@0    = ~Just like that? Very... very well. You will not hear from me again.~
@1    = ~The boy was wiser than me. He shied away from your advances, while I... *sigh* Why do you keep dragging me about? You obviously have no lack of those who will gladly follow this suicidal route, with or without your urging!~
@2    = ~My advances?! He practically forced himself upon me!~
@3    = ~Why do you sulk about it, Xan? It was a simple kiss, nothing more.~
@4    = ~Xan, stop turning a village boy's attention into the world's greatest tragedy! Tomorrow, we'll be gone from this isle, and in a week, you won't even remember it!~
@5    = ~Oh dear. Now you'll probably want a kiss, as well.~
@6    = ~Yes, I liked him! I enjoyed his kiss, and I wanted to travel with him instead of you! So what?~
@7    = ~<CHARNAME>, you are a bad liar. He was looking at you with naught but admiration, and had you refused, he would cry himself hoarse but would not dream of coming close to you without your consent. Come to think of it, I see a frightening resemblance to my own demeanor.~
@8    = ~I certainly do not 'sulk'! You are free to do whatever you wish, and it is apparently none of my business to speak to you of it.~
@9    = ~Yes, due to an unlucky encounter with one of your foes or another. Death does have this slight advantage of not having to worry about trivial matters. *sigh* You are right. Let us away from here.~
@10   = ~<CHARNAME>... such a child you are.~
@11   = ~Nothing. Nothing important whatsoever. I apologise for my unnecessary concern, and will not attempt it ever again.~
@12   = ~*sigh* I should have kept my mouth shut at all times, it seems.~
@13   = ~*grin* Jealous, are we?~
@14   = ~Jealousy does not become you, Xan.~
@15   = ~Xan, I am sorry it has happened. I'll try to avoid such... encounters in the future.~
@16   = ~No, but your concern was unnecessary. If anything, you should be grateful that I was kissed, not killed.~
@17   = ~Yes, you should. I am glad that you understand it.~
@18   = ~<CHARNAME>, I am not... *sigh* No, this hopeless, pointless, and above all, hurtful conversation will lead to nowhere. Let us away.~
@19   = ~Jealous? Yes... I would lie if I said that I was not. It is an unfamiliar sensation, however: a year ago I would have never recognized it for what it was, and now that I do, it is not a pleasant feeling. <CHARNAME>, <CHARNAME>... what have we gotten ourselves into?~
@20   = ~I... I am sorry, <CHARNAME>. I have been thinking of petty, trivial matters, while a bounty is still placed upon your head, not to mention that we are likely to perish on this cursed island. I shall try to put this incident behind, though it will probably be in vain: bad memories persist, while happy ones fade all too quickly.~
@21   = ~I see. I will not make such a mistake again.~
@22   = ~<CHARNAME>? What have you just done? How... how did you do that?~
@23   = ~Do what, precisely?~
@24   = ~You are a mage yourself. I thought the sight would not be unfamiliar to you.~
@25   = ~It's not important. Let's move on.~
@26   = ~True, but not this particular spell.~
@27   = ~On the contrary, it is very important.~
@28   = ~The spells you cast now and again are not natural ones. I can feel that, and I assure you, it is a disturbing sensation. When you call forth this power, it chills me to the core, as if someone walks across my grave. Do you even know where these come from?~
@29   = ~No, I don't. But anything that helps me survive is good, isn't it?~
@30   = ~I do not know, and I do not care. Relax, there's nothing wrong with me.~
@31   = ~They come to me in dreams. I had the first one soon after Gorion's death. When I woke up, I discovered a new power within myself.~
@32   = ~You might survive, but will you remain yourself?~
@33   = ~<CHARNAME>, you scare me.~
@34   = ~It is more than strange, it borders on the uncanny. You do not know your parents; you have unaccountable powers; countless assassins pursue you like a beast. Who are you, <CHARNAME>? What are you?~
@35   = ~I... I do not know. Now you scare me.~
@36   = ~Just... just leave me alone, Xan. I can't take this.~
@37   = ~I am sorry. *sigh* Still, these... powers alarm me, and I would implore you to refrain from using them, if not for my sake, then for yours. You may think that if you use them one more time, there will be no consequences; it is true. But if you continue, the change will become irrevocable. Either your body will wither before its time, or your mind will go to pieces. I may be wrong, of course, and these are a blessed gift of the gods, but I find it hard to believe. Refuse it; do not doom yourself.~
@38   = ~The sky! Ah, it is a relief to gaze upon this unbounded infinity once more. This is much better than the frowning walls of my filthy cave. I can never repay you for allowing me to see it again.~
@39   = ~You are welcome. I am glad you're feeling better after everything you have gone through.~
@40   = ~I could never abide torture and slavery, Xan. Do not consider yourself indebted.~
@41   = ~Use your spells to my benefit. That is all I need from you.~
@42   = ~Will you cease your whining? I have more pressing matters on my mind.~
@43   = ~*sigh* I am afraid I shall never be able put this experience away for good. Any sort of torture would pale before those bleak, empty weeks I had to endure. Not a single scrap of daylight, not a breath of a living wind; such an existence was worse than death. More than once, I wished to break my head against the wall. If not for your timely arrival, I would be dead already.~
@44   = ~I am sorry, Xan. I hope you will recover.~
@45   = ~Yes, yes, this is very sad, but you must forget it, and move on.~
@46   = ~Couldn't you get out by yourself?~
@47   = ~That was a noble statement, <CHARNAME>. But do you truly have the strength to oppose every slaver on Faerun? These things will never cease to exist. Evil is a hydra of many heads; chop one off and ten more will grow. Kobolds no longer roam Nashkel mines, but serfdom and peonage continue to maim hundreds. Humans use one another as chattels personal, and it will never end.~
@48   = ~Perhaps you are right.~
@49   = ~The picture you draw is rather depressing. I think you underestimate humankind.~
@50   = ~It will end, if I have my say in it.~
@51   = ~Then my help you will receive. I shall try to postpone your gruesome death for as long as I am able, though there is no doubt our doom is close at hand.~
@52   = ~I apologize for interrupting your thoughts. It will not happen again.~
@53   = ~I have been observing the political events along our borders for far too long to think otherwise, and my recent miseries have only corroborated my opinion.~
@54   = ~Regardless, Mulahey is dead, and I am fortunate to see the sky and walk the woods. Thank you, <CHARNAME>. *sigh* I almost want to believe it will last.~
@55   = ~I might, but what is the point? Our pitiful band will likely be captured again, and all too soon.~
@56   = ~Forget it? I try, but that is an unavailing struggle. The place will haunt me beyond the grave.~
@57   = ~Bound and weakened by starvation and torture? I am afraid my powers do not stretch that far.~
@58   = ~No, most likely you will die, as other so-called heroes have perished: gloriously and needlessly.~
@59   = ~What caused you to leave your home, <CHARNAME>? You look too young to lead a life on the road. I cannot help but wonder about your reasons.~
@60   = ~I have no home, Xan. I grew up at Candlekeep, but its doors are closed to me now.~
@61   = ~Why do you think me unfit for adventuring? I am better at it than you, that much is certain.~
@62   = ~The life of adventure has always been my dream. I strive to fulfill myself, that's all.~
@63   = ~My reasons are my own, mage. I shall not discuss them with you.~
@64   = ~Candlekeep? Are you sure? Ah, but of course you are. I do not doubt your words, but the library fortress is strictly regulated, and carefully guarded. Unless there've been special circumstances I am unaware of, I do not see how the monks could allow you to spend childhood there.~
@65   = ~My father persuaded the Keeper of the Tomes to let me stay. Gorion was a well-known sage, and had some influence on the monks. But it is not important now. He is dead, and they would not accept me back. There is nowhere else for me to go.~
@66   = ~I feel uncomfortable discussing this. Please, leave me be.~
@67   = ~*grin* I must have been charming as a child.~
@68   = ~I am sure you are. The fact that you are much younger than me speaks on your behalf, I presume. But I thought better of you than to take pride in such a thing, as if you were a drunken orc, knowing no better pastime than bashing heads of other savages.~
@69   = ~It would not matter in the long run, anyway. Young or old, we shall die, and all our memories will turn to dust. The past is irrelevant, as the present soon will be. I shall not bother you again.~
@70   = ~Oh, I do not doubt that. You are still... charming. But there must have been a deeper cause, was there not?~
@71   = ~Yes, there was. My father, Gorion, was a powerful mage, and known to Candlekeep monks. They let me stay for his sake. But several weeks ago, he suddenly decided to leave the fortress, and on the night of our flight, he was killed.~
@72   = ~Xan, could we speak about it at a later time?~
@73   = ~Even if there was one, that is not for you to know. Do I make myself clear?~
@74   = ~Perfectly clear. I shall not bother you again.~
@75   = ~I did not suspect you had a constitutional bias towards achieving suicide. There is no need to be rude: I shall not bother you again.~
@76   = ~Your self-delusion leads to nowhere. You may keep imagining yourself as a hero, a legend in the making, but eventually you will come to ashes and dust. Every adventurer is doomed, and doubly so if he is expecting to stay on the road until the end of his days. Do not make such a mistake.~
@77   = ~Ha! You are weak if you think so, mageling. I crave blood, I embrace danger, and soon, none shall stand before my might and power!~
@78   = ~I have no choice in the matter. My father, Gorion, was killed. He was all the family I had, and I shall not rest until I have avenged him.~
@79   = ~What should I be doing instead? Baking bread? Raising children? Gardening? My father is dead, Xan. Gorion is no more. The bounty hunters are after me. Adventuring is the only way for me to stay alive.~
@80   = ~My apologies; I shall not bother you again.~
@81   = ~Forgive me if I seem to pry, but I have sensed your distress. Is there anything I can do? It is a most unsettling experience to see a companion in pain, and I feel more of a burden, since I have caused it.~
@82   = ~Yes, you've caused it. Stay away from me, Enchanter; I'll tolerate no more of your spying.~
@83   = ~All right, I shall tell you, if you so desire. I stayed at Candlekeep with my father, Gorion. Several weeks ago, he suddenly decided to leave, and we were ambushed in the night. Gorion was killed. Now I have no father, and no home.~
@84   = ~Oh, you poor thing! We absolutely cannot have an unsettled mage trotting along with us... let me kiss you better.~
@85   = ~And so was I, to start this discussion. *sigh* I shall not bother you again.~
@86   = ~An... unrequited love it is, then. Excuse me.~
@87   = ~You would... kiss someone you barely know, and yet you evade a simple question? I do not know what to make of this.~
@88   = ~Nothing. Forget it, actually. I was a fool to suggest it in the first place.~
@89   = ~*grin* But what if I am in love with you, Xan?~
@90   = ~*sigh* I see no reason for your interest, but if you insist, I will answer. I stayed at Candlekeep with my father, Gorion. Several weeks ago, he suddenly decided to leave, and we were ambushed in the night. Gorion was killed. Now I have no father, and no home.~
@91   = ~I... I see.~
@92   = ~My condolences. I have heard the name: he was a powerful human mage, and a friend of Harpers, who are always welcome in Evereska. I know how hollow the words may sound; alas, I can do no more. You have saved my life, and I shall do my best to protect yours if the occasion arises. And I foresee it will be soon, for the number of our enemies does not decrease.~
@93   = ~You look pensive. Though, of course, it is only natural for our current situation. Soon we will submit to overwhelming and violent numbers of our foes; that is when others' passing comes to mind. Do thoughts of Gorion weigh on you?~
@94   = ~Not as such. I am thinking of revenge I shall take. My father's murderer will pay for his crimes!~
@95   = ~I... I miss him, yes. I guess I have not grown accustomed to his death, yet.~
@96   = ~They do. He was always there when I needed him, and now he lies in the woods, a vulture's food. It is hard to bear that I haven't even given him a proper burial.~
@97   = ~We were never close. Candlekeep was little more than a prison to me, and I am well out of it.~
@98   = ~I'd rather not speak of Gorion right now, Xan.~
@99   = ~What is the point, <CHARNAME>? You will not bring Gorion back to life by slaying another. Even if you manage to find and kill the man, which I doubt, will it bring you any satisfaction?~
@100  = ~Perhaps not. But I loved Gorion, and I cannot allow his murderer to go free.~
@101  = ~It will bring me satisfaction, Xan. A man has to pay for his crimes.~
@102  = ~Do not try to talk me out of it, Xan! He will get what he deserves, if only for standing in my way!~
@103  = ~Sooner or later, you will be. I have lost my share of fallen companions, as well. After the initial shock passes, emotions dull and curb. The pain will be there, but you will get used to it.~
@104  = ~You may return there one day. The Fates twist and turn us like smoke in the wind, and often we run in circles.~
@105  = ~So, your upbringing was grey and cheerless. Regrettable, since now you have nothing to look back to. Alas, the future will only bring more grim and pointless battles, one of which will become the last.~
@106  = ~I quite understand. It was unwise of me to distract you, with grisly death awaiting us round every corner. I shall return to watching the road, though perhaps even now it is too late.~
@107  = ~I understand your desire, but it is not a wise one. If your mysterious enemy killed a powerful mage so easily, he would find you an easy target.~
@108  = ~I hope that you will be able to overcome your bloodlust in time. Do not strive to become a beast; nothing but ill would come of it.~
@109  = ~Gorion is dead, yes, but he has obviously been your foster father, since you are of different heritage. Your real parents might still be alive. Do you know who they were?~
@110  = ~Gorion never told me about them. I know I am an orphan, but little else beyond that.~
@111  = ~No, not a clue.~
@112  = ~Stop questioning me, already!~
@113  = ~Still... <CHARNAME>, I have been meaning to ask for a while. Was Gorion your foster father, perhaps, since you are of different heritage? If so, your real parents might still be alive. Do you know who they were?~
@114  = ~You were educated in the way of humans, away from our lands, and you never knew your parents' name? Indeed, this is a most unusual occurrence. If someone had told me this a year ago, I would have found it difficult to believe, but you are standing in front of me, too real for a cruel, nonsensical joke. Why would he deny you the privilege to know your people?~
@115  = ~I believe that Gorion wanted to ensure my safety. He died, protecting me, so he would not keep me in Candlekeep if it were safe for me to travel.~
@116  = ~He was a well-known adventurer in his day, so he must have had powerful enemies. I think that was the reason we stayed within the fortress.~
@117  = ~I honestly do not know.~
@118  = ~*wince* Your shouting was not necessary. I shall leave you be.~
@119  = ~This could well be the case.~
@120  = ~But if he loved you, he would do everything for your sake. Perhaps he was concerned about your own safety, not his.~
@121  = ~Judging by your words, you have spent your childhood in the atmosphere of utmost secrecy. That could only mean that a deadly peril threatened you, and whoever wanted your death would not stop until they saw your lifeless body. I fear you are doomed, <CHARNAME>, and everybody close to you is doomed, as well. I shall follow you, regardless, but I am certain your company will lead me to a shallow grave.~
@122  = ~We are still alive! Strange, I expected us to die within a tenday, if not earlier. But your resourcefulness will never cease to amaze me, it seems. Quite an accomplishment for one so young.~
@123  = ~I do not think of myself as young.~
@124  = ~That sounded almost cheerful for you. What changed your outlook?~
@125  = ~Yes, you are quite safe with me, Xan. Let's move on, shall we?~
@126  = ~But you are. It is not something to be ashamed of, <CHARNAME>. Believe me, it will pass away faster than you think... if you live that long, of course. And perhaps you will.~
@127  = ~As you wish. I may have been mistaken, and our recent progress is simply a rare stroke of luck. I shall try to enjoy my last moments of peace and quiet, in any case.~
@128  = ~I was sent to the Sword Coast to accomplish a mission I thought to be impossible. I still do, for the odds are not at all in our favour. But we go on, and that gives me a gleam of hope. It might happen that I will finish my task and live to see my home at Evereska once again.~
@129  = ~I am glad you think so.~
@130  = ~Are you returning to Evereska once it is over?~
@131  = ~What task are you speaking of?~
@132  = ~Yes, for a while. Until my superiors send me on another mission, in any case.~
@133  = ~I believe I have told you before, but I will repeat myself if you wish. From what I have learned so far, there is some sort of mercantile organization known as the Iron Throne that has been trying to cause turmoil along the Sword Coast. To what end, I cannot tell you, as I was captured before learning any more. I must determine their goals and report back, lest they endanger the whole region.~
@134  = ~However, I am loathe to think of returning to my ancient fortress home with the prospect of death looming over you. You are young, naive and inexperienced... and yet so capable. All my concepts of reality collapse when I look at you. I cannot abandon you to certain doom.~
@135  = ~Then don't. I'll be more than happy if you continue to travel with me.~
@136  = ~You will likely be spared this choice. However capable I might be, I do not think it will end well.~
@137  = ~Indeed? This is getting interesting.~
@138  = ~Xan, please, stop right here!~
@139  = ~So will I, I suppose. But personal is not the same as important, they say. I will have to go back.~
@140  = ~*sigh* You are right, <CHARNAME>.~
@141  = ~*sigh* I have just made a fool of myself, it seems.~
@142  = ~But pay no attention to my ramblings. It was a bout of madness that came over me, I am sure: your beautiful and vulnerable naivety that I took close to heart. Or, rather, the fresh air sent my head spinning after Mulahey's fetid lair. *sigh* The thought of completing my mission is purely laughable. All hope is futile when enemies are pressing upon us from every direction. There is no end to this hopeless crusade.~
@143  = ~Of course. *sigh* I should not have started this conversation at all.~
@144  = ~It is time to rest, I see. I wish to say goodbyes, for it is possible neither of us will survive the night. Be it the hordes of the Underdark, or the legions of undead, they will creep upon us in the dark, pierce our unseeing eyes, and this reverie will turn out to be the last.~
@145  = ~*sigh* Not again!~
@146  = ~I think that we are relatively safe and guarded here. But you can spend the night awake, if you want.~
@147  = ~Perhaps. But we need rest, regardless.~
@148  = ~Actually, I know of another solid and dependable way to die. Simply stop breathing and spare yourself the worry.~
@149  = ~Then I will not be able to recite my spells, and doom will befall us in the morning. Guards or not, our lives are forfeit. We cannot deceive the Fates.~
@150  = ~Alas, we indeed have no other choice. Still, it is chilling to fall into reverie, knowing I may never return to the waking world.~
@151  = ~Cruel words, <CHARNAME>. I did not expect such of you. Perhaps it is indeed the time to finish the agony of my unnecessary existence, but I do not wish to discuss it with you any longer.~
@152  = ~It is the truth. We are most open to injury and death when we enter the reverie and reflect on the past. I often think how ironic it is, that I am most insecure while lingering on the moments spent in Evereska, my city and my home.~
@153  = ~Ah, the chance you will see it in the waking world is vanishingly small. But would you like to share my memories of it?~
@154  = ~Oh, yes. I am very curious.~
@155  = ~What do you mean?~
@156  = ~No, thank you.~
@157  = ~So, Gorion did not tell you. A sharing of minds is natural among our kin. Your mother communed with you before you were even born. Words cannot describe it; that is something you have to experience for yourself.~
@158  = ~Why, <CHARNAME>? Do you have so many memories that you would refuse a new experience? The notion of the mind being totally and permanently alone is alien to me, I admit. That is something I've always associated with other races. I understand you have grown up away from the community, of course, but if you deny yourself the spiritual awareness, you will gradually fade into a pared-down, deteriorated existence.~
@159  = ~Oh. I change my mind, then. I will gladly join you in your reverie.~
@160  = ~I shall think on your words, but in the meantime, I would rather stay alone.~
@161  = ~I should have made myself clearer. I do not wish to have anything in common with you and your memories.~
@162  = ~If you wish. You may find it difficult to shake yourself awake, however. I would help, but as I do not know whether I'll be alive then, I cannot promise anything. Rest well, <CHARNAME>.~
@163  = ~Yes, you were quite eloquent. I shall leave you be.~
@164  = ~Take my hand, and we shall walk among the ever-shifting sands of Anauroch and arched bridges of Evereskan Vale. You will see a majestic place, where the forest becomes one with the sky. My home... Sometimes I wish it were in my power to remain within the memory for good.~
@165  = ~But while I spend my nights in blissful reverie, yours are cursed with dreamless sleep and nightmares. It is painful even to think of it, to know that this ugly, cruel reality will haunt you, with no means of escape, till the day you die, which is not... no. No, I will not think of this. *sigh* If only I could take you to the world of my dreams, to let you into cherished lands of the People... But it is not possible, is it?~
@166  = ~I love this reality, Xan. And I have no thoughts of escaping.~
@167  = ~I have happy dreams, as well. Don't worry, my nights are not as terrifying as you think.~
@168  = ~*sigh* No, it's not. I'll have to live with this affliction for the rest of my life.~
@169  = ~You have not yet seen the horrors this reality may offer. I have, and neither the gift of reverie nor your cheerful attitude will ever make me forget it. But now is not the time and place to speak of such things. Good night, <CHARNAME>. Sleep well.~
@170  = ~I would like to believe it, but I saw your face on the night of Mulahey's demise. You were screaming, <CHARNAME>, screaming in your sleep, and I hated myself for being too weak to interfere. I... Never mind; it was pointless even to bring the subject up. Good night.~
@171  = ~I am sorry not to be of more help to you. If... if you find yourself unable to sleep, wake me up. I doubt my reverie will be pleasant, in any case.~
@172  = ~Congratulations, <CHARNAME>, we have lived through the night. Alas, a painless death in our sleep is something we could only hope for, if indeed we could choose. The reality is likely to drown us in sweat and blood all too soon, and in a much more gruesome manner.~
@173  = ~And here I thought you would cheer up after seeing your homeland in your reverie.~
@174  = ~Xan, I understand your depression, but that is too much.~
@175  = ~Yes, we are doomed, I know. Shall we hasten to meet our inescapable destiny?~
@176  = ~I have no reasons to be light-hearted.~
@177  = ~This is an idle jest, <CHARNAME>. We will die, and soon, don't you realise that?~
