Table of Contents ❅Table of Contents ❅Current Things ❅ Kieran ❅ History ❅ Family/Friends/Foes ❅ Rps & Plots ❅ Inventory ❅ Photos ❅ Reqs
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Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2016 12:27 pm
Updates:
~*~ 4/14/15 : Won Kieran ~*~
~*~ Location: Yael ~*~
~*~ Kieran's Art drops for Stage 3 on 4/16/17~*~
The Story thus far...
Finding his mother's collection of journals that were intended for the newly discovered mainland Kieran sat out to go and take the dangerous journey himself. Along the way he has made friends with various earthlings, gotten into various sticky situations, and even tamed a few Mainland animals such as a trickster snaptrotter that enjoyed following him around.
However, since he was missing Yael -mainly someone- in part the man did send letters and to his surprise Taijana actually came over in worry to find him. So then they both traveled together for a short time and met the new comers from Belrea at the markets. Afterwards Kieran realized his own selfishness and has decided to come home to Yael to spend time with Taijana and to sort out his own feelings about life and her.
Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2016 12:28 pm
Name: Kieran Stage: Beast Tamer (3) Race: Yaeli Gender: Male Base Traits: Patient, Mischievous, Curious, Demanding, Knowledgeable, Personality: Patient as can be. Kieran often doesn't show any inner turmoil when caught in any situation. Rather than seeming to be in a rush the male will often take his sweet time to study a situation. While a storm is brewing outside he is the one to look towards for guidance as even the most fearful of curses don't seem to bother him. In fact, there's almost a mischievous gleam that lights up his gaze in such troubled times. Others may get agitated while waiting on him, but the male must always take his time to think things over and to make certain that he's prepared for any challenge.
Sometimes, however, it may be his mischievous nature that helps him to slowly take his time. The more he sees someone in a hurry, the more tempted he is to linger. Acts of trickery, telling scary stories, throwing out mind puzzles, and other similar acts show this mischievous nature even more. Seeing how others react always intrigues him as he is a curious soul, always eager to find out why and how things operate together.
His curiosity is another strong aspect of his personality. Even when patiently waiting for results, the male still demands them and will push himself to limits that often scare other Yaeli. His demands of others, of patiently assuring he can get what he wants from them, also reflects his own personal demands. If something must be done then he will figure out how to do it. The concept of sacrificing others also does not scare him and in fact the male sometimes expects it to occur. Nothing can be attained for free after all and he will make certain to figure out the best way to achieve his goals.
Figuring things out should be easy for such a knowledgeable character, no? After all he has spent much of his youth and his current time in his home researching. Volumes and volumes of tomes, written by him and his mother, decorate his house and he has made certain to learn a bit of everything. It is almost as if he is a walking reference book himself. Now that he has ventured from Yael into the Mainlands Kieran's knowledge has only expanded and his curiosity will continue to drive him to explore all of these new places.
Description: With frizzy lavender hair that he often ties back, decorated with some beads, Kieran also has the glowing eyes and the darker skin of the Yaeli. His stones are mostly along his stomach and form almost a wing pattern on his stomach. His right ankle also has stones wrapping around it.
Outfit: Casual, light and loose wear. (Often torn up from adventuring into caves and etc) Accessories: His glasses, as they help to bring in details that he normally may never notice.
He also has a locket kept under his shirt as a reminder of his mother and a journal that he continues to carry. It's a replica of several others, already filled, that line his shelves at home.
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Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2016 12:28 pm
History
Kieran was raised mostly by his mother, an explorer who loved collecting stories, and in turn became inspired by her. As a youngling he would love listening to his mother tell about superstitions alongside of her daily adventures. Many would take place throughout Yael and as soon as he was able the boy found himself staying home alone taking care of things there. Their home was actually a huge cavern system that his parents had found and converted into a living space. In it existed a library full of books and his mother's own personal journals which the boy cherished and would read - at least of the books he was allotted.
His father was a different story as his death happened when the boy was barely a youngilng. Honestly Kieran can't even recall what the man looked like, but his mother missed him deeply. Due to that she persisted in spoiling her son and keeping him away from danger. As he grew Kieran began to argue against her desire to protect him until eventually he too joined in her explorations. Together the two explored Yael and went through all the caverns that they could find. In turn his mother would sell things at market -crystals and whatever interesting artifacts that she could find.
Happiness can only last for so long...
As he became older, but was still just a child the boy followed his mother on a more dangerous exploration - one that he was never supposed to be near. In doing so he revealed himself and it was his mother who took the spear to the side for her son's safety. As the extremist chased the woman who dared trespass towards their secret village Kieran found his mother weakening...in order to protect her son the woman sacrificed her own life.
Ever since then Kieran was on his own. He grew up to explore and gained as much knowledge that he could about the world while taking care of his childhood home. Eventually he too became aware of his solitude and a trip to the cavern that he remembered his mother mourning his father in was the start of his own personal change. He too realized that it was not the best to be completely alone and the appearance of a keldari, Aia, who stuck with him pushed him to rethink his life decisions.
While he thought becoming a beast tamer was a great change the surprise laid inside of his mother's unfinished journal. In it was a map to Matori and after much indecision the boy finally decided that it was time. He would go out and finish what his mother started in his own way...as a beast tamer and a master collector.
So now Kieran roams the mainland and collects any knowledge that he can find on the strange earthlings and creatures living there. Meanwhile back home on Yael he has his beloved penpal who receives all of his stories and love whenever he is back home on the rocky island.
Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2016 12:28 pm
Connections:
Family:
❤ Kitya & Xenia - his two darling daughters.
