Journal of Drakterra Skylonne

[Magnus Bane]

/Hello all~ just thought I'd make a journal for Drak, since I find he is very interesting to role-play and I sometimes find it hard to keep up with such things... yeah, hope you enjoy it ^-^'\
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Hello... book. I do not know why I am talking to a book, but I guess I am. Someone told me that I could write down what is on my mind if I do not want to talk. I guess it could help, or this is just proof that I'm not as sane as many.

I am guessing I should introduce myself, as books do not have ears, do they?? No, they are the chopped up, stacked remains of something alive. Something innocent. Why then, I ask, am I writing on the remains of something that has never hurt me? Sure, treants will be aggressive, but whose fault is it if someone gets hurt? It's their forest. Their land. I guess they are, as Demonwing mentioned to me today, Guardians of the Forest. To guard something, you must be prepared to fight for it... right?

Oh, yeah, introductions. I am Drakterra Skylonne. I will not ask you your name, for you are a dead thing. If you did reply, I would probably make a sudden, violent motion of fear, or burn you. Yeah, that sounds fun... Burn an innocent thing when it simply answered a question. Sink as low as the Nightmares within the Darkness, or blight, as I am told it is called.

In fact, I do not know why I call it the Darkness. It is not dark. Anything but dark. There is much light there. Everything glows green there... blinding. Too bright. The Nightmares, the 'aegis', I think, glow also. It seems no one else sees this glow. Is there something wrong with my eyes? With me?

I talked with a drake named Demonwing today. He is very large, but also strong. Apparently he is a warrior, fighting the Darkness and the Nightmares within. I will be a warrior! I will be something, something other than a Nightmare.

Warriors fight, and to fight the Nightmares I must be strong. But... how do I become strong? By killing? Killing what? Grulets, an instructor tells me. But why? Do they attack me? Do they slaughter innocents and burn villages or attack helpless beings, killing on sight? No. They are creatures. Stupid creatures, perhaps, but still beings. ALIVE beings. Creatures with lives. I must ask someone of this...

Also, I met a hatchling today. She seems nice, if not too bright at times. She glows green, too... Does that mean she is a Nightmare? I asked her as she pounced on me. She said no. I don't really think a Nightmare would have answered me, so I let her be. We ended up going to Gnomekindle together. It was nice, if not fun. There were things hidden in tents, treats and the like, as well as a random, scared saris.

Apparently his name is Draustin, unless you count the multiple syllables he put on the 'D', but it would be quite hard to pronounce someone's name accurately if they are called D-D-Draustin. It is odd just thinking of it, but thinking of that leads me to realize how odd talking to a stack of dead things is.

Oh yeah, the hatchling I met today was called Shynarra, I think. She has blue fur, which apparently is odd, considering the looks quite a few of the trainers and elders gave her. She is nice though, and she is teaching me draconic in return for me teaching her to fight! At first she was... scary.

First thing I told her to do was to pick out a week grulet. She did, and tackled it. Was it the first or the second whose head she ripped off? I can't remember. Good thing I am not afraid of blood. Anyways, she somehow ripped one's head off and it got stuck in her mouth! I might have laughed if I wasn't so disturbed and slightly afraid I'd have to pull it out of her mouth.

Luckily, she removed it herself, hitting her head on a rock in the process, though apparently was still alright, which was good, right? She seems innocent enough. Nothing like the Nightmares.

The next time she tried, after watching me end one swiftly and mercifully with my new Silver Strike, she got it almost right. Almost. She got the 'Silver' part right, and the 'Strike', and at first she was great! Then, after her impact, the Silver disappeared, leaving her with her claws stuck in the grulet. She must have hit something vital, thank goodness, for it died swiftly.

Thinking to let her draw her own conclusion on how to end something quickly and mercifully, I showed her an incredibly awesome bite-tackle, ending one so fast it didn't even see me coming! She tried this, but again ripped off it's head.

It is fun to hunt, and it is okay, even exciting, to teach another how to kill, but just as long as I don't think about the innocence I have just ended... then I am alright.

