An Aesthetic shows you to a small reading room.

Stories of Ansalon from the view of Walker.

A little gully dwarf runs by and says 'Wordwrap 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 well written novel on the table in front of you.
You note the spine bears the word 'Walker' scribed in orange ink.

Author:  Walker
Date    Tue May 17 05:02:25 2005
Stamp   1116324145
Subject  Life Journey I


Silence fell among the company sitting around the fire light, all eyes and
ears were on the man about to speak.

Standing at almost six foot, he studies his companions with his deep emerald
green eyes, soft with compassion full of wonder.

Looking at his slender almost fragile frame and open smile, one would not
think him capable of violence, but no one ever was who they seemed.

The wind blows through his shoulder length light brown hair; a white stripe
runs down the middle of his hairline. He stares into the fire, and takes a
long deep breath and begins his tale.

'I never knew my mother or father never knew what they looked like, who they
were or where they were from. I may be prince or a slave. My earliest memories
are of darkness, pain and humiliation.

You see where ever I came from I some how ended up on an island, and a dark
master was all I knew as a parent. My room a dark cell, until my fifteenth
year, I had never seen the outside world, never seen a tree or a bird.

I was one among many, there were elves and half-elves, there were humans, and
dwarves too. We were tortured, beaten, humiliated for the enjoyment of the
dark master and those who visited him. They delighted in causing us pain.

We were forced to serve them, and in return we were given a dark damp cell,
little food, and little rest.

You get use to the pain after while, and then they think of crueller more
painful methods to torture you with, there was always something worse.

Some of us had tried to escape more than once, but every time we were caught
and punished. The dark master had spies among us, he would toy with us,
knowing exactly what we were doing,

letting us think we had the upper hand, then with the smallest of actions,
destroy us. He had sent his own agents to pretend to help us escape, we went
along with their plan and of course the agent would lead us straight to the
dark master.

He manipulated us, made us not trust each other, made us not even trust
ourselves. But I never gave up hope. For that's all I had in there, hope. For
15 long years I hoped.

And one day my hope became a reality. It all happened so fast. But I will try
to recount it as best as I can. It was midnight when I heard breathing close
to me, I jumped to my feet, and at my door way stood a man, weather human or
other I didn't know, my first thought was, its an agent of the dark master. I
stood motionless, I didn't want to do or say anything that would get me
beaten.

The man drew closer, I was afraid, I had never known of anything that was not
evil. He reached out and touched my shoulder, initially I flinched at his
touch, pained by the touch to recent injuries,

but then as I just stood there, the pain faded, and along with the pains, my
doubts and fears too. At that point I looked up into the mans eyes, and I saw
a fire there, a fire of hope, compassion, love, all things I had never seen
before, and I wasn't afraid. Then he smiled at me, nodded in understanding,
and began to speak.

"child you are full of hope, even though no one showed you how to hope, you
have clung on to essence of life." I was bemused by his words but he continued
"come, you have been slave to a harsh master, but MY master is kind and
loving, and has sent me, I shall take you from this place." At once my fears
returned remembering all the times escape had been tried before.

"Peace child, think, I have entered here unnoticed, I can take you out as
well" his words brought me comfort and I believed him, there was no reason not
to.

We ran, round every corner i thought we would be caught, but we weren't we
stopped before a great oak door, He pushed the door, and it swung open with
out a sound.

And for the first time in my life I saw the outside world, but I had no time
to notice, the stranger hurried me out, we ran for about a mile before he
stopped me again.


He told me to continue to run along the trail where I will find a boat guarded
by some men, they would take me away from here he said. I asked him what about
himself, I asked if he was going to go back for the others, he looked at me
then, obviously trying to find away to say something to me in the best
possible way He told me that I was the only one who would be rescued, the
others would not have asked him to go back he said. He said that it was too
dangerous. And I asked him that question, that each of us asked at some stage
of our lives, "but why me?"

The answer he gave me was simple this "Because child you have hope, and magic
runs through your blood" So I asked him "then why are you going back there, if
not to rescue the others?"

