Aesrira Tiril'Taureba the Raven-Hearted, Harbinger of Thar-Eris

Role

Chapter 32

|
| Mother: Aelandil
| Father: Unknown guard in Velkyn Oloth
| Grand Father: Cerridwyn
| Grand Mother: Asarayeme
| Siblings: None
| Family Name: Tiril'Taureba
|
| Her mother was a druid of the Coven dedicated to fertility and the
| Maiden. She was raped by a guard in Velkyn Oloth. She died in child
| birth, as did her mother before her.
|
| Aesrira was raised by her grandfather in Eryn Galen
|
| Meaning of her Family Name as Per the Lyceum:
|
| tir - to watch over, protect -> tir
| -(n)dil - suffix, implies devotion -> -il
| taure - woods, forest -> taure
| bar - dwelling, home -> ba
|
| Tiril'Taureba - Devoted Protector of the Forest Home
|
| Attempted to convert to wood-elf by making it a bit simpler, and more
| primitive.
|

Role

Chapter 31

|
| By all accounts, my mother was a beautiful young maiden, a druid
| in the service of Lady Amaranthe's Coven. Petite and slim hipped, she
| was unsuited for childbirth, as was her mother before her. Perhaps that
| is why she sought to sow life through her plantings in the woods
| outside of Eryn Galen, it was her way of honoring the Maiden.
|
| I say, by all accounts, because I never knew my mother. Some of
| the more spiritual of the wood-elves would say that my birth was an ill
| omen, the harbinger of my mother's death, just as her mother died
| birthing her. Perhaps there is some truth in that, or perhaps she so
| loved me that she was willing to take the risk in my birthing, or just
| perhaps it was fickle fate. Sadly, I will never know for sure.
|
| What I do know is that one day while walking in the woods,
| planting her seeds and tending the new growth, my mother was taken upon
| by a man, a human guard from Velkyn Oloth. I can only shudder at the
| thought of his black armor burning her as he pushed down upon her and
| had his way with her. Ravaged and weakened, she managed to crawl away
| when he fell into a drunken slumber, his lust sated. But on that dark
| day, a child was conceived, and as the seasons passed, I was born.
|

Role

Chapter 30

|
| After my mother's death, I was taken in by my grandfather. He was
| a kindly, old wood-elf who had been a ranger in his youth. I did not
| lack for food or clothing, or any other necessities of life, but he was
| distant. I was told that just after my birth he was too grief stricken
| to even take care of me and that instead a neighbor woman took me in
| for a time. But just as winter must eventually fade to spring, his
| grief lifted slightly as I grew into a child.
|
| Some of my fondest memories are of him teaching me his woodcraft.
| He began by showing me the proper way to make a fire. protecting the
| forest from the flames. We ground up berries to make dyes, applying it
| to my face and body. He explained that one should only take what the
| forest was willing to offer, such as berries that have fallen when
| ripe, or branches that are on the ground rather than off a living tree.
| It was in this way that he taught me the respect for nature that both
| he and his daughter had shared. He also insisted I learn to use the
| dagger, staff and whip to defend myself, it seemed very important to
| him. Perhaps he feared I might fall to my mother's fate here in these
| same woods. Yet during all his teachings there was a sadness in his
| eyes and a distant tiredness in his voice that would not go away.
|
| Our time together in the woods was a welcome relief from life in
| the city. Word had spread quickly among the close knit wood-elves
| concerning the tragedy of my conception and birth. Perhaps my presence
| was a reminder of the dangers they faced every day with vile, Velkyn
| Oloth so near, or perhaps it was my half-human nature or that they
| blamed me for causing my mother's death. Though now years in the past,
| they still tended to be cold and distant. If I came across a group of
| them, more often than not they would simply make polite excuses about
| other matters needing their attention and leave me alone. When I was
| but a child and looking to play with the other children, where ever I
| looked I would always find they had just moved elsewhere.
|
| As I grew older and began to look more and more like my mother, my
| grandfather's grief returned as winter after an all too brief summer.
| He began to retire to his home and I was left alone. I could see that
| my presence was only bringing him pain, so I took to spending more and
| more time alone in the forest.
|

