Topic: Whispers of the Past

Asha Ave Enai

Date: 2007-12-08 05:51 EST
For some people, life begins in Rhy'Din. For others, life begins again. And perhaps while the events of their pasts have no effect on the realm they now call home, such stories may yet have bearing on the person. Whispers of the past are not so easily forgotten.

The following stories take place at least a year ago (and will likely be written out of chronological order). Many have been inspired by and adapted from actual role-play events that took place between 1-6 years ago.

Asha Ave Enai

Date: 2007-12-08 05:52 EST
Five years ago, in a faraway land, a promise was kept.

She awoke to darkness. Night? she wondered groggily. Had she fallen asleep? She moved to sit up but only rose a few inches before striking her forehead against something hard. A moment of alarm completely banished sleep. She lifted her hands more carefully than she had her head, feeling the firm wood that enclosed her. She jerked as something tickled her arm, most likely an insect. Cobwebs broke loose at her movement.

It all came back to her in a flash. The spell! Had she truly been gone so long? She reached into her belt, found the slip of paper... her explanation, overlooked. They... buried her..?

She bit her lip to keep from crying out. She needed to remain calm. Panic would only tax her strength. She checked her person for anything that might be of use, but all except her clothing had been stripped of her. Even her temple mark was gone, but then what use was a physical proclamation of faith to the dead? Despite not having a god to turn to for help, she felt a sense of relief. She was no longer tied to Him.

The power was waning, as she knew it would. Soon, she could discover what she could do with her own gifts... but... not if she was dead. She needed to act quickly, but not rashly, and took a mental catalog of what she remembered she could do. She cast a protective shield around herself, then imbued her body with greater strength.

At her touch, the coffin lid chilled until it was brittle enough to break. Splinters struck her shield, and only a dusting of dirt drifted across it. The earth above her was firmly packed and her hole in the ground cocooned her. With heavy resolve, she began to dig upwards carefully, pushing the dirt toward her feet to get it out of her way. Soon, she could lift herself into a sitting position. She angled her budding tunnel so that she could give herself almost a steep "stair-step" out of her grave. Yet, despite her enhanced strength, her work was exacting.

She had been digging for what seemed hours. Doubt permeated her mind. Her lungs were burning... She wouldn't make it. She would die in this hole in the ground! Just as she begain to entertain thoughts of giving up, her hand punched through earth and grass, felt cool, fresh air on mud-streaked skin. She cleared herself more room and wearily pulled herself out of the hole. Flinging her back onto the grass, she closed her eyes, breathing the sweet, sweet air. Her fingers were raw and bleeding, she was covered in dirt, her dress torn, her hair matted to her head by sweat... but she exulted. She had made it. Alive and free, she slipped from consciousness, never noticing the flowers, set by loving hands, that cradled her in sleep.

Asha Ave Enai

Date: 2007-12-09 12:35 EST
Fifty years ago, in a faraway land, a paragon of justice descended into madness.

While the choice had been difficult, in the end, what other choice did she have? If she did nothing, her life would never be her own to live. Somehow, she had to break the enchantment.

Ellis had taken her to a beautiful waterfall. It was peaceful and secluded, and the sunlight playing off the mist created a rainbow at its base. There, he had dropped to a knee, taken her hand, and asked her to be his wife. The ring he offered was modest but lovely, a simple gold band with a diamond chip in its center. A sudden wave of repulsion filled her, and her mind was clouded red and black. You will NOT accept! a voice in her mind shrieked. At every turn, this woman sought to control Asha's path in life... much how an insolent rider guides a horse by a harsh bit. Ellis's arms came around her as she fell to her knees. His whisper in her ear as she lay limp against him was full of concern. "Asha? What's wrong?"

"I... I can't, Ellis..." At once, the pain cleared, and her arms came shakily around him. She wept into his neck, clinging to him like a rock in a too-fast flowing river. He held her patiently as she cried, softly consoling her. Again, she had been denied happiness at the fickle hands of her puppet master. It was the last straw. She pushed away from him and wiped the tears from her face. "There is something I must do first. I only pray you do not hate me for it."

"My love, I could never hate you," he replied, his arms still around her. However, his voice had not lost its edge of concern.

"Then come with me. I would have you by my side for this..." Ellis stood first and helped her up. She was still weak-limbed from the ordeal, and the mageling leaned on his arm as they walked back toward civilization. As she led him along the outskirts of Naerlan, she stopped prematurely before a dark spire that crackled with a dark aura. Ellis looked at her questioningly as they stepped inside. Those in the entry way eyed the two elves suspiciously. The monk bore the mark of Barbades; the mage wore the mark of Sylune.

