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Knightfall's World of Kulan: Tales of the Companions Story Hour (Final Update: Sep 20, 2014)
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<blockquote data-quote="Knightfall" data-source="post: 2225898" data-attributes="member: 2012"><p><span style="color: DarkOrange"><strong>THE ALLIANCE (PART II)</strong></span></p><p></p><p><em><strong>The Library of Onaway:</strong></em></p><p>Bactra Redwind finished writing his journal entry -- the first he’d made in days. He dipped the inkpen one more time to enter the date, but then realized that he wasn’t even sure of the current day of the week. Let alone the date. He looked around for some sign of a calendar, but couldn’t find any markings on the walls that would indicate one. He’d have to remember to ask the Record Smith at the Hall of Records what calendar, if any, the Onan people followed.</p><p></p><p>Bactra tried to remember how many days had come and gone since he had left The Woodknot. Frustrated by his own lack of record keeping he simply ended the journal’s entry with his personal sigil and left it at that. He dusted the finished page with his own personal sealant so the ink wouldn’t run. A concoction that had been passed down to him by his arcane tutors in Woodknot. He would soon be out of the mixture, however.</p><p></p><p>“I hope I can find something similar here,” Bactra spoke out loud to no one in particular. Not that it mattered, as the library was empty, except for him. The scholars and librarians at the Library of Absolute Learning, in Fruen, would have laughed at the idea of calling the humble building that Bactra now sat in, as a library. It was barely 100 feet long and only half as wide. Its shelves were a third empty, but it was more organized than any human library that Bactra had ever set foot in. “Hmm, I wonder what the scholars in Fruen would think about that.”</p><p></p><p>Bactra blew the unstuck sealant mixture off the finished page. He set the page aside and began to collect as much of the sealant, from the alcove he was sitting at, as he could. The young elven mage had already scribed several new spells into one of his spellbooks, which he always kept close by.</p><p></p><p>“Not as much left as I had hoped,” Bactra noticed he was down to one or maybe two pages worth of sealant. “I’m going to have to go shopping for a substitute much sooner than I thought.”</p><p></p><p>He thought about asking the Keeper Smith, who was in charge of the library, if there was something the library kept on hands, but he put the thought out of his mind, as quickly as it had came. Whatever the library had would be considered precious and it would not be for sale.</p><p></p><p>Bactra collected his spellbooks, journal, and other scholarly gear, glad to have it all back, as it had all been taken from him when he had been forced to be peace-bonded. That had been the only thing that had bothered him about the whole experience, but he understood the Onans’ concerns. They didn’t get friendly visitors, ever.</p><p></p><p>Bactra shouldered his pack and adjusted his clothing, which he had also been glad to get back. He didn’t like the Onans’ style of dress, with their flowing robes, sandals, and gaudy jewelry. Of course, he would never point that out, but he’d feel silly walking around in what would pass a large, heavy blanket in a fine inn back in Fruen.</p><p></p><p>The elven wizard gracefully walked the empty, central corridor leading to the ornate double doors of the stone and marble library. The corridor was lined with statues of many of the continents known gods of learning & magic including Cull, Immotion, Boccob, and Heward, as well as few deities he didn’t recognize. He walked past them, through the double doors, and out into the late evening air.</p><p></p><p>On the steps leading down from the small library, which was one of the largest buildings in the city, he immediately noticed two guards standing at attention near the bottom. He knew these guards intimately, as they had been assigned to escort him around the city. The Senate had insisted that while in the city, the elves must be accounted for at all times.</p><p></p><p>It had been one of the main reasons why Dabuk had retreated to the tangled mazes with Bren and the other Tangle Rangers. Bactra had taken it all in stride, however. For he had felt the eyes of many Onans on him right away and he felt safer with the escort. Not that he was too worried about what a simple Onan peasant could do to him, even at this time of night. The fact he was a warlock, as the locals referred to wizards, had quickly spread throughout the small city.</p><p></p><p>Supposedly, true wizards were rare in Onaway, or at least they kept to themselves. The local arcane guild was better known for its bards and a few sorcerers & mages who had little or no respect in Onan society. Arcane magic wasn’t forbidden in Onaway, just not appreciated the same way as divine magic. It was feared by many of the city’s citizens, however.