@178  = ~Evereska will fall. All the might and magic I see every night will be for naught. The city is an island among the gathering armies, and eventually the darkness will flood it. I cherish the thought of returning home, but here, in the waking world, I know I will find only ruins and desolation. The puny mission I am striving to complete is a drop in the ocean compared to the perils my city will soon face. Over the years, I have seen the pressure increase, and now I am waiting for the blow to fall.~
@179  = ~Why are you here, then? You should return to Evereska and defend your home.~
@180  = ~It may happen, but you should not blame yourself. You did all you could.~
@181  = ~Of course, of course. Evereska will fall, the sky will explode, and the world will come to an end. Xan, do you ever expect anything good at all?~
@182  = ~I do not have a choice in the matter. I must proceed with my task, instead.~
@183  = ~I do not blame myself, it is pointless. But if you think I can close my heart to its fate, we do not understand each other at all.~
@184  = ~Many things. But all my hopes were doomed to be unfulfilled, and only made the disappointments more bitter. I do not expect victories any longer.~
@185  = ~I got used to the fact that nothing could help my city, but every morning the terror comes anew. And it is not alone: it now comes together with the thought of dying. Before meeting you, I was aware that one of my missions would become the last. Today, I know this one is. Sooner or later, my magic will fail, and the bounty hunters will wipe us out. We're all doomed.~
@186  = ~I wish to apologize for starting our last conversation. It was inconsiderate of me to burden you with my trials: I pondered the prospect of my death, forgetting that you are our enemies' primary target.~
@187  = ~*sigh* Yes, Xan, I am wholly and completely doomed. Is that what you want to hear?~
@188  = ~Well, you were not far from truth in your suggestions. I doubt my mysterious opponent will spare the lives of my companions.~
@189  = ~I do not consider myself doomed, so I do not need your pity, Xan. Save it for yourself.~
@190  = ~It is quite all right. But we should really continue on.~
@191  = ~Never mind, I got used to your whining long ago. Just shut up and keep moving.~
@192  = ~No, <CHARNAME>, you are simply being inconceivably naive and careless again.~
@193  = ~Yes, as I said before. Nevertheless, it is no excuse.~
@194  = ~Not pity, no. The feeling is humiliating and suggests superiority. Compassion, yes, but not pity. You do not deserve that.~
@195  = ~Another suicidal quest, I trust? *sigh* Lead on, it is not as if I have any alternative.~
@196  = ~So, I have been mistaken, and you are nothing but a spoilt child. I shall leave you be.~
@197  = ~I think you do not fully understand the danger you are in. Gorion has been sheltering you for as long as you remember, and now, after several lucky encounters, you probably think it will last. But believe me, you are not invincible.~
@198  = ~I am alive and well, and I don't think it is going to change. Everything will be all right, don't worry.~
@199  = ~My enemies are on the losing side, and they will be dead soon. Don't overcomplicate things.~
@200  = ~I am aware of the danger. But will musing on it bring a new perspective?~
@201  = ~I wish it were, but my experience tells me otherwise.~
@202  = ~<CHARNAME>, I certainly enjoy your mature and sophisticated approach, but there is a very real possibility we are on the losing side. You might consider that.~
@203  = ~We are all doomed, but you can delay the hour of your death by foreseeing the danger, and predicting your enemies' actions. If you do not rush into the fray, you will live a moment longer. Do not throw the opportunity away. Burying you in the wilderness is not something I look forward to.~
@204  = ~Then do not bury me in the wilderness. Bring my ashes to a market square!~
@205  = ~Neither do I look forward to dying before my time. I am careful, Xan. Very careful.~
@206  = ~The only ones you'll bury are my foes, Xan. And only if you want to.~
@207  = ~And I am looking forward to it! You, standing solemnly in your purple mourning robes, saying my heartfelt eulogy in a trembling voice. Mayhap even an unbidden tear shall slide down your cheek on my cold, pale forehead... What a lovely, lovely scene!~
@208  = ~<CHARNAME>... you are cheerful beyond hope. But perhaps it is your best defence against the spiteful malice of this world, if not a lasting one.~
@209  = ~Then, perhaps, we shall live to see another day. A year ago, I would have said "we shall survive to the end of your quest", but now, alas, I know better.~
@210  = ~That may sound reassuring to you, but if anything, it only makes me more and more uneasy. *sigh* But it is pointless to continue this discussion. Let us move on.~
@211  = ~Purple is not suited for mourning. It is either black or midnight blue-~
@212  = ~*sigh* Make fun if you wish, but your gibes will not help you in the slightest. If you die, these things will cease to matter, and... and not to you alone.~
@213  = ~How do you deal with the feeling that you can die any moment? Does it thrill you or frighten you?~
@214  = ~I am scared to death, Xan. But I march on, because I must.~
@215  = ~The thrill of battle intoxicates me, it always has. I love walking on the edge.~
@216  = ~Whatever I feel, I assure you, I'll never adopt your attitude.~
@217  = ~I am not in the mood to discuss it. Let's go.~
@218  = ~It is your choice. Though I would rather see you adopting my attitude than cheerfully perishing in a drunken brawl somewhere. And that's not the worst that may happen.~
@219  = ~Onward, to futility? I think you have answered my question already. Your relentless desire to meet your fate speaks for itself.~
@220  = ~That is close to what I feel about the endless chain of our battles. It can break any man, given enough time. Were I alone, I would probably consider closing my eyes and waiting for death to come. But I have a mission, and companions I have sworn to protect.~
@221  = ~I had hoped you would abandon these childish notions by now, but hope springs eternal. *sigh* Death is not to be toyed with, <CHARNAME>, hasn't Gorion's passing taught you that? But I suppose I understand. You have been locked in Candlekeep for years, so the novelty of adventuring has not worn off for you, yet. I wish I remembered what it was like for me, but, alas, the feeling is long lost.~
@222  = ~I fear that soon the unceasing chase we have to endure would get to you, as well. You cannot yet imagine the years upon years of facing deadly perils, of narrowly escaping death at every turn. Eventually, you will be forced either to become a merciless killing machine, or to lose your will to live.~
@223  = ~Believe me, Xan, I will not. I am stronger than this.~
@224  = ~It will not last forever. Once I deal with the Iron Throne, I shall be free to settle down, if I choose to do so.~
@225  = ~A killing machine it is, then. At least, nobody will bother me with their incessant nagging and whining.~
@226  = ~*sniff* I have lost it already. Life is so unbearable...~
@227  = ~So you say. Time will tell, I suppose, if indeed we have any.~
@228  = ~I, for one, will not. Not any longer. Excuse me.~
@229  = ~*sigh* It is. But lately, it seems almost plausible. I wonder if it is your company that turns my head, and mine that leads you to sadness?~
@230  = ~Perhaps... perhaps, in the future, you indeed may forsake this self-destructive course, and live a long, happy life, as you should.~
@231  = ~If I get a chance, I will.~
@232  = ~We shall see.~
@233  = ~Should I? No, Xan, I should walk the roads until I die, and I will.~
@234  = ~That sounds strange, given that you've been adventuring... for how long? And you do not intend to settle down anytime soon, do you?~
@235  = ~*sigh* I envy you, I admit. Would that I could say the same of myself... but, alas, my course is set and certain.~
@236  = ~Indeed. Would that I could say the same of myself... but, alas, my course is set and certain.~
@237  = ~You will - die? Yes, <CHARNAME>, you will, for you are determined to do so, it seems. Still, you have a choice. Think on it, before throwing it away.~
@238  = ~A moonblade wielder cannot escape into quiet and solitude, however they might wish it. Even as I hold the sword in my hand, it judges each and every of my deeds, demanding that I continue to protect my land and my people. I am the champion of the lost cause, summoned forth to fight hopeless battles, left without a choice, and, indeed, without a future. *sigh* I am so tired of facing this side of life, and it alone...~
@239  = ~But enough of this. Come, <CHARNAME>, let us continue on our path of misery.~
@240  = ~<CHARNAME>! <CHARNAME>, wake up!~
@241  = ~Mmmph... what?~
@242  = ~Xan, what is it? There's no need to sound so frantic.~
@243  = ~Good morning to you, too. What's wrong?~
@244  = ~Yes, I know, we lived to see another day. Isn't it great?~
@245  = ~Thank... thank Corellon... you... you are alive. I had a very disturbing vision last night, a... a vision about you. You were so close... and then you dissolved into dust before my very eyes. I woke to find you lying pale with your eyes closed, and I thought the worst.~
@246  = ~Um... now that you see I am alive, could you please let go of me? It would be unfortunate if you broke me in two.~
@247  = ~I had a nightmare, too. It is all a blur now: dark caverns, bottomless pits, rivers of blood, corpses of enemies... The life we lead leaves a mark, I presume.~
@248  = ~Sometimes my dreams are akin to yours. I hear ghastly voice whispering "You will learn!" and wake up drenched in sweat.~
@249  = ~Mmm... what are you saying? Your arms around me are so distracting I can think of nothing else. It's so warm and pleasant... I wouldn't mind if you woke me up every morning.~
@250  = ~What was your vision about? It might be important.~
@251  = ~I think it may be more than this.~
@252  = ~It is too painful to relive, <CHARNAME>, even to you. Especially to you, for I am sure you have your own demons to battle, do you not?~
@253  = ~I do. I, too, had a nightmare last night.~
@254  = ~Not as often as you probably do, but yes.~
@255  = ~Never mind my demons, Xan. I wish to learn about yours.~
@256  = ~I... *sigh* Suffice is to say that I have seen you dying in front of me, time and again, until I could watch no longer. It was not a pleasurable experience, and neither was it an enlightening one. I am sorry, <CHARNAME>... let us talk another time.~
@257  = ~It was foolish of me, of course. I was overly concerned about your condition... but my arms are a poor shelter, I'm afraid. I apologize. How are you? Did you have a nightmare last night, as well?~
@258  = ~Yes, I did. An awful one.~
@259  = ~No, but I have nightmares of a similar nature from time to time.~
@260  = ~Do not belittle yourself, Xan. Your arms are a wonderful shelter - so slender, so beautiful. Look at those fingers - perfectly shaped and so sensitive, so... caring.~
@261  = ~<CHARNAME>... you remind me of the Rom woman, who tried to tell my fortune many years ago. She said I would pour poison into my goblet and drink it laughing, for I would love Murder above all else. It is good to know she was... wrong. But I was talking about your nightmares.~
@262  = ~If your nightmares are indeed the source of your eerie powers, they might give you the key to who you are. However, this way is too drastic and damaging. I do not know which is worse, shrinking from this path or embracing it.~
@263  = ~But I can help, albeit a little. Erecting a mental shield against your nightmares is beyond my current skill, but you may share my reverie from now on, if you want. Perhaps it will stop our dark visions. Or perhaps it will doom us together. Do you accept?~
@264  = ~Yes, I do. Thank you, Xan.~
@265  = ~Not for the moment.~
@266  = ~On second thought, I'd rather have the nightmares. Your daily whining is quite enough.~
@267  = ~Yes... I hope it will not happen again. My heart nearly stopped this morning... but enough of this. Let us go.~
@268  = ~Of course, <CHARNAME>. I hope that you will live to change your mind.~
@269  = ~Ah. So this is the way it is going to be. Very well, you shall not hear my whining again.~
@270  = ~I wish... <CHARNAME>, I am of no use to you, am I? While you cry in your sleep, my eyes are veiled with memories of home; while you dread your death, I revel in thoughts of the afterlife that awaits me, one of the People; you have five senses, while I sense things forever beyond your reach - how, of all things, can our... friendship be possible?~
@271  = ~But I care about you. And I find pleasure in talking to you. For me, it is enough.~
@272  = ~It is possible, Xan. If you allow it to be.~
@273  = ~Of course it's not! You are mad even to suggest such things.~
@274  = ~Thank you, <CHARNAME>. Perhaps... perhaps you are right.~
@275  = ~But will the bounty hunters allow it to be? Will Gorion's murderer go out of his way to let you enjoy my... attention? It is pointless, <CHARNAME>, utterly pointless.~
@276  = ~Yes, you are likely correct in this. I shall bother you no more.~
@277  = ~Have you ever thought about what would happen to us in the afterlife?~
@278  = ~"To us", Xan? Was it a figure of speech, or did you actually imply we would enter it together?~
@279  = ~We will go to Arvandor, I suppose. I know little about it, however.~
@280  = ~Yes, I have. Why?~
@281  = ~I do not think it really matters. We'll be dead, and that says it all.~
@282  = ~This is not the right time to talk about it, Xan.~
@283  = ~I was thinking of the Blessed Realm, Arvandor, and I wished to speak of it with you, though you are not a Tel'Quess.~
@284  = ~We've a very real chance to die together, but, alas, that does not necessarily mean we'll enter Arvandor hand in hand.~
@285  = ~We've a very real chance to die together, but, alas, even if you were granted a rite of passage to Arvandor, we would not enter it hand in hand.~
@286  = ~But to us, death is only the beginning. Even if you live a few more centuries, your face will remain beautiful, because the communal spirit grants you longevity and eternal youth. It also grants you the rite of passage to Arvandor when you die. You've had the link to the Plane of Arvandor, the Elven Paradise, ever since you were born.~
@287  = ~It matters, <CHARNAME>. You are not one of the People, and however beautiful your soul is, there is a very real chance that you will never see the Plane of Arvandor. But I'd rather not think of this now.~
@288  = ~You are right. There is probably no point in discussing the very thing we are steadily moving to embrace. In any case, you are too young to seriously consider the matter. Let us move on.~
@289  = ~Arvandor... We carry a piece of paradise within our souls, always. But will it be heaven for me, when I bring my turmoil into this sacred place? Ah, but I will not. While you may find yourself entering your afterlife unhindered, I will linger behind for centuries to come.~
@290  = ~Why is that?~
@291  = ~Of course you will. You're doomed.~
@292  = ~Xan, I am not interested. Let us continue on.~
@293  = ~That's my pride and my curse. Are you familiar with the history of the moonblades? No, I do not suppose you are.~
@294  = ~That is exactly what I have meant, though I suspect you are trying to jest again. You are such a child at times. *sigh* I cannot travel to Arvandor immediately after my passing, because of the moonblade I own.~
@295  = ~*sigh* As you wish.~
@296  = ~The sword I wield has a cruel tale to tell. It has originally been forged to choose a royal family, but now it is only a symbol, albeit an important one. The blade is thousands of years old, and it has passed through many hands, eventually ending up in mine. The previous owners are not simply dead, but their spirits are trapped within the moonblade, a terrible price to pay for using its abilities. Only when the blade's magic is no more are they allowed to travel to Arvandor. A similar fate awaits me in the end.~
@297  = ~Can't you just get rid of it?~
@298  = ~That's terrible! I am sorry, Xan.~
@299  = ~It is your duty. Regretting it will only make it worse.~
@300  = ~And good riddance, I say. Then you'd finally shut up.~
@301  = ~<CHARNAME>, a moonblade cannot be lost or abandoned. I nearly died when I became separated from it, due to Mulahey's courtesy. Besides, it is an object of honor, and I shall never give it up. No, I am afraid I am doomed to become one with it, and soon.~
@302  = ~As am I. There is no point on musing over it, however. What will come will come.~
@303  = ~But I do not have the heart to follow my duty, <CHARNAME>. It used to be my source of inspiration, but now there is nothing but sorrow and regret.~
@304  = ~Do these remarks bring you any satisfaction? No, I do not want to know. I do not want to hear your voice any longer.~
@305  = ~Sometimes I wonder what would have become of me, if I had never come by the blade. Perhaps my miseries started on the day I had acquired it. But that is a story for another time. Let us continue, <CHARNAME>, while we still can.~
@306  = ~I have promised to tell you about the day I claimed my moonblade, as I recall. Do you wish to hear it?~
@307  = ~Yes, I'd like to hear this story.~
@308  = ~I have no time for it now, Xan.~
@309  = ~I think I can guess some of it. A previous owner named you as an heir, had he not?~
@310  = ~Yes, there is always another battle to fight and another routine quest to complete. Will it ever stop, <CHARNAME>? No, I thought not.~
@311  = ~That is a custom among our kin, yes. However, in my case it was different.~
@312  = ~I rarely return to this memory, <CHARNAME>. In both the waking world and the reverie, I am trying to avoid it. But all things must be brought to the light sooner or later, however painful it is, or they will be forgotten. *sigh* I was very young then, perhaps even younger than you are now. The death of my sire was a terrible shock on its own, and the subsequent death of my sibling, who found his doom in Icewind Dale, added to it. After these events, I lost the will to live. Nothing was important, so when I realised that someone from my House had to step forward and claim the blade, I volunteered without thinking. Nevertheless, it was a terrifying experience, standing in a ray of blue fire and waiting for the uncertain death. You see, drawing the blade can easily result in the claimant's death, if the sword finds him unworthy. I have survived, but the reflection of this day haunts me, still.~
@313  = ~Hmph. So, the blade didn't kill you outright?~
@314  = ~Why were you found worthy, I wonder?~
@315  = ~That's horrible! I wish I could help you, any way I can.~
@316  = ~Your faith in my abilities is touching. No, it did not. For better or for worse, I am alive.~
@317  = ~You have already made me feel better by listening, and understanding. Thank you.~
@318  = ~I was already well versed in magic lore, and ready to protect Evereska to the last, with my life, if need be. I was also too young to commit any dark deeds to my name. Probably that affected the sword's decision. After all, a moonblade is only a semi-intelligent being, and I suppose a small child of a prominent House would claim it without any great risk to his health. But these are just my guesses; I will never know the true reason. *sigh* We should be moving, <CHARNAME>.~
@319  = ~*sigh* We're all doomed.~ [%tutu_var%XANNN17]
@320  = ~What a fresh and original idea! Why, I wonder?~
@321  = ~Indeed. Would you repeat the passage about our macabre death once again?~
@322  = ~*sniff* Life is so hollow...~
@323  = ~I don't think so. We have grown more skilful as of late, and both your magic and your blade protect me. Don't worry, things will work themselves out.~
@324  = ~<CHARNAME>, I am serious, but it seems you would make fun of everything, even your own death, given the possibility.~
@325  = ~Yes, things will be perfect when we are lying in our graves. Death brings everything into balance.~
@326  = ~<CHARNAME>... I would never be able to understand you. Look at me. Do you jest?~
@327  = ~Of course I do! There is only one person in the world with your gloomy outlook.~
@328  = ~No, I mean what I say, Xan. I want to die.~
@329  = ~It is as I suspected then. I wish you would grow up, but I suppose there is no point in wishing for the impossible.~
@330  = ~And spend an eternity of regret, alone with your sorrows? Be careful what you wish for, <CHARNAME>.~
@331  = ~We are trapped. No, I am. You will probably live through all this, while I will not. And if I do, what is the point? There will be the next mission, and others will follow, until my spirit finally finds itself where it belongs - confined in the moonblade I currently keep.~
@332  = ~A dreary fate, I agree. I am surprised you have the strength to go on.~
@333  = ~It is unlikely, Xan. You are a capable wizard and thus have centuries at your disposal.~
@334  = ~Why do you bring the subject up now? You have known it all along, haven't you?~
@335  = ~One could argue that existence is better than non-existence. I can feel wind in my hair, trees breathing under my fingers, a stream of running water deep below - it is better than pressing darkness and despair. And, of course, there is you.~
@336  = ~*sigh* <CHARNAME>... you are so young and naive you wring my heart. These centuries you are talking about are naught but phantoms. Life is a fragile thing. A stray arrow, a loose brick, a poisoned glass of wine, and you are dead. And I would not want this.~
@337  = ~I have, but much has changed. When I call to mind earlier days, I see myself calm and content with my fate. Duty was above all for me then; now it is different.~
@338  = ~All these years, I have travelled alone; now I have you as my companion and my friend. I am not sure if it is a right thing, however. I have grown attached to you; your safety is above everything for me, including my duty and my mission, and I fear it might be more than this. I am becoming more and more convinced I have committed a grave mistake. But I am rambling. Lead on, <CHARNAME>.~
@339  = ~As we move on, I begin to understand in earnest that the Fates have a twisted sense of humor. During my stay at the Academy of Magic, and later, I never had time to make any friends. It is ironic that I came to know you with my life coming to a close.~
@340  = ~Friends? What foolishness is this? You are here because you're useful, mage.~
@341  = ~Mmm... Xan, friends we are, but nothing more. I would not like you to think otherwise.~
@342  = ~Xan, it's not coming to a close, how many times do I have to tell you?~
@343  = ~I appreciate our friendship, regardless.~
@344  = ~Ironic indeed. Let's move forward and find out how it ends, shall we?~
@345  = ~An Academy of Magic?~
@346  = ~I have been living under a complex set of delusions, it seems. Excuse me while I gather my belongings. I do not think I can be useful to you any longer.~
@347  = ~Ah, thank you, <CHARNAME>. I was on the verge of leaving the group, but you have reassured me. My friendship you have, but I shall keep to myself from now on, if you do not mind.~
@348  = ~No, of course not. I am going to live a long, normal life, become a King of Evermeet and have twelve children.~
@349  = ~Oh, I do not think we need to go anywhere to find out. But if you insist... Regardless, I wanted to complete the thought, first.~
@350  = ~The place is the main reason why Evereska yet stands. It provides the best training in magic and arms - to those whose presence there is approved by the Council or sponsored by their families. It is a quiet, sheltered place, unlike this living hell we are struggling through. I have spent decades there and would spend more, were it not for my Greycloak duties. But you have distracted me.~
@351  = ~Ironic does not equal good. Our relationship will not lead anywhere, there's too much death around. And when it happens... I do not know what I would do if anything happens to you, and if I die... Perhaps it would be better if I left, and soon.~
@352  = ~Leave me alone, <CHARNAME>.~
@353  = ~I'm not even close to you. What started this?~
@354  = ~That was unexpected. Are you all right?~
@355  = ~As you wish.~
@356  = ~Perhaps it would be better if you left the party, then.~
@357  = ~But you are close to me. You are close and getting closer, and it is harder to bear with every passing day.~
