FLUFF: Jammers: [Italapate] Turn 20 Chapter 1

The Past Adventures of my Jammers PBEM game.

For me, one of the joys of PBEM gaming is the ability to revisit the
old adventures by reading the turn summaries. I think they make great
fan fiction.

This is what happened to Italapate in Turn 20, when on his own.

This game has been going on since September, 1997. I thought folks
might enjoy reading the old turns in order, as fluff fiction. I know
I post the current turns as fluff as well, but the past turns were,
well, six years ago and new list members, as well as some old, may
still enjoy getting the old reads in their mailbox once per week. If
not, let me know and I'll stop sending them.

To give folks an idea of how much is still to come, the game is now
in Turn 33 of Chapter 7. Chapter 1 has 30 turns...

----------- = Meanwhile, elsewhere...
*********** = Later...

IC:
Italapate shrugs at Standish, then turns to leave.  "I'll catch up with you
later, Holland," he says, then makes his way up to the Elven Forest to see
Valiss.  But, along the way, he tries to find an even older friend....
Paco. One of the boys he tried peyote with.  One of the boys he later got
hooked on the stuff.

He finds the young man apprenticing in his father's shop.  Paco looks up,
his face covered with sawdust, his hands grasping tightly to a planer
"Geez, Pate," Paco says looking around fervently.  "What are you doing
here?"
"Why, is someone looking for me?"
"I don't know that," Paco says, "But it seems likely doesn't it?"
"Yeah, I suppose so.... Look, I need a favor."
"No thanks, man.  I don't want my parents blown up... You are a threat just
being here..."
"Paco, shut up.  I don't want you to hide me, I want you to follow
someone," Italapate whispers.  "The sooner you hear me out, the sooner I am
out of here."

Paco frowns tightly, then nods his head.  Italapate begins. "Look, I know
you are apprenticing as more than a carpenter.  There is a woman that I met
on my trip off-Rock.  She says she is from Toril.  Here's my problem.  It's
her clothes.  I learned quite a bit about slavers from my parents and
grandparents.  There is something nasty about Torilean mages who wear only
red... I don't remember all the details, I didn't pay all that much
attention.  I wanted you to follow her, see who she meets, who she talks
to, what she does. I need to know if she is after me, or if she knows who
killed my parents and why.  I need to know if, hopefully, she is just what
she says she is." He pulls out a vial from his pouch.  "Look, this is the
last of my stuff.  I used some of what I brought that night for
ceremonies... don't laugh.  This will last you a while if you're careful.
Will you help me?"

Paco looks around,  sees no one paying attention then quickly grabs the
vial and shoves it inside his shirt.  "Don't come back here again, 'Pate.
Meet me tommorrow morning in the Great Market (#54),  at that sweetmeat
stand across from Gamolon's Curios (#59).  I see what I can do."

After leaving Paco, confident that his old friend could gather some
information that would either salve or justify the nagging suspicion at
the back of his mind, Italapate walked confidently down the streets of
the Rock.  He soon saw the treeline of the Elven Forest.
         Entering the area, he notified a sentry of his intent.  "I greet you,
Walks-with-the-Forest," he says, using his grandparents name for elves.
"I wish to see Valiss, a friend of my family."

"There is a grove just along this trail,  with a comfortable stump.  Wait
there,  Valiss will find you." the guard replies, pointing.

Valiss arrives after a short wait.

Italapate walked up to Valiss, smiling. He extended his hand to grasp the
elve's forearm in greeting.  "Greetings, Valiss, I trust you are well.  I
came to offer thanks... helping me get off this Rock.  I was also
wondering... see, my new friends and I are looking for a job.  You wouldn't
happen to know of a job the Elves might have for a group of
troubleshooter's would you?"

Valiss looks at Italapate carefully,  "You should be aware,  'Pate,
Wilhelmina is one of my closest friends.  She saved me from a neogi
deathhelm once in Greyspace.  Your actions caused me to lose some face,  as
I had vouched for you to Lady Moune."  Valiss watches for a moment,  then
just as Italapate is about to respond says, "But let us speak no more of
that.  I know you well enough to know whatever occurred came not from evil
intent.  I can not offer your new company employment now,  but I will pass
your request onto the fleet. They are sure to contact you when they have a
need for a group such as yours."