The fourth, she aimed low. I am not even going to describe it. The last one, however, she attempted to copy my demonstration of a tail-whip and ended up on her back.

After that, we sat at the shrine and she told me a few words in draconic. It's not do bad. Now, Oh Stack of Dead Things to whom I am speaking, I must end this talk. Apparently they were right: I did have alot to say that I would never say aloud! It actually wasn't as weird as I thought! This may end up being fun.

G'rei efinarna

[Magnus Bane]

Glit'sita again, book. Today, I guess, was eventful, like yesterday. I went to the Valley, as I was told it was called. There was a large black and green-spotted drake adult there. He glowed, like Shynarra, but not so much. I came in as he and a hatchling were talking. I think the adult's name was Selarth, but I'm not sure of the hatchling's name. He fell asleep shortly after I came up. I didn't do it... did I? No, probably not.

Anyway, I spoke with the adult. I mentioned his glow, and he asked why I thought he glowed. I said I didn't know, and I asked if he was a Nightmare. He said he was! Though after some explanation as to what a Nightmare was. He... didn't seem so bad. He was not mindlessly mauling me, so I let him be. Lucky for him!

Then, a lizard-thing showed up. I learned later it is known as a sslik. He sat beneath a tree and just wrote, maybe he, er....it? is writing a journal too? Not long after, a hatchling fell out of the tree above it and nearly landed on the sslik. The hatchling was purple and speaking of some type of sky rat or something called ni'dil. I think the sky rat thing it was speaking about may have been birds. I don't know. It was weird, and loud, so I wandered off to study.

Later on, after I sat in the forest for a while and studied my draconic, I went to go train. Turns out there was an outpost up a hill near a log in New Trismus that had Nightmares near it! This sounded like a good opportunity to train my claws and to help drive back the plague that is the Darkness, so I went.

After a while of bashing them down, I got a bit tired. Finding a hill a ways away, near the log, I sat for a bit and studied a spell that the trainer had given to me. It felt like it would take forever to even end the small outbreak of Nightmares there! Even though it was a small place, they just kept coming! This may not be as easy as I had previously thought...

Then, a hatchling ran past me, followed by three of the Nightmares. It seemed pretty weak, so I went and helped, bringing two down while the other hatchling took the last one with some kind of fire bolt. It thanked me, and I was pleased with myself, though I was a bit tired from fighting now. I need to get more endurance, I guess.

Either that or a better map, because when I tried to find my way back to the Valley, I got lost! I wandered around for a while, and soon stumbled into a new place!

Moyo Lake, I think was the name of it. There were two dragons there, both who walked on their hindlegs like bipeds! Wait until Shynarra hears THAT! They seemed friendly enough, and none of them glowed. One was black, named Zarla, and the other Vyridiun.. I think. There was a biped that was strange though... seemed like a Nightmare but wasn't. He said most called him Mint, so I guess I will too, though I think Nightmare would be a more suiting term.

Soon a black saris appeared out of nowhere behind the elf-Nightmar. She was even more Nightmarish than he was! After a bit, the elf went off, and then the saris, a bit before him. I think the saris could teleport, because suddenly she was there and then she wasn't. Shinkuu I think was what the Mint-creature called her. She called herself a Guardian of the place we were at whose name I am unsure of.

After they left, I asked Zarla and Vyridiun if it was true that if I stood on my back legs for too long that I would become a biped. They found that funny, but denied it. It would have been hilarious, however, to see Shynarra's face when I proved that true, but then it could be! Zarla said she could probably come up with a spell with someone by the name of Shadina. This could be fun! Maybe prank Shy into thinking I'd turned into a biped!

Then, after that talk, Vyridiun fell asleep and I asked Zarla if Shynarra's glow meant she was evil, and she mentioned Selarth somewhere in our following conversation. Turns out, he used to be, or may still be, a blight general. He seemed nice enough though...

