The Great Library of Palanthas
An Aesthetic shows you to a small reading room.
Stories of Ansalon from the view of Hahn.
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 small leaflet on the table in front of you.
You note the spine bears the word 'Hahn' scribed in burnt brown ink.
Author: Hahn Date Sun Apr 14 22:37:43 2002 Subject Hahn's story volume I I remember when the curse of magic came to me. It was a cold night in the town of Yarus, in the winter of my seventeenth birthday. The wind rustled through the remnants of autumn leaves. . The sky, illuminated by the harvest moon cast everything in a warm red glow. It was the kind of night where the anticipation hung like a blanket, fueled by the seemingly limitless possibilities of adventure. I walked along the outskirts of town, guarding my father's land. My father was a hard man, the wrinkles etched in his face from years of toil and effort in the fields. He wouldn't have outsiders in his land. I could see his face, wrinkled in disgust at the sign of crop-robbers when I told him. I'd probably get scolded for not mending the fence as I had been asked to do. "No, better to take care of this myself", I thought aloud. The point of entry had to be the hole in the fence, I noted, seeing the large clearing in the grain. I cursed myself for forgetting my knife in my pack in the barn. I heard rustling ahead and moved toward it. "Probably just another boar" I said to myself, at once reprimanding myself for the volume of my voice. The grain ahead of me shook as I heard a cry. No, definitely not human either. I shifted to get a look at the creature. What I saw haunts me to this day. The familiar shape under the black robes assured me that this was a human. Blood shone a dark crimson black on the wheat stalks. It gave off an earsplitting shriek as it looked at me. It shuffled to its feet looking at me. Those eyes. Ill never get tham out of my head. They appeared to have nails driven into them, and the bloody area around them shined bright green. It fixed it gaze upon me, and again cried out. I looked at the barn where my family was no doubt gathered for dinner a good 50 yards away. The creature shambled into the light giving me a hostile glare. The blackened skin of the beast gave off the distinct smell of burned fat. It screamed and attacked me, unawares of its true intent. All of a sudden the moon began to shine red filling my vision as the creatued struck me in the shoulder. Its claws dug into my flesh painfully. My eyes were filled with blood red light as I heard a sizzling around my hands. I lost consiousness to the feeling of heat energy gathered around my hands, the smell of burning hair and cloth, and the creatures horrid shrieks of pain. My dreaming was fitful they said I couldn't see. I smelled burning pitch and the poultices on my hands and shoulders. I saw my sistershe had a strange glow about her. I awoke in The Red Silk Inn, an establishment I knew well. I opened my eyes. No one around. My hands were fine. Something wasn't right. I let my eyes focus on the dark corner. Someone was there in the shadows. The man stepped out of the dark shadows, his black robe falling to the floor. I knew him well. He was an associate of my father that sold magically enhanced fertilizer. Everyone said he had powers, that he can read your mind, summon the weather, and kill you with a glance. He was feared and respected. He looked at me, his expession soft with sympathy. My will wavered, my sight blurred. I fell back into my slumber as the words he said echoed on the paper board walls. "How could you?" The whole night they came and went. The townspeople and soldiers held quiet conversations with Miller, the wizard. "Does he know?" "All of them dead?" "I will take him in." "Whatever." Three months passed. (To be continued in part 2 of my story) Author: Hahn Date Mon Jul 1 07:40:58 2002 Subject Hahn's story Vol. II "Try harder this time Hahn, you must feel the magic," Miller said his voice edged with the strain of the days without progress. I sincerely tried to call the magic forth the way i did that night, under the harvest moon, but it never came. I was not the center of the pool feeling the currents around me as Miller always said to. He always said i was more like a dead fish floundering for air on land.....that i must learn to fell, breathe, and be the magic fore it would obey my command. "Thats enough for today.....why dont you gather your things and go home," he said his face pale with aggravation he couldnt voice but we both knew was there. I turned to him, my first master, and smiled.....trying to lighten the mood i said, "You know i could really feel it today.....I almost had it and I will....just you wait and see." The former black robe turned to me with a scowl that screamed LIAR, looked at me and said, "I know....it wont be long yet....though the winds frighten me these days." "Surely they dont hunt you still master," I said worriedly my face flushing. "They will never give up. They will find and kill