Contact Arc Welder at arcwelder@gmx.net

PLAYER 7 - JustOne

Greetings Traveller, and welcome to Grond Khar - The Drow Capital led by myself, the wizard JustOne. I urge you to take the liberty to explore my city, see its sights, meet its people and soak in its atmosphere.

I am a leader who wants the best for his people. We have been seperate from the ground dwellers long enough and now it is time for us to settle and to make ourselves known worldwide as the friendly people we are (Hehehe).

To this end i urge you to see our wonderful marketplace and see all the wonderful items we have for trade, or visit our taverns and drink our mead, the best in all of Illithia - but with permission only

I issue a warning to all races not to enter my domain without permission - If you choose to do otherwise then your death will be swift and your body will lie in a dark tomb for all eternity - if you are lucky - if you are unlucky you will join the slave force that provides life for the Drow. Any aggressive moves will likewise be punished without mercy nor thoughts of guilt after the act. On the other hand if you are interested in co-operation with my dark followers then feel free to contact me - if we consider you worthy of our time then we may decide to grant you the pleasure of meeting with us. Plot or betray the DarkElves as you see fit - but know that even in the darkest hour a smile will cross our faces as the life blood flows down your throat and you gasp your final breath - Win or Die - we accept no substitutes.

I will leave you to explore - if you want more information then please go to my information center or contact me via my ambassador. I look forward to hearing from you in the near future.

Goodwill and Peace to your people - only as long as we feel like it at least

JustOne - Dark Elven Warlord and Necromancer

Contact JustOne at jfrick@optusnet.com.au

PLAYER 8 - Dimlùr

No Blurb Submitted As Yet.

Contact Dimlùr at frode.klev@himolde.no

PLAYER 9 - Lord Araxus

Contact Lord Araxus at jeffv@exchange.microsoft.com

PLAYER 10 - Ptolemaios

   
   
   


 



Lorentz Dale



 
"Father, who is Hazdrubal?".

Roxanne stayed glancing at his
father waiting eagerly for an answer. Her curious gray eyes shared innocence
and an incipient intelligence. Yes, the great king Ptolemaios was proud
of his daughter. Whenever Dyonne calls him at her side, one among his offspring
will be signed by the goddess and shall bear the royal name, Ptolemaios.
However,the question took him back to a time of uncertainty and danger.

"Who is Hazdrubal?", the king repeated
to himself. "A shadow, Roxane. He is now a shadow which can not resist
the sunlight, ready to be wiped out in the next corner of the path of life.
But he was the most powerful man in Lorentz Dale, some time ago". The king
felt transported to the old times while threaded the story.

"The Prime Bachelor of the Royal
House rules just below the king and not even children of the royal seed
can counter his edicts. Hazdrubal was a qualified magician of vast wisdom,
his counsels saved the kingdom from important disasters and, thus, my father
appointed him at the highest rank as Prime Bachelor. My child, be careful
with people wiser than you. They might have higher ambitions that you can
never think of. Then suddenly, and unexpectedly, the king died. Two crescents
walked though the Cloak of Night watching a land without joy and music.
It was the mission of Hazdrubal to prepare the funerals of the old king,
and also, finally, the Day of the Choice, when the goddess signs the one
who will become the new Ptolemaios..."



As her father continued, Roxane
lost the thread of the tale. It reminded her of another much older story.
The legend of the foundation of Lorentz Dale. She recalled how much she
wept the first time that Gwydeon the Bard sang the holy chants. He began
with sounds of war and destruction, the land was being torn apart at its
center by a titanic war between angels and demons. When the Dark One conceived
the Black Creatures, Michaelus the White feared the defeat of angels and
looked for the help of a Powerful One. He traveled through many planes
to meet Dyonne.



"My brother, what do you come
for?" asked the goddess.

"Your help, Dyonne", was his
answer.

But the goddess said:

"The forces in Ithilia are in
a draw. Why do you want to govern a world of mortals?".