Role

Chapter 29

|
| Living alone in the woods was the most peaceful time I had ever
| known. My closest companions became the animals of the forest. There
| was a bond between us, almost an unspoken understanding of each others
| needs. I spent days simply watching them stalking each other, prey
| running from predator, only to turn predator themselves when they found
| their own prey. I would practice stalking them as they stalked me,
| becomming one with the great circle of life.
|
| I lived in the open and washed myself in the blessed rain. There
| were no prying eyes, or shame at my human heritage. I often walked
| naked through the woods, letting the sun dry and tan my skin. For the
| first time in my life I could almost say I was happy, except there
| still seemed to be something missing... Some tugging at my soul that I
| could not quite explain or even put into words.
|

Role

Chapter 28

Illegal name, try another.
Name: rs I think, I'm not really sure. I live by
| the rising and setting of the sun and the changing of the seasons. The
| tugging at my soul has never gone away, if anything it seems stronger
| now than ever. At times, I can almost, though not quite, feel what my
| animal companions are feeling. When a deer darts it head up at a sudden
| noise, a muted sense of fright comes over me. When a wolf growls in the
| forest, guarding his kill, I can almost taste the blood in my mouth.
| Perhaps it is a foolish notion, just the silly daydreams of a young
| maiden, but it has brought me to a decision. I intend to start studying
| in the guild of shapeshifters. After all, I've always felt more at home
| in the woods with the animals than I ever did in Eryn Galen.
|
| As I was heading back to tell my grandfather, I was met by a
| messenger with the news of his passing. I did not think I had been in
| the forest that long, but it seems my grandfather had finally succumbed
| to the grief that had haunted him most of his life. I rushed home and
| offered a prayer to Amaranthe over his body, and as we laid him to rest
| in the ground, my grief was tempered with the knowledge that he has now
| joined the great cycle.
|
| With no other ties to Eryn Galen, I decided it was time to leave.
| After so long alone in the woods among the animals, the wood-elves
| attitude toward me felt like a slap in the face, even though in truth
| they were not unkind, just distant. Still, I had little interest in
| studying here in their guildhall. Instead, I decided to find another
| guild in another city to begin my training. So, with one last,
| lingering look at the woods of my home, I left to find my calling.
|

Role

Chapter 27

|
| She is leaving to study shapeshifting that much is true, but there
| are at least two other reasons and it is not clear if she realizes them
| yet. If not, they will undoubtedly become clear to her in time.
|
| The first is that she terribly misses not having a mother. Having
| never known her own mother has left a void in her life and she is
| seeking someone to fill it. Even if she does not realize it yet.
| Possibly this void might be filled by Amaranthe, but more on that
| later.
|
| The second is her longing for a home and a place where she truly
| feels she belongs. This is one of the reasons she will be seeking the
| company of the Outlanders. She feels a shared belief and a bond with
| them.
|

Role

Chapter 26

|
| She is neutral in Alignment, in part because she was raised among
| the wood-elves but mostly because she sees animals as being morally
| neutral. Neither good nor evil, their actions are guided by instinct
| not morality. It will be a growing process for her as she learns to
| embrace her own animalistic instincts.
|
| She is neutral in Ethos. Her actions have started out orderly and
| her chaos is expressed mainly through her magic. As will all things,
| this will ebb and flow. Most likely she will become more chaotic as she
| begins to embrace her forms. If asked, she might talk about the
| predator deliberately stalking its prey vs the wild growth of a forest.
|
| See future entries on her thoughts on shapeshifting for more
| information.
|

Role

Chapter 25

|
| I've taken the last name of my mother, since my father is unknown
| and I would not want his name even if I knew it. It is because I never
| knew my mother, nor had the chance to know her love, that her name is
| so important to me. It is the only way I have of remaining close to
| her, even if only in this small way.
|

Role

Chapter 24

|
| Just as life itself, my beliefs are an evolution. I have no doubt
| that some of what I write is just the foolishness of a young maiden,
| all I can say is that at the time it seemed important and true. But
| just as the cub must learn to be the adult, so too must I learn as I
| grow. If my beliefs stand the test of time then I will build on them to
| reach new heights of wisdom and knowledge. But if they are proven
| false, I will tear them asunder and build anew.
|

Role

Chapter 12

|
| Having heard of the wild men and woman of the Outlands, I now seek
| to find them. There is something about their way of life that calls to
| me, a unity of spirit that is most appealing. Perhaps with them I will
| find a family. I shall begin seeking them out to learn of them and
| their ways.
|

