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| Chapter 1. Wyfalls; (Noria Alpha Campaign) | |
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| Topic Started: May 14 2013, 10:49 AM (2,733 Views) | |
| East Anarx | May 14 2013, 10:49 AM Post #1 |
Anarchitect
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((Please confine OOC chatter to the Info Thread)) These days, the Hollow Hill Inn & Tavern seems to be the most happening place in the town of Wyfalls. The hearth contains a cheery fire and mugs of ale are slid across the bar to thirsty patrons. In the center of the dining hall, two rather large, heavily-bearded, pot-bellied mountain dwarves are having quite an animated conversation. As if keeping time to some unheard rhythm, their fists occasionally slam down on the table, rattling the plates and silverware laid before them. "You're a bleedin' fool, Zedd! If I've told you once I've told you a thousand times, a dwarf's place is under the mountain! If you wanna practice your elfish ways, maybe you oughta move to the Palewood. Wyfalls'd be better off without ya. Safer, anyway, without your tearing down the stone ceilings our ancestors carved, just to get more sun to your damned fruit trees!" "Well, maybe Wyfalls'd be better off if you moved away, Tharv. You know as well as I do, hell, everyone knows, the mines are empty! The deeper you dig, the dirtier the water gets, and what has it got us? Not even an ounce of copper. Nothin' 'cept the wrath of the druids. They don't like us pollutin' their river, their woods. Can ya really blame 'em for wanting to get even?" "Watch your tongue, Zedd! That kind of talk sounds mighty close to treason. So the river's gettin' a little murky, so what? That don't give 'em the right to sabotage my machines! Without my work, how am I s'posed to feed my family?" "You could try planting some of those seeds I gave you..." "There you go again with that elfish nonsense! I don't wanna hear it! I ain't got time for that. Our miners stumbled onto another nest of deepwurms last night. They're guardin' something down there! I can feel it..." "Yeah, they're guardin' their eggs, prob'ly! Nothing of any value's been pulled out of that mine for thirty years, when are you gonna give up?" |
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| Al Araam | May 14 2013, 02:56 PM Post #2 |
Demigod of Death & Inactivity
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Padrielor Tinarawen entered the Hollow Hill Inn & Tavern somewhat hesitantly. He’d spent only enough time in enclosed spaces to know he didn't like them. He found that he was most at home under the open sky. Regardless of that, Padrielor still had to return to the cramped confines of civilization to replenish his supplies on rare occasions. Pad had never been much of a drinker. Alcohol dulled his senses, slowed his reactions, and put him at ease. Any of those three things could get him killed as he camped alone in the dark woods. On his occasional trips to town, Pad usually partook in a drink or three for the same reasons he so assiduously avoided intoxicants while he was in the wilderness. Trying to stay on full alert every second of every day forever was likely to drive a humanoid mad. Everyone had to relax sometime. Removing his heavy backpack, Pad slid on to a bar stool and silently attempted to flag down the barman, who was listening to a lively conversation between two of the bars diminutive patrons. Over the dull roar of merriment, it was difficult to make out exactly what was being said, but he had been able to make out the word “elfish.” That combined with the constant fist-pounding and silverware-rattling made him uncomfortable. He decided to wait patiently for the barman to notice him rather than attracting the attention of the inn’s other customers. |
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| New Harumf | May 15 2013, 10:23 AM Post #3 |
Bloodthirsty Unicorn
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Glrch peered into the window of the Tavern and scoped out likely contributors to his meager wealth. Once he was satisfied the place was OK, he strolled in unnoticed, being the most diminutive creature in the place. Looking around he spotted the bar. It was of human height meaning he would never be able to get the barkeeps attention; then he spotted a patron without a drink patiently waiting for the bartender to acknowledge him. He slid over next to the gentleman, tugged on his sleeve, and said, "Good sir, when you get the barkeep's attention, order me an ale - a big ale. Here are the coins to pay for it." |
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| East Anarx | May 16 2013, 11:05 AM Post #4 |
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Anarchitect
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The barkeep, an elderly dwarf with a perpetual scowl on his face, eventually got around to taking Pad's order and presented him with two ales. The dwarf accepted the payment with a grimace, made a show of counting it, and then went back to wiping a dirty rag in circular motions across the top of the bar. Tharv and Zedd seemed to simmer down after a while; their volume level dropping a few decibels and their fist-slamming becoming less frequent. Their conversation had apparently turned to less controversial matters. Before long, Zedd got up and left in somewhat of a hurry, with the look of someone who has something on his mind. Tharv lingered a bit longer, nursing his ale. Then, while getting up to leave he finally noticed the elf and the gnome sitting at the bar. He did a double-take, muttered something to himself, then sat down again. He waited for a few moments, then stole a glance over his shoulder yet again to make sure the strangers were still there. His mind apparently made up, he gulped down the last of his ale, stood up, ambled over to the bar, and took a seat next to the gnome. "Seein' as how y'all are new around here, let me set some things straight for ya. My name's Tharv Stonebelly and this is my town. Some folks 'round here don't take too kindly to strangers, especially exotic ones. Now I would be just heart-broken if someone gave you a hard time, and so I'm offerin' to put in a good word for ya. See, I've got some work you might be able to help me with. It's messy, dangerous, and the pay ain't great, but if you do the job, I can guarantee that as long as you're here in Wyfalls, the locals won't give ya any trouble. So... you interested?" |