@358  = ~All right? I have never felt better! I am going to die, my city will be lying in ruins within years, my spirit is going to be trapped in a lump of enchanted metal for nearly an eternity - everything is perfect!~
@359  = ~Yes, I wish it.~
@360  = ~I shall do so. Goodbye, <CHARNAME>... and forgive me.~
@361  = ~I want this torment to end, once and for all. You don't understand what I am talking about, do you? You have never been abducted and tortured; decades of aimless wandering do not wear you down; you have never loved anyone; you treat this life as an entertaining game. You don't even comprehend the notion of dying.~
@362  = ~You are hysterical. Calm down, Xan, I wouldn't like anyone stumbling upon us, let alone having another battle on our hands.~
@363  = ~Hey, I am here to help. Don't snap at me.~
@364  = ~I think I understand our situation perfectly, better than you do. You are afraid to live, afraid to feel joy or affection, aren't you? Why, "we are all doomed", so "what is the point"?~
@365  = ~I did not love? And how, pray, did you come to this conclusion?~
@366  = ~Fine. I'll leave you alone, if you wish.~
@367  = ~Ah, yes. Now you're rational and reasonable, and I am out of my mind. Fair enough.~
@368  = ~And you can help, by keeping a distance. Or are you a child who won't be parted from her favourite toy?~
@369  = ~Bravo, <CHARNAME>! I believe in a few months you will be able to enter Shar's priesthood; you sense hidden pains well enough to qualify.~
@370  = ~If you did, you would have... recognized it. I repeat my request: leave me alone.~
@371  = ~I've had enough of these illusions of safety and power. I am tired from this endless torture of guessing whether we will be alive in the morning, whether I will be able to... no. There is no point in further discussion. Just leave me be.~
@372  = ~<CHARNAME>, is it possible for you to survive without my services?~
@373  = ~Yes, of course. I am experienced enough to survive on my own, if need be.~
@374  = ~Why do you ask? Do you want to leave the party?~
@375  = ~No, I don't think it is. Your blade, your magic and your help are invaluable. I don't know what I'd do without you.~
@376  = ~This is good to hear. Then, I'll take my leave.~
@377  = ~What? Why?~
@378  = ~Fine. See if I care.~
@379  = ~It is my intent, yes.~
@380  = ~But... I do not understand. Will you desert your friend in need?~
@381  = ~Why? What are you going to do?~
@382  = ~Then go. I will manage without you, I'm sure.~
@383  = ~Please, do not do this! I need your help, I really do.~
@384  = ~My help? <CHARNAME>, it is worthless. I will not help you in your battles, for I have already lost the battle with myself. Don't make it worse: let me go.~
@385  = ~I do not understand you... what are you talking about? Why do you want to leave?~
@386  = ~Stop talking in riddles! What is it?~
@387  = ~Go, if you wish. I will not hold you.~
@388  = ~For the last few weeks, I was forcing myself to go on only because of you. It did not matter that you were probably doomed; nothing was important as long as you were alive. I will still defend you against anyone who wishes you harm, but I am not able to remain in your company any longer. I cannot stay, only to watch your death, or to have you witness mine, and to know that even in the afterlife, I am not likely to see you again for centuries on end. You are everything to me, but I shall leave, regardless. Forgive me.~
@389  = ~I think I understand. Leave, then, if you must.~
@390  = ~But what exactly has changed?~
@391  = ~You will leave? Even if I say that I feel the same?~
@392  = ~Xan... I can't return your feelings. But please, don't leave. I do not lie when I say I need you.~
@393  = ~Yes, it will be better for both of us. Fare you well, <CHARNAME>.~
@394  = ~I cannot believe you are blind and deaf. Come here. *sigh* However sad and sorry this feeling is... no, I will not malign it. I feel for you, <CHARNAME>, everything that a man can feel for a woman. Affection, attraction, love, desire - but it will not end well. It cannot.~
@395  = ~What?! No, you're not going anywhere after this.~
@396  = ~I... I could never hope you'd ever confess... I love you too, Xan.~
@397  = ~*grin* That's quite a revelation. Who are you, and what have you done to Xan?~
@398  = ~Xan, I am sorry, but I do not love you. Perhaps you indeed must leave.~
@399  = ~<CHARNAME>, you probably do not. It would be too good to be true. But if there is a slim chance that you do...~
@400  = ~I cannot, <CHARNAME>. I cannot switch my feelings at will. I wish you told me earlier... Goodbye.~
@401  = ~<CHARNAME>... you do not understand. I cannot go on. If it continues, you will be hurt. You will suffer when I die, and I won't have that. What is the point of shielding you from enemies, if I cannot protect you from myself? You have a chance to survive; you are capable and strong. When the Iron Throne is dealt with, you will be able to lead a normal life, while I will embrace another mission, and my trials will last beyond the grave, which is not far away. After I die, there is nothing, unless you'd like to keep the moonblade as a souvenir of sorts. I have seen our kin die of grief after one of the lovers has passed away, and the bond between them has been broken. It must not happen to you. Ever.~
@402  = ~I will try to forget you, then. Goodbye.~
@403  = ~Believe me, you will hurt me more if you leave.~
@404  = ~Can't you forget about the future, and stay with me, whatever happens?~
@405  = ~It is not a problem, Xan. I do not love you, so nothing of the sort will happen if you stay.~
@406  = ~<CHARNAME>, you do not know what you are asking for. What you suggest is sheer madness...~
@407  = ~<CHARNAME>, you are young, you will recover. No, do not look at me so, I...~
@408  = ~You need me in the party, and the feelings of your pet magician do not matter. *sigh* Very well, if you wish me to be a silent and obedient shadow at your side, your wish is granted.~
@409  = ~...I shall stay. *sigh* I'll remain with you... if only to run my fingers through your hair once again. You have enchanted me stronger than any of my colleagues could. <CHARNAME>, if you only knew how it scares me...~
@410  = ~Since we may fall to the wrath of our overwhelming foes any minute now, there is something I want to say to you, while I am still alive.~
@411  = ~You are as beautiful as hope, and just as elusive. Truly, you are the last ray of the bright glow of our people's twilight.~
@412  = ~Why, thank you, Xan. I hope that the sunset will last for another millennia... at the least.~
@413  = ~No, I am not. I was raised by a human, and I know little of the elves. I am a stranger amongst my own, and a familiar amongst the foreigners.~
@414  = ~It is a pity that we have so little time left. I wish we could continue this... discussion.~
@415  = ~I do not have words to convince you, Xan, but there is hope... I promise, there is hope.~
@416  = ~The world is truly ending, if the most beautiful of women walks with a bounty upon her head, and none can avert her dark fate.~
@417  = ~Are we talking about me?~
@418  = ~Xan, I do not know if I can make you believe me, but I am sure that my fate is far brighter than you think. How can it not be, when I have such a companion as Xan of Evereska by my side?~
@419  = ~Poor woman! We need to protect her! Why did you keep quiet about it? Is she... someone special to you?~
@420  = ~You are right. My destiny is but a small sign of the world's demise.~
@421  = ~My sins are known, Xan. I am my sire's daughter.~
@422  = ~Sunset that lasts a millennia would scorch Faerun...~
@423  = ~No, that is wrong, that is not what I wanted to say. The brighter the sun in its setting, the darker the night in its coming. So shine. Shine as long as you can. It is a better end to be scorched in your fires than to wither deprived of your light.~
@424  = ~Always looking at the bright side, aren't you, Xan?~
@425  = ~Thank you... I think.~
@426  = ~I am a ray, hope and sunset. You have a soul of a poet, Xan.~
@427  = ~The N'Tel'Quess who raised you never understood what disservice he did to you by locking you among his own kind. He thought that books might substitute for the bond with a community. He was wrong. Yet, you are more elven than you give yourself credit for.~
@428  = ~Do shine. Do shine as long as you can, for it is a better end to be scorched in your fires than to wither deprived of your light.~
@429  = ~I am a ray, hope and twilight. You have a soul of a poet, Xan.~
@430  = ~My foster father did all he could, Xan. Do not berate his efforts.~
@431  = ~Alas, we do not. Cruel enemies besiege us from all sides.~
@432  = ~There is none. Look for yourself: is not it a sure sign that the world is truly ending, if the most beautiful of women walks with a bounty upon her head, and none can avert her dark fate?~
@433  = ~Yes, <CHARNAME>... That, however, does not change the fact that it describes many other innocent prisoners of this sorrowful world.~
@434  = ~*sigh* Let us continue to pretend that we can defeat destiny.~
@435  = ~For what little it is worth, you have my sword and my magic at your disposal.~
@436  = ~No. Yes... No! Oh, this conversation is as hopeless an endeavor as any.~
@437  = ~It is the first time that I look at the bright side, and I fear that I am going blind already. Or mad. Knowing my bad luck, probably both.~
@438  = ~Seldarine, no! Those starry-eyed dreamers are not just the first ones to die; they also have an accursed gift of inspiring follies in others.~
@439  = ~Forgive me for showing disrespect to the man who is your father: he gave his life so you might live. But sometimes I am almost angry with him for placing such a burden on your shoulders. It is a debt that can never be repaid.~
@440  = ~It is not your sin, but that of the casual and frightening unfairness that abounds in this vale of sorrow.~
@441  = ~It is chilling to live in the last days.~
@442  = ~Walk with me away from others, <CHARNAME>. *smiles sadly* I have never felt an urge to steal anything ever before... but a moment with you, alone, is a temptation I cannot fight.~
@443  = ~I have noticed that you are not the fighting type.~
@444  = ~Neither can I resist the temptation to be alone with you for a few moments.~
@445  = ~HELLO, EVERYONE! Xan and I want to be ALONE for a few minutes! Shoo, shoo!~
@446  = ~Then allow me to steal you, my honest Xan. *grin* I bet that I can do it better than you can even dream of!~
@447  = ~Keep resisting. It builds up character.~
@448  = ~No, I do not love fighting. But what sane man does?~
@449  = ~Do not look for sane people in our midst. We are adventurers. We are different. So, do you want to steal me away from our companions for a few minutes, or not?~
@450  = ~If you feel the need to tell me some deep, dark secret, you can talk to me right here. Everyone is used to ignoring your laments.~
@451  = ~Oh, Xan... Is that why you are seeking my company? To make me feel guilty that I drag you around?~
@452  = ~Let us just walk aside as you have asked. I do not want to pass up this opportunity for a private chat.~
@453  = ~If your next battle strategy is as clever and devious as this, we may continue to escape our end for another few hours.~
@454  = ~*after slipping away* Thank you, <CHARNAME>.~
@455  = ~*You wait for Xan to continue.*~
@456  = ~*He cringes.* I have changed my mind.~
@457  = ~Now, if you will excuse me, I must sort my spell components. That is, if we are to even attempt resisting the monsters no doubt lurking in the shadows over there.~
@458  = ~I am quite positive that your skills in this field, however inadequate to ensure our survival, still greatly surpass mine.~
@459  = ~Of course! Whatever made me hope that you might grant me a moment of your oh-so-precious time?!~
@460  = ~Perhaps you've guessed that I wanted to be alone with you, but was too shy to ask and made a stupid joke, instead.~
@461  = ~I know not. But refrain from conceiving hopes of that nature in the future.~
@462  = ~You, Xan, experienced an emotion called 'hope'? I feel I must grant your wish in celebration of the occasion.~
@463  = ~Ah, but the bitter pleasure of seeing once again just how inconsequential all my words and actions are!~
@464  = ~And how hopeless are all my designs.~
@465  = ~Xan, stop this ballad of woe! I will walk with you.~
@466  = ~It is not true. I value your advice, but I am uncomfortable with the idea of a private conversation with you.~
@467  = ~Xan, if you wish to speak to me in private, now is your chance, since everyone ran out of earshot, thanks to my clever diversion tactic!~
@468  = ~No, that was not my intention at all. Please, forgive me if I have made you uncomfortable with my frivolous demand.~
@469  = ~Whatever made me hope that you might grant me a moment of your oh-so-precious time?!~
@470  = ~Perhaps you've guessed that I wanted to be alone with you, but was too shy to ask and made a stupid joke, instead.~
@471  = ~Truly?~
@472  = ~Y-y-yes...~
@473  = ~I would like nothing more than to converse with you, away from prying strangers and curious friends.~
@474  = ~Gotcha! No, of course not. What I am, mad or somethin'?~
@475  = ~*Xan gives you a wounded look that speaks volumes. You can rest assured, he will not impose his attentions upon you again.*~
@476  = ~This is a boon I dared not imagine. *after slipping a away* Thank you, <CHARNAME>.~
@477  = ~...~
@478  = ~Xan? You were saying?~
@479  = ~Xan? Er... I think you wanted to talk to me?~
@480  = ~Xan, much as I enjoy our companionable silence, time is running short. Was there something you wanted to tell me?~
@481  = ~Xan, much as I enjoy our companionable silence, time is running short. Was there something you wanted to tell me?~
@482  = ~Oh, Xan, I see so much when I look into these sorrowful eyes of yours. Do not look so incautiously, or I might think something... something improper. Talk to me at least... please.~
@483  = ~I have something I want to tell you, but none of the words I know are right; as ever, I have is a pocketful of glass beads when I need diamonds.~
@484  = ~I am sorry to have caused the boredom that is plainly etched on your face. Let us... let us join the rest.~
@485  = ~Xan, you did not-~
@486  = ~Wait, wait! I love glass beads! Wait... please.~
@487  = ~Suit yourself.~
@488  = ~And yet I have enjoyed our small sojourn. Perhaps it is true that silence can be more eloquent than words.~
@489  = ~It is no use. *Xan sounds like he means it. More than ever.*~
@490  = ~Did you? Oh, <CHARNAME>... Perhaps I can try - I do not believe that I can succeed, but I can try.~
@491  = ~*Xan suddenly stops and closes his eyes. When he first speaks, the words tumble out, but gradually his speech slows and his voice quiets, becoming no more than a whisper.*~
@492  = ~<CHARNAME>... More and more often I find myself lamenting not my upcoming death, but the dread of dying without knowing how your lips taste.~
@493  = ~*lick your lips* Blood... sweat... smoke... Oh! Some of yesterday's sausage, too.~
@494  = ~What?! All that tragic silence for some measly kiss?!~
@495  = ~*You raise your hand to his face. Your fingers tremble visibly as you cup his cheek and lean his head towards yours.*~
@496  = ~*Lift yourself on tip-toe and gently kiss Xan.*~
@497  = ~No, that cannot be... your lips, they will smell of clover and honeysuckle, they will taste like... like...~
@498  = ~Oh, brother. Kiss me already, you blabbering fool!~
@499  = ~Like ashes and mud... taste for yourself, if you do not trust me.~
@500  = ~*After what feels like eternity, Xan's lips find yours.*~
@501  = ~Like cream... it's just like cream...~
@502  = ~Now you can die in peace, I suppose.~
@503  = ~Oh... I was expecting honey or sweet wine... but cream is good, too.~
@504  = ~Never mind the taste! *grin happily* We've done it!~
@505  = ~My world... my whole world has changed in an instant.~
@506  = ~Oh, <CHARNAME>... your lips are like cream...~
@507  = ~You... you will not mind if I kiss you? Now? Just like that?~
@508  = ~*Lift your face up and howl madly.*~
@509  = ~Just like that... I want it, Xan, I want you to kiss me.~
@510  = ~*A look of concern reappears on Xan's face.* I should have been wiser than to do something as dangerous and unpredictable as kissing a woman.~
@511  = ~*whispers* Let us go, my gentle torment, let us go, my sweet misery.~
@512  = ~And so did mine. Perhaps we have wrought a small world were we can be safe together. Only you and I.~
@513  = ~You said: "Smile, Xan!", and I tried. I tried so hard, <CHARNAME>, but I cannot.~
@514  = ~Why is that, Xan? Have I done something wrong?~
@515  = ~*Troubled, you lift your eyes to look into Xan's.*~
@516  = ~Does not my love cure your sadness?~
@517  = ~You are in love, and you are loved - and still you found no joy. Is it indeed hopeless? Are my feelings in vain?~
@518  = ~No, <CHARNAME>, you have done nothing wrong. You are perfect. The world is not.~
@519  = ~I do not understand where you are leading, Xan.~
@520  = ~So, in this imperfect world even love is not enough to cure your sadness?~
@521  = ~Xan, you are tired and speak nonsense.~
@522  = ~Do not look at me like that, <CHARNAME>; your eyes are so full of sorrow.~
@523  = ~That is how you look at me all the time. It breaks my heart.~
@524  = ~I am sorry. I just wish I knew how to cure your sadness.~
@525  = ~I did not know... I am sorry.~
@526  = ~How should I look at you?~
@527  = ~It is as I have predicted: the love I feel for you only increases my torment. I cannot help but think of all the ways we could be parted by the forces that run this cruel world, and I am only a feeble man, one man, while our foes are many and mighty.~
@528  = ~We will create our own world... we will better this one. Please, do not give up on me... on us.~
@529  = ~There is no force that can part us, Xan. Our love is stronger than fate.~
@530  = ~Your forebodings were correct. I love you too much to see you turn into a madman. Let us forget about love and remain comrades in arms.~
@531  = ~We are through then, Xan. You do not have to endure my love any longer.~
@532  = ~I know now why a man does not choose to fall in love. The pain... the uncertainty... the madness of love can only be bestowed upon by merciless Hanali Celanil.~
@533  = ~Some think differently.~
@534  = ~Some think differently. Just look at Coran! He enjoys the tiniest flutter of his heart and hunts down the thinnest shade of love in any girl who glances at him.~
@535  = ~But once bestowed upon, how can we resist? It is futile to defy the will of the powerful goddess.~
@536  = ~Your every move, your every word imprints itself in my heart's memory. But at the same time I know for a certainty that this perfect memory will poison me once we are no longer together. Therefore I am afraid to enjoy your presence even if you are still with me.~
@537  = ~This world is too callous, too deceiving to let you last. Its malicious emptiness leaches perfection and dissolves it into nothingness.~
@538  = ~We will create our own world... or we will better this one. Please, do not give up on me... on us.~
@539  = ~I am tired... yes, I am so deathly tired. You will not forgive me, I know, but in time you will perhaps understand that I have done this for your benefit.~
@540  = ~I hurt you, the one I wish to save from even the slightest pain. I feel guilty and helpless.~
@541  = ~Perhaps it would be best if you did not look at me at all.~
@542  = ~You do not understand; our world will soon be in the shadow, as well. It approaches even as we speak.~
@543  = ~<CHARNAME>,I should have run from you. But I did not when I had a chance. Now I have doomed myself by loving a N'Tel'Quess. If I let this love become complete, if I bond to you, I will see you die all too soon, and die myself shortly after, spending my spirit in hopeless longing. And my other choice? Harnessing myself, holding back from being a whole with you... It feels like cheating. I could not stoop so low.~
@544  = ~More than that: I am part of the Elven Spirit, and you are not. The difference between us cannot be put into words, and worst of all, you are not even aware of it, being a N'Tel'Quess. Our passion will eventually wither and die without true spiritual union and understanding, and we shall be doomed to remain strangers to each other.~
@545  = ~It would be better if you loved a man of your own kin; it would be better if I did not love at all.~
@546  = ~I am so deathly tired. You will not forgive me, I know, but we cannot continue like this.~
@547  = ~Give me one reason why we should succeed where countless others have failed.~
@548  = ~I will be frank with you: if I cannot hold the man who loves me, and whom I love, I do not see the reason to keep fighting, to go on...~
@549  = ~We love each other. And, therefore, we cannot come to any harm.~
@550  = ~Because we are brilliant, young, and gorgeous!~
@551  = ~My golden fool, there is such a force, and its name is Death.~
@552  = ~Nonsense, but when you say it, it sounds portentous. I will have to think about your words.~
@553  = ~They do not think! They are like moths attracted to candlelight. Oh, surely, the bards dress their folly into pretty words and make others believe that it is a noble pain. But there is nothing noble in rushing head first into the pyre.~
@554  = ~But we have already jumped into the blaze. Now all we can do is to burn as brightly as we can.~
@555  = ~Coran is a fool! Have you not noticed that he acts like a moth attracted to candlelight? Oh, surely he dresses up his folly in pretty words and makes others believe that it is a noble pain. But there is nothing noble in rushing head first into the pyre.~
@556  = ~That is what I am doing: not resisting, allowing love to run its course and to do what all creatures do eventually: die.~
@557  = ~Clever words, <CHARNAME>. You have always been clever, but clever words do not change the nature of things. We are courting disaster.~
@558  = ~You will not forgive me, I know, but in time you will perhaps understand that I have done this for your benefit.~
@559  = ~You are of the Tel'Quess, you cannot kill yourself!~
@560  = ~As you have reminded me often enough, there is no lack of those who would be glad to do it for me.~
@561  = ~Watch me.~
@562  = ~I guess I can't. Damnable heritage! It's only good at causing problems!~
@563  = ~Xan, I love you...~
@564  = ~Do not you see that you burn twice as brightly and twice as quickly as I?~
@565  = ~Oh, Seldarine... My lifeblood spills before yours, <CHARNAME>. It cannot be otherwise.~
@566  = ~Why did you do that? Three simple words, and all my arguments are blown away. One cannot resist both Hanali Celanil and you.~
@567  = ~*Xan regards you for a while in silence, studying every shadow and shade of your face, every line and shape of your body.* May I ask your name?~
@568  = ~Er... <CHARNAME>, obviously... but I assume that it was not what you meant.~
@569  = ~Is this a trick question, Xan?~
@570  = ~By the sea and stars! Has love finally driven you mad, Xan?~
@571  = ~Of course, oh mysterious stranger.~
@572  = ~The wine skin in your hands looks almost full... it does not take much to dull your senses, does it?~
@573  = ~Do you mean my true name? My Elven birth-name? *smile cryptically* Guess.~
@574  = ~No, it was not, though I would never get tired of saying <CHARNAME>: no arcane incantation can compare to its magic. There is a deeper mystery you carry within yourself, however.~
@575  = ~When an elf is born, he is given a secret name that is only known to parents and, later in life, to those closest to him. I thought that you might not have one, being raised among the N'Tel'Quess.~
@576  = ~No, I do not have one... I do not remember my mother. Gorion had always called me <CHARNAME>.~
@577  = ~An interesting bit of lore... but would you love me any less if I did not have a 'special' Elven name?~
@578  = ~How peculiar. What is yours, if I may ask?~
@579  = ~Thank you for reminding me that I do not belong to your world.~
@580  = ~No, no... I was just thinking-~
@581  = ~You see, when an elf is born, he is given a secret name that is only known to parents, and, later in life, to those closest to him. But perhaps, you do not have one, being raised away from the Tel'Quess.~
@582  = ~Is it Estel, which in the High Elven means "hope"?~
