lodged in their individual floor lodgings... at least it's not Elexis. But the group has little time to consider what to do next : the floor drops from under their feet, turning into a short slide that delivers them to the room below before snapping back in place.
	They crash to the ground amid sounds of breaking bones... luckily, not their own : the floor here is literally covered with humanoid remains. From what they can see through the dust dancing in the many shafts of light, they've landed in a longish rectangular room with no visible exits. A familiar feeling by now... One cause for concern though : Frust is not with them. No one is quite sure how he could have avoided the slide down and calls to him bring no response. A prolonged grinding of stone on stone is heard from above, probably the room re-setting itself. Oh well, time to think about getting out of here.
	Before the group can move very far, Drael warns that the lights could be part of a trap. To test it out, Inuk picks up a tight bone and, after apologizing for the indignity, tosses it into a faraway shaft of light. Nothing happens. Reassured, they set out to explore their new surroundings, Drael looking at the walls while Inuk politely moves bones in search of a trapdoor. All this activity is interrupted by the sight of the back wall opening wide, uncovering a blinding white light. From the harsh glare comes a feminine voice "Fresh meat this time, sister." Then another "Not ground up. Yummy !". Squinting into the diminishing light, they can make out two women... as far as their bare torsos are concerned. The bottom half is that of giant cats, complete with tail and claws... Though the daggers they sport appear quite capable of inflicting harm on their own. "If you want to eat us, you'll surely loose a leg or two in the process." warns the always helpful inuit. In a much more threatening tone, Drael warns of dire consequences and of the benefits of letting them pass, but the cat-centaurs keep advancing. Combat seems inevitable.
	The actual hostilities begin with a languorous look from the left cat-centaur. Fascinated, Drael drifts closer to her then turns on his heels and advances menacingly on Elexis, his controller following close behind. The female elf is trading blow with the dexter sister and doesn't seem to even notice Drael's attempts to hit her (none of which succeed). Meanwhile, droning chants can be heard from the back row... or maybe they are curses for, aside from an ineffectual rain of ice cubes, nothing magical is happening. Finally, Inuk gives up and apparently decides that the back of the sinister creature would be the perfect place from which to plant his harpoon in her flesh. [Don't ask me why, I must've been drunk on pretzel fumes.] He overestimated his move, flips over her back and topples over on the other side, to a jarring landing in a pile of bones. His catty opponent actually smiles and peels of laughter can be heard as she turns around to face the prone man. He tries to jam his harpoon between her rear legs to trip her up but she gracefully sidesteps, now facing him fully.
	All this excitement does seem to have snapped Drael out of his trance. Mad as hell, he turns and attacks the still chuckling cat-centaur with his most debilitating move (Pain Touch). Amazingly, the blow lands... No effect. Now unburdened of her homicidal ally, Elexis slides to her knees below a vicious dagger thrust and slashes the cat-lady's right leg right off ! The crippled beast is no longer any match for her opponent's dazzling swordplay and quickly succumbs. The green clad elf then rushes to the help of her companions. 
	Just in time too, for things have not been going well in that particular engagement. With Drael distracting the beast, Inuk has had time to roll away and come to his feet. The last remaining sister is still after him though and he's bleeding from a rather nasty wound under his left armpit. He's on the defensive at this point, merely trying to prevent the dagger's blade from finding his flesh but her next move, raising herself on hind legs and slashing at his face with a forepaw, catches him completely flat-footed. On a repeat attempt to make his Pain Touch work, Drael's right hand slips on the creatures sweaty back and impales itself on her dagger. Ouch ! Thankfully, Elexis' entry into the fray concentrates their opponent's attention on her, giving them time to recuperate. With some breathing room, Inuk tries (and fails) to cast another ritual while Drael is puzzling over the ineffectiveness of his dreaded Pain Touch. "The spirits are not happy here." sights the inuit as he seizes the cat's tail and attempt to cut it, loosing his harpoon in the process. He settles for pulling on it with both hands and philosophically comments, as calmly as he can while being tossed hither and yon, that Drael should try a different move if the current one isn't working. Meanwhile Elexis is going after the legs of big sister just as she did with her sibling. This specimen resists better but still loses her left leg to repeated assaults, nearly toppling over. This puts her in the perfect position to receive Drael's chopping hand right in the neck... She's out for the foreseeable future.
	As soon as she hits the ground, Inuk rushes to Drael's side to tend his wounded hand, numbing it with cold. Wincing, he then ministers to his own wounds. Suddenly, there is a loud <clunk> from above and the slide comes down... only to get stuck two meters from the ground. "Finally got it open !", exclaims Frust happily. Apparently, he escaped the ride down by staying in the doorframe. While he's telling the story to Inuk, the rest of the group investigates the bright light at the end of the room. Elexis sticks a careful foot through it and instantly vanishes. "Probably the exit." says Drael. No one seems overly concerned with the lady elf's disappearance, agreeing with Drael's estimation. Frust climbs down and they all enter the light... Only to reappear where they began : in front of the entrance to the Crypt.
	Grumbling, the party makes its way back down the stairs, re-unlocks the door (Which apparently closed on its own) and face the spinning room once more. Eager to investigate the pedestal, Inuk jumps into the room then leaps to a position right in front of it. "Maybe Drael had the right of it back then." He presses down on the column with one hand while lifting the gem with the other... and quickly re-insert it when the room starts to spin. Thankfully, the floor stops. "Any ideas ?" asks the inuit to the others... Then inspiration hits : he lifts the gem, spins it upside down and drops it back into place. The room starts to spin... in the OTHER direction ! Accompanied by cheers, the floor grinds down to its original position and the far door opens. The way is cleared.
	In the next room, 9 iron bound chests are arranged in three rows. This is one of the twenty "treasure rooms" they've been told about. Drael extracts his trusty lockpick, fails to open the first chest and breaks it in the second one's lock... Sighting, they resolve to pry them open with daggers. Inuk goes first. He asks the chest not to hurt him, they have good reasons for forcing him open. Yes, good reasons indeed. Whether the chest is convinced or not remains to be seen, but the opening goes without a hitch. Three daggers are inside. Lucky too for, while the next chest opens readily enough, the lid takes the inuit's skinning knife with it. Saddened, Inuk carefully lays the two pieces down into the now empty coffer and thanks the knife for his long services. Rotating the duty of chest-opener, they discover many things : a beautiful white fur cloak which Inuk dons in place of his own; an apparently empty chest yields an invisible cloth to Drael's careful perusal (which he keeps); a magical folding door (Inuk again); a purse with one coin inside proves (after the use of the "Soukami" magic word.) to contain a whole pile of zigs. Drael's luck holds true though : a pointed blue magician's hat remains firmly planted on his head and refuses to let go ! Resigned to his fate, the fashion conscious elf extracts a whole new wardrobe (complete with fake white beard) from his pack to match the new accessory...
	Not shaken in the least by this last setback, drael advances confidently toward the next chest : it's his turn as opener. Seizing the dagger in a firm hand he expertly inserts it under the lid... and snaps the dagger clean in two. Surprised, he stumbles forward, slashing his other hand with the broken blade ! Shocked, the oriental elf stares at his bleeding palm with a betrayed look. "There, there." says Inuk soothingly. "Your right hand is still numb from my healing. That must be it... Right ?" He gently pats drael on the back...
	When the chest is finally opened, it proves to contains what they seek : the innkeeper's little red book. Now that the prize is theirs, the group decides against going further into the crypt. "Let's not let greed lead us into danger." They make their way back to the inn instead. 
	Once there, Elexis empties her magic purse and starts counting the coins. "Why do it by hand ?" asks the innkeeper as he comes back with their payment. "You only have to join them with Mougazi and say 'Mooria Mooria'". Elexis tries and her eyes widen in pleasant surprise : "With everything, we have 400 zigs !". Everyone wants to try this new trick so the coin makes its way from hand to hand. Then comes Inuk's turn : he holds the coin, says the magic words and freezes... "What's wrong ?" asks Elexis. It turns out that the inuit only knows how to count to 10... Politely attempting to suppress their smiles, the others try to make him understand that they still need about 100 zigs. Drael finally counts out that many coins from his purse and lays them out in from of the frost shaman, "This much." Inuk looks down at the pile, pondering. "Oh... still a ways to go then. Maybe we could trade the knifes we acquired ?" When asked, the knifes confirm that they have powers beyond the norm : they could fetch a good price at market.
	"Where have you guys been ?" asks a high-pitched voice. Everyone in the group twitches and even Inuk sketches a step toward the nearest exit : FortPierre is back. "I've been looking all over for you !" Drael explains that they went to a wonderful crypt and had lots of fun. "Look at this beautiful hat I got there ! Why don't you try to take it off ?" The kender is only too glad to oblige. "Wheee !" Seems the hat makes a good kender-sized swing... Frust has to pry FortPierre off before he tears Drael's hair by the root. "I'll try to convince the hat to find a new head tomorrow." proposes Inuk. "I'm too tired to try it right now." The day has been trying indeed and they all need rest. A little cajoling convinces the innkeeper to give them one more night on the house. To bed they go.


