Venefyxatu

Maybe a little late, but I guess you're untangled by now? Happy birthday!

I was indeed no longer around, and when I saw your PM this morning I didn't have the time to respond. That did give me the opportunity to visit the library in school to look it up, though, although I see I'm too late After some searching I did find that there's a grammatical difference between them, but by adding anything to Yui's explanation I would only make things complicated Mr. Belgium, eh? Hmmm ... looks like I finally found a title to put under my name

That would make you British Dutch I, too, try to use British English, whenever I realize that there is a difference of course I do try to use American English when chatting to someone from the USA, and British English when chatting to someone from the UK, but there are so many words I don't even realize have a counterpart Appy, that makes three of us - whoohoo! Can I start saying that I'm the only Belgian around here now? *wanders off, singing to himself, * Pass, the Dutchie on the left hand side ...

YanYan, I might be a little late, but I hope for you that things work out the way you want them to. If they don't and you can't change them, I hope that you'll come to accept the outcome nonetheless. Give my regards to Pillo ... Pilocanci Best of luck, and I hope to see you back! Venefyxatu

Venefyxatu is so awed by the birds' performance that he almost forgets to wish WrenWind a happy birthday. He realizes it just in time, though ... Happy birthday!

I'm sorry to admit that I neglected this forum a bit, but I'll definitely try to make up for that I'm not going to get tangled up into a spelling discussion here, but I would like to say, Katzaniel, that I can only assume that the words "thair", "yoor" and "meir" are some of the more common misspellings for "their" or "there", "your" and "mere" because I'm too lazy to get up and get my dictionary right now and too curious to let it pass by By the way, did you know that "Meir" is the name of a shopping street in Antwerp? Now, what I really wanted to say in this post : YAY!! A fellow Dutch-speaker Let us join forces and bypass their traps by discussing our strategies in Dutch. Let us write up the plans for reclaiming their English swamps in Dutch so that they may not understand them! Uhh ... *looks around at the weird looks from everyone, including Sweetcherrie* ... I'll go and take my medicine now

