Solivagus

Thanks guys Er...and gals of course!

I suffer now from writers block, My mind is empty, out of stock, I try so hard to advance the plot, And simply hope this ain't the lot. Is it my fate to never end? Am I a writer in only pretend? Must I be forced to watch others complete, Such glorious tales, while mine just deplete? So many tales I leave undone, So much started, so much begun, So much failed and so much lost, Will ever I finish? If so, at what cost?

I find peace where once I found fears, I see the good not what brings tears, I sleep untroubled by my dreams, Is this, then, what happiness means? A darkened cloud has swept away, The sun shines down upon this day, My soul now sings instead of screams, Is this, then, what happiness means? I know the pain will come again, My heart will ache with blackened pain, Yet just this once can't it be what it seems? Can't this be what happines means?

I spend this time in a distant land, Without you here to understand, Despite the good things I find here, I miss you now 'cause you're not here. The sun shines bright yet still seems dim, Without your smile to let it in, Colours fade without you near, I miss you now 'cause you're not here. Wish you were here beside me now, I'll carry on though I can't see how, Despite release from my old pain, I can't wait to see you again.

An answer I seek, To a problem of feeling, A soul in torment. A blind man seeeking for sight, A deaf man listening for sound. False hope keeps me here, Dreams of the future hold me, Yet my heart knows truth.

Just outside the Pen Keep gates, the air began to shimmer. The nearby forest went quiet, as if in anticipation of what was to come, or possibly in fear. Slowly a glowing blue circle began to appear. Begining about six foot in the air, both ends began to curve around and down, meeting at the bottom to form a perfect oval. Suddenly the oval seemed to strech and bend, before returning to it's orginal shape with a flash of white light. The light spread across the surface of the oval, and the portal was complete. Out of the portal stepped a tall man, his head with its close-cropped white hair coming just shy of the portals top. He was dressed in a long black trench coat and wore dark black sunglasses. Black leather gloves covered his hands. An advanced-looking crossbow was on one side of his belt, a combat knife on the other. A sniper rifle was slung across his back. Slowly the mans gaze swept across the Keep. His training caused him to note possible vantage points should the place ever be placed under attack. The walls looked sturdy, the gates firm. It would take a lot to breach those walls, and if anyone did ever attack, he'd make them pay a high price. He stepped away from the portal towards the gates of the castle. As he did so, the portal closed behind him. The doors to the Keep rose before him, tall, magnificant and sturdy. They were open invitingly for the moment, but that could be changed if it was needed.Calmly he walked through and into the courtyard. There were inhabitants of the Keep (ruefully he admitted that he might as well count himself as an inhabitant if he was able to complete whatever task they set him) but for the moment none approached him. The Info that was one of his many nanological improvements was still transmitting data to him, even across the many dimensions he had travelled to get here.He followed the directions it sent him, making his way to the AAV. *** The room he entered was spacious and almost completely empty. The only furniture appeared to be that of a large desk at one end, a figure seated behind it. He made his way over to the desk and introduced himself. His voice echoed slightly with a noticeable, almost mettalic tone. "My name is Richard Caelestis. I'm not from around here, but I wish to join your guild." Having said his piece the figure stood silent, waiting for some form of reply.

Note:The explanation for this post. I'm off to estonia on Sunday, going there to see my penpal fot two weeks, two days. I'll see you soon. Typical of me to come back a few weeks before I have to leave isn't it

Solivagus sighed as he took one final look around his tower. He wouldn't be returning for two whole weeks. It wasn't that he objected to his duties to Neutrality, but he did wish they had let him spend more time amongst the tight night group of people he had come to see as his friends. Realising he was simply trying to dely his departure, he set of down the staircase and out of the exit. Just as he was about to leave, he thought suddenly of Wyvern. There we some valuable artifacts that he had no doubt would go missing if unprotected. Planting the base of his half-white, half-black staff upon the ground, he began to mutter incantations in a low murmer. As he did so, he sent his mind outwards, seeking the mystical plains where he had allies. His chanting grew louder, more silibant as he reached across the vast gulfs of reality. He became incased in a shi,mmering aura of power, the stones blackening beneath his feet from the magical discharge. Finally, he reached the demonic plane, the realm of vast power, but unimaginable power. It was a realm ruled by Chaos, yet he had allies here even so. Slowly his tower began to shimmer, barely noticable at first, yet growing more pronounced each second. Then it was gone, transported onto the demonic plane until he returned. Solivagus's head threatend to droop with weariness, but he had no time for weakness. He had a mission to perform. Taking a firm grip on his Staff, he strode away from the Keep.

