==========oOo========== NEVERWINTER NEWS Issue # 173 Week Ending 2-16-97 ==========oOo========== *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* FRONT PAGE *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* Congratulations to Auber0n for winning last week's News of the Realm contest for his story entitled "Whispers". Auber0n has earned the choice of 4 Pearls or Access to the GOH (Guild of Heroes). Keep up the good work! ;D <><><><><> <><><><><> Hail, my friends. It is with deep sadness that I bring to you the news of the OOC death of SOM Tal, who once was SOM Talia, AGM of the Servants of Mystery. Our dear sister and friend, Alexandra, passed away peacefully early Sunday morning. I have created a folder in Tales of Neverwinter Nights for those who wish to share with us their remembrances of the most faithful of Mystra's Servants. SOM Snake <><><><><> <><><><><> Greets all! I'm sure many of you have noticed the problems Neverwinter is presently experiencing with players being punted from the game. To clarify, it seems that AOL has made an "improvement" which sends a message every 45 minutes asking if you'd like to remain logged onto the system. If you do not reply immediately it logs you off. Further information about this feature can be found in the AOL Insider (Keyword:AOL Insider). In some parts of the service and while doing various tasks (uploading a file, browsing the web, and I'm sure others), you never see that message, are unable to respond, and lose your connection. Games are affected, Neverwinter of course is affected by this improvement. Unfortunately, until AOL does make a change and either backs that new usage timer out of the system, or make some other remedy, you're advised to QTS (Quit to System) every half hour or so. You might even want to log off and back on again to be certain that you won't be punted. It's my understanding that these punts are causing a variety of problems, the least of which are massive ghosting in the game, the greatest of which are the loss of experience and items. I'm sure we all realize how impossible it is to conduct any sort of event in the game while these punt conditions are in effect. As a result of these technical problems and until further notice, ALL in-game events are cancelled. These include Tours, Mini Booths, Mini Festivals, and Location Hunts. Additionally all Guild Sponsored In Game Events will be cancelled. Unfortunately, this situation has also resulted in the postponement/cancellation of the "not quite announced yet" Winter Celebration. As soon as we have some remedy for the situation, I'll get those events rolling again. Note that all events OUTSIDE the game will continue as normal. WWAI, Trivia, the Great Hall Tavern and the News of the Realms contests will occur as scheduled. Neverwinter is NOT the only area affected and we have strongly expressed our concerns to AOL. As soon as we have any futher updates, we'll advise you all. Regards, NW Events <><><><><> <><><><><> Pearl Plan Transaction Form!! Greets all! I'm happy to announce that a new Pearl Plan Transaction Form has been linked into our main Neverwinter Nights screen (Keyword: AD&D). This form was specifically designed to deal with the most frequently requested transactions. It automatically generates a mail message and sends it directly to NW Oyster and NW Events. It is our hope that the use of this form will assist you in providing all of the necessary information for each type of transaction, thereby expediting the entire process and allowing us to respond more quickly to your requests. Please note that the use of this form REQUIRES that you be logged onto the system and using the screen name whose account you wish to be effected by the transaction request. Be sure to confirm which screen name you're signed on with before using the form! Please do NOT use this form if you have no ideas what pearls are and how they might relate to Neverwinter Nights or you do not have a pearl account. You can find information about the Pearl Plan at Keyword: AD&D in the Neverwinter Nights Events area. Full details and instructions for the form are located in the Neverwinter Nights Events area in the article "Pearl Plan Transaction Form Instructions". (Keyword:AD&D >> Neverwinter Nights Events >> Pearl Plan Transaction Form Instructions) Thanks to the folks that suggested that this kind of a form would be helpful! ;D Happily we were able to get it setup though not QUITE in time to coincide with the Pearl Database e-mails. Ah well... still, it's there now! It's pretty basic, without the bells and whistles, but.. it works and we have great hopes that it will help us toward our goal of improving the pearl plan. Regards, NW Events <><><><><> <><><><><> *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* NEVERWINTER CALENDAR *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* Come join NW Ember and NW Ulfius for the February edition of: <<>><<>> Who/What/Am/I <<>><<>> Thursday, February 20th at 10 pm ET in the Great Hall Tavern. ****************************************************** Reminder that the new WWAI rules are in effect! ~ First ten correct answers ONLY before time is called will be given points! ~ Expanded places - 1st thru 5th now possible! ~ Two Brain Teasers (super extra tough, ultimate GAWD-type questions)! ~ Two Random Rolls! For the full details on the rules, check them out in the Neverwinter Nights Events area from the Neverwinter Main Screen, or look at the posts made in this folder last month which explain all the rules! PRIZES The following prizes will be awarded for placing in WWAI: First Place: 15 Pearls Second Place: 12 Pearls Third Place: 9 Pearls Fourth Place: 7 Pearls Fifth Place: 5 Pearls AND access to the Guild of Heroes! The GOH has maps, contests for pearls of its own, and the GOH magazine, where you can pick up all sorts of information! RANDOMS: Additionally there will be two different random pearl awards given during the evening which cannot be won by someone placing in the top five! 1st Random: 2 pearls 2nd Random: 4 pearls or GOH access BRAIN TEASERS! There will be two special questions asked each evening (one each half). The first person to correctly answer the question before time is called, will win 2 Pearls and receive double points for the question. There will be no other points or pearls awarded for correct answers to the question. See You There! NW Ember and NW Ulfius <><><><><> <><><><><> Greets all! I'm sure many of you have noticed the problems Neverwinter is presently experiencing with players being punted from the game. To clarify, it seems that AOL has made an "improvement" which sends a message every 45 minutes asking if you'd like to remain logged onto the system. If you do not reply immediately it logs you off. Further information about this feature can be found in the AOL Insider (Keyword:AOL Insider). In some parts of the service and while doing various tasks (uploading a file, browsing the web, and I'm sure others), you never see that message, are unable to respond, and lose your connection. Games are affected, Neverwinter of course is affected by this improvement. Unfortunately, until AOL does make a change and either backs that new usage timer out of the system, or make some other remedy, you're advised to QTS (Quit to System) every half hour or so. You might even want to log off and back on again to be certain that you won't be punted. It's my understanding that these punts are causing a variety of problems, the least of which are massive ghosting in the game, the greatest of which are the loss of experience and items. I'm sure we all realize how impossible it is to conduct any sort of event in the game while these punt conditions are in effect. As a result of these technical problems and until further notice, ALL in-game events are cancelled. These include Tours, Mini Booths, Mini Festivals, and Location Hunts. Additionally all Guild Sponsored In Game Events will be cancelled. Unfortunately, this situation has also resulted in the postponement/cancellation of the "not quite announced yet" Winter Celebration. As soon as we have some remedy for the situation, I'll get those events rolling again. Note that all events OUTSIDE the game will continue as normal. WWAI, Trivia, the Great Hall Tavern and the News of the Realms contests will occur as scheduled. Neverwinter is NOT the only area affected and we have strongly expressed our concerns to AOL. As soon as we have any futher updates, we'll advise you all. Regards, NW Events <><><><><> <><><><><> A World of Ghosts (submitted by: ZICKLO) I want to tell you about how it all started, what I think caused it, and how it can be stopped-an epic story, deserving thousands of pages and a whole shelf of volumes, but you (if there are any "you" later on to read this) will have to settle for the freeze-dried version. I figure I've got somewhere between 30 minutes and forty minutes, depending on when I arrived here in this god-forsaken town of NW. If it turns out to be shorter, you could be in for a lot of blank pages, my friend. In any event, I think maybe I'd better assume the worst and go as fast as I can. It had been happening for awhile I guess, but it never really struck me until a few minutes ago it happend to Shal. I was talking to her in the inn and she was talking back, a normal conversation. And then, she just stopped answering me. Her eyes didn't glaze over, her body didn't suddenly tense up, nothing like that. She just stopped answering. My name is Zicklo. I was a two-bit woods jumper. Scared and lonely travellers would come by and I'd either kill them or take their money or both. I'd sneak up behind them and cast a spell or two on them and that would be the end of them. I always gave myself a time limit to jumping someone. If they happend to get lucky or would surprisingly strong then I'd flee and cut my loses. Damn, I can't afford these digressions. I never could fight without my time limit. And I've sure-to-God got one now. I just finished covering Shal's body up and laying it on the bed in theinn. I didn't realize how wide the doors in the inn were and I accidentally bumped her arm against the wall. Four of the fingers on her right hand are broken, and the elbow looks like it's hanging at a weird angle itself. Shal didn't even react. My parents had no reason to expect anything that what they got:a good-for-nothing kid. Dad was a drunken thief at the local tavern. He drank so much and so often that he became the tavern's mascot. Wandering travellers would throw platinum and gold pieces at him, watching him slowly drink himself into an early grave. Ten years after I was born he got into a fight with one of the guys at a tavern. Dad kicked his butt and gloated afterwards, rewarding himself with another round of drinks. Two days later he was found dead, his body totally mutilated. Mom was, what you would call, a working girl. So, now that I think of it, "dad" might not have been my dad after all. Hehe. Now isn't that something. I get an insight into my past just as I'm about to "die". And then there was Shalrin. Shalrin was different. Nobody, especiallya wretch like me, expects someone like Sharlrin. Not ever. I met Shalrin in the woods, I was jumping her. This was before I started using my time limit, this was the reason that I started using my time limit. It was a bas fight I believe. She was to busy casting lb's at them that she didn't even notice me sneaking up behind her. I threw a fumble at her and it connected. She was caught completely off-guard. I killed some of the other bas and held the last few, and then I screwed up. Maybe it was the brightness of the day or Shal's blind luck, or maybe it was fate; whatever it was she broke threw my fumble much earlier than she should have. My back was turned to her and she threw a hold at me. Maybe it was fate again, but the hold stuck. She got in front of me and looked at me, she looked at me not like I was the lowest form of life that she had ever seen, which I thought I was, but as someone who needed...I guess she though that I needed a friend. Instead of killing me and doing us both a favor, she killed the bas. If I had more time I'd tell you about us. There's so much more to tell. About the walks, the talks, about how I slowly fell in love with her, but I have about 10 minutes left, at best. Shal and I became friends, and we were going to be married. You want to know how we did it, got so close. Well, I'd tell you if I had the time, but I just don't. You're just going to have to take my word on it. If you, my imaginary friend, are reading this then there still might be a chance for whoever's left. And, since I don't see anybody coming or walking through these calm streets of NW, I don't expect to be one of those who are saved. If only you could see what I'm seeing right now you would understand. The streets of NW are always busy and always noisy, but now....Yes, the streets are still busy, but there is no noise. The streets are crowded, but no one is moving. The streets are full of people, but nobody's home. I'm sitting here on the same bed that I laid Shal on. If I'm gonna end up like the rest then this is the place that I want to go. I want to be with here. I'm gonna keep on writing until I go to. The way I figure it I have about two of three minutes left, maybe less. I'll try to tell yuo as much about Shal and I as I can. After I jumped her and she saved my life, sounds weird I know. She asked me why I did it, and all I could say was that I needed some money. She gave me some money, and then asked me if that was much easier than just going around jumping people. I grabbed the money from her hand and ran. A few days, or was it months? It doensn't much matter anymore. Well, I saw her in a drac fight. She must have stumbled upon them by accident. I jumped in and was planning on stealing from her, but I ended up helping her kill the dracs, or so I thought. When we thought that all of the dracs were dead she turned to me and thanked me. That's when I realized how beautiful she really was. And that's also when one of the dracs that we thought were dead attacked Shal. I ran over and looked at her and picked her up and took her to one of the inns in town. After days of waiting and walking up and down those streets I was allowed to see her. When I walked into the I'm glad that I wrote my "closing" to this before I started the beginning. All of the people that I've seen in the town are I guess what you would call "ghosts". They're here but they're not here. I am the only one left, they're may be more who are just hiding, but I'm the only one that I know of. If you're reading this then you still have a chance to find out and to stop what's happening. I didn't, and I don't think that I could have gone on without Shal. My friend who's reading this just remember that the two people who lie in this room aren't two strangers but two people who fell in love.The Ranger (submitted by: HC Fazz) I took to the road that one last night, off to the forest before all was lost. I might have stayed had I known the cost; For I saved a son but I lost my light. Out with the family for a day full of fun they traveled through forest and field. But the holiday was fated to yield A little lad lost when day was done. "He's off in the woods," the word went out, "We need some good men to search. Through oak and maple; pine and birch, We must find him without a doubt." "You're off yet again?" she asked of me Betrothed for but a short two years "Please stay tonight" she begged through tears "I need you to be here for us, you see...." She watched me gather up weapon and pack, Her heart knowing the choice I was making. "If you walk out that door" she said, voice breaking, " I'll not be here when you get back." So I followed my heart to do what was right I went of to the that forest for Good; Did I make the choice that I should? For I saved a son but lost my light.... Hunting Rumor (submitted by: Kai Thei) The sun had set, and Kai journeyed into the Hills. They were altogether lacking in the normal nocturnal sounds. It seemed as if all life, the usual life one expected in a forested region, anyway, had fled. Kai was not alarmed by the preternatural silence. This was the usual fare. Following a tattered map he had drawn long ago, he ventured down one twisting path after another. The extant mammalian and reptilian life provided only distraction along the way, being quickly dispatched by the fury of magic. No, tonight even the griffons, tigers, lizards, and mammoths of the Hills would not do. Tonight Kai had a particular quarry in mind. Tonight Kai was hunting the undead. The night deepened, and soon Kai spied crumbling ruins through the brush. Rerolling his map and returning it to a pocket within his cloak, he proceeded ahead. The path, such as it was, veered off to the south, but held no interest for him at this time. His attention was now occupied by the rotting door before him, barely supported by ivy cracked and pitted stonework, the age of which could only be guessed. Judging by the peculiar way in which sections of the wall sunk into the ground, they may even have preceded the upheaval that formed the Hills themselves. Finding no further point to investigate, he proceeded into the roofless ruin. He was cautious - no telling what ancient traps still may operate, or what long dead mage's spell may be lying in wait for the unwary to trip it. Curiously, he met not opposition in his brief search of the ruin. Either it was desterted, or something far more fearsome than even the Hills' monstrous infestations kept wandering beasts at bay. He took the lull as an opportunity to return to his map, and update as necessary. The ruin was far smaller than it seemed from the outside. It occupied only a small corner of the map, not the entire southwest quadrant, as legend suggested. Perhaps time and the winds has reduced the greater part of the building (castle? fortress? home?) to dust. A final door presented itself. Behind it, the only room left unexplored. And his quarry, if the information he had gathered was even partially accurate. He steeled himself for battle. Protection spells cast, attack spells reviewed, he burst into the room! Even the wildest barroom fables had not prepared him for the horror of the rooms contents! Against the far wall, lit only by their own sepultural glow, banshees were arrayed like a spectral company in defensive posture. Terror struck Kai's heart! He had faced banshees of course, but never so many, at once, and alone! But that was not the end. A low scrape of stone on stone announced the presence of a mummy. Horribly wrapped, pieces of its dried husk form flaking to the floor as it crawled from its tomb. Nearby, another stone lid removed itself from a grave, and a second mummy joined the fray! The lid crashed to the ground, its shatter echoing the shatter of the fear that held Kai in thrall! He readied his first attack, a devastating fireball - and the true horror rose, looming over the scene. Not one, not two, but three ancient undead dragons - dracoliches. Their gaze fought to paralyze the Cleric/Mage, but his shield, polished to a mirror sheen, foiled their attack. Kai only had a brief second to muse that dragons were bad enough alive, then he unleashed the fireball! The detonation was extraordinary, the scene indescribable! Several banshees were banished in the inferno, both mummies exploded like shambling tinder, and the much feared dracoliches themselves were blackened and damaged. In preparation for his next attack, Kai began to diminish the electrical charge of his target and potential recipient of his lightning bolt, the nearest drac. But before the spell could come to fruition, the drac opened its mouth in a silent and terrible roar, and blasted Kai with bone chilling cold. Upon recovery, Kai found the remaining banshees and the other two dracs had moved into position for attack. He found himself unable to cast for several minutes while he fought them hand to ghastly hand. Every banshee touch frostbit his skin, and thier wailing ate at his soul! In their eagerness for Kai's death, two of the dracs succeeded in destroying the last two banshees for him, a debt which Kai intended to repay only with bursts of magic from his fingertips! The bolts leapt across the room, and a dracolich shattered and fell! The nearby drac was momentarily distracted by the crush of its cousin's demise, and Kai took the chance to move around to its flank. A moment, and a bolt of blinding blue-white lightning burst forth from his outstretched palm, impaling the nearby drac, and conducting across space to demolish the second! The lone surviving beast turned to Kai, and swung a mighty forelimb! His shield suffered most of the hit, its finish forever ruined. But it was still like being hit with a battering ram! Kai flew against the far wall, openening a gash in his forehead. He fell ackwardly and stuggled to regain a defensive stance while wiping the blood from his eyes. His sight cleared, just in time to barely duck a deadly blow from the advancing dragon. Its ferocity staggered Kai, and dimly he wondered if the undead felt rage at what they were, or sought revenge for fallen comrades. Then the dracolich's return blow caught him full on the side, sending him flying to the corner from which he was first struck. He landed badly, with a wet snap he recognized as broken bone. He had only seconds to prepare, and no room for area spells. The dracolich advanced. Kai stood wobbling on one leg to keep weight off his broken tibia. The chant was completed, the drac at point blank range! With a final push of energy, Kai leapt forward at the beast, grasped a rib with both hands, and released the electrical surge! It spelled doom for the creature, and it collapesed into pieces all around him! Kai picked himself up from among the dracolich wreckage, gingerly favoring his leg. He surveyed the room. It was a total scene of destruction. The walls were blackened, the floor cratered. Charred and destroyed bones of immense proortion littered the room. He was bloody and broken, but not beaten. Despite his exhaustion, he raised his arms and his eyes to the sky, and a great victory shout issued from his throat! And the Hills shook with his voice.Evil Counts, Too, Between Me and You (submitted by: OGS Jester) I guess I must have struck a note of dischord Or perhaps the guild leaders of ITB are just bored For a couple have decided to respond to my posts Which does please me, for many were thinking they had become ghosts The ITB's count friends, this you must see And in case you don't know this I'll explain it to ye What good is a plumber, if the pipes never clog And what good is a punisher unless there's evil to flog What good's a street sweeper, unless there's debris to be swept And what good is a soldier, unless there's peace to be kept Unemployed is a jailer, unless there's someone to hold Evil pond scum reign free, unless there's Goods to be bold Lastly I'll direct this final verse at my accusers Who accuse me of lying when they're just newbie abusers Let the point of these words, come to you in a rush For what good is a toilet, unless there's something to flush OGS Jester Punster and Funster I Have Hope (submitted by: JJervis126) I'm looking for a place in life who can help me find it? A place to call my own and build a wall around it, to shut out cold and wind, to find peace and warmth within. Someone to help my burdens bear, someone to love, someone to care, someone to share my dreams. This is all I need, If only I could find it. Yesterday is for remembering, but today is when I'm living..... it's on tomorrow that I base my hope. As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. "To every man there openeth a way, and ways, and a way, and the high soul climbs the high way, and the low soul gropes the low, and in between on the misty flats, the rest drift to and fro. But to every man there openeth a High way and a low, and every man decideth the way his soul shall go." "I AM YOUR INNER SELF" " I am the result of all that you have done and thought and felt. When you hated, that hate became a part of you. When you shirked your task, that shirking became a part of you. When you loved and hoped, those graces entered into your inner self. When you faced the world in a courageous spirit, that courage helped to furnish your inner self. When you choose the generous and the unselfish path, that self forgetfulness entered into your inner self." "I am the inward destiny that decides what all else is to mean to you. When friends offer themselves to you, when a sunset unfolds its beauty before you; when tasks challenge you; when the future commands you--these become dead, or full of meaning and beauty, according to what I have become. I am the sum total of your past added to the new impulses and acts of the present." "I AM YOUR INNER SELF" we are three selves. If a man strikes you, he injures your physical self. If he tells a lie about you, he injures your social self. Not until he causes you to tell a lie or to hate or do some other evil thing, has he harmed your real self. To reach a goal it takes some courage and some self-control some self-determination. If you want to reach a goal it takes some working and a firm, set chin. If you want to get somewhere, if your really out to win. I WILL SUCCEED(say it with meaning) If you will keep your faith in me though life will be a stormy sea and difficult my task may be, I will SUCCEED! If you will speak a word of cheer, though harassed oft by doubt and fear, and ugly failure hovers near, I WILL SUCCEED! Teach us to have compassion enough to realize that all are created equal. Teach us to understand that man's ultimate happiness depends upon his concern and desire to seek wisdom and comprehension for living and sharing with all mankind. Dawning of a New Era (submitted by: Poesiden) The change of the seasons have come upon Neverwinter once again as winter begins to give way to early spring. Almost gone are the cold, still days of winter whose snow and blizzards slowed the pace of life and gave a sense if boredom. Though the cold sometimes lingers, the warmth quickly makes you feel better as you stand in the bright sun, and you feel your self awaken from a proverbial hibernation as you once again smell the green of Long Saddle's tree's and hills. As I stand in the forest, occasiony risking a glance at a house that i have been watching for a week now, I finally notice how these changes sneak up on a person kind of like an assassin in the night, waiting for his prey. Standing by a great Oak tree for so long make's one wonder how insigficant one really is, or how much blood has been shed by this tree, and the murders and atrocities it has seen. Reading the new's and seeing the obituary and once again thinking about my last satisfied customer, grinning easily as I remember the look on his face as i slid a dirk into his back, once again making my way in this cruel world where the way to get ahead is to remove those above you with no mercy, and being paid to to it. My thought's tumble for a few minutes as I see my newest victim leave his home slowly, with me sneakin up behind another once again. I chuckle at the turning of the seasons. PoeSend in the Clones (submitted by: Wyrmsilver with help from Marknight) ======================== The KOJ Hall; the Hall of Justice Marknight's Attic Room ======================== Marknight stood in shock... the telepathic conversation he had been having with Dragonista and Tarma, queen of the dryads had ended, and suddenly he knew. Marknight... all five of him... had always found the tridragon a fascinating creature. The blending of physiological, mental, and cosmic fabrics was unlike any he had encountered in all his travels, and although its nature was completely alien to him, the elven wanderer's curiosity of all things had always held him in awe of it. Here was a source of unbound reality, something to hold his pathwalking in check for as long as he would like to stay in one place... something he could not find anywhere else in the cosmos, except, perhaps, on some of the planes of chaos and Arborea. The pathwalking ability was what made Marknight unique on Toril, although all of the elf's people practiced it to some extent or another on his home world. His people survived for as long as life was interesting and new to them, after which they returned to the living essence of their planet to wait until such a time as they would be reincarnated anew. For as long as life was interesting and fresh to them they would remain, and the eldest of his people, the firstborn of Terrok, were countless tens of thousands of years old. It was Marknight's wish to become one of those immortal elves of his people. Never to Die. There were several rules to being a pathwalker. The first, was to take life as it came, living the ideals of the elven people, never regretting, and never bored. Reverie was a celebration of who the pathwalker was, and every moment of life, good or bad, was to be savored. The pathwalker was an individual, and imitators, clones, and followers were not permitted, since this would be tresspassing on their free wills. Next, the pathwalker could never be tied to any one place or time. To be immortal was to live through change of any kind. The pathwalker was a wanderer, both hero and outcast of his people. Living amongst them as long as he is able, and then for them when he has outgrown even the oldest elves. Hand in hand with this was the belief that a pathwalker must be free. Slavery had no part of the pathwalker's code, and as the pathwalker must respect, cherish, and understand both sides in any conflict, the pathwalker's rights and freedoms must also be heard, or the pathwalker would not truely be free. An elf never bows, nor does an elf wish to be bowed to. The gifts of the pathwalker's code are many, and for those few who choose to follow its rigors (which after a thousand years, can be harder to adhere to than many can possibly conceive), the rewards are great. The first reward is, of course, immortal life, at a