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 Posted: Sun Aug 23, 2015 7:48 am
This Quest is for Lumikani who is striving to become a Blade.
 OOC
||. The quest prompt must be answered with a 2000 word reply (can be more).
||. Respond to the prompt given with an adventure of your own creation as long as it meets the requirements of the specific tasks.
||. NPCs may be used as long as they advance the quest in an interesting manner.
||. You cannot include any playable characters other than the quest taker.
||. Your responses will be graded with a Pass or Fail. Those who fail will have to continue with assistance from the staff.
||. Questions about quests can be asked here.
IC
The Alkidike had been banished; they were on a strange land with strange creatures, and Lumikani was surrounded by Sisters whose reactions to the banishment ran the gauntlet of emotions.
Now that they were alone... how were they to live? Where would they get their homes? The trees on Yael weren't conducive to living in their roots. Would they have to build now?
Quest Tasks
||. This quest is more about introspection and the rebuilding of Lumikani's life now that the Alkidike are banished.
||. The Alkidike are now alone on their settlement in the island.
||. How does Lumikani deal with this new situation and of being banished from the homeland and being abandoned on this odd island?
||. She must come to terms with her position and the loss of her family and everything she was used too.
||. She must also try to build a home here, whether it is with her sisters or separate and confront the reality of a strange land with strange materials. How will she provide for herself and sisters out here?
||. The quest should end with a resolution to finding Lumikani's living situation.
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Posted: Sun Aug 23, 2015 5:21 pm
As her fingers dug into the moist earth, Lumikani could feel the porous stone beneath the thin layer of moss and foliage. Her back was to the large group of extremists, and she ignored the squawking of the Matron in favor for her own exploration of their new home. She hadn't gotten too far, making it to the outer circle of the clearing before falling to her knees to touch the land around them. It was moist, it was thin, and it was nothing like Chibale or Jauhar.
It was nothing like her home.
Falling back onto her buttocks, she pushed her hands away to rest her weight fully on the ground, her head looking up into the misty canopy above her. The trees were shorter, and instead of a soft glow they muted the light with hanging moss. They were unsuitable for rough climbing, most of the branches shining with moisture and odd colored mushrooms. The sisters had yet to try the food around them, but Lumikani had a sense that the trees did not provide the nourishment they were used to back on the mainland.
A cry from behind broke her out of her thoughts, and the young Alkidike turned to look over her shoulder at the sisters in the clearing. The main cluster seemed to be cheering, surrounding the Matron who had led them this far. Lumikani had no idea where Aselia and Neibet were, but she assumed that they most likely were off on their own. She had spent some time with them both, a sort of companionship having formed during the battle, but they still separated once the group arrived at their new settlement.
Lumikani had never felt more alone.
Snapping her gaze back ahead of her, she once more took to evaluating the lands around her, though her ears twitched at the sound of another approaching. It was clear that her missing presence had been noted, and someone had come to drag her away.
"Sister," the rough voice of another Alkidike extremist called out, feet pausing a few paces away, "The matron had decreed that this will be our home, and therefore we must begin settling. Considering your...skills...it was determined you would be best assisting with building instead of hunting or scouting the lands."
Although not condensing, Lumikani got the distinct feeling that the sisters had determined her lack of training and smaller size would cause her to be a hindrance, and she felt herself bristle slightly. It seemed she would once again need to prove herself to those around her. She thought she was through with this type of judgement, as most in Jauhar were familiar with her personality and strength. It seemed she would be starting over with more than just a home.
Pushing herself up, she slowly moved back toward the group of sisters, watching as the strongest ones picked up weapons and raced off into the wood around them. Cries of strength and speed were shouted from both those leaving and those left behind, as everyone knew there was still quite a bit of risk in the unknown land. Lumikani just stood there with tight lips, watching as the stronger sisters disappeared into the darkness.
"Sisters," The matron called out with sharp authority once the scouts had disappeared, "The trees around are not touched by Aisha, so we must make do with what we have. Our race is strong, and nothing will stop us from flourishing with what we have. We will take the trees and shape them to our needs. Nothing will stand in our way as we rebuild our great race anew."
Turning to look at the Matron, Lumikani almost felt a sense of madness from the woman. It was clear that their banishment took a toll on more than just her, if even their leaders felt the strain. Maybe this meant that the Matron heard no words from Aisha, maybe they were truly out of reach from the Mother's gaze and warm embrace. It sure felt that way with the foreign foliage and stifling mist around them.
