@0    = ~*Holding the wyvern's dead head in his outstretched hand*
      Alas, poor wyvern. With no flesh upon her bones
      Lives not the wyvern's life... but brings us coin.
Is she not a beauty?~
@1    = ~Now, now, Coran, we do not even know if that was a female wyvern.~
@2    = ~Coran, stop it! I don't like when the sacred is ridiculed!~
@3    = ~Coran, you have an odd concept of beauty. Next you will be making advances at goblin maids...~
@4    = ~Hmm, actually, we do. Look at the shape of the skull - it was definitely a female.~
@5    = ~How would a thief know things like this? I would rather expect it coming from a druid's or a ranger's mouth.~
@6    = ~Alright, female it was. But, Coran, you have an odd concept of beauty. Next you will be making advances at goblin maids.~
@7    = ~*sigh* Just shut up!~
@8    = ~Tell me, who killed your sense of humor?~
@9    = ~One annoying elf, named Coran.~
@10   = ~Leave me be, Coran. I am in no mood for joking.~
@11   = ~Sorry, Coran, I am simply disinclined to talk to anyone right now.~
@12   = ~Oh, I am afraid I am not making myself clear. I am growing bored with you. Maybe it is better if we go our separate ways...~
@13   = ~Stay, but keep silent.~
@14   = ~Yes, you are right. You are too much of a bother to keep around.~
@15   = ~Right. I will go talk to some oak tree then. I am an elf after all. Oaks are quite pleasant companions compared to you.~
@16   = ~Good riddance!~
@17   = ~Not a chance! The wyvern is a powerful beast, and magical besides... she has a certain majesty and beauty about her. A goblin, on the other hand, is but seventy pounds of green, slimy spittle. I say, let goblin males have goblin maids.~
@18   = ~Now, now, Coran, we do not even know if that was a female wyvern...~
@19   = ~Bah, whatever...~
@20   = ~My gentle lady, if you are willing to get to know me further, you will discover that my interests are not limited to locks, pockets, traps and chests.~
@21   = ~I recall now that you do have a great interest in the relationship between sexes. But I could not have imagined how far you are willing to go in your pursuit.~
@22   = ~I am so sorry, Coran. I see now that phrenology is an absolutely vital sphere of knowledge for you, but that is as much as I want to know about you. At least for now.~
@23   = ~I meant no offence, Coran. We can chat sometime about you... and me... about our interests, things like that.~
@24   = ~I am not willing to discover anything about you. In my company, you will limit your interests to locks, pockets, traps and chests.~
@25   = ~I never do things halfway, <CHARNAME>.~
@26   = ~It is my own fault for making you annoyed, for it is the greatest sin for a man to be a bore in the eyes of a beautiful lady.~
@27   = ~So it is I who should apologize, <CHARNAME>. I promise to try harder to entertain you.~
@28   = ~I am looking forward to it, <CHARNAME>. Nothing would be more enjoyable than a friendly chat with a person of your wit and charm.~
@29   = ~Oh, must you be so stiff?~
@30   = ~Now you have hurt my feelings. Do you think that my interests are limited to locks, pockets, traps and chests?~
@31   = ~I meant no offence, Coran. Sorry.~
@32   = ~Yes, I thought so, and I would prefer you to limit your interests to locks, pockets, traps and chests.~
@33   = ~*laughs* Meaning that it is absolutely useless? Of course, of course, but people need something in their lives besides their work!~
@34   = ~Heh, none was taken! I was joking, that's all.~
@35   = ~Alright, female it was. Now, give me a moment of peace!~
@36   = ~Why do I hate the orcs? Let me tell you. If there was one elf, one orc, and one tree left on Toril, the orc would cut the tree down and the elf would kill him for it.~
@37   = ~What a fabulous story! It describes perfectly the relationship between the fair folk and goblinoid races in just one sentence!~
@38   = ~Now, Coran, if you could only explain why elves dislike dwarves, as well...~
@39   = ~Hmmm, I wonder what would happen to that elf afterwards?~
@40   = ~Whatever.~
@41   = ~The wisdom of my ancient race. Cannot beat it.~
@42   = ~You wipe that grin right off your face, elf, otherwise I'll show you how one can beat ancient wisdom... or its carrier.~
@43   = ~Nope. I do admire the elves so!~
@44   = ~After the elf has heroically slain the foul orc, there is only one thing left for him to do. He will die in sad reverie about his kin's glorious past and amid regrets of his inability to prevent their inevitable demise. Then a dwarf will come by and try to bury him, but, while digging his grave, he is as like as not to find a vein of mithral. So he'll use the tree to smelt the metal and he will have no time among his labors to worry about the elven corpse... And that is why elves dislike dwarves.~
@45   = ~Which will be eaten by a hungry halfling, in turn?~
@46   = ~What about halflings and humans and gnomes?~
@47   = ~Coran, that's enough!~
@48   = ~Of course, I had forgotten that you are a grim sort.~
@49   = ~That is pleasant to hear.~
@50   = ~Heh, that was a good one!~
@51   = ~It must be one really hungry halfling you are talking about, <CHARNAME>. I rather think that he would open a small tavern on the spot and call it the “Elf and Orc”, and boast unceasingly that he sells the best ale on Toril. That would be true, of course, since we are talking about the very last one.~
@52   = ~What about humans and gnomes?~
@53   = ~Do you know that you are full of prejudice?~
@54   = ~A halfling would open a small tavern on the spot and call it the “Elf and Orc”, and boast unceasingly that he sells the best ale on Toril. That would be true, of course, since we are talking about the very last one. A human would peer at the elf's remains, thinking wistfully that he would never be able to die in such a mystic way, but aloud he would say that the arrogant bastard had found an appropriate end. I swear by Hanali Celanil's golden heart that I do not know what a gnome might do. Ask a gnome...~
@55   = ~Yeah, good story!~
@56   = ~A human would peer at the elf's remains, thinking wistfully that he would never be able to die in such a mystic way, but aloud he would say that the arrogant bastard had found an appropriate end. I swear by Hanali Celanil's golden rose that I do not know what a gnome might do. Ask a gnome... ~
@57   = ~Who is not? Relax, <CHARNAME>, I do allow that an orc could be a noble exception to his race and that an elf could kill a tree for some dark purpose, and I can even imagine a generous dwarf, adventurous halfling, or a human who does not lust for the things others have...~
@58   = ~I hope that you'd trade me a tale a two of your own for this? Something about the fun times monks have in Candlekeep, maybe?~
@59   = ~Ah, to be a young runaway from home! You are a daring <PRO_MANWOMAN>, <CHARNAME>. I like it!~
@60   = ~I am not that young. I have seen a bit of a world, and I am rapidly becoming a hero of sorts! Just wait another month or so - then nobody will dare to address me as *young* <CHARNAME>. I will be as famed as Drizzt soon!~
@61   = ~Not surprisingly, I like you too, Coran. We vagabonds and bon vivants need to band together!~
@62   = ~Coran, as much as I appreciate the sentiment, I have not run away from home. I left Candlekeep accompanied by my foster father and I have continued to act in full accordance with his wishes after his untimely death. I am not the disobedient brat you imagine.~
@63   = ~*chuckles* Ah, I see that you are drunk on your first goblet of freedom and glory! That's good. We do not need level-headed commoners in this company!~
