The Library of Palanthas Astinus Office
Dominating the center of this room is a massive birch desk. Legend
claims this desk has supported the thousands of volumes of history Astinus
has recorded. A large pot of ink, a container of sharpened quills, and a
candelabra complete the desks decorations. Small windows line the room,
allowing light to trickle in and gently illuminate the entire room. A
comfortable couch rests against the west wall. Tapestries hang on the walls
between the windows. Shelves line the walls, filled with tomes of the more
recent records of heroes and villians upon the face of Krynn.
The librarian notices you aren't reading anything...
Astinus hands a worn folio to an Aesthetic standing by you.
You note the spine bears the word 'Shizuru ' scribed in earth-colored orange ink.
As you glance down at the page you read...
From the pages of Shizuru's book...
* * * *
Ansalon Author: Shizuru
Date: Sun May 24 20:18:45 2009
Subject Mid-day's Hunt
-------
Running deeper into the forest, Shizuru begins to slow down, starting the
search for fresh tracks or signs of her prey.
"Rabbit or pheasent?" she wonders to herself.
Searching for traces of either, she comes across a set of tracks, wild pig
by the look. She begins to track, moving stealthily through the underbrush.
Fresh roasted pork, yes, that would be perfect. She follows the tracks to
the edge of a pond, and carefully peers over the bramble. As she watches, a
wretched looking goblin jumps down from a nearby tree, skewering the little
pig with a long spear. Ducking back down, she scans the woods, looking for
any others of his ilk. The little goblin dances a twisted jig, celebrating
his victory. Closing her eyes, Shizuru concentrates on the surrounding area,
feeling the forest's mood.
"Seems this little one is here alone, must have gotten lost", she thinks to
herself.
Standing slowly, she raises her bow, aiming a long arrow at the beast. Just
as he turns to face where she stands, she lets fly the arrow, catching him
in the throat, stifling any sound except a disgusting gurgle as blood fills
his mouth. Wide eyed, he colapses near the pond.
Carefully stepping over to the body, she again scans around, trying to sense
the feel of the woods. Across the small pond, she sees a doe, with its fawn.
Both seeming unconcerned. The birds still singing, all seemed quiet. Picking
up the piglet, she pushes at the fallen goblin, making sure it was firmly
dead.
"Well," she thinks," Pork it is, tonight, Meriele will be so happy!"
Slipping back into the woods, she leaves the corpse for the crows and other
creatures to take care of. No need to worry her sister about this. She had
enough to be concerned about. Not like this was the first time unwanted
"guests" trespassed near their home. No, no need to mention this either.
Besides, can't let big sis think I am getting serious, she laughs to
herself.
* * * *
Ansalon Author: Shizuru
Date: Wed Jun 17 01:02:20 2009
Subject Returning
-------
"I really didn't think I went this far," she thought to herself. Trudging
through the undergrowth, slain piglet slung over her shoulderd, she hurried
as much as possible to return home, so she could feast on roast pork and
boiled potatoes. And big sis will be woried, and that alwyas leads to
lectures and blah blah... she grimaced at the idea.
Finally she broke through the treeline around the home they shared. Walking
proudly towards where her sister sat, she watched, pleased as Meriele stood,
looking relieved, then happy at the sight of tonights
dinner....then..horified as she looked at Shizuru directly. Stopping in her
tracks, the little sister looked confused, then looked down at herself. At
her dirty, bloodied clothes. Then back at the piglet, the one causing all
the blood stains.
Shizuru managed a half hearted smile, "Well, it's fresh and plump and....."
she trailed off as she watched the all too familiar look of disgust, the
look that meant washing clothes and then a miserably hot bath were in her
near future. Her immediate future, as in, no dinner until both were
accomplished. *sigh* Should have known this meal would cost a lot.
* * * *
Ansalon Author: Shizuru
Date: Mon Jul 27 03:58:25 2009
Subject We can't kill them?!?
-------
"Whahuh?!?"
The room went silent with the strange exclamation. The elder scout blinked
in surprise. He peered around the room for the source of the outburst.
"Excuse me? I am not familiar with your particular...mmm...dialect, did
you have a question, perhaps?"
