1996-04-07
Recovered original text · preserved verbatim
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NEVERWINTER NEWS
Issue # 128
Week Ending 4-7-96
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FRONT PAGE
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Congratulations to Syren Coal for winning last week's News of the Realm
contest for the story "In Memory of Liz Beff".
Syren Coal has earned the choice of 4 Pearls or Access to the GOH (Guild of
Heroes). Keep up the good work! ;D
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Lightning Bolt Booth Winner - 3/30 Midnight
Winner: Nor Lost
Prize : 5 pearls
Details: Nor Lost won the mini-even with the lowest damage from 2 LB's with
only 32hp's damage.
-- NWA Leto
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Location Hunt Winner - 3/29 8pm ET
Location hunt : Windy Cliffs 9,7 clue : lord sheriff
Winner : Opslin - 4 pearls and 1 free hour
-- NW Dain
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Ice Storm Booth Winner - 4/3
The winner was TP Dant with 41 points damage.
He wins 4 pearls and one free hour.
-- Slade
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NEVERWINTER CALENDAR
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Keep an eye peeled for those Mini-Booths because they will appear when you
least expect in different areas of the Realms!
Can you be at the right place at the right time when the NW calls for a
location?
Keep your eyes and ears open for these events! Watch for the banners!
New Player Tours:
Join the following staff members for a tour of the Realm:
April 8th Monday 10:00 PM EST - with NWA Taltos.
April 9th Tuesday 11:00 PM EST - with NW Icarus.
April 12nd Friday 10:00 PM EST - with NW Sparkle.
April 13th Saturday 8:00 PM EST - with NWA Lethe.
Those interested in any of these tours should keep an eye out for the banner
telling where to meet! ;D
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Congratulations to Syren Coal for winning last
week's News of the Realm contest for the
story "In Memory of Liz Beff".
Syren Coal has earned the choice of 4 Pearls
or Access to the GOH (Guild of Heroes).
Keep up the good work! ;D
Prelude to a Kiss
(submitted by: V Bastion)
After reading Her latest message, Bass had called Gaylar into his
study and let him read the letter. Knowing his friend would do anything
for him, getting him to agree to become a "Ghoul" would not be a problem.
Upon asking if he had any hidden talents, Bass was surprised to learn that
Gaylar would draw to pass what little free time he had.
"Why haven't you told me of any of this before?" Bass asked.
"I always thought it was a bit childish. None of my drawings are
even close to as good as some of those of which we buy. I have always been
too embarrassed to show you for fear of your being critical of them. I
should have allowed you to see them and I will do so now."
Gaylar leaves the room to retrieve his drawings and Bass sits
thinking to himself, "Why, if I had known this, I would have asked the Lady
to embrace him as well. Perhaps She will let me bring him in in time. There
are levels to Gaylar that I never suspected, but I am glad to learn them
now."
His musings were interrupted by Gaylar's return with the
drawings. As Bass looked them over, he realized that these were as good as
many of the pieces which they had travelled many leagues to get in the past.
"These are great Gaylar, I wondered where you commissioned some of the
forgeries in the past, but you payed no-one else, did you? You did them
yourself...." Bass let the thought trail off as a small smile was the only
answer he needed. "You do not only "play" at this, you are a master in your
own right. Had I but known..."
"The lady Nitengale will want to know of this, she seems to me to
always be interested in Artists of all kinds. I am sure that you could have
a future in the Camarilla but did you ask." Bass looks at Gaylar intently,
trying to determine what reaction Gaylar would have to this. "My Lord,
you will need a presence in the daylight, it is not possible for you to do
all which you wish in the night. I would be happy to continue our
relationship of Master and Slave for the time being. If I remain able to
handle the daylight for now, I can make sure that your need for eternal night
will not be discovered to be your weakness. Any increased powers I gain
will be used to further your powers, and your fortune. If in time I am
brought in as a member in my own right, I will still be yours to command, but
then I will be yours for eternity."
The decision having been made, Bass writes to the Lady to let her
know of the decision of his future Ghoul....
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My dearest Lady Nitengale,
I am happy that my letter brought you such joy, would that
my presence would do the same. I am also happy to know that my friend may
be allowed to join me in the family that you have gathered around you. I
have learned that Gaylar is an Artist in his own right and should, in the
future, be considered to join you in the eternal night. I have several of
his drawings before me, they are very good, perhaps you will allow me to
"Embrace" him in the future or you will do so yourself.
I will meet with you as you have requested, this Friday. I
wish for you to know that I will be active in BOTH the Writers and the
Collectors House. You may feel free to place me under whomever you wish in
that manner. I have no preference, as both my writing and my collecting
will be affected by this change I go through. It will take time to get my
schedule back to normal either way. If I had to make a decision, I would
have to say that the Writers house would be my choice. I wish to continue
collecting unusual items however, so maybe I can be put in touch with your
Master of the Collectors house, so that I can have a dialog with him (or
her).
