Tanuchan

And trying it a second time... The eagle soars slowy, listening to the sighing whisper of the wind around him. As his eyes sweep the ground lazily, his thoughts fly away following the beckoning song of the wind. His beloved's far away cries come back to his memory, bringing a wave of longing and sadness. His eyes dart back and forth, his hunting instict awakened by the scene imprinted on his mind - his bride, an arrow, a man. And the distance making him unable to outfly that arrow. The wind howls, pushing him forward with strong currents, arms that help him find his victim. Arms that hold down a shadowed figure on the top of the mountain, pressing him to the ground. The wind is the eagle's friend, his weapon and his ally. Its yelling deafens the man, its cold fingers sting and blind him. The eagle cries in joy as he darts down to avenge his dead bride.

I'm not sure if I got it right, but there it goes... The rabbit approaches the cliff carefully, his heart beating fast. He looks around with shadowed eyes, searching intently for his enemy, a glint of fear revealed for a moment when he glances down the cliff. Towering high above the ocean, the rocky giant imposes its calm demeanor on the waves that tickle its foot, ignoring anything besides its own immovable nature. The rabbit whimpers, caressing the slab of rock where he stands softly with its paws, begging him for protection. There's a small shaking in answer, revealing a small hole just at its side. The rabbit hides in it, understanding the silent message. A furred creature appears, sniffing the ground, following the rabbit's track to the edge of the cliff. Suddenly, with an angry groan, the slab of rock teeters and separates from its father, sliding down and taking the hunter with it. The rabbit peeks out of its hiding hole and in careful, slow steps approaches the edge of the cliff. Sighing, he squeaks a thanks to his protector and hops away, while the cliff goes silently back to sleep.

Tanny perks up her ears at listening to her name, and immediately bounds happily towards Mr. Bunny. He gasps at seeing the black wolf coming straight at him, and his scared look makes Tanny slide into a neat stop in front of him, immediately shimmering back into her human form and hugging him tight. Thanks, oh, thanks so much!! I'm so happy, for haikus (and any rigid form of poetry) are very difficult for me to work with I almost apologize to the others because I saw so many good things here... *hugs everybody* Yay! Laughing in delight, she goes back to wolf shape and trots happily out of the booth, grinning.

Light in deep darkness Breeze that banishes shadows Smile brings happiness. ~Tanny

Well, I'm sending my bid... it should be fun reading what happens to the happy (?) winner ~Tanny

I'm really surprised at how much I know... it seems I picked quite some information without realizing I did it Here's mine Thanks for sharing the link, Salinye! EDIT: For some reason, my last question didn't appear in the form I've corrected it, so please I'd like to ask those who answered it before this edit, to do it again (that would be just Katz, I think )

Hi everybody Well, I'm back from vacations and I'm happy to see the fun ! As for the modding... I believe that it would be about right if Jamz did the next one, as she was the one "scheduled" next originally... but it really depends on her and MTYFoolish. I'm updating the list, anyway I'd like to mod WW X, as I had to step down this last one... if no one minds it.

I felt the need of a better link between fate/love/debt... I believe in love, that I saw in your eyes I believe in fate, that joined our souls I believe in a debt, come from your tears... A debt that will live, even if I die. I hear music play, sad and fading I hear dying screams of love deceived I hear my heart beat, faster and faster I hear everything as when you said goodbye. And I know, and wish I can forget Just what you meant when you cried and left My time with you, that I wasted in trifles Was heaven sent, and by heaven withheld. Because in the end, as my heart now sees It could not be, and fate was right I was wrong for you, not trusting enough Though you were right for me, with your light and faith. ******** Finnius, when you said "critical feedback", did you meant us to comment closely on what we would see as "flaws" in the original poem? If that's the case, I'll be back later (er... in about 10 days...) to edit this post EDIT: What bothered me in the original poem was the unclear link between the ideas and a sense of broken flow because of the longer verses. The ideas are good, and the end is a pretty nice one. I didn't go into meter/rhyme as I pretty don't follow them in my own poems, and I see more knowledgeable people discussing it

A nightingale sings early in the morning A green Monday of a somber Summer Never minding dates and events Of a calendar created by blind eyes. A priest comes from his nightly rest Looks up in quizzical surprise: Nightingales in that dread city Are not a sight one often remembers. Angry sounds, blinding flashes Reach the priest, smite his senses... Dazzled he looks at a portly stranger Shadowed eyes in a darkened face Midnight-blue is the color of his robes. "Where am I, wither have I been brought?" The priest stares, mutters apologies "Who are you, if I might ask?" "A defendant unjustly accused Of lending his quill for accursed magic Rubbish I thought I was writing And not the words for mighty summoning. For flames came when She read the scroll And terrible evil became unleashed." "Who are you, who is she, And what evil is this that you talk about?" The priest trembles, his knees shake He turns around looking for help. He who has been apprentice-mage Lets his mind remember the sentence "She I name not, you won't recognize her. I am from afar, sent through time To learn and teach and expiate my crime. Instead of a spade for a physical burial They buried me with the power of magic. That's the punishment that they exact on me." "And the evil that was freed What happened to it?" "A dark force spreads in the country, And hordes trash all that oppose it But the White Mages know what to do And bind it they will. Don't worry, worthy friend, Go back to your garden. You see, there's that potato there Waiting, wishing to be picked; And maybe more, if you just look. Care for what is yours, Don't throw into the garbage The knowledge you already have. Don't try to understand higher things Don't do what I did in my pride. Be yourself, and be content, Each of us has a life of its own. Live happy, and live your own time, Because I am condemned To live out of mine." ****** Merelas, I believe you gave just 27 words? And thanks for the opportunity, this was a nice challenge ~Tanny