Samantha realized immediately that Bonnie was savouring the moment, that she'd obviously been waiting for it for a very long time. Travis, or Lotus, or whatever he was called, apparently thought that it was all a game – he didn't appear to see her hatred, the longing in her eyes to kill him, the doubt between killing him quickly to make sure that she'd get the chance or killing him slowly to make him feel every inch of the way to death. She'd seen it before, and she knew that it was a greater weakness than friendship. Lotus, meanwhile, knew that there wasn't anything he could do – not with the cold steel of a dagger already against his throat. He knew that he was faster than Bonnie, but their positions took that advantage away. "Tell me, Lotus, how does it feel to know that you're about to die?" While Bonnie was gloating Samantha let Fir'nae slip into her hand. She shifted herself behind Bonnie, putting Fir'nae against her throat in the hopes of creating a stalemate. "Ahh … so your friend decided to ignore your orders? Too bad she forgot one thing, though, namely the great speed of an elemental assassin." As Bonnie spoke the last word her arm holding the dagger flashed backwards, the dagger reversing for a thrust into Samantha's stomach. Caught off-guard by the incredible speed Samantha stumbled backwards, clutching her stomach, Fir'nae slipped back into her sleeve somehow, almost as if the dagger had done so itself. "So … fast …" Brought to her knees by the pain of the wound Bonnie's dagger had caused, Samantha didn't see Lotus using that one moment to get away from Bonnie. Lotus could tell from the sound that Samantha was injured, but knew not how deep the wound was. Now this was there the line was drawn...it was one thing to threaten his life, but to threaten that of a personal friend...that was going too far! Flipping backwards in a very acrobatic fashion, Lotus immediatly took off upon his landing...Bonnies attention already split between the duo...she failed to notice the striking blow of Lotus's foot sinking directly into the small of her back. The sheer force of this action sent the Watery Assassin to her knees...where Lotus most desired her! Lotus-"How does it feel to live on your knees? How does it feel, Bonnie!" Bonnie-"I remember, not long ago...in a sense...forcing you into a similar posion. The difference between you and I? I don't require back up to finish the job!" Quickly sending her body into a tactile spin...Bonnie delivered a clean sweep to Lotus's legs, therefore sending him into a rather clumbsy tumble. Rising to her feet, Bonnie lashed back with an almost instant turn and downward strike...the strike holding enough force to create a small notch with the once location of the Earthly Assassin. Taking avantage of a sudden burst of agilty, Lotus rolled out of the way and half fliped into a once again horizontle posion. Now taking up a slightly more serious attitude, both assassins stuck out yielding their complete and available skills. The blows cancelled each other out of all four daggers struck a chord upon contact and were sent hurling through the air toward some unknown location. With heavy breath the duo stared directly into each others...while at the same time attempting to both fortell and counter every remaining possible attack. Lotus-"I can see great hatred within your eyes, but you have to realize that I am not your enemy. I am not the man that once inhabited this uniform...nor am I the one that slew your leader in the not so recent past. I am merely a traveling bard...simply becoming my subject in every way shape and form." The glare within Bonnies eyes was unwavering most definitely out in the open. If she could spontaniously combust Lotus from within...it would be taking place at this very moment in time. Lotus, however, still donned a slightly more comical atmasphere. What could he say...life is game...you can either givein or strive forward for a better tomarrow. Bonnie, taking into consideration that that she was out numbered, exuted a slight chuckle and spoke with a soft voice. Bonnie-"We will meet again, Lotus and next time I'm going to finish the job I started on your little friend." A flash filled the emptiness of the room as all four daggers that formerly lay upon the floor had vanished...Bonnie no where in sight. As Lotus hurried over to Samantha she slowly got to her feet, clutching her stomach. When she spoke, she paused in pain every now and then. "Don't worry ... I'll be fine. But they know where we are now ... we must leave." Lotus shook his head. "She won't come back until we had a chance to rest. She wants a challenge, just like the others." "Good... then tell me ... who are you? Travis, or Lotus? Bard, ... or elemental assassin? Or both, for it is often said that ... the best lies are hidden ... in truth."

ROFL! I managed to watch the entire thing, and even though I somewhat regret the time spent it was definitely worth it ... On a more serious note : I agree that a fight between pirates and ninjas probably wouldn't happen, but then again, this is a hypothetical question. My best guess after reading all the arguments is that it would depend greatly on the situation. If the ninja manages to get in a surprise attack then captain Sparrow won't even have a chance to parry, forget about a counter-attack. However, if they started face to face, then the pirate would have a pretty good chance at walking away. *realizes that's what Alaeha said* Oh well ... And as Gryphon said (if I'm stealing other people's lines anyway I might as well continue ) : the winner would probably go off to find someone with better fighting skills than themselves and receive his one-way ticket to the next world.

