Drissa Draliza the Unrelenting Pathfinder, Kingslayer, Captain of the Brigade

Role

Chapter 19

Other gods have touched her, too, in their own ways. She has never worried
that this might anger Korsgaard, but sometimes wonders what he thinks of it.
Ishuli, who she will forever be grateful to for her persistent questioning
and demands for logical interpretation of half-thoughts and feelings brought
on by dream visions. Rahsael, who guides and empowers Aurew, with his
reservoir of wisdom about Loss and hardship, and who appeared to her so
unexpectedly one day to give her his harrowing blessing. Daphedee, more
recently, who poured drinks and spoke to her and Jeunne of Gaspare Gnazzo and
of the past. She is no complete stranger to visits from the gods of darkness,
either: Emnon, hanging onto her every word in Maethien, and Morius, whose
church she finds the most anathema to the Pathfinder ways, who she rebuked
while he haunted her shadow in the Fortress itself.

She has begun to often think about the legacy that she might leave behind,
and is no longer troubled by the idea that victory over darkness might not be
something she lives to see. She knows deep within her soul that victory will
come, for she sees the light everywhere, and it brings her great peace. She
has centuries ahead of her, and intends to make the most of them...

Role

Chapter 18

"I cannot praise a fugitive and cloistered virtue, unexercised and
unbreathed, that never sallies out and sees her adversary, but slinks out of
the race where that immortal garland is to be run for, not without dust and
heat."

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Drissa never lacked for certainty in her youth. Confidence overflowed within
her, despite any hardships in her way. Without memories, without speech,
without even the ability to walk, her Courage saw her through. Now, around
the midway point in her life, the river of blood she has spilled has changed
her in unexpected ways. She is just as confident as ever - perhaps even more
so, after crystallizing her expression of her beliefs about light and dark
and love - but she is very much more acutely aware of what it means when she
calls the Maran's duty a burden. This has seemed like a sort of melancholy to
some of her friends, most of all her dearest friend Aurew, but she doesn't
see it as such. "My spirit has soared recently," she told the Cardinal, "It
is a fine feeling. No doubt I am feeling Lord Korsgaard's influence more than
ever."

In truth, she has begun to dissociate in small ways. She drinks more than she
used to. She views the world in slightly detached terms. She loves it more
than ever, and bears no ill will towards anyone or anything for the life she
has chosen, but she has also come to see herself as apart from it. She knows
how the others within the Brigade speak of her, and what she means to them,
and she knows she must be an example for them - not out of pride, nor vanity,
but out of the deep reservoir of love that she has untapped from somewhere
within her spirit. There is a cost to everything, and... more than she will
ever know... she has never shied away from sacrifice.

The influence of the divine is everywhere in her life. Korsgaard, who she
loves with every essence of her being, she strives imperfectly to model
herself after - full of wrath when necessary, but kind and gentle when not,
and quick to laugh, quick to befriend, quick to celebrate the accomplishments
of the righteous. Above it all, she loves him for seeking to build up and
strengthen his followers, and for guiding them to become self reliant. In
this more than any other way, she thinks of him and all the Lords of Light as
polar opposites to gods like Emnon, Morius, and even the Lich King of Devils
himself, Scarabaeus.

Role

Chapter 17

Drissa took to poetry to express her newest realizations about the nature of
the Maran's burden. She has found love for even her most bitter enemies, for
within each of them is a tiny grain of light that has the potential to
flourish. She will reach out to them like never before... although, of
course, she refuses to ease up on her crusade against the darkness. She will
try to help others within the Brigade understand the full weight of the
Maran's burden, and to help them grapple with the complexity of what it means
to have to kill. She worries about the ones that never seem troubled by what
they must do, and even perhaps envies them a bit for it. She will, however,
be careful to not dissuade them from killing, as it is a holy and righteous
calling to war against evil.

