The Pitcher

	The foggy and misty air illuminated by a dim amber lighting is 
musty and a bit foul but safe enough to breathe for societies most wanted 
(or unwanted).  Some occasional wind drafts from the holes on the walls, 
a leaky roof and a squeaky floor to match, just about describe the 
atmosphere at Thieves' End.  Located in a forest near an unused road, 
many regular customers find this establishment very enticing.  A place 
for relaxing (drinking ale and eating pig gristle dipped in strong gin) 
and entertainment (exotic dancers include:  drow elves, leeches, mimics 
and bog hags).  Here people can engage themselves in various games 
(gambling, cheating and pick-pocketing) or intellectual discussions 
(plotting and conspiring against someone or maybe planning the next 
scavenge or heist).  This is a real hot spot for very interesting people 
(opportunist, killers, looters, and some highly, nearly impossible, very 
unlikely heroes).
	"Amethyst, land of two faced diplomats and headless soldiers, this 
is where the impossible can happen.  A familiar place for warriors and 
magic-users.  And most importantly home to the great and beautiful 
Thieves' End'.
	Bar keep! More ale on this table and have that drow bring us some 
more food, my plate is nearly empty!"
									--Duket
	Duket is a very old man and made older by his adventures but it 
seems to be the only thing that is keeping him alive.  A very skinny 
person, much like a scarecrow, one would wonder where all the food his 
eating is going.  Even more remarkable is how with only his few remaining 
teeth he can eat with an appetite of ten hungry oxaurs (a breed of half 
human and half ox).
	"'Duket Dumb Dolt' what are you doing you stinking old man, we 
don't have anything to pay for all these."
									--JR
	JR is not normally this irritated it is just that it has been a 
long time since they had a contract that paid well.  Having a medium 
built body, average height (a little taller than a human female) and a 
shoulder length hair made it hard to tell JR's gender.  This was not much 
of a bother after all in Amethyst looks don't tell everything.  One 
should not assume anything like gender, age or race of an Amethystian 
just by looking, because like Duket said anything can happen in this 
strange world.  It is just too bad that not too many Amethystians believe 
this.
	"In fact we don't have anything but our clothes and equipment.  To 
think maybe someone would have hired us by now after that number we did 
on those minotaurs in Hooves Valley."
									--Kaphoofp
	Even Kaphoofp is not the normal inquisitive (annoying), insightful 
(talkative) and friendly (irritatingly curious) gnome.  OK so maybe he 
is, but even he has affected by their financial standing.
	"What a blast! What a blast!  Those dumb minotaurs did not know 
what hit them when the coliseum supports blew-up.  A real crowd-killer if 
you ask me.  They were all going wild, it was the second biggest stampede 
I've seen in all my adventures."
									--Duket
	"Well we wouldn't have been in that arena in the first place if you 
hadn't pissed at all the horned heads in the saloon."
									--JR
	"Well how was I to know that, that RedBull's brew was that strong.  
You know, normally one barrel of brew would keep me going for the day.  
But those two pitchers of RB, ahhhh, it made me feel like I was floating 
in the skies."
									--Duket
	"Great thing that brew did to you, that High Priest would have had 
your head flying in mid-air, without your body, if the Royal troops 
hadn't came in to arrest us."
									--JR
	In the middle of their conversation Baloat the bartender approached 
the table with a pitcher of ale and a dissatisfied face.  Looks like 
Duket's head will go flying after all.  Baloat had the pitcher in his 
left fist and a large axe in the other. The axe did not look so big when 
this man who had a huge muscled body held it.  Baloat looked even bigger 
because of his belly that was inflated by his drinking habits.
	"So Lord Duket finally decided to show his face at my place.  Well 
you better have some money this time or you and your friends are going to 
take another trip through the windows.  That is after you have cleaned 
the tables, chairs and floor with your faces.  By the way I have 
installed steel grills on the window frames which makes the, getting 
thrown out of the window part, a little more fun."
									--Baloat
	"Don't worry Baloat you know I'm better than most handlers 
(thieves) in this place.  I'm good for my word."
									--Duket
	"You mean a better liar," Baloat placed the pitcher down the table.  
"Oh! Yeah speaking of your words, remember this, the contract you signed 
three years ago.  It says I can take your head if you don't pay up.  Well 
the contract ends tonight at midnight."
									--Baloat
	"What!?  You must be mistaken.  What are you talking about?  I do 
not see this contract that you speak of.  Kaphoofp do you see a contract?  