While Tanny is searching through the cart Stephen stands still to take in the sounds and smells of this new world. A soft breeze blows over the hills and carries with it the vague scent of beautiful flowers that almost masks the even vaguer scent of orcs and the trail of death that usually accompanies them. When she's done searching the cart and starts listening as well they both hear, very vaguely, the yelling and screaming that is so typical of a battle. "It sounds like we won't need a map after all. Let's head that way, see if those are the tribes we're supposed to find." Stephen agrees and they both set off into the wind, taking turns pulling the cart. After about half a day's travel, the sounds and smells of battle being a lot more obvious now, they stop near a small thicket. As Tanny gathers wood for a small fire, Stephen vanishes into the bushes only to reemerge a little later with a few rabbits. Tanny watches as he skins them quickly and efficiently and not much later they're enjoying roasted rabbit. After their dinner, they try to listen for the battle again, without success. "Let me scout just a bit ahead, Stephen... " Shimmering into her wolf form, Tanny pads silently through the trees. She revels in the subtlety of the mixed smells that come to her keen wolf senses, and her ears pick the small noises of the night animals that wake up for the night. After a few minutes of enjoying her surroundings, she starts sorting out the smells, noises, and eventually shadows, looking for signs of orcs. An hour later, the black wolf stretches near the campfire, then shimmers back into her human form. "They have stopped to rest, not too far from here. I didn't go so far as their encampment, but the smell and the noises are enough to locate them. Probably we should also stop for the night, so we can decide exactly how we're going to get rid of Wyvern's stuff." Stephen also stretches, turning himself to the fire for its comforting warmth. "Yes, we should. I think that when he was explaining what we were supposed to do he mentioned going on the battlefield to sell this drink of his. There has to be a better way because I, for one, am not planning on putting myself in between two fighting tribes." Tanny leans back against a tree, her eyes half-closed. In spite of their relaxed appearance, both are ready to jump at the slightest unexpected sound. "That's a good idea; I'm definitely in favour of that one. And maybe we could talk to the orcs separately? I mean, instead of putting ourselves between them, we just visit one of the tribes while they're not fighting?" A thoughtful look crosses Stephen's face. "Hmm. But what are we going to tell them? 'Hi gang, we've got something for you but we're not quite sure whether it'll kill you or make you stronger. Any volunteers to see whether we should give it to you or your enemies?' " Soft laughter escapes Tanny's lips. "No, that wouldn't do, would it? We should probably start with trying one tribe and talk to the Shaman, or the Elder, or whatever they call it. We could tell him that we have a drink that'll give his warriors incredible strength. After all, if they like it, a cool refreshing drink on a warm day does give one strength, and if they hate it ... orcs and revenge go rather well together, and the wish for revenge does tend to increase strength..." Stephen nods. "Good thinking. But how are we going to get close enough to talk?" They both think about this for a few moments, the only sounds being the crackling of the fire and the wind softly blowing through the trees. The flames make the shadows around them dance in a way that Tanny finds rather comforting. Stephen breaks the silence. "I know. We'll carry our weapons where they won't be seen from a distance when we approach them and I'll exaggerate tapping the ground with my staff a bit. After all, what danger is there in a blind man and a woman, no offense?" "Yes," Tanny muses, "but won't they see that as an invitation to just take it all away instead of paying for it?" "No. I'll make sure to hit a few feet while tapping the ground to make it obvious that we're not ready to give in to their every whim, and we'll have our weapons handy where they can see them when we're close enough. That should give us enough time to tell them we want to talk." "Yes, that could work." They go on discussing how they should proceed, but slowly the strategic talk drift into a friendly conversation, and by the time they get ready to sleep they are both smiling and laughing at each other's stories. "Should we set a watch, Stephen? It seems safe enough here, but it is another world, after all..." "Agreed. And from what you say, it's not impossible that some orc scout ends up coming near us. Should I take first watch?" Tanny senses the ranger bracing himself, guessing correctly that he had heard before some terse reply to that same question. The so-called jokes and puns he had had to endure the day after that still lingered in his memory. "As you wish, Stephen." Then, careful not to be misunderstood, she continues, "I can also create a kind of shield around the perimeter... it won't stop an orc, but any living being that trespasses it will awake me immediately." Sensing that she is not offering this out of fear that he won't be able to keep a proper watch Stephen accepts the offer. "A shield, eh? I wonder, though ... do you not need to concentrate to maintain it?" "No, that's not necessary. It is possible to weave the energies of the earth so that they'll sustain themselves. Sort of ... " She hesitates, wondering how best to explain this. "Instead of concentrating to keep it up you just tie it off so that it won't collapse." "That sounds interesting ... one day you will have to teach me more of these energies, wolf-lady." "I will be glad to do so." Stephen senses in her voice the smile that lit her face, and stores for later thought how she also seems happy to have someone understanding and interested in her abilities. Tanny closes her eyes and reaches for the earth, grounding and centering. Carefully, she weaves the flow of energy into a net-like pattern and set it around and above their camp. Nothing out of the extraordinary calls Stephen's attention when she's done, and she smiles to him. "No chants, no crackling of energy, nothing fancy. Is that what you're thinking?" He laughs softly. "I sense just nature. Nothing out of place... though I guess that if I were to try to get some information from earth right now, I would sense something different. Now, go to sleep. I'll wake you up for your watch." Stephen senses a slight change near him, that he has learned to match to Tanny's shapechanging. A wet nose nudges him, and he nods. "Yes, wolf senses and quicker reaction would be nice if something happens. Goodnight, wolf-lady." Yawning, Tanny finds a hidden spot not far from the fire, and curls up to sleep - just a deeper shadow in the middle of the trees and rocks. Stephen, meanwhile, extinguishes the fire and sits down again to get used to the sounds of night. As he is listening, his thoughts wander a bit. It is strange not to be doing something alone ... Maybe the loneliness was growing on me a bit and that's why I signed up even though I'd promised myself never again. An apparently out of place sound interrupts Stephen's thoughts and immediately gets his full attention. Silently he gets up and moves to where the sound was, only to find a fox that was a bit curious about the strangers in its domain. With a slight smile Stephen goes back to his spot and sits down again after making sure nothing else is out of place. She's different from the others, though ... probably because she isn't a human. Although I wonder whether she'd behave the same if we were in a group. Probably so ... and if anything, I owe her at the very least the advantage of doubt. That, and the same respect she's been giving me. What I said was true - I am glad they teamed me up with her.