I will respect your decision in this matter, as you know
your houses better than I do. I will see you in the Great Hall on Friday.
If you do not know what I look like, I will be carrying a Black Rose....
Your future
Childe...
Sebastion
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After completing the letter and putting it in an envelope, Bass was
surprised that the Ghoul which had delivered his previous letters had not
arrived as yet. Every time before, it seemed that he knew when a letter was
finished and arrived just at that time. Not knowing what other way to send
his letter, Bass lays the missive down on his desk to await the shadow to
return. After waiting for an hour or so, Bass decides to do some other
minor paperwork. As he returns to his desk, he finds that the letter is
missing, as well as the other 11 Black Roses....
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Bass walked the streets of NeverWinter, waiting for his meeting with
the Lady. He thought about what it was he was doing, both to himself and to
his friends. He had settled all his earthly affairs, with the story that
he would be going on an extended trip to the East. A mission to find some
rare and exotic works of art to add to his collection. He felt as if he
should prepare his business partners for a long absence on his part, and if
he could not ever get back to doing business, then they should not think too
long about his demise far to the East. Not that any of them would miss him,
he was careful to not form any close friendships with any of them as a matter
of good business. It would not do for him to play favorites when a valued
piece went up for sale. As for what he was doing to himself, he was
certain that this was what he wanted, he just didn't like the unknown. He
had no fear of the change he was about to go through, but to know a little
more of what to expect. That would have gone a long way towards easing his
tension.
He approched the Great Hall Tavern for the first time, and as he
walked in, he was greeted with the sights and sounds of a well-to-do
establishment. This was a cut above any of the other places in NeverWinter.
Bass wondered to himself why he had not been here before.
Walking in, he was hailed by the Lady at once, and invited to sit
down with her and her companions. He was introduced in turn, but none of
it did any good. Bass' attention was riveted on Nitengale. A greater
beauty there may have been in the Realms, but Bass had never had occasion to
see one. Her red hair shone in the light of the fire, the hi-lights dancing
in and around as if they were themselves alive. Bass found himself envious
of them and it was several moments before he noticed that he was staring. As
he looked at Nitengale's face, he thought that the lack of sunlight had not
adversely affected her at all. Her skin was white and smooth as alabaster.
Bass thought that the sun which most women would have allowed to darken their
skin, would have destroyed the perfection which he saw here. Her lips were a
deep red with out the use of the pigments and crushed berries which others
used, and her eyes.... once he looked into those eyes, all else disappeared.
Bass thought that he could be lost in those eyes for all time and not mind.
He absently wondered how many men she had captivated with her beauty, and a
surge of jelousy rose up. He quickly suppressed it and tried to follow the
conversation which had gone on around him.
"What will you have?" The bartender asked again. Bass absently
ordered an Elvish wine, not wanting to drink too heavily this night. As
Cyane, the Bartender brought his order, she turned a chair around to sit and
rest her arms on the back. Looking around, Bass noticed that their table
was the only one occupied at that time. Conversation was spirited, but lost
on Bass. Several people came and went, and Cyane would tend to their needs.
Soon the bar was filling up, and Cyane had to leave our group, even though
she continued to keep us in drinks and would answer questions from time to
time.
Bass realised at last that the people he was sitting with were
Kindred as well. Another of the Camarilla entered to the warm greetings of
most of the patrons. He sat briefly with the group, and after a few
minutes, was secreted in a corner booth with a woman he had met. Bass
watched them and was facinated when he began to feed on her. Staring at
them, Bass watched the whole episode in silence. When they were done, no
sign of harm was to be seen on her neck. Perhaps she was not bitten? But
no, he had seen the blood on the Vampire's lips when he pulled away. There
was more to this than he knew, but also he knew, he would learn this night
what he needed.
"Which of the Households have you chosen?" was Nitengale's first
question.
"I would be of the Writers house, but I will be active in the
collectors as well, if that would be alright?"
"Yes, that will be great." was her answer to him.The Guardian
(submitted by: Thorn Hawk)
In the early morning light, the mountains shone gold and bronze
with the coming of winter. Mist drifted within the deep valleys covering
them with white radiance and hiding their secrets from prying eyes. A giant
eagle took flight from a rocky outcropping in search of a morning meal. Its'
wings catching the faint breeze and lifting it higher into the sky to drift
among the scant clouds that carpeted the sky. It floated aimlessly in the
sky for mere minutes when it dove suddenly through the mist disappearing from
sight. A shrill scream echoed throughout the valley below signaling the
eagle had found its' meal. The eagle reappeared moments later carrying a
rabbit in its' talons heading towards the rock from which it took flight
moments ago. Landing upon the rocks, it set about consuming its meal when a
flock of geese burst from the mists below their cries reverberating off the
valley walls. Something had disturbed their rest.