Michaelus seemed uneasy with the
question.

"They have suffered under Belial's
supremacy, they need our bless and rule".

Dyonne reflected for a while and
then said: "No, Michaelus".

But then the archangel desperately
tried the last chance.

"Let me show you something of
Ithilia, Dyonne. A mortal being. But one of the purest souls".



A group of shepherds poorly lived
in an arid plains whipped every now and then by storms and earth shakes,
testimony of the fight between angels and demons.

The old Lorentz had many sons and
daughters, though among them he had one very special whose name was Ptolemaios.
The boy was fifteen, but due to his weak constitution he could not work
as the other boys of his age did. However, he possessed amazing beauty,
sweetness of heart, and a very special gift. When any man, woman, or child,
or even a lamb, got ill or injured, he leaned his hand on their head and
they became completely reestablished. One day, a large pack of hungry wolves
attacked the shepherds and they barely had time to take refuge into their
tents. The lambs remained outside but Lorentz was more worried of Ptolemaios,
who did not appear anywhere.

Then he realized a surprising silence
reigned outside. The old man could not bear the uncertainty and stepped
into the night. Under the light of the few torches, he observed with wide
open eyes the most amazing scene he could ever imagine. Dozens and dozens
of wolves lied around the figure of a boy sleeping, the figure of Ptolemaios.



As Dyonne looked at the boy sleeping,
something changed inside her. Her brother smiled, because he had succeeded.
His powerful sister could not resist the most powerful spell: a spell of
love. The arm that Michaelus had wielded to hook Dyonne to this world.
From that day on, the goddess walked invisible among the shepherds only
to be close to the boy. She understood their sufferings and, in the meanwhile,
helped Michaelus to defeat the Black Creatures of Belial. One day, she
sensed something was wrong and immediately traveled to the arid plains
of the shepherds. Ptolemaios was gravely ill. His weak constitution didn't
help much, and it seemed he could not do with himself what could easily
do with the others. For a month she stayed at his side in silence, until
the day he asked his relatives to leave him alone. When everybody stepped
outside and the room became silent, he said: "Beautiful lady, are you
there?",

and in a whisper added, "I have
seen you, sometimes", and then fell asleep.



Dyonne felt a tear on her cheek,
and then she realized her figure had been transformed to that of a woman.
She knew Death was coming to that room. Thus she kissed his forehead and
covered his body with her cloak. With a word of magic, both of them appeared
in a blessed world where he could possibly survive. When he woke up and
looked at her, a wonderful smile flashed in his face. They loved each other.
Boy and goddess discovered the joy of passion. Their souls and bodies linked
while day after day of happiness blessed their paradise. But Time runs
different in every world. One day, Ptolemaios and Dyonne were walking by
a spring. He suddenly fainted and Dyonne held him in her arms. He smiled
but Death was clearly visible in his face. As he expired, his body began
to disappear leaving Dyonne with a deep emptiness. She could feel her woman's
heart painfully beating inside her body. And something else. A new being
fighting to live. The mystery of mortal lives.



Years passed at the shepherds settlement.
Lorentz was very old and damaged from sadness since the incredible day
that his son Ptolemaios was dying and his body disappeared.

A quiet night in his lonely tent
a wonderful source of light startled him. From inside, a beautiful woman
and a child stepped out. "I am Dyonne, noble Lorentz, and this is Ptolemaios".

The old man looked at the boy in
surprise. "He is son of your son".

Lorentz wanted to ask for his own
son, who disappeared in a mysterious night, but the pain in her face made
him guess the most important parts of the story, which he would know in
detail afterwards, from his grandson.

"Listen, Lorentz, I shall bless
these plains with fertility, and after you a powerful kingdom will be founded.
This law I give you, Ptolemaios will always reign. From the offspring of
the king, when he dyes, I'll choose the heir, whose name will be changed
to Ptolemaios."