Congratulations Mynx! And good luck *grins*

"... so I have 10 from the wolf in the back row. Did I hear another bid? Any other bidd..." Venefyxatu raises his hand, his soft voice barely surpassing that of Katzaniel. "15" "...ers 15 from the frail mage! I have 15 ladies and gentlemen! 15 gold for this wonderful silvered sapphire tear! Who bids more? ..." Katzaniel's voice drones on in a way that would make a professional auctioneer jealous.

If he sunk his own canoe, he'd end up in the water And since I believe something was mentioned about no super-powers, he'd probably drown because he's not used to water. The superiority of the pirate is proven

Venefyxatu touches an item on his table, concentrating on it for a moment before leaving his maze alone for a little while. He brushes the snow off his robes as he comes over to the Candles booth, softly humming a rather off-key version of "Happy Birthday". While he's waiting in line for the others to wish Salinye a happy birthday he has a look around and notices that someone spent a lot of work on that cake. As he passes a table with some more candles on it he makes a quick gesture with his hand, summoning the object he just touched from his table to this one. He barely has time to put a candle in the icy candlestick before it's his turn. "Happy birthday, Salinye!"

Hmmm ... tough question. Pirates are cool, but then again, so are ninjas ... Ninjas don't get the Jolly Roger flag, though, and the cool ships So I'm with Haley on this one : http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=121 (DnD players might like this comic ... it's an ongoing story, so if you like it best to start from number 1 ).

http://www.ceruleanstudios.com/ --> have fun If you need someone to add on ICQ (or any of the other messenger lists ), every single messenger I use is filled out in my profile. Could you let me know as well if you stumble across the ICQ contact list? (edit : finger slipping to tab key right before pressing the spacebar makes for an early post ...)

What ^ Falcon said Should you grow desperate enough to not want to wait for an answer : AIM, Yahoo! and MSN store your contact list on their servers, so you won't lose them. You'll get the "You've been added, do you want to allow blablabla" message as many times as you have contacts on MSN, though, (don't try this on a slow computer as I might do later today ) but at least it's better than losing your contact list As for ICQ : the last time I used the official program it stored the contact list on your own computer. Trillian probably does the same, but I don't know whether those files will be deleted when you uninstall the program. I tried making a contact list by adding myself, but I can't seem to find the files for it anywhere. Oh, and on a side note : for me version 3 works and looks way cool, so it's probably something very small being very wrong ...

Whew, good thing I checked the Pen this morning before bolting off to school. Apparently I'd updated the helpfiles, but forgotten to copy them so that Visual Studio could package the updated version into the installer. Fortunately that was easily corrected The program got installed, the source files copied, now all I have to do is wait for the exam... Glad you learned something as well in this thread Thanks for the compliments, and the other comments Minty Fresh Man (you got that right) is someone I met on a forum about Bluejacking.