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I love the tiny grain of light in you
That might yet allow you to seek redemption
But I refuse to hold back my wrath
Even while I hope that you will change.

I kill because I love you
And because the darkness in your soul might be destroyed
Along with your body
If not the first time then perhaps the next.
It is because I love the light inside you
And inside many others besides
That I cannot allow you to exist
If you are not willing to change your ways.
For while you bear darkness in your soul
You keep that light from shining.

I pray that you may some day understand.
Until then, this is my burden
Which I bear joyfully and without shame
As do my brothers and sisters who serve beside me.
And if that day never comes
I pray that your destruction is swift.

Role

Chapter 16

Grateful for the realization, and the opportunity to rededicate herself to
the values she holds dear, she emerged from the darkness that had gripped her
- ever so briefly - stronger and more full of righteous purpose than ever
before.Relentlessly dedicated to life, love, and Light, she understands now
in ways she has never before that she must help the others of the Brigade see
themselves as more than just agents of righteous retribution against the
enemy. Nearly 750 years old, she has come to see that the world is rarely as
uncomplicated as it seems, but she knows she can rely on her Strength,
Courage, and Honor, the righteousness of her cause, and the love and support
of her friends within the Brigade to see her through.

Invigorated with newfound energy, she set about leading a party to the depths
of Yzekon where they destroyed the Ancient and a number of his minions.Upon
her triumphant return from the depths, Lord Korsgaard tattooed her with the
Rose of the Winds, the mark of a true Pathfinder. She has become known
throughout the realms as the Kingkiller for her efforts destroying the wicked
tyrants of the world, a title she bears proudly. As with her efforts in
Panmorne's arena challenge, she will not shy away from letting others glorify
her accomplishments - she has never been one to brag, but her purpose is to
shine brightly as an example to others, and it would not be fulfilling her
duty to disallow them from celebrating her.

Role

Chapter 15

Panmorne's arena challenge was a welcome chance for Drissa to watch some new
and some old enemies fight and learn from their tendencies, to test herself
in difficult situations, and to observe how some of the others within the
Brigade handled themselves. It went about as well as she expected, and part
of her wished she could go back and substitute practice daggers in the final
bout against Ghar, Luciaquos, and Watiaka. She was satisfied to have won
some small measure of glory with her success there, confident that it would
inspire more and more to take up arms for her cause, and perhaps plant seeds
of despair in the hearts of her enemies.

Of late, she has found it less and less frequent that she encounters fights
against a single opponent, and as her friends and companions suffer more and
more instead of her when their enemy takes out its anger upon them, she
initially struggled to adjust her mindset. She began to dream again,
restlessly. One time, she saw an ancient whitesteel box, somewhere dark and
old and silent and still. Inside the box was nothing but light, brilliant
and terrible light, and the briefest vision of a bladed implement of war...

This dream stuck with her, and at first she asked others to help her search
for the box, to try to determine if it was more than just a dream. Then,
with the help of Aurew and eventually the goddess Ishuli, she came to realize
that her dreams were less likely to be visions of something tangible, but
rather reflections of her inner turmoil: Drissa had come to think of herself
as little beyond the blades she wields against the enemy, and even admitted
to both the Cardinal and the Witch that she had lost sight of what to do with
herself when there was not fighting to be done.She had, unconsciously,
begun to slip towards becoming that which she stands against. "We call this
duty a burden," she said, "So why am I unsatisfied to not have to bear it for
a while?"

Put so plainly, she was able to see clearly once again, and to properly
appreciate time spent without blood to shed. It was not lost upon her that,
without the assistance of her dearest friend Aurew and Ishuli's discerning
counsel, she might have lost her way...

Role

Chapter 14

Drissa wasn't surprised when Lord Korsgaard asked her to serve as Captain of
the Brigade, although she was and continues to be honored to have the
opportunity. She enjoys leadership, and even if she didn't, would feel
obligated to serve as long as she believes she's among the most well-suited
for the position. Inherent confidence, which may sometimes seem like
arrogance to both her friends and her enemies, leads to her not frequently
questioning herself. She believes in her ability to find the right choice
quickly when presented with a decision to make, and tries to foster that same
confidence in the others who serve the Brigade.