@64   = ~Absolutely not! They would end up dead too quickly, anyway.~
@65   = ~Ah, we can take along one or two, to have someone to laugh at.~
@66   = ~To each his own. I do not harvest, and level-headed commoners do not roam about the hills and valleys in the company of disreputable adventurers. The world simply continues as it always has.~
@67   = ~I suggest that we drink a flagon or two of good wine to celebrate our companionship in the next half-decent tavern, then tell a fair maiden or two of our incredible adventures. Come now, let us go adventuring before somber paladins kill all the dragons, all the maidens turn into old wives, and the wine dries out!~
@68   = ~You like me? My beautiful lady just made the sun shine brighter! I shall fight like a lion, sweetling, when I know that your eyes look at me approvingly. Come now, let us continue our search for adventure before somber paladins kill all the dragons and all the wine dries out!~
@69   = ~*laughs* My friend, trust me, you are not that bad of a fellow. But if you wish to pretend to be a stern-faced soldier on duty today, be my guest!~
@70   = ~Ah, my Lady, do warm up a bit, lest you turn the jolly land of Baldur's Gate into Icewind Dale. Your smallest smile will save us all from freezing, <CHARNAME>.~
@71   = ~You are impossible! Is there a way I can show you that your flirting displeases me?~
@72   = ~You will not let me be, will you? Here is your smile, Coran, and let us move!~
@73   = ~*laugh* Ah, Coran, I knew I would not be able to trick you. I am just as much of a vagabond as you are. Maybe that's why I like you so much...~
@74   = ~No, we cannot have poor level-headed commoners killed. Unless they should try to force us to settle down in their midst, that is. Come now, let us continue our search for adventure before somber paladins kill all the dragons, all the fair maidens turn into old wives, and all the wine dries out!~
@75   = ~Perhaps. But I do not like laughing at those who are pathetic or weak. I like laughing at and with strong and free people. Come now, let us continue our search for adventure before somber paladins kill all the dragons, all the fair maidens turn into old wives, and all the wine dries out!~
@76   = ~Of course, my <PRO_LADYLORD>, of course... and that is a good thing it is. The world would not be the same without either peasants or adventurers. Come now, let us continue our search for adventures before somber paladins kill all the dragons, all the fair maidens turn into old wives, and all the wine dries out!~
@77   = ~Why, I never flirted with you! Not really. Not yet. I might try so you can see the difference... oh, stop frowning, I am only joking!~
@78   = ~My beautiful lady, your smile makes the sun shine brighter! I shall fight like a lion, sweetling, wearing the memory of your pretty lips in my mind, like a knight wears his Lady's favor. Come now, let us continue our search for adventure before somber paladins kill all the dragons and all the wine dries out!~
@79   = ~I am glad to be in your company, for you seem to attract adventure. Wyverns are nothing! I am starting to hope that we will meet a dragon one day. Everyone claims to be the descendant of Tethir the Dragon Slayer back home, so perhaps I share his blood.~
@80   = ~First you talked of nothing but maidens, now it's dragons... Coran, are you truly my elder?~
@81   = ~I do not think that we are ready to face a dragon yet, Coran. They are beasts of legendary power and...~
@82   = ~Yeah! That *would* be thrilling... and I bet a dragon's skull would be big enough to make into a rocking chair! Or a throne...~
@83   = ~Is this going to turn into a lecture on responsibility? Thank you, but I *am* your elder and I explicitly forbid it! Why, they grilled me enough to last me 'till the end of time during my last stay in Suldanessellar.~
@84   = ~And all because I carved my name and my lady's on the trunk of the Tree of Life... and with a very attractive heart around it, mind you. In hindsight, it's my own fault. I should not have put mine down, but love blinds a man to reason.~
@85   = ~How hard can it be to slay a wyrm? The main thing is never to let your heart sink in despair, not when you are facing a very angry red dragon, nor when a fair maiden gives you an icy look.~
@86   = ~What is there to smile about when a dragon is about to eat you?~
@87   = ~Dragons and maidens. Coran, will you ever mature?~
@88   = ~Perhaps we could do it. It would be a thrilling escapade, and I bet a dragon's skull would be big enough to turn into a rocking chair. Or a throne...~
@89   = ~Why are you speaking of thrones? Are you one of those who lusts after power and dreams of becoming a sovereign?~
@90   = ~It is better to lust after power than barmaids, Coran.~
@91   = ~With my divine blood I should think of the things like that, Coran. I see a throne made of dragonbone, black jade and dark adamantine. It is strangely attractive and ugly at the same time.~
@92   = ~It was a stray thought, Coran, no more. I was talking of the rocking chairs, and suddenly I saw a throne made of dragonbone, black jade and dark adamantine. It was strangely attractive and ugly at the same time.~
@93   = ~No, Coran, I did not mean it seriously. Just a word that popped into my mind.~
@94   = ~Oh, plenty! Just think of the heartburn the dragon would get after feasting on you!~
@95   = ~I doubt it... power is such a capricious mistress, and romance with her is so ultimately unrewarding! It turns you into a fat, arrogant, and selfish squid, teaching others how to go about their lives even faster than marriage does.~
@96   = ~You are in truth Bhaal's <PRO_SONDAUGHTER>, aren't you? Sometimes I forget about it, but then it resurfaces like bubbles in a bog. I am afraid that power will find you even if you keep your wits about you and do not search for it. I... I might consider leaving your company soon, <CHARNAME>. While our time together has been fun, I am not overly comfortable travelling with one of your heritage.~
@97   = ~You have the most strange visions and dreams, <CHARNAME>. Either you are indeed marked for greatness, or you are simply mad. I would prefer to go mad, rather than rule. Power is such a capricious mistress, and romance with her is so ultimately unrewarding! It turns you into a fat, arrogant and selfish squid, teaching others how to go about their lives even faster than marriage does.~
@98   = ~You know that it is not. You are Bhaal's <PRO_SONDAUGHTER>. Sometimes I forget about it, but then it resurfaces like bubbles in a bog. I am afraid that power will find you even if you keep your wits about you and do not search for it. I... I might consider leaving your company soon, <CHARNAME>. While our time together has been fun, I am not overly comfortable travelling with one of your heritage.~
@99   = ~A strange word for a stripling of a <PRO_MANWOMAN> to mouth idly, <CHARNAME>. Either you are marked for greatness, or you are simply mad. I would prefer to go mad, rather than rule. Power is such a capricious mistress, and romance with her is so ultimately unrewarding! It turns you into a fat, arrogant and selfish squid, teaching others how to go about their lives even faster than marriage does.~
@100  = ~There is perfection in every woman, yet no woman is perfection. Alas.~
@101  = ~Is that what you're searching for, Coran? Perfection? You are setting yourself up for a disappointment.~
