Scenery of the Isle

This is a random collection of the landscape and buildings of Arran. If you have pictures you would like added, please give them to me either in world (notices cap regularly) or via email shilomeister @ gmail . com For convenient viewing, new photos will be placed at the top of this post.

As always, click on picture for a larger view.

 

 

2k and Saia gave us a wonderful land to play in. Their guidelines were simple and they only placed those few restrictions upon the role players that they felt necessary. The ability for any of us to rez objects for role play and not have them returned to us a minute later seems to be rare among the role play lands. 

They have been encouraging, supportive and patient. Know that you have my My heartfelt thanks, and I am certain others feel as I do.

Dragons Death

Ancient One looks to the stars, hearing the call of his Brothers, who after many years of looking down on him have decided its time for him to join them in the sky.

Taking his final trip to his caves he looks down at the land beneath his wings, knowing there are some he will miss and some who will miss him as he lands ever so gently at the cave entrance before walking inside.

Waiting on his mate to arrive as he knows she will have felt the calling, he makes space next to their hoard for them both to lay next to each other.

Watching his beautiful mate walk inside to join him, her radiance filling the cave, he waits for her to lay beside him, no words needed as they lay down close to each other, their eyes meeting in one last smile.

As has happened in the past and will happen in the future, the Dragons closed their eyes as their mortal bodies faded to dust and their spirits rose together to the heavens to watch down on their friends forever

The Spider Wrap

Ivarru: greetings cassandra
Casandra turns from viewing the harbor, totally relaxed, and sees the huge black spider right behind her!!! "EACCKKUUUIII!!!!"
Casandra jumps back
Ivarru: cassandra what is wrong?
Casandra takes to wing and stammers "why, whay aree you tormenting me?? what have I ..I done to you?? Leave me alone"
Ivarru: what do you speak of it is me Ivarru, I have never tormented you
Casandra shields her face with her hands, thinking "what do you mean. You can't be my friend"
Ivarru: it is me, Its ivarru. little pea has down this to you, she has made you forget

Casandra shakes and from a safe distance says "Pea is my friend, Pea would never do anything like this. "
SweetPea (Emyly Beaumont) says 'merry meet lady Cas'
SweetPea looks at Ivarru and then looks at Lady Cas "what wouldn't I do?'
Ivarru: tell her what you have done?  you some how made her forget who I am
Casandra focuses solely on Pea "you would never do anything to me. This monstrous spider says he is my friend Ivarru"
Ivarru: she tell her i am ivarru
Casandra retreats further

SweetPea drops to the ground and looks at Cas sheepishly "this spider is Ivarru'
Swith the Scop (Cyneswith Luik) looks vaguely out of the window and hiccups, mumbling: Faefolk..
Ivarru: i am not a spider. A demon yes, but not a spider
SweetPea giggles "you look like a spider to lady cas'
Casandra flees to the tavern porch thinking it's too big to fit there
SweetPea says with her hands on her hips "and there is nothing you can do about it'
SweetPea takes a big step backwards
Ivarru: release this spell from her. you will do it if your queen commands you
SweetPea shakes her head "uh uh'
Ivarru: she has said it herself. i am ivarru. You are her queen order her to undo her spell
SweetPea says 'you can't tell the lady cas what to do." giggles "she won;t listen to you. you are a spider'
Ivarru: but she can tell you what to do
Casandra quakes, wings a tremble "back up, get away from me, move back, I can't think straight"
SweetPea says "she can try to tell me what to do, but i don't have to do it. she is all too trusting. and you are not one to be trusted'

Ivarru: pea if i must kill you to break the spell i will
Swith the Scop (Cyneswith Luik) blinks and hides under the table, expecting magic.

SweetPea thinks about this 'but then you will show how evil you are to the Queen. do you wnat to do that?'

Casandra hides her face, moves out away from the building, shaking "back away, back I tell you!"

