[Art Exchange] Covert Courtesy Commutation ~ 6/8 gifts are up.

[Kipiru]

No screw ups this time- I'm in!

[Myr]

Hmm, I'm in, if anyone wants a tale written.

[WhiteFox]

Once more into the breech!

Sign me up. And this time, I promise not to be overdue.

[FSharp]

Count me in please.

[Corgatha Taldorthar]

Wouldn't have asked if I didn't want to be in.

[Dekari]

Well, going against what I said at the end of round...4 was it?...I think I will though my hat back into the ring for the next round.  Although, bad news is there will be no 3-d are from me, that class won't start until mid January.  But good news, I'm coming into this round with a full licensed version of Photoshop CS4 to play around with (and some newly acquired skills with it).  That way if I do make an attempt at drawing something, I can use that to make it less full of suck  .

[e_voyager]

i wish i could join i really do but life is kicking me around at the moment and kicking me hard
maybe next round

[Gabi]

OK, the new round starts now! Sorry for the delay, I've been so busy it's not even funny.

The participants are: wuffnpuff, Basilisk, Fibre, Kipiru, Myr, WhiteFox, FSharp, Corgatha Taldorthar, Dekari.

The randomizer has done its job and I'll be sending PMs tonight. You have time until Wednesday, 25th of November to submit your gifts.

I hope you all enjoy the exchange, and sorry again for the delay.

[Kipiru]

Dear gifter, I'm would be just as happy to receive art or a story, so just be creative 

[Gabi]

Some messages from our sponsors... I mean gifters.

First, some questions for Fibre. If I understand correctly, this is for a written gift.

I'd like to know these things:

One, does he have any specific theme and/or setting he/she likes? I will note (And you may add this part if you wish) that I refuse to do sex or highly romantic scenes. Just...no. A little drama, a little romance, that's fine.

Two, does he have a character in particular, or characters, that he would like to see? If so, I need as much information as possible on them-descriptions, personality, one gets the idea. Keep in mind I can only handle so many; with two/three being reasonable.

And Corgatha's gifter would like to know whether Corgatha wants anything specific, or can provide some motivation/inspiration.

[Fibre]

I'd like to know these things:

One, does he have any specific theme and/or setting he/she likes? I will note (And you may add this part if you wish) that I refuse to do sex or highly romantic scenes. Just...no. A little drama, a little romance, that's fine.

Two, does he have a character in particular, or characters, that he would like to see? If so, I need as much information as possible on them-descriptions, personality, one gets the idea. Keep in mind I can only handle so many; with two/three being reasonable.

Hmm... I primarily enjoy clean humor. In general, I tend to stay away from romance/drama, actually. No character preferences, I don't really have any developed.

I hope that this is somewhat useful; I know it's not much, mainly I'd enjoy seeing what you come up with, and have fun with it.

Thanks!

[Corgatha Taldorthar]

Ask me what I want? MUWAHAHAHAHAHA YOU FOOLISH MORTAL!


*ahem*

Ok, before i start, I just want to make it clear that I tend to go way overboard with details, both on the creative and the receiving aspect of things. So this will be long, probably boring, and technical. It's a suggestion, not a demand, so feel free to completely disregard all of this and make something random if you don't like my suggestions.

Anyway, I was thinking that I've had enough Corg pictures, (They're very nice Kip and Zina), and I don't trust anyone else to write him correctly. I'm going to work with the assumption that you're either writing a prose piece or you're drawing something.


If you're writing, uhm, stay away from my characters, or at least don't give them speaking roles.  I dunno, I feel both a sense of possession and a worry that other people will write them or make them act in ways that run counter-character, and I don't have a huge amount of reference material to work with.  If you've really got your heart set out for a written piece, I can give some stuff about Kedered, the RP character I play in Shattered Innocence, maybe something about his life before he got to the RP campaign. Maybe from the point of view of someone interacting with him though, might be a better angle than actively trying to write Kedered.


If you're drawing, it occurred to me that I'd like something from an old Blades of Exile scenario line called the Arc. Now, I'm sure you've never heard of it, but it's a very well designed fantasy setting made via this RPG maker like tool. A major part of the Arc comes from this one guy known as the Sovereign, who magically engineers a number of species. Now, the game's seriously old, and the graphics were considered bad then, so I'm going to apologize right now for uploading some of them up.






Now that you're done shuddering, the five things are, in descending order, the Rokka, Seraphim, Godan, Boemen, and Legion. The first four are those magically engineered species. Legion is a demon that gets summoned. You don't get a huge amount in the way of written description, but I'll put in what I have


Rokka are generally around six feet tall, thin, vaguely reptilian. They never take off those robes, they're very highly magical, and they're not alive in the true sense of the world. They're more like elementals, a kind of expression of a certain creative force, although in their case it's the creative ideas of an insane God. They've never been seen to use weapons that I know of.

