I jump out of the small tressle bed I've been lying restlessly on, throw on my clothes, and grab my stuff.

"Dammit."

As Shawn:
As my vision quest goes on, I continue fighting. After I defeat my old enemies, the dreaded shades appear before me. I roar & I begin to tear into their shadow black hides. It is at this point that my rage boils over & I begin to go insane with pure unbridled wrath. As I continue to tear away at anything in my path I realize that I just killed a few very familar figures. I am instantly reverted back to my human form. I look around. All that lay before me is a mass of bodies from my victims. I look around more & there I see Gaius, Liz, Frank, Graylizard, &...oh my god, Shadow all bloodied & torn up, killed by my hands. I fall to my knees, pick up Shadow's limp corpse & I cradle her in my arms. A pain unlike anything that I've felt before strikes my heart. I begin crying hystericaly & I howl at the now waning moon. It is at this time that I awaken from my vision quest...

As Alex:
Alex: "Cowards!"
Zeig: "Ah, they went running 'cause they knew who they was dealing with."
Verka: "You know it mate!"
I turn & see Liz standing there.
"Oh! Here is my young apprentice. Liz, meet Zeig & Verka, my main mates."
Zeig: "Is a humble pleasure to meet ye young lass."
Verka: "Yes, it is rare for us to see very many humans nowadays, especialy one as beautiful as you."
Liz blushes in a shocked way.
Alex: "Ok then, lets begin your training!"
Zeig: "Oi, is that rum ye have there?!"

OC: *shakes fist at noise* Curse you red baron! that rather fragged up what I had in mind but I can work with it

IC:
hmmm yes Gaius Longevius and Marle Whiteleaf, hmmmm yes Gaius hasn't been here since Marle's I'm sorry to say death but you apparently have met your father then as you carry possesions marked as belonging to a high ranked female of the whiteleaf maternal line. *slaps himself in the forhead* bah what an old lout I am I can't bealive I'd forget little aya in all my centuries! your birth caused one hell of a stir I must say, the first half-elf born! and with an immortal as her father besides! The whole village rejoiced for six days after your birth and half the lads almost left against Marle's wishes to tell Gaius of the news but they knew she'd skewer them if they did. Still not sure why exactly she didn't want him told but I think I know an item that can tell you *rummages in a stack of books* it should be in here...*pulls out a old book* your father left this in my safe keeping when he left *hands the book to aya* (OC: it's your mother's lightsaber ) it's your mother's diary the thing about it is that it's in code and no one but her and possible Gaius can understand it. however your family may have some clues
Aya: *gasps* my family?
Old Elf: yes the clan whiteleaf the matriarch runs the inn as a matter of fact I reccomend you head over there and explain who exactly you are, you see the whiteleaf's know everything that occurs around here so they definently know your here
*he walks up front to see if rhizod needs help*

*next morning after a joyus celebration by the elven village at having regained one of their own*

*pounding on the door*
Vix: who the kell is it at this ungodly hour?
Malus: Vix it's malus
Vix: Malus what's going on?
Malus: It's Gaius he's gone on alone and he's got the spear vix
Vix: the immortal spear? the spear the pierced the side of christ? the spear that can kill him? that spear?
Malus: yes that spear he intends to sacrifice himself to save the world
Vix: damn that fool....
Vix: Kwai! wakeup!
Kwai: *sleeply* yes Vix?
Vix: we need to move now! round up the others!
Kwai: alright!
*Kwai rushes out of the room to awaken the rest of the party*

I wake up, last thing I remember was getting a little over emotional in my telling of my story to Kwai. I look out my window. I see the first rays of the sun commming over the horizon. Oh, no! My lesson with Alex. I'm going to be late! I quickly get out of bed and get dressed. If I hurry, I'll have time to grab breakfast from the kitchen. I hurry down the hall and down a few flights of stairs. I quickly make some toast and scarf it down. On my way out of the kitchen I stop by the liquor cabinent and grab a bottle of rum. "If I am this can't hurt"

I hurry out to the courtyard. I see Alex across the courtyard, there are two others with him. I don't get a good look at the other two, because then several people appear from nowhere. I can't understand what they're saying, but suddenly there is a flash of light comming from Alex and the men dissappear. He turns back to his companions. I take a moment to look at them. I sigh, no longer surprized by anything. I do howerver take a large swig of the rum I brought.

