Volume 2: Issue 4

Twin brothers, one named Emal and the other Juan, grew up and moved out of the country. A year later, their mother receives from Juan a letter and picture of himself. His mother sighs and mentions she wishes she had a picture from Emal as well. "Why," replies her husband, "if you've seen Juan, you've seen Emal." ~ Groaners

Headlines

Head Office Moves Again
by Piper Kin

Just two months ago, the Chronicles moved from a pokey office to a cosy building in New York. Since that time, we've found even nicer premises in the market square.

But what does this mean for our readers? Surely, having an off-site paper will make it harder to catch up on Elysia's goings-on? Well, not according to Editor-in-Chief, Chenoan Cirocco. According to him, there'll be reminder notes in the calendar every Friday so you won't forget when we go to print, with a link to the current issue.

I must admit, my office is much nicer than the old desk I had, but what do our readers think? Why don't you write in to Chenoan and tell him?

EF comes out of it's shell! Players Only
by Chenoan Cirocco

A new EF Staff IM account was just announced. According to sources it's to be used for any suggestions or questions that someone might want answered quickly. There are also three alternatives in case you don't have an AIM account. Those alternatives are the Audience with the Aides thread, where you can ask a question and be answered by an Aide or maybe even Xanth herself; the Complaints Office thread, where you can gripe, complain, moan and groan about anything EF related all you want; or you can always PM the Secretary.

Ed: Please remember to follow the Forum Rules any time you make use of one of these options, thanks!

Desert Mugging
by Kaida Tanili

Not too long ago, our very own Elise Theiroe, disguised as Anya, the owner of The Jade Refinery, was taking a stroll around midnight through The Maze of the Scorpion Desert. While on her way to her destination, a random mugger came out of no where and attacked Elise with his daggers. Fortunately, this thief wasn't dealing with just any small woman, but a skilled fighter. While Elise tried to fend off her attacker, the mugger got the upper hand, and eventually was successful in injuring her. As she lay there, losing life by the moment, the mugger began to rob her, no doubt thinking he'd won the battle.

Either by pure luck or fate itself, the well-known Storm Riders came to her aid. Showing himself for the first time, the leader of the Storm Riders, Amiri Jalil, rode to Elise's rescue. Fending off the attacker, who fled in fear of the renowned Rider, Amiri scooped up Elise and brought her to the healer Suka Matali. With Anya's hood pulled back from the fight, her true identity is revealed to the Pet's of DOOM owner, only confirming his previous suspicions. Once she was healed, the mysterious Storm Rider rode off into the night, leaving Elise to fend for herself.

Full Access, Players Only
by Chenoan Cirocco

Ever been confused when someone talked about something that happened in Paris, the Grove, or the Cloud Palace? Well be confused no more! Now you can read any thread in any sanctuary (except for the Adult and teen boards of course) no matter what species you are! This is for players only however, so your various characters can't know what happened in the Crypt or the Dark Temple if they only have access to the Village Square. We hope you enjoy reading all of the newly available threads and catching up on anything you might've missed!

Lies, Deceit, and a Coma
by Chenoan Cirocco

In the hospital, Suka Matali has put Mahesa Nagra into an induced coma so that she wouldn't escape from him when MPD officers Zephyr Cairbre and Nymphadora Makani came to the door. They were brought there by Daoine Sideheanta after the incident we reported two weeks ago. Suka Matali received a visitor and left, asking Nymphadora to stay behind and watch Mahesa for him. Zephyr left soon after when he was unable to prove anything had happened. Not giving up, he left Mahesa a note in the hopes that she would come to him when she awoke. Clearly this event isn't over, but how will it turn out?

Faroah Sightings Soar
by Chenoan Cirocco

Recently, reports have been coming in left and right about sightings of the familiar red imp dragon Faroah. He seems to have been delivering some scrolls to specific shops in the marketplace, hospital and Scorpion Desert. While only the recipient of each scroll has been able to read the message there are rumors they are from Xanth herself. The first scroll was sent to Maximus Mills, Mayor and doctor. Another scroll was sent to Castalia, Elysia's pharmacist and Nymph Matriarch. One scroll made it's way to Anya, the mysterious owner of the Jade Refinery. The final scroll was discovered in Zephyr Cairbre's smithy. What do these scrolls say, and more importantly, what do they mean for Elysia? Only time will tell!

