Tamaranis

Shadows crawled over snow with increasing speed. As the darkness spread the underlying nature of the forest changed. The magical fabric that made up reality as much as the snow and the bare trees did was rapidly changing, altered by the shadows or making them appear. A soft chanting increased in tempo as the sun sank further beneath the horizon and the darkness deepened. It was early, yet, but darkness reigned. No ray of light directly struck the earth or the skeletal trees, and clouds obscured the stars. The chants turned to defiant cries in no language. The reign of darkness shattered in an instant. Hundreds of bright, hot white flames bloomed in the darkness, illuminating Feltha as bright as noon. Brighter. The effect spread out for miles or tens of miles. Only by looking at the sky would one have been able to tell it was night at all. A few score voices cried out as defiantly as the chanters had, but they used ordinary words to praise light and mock darkness. Even at the peak of its power, elves would not bow to the night. They would celebrate the longest night of the year by mocking it, not allowing it to take place at all. The spell itself had been woven by Reblin, with the help of Meeri and Raeb. Halmu had channeled elemental creation to pour raw power into it, as he normally did. But Almok had done the same thing this year, and he was certain the effect was brighter and farther reaching for his efforts. Barefoot and dressed in brightly colored summer clothing, elves immediately began dancing through the snow. It should have been a bitterly cold night, but the heat from the magical fire was already changing that. They wouldn’t freeze, and numb feet weren’t bothered by the snow. “Reblin, Raeb, Halmu. Meeri… nicely cast.” Almok grinned, “Now if you have no further need of my services, I’ve got revelry to engage in.” “’course you do, new guy.” Raeb grinned back, “soon as you’re done with the first watch.” “Hey, I thought we agreed Reblin would take the first watch because no one likes him.” Almok protested. “You did…” Reblin confirmed, “but I decided that since the universe basically does whatever I tell it to I don’t have to listen to you lot.” “I’m the greatest swordsman in the world! For about two hours!” Taelth had invented some sort of sword-dance. He also might have started drinking before sundown. The forms he was moving through would have been utterly useless in a fight, but they looked incredible, and even Almok had to admit that it was pretty to look at. “This was a conspiracy, then?” Almok asked. “A conspiracy of love.” Meeri gave him a pat on the cheek, “now make sure the village doesn’t burn down.” “You sad, jealous, pathetic… jealous… If you try this again next year we’ll duel for first watch, Reblin! To the death!” “Yes, and the earth itself will tremble to see such powers collide, I’m sure. Just watch out for dwarves.” Reblin warned. “And us.” Raeb added, “we might decide to mess with the spell and show you up.” Almok grumbled and took control of the spell. Ensuring the proper function of the spell took too much concentration to participate in anything else while doing it. It wasn’t complicated, all he had to do was make sure the flames didn’t wander into any buildings or trees, and stay on alert for anyone who accidentally danced into one of them. And despite Raeb’s threats, no one would dare interfere with it. But the sheer area covered by the spell, the number of flames involved, made it a demanding task. It wasn’t so horrible, though. Whoever was responsible for the spell stayed at the centre of its effect, which was the centre of Feltha, so he wasn’t isolated from the celebration, and he had occasional stunted conversations, limited by his attention to the spell. Eventually Halmu took over, and Almok set out to dethrone Taelth. Dethroning Taelth turned out to be harder then originally anticipated. Almok was both a better dancer and a better swordsman, but it was competitive sword-dancing, not a fight. Taelth had apparently been practicing for this, and Almok had to make it up as he went along. There was also no way to objectively win a contest of who was a better dancer, and Almok found himself strangely dizzy. So after almost an hour he was forced to offer a truce. Raeb briefly related several legendary battles to whoever was interested, creating vague, shadowy illusions to represent monsters and demons, and casting himself as the hero who defeated them. This continued until Meeri and Halmu conspired to have one of Raeb’s illusions defeat him. There were a few tense moments when a dwarf showed up and howled at one of their flames, then rushed to the attack. But after he dived through it and discovered there really was no way he could fight it, he decided to just emulate the elves and dance with it. Totally bald, naked from having just been set on fire, around half the height of an elf, and nearly as wide as he was tall, the dwarf’s clumsy stumbling made the unerring grace of elves suddenly seem as if it had been boring and monotonous before now. It took Reblin several minutes to figure out how the dwarf had managed to convince spell fire to dance with him. When he finally did come up with an answer he muttered hatred of dwarves and avoided further discussion of the matter. After that he joined Nerine and illustrated for the youngest members of the village the legend of when Omuron banished war from the forest. Reblin’s illusions were harder and more real, and Nerine’s oration was just as enthralling but more historically accurate and lacked self-insertion. Fire and a hundred feet gradually turned snow to slush and icy mud. The revelers, particularly the dwarf, quickly became filthy, but that was a detail traditionally ignored. Several foot races through the mud and slush were organized, but disagreements as to the number of laps completed and the exact route prevented any winners from being named. Possibly having been inspired by the dwarf, Meeri cast something that surrounded her in swirling motes and jets of flame. She personally cast off enough light that she became as hard to look at as any of the other flames present, but she drew attention anyway. Almok spent an unpleasant moment debating what she might have originally intended that spell for before deciding that it was only right he dance with her. But he wouldn’t be outdone, and their dance quickly transformed into an open “dance while you’re on fire” contest that ended after a collection of minor burns were acquired by everyone involved. Towards the end of the celebration a brief argument erupted over whose watch it was. It ended in Reblin doing and admirable job of singing the entire ballad Ighgresk before nobly taking up the undesirable “final watch” a few minutes late. When the sun finally came up its rays destroyed the spell, turning the artificial day into a natural one. Active celebration halted within a few minutes. Light and joy had beaten darkness.

