An Aesthetic shows you to a small reading room.

Stories of Ansalon from the view of Castiel.

A little gully dwarf runs by and says 'Wordwrap is at 65. You change? 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 private journal on the table in front of you.
You note the spine bears the word 'Castiel' scribed in deep purple ink.

Author:    Castiel        
Date:      Tue Aug 31
13:09:21 2010
Subject     Castiel Animadeus: Descent into
Fate

 No one knows who birthed this child, no one knows
where he came from.
Found by a lowly farmer in his fields, the
only clue to his birth was a
poem, sewn into the child's blanket,
and a pendant, glowing blue in the pale
moon light. The poem
read:

*Born under a convergance of moons three*

*Icy locks
grip a cursed head*

*Chained lightning shall be his key*

*To
find his home, to find his dread*

*Castiel Animadeus, beware thy
tree*

The farmer was unable to raise this child, so the child
became the son of
the village itself. Spending one week here, one
week there, Castiel was
shipped from family to family, all taking
turns to help raise and care for
this child. His childhood was
rather uneventful otherwise though, and the
child grew, learning
lessons from each family, forever wondering about his
past. Until
his fourteenth birthday.

During the night, a loud screeching was
heard throughout the village, and
Castiel was found to be gone,
snatched in the night. No one knows who
snatched him, no one
knows where he went. He went as mysteriously as he
came. Weeks
went by, and no one of that tiny village ever saw or heard
from
Castiel again. Eventually, the child was forgotten, just
another memory lost
in the passage of time. 

Castiel turned up
two years later, miles and miles away from that little
village of
his childhood. Where he was, he did not remember. He knew how
to
fight, how to kill, how to spread misery, but he could not
remember who
taught him or why. The face within his mind was
nondescript and plain,
unrememberable, unimportant. It was as if
some force had wanted him left in
the dark, floundering within
his confusion. He joined a mercenary company,
and quickly rose
through the ranks. Although only 16, Castiel exhibted a
mastery
of the sword and shield, and was nigh undefeatable. Rushing in
where
others feared to tread, he could single handedly turn the
tide of a battle,
and armies rushed to employ his company.
Castiel became a rich and powerful
young man, but, just as his
power grew with each battle, so to did his curse
become stronger.
With each kill, the blue pendant at his throat grew
brighter, and
to any mage looking at it, magically stronger. And with
each
kill, Castiel's mind grew a little more warped, more
bloodthirsty, more
evil. Castiel didn't notice, but those around
him did. One in particular, a
cleric of mishakal, incidentally
the unit's healer, grew concerned about the
change is Castiel.
But out of respect, or mayhap fear, the cleric chose not
to
broach the subject.

One day, during a particularly bloodly
battle on the continent of Taladas,
the powers of the pendant
reached their capacity. Castiel's mind was broken,
his dread
inheritance unlocked. The blood around him danced as
caged
lightning was released, and icy winds swept the fields.
Scores died as his
magical powers and his dervish sword sung
their song, thousands more ran,
only to be cut down by the fires
springing forth from his lips. Only one
dared to face the wrath
of the broken young man, only one dared to face the
godlike
flames. Undaunted by the pain and death being reaped around him,
he
fought through the gales of madness, wrapped in the armor of
his goddess.
For hours they battled, locked within a magical
combat, neither able to
breach the other's defense, neither
allowing the other to triumph.
Eventually however, the blood
around the pair began to disappear, used up
like fuel to feed the
fires that swirled around the fields. Slowly, Castiel
began to
falter, the icy winds slowed and died, and the fires flickered
out
of existance. Step after painful step, the cleric was able to
subdue the
madman, coming ever closer, until finally, after the
sun had set, he was
able to lay his hands on Castiel. Blue light
flared, warred, and the
lightning returned to its golden cage
once more. Castiel's mind was healed,
but unbeknownst to all,
healed flawed. When the light faded, the cleric and
Castiel were
sprawled on the ground, exhausted from their ordeal.
Within
minutes, all had returned to normal, the only reminders of
the madman
Castiel had been being the scores of dead lying on the
burnt and frozen
field, and a gleaming blue infinity symbol
branded on Castiel's right
cheek.