It's not really very clear where the Seraphim come from. They're about 15 feet tall, inky blue, extraordinarily powerful (Maybe 20 or so people in the world can take one 1v1) superlatively skilled both in hand to hand combat and in magic. They've got large, feathery wings, and a solid build. They all seem to have massive, wavy swords that ban be swung one handed by them.

The third row are the Godan, a kind of giantoid species. They're bigger than ogres if not as big as true giants, standing about 9 feet tall and weighing about 800 pounds. They use crude weaponry, mostly over-sized slings and clubs, and they're not really all that powerful. However, they're the most tightly bound to the Sovereign, and they're used as shock troops a lot.

Boemen are small, quick, vicious, magically resistant, and have a poisonous bite. They wear armor and use short swords sized down to their own size. They're about four feet tall and weigh about eighty pounds. They tend to walk hunched over, and fight ferociously, if not with the same kind of discipline that the Godan or humans have. Still, they're the main shock troops of the Sovereign, (the Rokka are more powerful but they're more allies, and not in a master slave relationship. There are only like 20 or so Seraphim.)


The last one is a powerful demon, Legion. About forty feet tall, with a sinewy, skeletal body and pinking claws in the place of hands. For all practical purposes, Legion is invincible. Nothing you've been shown as a character can scratch him, he causes fear just by being in the area, and can cut through armor like warm butter. He only seems to attack by running up to people and slicing them to pieces, but that seems to be enough. Extremely quick. Although the enemies summon him once, there seems to be some sort of restriction about when he can be brought into the world, at least while under some measure of control.


I don't really care what you do with the images, but some sort of picture of them would be nice as a memento of a brilliant CRPG line. I'll edit this post and put in some stuff about Ked if you want to go the writing route, but I'm a little short on time here.

[Gabi]

New questions for Fibre and FSharp, who are different people and shall not be mistaken for each other, and the same goes for their respective gifters (if this sentence doesn't make sense, just ignore it).

Okay. I'm just being sure here before I actually start, but you're saying anything goes outside of what you've mentioned?...As in, characters of my own design for said story, things like that? Forgive me, I'm rather tired lately but I feel the urge to have that clarified and that honestly surprises me.

And FSharp's gifter, who seems to have overcome the small identity crisis , wants to know whether FSharp has any characters, settings, or themes he'd like to see.

[Fibre]

Okay. I'm just being sure here before I actually start, but you're saying anything goes outside of what you've mentioned?...As in, characters of my own design for said story, things like that? Forgive me, I'm rather tired lately but I feel the urge to have that clarified and that honestly surprises me.

Sure. Honestly, I'm really open to anything, as long as you enjoy creating it. It shows.

[WhiteFox]

Ok, before i start, I just want to make it clear that I tend to go way overboard with details, both on the creative and the receiving aspect of things. So this will be long, probably boring, and technical.

It beats the alternative. I find vague descriptions to be much harder to deal with then complicated ones.

Disclaimer: I'm not Corg's gifter this round. I just thought it'd be worth mentioning this.

[Gabi]

Oh, great. Now Corg knows who's not his gifter. Please don't keep doing this, people, or else some gifters will be guessed by default.

Anyway, Wuff's gifter would like to know what some of her favorite animals are.

[Corgatha Taldorthar]

Oh, great. Now Corg knows who's not his gifter. Please don't keep doing this, people, or else some gifters will be guessed by default.

Unless of course, he's lying. I wouldn't put it past Whitefox.

[WhiteFox]

Oh, great. Now Corg knows who's not his gifter. Please don't keep doing this, people, or else some gifters will be guessed by default.

Unless of course, he's lying. I wouldn't put it past Whitefox.

Why, Cog... whatever do you mean?

Gabi: Je'm excuse. Wont happen again.

[FSharp]

And FSharp's gifter, who seems to have overcome the small identity crisis , wants to know whether FSharp has any characters, settings, or themes he'd like to see.

If you'd like something to work from I'm game for your take on any of the characters in my gallery. If you prefer prose over illustration, while I don't really have backstory for any of the characters, you're more than welcome to write your own take.

That said, I'll be happy with anything I receive, so please feel free to go your own route if nothing I've posted strikes a chord.

[Sprocketsdance]

Oooooo!! Well.... as strange as this may sound my favorite animals consist of the canine variety.. mainly wolves. Horses would probably come second.. dolphins are really cool too Oh, and I'm not sure if you're meaning fantasy realm but I do like dragons and gryphons as well   (What? No cats?) Yeeeeaaaah... that's a different story

[Gabi]

It wouldn't sound strange if you didn't have a cat as your avatar.

WhiteFox: It's OK.

Please let me know if there's anything Myr would like in particular. In terms of options, I'm reasonably proficient as a writer and artist, can build simple Flash toys, and am willing to attempt just about anything.

[Gabi]

People, please answer the questions. I don't like double-posting.

Yeah, lets try going that route.  Could you put up some info on Ked.  Lets see if I have anymore success doing some writing than I am with drawing...I feel like I'm running head first into a brick wall right now (that and I can't seem to find any good reference images of that rpg you are talking about that are bigger than 70 pixels by 70 pixels).