Editorial

To Xanth: Since you can appear to us in many different forms and shapes, what is your favorite appearance?

The one I use the most.

I suppose I should elaborate. When I first arrived on Earth, I was a young girl. I knew nothing of external dimensions or that I was the only one outside of Tanakheim with the power to destroy or create on a whim. I was met with fear and awe by a people who, despite the knowledge that they could not best me, died to make me realise the vast responsibility I now had. I honour them in this form... though it can be irritating to hide my wings for extended periods.

Weekly Feature

Design a Creature Contest Winner
by Kaida Tanili

As you all know, there was a contest for designing a creature. After a long wait and a lot of searching, the staff here at Elysian Chronicles have finally came to a conclusion. The winner of the contest, Jade, provided a wonderful description of a Vlareon. Unfortunately, try as we might, there has been no success in proving this true. So as of today, we officially go on the record in calling this magnificent beast none other than a myth. If you should happen across this creature, which this staff highly doubts, be fair warned of its nature. But who better to explain it than the creator herself. Here is what was written.

Vlareon
by Jade

A distant rumbling, a defying roar. Your heart felt like it stopped beating for a moment and you recoil in fear it’s a Vlareon. A Vlareon is a small creature, of the opposing elemental. It has two wings, one red, and one white. In one side of its head it has a red, twisted horn and the other one is gold. As you’re about to try and figure out what it’s doing here you remember why a Vlareon come to the realm of mortals. It is a servant to death itself. When someone’s died the Vlareon comes to take them to heaven or under the earth. A small gasp of horror escaped your lips
I’m not dead! you scream as it jumps on you and everything turns black. When you wake up there is a crowd of people around you and a car you realize that a car must’ve hit you! A second later the Vlareon appears and speaks slowly and icily
You have been allowed one more chance before you die. Live your life well. We shall meet again. and as soon as it happens it stops and you just sit there starring at the place where it had been.

And as a little treat, here is this artist's rendition of the Vlareon.


Click for full view

Employment Agency

Assistant Editor

The Chronicles is looking for a new assistant editor to work alongside Chenoan and his team.

Responsibilities

+ Oversee the features team
+ Ensure the paper is printed on time
+ Make sure deadlines are adhered to
+ Proofread features and edit where necessary
+ Check links and sources
+ Accept submissions of tips and features
+ Write headline stories
+ Pay salaries for regular staff
+ Pay for submissions from freelancers

This is an out of character job for the most part so we will be hiring based on the following factors:

+ Good English
+ Ability to work in a team or alone
+ Good imagination
+ Time to do all of the above
+ Good knowledge of what's happening around Elysia

Salary

$80 per week, to be paid by Chenoan.

How to Apply

In your application please include a portfolio of headline stories (minimum of three, please check the Chronicles archives for an idea of what we're after).

Please PM questions and applications to Chenoan, thank you.

Feature Artist & Journalist

The Chronicles is also looking for new writers and artists for the weekly features section.

Responsibilities

+ Submit at least one feature per month
+ Adhere to any deadlines
+ Follow the editors' guidance
+ Check all facts before writing
+ Check links and sources
+ Write at least one headline story per week

Skills

+ Good English or Art
+ Ability to proof your own work
+ Good imagination
+ Time to do all of the above
+ Good knowledge of what's happening around Elysia
+ Ability to take constructive criticism

Salary

Feature staff are paid $50 per feature by Chenoan and $15 per headline.

How to Apply

In your application please include a portfolio (minimum of two features, please check the Chronicles archives for an idea of what we're after).

Please PM questions and applications to Chenoan, thank you.

Classifieds

Herbal Heaven

Have you received a prescription from your doctor or healer? Or are you just looking to improve your physical and/or mental health on your own? Then visit Herbal Heaven, as we've got the largest selection in medicinal herbs in Elysia.

Note: Prescriptions are free of charge if you have Elysia's Health Insurance!

Volume 2: Issue 3

A good pun is it's own reword. ~ Groaners

Headlines

Beheading in the Safari
by Chenoan Cirocco

The Quest for Hydra Venom is finally coming to a close! With the successful beheading of the creature it ran off, leaving one of its two heads behind. The questers who fought so valiantly are now injured severely. Kaethe Raesean in particular is horribly wounded while Aithe Keahi seems to have escaped with the least damage. All that's left now is getting the poison out of the head and getting through the portal. Hopefully that will be easier than everything else.