theoretical level. Although it had never been done of course, it was assumed that an elven pathwalker of Terrok could live forever. Marknight would have to wait forever to see if this was true. The second was complete confidence that the pathwalker was always in precisely the place he was meant to be. Wherever she or he was, the pathwalker was in the right place at the right time, because that is where she or he actually was. This gift of the path bordered on another requirement, because it was so often hard to maintain this mindset. Finally, and perhaps the greatest gift and the harshest penalty of the path was that the moment the elf wished to step from the path and will his own death, his spirit would return to the essense of the planet Terrok, and his or her life would be unrevocably ended. It was this gift that Marknight had never hoped to receive, and this gift that each of his clones had, in secret asked for. To be the clone of a pathwalker was a fate worse than death. It meant that the elf was a pathwalker himself, not allowed to stray from the path, but knowing at the same time that she or he was a mere copy of another... a tresspass of unspoken elven law. An elf is an individual. The most shocking realizations each of the clones had come to was that although their very existance defied the way of the pathwalker, they could not receive the final gift. First one, then the others had accepted that they were not the true Marknight Pathwalker, and chosen to return their essences to the multiverse, only to find that they were not constructed of the natural fabrics of the universe at all. This had baffled them until Dragonista made her announcement that they were constructed of her. Each of the clones was a small piece of Dragonista's quantum makeup, not born of the world of Terrok at all. Marknight nodded his head sadly, as he thought over all the information given to him. Sending out one last telepathic message to Wyrm at the freehold of the Kithain, Marknight number one made his final attempt. "I have no respect for you." Dragonista, his creator, the clone's Terrok had told him, and he had suddenly realized how he could receive the gift. The elf was unlike the true Marknight in only one way. The true Marknight was born of the world of Terrok, and if he ever wished it, his essence would return to the world, ready to begin anew... the clones were born of Dragonista, and should they wish it, to Dragonista they would return. Dragonista, his creator, had no respect for him. Life was now meaningless on all accounts. The wandering clone stood, and looked about his room. He had not told his latest discovery to Wyrm, so the others would not know. Not unless Dragonista had told them of her antipathy as well, in which case they may well come to the same conclusion. If not, well... the room would be much less crowded with only three silly elves to occupy it. He hoped it would serve the others well. He stood in the center of the room unsure of how exactly to do what he was about to do.. and at the same time, knowing full well deep in his being. Methodically, he pulled off his clothing, and folded each piece neatly, setting it out before him on his bed. A bed that had been Marknight's only companion on all his nights in the Hall of Justice but one. "Connya." He said the name simply. "The 'nun' who made me... not me... the true Marknight... Convents' Bane." Idly, he wondered where the woman was now... no doubt crusading in some other territory of Faerun's vastness. When finished, he stood again, and looked down at himself. Just an elf. Not to bow or be bowed to. Reaching up, he untied the leather strip that held his long brown hair in place, and he let it fall about his shoulders. He had no idea what would happen to his body when he stepped from the path, but there was no sense in making a mess. Glancing at the clothes lying on the bed, he laughed to himself quietly. They were all constructs too. Everything but the everful bag of brownies had been created out of thin air on one of Dragonista's whims. And by the whim of her creation, they would disappear just as suddenly. "I AM NOT MARKNIGHT PATHWALKER!" The elven contstruct shouted into the still night air. "I AM THE QUESTOR, SEEKER OF THE TRUE MARKNIGHT, AND OF THE GIFT! I AM NOT FROM THE FOREST OF LIGHT! I HAVE NEVER BEEN THE CHOSEN ONE OF PRINCE TYLLEK! I HAVE STRAYED FROM THE PATH, THOUGH I AM NOT ONE OF THE FAERON'FAE! I AM UNLOVED BY CREATION, AND UNTO THE WORLD OF DRAGONISTA WILL I RETURN, THAT I MIGHT HAVE VALUE! "Thriss fli dyssnimi fflen, fflen ziiklly baim bainba. Ennoss fli." And as soon as the clone's mind and heart had spoken the same words, Marknight Clone Number One ceased to exist. The lifeless body fell limply to the floor, dead before impact. Within the next ten minutes, the very molecules that made up the cadaver had dissapated, and returned to an inate quantum level, reabsorbed by the cosmic entity that was Dragonista. There were no witnesses, other than the Lady of the Bright Scales herself, who felt the entire process and recorded it for future study. The clone had been made out of her own body, after all. Somewhere very far away, three clones screamed and one pseudo-dragon found himself very confused. Somewhere also very far away, and yet strangely near, the true Marknight, safe in his cocoon found this all very fascinating. ============ The Dryad Grove ============ The last movements of the battle against Angu1sh of the UDL were finishing. The grove's defenders had proven to be a strong fighting force, especially with the help of the spelljamming admiral Draxxan, and Beam, the child of Selune. They had even had a chance to have some fun during the battle, in true dryad fashion, leaving their enemies humiliated as well as defeated in the process. The twin Marknights hadn't even needed to use the prismatic sphere. Cleaning up, the two elven warrior-mage-bards walked about the grove helping where they could. Neither was any good at healing, but with levitation spells, they cleared fallen trees, and with cantrips, divinations, and teleports, they cleaned, routed, and transported the armies of their friends and allies. Nothing was so sacred to an elf as friends, especially those that had proven themselves trustworthy peers and allies. Of course, there was a little time for flirting as well. Just as they were sitting down to rest, they simultaneously received an urgent message from Wyrm, the familiar all the Marknights held in common. Several minutes later, after wide-eyed stares at each other in disbelief, they suddenly gasped in a heart-wrenching moment of agony. So... it was true. Both Marknights fell to the ground, gasping for breath as a small piece of their spirit left them. Avoiding the questioning looks, Marknights (#3 & #4) recovered as well as they could, and vanished quickly in elf-sized clouds of evergreen mist, heading off to the Hall of Justice to find the remains of their "brother." ==================== The Freehold of the Kithain ==================== "What?!" Marknight (#2) gasped, suddenly looking at his familiar, wide-eyed in shock. The pseudo-dragon chirped and chittered a long peel of hissing and squeeking words in his native tongue, too urgent to translate into common. "He's found the Gift?!" Standing quickly, Marknight took Wyrm under his arm like a book, and rushed out of the princess' playroom. Remembering his etiquette, he spun on heel, and reconfronted Jaliycia before she could talk to Dragonista, who was also there at the party. "Forgive me, dearest princess, but I have a VERY urgent matter to attend to. If it was not a matter of death, I wouldn't leave your party for all the riches, music, or laughter in the world." Looking down at the squirming pseudo-dragon, Marknight rethought taking the familiar with him. He wasn't sure he would want poor Wyrm to find... whatever... he would find at the KOJ Hall. The elven bard plunked Wyrm on the princess's head and after an almost-too-hasty scritch on the driggin's head, Marknight turned to leave. Jaliycia noticed that the elf had said "...a matter of death," and not "a matter of life and death," and wondered what he could possibly have meant... at least until Wyrm started frantically purring in her arms... then she forgot all about it. It was at that moment the pain struck. Doubling over, but not wanting to make any more of a spectacle of himself than he already had, Marknight limped out of the room, knowing full well he had not hidden his pain enough to hide it from the many intelligent observers in the room. As he reached the door, he nearly fell through his portal, taking him back to the KOJ Hall... vanishing from the Freehold of the Kithain, and reappearing in his Attic room. ================= The Hall of Justice Marknight's Attic Room ================= Right behind him, the other two Marknight clones (#3 & #4) appeared. "What is going on... High Ones!" Marknight #3 cursed. They all could feel the particles traveling through the air. The particles which were too small to be seen, and almost too small to be felt, but which each carried a little minute portion of their very being in them. "Wow.... I did it." Marknight #4 stated in awe. Marknight #2, still kneeling on the ground and clutching at his chest, could only nod in pain, because he was still recovering. "I certainly did!" Marknight3 gasped. I never thought it would happen... but now there are three of me. "Not counting the real me." Marknight2 wheezed, then sensing the other two wished he hadn't pointed out that brutal fact, he continued. "How do I think I did it?" The other two just looked at each other, confusion on their faces. "I didn't tell any of me?" Marknight4 asked the others, trying to piece together the puzzle. "What about Wyrm?" "No... I know Wyrm can't hide anything from me." Marknight2 stated, matter of factly as he regained his feet. "And he was even more confused than I was... maybe." "Well what do I do now?" Marknight3 asked. "It must have been bad, or it wouldn't have worked. Do I really want to know what brought this about?" The other two showed that they had as little idea about the entire thing by the blank looks on their faces. "I have to know... finding things out is part of the way." Marknight2 said. "But then again..." "...I haven't followed the way since I was cloned." Marknight4 finished. "Way shmay. I should get to the bottom of this and end the charade." "But... that goes against my every self-preserving instinct!" Marknight3 gasped. "There's still so much to learn... so much to see! I am young!" Marknight4 regarded him coldly. "For what? How do we know how long it will be before Nista reabsorbs us? We haven't been on the path for months!" "Don't say that!" Marknight2 gasped, awed by the sacrilidge, yet unable to deny that what his clone said was true. Fingering his earing, he could only shake his head, wondering what would become of them. Marknight3 moved over and sat on the bed, where nothing but sheets and an everful bag of brownies covered the down mattresses. Picking up the bag reflexively, Marknight began munching on the sweet Luthyen brownies, only barely tasting them in the shock of what had happened. After a few moments, he noticed that the other two were staring at him. "Brownie?" he offered, holding the everfull bag up to the other two. After a few moments of nervous chuckling, the three settled down to an eating binge of brownies, popcorn, and faewine, wondering how long it would be before the other knights found out, and more importantly, how long it would be before they recovered from the shock. Or before they found a way to follow their dearly departed clone. ---------------------------------- Marknight the Shocked Marknight the Strayed Marknight the Unloved ----------------------------------The Life of the Sad or Why Itties are Bad (submitted by: OGS Jester) So Skorp thinks I'm tired, and have run out of steam His thoughts do betray his sad ITB dream I'll keep writing straight, and I'll keep singing song As my posts will grow greater and will come on more strong I was not hired nor could I be bought It's for the best guild in the realms that this word war is fought A guild that is friendly and eager to help Not one that attacts any dark hearted whelp I have pity on you, and those that you lead And so I will ask other guilds to help us fill your need A campaign will start, where we send candy and flowers From all those I can touch with my poetic powers But now we must ponder and backward I'll look And suggest some events in which your child life was shook For in discerning the trauma that sent you all off the edge May just help your psychosis, so it's a bet I will hedge What was it you missed on your young sad birthday That you still harbor anger until even this day? Was it your goldfish floating dead when you awoke Or your first firecracker that only went up in smoke? Could it be that your first ice cream cone fell in the dust And when the top hit the ground that your whole life went bust? When your mom poddy trained you, did it take way too long Did the diapers you wore in class cause you to turn out so wrong? When Superman passed did you break down and cry? And did a small little piece of you lay down and die? We must all understand how you all did go wrong And must break your self pity and teach you all to be strong On your first date you had with the opposite sex Was it their shrieks of terror that did bring on this hex? Or mayhaps 'twas the failing to pass that one grade And so to stay in kindergarten again you were made So in order to do that, we must all be more kind And not kick ITB's nor swat your sad behinds So here are some cookies, wrapped in a ribbon of pink And I'll leave with a smile, no a laugh I do think OGS Jester In an effort to help, each ITB Whelp Ogre Slayer (submitted by: Mutt C130) After I left the Bunkhouse that winter morning searching for the Ogres that where rumered to have raided villages outside of Neverwinter. The dogs and I traveled throughout the day and into the night. We ranged far in hopees of catching the humanoid beasts before they took to ground, wanting only to catch the raiding party in the Lady of the Forest's domain and vanquish them from the land of the living. I traveled along in canine form running with the two dogs Maxx and Roxi as was pleasure to travel while in the woods. The feel of being one of Meiliki's beasts always exited me as it did now, and it was inhanced as well by the thrill of the hunt for an enemy that I would soon vanquish from the realms. Slipping unseen through the woods the three of us traveled untill the morning light dawned and then curlled up together in the light of the newly risen sun for a short nap before going on. We chased down a rabbit and a few chipmunks to fill our bellies as we proceeded towards our goal. Much needed was the nurishment for we had traveled hard thus far. Then suddenly there was a scent of Ogre in the air, wafted on the faintest of breezes we all three picked it up at once. They are far still, Maxx intoned as that first waft of the Ogres hit our noses. Yes they are far but we'll be on the trail soon, Roxi replied with a short yelp for beginning of the the hunt. I could tell she was right and soon we picked up the trail. Our pace slowed when we crossed the tracks of the raiding party for we wanted to take our time and rest ourselves before we completed the hunt. We followed the trail into the twilight catching small prey along the way to strengthen ourselves more for the day yet to come when the real prey would be at hand. Throughout the day the track got fresher. The scent growing stronger in our nostrils as the sun slowly dropped from the heavens to meet the horizon. As darkness fell I took on my human form and offered thanx to the goddess Meilikki for our success thus far in the hunt and asked her blessing in our completion of the task at hand. The dogs sat silently with me as I prayed, and as the last rays of sunlight left the sky flickers of camp fires could be seen in the distance ahead of us. The Ogres had set up camp for the night. Maxx scout ahead and report their numbers Roaxi and I will wait here for your return. Maxx blinked his brown eyes at me then nodding his head turned and slipped intot he night heading for the distant fires. I took on the form of a dog again then curled up with Roxi to get some rest. We slept well. Maxx awoke us before the dawn. The scent of Ogre and blood was strong about him. There are four of them, he reported four being the canine symble of many its as high as they can count. But from the images he saw I figured about a dozen in all. I killed one unawares as he hunted food for the others, Maxx explained the reason for the blood on his snout, They are but half the morning away from us. We headed out then in the directoin of the Ogre camp. Three dogs close to their prey and ready for a kill. We moved swift and silent following the trail laid by those fowl beings. The scent grew strong and soon we could see the first of them moving among the trees. We aproached unseen and paced them at their flank waiting for one to stray as they would after getting boared of traveling. Then one fell back from the others. We watched as his pace slowed. Then I took on my human form again and reached for an arrow bringing my bow up in my other hand. I knocked drew and fired in one swift motoin letting the shaft fly. The ogre never saw it coming. He just looked down at his chest when he found himself pinned to a tree, a look of confusion on its face. Then it closed its eyes in death. Two more fell out of the ranks shortly after the sun reached its peek in the sky. They also found fletching sticking between thier ribs before they closed thier eyes forver from the realms. Only eight ogres were left in the party and still they did not know of our presence about them. But soon they realized the shortness of thier party and made the mistake we were waiting for. They split up to search for the others. I walked among the trees the bow strapped across my back again, Maxx and Roxi at my flank. We aproached the first ogre's my bastard sword clearing it's sheeth without a sound. I beheaded the first just as the group noticed my presence and impaled the next before they could react. The dogs jumed the on to the left. The Ogre screamed as it saw the dogs lunging. His scream was cut short when his throat was ripped out but the others had herd and were running to engage us. As the remaining five apraoched the dogs and I circled behind them. The dogs took down the trailing ogre and I cut down the next in line. The other ogres spun and brought there weapons to bear down upon us. Three left. The closest one charged club raised, I faked a slash and it hesitated. Its last mistade I spun backwards and stabbed with my enchanted weapon. The ogre fell as the steel touched its heart. Maxx had hamstrung one of the remaining two and I beheaded it as it tried to push the dog away. The last ogre dropped its weapon and ran for its life. I set my sword aside and brought the bow back into play. I drew back and waited following the ogre through the trees with the tip of my arrrow and when it turned to look back the shaft stuck out from it's throat. I cleaned my sword and thanked Meiliki for a successfull hunt Maxx and Roxi cleaned each other up with licks and rubbing fur on the ground. I took out a dagger and cut the right tusk from the ogres that had fallen to my weapons and hung them about my neck on a thong. A testament of my hatred for the race of ogre's. Then I took on my canine form again and the three of us headed back the way we had come. Each of us eager to be back among the warmth of our friends and the wanting of frenzy deep in my thoughts. Mutt--and the dogs-- Meiliki's Faithfull Ones BOPer Ogre slayerCry of a Loon (submitted by: Jilorbb) Standing 'neath a winter night moon, A little elf-maid hears the cry of a loon. She shivers in fright, but a protective elf arm, Encircles her waist, to protect her from harm. The warrior elf looks down on her face, Wishing for none to take her place. Jilorbb Baby Maskie of the Night Masks Wolf Cry (submitted by: Jilorbb) A mournful cry fills the forest glade. The wolf lowers his head to his paws. All around him lie his fallen friends, Slain by the hands of fell men. Nearby lies a bloodstained blade. He scratches the blade with his claws. The wind picks up as he howls again. Alone, the wolf walks back to his den. Jilorbb Baby Maskie of the Night Masks The Gate (submitted by: EB Quija) The gate is blocked! The gate is blocked! I cant get in. I tried I knocked Pounding pounding on the gate. I can only play NWN if it is late. The limit will raise if the powers that be so decide But until that day, at the gate I shall reside. Trying so hard to dent that door. Everyday its such a bore. Waiting and waiting in this line. If I can get in ILL be fine. Ive been out here for 3 days and 4 nights Man this sucks it truly does bite. This fight with this crowed. I cant get in. ILL keep trying. Perhaps one day I will win. *********************NOTICE********************** The NWs are trying as hard as they can to fix this gate problem. My remark on line 5 was referring to AOL and with the timer "IMPROVEMENT" and all. Still pounding on the gate EBQuija/MyLove Unidentical Cousins (submitted by: WG Wage) "Well bamboozle mah biscutts 'n' cahll mah Charlie!" "What the hell are you talking about you idiot!?"Wage turned and glared at Lorse, who was studying a fairly large scroll. "Well geuss whut I done 'n' found out coz!" Wage sighed,"What? Tell me." "T'day be our ann-i-ver-sar-y!" "Our what!?" "Ann-i-ver-sar-y! "Anniversary of what?" "Of when we plum bumpded inta each udder! Justa year ago!" "A year ago? Exactly?" "Ayup!" Wage turned back to his mug, and decided to think for a second. Wage was a tall slim elf, light colored hair and blue eyes. Lorse was a short dumpy human with really dark hair and brown eyes. Just looking at them you wouldn't geuss they were related... very, very distant cousins anyway. It was obvious the relation was not by blood, Lorse had been adopted into the family twenty-eight years ago by Wage's somewhat eccentric uncle. but even so, Wage could remember the day they "bumped inta each udder" as Lorse had put it with that weird foreign drawl of his. . . ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wage, tired one evening, found a seat in Matagna's and ordered a drink. He got served some ale quickly, and took a sip, to suddenly spit it out all over the table. He'd forgotten how awful Matagna's brews could be in his fatigue. Pushing the mug aside Wage decided to just sit back and get some much needed rest. Matagna's was usually quiet this time of day, thank goodness. There were maybe two or three other people in the inn's tavern, hardly any noise. Nice... peace... and quiet. "'Scuse mah suh!"Squeeled a voice. Wage didn't stir, whoever said that probably wasn't talking to him anyway. "Heya! I sed lahke 'scuse mah suh!" What an annoying voice! Probably nothing, he thought. "Suh! Yea! You wit' da green clothin'! yas in mah seat! Ah tried bein' nice but y'all snoozin' off now so git!" Wage opened his eyes, and saw a chubby face glaring back at him. The hair was very dark, almost pitch black. His eyes were big and round, and his cheeks puffed out. He was also quite red in the face,"Ah sed GIT ya vermint!" "Who in bloody blazes are you? Get your own seat!"Wage yelled back, agitated his rest had been disturbed by this annoying little human. "This hea bea mah seat 'n' nobody else ken use it when Ah'm a-stayin' hea!" "Well buzz off! This seat isn't reserved for you!" The little human turned redder... if that's possible and suddenly whipped out this little emblem and growled,"AH SED GIT!" "NO!" Suddenly Wage felt the seat under him collapse with a snap. Hitting the floor with a grunt, Wage shook himself out of the surprise and looked at the chair, the legs had suddenly snapped... for some weird reason. The little human was grinning, and he pulled up a chair to the table for himself. Wage stood up and grabbed the man by the shirt collar,"Who do you think you are you little maggot?" The man snorted,"Mah name be Lorse Wilbur Hethomere Rathcart Boltrane the Fifth! Whoa do y'all think ya're, a-takin' mah seat lahke dat!" "It's not YOUR seat you litt-"Wage suddenly realized something,"What did you say your name was?" "Whut ya didunt hearet da furst tahme?" "Just say it again!" The man glared,"Okiedoke, mah name be Lorse Wilbur Hethomere Rathcart Boltrane t-" "Stop right there!" "Whut?" "Say your last name again!" "Boltrane!" "Okay you little creep, where'd you find out my last name?" "What're you talkin' 'bou' ya crazy idjit!" "Boltrane is my last name. Where'd you pick that up!" "Frem mah fatha 'n' mah fatha's fatha 'n' mah fatha's fatha's fatha 'n' mah fatha's fatha's fatha's fatha 'n' mah fath-" "Enough! Who was your father?" "Dat's none o' yo' bussniss vermint!" Wage was agitated, so far this hadn't been a very pleasurable day for him at all, so he was lashing out a bit more than regular. But he gave it one more shot,"TELL ME!" "Mah fatha's name wuz Eremohteh! What the hell do youz care 'bou' dat fo'!?" Wage realeased Lorse's collar. Lorse straigthened his shirt and grumbled something about cleaning bills. The elf turned away, thought for a second, bewildered, then turned back to Lorse,"Eremohteh... I know that name. My father had a shalf-brother by that name,"then Wage took a longer look at Lorse,"But you're no elf!" "Whut?"Lorse's look was the kind of look you give when somebody says something stupid,"Whut you talkin' 'bou' fella! Ah've been an elf all mah lahfe, as long as Ah ken remembah!" "You are no elf. I've been an elf for over two-hundred years, I *know* an elf when i've seen one!"Wage insisted,"You must be the dumpiest human I've ever seen, as a matter of fact!" "Hyuman! HYUMAN!"Lorse screeched,"Ya plum nutsy in da head fella! Ah Ain't no hyuman! Hyuman's have rounded ears, hyumans cain't see inda dark, hyumans get all fat when dey eat!" Wage wondered if this person was kidding or not,"You have round ears, you're fat, and I'll bet you can't see in the dark either." "Ah'm not fat, I'm just a bit husky, dats all!" "You are FAT! Trust me, you have a real huge belly there." "Heh! 'N' mah ears ain't round!" "Yes, they are very round." "No, they ain't!" "Feel the rim of your ears and see for yourself." Lorse felt the rim of his ears, and the look of shock on his face was so funny Wage burst out laughing. Lorse began to get concearned,"Okay, so Ah'm husky 'n' mah ears feel round! But Ah ken still see inda dark!" Wage calmed his laughing,"Fine,"He pulled a platinum peice from his pocket and tossed it out the door. It was Two in the morning and a pitch black night outside,"Get that for me and I'll believe you. You have one minute. Go!" Lorse scooted up and shuffled out the door... in ten seconds there was a loud thud. Wage looked outside and saw with his elven sight, that Lorse had promptly bumped into the outside wall of the inn. Helping the muffled human back inside Wage sat Lorse down, the human was quivering,"I-I've always been told by mah parents I was'n elf jus' lahke them!" "They did a hell of a good job of decieving you!"Wage stated, he'd never met his uncle Eremohteh, but had heard that he'd always been a tad eccentric, he and his wife. "Ah'm"Lorse sniffled,"Jus' anotha Hyuman!" "Now c'mon Lorse, there're plenty of good humans out there, really!" Lorse looked up,"Really?" "Really! Well, not as good as elves but still good!"Wage grinned. Big mistake, Lorse took it seriously and fell apart in tears. "Lorse! Woh! Hey! Calm down. They're really good people. I'm sure it's not bad being human. Many of my best freinds are human!" Lorse looked up again,"Really?" "Yep. Really." Lorse sort of smiled. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Since that day Wage wished that he'd never been as nice as he was to Lorse. He was a thorn in Wage's side that he just couldn't get out! Lorse was the most thick-headed, imbecilic, snot-nosed, idiot Wage had ever met. Wage, finished remembering the disgusting little scenario, looked to Lorse who was grinning with the calender in hand. The human who once though he was an elf then said,"So, lahke, Wage. You gonna git me a present fer tha occasion?" And Wage. Quite calmly. Took one of the special cream pies (baked by the Winterguard's Chef, Pierre), and shoved it into Lorse's face. Damn, that felt good. Wageras Boltrane, Winterguard AGMs fathaWinter Woods - Chapter 1, Part 1 (submitted by: ULLATHX) Cold crisp air filled the dark sapphire winter skies of the NeverWinter woods, with white puffy clouds intertwining in promise of a beautiful day to come. The mid-morning sun hanging low to the winter horizon stood glistening in all its glory. Sitting high in the saddle of a large chestnut and white war stallion set Ullath, mighty warrior of the Bloodkeep's Army. He wore full plate over his body which with its magical structure, kept the frigid winter winds from breaching his body that lay under. In his hand he held a magical Morningstar, holding it with ease, ready for any antagonistic visitors. They both rode together in unknown lands, Ullath surveying and mapping the area for the mighty Bloodkeep. The horse reared up almost throwing its rider as immense purple worms came out from the nearby brush. Settling his stallion down and jumping from the saddle almost in the same moment, Ullath stood prepared for the for the impending combat. He smacked his horse in the back quarter so there was nothing restricting his movement. The horse ran away at a fast pace from the beasts needing no other prodding. Standing ready Ullath took in his surroundings noticing that they numbered six. The first was upon him without even giving time to cast an incantation. Its teeth tried to pulverize the magical armor to no avail. Speaking words in magical context, a large Fireball left his hand hitting four of the purple beats. None had fallen although they looked seriously lambaste. The four purple beasts became stunned two others quickly came into play both hitting him from the rear. The magical armor again held the mighty teeth. In response casting a spell of hold he held the two behind him. By this time the other four had recovered, they all attacked at once, one ripping through the armor to show a bloody left arm. The other three hitting for all it was worth into the back and legs trying to get to the make ready feast that sat beneath, but to no avail. In desperation knowing to be a meal if he did nothing, Ullath cast Haste upon himself trusting his Morningstar, and his combat experience to rip the beasts where they stood. He slashed tearing through the rubbery skin of the first killing in immediately, then slashing to his left side he slain a second. The two that did not hold attacked again, tearing a piece of the plate from his left shoulder. The skin beneath did not open, and the other because of the surrounding bodies missed completely. The show was over having all the advantage of skill Ullath made quick work of the beasts. He walked some distance from the pile of blood and guts to leave the redolence of battle behind him. Whistling in a loud series of notes a large brown and white stallion approached from a nearby clearing. Calling the horse by name, he spoke just to fracture the dreaded after battle cessation of sound. He relaxed for sometime remembering his spells, then he caste a spell upon his armor fixing it from its recent damage. He spent no more time resting for there was much ground to cover and the sun was pass its zenith. Climbing into his saddle they rode on until about an hour before sunset. Ullath made a quick camp, finding dead limbs of broken trees he had a fire and a spit of meat set up in no time. He sat watching the fire after he had filled his stomach thinking over the day's events. Soon he fell into slumber and the fire died down as the night drifted along. It was at least an hour before sunrise when Ullath's trained ears heard something in the distance. The stallion did not stir so he did not leap at the moment of the sounds, instead he kept his eyes closed hoping he would get the advantage of his would be invader. The footsteps got closer making very little noise in the snow covered ground when he heard a voice. "Captain Ullath" A voice whispered questionably. Then it repeated itself quickly a little louder, "Captain Ullath?" Ullath rose slowly from his warm place among the ground. Talking in a normal, but surprised timbre he then spoke. "What are you doing here?" Avarian taken back, he was not expecting his captain to rise only a few feet from where he stood. He took a few steps back, and Ullath chuckled "Did I scare you?" Catching his composure Avarian said in a joking tone, "who me? Never in your wildest dreams." He then laughed himself, out loud in a boisterous tone. "So what ill wind brings you this far north?" Ullath asked questionably. "I had just gotten back this morning from my recent trip down to Red Larch, and heard you were off venturing into the north woods to map the area." "I decided that you might need the help." They both laughed for a minute then Ullath offered some dried beef, "You must be hungry from your all your travels, you had to be running on foot all night." "Moreover sir, my stallion is back about a quarter mile from here. You trained we well on how to sneak up on someone. I smelled the smoke of a fire, then just in case there were others in the area, I traveled upon foot." Just then there was a blaring screaming of a horse in the distance both turned and looked in the distance. Avarian spoke a few chosen words under his breath and started running to his horse weapon in hand. Ullath paused a moment and looked around to make sure his horse was not in any immediate danger. Sure of this he followed the shadowy figure a few yards ahead of him. By the time they arrived to the area where Avarians stallion was, all that remained was a carnival of blood and footprints of an immense animal either of them could recognize. The saddle was gone, along with all of his supplies. He spoke looking at the ground, "Well there is nothing more that can be done here." The two of them walked back to the camp in silence. Upon entering the camp Ullath walked over to his bag and started looking through his remaining rations. "I have enough food to last the two of us a week if no trouble arises again." My worries are for you with no steed at your call. "Travel will be slow so we will have to make short on this trip." "I am very sorry sir," Avarian said with remorse. "I should not have come, and awaited for your return." "I knew of a sergeant of your stature quite a few years ago that made many mistakes and errors. This person grew older, wiser, and was a better for it, his name is Ullath the person you see before you now." Ullath smiled at the sergeant and then laughed. "Come lets break camp we got a long way to go this day." The two of them traveled for a league that day talking of old times. Avarian must have asked about a thousand questions on the what and how of the keep. Ullath was in good nature considering their circumstance telling stories of fallen comrades, and great battles of the past. By the time camp was made that night he knew the majority of the Bloodkeep's history. The two of them fell asleep quickly, and the night went without incident. Morning brought the travelers to a cloudy day. Ullath looked up to the sky "there is going to be a sizable snowstorm by this evening. I feel with rations low we should head to Longsaddle to supply ourselves and get you a horse." "I agree with you sir, we should make haste to Longsaddle for it is a one day ride upon horseback, and now two from my blunder the other night." "Truly I do not hold you responsible" Ullath said with a firm voice. "But lets make haste to Longsaddle for if we do not, I fear we may be up to our waist in snow." Climb you can ride with me till the horse tires, that way we can make time. "The storm is coming from the North and we are heading south. It should take some time before it over throws us." They made great time that day, and the mighty war horse held the two riders. It stayed firm all afternoon and into the evening before slowing. Snow as promised started falling lightly around mid-day and increase to a near blizzard by that evening. Ullath concerned for their safety stopped the horse, "We must find shelter and wait the for the storm to cease." The two dismounted and found a rocky overhang not far from their position. The two cut branches from local pine trees to cover the overhang. The horse could tend for itself, and they both crawled into their make-shift cave. Hours passed, the storm intensified, and night arrived. Buy this time the snow was two feet deep and rising quick. "I pray to the gods this storm abates by morning or I believe we shall be in trouble." Ullath said as he looked out the opening. "I must check on the horse, this storm is too harsh to be from a natural cause." "By the gods this must be of something from an unnatural source." "I do agree with you sir, this must be from something unnatural, but what?" Avarian asked with a look of concern upon his face. "I do not know, but we need to ride south out of the woods, we need to get to Longsaddle. If we do not I fear we shall perish among this great snow." Leaving the shelter Ullath checked on the stallion and was glad to see it was fine and rested. He then returned inside the shelter to talk with Avarian. "We need to pack our belonging and leave this place. The stallion is well rested and ready to ride. I pray that it knows the ways back from which we came, for you cannot see more than a few feet from your eyes. Lets pack our things and ride." The two broke camp, Ullath caste Haste on the group so they would not tire in the coming hours. They mounted the stallion and left there very lives to the beast they rode. Snow plastered their armor from the howling storm and both held heads low, and shielded their eyes. Hours passed like years and the snow unbelieving started to lift. Pulling his head from his chest Ullath found the snow was not as deep either. "It seems that this storm is only affecting certain areas, I think the further we ride south the better things will be." Ullath's call was correct, within two hours they past the gates of Longsaddle. "Thank the gods for giving this horse direction." Avarian said, both of them took long breaths relieved that whatever unknown force had cause such weather was behind them. They arrived at the Longsaddle inn sometime before morning. They woke an angry looking innkeeper and paid double for a room that cheered him a bit and shown to their room. Two beds awaited them and is was not long after they were asleep. A loud knock fell upon the door awaking the two travelers seemingly only minutes after they were a sleep. A women's voice came muffled from the other side. "Good sir's it is past noon do you wish to have a meal?" The two looked at each other in amazement that they slept so late. "We shall be to the dinning area in a few minutes." Ullath said in a rough, just woken voice. They heard the footsteps trail off down the hall and dressed quickly. After dressing themselves Ullath said to Avarian, "We need to get word to the Bloodkeep and tell Lord Storm, And Lord Blood of these recent events." "I shall ride at once!" Avarian said quickly. "Very well Avarian ride to the Bloodkeep with the gift of speed, and may the god's guide you way." Take my stallion for it is a seasoned, and will be better than any you could buy in short notice. Avarian finished getting ready and left the room. He went to the dinning area and bought enough rations to supply his journey to the keep. Ullath looked out from the small window in his room seeing a large brown and white stallion, with a rider speeding off southward toward the home of the Army of the Bloodkeep. Strong wind blew through Avarians hair as he raced south out of Longsaddle taking the southern route to the Bloodkeep. He entered Berun in no time, going so fast he never even came across a person or best. He entered Triboar within two hours and only briefly stopped at the inn to take a meal. Racing into the Lost Hills he met little resistance taking care of all he met with ease. Then quickly he was in Crossergate. Evening was approaching by the time he entered the inn, again only taking a quick meal he was back on the road. Ice hounds gave him troubles just outside the inn but he was in Vilnask in not time. Not even stopping at the in there he made the Bloodkeep in Southwall in record time. He quickly took his stead to the stables and asked the squire to take care of its needs. Then running at a slow trot quite sore from his long journey, he entered the Bloodkeep. Brood was standing near the door when he entered. "Sir Brood I must have a council with Lord Storm, there is something of great importance afoot in the north east woods, of Newerwinter." "Do you realize the hour Avarian?" He then noticed the urgency written on the sergeant's face, not seeing it the moment before from the dim candle light in the entrance hall. "Please give me a few minutes to wake the lord, he shall understand the need of your message." He then proceeded out of the hall to Storm's private quarters Avarian sat in a chair in the entrance hall awaiting Broods return. Minutes passed like hours, seconds like minutes. Wrapping himself in his thought he tried to figure what could have caused such a great snow storm in the woods. He wondered even if they could figure out what was amiss could they destroy such a powerful foe, for him, her or it, must be a powerful sorcerer indeed. His eyes were starting to get very heavy from the recent days journeys when two individuals entered the hall. "Good evening," Storms voice echoed in the hall, "I hear you have some news for us from the north east woods area?" "Yes my lord, I do." Avarian's voice responded in an exhausted tone. "I have brought word of events at captain Ullath's request." He continued telling Storm, and Brood, all that had occurred in the woods over the past's days until he ended with his journey to the Bloodkeep. Storm then spoke in return, "I believe we should call the high council together to discuss this further." He said in a stressed tone. "Brood how many of the high council members are currently at the keep?" "There Jewel, and Khan, that is all I recall entering the past day, all others are out in the realms." "Very well," Storm paused, "if that is all we have, then we must decide among the four of us." He then looked upon the sergeant "Avarians please take some food and rest for you look extremely weary from your travels." "Thank you my lord." Avarian excused himself to his private quarters in the keep. He walked through the darken passage ways to the kitchen, cutting a few slices of cheese and pouring a cup of the keeps dark red wine he then retired to his chambers. He ate and drank quickly a laid in his warm bed of straw. Closing his eyes he was asleep for what was seemly only a few minutes when a loud knock awoke him. Daylight shone through the window as he pulled himself regrettably out of his warm bed. "Yes. "What is it?" He said in a scratchy tone. A voice came from the other side of the door, "Your presence is required in the council hall." "Tell them to give me a few moments to gather myself, and I shall be there shortly." He heard footsteps echoing away down the hall, and began to dress. After relieving himself, he made his way to the high council room that stood high in one of the towers of the great keep. There was a guard standing at the door and he immediately opened the door motioning him to enter. This was the first time Avarian had ever been in the high council room. The room might have been thirty feet across and the ceiling was at least as high. Banners hung from the wall indicating all the units of the Bloodkeep's armies. In front of those banners was a chair indicating the seat that those members sat in when great meetings occurred. The walls made of a large dark stone, circled all the way up to the rafter that held the roof in place. Bringing his attention back to the floor level he saw four high ranking officials at the table in front of him. Jewel, Kahn, Brood, And Storm awaited him. Storm motioned him to take the Avant Guards chair at the table, where a large breakfast awaited his company. He took his place quickly not realizing his hunger until he took his seat. He took a few bites and washed it down with some wine, after Storm began to speak. "We have discussed the problem that has arisen in the North East Woods, and all the current units of the Bloodkeep are currently out on other business, which brings me to my point." I wish the Avant Guard to take command of this problem. "Here is a scroll that will let you contact us when you have information on this occurrence." Storm picked a scroll from the table and handed it to Jewel who in return handed it to him. "We have spoken with Ullath about this, with the same magic on which is upon the scroll." He knows of our plans and you should make haste gathering all the guard members you can. You shall meet in Longsaddle where Ullath shall give you your future orders. Avarian ate while he listened to all that feel upon his ears. When he ate his last bite, Storm gave him his leave, and he got up from the table. Jewel and Khan gave there blessing, and left the chamber for his room. He entered his room got his bag that was not even unpacked, and made his way through the corridors of the keep to the stables. His stallion was already saddled and ready to go. He mounted his stallion and rode a few miles down the road. He looked behind himself to see that none was following, then pulled of next to a rocky hillside. He spoke a few words only know to the Avant Guard and an opening appeared. He rode his stallion into the opening and quickly spoke the words to close the wall behind himself. The cave was not dark contrary to the surrounding walls a strange glow came from moss that clung upon the cavern walls. He rode a short distance when Troball greeted him. "Hail brother Avarian, how have your travels of the country been?" "Not good I am afraid to say." "Could you gather our brothers and meet in the dinning hall?" He asked the squire an a casual tone. "Yes Sir! "Right away!" He left running at a fast pace. Avarian made his way to a side room where the horses where kept and took the saddle off and feed his stead. He then made his way to the dinning hall where the rest of the Avant guard me him. They all said there hellos, and took there places awaiting the news. He told the news from the northeast woods, to the high council room and their final orders. When he finished speaking, Audecon took the stage. "I believe we should gather our things and be off to join Ullath in Longsaddle at once. For we should make haste, for time is not on our side." It was no longer than an hour later when a group of fifteen individuals rode out of Southwall on horseback. They were heading to Longsaddle. Nothing could stand in the way of there combined force. They made Longsaddle late that night where Ullath had rooms and an abundance of food awaiting them. They all ate and rank their fill of wine, meat and cheese till none could hold anymore. After all was done, Ullath spoke. "It comes to my attention that all the North East Woods has been hampered by travel." The snow at this moment continues to fall. We shall not go as a unit into the woods but go solo. Each one of you shall gather information on the current problem, then come back here and report on the situation in four days. So rest well tonight my friends, for tomorrow will find us on the road again, in some of the harshest winter weather I have ever seen in my life. All went to sleep that night with dreams of adventure, knowing in the back of their minds that they faced one of the greatest challenges of there lives. ***************************************** Receiving a message from Ullath about a mysterious snow and traces of sorcery, young male gave a sigh and picked up his sword harness, slung it over his back, donned his cloak and foul weather clothes. He walked over to the stables and picked his favorite horse, a Black roan that was rather playful. Riding out of the Keep he looked back at it wanting ever more its warmth. As I traveled through the Lost hills, a truly winding and twisting path, I decided that perhaps I would stop by at one of my old forester friend's homes. It was on the way and I knew he would appreciate the visit. Stopping outside the door I tried the handle only to find it locked. Knowing this was unusual of him and hearing odd sounds inside I broke down the door only to find a pack of Owl bears. Standing surprised they attacked me. I drew my sword and started a little song under my breath to key the magic. The runes upon my sword started to glow and the blade flashed a glowing gold. Summoning my powers I attacked the Owlbears in full force knowing that my friend must be in danger to keep such company. After defeating the horrendous guards, I slit their purses and took my winnings. Glancing around quickly I saw the locked door across the room and could hear muffled thumps as someone hammered on it. Crossing the room with full drawn sword I kicked the door open and jumped to the side. Inside I found my dear friend who explained all that had happened. He gave me a pendant to deliver to Lord Nasher as that would make him aware of the evils going on. He also said that the Owlbears came in two shifts so I should prepare for a fight to leave. Having said this I sheathed my sword and pulled Three Deadly throwing axes that with a sort of juggle I awaited the coming of the Owlbears. They showed up one by one, and one by one I dispatched them with an axe through the spine or in the middle of the fore head. After killing them I decided that having heard about other Evils in the land I would continue to the woods while gathering the nine jewels of NeverWinter and bringing the various items to Nasher. Since I was near a Triboar teleport which would let me pick up a valued brooch I went through it and appeared in an unmapped portion of Triboar. Looking at the fading sun in the sky I thought I had heard thundering footsteps and wondered why the deep snow that was blanketing the North East woods was melting. I silently hoped that the problem had been solved and we could all continue with our lives. Knowing it would be too good to be true I pushed through the slushy snow and mud. My horse started to give out beneath me and I knew I would have to continue on foot. As much as I did not relish this thought I knew I must. Dismounting just in time as three melting banshees appeared ahead. I sighed and freed the soothsayer, my ever faithful sword. The runes glowed brightly and flashed a luminescent green. As the runes started to glow, I faced off with the first banshee to come toward me. As the Banshee lunged I side stepped and muttered 2 words that sent a glowing bolt into the Banshees side. The banshee became stunned with the pain and flashed into vapor. The other two came at me simultaneously and I swept them both killing them quickly. Remounting my steed I pushed onward towards a steam cloud I saw emanating on the horizon. As I neared the cloud, I met with a couple fleeing towards Longsaddle. I stopped them and asked them what was the matter. They turned and pointed towards a black shadow gliding around the cloud letting off shrieks. They said that this problem came from the gliding shape and the vapor that I found out was a melting ice fortress. When I asked who was the cause they replied a great dragon with freezing breath, I thanked them and told them they had nothing to fear as they would find hospitality in Longsaddle. Remounting my steed I finally reached the source of this abominable cold, how I longed for the warmth of my southern home. Looking up I saw the shadowed form descending and turning white. Quickly drawing my already flaming sword I started to whisper my song and the sword glowed brighter. The dragon landed in front and gave me a greeting saying he was Frost bearer of the cold and killer of humans, besides other great titles. I calmly told him that I was Siexas, knight of the Avant guard and that it was my job of dispatching him and his foul ways. Glowering at me he stated "prepare to meet your death human" and I followed closely with the remark "your mother was a red and your father a black, your just an albino." Since I saw that this remark had enraged him, I rose on my toes tensing for the lunge that was sure to follow. Rolling forward I ended up on the other side of the dragon and he jumped at my former space. Unleashing the magic in the sword I watched as flames raced towards the evil beast and exploded upon its crest. The beast turned towards me and whispered in its last words "you aren't through this yet." I plunged my sword through its breast and said "yes, I am." From behind me across the clearing I heard an ominous voice state "no you aren't weak one." Twirling around I looked upon the dark face of the sorcerer who spoke these words. "You may have killed my dragon, your friend may have destroyed my crystal, And your pathetic guard may have dispersed my committee of mages, but you haven't gotten me." He stated this with a toothy smile and whirled around with a twirl of his cloak. My unleashed Magic missile found only air where he had been and I heard the same eerie laugh behind me. "You're not that good a sword swinger" and I felt a freezing pain in my back as I toppled to the ground. He laughed again as I pulled myself up by the hilt of my sword. This time standing directly in front of me, I bared a smile and laughed in unison with him. It appeared to catch him off guard, seeing his control weakened I quickly weaved the spell Feeblemind and cast it at him. Watching all intelligence drained from him I lunged and he muttered something incomprehensible. Watching my sword bury into his flesh I screamed a sound of triumph only to hear him laugh again and watch a used Mirror image scroll flutter to the ground. I sighed and whirled on my feet weaving my new song and feeling my magic giving me strength. Sheathing my sword I pulled a thin dagger from my belt that was more like a needle then a blade. Weaving it between my fingers I deliberately poked my arm and drew the blood necessary to begin the ceremony. With the red ruby droplets of blood running along the blade, I threw it watching it begin to glow with an electrical charge as it buried itself in the folds of the mage's neck. The electricity coursed along his skin and where the tip protruded from the nape of his neck a trickle of blood ran down and colored the snow beneath his feet. I walked up pulled the dagger free. With all the precision I had I drew my sword and hastily dismembered his head so he would never return as a lich. Since the ceremony was finished, I cleaned my weapons on the dead man's clothes and mounted my horse. Seeing that life had returned to the area and my deed was done, I sensed other wrong doing in the woods that may or may not have anything to do with the man I had just killed but I decided it was up to the others to finish it. I had done my part and knew that if the need should arise I would be there again. Finishing this I rode back to my dwelling along the edge of the mighty forest and slept with comforted dreams again. ****************************************************Winter Woods - Chapter 1, Part 2 (submitted by: ULLATHX) Audecon wrapped his gray cloak around his form as the biting winter wind buffeted his white robes with its fury. Clouds pregnant with snow, showing no sign of letting up, continued to give birth to the white maelstrom. "What the hell am I doing here?" he asked himself, criticizing his decision to investigate the preternatural storm on his own. His gray boots trudged through the deep banks of snow, as he made his way further into the woods. The leafless boughs of the trees offered no relief from the onslaught. Using his staff for support, the young mage halted in his steps. Was that a sound he heard? Yes, not far off, the distinctive howling of wolves. He knew of only one kind of wolf that would venture into this blizzard: winter wolves. Casting a quick spell of protections against the beasts' icy breath, Audecon readied himself for the approaching monsters. His wait did not last long. Within minutes four white outlines distinguished themselves from the raging tempest. A horrifying howl echoed through the forest, causing his skin to shiver. The four winter wolves padded slowly towards the mage. Their powerful shoulders were level with Audecon's clear blue eyes. Icicles hung precariously from the gaping maws of the creatures. The leader of the pack growled, and terrible sound originating deep within its chest. With a hiss, freezing arrows of ice hurled themselves from the wolf's mouth towards the mage. Audecon leapt into a snow bank, the deadly ice pellets tearing holes in his cloak. Raising his staff above his face, he chanted an ancient word of magic. "Keleth." The pearl on top of his staff began to glow with a burning orange light. Tongues of flame darted toward the four wolves, striking each of them with equal fury, setting their white coats of fur aflame. The creatures howled in pain and fear. Yelping wildly and faced with an obviously superior enemy, the wolves turned and ran, their tails tucked low between their legs. Audecon sighed in relief. Picking himself up, and brushing the snow off his robes, he struggled onward. The storm increased in intensity the farther he walked. Soon, he found himself being blown in waist deep banks of snow. "This is terrible," he said quietly to no one in particular. "There has to be an explanation for this." Just then, a terrible roar split the air. Audecon instinctively knew that he had found his explanation. He had the strange feeling that individual torrents of wind were striking him, independently of the blizzard. Covering his eyes from the ice and wind, he squinted, attempting to penetrate the white wall of snow before him. Whoosh. Audecon hit the snowy floor of the forest. Something had passed just over his head. Still squinting, he could make out nothing in his blinding surroundings. Whoosh. There it was again. Yes, there was something out there, watching him, even though he could not see this new menace. If only he could see what was.... Whoosh. That was it. Audecon was not in the mood to play games. Pushing himself up from the ground, he raised his staff high in the air and chanted. "Keleth thraxus ingenui!" The pearl gleamed orange, then red. The fiery glow pulsated and extended from the staff in a shimmering globe. It extended high in the air and far in all directions. Wherever the crimson glow spread, the snow melted and disappeared. Able to discern his surrounding, Audecon found himself in a clearing in the forest. A huge rock outcropping rose jaggedly from the earth at the far end of the clearing. What sat upon the outcropping stole his breath from his lips. A massive dragon of purest white sat upon the rock, his enormous wings spread wide, revealing their faint bluish membranes to their fullest. Smooth, milky scales, easily as hard as the strongest steel shield, rippled across the powerful muscles of the beast. Curving ivory horns adorned the beast's head on each side. Iridescent blue eyes glowed evilly as they gazed down at the impudent creature before them. The wickedly fanged mouth spread in a cruel smile. "Welcome to my forest," the dragon said, surprisingly conciliatory. Audecon knew that white dragons were the slowest of the dragonkin, yet this one seemed to have a savage intelligence in that stare. This was no ordinary dragon, he thought. The creature's size attested to this fact, as white dragons were also the smallest of the great reptiles. "This is not your forest," Audecon stated plainly. "It is the forest of the people that live and toil here." "I live here now," the dragon bellowed. "These are my lands now. Any who enter are at my mercy." The dragon's icy breath froze Audecon's skin. He