OC: I have to go, I'll finish this when I get back.

I follow the old elf to the back of the small building. there is a cupboard on the wall sectioned off into cubby holes. each hole has several scrolls in it, and i can see that the holes are marked with dates, even though the symbols are not the ones that i've been reading for the past 17 years.
"when were you born, young miss?"
the elf's voice is dry like autumn leaves, but it is soothing.
"I turned 17 last month." i answered.
the elf looks through the cubbyholes and removes two scrolls from one of them. He asks me my name, and i tell him, hoping that my elven parents were the ones who named me.
Starting with the second list, the ancient elf runs his finger down the sheet, pausing several times before looking in shock at one of the names written upon it. I peer over the top of the page at the three names (child, mother, father) on the line. unfamiliar as the characters are, i can still read them. the first name on the line is mine. with a rush of relief, i thought, i've always been Aya. the space for the mother's name read Marle. the father's name was smudged so i couldn't read it, but my angle wasn't as good as the old elf's was. taking a sharp breath, he exhaled two syllables: "Gaius!"

Looking through the old stone records, I at first find nothing of great interest. Then, I see the slab I am looking for. It's a thick, heavy slab of dark gray shale. I take the pommel of my dagger and lightly tap on the edge, splitting the slab into thin sheets. I gently slide them apart, revealing deeply carved markings in the bryadic alphabet. Our records of the Shade Wars.

I read through the stone sheets by torchlight.

hmmm yes that would be a bit off a shock well young miss come in to the back where we keep the birth records

I turn around suddenly and look at the elven man.

"We've on our way to infiltrate the Shades, though right now we're waiting for another party member to join us. (gesturing to Aya) I think you can help her more than me. She just found out that she's an elf. Dealing with some drama and so on. I am just looking through the old records of my people, seeing if we have anything pertaining to the Shades."

OC: More stats!

Name: Graylizard
Sex: Male
Age: 326 (looks about 80 though)
Eyes: Squinty & old, brown
Hair: Long & gray
Height: 5'5"
Weight: 112
Skin: Old, wrinkly, tanned bronze
Body: Old & frail looking
Clothes: barefoot, old leather pants cut off into shorts, a bandana with Native symbols on it, a couple of old charms around his neck (including a dream catcher & a rabbits foot), an old white button up shirt with the sleaves torn off, an old medicine pouch slung around his shoulders, a tattoo of a lizard on his chest.
What he is: An old Hopi shaman
Favorite Saying: "How has the road been?"
Lives: The backroom in the bar "Sad Haven"
History: He doesn't like to say much about his history except for the fact that he has been a shaman of these parts for the better part of 200 years. He has been a mentor to Shawn since he was just a "pup".


Name: Zeig
Sex: Originally male, but his lack of flesh makes any distinguishing genitals obsolete.
Age: Been dead for 400 years
Eyes: None
Hair: None
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 80
Skin: None
Body: Skeleton
Clothes: An old bandana that he wears on his skull & a sword & sheath.
What he is: Undead pirate captain
Favorite Saying: Doesn't have one (talks too much as is)
Lives: On his ship "The Dead Man's Chest"
History: He woke up dead one day without any memory of his past life. From there he went on to become a notorious pirate, killing any captain he could find in "honorable combat" thus aquiring their crew. His most recent crew was comprised of several demons including his first mate Verka, & his master-at-arms Alexander Cray. The old crew has since disbanded & he & Verka spend a lot of time drinking rum, & finding their way into any fight or trouble that they can find.

Name: Verka
Sex: Male by demon standards
Age: 27,089
Eyes: black with red irises
Hair: Long & purple
Height: 5'3"
Weight: Unknown
Skin: purple, leathery
Body: lanky, starved skinny, wirey, horns & tail
Clothes: An old pair of pirate pants & a sash, barefoot.
What he is: A demon pirate
Favorite saying: "Let's go captain!"
Lives: On his ship "The Dead Man's Chest"
History: Not much is know about his past before he became first mate to Zeig. He spends a lot of time getting his captain in & out of trouble. Can drink more rum than any other being there is! (or so he claims).