The woman disappeared, and when
he stepped outside the land was glowing. The dawn drew a wonderful landscape.
What had been arid plain became fertile terrain. The wind had stopped and
even earth shakes would never be felt again in the valley, because Dyonne
had placed magical shields of protection. It was called Lorentz Dale, after
the shepherd who founded the kingdom. Because many women and men came from
everywhere to the wonderful valley, and they were wisely ruled by Lorentz
until the day of his death. Then, his grandson Ptolemaios was proclaimed
king of Lorentz Dale and a strange phenomenon occurred. Hundreds and hundreds
of wolves came and bowed before the king. From that time on, plainsmen
and wolves have shared a strange friendship, and wolves even allow to be
ridden by them. Dyonne got immortality for Ptolemaios, because a king with
that name has always ruled Lorentz Dale. But there is another story. An
old song says that Dyonne traveled to many planes and many worlds, looking
for his beloved Ptolemaios. At the end, in one of the deepest worlds, she
faced the most horrible entity, whose name is Fate.

It said: "You can not reach
Ptolemaios. But be patient, my child. Time will bring you a new chance".

So it is said that before Time
dyes, Dyonne will meet again her love.



"Are you tired, Roxane?"

"No, father." Then she realized
he had been watching her in silence.

"Shouldn't you be sleeping right
now? Your mother will be worried. I'll request the presence of your servant
Lubna."

"No, father, please. Tell me
more."

The king doubted, because he strongly
disliked to recall the events before he became the new king, the new Ptolemaios,
but then decided to carry on with the story.

"Among the royal offspring was
Kleo, a dark and beautiful girl borne by Lauria, a dark elven wife. She
had been initiated in the mysteries of magic and the power of darkness.
A royal concubine had died giving birth to Lheos, a vulgar name for a vulgar
boy with no interesting talent. The youngest royal son, Alexandros, had
developed an incipient interest on the druidic skills. This time, the choice
of the new Ptolemaios would be crucial for the future of Lorentz Dale.
The new global situation in Ithilia stressed the plainsmen to choose between
either the light or the dark path. Two factions were formed and each of
them had, therefore, their preferred candidate. Those who felt closer to
Rutax were led by Lauria, the mother of Kleo. The supporters of the druidic
magic had laid their hopes on Alexandros..."

The face of the king wore no special
expression. Roxanne kept holding the breath, waiting for the next words
from her father.
"Yes", she thought, "there is pain in my father's
soul. Even though he doesn't want to show it."

"Father, and what was Hazdrubal
doing?".

And before he pronounced a single
word she already knew the answer.
"Hazdrubal wanted the crown for himself.
He planned the assassination of Lheos for the eve of the Day of the Choice".

Everything was now crystal clear
in her mind. If Lheos had been killed, each faction would accuse the other
and only the Prime Bachelor would be able to save the kingdom from a civil
war. Hazdrubal would appear before the people as a hero, and the only possible
king able to unify Lorentz Dale.

"But something went wrong, wasn't
it so, father?".

"Yes, Roxane. Mortal beings
can not control everything, and Hazdrubal dared to think the opposite".

"So, what stayed out of his
plans?", asked Roxane with expectation.


"Olympias", was his answer,"she
spoiledhis splendid plans".

A grimace of disappointment escaped
from Roxane's control. She didn't like the Queen Mother.

Ptolemaios smiled. "You don't
like her, I know. But you should have seen how she subdued the druids of
the Order of Water. She is the most powerful magician of Lorentz Dale.
It was very easy for her to find out the conspiracy. The protection of
her son Alexandros had become the most important task in her life. So after
the king's death she kept hours and hours scrying in her magical bowl observing
everybody. That way Olympias discovered Hazdrubal's plans to kill Lheos
and how war would threaten this world. She just had to thread a spell of
confusion in Lheos' room. When the assassin arrived, he killed the servant
who slept in the same room and thought he had succeeded in his mission".