Role

Chapter 11

|
| Perhaps it is a foolish notion, but I have come to think of
| being brought into the refuge as being born. A birth untouched by
| sorrow and pain. If the Harbinger and the other wild ones of the
| outland accept me as one of their own, then it would delight my
| heart, if sacred Amaranthe would bring me into the refuge by her
| hand. Perhaps then I could call her mother and truly fill the void
| left in my life.
|
| And perhaps, just perhaps, when the Mother begins to manifest
| itself within me, and I grow wise enough in the ways of the woods,
| I might serve the Refuge as Harbinger. Nothing would please me more
| than serving as its mother and bringing new life to the Refuge. Oh,
| such silly dreams I have! Am I still awake? I must have fallen
| asleep while scribbling, but who can tell the future?
|

Role

Chapter 13

|
| Hopefully I will one day move to the Jade Mountains and have the
| chance to live among the jade elves. I am still an outsider there but
| at least it is not because of the circumstances of my birth or my half-
| human nature. They seem to treat all outsiders the same. Perhaps I will
| have better luck than Tyluthien did and one day earn their trust.
|
| The Jade mask seems to have some ritual significance to the tribal
| Jade elves, so I have taken to wearing it. But there is another reason.
| Perhaps it is the maiden in me, but the story of Tyluthien and
| Lallenyha has struck a cord within my heart. It reminds me of my own
| loss of mother and home.
|

Role

Chapter 14

|
| I have been considering the plight of the animals now that I
| am a bit calmer, and have come to the following conclusions:
|
| 1) The suffering of these animals can not be ignored. They must be
| liberated and taught to once again live free.
|
| 2) The people hunting and capturing these animals must be
| slaughtered as prey.
|
| 3) The shopkeeper must be stopped by any means necessary. It does
| not matter that they may love these animals as pets, that is akin
| to a master loving his slave before selling him to another, it is
| no love at all!
|
| I have to balance the use of coins against the continued
| suffering of the caged animals, both are evils that must be
| stopped. If I buy an animal I can teach it to live free, but if I
| do not they will suffer in their cage or live as a pet for some
| cityman, never knowing true freedom. Still it is supporting the
| industry, but at least the animals they hunt have a chance at
| freedom, which is more than these poor creatures have.
|
| The only other thing that troubles me is a chance meeting I
| had with a druid of the Refuge, by the name of Viviarong. He took
| one look at me and saw a shimmering stone I carried and a copper
| ring I wore and decided I stank of civilization! He assumed I had
| purchased them from a merchant. And assumption which was wrong and
| things did go better when I explained that I barter for my needs,
| and only found the ring. Still, can you imagine what he would say
| if he saw me leading an animal from one of those shops?!
|
| However, I must be resolute. This is too important an issue.
| What mother could willingly see her children enslaved and do
| nothing? If the gods, goddesses, or leaders of the Refuge tell me
| it is wrong then I will stop, even if it breaks my heart to do so.
|

Role

Chapter 15

|
| Sitting in the woods, communing with the animals, has given me
| time to contemplate the relationship between my shapeshifting and
| the Coven. I know that foul Guildmaster in Galadon pestered me into
| choosing Defense and Offense as my foci, but I still question if it
| really has any meaning.
|
| I believe my forms are within and not without. So, perhaps it
| was Providence taking a hand even if that guildmaster knew it not.
| Within the Coven there is the Maiden, the Mother and the Crone. As
| I ponder it, I am beginning to think that the aspect of the Mother
| within me is what gives rise to these more defensive animal forms,
| since the mother is a nurturer and protectress. Just as it is the
| aspect of the Crone that will one day manifest itself in me that
| will give rise to the more offensive animal forms, since it is she
| that culls the weeds of the garden. But for now, I am just a
| maiden.
|
| It has raised an interesting question though, what animal
| forms would best represent the Maiden? At first I could not decide
| between Air and Water, since each give a freedom that I think is
| representative of the maiden. But now I wonder, could she be best
| represented by Utility? It is a blending of both offense and
| defense, just as the Maiden is the precursor to both the Mother and
| the Crone. Tis something I will enjoy pondering and discussing.
|

Role

Chapter 16

|
| Perhaps it is a foolish notion, but it seems to me as if the magic
| within these artifacts wants to be free, much as the forms within me
| bide their time waiting for their own release. I'm beginning to think
| that magic is more chaotic than orderly, so if there is some truth in
| that, then perhaps there is some truth is this. In any event, it gives
| me great joy to use these artifacts and release their magic.
|

