AC321-Modifications
Somehow they followed me even though I packed and moved my home
No matter what, they come and they come, they won't leave me alone
Another monkey in the mail could make me lose my mind
But look at me shuffling through the stack until I finally find
Some chimps in swimsuits, some chimps in jackboots
Some chimps in hard hats, some chimps who love cats
I've got some shaved chimps, that's chimps devoid of any hair
I've got depraved chimps dressed up in women's underwear.
Starsky and Hutch chimps, a chimp who's sitting on the can
A pair of Dutch chimps who send their love from Amsterdam.
Another postcard with chimpanzees
And every one is addressed to me.
“Another Postcard” Barenaked Ladies
A year or two after the Bhaalspawn war…
Valygar sighed as Imoen pulled him through the door of a small store. “Do we have to stop at every magic shop we come across on this trip? At this rate we will never reach Athkatla.”
“Aw, Val, you know I can’t resist. Think of all the interesting components I’ve found.”
“I do not have to think of them, I can smell them. The horses are beginning to get jumpy.”
“Oh, they’ll be fine,” Imoen said absentmindedly as she began to wander along the shelves.
A woman came out of the back room. Valygar saw that while she was no beauty, she was handsome, with a haughty expression on her face. “Well? What do you fools want?” She muttered under her breath, “No doubt they will leave my wares in disarray.”
“Just looking,” Imoen called out as she peered into a dusty jar.
The woman’s head snapped around as she stared at Imoen. “No, it cannot… not now…” In a higher pitch, she said, “Er, take what you like and leave the gold on the counter.”
Valygar scowled at her strange behavior, and Imoen turned, a curious frown on her face. She looked the dark-haired woman up and down. “Edwin? Is that you?”
Valygar’s eyebrows rose. “Edwin? Wait, Jarran has spoken of, er… him.”
The woman’s face reddened. “Yes, yes, you monkeys have tracked me down. But I warn you, I will not be taken easily!”
Imoen grinned at her. “Take it easy, Edwin. I’m just shopping. Who is after you?”
“Er, no one. Yes, the great Edwin… Edwina Odesseiron fears nothing! Now go, before I show you the might of Thayvian magic!”
“Edwin… I have to ask. Why do you look like a woman?”
“Because I am a woman, you simian fool!”
Valygar stepped forward. “Watch your tongue, wizard.”
“Or what? You will attempt to pull that sword from its scabbard without slicing your own thigh, a feat I doubt you often accomplish?”
Imoen held up her hand. “Don’t bother, Val. That’s just the way Edwin talks to everyone, except himself. What happened?”
Edwina drew herself up and said haughtily, “A small magical mishap. A mere trifle in my path to greatness.”
Imoen laughed and said, “Lucky for you, I’m a lot stronger than I used to be. Want me to dispel whatever caused this?”
“No! I will do it myself at the proper time!”
“Come on, Edwin, don’t be so proud. We both know that you are stuck.” She raised her hands to begin a spell.
“I said no! I refuse! Get out of my shop at once, at once I tell you!”
Imoen blinked in surprise. Before she could say anything, a loud clatter rang out from the back room.
Edwina whirled towards the doorway. “What a time to awaken,” she muttered. She turned back to them and said, “That… that was my familiar. Yes, a quite fearsome and deadly creature. You must leave.” Under her breath she said, “Yes, that should fool these idiotic monkeys. They are simpleminded enough to believe it.”
The sound of feet could be heard from behind the counter. Edwina paled and said, “Go back to your room, Dekaras! Now!”
A very small boy ran into the room, his chubby toddler legs pumping with energy. He smiled up at Imoen and Valygar, his dark hair flopping in a mass of curls. Then the child turned to Edwina and beamed. “Momma!”
Imoen’s mouth fell open. “M-momma?” she stammered.
Edwina’s shoulders sagged in defeat. She picked up the little boy and said sternly, “Dekaras, what have I told you about coming into Mother’s shop?”
The boy gave her a cheerful smile and once more said, “Momma!” as he made a grab for her nose ring.
With well-practiced ease, Edwina dodged his flailing hand. She turned to Valygar and Imoen and said, “This does not come easily to a Thayvian of my breeding and power, but… I beg you to tell no one of this.” She muttered, “To think that I must sink so low.”
Imoen said, “Edwin…”
“It is Edwina now,” she corrected.
