Welcome to Gaia! ::

I first decided I wanted to go for a Fa'e way back during the last Fa'e Auction in 2004. I went head to head in a bidding war against RikProwley who needless to say won, but it made me more determined to continue my silent quest. After that I started to formulate putting together a quest thread, but then I ended up putting it on the back burnner for a while.

I'm a shy person by nature, and find it difficult to post in threads where I have no real reason for being there. So I lurk silently in the background reading the RP and listening to the stories that Britain tells me (my RL wife).

So why do I want a Fa'e? Well I guess what I really want is to be part of that tight nit community, and the best way to accomplish that is to become a guardian. A few of the guardians I know IRL! I got the chance to meet Sabin, Kamiki, and Tavis through Renfest and private visits to College Station. Brina_Knight and I were in many of the same classes in College, sitting together and talking about Naia. Then there is Britain who I have been handfasted to since December 19th, 2000! I love sitting by her side at night listening to her talk about her current ideas for Rio.

Even if they were not there I still would love to see something of my own heart come to life. There is something about dreaming up an idea and putting so much effort into it, and then see it blossom to come to life that makes one's heart soar. We live our lives so that we can have our dreams come true, and that is why I put this quest thread together.

Name: Marzanka
Meaning of Name: Slavic for "Freeze" or "Frozen"

History: Marzanka was winter embodied. She ended the summer days of work and began the time of silent rest in the world. The first frost noted her coming, telling the people of the world that their work should be nearly done. For some it was a time of rest and revalry as the world slept, other people found it a time of harsh survival, but all noted her time spent in the world.

Marzanka's temper was often as cold as the snow she brought with her, her heart was that of ice, and there was little in the world that she loved. Ice, snow, and the creatures that called it home brought her delight. Even her consort, who was the sun god, Dazborg couldn't hold her heart's attentions. He was a man of silver complexion with radiant golden hair - riding his chariot through the day, spending only his nights in her company. As warm as his heart was it did not melt the ice in her heart. Her three sisters were seen only as an inconvienece as they limited her time to spend in the mortal realm.

It was an early winter when Marzanka went down to the mortal world to walk amongst its people. With her consort off riding across the sky, it left her free to roam as she pleased. Her joy was in watching those people around her enjoy the season she brought - delighting in their revelry of her coming. One morning as the dawn was breaking, Marzanka glimpsed a young man of pale complexion and clear eyes riding across the snow covered hillside. Several times she had seen this man and everytime brought a smile to her face. He loved winter and all the wonders it brought with it, spending his days in the element whenever he could. She knew then that she had to meet the man.

Marzanka took up residence near the village, leaving her consort behind. It was nothing new to Dazborg for Marzanka often did so during her time in the world. Unlike past times, however, this time she had a goal - to meet the mortal that brought a spark of warmth to her cold world.

One evening as the young man was out hunting, a blizzard came up and he became lost in the woods. As the snow began to settle, he found himself at the door of a small cottage. It's widows gave off a welcoming warmth and freedom from the cold outside. Marzanka let the man inside, offering the warmth of the small herth in the corner and soup to heat him from inside. As dawn came and the blizzard passed, the young man left Marzanka with a thank you and promise of return. Never had such a simple phrase brought her such happieness. Keeping to his promise the man did return, bringing a gift of myrtle blossoms to brighten her home. Not long after did thier courtship take full flight.

When it came time that spring should have appeared Marzanka had not yet returned to the realm of the gods. Her sister Dziewanna, who brought spring to the world, began to worry. For unless Marzanka left the world, Dziewanna, could not bring new life and let the people start thier planting. Knowing this she decided to spy upon Marzanka to see what had become of her sister. When Dziewanna looked down, she saw her sister with a man not her consort. Furious that Marzanka would ignore her duties, Dziewanna ran to Dazborg and told him of Marzanka's tryst.

The night before the wedding Dazborg went down to the village, his anger fuled his resolve to cause her the same pain she had caused his heart when he had been betrayed for a mortal. To the people, in his glory, he told them that if they wanted to bring forth the spring and end the winter that held them, they would have to get rid of Marzanka as she was the cause of the strange cold that held their town. The people knew that winter should have long since past, and the stores of food would not last much longer. Concerned for their livelihood they took what they were told to heart. They would rid themselves of the strange woman who had taken up residence early that winter.

Going to the groom-to-be the people explained what they had been told. At fist he questioned it, but slowly reality set in. It was true that he had never seen her wear a coat even on the coldest of nights, and that her hearth was barely large enough to keep the small corner warm. Even her bed held only a thin sheet that looked woven of ice. With the knowledge that the livelihood of those around him rested on his shoulders, he agreed to end the never ending winter.