SweetPea flies up to stand by her friend and says "I am here Cas"
Casandra reaches out and grips Pea's hand HARD
Casandra: with a little distance between them, she ponders "what would my friend know that a stupid spider would not"
SweetPea whispers to Lady Cas 'this is a creature not to be trusted, whatever its form'
Ivarru: you are the one not to be trusted
Casandra then says "alright monster, if you are really Ivarru. We have talked of my background. Where did I hail from before I came to this land?"
Swith the Scop slurs in a mumble: 'ow's about the other way 'round.... see if 'e can pull a web out of 'is bum...
Ivarru: i do not hex my friends
Casandra holds Pea's hand tightly waiting, waiting
SweetPea waits with baited breath
Ivarru: why of course you're from .....Aglarond
Casandra eyes brighten, lifting to the spider for the first time with less than abject fear
Casandra what did I say of that kingdom?

Ivarru: the kingdom fell because of her queen
Casandra lets out the breath she didn't realize she held "it is you! You are Ivarru!!"
SweetPea sees from her friend's face that she is beginning to see the truth behind the glamour
Ivarru: yes it is me. no spider could possible know that information
SweetPea tries to pull away from Cas' tight grip
SweetPea says "everyone knows that Lady Cas. It is no secret'
Casandra turns then to her attendant, continues to hold her hand and says sternly "SweetPea, tell me true. Did you do something to cause this?

Ivarru: your friends even allowed this trickery....and they call me evil
SweetPea lowers her eyes and rubs her foot in the dirt, well, I might have had something to do with it'
Casandra shakes her head "not everyone"
Ivarru: Linwe encouraged this
SweetPea defends the elven elder "Linwe had nothing to do with this. he lies, as he always does for his own purpose'
Casandra says "Pea what did you do?"
SweetPea sighs "I glamoured him so you would be frightened of him, as you should be'
Ivarru: you call me the liar yet your the one who did this trick
SweetPea says to the demon "I can not lie.'
SweetPea says 'fae do not lie'
Ivarru: a lie of tricks is still a lie
SweetPea shakes her head 'it is not a lie - the evil of a spider was there all along. it just needed a little encouragement from me'
Casandra shakes her head and looks disappointed in her friend "It is up to each of us how we view others, the opportunities we give them to treat us well or poorly. I chose to believe in goodness of everyone regardless of their race. You know that"
Casandra: Can you undo it?
SweetPea says "if I undo it, will you treat him with caution? do you see how he tried to blame linwe and called me a liar when everyone knows fae are incapable of lies?'
SweetPea says "I only brought out one of his natures, Cas. If it had not been there all along, i could not have made him resemble a spider'
Ivarru: i have never hurt your queen
Casandra says "that is simply one more thing not everyone knows. I will treat him as he deserves to be treated based upon how he treats me. And he has stood as a friend to me, just as you have. Others thought he was tricking me, and blamed him. Why would he not think someone else encouraged you?
SweetPea scowls at the demon "I am sure it would only be a matter of time til you got so into her good graces that she could see no wrong in anything you did.
Casandra looks at her "I want you to undo it Pea"
SweetPea says " I don;t think it is a good idea for you to keep on trusting him. he is playing with your better nature. Ivarru is taking advantage of you'
Ivarru: if i was going to do that don't you thin i would have by now
SweetPea peers over at the demon "I think you were waiting for just the right time to get her to do something evil '
Casandra says "you are entitled to make your own assessment of him, just as I am. However he has never done anything unworthy to me in any way and has given me good advice, with no requirements attached"
SweetPea says "you will never change Cas, but if he gets you into trouble, I won;t help you at all. this is the truth I am speaking now'
Casandra: I do not believe anyone can make me do anything evil without the aid of magic.
Casandra nods solemnly "I will remember your words"
SweetPea sighs and drops to the ground, shuts her eyes and says 'where spider is she sees a demon'
Casandra states with emphasis "Now"
SweetPea stamps her foot and opens her eyes
Ivarru smirks at pea
SweetPea spits at the demon
Ivarru: oh she behaves like a wild beast now
SweetPea says "Lady Cas says we are free to make our own decisions about others and I don;t trust you demon. If you ever hurt my Queen, I cannot help her, but I will make your life as miserable as I can. I promise you that.'
Ivarru: perhaps you will sprout horns
SweetPea scoffs "horns? why would i do that?'
Ivarru: because your an evil little fae. perhaps your becoming an unseelie
SweetPea says "I am not evil. I feel regret for what I did, sort of' she grins
SweetPea says "an unseelie would not have reversed the charm and would not have placed it to protect another'
Ivarru: you are headed down a dark path taking away the freedom of choice from your friends
SweetPea giggles "It is night here! of course the path is dark'
Ivarru: your attempt for humor does not undo what you have done
SweetPea says "I do not think you will harm me. that would show Lady Cas just exactly what you are' she grins
SweetPea reaches into the little pouch she always carries
SweetPea pulls out a handful of sweet smelling rose petals
SweetPea flies over the demon and drops them on him
Ivarru cast his hand in the air, causes the petal to swirl, faster and faster as they combine together to form a flower
Ivarru: here my dear cassandra hands cassandra the flower
SweetPea looks in horror at the demon as he hands Lady Cas a rose. 'you make me sick' she says as she flies off.
Casandra, the fae, reaches out and takes the flower from the hand of her friend, the demon. Lifts the rose and inhales the delightful aroma. "Thank you Pea, for undoing the glamour you thought would be of benefit to me. Thank you Ivarru, for your efforts to persuade her to do so, so that we could remain friends."