[Corgatha Taldorthar]

Sorry about the low picture quality, the games' seriously old, and bleh, if I had more graphics skills, I probably could have expanded the pictures I did have without obliterating all traces of resolution.


Anyway, Kedered Aldoraethar. Aisha DeCabre drew an extremely good picture of him here.  He's a DMFA style  Incubus, in case it's hard to tell. (Although seriously, the headwings should give it away.)

Personality/history wise ( the two run together) he was born on a little world called Aeroch, on a continent of Atharra. It's not set in the main DMFA universe, so he's never been to SAIA, nor do I believe any such institution exists. Instead, he was raised and trained by his father to be the next leader of the clan.  However, when Kedered was about 10, the Thularians overran his clan's lands (they were existing in a semi-feudal system ruling over the Beings that lived there) and the Aldoraethars, the three that remained, fled to neighboring Narukh, a territory filled with Demons.

The Thularians are a rather fanatical, ultra-organized  nation of Beings, with the stated goal of exterminating all Creatures in the world. They're good at it too, using numbers, organization, training, and some uses of collective spellcasting to overcome advantages in Creature direct power. They do not rely on human wave tactics, and are extremely adept at hunting down Creatures, often taking little losses to themselves if attacking lone creatures. In a stand up fight, Kedered, who is an Incubus who is almost 300 and tough for his age, would have trouble taking on 3 of them.

His father trained Kedered to run the clan affairs and how to use magic and to fight, and in a much more demanding training than what SAIA seems to offer, making Kedered far more focused and single minded than what most 'Cubi seem to exhibit. They spent their time trying to win enough support to crush the fledgling state and reclaim their ancestral lands, but to no avail. The Thularians push the border into Narukh  back a bit every year, and when Kedered was in his mid-thirties, helping his father fight and plan, his father and younger brother were both killed in a raid.

Since then, Kedered's taken up the mantle of the last clan-member, continuing a one-man war against the Thularians. He kind of knows he can't win, but his sense of clan obligation is too great to let him put the war aside.

Kedered doesn't really have an individual sense of identity. He *is* clan Aldoraethar, and he puts his priorities in the order of clan obligation, not personal preference. Pretty much everything he does is to either further that goal or to pay off debts of honor that he incurred in pursuit of the goal. His sense of obligation, and loyalty are absolute. He'll fight to the death to spare someone a scratch if they're under his protection, but he has very little compassion for people that he doesn't feel obligated towards. As clan head, he tries to keep himself presentable, and often uses magic to make sure that his clothes are always in perfect condition, and washes himself frequently.

Looking more inwardly, he's very tightly knit, rarely letting what he's thinking or feeling show on his face, he has enough control over his emotions that even other 'cubi have trouble, although it's by no means impossible, to pick up how he's feeling. It's like trying to pick up the light from a very faint candle at far away. He views non-'cubi as lesser life forms, and while he doesn't deny their power, he won't ever really consider a non-'cubi to be a social equal. 

He never sleeps, although he'll pretend to if he's hiding his species, and will also not eat, unless again faking being a Being or some other type of Creature, and views both things as rather disgusting. In fact, when dealing with other telepaths, he doesn't even like to talk, instead preferring to send out a tight "shout" of thought carrying whatever it is he wants to communicate. He's somewhat asocial, although he can be charming when he wants to be.


He thinks primarily in terms of political power. He'd rather be the sort that everyone comes to for advice and permission than some archmage that can melt an island. He's also a very great admirer of subtlety, and while he won't shrink away from open fighting, he'd rather have things just happen, with as few other people as possible knowing about how whatever it was that he is pushing for came to be.

Ability wise, he has the standard 'Cubi gamut of shapeshifting, emotional abosrbancy (His preferred emotion is awe, but fear in general is good as well) He tends towards elemental styled magic, although he has a wide array of personal enhancement spells, for things like increasing speed and strength, that he likes to use before heading into battle. He never vocalizes his spells, but he does need to have his arms free to use most of them. He'll usually spin out some sort of flaming sword, wrapped around a core of hardened air (so it has some ability to say, block a blow, and isn't pure heat) in a hand to hand fight. He has a kind of arcane block, and has never been able to keep a spell going more than about 10 paces away from his own body.

More mundanely, he's trained in rhetoric (although he almost never uses contractions, and tends to speak in very formal, stilted, and semi-archaic tones. He's more of a speech-maker than a conversationalist. ), tracking, weapon usage (he's quite good with a bow that he carries) and large unit tactics. Prior to the RP, he spends most of his time trying to raise armies to harass Thularian troops that move into Narukh.
***********************************************************************************


Anyway, I hope that's enough (and digestible) for you. If you have any further questions, I'd be happy to answer.  Again, I'm somewhat irrationally possessive about my characters, so I'd ask that you narrate through someone working with Ked rather than Ked himself. If it isn't possible though, I'll understand.