After waking, Castiel was
branded a traitor by his mercenary company and the
army they
worked for, and forever barred from the continent of Taladas
on
pain of death. Unsure what to do, Castiel had talked with the
cleric who
save his life, his mind, his soul. Unable to tell him
much, other than that
the pendant that was his birthright, that
was fused around his neck, was a
powerful amulet fed by blood and
violence, but one whose power would be his
downfall, his dread.
However, the cleric advised him to seek out the leader
of the
Holy order of the Stars, who might be able to help him unlock
more of
the secrets buried within his mind, and shed some light
onto the mysterious
pendant that bore caged
lightning.....



To be Continued..... 

Author:   
Castiel        
Date:      Mon Sep 20 08:53:27
2010
Subject     Faith and Trust, Turns in Fate

Trudging slowly down the road, Castiel glance back at the now
deserted
campsite, double checking that everything was properly
taken care of. One
week ago he had sent a missive to the High
Priestess of the Holy Order of
the Stars, Kiyohime CrystalWind,
and for a week he had camped outside the
entrance to the Blue
Tower, waiting for a response. He knew that he had been
being
watched, both magically and mundanely, for at times he would
catch a
glimpse of a fighter in the woods, or sense the energies
around him being
disturbed by scrying. For a week he ate
sparsely, not hunting for fear of
irritating the clerics in the
tower above. Finally however, Castiel's
missive was answered.
Waking up as the sun kissed the horizon, Castiel was
startled to
see a blue cloud of energy manifesting itself front of him.
But,
as he reached for his sword, a spell of peace descended over
him. Then, as
quickly as it manifested, the spirit was gone,
leaving in it's place a note
with a simple phrase. 'If you can
enter the Arch, I will see you. Kiyohime
Crystalwind'. And hence,
Castiel was headed for the entrance to the Blue
Crystal Tower, a
arch of blue crystal, one that few can enter. He was
headed
towards his future, and answers to his questions. He was
headed towards a
fate unknown...

Upon reaching the Arch, Castiel
paused. Looking up, he could just barely see
a shimmering veil
that descended from the top of the Arch. Praying quietly
under
his breath, he slowly took a step forward. Passing under the Arch
felt
like passing through water, sluggish, almost as if the Arch
was not sure if
it should let this paladin pass. The pendant at
his neck burned hotly,
seemingly furious at the spell of peace
that was the Arch. Thoughts of blood
and death sprung unbidden
into his flawed mind, as his anger mysteriously
rose. Cursing,
Castiel took another deep breath, and forced his head clear
of
these thoughts that were not his own. Squaring his shoulders,
Castiel
stepped forward, and enter the Blue Crystal tower.
Glancing around, he was
astounded by the majesty of this tower,
complex in its simplicity. Seemingly
out of no where, a voice
reverberated, saying I await at the top of the
tower. Come,
young one, and we shall talk. Sighing, Castiel began to
ascend
the crystal stairs, trying not to glance over the sides at
the ground below.
Upon reaching the third floor, a voice again
reverberated throughout the
tower, Enter the door on your left
young man. As he approached the door, it
slowly swung open, to
reveal the High Priestess of the Holy Order of the
Stars, the
prophetess of Mishakal, Kiyohime CrystalWind.

Castiel felt his
breath catch as he stared at this beautiful priestess
before him.
With hair like silvery rain, and a complexion like that of
a
lovely peach, Kiyohime was one of the most beautiful women he
had ever met.
Clad modestly in a light blue robe denoting her as
a follower of mishakal,
she sat regally behind a plain desk,
radiating peace and humble power. Her
eyes, slanted and golden,
with cat's eye pupils, stared at him, seemingly
seeing through
him with but a single glance. Her surprise was evident on
her
delicate face, and as she beckoned for Castiel to sit, she
said, Welcome
Castiel, to my humble chambers. Be at
peace.

Thank you for seeing me, high priestess. I appreciate
you taking time out of
your presumably busy schedule to meet with
me Castiel said, as his eyes
flickered between the priestess
and her guard.

Blinking in surprise, Kiyohime said, Forgive me
for being blunt, but You are
human. How odd, not many humans seek
Quenesti'Pah.

I apologize if my letter left much to
question, but I did not feel it wise
or safe to leave too many
details where prying eyes could see them. Are we
in private
quarters here?

Still surprised, Kiyohime slowly replies, We
are as private as formality
will allow, my gaurd is with me
always, if that is acceptable...

 I seek you only in great
need, High Priestess. What I have come to discuss
with you is a
matter of great importance. And I would rather he not be
here,
for his sake only. What I have to say is disturbing.
However, I shall turn
over my weapons to him, if need
be.

