Please note the small updates to several sections of our library. We hope you enjoy the reading!

-Keeper Rapha

Tomes
Naggresh da Hero

Quests
Nights of the Dead '09
Return of the Light
In Honor and Service
Attack on the Crown (Qeynos and Freeport)

The days are full of excitement and mystery, as recently the Athenaeum was visited by a familiar Ayr'Dal rogue clad in dark armor. He brought with him tales of the Ulteran Spires and how they've hummed to life creating a network of travel across Norrath, and a tale of betrayal as the Dethknell citadel has fallen and Freeport riots in chaos.

He brought with him a tome, with strange etchings of Erudite origin, he said little of the origin of this tome or the etchings within other then it was given to him by a Teir'Dal with a habit of loving all things Dark elven. 

He had little time to stay and left almost as quick as he appeared, leaving behind the etchings and drawings of this place he had traveled to. One would think we'd recognize the city of Erudite Heretics more easily, but the sky wasn't often where we pictured Paineel, floating in Norrath's clouds. So strange were these etchings and his tales that the keepers of the Athenaeum will need to study them more.

Time does not pass here like it does in the worlds we study, but the passing of those times is noted by us. Though the purpose is the same, the faces of our patrons change. Patrons move on through the cycle of life in their world but there is also someone new to take up their place in the quest for knowledge. We have seen several storytellers and historians from Norrath pass from time and visit us no longer, but a new face has emerged to begin his trek through our corridors to teach us what he knows of the events that unfold in the lands of Norrath. My first encounter with this character was not like anyone I had met before. Yes, I have met many of his stout kind before but there was something charmingly different about this robust man. I heard him before I ever saw him. He was (much too) loudly telling tales of the lands of Kunark to our guests. With a large ale in one hand and a twinkle in his eye, he gave a knightly bow when catching my eye. With a prayer he would not splash his ale upon our treasures as he gestured widely with his hands as most dwarves do when telling a tale, I asked him if he might join me for a chat. Once promising his listeners to return to finish, he agreed to meet and followed me to more comfortable seating within the plush settings reserved for our more honored guests. The fine dwarf introduced himself as Cronyn and thus began my encounter with a dwarf. I have transcribed some of the conversation and hope you enjoy getting to know this teller of tales as much as I have.

1) Some of our patrons at the Athenaeum are just now becoming familiar with your name, Cronyn. Please tell us a little bit about yourself; what would you really like the Lore Seekers to know about you?

Aye, sure thing! I've long be fascinated with the history of Norrath, since my great uncle, who lived in the Age of Turmoil, spun stories of his adventures to our family. Those stories have been passed down to me, and it started an interest with all of the history of Norrath, which I have found is deep and full of even more secrets than I could have ever imagined. I hope to tell some of these tales to others, so that they too can experience the wonder of Norrath's past, present, and it's future, and maybe get a sense of how incredible of a place this really is.



2) We've been told that you have become the keeper of the infamous Dusty Old Tome of Norrath. With the Tome changing hands, will the course of Norrath's Destiny now shift, or do the writings in the Tome still guide Norrath's path?

I should hope that the destiny and stories of Norrath remain true to what has been written within the Dusty Tome of Norrath, and I certainly use those past writings to help tell the new tales of our world. I feel it is important to tell new stories, certainly, but also provide much of the true history of Norrath that many adventurers have come to know and love through their journeys.



3) Are there others working closely with you to study the Tome and help shape the world through its lore?

Aye! Norrath's history is largely a collaborative effort, with other storytellers contributing and building on the lore of the world as well. It is simply my duty to ensure that these pieces fit together when presented to the adventurers of Norrath. Many of the best tales of Norrath come not from me, but from working together with others to create the stories we tell.



4) Who are some of your favorite characters and what are some of your favorite stories in Norrath's History?

I am greatly fascinated with the history of Kunark. The rich history there is so deep and involved, with interwoven stories of family and political intrigue, plus the impact that Kunark's history had on the rest of Norrath - it truly is fascinating.



5) There are some new places the Norrathians will be exploring soon, The Shard of Love and Miragul's Planar Shard. What are some mysteries that will be learned about from these areas?

Ah, now that would be telling. The good news is that those areas have recently been discovered by adventurers, so hopefully they are now beginning to discover what secrets are held there.