“Um, Edwina. What… happened to you? Really?”
Edwina sighed. “Come into the back and I will explain everything.”
She locked the shop doors and led them into a small kitchen. After they were seated and Dekaras had been given a toy to keep him occupied, Edwina said, “What I said before was true. I had a small accident on my road to power. A potent magical item fell into my hands and it did not… behave as it should have.” She muttered, “A Nether Scroll, infinite power was so very nearly mine!”
Imoen gaped at him. “A Nether Scroll? Edwin… Edwina, those are incredibly rare. There is no way you could have just stumbled onto one.”
Valygar frowned. “What is a Nether Scroll?”
“An artifact of the old Netherese Empire. They supposedly contained the secret to magic stronger than any wizard today knows. According to legend, a gnome once caught a glimpse of a scroll dealing with illusion magic. He learned so much from that single glance that he not only became a supreme illusionist himself, but passed on his knowledge. That’s why gnomes have an aptitude towards illusion magic.”
“Can you blame me for taking any chance to gain such power?” Edwina said in frustration. “But all it gained me was this body. And Dekaras, of course,” she said as her face softened.
“Is the curse that powerful? Surely it could have been dispelled.”
“So I thought. But not long after my change, I encountered a, ah, past acquaintance from Thay. Let us simply say that I rejoiced that he did not recognize me as a female.”
Valygar raised an eyebrow. “In trouble with the Red Wizards?”
“I… failed in the mission I was sent to accomplish. I was to ingratiate myself with Jarran and kill that Rashemi witch. I achieved neither.” Under her breath she growled, “But not from lack of trying.”
“I guess the Red Wizards don’t forgive things, huh?” Imoen said. She smiled at Dekaras as he played. The toddler looked up and grinned back. He crawled over to her and tried to climb up. Imoen lifted him into her lap.
“Dekaras, what have I told you about associating with lower beings!” Edwina sighed. “He will catch some disease, I am sure of it… or at least fleas.”
“Don’t be silly, Edwina. Now go on with your story,” Imoen said as she tickled Dekaras’ nose. “Such cute green eyes you have, gitchy, gitchy.”
“Very well. After my encounter with Degardan, I realized that I was in great danger. I moved from inn to inn, trying to avoid attention. But after months of being trapped in this body, I grew despondent.” She muttered, “Particularly around the new moon… how do women tolerate such a condition for their entire lives?”
She gave herself a shake. “I became more and more dejected. I began to indulge in too much of the swill that Athkatla laughingly calls wine. In a fit of disgusting self-pity, I decided that if I was to spend my life as a woman, then I would truly be a woman, in every sense of the word.”
“Oh,” Imoen said weakly. “So you started…”
“Falling from bed to bed like an amateurish courtesan, yes. Then one night, a simian brute had the nerve to strike me. He called me foul names, and made it clear he intended to beat me for his own pleasure. At that moment all the rage and pride of the noble Odesseiron family rose up in me.” She smiled thinly and muttered, “The maids needed only a thimble to cart away his remains. Truly, such spells are a delight to behold.”
“I… I can’t blame you for defending yourself.”
“I have no need for your approval! But it was undeniable that killing him would draw unwanted attention to myself, so I left Athkatla. I wandered for a time, unsure of where to go. Then I discovered that my revelries had a greater consequence than I had imagined.” With a low sigh she mumbled, “I thought I would never recover my svelte and pleasing form.”
“I am surprised that you have this shop, if wizards are hunting you,” Valygar said.
“The danger has passed, or at least that is my hope. After Dekaras was born, I still moved from inn to inn, from backwater town to depressing slum. A Red Wizard suddenly appeared in my room one night. Before I had a chance to strike, he saw Dekaras and hesitated. He peered closely at the baby and snarled something about the divination magic being fooled by ‘Odesseiron’s bastard’. Then, he was gone.”
Edwina reached across the table to take the toddler from Imoen’s lap and settle him into her own. “Dekaras is now my protection and savior. The Red Wizards will always assume that their magic has focused on the child, not the mother, er, father… bah, mother.”
Valygar said, “Do you think you will ever go back to Thay?”
Edwina sighed. “I cannot, not now. Even if I were to convince the zulkirs to let me live, I could not take Dekaras to Thay.” She gently stroked the child’s hair, pulling it back to reveal slightly pointed ears.
“Your son is a half-elf?”
