The Great Library of Palanthas
An Aesthetic shows you to a small reading room.
Stories of Ansalon from the view of Saitou.
A little gully dwarf runs by and says 'Wordwrap Off 65 80.'
The gully continues 'Eyes hurt? Turn Color OFF!! (regular story dates)
Astinus says 'Enter the main library here to view only the author list.'
Astinus gently places a worn tome on the table in front of you.
You note the spine bears the word 'Saitou' scribed in brown ink.
Author: Saitou Date: Mon Oct 1 20:58:27 2018 Subject The Outsider - Public Version
This is the public version of my formerly private note series that the imms had access to, The Outsider. I've done some revising since the last version, so there's no new stuff to look forward to, imms. WARNING: The entire story is over 18,000 words, almost the length of a novella! Try not to read the entire thing at once, your eyes will thank you later. External link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lktdhXEzbBB3KjQ9y1-e2Xh7AcZISo5u/view?usp=sharing
Part 1: Re-awakening 'Wake up...' Who's saying that? And haven't I gone through something like this before? I opened my eyes to find that I was... not where I remembered I was. Was I not falling down the stratosphere of the planet for a long while, just as I did the first time I arrived in Krynn? Instead of darkness, I found myself in a place filled with stone pillars and various braziers lit and burning merrily. If I didn't know better, this place was a temple or shrine of some sort. I rose from the cold stone floor. "I'm not dead," I stated out loud, "even though by all rights I should be. Are you the one who saved me? Who are you?" 'Who I am is not important. But to answer your first question, I am indeed the one who spared your life. I thought that you might want a second chance at life on Krynn again.' I narrowed my eyes the more I heard the disembodied voice. It didn't have any identifiable gender, and it was not constantly shifting in tones and personas unlike the last entity I met. "You're not another being trying to pose as a god, are you?" I asked. "I'm getting kind of sick of nongendered entities now. Not that I think you'd give me a straight answer anyway." The braziers around me danced slightly in response. 'I know the one you speak of. And I thank you for disposing of him. But I am not him. Whether you believe me or not, I am an actual god. Which one is not important. As you are not originally from Krynn, the meaning and value of my identity would be nothing to you anyway.' "True enough." I shrugged in response. "It's not like I spent a lot of days studying the world's theology and mythology long enough to know anyone particularly well..." I folded my arms. "But that's not really an adequate response if you want me to trust you." 'Unfortunately for you, I am not here to gain your trust.' More braziers continued to light up, indicating the raised dais in the center of the square- shaped room. The dais was empty, but for some reason, I felt the strongest source of the unknown presence to be here. I blinked both of my eyes and attempted to activate my supernatural sight, but winced and shut my eyes immediately. Multiple colors and sensations assaulted my senses the moment I sensed the creature in its entirety. This was absolutely nothing like the fake god I had slain before. Just trying to perceive the entity was like staring into the sun itself. Was I truly in the presence of the real deal?
Part 2: Choice 'I am only here to present you a choice,' the being intoned. "And what choice is that?" 'You have tasted life on Krynn--on Ansalon,' the being said. 'While it was only an illusion, it was indeed a fragment of our distant past. You have gained and lost many things. Having lived the way you have in this world... how would you like to experience more of it, but in the realm of the present era?' My fists tightened as once-distant memories suddenly sprang to the forefront of my head. "I have nothing left on Ansalon now," I stated firmly. "Sara is dead, and has been long dead according to your world's history. Nothing I see or do here will change that." The voice remained silent. I grasped the Kagonesti locket still around my neck. My lips twitched as my mind caught up to the realization: it too survived the plummet into the Krynn of the present. Even though it was a relic of the fake god's simulation, it somehow continued to follow me, as real as the memories I had with her. "There are things I can do here that I couldn't dream of doing in my home world, I'll admit," I continued, "but I still have family and friends waiting for me back at home. And besides... I don't belong here, and I shouldn't belong here. I am an outsider--an unwanted guest in this world. My mere existence would upset the balance of it." I slowly opened my eyes as I willed my super sight not to trigger. Was the being... amused somehow? 'If you were an unbalancing factor at all, you would not have been successfully summoned to Krynn in the first place,' it responded, 'let alone spared a second time. What you perceive to be balance has changed in meaning since you last saw the world as it was.' At the very least, the entity did not constantly change voices unlike the last I had to deal with. It was still difficult to look at it directly--at least not without suffering through a huge migraine. I glanced away sideways and kept it within a corner of my vision. "I'm still unsure if you're another con man like the other fake deity I had to put down. Do you even know who I am?" 'Of course. Other people simply call you Saitou, although your actual name is one you have told only to those close to you. Like your family you left behind in your home prefecture, or that one Kagonesti maiden in Ergoth you actually divulged it to. You are Ren--' "Stop." I held out a hand and cleared my throat. "That's quite enough. You have made your point, you don't have to say any more."