@102  = ~In this case, Coran, your only hope is to turn your searching gaze elsewhere. But I think that you would find males no less flawed than females.~
@103  = ~Why do you say that?~
@104  = ~Fear not, I can cope with disappointment. I invented a peculiar system. I believe there is a perfection in every woman: one has an earlobe made for the most gentle kisses, another can dance you into the ground, and yet another's eyes spell trouble so irresistibly... so, when put together, they make a beautiful image.~
@105  = ~You... collect women like pieces of a mosaic? That's disgusting, Coran!~
@106  = ~Interesting solution. I wonder if your collected specimens do not rebel sometimes against participating in such a fellowship.~
@107  = ~*laughs* Indeed.~
@108  = ~You see... usually, one woman has an ear lobe made for the most gentle kisses, another can dance you into the ground, and yet another's eyes spell trouble so irresistibly. So when put together, they make the perfect woman of my dreams.~
@109  = ~I think you misunderstood me. I do not wish to spoil the pleasures of love by becoming a lover to more than one woman at the same time, but I notice the beauty in the others and remember it. In fact I believe that with some women you should *not* be in love with them in order to love them...~
@110  = ~Coran, what are you babbling about? That makes no sense!~
@111  = ~You mean this odd, sweet feeling which sprouts in your soul when you know that you are in love with another and she, with you? When you do not have to prove anything or conquer her, but just stand there and enjoy her company and her grace, and feel proud and sad that no 'what if' thoughts ever crossed your mind?~
@112  = ~Coran, Coran. You think too much about women for your own good. Can you do it in silence for a while? We really ought to be going.~
@113  = ~I... I sometimes had this odd, sweet feeling. I did not have to prove anything or conquer her. I simply enjoyed her company and her grace. And I felt proud and sad that no 'what if' thoughts ever crossed my mind. What is it if not the noblest form of love? To wish someone every happiness, and wish not for anything in return?~
@114  = ~That, Coran, is called camaraderie. Not love. Is it so inconceivable to you to have a lady friend who does not share your bed?~
@115  = ~Maybe you are capable of deeper feelings than I had thought.~
@116  = ~Coran, Coran. What does it matter if it is love or not? We really ought to be going now.~
@117  = ~A man who thinks too little of women is heading for trouble.~
@118  = ~*sighs* I would have loved such a woman for the rest of my life, but alas, I have yet to meet a woman who would not fall for me in the end. ~
@119  = ~Not so loud, if you please! I have a reputation to live up to, you know.~
@120  = ~Yes, my friend. Sometimes I think that it is the noblest form of love. To wish someone every happiness and wish not for anything in return.~
@121  = ~That, Coran, is called camaraderie. Not love. Is it so inconceivable to you to have a lady friend who does not share your bed?~
@122  = ~Love means life, <CHARNAME>, and one can never think of either too much.~
@123  = ~Rise and shine, roguesse! ~
@124  = ~A simple 'the most beautiful, charming and elegant lady in the world' should suffice, darling. What was this 'roguesse' anyway?~
@125  = ~My most beautiful, charming and elegant lady in the world, I thought this morn that Common is a wonderfully flexible language, but it lacks the ability to mimic the most attractive feature of the world too often. That is that there are males and females...~
@126  = ~So that's why you want to call me roguine?~
@127  = ~Roguesse... or roguine... or roguiella... or roguetta?~
@128  = ~Oh, I see. But darling, who is to say that rogue must be reserved for males? Maybe it is feminine per se, and it's me who should call you... roguer? ~
@129  = ~If that pleases you. But I prefer it when you call me 'darling'. It is more... encouraging, my rose petal.~
@130  = ~<CHARNAME>? *yawning* Is it time to get up already? Tell me that you are joking! I...I am exhausted. Namara got a bit agitated during our last battle, and would not stop babbling. *yawn* And she tried to chew on the fletching of the arrows... the magical ones, too...~
@131  = ~<CHARNAME>?~
@132  = ~I am sorry, Coran. We really have to get moving. I did not wake you till the last moment as is.~
@133  = ~I do not think that a longer rest will hurt us. Go back to sleep, Coran... Erm... *after* you calm Namara down... And do keep her away from our arrow supply!~
@134  = ~I have no patience for this, Coran. You chose to do your duty like a man should, now do it without whining. Up, Coran of Tethyr!~
@135  = ~Thank you, <CHARNAME>. I shall try to get ready shortly... Namara! I have had lovers who were not as keen as you to pull on my laces...~
@136  = ~Yes, my Captain!~
@137  = ~*yawns* I will get ready shortly... Namara! Please... I have had lovers who were not as keen as you to pull on my laces...~
@138  = ~The greatest sign of stupidity is inability to follow advice from one's betters. I stepped down from the pedestal of superiority to grace you with my wisdom, and you have done nothing. (The fool did not see the perfect opportunity to get rid of the base child. All he needed to do is to give her the pointy end to suckle on.) Stop trying to solicit <CHARNAME>'s sympathy and get up, lazy thief!~
@139  = ~Barely born, and she is already courting death. She must have learned it from us.~
@140  = ~Oh! She is so cute! *giggle* I want a babe of my own!~
@141  = ~You keep your wanton eyes on the elf, and he can easily arrange that.~
@142  = ~<CHARNAME>? What a beautiful vision you are... *stifles a yawn* I am sorry, my fair Lady. Will you be merciful and tell me that I am dreaming of you and it's not the time to get up already? I...I am exhausted. Namara got a bit agitated during our last encounter, and would not stop babbling. And she tried to chew on the fletching of the arrows...the magical ones, too... and...~ [CORANB]
@143  = ~I do not think that a longer rest will hurt us. Go back to sleep, Coran, and let me try to lull Namara... while we still have arrows left.~
@144  = ~Bah! I have no pity for you. You almost left poor Brielbara to cope on her own, and now you are wailing in self-pity because the baby actually forced you to be responsible. Men! Now GET UP!~
@145  = ~<CHARNAME>, your kindness is surpassed only by your beauty. Erm, are you sure you can lull Namara, though? You can practice on me... if you are uncertain, that is.~
@146  = ~*You glare at Coran and pick up Namara. Ignoring his rather anxious glance, you start singing a lullaby:*
Hundred bees left the hive,
Flew away into the night.
They look lost in the sky
Silver bees, silver wives
I do not hear them buzz, 
I do not hear them cry.
It is my babe who does
And I do not know why.~
@147  = ~Do not worry, Coran. I always do things well when I put my mind to it. *Ignoring Coran's rather anxious glance, you pick up Namara and start singing a lullaby:*
Hundred bees left the hive,
Flew away into the night.
They look lost in the sky
Silver bees, silver wives
I do not hear them buzz, 
I do not hear them cry.
It is my babe who does
And I do not know why.~
@148  = ~It sounds like a good idea... Here, Coran, let me take Namara and I will sit by you and sing you both to sleep. *Ignoring Coran's rather anxious glance, you pick up Namara and start singing a lullaby:*
Hundred bees left the hive,
Flew away into the night.
They look lost in the sky
Silver bees, silver wives
I do not hear them buzz, 
I do not hear them cry.