As Shawn:
A vision quest is an ancient shaman ritual that puts someone in a drug-induced trance where they gain answers to their deepest darkest questions. Because of this, no two people can ever have the same vision quest. Mine is instantly violent. I find myself thrown onto an ancient battlefield, staring down an entire army comprised of my worst enemies from the past. I rip off my shirt, pull off my chain, & I transform. But this time I'm different. My fur is silver & glows like the moonlight. My claws & fangs are made of pure silver & sharper than ever before. My senses are so heightened that I feel as though I could close my eyes & still see everything as clear or clearer than before. I let out a howl far louder than I ever have before. The army comes running at me full force, & I leap into the crowd...

As Alex:
"Zeig & Verka! Long time no see!"
The two figures come up close. They are an undead pirate skeleton & a demon.
Zeig: "Alex-bleeding-Cray! How's it going ye old lout?! Did ye make it to level 80 yet?"
Alex: "86 actually, but who's bragging?"
Verka: "Impressive."
Zeig: "So are ye going to start pirating again mate? I'd love to get the old crew together again."
Verka: "Yeah Al, what are you going to do now?"
Alex: "Well, to be perfectly honest gents, I have just recieved a new apprentice, & a talented little girl she is, not to mention a fox!"
Verka: "I see."
Zeig: "So when do we get to meet said poppet?"
Alex: "Dawn, hopefully. That's when we are supposed to start her training."
????: "Not if we have anything to say about it!!"
I turn behind me to see 5 Magi police that just arrived via transdimensional portal.
Magi Policeman 1: "Alexander Cray, you are under arrest for high crimes against the 5 councels of magic."
Magi Policeman 2: "We will bring you in with minimal struggle if at all possible."
Magi Policeman 3: "If you choose to retaliate however, we will be forced to use any & all necessary force to aprehend you."
Magi Policeman 4: "We prefer to discuss your sentence in a required court session than out here."
Magi Policeman 5: "Will you cooperate?"
Magi Policeman 1: "Or will you choose to resist?"
I just sigh & shrug my shoulders.
"This is all that they've sent after me?! I expected better. In answer to your question--"
My eyes go completely black, my tattoos on my arms light up, & after chanting 3 words my arms go ablaze with black & green fire.
"--I choose to resist!"

OC: An extreme lack of creativity prevents me from posting. I'm just checking in to make shure none of you thought I was abducted by aliens or such.

really? must have been rather nasty to hall around
*an old elven man steps in to the light*

how can I help you this gloomy evening?

I follow Aya in with a torch. Looking at the village records, I see more than just elven texts. Like many educated and skilled peoples, the elves keep tomes from clans other than their own. I walk over to a battered wooden chest marked with a fading piece of tagboard. I open the chest carefully - though surprisingly heavy and solid it creaks with old age - and pull out a stack of chipped graven stone slabs. I carefully lift them out and begin to read them. Aya glances over, looking slightly puzzled.

"Some of the older, more obscure clans around here have odd ways of keeping their records. My own people have a tendency to use graven rocks, as we rarely build villages and anything else disintegrates from time and weathering. I once knew a warlock who kept a journal written in the intestinal lining of live goats."

"not really..."

I walk in the direction of the records building, even though there are no lights to be seen. I got the feeling that it was open to whomever wished to enter, whenever they needed it.

OC: who's your daddy? no seriously this will be a important plot twist/point later on in the story (okay shortly) you were the best choice for this because the back story was easy to write and the other with you already had well established backgrounds. So play on folks and just wait in anticipation and dread on what amp is about to srping on because...THE END IS NEAR!

and we'll finally get to start a new story!

IC:
Vix: okay Kwai and I will go check us into the inn, the rest of you do what you need to
*walks off from the group, turns suddenly*
Vix: oh and aya this villlage records building is over there you may want to look in to it
*walks off towards the inn with kwai*
Shadow: not the most friendly girl is she?

after walking for about half an hour, i realize that the extra gear that i've been wearing has not even begun to feel heavy. I ask rhizoid about this, and she says that it's because the elves made it. apparantly things of elven mke are incredibly light, but also insanely srong, and usually never break. a few minutes later, we come to a clearing. it contains a number of small houses, and there is a large hall in the center, probably for meetings. there are some shops that sell weapons. rhizoid is obviously interested in those, but since it is still nighttime, none are open.