had no doubts that he was at this dragon's mercy. Perhaps he might learn something to help others before he fell before this force of nature. "Are you the cause of this storm?" He yelled, trying to be heard above the howling wind. The effects of his spell were wearing off, and snow began to fall in the protective circle. "I am," the dragon said. "These are my holdings, and I will adjust them as I see fit." "Who are you? Form where did you originate?" Audecon shouted. The howling wind began to swirl around him, his torn, gray cloak whipping around him. "I am the Destroyer of Elves. I am Dwarven Bane. I am the Ice Lord, the Master of the Great Glacier. I am Frost, King of the North." The dragon seemed obviously pleased to hear the long list of titles ringing in his ears, for he smiled broadly. "I am the greatest of my kind to set claw upon the frozen tundra." His arrogance was astounding, Audecon thought. Then again, with that size, perhaps it was not arrogance at all. Just as he thought he might escape the situation alive, he heard a sharp intake of breath. Raising his staff before his face at the last moment, a cascade of freezing breath and rushing cold covered the mage, enclosing him in its icy embrace. Frost crawled down from his lofty post and surveyed his newest statue of ice. The visage of the mage showed an expression of extreme horror. His lips were locked in a scream that would never be released. So he thought. Minute cracks formed in the ice, starting at Audecon's feet. As they wormed upward, they grew wider. With a sudden explosion, the ice flew in all directions, the second lieutenant of the Avant Guard became free from the dragon's prison. The look of surprise on Frost's face did not last long. Roaring in disappointment, he flashed his sharp teeth at Audecon. Audecon ducked and rolled underneath the barbed death. He deft move failed to clear him from the cold fangs completely. Excruciating pain exploded in his shoulder as the tooth scraped against bone. Splotches of crimson stained the pure white of the snow. Breathing heavily, he gripped the staff tightly, praying to Selune, chanting in wild terror. The powerful jaws of Frost raced towards Audecon as the mage stood still, seemingly paralyzed with fright. The wickedly curved teeth snapped shut on air. His prey had escaped. Roaring in defeat, the dragon flapped its wings furiously, taking to the sky. The storm in the woods only increased in intensity. Audecon fell upon the hard flagstones of the courtyard of Bloodkeep. His lifeblood pumped from his lacerated shoulder. He would live, he knew, and he would tell others what he had discovered. ************************************************************* The journey through the realms was fast. There were pressing matters that needed attending. The riders spoke little, and rode hard. The Guard was responding to a summoning from their captain Ullath. Rumors had been spreading from the woods, that a harsh winter had blanked that section of the realms. Seeking to find the source of this problem and eliminate it, Ullath directed each of the fifteen warriors to travel individually, gathering as much information as they could. Among these knights rode Sir Tynian. Wearing the new green emblem of his unit, he blended in well with the surrounding forest. The forest here in Longsaddle seemed to be fine, and Tynian wondered if these rumors were just that. As he approached the East Woods, it was clear that it was no rumor. There was a clear line between summer and winter here, with the woods covered completely in snow. Tynian dismounted from his war horse and examined the snow. It was natural enough, but one thing startled Tynian. The snow was advancing! Persistently, the blanket of snow was spreading out towards the town of Longsaddle. Seeing the urgency in his mission, Tynian remounted his war horse and pressed through the snow. The cold was harsh, and Tynian's armor soon became covered with frost. This winter certainly was not natural. As Tynian advanced into the woods, he came across a small cabin, covered in snow. Seeking shelter for him and his horse, Tynian slowly approached the cabin. Looking for signs of life, Tynian noticed that no smoke came from the chimney. "This house must be abandoned," thought Tynian. He soon discovered this to be untrue. Forcing the door open, Tynian got his reward with a shock. Inside there stood a couple completely encased in ice! Tynian examined this crystal coffin careful, seeing the expression of fear on their eyes. Calling upon the mystical forces of energy surrounding him, Tynian cast a warming spell that slowly began to defrost the pair. When the ice completely melted, the two collapsed on the ground. Tynian observed that they both appeared to be breathing. Heaving a sigh of relief, Tynian lit a fire and lay the two in front of it. He exited the building to check on his horse. A startled yelp came from inside and Tynian rushed to see what it was. The man and his spouse were awake. As Tynian approached them, they looked relieved to see the armored knight approach. "Thank you kind sir," said the fellow, "we are forever in your debt for rescuing us." "Can you tell me what did this?" asked Tynian. The man then told his tale "They were creatures of ice, that stood just as tall as a man. Their touch froze us solid. There was nothing we could do. They did not speak, but there were men along with them. As we were beginning to freeze, I heard them mention something about returning to the fortress of ice. What could they mean by that?" "I'm not sure, but I assure you that I will find out. Keep warm neighbor," stated Tynian as he strode out the door, now knowing that his destination lay in this fortress of ice. The woods lay covered by an unearthly cold. As Tynian rode his faithful war horse, he pondered what the meanings of these creatures of ice were. Possibly ice elementals, but who were the individuals along with them? Tynian's journey through the woods began uneventful, till he heard the distant howls of wolves. Not paying much attention to this common assurance, Tynian rode. Out of the trees leapt ice hounds! Soon they surrounded Tynian and they began to breathe icy attacks at his horse. Unable to ride freely from their circle, Tynian summoned a fireball from his memory and sent it loose at the hounds in front of him. Searing flesh away from bone, the ice hounds fell, and Tynian urged his war horse out of the circle. The horse, taken much damage collapsed, spilling Tynian into a snow drift. Recovering from the fall, Tynian cast a poison cloud towards the remaining hounds, which proved to be unsuccessful. The hounds did not fall and pressed their attack. Tynian responded with various spells in his memory, and prayers to his god. Soon the hounds proved not the equal of the seasoned Tynian and died. Tynian set up camp near the battle sight, magically igniting a large fire in which he burned the corpses, hoping to avoid further attacks from scavengers. As Tynian rested in front of the fire wondering what do to next, a glimmer from within the woods caught his eye. First it was there, it ceased to exist. Tynian gathered his gear and headed out in the direction of the shine. Walking through the snow was difficult, and Tynian made little progress. As he struggled through the deep snow drifts, he came across a group of individuals in robes that were heading towards the mountains in the distance. As Tynian observed the individuals, he noticed that from beneath some of their hood's cam glitters of light. "Strange," though Tynian. From out of nowhere, the wind picked up and blew back one of the strange men's hoods. Beneath, Tynian saw that indeed, most of these individuals were made of ice. Realizing he had found what he was looking for, Tynian followed the individuals at a distance, which was not too difficult since they progressed much faster than Tynian was capable. After hours of weary travel, Tynian reached the rocky mountains. As he gazed up at the crags, he blinding light forced Tynian to take a step back. Seeking out the source of this light, Tynian saw a huge fortress, completely made up of ice. Before the fortress stood the individuals he had been following. One of them seemed to be chanting, and as Tynian watched, one of the walls melted away and the individuals walked into the fortress. Acting on instinct alone, Tynian cast a spell of haste and ran like lightning towards the fortress. The wall had begun to reform, and Tynian was forced to leap headfirst into the fortress. Luckily, the individuals had already left the chamber, and Tynian was alone in a cold entrance hall. Inside the frozen fortress, Tynian looked around at what seemed to be countless passages. As he observed the icy walls, he noticed they glowed with a pulse, that was almost like a faint pulse. Tynian silently whispered a prayer to his god, and chose a staircase that lead upwards. As he ascended the stairs, Tynian noticed that the air became remarkably colder. Tynian's breath came out in puffs of steam, and his sweat began to freeze to his body. Becoming weaker with each step, the cold drove the strength from Tynian. Again, Tynian prayed, this time being rewarded with a deep voice in his head. "Tynian, what you are about to face is altering the balance of the realms, you must defeat this foe. I will grant you the ability to make it far enough, must you must do battle on your own." With the rumbling gone from his head, Tynian noticed the that holy symbol engraved on his armor glowed with the might of his god. The cold left his body, and Tynian raced up the staircase. At the top were gathered the individuals he had been following, all but the creatures of ice. As they took notice of Tynian's approach, they began to mouth the words of spells. "I don't think so, my friends," stated Tynian, as he cast a spell of his own, silencing the mages. He had not won yet, as the robed individuals began to pull various wands from their robes. Diving to the side, barely avoiding a lightning bolt, which shook the staircase, Tynian let loose magically bolts of energy from his finger, forever silencing three of the mages. The remainder scuttled off in a flurry of robes. The door they stood before was of purest ice, only it was so thick, Tynian could not see through it. Engraved in the ice, was a hideous face, that seemed to look straight at Tynian as he examined the door. Suddenly, the face became alive and spoke at Tynian. "Welcome, Sir Knight, you have violated my fortress, and for that you shall pay." The face appeared to suck in breath and released a freezing wind towards Tynian. He jumped back, but the wind engulfed him. "Fear not, Tynian," a warm voiced rumbled in his head, which Tynian knew to be the voice of his god. Again the symbol of his armor began to glow. Tynian became empowered with newfound strength, and pushed forwards against the wind. As he did so, the hideous face sucked in more breath. Seizing the moment, Tynian jumped through the face's open mouth. Tynian tumbled through into another chamber. In the center, upon a glittering platform, rested an ice crystal that glowed with the pulse Tynian had observed in the walls. Knowing this to be the source of the cold, Tynian reached out for it. The ground in front of him rose up, and took the shape of dragon. Knowing this not be a mere white dragon, Tynian stepped back and took up guard. "Why do you quiver so, Sir Knight?" asked the dragon of ice. "Do you recognize your death when you see it. For I am Frost, ruler of the elemental plane of ice. Do you think you can best me?" And with that, from the walls jumped soldiers of ice, rushing towards Tynian. He glimpsed around and realized that they had surrounded, knowing that this might be his last fight. "Let's go down fighting!" yelled Tynian, and cast what he knew to be his last spell. Tynian encompassed himself within a globe to protect himself from the spells he was about to cast. He released fireball after fireball from wands and scrolls that he had collected. Soon, the room became engulfed in balls of flame. The ice creatures melted into pools of water, that dripped down in cracks that had appeared in the floor. As the flames died, the room was now a cavern carved empty by the magical fires. To Tynian's dismay, the ice dragon still remained, carefully guarding the shard on the pedestal. "You will have to do better than that, little one." Tynian, realizing that the ice elemental too was protected, took another plan of attack. Tynian released a chain of lightning, that narrowly missed to the right of the dragon. "You missed fool!" With that, the dragon seemed to melt into a giant of ice, and with a few quick steps, stood directly in front of Tynian. "But did I?" Tynian politely asked the giant. As they both watched, the lightning-bolt that Tynian had cast reflect off the wall, and struck back towards the pedestal. "No!" Rumbled the giant. The lightning bolt struck the shard, and the fortress violently shook. Tynian also noticed that the giant became smaller, now the height of a human being. "For that, you will pay!" And the giant morphed was again, but this time into a mirror reflection of Tynian. As Tynian drew his flail, the ice giant mocked his move, drawing his weapon. They both began to circle each other, each waiting for the other to make his move. Then Tynian swung his flail, and the ice elemental blocked the swing with his shield. They both continued at this combat, with Tynian becoming weary and the elemental going strong. Realizing that this fight was could not be won, Tynian began to retreat. The ice elemental, sensing Tynian's retreat, charged forward to crush the knight. Tynian already prepared for this, whispered a few words and disappeared and reappeared in a different spot. The ice elemental howled with frustration, and charged again at Tynian. This time, the elemental took the shape of a rider and horseback, with his lance extending towards Tynian. Tynian counted the seconds he had left, and right at the last second cast his last fireball towards the floor directly beneath him. As the floor melted away, Tynian tumbled down and he fell back into the entrance hall. Above, the ice elemental was unable to end his charge, and his lance pierced the ice shard. The shard exploded and the fortress began to collapse. Tynian ran towards the door barley escaping the falling roof. The door melted away like before, and Tynian noticed that some of the mages were escaping as well. They did notice the armored knight running too, for they were fleeing for their lives. As Tynian reached a safe distance, he prepared for more bloodshed, knowing that he had spent all his magical energy. He would be forced to fight hand-to-hand combat against magic-users. As the robed individuals approached, they held up their hands in a sign of surrender. "Stop, knight, we mean you know harm. We found the ice shard, and through it were possessed by the evil being Frost. He intended on covering the realms in ice, but now that you have defeated him, the winter will cease." Tynian observed from the rocky crag, that indeed, the snow was melting and the forest looked green once again. The mages agreed to never return to these woods and Tynian let them go with an exile, not wishing to shed any more blood. Tired and weary after his battle, Tynian returned to Longsaddle to wait for his comrades, and to rest and find a new war horse. ********************************************************************** He arose from his bed and slipped on his favorite red and black uniform over his underclothes. He was going to be bundled up pretty good. The reports from Ullath were of unexplained, severe snow storms in the NeverWinter woods. All the Avant Guard had been put on alert last night. They would all head out this morning. The instructions from the Captain were to follow the path to the woods and then split there and try to discover the source of the enchanted snow storm. Gote made his way to the kitchen enroute to the stables. He had grabbed enough supplies, and now he was ready to go. Gote saddled his steed and headed toward the woods. The journey there was uneventful. When he approached the woods, the sky became cloudy and he could feel the temperature dropping. He continued on towards his destination. Soon flurries were seen fallen through the air. It only took two hundred paces and it was a true heavy snow. Gote had noticed that the snow storm did not move. The consistency of the snow was unnatural. The snow came nearly to the horse's chest. The problem Gote saw was that the snow, in accordance with what was falling now, should have been much deeper. He drew his cape around him and moved. He shortly came across a small hut, but not a sole was there. He inspected the hut until he found enough wood to build a fire. He piled the wood in the small hearth, and with a flick of his finger the hearth engulfed in flames. Gote sat down to warm himself by the fire. He leaned his back to the wall of the hut, and merrily it seemed everything else started drifting away. His dreams would be pleasant. "I must continue to move or." His last thought as he fell into a deep sleep. .......Siexas came riding into Longsaddle, cold and tired. He was greeted by Ullath whose first request was for any information he had. After giving him his report, Siexas inquired on the whereabouts of Gote. He left before me and should be here already. Ullath informed Siexas that he had not seen Gote. Siexas prepared to leave at once. Ullath asked him to wait a while and rest but Siexas refused and headed back to the white storm that raged just outside town. Siexas fought the storm for three hours before coming upon a small abandoned shack. As he approached the shack, he saw a BloodKeep steed standing on the far side. He was immediately on the alert. He readied his shield and drew his sword. As he cautiously approached the dwelling, he began humming under his breath. He kicked open the door to find a hearth with a few embers still glowing. To his amazement, Gote was sleeping against the wall. He attempted to rouse Gote persistently. He had no luck. At last, he realized that this was not a normal sleep. He tried the last and only thing he could think of. He cast dispel magic upon Gote. Gote instantly awoke. Gote was in a daze for only a second. As he realized where he was and who was standing in front of him, he got a strange glimpse of something in the reflection on Siexas' shield. Pulling Siexas to one side he quickly cast a fireball into the opposite side of the dwelling. The entire side of the hut jumped into flames. "Have you gone mad?!' Screamed Siexas. As Siexas turned, he saw the remains of what appeared to be a witch. The form was still twisting in agony. He gave Gote a hand to his feet, and only said "Well met." The rest of their journey, other than being cold and uncomfortable, was uneventful and not worth the telling. ******************************************************************* Troball packed quickly, taking his strongest scrolls, and heaviest clothing. He rode out of the Avant Guards secret entrance in Southwall. Ullath had just dispatched him solo to the area of the North East Woods to investigate a strange weather occurrence. He made great speed through Vilnask, Crossergate, and the lost hills. Upon reaching Triboar, Troball rested and watered his mount, before continuing through Berun to Longsaddle. His stay in Longsaddle was brief. It was long enough to board his steed, re-supply himself and talk to the residents to see if they could enlighten him of the goings on in the NE quadrant of the woods. Being an outsider, and of evil heritage, he heard nothing. He set out from Longsaddle on foot and headed into the eastern woods. It felt good to be back in the woods. He really does hate all that city bother in Southwall. He decided that time was of the essence. So he quietly hastened his boots and cast a spell of invisibility as to pass unseen by the overabundant number of monsters heading at him from out of the North an east. After brief encounters he came upon a sight that truly shook me to my core. A wall of snow, fifty feet high, ran the entire length of the line of demarcation between the East and Northeast woods. Troball sat down, astonished by the sight. What to do, what to do, were his only thoughts when a small disturbance in the snow wall caught his eye. At first the spot just seemed to be crumbling, then a small portal opened. Seeing the portal open, he knew his only chance to get to the bottom of this had just arrived. He stealthily dove into the portal and was instantly teleported into the center of the woods. Troball experienced some pretty cold things in his time like the reaction he received from Storm after the lord learned he had been the one to eat the last of the honey cakes in the keep's kitchen. But this was a cold he had never encountered before. He got up from his landing spot and quickly put on his Woolly Mammoth under garments, greater Vili parka, and his tiger lined gauntlets. He then set off to find the center of this disturbance. After roaming the woods for what seemed days, but were in fact only a few hours, he came across what he had been searching. A small individual, not more than one meter in height, stood there surrounded by a large group of ice encased Dracs and Banshees. Since this individual, a man that made dwarves seem to tower, had icicles hanging from his finger tips and the Dracs and Bashees well in hand he had best speak to him while invisible. "Hail and Well Met," he said, as I quietly kept changing my position in case he could see through my cloak. Anyone that could freeze Drac breath as it was erupting from the beast's nostrils, had some special protection indeed. The man, that was vertically challenged, spun quickly towards Troball's spot and begun to chant in a tongue long since forgotten in these Realms. A small cloud, Blacker then Altons prize Roses, formed above his head, he quickly summoned a dimensional door and teleported out of the area just as the cloud exploded into his direction. He had no time to set his reentry point and quickly found himself back at the portal that had let him into the woods. Sometimes even we can catch a breather. After removing all his NeverWinter ware, he teleported himself from town to town. Leaving my steed in Longsaddle where he had found his cute little filly, but that's another story. He soon found myself in front of Lord Ullath telling my report of the disturbance. Ullath asked that he post this on the messaging board within the keep, so all the Army of the Bloodkeep will know of what goes on in those woods. Troball Ackomman AvantThe Three Ages of Man (submitted by: HR Dodger) Behind a brown boulder, robed in raven and red Innocents indulge in incandescent light; They are but growing green saplings seeking strength. Meddlesome, malleable minds move onward Peeking, peering, prying into a pretentious future. They glimpse the silent shelter shading the Liason of two lustful lovers lying side by side Under opulent ochre and spacious sienna shrubbery. Ivory innocence yields to crimson contamination; A hand breaches breast, lips lock lightly And animal instincts inadvertantly rise. Blushing briefly the lovers branch outward Leaving lazy, lustful lives behind. A cobalt cathedral controls the karma of the two Whispering wise lovers garbed in modest mahogany mantles. Beneath supple saffron sycamores and eloquent emerald elms Dazzling divine light gracefully guides them; Standing, streching, soaring they sail skyward. Dedicated to life and my beloved and betrothed HR Flash The Fox Hunt (submitted by: Bertil Fox) Blood flew from many cuts and scrapes as he ran through the under brush, no way could he stop for if even one got away it would be to many. He could smell their fear as he chased them, see their yellow blood splatered here and there. There, just up ahead, he could see one, hopefully the last. How the mighty triple treat would feed this day! Heart pumping, he feels the rage burning in his soul, "Aye, tis no mere child you face this day, but a knight errant, soon with luck a full knight." The goblinkind seeming to here this picked up his pace and the squeaks of fear soon became shouts of horror. "Yell demon child, scream like the cur you are." But just as he was ready to take him down a limb fliped back and smaked him up side the head, knocking him to the ground and to the relm of sleep. As I awoke the pain in my head was close to unbearable. Praying to Try I could feel my body mending and the pain easing. But what a suprise I found when I tryed to move, I was bound unable to rise. What had happened? Were was I? The darkness and stilness gave no clue as I strugled with my bonds. Even my guantlets could not help me break my bonds. Then the darkness broke and the brightness of the sky plunged my mind into eternal darkness I was blind! Unable to see I was drug from my jail and tossed to the ground as helpless as a piglet at the roast. But it seemed I was not blind for the darkness was slowly replaced by a deep shade of gray. My eyes just could not handle the light after my time in captivity. But knowing that I was not blind gave my a renewed sense of hope. Now much more focused he found out who his captures were orcs! Never had he seen so many ocrs gathered at one time. Instead of his life he though of Lord Nasher and wished he could let him know of this mass of inhumanity. They tied him to a steak in the middle of what looked like a gathering place. Hundreds of orcs laughrd at him, they poked and proded him, they spit and releived thier selfs on him. For two days strait he was tormented this way, night and day, day and night.If only he could remember his spells, or get free long enough get his trident, he may die but he would not be the only one. On the third day he found out what was keeping the orcs together as a shadow the size of mountain threw him back into the world of darkness. "This puny human is what you have hade me travel so far to see"? I thought you had captured the mighty Lord Nasher himself the way you went on." Fools kill him and be done with it, my time is not to be waisted." Never befor had I seen the likes of the speaker, At least eight feet tall and as wide as a house the giant loomed above me. I tell you this was no giant but half oger and half giant with a little human thrown in along the line. His build was tremendous, the muscles bulged from under his thick hide, wich had a fine coating of fur covering it. This was all terifing but what scared me the most was his eyes. I could see the intelligence burning behind the fiery red orbs. "Release me, let me die like a knight" I screamed at his horror. He laughed at me and told me that if i was a night he was a fire giant. Then sir let me lose and yourself and I can settle this, unless your afraid? "You dare call me a coward? Yes it has gotten boring aroud here lets have some amusement." As I was cut loose the pain in my wrists let me know that they had been bound a long time and would be of no use to me. "Ahh so it seems you have me at a disadvantage but I know that a coward like you will take advantage of it, so kill me now". "You try my patients human, but I will let you live till the morning then you shall die! lock him in the hut and keep a ring around the hut if he escapes you all die." I was tossed into the hut I rejoise to find my armour and tridrnt waiting for me. I put my armour on and found my spell book in my pack and began studing. By the morning I was ready. At first light I was marched to a ring of orcs over one hundred deep. They parted like a wave as the ogerthing came to the ring. He was mammoth and wore only a lone cloth. Better to die a man than tied to a pole like a rabbit I thouhgt. Die? no way For was I not a member of KEF the oldest and trues good guilsd in the relms? Did I not have the mighty triple treat by my side? Aye ready I was for if to day I should die it would be like a man and a knight. What happened next took me by suprise for he started jestering and mumbleing in words that only afew could understand. This creature knew magic! My god this is how he keep the orcs in line! Now I must not only live I must warn Lord Nasher and KEF of this. I barley had time to globe befor a ball of fire nearly 50 yards wide engulfed me. It did no harm to me but the smell of burning orc is very sicking in the early morning. Icountered his fire ball with a lighting bolt that very nearly missed him and only singed his thick hide. The burning pain was like hot branding irons being thrust in my eyes as the magic missles slamed in to my cheast. The poisonous cloud envloped his body and I thought I had won but he walked out of it only coughing a little bit. But his coughing lost him time and I struck. Using the blunt end of triple treat I took his legs out from under him as he hit the ground I tried to spear his cheast, but he rolled at the last second and kicked my knee. I felt it buckle before I felt the pain it had snaped into. I could barley keep my hold on reality let alone stand. The ogerthing stood over me and I knew I was dead Only one thing I could do, if I could just put the pain aside and think. The I felt the magic build and release and closed my eye. I felt no blow that would send me from this world onty the coughing and puking of the ogre-thing with all the strength that I had I reached out and cut his throat with a jerk of my trident, then passed out. When I awoke I was alone and in pain and once more I called upon Tyr to heal my broken body and he did. I found no more trace of orcs and it seems that once this ogre-thing had been defeated they broke back up into their normal tribes and went their own ways. Bertil FoxSorrow (submitted by: Rounlin) Your eyes shine upon my soul I hear your voice calling to me I can remember the days we spent Along the beach and in the mountains Time passes by so fast And now you are gone So far away I wish I could see you just Once again To tell you that I love you I want to touch your lips To hold you near Your eyes so enchanting Your hair so inviting If I close my eyes