Bar Brawl
by Chenoan Cirocco

Last week the chronicles told all of Elysia about Sylope and Kiril visiting the Elysian Underground's bar. We gave a warning for Elysians to watch themselves, but it seems some paid no attention. The bartender and his various bouncers actually tried to fight the two, resulting in their deaths. As Sylope and Kiril begin to drink, not caring about the pain they caused, Xanth found out and got very angry. What will happen to the Aides? That's up to Xanth.

Image Mix-'n'-match
by Chenoan Cirocco

A few days ago Xanth expressed a concern that too many Elysians looked alike! She's now adjusted it so that everyone will be different. Please make sure you read this important announcement and rectify your image if you're breaking this new law!

Weekly Feature

Hark! 'Tis Vyon and a can of soda!
by Anon Eemus

The Halloween Extravaganza has drawn to a close, along with the spectacular costume competition! Partygoers of Elysia might have seen pirates, animals, and witches alike as they pranced and swirled on the floor.

After a long session of tallying votes, we of the Elysian Chronicles proudly present the winners of this contest!

In first place...Niles! He gets a cool looking trophy () and one hundred dollars!

Introduction: Niles slowly entered the Fae Forest, dressed as...yes, that's right, the one and only human can of coke! He smiled to himself, if wasn't very flattering, expecialy as he didn't even like coke, but he considered it pretty original.

He looked round, Alieh was there, and a few overs he recognised. He made his way over to the table, where he recognised his problem. No arms could make this difficult...

Second in place is Eivyonydd! Here's your $50 prize!

Introduction: Vyon had been sprawled on a log soaking up the atmosphere of the party for a while now. He missed his old friends from New York, and a gigantic party like this brought back memories of all the good times he’d had with them. But he had also made quite a few new friends while he had been in Elysia, people that were more or less like him, and given that he had decided to embrace this new life, it was best not to reminisce on the past too much.

He watched the partygoers enjoying themselves, playing games, dancing and chatting. He even recognised a few of them, though some he thought best to avoid right now. On the other hand there were others he was quite looking forward to seeing again.

Congratulations to the two of ye!

We of The Elysian Chronicles sincerely thank Aithe and Sanura for running such a fantastic Halloween Bash! See ya'll next year!

Volume 2: Issue 2

There was a man who entered a local paper's pun contest. He sent in ten different puns, in the hope that at least one of the puns would win. Unfortunately, no pun in ten did. ~ Groaners

Headlines

Dancing With the Aides
by Chenoan Cirocco

Recently the dynamic Aide duo of Sylope and Kiril was seen in the Elysian Underground's bar. No one is quite sure why they're there, and so far all they've done is fight between themselves. One source reportedly heard Sylope make a suspicious remark, so all Elysians in the area are advised to take this warning; Watch your necks. We here at the Elysian Chronicles will post more as it develops.

Testing Wit, Might and Skill
by Chenoan Cirocco

Not very long ago Zephyr Cairbre posted a want ad in the Market place section of the Elysian Underground. Shortly after he recieved 3 seperate applicants, all ready to fight or the job. Kaethe Raesean, Eilidh Dickson and Dialto all showed up at close to the same time to apply. Zephyr has proceeded to test them accordingly. His decision will effect the protection of Elysia as they will be the only armor provider here. Will he make the right choice?

Mahesa Revived
by Chenoan Cirocco

As many Elysians know, Mahesa Nagra was stabbed and nearly died not too long ago. Her friends rushed her to the healer named Suka Matali, but the Anyeli sent them on a quest for a special payment. While the questers fought for their lives, Mahesa did as well. In the end Suka had to heal her completely before he recieved his payment. Soon after Daoine Sideheanta was going through the hospital when her empathic Gold Dragon powers kicked in and she caught hold of Suka's anger and and Mahesa's fear. Running to the police station, Daoine found Zephyr Cairbre and Nymphadora Makani there. The two officers seem to be having some sort of internal argument. Will they overcome it and face the issues in the hospital?

Weekly Feature

Flight of Xanth
by Piper Kin

Xanth threw herself onto the opulent cushions adorning her massive bed, scrubbing her eyes with the heels of her hands. She was twelve hundred years old and, like any teenager, she had a mind of her own for at least half that time, yet her father had still summoned her like an infant to inform her of his plans for her marriage.