No, that is not necessary, just, he has to be here, a
formality you see,
proper ettiquette and all....

Nodding,
Castiel begins to remove his weapons, handing them to the
guard
behind the priestess. None the less, i'm sure he would
feel more comfortable
with me being unarmed.

Would you mean
us harm, young paladin? Kiyohime asks as she begins to
chant
softly, surrounding herself in a fiery white aura.

Not
intentionally, m'lady. But I fear that what is inside me, it
is
uncontrollable.

In this Tower, your affliction has no
sway, you are safe here, for the
moment. So, tell me what it is
you wish to learn?


Author:    Castiel       

Date:      Mon Sep 20 09:06:35 2010
Subject     Faith
and Trust, Turns in Fate: Part 2

Continued....

Pulling
at the burning pendent at his neck, Castiel begins to tell
Kiyohime
his reason for this visit. It is this pendant, my
birthright, and my curse.
Once before it held sway over my mind,
granting powers great enough to rival
a gods. A friend was able
to save me, a priest of mishakal, but only at an
extreme cost to
himself. It is a cost that I would not see any other
pay.

This priest....he....he still lives? she asks
hesitantly.

Slowly, as if remembering a painful memory, Castiel
replies Yes, but for
better or worse, i know not...

Pulling
out a pen and paper from a desk drawer, The priestess asks
His
name?, and waits patiently for Castiel's answer.

I am
not quite sure, honestly. I worked with the man in a mercernary
company
for some time, he was our healer you see, but i never
learned his true name.
The men and I called him Darius, but
whether or no that was his real name, I
know not... I think he
wanted his true name unknown for the same reason many
others of
us did...We joined a mercenary company to leave our old
lives
behind...but a true priest he was, this glowing scar on my
cheek is remnants
from our battle at my most insane.

Quickly
writting this down, Kiyohime then brushes the name with the
feather,
whisking small sparkles away. It is being looked into
now she says, as she
leans forward to examine the mark. Castiel
shivers as her delicate fingers
brush against his cheek. He
must have been in quite a hurry, to leave such a
mark.

No,
M'lady. The battle lasted for many hours. It was an intense and
extreme
magical struggle. This mark is due to the sheer power he
had to use to even
withstand me until the blood ran out. He did
tell me that this pendant is
fueled by blood, as are my more
magical powers. The more I kill, the more
blood I spill, whether
rightously or not, the stronger it becomes. And when
the power
breaks, It uses any and all surrounding blood as a
powersource,
growing stronger with each drop, but, when the blood
is used up, the powers
fail. Shuddering at the memories of the
apocolyptic battle on the plains of
Taladas, he continues
speaking as tears flow down his cheeks. I do not know
who my
parents are, why this pendant is fused to my soul, or what
they
intended as my purpose. I came here to try and shed some
light on that,
seeing as how he told me you are the strongest
cleric of light in the known
world, and a follower of beloved
mishakal...

Her silver laughter rang through the room like
tinkling ice I don't know
about that, however, I do serve our
Lady directly, and can perhaps find
answers from Her guidence.
Also, perhaps you, as well, could learn from Her,
as we search
for your answer ?

Any light you can offer would be helpful.
And I wish I could, but I do not
know the first thing about
faith, or even learning. All I know, my prowess
with weaponry, is
all a distant and muddled memory, taught to me by someone
who
wished that I not remember. I was hoping maybe you could see into
my
memories, and help unlock the secrets that they
hold...

And that I will, however, some locks take time, as
the Kender say. And in
that time, we would be more than happy to
illuminate the faith of Mishakal
to you, the training could well
serve you

Worriedly, Castiel slowly answers, I would not
like to harm you, and I am
worried that I will if I stay with
this order m'lady. Every drop, even in a
rightous name, or for a
good cause, fuels my madness. And I would not see
someone as
beautiful as you harmed by me or my maladiction...

Looking
confused for a second, Kiyohime suddenly smiles, and her
silvery
laughter again rings out. My dear lad, I would not be
doing the training! We
have a militant Order here, one that
trains with the sword as well as the
soul. And as I spoke of
before, you will find the Tower more than able to,
lay at rest,
your rage. Trust in our Lady.

