The Great Library of Palanthas
An Aesthetic shows you to a small reading room.
Stories of Ansalon from the view of Decred.
A little gully dwarf runs by and says 'Wordwrap is at 80. 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 massive tome lined with fake jewels on the table in front of you.
You note the spine bears the word 'Decred' scribed in unearthly black ink.
Author: Decred Date Mon Apr 1 18:55:10 2002 Subject Squire of Trevalin Having grown up in the city of Solanthus on the solamnic Decred had been raised as the son of a merchant's guard. The latter days of his childhood were spent on the road traveling back and forth from small farming villages and Palanthas, being instructed under a fathers watchful eye and his boss's eager gaze. On one such venture into Palanthas around the summer when Decred was 14, his father had recently been killed in a thieves raid on the wagons. Having been seperated from his father during the fighting as the thieves split the wagons into two groups. Decred could only watch as his father in the smaller group, with only 2 other men, fell to the enemies superior numbers. Having been taken into the merchants guard, as his skills with a sword were already above average, and the merchant needing all the help he could get, came to Palanthas to sell what they had been able to keep from their previous trips. Two days later, with the merchant trying to sell his wares, and not currently needing Decred's help, let him slip off into the crowd and venture about the city. In the crowd Decred recognized a face...and another, then another. These belonged to the people who had raided their wagons and killed father. 4 of them in all, Decred followed the men to a small , out of the way tavern, and bent on a course of action, went inside after them, with his sword drawn. The men, not yet having taken seats, saw the boy enter the tavern with a sword, and possibly now recognizing him as well, drew their weapons in turn and rushed the boy. However the 4 bandits weren't the only ones who took an interest in Decred. A single man, sitting at a nearby table, watched as the boy defeated each man, one after another, killing one and turning for the next. Soon however, all 4 men dead, and the Innkeep having sent for solamnic patrol the cloaked man, who had watched the fight from start to finish finally stood and walked toward Decred. Pushing aside his cloak, light reflected off the dark of the armor and sword of the knight Sir Trevalin. Knocking Decred's sword from his hand, and grabbing it and Decred by arm, Trevalin stormed out of the Inn with a boy who's skills had caught his eye, along with his courage and die hard determination. This is the story of how Decred fell in with his new master, Sir Trevalin and began his training to become a Knight of Takhisis. Author: Decred Date Mon Apr 29 17:13:03 2002 Subject the Lost Library Seeking another addition to a steadily growing pile of trophies , days of wandering through wilderness upon nothing more then hearsay. Now having left Decred to a dark campsite in a windswept forest...his information appears to be either old or inaccurate. The current occupants of the campsite, as far as Decred can tell from the distance, are 4 humans and a dwarf. All asleep with no watch of any kind, they look to be no more then a band of travelers. While slowly pushing back at the tree he was leaning on another shape, barely visible in the darkness, splits from a tree and creeps into the camp. Sneaking over to the travelers packs, a small knife is produced and the thief quickly begins cutting straps and going through the contents of each pack. After several minutes of work, the thief pulls something from one of the packs and slips it into a pouch hanging at his side. Sneaking out of the campsite, the figure all but disappears into the dark. Decred, aware that it couldn't be mere coincidence that another was in these same parts, watching the same campsite, and intent on a lone item, rose from his position and after walking through the middle of the campsite, pursued the thief. After sliding an unwanted weight off his sword with his foot, Decred reached over and picked up a knife, a knife that had been meant for his back when the thief became aware of his being followed, and cut the strings to a pouch lying with the thief. The pouch, containing a small and tightly wrapped dark green scroll, was placed inside a much larger black pouch, hanging at Decred's side, just before the group of travelers fell upon the body, alone in the forest in a puddle of blood. Author: Decred Date Tue May 7 19:06:38 2002 Subject A Dark Crossing Since having ridden into the mouth of the gorge some miles back, the steady descent of the hills into the valley, the barren and and windswept hills, tappered off and now has turned into a climb. The large boulders, torn from the sides of the gorge near its top some hundred feet up, have grown more frequent. The smaller and more numerous rocks which they brought down in their tumbling make riding a near