“Yes. In Thay, elves are the most prized of slaves, and half-elves almost unknown. Dekaras would never be accepted, by the zulkirs or by my family. I would be vilified by my parents for soiling the proud Odesseiron line.”
Imoen frowned. “How could you be ashamed of such a sweet little boy?”
“I am not! I… I cannot believe I am speaking of this to barely educated monkeys… I love my son. But in Thay he would be a pariah, if not enslaved or tortured to death to hide the family shame. Here, in these barbaric lands, he will not suffer that treatment.”
“What about, well, your body? Surely it would be easier for him if you changed back to a man now, while he is small, then try to explain it when he’s older.”
“Like Dekaras’ bloodline, my female form is protection. As Edwina, a Red Wizard might pass me in the street, but as Edwin…” She shrugged, then murmured, “I shall not tell these fools that I have gotten rather used to this form. I mourn for the concubines who will no longer thrill at my male erotic skills.”
“I understand. Will you ever tell him?”
“I am not sure. How does one tell your son that his mother… is a man? Or at least, was? Perhaps it is best to simply stay Edwina. This life, while not the glory I was intended for, is not without its compensations.” She ruffled Dekaras’ hair as he giggled.
“Well, at least you have a nice shop. You had some very interesting components.”
Edwina’s face lit with excitement. “You think so? I have considered setting up a potions laboratory, but some of the ingredients are so difficult to obtain in this wretched backwater.”
The two wizards chatted animatedly about magical matters while Valygar kept Dekaras occupied. Edwina led them back into the shop, and they haggled in a good-natured fashion over the spell components Imoen wished to purchase.
At last Imoen said, “Well, we should be going. As Val said just before we stopped, at this rate we’ll never make it to Corthala Manor.”
Edwina froze as she replaced a jar on the shelf. “Corthala Manor? You know the Corthalas?”
Imoen laughed. “Know them? We are them. My husband Val is Lord Valygar Corthala.”
The former Red Wizard stared at him hungrily. “Is it true that many of the greatest necromancers in this part of the world came from your family? Do you have their spellbooks?” She murmured excitedly, “Oh, for a mere day in that man’s family library!”
Valygar frowned. “I have no idea where their spellbooks or notes would be, and I have no intention of finding them.”
“Bah, another who has no idea what true power and immortality are. Still, you are a great wizard yourself, yes? You must be with such an inheritance.”
“I am no wizard,” Valygar said coldly.
“I’m the wizard in the family,” Imoen said with a grin.
Edwina gave her a calculating look. “I will confess that you have gone far from the annoying brat I encountered in Nashkel. You are even… I say to my humiliation… more powerful than I. Perhaps when Dekaras is old enough, you might consider taking him as your apprentice?”
“My apprentice?”
“You could teach him a great deal, and it would be proper for him to live in the midst of the wealth and influence that should have been his birthright.”
Valygar said, “That is assuming he wants to be a wizard.”
“Of course he will! He is my son.”
Imoen put her hand on Valygar’s arm and said, “We will consider it, Edwin. Contact us in Athkatla when you think the time is right.”
“You have the gratitude of an Odesseiron, a bounty more precious than gold.”
As they mounted their horses, Valygar said, “Whatever possessed you to say we might take agree to his suggestion?”
“Aw, Val, he was a cute little boy.”
“A cute little boy being raised by a Red Wizard.”
“This isn’t Thay. Besides, that means we could be a good influence on him. Which would you rather see, me teaching him magic, or Edwina? Or we could help him be whatever he wished if not a wizard.”
Valygar gave his wife a slow smile. “Still taking in strays?”
Imoen grinned back at him. “Why not? That’s what Gorion did.”
The name 'Dekaras' was used with Laufey's kind permission. I couldn't resist.
A Cappella Part 321 - Modifications
Started by
Guest_Silrana_*
, Jun 05 2006 01:33 PM
18 replies to this topic
#3
Guest_Jean_*
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Posted 05 June 2006 - 06:31 PM
Valygar gave his wife a slow smile. “Still taking in strays?”
Imoen grinned back at him. “Why not? That’s what Gorion did.”
Aww. How very fitting. *sniffles pathetically into a handkerchief*
Nice chapter. It was great to see more installments of A Cappella waiting to be read when I got back from my holiday in Scotland. Not an experience I'll have much longer, now the end of the series is in looming.
