Off in a corner of the hall (Updated, full story now)

[Tesla]

The Professor looked up, bleary-eyed from the book. The dawn light had risen and was now far up enough to stab rays through the windows right at him. He had been handed an ancient text in Sinitic earlier that night and had been puffing on his pipe and scribbling in his notebook ever since, spending the late evening and early morning hours translating the story. People had wondered over to look over his shoulder, but the pictoglyph letters, looking vaguely Japanese or Chinese made no sense to them. The occasional cough was all the response people could get from Challenger.

Grabbing a cup of tea offered by Billy and rubbing the sleep from his eyes, the Professor announced that he had the pages about half translated and if people would like to hear the tale so far, they should gather 'round.

Once a few people took seats and others grabbed drinks and food, He adjusted the papers he'd been working on and read out in an orator's tones...

"Long, long ago, an evil spirit lived in a cave on a mountain between two villages. The spirit was very fierce and devoured any who dared travel the mountain path. And so, the people of the villages had to travel very far around the mountain, instead of taking the shorter mountain path. This was the state of affairs for many years and the evil spirit was always hungry because it only had the rare unwary traveler to eat.

One day, during Spring Festival, a young man met a young maiden and the two fell hopelessly in love. For all six weeks of the festival, the two spent every free moment with each other. They walked by the river, under the light of the moon. They watched the fireworks together and they flew kites. Inevitability, though, the festival drew to an end and the young woman was heartbroken to learn that the young man’s family lived in the other village and had simply been visiting his mother’s parents for the festival. The young man was responsible for running his father’s shop and would not be able to leave. The two separated with heavy hearts.

Days passed and the young woman grew desperate. Eventually, she decided that she would simply leave her home village and seek out her dear love. And so, set off around the mountain. Within a few miles though, she learned from fellow travelers that bandits had set up camp along the road and a beautiful girl, such as the young woman had no hope of passing by unharmed. The young woman returned to her home village, intent on passing round the mountain on the other side.

She made it almost halfway to the other village when she discovered that a flood had washed out the bridge. There was no longer any way to reach the young man.

Filled with a terrible aching sadness, the young woman made her way to the temple of her village. She lit three pieces her incense, bought with the last of her money and prayed to her ancestors and the Court of Heaven alike.

Hearing her fervent prayers, an old monk approached her.

“Why do you not travel to be with your love?” He asked her

“There is no way around the mountain” She replied

“Why not go over the mountain, then?” he asked.

“There is an evil spirit on the mountain path. He would devour me and I would never see my love”

The old monk offered the young woman an urn and said “Perhaps it is time for you to capture the evil spirit, then.” "

Accepting another cup of tea, the Professor waved the group away. "I have the second half to translate still. I'll finish the tale when I know it myself"

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Crumpling up the last note page, the Professor announces that he's finished the translation. After people get settled around again, he rereads the first part, but continues on....

"The young woman took the urn but when she made to ask the old monk a question, she found that he had disappeared.

The young woman was afraid but the love in her heart was greater than the fear and so she made her way along the mountain path, carrying nothing but the urn. When she neared the summit of the mountain, she found the entrance to the cave and from the cave came a voice.

“Who goes?” asked the voice

“A simple traveler” called the young woman

“That is excellent,” call the voice “I am in need of supper.”

A roaring sound filled the air, like a huge fire or the beating of countless wings. Quickly, the woman opened the urn and pointed it at the mouth of the cave.

The evil spirit was so hungry and moving so quickly, it did not stop to consider, dove straight at the woman and was sucked into the urn. Quickly, the young woman sealed the urn and made for the other as fast as she was able.

“Let me out!” The evil spirit cried from within the urn.

“Never!” said the young woman

She ran on.

The evil spirit howled from within the urn “If you do not let me out, I shall make my own way out and burn down your whole village!”

“I shall not let you out!” said the young woman.

She ran on.

“If you let me out,” said the evil spirit, “I shall forgive you for this prank. But you must release me at once.”

“I shall not let you out!” said the young woman.

She ran on.

“If you let me out,” said the evil spirit, “I shall give you as much wealth as you could want for. Coffers of gold, baskets of gems, even your sandals would be made from gold, if you so wished it.”

“I shall not let you out.” said the young woman.

And she arrived at the young man’s village.

She found an old well at the edge of the village and carefully, very carefully, she lowered the urn to the bottom of the well and left it there for safety.

And she , and the young man married and had many healthy children."

The Professor relights his pipe and signal that the tale is done.

"My general opinion here is don't mess with evil spirits and don't go messing with any sealed urns."

[personsmichael]

::Tobias scratched his chin, recalling similar stories he had been told, writing down a few times on sections of the tale that interested him.::
"I appreciate your translation, proffessor, thats valuable information. Where did you get it? I doubt an ancient text is here by accident, this place is too special. I'll be keeping an eye out for an urn, hopefully its still shut, but i doubt it. Sinitic is a very old language."

[Tesla]

"I was given it by another professor last night. It seems some of our group saved his briefcase, which had been taken from him. As I was the only one around who volunteered, I did the translation. I couldn't very well keep it to myself. Other people earned this story, not I."