Anyway, when I mentioned that Shynarra had fur, she got serious. then she said I should not teach Shynarra how to fight. Is something wrong with fur? She said all furred dragons she's met have been either crazy or feral, which I think means viscious. Maybe out of control. Zarla also said Shy was maybe too young to be like that and may be kept docile, or maybe she was something entirely different.... and maybe having me as a friend, having a normal friend, if normal I am with my stupid eyes, would help her to calm down. Calm her down? Is she wild? Also to keep her on a civilized path would be the best thing in the world for her, but the way Zarla said that made it sound kind of gross.

She said that if Shynarra DID, after all, turn out to be wicked, that they would deal with that. But.... how? Do they plan to hurt her? I'm not sure I like this just yet... But then she said Shy would probably be just fine. Said I'd be amazed what love and compassion could do for people. She said I should bring her there, I think, so she could be shown compassion and get to see a wonderful life.

Then, somehow, we got onto the topid of adulthood. I never thought about it, but it sounded awesome! To be larger, stronger, able to fly! But then, she told me of the Rites. Turns out you have to go through the Rite of Passage, which Zarla called a torture fest!

To begin your Rites, you have to speak to Lunus or Helian Ancients, whatever they are. Sounds like a type of food, though. Zarla described the Rites as a long trial designed to crush one's soul and the Ancients don't care if you become Nightmares or not!

I would need some really close friends to help. I guess Shynarra could help, but Zarla said she couldn't describe it. That the Rites were indescribably bad, 'Just whatever you can imagine not wanting to experience'. Would I want a friend to come with me? I don't think so. Zarla also mentioned something about loved ones dying. What is the point of bringing friends? Drag them into Darkness to be crushed with you?

I think my wings can wait a while to grow... I am a warrior, and I will do it on my own... in a while. Maybe a long while. Suddenly, the sky feels awfully heavy...

But that's a long time from now. Who knows? I may be strong enough by then. She said it was meant for Ancients.

Then I asked her what an Ancient was. Apparently most of the Ancients she knows are evil or complete jerks. She said she would probably never become an Ancient, because that would mean another set of Rites. Even I can agree when she says that one horrible venture is enough.

Then she had to sleep too, and she held me as she slept. It was nice. There was a lot of affection from Vyridiun and Zarla. I guess that's what is expected normally, isn't it?

I guess I like the Lake-place. I'll see if Shynarra may want to see it too. I don't know if she's like the place, but sleep sounds good right now. Farewell, stack of chopped-up dead things.

G'rei efinarna! (oh yeah, it means 'good night' in draconic. I don't think books know draconic, or even Common for that matter though)

Yeah, good night.

[Magnus Bane]

Hello again, journal. I guess this should become a habbit, talking to a stack of dead things. It does help, I guess, being able to talk to someone without having to worry about the opinion of another, unless you talk back, that is.

I spoke with Shynarra at Skalkaar again today. I asked her if, by Zarla's permission of course, she would like to come to Moyo Lake with me, but she refused. She said her mother would be coming back to check on her soon, and she shouldn't go off too far.

When I asked why, she said her mother was really cautious about her sister, Shynarra's aunt. I asked who her aunt was, but she didn't know... The reason for her caution, I think, she said was that her aunt was what I called a Nightmare! She brought pain and misery to Shynarra's mother, so she was cautious now.

Then I had a great idea! I am a warrior, and my job is to hunt Nightmares! I'd hunt her down and slay her! But to do that, I needed to know her aunt's name. Shynarra also said that that would probably please her mother. I asked her to find out her aunt's name, but not to tell her mother what I planned and to ruin the surprise!

After that said, I ran off to begin my hunt! Then, after a while, I decided to make my way towards Moyo Lake. Who knows? Maybe she had ended up there! Yeah, I'd start my search there.

When I got there, I guess it was obvious I was up to something as Zarla immediately asked what I was doing. I nearly admitted what I was doing, nearly ruined the surprise for Shynarra's mother! I guess I was guilty, because she knew I was lying when I said I wasn't doing anything.