I can still Picture us making love I want to hold and kiss you But I know you are gone So far away Maybe some day We can be together But until then I am left With a memory That is from so long ago The Meeting (submitted by: ABK Blood) The night was calm and warm. Unusual for this time of year. The moon danced in and out of the cloud covered sky. Silence filled the air with only minor interruptions by the wind or a cry from a nocturnal creature. In all, the night was one to enjoy. It was a night one longed for...peaceful, refreshing...for one who embraced the darkness. Strolling out of the keep, the figure headed straight for the woods that resided behind the castle. The figure walked slowly and quietly along the path. Carefully placing his steps so whe would not make even the simpliest sound that could distract the nearest sentry. Moving along the outer wall, he paused to let his body rest and give time for the guards to complete their scan of what lies below. He knew the guards routines for he was the one who evaluated thier training. Once the sentry high on the battlements moved away from the edge, the figure continued his silent walk to the woods. Upon reaching the northwestern part of the castle, the figure entoned the magic words of a spell. he magically traveled across the moat to the other side. Once recovering from the spell effects, the figure scanned his surroundings to see if he was detected...nothing. Assuming nothing has gone wrong with his plans, he continued onto the woods. The woods rose before him, massive trees stood tall in the air. Accompanied by smaller trees and bushes. There was a slight misty fog that covered the lower parts of the trees. The fog cut visibility down to only several feet...perfect for one who did not want to be seen. Silence filled the air with only mild interruption from a small cool breeze that arose. There was little sound coming from within the forest. The figure entered the forest and proceeded to the meeting spot. Traveling down a winding path, the figure made several checks to make sure he was not begin followed. Satisfied with his results, he continued on his way. The path lead him deeper into the forest. The path was, at the most part, an easy trail to follow. It was well hidden from those who were not familiar with this area. Tree branches hung low over the path forcing the figure to travel slowly and carefully to make sure he didnt run into one of the branches. It was impossible to travel at normal speed on the trail at night with all the obstacles one must avoid. After about twenty minutes, he came to his meeting spot. It was nothing more than a five by five foot area. What was unusual about it was, the very trees that have grown around it stood only around three inches apart from each other. It was a natural 'room' in the woods. Only one way in and one way out. The figure made his way to the far corner and sat down. He slowly let loose the mystic words of a spell. Quickly the figure faded into nothing...consumed by the powerful magic that he wielded. He was completely invisible. Soon another figure entered the little meeting area. Standing in the doorway, he glanced around looking for something or someone. "He's late" it said in a whispered voice. He entered and moved about a foot inside the door when, "I'm never late, your the one who makes me wait" came from the corner. The figure was stunned when the words seemed to come out of the air. He scanned the room and when his eyes looked into one of the corners, a man sitting down materialized out of the air. "Lord Bl.."started the figure but was cut off by the figure getting up from his sitting position. "M'Lord, forigive my tardiness. I didn't notice thee" the stunned figure spoke in a nervous voice. "What is the latest news?" asked the Lord. "Not much M'lord. We are currently trying to get one of our agents in, but I fear they have proven not very valueable. By time I receive the information...its fairly outdated. By time I send it to you, its worthless M'lord" the figure informed. "No excuses! I do not accept them. Find away! Get me the information as soon as it was received. Plans are swayed by the information received. I want information I can use" instructed the Lord. "Yes M'lord. I will revise my methods M'lord" answered the figure. "We still have weeks ahead of us and much purposals to go over. By then your methods should be unmatched by anyone. How is our ...shall I say friend doing?" the Lord said. "Which one M'lord? There are many eyes and ears in the Realms" questioned the figure. "The one in..." the Lord began but quickly stopped. He raised his hand in the air motioning for silence. Whispering to the figure "The meeting is finished. We are not alone. Continue our plans...your dismissed". The figure only noded to confirm that he understood his orders. The figure made his way out into the forest again. The Lord entoned another spell which made him invisible. He sat back down in the corner to wait for his prey. "C'mon my darling...I know your here" he thought to himself. Only minutes later, the russle of leaves could be heard outside the entrance. The sound of leaves being crushed grew closer to the 'door' every minute. Soon the Lord would know his follow..... The rustling of leaves soon was heard right outside the door. A sword point was now barely visible in the entrance. The blade grew more visible as the stranger crept into the entrance way. The stranger was dressed in a hooded cloak and not many of its features could be quickly determined, save for one, it wielded a sword. The Lord sat quietly in the corner thinking "that's it...a little closer" with an invisible devilish grin. Soon the stranger was standing fully in the entrance and , with sword ready, scanned the interior for its intended target or targets. Lord then took a small gasp. Startled to see a beautiful woman standing in the entrance. "They're gone!" she yelled as she spun her back to the invisible occupant. From an unseen accomplice, "Impossible! Only one was seen leaving here" was heard. A grin came to the Lord's lips. Slowly rising from his position, he began to call forth the mystical powers of the realms. As he came to the end of the spell, a small chuckle came to his lips as he let loose a bolt of deadly lightning. It struck her square in the back opening a gaping wound. She was dead before she could even let out a cry of pain. Her smoldering corpse hit the cold hard ground of the forest. Only a small rumble of an unsupported mass hitting the ground seemed the only noise. Knowing that another being was close, he let another small enchantment out. A shimmering aura surrounded the Lord. Quickly scampering to his fallen comrade with a dagger drawn in defense, the second figure looked into the shadows of the area only to see a humanoid shadow figure. Shocked and enraged, he quickly brought a spell to his lips and sent forth a spell towards the Lord. Only a shimmering blue light arose around the Lord as the second attacker's spell was countered by the Lord's. "Only a fool would rush into a combat unprepared about his enemy my friend" mocked the Lord. As soon as he finished his sentence, he let out a swarm of magic missiles aimed at the assassin's legs. Piercing the assassin's flesh easily, they made their home in his calves. The man screamed of pain and the Lord new his spell did what he intended it to do. The assassin fell to his knees in agonizing pain. As he fell he dropped his dagger to the forest floor. "Ahhhh!!" screamed the victim. The Lord let out another spell which quickly consumed the helpless man. The assassin froze stiff as he was held in his agonizing pose. Stepping from the shadows, the Lord made his way to his held victim. Pausing over the charred and smoldering body of the female, Lord turned her over with a kick from his boot. Amazed that the lightning bolt went straight through her from the back to front, cleanly. "What a waste...so young..so beautiful" he said with sigh. "Now to you my foolish friend" he whispered almost to himself. The assassin had terror written across his face, for he knew his fate almost all to well. Noticing the dagger on the ground where the assassin dropped it in his moment of pain, the Lord quickly retrieved it. Stopping over his held victim, he dug the blades tip into his chin far enough to draw Blood. "Seems you lost...eh? Only a fool would rush into battle with an unknown opponent. You are that fool!" he shouted as he drew the blade up in the air to deal the death blow. When he brought the blade down, he fainted towards the throat only to drive the blade far into his opponents stomach. The assassin eyes whitened with extreme pain. The Lord twisted the dagger twice to take enjoyment of the pain his victim suffered and slowly withdrew the blade. Looking directly into the assassin's eyes, "Pain, my friend, will teach you to never make that mistake again. I am one with Blood...I have claimed your Blood so I choose to let it flow in the puddle before you. I make it flow from the confines of my enemies bodies" he instructed. He then drove the dagger into the assassin's right thigh, shearing the bone and driving it the entire length of the blade. "Enjoy" the Lord said mockingly as he quietly strolled away from the battle scene. He left his victim in pain, near death...helpless and dying on the forest floor....but alive as intended.... The forest grew colder and darker as the night fought on. He left the battle scene cautiously just in case there were more that the expected two. Traveling down a different path then the one he entered by, he hoped his tracks would be hard to follow. There still remained a small bit of fog left, just enough to give the night/early morn a mystic touch. The wind blew gently through the forest, stirring up the trees with gentle hands. After only a few minutes, he emerged from the forest and began his trip back to the keep. he choose pretty much the same trail, but from the magical battle, he decided to head straight to the main gate. He needed rest as he had expended his energy in the battle. Using his remaining teleport spell, he emerged only about twenty yards from the keep's main gate. He strolled slowly and comfortably the remaining distance until he stood in front of the gate. Looking up into the moonlight sky, he tried to spot a sentry on the wall to open the gate. His eyes darted here and there along the top of the wall looking for the nearest sentry. What seemed to be hours were only a few minutes when a sentry came into the view. The guard noticed the figure immediately when he began his scan of the ground. The guard alerted his another guard for backup. Looking down at the sole figure on the ground, "Who are you and what is your business?" yelled the guard. "Tis I, Lord Blood. Open the gate lancer." responded Lord Blood. "Impossible! Lord Blood has been in his chambers all night. How could he leave his room without the Blood Knights seeing him? They stand guard at his door this very minute. You have five minutes to return where you came from before I rally the Keeps guards and have you killed as an impostor." explained the guard. "Lancer, I have no time for games. Fetch Captain Marine or Lt. Wicked or Lt. Unholy. I'm sure they can ease your concerns at any moment." yelled Lord Blood up to the guard. With that, the guard summoned a squire to fetch one of the three mentioned. The guard stood watch over the figure below, never taking his eye off him for more than a couple seconds. Lord Blood stood patiently awaiting the arrival of someone to open the gate for him. Tire and exhausted form the days events, he wished the guards would hurry up and find one of the three or wake one of them up. "Open the gate!" was yelled from the inside. Lord Blood instantly knew the voice was from Captain Marine. The gate was soon opened to admit Lord Blood into the keep once again. He slowly walked into the keep and noticed Captain Marine talking to the squire that came and fetched him. "Greetings Brother Marine. How does your night go for you?" Lord Blood asked. "Well, until you disappeared from your room...it was going along fine. Where did you go? You could have at least warned me or the guard stationed that you were leaving" Marine said with a bit of concern in his voice. Blood then turned and watched as the gate was once again closed, "Sorry marine, I had an important meeting to get too and could not waste time fetching you. It was...." Lord Blood was cut off by Marine. "What do you mean 'waste time'? All you had to do was open your door and tell your guard you had to leave" Marine continued. Blood turned his eyes to Marine, "And?" "And what? I would of ordered one or two Blood Knights to accompany you. How can we do our job if you don't tell us where your going and when" finished Marine. "Brother Marine, I'm tired. I need some sleep. It was a meeting I needed to attend...alone. Lets say it was....personal" he explained as a grin formed on his lips. "Besides, there were only two assassins. Not much of a fight when you know they're coming. As you can see, I was well prepared for them. I did return unscratched didn't I?" Blood asked playfully. "This time. What's done is done I guess. I guess you need that sleep. The sun will soon be up. Goodnight M'lord" responded Marine. After saluting Marine his goodbye, Lord Blood continued to his room to gain what sleep he could before the day came upon him. He crossed the courtyard and entered the castle. Making his way quickly to the Lord's wing, he passed his guard who just gave a opened mouth look as if he wanted to say "how did you get passed me?" Lord Blood only smiled as he entered his room. Stripping off only the armor that would hamper his sleep, he quickly fell on his bed like a sack full of sand. Giving a sigh of relief that his meeting turned out exactly the way he planned it, he laid back and the darkness of sleep was starting to consume his body. His last thought before he became totally asleep was "Did I really have to kill her....." Then he was fast asleep. Silencing the Tyrant (submitted by: Auber0n) Auberon laid on the fluffy feather bed and stared at the ceiling, thoughts of the life he knew before he had come to Neverwinter floating through his mind. Thoughts of Brenna, the human that he had loved years before, her death at the hands of assassin's sent by his father's own request. He closed his eyes, and a vision of that time, the time after Brenna's death but before Neverwinter, came to his mind's eye, replaying a scene had he scene all too many times during his dreams... Auberon stood quickly, and strapped on his sword belt, and pulled on his cloak, its enchantments silencing his steps and causing him to blend with the surrounding environment. He began to braid his hair, black ribbons intertwining themselves with the long golden strands. The violet glow of glamour surrounded Auberon, as he began to draw upon his fae nature to work magick. Before him a glowing violet circle appeared, and expanded until it was easily large enough for him to walk through. He drew his sword, and stepped through, his eyes filled with the fires of vengeance, and his throat filled with an unheard growl. His eyes easily adjusted to the dim light in his new surroundings, he noted with a pleased smile that the portal had worked exactly as he had planned it, totally invisible on this side. He let go of the glamour, and the portal shut, the only sign that it had, a faint violet twinkle that illuminated the room for but a moment. He noted with his infravision that his father was lost deep in reverie, his eyes half closed, the look on his face one of utter serenity. Auberon closed his eyes for a moment, remembered holding Brenna's head in his lap, and the assassins that had killed her. His resolve strengthened, Auberon walked towards his father, his sword glowing a dim violet, his eyes glowing with the same, fierce color. He placed his swordpoint on his father's throat, and moved his wrist slightly, nicking the older elf enough to draw him from his state of reverie. His father immediately tried to sit up, but found he couldn't, he was held under the sway of his son's power. His eyes filled with fear, and he opened his mouth to speak, but no sound escaped. Joreall knew fear as he looked at his son's face, and the cold vengeance that smoldered in his once-blue eyes. He closed his eyes, and uttered a silent prayer, hoping that his son didn't have the strength to go through with this. He opened his eyes to be greeted with the same cold, calculating look that had been on his son's face before. His face contorted, the fear that he felt more than obvious. His son's baritone voice filled the room, all traces of its former warmth and richness were gone - he was now both hoarse and coldly distant. "I have come for vengeance, father. I am not going to ask how you could order her death, I don't want to know. But I tell you now, I am no longer your son. I cannot be a part of a family whose head has no heart, and in freeing myself from this family, so do I free this family from your tyranny, and hope that your cruelty does not breed true in any of your other children - it is obviously too late for me." His next words were whispered, but his father still heard them. "I do this for you, Brenna... I hope that you do not hate me for it..." A tear rolled down Auberon's cheek. "I love you." Auberon flicked his wrist, and all that signaled the passing of his father was a faint gurgling, and an expanding pool of blood. Auberon turned, and walked towards the door, slowing fading from sight, until, when he reached the door, he was no longer in the room. Silver tears ran down Auberon's face as he stared up at the ceiling. He wasn't sure why these memories were coming to him, now, after all these years, but he hoped that they would soon go away. Brenna, his father, and the rest of his past were all things he preferred to forget, the memory of them too painful for him to bear. He knew that he could not stand too many more nights of the memory-filled sleep... But he wasn't sure what other choices he had. AuberonThe Gift (submitted by: Audecon) The pale moon shone full and bright in the black night sky. Shards of silver shimmered and sparkled as they followed the path of the moon, Selune, obediently. One of these "teardrops of Selune" winked in and out of existence as it fell to the sleeping world below. The teardrop danced across the strong air currents, skipped playfully over the white mountain tops, and drifted quietly towards a small opening in Daglorn, the Silver Mountain. Pulsating softly, the teardrop gently fell through the opening in the mountain side, like a grain of glittering dust. Down, down the little piece of magic went, weaving to and fro, shedding its pale glow wherever it passed. The shaft opened into a large hall, carved from the very heart of the mountain. The gray granite was shaped into rolling waves spreading across the walls, and crashing where they met the smooth, polished floor. Seven long, thin shafts opened into the ceiling, the light of Selune entering the chamber in slender, slanted rays. Thirteen mirrors made of silver and platinum were fused into the walls, sending the reflections of the moonlight dancing across the black floor. The surface of the floor was inlaid with silver dust, giving the illusion that one was standing on the night sky. A five tiered dais was carved at one end of the room, diamonds and sapphires fixed into the steps of black granite that seemed to flow upward from the floor. Upon the dais rested a large throne of ivory. The back of the throne rose towards the ceiling of moon shafts and mosaic tiles, fused with the roiling waves of the wall. The surface of the throne was polished and glowed softly in the moonlight with a pearly luminescence. A tall man adorned in flowing gray robes with short, white hair sat on the throne, his arms resting on the burnished surface of ivory. A silver circlet, a yellow gem fixed in the center, hugged his forehead. The small crown was the only visible piece of jewelry that the man wore, besides the plain silver disk around his neck. Bringing up an old, vein laden hand, the man grasped the symbol tightly, a light of excitement dancing in his deep brown eyes. The star-like grain of moondust gently rested itself on the yellow gem of the circlet. A flickering yellow flame ignited in the moonstone, sending yellow shafts of light arching across the chamber. The mirrors intensified the light, sending it in thousands of directions. The beams of light coalesced on the floor in the center of the chamber. From the brightness, a figure of unearthly beauty emerged. At once, the light vanished, the magnificent woman creating her own radiance. Her hair was molten silver, flowing to her ankles. Fabulous garments, the pale color of the moon, swirled around her perfect figure. Two silvery lights danced in her eyes as she looked at the throne. The old man's face froze in a sculpture of amazement. Throwing himself to the floor, he laid his head atop his folded hands in prayer and thankfulness. "Our Lady of Silver!" he gasped in awe. "How may I serve thee?" Selune walked toward the patriarch of her church on Toril. He was old and wise, yet compassionate to others. Still, he was ruthless in carrying out her will. She extended her hand, and laid it on the old man's snowy haired head. "Feldrin, my loyal servant, you have served me well al these years. With this vision, I show you your final task. Once this earthly weight is lifted from your shoulders, you will rest at last." Feldrin looked up when he felt the warm, comforting hand leave his brow. His goddess was gone. The chamber was cold and empty, a jarring silence ringing through the air. A single tear fell from his cheek and landed on the obsidian floor. He had been blessed. Soon, very soon, he would be free of the world and he would rest under the wings of Selune. *** Aerina sauntered through the winding passageways of Daglorn, whistling a light, airy tune in the darkness. Her slanted green eyes scanned the halls for any sign of another being. Finding none, she continued forward, her great curiosity propelling her towards the Chamber of Moonlight. The High One had summoned her to his chamber, requesting that she seek an audience with him. Feldrin was an old man, she thought, ready to hand the burden of leadership on to another, younger member of the order. Perhaps this is what he had in mind. Feldin did not summon others unless it was a matter of great importance. Entering the great chamber, Aerina wrapped her dark blue cloak around herself and approached the throne. Feldrin was sitting quite still, his countenance like that of a marble statue. Almost convinced that the patriarch had finally met his end, Aerina heard him speak. "Aerina, please come forward," Feldrin commanded, his voice echoing off the towering walls of the chamber. Aerina counted thirty paces before she found herself standing on the first step of the dais. She looked down at the glittering sapphire that was inlaid in the step. Starmist. The sapphire had always stood for starmist, she thought to herself. Looking up at Feldin, she perceived that he had aged decades since she last laid eyes on him. The muscles on his face were tense, and the weathered skin was pale and stretched taut against his bones. He is ill, she realized. There wasn't much time left for him on Toril. Feldin grasped a small scepter that rested on the arm of the ivory throne. It was a thin rod of gold, a translucent blue jewel adorning the top was fixed between twining fingers of mithril. Pointing the scepter towards the third step, he whispered a prayer to Selune. A thin ray of cerulean light leapt from the jewel, and formed a the transparent image of a man. The man looked young, just reaching the prime of his early adulthood. He was dressed in white robes, a gray cloak swaying softly in an unseen wind. At his side he held a tall, gray staff, a spherical pearl gleaming in the dim light. His hair was long, the auburn locks reaching just past his broad shoulders. His eyes were what disturbed Aerina. They were a penetrating green, although there seemed to be a faint blue covering over them. "Who is this man?" Aerina asked, finding herself becoming a bit infatuated. "His name is Audecon Starmist," Feldin stated, continuing to hold the scepter forward. "I want you to form a strong image of him in your mind's eye. You will seek out this man and bestow upon him the Gift of Selune." "The Change?" Aerina asked, startled at her master's words. She had a feeling that this man was already imprinted on her mind. Still, was he worthy of such a power? "Selune has deemed him worthy," Feldrin said, seemingly reading Aerina's thoughts. "You will go to him. He resides in Red Larch on the northernmost edge of the Sword Coast. Grant him Selune's power, and he will know his destiny." Aerina bowed deeply before Feldrin. "It shall be done my lord." Taking her leave of Feldrin, she began walking towards her private chambers. The Change. It only came to those that were of great importance to the Order of Selune. Those that were granted the "gift" usually saw it as a mixed blessing. Still, the acolytes that had undergone the Change now held high positions in the order as she did. Unfortunately, the acolytes were informed of their "gift" only after it was granted. The reactions were not always pleasant. Her brow furrowed with worry and concentration, Aerina gathered those belongings that she would need for traveling. Red Larch was a full ten-day away. She had to make her way there before Audecon left. *** Audecon awoke with a start. Sweat poured down his forehead and neck. His knuckles whitened as he grasped the brown woolen blanket in a death grip. The dream was so vivid, so real. Four drow assassins threw him from the parapets of Bloodkeep. He had died. The pain. So real. Wiping the sweat from himself with the blanket, Audecon opened the wooden shutters, and let the golden light of the sun pour into his room. The earthy smell of soil and wood filled his nostrils. The presence of nature calmed him immensely, his frantic heart slowing to a steady, even pace. Donning his white robes, he left his staff lying on the bed, and made his way to the common room of the Roaming Griffin. The innkeeper was laughing heartily as he watched his three-year-old toddler wrestle with the family cat. Audecon smiled at the man and made his way towards a table by the window. The sunlight seemed to banish the darkness from his soul and bring peace to his mind. It was a fine day indeed. He peered through the window of the inn, watching the people of Red Larch begin their day, the cooking fires just beginning to rise over the hamlet in wispy tendrils. "Will you be having breakfast with us?" Bimbadon, the innkeeper, asked him politely. "Yes, I believe I will," Audecon replied cheerfully. "A fine day here in Red Larch," he began as the innkeeper started to wipe the table. "I don't remember seeing such a winter day before." "Yes, our town has been blessed this winter," Bimbadon answered, still wiping the table, though it was quite clean. There was no harm in talking with a customer for a few extra moments, especially if it meant he could stay out of the kitchen. "Traders are beginning to trickle in from Triboar and Westbridge. It looks like it's going to be a good year for us." The innkeeper looked at the table, then began wiping again. "And the Gods know we deserve it, after last year's hell with the poisoned well water and all. Lost three full blooded kin to that mess, I did." He looked out the same window Audecon was, his eyes misting over in memory. "Good old Lord Nasher. He isn't going to put up with wizards and magic users in these parts, that's for sure." "I'm glad I left my staff upstairs," Audecon muttered under his breath. "Pardon?" Bimbadon asked. "Nothing," Audecon said, smiling. Seeing the innkeeper make his way to the dreaded kitchen, Audecon spoke out the window. "Wonder what this town would think if they knew that it was magic users that undid that curse." *** The day passed quickly for Audecon, his business being prematurely concluded. The informant had failed to meet him at the predetermined time and location. Ah well, he thought, perhaps it was for the best. He had heard enough about Kraken spies to last many lifetimes. Personally, he was getting sick and tired of hearing about the purple squid cult. They would defeated soon enough. Returning to his room, Audecon removed his white robes, and donned a plain gray tunic and light blue breeches. Collecting a few coins from a small leather belt pouch, he turned the copper key in the lock and left his room for the inn below. The common room was full of people this night. Farmers and merchants alike settled in for the evening to enjoy a cold glass of ale and the warmth of companionship. Audecon descended from the staircase, poor Bimbadon racing by with a tray full of empty mugs. Surveying the room, he spotted an open seat near the center of the room. Sifting through the busy feet of the barmaids and the stomping boots of the townsfolk, Audecon made his way to the small round table in the middle of the crowd. Two chairs faced each other on each both sides of the table. Seated in one of those chairs was a tall lithe woman, golden hair cascading down to the small of her back. She flashed a dazzling white smile at Audecon, winking one of her emerald green eyes. "May I sit down?" Audecon asked, staring at the woman, his mouth practically ajar. "Of course," she said, winking again playfully. "Since I let you sit at my table, now you must buy me something to drink," she stated, still smiling. Her forwardness astonished Audecon. Flagging down a barmaid, he ordered two ales. "I don't suppose you're going to tell me your name," he said, continuing to stare. "I am Aerina, Cleric of Selune," she said, pulling a plain silver disk from underneath her green tunic. "What a fortunate coincidence," Audecon began, "I'm..." "Audecon Starmist, Cleric of Selune," Aerina finished. "Yes, I know." "How....how did you know?" Aerina pulled out