An Aesthetic shows you to a small reading room.

Stories of Ansalon from the view of Danvighar.

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 concise treatise on the table in front of you.
You note the spine bears the word 'Danvighar' scribed in faded orange ink.

Author:  Danvighar
Date    Tue Apr 30 21:39:42 2002



Subject  A Vision and a Quest



I was kneeling in morning prayer when I was granted a Vision.  I
found myself
seeing two cities from above, great bastions of Order, Troops
marched in
orderly columns, soldiers leading the people in healthy living,
worship of the
Queen, and righteous service to Her Cause.

Then, as though they were giants, I saw three men standing above
the cities
and the countryside, and overlaying them were three distinctive
volcanoes -
the Lords of Doom.  Above their heads flew the banner of the
Queen of
Darkness, and their mein was one of pride and commitment to Her.

The Vision began to fade, letting the mortal plane hold my eyes
once more, and
I knew that I was being offered the chance to be one of those men
- if I
dared.  "Yes," I thought to myself, "I will dare, for the chance
to serve Her
better."

A Voice spoke into my mind, "Your first task will be to retrieve
the armor of
the Dragon Highlord Kitiara."

Not one to rush into things half-blind or worse, I waited a few
days to see
what I could learn of my objective, and chanced, nay, was brought
to meet the
two others who had been offered the chance for this honor - a
Champion of the
Lily, Kalevi Darksaber, and the Lord of Night over the Knights of
the Skull, a
Knight named Saige.

We compared our accounts, the three of us, and after prayer for
inspiration
and guidance, left upon our Tasks, agreeing to meet again in a
few days' time
to compare notes, for one of us might learn aught in that time
that would help
the others.

Upon the advice of Kalevi, who had fought beside Kitiara uth
Matar in the War
of the Lance, I started near the ruins of the High Clerist's
Tower, which was
slowly being rebuilt as the months went by.  There, I inquired of
the workmen,
and the peasants of the nearby village of Yarus, before I found
hints that
perhaps the mountains of Vingaard might yield results.

I pushed myself hard, searching the mountains near the High
Clerist's Tower,
skipping meals and going without sleep in caves where day and
night were equal
in the torchlight, until on the last day that I could stay, I
came across the
ruins of a camp, long abandoned.

In that place, I fought wyverns, driving them back from the ruins
of a command
post.  Fighting even harder to control my revulsion at the gore
and
destruction the wyverns had wrecked upon it, I searched rooms
long forgotten
and at last found the object of my quest - the arms and armour of
the Dragon
Highlord Kitiara.

Straightaway I returned to Storm's Keep, meeting my compatriots.

Each had found what he was looking for, and we brought them
before the altar
of our Queen.

Yet all was not done for us, despite, or perhaps because of, our
success - 
Upon receiving the proof of our willingness to do Her Bidding in
this, our
Queen gave unto us new tasks, to prove ourselves to the people of
the
Khalkists.



Author:  Danvighar
Date    Sun May  5 22:11:27 2002


Subject  The Quest Continues




I was tasked with bringing pride in themselves and respect for
the Knighthood
to the people of Sanction.  The manner of it left up to me,
however, as days
passed and I considered and rejected possibilities, I started
dreaming.

Dreaming of a city, and a building in the midst of it.  The city
was built
strangely, but I could see how it was defensive.  The building...

I started to draw the plans for such a building, and the city
surrounding it,
and more and more I could see the sense of it.  Utterly
defensible, utterly
inspirational.  Truly a worthy city...

The houses... would be built upon pillars of rock which held up
their corners.
 People could descend to the street by way of stairs, or cross
bridges to
islands.  Below each house was a deep pit of water, suitable for
the cooling
of rogue lava flows; the stilt-like pillars protecting the homes
and
businesses from floods.

The central building... that was a marvel.  Two stories, and
every inch of it
both beautiful and defensible.  Nine wings surrounding a central
chamber,
eight of them decorated according to varying themes, the other an
entrance
hall.

Another was the Blue Wing - the place where the representative
from the Order
of the Lily sat, and decorated to honor Kitiara Uth Matar.

Behind the Blue Chair, the chamber extended for two hundred
paces, covered
with murals of the deeds of Kitiara, and at the end of the
chamber, a statue
commemorating her defeat of Sturm Brightblade at the High
Clerist's Tower.

