{"id":1781,"date":"2024-03-14T17:29:49","date_gmt":"2024-03-14T17:29:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/realmsofdespair.com\/wordpress\/?page_id=1781"},"modified":"2024-03-14T17:30:15","modified_gmt":"2024-03-14T17:30:15","slug":"cry-of-despair-37","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/realmsofdespair.com\/index.php\/cry-of-despair-37\/","title":{"rendered":"Cry of Despair #37"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-white-color has-text-color\">Interview: Iliana; Journey of the Sun and Moon; Jaryl&#8217;s 15 minutes of Fame<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"cryofdespair\">\n        ====================================================================\n\n\n \n        THE CRY OF DESPAIR #37\n\n\n        \n        ====================================================================\n\n        Submitting Mortal Staff:\n\n        Alendil, Alerious, Alisia, Apollonia, Azrakare, Barentin,\n\n        Begaria, Conran, Dein, DekkatH, Elaria, Elbanon, Goomra,\n\n        Laine, Lorel, Nimue, Nitsuj, Odessyus, Saraphin, Sarig,\n\n        Shamisen, Shingo, Thalasian,\n\n        Mortal Editor: Kuah\n\n        \n\n        Immortal Staff:\n\n        Elisabet, Lascivias\n\n        Immortal Editor: Ayesh\n\n        ====================================================================\n\n        Table of Contents\n\n        ====================================================================\n\n        \n\n        Desk of the Editor\n\n        \n\n        Meet Iliana\n\n        \n\n        A Short Novel by Shingo: Eclipse\n\n        \n\n        Poets Corner\n\n        \n\n        Quest & Contest\n\n        \n\n        Continuing Story Theme **New Feature!**\n\n        \n\n        Orders Exposed!\n\n        \n\n        Jaryl's 15 minutes of fame.\n\n        \n\n        Funny Bones!\n\n        \n\n        Announcements\n\n        ====================================================================\n\n        Desk of the Editor By: Kuah\n\n        ====================================================================\n\n        \n\n        \n\n        What's the good word? We are back again with one of the larger\n\n        issues we have ever done! A lot of work was put in by the hard\n\n        working staff this time around, and we are showing up (and off)\n\n        with some new sections, more chances for reader interaction,\n\n        and the usual news and fiction you have come to love from the\n\n        Cry of Despair.\n\n        \n\n        Our feature this week was done by Dein. And continuing our trend\n\n        of letting you get to know those behind the scene, it is a very\n\n        well done interview with the immortal, and charming, Iliana.\n\n        \n\n        If you have a comment, gripe or something you want to submit\n\n        to the Cry of Despair, you can reach us the CoD public board\n\n        in the TownHall (e,s,2u,s,w,s from DH[]) or south of Quills\n\n        and Parchments on Market Street. Or you can Mudmail me or\n\n        Ayesh. As always, enjoy and thanks.\n\n        \n\n        \n\n        Kuah Cha'Din\n\n        \n\n        ====================================================================\n\n        Meet Iliana By: Dein\n\n        ====================================================================\n\n        \n\n        Today Iliana took some time out of her day to allow me to interview\n\n        her. For this, I'm deeply thankful as she is one of the kindest\n\n        immortals I have had the pleasure of speaking with.  Even though\n\n        she was busy making cookies, she still had time to help the little\n\n        guy.\n\n        \n\n        Dein: Okay, Iliana, how long have you been an active character in\n\n        the realms?\n\n        \n\n        Iliana: I've been playing for almost 3 years now, and have been\n\n        active that entire time.  I became an immortal on January 26th..\n\n        about 2 1\/2 years. :) I spent time leading an order and doing other\n\n        things that I wanted to do first.\n\n        \n\n        Before you became an immortal, were you ever helled?  Did you ever\n\n        do anything you weren't supposed to?\n\n        \n\n        I wasn't ever helled. I don't remember ever being silenced except\n\n        as a joke. Anything I wasn't supposed to do... well.. I was the typo\n\n        queen when I first started. I remember killing Artemis...\n\n        \n\n        ...with a friend.. and I ended up healing the mob and faerie firing\n\n        him instead. :)  I've done that a few times, actually.. all on\n\n        accident. I've wanted to just crawl under my desk in embarassment\n\n        when it happened. :)  Luckily, people are understanding when they\n\n        see that it was an accident.. saying \"I\"m sorry\" goes a long way.\n\n        Well.. there was that time I was balzhured after I became an\n\n        Immortal. Kali slayed me.. balzhured me..because I was making\n\n        comments about bbq pixie wings. :)\n\n        \n\n        And what made you decide to become an immortal rather than remain\n\n        mortal?\n\n        \n\n        I felt that I could help make the Realms a better place.. I wanted\n\n        a chance to do things that I hadn't done before. New challenges. If\n\n        I don't have something challenging to look forward to, I lose\n\n        interest.\n\n        \n\n        I feel the same way, part of the reason why I'm interviewing you\n\n        now. :)  How did they train you when you became immortal, or is that\n\n        top secret?\n\n        \n\n        Iliana: hmm.. interesting question.  Well, actually...\n\n        \n\n        ...since I had already been a leader, I had some experience in\n\n        dealing with people and disputes. I think the most important skill\n\n        in a leader or an immortal is to be able to listen and not prejudge\n\n        someone based on appearance. As far as official training, I was\n\n        mentored by different imms and given a guiding hand in areas that\n\n        I had questions in.