Tale of the Red Hat Gnomes - Part 2

Bodhbh nodded in agreement... "Absolutely, yes!", while waving away some more cigar smoke... "I don't mind you smoking that thing Mingo, but do you have to gesture with it right under my nose?"

 

"Ah, Mingo,..." Fireangel sighed, and let the sound trail off, "I caution you and everyone else at such attempts to put words or thoughts or characteristics of others in some frame for which you have such a small reference, but as you will."
She raised a brow, and looked meaningfully at him as she leaned forward slightly in her chair. "I have read and listened to information on the Shroud of Turin, and personally, I'm not sure what that really is, after all that's been revealed on it. However, in my spiritual certainty, Jesus, or Yeshua, in the Hebrew, did walk on the earth in the form of a man, and yet he was God in the flesh. He was resurrected, and there was a great miracle of power to do that, whether or not the Shroud of Turin is really any evidence or not. That is a completely separate discussion, and not something I'd go into great detail with in here." The lady gestured at the tavern in general. "My only meaning for this remark here is that I couldn't confuse that 'shroud' with the verb in your story, since I am at least informed."
"Ah, but I wax eloquent and too literal when you were being silly, which I do enjoy, dear hedge bard; my apologies. Speaking of Turin, my mind has turned to another great writer, who often was quite dramatic, sometimes intensely and boorishly serious, and quite often silly. I'm certain you've heard of J.R.R. Tolkien. Now he knew well of shadows and shrouds, shades and mists, darkness, foreshadowing and being enshrouded in more than one way. He also wrote a very tragic tale of Túrin, son of Húrin, which is perhaps the most tragic single tale of a hero that J.R.R. Tolkien ever told." Her small hand went to her neckline, and she caught herself with a laugh. "My mind does run on, doesn't it? Forgive me."
She metaphorically (and literally) went back over what Mingo had been lately saying. "I believe you were telling us more about your memories of gnomes. Tolkien had gnomes too, but they were not the same at all, nor did he keep them as they were. Please, let us hear more about yours, dear hedge bard."

 

(In the Fire Lotus Tavern) --"I have heard of the Shroud of the Avatar," Gerta chipped in to the long delayed conversation. "But I'm not sure what it is."
--We all blinked.
--"Say!" Time Lord interjected in a protesting voice, having apparently read all the logs recently. "Krisskar has Air and Water magic. How did he throw a Death Spell?"
--"Don't you dare go back and rewrite the logs!" admonished FireAngel. "You might shroud the thread!"
--I was taken aback and responded to FireAngel's earlier diatribe. "I, Madam, am not a member of any organized religion; I'm a Baptist." (Note: to understand this you must attend a church business meeting, or Southern Baptist convention sometime, which I have done. It's an inside joke).
--Turning to Time Lord the Astute I quickly explained, "If you don't use all your points in the skill tree for your two major lines of magic, you can have a few to put into minor spells in other trees."
--"Magic Trees?" Gerta puzzled. "Like those walking Huorns FireAngel mentioned, or maybe didn't."
--"There aren't any of those in this immersion dear," FireAngel said with words in her mouth, hopefully in character.
--"Don't Baptists do some kind of immersion thing?" Chariya asked me. "Or am I confusing that with penguins?"
--"The story!" Gabriel wailed, "Get back to the story!!!"

 

Bodhbh facepalmed in irritation as Immersion fled the room once more and under the table kicked Mingo in the shins, causing him to whimper! "I know it is your story my dear hedge-bard but please, PLEASE keep with the story at hand, and do not speak of words, names and concepts that the natives could and would not understand..." And then mumbles really low "...or at least minimize those to such an extend they no longer will hurt Immersion!"

 

Young Chariya had a stern look on her face. She wagged a finger at Mingo and said, "You should be ashamed of yourself for hurting Immersion like that! Don't you agree, FireAngel?"

 

The lady is 'liking' and giggling too hard to respond properly at the moment.

 

Immersion? The little ~Time Lord~ Exclaimed'... When we point to a tree, we can only point to one leaf, yet the point to the leaf is the tree and the leaf to the point was me. So where does the tree begin and I intern begin? It's to the point and the point seems very clear, that the tree is not what is the outside of me, but the inside of me, where all the good points I can get in there help gather the leaves that intern help the tree of knowledge to grow inside me, because nothing is truly here and it's also not truly there yet all the woodpeckers will always find me to eat all the ants that cause all the scars that come along with ~Time~ Thank you Cousin Mingo, "I came with a tree and you've now sprouted the forest!" Other Skill Trees.. Ha! I got it!
~Time Lord~

 

"Psst. I believe you mean 'in turn', dear Time Lord."