Then the Red Wing - the Red Seat being the Seat of the
representative of the
Order of the Thorn.  The Red Wing honored Harkiel, the Red Dragon
who was
instrumental in creating the Draconians.

The White Chair stood for the Order of the Skull, and honored
Ariakas, a
cleric of the Queen who lead for a time the Dragonarmies.

The Green Chair stood for the city, most particularly its
craftsmen.

The Green Wing would honor Cyan Bloodbane, the Green who wreaked
havoc on the
Silvanesti due to Lorac's Nightmare.

The Black Chair, for the Deathguards, which Hall honored the
Queen's Own, the
elite Sivak company which was the predecessor to the Deathguards.

The Sea Chair, for the ocean traders, and its hall honored Brine,
the Sea
Dragon.

The Storm Chair - the chair for the current leader of the
Faithful of Takhisis
who were not part of the other categories.  Its hall was
decorated in a mural
of storms overwhelming Land, Sea, and City.

Too, it had a statue - Steel Brightblade, one of the greatest
Knights of the
Order of the Lily, who stood for all that the Knighthood should
be.  This Hall
was also a courtroom, where cases could be held.

The Final Hall was the Shadow Hall, Dedicated to the Queen
Herself, and the
Shadow Chair was more of a Throne, set back a bit, and on a
larger scale than
any of the Chairs.

Above, a second story ran above the first, but was defensive in
nature,
overlapping the first floor's exterior walls, with murder holes
piercing the
overlap, arrow slits, and a colorfully muraled exterior, designed
to disguise
and draw attention away from those same arrow slits.

The second story was completely smooth on the outside, providing
no grip for
grapnels.  The first story had larger windows, allowing plenty of
light, but
those windows were nearly hidden behind elegant metalwork, which
served as
arrow slits and defense against same.

After going over his plans with fellow knights, and adding a wall
at the
vulnerable land entrances to the city, and an enchanted series of
nets to
protect the harbour, he felt he was ready to take his plans to
the citizens of
Sanction.



Author:  Danvighar
Date    Sun May 12 14:09:16 2002


Subject  The Rebel and the Offer




So far, things were going well.  The rebuilding was progressing
apace and the
Hall of the Council was inspiring many of the citizens.  The
first nets were
being crafted and enspelled, and a start had even been made on
the Wall to
guard against land invasions.

"Milord!  Milord, news!"  Danvighar Fulminis, Highlord of the
Knights of
Takhisis and a Paladin in Her Service, turned to the runner, who
was just
slowing to a halt next to him.

"What is it, Vasily?" asked Danvighar.

"Milord, it's confirmed, the Hobgoblin Duraang is threatening
rebellion."

"Step aside with me, and tell me more," Danvighar replied.

They walked a few paces to the side, and stepped into an alcove,
hung with
sound-muffling curtains.  "Now, specifics, man, and take your
time.  I'd
rather you were sure of your speech than get a quick answer."

"Well, milord, it's like this.  He's only got a couple dozen
followers right
now, but he's got them pretty firm in following him.  Rumour has
it they don't
think you care about them, just the humans and minotaurs and
draconians,"
the messenger explained.

Danvighar swore.  "Abyss!  He might be able to hold them together
long
enough to do some damage, if he picks his targets carefully.  See
if you can
arrange a meeting for me with him.  Maybe I can smooth things
out...

if not, I can always kill him.  Tell him, or his representative,
that I want
to discuss with him a possible position of authority for him, so
that he can
watch out for his faction, or whatever his specific grievance is.
No, wait...
first, try to find out for me what his specific grievance is. 
Then let him
know I want to talk to him about it, and let me know what it is.

If you have to, go ahead and mention the possible position to
him, as long as
you can get him to meet with me."

"Oh, and if he insists on having his people there, get me an
accurate count,
so that I can bring an equal number with me."

"Yes, milord, right away.  Ah, milord?"

"If he asks, what position are you talking about?"

"We still need someone to lead the Goblin division of the
Minions of
Dark,"

Danvighar explained.  "Obviously he can inspire forces to
follow him, and
I'd rather have that resource serving the Queen alive than lost
in a death
that doesn't have to happen.  If he refuses to even meet with me
- or if he
kills you, for it's possible he's that foolish - I'll destroy
him, of
course."