\n\n        \n\n        What was required of you to become an imm? Was it just that you had\n\n        been such a fine leader of an order?\n\n        \n\n        Well.. a fine leader is a subjective term.. I'm sure there are\n\n        those that would argue that point. :)  I think that if you look at\n\n        the immortals, as a whole, most have the ability and confidence in\n\n        their decisions.. they're strong people. It took me some time to\n\n        learn that ability.. I had to learn to have some faith in my own\n\n        judgement and to stay true to what I believed in.. although it might\n\n        not be popular. I think that you also have to be fair and listen to\n\n        both sides of the story.. everything is subjective.. usually when\n\n        you can get the people to sit down and listen to each other.. they\n\n        can work out their problems on their own.\n\n        \n\n        Then did you have trouble at first?  Dealing with so-called\n\n        hooligans?\n\n        \n\n        It was overwhelming at first. I don't think that I would be needed\n\n        half as much if people just showed others the same respect that\n\n        they want. You have to stop and realize that behind every line of\n\n        text is a real live person, with feelings and emotions the same as\n\n        your own. I feel that my job is to serve the Realms.. make the\n\n        place better in whatever capacity that I can, be it building or\n\n        suggestions or administrative work.\n\n        \n\n        What do you do in a typical day?\n\n        \n\n        Typical day :)  well.. when I log on, I make the rounds of the\n\n        noteboards so that I can keep up with all the events that took\n\n        place while I was sleeping or working. Then, I do administrative\n\n        work.. I'm also a builder.. so I work on my area as well.\n\n        \n\n        What's the best part about being immortal?\n\n        \n\n        (things) that I know I played a part in, even if the part was small.\n\n        I was on QC for awhile.. I got frustrated at times, because of all\n\n        the bickering and fussing.  But...\n\n        \n\n        it was always worth it.. when just one person said \"thank you..\",\n\n        \"that was challenging..\" or  \"I liked it..\"  I don't look\n        for\n\n        accolades a whole lot.. but it can become overwhelming when all you\n\n        hear are complaints. It's really discouraging. I take a lot of\n\n        pride in doing a job well.. and when I can sit back and see one\n\n        person take enjoyment from it, that makes all the other bit worth\n\n        it.\n\n        \n\n        I think people often look to immortals in help during their\n\n        desperate times, but is there anyone you turn to for help?\n\n        \n\n        I have a few role models amongst the immortals.. all of them are\n\n        wonderful and very supportive.. I don't know how I would choose one\n\n        over the other, truthfully.. I ask different things of them all the\n\n        time.\n\n        \n\n        Throughout the three years you've been playing, is there one\n\n        \n\n        My favorite moment in my realms career.. is when...\n\n        \n\n        Baali came in. We knew that it was supposed to come in at any time.\n\n        And I had made a painting to go in my office. Some friends and I\n\n        were sitting on the battlements and reboot had been a bit long.\n\n          I did a c loc painting, and saw the painting show up in locate in\n\n        my office. Then Jade appeared.. said.. \"Welcome to Baali, Iliana\"\n\n        and set me as the #1. I grinned from ear to ear all day. There\n\n        hasn't been an experience to match that.. not even my first Seth\n\n        kill. :)\n\n        \n\n        What do you think makes today's realms player? His equipment? How\n\n        much he runs? How much he's involved?\n\n        \n\n        Actually.. not really any of the above. I think it's all in\n\n        personality.. Equipment can be lost and gained. DT's are the great\n\n        equalizer in the game. Runs? They come and go.. you don't have to\n\n        run Seth and Darkness to be a cool person in my book. I judge a\n\n        character by their personality.. thats what impresses me.. the\n\n        ability to take this for what it is.. a game. There are people who\n\n        take this way too seriously.. judge people by their eq.. don't want\n\n        to hang with you if you're not as buff.. Some of my favorite people\n\n        here don't have any of the buff eq.\n\n        \n\n        I find it hard to see immortals as regular people, I'm always just\n\n        thinking 'wow!' Is there anything that makes an immortal say 'wow!'\n\n        about a mortal player?\n\n        \n\n        I'm impressed with a person who can keep their cool and respond\n\n        logically to a person who is abusive. I respect honesty.. and I\n\n        like hearing other peoples opinions. However, that opinion needs to\n\n        be stated in such a manner that isn't abusive towards anyone.\n\n        Different people have different experiences and perspectives.. and\n\n        there could be knowledge gained from them.. a side to something\n\n        that I hadn't seen before. When a person can clearly state the hows\n\n        and whys of their opinion.. in a well thought out manner.. thats\n\n        when I sit back and go \"Wow!\"\n\n        \n\n        A natural question for people I think. What do you miss most about\n\n        being mortal?\n\n        \n\n        I asked Loril if she missed the freedom of being an Imm. I think the\n\n        opposite is really true. I don't have as much time or freedom to do\n\n        things that I want to do as much. I...