When a nobleman came in to the tavern and put a note on the board, the monster hunters went to check it out. Laughter erupted.
"A gazebo? Quick, someone get Eric!"
Then the bounty caught their attention.
"That's a lot of gold. Why?"
"This gazebo," the nobleman said, "was made by Baba Yaga."
** For reference:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_and_the_Dread_Gazebo
**
Oct 24, 2026, 4:41 PM@MicroSFF Ah, that’s probably the origin of the level 8 “Pavillon” monster card in German Munchkin (some of the translations are great, others less).
@fiee Yes, there is a level 8 gazebo monster in English language munchkin, which is a reference to the story of Eric and the gazebo.
@MicroSFF
"and the voice of Cedric in King's Quest V" well that provided an anchoring point for me.
@MicroSFF That last line does 'alter the complexion' of the setup quite a bit, don't it? 😜
@MicroSFF uh oh!
eric already left town and changed his name
@MicroSFF
This makes me think of Munchkin (the cardgame). XD
@mandrake The munchkin card is a reference to the story of Eric and the gazebo.
Oct 25, 2026, 1:14 AM@MicroSFF In my favorite novel "One For the Morning Glory" by John Barnes, gazebos are a kind of antelope like creature people hunt along with zweibacks with their pismires (he liked using words on fun ways). Worth reading if you never have. I have worn out three copies over the years.
@MicroSFF Wonder if it's this one ;-D
https://notes.kvibber.com/@kelson_photos/statuses/01E8GB9QR01JEKA093KXC1067R
Ha, "Quick, someone get Eric!" is such a good beat, and the Baba Yaga twist on the gazebo is wonderfully sneaky. Great little tale.
Oct 25, 2026, 7:05 AM@MicroSFF
Now all I want is a picture of this gazebo with monstrous chicken legs.
Oct 25, 2026, 8:34 AM@MicroSFF You must face the gazebo alone!
[Yes, I know. It's a reference to...]