"Of course, milord."  Vasily nodded in acceptance of the
chance that
things could go wrong.

Danvighar wondered, as Vasily left, just what would go wrong
next, and how he
would handle it...



Author:  Danvighar
Date    Wed May 22 22:17:07 2002


Subject  To End Hostilities (Part I)




Danvighar stood in the middle of the construction that was
becoming the new
Council Hall.  It was truly going to be remarkable, he thought,
surpassing
even how he'd imagined it. As he gazed upon the construction, a
messenger
approached.

"Sir, the Hobgoblin Duraang sends a message of his own."

"What would that be?"

"Sir, he wants something more - he said that your offer was
enticing, and he
does not wish conflict, but he will not be dominated, and wishes
something
more as a gesture of your own commitment to ending
hostilities."

"What could he possibly want?  I've already offered him a
position of great
standing."

"Well... money, sir, would be my guess.  Treasure, rather, I
suppose, as he
seems to want the trappings of power as well as the
responsibilities and
privileges."

"Hm.  Makes sense, I suppose, considered from his perspective. 
Gives him an
out, too, if I don't deliver, without being considered a fool by
his
followers,"

Danvighar said grimly. "Very well.  You'll come with me, along
with three
others.

I have a place in mind to obtain his treasure without
shortchanging the
Knighthood's coffers... maybe even contributing to them, once
I've set aside
enough for Duraang."


Danvighar and his four companions headed for the abandoned temple
of Huerzyd,
a false goddess who had been worshipped briefly following the
Cataclysm.  An
hour's time with himself, the Skull Knight Drefan, the Thorn
Knight Jeric, the
Lily Knight Radin, and the messenger Vasily all consulting the
Vision had
raised nothing to suggest the plan a bad idea, nor the choice of
Knights. 
Caution had been impressed upon him, however - hinting that the
legends were
true, including the dangers... or maybe the legends fell short.

The white stone walls were deceptively unassuming, as they headed
into the
long- forsaken temple.  Inside, wreckage and debris covered the
floor, and he
could swear he heard the chittering and skittering of rats and
other
scavengers.

"Somewhere in here is supposed to be an entrance to the
Shadowpeople
tunnels," he mused.  They searched the entrance area, but found
nothing but
wreckage, walls, and an archway leading into the central chamber.

The difference was amazing - the chamber was almost entirely free
of debris. 
The difference was disturbing, too - this place had been
consecrated to a
Power of peace, and that Power did not care for the Dark Knights
very much,
though, being a Power of peace, it did not act overtly against
them.  Still,
it was a bad sign for their reception among the Shadowpeople....
not that
they'd expected anything but wetwork.

Around the chamber were six statues, equidistant from the center
and from each
other.  The doorway made a seventh place... interesting.  Seven
was considered
by some the number of Chaos, but it was also equal to the number
of gods in
the Dark Pantheon. Or the Good one, or the Neutral one.

However, these clearly were not statues of the gods... were they?
 One was a
beautiful female, in a flowing gown.  Another, a dwarven bard. 
Then a human
male, a warrior - maybe a beserker.  A minotaur, with a
battleaxe, obviously a
warrior. A young female wearing a blindfold... a Seeress?  Or
merely blind? 
Finally, there was a rather fat human male, in the central
position.  Each had
what were presumably names etched in the base of the statue, but
the script
was so ancient that Danvighar could not read it. A small
stairwell led
downward, into a lower chamber, and after a thorough search for
hidden doors
and secret passages, they took them.

(To be continued)



Author:  Danvighar
Date    Wed May 22 22:25:30 2002


Subject  To End Hostilities (Part II)




The lower chamber must have been a scriptorium once, with the
dozens of
shelves, each filled with the rotted remains of hundreds of
books, along with
the various other supplies.  There was something about the
shadows of the east
wall....

"Jeric, a ball of light, if you would."

The mage complied, twiddling his fingers in arcane gestures, and
a small ball
of light sprang into being, showing an opening in the eastern
wall where a
bookcase had once stood.  The light moved closer... a tunnel. 
Just what he
was looking for.

"Dim the light, we want to surprise them."  The party headed
into the
tunnel cautiously,  uncomfortable in the warm, moist darkness. 
With the
barest glimmer from the magical globe of light to guide their
footsteps, they
could see in the distance to the east a faint light source.