Well, I guess not! I don't see any contract!  I don't see any paper,  
you're just fooling me Baloat there is no such contract!"
									--Duket
	"Well I'm not kidding I never joke about things like this.  I may 
be smiling but that's because your going to die now.  And if you still 
cannot remember the contract it's the one, you wrote on the pitcher the 
night, you signed this, dumb contract!"
									--Baloat
	"You wrote and signed a contract on a pitcher three years ago?!"
									--Kaphoofp
	"Shut up Kaphoofp! It's none of your concern and I was not talking 
to you."
									--Duket
	"Well you were a while ago."
	"Well I'm not talking to you now am I!?"
	"Sure you are."
	"Why you insolent, diabolical, little brown bug biting slug 
worm!!!"
	"Shut! Up!  both of  you!"
									--Baloat
	"Oh Duket its six turns before midnight. Do you want me to time 
this wonderful moment?"  Kaphoofp brings out a large gnome sized 
hourglass from his bag.  It may seem impossible for something that big to 
fit in there, but hey his a gnome.
	As the last few grains of sand trickles away the big clock from the 
nearest town starts to toll its bell.  Although far the sounds of the 
bell could still be heard at Thieves' End.
	Baloat held the axe over Duket's head as he waited for Kaphoofp to 
say the last number.
	"...nine, ten, eleven, twel..."
	Then just as the last toll of the bell the door sprang open and 
there standing by the doorway is a shadowy figure of a hooded individual.  
The room stood still as if time had stop.  People looked at the person by 
the door and tried to figure out who or where he had come from.
	The person had a large built body that suggested he was some sort 
of warrior.  This hunch was further confirmed by the specially decorated 
leather gloves he wore which would place this character as a high ranking 
official in some rich ruler's army.
	This still mysterious person took the hood off his head to reveal a 
face of an individual foreign to this region.  	"I am looking for Shawn 
Russ the Bounty Hunter!" the man exclaimed in a deep voice, as the room 
stood silently still.
	Being satisfied of their inspection the people in the bar paid no 
more attention to him and returned to their previous activities of 
grunting, drinking and eating.
	Nobody in the room seemed to know where this man came from which 
would make him an unlikely candidate for the Rouges of Thieves' End to 
pick on.  It was a habit of the inn's regular customers to keep the place 
away from violence.  One big reason would be Baloat, who runs, the place 
and another are that this seems to be the only place in Amethyst that 
they feel safe and welcomed, even if they were not exactly the worlds 
most favored individuals.
	Just as everybody resumed with his or her own business Baloat 
returned to his head chopping position.
	"I know him!  I know him!"  Duket shouted in desperation since this 
is maybe a good chance to escape the wrath of Baloat.
	The man, seeing Baloat about to chop Duket's head off threw a 
dagger at the axe.  The dagger missed its target but so did the axe as 
Baloat was distracted.  The axe was buried into the table an inch away 
from Duket's inky (his hands were on the table at the time).
	"Wow!  Close call.  Nice reflexes but lousy shot, but still!  Nice 
reflexes."
									--Duket
	The stranger approached the old man and placed a large bag of coins 
on the table.  "This is for information on Sir Shawn Russ.  And this..." 
he took out a long sword and aimed its sharp pointed end at Duket's neck, 
"...is for lying money grabbing thieves who are not so hard to find this 
days."
	"My dear sir I hardly think I am the kind of man that would take 
advantage of such a generous person such as yourself."  Duket took the 
money and gave it to Baloat who then was still trying to pull the axe 
from the table.  "How's that for payment," he whispered to the bartender.
	Baloat took the bag of coins and weighed it in his big palm then 
said, "This will do, for now."
	"Now talk old man!" demanded the stranger as he pushed the blade 
even closer.
	"You know it would be easier if I could use the full capabilities 
of my throat.  So I would consider it greatly kind of you if you could 
remove your sword from my neck."
									--Duket
	"Sorry I did not mean to cause any discomfort.  It's just that I 
have been looking for this man for such a long time and I have had no 
luck finding him.  I am `Sir Kalen the Strong (heavy muscled 
individual)', honorable (well groomed and shaven person) and loyal (non-
union member) servant of King Darsayth.  I have come from the far away 
and humble (small and not so strong) Kingdom of Silas.  I have trekked 
the rocky mountains of Thai-Ben and swam against the raging river of 
Karmona.  I have searched all the great Keeps and Fortresses of the seven 
Kingdoms of Amethyst that is known to us.  I have fought and killed every 
single person or beast that has stand in my way.  And yet still I have 
found nothing!  Nothing!  Even those who have heard of the name Shawn 
Russ have nothing.  And in my great desperation I seek this great fighter 
even in hellholes such as this in hopes that maybe someone could have 
herd of him.  I believe that the gods of Good have herd my prayers and 
seen my suffering and now alas there is some-one, someone who can point 
me to him.  All my troubles will not go to waste!  Ha! Ha! Ha!"
