Topic: Of Gods and Not

Shauri · Date: 2006-09-06 13:20 EST

About Sha'uri Tymaralis Woodshadow-Arrowny

Sha'uri wasn't always human. Both of her birth parents were gods. One still is a God. The blood of the Erim, Secakians, Dragons, humans and elves were all a part of her make up at birth. That was then.

Born and raised within the care of Woodshadow Castle upon Secak, Sha'uri grew up in a militaristic environment. She served both the military and healers for House Woodshadow. As Sha'uri grew, she would travel into RhyDin and join with yet another militaristic organization; The Order of the Crimson Star. Torn between both places, and many adventures in between, Sha'uri had quit the OCS twice to deal with occurrences upon Secak. War. Her career at the OCS ended once as a Colonel of the Dream Spider Legion, and last as a Major of the Eternal Light.

After her resignation to OCS upon the second time, she withdrew into Secak and there gave birth to her son, Alexander. This was after her fiance didn't show up for their planned wedding. Heartbroken, she vowed never to return to the place where she met him; the OCS. To this day, she's never stepped foot there again.

Several wars broke out upon Secak over the course of the years. Eventually things settled and life was once again returned to a facsimile of normality. That is, until her son had grown ill. The way of gods is sometimes hard for mere mortals to comprehend. To explain it would leave them wandering in a wonderment of thought for eternity. Suffice it to say that Sha'uri had to relinquish her blood ties with the Woodshadows, the Secakian Race, in order to save her son. Life just wasn't the same from then on ....

After some time, she found herself restless and searched for other work. Her relationship with her son was strained and her Mother didn't help matters there. Moving away seemed like the only solution to her. Back once again in RhyDin, she lived within the Hue Empire and served under General Rick Night Star as his second in command of security over the entire Hue Empire. This included being a Captain in charge of a space vessel within the Hue Fleet; the type known as a Star Destroyer, aptly named The Armageddon. Hue Fleet not only served the Hue Empire, but was a part of the Independent Alliance.

Regardless of the strain, Sha'uri continued to travel between RhyDin and Secak. There were many changes occurring within that plane of existence and within the House Woodshadow itself. Her services with Hue Empire didn't last a year as a result. It was upon her last return to Secak that, in effect, she came up missing in action. It was also the time when Secak's chaotic magic finally yielded to the pull of nature. Nature always finds a way ... and then something went wrong.

_______________

http://www.geocities.com/heartofheavens/ShauriSig1.jpg

Shauri · Date: 2006-09-06 13:30 EST

Suffice it to say that this plane called Secak became unreachable. For a long time it was thought to not even exist any longer. With it went her entire Woodshadow family, including her own mother and son. Sha'uri doesn't understand her mother's reasoning, but Sharalis withdrew Sha'uri's powers and changed her to what she thinks is human with Elven traces. Sha'uri was mortal and seemingly plunged from the world of Secak, perhaps never to know what became of everything there.

Literally being plunged from that world, she found herself upon another world called Abier-Toril. It took her some time to find a way back into RhyDin, since she no longer had the same talents and abilities that she was born with. She could no longer snap her fingers and just be there. Portals between the realms were kept secret and hidden from most.

During that time, she served many factions upon Toril by offering what skills she still possessed for hire. It was mercenary work: Scouting, escorting caravans, infiltration into the affairs of wars and other linked endeavors. She was picky about who hired her and for what purpose. If the job served no good purpose, she didn't take it no matter what the pay was. After many battles and adventures lasting a span of three years, she finally gained enough currency to buy passage back to RhyDin.

Since Her Arrival to RhyDin .....

Reunited with her Father Pyriathin, her sister Crystal and her former General, Sha'uri realized quickly that her life would not be allowed to revolve around them. One had been her whole reason for returning and he had rejected her love. Once again, her heart had been broken, but she would endeavor to endure that pain to keep his friendship. Was there to be no love in her life? She swore she would never try to share her life with another and fall in love again.

"I've seen too many wars; been in too many battles in my existence. I have lost too much of what is truly important in life. I want to rebuild my life again and include things that I have been missing. Perhaps this Fellowship can help me do just that."

She needed to start over. The Fellowship of the Amethyst Flame, having newly launched their own revival for its city of Dar Oma not long before her arrival, seemed like the perfect place to start over again....

Shauri · Date: 2006-09-06 13:37 EST

But sometimes, Some things just don't last ......

Dar Oma and the Fellowship of the Amethyst Flame had been a wonderful experience for her. As the Fellowship closed its doors and disbanded near the end of summer, Sha'uri had mixed feelings about that. Thankful for the opportunities and all that she'd gained from the Fellowship, she decided to stay and live in Dar Oma with her fiance, Triv.

Yes, love had finally been blessed in her life and with that blessing came the expectancy of a child. Sha'uri was pregnant again. She was also reverting back to dragon kind for reasons she couldn't fathom. She tried to take these changes in stride....

Still needing some kind of organization in her life, she turned to the Republic of the Last Twilight. Her stay here was short as her fiance decided to start his own guild and wanted her in the Knights of Obsidian. Dropping her membership with the Republic, she concentrated her efforts in supporting her fiance and the guild of Light that they worked in. Life couldn't be better ...

Tragically...

Her happiness wouldn't last long. Triv's life was ended abruptly; murdered for no other reason then his lineage. It was the same thing that had happened to his father, or so the story had gone. Triv's soul was locked in a gem, preventing his resurrection. Adaron had been his last name.

With the death of her fiance, and the possibility lingering that they may discover her pregnancy with Triv's child, Sha'uri had Triv buried in Dar Oma; duplicated herself with one of her mother's spells causing one to carry the child and the other to stay in Dar Oma as a decoy ... while her pregnant counter part sought shelter away from the area. She vowed to one day avenge Triv's death.

