'Twas The Fest Of Nilaetor by Gunter 12/15/15

T’was the Fest of Nilaetor, and all through the town,
Adventurers came to seek treasure renowned.
The puzzles were laid by the merchants and mages,
And thieves, and the cults: they set them in stages.
A mermaid, a centaur, a blacksmith, a fairy,
A changling and penguin would be the maps quarry.
The rules said no damage could be made by our heroes
But monsters could still work to reduce them to zero.
Set next to the edges our characters started
To grab all the goodies before they departed.
And if they were able to save the towns folks
They’d win prizes that left the whole lot of them stoked.
Quickly to water the mermaid did skip
To grab up a peasant and prize in one trip.
The centaur gong-portaled then worked through the mire,
Unscrambling buttons: Earth, Water, and Fire.
The cleric and fairy began with the books,
And found they did more than you thought at first look
The smith and shape-shifter began at the throne,
Until Dai “no-mighted" the frost troll’s ice zone.
Half giant arrived just in time to surmise
That ogres' pretenses of meanness were lies.
The penguin determined that push of a button,
Would keep the hall lizard from making her mutton.
Now Bookcase! now, Curtains! now Portals and Levers!
On, Braziers, on Statues, on Head that was severed!
To the top of the ceiling! To the side of the wall!
Now fall away, fall away, fall away all!
They plummeted jumping, and slipped in their climbs
They even fell in the same spots a few times.
But all of the bumps, scrapes, and bruises were born
And the treasure resulting left little to scorn.
A Horn Sword, a Sunsword, a potion of Trance
The penguin did jigs finding Sword of the Dance.
A plane-traveling periapt, and Scrolls of Protection,
An amulet worn to avoid all detection
Ring-walking on water, and Dust of Illusion
A bat-cloak and potion of quick diminution.
And after the others had retired to quarters,
Two warriors stayed late to press all the borders.
The smith and the cleric faced room upon room,
Of puzzles and monsters that promised their doom.
The golem, the terroran, the mind-control beast,
That only made them walk to the hallway at least.
The teleport tentacles self-banishing fail,
Left only the scorpion’s illusory tail.
The eyes of the Order watched on with a smile,
They hadn’t seen mettle like this in a while.
And so the group won more than gifts of all sizes,
The favor of high level cultists: best prizes.
Fear not if you missed all the Nilaetor fun,
Group prizes and coins next time will be won.
The levels will gain and in very short time,
We’ll leave with the caravan on Order dime.
And there will be dragons with claw, breath, and bites.
Good Adventure to all, and to all be good knights.