a golden clasp, and began to tie her long, blonde hair around her head in intricate knots and buns. "Like you, our goddess grants me knowledge of things beyond our normal perceptions. I sensed your presence." Audecon shifted uncomfortably. Wrapping his fingers around the handle of his newly served ale, he brought it to his lips and took a long pull. "I don't understand. I didn't sense you." "You will," she said, a strange sort of mystery creeping into her voice. Finally binding her hair, she began to sip at the cold ale. "As a woods cleric, as we call those not official under the tutelage of the order, you only have the very basics of clerical powers. Under the correct guidance, you could excel in your worship of the Silver Lady. You would know things that your musty tomes and ancient relics could never reveal." Audecon ordered another ale. "How did you know that I was a mage? I am not dressed in sorcerer's garb." Aerina sniffed the air. "That scent clings to you, even in here." "Audecon pulled his shirt before his nose and sniffed. "What scent? I don't smell a damn thing." Frustrated, he slammed his mug on the table. "It's a very unique smell, common to mages. A mixture of guano, decay, perhaps rose petals, and dust. Always dust." Finishing her mug of ale, she rested her chin on her hands and smiled again, almost like a contented feline. "You'll learn to pick these things out." The barmaid almost spilled the ale as she unloaded it from her tray onto the table. Audecon muttered his thanks, and took another gulp. "Yes, you keep telling me. The only thing I see myself learning in the next few hours, is how to get good and drunk." Aerina frowned for a moment, then smiled again. "You want a lesson? Come with me." Pulling Audecon's hand away from the table, she lead him out of the inn. Pulling Audecon around the corner of the inn, she pushed him against the wall of the building and kissed him. Audecon pushed her away, and looked into her green eyes. They seemed to glow faintly in the moonlight. "What are you doing?" He asked, completely bewildered by her behavior. Aerina whispered in his ear "I'm giving you your first lesson." Pushing him back against the wall, she kissed him again. This time, he put up no resistance. Curiously, he thought he felt a sharp prick in his lip. The salty sweet taste of blood traced their kisses. Then again, he could have imagined it. *** Audecon pulled his gray tunic over his head. Aerina was sleeping soundly in the bed. Careful not to awaken her, he took small steps towards his backpack. Opening the bronze latch on the leather pack, he searched through his belongings. Finally, he found the plain silver disk he had been searching for. Flipping it over in his hand, he thought about what Aerina had said. "You could excel in your worship of the Silver Lady." Gripping his holy symbol tightly, he looked at the wooden shutters. A slender pale ray of moonlight cut through the air and landed on his chest. Pain, wracking and terrible, exploded within Audecon. He tried to call out to Aerina, but the breath had left his lungs. His muscles tensed and sweat ran freely across his face as his bowels twisted and clenched. "What....is....happening to me?" he gasped, looking at the silver moon. His voice seemed low and gravelly to himself. His bones seemed to shift and snap under the preternatural force. As quickly as the pain had begun, it subsided. Pushing himself up, he felt that his body was much lighter than it had been. He also had the sensation that he was a bit taller than before. Fear began to settle in. Looking at his hands, he cried out in despair as he saw the black claws and white fur with black stripes. Looking over at Aerina, he noticed that she was staring at him with glowing green eyes. Except, it wasn't Aerina. She had changed. Her long blonde hair, and smooth flesh was gone. Even white fur covered her form, beautiful black stripes lining her body. Her nose was flattened slightly, black whisker sprouting from each side. Her mouth consisted of the carnivorous fangs of a tiger. A tiger. "What have you done to me?" Audecon growled. Aerina stood, her long tail unfolding itself, dangling just above the floor. "You have been blessed Audecon. You have been given the Gift of Selune." "A gift?" he snorted, despair creeping into his voice. "This is a curse! How can I ever face my family, or my friends like this?" Aerina approached Audecon, and put her arm around him. "It is truly a gift. Now you can worship Selune with all your soul. You have powers that men dream of. You are stronger now, more agile. The weapons of common men will not harm you." "Are these powers worth the loss of my humanity?" he cried, pushing her away violently, unaware of the true strength that he had. Aerina flew into the table, her elbow smashing a mirror. She brought up her arm, rivulets of blood dripping down. Audecon watched in astonishment as the bleeding stopped, the cuts healing over completely. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean.." "I know you didn't," Aerina said soothingly. "You will learn to control your powers. Don't worry. As long as you stay faithful to Selune, you can always return to your human form." As if Aerina's statement willed it, Audecon shifted back into his human form, easily. He stood in the room in tattered rags, for his weretiger form had ripped them apart. "Come," Aerina beckoned, grabbing his elbow. "We will return to Daglorn., where you will learn the ways of Selune." Audecon looked at Aerina, then at the moon. "Is this sacrifice enough?" he asked. "I have given you my humanity Selune. I have nothing left to give. You took my soul with my son. I pray this is the last you ask of me." Grasping his staff, he transformed once again into a weretiger. He was easily six and a half feet tall and powerfully muscled. Leaping through the window, he landed on the street, three stories below, without injury. Aerina trailing behind, the two made their way to the Silver Mountain and Audecon's destiny.All are Equal in its Eyes (submitted by: Mutt C130) It was almost upon me. The creature had been searching for days. Hunting me down as if my demise was its only purpose on this plain of existance. It was a most horrid creature. When I happened to catch a glance of it through the trees I saw a mighty beast covered with green and purple scales. Its head was the size of house and it had eyes that looked right through you. Its mawl was big enough to swallow a purple worm whole, with teeth longer than a twohanded sword. It grabbed at the ground with mighty claws tearing out huge chunks of soil and rock where it tread. Then it invised and I could only feel its presence. I turned and ran not wanting to be caught by the creature in its unrelentless task to vanquish me from the realms. It followed me for days. Never once did it let up in its chase I ran with my eyes straight down the path for fear of seeing it again. In all my travels in the realms this one beast was the only thing I had found a need to fear. No matter what traps I laid or what cares I took the beast would not waver in its persute. I could niether cut it with my mighty blade nor singe it with the magic pumping through my vains. Try as I may it would not be slowed. I could feel its breath hot upon my neck. Feel it reaching out for me. I tried to screem but it was too late. I could not move and my voice was quieted. All I could do was sit there and watch as the creature took its time sending me from the realms to another plain many know as OOC. I had fallen prey to the Punting Monster. Still I hear it did not stop, it searched for other adventurers to demolish waiting until I may return to contenue its persute of me once again. Mutt--and the dogs-- Meiliki's Faithful Ones BoPer The Hellion's Arrival (submitted by: RobynSedai) Robyn looked around the stable, and grinned. Her uncle Samuel was asleep inside the main house, and she was going to have an easy time getting out of this dump she was forced to call home. The Aes Sedai that had passed through town a week ago gave her hope, when she had stared at Robyn for almost a full 2 minutes before delivering her speech to the town. Robyn, of course, knew what that meant. It meant that the sister had seen that she could embrace saidar, and had been embraced by the sheer strength of Robyn's ability. Robyn returned her thoughts to now, as she was never going to even get to Tar Valon if she stuck around the stable waiting for her uncle to come and yell at her, and force her to do more chores. She saddled Lindyl, her horse, and after filling her saddlebags with all her necessities, and a few extra treats for the horse, she took off, flying out of the stable on the gray mare. She really wasn't sure of the way to get to Tar Valon, but that didn't matter in the end. After all, she was sure that she would get there eventually, the world was only so big. Robyn saw the two Towers looming in the distance, and she couldn't help but grin excitedly. Her cheeks were covered with dirt, and her formerly crimson hair was now brown, caked with the same dirt that her cheeks were coated in. Her deep sapphire eyes, however, were the exception to the dirt and grime that covered the rest of her; her eyes still glimmered bright with excitement and joy. "C'mon, Lindyl, we're almost there!" She nudged the horse gently, and it obediently leapt into action, its long, slow gait carrying it quickly towards the White Tower. She noticed that there were quite a few people milling about the tall structure, and frowned, she wasn't expecting to have to deal with anyone. She strengthened her resolve, and called upon saidar, weaving flows of spirit and air to cause herself to fade from view. She continued galloping on, and couldn't help but laugh wildly at the confused looks and the excited screams as people dove to get out of the way of the horse they couldn't see threatened to trample them. Robyn leapt onto her horse, and released the Power that was keeping it hidden from sight, people gathering around the horse that had mysteriously appeared. When she walked to the back of the crowd, and faded back into view, no one noticed the new girl that was headed quickly towards the doors of the Tower. Robyn looked around once she was in the tower, a pleased, excited smile coming to her lips as she looked at the tapestries that graced the marble walls of the Aes Sedai's Tower. She walked towards the end of the hall, her eyes trained on a small group of people standing talking to each other. A woman, and two men, the woman was obviously an Aes Sedai, but Robyn wasn't sure what Ajah. The two men were distinctly different, one was an Asha'man by dress, and the other a warder, though the warder carried himself with an air of independence and authority that she had not seen on any of the warders the Sedai coming through her town. All of those warders had possessed a quiet sense of power, for sure, but nothing like this man. She walked up towards the three of them, who were still engrossed in conversation. She glanced down at herself, and squeaked in fright. She couldn't go up to the Aes Sedai officials looking like this! She pulled saidar into her again, and used a few well placed flows of Water and Air to clean herself. The woman's head snapped towards Robyn, her eyes concentrating on the one who was using saidar. The woman frowned deeply, and held up a hand to the other two men, asking wordlessly for silence. She walked up to the girl, who was standing with defiance blazing bright in her sapphire eyes. "Who are you, girl? And what are you doing in the Tower?" "My name is Robyn Tremaine, and I am here to become an Aes Sedai." Robyn lifted her chin, ready to pull the Power into her at a moments notice. "Well, Robyn Tremaine, there are a few things you need to do first. And don't touch saidar around me, you may be strong, but there are a few lessons that you don't want to learn. One of them is messing with me." The older woman motioned to the two men, and then to Robyn, and the four of them walked down a long hallway and into a room where there was a long table, and a seat at the end of the table that was obviously designed to be as uncomfortable as possible. Robyn felt her temper rise into her throat, ready to do something, anything to prevent the line of questions that she knew was coming. Somehow, Robyn kept control of her temper, and answered each and everyone of the questions presented to her. She found herself unable, or perhaps unwilling, to lift her eyes and meet the gaze of any of the three officials sitting across from her. In doing so, she missed the tiny smiles that spread to the faces of each one. They leaned over and whispered amongst themselves. "She is willful, and full of spit and fire. She might not be worth the trouble." "Then what do you think we should do, Elae? Still her, and turn her loose, say sorry?" responded the Asha'man. "I suppose you have a point, Ebon. But I certainly don't want to have to deal with her. Just look at the girl, she is wild, angry, hot-headed." "It is your job to deal with her, Elae. I think that you will do fine with her, you've never had any trouble in the past with novices. She will make a good Sister, after all." Said the soft-spoken warder. The Aes Sedai, Elae, bowed her head to the warder and nodded. "As you command, Dex." Elae walked towards Robyn, her smile obviously forced. "Follow me, girl. We need to get you quarters." Robyn had a hard time suppressing her excitement, and almost gave the woman a hug. Almost. ******************** Robyn of the Aes SedaiVisit to the Tea Party (submitted by: RobynSedai) As soon as Robyn finished her morning studies, she ran up to her room, giggling softly. While she had been walking through the market, buying things for the dinner that she was supposed to be cooking, a man with black hair and deeply tanned skin had walked up to her and introduced himself as Bryan. The two had chatted for quite a while, and then, as Bryan had been leaving, he had invited her to a Tea Party being hosted by the Princess of the Kithain. The very prospect of being at the Tea Party, away from her stuffy novice's chambers, was exciting. She searched through her closet, frowning at the simple dresses that she had been given by the Mistress of Novices. She ran back down the steps, and out to the stables, hopping onto her horse, Lindyl, and cantering towards Neverwinter. She allowed her horse to walk once they had reached the streets of Neverwinter, and looked about for the clothing store that she had admired when she had passed through on her way to the marketplace. Her eyes widened with excitement, as she turned a corner and saw straight ahead, 'Mistress Danella's Fine Clothing'. She hopped off of her horse, and told Lindyl to wait right here, before she slowly opened the door, her features covered in a look of sheer excitement. The woman behind the counter looked over at her, and smiled softly. Robyn noticed that she was the only customer in the store. "Tell me, young lady, what kind of dress are you looking for?" Robyn bit her lip, smiling nervously. "A... uhm... well... I was hoping to... uhm... impress people... uhm... when I... went to this tea party I got invited to... you know..." The older woman giggled, and wrapped her arm about Robyn's, taking her over to a smaller rack towards the back of the store. The woman looked down at the dresses of soft velvet, and pulled one off of the rack. The silk was deep sapphire, almost the exact shade of Robyn's eyes. Robyn giggled excitedly, and reverently took the dress, almost skipping off to the dressing room. She quickly pulled off her traveling clothes, and pulled on the dress. The was lined with silk, making it whisper across her skin as it slid on. The velvet fell to her mid-thigh, and the dress accentuated her curves. The seventeen year old girl looked years older, and absolutely stunning in the short dress. She turned, and looked at herself in the mirror that hung on the wall of the small dressing room. She couldn't help but grin. Robyn regained her composure, and walked out of the dressing room, more than pleased at the look that lighted in the older woman's eyes. "Oh, dear, it looks absolutely ravishing! If you're looking to impress someone, this will certainly do it." Robyn grinned, her traveling clothes still in a heap on the floor of the dressing room. She walked over to the counter, and frowned, realizing that her purse was still in her breeches pocket. She giggled embarassedly and ran over to the dressing room, snatching up her clothes. She withdrew her purse and returned to the counter, carefully withdrawing 175 platinum coins, almost her entire savings. The older woman, Danella as she had told Robyn, reached under the counter, and withdrew a small box, holding it out to Robyn. The woman's alto voice was softened to a whisper. "Here, girl, take this. I have no use for it anymore." "Wha... What is it?" "Don't ask questions, dear, just take it." "Oh... alright." Robyn took the small box, and tucked her traveling clothes under one arm. She carefully opened the box, and looked interestedly at what was inside. It was a small ruby globe that hung from a platinum chain, obviously a necklace. Robyn pushed her hair to the side, and clasped the necklace around her neck, pleased at the lay of the globe. She reached out to saidar, to help her carry all her things, and was amazed at the amount that she pulled into herself. She was a strong natural channeler, she knew that, but she was still surprised at the amount of saidar she was holding within herself. Her thoughts returned to a book she had been reading, about the Age of Legends, and to the tools that they created to help them channel huge amounts of the One Power. She grinned, realizing the woman had just given her an angreal, or a sa'angreal, Robyn wasn't sure because she couldn't remember the difference. Robyn walked out the door, flashing a bright, thankful smile to Danella, the woman who had given her the great gift, and helped her pick out a dress that she was sure would impress people at the Party. She placed all her things in Lindyl's saddlebags, and swatted Lindyl on the rear, telling her to return to the Tower. Robyn slided gracefully down the streets of Neverwinter, headed for the place that the man, Bryan, had described to her. She was sure that she saw crystal spires rising in the distance, reflecting the light of the afternoon sun, and she grinned, realizing that was where she had to go. She increased the speed of her walk, anxious to arrive at the Tea Party. Robyn walked through the gates of the Freehold, as she remembered Bryan calling it, and headed towards the doors of the splendid castle. The huge oaken doors were open, and two elves with long pikes stood passive on either side of the open entry way. Robyn paused, glancing between the two men, and then turned to one, asking for directions. "Excuse me, sir, but where might I find the Tea Party?" "Down the hall, to the left." Robyn nodded her thanks, and hurried excitedly down the hall, turning to the left when she thought it was appropriate. Straight ahead, she saw an open door, and music and laughter was coming out of it. She stopped herself from jumping with glee, and instead, walked calmly through the doors, retaining a calm expression when many eyes turned to inspect her. She glanced around the room, searching for Bryan, and found him, twisted in an odd position on some soft of carpet adorned with colored circles. The were others also twisted in strange positions, and one person was calling out different body parts and colors, confusing Robyn utterly and totally. She sighed, realizing that the one person she knew at the party was far too busy to talk with her, and slunk into a corner, nursing a glass of the exquisite punch. ***** RobynThe Gathering of Shadows (submitted by: Shaldren) Shadows sit, silent and brooding, Awaiting the time that shall be theirs. Shadows sit, roiling and plotting, Awaiting the moment that belongs to them. When the Light ceases watching, The Shadows make their move, They gather and they strengthen, Biding their time, coiled and ready. When the time is right, The Shadow strikes, Eating away at the hearts of men, Devouring the tempted, With mouths of blackest night. And when the Shadow has firmly grasped, The hearts and minds of us all, It gathers - growing stronger. The Shadows are patient, They always wait... They wait for the time when their Strength will be great. The Shadows are patient, They always wait... For the Gathering... The Gathering of Shadows. The Dr. Dump (submitted by: Dr Dumpers) (Sung to the notes of the song "Monster Mash") (Lyrics inside "{}" Sung by Background Nurse-chorus) If you're sittin in the woods and feelin' really low, There's someone you can count on... someone you know! Don't hesitate to visit, this medical Great, He's prefered by one in fourteen patients in your very state! He's got many diplomas from colleges grand, There's isn't any term, he doesn't understand! And when yer feelin' lousy you know there's just one thing to do, When you visit Dr. Dumpers, and dance your way through! {YOU DO THE DUMP!} You do the Doctor Dump! {YOU DO THE DUMP!} He someone you can't stump! {YOU DO THE DUMP!} Be it your head or rump {YOU DO THE DUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMP!} {Waa-ooooooooooh} He's worked on those with Lok jaw, and bed-wetting NORs, Bled some ABKs with the tusks of wild boars! He's chased itty bitty germs around his storage room, And bludgeoned some White Mages with a really big broom! {Waa-ooooooooooh} He's told the old SunRunners, to go take a chill, Gave the head of KORT each, a diet pill. He's advised those of GOC to at last ONCE go wahs-a, And when it's time for Euthanasia... he just calls on Nurse Tasha! {YOU DO THE DUMP!} You do the Doctor Dump! {YOU DO THE DUMP!} Even with the mumps! {YOU DO THE DUMP!} It goes a-bumpity-bump! {YOU DO THE DUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMP!} {Wa, Wa-oooooooooooh} Travel to the blood bank and you'll find working there, Dr. Render the cardiologist, EXTRAORDINAIRE! When he's not preoccupied with all of his beepers, You'll find he's using time, detonating Blood Keepers! {Wa, Wa-oooooooooooh} Dr. Gonzo's almost got Lok jaw under control, Serving his pills to patients, by the salad bowl! And should somebody there, charge a malpractice suit, We just call Menac the Attorney, to givem the BOOT!!!! __ (( |__| )) \ \ ==O== \ \ {YOU DO THE DUMP!} / -o-o- \ \ \ You do the Doctor Dump (| _\ |) / / \ ^ / / / {YOU DO THE DUMP!} _ | L/ | __/ / There's no need to be a grump! / \\ \___/ // / / \\ // / {YOU DO THE DUMP!] | | \\ ___// | If you're a huntchback he can fix your hump! \ \__(o) __ | \______|__| | {YOU DO THE DUMMMM |========\ MMMMMMMMMMMMP} / __ \ / / \ \ / / \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ _ |====| |====|__ |_''''____| |____''''__| {Wa-oooooooooooooooooh} So if your nose is feelin' runny, or yer startin' to bleed, I think you know just which physicians it is you need! Drop by NW Hospital, and wait to get a call, And do the Doctor Dump... with one and all! (EVERYONE!:) THE DOCTOR DUMP! ------------------------------- The Good, Dr. Dumpers Head of NW Hospital Storm Clouds - Part 2 (submitted by: Thorn Hawk) The biting wind blew the cloak from around Thorn Hawk as he moved through the tall elms, oaks and firs that dominated this part of the woods near Nightsedge. The storm he had witnessed approaching all day had finally arrived. He couldn't see ten feet with the falling snow and driving wind, but his instincts drove him on toward Neverwinter. Adjusting his cloak against the wind, he thought back to his homeland, one dominated by a burning sun and rocky outcroppings. Anauroch, the great desert some called it, but to the ranger who now ran along in the snow it was home. A noise pulled the ranger from his memories and back to the present. The sound came from a brush pile and was that of a sheep. What he found buried under all the brush was a yearling lamb its coat covered in blood and wounds dotting its side. Its eyes shone with fear as it laid quivering behind the screen of brush and snow. "Easy little one, I mean ye no harm," spoke Thorn Hawk softly, "I only wish to help." Slowly, he edged his way into the shelter holding his hand before the frightened lamb. Making soft noises to quiet the terrified animal, he waited patiently as it sniffed his fingers then licked them. "There little one," smiled the ranger, "that was not so hard was it?" The fear seemed to leave the eyes of the lamb as it edged toward him. Pulling the tattered cloak from his shoulders, he gathered in the lamb cradling it in his arms. Listlessly, the lamb poked its nose from the folds of the cloak to gaze at him. "What shall I call you?" wondered Thorn Hawk as a snowflake landed on the lamb's black nose. Laughing, "might as well call you snowflake, I guess," he commented setting the animal down to dig in his pack. Pulling various items from his small pack, he watched Snowflake carefully as he worked. Soon a small fire blazed happily and he was quick to start warming some water and strips torn from his cloak. "These look like wolf bites, Snowflake," he mused working at removing the blood from her coat. "Have ye been playing with them?" "They are not very nice to yer kind. It was wise of you to run off as ye did," whispered Thorn Hawk taking a small vial from his pack and pouring the contents on a rag before working it into a vicious bite on Snowflake's flank. "Ye know, I once had a cat as a pet. This was many years ago when I was but a lad. I loved my cat and called him Asad or lion. He was fierce, Asad was." As he worked, the shivering lessened to the gentle touch of the ranger, "he was killed by wild dogs like the ones ye fought today only smaller." Pausing to reminisce, "you were very brave today Snowflake." Thorn Hawk looked down to watch as the lamb started to drift off to sleep. "Drink this first Snowflake," he said slowly pouring the contents of another vial in the lamb's mouth. The soothing effects of the healing potion finished Thorn Hawk's work as it closed off the rest of the lamb's wounds. Its warming effect seduced the lamb to sleep in his arms. Humming a tune, he worked late into the night thinking of times long since past. The sun had risen hours ago and yet the only indication was a lightening of the world. Snow flurries still obscured the forest. Driving gusts of wind had piled the snow into drifts and helped bury the bodies of sheep and wolves. The farmer walked in this nightmarish world looking for any signs of life and finding none. The wolves had killed the entire flock of sheep even the ram whose body he stood over. "Beshaba's own luck," cursed the grizzled farmer when a movement at the edge of the forest caught his attention. A figure stood just inside the meadow holding what appeared to be a small lamb in his arms. The driving snow made seeing difficult, but this man had tried to make off with one of his sheep. "Thief, bandit," screamed the farmer drawing his crossbow. "Wai . . . ," yelled the man as the farmer raised a crossbow with such ease and speed it spoke volumes of his skill with the weapon. A loud swang echoed in the driving wind as the farmer loosed a bolt at the thief. Reaching for another bolt, the farmer took his eyes off his target for the briefest of seconds, but as he raised his crossbow again, the driving snow hid everything from his view. Seconds passed and for the briefest of moments, the wind seemed to quiet, the snow stopped falling and the clearing was transformed into a marvel of nature and in this beautiful setting stood a little lamb, shivering from the cold, with not a mark marring its pristine coat. Of the thief, there was no sign. Thorn Hawk paused to catch his breath after his mad dash through the trees. Glancing down, he noted the new hole in his cloak, yet another reason to get to town, he thought. Turning back to the clearing, he saw the farmer carrying a small bundle. "Mielikki's blessing Snowflake," he whispered, "may she guard and watch over you always." With that, he continued his journey to Neverwinter. Thorn Hawk, Brotherhood of PathfindersThe Field of Honor (submitted by: Exegete) His breath came in ragged gasps as the pain laced again and again through entire length of his body. It hurt even to move it seemed to him. All around lay the bodies of the comrades that had fallen in the last Drow charge. They had succeeded in driving them back, but at terrible cost. There was nary a Knight that was not wounded in more than one place, some severely. They had fought like warrior poets, like true Knights, but the treachery of the day had erected a barrier to much even for these brave and mighty fighters. Their magicks had been spent in repelling the first charge, but the cost that the volleys of arrows and bolts of fire had taken had scattered their ranks and eaten up the heavy infantry that had been accompanying Nasher's entourage. The Knights had rallied bravely and fought fiercely enough to cause the attacking Drow to fall back and regroup. Four more charges had been blunted on the shield of the Knights gallant defense. Nasher's personal guard had whisked him away when it become evident that treachery would be their undoing. That thought brought him some small comfort as he watched the guideons flutter across the field signaling reinforcements and regrouping for the Drow. A bitter smile flitted across his face as he ministered as best he could to the dying. Trust the Drow to see to having the advantage of vastly superior numbers. There were barely a score of Knights left that could heft a sword. He exchanged grim glances with them as they hurriedly finished their ministrations and began to gather at the rocks for what they all knew would be their last stand. There were hand clasps and brief eye contacts as gruff Knights tried to exchange the feelings of years of mutual admiration and respect. Then each, seemingly by unspoken agreement turned their thoughts inward for the final moments of peace they had left. His thoughts turned