An Aesthetic shows you to a small reading room.

Stories of Ansalon from the view of Vargas.

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 well written novel on the table in front of you.
You note the spine bears the word 'Vargas' scribed in glowing grey ink.

Author:  Vargas
Date    Mon Aug 23 23:31:59 1999

Subject  Unknown



Lienkai slept after listening to Lockpick. Had she been awake, she would
have witnessed a reunion from beyond the grave. Fortunately for her, she
would experience one anyway. The Orlouge bobbed gently in the seas. Lienkai
didn't remember how she got here, but she felt comforted to be back on
board the ship. There were no bloodstains on the deck, no scorch marks from
magical lightning and fire. Everything was calm...like it used to be. She
looked over the crew and almost sank to her knees. A black-furred minotaur
with silver horns stood shouting orders. Selec was hanging drunkenly over
the wheel, Elenna stood grabbing a half-elf (probably Roman, she thought)
by the collar playfully. Bhonif, Forte and his son, they were all
there...alive...or so she thought.

As she scanned the crew, she noticed two figures walking towards her. She
recognized them instantly. Auschmal and Sansagroth.

'Cap'n! Auschmal!' she cried happily.

Sansagroth shook his head. 'Sorry Lass...I'm not Cap'n on this voyage' he
said, grinning. She noticed he had both eyes, but this time it didn't look
like the work of Mondraiken.

Auschmal looked a bit more seriously. 'Lass...I wish this could be just a
friendly reunion, but things aren't so simple anymore.'

'Mondraiken is still out there...we fight out own battles with him here. He
is out there...and Teralis, poor Lass...she needs your guidance too, Lass'

'She's an able Cap'n...but she needs the support of her crew.' Auschmal
nodded.

'I'm trusting you to make sure our ship doesn't fall into nothingness,
Lass...for a long time there's been an Orlouge, I'm not sure how the people
can survive without it'

'Yes Sir! Sirs! Will do...the Mariners will be remembered! We will go on!'
she saluted, and with that, she woke up.

Lienkai climbed up the mountainside, sweating in the heat. She came to find
a weapon imbedded in the stone. A gaffhook. Illythorak's. Also, a
greatsword.

Lienkai took the rusty cutlass and jammed it into the rock, and did the
same with the harpoon.

'I won't forget you...Cap'n...'

-=Bleh=-



Author:  Vargas
Date    Tue Aug 24 02:12:46 1999

Subject  Dead Motherbl*hkers



'Set sail, lads!' Illythorak's yell broke through the chatter of the dead
crew of the Orlouge. Forte, Selec, and some of the older members jumped to
their stations. Auschmal, Sansagroth, and Victor exchanged glances.
Sorinjin fell face first onto the deck. Victor spoke in a wavering, but
respectful voice. 'C-Cap'n, Sir? We're dead...just where exactly are we
sailing to?'

Illythorak threw back his head and laughed, then grinned at the
half-kender. Sansagroth thought to himself that he didn't recall seeing
Illythorak so happy in a long time, even when he was alive.

'We sail where we sail, Lad. We stop at ports, we pay for whores, we
sleep...not much of an afterlife, but then, my life had too much excitement
already!'

He laughed again and turned around as the other crewmen prepared the ship
to sail. Illythorak scratched his ear and muttered 'Where is she, anyway?'

Elenna scowled when she heard this. 'You didn't tell me -she- was
coming....again!' Auschmal began to query who exactly 'she' was, when
suddenly the crackle of magical energy was heard, and an elven magewoman
with silver hair stood beside him.

'Ah, Dealis, there you are!' Illythorak said. He then looked around 'but
where's my associate?' he grinned.

'Oh, Illy, you know how much he detests magic.'

'Aye, Lass, and that's exactly why I have ya bring him to me that way!'

Dealis spoke a few words of magic, and suddenly a large chestnut-furred
minotaur stood next to her, snorting and grumbling as usual.

'Almethrak Dar-Liak?!' Auschmal questioned.

'Aye, Nijniros, I'm here...now, I suggest you get to your post and prepare
to set sail' Auschmal looked prepared to argume, but Sansagroth nudged him
in the ribs and began to climb up onto the crow's nest.

The Orlouge I set sail in the twilight of the realm of the dead. For hours
the crew sailed, talking about old times, informing the newcomers about
their life in the dead world. Illythorak stood on the deck and peered out
over the water. He knew it was time. 'Battle stations!' he cried.

