Tanuchan

There was a loud 'thud' and a lump formed in the curtains to the right of the stage, followed by a startled yelp and a crashing sound. The leafy remains of the contents of a flower pot appeared briefly from behind the curtain but were hastily dragged out of sight. "Sorry... but it's rather slippery in here... oh, thanks for your help..." The quite musical voice drifted to the audience. Mynx winced when, checking who hadn't introduced themselves yet, matched that voice to Thomas the Minstrel. As she raised her eyes again to the stage, the lump in the curtain disappeared, threatened to come back, reappeared a little to the right, then rippled up and down several times - always accompanied by apologies and gasps. Finally Thomas seemed to find the opening in the curtain, and stepped into the stage. He bowed to the public, smiling sweetly towards Mynx, respectfully towards Peredhil, and a bit amazedly at Gryphon. Oh... I don't think I have seen him... that reminds me of a ballad... The public didn't know, but they were lucky that before Thomas could decide to sing that ballade, he turned and hit the microphone. In the attempt to grab it before it fell, the Minstrel's foot became entangled on the wire - and when he tried to tug it free, the microphone stand steadied neatly by his hand. Recovering his self-possession quickly, Thomas bowed again, and fingered his lute. "Good day to you. I'm Thomas of Taigel, Minstrel, and have just recently arrived at the Pen." His voice was soft, melodious, and almost chanted as he kept playing a gentle background tune on the lute. "I came from distand lands, and I have many songs and stories to tell. Many people know my name in places afar, and I hope that my skills can also mark your memories." Sitting right beside Stephen, both way back in the audience - wisely having decided to keep out of Wyvern's sight - Tanny blinked and shivered. ::If he does another rendering of any of my poems*, I think I'll just have to be sure that I will mark his memory forever. And a day.:: Thomas continued, smiling. "I'm not sure of my chances to win this pageant, as my skills are in songs and music, but I hope I can add variety and laughter to this Carnival with my music. Thank you." The soft melody coming from the lute changed pace and in seconds became bright and lively, Thomas' foot tapping the rhythm. Even Tanny grinned, her tail thumping and following the minstrel's lead. Less than a minute later, Thomas suddenly fell flat on the floor - just the judges having been able to notice that, while trying to change the foot that tapped the rhythm, the minstrel had tripped and lost balance. Flushing, Thomas stood up quickly, barely avoiding the microphone stand that finally completed the motion started when he had first hit it. Wincing at the loud, dissonant noise, and glancing worriedly at some sparks flying from the microphone, Thomas managed to stand up and bow without further consequences, and left the stage - grinning. I did tell them that they'd laugh and be happy... it's in my music! ~~~~~~~~ *See reverie's Quill Quest

I guess we PM them, so more people can participate?

While you're at it, please send a submarine (or something) to get Appy in Atlantis, please?

Yay! I was found!! And I think it's time for someone to pick you up there in Mount Rushmore, Patrick... though it should be Deggy, as he told me you'd probably be there . (As people seem to have forgotten you there, I'm trying to find you so you can get stranded somewhere else )

Isn't this great? A nice balloon rescued me in Loch Ness, but the pilot just lost his compass and also the way... now I'm here, stranded again! I remember traveling South from Loch Ness. I remember being caught by a nasty gale and thrown off route... though we did keep going South. For quite a long time. Then, the next thing I know is that both balloon and pilot have vanished, and I'm left alone in this big place with nothing to see, and that goes on for miles and miles. Looks pretty boring. I'm sitting here, and it's weird how my mind wanders... I'm quite expecting to listen to a Maker coming. That would be interesting! But when I look a bit further, memories of Aiel come also... I'm pretty sure that I could meet them in a place like this! Well, nothing I can do... besides folding this note as an airplane, and let it fly...