Really? I thought that holy
order was a bunch of weak-armed clerics, no
offense m'lady. And I
do not trust easily, especially when I have lived and
seen my
'rage' first hand. You were not there, you do not know. As he
says
this, the guard at Kiyohime's back glares icily at Castiel,
and begins to
step forward. Kiyohime however, waves the guard
back as Castiel continues to
speak. I still wake up in the
middle of the night, screaming in pain as my
body writhes from
the terrors. Thousands died by my blade that day,
thousands more
died in the icy inferno that I conjured. You can not know
the
horror of it all. Tears fall like a waterfall down
Castiels' cheeks, and he
again shudders at the memories he bears.
The pendant at his neck however,
begins to throb lightly, as if
pleased with it's past handiwork.

I would say you haven't met
Sir Malar yet, yes? Kiyohime asks.

No, I have not had the
honor. Even so m'lady, I doubt there is any force
within this
tower that could calm my rage. It took one of your clerics
his
entire might to hold me to a stale mate, and he was losing
ground until the
blood ran dry. He was lucky...

Lines of
concern crease her perfect face as kiyohime asks, Have you had
any
inclination to those thoughts since you entered the Crystal
gates?

Yes, i have. I feel the power within my chest
thudding angrily, as if some
outside force seeks to contain it,
and it is not happy.

You say one 'cleric' used his entire
might. This is a Temple filled with
Mishakal's most trianed and
experienced priesthood. The Tower itself blessed
by Her. Trust in
us, that we can tame your demons.

Trust does not come easily
to me m'lady...

Do I cause you fear, young paladin?

I
cannot answer that m'lady, for I fear I do not know my own heart.
I am
tainted by this power, and it darkens my perceptions...even
the seemingly
innocent seem harmful in my eyes now.

Nodding
slowly, impressed at his honest answer, Kiyohime says, Then,
what DO
you fear?

What i do fear, however, is that my last
'rage' was merely a test. I feel as
if this power, this darkness
within, is a fledgeling, and it was merely
spreading it's wings
and testing the air. I fear that the next time, it will
not be so
easy to tame...I fear myself, and the harm that I carry within.
I
do not seek to harm any, but I fear that what I wish no longer
matters to
this sentientce within. And, I fear that I am not
worthy to be a priest or
paladin of the blessed
Mishakal...

So, you would surrender to this...entity within?
Or do you wish to defeat
it?

I wish that it was not there to
begin with! Castiel exclaims vehemetly.

Sighing with patience,
sighing for this young man burdened with more than
most can bear,
and impressed with his fortitude, Kiyohime states: I offer
you
friendship, and comradery, and, help, teaching, to understand
yourself,
and your affliction. You may take it, or, you may
continue your battle
alone. It is your choice, but it is one you
must make now, and deal with
whatever consequences
arise.

Castiel closes his eyes, and thinks deeply. His turmoil
is evident on his
face as he slowly says I will take you offer
m'lady, but in return I want
you to promise me one
thing...

And what may that be?

Pain flashes across his
marred features as he begs, That if I ever lose
control again,
within these halls or not, and it is within your power, that
you
remove me from this world, so that no one else will EVER be
harmed by me
again...

I will do what I am guided to do, you
will have to trust in that. I know
it's not the answer you seek,
but it is all I have to give.

I think...............I think
that it will be hard, painful even. But I
think that you are one
to be trusted, one who can help....Castiel kneels
down, and
bows his head reverently.  I am at you're mercy, and I
seek
guidance from you and your holy priestess Mishakal. Please,
allow me to
serve you as you shield, as Your high Priestess's
shield, to protect her and
the weak from harm.


Author:    Castiel        
Date:      Mon Sep
20 09:10:03 2010
Subject     Faith and Trust, Turns in Fate:
Part 3

Continued from part 2.....

Help me to contain
the beast within, and mayhap, defeat it. I beg this of
you, as
Castiel Animadeus, a humble mortal, and your newest
follower...

The path is not as easy as one would imagine,
our Knighthood rivals the
Solamnics of old. You will find Sir
Malar an unbending taskmaster. And your
soul will be trained as
well. I hope you are ready. Kiyohime warns.

I must have
faith in my OWN strength...and believe that I am strong enough
to
survive this training. For if I am not, then I will never conquer
the
evil within, and that is an option I refuse to allow....
Wiping the tears
from his face, Castiel stares up into the pools
of liquid that are the high
priestess's eyes. Deep within the
cats' eye pupils, he can see a blue light,
burning brightly, and
it brings him strength, knowing that he need not walk
this cursed
path alone.

