Around Faerun in 80 Days

[Kyrvias]

"...And don't call me shirley."

Ah man, that had me cracking up. Great job!

[Lord Michael]

You are a talented writer, Illumina. Ever been published?

In my mind, Esmerelda looks like Jenna Jameson. [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Illumina Drathiran'ar]

Well, I regularly edit and occasionally write for my school newspaper, and not only do I have some book ideas floating around, I'm actually working on a book with my mother... Our ultimate goal is to be invited on both Letterman and The Daily Show.

As for Gorion's Angels... That gives me an idea for another party. I'm thinking a party of three. One will be a thief/mage played by Imoen, one will be a cleric played by Cameron Diaz, and one will be a berserker played by Kelly the drag queen. Go to YouTube and type in "Kelly likes shoes" if you don't know who I'm talking about (beware of Adult Language).

You're free to picture Esmerelda any way you like, but I kind of thought she'd have red hair. I also thought Sandra would have red hair. It's hard to put the characters into the context of actresses... Bebe Neuwrith was obviously an inspiration for Lilith, and I sometimes imagine Lena Olin playing Raven in terms of presence and physique. Uma Thurman might have played Mara, but I'm extremely dissatisfied with the way she's conducted herself for the past five years (except for The Producers, which is fine except for the fact that she CAN'T SING). Other than that, I'm drawing from myself or people in my own life.

The portraits I'm using for the characters the BG portraits of the following characters:

Mara- Generic Female With Sword
Esmerelda- Imoen
Lilith- Skie
Sandra- Alora
Raven- Faldorn

[Armen]

Originally posted by Illumina Drathiran'ar: As for Gorion's Angels... That gives me an idea for another party. I'm thinking a party of three.

ooh spooky - i have a mental note for something similar - multiplayer party of three kick-ass chicks i the charlie's angels mould - i was thinking cavalier, swashie->mage & kensai->druid though

i'm liking the story by the way - i get the idea that they're not all going to make the boat trip yes?

[Lord Michael]

Jammin'! Hey, I want "artistic" acknowledgement for "Gorion's Angels"..... [img]smile.gif[/img]

Illumina, keep it up (all of your goals & projects). You definitely bring your characters to life. That, in & of itself is difficult at best, yet you seem to have the ability innate. Writing is a skill as well as a talent, so keep doing it & I'll see you on TV.

And by the way, Jenna Jameson looks hot even in red hair (hope my wife doesn't see this!). Funny how characters take shape & evolve as you go. That's alot of the fun of writing. Attitude & expression says it all. The avatars are appreciated as well. Thanks.

When is the next update? [img]smile.gif[/img] [img]smile.gif[/img]

Cheers

[ 12-01-2006, 05:00 AM: Message edited by: Lord Michael ]

[Illumina Drathiran'ar]

Lilith stared intently at the item on the table before her. She had gotten herself the most expensive room at the most expensive inn in the city, the Mithrest Inn. The room was lit only by a solitary candle and the golden aura of the item before her. She picked up the item and put it directly in her pack, then took it out and put it directly on the ground. She picked up the room and tossed it onto the bed, the way one might toss an item to a party member. She stood, walked to the bed, picked up the item, and held it in her hand. Suddenly, with a curse, she dropped it, bright-red blood now staining the immaculate silk duvet. In a fluid movement now far too familiar to her, she grabbed the Potion of Healing from the bedside stand, uncorked it with her teeth, and dribbled a bit onto her bleeding palm. With a fizz, the wound healed itself, and the pain subsided. She replaced the potion on the bed and stared at the item on the floor. She picked up the item with the distinct intent to put it back on the table and held it gingerly as she rushed to the table. She quickly and carefully laid it on the table. She again sat and pondered this new conundrum.

