Fiction

I post this here as a redundancy: There is nothing I hate more than the transitive nature of the internet sometimes. This is to preserve this work of roleplaying fiction such that I can read it again well into the future.

Tue Jun 17 16:24:25 2003
Jiilik Oiolosse

Tears of an Elf, Tale from the trails of Jiilik
The emotions of Elves are a funny thing, when considered by mortal man. Since Elves life for such an incredibly long time, their emotions act very differently. A sorrow never really goes away, and joy never again affects an Elf they way it did when they were young.



Jiilik was no exception to this odd assortment of feelings, unique to the Elves. His sorrow upon learning that Grofrat had left the lands lingers on in a depth of sadness that would make a Gnome build a machine that does not work, or a Dwarf brew beer that was not delicious. The tears threatened to well up from deep within his eyes each step that he took back towards the lands that he shared with his noble friend, the 'short tall' dwarf (as one other Elf had labelled him).



In a memory lost to time, he remembers the Dwarf paying a visit to the lands of the North. The dwarf was bumbling along with a few of his friends, coming back from slaying a great and fearsome dragon. The dragon appeared to have been no match for the army they had assembled, and all members were in good spirits after an apparently easy victory.



The Dwarf was not aware that Jiilik was watching him, from high up within the trees, but sure enough, the piercing eyes of a Wood Elf were upon him that day. Jiilik thought pensively for some time about the stories that the good Dwarf could tell. Stories that were often so funny that the normally quite dextrous Elf would spill his beer laughing.



Forests blended together as the days rolled on. He could not remember how long he had been travelling, how many times had Luclin rose and fell since he had seen his friends. The joys that he remembered were now fading into the past, leaving only the sorrows of the present. The Elves would not forget him, but what about the mortal men - so long had past that he was certain that even the bards of Antonica would have forgotten his name.



He approached the High Elvish city of Nelwise one dawn. Nelwise was an odd city - it was the only High Elven outpost this far into the North, and was a mere villiage compared to the splenders of some of their more established cities, such as Felwithe. The city was decorated with a rock that sparkled like clear blocks of ice melting in a warm summer sun - only the blocks were not clear, and it was definately not a warm summer day.



Entering the gates, he bows to the guards. Recognising him as an Elf, and not as some Dark Elf enchanter purporting to be an Elf, they admit him past the great shimmering gates of the city. Inside the city, he begins to feel more like he used to in lands more familiar to his keen Elvish senses.



As he walked by the great halls and homely taverns, he hears songs being sung about a rising power in the lands. They refer to them as those with noble hearts and minds, and sing songs about their triumphs over all things vile across the lands.



Jiilik angles his way to the back of the outpost, looking for the Caster's Enclave. He stops after walking for a few moments, and decides to duck into a nearby tavern for a pint. Something shimmers slightly in the corner. "Invisibility," he smirks to himself. Amidst the half dozen Elves surrounding the bar is one Human. "He looks vaguely familiar," he thinks to himself, "Like a mage I once knew -- must just be a coincidence."



Ordering himself a pint of Elvish Wine (the only wine worth drinking), he plants himself on a stool to brood about the rumoured absense of his good friend Grofrat. Perhaps he could hire a Scryer to get a message delivered from here to whichever hole that Dwarf decided to call home. Yes, indeed, he would do that -- this outpost had a resident oracle, did it not?



He finished off his pint, tipped the bartender a few silver pieces, and resumed his trek to the Caster's Enclave. He would get a message to that Dwarf, somehow; someway.

Tue Jun 17 16:25:19 2003
Grofrat

2
An old dwarf leaned his rocking chair back, thoughtfully scratching his beard while puffing at his pipe. Smoke filled the room. Luckily for him, brew is sold at an island not far from his residence, and a thick pint lazily sat on the desk.



"I wonder how my old elf friend, Jiilik is faring in his own retirement? Could he be feeling the same as myself I wonder." Grofrat penned in his journal, "That...unquenchable thirst for adventure, the...the feeling that maybe a quiet life, while recently obtainable, is simply not the lot in life that Brell, or Tunare laid out." Grofrat sighed, "And furthermore, how is Trasque faring? We departed each other with such suddeness." Grofrat ended the log in his journal and lifted his old bones from his seat.



The old dwarf walked over to his shield. It had remained untouched, collecting dust over the fireplace since he had set it down there, what seemed like ages ago. He donned his old armor, and shield, and mace, and marvelled in it's comfort. The old leather padding, and metal studs irritated most folk, but to him, it was a temporary quencher of nostalgia.