Nodding approvingly, Kiyohime bows, and kisses
Castiel's forehead gently. We
accept thee, squire Castiel
Animadeus, now of Our Blue Lady, Quensti'Pah,
Mishakal. Rise, and
be welcomed as our own.

Rising, new found strength filling his
limbs, Castiel smiles.Thank you
m'lady Kiyohime. I only hope
that I can prove myself worthy to be the shield
of Mishakal, your
shield...

The Guard behind the High Priestess steps forward,
and hands back Castiel's
weapons. You'll have your work cut out
for you, I'll show you where you'll
stay, and where the kitcehn
is, you seem a few stone light to me. he
says
gruffly.

Indeed, I have not eaten much since I awoke from
my rage. I find that my
stomach is weaker, less able to hold
food...Food holds less importance to me
now... I draw my strength
from my desire to defeat this cursed birthright.
And I did not
wish to hunt, and offend thee at this tower.

The guard nods,
and with a wink adds, Don't worry about that, best food in
all
the lands, the Prophetess over there brought her cooks with her
from
elfland, grinning wide at Kiyohime's
embarassment.

Elven cooks.......mishakal save me, i might have
walked into a trap Castiel
says jokingly.

Laughing loudly,
sounding like gravel tumbling down a mountainside, the
guard
winks and says Didn't say the cooks were elves, just that she
brought
them, gullies all they are!

Groaning as he's led away,
Castiel mutters Oh god, that's even worse. I fear
I will die
after all, of food poisoning... And with that, Castiel left
the
Prophet's chambers, to begin his new role as a Paladin of The
Holy Order of
the Stars, and travel once more down the roads of
fate...... 

Author:    Castiel        
Date:    
 Thu Apr 30 18:45:31 2015
Subject     Castiel Flamevoll:
Rebirth in Light

Castiel Flamevoll was born in a small
village outside the outskirts of
Neraka. Born an only child to
impoverished parents, Castiel was taught early
on the necessity
and value of hard work. Rising early every morning, he
would help
his father on their farm, pulling out rocks, tilling the
earth,
planting seeds, and pulling weeds, back breaking labor for
one so young,
while every evening he would stay up late and dream
of a better life. This
routine repeated itself every day for 10
long years, until one morning
castiel awoke earlier than his
father, kissed his parents goodbye, and set
off to find his
fortune. Muscles strengthened and lean from years of hard
work,
he carried what little coins he had managed to save up over 10
years,
his hopes and dreams of a wealthy life swirling around his
head. He made it
to neraka, and bought himself a sword. Nothing
fancy, but serviceable and
sturdy, and the neidar who sold him
the sword also threw in a few lessons in
the basics of handling
such a weapon, free of charge. Newly armed and
instructed, and
backed by the innocence and foolhardiness of youth,
Castiel
figured himself a burgeoning swordsman, and found himself
drawn into a
mercenary guild, fighting in various skirmishes and
civil wars among petty
lords, growing better and better as a
swordsman, and getting rapidly
promoted through the ranks. His
grasp of tactics, his ability to learn
quickly, and his
willingness to be innovative and quick thinking earned him
his
own command, and a reputation as a fair commander who rarely
loses.
However, his command was short lived, done in by treachery
and deceit. On
one contract, Castiel was paid to fight the forces
of a small lord who's
property his hirer desired. However the
petty lord who hired his services
decided to double cross
Castiel's band, coming to a separate settlement with
this other
lord, who, for a small tithe each year, would be allowed
to
remain on said property, and no waste funds and lives in a
war. The
mercenaries on both sides were captured and sold to
slavers, Castiel among
them. Beaten and treated poorly, branded
upon his cheek, and made to fight
in pit games for the pleasure
of others, the young man saw 3 more years pass
as a captive,
never once forgetting the taste of freedom, and longing
for
release from his torment. Nightly he prayed silently into the
light of
Solinari, offering his soul and sword for any help
regaining his freedom and
chance at life. Daily he despaired at
ever getting released, for his prayers
were never answered. Until
one day, seemingly by chance, an old man teetered
into his cell,
the guards who watched him seemingly oblivious to his
presence,
and sat down heavily at the door of castiel's cell. Young man,
he
began, I have been sent here at the behest of my goddess. She
has seen your
plight, has heard your prayers, and has decided to
be benevolent. She will
get you free, allow you to continue your
life outside of this cell, but for
this she requires recompense.
She requires your solemn vow to never again be
a mercenary for
hire, and your devotion, to her and her cause. Pledge
yourself to
my mistress, be her right arm of justice, and defend those
who
cannot defend themselves. For this, you shall have your
freedom again. What
say you? the old man finished as he looked
up, looking castiel straight in
the eyes, his deep gaze pinning
the young man to the wall. Do not pledge
lightly, for my mistress
has ways of punishing those who do not honor their
vows.
Anything, castiel exclaimed, Any vow I must take I would take,
for a
chance at freedom. Tell me the words I must swear by, and
to whom I need
swear, and I will do so immediately. The old man
motioned for castiel to
come forth and kneel, and taking his
hands, bowed his head and prayed,
castiel repeating the words he
says. Mishakal, lady of good, hear the words
of thy newest
disciple. I do hereby pledge that I shall be thy arm of
justice
in this world, to defend the weak and the good,