Best wishes,
Corgatha Taldorthar.

[Gabi]

Oh, sorry for the late reply. It's been a complicated week. Could Myr please post some details? Thanks in advance.

There is also a character reference request for Kipiru, for the character(s) that he'd like done.

[Myr]

Urk! Geeze, seems the notification thing bugged out on me! *Grumble*

Annnyway, now that I've finally gotten to be on the forum for the first time in a bit...

What I'd like? Hmm...

Well, I do a lot of writing myself, so I'd be right tempted for some art. Again, my apologies for the hideous delay in replying to your question...but, as it is, I'm game for almost any type of artwork, and I'm not picky about how it looks. I like to see an artist's concept of what my descriptions looks like. Almost all poses are fine, as long as...*Cough* They're not erotic-I hate those. Now, let's see...I have a healthy dozy for yah to try, and I'll stick to one character to keep your sanity in check:


Aylia Grimminscrade

Aylia is the member of a lesser-known order of knights called 'Wardbreakers'-warriors whom specialize in using magic to take down their foes, mostly by channeling it through the weapon of their choice. As their name suggests, a lot of their skills go towards destroying things like magical barriers or enchantments.

A female being of the rabbit persuasion, solid white coat, but with blue-green eyes. Sleek, well-muscled with a somewhat modest build (Somewhat flat-chested, which makes some mistake her for a boy) and having the thick, muscled legs and largish feet you'd expect from rabbits. While she doesn't have long hair (Her fur is uniform, or evenly layered for the most part over her whole body), she keeps her ears braided back in a manner that lets her hear well, but keeps them from being easily grabbed.

She'd be classified as your typical adventurer, and as such tends to be a rather capable fighter. Smart, somewhat witty and while nice enough she can be somewhat of a grouch. Ah, and she positively despises the more well-known knights, as it were.

As for what she wears...a little leeway here. When she's not on the job, she tends to wear a cloud-blue tunic and slightly baggy pants that reach down to her ankles of the same color, while having a somewhat well-kept, if old, pack strapped to her back where she keeps her equipment.

If she's out doing her thing, which is mostly hunting monsters or rogue spellcasters, she wears reinforced leather armor that makes her look even more boyish, and fits somewhat loosely so she can move quickly. It covers her legs, with a leather cover over each knee, as well as strips along her arms. A piece that looks rather like a shirt covers her front and back, and has the worn insignia of a sword slicing a veil of flame. Her choice means of fighting is channeling magic through a sword she was given upon completing her training.

The weapon itself isn't made for direct combat, being a thin, blunt-bladed weapon nearly two feet in length with dozens of runes inscribed along both sides of the blade itself to allow for her spells to work correctly. The hilt and crossguard are rather plain; with the crossguard itself being nothing more than a slim iron bar. The edges, instead of being sharp, are ridged in a fashion that allows the one holding the weapon to block and parry attacks-and in her case, allow her the chance to kick them away with a powerful blow from her feet. When performing a spell she almost always points the weapon at her enemy, and her skills are variable-one of her favorite ones is create a blast of wind to knock opponents back, or to launch a fireball from the blade's tip.

If pressed into close range, she fights with a dagger in her left hand, and uses her sword to block attacks. Otherwise fists and feet are her method of pounding someone flat.

******

Hopefully that's what you were after, eh? Sorry for the delay!

[Gabi]

Just pointing out that there are only 5 days left. Please start wrapping things up. Kipiru's gifter is free to do anything, since Kipiru hasn't answered the question.

[Myr]

All righty Fibre, here's what came to mind after a couple of weeks of serious thought.

I apologize for the slight drama of the scene, but, well, it's just how it turned out. *Chuckle* And yes, it's not the largest, but...*Sigh*. You have to respect life for the fact it can cause such discord when one is trying so hard to finish something! If you might want more, or if it's not satisfactory, I'll gladly make arrangements in either respect. Or try to, anyway.

*Bows a touch foppishly*

This segment takes place in the desert city of Ra'heir, a place I had designed several years ago but had not ever had a chance to work into-outside of my character, Fjallimere, whom can be seen as a part of Aisha's artwork. Of course, he's only mentioned in this little piece...but, enjoy.

******

Casual Dealings

A Story Segment for Fibre

   "Ah, a wonderful night, hnn?" Coribai said mildly in his own language as he relaxed into a somewhat plush cushion. The room they'd chosen was none other than his personal bedchamber; perfect for the delicate farce of a conversation he was having. Sumptuous cushions were set in the middle of the room, while genuine wax candles that were spaced artfully along the walls cast a faint, amber glow and added a slight, spicy scent to the air.

       Against the wall behind him, as if in strange contrast to the silks pinned to the walls and the mild opulence of various baubles in general, was a rather modest, plain-looking bed you'd expect to see in most ordinary homes.

      This fellow had some rather odd tastes, didn't he?