</p><p></p><p>“Claris, Vestin, I see you’re right where I left you.” Bactra treated the two guards well, but they rarely acknowledged him other than to pace his every movement. “I’m surprised you didn’t check up on me to make sure I was still inside.”</p><p></p><p>The guards didn’t speak, as he walked by. They fell in behind him, n more than 3 feet behind. It was like he was a nobleman’s son being guarded against pickpockets or street toughs.</p><p></p><p>“After all, you were ordered to follow me everywhere.” Bactra continued walking.</p><p></p><p>“We don’t go in there,” Bactra was in shock to here Vestin speak. “The library is meant only for scholars and warlocks.”</p><p></p><p>“Hmm, I see. So it is forbidden.”</p><p></p><p>“Not exactly,” this time it was the woman Claris who spoke. “The library is considered taboo by many Onans, as strange things often happen to those that enter, who the Gods deem unworthy.”</p><p></p><p>“Interesting,” Bactra couldn’t help but smile. “I’ll have to talk to the High Prelate about these taboos. After all, we don’t want you two to be getting into trouble, now do we?”</p><p></p><p>Neither guard spoke, at the jibe. Bactra decided to let it go, as he walked towards the inn he, Mesik, and Thessa were staying at near the inner wall, called The Creeping Vine. As the three of them neared the edge of the Central District, Claris began marching in front of Bactra. It was a sign of superiority to the denizens of the poorer, Outer District. A sign that said stay away, not that it mattered here.</p><p></p><p>The denizens of the Outer District were more reasonable and less suspicious. They were the salt of the earth, and in Onaway’s case, the salt of the sea as well. The Outer District ringed around the entire Central District, and was home to tangle cultivators, lowborn hagglers, and many, many sailors and fishermen. Onaway would be like any other port city, if not for its tangled maze.</p><p></p><p>As the trio approached The Creeping Vine the guards quickly turned around and headed back towards the Central District. The edict that said Bactra and Dabuk were always to have an escort didn’t reach this far into the Outer District. Bactra had been surprised that Claris and Vestin had escorted him this far.</p><p></p><p>Bactra entered the inn and headed upstairs for some, much needed, rest. Mesik was already fast asleep on his pallet, snoring loud enough to wake the dead, exhausted from a day of mapmaking. Bactra prepared himself for the Reverie, not worrying about the noise, as once into the elven ritual he wouldn’t hear a thing.</p><p></p><p>* * *</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Knightfall, post: 2225898, member: 2012"] [COLOR=DarkOrange][B]THE ALLIANCE (PART II)[/B][/COLOR] [I][B]The Library of Onaway:[/B][/I] Bactra Redwind finished writing his journal entry -- the first he’d made in days. He dipped the inkpen one more time to enter the date, but then realized that he wasn’t even sure of the current day of the week. Let alone the date. He looked around for some sign of a calendar, but couldn’t find any markings on the walls that would indicate one. He’d have to remember to ask the Record Smith at the Hall of Records what calendar, if any, the Onan people followed. Bactra tried to remember how many days had come and gone since he had left The Woodknot. Frustrated by his own lack of record keeping he simply ended the journal’s entry with his personal sigil and left it at that. He dusted the finished page with his own personal sealant so the ink wouldn’t run. A concoction that had been passed down to him by his arcane tutors in Woodknot. He would soon be out of the mixture, however. “I hope I can find something similar here,” Bactra spoke out loud to no one in particular. Not that it mattered, as the library was empty, except for him. The scholars and librarians at the Library of Absolute Learning, in Fruen, would have laughed at the idea of calling the humble building that Bactra now sat in, as a library. It was barely 100 feet long and only half as wide. Its shelves were a third empty, but it was more organized than any human library that Bactra had ever set foot in. “Hmm, I wonder what the scholars in Fruen would think about that.” Bactra blew the unstuck sealant mixture off the finished page. He set the page aside and began to collect as much of the sealant, from the alcove he was sitting at, as he could. The young elven mage had already scribed several new spells into one of his spellbooks, which he always kept close by. “Not as much left as I had hoped,” Bactra noticed he was down to one or maybe two pages worth of sealant. “I’m going to have to go shopping for a substitute much sooner than I thought.” He thought about asking the Keeper Smith, who was in charge of the library, if there was something the