It was indeed a matter of changing a few lines of code (changing visible to enabled was all that was required, really ). I had fun correcting those errors today, here's what I did : Changed tab order on tab Main Menu Added "Add Game" button to tab Main Menu Removed treeview in the reports Changed Wallets Overview layout to match Katzaniel's suggestion Added the option to get the overviews from the menu Tools as well --> the menu is never empty now. The options in the Tools menu that are not available are now grayed out instead of hidden Changed the length of the linklabels. Too long URLs will still be clipped off though. Added check to see if a position in a wallet is already taken. If all games are deleted through the program, the error messages will still be displayed but at least the fields will be empty. It no longer looks as though the game still exists. Screenshots in the helpfile were updated to match the new look of the menu's Helpfile is now correct : not everything refers to publishers anymore Added "Credits" option to the Help menu listing the people who tried it out for me Once again, my thanks for trying it out! So, as I was saying : should you be curious about the final result, you can get it here. I couldn't add the icon to the exe file anymore, though... the person who knows how to do this hasn't been online all day and I didn't find the option either. Oh well... at least it works

Thanks for the help - a few things I noticed after packaging the whole thing but I couldn't be bothered to change them anymore last night (it was too late ). Several others I didn't know yet and I'm going to try and correct those today. Let's see : *Points an accusing finger at Microsoft* Their fault Apparently there's a bug in VB.NET that prevents tabs from becoming invisible. Disabling it is the best I could do... *groans* I knew I forgot something - checking for duplicate values in places like this. Thanks for pointing it out Thanks Hmm... good idea! That would be faster than having to go to the games tab first.

Venefyxatu comes into the room, his Venefyxatu identity slowly becoming transparent until it has completely faded away and only Erik remains. He looks around a bit uncertain without his comfortable Venefyxatu identity, but goes ahead anyway. Uhh, hi. Some of you might know that I've been working and studying for my exams (they start Monday... dun dun DUUUNNN), and one of my assignments was creating a program in Visual Basic .NET I just finished it but of course I don't want to go to school with an untested program, which is where you come in. It doesn't matter whether you know anything about computers or not - in fact, the less you know about them the better : when my teacher is going to test the program, she'll pretend to be computer illiterate, which means that everything needs to be quite clear The program gets information from a (very much smallified) database (which is included) about my games collection. You can browse through the games, add, edit and delete games to/from the database, get an overview of all games or of every wallet with the games that are in that wallet, ... Try it out, and try to make it crash! If you find an error that doesn't start with "Wise man says", I'd appreciate it if you let me know. Any comments / malfunctions / language errors / ... would be well-appreciated. If you want to help, you should be able to download the program here. To install : unzip the archive and run Setup.Exe That's it. It'll add a shortcut folder to your start menu ("Venefyxatu Soft" - cool eh? ) and an entry to your "Add / Remove programs" list where you can remove it when you're done. I'd also appreciate it that anyone who wants to do this would do it fast : I have to hand it in on Monday morning! Sorry for the late notice One more thing : you need the .NET framework installed on your computer for this to work (it's the way Visual Studio works, don't blame me ). I don't want to force anyone to install this, so if you don't have it, don't worry - there will be others who report bugs they find Edit : If you run Setup.Exe and it asks you whether you want to go online to get the .NET framework, you don't have it installed. It's quite a big download, so don't feel forced to. You'll probably not need it for anything else anyway Thanks a lot! Erik starts walking away, his Venefyxatu identity becoming visible again. Edit : Erik pokes his head back in. Oh yes, I forgot... if anyone likes looking at code, just ask and I'll send you the source files

I don't quite get this... I ended up in Uruguay with a lot of people I don't understand Is there a way to start in a country of your choosing (as in : where I'll understand what's being said ) ? Other than that, it looks quite interesting. "Quite Evil", eh Sparhawk? Black : you can play for free, but apparently you can buy a "gold account" to get more features. Personally I'll be glad if I figure out all the options I have now