@583  = ~Er... no. My name is <CHARNAME>...~
@584  = ~Estel? No, my name is not Estel... though I wish it were. It is very beautiful.~
@585  = ~No.~
@586  = ~Would you love me any less if I did not have a 'special' Elven birth-name?~
@587  = ~I am not drunk, <CHARNAME>.~
@588  = ~I cannot guess at it, for in a way, I am convinced that I know it. You will probably think me foolish, but in my heart I have called you Estel, which in the High Elven means "hope".~
@589  = ~You *are* foolish, Xan.~
@590  = ~I have a secret to tell you: You will probably think me foolish, but in my heart I have called you Estel, which in the High Elven means "hope".~
@591  = ~If... if you wish, I will make a gift of it. So you can take it as your true name.~
@592  = ~Thank you, Xan. It is a wonderful gift.~
@593  = ~Does it give you any special power over me?~
@594  = ~I am sorry, Xan, but I do not understand why I need a secret name. I am <CHARNAME>.~
@595  = ~I have to confess that I like <CHARNAME> better.~
@596  = ~Of course not. I would love you if you were nameless. It is only... Please, do not think me foolish, but in my heart I have called you Estel, which in the High Elven means "hope".~
@597  = ~*Xan hesitates for a moment, then he covers your palm with his. His fingers tremble: by the look of him, you are participating in an important ritual.*~
@598  = ~No! Do not tell me. It seems to be something... something I am not ready for.~
@599  = ~*You look at Xan, savoring the sensation...*~
@600  = ~I know how important the true names are for our people, Xan...~
@601  = ~A! *Xan flinches.* No... please, do not grow cold. I did not mean it that way at all. <CHARNAME>, I would love you if you were nameless.~
@602  = ~It is only... Please, do not think me foolish, but in my heart I have called you Estel, which in the High Elven means "hope".~
@603  = ~I thought that you might not have an Elven birth-name, being raised among the N'Tel'Quess.~
@604  = ~There is no hidden power in the true names, <CHARNAME>. However, they are a part of existence, it is what your very soul is called... and through it, you can understand the underpinnings of your own power. It is your talisman, which allows you to recognize who you are, and to find mentors and soul-companions on your quests.~
@605  = ~What if it is used for ill?~
@606  = ~Even if I had a true name, it was lost when my mother died.~
@607  = ~I have no use for this rubbish. True names, huh.~
@608  = ~My name is <CHARNAME>, and I like it.~
@609  = ~Then I will call you Estel... Estel'amin sometimes, for you have truly become my hope.~
@610  = ~That would be lovely, Xan.~
@611  = ~I have no use for this rubbish. Estel'amin, huh.~
@612  = ~You are rather abrupt - if I have given offence, please, forgive me. I love you deeply, <CHARNAME>, and I did not mean to force your trust. Perhaps you will accept this token of my devotion: I would like to reveal to you my true name.~
@613  = ~When did I become so incautious as to expect anything but a rebuke from the woman I love?~
@614  = ~I would very much like to hear you call me that.~
@615  = ~Allow me to say the Chant of Naming, and the name will become attached to you... like my heart.~
@616  = ~Thou art the lodestar between dark clouds,
Thou art the wind filling the lifeless sails,
Thou art the last thing a man would let go of
Thou art the only treasure I wish to possess
Estel of the swords 
Estel of the songs
Estel of the stars
Estel of calmness~
@617  = ~Estel'amin... my hope.~
@618  = ~How strange and wondrous. What is your true name, Xan... if I may ask?~
@619  = ~Thank you, Xan.~
@620  = ~No. *sigh* <CHARNAME>, there is nothing to be afraid of - strange though it may sound, coming from my lips. Knowing a person's true name forges a sentimental connection, it is a symbol of love and trust. As a token of my devotion, I would like to reveal mine to you.~
@621  = ~<CHARNAME> is a beautiful name... *whispers* Estel'amin...~
@622  = ~My parents called me Tahlimil - 'bonded' or 'promised to the blade'.~
@623  = ~My father had the gift of foresight. He had a vision of the shining moonblade, lying by the side of the crib the night before I was born. He interpreted it to mean that I would take the blade when he was no more.~
@624  = ~I hoped for so long that he was mistaken...~
@625  = ~It is a powerful name and fitting, Xan... Tahlimil. Thank you for entrusting me with it. I... I would love to return the favor and accept the name you gave me. Estel.~
@626  = ~It is a beautiful name.~
@627  = ~I like Xan better! And I think that so do you: it does not link you with the moonblade, which is both your honor and your burden.~
@628  = ~For ill? No, it cannot be used for ill, though the feelings expressed by revealing it can. The connection that is forged by knowing an Elven true name is sentimental... a sign of love and trust. <CHARNAME>, in this world, full of dangers and uncertainties, one thing you can be sure of is that I am incapable of harming you.~
@629  = ~I shall not rush your trust: it is too beautiful, too fragile, to risk it. But as a token of my devotion, I would like to tell you my true name.~
@630  = ~*Xan hesitates for a moment, then he covers your palm with his. His fingers tremble. By the look of him, you are participating in an important ritual.*~
@631  = ~*quietly* It is a gift from my father, <CHARNAME>. Like the moonblade.~
@632  = ~*Xan lifts his eyes to you, an unusual cheer in his normally perturbed glance. He pours some wine on the ground to honor the Seldarine, and fills two goblets.*~
@633  = ~All of us must die, but first we live, Estel'amin. I drink for life, and for life with you.~
@634  = ~Estel'amin...~
@635  = ~Tahlimil...~
@636  = ~What is it, Xan?~
@637  = ~<CHARNAME> will do.~
@638  = ~I ought to feel exhilarated to hear you say that, I know. But for some odd reason, I feel like I have just been granted the last wish of the condemned. I still do not believe that we have... what we have. How close we are. How did it ever become possible?~
@639  = ~Is this a rhetorical question?~
@640  = ~Because it was meant to be, why else?~
@641  = ~I do not think it could happen in any other way. Not after I saw you for the first time.~
@642  = ~Because we came to know each other, slowly... and came to love each other.~
@643  = ~I do not know, but I am scared we may lose it in a blink of an eye.~
@644  = ~*sigh* Probably. But never mind; I'd rather speak of more... mundane things tonight.~
@645  = ~Ah, of course: you have grown amidst Alaundo's works. I forgot that the denizens of Candlekeep set store by such things. But never mind; I'd rather speak of more... mundane things tonight.~
@646  = ~Ah, but our eyes did not meet across the crowded room, did they? That is, if you do not count kobolds for company. But never mind; I'd rather speak of more... mundane things tonight.~
@647  = ~But did we love, or did we come to realise we love? I have been reminiscing, and still I do not know. But never mind; I'd rather speak of more... mundane things tonight.~
@648  = ~It is not worth the trouble. You will keep going in circles until the thought drives you mad, and I should know. No, <CHARNAME>, do not think of death and loss tonight.~
@649  = ~Yes... <CHARNAME>...~
@650  = ~There is a question that has been lingering in the air too long. Though now I am about to utter the words, I feel dizzy, as if in a fever of some kind...~
@651  = ~There is no harm in asking, Xan.~
@652  = ~*grin* If it is another kiss you desire...~
@653  = ~I have a very shrewd suspicion about what you're going to ask...~
@654  = ~Oh, there is more to it, I'm afraid.~
@655  = ~I would share everything with you. My memories, my emotions, my life... or, rather, what little is left of it. I would stay with you... *sigh* yes, until I die. It was easy to guess, wasn't it? But I have to be sure you want it, as well. Will you have me? Will you have my joys and sorrows and give me yours in return? Will you allow me to forge the bond that will unite my world with yours? Will I have you in my arms tonight?~
@656  = ~You are doomed, Xan of Evereska, because the answer is "yes"!~
@657  = ~Now, if I could answer only the last question...~
@658  = ~I love you... and I want to be with you, as well.~
@659  = ~You will. But will you restrain yourself until I am ready to be with you as a woman?~
@660  = ~I am sorry, Xan. Such a commitment is not for me.~
@661  = ~...I wouldn't have asked you the previous ones. <CHARNAME>, be serious, for once.~
@662  = ~Yes, Xan. I will have you... if you will have me.~
@663  = ~No, I cannot promise I will stay with you.~
@664  = ~<CHARNAME>... I have forgotten how unbelievably young you are. But even just holding you close is a miracle beyond belief. And surely not the one to last, but let's not go there tonight. Tonight... there is only you.~
@665  = ~Then... then I can only wish you well. I should have left when I had the chance. Goodbye.~
@666  = ~<CHARNAME>... you have stunned me into numb disbelief. But no. No more words tonight.~
@667  = ~<CHARNAME>, your hair tickles worse than...~
@668  = ~Oh. I did not... realise... that it was real. You... are here... so close...~
@669  = ~Surprise!~
@670  = ~You've forgotten where you've fallen asleep, haven't you?~
@671  = ~Perfect. Now you have gone and spoilt a romantic moment!~
@672  = ~And so are you. Did you rest well?~
@673  = ~And a beautiful one at that.~
@674  = ~<CHARNAME>, your arms are impossible to forget. But yes, I feel as if my mind has been wiped clean after the last night. One cannot contain too much happiness in one's memory, I fear.~
@675  = ~I am sorry, <CHARNAME>. After the last night, my memory keeps playing tricks upon me. For several moments, I could not remember where I was.~
@676  = ~Yes, Estel'amin. Though... I have to keep reminding myself that I am awake.~
@677  = ~I woke up and there was no past, no future, no death, no danger – only you, young, asleep and so inconceivably beautiful. But I had been telling you of your beauty endlessly, had I not?~
@678  = ~Let me think... no. But you had distinctly told me how doomed I was. Ten times so far.~
@679  = ~I believe I've heard the word once or twice, yes.~
@680  = ~Beautiful? I think any woman would pale next to your... enchanting looks.~
@681  = ~Shhh... not now.~
@682  = ~And now that you are finally in my arms, I would say it again and again.~
@683  = ~Not you, no. In any case, I have never thought of my appearance other than a part of my craft. If it pleases you, I am more than glad. But I was talking about yours.~
@684  = ~You are beautiful, so beautiful I can barely believe you are here, with me. I would give anything for this to last. Cool tips of your fingers... your hair... your face... I would drink in your image endlessly, if I could. But it is time to move on, isn't it? The dream is over.~
@685  = ~There will be another night... and another dream.~
@686  = ~No, it's not. My foes can wait a day, I'm sure. Did you say "anything"?~
@687  = ~Onward, to futility!~
@688  = ~I wish I had your confidence. However... I have you, and that alone is worth a universe. Come, I have memorized my spells well enough to guide us through the day.~
@689  = ~<CHARNAME>, I am sorely tempted, but we have to go. Come, I have memorized my spells well enough to guide us through the day.~
@690  = ~*groan* <CHARNAME>...~
@691  = ~I hate bringing you back to the ground, but I have a bad feeling about this. There is suspense in the air, a heavy gaze I can physically sense. I fear the Fates have not finished with us, yet.~
@692  = ~What can it be? Surely, we are on the way to victory, aren't we?~
@693  = ~Oh my... we are doomed.~
@694  = ~Are you sure? I think you worry too much.~
@695  = ~I cannot say, but the feeling makes my hair stand on end. Walk with me, <CHARNAME>, perhaps it will pass.~
@696  = ~*sigh* I knew you would remind me of that. Yes, we are, and I am trying to forget it as hard as I can. Let us go, <CHARNAME>. There is no point in delaying the inevitable.~
@697  = ~One can be sure about such things. But my intuition has never steered me wrong before. I worry about what may come.~
@698  = ~"...During the days of the Avatars, the Lord of Murder will spawn a score of mortal progeny. These offspring will be aligned good and evil, but chaos will flow through them all. When the Beast's bastard children come of age, they will bring havoc to the lands of the Sword Coast. One of these children must rise above the rest and claim their father's legacy. This inheritor will shape the history of the Sword Coast for centuries to come..." ~
@699  = ~"...The spawn of the Lord of Murder are fated to come into their inheritance through bloodshed and misery. It is the hope of their father that only one shall remain alive to inherit his legacy. I foresee that the children of Bhaal shall kill each other in a bloody massacre..." ~
@700  = ~A very eloquent description, don't you think? "Chaos shall be sown through their passage." I have borrowed the book from the library, seeing the doppelgangers would not need it. So, what is your choice? Would you prefer killing your siblings, or simply bringing death and destruction to the land?~
@701  = ~Stop it. Now.~
@702  = ~I suppose another night of passion is out of the question, then?~
@703  = ~Xan, it's not my fault! Do you think I feel good about this?~
@704  = ~Yes! Yes, I am doomed. So run while you are still able!~
@705  = ~...forgive me. That was a banal and shameful hysteria, and it will not happen again.~
@706  = ~I am counting on it. It is bad enough without you throwing fits over old prophecies.~
@707  = ~I... accept your apology, I guess. Let us move on.~
@708  = ~Bhaalspawn, ha! I am not afraid! My Father's throne will be mine!~
@709  = ~You do not understand how it feels, do you? I am a Bhaalspawn! A monster! An abomination!~
@710  = ~Never mind. I do not want you to stay with me any longer: it is too dangerous. Xan, you must go.~
@711  = ~To tell you the truth, I do not feel particularly well, either, however unexpected to you it may seem. *sigh* But of course, it's nothing compared to how you must feel. I... I suppose I still do not believe it. Will I find fangs and scales when I touch your cheek? Do you truly have no afterlife, only a cold nothingness? It must be a hell to you... no, I do not feel my words will help. Let us away.~
@712  = ~I fear you have not yet fully realised what your wretched heritage means, and for once, I have no desire to elaborate on the point. I would shut my eyes to the truth at all, but that is impossible. *sigh* Yes, <CHARNAME>, let us continue.~
@713  = ~I would rather see you on Bhaal's throne than as a pile of dust at my feet. But you speak of something you don't comprehend: either evil is inconceivable. Alas, you do not have much choice... no, I do not even want to think about it. Let us move on.~
@714  = ~<CHARNAME>, <CHARNAME>... beautiful... calm down. It will be all right... no, it won't, but I won't have you thinking otherwise. *sigh* For the moment, anyway. Here... I won't allow your sire's shadow to fill your mind. You are here... with me.~
@715  = ~No. It matters not what you are going to say. I would not abandon you if you were a daughter of Lloth herself, and you will not push me away, as I had tried to do. Let us continue.~
@716  = ~*sigh* I've been dreading the moment all day. <CHARNAME>, what should I say now? That I'll die without you, Bhaalspawn or not? That for me, you'll never be a monster? That your face invokes desire, not repulsion?~
@717  = ~You don't need to tell me that. If you want me tonight, I will be yours.~
@718  = ~I know, Xan. I know. But it's still hard to... be a Bhaalspawn.~
@719  = ~Others would disagree. I don't doubt Beshabans would welcome a chance to expose me to the cleansing fire.~
@720  = ~I am fine, Xan. Let us rest.~
@721  = ~You misunderstand me. I am mortally afraid you will torment yourself about my possible reaction to your heritage, and my words were aimed to prevent it, not to force you into my bed. After today's events, it would be natural if you wanted solitude, though I'd be more than happy if you didn't.~
@722  = ~*grin* Happy? I would like to see you happy, for once.~
@723  = ~I... I would like to be alone, I think. Gorion's letter... everything... it is too much for me.~
@724  = ~It may help you to know you are not alone in this. I'll support you every step of the way, whatever path you choose. Of course, there is a minor matter of our countless enemies and my own inevitable doom, but you know all about it already, don't you? *sigh* Hopefully my life will prolong yours somewhat: at least it would have some purpose, then.~
@725  = ~Cleansing fire? My powers do not lie in this barbaric department, but I would expose them to eternal sorrow, if a single hair... if anybody dares touch... as much as lay a finger...~
@726  = ~<CHARNAME>, do not wish for the impossible. But wait... does that mean you will stay?... It does, doesn't it? Well... swinging you off your feet is as close to happiness as I am ever likely to get. Hold on, you are not going down for quite a while.~
@727  = ~I wish he told you earlier. But it is done, and cannot be helped. *sigh* I love watching you in your reverie, but this night your face will be far from peaceful, I fear. As will mine.~
@728  = ~Enough. You will not think of this any more: you are shivering as it is. You are not a monster, and those who would think so are far away. Though I must have seen a pair of hostile eyes only an hour ago... *sigh* But I am sure that was only a hallucination. You are real, here, now, and if I could hold you and make this night even more real, I would. Will you allow me? I told you my arms were a poor shelter before, but an illusion of safety is better than none.~
@729  = ~It is an enchanting illusion... and I accept.~
@730  = ~Not tonight, Xan. But will you take me to review some of your old, happy memories again? That would distract me, and I want to be distracted.~
@731  = ~I am sorry, Xan, but no. The day's events have been too overwhelming.~
@732  = ~Every time I try to respond with something appropriate, my head starts to spin so violently I am lost for words. Is it one of your divine powers? No, do not answer... let the magic remain.~
@733  = ~<CHARNAME>, you have not confused me with someone else, have you? My only happy memories are of meeting you, I fear. One might argue even that, given our current ordeal. Regardless, I shall try. Give me your hand...~
@734  = ~*sigh* I shall return to my spellbook, then. May no nightmares haunt you tonight.~
@735  = ~I have been thinking about your heritage for quite some time now. Well, it is hardly a surprise; I am not able to dwell on anything else. My trials pale next to yours, though there is a certain advantage in your situation: it cannot get any worse. No, wait... *groan* What was I thinking? It can always get worse.~
@736  = ~And it will. You could as well say, "We are invincible!"~
@737  = ~Worse? Up to which point? It could only get worse if we were separated, abducted, tortured, forced to lose our memories and souls, and finally killed. Who would want to do that to us?~
@738  = ~Xan, I really do not want to think about this. Will you just kiss me and forget about my heritage for the time being?~
@739  = ~No, <CHARNAME>, I believe it is your area of expertise.~
@740  = ~*sigh* <CHARNAME>, you would be surprised at how many of these... experimentalists are around.~
@741  = ~<CHARNAME>, I'll comply with your first request, but, alas, the second one is out of my hands...~
@742  = ~I am trying to keep the flippant tone for your sake, but it becomes harder to do. My hands are shaking so badly that it is almost impossible to concentrate on the simplest of spells, because the prospect of your death overshadows any other thought. I started to believe we were going to have decades, perhaps centuries together, but these were only illusions. The war Alaundo has prophesied will not leave you a single chance to survive, will it? Worse, it will destroy your spirit in the process. I hear your heartbeat through our link, but how long will it take until it ceases?~
@743  = ~What is your point?~
@744  = ~I do not think you can do anything to prevent my death. You'll have to accept this.~
@745  = ~We are alive now, and we shall be alive tomorrow. Isn't it enough for you?~
@746  = ~And this helplessness is the worst thing I have ever felt. I have accepted the fact that destiny plays cruel tricks on me, throwing me around like an autumn leaf, but I cannot stand the same happening to you.~
@747  = ~<CHARNAME>, days and years will trickle between our hands so fast that a decade will seem but a moment.~
@748  = ~I want to protect you. I would give anything to place you beyond the marble walls of Evereska, or green depths of Suldanesselar, though even these will eventually crumble. But neither queen Ellesime nor the Hill Council would allow a Bhaalspawn to enter their realms. You are doomed to remain a wanderer, much as you are today. *sigh* Well, that gives me a perfect opportunity to shield you with my body... or some such. Lead on, <CHARNAME>, I do not doubt an occasion will present itself.~
@749  = ~The end of our journey is close at hand. This could well be our last night together. You'll have to confront your brother in the near future, perhaps even tomorrow. That is not going to be the most pleasant of encounters, I'm sure. What are you going to do?~
@750  = ~I'll kill him without hesitation, of course.~
@751  = ~Do you mean Sarevok? Yes, he killed Gorion, and he will die.~
@752  = ~I... I do not think I want to kill him. But I seem to have no choice, as always.~
@753  = ~The bastard! He is not my brother and never has been.~
@754  = ~But he is, <CHARNAME>. Blood is not water, and divine blood doubly so. You'll feel the connection sooner or later.~
@755  = ~You will doubtlessly be forced to kill him, I suppose. Your sire's essence has twisted him completely, and it leaves no chance for negotiation. I would say his "Koveras" disguise leaves an option that he is simply insane, but your foster father's letter and other signs of his corruption tell otherwise. He is a gifted individual, and a dangerous enemy. Still, he is your sibling. I... I would not wish his blood on your hands. It may inflict an injury upon your spirit, a wound from which you will never recover. But of course, the words "no choice" follow you around like a hungry vulture, and it never ends... Shall I ever hear "and they lived happily ever after"?~
@756  = ~"Until he was trapped in his own sword, and she faded into dust?" That would make quite a fairy tale, I think.~
@757  = ~Do not think about that, Xan. Enjoy what we have.~
@758  = ~Shall I ever hear "enough of this talk"?~
@759  = ~This is not something one stumbles upon every day, I agree. If only it was just a fairy tale... *sigh* No, I think you've had enough of my ramblings. Come here... I do not want anything else to trouble you tonight.~
@760  = ~Living for the moment is not something I ever wanted to do. On the other hand, who can say I've more than a moment at my disposal? *sigh* Never mind. Let's try to make it a pleasant moment, then.~
@761  = ~Your wish is my... oh. Yes. Enough of this talk.~
@762  = ~<CHARNAME>, before we die, I have another issue to speak to you about. Ironic as it may seem, it concerns our future.~
@763  = ~What future?~
@764  = ~Of course, Xan, what is it?~
@765  = ~Can't it wait? We are to meet Sarevok in a few minutes.~
@766  = ~I am perfectly aware of that. We are standing on the edge of a precipice, and the rock under our feet is crumbling. But I think you must know what I have to say, before we wander into death's arms.~
@767  = ~Yes, that was exactly what I meant. You are insufferable, do you know that?~
@768  = ~No, it is you who is insufferable. I am mirroring you, that's all.~
@769  = ~*grin* Am I stealing your lines?~
@770  = ~No, I am simply reminding you of what is to come.~
@771  = ~Don't. It is easy to fall in love with a mirror, but I prefer you as you are.~
@772  = ~*sigh* You had already stolen everything of me there was to steal.~
@773  = ~My memory is as good as it ever was. I fail to see why I need another reminder. Yes, the finale is near, and it is possible that one or both of us will die. I only hope it would be me. The visions about you turning to dust are bad enough without looking forward to a practical demonstration.~