It is my babe who does
And I do not know why.~
@149  = ~Up, Coran of Tethyr! If you have the strength to flirt, you should have enough strength to walk.~
@150  = ~I left Brielbara with her loving husband! Is it my fault that he turned out to be a cruel-hearted bastard?~
@151  = ~Brielbara has a special talent for falling for cruel-hearted bastards, apparently.~
@152  = ~Up, Coran of Tethyr! If you have the strength to grumble, you should have enough strength to walk.~
@153  = ~Oh, all right, I cannot stand this pathetic display of helplessness. A longer rest will not hurt us. Go back to sleep, Coran, and let me try to lull Namara... while we still have arrows left.~
@154  = ~I should have known better than to doubt you... this lullaby, it sounds very convincing coming from you. *Coran falls asleep, but it will take you good two hours to quiet Namara.*~
@155  = ~Let my dreams be as beautiful and kind as you are with Namara. *Coran and Namara both fall asleep peacefully, as well as the rest of your rugged companions.*~
@156  = ~Ermm... you think? I doubt that it is quite true, but... all right. I will not let a frown spoil your beautiful face, <CHARNAME>. I will try to get ready shortly... Namara! Please... I have had lovers who were not as keen as you to pull on my laces...~
@157  = ~Apparently. You have it all figured out, do you not? Poor, naive Brielbara, cruel-hearted Coran and a bastard babe. Why do I even bother talking to you?~
@158  = ~Your shield bears a sigil, but it is not Helm's eye. Would that be you family's coat of arms?~
@159  = ~Aye, Coran. Those are the sigil and the words of the House Ilvastarr of Waterdeep.~
@160  = ~'Law above all'?~
@161  = ~'Law above all.'~
@162  = ~Hmm... which law?~
@163  = ~The law of the land.~
@164  = ~Tell me, Ajantis, as you cross the border between the lands, does your perception of right and wrong change? What if you are in a drow city? I have heard that they have only one law: 'Do not get caught!'~
@165  = ~People cannot be so blind as not to see how the laws of Waterdeep are just and righteous and the best. I obey those laws and expect everyone to respect them as well. If they do not - woe unto them!~
@166  = ~That's rather a harsh position, Ajantis. Until such time as the whole of Faerun would... ahem... gain this insight... with your help, I doubt not... would not you at least consider that laws can be different, and that what you think is wrong might not be exactly unlawful?~
@167  = ~I am not going to stand here and listen to some thief talking about the law. You, who have not a shred of honor, how dare you to mock those who are your betters? ~
@168  = ~*laughs* Take it easy, Ajantis. Your nostrils are steaming already, another moment and you'd be breathing fire at me. I thought that paladins were supposed to fight dragons, not to turn into them.~
@169  = ~Alora, if you do not mind me asking, do your parents know where you are and what you are doing?~
@170  = ~Nope. How ‘bout yours?~
@171  = ~I visited them only a short time ago.~
@172  = ~Oh, that was when that wizard caught you with his wife and you had to flee the Gate?~
@173  = ~No, it was after Ivette... or was it Anette... told me that we were over for the third time and I felt that it *was* over... Never mind. It cannot be more than 10 years. Tethyr is too far away... and besides it is too idyllic for my liking, but I do miss my parents. Do you?~
@174  = ~Aye, a bit, every now and then, but I think the further I am from them, the fonder I am of them. Funny, huh?~
@175  = ~You know, they might be worried sick about you. If I did not know where Namara was...~
@176  = ~Heh, Namara is a *baby*, Coran. I'd worry about her too, if she started living on her own at that age...~
@177  = ~Alora, you are taking what I am saying too lightly, I think. Maybe once you have kids of your own you will understand...~
@178  = ~Coran, are you feverish?~
@179  = ~No... I am just... I do not know! I am sorry, Alora, I have all sorts of strange thoughts in my head lately. I must be coming down with 'father fever.'~
@180  = ~Branwen, your hair is like gold. Allow me to be a master smith and shape it into a crown of a rare magnificence.~
@181  = ~I'll spare none of my time on such folly. I am warrior born, not a concubine.~
@182  = ~It might help to attract the attention of your savage god.~
@183  = ~Tempus sees my fury in battle and my bravery! That is how I shall find his favor.~
@184  = ~But you might as well give him an idea on why female clergy might be something he is missing among his toils. It is your goal, after all...~
@185  = ~The Lord of Battle cares not for my appearance! Battleguards of Tempus are regarded for valorous deeds.~
@186  = ~Oh, I would not be so sure. He is still a man, Branwen.~
@187  = ~Did anyone tell you, Dynaheir, that you have an accent that can turn a man's heart inside out?~
@188  = ~Thou surprisest me, Coran.~
@189  = ~Surely such a compliment is not new for you. Your speech is so elegant and elaborate, Dynaheir. It fits you perfectly.~
@190  = ~Thou likest my speech then? ~
@191  = ~Yes, and many other things about you, besides. Intelligence is a very attractive feature in a lady... for me, at least.~
@192  = ~Then thou art seeking in thy mate what thou lacks in thyself?~
@193  = ~What makes you think so, enchantress?~
@194  = ~*coldly* Invoker... Certain rumors of thy escapades, elf. Smart men do not get caught, and still smarter men do not engage in hedonistic excesses to begin with.~
@195  = ~It is a delight to travel in your company, wizardess. ~
@196  = ~Thou takest our situation too lightly, elf. Keep thine eyes on the foe and thy back to me.~
@197  = ~I find you much more attractive than thugs and muggers, Dynaheir~
@198  = ~Thy kind finds any woman attractive, Coran, thou dost not fool me. I reckon you swear undying love twice a week at the least, each time to be forgotten in a moment. ~
@199  = ~Dynaheir, to train my arm and my eye, I have to practice at shooting my bow every day. The heart requires practice as well.~
@200  = ~Thy marksmanship is useful, elf, but what purpose doth thy second exercise serve?~
@201  = ~Have you heard of the elven bond, Dynaheir?~
@202  = ~Indeed. So art thou seeking one true love to bond to for the rest of thy days?~
@203  = ~*smiles* I am an elf, Dynaheir, and there is nothing I wish more than to find a mate whose soul will be one with mine.~
@204  = ~Foolish it seems to me that thou seek it by means of being beguiled by every passing maid.~
@205  = ~Rather... bewitched... at the moment...~
@206  = ~Edwin, I must insist that you do not cast dangerous spells so close to little children.~
@207  = ~If little children will stop attaching their sticky little fingers (inherited from their thieving fathers, no doubt) to various magical items, which should be only handled by a person of superior intellect, I would have no need of wasting my precious talent on distracting them.~
@208  = ~Are you trying to tell me that you cast the color spray simply to distract Namara?~
@209  = ~Your girl seems to have stopped her senseless blabbering, and I think I can distinguish some signs of pleasure beneath all this saliva on her face. (If only I could get the no less primitive creature of a father to cease chatting with the same ease...)~
@210  = ~Indeed, she is smiling. Maybe she has an early talent for magic? Edwin, do you think you can try to teach her a spell or two? Edwin? Edwin? Where are you?~
@211  = ~Is it true that lady friends paid your way through the New Olamn?~
@212  = ~The attention of women is a rare gift, with which I am more than plentifully bestowed. Yes, of course.~