My massive money makes miracles. (It doesn't, really.)

So good ol' stick recently alerted me to the existence of a couple of metal bands, Iced Earth and Blind Guardian, they're pretty neat, I think I like Iced Earth better than Blind Guardian... "Wolf" is a really cool song about werewolves. ...But When Iced Earth and Blind Guardian combine their powers they become Demons and Wizards! The CD "Demons and Wizards" they put out first is probably better than the second one, "Touched by the Crimson King," but if you get the e-version of Crimson King you get the tracks Lunar Lament and Spatial Architechts, both of which have a very neat sound that I think you're unlikely to encounter anywhere else. The odd song there has some anti-religious stuff in it, but that's pretty obligatory for metal. Most of them don't really touch on that though, and a lot of the songs are about some story or legend or some such. I'm fairly certain there's one based on Arthurian legend on Demons and Wizards, and there's a couple about a Stephen King series on Touched by The Crimson King. I'm not sure about whether or not everyone knows about this site or not, but if you're prepared to make a small investement at www.mp3search.ru you can download these albums for about $1.20 each.

Reblin stood on a chair, reached on top of a set of shelves, and found a disc of heavy metal with a slightly concave shape, about a foot across and polished to a perfect mirror finish. “Here, I don’t really want to know what you’re… No. This can’t work.” Almok was now staring a tiny but very bright point of light that was jetting flames three feet upward. “No, no, I’ve got it. Just give me that disc, that’s perfect.” Despite his doubts, Reblin tossed the disc to Almok, who caught it without taking his eyes off the fire mote, which had nearly descended into a wooden desk with parchment scattered across it. Almok held the disc in both hands and slowly, carefully brought it up under the fire mote. “If I can shield it on one side I should be able to contain it again…” Reblin had no faith in that plan and immediately began chanting the words of a spell of his own to safely dispose of the energies Almok had summoned up, apparently by accident. Tendrils of icy unmagic extended from Reblin’s hands and wrapped around the jetting flames, trying to climb down through them into their source. Almok, meanwhile, had resorted to actually holding the fire mote up with Reblin’s disc, the edges of which were becoming uncomfortably warm. “I thought this stuff wasn’t supposed to heat up,” he grimaced. Reblin didn’t respond. Gradually the flames started to descend. With Reblin helping to pull energy out of the fire mote Almok managed to condense it into a single point that didn’t jet alarming columns of fir into the air. Then the mote started getting brighter. “Cut the link and open a sixth gate half-channel, then just hold onto it, I’m going to take it apart!” Reblin commanded. But something told Almok that wouldn’t work. And that in fact, even bothering to attempt it would be a foolish plan. Instead he threw the disc and the mote that had somehow become firmly attached to it out the window. There was a roar and their view of the softly falling snow through that window was briefly blocked by a wall of flames, which quickly receded. Almok and Reblin immediately rushed outside to survey the damage they had caused. It wasn’t too bad. The corner of Reblin’s workshop that had been closest to the explosion was on fire, but Reblin put that out without any real difficulty. Almok was also estimated about two and a half trees were missing. He managed to keep the fire from growing out of control by making it doubt wood was flammable until Reblin pulled enough heat out of it to kill the flames. The spell-polished disc, which was supposed to be highly resistant to all forms of magic, as well as a great deal of heat, was a metallic stain blasted into a totally dry and bare patch of smoldering dirt. “Why did you cast that?” Reblin asked, “And why did you do it inside” “I wanted to see if I could,” now that the excitement was over, Almok noticed that his fingers were badly burnt, and it was becoming rather painful. “And it never occurred to you that you might not be able to maintain control of that much energy once you’d conjured it, right?” Reblin guessed. Almok removed his left thumb, which was burnt by far worse than any other fingers, from his mouth and blew gingerly on it. “I barely lost control of it, it was fluke.” Reblin gestured at their scorched surroundings, “Barely?” Almok was begging to lament he hadn’t ever bothered learning any spells that could conjure ice, or even cool water, having reasoned if he ever needed one he’d just figure it out then. He’d have to settle for snow. His fingers were definitely going to blister. “Hey, now this is only the third time something like this has happened in four years,” Almok delivered the information as if it were an impressive record, “normally I’d be able to keep a grip