The End .......?

 Justine stands on the rock near the docks watching....using her power to withhold the storm that grows daily. The death of the isle is near as the waters rise, but her determination and fear wont let her give up. She has turned down offers from other ships, even that of Wulf, waiting for her father. The storms have slowed him...but he will surely come.

  Captain Dirk Moyet stands near the wheel of the Blackheart, cursing as the storms roll ahead, drawn towards the dying isle as if the isle itself draws them. He turns to the mate, rage on his face "Open the sails ta the max, ye seadogs, the winds will suck us inta the outer bands and give us the speed !!" The mate nods and gives the order, knowing his captain wont hear otherwise.

 Justine climbs to the top of the hills near the entry to the underdark. The last of the orcs comes down to her in a rage and she dispatches him in a brief fight. She watches the surge of water devour the town below and cries. She sees a ship near, and stands as the light of the lighthouse beckons. Her joy turns quickly to sorrow as the ship finds the submerged rocks and disappears into the raging waters.

  The Blackheart rushes ahead, its captain's mind on only one thing. He turns to the wheelman and others near, each face showing fear as the ship closes on the raging storms. The mate is the only one stupid enough to speak "Cap'n, we canna do it, the Silver Star already be lost and we canna see the Ransom! WE canna 'old course, Cap'n!!" Dirk Moyet grabs the mate's collar and raises a fist, then drops it and nods "Aye...ye be right....Twill do na good for me grandyounguns ta lose gramps and mum on the same night...close sails and drop anchor". He looks ahead to the tempest "I be sorry, me lassie...Ive ne'er failed ye till now."

  Justine climbs higher as the lighthouse collapses...she knows in her mind that there is no escape. Two ships have sunk in her sight and the third she expected to see hasn't appeared. She begins to sing the lullaby she sings to Errol and Meri, her mind seeing them playing happily, the last memories she has of them. She doesn't see two red dots behind her, coming closer...

  Zara'draak flies low, her great talons open wide. She roars in rage and snatches the druid below her as the girl turns and screams. The black dragon roars and flies higher, above the storms as the isle sinks below the sea below and behind them. As her powerful wings flap she snarls to her captive "Thisss is the lassst time you sssee me." Zara'draak dives, stopping just above a pirate ship anchored at sea and opens her talons...