\n\n        \n\n        can't just pop off and go on a run somewhere with my friends if\n\n        there isn't someone else here to do administrative work. Don't get\n\n        me wrong, I do have time to do that.. everyone is very good about\n\n        making sure that others have time to get away from the stressful\n\n        bit. I just can't do it spur of the moment. However... I go on my\n\n        morts..and find myself missing the spam.\n\n        \n\n        So what is the worst duty an imm has to do?  What task makes you\n\n        cringe as much as cleaning foreign toilets?\n\n        \n\n        Helling someone, because if it comes to that, it means that there\n\n        has been no other recourse. I would prefer to speak to someone\n\n        and get it resolved that way than to have to punish someone.\n\n        Sometimes though, I'm left with no other choice. When something\n\n        goes badly, I often ask myself.. \"What could I have done to allay\n\n        that? How could I have handled it better?\"  Luckily, I've only had\n\n        one or two instances where things have been truly bad.\n\n        \n\n        Is there anything you would like to say to newbies or lowbies?\n\n        \n\n        Don't be in too big a hurry to av. Take your time to learn how to\n\n        play the game.. read room descriptions.. take the time to figure\n\n        things out and learn for yourself.  It will make you a better\n\n        character and player.\n\n        \n\n        \n\n        Once again, I'd really like to thank Iliana for giving me the\n\n        opportunity to interview her, it was my first interview and I\n\n        think it's a little rocky, but Iliana even helped smooth it out.\n\n        Thanks Iliana. :)\n\n        \n\n        ====================================================================\n\n        Eclipse, Chapter 1 By: Shingo\n\n        ====================================================================\n\n        \n\n        Chapter 1 - Journey of the Sun and Moon\n\n        \n\n        In a small village, on the outskirts of the island of Naerite, a\n\n        new era is about to begin.  The tribe's chief and his wife are\n\n        celebrating the birth of their two children.  That, in itself, is a\n\n        special occasion, but it happened ona day of good omen.  The\n\n        firstborn, a male, was born during a solar eclipse, and thus was\n\n        named Sol.  The second, a female, was born during the night, at the\n\n        flare of a lunar eclipse, and was named Lune.\n\n        \n\n        It was a rare occasion, for the two moons to be aligned in such a\n\n        way that one would pass by the sun in the day, and the other at\n\n        night.  The tribe took it as a sign of the gods above, and believed\n\n        the children would be blessed for eternity.  And it wouldn't be long\n\n        before Sol and Lune learn of their blessing.\n\n        \n\n                                        \n        ***\n\n        \n\n        17 years have passed since the birth of Sol and Lune, and their\n\n        father is proud of his children.  Sol was taught in the ways of\n\n        combat, and since the early age of 4, has shown great skill with the\n\n        sword, quickly excelling in the techniques taught to him, and\n\n        mastering the motions of defensive combat.\n\n        \n\n        Lune was shown the arts of the shaman, and she promptly learned the\n\n        weavings and patterns of various runes and focus of concentration\n\n        into the purification of one's body, spirit and mind. She had\n\n        little combat skill, compared to Sol, but the little she had would\n\n        protect her should she find herself in danger.\n\n        \n\n        After a day of hard training, Sol and Lune are summoned to the\n\n        Chief's chambers for a brief, yet difficult meeting.\n\n        \n\n        \"You have summoned us, father?\", said Sol, kneeling.\n\n        \n\n        \"Yes, Sol, Lune.  Please rise.  You know you weren't shown your\n\n        given practices for no reason.  The time has come for you to see if\n\n        your training has paid off. You two are to be sent to the continent\n\n        to the south, where you will begin your journey of the other world.\n\n        Outside ths island is a world filled with many discoveries that we\n\n        would not be able to describe.  Civilizations far more advanced than\n\n        ours are on the southern continent, as well as dangers that can\n\n        threaten your very lives, but it is a test, to see if you, Sol, are\n\n        fit for leadership of the tribe, and if you, Lune, are able to\n\n        become the Great Shaman.\n\n        \n\n        I wish for nothing less than to see you stay here, safe, but I\n\n        cannot.  You must go out there, and return, by yourselves, proving\n\n        you are both worthy to become great members of the tribe.  I have\n\n        no doubt in either of you.  Your departure begins immediately.\n\n        Pack your equipment and meet the navigator on the beach.\n\n        That is all.\"\n\n        \n\n        The chief waved his hand, and the children turned about and left\n\n        the room. They knew this day would come, and while secretly\n\n        dreading it, they were both excited.  They had heard many stories\n\n        of the southern continent from their mother; stories of cities which\n\n        were ten times larger than the tribal campgrounds, or of dangerous\n\n        creatures which stood ten times taller than any normal being. These\n\n        stories brought smiles to their faces, for they would get their\n\n        chance at seeing the outside world for the first time.\n\n        \n\n        Having packed, Sol and Lune set off to the beach to meet the\n\n        navigator.\n\n        \n\n        \"Greetings.  