Valiss smiles then,  "I understand your journey was far from uneventful!  I
have had only a brief account from Wilhelmina,  she is not one for
longwinded conversation!  So, please,  spin your tale for me now..."

The rest of the afternoon is passed with Italapate speaking to Valiss about
the journey,  and explaining the various sights.  Afterwards Italapate
returns to the tavern for evenfest.

Italapate sleeps in the next day... he had eaten and drunk far more than he
had been used to.  He woke, stretching languidly.  Then he threw on his new
jacket and left the inn.  He wandered out into the street and proceeded to
meet his friend.  It seemed unlikely that anything useful had been turned
up, but Paco was good at finding stuff out.  At the least he might give
Italapate enough of a lead to follow, at best he might have something
concrete to tell him.  Italapate shrugged and headed down the street...

If he was really fortunate, maybe some of his old friends might have some
info about the rumors the Company was bandying about last night...

He finds Paco standing outside the sweatmeat stand as promised,  munching
on askewer of sugered skavver.  Seeing Italapate he nonchalantly suanters
over, "Hey, how's it going?",  he left hand furtively motions to one of the
many narrow little alleys between stalls.  "Those crates are back here."
Paco says as he heads into the alley.

Italapate follows. "What crates?" he mumbles.

"You won't like this," Paco whispers, "There's a blacksmith shop around
this bend ahead,  we can talk freely there."  The bend is about 3 stalls
down, and Italapate can here the ringing sounds of the anvil in the same
direction.  Paco is apparently learning a great deal,  the cloth stall
walls make these alleys poor places to hold a council, as anyone can here,
but behind the blacksmith the anvil should provide a nice covering noize
for the conversation.

"Okay, man," Italapate says just loud enough to be heard by his friend.
"What's going on.. what won't I like?"

Paco turns,  and Italapate senses something behind him, spinning,  you see
a man with a short,  wooden club in hand about to hit you in the head with
it.  Even with the half second of warning italapate is unable to get out of
the way in time, the club grazes your right temple,  blackening that eye.
Italapate stumbles and glances back to see Paco drawing a nasty looking
throwing knife. Another man comes out of the curtains behind the first with
the club.  Both wear grey, nondescript clothes and are carrying short
wooden clubs which can be easily hidden in clothing...

Round 1: Italapate spins on his back, his legs helicoptering to swipe
Paco's legs.  The legs connect, Paco falls down with an "Ummph!", Italapate
says "Paco, what in the Nine Hells is going on?"  The close quarters hinder
his opponents,  the club strike swinging for where 'Pate's head had been
before he dropped gets tangled in the blacksmith's tarp instead.

Round 2:
Italapate murmers a curse and makes a quick motion at Paco, who gets a look
of complete terror on his face.  One of the club wielding thugs land a
solid blow to Italapate's ribs.

Round 3:
Italapate yells "I don't know what Paco told you guys, but I am _on your
side_!  Back off!  I have money and information for whoever your boss is!!"
while leaping to his feet and backpedaling away from the thugs.  The look
on their faces makes it obvious they aren't interested.  One reaches
towards his neck and pulls a wicked looking throwing knife from a
necksheath as the other swings again,  but misses.

Round 4:
Italapate reaches into his pouch pulling out a ball of yellowy beeswax.
"Back off, freaks, this fireball will take us all out!"  He waves his hand,
chants in his native language four words "<Coyote, let this work!>" Then
throws the ball.  The thugs both dive to the ground,  as the bit of beeswax
goes past them and lands somewhere in the alley behind.

Round 5:
Italapate Runs Like all the Devils in Baatezu are on his heals. In moments
he bursts from the myriad alleys behind the Great Market's stalls,  finding
himself in front of Char's Bakery(#53) on one of the wider,  customer
filled walkways on which the stalls front.  The thugs aren't visible but
can't be far behind.


Date/time:  10:00 am  17th day of the 4th Month, 5049 OC
--
"...How shall a man judge what to do in such times?!"
"As he has ever judged," said Aragorn "Good and evil have not changed
since yesteryear..."
J.R.R. Tolkien, _The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers_

Paul Westermeyer,  pwestermeyer@????????.??.com