Role

Chapter 17

|
| I've been uneasy for some time with the teachings of
| Alanathariella. It's not that I doubt her knowledge, you have only to
| look into her eyes to see her success. It is her emphasis on formal
| weavings, formulae and ordered patterns of magic that bother me. She
| has us practicing standard weaving techniques over and over again. I
| believe her orderly approach to magic will eventually limit us from
| making the next leap forward in our craft.
| Perhaps it's just the impetuous of youth, of the maiden, to doubt her,
| but I feel it in my very soul. I may well be wrong, but I will never
| truly know if I do not try.
|
| There are two main points on which we disagree. The first is that
| I believe our animal forms come from within us and that this insistence
| on a choice of focus is irrelevant. Of course, Alanathariella believes
| this is nonsense, and says so every time I bring it up.
|
| The second and more important point is that I believe one needs to
| embrace their animal instincts to better their weave. It is through
| such an embrace that new insights into the weave itself can be gleaned.
| This is why I think Alanathariella is holding us and to a lesser extent
| herself back. By only studying the formal weavings, we will never gain
| the next level of insight to better our weave and truly become one with
| our inner beasts. She seems on the cusp of it, but I intend to try and
| take it further.
|
| I do not know what forms will manifest within myself, in truth, it
| does not matter as long as they are a true reflection of my inner
| being, as I believe they will be. I fear there is nothing more I can
| learn here. I will never find my first form in this place and under her
| instruction. So I am leaving to seek myself in the woodlands. It is
| only there that I will be able to release my first form from my being.
|
| Alanathariella herself wished me well, and bade me to return if I
| grew tired of the wild woodlands. I am glad for that, but I wonder what
| she will do when I return to the city one day and deprive her of the
| services of the merchants and those guards that always looked askance
| at me?
|

Role

Chapter 18

|
| She often uses Ventriloquate as a tool to interact with mobs.
| Sometimes, it actually feels as if they are truly talking back to her.
| Other times she does know on some level that she is just talking to
| herself, perhaps a symptom of her loneliness and longing for a family?
| Yet, still other times it is just the girlish nature of the maiden
| playing a harmless trick.
|

Role

Chapter 19

|
| What a foolish notion I had, the coldness I have known all my life
| has followed me here. If anything, it is even worse. I am far behind
| most of the other students. They seem a pampered sort, coming from rich
| families. What do they know of survival? They would be lost in the
| woods with no choice but to curl up into a ball and die. Most of these
| elves seem almost as bad as city-men. They laugh at my dress, and make
| sport when I miscast a cantrip.
|
| Alanathariella is different though. I'm always asking odd
| questions, and she never laughs. Her knowledge is great and I can see
| there is some wisdom within her. Though, I'm not sure I agree with her
| philosophy of magic.
|

Role

Chapter 20

|
| I think my time with the gnomes was time well spent. But now I
| wish some green under my feet, so I have made my way to Darsylon. It's
| good to be back in the woods, and the elves of Arendyl seem to have
| some understanding of nature and its ways.
|
| However, I was disappointed to see the city itself. The huge,
| ornate palace and grand marketplace seems to be its heart. You can not
| walk three paces without bumping into a guard. If they are so worried
| about an invasion, then why do they not hide in the woods outside the
| city, waiting to pounce on anyone who dares attack? It seems they are
| more concerned with keeping the masses at bay. And, of course, the same
| old attitudes about half-elves seems to have followed me from Eryn
| Galen.
|
| Still the guildhall seems to have been formed from within a living
| tree and the headmistress, Alanathariella, seems to have a great store
| of knowledge. I look forward to finding out if she has the wisdom to
| match it. I have begun my studies.
|

Role

Chapter 21

|
| I've arrived in Hillcrest. It is better than the others, but still
| far from the clean woods. There is a farmer but at least he confines
| himself to a small side of the village. Yet there are guards running
| around and worse, a mine. A stinking hole dug into the ground like a
| gaping wound, even though a small one and nothing like the scars the
| dwarves have wrought.
|
| Still the gnomes have some wisdom, and that is part of the Crone.
| So I will train here with them for a time and learn what I can. Though,
| of course, true wisdom will only come with time and seeking. Tis good
| to keep a swift eye and a sharp ear.
|