@774  = ~When... if... it is over, I will have to abandon you for a few weeks. A long time, I know, but I see no other way. I have to report on my mission... and ask my superiors' permission to leave. I am going to resign.~
@775  = ~Will they let you go?~
@776  = ~Are you... are you going to travel with me after you return?~
@777  = ~This is good to know. Still, we'll have to confront Sarevok first.~
@778  = ~Can't I come with you?~
@779  = ~<CHARNAME>, I am not a member of the Black Network, as you probably recall. Greycloaks do not kill those who are no longer willing to participate.~
@780  = ~*sigh* <CHARNAME>... you do not think I'll stay at the Ducal palace and start teaching the guards magic, instead, do you? Yes, I am giving up my illustrious career to remain with you.~
@781  = ~I wish it were possible, but given your parentage, it is not.~
@782  = ~If we lose the battle, there is no future. But if we win, this short separation will mean nothing. It might be dangerous for you to stay in the city: too many suspect your true lineage. But wherever your mad destiny hurls you, wilderness, city or dungeon, I... I'll find you, and we'll walk together again. I promise. *sigh* That, or you might start looking for my dead body in a few months.~
@783  = ~And the last thing, before the darkness descends... I love you. From the Nashkel mines to the Undercity, to the grave and beyond, in the Dreamscape and in the Prime - I love you, and I always will. Come. It is time.~
@784  = ~<CHARNAME>, you have ventured on the dangerous path. If you continue in this manner, the Flaming Fist will soon hunt you, together with brigands and bounty hunters. We shall be doomed, and I have half a mind to say "deservedly".~
@785  = ~I know, Xan. Believe me, it will never happen again.~
@786  = ~So what? I shall crush them all!~
@787  = ~It's none of your business. Leave me be.~
@788  = ~That is the type of the person I am.~
@789  = ~I hope so. It is your life to lead, but I would not like it to come to the bitter and abrupt end.~
@790  = ~*sigh* I doubt it. Think on my words, <CHARNAME>, before it is too late.~
@791  = ~Oh, I shall.~
@792  = ~There are no "good" or "evil" types, <CHARNAME>. Only the deeds matter, and yours now are suicidal, to say the least.~
@793  = ~Don't you have enough enemies already? Stop this madness, <CHARNAME>!~
@794  = ~What for? I am enjoying every second of it!~
@795  = ~Xan, I am really sorry. It will stop.~
@796  = ~Wait a little... two more corpses, and I am finished.~
@797  = ~If you don't like it, you are free to go.~
@798  = ~I suppose I should be grateful that I am still alive, but I cannot take part in this any longer. Excuse me.~
@799  = ~Will it? *sigh* Very well.~
@800  = ~<CHARNAME>, no! But... there is no point in telling you anything, is there? Goodbye.~
@801  = ~I will. I see no hope in staying in your company, at any rate.~
@802  = ~Every time we pass a town, you become its hero. Starving orphans, helpless citizens and innocent victims meet on your way with frightening frequency, as well. But still it is up to you, whether to risk your neck for people you barely know. You do. Why?~
@803  = ~Good deeds are their own reward, Xan.~
@804  = ~Because I enjoy the admiration of the crowds, why else?~
@805  = ~I have risked my neck for you, once, in Nashkel mines. Have you forgotten that?~
@806  = ~I do not enjoy it, Xan. It just keeps happening.~
@807  = ~You are a moonblade wielder, Xan, you must understand. I feel it is my duty to help people everywhere, much as you are obliged to defend Elves and Elvendom.~
@808  = ~*sigh* And never go unpunished, they say.~
@809  = ~It is tempting, yes. But there is also the amount of negative attention you receive. Eventually, the second will overweigh the first, the crowd will disperse before a single assassin, and he will only have to make a single shot to finish your life.~
@810  = ~You did not do so knowingly, but that is not the point. Except for the few, nobody of those you have saved would risk their life to save yours, while the number of your enemies increases with every rescued child or maiden. Nothing good will come of your "heroic" acts.~
@811  = ~Then it is a strange set of coincidences, indeed.~
@812  = ~I have nothing to say to this... except that I admire your dedication. But I fear it may cost you your life in the long run, as my duty will undoubtedly claim mine.~
@813  = ~*Xan suddenly gives a sigh that sounds suspiciously like "Oh well, I might as well try it", and steps up to you. An odd glint in his eyes makes you wonder what he is going to do...*~ [X#BLANK]
@814  = ~*Xan is fumbling with his spellbook, opened on a page with a charm spell scribbled hastily in the middle. For some odd reason, his ears go bright red as he sees you approaching, and he hastily shoves the book into his backpack.*~
@815  = ~*The distant breeze brings in the smells of the sea, invoking memories of Candlekeep. Xan looks at you and smiles wistfully.* They say that the voice of one's soul depends much on the place where their upbringing took place. Your soul's voice is the voice of the sea: never ceasing, murmuring, whispering, inviting mine own soul to wander in abysses of solitude - or to lose itself there. How many souls have perished in these journeys, <CHARNAME>?~
@816  = ~*Xan sighs and turns away, covering his eyes with the back of his hand and apparently aware that he has said too much.*~
@817  = ~Have you noted the beauty of the places we have travelled through? The forests of the Sword Coast are surpassing the woods covering the Greycloak hills, even. I wish I could take you there, so you would see for yourself... but, alas, while the memories of my home are ever fresh and sharp, the road to Evereska remains long and dangerous. *sigh* It is indeed a pity.~
@818  = ~*Xan is drawing something on a page torn out of his spellbook. Judging by the wayward glances he throws at you now and then, you can easily guess the nature of this sketch.*~
@819  = ~*He yawns, looking tired, and leans on the moonblade for support.* <CHARNAME>, I do not want to imply anything, but are we going to rest? It will be unfortunate if I die from exhaustion tonight. Unfortunate for me, of course.~
@820  = ~I have just been musing over the first meeting with you - and I am still unsure whether it was fortunate or otherwise. You have saved me from Mulahey, but our recent battles almost make me wish I stayed in that forsaken cave.~
@821  = ~And, of course, there is another reason... But I'd rather leave it unsaid.~
@822  = ~How long have you been on the road, <CHARNAME>? Weeks? Months? You almost seem more powerful and experienced than myself. I can hardly believe that... and it frightens me. Nobody I knew previously was capable of making such notable progress in so short a time.~
@823  = ~*Xan makes a step in your direction, but his shoes, soaked through after the last rain, give an unpleasant squelch. His silken robe is dripping wet, too, and together with his damp hair it creates a rather pitiful sight on the whole. Something must have shown in your face, for Xan flinches and sharply turns on his heel, pulling his cloak tighter around him as he walks.* ~
@824  = ~<CHARNAME>, if we are going to die anyway, will you-~
@825  = ~*Xan stops, looking very surprised at himself.* Never mind. The weirdest things come to my head these days.~
@826  = ~*sigh* These days, I am enjoying many things: my freedom, your company, our relative luck. But soon, it will end. It must - and shall.~
@827  = ~*His cool fingers briefly touch your neck, brushing away something you cannot see. It flashes past, and as you glance down, you see a twig lying on the ground. While you stare at it, Xan carefully rearranges your hair back in place and resumes walking.*~
@828  = ~*Xan makes a motion to take your hand, but instead his fingers slowly slide along your wrist, leaving your skin to tingle and shiver.* ~
@829  = ~*His lips are framing words you cannot understand, and you frown as you struggle to guess their meaning. Then you realise that Xan is probably reciting some Elven poetry, and by the way his eyes travel over your face, you suspect it is not about your upcoming death, not at all.*~
@830  = ~*Noticing your gaze, he gives you an ironic bow and walks away.*~
@831  = ~Do you fear anything, <CHARNAME>?~
@832  = ~Death.~
@833  = ~I fear you, Elf, and your questions.~
@834  = ~I fear that nobody will ever love me.~
@835  = ~I am scared that more of my companions will die.~
@836  = ~I am afraid of my nightmares, and the voice within.~
@837  = ~No, there's nothing.~
@838  = ~*Xan shudders, his hand instinctively grasping yours.* The way you've said it... <CHARNAME>, do not do that to me again.~
@839  = ~Do you? Then ask these questions to yourself. The knowledge of your fears will help you survive, if not for long.~
@840  = ~They say it is better to cross empty arms over an empty heart than risk the pain of a broken one.~
@841  = ~*There is a far-off expression on his face.* There is no better death than dying to save the one I...~
@842  = ~*Xan stops abruptly.* Yes, you are right: it may happen. And probably will.~
@843  = ~*Xan briefly squeezes your hand.* I understand. My own visions can be bad enough. Fortunately, your nightmares do not occur often... and will not, I hope.~
@844  = ~Nothing? It is strange, very much so. But you are young, the fear will come. As will... other feelings.~
@845  = ~*At precisely that moment, a strong gust of wind uncovers your head and sends your hair flying. Before you can do anything to push it back, Xan catches the whole mass in his palm. He stares at it for a long moment, forgetting himself completely, as he gently twists your tresses between his fingers. Then he grimaces briefly, and tucks the locks under your cloak.*~
@846  = ~*You catch a look of unusual tenderness in his face. He struggles to say something, but sighs, passes a hand in front of his eyes with a frown, and turns away.* ~
@847  = ~*Before taking his place in the line, Xan looks around and gives you an ironical smile* No, <CHARNAME>, I was not going to say "we're all doomed", in case you were wondering.~
@848  = ~*Xan approaches you, twirling a brush in his hands and looking strangely hesitant.* <CHARNAME>, do you have anything against extra magical protection? I have some experience with magical wards, and I do believe they will help against your enemies, if applied on your skin properly.~
@849  = ~On my skin? Not in this lifetime.~
@850  = ~No, thank you, Xan. I am protected well enough already.~
@851  = ~Interesting. Let's try it.~
@852  = ~Yes, <CHARNAME>, as you say. *As Xan walks away, you clearly hear a sigh of relief.* ~
@853  = ~*For a second, the color drains off Xan's face, but then he composes himself. You allow him to steer you away from the group, where you settle down, with him sitting in front of you. Xan frowns, looking at the brush, and under his gaze, it flashes blue, yellow, and finally, pitch black. He shakes away the clinging drops and slowly draws his hand towards your collarbone.*~
@854  = ~*The touch of the brush is light and soft, though it stings your skin, ever so slightly, with whatever magical components are added to the paint. It glides along your collarbone in slow, delicate and rhythmical strokes, following some mysterious pattern. You cannot see what it is, but Xan obviously does, for his eyes are transfixed on the image, his lips are slightly parted, and you have not heard his breathing for quite some time, which might be only partially due to his artistic inspiration.*~
@855  = ~*The tip of the brush moves down again, tracing a line to your cleavage, and you feel Xan's fingers burning hot through the brush. The movements of his hand become slower and gentler, until they resemble caresses, not brush strokes, and your own breathing suddenly seems heavier.*~
@856  = ~*Whether your reaction is too much for him, or he is truly done with the patterns around your neckline, but Xan withdraws the brush, and the next moment, his other hand gently tilts your head upwards, as he starts to work on your neck once again. However, he only makes the situation worse, as his left arm now lies on the nape on your neck, supporting you, and his face is bent over yours.*~
@857  = ~*His eyes momentarily leave the tip of the brush and dart to your face. As your eyes meet, the brush falls from his fingers.*~
@858  = ~*You bend to pick it up.*~
@859  = ~*You wrap your hands around his shoulders and kiss him on the lips.*~
@860  = ~Xan, weren't you supposed to... paint runes?~
@861  = ~*do nothing*~
@862  = ~*Before you are able to say or do anything, Xan sharply shakes his head.* Do not move. The wards are not yet complete; it can be dangerous.~
@863  = ~*Xan quickly picks the brush from his lap and resumes his work. However, this time his movements are swift and sharp, and his face betrays nothing but calm concentration. The wonderful feeling of being the center of his universe is gone; he is pensive and gloomy, his fingers are cold, and his lips are tightly closed.*~
@864  = ~*Soon, his work is complete. He sighs, helping you up.* <CHARNAME>, I was a fool to have suggested it in the first place. When magic and emotions collide, it is a disaster waiting to happen, and we have taken enough risks already. My... loss of concentration could cost you your life, were the circumstances different. I shall not endeavour it again.~
@865  = ~*He draws the moonblade out of its sheath, looks at it for a long moment, then turns his gaze to you... but says nothing.*~
@866  = ~*Then a shadow passes over his face, and Xan turns away with a sigh.*~
@867  = ~*Xan looks over your garments, covered with blood and grime after the last battle, and his lips go white.* <CHARNAME>, may I ask you not to risk yourself needlessly?~
@868  = ~Xan, I am trying my best as it is.~
@869  = ~No, you may not. Risk is my life, and I won't allow you to take it away.~
@870  = ~You are? Ah, but of course. That was a naive question of me to ask. It was absurd even to suggest you have any influence on the matter. But how I wish you had...~
@871  = ~<CHARNAME>, when you are dead, neither risk nor adventure will attract you in the slightest. And dead you will be, if you continue in this manner. One of these days, the blood on your cloak might well be yours.~
@872  = ~*The air is hot and steamy, and your brow is already covered with perspiration. Xan obviously has noticed that, for he mutters a spell, and a handful of ice cubes falls into his lap. He picks one of them and approaches you.* <CHARNAME>, may I?~
@873  = ~*Allow him to proceed.*~
@874  = ~*Take the cube from his hands and trace it along your face.*~
@875  = ~No, I am well enough, thank you.~
@876  = ~*He brushes a stray lock of hair from your eyes, and his fingers start massaging your forehead, tracing the ice cube along your temple. You close your eyes, reveling in cool, exquisite sensations of his fingertips on your skin, as they slowly move across the curves of your face. When they are done with your forehead, they start tracing your cheekbone, your eyebrow, the other temple, the roots of your hair, never missing a single spot.*~
@877  = ~*The ice starts to melt, and cold streamlets run down your face and neck, soothing your heated skin. You hear a subdued gasp, as the first drop disappears under your cloak, and his hand stops for a moment. Then his fingers resume their current course, but they move slower, and you can tell it costs Xan an effort to keep them steady.*~
@878  = ~*Eventually, the ice cube is gone. For a second, Xan's fingers linger on your face, but as you open your eyes, he withdraws, averting his gaze, and you see that his face is becoming more pained and grim with every moment.*~
@879  = ~*Even if a horde of orcs overwhelmed you at the moment, Xan would not stop staring at you, it seems. As your fingers slowly move across your cheeks and jaw, he is completely mesmerized, and when you turn your attention to your neck, you see a very rewarding sight of his face turning bright, colorful pink.*~
@880  = ~*Xan drops the cube, and reaches to stroke your hair, pushing the sweat-dampened locks away.* You are always welcome, <CHARNAME>. *sigh* Always.~
@881  = ~*Xan gives you a half-adoring, half-wistful look you are so familiar with. He does not stop at that, however...*~ [X#BLANK]
@882  = ~*Xan gently gathers the stray strands and wisps of your hair and tucks them behind your ears, twirling each hair slowly between his fingers as he does so. The sensations your body receives from his light, repetitive movements are almost making you purr.*~
@883  = ~*His fingers drift tentatively along your arm in long smoothing strokes. The fingertips are barely touching your skin, but his touch sends mild shivers up your arms just the same.*~
@884  = ~*Xan is fully absorbed with your arm, but, noticing that you are doing the same, he hastily lets go.* I did not want to distract you. Some peril is surely awaiting us ahead; I do not doubt that it was the last pleasant moment we enjoyed.~
@885  = ~Lately, I complained that I was no longer able to tell the reality from the waking dream: deaths, battles and nightmares expected me at every corner. Now, however, this unfamiliar feeling of happiness makes me think I am already in Arvandor. Though this would, too, be a nightmare of a sort: Arvandor, while serene and safe, lacks you. Thus, should I by some unlikely chance wind up in the Blessed Realm, I would no longer be happy there.~
@886  = ~*Xan sighs and kisses your cheek.* But I am more than happy as it is, I suppose.~
@887  = ~<CHARNAME>, have you had any more nightmares recently?~
@888  = ~Yes, Xan. They never cease.~
@889  = ~Not that I remember, no.~
@890  = ~*Xan swiftly crosses the distance between you and cradles your face in his palms.* My <CHARNAME>... why would your own mind torment you so?~
@891  = ~It might be the blood of Tel'Quessir in your veins that protects you. In any case, I hope you will not experience these horrors again.~
@892  = ~We met in strange times, don't you think? Bare years ago, the Time of Troubles left its bloody trail upon Toril. Now, the human Alaundo's prophecies are rumored to have started fulfilling. I wonder whether our meeting was foretold, as well?~
@893  = ~But no; I am probably giving myself too much credit.~
@894  = ~It is said that there are but two ways of love - love at first sight, and the slow fusion of two natures. Which is it that describes my own emotions? On one hand, I do not remember a moment when I have known you and yet not loved you; on the other hand, my feelings for you grow deeper with every passing day.~
@895  = ~*He traces a finger along your cheek, very gently.* I do not know why, and how, but I love you. Till death do us part.~
@896  = ~During my wanderings in human lands, I heard an old proverb: "work like you do not need money, love like you have never been hurt, and dance like no one is watching". I cannot call adventuring honest work, and neither can I say anything distinct about love... but will you dance with me tonight? The carpet of the fallen leaves, or the dusty floor of a tavern's parlor, it matters not.~
@897  = ~Of course! How can I miss such an opportunity!~
@898  = ~Very well.~
@899  = ~I do not wish to dance, Xan.~
@900  = ~*Xan silently squeezes your hand.*~
@901  = ~*sigh* It is as I feared, then.~
@902  = ~Because of you, I have learned to appreciate the reality that surrounds us. But sometimes I think that we do not exist at all - that we are just phantoms in someone's cruel imagination. Though if I was to learn this fact with dead certainty, I think that it would reassure me immensely: at least it would make my suffering seem immaterial and insignificant.~
@903  = ~*With a light sigh, Xan takes your hand. His warm, clinging fingers twine amongst yours immediately, and you suddenly feel safer, as if you have just laid some of your troubles on his shoulders. A deep sigh that you hear a second later proves it well enough.*~
@904  = ~*Xan leans down, and your lips meet in a soft, eager open-mouthed kiss. He kisses your eyes before stepping back awkwardly.*~
@905  = ~*He slowly takes your hand, caressing your palm as he speaks.* I was a fool, <CHARNAME>. I thought myself hopelessly enamoured of Death, while in reality Death proved to be my worst rival: the one I will never be able to defeat however I try. What do we do? How shall we live, with love, but without hope?~
@906  = ~Yes, Death is near, but you have no other rivals. Be content with that.~
@907  = ~You are your own worst rival, Xan. I have told you, time and again: where there's love, there is hope.~
@908  = ~I remember that you've promised to die defending me. So, look at the bright side: if I die, you probably won't even see it!~
@909  = ~*Kiss Xan on the lips, quickly and lightly.*~
@910  = ~*flinches* You have a rare gift of reminding me that it always can get worse. Normally it is the other way around... and I cannot say which one is best.~
@911  = ~Where there is you, there is hope, I agree. But when you are no longer, <CHARNAME>, what then?~
@912  = ~Your logic is impeccable. But, alas, it is still a small consolation.~
@913  = ~<CHARNAME>... you wield strong remedial powers indeed. But I beg of you, do not abuse it, or I shall lose the last morsels of sense I possess.~
@914  = ~*There is a bunch of yellow flowers in his hands, and for the last few minutes, Xan has been twisting it, winding the bare, slender stems together. You watch as they form a bouquet, a garland, and finally, a wreath.*~
@915  = ~*say nothing*~
@916  = ~Xan, what are you going to do with it?~
@917  = ~Is it... is it for me?~
@918  = ~*He raises his head and gives you a long, thoughtful look.*~
@919  = ~I thought the exercise would steer my thoughts clear of you, but all things bright and beautiful only bring your image back, it seems.~
@920  = ~*He looks back at the wreath, and you cannot help but notice that his fingers are caressing it with unusual fondness, and there is a very soft expression on his face.* Of course, if you want it, you need but say a word.~
@921  = ~I do.~
@922  = ~Perhaps another time.~
@923  = ~*As he sets the wreath upon your head, Xan momentarily presses his cheek to your hair, drinking in its scent, and you hear him murmur something in Elven.*~
@924  = ~Let us continue, then. *sigh* I shall do my best to find another distraction, though I have no doubt it will be for naught yet again.~
@925  = ~*He speaks as if to himself, his face remote and distant.* The world is doomed. Perhaps the faraway lands, the new lands will survive, but here and now, we are a living, breathing and already half-forgotten memory. The forests are receding. Where an Elven Lord of old allowed humans on his lands, now he has to fight for every inch of it. Take Cormanthyr, take Tethyr - there is no hope left! So why do I walk with you, why do I allow butterflies into my heart, why do I expect miracles?~
@926  = ~*Xan looks at you, shakes his head hopelessly, and walks away.* ~
@927  = ~<CHARNAME>, why me in particular? Why not one of the heedless, handsome youths from whom you might choose as and when you would?~
@928  = ~My choice accords with the moonblade's. I find worth in you.~
@929  = ~Because I prefer the harder choice. That is my nature.~
@930  = ~I love you; isn't it an answer enough?~
@931  = ~Who? Coran? Or Ajantis? I had to take what was available.~
@932  = ~Oh, you certainly have a lot in common. Namely that I will die if separated from either of you.~
@933  = ~*Xan presses your hand to his lips.* I will pray my thanks to Hanali Celanil for your preference, then.~
@934  = ~*Xan takes you into his arms, holding you so tight as though he is afraid you will disappear.* More than one can ever hope for.~
@935  = ~*A brief, pained grimace crosses his face.* Available? I... I see. *sigh* I have brought it upon myself, I suppose.~
@936  = ~<CHARNAME>, there are many things we cannot escape, and many things we must accept. But here, today- ~
@937  = ~*Xan leans in to kiss you, his fingers resting lightly behind your ears, and his lips barely touching yours.* You are with me, alive and well. That is all that matters to me now. And, perhaps, forever more.~
@938  = ~*His arm wraps around your waist, and another slides along your cheek.* <CHARNAME>, if you only knew how I longed to do this...~
