An Aesthetic shows you to a small reading room.

Stories of Ansalon from the view of Jargin.

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 large tome gilt in gold on the table in front of you.
You note the spine bears the word 'Jargin' scribed in dark grey ink.

Author:    Jargin         
Date:      Sun Feb 28
00:42:55 2010
Subject     A Knight, A Gnome, And An Assface.
(PT 1)

The inn was full that night, standing room only,
and when 
the gnome entered he was almost trampled a few times. 

However he was used to this sort of thing, and side 
stepped and
dodged out of the way.  The tall people never 
considered his
kind, nor the dwarves or kender for that 
matter, and it was
second nature by now to move clear.
 
 
He made his way to the
back, towards a room clearly 
marked PRIVATE, and was about to
enter when a goon 
grabbed him by his hair. "And where do you
think YOU 
are going you little dung heap? If you cannot read I
will 
spell it out for you.  NO GNOMES ALLOWED!  In fact, get

the abyss out of here period."  The gnome sniffed and 
feigned
sadness before speaking. 

"Ihavebusinessheremygoodman,andifyouwouldjustletmepass,
thepeopleIammeetingwillvouchforme.Ireallydonothavetimefor
gamesatthemomentsoIwouldaskthatyouletgoofmyhairnow."
 
 
The man only pulled tighter, causing the tiny fellow to

shriek in pain as he began to pull him towards the 
entrance to
throw him out.  But it seemed the gnome had 
other plans because
he pulled some dried flowers from a 
pouch at his side and blew
them up into the man's face.
 

"Ithinkweshouldbefriends.Youknowyoucanneverreallyhaveto
omanyofthose,wellthatiswhatmygrandfatherusedtosay.Of
coursehewouldn'thavehadtodealwithanassfacelikeyou,but....
Whatdoyousay?Doyouwantobemyfriend?"

The goon suddenly became more relaxed as the gnome asked 
the
question, pausing for a long moment as the magic took 
effect.
"Why yes little guy, You seem alright to me 
after all. You
said you were meeting some people in back 
right? Let me escort
you there myself."The gnome smiled 
and reached up his
hand"Thanksassface.Iappreciateit."
 
Hand in hand the two
made thier way to the room marked 
PRIVATE, and upon reaching the
threshhold, a gruffled 
voice came from one of the dark corners
of the room. 
"Jargin Breeblebrox, get your behind in here. You
are 
over an hour late!" The gnome let go of the goon's 
hand,
and
retorted,"Seeyouhavemademelateassface.Itold
youIhadbusinessinherebutIwillforgiveyouifyougoandbuymean
ale,anddonotbecheap,wearefriendsafterallright?"
 The 
charmed man smiled widely "Ass face, that makes me

laugh.  No wonder I like you so much.  I'll bring you and 
your
friends a round of the inn's finest."
 
Jargin walked to the
table in the dark corner, and after 
a few tries hopped up onto a
vacant chair.  The gruff 
voice was now accompained by a face, a
Knight of Solamnia 
to be exact, and a Knight of the Crown to
be....exacter?
"What was that all about?  Why was that man
leading you 
about and buying us ale?" The gnome grinned
evilly, 
then put up his hands over his head making a halo with

his fingers."YouknowmeDavian.Iamalwaysmakingfriends

whereverIgo.Thatnicemanjustwantedtodosomethingniceforme.
AndIameversosorrythatIamlate.Iwasdetainedbytheguard.
Apparantlytheydonotknowagnomefromakender,whichisreallyfru
stratingtosaytheleast...."
Davian slammed his fist down 
on the table jarring several empty
mugs in an 
interruption. "ENOUGH! Must you needlessly chatter

endlessly?  And must I remind you to SLOW down your 
speech one
more time? How long have we known each other 
Breeblebrox? I fear
sometimes it has been too long."
 
Again the gnome feigned
sadness, but quickly became 
lively again.
"I....am.....sorry.......sir....knight. I

will...attempt...to....sink...to....your....level. It

amazes...my....kind...that...you...humans...ever...get

anything...done...in...your...slow...motion...world." 
The
gnome slurred the words, over extending the pauses on 
purpose,
hoping to get a rise out of the knight, but to 
no avail.  
 
A
wench came to the table with a pitcher of ale and some 
mugs, and
set them down, pouring up two frothy mugs. 
Jargin handed her a
gold coin, and as she was leaving, 
slapped her on her behind,
and this finally got a rise 
out of the Solamnic. "Mind your
hands Beeblebrox. May 
Paladine forgive you for your lust."
However, the wench 
really didn't seem to mind, because she
turned back and 
gave the little gnome a wink before her exit.  

Jargin took the mug in hand, and Davian did in kind. The 
gnome
lifted it up, straining to reach across the table 
as he made a
toast. "Toyouandme.....and if we 
everdisagree?.....Youwill
probably killme."  At this a 
slight smile came across the
knight's face, and he tapped 
his mug to the gnomes, before
taking a healthy swill.  
The gnome tilted back the oversized mug
and began gulping 
steadily, knocking back the entire mug, and
not spilling 
a drop. The knight looked incredulously at the tiny

humanoid as he took another sip of the ale before resting 
it on
the table.
 
"Shallwe get downto businessDavian? Ihate to

drinkandrun, but Ido have afewmore 'clients' Imust see

thisevening. Time ismoney youknow.  Notthat I donot enjoy 
your
company andall."  Jargin stretched across the 
table, barely
grasping the handle of the pitcher of ale, 
and pulled it towards
him, pouring another mug. Davian 
again looked slightly amused at
the gnome's antics. 
"You have it with you?" The knight's
eyes brightened 
as the gnome nodded yes to his question.
"Ofcourse 
silly. Withmostof my clients Iwould haverecieved

mypayment and hadthem gotoa securelocation. But I 
trustyou
Davian, withyour codeofhonor and highideals. And 
I believeinyour
cause.  There willnotbe anyroom for 
someone likeme in a world
ruledby..you know....her."
 
The gnome began to reach to the
floor, but lost his 
balance then, and fell with a crash but was
quickly up 
again, hopping back to the human sized chair.
Reaching 
into the bag he procured, he fumbled his hand around
for 
a moment, then pulled a very long sword from inside. The

knight looked amazed because it was just not possible for 
such
a long sword to fit inside the bag, but somehow it 
had.  Jargin
set the sword across the table and began to 
fumble inside the
strange bag again, this time producing 
a small silk pouch.  

