An Aesthetic shows you to a small reading room.

Stories of Ansalon from the view of Tourach.

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 brief catalogue on the table in front of you.
You note the spine bears the word 'Tourach' scribed in red ink.

Author:  Tourach
Date    Thu Jan 23 22:12:57 2003


Subject  The New Found Evil



While taking a much needed rest one late evening, Tourach was
thinking of his
Solamnic duties when suddenlya flash of darkness crossed his
eyes, it
disappeared immediately after it had appeared. He stood hoping to
see what it
was, his hand unconsciously reaching for his weapons for
protection. After a
brief moment of tense anticipation th dark flash came back, but
this time it
did not disappear, it merely stood in front of him, unable to
completely
decipher what it was he he stared in awe for a few seconds.
Unexpectedly the
dark cloud spoke, but Tourach did ot understand the words spoken
to him, yet
all of a sudden he was filled with some unholy bloodlust. A
squire warily
approaching caught the corner of Tourach's eye he turned quickly,
his eyes
were glazed over in a red cloud.

The squire cowered slightly and quietly asked, "Are you alright,
Sir Tourach?"

Tourach merely smiled and raised a gauntleted fist and brought it
down hard
across the squire's face. The squire fell to the floor coughing
up blood and
spitting out broken teeth, "why did you do that?" asked the
squire Tourach
pulled his sword from it's sheath while closing in on the squire.

Bringing the sword up above his head he swung with all his might
down upon the
squire severing the body in two and clashing his sword with the
stone floor.
Continuing to walk towards the exit of the Solamnic Keep he was
encountered by
a solmnic guard, the guard attempted to stop Tourach and ask him
the
intentions of his actions , Tourach quickly removed a small
dagger from his
belt and before the soldier could react Tourach had jammed the
dagger through
his throat.

Finally reaching the exit the two soldiers guarding the door
blocked his exit,
"For actions you have just taken you cannot leave the premises
Tourach!"

Two more guards filed in behind Tourach blocking his exits.
Grinning with a
smile that only an insane person would show, Tourach removed his
other sword
from it's sheath and prepared to slaughter the Solamnic soldiers.
The first
one ran at him with his spear pointed at Tourach's gut, in one
quick movement
Tourach slapped the spear aside and raised his sword to the
soldiers face,
impaling the soldier upon the point of the sword, squirting blood
across the
walls and Tourach's armor.

Pulling his sword out of the soldiers skull, he turned to the
next Solamnic
standing in his way. Blood dripping down one of his swords he
stared evilly at
the three remaining. They all quickly charged at Tourach, Tourach
acting with
his Warrior instincts maneuvered himself to the best position.



Author:  Tourach
Date    Thu Jan 23 22:33:29 2003


Subject  The New Found Evil (cont.)



Moving quickly from his position he first headed for the single
soldier coming
from the doors. Crouching down Tourach slashed at the soldiers
weapon knocking
it out of his way, then Tourach quickly jabbed his still clean
sword into the
soldiers gut, using his minotaur strength he lifted the soldier
up with his
sword. The soldier slid down the blade leaving a streak of blood
on the blade.
His sword still stuck in the soldiers body he swung the other
around so that
he was standing sideways so as to defend himself from the
soldiers approaching
from the rear. Fending off the soldiers he attempted to yank his
sword from
the dead soldier he had gruesomely impaled While doing this he
was not paying
enough attention to the soldiers he was defending himself
against, taking a
deep slice across his arm he roared in anger. Filled with even
more evil
hatred with the blood drawn from him, Tourach quickly pulled the
blade from
the dead soldiers body. Turning to face the soldiers with both
arms free now,
he was prepared to kill them and destroy their bodies in his
anger.