Moving down into this valley, the mist starting to recede from the
sun's warming touch, a small stream could be seen winding its way down from
the mountains above. The water sang a merry tone as it cascaded down the
valley on its way to the ocean far to the West. Golden shafts of light
pierced the canopy above to warm the ground below sending sparkling images
into the air where they hit the water. Small fish darted to and fro under
the crystalline surface of the brook hunting for food and trying not to
attract the attention of the kingfisher which sat overhead watching. As the
mists swirled amid the trees, a crash, causing the kingfisher to take flight,
brought a doe and her two fawns down to the waters edge. After pausing for a
drink, they took flight across the stream heading into the mountains above.
Following the creek downstream into the mists, a tiny glen could be seen.
Surrounded by giant maple and ash trees, their leafs starting to fall, a
diminutive pool, ripples still upon its surface, stood in stately silence.
Mist wafted around the glen in patches, giving it a ghostly appearance.
Sunlight endeavored to penetrate the mist only succeeding in spots to light
the green grass and golden leaves which carpeted the land. Dew glisten on
the leaves and grass where the warming light of the sun reached the ground.
Off in the distance, a hollow tapping sound could be heard as a woodpecker
searched a dead tree for food. A small, black, brown squirrel hopped among
the leaves bearing a tiny nut in its' mouth. Looking for a place to bury it,
the squirrel dug many holes around the glen and among the trees. Finding no
suitable site for its' treasure, the squirrel ran up a nearby tree
disappearing within a tangle of twigs and leaves which it called home. A
tiny bird, hopping under a nearby bush, searching for seeds, was startled
into flight by a sudden calmness that overcame the glen. A small, leaping
fish, in the pool, ruptured this calmness as it caught an insect in the air.
As the ripples dissipated, the calmness returned and with it, a sense
of tranquillity. The glen was suddenly bathed in silence as a creature
strode into its center. Time seemed to stop as the earth paid homage to this
most noble of its' children. Bending down to drink, from the now still pool,
its visage reflected off the surface, this creature surveyed the glen. Its
snowy white coat glistened in the morning light. Muscles rippled as it
raised its head to look off into the distance. A mane of white dropped from
its neck reaching near the ground. Large, clear, black eyes dominated a
noble head marked by a single, pearly white horn. Pawing the air with its
two front hooves, a whinny coming from deep within its chest, this creature
bounded off into the forest to disappear within seconds. A bird chirped in
the distance, a twig fell from a nearby tree, a squirrel scampered along a
branch as life returned to the glen.Poem for Dwyvyrn
(submitted by: MoradinSon)
For those of ye who nae know, Dwyvyrn , the current Chief of Clan Axepeak,
will be leaving us for a time due to obligations beyond the boundaries of The
Forgotten Realms. This is just my humble tribute ta one of Axepeak's, and
the entire Realm's fovorite and mosr beloved persons.
DWYVRN'S HOME
Not hammer, not axe, not sword to knee
Hath brought my chieftain low beneath their power.
His might and grace in battle has inspired we
Who have relied upon him in the direst of hour.
Oh how shall seasons turn and clan hold out
Against the wrathful sight of evil's siege,
When ramparts perfect are not yet so stout
Nor mithral gates so strong without our liege?
Not time, not hurt, not fear to heart
Hath laid my chieftain down beneath their weight.
Shall Strength and courage he inspired depart
From us as now we seek our fate?
If his absence now should find this clan disgraced
Dishonor would we bring to he who never bore kin ill
I say the heart of Dwyvyn shall, in no way, be misplaced
For even as he wanders from this hearth he joins us still.
The battle gainst the minions of the night
Still will find our steel to shine as bright.
Shield-brother is he now and every day
Travels made by his stout heart can't take him whole away
We'll hear his voice in wisdom still to guide
Until again, amongst his kin, he comes home to abide.
Storm MoradinSon
ReBorn Axepeak Elder
WyrmSlayer
Stonemaster
Forseti's Priest
(submitted by: PanzerMagi)
by: Panzer Magi of COR
"Okay. Keep your head still. Don't let the apple fall." Zap was about
thirty feet away, dangling from a thick tree branch upside down, father's bow
in his hands.
"You sure you can do this, Zap?" I was nervous. Zap was a horrible
shot.
"Yeah. Kinda." He replied, squinting one eye shut as he steadied the
point of the arrow somewhere above my head... I hoped.
Zap let loose, and I heard the arrow whiz past my head in a rush,
burying itself in the tree behind me.
"You, ahh... Meant to do that, right?" I was young, but old enough to
have learned that it was best to keep Zap's ego fueled if I was to get
anywhere with him.
"Sure did, Panzer. Getting the bow sighted in on the tree, y'know?" He
grinned at me, his face flushed with the blood rushing to his head as he
gently swung back and forth in the breeze.