@213  = ~I find the idea very... attractive. Indeed, instead of snatching money from someone's' hands, you kiss those hands instead, and voila! They do not cry: 'Thief!', but smile and beg you to take more.~
@214  = ~Well, if you are ready for a change of profession, I could easily point you in the right direction. You do have some talent, but I fear you'd put too much heart in your work - and it is work.~
@215  = ~Work? Though I have heard that some are paid for tasting fine wines and food for the rich. Does pleasing their wives have hidden poison in it, as well?~
@216  = ~There are so many sour fruits among them, you cannot imagine. To bear through the whims of the boring, the domineering and the overly talkative is pure torture. Can you imagine it? Some of them actually think they have something to say that I have not heard before!~
@217  = ~And of course you cannot allow yourself to have a tiniest shred of love or honor.~
@218  = ~Honor? Love? The secret is not to take anything to heart. After all, the first duty in life is to be as artificial as possible.~
@219  = ~This sounds very refreshing, Eldoth. I am starting to see all sorts of advantages in your philosophy.~
@220  = ~I have a question about nature, Faldorn.~
@221  = ~Then you are asking the right person, Coran.~
@222  = ~I think it will take you slightly beyond your field of expertise, however.~
@223  = ~I do not mind that, Elf. I know that the fair folk's perception of nature is different than that of other races. I expect a twist.~
@224  = ~See the mountains kiss high heaven,
And the waves clasp one another;
No sister-flower would be forgiven
If it disdain'd its brother;
And the sunlight clasps the earth,
And the moonbeams kiss the sea—
What are all these kissings worth,
If thou kiss not me?~
@225  = ~Those kisses are worth eternity, Coran. They had always been and they will always be, they create and shape the world. Should I kiss you, on the other hand, that would create nothing but a moment of pleasure, random and inconstant.~
@226  = ~Theoretically you might be right, Faldorn, but I am rather fond of practical experiments to confirm the theory, Faldorn. ~
@227  = ~Naturally. Here, have your kiss.~
@228  = ~Mmmgh... I think you were absolutely right. It was rather random and inconstant.~
@229  = ~You, bastard!~
@230  = ~But a moment of great pleasure as well, because it was so random and inconstant.~
@231  = ~Faldorn, if a Shadow Druid comes to a dragon's cave and sees a captured princess there...~
@232  = ~*sighs in exasperation* I know that joke! Yes, he would kill the princess to save the poor dragon from her clutches.~
@233  = ~Personally, I do not know why a dragon would mind. I would love to find myself in the clutches of a princess, especially one of unearthly beauty...~
@234  = ~Keep dreaming, elf. I am not surprised that fathers lock their daughters away behind castle walls when they hear that you are back in town.~
@235  = ~Faldorn, if someone locks my love behind tall castle walls to hide her from me, I'd steal both the maid and the wall.~
@236  = ~Grrr! You boast worse than a newly anointed paladin, Coran.~
@237  = ~Surely not *that* bad?~
@238  = ~Faldorn, you are one of those women who tease men's imagination.~
@239  = ~What?~
@240  = ~I, for one, wonder continuously how you'd look in silks and gems.~
@241  = ~Grrr! I've two woolen tunics, breeches and a necklace of slate. That's all I need. Silks, bah!~
@242  = ~Precisely, wild flower. How can a woman wear those rags, have her hair look like a particularly artistic crow's nest, have smear of mud on her cheek and be content - is a mystery. And mystery is a fertile ground, which makes the maple of imagination grow tall.~
@243  = ~Your *imagination*, Coran, just like civilization, needs to be cut down to size!~
@244  = ~I have always wondered, bard, what is the most difficult part about writing a song?~
@245  = ~That's easy, the first line! Coran, just give me a good first line... And then I can give the world a song.~
@246  = ~How strange. I would think that finding the first dozen words is no different than finding the next dozen.~
@247  = ~The first line is like a knot on a necklace, Coran. Forget to tie it or do it poorly and the whole string will fall apart, no matter how carefully you choose the beads.~
@248  = ~If I ever come across a line which sounds like a knot, I'll let you know, Garrick.~
@249  = ~Ah, well, thanks.~
@250  = ~I am sorry to hear of your loss, Garrick. Silke was said to be a woman of exquisite beauty and charm.~
@251  = ~Ah, Silke! Such talent, such enormous, huge talent! All ruined because of a petty squabble over a handful of coins. Working for her, answering to the call of her beautiful voice, taking punishment...~
@252  = ~Punishment?~
@253  = ~The mistress was always administering punishment herself. Harsh, but just, as she was, it was only to be expected. She used to say that pain is inevitable...~
@254  = ~...and you must take it and love the hand which dispensed it upon you.~
@255  = ~Uh, yes, actually. How do you know? Had you... Ahem... Encountered Silke?~
@256  = ~Garrick, how can you be so blind? Have you never heard of Loviatar, the Maiden of Pain? Your Silke sounds like her follower!~
@257  = ~But, but Silke was an actress! A bard! Not a priestess!~
@258  = ~The priests of Loviatar, or Pains, as they call themselves, often disguise themselves as artists, Garrick. This way they hope to gain admission to the houses of the powerful to seduce and indoctrinate them.~
@259  = ~Uhm... Coran, you seem to know this stuff awfully well.~
@260  = ~I... I talked to a learned theologician once.~
@261  = ~Did I tell you that I once played lute?~
@262  = ~No, Coran, you did not. Maybe we could try a duet for our comrades sometime? That would be glorious!~
@263  = ~The last time I played in public... ahem... that was quite a story. ~
@264  = ~Go on, nothing like a good tale shared between friends.~
@265  = ~I once noticed a beautiful lady in the market square in Baldur's Gate. Alas, the lady belonged to a rich and powerful family, so for a while I thought there was no way to gain acquaintance. Later, I learned that she was an art connoisseur and welcomed bards in her home. So I bought a lute and learned to play it, and thus gained admittance to the house...~
@266  = ~Ah, I get you. Only to the house?~
@267  = ~Garrick, do you want me to be indiscrete? But let us say whatever was happening was enough to make the lady's husband jealous.~
@268  = ~Or so I reasoned out one night when I was to play in the presence of half-hundred guests and found all the strings of my lute gone.~
@269  = ~Oh? That's an awful mishap! The guests must have been disappointed when you did not show up to play. And the ladies... they like their guests to be in the highest of spirits...~
@270  = ~I did play, Garrick. I unstrung my bow and put the string on the lute.~
@271  = ~And you were, uh, successful?~
@272  = ~Of course not! Even an elf cannot play well with only one string! However, it is all the matter of perception. Before starting, I announced that it was a comical trick... You should have seen them all laughing as I plucked at that single string over and over and over again. And you should have seen her smile... but, that again is an indiscretion.~
@273  = ~Such grace and finesse in motion. Imoen, watching you pick locks is a pleasure to my sore eyes. So much incompetence around...~
@274  = ~Huh, to be honest, Coran, thieving's not much to my liking...~
@275  = ~The trick is to take from those who can spare it.~
