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The Night of Raven's Daughters
As told by Oak The Fisherman

The sky was blacker than night, covered with their leather wings. Dozens of them fell on the town like the sea crashing over rocks. Each one was twelve feet tall, with steel talons and stone fangs, and faces that would make Daron Half-man too good for them. *Pauses for laughter to die down and ducks under Daron's hurled cloak.* And the smell would take the bark off of the trees. If you don't believe me, go look for yourself. There's a copse just outside of the town with naked trunks! There I was, just heading out of the arena, and they swooped down, screaming like the Raven himself, raking at the group with their talons.
I pulled out my hammer while a wolven rended at them with his bare claws, a cat girl threw rocks, and a healer was whipping her skirts at them. The battle was glorious. With one hurl, I crushed one of the cursed monster's skulls. As it fell, one of its friends was coming after me, and my hammer was lying in a pool of Harpy blood. All I could do was set myself to grab it when it reached me, and it was just about on me when it crashed to the ground. That crazy wolven bastard had jumped on its back and slammed it into the ground, tearing it apart. When I went to pick up my hammer, I found this ring, a trophy. It took only minutes to kill them all, but it took the guards hours to clean up the mess.

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A long road ahead...


I then spent some time wandering the forests of the realm, reconnecting with what, after all, was home to me - a chaos spirit I may be, a Whisper, but I am still a natural spirit, am I not? Settling down between the large, thick roots of a vast oak, I made my home there for more than a few years. During this time I was, perhaps, at my most peaceful; chaos has its place in nature, after all, and I spent my mischief in as constructive of ways as I could come up with. I trapped poachers and herded those who would cut down the magnificent trees into a valley that I knew would be covered by fog come nightfall; at that point, in a panic, the men tended to back away in fear, disliking feeling so trapped...

Off the cliff to the east.

I did the best that I could to protect that forest; it was as close to a home as I have ever had. Many say that duessa are incapable of caring, but we do, in our own perverse ways. We have our own domains of protection, and this was mine.

No one was going to harm this forest or its inhabitants.

I found myself enjoying the daily tasks of my realm, rounding up the elderly and ill animals and peacefully dispatching of them, leading them to easy food that I knew would poison them, quietly and painlessly. Watching their spirits fade gratefully back into the chaos of the void, away from the pain of their mortal lives was gratifying; it wasn't often that my mischief, my penchant for causing others' deaths paid off, and I enjoyed it.

It was during this time that I learned how to balance my violence with what caring I could muster. It is but a small gift, but the time that I spent in the forests, among those graceful, everlasting trees and swift, unerring animals was incredible for me.

There are few ways to diffuse my anger, and only this could bleed the rage out of me without pain.

It was also during this time that I found myself captured.

It had become slightly old by now; there had come many a time where I had become someone or another's "property" for the night. It often didn't last, as you've seen with the stories I've told thus far. Unfortunately, rumors of what I am plagued the countryside, and my captor had been far better prepared than the last oaf.

As I sat in silent contemplation with my tree friends, a sharp, tight pain flourished through me. Staring down in disbelief, I found a fiery arrow piercing my skin.

Strike one.

Remarkably, this didn't kill me - that would have been too easy. No, about the time that I woke up from my desperate avoiding of what I knew would come, I found myself chained in cold steel - tight enough that I couldn't simply dislocate my fingers to escape, this time.

I do not like to speak of this time in my life, the time when I became a temporary captive. I do not like to remember the lick of fire against my flesh, the scent of things burning that should never be. It is one pain I will never be accustomed to, that of my own flesh searing. I dislike remembering the burning-hot steel rods that would have killed me, were I not duessa, and I like even less what he did with them. There is no room in me for love of fire, and there never will be.

Strike two.

I counted the days in a fog, my breathing labored as I watched the burned skin heal over and over again, only to be renewed once more with his sadistic smile. The rape was hardly worth mentioning; it was this that I loathed.

A wandering mage had heard of me, the Witch of Saelen Forest; the caretaker of the Wood. A benign spirit, most assuredly (which to this day I laugh at). One morning, I heard "my lord" receiving a guest, to entertain him. The mage produced wonder after wonder, showing the man baubles and toys that would keep him amused for hours. At the end of the night, the mage promised to give another show that morning, if only "the lady of the house" would come to watch...

Strike three.

