Why have I called my website this?
I have always loved the 'Neverending Story' by Michael Ende both as book and movie. And the
tower in the movie-adaption was really sticking to my mind when I was little.
The second idea behind it is the fact that we have part of a proverb saying '[they are] sitting in their Ivorytower'- which means being caught up in
one little world of your own. It can be meant nicely and and not so nicely.
Both were and are fitting more or less, still.
Today, the Ivory Tower is a symbol (to me) for the awesome little world that Vile and I created in countless emails. The
empty tower from years ago has since then filled up with plenty of life - and 'unlife'.*g*
Who am I, then?
I am 33 years old by now and in daily life I am a librarian. :o)
Before taking up studies to become a librarian, I finished an
apprenticeship and worked for two years until I was fairly certain that
this was not the profession I wanted to have for a lifetime. So I took
my time and chose my field of studies with care.
I always had a deep love for books and I read everything from
specialized literature on scientific topics to fantasy novels.
The only thing I do not read are non-fictional novels and especially
not if they won prices and are supposed to be "a must read"- usually
these bore me senseless before I reached page twenty.
Getting some grip on the English language made things much easier
because
it opens a much bigger field of publications to choose from.
Also, after finding out what a bad translation can do to a book, I am
trying to get hold of the original text whenever I can and I have not
regretted that.
My second big "love" is drawing, mostly sketch-like and with pencils.
Already as a small child I did thousands of (bad) horse pencil
drawings, making up whole storylines like that.
Nowadays I am mostly drawing what inspires me, like a character or
landscape from a book or some beautiful item I saw somewhere. I am also
drawing a lot of sketches of my alter-ego Ailanreanter to get really
into that character when using it.
Lately I colour my work digitally from time to time, but I am not too
fond of it yet because I am still lacking in skill and patience. I
really enjoy making icons for use in LiveJournal from time to time,
though.
I used to be a very enthusiastic rider, spending most of my freetime at
the stables. My apprenticeship and later my work didn't allow me enough
time for it, though, and so I gave this beloved hobby up then.
Ironically, as a student, I did have the time but not the money.
Always loving to do creative things I found a rather satisfying
substitute for this, though. I got into collecting and remaking model
horses and have since then become just as enthusiastic in trying to
copy the big world into smaller scale.*g*
A short summary of the things I enjoy is this *g* :
Most of my drawings and computer-paintings on here are rather old, well, comparatively... most of them are dated around the beginnings
of the last decade.
I am still drawing occasionally, but since my job limits my creative blasts somewhat as it is impossible to scribble a whole night
through, for example - unless you are on holiday- and working on a computer all day makes me way less inclined to spend all my past time hours
also in front of such a machine as well, my creative output on this area is kinda limited right now.
My eyes, fingers and brains are relaxing much better when I enjoy my other hobby that involves
handicrafts which are a perfect compensation to my screenworking daytime occupation. So this is why newer stuff is currently rather few
in here - certainly not for lack of motivation, though.
So who is that fuzzy person and what does that name mean?
There is really a little story behind the name and I think it is worth telling it, am trying to keep it short:
When I set out to explore the internet for all the hidden treasures you might find, the first
'nickname' I have ever chosen was 'Stargazer'. It has been following me around until today. It is part of my oldest email-address, it
was part of the title of the very first website I made, which was named 'Stargazer's Realm'. I loved the name back then and I still do.
First I crawled rather aimlessly through the web, fiddling with HTML, scanning and uploading the first of my own pencil drawings. One day
I had found the art-site Elfwood (free of blinky ads back then!) and managed their application-form-test thingy to become a member. For a long while, my online-life revolved around
what happened on Elfwood now. (Of course I still had other interests, but this was the biggest one online)
And then one day in May 2002 when I was just browsing the site- or was it the infamous 'random button' function?- the Powers That Be sent
me to the Tenth Pit. I had found Trenz. Or had he found me?