6) Are there any lore teasers (past or present) that you would like to share with us?

I do! However, rather than just tell them here, I am working now on making more hints along these lines within Norrath itself, so that adventurers who are interested in the lore can find these tidbits as they journey through the world. I want to tell more pieces of the lore, and hope adventurers enjoy what it is I can provide them.



7) Oh and one more thing. We deal with many different realms and dimensions here in our world. There is a creature in yours that appears to resemble a creature in another realm as well. One of our dearest visitors wants to know if there is a connection between the two. Is Norrath's Behemoth the same as Earth's Goszilla? ;)

Ah, I have heard that name before myself, and it sends shivers down my spine! I actually would like to touch on the existence of the Behemoths again someday, should the path of Norrath's history take us there. I feel like the lore and stories of these gigantic creatures is something I would very, very much enjoy doing. ;-)

Greetings to all Norrathian Scholars!

We have made quite a few additions lately that I thought you would want to be made aware. We have been working with several citizens of Norrath who frequent our library for studies. Please feel free to meander through the library and find our newest section of Epic Tales which includes quite a few tomes and notes received during an adventurer's epic quest for a weapon of great reknown.

Tomes
History of the Fae (finished missing pages)
From Daughter to Father
Assistant Researcher's Notes, Vol. 1. Halls of Erudin
Assistant Researcher's Notes, Vol. 2. The High Council of Erudin
The Journal of Yasva V'Alear
Xass's Notebook
History of the Hand
The Tale of Alexander Simond
The Tragic Tale of Slezaf
The Journal of Samantha Rageshree
The Journal of Ubdub of the Reet
The Maiden of the Masks
A Dilapitated Journal
Royal Scroll
well-worn log book
The Archives of Sebilis
The Forbidden Pages

Sincerly,
Keeper Rapha

Rapha quietly enters the Norrathian wing and begins to set up a simple display. The display consists of a simple pedestal draped in a deep purple cloth made of the finest velvet. In the background is a single lamp shining brightly on the items Rapha places on the pedestal. The two items appear to be fragments of a larger item. The light shines on them as Rapha steps away to write a memo..

To: All Students of Norrathian Lore
From: Keeper Rapha

Beings from many different realms of various worlds come to visit our vast library. On the rarest of occasions, one of those visitors will bring us an artifact of great value from their world. One such visitor came to us from the Norrathian realms and brought us a fragment of a tablet from their ages past. We have the extreme honor of exhibiting these fragments for you to study. We hope you enjoy the challenge this piece of lore brings to us!

~ The Athenaeum Keepers

To: My Fellow Norrathian Lore Scholars
From: Keeper Rapha

I wanted to make you aware of some recent additions to our library. We have come across some more documents pertaining to the world of Norrath. Please seek these out and enjoy.

Dialogue:
Obelisk of Ahkzul
The Book of Sunder

Tomes:
The Cleft Dweller
Miragul's Earliest Journal
A History of Veksar
Special edit on Ardathium Vol. I-VI

Website:
Finished The Shadow Odyssey Tales

Patrons~

Many adventurers of varying realms find their way to the great halls of the Athenaeum. One such trodder on the lands of Norrath came to us with a tale of a grand adventure. Here are the words of Rezikai, a seeker of lore, and his quest for knowledge that took him to the lands of the dragons.

~Keeper Rapha

A Rogue's Tale
as told by Rezikai on a recent visit to the Athenaeum

My tale begins in Neriak, in the shadows of the Maiden's Fancy. As I sat in observation of the babble around me, I began to hear whisperings of a great mystery found in the recently rediscovered lands of the iksar and their once ancient Shissar masters. There were grave words such as "doomsday" and "destruction" as well as "Age's End" being whispered amoung only the most skilled adventure seekers. Though they tried to keep their tales in secret, my keen hearing heard every word.

I became greatly intrigued by the stories I heard and began frequenting other taverns and cities in hopes of gaining more knowledge about the lands of Kunark and the ancient secrets they held. From the taverns of Gorowyn I heard tales from adventuring Sarnak about a stone calendar of sorts found in one of their ancient cities of Chelsith.