My hair was shorn, my face covered with a thick veil; it was custom, around those parts, that highborn ladies cover their visages. It is no wonder that the wandering cat mage didn't recognize me, when he met me later.

As we watched him and his errant mage craft, "my lord's fingernails digging into the fresh burn on my forearm, I felt his grip go slack, suddenly. Glancing up at the cat mage, I staggered, seared flesh unable to hold me up any longer.

"You're free," he murmured, glancing about swiftly and seeking to return me to my wood. "I probably shouldn't be doing this, but you've been taking good care of this place, and I used to come here often, a long time ago. Don't look so surprised... you have friends in the Wood." A wry smile crossed his features as he watched the burns beginning to heal. "And you can take care of yourself."

"Sometimes," I replied hoarsely; my throat was swollen from screaming. "What's in this for you?"

He looked surprised. "It's reward enough on its own," he shrugged mildly, flicking a black-furred ear absently. "Take care of yourself. Maybe we'll meet again, in another lifetime." Tossing a sly grin over his shoulder he waved, sauntering off, unconcerned with how long that potion he'd slipped into the household's wine would last.

It would not be my last meeting with that cat boy. But it would be a day I would never forget.



Renaya{KBT}

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Lord Ryo

By: Eraelabryn

The beautiful male, Ryo, new noble to our lands. I was graced with an interview with this stunningly clever man, and his willingness to speak, be candid, is something rarely seen in the Ranks of Nobles. His very physical bearing speaks of regal blood, noble to the veins themselves, eyes bold, gaze piercing, that silent command in his very tones, when he speaks. As if to hear him, is to wish to obey, for some time. It is the amber of his eyes that show, he is one who while in the realm of the physical is beautiful, his spine is encased in steel. Not one to be trifled with, or to suffer the ignorance of a overstep of bounds.

Invited in, and offered drink, we sat by the fire, Ryo and I, and discussed many things. I must say first off, that his respect for my race, for my very position with Kirva, led me to believe there is more working in the mind of this Noble then perhaps his manners would show. Cunning really, when one knows how to sooth someone, to glean those bits of information from carriage, to make them feel at ease.

What background can you share with our readers, of your upbringing? I was raised at court, so to speak. My father was a Lord, but due to the amount of fighting, when I was younger, I was left to hold the Fort. My Father was away for most of my upbringing, but, I was always in the company of my Mothers and sisters.

Was it a proper upbringing being groomed for Power?

It was an adequate upbringing. My Mother taught me many things, and I gleaned a lot from books, but my intuition in warfare, tactics and swordplay came later in life. I may seem fragile, but appearances are deceptive, are they not?

Tell me then, if you will, what do you bring to this Empire? What is it you do?

I do not claim to be a great fighter, or a leader as some others do. They are more capable of handling that side of work. I spend time getting know a few people and staying within the Inn, before revealing I was noble. I like to think, I bring a cooler head to the proceedings, as I have been in battles in the past, and like to believe I have some skill in tactics.

Will you be collecting persons to serve you, on your lands here. hiring the common man to assist you?"

I have enlisted a few, but I would not call them common. I have one slave, Kad Annder, a merman, who is free to come and go as he would wish. And the lovely Tehya is my personal bard, and now works for the Emperor as the Chronicler of Events within the Empire.

So then, My Lord, you have your slave, and the bard. so then, tell me, what more would you like to see, personally, when you step out, ideally, what is it that you would wish to find outside your door..

Well it would be cheesy to say "Empire Peace" because it will never happen. People have too many opinions and the variety of cultures here would make it impossible. Some people thrive on battles and fight, so I have to say the balance would be nice, but apart from doing my duty I will take each day as it comes.

So then, your duties, your work. what other things draw your interest, My Lord. What things do you do, to entertain yourself?"

I read, I spend time at the Inn, I watch Tehya dance. But I like to indulge as any man does around here.

What God do you serve?

You are the second woman to accuse me of thinking all women are stupid. I have not said anything to indicate that. Why do people think I look down on them?

At this point I accepted his words as being politely a "I do not wish to share this with you."

"Perhaps it would be easier for those, if I ran around slaying men, and raping women. Or to give a new edge, slaying woman and raping men. Alas, I must seem odd in this town, at least what I have observed in it. I am just me, and power, my dear, is nothing if you cannot control it."

Wise words, from a wise man. We welcome you, Ryo, to our Empire, to our lands, and bid you, wonderful years spent on our shores.