Zarla told me not to lie, that it was important not to. That to be able to be trusted was a great honor. To be honest, even if it means death! That sounds like a pretty cool was to die actually.

I said I was sorry, and said that I promised it was nothing bad. She told me to be careful making promises, to always be certain that it is a promise I can keep and never fail to. That my word must always be true.

Then, a black hatchling turned up. She was bipedal like Zarla! I think Zarla called her her daughter. Makes sense, I guess.

Zarla explained to Talika that I had a friend who may or may not be blighted. I guess something blighted is what I would call a Nightmare, but Shynarra was not a Nightmare!

This seemed to concern Talika, and they had a short discussion on whether Shynarra was alright or not. I said she was fine, and then Zarla asked me her mother's name. I said that I did not know. Talika asked me her name, and I told her it was Shynarra.

I guess that ended that conversation, for Zarla asked if the two of us could play, whispering something to Talika. There was a lot of giggling then. Was that normal? Maybe I said something funny. Maybe they thought I was funny. I was, after all, the only four-legged dragon around.

Talika asked to be friends, and I agreed, of course. It sounded nice, to have a lot of friends!

But then there came a delima. She wanted to play. Truthfully, it was hard, but I admitted that I did not know how to play. Then Talika offered to teach me to play. Zarla said it was sad that I didn't know how to, that play was important.

I agreed, though unsure. She did a sort of flying jump above me, and I wasn't expecting it. I jumped out of the way in time, however. But, somehow, she got hold of my ankles and, while trying to free myself I fell over. I was forced to surrender.

Now, journal, I admit my downfall. Oh, it is far from over! My pride may be wounded, but I am not!

G'rei efinarna, for now! The day is sure to break, unless the world plunges into eternal Darkness overnight, which is impossible with me around.

[Magnus Bane]

Ak'eo... or Ak'ea? Ak'ien? I don't know. Are books boys or girls? Is there a difference? No clue.

Anyways, today was rather odd. It started out as most of my days on Istaria seem to now: a pounce by Shynarra.

I asked her if she had spoken to her mother about her aunt's name yet, but the strange purple hatchling showed up. The one that had fallen out of a tree into the clearing. He seemed afraid, and was hiding behind the shrine.

Shynarra and I went over to the shrine, and I told the hatchling that I would not hurt him. This seemed to help him, a bit too much, for he pounced me!

Then, as I was pinned, Shynarra ran off, saying she had to be home. She left me to be insanely tackled by hatchlings. It seems others love to tackle me.

At first I thought the purple was just a normal if overly-rambunctious hatchling, but no. Not even close. I think he was mental!

He sat on me, crying out that he had 'caught the toad'. A game? Nope. He seemed to think I was an evil black toad. I tried to push him off, but he struggled to stay. What was I going to do, attack him? Never.

Then, as he was sitting on me, he said that I was a toad, and I was just in denial. I told him I was not, that I was a warrior, and then I rolled to my feet. Okay, I wouldn't attack him unless he attacked me first.

He said something called 'ni'dil' said I was a toad. Of course, ni'dil was wrong! As this could have been taken offensively, I said that this ni'dil must be mistaken.

However, the hatchling said that ni'dil was an all-knowing, all-powerful god. Right... Deciding that, though I really wanted to, I must not attack the innocent. Besides, his tree doesn't really go all the way to the top branch I don't think.

I asked him his name, attempting to change the subject. This only made matters a bit stranger. He told me his name was Siccel. I told him my name, but he said it wasn't. How could I be wrong about my own name? He told me I was called Ennolyks Arretkrad, black toad of the swamp-muck, the herald of doom.

This was getting strange, and also slightly creepy. I am not really turning into a toad, am I? I said that we should ask an elder about me being a toad or not, but he says that ni'dil is older than all the elders and knows all.

I said, in my anger, that I'd already heard ni'dil's opinion. He told me ni'dil's opinion was the only one that mattered.