The sword was of the finest steel, double edged, and two 
handed
even for a human, and in the handle was some sort 
of clasp,
perhaps for a jewel of some sort, however empty 
at the moment.
Jargin began to whisper his tone becoming 
more serious.
"Itworks onthe big onesandthe littleones.
Itis simpleto
changeout, andthe stones arein thepouch. 
Rubyforred,
Sapphireforblue, emeraldforgreen, 
diamondforwhite, and
obsidianforblack. Asforthe smallones 
thereisa mithril talisman
toplace insteadof astone.  
Itwill be effective
againstallofthem.  Davian nodded as 
he placed a large pouch on
the table, and slid it over to 
the gnome. "Good work Jargin,
this will definitely help 
the cause. Here is the payment we
discussed, and worth 
every steel."
 
Jargin took the pouch and
placed it in the same bag, 
nodding as he took the mug of ale and
slammed it back, 
emptyting the contents, burping loudly after.
"Just 
remember Davian, youare rentingthis. Itisnotforsale.

Ihave takengreat risk bringingthis toyou, and ifandwhen

theothers findout Ireplaced itwith a fake, Iam in very

serioustrouble indeed.  Mygreatgreatgrandfather 
discovered
thisartifact andit tookhis sonand myfather 
thier whole lifequest
tofind the stones. And ithas been 
partof mine to havethe
mithriltalisman constructed. I 
musthave itback whenthis is
allover, because I cannot go 
back to the mountain untilthat
time."
 
 
CONTINUED

Author:    Jargin        

Date:      Sun Feb 28 00:47:49 2010
Subject     A
Knight, A Gnome, And An Assface (Pt 2)

Sir Davian looked
shocked, "Beeblebrox are you telling 
me this is stolen?  You
know I could never..."  And 
this time the gnome was the one to
cut him off. "This 
hasbeeninmyfamilyhundredsofyears Davian.
Itiscertainly
NOT stolen.  Itwas
donatedtothedepartmentofcuriousgoods
andartifacts, anditwas
BORROWEDfromthe departmentof
curiousgoodsandartifacts.
Andafteryouhavewonyourwar, it
willbereturned to...." The
interruption game continued.
"I reluctantly see your point
Jargin. We have a deal. 
It is my duty to see you get this back,
and I swear to 
Paladine you will be able to go home again."

The gnome began to reach for the pitcher again, but the 
knight
pulled it back towards himself, wagging his finger 
at Jargin.
"Youare nofun Davian.  IknowIknow everything 
within
moderation. And thisgivesme sometime to 
goexploring anyway. I
couldnot complete mylifequest 
sitting inthat mountain. 
Magicalitems donot 
findthemselves, well unlesstheywant
tobefound, sometimes 
theywant tobefound youknow. AndI wasnot the
mostwell 
likedcollector anyway. Youknowwith the stigmaattached
to
myfamily. Theyconsiderus madyouknow.  Justbecause
ofour
lifequest and thesimplicity ofourdesigns. Amachine
does
nothave tohave tenswitches when fourwill do...."
 
The
knight once again slammed his fist on the table in an

interruption. "Kiri-Joleth grant me patience with this

infinite chatterbox! You do not need another ale, you are

already beginning to slur and ramble on....endlessly.  
The
gnome eyed the pitcher of ale wantingly but knew 
better than to
try and grab it from the knight, and 
mumbled under his
breath.Iwilljustgetmynewfriend
assfacetobuymeanotherround.Thatiswhatfriendsarefor."

Davian did not hear him or he pretended not to notice.

"AndIdo hopethat sometimeaway fromthevault might givemy
hair
achance toturnback to it'snormalcolor. Notthatthe
blueissobad.
Iwonderifthisonly happens to gnomesor if
ambient magicalenergy
couldaffect otherraces inthe same
way." The gnome again belched
loudly, drawing attention 
even from some of the other patrons.
"Youknow itisnot
badmanners ifitis goodale!"  The knight
covered his 
mouth and feigned a cough, but Jargin could tell he
had 
finally made the rigid man laugh. Davian stood and 
gathered
the sword and the pouch of stones. "Shall we 
meet here again
in one months time?" The gnome also 
gathered his things,
wobbling a little on the stool, the 
alcohol he had slammed down
doing it's job. "Iwill
try. Ihave tojourney tothe mazeforest.
Thereis something
there Imustdo. IfIamunable to behere, Iwill
sendword. 
Pray forme SirKnightDavian, forwhat Ido nextwillbe

perilous."
 
The knight nodded to the gnome. "May the Gods
of Light
protect you on your journey Jargin Breeblebrox. You have

done us a great service this night. Even though you are

contacerous and grating, I am happy to call you my 
friend. Stay
out of trouble old man."  The gnome slid 
from the chair and
plopped to the floor. "May thered
moon shinedown infavor
uponyou, andthewhiteone."
 
And with goodbyes said the knight
departed and the gnome, 
quite intoxicated, left the table and
made his way back 
to the common room.
   

AssfaceAssfaceWheredidmynewfriendgo?
Itisrudetoleave
afriendbehindAssface!" And through the crowd
the goon 
pushed his way to the gnome. "Is your business

concluded my little friend? Anything I might do for 
you?" And
Jargin Beeblebrox just laughed and said.

"LetushaveanotherroundAssface.Thenightisyoung."
And the two
"new friends" drank and conversed until
the sunrise. 

FINE

Author:    Jargin         
Date:      Fri
Mar 12 01:25:46 2010
Subject     (RP) Small Talk. (PT
1)

Jargin runs into the Smiling Mug to escape the rain
that 
came suddenly over Palanthas.  Finding a room in the back

of the bar,  he hops a couple of times, finally reaching 
a
human sized chair.
    
Gnorm frustrated shuffles down the street
head down in 
the rain thinking. Walking in front of a large
building 
with laughter pouring out and windows that are lit with

warm light. He sighs and enters the building. Quickly 
scanning
the room he sees something that he hasn't seen 
since he has been
in Palanthas, there is another gnome 
sitting at the bar.
   

Jargin waves his hand several times, as he tries to get a

wench's attention, but as usual no one pays the gnome any 
mind.
 At the entrance of another of his race, he smiles 
widely, and
gestures for him to join him.
 