In the light-hearted pub of Kelethin, I heard the travelers tell of a chamber where this "Chelsith Stone" was kept by the Shissar. They told of a great circle that was surrounded by smaller circles a short ways out from the center. As someone would approach one of these smaller circles, a rune looking to possibly be of planar origin would begin to glow and fade away as the adventurer would move away.

In the establishments of Qeynos I heard stories of a symbol similar to that of the one found in Chelsith yet with a twist that peakedmy interest. Two brave knights of Marr were telling about their decade long quest to find the planar swords of Soulfire and the Qeynos Claymore. Each man was given a replica of the swords for their dedication to the human city. However this was not the greatest part of their tale. These men had recently returned from a quest that took them deep into the Void to the Palace of the Ancient One, the Creator of Undeath Anashti Sul. In this palace the found two statues they had come across in previous journies. They were Maidens of Theer, and as each man approached one, they felt and heard a small humming vibration at their sides. Just as they figured out the strange sound was coming from each of their swords, an image appeared all around them. This image was not unlike the Chelsith Stone but was more complete. Though they couldn't explain why, the two men were convinced the symbols were coming out of the swords thmselves.

All these tales were of great interest to me. They all seemed like pieces of a puzzle needed to be put together to solve an ancient riddle of great importance. The most interesting tale I heard came from a robust dwarf I met in the Seafarer's Roost on the east end of Freeport. As a lover of a good brew from any psrt of Norrath (and beyond for that matter), he had noticed me in some of the other establishments and picked up on my interest in the tales of ancient planar mystery. He called me over and said he knew of something that may help me on my quest. He told me about his latest adventure into the heart of the dragons.

He told me of a great room the dragons call The Athenaeum of Scale. In this massive room were hanging great tablets of stone. There were sixteen of these tablets, or monoliths, arranged in a great circle and upon each one were twenty-eight symbols of unknown origin. On the floor was a circle containing sixteen more symbols, and each seemed to coorespond with one of the massive monoliths. As he was studying the symbols on the floor, the old dwarf heard a faint humming noise. He looked up and saw runes glowing on four of the monoliths. he remembered seeing these runes in other places that his adventuring had taken him.

The first of these runes looked like two bones crossing each other to form an "X" which is known to be associated with the massacre of the Shissar by Greenmist. With three monoliths inbetween came the second of these glowing runed tablets. This was s piral rune he had also come across in the throne room in Old Felwithe and knew to be called the Rune of Sunder which was associated with the destruction of our grand moon Luclin. The last two symbols he had seen before but didn't know any more details then whee they could be found. The third rune was a crescent shape atop a triangle. Though he had seen this symbol and variences of it all over Odus, he didn't believe this to be the origin of the symbol. When describing the fourth and final glowing rune, the old dwarf had a slight far off look in his eye. The symbol was that of one found in many places that his beloved Rallos Zek was worshipped.

I thanked the dwarf warrior for his information and began to take my leave. The dwarf grabbed my arm and held me with his gaze. He said the most important part of the story had not been shared yet. The stones had begun to invade his dreams at night. In them he is once again standing in the chamber at the center of the circled monoliths. Every time, just before he awakes in a frenzied sweat, he hears a deep voice call the name of "Theer." With the words, "Look to the Ring of Scale for the Monoliths of Theer," the dwarf dismissed me as he once again savered his ale.

*Rapha furiously works to transcribe information into the Athenaeum tomes as the information brought to her from Norrath piles up around her*

Tomes Transcribed and Ready for Viewing

a yellowed message
Wisdom of the Flock
The Twin Dragons
Notes on the Survival Accord, by Mug
Handbook of the Dark Bargainers
A Mysterious Black Tome
Order Book: Blackshield Destroyer Saltspew
The Lore and Fauna: The Behemoth
Shepherd of the Celestial Watch (Updated)
A Gnollish Book
Del Varun's Notes
Order Book: Blackshield Landing Party
a goblin's notebook - History of the Condemened Catacomb
Seeress Ealaynya Ithis's Prophecies - Book Three
The Least of Brell's Creatures
a Multiplicitome

Our archivists have uncovered a rare Norrathian artifact. The Ethernauts were a group of adventurers who lived during The Lost Age of Norrath. Little to nothing about them survived the Ages. Following is an excerpt from a journal recently discovered by us and brought to those students of Norrathian lore. We hope you enjoy learning more about the Ethernauts.


