Young Mayearth studied in his room, 14th floor of the Syraas Wizard's Tower. Magic Missile he mused to himself, Open aachportals to Positive Material Plane, expel, repeat... The young man reached his hand at an urn, concentrating. His fingers extended, the young apprentice sighed in exasperation when only steam escaped his fingers, then yelped as the heat burned his fingertips.

Mmmm, Alas, it was too late. He would study more tomorrow night. The apprentice stole away from the tower and snuck into town, down to the Thirsty Imp. He would have a tall ice-malt and maybe some conversation with his friends...

As Mayearth approached the tavern, he could see his young companions waiting for him. They were adventurers like him, all in training under their respective masters. They smiled and held mugs high in the doorway as Mayearth hurried his stride to them...

All of a sudden, as the apprentice still smiles, three ugly bugbears leap from the shadows, grins on their fiendish faces. The goblin-giants slobber and laugh as they pull the young wizard down, pulling out clubs and knives...

***
This is a D&D adventure for beginning characters. It is not controlled by dice, only by your imagination. Mayearth is an NPC, but PC players are his friends from the Tavern! Are you a young swordsmaster, an assassin-in-training, or an apprentice mage? Choose wisely, then enter the fun!

By Funk Sol Brother (Sol) on Unrecorded Date:

Caesar leaps over the hitching post, doing a perfect one-handed vault. The young elven man is garbed in green and wears a feathered cap. "Stop!" he yells, voicing his challenge to the Bugbears, "He is one of ours!"

The Bugbears pay scant attention at first, slavering and punching Mayearth. The apprentice throws up his hands again to shield his face only to receive a fist-to-the-abdomen instead.

Caeser lands deftly on two green-sandaled feet, then fast-draws his bow and pulls back the string, an arrow already loaded and cocked, fully ready to fly...

Caesar

By Bryan Cummings (Houdini) on Unrecorded Date:

The lead giant goblin saw the young elf's movements and quickly barked out an order in hobgoblin.

"Ma Toooc!"

The other goblins took up a defensive perimeter around the boss goblin and his nearly unconscious hostage.

The goblin pressed the blade of his long black dagger to the throat of the young wizzard.

"All of you! Drop your weapons now and back away or he dies!", the giant goblin said in common.

By Funk Sol Brother (Sol) on Unrecorded Date:

Caesar sits exactly where he is, a bead of sweat rolling down the side of his face. His eye moves back toward his friends as the elf keeps his bow taut. Finally, he lets the bowstring slacken and lets his teeth grind together instead.

Caesar

By Jonathan Sachs (Viper) on Friday, June 15, 2001 - 04:52 pm:

As Caesar releases the tension of his bowstring the lead goblin and one of his henchmen fall limp, fast asleep, the dagger slowly falling to the ground.
Stunned, the remaining hobgoblin stampers for a second not knowing what just occured. Seeing his moment Caesar brings his bow to bear and releases the arrow with a smooth graceful motion, almost to fast to perceive.
The shot sails with unerring accuracy and pierces the bewildered goblin in the chest. The hobgoblin releases a bestial howl of pain as it clenches the arrow. It turns to face the elf, a flash of steel hinted in the moonlight flies from the shadows.
With a pronouced 'thunk' the dagger finds it mark. The hobgoblin takes a step and then falls dead, the dagger protruding from its back.
From within the shadows a dark figure emerges.
The cloaked figure walks up to Mayearth and helps the mage up. The figure turns to Caesar and reveals himself. Caesar recognizes the elf as the mage/thief, Raven Moonstalker. Another companion reunited.

By The CheeseWizzard (Sol) on Thursday, June 21, 2001 - 10:37 pm:

"Raven has come," smiles Caesar. Three more arrows emerge, the slobbering hobgoblins make for the shadows with the birds on their heels.

"Let us go inside. Raven, you arrived just in time as always. Let us go inside. Come, Mayearth."

Caesar makes his way to the front of the tavern. His eyes are piercing, but friendly. He is garbed head-to-toe in green, the only visible weapons he carries are his bow and a short-sword on his waist. The young elf is also muscular - perhaps not overly so, but his build is impressive for an elf.

"Goblins don't often come out so near daylight," says Caesar, "I wonder what they are up to."

Caesar

By Jonathan Sachs (Viper) on Tuesday, July 03, 2001 - 03:01 pm:

Raven and Caesar take a seat at the table prepared for them. The other patrons murmering amonst themselves and watching the pair. A fair haired wench walks over to the table, four frothing brews on her tray.

"What can I get you fellas?" the Barmaid asks.

"I'll take a Dragon's Breath" replies Raven.

She nods and places the four mugs of ale on the table.

Raven looks around the table smiling at the thought of adventuring along such friends once more. Since the companions seperated some time ago much has changed, Raven thought. The encounter that just expired would have never happened just a few short months ago. Such creatures dared not to enter the town and remained at it's outskirts in the wilds. As for Raven, time flows ever so slowly for an elf those same months seemed more like years.