 

Indeed Lady Fireangel I traveled the world so I could be illiterate in many languages I once blamed this on dyslexia, then I began blaming it on spell check, "psst" but I know it's because I hated my Engrish teacher because she made me stop day dreaming in class "hehe"
~Emit Drol~

 

"He's always been like that.", remarked Gabriel. "His teachers never understood that he was always thinking about people, places, and things in both the future and the past, and never concentrating solely on the present "

 

(In the Fire Lotus Tavern) Gerta walked over to me and bonked me on the head.
--"Oww!" I protested. "What was that for?"
--"See this little dress?" Gerta said holding out what appeared to be a doll's dress. "It's called a Hise." She then fitted the dress on a doll and threw it against the wall."
--"If you're going to throw a Hissy Fit," I said with arched eyebrow, "You should explain why!"
--"You're slacking off!" Gerta said with a stomp of her foot, oddly clad in one of her pink tennis shoes. "There are things I want to share and I can't just go into your memories...."
--I pondered for a bit and mused, "You know, it's odd. I remember you as much as I've revealed in this tale...."
--"Not sure I want to see Mingo's tail," grumbled Bov.....
--Continuing I added, "But I cannot remember you after the last point in my story I told which included you." I stared at Gerta and she seemed oddly affected.
--"Well, Sir Bard," she sniffed. "I am not there until you get there in the story. So it's no wonder."
--"I'm confused," Time Lord said to Blacque Rogue, "and it's no small thing to confuse a Time Lord concerning then and now...."
--"Is there something particular you want me to recount?" I asked Gerta, "Something I won't remember until I tell that part of the story?"
--"Yes!!! Oh yes indeed!" Gerta said with ominous glee. "I want you to tell about the birth of my sister's child!"
--We all sat stunned, especially me, as apparently I have not remembered that part. "Anything else?" I said in a mollifying tone.
--"The dance," Gerta said. "I worked sooo hard on it......to celebrate Kozue's Birth Day!"
--From a shadow against the wall a hooded figure, almost five feet tall, said in an odd accent....."It was a wonderful dance, Auntie. Behold unworthy gentles as I reveal Gerta's genius; for she took a simple tune taught her by Mingo, and with her own Bardic Magic created a symphonic accompaniment."
--And then, with some magic heretofore unknown to me, the hooded figure caused an image to appear on the wall, an image of Gerta, in her black dress and White apron from Katya's Koffee Klutch, dancing and singing in a small room, to magical accompanying music.....

 

(In the Fire Lotus Talent) --BlacqueRogue, ever the gallant knight, was first to stand and applaud the talent of Gerta, who blushed prettily. We all, with the exception of Chariya, joined him. Chariya however, had found a clear spot and was hippity hopping in a fetching copy of the dance, humming to herself.
--I for my part, stared at the diminutive hooded figure that had magically projected the entrancing dancing Gerta. "Who are you?!" I said in a wide eyed loud whisper, always apprehensive when confronting cloaked and hooded strangers.
--"Yes, child," FireAngel joined in. "tell us who you are!"
--The figure, face unseen deep in the hood, extended a voluminous sleeve from whence protruded a delicate hand with index finger raised upward. The hand was pale blue green, Teal is the actual term I believe. The index finger included a longish nail, solid black and pointed.....the nail seemed to be of slightly triangular cross section. As the mysterious figure wagged her finger back and forth in a "no no" manner, she began to fade from sight.
--"Not....." her oddly accented voice said from within the hood. Then as she faded completely from sight, her disembodied voice continued: ".....just....yet...."

 