From the journal of Nathaniel Andrius, a Norrathian explorer during the Lost Age.

My exploring has taken me across many lands and allowed me to see many sites known to few mortals. Nothing has ever or will ever compare to the vision my eyes beheld one late night.

The night sky was clear but the darkness of the land was overwhelming at times. The moon and stars shown brightly but the shadows cast were eerie, and a chill ran through my spine as I passed the darkest ones. Feeling anxious to find a good spot to camp for the night, I quickened my pace. Soon after, I caught a glimpse of a campfire ahead and adjusted my course accordingly. As I approached, I became more and more perplexed at the beings I saw around the fire. I tried to approach quietly but knew my presence had been revealed when I felt the cold blade of an axe at my back and heard a gruff voice command me to halt. I stopped immediately and allowed my captor to escort me into the light of the campfire where eight sets of eyes instantly turned to view me.

As I stared back at each of them, I realized just how diverse and unlikely this group really was. A man tall like a Barbarian but with less of a wild look in his eyes stood. He ordered my captor (whom he called Kaltuk) to release me and offered me a seat within the warmth of the fire. Kaltuk, a dwarf, hesitated for just a moment before releasing me and giving a quick bow. He turned and quietly slipped back to his scouting position on the perimeter of the camp. Some of the group engaged me in conversation asking me questions about myself while others looked at me suspiciously not knowing if I was to be trusted but were soon deep in the discussions as well.

Thus began my first encounter with a group of ten adventurers who became known as the Ethernauts. Although only a rathed man would have ever considered bringing this group together, somehow here they were, individuals working as one against one of the greatest evils to ever come upon Norrath. That night, around the glowing firelight, the discussion covered a wide range of topics. At times it was light hearted and fun while other times it was emotional and frightening. We talked about hopes and dreams, childhoods, fears, and everything in-between. I was one of the lucky ones who got to know a bit about the actual hearts and souls of the Ethernauts. I pen these words of our talk that night in hopes that future generations will one day know the hearts of the ten individuals whose acts wrote one of the most important chapters in Norrath’s History, individuals who were not particularly special in and of themselves but who put aside their differences to change the world.

(What follows is what is left of Nathaniel's conversation with the Ethernauts. The tale was passed from generation to generation of the Andrius family who held fast to the validity of the Ethernauts and their deeds even when other writings of them became all but extinct and their memories lost by all but a small few on Norrath.)

Though the talks were long and many more answers and tales told, I was not able to pen them all. What follows are just some of the topics we discussed and the answers given by several of the companions from that night. I wish I had had time to write every word spoken, but may these words remind of of who the Ethernauts were...normal adventurers led on an extraordinary adventure.



Greatest Fear -
Illisia :
That we will fail, and that Norrath will be swallowed by the Void. If you were in our position, would you have time to be afraid of anything else?

Bayle :
My greatest fear, hmm... I never want what happened to Oceangreen to happen again. I don't want anyone to die because I've done something foolish. I was selfish. I wanted them to see what I had done, and I didn't stop to think about it. I was warned, and even that didn't stop me. I'm afraid of that part of me, and that it will rule over me in another key moment and more people I care about will die.

Professor :
Squirrels. Yes, I find those skittering little things to be completely terrifying, always have, ever since I was a boy. In fact, I never lay out a tool when I'm working on something just to make sure those little tricksters don't make off with it. You won't catch old Professor A.M. picnicking in a woody glade, no, it's far too tempting for them.

Hopes and Dreams -

Kaltuk :
Hmph! This is probably a better question for the young and dopey eyed! But if I really need to answer, I guess I can't say I'm not looking forward one day to being able to settle back down, maybe partner up with Nurgg to pool our coins and start a smithy. I've done a bit of that in my time, but Nurgg's a true master. This adventuring is for the younger and more pliable types. I'm only here to make sure they don't do anything foolish, and that the world doesn't get eaten up by the Void too, I suppose. You know, there's always that. Hah! But truthfully, some pick this life because it's what they want, and some just take it because it's what was given. I'll let you guess which one I am.