Most of her time these days, when she isn't in battle, is spent interviewing
new applicants and training up the next generation of soldiers. She can feel
the weight of time beginning to take its toll, and is more preoccupied than
ever with leaving the world a better place once she is gone.

Not everything has gone smoothly - she removed the Squires Derigan and
Bubbadink from the Brigade after they slipped from the righteous path. She
knows there is no room in the Brigade for those who cannot live by the Creed,
and is especially critical of Squires who fall, as they have proved less than
those who are Maran. She will never turn her back on someone who seeks
redemption, but refused to become discouraged when both dwarves ultimately
chose to turn their back on the Light. Even Kruggy fell off the narrow path,
in the end - it's something that happens, the path is hard, and until the
moment of truth you never truly know how someone will deal with their own
failure. Drissa sees no reason to shed tears for those who do not deserve it.
She is scornful of any lightwalker who does not accept the consequences of
their own actions, and who does not see how it is their own choices, and
their own actions, that define them.

She cautions others with those tales, but as she has said before, "Duty is
heavier than a mountain, death is lighter than a feather." It's easy to stay
true to one's values during the good times, but the hard times are when the
measure of a person is learned.

Role

Chapter 13

It's been many long years since Drissa visited the Cathedral of Loss at her
friend Aurew's behest, but that fateful day still stands out as a turning
point in her life. Within the Cathedral, she met the mourning spirit Elra -
an aspect, or a mouthpiece, for Rahsael and his powers over lost things.
Within the Cathedral, she sought answers to her questions about her forgotten
past. And, within the Cathedral, she was given the opportunity to unravel
those secrets. However, the cost Elra presented her with was too high, and
she was not willing to abandon her calling as a Maran or her duty to the here
and now in order to remember.

Within the Cathedral, Drissa found herself anew, and recommitted herself to
the path of Greater Virtues she had embarked upon as a follower of Lord
Korsgaard. As Elra helped her realize, her past didn't really matter,
especially in light of the new relationships she had formed and new calling
she had found in Thera. She would keep her little book, as a reminder of the
Courage she calls upon to continue to do what she must no matter how
difficult... and also, as a reminder of the Loss she lives with, that it
might be a source of strength to call upon rather than a weakness to be
cured. But, she would no longer look backwards. "Eyes forward" has become a
personal motto, of sorts - words that, to her, encapsulate what it means to
be a Pathfinder, unbound by the losses of the past and equipped with the
necessary disposition to cope with whatever the future might hold.

Immortal Comments

Immortal Comments

Immortal Comments

Role

Chapter 1

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Stardate 07914.301 (62nd Age)
-----------------------------
They crossed through the trail of fire left behind by the Imperial
starfighter, sharing a celebratory whoop as it exploded into a ball of
burning gas and shrapnel. "Two more left, don't get cocky!" Drissa grinned,
adjusted her grip on the controls, and refocused her attention on the
targetting computer. "Don't worry about me, eh. Just fly the damn thing!" She
loved gunning for Draliza. Far as she could tell, he was the best damn pilot
in the galaxy. That he kept it real in the sack when they weren't out on
mission together only made things better.

Up ahead the last two enemy fighters had formed up and were maneuvering for a
counterattack. Bursts of blue laser lanced towards the elfship. The sound of
screaming klaxons filled their cockpit as energy shields edged towards
depletion. "Shit! Missiles! Clean it up fast, eh?" Draliza put their ship
into a series of quick spins, dancing it around like a jitterbug. With casual
ease born from years of practice, Drissa calmly locked onto and destroyed the
incoming warheads. Then, with the threat cleared, she thumbed over to access
her own missiles and blasted the Imperials into scrap. "This sector blows.
Let's go home."