Written with Venefyxatu's collaboration - thanks! ~~~~~~~~~ A sleek, elegant black wolf pads into the stage, holding her ears high and letting her tail wave daintly, on step with her padding. She circles the stage once, then sits down in the center, facing the judges. A blind ranger enters as soon as she sits down, and bows slightly to the judges. "Good day, lady and gentlemen. I'm Stephen Hascodem, and I'll be acting as an official translator for our Wolf-Lady here." Tanny's grey eyes glint smoothly, and she cocks her head a little towards Stephen. ::Don't you dare to make me lose this, Stephen! It's all your fault!:: ::Mine?:: Stephen conveys an amused hurt tone in his mental voice. ::It wasn't I who lost the bet, Wolf-Lady... no, don't growl.. that's not nice ... :: There's a sound that resembles a soft sigh before Tanny starts. "Grrrrl... Yyip yap yap yapyipyupyup growlgrrr yup y-yapp yerf gargle yip-yip-yapyup." The tail thumps twice, emphasizing what she has just said. Stephen's voice is clear as he translates. "Greetings everyone. Wolves generally don't have a lot to say, and especially not me, but I'm glad to be here representing the shapechanging folk. I hope I'll get a chance to show you some of our traditions and how we live during tasks." :Stephen!!:: It comes almost as a screech, and the ranger blinks. ::It wasn't what I said!:: ::Yes, it was... just not with a wolf's words. I'm afraid I'm just human...:: "Yap growl growl growl yap yerf yip yp-yap-ypyepy. Howl-hrrl grrrl yup-yip grawk hrph woof rhaf-yap." "I'm pretty normal, for a shapechanger." Here, Stephen coughs and it sounds suspiciously like a suppressed chuckle. "Except, I have three forms instead of two. You know them as Tanuki, Wolf and Human. I'm here as a wolf so you can see the versatility we have and how well we can use our abilities. Like speech." And so the introduction speech goes on, with Stephen's smooth voice contrasting to the wolf's growling and yapping. ::That's not fair!:: :: Of course it is, dear Wolf-Lady... Everything's fair in war and love . I'm just adding some flavor to your speech. They don't appreciate your fine sense of humor...:: The despairing note in the last growl goes almost unnoticed for the judges, but Mynx blinks twice. Tanny sighs inwardly, held by her promise to be a nice wolf-loser and not try to mindspeak any of the judges. ::I'll never get in a bet with you again, I swear!:: Stephen chuckles, before finishing the speech. "I'll be honest and say that I don't expect to win the Pageant, especially not in my wolf-form, but this was chosen in honor to my friend Stephen." All of a sudden there's a deep growl coming from Tanny, but Stephen continues in a most nonchalantly way. "And I thank you all for your welcome. Thank you!" ::Can I now chase you out of the stage?:: ::That would ruin your chances, Wolf-Lady... and I said the truth... it was in my honor, as I won that nice bet. You shouldn't trust your magic-detecting abilities so blindly, you know. It's just common sense... :: Her eyes glinting now sharply, Tanny stands up, manages a nice bow by lowering her head and front paws, and leaves the stage. Not much later, out from the sight of any judge or contestant, a black wolf sits with a satisfied grin on top of Stephen's stomach, ignoring his muffled protests. ::That's for your nice translation, Stephen. I said nothing about not being a nice doggie for you... who loves to play... :: ~~~~~~~~~ Edit: changed the references to the bet, so it links to the events in Achib's tent

Hey Dean, glad to see you back!! Now, I hope *all* of the stories you promised will come, too... eventually...

Thomas, having decided to see what the Carnival booths were about, followed some random signs and after a while found himself circled by a horde of incredibly noisy, dusty, and demanding little demons. Or so he thought at first, while holding his precious lute above his head and screaming in near-panic, unable to move due to the vicious grip of some minions who had latched themselves to his calves. A few seconds later, he was staring at the very angel-like blue eyes of a small demon who had somehow climbed onto him and was in the process of strangling him with small arms clutching his neck. "Noooooo..." Fortunately for Thomas the sand was pretty soft at that spot and the children were quick as only small children can be, and as he landed flat on his back he neither hurt himself nor any of the "little demons". Panting, Thomas struggled for some time to get rid of all the little hands trying to help him; giving up, he let some bigger children help him to sit, and looked around. Two toddlers grabbed his calves again, and he carefully unlatched them and sat them at his side. The little blue-eyed girl giggled, sitting on his lap and trying to hug him again. Sighing, Thomas raised his voice. "Children, please, calm down... huh... ehh... if you calm down, uncle Thomas will ... play something for you!" With those words, he struck some chords on his lute. There was an almost immediate, wondering silence, and Thomas tried to remember any children's song that he could actually sing. "Ducks! Sing something about ducks?" asked the blue-eyed girl, smiling. While looking at her, Thomas also smiled, and holding both her and his lute he started to improvise some verses. Quick Quack - look at the pack! Run, run, avoid the sun! Quack quacked - nobody backed. Fun fun to be on the run! Quick Quack - leave them back! Run, run - they bring the gun! Quack quacked - the speed he lacked... Bark, bark... they found their mark. Feathers flew, yellow as few: Quack quacked - his tail lacked! Curious Quack, your mom was right... Beware of strangers, don't risk your feathers! ~~~~ Edit: wrong preposition... Edit2: verb tenses

Oh noooooo... stranded again? How could this happen? I was going to investigate Black's possible location, and ended up in a strange place again? Now that I pay more attention to what's around me, it seems this is a pretty interesting place; lots of people that look like tourists, with cameras and video cameras. I'd even say that they're expecting to find something different... they aren't just idly taking pictures of themselves or of the landscape. They seem to be waiting for someone (something?). But when I ask about it to some locals it's pretty hard to understand such strong accent. Reminds me of a certain character from one of those late 60's American Sci-Fi TV shows... And who'd think I'd see men wearing something other than pants in this part of the world! Oh, stuffed animals! I love then, and there's a shop where I can find... variations of just one kind of animal?! Maybe it has some local meaning? And this guy now tells me that cousins of this animal are supposed to have been seen even in Japan and in Turkey... and that the first time people saw or documented it here was about 70 years ago or so, although it has been mentioned much earlier. Please, can someone send me a plane or a helicopter to catch me? It's nice here, but I was trying to reach other stranded people, and not get stranded again...