I trust you have everything packed that you need?\n\n          The trip to the southern continent will take a quarter day, where\n\n        you ought to make camp for the night.  Take this map with you, as\n\n        it was your father's map.\n\n        \n\n        He used it to get around the southern continent.  This spot here is\n\n        L'aquis Castle, where the watermen make their living.  They made\n\n        good friends with your father when he first explored the area, so\n\n        they will be of help to you.  This spot ... here. I suggest you\n\n        stay away from that area.  That's the home of dragons, it is. Large\n\n        beasts with thick hides that breathe elements.  You'd be smart to\n\n        stay away from there, if you wish to return to rule the tribe,\n\n        though returning with a dragon's head would surely prove your\n\n        worth.\"\n\n        \n\n        \"Thank you, navigator.  Your words are kind and wise.  Shall we\n\n        leave?\", Lune said, packing away the map in a little handknit\n\n        purse of straw.\n\n        \n\n        \"Aye.  Just hop in.\", replied the navigator.  When they were on\n\n        the boat, two creatures heads popped up from below the waves.\n\n        Attached to them were collars, with reigns, and the navigator was\n\n        holding them.  He snapped the reigns once, and the boat swiftly\n\n        set into motion, propelled by the water drakes.\n\n        \n\n        The ride on the ocean was quiet and calm.  The weather didn't look\n\n        like it was going to bother them, and there weren't many dangerous\n\n        creatures in the waters nearest the island.  It was several hours\n\n        on an uneventful trip before they saw land up ahead. The navigator\n\n        steered the boat around the coastline for a bit until he found a\n\n        small beach to disembark from.\n\n        \n\n        \"Here ya go.  This is the northern tip of the southern continent.\n\n        The Castle should be a quarter day's walk from this beach, but I\n\n        recommend you camp out here for the night.  Plenty of dangerous\n\n        creatures about when the light hides.\" warned the navigator.\n\n        \n\n        Suddenly, as if on cue, there was a rustling in the trees and\n\n        surrounding bushes, and a small creature holding a large bone and\n\n        wearing a feathered skull leaped out from behind a rock, quickly\n\n        followed by creatures of the same kind, all holding massive bones\n\n        and skull helmets.  It was tough to see in the dark, but the\n\n        creatures eyes looked red, and their skin were different shades of\n\n        green.  Only one of the creatures had feathers in his helmet,\n\n        identifying him as the higher rank amongst the raiders.\n\n        \n\n        \"Goblins!\", cried out the navigator. \"I've no skill to deal with\n\n        them, I'll be on my way back to the island.  Take care!\".  And with\n\n        that, he hopped on the boat, and ordered the water drakes to return\n\n        to the island.\n\n        \n\n        One goblin stepped forward and began tracing a line in the sand,\n\n        then forming a pattern.\n\n        \n\n        \"It's casting a spell!\", cried Lune.  But it was too late.  The\n\n        goblin raised it's small hands and yelled \"Tor-ahk-caime-dray!\".\n\n        A large torrent of water behind them thrust up from the depths of\n\n        the ocean where the navigator was heading, and it split the boat in\n\n        two, sending the navigator plummeting to the ocean waters, head\n\n        first.  The two water drakes raised their backs out of the water\n\n        and cushioned the navigator's fall, then with him on their backs,\n\n        quickly swam away towards the island.\n\n        \n\n        Without hesitation, Sol pulled out his sword and charged at the\n\n        goblin wizard. The wizard having no time to react, couldn't help\n\n        but be impaled on Sol's sword then rudely kicked off.  The other\n\n        goblins raised their weapons, bellowed a war cry, and charged at\n\n        the children.  Lune pulled out her hunting knives to defend\n\n        herself, though she wasn't sure she was ready.\n\n        \n\n        Three goblins surrounded Sol, bone clubs in hand and ready to\n\n        strike.  The goblins tried an organized attack of simultaneously\n\n        striking Sol, but Sol leapt into the air, twisting his body so he\n\n        landed behind one of the goblins, and swung out his sword before\n\n        landing, cleaving just behind the goblin's neck. The goblin fell\n\n        forward, dead.  The remaining two tried an unusual attack form this\n\n        time.  One hopped onto the other's shoulders, so they stood as tall\n\n        as Sol, and they seemed to have no trouble keeping balance walking\n\n        towards him. The goblin on the bottom tried to swing at Sol's legs,\n\n        but Sol did a quick hop to avoid being hit, then the goblin on top\n\n        swung his club downward to hit Sol's chest, but Sol parried and\n\n        countered with a punch, which knocked the goblin off the other's\n\n        shoulders.  Lune took the opportunity to leap in and plunge both\n\n        knives into it's chest while it lay dazed on the floor.  Blood\n\n        spurted from the goblin, spraying her.  She had killed wild animals\n\n        before, but this was different.  It was killing a race that had\n\n        enough intelligence to cast spells, not like the wild boars of the\n\n        island.\n\n        \n\n        The remaining goblin assailant saw he was outmatched, and began to\n\n        turn tail and run.  The goblin leader noticed it, and threw his bone\n\n        club at the coward. The club struck the goblin's head, knocking him\n\n        to the floor, and a small pool of blood began to turn the sand red.