"But, father, if Hazdrubal knew
that Olympias was a so powerful magician, why did he risked so much in
the conspiracy?".

Ptolemaios was now openly amused.
That made her feel clumsy, which she did not like at all.

"Because he did not know. For
everybody Olympias was a pretty wife who did not have any apparent skill
apart from singing and making large and beautiful tapestries which ornate
her rooms and those of her esteem. Now we know those tapestries are magical.
Some protect from mental and other attacks, but some we don't know yet
what they were made for.

Roxane, Olympias is a daughter
of the high elven king Enthar. When he knew that the old king Ptolemaios
had married a dark elven lady, close to the spider queen, he thought the
kingdom of Lorentz Dale would fall into darkness. So he sent Olympias to
influence the king towards the light of Hichilis. She strongly disliked
the mission ordered by her father, because she much preferred to continue
with her studies on the arcane magic, but obeyed. She has not been happy
here, Roxane."

Roxane recalled the proud figure
of the elven magician. She always seemed to know what Roxane was thinking,
at any time, either good or bad. She could not love her.

"And what happened the Day of
the Choice?"

"Well, when the daylight was
appearing from the horizon, we all three were gathered in the Square of
the Alliance. The surprise stroke the face of Hazdrubal, but before so
many people he could do nothing. The people of Lorentz Dale crowded the
area with a silent and dense expectation, but allowed us to reach the entrance
to the temple of Dyonne. We stepped, then, into the darkness and calm of
the holy site."

"Kleo and Alexandros observed each
other. The girl smiled looking at the boy like the wolf looks at its prey.
Alexandros was quiet, waiting for the movements of his enemy. So he was
prepared when Kleo suddenly attacked him with a black beam of energy, his
blast of fire met the dark spell and the explosion made me lose consciousness.
I felt my mind clouded and heard as remote the sounds of the magical battle.
A woman of amazing beauty stood in front of me. "Lheos", she said,
"it is the Day of the Choice, and you have to choose. Come with me."
The woman drove me to a world of darkness, were dark beings condemned their
opponents to slavery. Afterwards, the light blinded my eyes and then realized
I was in another world: a world of light, inhabited only by beautiful beings.
Suddenly we went back to the dark and calmed place.
"Choose", asked
the woman. I was confused and did not know what to say.
"Choose!",
requested the woman more vehemently. Panic began to extend through my body
while the only thing I could stammer was "I don't know". "CHOOSE!",
demanded the woman. My head seemed to explode. I could not choose, I did
not want to choose. I had not chosen anything all my life. I had never
wanted to be a king. Either Kleo or Alexandros would be much better rulers
than me. "CHOOSE!!!"

Suddenly I yelled :"No, I don't
want to choose between light or darkness. I choose freedom!".

I feared the anger of the woman,
but incredibly she was smiling.
"I am Dyonne", she said, "and
you are Ptolemaios, my beloved. Make the Balance rule the world."

She kissed my lips, which made
me feel fire and ice, at the same time. Then she disappeared.

At the temple, Kleo and Alexandros
were still fighting.

A powerful voice echoed in the
chamber: "ENOUGH!"

Both combatants turned over to
look at a man of amazing power. He seemed familiar to them, but could not
recognize him at first glance.

"Who are you who dares to order
me?", demanded Kleo.

"I am Ptolemaios", was my answer.
They looked amazed and recognized the shadow of Lheos in the features of
my face.
"Yes, I have been called Lheos in the past. But now my name is
Ptolemaios. And you can not oppose my power inside here, in the temple
of Dyonne. Bow before me, because I am your king, and you owe me obedience."

Alexandros smiled to himself.
These were the jokes of destiny. Nobody had ever thought that Lheos could
become anything of importance. After a while he bowed with elegance before
the new king. But Kleo was not going to bow before anybody. She had thought
that either death or glory would be the gift which she would find inside
this temple. Never thought of submission. She doubted for a while, but
finally abandoned the temple, nobody knows where."