									--Kalen
	"My, my this guy has lost it.  He's a regular nut case, a fruitcake 
if you ask me.  Must be too many rocks fell on his head in Thia-ben or 
the water from the river of Karmona flooded his brain through his ears.  
Or some-one must have given him a good knock on that red head of his"
									--Kaphoofp
	"That's all right I will pretend I did not hear that after all what 
matters most is finding Shawn Russ."
									--Kalen
	"Shawn Russ you say?"
	"Yes..."
	"The bounty hunter?"
	"Yes, yes..."
	"The great fighter?"
	"Yes, yes, yes...."
	"The great fighter and bounty hunter Shawn Russ!?"
	"Yes! That's him!  You know this guy?"
	"Nope never knew him."
	"But you said you knew him!!!"
	"Well yeah, but you see the Shawn Russ I know was a bounty hunter 
for only a few weeks.  You see the job of hunting other people and 
exchanging them for bounties never actually agreed with him.  He said 
that it took too much of his time and effort and that it did not show his 
true good qualities.  So one day he decided give-up adventuring and put 
up an armorer's shop.  He did not become the best armorer in their town, 
in fact most of his armors would brake in times when the wearer needs it 
most.  But still he thought that making armors brought out the best in 
him.  Quit interesting don't you think so?"
									--Duket
	And with that Duket placed Kalen under a mind spell.  The "Small 
Talk spell", as the team calls it, is a spell he acquired accidentally 
during one of his adventures.
	"Yes interesting indeed.  So what was his place called?"
									--Kalen
	"Armors N' Russ the perfect match."
									--Duket
	As Kalen ponders upon the story of Duket, the Rouges prepare to 
leave the premises.
	"Well, so long now.  I hope you never buy from that armorer.  He 
has the worst possible armors."
									--Duket
	Duket and his companions exit through the door gracefully leaving 
Kalen with his thoughts.
	Come to think of it I have come upon such a place named Armors N' 
Russ.  It is quite fortunate that I did not purchase an armor, I only had 
my old one fixed.
									--Kalen
	Suddenly Kalen felt a bit uneasy.  He quickly rushed to open the 
door and see where Duket and the others are.
	"Hey you! Wait!"
									--Kalen
	Duket and his friends who almost had a clean escape turned around 
slowly to face the warrior.
	"Can you tell me where I can find a good armorer around here?"
									--Kalen
	"Hew! I thought you wanted to beat us up for taking your money and 
still giving you no clues as to where this Shawn Russ fella is."
									--Kaphoofp
	Another remarkable move by Kaphoofp, revealing the obvious to 
someone who happens to be under a mind spell.  Just as they were about to 
escape from this same person.
	"Well we almost got away using the Small Talk spell on him.  But I 
guess we have to fight him and his body guards here." 
									--Duket
	Suddenly they all felt as if they were surrounded by prying eyes.  
Duket was the first to sense this.  Being blind allows some people to 
open up and heighten their other senses.  Duket has developed more than 
just his sense of hearing, taste, smell and touch.  He has also improved 
his sense of intuition, which is not so hard for someone who likes 
gambling as much as him.  Of course he did not need this ability to know 
that the ones who are surrounding them should try taking a bath more 
often if they don't want to blow their cover.
	Duket positioned in a stance ready for any attack as the other 
Rouges ready themselves for a battle.
	JR, an experienced fighter and quickdraw, from inside a jacket drew 
a hand crossbow.  This crossbow looked different from any other crossbows 
as it had some sort of a magazine or a cartridge for the beneath the 
stock and barrel.  The bows of this weapon where not obvious until they 
snapped into place from the sides of the barrel when JR gripped the 
handle.
	Kaphoofp's hair begins to stand up and his body begins to glow and 
emanate light.  Fist closed, the gnome raised his hand and as he opened 
them a ball of light begins to form on each hand.
	Kalen, who was still a bit drowsy from the spell, stands puzzled by 
what Duket said about his unknown company.
	"What are you talking about!?!  I did not bring any bodyguards with 
me.  Do you really think you can trick me again that easily!?!  Just for 
that you will pay, now I will let you feel the sting of my sword!!!"
									--Kalen