"Aunt Pauline is Back"
by Y.T. Ace Reporter

THE CROSSING, ZOLUREN -- Aunt Pauline is back. Sure, she may not have all her teeth, and her skin, once tanned from long days in her herb garden, is now rather clammy and a pasty green-gray, and her silver hair may well be falling out in clumps, but she's back home, and she's obviously quite excited about it.

"There's just so much to do," the elderly woman croaked, losing a bit of her tongue in the process. "I really should go see how little Kalika is doing. I haven't seen her since she was just an Elfling. I wonder if those archery lessons I got her for her birthday paid off...’

"And then there's my garden--it's probably choked with weeds by now. My poor glaysker flowers!"

"Besides, I have some new worms to put there," the decrepit Elf continued, producing a handful of the invertebrates from her left eye socket. "I always did say they helped me grow the biggest yelith roots and juiciest blocil berries this side of the Segoltha. Why, I remember when old Irene Windsinger said she could grow better herbs without any slimy worms--those were her words, all right..."

The newly arrived aunt prattled on for a good half-hour about the wager between herself and Ms. Windsinger. Suffice to say that Aunt Pauline was victorious.

"It was so nice of that Marty fellow to help me find my way back here. Or was his name Stan? My memory isn't what it used to be."

With those kind words of thanks to a helpful stranger, Aunt Pauline staggered off towards the Crossing and its depraved, bloodthirsty, defenders who shot the poor defenseless woman on site and proceeded to strip her withered, rotting corpse of its valuables with startling lack of compassion.

Aunt Pauline was back!