°±±²°±²²²ÛÜÛ²²±±°°²°.²°±±°°²²²²±²²±²±±²²²²².±²²°²±°²±²²²±²²..°±°°±²²ÛÛÛÛÛ²²±°±°±±±±±±±±±±±±±±±²±±±±±±±°±±²±±°.±±±²°°°°°°°±°°°±±²²ÛßÛ²²±±±±± ± ± ± ± ±± ±°°.°±±°°°°°°±±²²²²²±±°°°± ±±± ±± ±±± ±± ±± ± ± ± ± ± ±°°±±°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°±°± ±°°±°± ±Û±±Û± ±±± ± ±± ±²²²²²°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°ÛÛÛÛÛ± ±±± ±± ±±± ±Û± ±²± ± ±±±± ±²²²²²ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ²ÛÛ± ± ±²± ±±²± ±±± ±±±±±±²ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ²²²±±±±±±±²±±±±±±±²±±±±±±±±±±±±±±±±±±±°°±±±°°Û²²Û²ÛÛ²²Û²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²±±±±±±±±±±±±±±±±±±°±°±°±±±°°°° °°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°²±²±²±±±±²±±±±±±±±±±±±±±±°±±±°±°°±°°°°°°°°° °°°°°°°°°²²²°°°±±±±±±±±±±°±°°±°°°°°°°°°°°°°° ²² ²²²² °°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°° Û²² ²²²²² ²Û²² ² ²²Û²² @Umbra #end :touch The man stares silently into the flames. /i #end ²²Û ²²Û²² @Flame #cycle 2 /i #char 178 /i #char 177 /i #char 176 /i #char 177 /i #char 178 /i #char 219 #restart ±² ²²ÛÛ² ²²²±±²² @Flame #cycle 2 /i #char 178 /i #char 177 /i #char 176 /i #char 177 /i #char 178 /i #char 219 #restart ²²²²±²² ²²Û²²² ²²²±±²²²²² @Flame #cycle 2 /i #char 178 /i #char 177 /i #char 176 /i #char 177 /i #char 178 /i #char 219 #restart ²²² @Lux #end :touch #zap touch $ You approach a tall, burly-looking man dressed in a tunic and breeches. A long sword is at his side, but he has a kind look about him. $ /i $ "Good evening, stranger! You look cold. Come and sit by the fire's light." $ $ "Thanks, man." $ "Th'art not from these parts, I take it. My name is Lux Hominis, and my silent brother here is Umbra. We come from the city to the south, which is called Delevaturus." $ You look at Umbra. He's staring into the fire's light. His face appears transfixed in a vacant stare, and he ignores you and continues staring at the flames. $ /i $ "Stranger? Would you care to oblige us with your name?" $ $ "Matthias." $ "And of which family do you come?" $ $ "Coronaspinarum. Christ, I could do $with something to eat." $ "Coronaspinarum? I confess I have not heard of your family before. Judging by your garb it is obvious you are not from these parts. Do you come from Hiber?" $ $ "No. Lately I've never been fucking $sure where I come from, or even where $I am." $ /i $ "You are in the land of Mortis, the city of which is Delevaturus," he says. "We are two guards of the city. We will allow you to pass, if you wish to find a place to spend the night." $ $ "Anything to eat?" $ "Certainly. Have you any of our own currency?" $ $ "No." $ "We will oblige you with a few gold coins to get something to eat and a place to stay. We have plenty of money for this purpose." $ /i #give gems 15 $ He hands you a small bag of heavy coins. $ $ "Uhh, thanks." $ /i $ "Good luck, Matthias!" $ /i #end :touch "The city is to the south." /i #end ±²²² ²²²±² @Umbra #end :touch The man stares silently into the flames. /i #end ²²²² @Flame #cycle 2 /i #char 178 /i #char 177 /i #char 176 /i #char 177 /i #char 178 /i #char 219 #restart @Flame #cycle 2 /i #char 177 /i #char 176 /i #char 177 /i #char 178 /i #char 219 /i #char 178 #restart @Flame #cycle 2 /i #char 178 /i #char 177 /i #char 176 /i #char 177 /i #char 178 /i #char 219 #restart ²²²²±²²² ²² ²²²²²²²²² @Flame #cycle 2 /i #char 178 /i #char 177 /i #char 176 /i #char 177 /i #char 178 /i #char 219 #restart @Flame #cycle 2 /i #char 177 /i #char 176 /i #char 177 /i #char 178 /i #char 219 /i #char 178 #restart @Flame #cycle 2 /i #char 176 /i #char 177 /i #char 178 /i #char 219 /i #char 178 /i #char 177 #restart @Flame #cycle 2 /i #char 177 /i #char 176 /i #char 177 /i #char 178 /i #char 219 /i #char 178 #restart @Flame #cycle 2 /i #char 178 /i #char 177 /i #char 176 /i #char 177 /i #char 178 /i #char 219 #restart ²²²²²²² ÛÛ²² ²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²² ²Û ÛÛÛÛ²² ²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²² ²ÛÛ² ²²²ÛÛ² ²ÛÛ²²² ~ days of yore that will not come again ~