An Aesthetic shows you to a small reading room.

Stories of Ansalon from the view of Noskire.

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 pulp magazine on the table in front of you.
You note the spine bears the word 'Noskire' scribed in glowing orange ink.

Author:    Noskire        
Date:      Tue Apr 27
18:13:56 2010
Subject     A drunken story of
Noskire.

The large minotuar was sitting at a bar in
palanthas, he had already
drunk enough to fell two men and he was
once again going over the events
leading to this very moment
wondering where he went wrong....

Ten years ago

It was the
first time he was allowed to practice with the war hammer, he
was
finally brawny enough that the weaponmaster deemed him fit to
use it (he was
born a discolored ruint after all), and he was
filled with nervousness. He
was already a failure with the sword
and flail and he knew if he couldn't
show an aptitude in this he
would be relgated to a blacksmith or worse. As
he hefted the
mighty weapon he tested the balance using two hands and the
using
one. He found it was was more natural feeling in just one hand.
The he
picked up the small, for his kind, shield in his off hand
and turned to face
the master. As usual the master looked on with
contempt. After he squared
off facing the master they ran through
some quick simple drills, blocking
swinging with both the blunt
edge and the spike, he realized with excitement
that it felt
natural and he was picking it up with ease. After a couple
of
months of progress he once again stood before the master, this
time both
held easy smiles and they began to spar. A quick duel
emerged the hammers
singing, shield smaching and Noskire ducked
and spun with the ease of a
warrior twice his age. As they locked
hammers Noskire felt an energy running
though his body, and
stepped backwards throwing down his hammer. He raised
his hands
and sparks were flying off of them, he reached towards his
new
found friend in a panic and the energy discharged in a roar
blasting the
master twenty feet backwards and leaving a scorch
pattern on his chest. 

Seven years ago

Ever since he discovered
he had magic he worked on perfecting it, learning
to master it.
All the while he hid it from the others, worried they
would
consider him an outcast and to a minotaur that moved from
being a runt to
being a respected young warrior that meant
something. He was practicing his
aim with a series of small magic
bolts, when he heard a scream come from
behind him. As he turned
so did the bolts, they went straight towards the
screaming
creature. Noskire watched in shock as the bolts struck a
young
minotaur full in the face, caving it in completely blinding
her. The screams
continued louder then ever, and Noskire knew he
had to do something before
the other found out he used magic, and
even worse used it against one of
their own. He drew a breath and
conjured a bolt of lightning and threw it at
the girl, she
couldn't have been more then 4 or 5 years old and the bolt
of
lightning wracked her body destroying it. She lay gasping for
breath as
Noskire watched, this was the first time he had killed
anything with magic.
He acted fast, conjuring a cloak of
invisibility around himself and skulked
a short distance away, as
the last breaths escaped the girl thoat he
dispelled the cloak
and starting running towards the girl a concerned look
on his
face. He arrived at the scene out of breath and his war
hammer
unslung, hoping to be the one to discover the body he was
disapointed when
his younger brother was there first. 'Mikhal
what has happened?' He asks
loudly, trying to make himself appear
important and innocent. Before his
brother could respond another
Minotaur walked up, the same weaponmaster that
Noskire had
scorched two years ago. The weaponmaster looked at the corpse
and
then towards Noskire. He instantly closed his mouth and took a
step
back, wondering if the master was going to betray the trust
he had thus far
given. He said nothing then but noskire could
tell there was something afoot
and turned and walked away. later
that evening the weaponmaster found
noskire at a clearing not far
from where the girl had died. 'Noskire, you
must leave the tribal
lands.' He declared fiercely. Noskire gaped and looked
at the
master, 'It... It was..' He tried to explain that it was an
accident
but the words would just not come out. 'You must leave,
They already know'
but the words wouldn't come out. 'You must
leave.' The master said befor walking
away.


