The Great Library of Palanthas

An Aesthetic shows you to a small reading room.

Stories of Ansalon from the view of Riosio.

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 giant book on the table in front of you.
You note the spine bears the word 'Riosio' scribed in deep green ink.



Author:  Riosio
Date    Fri Feb 27 10:45:09 2004



Subject  Wildrunner Rebellion



I was lying comfortably in a moss in the Wildrunner clan hall. I
sat there
thinking of some troubling rumours I had heard coming out of
Solace.

It was not rumours of beats, evil magics, or armies of darkness
but of rogue
wildrunners. The worst kind of rumours did I hear coming from
Solace.

Some stuck up elven outcast was trying to remake the ancient and
noble
Wildrunners. I looked up at Keshra.

"What do you think we should do about this? I don't think we
can let it
transpire for it would only show us to be as weak as we are now.
Fewer people
become runners... more and more live in cities and shun the right
way of
life." I paused to think for a moment, before Keshra could
answer.

"They will be crushed.... they must be crushed. The life of the
forest must
not be harmed." I stood slowly as Keshra watched me. "I will
be back
shortly, I must attend to this Llewyn Darkash in Solace. Keep
well."

I gathered my equipment and stalked through Zhan , on the route
towards
Solace. I passed faeries, will-o-wisps, mermen and moon horses.
The wonderful
creatures of Zhan stood blissfully at ease as I walked by.

I lept over a newly formed stream and continued on my way. I
passed the gaitn
water column that marks the exit of Zhan. I climbed the moss
covered rock face
towards the Shadowcrone's cave. I did not enter but walked by it.

I passed the Guardian of Zhan and exited Zhan itself. Only a
couple more hours
and I would be in Solace.

I crept through the trees by Solace, listening before I took each
step. I
heard the distant sounds of the market and the foots steps of a
light
humanoid, perhaps and elf.

It was accopmanied by a set of heavy footsteps and a loud
breathing sound. I
dashed from tree to tree, counting on my skill and equipment to
help camofalge
me from the walkers.

I scrambled partway up a vallenwood and stared down as they drew
near. I saw a
minotaur talking with an elf. A minotaur??!

The elf, who seemed to be LLewyn from the description I was
given, must be
really insane to have let a minotaur... sure he did not let a
minotaur join.

I reflected to muself as soon as they had gone that, perhaps, not
all
minotaurs are bad, perhaps he had made a good choice that once.
But his
outcast clan had to be put to an end.

I watched the two, elf and minotaur, climb up the vallenwoods
into Solace
itself. I threw a shaded green cloak over myself and silently
climbed up after
them. I discreetly snuck behind them through Solace.

Both of them entered a house that the mino seemed to own. The
minotaur let the
elf in first and muttered something about treehuggers.

I took a detour around the house and strated to climb higher into
the
vallenwood trees to get a good look at the house.

I watched for awhile, thinking it may be a route out of Solace i
they knew
they were being followed. However, they soon emerged, joined by
another whom I
did not know.

This trend was beggining to worry me. They seemed to be amassing
a small army
of perhaps fanatical "new" wildrunners.

I doubted from what I heard of their propaganda, that they would
try to plan a
coup d'etat on Zhan. Nonetheless, it worried me.

(cont...)



Author:  Riosio
Date    Fri Feb 27 12:55:46 2004



Subject  Wildrunner Rebellion pt 2



I followed as silently as I could through the branches of the
vallenwoods,
they stopped briefly at the inn of the last home, but quickly
descended down
and out of Solace itself.

I quickly followed close behind. they took a winding trail south
and west of
Solace, making sure I could get back to Solace, I followed with
all my skill.

They ended on a plateau near Crystalmir Lake that offered a
strategically
placed manor with a few entrances and exits while maintaining a
good view of
the lake and some of the forest.

I creapt as close as I dared, I noticed many hammocks around the
manor,
probably used by all the new recruits. This ceased to worry me...

I was very ponderous about how such a renegade could recruit so
many, so
quickly. An old memory floated near my conciousness.

One of my childhood where I wandered wearing rags through the
deep forests in
which I was abandoned.

I remembered the slave trader that tried to capture me me, I
could almost feel
my hands around his neck, choking the life out of him.

I remembered my frist experiences in the city. None of this was
particularly
pleasant and I tried to shake them off. Now was not the time to
be caught in
memories. I had work to do, and I think I needed to do it
quickly.

I waited patiently outside their residence. In time, the new
recruit came down
in search of something for food or for Llewyn. He did not notice
my presence.
I snuck quickly behind him. i waited until he returned.

When he passed me, I grabbed him from behind a put my hand over
his mouth. I
calmly said "Do not move, do not make any sound. I have a few
questions for
you, nod if the answer is yes."

"Now, is the elf in the house above Llewyn Darkash?" He
nodded. "Are you
a new recruit?" Again, he nodded.

"Hold up your figners, how many others are in the house?" He
gingerly held
up five fingers. "Alright, I thank you very much."

I moved my hand around his neck and rendered him unconvious. I
made sure he
was not dead and moved off to ponder what to do next. with five
of them still
in the house I could not fight them all.

I would wait, eventually Llewyn would have to come. We would have
a 'chat'.
Not too many minutes later Llewyn appeared in the doorway looking
for his new
recruit.

He came down the steps and saw the body and rushed over to it.

"Llewyn Darkash he is not dead, merely unconcious. Come talk
with e," I
said from the shadows of the trees. Llewyn looked up towards
where I was
standing. I cam froward so my general form ws visible to him.

Llewyn peered intently at me, trying to figure out who I was. "
I am Riosio
Wulfblade. You must stop this rogue clan."