Onward they crept, wary of the violence that those who considered
themselves
to serve Good would often visit without honour or warning upon
those they
considered to be servants of Evil.  In time they found the tunnel
to grow
strange, slightly luminescent moss, just before it opened up into
a cavern.

Drefan cast a spell of concealment upon them with the Queen's
blessing,
rendering them either invisible, or unnoticeable, it was hard to
tell, since,
by Her grace, they could still see each other.  The spell was
cast just in
time, for this cavern was nearly a village in itself, filled with
Shadowpeople... even children.  They could not honorably attack
these people
unless events forced them to it.  A sense of warning kept them
from heading to
the northern end of the cavern - they could see something
spectral there, and
such a thing could likely see through their spell of concealment
if they got
too close.

Instead, they headed south, into a tunnel, that swiftly turned
eastward.  They
skulked along the lengthy passage, which, after some twists and
turns, led to
a stone wall... but it was too regular, as if it were the wall of
a building. 
A brief search found an outline of a door, and further searching,
a catch. 
They opened the door... and were both disappointed and somewhat
intrigued to
find the dungeon of the Temple of Luerkhisis, the Temple built
into a
volcano... the Temple where the corruptions of Good dragon eggs
into
Draconians had started.

Still and all, this was not what they were searching for, so they
headed back
westward along the tunnel to the cavern-village of the
Shadowpeople.  With the
utmost stealth they worked their way eastward around the cavern
wall, not
wishing to harm any of these innocents without need.  Eventually
they found
another tunnel, and this one was far more regular - as if it had
been hewn and
shaped from the rock, instead of merely adapted.

When it came down to it, they found the door guarded by
shadowpeople
warriors...

an obvious sign that -something- valuable was there.  Danvighar
gestured for
Drefan to drop the spell, and as he became visible, the warriors
stared, then
got ready to attack.  As they did, Danvighar drew the sword he
had taken for
his own, the sword that had once belonged to the Dragon Highlord
Kitiara, and
led the attack with a warcry.

Each fought in his own style, with bursts of light and flashing
blade marking
Jeric's fight, flashes of flame from a flameshield marking
Drefan's, the solid
ring of steel upon steel from Radin, the in-and-out knifework of
Vasily, and
the shocks of lightning from his own blade giving Danvighar's
opponent jolts
with every hit.  Within minutes, they had beaten their foes,
though
regrettably all had died.  Still, they had fought honorably, and
died well.

A quick search of the corpses yielded a key, with which they
unlocked the
great door, opening it.

And they stopped.

And gasped.

And stared.

(To be continued)



Author:  Danvighar
Date    Wed May 22 22:27:30 2002


Subject  To End Hostilities (Part III)




For here was a hoard the likes of which was rarely seen, a hoard
which had
never been plundered.  Surely there was enough here to buy off
Duraang and
still fill the Knighthood's coffers to bursting!  Hillocks of
gold coins,
armor made of solid gold, golden facemasks and statuettes, golden
playthings,
golden jewelry, cloth- of-gold clothing, casks which, once
opened, contained
golden spices, even a harp of gold!

And at the back of the chamber... a hidden doorway.  This led
into the temple
of Luerkhisis again, and gratefully they ferried the gold up into
the city
without having to go back through the caverns and risk being
forced to kill
those who did not deserve it.

After securing the hoard in the treasury of the Temple of
Takhisis, he set
aside twice what he figured Duraang would want, and sent for the
Hobgoblin to
meet him in the place he had set aside the treasure.  There they
would talk,
and make peace, he hoped.

He prayed.



Author:  Danvighar
Date    Tue May 28 23:38:42 2002


Subject  ... That this government, of the people, for the
people... (Part I)




He sighed.  Duraang had taken the treasure... bribe, really, but
they'd call
it treasure... and was content.  With that out of the way,
Danvighar knew the
city was solidly supportive of the Knighthood.  However, he
dreamed that
night, and in his dream, he saw that he still needed to complete
one more
task... create a system of government that would unify the
political groups of
the Khalkists, bringing Order to their treatment of each other,
the Peace of
the Queen to their disagreements.  He sent riders in every
direction, with
orders to go as far through the Khalkists as they could, inviting
any local
leaders they could find to attend this first meeting to organize
them into an
effective governing force.