-----------------------------
Stardate 07916.122 (62nd Age)
-----------------------------
"Dra... I volunteered."

The other elf stared at her for a long moment, then laughed. "I knew you
would. Damn. When do you ship out?"

"Tomorrow. No point in putting it off."

"I guess this is it then. No chance we'll be seeing each other again?"

Drissa shook her head. "Well, not unless magic's everything the histories say
it was." Draliza laughed again. "Right. Damn. Look out for yourself, Dris."

-----------------------------
Stardate 07916.257 (62nd Age)
-----------------------------
"Soldier of the Light... today is the day of days. You are about to embark
upon a great crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The
eyes of the all elvenkind are upon you. The hopes and prayers of many
millenia of liberty-loving people walk along with you.

Through the Portal, the past awaits. You will bring about the elimination of
the Enemy's tyranny over the oppressed peoples of the galaxy, and security
for elves in ages past, present, and future. Your task will not be an easy
one. What will you find on the other side, we cannot be certain. But one
thing we know: the Enemy will be awaiting you. You must oppose him until the
day of his ultimate defeat.

Good luck! Yours is a great and noble undertaking."

Through a tremendous effort of willpower, Drissa forced her face to look calm
as she nodded to thank the General for his words. On queue, she stepped
slowly towards the shimmering portal. As she drew near it, she broke into a
run, trying not to think of the consequences should this strange new tech
malfunction...

Role

Chapter 2

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Day of the Moon, 7th of the Month of Old Forces in the year 84 (6th Age)
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The ranging party found her lying facedown in the mud, deep in the Vale of
Arendyl. A curious looking woman, with purplish skin and no hair, yet
undeniably an elf, wearing a strange gray robe and tight white clothes. As
they approached, she barely acknowledged their presence. They rolled her
over, expecting to see a corpse, but she was warm to the touch and her eyes
were wide open. She didn't respond to their greetings, nor their queries,
only managing some strange grunting and mewling noises. Eventually, the
strongest amongst them threw her over his shoulder and ran her back to
Darsylon.

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Day of Thunder, 11th of the Month of Long Shadows in the year 85 (6th Age)
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"Drissa, you're practically glowing today. Do you still plan to make the trip
to Voralian City? There is a guildmaster here in Darsylon, after all..."

Her recovery had, by all accounts, been remarkable. In only a little more
than a year, she had fully recovered both in mind and body. The only thing
missing was her memory of anything that happened before waking up in the
Vale. In her condition, it might have been easy to lose heart, but Drissa's
Courage had always been her single most defining characteristic, and losing
her memories hadn't changed that.

"Yep. I'm headed out. I want to see more of the world, book learning only
gets you so far!" She smiled at the old elf, who shook his head and sighed.

"Very well," he said, in a kindly voice, "We will not try to talk you out of
it any longer. But before you go, I must show you something. You may want to
sit down." He patted a seat next to him on her bed, and waited until she sat
before pulling a small black book out of his pocket. She couldn't quite place
the material the cover was made out of.

"We've debated whether or not you should see this. It was found in your cloak
pocket by the ranging party that brought you to us."

Role

Chapter 3

The binding of this book is made of some sort of cloth, apparently
constructed from tiny fibers of strange black crystal, or perhaps soft metal,
all woven together. It is easily malleable but snaps right back into shape
when released, and is seemingly impossible to damage.

Inside is only a single white page, made of similar material. Blocky text at
the top of the page reads "Stardate 07916.257 (62nd Age)." In the same blocky
letters underneath, a rousing speech has been transcribed, presumably on the
eve of some momentous occasion . The back of the
same page is blank except for a looping, cursive scrawl: "Drissa - Draliza."