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She who sits on a fence...



It has come to my attention that there have been several reports as of late about a certain catgirl...one who proclaims loudly, whereever they can be seen, about their loyalities to the Empire. I also have it on good authority that this self-same catgirl has been doing one of two things. Either she is trying to root out spies for the Empire...in which she is doing a fairly poor job of doing so, or she is playing both sides of the coin...the Empire, and Valencia, among other things. If you meet such a person, watch your self very closely. The Empire is watching her, and watching out for her. She may not be as crazy as people think. Or...she might just be that crazy. Which is it?

Written by:
Anonymous

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Inside look on Christolf...


Many people have started their campaigns for the position of Reeve that will soon be vacated by Infernis. Many people also know who I am, through action or deed. My name...Christolf. I have been called many things in my lifetime...traitor, tree-hugger, friend, lover...but all have said the same thing: I am devoted to what I throw myself into.

Take for example my commitment to the forests of Nathalion. On two seperate occasions, I have given my very life to protect them...and I have stood up to the Empire when they tried to take them from me, and from my Mistress, the goddess Gaea.

That is the type of person you want running things in Nathalion...principled, powerful, and yes, committed to the greater good, to the balance that we all seek in this life. Who better to give this then the man who has stood up to the Emperor himself, in his castle, and not flinched one bit? Who protected his friends and loved ones even under the spells of the Emperor's nobles...trying to get him to give up those who helped?

You could not ask for a better person as Reeve...not if you tried. So, when the booths open up that distant day, remember one name...Christolf.

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Saving Raphaelwyn

By: Saret

A small group gathered to help find an influent patron of Nanthalion. Amongst the questing party were: Kuromaku- a great sized, Rock Troll, Lemnios, Nicholas_Shade- our resident Skald, Philippe{Raph}- Raph's personal slave, Greywind- A Reeve Candidate, WhiteMist, Adrienna, Dominus, and RavenChild- a town male whore.

As the questers gathered at the front of the fountain. A young Sylvan elfin girl who is only in the loincloth that covered her public area, approached the them. She bowed slightly to the all, before she let out a smile and spoke in a soft and seductive voice, 'My Lord. My master, master Fei, has order me to deliver these maps to you. He said it is a map that gives direction to a town call Lupi. He had already been on the road toward the town since yesterday. He sent his wish to you all, and Godspeed. She then got on her knees and put the five maps on her palm, raised them above her head and waited for anyone to pick them up.

The maps were indeed taken with the honor and grace of those worthy of adventure. It was important for them to retrieve them with a quick-haste, for Raphaelwyn went missing for a lengthy time. There was some threat as the esteemed Nicholas Shade sought about disobeying the girl's Master and take the lovely elf. However, Grey-the-Noble, disapproved voicing his opinion and Shade reluctantly gave in, leaving the lass behind. Meanwhile, the others namely Phillipe, continued to travel, having his Mistress's heart in mind, his path would be a different path, his of love for his Owner. Not far from him with the extremely large Troll beast, Kuromaku, he made the vast grounds shake with vibration!

As the party moved on, and night soon fell. A smell of burning body was getting heavier along the trails. Lemnios caught the scent of something burning, something revolting, he darted off in the direction it is coming from, staying to the bushes with wide eyes, looking for it's source. Lemnios busted out of the bushes next to the party, ashen faced and petrified...as he called out, scaring all of the fellow adventurers! "They're dead!" he yelled. The party was baffled. As they looked closer to the dead body, there was no other physical wound. The trees and land around the dead body was dry. Kuromaku, wondered if the area had any rainfall, it had been several days. Were these dead the one's who had Raphaelwyn?!

Soon the night had fallen, and the party found a good spot to camp. A camp fire was set by on of the party members. And, a peaceful good night sleep was gathered. The next morning, the party moved on to the trail, continuously on their second day travels. The trail was clear and dry as the party moved along, except the party found more dead bodies of many different races along at the end of the second day.

The days began moving along quickly as the fourth day soon approached. In the morning of the fourth day, the party at last, enjoyed a night of raping, sex and ravishing of many village girls. Some enjoyed it and some did not. The adventurer's gathered at the village centre, a few kid threw some eggs towards the party in the name of either their sister or mother. A hell the travelers indeed had gone threw.