   "Perhaps." His companion, a lean she-wolf with a slim, modest build said as she sat beside him. The clothing she wore was silky, yet somewhat loose-fitting and filmy in nature-perhaps intentionally chosen so as to tease whomever looked at her with thoughts of what lay obscured past it. Or maybe to distract them from whatever she could be doing.

    "Now, if you will tell me why you have called one of my...talents here, my liege..." She smiled slightly at the feline while reaching for a bowl of tea. Personally she didn't understand why the ruler of their fine city, Fla'heir Coribai, disliked wine and other such dainties the wealthy preferred. Maybe that was what made him a good ruler? she thought, shrugging mentally as the fellow reached for his own.

   All in all, he wasn't really that bad-looking of a chap either; with that silky-smooth fur and the mottled, faded 'calico' patterning to it, further accentuated by the sleek frame of his family line. As well as those tufts of fluff on the tips of his ears that gave him an oddly lynx-like look. His tail had a slightly whiplike cast to it, and went well with his slim figure. Though, admittedly, one wouldn't have assumed him for having such an esteemed position just by looking at him.

   Coribai worn nothing of what one would expect for the leader of any nation-or even of an isolated city such as theirs, deep in the Gerieden Desert.

   Why, he merely wore a tunic made of soft fabric, and a pair of leggings that reached to his knees made of similar material. Granted, the fact the clothing seemed to have no color of their own, yet being glossy enough to reflect the lamp's lighting in a dull rainbowlike sheen when he moved made them seem exceptionally decadent.

   Yes, if one didn't know better they'd assume he was of minor nobility instead of being the rather talented monarch himself.

   Still, the feline was silent for a moment, his angular eyes focused on his drink as he debated on what he wanted done. Oh, no, he didn't want an assassination-though that wolf could undoubtedly perform that task-Coribai had something else in mind for her, that would be infinitely more important in his opinion.

   One tufted ear flicked as the lupine with him shifted uncomfortably-he was well aware that she hated to be kept waiting when there was a possible job for her and the Guild she pledged service to.

   If only it would be as simple as the wind, earth, and water we hold so dearly, he thought with a twitch of his tail. And only if I didn't have to put on such airs to make this work out. He checked a sigh. Being dramatic was never something he liked...but it was the only way to get this done properly.

   "First you must swear, on your pride and the honor of the Guild you uphold, that you will tell no one of what I want done." He glanced at her, silver-green eyes looking rather serious as he spoke quietly.

   The she-wolf swallowed the mouthful of tea she'd just gotten painfully; she wasn't going to spray her liege with it, afterall! Even if he was a nice enough fellow, he still had a slight temper.

   She nodded, an ear flicking back.

   "I need your word, not a gesture Nie'kira." He paused, taking a sip of his own drink. "Or maybe your name in blood, if you are afraid of tarnishing your Guild's name with failure. You are the leader of them, afterall."

   One could swear her cheeks were flushing at that doubting insinuation, though her fur mercifully hid such from sight. "Fine, Fla'heir, you have my word." The lupine's next words were painfully slow. "I swear, on my pride and the honor of my Guild, that nothing of this will be said by myself, or my own." Nie'kira looked away, suddenly a touch sullen about having something so...binding extracted from her.

   "Good." Coribai took another sip of his drink, looking thoughtful again as he spoke in a grave, pensive voice.

   "My son, Fjallimere, has run away because I refused to let him see the outside world as of two days ago. I need you and your own to bring him back, alive and whole. I would prefer it is done with his willing consent. I will also give you considerable compensation for any and all losses, as long as you succeed." Of course, he did fudge the truth a little there. The aforementioned son had actually been gone for nearly a week-but still, he didn't want them rushing to find him, or knowing exactly where the younger feline might be just yet.

   The she-wolf herself blinked, ears perking as she stared at their city's leader. The implications!

   No wonder he'd wanted her to swear something she wouldn't to anyone else! If word got out the prince; the sole current heir to Coribai's rather illustrious position, had run away...it would be chaos. The young feline was well-liked; why, you wouldn't even think of him as royalty, with how shy and unassuming he could be! For him to run away on a whim...it was unthinkable!

       The feline smiled at her surprise. This was going better than he'd thought! "I know what you're thinking; your eyes say it all. Indeed, it would be chaos. But I could live with that." He sighed. "I just want him back here; where I know he is safe, for the sake of himself and our home. I chose you and your guild because you make a point to travel part of the world, so that you can do the tasks you are given with much greater efficiency. But..." He frowned, taking another drink, "Would you do it?"

     Nie'kira was silent for some time-perhaps imitating him from before.

     Finally, however. "The Fla'heir is wise in his choices." She downed the rest of her drink, ears flicking back as the bitter dregs at the bottom of her bowl made her muzzle wrinkle into a grimace. "We would, and will. The only excuse for abject will be the death or incapacitation of all whom will try, including myself. I swear that, unless fate is unkind, he will be intact and well. Well begin our preparations as of the morrow."

   Coribai nodded in acquiescence as she stood, stretching in a rather luxurious fashion before quietly leaving his private chambers with a sultry flick of her tail.

