An Exercise in the Study of Immortality
				Part 1
                       by Patrick P. Weeks  (Silvorn)
			weeks@studsys.mscs.mu.edu
==============================================================================

	Deep in the bowels of a mystic cavern, an evil wizard studies the
powers of the ages in an attempt to discover the secret of immortality.
What shall he discover....

	Nhihnok Rhurilk has spent his last three centuries collecting magic
and tomes from throughout the known world.  He stores them here, in his own
part of the underdark.  Even though his life spans centuries more than some of 
his companions, he can not see himself fit to end life yet, and so he searches, experiments and performs unspeakable acts in search of the secret to unnatural
life.

The cavern reeks of experiments gone awry.
Tomes lie strewn about the caven, distilling equipment for elixers lie smashed.
Cauldrons are tipped, and fires burn intermittently throughout the complex.
Nhihnok storms into the room.  "Where?  Where is it!?!  Come you fiend!"
Suddenly a small red-green scaled creature appears.  It is approximately
2 feet in height, and it's eyes glow a deep hue of violet.

"yess..masster?"

"I MUST know the secrets!  I summoned you to help me uncover the secrets of
life itself.  I retrieved the ancient grimoire of Khabl from the Wyrm
Rentar!  Now what must I do!  Show me!"

"Patienssee...  Patienssee...  Allow me to drink of your blood, and I shall give
you the power to "read" the book"

"My blood?  Fine..."  The dark elf, pulls out his flat black dagger, and inserts
the tip into his right wrist.  A stream of blood immediately flows and the
creature attaches itself to his arm.  

"mmm, mmmm!"

"Ahhhhh!!  Enough, isn't that enough!"

Drinking more, the creature finally pulls its mouth from the wound, leaving a
tooth imbedded.  It emits a small hum and fills the cavern with all colors
from the red spectrum. 

"What?"

"Now read your book..."  The creature waves it hands and the large bound
tome, with symbols of ancient origin appears and it opens to page one.

Nhihnok looks at the pages, fascinated.  "Yes, yes,"  He hurriedly turns the
pages, I see now...


--------------------

The cavern has been cleaned, the broken equipment now replaced with new.
A single cauldron is over a blue flamed fire, and Nhihnok recites incantations
from the book.  Holding a solid platinum ring of the finest quality above his 
head, he issues the final incantations.

"nowaer oshun predeftic blom, 
pwefd wewef wefwe grum.
As time goes by and things decay,
may I n'er find another day,
for days are not a thing for me,
but one may not get such things free.

I find myself with power unknown,
And glory be to the Demon King.
My soul is given freely then,
to take and place inside this ring."

As he recited the last words, the look of elation on his face vanishes and
he suddenly reels in pain as his body morphs into shapelessness.  The screams
quickly vanish as the only sound left in the cavern is the counds of a ring
landing on the stone floor.  

A few moments later, a small creature scurries into the room, grinning.  He
grabs the ring and departs cackling all the way...

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More to come...