Friends:
❤ Taijana - A very shy and nervous girl who Kieran took adventuring with him while in Yael. Eventually they became friends and pen-pals though one of his very first letters startled the girl into such a panic that she even ventured overseas to find him. They traveled together for a bit and after returning her home to Yael Kieran has found that he has perhaps more than feelings of friendship towards her. In fact his love grew to the point that he proposed and now they have two daughters together.
*Aaricia - A hybrid girl he met in Oba; very unique and interesting. He helped her recover from some wounds and offered any future assistance should she need him.
-Kaimana: A young Matori who Kieran recruited as an assistant for his travels to Belrea. "He's not bad at creating sketches and has a lot of talent, too bad he's often too occupied rushing into danger instead of practicing his art."
Foes
Acquaintances
- Seziah : A young woman who he assisted in the past when he was called in for "pest control"
- Jace : They adventured together in Kieran's younger years and he helped the man with his goal of purchasing a sword.
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Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2016 3:39 pm
Plots:
Current:
Venturing towards Belrea.
Future:
More explorations.
Stage 4 RP
Finished
Battles
Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2016 3:42 pm
Inventory/Familiars
Aia A silver/indigo Keldari who has attached herself to Kieran. She's very friendly at least to him and often rides around while coiled around his arm.
Hunapo A Snaptrotter that he rescued. "She must have escaped from some traders because none of her kind should be naturally on Yael." Yet she has taken to him and rarely leaves his side, even to the point that she will try resting her head on his lap while he is reading in his study.
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Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2016 3:43 pm
Growth REQS Stage 3 - Stage 4 2 Month's Time 50 RP Growth Reqs 10 EXP Growth Reqs 1 Completed Class Quest
Dancer Ribbon x 4, Fetish x 7, Dyes x 3, Scissors, Piercing kit x 1, Necklace x 3, Change of clothing x 2, Traveler's Scarf x 4, Sewing Kit x 5, journal, metal band x 4, journal x 6 and bag x 5., familiar motif (keldari inspired) first aid kit (random scars on his chest, faded from years / can even have a faint on on his cheek etc) and shaving kit (for the stubble)
(keeping his glasses as well)
Take inspiration from the following examples for his outfit. Would love if there's someway to have it reveal his stomach stones, but if not possible then that's okay.
His snaptrotter - [X] If possible feel free to use fetish, metal band, ribbons x 4 (collar, ribbons on the tail, or just something decorative like a scarf - CC), bags x 2 and journals x 4 (like a satchel on either side stuffed with scrolls / journals)
Body Type: Lean as before Preferred Artists: Lines (Miss, Kana) Colors (Jay, Kana style 2, Tasi Style 2) Livestreaming: If wanted. x3
Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2016 2:26 pm
Stage 1 - Solo 1 - Continuing On A Legacy
His library was his sanctuary.
Kieran smiled as he woke up in the morning and saw the glistening crystals in his cavern home. It was like having stars above his head as he slept at night. Truly, this quiet cavern was a peaceful area. While he had his mother to thank for the creation of such a space, the male was impressed about how nature had formed such a giant corridor below the earth. Other Yaeli may have been skittish of spirits slumbering beneath the ground, but Kieran found that the only things around were the random Keldari who would slither in.
The faintest sound of dripping water caught his attention. Further up the ‘hallway’ of his home was a small pool of water, the only wet part of the cavern system, and always the melody of gentle drips could be heard there. His mother had explained to him that a cap of another stone kept the ground waters from leaking off the surface to the underground. Like a lid should it crack then the dry area that he had turned into his home would soon become damp with condensation as well. For that reason the male had crafted overhangs on the wooden bookshelves that he had lined the walls of the main chamber. It was here that he spent most mornings and it was here that he would find solace from the bitter world.
“Though I suppose I shouldn’t linger for long.” Musing to himself Kieran reflected upon his new venture ideas. A journal in hand had mapped the area along with a plot about where he had already been on Yael. On the same shelf, where dozens of similar journals rested, another row was hidden. These journals lacked the dull blue binding that Kieran often used and instead favored a more natural, brown tint. The handwriting found there was slender and curving, but not his.
These were his mother’s journals.
Her quests had begun years before his birth and it was her journey that he continued. Sometimes the male would randomly grab a book from the homemade shelves and pick a random page to see if he had explored the same areas yet. Somedays he would while others he would frown intently over his mother’s passage and make notes of his own. These places he often would have to go and explore for himself. That way he could see if she had missed anything or if there had been changes…
Or perhaps it was something simpler than that. Perhaps he just wanted to venture into the same places that his mother had stepped. That way despite not having her physically with him anymore the male could feel a part of her spirit still. This was the spring that she drank from these were the cliffs that she climbed….such thoughts made a knot in his chest. He wouldn’t’ cry, but instead would continue to remember her by always wandering. Her spirit would never go to the land of the forgotten. These journals and his actions would make certain of it.
That was his promise to her.
(517)
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Posted: Mon May 02, 2016 7:50 pm
Stage 1 - Solo 2 - Sorrow And Memory
The cavern walls were slick beneath his hands. Frowning, Kieran inched a foot forward into the darkness. While straddling a deep ravine of water was not his first choice the male had to admit that it was pretty thrilling knowing that his life could easily slip away. Not that he was a masochist by any means, but it was rather interesting to know that there was something on the line. If it was just a simple stroll through the underground then it wouldn’t be an adventure.
Adventuring…
He could remember being a tiny youngling following around after his mother. She had been a beautiful Yaeli with long curling lavender hair always tied back in a braid that touched her lower back. Her stones were reminiscent of freckles across her face and along her back laid two long diagonal diamond cut stones that seemed to be like wings. She was spritely in a way, slender and petite with lots of spunk. He had always loved watching how she pushed her glasses up while reading over her journals for hours at end.
“Momma can I see?”
“I don’t know if it would be interesting to you, Key. Just a bunch of dusty old notes on big, complicated things.”