  The crew of the Blackheart yells as a huge black dragon dives upon them, stopping just above. She drops a wet, unconscious girl onto the deck, behind the wheel and bellows "Hear thisss, lesssers!! Thisss act is done to repay an act done by the elven eldar of Arran. TELL NO ONE !!" The dragon flaps her great wings and disappears from view. Captain Moyet begins to cry as he picks up his unconcious daughter and carries her to his quarters. He looks at those gathered and says "Ye tell anyone I be sheddin' tears and I'll snap yer bones like dry twigs on a 'ot summer day."  None of them would ever say a word.

The Wedding

     Linwe managed to convince Swith that a walk to the forest would not be such a bad thing.      'Swith..do ye be willing to witness Jacen and I bonding to each other?'
     Swith looked around the forest, scratching at a flea, and then at the strange altar. "Do it involve magics?"

     Linwe chuckled. "The magic of love, mayhaps?"
 Swith  blinked, then twitched a little. Aye... well, aye, alright then..."
Linwe turned towards the altar and quickly cast a ward, just in case, and turned back to her friend. 'I will ask ye to tie the bind' Swith shrugged at this and replied "Aye, fair enough, miss"

     Hearing unelflike movement through the forest, Linwe's ears twitched as they are wont to do, and she turned to see Jacen climb over the last slope to the shrine. Linwe smiled, watching him pull a leaf from his hair and gazing intently at the underbrush, knowing his unease in the forest.
     "Linnon am meleth vîn!" the elven eldar whispered.

   Swith twitched at the sound of movement in the trees, but seeing Jacen, greeted him.  "Greetin's sir..." Responding to the greeting, Jacen nodded his head. "Hello Swith...Linwe..."
Linwe looked down and smiled, blushing. :Vedui, Jacen." Looking back up, Linwe stared intently at her betrothed. "Ye be sure of this, then? Ye can..allas back out now.." Swith looked back and forth between the two. Jacen folded his arms across his chest. "I don't back out of things."  Linwe smiled and whispered "I knows..." Jacen grinned.

 

     "In the elven tradition," Linwe explained, "folks bind themselves to each other with a witness. Do ye mind Swith bein' that?" Linwe turned to look at her friend, standing scratching at lice.
     "Not at all."

      Anticipating his reply, Linwe reached into a fold of her skirt and pulled out a long, red ribbon. She handed this to Swith with the injunction "This be the tie that binds...I will ask ye...to bind our hands as a part of the ritual." Swith nodded and took the ribbon form the elf's hands. "Aye. Right ye are, miss." Swith took the ribbon and inspected it closely.  Linwe beckoned Jacen to come within the circle of the ward. Once there, Linwe glanced about at the surroundings and raised her arms in supplication.  'I come before ye, Selune...as a servant...and ask a boon...that ye bless this binding between myself and this man. I have been yer servant for many years...and have asked much of ye..and I come again..asking more'

     Swith looked up, blinking as if some magic might blast her by accident. Jacen scanned the skies and thought to himself, hoping he would not have to speak to any elven goddess. Linwe continued, oblivious to the unease her companions felt in the forest, a place where she was most at ease.
Zifanwe) says 'Jacen..will ye stand beside me in Selune's watchful gaze?' Jacen nodded. "Always." Linwe beckoned "Then come, take my hands."
     Jacen walked gravely towards Linwe, and took both her hands in his. 'Swith..will ye bind our hands, please?'

 

     Swith jumped as Linwe addressed her, glanced at the strange altar, and then scampered over to the couple with the red ribbon. Ducking below their joined hands, She tied the red ribbon in a neat knot around their hands, and then realized she was stuck between them. Blinking, the minstrel ducked back under their hands and clumsily made her way back to the other side of the altar.
Linwe chuckled at her friend while Jacen smiled at Swith's apparent unease. Linwe turned back to Jacen, their hands bound now by the ribbon and spoke. "Jacen, I bind myself to ye. heart and soul..whatever I have be yours..physical or non...ye be my light, my guardian, my solace. To this , I pledge myself to ye'. Linwe fixed her gaze on Jacen's eyes, waiting expectantly. Jacen blinked, and then  met her gaze and pledged his vow in return. "Linwe, without you I have nothing, what little I have, I give to you, and I pledge myself to you, for eternity." Smiling a loving smile at Jacen, Linwe whispered "Then, tis as it is..and we be one. And forever more, these ties that bind us shall endure'
Swith grinned, showing a few blackened teeth.