Thinking quickly so as to catch the soldiers as off-guard as
possible he swung
his swords knocking the soldiers weapons towards the wall
creating a path for
Tourach to get into close quarters with the soldiers. He closed
in quickly,
but did not stop when he was close enough, he continued to charge
towards the
soldiers, lowering his head pointing his horns towards them.
Unprepared and
untrained for such an attack the soldiers were frozen where they
stood.
Dropping his swords Tourach reached out and grabbed the heads of
the soldiers
and forced their heads into the perfect positions, before they
could fight
back Tourach had gored both soldiers through the center of their
heads.
Raising his head with both soldiers hanging from his horns he
smiled as the
warm blood trickled down his face. Reaching up and tearing both
bodies from
his horns he dropped them on the ground, and began reaching for
his swords.

Picking up his weapons Tourach turned back to the dead bodies.
Raising both
swords he swung through the bodies chopping them to pieces, blood
splashed
through the whole room. Tourach completed his slicing and his fur
had turned
to a dark red stained by the blood of the solamnics. He turned
towards the
exits, replacing his swords in their sheaths he stepped out of
the Solamnic
Keep. Once outside the doors of the keep he roared his new
allegiance to the
Dark Queen Takhisis.



Author:  Tourach
Date    Sat Feb  1 21:08:02 2003


Subject  The Induction



The induction was a long and prosperous meeting with the Knights
and Lords of
the Knights of Takhisis, Tourach was enveloped in his love for
the Dark Queen.

He had been accepted as a squire to the knighthood, he foresaw
the tasks that
lay ahead of him, he smiled at the thought of serving the queen.
Shortly after
his induction Tourach was introduced to the halls of Storm Keep.
Holding the
great hall in awe he was caught off guard by one of the other
squires
approaching from the barracks The squire held out a training
sword and a
squires standard armor, taking the equipment Tourach quickly
changed into the
items given to him. He had small tasks to take care of around
Storm Keep,
until it was requested of him to retrieve a few items for an
aspiring squire.
He agreed and and quickly left the knight.

He searched through the cities until he was able to find what he
needed, being
carried by some lowly being, not deserving of what it had
acquired. He proudly
stepped toward the being, coming face to face with it, close
enough to smell
the dank warm breath consumed by liquor. Tourach simply told the
being to drop
the items and he would let him live. The worthless creature
refused in his
drunken stupor, Tourach removed his training blade from it's
leather sheath
and asked again. Once again the being refused, becoming slightly
angered
Tourach stepped back and said "Wrong answer."

Using all of the power his minotaur body could put out Tourach
swung his
weapon slicing the being across the chest opening a wide gap.
Tourach watched
as blood seeped from the wound and the disgusting, drunken
creature fell to
the ground.

Removing the items he needed Tourach murmered a slight prayer to
takhisis
leaving the body in her sacrifice he quickly returned to Storm
Keep and
reported back to the Knight that had requested the items.



Author:  Tourach
Date    Thu Feb  6 21:11:00 2003


Subject  The Training



Shortly after his induction within the Knights of Takhisis,
Tourach learned
the ways of the Vision, Order, and Discipline. He studied these
textures many
time over intending to memorize them to his darkened heart.
Everyday after his
intentive studies Tourach would remove his Squire Issue Sword
from it's sheath
and begin his intense rounds of training with the weaponsmaster.
His training
was extremely difficult because of the weaponsmaster discipline
towards
Minotaurs, they should be excellent in using their strength with
their
finesse. Tourach carefully studied and practiced each move with
delicate
exactness, making sure each action was completely correct.

Improving his mind and memorizing nearly every aspect of the
Vision, Tourach
began to focus his training more towards his weapon and battle
skills.
Becoming extremely proficient with the sword he began to train
with different
weapons. Working many hard hours with the weaponsmaster, Tourach
became
proficient in a variety of different weapons. He was preparing
himself for the
battles that lay ahead of him, practicing his skills with the
other knights he
learned different fighting styles intent on being the best he
could be, He
didn't want to be surprised by any kind of attack thrust upon
him. The Knights
and the weaponsmaster watched as his skill grew, he was nearly
ready for real
battle.

Ending each day Tourach would make his visit to the Temple
dedicated to
Takhisis spending hours making his prayers to the Queen. Kneeling
before the
altar Tourach dedicated his heart, mind and soul to the
prosperous Vision his
Queen provided.