Aid comes in Mysterious ways ....

While her one self stayed hidden within the Hue Empire, far away from Dar Oma, the other kept vigilance within the home she'd made with Triv ... watching, protecting and reflecting. She wondered how things would be when and if he could ever be brought back again. The night he died, they'd argued like they never had done before.

Perhaps it was a silly thing. But to Sha'uri it was just symptomatic of a larger issue between. She realized that they just weren't as devoted to each other as she had hoped. Even if they could work out their differences, inevitably she'd have to accept the fact that she'd watch him die all over again.

Shauri · Date: 2006-09-06 13:44 EST

He was mortal; She was realizing that she was changing even more, gaining back her father's race. She was Erim. She would be immortal, powerful as the gods whether she wanted to be or not. And she did not want it. But sometimes fate plays its course, even unto the gods.

With great power comes much responsibility. She could've used her powers to find that gem. But just because one can do something doesn't always mean one should. With the mention of a prophecy linked with Triv's death, even she had to keep her powers in check. For her, it was like being caught between a rock and a hard place.

Two things aided her through this time: An unexpected visitor mysteriously offering aid, and an unexpected friendship turning swiftly into a love she'd always wanted and needed, or so she thought.

She'd found her perfect match, her soul mate. She realized this the day Galen Draganescu sauntered up to sit beside her and talk by the stones of Triv's grave. In him she could see the sweetest man; the funniest jester; the fiercest warrior and honorable and vigilant knight; an accomplished wizard ... and so much more. But more importantly, she saw in him someone she could trust completely, someone who was a true friend and an enigmatic lover.

His soul touched hers to the core; she could feel it draw her towards him and knew it was visa versa. He was drawn to her. Yet neither of them acted upon that pull, both fighting to avoid it because of Triv. Still, Sha'uri felt even then that fate would have its way.. sensing that maybe it was trying to make up for something... but what? Only time would tell that tale....

Then there was Dwyndan Cohath, an assassin who showed up on her doorstep one day, claiming to have intercepted a message between Lorekath, the one responsible for killing Triv, and one of his agents. Since it seemed Dwyndan was looking for work, and really she could sense a hidden yet honorable reason in him for doing this, Sha'uri took a chance and hired him to find out more information on Lorekath. The answers he brought later were extremely helpful.

Bryce Rowan Arrowny was born November 1, 2002 by RhyDin standard years. Sha'uri's double self ended that day, and so too did the life she was before. She was definitely immortal now. Having received a letter from Galen, who was on his way back from his own Adventures and battle within Atlantis .... She invited him to the Hue Empire. Only then did they both claim their love to each other. They both returned to Dar Oma and began their life together.

Shauri · Date: 2006-09-06 13:50 EST

Galen and Sha'uri loved and raised Bryce together. Galen was the father that Bryce would know as Dad, while Triv also was known to him as his biological father. Together, Sha'uri and Galen trained him vigilantly with the help of Fenrix (who was Galen's former familiar), Eldarion Silverhawk (close friend to Galen), along with Porthios and Prestancia (Sha'uri's minions), and the Captain and crew of the Celestial Dragon (Sha'uri's hired mercenary trading vessel).

Barely four months after his birth, Bryce grew up into a handsome and well trained young man of about 19 years. His desire to free his biological father had grown; Bryce quietly left his home to pursue that endeavor. A month later he returned with one Dwyndan Cohath. It seemed the Assassin was once again aiding in this retrieval of Triv.

And Then.....

Much was about to happen in the near future. Triv would be resurrected by Sha'uri as a result of Bryce and Dwyndan's accomplishment to get and destroy the gem. Sha'uri and Galen were supposed to be married. The Academy and the Sanctuary would become one place, intertwined together.

The answers to the riddle of what happened to Secak seemed to be just around the corner; Sha'uri having found a piece of Woodshadow Castle and discovered the time/space flux that had caused it to fade into and camouflage an island just off the coast north of Dar Oma.....

Amazingly enough, things didn't work out for Sha'uri and Galen. He left her at the alter during the middle of their wedding ceremony. Such has been the way of her life, but at least it brought that long nightmare to an end. His task had been to aquire her wealth for another. Instead, he had given his wealth up for love. What an odditty that love commands a weakened heart. Abandoning his promise to Sha'uri, Galen left her behind, along with the Citadel, in pursuit of a lust for another dragon.

Shauri · Date: 2006-09-06 13:54 EST

In a sense, it was poetic justice on him that he got the brundt of Malice from his failed mission. Sha'uri ended up with his wealth instead of hers being taken. Still, hidden deep within the anger she showed was the hope for his happiness regardless of it all. She lives in the Citadel as a reminder of her failure at love as well as a means to make good something that had originally been intended, at least on her part, as good.

Sha'uri resides on Secak over the lands were once her Grandfather Exacalibur Woodshadow's Castle stood. Her son Alexander and her minions, Porthios and Prestancia, stay at the castle with her even though Alexander is rarely ever seen outside of his research and developement cubby hole, which was created for his and everyone's safety. Bryce left with his father, Triv, to explore Secak on their own and develop the father/son relationship that should've always been.

Sha'uri quietly keeps watch over all, though her trips outside her room have been dwindling to few and far between. Ever since the mysterious departure of her friend Rick Night Star, the only one to ever literally hold her heart, it seems her will to just be keeps fading, as does her heart and soul. To what purpose does it all still cling?

But then we knew she couldn't just stay there.... Forever. Life has purpose, it expects everyone else to have one, too... Or it finds one for you....

Sha'uri Moved Once Again back to RhyDin. It was like coming full circle as she came back and found an old friend. She now works at the Ravensheart School for the Gifted with Briarius Ravensheart as Head Master.