Roxane seemed transfixed. "But,
father, why did you appointed Olympias as Queen Mother? She is not your
mother!"

"She is the only mother I ever
knew. Saved my life!", answered her father. She could not help hating the
arrogance of the elven magician.

"Does she hate her father yet?"

"I don't know, Roxane. Alexandros
has visited his grandfather in the royal court of Tyr Elyn many times,
but Olympias has never gone with him. She has stayed on Faron since the
day the elven ship disembarked the maiden ready to marry a barbarian human
king. Here she found the love of her son, also my own,...

I think too many things would
hurt her soul if ever she comes back to the elven city."

"And what about Kleo? Did you
know anything else from her?"

"Kleo? Who could know where
Kleo is?"

In the bottom of her soul she guessed
her father knew more about his sister than he wished to share with her.
But then she decided she was very tired.

"Some other day I'll try to
know more", thought to herself. And asked for her servant to prepare
her bed.


 

Contact Ptolemaios at vicent.molina@uv.es

PLAYER 11 - Lord Thunder

No Blurb Submitted As Yet.

Contact Lord Thunder at VSTROETTCHEN@AOL.COM

PLAYER 12 - Garnornomor

Back below the clouds, between one flash and the next, three figures appear within the ring of stones. Figures chanting in an obscure language, casting powerful magics and placing ritual objects on a central stone, coloured dark with the blood of bygone sacrifices. Moving closer ....

God 1: Never bloody fails. Every time we meet for a picnic it pours. I thought you said that this would be a good day?

God 2: Well, according to all the signs its supposed to be a good day, or special ... actually as I recall it was more like auspicious. Or was it ominous? Ahh ... what's the difference.

God 3: Auspicious for ducks maybe ... here let me put up a shield to keep the rain out. Now who has the salad? I'll put the tea samovar on this big rock over here.

God 1: Us almighty! That's one big samovar. Lightning flashes do set it off nicely don't they? Whoo! Wasn't that a big one there? Fair made me drop the kebabs. Darn storm doesn't look to be letting up does it.

God 2: According to my forecast, the auspicious events are supposed to peak at midnight. Anyway, here's the salad. Hope you all like potato. My own special recipe.

God 3: Oh yeah, Belial left me a message saying that he couldn't make it though he dropped off this set of bells. Said it would summon up dessert.

God 1: That guy. First he wants the picnic, tells us all exactly what to bring, when and where, and then he doesn't show up. Well, that leaves us with one extra kebab? Who wants it?

God 2: Oh not me. Got to watch the waistline you know.

God 3: Same here. One's enough for me.

God 1: Well, we'll just put it aside for now and if anyone wants it they can take it later.

Time passes ...

God 1: Ooooohhhh, I couldn't eat another bite. Not one, no siree. Anyone want that kabob?"

God 3: Not me, I'm stuffed. Just room for dessert.

God 2: Me too. Quite a light show from the storm huh! Look! Its almost midnight! Things are supposed to peak now.

God 3: If it's supposed to peak now how come it got so quiet all of a sudden?

God 1: Getting dark too. And look at how all those lights in the sky are lining up. Haven't seen anything like that since the creation of the Dark Deceiver.

God 3: Anyway, let's get dessert. Belial said for best results we had to ring it 12 times with the last ring falling on the stroke of midnight. Let's see, there's one bell for each of us. All together now!

bong Bong BONG

God 1: Say I was just remembering ...

bong Bong BONG

God 1: isn't Belial ....

bong Bong BONG

God 1: the only surviving disciple ...

bong Bong

God 1: of the Dark Deceiver? Hey! Where'd that cloud come from?

BONG!!!
god 3: Us save us!

enter the mother of all lightning bolts

exit one tall steely tea samovar

merge three gods who were eating into a single figure of

three gods eaten ...

Contact Garnornomor at khumfeld@andrew.cmu.edu

Off to WOW Game Status Page.