Declaring his love for the Queen, Tourach would gather his things
and end his
day, taking his rest to prepare for the next day of Training,
Study, and
always Prayer.



Author:  Tourach
Date    Fri Feb 14 21:23:34 2003


Subject  Tourach in the Beginning (Part I)



Stepping outside of his tent, Tourach emerged coming face to face
with the
leader of their small tribe. They were all warriors trained to
the heat of
battle learning the ways of power and strength. Drawing from
their Minotaur
heritage for their agile strength and battle intuition. Tourach
was one of the
more revered fighters of the tribe. Though he was a fierce and
loyal warrior
he was somewhat despised for his arrogance that came with his
seemingly
natural ability. The leader staredat him, searching deep into
Tourach's eyes
looking for a reason for what he was about to proclaim, the
leader was afraid
of Tourach and did not wish to accuse him for what he had done.
Tourach's deep
blue eyes seemed cold as he undauntedly gazed back at the tribal
leader,
fearless.

Knowing well that he had the rest of the tribe to back him up the
leader got a
more confident demeanor and, not stepping back from his face to
face stance
with Tourach, began to shout so that all could hear what he was
saying,
"Tourach your arrogance and attitude towards the rest of us has
gone beyond
what we can tolerate. I challenge you to a duel, this is the end
Tourach if
you survive you will still have to depart from the tribe, if you
die...the
consequences are self evident."

Smiling to the leader he simply completed buckling his sword belt
and rested
his hand on the pommel of his sword. The leader stepped back
reaching quickly
for the hilt of his sword. The entire group of minotaurs
surrounding the two
widened into a large circle creating a make-shift arena around
them.
Delicately pulling his sword from his sheath he prepared himself
to fight the
leader. Yanking his sword from his side the leader nervously
prepared himself
for what was to come.

Advancing quickly Tourach swiftly knocked his opponents sword
aside catching
him off-gaurd holding both swords out of the way Tourach quickly,
yet
powerfully, jabbed the leader square in the gut knocking the
breath out of
him. Stepping away Tourach spun around preparing for the
opposition to make
his strike, but it did not come. Tourach becoming the complete
agressor in the
battle once again advanced swinging his sword clashing it with a
parry from
the opposite longsword. Returning quickly with his weapon he
swung with
complete finesse to the underside of the leader. The leader
regaining his
composure after the blow to his midsection was getting his
defense back into
full effect.

Grinning at the full challenge of his opponent Tourach stepped
back and
prepared to once again engage the leader. The leader placing his
feet in a
firm battle position ready for Tourach next advance. Seeing that
his opponent
was fully ready for any trained attack that Tourach would make,
Tourach did
something unexpected.

He charged at the lower half of his opponents body, swinging to
deflect
Tourach's sword the leader moved to frantically in his surprise
completely
missing Tourach.

Pulling away with his weapon Tourach rolled quickly standing
behind the
leader, deftly spinning the sword in his hand, Tourach stopped
the weapon and
swung full force with the flat of his blade at his opponents
head. Striking
with a force unmatched by the rest of the tribe, Tourach's blade
shattered on
the bone. Letting out a sharp cry of pain that ended swiftly, the
leader fell
to his knees, a spatter of blood dripping down the back of his
skull. Dropping
his broken weapon, Tourach walked back to his tent. He retrieved
his most
important belongings stepped outside the flap of his tent and
simply stated,
"To te abyss with all of you, I was a loyal companion and this is
how I am
repaid? You say that my arrogance and attitude is wrong to you?
Straight to
the abyss with all of you, you are all worthless."

Turning his back on them he walked away, he was last seen
stepping over the
hills as all the others watched him leave in awe of this
unexpected end.



