An Aesthetic shows you to a small reading room.

Stories of Ansalon from the view of Valtam.

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 leather bound tome on the table in front of you.
You note the spine bears the word 'Valtam' scribed in faded white ink.

Author:    Valtam         
Date:      Thu Jun 18 08:41:37 2009
Subject     Out of the Depths Part 1

The continues moving dark waters surrounding the air tight dome, cast an
eerie atmosphere about the two figures seated infront of the marble Khas
set. Bright Indigo coloured pupils stared down at the Khas pieces, the Deep
Elf deep in thought, this would be his last game with his old rival Aluras,
before he left for the lands above, and he intended to win this one, just
once he wanted to beat his rival at this game, just once. He thought back to
his younger days when they use to dare one another, seeing who would swim
closest to The Pit, where the once great temple of Istar once stood, not
even the bravest Dargonesti warrior could or even would get close, yet as
youngesters do, they tested themselves, tested their courage and resolve. He
shook his head with a grin bringing himself back to the game, his hand
moving down to his Queen piece, he would have to take risks if he was to win
this game, he would not lose, not this time.

Many years before this fated Khass game, Valtam, his back pressed against
the sharp edges of coral, looking up along the length of a trident at
Aluras. They had both been training all that day, both wishing to join the
the honorable warrior society called the Order of the Dolphin, the elite
order of religious warriors. Valtam had always lived under the shadow of
Aluras who everyone said was destined for the order. Yet where Aluras went
Valtam went too, striving to be the best as his rival and friend was. He was
breathing hard now, cold steel against his throat. "Another point for me
Val" Aluras beams down at his friend, why Aluras had put up with him this
long, 50 years long infact, Valtam could not guess. But right now his blood
was up, and the bitter taste of defeat rising in his throat, he glanced
across at his own fallen trident then down to his sheathed dagger. }B"Don't
even think about it Val, your done, just tap out, you can never defeat me" A
trickle of blood started running down Valtams neck as the point of the
trident pricked him, but it was the mocking laughter of his rival that set
him off. All his life he had felt, what he could only discribe as a force,
inside him, but could never put his finger on it. Now with his wish to win
so badly, the bitter taste of defeat and humiliation stuck in his throut,
his pupils adruptly shining bright, it all suddenly burst from him in a wild
surge of magic lancing down the trident of his friend, and slamming into his
chest sending him flying through the water, to come slowly floating down to
the sea bed his body limp and unconscious. Valtam looked on with horror and
quickly swam to his friends side, calling to for help. His friend of course
lived, Aluras claimed he couldn't remember a thing, joking that Valtam must
have beaten him so hard that he couldn't even remember it. But this victory
tasted worse than any defeat, it hadn't been a fair, he hadn't beaten him in
armed combat, instead a power he didn't understand had almost killed his
friend. Instead of learning to control it, he hid it, bottled it up, refused
to talk about it to anyone. Over the next two years, a short time for any
elf, though it seemed like an eternity to him, Valtam could feel the power
stir within him, wanting to be release, he knew instinctively if he gave
into it he could raise out of his rival's shadow, but he feared it. But that
changed shortly after his 55th year. 

Author:    Valtam         
Date:      Thu Jun 18 12:06:15 2009
Subject     Out of the Depths Part 2

"Githtro you've got to face up to what you fear, if you don't it will
eventually conquer you, no matter how scared you are, or how scary it is,
you have to pluck up your courage and show that you won't let anyone or
anything imprison you with fear. You may even find that what you fear isn't
as scary as you thought to begin with, it might even be fun..." Valtam was
dispensing a little advice to a young Dargonesti who was about to go onto
dry land for the first time. It made him stop, he should be giving himself
that advice, was he a hypocrite if he didn't follow the advice he just gave?
That would be intolerable.

"Not today Al." Valtam was walking past their usually training spot, he took
a deep breath, readying himself for the question that was surely to follow
"About time Val." Valtam is taken aback and looks at his friend with a
questioning look. "If you're passing up an opertunity to train then it means
you have realised that no amount of training is going to help until you have
learned to stop fighting against yourself." Valtam thought about this for a
moment wondering if his friend knew just how right he was, instead of
asking, he asked something that he had been wondering for sometime "Aluras,
after more than 50 years of knowing me, of me following your around,
sticking to you like a bad rash, Its just,  Its just, I'm just suprised you
haven't send me away all ready." Aluras looked, and sounded genually
suprised as he answerd "Valtam, listen, you were never a hinderance or
anything like that. Honestly, if it were not for you I would never be who I
am today, I would never have been as good enough to be accepted into the
Order of the Dolphin." It was Valtam's turn to be suprised "I, I always
thought.." "Val, I could never have asked for a better friend, or rival."
Valtam was speechless. "Now don't let me keep you back Val, I always thought
you would surpass me one day, I still think you will." "Thank you my friend
for your kind, but improbabale words" Aluras nodded with a smile and they
clasped arms as they bade each other farewell.

The next 20 years seemed like a blur, he saw Aluras rarely during those
years, either Aluras was off on some mission for the Order, or Valtam's new
mentor kept him busy in studies. Valtam, worked and studied hard, and it
wasn't long before he was able to control what he now identified as magic,
his mentor, T'Kril, taught him of the spell-fables as well as the more
traditional magic of the magi, as well he learned more thoroughly about the
three moons. Valtam dilegently studied, practiced and researched these new
found abilites, experimenting when he could. It wasn't long before learned
that he had a particular affinity with water air and electricity, with the
very storms of the ocean, at first he was afraid the ever raging Zebiom may
have singled him out, or her twin the dark moon Nuitari, but he never felt a
calling to either of them, and was glad for it, he could not imagine himself
walking that path, if anything he felt like it was his task to help calm
those storms to help not just his own people but also to help the ships and
the sailors aboard who get caught up in the storms on the Sea of Blood

"Master T'Kril, have I somehow offended you?" His master had told him that
there was nothing more for him to learn here, that he should head inland,
find the conclave of the magi. Rarely did any of the Dargonesti wizards go
to the conclave, infact since his people had settled Istar, he could not
think of a single one, he asked himself that one question that so many
others before him had, why me? Valtam had been on land before, to some of
the Blood Sea Isles, but never to any big land mass, it seemed like an exile
to him. "Not at all Valtim, Infact its just the opposite, We need a
representative there, and you have shown the most promise. Go. Learn from
them, and when you return, which you are free to at anytime,  you will be of
far more use than if you stayed here, your power would only stagnate if you
stayed. And perhaps with you there, more of us will be able to join their
ranks."

Emerging from the water, a robed figure walked, his wet robe clinging to his
tall wirey frame, though the figure seems completely unconcerned by this
fact. A smile on his face, a white marble Khass piece in his hand, a pawn.
He had lost that last game with his friend Aluras, he had given Valtam the
piece saying "You are not destined to be the pawn of others friend, Watch
yourself out there. And don't worry I'll look after things while the mighty
wizard Valtam is gone." He would miss Aluras's mocking, carefree attitude.
He looked out across the lands and mountains, not a drop of ocean before
him, only behind, spreading out as far as the high could see, from one side
of the horizon to the other. He was a fish out of water here. But he would
learn. People on the harbour of Palanthas stopped in their tracks as they
stared at this tall, dripping wet figure walk into their fare city. 

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

Astinus mentions 'We have had over 876 storytellers on Ansalon pen their epic stories here for all to read.'