"Is it okay if I keep my eyes closed?" I was getting nervous, and
somehow thought that if I didn't watch, I wouldn't get hurt.
"Yeah, whatever. If it makes you feel better." I closed them, and heard
the bow twang as Zap released another arrow. Almost simultaneously, I felt a
rending sharp pain across my forehead, and a warm torrent cascade down my
face and cheek.
It was blood. He'd missed.
"Whoops." I heard him drop from the tree, and run over to me. I didn't
open my eyes for fear that I might faint, and because I didn't want to get
blood in them.
"Boy... That looks painful. We'd better fix it." Zap helped me to the
ground, with the tree supporting me in a sitting position. "Hmm... I think
your supposed to put mud on head wounds, or something. Stay there."
I wasn't planning on going anywhere, and felt rather faint by the time
Zap returned. He immediately plopped something cold, wet, and faintly slimy
on my head, drawing a scream of pain from me as it burned into and reopened
my wound.
"Oh yeah. That might smart a little. Quit squirming, though. You have
to let the mud settle." I stopped moving, gritting my teeth against the
pain. "Stay here, I gotta go get a cloth and some water. Get you cleaned
up, a little."
The burning pain had receded to a dull throb by the time Zap returned,
and the mud felt like it had dried to a semi-rigid consistency. I felt
somewhat woozy, and wanted to vomit.
"Okay. Let's clean you up." He was very gentle as he washed off the
coagulated blood, returning my vision in short order.
"Ouch, Zap." I announced to him, giving him a weak smile.
"I'll bet." He laughed, grinning at me. "You look horrible!"
"Thanks, bro... Not that it's your fault, or anything..." I knew he
felt guilty, and sarcasm is the language that Zap best understands. Making a
joke was the quickest way to reassure him that I wasn't mad.
"My fault? Of course not. You jumped up at the last minute, I'm sure
of it..." He grinned again, and helped me get to my feet. "Boy, that mud
sure stinks, eh?"
I didn't respond, choosing instead to stumble and fall against him. He
caught me, and got a worried look on his face.
"Maybe you should get in bed, Panz. You bled like a stuck pig for a
while there, and even a big ox like you only has so much of that stuff...
And seeing as you're anamic, or whatever it is, your kinda low normally,
right?"
I nodded at him, deciding not to go into another lecture about anemia at
the moment. Instead, I leaned against him gratefully, and staggered towards
home.
* * *
Fever burned through me like dragon's breath, tearing my body apart from
within. Sweat drenched me, and the edge of delirium seemed to be distorting
my thoughts with increasing regularity.
"Son, you need to get some food into you. Only way you'll feel better."
Jareth Theef had adopted me when I was an infant, abandoned in the woods.
He'll always be the only one I consider my father, no matter who may have
sired me.
"Let him rest, dear. He may be to ill to eat, just now. And if that
fever doesn't break, you will have to go fetch aid from the humans, and
soon... We may need an acolyte of Tyr to return his health to him...
Especially since the healing potions seem to do no good." Mother was cooling
my forehead with a damp cloth as she spoke, her voice the gentle tones of a
forest stream.
"Aye." Father's voice was quiet, something I'd never heard. Even Zap
was keeping to himself, the first time I can recall him doing so. Father
hadn't yelled at him for injuring me, but I knew the guilt was eating at him.
"I'll go." Zap announced quietly.
"No, son. You aren't familiar with the humans, and there are some in
Phlan that still owe me favors from times long ago... It may have been their
great-grandfathers that I fought alongside, but they will honor their debt.
I'll leave in the morn, if the fever doesn't break." Father's tone settled
the debate, and I faded into troubled sleep, filled with nameless shapes of
terror.
* * *
I awoke screaming. Mother rushed to my side, dropping a pot full of
stew on the floor.
"It's okay, Panzer, it's okay. Just a bad dream, nothing will hurt
you..." Her voice calmed me, and I burrowed thankfully into the covers,
feeling winter's chill through my entire body.
"Jareth has departed for Phlan, and Zap is out hunting for deer. Do you
think you could eat a little, now?"
"I think so. I don't feel so sick, now." I answered, shivering.
"Good. Just a little bread, for now, perhaps something more substantial
later." I ate small bites, wondering why the room seemed filled with a cold
mist that billowed along the floor, pooling in the crevasses.
I drank a little water as she offered it, my arms weakly supporting the
clay mug. I felt better with the bread and water inside me, and settled back
to get some rest. I just hoped the mist would dissipate, and wondered what
the strange forms within it were.
* * *
When I woke up, I wasn't screaming. But cold fear enveloped me, and the
mist had grown so thick I could barely see the faint glow of the embers in
the fireplace. The house was quiet, the only sounds being faint rustlings
and the whisper of movement from within the mist.