Author:  Tourach
Date    Tue Feb 18 12:10:15 2003


Subject  Tourach in the Beginning (Part II)



Traversing the hills past his former tribes camp he grumbles,
angered at what
they had done to him. Not looking back he walked not knowing yet
where he was
going to end up. Realizing that he had no provisions to eat or
any shelter to
sleep under he stopped and decided what he must do. Seeing a
large forest off
in the distance he headed in that direction, once he had reached
the forest he
had the good fortune to find a large sum of oak trees standing at
the brim of
the forest. Climbing up one of the trees he pulled his dagger
from his belt
and sawed off a large, sturdy branch and returned to the forest
floor. Finding
a convenient stump to rest on he began to whiddle away at the
branch. In time
he had fashioned a crude bow from the branch Tearing a thick
string from the
clothing he was wearing he tied it to each end of the bow and
slung it across
his back. He went back to the oak trees and chopped off some
smaller branches
preparing to make some arrows. After he completed his arrows he
tested one on
a nearby tree overgrown with lush green moss. The arrow flew true
enough,
inspecting it after the shot he grinned at himself satisfied with
his seeming
competence. Removing his items he left them near the stump and
went out to the
forest looking for food. Almost losing hope that there were ANY
animals in
this forest he turned and saw a large elk grazing in a small
field contained
within the forest.

Creeping up slowly he lodged himself against a tree and set in
arrow to the
string of his bow. Carefully aiming being so careful as to not
miss he loosed
the arrow and waited.

The arrow struck the elk with such force it went straight through
barely
staying lodged in the elks body. The frightened creature
attempted to run
realizing it was injured.

Using quick instincts Tourach pulled back another arrow and and
fired it at
the creatures hind legs, luck more than precision Tourach got the
elk right in
the hindquarters.

The elk fell immediately, dragging the elk back to his makeshift
campsight,
Tourach skinned it and cut the meat from it's bones. Retrieving
more oak wood
he built a roaring fire and cooked his food.

Continuing to survive by hunting while he travelled through the
forest Tourach
got exceptional skills in hunting down his prey. Learning much
more while
getting through the forest by himself Tourach prided his ability
to survive.
Reaching the other edge of the forest he saw a city looming on
the horizon in
the distance. Deciding that he would head that way he looked back
at the
forest and smiled and continued towards the city. He reached the
city in a
little more than a day, seeing that he had arrived at Kalaman he
realized that
he had been traversing the forest of Estewilde, noting this in
his mind he
walked to the gates of Kalaman preparing to enter.

Stepping up to the gates Tourach is confronted by a guard
standing at the
gate, he stands in front of the gate stopping Tourach. "What's
your business
here?"

Tourach says "I wish to find food and lodging, I do not bring
trouble."

The guard looks Tourach up and down nods realizing the only
weapons Tourach
carries are his bow and his dagger, considering these weapons to
be not very
dangerous he steps aside and motions for the gates to open and
let Tourach
enter.

Stepping into the town Tourach looks around and wonders what this
town may
have to offer to him.



Author:  Tourach
Date    Fri Feb 21 12:41:40 2003


Subject  Tourach in the Beginning (part III)



Stepping into the city of Kalaman, Tourach smelled the salty air
coming from
the waters to the north of the city. The buildings in the city
were taller
than most Tourach had ever seen, they looked as though they had
been built
studier than most as well. He continued to walk down the
cobblestone road
until he came to an inn amusingly coincidentally named the salty
dog. He
walked in and was confronted by the stagnant air of malt beer and
salty
skinned saliors. A few turned to stare at Tourach as he bent down
to walk
through the doorframe. They stared at him until he reached the
bar where he
seated himself down on a stool obviously made for a human. Asking
for a beer
Tourach reached into his pocket to retrieve his money ,the
bartender merely
stared at him for a moment before coming to his senses and
grabbed a mug and
began to fill it. Laying the money down on the counter Tourach
smiled and
started drinking. Polishing off the last drink of his beer he
stood up and
tossed another gold piece to the bartender and started out the
door. When he
arrived at the door Tourach noticed a tattered piece of paper
posted on the
door pane. Taking a closer inspection he read that there was help
needed at
the docks with possible openings for sailors. Taking interest in
this Tourach
walked out the door, stepping out into the cobblestone streets
once again.
Stopping a passerby he asked where he could find the docks, the
man he had
stopped merely pointed up the street to the north. Nodding in
affirmation
Tourach thanked the man and headed to the north.

