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The Sword and the Chain

Vol. 2 of
The Guardians
of the Flame

for Harry Leonard
who, thankfully, still doesn't know when
to stop haranguing me

Acknowledgments

I'd like to thank the people who helped me through this one: Kevin O'Donnell, Jr., who insists that I think it through before I write it; Mary Kittredge, who demands that I get the words written, and then worry about whether or not they're the right ones; Mark J. McGarry, who swears that both of them are leading me astray; Jim Drury, who makes me feel that I know what I'm doing; Robert Lee Thurston and Judy Heald, whose support is always invaluable; Bob Adams, whose timely advice on blacksmithing was not nearly so important to me as his friendship; Darrell Sweet, cover artist extraordinaire; Susan Bissett, who, for the second time, has turned my barely legible scribblings into a fine map; my editor, Sheila Gilbert, who has the good grace to trust me; and Cherry Weiner, my agent for this work, who asked for more of Ellegon.

And, most particularly, I'd like to thank my wife, Felicia Herman, who not only gets more beautiful every year, but knows how to separate what's important from what isn't.

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

Karl Cullinane—

warrior

Andrea Andropolous

novice wizard

Ellegon

a young dragon

Walter Slovotsky

journeyman thief

Ahira Bandylegs

dwarf warrior

Louis Riccetti

ex-wizard/engineer

Rheden Monsterhunter

hunter

Teerhnus

blacksmith

Ch'akresarkandyn ip Katharhdn

warrior, soldier of fortune

Orhmyst

master slaver

Kirah

freed slave

Aeia Eriksen

freed slave

Tennetty

freed slave, apprentice warrior

Chton

freed slave, farmer

Ihryk

freed slave, farmer

Fialt

freed slave, farmer, sailor, apprentice warrior

Ahrmin

slaver

Wenthall

master wizard

Zherr, Baron Furnael 

Sammis

master wizard

Hivar

man-at-arms

Enna

fealty-servant

Rahff Furnael

heir to barony Furnael, apprentice warrior

Thomen Furnael 

Beralyn, Lady Furnael 

Bren Adahan

heir to barony Adahan

Avair Ganness

captain and owner of the Warthog 

Thyren

journeyman wizard

Jheral, Hynryd, Haykh, Lensius, Finka

journeyman slavers

Seigar Wohtansen

Clan Wohtan wizard and warleader

Estalli, Olyla

Seigar Wohtansen's wives

Peill

elf warrior

Jason Cullinane 

I find that the great thing in this world is not so much where we stand as in what direction we are moving. To reach the port of heaven, we must sail sometimes with the wind and sometimes against it, but we must sail, and not drift, nor lie at anchor. 

—Oliver Wendell Holmes

Introduction

It started as a game. Just a quiet, pleasant evening for seven college students.

Karl Cullinane, Jason Parker, James Michael Finnegan, Doria Perlstein, Walter Slovotsky, Andrea Andropolous, and Lou Riccetti sat down for an evening of fantasy gaming. It was going to be fun. That's all it was supposed to be.

But then gamemaster Professor Arthur Deighton somehow transferred them to the Other Side. Without warning, they found themselves in the world they thought existed only in their imaginations, in the bodies of the characters they had been pretending to be. Short, skinny Karl Cullinane became a tall, well-muscled warrior; crippled James Michael Finnegan became a powerful dwarf, Ahira Bandylegs. All seven of them changed into different people with unusual talents.

Suddenly it wasn't a game anymore.

Jason Parker was the first to die. He spent the last few moments of his life kicking on the end of a spear.

The others survived, but now they weren't playing, they were fighting to stay alive, to escape the wrath and weapons of warriors and wizards, slavers and lords.

They had to find the Gate Between Worlds and return home.

They had to, and they did—but in the doing, they lost far too much. Ahira died at the Gate. Doria went catatonic. Nothing could be done about that at home. But, back on the Other Side, the Matriarch of the Healing Hand Society could bring Ahira back to life, could cure Doria's shattered mind.

So they returned to the Other Side. And, yes, the Matriarch was willing to help them, just this once.

But nothing is ever free. There were prices to pay, and promises to make. Promises that would be kept.

No matter what the cost.