on something like that.” “I think...” Reblin said, regaining what calm he had lost, “that perhaps it would be best for everyone if you returned to studying the sword. You had much better control over that.” “Wait, you can’t just refuse to help me learn, I’ve got a gift that I can’t let go to waste.” “You know,” Reblin started again, ignoring the question, “Meeri might make a better instructor in this sort of thing than I would. She seems to like you, and she’s a seeg.” “What does being a seeg have to do with it? You’re at least as good a mage.” Almok asked. “Seegs don’t fear death as much as the rest of us.” Reblin explained. “Oh, yeah,” Almok puffed air over his fingers again, “she’s not afraid of much, but she won’t teach me anyway. She doesn’t think I’ll follow through with this. She says it would be a waste of her time.” “Raeb, then.” Reblin suggested, “He’d appreciate the sense of danger that comes from studying with you more than I do.” “But Raeb spends three quarters of his time on long patrols,” Almok countered, “I’d have to officially become his apprentice and follow him around all the time out there, and I’d end up spending more time wandering through the woods than actually learning anything, and he’d probably rather have me lend my sword than my spells anyway. Teaching me is up to you.” When Reblin didn’t immediately respond, Almok followed up with, “How many people can access elemental creation to make something like that after only four years study?” “Only a few,” Reblin acknowledged, “but you’re the only person who would, after only four years of study.” “Well you know what they say, ‘nothing risked, nothing gained.’ I think my willingness to attempt a spell like that just proves-“ “Who says that?” Reblin interrupted. “Oh... humans.” Almok answered, “but when you consider their lifespan, and the fact that they even have a society at all, they’re tendency to take risks pays off for them,” he quickly added. “Humans can risk their lives because even if they end up dying, it hardly makes a difference for them anyway. We’ve got something to lose.” Reblin said, “You’ve got forever to learn proper control of magical energies, you don’t need to push yourself and take risks with my life.” Almok’s left hand suddenly throbbed more painfully. He held it against the snow for a moment, then shook it against the air, trying to cool it a little, “But everyone else has forever, too. I’m going to need an edge if I’m going to be better.” “It’s bad enough that you’ll risk your own life, I can almost see some honor in that, but you conjured up your own little inferno, and when you discovered you couldn’t control it, you just tossed it out the window.” Reblin sighed, “What am I supposed to do? The dishonor’s on my head if you cast something wrong and kill someone while you’re under my tutelage. But If I refuse to help you, you’ll just go right on studying on your own, and all by yourself you’ll definitely wind up dead, and then dishonor is upon me for abandoning you while you had powers you couldn’t control!” Almok was a little taken aback by this. He caused people distress all the time, but never because they were concerned about his ability in something. Of course, Reblin’s fears were unfounded. “Look at it this way,” Almok offered encouragingly, “when I’ve become a legendary mage, and I call upon my magic to strike down some terrible warlord, or halt a plague, or end a drought, or all of those things, you will be the man who taught me everything I know, you’ll be a legend too.” He cursed softly and was forced to suck on his thumb again, it really was quite the burn, “By extension.” Reblin had to admit that the odds of Almok developing legendary magical prowess were fair if he didn’t loose interest and invest his efforts in something else or incinerate himself. “That’s not how it works. I don’t give you control of deadly new powers to bring glory to myself, especially not if it means putting the rest of Feltha in danger.” “Okay, let’s look at it this way,” Almok said, “like you said, I’ve come far enough to start figuring these things out on my own, I’ll become a master mage with or without your help,” That wasn’t what Reblin had said at all, but he knew Almok well enough to know it wasn’t worth it to correct him on that point. “But there’s still a lot I could learn from you, and I’ll get there a lot faster if with your help,” Almok continued, “So the question is, should our people have another powerful mage at their disposal sooner or later?” Almok’s natural ability at a variety of things had made him something of a local legend and over the past few years Reblin had come to recognize him as being extremely dangerous. But he just couldn’t take anyone seriously when they were occupied with sucking on the fingers they burnt because they were misbehaving. “You’re as good an excuse to practice my spell breaking as any,” he said in agreement or defeat, “Next time you conjure something like that up, I’d better be around to help uncast it.”