@276  = ~*giggles* How'd you know that? Do you come up to a person and ask if he can afford to be robbed? Or do you leave a message in a house you have just picked clean with your address, so they can reach you in case they'd want stuff back?~
@277  = ~If such thoughts trouble your pretty head, maybe you should think of trying out something else?~
@278  = ~I am sorry, Imoen. I am trying to sort through some... ahem, paperwork and...~
@279  = ~Heya, Coran. Wow, what a stack of letters! Do you have a large, lovin' family or somethin'? ~
@280  = ~These are letters from some friends...~
@281  = ~Lady-friends? ~
@282  = ~Well, not all of them are necessarily ladies... I mean female friends. There are two or three from men tossed in.~
@283  = ~Must be from the husbands, then?~
@284  = ~Pretty much.~
@285  = ~Imoen! That is my *private* correspondence!~
@286  = ~Oh, but it reads like a novel! Just listen: 'M'lord, by stealing away the devotion of my wife, you have acted in an utterly dishonorable way...' ~
@287  = ~Hmm... must be from some paladin. I am to duel him sometime this month, unless I'm mistaken?~
@288  = ~Oh, yes, no doubt! Here is another one! *reading aloud* 'Elf, if you ever dare to approach my innocent daughter again with your distasteful flattery...'~
@289  = ~He must have meant: 'if you ever dare to approach my distasteful daughter again with your innocent flattery...' *shrugs* If it makes him any happier, I have no intention to meet the lady in question again. She was proposing despicable things to me...~
@290  = ~Marriage?~
@291  = ~How did you know?~
@292  = ~*giggles* 'and all your scheming will not help you to obtain Carrina's hand. Know that she is engaged to be married to Baron Kuntz.'~
@293  = ~Bless you, kind Sir.~
@294  = ~Jaheira, you tempestuous druid lady, what were you and Khalid whispering and laughing about awhile ago while looking my way? I always take delight in a fair, smiling maiden's face turned in my direction, but not necessarily, ahem, with her husband's accompaniment.~
@295  = ~Well, for one thing, I was remarking to Khalid how you would have looked flopping about in the water, had that bridge you stood on like a toll collector not been wide enough to let two pass abreast.~
@296  = ~Cruel woman! and had it not, would you have really shoved me off to go past, had you not decided to let me join your delightful company?~
@297  = ~Oh, yes, definitely, seeing how that was the only way we could get across. Now, if I was paranoid, like some mad wizard, I would suspect that some mischievous and heavy-handed deity designed our travel plans so that we would have no choice but to run into you.~
@298  = ~Ah, that benevolent deity surely must be female.~
@299  = ~What is the difference between the love of a maid and love of a married woman, Jaheira?~
@300  = ~A maiden's love is a chance arrow: no one knows where it will fall. A married woman has her eyes set on only one target.~
@301  = ~How delightful! Shall I paint a target on my chest, around my heart, for you?~
@302  = ~I am no bowman, Coran, but I think Khalid would happily oblige you. Shall I ask him?~
@303  = ~Khalid is uninterested in the charms of women? Who could have suspected! What a waste of a woman like you!~
@304  = ~*icily* I was not speaking figuratively.~
@305  = ~So you meant for him to shoot me dead, my cruel beauty? ~
@306  = ~I am glad we came to some understanding. And by the Oaths of Silvanus, if you'd dare to call me yours again, I'll... ~
@307  = ~*dreamily* Oh, the love of a married woman is like thin ice, but what a thrill to tread on it! ~
@308  = ~Please, comrades, let us halt for a moment. Namara thinks it is feeding time... again.~
@309  = ~Coran, let her cry. You have to make her get used to a schedule.~
@310  = ~And you call yourself a druid? ~
@311  = ~Yes, I am a druid, and I know what I am talking about.~
@312  = ~Jaheira, when you and Khalid have your own children, you are welcome to do as you please with them. I am not letting my daughter starve to death for your pleasure.~
@313  = ~It is a well-known fact...~
@314  = ~Jaheira, my daughter's opinion in this matter outweighs yours. Not to mention that she is capable of outyelling you.~
@315  = ~Tell me, Khalid, do the maids find your shyness attractive?~
@316  = ~Sh-shyness? You mean that I d-don't tell every passing girl that the sun of my heart will n-never rise again if she will not smile at me?~
@317  = ~Something like that, yes.~
@318  = ~I d-don't know what they may feel, Coran. I want n-nobody but Jaheira.~
@319  = ~I do not doubt your fealty, Khalid. What about before you met Jaheira?~
@320  = ~Th-that was another world, Coran - my life altered from the p-point I knew Jaheira, n-not only because of our meeting, but because of our ... work together. As a youth in C-Calimport, I was thought a p-pleasing enough companion, though k-kisses were all I exchanged, with ladies who wanted n-no more.~
@321  = ~Wanted no more?! I guess the shy approach has its downside.~
@322  = ~But when do *you* c-consider a woman attracted? Because I have heard you s-say that a tavern wench fancied you when all she d-did was bring you your ale.~
@323  = ~Oh, but the way she looked at me...~
@324  = ~Coran, it was too d-dark for you to tell. Besides, with the tips you leave b-behind, you must be a legend across F-Faerun. That would be a better explanation f-for her pleasure if she truly did s-smile at you.~
@325  = ~Those poor girls do not have much fun. A gold piece for a happy smile is a bargain, if you ask me. Now, what about my question?~
@326  = ~Perhaps *you* c-could try to be less... outgoing for a change, th-then you will see for yourself what the girls p-prefer. ~
@327  = ~After wandering far and wide, one starts longing for his homeland. Even I...~
@328  = ~Coran, you are from T-Tethyr, right? Can you tell me about your land?~
@329  = ~It's changed a lot since the time of Tethir the Dragonslayer. No more dragons roaming around. There is the city of Suldanessellar and plenty of wilderness. It is beautiful, majestic and idyllic. Not to mention boring. That's why I can never stay there for long. But why are you asking? ~
@330  = ~It is J-Jaheira's homeland. I am c-curious about what it looks like. It m-must be very different from Calimport.~
@331  = ~You've never been to Tethyr?~
@332  = ~No, we never had t-time, unfortunately. Besides, I'm afraid that it would be p-painful for Jaheira. Her whole family was k-killed during a civil war there.~
@333  = ~Oh, that's horrible! My heart aches when I think about it, and a bitter taste fills my mouth, but you would absolutely love Tethyr, Khalid.~
@334  = ~Why are you s-so sure?~
@335  = ~Because you love everything related to Jaheira.~
@336  = ~You are r-right. If Jaheira wanted to return to T-Tethyr, I would be g-glad to live there. My home is not a place, it is a p-person.~
@337  = ~You are taut as a bowstring again, Kivan. I heard you moaning in your reverie. Don't tell me that you recall the grim memories!~
@338  = ~I have no choice, Coran, and you know it. I would gladly direct my thoughts to the days when I knew happiness, but both good and bad memories come to us when we reverie.~
@339  = ~Ah, mellonamin, that is too cruel.~
@340  = ~I... I have to look at their faces, sometimes, so that I would not forget even one.~
@341  = ~The faces of brigands who captured you?~
@342  = ~Yes. These dreams come from Shevarash, I am sure.~
@343  = ~Kivan, I do not know what to say. I resent Shevarash and his horribly grim and single-minded ways, but-~
@344  = ~Then say nothing.~
@345  = ~-*but* I do not resent you. By the Nine Hells! You are a stubborn sylvan just like your Sheverash! You are unbearable! You are absolutely insane! But by Hanali Celanil, I always feel like killing that Tazok myself after talking to you!~