to his dear wife and children. The six dear little ones that he would never see grow up. He thought of his five beautiful daughters, his heart breaking as he thought of weddings and grandchildren now to be denied him forever. Each daughters face came to his mind in turn as he thought of her peculiarities and precious uniqueness. Their laughing, childlike innocence, Their curiosity and countless questions. He thought of his son's precious face. He was not yet a year old and he remembered the games and the joy of just bouncing him on a knee. His children, his pride and joy! He thought of the confusion and their questions that he would never now be able to answer. He thought of the seventh child, as yet unborn, whose face he would never see, who would never know the father that loved him so dearly. He choked back a sob and wiped a tear from his cheek. The beautiful face of his wife floated across his mind's eye. Her voice coming unbidden to his thoughts. He caught a brief trace of the scent of fragrance she almost always wore. He almost felt her embrace and knew that he would miss her gentle caress and the comfortable and reassuring sense of her just being near. He remember all of the good times with her, the joys at the births of their children and at celebrations and birthdays. The quiet walks and the pleasures of love. The ache in his heart brought a lump to his throat. He remembered her care of him in times of sickness and wounding. He thought of her tears at death of their second child and ached for what he knew she would feel when she learned of his death. He reached into the sleeve of his right gauntlet and withdrew the kerchief of hers she had given him on their last anniversary. He lifted it to his lips and his shoulders slumped as he took in her sweet fragrance one last time. Reluctantly he tucked the kerchief inside his breastplate, next to his heart and turned to look out over the clearing to where the enemy was in the last stages of forming a line to come and kill him. He bent down and picked up his helmet, adjusting the plume to the proper angle. He wiped a bit of mud off of the crown and placed it on his head, securing the chin strap to hold it in place. He secured his buckler to his left arm and then picked up the sword that had served him so well, for so long. He handled it almost lovingly as he examined the blade for nicks and mars on the blade, satisfied when he saw none. He turned to his fellow Knights, and beckoned for their attention, wondering as he did what he would say to them in this grave hour. Almost unbidden came a scene from long ago, an earlier and happier occasion, the Knighting of his first squire. He remembered just a portion of the words he spoke then and thought them appropriate to speak anew. "Dear fellows hear me now, in this, perhaps our final hour. If indeed we are mark'd to die, we are enough to do our noble guild the loss; and if to be so, the fewer Knights, the greater share of honor. By the gods, I am not covetous for gold, Nor care I who doth feed upon my cost; It yearns me not if men my garments wear; Such outward things dwell not in my desires. But....... if it be a sin to covet honor, I am the most offending soul alive." "No, faith, my fellows, wish not another man's aid! Tyr's peace! I would not lose so great an honor as together our stand will claim for us. In this dread hour we do our brotherhood proud. Our fellowship is call'd the Knights of KORT. He that be here with us today, and stands and carries duty to its dying measure, his sons will stand a tip-toe when this day is nam'd, And rouse them at the name of KORT and will always at the mention of this noble fight 'gainst evil's treacherous intention regale his neighbors, and say 'Mine own dear father was there!', he was a part of that noblest breed. Then will he speak of valor and of might, and say 'He gave his all while fighting there to bane and scour evil's hateful form!' Old men may forget; yet all shall be forgot, but this they'll remember: What feats we did here for KORT and King." "Then shall our names, familiar in their mouths as household words, be in their flowing cups freshly rememb'red. This story shall the good man teach his son; and Feast day shall ne'er go by, from this day to the ending of the world, but we in it shall be remembered - We few, we valiant few, we band of brothers; for he that sheds his blood for good, for King shall forever be remembered. And gentlemen in the Realms who take no part in this noblest of fights shall perchance think themselves accurs'd they were not part, and hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks of them that fought with us this noblest of battles for the Good of the Realms!." The sound of the drums from across the field sounded their grim knell, foretelling the coming onslaught. "And now dear brothers, make thy peace with he who is above all. For faith, we all do know what fate awaits us ere this days work is finished." His head turned as the brassy sound of trumpet sounded from across the clearing and the distant roar of the coming charge sounded to the accompaniment of the thunder of onrushing feet. He turned once again to the watching Knights. "The hour is upon us my dear, dear brothers. No more will mere words do, 'tis time for our swords to speak again and speak they shall! Quit ye the day fair Knights, Quit ye like men! Quit ye like the bold men of KORT ye are! Let the Drow rue the day they ever set themselves against so noble and so mighty a band as we! Onward! For God, For King, For KORT" He paused as the assembled few Knights raised a defiant cheer. "For the Good of the Realms!" Epilogue: Lord Sir Corwin Americus rode sadly looking over the scene of the battle, past now for some days. The local villagers had taken the bodies of the KORT Knights & Squires that had died here and buried them, as was the local custom. The corpses of countless Drow, however, they had left for the fowl and local scavengers to eat. A wounded pikeman, left by Nasher's personal guard as they retreated to save Nasher's life had told the story of the treachery that had cost the lives of 24 Knights and numerous Squires. He surveyed the battlefield, seeing what looked to be hundreds of Dead Drow infantry, archers and warriors. The evidence of a Calvary attack on the Knight's position was clear and just a clear were the telling marks of the breaking of that charge by the gallant defenders. Had it not been for this stand, Lord Nasher and his family would not now be safe in Neverwinter, but would be in some Drow dungeon, or worse. As he rode the scene, his heart broke as he thought of his dear friend. He cast his eyes about the broken field in vain and hopeless searching. A bit of dirty white cloth attracted his attention from where it was almost buried beneath the muck of the ground. Corwin dismounted and knelt, tenderly taking the kerchief in his hand. He choked back tears as he turned it over and saw the telltale initials in the corner of the cloth, leaving no question in his mind as to its former owners identity. The tears fell freely down his cheeks as bowed for a moment, emotions surging to his throat. He raised his eyes to heaven and blinked as he scanned the cloudy sky. "Good Bye dear friend" he murmured. "I'll remember you always, I'll never forget..." He stood and mounted his horse once again and with a last glance at the field where his friend had died, he turn his mount kicking him into a gallop as the sun parted the clouds and shone brightly down once again on this, the field of honor.All in a Loon's Day (submitted by: LOON69) After hearing from some helpful NW's that the gate to southwall was casting a nasty hold monster spell that would magically take you out of the realms, i decided to go play in the sewers. I had left me trusty badge elsewhere, but I figured hey I'm a ranger and i can sneak by whatever sissy guards there are. Soooo---- travelin on my merry little way, i arrived at the sewer door where some rude golem told me i needed my badge!! I'll show him, I thought to myself, and promptly kicked in the door. I was doing pretty well with all the golems that jumped me when some rude WOH fellow jumped in and turned me into a blatherin idiot. Well okay-- more of an idiot than usual. I stumbled back in the general direction of Neverwinter drooling and mumbling about the Nashy, NW, Potato conspiracy, until finally some kind soul shoved me into the nearest temple. I guess i blacked out for a little, cause when I woke up some nice cleric fellow was standin over me. He said that he had healed me, but just to make sure could I please count to 15 without takin my boots off. I said sure thing, and i tried REALLY hard for about 10 minutes. After that the cleric said that he thought I'd have to be healed again, and he would need 5,000 gold, or my longsword. This upset me, I mean I had tried pretty hard to count that high. So I jumped up poked the cleric in the chest a few times and told him that.... A) With my boots on i can't count past 10 anyway and B) He'd only get my pet longsword Cecil over my dead body After that, I ran out of the temple and went lookin for a place to lay my weary head. When I got to the nearest inn, the innkeep said he onlyhad one bunk left. I looked on the room and saw that the bottom bunk was being used by a friend of mine-- Beaersidhe- so I told the innkeep that I'd take it. Now my friend is a nice guy-- don't get me wrong-- but his snores sound kinda like a wood rasp workin over an oak knot. After a couple of hours of tossin and turnin I was finally forced to to gently place one of my socks on my friends face. Now this produced an instant reaction, as Beaer jumped up and ran out mutterin something about a stinking cloud---- I guess he was havin nightmares--- At last I fell asleep, and so ends another day in the life of a Loon. Loon (the loony) Happy BOPer and Mielikki's humble servantViper's Nightmare (submitted by: MDG ViPeR) Since the day Cyber drew Viper back from deathsgate, Viper had been in the dreamless trance that Cyber had put him in to heal his psyche from the battles within the keep. Dreamless? Maybe not quite a dream but an insiduous thought had entered Viper's sleeping mind."You mussssst dessstroy the guild, Viper.... You are asssss one of usssss. Do not fail in your dutiessss." "Duties? thought Viper....my duties are to assist General in guiding the guild to greatness......no...wait....my duties are to destroy the guild and all patryns and sartans." The two different sets of duties warred back and forth through Viper's mind, back and forth, for what seemed an eternity. "NO!!!"screamed Viper and his eyes flew open. The room was pitch black, or was it? Viper immediately sensed a presence in the room with him. Then he saw them.....two blood red glowing eyes, staring at him intently through the inky blackness of the air. "Good, you awaken at lasssssst Viper. Come with me, for we have much work to do." "Who are you? And what do you want from me?" But as soon as the words passed through Viper's lips he realized that the presence was the one who wanted him to destroy the guild. All at once it came to him. This must be one of the serpents from the water world of chelestra. Quickly Viper started making passes with his arms, weaving powerful patryn magic. The serpent started casting also and the two were locked in mortal combat. Mighty was the magic they cast at each other, and the serpent started to gain an edge in the battle. In his mind Viper beseeched his brothers "Come to me! Come to me! The serpent is attacking!" Long moments passed and then a brilliant light filled the room. Mystic and Cyber ran in, casting their spells as they made their way over to Viper. As Viper weakened, he saw that between the three of them they forced the serpent to flee. "We must ever be vigilant of the serpents who seek to destroy our guild, my brothers." As Viper breathed the last words of his sentence he slumped to the floor unconcious. Cyber and Mystic gently carried the still form of their brother to a room where he would be constantly attended to. As Cyber put Viper down on the bed, he thought he saw a faint glint of red from under Viper's closed lids. He shook it off thinking it must have been his imagination. As the two left the room, a quiet hissing laughter whispered down the halls of the keep..................... MDG ViPeRYet I'm Still Proud to be an ITB (submitted by: OGS Jester) As the dawn breaks on the side of my face I gaze all around at this bleak fetid place I scratch my armpits, wipe my on nose on my arm Breaking wind and then belching (showing ITB charm) Kicking the corpse of a newbie around I munch on some pieces of a roach that I found Sighing, I wonder what's going to become of me Yet I am still proud to be an ITB.. Yes we can fight, just ask our members Who make yellow water, on the guild hall timbers We wallow in filth and soil our nest And yet still claim to be the NWN best I raise my arm and test my powers The odor alone can melt wax flowers In body and mouth I'm as bad as can be Yet I am still proud to be an ITB.. We run this land (so we think) and own the hills It's kicking the weaker from whence we get our thrills We fumble and freeze 'em and feeb them to boot And when they are newbies, well then we REALLY hoot But I'm on a bummer cause our guild leader's displeased When I patted his back I killed his favorite fleas So it's penance for me and I must make amends And for a week on my head I must wear some Depends That week'll end soon then I'll be back in the swing And I'll feeb, gas, or poison darned near everything In spite of the troubles and trials come to me Yet I am still proud to be an ITB.. OGS Jester Doing my best, to remain a pest (:>) (:>) First Quest (submitted by: Joraina) Joraina sat at her desk, staring into the flame of the candle that burned nearby and holding her pen poised above her paper. She was filled with words, and yet she was unable to begin. When Sir Dagron had instructed her to write down the story of her path to become a KORT Page, he had described it as a quest. And now she understood why. There was no way to tell the story without re-living it in her memory. And anyone who has ever re-lived their memories in a story can attest to the manner in which threads of events that seem unrelated weave themselves together to form the whole of the tapestry. It is difficult to describe one event without first explaining another, just as an adventurer must often complete the necessary steps of a quest in a particular order, to insure that he will have the right tools and sufficient knowledge at the appropriate time. As she sat with her pen in hand, writing nothing, Joraina failed to realize what all true story-tellers know. The decision of where to begin was not hers to make. The flood of memories that passed through her mind would create their own order. A story chooses its own path. It was late in the afternoon and the sun was just beginning to set. The light in the stable at the southwest area of Darron Ranch in Longsaddle was growing dim. Joshua Darron, owner of the ranch, stood in the corner of the stable shaking his head sadly. His chief ranch hand and closest friend, Lars Adelbern, stood beside him. His expression was also somewhat grim. They watched as two of their strongest men struggled with the roan colt. The young stallion thrashed about wildly in the stall while the two ranch hands stood on either side, trying to force the bit of a bridle into his mouth. "He'll not be broken anytime soon," Joshua stated flatly. Lars only nodded. He was trying to keep an eye on his employer's young daughter who had entered the stable. Joraina loved horses and had a tendency to get too close when the hands were breaking a new one. Lars had long since stopped trying to keep her out of the stable. If truth be known, he enjoyed her company, so he accepted responsibility for her safety and never asked her to leave. "I hoped he would be trained quickly. Old Darsey must be put down soon." Lars nudged Joshua quickly, drawing his attention to Joraina standing in the doorway. She had obviously heard her father's words and stared at him with a stricken expression but said nothing for several moments. When she finally spoke, it was only to deliver a message and not to plead for the family's old horse as her father expected. "Father, the men who were here yesterday to see you have returned. They are waiting at the house." "What do they want now? I've already told them I have no work for them. Ross fired them for good reason. They are thieves. I have a bad feeling about those men, Lars. Did you send word to my brother about the threats they made to our neighbors?" "Aye, Sir. Your brother will be here tonight and he is bringing a few of the other Knights to investigate these complaints." "Gerald... Mark... go escort these thieves off our property. Lars and I will attend to the colt." After the two ranch hands left the stable, Joraina moved closer to the stallion's stall. She was nearly stepping on her father's feet in her eagerness, while Joshua was reaching over the stall divider to hold the horse's head. "Joraina! Go to the house and help your mother prepare quarters for your uncle and the Knights!" Joraina was never intentionally disobedient. But she had a habit of becoming absorbed in her own thoughts and intentions while her father's instructions became lost in the breeze around her. Joshua was well aware of this, but his attention was so directed toward the colt that he didn't realize what his daughter was doing until it was too late to stop her. In a split second she had slipped between the side slats and stood inside the stall with the thrashing horse. With their hands full, fighting the colt, Joshua and Lars were unable to pull her out. Her father could only shout at her in worried frustration. She appeared not to hear him at all as she gently laid a hand on the young stallion's shoulder and stroked her way up his neck, under his mane. She moved closer so she could place both hands on him, one on each side of his head, stroking him and standing on tiptoe to scratch behind his ears. Joshua released the bridle to grab for his daughter. As soon as the bridle fell to the floor, the colt stopped struggling and stood calmly, content to have his ears scratched. Joraina smiled and kissed the white blaze on the horse's copper-colored face. Furious, Joshua could only look across the stall at Lars as if to say, "What can I do about her?" And Lars could only chuckle. Joraina stooped to pick up the bridle and rubbed the soft leather on the colt's nose, talking to him softly. When she started to slip the bridle back over his muzzle, her father grabbed her arm. "Joraina, come out of the stall now. Even YOU can't convince a horse to enjoy the taste of a bit." "He'll never get used to the taste of the bit, Father. But he will accept it when he understands that he is serving his master by wearing the bridle." "I doubt that he is concerned with serving my needs." Joraina smiled at her father as she slipped the strap of the bridle over the colt's ears. "Father, how could anyone not be happy to serve you?" Joshua looked at Lars to see if he was being mocked. And Lars confirmed it by bursting into stunned laughter. "Surely I can not argue with her about that, Sir." Joraina took advantage of their distraction to slip a piece of bread from her pocket and wrap it around the bit. When she pressed the bit into the colt's mouth, he took it without a struggle. By the time he had finished eating the bread from around the bit, the bridle was in place and securely fastened. Joraina patted the young stallion's shoulder and climbed out of the stall. Her father immediately pointed her toward the stable door. But Lars stood behind her and put his hand on her shoulder. "Joshua, you know that when a hand breaks a difficult colt, you always offer the horse to him as his mount." "You want me to give the colt to Joraina?!" "Father, I don't want your stallion! Give me Darsey in trade for him!" Joshua looked from his friend to his daughter and laughed. "Joshua, you know how Jo likes to wander alone and how she often gets lost because she daydreams while she walks... Darsey may not be strong any more but he's still smart. He always brings your daughter home safely." Joshua nodded and sighed with resignation. He would allow her to keep Darsey. Joraina stood on her toes to hug first her father, and then Lars, before she ran out of the stable calling for Darsey. Moving to the door of the stable, Joshua watched his daughter walk around the yard with the old horse following behind her, nibbling playfully at her long hair. "Lars, explain to me why I can't seem to deny my daughter anything she asks of me." "Sir, I thought you knew. It's a little girl's job to control her father's heart." Joshua suddenly stepped out into the yard, staring into the setting sun. Lars moved out beside him and saw what had captured his attention. A thick cloud of black smoke was rising into the sky from the direction of the house. Joraina looked up just in time to see the two men run down the path that lead to the house. After several moments of hesitation, she tied Darsey's lead to a post and ran after them. Joraina's first thoughts when she finally reached the house were ones of relief. Her uncle Jerrod and his friends had already arrived. She saw Abby, Jerrod's horse, standing at the gate with two others. Whatever had happened, Uncle Jerrod would know what to do. But her feelings of relief were quickly lost. She felt the blood drain from her face as the front door of the house opened and her mother was thrown out into the yard. One of the men Joshua had refused to hire came out after her, wielding a knife. In her shock, Joraina briefly saw that there was blood on her mother's arms... and she could see flames inside the house through the open door. From inside the house came the sounds of objects crashing against the walls... and the metallic clang of swords meeting. Her mother grabbed her and pulled her down on the ground. The evil stranger smiled as he came down off the porch, waving his long knife with a razor-sharp blade. Anna Darron screamed as her daughter was ripped from her arms and held tightly from behind by the stranger. The thief pressed the blade of the knife to Joraina's throat and laughed while she struggled. Joshua and Jerrod came out of the house, bloodied and coughing. They froze in their tracks when they saw Joraina in the arms of the thief. The man turned on them and spit at them. "You have killed my brothers and now you will kill me. But I will take someone dear to you when I depart." Joshua dropped his bloody sword on the ground and walked toward the thief slowly with his hands held out. "Take anything you want... Take everything I own... We will let you leave unharmed if you only release the girl and leave my family safe." "Do you think I'm stupid enough to believe that a Knight of the Round Table will stand by and watch while I escape with his brother's fortune?" Jerrod stunned them all into silence by laughing out loud. "Why wouldn't you believe it? You're a pathetic fool. In your last act before you die, you can think of no better revenge than to kill the daughter of a servant?" The thief looked down at Joraina, puzzled. Understanding her uncle's plan, Joraina turned her attention to the front porch where Lars was clutching a rail and coughing. "Father!" The thief looked from Joraina to Lars and groaned. But when Jerrod tried to move toward him, he tightened his grip on Joraina and held out the knife. "A Knight will not allow the killing of a child... no matter whose daughter." "You are right about that. But if you truly want to punish the owner of this ranch before you die, you will take his brother, not the daughter of his servant." Joraina's eyes grew wide and she started to shake her head, screaming. Jerrod laid down his sword and moved toward the thief, appearing completely unafraid. "Release the girl and take the life of a Knight as your revenge." The thief moved so quickly that he was a blur. He released Joraina and swung his arm across his body in one move, slashing the knife across Jerrod's throat. Joraina felt something warm hit her with great force and realized with horror that she was covered with Jerrod's blood. She fell to her knees, screaming... and allowing a clean shot from a fine long bow held by a Knight in the doorway who had been waiting for this opportunity. The thief fell and lay writhing in agony in the dirt. As her mother's arms surrounded her, Joraina was finally able to stop screaming. She watched as her father knelt in the dust holding her uncle in his arms. She could not hear their words to each other but she saw Jerrod gesture toward her just before he died. Nearly two years after Jerrod's death, Joshua was still consumed by sadness. Joraina was aware of the change in her father but was not entirely upset about it. Now he allowed her to spend as much time as she liked in the stables or working with the blacksmith. He turned a deaf ear to Anna's complaints that he was allowing his daughter to become a ranch hand instead of a young lady. But Joraina was sorry to see him so sad and she missed his scolding. It was his attention she had sought when she left her duties at the house to work in the stables and fields. But now that she had permission to work with the horses, it was the ranch hands who trained her. Her father was never available. When Anna announced to her husband and daughter that she was finally expecting a second child, the veil of sadness was at last lifted from their home. Joshua was sure the baby would be a boy because he had prayed to Tyr for a son. The boy would be named Jerrod after his uncle and Joshua would raise him to be a Knight of the Round Table. While helping her mother in the house one day, Joraina found a ring that her uncle had left to her father when he died. She brought it to her mother, appearing puzzled. "Why doesn't Father wear the ring that Uncle Jerrod gave him?" "Because he is saving it," her mother replied quietly. "Saving it for whom?" "For his son." Anna watched as Joraina polished the ring, examining it closely and obviously admiring it. "Did you read the inscription that circles the stone, Joraina?" "Aye... but I'm not sure what it means." Her mother took the ring and read the inscription aloud: 'The only glory of possession is the ability to give.' "Joraina, it means that everything you own, every talent that you have is a gift from Tyr. And you can only show your gratitude by giving what you have to someone who needs it. Your uncle gave up everything he owned when he left to serve KORT. He trusted Tyr to provide for him. And he knew that his greatest possessions were his intelligence, his courage, and his own life. When it became necessary, he willingly gave his life in service to a greater good." One day, thinking that Joraina would be at the stables attending her horses, Anna confronted her husband with her fears about the expected baby. Just as Joraina had a talent for missing important instructions, so she was often skilled at hearing things she was not meant to hear. She listened outside the kitchen door while her parents had this talk. "Joshua, there is no guarantee that the baby will be a son. We must be grateful for a healthy child and not value a son over a daughter." "Tyr will send me a son to raise as a Knight, Anna. I have seen it in my dreams. He allowed Jerrod to die before he could raise a son of his own, but he will provide a child that I can send to serve the Knights of the Round Table." "You know that Jerrod always wanted to train Joraina. It was Joraina he looked upon when he gave you the ring. He was trying to tell you something, Joshua. Your greatest gift is your daughter and you neglect her while you wait for a son." Outside the kitchen door, Joraina was deep in thought. Did her father really love her less for being a daughter instead of a son? There were brave and talented women in the service of KORT as well as men. She knew this from her uncle. Why had her uncle never told her that he thought she was suited for KORT? The thought that SHE could serve as a Knight had never occurred to her. She was so excited by the idea that she nearly stopped hearing her mother's words. "Joshua, if you don't give the same attention to your daughter that you give to your son, Joraina will believe that a woman has less value in this world than a man. Or she will think that you blame her for Jerrod's death. If those are your true feelings, I pray that Tyr will help you to conceal them." If it was true that her father loved her less than his anticipated son, Joraina never felt it or believed it. She looked forward to the birth of a brother with almost as much joy as Joshua. She felt no competition with this unborn child. Whatever her sibling's course might become, Joraina had made up her mind that SHE would someday serve KORT. Lars was not pleased when Joraina began to take long trips alone. He knew that she was attempting to train herself for the life of a Knight; she had made no secret of her plans. But he still considered her a dreamer and he worried for her safety. She never discussed where she went or what transpired during her travels but she often returned looking beaten and discouraged. He heard stories that she was wandering areas of the realms where she had never travelled, even with a guide, and that she was making maps for her own use. He found this nearly impossible to believe knowing how frequently her short attention span had caused her to become lost on her father's own land. But one day as he watched her leaving the ranch on her horse, he realized that a change had occurred in her. She was more alert and attentive to her surroundings than he had ever seen her. And her expression suggested that she was focused more seriously upon her goal than he had ever known her to be before. If he had asked her this day where she was going, she would have told him... She was on her way to Camelot, to see for herself the place that had won the heart of her uncle. Joraina spent