The next morning, in the center of town, Marzanka was to be married. Never had she looked so radiant. Her dress was of flowing white, snowflakes, dazzled the hem and bodice. White woodruff and ribbons the color of dawn held up her her hair she walked down the isle carrying a bouquet of myrtle blossoms in pink and white to meet her beloved. The world seemed perfect to her and it felt like nothing could destroy the growing warmth in her heart. But as she approched her husband-to-be, not all was right. Tears ran down his face as he came to meet her. So quick came the flash of pain as her frozen heart was shattered by the blade. A dark red stain flowed down her silken gown. She could not react. With a cry of rage the the people grabbed her as a mob, dragging her to the river to seal her fate. Paing gripped her as she felt her world shift. her hands and feet bound to a rock they threw her in the river, drowning her.

As promised the winter ended, leaving the world free for Dziewanna to bring new life. Dazborg, knowing that the winter would be needed again, married Dziewanna - a child from the union to take the mantle of winter upon it's shoulders.

Velyrinth is an ice planet. Even when the sun breaks through the clouds is everything still covered with ice. Only a few things survive in the freezing temperatures or are forced to adapt. The planet was once home to many city-domes. These domes were acclimated to allow for vegetation and promote the continuation life – homes to thousands of people. Each city-dome had five smaller outer domes that had a specialized purpose: the manufacture of raw material, textiles, biotechnology, elderly care, and religion. Each of the city-domes was connected to its smaller domes and other cities through a central underground transport system.

Unfortunately, because the city-domes had a limited amount of space, rehabilitation facilities of criminals were quickly closed as a new solution was posed by the City Council. Convicted criminals were exiled from the city-dome and thrown into the frozen wastes of the planet's environment. The two heavy sets of double doors, the only exits to the outside, were only opened for this purpose.

People, however, learn to survive. The only abundant vegetation on this frozen world is the Caishya tree. Within its branches flows a unique nutrient that allows those that consume its leaves to adapt to the extreme climate by warming the body from the inside out. Upon this discovery, the exiled learned to survive and slowly came together in fallen domes - domes that had collapsed due to undetected plate shifts, or to poor initial construction. When a city-dome falls, any survivors normally take the transport to the nearest city still standing, thus abandoning its outer domes. Taking advantage of the outer domes resources and the knowledge from living within a dome, the exiled have built their own society. Miners, smiths, weavers, furriers, healers, midwives, surgeons, lashi riders, caishya gatherers all live in a symbiotic society, relying on each other's skills to make life safe and comfortable. The mortality rate is high for new mothers, as growing babies tend to sap the warmth-bearing nutrients from the mother. Children born in this extreme environment have a natural adaptive advantage as they are born with the warmth-bearing nutrient already in their system.

Other life on the planet includes Verlashi, Ramyu, Banshi and Kree beetles. Verlashi are a large, horse/wolf-like creature that is the top predator on Velyrinth. The first person to domesticate a pup soon learned that they form a mental bond to their human upon impression and are highly intelligent creatures much on the same level as humans. Through this bond, the Lashi can communicate with its human and the rest of its pack. They range in size from a large pony to a small horse. Each sports a set of three horns on their head, two spikes on their shoulders, and three tails. This gives them a high sense of balance, and an ability to both attack and defend. They are a carnivorous species with an advanced pack-like mindset. Lashi Riders were developed to hunt Ramyu, a very large, furry oxen like creature and to provide for the residents of the fallen domes, in return the pack-like structure of a Verlashi pack was adopted by the Riders.

Banshi are the rabbits of Velyrinth. They are small, furry, with big ears and long bodies. Their piercing scream and a row of sharp spines that runs down their back is how they defend themselves from Verlashi. The Banshi are the pollinators of the Caishya tree, and make the giant root systems their homes. They live off the leaves of the Caishya tree like most of the animals of Velyrinth do. Being as small as they are children sometimes catch Banshi to keep as pets. Kree beetles are about the size of a human hand, and look kind of like a kind of horned beetle. These beetles live inside the Caishya trees in a symbiotic relationship as they live off the sap of the tree and keep the bark clean. Krees have a hive mind, with one queen to lead them all and reproduce. Should the queen die a daughter beetle (blue in color) will brilliant out to and become the new queen (green in color). The beetle is harmless so long as one stays clear of the mandibles, which can cause a bone crushing bite. Kree Beetles are prized for their carapace, which is used in jewelry, inks, and dyes. ( Include some information about the world into which they had been reborn off-Gaia.)