@346  = ~Kivan, you look troubled. Well, your face appears to be carved out of marble rather than granite.~
@347  = ~My enemy is near, Coran. I can feel it, and I grow restive. There is something that troubles me about what lies ahead.~
@348  = ~Are you afraid to lose this battle?~
@349  = ~No, I am afraid to win it, Coran. I am afraid of what might happen if Tazok would surrender.~
@350  = ~You wonder if you are capable of mercy?~
@351  = ~Yes. Please, be my witness, Coran. I swear that I will not kill a kneeling person who laid aside his blade.~
@352  = ~You do not need an oath to bind you. You would not have done it, anyway.~
@353  = ~Minsc, you traveled this far to be accepted to the Ice Dragon Berserker Lodge? The membership must be highly sought, if you are to accomplish such a feat to join.~
@354  = ~‘Tis true. The lodge is a place for legendary warriors to meet and trade tales of fights with evil, manly deeds and manly talk.~
@355  = ~Dragons killed single-handedly and such?~
@356  = ~Deeds of valor and great bravery. And all done in berserk fury!~
@357  = ~Hmmm... I remember I once crossed a river at the rapids, jumping from slippery stone to slippery stone... fighting for my dear life every step of the way. It was bravery and folly at the same time... ~
@358  = ~Were there any monsters? Fighting evil is a necessary part of heroing!~
@359  = ~Some xvarts were shooting arrows at me, as far as I can recall...~
@360  = ~Oh, why did not you say so from the very beginning? That's the most interesting part! Look, Boo is all ears now!~
@361  = ~It has ears? Oh, well. There were some xvarts. I fought them, and then I crossed the river as they chased me.~
@362  = ~You walked away from the battle? That's cowardice! You should have charged blindly on in a fit of berserk fury!~
@363  = ~My bad. *shrugs* One does grow tired of fighting xvarts, you know.~
@364  = ~Your ways scare me, Montaron. I have nothing against borrowing a coin or two from a guy who can spare it, but...~
@365  = ~Pheh! Who's a better judge me own needs as compared to another's?~
@366  = ~The 'others' certainly seem to object to your judgments often enough.~
@367  = ~Let 'em. Th' dead are very light o' needs as I've known 'em.~
@368  = ~Nor will they be available, on later occasions, to satisfy your future requirements.~
@369  = ~Hmph. Now yer soundin' like that fool priest of Ilmater, tryin' to convert me...~
@370  = ~A martyr, no doubt.~
@371  = ~A numbpate more like. I hit low times and I told him, I'd go to his darned church and sleep there. And he started lecturin' me, like I could eat his words.~
@372  = ~They had to wash the temple with holy water after your visit, I am sure.~
@373  = ~With somethin', I suppose. 'twas pretty messy when I left. This rich feller comes by with a sack o' coin fer the preacher. His sins were plugging him or some such rot, so the idiot decides to give in hopes o' gettin' unplugged. Alla same, he were a sight more liberal in his givin' than he meant, I'd wager. Preacher, too. Between 'em, their givin' cured me o' poverty fer quite a time.~
@374  = ~Associating with you, Montaron, makes me wish I had chosen other ways of charming gold pieces into my pockets. ~
@375  = ~May I sneak past you, Quayle?~
@376  = ~Oh, of course, go ahead. But while you are here, do you share my suspicion that I am the smartest creature that ever lived?~
@377  = ~That simply cannot be, Quayle.~
@378  = ~No? Have not you observed the true extent of my intellectual powers? Have you compared them to all who have lived before me?~
@379  = ~Not really.~
@380  = ~Well, y'know, I have done the comparison, and found all others lacking. ~
@381  = ~When Ao created the world, he created a finite amount of all things, including intellect. Its amount has been constant in the Realms ever since...~
@382  = ~So what?~
@383  = ~See, gnome, the amount of intellect in the world is constant and the population is growing. Each individual's share therefore becomes...~
@384  = ~That's balderdash! I can prove to you that it is nonsense! First of all, the shares of intellect, as you put them, are not distributed equally - and you are a prime example of just *how* unequal it can be. Oh yes. I, on the other hand, received the biggest absolute value! That, my friend, is undisputable.~
@385  = ~As the darkness falls, I seek a lovely maiden to break the ominous silence of the night with her silvery voice.~
@386  = ~Are you liking what you've found?~
@387  = ~I should examine my find more closely to be sure.~
@388  = ~What causes your doubts, unbeliever?~
@389  = ~The darkness, sweetling. I hope you prove as fair in the sunlight as you appear in the moonlight.~
@390  = ~The two of us are a beautiful match.~
@391  = ~I think it's not that we are right for each other, it's that we are wrong for everyone else, as they say in Calimshan... or is it the Dalelands? No matter.~
@392  = ~Safana, step cautiously, you might make me think that you have brains in your head.~
@393  = ~Ah, well, we couldn't have that, could we?~
@394  = ~That would destroy your charm for me.~
@395  = ~Enchantress, may I say that you look especially stunning today?~
@396  = ~When did you get the impression that I do not welcome a compliment? Even one so... lacking in originality?~
@397  = ~You have the right idea on how a beautiful woman should look. You always stand out. You will wear a bright dress on a gray day, a white one in the dark of the night, rivaling the moon, and black velvet when all the lights are on.~
@398  = ~You are a man of taste. But we already know that, do we not, pet?~
@399  = ~Me falling in love with you at the first sight is the undeniable proof.~
@400  = ~However, there is a small correction to your little speech. On a dark night, I will not be trying to stand out. I will be wearing tight black attire.~
@401  = ~And searching for adventure and a coin which would look much better in your purse than in someone else's? Now, I am truly smitten, Safana.~
@402  = ~Safana, my light, what has furrowed your brow?~
@403  = ~Coran, darling, why aren't you begging for my forgiveness yet?~
@404  = ~Would my ladylove give me the list of my crimes?~
@405  = ~You have allowed me to go sleep without a compliment. You are forgetting your courtesies, elf.~
@406  = ~I... I have a lot on my mind lately. Forgive me my lack of...~
@407  = ~Wits?~
@408  = ~Oh? Safana, can we continue this conversation later on? I have some laundry to take care of...~
@409  = ~Darling, I hope it's the demands of fatherhood that are causing your sudden interest in laundry, and that it's not because you'd rather do anything but talk to me. That would distress me greatly, and, well, my misery doesn't just like company - it demands to be shared. Preferably with the person who caused it.~
@410  = ~Damn you, woman! Can't you be at least a little bit... no you cannot. Oh, well.~
@411  = ~I... ahem... acquired some honeyed almonds, Shar-Teel. Do you fancy some?~
@412  = ~Get away from me, you slimy elfman!~
@413  = ~I did not know you hated almonds quite so passionately, Shar-Teel. I am sorry.~
@414  = ~Nine Hells! I do not hate almonds, I hate you hitting on me, you stupid bastard!~
@415  = ~I was not. Let us make a deal: I will press two fingers to my cheek – like this - when I will try to hit on you, and then you can be as furious as you want. Then, when I just try to talk to you...~
@416  = ~Shut up! I don't need no bloody talking and no bloody almonds.~
@417  = ~I think you do. Some scum hurt you in the past, and now you are angry all the time. ~
@418  = ~It is none of your bloody business. None!~