Shizuru stared in disbelief at him, mouth agape.
Well, yeah I had a question, whadya mean we ain't supposed to kill them?"
The elder scout sighed, closing his eyes and rubbing the bridge of his nose,
shaking his head.
"I was warned about this, you are Viola'vata , I take?"
"You'll take nothing that's mine, but I'm talkin' about this shtuff about not
killin' gobboes!"
"We are to avoid un-necessary bloodshed, chase them out and not provoke an
all out war, is that what seems to be eluding you?"
"Very darned little eloodes me, and no gobboes can do that, what I don't get
is, you don't want us killin' them? Just chase them? What's the point?"
The elder scout tilts his head, looking in disbelief at the young girl.
"Who taught you to speak?" he whispers to himself. Then recovering, he clears
his throat, looking sternly at her.
"If you feel you can not perform this simple task, perhaps you should stay
here, with the rest of the children" he replies, with a strained voice.
Shizuru looks a bit confused at this. "You're staying behind, too I thought?"
The elder scout simply glares at her, knowing arguing is just what she wants.
She spreads her arms pleadingly, "We kill rats, we kill spies, we kill
goblins with arrows in their eyes. They're goblins! Gob-boh-lin-ses!"
The scout just stares at her.
Shizuru sees something familiar in his menacing gaze. Something she used to see
in Meriele's eyes when ever Shizuru broke some potion pot or window or whatever
seemed to get in the way while running through the house.
And it usually ended up with an ear being almost twisted off, or a strap across
her backside, or even worse....No Dinner!.
Shizuru slumped back down on the bench, pouting.
"Oh...fine then...whatever..no killing gobboes, chase the smelly things, sure,
why not...geeez"*grumble grumble*
The elder scout nodded victoriously. "Now then, with no more interuptions", he
glared at Shizuru, who just fumed at the attention,"we will continue the briefing."
* * * *
Ansalon Author: Shizuru
Date: Fri Sep 11 01:34:00 2009
Subject Breaking from the Flock
-------
Goblins were such ugly creatures. Smelly too.
Watching from the brambles, I could see they weren't all that bright either.
Four of them, stand about loosely, supposedly guarding the rear flank of the
group Grand Poop Snuffles or whatever just wanted shadowed.
Shadowed. Pah!
At least four of them were about to become bug food for being so smelly. A
certain crime in many circles.
I had my plan made up, and just waited for the ripe moment, which arose when
gobble number two stretched his hideous mouth for yet another yawn. I was
behind gobble one, and had gobble three and four in sight. Carefully aiming
the arrow I had notched, I let fly just as his mouth reached it's widest,
catching him squarely in the back of the throat.
This caught gobble one's attention, as he stared at the gagging number two.
Quietly dropping the bow, and drawing my twin knives, I quickly came in
behind one, slipping both blades into his lower back, then slicing outwards,
before ducking back into the brambles.
Number three and four saw me, of course, and rushed into the thorny vines in
pursuit. Four was in the lead, and was the luck one to trip on the line I
had run along the path, falling face first into a few dozen wood spikes I
planted beneath the moss and leaves. That counted coup on gobble four.
Gobble three, seeming to realize he was now alone, and in the thicket with a
yet unknown number of foes, seemed to reconsider his actions. But, before he
melted his feeble brain trying to think...just think I might add... I had
circled in behind him, retreiving my bow and setting another arrow up. He
froze, then turned slowly, to see what was behind him. Well, try to see, as
my arrow pierced his left eye with such impact that it poked out the back of
his skull, knocking his rusty helmet off his ugly ol' head.
I was about to congratulate myself, when something seemed...amiss.
"Well done, if somewhat inelegant." A strangely accented voice said in
Qualinesti. I spun around to see a long thin sword pointed at my throat, and
crazy yellow eyes staring down it at me. How did he do that? Sneak up on me?
So quietly....
"I see you were caught unaware, how sad for you, and your career, such as it
was, just begining."
This was most certainly NOT my finest moment.
To be continued...
* * * *
Ansalon Author: Shizuru
Date: Sun Sep 13 16:49:03 2009
Subject At this Point...