It took a few minutes for the newly decreed council to direct the sisters around her. The Matron seemed keen to step away, focusing on that strange bundled object she had claimed would redeem them. Lumikani couldn't really focus on their interim mystic for very long, as another sister shoved a sharpened spear into her hand and told her to help salvage some trees from the woods. Not needing to be told twice, the young Prentice nodded and moved away from the others.
[ 765 ]
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Posted: Sun Aug 23, 2015 6:08 pm
As she walked deeper into the thick of the wood, avoiding the standing water and slimy mushrooms, Lumikani finally let her emotions bubble to the surface. Here, in the safety of the mist and the sounds of the forest, no sisters would be able to witness her breakdown. Her pride was one of the strongest features she had, but everyone had to have a breaking point. Losing her family, losing her home, and losing her respect for her sisters - it put a lot of weight and pressure on her pride and faith. Now, she was finally able to let it all sink in and react accordingly.
Shoving the spear sharply into a nearby tree, Lumikani let out a low, animalistic growl. So many thoughts were going through her head, she needed to find a way to address each and turn, and make due with where she was at. The first thought that blared in her mind was that of her true sisters, and their faces during the past few weeks.
She loved her sisters with her heart and her soul. Aisha may have been the top of her faith, but Anya, Ashani, and Elsheba were everything to her. The look in their eyes ever since the festival, the dark judgement of her own decisions, haunted her dreams. Anya had been so angry, so terribly disgusted with Lumikani since she stood up and spoke her thoughts. Her triplet really believed Lumikani would spill the blood of her kin. Despite the strong front she put up before, Lumikani could not immediately brush away the anger and disgust in her sister.
Anya refused to understand, refused to listen, and refused to support Lumikani with what she wanted in her life. Anya turned her back completely on Lumikani, abandoning her and their bond in front of the Great Mother.
As Lumikani stood, huffing in the forest, she couldn't find it within herself to show the same anger back at her sister. Her faith in her sister, in their bond, would always outweigh any anger or grudge she shared. Despite the fact that she was bound to never see eye-to-eye with Anya again, she couldn't find it in her heart of hearts to hate her sister. Acceptance of their different paths in life, and their different directions, was something she always followed. Although this may not be an argument over cleanliness, it still was a tug in a different direction, and one she found acceptance with.
They would make their peace someday.
Stalking over to the tree where she had thrust the spear, Lumikani tugged it out with a grunt before eyeing the mark. The tree wasn't too tall, but the base was thick enough to make a decent wood. Maybe they could cut down the trees like the Earthlings did, instead of hollowing them out. Glancing around, she rubbed her free hand on the bark to confirm that it would be unsuitable for climbing, and made another acceptance of what she would need to do.
Bending to her knees, she began to hack away at the tree with the thick spear tip in her hand.
Hair flying about with each thrust as sweat matted her brow, she moved her thoughts inward to compensate for the monotony of her actions. Next on her list was Elsheba, as Ashani really had no true interaction during the strife.
Elsheba was always the calm, mothering type, and it was clear in her actions that would always be the case. Lumikani didn't receive the same anger from the eldest sister that she did from Anya. Instead, she felt the unspoken judgement and disappointment from Elsheba, as well as the same misunderstanding. Elsheba had stood with the rebels, had stood against her and looked down upon her for her actions. It had been a deep blow.
Lumikani knew that her relationship with her eldest sister would be just as hard to salvage as the one with Anya. Elsheba had marched in the war, Lumikani knew that much, which meant she knew that Lumikani had joined the rebels in banishment. It was a solidifying decision, and one that impacted her entire family. There would be no chance to hunt with her eldest sister, no chance to ask her advice on the best way to train or support the tribe. There would be no chance for her to grow old and flourish under her sister's care.
She would be alone.
Stopping her mindless hacking, she felt her muscles tense up as she eyed the progress she made. Elsheba was something she would have to deal with when she returned home. Once again, her sister was her life, and she would hold no grudges. Instead, she would hold out on her faith in family ties being strong, and the possibility that she wouldn't be struck on sight when she saw them once again. She could only hope they would listen to her this time, and understand why she did what she did.
It was her biggest regret, the misunderstanding and the fact that they were no longer together. The fact that she was alone.
Slicing away on the sides of the tree, moving through the bark and into the guts, Lumikani could tell that the spear was beginning to dull. This work, it was tedious most likely similar to what sisters did in order to habituate the trees of Chibale.
Chibale, the home she might never see again.
