Halls of Fate Guide Events

Hi everyone, sorry I have been out of commission! I had a horrible cold, then when I got over that, I wrenched my back but good and proper. I should be back holding campfires next week.

/em digs out her big notebook of ideas and tacks up a piece of paper to the Elddar Tree, looking around nervously to see if anyone chastises her...

Hiya Norika!

Glad to see you'll be back, everyone missed you, and will probably make a big fuss over you when we see you again. Sorry about your health. If you see your cleric again, tell her you want Neurontin. It's a clever erudite substance, I believe, which can be effective for physical pain, and which won't make you dependent. I know how awful back problems can be for people who live in trees and woodlands. I hope you are back doing cartwheels and tree-leaping soon. Norrath isn't the same without you.

What Thornscar said (though I can't vouch for the medicamentation advice, being a bard an' not a healer an' all.

That's a really pretty notice. But I'm still going to call you 'The TreeWounder' from now on, I think

Don't worry, Seefar, my friend Fluellen spoke with the tree in question, and I am assured that Norika should feel welcome to enlist the help of the forest to spread word of her appearances. I've been told that the tree is even prepared to protect the parchment with a thick cover of leaves in the event of rain. So all is well.

Wouldn't it be really great if The Makers would make it so that Norika could actually go and pin that parchment on that great tree?

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The little girl goblin looked over at Unoseemi with great big puppygoblin eyes. "Pwease help me?" she asked. The little goblin was only a little thing, hardly more than a little toddler. She stood there so forlornly.

Unoseemi shivered and thought, "Dem eyes is big in da moonlight!" but stood there, frozen, wondering what she should do. "I's gots some soggy gnome sammishes," Unoseemi said cautiously. "Was gonna eat em whilst fissin’. Is she hungries?"

The little goblin's eyes grew even bigger in the moonlight and Unoseemi backed away, cautiously holding out a sammich.... "Nice gobby, hungry gobby.... good gobby..." Unoseemi said shakily, thinking, "They taste a bit too gnomish for me, I can gives her the whole sammich."

The little girl goblin grabbed the sammich and stuffed it in her mouth, chewing happily... om nom nom nom!!!! "I wubs gnomes!" she exclaimed.

Unoseemi responded, “Dey’s a bit stringy for me but I takes what I can acquires."

In between the bread and the cheese, the little goblin muttered, "Mama gone kill me."

"Was nice knowing yous… um….” Unoseemi stopped walking away. She turned back. “Errr... why’s dat?"

The little goblin pointed into the grave which was nearly full of water. "Down there." And then the little goblin burst into tears.

"You were hiding it in deres?" Unoseemi asked, trying to understand.

Between sobs, the little goblin said, "Yeth! The big bad wolfie wanted it! I threwed it in there, and the big huge fish ate it."

Unoseemi shrugged, "I can scout around da edge of the hole, looking for a glint in the moonlight," but she really didn’t have much confidence she would see anything. Suddenly she got a glimpse of the huge monster fish in the depths and exclaimed, "Well, I needs a big night crawler for dis one!"

As the little goblin peered into the depths, Unoseemi went digging. As she dug with her fingers in the soft earth, she said thoughtfully, "And maybe we can smashes a glowmsyt bug and roll the night crawler in it…"

"I see it! I see it!” cried the little one. “See? Right there!" She pointed into the darkest spot as Unoseemi got ready. They both watched the fish struggle with the length of the necklace as it was slipping down its throat. It was caught on the huge fish's teeth and the fish was choking on it.

Unoseemi stood at the edge of the grave, holding her fissin’ rod with the night crawler wriggling on the hook. Her fingers drummed a thoughtful tempo on the rod. "The choking will helps, but it’s still bigs. I may need some helps reeling it in."

Thornscar happened by on his way home from a big adventure and saw Unoseemi standing there. "Hi Unoseemi! Whatcha up to?" he asked.