We had a bit of an argument over that, but I remembered that I was a warrior and let it drop. He then tried to give me an offering of flies. I then did the only thing I could think of to do. I called a retreat.

Saying that I had to study, I recalled to Mahagra. I kept my word as truth, for I did need to study. I felt somewhat bad, though, for leaving the hatchling, so I did study until I had memorized the part of the draconic language that had been assigned to me. Afterwards, I went to the Valley.

As I entered, a giant, furred, white ancient fell from the sky, along with several snaps and cracks. Of course, I am a warrior, so I went over to help. On the way, however, I was landed on by a falling hatchling. Am I doomed to a fate of having hatchlings pounce, jump, and land on me? Well, i'm beginning to be amazed the ancient did not land on me!

The ancient healed really fast, and was apparently broken in several places. She was fine though. Zarla was flying over, but a really large drake with a mane flew down into the Valley, followed by a silver dragoness. Zarla flew off, only after the saw the drake, so I guessed I should go too. Selarth came in, so I went out too, after the hatchling got off me of course.

Thinking Zarla could help me with my question on if Siccel was right about me being a toad or not, I headed to Moyo Lake to see if she was there.

She was there, and apparently she was angry too. She somehow caused a boulder to fall off a mountain by moving a wing! I would have asked her to teach me how to do that, if she weren't currently scary.

Shinkuu and Mint were there too. Since I didn't really want to be pounced or anything, which seems to happen whenever I wake up, or enter a place, or, well, do anything, for that matter. Since Shinkuu was still creepy, Zarla was scary, and the Mint-Nightmare seemed calmest, I went to stay behind him. At least he wouldn't pounce on me... right?

The black saris then disappeared again. A while after she disappeared, in a conversation they had gotten into, Zarla mentioned that she wanted, needed, the power of a god. Wanted mountains to tremble at her gesture.

Vyridiun came in as I asled Zarla what she would do with such power. Everyone I've ever heard of so far in my studies of history that have had alot of power was either evil, became evil, was dragged into Darkness to become a Nightmare, or was utterly destroyed by it.

She said she would destroy the wretched blight and its aegis. A good cause, but what would she do with that power afterwards? Get rid of it? Maybe, but I think most likely not. Although, the power to move mountains sounds kind of nice. I guess I could try and look for great power. That way, I could track down every Nightmare that exists, except Shynarra, but there has to be a cure for whatever she has, right? Zarla even mentioned some sort of purifying. That's it! I'll get her cured! Then, I could go after the Nightmares, and not worry about my friend becoming one!

Oh, then when Zarla mentioned wanting to be able to save everyone, I remembered how I had helped that hatchling before, so I told her. The elf must have left sometime before this, though. Zarla and Vyridiun were very proud, and said that I did a good thing.

Zarla then told me not to let anyone tell me I shouldn't do something if I have the power to. That, by not doing something, you are just as bad as the Nightmares.

The two of them then flew off in a burst of wind, which was awesome! Is that how adults normally take off? If it were not a torture fest, I would say that I can't wait for my Rites, but I can, and am glad that I can.

What Zarla said and these new thoughts gave me alot to think about, so I wandered off again.

I then decided to pay the guildlands a visit if I could find them again. I did, and Awdz held an innihiation, or whatever you call it, into the guild!

At first I thought I was to be roasted, because she ran off, coming back with a bunch of logs and dumped them at my feet, but then she ran off again and came back with a giant bug over her shoulder. Gnomes must be very strong for their size, because it was alot bigger than me!

Oh yeah, she also gave me a bottle of fish! I guess I keep them as a pet, but where do I put them? I don't know, I guess I'll just hold onto them until then.

She roasted the bug, a fyakki I think, and stuffed it with a lot of different things. She needed my help to lift it onto the support posts, and so I got to do that for her.

She gave me some of the fyakki on a shield, and then gave everyone else who was around some too! It was nice, but by the time I had taken a single bite I had to go.

Speaking of which, I must bid you g'rei efinarna, my friend who can not speak. Sleep beckons, and I have run out of things to say. Farewell.