Role

Chapter 22

|
| Before heading off to Hillcrest, I found myself passing through
| Galadon. I am not sure why but I decided to stop by the guildhall
| there. I met the guildmaster and he was as disagreeable a man as any in
| that stinking city. You could practically smell the stench of it on
| him, even through his dark fur robe. He immediately began demanding I
| choose my focus of study. When I hesitated, he pounced and would not
| relent. Like a deer sighting a hungry bear, I panicked and squeaked,
| defense and offense, before running out of the guild and almost
| knocking Caelruli off his feet as I passed. It was only later when I
| was calmer that I realized the truth, my interests lie in all animals,
| as each is beautiful in its own way and manner. I am not sure I believe
| in these preconceived notions that the guildhall teaches.
|

Role

Chapter 23

|
| After helping Simon in the academy, and then doing a favor for
| Olgakar, I spent some time wandering the lands and ended up visiting
| more cities than I ever thought existed. I feel I've seen just about
| every city. The stink, the noise, the waste. The hopelessness in the
| eyes of beggars. The unabashed greed of the thieves in the streets,
| matched only by the merchants lusting after shiny golden coins. The
| guards on the street holding the masses at bay. But the worst, the
| absolute worst, were the pet shops I saw in Hamsah and Galadon. I
| shudder to think there may even be others I do not know about, I may
| have to search the stink of the cities for them. Those poor dear caged
| animals denied their freedom to roam the untainted woodlands. Oh, how
| it makes my blood burn! But more on that later when I am calmer and
| can think straight.
|
| For now I need to find someplace green, a small village perhaps. I
| think I will visit Hillcrest and Darsylon next.
|

Role

Chapter 10

|
| It seemed liked the hand of Amaranthe was guiding me. After a
| successful hunt, I returned to the refuge to tell the Huntress, when
| out of the bushes came Tjok. We began speaking of Thar-Eris, the Coven,
| and shifters past. I could tell that he was sniffing me, checking my
| scent, as is only proper. When he asked me to follow him, and then
| casually asked if I knew the forest way from the Refuge to Tahril, I
| thought he might want me to show him. Instead, he brought me into the
| fold and welcomed me as a hunter-born. If I had known his mind I would
| have asked him to wait, but he is older and wiser and I can not yet
| fathom his mind and his ways.
|
| So I was born anew by the hand of Tjok and not Amaranthe. Will I ever
| find a mother to fill the void?
|
| Perhaps this is the way it was meant to be. There were two wounds in my
| life. Having lost my mother with my birth and having never known a
| father. My Grandfather did try but he was too consumed with grief over
| the loss of his daughter.
|
| Does Tjok know? Or even suspect, he has a daughter now? Well no. It
| takes more than birth to make a father. I know that only too well. But
| I do feel a bond to him. And who can tell what will grow from this
| seed? I feel like a cub nipping about his heels.
|

Role

Chapter 9

|
| I have discussed the matter with Tjok. He was not as shocked as I
| feared he would be, but after meeting him I am not surprised. Even my
| young eyes can see the great store of wisdom in him. There is much from
| him that I can learn. Yet, their pain still calls to me. So with Tjok's
| blessing, I will still seek the council of Amaranthe. There must be a
| way, their pain can not continue.
|

Role

Chapter 8

|
| Aesrira believes that by embracing her animal instincts she will
| learn of the beasts within her. These are not just words to her.
| Rather, she will begin to take on the behaviors and mannerisms of the
| beasts she learns.
|
| HedgeHOG, Pachyderm - represent an increased appetite.
|
| Perhaps this is just her quirky sense of humor, or perhaps its
| real. It will start as an increased appetite for food and gradually
| progress to an increased appetite for her desires. These animals
| represent what is driving her forward in her dreams and desires.
|
| Turtle - Steady progress toward her goals.
|
| The means to achieve her desires and dreams.
|
| Ultimately these changes in behavior and mannerisms will extend to
| include physical aspects as well. These aspects will be subtle, not
| dramatic, and include things such as eye color, eye shape, skin tone,
| hair, etc, similar to Alanathariella, headmistress of the Darsylon
| shifter guild, a major figure in her young life. The evolution of these
| physical aspects is meant to represent her mastery of her craft so it
| will only begin as she nears the end of her studies and will only
| involve the major beasts with in her.
|