Role

Chapter 4

Drissa is a warrior from the very distant future, in which renegade elven
"Soldiers of the Light" carry out a desperate rebellion against the evil
Empire. Thera has long since been destroyed, but the histories remember it as
the birth of what is now an inter-galactic civilization. Some amongst the
Soldiers believe that by traveling back in time to Thera and bolstering their
ancient kin in the battle against Darkness, they can change the course of
events for the better and prevent the Empire from gaining hegemony over the
universe.

Drissa volunteered to be the first through the time portal. Despite warnings
from the technicians who built it that nothing other than flesh and bone
could go through safely, military leaders saw fit to send her through with a
cloak and suit of armor made of the finest astrosynthetic material available.
They gave her a compubook, too, containing all of the shared knowledge of
their time. With these tools, they figured, she would have an unassailable
edge against anyone she encountered in the past.

In the end, something backfired. Drissa made it to the past, but her memory
was wiped clean. Even speech had to be relearned. What's more, Thera's
gravitational pull was much stronger than expected - having spent most of her
time in low-G environments, her muscles simply didn't have the strength to
function until Darsylon's healers fixed her up.

Her cloak and suit of armor ended up being remarkable only for the strange
material they were made out of, and are probably still being studied by
scholars in Darsylon to this day. Her compubook survived the trip, but
doesn't function on Thera - it's stuck on the first page, and the search
function is broken even if Drissa somehow remembers what it is.

Role

Chapter 5

Drissa's memories might be gone, but her personality was fundamentally
unchanged by the trip back in time. As she regained her strength, she quickly
found herself headed down a similar path as before. She is a warrior,
happiest with a blade in her hand, and eager to improve on her skills. She
has a strong sense of wanting to leave the world a better place for those who
come after her. Her caretakers in Darsylon recognized as much and encouraged
it during her recovery. They taught her of the world, and of good and evil,
and of the various Cabals and Gods.

The Maran Brigade feels like a natural fit to her - she knows she is capable
of walking their narrow path and not falling, and she believes that she has a
duty to do so in order to keep safe those who are not as capable. There is a
hint of elven arrogance to her confidence, but she is generally friendly and
fun loving, and does believe in the importance of multiple perspectives.

She is neutral good, and above all else will seek to uphold the Creed as per
her pledge. She firmly believes that the destruction of the Enemy is the
single greatest act of Good a mortal can do. That said, she isn't
singleminded in her approach to the Crusade, and will try to avoid doing
anything that would limit her ability to function at her peak. She's wise
enough to realize that striking at everything with a red aura that crosses
her vision isn't usually the best course of action, and that timing and
patience are often a warrior's best friend.

She tries not to dwell too much on the fact that she might be from the
future. She isn't at all self conscious about her appearance. Until she saw
the book, she figured her condition was the result of some sort of awful
ancestral curse, or a magic trick gone wrong. Now, she doesn't quite know
what to believe, especially because of the way it was revealed to her... but
there isn't much to do about it, no matter what the truth is.

A few other notes: She talks a little bit funny, for an elf. She loved
spending time in the Darsylon marketplace during her recovery, and picked up
mannerisms from all different races, much to her caretakers' chagrin. In a
slightly tragic turn, the elves who found her assumed that "Draliza" was part
of her name, so now she's taken her former lover's first name for her last.

Role

Chapter 6

After taking several deep breaths, Drissa reset her grip, grunted loudly, and
pushed the weight towards the ceiling of the Hall of Fire. The quarterstaff
buckled under opposing forces as stone filled buckets attached to either end
rose off the ground. Focusing her breathing, she pushed through another ten
repetitions before allowing the buckets to clatter to the ground. After a
moment to gather herself, she leaped to her feet with a victorious shout.
Daggers appeared in her hands as if from nowhere, and she flowed seamlessly
into a series of graceful movements, weaving between practice dummies and
other obstacles while delivering lightning quick strikes with her blades.
Past the point of exhaustion, she continued to press herself, sweat spraying
with every flick of her arm and wrist...