“Buuuut….please?”
Even as a youngling he had been a patient spirit. Eventually as Teryte grew tired of watching her son staring at her from over his own blank pages, covered with swiggly lines and strange shapes of monsters, she gave in. “Fine, here.”
Eyes wide, Kieran jumped up at the chance to look at one of the journals. For the longest time the boy had noticed them lining up the walls of his mother’s study and he had always wondered what was inside. Each journal, however, was locked with a small key and often placed high up so that he couldn’t easily reach. The one time he had tried, with the help of a stool, the boy had found himself covered in an avalanche of papers. Needless to say the study door had been closed for a while due to that incident.
Now that he finally could hold the book, Kieran was nervous. Pausing he glanced towards his mother who nodded him forward and it was then that he finally opened the pages…
Since then his life had never been the same.
As an apprentice he had begun tagging along with his mother as she recorded maps and other interesting notes about her explorations. Every trip had allowed him to acquire new information along with a series of cuts and bruises. Yet despite his mother’s best wishes to keep him safe, the boy would continue to tag along. “You need me, right? It’s hard to sketch while you don’t have someone holding the light for you.” He would protest while shaking the jar that contained the glowing worms that his mother often relied on for her cavern visits.
Or other days…
“Can’t afford to leave these things alone while you go forward, right? So it helps that I can carry them in my satchel for you.”
Every time she tried to push him away the boy would just find a way to get closer. Strangely enough he was the one now wandering on his own trying to figure out how to hold his own in the wild. So far he had been pretty inventive. His satchel had compartments that were added by hand while the ropes that tied around his waist served as other inventions as well. Should he need a bridge or a helping hand then the rope would assist or if he needed a place to hang his belongings for a bit the rope would make a good net.
That was all he needed right?
“My rope and me.” Chuckling into the darkness Kieran moved forward until he finally could step over the crevice and stand on more solid ground. Most cavern openings along the cove seemed to be narrow and damp, mostly from their location next to the ocean. However, the true gem was wandering further inside. Past the mud and grim existed a world like never before…it was here that he stood. Glimmering lights from crystals decorated the walls of the crystal cavern and the glow warms in his own globe like jar seemed to buzz with excitement. This was their home after all.
“As much as I would love to let you go it may be hard to get back through without you.” Teased Kieran before placing the jar on the ground. He didn’t need it here, the crystals and reflections made certain of that. “What a beautiful place…” It was here that he could begin to collect the precious gemstones that sold for such a pretty price in the market. Many artisans enjoyed incorporating the gems into their jewelry and other pieces, but couldn’t afford to venture into the depths to retrieve them. That was where Kieran made his profit. While looking around for artifacts the male often stumbled into crystal mines like these.
It would be simple enough to take a load back…
“Can’t I carry these for you, mama?”
“Sure, Key.”
The memories flickered through his mind like little pieces of poison. It was a welcome pain, one of happier memories, but at the same time a longing filled him. His mother had been taken from him far too early. She had too much life in her yet…the blade that had cut her down said otherwise. Frowning, Kieran rubbed a hand along his forehead. That was the past and it was over and done with. His mother’s spirit would be in the land of the remembered and he dared not to disturb it any longer. Yet, he couldn’t help remembering her in these places.
“Should you be alone too, Kieran?”
He could just imagine her chastising him for doing exactly what he had told her not to do years ago. But what could he do? He lived a lonely life that wasn’t meant to be shared with others. Was it not after all too dangerous? Certainly on occasion he might meet someone who could venture forward with him, but they were only temporary companions. He found it best to just not rely on anyone else….least they be taken from him as well.
The memory of her blood staining the ground as she pushed him away, “Run Key! Don’t you dare look back…I love you sweetling.” Spirits guide him…she had prayed. He had thought her so strong until that point. The towering invader had just seemed to effortlessly kick the Yaeli woman to the side. She had taken something of interest to it and had explored too close to their home in doing so.
For that his mother had died.
Whether the death was necessary or not the boy never knew. All he knew was that a loathing had finally formed in his heart for something that day. He also knew that he would never be weak again. The knives that hung at his side attested to that. Should any extremist even dare approach then they would be in for a fight. It was such a rare moment that made the normally patient male look dangerous.
But as he continued walking around the cave the male seemed too sorrowful for vengeance. Something about this place seemed eerily familiar, but that was mostly due to the fact that he had found it in a journal of his mother’s. Yet, most of the places in his mother’s journal he had never discovered…his hand trailing along the stone walls Kieran paused. There was a groove here?
Frowning, the boy moved forward so that he could inspect the wall closely. Had his mother been here to etch in the stones? Strangely enough Kieran blinked as he glanced at the carving. It was more childlike and rough…almost like a fake map…
Memories trickled into place.
He had been the one to hold one of the sharper crystals while digging into the wall. But he had been so young? As the memory slipped into place, tears burned in the male’s gaze. This had been the first place that his mother had ever taken him to. His father had just passed and she was afraid of losing him as well…
Just as he had become fearful of losing anyone as well after her passing.
“Was it hard to let go of him?” He questioned as his fingers trailed across the rough stone. His mother had shed so many tears that day and they had even stayed inside the corridors of crystal. If it hadn’t been for his tiny hands reaching out for her own then the male wondered if she perhaps may have jumped into that ravine he had just crossed.
Her pain back then was the same that he felt now.
“I’m so sorry, mother.” Sitting down on the cold floor, Kieran just wrapped his arms around his knees and glanced up towards the glittering ceiling. Perhaps for the night he would rest here as well. Just as he had years ago while his mother had grieved for the father he had never known. Now it was he who finally found the chance to grieve for the family he had lost. That decided he began to write with a fervor of the things that he remembered the most about his mother. The journal then would be tucked into a crevice next to where he had left his own engraving as a youngling.