Author:    Noskire       

Date:      Tue Apr 27 18:21:58 2010
Subject     A
drunken story of Noskire... Continued


Two
years ago

Noskire looked at the fort, and then back towards his
companions. He Was
surrouned by a couple of the meanest and
hardest mercenaries he had ever
scene and these past five years
he had worked with them all. Ever since he
left his tribes he had
wandered and fought in the dirtiest wars, as if he
was hoping
they would end his shameful life. But he had survived
growing
more and more proficient in both might and magic. And
what was worse is that
he was no longer any different then any of
the other men in the troop, his
heart was black and his soul was
twisted into a cruel being. The fort before
him stood as the last
bastion of righteousness in the lands claimed by the
lord that
hired the troop, and there were only a handful of defenders.
Those
defenders looked at the two dozen men and scoffed softly
thinking that it
was a pittance of the army Lord Exlornianiono
commanded. And one among them
was even insulted that such a small
force came before them to tear their
vision of freedom away. When
Noskire stepped forth and shouted a challenge
for all the men
willing to come forth and fight him, and if they won the
group
would go away and leave the fort in peace. The men cheered and
sent
forth two dozen men, after all the stupid minotaur hadn't
declared that they
would fight one on one and two dozen men
against a young minotaur was an
easy bet.

...

All Noskire
remembered of that day was blood and streaks of lightning.
That
was the day he had given up fighting for money, and he could
barely remember
why. But if you were to look on the fort now you
would see only a blackened
ruin because magic had run free
destroying everything in sight, fire and
lightning stiking nearly
everyone including his own friends. From that day
forth he
wandered the lands looking for someone to teach him enough of
the
art to control his magic and enable him to lead the life of a
warrior. 

Author:    Noskire        
Date:     
Thu May 13 05:17:04 2010
Subject     Noskire's Mercenary
Beginnings 

Noskire walked up to the encampment
nervously, it was only two weeks
since he had fled from his
villeage and already he had heard grumbling along
the roadside
during his trek. He hoped this mercenary troop wouldn't turn
him
away like the minotaur one had. But he had high hopes from
everything he
had heard this troop were cutthroats and thieves...
perfect for an outcast
like him. 

As he turned the last corner
before the opening in the earthworks he was
challenged by a
wizened old man. "Declare yourself!" The man thundered in
a
surprising strong voice.

Noskire frowned and started to push
past the man angrily, 'this all the
security they can afford?' He
thought contemptously. But as he pushed
against the man he was
surprised to see himself moving to accommodate the
others
position. The old man uttered a word and gestured towards Noskire
and
suddenly he hung in the air motionless.

Well not quite
motionless because he was kicking and struggling agaist the
mans
will. As the two struggled the old man slid back a step and
Noskire was
given a slight reprieve. Apperantly the old man
didn't count on Noskire's
access to the power of magi, and
Noskire took advantage of it. He uttered
gestured and grunted
sennding a small flurry of magic missiles at the man.
The
missiles impacted a full foot in front of the man but with enough
force
to drive the man back. With his concentration broken with
surprise, Noskire
was able to break free from the holding spell,
as soon as the minotaurs hit
the ground he twisted his fingers
and faded out of sight. He dodged to the
right and charged the
man who had finally regained his composure, as Noskire
neared him
he flung out a silver link and uttered a command.

Noskire
bounced against the shield of armor that seemingly appeared out
of
thin air. As he hit the ground he was surrounded by a ring of
steel, some
held in the hands of very annoyed looking mercenaries
some sticking up from
the groung in the form of daggers and steel
crossbow bolts. He slowly raised
his hands, careful to show no
aggression or violent ideas. "He attacked me."
He said in a bid
to save his life, being a young minotaur he was only five
feet
tall with maybe six inch horns and he knew if it came to a fight
he
would be dead wothin moments.

One man smiled thinly and
looked towards the old man who nodded with a
slight smile. " in
that case we won't kill you.. yet at least. State your
business."
He said in a low tone that nonetheless carried the twenty
feet
between them.

"Who are you to demand such from me?!"
Noskire said hotly, trying to appear
less concerned with the
situation the he was. "Take me to someone with power
to make the
most important decision that this troop has ever been
priviliged
to make." 

"I am Skrivl leader of the Deathsender
Company and if you do not answer me I
will have you put down like
the mad cow you are." The man said viciously,
obviously in no
mood to deal with an up start.

"Ah well..." Noskire said
uncertainly, "I wish to join your troop." He
finished
simply.

Skrivl laughed loudly, bordering on rudely, "well why
didn't you say so?" He
said when he had controll of his vooice
again. "You must best one of my men
in a fight and then you will
win a spot in the company." He turned and
looked at the old man,
"Trenchard see to it for me will you? I have some
other business
to attend to." 

The man nodded, and the years started to drop
off of him like leaves in the
winter. Moments later a young elf
stood in front of the gathering and smiled
at Noskire's obvious
confusion. "Very well then child what is your name?"

Noskire
scowled unhappy that he was left in the hands of an elf.
"Noskire."
He replied curtly.