Author:    Castiel        
Date:      Thu
Apr 30 18:47:21 2015
Subject     Castiel Flamevoll:
Continued

Bowed his head and prayed, castiel repeating
the words he says. Mishakal,
lady of good, hear the words of thy
newest disciple. I do hereby pledge that
I shall be thy arm of
justice in this world, to defend the weak and the
good, to spread
peace and thy love where ever I go, and if need be, to lay
down
my life in your name. For my freedom, and for love of thee, this
I do
swear. As they finished, a hazy blue light emanated from the
old man. My job
here is done young man, it is up to you to carry
forth Mishakal's light, and
live for the both of us. With those
words, the blue glow intensified, and
the room spun to castiel's
weakened vision. The last sight he saw before
passing out from
vertigo, was the old man laying crumpled in his cell, as if
they
had switch places, and the guards advancing towards the cell.
Later,
when castiel awoke, he found himself clothed, food at his
bedside, and armor
befitting the newest paladin of Mishakal
stacked neatly on a chair. Bowing
his head and praying for the
soul of the old man who helped him, Castiel
rose and dressed
himself, ready to start his new life. 

Author:   
Castiel        
Date:      Sun May  3 15:42:12
2015
Subject     Castiel FlameVoll Burying the past: A new
Beginning

 Drearily, Castiel raises his head and
stares around at the darkening
forest, searching for signs of
life. Before her untimely death at the hands
of disease, his
mother had finally revealed to him the story of how she, an
elf,
came to love and marry a human, and pleaded for him to reclaim
his lost
heritage. Thus he was now lost deep in the forest,
searching for the small
village of kagonesti his mother left. The
chill wind still manages to numb
his body, despite the warm
silk-spun cloak drawn tightly around his armor,
leading to slower
reactions and fatigued thinking. Thus, Castiel did not see
the
sentry appear, drawing his bow upon the young paladin, until
harsh words
rang out into the twilight. Shak the sentry uttered,
his arrow aimed
unerringly at castiel's heart, Ikuno gangarog te
apun do shalindi Startled,
Castiel stopped, and raised his head,
seeing for the first time the danger
before him. Praying to his
goddess, he raises his hands, showing his
peaceful intent.
Despite his inability to understand the words, their
meaning is
clear, and he allows himself to be disarmed and tied up as
two
more sentries materialize out of the darkened forest, noting
their pointed
ears and painted faces as they efficiently render
him helpless, to their
knowledge anyway. Faith in his goddess,
and his mother's last words, allow
castiel to pretend to be
helpless so as to not cause problems. Pulling back
his cloak
hood, his captors exclaim in surprise at his own pointed
ears,
tinted eyes, and trimmed beard. Chattering quickly amongst
themselves, the
kagonesti seeming reach a decision, and start
moving deeper into the heart
of the forest, forcing castiel to
follow by means of a rope tied about his
wrists. Smiling, Castiel
allows himself to be led forward and closes his
eyes, praying to
Mishakal and rehearsing his words in his head as he
prepares for
the meeting before him.