Role

Chapter 1

|
| Its odd this human manor of speech. I feel very vocal, very social,
| like a wolf howling or an alligator with big jaws. Yet, when speaking
| with some of the hunters, tis broken speech I use. Is this the
| beginning of the beast taking hold? It's true that when it comes to
| human customs and rituals I look to the beasts for guidance. Whether it
| be the touching of paws on meeting or the sniffing of strangers to get
| their scent. Maybe there is a little Chameleon with in me, mimicking
| what I see. Or perhaps it is just my way of bonding with those to whom
| I speak, for I often switch depending on who is howling in my ear. Tis
| an odd feeling and one I must explore, perhaps it is a bit of both, so
| much is still a mystery to me.
|

Timeline

Title History

Skill List

PK Statistics

PK Gank-O-Meter

Immortal Comments

Role

Chapter 2

|
| A cub is birthed from its mother. Its instincts are deep inside,
| sleeping, slumbering, much like the Ancients. In many ways, I see the
| Ancients as our instincts, yet we are still not aware enough to know
| them fully. I believe this is why only the wisest of us know even the
| smallest part of their mind.
|
| It has often been asked, mostly by foolish citymen such as
| Klendalstak, how we could be free if we obey the Ancients. But I see
| the Ancients as our unawakened instincts. They only ask us to do what
| we would wish to if we were but aware enough to know it.
|
| When I look out upon my Pack, my Family, I see hunters of the Night,
| the Sun, the Moon and more. From what I know of the Ancients, they are
| as varied or more so than all the hunters combined, each calling more
| strongly to certain wolves of the pack than others. I wonder if this is
| in part why Tjok may now give birth to any hunter in the Pack. He is
| ancient and wise and like me walks between the Sun and the Night. Which
| Ancients call to him the loudest? Can he hear the whispering of the
| Ancients of the Sun and Night just at the edge of his hearing?
|

Role

Chapter 3

|
| My last name connects me to my Mother, her Clan and her Kin.
| And although there is a rift between my once kin over their use
| of that foul metal Adamantite, I still treasure her unknown memory.
| Her last name, Tiril'Taureba is an ancient one. It harkens back
| almost to the sundering of my once kin from the high born. A
| sundering lost now in the mists of time. In my mother's tongue it
| means the Devoted Protector of the Forest Home. But I have often
| wondered about this name and its meaning to me.
|
| As with my beasts within, I believe its spirit lies within me.
| It is as I embrace my true nature that it will find expression through
| me. I believe it is through such searching within that one can truly
| see without.
|
| Of all the pack or perhaps I should say herd, I speak of hunting
| the most, yet do so the least. What does that mean? It is true I feel a
| bond with the Refuge and incomplete without our bone. When the Huntress
| cries out in pain, it is as if my own flesh is rended. But am I truly
| protecting the Forest Home, the wilds not just the Refuge? If one
| measures protecting by pulling down prey, then perhaps not. But I
| wonder, perhaps I do protect, just in a different way.
|
| I have shown young invokers not of the pack other ways to practice
| their art then disturbing the mating of the fishes in the streams. I
| have taught many young cubs how better to live off the land rather then
| supporting the cities. I often take young cubs seeking the pack to Eryn
| Galen to let them sniff the stench and see the foul metal.
|
| It is within me to teach and nurture others how to minimize their
| harm to the wilds that much I know. And if I raise cubs who will one day
| become hunters, then perhaps their hunt will be as my own. Will I one
| day take a more direct role in the Hunt? Perhaps when the Crone is upon
| me more strongly, or perhaps not. Who can tell what the future holds?
| Certainly not this cub.
|

Role

Chapter 4

|
| 1) Continue to embrace my animal instincts in order to better
| understand my true being and nature.
|
| 2) Continue to seek the Coven and embrace its wisdom and teachings.
|
| She sees this as a core component to her soul and perhaps a balm to
| ease her pain. It is not just a set of beliefs but a way of life to
| her. It saturates her entire being.
|
| 3) Continue to teach and nurture the cubs about the Wilds, the Outlands
| and the Coven.
|
| This is one of the true joys of her life.
|
| 4) Continue to teach the Village-Pack about living free though the
| Hunt.
|
| 5) Make contact with the Wood-elves of Eryn Galen to discuss their use
| of Adamantite.
|
| She believes this may help, at least in part, to heal the rift
| between her and her once kin.
|
| 6) Continue to hunt for teachers outside the guilds to train the cubs.
|
| Although her own guild studies are done, this is important to her.
| Perhaps she will even seek to encourage the wise woman, the ranger, and
| the hunter of the refuge to pass on their studies and teach the cubs.
| Perhaps even the Spirit, the Huntress or Lin-Ha as well.
|
|
| Most likely there will be more to come as time and people inspire her.
|