\n\n        \n\n        The leader turned his eyes on Sol, and began a silent chant.  Lune\n\n        immediately recognized it as another spell, and began chanting a\n\n        counterspell, using the sand to weave a rune as a focus point.\n\n        \n\n        The leader threw out his hand yelling \"Nizapt!\" but nothing happened.\n\n        Lune got up and brushed off the sand from her legs, smiling as she\n\n        successfully cast the counterspell in time.  Sol ran at the\n\n        confused goblin, sword lowered and aimed at the goblin's chest.\n\n        The goblin was impaled on the sword, but Sol kept running, and ran\n\n        the sword right into a tree.  The force of the blow killed whatever\n\n        life was left in the goblin.  Sol withdrew his blade, and pushed the\n\n        body off of the sword, then wiped up the blood with a few leaves\n\n        from the tree.\n\n        \n\n        Both children stood in amazement at what had just transpired. They\n\n        heard the stories of danger, but they never expected it to come so\n\n        quickly.  Sheathing his sword, Sol said, \"We'll make camp here for\n\n        the night, but we'll throw the bodies into the water.  The blood\n\n        stench might attract more wild animals if we left them here.  We'll\n\n        set forth to L'aquis Castle in the morning.\"\n\n        \n\n        They set up a large campfire, and threw the bodies into the water,\n\n        then covered the blood stains with water and wet sand. Nothing came\n\n        to them in the night, so they woke up refreshed and ready to move\n\n        on to L'aquis Castle.\n\n        \n\n        ====================================================================\n\n        Poets Corner By: CoD Staff\n\n        ====================================================================\n\n        \n\n        Love?\n\n        \n\n        Is there really\n\n        Such a thing as love?\n\n        Is there more then just lust?\n\n        Could love be nothing\n\n        but a mere physical attraction?\n\n        How could opposite's\n\n        have such a strong bond?\n\n        How can they unite and become one?\n\n        Are we just kidding ourselves\n\n        when we say we are in love\n\n        is it all some big game we like to play?\n\n        Or is it real?\n\n        Is it true?\n\n        I want to know what love really is.\n\n        \n\n        -Sarig\n\n        \n\n        Rainstorm\n\n        \n\n        I go out and dance,\n\n        Dance in the rain.\n\n        It cleanses my soul, and washes away my pain\n\n        the lightning flashes\n\n        showing my beaten body\n\n        it gives of a warmth\n\n        that surrounds me in love\n\n        The thunder rolls in taking away all my sin.\n\n        I am pure\n\n        I love these storms\n\n        they save my soul\n\n        they make my spirit whole\n\n        they make peace for me\n\n        all who dance in the rain\n\n        are saved from lifes little game\n\n        it cleanses your soul\n\n        and washes away your pain\n\n        Come out with me\n\n        and dace in the rain.\n\n        \n\n        -Sarig\n\n        \n\n        Blackened skies on moonless night\n\n        an evil portent of what is to come\n\n        the darkness creeping, cut off from light\n\n        crazed denizens of blasphemous creation\n\n        lurking by and by\n\n        waiting for their time to strike\n\n        hoping for the uncautious eye\n\n        Iron gives under razor claw\n\n        as the slither of death permeates from unholy mist\n\n        the raking of their scaly paws\n\n        as wall and bar in their grasp slowly twist\n\n        the castle off on yonder mountain\n\n        masked by powers dark and sinister\n\n        encased within, the evil lord\n\n        who watches on with fanged grin\n\n        awaiting the victory of his hordes\n\n        who lurk in shadow ready to feast\n\n        on any adventurer who judges unwisely\n\n        and falls into death's hanging jaws\n\n        the one pure evil, who waits within\n\n        who commands the beasts encased in shadow\n\n        waits calmly for the uncommon chance\n\n        that he himself may spill yon adventurer's blood\n\n        and feed on the folly of yet another unworthy\n\n        - Alendil\n\n        \n\n        ====================================================================\n\n        Quest and Contest By: Elisabet\n\n        ====================================================================\n\n        \n\n        Hear ye!  Hear ye! Duke Luther has chosen his new Scribe.\n\n        Congratulations to all who entered the memoir writing\n\n        contest.  Duke Luther's favorite submission was the submission\n\n        from Kestal.  In second place, was a submission from Jaryl,\n\n        and last but not least, in third place was Giko's submission.\n\n        Please enjoy Kestal's winning submission printed on the next few\n\n        pages.\n\n        \n\n        Deep into the sands of the Blasted Lands lives a mighty dragon\n\n        named, Bahamut, also known as Bammy.  Bammy gets very lonely in\n\n        his cave so isolated from all his dragon friends.  One day Bammy\n\n        decided to try and find a dragon he met a long time ago named,\n\n        Black Rose.\n\n        \n\n        Bammy flew his way over to Knights of the Round and met up with\n\n        Lady Trishia. He gave her one of his swords, 'Justice', in\n\n        exchange for a heart-shaped box. After receiving the box, Bammy\n\n        flew over to Julietta, the Cadbury Chocolate Lady.  Bammy bought\n\n        a few very dark chocolate bars, a bag of semi-sweet charcoal, a\n\n        blacked-chip cookie, and a burned cadbury chocolate bar and placed\n\n        them all into the heart-shaped box.\n\n        \n\n        Then Bammy flew over to Dragon's Pass and stopped by Xanthia's\n\n        Garden to pick some flowers.  