OC: you just like being my father, don't you, amp?

IC: after putting on the leather clothes, boots, and chain mail, and strapping the weapons to their respective places on boots and quiver and then strapping my bow and qiuverto my back, we start moving in a northwesterly direction. I am completely unsure of how i feel about the potential for meeting my real parents.

*Aya puts on her armour and weapons.*

I pull out a lodestone hanging from a tattered old bow string and watch it twist in the air. After calling out a thank-you to Malus, I make eye contact with the rest of my party and we head northwest in the direction of the elven village.

"Well," I think to myself. "At least I'll be able to get some better arms in the village. This rusty dagger won't do me much good in the Shades."

OC:
Sorry about staying away so long guys! I have been busy the last few days. I like how the story is going so far though. Lets keep it up!

IC:

As Shawn:
I've been driving for days now. Except for a few fuel stops that I had to make it's been nothing but me & the highway & the sun. I finaly arrive at a bar in Tucsan. Everyone here knows me all too well. All I have to do is walk up to the barkeep & say "Graylizard" in order to get info. He points me in the direction of a backroom. I enter.
"Hello Shawn. How has the road been?"
Inside is an old Hopi man sitting Indian style, smoking, listening to "Voodoo" by Godsmack. He turns off the radio & tells me to sit down.
Graylizard: "Are you finaly ready to undertake the vision quest?"
Shawn: "I am. Give me everything oh wise one."
Graylizard: "Good."
He hands me a cup of some kinda weird water from a basin. As I begin to sip it he chants. My eyes go white & I fall into a trance...

As Alex:
I wait outside for my apprentice & any newcomers to show up at dawn. I'm sitting down reading "The Magi Times" & laughing at the reports about me.
"Well well well! If it isn't Alex-bleeding-Cray!"
I look up to see two figures approaching. I know these guys all too well...

OC: I'll continue in the morning.

*In Gaius and Claw's Quarters*
Malus:cocks head as if listening*: crap
Gaius: what?
Malus: we made a mistake Aya has only a pair of jeans, t-shirt, sneakers and Marle's quiver and bow
Gaius: shit! you go grab leathers and a pair of boots
Malus: what size?
Gaius: I have no clue we'll use a fitting spell
Malus: alright *runs out door*
Gaius: Claw! do we have daggers around here
Claw: you have chests full of weapons
Gaius: any ideas for what aya should carry?
Claw: well there is a dragon clan dagger in the third chest on your left that straps on as a boot knife
Gaius: yeah that's good any other ideas?
Claw: you have a few sets of elven short swords (think Legolas's blades from LotR) in the 6th chest on the right
Gaius: yeah a pair of those would be perfect and there's a sheath for them on Marle's quiver!
Claw: and for protection...
Gaius: yeah Marle's Mythril Chain Mail
Claw: and that set of elven hard leather Greaves and Bracers (shin and fore-arm armor respectively)
Gaius: your a genius!

*5 minutes of frantic rushing about later*

Gaius: is this everything?
Malus: *huff* it should be, the spell is set as soon as she puts the clothes on they'll fit perfectly
*Gaius bundles all the gear in a leather cloak made for elven archers (means there's a place for access to bow, quiver and short swords with out removing vloak) pins a letter to it explaining how to put everything on and where it goes, not to mention what the heck it all is and rips a whole in the fabric of space*
Gaius: on the count of three?
Malus: one, two
Both: three!
*they heave the gear through the portal, also they drop a letter through for rhizod*
*both take a seat*
Gaius: I think we're getting old
Malus: about damn time
*they both crack up laughing*

Text of the Letter to rhizod which is in the language of her people and unreadable by the rest of the party:
Rhiz the bow and short swords that aya is now in possesion of are of elven make and belong to her mother, this means that by weilding them she inherits the skills at them possesd by the entire maternal line, she will grow proficent at them in her own right at an astonishing rate days likely, instead of the traditional years so school her when nessecary, but she shouldn't need much help, Her maternal line is famous for it's female warriors and sorcerresses so she should be extremely powerful.

For the rest of the party:

Will Be along shortly, stay in the village of elves until our arival

-Gaius, Malus and Claw </