That day, the white Kitten appeared within the group. She came riding in on her buckskin stallion, wanting to aid with the saving of a loved one. Another ousted herself from the party, scouring the grounds, scouting for anything useful. The auburn beauty kept to herself as she did what she thought was best for the adventuring group. At the entrance of the village, an old man at his 70's was sitting under the tree. He looked at party as they prepared to leave the village. He let out a big smile, speaking to one of the party members, "Thank you for last night. My damn wife has bugging me for fucking her for years. But at my age, I can no longer perform. I truly thank you for you have really do a good job filling her last night. You must be really horny or generous to do a 70 old woman. I really have to give it to you. Now what I do to repay your kindness."

Dominus had stood behind the old man, as the others asked about Raphaelwyn, he tried searching the man's demeanor as he began to grill the old coot. And like the scoundrel that RavenChild is, he had been stalking Adrienna, the auburn-haired lovely. He finally made his presence known to all. Someone had asked the old man about the catgirl, and he replied "*The old man think for a moment before he answered, "A catgirl no, but a big iron box was here two days ago and it was.....' He pause and fear can be seen in his eyes, 'No , no catgirl here. Go away now. Go, go"

And fortunately they all gathered together, working hand in hand as they followed that lead. The questers indeed found Raphaelwyn in the following days, by working as a unison group, hand in hand, no matter the combat that lied there for them. It was with great prestige that they earned their coin, honor, and items they had found along the way.

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Ask not yourself who you should vote for, but more who you should not;

Walls are good for keeping people in as well as out. What is to stop your Reeve from taxing you for passage? to your home?

Do you want to have to spend time understanding all? the pomp and ceremony around the appointed person?

Would you wish to hire a translator to grasp your Reaves laws? Or Maybe appoint someone to scrutinize the trade agreements that will affect your hard learned skills.

Would you want a Reeve that has no time to govern? Then ask yourselves who has fingers in more pies who's attention is drawn to more than one.

Do you not want a Reeve that will ensure progress? profit, without the worry of your good sense being manipulated, and your vote being bought.

Aeval.


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Matwyn for Reeve

By: Eraelabryn

What does voting for you mean? How do you plan to ..sway them, so to speak?

"Sway them? I am a vulpine of my word. They know my reputation from my past history here, and if they vote for me, I will do my best to improve the Town. I make no promise, as this is a serious thing, but I shall do what I am able, I am stable and dependable, most are aware of this."

A stable dependable person, strange to find in such lands, is it not? However, Matwyn, your parties are known, favoring your own..race, and the like. Celebrations of what you value. In fact, rumor has you are a wise man, sought out by those new to the lands to seek consol. Would you use your position, as Reeve, to push forwards the races you ..favor?

"If I worked only for the vulpine, there would be very few to vote for me. If you remember, I have held parties where all were invited, and have always allowed guests. When I throw them, I offer work for all those wishing, and I will throw no parties as my time as Reeve. I will not have time for such. "

Many would say the position of Reeve, is only a figure head, something that one could turn into something far more. Is this your goal, Matwyn, to strive for the powerful side of it, to use it, to your advantage? Let me re word that, out of respect. Tell me who you think will walk away with the title. Does Laria stand a chance, Christolf, perhaps another?

"Ahh, well my greatest worry, as to who if any, will beat me, is Laria, she nearly won the last election and I believe Christine Daee is running too no? She and Christolf worry me little, both having their issues, not that I am without mine, or Laria without hers. In fact, Laria and I had a long talk about politics at my tower, just the other day."

Laria is a strange one, really. And yes, I do see her in the public eye, as one who could be considered a rather..apparent adversary. You spoke with her, which personality was it, that you garnered politics from?

I am friends with Laria, it was Seline who spoke, I managed to coax Laria out. I have worked on helping the girl with her ..issues, I am a shaman, and believe there may be evil spirits within her, but it is a slow process, but regardless I am still running after our talk. You will have to catch her soon, or in a week, she has urgent issues abroad, and I do hope this doesn't hurt her chances.

We left one another with him stating these final words. Let me share them with you.

"I do not desire an easy victory, nothing is sweeter then something hard fought for, or conquered, though the Position of Reeve, is more a responsibility then a prize. That is why I am paying from my own pocket, and not accepting financial aid, nor paying folk, as past candidates may have done. No further advertisement then this interview will be needed. I plan to speak to people, not all can read, luckily I can, and are blessed with that knowledge. Win or lose, I will strive to do all I can to help this town, and the people within it."

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