      Once he was positively certain she was gone-along with anyone that might have been listening in-the esteemed liege of their fine city downed his drink, sighed...and after laying back on the plush cushion he'd settled in...starting to laugh in his own curious fashion. Around seven days of planning this moment, and it had gone much better than he'd anticipated...though, it took the lad leaving on his own to allow for it.

      Oh, that kitten! If only I'd done this sooner! Coribai thought as he started to relax into a more mild chuckle after a few minutes. He might still need to come home, but I'd rather he see as much of the world as he could first; I wasn't any different at his age...though, pity be, my wishes were granted. It's good he's so stubborn. The fellow rubbed his nose, still smiling broadly.

      Such a shame he had to put on such a serious facade, but by her own words, Nei'kira would be absolutely sure no harm came to Fjallimere because of it. If anyone intended the lad ill will in his travels, she and her allies would do their utmost to keep him well.

    Not to mention he'll hone a few of his survival skills in the process of avoiding them. This was such a pleasing development!

     The fellow chuckled again; almost purring at the fact things had gone so wonderfully. Maybe not for his son, of course, but still. He'd get his wish, and certainly be brought back home before any real trouble started.

     Just...well, might take a few years first...given that young fellow's talents.

    Coribai's tail twitched lazily as he sat up again, his expression much more businesslike. Now, to follow through with the appropriate precautions and whatnot that would, with good fortune, keep the city from going into insurmountable chaos...afterall, there were at least a couple of factions he was quite aware of that would attempt to wrest power from him now that his sole heir was out of the picture. Ah well, it would keep him as busy as that strapping young feline should be soon enough.

   Now, to get some rest...I might as well be as ready as I can be. The feline shook his head before, with quiet dignity, getting up and walking towards his bed-they had met in his private chambers, afterall.

******

Heheh, hope you enjoyed, at any rate. I know I did, at least. Just...well, wish things weren't so busy for me of late, or it'd been even larger, heavens forbid!

[Corgatha Taldorthar]

I'm going to follow Myr's lead and post my own story here to, for Fsharp.

************************************************************************************
"What? You want to hear about the wraith? Whatever damn fool thing gives you that idea? Listen you snot-nosed kid, I was around when she, yes, she was a woman before she became that thing, transformed, and I can damn well tell you straight that she's not screeching for any abandoned lovers.
Really? You'll pay? Then I'll have an Oswick, cold, and pull up a stool, this could be a long story.

   I suppose you could say it started when we got called to a little place in the back end of nowhere called Gedron. Doubt you heard of it, and the town isn't there anymore. Gotta love Oswick whisky, the way it forces it's way down your throat. Maybe Ballantine is better, maybe, but for that warm glow, gotta go with Oswick.  Anyway, where was I? Gedron, right. They were having trouble with some dragon. Vahkthoth, or Valshoth or something like that, it was a long, long time ago. What? Look here, see this badge? Eight order, first rank. You know how hard those are to get? Dragons ain't so tough, you just gotta know how to approach them, how to work out all the angles, not go running in half assed like these kids do, swords waving and slinging spells. Plan.

And that's how we did it. We did our research before tackling the wyrm's cave, and sure enough, that little vale wasn't the first place he'd terrorized. Rampaging dragons can't stay too long in any specific locale, they're usually after loot of some sort, and they tend to either get killed or drain the countryside within a decade or so. And there was this smith, see, from, forget where exactly, and his people had had some trouble with the lizard as well. So what does he do? He makes a magic sword, and get this, it isn't keyed to kill Dragons, no, it's keyed for that specific dragon, right on, went all green when we finally got it to the best, but we had to pry it out of some demons grip first.


Never did find out who they were or why they wanted it. Thed, bless his soul, didn't make it when she, well, that's later. Thed managed to lock onto the sword, key a teleporter to the location, or near enough. Dropped us into this labyrinth, kept magically dark. We managed to get a lantern going, but more than five feet from the flame and viiishh. Light's gone like it was swallowed by something. And Demons,  with half demon spawn, all over. Most of them weaker, smaller types, gave us a fighting chance, with only 5 people, but we still did a lot of slashing and running.  They didn't seem to be able to see in the dark any better than we were able to, which gave us at least a chance.  Thed had a lock on the sword, but it was only good for a straight line, it was in this way, closer or further, and the corridors all twisted and turned and meandered back, it took us, must have been two hours of mayhem till we got to it.

Only room with light, from two firepits to the left and right, midway up the room. Basalt altar, huge, in the back, sword hung up on wires above it, a small pool of blood on the top. Couldn't see it, but it smelled acrid and coppery. Huge guy, in white and blue robes behind him. Found out later his name was Quolindixar, maybe you heard of him? Big nasty fight, somehow we made it all out alive, but look here, see? Got that when he bit me, right on the shoulder, hurt like crazy, like bronze spearlets rending through muscle. Got him good with my knife though, right between the ribs into a lung. Not enough to take the tough bastard down, but it slowed him down, a lot. Enough that she was able to brick in his face with a deathbolt.