Perhaps it was time to deliver more healing in the name of Brell. He felt his divine power swell within him. He closed his eyes, and felt himself moved, as a hand of Brell, the power swelling like an uncontainable monsoon.



...Or perhaps the time was simply soon to come. He had always been a man of action and instinct; but he realised that it must wait.



Perhaps he would be able to revisit his old friends once more.



It seems Brell never let that old dwarf die. Sooner or later, he will return to his friends, but until then, the pie is burning.

Tue Jun 17 16:25:58 2003
Jiilik Oiolosse

Part C:
Jiilik entered the office of the oracle just as the Elven Wine was beginning to wear off.



The Oracle looked up and mumbled under his breathe, "Just on time." He brushed some dust off of his centrepiece that appeared to have been collecting for a few days. "Looking for a Dwarf, huh?" mutters the greyed Elf.



Jiilik, a little flustered, as he always tends to be when dealing with seers, nodded curtly, and left his bow at the door.



"Well, lets see what I can find - although I hazard that your companion is still in this plane of existence. A good thing for you that he is - my rates are much more reasonable when I don't have to deal with extra-planar activity." The oracle smirked, as he proffered some Elven Bread to his client.



Jiilik accepted the bread thankfully, pulled some berries from his waist-pouch, and wedged them between two chunks of bread. A little bit of moisture to the otherwise excellent bread, he thought to himself. He kneeled down in front of the low table that was the centrepiece of the room, and fished out his coin-purse.



Sorting through it for a few gold pieces, he laid them on the table. "Can you show me where Grofrat is?" he asked kindly.



The oracle scratched his hairless chin and went into a back room, making no motions for Jiilik to follow him. A few minutes later, the old Elf is hauling out a mirror that is more than twice his size. It is ornately decorated with gold-leaf designes clearly of a Erud conception. "I picked this up in exchange for some Silver Star Rubies. Apparently their wizards use them for some spell that they used to purge the undead from their entire continent. Too bad the spell only lasts a short while, but that aside, they seemed perfectly willing to part with this device in exchange for a few of those gems." The oracle droned on and on, more or less content to hear himself speak.



Jiilik just smiled and nodded, fully aware that impatience does nothing towards getting the services he required.



The oracle made a few adjustments as to the angle of the mirror, and muttered some incantations only known to a scryer, and slowly an image resolved behind the glass. There was the Dwarf, dusting off his trademark armor, apparently it had seen better days.



Jiilik stated to tear up, knowing that the Dwarf was thinking similar thoughts at the moment - reminiscing about times past, and triumphs that he and his friends performed.



The oracle looks up slowly from the image, seeing Jiilik tearing up as he was. The oracle, while always concerned about his bottom line, still seemed to have a very noble heart about him. "For fifty more, I'll open the portal further, to the point where you could simply step through." he offered.



Jiilik glanced up. "Nay, I do not have fifty more gold - but I would offer you my bow in trade. It would fetch ten-fold fifty to any of the archers in your Elvish Guard. I made it myself, and is of the finest cured pines of the North."



The oracle considered the proposition for a moment, then nodded slowly. He uttered a few more words and then signalled for the Elf to proceed to step through the mirror.



Jiilik, trusting the magicks of the Elf implicitly, stepped through the mirror expecting there to be solid ground to great him on the otherside. Quite to his surprise, the portal had been opened near the ceiling, and he immediately thumped to the ground, crying out mildly to express his sense of shock.



Grofrat turns around to meet the sound, now fully dressed in his old armor. Now with the amount of facial hair contained within the small space that makes up the face of the Dwarf leaves little to express any sort of emotion. That said, his eyes nearly popped out of his head at seeing his old friend fall from the roof.

Tue Jun 17 16:26:28 2003
Grofrat

4
"Bah! Now what sort of devilry is this!" the dwarf exclaimed. Upon further examination, the old dwarf realizes who the intruder is. "Well cleverness has always been one of your strengths, but proper manners have been lacking." They both were silent as the joke settled in. "How are ye old lad!" the elderly dwarf exclamed as he lifted his friend to his feet, "If ye had simply knocked, I could have shown ye better hospitality! But come, I have some fruit pie and tea around back...we have much to talk about, many adventures to exchange, many old memories to reminisce about..." Grofrat's voice trailed off as he bustled about his hole, fetching glasses and plates.

The slender elf stood by the fireplace, still reflecting over why he had jumped here in the first place, and what he had gotten himself into.

"You know, old friend, I mean not to be a bother"

"Bah! A bother? Ye should know that I have more time te cook than ever. Old Ivorymany, my horse, has been eatin like a queen. You can just go sit down and make yourself at home!"