Part 3: From Zero to One "Okay... let's assume I *might* be interested in staying longer." I rested both hands on my hips as I kept my glance somewhat at the multi-colored being's direction. "Can you at least give me your name? It seems kind of rude of me to simply address you as 'you' or 'it' or whatever prefixes apply." 'While I appreciate the attention you are giving to proper respect,' the voice replied, 'my true name has long been forgotten, not just by myself but by nearly everyone else around me, both in this world and in others. I cannot give you a name, but I can at least give you a symbol.' The being raised its left arm and pointed its hand at mine. I felt a brief searing pain on the back of my right palm. Right away, I noticed something etched upon it. It was strange; my vision kept blurring the moment I attempted to focus my gaze on it, like it was actively concealing its identity from me. "I... can't read the symbol," I uttered. 'Exactly. Until you are more acquainted with our world's theology, it will remain indecipherable to you. However, it will show you the way back to this place should you feel the need to return. So here is my proposition...' The entity settled into a golden hue color and dimmed itself just enough for me to look at it for more than a few seconds without damaging my eyes. It folded its arms behind him as it continued speaking. 'I shall give you exactly one human month, Saitou. If by the end of the month you feel you cannot tolerate life on Krynn, then use my mark to return to my temple and I shall send you home. 'But be warned, Saitou. If you decide to remain, your memories of your home world will gradually disappear from your memory. Your prior battle experience may remain, but all other knowledge concerning where you originally belong will fade. It will be up to you to decide if you are willing to pay that price for your permanent residence.' The genderless entity lowered its arms to its sides. 'For now, I will place you at a font of knowledge gathered by the greatest of mortal minds for you to begin getting better acquainted with Ansalon's history. Where you go from there is up to you. So.' It held out its right hand toward me. 'Do we have an agreement?' I rested my hand on my chin as I considered my options. On one hand, I did not have much in my life to look forward to back at home; there, I was nothing special or distinct, a mere 'zero', and I was content to stay in that position. But here, in Ansalon, I was more than a mere zero--and yet, without Sara, I felt less than 'one'. Returning home back to that old mindset, after tasting the value of living greater than zero, felt like a nauseating thought at this point. Could I even move on without her...? But I would not have a chance to find out if I refused. It was just like that song I heard one time: the journey from zero to one begins with a single step. I took one step as I reached out to accept its handshake.
Part 4: Books, Lots of Books 'Now where am I?' I opened my eyes to find myself not at all where I was only a second ago. Gigantic stacks of books lined in every direction that I could see. 'This is... well, it did say it was going to deposit me in a font of knowledge. A library would be one such place.' I looked over himself. My clothes had changed again; these were not the original clothes that I had started the false god's simulations with. Rather, they were clothes from my home world that I were more familiar wearing, but set in a time period that better fit Krynn's current technological settings... maybe. 'It's been a long time since I wore this gi and hakama. Not ever since I was still--' "Oh. You're a new face," a male voice spoke up behind me. I flinched and turned around. My hands darted down to my belt by instinct, reaching for a sword that was no longer there. "Who are you?" I asked as I gauged the man's appearance and power. While he certainly looked like a middle-aged human male, the faint thrums of some unseen power suggested to me that he was far older than he appeared, possibly as old as an elf. I blinked my eyes and focused on him with my golden iris. I winced slightly as I saw the goodness he emitted from his soul. 'Just like Sara, but not nearly as blindingly bright. At least he's readable at all.'