Trenchard chuckled softly to
himself, almost as if he could feel the
resentment boiling within
the minotaur. "Well then..." he pauses and say
something quietly
to one of the men standing nearby who imediately turns and
jogs
into the camp. "Since you have some magical talent, however
rudimentary
it may be, you will face my apprentice in combat."
Trenchard says simply. He
waves a hand and two chairs appear
before him. "Come sit while we wait." He
say genially before
sitting in one of the chairs. 

Noskire scowls again, this time
not even trying to hide it, but he moves to
sit down next to the
elf. He begins to swing his hammer uo to sheath it but
before it
moves more then a couple of inches it is hit by three
different
swords stopping it cold. 

Noskire blinks rapidly, 'he
sure does that a lot...' Trenchard thought to
himself. Without
moving a muscle Noskire sends a bolt of lightning through
his
hammer blasting the three men to the ground where they lay
twitching for
a few lomg moments. Noskire smiled slightly baring
his canines and continued
the swing sheathing his hammer. 

"My
apologies," he said as he lowered himself into the chair. "Will
it be
long until your apprentice comes?"

"He should be here
shortly." Trenchard replied. "Now tell me, where did you
learn
your magics? It has been a very long time since we saw one of you
with
them." 

"Magic is not something my poeple are comfortable
with..." Noskire said
quietly "thus I had no teacher." He hung
his head slightly, "though my
weapons master showed me a few
gestures he'd seen other mages use...." 

"That is-" Trenchard
began to say but was cut off by a mature humans voice.

"What do
we have here, did one of the cows learn a trick or two?" The
new
comer sneered. He was tall and thin as a rail with oily black
hair that hung
in thin strips. He was dressed in a black mages
robe that resembled nothing
more then a farmers dress with
pockets sown around the waist. He carried a
short walking stick
that gleamed with magick. 
<To be
continued...>

Author:    Noskire        
Date:
     Thu May 13 05:36:32 2010
Subject     Noskire's Mercenary
Beginnings 

Noskire raised an eyebrow
at the man and curled his lips in contemptous
anger. He was
already halfway out of the chair before trenchard spoke,
"Trellis
this is Noskire..." The elf stopped in mid sentence as he
noticed
the minotaur in question was racing hotly towards
Trellis. He smiled
slightly in anticipation and spoke quickly.
"And he will duel you for
entrance to the company." He barely
finished speaking before Trellis fanned
his hands in front of
himself sending a stream of fired towards Noskire. 

Noskire
grabbed the small buckler off of his right elbow and raised it
in
front of the stream of fire. Trellis gasped in shock as the
buckler glowed
blue and started to steam but the chill of ice
covered it long enough to
plow into Trellis and send him flying.


Trellis used the momentum and cast a spell that caused him to
fly. He flew
twenty feet from the force of the blow and then
zoomed straight up invoking
one of his rings to fade from sight.
As Noskire searched the skies for the
man, Trellis began an
incantation to turn the weather foul, he spoke in a
low hurried
voice. 

Noskires ear twitched as the wind picked up and the
skies darkened. He
smiled slightly because the wind was now
carrying the humans voice to him,
he turned in a full circle and
then another quarter until he found the area
the noise was coming
from. He let out a roar and sent a flurry of missiles
to the area
most flew harmlessly past but two stroke the shield Trellis
had
erected to protect himself. 

Trellis frowned but continued
his incantation needing the weather to turn
just a little bit
worse for his next spell. He was almost done and if he
could
finish the incantion this cow would never walk again. 

Noskire
began throwing bolts of lighting at Trellis, over and over
they
smashed into the shield battring Trellis around the sky.
Trellis however
kept his composure, after all his flying speel
would keep him from running
into the ground, and finished the
incantation. The sky was black and sheets
of rain slammed into
the ground with strong winds whipping through the area.
With a
sigh Trenchard waved a wand and strong shield snapped up around
the
men left out in the elements and then with another gesture a
shield
shimmered above the encampment, he was obviously a
powerful caster.

The shield before Trellis shattered rocking him
backwards and he scowled as
he quickly set another shield, and
then a set of translucent armor about
himself. He grimaces and
thinks to himself, 'This cow is more formdidable
then i would
have believed.' He then began a quick incantation, as he
chanted
Noskire tested the shield, which began to weaken
considerably.