As he sees the other gnome
guesturing for him to come 
over and join him, Gnorm shakes the
water of his 
Waterproofrainjacket v.12.2 and momentarily slips
in the 
large puddle it creates on the ground. He quickly dodges

in between a combination or larger humans, minotaurs and

halfelves to greet the newfound gnome
   

'Well.Iwillbejustdamned.Icannotbelievemyeyesbrother.
IfiguredIwastheonlyoneoutandaboutawayfromthatcursed
mountain.IcannottellyouhowhappyIamtoseeanother.'
   
Gnorm exlaims
'PleasetomeetyouIamalsohappytoseeanother
gnome.
Ithoughtmaybeineverwouldagain.Butletmetell
youthisisawonderoussight.'
    
Jargin reaches over to a chair beside him, almost falling

over in the process, but he manages to pull it out.  He 
again
waves his hand at a wench, and is ignored once 
again.

'Haveaseat.Ifyouhoprealhardyoucanmakeitup.Ithinkitisso
rudetheydonotEVERhavechairsforussmalltypes.Iwonderif

thisbotherstheKenderaswell?'
       
Gnorm hops as hard as he
can grabs onto the chair but 
starts to fall off, arms flailing
wildly but he manages 
to get a firm hold on the chair and pull
himself up.
    

'Whythanks.IcannotimaginetheywouldletKenderinhereto
thatendanyways,butyesitisveryinconsiderate.'
      
Jargin sighs, as he is ignored a third time.  He pulls a

paper cone from a satchel at his side, and quietly 
chants,
closing his eyes a moment.  He puts the cone to 
his mouth, and
screams.  The cone vanishes, and is 
replaced with a deafening
roar, that shakes well..... 
everything. Everyone stops, now
paying full attention.
       
'Myfriend andI wouldlike around
ofaleplease.'

'IngeniousThatwasquiteeffecitiveimustsay.Didyouinvent
that?
Coulditakealooklatermaybemakesomeadjustments?'
    

{h'Itisnotreallyaninventionperse.JustacantripIlearnedfrom
averyimpatientmentor.Simple....buteffectiveforsure.'
    

'Verywell.butthatdoesgivemesuchawonderousidea..thiscoul
dmakelongdisancecommunicationpossibleifwemakeitloudenough
maybepeoplecouldtalkoverhundredsofmilesyouthink?'
  
Jargin smiles as a wench promptly returns with mugs of 
ale. 
She looks somewhat scared as she places them down.  
He nods to
the other gnome and his words, and pulls some 
coins from a
change purse, handing them to the woman, and 
thanks her.
     
 
'Thatwastried.Howeverthespellhadanadverseeffectandcauseda
nearthquakeatgroundzero.Forittotravelhundredsofmiles,
thesoundwouldshatterbones.'

Gnorm claps the other gnome in the back in thanks and 
pulls mud
of ale close to him.
       

'OhmygoshhowrudeofmeIquitesimplyforgottointrouduce
myself.IamGnorm,monkofMajerefromtheDepartmentofReligion
andMartialArts!'
   
At the mention of the gnome's name, Jargin nods 
thoughtfully
a moment, pausing, which is very unusal, 
especially between two
gnomes.
         
Gnorm raises his mud to his mouth and takes a
few big 
gulps to deal with that is sure to come.
   

'JarginBreeblebrox.sonofMathias.sonofJanussonofChark.You
knowweareawayfromthatmountainsowecanskiptheformality
thistimearound.AndIknowyourname.Itisashamewhathappenedto
you...........andyourassistant.'

  

'AmostunfortunateACCIDENT.Ikepttryingtotellthemthatitwas
justandaccident.Noonecouldofpredictedafullsystemfailure
suchasthatandthesafteyharnessbroke.Iprobablyshouldof
testedthemonseperateoccasions'
   
Gnorm sucks in a deep breath and continues.
   

'Butitwasonlyaslighterrorinjudgementonmypart.Myassistant
suggestedwekilltwokenderswithonestoneandwell...itwas
terrible.NowI'mnotallowedbackbutwhatever.Nowthereareno
rulestowhatIcanandcannotdo'
   
Gnorm Sucks in even more air his face returning to its

normal hue from red.
  

'Myonlyissuenowisitgetslonely,andgoodhelpishardtofind.
Reallyhard.'

Jargin takes the large human sized mug of ale by the 
handle,
and swills it down in one breath, never spilling 
on drop.  When
he reaches up his hand this time, the 
wench is instantly there. 
He hands her some more coins 
for another round.
   

'AccidentshappenGnorm.AndIamsorryforwhathappenedtoyou.
IamnotascientistnorreallyaninventorsoIcannotsay.Myfamily
hasadifferentlifequestthanmost.'
   
Gnorm looks up from his feet that he was shuffling in

discomfort, and smiles at the friendliness Jargin has 
given
him.
   

'Thanksandyoumusttellmeallaboutyourlifequestandmaybewecan
getsomeinventingintoyou.Ineedhelpwithmyinventionsand
anotherassistantorfriendIshouldsaywouldmeantheworldtome'

    
 
CONTINUED

Author:    Jargin        

Date:      Fri Mar 12 01:28:41 2010
Subject     (RP)
Small Talk. (Pt 2)

Jargin looks a little panicked at the
mention of being an 
"assistant", but the look is quickly gone. 
The wench 
brings another round, and again, he takes his mug and

gulps it down.  Looking to Gnorm's still half full first 
one, 
he takes the third in hand.
  

'YouwillnotgetmenearthatsuitGnorm.ButIdoknowaspellthatcan
protectyournewvolunteersfromsomeoftheheat.Iwouldbehappyto
helpinthatregard.'

 

'Aspell!Thatmustmeanyouknowmagic.Thatisintrestingandvery
useful.Maybeyoucouldenchantthesuittoo.Thereisanendless
listofpossibilitesnowAndasforsuittestingiusallytestit
myselfnow.Ifeellikeitsonlyright!'

'Thatismyfamily'scurseandblessingIsuppose.Alonglineof
magicusers.Mylifequestistocollectunsualandmagicalrelics.
IamwiththeDepartmentofCuriousGoodandArtifacts.Thiskeepsme
awayfromNevermind.Againthisisablessingandacurse.'
       