Salinye sighs, looking at a giggling Ayshela while she keeps trying to clean her face. And suddenly she's hit by something big, heavy, furry and black, who starts licking her face thoroughly - and very wetly. "Augh!" Some moments later, a last lick from the wolf finishes cleaning Salinye's face, and the wolf runs away enjoying the sweet taste in her mouth. Besides the jar at the booth, there's 5 geld. This tastes really good... and besides, now Salinye doesn't have to worry about cleaning her face... Laughing, Tanny enters the Keep, intending to go back to the nap interrupted by the tag game. Mmm... I wonder if I should stay in that booth and offer myself to clean their faces after the pie-throwing...

Wish you and your children a quick recovery, Sal! *hugs* ~Tanny

You're welcome, Jamz... Hmm... I'm posting also a link to those rules in the Werewolf Rules stickied here at the Pen

Sorry to step in... Ozy, Jamz referred to: (a-) Katz' suggestion of modified rules, (b-) the original rules posted at Kenzerco boards, and (c-) a game played there where the Wolves could try to convert one villager (there were very specific rules created for that, explained in the first post there). Though I'm just popping in and out of this game as an NPC, I share with Jamz the same worries... "curing" a wolf will certainly lead to the lynching of its partner, and the Seer's words won't mean anything because villagers/wolves can change overnight. Having just one wolf and the chance of converting one more can be done without problems, in my opinion. There are less players than normal, so I think it could work. The "curing" of the wolf is what presents a problem here, exactly because of the problem of confidentiality. Also, as Jamz, if I were playing I would try anything suggested, but it does confuse me... As an NPC-observer, I'm certainly interested in seeing how this will work out.

Ahhh... thanks, now it makes sense When is the next tale coming out?

OOC: Dustin is an NPC, and so am I... just to remind you when it comes to voting And I am as clueless as you concerning roles, so please don't take whatever I write as anything more than ramblings from a fellow lunatic IC: Dustin keeps silent, nodding at Michael Jackson though the people he can see at his table don't exactly match the names he has heard. Abraham Lincoln had a goatee, and he would never have given him that roguish smirk, fit more to... who was he? He had seen him before... talked to him even... No, not talked... Dustin frowns, a patent effort to bring something back to his memory. No, not talked... he has seen him, but not as he saw the others... a picture? A movie? A movie... Yeah, that was it, Doc Holiday! He avoids commenting anything, but it's clear that Doc Holiday is enjoying the fact that Michael Jackson is mistaking him for the President, and his smirk grows. As for the others... William Shakespeare looked more like Mick Jagger, and the Thomas Edison guy... well, he simply wasn't there. Dustin shrugs lightly, nodding his greetings to all three... no, four... of them, and leaves them to their game still feeling the weight of Doc's smirk on his back. Suddenly he sees himself in the middle of a racket involving "nurse Ratched" and some orderlies, and some minutes later he steps hastily aside to avoid John's "flight". As Rena screams, Dustin has to restrain himself not to run over them and protect them from the pack of wolves that appear in John's wake. They are not there. I can hear their howling but they are not there. "Of course I am, dear. You shouldn't ignore me." Dustin looks at his side and sees that young woman again, with her raven-black hair and gray eyes. She smiles impishly at him, shimmering then shrinking and changing into her wolf form. Caught by her eyes, Dustin kneels down and pets her once more... But she's not here. I'm insane. She's not here. In an effort of will Dustin tears his eyes away from the wolf he only can see, and stares at the man in the chair. He wants to scream a warning, to tell him to beware the guy with a knife who's standing at his side. But the guy turns to him and puts a finger on his lips, asking for his silence. An orderly comes to bring some medicine to the man, ignoring completely the assassin guy, almost passing through him on his way to other patients. Dustin guesses the assassin isn't there, and sighs once more. He looks around, looking for something to do, and sees his wolf... His wolf? Since when he has started considering this wolf "his", as if a pet? ... his wolf sitting besides Doc, looking curiously at the card game. Turning, Dustin carefully approaches Rena. "Ehh... hi... " Rena retreats hastily, looking at him with veiled eyes. Dustin still feels in his back Doc Holiday's smirk.