She had knelt at the foot of the dais beneath his throne, her head dipped with a respect she did not feel for the lord and master of Tanakheim as he detailed the ceremony, not even thinking to mention exactly who she was supposed to marry until his sixteenth wife - Xanth's mother - had pointed it out. All the while, Xanth's fury was boiling.

Finally, in an overly dramatic display of fireworks (literally) she had exploded, telling Abdiriz exactly what she thought of his plans. It was not the first time they had come to blows. It was, unfortunately, the last time.

She had not only chastised him - he, a man of forty thousand years and counting, who had ruled Tanakheim with an iron fist for three quarters of that and kept over fifty wives happy! In ten seconds flat she had also insulted the entire Abdiriz bloodline.

She was doomed.

"It was a stupid thing to do, my love."

Xanth shot upright on the bed to glare at her brother. It was unclear if Yaziz was the youngest of Abdiriz's sons as he was born around the same time as three of their sisters (all to different mothers) and no one in Tanakheim paid attention to such mundane things as exact birth dates. He liked to think he was the youngest, though, and certainly played up to the title. He was mischief incarnate and though Xanth loved him for bringing fun to the palace where there was none, this was not the time for his jests.

"Ugh, go away, Yaziz."

"Poor baby," he smirked, throwing himself onto the bed beside her. "If everyone reacted this way when Father married them off, there would be no girls left in our family."

"I refuse to marry anyone just so he can claim more territory. He owns three dimensions already, is that not enough?"

"Obviously not," he joked, grinning at her through his fingers. "Look, two hours ago I would have told you to grit your teeth and be a good girl, but it is far too late for that."

Xanth rested her chin on her knees, trying not to ask the inevitable, but doing so anyway. "What will my punishment be?"

"Mother was begging him not to do it. I have no idea what 'it' is."

She was definitely doomed. Yaziz's mother was jealous of Xanth's and the two women had been fighting for Abdiriz's attention for centuries. If she had asked her husband for mercy on Xanth's behalf then the situation was worse than she had thought.

Several curses came to mind. "What do you think I should do?"

Yaziz rolled over, a ball of flame sparking to life in his palm. Xanth watched, almost hypnotised, as he tossed it in the air and caught it. "I do not know that you can do anything, my love. I doubt you can even go to him and agree to the marriage now. It was a rather idiotic thing to do, yes?"

Xanth scowled and knocked his hand aside so that his fireball landed on his stomach. He yelped and shot off the bed, brushing his clothing off even though the fire had not harmed him. "If I were you," he said with gritted teeth, "I would leave Tanakheim and wait for him to calm down before returning to apologise. Of course, we both could be grey-haired by then, but it would surely be better than having your powers stripped or... worse."

Xanth's heart fell out of her stomach. She knew Abdiriz would eagerly strip her powers - he had done it to several of her siblings for minor offences when they were infants. From what Yaziz said, this was going to be much worse than that. Tears in her eyes, she hopped off the bed and hugged her brother. "I will sorely miss you, Yaziz."

He hugged her back, squeezing tight, and nodded. "I will miss you too, my love." As he stepped back and Xanth started to fade away, he added, "Let me know where you land, hmm? I may visit some day."

Employment Agency

Quest Writer

Elysians are in need of quests, whether it be for excitement and adventure, or the rewards they bring. As a quest writer, you will be working in a team under the Quest Manager. Your job will be to post on the noticeboard with quests ranging from small "wanted" advertisements to full adventures. It will be your job to organise what the quest will need - roleplay areas, non-player appearances, rewards and so on - and clear those things with the Aides beforehand, then recruit potential questers.

Note: This is a big job and will require a lot of time. We would prefer to hire more than one but please do not apply if you cannot guarantee the time.

Responsibilities

+ Plan quests
+ Gather the resources necessary to carry out those quests
+ Recruit questers
+ Arrange rewards, whether they be graphic, monetary or items, with the Aides
+ Roleplay non-player appearances
+ Work in conjunction with moderators and other staff members - you may need their help
+ Run one quest per week

This is an out of character job so we will be hiring based on the following factors:

+ Good English
+ Good roleplaying
+ Awareness of Elysian law and rules
+ Ability to work in a team or alone
+ Good imagination

Salary

Between $20 and $150 per quest to be paid to whichever character you decide (you will not be able to swap and change throughout your career, however) depending on the size of the quest.