“No, no… I’ve lost her again.” Robby admitted, “She’s very good at disappearing.” “She’s fast,” Dana agreed, then pointed, “right there, see her?” “…maybe.” Dana’s extra senses didn’t have any trouble following Ming’s movements. Tracking the mana of living things, and how a human’s differed from that of plants and animals was relatively easy. Relative to trying to keep track of her with just one’s eyes and ears. Robby, being stuck with only his eyes and ears, wasn’t having such an easy time keeping track of exactly where she was. “All that magic, and you really can’t sense anything?” Dana asked. “Oh, I can sense things from time to time,” they were speaking conversationally, at a normal volume, “mostly things I’ve been able to see or hear for the last five minutes. I never pick up on anything like other people.” “She’s right in front of us.” Dana warned. “Oh, I was looking the wrong way again. How did-“ Robby stopped speaking as Ming stepped out from her hiding place, threw his arms over his head, ducked, and returned to a normal standing position with remarkable speed and dignity. “Does everyone here just appear out of nowhere like that?” Dana spared Robby and his reaction a brief glance before saying, "There's really no need for you to hide from us." Ming didn't respond in any way, and an awkward silence quickly developed. It occured to Robby that she looked like she was from a different region than Dana, and he so he asked in Old Ksol, "This one is pretty widely spoken, you don't happen to know it, do you?" Ming shrugged helplessly. "How about Rhaab? You look kind of like a Rhaab..." Ming responded with a precise gesture made with one hand. Robby looked questioningly at Dana, who guessed his question "Well it wasn't magic," she said. "The language of the empire?" he ventured tentatively in Imperial. Again, Ming didn't respond. Robby switched back to Eldoorian. "Well, that's every language I know." Ming placed one open hand, palm downward, under her chin and against her throat. She moved it down to her collarbone, as if shoving something back toward her chest. Robby didn't have any real experience with unspoken language or "hand-talk" but given the context he was able to piece together what that gesture meant. "Sorry, I didn't realize... you don't understand me anyway..." Robby trailed off, slightly embarassed.