The stranger smiled at me, and said "As for your question, why am I going back
in there? Its my final quest, my last act, someone needs to stop that man you
call master, his evils have gone too long unpunished, so I sacrifice my life
to save yours, and many others who would have come here." There was a long
silence before he spoke again "I am giving you freedom but freedom always
comes with a price. Go now, hurry." I didn't want to leave this old man alone
to die, I wanted to face the dark master for what he had done, not just to me
but all those others.

"GO NOW!" he said it with such conviction and such authority, I had no choice
but to obey, so I ran, and as I ran I cried knowing what fate my rescuer would
befall, knowing because he had told me himself.

I had run a long time when suddenly the earth shook, I looked back and the
brightest light flared in the distance where the cells were, then there was a
blackness and the lights fought each other, I heard a loud crash as two
opposing powers clashed.

Then the white bright light intensified with tints of blue and silver. Then I
heard two screams, one so horrible, a scream greater than any I had heard in
the torture pits, I scream of defeat, of pain of death.

The other was also of death, but of victory, a scream of acceptance of death,
they were so different in contrast, it is unexplainable really, then there was
silence.

And I ran in the silence until I came to a fast expanse of water, like nothing
I had seen, I heard it before I saw it, it was unimaginable, never before had
I even imagined such a thing. Then a hand was on my shoulder and a voice said,
"rest" and I did, 
I fell asleep instantly.
 
 
When I awoke, I saw blue, a vast timeless, pure blue, that's filled my entire
vision, everywhere I looked, blue, it was beautiful, I saw the morning sky for
the very first time.

Underneath me was a soft and pleasantly scratch substance, it was so
peacefull, I looked at it, it was soft green grass. It shone with life, green
life. Before, all I saw was grey, grey stone, black clothes, dark shapes. Now,
colours, green and blue, I was entranced by it. I sat up and looked about, my
senses were being bombarded with new smells, tastes, sights, sounds, and
feelings. I was sitting on a hill side, I could see great mountains rising
from the earth like giant teeth; some with craters at the top looked like
great hands thrusting out from the earth.

Everywhere I look there was colours, different colours and different shades.
Creatures of all kinds could be seen living in harmony, living in the order of
life. Beside me was a bowl of soup, a loaf of bread, an apple, and a canteen
of water.

As soon as I saw it, I realised how hungry I was, and ate it all, happy to
have so much to eat. Before I knew it I was cleaning the bowl with the last of
the bread, the apple core lying beside me and the water finished.

I turned back to watching the trees, plants and all the wildlife, and I
marvelled at the beauty and again wondered, why? Why do they exist? Where did
they come from? And it captivated me. "They are beautiful aren't they?" a
voice came from behind me, I realised it was the same voice that had commanded
me to rest. It was a woman's voice. 



Author:  Walker
Date    Tue May 17 05:06:16 2005
Stamp   1116324376
Subject  Life Journey II


 I turned around and before me stood a middle aged human women, just starting
 to grey. I nodded and turned back, scanning the endless horizon. "I have
 never seen anything like this, it's amazing."

 She sat beside me and began to speak, "Not all appreciate the beauty of life"
 She saw my confused look and explained, "There are people in this world who
 would rather see disorder and disharmony in the lands.

 Its something you will learn in time. I am Jane, what is your name?" "I have
 never had a name."

 "That's so sad, we will have to give you a name, I don't know many elfish
 names, however I know you are destined to travel far across many lands, so
 your name shall for now be, Walker"
 
 
Jane spent the next few weeks teaching Walker about the lands, about how to
control the magic the old man had talked about.

It wasn't long before Walker wished to travel, to explore the lands that had
been shut from him. A brave man had saved his life at the end of his adventure
of life, now Walker wanted to begin his.

He wanted to use his powers to help better the world, make life a little
easier for others, so that others would never have to go through what he did.

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 mentions 'We have had over 868 storytellers on Ansalon pen their epic stories here for all to read.'