Several hours later, his captors reach
a clearing in the woods, broken in
the center by sparkling blue
stream, its deep waters crystal clear fast
moving. Fish can be
seen just below the water, and several kagonesti women
kneel at
it's banks, string and stick in hand in their attempt to
catch
themselves some. Feeling parched after such a long walk,
Castiel looks
longingly at the stream, but his captors have other
ideas. Hurrying him past
tents and huts made from natural
materials, they lead him through the
village, coming to stop in
front of a hut larger then the rest, but one that
somehow seems
to blend into the forest behind it. Knocking on the
doorframe,
they shout something in their language, and at an
answering phrase, push
castiel into the hut, one sentry leading
him, and the other two posting
themselves at the doors exit, just
outside. Bright lights inside blind him
for a second, but as his
eyes adjust, he sees an old Kagonesti male sitted
on pillows, one
woman at his side, and another young male on his
other.
Disregarding the warrior beside him, Castiel kneels in
front of the elder,
bows his head, and prays quietly, a blue glow
surrounding him as his bonds
break free, seemingly of their own
accord. A gasp issues forth from the
warrior, the woman, and the
young male, but the elder just smiles slightly,
reconigzing the
powers of a goddess blessed paladin, and relaxes. Finishing
his
prayer, castiel raises his eyes, and says his mother's last
words,
Shalafi, Avrethe. Quisalas Valthonis. I am the son of your
lost daughter,
and I have returned unto thee. At these words, the
kagonesti elder gaped in
astonishment, and then orders everyone
to leave the tent, except castiel.
When everyone had left, the
woman casting one last, disbelieving glance in
at castiel, the
elder rose, walked over to castiel, and bade him to rise.
Looking
into his eyes, he asked. Who are you, to be speaking those words
to
me? Where did you learn them? I am the son of Aurora
Leafcrown, your
daughter, and Darkin Flamevoll, her human
husband. I am Castiel Flamevoll,
paladin of Mishakal,


Author:    Castiel        
Date:      Sun
May  3 15:42:33 2015
Subject     Castiel FlameVoll: a new
beginning cont.

Defender of justice and peace. I am
Castiel Half-breed, and I have come
to claim the name Leafcrown,
at my mother's behest. I am your grandson. With
each word, a blue
aura pulsed brighter, laying truth to his words, bathing
the hut
with peaceful radiance. With shock plain on his face, the
elder
Leafcrown sat heavily upon the mats. Where is your mother
child, he asked,
the pain of memories etched on his time worn
face. The last I saw of her,
she was captured in a raid of our
village, 30 years ago. I remember her
screams as she was dragged
away, I remember struggling futilely to reach her
side as they
bore her away, and I remember the pain of thinking she was
lost
forever. The elder broke down, shedding tears that outsiders
never see.
Gently, Castiel hugs the elder, whispering words of
comfort in his ear. My
mother was sent to a slave auction, where
my father purchased her and set
her free, unwilling to see such a
beautiful woman suffer under the hands of
anyone else. She, in
return, gave my father her love, and they lived on a
farm outside
of neraka for the rest of her life. They had me, and each
other,
and she was happy. She died recently, of a withering disease that
no
healer could cure, but before she left this world, she told me
of her past,
and of her biggest regret: never letting her father
know that she yet lived,
and lived well. She bade me to find
thee, and give you her message and her
love, and asked for me to
be allowed to bear the name of Leafcrown. I do not
seek your
place in this tribe, honored grandfather. I merely seek my
name
and to honor my mother's dying wish. (To be Continued)


Author:    Castiel        
Date:      Tue
May  5 23:18:26 2015
Subject     Bad Mojo

So one day
I was wandering around the three moons camp, dithering
about
which evil city to go to and bring Mishakal's justice, I
decided upon
lemish, and proceded to call down holy blessings
upon mine and my follower's
weapons, and in the process, i
accidentally found out that clerical magic
and portal magic do
not mix very well, and somehow i ended up with the
portal in my
aura. Needless to say, i was very unhappy. I decided to
try
another portal, and the same result continued to happen. I
could note seem
to enter a portal, they instead traveled with me.
I continued to get more
and more irate at the inability to travel
through a portal and ended up
leaving the camp in a huff, taking
a more mundane means of travel back home,
to palanthas. Upon
arriving home, i immediately went to see the quest
master, to
seek a means to make some extra cash. It seemed if i could
not
take a portal, i would lose alot of cash hiring ships to bear
me across the
globe. Upon leaving, i asked for the blessing from
the Highest Priest in
palanthas at the time, as i always do. As i
was leaving, i noticed the
portals, which had stuck with me
thru-out my travels, were dropping from my
aura as i walked
along, strewing across the ground as if coins from a slit
purse.
Better off without them, accursed things. 

The Storytellers of Ansalon, The DragonLance MUD

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