@419  = ~I am a queer person, who thinks that maids should smile, not scowl, Shar-Teel. I like making them smile...~
@420  = ~I suspected that you were born for a fool's motley!~
@421  = ~I do not have a fool's outfit, I am afraid. All I have is almonds... have some, Shar-Teel, maybe that will sweeten your day? ~
@422  = ~It is true then that the smallest people harbor the biggest ambitions.~
@423  = ~When Tiax rules the world from his palace on the top of the highest mountain, none would dare to call Tiax small! You are envious of my future grandeur!~
@424  = ~Envious of freezing yourself solid on the high rock, open to all winds, in the middle of nowhere? I think not.~
@425  = ~My slaves will build me a warm palace, and I will see all of my Realm from my throne room... receive my master Cyric in the chambers of Lies and Deceit... gorgeous concubines sliding along the carpeted floor, pouring drinks for us... and the whole world waiting for the smallest movement of my little finger in eager anticipation of my command... oh, I long for the joyous day when that all shall come to pass.~
@426  = ~Inspired, indeed... I can just picture that... Oh! Excuse me, Tiax, I have this odd condition of collapsing to the ground sometimes, laughing hysterically.~
@427  = ~Why do you want to rule, Tiax?~
@428  = ~Bah! Why do dwarves wish to dig in the earth!? Why do elves wish to prance in the trees all day!? If Tiax desires to rule, it is because Tiax is *destined* to rule, and Cyric has bestowed the proper cravings for his future role as ruler of all things!~
@429  = ~You would be terribly unhappy, should you get absolute power...~
@430  = ~BAH!!! Foolish slave, power is the sixth sense for one *born* to rule! Tiax shall be waited on hand and foot by comely slaves! Tiax's armies shall lay waste to the land and erect mighty statues in his honor! Tiax shall build a palace which, on its own, shall make the mightiest human cities look paltry in comparison! All shall hail Tiax as lord and master, and only then shall he be pleased!~
@431  = ~A high lord in his palace is no freer than a prisoner in his dungeon, Tiax.~
@432  = ~When Tiax rules, he will put you into his dungeon, so you can compare for yourself! Your days of wenching shall end in a bare cell with no companionship, with Tiax making sure to keep you nice and healthy for the hundreds of years remaining in your life! Ahhh, then Tiax shall be pleased even more, to see his old enemies wailing for his mercy and receiving none!~
@433  = ~You would have to capture me first. And I will give up my freedom neither to a jailer nor to a courtier. I have no desire to be locked up in a jail cell, and as for palaces... Forests' boughs are my golden domes, and flowers in bloom are my carpets. Wine turns sour in the mouth, if served by a slave, and the kiss of a concubine loses its sweetness.~
@434  = ~Happiness is in what we are doing now - choosing our own road and adventuring of our own volition. ~
@435  = ~Viconia...~
@436  = ~What is it, darthiir? Have you given into the temptation at last? You, who hold female beauty and passion in such great esteem?~
@437  = ~Actually, I was going to ask you to stop stalking me. It is nightfall, is it not, Viconia?~
@438  = ~Yes, the dark - ever the ally in intimate matters, and ever the more reason for me to suspect your motives.~
@439  = ~And it is during that time also when Shar priestesses seek to commit a wicked deed to please their goddess.~
@440  = ~Are you interested in discussing theology with me or do you, like all jaluken, yet crave my company?~
@441  = ~In all honesty, neither piques my curiosity. I want to stay in one piece and unmolested. Get yourself another victim for your Nightfall ritual, drow.~
@442  = ~Live and let live... have you ever heard that simple rule some of us surfacers abide by?~
@443  = ~Phew, I have heard of it. It is, in my mind, the explanation for the many unworthy weaklings dragging their shadows through this sunlit inferno.~
@444  = ~A little torture and manipulation can do wonders?~
@445  = ~There is purpose to all pain, whether it serves you or another, jaluk. As we say in Menzoberranzan: 'Pain is a crude way of obtaining obedience, but it is cheap and plentiful.'~
@446  = ~I do not doubt that in Menzoberranzan pain is easy to come by. Must you carry it with you to this world? Even after you were cast out by your own?~
@447  = ~There is wisdom and power to the ways of drow that one cannot lightly shun. Be grateful I am not keeping true to all of it, else I would gut you like a fish, darthiir.~
@448  = ~If that is how a rebelliously gentle drow maid is, I hope that <CHARNAME> will not have a sudden and uncontrollable desire to go search for a rigid traditionalist one to include in the party...~
@449  = ~Xan, are you per chance looking for your wand?~
@450  = ~Indeed it is only by a lucky chance that I am still alive and capable of looking... but I fear that might not last long. ~
@451  = ~While it lasts, wizard... do you have need of your wand?~
@452  = ~For what? To distance ourselves, for a fleeting moment, from impending doom? A spell, a trick, a swing of blade – those are barriers hardly capable of keeping death away for long.~
@453  = ~Regardless, if you need it, I know where it is.~
@454  = ~You have stolen it? For what purpose? Are you one of those fools who think that magical arts grant power to overcome one's destiny?~
@455  = ~I... ahem... borrowed your wand for hanging some laundry. *shrugs* Do not look at me like that, or I am going to cry! It is just the right size.~
@456  = ~Xzar, I simply cannot fathom how you justify spending a lifetime - your life - in the study of death and decay.~
@457  = ~I don't suppose it would concern *your* kind, but one of the decided perquisites of necromancy is the indefinite prolongation of the opportunity for such study.~
@458  = ~How fascinating... so you spend your time doing the revolting to obtain more time to do the obnoxious...~
@459  = ~You find death obnoxious? Then what do you think about life?~
@460  = ~Life is full of wonder and enjoyment, and clearly living women smell much better. It is not death that disgusts me, it is the undeath which necromancers seek.~
@461  = ~Er... well, we do not 'seek' it exactly. Undeath finds us, you know. Immortality, unlimited power, dry, scaly skin - but goblin blood, applied topically, helps that... or anyone's blood really, I suppose. Be plenty of that about, mercifully, as one does need lesser creatures to sustain oneself otherwise.~
@462  = ~I must excuse myself, Xzar. Somehow this amiable chatting moves me to vomiting.~
@463  = ~With all that grass-eating and hopping around, it's little wonder that elves have such tender stomachs!~
@464  = ~Yeslick, is it true that dwarven maids are all bearded?~
@465  = ~Aye, Coran! An' such a noble, fair thing it is... but I daresay you wouldna understand.~
@466  = ~*strokes his chin and smiles* You must consider me a beardless youth?~
@467  = ~Yer mincin' brung me ta that conclusion more'n the way ye look, elf.~
@468  = ~Being young is not a sin in the eyes of Clangeddin, I hope?~
@469  = ~Nay, nay.~
@470  = ~Your words are music to my ears! I love being young, Yeslick, I truly do.~
@471  = ~Listen Yeslick, can it be that you are a maid?~
@472  = ~Are ye THAT desperate fer female company, Coran?~
@473  = ~Just curious. Since both male and female dwarves have beards... it must be difficult to distinguish between sexes.~
@474  = ~No more difficult than ta tell elves apart, surely.~
@475  = ~You got a point, Yeslick! But with the way my kin prefers to dress there is little room left for ambiguity.~
