The Means To An End. The Duel of Fist's Opals.

[DoF Archive]

Date: 9/18/1998 3:05 AM Central Daylight Time
From: JadedDeath

"Vendetta."

"It is the name of Janella Vallonia's treasured, sunsteeled longsword. We know the blade as one of our brothers."

" 'Vendetta', meaning the desire for revenge. A prolonged bitter feud or rivalry. It is fitting for a woman like Janella to wield a blade with such a title, for Janella nurses vindictiveness like one nurses an open wound. Our wielder, reknown for her fierce strength, passionate flare and scathing tongue, rivals dwarves for the amount of time she will bear a grudge, and no doubt shames the blackest demons in the way she chooses to end them."

"Let us tell you of one particular grudge which is dear to Janella's heart. We have reason to believe that Janella may soon have the opportunity to wreak vengeance on the first man whom she ever loved, and as you can imagine, and we are predicting, she will not readily miss the chance."

"Janella's marriage to Stullen Evanderil never closed before a court. It had not been officially decided upon by any judge or man of law. The local temples were not involved in the matter, and no one was consulted by any means regarding the marriage's potential fate. Instead, to our delight and ill-driven pleasure, the union died on the night that Stullen mistakenly tried to kill her. Is there anyone who will argue that attempted murder is NOT a
valid reason for divorce?"

"He had indeed wanted her dead. He wanted us! We could nearly taste his longing for Vendetta and his yearn to have Terminus. He wished to take us off of Janella's hands as well (quite literally). Stullen's greed was understandable. Look at us, all of us, Vendetta, Terminus, we, The Accomplices. We are from the Age of Might, artifacts, blessed by Takhisis, The Queen of Darkness. The man who desires us not for his own is plainly a wretched fool
- - but, we digress."

"Stullen, though not the brightest human male in Krynn, realized that the only way he could possibly lay his pathetic hands on us was to dispatch Janella. It was clear to him that Janella Vallonia would never, ever yield us to anyone, no matter what the offer of coin or trade or threat. And, we didn't want Stullen Evanderil, either. We had changed chosen hands once already that decade, and it was not part of our plans to choose another then. Our
most dark and beautiful wielder had paid one of the greatest blood prices we'd seen in centuries to possess us, and this man, merely her husband, could not contend with that twisted history."

"Some things are paid for with blood, by blood, eh? But, nevermind. You will not understand that yet."

"There is enough explanation of the past. Turn to the immediate future. Janella seeks the much sought-after Opals of Rhydin's Duel of Fists. Not the rank, nor the present holders, but the wondrous stones themselves. Janella hates those magicked rocks, anyway."

"She's been offered a deal. If she collects the precious Opals, the location of our old friend, Stullen Evanderil, will be revealed to Janella. The bastard will finally get his, delivered from us by our chosen. The prospect holds a certain, wicked appeal."

"As usual, however, there exists some machinations on the side, courtesy of - as you might've guessed - us."

"First, know that this plot is borne of Vendetta and Terminus. They are the ones who grow sore and bitter over the fact that Janella spends so much time in The Outback. The blades see little action when they are left behind while Janella duels there. Our brothers hold harsh views on that sport as they await their glory in The Arena and elsewhere."

"We suspect that bringing the Opals together will cause some grand chaos to errupt in the Duel of Fists, which would not be entirely bad for us. If The Outback sinks, Janella will no doubt turn to our brothers' favorite, The Duel of Swords. As long as she wears us, we, The Accomplices, care little about which style of fighting Janella chooses on a given night, but it suits our fancy to agree with Vendetta's and Terminus' plans to upset The
Outback. And, why not? A good dose of mayhem never hurt anybody that didn't deserve it."

"So, in summary, for those of you who are as thick as gully dwarves, let's round up those lovely, dangerous gems, the Opals, and deliver them unto Jaded Death!"