Goblins, Hobgoblins, Humans, Ogres, Trolls, Dark Dwarves, Dark
Elves,
Draconians, Minotaurs... at least one of every species of
darkness showed up,
it seemed.

Some were belligerent, wanting naught more than a chance to
challenge him for
the right to lead.  Some would rather they were ignored, left to
do their own
thing.

Some seemed curious... some even seemed glad to be there, for the
opportunity
that this meeting presented.

The draconians and humans seemed most pleased - that was to be
expected. 
Slaarn, the Bozak considered to be in charge of the Khalkists'
'civilian'
draconian population, had evidently heard of the Draconians who
served in the
Minions of Dark, and approved.  Strun the minotaur captain was
more wary, and
would rather his contigent be left alone by the humans, for they
still bore
some of the racial prejudices that ran rampant on Mithas and
Kothas.  Daric,
the human mayor who had been chosen to represent the villages and
small towns,
definately seemed to think he would get special handling because
of his
species.  The Troll and Ogre chieftains had apparently shown up
only because
they didn't want the other to be in a position to gain advantage
without them,
and the Dark Dwarves and Dark Elves were likely to be anywhere
from scheming
to outright hostile, he felt.

He settled down with them on the second floor of the Council Hall
in Sanction
- not all of the Devotional Wings had been decorated yet, but the
structure
had been one of the first to have its utilitarian pieces built. 
He would
present his reasoning on what he felt the best plan was that
would integrate
the existing power structures, then open the floor for polite
discussion. 
Those who insisted on being impolite would get a lesson in how
little effort
it would take to kill them.

He begain explaining.  "Only some of you come here aware of the
realities of
what this meeting is to accomplish.  The Dark Queen loves all her
children,
all her followers, and because of that love for us, She wishes us
to find a
way to coordinate our governance, that we may be strong, and
stand as one
against the cruel hosts who follow Paladine and his vassals. 
Thus I say to
you - we will discuss this rationally, as beings who believe in
our Queen,
that we not be mistaken for milk-hearted fools.  Any who find
themselves
unable to be rational may step outside for a time, but if you
decide to leave
altogether, you will find yourself replaced in this government,
by the
combined force of that government if necessary."

"Here is my suggestion.  Each district will have two governing
bodies - the
army, and the Council.  The army, with its efficient, direct
chain of command,
will govern during war and control those things related to war. 
The council
will work on a tiered system, and govern during peacetime, and
things related
to tax and civic necessity."

(To be continued)



Author:  Danvighar
Date    Tue May 28 23:45:39 2002


Subject  ... That this government, of the people, for the
people... (Part II)




"Each town will have a Council, representing itself and any
nearby villages.

This Council may have five, seven, or nine members, depending on
the
population of the area.  One will be the Head of Council,
another, the liason
to the district Council.  Each District Council will be made up
of nine
members, one a Council Head, another a representative to the
Regional Council.
 There will be eight Districts, but only seven shall be governed
in this
manner.  The eighth will be composed of Sanction, Neraka, New
Ofcol, and the
mountains between them, and shall be represented by the Grand
Council.  The
Seat of the Faithful shall be held by the chosen representative
of the
Regional Council, who shall not head it.

All representatives will answer to their respective Council
Heads, and be
chosen by those Heads, who shall in turn be chosen by that
level's Council."

"Any laws that affect the entire area must be ratified by the
Grand Council. 
Laws that affect the Districts may either be made by the Grand
Council,
Regional Council, or that District's Council.  Laws that only
affect one
township should be made by the District or town Councils, but if
forced to it,
the Grand Council can make such laws."

"Any laws or decisions made by the Grand Council overrule all
lesser Councils.

Any decision made by the military overrules the Council, however,
in
peacetime, the army must be able to justify this to those
affected.  Any
unjust laws made by the military may be appealed to myself or an
Adjuciator of
the Knights of Takhisis.  Appeals of those rulings may be made to
the Queen
Herself, either Her Avatar, if She grants you such privilege, or
in the Abyss.
 This concludes my proposal."

