An Aesthetic shows you to a small reading room.

Stories of Ansalon from the view of Kark.

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 book on the table in front of you.
You note the spine bears the word 'Kark' scribed in dull purple ink.

Author:             Kark
Date    Fri Jul 28 21:24:17 2006
Subject  A new purpose

It happened one night, many years ago. During the Night of the
Eye, a young
ogre was born in the northern Khalkist mountains. The event
changed the
young ogre pup greatly. From a young age, the ogre could control
the forces
around him in ways that baffled even the elders of the
BoneGnasher clan.
Childhood was rough for poor Kark however, as ogres are not very
tolerant
of things they do not understand. Kark could not yet control his
abilities,
which only made him an easier target for the other ogres. On one
unfortunate occasion when his rage unleashed a lightning which
burned his
enemies, the repercussions were great. Seeking revenge, the
leader of the
bullies, a huge ogre by the name of Torask, cornered the young
pup after
dinner the next night. Using a cracked thigh bone from the meal
of roast
mutton, Torask viciously attacked Kark, gouging out his left eye.
Torask
made the mistake of gloating before attempting to blind the ogre
permanently, laughing maliciously at the bleeding Kark. Fury like
he had
never felt before welled up within Kark, and the next thing he
knew, there
was a a great flash and a scream, and Kark was lying alone next
to a large
pile of ashes. Realizing these things would continue unless he
could learn
to control his powers. Gathering his things, Kark silently crept
out of the
camp, and began his quest.

--------<*>

Living a life of solitude was very enjoyable for Kark. He was
able to
concentrate on perfecting his magical talents without the
interruptions of
loud curses and random beatings. Kark was getting very good at
his spells,
and was overjoyed. Now at the age of maturity, Kark was ready to
pay back
the ogres of his village. Kark patiently waited for the right
time, and
when the black moon, Nuitari, was in high sanction, Kark
descended on the
village with all his fury. Fireballs and lightning bolts rained
from the
heavens, searing flesh and burning huts. Acid shot from Kark's
hands,
melting skin and bleaching bones. In the end, only about twenty
ogres were
still alive, though they would soon wish they weren't. In this
small group
were Kark's parents, whom he did not really care for, but seeing
as how
they gave him life, Kark felt he owed them the same. The others
were
enthralled, slaves of the one they ridiculed and beat.

<*>===X============>

For a while, Kark ruled the northern Khalkists, enthralling those
who got
in his way, or destroying those who refused to be enslaved. Life
was good
for Kark, he had everything he everything he needed. Soon
however, he
became bored. He began exploring, and realized there was much
more magic
out there than he originally thought. As time progressed, Kark
wandered
into larger and larger cities, finally ending up in Palanthas.
Knowing how
to make himself invisble was a great asset in Palanthas, as an
ogre would
be noticed fairly quickly. Wandering around the marketplace in
Palanthas,
Kark found many magic shops with all sorts of amulets and
talismans.
Knowing the power of magic, Kark knew that thievery would be out
of the
question, yet some of these items cost a small fortune. Stumped,
the ogre
walked around lost in his thoughts, until he stumbled across a
small tavern
called the Rusty Rudder. Figuring he might as get a cheap drink
before
attempting to figure out a solution to his current financial
dilemna, Kark
squeezed through the doorway into the small tavern. Upon
entering, he
noticed the long figure sitting at the bar. The ogre sensed a
magical aura
around this man, though of a different sort than his own. He
could not
understand what it was, but didn't give it another thought.
Ordering a
large tankard of ale, the ogre sat in the darkest corner of the
tavern. As
the ogre drank his ale and considered his problems, he heard the
figure
mumbling to himself over and over.

His curiosity getting the better of him, Kark decided to
eavesdrop. There
was something about this old man that intrigued him.
To be continued....

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