'I'vheardofgnomesinthatdepartment.Theytendtobevery
differntfromothergnomes,beingmoreexposedtotheoutside
world.Letmetellyouitisacursenotbeingunderthemountain!
Youknowhowharditistogetmagmaonaregularbasis?'
      
Gnorm looks down at his drink, swirls it a few times, and

takes another gulp as the strong alchohol burns his 
throat.

Jargin wobbles on the human sized chair now, getting a 
very
bright red glow on his face, his eyes becoming a 
little blood
shot.  He raises his glass in a toast to 
Gnorm and his words.

    

'TognomesrunningfreeonAnsalonAndifyouwantmagma,thereis
plentyofitinSanction.Howevertherearealsoalotofreally
creepythingstheretoo.Iremainedquiteinvisibleinmyravels
there.'
     
Gnorm raises his mug and crashes it against Jargins,

spilling some as he gulps the rest of it down, coughing

loudly.
    

'Goodstuff...andSanctionyousay.Imusttravelthere.I'msureit
wouldn'tbetoobad.'

   

'Itbelongstoyouknow........her.Iwouldtreadtherecarefully.
Butitisthepremiumplaceforfireandbrimstoneandallofthat.
Thereisashipinportthatwilltakeyouthereforaminimumfee.I
havefoundsomeveryuniqueartifactsthere.'

     

'Ahwell,Iwillhavetoexploreit.CanIcountonyoutocomewithme
andperhapswatchmyback,beaguide,orevenjustafriendtotalkto?

  
Jargin begins to slur a little now, but gulps down the 
rest
of the third large mug.  All of a sudden he burps 
very loudly,
drawing more attention to the two tiny 
humanoids.  
 
Gnorm
sways slightly in his stool, using all his gnomly 
strength to
stay on it and not to a new seat on the 
ground.
      

'IthinkI'vehadquiteenoughdrinkingforonenightthough.Doyou
haveaplacetostayIhaveanextraroominthefactoryImrentingout.

    

'IThinkthisisthebeginningofa.....productiveandinteresting
relationshipGnorm.Yeswecoulddosometravelling.Iwouldenjoy
thecompany.Everyonetalkstoslowly.andtheyarerudeandallof
thefurnitureistoobig.'

   

'OhideasareracingthroughmyheadIcantthinkstraightwiththis
alebefuddlingme.Imustsayweshouldleaveforthenight.'
    
Jargin wobbles and this time falls with a crash from the

chair to the floor, but is quickly up, and nods to Gnorm,

motioning for him to lead the way.

'Yhesh.That'dbeeeaguudIdea.Leadshtehwayyfiernd.'
     
Gnorm
carefully steps down but misses his landing, his 
feet getting
tangled in the stool. He trips and 
faceplants into the ground
knocking over a couple chairs.
Then a large bouncer grabs him and
Jargin by thier 
collars and tosses them out the door.
     

Gnorm stands and shakes his hand in anger at the door but 
loses
his balance and crashes to the ground. And Jargin 
smiles at his
antics.  And the two new friends walk to 
the wharehouse and into
a new future.
   
FINE
 

Author:    Jargin        

Date:      Tue Mar 16 20:00:38 2010
Subject     (RP) A
Day And Two Knights.  (PT 1)

In the distance a chattering
little voice can be heard, speaking a mile a 
minute.  At first
the words cannot be made out but as it gets closer, it 
obvious
it is a gnome. Jargin is talking with one of the newer knights.
 
  
"DavianDoIhaveTO!"
     
Railen notices the gnome and
walks over to him and Devian. "Sir Davian, 
is this the gnome
you've told me about?" He asks the knight, who nods and 
says
quietly "Yes sir, this is Jargin."
      
Jargin looks a
little terrified, as he clings to Davians arm.  He looks up 
to
the new knight, and tries to look innocent.

"IwasonlylookingaroundtheplaceIswear!
DavianpleasetellhimI'mnotaKender!"
    
Railen chuckles gently.
"Of course master Gnome. Young Davian here has 
told me much
about you."  He nods at Davian. 
    
"I must go, Jargin. I
have things I must attend." Davian says to the 
gnome, then
salutes Railen and walks away.
     
The gnome becomes a little
more relaxed, and looks over the Knight a 
moment, even though
Jargin still chatters away nervously.
       

"Davianhasbeenagoodfriendandbusinessassociate.Anyfriendofhiscouldbea
friendofmine."

A handsome man stands before you, his blond hair long and worn
in tight
braids under his helmet. He wares a suit full plate
armor that was inlaid
with gold and a brilliant Golden Battle
Crown encircling his helmet The
helmet has a heavy nose and cheek
guards and is also inlaid with gold. His
right eye is as blue as
the summer sky looks almost devoid of emotion. His
left eye,
however, is covered by a black eye patch that has a small
golden
crown on it and a scar decorates the left side of his
face, from his hair
line to his jawbone, going through his eye.
He wears an ankle length, white 
robe under his armor that is
embroidered in gold. A long brown leather 
swordsmen belt wraps
around his waist, holding a broad bladed hand and a 
half sword.
On his back, he wears a pristine white cloak that has a Golden

Crown embroidered on it, under a round shield that has the Revon
crest on 
it, as well as a beautifully crafted elven Longsword.
 

Railen says 'I see. So tell me Jargin, what brings you
here?'

'WellsillyDavianbroughtmeherewhenhefoundmenearthosecavesbythesea.Therewas
arumourthereweresomeniftytrinketsyouknow......forgotteninthere.SoIthoughtI
wouldtakealook.Ididnotknowyourpeoplewerealreadyinvestigating.'
   
Railen nods gently. "I see." He rubs the side of his
face."What kind 
of trinkets were you looking for?"
   

Jargin draws in a deep breath before he continues.
       

"Thisandthat.Youcanneverknowwhatisfactfromfictionwhenitcomestothehunt.
 
ButIspecializeinthearcane.Weaponsandarmorbeingthemostinteresting."
     
Railen says 'Aye, Davian showed me the sword you had
given him. Does it 
really do what he said it does?'
 
Jargin
pauses for a moment. "Iforget toslow downaround you guys. 

