The Great Library of Palanthas
An Aesthetic shows you to a small reading room.
Stories of Ansalon from the view of Zail.
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 massive tome bound in dragonskin on the table in front of you.
You note the spine bears the word 'Zail' scribed in earth-colored red ink.
Author: Zail Date: Sun Feb 15 20:01:27 2009 Subject Adventure of Sorrow Zail looked around at the lush forest, he and his brother Dominic, were scouring. Hugging close to the wall of the mountain, he spied a cave entrance some distance in front of him. Judging it worthwhile to explore, Zail motioned to Dominic to follow as he prepared to enter the cave. Seeing his brother brandish his staff, Dominic drew out his twin elvish short swords, and plunged into the darkness of the cave after his brother. Both half-elves scanned the inside of the cave with their elf sight, looking around, they both saw the life aura of two goblins hunched in the back next to a faint fire. Up until now, both brothers had spent much of their life under the tutilage of their parents. Their father being a solamnic knight of minor reknown, and their mother a Qualinesti elf maiden, its safe to assume their life had been rather dull and uneventf ul. Both remembered the long hours spent being taught by their father. Knowing their half human heritage would never allow them service in the Knights of Solamnia, he still taught them much of the Oath and Measure. He taught them combat and taught them honor. Their mother, however, saw a change in her two boys. The first born, Dominic, showed the merit of his father. Strong of mind, and of build, he had the brawn of his father. Yet it was in his younger brother, Zail, that she saw the signs. Zail had gained much of his father's brawn and strength. Yet, his mother had seen his relentless hunger for knowledge and exploration. Many a time, she would spie Zail reading books she had procured from her homeland. Yet, both Zail and Dominic were inseperable. Each enriching the skills of the other. Once they had attained an age worthy of their parents, they were given a choice. The choice was this, should they stay with their parents and learn the ways of the elves and the knights further, or should they wish to indulge in their youth, strike out to make their own mark in the world. Safe to assume, the two brother's chose to strike out into the world whole heartedly. And thus they found themselves in a goblin cave adventuring. *Now back to their adventure* Zail motioned for his brother to halt some paces behind him, so he could sneak up behind one of the huddling goblins. Lashing out with his staff, the goblin fell, skull cracked open like a walnut. Seeing Zail claim one goblin, Dominic dashed forward to skewer the other on with his sword. Exhaulting in their victory, Zail knelt down and began to search some of the goblin's treasure. Yet, not mindful of their dangerous surroundings, a third goblin snuck up behind Dominic. Zail had turned to show his brother the loot, when he spotted the Goblin launching itself at Dominic. Too late, he watched as the goblin's sword pierced his brother's chest. Just as the sword pierced the half-elf's chest, a strange man entered the cave, flinging a throwing knife at the goblin. Assuring that the goblin was dead, he retrieved the dagger and stood back away from the half-elves. Crying out in anguish as his brother fell at his feet, blade protruding from his chest, he looked on in horror as his brother convulsed from the poison on the blade. Knowning not what to do, Zail drew a dagger he had found and placed it over his brother's heart. Leaning down to his brother, Zail whispered in elvish," forgive me brother." Zail's face drifted into a stone mask, as the blade of the knife pierced his brother's heart. Feeling his brother's body cease shaking, he looked at the man. " kill me," he mutters as the death of his brother settles on his mind. Looking down at the distraught half elf, the man turns to leave. Turning his head he chortles," Doing that would shit on your brother's memory." Devoid of emotion, Zail stands, lifting his brother's corpse and placing it over his shoulder, and begins the long journey back to his home. Author: Zail Date: Fri Feb 27 01:18:26 2009 Subject Funeral of Dominic Zail looked off into oblivion. He still couldn't believe all of which transpired. So much so that he still stood at the bole of the Vallenwood tree, in which his brother was entombed. The sight of the goblin's lunge stood fresh in his mind. Yet, through