"Zap? Mother?" My voice sounded faint and far off to me, muffled by the
choking mist. I had to get outside, get some fresh air.
Things seemed to move out of my way as I lurched towards the door, clad
in only my nightclothes and my amulet. I'd been found with the amulet, and
although father said it held no magical enchantment, it gave me comfort.
"Are you out here?" I asked, standing in the doorway, looking out into
the darkness. Moonlight lit the forest faintly, and mist billowed all around
me, in a layer that came up to my knees. But at least it wasn't as thick as
it had been inside the house.
I began walking towards our closest neighbors, unsure of why. Thought
was difficult, and the chill was giving way to burning fever once more.
"Has anybody seen my family?" I announced to the trees, hoping somehow
that they'd respond to me. The forest said nothing, but seemed to be mocking
me, nonetheless.
"I'm scared." I said, not knowing why. Things grew dim, and all I
seemed aware of was that I was walking, towards salvation, I hoped.
* * *
I grew aware of a quiet, cold voice.
"Wake up, boy. Who are you?" I forced my eyes open, to see a gaunt,
tall man, with a weathered face and cruel eyes. He wore black robes that
shimmered darkly about him, and an ebony flail in his hand seemed to quiver
as if eager to be used.
"Panzer... Panzer Magi..." I croaked, my throat dry and scratchy.
"Any reason you're half naked, sleeping in the forest, Pan?" His eyes
drilled into mine somehow, and thin cruel lips seemed to resent having to
speak with me.
"Well, that doesn't matter, regardless. You know you're dying, don't
you?" He said it the same way father might say, "You know it's raining
outside, don't you?" As if it were some barely interesting fact, and
something any fool would realize.
I said nothing, still woozy, and he continued.
"You're sick. You need to be cured. But I don't think a man wearing a
nightgown can pay for cures. Have you ever served someone, Panzy?"
"Served?" My head spun, and I felt like passing out again.
"Yes. Served. Fetched things. Cooked. Kept your mouth shut. Been
obedient. Served. Have you?"
"No... I don't think so. I cook and help at home, but that's not the
same, I don't think."
"You don't think? Now, there's an understatement. Fine. I'll cure
you, but you'll then serve me. That's how it works. That, or you can die.
Your choice. I don't really care. And I've wasted too much time on you as
it is."
Something seemed repulsive about giving this man anything, but I felt
some pull, some tug that made me need to live.
"I will serve you." I managed, and passed out.
* * *
I awoke to cold feelings within, burning ichor that cleansed. I felt
better physically when it was over, but some part of me felt defiled, and
twisted.
"You're healed. Get breakfast started." I heard the harsh voice from
nearby, and managed to struggle to my feet.
"What... I'm still a little woozy..." I said, trying to clear my head.
The other looked up at me, his eyes narrowed.
"Get breakfast started. If you're the type to welch on a deal, tell me
now. And we can get this over with." His words carried an implied menace,
and sent a chill down my spine.
"I keep my word." I answered, working on getting some rabbit stew going.
"Good. Then we'll get along fine. And we can start on your training."
"Training?" I said.
"Yes. Training. You'll have to learn a bit about magic, and the
clerical arts, if you're to be much use to me as an assistant. And, just so
you know I'm a wonderful guy, you only have to stay with me for a month.
Fairly reasonable for a cure sickness, in my opinion."
I shuddered at the thought of spending another day with him, let alone a
month, but I wasn't about to break my word. I'd resolved never to do so, and
never had. My thoughts revolved around my family, and what they must be
wondering. The mist had to have been a delirium-induced hallucination, and
they were probably scouring the countryside looking for me.
I needed to get word to them.
* * *
"Is there any way you could allow me to send word to my family letting
them know that I am alright?" I'd finished scouring the plates from
breakfast, and packing up the man's gear.
"No." He smiled then, enjoying the look of disappointment on my face.
"They'll be worried about me..." I trailed off, realizing that I was
just adding to his enjoyment.
"They don't seem to be very worried about you in general, to let you
wander off like that." He was positively beaming at this point, a malevolent
smile plastered across his face.
I said nothing, and finished packing. I decided as I packed that my
best chance would be getting to know him better, and perhaps even ingratiate
myself to him somewhat.
That decided, I turned to him and said, "The gear is packed. Also... I
never caught your name. Since you did save my life, and since I am now
pledged to serve you... Wouldn't knowing your name make things easier?"
I tried to smile, then gave up. I could only take such acting so far.
"My name is Mircea. And that won't make anything easier. Trust me." He
replied, grinning again.
* * *
As the days went on, I came to truly loath Mircea. He was evil in every
sense, and took delight in hurting whatever came in his way. But, at the
same time, he was powerful. A High Priest to his dark god, as well as a
capable wizard... He could do things with magic that amazed me. And he told
me of treatments for my anemia, and taught me to pray to his god to seek
relief.