Over the past years since being made a Squire by Captain Yanni, the young elf
has trained hard. Her body and mind have responded. Having reached full
maturity, Drissa is quicker and stronger than ever before, and seasoned in
battle against foes much more advanced in their guilds than she. More fights
have ended with her enemy's death than with her own, but the losses she has
suffered only served to harden her resolve. Now more than ever, she is
confident in her ability to walk the narrow path, dealing death in service of
the Light without straying into Darkness.

Upon reaching the twentieth rank, Drissa specialized in fighting with
daggers. Smaller blades suit her, allowing her to make use of her speed to
debilitate much larger and stronger opponents that might otherwise overpower
her. Soon, she plans to further specialize in hand to hand combat. Like the
Maran, a Squire should never find themselves without a weapon with which to
strike against their enemy - so, she will endeavor to become that weapon
herself.

Macalla training will be available sooner than later, as well. Having studied
accounts of other warriors who came before her, Drissa plans to train in the
techniques known as Striking the Shadow's Footfall and Flow of Shadows. She's
more concerned with being effective than with forging new ground, and this
training will both compliment her strengths (a sharp mind and quick blades)
and help shore up her main weakness (and allow her to stand and fight
longer).

Role

Chapter 7

After many years of crusading as a squire to the Brigade, Drissa was raised
to Maran by Lord Korsgaard. The dwarven god praised her, both to her great
joy and great sorrow, noting in his thick dwarvish accent that "Only evil
slain by yer 'and, no good souls lost to the fog eh war." He went on to
clarify that, that way, she stands along among her new peers. This revelation
was certainly cause for a moment of pride, but almost instantly pride was
replaced by grim awareness of how treacherous the narrow path of the Maran
can be. She is having trouble wrapping her head around the fact that she is
the only Maran to have not spilled blood of any others of the light - were it
not from Korsgaard's mouth, she would have dismissed such a thing as not
possibly true.

She is more determined than ever to bring honor to the mantle she now wears,
and to serve as an example to others. She may yet falter - it would be
foolish to dismiss such a possibility entirely, especially in light of a
recent close call with the High Lord's shoving, which may have cost her a
friendship with the Magistrate Thoglin, who accidentally fell to her blades
in the confusion - but she has redoubled her commitment to the sanctity of
the lives of those she seeks to protect from the Enemy. As she has matured,
she has become more vocal in her criticisms of others who are careless with
the lives of lightwalkers, and more happy to instruct those willing to
listen.

She probably wouldn't put it into words unless pushed to think about it, but
she is trying to be more of a leader.

Captain Knaor asked her too speak with a young one, Exirus, which she happily
did. They spoke of the Maran creed, and the sanctity of innocent life, and
she challenged the invoker to ground himself in practical matters instead of
theoretical nonsense such as "what if you were in a situation where to spare
1,000 innocent lives, you had to murder one innocent person." These sorts of
questions, she doesn't have much use for, because hypothetical situations
like the one he proposed hardly ever come up in real life - and can be used
as a rhetorical distraction by those who would question the Brigade's
beliefs.

In combat, she is more comfortable with others following her than she is
following others. She will continue to try to offer advice, especially when
it is well received. After all, the Brigade must be well trained if they are
to win victory over the Enemy. She admires her Captain for his battle
readiness and his head for tactics, and appreciates his willingness to often
let her take lead when they've recently fought side by side. One of the marks
of a good leader is that they bring out the best in others, and allow others
to put their talents to their best use - her initial impression of Knaor is
that he isn't too proud to let his station get in the way of taking a piece
of advice here or there. It warms her heart that the Fortress is in good
hands.

Role

Chapter 8

The seed planted by her friend Quchack's preaching blossomed when Lord
Korsgaard encouraged Drissa to search out his shrine and begin taking steps
down a path of greater virtue. Subconsciously, perhaps a result of the trauma
caused by her time travelling to Thera, perhaps simply because it is her
nature to want to improve herself, her soul has yearned for the nourishment
of religion. She found the place where the land ends, and with a few brave
steps, found herself in the shrine.

