After copying and pasting from the notepad text into mudclient and pressing enter, the game disconnected. Isaiah’s player tried again to the same result. Confused, he asked over the line why it would disconnect him when pasting in a background. Someone answered helpfully that it was because of the text limit. The game will only take a certain amount of characters before it disconnects as a security measure. The right way to do it is to paste it in a little at a time. That is what terminal text editors are for. Given that a terminal based text editor has no modern functionality like there was no way Isaiah’s player was going to rely on it. He may be a poor college student who can’t afford Microsoft Word but he at least needed to have a local copy. He could do this but it wasn’t something he could do often without really hating life.

Also, now that he had a background he was committed to not suiciding and rerolling his class. Schatten’s idea of an elven paladin was a tempting one but the system didn’t allow it. Paladin being a class restricted to humans… who decided that was a good idea? He wasn’t going to change his race again and giving this trying to play the roll of an elf seemed like it might be a fun undertaking. In this world of text making one’s character come alive with only typed words was an interesting proposition.

Isaiah’s player was a little worried about what the consequences might be going forward. First the immortals might get mad at him for some reason as they were prone to do with everyone. If they thought his old pre-suicide character was a different one and it couldn’t be included they might demand he change it. He’d heard a few immortals over the lines complain about how annoying it was to constantly read about players whose parents died in their backgrounds. So he knew some of them actually read the things. Second, setting himself up as a supposed redeemer of drow might put a target on his back for drow player killers. Thirdly, could he keep to the example of how Isaiah should be in his background? Being a bastion of faith is one then when someone is in control of the whole story but the player characters in this game were their own people. While he would want things to go one way with his interaction involving player characters it couldn’t be forced.

While Isaiah was sitting there idling/musing to himself an elf walked into the establishment he was at.

Schatten enters.

Schatten says: “Hello there Isaiah, noticed you seated there. Mind if I join you?”

Isaiah smiles.

Isaiah says: “Of course how are you today, Schatten?”

Schatten says: “I’m doing well cousin. Sunshine and rain drops do you.”

Isaiah ordered a pair of waters and snacks from the store and handed one of each to schatten. This was a human city and didn’t have any fancy elven styled things to order. He didn’t order any wine or ale because that might be seen as him trying to get her drunk. He was quite worried about how she perceived him. Isaiah wasn’t the kind of elf who would get an elven maiden drunk and try to take advantage of her.

Isaiah says: “Have you eaten yet? Not much of a selection here but hopefully this will do.”

Schatten thanks Isaiah.

Schatten says: “Thank you Isaiah.”

Isaiah says: “This is my first time on Deku island. It has been a bit of an experience.”

Schatten says: “Oh? How so?”

Isaiah says: “Well, I had an incident with a psycho killer half-elven bard that I had never even spoken to again.”

Schatten says: “Oh no..”

Schatten looks worried.

Isaiah says: “Harmony blasted me down with powder and fireballs.”

Schatten frowns.

Schatten says: “That is terrible news Isaiah I’m so sorry.”

Isaiah sighs deeply.

Isaiah says: “It is not like I stood a chance. How do you fight back against villains who can kill you in one or two shots?”

Schatten says: “I don’t know. I haven’t had any of the evils come after me yet.”

Isaiah says: “I hope it stays that way, you are a lovely flower and the land should cherish you.”

Schatten blushes.

Schatten says: “Thank you Isaiah, that is too kind.”

Isaiah says: “So what is there to do around here?”

Schatten says: “I mostly come here to pay my respects to the oak father. Kaarell told me there are some drow that need to be culled and cultists in a graveyard on the other side of the river. I haven’t had a chance to go explore there yet.”

Isaiah says: “Oh, I tried to make it to your temple but I got lost in the forest and couldn’t find it.”

Schatten smirks.

Schatten says: “I suppose even elves get lost in the forest once and a while.”

Isaiah says: “Yeah yeah, rub it in. But I couldn’t figure out how to get there. Do you know the way? I couldn’t find a bridge or anything to get by the river.”

Schatten invites you to follow her.

You are now following Schatten.

Schatten leaves out.

Text zoomed across the screen and Schatten bee-lined it to the river he couldn’t figure out how to cross.

Schatten says: “Like this.”

Schatten dives into the water.

(Gah, the syntax was dive… all I needed to do was type dive!)

Isaiah dives into the river.

You take a deep breath and fill your lungs with air before plunging beneath the water. (Oh no…an underwater level…dying by drowning is not a thing to look forward to.)

Schatten invites you to follow her.

You are now following Schatten.

Schatten leaves east.

Schatten leaves up.

Luckily it was only one room that was under water. They came up on the other side of the river and text zoomed by as Schatten traveled south to the temple of Silvanus. The temple of Silvanus is a clearing deep in the forest. It is lush with vines and moss with a grove in the center. Great oaks rise all around. The biggest grove has a small crude altar.

Isaiah read the charge on the altar.

All is in a cycle deftly and beautifully balanced. It is the duty of the faithful to maintain this sacred balance as clearly as possible and make others see it. Fight against the felling of the forest banish disease wherever it is found and defend the trees. Balance is maintained by killing only when needful. Those that employ fire and those who bring axes into the forest should be destroyed as they deserve no mercy for defiling the woods.