I enjoyed the reading, Salinye. I think it's a very good beginning, though I can't say much more without more of the story, really. There are some things that caught my attention but, as I'm not sure if they are the "proofreader's stuff", I'll be PMing you about them. Looking forward to more! ~Tanny

lol The posts are great And, seeing all this, I'm feeling pretty unable to RP a lunatic as well as any of you there I told Katz I'd try to run Dustin, but I'm afraid it will be pretty sporadic as it seems my RPing muse is being pretty stubborn.

It's nice seeing you post a story, Gnarly And I must say that your description is realy colorful and made me "see" the whole scene. But there's one thing that confused me a bit when I read this, and it's the setting. In the beginning you said the scene is "what appears to be a gladiatorial arena", then later you go on with "...advance up the field into as yet untouched territory." It may be just me, but I visualize an arena as an open space, and your adventure seems to be placed in a more dungeon-like space (what would make sense, knowing it came from a HackMaster game). This "shock" of visions broke a bit the flow of the story for me. Maybe this "Monster Mash" could be happening in an arena with a maze-like (and open to the air, so people can see it) building in it? But, as I said, it could be just me Also, when you write that long sentence in parenthesis breaks the flow (again, for me). Maybe you could do like you did with the power stone, and write the explanation in a separate sentence? Or maybe add a line or two in the beginning of the story, where the dwarf goes mentally over his weapons and resources just before entering the arena? There's also some typos ("fee" = "feet" in second line, and some 's where the ' is missing) but they're minor. It's not really my kind of story, but I liked all the sense of movement and the tension you built with your description. I hope you find the time to write more, for you know I've always liked the way you bring to life what you "see" in your mind. *hugs* ~Tanny

Hmm... I like the idea, but I have to check with you exactly what you intend, Katz We can discuss it a bit

"Branches that spiral and bend Like my life from the beginning Coming near and far from the trunk As life revolves around a path This time near the center Seeing a target so close and so clear That time far from the stream Lost in dreams and thoughts of happiness Orange leaves catch my eye Fiery as love and the wish to live Sea of color around the branches Transient as life winding down the path. Slave to the whims of the wind and weather As my life to my heart's desire Autumn leaves fall and cover The path where I am, where life brought me. " She closes the book after writing the verses, and looks again at the garden. Absent-mindedly nibbling the tip of the brush's handle, she lets her eyes wander around the leaves and gnarled branches of the odd-shaped tree. "The path where I am, where life brought me." And where was she? Why had life brought her there? Her objective had been clear, once. Her dreams had been tightly reined and wound around her chosen path. Now, she felt that all the time she had been fooling herself. Her dreams had shot branches in all directions, and her secret thoughts and desires had grown, to become fiery as Autumn leaves. And what was once her path was now part of a greater setting, supporting her dreams and lending them strength. Ironic. Sighing, the High Priestess leaves her private garden. They await her decision. And it will surprise them.

I personally like both the story and the ending, specially the way Erin dreams about David and how his answering the phone puts reality in first plane. I can't see what exactly you didn't like about the ending. For me, it fits well the story. It doesn't go on and on trying to describe too much of Erin's feelings, but it does convey a sense of loss. And I agree with Ozy, both in saying that this is beautiful and that saying "twenty dollars" would make it flow better. Hope you share more stories with us.

1. Noun - old, torn book 2. Verb (past tense) - killed 3. Plural noun - pants 4. Verb (past tense) - beat 5. Noun - pirate ship 6. Adverb - wholeheartedly 7. Verb (past tense) - dripped 8. Noun - trap 9. Verb (past tense) - chased 10. Unit of time - century 11. Verb - sleep 12. Verb - dream 13. Noun - tyranosaur

Ohhhh... I *love* the idea... It's a shame I won't be able to be in... I'll be out of town the first 15 days of July, and not certain about Internet access... *sighs* Mmmm.... Katz, would you eventually let me play an NPC ? So that I could enjoy the RP, but won't spoil the game when I have to leave? Of course, I give you my word that I won't be influencing the game in any way, like, not giving any opinion about who could be the wolves and so on... pretty like the "ghosts", when allowed, do. And if the players don't mind it... it has never been tried either here or at K&C , but I was wondering if it would work... Anyway, no problems if you say "no", I was just wondering. Have fun all of you I'll be back for next game... if Jamz still can't mod it, I'll do. ~Tanny

Next in line is Katz... I'm PMing her to ask. Then, it would be me, but it will be impossible for me to either mod or play before the 15th July, at the least I'll see who's next... Hope everything is okay, and you come back to us soon, Jamz *hugs* ~Tanny

The outline seems good, but as I said, everything will depend on how you deal with the debate aspect. The idea of trying to prevent bias towards any one of the animals is nice, but I think it must be done in a way that it doesn't come out predictable - I mean, not causing the reader to say "oh, it's done just to keep the story balanced". One of the aspects of a story I myself always enjoy is the "suspension of disbelief", so if I perceive too much manipulating from the "storyteller" I tend to enjoy it a lot less.