"You're going to have to give yourself over to Surma at some point,
Panzer... He'll tolerate you seeking his blessing for a while, because
you're in my service, but if you ever wish to have true power... You'll have
to become one of his. You plainly have the knack for it, if you only weren't
so reluctant. You might even grow to be better than me, with time...
Although I doubt it." He gave one of his laughs at that point, and motioned
for me to clean up our plates from dinner.
"Are all the gods like Surma?" Being raised in an elfin family, I'd
heard little of religions, and gods. After spending time with Mircea, I'd
begun to think that it was because elves weren't interested in the power the
gods offered, and more importantly, incapable of devoting their long lives to
a deity. They were too mercurial, if the Theef family was any indication.
"No. There are many types of gods, just as there are people. Weak
ones, strong ones, pitiful ones, sick ones. Surma is strong, though, and
demands nothing more than loyalty from his subjects. And his followers are
strong, as well. Surma does not tolerate weaklings, unlike some." He
considered the matter closed, but it sent me along a line of thought I hadn't
pursued in some time.
"My amulet. When you saw it, I thought maybe you recognized it. Is it
the symbol of a god? Or of a people, perhaps?" Mircea looked at me for a
moment, scowling.
"A god. His name is Forseti. But I'm not interested in discussing him.
He claims to be the god of `Justice', but his idea of justice is the strong
making sacrifice for the weak. If you want that trinket as some sort of
sentimental good luck charm, that's your business. But you'd better get rid
of it before you ask to become a servant of Surma. Surma doesn't like
followers that carry things like that around with them." Mircea dismissed me
with a wave, and I felt an odd shame at not defending the god whose symbol I
wore.
* * *
"They're all dead except that one." Mircea pointed at the injured tiger
standing before him, frozen with a snarl on its face. "Kill it."
I looked at the tiger. It surely wanted to hurt us, if it could, but it
also looked scared. It had never stood a chance, neither had its kin... And
now I was supposed to kill it while it stood there helplessly. A part of me
sickened at the thought.
Yet... Another part of me longed for the power Mircea had just shown...
To be able to incinerate creatures at will, to call upon the elements of
magic and wreak such destruction... Such power was truly intoxicating. And
regardless, I couldn't refuse an order that seemed so reasonable. After all,
that tiger had wanted to kill us... Why should I feel shame at killing him
instead?
I walked up to the tiger, and struck him with the staff I'd fashioned
under Mircea's tutelage. The beast collapsed at my feet, dead. And part of
me felt a thrill... My first kill in battle, no matter how much it had been
prepared for me.
And as I stood there looking at the scene of our victory, I felt my
heart grow colder.
* * *
"Well. I guess you did an adequate job. The month is over, you can
leave. Go play in the trees, or whatever it is your elf family does. Unless
you want to do something that matters with your life, of course." I'd told
Mircea far too much about the Theef family, and worry had been gnawing at me
daily. I wasn't sure if I wished to follow his god or not, but I knew I had
to see father and mother, and even Zap before I decided.
"I simply need some time." I replied, not sure of what to say.
"Time? That you'll have..." Mircea announced, laughing. "Plenty of it.
Because, I don't feel like releasing you from service to just go do whatever
you want... I'd rather have a little breathing space myself. Never have
been able to trust anyone, personally. Not in my line of work."
His tone made my stomach churn... He was preparing to cast, and I had
no idea what he'd cast at me. It didn't take long to find out....
* * *
Being stupid is hard to describe. I can tell now what was going on, but
at the time it was all a mystery.
"Hi. My name Panny. I nice meet you." I said to the freeholder heading
into Phlan to sell some of his produce.
"Panny, eh? Well, Panny, would you like to earn a ride into Phlan by
helping me set up my booth at the market?" The farmer had a gentle demeanor,
and a kind face. In retrospect, I normally would have noticed the scars, the
cloak without a single tear, the ring he wore beside his wedding ring... But
as it was, I knew he was a nice man with pretty hearses. And I told him as
much.
"Aye, Pan, that's true... They are a pretty set... Raised them from
foals, I did. If you don't mind me asking, from where do you hail?" The
trail wasn't too rough, and the man took a leisurely pace through the forest.
"I live in forest. With mom and dad." I replied, watching the scenery.
"What are their names?" He continued to smile, watching the road ahead,
and keeping the horses to a gentle, steady pace.
"They Mr. and Mrs. Theef. They real nice. Adopted me, when a baby." I
replied, my brow wrinkled in the effort of remembering my parents' last name.
"Jareth Theef? He's your father?" The man had stopped the wagon, and
turned to look at me.
"He's my dad. He real nice, but I am big trouble, now. No been home in
long time. Was gone."
"Why?" He asked.
"Not sure. No make sense." My head was spinning with the effort of
conversation. I wanted to run around.