There was much snerking over Edwin. *snerk* to his asides, *snerk* to his current situation, *snerk* to his interactions with Imoen and Valygar. So, yup - good fun.
Thanks, Silrana.
#7
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Posted 06 June 2006 - 03:08 AM
Valygar gave his wife a slow smile. “Still taking in strays?”
Imoen grinned back at him. “Why not? That’s what Gorion did.”
Aww. How very fitting. *sniffles pathetically into a handkerchief*
*pats*
Nice chapter. It was great to see more installments of A Cappella waiting to be read when I got back from my holiday in Scotland. Not an experience I'll have much longer, now the end of the series is in looming.
I'm afraid there are only a handful of chapters left.
There was much snerking over Edwin. *snerk* to his asides, *snerk* to his current situation, *snerk* to his interactions with Imoen and Valygar. So, yup - good fun.
Thankee.
Thanks, Silrana.
And thanks for commenting!
#8
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Posted 06 June 2006 - 03:11 AM
OME! LOL!!!! (To use common netspeak) That's great! Plus I love it that some of the Attic names get everywhere - Dekaras I presume will always be some part of Eddie's family, no matter who around here writes him.
Ooooh, you just reminded me that I forgot to put the little disclaimer at the bottom of the chapter. "Dekaras" is Laufey's character, and I asked her permission to use the name. She very kindly let me use it. I'll fix that.
But I enjoyed giving Edwin a rather... different future. Didn't I say that none of the epilogues would match the game ones?
#10
Guest_Majin_Baka_*
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Posted 06 June 2006 - 03:22 AM
But I enjoyed giving Edwin a rather... different future. Didn't I say that none of the epilogues would match the game ones?
Heh, the epilogues are kind-of okay but I do agree with several opinions I have seen over time here that they aren't anything spectacular - especially considering a lot of the non-romance ones seem to turn out somewhat bitter.
I do know Lord E previously espressed a measure of disgust at both versions of Sarevok's epilogue - the original and the Ascension "Evil" one, and I personally never really liked Aerie's (but then I tended to be one of the few folks who leaned more towards liking Aerie).
Besides, making up different fates for the characters makes stories more interesting.
#11
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Posted 06 June 2006 - 03:35 AM
But I enjoyed giving Edwin a rather... different future. Didn't I say that none of the epilogues would match the game ones?
Heh, the epilogues are kind-of okay but I do agree with several opinions I have seen over time here that they aren't anything spectacular - especially considering a lot of the non-romance ones seem to turn out somewhat bitter.
I do know Lord E previously espressed a measure of disgust at both versions of Sarevok's epilogue - the original and the Ascension "Evil" one, and I personally never really liked Aerie's (but then I tended to be one of the few folks who leaned more towards liking Aerie).
Besides, making up different fates for the characters makes stories more interesting.
I just plain didn't like some. I *hated* the Jaheira romance one. "After giving up godhood for her, < CHARNAME > got to see Jaheira once in a while when she got around to wandering back into his life..." Yuck.
And Keldorn... I don't care how dramatic or noble the game epilogue sounds, *my* Keldorn is dying in bed where he belongs. And he isn't the only one.
While brushing up my epilogue chapter, I discovered one oddity - the only NPC that Jarran had absolutely no contact with was Korgan. Poor dwarf will only get a line or two, because he doesn't really enter the story.
#12
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Posted 06 June 2006 - 03:48 AM
I just plain didn't like some. I *hated* the Jaheira romance one. "After giving up godhood for her, < CHARNAME > got to see Jaheira once in a while when she got around to wandering back into his life..." Yuck.
Of all the romance epilogues the two that are the nicest are Anomen and Aerie's - from what I recall, it's been a while since I read them. That's a bit unfair in my mind for people who happen to like Jaheira and Viconia and shows a tendency that I have seen refered to - that the writers of D&D have always tried to encourage players to favour Good-aligned characters.
I can't help but idly note that the only male PC I ever completed a full game with, I didn't particularly care to run any of the original romances with, having started the game to test the Imoen mod and ending up - through the mischance of having the Jaheira romance engaged when I went to Spellhold - completing ToB with Solaufein.
Says something of my preferences I guess when the two romances I considered seriously for Blaise was either psuedo-incest or slashy.
As it is, I did like the romance epilogue for Sola, it was kinda cute with them settling down in a village of surface drow.