"Big time fissin’," Unoseemi replied.

"Need some help?" Thornscar asked. The little goblin peered unseen at Thornscar from around the edge of the grave, now filled with water from the rains.

Unoseemi replied, "An’ hows!!"

Thornscar approached the “pond”, his footsteps causing the huge fish to jump. He chuckled, “That fish is at least five times as big as you, Unoseemi!!!"

Unoseemi told him, nodding, "Helps pulls!"

Thornscar flexes his shoulders to loosen them up a bit and nodded, "Let me brace my foot on this big rock."

Unoseemi watched as he got set, then advised, "Use a closer rock."

Unoseemi then tossed the bait into the water. They all watched as the night crawler covered in glowmyst beetle goop sank down. Unoseemi thought to herself, "Dis is da big ones!"

Thornscar noticed her expression and reassured her, "We got this, friend Unoseemi."

They joined forces, Thornscar keeping Unoseemi from falling in the water as she worked the fish, playing the line out and reeling the fish in. In all the excitement, the little goblin called out, "I think you got 'im! No, wait, you missed!"

Unoseemi looked over at the little one, "Hey, gobby, you helps too!!"

The little goblin protested, "I is helpings! I is watchings!"

Unoseemi shook her head, "Gobbies dese days, no helps whatsoevers."

Thornscar exclaimed, "Oh, what a cute little goblin!" He smiled, “Pull on my cloak, little goblin."

The little goblin stuck out her tongue at Unoseemi and pulled as hard as she could on Thornscar's cloak.

Unoseemi grabbed at the pole as the huge fish’s frantic lunges deeper into the grave threatened to pull the rod completely under, exclaiming, "Hey!! Helps with the poles, Thorny!"

Thornscar nodded, "PULL on 3 !!"

"1…”

“2..."

"No times for countin’, just pulls! Silly!"

"THREE!!"

The little gobby, Unoseemi, and Thornscar pulled and pulled. The fish fought them with all its might. “Pull some mores," Unoseemi urged as she wound the reel.

Thornscar grunted and groaned with the effort of backing away with the rod and reel, then everyone went stumbling toward the “pond” as the fish made another surprisingly strong bid for freedom. "Naw, dat my momma best hook, no getting away this one!" exclaimed Unoseemi determinedly.

The little gobby pulled so hard on Thornscar's cloak, it began to rip. He heard the tear and said through gritted teeth, “That's okay, got lotsa cloaks!"

Sanguinara rushed up, having heard the noises of the struggle from her resting place. She grabbed Thornscar by the cloak to help some more. Unoseemi looked around in surprise, "I’s surprised so many out fissin’ in a graveyard in the rain!"

Sanguinara panted out through her efforts to keep them from falling in, "I was trying to have a nap behind the other gravestones and was awakened by some loud grunting."

Unoseemi agreed, "More da merrys!"

The cloak ripped away in Sanguinara's hands, so she grabbed Thornscar around the waist and pulled hard. The little gobby went flying off with the remnants of the cloak in her little hands, bouncing and rolling on the ground.

Thornscar asked anxiously, "You okay, little goblin?"

The little gobby popped up and waved, "I's not hurts!"

The fish landed up on the ground, still fighting. Unoseemi grinned, "Stabby time!"

Sanguinara smiled, “Yay! I simply adore stabby time!"

Unoseemi remarked, pleased, "Dat biggun will feeds da whole household!"

Sanguinara brandished the perfect fish gutting tool, an Enervated Fang of Ichor. Everyone quickly dispatched the huge fish, cleanly and without causing hurt. Thornscar said approvingly, “Cause that's how we roll!" Unoseemi surveyed her huge fish, way more than she could ever use to feed her entire ratonga family at one time.

The little goblin reached in past the sharp teeth and fished the necklace out with a thankful smile to everyone, then waved her fingers in a magical incantation and smiled at Unoseemi. A lovely circlet appeared settling, onto Unoseemi's hair.

