OOC: Ok, Deleting previous post...

Argriv sat against a wall still breathing from exherstion. He had had to run harder and faster today than he had ever done before. Zorah's comment seemed quite apt. "Run to get away from one monster. Run right into another..." or something like that. It had been hecktic. He hadn't had time to think of anything except escape. And he had barely had time for that. Two out of the party had died in one day. This did not bode well for the rest of the adventure...

Zorha had finnaly found his Wyvern tooth, but was rather pissed. "Stupid thief... Find a tooth, then not giving to the healer of the group and selling it... Bastard's bruise is gunna get a lot bigger next time I see him..." The dwarf had talked about how a Dark Elf had come in and sold him the tooth, then when asked for a description it was much like the thief's.

Argriv finally hoisted himself up. He began walking around the city. Perhaps the rates for gems here were slightly cheaper than the world at large. He could turn quite a deal for himself. But then again, dwarves were generally not fools. Oh well, he could at least try... going up to one store he asked, "What's the going exchange rate for diamonds here?"

"That's for me to know." She answered, "But you're a 'ninja' from birth? You've had to have some training, you aren't just born a ninja."

Kal had gotten his tunic mended, and was know walking around the dwarven market.

His staff clicked slightly against the stone floors as he walked, and he noted the goblin funeral pire. Really really big.

He looked over the creatures and sighed. He gave up, he couldn't find the Harlequin.

He felt someone tap his shoulder. He turned to see a man standing there.

He was about as tall as Kal, wearing reddish brown pants, big gloves, and multiple razor discs along his belt.

Kal looked him over, noted the tribal looking tattoos all over him and asked, "Can I help you?"

The man's voice was decidedly sly, "No, but I can help you. The dwarven Thane has just had the master runesmiths finish making somethign."

Kal stood a little straighter. "The Harlequin?"

"No, but something that can lead you to the Harlequin." Kal looked down towards that hall, and when he looked back the man was gone. No sign of his existance was even there, save a small quill in the ground.

Shaking his head and muttering, Kal made off towards that hall.

Having failed in his mission to retreave any diamonds at a reasonable price, Argriv went to the smiths to get his chain mail fixed. There was a hole in the arm where the arrow had gone in.

OOC: Raiden, the stinger is about twice the size of a human head. And Kishan hacked a lot of it off.

Also, I'm going to do a new chapter soon.

OOC: Wow, I missed two chapters in two days... Can someone update me, or should I just drop out?

OOC: In SS's, we left castle as a group. Then dwarves (Who are far away) got attacked by goblins, and we were close enough to get attacked by a large group of goblins. Mucho god modding from guy who plays to much RPGs and D&D, so he killed himself off. THen we get attacked by a big flying monster, so we run to a cave. Goblins seal us in cave, so we go in deeper. Then scorpion thingy kills a black mage's guy (I think, he just kinda left so SS killed someone). Now we in dwarf city by means of that cave.

OOC: Alright, I may try to catch up on some of that, but for right now...

Vace (Who by some twist of fate was totally silent and non-confrontational yet still here) smiled as he entered the Dwarven city. <Finally a place where I can get some good ale!> He thought, and began to calmly wander the streets, seeing the sights and looking for a good bar.

(OOC: So what if it's big? And if most of it was cut down by Kashin, that makes it even better, because then it would be a great size for a dagger. And when you refine something into a weapon, they tend to become smaller than before.)

Thomas looked up from his pack.

"I might as well have been born a ninja. You see, my father is a Master Ninja. And he wanted me to carry out his legacy. So, he had been training me in the way of the ninja ever since I could walk. As you could guess, I was the strongest kid in my kindergarten class." Thomas smirked.

"But, now I'm a thief, a scavanger, a low-life. Yep, my dad's REAL proud of me."

"Yeah and mosey on thief." Peter said. "You scarring off the customers." James followed up. They went back inside the smithy. They had started work on a beutiful Falchion sword with their cousin. James would whisper the words of power and with a rune chisel make a rune in the metal followed by Borin their cousin pouring molten gold into the rune. Then Peter making the hammer fall to keep the blade true.

"Hmmm... A smithy, eh? I wonder if they could refine this stinger." Thomas walked inside, and saw the dwarf twins working with their cousing. Thomas reached into his pack, and pulled out the stinger from the monster they had just killed.

"Hey, guys! I got an order for ya'. Do you think you can turn this stinger into a nice blade weapon? I mean, I've heard the dwarves are some of the best weapon-smiths in the world."

Yeah. Lay on the flattery, and hope that they'll do it for a discount.

"We'll leave it on the counter." Peter said. "We'll look at it later." James followed up. "We're in the middle of something." Their cousin added.

Thomas delicately placed the stinger onto the counter.

"I'd like it if it was done before we leave. Please." Thomas then walked out the door.

As Borin was dousing the blade in the trough of water the twins examined the stinger. "Hardly anything to make a blade out of." Peter said. "We could make an alloy with it?" James suggested. "Better to fold it in." They took a short bar of Iron and tosed it into the forge it didn't take long. to get it white hot. The pulled it out with their tongs and hammered it into a circular flat sheet. They folded the maleable redhot Iron around the stinger. Then they began to hammer it into a dagger. It wasn't long before it was finished being shaped. Peter ground the blade on the wheel giving it a keen edge. He handed it off to James. He doused it, the steam giving a loud hiss and clouding the room. James took an etcher and etched some runes and designs into the blade and handle soon it was finished. He handed it off to Peter. "Not bad, not our best work mind you, but hardly our worst."

