The following is a recollection from Vralino Hammer-Shield, currently living in Trayckid. The text remains unaltered to maintain its authenticity (Certain terms and names written wrong to keep in character). It is written in Or'zet.
Thorkell asked me to accompany him to some place out west to sew a new rune into his cape or something. I just wanted to ride an airship. The last time I did, it ended up crashing. Totally not my fault, completely coincidental.
Oh my holiest of Passions! I'm traveling with a legend! Two legends!! Maybe three!!! Dubhan Goronich is definitely well known throughout Barsaive! Karl Tomsson is fairly well known as well! And we're even traveling with Xevious! He's less known but still well known! Now's the time to show the biggest names amongst Adepts that I'm not incompetent! So naturally, I will probably have little impact on the journey.
We landed at the Swiftwind Moot, and everyone started investigating where to go to get the new thread into the cape. Since the cape had a wind spirit in it, I asked the spirit where to go. All we got, almost in complete agreeance, was to go to the Soul of the Forest. We had no clue where that was, so we pursued the next best thing. Thorkell led us towards the Heart of the Forest, and along the way, I summoned a wood spirit for directions. After I asked it for important places in the forest, it pointed me in two directions. The first was likely its home, but the second was the Heart, where we found some Elf looking wood spirits. I tried talking to them, but they were using a heavy southern accent or something. I had no idea what they were saying. Dubhan's spells were cast and battle followed. I lit Thorkell on fire, fusing him with a fire spirit, but it didn't help much. The fight was done in 6 seconds. So kind of useless so far.
Thorkell communed with someone he called the Gray Lady. She directed us towards the Ashen Hills, so after a quick look to the sky, I began walking. The rest walked with me, not necessarily following. Thorkell recognized the location when we arrived. It was a tree nearly fallen over and overlooking the forest. Guarding it were 5 flaming lizard beasts. Fire spells wouldn't help much here, but that's what my spear's for! After the fight, I led Thorkell up the tree. There was a flaming winged dog wolf thing at the top. I tried to be friendly, but wild creatures don't always see me as friendly. Before I knew it, everyone was heading back to the Moot to return home. I had to run to catch up.
So my uselessness shone bright in front of several of the most legendary Adepts in the area. At least I still have my fan club. A few of them have moved into Trayckid. Thankfully, when they are particularly annoying, the city helps me escape their attention. The mild ones aren't so bad to be around, but they are usually quite clumsy. I often see them with bruises in the infirmary. Tripping over moving foundations, smacked in the face with an erecting lamp post, same old things the city does. Maybe the city's jealous of them? Having a city as part of your fan club would be quite a strange thing. Orfen doesn't think the city's doing it. She says the "contusions don't align with the story". What do contusions have to do with bruising? I think she's contused.
AAR: [11M] Wind Beneath my Wings (2021-06-06 1800 GMT)
Moderator:etherial
Re: AAR: [11M] Wind Beneath my Wings (2021-06-06 1800 GMT)
Thorkell's Journal:
It seems my cape, The Spirit of Adventure, has changed in some way. After all our journeys it has gained even more legend and become stronger. To this end, I discovered I must take the cape to a forest that meant a lot to me and add my own runes that represent my relationship with the spirit within.
I could think of no forest more dear to me than the Gray Forest. This of course would not be a walk in the park, so I invited Dubhan, Karl, Xeviouz, and Vralino to come along. We decided our best course of action would be to meet with the Swiftwind moot. They seemed to be doing well. I spent hours discussing how I had taken their methods and imbued them into my Crystalline Depths. They had a foresting crew heading out the next day and offered to let us ride with them to the Gray Forest.
Sadly, my knowledge of the cape and what I should do was limited. I decided that returning to the heart of the forest would be my best chance at coming up with something. I started to question whether I had taken the right course of action, but Vralino spoke with a wood spirit who told us to go just a bit farther. Upon reaching the heart, we encountered some wooden creatures that seemed unhappy with our presence. We fought them off while trying to do the least harm.