"Oh, must I old runner?" Llewyn answered. "I think you
should see what
were about here, we are becoming the true guardians of the
forest, not merely
a set of figureheads living in a paradise."

"Zhan is merely our home, we do have runners accross Ansalon
who work to
ensure the sanctity of the forests and wilderness."

"Zhan has become more than a home to you. You have long lost an
sense of
what it means to live in the forest. To find what food there is,
take what you
can and use it all well. In Zhan, people now waste food, waste
energy."

"More sitting and relaxing is done. Even you have not done a
proper vigil.
It may have been a time of war when you were indcuted but you
still are not a
proper runner."

I stood silent, realizing the utter truth of his words. I could
not refurse
that I had not completed the true ritual but I was tsill a
runner.

"Isn't a runner one who lives with the flora and fauna of the
forests, one
who guides the lost, defends the weak and the forest. Isn't being
a Wildrunner
more than just a vigil alone in the forest.?"

"I held vigil without a guardian for sixteen long years as a
child. I barely
lived, I learned to walk on my own, U hunted animals before I
could walk."

(cont...)



Author:  Riosio
Date    Fri Feb 27 13:21:00 2004



Subject  Wildrunner Rebellion pt 3



 I hunted animals before I could walk. I survived nature's
harsh face for
those long years only to prosper later on. My vigil meant more
than any one
day ordeal that the runners go through now."

"Alight, in any case, since it is not the vigil that matters in
your view.
The people of Solace see the old runners as reclusive and
untrustworthy, you
are caught up in your life of luxury in Zhan."

"It is time for us to move out of our paradise and live as we
once did. We
used to live together with no recognizable home, we hunted and
foraged for
survival rather than to enjoy ourselves."

"We have all betrayed our vows to Zivilyn and Chislev. Join us
Riosio,
fulfull your vows to the gods, your true heart, and to the prople
that still
hold the forest in respect. Riosio, become a true runner."

"I cannot, I will not forsake what I swore into..." I sighed.

"You can, you swore to protect the forest, in fact, you will
live in the
forest. If only you heard what people say of the old runners you
would
understand."

"I am not whim to the residents of Solace, I am whim to the
forest."
"You do not make sense: Solace is part of the forest."

A city could not be part of the forest I though. For the first
time since my
childhood I was fulled with anger and loathing towards humanity.

I desired strongly to return to my feral instincts and my brute
strength. I
wished to be rid of the plague of human-kind from the world.

I felt my wolfblades growling as held my hands on them. I
crouched backwards
into a leaping position. Llewyun must die. A chorus of wolves
sang through my
mind as I leapt through the air, both blades bare and pointing
towards Llewyn.

Blood pounded through my ears as my bloodlust ran to new levels
in my body. I
needed to tear flesh. Llewyn's hand shot up and he shouted a few
words.

I flew straight into an invisible wall. I lept backwards relying
on my old
abilities. A large hand grabbed me from behind and pulled me from
the ground.
I snarled at the minotaur, waiting for any chance to rip out his
god-forsaken
heart.

Llewyn approached to look me in the face. My blade shot out and
speared him in
the shoulder. I drank in the sight of blood pouring from the
wound.

The smell of warm flesh, warm blood filled my nostrils and set my
desires
alight. I would dine on elf flesh tonight.

I barely noticed the four other runners  rush and take Llewyn and
the other
back to Sardis' house. Sardis lifted me further and began to hold
me by the
nape of my neck.

He threw me dozens of feet away. I landed squarely on my feet and
turned
towards the minotaur. Seeing I was outnumbered and out skilled I
turned and
fled far into the forest. I would dine with the wolves.

I woke on the forest floor, m face covered in dried blood. Wolves
rested
quietly nearby. I knew what had happened and I ... I had enjoyed
it.

I stood and looked around the wollf den. I t had not changed much
since my
last visit years ago. I returned quickly to the new wildrunner's
base without
washing. I climbed the steps.

Sardis appeared before me. "You are not welcome here runner."
"My
pardon, may I see Llewyn?" "Why?" "I wish to talk with
him."

The minotaur grabbed me by my neck. "After what you did to
Llewyn... I
should kill you now." "I will give you all my blades, and you
may bind my
hands."

"That is not enough, you can easily rip out his throat with
your teeth, you
are that feral." "My honor as a runner minotaur. I will not
attack
Llewyn."

This seemed to satisfy the minotaur, at least temporarily. I
removed my two
wolfblades, gave him a mace, two axes, several other swords, and
a half dozen
exotic daggers, and a glaive.

he took a strong hemp rope and bound my hands tightly behind my
back. He
pulled me by the shoulder into his house, a great favor given my
currently
unstable nature.

(cont...)



Author:  Riosio
Date    Fri Feb 27 13:27:42 2004



Subject  Wildrunner REbellion pt 4(final)



I was escroted into Llewyn's room. The other runners watched me
from the
doorways. I walked tall with purpose but no anger. Llewyn looked
up from teh
map he was studying in his bed.

A look of concern passed over his face as he saw me, especially
as I was
covered in blood.

"Llewyn, I do not regret my actions yesterday. They have
somewhat liberated
me from the constraints of consciousness; however, I have
consedered you
words. And I do believe them to hold some truth.

I am prepared to forsake Zhan as corporeal home to live with
teh forest
again. Even if you do not accept my offer, I must go."

"I do appreciate your presence, espeically if you do not try to
eat me,"
he chuckled. "I am grateful for your acceptance. I am off to
the tmeple of
Chislev in Solace to meditate. I will return in the future."

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.'
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