Nurgg :
Ogres don't use those words. Most would not understand what you ask. If you ask us, what do we want... well, if we are hungry, we say food. If we are thirsty, we say water. If we want to bear children, we say a mate. You understand? Ogres dream of only one thing, to fight. But I never dreamed of fighting, so I never dreamed. I fought, and I fought good, but I didn't "hope" for it.

Since they were taken from me, I have dreamed of my mate. And my young ones. But they will never be in this world again. They were taken from me, and I can only wait to be with them.

Twiddy :
Well, fine fellow, the answer lies before you! All I've ever dreamed about is building a flying boat, and there you see her, my Cloudskipper. Isn't she a 'beaut? They said it couldn't be done, but I knew it was my destiny. When my first ship, the Mudskipper, went down, I almost lost the dream, but an odd little friend picked me back up again and reminded me how important it was that I not give up.

Favorite Childhood Memory -

Kruzz :
Found a dead thing one time. A dead baby gator. Dug out hole in ground and put water in hole and put dead baby gator in it. Then put in leaves and grass in hole. Thought it looked mighty good to eat. Ate it all up. Tasted so good, so sweet. Knew I wanted to be cook then. Made many other things into stew as kid, all tasty, not as tasty as dead baby gator. No one appreciate good dead baby gator anymore.

Professor :
My pap was a traveling tinker. One B.W. Fiddlewiz. It was only pap and I for as long as this gnome can remember, so when I was just a little cog, I rode on top of my pap's giant tinkering bag. It's not just one memory, so maybe that's not what you're after, but there's been nothing in my life that puts more of a smile on my face than remembering riding along atop pap's tinkering bag, smile on my face and apple in my hand, heading down the dusty rode to the next town.

Bayle :
In our clan, we had a tradition of hunting for the hilts to match our blades. The first of these hunts was particularly important. We are young, then, so it's really our fathers who do the killing, but sometimes one or the other of us get lucky and we manage to be the one to deal the blow. For me, it ended up being the antler of a very fine stag. My father and I hunted the stag, pursuing it for miles. I wanted to ask to turn back, but I didn't. I wanted to make him proud. We ended up being gone for two days, tracking it all over the hills. And about midday of the second day, we found him, stopping to drink. My father gestured for me to throw my spear, and I did, and it struck true. It was all luck, but I did it. My father was so proud.

Person Most Loved in Life -

Illisia :
It took me a long time to learn about love. I suppose I did love my parents, but they were hard, and cold, and affection wasn't something we gave away for nothing in our family. Love was never something I thought about, or dreamed about. I was a hunter, and that's what I did, that was my life's purpose. When I was sent to find Erasmus and Unna, I was scornful of them. Their choice seemed foolish and dishonorable. But then, something changed. Erollisi touched me as I touched her relic, and showed me what it was they were feeling, and how the world had been pushed forward by people feeling those things for so long.

I am still learning about it, but I am being taught, and I have a very good teacher.

Eylee :
Well, I suppose I've loved a lot of people. My family was large, and my community tight knit, and I'd even say I love all of these guys after all we've been through together. If I had to pick one person who had touched me the most, though, I would say that my grandmother was always very dear to me. She was the one who taught me about art, music, poetry, and she always told the best stories. It was sitting on her knee with the firelight dancing on her face and the gentle rhythms of the leaves in the trees somehow adding cadence to her voice that really made me begin to believe in the power of stories. Most of our community was dedicated to nature and to caring for the forest, but I was never good at it... my head was always off in one of my grandmother's stories, and then eventually, my own. And well, that's what I've dedicated my life to doing. It's what I left for. It's how I got caught up in this very strange -- sometimes terrible and sometimes wonderful -- journey.

Asharae :
Hmm, I think you have me mistaken for one of the saps on the other side of the fire with this question.

Most Embarrassing Moment -

Nurgg :
Hummph. Kaltuk likes to play tricks. He thinks he is very clever. I say I will not fall for them, but I do. One time, he said there was something to see in the bush. I went in, but there was nothing to see. There was just a patch of deep mud. I sunk to my waist and had to pull myself out. He was pummeled good for it, but I was the one covered in mud.