Unoseemi felt of the circlet, very puzzled. "What’s dats fur?" Unoseemi asked.

“You my mistress! You helped me, now I be a gathering gobby for you!” The little girl goblin shrugged apologetically, “But I don't gather harvests, just gems and rares. Supersecret special gobby I is.”

Thornscar coughed and spluttered, “Just gems and rares...."

Unoseemi asked, "Yous have a name, Gobby?"

The little girl goblin shrugged sadly, “No ... no one ever gave me a name." Unoseemi smiled and named her “Suprsekret.”

Another little girl goblin came creeping out from near where Sanguinara had been resting, carrying a lightweight, nearly invisible cloth.

"Miss Sanguinara ... lady?" Sanguinara bowed with a flourish. The little girl gobby held up the lightweight opaline cloth. "I covered you with this while you were sleeping, to hide you from the baddies." The little twin to Unoseemi's goblin stroked Sanguinara’s hair softly.

Sanguinara replied, smiling, “Thank you so much! I was feeling a little chilly there for a while." There was no way she would mention to this little one she would not feel the cold.

The little girl goblin looked at Sanguinara pleadingly, "Pwease... could I come live wif you and be a gathering gobby for you too?"

Sanguinara nodded, "You certainly may!"

The little girl gobby beamed and put her little hand in Sanguinara's. "I don'ts gather rares and gems.... I is secret gobby too! You know the special harvests, for Er’llisi Day, Frostfelly and such?"

Sanguinara exclaimed, “Oh yes! I go through those so quickly."

The little girl whispers conspiratorially, "I can get those all year long, whenever you want!"

And then ... from the old creaky door of the Mausoleum ... the third and last of the triplet gobbies came creeping. She looked up at Thornscar with huge moonlit eyes and asked in a very small voice, "Would you take me home, pwease, Mister?"

Thornscar marveled, “What cute triplets!"

Unoseemi grumbled, “Dem gobbies, hidin’ in mosoleums when fissin’ needs doin’!"

Thornscar smiled, "Yes, little goblin, and you don't even have to gather ... just keep me company."

The little girl gobby, now named “Dorable,” wiped happy tears away from her eyes and beamed at Thornscar, putting her little hand in his and holding it tightly, promising to be good company forever!

All the little gobbies waved farewell to each other and went happily home with their new friends.

The little girls’ mama found her necklace in a pretty ribbon-bound box on her doorstep the next morning, with a note from her little ones. “We’s found good homes, mama! We come visit sometime. Love, Us’es.”

And Unoseemi dragged the huge fish home to her family and they ate well and lavishly for many days.

~ The End

Storytime!!!

6 PM PT!!!! Tuesday, May 17th!!!

In the Commonlands!!! By the graveyard, cemetary... you know, over nearish to the entrance to Freeport, but not near to the guards...

Why is Norika so excited? Because Elder Guide Rynara, whom I adore, is joining us and will be telling a tale And I will follow with one of my own

My socks-removed numberuminations make that 2am my time. I'll aim to see you there... but no promises.

The New Adventures of Maisie Summer ~ by Bonzaiiii, Gwina, Akintuff, Xirevening, Klawsalot, Unoseemi, Noloban, Annastasiia, Rynara, Seefar, Xepha, and Norika were all present for the story

Maisie Summer looked out her bedroom window at the shining stars and the broken moon. She held the fabric back and looked cautiously around the windowsill. Her older sister said, "Hey, Squirt, stoppit. I'm trying to sleep." Maisie Summer made a face at her older sister and pulled the fabric wider.

"PIPSQUEAK!!" her other older sister roared. "You're supposed to be asleep! Now go to bed!" Maisie grumbled and put the fabric down, but not before she saw something outside. She thought of pulling the curtain aside again to get a better look, but whatever was out there was surely no worse than her two older sisters.