@939  = ~Why, I know. What you don't know is how I longed to do this... *slip your arm around his waist*~
@940  = ~*grin* You should have tried it earlier.~
@941  = ~Xan! Not now, please.~
@942  = ~We were thinking along the same lines, it seems. But I could not risk it, not if it could hurt you... and myself.~
@943  = ~*Xan kisses your cheek* I am glad it did not.~
@944  = ~*He immediately withdraws.*~
@945  = ~*Xan takes your hand in his and sighs.* There is high spring in the air, there is mirth and music, the leaves are light and laughing, and yet we are stumbling blindly to our deaths, instead of walking our road in peace and joy. <CHARNAME>... were we born millennia ago, when the People walked freely on their lands, everything might have been different.~
@946  = ~*He leans towards you, and a curtain of fine brown hair falls on your face, blocking out the light.* <CHARNAME>, you are beautiful-~
@947  = ~*His fingers pinch your nose slightly, wiping off a speck of dirt. You are half-expecting him to draw back, but instead, his hand slides along your cheek and down your neck, caressing the hollow of your throat with reckless, uncharacteristic daring. It stops there, his fingers lightly resting on your pulse; then he gives a sharp intake of breath and steps back.* And your beauty will be the death of me, it seems.~
@948  = ~*He gently takes your hand, his fingers intertwining with yours, and you walk arm in arm.*~
@949  = ~*Xan takes you by the shoulders and draws you close, looking straight into your eyes.* <CHARNAME>, if this madness ever stops... if, by any miniscule and insignificant chance, we survive...~
@950  = ~*He takes a deep, shuddering breath and releases you.* No. It is hopeless even to think of such things. We are condemned to misery, and it is pointless to redouble it.~
@951  = ~*You wake up suddenly, an icy sensation crawling over you. The morning has not yet dawned, and your companions are still curled in their bedrolls, fast asleep. All of them, except Xan, who is nowhere to be seen.*~ [X#BLANK]
@952  = ~*Go back to sleep.*~
@953  = ~*Get up, throw a cloak upon your shoulders and start looking for the elf.*~
@954  = ~*An hour later, Xan staggers into the camp, pale and drawn. He shakes his head at your questions, and you move out in silence.*~
@955  = ~*You find him lying spread-eagled near the camp, deep in reverie. His head is resting against the rough bark of a great tree, and his pose looks relaxed and natural. However, as you approach, you see that his breath is shallow and uneven, and tears are trickling down his face.* ~
@956  = ~*Xan's eyes are wide open, but his glassy look suggests he does not see you. As you stare, his frame twitches, his hands scrabble the grass hopelessly, and he moans in his vision, calling your name.*~
@957  = ~*Wake him up.*~
@958  = ~*Go back to the camp.* ~
@959  = ~*He starts thrashing more and more violently, locked in his nightmare. His normally handsome face is now distorted with fear and alarm, and his eyes are dark with whatever terror his vision provides. As you kneel and grasp his shoulders, a strangled sob escapes his lips, and he tries to shield himself with his hands, pushing you away. His whole body trembles, his sobs turn into gasping cries, and you are barely able to hold him still.*~
@960  = ~*You redouble your efforts. Finally, Xan blinks, and the light of recognition slowly creeps into his eyes.* <CHARNAME>? <CHARNAME>... you are safe... you are alive...~
@961  = ~*He looks about to grasp you in his arms, but with a visible effort, he restrains himself, and simply reaches out to touch your face.* Thank... thank you. There were dark days when I screamed for release, when I wished to die in my sleep, but I never wanted to end like this, trapped in my own fears and leaving you here, alone, defenceless...~
@962  = ~*Suddenly Xan interrupts himself and looks at you with concern, his gaze travelling over your bare feet and hastily donned cloak.* <CHARNAME>, I have retreated here, away from the camp, so as not to disturb your rest. But I will not allow you to catch a cold because of me, not if there is the slimmest chance of risking your life!~
@963  = ~*Without further words, he picks you up, lifting you off the ground with surprising ease, and carries you all the way to your bedroll. As he puts you down, Xan whispers, sadly and bitterly, his voice as stinging as the salty softness of his cheek against yours.* Ever since I met you, my dreams and reality have become a tangled blur of cause and effect. I do not know if I can bear it much longer.~
@964  = ~*It is your watch, and you sit by the dying fire, warming your hands on the glowing coals.*~ [X#BLANK]
@965  = ~*A hand lands on your shoulder. Xan's steps are light, but his robes get entangled in every bush and branch in a very distinctive way, making it impossible to mistake him for anyone else.* May I sit with you for a while? I am... afraid to rest just yet.~
@966  = ~Of course, Xan. What is it? More nightmares?~
@967  = ~Please do.~
@968  = ~As you wish, though I would prefer to sit alone.~
@969  = ~Oh, do go away! I've had enough of your moaning.~
@970  = ~*He winces at your question.* <CHARNAME>, our very life is a nightmare. The dreams are but a pale reflection. *sigh* But you are correct.~
@971  = ~I will go, then. *sigh* It can well be our last night in this world, and I... never mind. *Xan retreats to his bedroll.*~
@972  = ~What? I... yes. From now on, you will hear no more. *Xan disappears in the shadows.*~
@973  = ~*He kneels next to you, and his gaze softens as he looks into your eyes.* I have been watching the fire playing in your hair. It is an enchanting sight. It springs out in radiance against any background... and yet something is missing. I wonder...~
@974  = ~*Xan hesitantly reaches out to stroke your hair, his expression thoughtful. Then his face lights up.* Yes. Now, if you would sit still for a moment- ~
@975  = ~*He props himself on one knee and starts undoing your hair, loosening it out of its braids. His finger accidentally traces your temple, and you notice that it is trembling slightly, as if he is afraid you will shake him off. His hands are skilful, however, and as they travel along your tresses in slow, circling gestures, your skin starts to shiver in delight.*~
@976  = ~*Soon, it is done, and your hair comes cascading down over your shoulders. Very gently, Xan picks a single strand from behind your ear, and starts brushing it along its length, slowly and carefully, working the worst tangles with his fingers. He repeats the process for every strand, until you literally feel your hair flowing around your face.*~
@977  = ~*Instead of braiding it again, however, he brings his hands to the nape of your neck and starts massaging it, his fingertips tracing every muscle and every knot. After a few minutes, his hands find their way upwards, moving in small, firm and deliberate circles, and soon, your skin begins to tingle with delight. You can barely hear Xan's breathing now; in fact, if not for his palms upon your head, you would not even know he is there.*~
@978  = ~*He continues caressing your head, and you slowly drift off to sleep, as his fingers circle over your temples. Then he runs his fingers downward once again, gathering your hair behind your neck, and starts weaving it into something you cannot yet see, but judging by the quickness and skill his fingers move with, it is going to be a promising sight.*~
@979  = ~*When he is done, Xan gently draws you close, until your head comes to rest on his chest, and begins to braid the locks on your forehead. As you look up, you see a faint smile playing on his lips, and his normally dark, melancholy face now looks very young and vulnerable, though his eyes are firmly fixed on the strand in his hands, not at you.*~
@980  = ~*Finally, it is over, and Xan slowly stands up, offering you his hand. You do not have a mirror, but one look at his face says it all.*~
@981  = ~Thank you. I'll take a closer look at it in the morning.~
@982  = ~And here is your reward... *kiss Xan*~
@983  = ~What about your own hair? Will you let me braid it for you?~
@984  = ~*Xan hastily shrinks back.* We are not in Evereska, <CHARNAME>, and neither are we upon Evermeet. I do not wish to become a standing target for gloating and taunts.~
@985  = ~Thank you, anyway. Good night.~
@986  = ~A pity. Well, here is your reward, then. *kiss Xan*~
@987  = ~Sorry, Xan, but the choice is no longer yours. *You snatch the brush from his hands and force him to sit down.*~
@988  = ~*Xan looks as if he is about to run away, but then stills under your ministrations, though his body stays tense and alert. His hair forms a small cloud around his head, light and soft, and thus is very difficult to manage, much as its owner. Eventually you set your mind on a small number of braids, beginning above the ear and continuing toward the back of the head. A few minutes later, your task is complete.* ~
@989  = ~*Xan gives you a mildly amused look.* The world has gone mad, it seems. *sigh* But I have to admit, it lightens my heart.~
@990  = ~*As your lips touch his, the look of adoration on Xan's face is swiftly replaced by the one of sheer agony.* No, <CHARNAME>. Your beauty... it is too much for a mortal man, and much more so for a man who is likely to die before the tenday is over. Do not change sweet remembrances into bitter, bitter recollections.~
@991  = ~Good... good night, <CHARNAME>. You may as well have your rest. I doubt I shall be able to dispose my mind to reverie, now. *Xan walks to the opposite side of the fire and sits on the ground, burying his head in his hands.*~
@992  = ~*A figure looms in the door frame. In a moment you recognize Xan.* ~ [X#BLANK]
@993  = ~The lit rectangle of your door is more foreboding and forbidding than a magical portal, leading into the unknown danger.~
@994  = ~You are afraid, I know... and so am I. I look at a tallow candle every night, and tell myself that I shall put it out and sleep when a quarter is consumed. Then I wait till half is gone, and eventually none remains but a lake of hardened wax. I am afraid that all my candles will be spent in waiting for a man who'd never come.~
@995  = ~*grin* Xan, I am not a demon, sent to devour your acute mind and undulating body. Come and see.~
@996  = ~*In three steps, you cross the room and slip your hands around his neck.* No, Xan. There is no danger - only me.~
@997  = ~Oh, Xan, we're going to die anyway! What's the point of dallying about?~
@998  = ~There is nothing magical or dangerous in this room, Elf.~
@999  = ~Xan, I am tired. I wish only to rest.~
@1000 = ~Oh, <CHARNAME>, I am not afraid. Scared to death, yes. Mad with fear at the thought of something happening to you, yes. But afraid, no.~
@1001 = ~You present a rather... disturbing image, <CHARNAME>.~
@1002 = ~*Xan stands still as a statue as you press your face against the open collar of his robes, and only his pulse betrays him, beating wildly underneath the smooth skin of his neck. At last he shifts, very slowly, and kisses you on the corner of the mouth.*~
@1003 = ~If I knew that I would receive such a warm welcome...~
@1004 = ~*His kisses grow more insistent, and whatever was on his mind before is now gone. The door is closed, the candle is blown out, and you are alone with him... and the night.*~
@1005 = ~*sigh* Were I not seeing a beautiful woman, I could have sworn you were a small, reckless child.~
@1006 = ~*Xan silently edges away from the room and closes the door behind him.*~
@1007 = ~<CHARNAME>, your acceptance is more terrifying than outright dislike.~
@1008 = ~*He hesitates for a moment, then closes the door and kneels by your bed, taking your arms in his.* ~
@1009 = ~I... I keep having visions. I am alone with you on a beautiful glade - and we are ambushed by monsters. I join you in your reverie - and wake up next to your lifeless corpse. There are many more; you cannot even imagine the perils my eyes see.~
@1010 = ~*Xan takes a deep breath and continues, his fingers slowly caressing your face.* There were always fears, <CHARNAME>. Fear of dying, fear of losing you, of hurting you, of dragging you into the void of my lonely, desolate existence... But now they are not simply that: they are live nightmares I cannot escape, and I dread my reverie every night. I am lost, Estel'amin, lost in darkness, and even the candles of your room are not able to drive it away.~
@1011 = ~No? Perhaps this will... *kiss Xan*~
@1012 = ~But despite your fears, you have come. That means that you are able to overcome it, and slowly, you will.~
@1013 = ~Stop lingering on what may happen, Xan. Just live. For me.~
@1014 = ~Then go, and enjoy your nightmares. Obviously my company is not enough for you.~
@1015 = ~How can I, <CHARNAME>? It can only get worse. *sigh* But you... it seems you are able to convince me of anything, from life eternal to our triumphant victory.~
@1016 = ~I... I will try, <CHARNAME>. *sigh* At least, for tonight.~
@1017 = ~*He looks at your distressed face for a moment, seemingly at a loss for what to say. Then he sighs and simply covers your mouth with his.*~
@1018 = ~*Xan lowers his face to yours, and as your lips meet, you get the most peculiar feeling. It is as if the Magical Weave that envelops every living being on Toril has taken a closer look at the pair of you, and now it is blending Xan and you together in a tight cocoon, breaking mental, spiritual, emotional and physical barriers between you. A bond is forming, a link that unites your world with his, and as the pleasure builds, you are awashed with confused feelings that are only partly yours. Fear, guilt, grief, anxiety... they explode in your mind, only to disappear, replaced with other, very tender sensations.* ~
@1019 = ~*The night is yours, to love and to be loved.*~
@1020 = ~I heard that you were running short of candles, Estel'amin... So I brought you one.~ [X#BLANK]
@1021 = ~*You come awake to see Xan sitting at the foot of your bed, holding up a lit candle.*~
@1022 = ~I could always buy another... but thank you, regardless.~
@1023 = ~Does it hold any special significance?~
@1024 = ~What have you brought it for?~
@1025 = ~I doubt I need candles any more, Xan. Not with you by my side.~
@1026 = ~Yes, and then again, no. You do.~
@1027 = ~You have an eye for symbols, <CHARNAME>, so I have decided to answer you in your own manner.~
@1028 = ~*You are rewarded with a very deep and tender kiss.*~
@1029 = ~You have reminded me that there are fears one is able to overcome. Then again, there are those one may not, but it is irrelevant now. Estel'amin, I wish to give you a promise, together with this candle. I... I feel you, now, as clearly as I feel myself. I know your fears as sharply as I know mine. And I promise: while you are here, with me, in reverie or in the waking world, you will not run out of candles, and whenever you have need of me, you will not find me wanting. If you do have need of me, that is.~
@1030 = ~*Xan extinguishes the candle and looks at you with a slight smile.* I almost do not believe it, but I feel... hopeful.~
@1031 = ~*Before your eyes flutter open, you feel yourself being lifted from your blankets.*~ [X#BLANK]
@1032 = ~Shhh... Estel'amin, it's me. The sunrise is near, and I do not want you to miss it. Not today.~
@1033 = ~*Xan picks you up in his arms, your head resting against the tender skin of his shoulder, and carries you away from the camp. As he walks, his fingers are nimbly tracing lines along your cheeks and ears, bringing you awake. When you open your eyes, you see that the sky has already turned blue, and a pale pink line glimmers over the horizon.*~
@1034 = ~*Finally, Xan stops in the middle of a small glade, and gently puts you down. You hear the sounds of arcane chanting, flowing from his lips in an ancient melody.*~
@1035 = ~*For a moment, nothing happens. Then his feet slowly start to rise off the ground and into the air. While you gaze at the sight, Xan gathers you up once more, and next moment, both of you are gaining height, levitating higher and higher over the ground in a tight embrace.*~
@1036 = ~*Some ancestral instincts of the People awake deep within you, and as the treetops sway under your feet, the first fear disappears, replaced by calm enjoyment of the ride, the morning and the slender figure in your arms. Xan is watching you in some trepidation, but as your face relaxes, he sighs in relief, momentarily burying his face in your hair, and murmurs your name against your skin.* ~
@1037 = ~*The first glimmer of the sunrise lights the sky aflame, coloring your faces golden, and the light leaps from every wet blade of grass and leaf to meet it, erecting a golden dome around the pair of you. The sight is breathtaking, and the cool, solemn silence of the early morning makes it even more so.* ~
@1038 = ~*Xan turns his face away from the sun, and his eyes shine as they look into yours.* <CHARNAME>, dream with me. Here, away from this world of misery, away from our foes and calamities, it is easier to imagine that some day, our trials shall be over. Some day, we shall be able to travel away from this sorrowful land, to where the gardens are full of blooming flowers, the streams run with singing water, and Elven blood runs strong and clear in people. Will you... will you step over the threshold of Hanali's temple with me, then? Will you become mine in the eyes of the whole darkening world? My... wife in the eyes of the People?~
@1039 = ~Xan... of course I shall!~
@1040 = ~*close your eyes* I see this dream coming true... some day.~
@1041 = ~*sigh* It will never happen, and you know it.~
@1042 = ~It's just a ceremony. I do not need it to be with you.~
@1043 = ~Then, Estel'amin, we share yet another dream.~
@1044 = ~One miracle has already happened: I have found you. Perhaps a time will come for another.~
@1045 = ~Neither do I. But it is an old and beautiful custom of the People... Ah, it matters not.~
@1046 = ~*Xan leans to kiss you, but as he does, you see that his face is rapidly becoming pale, and beads of sweat run in streams down his forehead, as he fights to control the spell. Fear flickers in his eyes, and breaking away from your lips, he clutches your shoulders in an iron grip.*~
@1047 = ~*Next moment, the wind swishes in your ears, and the tree-trunks swim in front of you, as you start descending. It is slow and careful, and the ground approaches steadily, but compared to the calm and glorious rise, it feels frightening, and out of control.*~
@1048 = ~*Your bare feet touch the grass lightly. The forest around you is still drowned in blue shadows, unlike the shining, verdant canopy above, and the joy of flight is gone from your heart, replaced with emptiness. Xan lies on the ground with his eyes closed, looking thoroughly drained, crystalline drops of dew sparkling on his face together with sweat. Finally he opens his eyes, sad and regretful once more, and sighs bitterly.*~
@1049 = ~So, we have been taught a lesson yet again. No, love cannot nest in the mind exhausted by the grim reality, and neither can it survive in these harsh lands. *sigh* Forget this morning, <CHARNAME>. Other occupations call - the endless fight for survival of our race, and your own everlasting quest. A hopeless enterprise, no doubt, but we should at least try. Come, let us away.~
@1050 = ~*The sun rises once more, bathing you in waves of light, and the morning song of the birds fills the air, as you walk to the camp. The day begins.*~
@1051 = ~The Day Star is waking up, still gentle, picking her way among the lustrous clouds, unsure like a maiden crossing a cold stream. Everything is tender in the first light: the grass bejeweled by dew, singing water and the melting mist over it...~ [X#BLANK]
@1052 = ~Xan? Are you well?~
@1053 = ~What was that?~
@1054 = ~Why did you stop?~
@1055 = ~No, <CHARNAME>, I am not well. I am experiencing a peculiar tingling sensation in my chest and shortness of breath. I recognize the affliction I have not experienced since the day I claimed the moonblade.~
@1056 = ~Happiness, for I can see the beauty of this world.~
@1057 = ~And thus you were... doing what, exactly?~
@1058 = ~*smile widely* This world is beautiful and good, is it not?~
@1059 = ~It was my attempt at an aubade - a morning-greeting song. Did you not know that our kin has a song for every imaginable nature phenomenon? A song for the gathering thunderclouds, a song for a drop of dew tarrying on the edge of a leaf, a song for the shooting stars, a song for the dawn, a song for the sunset, and for everything that happens in between.~
@1060 = ~Oh, how wonderful! This world is beautiful and good, is it not?~
@1061 = ~I did not know that, Xan. But - your tone when you said that - it almost sounds like you scorn them...~
@1062 = ~An aubade? I heard that a song about lovers parting in the morning is an aubade, as well. I... I hope that it is not what you are trying to tell me.~
@1063 = ~An aubade? I heard that a song about lovers parting in the morning is an aubade, as well... Oh, Xan, please, not again! I am running out of patience with your attempts to break up with me.~
@1064 = ~I was overwhelmed by my own aubade.~
@1065 = ~Aubade?~
@1066 = ~*smile widely* This world is so beautiful and good, is it not?~
@1067 = ~Beautiful does not equal good. A hunting tiger is beautiful.~
@1068 = ~A natural predator is not evil! He kills for food.~
@1069 = ~So, do you see the world as a sort of a crouching tiger? Beautiful, but deadly?~
@1070 = ~The beauty of this world strengthens me, as I struggle with the evils that I face. How can our small troubles matter in the face of this... *You pass your hand through the air, taking in the waking woods and the brightening sky.*~
@1071 = ~At least you agree that it is beautiful, if not good.~
@1072 = ~Our people place too much importance on beauty, love, and laughter. It has become a vice. Addicted to them, they close their eyes to the grim reality, and dance to their graves.~
@1073 = ~I swear not to succumb to it. I love you, but I will continue the endless fight for the survival of our race; I know that it is a hopeless enterprise, but I should at least try.~
@1074 = ~I will help you, however I can. It is for your foresight and your strength that I love you. You are a visionary, Xan. One day, the world will understand it.~
@1075 = ~Grim reality? I thought you just praised the world for being beautiful and good.~
@1076 = ~So, I matter less to you than your cause? I don't think I like that.~
@1077 = ~No. I do not think that I want to be parted from you. Warmth floods me when you pass me. I am afraid that I shall freeze solid and stop, if I am deprived of it. Every strand of my spirit that can love, loves you.~
@1078 = ~You know, now... Could I perhaps ask how you feel about me? What is it that you love about me?~
@1079 = ~How do I feel about you? I feel like a young girl who clutches a tiny kitten to her chest under the rain, knowing that it is the only dear thing she has in this world.~
@1080 = ~I love you, because of the poetic melancholy of our relationship. It is so romantic!~
@1081 = ~I always dreamed of being a soulmate to a moonblade wielder and a hero of Elvendom. My love will shape you into one.~
@1082 = ~It is for your foresight and your strength that I love you. You are a visionary, Xan. One day the world will understand it.~
@1083 = ~I love you like you love me: it is a necessity, not a choice.~
@1084 = ~It's your gorgeous body and pretty face.~
@1085 = ~Your quiet irony, your doubts, your hands - everything. I would never want to see it gone.~
@1086 = ~You could not be further from the truth. I do not think that I want to be parted from you. Warmth floods me, when you pass me. I am afraid that I shall freeze solid and stop, if I am deprived of it. Every strand of my spirit that can love, loves you.~
@1087 = ~True. But neither it is 'Good'.~
@1088 = ~So, you see the world as a sort of a crouching tiger? Beautiful, but deadly?~
@1089 = ~Indeed. I do not believe in absolute Good or Evil, <CHARNAME>. Or should I better say that I do not believe in absolutes? Hades, for that matter I do not believe in Good or Evil itself. It cannot exist outside the small safety framework that our struggling helpless minds erected against the self-evident and frightening purposelessness of this world.~