Professor :
Well then, there was this time when I was fixing the boiler up top and oh my did I get distracted by a thought about how I might make the injector work more efficiently and don't you know it I managed to trip and get covered head to toe in soot. I came tumbling out on deck and everyone was standing around discussing something very serious, so they all looked terrified by the sight of me. Once they realized it was just old Professor A.M., they had a good laugh, but I was right colorful after that one.

Roadyle :
Embarrassment is for those who fail at what they set out to accomplish. I don't fail.

Deepest Regret -

Kaltuk :
I'm too old for regret. If I stopped now to start regretting, I'd probably never move again. Just be caught up thinking of every mistake I've made... every wrong turn I've taken. No, maybe when this is all over, and I have the luxury of sitting around under a blanket drinking ale and telling stories, I'll stop and regret. But there's no time for it. Not with the world at stake.

Kruzz :
Shouldn't be such a coward. Shouldn't let fears be so strong. Nasty, nasty awful fears! Out of me! Away! Shouldn't have gone to hide. Should have fought. Should have not let them kill trolls around me. Will not do that again. Not ever. Will make sure pretty elf girl and the rest of her friends never die! Not while Kruzz lives! Nyah!

Eylee :
I wish I'd explained why I left to my family, or even just told them. They would have stopped me, and they would have had every right to considering I can only barely call myself an adult now and couldn't then at all, so it probably was better that I didn't. But I regret not saying good-bye, and I wish they could know that it didn't have anything to do with them. I left because I knew there was a story somewhere that I had to tell, that I had to be a part of; and though I didn't realize at the time that my "intuitions" tend to be much more than that, the feeling was enough to drive me, and I had to listen to it.

I don't think I'm ever going to see them again, and it hurts me so much to think that they mourn for me.

Inspiration In Life -

Illisia :
I don't know, really. Now that you ask, and I think about it, I guess I've always done what was needed of me, what was asked of me. Maybe you could say it's a desire to serve, to be exactly what is needed, and to be the best in doing so. I can't think of what I would do with myself if no one told me what was coming next. You find that odd, don't you?

Maybe I should find out some day, what would happen if I considered no will but my own... We'll see.

Professor :
I live by my pap's example. It was always just the two of us, and I took from him everything I know about the way to live my life. B.W. was well respected in all he did, called on in whatever town he went on, and he knew more about, well, everything than any person I've ever met.

Twiddy :
Invention. Knowing that one spark in the brain can grow and expand and turn into something real and become a thing that changes the world. I know that more often than not, those sparks turn into nothing more than that -- ideas of a near fantastical nature -- but every now and then, one of those thoughts is just crazy enough to work, and when that happens, oh my, when that happens! Why, when that happens, there's nothing better. Nothing. I'd stake my mother's homemade pie on it.

Greatest Accomplishment -

Kaltuk :
Why, the founding of the Church of Ale! They don't sing songs about me for nothing, you know. Well, these days they may not sing at all, but I like to think that sometimes, now and then, in the ale halls of Kaladim, one or two brave folks might whistle the tune and remember what I taught them about appreciating life with a good drink in your mug.

Kruzz :
Making the elf girl my friend. No one ever wants to be Kruzz's friend. The elf girl was afraid of me. Afraid because I took her hair because she is lucky. Touched by the gods, she is! But then she became not afraid. She became my friend. I never had a friend.

Roadyle :
I... was accepted into training with a very prominent magus. Very prominent indeed. I studied with him for decades, and when I was done, he declared me the most capable pupil and most brilliant practitioner of magics he had ever met. So, obviously that, of course. I would like to see anyone else here be able to say something like that.

Happiest Moment In Life -

Bayle :
I don't want to embarrass anyone here, but there is one person who has helped me through all of this. Though I may not have known it at the time, the moment that we met has since lead to more happiness than, well, I think I deserve.

Nurgg :
My second young one was born dead. He came out silent, and the females began to wail. But I took him into my hands, and I shook him. I told him he must live. He must not be such a coward as to be afraid of life. He listened. He walked away from death and came to life. I was proud that my son was not a coward. That my son chose life.

Asharae :
Finding that cast off spellbook so many years ago... To anyone else, it might have just seemed a piece of trash, but to me, it was everything. It represented my ability to become something more than she wanted me to be, than they ever thought I could be. For once, I had power, maybe only a little but it was more than I had ever had.