Jiilik was far from feeling at home in this dusty old hole, but proceeded to sit down in a rocking chair by the fireplace. A few minutes later, the old dwarf came out of the kitchen, with two slices of berry pie and a tea set.

"Thank you Grofrat" the slender elf said while Grofrat served him, "This pie looks like it is as good as I remember it"

"Well hopefully better" Grofrat explained, "I've been tinkering with the flour ratio, hopefully this recipe will be less flat, and have more of a ba-"

His words were interrupted by a kindly laughter. "Can't you just say hello to an old friend?"

The dwarf flushed, and apologised. His face became very serious. Then, with a trembling voice, he uttered "I missed you too lad. I missed you too". After a long pause he said, "I assume... or at least I have pondered... that you feel much as I do."

Jiilik nodded, admitting "It is as if all I ever wanted was to stop fighting, yet when I do, I long to do battle again"

Grofrat, with a stern voice exclamed, "I will follow you into the depths of hell old friend" adding, "Wherever you go, you can expect your short tall dwarf to be beside you"

Jillik grinned, adding "Aye, right beside me...and a good ways below me"

The booming "Har har har" cut the serious mood, reverberating through the dusty old hole.

"Now let's go see our old friends" Jillik laughed, adding "My good friends 'Honey Mead', and 'Elvish Porter' are getting lonely"



And so two old friends drank into the night

Tue Jun 17 16:27:00 2003
Trasque

Interlude
deep into the night, just before the night sky becomes grey'd and cold, the wood elf and the dwarf's banter died down. Grofrat open the door while Jiilik listened at the window, they saw nothing, only heard the thumping of a drum in the distance..

Tue Jun 17 16:27:48 2003
Jiilik Oiolosse

5
Jiilik stood silently at the window for a few moments after the sound had past. "That," he noted, "was most definately not a cyclops."



The Dwarf nodded in agreement.



It was getting especially late, and the good spirits brought upon them by the mead was beginning to wear off. Jiilik, being an Elf, rarely tired, and the stamina of the Dwarf was unrivaled, but even then, the liquor leaving their systems left them with little energy.



"Do you have some netting I can fashion a hammock out of, my friend. I'm afraid I've simply run out of energy this night." yawned the Elf.



Grofrat scratched his beard, and it was a /long/ beard at that. "No, I'm afraid not. The only use for such contraptions on the islands here is for catching fish - and since you know how little I care for fish, I'm afraid I myself do not posess such a piece of work."



"Tis alright, my friend." He patted the Dwarf on his shoulders. "I will sleep among the stars at the shore. I will return tomorrow with some fixings for a good late breakfast. Perhaps some ripe cherries, like we used to forage out here." He turned at left the stone construct that was the home of his friend, and headed east to the nearest shore of the small isle. He would sleep there that night, and dream peacefully of the good times he and his friends had. The tears that flowed from the Elf that night were tears of joyous memories, mingling with the waters of the Ocean of Tears.



***



Jiilik woke the next morning at the first rays of dawn. The sun rising up out of the ocean that morning was one of the most enjoyable moments of his life. He was here with his old friend, and there was no strife in his mind.



He foraged for some cherries, as well as some other fruit and berries that he could find, and returned to the stone dwelling nearing the hour before the peak of the sun. Grofrat woke himself mere minutes ago, and was yawning and somewhat grumpy - as is typical to a Dwarf.



"I am thinking that I might stay here on the island for a few weeks, until I feel I'm ready to meet the rest of Norrath again." remarked Jiilik.



"Now, that is an idea!" grumbled the short man, "Took you long enough -- expected more from you ever keen Elven thinker."



Jiilik smiled at his grumpy friend. "However, I shall have to set up residence in the trees. Your snoring would scare even the Siren's away from your home."



"Bah!" He replied, and promptly stubbed his toe. "Bah! again! My toe is already stubby enough!"



Jiilik laughed light-heartedly at his friends exaggerated misfortune. He proffered out his scoured up fruits. "I brought some breakfast," he proferred.



"Hrmm. Good. If your going to be sticking around for a while, you'd better be pulling you weight."



"Well, only for a week or two. We have much to discuss, and much liquor to consume."



The stout Dwarf gave a court nod and rumbled something about having to get started. Pulling out some bread, he took the fruits and warmed it over his fire-pit.



"I shall tomorrow make a trip to Sister Ilse to get some Kiola nuts -- we shall make some of those 'Tumpy Tonic's' that you used to enjoy. And we will talk, and walk. When I am ready, or you get tired of me," he smirked, "then I will leave to explore Norrath anew. If your joints are still capable, I would be honoured if you would join me."