@1090 = ~I see...~
@1091 = ~And it is exactly why the eternal is not 'good'. Neither it is 'evil'. 'Good' and 'evil' exist only in the framework that our minds erect against the self-evident and frightening purposelessness of the world.~
@1092 = ~Knowing you, being close to you allows me to see clearly: you are a small creature, both beautiful and good, but the world itself is vast and wasteful.~
@1093 = ~Only in his hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honor.~
@1094 = ~Second? Every strand of my spirit that can love, loves you.~
@1095 = ~You know now... Could I perhaps ask how you feel about me? What is it that you love about me?~
@1096 = ~I pity you for pitying me. You have invoked such a sorrowful image.~
@1097 = ~*mournfully* You find my suffering poetic? There must have been an old crone in Candlekeep who filled your head with exalted dreams about our people! My poor confused girl...~
@1098 = ~Then you love the aspect of me that causes me the greatest torment!~
@1099 = ~Do not you see that paladin and goblin were both created by Ao? Both bleed, suffer and are doomed to die. Lloth is as immortal as Corellon. Where is the difference? Where is it? By whose foolish design I am to be a Hero? By whose foolish design am I to uphold Goodness and to oppose Evil?~
@1100 = ~I beg you, do not act in such a way that the answer to this question becomes: "By my lover <CHARNAME>'s will".~
@1101 = ~Oh, <CHARNAME>... what are we to do?~
@1102 = ~*gulps* I imagined many answers, but this was not among them.~
@1103 = ~It will be. Soon. But not today. *sigh* Is it possible to die of happiness, I wonder?~
@1104 = ~*Sleep comes unwillingly, though your body is aching for rest. You have a vague feeling that whatever dreams await you tonight, they will not be pleasant.*~ [X#BLANK]
@1105 = ~<CHARNAME>, while the others are still asleep, will you walk with me? There is a small miracle being born, and I wish to share it with you.~ [X#BLANK]
@1106 = ~But of course, Xan. Show me.~
@1107 = ~I've no time for this.~
@1108 = ~*Without further ado, he leads you away across the camp, coming to halt in front of an expansive oak tree, tiered with an unbroken roof of dark-green foliage. Xan does not stop to regard it, but bends down, peering intently underneath, and you see it, too: among the high mosses and scattered fascicles of grass, several tender, pale purple blossoms, fragile as forms of tinted ice, are raising their heads to the bright, quiet morning sun.* ~
@1109 = ~*Xan touches your hand and starts speaking quietly, never taking his gaze from the blossoms.* They have just risen from the dead. The faintest flame, subtle fragrance, and vulnerable fragility... it is rare to find such glory in these lands. I dared not pick it up and kill it, but if I could hold this raw beauty, at least for a moment, I would. *sigh* However, it is not more possible than possessing starlight, or the wisps of the wind. We are but guests and pale shadows here, and when we are gone, the eternity is not even likely to notice.~
@1110 = ~But while we have this moment, this brief little space in infinity, I will not waste it. Perhaps I will die today, this hour, this moment. Or perhaps, just perhaps, I will live. But regardless of death and life and danger, I love you. You are more of a miracle than these flowers, if just as fugitive. I love you, <CHARNAME>.~
@1111 = ~*sigh* But I have kept you long enough. Let us return and face the day... and pray that it will not turn out to be our last.~
@1112 = ~*You spot Ajantis and Xan having a very heated conversation. The way they abruptly fall into silence as you approach suggests that the source of their sudden animosity is you. The looks on their faces leads you to think they may well soon come to blows, and you realise that it cannot go on like this indefinitely.*~ [X#BLANK]
@1113 = ~*Having learned of the affection that Ajantis and Xan have for you, you decide that your heart greatly desires Ajantis. From that moment on, you tactfully exhibit your preference.*~
@1114 = ~*Having learned of the affection that Ajantis and Xan have for you, you decide that your heart greatly desires Xan. From that moment on, you tactfully exhibit your preference.*~
@1115 = ~*Having learned of the affection that Ajantis and Xan have for you, you decide that your heart desires neither of your suitors. From that moment on, you tactfully exhibit your preference.*~
@1116 = ~*You spot Coran and Xan having a very heated conversation. The way they abruptly fall into silence as you approach suggests that the source of their sudden animosity is you. The looks on their faces lead you to think that they may well soon come to blows, and you realise that it cannot go on like this indefinitely.*~ [X#BLANK]
@1117 = ~*Having learned of the affection that Coran and Xan have for you, you decide that your heart greatly desires Coran. From that moment on, you tactfully exhibit your preference.*~
@1118 = ~*Having learned of the affection that Coran and Xan have for you, you decide that your heart greatly desires Xan. From that moment on, you tactfully exhibit your preference.*~
@1119 = ~*Having learned of the affection that Coran and Xan have for you, you decide that your heart desires neither of your suitors. From that moment on, you tactfully exhibit your preference.*~
@1120 = ~A Bhaalspawn? Oh, Seldarine... I was about to make the greatest mistake of my life.~
@1121 = ~Thou hast more courage than I credited thee with, Xan. I thought that thou would flee when <CHARNAME>'s nature was unveiled.~
@1122 = ~I wish you would stop reminding me of <CHARNAME>'s heritage, Dynaheir, even by implication.~
@1123 = ~Closing one's eyes to the truth dost not dismiss it.~
@1124 = ~That was what I thought before, as well. But ironically, it proved to be the only way to keep one's sanity.~
@1125 = ~*thoughtfully* Thou walkest the path of denial.~
@1126 = ~There is a difference between accepting the knowledge and mulling over it endlessly, Dynaheir.~
@1127 = ~Thou see it now? Thou hadst never had such reserve before, spending thyself in a worry over what thou hast perceived as our inevitable doom.~
@1128 = ~*sigh* Nothing has changed in this matter: I spend myself lamenting over <CHARNAME>'s doom, instead of my own. Now, if you please, we'll leave it at that.~
@1129 = ~You know, Xan, you are a most unusual fellow. I pride myself on my grasp of reality, but your conviction of ultimate, unavoidable and unavailing doom is so much keener than mine that you even ignore - as I cannot - those fleeting options for minute betterment of the present.~
@1130 = ~What do you imply, bard?~
@1131 = ~I speak of 'meanwhiles' you so despise. Can you always gaze so fiercely at the far horizon that you truly never give heed to the way beneath your feet?~
@1132 = ~That is the way of elves. For you, a human, with a lifespan no greater than a mayfly's to my perception, it may be otherwise. I neither know nor care.~
@1133 = ~Ha. But that which we are given least of, always seems the most precious, does it not? If I have so little time, should I not savour it until Fate remembers me a second time?~
@1134 = ~Please yourself. 'Die and have done with it' would be better advice for you, I judge.~
@1135 = ~Yes, but such advice only becomes good after the fact of my inevitable demise. Until then, life may be futile, but it is often pleasant enough, and I see no reason to feign otherwise simply because its termination is bound to be deplorable. Why not enjoy it on its own terms?~
@1136 = ~*sigh* Eldoth, your meaningless chatter gives me naught but headache. Does it lead anywhere?~
@1137 = ~*Lead* anywhere?!? <CHARNAME>, you are my witness! Your pet wizard declares that one's small, aimless pleasures must have a 'purpose'; in which case they are no longer aimless and soon cease to be pleasures! I swear he'd regard the undecking of his bride on their wedding night as a mere prelude to producing *mock shudder* an offspring!~
@1138 = ~Eldoth, SHUT UP! Now I have a headache, too! Honestly, I wish you were less... sophisticated.~
@1139 = ~Oh, for Oghma's sake, Xan, you are insufferable! Eldoth is just trying to cheer you up.~
@1140 = ~Boys, could you please be a bit more friendly with each other?~
@1141 = ~Leave me out of this.~
@1142 = ~As do I, at times like these.~
@1143 = ~Cheer me up? Bring me to my grave, most likely. *sigh* Eldoth, you could certainly do me a favour: go, and be killed in the next battle.~
@1144 = ~Ah, in that *particular* case, I hope to disappoint you.~
@1145 = ~In your case, my hopes are ever golden.~
@1146 = ~*sigh* <CHARNAME>, you are ever asking for miracles. But this one will not come to be. I would rather relieve you of the questionable benefit of my company than shake this scoundrel's hand - and I am unable to do either.~
@1147 = ~Clearly, <CHARNAME>, you are wise beyond your tender years.~
@1148 = ~Even a creature as pathetic as you hearkens the call of the Oak Father. You must prove yourself now, or a stronger male will challenge you for your mate.~
@1149 = ~Don't you think that you should rather lament about the forests' suffering? Futile as it is, it will still serve more purpose than this conversation.~
@1150 = ~You and <CHARNAME> are part of Nature's cycle, fool! And weak though you are, the Great Mother has spoken.~
@1151 = ~I thought it was the Oak Father.~
@1152 = ~Oak Father had called to you, following the Great Mother's bidding. Here, take these herbs. They will increase your fertility.~
@1153 = ~I but whispered quiescent words into her ear... How did two gods and one insane druid become entangled into this?~
@1154 = ~We are of one pack, <CHARNAME>, you and I.~
@1155 = ~*sigh* Seldarine, why did we have to enter the Cloakwood forest in the first place?~
@1156 = ~I been thinking, elf. Ye're doomed, so what d'ye need gold for? Ye'd better hand yer coin and geegaws to one who'd have some use from 'em.~
@1157 = ~I have a strong suspicion that you are going to offer yourself as a candidate, dwarf.~
@1158 = ~Aye, I might do.~
@1159 = ~And what, pray, are you going to do with my money?~
@1160 = ~Invest it, ya twit! Goods ain't free nor the men, beasts nor carts to bear 'em. And if they's a bit over for amusement? Well, <CHARNAME>, herself, is a curvy wench, but I spend gold on such. Unlike yerself, who pays 'em naught but your ill-humours.~
@1161 = ~You will keep your mouth shut, dwarf. I shall not repeat myself.~
@1162 = ~Hmph! Fine. If doomed you must be, yer whatnots'll be picked up easy enough off yer corpse.~
@1163 = ~Xan, have you got a moment?~
@1164 = ~Again? Khalid, has it never entered your head how pointless our conversations are?~
@1165 = ~P-perhaps, but the blunted weapon never hurt anyone; it's just for practice in case the skill is needed in truth later on.~
@1166 = ~Xan, I was a friend of Gorion, <CHARNAME>'s foster father. He b-bequeathed his guardianship to Jaheira and me. And I ask you to consider your friendship with <CHARNAME>. I fear more harm than good will c-come of your relationship with her.~
@1167 = ~*sigh* Do continue, if you must.~
@1168 = ~You would t-take her to Evereska. You must. It is your home, and you are oath-bound to it by the moonblade you b-bear. Yet <CHARNAME> would be shunned there as a stranger... an outsider. I... I do not know much of what the future holds for her, but I do know that more than just her own happiness - her own life - may be at stake. I fear to have her isolated - stunted - as she might so easily be by your attentions.~
@1169 = ~Xan?~
@1170 = ~*sigh* I will think on your words, Khalid. Though you delude yourself, if you think that your, mine, or <CHARNAME>'s opinion matters: as you very well know, we are all doomed.~
@1171 = ~If we are, what m-makes you seek <CHARNAME>'s company, then?~
@1172 = ~*sigh*~
@1173 = ~I wonder, mellonamin, do you have any more of your wine left? Elverquisst, was it?~
@1174 = ~No, we had finished it last time. Your face darkens again - something troubling you, Xan?~
@1175 = ~*sigh* Don't ask.~
@1176 = ~Drowning your sorrows in wine will help you only for so long, mellonamin. Humans dull their minds and wipe their memories with Black Lotus, but nothing good has ever come from either of these afflictions.~
@1177 = ~So you say. But it makes one forget the affliction called 'life'.~
@1178 = ~*sigh* I sense that you have meant to say 'love'.~
@1179 = ~*sigh* Indeed.~
@1180 = ~Humans say that time heals all wounds, Xan.~
@1181 = ~They say it wrongly: only the bliss of Arvanaith cures all. Have you forgotten the pain that Deheriana's death caused you, Kivan?~
@1182 = ~This is a cruel question, mellonamin. You know that it is unquenched in reveries and in wakening. But I do not want to forget it, if it means that I should lose the memory of the first gentle days and all that followed. I do not want to stop loving her.~
@1183 = ~*sigh* Just as I sometimes think that I do not want to be healed.~
@1184 = ~My dear fellow, could you help me with my nails?~
@1185 = ~Necromancer, I would very much appreciate if you and your nails left me alone. Is it too much to ask for?~
@1186 = ~Certainly. I know how squeamish you are about your bodily essences, so I'm not asking for those. Not now, at any rate. I simply need to have some runes painted on my nails. You are good with the runes, aren't you?~
@1187 = ~*mutters* Everybody is already aware of that one, aren't they? If this continues, I am truly doomed.~
@1188 = ~Xzar, let alone that I despise your company, your fingernails swarm with disease. You do not even need to use magic on our enemies: a simple scratch would inflict immediate contagion and subsequent death.~
@1189 = ~Why, thank you for the compliment! <CHARNAME> must be one lucky girl... But *I* never mentioned fingernails, did I? I meant these.~
@1190 = ~Dare I ask *why* you would want runes painted on ordinary, rusty old nails?~
@1191 = ~Silly! These are consecrated nails from the coffin of a hanged murderer. Specially treated to prevent occurrences of Undeath. *I* need runes to reverse the enchantment and ensure that the deceased reawakens as one of those endearing creatures. Er... under my control, of course... one hopes... I mean, confidently expects...~
@1192 = ~<CHARNAME>, there is no chance of seeing him leave, isn't there?~
@1193 = ~Oh, Xan, what are you doing? Sketching?~
@1194 = ~*hastily snatches the scroll out of Alora's reach* No, it is simply- ~
@1195 = ~*makes a nimble movement, grasping the scroll, and grins* Hey, I am a rogue, remember? You've no chance against an expert! Now, let's see...~
@1196 = ~*Alora steps back and unfolds the scroll, still giggling. Then she starts to glow pink, crimson, and finally, cherry red.* Holy cow! Um, I, er...~
@1197 = ~Exactly. Now, if I could have my scroll back- ~
@1198 = ~Yeah... sure. Here you go. No worries, your secret is safe with me!~
@1199 = ~Imoen? Imoen, come here! I've got something very special to tell you!~
@1200 = ~Jaheeeeira! Jaheira, I've got something very special to tell you!~
@1201 = ~<CHARNAME>? <CHARNAME>, did you know that- ~
@1202 = ~Alora, I am warning you!~
@1203 = ~*sigh* Awww, you're no fun at all.~
@1204 = ~Now that you have started courting <CHARNAME>, mageling, I hope your complaining stops, and you become a true ally in battle!~
@1205 = ~*sigh* We're all doomed.~
@1206 = ~Ah, stop your lamenting!~
@1207 = ~*sigh* Life is so hollow...~
@1208 = ~By the Frostmaiden! You are hopeless, mageling! What <CHARNAME> sees in you I do not know!~
@1209 = ~*mutters* At last she left me in peace! Though, come to think about it, we are doomed, and life indeed is hollow, so what was the point in pretending?~
@1210 = ~Xan, let me teach you an old elven ballad of love and merriment! The verses have been translated into Common, though, but it is still beautiful! <CHARNAME> will adore it, I'm sure!~
@1211 = ~Garrick, humans never succeeded in translating our lore, and never will.~
@1212 = ~But you could sing it for her!~
@1213 = ~*sigh* I gladly offer this honor to you.~
@1214 = ~You do? But I thought you said that my songs gave you a headache!~
@1215 = ~Oh, your songs are perfect. Especially if you perform them at a considerable distance.~
@1216 = ~How can you be so cruel? I try my best, and you-~
@1217 = ~Your voice is as good as a human's voice could get, Garrick. But, alas, it still hopelessly loses to silence.~
@1218 = ~So, Xan, d'ya like my sister?~
@1219 = ~<CHARNAME> is not your sister, child. The fact that you have grown up together-~
@1220 = ~-means we're as close as sisters, so there!~
@1221 = ~Tel'Quessir are not humans with pointy ears, Imoen. You cannot even imagine, much less comprehend, the spiritual abyss that separates the two of you.~
@1222 = ~What are ya talking 'bout?~
@1223 = ~How would you describe the sunset to a blind man? How would I describe the essence of the Elven Spirit to a human?~
@1224 = ~Xan, ya sound pretty stuffy, if ya ask me.~
@1225 = ~*sigh* Worry not about this, Imoen. All of us will die within a tenday, and the differences that interest you so will become obliterated.~
@1226 = ~Darling, you are doing it all wrong.~
@1227 = ~I will probably regret it for days afterwards, but what exactly are you talking about?~
@1228 = ~Your clothes, dear. These robes are hopelessly old-fashioned. You'll need a lower cut here... and a bit more snuggly around the hips...~
@1229 = ~Safana, elven fashion differs from the human one, if indeed I could call this excuse to make yourself as ludicrous as possible 'fashion'. A hundred years ago the design of my robes was the same as it is now, and I will probably be buried in similar attire.~
@1230 = ~Darling, you are so hopelessly dense. <CHARNAME> grew up among us humans, and would appreciate you dressing up to her taste. *winks*~
@1231 = ~Grim are the days of the elven race, if humans start dictating us what to wear. *sigh* Our doom must be near, indeed.~
@1232 = ~My hair is a mess. *sigh* I will never get used to adventuring. No mirrors, no table to put my pins on, and only one brush!~
@1233 = ~And Eldoth wouldn't help me with it, either. He says that it is a task suited for women!~
@1234 = ~<CHARNAME> is luckier than me: I've read somewhere that elven couples braid each other's hair whenever they have a chance. I wish somebody would do it for me... *giggle* No, Xan, I didn't mean you, <CHARNAME> might get jealous!~
@1235 = ~Skie, I can only advise you to quit this dangerous and aimless wandering that fools call 'adventuring'. If you do not, soon your hair will become the least of your worries.~
@1236 = ~But I like adventuring! My life is now here, with <CHARNAME> and my friends!~
@1237 = ~*sniff* I just wish Eldoth was here, too.~
@1238 = ~Skie, beautiful Skie, this scoundrel Eldoth was not worthy of you! Here, let me... *blushes* Let me hold your hand for a moment.~
@1239 = ~Trust me, Skie, you are better off without Eldoth. Better by far.~
@1240 = ~I... I loved him, and I won't let you sully his name! *sniff* Leave me alone, all of you, just leave me alone!~
@1241 = ~*giggle* And soon, you'll learn to like it, too! Now that you've got <CHARNAME>, you'll be as happy as Eldoth and me.~
@1242 = ~*sigh* Thank you kindly, Skie.~
@1243 = ~Darthiir, all love is foolish.~
@1244 = ~It scares me to concede with the Drow's statement, but, alas, I cannot agree more.~
@1245 = ~So you agree, and the males on the surface have an obscene freedom of choice in the matter. Why do you continue your moronic wooing of <CHARNAME>, then?~
@1246 = ~Viconia, however mad I might be, discussing my feelings with a Drow, of all people, is beyond all boundaries of sanity.~
@1247 = ~*snorts* You will ever be rigid in your honed hatred, wael. I have nothing more to say to the likes of you.~
@1248 = ~Best cease yer moongazin', elf, afore ye strolls into somethin' sharp unawares and puts yerself out of my misery.~
@1249 = ~Was your death threat merely a reflex, Montaron? Or have you finally determined to act rather than bleat?~
@1250 = ~Think it's all just the echo of a belch in a empty jug?~
@1251 = ~*sigh* The fact that I am still able to think proves it well enough, I suppose.~
@1252 = ~Considerin' the nonsense ye *do* think on, there's naught t'be lost if ye were stopped.~
@1253 = ~Do you intend to do me a favour, and end my miserable existence?~
@1254 = ~*shrug* Fer a pal like yerself? Sure!~
@1255 = ~*sigh* Proceed, then.~
@1256 = ~You two, break it up.~
@1257 = ~Xan, stop sulking! Montaron, leave him alone!~
@1258 = ~Montaron, you heard Xan. Do proceed.~
@1259 = ~*remain silent*~
@1260 = ~As ye likes. Too warm fer the exercise, anyways.~
@1261 = ~Ye needn't tell me twice!~
@1262 = ~*sigh* I always knew that I could rely on you in the hour of need, <CHARNAME>.~
@1263 = ~Know, elf, that mighty Tiax allows you to court <CHARNAME>.~
@1264 = ~Why, I am honored, Tiax. I shall not be surprised if you announce that it was Cyric... no, 'Great Cyric', to whom I owe this kind permission.~
@1265 = ~Yes... how did you guess?~
@1266 = ~*sigh* I must have been cursed with a vision from Cyric himself.~
@1267 = ~Blasphemy! Tiax shall appeal to Cyric to smite you, heretic!~
@1268 = ~Your human deity will have to wait, I fear. The line of our enemies stretches far beyond the horizon, so he might not be the one inflicting the final blow. Though, given that many of our enemies bear his symbol, our doom may easily come as you foretell.~
@1269 = ~Your insolence has just earned you a season in chains, serf!~
@1270 = ~A season in chains? Away from the sun, but from your chatter, as well? *sigh* I am almost willing...~
@1271 = ~Why, yes. You look magnificent in chains.~
@1272 = ~So I'll have to save you all over again? It grows repetitive.~
@1273 = ~Relax, Xan, this doom is not for you. The chances of Tiax conquering the world are just as slim as the chances of you turning into an optimist.~
@1274 = ~No, no chains for you. I prefer you where you are.~
@1275 = ~*remain silent* ~
@1276 = ~*groan* Yes, <CHARNAME>, I am sure the sight of my torn and dirty robes in the Nashkel mines must have been tantalizing.~
@1277 = ~<CHARNAME>... *sigh* Much as I appreciate my freedom, the company of this mad gnome severely reduces your chances to see me expressing my gratitude. Thus, if I were you, I would not bother with saving me at all - while he is here.~
@1278 = ~You have reassured me. Perhaps things are not so bad, after all.~
@1279 = ~Yes! Tiax' rule must be near!~
@1280 = ~*raises an eyebrow* Why, thank you, <CHARNAME>.~
@1281 = ~Look, Boo: our friend Xan now concentrates on <CHARNAME>-courting, instead of doom-sinking! Isn't it strange?~
@1282 = ~Has the news already spread to Rashemen?~
@1283 = ~Boo tells me things, friend Xan. And now... what are you saying, Boo?~
@1284 = ~*squeak*~
@1285 = ~I know I should not ask, but what else does he tell you?~
@1286 = ~Boo tells me that you and <CHARNAME> are as closely bonded as Minsc and Boo.~
@1287 = ~Indeed? <CHARNAME>, it seems that we have at last learned the truth about the nature of our relationship.~
@1288 = ~That's... scary.~
@1289 = ~From Minsc? Don't make me laugh.~
@1290 = ~*grin* I always knew that you were small, cute and fluffy.~
@1291 = ~Yes, I've noticed that there is a striking resemblance between you and Minsc. But I am not Boo! Period.~
@1292 = ~*sigh* You are right. Still, I almost enjoy their presence in the group: they keep reminding me that things could be much, much worse.~
@1293 = ~Mmmph... <CHARNAME>, stop it, or I will smile, too, and then where will we be?~
@1294 = ~In trouble?~
@1295 = ~Doomed?~
@1296 = ~Oh, I have several very interesting ideas on this account...~
@1297 = ~I don't know, where?~
@1298 = ~You are not, I assure you. *sigh* For one, I never had an allergy to your hair...~
@1299 = ~Precisely.~
@1300 = ~Oh? Shall we discuss it away from Minsc' ears, then?~
@1301 = ~*sigh* Guess.~
@1302 = ~I see that you are in desperate need of sage advice on the ways of love, <CHARNAME>. As the most intelligent gnome on Faerun, I have wisely decided to bestow it upon you.~
@1303 = ~*groan* My worst suspicions have been confirmed.~
@1304 = ~Please, go ahead, Quayle.~
@1305 = ~Spit it out, then.~
@1306 = ~Advice, from you? Even Xan could give me better advice... no, wait. Um, forget I said that, actually. You were saying?~
