Gatheringa free magazine of dragonlance fiction Cover art Takhisiss Garden Janet Jia Ee Chui Original in greyscale, coloured (rather poorly) by sam. You can see the original version of this picture at the magazine website. There is also a link to Janets site, which includes many more pieces of stunning artwork. Legal notes DRAGONLANCE is a registered trademark owned by TSR, Inc. All TSR characters, character names, and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. TSR, Inc. is a subsidiary of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. These trademarks are used without permission under the terms of TSRs Online Policy. The editor and publisher of this magazine has no connection with TSR, Inc. This magazine may only be distributed online and free of charge. Characters in these stories not owned by TSR, Inc. are the property of their authors. The stories and artworks are copyright of their respective authors/creators. Collection copyright © 1998 Samuel Marshall. All rights reserved. Contents Feeding the Fish...............................................4 Kaéren Anderson & Dion Cliffe Brothers of the Forge.........................................6 Stefan Schoberth Lunitari Obscurum...........................................10 Michael Kelly New Slant on Life............................................16 Beth Long Marsh Cat........................................................19 Samuel Marshall Takhisiss Garden............................................24 Will Meister Introduction from the editor (Samuel Marshall) Welcome to Gathering. I Takhisiss Garden is a commentary on some of hope youll enjoy reading the magazine. the issues raised by the transition to the Fifth Age. I wont The title refers not just to stories collected together, give away anything here, but trust me, the concept is or consolidating amateur talent into one place, but to the pretty funny. international gathering of the fan community. I think Finally, I should mention the excellent cover art by thats an important concept. Everybody has their own Janet Jia Ee Chui, which is based on Wills story. Dont view of Krynn, and theyre anxious to put that view blame her for the colouringI added that in Photoshop. forward. In combination, this provides the opportunity to The original greyscale version was better, but I wanted see an old, known world with new eyesespecially as to add a little interest to the front cover. the authors here arent constrained to the standard formula I edited the stories using a process of discussion. that many of TSRs books remain within. Rather than make changes to the text, I suggested Consequently, these stories are extremely varied. alterations and areas that needed work to the authors, Feeding the Fish is a whimsical, amusing tale of who would then deal with the problems themselves. I one single simple incident. Kender fans should love it. think this is a good way to proceed, but it did involve a Brothers of the Forge, set around the time of the lot of work both from myself and from the authorsI War of the Lance, tells an altogether darker story of a doubt most fan-fiction on the web has been through three young dwarfs life. rewrites. Hopefully this effort has paid off. Lunitari Obscurum follows more familiar themes Please be sure to visit the magazine website of magic and demons, but keeps it fresh with an interesting http://www.leafdigital.com/Gathering/ where storytelling technique. you can find email addresses for the authors, and links New Slant on Life depicts a dragon that doesnt to their home pagesoften including more of their exactly fit in to the standard Krynnish stereotypes, which stories. Theres other interesting stuff there, too. should be a nice change for anybody fed up with Id like to thank everybody who submitted work to superpowers like Khellendros and Malys. this magazine, whether or not it was used, for helping Marsh Cat, my own story, continues to push my make it work. slightly dark view of the Fifth Age. Be well, all. And enjoy the stories. --sam 4 Feeding the Fish by Kaéren Anderson & Dion Cliffe Take that back! wailed Y...yes, Rel; but it isnt her rock, he responded. Vanishfast Foxtail. Relthasta Mar pushed her book aside and picked up Irian Starshadow swallowed hard, cleared his throat, a spoon to stir her drink. It was an unnecessary, automatic and kicked away a tumbleweed of dust and cat hair that gesture from her youth. She drank her tarbean tea straight, was cozying up to his shoe. I...um... and had done so since coming to this part of Ansalon. Over at a corner table of the Balifor Book and Local honey just didnt have the same tang. The bottom Beverage Boutique, a woman in red robes lifted her head of the pool is covered in the wretched things, she from a leather-bound