And I felt free. It was foolish, because I wasn't. But it gave me what I needed to make that happen.

In a world full of divisions and hatred and battles among the races, knowing how this diverse group of people could work together amazed me. This is the one topic I took the time to write down each and every answer given.

Bayle :
We all have something to contribute. Even the troll does the cooking and, well, he has gotten better at it. I won't say good, but I don't want the job and neither does anyone else. Anyway, as I said, in order for us to succeed, we need many different talents, and those talents aren't going to come from people who all emerge from the same walks in life. We're different, but what is happening effects everyone on Norrath, and I like to think everyone in our group understands that and sees it as being more important than anything else.

Illisia :
It would be a foolish thing to deny an ally at such a critical moment as this for any reason, much less the petty differences of race. You should judge someone by their actions, and so far none have failed on that count.

Twiddy :
Well now, that's pretty big question. Fiddlewiz and I were more or less hired on to begin with. But why didn't we leave when the boat was shot with arrows for that first time? Or when we realized we'd be dragging around an ogre, a troll, and a Teir'dal? Well then, I suppose it's because we knew the problem these folks faced was bigger than any of that. Besides, destiny brought my boat to me, and I felt I was in no position to deny her when she asked me for more favors.

Professor Fiddlewiz :
I grew up around all kinds of people, going from place to place, so I learned never to turn down a free meal, or a place to say, or a word of free advice. So long as you do me a fair turn, I'll do one for you, and so far, they've yet to wrong me.

Asharae :
What makes you think we have? I wouldn't trust for one moment that everyone here doesn't have their own motives. We were all thrown together, and so we are working together, but may the gods strike me down for pure stupidity if I ever let Roadyle have a clear shot of my backside.

Kaluk :
For one reason or another, all of us have been turned out of our homes. That sort of thing makes you sit back and re-evaluate what it means to call someone a countryman, or even a brother for that matter. Is the brother the one you are born to? Or the one who watches your back? Or shares a ration when rations are low? We're brothers, and ah sisters, in arms here, and that's a mighty powerful bond.

Kruzz :
..I makes the food. They not let me die. This is what we do.

Roadyle :
I honestly do not know. This is the most ragtag group I have ever seen, much less worked with. But their cause is an important one. I think they all know that.

Nurgg :
Humph, I know better than to assume my friend is always my friend, and my enemy is always my enemy. I have had friends who became enemies, and enemies who became friends. If you fight by my side, I will fight beside yours.

Eylee :
I believe we were all intended to go on this journey, and though we might not all be the same in every respect, on some level, we are. We are all beings trying to live our lives and when something threatens us, we can recognize that and come together for the best of all. I truly believe that everyone has something inside of them that pushes them toward right, and it's just.. complications and sadness and anger that drive us away from it. But you nurture someone toward it and show them what is true, the rest of that can be overcome.


*OOC The beginning tale is fan fiction written by me, but the Ethernaut's answers were given by the wonderful "Miss Doomcookie" at SoE. She has written many great stories telling us about the Ethernauts. I knew she would be the perfect one to teach us more about the individuals who make up the Ethernauts. Much thanks to her, and I hope you enjoy the first (of hopefully many) "character" interviews.

To: Norrathian Scholars
From: Seeker Rapha

I wanted to inform you of the large collection of Norrathian lore that we have recently obtained. Many tomes and a few dialogues have been cataloged and added to our collection. Enjoy delving deeper into the world of Norrath!

Titles Included

(Tomes)
Fire and Ice Creature Catalog
The Minions of the Mighty Creature Catalog
Welcome to Haven
A Goblin's Notebook - The Hideout
The Merchant's Deal
Handbook of the Coalition of Tradesfolk
Trinni's Adventures Abroad
1st Lieutenant Danarg 313 AS
1st Lieutenant Danarg 315 AS
A Sojourn of Faith
Alliz Onu
The Trainer
Travels into a Remote Corner of Faydark
Why the Grump Hated Frostfell
A Frostfell Carol
The Legend of Puab Cloak: The Beginning
The Legend of Puab Closk: The End
Excerpts from the Journal of Puab Closk
Aversion

(Dialogue)
Antiquitor Kantus Mor'Tael
A Vision of Vhalen
Crow's Nest