The door to the Room of no Return swung silently open. Long shadows stretched across the floor, cast by the full moon outside. Soundlessly Morindas entered along with the shadows, utilising his training and his knowledge of Void Magic to make his entrance as invisible as possible. He had no intention of alerting any observers of his true talents of course, nor of his master, but caution was advised when entering unknown territory. His eyes scanned the room for companions, but he found none. The room was deserted. Nudging the door shut with his foot, his hands pulled the black hood of his black robe across his face before allowing the Void Magic to dissipate. No one was to see his features unless it was unavoidable. His hands came down to rest at his sides, brushing against the various pouches attached to the belt that was beneath his robes, and against the long, enchanted knife that had been granted to him by his Master when he had been raised to the rank of Elder. Soon he would join this guild of adventurers. Soon there would be more souls to deliver to his Master... Hands clasped behind his back, Morindas waited.

Snow and ice have passed, Bare trees groan with deep relief, Spring warms ancient bones.

You are chaotic, disorganised, And I love you for it. Each moment from you is agony, Each minute in your company confusion, And I love you for it. You shred the barriers around my soul, Cause a battle in my mind, And I love you for it. Desperately I seek some flaw, some imperfection, But all I see is beauty, And I love you for it. You have been my friend for so long, I know I shouldn’t feel the way I do, But I love you. Do you feel the same as I do? I know the chances are slim, But I can’t help hoping, Cause I love you. I cannot tell you aloud, not yet, Not until I know how you’ll react. Yet in words I can say what I long to tell you. I love you.

The figure in the grey robe stood at the top of the hill, gazing down into the valley at the immense keep that rose from the ground. Spires climbed from the battlements, some epicentres of beauty stretching all the way to the clouds, some rambling contructs that the slightest breeze threatened to topple with a crash. The lines of pain and sorrow softened as the long-absent Witch Hunter gazed at the ancient castle, home to wizards, warriors and all manner of other creatures. Finally he had come home. Before making his way back into the world he had been forced to leave behind for such a long time, he let his mind drift over the events of the last troubled years. The black robed Witch Hunter stared bleakly at the now dying flames infront of him. Yet another friend consigned to the afterlife. Yet another comrade lost to the machinations of his enemies. A darkness began to sink into his mind, filling his head with dark images and cruel symbolisms. Why did he do it? Why did he try and rid the world of evil when it was clear that evil was so much stronger? It was all so pointless! With an almost inhuman howl of rage he ripped the symbol of his order from the breast of his cloak and cast it into the now-dying flames. The half-white, half black disk caught quickly and was swiftly turned to ash. Solivagus fled. A single tear leaked from Solivagus's eye as the memory filled his mind. He recalled with a shudder the dark time of his life, a time that he spent in a drunken stupour in an attempt to forget his failings. It had been a bitter period of loss where he had lost track of all time and direction. How long it had lasted he couldn't be sure, but at least it has, eventually, ended. He awoke to a dull throbbing in his head, his mouth dry and foul tasting. With a groan he opened his eyes and looked around, unsure whether he would find himself in room or alley. As his eyes flickered open, he saw the down-plunging blade of a knife. Hastily he cast an arm up, attempting to stop the blow, but he was unused to such things now, and the blade was determined. It caught him in the heart, and he died without even seeing the face of his killer. He hung suspended in darkness. There was no floor, no walls, no ceiling, yet still he had the impression that he was in a chamber of some sort. He tried to move, but he might as well have tried to see in the pitch blackness. It was as if his arms and legs had no strength, or worse, that they were not even there. Suddenly there came from all around him a moaning, keening wail that cut right to his soul. He had heard such wails during his time as a Witch Hunter. It often accompanied the chantings of necromancers as the performed thier diabolic art, ripping the dead from thier resting place and forcing them to do thier will. As the wail began to increase in volume and pitch grey shapes began to appear in a circle around him. They were hooded and cloaked, formless save for the grey robes they wore. With one voice they spoke, and thier voice was as the dead and flat as the grave itself. "Solivagus of Erchnabrind, former Witch Hunter and servant of Law, thence betrayer and perpetrator of Chaos, you are summoned before the Gods of Neutrality." Solivagus suddenly found himself able to speak. "The Grey Gods left the earth a millenia ago. Why have you returned, and what do you want of me?" And the Gods of Neutrality, the keepers of the balance between Law and Chaos, told him of thier command. A long sigh issued from Solivagus's mouth as he recalled thier instructions. He had a long and difficult path ahead of him, but at least he could always be assured sanctuary within the Keeo.

Congratulations. I am glad you decided to listen to my suggestion. It will be interesting to have our characters working with/against each other again...