Back | Next
Contents
Framed

Back | Next
Contents

The Sword and the Chain

Vol. 2 of
The Guardians
of the Flame

for Harry Leonard
who, thankfully, still doesn't know when
to stop haranguing me

Acknowledgments

I'd like to thank the people who helped me through this one: Kevin O'Donnell, Jr., who insists that I think it through before I write it; Mary Kittredge, who demands that I get the words written, and then worry about whether or not they're the right ones; Mark J. McGarry, who swears that both of them are leading me astray; Jim Drury, who makes me feel that I know what I'm doing; Robert Lee Thurston and Judy Heald, whose support is always invaluable; Bob Adams, whose timely advice on blacksmithing was not nearly so important to me as his friendship; Darrell Sweet, cover artist extraordinaire; Susan Bissett, who, for the second time, has turned my barely legible scribblings into a fine map; my editor, Sheila Gilbert, who has the good grace to trust me; and Cherry Weiner, my agent for this work, who asked for more of Ellegon.

And, most particularly, I'd like to thank my wife, Felicia Herman, who not only gets more beautiful every year, but knows how to separate what's important from what isn't.

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

Karl Cullinane—

warrior

Andrea Andropolous

novice wizard

Ellegon

a young dragon

Walter Slovotsky

journeyman thief

Ahira Bandylegs

dwarf warrior

Louis Riccetti

ex-wizard/engineer

Rheden Monsterhunter

hunter

Teerhnus

blacksmith

Ch'akresarkandyn ip Katharhdn

warrior, soldier of fortune

Orhmyst

master slaver

Kirah

freed slave

Aeia Eriksen

freed slave

Tennetty

freed slave, apprentice warrior

Chton

freed slave, farmer

Ihryk

freed slave, farmer

Fialt

freed slave, farmer, sailor, apprentice warrior

Ahrmin

slaver

Wenthall

master wizard

Zherr, Baron Furnael 

Sammis

master wizard

Hivar

man-at-arms

Enna

fealty-servant

Rahff Furnael

heir to barony Furnael, apprentice warrior

Thomen Furnael 

Beralyn, Lady Furnael 

Bren Adahan

heir to barony Adahan

Avair Ganness

captain and owner of the Warthog 

Thyren

journeyman wizard

Jheral, Hynryd, Haykh, Lensius, Finka

journeyman slavers

Seigar Wohtansen

Clan Wohtan wizard and warleader

Estalli, Olyla

Seigar Wohtansen's wives

Peill

elf warrior

Jason Cullinane 

I find that the great thing in this world is not so much where we stand as in what direction we are moving. To reach the port of heaven, we must sail sometimes with the wind and sometimes against it, but we must sail, and not drift, nor lie at anchor. 

—Oliver Wendell Holmes

Introduction

It started as a game. Just a quiet, pleasant evening for seven college students.

Karl Cullinane, Jason Parker, James Michael Finnegan, Doria Perlstein, Walter Slovotsky, Andrea Andropolous, and Lou Riccetti sat down for an evening of fantasy gaming. It was going to be fun. That's all it was supposed to be.

But then gamemaster Professor Arthur Deighton somehow transferred them to the Other Side. Without warning, they found themselves in the world they thought existed only in their imaginations, in the bodies of the characters they had been pretending to be. Short, skinny Karl Cullinane became a tall, well-muscled warrior; crippled James Michael Finnegan became a powerful dwarf, Ahira Bandylegs. All seven of them changed into different people with unusual talents.

Suddenly it wasn't a game anymore.

Jason Parker was the first to die. He spent the last few moments of his life kicking on the end of a spear.

The others survived, but now they weren't playing, they were fighting to stay alive, to escape the wrath and weapons of warriors and wizards, slavers and lords.

They had to find the Gate Between Worlds and return home.

They had to, and they did—but in the doing, they lost far too much. Ahira died at the Gate. Doria went catatonic. Nothing could be done about that at home. But, back on the Other Side, the Matriarch of the Healing Hand Society could bring Ahira back to life, could cure Doria's shattered mind.

So they returned to the Other Side. And, yes, the Matriarch was willing to help them, just this once.

But nothing is ever free. There were prices to pay, and promises to make. Promises that would be kept.

No matter what the cost.

Back | Next
Contents
Framed