Getting out was worse. We were hurt, tired, and low on our magical resources, but we did, eventually. I don't think there was any sort of organized search for us. And we had the sword. It's hanging in Xancrest Hall right now these days "Sword of Kings" in whatever language they used. Lockverne, I think the smith's name was, now that I think about it. Big, two handed thing it was, almost as big as one of those pretty parade swords they give to the ceremonial troops.

Ahh, bite your ass. I pay better than any two other customers here. And I want another Oswick, double time. Think the barkeep'd be friendlier, what's a little spit? The floor's already filthy. Where was I? Right, we went into his cave, and let me tell you, it wasn't easy getting all the way up to his lair. It was designed to be accessible from midflight. I suppose cave isn't really the right word, he lived in a cleft up in a mountain, but us poor suckers didn't want to risk being spotted a-climbing, so we went through some other cave systems closer to ground level. Was a real pain, getting through, and making our way up, but we made it in.

We entered the core lair while he was out. Easy to spot a dragon's cave, they have gold and gems stacked to the rafters. I plucked out this one emerald, big as a hound's nose, and so green, I held it up before her eyes, and saw shade on shade, y'get me? It was surreal. We all knew the Dragon was coming, and believe me, I was tempted at least to make out with a bagful of loot and scramble away, and the fear was like a pair of weasels clawing their way out of me belly.  But we stood firm, dropped what we had already taken. Superstitious almost, like thinking that since we claimed it and left it there, we could take on anything that came at us.

They say that when a Dragon looks you in the eyes in that giant form of theirs, you chill to your marrow, but when he came back, still belching flames, it was weirdly anticlimatic. He was big, bigger than big, must have been fifty feet from tail to snout, an ugly bright orange which darkened around his head and wings. And he started laughing, a thin, mocking thing it was, probably at the spectacle of me, Thed, Baldy, Mcnemier, and well, you know. Five being adventurers shouldn't be challenging dragons. But when I pulled, it was something "onar" Onar meant king in their language, but when I pulled the sword out of the scabbard it started glowing like a second sun, and that shut that lizard up real good. Went in after us anyway. Maybe he couldn't abandon his hoard, or maybe he thought he could take us in spite of the weapon.

He went after Baldy first, a bad move with that magic shield of his. Or maybe a good move. Never told us how he got it, but Baldy had this huge shield, massive, going from shoulder to foot length, and heavy too. But, it made you feel warm and protected just being near it, and during that fight, with the magic that the old dragon was slinging about, I could swear that thing somehow deflected a few of his nastier spells at us. Maybe he was trying to knock the shield out of play, but it gave me a chance to hit him with the blade, while our spellcasters gave him some butter for his claws.

Didn't kill him right away, like we'd hoped, but the sword packed a punch. You shouldn't be able to hurt something that big and armored much with a normal sized sword, but every time I so much as glanced him with it, he let out a frightful scream, and there was a sizzle, like burned cheese, where the wounds were. After five or six whacks he was slowing, and after a few more, he'd had enough, launching himself into the air and heading back towards the cleft.

Once in the air, our miracle weapon couldn't hurt the scaled beast, and our magic was just irritating it, at most. And then, dunno how she did it, but Selene started glowing real bright, reddish, almost, and she shot, well, I'm no mage, but she shot something at the lip of the cavern, and brought down the rock.  Didn't crush the dragon, but it blocked off his escape route. I'll never forget its eyes when it turned back at us. It knew it couldn't finish the fight, not with Kothas Onar, and us being tougher than he thought, but he was mean as cat piss, and ten times as deadly. He used, dunno what it's called, some spell, never heard of it cast before or since, and believe me, we looked, at her.

Should have been me. I was the one killing it, but of course, Selene was the one that doomed him. Funny how they think. At the time, spell didn't do much, just gave her a little discolored mark on her right hand, black and purple, like a swollen up corpse. I hacked its head off a minute later, and we took back it's gold and came back to Gedron as heroes.

Good, clean, Oswick burn. Really reminds you that you're alive, y'know? Sometimes it seems like things just faaaade into the dusk, get lost there, feels like forever.

It didn't look big, but it didn't go away either. And Selene tried not to show it, but that thing hurt her, bad. She was a trooper, for all the frailty that you hear about magickers, the most she ever let on was a bit of tightness about the eyes. It took about a week for us to realize that this thing wasn't going away on its own. Maybe it would've, but I hear that a curse cast as you're dying clamps down harder. Maybe that's why it stuck. We visited priests, we bought salves, we even tried those tonics that those half assed pushers on corners try. Didn't work, none of it. After a month, it had the whole of her hand, and started climbing up the arm.  That's when the others noticed it was hurting her so bad. She'd cry out, and couldn't sleep, no matter how we comforted her.