Part 5: Pro Tempore Guardian "You walk into my library and demand my name?" The old man looked quite unamused. "This," I asked as I gestured to the entire space around us, "is all yours? Oh..." I cleared my throat. "Ahem. Forgive my rudeness, sir. I'm just a passing traveler and scholar. I am here in search of books pertaining to Ansalon's history." "Mmm, is that right?" The old male wore robes with a make that I had never recognized before. 'Are those mage robes?' Then again, I had never seen any true mages in my previous stay, but I remembered the various magical implementations in the magical store that Sara had brought me before the Cataclysm simulation. "You are dressed rather oddly for a scholar." "I'm from Ergoth, sir," I began to say in a half-truth with a serious face, "well, what's left of it anyway. My name is Saitou." The old man stroked his whitened beard. "There are still humans who live in Ergoth? Interesting. Very interesting." He cleared his throat and lowered his hand. "My name is Bertrem, young man. I am the owner of this grand library of Palanthas--or rather, the temporary owner. Though I say that I own the library, I am really just its most capable guardian. The actual owner and master, you see, is away on business I am not at liberty to discuss. I head the Aesthetic Order of monks who also tend to this library. You said you are looking for books on history, correct?" He gestured to the huge rectangular space around us. "You are currently in the history section. There are two floors above us that hold more books on our continent and world's history. Please make yourself at home, mister Saitou." "Ah... right, thank you." I looked at the obvious labels for each subsection of the world and country's history. I clicked my tongue at the huge amount of books to peruse over. 'He said I had one month... but I don't think even that much would be enough to cover even the rudimentary basics.' I stretched my limbs as I looked for somewhere to sit down. 'Well... better get started.'
Part 6: Concerns Ah, reading. It was something I hadn't had much time to delve in ever since my third iteration into past Ansalon. This time, I made extra certain to make mental notes of specific figures that the books kept bringing up in multiple chapters and in multiple facets: some of the names that stood out the most were the gods Paladine and Takhisis. I was fairly certain that neither of them were behind my current living state or my tentative stay here. If anything, the former would have no reason to conceal his identity to me in such an oblique manner. And the latter's personality would have leaked out in some form during the dealings, even if my unnatural eyes would not have seen the truth. No, something else is at work--something not belonging to either of the two. Perhaps I need to find more detailed books on the gods themselves, not just focus on the history of the War of the Lance-- "Mister Saitou? Are you still here?" My fingers twitched as I heard the old man's voice. "Oh, Sir Bertrem. Is something the matter?" I asked as I looked away from the many books scattered about my face. He did not answer immediately and looked at the material that I had chose to go through. "You are a rather fast reader," he began to say, but cleared his throat and shook his head. "Nevermind that. It is closing time. Please make ready to leave. You can resume your studies tomorrow, Mister Saitou." "Ah... I see." My lips twitched. 'I just realize... I don't have anywhere to sleep, and I certainly didn't arrive in the world carrying any essentials. All I have are these medieval-era clothes and Sara's locket. And for once I'm actually feeling tired and hungry.' "Um, if you don't mind me asking me this last question, Sir Bertrem, would your library happen to carry any maps I would look at before I leave? Namely, that of Palanthas itself? You see, I'm new in town so I do not know where are the nearest inns." The old man's eyes narrowed at me. Was he beginning to suspect me? I hadn't considered it before, but there was only one escape route I knew of: straight out of the northern exit of the Library. 'And who knows where that leads to? I don't even know these streets yet.' "The map store is likely closed at the current hour," the head of the Aesthetics replied, "but the common maps are downstairs. However..." He suddenly grabbed my hand where the unreadable symbol was. "I would not recommend wandering the streets parading that on your hand, Mister Saitou," Bertrem continued, his tone taking a darker turn. What? Could he possibly have seen the symbol already? More importantly, does he even know what it is?