He found the docks quite easily and saw many scruffy looking men
in weathered
clothing either standing about smoking or moving crates onto
boats. Searching
for the captain Tourach walked through the shipyard, finally
coming to one of
the sailors he asked where he could find the captain. The sailor
pointed out
towards the docks and said, "He's out at the end of the docks,
starin' at da
water heh heh"

Nodding in acknowledgement, Tourach started out towards the end
of the dock,
looking through the light mist created by the splash of nearby
waves, a tall
figure began to come into view. Approaching more quickly he saw
that this was
a very tall human, chuckling at the thought he came closer until
he could see
distinct horns on the man stopping for a moment and staring,
Tourach realized
it was not a man at all, it was a minotaur. Smiling at his
seeming "luck" he
walked more quickly up to the captain.

Arriving behind the captain Tourach said, "Excuse me, sir."  
Turning about a
minotaur with lighter fur faced Tourach, his fur touched by the
salt causing
it to appear a lighter color, almost white. The minotaur asked,
"What do you
want?"

Tourach spoke quickly, "I was coming to inquire about the help
wanted sign in
the bar."

The minotaur smiled and slapped Tourach on the shoulder and stuck
out his
other hand, "I'm Illyathorak, I'm the captain of the Orlouge. I
have a group
of 3 vessels, the Stier, the Orlouge, and the Vanderkaum. Of
course you'll
start off like every other sailor did, swabbin' decks. When we
get ready to
leave I wanna see a mop in yer hand."   Smiling at his amusement
Tourach
started to leave when Illyathorak called back to him, "With a
little bit of
hard work you should advance through this deck swabbing thing
pretty quick, I
can see a lot of potential in your eyes, don't let me down."

Once again turning to walk away Tourach headed to the warehouse
to store his
bulkier belongings in a locker and pick up the mop he would be
using until his
much anticipated promotion.



Author:  Tourach
Date    Wed May  5 17:58:57 2004



Subject  Silent Shadows



The rose layed lightly upon the cobblestone street, Tourach
stared in
deep contemplation as the flower slowly wilted before his eyes.
Days passed
before his gaze parted the long dead rose, the rose that
rested upon
his father's grave.

A thief had brutally murdered his father, stabbing him from
behind multiple
times, with the only interest being to steal his belongings. The
shadow cast
over Tourach's soul for the loss of his father grew increasingly
darker over
time. He trained himself in the art of war, practicing with any
weapon he
could find. Knowing that the men of the shadows were the ones
that had killed
his father, he knew that he must lurk in the shadows as well to
destroy the
evil he now hated so much. The passion of his anger has made much
blood be
spilled in the shadows, where no one hear them scream. When he
ran up enough
money to buy armor, he stained the armor so that it's color was
black, darker
than the shadows he crept through. His blade, Shadow, was made
with a special
steel that had a brilliant white color to it, piercing the
darkness wherever
it may be. Now one of the most avoided men of the shadows, the
darkness didn't
seem so frightening to the local townspeople, as they knew of
Tourach's
intents, destroying evil.....

(To be continued)



Author:  Tourach
Date    Mon Jun 20 01:41:46 2005
Stamp   1119249706
Subject  A Marching Army


Day broke without the usual chirping of birds disturbing
Tourach's slumber,
instead there was the quiet thunder of a marching army. Waking
from his sleep
he walked over to a nearby hill and looked down upon one of the
formations.
Their dark armor reflecting a dull light in the soft sunshine of
dawn, their
steady march sounded the thunder that preceded the storm soon to
rain upon the
land. Watching as they passed by, he thought quietly to himself
about his
past. It had been many years since he had donned his armor, but
he believed it
was once again time to join the struggle for control of the
lands.

Putting on his armor and wrapping his swordbelt around his waist,
he slid his
sword into its sheath. He walked out and unwrapped his steed's
reins from a
nearby tree, climbed onto his horse and galloped down the hill
and began
moving alongside the troops while still hidden within the trees.
Waiting until
they stopped to camp near the port city of Kalaman...



