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| ���� We teds are a naturally calm, sedate, gentle lot, with few exceptions. I was a rather wild young grizzly of a ted in my early days, but once I met he to whom I swore my fealty, the Lord Cailean A'Dhragon (a cloth-person of some note), life became rather peaceful and pleasant on the whole (in between occasionally thumping obnoxious brigands making ruckus or threatening my young liege). |
| ���� We lived in the cool, green mountains, and journeyed from there to explore the region, or to attend boisterous festivals known as "Science-Fiction Conventions", where we met old friends and made new ones. Lord Cailean has always been especially fond of these events, full of galas, music, marvelous markets and galleries, and an opportunity to meet Great Persons of Fame and Celebrity. Also consumption of much pizza, Chinese take-out, cookies and soda-pop. |
| ���� Lord Cailean's good mother often attended these conventions as well, being gifted with great creation-magic of myriad types. She makes cloth-people, beautiful costumes for cloth-people and Human-people alike, and even weaves intriguing mysteries of words and writes them into books. One day, she and her husband determined to create a very great magic indeed, and lo! They made a tiny human baby of great beauty, who was obviously destined to be gifted with magic as well, for anyone who gazed into her bright eyes was certainly under her spell even when she was only a few weeks old. |
| ���� And so the three became a very happy family. So happy were they that their joyful contentment overflowed upon everyone around them, and it made all of us happy to be in their presence and observe their bliss. |
| ���� But late one night, just before the tiny Maid Lillian became four months of age, |
| A dark and unknown monster snatched her life away. |
| ���� And the happiness in the family was destroyed completely by the sudden and inexplicable loss. |
| ���� That such perfect contentment should be reversed into uttermost anguish was totally unbearable to me. It made me so furious that I roared like I had not perhaps even in my wild young grizzly days, and flung objects about the household until I was spent. |
| It was then that I determined that I must join the crusade to hunt down and destroy this dark, unknown monster that had been named SIDS because the true name of our foe is still a mystery to all. My Lord Cailean released me from his service, charging me with this new purpose. I still live in his household, but when the Quest calls me, I am free to journey forth and hunt my deadly enemy. |
| ���� It begins to seem to me that this monster is a hydra-like beast with many heads, or perhaps indeed a whole horde of unknown monsters mistakenly called as one, for the trail it lays is often confusing and contradictory. Be this SIDS one beast or a hundred, they are all my enemy now, and I shall pursue them to the end of my days, or theirs. |
| ���� Maid Lillian's parents became very brave, and made their great magic again recently. Now a laughing, happy son has joined their family. Young Samuel is full of enough cheer for all of us, but I know that beneath their new joy his parents cannot help but continue to fear the dark monster that stole away their fair daughter's life. So for young Samuel, also, does my mission continue. |
| ���� May we hunt down and slay this monster before young Samuel need fear for his own offspring. |
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| Come with me back to Headquarters now. |
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