Part 7: Unknown I narrowed my eyes back at him. "Exactly what do you mean by that?" "That," he replied as he gestured toward the unidentifiable symbol on the back of my right palm. "Do you know what that is?" I snatched my hand away. "No. Should I? And do *you* know what this is?" Bertrem blinked and took a step back. "Oh. Forgive me if I appear... hostile, but that is a divine branding of some kind. I have worked with many clerics before, so I should know what counts as divine influence. Yours is an unusual mark I have never seen before. I cannot even piece together its appearance, let alone its origin or purpose." "And your point is?" "Hmm." Bertrem folded his arms behind his back. "Clearly you are not from around here, or you would know than Palanthas is decidedly... hostile toward creatures or entities it cannot clearly identify as friend or foe. The city is one steeped deeply in religion, you see. While they make no enemies of open followers of the neutral gods, you bear a divine mark that not even I can clearly identify. Palanthians, you see, are very judgmental. They make fast enemies of two kinds of people: the followers of the dark gods, and the unknown. You, mister Saitou, would fall upon the latter category by their logic." I flattened my lips as I gave a noncommital grunt. 'Well, now what? Do I simply retreat to the wilderness to eat and sleep? I have no idea where 'here' is but still--wait a moment.' "And where does your own opinion lay, Sir Bertrem?" I asked as I narrowed my eyes at him again. While I couldn't deny what I saw of his aura earlier, I knew better than to base the entirety of my judgments on my sight alone. Morality did not always imply reasoning. I learned that hard lesson with Sara a lifetime ago. "Me, mister Saitou? Oh no, for you see, I am not a native Palanthian. My commitments are first and foremost to knowledge and the Library, not the city." The old man smiled at me, but I didn't much feel comforted by the gesture. "And you are a curious spot of undiscovered knowledge, indeed. Instead of risking your life within the city grounds, I would have you remain here for the night within my Order's care." "And what's the catch?" I raised an eyebrow. "I can hardly believe that you'd just offer me to stay here for free." Bertrem chuckled and redirected his gaze back to my marked hand. "As I said before, I am a scholar, Mister Saitou. I would like to study your unknown mark during the entirety of your stay and attempt to divine its true identity. I do not believe that one such as you would bear such a mark without a good reason." I flattened my lips as I considered my options. 'If there's anyone who could find out just which god I am dealing with before I make any firm commitment to Krynn, it'd make my further interaction with him much easier. I'll be worried, however, if even a scholar like him cannot ascertain his identity. Then again, he did say that his name had been long forgotten. Sir Bertrem is not an elf, as far as I can tell, so I don't think he would have lived long enough to have such knowledge. Still... I don't know this area very well. At least I'll be dealing with a threat that I know better here than the unknown outside.' "Alright, sir Bertrem," I said as I extended my hand, "you have a deal."
Part 7-EX: Principles I couldn't sleep that easily, however. Instead of submitting to the lure of the guestroom's bed that Sir Bertrem had offered me, I pored over a tome listing the most influential factions of the world. 'There are simply far too many chess pieces in this world game, and I don't even know what the nature of the game is this time. Being this far past the Cataclysm, my knowledge on world powers in the past is no good here. All of them bother me... and all of them are pretty exclusive. An outsider like me has no business trying to be with--' "So you're the one burning the midnight oil," a voice spoke behind me. I clenched my fists for a moment, but once I recognized Bertrem's voice I relaxed them again. I really need to sharpen my awareness skills if I keep letting an old man sneak up on me. "Who can sleep when I have too much to study on?" "There's no need to rush, mister Saitou. No one has ever finished reading the entirety of the Library--not in one day, at least." You have no idea how short my time limit really is. "I guess," I replied openly. Bertrem peered over me to see what I was studying this time. "Hmm... I see you're interested in the many powers who hold sway over Ansalon," he observed. "Are you interested in joining any of them?" I flattened my lips and shook my head firmly. "I'm not." "But why not? Although I'm well aware many of them have pretty strict requirements. And some may not be suitable to your demeanor, but--" "Please, no." I held up my palm as a signal to drop the subject. "I don't qualify for two reasons: either I don't fill their native requirements, or they are overall untrustworthy." "Untrustworthy?" The old man perked an eyebrow. "Well, I can understand that outlook from the factions who worship the dark gods, but it's premature to simply assume all clans are--" "Yes they are," I said more roughly and stabbed my finger on the page of the last subject I had just finished glancing on. "Even this elusive clan called Rogue. They are hidden and skulk in the shadows like thieves, even if not all of them actually are. Why would they do so if they have done no wrong? No, all of them have something to hide, and if they want to protect their secrets that badly, they would kill one another if it suits their purpose. Or worse... they are a front for this clan." I turned the page of the faction book to one I had bookmarked and labeled as the most dangerous: Shadow. "This clan too," I continued, "has something to hide, and rightfully so. I don't want to have anything to do with any clans who are so secret that the only way to even know about them is through obscure books like these. If they have to hide, it means they are criminals in some shape or form. And I'm not going to associate myself with criminals..." I trailed off as sir Bertrem continued to stare at me. I cleared my throat and shut the book in front of me. "Sorry. I said too much today. I should go to bed now." I stood up and bowed politely before turning to leave. Those weren't the only reasons that I was loathe to try any clan. But those are personal and don't require mentioning--not to a complete stranger, at least.