The glowing item on the table, Daystar, would make her crusade, the extermination of undead creatures, much easier. She just couldn't figure out how to wield it. She rubbed her eyes wearily. She was an elf! Everyone knows that elves are instructed in the use of the longsword and bow, yet she couldn't for the life of her pick this thing up and use it, even in an unskilled fashion. She of course knew that it also had the power to cast Sunray... To her knowledge, only clerics could cast that. Even if she decided to worship a sun-based god like Corellon Larethain or even the human god Lathander, she mused, she doubted the god would bestow even this one stupid stinking spell on even his most devoted non-cleric follower.

Clearing her mind, she began a loud, impassioned prayer to Corellon Larethian, Father of the Elves. She implored him to allow her to wield this blade, this longsword, which was her birthright as an elf. She implored him to allow her the gift of Sunray, if only through the power of this item, to destroy the undead abominations she knew he found deplorable.

Ending the prayer, she again stared at the item. She could hold it just long enough to put it in her pack, but why couldn't a woman with an Intelligence score of 18 figure out which end to hold during battle? She reached for the sword again with intent to wield it, and her hand ended up grabbing the blade. Letting it go before it cut her yet again, she picked it up to put it in her pack. At the last minute, she held it above the pack and stood there, the sword dangling. Then it fell on her foot. More splashes with the Potion of Healing, and, in frustration, she chucked the sword angrily across the room.
Slowly, a smile spread across her face. She reached into her pack, flipped through her scroll case, and found the item in her inventory that nauseated her above any other. Reading the arcane words with a slight retch, the scroll vanished as two skeletons rose from the carpet to meet her. Even a brilliant mage like Lilith never quite understood how skeletons could rise from the carpet of a second-floor inn, but she didn't have time to ponder the matter. She ran across the room, grabbed the sword, put it in her pack, then took it out and threw it at a skeleton. Though she was sure her aim was true, it veered off and instead destroyed a very expensive vase.

"Is everything all right in there, miss?" Now the innkeep was knocking on her door.
"Yes, everything's fine. Leave now, please. I am.. entertaining."
"I hear the sounds of a struggle."
"Yes, I am entertaining... rather rough company."
"Very good, miss."

Lilith had approached the sword again, knelt, and held her hand an inch over it. The skeletons were trying to hit her but instead hit the stoneskins and mirror images she had conjured without effort. She spoke the invocation that served as the activation phrase for the item's Sunray ability. Nothing. Nothing! She couldn't believe it!
***
Across town, Esmerelda couldn't believe it, either. She was under the distinct impression that all magical items, regardless of how enchanted they were, all had the ability to magically conform themselves to the wearer. That's how magical rings worked. But try as she might, she couldn't squeeze her head into the Helm of Glory. Putting it down with a sigh, she dejectedly stared into the mirror. Was her head really that big?
***
As she dispatched the skeletons with Magic Missiles, Mara reflected again on again on how absurd her world was, where mages could use daggers but nothing longer, and even spells through magical items were useless in the hands of a sorceress.

[Edit- typo and Esmerelda vignette]

[ 12-01-2006, 07:17 PM: Message edited by: Illumina Drathiran'ar ]

[Lord Michael]

[img]smile.gif[/img] Thanks!
Considering multi-classing? The frustration of not being able to wield "real" weapons sucks for mages. Do I see a Mage/Fighter in the mix? Raven seems to be only one able to pull it off!
Great story. Thanks again.

[Illumina Drathiran'ar]

Well, they're all sorceresses, so I can't multiclass. It's part of the challenge for me... And the frustration. I've definately had to back off from a few fights- Liches and rakshasa come to mind. Raven actually picked up Tenser's Transformation so we could take out some of those nasty nasty "Immune to such and such" creatures without waiting for Horrid Wilting and other such spells. Oh well.

[Illumina Drathiran'ar]

Oh... I forgot to mention the depth of Esmerelda's frustration with the Helm of Glory. She was extremely vexed- after all, she had read stories of Fire Giants wearing suits of unenchanted plate mail that somehow also fit on halflings, but a stupid helmet given to her to show a god's gratitude didn't fit. Oh well.

[Lord Michael]

Absolutely.