"Why are we here?" Ellis asked her.

"Ellis..." She turned to face him. "Oh Ellis! I have to make her stop! You know what she does to me... and if I don't stop her, not only will she always fight against us being together, but my life will never be mine, for she will always turn me from the paths she does not like and all but shove me into those that suit her better. I have to end this. I have to reclaim my life. So I must break this enchantment... somehow. We are here because I need access to Sainos' libraries. Somewhere in them must be the answer."

The monk stiffened as she spoke. There was only one way they would allow her access. "Then you will... renounce Sylune... and pledge your faith to the mad god?" He sounded on the verge of incredulous.

"It is not something I want to do," she answered in a whisper. "It is something I must do. Ellis... please tell me you understand..."

He sighed and pulled her close. "I don't like it either, but I understand." Hand in hand, they walked into the next room.

Asha removed the mark of the Huntress with hesitance. For years, she had fought for order and justice and peace. "Please know I do not do this lightly," she whispered softly to her goddess. Then she offered the mark to the dark-robed man who stood before her. "I wish to convert to the faith of Sainos." He eyed the pretty elf who stood before her and the temple symbol she held out to him. "Yes, I am certain," she answered before he could ask.

He took the mark, and it dissolved in his grasp. Raising his hand over his head, he began to chant, and a mark of a follower of Sainos appeared in the air. This, he handed to the elf mage. "Do not lose this symbol. You are now a follower of Sainos."

Ellis watched all of this stiffly, expecting to see some change in Asha as she swore herself to evil. But as she turned to face him, rushed to him and embraced him, he saw only his Asha choosing a desperate course of action to fight the darkness that had plagued her life as long as he had known her. "I will not rest until I find a way to stop her. And then," she added with a smile, kissing his ear, "I will marry you. Happily, joyously... Oh Ellis, I hope you know how much I wanted to say yes. But I could not... Not just because she forbade it... but because I cannot offer you all of myself. Not yet. But when I can..."

"Shh... I know." And he stayed further explanations with a tender kiss.

Asha Ave Enai

Date: 2007-12-12 23:31 EST
Eighty-one years ago, in a faraway land, innocent eyes were opened.

Three nights ago, Bronlar had treated her to dinner and dancing, and there was still a lightness to her step. She had been afraid the giant of a man would crush her, as he towered at almost twice her height, but he had been oddly gentle as he spun her around the dance floor. Asha was enchanted. She had never been courted before.

The carnival was near town today, and the young elf was curious to explore its attractions. She found herself wandering around with a candy apple in hand, marveling at the skill of knife-throwers and jugglers, laughing at the antics of a particularly foppish clown, and trying her hand at a game of skill. She failed miserably, but the man at the booth gave her a ribbon anyway to make her smile. She had her palm read, had her fortune told through a crystal ball, and had her face painted. Thoroughly enjoying herself, the now bewhiskered elf ducked into a rather large tent. The man inside promised that she would see things that would astound and amaze her if she bought a pass to his attraction, and she indulged him.

She walked in a procession with a small group as they toured his sights, and Asha soon found that this was not at all what she had in mind. Some were harmless enough, such as the miniature elephant and albino tiger, but soon she stood among those gawking at conjoined twins and a five-legged goat. The elf had stumbled into a poorly-maintained freak show. She imagined the smell would be enough to drive most people away, but they gathered to stare at the strange and unfortunate. She wanted to leave.

Then they came upon the main attraction. A rather desolate youth sat hunched upon a stool, his face downcast. His skin was a sort of dusky greenish-blue, and his thin frame was stretched too tall. His dark gray hair was worn long and looked as if it hadn't been washed in weeks. Piercing blue eyes took them all in. The tour guide pointed out the giant's ears, which were pointed like an elf's. "This, ladies and gents, is a freak of breeding! Half frost giant, half heishan elf!" The crowd jeered, and a particularly insolent, older woman threw her box of popcorn at him. "Gaze in wonder at this poor misfit! A child who should have never been born!" People laughed, and a bold child poked the freak's leg with a stick before he was shepherded away by his mother.

Asha dropped her candy apple and fled the carnival.

Asha Ave Enai

Date: 2008-02-24 18:40 EST
Seventy-three years ago, in a far away land, a heart became further torn.