The one time she had touched the shores, the one time she had made it to the Great Mother's ceremony, she had been banished to never lay eyes on the tree again. Now, she was stuck in a land where Aisha could not reach, clear with the disgusting land and the stifling atmosphere around her. For all of her faith in their Great Mother, it was a damaging blow well beyond that of losing her family.
At least with Anya and Elsheba, she was able to share words. She knew not why Aisha tried her so.
The Matron spoke of a solution, and of them being the stronger of the two factions. But why, then, were they the ones to leave the island? Why were they the ones to suffer so? Lumikani knew suffering only made one stronger, but how could one grow strong without the guiding light of Aisha?
The severity of the situation was finally sinking in, and as Lumikani worked on the tree, she could feel the warm tears trailing down her cheeks. She did not cry for her family. She cried for Aisha.
Aisha was her everything.
The Great Mother was her strength as she grew older, being taunted and teased for her Earthling-like size. Lumikani continued to tell herself that Aisha allowed her to bloom for a reason, and so her size did not matter. She still was of the blood, of the sisterhood, and their taunts meant nothing.
But was this what Aisha wished for her to be? A banished warrior in a land outside of her reach?
Brushing away her tears, Lumikani moved to use her weight against the now leaning tree, pushing and pushing until the bark cracked and the tree began to lean. Letting the weight of the tree take over, Lumikani watched as it fell, the crash and the water filling the silence and sending unknown creatures running.
As the foreign tree fell to her weight and actions, Lumikani felt her spirit begin to rise. She was strong, and could overcome this. Aisha would not lead her astray, and clearly this was an act of the Mother challenging her to become stronger.
She would need her faith, her strength, and her tenacity to overcome this setback. There was an unknown world around her ripe for the picking, a place for them to establish and take over. She would become the Amazon she dreamed to be, with a stronger faith. She would take over this island and place it under Aisha's feet in the ultimate sign of surrender.
She would prevail.
This Banishment was only the beginning of their race growing stronger. She would make sure of it.
There was no time to dwell on her past, on her family or her frustrations. There was no time to look past her faith, for that only weakened her. Questioning Aisha's will would only cause her to fester and die. Instead, she would charge head first into her training, into her conquest, and she would return to the Mainland to cut through every person who refused to see the way.
Aisha was the light, and she would be the light bringer.
[ 1,433 ]
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Posted: Fri Aug 28, 2015 11:27 am
After cutting down the tree and dragging the wood back to the clearing, Lumikani left the pile near the center of their new home. She looked a mess with splinters and matted hair, but her pride and her strength shone through her eyes and settled with her raised chin. She looked like a confident, determined Alkidike, and there was no leftover appearance of her toils or fears.
She had moved on, and she was ready to show everyone just how much of an asset she was.
Being the first back with any sort of materials, the council sister in charge of directing the team walked over with an appraising eye. Lumikani had cleaned the wood and removed the bark, providing a good source of material for them to evaluate.
"Well done sister, you really have shown your strength and dedication to our cause." The leader said with a smile, also apparently proud of the fact that Lumikani had returned with renewed vigor.
There were now shadows behind her eyes, no uncertainty to their situation. Lumikani had faced her ghosts in those woods, and had pushed them aside and let them go. The only place she would focus on is moving forward, the only people she would focus on are her sisters around her. So, she continued to stand with her pride shining as they waited for the rest of the team to return.
It wasn't until later, when the other sisters returned, that they finally discussed the building plans moving forward.
"The trees are sturdy under the bark, and able to resist the humidity of the area. We will need to build our own homes, but with these supplies we will build strong homes that will last us here. Thanks to our sister here," The leader paused and nodded toward Lumikani, "We now know how to fully bring the trees down. It wont be easy, but we will make this our home."
After a long period of planning and further discussion of all the team's discoveries, the leader dismissed them, and Lumikani felt her first looks of appraisal. The sisters were impressed with her actions, and she had made a small name for herself with her dedication. It was a start, and one she would not take for granted. She would have a long way to go to prove herself to them all, but she was ready to do so.
She would embrace her new family, and she would come out on top.
She hoped her sisters across the sea were preparing. This banishment was not a blessing for them, but a curse. Here, they would grow stronger, smarter, and would be ready to sail back home and take back what rightfully belonged to them.
Lumikani would make sure of it.
[ 461 ]
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Posted: Fri Aug 28, 2015 11:47 am
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Posted: Wed Oct 07, 2015 9:20 am
Class Quest Result
Pass!
Lumikani has passed and received a rank of Blade!
Congratulations Lumikani!
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