the haze of his sorrow a faint flame arose. Sealing the entrance of the tree, he muttered the last of his prayers and turned to leave. His mind was ill at ease, to say the least, to feel the spot where his brother used to reside remain empty. Never again would he feel his brother's protective eyes watch his back in their adventures. Unbeknownst to the mourning half-elf, a strange man spied upon him from the the shrubbery lining the near road. Thoughts tore the the strange man's mind, decisions on whether or not to claim this man. Changing his vision, the man spied the growing aura around the man, magic. Seeing the aura about this Zail, the man decided to reveal himself to the half-elf. Zail's vision shifted from the past to the present just as a man revealed himself from the shadows. Eyeing the man, he took into the account the blood red robes the man wore. What do you want mage? The mage's bearded face cracked into a grin," you elfkin, for within you I see the whispers of magic." Eyeing Zail as a jeweler eyes a gem, the mage determined Zail's worth and bade him follow. Scrutinizing the mage, Zail shrugged, after all, what else could possibly go wrong? Author: Zail Date: Sun Mar 1 21:06:22 2009 Subject Past, Present, and Future. Zail looked around as he followed the red robed mage. Vallenwood trees rose up here and there, and many other naturish creatures swarmed about. Yet he did not take heed to much of what he was witnessing. In his mind he still saw his brother, saw all the failing he could of prevent, but didnt. Either way, the mage would have none of the ill at ease crap that he kept hearing from the half-elf, so he decided to halt for a bit. Looking at Zail, the mage remarked on the leather armor and staff worn by him. "To have the essence of magic, you carry yourself as some sort of staff wielding ninny don't you?" chuckled the mage. The mage grinned even further seeing the remark hit a chord with the half-elf. Zail's eyes flashed with anger, " better to be a warrior than a sniveling bookwarm, Human." Zail walked over to a particular bush and removed some of the berries hanging from it. Popping the berries into his mouth, he sucked on he blood red juices of the bush, eyes glazing over, he fell down to the floor from the effects of the Bloodberries. The mage cursed loudly as the foolish half-elf fell down in a heap, "Damned elf, don't you know to NOT eat things that grow in the wild unless you actually know what they are?" Cursing vehemently, the mage withdrew an herb from one of the pouches within his robes and crushed it into a fine powder. After mixing the powder into a small mortar, he added water to it from a skin at his waist, and slowly poured it into the half-elf's mouth. Zail's eyes fluttered open as the antedote took affect on him. Realizing his folly, Zail shoved himself up and cursed loudly as he stood up and fell back over against a Vallenwood. Realizing that he is stuck for the time being, Zail looked over to the mage, who took the half-elf's actions as one hilarious sight, " What is your name mage?" The mage stood up, and after securing his components, walked over to the ailing half-elf and helped him down onto the ground, " My name is Bregor, Red Robe Mage of the Conclave." The mage looked at the half-elf man, " I take it your Zail, by your mutterings back at the burial." Seeing something grumble to life in the half-elf's eyes, the mage quickly changed the subject. "How is it you never came to know the magic that wells within you?", the mage commented. Looking at the wary half-elf. Zail looked at the mage and thought about it himself, he remembered his mother discovering his gift, and his Solamnic father Condemning it. Looking at the ground the half-elf muttered, " My mother discovered my talents. Yet my father condemned them, deeming it unfit for one of his blood. Yet, even so, my brother showed signs of it as well. Thus it led to our parent's seperation. And us for leaving to adventure the wilds." The mage understood somewhat of the half-elf's past, yet he cursed the Solamnic fool for not allowing the two brothers the power which they held within them. Bregor sighed and stood up, extending a hand to Zail, " Well, we'll have to remedy that now won't we?" Zail took the man's hand and stood, eyeing him questioningly, " You, you will teach my the ways of magic? A big grin spread across the Red Robes face, " Aye lad, I will try." Looking on in disbelief, Zail shrugged, " Alright then, when will we begin?" Grinning Bregor chuckled and pointed past the