impossibility, promising death at a single mistake. Forced to lead his mount and bear the grotesque skeletal helm, still filled with the smell of decay. Continuing on and forcing the thoughts from his his head with his body driving itself forward on its own, Decred is not consciously aware of a faint breeze that has begun blowing through the gorge or the faint, pulsing blue light that is coming from his body. Flung back into the operating of his body by the climbing trails sudden leveling off and disappearance of the canyon walls. Having walked into a skattered field of stone, half of which is overgrown with mosses and grasses, brings an unwanted yet intense feeling of unease. The piles of stone, Decred having now noted, are extremely old and still bearing traces of having been worked by mortal hands. Passing through a gap in a pile of stone, overgrown with grasses, was probably once a wall to a house... the hairs on the back of Decred's neck stand up. Still unaware of his glowing, he turns his mount around to face the gap of stone through which he just passed, and finds his gaze caught by 1...then 3 creatures all making no further attempts to move or speak. Staring through his helm of bone, the undead's eyeless gaze falters, and lowing their heads they fade from sight behind the same pile out of which they emerged. Closing his eyes, Decred lets out a deep sigh and rubs his forearm across the bottom of his chin. Regaining his confidence and turning his mount toward another opening in the wall, Decred rides his black charger through and begins searching for the opening of a cave. Author: Decred Date Thu May 23 13:20:36 2002 Subject Another clashing of Knighthoods A bloody plain, in sight of the ocean, is now the latest location of frontline skirmishes between the built of forces of the Knighthoods. Having marched his small force directly south from Throtyl, having been sent orders to meet and board a ship waiting for them just off the coast in a small bay. On a grassy plain, in sight of the bay , little more then half of Decred's original force battle off a Solamnic garrison, easily three times their number with no hope of escape as the ship is not there. Five bronze dragons circle directly overhead, watching the battle below with little interest. Due to a sloppy manuever made by the Solamnic commander, The small KOT force was able to tear through the first ranks of the solamnics and capitalize on it by dealing the solamnics a heavy list of casualties. However with numbers playing against the Knights of Takhisis, Decred and others in his patrol soon found themselves isolated from fellow comrades and battling four or five solamnics to stay alive. With a shoulderpad torn free, several gashes along the front of his armor, and a broken sword, was how Decred was fighting when the first dark dragons appeared in the sky above the enemy. Falling upon the bronze dragons from above nine blues tore through their enemies, killing three and watched the the two suvivors flee the skies above the battle. Seeing their allies fail, the solamnic forces immediately pulled back and fled from the field, leaving twelve Knights of Takhisis to stand among the dead. Raising an arm to shield his face, Decred stood as five of the blue dragons landed on the field. Gathering a piece of armor torn from his arm, Decred had barely begun walking toward the blues when another landed before him almost causing him to fall on his back. The blue dragon looked at Decred for a moment before speaking, "I have been sent here from Storm Keep. Storm's Breeze, the ship you were to take back to Sanction was diverted to another task and we have been sent instead. My human name is Lightning Strike, and if you are the Dark Knight Decred Haurkon, whose description you match, I have orders concerning you as well." Nodding toward Lightning Strike, Decred bows his head. "Yes I am Decred Haurkon, may I ask what..." Following a loud snort, "Yes yes, climb into my saddle, I will explain our mission while we are in the air. Do not worry about your fellow humans, my brethren are under orders to transport them back to Sanction. Motioning to the humans climbing onto dragons behind him with a jerk of his head, "Hurry they are already leaving, and we must be going." Lashing on his dented bracer, Decred crawls into the Lignting's saddle and immediately both take off into the air. Author: Decred Date Sun May 26 15:14:27 2002 Subject The Rebuilding of the Past Overturning the remains of an ancient desk, the knight quickly scans for any of the ancient writings once housed in these rooms. 