"Blah Blah. You are always such a perfectionist."

http://www.swordsdirect.com/SD/u1149lg.jpg

Thomas walked back into the store.

"Hey guys, I'm going to check out what Kal is doing. Want to come al...SCHWEET!" Thomas got a look at the dagger they had made.

"Is this the dagger from my stinger! It's awesome!"

"Ah!" said Argriv walking in the store, "Finally! I've been looking for this all day. Is it possible you can repair my chain shirt. It was damaged in the battle."

OOC: You realize SS's probably going to either get rid of that knife, or make it a comlete piece of shit right?

(OOC: What? It's just a dagger. It's not like it can cast magic that will destroy lots of goblins, like he has done.)

OOC: Well, you did get a dagger out of something that is the size of two heads... Which really makes no sense...

OOC: The dwarves turned it into an alloy, they mixed it in with molten mettal, and cast it into a knife. That's all.

OOC: I'm just saying SS might have a problem, since he was disagreing with it when Raiden was talking about it, then Raiden did it anyway.

(OOC: He just said that probably sticking a stinger to the hilt and calling it a dagger probably wouldn't be best. Now, they just used the stinger as a base for the dagger, and they built around it. And got a kick-ass dagger out of the deal, too.)

OOC: Jad, how long did it take you to find that picture?

Thomas took his dagger, and began to flip it around in his hand and do some practice thrusts.

"Wow. This thing is light, and it's got a nasty blade. People are right, dwarves ARE great weapon-smiths."

Zorha had finnaly found Thomas, and got behind him. "You got a Wyvern tooth and didn't even tell me?" Zorha smacked Thomas in the back of his head.

OOC: If I stole something from Thomas, would he be able to steal it back?

Thomas rubbed his head.

"Hey, it's called the Law of Supply and Demand. I supply the Wyvern's tooth to whoever can pay me what I demand. And honestly, I didn't think you had a lot of money."

(OOC: Most of the stuff Thomas has is valuable, which would make you rich for that moment. And by stealing, it would make you a jerk. And according to the curse, that would make you open for much thievery.)

OOC: Taking the knife would not make Zorha rich, and he isn't a jerk for taking just one thing. (You didn't even have to pay for it, so I doubt it cost much)

(OOC: You aren't supposed to say that! I was hoping to get away without having to pay for it.)

Thomas looked at his dagger, and saw the dwarves were looking at him funny. He smiled a little, and tossed them a gold coin.

"Thanks." The dwarves watched as the coin hit the ground, and when they looked back up, Thomas was gone.

Outside, Thomas was running around to look for Kal.

"I gave them diamonds before. I think that should level out the cost."

OOC: Your guy's hand should have killed him before...

(OOC: Who's hand should have killed who now?)

OOC: When Thomas first took the dagger without paying, his cursed hand should have started to burn and hurt him a lot.

(OOC: Like I said. He gave them diamonds. He paid them. Plus, he gave them an extra coin. He paid.)

OOC: A poor quality diamond in a dwarven city is barely anything... Oh well

Zorha was now smiling. When Thomas ran off, Zorha grabbed something good from him, something he would miss. (You were in a panic, all he would do is grab out until he gripped something... And this will make up for your getting away with curse thing)

Argriv looked from Zorah to the departing Thomas. <Good God, is there anyone you can trust these days?> "Um, about the chain shirt..."

Thomas chuckled as he looked around for Kal.

"Not one of my best get-aways, but still a keeper." Thomas decided to sit down. He stuck his new dagger into his belt, and looked into his pack. He moved the diamonds, lock-picks, hookshot, and other valuables around. He suddenly realized something. He went scrambling around through his pack.

"Damn it. Where the hell is it?" Thomas was looking for a necklace. It was a very high-quality one. It was made by a group of the most powerful High-Elven clerics in the world. A large gold necklace, with runes and a strange glowing ruby in the center. Supposedly, it could increase the power of any mage that wore it several-fold. And he had lost it! It was a priceless artifact! Thomas would wear it on his very dangerous missions, when he needed all his skills and abilities at the top of their form.

"Crap. Looks like I'm not getting into the High-Elven Treasury anymore."

"Whoa check this out." James said examining the diamond. "This is alot better quality than it looks." He tossed one of the diamonds to Peter.

"Shit! It's flawless. We're lucky the moron couldn't tell since it was uncut."

"indeed. He left us a couple of them and some other nice ones. And to think I only put antirusting runes into it." The twins smiled.

OOC: Raiden, sry, but I can't resist. [nelson]"Haw haw"[/nelson]

OOC: I don't care if Raiden has the dagger. Just as a side note.

IC: Kal walked into the Thane's hall and said, "The Harlequin. You know where it is."

The dwarf shook up his surprise and held up a medallion with an arrow on it. "No, but this does."

"Yuo know why we're doing this, right? To find the Harlequin."

"Oh...well....you did help win back my mine so.....aw what the hell. We can always just make another. Here ya go." He tossed Kal the necklace.

Mentally, Kal thought who would be the most trustworthy person. Correction...the most unlikely person.


***

"Hey Thomas, would ya' mind holding onto this for me?"

Thomas raised his head to Kal. It was another necklace.

"Nice. It'll replace the one that I lost. Thanks." Thomas took the necklace, and put it around his neck.

"Not taking any chances this time. This thing is staying around my neck."

(OOC: Wait, so I lost a powerful necklace as payment for trying to cheat the curse, and I had been ripped off anyway! I hope that those dwarf guys will be nice enough to put some more runes on that dagger!)

ooc: Well they won't. but it's up to ss what the stinger does for it.