This was his cave of mourning and it was here that he would leave his cherished memories….
(1595)
Posted: Mon May 02, 2016 8:20 pm
Stage 1 - Solo 3 - Finding yourself in the darkness....deciding to become a Beast Tamer?
He was standing alone on top of a cliff. Below him the waves crashed against the shore, angry and vengeful at the world. Beyond he could make the shape of islands in the distance. Only a dream could make it seem as if Matori were only a hop away. The mainland…it daunted so many and yet he found himself intrigued by the stories. What of their ancestors, should he not venture forward and try to reclaim their memories? Leaving them behind in the land of the forgotten was a punishment deserved by so few. How many had lived innocent lives before being tossed away from their homes? A burning frustration built in his gut against the mainlanders…what if they could never be found again?
It would be a quest for certain and he would take it alone.
“Alone my little Key?”
Blinking, the male turned and stumbled as he saw the clear image of his mother reaching out to him with a worried hand, “Mother.” He stated simply and his gaze burned with unshed tears just to see her face again. Dream or not it was such a precious moment…he wanted to reach out and hug her. Yet, his determination kept him at bay. “What else can I do?”
“What do you mean?” She replied quietly, almost as if she were the faintest of breezes herself.
“I was wrong all those years ago. Being alone is better since you don’t have to worry about losing others.” His expression shifted as he remembered that she was the one he had lost to teach him such a lesson, “Having someone else to worry about will only bring you down. It’ll tie you and perhaps even lead to your own demise…as I did yours, mother.” It left a heavy feeling in his gut just to recall the incident that had separated mother and son. It had been his fault. Since that day he had pledged to never be weak again…
“Darling, Key.” The phantom reached out so that she could touch his cheek, “Don’t think that I died in vain. You escaped safe and sound. I would never take back our adventures together either. Had you not been at my side then I would have lost myself in loneliness and perhaps even left this world sooner than I did.” She smiled, a sad and loving expression flickering across her features. “Without you at my side I had nothing. You were my light, my day. Should you fear for the same?”
“I’m afraid.” Closing his eyes the male sighed, “I don’t want to go through this hurt again, mother….not since losing you.”
“Isn’t that the risk?” His mother reached out and took him in her arms, “Having friends to help you can make you strong. It’s risky because you will sometimes lose each other or perhaps one day they will lose you…yet isn’t that just a part of the journey? I was happy knowing that when I left I went protecting you. Would you really want to just leave this world alone? What is the point in that?”
“Mother…”
“Key, don’t feel guilt forever. If you die alone then I will be even more sorrowful than before. My spirit wishes to see you happy, not boxed up because you blame yourself for my death.”
“I-“
“Sssh. Please, son. Don’t wander this earth alone anymore. My mantle was my own, it’s time for you to decide what you can do. Don’t think you are obligated to be me.”
“But I don’t know anything else…”
“Life will let you know. Perhaps even now there is something out there waiting for you, looking to help you along the way. You just have to be willing to accept it.”
“I still don’t know…”
“Key, trust in your heart.”
The next thing he knew his mother was fading away into the rising mist. Was this truly it? She was going to appear to give him a lecture about no longer being alone and then just leave him? “How is leaving me alone teaching me that it’s okay to let others into my life?” He protested sharply as he raced after her. Mother, mother!
A soft rattle echoed through the winds…
He woke up to a cool touch against his skin. Too startled to openly yell, Kieran opened his eyes to instead stare at whatever it was that had touched him. To his shock he noticed that it was a long Keldari, silver and violet in the crystal light, that slithered around him. Why was it even here? Frowning, Kieran pushed back away from the creature.
“I didn’t ask for you to come here.”
The Keldari just stared at him with its impossibly bright gaze before curling up around itself again. It didn’t slither away into hiding nor did it issue a warning. Rather the creature seemed intent on watching him. What had it enjoyed the fact that he had such a terrible dream? “Better yet…are you a spirit who conquered such an image to torment me?” Kieran pushed himself off of the ground so that he could look around. The crystal caves were the same as before. It truly had been his fault for writing about his mother all night…passing out after such a thing in this place out of all places would surely mean those nightmares were possible.
“How can I even trust a dream to give me her advice?” Kieran frowned at the thought before he began to pack up and move away. Yet, as he ventured forward a slithering noise caught his attention, “Do you have something to pick with me?” Questioned the male with a sigh, “Go home, Keldari.”
But it would persist.
Every time he turned around those eyes would be staring at him from the darkness. What was this? Even at one point the male dropped a journal and was surprised to see that coils offered it up to him, “You are a strange creature, are you not?” He commented as he grabbed his journal from the creature.
A memory flashed through his mind, honestly this situation reminded him so much of how he had stuck to his mother when she had just wanted to explore alone.
“Do you have to be alone, Key?”
The thought went through him again as he stared towards the Keldari. It had followed him for so long that it risked losing its home…”Are you truly wanting to stay with me?”
Smiling the male reached out a hand towards the creature and watched as it slithered backwards before finally coming back towards his still fingers. A faint tickle made his fingers almost twitch as its tongue brushed his fingertips, “Tasting me?” Teased Kieran, but the snake seemed intent on slowly coming forward. Eventually he could pick it up and allow it to curl around his arm, “I hope you don’t plan on staying here forever.”
Perhaps though there was a meaning to his dream.
Even if he wasn’t comfortable just yet relying on humans there was another option. This Keldari should it stay with him was an example of that. What other beasts could he rely on? “I hope you like treasure.” Kieran quipped with a small smile, “Are we going to find more friends along the way?” In the back of his mind he remembered being a child who wanted to collect beasts along with fantastic treasures. One day I’ll be a beast tamer, mama! Just you wait! We’ll have lots of friends to help us out then!