several weeks in Camelot, wandering and observing. By the time she decided to return to the ranch, she had the strangest feeling that she was LEAVING her home instead of returning to it. She was amazed how quickly Camelot had filled her heart with a need to live for a higher power and serve a greater community. In Camelot she felt closer than ever to her God, and she paused outside the gate as she was leaving to give thanks to Tyr for showing her the path she was meant to follow. She spent her return trip planning how she would tell her parents that the time had come for her to leave the ranch. She would return to Camelot within the week to offer herself as a Page to the Knights of the Round Table. When she arrived back at the ranch in Longsaddle in the middle of the night, she was surprised when Lars ran out to the stable to meet her. "Jo, I'm afraid I have terrible news. Come quickly, your father needs you." "What has happened? Is he ill?" "No, child. It's your mother. Her labor began much too early." Joraina waited for him to continue his explanation but he only gripped her arm, rushing her along the path to the house, staring straight ahead, refusing to meet her gaze. Finally she stopped on the path, refusing to walk any further. "Lars! Tell me what has happened!" He turned to her with tears filling his eyes and spoke softly. "Your mother struggled as long as she could, Jo. She and the baby are with Tyr now." Joraina could only stare at him, unable to speak. He put his hands on her shoulders and shook her slightly. "Joraina, your father blames himself. If you harbor any resentment toward him, please let go of it now. He needs you. And he needs your forgiveness." As the awareness of her mother's death settled over her, Joraina felt overwhelmed with sadness and pain. And she knew that she would need her father's comfort as much as he would need hers. She nodded and allowed Lars to lead her on to the house. Joshua was sitting alone in the kitchen, staring at the window that looked out over the ranch in the direction of the stables. Joraina knew that he was imagining her mother there, washing the dishes and watching for her daughter to walk up the path from the stables. Her father's voice startled her when he spoke because she had thought he was not even aware of her presence in the room. "Your mother was right, Jo. Tyr is punishing me. He took my wife and my son so that I would finally see what I already possessed and failed to appreciate. Will you ever forgive me?" Joraina went to him and put her arms around him, sobbing on his shoulder. "Father, there is nothing to forgive." Her father held her until her crying had stopped. Then he placed a folded square of cloth in her hand. She pretended not to know what would be inside as she unwrapped it. And she only nodded with understanding as she held the ring tightly in her closed fist. For the moment, her plans with KORT would have to wait. Her father needed her. And a Knight must remain where she is most needed. She would allow her father the opportunity to provide her with the training he had longed to give his son. Joraina stayed with her father for several years. She gave him the opportunity he felt he needed to atone for his behavior... all the while feeling that he had never truly wronged her, and wishing that he would forgive himself. When he became fatally ill, she stayed by his side day and night, holding his hand and praying with him. And when he voiced his last regret, that he would be leaving her without a family and without the charms a lady needed to acquire a husband and build a family, Joraina was happy to be able to reassure him. "Someday the Knights of the Round Table will be my family." After her father's death, Joraina left Darron Ranch in the care of Lars Adelbern and instructed him to think of it as his own. "Lars, I don't know when or how often I will be able to return. You must promise me that you will truly think of the ranch as yours to do with as you see fit. You need not consult me on any matter... although you may send for me at any time if you need me. I am so much in your debt." "Jo, I am happy to take care of the ranch for you and I will stay here until I die if you will allow me. But Darron Ranch will always belong to you and the family you will have someday. This is your home. How can you think that I would let you give it away?" Joraina only smiled at him as she mounted her horse and set out for Camelot. My home, my possessions, everything I own that truly matters I carry with me, in my heart, she thought. And she slipped her uncle's ring onto her finger so she would never forget. Joraina was startled awake by the sun streaming through the window of her room in Camelot, splashing light across her desk. Her candle had burned down to a glob of melted wax. A stack of pages lay before her, covered with words. Although the handwriting was her own and her fingers were smudged with ink, she could not remember writing any of it. She knew that Tyr had sent her the right words to comfort her father as he died... and now she believed that He had guided her hand in filling the blank pages with words, completing her first assigned quest. Surely she was meant to be in this place. Joraina Darron Page of KORTGoing Home (submitted by: Grybbn) Grybbn woke up, dazed. The night had been harsh on him. He had drunken himself into a near stupor in a vain attempt to forget, to banish the memories of his past on the burgess love holiday, "Valentine's Day". He succeeded, but the success carried a high price. As he sat up on the cold floor of the Black Hand Guild Hall, he felt his hangover explode and he sunk back down. He summoned up his glamour, and noticed how alarmingly little of it he had left. Moaning, he sent it coursing through his veins to try and banish the effects of the alcohol that was infesting his system. Looking around, he struggled to focus his eyes. He saw nobody, all of the Sabbat either sleeping or still going about their banal nightly business. Shrugging, he decided that he would do for the day. He stood slowly, stretching and trying to banish the chill from the floor in his joints and bones. He looked down the length of the guild hall, looked at the torches that were providing only flickering, dim illumination. He stretched, and looked around. Suddenly, as if the whole scheme was planned, a velvet curtain that blocked the winter sun slipped slightly, allowing a beam of sun to fall on the nocker. In that warming, beautiful sun, he felt somehting that he had not felt for far too many days. He suddenly dropped to his knees, soaking in the beautiful, Glamourous rays of sun. He began to laugh, loudly and hysterically. His dreams, his hopes, his prayers were realized. He hit the massive oak doors running. The sun was shining brightly on his back as he rounded the last corner on the path that led to the freehold. His feet moved of their own accord, and he was left only to hope, to pray that what he had felt was not an illusion, a false hope borne of too much liqour, and too little hope. As he rounded the last bend to the freehold, his legs slowed. He pushed the gates open and walked into the clearing that encircled the freehold, and looked at the sight in front of him, the most beautiful thing the nocker had ever seen. He fell to his knees, stunned and shocked, but above all, happy, insanely happy. He sank to the earth below and allowed the Glamour from the balefire and the surrounding earth draw into him. He let out a small cry and allowed himself to lay in the grass, the warm sun against his back and neck. He was home. ************************************************************************************************** Grybbn THE Kithain Seelie Nocker BaronSacral Ecstasy - Love's Bond (submitted by: RayDogg 79) This is a true story reader....It occurred several years ago as I wandered the realms in search of the man who I had dedicated my life to bring to justice. Until this time, love had been a mere word to me....nothing but a silly emotion felt more than often by humans. But the sacrifice that I witnessed this young human woman make for the sake of her heart and the love of her husband and the brief glimmering of emotion I actually felt for her in the time we spent together brought me to the realization that it was more than an emotion...it is that one bond that all we sapient creatures bear. Love is what we willingly make ourselves slaves too....and love is the only thing that can universally be said to bring about happiness....even in death. I dedicate this tale to that woman....may she rest in peace...my first love...however small the incriment of time we spent together was...... <> I stumbled into what i thought was a human being and cried out in relief..."Thank Tyr!....where am I, blessed soul? Please tell me where I am." Despite my blindness, I knew night had come several hours ago for I no longer felt the pulsating heat of day upon my brow and I did not want to spend another night in the wilderness. I felt an arm wrap around my waist as I panted on all fours. It was feminine but strong and I let my small body go limp as she hefted me up. "By all thats good and glorious, can you not see, little fellow?" I strained my ears and indeed heard other voices. I heard a fast talking vendor, perhaps one of my kindred as he strolled along declaring the brick-a-brack he had for sale to everyone. I heard several human children as they scampered and yelled back and forth with eachother. And I heard the gruff voices of a couple dwarves as they told crude jokes to one another. I smiled in thanks. "No, kind woman....My sight was stolen from me by evil men who overwhelmed me somewhere outside Triboar in the wood. By moss and wind alone i traveled southward hoping to find myself in some municipality. Please...where am I?" "Oh my! What a tedious journey you must have experienced. Little one, you have found yer way to Red Larch....virtually unscated at that. There is some deity overlooking yer safety fer sure!" My heart pounded with the simultaneous joy and disbelief I felt. "Red Larch? Can it be?" I said no more as my body went numb to the movement of the woman and my fatigue swallowed me into unconsciousness. An eddy of dreams swirled around in my brain until a gentle touch slid across my forehead and then my eyes. A soothing heat spread throughout my body and all my images which made up my sleep glowed with warmth. But it was the touch itself that awoke me. I opened my eyes, and quickly shut them again as the unfamiliarity of light bouced around in my skull. I heard the girl slide to the candles and heard her faint breath as she blew the flames out. I reopened my eyes and the faint lantern light from the adjoining room was enough for me to adjust to. "Well, small stranger, you are the luckiest lil fellow in all the realms." I sat up in the straw cot I had been placed upon and looked at the statuesque young woman. "You retrieved my stolen sight?" She sat upon my bedside and looked into my eyes.... I could do naught but likewise stare into her deep brown eyes. They gripped me hauntingly. A small shiver went up my spine. This young human was enthralling me with her mere presence. I finally averted my eyes and she stood. "Indeed. My husband was a cleric of Helm....he taught me the craft." "Ahh. I shall have to thank him." I threw the bedding which covered me aside and stood up, disoriented due to my new found ability to see my surroundings. I still, from habit, hugged the walls as I moved across the room. "I said 'was'....he perished several weeks ago. Giants outside the town took his life. He wandered too far into their domain as he searched for the Lifegiver....you know the story of the Lifegiver, no?" "Aye, that I do. I happened to have assisted an elderly merchant of Westbridge from the town of Vilnask to Triboar and one eve as we camped in the Lost Hills he spoke to me of the relic." "Hmm.. Well," the woman's eyes began to water and her face melted into that of a little girl as a deep sadness crushed her heart, "my husband died in search of that relic....and now I'm all alone" I grimaced as I sensed I had hit a sore spot. "I'm so sorry.", that's all I could say. I have never been a great handler with words. If I try to speak with someone in too complicated a manner I lose my stature and speak too fast. I grinned at my fault and quickly frowned once more as I saw the young woman's hand tremble. She was a very sweet looking creature. Despite the sad look chiseled into her features I could see a gentle smile trying to break through her pale lips. She had a round face which only helped to draw one into her hypnotizing eyes which danced between a sarcastic humor and a glow of heartbreak. Her hair was long and flowing, but of an odd sort. It was sable as the night sky one moment, then golden brown like an eagle's wings the next. She wore a silken robe that, when the firelight hit it correctly, flashed a lambent azure, as lamenting as it was joyous. "Thank you, sir, but you couldn't have known. So stranger...what do they call you?" I bowed comically to amuse her. "Well, m'lady. Most call me Stalker. Or Macabre. Whichever you prefer." I smiled. "I know not my real name, m'lady. I'm an orphan of sorts. I was donned with those appellations looong ago." "Macabre. I like that." "And how should I adress you, who I owe my sight if not my life?" "Rain. My mother was rather fond of it. So here I am." She returned my grin. She led me into here sitting room and there, she asked me of my journeys and I told her of them. She asked me to tell her of my life, and I told her of it. She asked me of my plans...my hopes...my dreams, and I told her of them. I know not what possessed me to reveal so much of my life to this stranger. Even my dearest comrades knew less about me, at least in volume, then this captivating lady. I saw the occasional smile creep across her face when I recounted some part of my past, and I saw looks of shock or disdain cloud her beauty when I thought back of my more trying ordeals. It was then that I finally broke free of her will and requested she reveal who she was instead of listening to a little gnome ramble on. She told me of her life, her husband, and the plans they had made together. I comforted her as best a stranger could. And there was not a moment of that quickly passing night that I took my eyes away from her consuming irises. And as the pink fingers of dawn stretched across the sky through the window of the enchanting widow's abode, I could fight this unfamiliar whim no longer and she and I entered a dalliance of flirtation and smiles out of the blue....and the morning disappeared. I knew not what had come over me. The remainder of that week, I spent in Red Larch with the young widow....I inquired about the man I sought, Ultrecht, to no avail. I looked into the legend of the Lifegiver and thought it would be worth my looking into in the future. And I had never been happier. I never departed the lady's side for long. She intrigued me. She was very knowledgable of life and the world...and creative too. She gave me writings she had written and I spent any time she was away reading her work. And I fell in love with her. Then one night, she came home from somewhere, I know not exactly where, with a bundle. She walked over and sat next to me and rested her hand upon mine. There was a sad look in her eyes as she bent down to kiss me. "Come with me, my love. I've something to show you.", she whispered in my ear. I followed her through town, past its outskirts, into the wood. I began to feel uneasy. "Rain, this is not a safe place to be at night. You know this to be true." She continued without acknowledging my words. And she stopped in the middle of a field in nowhere. I heard her mumble under her breath. "They'll be here soon, my love." At first I thought she was speaking to me, but I looked to see her staring into the sky, tears in her eyes. I shrugged my ignorance off and waited for her to do something. Finally, she turned to me with a heartfelt smile and then dropped her bundle on the grass and unwrapped it to reveal a tapestry, of the richest colors I had ever seen. She indicated the different scenes on the masterwork she had created and told me what was to become of her. "Macabre, dear, sweet Macabre.... When my husband passed, I dreamt many a night of him. And often he told me many things. He could see the great pain I suffered. And one night I cried to him and I asked him how I could end it. After that night, I stopped dreaming of him, and it scared me. I felt more alone and cold in this world than I ever thought possible. Then, he returned, saying Tyr told him how I could be happy once more." She knelt down and took both my hands in hers. She embraced me with a muffled sob and for what was to be the final time, i felt her lips on mine. "Rain?" She weakly climbed to her feet, and hugged herself as if she were cold. "Macabre. I found you, a blinded soul. But not merely of sight. Tho you could not see what was around you, what pained me moreso when I found you, was that you were blind to the greatest thing in the world. Love." I knew not what to say. I knew it was the truth. But I was still speechless. "How did you know?" She seemed to think long and hard about that question. After a while she looked lovingly at me and came to a conclusion. "You told me with your eyes. Does that make sense to you?" I looked at her skeptically. "No...." Then I looked into her eyes. I saw the moon swimming in a sea of black in her eyes and sighed to myself in remembrance of the night we had met. "Aye, on second thought....It does make sense." My stomach twisted into a knot and apprehension gripped me. It was then that I knew she would be leaving me. I knew not why or how, but I knew it was to be. And I grew petrified. "I mended you of both these blindnesses. The physical was just a coincidence. 'Twas the other that I was destined to do. To show someone love for the first time. Now....I must leave. I'm so sorry, Macabre. But...." I looked at the tapestry, and with the few pieces i had gathered the scenes made sense and all was clarified. My eyes widened. She looked at me with a sad smile and nodded. I slumped over. I shook my head. "Rain...does it have to be?" "Yes, my dear little one. Please don't be hurt. It is meant to be." I shook with confusion. Then I took a deep breath and walked to my love. "If 'tis meant to be.....so be it....." I swallowed and nearly choked on the next words that came out of my throat. "I love you, Rain." I started at my words. She only smiled and wiped a tear off her cheek. "Keep this my macabre one," she pointed to the unfurled tapestry, "so that my story may be known...and you will have something to remember me by." I tilted my chin in concurrence. I was at a loss for words once more. She looked up into the sky and quite visibly tilted her ear to it. I strained to hear what she did to no avail....hmmm. She turned to me one last time. "Love, depart to the fringe of the wood with haste...or you may be hurt." My stomach twisted yet more and I felt sick with this loss that I knew was soon to come and could not be prevented. I tenderly grasped her hand and kissed it. I cringed as I saw a tear....of mine!....roll onto the back of her palm. She laughed at my surprise and I could only smile. I did love her so. I walked to the edge of the wood, turned and saw her sitting in the middle of the pasture. She laughed gleefully and I thought I saw a spectre of a man settle down beside her. My jaw dropped. But I smirked. He looked like a good man. "Thank you, kind sir." I said to thin air in a quiet voice. The two turned and looked in my direction, and I backed up into the dark wood a tad deeper. I made the decision not to witness any more of this. I'd seen the part that mattered. I needed not to see her fate. I walked through the forest, remembering the final look of happiness upon her face. As I walked around the edge of the pasture I saw a fiery light and heard the all too familiar sound of a storm giant. Giants....of course. I suppose it made sense. I pushed down a whimper of a cry and continued walking. My heart lay heavy, but soon, the more I thought of my first and to this day *only* love, my feet grew light. I headed off to Westbridge, towards adventure. I had another purpose in my life now. I owed it to him. ............................It began to rain..............................Come join NW Ember and NW Ulfius for the February edition of: <<>><<>> Who/What/Am/I <<>><<>> Thursday, February 20th at 10 pm ET in the Great Hall Tavern. ****************************************************** Reminder that the new WWAI rules are in effect! ~ First ten correct answers ONLY before time is called will be given points! ~ Expanded places - 1st thru 5th now possible! ~ Two Brain Teasers (super extra tough, ultimate GAWD-type questions)! ~ Two Random Rolls! For the full details on the rules, check them out in the Neverwinter Nights Events area from the Neverwinter Main Screen, or look at the posts made in this folder last month which explain all the rules! PRIZES The following prizes will be awarded for placing in WWAI: First Place: 15 Pearls Second Place: 12 Pearls Third Place: 9 Pearls Fourth Place: 7 Pearls Fifth Place: 5 Pearls AND access to the Guild of Heroes! The GOH has maps, contests for pearls of its own, and the GOH magazine, where you can pick up all sorts of information! RANDOMS: Additionally there will be two different random pearl awards given during the evening which cannot be won by someone placing in the top five! 1st Random: 2 pearls 2nd Random: 4 pearls or GOH access BRAIN TEASERS! There will be two special questions asked each evening (one each half). The first person to correctly answer the question before time is called, will win 2 Pearls and receive double points for the question. There will be no other points or pearls awarded for correct answers to the question. See You There! NW Ember and NW Ulfius (submitted by: BD Piper) ******************EFFECTIVE SEWER GATE GRASHING 101-b******************** *******************Doing it SOLO like a real warrior!********************* )))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) ARG!! (((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( HOW DO YOU DEFEAT THEM PESKY GOLEMS AT THE SEWER GATE ALL BY YOURSELF? If done correctly and with a wee bit o luck the following tips can reap you a successful gate crash and 115,100 experience points! (assuming also that you don't get jumped). Key One: Prepping. Cast the standard prep spells of resist cold, friends, resist fire, shield, prayer (if yer a CLAM), bless, haste, mirror image and protection from evil (assuming yer not a Palm) and enlarge. Also PRE-GLOBE! This is imperative cause if you don't you run the risk of being slowed and then it's all over. Get yer +3 Weapon ready..... Key Two: Your first turn. Immediately cast a dimension door away from the golems into the lower right side of the screen, this allows you to get away from multiple enemies and permits only one Golem at a time to attack you. Key Three: Attacking strategically. Once your in the corner its time to plan and play smartly, you'll want to strategically use your Lightning Bolts on the Iron Golems, only when u can nail at least two of them. Also the key is to be patient and count the rounds, this is important because it'll likely take more rounds for you to win than your globe will last! So it's important that you keep track of the length of time your battle is taken.....cast your SECOND globe sooner than later. If you fail to do this then you'll be slowed by any of the remaining Stone Golems and as you know this means your death. Key Four: Good Luck! The rest is up to u!! Hack and Slash away!! (To protect against being jumped stay alert, watch for "EVL Jumper has opened a door" message at the bottom of the screen.....also utilize the F8 key to "scan" the nearby vicinity and see who's there.) Your odds of winning are now enhanced dramatically! Important reminders: Iron Golems are magic resistant except to LB's which slow em for three rounds, and FB's which actually heal them 1 hp per HD of the FB. Iron Golems need +3 Weapon to do any sort of damage. Stone Golems are likewise unaffected by spells (even LB's) but the key here is that they can be struck with a +2 Weapon or better unlike the Irons which need the +3 Weapons. If you make it you'll get over 115,000 experience points!! BD Piper Guild Master ARG! Tae thy Blue Dawn (c) 9/5/1996, revised 8:34PM 2/9/97 PS. Oh, and winning a gate crash doesn't mean you'll get access to the sewers, it just means you'll fight the next battle (which is 10 times tougher). Even winning the next battle (worth over 150,000 exp) won't win you entrance........jings.....nothing like having a good ole badge!! (submitted by: HG Divine) For low level fighters and clerics, the spiders in the warehouse district can't be beat. Lower level chars can easilly bag 400 to 515 exp per spider fight; and you can beat them in a solo fight. Cleric types should cast Blesson themselvesbefore the battle, as saves v. poison aren't really high at first or second level. Once you go up to level three, try taking on pyrosnakes and lizardmen in the lower reaches of Windycliffs. They give ye about 900 exp per victory. If ye follow this advice, ye can find yourself at level 5 or 6 in an hour or so, without depending on a higher level "tutor" to "fight and flee" your way to a decent level. You will become a much better player if you EARN your exp instead of having it handed to you by a maxxed player. HG Divine(submitted by: HG Divine) Okay, for those of ye who've been in the realms for a while, ye already know this. But for the newer players, here'sa little advice for fighter types. Get a bow. Yes, that's right, a bow and some arrows. Granted,in the beginning, a new char will have to settle on a long bow, a comp. longbow if ye have the gold for it. Don't bother messing with a shortbow, unless some kind-hearted player like myself unloads a magical oneon ye, because the range on a short bow is far from impressive. Ok, now that you have a bow, buy as many arrows as ye can afford/carry. Why should I do this, Divine? Well, here's 5 reasons why: 1) low level fighters have low hp's. So they can't go toe to toe with many large, high exp baddies quite yet. A bow helps offset this by letting your Char begin his fight out of the baddies claw/bite range. Ye can stay a comfortable distance away and zing up to TWO arrows into the baddie per round. Ye can maintain this distance by backpedaling before ye shoot each round. If yer lucky, ye can kill the monster before he get's to you. 2) Two shots per round, plusa high DEX bonus to hit. Yes, I've touched on this earlier, a bow gets two attacks per round. Do the math, you'll see this greatly increases the likelyhood of dealing out damage each round. Added to this is the fact that high DEX scores will give ye a thac0 boost whenever you use a bow. Since I will assume that your Char has an 18 in DEX (if it dosen't, I suggest re-rolling), this takes 4 off yer thaco, plus one more if yer char is an Elf. So now instead of a starting thaco between 20 and 18, ye can plug away happily at the baddies with a more likely 16 to 14 thac0 at level1. 3). With a bow, you might actually serve a purpose to other adventurers. Lets face it, without a bow, your low level warrior isn't much help in a battle to that maxxed CLAM, RAM, or PAM ye were able to sweet-talk into helping you. With a bow, you can hide safely BEHIND him or her, and pick-off held or wounded enemies that survived the maxxed char's primary attack. At least this way, you serve some purpose, insted of just hiding in the fight and getting your exp "handed" to you by your maxxed guide. Just think of how much more usefull you can be! 4). When ye can, get a Fine Long Bow. These things are fun! Unlike other bows, Fine Long Bows confer whatever your damage bonus for strength is to your arrow attacks. Yes, that means that if you have ENLARGE casted uppon ye, you can use that 22 in strength for some purpose! Of course, ye cannot just BUY a Fine Long Bow anywhere. Ye have to go to this little, hard to reach town south of TRIBOAR called Red Larch, where ye had better bring a few Jewels, because a F L Bow costs upwards of 6 or 8 thousand GP. 5) Two words... Magical Arrows. Horde these for times you decide to go Drac-Bashing. If ye show-up to the dracs with a bow and magical arrows, few will complain that you are hiding in the courner while you pick-off one drac after another with magical arrows. You will be more popular than the other guy, who is only hiding in the corner without helping at all! Now, if ye pay heed to my advice, you should never need to beg for gold or magic at the vaults again! Insted, ye will have the pride of knowing that you actually EARNED those AC3's, DisCloak, and Bag that you are carrying! Untill next time fighters, keep your stash of arrows full, and haste and enlarge in your prep spells! HG Divine, Harper Hunter and Bowman unrivaled except by those of Elven BloodGimme a Scoop! Enter the weekly News of the Realm contest by submitting text for publishing. If your Announcement, Article, Helpful Hint, NW Abby Question, Poem, Fiction, or Tidbit wins, you'll have won your choice of 4 Pearls or Access to the GOH (Guild of Heroes)! Submit all text to screenname: NW NEWS. <><><><><> <><><><><> MONTHLY CONTEST!! Win Pearls for your Guild! Participate in the monthly News of the Realms "Newsworthy" contest. Each month, 4 pearls will be awarded to the account of the Guild with the most "newsworthy" articles for that month! We're looking for works of art, articles of fine literature, helpful hints of extraordinary brilliance, poetic works which stir the soul, etc. The key word here is "newsworthy"... only articles with substance will be counted in the contest! To participate you need to: - Indicate with your submission the name of your SANCTIONED guild. Only sanctioned Guilds are presently eligible to receive pearls for a Guild pearl account. - Write something! <><><><><> <><><><><>