     Linwe watched as the red ribbon binding them fast fell to the altar below, still tied. She reached down and picked it up, placing it in a fold of her skirt. Jacen grinned, looking at his new wife. "And Selune didn't even turn me into a frog or anything." Swith glanced over to Linwe and replied " 'Aye... thank the goddess fer that...' Linwe laughed at her friend. Turning back to her husband she said "Nay..more like a...wolf." Laughing she continued, "Now ye be stuck with me for eternity." Jacen tilted his head.  "I wouldn't have it any other way. But don't forget, you're stuck with me too."
     'Aye..I think I got the better bargain though'
Swith chuckled.  "What 'appens now then... we 'ave a drink? "
     "Sounds good" Linwe replied "And to think..we made it without a demon appearing!" Swith smirked "Aye... there's an achievement, any day..."
     "They knew better than to interrupt." Jacen countered.
Linwe, smiling happily, turned away from the thoughts of demons and evilness for that day.
'Shall we go to the Hall then?'

Ghost Dragon...

Linwe sat on teh bench outside Elven Hall, thinking of all she must do to move folks from teh land before teh storms roiling off the coast hit with full force. A small sigh drifted through the air, and as she looked up tp see what or who made it, a small ghost of a dragon appeared before her. Linwe jumped up, feeling through the mist to find the soul, and a pang of grief enveloped her as teh familiar strands touched her own. "Oh! Tis transparent ye are!. Tis saddened I am, ye know." The little white dragon blinked and stared up at her.

"why am i transparent......why am i so light headed .....where am I .....i want my mommy!" Linwe sighed.

'Ye dunna remember than any of what happened?"

" i dont remember anything .... do i know yu , have i been here before?"

Linwe nodded and rached out a hand, feeling the dragon spirit's soul. SMiling, she replied. 'Aye..and yer spirit wil remain here until Samhain..when I will release ye from this earth...ye be in a state of preparation..a rebirth. The dragon gods have deemed wherever it be that dragons go, that ye shall be reborn. Into what..or where..that I canna tell ye.. But..yer soul speaks to me...and allas will..and ye will allas remain in my heart and mind''

The little ghostly visage stood up straight and bravely pronounced, " i will find you when that happens kind Elf and defend you with my honor!"

The Elven ELdar smiled and lifted her hand to her chest, placing it across her ehart as if making a vow. 'And I will accept that defense..for I be Friend to Dragons'

A look of panic raced across the hatchlings face. "i eel ths sky pulling me back .....farewell friend.......farewellllllllllllllllllllllll"

Linwe listend as the dragon's voice faded into the mist, and as a tear rolled down her cheek

She whispered "Namaarie, my friend..."

The Scare

The demon Ivarru (Conner Revnik) comes up behind the fae queen "Cassie". She feels a wind, realizes she is not alone, looks up when her friend calls her name, then lets out a scream "aaassckkkss!!"
Ivarru "why are you screaming? what is wrong?"
Casandra Shilova too frightened to move, sees the strong black legs of the huge spider come closer and closer and encompass her.

Ivarru says "pea must have put a hex on you"
Casandra gasps "ah ah spider, a huge SPIDER"
Ivarru responds "why do you have so much fear? there is no spider"
Casandra staggers back, wings a tremble
Ivarru "why do you move away?"
Casandra panics when she is followed and surrounded with the legs again, twists and turns unable to free herself, wings jerking.
Ivarru "i will nto harm you. pea has done this to you"
Casandra lets out a panicked yelp and desperately takes to the air

Following her to the fae meadow, he said "why did you fly away?" Casandra huddles terrified in her chair with the HUGE black spider hovering over her on some kind of monster strand
Ivarru "hmmmm" and takes to the air flying over the kingdom to locate the troublesome fae.

