The Harvest Moon Consortium

[rdjparadis]

Posted 04/04/07 16:07 (GMT) -- Child of Stark

Hello Mother. If you’re reading this letter then…I don’t know actually. Perhaps a God delivered it to you or perhaps you were destined to find it. In any case I’m glad you’re reading it. I don’t know exactly why I’m writing this. When I gave up my search for you I just felt compelled. Maybe by putting my heart’s deepest feelings on parchment I shall lessen guilt’s hold on me. I don’t know. I was never good with matters of the heart. Perhaps that’s something I learned from my father.

Yes dearest mother. I met my father, or that’s what I came to know him as. I guess that’s why I’m really writing this. Telling you of what happened that day, the day that your love and my second mother died. Mara was an amazing woman. Kind of heart and free of spirit. I couldn’t be happier that I was raised by the two of you even though you were both so different, you with your paladin’s ways and Mara with her songs. You know it’s odd that, growing up in Silverymoon, I never appreciated the irony that was you and Mara. A drow paladin, which is in itself unheard of, falling in love with a half-elven bard; who’d have imagined that? For 43 years you two raised me and kept me safe. You taught me everything you could. You made me into the woman I am today. That’s why I was sent to you.

You’ve told me the story of my arrival into your possession many times. When I was young that story was so hard to believe. After meeting my father the story makes a lot more sense. So I guess I should start by telling you what happened that day. I’m sorry about our…disagreement. I just didn’t feel like mourning the death of Mara in a temple. Instead I sat on the rock above the pool in the forest where you left me. I liked it there. It was comfortable and quiet. I was alone with my thoughts until someone interrupted them.

A figure appeared at the edge of the pool below. He was small for an elf but it was clear that’s what he was. The moment I saw him something flashed through me. Somehow I knew this man. He told me that it was time to leave my home and parents behind. He told me that you could not raise me alone. And so he offered finish raising me and to each me anything I wanted to learn but I had to leave with him right then. Part of me wanted to refuse…but when I stared into the ruby in his hand I couldn’t resist, so I agreed to leave with him. He spoke a few choice words in language I didn’t know and with a burst light the world was gone.

I looked around and saw that we were standing the same way we were before the flash, but our surroundings had changed. We stood in a dark room with no furniture. With a wave of his hand there was light. After a few moments he began talking. He told me that he was in essence my father and that he lived here. At first I thought he meant the room, but it turns out that he meant whole realm, or “pocket plane” I once heard him call it. He told me that he was some kind of sorcerer, even though he was unlike any I had ever met, and he told me that unlike me he didn’t have a soul. This is why he couldn’t raise me during my childhood. That time in one’s life is crucial to learning right from wrong, and so many other things. So he sent me to you’re lands and whoever passed his test would have the privilege of raising his daughter. I guess luckily for me it was you two.

It turns out that he had been watching me grow up from afar. He was waiting until the time was right to take over my “education”. Once I had learned all I could from you and Mara he planned on completing my education and watching me grow into adulthood.

It took me a long time to adjust to my new, “world” if you will. It turns out that my father was obsessed with creating things, both living and non-living. His creations, once I heard them referred to as constructs, roamed the lands and none them really had emotions. To tell the truth they were very strange and I didn’t like them much. Something about them was unnatural and I could sense it somehow. Needless to say I had no friends and learned to be utterly independent.

As was agreed, my father saw to it that I was allowed to learn anything I wanted. So I told him that I wanted to learn to fight as Mara did and I wanted to know about the natural world, or the “Prime” as my father called it. I cared little to learn about this unnatural place with its unnatural creatures.

So he asked two old friends of his to see to my training. A master swordsman named Galdilis saw to my combat training while his wife El’riel taught me about everything else. Under master Galdilis’ tutelage I learned to fight with many different weapons. Like Mara, I was best with the short sword and the longbow. Over time I noticed that the bow felt more natural to me. Of course back then I thought little of that. As to mistress El’riel, she taught me about the natural world and even about some of the magics associated with it. From her I learned about the races and creatures of the world, and how they interact. I spent years studying with them and only saw my father every once in while.

As I grew older more was revealed about what my father did. He had visitors from every plane of existence imaginable. He made deals with devils, demons, and even angels, but his common allies were slaadi. Needless to say I was exposed to many things while living with him. During this time he taught me a little bit about the arcane magics that he controlled with expert skill. I discovered that while I was capable learning these magics I really didn’t care to. I did however learn enough to be able to use the various devices he created. It was obvious that I had more of the warrior in me than the mage.

When my father deemed me old enough he taught me how to travel from one plane to another. He didn’t come with me often but instead used his creatures to “protect” me. I didn’t much care as long as they didn’t get in my way. During this time I was still a student of both master Galdilis and mistress El. And so I spent my time wondering and learning. Not much happened during this time but I do remember once day very clearly.

I met with master Galdilis like usual but when he saw me he stared at an amulet around my neck. It was then that I realized that for the first time I hadn’t taken it off before coming to meet him. I asked him what was wrong and after a few moments he asked me where I got the pendent. I told him that my father had given it to me ages ago. Master Galdilis grew even more serious than usual and when I asked what it meant, he told me that it was only worn by members of some elite and powerful group. He told me that both he was the current leader of the group, and my father was once involved with them. I asked him if my possessing the pendent makes me a member but he didn’t say anything. We didn’t speak of it again for long time.

Life went on the same as ever for a long time. If fact I don’t know how long since time had no real meaning in my father’s plane. Based on my appearance I was told that I was probably about 90 years old. I still have a hard time believing that. I felt much older. Time obviously worked differently in my father’s plane than in the prime. To this day I’m still a bit confused about all of it. The point is that I grew bored of my life. I had learned the most of what Galdilis, El, and my father could teach me. All I needed was practice.

It was about this time when my feelings about my father’s activities came to a boil. I don’t remember exactly what triggered my anger but I remember arguing with my father. Not that my father really argued, but I was angry and throwing my emotions at an emotionless man. Perhaps that’s what made it worse. I mean my father just stood there responding to my questions and outbursts with cryptic statements. It’s hard to explain, especially on parchment. I was never close to my father emotionally. I never loved him as I loved you and Mara. I don’t think I can love something that is incapable of love in return. In fact I sometimes doubt that I, myself, am capable of love. What if my father was wrong? What if I too don’t have a soul? I shouldn’t dwell on these thoughts.

I think what kept me with him was a combination of pity and a sense of debt. I felt like I owed him for all he had done for me. But that only kept me with him for so long. I had finally taken all that I could take. So I confronted him about his dealings and his unnatural obsessions. I said some horrible things that day. I remember calling him a creature of evil. Now that I think back on it after all of my experiences I don’t think that’s true. However I wouldn’t call him a creature of good either. I think that he is what he creates. He uses his magics to create soulless creatures that are no different from him. He’s one of them, older and more powerful perhaps, but one of them just the same.

So I left my father. I’m not even so sure he noticed. I know he didn’t care. I decided to return to the plane of my childhood and make a life serving nature and hunting all things unnatural. Before I left I had one last meeting with Galdilis. He told me about a new land there, one that he and his allies knew little of. He suggested that I live there to start fresh. Perhaps my knowledge of the place would be useful in the future. So I traveled to a city called Lapis Port, in a land I came to know as Anchorome.