In fact he had tried keeping a silver and indigo Keldari the last time he had come here…could it be? Kieran frowned as he gazed at the snake, “You?” Astonishment crossed his features, “If you are the same Keldari then I’m impressed.”
The spirits really were wanting to push him down this path then. Could he do it? Beast taming seemed such a daunting feat…but perhaps having some beasts would solve his solo adventuring days. In fact, they could be a great asset. “Alright, hold on then. You’re in for a long ride.” As the Keldari hissed softly in his ear, Kieran began to climb down the rock wall.
While he may never visit this cave of mourning again at least he had found a valuable lesson within himself. He would take up his mother’s mantel, but in his own way. Who said after all that you could become a beast tamer and not explore the world as well?
(1410)
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Posted: Wed May 11, 2016 7:45 pm
Growth Quest to Stage 2 - Changing Tides
This is the moment that Kieran has been preparing for ever since his mother left this world. Out of all of her adventure journals left to him there remains one - one that she had never finished writing in. Now that he has been through all of them he feels that it is time to finally open this locked journal and see what his mother had planned all those years ago...it'll take courage and a moment of remembrance, however, to finally get the nerve to do so.
Finding out that it's a plan to leave Yael and go to Matori forces Kieran to make a decision - does he leave the comforts of the only home he has ever known to go out and explore the lands that his mother had wanted to see? Already he has changed by allowing others into his life, something that he once feared, and now he decides that he is ready to finally make the move to truly explore by leaving his homeland for the mysterious mainland. No more is he going to hide beneath the books left to him, but rather he is going to grow and learn more of the world by actually experiencing it.
He had come back from a stroll along the cliffs. Below him the cold waves had crashed foam against the jutting rocks. Each crash was like a dull thud, almost reminiscent of a fight as water met earth. It was like the current battle happening inside of his own mind – a clash of thoughts and feelings each making their own thudding echo in his skull. His thoughts hadn’t stopped moving since he had finally touched the last journals lingering on the shelf in his mother’s library. Unlike others, worn and full of scribbles, sketches, maps, and notes, and unlike those completely untouched this journal was still fresh, almost as if it were waiting for his mother to come back and continue where she had left off.
Kieran had honestly been afraid to touch the thing.
It was a fear that had haunted him through the years since her death. The male had lost track of the many times that he had reached out and brushed a finger over the book before pulling back. What if he didn’t like what he saw in there? What had been her plans for the future? They all rested in that half-finished journal. A journal that he would hold both sacred and would stay untouched until today. At least that was his original plan. Once he had explored all that the journals before had offered and had read over his mother’s notes then he would feel more prepared to open the one she hadn’t finished.
Could he find the courage to open it?
The question knotted Kieran’s stomach. In the back of his mind he had the vague memories from this discussion with his mother the days before her death. In each she had danced away from his questions and had even went to the effort of locking this new journal. The key had hung around her neck and before he had reached on tiptoe to try and grab the thing.
The same key had been pressed into his hands while slick with blood… “Key…this is yours.”
“Mother?”
“Don’t you worry little Key. The future is yours to take hold of.” His mother smiled through her own tears, “Even if I’m not there for it I’m sure it’ll be a beautiful one. You have such a bright light, son.”
“I don’t want to leave you!” His voice was ragged, raw from all of the running and crying. “Don’t....mother…you can’t.”
“Please son, for me?” She smiled ever so sweetly as she raised a hand to touch his cheek. One last touch, one last look of him to take with her before she sacrificed herself and joined the spirits. With that she would turn away and tuck the memory into her heart before going back out to meet the enemy.
This was his last memory as well. While he would always remember her lively spirited self the boy couldn’t shake the image of his mother with a gash running through her side and wild hair. Her hands that touched his cheeks were wet from the fresh lifeblood pouring from her injured side. Perhaps if he had been a healer or even a fighter at the time…
Perhaps then she would have lived.
For days such thoughts had haunted him and even over a year later the boy had stared up at the ceiling of his home wondering. What if he had been stronger? It had led to him finally going to those journals. He would redo everything that she had done and find his own way of getting stronger. For the next several years he did so and grew up in the same caverns that his mother had once explored. Books became devoured by Kieran as he studied all that he could. Everything he wanted to know so that he could in time use it to get stronger. He wanted to learn to sustain himself and to patch up himself should the need arise. What sort of son would he be if he didn’t learn to survive after her sacrifice for his life?
His misfortunate was to think that doing it alone was the answer. She would have cried if she had seen her son retreat from the world. He didn’t want to get close to anyone ever again…losing one dear one had been enough to shatter his spirit. He didn’t want to risk it again.
Yet…
A small hiss whispered in his ear as a silver and indigo keldari stuck her head up from her hiding place in his satchel. “Aia.” Kieran smiled faintly as he rubbed a finger along the sleek scales, “I hope you slept well.” The Keldari had come to him while he was exploring his last stop in the journals – the same cave that his mother had mourned for her lover in. She also had lost someone dear and for the longest time had secluded herself away from the rest of the world. Kieran had finally managed to convince her that perhaps it wasn’t time to be alone anymore…
Then he had joined her adventures and failed her.
Now he was the one alone. “Not anymore I suppose.” The boy allowed the Keldari to coil around his arm. After all had he not decided that perhaps it was time to allow things into his life? Aia was proof of that as he had decided to carve his own path – separate from his mother’s role as a collector. Instead he was to become a beast charmer so that she would no longer have to worry about him wandering this world alone. The thought made him pause as he approached the fated bookshelf. There it was…. a journal bound in a dyed indigo leather with symbols of the spirits and trees etched on the binding. Was he truly ready to open it? Had he made the correct decisions after all?
Aia hissed as if to tell him ‘just do it’.