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| meh | May 16 2013, 03:34 PM Post #5 |
1st Lieutenant
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Surrounded by the fire and the simple merriment of the dwarves, Fenris was busy drinking and shouting. He was drunk, much like he had been all week. His drunkenness was never much a problem though, despite the typical afflictions it brought. It require a large amount to get him truly drunk, a fact that is often lost to the men who wish him ill. He was confident enough in his drunken stupor. Hell, he'd even fought an entire war drunk most of the time. His bender in the town of Wyfalls was coming to an end, as the money he had secured earlier was finally running dry. He didn't come to Wyfalls by choice, but rather because he had drove a spear through his former employer, when the bastard refused to pay him and the other men. Instead Fenris was in town to lay low until one of the other sellswords was put to the stake for his crime. Now that the money that he had pilfered off the body of his employer was gone, he needed to find another job. After agreeing to brawl one of the more rowdy dwarves, Fenris stumbled over to the barkeeper for another drink. After a mug of ale was slid his way, he heard some peculiar talk of a dwarf in need of "employees." Fenris quickly turned around and began to announce himself, but was presented with a sight that made him keel over in laughter. An elf, a gnome, and a dwarf were sitting around a table, drinking and discussing the dwarve's job. |
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| Al Araam | May 16 2013, 07:53 PM Post #6 |
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Demigod of Death & Inactivity
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Pad disliked the veiled threats barely disguised behind the dwarf's offer. Wandering the wilderness was not, however, a well-paying venture. Pad squeezed his belt pouch and grimaced a little as the few coins he had to his name rubbed together almost silently. The elf made up his mind and sighed heavily. "I'm sure your word goes a long way around here," Pad said while scanning the dingy bar. "But I'm sure you understand that I would also need an honest wage. Particularly because I imagine the job you will be asking us to do will be something your fellow dwarves have already refused to do. For good reason, no doubt." With that, Pad took a long sip of his ale and stared at the dwarf in silence. Edited by Al Araam, May 16 2013, 07:55 PM.
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| New Harumf | May 17 2013, 08:57 AM Post #7 |
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Bloodthirsty Unicorn
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"Hmm," Glrch thought to himself, "well, a free pass to pilfer this town, and employment where sticky fingers might be employed. Yet, I cannot trust a dwarf! What shall I do." He sat, gulping ale for a moment longer, then spoke out loud. "Well, a free pass to pi . . . wander in this town, and employment where sticky fingers might be employed. Yet, I NEVER trust a dwarf! Eh, what the hell, if you promise not to kill me or step on me, I'll join your employ - payment in advance!" |
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| meh | May 17 2013, 05:55 PM Post #8 |
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1st Lieutenant
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Fenris butted in, finally containing his laughter. "If there is still room, you can count me in as well. I'm going to do the assuming and say you'll need someone to the dirty work. As long as the price is comparable, there is nothing I would object to doing." |
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| East Anarx | May 21 2013, 09:45 AM Post #9 |
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Anarchitect
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Tharv Stonebelly smiled broadly and rubbed his ponderous mid-section, obviously pleased with the way the conversation was going. He cleared his throat and went on, "Alright, listen up, here's what I need. My mining operation has run into a bit of a snag. My miners keep encountering nests of deepwurms. Being dwarves, they are of course more than capable of dealing with these pests on their own, and in fact they have exterminated dozens of small nests already. Problem is, having to fight off wurms is distracting them from the work they're really best suited to, namely mining. Now, this latest nest is a tad bigger than the last few, but I'm sure you fellas will be more than up to the task." With that, he paused to order another ale and waited while his new employees digested the information. The ale arrived promptly and he took a few quick gulps before continuing, "The entrance to the mines is here in town, just northwest and uphill from here. You can't miss it. Just take the elevator down to the very bottom and the miners there'll point you in the right direction." He chugged down the rest of his ale and burped loudly, then said, "Oh right, here's four gold coins for now. Come see me when the job's done and you can have another sixteen." With that, he set the 4 gold pieces in front of the three adventurers, checked his empty mug to make sure that he hadn't left any ale in it, and then made his exit. |
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| New Harumf | May 21 2013, 10:04 AM Post #10 |
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Bloodthirsty Unicorn
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Glrch quickly snatched up his gold coin. Actually, he took two, then thought better of it, and gingerly put one back. He motioned to the door, and said, "Well, what are ye waitin for, a formal invite? Let's get to work!" Begins to memorize two spells - Disguise self; Ventriloquism Edited by New Harumf, May 30 2013, 12:24 PM.