Hey, hit me with another one dammit. Like hell I'm drunk. When I'm drunk, I'll piss all over your floor to let you know it, now send me another one. We really slowed down the adventuring then. Selene couldn't get around to well, and one of us kept with her in this manse that we had gotten. It's a park now, from what I hear. Couldn't go back to Lekanti afterwards.  We still got out though. Were one of the first groups to trace down those new mythos, the green glowy ones. That's when we heard about Him, and He about us. Don't give me that stupid look, you know damn well who I'm talking about. Saying His name might draw his attention, and while I don't think I'm worth hunting down, I'd rather avoid His attention. I'm sure I've got a tracer on me, being Mcnemier's pal and all. But, we irked him, meddling with some of his plans in the tunnels. Sure, we couldn't take him on head to head, but he had a lot of schemes going on at once, and we'd knock over one or two at a time. And the Manse, it was fortified like nuts. Magic protections, way beyond anything our guys could make, enough to give pause even to someone like Him.

But He can hear whispers on the wind, not just His name, and, he found out, somehow. Gave her a a way out. Become Undead. The disease won't touch the half rotting flesh of the undead. I don't think she was scared of death, but that disease, it was rattling her soul. Or maybe that's just what I want to believe; bitter old men are like that sometimes. You'll learn, if you live long enough. She gave Him information, and how to get around the manse's defenses. Or maybe she took them down herself. She could still cast her spells, oddly enough. Just couldn't walk, towards the end, it had covered almost her entire body, and she whimpered like a dying kitten if so much weight as a cloth sheet was put on her. But she was still beautiful. Her face, her eyes, never changed, right up till she betrayed us.

We were all home that night. Normally, we'd reminisce, but, it was painful. I think we were all waiting for Selene to.. go. We did a lot of drinking. I wasn't awake when He came and attacked, but I managed to reconstruct what happened. Baldy and Thed didn't drink as much as we did, but me and Mcnemier were pretty plastered. Baldy must have used his shield to cover for Thed, and then bolted, he was the one to get Mcnemier up. Thed must have done something to hold Him off. Dunno what, even with his protections, and what magic he could come up with, he shouldn't have stood a chance for more than a few seconds. But Baldy got Mcnemier up, who teleported the two of us out. That shield effect, would have blocked the 'port. Seen it twice before, and He would have either captured Baldy, but more likely just killed him. And that was the end of our little band.

I do wonder though, if He bargained in good faith. Sure,she's a wraith now, but how much of a hold does He still have on her?  Did He want anything more than just the chaos she causes? Hidden plans were always His style. Dunno. Once tried to work up the courage to talk to her, but how do you tell an old flame 30 years gone whose now an undead what's on your mind? Likely as not it'd come to blows anyway. So I sit, and I drink. Now get lost ya rat's, or I'll show you my blade arm's still firm. You've dredged up a lot of bad shit, and I'll want two more ballantine's to drown it back down again."


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Anyway, there you go. I do like this one, let me play with the narration a bit. Something about a narrator knowing he's telling a story always gives me a little chuckle inside. Still, it drove me up the wall at this one point. The core of the story is really about how Selene becomes the Wraith, and you'll notice that the narrator doesn't dwell upon that very much, preferring instead to go with the Dragon hunt. It wasn't a complete accident, as I was trying to maintain character continuity, and I think he'd have tried to focus more on the highlights than the failures, but it still leaves something of a bitter taste in my mouth.


Anyway, I hope you enjoy reading this.

Best wishes,
Corgatha Taldorthar.

[Dekari]

Seeing as Gaby is MIA, I'll put up my gift too.

Here's my gift for Corgatha Taldorthar.  Was intended to be a 3-D model of his character Kedered Aldoraethar, but lack of skill and knowledge of the program got in the way  (last time I did anything 3-D was for a drafting class 7 or 8 years ago using autocad).  It will be finished as a full body character model with animation one day when I get better with the programs I have  .







Oh and, HAVE A HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!!

[Gabi]

I am NOT MIA! The deadline for submissions was yesterday, so I'm posting the gifts today. If you wanted to know about me, why didn't you talk to me on AIM/MSN/whatever IM client you use?

I guess I won't post the gifts you people have already posted. Here are all the other gifts I have.

FSharp's gift for Myr is here.

wuffnpuff has made this gift for Basilisk.

WhiteFox made this gift for Dekari.
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Artist comments:
So, Gabi gave me Dek for a second time around. I figured I'd do a portrait of Dek's Being form, since I did the "mega" form last time, and Kip did such an awesome job on the Cubi shape. And I still had the character description, so that was already taken care of. 

I hope it's acceptable.

For some reason, I kept coming back to the idea of a white clan-mark on white fur. As though hiding such a thing wouldn't be that easy.

The streaks in the hair have a faint yellow tint to them, as "proper" silver does. The eye colour was pulled off a blue-eyed husky.
**/

Fibre will be a bit late. I still have no news from Kipiru.

Thanks to everyone for participating! And people, please give me some more credit. Where have I ever abandoned you? You declared me MIA when I wasn't even late!