SweetPea FeatherFeet (Emyly Beaumont) swoops down from the skies and smiles "greetings lady casandra"
Casandra looks up at the friendly voice "he..he...hel...hello SweetPea"
SweetPea cocks her head 'what is wrong? you sound funny'
Casandra finally stops shaking, reassured by how calm her friend is "I...I was scared"
SweetPea, knowing that hardly anything frightens her friend, asks solicitously 'What has frightened you? You are much braver than I am'
Casandra replies "a spider. Not just a small little garden spider that can surprise you when you are walking, but a oh my goddess HUGE spider. As big as a...a...cottage!!! with monstrously long legs, that catch me like iron bars *shudders* and won't let me go!!!"
SweetPea shuffles her feet, knowing Lady Casandra's fear of spiders. "a great big one?' she frowns and then smiles slyly "you are afraid of it as you should be'
Casandra "I saw it a few days ago, in the tavern. Remember? You were there. You were warning me about being friends with evil ones, and I was reassuring you that not everyone who is dark is evil. Like Ivarru, he's not evil. And he was there, and then all of a sudden, he wasn't. This huge hairy spider was there. And it trapped me in it's legs, I couldn't get out."
SweetPea puts her hands behind her back and nods "uh huh. It was really big and hairy and ugly and had big googly eyes.' she looks at Cas closely to see if she suspects anything and says carefully 'but you are all right now? I mean, you are here...'
Casandra "I don't understand it, I truly don't. How did such a thing get into the tavern? It has to be too large. and no one else seemed to see it. They think I've lost my senses. But you saw it, didn't you SweetPea?"

The demon enters the fae area again "what have you done to her witch" 
Casandra looks straight ahead at her friend Pea and tries very hard not to pay attention to any thing else around her and closes her eyes, as she hears her friend Ivarru's voice, afraid of what she will see and starts trembling. As she feels air currents ebb and flow around her, she squeezes her eyes tighter
SweetPea feels a presence behind her and turns, giggles and then scowls at Ivarru, who says "what did you do? tell your queen"
SweetPea says "i did nothing to you. I just cast a little glamour' and she waves her hand a bit.
Ivarru "a glamour. undo it. she is greatly frightened of me"
SweetPea says "it is just a little glamour, my very first" she smiles and nods "I know. she SHOULD be frightened of you. She is all too trusting'
Ivarru says "well that is your first is obvious by the botchery of it all"
SweetPea moves a bit further away from the demon and watches her queen to see how she reacts to Ivarru. Casandra sits with her arms wrapped tightly around her legs, straining her ears to try and hear the words
SweetPea says to Ivarru "so are you going to leave my queen alone now?' as they watch Casandra squeeze her eyes shut and reach out with her hands around her to reassure herself there is no one or no thing within reach
Ivarru "i will find a way to put an end to this little fae
SweetPea laughs, thinking he is all threats and no substance. Casandra feels the change in the currents again, realizes he has gone and opens her eyes
SweetPea peeks at her friend "Did you see anything just now?'
Casandra looks around and breathes a sigh of relief "I made it through"
SweetPea heaves a sigh of relief. she is a bit sorry she chose a spider for Cas to see when she looked at Ivarru, but really, there was nothing else she could think of at the moment
Casandra sags back in her chair and gives a tremulous smile to her friend "I am glad you were here, and I didn't have to face that alone"
SweetPea shrugs a bit guiltily and says "I was glad I was here to keep you company' she scowls "i don;t trust that Ivarru and you shouldn't either'

SweetPea shrugs a bit guiltily and says "I was glad I was here to keep you company' she scowls "i don;t trust that Ivarru and you shouldn't either'