He got a Tiffany rose, a yellow rose,\n\n        a Rainbow's end rose, a blood red rose, and a sky-blue rose and\n\n        tied them all up with a red silk scarf he previously received from\n\n        a little girl at Midway of Despair.  He neatly tied the boquet of\n\n        roses to the heart shaped box and flew over to a pyramid deep into\n\n        the Dragon's Pass jungle.\n\n        \n\n        The passage leading into the pyramid, however, was sealed shut.\n\n        Bammy looked around on several of the Saurian Warriors until he\n\n        found a special eye which he placed into a stone socket that opened\n\n        the passage into the pyramid.  He flew through the pyramid as fast\n\n        as he could, anxious to meet up with Black Rose.  Finally he\n\n        arrived at her cave and greeted her.  He bowed before her and\n\n        kissed her hand, causing her to blush a bit.  Bammy didn't know it\n\n        yet, but Black Rose had a little crush on him.  Bammy swiftly\n\n        pulled out the gifts he ventured to get for her and handed them\n\n        to her.  She almost fainted into his arms.  No one had ever given\n\n        her anything before.\n\n        \n\n        Bammy and Black Rose spent a long time together talking and getting\n\n        to know eachother better.\n\n        \n\n        Several months later...\n\n        \n\n        After months of being with Black Rose, Bahamut finally decided to\n\n        propose to her.  He called upon his brother, Shimmergloom, and\n\n        Black Rose's sister, Zylandialtiara, to get together for dinner in\n\n        the dining room in Revelation City.  After getting nudged by his\n\n        brother several times, Bahamut got down on one knee and asked Black\n\n        Rose for her hand in marriage as he slipped onto her finger a ring\n\n        called \"Bahamut's Love and Devotion.\"  Zyla started giggling and\n\n        less than a second later, Black Rose said yes!!  Time passed and\n\n        soon enough Bahamut and Black Rose got married where they first met,\n\n        Xanthia's Garden... and they lived happily ever after.\n\n        \n\n        Fin\n\n        - By: Kestal\n\n        \n\n        ====================================================================\n\n        Continuing Story Theme  By: Shingo\n\n        ====================================================================\n\n        \n\n        Rules of the Story:  Read this issue's topic line.  For the next\n\n        issue, we want all of you to write in the next paragraph.  We\n\n        (the Staff of CoD) will choose the best paragraph and print it in\n\n        the next issue (you will be credited and paid a cash prize).\n\n        That paragraph then becomes the subject and you will all write the\n\n        next paragraph to take place!\n\n        \n\n        Example:  Topic is: Prince Charming is looking for a princess.\n\n        Someone writes paragraph 1 to be how Prince Charming finds Princess\n\n        Uglyface. Using paragraph 1 as a subject now, someone writes\n\n        paragraph 2 to be all about how Princess Uglyface dumps Prince\n\n        Charming for his evil twin brother! Now using paragraph 2, someone\n\n        makes Prince Charming kill both his twin brother and the Princess\n\n        and he wanders the land in search of someone else.\n\n        \n\n        For the next issue, you get to write up what paragraph 4 will be\n\n        like, based on what you read in paragraph 3.  The story can take\n\n        any number of twists and turns (there must be SOME reference to the\n\n        previous paragraph, however).  It will continue on until we reach\n\n        paragraph 5, at which point, the story will end, and we will begin\n\n        a brand new topic sentence.\n\n        \n\n        This weeks topic sentence is: Herne has left the otters!\n\n        MUD MAIL ALL PARAGRAPH SUBMISSIONS TO SHINGO\n\n        \n\n        ====================================================================\n\n        Orders Exposed  By: Lorel\n\n        ====================================================================\n\n        \n\n        Orders, what do they do and stand for? How can I join one? Why\n\n        should I join one? For a long time i battled with these questions\n\n        before I finally found an order I could relate to. It was a hard\n\n        choice and one which kept me up on many a night. Now as the newest\n\n        member of the CoD im going to try and help newer players to get to\n\n        know the orders of realms better and maybe they will find one that\n\n        suits them.\n\n        \n\n        Begining in issue 38, I will take a closer look at the orders of\n\n        realms and write a summary based on what I found. Im going to take\n\n        a look at the history, leadership, structure and morals of the\n\n        order. I'll also be talking to the members and non-members to build\n\n        up a picture of the order. I hope that my articles will help\n\n        players to find an order they can relate to and join.\n\n        \n\n        The first Order that i will take a close look at is the\n\n        Order of Maidenstone.\n\n        \n\n        ====================================================================\n\n        Jaryl's 15 minutes of fame By: Begaria\n\n        ====================================================================\n\n        \n\n        I climbed up the Vallenwood tree up into our guild headquarters to\n\n        find a couple of friends talking.  I noticed that Reol called him\n\n        self a hired assassin from my last article.  I sat down in our HQ\n\n        listening to them talk and Jaryl came up to me and said, put me in\n\n        your next story.\n\n        \n\n        I grinned at him and said I'd think about it.  I got up and walked\n\n        to our healer to get my wounds healed.  