#13
Laufey
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Posted 06 June 2006 - 03:43 PM
Heh heh, I see you did go ahead with it. Wasn't that just adorable! I do hope Eddie gets turned back to normal though...one day.
Vadrak Dekaras: I...think perhaps I'll go lie down for a bit. To...take this all in.
Wasn't that just adorable! I do hope Eddie gets turned back to normal though...one day. Vadrak Dekaras: I...think perhaps I'll go lie down for a bit. To...take this all in.
Rogues do it from behind.
#14
Guest_Cel_*
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Posted 06 June 2006 - 05:57 PM
[quote name="Silrana"]
[quote]
A woman came out of the back room. Valygar saw that while she was no beauty, she was handsome, with a haughty expression on her face. “Well? What do you fools want?” She muttered under her breath, “No doubt they will leave my wares in disarray.”
[/quote]
It's pretty rare to see a woman described as handsome in this day and age
[quote]
Valygar scowled at her strange behavior, and Imoen turned, a curious frown on her face. She looked the dark-haired woman up and down. “Edwin? Is that you?”
[/quote]
Is she a bitter, bitter woman?
[quote]
Edwina drew herself up and said haughtily, “A small magical mishap. A mere trifle in my path to greatness.”
[/quote]
Of course.
[quote]
The sound of feet could be heard from behind the counter. Edwina paled and said, “Go back to your room, Dekaras! Now!”
A very small boy ran into the room, his chubby toddler legs pumping with energy. He smiled up at Imoen and Valygar, his dark hair flopping in a mass of curls. Then the child turned to Edwina and beamed. “Momma!”
[/quote]
[quote]
The boy gave her a cheerful smile and once more said, “Momma!” as he made a grab for her nose ring.
[/quote]
Ouch.
[quote]
She locked the shop doors and led them into a small kitchen. After they were seated and Dekaras had been given a toy to keep him occupied, Edwina said, “What I said before was true. I had a small accident on my road to power. A potent magical item fell into my hands and it did not… behave as it should have.” She muttered, “A Nether Scroll, infinite power was so very nearly mine!”
[/quote]
At least it's more dignified than having Elminster do it.
[quote]
“Dekaras, what have I told you about associating with lower beings!” Edwina sighed. “He will catch some disease, I am sure of it… or at least fleas.”
[/quote]
I can sooo see Edwin(a) saying that
[quote]
“The danger has passed, or at least that is my hope. After Dekaras was born, I still moved from inn to inn, from backwater town to depressing slum. A Red Wizard suddenly appeared in my room one night. Before I had a chance to strike, he saw Dekaras and hesitated. He peered closely at the baby and snarled something about the divination magic being fooled by ‘Odesseiron’s bastard’. Then, he was gone.”
[/quote]
How convenient!
[quote]
Edwina sighed. “I cannot, not now. Even if I were to convince the zulkirs to let me live, I could not take Dekaras to Thay.” She gently stroked the child’s hair, pulling it back to reveal slightly pointed ears.
“Your son is a half-elf?”
[/quote]
As long as the father is not Salvanas...
[quote]
“Yes. In Thay, elves are the most prized of slaves, and half-elves almost unknown. Dekaras would never be accepted, by the zulkirs or by my family. I would be vilified by my parents for soiling the proud Odesseiron line.”
Imoen frowned. “How could you be ashamed of such a sweet little boy?”
“I am not! I… I cannot believe I am speaking of this to barely educated monkeys… I love my son. But in Thay he would be a pariah, if not enslaved or tortured to death to hide the family shame. Here, in these barbaric lands, he will not suffer that treatment.”
[/quote]
Aww, Edwina's a softie!
[quote]
“I am not sure. How does one tell your son that his mother… is a man? Or at least, was? Perhaps it is best to simply stay Edwina. This life, while not the glory I was intended for, is not without its compensations.” She ruffled Dekaras’ hair as he giggled.
[/quote]
I really like your Edwina. She's grown a lot.
[quote]
“This isn’t Thay. Besides, that means we could be a good influence on him. Which would you rather see, me teaching him magic, or Edwina? Or we could help him be whatever he wished if not a wizard.”
Valygar gave his wife a slow smile. “Still taking in strays?”
Imoen grinned back at him. “Why not? That’s what Gorion did.”
[/quote]
[quote]
A woman came out of the back room. Valygar saw that while she was no beauty, she was handsome, with a haughty expression on her face. “Well? What do you fools want?” She muttered under her breath, “No doubt they will leave my wares in disarray.”