Author:  Tourach
Date    Thu Jun 30 00:31:00 2005
Stamp   1120109460
Subject  An Experienced Soldier


The field was covered with soldiers wearing dark armor, their
swords grasped
tightly at the hilt. They were anxious for the battle, awaiting
the command to
launch the siege. The smoke from the fires billowed up to make
great clouds
that shrouded the light of the sun, making the day seem dark and
dismal. The
clangs of metal clashing together rang throughout the camp as the
soldiers
sparred one another, making bets on who would be the victor.
Tourach stopped
and watched from edge of the ring of onlookers. The battlers used
worn-down,
blunt swords that could no longer severely injure anyone. One of
the warriors
struck the other with a blow to the arm and the other battler
went down to one
knee. They crowd of warriors roared with excitement, the jingle
of gold coins
being exchanged to those who bet their money right sounded. The
victorious
winner turned about looking at the others in the crowd asking for
another
challenger. He turned and saw Tourach standing amongst the crowd
and pointed
towards him

"How 'bout you old timer? Think you can challenge me?"

Tourach smiled slightly at the young warrior's challenge, knowing
very well
that the warrior didn't have much of a chance. He chuckled to
himself
remembering an old verse he had heard from an old warrior he had
challenged
when he was young: Old age and treachery beats youth and skill
every time.
Removing his swordbelt and his cape Tourach laid them on the
ground and picked
up the blunted sword. Feeling the weight of it he swung it about
a few times
getting a feel for the balance of the weapon. It was quite a bit
lighter than
the one he was used to practicing with, which would make the
battle that much
easier. Squaring himself he raised his blade and watched as the
young warrior
moved towards him with his blade raised high. The warrior moved
quicker
towards Tourach and swung his weapon down with all his might,
Tourach parried
the blow as he quickly moved around behind the off balance
warrior. making a
quick strike to the back of the young soldiers right shoulder
causing the
warrior to stumble heavily before regaining his stance. He turned
quickly with
an angered look on his face, he charged Tourach once again
swinging his blade
down with immense strength. Deflecting the blade off to the side,
Tourach
pulled back and made a quick blow to his opponents chest then
whipped about
and slammed the flat of the blunted blade upon the warriors left
arm. His
opponent fell to the ground with a solid thud, the crowd standing
around them
was taken aback by his victory. Stabbing the sword into the
ground, Tourach
went back to where he left his things and picked them up.

"I'll leave the rest of you to your sparring, keep practicing
'young
warrior'."

Tourach wrapped his swordbelt back around his waist and clasped
on his cloak
before walking away and disappearing through the clouds of the
camp's fires.



Author:  Tourach
Date    Tue Aug  9 19:49:23 2005
Stamp   1123634963
Subject  Old Comrades


The camp was larger than Tourach had first anticipated, tents
scattered
throughout the entire plain all the way to the edge of the
forest. Walking
about he examined the soldiers he would soon be fighting
alongside, they
seemed to be quite a strong group. A few of them looked somewhat
scruffy, but
they were vaguely seen among the hundreds of soldiers. Hearing a
group of
people start shouting, Tourach looked up to see what the ruckus
was about and
saw a group of about six people shouting to him. They looked
familiar and
obviously they knew him because they knew what his name was.

"Tourach, by Takhisis it's been years since you've been seen
amongst the
Knights of Takhisis. As I remember it you had 'retired' from
being a knight,
what's made you return?"

"The time has come for my return, our Queen has beckoned me to
rejoin her
forces."

"Well let me sharpen your sword for you, I've been working on
everybody elses
all day, making sure they are nice and sharp for the Solamnic
bastards. heheh
It's been too long since I've been able to cut one of fools to
the ground."

"I assure you this blade will never be dull enough to need
sharpening, but
thanks none the less. So, how have..."

"Sir Tourach, your presence has been requested at the main tent,
please follow
me."

Cut off shortly, Tourach looked a bit surprised as he slowly
began to walk
from the group he shouted back to his old comrades that he would
be returning
to catch up as soon as possible. He followed one of the officer's
guards back
towards the center of the camp.

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.'