Forgiveme.  Iwill attemptit. However youseem tobe ableto keepup
with me.  
As for thesword, yesit provides alimited
protectionandoffence againstthem. 
Iam researchingthe
possibilityof augmentingthe sword'spower. Butsuch 
researchcould
takeyears.'
    
Railen smiles gently. "You, my friend are
not the first gnome I've met. I 
thank you though, for slowing
down. It is much easier." He nods. "Aye, 
but nothing worth
while is easy."
     
Jargin becomes totally relaxed, the
nervious expression gone, replaced by 
an infectious smile.  All
of a sudden a hose in the back of his strange 
armor hisses, and
belts out alot of steam, and a gurgle of water is heard.  
He
turns a switch on the golden plate, and nods to Railen's words

Railen steps back from the strange noises, his eyebrow raised.
 
 
'Don'tworry It hasn't blowup or sentme intothe heavensin
quiteawhile.  
Ithink Ihave workedout allofthedesign flaws. 
Ijusthave toadjustthe 
pressurefrom timetotime. When itis
finished and freeofflaws, itcan 
bemassproduced.'
    
Railen
asks 'And, what may I ask are the advantages of this..strange

armor?'
    
Jargin smiles to the knight and his taking
interest.
   

"Itcanbesettohigherpressure.Wheninthismode,thearmoraugmentsthewearer's
strength.
Innormal modeit negatesecomberance."
    
Railen falls silent
and nods, pondering the possibilities.
 
'Itried tocreate
humansized, butit createdseveral unforseen 
complications. 
Somethingabout thesize matters.  When Igoback to 
NevermindIplan
ondoing furtherexperimentation.'
    
Railen says 'I see.'
  
Jargin looks horrifed a moment,  as if remembering something
terrible, and 
then continues chattering.  "Myhumannameis
Jargin.  Donotaskmefor myGnome 
namefor, as you knowaboutgnomes
thiscantake sometime?  Whatisyourname 
SirKnight?"
    
Railen
chuckles gently and bows slightly. "Forgive me for my bad
manners. 
I am Lord High Warrior, Railen Revon."
 
Jargin bows
to Lord Railen in respect. "AsI havetold Davian, Iadmireyour

organization.  Youstandforsomething important.  Andalthough
Irevere 
Lunitari,  because ofmymagic, I believethat
theGod'soflight shallprevail 
inthe timesto come."
    
Railen
says 'The Triumvate will lead us through this dark time. We
will 
Triumph over the Darkness.'
     
Jargin begins to
chatter more quickly at the mention of Darkness.
      
"Isurelyhope soLordRevon.  TheDarkQueen hasnever norwill never

support thebalance.  Shewould enlsave allofus.  The God's
oflight see the 
wisdom of the balance and believeinfairness."
  
Railen nods. "Aye. That is true, my small friend."

'AfriendandI areplanning atrip west.  Wewillbe leavingsoon
toSanction.  
HeneedsLavaforhis lifequest, andthere areMANY
interestingthings there that 
I wouldlike tofind. 
MyGrandfather's research looksmost promising. 
Togothere is
totake GREAT care.'
    
Railen nods. "Sanction you say? That
is where the dragonarmies started 
from."
   
Jargin nods
solemnly, again looking quite disturbed as if remembering

something horrible. "Ifound thelast stonefor the swordthere. 
Theruby.  
Ibelieve therewill bemore.  Itis overrunwith
thosesmallones.  Idonotknow 
whatto callthem.  They looklike
dragonsandhumans combined.'
 
"Draconian scum!" Railen says
and spits hatefully.
    
Jargin giggles at Railen, but stops
suddenly, knowing to laugh is 
innapropriate. "Clevername
forthem.  Bestoaviodthem. Iplanon 
remainingquite cloakedwhilewe
gatherour supplies. Aquick inandout jobonthis 
one."
    

Railen says 'They die just as well as any man.'
   

'Buthave youseenthem die?  Someturntostone.  Someexplode. 
Notthat I have 
engagedthem.  Butsometimes theyfight amongst
themselves, andyou 
wouldn'tbelieve howvicious theyare.  Iknew
Iwouldneed tohelp Davianafter 
that trip.  SothatiswhyI
procuredthesword'
 
CONTINUED

Author:    Jargin     
   
Date:      Tue Mar 16 20:02:49 2010
Subject     (RP)
A Day And Two Knights. (PT 2)

Railen says 'I've killed
many of them.'
   
Jargin again bows in respect to Railen.
"Iforget sometimeswho Iamtalkging 
with.  Ofcourse you have. 
Youare brave KnightsofSolamnia.  My 
grandfatherwouldtellus
greattales of you.  Helivedbefore thecataclysm."
    
Railen
nods. "Sometimes i wish the Cataclysm didnt happen. Things
would 
be a lot different."
     
'Thereisastoryyouknow. 
Adarkrumour.  Itissaid that oneofyour order 
couldhave
preventedit. Buthe chosetobe selfish, anddid not liveupto his

obligation.  He wascursed to liveforever bythe Gods in
retribution.  
WellsoI wastold.'
 
Railen nods solemnly. "So
its said..So its said."
     
Jargin pauses a long moment
before he continues, again sucking in a great 
deal of air into
his lungs. "Ialready toldDavian, but ifwefind anything 
useful
toyour cause inSaction.  I willpass italong toyou. Ijustwant
itback 
after this is allover.  Itismy lifequest tocollect
thesethings. Butthey 
shouldbe used forwhat theywere intended,
duringtimes they areneeded.  
Theother peoplein thedepartment
donot understandthis."
     
Railen bows softly. "My thanks
to you, Master Gnome. Anything you give to 
us will indeed be
given back. You have my oath."

"ItrustyouandDavianisafineman.Hedeservesapromotion.DonottellhimIsaidthat.

HeandI have rocky relationship, andIwould liketo keepit that
way.  He isso 
easilyriledup.  Itmakes me laughsometimes."
    

Railen says 'Most young knights are easy to be riled up. Even
more so 
when you consider the losses we've all suffered.'
   

Jargin nods sagely at the Lord Knight, his demeanor becoming
quite serious. 
"Thosethat havegiventhier lives, restin
thebosom ofPaladine. Theyare 
rewarded forthier sacrifice,
andwill be remembered."
     
Railen says 'Aye.'
 
The knight
Davian returns, quite surprised Jargin is still in one piece.