'That must be that last of them, there is nothing under here...' Grabbing hold of the wall Decred shields his head from falling rocks with his arm as the ground begins to shake. Shouting at a fallen knight across the room 'Make sure thats the last of them and hurry! The reds have already begun their work in the lower halls.' Running through several more rooms, making last checks for any of the ancient writings, Decred grabs an old parchment he had set on a table and returns to the main chamber just as another explosion rocks the ground. Pushing rocks off of him with the help of his aid, Decred grabs the knights hand and steps out of the rubble. ' This is the last of them, lets get these back to Lord Aelroth and make our way down to the lower halls and direct the reds. They must be blasting too close to the ceiling and causing these tremors...' A deep pounding can be heard coming from the lower levels and then another blast rocks the ground under the knights feet. 'Yea come on we better get down there and see whats going on.' Leading the way Decred dodges falling rocks as he and his aid make their way more towards the interior where Aelroth has set up his command. Author: Decred Date Sun May 26 17:21:22 2002 Subject The Rebuilding of the Past (II) Looking over his arm, which was until recently shielding his face from an awesome heat, superheated rock runs down from the ceiling of halls. The rubble and loose rock, left behind after thousands of years are fused together form together after hardening, leaving a smooth strong surface behind. Walking forward between two large red dragons Decred looks over the the hall with an intense gaze. 'You need to lower the floors over towards that far wall some more, and try not to lower them too much like you did last time. This is an ancient library of our Queen in case you forgot red. She will not be pleased to find that her servants have grown lazy in the rebuilding of her library. See that it gets done right this time or it will be your head.' Turning on his heel Decred quickly walks around a still hot puddle of rock and down another hall, going to inspect the work of other dragons set to work and oblivious to the angry gaze watching him depart. The deep rumbling can be heard in halls still far beneath, while constant clouds of steam drift upward from the stairways leading down to them. Author: Decred Date Mon May 27 14:57:37 2002 Subject A following gone unnoticed A gathering of knights sits around a large circular stone table, going over the plans of a recent renovation when a younger knight comes before the gathered men. Addressing Sir Decred, the knight says in a whispered voice, 'Sir, our sentries have detected a solamnic scout in the woods beneath the south- east valley. He's alone but has been moving as if he knows we have forces in the area.' After wiping his brow he continues, 'Captain Pefrin suggests we dispatch a small force to eliminate him before he detects us and leaves reports us to the solamnics.' Rubbing his chin Decred grabs a small piece of paper and begins scribbling orders on it. Folding the paper he hands it to the knight with the following instructions, 'Tell Captain Pefrin not to be hasty, if he sends a force and there are other scouts in those woods, scouts still going undetected, they will report that we have a sizeable force in the area. I will deal with the solamnic myself. Perhaps he isn't even a scout and can be subdued by one Knight of Takhisis, which will attract far less attention then a whole sentry force.' Saluting Decred the knight turns and leaves up the stairs, as Decred collects his gauntlets and sword from the table and leaves down another set of stairs. ...about an hour later Pulling back a branch with his hand, Decred catches a glimpse of the supposed solamnic scout, and a feeling tells him that there is something familar about this scout. Unable to put his finger on it, Decred moves silently along ,at the same pace as the scout but under the cover of the dense foilage. Watching the solamnic spy father up the hill, he slips and rolls over revealing his face to the dark knight. His mind making the connection, Decred then recognizes the solamnic squire from his voyage up from the coast and his run in with him then. Knowing full well that the boy has followed his trail and is alone, Decred moves from his cover and towards the boy who seeing Decred, draws a shortsword salutes and attacks. Knocking aside the squire's blade with his hand, Rek watches as his blade hits the ground and his vision fade to black as Decred pulls back a mailed fist after landing it square in the squire's face. Motioning farther up the hill, and after the sounds of many snapping of limbs, Decred's dragon mount emerges from the forest ahead of him. To his mount Lightning Strike, 'My friend, would you carry this solamnic squire into the heart of the solamnic plains, within a day or two of a sizeable town or village. Hopefully he will have forgotten his journey of following us and return to his masters. I see that you are not happy with this assignment, but I wish for this to get done right, and with speed. I do not want a patrol of enemy knights scourying these mountains looking for him, which I fear will happen soon unless he is returned. So you see this is actually a mission of great importance and one I would not place on any other.' Satisfied with his rider's explanation, and after scooping up the squire Rek between his claws, the large blue leaps into the air accompanied by the sound of his flapping wings. Watching his dragon and his cargo fly over the hillside, Decred turns and makes his way back to more pressing matters. Author: Decred Date Fri Jul 12 15:21:03 2002 Subject Bringing to Justice Inside a large canvas tent, a heated debate rages on through the dimly lit interior, the soft light flickering from within a oil lantern. A white haired knight says, 'Lord Marcelin was almost killed! He still might if those clerics don't arrive here soon. There can be no other justice for that backstabbing slave save a swift execution at the hands of troops that find him.' A scar faced knight slams his fist on the table. 