Samantha took her time to think before answering. While she was thinking, she went through the room to make sure nobody, or nothing, was hiding there. When she finally did answer, her voice was still soft. "I assume, sir Travis, that you are not asking me for comments on rhyme, rythm or other such things? I have to admit that you have some interesting points, but are you saying that an assassin is always evil?" This time it was Travis' turn to think, and while he did so Samantha and he went through the rest of the building - because you never know. “M’lady, an assassin is neither evil nor good. Does he not slay the warlord as well as the king? What then would you consider his alignment?" Samantha looked up, surprise showing in her face. “I have known many people, but only a handful who thought like that. It is… remarkable in a bard, for none of them were.” “To write of your subject, you must become your subject. You must know the fashion in which they think… feel… you must know the very nature of their being. How could I believe otherwise?” Samantha smiled lightly. “I have a feeling that you have studied your subject very … intensely.” As they finished searching the last room, though, her attitude changed suddenly. “This place looks safe enough… if we both stay in this room it’ll be easier to guard.” Travis gave a silent chuckle to the response as they both sat down. Without having to discuss it both of them realized that it was best not to make a fire – Travis knowing that it would give them away, Samantha not needing one anyway. “And why, pray tell, are we in any need of a safe haven? I never pictured you as one who was willing to give in to life’s troubles… life is only worth living when standing within its passionate flame. Is this not true?” Samantha relaxed a little, not letting her guard down though. She knew all too well what could be looking for her at this very moment. When she answered, she was looking straight at Travis. “No, I do not give in… I merely change my mind sometimes. But I know what is likely to find us even here and I have no desire to fight both of them, much less go with them. Nay, I prefer to be prepared and avoid fights I cannot win.” In the darkness, Travis noticed that there was something different about Samantha’s eyes – and he realized that he’d seen it before. When they were still outside the city he hadn’t really noticed, but now he saw that her eyes were completely white orbs. He decided not to mention it, though, since it might cause tension where none was needed. Besides, there were more important issues now. “I can tell from your tactical use of the word “them” that there are more threats than just the city’s inhabitants. Am I correct in my assumption?” “The city’s inhabitants are no threat… not to me, not really. Tell me, sir Travis, have you heard of the Shades? Do you know the mighty city of Jaegerran?” Travis raised one eyebrow as he was well intrigued by this new tidbit of information. “I know not of this city you speak of, m’lady, though I believe it deserves a ballad or two?” “Aye… the history of that city would probably need more than one ballad to describe it although I’m not sure that I would like to know it. And I believe that you would not be able to study your subject very intensively here. The Shades are… reclusive, even more so than the people of Rahkir. One cannot simply become one of them, for they are not quite human anymore. What I know of them is that they are creatures of the night and darkness, deadlier and harder to catch than an entire assassin’s guild. What I also know is that there are at least two of them near, searching for me, and that we need to be wary at night.” At this point, Travis interrupted her. “Two? You mean that a mere two beings bring you into hiding? I don’t care who they are… show me to them, so that I can slay them on the spot!” Samantha shook her head. “That would not be a very good idea… first, the two of them together could take on quite some foes, second I for one could do with some rest and third I have no idea of where they are. Hearing rest being mentioned Travis suddenly felt a bit tired himself. What the assassin didn’t take into account was the non-stop battle he’d been involved in ever since he’d entered this city. “Rest? It doesn’t sound half bad, really. Though I doubt they stand a chance even in my weakened state.” Samantha smiled – Travis really was overconfident. “Then I suggest I take the first watch. Should you, on your watch, see anything moving in the shadows where that cannot possibly be, it probably is something moving in the shadows where it cannot possibly be. “A response as cryptic as it is witty… sounds like something I might come up with. Though the fact remains that one such as I never has the luxury of sleep. Thus at all times I am forced to sleep with one eye open. This time, however, I shall trust thee and sleep as I would back home. See you then.” With this, Travis got to his feet and found a corner within its darkness he vanished. Samantha herself got up and blended in with the shadows, moving through the room with her unheard steps as she kept her guard up for the Shades – she wasn’t about to let them surprise her when she knew they were around somewhere. As she moved around, though, she took care never to stray too far from Travis so that she might wake him up immediately should the need arise. The Shades, meanwhile, had had not much trouble getting away from the assassins. They’d put up a short fight to allow Samantha to get away – they’d been suitably impressed by the way she’d tricked them into revealing themselves. When they got bored they simply shifted away, intending to come back another time… in the nearby future.