Even the recently deceased were disciplined enough not to question the
order, and immediately manned their stations. It was only a second later
that a Thanoi climbed up over the rail onto the ship.

Illythorak and the Thanoi clashed weapons, and before the crew could come
to his aid, more Thanoi did the same, giving each of the crewmen at least
one creature to fight.

Sansagroth was not used to fighting dead creatures. He impaled a thanoi on
his harpoon only to have it swing and hit him in the jaw with its fist. He
took the harpoon out and stabbed it again in the face, causing it to back
up and then charge blindly at him. He proceeded to use his harpoon as a
club, breaking the shoulder blade of the creature, hitting it in the
throat, and finally sending it over the edge.

Elenna and Illythorak fought side by side, both the epitome of power.
Thanoi went flying, limbless, headless from their direction. Auschmal was
combining fist fighting with his cutlass tactics, sending countless Thanoi
back overboard.

Suddenly, they felt the waver of magic, and all stopped, including the
attacking thanoi.

A grey mist rolled towards the ship. Sometimes, a creature would appear
from it, a black robed or black armored figure with leathery wings
sprouting from its back.

Their red eyes gleamed in the moonlight. One stretched out its hand,
enveloping a Thanoi in the mist, it writhed and burned, and suddenly
disappeared. Illythorak motioned for the crew to back up.

'Lads....he killed it!' the black-furred minotaur spoke, awed.

'How can he kill it if its already dead?' Sansagroth asked skeptically.

'I..I don't know. Usually we batter and maim the creatures, but they'll
eventually heal again...this...though, this beast -killed- the Thanoi!'

The mist creatures began to slay the Thanoi one by one, ignoring the crew
members. When all the thanoi were gone, the creatures reverted to mist form
and the cloud rolled away.




Author:  Vargas
Date    Tue Aug 24 02:13:40 1999

Subject  almost done



Dealis bit down on her lower lip, contemplating, but Victor, the
half-kender, trembled with fear. It was odd for him, a knight of valor, to
show such emotion. Illythorak asked him what was wrong.

'The Gray...Doomsickle....Zoneseek....' was all Victor replied.

-=Deadguy=-



Author:  Vargas
Date    Tue Aug 24 02:59:53 1999

Subject  a cranky walrus



Mondraiken sensed the presence before him. He was not happy.

'Who dares disturb the rest of Lord Mauhn'drakon, King of Betrayal, Keeper
of the Vicious Circle?' the god asked, his voice booming.

The creature was one of his children, a thanoi, dead for quite some time.
Sensing the foul mood of his lord, the creature spoke.

'Lord, the attack on the Minions of the Nemesis was unsuccessful. A strange
force arrived and killed our men.'

Mondraiken's anger rose. He had been awakened for this? 'Give the men time
to rest, they will be ready to attack soon enough'

The thanoi's voice wavered. 'Y-you don't seem to...to understand, my Lord.
They weren't injured...they were killed'

Mondraiken's patience was on the verge of collapsing. None besides the gods
could destroy the souls of men. 'Explain yourself.'

'A cloud...blacker than the heart of the Nemesis, Lord! It collapsed on
itself and formed....creatures...terrible creatures, with black wings and
red eyes that radiated pure evil! They enveloped our men in a
mist..and..they were gone!'

Mondraiken contemplated. He went over the planes in his mind. Where had he
heard of such a creature? Gray. Yes...that was it. Creatures of the Gray.
Trying to take Krynn for themselves, no doubt...well, he would see to it
that didn't happen.

'Find someone who can establish contact with the plane Gray during my rest.
I would like to arrange an audience with these creatures. Perhaps they
share my vision of a perfect world...' The thanoi bowed, and left.

A rustle of black wings. The searing pain of the mist. The red eyes
gleaming with triumphant laughter. Victor sat up from where he rested,
breathing heavily. They were here. Creatures of the Gray.

He recalled Doomsickle, who had been stuck on Krynn by accident. He was
powerful...extremely powerful. Tirolan was forced to destroy him on his own
plane. Now they were here. And if they were here, there was a possibility
they were on Krynn.

On Krynn with transportation to and from their own plane. Mondraiken's
soldiers had witnessed it. They also knew...Mondraiken would try to grasp
Krynn for himself before the Gray could take over.

Victor stared at the ceiling, whispering a prayer to Paladine. The War of
the Rising Sea was just a prelude to the carnage yet to come...

-=Vargass=-

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 sighs as he recants 'We saved 876 books from Ansalon from before the great Cataclysm through today.'