Part 8: Priorities When I woke up early in the morning, I borrowed some leftover parchment and a quill as I organized what were my priorities to better orient myself. I needed some sort of goal if I really wanted to come to a hard decision whether or not staying was at all a wise idea. I wrote down the following: * Gather more information on the gods. * Discover the current troubles of Ansalon. * Arm myself for the coming battles. The last one I circled as my first priority because, as I knew, having no weapons in a world like this is like signing your own death warrant. Although I was fairly confident in my hand- to-hand skills, that would matter little if I fought something thick-skinned like those fire golems during the simulation of the Cataclysm. 'And besides, death this time is final.' I bit my bottom lip as I considered what other weapons I could use. I sorely missed those sai I had lost during the fall, as well as the wooden sword I had become used to before that had disappeared from my person. My only recourse, then, was to have a smith fashion weapons with a similar feel and balance. I briefly wondered if this was cheating, however. Bringing knowledge of my home world's weaponry into a place like this... But then I considered other, more advanced weapons I could have introduced instead, and retracted my previous thought. I began my work on crude blueprints for what I considered to be my ideal weaponry. ---- After I finished the imitation of a smith's blueprints, I clicked my tongue and frowned at the hurdle that I had set up for myself. I had three major problems in obtaining the arms I desired. First... where am I going to get the money? Second, where am I going to find the materials? And third... who is a skilled enough smith to make the weapons? So many more questions followed after those. And compounded with the issue of time, it may not even be practical that I expect to complete them all before my time limit. "Sir Saitou?" There was a knock from my room door. "You never came out for breakfast. Are you decent in there?" I put the quill back in its place and stood up from my desk. "Yes, sir Bertrem. I'm coming."
Part 9: Mobilize Three days. It took only three days to finish reading the basics of what I needed to know. And yet, considering other matters... "I am sorry, mister Saitou." Bertrem put my hand down for the third time as the rest of his best Aesthetics shook their heads and dispersed. "We still cannot pinpoint the exact nature of your mark. This is very unusual. We have uncovered even the malignant and old secret codes of Morgion and Sargonnas, but even this continues to elude is. I am afraid whomever or whatever had branded you is quite a potent entity, indeed." It seems the hidden god was telling the truth after all. I still had no way of discerning its true intentions, or if it could be trusted at all, but at the very least it gave me explicit instructions and boundaries to follow. If it was deceiving me, it would be through what it wasn't telling me. At least one thing was made clear: Krynn's gods were very much active in the world. They were nothing like my own. "It is no problem, sir Bertrem. Short of the gods themselves, I do not think anyone will ever figure out the purpose of this mark." I shrugged as I withdrew my hand into my long sleeves. "That is a shame." The old master of the Order folded his arms behind his back. "I would suggest some well-known clerics, but I'm afraid clerics of the caliber needed to see the truth of this anomaly are rather hard to find these days." "It's a mystery that will have to wait for another time. Any way, I have learned what I could from your library. I thank you for your hospitality, sir Bertrem, but I must take my leave now." I stood up from the library chair. Bertrem looked up at me from his seated position. "Where will you be going now, mister Saitou?" he asked. I shrugged toward him. "I haven't yet decided. But your world maps have been more than informative on where I *shouldn't* be going. I'm sure I'll find something that needs doing. I am a mercenary, after all." I bowed politely toward him. "If you'll excuse me--" I stopped as I heard something resembling a deep horn instrument blow throughout the library from outside. The sound lasted for more than several seconds but eventually faded. Although it sounded like an instrument, it vaguely resembled an altered recording of a cow's mooing. "What... was