The ide for this quest came from Rezure's own Quill Quest (http://www.patrickdurham.net/themightypen/index.php?show...&hl=quill+quest). The standards for becoming a Quill Bearer were different then (so I understand) so some adaptation was needed, but here goes nothing anyway Solivagus wandered aimlessly through the various rooms and corridors of The Pen Keep. He had so little to do lately. There were stories he could write, poems he could develop and quests he could go on, but none of them offered him a challenge. None of them looked as if they would cause his blood to catch fire, set his pulse racing or cause his mind to evolve to the next level. He was at a loss. Sighing deeply the normally solitary Solivagus went in search of some company, deciding to ask the first person he met if they had an answer to his problems. Unfortunately the first person he met was Wyvern. "Ah, Solivagus" The almost-dragon hissed, his eyes lighting up at the prospect of earning a few extra geld. "I wonder if I could interest you in..." "No, thank you." Solivagus hastily turned down Wyverns offer of 'Guaranteed dragon repellent, your money back if a dragon devours you. Personal application only.' "I was hoping I could talk to you about a problem I'm having..." "Of course! I always have time for my fellow Pennites!" Wyvern hustled Solivagus into an empty room and settled him down into a chair. "Now, what seems to be the trouble?" As Solivagus explained his problem, Wyvern's eyes began to glimmer with an idea. Here was a chance for making real money, and all it would cost was the promotion of a Quill Bearer! The almost-dragon smiled toothily at Solivagus when he had finished laying out his problem and laid what he hoped was a comforting hand on his shoulder. It was important that this be handled carefully. "I believe I have just the thing that will help you..."

Hi all. I know there's a topic that says what I must do to rise above the rank of Quillbearer, but I've forgotten where it is. I was hoping someone could either tell me where it is, or remind me what I have to do. Richard

M'avron looked closely at the ring Gryphon was wearing. "Fascinating...that magic should be so common here that such artefacts can be made..." He turned his gaze to the walls of the Pen Keep, and a visible shudder passed through him at the thought of entering such a place. Instead he glanced down at his companion. "Go and find this Elrohir and bring back me back one of these rings. I will wait for you here." The cat rubbed itself gently against M'avron's legs purring slightly, before dashing off towards the keep. Gryphon looked doubtfully at the stranger. "Are you sure a cat is going to be smart enough to do that?" "Oh you'd be surprised at just how smart she is." M'avron grinned back. "I haven't seen any sign of angels in this forest, least of all followed around by a swarm of butterflies! Still, as soon as my cat returns I'll be happy to help in the search."

Slowly M'avron emerged from where he had been watching at the forest edge, his feline companion at his side and his hands raised in a gesture of peace. "Be at ease, Pennites. My name is M'avron, and I have only recently come to this world. Despite that I already owe you much. Another of your number healed me from certain death without even knowing me, I've been allowed to stay in this forest without performing any services." The strangers voice was smooth and confident, yet still contained traces of uncertaintity as his golden eyes flickered from one stranger to the next. "A short while back I felt a disturbance in the forest...something troubles the trees. I wondered if you might know more about it?"

M'avron was working quietly on the forest of The Pen when he felt a disturbance in the woods, someone close to them was disturbed, agitated. Although he had never entered the keep (his background and parentage made him nervous and uncomfortable amongst large amounts of people and buildings formed from stone) he felt honourbound to try and aid the person, both as a token of thanks to The Pen for letting him stay and as a gesture of friendship to the troubled person, whoever he or she may be. Taking up his Staff and calling his cat to his side, he made his way to the edge of the forest to await some sign of people leaving the Keep. M'avron story (http://www.patrickdurham.net/themightypen/index.php?showtopic=12728)

Although I personally have an extreme dislike of kids (all that screaming and such) I understand that some people enjoy thier prescence. For whatever my congrats and luck are worth, they are yours Sal.

Only one thing gets me that excited- WALKERS SENSATIONS POPPADOM TIKKA MASALA BITES!!!! Maybe Sal's just won a years supply? Mmmmm....poppadoms