@1307 = ~First, there must be something special about you. You are a simple <RACE> - this is bad. Were you a Drow, or an Avariel, things would have been easier. But as it is, you'll need to think of a feature that sets you apart from other members of your species, so your lover would see you in a different light. A vulnerable innocence, a tragic trauma in the past, perhaps someone's death - if you were an orphan, it would be better, still. There should be a mystery about you, too... say, if you told everyone that you didn't know your true parents, and an abominable monster hunted you with no reason whatsoever? You could wield mysterious powers, as well...~
@1308 = ~Oh. But you already have all that, don't you?~
@1309 = ~Yes, Quayle, I do. Thanks for the advice, though.~
@1310 = ~You've told me nothing new, gnome. Begone!~
@1311 = ~Now that you've said it, I've started to feel really uncomfortable.~
@1312 = ~Never mind, <CHARNAME>! My supreme intelligence has never failed me before, and it will not fail me again! I'll give you heaps and tones of advice, just you wait! And in the meantime, take Xan, here - my extraordinary intuition tells me that to hook him, you need no tips at all!~
@1313 = ~Does your supreme intelligence ever tell you to finish the conversation, gnome?~
@1314 = ~No. In fact, I have an excellent idea: how about I tutor you in the ways of love, Xan?~
@1315 = ~*sigh* And here I thought that it could not get any worse.~
@1316 = ~No, thank you, Quayle. I've no time for this now.~
@1317 = ~Oh, just shove your amazing brain where the sun does not shine! I am sure it will fit right in, unless it's already there.~
@1318 = ~I pity you, <CHARNAME>. Obviously, you lack the brains to grasp my supreme knowledge and follow my gentle guidance.~
@1319 = ~Xan, perhaps you have reconsidered, and need some advice?~
@1320 = ~*sigh* No.~
@1321 = ~Your loss.~
@1322 = ~Argh! This is sickening! I knew you were a pathetic worm, male, but the mawkish nonsense you direct at <CHARNAME> fills me with *real* disgust. When she finally recognizes you for the pile of useless rubbish that you are and tosses you out, you'll get the feel of my blade in your gizzard, mark my words.~
@1323 = ~<CHARNAME>, if you really must have a male, could you at least find someone with a backbone?~
@1324 = ~Shar-Teel, I do not look into your bed. Mayhap you won't peep into mine, either?~
@1325 = ~Tastes differ. I happen to like him.~
@1326 = ~It's not as I have much choice, Shar-Teel.~
@1327 = ~You may have a point here. Whom do you have in mind?~
@1328 = ~Yes, you are right. Xan, you heard Shar-Teel. We are through, you and I.~
@1329 = ~You've got less taste than the spineless worm! Crawl in the gutter, then - I'll just look the other way.~
@1330 = ~All men are trash, but some men are better than the others - if you care to dig through the pile of refuse. You'll see, once you dump this weakling. If we come across a guy who is more to my taste, I'll point him out to you. *grin* If I don't take him for myself, that is.~
@1331 = ~If you enjoy this... person's company, I certainly agree.~
@1332 = ~There! Ye've yer heart's desire at last! I hopes ye're the better fer it!~
@1333 = ~Uh... Montaron. When he invited you to kill him, I don't really think he meant it.~
@1334 = ~He said it clear enough, dint he? And yerself told me no otherwise. I ain't no blasted mind-reader, am I?~
@1335 = ~Er... well, the next time you undertake to kill a comrade, ask twice first, OK?~
@1336 = ~Don't give me that! You knew his fey mood as well as I. You didn't *have* to take him seriously!~
@1337 = ~You bloody little butcher! Get away from me!~
@1338 = ~Sure. Ask twice. Or not even once... dependin'.~
@1339 = ~Well, no. But I couldn't pass the chance to ease that constant moanin' in me ears, could I?~
@1340 = ~A glad going I'll make of it, too. Idjit!~
@1341 = ~So, <CHARNAME>, will you require my services after your enemies are disposed of, as they should be? (Of course she does! She must need my arcane skills desperately, with these inept morons surrounding her! I... I just need to be sure. Why? I don't know myself, and there'll be a Fireball for anyone that asks me this question without written permission, filed in three exemplars with gold stamping, make no mistake about that!)~
@1342 = ~Oh, Edwin... you like me, don't you? I wish you had told me earlier.~
@1343 = ~*grin* We'll see. But you know, I'm not going to let you go just yet.~
@1344 = ~Things happen too fast, Edwin. I cannot promise anything.~
@1345 = ~Me, continuing to travel with you? Ha! I'll dump you as soon as I am done with the Iron Throne!~
@1346 = ~I do nothing of the sort, <CHARNAME>! Only such a naive girl as you would assume such a thing. (With no reason whatsoever. No. None at all. Damn this elf!)~
@1347 = ~Of course you are not! How will you survive without my illustrious talents, the ones that make mountains crumble, succubus blush and Elminster go pea-green with envy? (No, it seems too obvious. I should restrain myself from now on. Damn this elf!)~
@1348 = ~True enough, <CHARNAME>. We shall wait and see what happens, shan't we? (I have missed my chance in Nashkel... but mayhap not all is lost. We shall see.)~
@1349 = ~Hmph. Then you are obviously doomed. (Drowned in the relentless doomsaying of her morbid lover, most likely.)~
@1350 = ~<CHARNAME>, have you got a moment? In private?~
@1351 = ~Yes, Jaheira, what is it?~
@1352 = ~I have a bad feeling about this...~
@1353 = ~Jaheira, if you're going to pry again, you'd better stop, and stop this instant.~
@1354 = ~No, Jaheira. There is too much to do.~
@1355 = ~You have become a friend, and not only because of my promise to Gorion. Much has changed in your life, as well - you have met Xan, who might not be the perfect choice for someone like you... but I digress.~
@1356 = ~As a friend, I wish to know: are you happy?~
@1357 = ~I guess I am, despite our recent situation.~
@1358 = ~Sure! Bounty hunters, mad monsters and weird dreams add to any girl's life, don't they?~
@1359 = ~Jaheira, we're all doomed! How in the Nine Hells can I be happy?~
@1360 = ~No, Jaheira, it is not so. But you care, and it makes me a bit happier.~
@1361 = ~I am not going to discuss it, with you or with anyone else.~
@1362 = ~*You smile at Jaheira, and your smile is more telling than any words.*~
@1363 = ~I do not want to pry, <CHARNAME>, but I am worried about you.~
@1364 = ~*snort* I see. The two of you make a perfect match, then.~
@1365 = ~*grin* I see. Thank you for being honest, <CHARNAME>.~
@1366 = ~I... see. Blast and damnation, why did we ever search through Mulahey's chambers at all!~
@1367 = ~*sigh* I thought that I had earned your trust. Obviously, I was mistaken. Choose your confidants however you wish, <CHARNAME>, but you are in the wrong: I am not your enemy.~
@1368 = ~"The perfect woman could only be found in many." Who said that? Was it not you, Coran?~
@1369 = ~There is perfection in every woman, yes. Alas, there are also numerous flaws. *grin* Or so I thought, before I saw Hanali's image in the flesh.~
@1370 = ~Gods only descend to the Realms before the great cataclysms, Coran. I doubt you shall have time to enjoy her company.~
@1371 = ~Are you talking about anyone in particular? <CHARNAME>, for instance?~
@1372 = ~Good. Competition sharpens the senses and appetite, but I do not need extra motivation.~
@1373 = ~I do not recall that you ever needed any motivation to plunge into another of your pointless, mindless and invariably hurtful affairs.~
@1374 = ~And don't you want to experience it for yourself, Xan? Ah, the sweet sensation of melting into her being and the world dance the same rhythm as her body...~
@1375 = ~I do not want to know.~
@1376 = ~I would believe you, but for this glittering in your eyes. *claps Xan on the shoulder* Perhaps you are not hopeless, but lamenting over the ill fate in your company makes me weary. I'd rather do something more spiritual, like offering my prayers to the incarnation of Hanali.~
@1377 = ~*whistles merrily* I know of a splendid tavern an hour's march away. A cozy hearth, a glass of mulled wine, a flirty wench on your lap - excellent for a good night's rest. You will forget your sorrows for a while, mellonamin.~
@1378 = ~Coran, enjoy your last moments as you may, but leave me to my own.~
@1379 = ~The pleasures of flesh do not attract you, then? Strange, my eyes never deceived me before, and I recognize desire when I see one. Is it... someone special, perhaps?~
@1380 = ~There is no place for desire on the battlefield. How many times do I have to remind you that? Death can take us any moment, Coran, death!~
@1381 = ~Xan, death is an ending, and I am interested in continuing, especially with such a luxuriant beauty walking by my side.~
@1382 = ~Coran, your delusions shall be the death of you.~
@1383 = ~Love's pleasure lasts but a mere moment, while love's sorrow lasts all through life. Are you ready to commit yourself to grief and torment, Coran?~
@1384 = ~For a moment of heavenly pleasure? In a flash! I gather you have decided to continue our abstract discussion? Why don't you admit that it has grown far beyond that, mellonamin? Your secret desires have a face and a name!~
@1385 = ~Yes, Death. Though I do my best to stop imagining the lady's face.~
@1386 = ~You are enamored of Death? *laughs, shaking his head* Xan, this line of reasoning works well on virgins, but becomes boring and repetitive after a while. By all means, keep lying to yourself, but be more original in expressing it to the public.~
@1387 = ~I have no desire of making my emotions a public performance.~
@1388 = ~No? How about the tales of woe and despair you share with <CHARNAME> at every other turn of an hourglass?~
@1389 = ~As opposed to your... no. I do not want to continue this. You only see what you wish to see.~
@1390 = ~*clicks his tongue sympathetically* And you, my poor friend, only believe in what you choose to believe.~
@1391 = ~Oh, Hanali, is this thief the only honest man alive to express his feelings openly?~
@1392 = ~Like a common animal would.~
@1393 = ~*nods emphatically*~
@1394 = ~*Ajantis and Xan exchange mortified glances and quickly turn away, pointedly ignoring each other.*~
@1395 = ~*smiles archly* My luck holds: These two are afraid of their own shadows, let alone of a living woman.~
@1396 = ~Xan, we all doomed, and so is <CHARNAME>. The ultimate death awaits her, as well. So why do you follow her unceasingly with your eyes, and shiver like a leaf whenever she spares you a glance?~
@1397 = ~Do not call for death, Coran. She will come unbidden to us all, and sooner than you think.~
@1398 = ~Of course, Xan. I do not doubt the wisdom of the one chosen by the moonblade. But what about <CHARNAME>'s demise?~
@1399 = ~I shall not be alive when it happens, I... hope.~
@1400 = ~Ah, you shall die at her feet, so I can be alive in her arms! Why, thank you, Xan! I never thought you would make such a sacrifice for a friend!~
@1401 = ~*sigh* Seldarine, have mercy on me...~
@1402 = ~I do not understand you, Xan. Every man of worth struggles daily to fulfill his duty, while you seem to wander the Realms without aim and purpose.~
@1403 = ~There is order and purpose to all things, Ajantis. I do my duty, as you do yours. *sigh* Though, unlike me, you seem to enjoy your hopeless roamings at the beck and call of your superiors.~
@1404 = ~Who do you serve, then, and what do you want? As <CHARNAME>'s protector, I shall not tolerate any spies in this group!~
@1405 = ~My duty is to her, the Greycloaks, and my people. Wait... a protector, you say? She has acquired a lot of... protectors... lately.~
@1406 = ~As a lady should.~
@1407 = ~*sigh* Yes, of course. One more body, shielding her from imminent death, cannot hurt.~
@1408 = ~Ajantis, your presence in the group troubles me. You doom yourself with your black and white views; that I can live with. But you also threaten our safety.~
@1409 = ~I beg your pardon? With my vigilance, I am *assuring* the safety of <CHARNAME> and her companions, also yours! You have the gall to speak about safety, elf. You, whose sighs, groans and lamenting eat at our morale and deprive us of the well-deserved rest!~
@1410 = ~*sigh* You have sworn to uphold the values of Helm. Thus, if your companions stray from the path of good, you will draw steel, won't you? Even against <CHARNAME>.~
@1411 = ~<CHARNAME>? Do not you slander <CHARNAME>'s name! She is a woman of honor, and would never sink to petty thievery and corruption!~
@1412 = ~But what if she will? Only dead do not make mistakes, and she is a living, breathing woman.~
@1413 = ~Are you implying I should slander because of the mere fact that every living person *could* do actions of harm and injustice?~
@1414 = ~You started twisting my words, Ajantis. I think that your duty will tell you to draw against us, and that is what makes your presence in this group a cause of insecurity.~
@1415 = ~Insecurity? I am sure this is the first time a paladin is called that way. I will not draw against any of you as long as you do not violate the law!~
@1416 = ~So, it *is* possible that you draw against <CHARNAME>!~
@1417 = ~I... This is enough! I shall not listen to your vile accusations of <CHARNAME>'s virtue any longer. Leave me be!~
@1418 = ~What is the matter, Xan? Your mind seems to be troubled at all times. If you have something specific, do not hesitate to tell, otherwise keep your moans to yourself. <CHARNAME> has enough on her mind without having to shoulder your lamenting.~
@1419 = ~And I have heard that another person's mind is a mystery. Evidently, I have been mistaken: you seem to know <CHARNAME>'s very well.~
@1420 = ~I do, as a friend and companion. If you did, you would change your conduct in this party. It is disturbing at best.~
@1421 = ~And your own conduct is stupid at best. What do you strive for, Ajantis? To die for the glory of Helm?~
@1422 = ~If duty requires to, I will, yes. But to *die* while fighting for the good and righteous is not my primary goal, as you seem to think. I *live* for everything that is worth living for, Xan. My duties, family, friendship,... love... *clears his throat* Though you probably would not understand.~
@1423 = ~There is nothing to understand: only good and noble men deserve to love and be loved, others are evil and... what was it? Ah, yes: must be purged without mercy.~
@1424 = ~Do you envy me for my straight sight and beliefs, Xan? Why don't you just stop bothering, if live is unbearable, as you said yourself?~
@1425 = ~*sigh* There might be merit in your words, Ajantis. I would listen, were I sure that reason dictated them.~
@1426 = ~It did, but you seem to be ever mistrustful.~
@1427 = ~Ajantis, a human's life is so short. Your vocation seems to get the men killed at a young age. I've never met an 'old' paladin... they must be extremely rare. Considering both of these facts, won't it be wiser for you to leave this "life of adventure", while you are still able?~
@1428 = ~That will be a betrayal of everything I strive to achieve! I am not living a life of "adventure" as it is, Xan. Duty calls, and I shall not abandon it!~
@1429 = ~So, you put duty above self-preservation. I wonder if you also put duty above love.~
@1430 = ~What does love have to do with... I do not know why you pose this question.~
@1431 = ~That was answer for me enough.~
@1432 = ~I keep thinking there is something I should tell you, something so very important, but I keep forgetting. Do you know the feeling?~
@1433 = ~Yes, and very well.~
@1434 = ~No, not really.~
@1435 = ~Three magic words?~
@1436 = ~Oh, but I've said these on more than one occasion, have I not? But of course, if it makes you happier: I love you.~
@1437 = ~What could it be? There is nothing about me that you do not know, and as for you, I hope to discover all there is in my own time - if you allow me, that is.~
@1438 = ~However... yes, perhaps it is best to mention it now. You know that we may not see tomorrow, do you? So, in case our enemies unceremoniously rob you of my company even today, I'd like to remind you - all that I own will become yours.~
@1439 = ~Even your moonblade?~
@1440 = ~Including your estate in Evereska?~
@1441 = ~I don't want any of it, Xan. I just want to be with you.~
@1442 = ~Good news, I suppose.~
@1443 = ~It does not 'belong' to anyone in the sense you are implying. But, broadly speaking - yes.~
@1444 = ~Why, I suppose so. Or do you have any doubt?~
@1445 = ~Thank you. I wish it were possible for more than a tenday, too, strange as it may sound. But as it is... ~
@1446 = ~*sigh* Thrilling, I am sure.~
@1447 = ~You are an outsider, and... there are complications. But, ironically enough, if I die, you will indeed be admitted to Evereska. Perhaps not permanently, but still, according to our lore, a moonblade wielder's last word is law.~
@1448 = ~But I must ask you one thing. Whatever you do, do not try to claim my blade as I have done. You... you cannot imagine... Please, don't.~
@1449 = ~Promise.~
@1450 = ~Why? Do you think I will prove to be unworthy?~
@1451 = ~My foes are many and strong, you know this. I might need it.~
@1452 = ~Shhh... it will be all right. You will not die, and we will be happy forever and ever.~
@1453 = ~I am a Child of Bhaal. How can I?~
@1454 = ~Thank you. Although I admit that meeting you in my moonblade, after we are both dead and gone, has once seemed quite tempting to me, I would prefer to die knowing this burden is mine alone.~
@1455 = ~That... was not my point. You may be more worthy than I - you probably are. But you do not deserve the suffering it provides. Selfish as it may be, I do not want even to think of it claiming your spirit.~
@1456 = ~And do you need centuries of imprisonment, alone and torn, as well? <CHARNAME>, to anyone else I would say "be my guest", but to you - to you I cannot.~
@1457 = ~My little dreamer... No, we will not, but it is so comforting when you say this - I do not want to think of anything else.~
@1458 = ~But enough of my ramblings. We will talk later, when - if - there is time.~
@1459 = ~*sigh* It is not impossible. It may even claim your spirit before Bhaal, who knows? And I - do forgive me - would not want to experiment.~
@1460 = ~We have come a long way together, have we not?~
@1461 = ~I suppose.~
@1462 = ~And I hope we still have a long way to go.~
@1463 = ~Not really. To me, we've been together for mere days.~
@1464 = ~We are doomed. Yet, there is so much happiness...~
@1465 = ~*sigh* Forgive me; I am distracting you yet again. Just know that I am with you, whatever might come. Looking back on past days, I see so much good, and yet I do not miss them, for we have today. And, why, perhaps even tomorrow...~
@1466 = ~Indeed, who would have thought?~
@1467 = ~But eventually, we will die, won't we?~
@1468 = ~One would hope so.~
@1469 = ~And, most importantly, we have each other.~
@1470 = ~I wish it were so. However... but you know what I am going to say, do you not?~
@1471 = ~Yes... time does seem to run in your presence for me, as well.~
@1472 = ~Not I. You are too beautiful.~
@1473 = ~All things must end, <CHARNAME>. But perhaps not as quickly as one might expect. And in the meanwhile, I can think of quite a few ways to pass the time... as I am sure can you.~
@1474 = ~I agree.~
@1475 = ~And I can feel it. Your smile - your contentment - your joy... Ah, <CHARNAME>.~
@1476 = ~If only we weren't doomed...~
@1477 = ~When I met you, I almost took you for a human - so set in their ways you were. But now, you are more elven than myself. Why is that, I wonder?~
@1478 = ~Never trust a first impression. I know more of our people than you give me credit for.~
@1479 = ~Why, you, of course. Our shared reverie, our bond, our communion...~
@1480 = ~I do not know.~
@1481 = ~Oh, of that I have no doubt. I was in no state to make a good first impression on you, let alone of you, as you probably recall.~
@1482 = ~I treasure them, too. It is such a bliss to fall into reverie next to you and drift on the waves of your memories...~
@1483 = ~Neither do I, but it becomes you more than I care to admit. Very much, in fact...~
@1484 = ~Yet, I dread to think how much you have lost by growing away. And I am a poor substitute - yes, I wield a moonblade, but I have been living in self-imposed exile for years, much as yourself.~
@1485 = ~*sigh* But perhaps living among elves is not necessary, after all? We carry the Elven Spirit inside ourselves, and we are bonded - it is difficult to imagine anything more elven. And I never cared much for the company of others, in any case. But you - what of you, Estel'amin?~
@1486 = ~For now, I do not have seem to have a choice.~
@1487 = ~I would prefer to know my people better, but I am content with you.~
@1488 = ~I think our little company is doing splendidly.~
@1489 = ~True. Somehow, it feels to me that neither of us had much choice from the very beginning - we've made our choices long ago. But who knows... who knows indeed.~
@1490 = ~As I am with you. Perhaps one day...~
@1491 = ~In that despite all the risks we are taking, we are still alive, do you mean? Yes, indeed... nothing short of a miracle, I should add.~
@1492 = ~Apart and alone, we are still elves. Still together. Still doomed... oh - never mind this now. We are still - ourselves. And very much in love. Sometimes, I suspect, too much so. *sigh* Corellon help me, for the gods are surely jealous beings, who think that nobody deserves too much happiness.~
@1493 = ~And perhaps they are right. But here and now, we are happy, and nothing else matters. Come?~
@1494 = ~I've been looking at you, and I have become curious all of a sudden. Your journal... the account of the way to our inevitable demise, I doubt it not - does it say anything about me?~
@1495 = ~Why, Xan, what would be the point, if we are all doomed?~
@1496 = ~Yes, of course. Our flight from Candlekeep, Gorion's death, meeting you - it is all there.~
@1497 = ~Not really. Mostly it is about places to go, people to kill... you know how it goes.~
@1498 = ~Why, yes. Quite a lot, in fact.~
@1499 = ~Ah. You are determined to make fun, I see. But I suppose there is a point, after all - otherwise I wouldn't have bothered to start a journal of my own...~
@1500 = ~Wait. Your journal? Do you have one?~
@1501 = ~What is it about?~
@1502 = ~Your journal? How come I've never seen it before?~
@1503 = ~Ah, so you mostly write about events, do you not? Not so with me, I admit... but then again, my journal is mostly about a certain young lady who stands in front of me.~
@1504 = ~That's interesting. Can I hear the details?~
@1505 = ~About me? Do tell!~
@1506 = ~Oh? What exactly, I wonder... no, no, I'll be better off not asking. If there is anything I do need to know, you will tell me, I trust?~
@1507 = ~Maybe.~
@1508 = ~But of course...~
@1509 = ~Do you keep a journal, then?~
@1510 = ~*gulp* <CHARNAME>, you are making me rather uncomfortable by looking at me like that. Especially since I have an idea or two about your direction of thought.~
@1511 = ~I do keep a journal, but - how shall I put it? It is not what you might imagine. I do not write regularly, and neither do I try to capture the recent happenings, or every little detail. It is just sometimes, when the fire is low, and you are resting, I look at you, and my hand starts its journey over the pages on its own.~
@1512 = ~You matter to me. More than anything else, or anyone else. More than my duty and my life, even. And it pains me that, after we are both gone, there is nothing. But perhaps, one day someone will pick up a small leather-bound book, and...~
@1513 = ~... read about you and me?~
@1514 = ~... turn pea-green with envy?~
@1515 = ~... smile, when he reads about our love?~
@1516 = ~... scream in horror and run away?~
@1517 = ~I admit I do not like the idea.~
@1518 = ~He well might, yes. And, come to think of it, who wouldn't?~
@1519 = ~Do you think so? There is nothing indecent whatsoever...~
@1520 = ~Ah. But of course.~
@1521 = ~And perhaps something in his smile will resemble the way you are smiling now...~
@1522 = ~*chuckle* Mmm... why, this is possible, too.~
@1523 = ~I will die earlier, melamin. My things will be yours to possess - or to destroy.~
@1524 = ~But now, we should go and finish our task - to tell you the truth, I am tired of agonizing over who kills who. And then, we will perhaps lay our journals aside, and...~
@1525 = ~*sigh* Sometimes I think this time will never come. But tonight... we may well try and look into the future where there are only us. You, and me, and whispers, and stars...~