Jaryl follow me in there\n\n        and again asked me for him to be in a story of mine.  Again, I\n\n        told him that I would think about it and I left the healer and\n\n        climbed out of the Tree.\n\n        \n\n        I was walking along the trail from our tree to the square when\n\n        Jaryl popped down from a tree above me.  He again, asked if he\n\n        could be in a story.  I was getting a little annoyed with him and\n\n        told him that he just asked me that and I would think about it.\n\n        \n\n        I brushed past him and arrived at the square.  I looked around and\n\n        smiled to myself about the new adventurers who have come to our\n\n        land. Jaryl appeared before me somehow, must've been sneaking, and\n\n        again, asked if he could be in an article.  I glared at him and\n\n        patiently said that I would think about it.\n\n        \n\n        He nodded and I walked off to the east, I was passing the road to\n\n        Mage's guild when Jaryl came running in from the east, which I\n\n        thought was weird since I just left him in the square back in the\n\n        west...must've ran pretty fast around the city to appear before me.\n\n        \n\n        He stopped before me and asked again if he could be in an article.\n\n        I wanted to hit him.  I sighed and told him that he was annoying\n\n        me and I said no.  I left him there and walked back to the square.\n\n        Just before I arrived to the square, Jaryl appeared before me and\n\n        said, Come on man, PLEASE put me in an article!\n\n        \n\n        I growled and said, All right already!  I'll put you in an article,\n\n        just leave me alone. Jaryl grinned happily and took off running\n\n        back to the guild. Now that you know why I'm writing an article\n\n        with Jaryl in it, I'll get on with it.\n\n        \n\n        Jaryl appeared back in the guild and grinned at Reol and said,\n\n        I'm going to be in Begaria's next article! Reol smiled and said,\n\n        That's cool man, wonder what's going to happen in it?\n\n        \n\n        Jaryl grinned and shrugged than strode off to the healer being all\n\n        happy and stuff.  When he arrived to the healer's room, the healer\n\n        wasn't in at the moment so he stood waiting for the healer to come\n\n        back.  A ranger that Jaryl had never seen walked up to Jaryl and\n\n        put something in his hand.  Jaryl looked down at what he was holding\n\n        and it appeared to be a gold coin.  The stranger than said, There\n\n        are many riches buried deep, deep, with in the Moria Hills, that\n\n        gold coin represents 400 million others like it in the hills, now\n\n        that you know the secret, go, and be rich.\n\n        \n\n        The stranger walked off and Jaryl was gasping for air for the\n\n        fortune he was to receive.  He visibly calmed down and got control\n\n        over himself.  He decided not to tell anybody and so started out\n\n        on his adventure.  As Jaryl left the Tree, the stranger watched\n\n        him go and grinned to himself.  The stranger said, That'll teach\n\n        someone to annoy me for an article...\n\n        \n\n        the stranger pulled off his mask and let it drop to the ground,\n\n        and walked back to recall.\n\n        \n\n        Back to Jaryl, he was ecstatic.  Never has he ever gotten an easy\n\n        chance to get rich, and this was it.  He started running and in no\n\n        time he was at the crossroads.\n\n        \n\n        He took the north road and quickly arrived to the hills.  He\n\n        checked the entrance for some clue to where the riches were buried\n\n        but didn't find anything.  He took out the coin that stranger gave\n\n        to him and turned it over.  On the back there was an inscription\n\n        which said, \"Take the road which best suits the setting of the sun,\n\n        and go down in the deepest parts of the cave.  Come to the wall\n\n        which is not a wall and find the riches behind it.\"  Ha.\n\n        No problem.\n\n        \n\n        Jaryl took off down the west path, knowing that the sun sets in\n\n        the west.  He quickly came across a hole and dropped down.  He\n\n        found himself in a maze of gold color.  He followed a path that\n\n        was easily markable and came up to a dead end.\n\n        \n\n        Jaryl looked closely at the western wall at the dead end and\n\n        figured that this was the wall that the coin was talking about.\n\n        He searched the room and quickly found a lever made of rock.\n\n        He flipped the lever and the wall swung out.  Jaryl started to\n\n        get excited again and walked through the newly opened entrance.\n\n        \n\n        There was another hole.  Jaryl shrugged and jumped down the hole.\n\n        He landed in a dark, smelly place and a deep voice growled, Nice\n\n        of you to drop in. Jaryl shivered and stuttered and held his light\n\n        aloft.  Before him, was the huge, angry, scaled dragon of legend.\n\n        \n\n        The Tarrasque. Jaryl quickly drew his sword, prepared to defend\n\n        himself, but his light went out.  All through the caves, all you\n\n        could hear were screams of pain and torture.\n\n        \n\n        At the entrance to Hills, stood the stranger grinning to himself.\n\n        Hell, this is better than my story about Pelmen being hurt by Zyla.\n\n        This'll teach any punk wanting to get there name in one of my\n\n        articles.\n\n        \n\n        And he lived happily ever after.........\n\n        \n\n        ====================================================================\n\n        Funny Bones By: CoD Staff\n\n        ====================================================================\n\n        \n\n        Avatar Chat...