Yes, 2005 arrived here about 40 minutes ago at the time of posting. Let me reassure you all : it did not bring the end of the world, just the end of my desk lamp . I'd know about it if it had, wouldn't I? Under the fading sound of fireworks, let me wish all of you a very happy 2005. That most of your wishes may come true, so that you still have something to look forward to! Also, for everyone : good health, lots of inspiration and, most importantly, happyness in whatever way has your preference.

~Abilities~Blindness : Stephen can't see. No kidding. Sensitive : Stephen trained his other senses to make up for his lacking sight, even his nose, which might seem contradictory with his smoking habit. He claims the smoke clears his nose... Extend senses : By concentrating, Stephen can extend his senses into the earth and gain a lot of information about his surroundings - more than the ever could gain with his eyes. This also seems to enable him to mindspeak. Can walk without leaving audible or visual traces. A very sensitive nose (like that of a dog or a wolf) can still track him, if it can bear the smell of cigarettes... Hopeless smoker : Stephen smokes. A lot, which is not something most rangers do as far as I know. He usually manages not to when he needs to remain undiscovered but he has surprised many an enemy in combat by being creative with his cigarette or the smoke... Despite his handicap, Stephen is still quite good with his quarterstaff and his bow...

~History~ Stephen was born to a wealthy family. His father, Marcus Hascodem, was a rich goldsmith who became even richer through an inheritance. Marcus bought his way into nobility, changed his name to Lord Marcus von Hascodem and sold his shop, which brought him up to the richer levels of nobility. When he married the Lady Sepultra Irene de Tinservale, Lord Marcus became the third richest man in the city. As magic is deemed to be fashionable in the country of Dulsterion (as is obvious in the frequent contests being held), Lord Marcus started dabbling in it as well. Just like the other nobles he strove for ever greater arcane knowledge and skill to impress the others with, in spite of the limitations caused by being near the mana border. As the son of a nobleman, Stephen had one magic teacher after another, but never even got as far as lighting a candle. Some of his teachers claimed that he had an innate resistance to magic, others claimed he didn't really try. Magic wasn't the only point on which Stephen didn't fit in : he never got the hang of the intricate social interactions either, although he realized that nobody did anything for nothing, and that everyone was likely to backstab anyone else. Because of this, he spent a lot of time alone and was often seen as the odd one out. Fortunately for him, his parents' talent for politics kept him safe from any real harm, up until a certain point. Of course, he was expected to join in several social events such as hunting, which he despised the most. An entire group would ride out on horseback and have animals chased in their direction by a group of servants. Then they'd kill as many as possible with their spells and weapons. When Stephen noticed he couldn't change this, he started hanging back more and more, which made him even more of an outsider. On one of these hunting trips, he got caught in the blast of a spell. The others pretended not to notice and left him for dead. When asked about the hunting trip, they simply stated that a few spells had had unexpected consequences, that they suspected Stephen got caught up in one of them and they hadn't noticed due to his habit of falling behind. Even though he survived, his sight was lost. After that he decided he was fed up with humanity and its mages and stayed in the forests, living off the land and learning about the animals he'd once tried to avoid hunting. In the years that followed he became closer to nature, learning not only to understand the animals, but also about plants and herbs and how to recognize them by their scent and the locations they prefer growing in. Whenever he did have to deal with humans, he made a habit out of not moving his head, both as an act of pride and as a silent pledge for revenge. As time progressed, however, he started to forget about the idea of vengeance, mostly because he began to see that it wouldn't do him any good, only lower him to the nobles' level. Mostly re-written on September 10, 2005