Korsgaard revealed himself to her there, welcomed her, and they spoke for a
little while of his faith - first steps, but significant ones. He helped her
to reflect on her "self" as the center of every path that is available to
her, then set her on the Path of Four Legs, encouraging her to take as much
time as she needs to complete the quest laid out in his tome. "The things I
expect from yeh outlined on tha' second page don't 'ave ter be physical, but
they do need one thing," he said, "They need to be what's important to yeh."

While mortal elf and immortal dwarf conversed, Korsgaard said something that
caught Drissa's attention, but she doesn't know quite what to make of it.
"Take yerself fer example," the wise Lord told her, "I sense eh knowin' about
yeh, one tha' keeps yeh ready fer any challenge, fearless in the abyss eh
absolute darkness. Only those tha' 'ave seen such eh blackness 'ave tha' way
about them. Confidence ter go onward, into the unknown. But will yer find
victory? Only time will tell."

"Time will tell," she mused - a saying she is fond of herself. She couldn't
help but wonder if the God was speaking of events that occurred before her
accident, and if so, whether he will ever confide in her. She had mostly put
the question of what happened in the time before she can remember out of her
mind, but his words reawakened a curiosity in her. As to whether she will
ever find anything out about it, or decide it is important to do so, only
time will tell.

Role

Chapter 9

Relatively recently, Marshall Aehwic and Captain Knaor ordered that those of
the Brigade refrain from striking at other cabal's outer guardians. The order
came in response to Drissa's proposal that they destroy the beer elemental
outside the Entropists' tower to get at the Wight Linkan hiding within.
Drissa was unhappy with the order, but will of course obey her leaders.

When she sought guidance on the matter of the cabal guardians from Lord
Korsgaard, he counseled her to speak to her leaders - and to aspire to
leadership herself. She would happily accept such a position, were it
offered, and would relish the opportunity to help others find their own Paths
and purpose in service of the greater good.

She hopes to speak with Aehwic and Knaor about the matter of the outer
guardians soon, although all three have not crossed paths at the same time
for a little while. She hopes that she can convince them to allow her to
exercise her best judgment in such matters, her thinking being as follows:

(1) It is part and parcel of being a Maran to do things that would otherwise
be regrettable were they not in service of the Light and in pursuit of
victory over Darkness.

(2) Allowing Entropists, Outlanders, Villagers, and even Tribunals in more
rare circumstances to know that they are safe behind their outer guardians
has as real a cost as blindly throwing ourselves at these guardians whenever
one of our enemies lurks behind them.

(3) One of Aehwic's clearest reasons for the order, that assaulting other
cabals might invite attacks from those who would not otherwise be enemies,
does make good sense. However, it is not unreasonable to expect others to be
as appreciative of our beliefs as we are of theirs. After all, when Village
Berserkers assault the Tara'bal to get at our mages, we seek to turn them
away but not to pursue unless they are wicked themselves.

(4) Squires and Maran should be trusted to exercise their judgment as to what
is appropriate and inappropriate, specific rules often seem overly
restrictive. Leaders guide us and must do what they see necessary to ensure
that we are always acting from a place of virtue, and they command in battle
to prevent confusion, but part of the growth from Squire towards Maran
involves gaining confidence from knowing what is right and acting
accordingly.

Role

Chapter 10

The beer elemental specifically has a red aura when viewed through a Maran's
eyes, and was summoned to defend a cabal raised by Demon Lords - this last
piece of information per Lord Korsgaard himself. Even if others remain off
limits, Aehwic and Knaor may be persuaded that this creature merits
destruction. She will keep an open mind to their reasoning, especially in
light of Korsgaard's qualms regarding striking down the centaur or giant, for
both are wise and righteous and, anyways, close-mindedness serves nobody
well.