Railen nods to him. "Davian, please escort Jargin out of camp.
Do have a 
safe journey master gnome.  I look forward to your
return."
    
And Jargin takes Davian's hand, looking up to his
fierce demeanor. 
     
"YouliedtomeDavian.  Heisn'tahorsesass.
 Heis actually quitenice, knows
aboutgnome waysandeverything."
   
And Davian looking quite horrified and angry, pulls the gnome
harshly from 
the tent. "Jargin Breeblebrox, I think I'll have
you horsewhipped on your 
way out!  Infernal gnome!"   
    

And Jargin turns and winks to Lord Railen, grinning evilly.

"So easily riled."
 
FINE

Author:    Jargin      
  
Date:      Sat Mar 20 10:43:51 2010
Subject    
Quickened Steps To A Mission.

The summon could not have
come at such a bad time but Jargin knew he would 
have to get
there as soon as he could.  When your Master calls, you drop

everything, even plans for a long journey.  With a few
apologizes to Gnorm 
he set out from Palanthas that very night. 

      
The trip was so long.  Aways weeks, buy ship, horse, and
foot, but at least 
now the little gnome could drop some of this
time, because he had finally 
mastered a small spell just for
travelling. Most human wizards avoided this 
one, because it had
the most unfortunate side effect of aging the caster.  
But for a
gnome this wasn't nearly the same problem.  And so when he

finally made it Solace, he knew the time was right
 
He journed
south from the city of trees, and sat down before a brook,

taking in the sunrise for a half an hour.  Then pulled the
component from a 
satchel.  It was a dried up paw of some kind,
but had shrivled and become 
mummified.  The gnome took it and
with his hand ground it into a dust, and 
upon speaking the
correct incantation, be blew sprinkled it over the top of 
his
head.  
     
The magic hit him instantly, and he could tell,
because his entire body 
began to race.  His heart began to beat
quicker, he began to take more 
rapid breaths, and his mind
seemed to be so much more alert.  And so the 
enchanted gnome
stood, and began to...........run.
 
He ran as quickly as a
panther, and with as much grace, dodging obstacles, 
and with
supernatural reflexes and agility, he jumped streams and small

chasms that he whized by.  He ran without tiring, his little
legs, a whirl 
of motion, and the miles to the tower evaporated
behind him. And in one 
afternoon, he had covered the terrain
that would have normally taken him 
two days.  
      
And as he
expected, the spell faded as he neared the Tower of Wayreth.  The

gnome stopped finally, and fell to the ground in exhaustion, as
he began 
now to gasp for breath, his muscles tightening, with
his heart pounding in 
his head. This went on for what seemed to
be an eternity, and he began to 
understand why few magi ever
performed this spell.  The cost was high. 
 
The gnome managed to
get himself up from the ground, and walked into the 
courtyard,
taking a moment to rinse the grime he had collected on his

mystical run, and then took off towards the red tower, where his
master 
would be waiting.  
     
And after finally making it to
the top, her strode in, trying to hide the 
fatigue from his
demanor.  His master was there sitting at a table, and 
Jargin
sat across from him, giving Ciskei his full attention.
    

Ciskei says 'Alright my apprentice. It's now time to for you
to prove 
your worth to the Conclave. Do you believe you are
ready for the task that 
I am about to give you?'

'IlivetoserveourGoddessinanywayIcanmymaster.TellmewhatImustdo.'
    
Ciskei grins and says 'I like your enthusiasim, alright
then.'
     
Jargin grins back, a hiss coming from his behind,
and and a gurgling of 
water coming from his unusal armor.  
   

"Youbringupmyenthusiasmmaster.Ibecomeabettermagefromyourdirection."
    
Ciskei says 'Your first task my little apprentice, is to
bring me the 
fangs of a great dragon. There are many which roam
the plains of Krynn my 
little friend. Lunitari lets only those
cunning and powerful get close to 
her. Then show me the your
worth by bringing me a glimmering diamond in 
which is embedded a
star. These are very rare, and i would need one to show 
you the
true power of the staff.'
 
As Ciskei speaks, the little
gnome's eyes sparkle with....joy. Jargin 
dances up and down, as
if having to go the bathroom, looking up to his 
master with such
glee.  "I havealways wantedtokilla dragon!"
    

'AndIhavesomeSolamnicKnightfriends.  CanIhavethemhelpme?'
  
  
And at the mention of the stone and a staff, Jargin looks
perplexed, 
looking to his sword and shield.  "I havelearned
manyskills master,  a 
staffreally? 
Tellmemoreaboutthis......stone. Aswordorwhipormace 
itdoesmore
damage."
     
Ciskei says 'You may use whomever you'd like,
though bring with you only 
those whom you trust. Never show your
back to anyone, Solamnic or anyone. 
Some of the people of this
world despise our gift, and will do what they 
can to destroy it.
Do you understand?'
 
Jargin nods to him.  "People dismiss us
small people.  They think we are 
weak.  And in a way this
is.........anadvantagemaster!"
    

'Wesurprisethem.Evenyou!Youneverbotheredtoask,
butIhavemuchtogive.
    
Jargin bows to the High mage, and
demurs, knowing he overspoke.
      
Ciskei stares intently as
his apprentice speaks, then shakes his robed head 
as
understanding. 'Maybe then, the next task i give you will be
twice as 
hard gnome! Do you know to whom you speak?'
     

Jargin bows to the High mage, and demurs, knowing he overspoke.
     "Mylifequest..........isto find, artifacts, 
thingsofpower.  
Formost.....humans, they do not understand.
Andforeven mostgnomes, 
theydonotunderstand. 
Iwishtofulfillmyquestand to servethe redrobes. 
I talk
toomuchasusual' 
 
Jargin backs away from Ciskei, looking
quite........frightened.
      
Ciskei removes his cowl to
revealing the lithe face of an elf, sad and dark 
though
radiating power. 'Then do this for me apprentice Jargin, and do

not speak of my lineage ever again or I will make your next task
twice as 
difficult and something you will not survive, or kill
you there on the 
spot.' 
      
Ciskei's eyes flare as he
grins down at his apprentice.
 
As his master reveals himself to
be an elf, the gnome backs further away 
looking,
quite.......scared.   Jargin 's  eyes do not meet his masters. 

"The othersthinkyou........bloodthirsty. 
Youhavea........reputation."
   