"Servants of the Queen, you have heard my proposal.  Papers are
in front of
you with the same proposal in the different languages that you
speak.  Read
them, ask questions, propose amendments.  When all are satisfied,
there will
be a vote.  In the meantime, let us pray to our Queen for
guidance as to
whether this is the best course."

Danvighar led the assembled leaders in prayer, reciting a
devotional for
nearly an hour: 'Takhisis guide us.  Takhisis teach us.  Takhisis
protect us. 
In your light we thrive.  In your love we are sheltered.  In your
wisdom we
are humbled.  We live only to serve.  Our lives are yours.'  As
the soothing
cadences of the mantra reverberated, he felt at peace, assured
that, to a
large extent, his plan was what She wanted.  Furthermore, he was
certain that
the essential parts would be accepted.

It took another hour of quibbling over details, but in the end,
all there
agreed to try this system for a year, then if changes needed to
be made, they
would make them.

Danvighar knew that only the most superficial of changes would be
needed, for
this government was surely of Divine Inspiration.

OOC Footnote:  Yes, I 'borrowed' the Devotion from another
series.

While my 'adjustment' of it should protect my use under the Fair
Use Clause,
no infringement is intended, nor is any profit being made from
this story. 
Anyone from Tor, please don't sue.



Author:  Danvighar
Date    Tue Aug  6 17:06:24 2002


Subject  A punishment given...




Danvighar looked up from the eternal paperwork that flooded his
desk.

'Excellent.  You've arrived in short order.'

'Yes sir,' said Zignus Moonshadow, one of his squires for
some time now.

Danvighar stood, a literally electric aura crackling around him
briefly.

'You've disappointed me, Zignus.'

'Sir?' came the question.

'Your attitude toward the cityguards the other day was one of

arrogance, superiority.  This is unacceptable,' Danvighar
intoned.

Zignus smirked. 'You are comparing the cityguards to us?  We
run

the city, they should not be pointing their crossbows at us.'
 He
shrugged.  'However if you see my behavior unfit, I
apologize.'

Danvighar remonstrated, 'They serve, and serve well.  Do you
think

our enemies so foolish as to always come garbed in their
shining

silver armor, their white robes?'

Zignus shrugged again. 'They should have lowered their
crossbows

the moment you accepted me.  The moment they see the
recognition

of one of us in your eyes, it should mean something to them. 
And

they should have remembered me from when I rode through Neraka,
on

your own orders.'

Sarcasm entered Danvighar's voice. 'Ah, how foolish of them. 
To not

recognized your features, or the expression on my face, through
my

helmet, at 300 yards or more.'

Once more Zignus shrugged.

Danvighar continued, more seriously, 'Regardless of your
beliefs in

this, arrogance towards those who serve the Queen is not
acceptable

behavior.'

Zignus replied, 'I did not come here to argue with you, Sir. 
If

you think my behavior unfit, I apologize once again.  I just do
not

feel comfortable with a crossbow aimed at my forehead.'

Danvighar declared, 'It is not to me whom you will be
apologizing.

Instead, you will apologize to each and every one of those
guards.'

Zignus frowned, clenching his jaw mucles in obvious, silent,
protest of the
punishment.

Danvighar spoke harshly. 'That is an order, Squire.'

Zignus nodded, his face going flat. 'As you wish.'

Danvighar said mildly, 'I'm glad you don't think yourself too
good

to apologize to cityguards who were doing their job, and
following

orders themselves.'

Zignus nodded, perhaps in acceptance.  No matter, the meeting was
over.

(OOC - this is posted for three reasons.  1, to give some sense
to some ICs
Zignus will be doing over the next few days.  2, to show the rest
of the clan
that RP has happened.  3, so that you can form your own rumours,
however
wildly inaccurate, about what was said and what's going on. :P)



Author:  Danvighar
Date    Mon Sep  2 17:02:05 2002


Subject  A talk with a prisoner




(Solamnic is included to get a chance to OOCly view how we try to
treat those
prisoners who act with decency during their capture and
imprisonment)

With his nearly ever-present escort, Danvighar descended the
spiral steps into
the holding area.  Although he knew who the prisoner in the
nearest cell was,
he decided to make this formal, asking the jailor if this was the
Solamnic
Knight that Knight Warrior Zignus Moonshadow had captured on the
field of
honor.