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THE PLAYERS :

DM, Stephane Poiré

Inuk, Human Priest of Winter   (Frederic Fleury)
     The door to the inn opens wide, letting in an altogether unseasonnal wave of cool air. Patrons turn and stare in displeasure at the new arrival... he who let the cold in. Standing in the doorway is a peculiar sight in these parts. An older fellow (maybe 30, 35), all of one-and-a-half yard high and not particularly muscled : not exactly newsworthy. So it's not his build that grabs the patrons' attention. Nor is it his bushy, short-cropped moustache or the odd colour of his skin (Though it does have a peculiar cast to it.). No, what the assembled crowd is looking at are his clothes; if you can call them clothes... From head to toe, the stranger is nothing but metal and fur... lots of fur. The armor is nothing special (might even be a local product.) but the fur ! Fur cloak with fur collar, leather boots with fur around the top, fur out of his chain sleeves, fur around his waist, fur everywhere ! Nice fur granted, (Sort of a warm brown, going darker in places, with longer hair all over, these later ones with whitish ends.) but still... fur.
     The stranger slowly walks up to the bar, a cool breeze in his wake. He lays both hands in plain view and smiles. A smile which light up his brown eyes and seem to make even his dark hair shimmer a little brighter. Then he speaks : "Would you happen to have a mug of hot milk ?"
     Current body temp. : 5°c

Drael, Elven Ninja  (Simon Picard)

Elexis, Elven Mystic knight   (Sebastien Mathieu)