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"Pipsqueak, Squirt," she thought disdainfully as she snuck past them. "Always putting me down ‘cause I am the youngest." She moved silently through the Halfling home, so lovingly decorated by her mother and well-stocked by her father with all sorts of meats.

She crept out the front door and around to the side of the hill where she had seen the creature go. Of course she gripped her rolling pin in her hand. Sometimes baby Halflings get rolling pins instead of rattles, and this was her favorite one from all time. She held her little dagger tightly in her other hand.

She paused to sing herself some songs for bravery ... and speed, of course, in case she had to run very fast back into the house. And Maisie stood there.... And then she screwed her eyes shut tight and rushed towards the garden.

She tumbled and fell right over a .... Well, she did trip and fall over a dragon's tail ... but beside the dragon, curled up inside its protective circle, was a little reed-woven basket.

The dragon looked up sleepily and seeing that there was a walky thing, took off, blotting the moon from the skies. Maisie looked with awe as the huge dragon roared and a small rolled parchment came tumbling down.

The little basket shook, and a thin little wail issued from the basket, muffled by the blanket. Maisie hefted the basket and walked slowly with it into the house, struggling with the weight, nearly bent backwards.

She stumbled in and set the basket on the hearth with a thump. A little roar came from the basket. And a little cry.

Maisie looked around the rooms to see if anyone else had heard, but no one else in the house was stirring. Maisie lifted the edge of the blanket then slapped it back down on the basket.

Maisie rubbed her eyes, she simply couldn't believe what she saw. She peeked in again. "Yep. Still there."

"Awright, then," she muttered. "Out you come." She reached in and dragged the sleeping little dragon out onto the hearth, where it crept into the fire and settled in with a little contented sigh.

"Now for t'other one," she said. She took the blanket, laid it on the chair, and picked up the baby erudite. She laid the baby on the blanket, and rolled him up in it, so he was all toasty warm.

Then she took the parchment, plopped into the other chair in front of the hearth, and examined it. A fine embroidered cord... excellent quality paper.... A seal of nobility...Maisie scratched her head in puzzlement, then shrugged. She opened the parchment and read, as best as she could, for she was still a little wee Halfling:

"To the one who rightfully discovers our children. We apologize for the disruption your life is about to go through. Here are the instructions for the care of the two." What followed were instructions for the care and feeding of erudites dragons.

Maisie twisted the paper this way and that, trying to understand .... "Whut's an erudites dragons?" she asked. "There's erudites on one hand, and dragon on t' other, right????" She looked at both her hands.

A little thin wail caught her attention, and she said, "Well, no matter, I am responsible for you now." She set about getting the little dragon some meat, the little erudite some milk.

It still puzzled her brain how these two could be ... so she determined she would go see her grandpa tomorrow. He was the brightest Halfling sage in all of Norrath that she knew.

She settled the little ones down for the night.... and herself, she settled into a chair to keep watch. "Pipsqueak, Squirt ... they'll see," she muttered to herself as she fell asleep.

And so little Maisie became the adoptive mama of the little twins....

So... for next time...


You'll hear why two dragon parents and two Erudite parents had to give their babies to Maisie!

Storytime again, in Enchanted Lands, Saturday, May 21st at 5 PM PT, meet to the left of the docks near the water to continue the New Adventures of Maisie Summer (see post above for start of the story).

I believe this makes it midnight UTC... that's about the best I can do for folks across the pond! (crossing fingers that it helps)

Meet the wandering minstrel who has an olden tale of long ago, of pirates and their deeds..... at 12 Noon PM PT (7 PM UTC) on the Moors of Ykesha Docks. Take the bell or the druid rings to get there very easily.

Spire too! (Takes you right by the broker).

Anyone read any good NEWS lately on HoF?

That's really mean on us 'across-the-pond' types. Where I sit, for instance, this event will run from... 1am to 7am. Spoilsports!

Thanks!!