Shaking his head, the boy reached out and pulled the journal free. With the key in hand he slowly turned it in the lock. A simple click and he found himself studying notes that his mother had left…but rather than being a map of the area around him the boy was surprised to find that she had bigger aims in mind. It wasn’t a map of Yael, but rather plans and an idea of the ocean crossing to the mainland.
She had wanted to leave here for the mainland?
The thought made him dizzy. Why would she want to go to that cursed place? It was right when the mainlanders first appeared as well…was she planning on fleeing from the extremists who had invaded their home and slaughtered their people? “No…you would have been driven more by simple curiosity. Am I right?” He gazed up at the cavern ceiling of his home with a bemused grin, “Only you mother…”
Yet that same curiosity had killed her.
The thought made shadows cross his features. How was he supposed to deal with this information? Inside the journal as he browsed the male found all sorts of gossip and myths about the mysterious mainlanders. His mother had taken notes and even attempted to sketch what she believed of them.
Did they truly look so alike and yet so different?
Kieran frowned as he found himself thumbing through the journal. It only had a few scant pages however and so he found himself at a loss. There were so many blank pages left to fill… “Aia what do we do?” He gazed at the keldari as she waved her head out before him with her tongue flicking out to taste the air. What did they do indeed?
Just the thought of anything from the mainland was enough to curl his stomach. “They made us lose our ancestors and then they forced those creatures on our lands…” He murmured before closing the journal. All of this time he thought the journal had something drastic written inside, some hidden secret of his mother’s, but this…this was not what he was expecting. Why would she want to leave the comforts of this place for that cursed land? They had rejected them ages ago…why go back?
To find out what was lost. To see if there are threads still connecting us to our roots back on the mainland…
It was strange how easily he could imagine her answer, almost as if it were his own. Or perhaps it was his answer. Was that not something he would think of doing? To leave his home and to seek out what had been lost all those centuries ago…was that not how an explorer should think? Yael was vast, but he felt as if he had searched every part of the island already. The caverns were too simple to him now and the paths he could walk them blindfolded.
“Aia…am I really this crazy?” Kieran stared once more at the journal which beckoned him. As he glanced towards it a shape got his attention. There on the shelf, behind where the journal had rested, was a carved out hiding hole. Inside rested a bag full of coin. So his mother had been saving up for this…
If she had her heart on it, then who was he to deny her wishes?
So much for staying in the comforts of home surrounded by his books. The boy laughed softly. “I suppose that’s a lazy way of thinking, isn’t it?” Honestly this was just a place for him to hide away or to just sleep his life away. There was nothing holding him here. Not anymore. So what was there to lose?
“I hope you don’t get seasick, Aia.” Kieran smirked as he picked up the journal and tucked it beneath his arm, “We have quite the journey ahead of us.” It would probably be hard and perhaps have a rather rocky path…but was that not the exciting part of it? Even he who distrusted and disliked the idea of mainlanders could feel intrigued and excited by the idea of exploring their strange lands.
I suppose, I truly am my mother’s child after all.
(1689)
Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2016 3:54 pm
Stage 2 - Solo 1
Sending a Letter Home to a Friend
What do I write? Will she even read this? Am I just being foolish? Such thoughts were rather haunting to a Yaeli who was sheltered in a makeshift tent on a beach in Matori. While the evening sun loomed over the horizon and the crashing tides marked the rising of the moon, he simply focused on a blank scroll of parchment. This was the hardest part of his day and it showed easily in the frown that continued to crease his brow in concentration. Whatever he was wanting to write continued to just slip away every time he tapped a finger against the quill laying on the table…
Kieran stared at the roll of parchment sitting before him. Sure writing had always come naturally to him – as long as it was in a secret journal that is. But the idea of writing to someone else was daunting. How did he even address a letter to Taijana? “Oh hello there the weather is so nice out here in these desert lands. So sorry by the way that I just kinda left you to go visit the mainland. Since you know that’s totally an acceptable thing for a Yaeli like me to do.” Kieran chuckled at his own pathetic attempt to start. None of it sounded right and most of his thoughts were either bitter or focused on trying to find a ‘safe’ story to tell the girl in question. Rather it was aggravating to try and imagine how she would react to anything he would write. Would she worry and overreact? Kieran chuckled. After all this was the woman who would faint at the sight of a Keldari. Almost as if reading his thoughts, the indigo one that normally nested around his shoulders hissed softly from her coiled up position in the corner of his makeshift tent. She had been napping, but the frustrated sighs and loud tapping of a certain Yaeli foot against the sandy ground continued to bother her. As such she would hiss loudly as if in warning before coiling up on herself once more.
This time though when she hissed, Kieran finally addressed her. “Sorry, sorry. But Aia, it might be best if you don’t just appear before the poor girl next time.” Teased Kieran before glancing back down to his blank roll of parchment. How did one tell someone from Yael about Oba? So far the boy had explored areas of Matori, but had ventured further into the desert lands as they interested him even more than the typical coast area by the ocean. A year of being here and he had already explored so much and seen numerous things that he hadn’t even began to imagine possible. The tournament held in Oba had also drawn the boy here and he couldn’t believe the different species and fighters he had seen. Before that he had been focused on the creatures, landscapes, and fauna but now he had to consider how they fought compared to those from Yael. Could he pick up new techniques from these strangers?
Or even the fact that he had encountered another Yaeli living normally in Oba almost as if she were to make the place her home. The thought made the Yaeli frown. Why would anyone want to live here and treat mainlanders as close friends? The mainlanders had lost their ancestors casting them into the Land of the Forgotten…Kieran’s brow furrowed. Even if he wasn’t as superstitious as other Yaeli the boy did have a respect for the dead and their memories. He wanted to try his best and recover some of that lost past, but centuries had covered up so much…it would take a while before he could even begin to touch what this desert hid from him. What sort of remains of their past would he find out here? Where there even remains to be found since it had been so long ago?