Now, here he is once again dressed in the crimson robes of his Order wearing the elven cloak which he had found during the group's last exploits. Those were the good days.

Looking once more around the table he chuckled to himself, smiling.

The good days have returned.

By The CheeseWizzard (Sol) on Friday, August 10, 2001 - 03:11 pm:

"What can I get you fellas?" the Barmaid asks.

"I'll take a Dragon's Breath" replies Raven.

"I'll take you," says Caesar with a wink, nodding with approval at the buxom blonde-haired frauline.

She giggles at the good-looking elf, then slides a key into his pocket.

Caesar pours in the ale. "I've had better," he says to Raven, "but I come for the company." He aims his crossbow at an empty pot across the room and pops off a quarrel. The pot twangs and the greasy chef noses over the counter, clapping.

"I know what you're going to say," says Caesar as he shakes the upside-down mug for the last froth it can give, "And you're right. Somebody's got to do something about these barbarians. If you give them an inch they take a foot. Won't let decent folk live in peace."

The young wizard is spinning around in a fit of anxiety, digging his hand into his satchel and mumbling. Mayearth. Caesar remembered why they usually didn't bring him here.

Caesar

By Yo' Daddy (Sol) on Friday, December 14, 2001 - 11:10 am:

As Caesar wipes the froth from his mouth, a small weedy little boy stumbles into the bar.

"Hey!" says Barkeep, "No young 'uns allowered!"

"I'm not a child, I'm a hobbit," says the grimy little boy, "and I'm being tracked!"

By Sol Hawk (Sol) on Friday, September 21, 2007 - 04:12 pm:

"Well, ye can tag along with me I guess," says Caesar to the hobbit, "That is, if you carry my bags and gear. Not the weapons, though, only I can carry those. You can cook, can't you?"

"Uhhh..." says the hobbit, "Ah sure I can."

"Like what?" retorted Caesar, "I'm not going to let you tag along if you can't cook anything good."

"Oh, oh," brightened the hobbit, "I can cook anything. Roast potatos with gravy, ducksmeat, shephard's pie, Zuccini Loaf..."

"Ah, I see," said Caeser, "Well, I suppose you can stay around."

"Thank you kind sir," said the hobbit, "Thank you, thank you. I need to tell you, too, about what's tracking me, something big and dangerous..."

"Ah, stuff it," says Caeser, "I'd say anything would be big to a toddler like yourself. Just you do the cooking and leave all of the rest to me."

Caesar glimpsed again at the Barmaid who was reaching for a bottle of ale in the lower cabinet.

By Sol Hawk (Sol) on Thursday, September 27, 2007 - 10:14 am:

It was some time before Caesar had had his fill of beer. The liquid hardly phased him, for his was an elvish constitution - very hardy and also well practised as a result of experience with the Elvin Blossom Leaf Brandy. Caesar stood up to his full, lanky height. He passed a couple of extra bottles he had purchased to the hobbit and said, "Here, stick these in your pack, but don't drink a drop or I'll have to spank you."

The stuttering hobbit complied, but was aghast when Caesar turned to walk out the door. "S-s-sir, ye can't go out there... THEY will see you.

"Ah, pipe down, Pippin," said Caesar, "You are getting to be a mite too skittish for my liking, and I am going to dump you in the nearest gutter if you can't get a handle on yourself."

"Raven," says Caesar, "I trust Mayearth is in capable hands if I am to leave him with you for the moment. Mayearth, old friend, we might rendesvous tonight all together and hear more of your tale away from the common ear. Do you agree to this?

Mayearth nodded wisely, saying "You are correct, elf-friend, for there is evil about. This I have sensed. But tell me, where are you going in the middle of day?"

"Supplies," said Caesar, "We shall need a stout donkey to carry what we need and a second donkey also in case we encounter any treasure. Also I shall need a firm burlap sack to stuff this little bugger in if he decides to make a nuisance of himself."

The hobbit, whose name wasn't actually Pippin, shuddered at the thought and quieted down considerably. He made himself as quiet as he could which is what he always did when he was under stress. "I am invisible," he mumbled to himself, "I am invisible, I am transparent."

Of course, nothing happened. Except for the kick from Caesar and then from several others at the bar who needed the entertainment. As the hobbit began to bruise, the relative safety of a large burlap sack started to sound better and better...

By Sol Hawk (Sol) on Friday, September 28, 2007 - 02:06 pm:

Caesar tugged the hobbit by the ear and exited the tavern. In no time, they were in the Town Square - Caesar purchased several fine arrows, some rations for the journey, a draught of wine, and two fine donkeys.

By Sol Hawk (Sol) on Monday, October 01, 2007 - 02:44 pm:

No more than forty minutes had passed when Caesar ran into three slavering lizard-men with pole arms. He had been on the way back to the tavern with the donkeys in tow when the scaly group appeared, eyeing the animals longingly.

"Turn over thessssse donkeyssss to ussss. We're hungry!" said the largest lizard man.

"And if I don't?" asked Caesar indignantly.