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| meh | May 22 2013, 03:16 PM Post #11 |
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1st Lieutenant
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Fenris quickly grabbed the coin, pausing momentarily to look down at the little gnome. "What's all the rush? As long as the ale keeps flowing, we should settle down for the night and collect our thought, or maybe some women. The mines will still be there in the morning." |
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| Al Araam | May 22 2013, 09:55 PM Post #12 |
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Demigod of Death & Inactivity
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Pad, unexcited to spend too much time in the enclosed tavern, thought about what it would be like in the claustrophobic depths of the mines and suppressed a violent shudder. Then he took a deep breath and pocketed one of the gold coins on the bar. "I'm with the gnome on this one," he said. "Let's get this over with. The sooner we clear out these deepwurms the sooner we get paid." With that, the elf began to gather his scant belongings and make ready to trek to the mine entrance, leaving his half-full glass of ale on the bar. Edited by Al Araam, May 22 2013, 09:56 PM.
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| East Anarx | May 23 2013, 09:29 AM Post #13 |
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Anarchitect
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The first thing the party saw upon exiting the Hollow Hill Inn & Tavern was the eponymous waterfalls after which the town was named. The tavern was built by the shores of a small lake in the center of town, into which poured three waterfalls, (a 10 foot drop from a winding stream from the northeast, a 40 foot drop from the northwest, and a more than 100 foot drop from due north,) and out of which flowed a mighty river towards the south. The tavern was on the east side of this river, and it was not immediately apparent which way would be the quickest to the mines. The road they were on branched away to the north, east, and south. To their north, the road skirted along the edge of a stand of saplings, crossed a small bridge over the northeastern stream, and seemed to disappear behind the spray from the largest waterfall. To their east, the road quickly disappeared into rather dense woods punctuated by the ruins of stone buildings. To their south, the road followed the edge of the river and forked a short ways down, one way turning west and crossing a giant stone bridge over the river, the other way turning southeast and disappearing between rows of old stone buildings. With the exception of a few beggars loitering just outside the tavern, the streets seemed rather empty. The evening sun was still visible, now low in the sky to the west, and seemed to promise at least a couple more hours of daylight. |
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| New Harumf | May 23 2013, 01:01 PM Post #14 |
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Bloodthirsty Unicorn
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"Well fill my pipe!" Glrch exclaimed. "There is only one road going North, but it doesn't look promising. You, dwarf, can you smell a mine near here?" With that, he stood with his hands on his hips and stared at his companions. |
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| East Anarx | May 23 2013, 01:10 PM Post #15 |
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Anarchitect
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One of the dirty and disheveled dwarven beggars loitering around the entrance to the tavern limped towards Glrch until their faces were just inches apart. His body odor, a sickly mix of onions and strong alcohol, wafted into the gnome's nostrils. "Ya looking for the Stonebelly mine, little gnome? I can show you the way, if you can spare a shiny gold coin for a poor old warrior. Whaddya say?" |
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| New Harumf | May 24 2013, 01:58 PM Post #16 |
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Bloodthirsty Unicorn
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"Bugger off!" shouted Glrch. "You'd lead us to a mine - mine fist in your chops! Now, get away before someone lights a match and you explode! Anyone else able to offer some free information?"
Edited by New Harumf, May 24 2013, 01:59 PM.
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| meh | May 26 2013, 01:55 PM Post #17 |
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1st Lieutenant
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Still reeling from the amount he drank, Fenris knew that the dwarf would not be easily persuaded to hand over the simple information. He marched over to the short dwarf, towering over him by several feet. Using his intimidation skill, Fenris roared at the dwarf. "You best not be hustling us. I've met my fair share of people like you, and none have walked away with less than a broken face." |
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| New Harumf | May 26 2013, 06:30 PM Post #18 |
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Bloodthirsty Unicorn
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While the dwarf cowered away from Fenris, Glich snuck behind him and noticed a piece of paper in the dwarf's pocket. It looked like a map, so using his Thief skills he easily lifted it out of the dwarf's pocket, and slid unobserved behind Fenris. After a second, he said, "Oh, I forgot - I have a map of the town! Here it is!" He then handed the map to Fenris. Local Map Edited by New Harumf, May 26 2013, 06:34 PM.