Asha had lived in Tharel for more than two decades before she truly considered faith. It was not because she questioned the existence of the gods; they were at the heart of the land of Tharel, though many chose to keep out of the affairs of mortals, lest they incur the wrath of another deity. Rather, her hesitance had two reasons. The first was the lack of a god whose tenants mirrored her beliefs. The second was a reluctance to release the past. Asha still clung to the dead land of her birth, even for all it had wronged her. Her inquiry into religion showed an acceptance of her new home.

Through study, Asha discovered Sylune, the Moonlit Huntress. Followers of the goddess preached protection of nature, order, and peace, all things that appealed to the young elf. Yet one thing stood out when compared to other gods of good or of nature. Where most gods of good took either the path of intolerance or pacifism, Sylunites believed that war was a necessary evil to bring peace to the land. And perhaps it was that acceptance to fight, for the sake of peace, that at last drew Asha to the moon goddess.

Afterward, the mageling often passed her time in the company of an elderly woman who had been touched by the deities of light and served as their messenger, passing down important tasks delivered by the gods themselves. Many paragons of the light would gather at the floor by Valerie's rocking chair, telling stories, making new friends, and offering aid.

It was only a matter of days before Asha first met Ellis Greatwood, champion of the Courageous Traveler, Barbades.

Asha and Ellis became fast friends. While he was more skilled than she and often lent her aid and protection in her quests, their friendship flourished in moments of peace and inactivity. They often would take tea in a small, river-side cafe and simply talk on life and friends and things long past. There was a shared understanding between the pacifist monk and the peace-keeping mage and an acceptance of their differing beliefs. Perhaps it was somewhat inevitable that such feelings would blossom into attraction, though it did not take the head-long rush that was so common in their dangerous world. The two elves moved forward at a snail's pace, only further impeded by a heart torn in three directions.

For Ellis already held two great women in high regard, and Asha was certain she, a rather weak mage of little notoriety, could not compete for his affections. She contented herself with their close friendship and counted herself lucky for it.

Bright sunlight dappled the verdant green of the woods on the day he professed his love for her.

Asha was in shock; Ellis waited in nervous, impatient silence. She had never made any advances toward him, and her respect of his complicated situation had left him utterly uncertain of her feelings. Asha simply found it hard to believe that, with two beautiful, powerful, confident, good women to choose from, Ellis had somehow picked her. A situation her heart had never considered was suddenly placed before her and required contention.

Hesitantly, she reached for his hand, and it was grasped in earnest. When she at last spoke, she sounded almost dreamily surprised.

"I... I think I love you too."

Asha Ave Enai

Date: 2008-02-26 17:59 EST
One hundred and thirty years ago, in a farther-away land, a mark was taken.

Asha adored her father.

There had been some uncertainty around her birth. Although Asha's mother had been married to the king's first cousin, he had passed rather suddenly, and the widow quickly remarried a humble woodsman. It had been a rather dramatic change in lifestyle, and perhaps the woman resented it. Sometime during that chaos, Asha was conceived. Her mother had professed that, certainly, Asha's father was the dearly departed Tareldan nobleman, but many were quick to dismiss her claims. Even if they had been lent proper credence, little would have changed. Noble waters ran shallow, and even a drop of blood from a Taurelda tainted them.

It mattered little to Asha or her father. If he did not sire her, he still treated her as his own. He taught her how to shoot a bow, though she never learned the skill very well, and occasionally brought her along when he hunted less dangerous game. Her mother, on the other hand, all but stayed out of such affairs of child-rearing. She had dismissed her offspring as all but useless even as she tried to scheme a way to raise back into power. She had tasted a life of privilege and could little content herself with anything less. In the back of her mind, Asha wondered about her mother's coldness and distance, but life was not bad, and her father showered her with the affection her mother withheld.

It was Spring, and the day was bright and rather warm for so early in the year. He was away on a hunt and expected not to return for a fortnight. Asha was still quite young and all but a stranger to work, and her mother was livid when the child decided she would run off and play.

The timing was too perfect for the idea to have been born in that instant.

"Come here, child," her mother bade her in an authoritarian voice that allowed for no argument. She stood tall and straight-backed, looking far too regal for her humble surroundings. The long, skeletal fingers of her hand extended to Asha and wrapped around her shoulder as the child hesitantly approached. "I have had the most marvelous idea," she informed the girl almost wickedly, and the woman's cunning smile caused Asha to shrink back. But her mother held her fast. "I thought and thought, trying to figure out, 'How can this whelp of a child be of use to me?' And suddenly, oh so suddenly, it came to me." Her grip tightened, and, without real warning, the woman brandished a rod, hot as a poker, and pressed the tip against Asha's forehead.

"I mark you for Sulaya."