Tzim... that was an extremely challenging, incredible post! I've just spent more than an hour with Deggy trying to guess where you were stranded... ... and if you are in the Bermuda Triangle, you have our congratulations on the great research work you've done!! It was fun trying to guess, and then check all the information on your post ~Tanny (& Deggy)

I know I've already found more than my share... but poor Black9 has been stranded for so long I wanted to try May I deliver some tea to Black9 in Stonehenge, by any chance?

Thomas the Minstrel is in (there's a description at the Piazza of Portraits). Hmm... and Tanny-wolf also And sorry... too sleepy to write something IC for both of them ...

The hot air makes me gasp, and my eyes survey the endless sandy plain. Who would have said that parachuting in this country would bring me to a place like this one? The pilot of that plane should be sued... "Have a nice landing," indeed. Well, I'm starting to feel the sun, but at least I have these nice, huge shadows to protect me for a while. Maybe someone can actually find me before I need water... maybe that pilot does have some kind of brain and tell my friends where he opened the door so I could jump. "The Red Sea is a nice sight, and you'll be right on its beaches..." I wonder if he mistook that big big river over there for the sea. Because I'm quite sure that the sea isn't that near! Tell me to trust touristic guides who don't speak your language! I would understand these funny characters better than what he said. My eyes fall on the symbols traced in the paper. Something that looks like a bird, then another that could be waves... is this a jackal-headed person? I'm sure I've seen these in some museum. Archaeology has always fascinated me. These shadows are really nice. I remember the tales told about these three buildings... how they align to the poles - or was it to the cardinal points? - and how everything on them was related astronomically to very significant points in the earth, the sky, and the constellations. And the traps built in... I mean, any unauthorized person trying to enter there to get the valuables would most certainly die while trying to figure out an exit. Lots of dead ends, and false passages. I hope someone remembers I was supposed to be parachuting in this area... I hope someone remembers to check where that plane went to! Ending up all dry and having my body found out in the future, and be mistaken for the people who are in that building over there.. What am I saying? It must be the sun... Hey! Helloooo!! Is there someone out there?

Add mine too Note: has since been moved. Look for it here: Lizard-y (Jul 14, 2005)

I survey the big city around me, finding fair people with the unmistakable look of Europe around them. As I walk around, I notice they enjoy some freedoms rarely seen elsewhere. They also seem to enjoy soccer, and the orange shirt of their National Team can be seen in several places. Talking to some people, trying to find out more about their history, I listen to a somewhat familiar tale... a little guy who, using a finger, saved a place by stopping a hole. They speak English, but the local language reminds me of German; though people tell me that they're as similar as French and Italian... Suddenly I remember that at the Pen there are a couple of very active people who are from this country, although I'm not sure what city they're from. Sweet! I stop in front of a museum - it announces a special exhibit of its most famous paintings, by Rembrandt and Vermeer. And a guy there tells me about two famous houses in the city... one where Rembrandt lived and worked, the other where Anne Frank hid. But anyway... I wonder who will find me stranded here!

(Do we post guesses, or PM them? For Zadown's city... would that be Jerusalem?)

Tanny smiles, obseriving the food. From somewhere in her mind, verses come: Mulled delicacy, yellowish honey, yummy yet tasteless shimmering gold. Dill, lemon, nutmeg, garlic... cooks sprinkling golden necessities. Steamed dandelions, sprouts, spinach... home-made effort tempting gents. Served, done - envisioned dream.

When I first decided to register in an RPG-oriented board, it was because of an online comic strip called "Fuzzy Knights", in which stuffed animals gather around (in their case, on) a table to RP. So, I had my mind on stuffed animals (which I love and collect also), and sitting right on top of my computer was my little, cute, stuffed Tanuki (Japanese racoon-dog). Tanuki-chan seemed too long, and I had at the time the habit of referring to that tanuki as "tanuchan". So the nick was born. As I came from those boards to the Pen because of the Werewolf games, I kept the username. As a curiosity, my Pen persona (the shapechanger Tanuchan) was born and fleshed out exactly because in that first Werewolf game here I was one of the werewolves. And to justify the nick, I had to keep the tanuki around in some way... and the double shapes for Tanny were born.