me," He said sinisterly and directed me to leave. Miller always had of way of making everything sound so sinister, I tought to myself to ease the worry...I looked up at the gentle moon now white and beautiful like the fresh packed snow upon the ground I reached my house and immediately retired to my room, my parents still angry with me for the increased stay in the red silk they were forced to pay for due to my injuries. That and the fact of the massive amounts of money i owed them from the burning of their crops (which i swear was not my fault..just the result of a hoorid dream sequence) and the increased tab i ran up at red silk (If i had known it was that much That and the fact of the massive amounts of money i owed them from the burning of their crops (which i swear was not my fault..just the result of a horrid dream sequence) and the increased tab i ran up at red silk. I could still see the marks on my hands and smell the pungent herbs where the poultices on my hand had once been. I still do not remember much of that night....though I do remember the man in black robes, burned beyond recognition. I sat up all night looking at the moon......though i couldnt use my magic i could see the moon as no other (minus another wizard) could......strong, radiant, and beautiful it called out to me....called out....called out I awoke from this trance to the fact that someone actually was calling out for me......I frowned remembering Miller's advice about my near constant daydreaming, which was near filled with expletives. The cause for alarm rose as I stood and noticed that there was a heavy smoke laying in the air...windswept it was hard to see where it came from....somewhere in the town proper??? No just outside of town ......"Oh no!!!" I gasped aloud...."theyve found him"......I said quite fearfully as i rushed out of the house....... (to be continued in volume III) Author: Hahn Date Mon Jul 1 21:10:59 2002 Subject Hahn story volume III I looked through the house again. The smoke was getting thick and my eyes burned.... I noted the blood, the fingernail marks raked into the wood as if made by some fell beast, the way everything was ransacked as if they looked for something. "Time to go", I said to myself, as the smoke was coming down the stairs in greater amount and concentration......I could smeel pitch and burnt hair. As i walked out I noticed a trail of blood on the ground. Fresh blood, I noted with disgust......this could only mean.....my eyes teared up (from the smoke of course!). I followed the winding trail around seemingly made by a frenetic animal.....or a deranged kender by the way it twisted and turned. The twisty turny trail led into the woods.....i disappeared quietly into the foliage being in my element....I followed the trail for what seemed to be hours. The smell of burnt hair and pitch oddly enough was growing stonger......the blood trail also grew wider.. I heard noises like the sounds of an animal rutting...but i chalked it up to the forest wildlife........ Wait a minute....the wildlife is gone.....the forest was quiet....oddly enough i found this comforting and not disconcerting as I should. I followed the trail for near to another hour until it led me to a familiar looking fence. "This is my fathers land" i said to myself......"and the same vandal who destroyed my masters house broke my fence." I said angrily. I followed the trail of tramped down grain looking for this person. My master, his robes seemingly burned into his skin blackening it. He was bleeding from a gash in his side profusely...But worst of all were his eyes.....He was blinded by two long nails in each eye. I let out a gasp that rang out like a scream I took a deep inward breath from my screaming to notice my master was trying to say something. He was burned head to toe even on the inside of his mouth. The words he uttered were like daggers to my soul. "No I can't" I cried. "I could never" 'Kiiiilllllllll mmmmeeee....."he said almost too faint to hear. "NO dont make me do it...i cant even call the magic," I admitted ruefully. He smiled with his cracked lips, pointed up with a gnarled blackened still smoking finger at the white moon. Then I understood everything He didnt want me to kill him......he wanted me to grant him his life....to release him from his pain....that was what magic was...magic was life, the power of life.... I put out my hands He whispered a final good bye A tear slid down my cheek as i say the words that came to me the night of the harvest moon. I closed my eyes and felt the heat....wave after have of horrible heat rose up from my hands enclosing them in a aura of roiling flames. The heat slammed into his body as he said his last goodbye...... Then he was blown away into a cloud of ash I looked back on the house i had known all my life...the sun shining on it casting myriad colors through the tears in my eyes. And i turned my back and walked away..
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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