Role

Chapter 5

|
| I have finished my guildstudies, such as they were, but is it an
| ending? It does not feel like one. It feels rather like one cycle is
| ending and yet another beginning. It is as if I have come through a
| long winter only to begin anew in the springtime of my life.
|
| When I was just a cub, ignorant and innocent, it was my spring. I
| left my Once Kin in search of the guildhalls to learn their ways and
| study my art. But just as spring turns to summer, so too did I turn
| back toward my woodland home and leave the guildhalls behind. I roamed
| the wilds and felt the first stirrings of the beasts within. And as
| summer faded to fall, the beasts within began to howl. I found new
| insights into my being, my nature and my very soul. But now that winter
| has come and gone, it seems that springtime begins a new for me. What
| does it mean?
|
| Is there ever an ending, or even a beginning for that matter? The
| Cycle is truly Eternal, that I know. I have often said the same of the
| Hunt. Is this perhaps just a different kind of Hunt? If so, and I think
| it true, then my search has just begun. I must struggle all the harder
| to understand these beasts within me. I must delve into my nature and
| divine the meaning of these beasts. I will embrace these instincts,
| even when they frighten me. The Chase is on, as fresh as the first
| time. It almost makes me feel like a cub again.
|

Role

Chapter 6

|
| It had been a long hunt. The Citymen were running in a mighty
| herd and had taken our bone. Karrel and I were sniffing about,
| slithering in to strike like the snake only to slither out again.
| It was hard fought but we eventually caught the herd unaware and
| retrieved our beloved bone.
|
| Afterwards, I caught the scent of an Armadillo near our Tree.
| At first, I thought it might be Rixljyn, so I began sniffing him to
| try and catch his scent. It turns out the Armadillo was actually
| another cityman, but we began speaking Rixljyn and I. I told him a
| bit about my beliefs on Shifting and how it relates to the Coven,
| and he shared how Shazirah released the snake within him. It was
| then that he told me of the Porcupine's Dilemma.
|
| The essence of the story is that porcupines who wish to mate
| have a problem getting intimate. The closer they get to each other
| the more harm they do. It's a lesson from the beasts and meant to
| describe peoples relationships and the trials and tribulations
| they place on themselves and each other in the name of love.
|
| It was later, as I was curled up around the tree that I
| realized this could very well describe myself. The pain of my birth
| that still haunts me. The void in my life that has never been
| filled. The fact that I still am not comfortable showing affection
| without becoming the beast within. This could very well describe
| me! Perhaps this is yet another reason why the Porcupine has
| emerged from my being.
|
| I think I've found yet another nugget of truth but as always
| the searching continues.
|

Role

Chapter 7

|
| Aesrira is still searching for the meaning of the beasts
| within, but here are her thoughts so far.
|
| Timber Wolf - On this she is fairly certain. She believes the
| wolf represents her pack nature. The need for family and the fact
| the she considers the other Hunters as her family.
|
| Porcupine - Protective and nurturing as the mother, yet not
| surprisingly with sharp quills. As a mother must often cuff the cubs
| to keep them safe or when they go astray. And yet, there is also a
| bit of the Crone to be as well, as even a blooming rose has thorns.
| And those quills that may gently cuff a cub, may one day also stick
| and cull the fields.
|
| Alligator - This is the beast she is least sure of, for the
| Crone has yet to come and she is still ripe with youth and a
| Mother's love. Something that will never truly leave her, she hopes.
| Yet, although this beast has the Bite of the Crone, one can see a
| bit of the maiden if they know how to see. It may swim the seas wild
| and free. It is full of life, regenerating, just as the maiden is
| full of youth.
|
| So, as she looks to the beasts that are within her, she is
| more convinced than ever that she was right and Alanathariella was
| wrong. There is no choice. She is proof of that. Now she must begin
| exploring fully these beasts within if she is to gain insight into
| her weavings. The insight, she believes Alanathariella is
| withholding from herself and her students.
|