Noskire smiled and began to pump out the lightning
bolts faster, he could
sense growing power behind the storm and
he didn't really want to find out
what it boded. He got into a
rhythm that allowed him to throw a bolt and on
the downside shoot
a short flurry of missiles that harrassed Trellis.

Trellis
cursed as his incantation slipped and a small portion of the
energy
he had gathered ran through his body. He wasted no time in
casting a short
spell turning his skin to stone just in case the
shielding spells crumbled
completely. He moved onto the previous
incantation this time not hurrying
along quite as much to make
sure he didn't slip again. 

Noskire began to sag under the
strain of casting so much and decided to
switch gears, he looked
around for something he could use against the mage
in the sky. He
didn't find anything that resembled a weapon but he spotted
a
small circle of metal and remembered the spell Trenchard had
used to make an
armored shield and smiled slightly. He walked
over and picked it up and
attempted to mimic the words Trenchard
had used. After a couple of failed
attempts he managed to
duplicate the spell, conjuring a set of armor about
him.
Trenchard noticed and smiled then cackled knowing he could use
the
minotaur if he survived the fight. Noskire started to cast
some other minor
shielding spells, nothing like the powerful
shields that Trellis and
Trenchard cast, but these would protect
the caster from fire or burning.

Trellis finished the
incantation, sending bolts of lightning down from the
skies to
strike the ground around Noskire. Some of the bolts were
close
enough to raise the hair all over Noskire's body making him
puff up in a
strangely menacing manner. Trellis smiled for this
was only the first of 10
or 15 volleys of lightning, and already
the ground was being turned into a
charred piece of ash. He
decided that it was time to unleash some of his own
personal
magic and he started to unleash spires of hardened mud that
thrust
up from the ground around Noskire randomly. Noskire begins
to jump and dodge
around the spires cursing in frustration, one
of his curses is cut off as a
bolt of lightning struck him in the
shoulder sending him flying into the
side of a spire. 

As he
bounced off the spire Noskire tumbled and came up on his feet in
time
to catch a bolt of lightning. His gauntlets begin to burn,
though the
fireproofing spell he cast held up, and he quickly
juggled the bolt before
throwing it at Trellis. Unbelievably
another lightning bolt almost striking
the spire next to Noskire
but he grabbed it and flung it towards Trellis as
well. Both
bolts flew true and the first was so powerful it shattered
the
shield in front of Trellis and the second cracked the stone
skin sending
Trellis slamming into the earth.

Trellis was
stunned from the fall, and maybe more stunned by the fact
that
Noskire was able to redirect the bolts. He slowly began to
gather himself up
when he was struck by another bolt of
lightning, slamming him into the
ground. He looked up and saw a
dark figure approaching as his vision began
to blur in
pain.

Noskire smiled thinly, thanking the gods that being a
minotaur allowed him
to take more punishment then the human mage.
He approached the mage on the
ground and swung his hammer,
striking the mage in the temple hard enough to
knock him out
cleanly. Blood began to trickle out of Trellis's ears, and
more
lightning struck the ground around the two mages. And then the
last
volley began.. And this time both mages were in a position
of peril and the
volley was targeted to a small location. Noskire
leaned over and covered
Trellis with his body cursing that the
armor spell he cast had already been
shattered. Two bolts
converged in the air and combined to land with even
more force on
Noskire, driving him down against the human and causing him
to
spasm.

Noskire slowly braced himself feeling another bolt
coming and prepared
himself to take the punishment, he didn't
want the puny human to die because
that might bring the wrath of
the entire company down on him. He turned his
head and was
surprised to see a strong shield in place around him and
Trellis.
Trenchard appeared in a black mist and waved a hand. A rod
appeared
in the air in front of Trenchard and he grabbed it, he
said a command word
and the staff glowed green. The green light
expanded and suddenly the day
was clear again and the spire
receded into the ground. "I'd say you've
earned a spot in the
company, and if you desire you will be my apprentice."
He
chuckled darkly, "I didn't actaully expect you to survive the
duel... He
is in the last stages of apprenticeship."

Noskire
looked up at Trenchard through blurry eyes and smiles his
lips
curling up seemingly of their own accord, spasming slightly.
He stood slowly
and faced Trenchard, 'I'm in.. Teach me
everything you know and I will serve
the company well." He said
in a quiet voice, weak from the abuse he had
taken. Trenchard
smiles and raised his hand uttering a single word. "Sleep."
As he
spoke the command a blue light washed over Noskire and he slumped
to
the ground. 

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.'