'He injured two of my men during his escape! Justice would allow them to remove that goblins head for such an insult to their honor.' After an exchange of heated words between a few of the knights and the representitives of the Minions of Darkness, Decred steps between the two factions and raises his hands. 'Enough!' Slowly turning his head he looks back and forth between the two factions, briefly looking at each person until the tent is completely silent. 'Now then, its time that this meeting returned to order. Representitives of the Minions, Vlunok, the goblin in question has been linked to assaulting a Lord Knight by eight different witnesses. Two of which are goblins themselves and four and part of the Lord's personal guard. It is because of this that orders have already been given to the search party to kill Vlunok on sight. Turning to face the knights who now have a grin on their faces. 'This punishment would be consistent for anyone who committed a crime of the same degree. As for the reasons,' Pointing toward the white haired knight and the one with a scar, 'neither one of you have any idea why I've done this. We three will have a meeting later tonight to talk about this.' Stepping back he addresses everyone. 'Alright thats it, the meeting is over, now return to your posts and resume work. I don't want to hear anything else about this until the search party gets back. Author: Decred Date Fri Aug 16 16:38:53 2002 Subject trouble in zhan As an unrelenting and never ending storm continued to rage over a keep known only to a few, a large magic portal like a doorway of swirling flame opens in one of the main courtyards before a group of assembled knights. Nodding at the mage, a lone knight turns and looks back toward his troops. 'This is a routine raid into the heartlands of the solamnics. Do as you've been trained and follow my orders and we'll destroy any enemy force before they have time to turn tail and run.' Making a series of hand signals the company begins filing through the open portal with Decred falling in after the first three ranks. A small grin on his face, in expectation of the battle soon to follow, quickly disappears as he looks down at the bodies of dead knights, all pincushioned with arrows. Looking into the forest he wonders how the enemy could have already set an ambush and then he takes notice of the forest. A FOREST! They should have been on the plains of Solamnia twenty someodd miles south of Lemish. 'Knights to me! Charge the forest and kill the elve...' Decred falls to his knees as an arrow tears through his armor and lodges itself into his left shoulder. Growling he drops his sword and picks it up with his right hand, charging into the nearest brush. With his foot upon the body of a fallen ranger, Decred yanks his blade free and looks back onto the battlefield, no movement aside for a few too stubborn to acknowledge being dead. Cursing all mages, and making plans to kill a certain knight of the thorn, he charges off deeper into the forest, hoping hes close to the border. Somewhile later, the moon now hanging high in the night sky, a small party of rangers drag an unconscious Decred through the forest, leaving behind a faint trail of human blood. The smell of death lies heavy on the forest and trouble broods in Storm keep as several knights, returning through the portal pass on what had transpired to their superiors while their wounds are treated. Author: Decred Date Sat Aug 17 00:38:02 2002 Subject imprisonment Waking as a bucket of cold water splashes across his face, Decred opens a bruised eye and winces as the pain returns. His shoulder, now free of the arrow, is still tender and flies creep across his exposed wound. Three men, silhouettes against the light pouring into the dark room, stare down at Decred who takes note of the man with the bucket. Speaking in a form of elvish for a few minutes, one of the men leaves and the other two move into the cell and take up positions on other side of him. Kicking Decred in the ribs, the elf growls 'Get on your blasted legs knight scum , I will not carry you again.' Kicking him again he shouts 'Get up!' Pulled roughly to his feet, Decred stands staring straight ahead as a fist hits him across the face. The other man, standing to his left, cracks his knuckles. 