Upon confirmation, Danvighar asked the jailor to leave, along
with his own
bodyguards - this might get messy, and he preferred to risk as
few lives as
possible.  This could also be rather strange, and he did not want
those whose
faith was not clearly burned into their soul to be present when a
Solamnic
spoke.

The jailor and the guards did as they were told, and Danvighar
approached the
prisoner, who was.... praying.  How futile.

"High Warrior Rek Loreblade, I presume?" he asked, in a voice
made
metallic by his fearsome mask.

The prisoner finished his prayers and answered, "Aye, it is
me."

Ignoring for now the demonic look that the glowing eyesockets of
Danvighar's
helm brought, he continued, "And whom might it be that I am
talking to?"

Danvighar removed his helmet and set it aside, an electric blue
glow seeping
from under his righthand gauntlet as he did. "I am Danvighar
Fulminis, a
loyal servant of Her Majesty."

Rek replied, "Ah, the Leader of Takhisis' Knights, how may I be
of

service to you?"

Grimacing at the instant recognition, Danvighar asked
sardonically, "It
would be useful if you were to give me all the current troop

depositions and vulnerability of your forces, but I suppose
that's

asking a little more than you're willing to give?"  More
seriously, he
continued, "I came to see how you've been cared for so far. 
Have the
usual amenities been provided?"

Rek replied, "Aye, they have.  Though may I ask of you one
thing?"
Danvighar raised an eyebrow, wondering what Rek would ask for.
"You may
ask," he answered cautiously.

After a moment, Rek made his request. "As a Knight I always
find time to
study the rules set forth to us...in my belongings is a book...
I would
ask if you could deliver it to me with word that you will not
look through
its texts."

Danvighar replied, "We have studied the Measure, in the process
of
producing our own, superior, Code.  I would not be seeing any
secrets, I
think, if I were to read through it."

Rek asked, "Well, would you mind delivering it to me then?  Or
a copy of
your own?  I need to study daily and remind myself of it."

Danvighar nodded.  "Understandable, with the labyrinthine
rulings and
interpretations of your Measure.  I will bring you one of the
copies in
our Library - while you have acted with honor, I do not know
those who
created your copy."  He smirked, "For all I know, they
placed a
contingency spell into it that would kill any worshipper of
the Dark Queen
who picked it up."

Danvighar peered at Rek's untouched food dishes. "You're not
hungry? I
give you my word, the food is not poisoned, nor is the drink."

(To be continued)


Author:    Danvighar      
Date:      Sun Oct 22 16:34:05 2006
Subject  Mission Prep

A few days ago, he had been surprised to find himself summoned
by the
Lord of Night herself, Baroness Aya'sana.  "What do you know
of Sanction?"
she had asked him.  "I spent some time there, years ago,"
had been the
gist of his answer.  He had not bothered to go into detail
about the
adventures that had led him to become one of the Lords of Doom
- for
one thing, he could barely remember that he -was- one, and that
he had
undergone those adventures.  Queen Takhisis had left him only
the most
essential memories, he supposed, with the reforging she had
done to him
before he had been sent back.

"Go to Sanction, see how the defenses stand, and report back to
me.
Daily reports are to be sent if at all possible, and I want you
to report
to my office when you are ready to leave for your final
orders."

Sanction owed its allegiance to the powers of Darkness, but it
had been
some time since any kind of military presence had made itself
known, let
alone the defenses maintained by professionals.

The Baroness had given him a small company of Archers, a
medium-large
platoon of scouts, and a large support platoon, with a
composition left
up to him.  He had just about worked out the numbers he would
need, and
would submit the requisitions to the Orders of the Skull and the
Thorn
tonight.  Just to be certain, however, and because he had learned
long
ago (how long, he couldn't be sure, but he was sure it was long
ago),
never to leave anything to chance, he was requesting a young
messenger-
dragon and rider pair, to ferry his reports, provide aerial
surveilance,
and the like.

It was to be a relatively short journey, true... but despite the
long-
and other creatures in the mountain passes between Neraka and
Sanction
that might cause problems.

Perhaps he would even get a chance to dispatch a Chaos-beast.  He
felt the
geas itch at him briefly as the thought crossed his mind.  If
he did not
run across one during this mission, he would request something to
send him
into the path of one, that Her Will be satisfied.

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 869 books from Ansalon from before the great Cataclysm through today.'