that?" "Ah." Bertrem stood up. "It seems that alert system the Palanthian guard ordered from some gnomes actually works. I forgot that today is a test day. The city is in a bit of unrest, you see, so the guard are preparing measures like those to warn the people of danger." Oh. So they're like the alerts of my old home. How practical. I nodded to myself. Perhaps this dimension isn't so technologically bereft after all. "A wise strategy," I mused out loud. "Anyway, I should be off before it is no longer merely a drill. Good day, sir Bertrem." As soon as I stepped outside, I watched as the Palanthian guards on duty were already making organized and grouped rounds around the city, most likely for practice. I slipped my branded hand into the long sleeves of my outfit before any of the patrols approached too closely to me. One thing was clear to me: I needed to leave the city before Palanthas itself would become just a warzone. Or worse, mobilize toward another one.
Part 9-EX: Irreplaceable "On my command, squad thirteen! Squad fourteen! Forward, march!" I didn't need to wait long to see my fears proven. Just outside to the southeast of Palanthas, the forces in silver armor were already deploying out toward the rest of the world. Who knew where they were going? I remained hidden and waited until they were on the move before I took to the road myself. It was not difficult to trace their steps, even if they weren't moving in heavy and encumbering armor. Their trek took them through a small village with nothing too noteable among the few amenities they had. If I remembered the map right, it was called Yarus. But what is that huge building there? "Come on, come all," a female voice spoke from outside the structure, "to the Red Silk House! We serve on all hours of the day, any day of the week!" Red Silk? Curious, I followed the voice all the way to its source. But as soon as I approached the building's front entrance, I immediately regretted my decision. Outside the doors, a brown-skinned elf in a bunny costume held up a sign marked 'NEW THEME THIS MONTH!'. She was a brunette Kagonesti whose eyes shined a brilliant shade of blue. I looked again at the type of people entering and exiting. Most of them were men, and some were being escorted by females wearing the same fetish of a costume. 'A brothel. How was a brothel like this thriving so close to a super conservative domain like Palanthas?' The elf noticed me and strode forward with the sign in hand. "Hello, sir. You're new around these parts," she noted. "Would you like to come in?" Being a head shorter than I was, she leaned ever so slightly--deliberately, I guessed--to show off her very bountiful assets that her black outfit wasn't covering up. "Um, no thanks," I began to say, but the bunny-eared elf still wouldn't back off. "We cater to all kinds of tastes," she purred. "I'm sure you'll love your time here..." Out of reflex I blinked, and noticed that her aura was a faint shade of yellow. Bumblebee yellow, if I wasn't mistaken. Not as blinding as I read from other people like Sara-- The Kagonesti's eyes shimmered gold for a moment. 'Gold? Wait... no.' My lips twitched as I turned away fully. 'No. No, no, no. She is NOT Sara. There is absolutely no way Sara could still be alive. And even if I did get her pregnant, she certainly wouldn't have time let alone the condition to give birth after the final simulation. 'That WAS a simulation, right?' I was seeing things. Yes, I had to have been seeing things that aren't there. Sara will never come back. No one could ever replace her. "Sir? Is there something on my face?" "No," I said more firmly and walked away. "It's nothing." I suppose I can add that as one more reason why I shouldn't stay in Ansalon. I do not need any further reminders of the happiness I'll never find again. Sara is too irreplaceable in my heart. Not even five minutes with a look-alike will ever bring back those feelings. [OOC: A story flagged with -EX such as this one can safely be skipped, as it has little to do with the actual storyline. You miss nothing by not reading these. Really!]
The Storytellers of Ansalon, The DragonLance MUD
Astinus points to the massive wall of books behind him and bids you to make a selection.
Authors: All|A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M|N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z
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