(In the Fire Lotus Tavern) --Ariela confronted Gerta, "Gerta! Please! Will you explain all this?"
--"No," said Gerta, adding emphatically: "Not until Mingo gets out of his lazy funk and continues the tale!"
--"Alright alright!" I protested, rising from the comfy Lazy Funk recliner and moving to a different seat. "It was a dark and stormy night in the desert above our gallant adventurers, for they had tunneled beyond the shoreline and now were beneath the edge of the Guaca Desert."
--The particles that had sloughed off of Shader, the Red Hat Mage when Krisskar hit him with a Death spell coalesced into a sphere. Shader then threw the rock hard sphere, hitting Krisskar square in the forehead and knocking him out. Then with a crash RockSide and his crew broke through the south wall of the chamber.
--Lyra stood to the rear of our group, trying to rouse Krisskar. Terra surrounded her with traps and Shania stood near in stealth mode. Jeb Stuart roared and charged the leader of the Red Hats, Arnold the Mighty. But Jeb's charge was brought short as a magic welder caused a dozen spots on Jeb's plate armor to fuse together.
--This however, caused Jeb to fall onto Arnold, pinning the mighty gnome beneath his prodigious weight. I, for my part, produced my small battle harp and focused my attention on two summoned elementals, one Fire and one Water. Strumming furiously to a battle tune I also sang...."I'm a Ramblin' Wreck from Georgia Tech....." causing the two elementals to turn on each other.
--Steam rose each time the Water elemental was struck by the Fire elemental, which shrank at each contact. Eventually I knew they would cancel each other.
--With a loud SNAP one of Ed's traps sprung to reveal a Red Hat Rogue, trying to backstab our healer, Lyra. Immediately Shania appeared and affixed two of her garrotes around the Rogue. They did not cut into the Red Hat as they might have a human, but they were sufficient to bind the Rogue's arms allowing Shania to knock it down with a push of her foot.
--Krisskar was still down and out. Jeb screamed in anger within his seized up armor, and I was busy provoking the elementals. "The chest!" Terra called to Ed. "Get the chest!" Swiftly Ed scooped up the chest of golden acorns and stashed them in a large pouch slung across one shoulder. then with a grin Ed pulled forth from his belt a rather long mace, with a blue stone at it's head.
--"Four!" yelled Ed as he swung the mace low, striking RockSide upside the head, stunning him temporarily.
--"The hat Terra!" shouted Hamster as he caused a light to appear above Dracula. "Shoot the hat!" Terra pulled back on her bow and let fly an arrow which caught the gnome's pointy hat and carried it fifty yards back down the tunnel. Ever cognizant of his status, as displayed by the colour of the hat, Dracula shot Terra an evil gaze before trotting down the tunnel to retrieve it. Terra stood frozen and the life force began to leech out from her.
--Lyra did her best to extend life restoration to Terra while still administering to Krisskar. BlueBell was busy trying to buff everyone against various magical attacks, but then she was encapsulated in frozen mud by a snarling Mrs. Peel. "Get MY hair wet will you? Have some mud, honey!"
--"this doth not bode well," muttered Hamster as he caused a muddy ball to engulf Shader, then rolled him rapidly down the tunnel away from the battle. "Time to throw a little Chaos into the mix!"

 

"A little chaos" Bodhbh muttered... "This entire tale is utter chaos! Entertaining chaos, but chaos none-the-less!" And looking around, half expecting to see either Dark Starr or the high-priestess of Chaos herself in the room, but for now the chaos seemed to be all Mingo's doing.

 

"As ucht De!" Bodhbh spoke to Gerta... "Everybody seems to be fading out, Mingo the most of all!, ach is maith an Amadan! This way the story will never get finished..."

 

(In the Fire Lotus Tavern)--And then Mingo was gone. In his empty chair sat the small hooded figure that had appeared earlier and shown via magic Gerta's dance. "Well may ye wonder," said the soprano voice from within the dark hood, "who I be."
--Gerta smiled, "I know."
--"Yesss, Auntie," nodded the hooded figure. "Mother told me of you, though we have not met in many yearss."
--"You must be Krisskar's daughter," Shania pointed out. "Kozue?"
--"Sso I have been told." the figure nodded. "and sso I believe."
--"you can reveal yourself," Jeb the giant warrior said kindly. "We are of friendly feelings toward you."
--"No," the figure said with a shake of the head. "No, ye cannot look upon my vissage. Dangerouss it would be."
--"Hmmmm," pondered Time Lord as he perused his memory for similar personages from his past, and/or future.
--"Will Mingo return?" asked FireAngel.
--"Perhapss, but his manner of entering this demesnes is undependable of late. He alsso iss......distracted by something he calls "RL Avatar". Sso I shall reveal to ye the end of the battle. Behold!" and she pointed a scaly taloned finger at the far wall, upon which a projection magically appeared of a battle in a tunnel.

 

"Hmmmm" Bodhbh hummed, sounding almost like a rolling thunder far away... "I've heard claims of disaster and danger before, but I battled Fomorians and was present when Balor opened his one eye, and it was taken out with Lugh's spear..." He chuckles... "That made an end to him and many Fomorians at the same time!"