“Maybe we will venture into Matori again soon, Aia.” Kieran commented as he stretched backwards with is arms behind his head. A pop and a sigh of comfort left the boy’s lips before he glanced back towards the empty pages. Maybe if he just stuck a page or two of his journal into the letter then that would be enough for Taijana. Or would she believe that someone had found his remnants and sent the journals to her as a last resort to find out about the dead Yaeli lost in the Oban deserts?
Okay, now maybe I’m starting to think more and more like her.
Laughing, the boy dipped a xaraan feather into ink and finally began to write his letter.
“Dearest Taijana,
I know it may have been moons since you have heard from me, but no fear I am quite alive and functional. Even my glasses have survived the journey from Yaeli into the mainland – surprisingly this place is divided up into multiple regions all with different species of people. I can attach some sketches of what I have found at the back of this letter so you can see how different these Obans are from the Matori and the rest of Tendaji. Don’t be afraid they won’t come out of the papers to harm you – it is only a simple sketch after all.” Kieran smirked as he wrote the teasing remark. Would she be upset at him poking at her superstition?
Or perhaps it was a valid worry. He truly didn’t want to scare her with the images he would attach to the letter. But she needed to know in case…Kieran shook his head. No, he wouldn’t continue to ask his friend to travel with him. This was his sole journey and that was it. He sacrificed Yael in order to continue his mother’s wishes, but perhaps one day he would return as well to stay rather than to simply visit for less than a moon at a time.
Frowning, the boy began to write again.
” So far in Oba I have simply found sands and cities teaming with people. It seems that these lands used to be more segregated, but now recent events have allowed races to travel all over this world. I even encountered another of our kind in the festivities that occurred in Oba – a desert land. As an empire it has nobles and rankings which truly establish its power above other countries. Though it seems as if it has been in check recently with the promise of peace on the mainland. So much for all those stories of blood thirsty beasts, intent on just destruction – peace seems to be an actual thing here. Not that everyone agrees – but it is still a beginning. This tournament was to prove that by inviting all cultures to this arena where I saw so many travelers mix. It truly is remarkable to see…not that Yael should ever bear the burden of so many travelers. We have enough worries with those who have invaded our lands – my apologies I have gotten off track.
The other land I have traveled much of is known as Matori – you’ll hear some of our kind have come there for trade on the boats as they have plenty of docks and a long coast. The people here almost resemble fish with strange finned ears and eyes that actually startle one should they not expect it. If we are considered monsters for our glowing eyes, then they must be demons for their strange pupils. But they as well seem to act just as we do in a sense – less superstitions, but I have yet to see any blood sacrifices or crazy killing spree from any of them. So in that regard I do have to beg that the stories we have heard are not completely accurate for the mainlanders I have encountered thus far. Also, the creatures here as well are unique and some you would find rather adorable. Perzi are loving little creatures with glimmering eyes and gemstone backs. They are easily made into pets here while a Janarim may snap at you. However, tall birds known as Xaraan are great mounts to ride. So far I’ve been fascinated by the creatures while hearing that all the other lands offer even more than these. If perchance I ever manage to take more creatures into my company, then I will gladly show them to you and see how you react to each. Especially the perzi as I feel you would enjoy one of them…
As it is this letter is to let you know not to worry – everything is completely fine. Despite some negative interactions with mainlanders here and there and some near falls while exploring sand caves and battles with the wild creatures here everything is fine. This is fine – is it not a part of the adventure after all? Overall, I’m in good health and have been managing to eat enough to sustain myself even in the desert with its raging sands and changing weather. I still also have all my limbs and can walk through the sands despite some burns and scrapes here and there. If not how could I write a letter to you, Taijana? I pray that you have been doing well on Yael and that everything is calm there.
Good fortunes my friend.
Sincerely,
Kieran
“That should be comforting enough….” He studied the letter some more before pursing his lips thoughtfully, “Well perhaps I should rewrite most of this….but then again it’s only a few lines here and there.” His limited paper though forced the Yaeli to only take a pen and draw a single line through the ‘despite some negative interactions’ line. Of course it was still legible and he also didn’t notice the ‘raging sands and changing weather’ along with the ‘burns and scrapes’ which would probably cause even more red flags for the girl. Because he dealt with such things on a weekly – if not daily- basis the boy didn’t even think on them. He was just being open and honest and trying to prove to her that despite some difficulties he came out on top. If he could conquer that then why should he fear any other obstacles? So for him this was a mighty letter proving that he had some strength and courage. Though really he couldn’t help attaching the drawings which included some more minor ‘dangerous’ details about the beasts and earthlings he had seen.
But what could go wrong? It wasn’t like he was crying for help or sending a last request. It was just a journal of his adventures that he hoped the girl could enjoy as well. Proof that I’m still living and well. Thought Kieran with a small smile. Though he had to wonder – did she even think to worry of him? His first real friend in years and he had left her just a few moons after they had met. Even at the festival he hadn’t lingered long before finding a ship to go back to MAtori once more…Kieran shook his head. Even if she didn’t care at least it would ease his heart knowing that he had reached out to her.
It wasn’t like she would know about the cuts which decorated his arms and the multitude of bandages he went through weekly. Nor would she know about how many times he thought he was on the verge of entering the afterlife because of those close falls and fights. Kieran sighed quietly before holding up the letter one last time. Was it truly worth sending it? “What if I’m just being a fool, Aia?” He asked the keldari who was curled up on a pillow in the corner, “Will she just laugh at me for even thinking to write to her?” He frowned as he continued to study the curling parchment. Was it truly a good idea to send this?