"Panny... Don't get mad, but were you ever a little smarter than you
are now?" He said it as gently as he could... I guess I didn't look like a
native-born dolt... Or he hoped my appearance was deceiving.
"Was real smart. But head hurts when I think. I want take a nap." I
curled up on the wagon bench, and fell into deep sleep almost instantly. My
companion didn't wake me up, though, and the gentle movements of our travel
lulled me into the most peaceful sleep I'd had in weeks.
* * *
"How are you feeling?" The voice was deep and soothing. I opened my
eyes to see a priest of Tyr standing over me.
"Better..." I managed, me head feeling as if some giant fog had been
lifted.
"I'd imagine so. Being made a simpleton is rather unpleasant, to say
the least. I hope you can avoid letting that happen again..." He smiled at
me, and left the room.
With the fog lifted from my mind, and with Mircea's foul presence far
away, I found myself praying... But not to Surma. I sought the ear of
Forseti, eager to leave behind the vile thoughts that had filled my head
during my period of "servitude"...
It was a different sensation from when I'd asked Surma for relief from
my afflictions. Forseti granted me some relief, but as more a gesture of
kindness than as a demonstration of power...
"Doesn't really matter. I need to get home." I said.
A priest looked in on me and eloquently said, "Huh?"
"Nothing, sorry... I was thinking out loud. Where do I settle my bill
for your healing?"
"No bill. The man that brought you in paid it. You're free to go." The
priest scurried off, apparently to heal others in need.
I walked on, confused. And scoured Phlan for nearly three hours before
giving up. Whoever he was, he was gone.
* * *
"I'm not through with you yet, Panzer..." The voice was Mircea's, and I
awoke with a start from my nightmare. He'd been torturing my sleep for
hours, and I finally gave up on trying to rest. The voice was so compelling,
so real... And it felt as if he was near...
And I'd told him where my family lived.
I began to shudder, and packed my gear as quietly as I could.
* * *
The mist coated the ground before me. It roiled in across the loam,
chilling my feet and ankles, clutching at my cloak and staff. And the shapes
were moving within it again, dark cunning movements, slithering sounds of
evil.
Mircea was here.
"Mother? Father?" I stood at the entrance to the clearing before our
home. But even in the near-darkness, I could tell something was wrong. I
could not smell our cooking fire, nor see the small lantern father left lit
in the window so strangers would feel welcome. There was nothing but
darkness.
"Sorry, Panz... They didn't seem interested in thanking me for saving
their worthless son. I guess they figured since you're a human... Good
riddance." Mircea laughed again, and a clammy wind blew the mist from before
me momentarily.
Father and Zap lay dead. Mother was nearly so.
"Such a pretty image, isn't it? All dying side by side... And she's
kinda cute, for an elf... Funny ears, though..." Mircea was whistling to
himself, and cataloging the Theef family's possessions, apparently
uninterested in me. "And they said they'd never heard the name Panzer
before. Silly elves. I guess they've disowned you. And here I am, finding
a note that says you got cured. I think it's mistaken, though. You'd have
to be stupid to follow me here. And there's even a note to you, but it's
filled with silly lies. Not that it matters what they thought of you,
they're dead."
They'd tried to protect me from him, when I was the one that had failed
to protect them. I'll never understand why I told him of my family, and
where I lived. And some things cannot be forgiven, either.
"You didn't tell me the whole story when I asked you about my god,
Mircea." I advanced towards him, clutching Forseti's symbol. My voice began
praying, in the strange guttural tongue that had been shaping itself in my
mind. It was the voice of the people from whence I'd been born that spoke
then, just as that same voice comes to me whenever I pray for justice.
"I didn't? Well, I must not have thought it interesting enough to tell.
So, are you trying to get turned into a dunce again?" He laughed again,
turning towards me.
My voice rose in volume, words telling my god of the compassion the
Theef family had shown me, of the cowardice of Mircea. Force began to surge
through me, strange powers I've never experienced before or since.
"May justice be served, Mircea." I said, not knowing from where the
words came.
"May the gods never suffer a fool, Panzer." He replied, preparing to
cast against me.
He never had the chance, though. I felt the trumpets of Valkyries
within me, and a force that now moved under no control of my own. It shaped
itself into a bolt that extended from my finger and through Mircea, a
thunderclap darkness that stole his life in a cleansing rage.
I collapsed against the ground, his death-rictus inches from me, and
passed out.
* * *
"Wake up, bro." I heard faintly. I opened my eyes, and saw Zap standing
beside me, a vacant hollow look upon his face.
"You live!" I struggled to my feet, and clasped him in relief.
He just looked at me, and handed me an axe. "Father always wished to
have a burial pyre."
Cold darkness passed behind my eyes. Mircea had died, but it somehow
wasn't enough.
"And mother?"
"She killed herself." Zap replied, shock giving his voice a nonchalant,
distant coldness.