Present History
It was the fourth moon past the Long Night, a time when the world was beginning to come into bloom as the Light made its appearance on the frozen surface again, that Tadeucz and Metiilinz, his verlashi, came across the small baby. They had been out on a simple scouting mission to locate the last traces of the Ramyu herds in the area, but instead of the gigantic beasts, the two of them found a baby with no trace of a mother to be found. Gently he reached down to scoop up the child, she did not cry, but laughed instead, grabby hands reaching for him. She was the strangest child he had ever seen: cold to the touch, hair so pale that he had mistaken it for snow, and two small bumps like that of a newborn verlashi's shoulder spines protruded from her shoulders. Any life is a treasure in a world so barren of it. The thought of someone casting away the baby for it's deformities made him feel sick. Wrapping up the child in his coat he decided to take the child in as his own, raising her as he would a daughter with help from Metiilinz who had a soft spot for 'pups'.

Szlanka Kulikowicz was raised in dome #3353T – one of the less populated fallen domes on the outskirts of the Southern Expanse that had once been responsible for textile production for South City. When the roof of South City collapsed from an earthquake 14 Long Night's past, the outer domes of the city were abandoned, leaving it free for the Renegades of Velyrinth to take over. The population within its walls was about the size of a small town at best, with all the essential roles filled as to provide the most for the community. The number of children there was few, and most found her strange appearance to be something to poke fun at, but to a child a friend can be anything, even verlashi. She spent her childhood days playing with Metiilinz and the rest of the pack through the snow covered expanse and learning the ways of a Lashi Rider from Tadeucz and the rest of the pack's riders. Szlanka wanted to know everything there was to becoming a Lashi Rider; everything from care, to medicine, to hunts, to when she too would impress a pup. "Patience, my child, you will be a Lashi Rider soon enough. One day you will impress, as I did Metiilinz," was all Tadeucz ever said on the matter, encouraging her to pursue her goal as one day it would come true.

All girls they blossom as they grow. Szlanka was no different, blooming from a slip of a girl into quite the beautiful young lady. But unlike most girls, the strange crystalline growths from her shoulders also grew as she aged, reminding her and everyone around her that she was different. To her, the crystals were a flaw that she could not hide. No matter what words of comfort her father said to her, it would not change the opinions of others. Instead of spending time with others youths, she withdrew to the creatures she felt to most kinship to – the verlashi, whom with their many horns found her no stranger than one of their own kind.

It was the eve of Szlanka's 12th Long Night – a time when the world held it's breathe in hopes of the coldest of nights passing - that Szlanka's abilities became noticed by her father. Deep within the walls of their home, the three of them waited as the wind howled through the streets, carrying the killing winter cold with it. It was nothing different from most Long Nights; Tadeucz had pulled out his fiddle and played for his small family that they might enjoy the time of change together. Delight spread through her as she danced with Metiilinz to the music that filled the air. Ever so slowly, did a light snow begin to fall within the house. Flakes danced at her heels with her, forming a small flurry of snow that moved with her every step. She felt her breath catch as the cold beckoned to her, drawing her to it within the dance itself. Only a few moments after the music had ceased did Szlanka realize that her father was staring. He did not fear, but stared in wonderment at the child that he had found so long ago, a strange child of snow. Fear raced through Szlanka like hot coals, that her father would cast her aside for her strange ability that she had kept hidden. One smile from her father and all her fears were set aside. "Everything exists for a purpose, perhaps this one is part of your purpose in this world of ours. Learn to use your gifts, my daughter, for gifts such as these are meant to be used." For the first time Tadeucz explained precious child the beginning of her time with him, and how he had found her in the snow.

It was difficult for her to accept, but accept it she did – for even if they weren't related by blood, the kinship between them was still there. One week after the Long Night upon the Southern Expanse, far from prying eyes and critical hearts Tadeucz began Szlanka's training. It was slow at first, with storms rising from too much excitement, anger or frustration – only when she danced was she able to focus on how to keep the snow flurries at bay. Her father praised small successes as much as he praised the large ones. All he could be was her encouragement while she trained herself. "Lanka, as long as you believe you can do it, and try, you will succeed."

This is where her story with the Fa'e begins.

The Guardian
Name: Tadeucz Kulikowicz
Gender: Male
Occupation: Lashi Rider
Rank: Beta

Tadeucz Kulikowicz is a simple man who believes that everything happens for a reason: supporting those that lead, and leading when necessity demands it. To him Szlanka is his precious daughter, to be protected from danger, yet encouraged to experience life to its fullest.

He was born and raised in the Southern Expanse by his father and two older brothers. Each of them were Lashi Riders in their own right. Metiilinz was the last pup out of Tehr, his father's verlashi, given to him as a gift on his 18th Long Night. Together the two of them trained as verlashi and rider, working their way up through the ranks.

Now he and Metiilinz rank Beta in their small pack, in charge of making sure the pack follows the orders of their Alpha and flanking him/her when hunting. This means that he is the one who steps up when an Alpha is injured and/or is unable to complete his or her duties. The Pack Alpha relies on his responsibility.

And done!