Once upon a time... in an Island kingdom now long forgotten... I had only planned to sail from my home on Sharigale Island to the larger island of Gretspa to trade my abalone beads for supplies my small island does not provide. It should only have been a day and a half trip, but after a horrible storm and two weeks of open ocean, I found myself drifting into the strangest inlet I had ever encountered. I had heard of the great Guardian, but until this moment, I had passed the stories off as fanciful sailors' tales. Never again! There it stood towering hundreds of feet in the air looking down at me with a deep cold stare that chilled my very soul. I could not see his eyes, but it seemed his gaze was piercing through my heart to determine what manner of man I was and what business I had coming to his Island. I could not help but stare up into his face as my tiny craft crept slowly into the cove. Suddenly I realized the faint creaking of wood was no longer faint and with only moments to spare I veered my craft to avoid the bowsprit of a partly sunken wreck. It seemed to have been a mighty war ship and had apparently been there for many years. As if the stare of the Guardian was not enough, the addition of this wooden skeleton made my blood run cold. Yet the air and the water were peaceful and gulls were gracefully sailing on the morning breeze. Since I had no idea where I was or where else I might go, I steadied my nerve and continued into the cove. I half expected the great Guardian to let out an angry roar, pull his sword from the stone and tear me asunder with it, but as I passed beneath his mighty arch, all was calm. The morning mists seemed to slowly churn with a thousand ghosts as the mountain cliffs drew closer and closer together. When they stopped closing in, there was barely enough space for a ship to pass through. The light breeze continued to carry me deeper and deeper into this strange chasm. Shear as the walls of a fortress and higher than any tower I had ever seen, the cliffs loomed above me in deafening silence. After what seemed like hours, the barren gray walls gave way to steep green hills and then to a pleasant forested valley. It struck me then that the air no longer smelled of salt and I realized that I was sailing upstream in a freshwater river. I took a cup from my bag and took a sip and then a deep long drink. It was clear as glass and sweet to the taste. Just then I heard the sound of voices in the distance and saw what looked like a small tower the edge of the river with a short pier. I drew in the sail and used an oar to bring my craft up to the pier. As I tied her off, I saw a small group of men coming out to meet me. I stepped up onto the pier with my bag in hand wondering if this would go well for me or if this day would be my last. My worst fears were soon dismissed as the man in the lead addressed me. "Greetings and welcome to Avandonia." he said, "I am Xavier, administrator of the southern region. Tell me stranger, what brings you to our secluded kingdom?" I briefly explained my plight and watched as their stern faces relaxed. By the time I finished they seemed rather delighted that I had come. Xavier explained that they seldom received visitors that were not seeking some form of ill gain and they were very happy to have me come their way. Thus began my stay in Avandonia. Vue4 on a Mac; no postwork; all textures by me; Knight by graylight.com Helmet and sword by Bladesmith Shipwreck by Helmut Schaub http://www.3dxtra.net/ or www.planit3d.com Small ship from Vue install; Man in ship from Poser - standard stuff. Gulls by John Spirko http://www.iaw.on.ca/~jspirko/models2.htm Comments and suggestions always welcome.