library kept on hands, but he put the thought out of his mind, as quickly as it had came. Whatever the library had would be considered precious and it would not be for sale. Bactra collected his spellbooks, journal, and other scholarly gear, glad to have it all back, as it had all been taken from him when he had been forced to be peace-bonded. That had been the only thing that had bothered him about the whole experience, but he understood the Onans’ concerns. They didn’t get friendly visitors, ever. Bactra shouldered his pack and adjusted his clothing, which he had also been glad to get back. He didn’t like the Onans’ style of dress, with their flowing robes, sandals, and gaudy jewelry. Of course, he would never point that out, but he’d feel silly walking around in what would pass a large, heavy blanket in a fine inn back in Fruen. The elven wizard gracefully walked the empty, central corridor leading to the ornate double doors of the stone and marble library. The corridor was lined with statues of many of the continents known gods of learning & magic including Cull, Immotion, Boccob, and Heward, as well as few deities he didn’t recognize. He walked past them, through the double doors, and out into the late evening air. On the steps leading down from the small library, which was one of the largest buildings in the city, he immediately noticed two guards standing at attention near the bottom. He knew these guards intimately, as they had been assigned to escort him around the city. The Senate had insisted that while in the city, the elves must be accounted for at all times. It had been one of the main reasons why Dabuk had retreated to the tangled mazes with Bren and the other Tangle Rangers. Bactra had taken it all in stride, however. For he had felt the eyes of many Onans on him right away and he felt safer with the escort. Not that he was too worried about what a simple Onan peasant could do to him, even at this time of night. The fact he was a warlock, as the locals referred to wizards, had quickly spread throughout the small city. Supposedly, true wizards were rare in Onaway, or at least they kept to themselves. The local arcane guild was better known for its bards and a few sorcerers & mages who had little or no respect in Onan society. Arcane magic wasn’t forbidden in Onaway, just not appreciated the same way as divine magic. It was feared by many of the city’s citizens, however. “Claris, Vestin, I see you’re right where I left you.” Bactra treated the two guards well, but they rarely acknowledged him other than to pace his every movement. “I’m surprised you didn’t check up on me to make sure I was still inside.” The guards didn’t speak, as he walked by. They fell in behind him, n more than 3 feet behind. It was like he was a nobleman’s son being guarded against pickpockets or street toughs. “After all, you were ordered to follow me everywhere.” Bactra continued walking. “We don’t go in there,” Bactra was in shock to here Vestin speak. “The library is meant only for scholars and warlocks.” “Hmm, I see. So it is forbidden.” “Not exactly,” this time it was the woman Claris who spoke. “The library is considered taboo by many Onans, as strange things often happen to those that enter, who the Gods deem unworthy.” “Interesting,” Bactra couldn’t help but smile. “I’ll have to talk to the High Prelate about these taboos. After all, we don’t want you two to be getting into trouble, now do we?” Neither guard spoke, at the jibe. Bactra decided to let it go, as he walked towards the inn he, Mesik, and Thessa were staying at near the inner wall, called The Creeping Vine. As the three of them neared the edge of the Central District, Claris began marching in front of Bactra. It was a sign of superiority to the denizens of the poorer, Outer District. A sign that said stay away, not that it mattered here. The denizens of the Outer District were more reasonable and less suspicious. They were the salt of the earth, and in Onaway’s case, the salt of the sea as well. The Outer District ringed around the entire Central District, and was home to tangle cultivators, lowborn hagglers, and many, many sailors and fishermen. Onaway would be like any other port city, if not for its tangled maze. As the trio approached The Creeping Vine the guards quickly turned around and headed back towards the Central District. The edict that said Bactra and Dabuk were always to have an escort didn’t reach this far into the Outer District. Bactra had been surprised that Claris and Vestin had escorted him this far. Bactra entered the inn and headed upstairs for some, much needed, rest. Mesik was already fast asleep on his pallet, snoring loud enough to wake the dead, exhausted from a day of mapmaking. Bactra prepared himself for the Reverie, not worrying about the noise, as once into the elven ritual he wouldn’t hear a thing. * * * [/QUOTE]
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