-------
So, standing there, I quickly assesed my few options.... I had my bow in
my right hand, both knives sheathed, a pointy, sharp looking sword at my
throat, wielded by someone with the craziest yellow, or maybe amber, (I
haven't really seen amber yet) eyes, speaking with a funny accent in my
native language and saying wierd things.
No, not a good thing at all.
"So, now what will you do, my little sparrow?"
Sparrow? How dare he call me that! Only big sis calls me that. Big sis. She
always knew what to do, and how. And always had supper for me...supper...
That was when my stomach decided to be very vocal, and let a growl that
would probably have frightened a hungry wolf. I felt my face redden.
The strange man's eyes crossed, staring at me in disbelief...
"Here you are at Lord Chemosh's doorstep, the banks of the Styx, your
immortal soul's last march...and you are thinking of....food?"
He began to chuckle, then openly laughed. His revelry was interupted by the
creaking sounds of wagon wheels and teamsters cursing their beasts. It was
the wagon trains for Wildrunner, the ones I was supposed to join with. He
looked over in the direction of the sounds, then turned back to me,
sighing.
"I see our time has run out, we will meet again, try to not be caught so
easily, it spoils the game and can be quite tiresome."
With that, he quickly, and quietly, slipped into the brambles, almost like a
shadow caught by the approaching noon sun.
Trying to gather my thoughts, I jogged over to where the wagons were
travelling, covering the distance quickly, thinking about what had just
happened. Sis had warned me about strange people in the woods, guess that
was one of them..still...
I fell in with the rest of the group heading towards the rendezvous village,
still in thought. Then I remembered, I was supposed to meet Ahmaria earlier,
for some sort of meeting thing. Geez, she could get as mad as Meriele when I
was late... wonder if it was too late to go after the crazy yellowed eye
guy...
"Corporal Shizuru Viola-bloody-'vata! Get your tardy, inconsiderate little
behind over here NOW!"
Um, sometimes maybe she could get madder than sis?
To be continued....
* * * *
Ansalon Author: Shizuru
Date: Thu May 27 02:24:19 2010
Subject The Effects of Warm Rooms and Monotony.
-------
Snapping her head back upright, barely escaping the clutches of a deep
sleep, Shizuru shakes her head a bit, looking around herself groggily.
Fellow elves in snappy uniforms? Check! Still stuck in the warm assembly
hall in Qualinost? Check? Droning from the high muckity-muck (hot)Air
Marshall? Double check!
Stand up, she made her way from the pews to the center walkway, causing
heads to turn, whispers to escalate and the droning to get a bit louder, she
made her way to the big doors. Was that a thumping on the podium? Oh well.
Need fresh air.
Throwing one of the doors open, she stepped out into the sunshine, and the
surprised faces of the usually stoic guards. One looked in to see the
speaker fuming abit but still, well "droning", he winked at Shizuru, giving
a thumbs up, before going back to stone faced.
"I wasn't comfortable in there anyway," she thought," How was I to know I
was supposed to wear that crappy uniform?" as she tried to knock some of the
dirt off her boots, to no success.
As she made her way down the street, heading for the city gates, she slipped
an arm through the bow she carried, wearing it across her back.
Unconsciously checking the position of the two knives carried in her braided
leather belt, she made her way out of the city, towards the forest she felt
comfortable in.
Musing about the "droner" she wondered if he ever tired of telling them what
they 'can't' do? Like, would it kill him to maybe say, oh, I don't know,
let's do this? Anyway, enough of that. Big sis would maybe be disappointed
in her, for leaving the mis-named "Wild"runners, but, you have to do what
makes you happy. And that gaggle of uptight Solamnic wanna-be's, wasn't good
for happiness. Good for polish vendors maybe. But not for free spirits.
Nope, food was bad too.
You might start with that one... Or ... ', he continues,
The Latest Entry
The latest story was...
The Ultimate Betrayal
by Tachande , posted on Nuindai, the Month of Reorxmont, 7 02:59:11 354 Post Cataclysm.
(excerpt )... "What have you done," growled Tachande as Lyor and Raze drew their
weapons at the two guards opening the gate. The two (read more )....
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 says 'There are 46 authors starting with the letter S
who have stories in the Palanthas library. '
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