Ciskei says 'What better way
to keep the balance of good and evil, soon 
you will find your
own way in which to represent the balance...whether it 
be my way
or some other calling.'
     
Ciskei's eyes cool down but his
expression remains hard.
     
Ciskei says 'And now, if you
have no further questions I would ask you to 
leave and be hasty
with this chore apprentice.'
 
Jargin meets the elf's for the
first time since they were joined and simply 
nods.
       

"Idonotcriticize. Youhavebeena.......goodexampleCiskei.
Wewillnever quite 
see eyetoeye oncertain things. ButIservethe
magic, andsodoyou. I will 
complete what youask."
     
Jargin
backs away from his master, his scared expression still quite
upon 
his face.
     
Ciskei sneers as his apprentice speaks
those last words. He turns to his 
desk and sits down over an
ancient looking tome. "Then go, and do not 
disturb me until
the task is done."
 
Jargin nods, and on his way out, places
something upon his desk.  It is a 
jade stone inscribed with
magical symbols.  He does not say a word, but 
smiles as he
leaves, muttering under his breath.  "Something I found. It

might help."
  
And the gnome walks down the staircase, still
looking quite exhausted, and 
frightened, from the trip and his
master respectively. And he pulls another 
of the dried up paws
from a pouch.  He studies it a moment, and puts it 
back. 
"This time I think I'll just walks."

FINE

Author:    Jargin         
Date:      Wed
Mar 24 16:22:38 2010
Subject     (RP) A Gnome, A Gnome, And An
Assface. (PT 1)

Jargin walks into the warehouse, his
look.....disheveled.  His unnatural 
blue hair is in tatters, and
his expression is one of unmediated...chaos.  
A large toned, and
handsome man walks behind him,  a dull look in his eyes, 
and
upon spotting Gnorm, Jargin quickens his steps.
    
Gnorm hears
the door of the warehouse creek and a couple of people enter 
the
room. With the sounds of footsteps he puts down his hammer and
sets 
aside the cogs and wheels he had been working with. He asks
'Whoisthis? 
Anothertestsubject?'
 
'DEFINITELYnotGnorm.
Thisis..Assface!  Averygoodfriendofmine.  

Hehasvolunteered......tohelpus
sincewewereOBVIOUSLYrippedoffby....the 
lastroundofpeople.'
Jargin looks angry and upset,  almost sneering at 
Gnorm. 
"Youtrustedthatcaptian, andhejust......tookourmoney!  
IT
doesn'tgrowon treesyouknow."
   
Gnorm blinks innocently.
   

Okar grumbles about lilly livered sea captains.
    
Jargin
looks deep into Assface's eyes, and winks, smiling evilly. 

"Mydearfiend.  Youshouldrelax.  Noreasontobecome upset. 
Wearefriends 
afterall.  Youhave beensuch a goodfriend, 
especiallyafterescorting me 
here." 
     
Okar noticably
relaxes, and says 'Aye that is what friends are for after

all.'
 
Jargin grins to Gnorm and back to the human. "Indeed
Assface.  Gnorm, 
haveyoumetmyfriendAssface?  Hewantedtogiveme
problems butthen....wefound 
wehadmuch in common.  I'm soglad I
met assface,  he'sbeen a realpal!"
     

'Iampleasedtomeetyouassface...apeciluarname....butnonethelessnicetomeetyo
u.Wouldyoubeintrestedhelpingmeexperimentwithmyunderlavasurvivalsuitv.343.4'

Jargin
looks deeply into the humans eyes, and shakes his head.  
"Just
saynoassface.  Trustmeon this."
    
Okar says 'Ummm, sounds
rather dangerous.'
    
Gnorm says
'Thatismostunfortunate!!butohwellimsuretherewillbeothers.'
  

Jargin glares at Gnorm, obviously quite upset.  He takes the
human by the 
hand and leads him to a bench in the warehouse,
again looking deep into his 
eyes. Jargin smiles as he sits next
to his friend.  
 
Gnorm whispers
'JarginIhaveafeelinghiskindnessisnotvoluntaryisthere
something
youshouldtellme?'
    
Clearly having trouble with the rapidity
of gnome speech, Okar stares 
blankly at Gnorm for a moment
before insisting that he volunteered 
willingly, and as a
friend.
           
Jargin turns to Gnorm and whispers into his
ear, "Youknow Iwieldmagic,
and since youcannot getusto
ourdestination, Icalledupon someone who can.
Humanstrusthumans,
andtheyignoreus.  SoIprocuredsomehelp. Aproblem?"
     

'Thatismostunfortunateforhimbutmostconvientforus...ofcoursenoproblemjust
dontdoittome!!!Maybeyoucouldhelpmefindmorevolenteers.'
    
Jargin points to the human with a finger, and giggles,
speaking "Dance 
Assface DANCE! A jig to amuse us ASSFACE!"
 
    
Okar dances with fervor and delight.
 
'Welostwhat? 
overaplatimum withthese unscrupulious humans?
Theydonot
takeusatallseriously. Withahumanasournegotior
wehaveachance Gnorm.Andif
Iwas to charmyou?  Whatwouldyoudo?'
Jargin turns his gaze to Gnorm, and 
lifts his staff, winking,
laughing and chanting in the Gnomish language. 
"Boogha Boogha
GNORMY!"
     
Gnorm dives under a table in sheer terror and
bafflement.
He yells 'Stopthatmindyou thatwasjustunsettling!
Butthiswasratheringenius 
ofyou! HaHa sowewillsail to
Sanctionsoon?'
      
Okar asks 'So, friend Jargin, where are
these people that I should 
negotiate with for passage?'
   

Jargin turns back to the human, and look quite......sad. He
turns back to 
Gnorm hiding under the table. "Iwould
neverbetray youbuyclouding your 
mind. Ineverwanted todoit
topoorAssface. Butit wasneccesary atthetime."
 
'I
understandwemustfinishourlifequests.Humanswouldneverunderstand!But

itisgoodtohavemorecompanions.'
     
Happy to be needed, Okar
smiles. He then begins to rummage in his pack for 
a small wedge
of cheese, a bit of dried meat and his wineskin. He passes 
his
skin to Jargin after a long swig.
     