Tue Jun 17 16:28:27 2003
Grofrat

6
Grofrat mumbled something about Brell's sense of humor as he pulled in his dinner -- a rusty dagger -- from the ocean. Nearby, the elf sat on a rock, singing an elvish song as the trout willingly jump into his fishing basket.

"Ye darn elves make it seem so easy" grumbled the old dwarf as he recasted his line, adding a little "Eat my bait little fishy" in a sing song tune.

"Now stop that Grofrat...you will only scare them away" Jiilik jokingly scolded.

Again, the dwarf grumbled something about Brell's sense of humor.



---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



That night, a feast of trout was prepared outside in a firepit...

"So there I was...face to face with the giant...I could feel his cold breath against my own. The beast must have been 200 feet tall and had the strength of twelve titans. When all else ran, it was only myself who channeled the energy of Brell to bring the creature to it's knees"

The elf adjacent to him cuckled saying "I belive every word of it my friend...and how I wish I had been there beside you"

Grofrat poked at the fire, adding "It was the first time I saw Trasque and his wife do battle alongside each other. Quite a sight really...those elves are"

After a pause, Jiilik asked "Those drums...the other night...did those sound at all to you like-"

"Trasque's drums that we reclaimed off Lord Nagafen?" interrupted Grofrat

"Yes...yes, Selo's old drums of the march. Odd that we both thought of it eh?" remarked Jillik

"Bah, it is probably simply because we both miss him my friend...the thudding of Ivorymane's hooves often make me think of the same thing." scoffed the dwarf

"Yes...but clearly...it was drumming we heard. I fail to belive that there would be rogue drummers just "passing by". We should not discount what we heard"

"So what do you propose old friend?" asked Grofrat

"We should seek him" Jiilik said, adding "I have heard his cries in the wind recently.... I fear that he may be in trouble"

Grofrat nodded, saying "And Brell has given me dreams of him; images of him falling in a sea of blue light"

Jiilik nodded, then grinned, saying "Until then, let us toast for his safety"

Grofrat lifted his glass, and downed it alongside the elf, adding "For the wellbeing of Trasque"

Tue Jun 17 16:29:30 2003
Jiilik Oiolosse

7
"Well, my friend. I think it is nearing that time where I should set out once more..." began Jiilik, but was promptly interrupted.



"Not without this good Dwarf trying to keep up. You can either walk slow enough that someone so ungraceful as myself and be with you, or I'll tie you down and ya arnt gonna go anywhere at all!."



Jiilik chuckled to himself. Perhaps there was time for a few more stories before he set out. "I was thinking --"



"See that's the problem with you - always thinking - never a day to just rest and relax with you around..." grinned Grofrat.



"So, anyway, I was thinking -- we should seek out other greyed travellers such as ourselves and start a movement to make sure that all of our good stories get penned. That way we can look back and remember them when we've lost the eagerness for battle altogether." Jiilik slowly pronounced.



"It would be a fine day, my friend, when all we had to do was to sit around the fire and tell stories. Perhaps roast some meat, and get hardily drunk on the Blessed spirits of Brell. Yes, my friend - I would go for that. I sort of retirement from one thing and starting another, more relaxing lifestyle. We could all sit there in our rockers and talk like we were old or somethin'."



Thus the alliance was made among Jiilik and Grofrat - to preserve stories and the lore of the land for as long as they still could pen a word. They soon became known as the Guardians of Lore, and were friendly to all those Noble across the lands. Soon they too began to grow in numbers - and through their diligence, a great deal of knowledge was preserved, to be passed down to those that would follow them.



In the Ocean of Tears, a pact was made.

Tue Jun 17 16:30:22 2003
Grofrat

8
Journal Entry: Tuesday, the thirteenth of eventide.



And so it begins again. Jiilik and myself have drawn up the plans, and gathered what possesions we need. We are to be adventuring once more together.



Strange isn't it? I spent 515 years as a craftsman, and a healer. My life was always simple, and suddenly I am whisped away like a grain of dust into the winds of Norrath. It was never meant to be permanent, but It draws me in once more. Strange, since the time I have spent adventuring is like a grain of sand in an hourglass compared my life of comfort. I am to adventure once more.



Well... anyways... Jiilik and myself have drawn up the plans to found our storytelling society. A modest group really, but, I think that it will keep us from encountering the problems that many other societys, empires, cults, etc... encounter.



I suppose this will be my last journal entry for a while...Ivorymane and myself will be travelling.