Isaiah’s player second guessed Schatten’s innocence after reading the charge. It seems like Silvanus’s followers were supposed to be militant forest rangers. In his mind’s eye he pictured Schatten as a pure and chase shrine maiden character. Maybe she had another side. Maybe she didn’t.

Schatten says: “Welcome to the temple of Silvanus Isaiah.”

Isaiah says: “Oh thank you.”

Isaiah bows respectfully to the altar.

Schatten says: “Oh one moment.”

Schatten holds a finger to her temple.

Schatten says: “Kaarell is speaking to me.”

Isaiah raises an eyebrow.

Isaiah says: “Huh? I don’t see him here.”

Schatten says: “Telepathy spell is something all priests can cast when they are high enough level.”

Isaiah says: “oh, sorry I didn’t know. Tell him I say hi.”

Schatten nods.

Schatten says: “He says hi and he’ll be joining us in a moment.”

Isaiah nods.

Isaiah says: “I would like to ask him more about this island as well. The only really good thing I’ve found here is Jarrow and his scrolls.”

Schatten says: “Yes this place is a little bit more convoluted than the areas around shadow but there is still quite a bit to see besides an elderly drow in a tower.”

Isaiah says: “I think it is weird that there is a drow on the surface. I always thought they built their cities deep underground and mostly kept busy backstabbing one another.”

Schatten says: “I suppose that is what the rumors of how they act are. I haven’t had much dealing with drow and am not looking to do so anytime soon.”

Isaiah nods.

Isaiah says: “Nor I. But I suppose as an elf we should stand against the evil they would bring out of the underdark.”

Schatten agrees.

Schatten says: “We must protect the forests.”

A blue light forms glowing brighter shining into the area.

The blue light flashes brightly and vanishes leaving Kaarell behind.

Isaiah blinks in disbelief.

Isaiah says: “What was that?”

Kaarell smiles at Schatten.

Kaarell says: “Hello my love.”

Kaarell kisses Schatten.

Isaiah’s world came crashing down. Well Isaiah’s player’s emotional investment in his character to be more precise came crashing down. Isaiah after all was just a game character. He had fantasized about the two elves forming a party and adventuring together. Their relationship would grow into something more. Eventually after they defeated some boss monster or brought an evil player killer low he would confess to her and she would accept his feelings. All of that came crashing down with a single kiss. Schatten loved Kaarrell not Isaiah. Jealousy washed through him. Why would she choose Kaarell instead of him? Well, for one he was a real priest of Lathander. He was not the fallen priest Isaiah was. He was high level. Perhaps not a level 20 high mortal. But it was only a matter of time he’d get that high unless something terrible happened to him. High mortals were the ones that could display their own custom titles. Daelmas the elven weapons master was a good example. What had he done for Schatten? Not much, Kaarell on the other hand had showered her with gifts. Kaarell had given her gear advice and his own affection. Isaiah didn’t even have the courage to confess to her.

Isaiah stayed completely quiet not doing anything while the two other elves continued along in their own little world.

Schatten says: “Love of my life.”

Kaarell says: “Dawn of the night.”

Schatten hugs Kaarell.

Kaarell frenches Schatten deeply.

This continued on for a few minutes until Isaiah had enough.

Isaiah says: “I have to go.”

Isaiah leaves out.

Isaiah went down the path north back to the river. He swam across back to the forest. He ran west to the deku dock and paid the 5 gold to board the ferry.

The ferry leaves in 2 minutes.

The message popped into the next line across the terminal. Two minutes passed as the repeat messages kept scrolling across the screen. “The ferry sails across the sea.”

“The ferry sails across the sea.”

The ferry stopped at another dock. Welcome to the island of Graez. Graez is the last bastion of good on this island of evil. Merchant ships come and go, adding much needed money to the economy as they desperately try to fight off the hoards of evil that claim the majority of this island.

Isaiah didn’t want to deal with it.

The ferry leaves in 2 minutes.

Kaarell has established a mental connection with you.

Kaarell tells you: Isaiah you left so suddenly Schatten is concerned.

(a minute passes)

Kaarell tells you: Isaiah?

(It took Isaiah’s player a moment to figure out he could just type to send a message back.)

Isaiah replies: Nothing is wrong. I just wanted to head back to shadow to do some components shopping.

Kaarell replies: Okay I’ll let Schatten know.

Isaiah replies: Thank you . . . cousin.

There was no more reply. Isaiah’s player guessed Kaarell would have not contacted him had Schatten not requested it. He had what he wanted after all. Having another man er… elf alone with his woman might make him uneasy depending on how secure he was.

Isaiah got off the ferry when it made it back to shadow docks. He slowly made his way across the desert keeping an eye on his stamina so he didn’t pass out again. Eventually he went to a place that he liked in the southeast corner of shadow. It was called the druid grove. It was a ring of trees with grass in the middle. It has some reference to an immortal named pator. Druid was not a rollable class. Maybe Pator planned on making it one but using the command on the immortal said he was married to someone named svaha and was all about druids. It showed his last login time as almost a year ago.

Isaiah didn’t feel like doing much he just sat there idling, wallowing in self pity.

Gabrielle enters.