Jargin takes the wineskin
and takes a long swig from the human sized 
container.
"EvenAssface, knowsI lovemy spirits."  Jargin passes the

wineskin to Gnorm,  his expression expecting him to take a swig
as well.
'Wedrankinto themorninghours thefirsttime wemet. 
Isn'that right ass..'
Jargin stops himself, and looks very sad.
"Gnorm, I just......cantdothis 
anymore. It's notfair."
     
    
Gnorm snifs the skin and grimaces as the strong scent of the
ale hits his 
nostrils and our of politeness takes a small swig.

Okar brightens slightly and says, 'Oh yes and spiced as
well.'
   
Gnorm says 'Dowhatmyfriend?
Hedoesntseemtobeinanyharmandseemsto
enjoyinghimself.
Heevendanced! Weneedhimmindyou.Nopointinstoppingnow.'
   

Jargin turns from the human but continues to speak to Gnorm.

"Icantjustmakehim.  Ithastobehischoicetohelpus. Ipunished
himfor abusing
meandall, butIcannot putthishuman indanger
foroursakes. Itisjust..wrong."
         

'Dearfriendyouarethinkinginextremes.Feforethishewassomesimpletohuman!
Nowheisgoingonanadventure!Withusnonetheless.
Therecanbeno wrongshere!'
      
Jargin turns to the human
known as Assface, and he looks directly into his 
eyes.  He speak
slowly, as if born to speak common as a human, and blows 
some
sand into his face as he did the flower petals weeks earlier.

'Ass.....I mean actually human?   Whatis........your name?'

'Umm.... ummm...  My name?' He slowly states 'My name is
Okar.' 
The human looks at himself.
     
Jargin turns to
Gnorm, giving his word. "To
takeadvantageofhim
istobecomelikethosewhohavetakenadvantageofus.
Ifhewilnothelp onhis 
ownfreewill. Wewilfindanotherway."
     

'Iguessitsyourdecisionbutscientificallythiscouldbegreat...butifyoumust.
ButIbetheisgoingtobeatyou.'
     
Seriously considering violence, Okar takes a moment to
ponder the situation 
before asking. 'Ok, so what is so
important that you get to that 
justifies spelling me? '

'Youpulledme bymyhair.  Ishouldhave letitgo, but
peopletheytreatusso 
badlyOkar.   WhenIknew Ineeded to cometo
Palanthas...I needed a travelling 
companion. Thenafter wetried
tobook toSanction.' Jargin looks very sad, 
and looks to Gnorm.
 "You finishitbrother."
    
'well...don'tstrikeme,
butweneedtogettherewithmosturgencyandyou're
ouronlyhope.
IknowJargincharmedyouperse! Butmaybethisisgood. Youcouldbe
a
hero!not somesilly... I mean normal human.'
       
Okar admits
to himself that this supposed mistreatment of Jargin is fact,

including that he perpetrated. 'Very well, though I am not
happy as to 
being spelled, I can understand the reason. Tell me
what would you have of 
me? If it isnt too dificult i will see it
done.'
 
As the human turns and looks to the two gnomes with
compasion, Jargin 
begins to weep, and talking through sobs says,
"Thewholeworldisnotagainst 
us. Gnorm wewilgetyourLAVA!"
  

Gnorm comforts Jargin and looks up at Okar exclaiming,

'Iamsorryforhisoutburst...heisgoodman but justometimeshas
aconcience!'
'Butwewouldreallyneedyourhelpandwilldoanythingforyoutohelpus!
Maybewhenmyunderlavasurvialsuitev.344.43
is done youcanhaveone!!!?'
    
Okar thanks Gnorm for his
wonderrful offer but insists, 'I fully hope to 
never have use
for anything which sounds so dangerous to use.'
    
Okar
doesnt fully trust gnomish inventions. Heck he doesnt even trust

them a little!!!!!
 
CONTINUED

Author:    Jargin   
     
Date:      Wed Mar 24 16:24:25 2010
Subject    
(RP) A Gnome, A Gnome, And An Assface (PT 2)

Okar says
'I have said that I understand why you would do such a thing

and I apprecate that you found your conscience. I would like
your word to 
not do it again however, assuming that we will be
traveling together.'
   
Jargin turns from his sorrow and back
to Okar and then to Gnorm.  
"Okar.........we need passage
to....Sanction.  Dark forcescontrol it. 
Andeveryone hastaken
advantage.  Weturnedtoyouas alastrestort, andIpromise, 
nomore
tricks."
    
Okar says 'To handle the matter of booking
passage on a ship is simple. I 
can do this. If you need a body
guard durring the trip or beyond I will 
need some sort of shall
we say?....Compensation. A man has got to eat after 
all.'

'Eating...notaproblemIaminthemiddleofaninventionthatallowsyoutorecycleold
foodandreuseit...thetasteisntgreatbutitsverynutritious!!'
   
Jargin looks to his fellow gnome and back to the human,
and.........sides 
with the human on this one. 
"Gnorm.........wewillPAY! Andthistime wewill

getourmoney'sworth!"  Jargin pulls several diamonds from a
change purse.
    
Gnorm says
'Jargin!Notthediamondsweneedthose!!!Wehavecoin! Willyou

acceptcoin?' He looks quickly at Okar in hope.
    

'Takethis Okar.  Andpay myfriend nomind.  Getus toSanction. 
And 
don'tmindGnorm.  Hewillbe happy whenhe gets hislava.'

Okar says 'Certainly I do not mean to break you, I am not a
man of 
enourmous needs.' He takes just over half of the
offered diamonds from 
Jargins hand, still more than he would
have gotten in months working in a 
tavern. 'Very well gnomes,
I hope whatever it is that you seek in 
Sanction is worth this
expense.'
     
Jargin rests on a chair, and places his staff
across his lap before he 
continues.  "Gnorm goes to Sanction
to procure lava for his lifequest,  
and I go to fulfill mine.  I
search for magical relics."
 
Okar ponders the situation
carefully before stating, 'I am happy to help 
with your
lifequests, as life as a tavern guard was becoming too boring.

Some of the captains of such a journey use the inn when thay are
in town, I 
will ask around and see of any that I am familiar
with are in port 
currently.'
    
Okar salutes Jargin and
Gnorm and hurries out of the warehouse and down the 
street. And
the two gnomes begin to bicker as one tweaks his lava suit and

the other taps his staff on the ground, grinning widely to the
other.
 
FINE
 

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.'