Guildmasters should probably be another topic of her discussion, although not
because of the wretched creature Grezelm's most recent missive. Drissa, for
years, has treated cases where those of darkness hide behind neutral
guildmasters much the same as she has treated those hidden behind cabal
guardians - if she thinks she has a reasonable chance at destroying the evil
within, she will break into a guild. If she doesn't, she won't. She doesn't
usually bother to explain this to the Scarabites and other minions of
darkness whose addled brains mistake her actions for being from a place of
motivation similar to their own, as to do so serves little purpose and might
somehow validate their twisted worldviews. But, she does want to make sure
her Marshall and Captain understand her.

Role

Chapter 11

Drissa presented three symbols to Lord Korsgaard: a book, a blade, and her
heart - her Courage, her Strength, and her Honor. They drank to celebrate her
growth and in recognition of the path ahead of her, and she set out on the
Path of Two Legs. She claimed glory for the light and retribution for the
victims of the wicked beasts as she laid low monster after monster. Upon
completing the task, she returned to his Shrine again, where Korsgaard took
her hand in his and sealed her to the King Quest. The task ahead of her is
immense - to triumph against the evil tyrants of the world, she will have to
push herself both as an explorer and a leader. She is as certain as ever in
her ability to complete the quest, her confidence bolstered by lessons
learned from the earlier tasks and by encouragement from Korsgaard. With the
help of the High Herald and the Squire Yalystaun, the Empress of Seantryn
Modan has already fallen to her blades...

Role

Chapter 12

Already tired from many days of adventuring, Drissa found herself overcome by
exhaustion. Concerned for her health, she checked with a healer, but when
they found nothing wrong she let herself into the Hamsah guild hall and fell
fast asleep. As she slept, she began to dream. A sensation of weightlessness,
then falling, falling, falling, too fast, impossibly fast. Rays of brilliant
light, streaks through the starry skies, visible through... a glass window?
Strange sounds, demonic, squealing and roaring all about, and suddenly -
panic! A massive, steel dragon slips out from between the stars, gathering
energy into its maw... and then blackness.

Drissa has dreamed before, but never anything so vivid. It felt, as she would
say later, true. She lacks a better way to describe it, and has little
experience with dream visions. Although she couldn't possibly conclude so on
her own, it is likely that her brain is trying to make sense of fragments of
memories that remain from before her trip through the time portal,
contextualizing them within the reality she now knows. However, she cannot
help but wonder if the vision is linked to her forgotten past.

As she woke, before the memory of the vision could fade, she reached out to
Lord Thaedan for guidance. Together with the Ancient Knight in the Fortress,
they concluded that there may well be something meaningful about the vision,
and that she should continue to pursue understanding of it.

Thaedan wisely counseled that she remain vigilant against the possibility of
malevolent outside influence, and also suggested that she consult with the
Witch of the Library, Ishuli. He left her with some words that bolstered her
spirit, wisdom that she has clung to throughout her life and hopes to share
with others, too. "If there is one thing I know," the ascended Captain spoke,
"It is that though the world around us changes, and is not the same today as
it was yesterday, and will be different still on the morrow... The cause to
which we have committed ourselves persists, and the blessings of the Light
persist, yesterday, today, and for all tomorrows."

Drissa's time in the Witch's library was filled with surprise after surprise.
During a short yet enlightening lecture on the nature of dreams, Drissa came
to realize that she was far less concerned with the specifics of the dream
but rather with whether it might speak to her forgotten memories. She found
her attention wandering to the book in her pocket, and made up her mind to
show it to the Goddess, in hopes that Ishuli might recognize it and shed
light on her past. Much to her surprise and dismay, the Witch seemed more
than a little perplexed by the thing, but could not or would not say more
about it, at least in terms that Drissa understood. However, she stoked
Drissa's intuition that the dream might relate somehow to the memories that
are lost to her...

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