elf, at the tree which held his brother's corpse, " Looks like we already have." Zail looked back in disbelief as the bole of the tree closed, as if embracing his brother. Tears came to Zail's eyes. Turning back to the Bregor, Zail tipped his head and followed behind the mage, chatting with him as they depared for a long journey. Author: Zail Date: Fri Mar 13 04:06:11 2009 Subject Precursor The sun warmed the half-elfs face as he sat against a Vallenwood tree, thumbing through one of the many books of study that Bregor had bestowed upon him. He lazily closed his eyes and began to drift off to sleep when a shadow blocked the sun. Bregor cursed as he came upon the dozing half elf. Muttering about the lazyness of youth, he grabbed Zail's staff from against the tree and clunked the dozing half elf on the head, "Wake up you blasted whelp, if your going to learn how to use your magi c, you must first learn what it is." He raised a hand and silenced the swearing half elf. " Save your breath, just read the damned books," he growled at Zail. Zail huffed and puffed for a few moments but soon grew quiet as he lost himself to the books. Some of which described elven magic. Taking a moment to glance away from the books, he scowled as he witnessed Bregor himself dozing against another tree. Sighing, he looked down at the book in his hand and looked at the cover of it. He ran a hand over the worn leather, or what he thought was leather, cover. Scanning the Silver runes on the spine of the book. Soon he tired of that particular tome and decid ed to pick up a black one inscribed with Gold and Silver runes. Thumbing through some of the pages, he began to realize that most of the words written in the tome were of a language he did not understand. Holding down two pages in particular he slowly began to speak some of the strange words. The words slid off his tongue with a serpentine grace. He gasped as a slow chill spread through his body, as if someone injected icewater into his veins. Soon the area around himself began to grow dark. Bregor's eyes flew open as he felt a dark force begin to descend upon the area. Launching himself to his feet, he kicked the tome away from Zail's pale hands. Eyeing the young mage, he watched as the young half elf's lifeforce slowly drained away. Closing his eyes, Bregor reached into a pouch at his side as crushed the grains of sand over Zail, quickly knocking the young half elf out. Turning his attention to the book, he planted his feet and prepared for the worst. An etheral voice slowly grew from the dark pages of the tome, " You cannot stop me this time, Bregor. I will enter this world." The etheral voice soon grew in power as it continued to taunt the mage. Grunting in effort, Bregor cringed as he felt his will begin to be sapped by the aura of the tome. Brow furrowed in grim determination, the mage pulled out a wad of bat guano from his pouch and muttered words from memory. The tome dissapeared as a massive fireball engulfed the blackening tome. Bregor leaned against a Vallenwood tree heavily, feeling his energy drain from the spell. He scanned the area, and soon kneeled next to the unconsious half elf as he felt the presence dissapate. Waving his hand, shakily, over the sleeping half elf, he scowled when Zail's eyes fluttered open. Zail's eyes fluttered open, severing the tie from the "other world", as the demon's clawed hand reached for him, "What was that," he gasped. Cold sweat poured down Zail's ashen face as he looked up at the weary red robe. Bregor sat against the same Vallenwood and looked over to Zail," That was a beast from the abyss, my lad. One of the many dangers of magic." "That tome that you read from once belonged to a dark robe colleague of mine. I once thought, that particular book was hidden from the world. Yet it found it's way back to me after all these years." Bregor drew a flask from within his robes and handed it to Zail. Zail's eyes watered as the potent smell of Dwarven Spirits wafted from the opened lid. Tilting the flask to his lips, he gulped down two swigs. Whiping the tears from his eyes, Zail handed the flask back to Bregor," Is it gone?" Bregor tilted the flask to his lips and took a long, burning draft from the flask," for now my lad, for now." Both men sat against the Vallenwood tree, weary from their misadventure, contemplating the future to come.
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 868 storytellers on Ansalon pen their epic stories here for all to read.'
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