We didn't talk any more for a while. Eventually, I learned of how
father had cast a feign death on Zap, leading Mircea to think him already
dead and to spare him. And of how father had fallen. We never spoke of
mother.
* * *The Beholder's Dance
(submitted by: Falkerk)
I went to the dance and at first I died
so I went back and tried and tried
First I moved in and back again
and watched real close to the dance of my friend
I thought I did well as I lived the first round
but I died soon thereafter as I stumbled around
So practice I did and Danced to the beat
and soon I was alive and not dead on my feet
So take heart all you dancers who dance with the beasts
To win takes Arms and the Dance of your feet.
Falkerk, the light footed
A Ranger's Dream
(submitted by: Lake Mist)
Surrounding me were doors, gates and the woods...an enchanting world which is
always new...
A world revealing it's vistas to my ever hungry eyes...I am free here...
Free to feel the sharp, stinging wind off the river lashing my face...free to
smell the fragrances created throughout these woods...
Every need, emergent and primal, is met by these woods...these woods which
have created the necessity to be...
Life is sword and blood and adventure at every turn, where weak men follow
the strong vision of a stronger dreamer...
We level the temples of greed and injustice...
In lust for conquest, my blood runs hot with dreadful joy as my sword rips
the belly of a dragon who would have me for his dinner...
Frenzied from battle, and having lost my bearings, I saw her there,
revealed...I must be near her temple...
The eyes which I know so well...the eyes which know me...
A long time ago, I had come to her without hope...but now...she...she came to
me with life...
I learned what solitude and bravery could never teach me...her presence was
peace...her touch was...
She lead me to reach beyond sight and sound and self...to follow her...
All of life had conspired to bring me to this...unafraid and finally whole
and healed...I knew...I knew it...
Did I not...to follow her, to be one with, to serve the Goddess Mielikki, the
Lady of the Forest...
As long as one Ranger still lives, let that Ranger raise sword in support of
good and the protection of the forest and wild places of the realm from
evil...to this end I swear...Diary - Entry 13
(submitted by: V Strange1)
As Baldor and I headed back up the path after our evening swim, it grew
quiet. The fork in the path lay just ahead, and I was scanning the area for
an answere to the sudden quietness. The pathe back to Never winter lay to
the left, the path to my haven was on the right. After an extended goodbye,
Baldor departed , looking back every few steps at my still figure until
finally his form disappeared around the bend.
With a heavy sigh, I too started down my own path, still reliving the
nights events. So lost was I in my revelry that I failed to notice the
shadows shifting behind me, pacing my every movement. The form of a kine
burst forth from the shadows, with 2 others close behind the first. I
wrapped my disciplines around me and sprung into action. The first of the
kine to approach was quickly disposed of, his heart crushed by an upthrust
hand. I was on the second one before the first one dropped. 'This one is
big!' I thought. A bear of a man, bulking some three hundred pounds on his
six-foot-plus frame. I smiled a tight smile as I snapped his elbow, the
smile widening as I jabbed my fingers into his nose and grasped his septum.
With little effort I hefted his full weight by the delicate cartilage,
praying it would not tear. His eyes widened in terror, his blood-curtling
scream filling the night. I tossed him into the third kine, using the body
as a shield from the pitifully small knife he was weilding. They fell in a
tumble of arms and legs to the ground. It was just cleanup from there. The
one with the shredded nose huddled in pain, vitae spewing forth from his head
in great gushes. The one with the knife made a clumsy lunge for my chest as
he struggled to his feet.
I sensed someone coming up the path, so I quickly disposed of my last
opponent. With a mighty thrust, claws extended, I reached into his chest
cavity and ripped out his still beating heart. Holding it in front of him to
see as his body crumbled to the ground, I licked the warm blood spurting from
the ruptured arteries dangling from the organ. I whirled around to face
another apponent, the beast and the vitae strengthening me for another
attack. Baldor stopped in midstride as he drank in the sight. There I
stood, gore washed over my face and hands, the heart firmly in my grasp.
Broken bodies lay everywhere. He looked around in disbelief, then back at
me. I was near frenzy, but still in control enough to realize I was a danger
to Baldor at that moment. "Get out of here while you still can." my voice
heavy and deep, the beast taking more control by the second. With a pained
look in his eye, he turned to flee. He looked back one last time only to see
me bending over my victims, my fangs bared , lowering my head for the
feast.(submitted by: OGS CPL)
Here's a helpful hint for new adventurers.
Experiance and items can easily be gained by killing beholders. This is
easier than you think. All you need are a Long Bow(preferably a Fine Long
Bow) and arrows( preferably enhanced ones) Just move as far away as possible
and shoot them. If using regular arrows and a regular bow make sure you have
a full stock of arrows. A haste or enlarge helps. If they get near keep
running. The best place is in westbridge because there are only two holders
and no other monsters.
OGS CPL<><><><><>
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