[/quote]
It's pretty rare to see a woman described as handsome in this day and age
[quote]
Valygar scowled at her strange behavior, and Imoen turned, a curious frown on her face. She looked the dark-haired woman up and down. “Edwin? Is that you?”
[/quote]
Is she a bitter, bitter woman?
[quote]
Edwina drew herself up and said haughtily, “A small magical mishap. A mere trifle in my path to greatness.”
[/quote]
Of course.
[quote]
The sound of feet could be heard from behind the counter. Edwina paled and said, “Go back to your room, Dekaras! Now!”
A very small boy ran into the room, his chubby toddler legs pumping with energy. He smiled up at Imoen and Valygar, his dark hair flopping in a mass of curls. Then the child turned to Edwina and beamed. “Momma!”
[/quote]
[quote]
The boy gave her a cheerful smile and once more said, “Momma!” as he made a grab for her nose ring.
[/quote]
Ouch.
[quote]
She locked the shop doors and led them into a small kitchen. After they were seated and Dekaras had been given a toy to keep him occupied, Edwina said, “What I said before was true. I had a small accident on my road to power. A potent magical item fell into my hands and it did not… behave as it should have.” She muttered, “A Nether Scroll, infinite power was so very nearly mine!”
[/quote]
At least it's more dignified than having Elminster do it.
[quote]
“Dekaras, what have I told you about associating with lower beings!” Edwina sighed. “He will catch some disease, I am sure of it… or at least fleas.”
[/quote]
I can sooo see Edwin(a) saying that
[quote]
“The danger has passed, or at least that is my hope. After Dekaras was born, I still moved from inn to inn, from backwater town to depressing slum. A Red Wizard suddenly appeared in my room one night. Before I had a chance to strike, he saw Dekaras and hesitated. He peered closely at the baby and snarled something about the divination magic being fooled by ‘Odesseiron’s bastard’. Then, he was gone.”
[/quote]
How convenient!
[quote]
Edwina sighed. “I cannot, not now. Even if I were to convince the zulkirs to let me live, I could not take Dekaras to Thay.” She gently stroked the child’s hair, pulling it back to reveal slightly pointed ears.
“Your son is a half-elf?”
[/quote]
As long as the father is not Salvanas...
[quote]
“Yes. In Thay, elves are the most prized of slaves, and half-elves almost unknown. Dekaras would never be accepted, by the zulkirs or by my family. I would be vilified by my parents for soiling the proud Odesseiron line.”
Imoen frowned. “How could you be ashamed of such a sweet little boy?”
“I am not! I… I cannot believe I am speaking of this to barely educated monkeys… I love my son. But in Thay he would be a pariah, if not enslaved or tortured to death to hide the family shame. Here, in these barbaric lands, he will not suffer that treatment.”
[/quote]
Aww, Edwina's a softie!
[quote]
“I am not sure. How does one tell your son that his mother… is a man? Or at least, was? Perhaps it is best to simply stay Edwina. This life, while not the glory I was intended for, is not without its compensations.” She ruffled Dekaras’ hair as he giggled.
[/quote]
I really like your Edwina. She's grown a lot.
[quote]
“This isn’t Thay. Besides, that means we could be a good influence on him. Which would you rather see, me teaching him magic, or Edwina? Or we could help him be whatever he wished if not a wizard.”
Valygar gave his wife a slow smile. “Still taking in strays?”
Imoen grinned back at him. “Why not? That’s what Gorion did.”
[/quote]
#15
Guest_Silrana_*
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Posted 07 June 2006 - 01:34 PM
Heh heh, I see you did go ahead with it.
Oh yes, it was just waiting its turn. I couldn't let an idea like that go to waste.
Vadrak Dekaras: I...think perhaps I'll go lie down for a bit. To...take this all in.
I'm afraid AC Edwin didn't have you around to keep him out of trouble. Still, he managed to keep himself alive, which is something.
Thanks for commenting!
#16
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Posted 07 June 2006 - 01:44 PM
A woman came out of the back room. Valygar saw that while she was no beauty, she was handsome, with a haughty expression on her face. “Well? What do you fools want?” She muttered under her breath, “No doubt they will leave my wares in disarray.”