"Then we eat YOU and your little sssson, too."

"Not my son," said Caesar, disgusted at the notion as the hobbit quivered, "Back off or else you're going to have quite a problem on your hands."

One of the lizard-men lept forward then, at a run which seemed faster than such a creature could muster.

By Sol Hawk (Sol) on Monday, November 05, 2007 - 01:30 pm:

Somewhere in the marketplace a woman screamed and a whistle punctured the air, then the throat of the fanatical lizard man. The scaled green body had not even hit the ground when two more lizardmen had pounced ahead, yellow acid dripping from their teeth and tongues. They came slashing with their katanas, but the blades hit only open air as Caesar did a backflip to avoid them, then loosed a second arrow.

"KILL THEM!" hissed their leader in the common tongue. But now the townsfolk were running in terror to avoid the deadly ambush. Then there was a rumble. A mountain of barrels, previously stacked high in the square, were tumbling down in all directions. As if by miracle, all of the attacking lizard men were crushed to pieces as the barrels broke and split across reptilian spines and skulls. The lizard leader cursed, then ran for it - but he was quickly slain by the King's Knights who had arrived just in time for the end of the fight.

When it was all over with, one of the knights approached Caesar and complimented him on his courage. "Though," said the man on the horse, "You must admit that you were very lucky that the restraints on these barrels just happened to rot and break exactly today before that mob of lizard folk could reach you. The gods favour the courageous, I think."

"Lucky?" mused Caesar, "Yes, I suppose so." He gathered the rest of his supplies, tugged the halfling along by the ear, and departed. Yet somewhere, lodged in one of the broken barrels, there was the shaft of an arrow there, and from the place where it had struck, a piece of frayed hemp rope blew back and forth in the wind...

By Sol Hawk (Sol) on Tuesday, November 06, 2007 - 10:42 am:

"S-s-sir," said the hobbit, "I don't have a good feeling, Sir, about the Lizard Men."

"Oh?" said Caesar, somewhat disinterested. He had slipped his longbow back over his shoulder and had tipped his hat at an angle to catch a little more of the breeze on his brow.

"What I mean, Sir, is that they don't normally come into town. They stay far away in the marshes. I don't think they would have come out here... unless they were sent."

"Hmmm," Caesar considered this for a moment. That was true. Lizard Men rarely came into human towns. They never traded in the normal way with civilization - the Lizard Men made their own weapons and gear and raided caravans on the highway to obtain what they couldn't easilly make. This also satisfied their desire for humanoid flesh - something which was too dangerous to obtain in the middle of a town.

"So, what were they after?" considered Caesar. The hobbit started dancing around as if he needed to relieve himself, and he was holding up a finger - on it was a gleaming gold ring, but apparently this was the wrong finger to show to the elf, for Caesar took offense at once, backhanding the halfling in response.

The halfling started to cry, then all the more when the little man realized that Caesar had smacked out some of his baby teeth.

"Will you be quiet?" hissed Caesar, "Can't you see I'm working?" The elf had stooped low to the ground and was studying the trail left by the Lizard Men as they had come into town. Already, the trail was greatly disturbed by wagon wheels and passerbys, but Caesar was able to pick it up in a few minutes once again. The trail had indeed originated from out of town, and most likely it had come from the Acid Swamp.

"Come on," said Caesar.

The hobbit quivered in fear at the prospect of going deeper into the domain of the swamplings, but then again, he was not in the mood to loose any more of his teeth today, so he silenced his fears, clutched his ring on his hand, and tagged along behind.

By Sol Hawk (Sol) on Wednesday, November 07, 2007 - 09:51 am:

Deeper and deeper into the swamp they went. Caesar had left the donkeys far behind in town for there was no way that the beasts of burden would follow into the swamp. Caesar might have gone back for the others, but then again, he did not want to put the young mageling, Mayearth, and the others at risk just yet. Raven would know of his choice for the Town Guard had been asked to relay a simple message. In the meanwhile, whatever could be discovered in the swamp might shed some light upon the threat the town was facing.

The town faded through the dying trees as they moved farther and farther away from the plateau upon which it rested. The slime and mud of the swamp was everywhere - for a while, Caesar was able to choose higher ground, but before long, his feet, then his shins and thighs were plunged into the mire. Caesar grimaced disdainfully at this happening, but trudged on. The trail was all but invisible now, but there was no longer any going back. The hobbit bobbed in the mire, only just keeping his chin above water.

And it was getting dark.

By Sol Hawk (Sol) on Wednesday, November 28, 2007 - 10:16 am:

Caesar peered through the gloom - shapes that would have been hidden to human eyes were not hidden to him - for as one of fae lineage, the man could see even in total darkness. The mire around swirled blue since it was cooler than the air, and tiny flecks of red flew here and there - these were the dozens of mosquitos that populated the swamplands. As for the hobbit, he was a hot ball of red also.

Infravision was an advantage in the darkness, true, but Caesar was well aware that it was an advantage shared also by the lizardfolk. And worse things had this advantage as well...