I tried several different things hoping to apply my runes to the cape, but nothing seemed to be working. Lost, I called out to the Gray Lady of the Forest. It seems my conviction had waned. I decided to redouble my efforts. I focused in on creation, on making anything. My hands started moving, creating a sculpture of the Gray Lady from the ash on the ground. As I feverishly worked at my creation, I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder. My focus must have been enough for her to notice my presence. I beseeched her wisdom on my next course of action. She reminded me that just because this was the heart of the forest, this was not the soul of the forest for me. She touched my forehead and an image of a leaning tree with a platform near the edge of the forest and the Scarlet Sea. A piece of wood was mysteriously left behind. This must be part of the tree left behind to help guide us. Karl used Mystic Pursuit to help track back to where it came from.
I could see the tree in the distance, but some fire creatures stood between me and my goal. My group quickly dispatched them and we headed on. Upon arrival, I noticed a creature standing further up the tree. It appeared to be a simargl, but covered in flames. I approached cautiously and respectfully bowed letting it know I only wished to proceed further up the tree. It seemed to understand I meant it no harm and allowed me to pass.
At the platform of the tree, I could see Gray Forest. I could see the earthen mountains surrounding the wood on nearly all sides. I turned to see behind me and could just barely see the fires of the Scarlet Sea. I realized with the earth to the north, woods around me, and fire to the south that this was my forge. This represented me. This represented my Katorr. This represented my people. And this represented everything I had worked for. In that moment I just knew that I could do anything. With my fingers I traced the runes along the edge of the cape. Golden thread remained behind wherever my finger traced. With that, my deed was completed. I returned down from the tree and we made our way back to the foresters.
This experience has left me sentimental and a bit spiritual. I must give these feelings form. I must start work on my next item. *designs for a pendant representing both a forge and the Gray Forest/Twilight Peaks follow*
It seems my cape, The Spirit of Adventure, has changed in some way. After all our journeys it has gained even more legend and become stronger. To this end, I discovered I must take the cape to a forest that meant a lot to me and add my own runes that represent my relationship with the spirit within.
I could think of no forest more dear to me than the Gray Forest. This of course would not be a walk in the park, so I invited Dubhan, Karl, Xeviouz, and Vralino to come along. We decided our best course of action would be to meet with the Swiftwind moot. They seemed to be doing well. I spent hours discussing how I had taken their methods and imbued them into my Crystalline Depths. They had a foresting crew heading out the next day and offered to let us ride with them to the Gray Forest.
Sadly, my knowledge of the cape and what I should do was limited. I decided that returning to the heart of the forest would be my best chance at coming up with something. I started to question whether I had taken the right course of action, but Vralino spoke with a wood spirit who told us to go just a bit farther. Upon reaching the heart, we encountered some wooden creatures that seemed unhappy with our presence. We fought them off while trying to do the least harm.
I tried several different things hoping to apply my runes to the cape, but nothing seemed to be working. Lost, I called out to the Gray Lady of the Forest. It seems my conviction had waned. I decided to redouble my efforts. I focused in on creation, on making anything. My hands started moving, creating a sculpture of the Gray Lady from the ash on the ground. As I feverishly worked at my creation, I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder. My focus must have been enough for her to notice my presence. I beseeched her wisdom on my next course of action. She reminded me that just because this was the heart of the forest, this was not the soul of the forest for me. She touched my forehead and an image of a leaning tree with a platform near the edge of the forest and the Scarlet Sea. A piece of wood was mysteriously left behind. This must be part of the tree left behind to help guide us. Karl used Mystic Pursuit to help track back to where it came from.
I could see the tree in the distance, but some fire creatures stood between me and my goal. My group quickly dispatched them and we headed on. Upon arrival, I noticed a creature standing further up the tree. It appeared to be a simargl, but covered in flames. I approached cautiously and respectfully bowed letting it know I only wished to proceed further up the tree. It seemed to understand I meant it no harm and allowed me to pass.
At the platform of the tree, I could see Gray Forest. I could see the earthen mountains surrounding the wood on nearly all sides. I turned to see behind me and could just barely see the fires of the Scarlet Sea. I realized with the earth to the north, woods around me, and fire to the south that this was my forge. This represented me. This represented my Katorr. This represented my people. And this represented everything I had worked for. In that moment I just knew that I could do anything. With my fingers I traced the runes along the edge of the cape. Golden thread remained behind wherever my finger traced. With that, my deed was completed. I returned down from the tree and we made our way back to the foresters.
This experience has left me sentimental and a bit spiritual. I must give these feelings form. I must start work on my next item. *designs for a pendant representing both a forge and the Gray Forest/Twilight Peaks follow*