How to Apply

In your application please include the following:

+ Your real name or alias (not your character's name)
+ Apply from the character account you wish the salary to be paid to should you get the job
+ Include ideas for quests (minimum of five ideas - at least one paragraph description for each)

Please PM questions and applications to Eivyonydd.

Volume 2: Issue 1

A hungry lion was roaming through the jungle looking for something to eat. He came across two men. One was sitting under a tree and reading a book. The other was typing away on his typewriter. The lion quickly pounced on the man reading the book and devoured him. Even the king of the jungle knows that readers digest and writers cramp. ~ Groaners

Headlines

Elysia's Hall of Fame
by Piper Kin

October is three days gone and it's that time of the month again. The winner of October's Design a Creature contest has been announced and congratulations must go to Jade for her winning entry about the Vlareon.

Additionally, two members have been given a surprise new award, the member and staff member of the month awards for raising the bar of roleplay and working above and beyond the call of duty. Aithe and Nymphadora should be very happy with their new trophies.

Which brings me to the breaking news that the Hall of Fame (originally the Awards Records) has undergone a complete overhaul. Lacklustre old trophies have been replaced with shiny new ones and the award listings have been rennovated so they're easier to understand. There's even a preview of the trophy that will be given to the winner of Aithe and Sanura's Halloween Extravaganza Costume Competition!

Miracle on the High Street
by Piper Kin

A few weeks ago, Mahesa Nagra was attacked in Washington Square Park by a mugger who left her for dead. Though an Aide came to the rescue, Mahesa ran off only to turn up at Suka's clinic later. As she fell into a coma, Suka blackmailed her boyfriend Ryou and her best friend Aithe, demanding a poison that can only be acquired by either killing a baby hydra or paying extortionate prices to buy it.

After some time away from his clinic, Suka returned to find Mahesa dying. Either he felt compassion for the first time since the quest to rescue Dazadi or he felt his profit slipping away, but whatever his reasons, he healed her fully - only to threaten her life if he did not receive the poison.

It remains to be seen if Mahesa will escape him or if he'll get his prize, but as far as we know he's still on probation with Xanth after becoming her slave in punishment for the attack on me and many other transgressions. Will the goddess punish him for a threat? Or does he have to do the deed before she'll intervene?

Trick or Treat
by Piper Kin

After weeks of careful planning, it seems the Halloween Extravaganza hosted by Aithe Keahi and Sanura Chandler (not forgetting the gracious Imps who allowed the use of their forest, of course) was a giant success. The party was great fun with plenty of games and dancing, including a girl who decided it would be fun to use the tables as a dance floor.

One partygoer was apparently not enjoying himself enough, however. The Fae Forest was the unfortunate scene of a vampire-turning that has thrown the Elysian community into turmoil once more. With provisions made for we vampires, it begs the question: who really needs to attack anyone? I was unable to interview Aithe but I imagine she's upset that her party was disrupted like this.

Announcing The Anyeli Kurio and Arkiga!
by Chenoan Cirocco

Recently, Xanth decided that it was time for a change in Anyeli government and summoned Kaethe Raesean and Suka Matali to her temple. While there she told them they would be the new faction leaders of the Anyeli's warring sides, the Apalos and the Skotadi. Kaethe would lead the Apalos while Suka, Xanth's newest reluctant minion, would be leading the Skotadi Kurio. But there was a problem, Suka was an Apalos at the time. Xanth quickly remedied this by changing his wing color to black - they seem to have a red shine to them though...

Hydra Attack!
by Chenoan Cirocco

The quest for Hydra Venom has finally come to an epic battle. With Kaida Tanili finding the beast on sheer accident, the questers now fight for their lives to defeat the giant serpent. Arrows, swords, spears, knives and Dragons are all flying about the battle in terrifying array. Who will win?

Weekly Feature

Halloween Extravaganza Costume Competition Top Six!
by Chenoan Cirocco

A little peek at the 6 most liked costumes from the Extravaganza!

~ Sanura Chandler
Kaida Tanili ~
~ Belle Dae
Piper Kin ~
~ Eivyonydd
Niles ~

Classifieds