\n\n        \n\n        Mischief: OoO Chayla\n\n        Chayla: missed my mystical hands lately? ;)\n\n        Mischief: oh baybeeee don't you know it\n\n        Mischief: only you can mystically touch me in just the right way\n\n        Chayla: i feel so special ;)\n\n        \n\n        ===\n\n        \n\n        One day near The Throne of Zeus, in Olympus:\n\n        \n\n        Skaphia says 'i gotta go grab heals, sit down everyone'\n\n        Luzopinz says 'wait a sec'\n\n        Luzopinz drops an extradimensional portal.\n\n        Zeus gets an extradimensional portal.\n\n        Luzopinz eeps!\n\n        Luzopinz giggles.\n\n        Luzopinz says 'now zeus has heals'\n\n        \n\n        Realms Chatter...\n\n        \n\n        Reznok chats 'I wanna talk with Balzhur, face to face, about\n\n        his anger problem.'\n\n        Reznok chats 'But the immortals won't let me.'\n\n        \n\n        ===\n\n        \n\n        All in 10 seconds...\n\n        \n\n        Reol arrives from the southeast.\n\n        Reol leaves west.\n\n        Reol stumbles drunkenly in from the west.\n\n        Reol drunkenly stumbles into a nearby obstacle.\n\n        Reol stumbles drunkenly, trips and tumbles to the ground.\n\n        Reol doesn't need your help.\n\n        Reol peers intently about the area, looking for thieves no doubt.\n\n        Reol rises from his rest.\n\n        Reol drunkenly stumbles into a nearby obstacle.\n\n        Reol drools on himself.\n\n        Reol stumbles drunkenly southeast.\n\n        Reol arrives from the southeast.\n\n        Reol leaves west.\n\n        \n\n        Funny Titles\n\n        \n\n        Bronia can't make a comeback - she hasn't been anywhere.\n\n        Turalyon- creator of tuna safe dolphin.\n\n        Gilgalad the little storage that could.\n\n        Euoia Aoe, official shmuck & spoiled brat.\n\n        Arrianna has been sucked into the void.\n\n        Pyrr would like to spank Britney just one more time...\n\n        Golga Rocarlen,new and improved storage with roller door.\n\n        Dolmannt loves everyone but you.\n\n        Grathuan says, 'Elmo wants promiscuous sex!'.\n\n        Zistrosk is ever vigilant... except when he isn't.\n\n        Deodato sits here, munching on Bamboo.\n\n        Merf is realy a monkey in a merf suit.\n\n        Tarlin can't think of anything funny right now.\n\n        \n\n        ====================================================================\n\n        Announcements By: CoD Staff\n\n        ====================================================================\n\n        \n\n        Happy Retirement, Calis!\n\n\n        \n                             __       __\n                           .\"  \".   .\"  \".\n    ____                  \/  .-. \\_\/ .-.  \\                  ____\n   \/    `\"=._           _\/  (o  )   (o  )  \\_           _.=\"`    \\\n  |          \"=.      \/'     '-'_,-,_'-'     `\\      .=\"          |\n  |     \".      \".   |   '.  _.\"_.-._\"._  .'   |   .\"      .\"     |\n   \".     \".      \".  \\    `\"-.-._+_.-.-\"`    \/  .\"      .\"     .\"\n     \".     \".      \". `--._   `-.-.-`   _.--` .\"      .\"     .\"\n       \"=._   \".      \"=.\/  `._       _.`  \\.=\"      .\"   _.=\"\n           \"=._ \"._     \/      `\"\"\"\"\"`      \\     _.\" _.=\"\n               \"=. \"-. :                     : .-\" .=\"\n                  \".  \"|     Y          Y    |\"  .\"\n                _.=\"`  _\\    \\          \/    \/_ `\"=._\n     _.-\"\"\"``\"\"`  _.-\"`__\\    \\-.____.-\/    \/__`\"-._ `\"\"``\"\"\"-._\n  .-'.-' _.-'_.-\"`   .' .' .'\\ \\      \/ \/'. '._'.   `\"-._'-._'-.'-.\n  `\"` `\"` `\"`        `\"` `\"`  `\"`    `\"`   `\"` `\"`       `\"` `\"` `\"`\n\n        \nTo Calis, enjoy your retirement!\n\n        Ascii provided by Tiesto, edited by Shingo\n\n        \n\n        ===\n\n        \n\n        A loud trumpet sounds in the distance....\n\n        \n\n        A date has been set for the next National Olympics.\n\n        It will be on Saturday, August 26.  Check with your\n\n        nation for more info!!!\n\n        \n\n        ====================================================================\n\n\n        \n        Thank you for reading, from the Society of Scribes!\n<\/pre>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Interview: Iliana; Journey of the Sun and Moon; Jaryl&#8217;s 15 minutes of Fame ==================================================================== THE CRY OF DESPAIR #37 ==================================================================== Submitting Mortal Staff: Alendil, Alerious, Alisia, Apollonia, Azrakare, Barentin, Begaria, Conran, Dein, DekkatH, Elaria, Elbanon, Goomra, Laine, Lorel, Nimue, Nitsuj, Odessyus, Saraphin, Sarig, Shamisen, Shingo, Thalasian, Mortal Editor: Kuah Immortal Staff: Elisabet, Lascivias Immortal Editor:&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-templates\/full-width.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1781","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/realmsofdespair.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1781","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/realmsofdespair.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/realmsofdespair.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/realmsofdespair.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/realmsofdespair.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1781"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/realmsofdespair.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1781\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1804,"href":"https:\/\/realmsofdespair.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1781\/revisions\/1804"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/realmsofdespair.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1781"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}