'You would do well to listen when you've been given an order. Now get moving.' Pushed from behind, Decred staggers forward out of his cell and into the daylight. Lifting an arm to shield his eyes from the light, he walks down a stone corridor, proded with the butt end of a spear when his pace grows too slow. Brought into a great chamber, a circle of rangers, woodsmen and elves sit in silence, with eyes on Decred. Forced to his knees by the man with the spear all is silent for several minutes. Finally an elf stands up to Decred's right and begins talking. 'Knight of Takhisis, we have brought you here to tell us why an armored division of your troops have entered our sacred forest and whether or not this is the beginning of open hostility between our two peoples once more.' Taking a step forward, he continues ' You will tell us what you know, or I fear we will we will be forced to schedule you an appointment with the headsman.' Staring straight ahead, a small stream of blood trickles from the corner of his lip but nothing else escapes his mouth. Glaring down at the knight the elf takes hold of Decred's chin and turns his head from side to side. Removing his hand, Decred's head falls and he continues to stare blankly. 'Why must you do this? Surely we will find out whether you live or die so would it not be better for you to cooperate?' Sighing to himself the elf takes a a step back. 'No I suppose not...you knights have always been so stubborn when it comes to things such as this.' Snapping his fingers the elf shouts, 'Take this man back to his cell...we will talk with him again tomorrow with hopes that hes changed his mind.' Returning to his seat, the elf watches as Decred is pulled to his feet and is shoved out the door. As two great wooden doors begin swinging shut behind him, the chamber erupts in a chaotic blend of shouts and hollaring. The smallest smile creeps onto Decred's face, only for a moment, as he is lead back down the stone corridor to his dark cell. Author: Decred Date Sat Aug 24 18:26:16 2002 Subject Farewell Leaning against the chains, with his chin propped against his chest, the prisoner mentally goes over his latest plan. No light, aside from a tiny amount managing to creap from beneath the door, makes it difficult to see anything in the cell beyond a few feet away. Moving his head to the right, he tries to keep from beneath a small trickle of water from striking his face when keys begin rattling in the lock. Closing his eyes, he pretends to be asleep as the guard comes into the cell. Without opening his eyes, he is able to distinguish the guard's from the other noises within the cell. Sighing to himself he recognizes the sound of Varne breathing with sickening familarity. Bracing himself, against what he knows will be coming, a sharp pain shoots up his side as Varn takes to waking him up. 'Wake up Sir Bastard! HA! I'll believe your asleep just after I've finished beating you unconscious you filthy knight!' Snickering to himself Varne tugs on the chains around Decred's throat before kicking him in the side once more. Lowering his face to within mere inches from Decred's face he spats. 'Only two more days till your date with the headsman. We wouldn't want you to go hungry before your lucky day though. Oh and I've taken to making your new food. The stuff they sent down wasn't proper for scum like you. Now get up your foods coming.' Walking slowly towards the cell door to get a tray, Varne glances back over his shoulder. The spark of hatred glistening in his eyes grows brighter still as it becomes apparent that Decred hasn't moved. Setting down the tray and turning back with a snarl, Varne catches a foot in his throat accompanied by an audible crunch. A bloody foot, gashed from where a rock or other crude object had been used to bash through the chain's link slowly stretches over the body of the fallen ranger. Passing through a large iron ring holding several keys together, the foot slowly begins dragging the keys backward from where Varne had dropped them. After several unsuccesful tries of flipping the keys past grasping hands, the keys finally pass to his awaiting hands. Moments after unlocking the several chains latched to his body, a moment is spared as Decred kneels beside the fallen man and stares into his glazing over eyes. 'I do not know what was done or why such a hatred burned so brightly in your blood but your death has given something important to me, my freedom.' After whispering a silent prayer tohonor the fallen, he begins stripping a leather tunic and cloak from the body. Locking the body in chains to give the illusion of his presence, Decred quickly walks out the door and begins pulling it shut. Light, so often a stranger in the darkness of a cell once again retreated from the room and just as quickly the sound of soft footsteps passed out of hearing. (This is the end of my wildrunner prisoner rp. I thank them for allowing me this chance to rp with them)
The Storytellers of Ansalon, The DragonLance MUD
Astinus points to the massive wall of books behind him and bids you to make a selection.
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