Wow, that's just... huh.

Well, I was going to post on this on the appropriate day, but things just didn't pan out. I only missed it by a few minutes in my timezone, but I think the difference means I'm actually posting this early morning the next day where it counts. Also, there's no appropriate in character way for me to respond to this, which is unfortunate. I'm going to have to just break up the party here with this little OOC spiel. Anyway: My birthday wishes for you, Sweet Cherrie are that some friends you know through regular physical interaction drag you away from work for a short time, and you're all able to go do something fun for a little while, and you get to be the centre of attention because it's your birthday. Or rather, I guess I hope that already happened. Without robbing so much time from you that it creates problems at work, no less! Maybe it's why you haven't been able to respond to this thread yet? I'd keep my fingers crossed, but I'm typing this post right now, and that would be really hard, typing with crossed fingers. So instead I crossed them for about three seconds, then uncrossed them and typed some more. On a Pen-related note: It's good that you've shown up here, I think. It kinda makes me wish I'd been active over the past half a year or however long it's been that I've virtually not existed. So I could get to know the cool people like you who have been active during that time. Active with a very busy schedule, no less. So, anyway... Happy Birthday. -Paul

You fool, you've disrupted the eternal balance, bringing doom upon Gryphon and I!

Me too, Gryphon. I think it's because there are so many murderers and supernatural forces competing to kill us that they they all destroy each other.

...what? My sister somehow put you up to this?

Now we need to decide on an IC basis for the guild... Or did we do that already and I missed it?

Huzzah! A descision!

Note: I am now established on both servers. I'm doing a lot of homework overhere, and I'm desperately needing things to distract me, like WoW, incase you're wondering how that happened, but I'm actually leaning somewhat toward Argent Dawn as it is technically designated an RP server.

You guys shouldn't involve me in things, I talk (type) too much. Trying to sort out what we need to do here, if I misread someone, please correct me: Gyrfalcon and I can stay on Icecrown or move to Argent Dawn, it doesn't really matter. Valdar wants to stay on Icecrown. Yui wants to stay on Argent Dawn. Now Yui seems to be willing to make an alt and play that alt along with anyone starting on Argent Dawn, I don't think Valdar was planning to make another alt, which raises the question: If you're starting over anyway, why not do it on Icecrown? One possible answer is that Yui has wealth on Argent Dawn that she can lend to our lowbie characters, she has suggested this, but on Icecrown we can shamelessly hit Valdar up for money, or each other, ever at level ten to twenty, three players can come up with a few gold here and there without too much trouble. Another possible answers, though, is that Argent Dawn is an RP server, where a Might Pen guild centred on this site might be a little better received. We could pick up people from in-game and possibly create an infusion of new blood here, that way. A significant factor, probably. It's killing me that I don't know which server I should play on later tonight.

I can go either way, too, so it looks like it's a matter of Valdar would really rather be on Icecrown and Yui-chan would really rather be on Argent Dawn. We need some sort of contest between them to decide who's preferred realm is chosen. Like Rock-Paper-Scissors... Except somehow online. Both of them could PM their choice to someone?

If you try again, Yui, I promise not to abandon you.

Nutty Gyr, you should have mentioned the character names we're using. I'm just using "Tamaranis" and Gyrfalcon is "Hanzoku."

It might not reduce the number of shots fired, but at least everyone's aim would be all crazy-stupid.

It's like a curse or something... I'm moving (across the street, woo) that night. I better start inventing lame exuses now.