Tanuchan was curled up peacefully in her forest hut, her wolf form taking precedence due to the nature of the forest. Though she slept, her senses remained active, constantly on the lookout, however subconciously, for an intruder. It was this unconcious searching that awoke her. She sleepily opened her bright grey eyes, blinking and looking with amazement at the cat that was staring at her. It appeared to be a large blue house cat, and it seemed to want her to follow it. At first she resisted, prefering to go back to sleep, but as the cat grew more insistant she sighed. "Very well." She spoke, in the manner of wolves. Though she said it more to herself than to the cat who was unlikely to understand, the creature immediatly looked happier. "The things I do out of curiosity!" Tanuchan muttered as she followed the cat into the forest. The two creatures walked for sometime, going ever deeper into the forest. The further they walked however, the tenser the cat bacame. Cautiously Tanuchan sniffed the air, and the smell of blood reached her heightened senses. Forgetting the cat she raced towards the source of the smell, a feeling of foreboding coming over her. Was this where the cat had been leading her? Swiftly she came to a clearing in the heart of the forest, the source of the blood. Her eyes quickly scanned the area, and she saw with surprise the figure of a man kneeling upon the grass. He was doubled over as if in deep pain and blood ran from a myriad of wounds. Without hesitating Tanuchan shifted to her human form. Carefully she approached the stranger. As she did so he raised his head and she let out an involuntary gasp. Never before had she seen such eyes on a human! They were the colour of burnished gold, glowing with an inner fire. But the fire was dimming. "Please...help me!" The figures voice sounded like the last cry of the dead, faint and hoarse. Quickly Tanuchan grounded and centered, drawing upon the strength of the heart of the forest. She was almost overwhelmed by the power that flowed into her from the forest. Who was he that nature was so eager to give of its power so willingly to save him? Laying her hands upon his head she sent her conciousness out of herself and began the task of healing.

Briefly Tanuchan studied the figure infront of her. It looked like Heinrich. The same height and build, same cynical look, same face. And yet there was something about his eyes...an overlying air of menace and violence that forced her to surpress a shudder. His apparel was changed as well. In place of the robes he previously wore he was dressed in a loose tunic elaboratly decorated with blue flames. At his side was a curved katana, the hilt set with gems of many colours. Then the figure spoke. "Hail, mage. I am honoured that you choose to come to talk to me yourself!" Despite the mocking overtone of the voice the figure bowed respectfully to Tanuchan. He seemed to pass Vanessa off as some form of escort. "I bring you greetings and warnings from Lord Kharmask, ruler of the Abyss. My Lord recently gained knowledge of a Vampire who travelled from another realm to this one. Judging that there was insufficiant time to discover the strength of this realm, I was sent. I am of the Death Guard and am here to serve you within my abilities and my Lords guidelines." Bowing once more, he folded his arms and waited for any questions Tanuchan might have.

With the lack of threats that were currently being sent towards him Heinrich slowly pulled himself furthur out of the pit Tanuchan had created, making sure not to make any sudden movements. Something within him seemed to be pulling him towards a specific spot in the Keep, yet as he stood and looked up at the spectators on the walls he could see that they did not trust him yet. Vainly he tried to recall something he could do to prove that he was not a threat, but his mind had been ravaged by his torments in the Abyss. Reluctantly, knowing of no other way to prove himself, he tried sending a mental message out to the elf who seemed to be trying to reach him. As his mental probe struck her mind however, it was blocked. Unlike a purposful shield, Heinrich could tell that the mind was unresponsive due to a mixture of grief, drink and something else that his mind failed to recognise. Muttering a curse under his breath he instead sought out the mind of the spellcaster who had created the pit he had fallen into. **** Just as Tanuchan was about to pass through the mirror to follow Anna, she felt a strange prescence try to enter her mind. It bore familiar overtones of cynicism, sarcasm and self torment, and yet something else seemed to accompany it. It was almost as if two minds were being sent instead of one. The other mind was dark and sinister, and she sensed that letting it into her mind would be extremely uncomfortable. Still the mind probe persisted, hovering around her like a lost waif, trying to find a friend...

I would choose deafness. If I were blind it would take me many years to master the art of seeing with my other senses, many years which I must spend away from the Pen and all of its wonders. I could not bear that. If I were deaf though, I could still come here. (Sounds like a bit of a crawling answer? Maybe, but it's the truth nonetheless.)

The howls of the demon eminating from the natural pit that formed beneath it ceased abrubtly. The air above the deep depression shimmered faintly, appearing almost mirage like to the people watching on the walls of the Keep. After a short while there came the sound of scrabbling from the pit, as of someone-or something climbing out. The watchers continued to watch. Moments later a hand appeared from over the edge of the hole Tanuchan had created. It was not the scaled and beclawed hand of the demon that had last been seen entering the pit-instead it was the hand of a human. On its left index finger it bore a silver ring, formed of white gold. Slowly it raised itself into the air, moving slowly as if trying not to look threataning. From withing the pit a strange voice called out. The voice too was human, bearing none of the cruel harshness nor sickly sweetnes of demon-kin. "If I pull myself any further out of this hole, will you promise not to shoot?" The voice seemed to bear a strange mixture of sarcasm and cynicism, and many of the watchers felt a subtle pulling in thier minds, as if there was something important about the voice that they should be able to remember...