volume. She grinned expectantly observed, gesturing at a shallow artificial pond by the as the proprietor hemmed and hawed. front window. Surely you can spare just one for this Um...I wouldAhem!very much like to do so, dear child. young...uh...lady... Vanishfast stopped braiding, her face illuminated He prided himself on his manners, which he deemed with hope. essential to success in the literary trade. But, Gilean help No, Irian proclaimed firmly, folding his arms. him, there was no polite way to say this. Only one course Aww...hic! of action remained: to speak the truth. Again the bookseller was caught unprepared. The ...Unfortunately, it seems to have fallen into one of kender bobbed and weaved in his disbelieving sight, and your many lovely pouches, he blurted out. he was slapped across the imagination by the concept of Only one thing is more terrifying than a kender a drunken mouse rehearsing round dance steps on the running amok in a store that you have lovingly tended top of a door with extremely rusty hinges. Vanishfasts for most of your fifty-six years. That one thing now rose whine (and hiccup) rose through several octaves and out up before Irian in a blaze of indignation. of Irians hearing range, although not before taking a A teenage kender. parting shot at his eardrums. He winced. Trying to make a fashion statement. Whats so special about that particular stone, On a bad hair day. anyhow? Rel goaded. How dare you! Vanishfast shrieked, the upper Its pretty, said Vanishfast. reaches of dare heard only by a dog that was padding It isnt, Irian denied. by the door at that moment. Twice. Thats twice youve Yes, it is. Its the prettiest one in the pond. called me a thief. Ive never been so insulted in all... Was. Irian didnt catch the exact number of years in which Oh, Irian, dont be so pedantic. his visitor had not been so insulted. He was distracted You keep out of this, Rel. And stop grinning like no, hypnotizedby streams of hair and hair-like that. It makes you look like a blasted Black Robe. substances. Vanishfast had a standard-issue topknot, Black Robes dont grin. cascading off the top of her head like the tail of a Yes, they do, Vanishfast offered helpfully. particularly large horse. Irian could see that her natural Otherwise, why would they bother? I mean, if youre hair colour was blonde, if only because of new growth at going to be evil on purpose, you might as well have some the roots. The topknot was now blue, decorated with fun with it. I know this wizard in Sanction, and she really strands of vermilion ribbon and a brocade scarf in a enjoys... hideously ugly shade of yellowish green. And you keep out of this! Irian snarled. The smaller topknot at her right temple appeared to Kenderkin, however did you manage to get into have been starched with paste and fireplace soot. It jutted Sanction? asked the lady mage, genuinely curious. out from her head at a rising angle. Oh, its easy, Vanishfast effused. You come in A third topknot, close to her left temple but hastily through... Er, no. That way got blocked when the volcano placed and not symmetrical with its counterpart on the erupted. Wait, Ill show you. Ive got a map... right side, drooped purple for several inches before turning Irian groaned and ground his teeth in frustration as bright green at the very split ends. his unwelcome visitor emptied her pouches onto the throw But most distracting of all was the unicorn-horn rug in the middle of the floor. Vanishfast happily sat down braid that sprang from the kenders forehead. Irian stood to inventory her possessions. Possessions? No, that wasnt in awe, unable to comprehend how Vanishfast could quite the right word. Despite their propensity for finding stamp her tiny feet and rant and rave without missing a and wandering off with other peoples treasures, kender syllable as she plaited the hair before his wondering eyes. never quite managed to possess anything. Always they A voice from the corner caused him to snap back to played the tourist in the rented room, knowing that reality, or at least this version of it. Oh, let her keep it, tomorrow someone else would take their place. Irian. Its only a rock. The tourist analogy explained the maps, but not Feeding the Fish / Kaéren Anderson & Dion Cliffe 5 Vanishfasts determined resistance. How was Irian going and you see all the rocks stuck in the sand under the to get back his stone? water, so the colours are really bright and you think its Your stone? cried a voice in his head. red but when you get it home... Irian turned suddenly to the aquarium. It contained The listening part of Irians brain shut down. He a single fish, so there was only one party to address. watched Vanishfasts hands cache the last few items from Dont fret, my dear, he soothed.