 

Fire Lotus Tavern The little gathering room had gone dark. Kozue, the hooded mystery figure faded from view. Long days passed until.....in the little room, a flickering light on a wall caught the attention of the tavern denizens. They drifted into the room and took seats,watching as a magic window seemed to appear on the wall.....
--From the picture came sounds; rocks rumbling, sand shifting, gnomish screams fading further and further away. The dusty picture cleared somewhat, showing a view down the ten foot diameter tunnel leading to the demesnes of the Red Hat Gnomes. Almost filling the diameter, a giant, rodent rear end could be seen. Green hair covered it except for a short naked tail.
--Sounds like claws scraping on rock emanated from beyond the....animal?...accompanied by gnomish curses and screams. A new figure stood in the dusty air, lit by sunlight coming from above. A figure dressed in green leggings and a mid thigh length green jerkin. He wore a jaunty hat of green as well, pointed in front, with a raven's feather stuck in the hatband.
--The figure turned to the side and put his fists on his hips,feet spread wide. "Ho! Ho! Ho!" he bellowed. "Terra? Is that you I see? Glad to see you back in my neighborhood!"
--"Make up your mind!" snapped Terra with familiarity. "Are you going to be Jolly Green or Robin of the Neighborhood?" This elicited a broad toothy grin from the newcomer, who sent a piercing whistle down the tunnel toward his giant pet.
--"This should do the trick," Ed said to Jeb Stuart as he inserted the claw end of a small hammer between two armor plates that had been welded together. "Lucky they are just tack welds!"
--"Lucky you happen to have a tack hammer," grumbled the supine warrior.
--Muffled curses in a variety of languages drew Robin's attention toward an odd sight, now visible as the sifting dust settled. In a four foot diameter sphere of some clear subtance, Hamster hopped up and down angrily. "He's hopping mad," Lyra observed.

 

( Fire Lotus Tavern) --Gerta brought a large bowl of popped corn and set it on the table as the small crowd sat entranced watching the magic moving pictures which appeared on the wall....
(In the tunnel)--BlueBell punched mightily with her small, but rock hard, fists against the giant plastic ball in which Hamster the mage was trapped. There was no effect. Hamster was difficult to see, as the air inside the ball was turning blue from curses.....
--Krisskar roused himself and walked over to Hamster's ball. Kneeling down he peered within the blue murk until Hamster brought his apoplectic face near to the wall. "GET ME OUT!!!" Hamster's muffled scream could barely be heard. "I'LL SUFFOCATE!"
--"Sssssilly Hamsster," Krisskar grinned. "You don't need to breathe, exsscept to talk."
--"Ah do declare," said the nonchalant Robin walking up and tapping the ball. "Ah want some of these here things for mah smaller pets; keep them from diggin'...."
--"It is not of our making," Mingo said with a shake of his head.
--"Your accent is remarkable," remarked Lyra, "I have not come across its like before."
--"Ahm from the South, Ma'am," said Robin in a gentlemanly fashion, doffing his hat and bowing with a sweeping arm motion. "We should leave but ah will say more momentarily."
--"Let's move!" Jeb Stuart, the now freely moving warrior commanded, beginning to move up the ramp of sand toward the open sky above."
--Shania ran ahead, fading from view as she stealthily lead the way.

 

( Fire Lotus Tavern film at 11) --Munching popped corn the small assembly sat in the darkened room watching the magic moving picture upon the wall. They saw the band of adventurers walking up a shallow ramp to the surface above. At the end came Robin's pet, pushing the Hamster Ball with its snout.
(exiting the tunnel)--BlueBell, terrified when the rodent trundled up the tunnel, made herself invisible with Moon Magic and was nowhere to be seen. Hamster, despite the protection of the sphere containing him, was screaming and running, trying to get away from the mole.
--For its teeth and claws appeared to be either made of, or capped with Adamantite; the substance which could damage the golem tough bodies of gnomes. That is why the Red Hats had fled. Krisskar turned back to the tunnel entrance and magically caused it to collapse.
--"Your pet is ... remarkable," Lyra said admiring the giant rodent. "Is it...a mole?"
--"Indeed ma'am," nodded Robin. "Ah get mah nickname from him actually."
--"The Green Mole of the desert," Mingo observed. "I hear you are a chef."
--"Why, Sir, you flatter me!" Robin beamed, "Ah reckon ya'll might be a bit peckish, even the gnomes. Perhaps I can find some rock candy for them. Come!"
--To the west a long escarpment (cliff) ran up from the sea and extended beyond sight. Like a broken place in the earth, it was only about 20 feet high, and pockmarked with caves. The sun was low in the sky now, and the adventurers walked into shadow and through an opening to the underground fortress of Robin of the Neighborhood, the Green Mole of the Guaca Desert."
--Krisskar stopped and turned back to the entrance, calling to his companions, "Friendss. I cannnot remain with you. There iss ssomething....I musst do."