But then again there was that worry – what if she did think of him? Would it be fair to just disappear without word of his life? If he didn’t write to her then it may simply be as if he had died out in the desert sands of Oba or that he may have never even stepped off of the boat because of the dangerous creatures that swam the seas. A multitude of ideas passed through his mind and Kieran had to force himself to shove them all aside. He wasn’t like that – he wouldn’t die so easily. He was out here for his mother’s last wishes and would never dishonor or disappoint her by failing so quickly. Taijana may worry, but he knew one thing for certain – he was not only dedicated to his mother’s memory, but also was determined to prove himself out in this strange world.
So even if she didn’t happen to think of him or worry at least he could send this proof back to Yaeli that he was surviving. His chest did twist a bit at the thought of someone who he believed to be a friend not caring about his life, but at the same time Kieran was determined. If she was worried then this surely was the right thing to do for her. Else knowing her she may be imagining how my corpse will wash up on shore or how the sad letter will come from someone telling about how my ship went down and I was never found. Teased Kieran before he finally curled the parchment up into itself. The candle was burning low as it was so he had to move quickly before darkness completely covered his tent and he had nothing to melt the wax with.
Bending over the flame the Yaeli worked to melt his insignia on the parchment, but in his haste did not realize that his own blood -from a shallow papercut- had begun to drip on the rough paper. As the drops seeped into the parchment the boy shoved the letter into a sturdy bottle so that by the time a ship docked on the shores of Matori he could send it out with others back to Yael. It was there that he would hope for Taijana to find the letter so that she knew he was safe and wouldn’t worry.
Of course, it would have helped if he had spotted the bloodstains first before sealing and sending the letter…
But that would be left for Taijana to find when the letter arrived in Yael…
(2413 - 8 pnts)
Sabra Knight
Feral Galaxy
Offline
Sabra Knight
Feral Galaxy
Offline
Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2016 12:58 pm
Stage 2 - Solo 2
A Letter to the Beyond
“Mother – you would be surprised by all that Matori alone has to offer. While our home may have seemed like a natural resource for adventures many of which were underground this ocean side country seems even more rich. They have tidal caves along the cliffs that fill quickly with the tide as do we, but many more caves are throughout the land. Dark and damp many have underground streams which I’ve learned to not enter without trying to light a bit of the way first. How did I learn to be so cautious you may ask? Well that was learned quickly after some strange crab creature pinched my feet in the dark waters.
You may laugh at me, but that did hurt like hell.
Still it was a beautiful cavern. While there may have not been the crystals found in ours I did find many interesting features along the cool walls. Algae washed in with the tides glowed faintly in blues and greens along the slick walls while formations -massive things that they were- had bonded together into giant columns while others knotted the cavern walls with bumps. Smaller ones wanted to trip me while I walked and others dripping down from the ceiling wanted to give my head some knots of my own for me to remember the cave later. You may have laughed at me, but I did find some rather inventive ways to curse throughout one particular cavern. I didn’t realize how forgetting to duck in a cavern could inflict such bumps along my skull. Nor did I ever believe that crawling on my elbows and knees could become such a habit. You would be interested in finding out exactly how long some crawls could go – I would think that I would meet eternity before ever finding the light again!
Overall, mother…the landscape isn’t so awful here. No fires from the underworld rage here nor do mountains devour the young. All the rumors of dark creatures turned into being creatures similar to our own along with some different ones. Our Limbara would be more of an evil spirit as compared to their Xaraan. Though the Janarim – beasts with scales, a sharp tail, teeth, and claws that can easily rip through flesh – may be slightly terrifying if one does not know how to handle them. My other favorite are the snaptrotters of Matori – lithe creatures who are naturals in the waters, but can also walk on land. Their sharp jaws and teeth are nothing to jest about either. One would think I have a crush from the way I watch the creatures swim. You know since I’m a beast tamer it may not be a bad idea to study these creatures some more. While they may not be your type of ‘treasure’ I find them fascinating.
The earthlings as well are not completely awful. I may have not interacted with many, but there are some that are genuinely nice. Others may be rough, but I have yet to see anything eating babies or sacrificing their kind to some dark lord. Nor have I seen any third eyes or giant claws and contorted faces…yet. Strange how our kind love to spread such odd rumors about these foreigners – even more strange is how they in turn talk about our soul stealing gazes and dark cultures. Because we totally do that, right?”
Putting down his quill, Kieran stared at the parchment he had filled out. While his mother was no longer around the Yaeli still enjoyed writing to her so that her spirit -should it be interested in lingering to watch his life- could see his adventures in writing. Rolling up the parchment he sealed it once more and tucked it into a bag full of similar letters – all meant to be returned when he visited his homeland in the future. There a crystal cavern rested where he had made a shrine to his mother next to his father’s burial spot. He would place the letters in a basket and leave them there for her spirit to visit should she get bored. Smiling at the thought Kieran closed the satchel before walking away from the tent.
Now that he had written to his mother he felt like going out for a walk so that he could clear his own thoughts and reflect on the life that he had been living on the mainland. While it may have never seemed like a reality to him years ago, it was crazy to believe that he had spent so much time here on Matori. Enough time that even his own gaze lacked that glow which had noted him out from the mainlanders all those moons ago. Would his gaze ever have that strange quirk again? Kieran reached a hand up so that his fingers could gently touch the corner of one eye. Did it even matter?
It was strange, but the longer he stayed in this lands the more he felt like a mainlander and less of a Yaeli. The thought made him frown. Wasn’t the point to come and study the strangers and not become like them? But the more he interacted and the more he found them so much like himself – it was rather confusing. Watching some tiny fish swimming through the stream he smiled. “I suppose this world isn’t simply all black and white…is it?” As the creatures bubbled at the water and slipped away again Kieran shook his head – no it definitely wasn’t.
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Name: Kieran