It's pretty rare to see a woman described as handsome in this day and age
*chuckles* Yes, but you are talking to someone who has used the words 'fripperies' and flummoxed' in AC. And 'handsome' certainly fits here.
Valygar scowled at her strange behavior, and Imoen turned, a curious frown on her face. She looked the dark-haired woman up and down. “Edwin? Is that you?”
Is she a bitter, bitter woman?
No, this version is reasonably content.
Edwina drew herself up and said haughtily, “A small magical mishap. A mere trifle in my path to greatness.”
Of course.
Yes indeed.
The sound of feet could be heard from behind the counter. Edwina paled and said, “Go back to your room, Dekaras! Now!”
A very small boy ran into the room, his chubby toddler legs pumping with energy. He smiled up at Imoen and Valygar, his dark hair flopping in a mass of curls. Then the child turned to Edwina and beamed. “Momma!”
I'm an evil, evil woman.
The boy gave her a cheerful smile and once more said, “Momma!” as he made a grab for her nose ring.
Ouch.
I've never understood nose-to-ear chains. They just scream "Yank them out and watch me bleed!"
She locked the shop doors and led them into a small kitchen. After they were seated and Dekaras had been given a toy to keep him occupied, Edwina said, “What I said before was true. I had a small accident on my road to power. A potent magical item fell into my hands and it did not… behave as it should have.” She muttered, “A Nether Scroll, infinite power was so very nearly mine!”
At least it's more dignified than having Elminster do it.
Poor Edwin got stuck and never got unstuck. He didn't even make it to the 'Elminster is mad at me' stage.
“Dekaras, what have I told you about associating with lower beings!” Edwina sighed. “He will catch some disease, I am sure of it… or at least fleas.”
I can sooo see Edwin(a) saying that
Thankee.
“The danger has passed, or at least that is my hope. After Dekaras was born, I still moved from inn to inn, from backwater town to depressing slum. A Red Wizard suddenly appeared in my room one night. Before I had a chance to strike, he saw Dekaras and hesitated. He peered closely at the baby and snarled something about the divination magic being fooled by ‘Odesseiron’s bastard’. Then, he was gone.”
How convenient!
Well, he showed up expecting to find a man, and found a woman and baby. It was the easiest conclusion to draw.
Edwina sighed. “I cannot, not now. Even if I were to convince the zulkirs to let me live, I could not take Dekaras to Thay.” She gently stroked the child’s hair, pulling it back to reveal slightly pointed ears.
“Your son is a half-elf?”
As long as the father is not Salvanas...
I'm afraid Edwina doesn't really remember enough to be sure.
“Yes. In Thay, elves are the most prized of slaves, and half-elves almost unknown. Dekaras would never be accepted, by the zulkirs or by my family. I would be vilified by my parents for soiling the proud Odesseiron line.”
Imoen frowned. “How could you be ashamed of such a sweet little boy?”
“I am not! I… I cannot believe I am speaking of this to barely educated monkeys… I love my son. But in Thay he would be a pariah, if not enslaved or tortured to death to hide the family shame. Here, in these barbaric lands, he will not suffer that treatment.”
Aww, Edwina's a softie!
Many people soften when it comes to their children.
“I am not sure. How does one tell your son that his mother… is a man? Or at least, was? Perhaps it is best to simply stay Edwina. This life, while not the glory I was intended for, is not without its compensations.” She ruffled Dekaras’ hair as he giggled.
I really like your Edwina. She's grown a lot.
He's had to so that he can survive. When a person finds themself in that sort of situation, it is either grow or break.
“This isn’t Thay. Besides, that means we could be a good influence on him. Which would you rather see, me teaching him magic, or Edwina? Or we could help him be whatever he wished if not a wizard.”
Valygar gave his wife a slow smile. “Still taking in strays?”
Imoen grinned back at him. “Why not? That’s what Gorion did.”
She's just following a fine family tradition.
#17
Laufey
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Transcendant
Posted 07 June 2006 - 02:17 PM
Vadrak Dekaras: I...think perhaps I'll go lie down for a bit. To...take this all in.
I'm afraid AC Edwin didn't have you around to keep him out of trouble. Still, he managed to keep himself alive, which is something.
Thanks for commenting!
Heh heh, I think poor Dekkie is rather stressed out about all the various Edwins running about out there, getting themselves into various disasters. I probably shouldn't let him read the board, but then I doubt I could stop him.
Rogues do it from behind.
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