Robby sighed and allowed his arms to fall to his side. Then he laughed. Apparently mage was an acceptable profession here. In fact, it seemed mages were held in enough esteem that being a mage could instantly diffuse a situation like this one. “I’d like to agree with you,” he said, “but you’d be very disappointed in me when you discovered I was lying.” “I can see you mana flows.” Dana told him. Robby frowned a little. “You’re not supposed to be able to. Well, not you specifically,” he added hastily, “just... not anybody at all.” “Doesn’t matter, I guess.” he made a gesture as if he were warding off insects, or physically brushing his concern aside, “Just surprised me a little, that you can see the spell matrix.” He took a couple of steps to close the distance to Troy and knelt beside the phoenix. “It’s not really for casting spells, though. It’s more like...” he couldn’t quite decide how to describe it, “...I guess what it really does is protect me in small ways.” He reached out toward the phoenix and hesitated, then scratched its head in imitation of the way Dana had done it. “Nothing so powerful that I normally stick my hand into fires though.” He chuckled at that, a little nervously because he could see the flames curling around his fingers. Troy gave a delighted squawk at everyone finally deciding to be friends and stumbled into Robby. The bird was large enough that with Robby kneeling it was taller than him, and he winced a little but didn’t actually fall back or retreat, even when it nuzzled its burning head against his face. Troy nearly knocked him over through sheer enthusiasm, however. When the phoenix switched targets and assailed Dana instead Robby stood up. “I’m more than a little lost, though. Where am I exactly?”

I told Salinye she should change her sig and she retaliated by stealing the Jack Handy scene. I'm left with no choice but to switch to song lyrics. Anyway: Look how disruptive Salinye is! Imagine what would happen if she really came back for real? mIRC the other night as it was + Salinye? Madness!

I really couldn't tell you how much that's deliberate and how much it's just how I felt like writing. ...but that comment may end up being very helpful to me.

Pft. The Big Pointy One comes in all "Good to have you back," as if he'd been continously active over the last few months and wasn't putting in a reapparance himself.

“Hey, Reblin,” Almok said casually, “I’m going to need something spell-polished. And thick.” There was a pause, “and fire proof.” Reblin was torn between twin desires. On one hand, there was a strong reflexive desire to make himself aware of whatever impending disaster Almok had just created so that he could either prevent it, take cover, or flee as was appropriate. Measured against this was a desire not to face the terror that certainly lurked behind his back, it was akin to being reluctant to look at what one knew already from pain to be a grievous wound. He settled for something of a compromise. He didn’t turn around a look at what it was, but he did start searching for an object that would meet the description that Almok had just given him. Almok meanwhile, was still connected to the tiny mote of flame he’d just created at eye level three feet away, and was busy manipulating it, through force of will, to stay where it was and not explode or set the building on fire Maybe he shouldn’t have given up the sword. He had a certain affinity for magic, for channeling energies, but he couldn’t control it quite like he could a sword. But there was so much more potential in magic, and he hadn’t had much of a choice. Taelth had begun approaching the limits of his ability long ago, he’d marginally improved, but he hadn’t been able to keep up with Almok. That had left no one behind who could actually challenge him. Without a proper opponent he couldn’t continue to improve upon his abilities. It was still good practice for Taelth, but he was a defender now and spent most of his time who knows where, where Almok couldn’t engage him in a duel. Meeri had told Almok that he could become a defender. There he’d be able to travel the forests and find strange new ways to kill strange new creatures. She also said that he could travel to Capital, and petition to train with the masters there, or even Nedala. People did that, she told him, traveled in pursuit of their goals. But what did Meeri know? To think she’d actually claimed to be repulsed by him. He knew that for a lie the very moment she’d said it. She might have believed it herself, but it was still a lie. Of course she couldn’t resist him, he was her perfect foil. She was devoted, dedicated, focused, couldn’t ever be deterred from any goal. Almok was random, unfocused, self serving, and… …and he should have been paying more attention to that purified fire. It had started slowly descending, leaving what looked like nothing so much as a burning rip in the air behind it. “Reblin? You find anything?”

Here's something I can't recommend enough, (Not that I really make much of an effort anyway,) Irresponsible Captain Tylor. I'm not going to try and steal your thunder or anything here, so I won't say anything about the series other than I enjoyed it and I'm officially requesting a review.