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| East Anarx | May 28 2013, 10:22 AM Post #19 |
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Anarchitect
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The foul-smelling dwarf, miraculously absent his former limp, scurried back to where his equally malodorous comrades were loitering just outside the Inn. As the adventuring trio observed Glrch's newly acquired map, it became quickly apparent that Tharv Stonebelly had perhaps been mildly exaggerating the ease with which they would be able to find his mine, since the map displayed its location being clear across town. Assuming the map was somewhat accurate, from their present location, two paths were available to them. The most direct and obvious path was to follow the main road, taking them south to where the great stone bridge crossed the river to the western side of Wyfalls, and then as long as they traveled north from there they would eventually reach the mine. Another possible option, it seemed, was to travel north, where the map seemed to indicate they would go behind a huge waterfall, and apparently come upon the back entrance to the estate of their new employer, where if they were able to navigate his property they would eventually make it to the mine. While a great deal more uncertain, this second route nevertheless tempted the opportunistic inclinations of the adventurers. What secret treasure might this wealthy dwarf have hidden behind the waterfall? On the other hand, what sorts of traps or security systems might he have employed to defend them? |
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| New Harumf | May 29 2013, 09:05 AM Post #20 |
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Bloodthirsty Unicorn
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"Well, well, well," said Glrch. "Looks like we were right not trusting this dwarf. Now, looking at this map . . . hmm, I don't like the route behind the waterfall. These dwarves are likely up to no good there, plus, I hate the water. Then again, maybe they have a treasure cave up there too, and we could reap some spoils! The other route is a long walk. Fenris, maybe you'd like to carry a light little gnome?" |
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| East Anarx | May 29 2013, 09:42 AM Post #21 |
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Anarchitect
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As the adventurers considered their options, the wind picked up and changed directions. What had, just a moment before, been a barely noticeable mild breeze from the west, suddenly became a cold blast from the northeast. Dark storm clouds were visibly approaching from the distant eastern sky. The group of dwarven beggars had apparently taken cover, for not a soul was visible and the streets seemed eerily empty. |
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| New Harumf | May 30 2013, 12:17 PM Post #22 |
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Bloodthirsty Unicorn
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"Well, this change of weather makes up my mind", said Glrch, "going North I am, can't be any worse behind that waterfall than it will be here in a minute. Rain of river water all gets ya wet. Let's go, mates. There is money to be made." With that, Glrch starts on the Northern road. |
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| Al Araam | May 30 2013, 01:00 PM Post #23 |
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Demigod of Death & Inactivity
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Pad scowled darkly, at the storm and the gnome's decision in equal parts. On the one hand, he would have preferred not to begin their relationship with their employer by trespassing on his property. On the other hand, Pad could not find it in himself to insist on a course of action that would, in all likelihood, result in the group arriving in the claustrophobic confines of the Stonebelly Mine in short order. The elf eased his longsword in its scabbard before reluctantly following Glrch along the North Road. |
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| East Anarx | May 30 2013, 01:27 PM Post #24 |
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Anarchitect
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As the adventurers traveled north their route took them gradually uphill and along the eastern shore of Lake Wyfalls, the lake in the center of the town. Off the road to their left, the terrain sloped sharply down to where it encountered the lake. Off to their right, the terrain sloped gradually up, where the widely-spaced young saplings and shrubs gave way to a deep forest of tall, old trees. Before long they crossed a small stone bridge over a bubbling brook. Colorful fish were visible in the clear water below and just upstream where they were leaping up a small waterfall. More than once they spotted small furry mammals, perhaps squirrels or chipmunks, darting here and there among the trees. As they continued on, they noticed that the stone buildings so prevalent in the part of town near the Inn were now fewer and farther between. Many of the structures were missing roofs, and their walls were covered with multi-colored mosses and a variety of vines. Several seemed to be nearly full of earth and had whole trees growing out of them, resembling nothing so much as giant stone planter boxes. Eventually they came to a fork in the road. One way turned due west, another way turned northeast. Due west, the road narrowed considerably as it followed the ledge of a cliff between a sheer wall of rock on the right and a 50-foot drop to the lake below on the left. It was this precarious path, less than five feet wide, that passed below and behind the great falls. The thousands of gallons of water pouring down the side of the mountain every second was a nearly deafening roar from where the adventurers stood. To the northeast, the road quickly disappeared between tall old trees, the map seeming to indicate that it would lead eventually to a place called Hopemine Farm. It was clear that the quickest way to the Stonebelly Mine was to head west, along the side of the cliff and behind the falls, and yet the adventurers hesitated for a moment, perhaps intimidated by the sound and fury of the massive amount of falling water. On the upside, the storm was still some distance away and their proximity to the steep edges of the mountain shielded the party from the harshest of the winds. Edited by East Anarx, May 31 2013, 12:00 PM.
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| New Harumf | Jun 1 2013, 09:43 AM Post #25 |
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Bloodthirsty Unicorn
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Glrch looked at the others. "Well, I'm gonna peek behind this waterfall, and if all is clear, I'll meet you on the other side. If you hear me scream like an unpaid whore, run!" |
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