I do remember that I needed a dictionary to express my first impression about this 'meeting' *blushes*, but in an unequalled chain of coincidences (cough) this led me to get to know Vile.
And while our abovementioned little world was spawned and fledged, growing stronger each mail, so to speak, it happened that the scares in my bad dreams became names, that I brought a Nightmare home, kinda, that I got an Alter-Ego-shape that is a lot more indestructible than my usual self and a proper name for it. My old 'Stargazer' nick was transferred into the Yugoloth form (see Planescape) of it. 'Ailanreanter' was born.
Ailanreanter is a curious young creature, looking like an Arcanaloth and was intended to be one, but is usually doing so much good - more or less accidentally-
that even the term "fiend" could be questioned sometimes. But just like Mielahis, she can be fiendish enough and very ferocious when there is need to be.
An urge to explore dangerous places and try the very limits of herself have brought her into very dire situations already, but she is still being around, as you can
see. *g*
Having developed a strong liking for some types of evil creatures, she usually seeks them out with fearless grace bordering on suicidal stupidity, seeking their company and even friendship actively...
but miraculously Fortuna seems to love her very much and so she has not only survived in rather hostile surroundings (like her immediate neighbourhood for example) but also got her will in most cases, having won over a flock of various evil creatures as company, friends and family.
This first:"Nightmare" is the species, not a gender. These two are two male creatures, even if I refer to them as "nightmare".
Nightmares are fiery fiends that have a more or less bad temper. They are easily bribed, though and since they know some basic
rules for living with others, as they live in herds in their natural habitat, they are not entirely hopeless to have around.
To describe their kind shortly: They are predatory, carnivores and not very picky about their meals, they are darn fast, their teeth are sharp and they are very clever and able to come
up with strategic ideas for their hunt.
Mielahis is not your typical nightmare.
He found me in a bad dream and followed me home. Despite everybody around worrying, neither of us killed
the other before we had grown into some kind of friendship. When we met he was very young and obviously kinda deranged -what exactly happened in his
earlier life, we have not discovered yet. Growing up some, his behaviour grew less unpredictable, too, as he learned to control his urges to chase and fight and by now he is happily installed in
his "herd" of friends around him and has grown up to a formidable specimen of his kind. His friendliness toward other species remains an
oddity for his kind, though.The greatest weakness he developed while living at the Ivorytower, is a great addiction to fresh (chocolate) muffins.
He is not to be underestimated for his social skills, though- if need be, he is just as recklessly savage and ferocious
as any other nightmare would be.
Azâr is an older nightmare.
Mielahis and me found him in a ravine on the Waste and at that time, he was clearly done for. We don't know if it was a herd-fight or if he just
got in the way of something too powerful, his hurts were very grave. Out of compassion he was saved and brought to the Ivorytower to heal him
until he was restored to full health.
The better he did, the worse his temper became and he is a creature that is always annoyed at something. He never hid his contempt for his
company or surroundings, yet he did not leave. Not even when he was whole again and could have gone all on his own. Instead he stayed and got into
constant quarrels with Mielahis. It is unclear if he stays out of a sense of owing a return favour for being saved, if he is simply too lazy
to return to the hardships of a life in the wild again (afterall, food is often served here) or if he secretly likes it here (he'd rather die
before admitting that, though).
Loth Lorien is a mini Balrog that spawned at OFUM, where I adopted him.
Whenever a Fanfiction writer mangles a name, place or term taken from J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, a new mini spawns, bearing
the misspelled word as its name. (You find a list of the little critter's names here: The list of Minis)
Mini Balrogs are cheerful and mischievous and are best kept happy when being fed raw eggs, bacon and rabid fangirls regularly. They will be
especially delighted if they get a "Mary Sue" into their little paws.
Loth Lorien is a very happy little fiend that immediately attached himself to the nightmares- Mielahis to be precise. The bigger fiend may be
occasionally annoyed about the mini, but he likes him well. The mini also feels some burning affection for Ringwraiths. *g*
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