Thomas looked at the beach with some air of uncertainty, looking around for something familiar. He had heard about Lobsterpit Reef, and had had a sudden craving for some roasted lobster. Considering that the Campsite Portal had a nice campfire ready for roasting anything, and that his new friend Tom seemed unable to even think of roasted vegetables, Thomas had decided to try and catch lobsters. Maybe Tom would like something new, and Sweetcherrie would possibly appreciate some different food. In the distance Thomas saw Wyvern's booth, and with a spring on his steps he proceeded to talk to Wyvern. Leaving his precious lute in a protected spot, he examined the boards. "So... just pick one of these and go? And do you think I may be able to catch some lobsters?" "Lobstersss?" Wyvern blinked, and Thomas showed him a trap he had made before coming to the beach. "Yes. I learned once how to catch some with this kind of trap, and I was hoping that your boards could take me to where they live." While talking, Thomas patted on some of the boards, causing them to creak and lean dangerously. He hastily secured some of them with his foot, but unfortunately the last of the row chose that moment to get loose. Instinctively protecting his hands, he let go of the boards, which fell noisily to the ground. By the wish of Terpsichore, the boards fell one after the other sounding quite musically to the minstrel's ears, and he immediately sat down to sound each board carefully, knocking each one on different spots. After a few minutes, Thomas smiled happily and patted one of them, standing up. "This one. It's the most musical. It's a shame that it doesn't have strings, but I think it will be perfect for me." Beaming, Thomas left towards the water, carrying a rather large board that still had two or three nails stuck onto it - and from which some lengths of rope trailed. With more skill than anyone would have credited him, Thomas managed to wade into the water slipping just twice, and just once hitting his own head with the board while trying to get onto it. Kneeling on it at first, he used his hands to paddle towards a place he felt good enough to harbor some fat lobsters. Thomas never saw the wave coming towards him while he lowered the trap. As he tried to peek down, leaning dangerously, the board heaved and almost sent Thomas sprawling into water - if it weren't for the ropes stuck in the nails. Thomas grabbed the ropes and slid just to the opposite end of the board, somehow finding himself standing as he struggled to find some purchase to not fall on water. He looked around frantically as the wave got taller and started to crest, pulling the ropes while doing so. As a result, the board spinned around twice, ending with Thomas facing the beach. He looked back worriedly, and then to left and right, holding his breath while unconsciously pulling the ropes. From the beach, Wyvern stared in disbelief as he saw Thomas standing on the board, using ropes as reins on a horse to direct the board in some incredible maneuvers: turning left and right, and spinning neatly to make Thomas face the beach, then sliding sideways and spinning slowly so the surfer rode backwards, and once even jumping onto a lower crest coming after the one he was riding. In some minutes, Thomas landed on the beach, panting, still holding the ropes tight in his hands. Blinking, he let the ropes go and immediately the board turned over, dumping him into the water. Wyvern ran to him, and skidded to a halt when Thomas surfaced with a yell of triumph, his trap in one hand - holding a beautiful, big fat lobster. "I hope Tom and Sweetcherrie appreciated this! Thanks for the board rental, Mr. Wyvern!" Not giving Wyvern any time for questions, Thomas left in a hurry, trap plus lobster in one hand and his lute on the other, already thinking if he could make a song of his experience.

Hmm... well, why not? I'm not sure yet which character I'll be using, though... probably Thomas the Minstrel (eenie-meenie....). I'll confirm this later on Question: can we sign up with two characters? Or is that a "one character by writer" event?

~Physical Description~ A tall, thin man in his 30s, Thomas has light brown hair and round, hazel puppy-dog eyes that charm almost every girl he meets. Until he tells them a poem, or sings something, of course. He has a wiry kind of strength, but unfortunately his dexterity seems to be related just to the lute he plays really well. His fingers seem to memorize the songs much better than his brain, so his lutenist skills are quite appreciated - as long as there are no words to the music. He can play anything that has strings, although if he puts too much of his mind on it, he's prone to try to play a guitar as a lute or a harp. Back to Index

~Items~ Thomas carries with him an assortment of quills and parchment, though he has long learned to never carry ink - their affinity to his parchments usually ruins them. He never parts with his lute, a beautifully carved instrument with the softest and sweetest of sounds when he fingers it. He also carries a small flute, and a pair of throwing knives - that never once failed to hit the wrong target (but then, Thomas is unable to consciously kill a fly). Back to Index

~Magical Abilities~ Thomas' only magical ability is his dexterity with anything that has strings attached to it, though he never truly noticed it. Not only musical instruments, but anything with strings of any kind: fishing poles, nets, trees covered in vines, hair, whips... Back to Index

~Abilities~ Thomas is able to create a mess while praying alone in a shrine, and that's his most noticeable trait. His fingers are able to play a string instrument without ever having seen it or the music, but his brain is unable to memorize correctly any song, or any coherent string of words. However, when he improvises playfully, he's able to come up with simple and cheerful songs that go straight to the heart. Back to Index

~History~