Fantasy CLOSED The Saga of Sarathai - A Ryujin Story

In the beginning, there was nothing but the Three.

And from them came forth Regnum... the world of the Ryujin.

Of these Three it was Tellus the Earth Dragon, Lord of Time, who fashioned the Wood Elves deep within the forests of Loreth.


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This is not the story of the Saga of the Ryujin... Long before that, before the era of Zalzabar, before the great nations of Zafir, Athas, Taetus, Haugun, South Osatia, and Essatia... there was a different story. A time where the large-scale conflicts of kingdoms competing for power did not exist.

For Sapientis was not the only shadow to stretch over of the realm of Regnum, that in this time, was still known by its ancient name: Aequus.

Aequus
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The great Forest of Loreth, known to outsiders as Ziapoah, has been the home to the Wood Elves since the dawn of their existence, created for them by Tellus himself in ages past.

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A forest that lives and breathes as one, with the Wood Elves and animals of the woods in communion with it, but a newfound darkness exists within the forest. A darkness that threatens to consume the luscious life of Loreth, and perhaps all of Aequus. This is the story to stop that darkness, that evil. The story to protect a people and their legacy. This is...

The Saga of Sarathai​

 

Name: Sarathai Treesinger
Age: Sarathai has seen the passing of sixty-seven summers, but time passes strangely in the land of the Wood Elves, and she is still but a juvenile in terms of the ages of the fae.
Race: Wood Elf
Appearance:



Gear: a dagger, some healing herbs
Magical Nature: Treesinging here

Bio:
Sarathai (meaning "Defiance" in the ancient Asrai tongue) is from the mysterious land known to outsiders as Ziapoah - home of the Wood Elves. They name this great forest, Loreth. She was orphaned as an infant by a raid from the orcs of Xan, which killed her parents while they travelled at the border of the woodlands. The baby’s cries awakened the tree spirits nearby, and the treekin awoke to drive away the goblinoids. Sarathai was then taken by the dryads to the nearest Elven settlement, deep in the woods.



There it was realised she was touched with magic and had a connection to the woodland spirits. She was taken in and raised by the eccentric mage, Ranu the Wild, and began to learn the ways of Treesinging.

As a child, she accompanied Ranu on expeditions to gather lore or recover ancient lost magical artefacts from lands beyond Loreth, and became a fierce defender of nature. Even other Wood Elves came to view her as fiery-tempered and fickle as the winds, much like the enigmatic tree spirits themselves. She was like a force of nature.

Ranu has disappeared, during an expedition upon which he refused to bring young Sarathai. She was visited by visions of a dark force rising against the forest, but the Mage Council refused to believe in young Sarathai - paralysed by inertia and a certain jealousy that their own farseers had not divined this portent.

So she left the kindred and wandered to the dark lands, to find her fate...

 

Chapter I
Into the Unknown


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The great forest always had that moaning quality to it. The deafening quiet of leaves falling, trees swinging, the woodland creatures moving and darting through the undergrowth. The sounds were accompanied by the fragrant smell of wet leaves and cold spring air. The branching sensation as the tall, ancient trees reached up to the sky, blocking most of the light, from penetrating through. This was one factor as to why so many got lost in the great, labyrinthian forest of Loreth. The major reason however was because the very forest was alive, and would consume any threats to it. But this was not the case for the Wood Elves, their deep eternal communion with the forest almost making them one with it. As if they were a very part of the unending cycle of nature itself. Perhaps this was even more true for Sarathai Treesinger.

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It was here, on the very edge of the border of Loreth's capital that Sarathai now stood. The Mage Council had made their decision. Dismissing any and all claims of a darkness within the forest. Such a notion was absurd! A darkness? Such a thing had not happened since the tyranny of Sapientis, and he was long gone. There was nothing and no one else that could possibly stand as such a threat. Something that could defy the Will of the Forest? The Will of Tellus?

All of this ran through Sarathai's head again, and she would still feel how she did then during the whole ordeal. That there was a deep wrongness to their dismissal and conclusion. That there must be something lurking out there, in the very depths of the forest. The words of Elduin Elyon, King of the Wood Elves and head of the Mage Council rung in Sarathai's ears the loudest.

Elduin Elyon, King of the Wood Elves, depicted with a newborn Wood Elf Ryujin
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"We will not let the baseless and unproven words of some runaway, fickle girl sway the will of this Council. Ranu is known to go on long expeditions by himself, his elongated absence is nothing out of the ordinary."

And so Sarathai was all alone. Or so she would likely feel. The gentle pitter-patter of Elven footsteps, only detectable by those with superior hearing, drew close to Sarathai as she would presumably swivel round to see a familiar face.

Sylvar Featherfoot
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It was Sylvar, a young male elf boy, many seasons younger than even her, that Sarathai knew looked up to her. She would feel that he might believe her, that he likely would in fact, not that him believing in her would change the will of the Council. He looked sheepish and timid. A look as if he had come to her with a very particular set of words he wanted to say to her that completely fell apart the moment he was in front of her.

"S-sarathai... is it true what they say? That you're l-leaving the village? To go to the very depths of the forest?" He glanced briefly at her soft face before quickly looking elsewhere, there was a level of concern in his words as he waited for her response.

TAG: @Kurisan

 

Sarathai

She not only heard the footsteps, but knew to whom they belonged. Her face creased with conflicting emotions. Sylvar. Not right now.

A greater war between greater feelings battled for supremacy of her heart. She was so angry at the dismissal of the Council... They had treated her like a child. She almost felt like marching south and leaving them all to their well-earned fate... She could take her chances and try crossing Xan. She shook her head, the bitterness rising in her stomach. How dare they! Old fools! They think they are wise!

But then there was Sylvar. And of course, the trees. Sarathai sighed.

The result was never in doubt, not when she considered her commitment to the great forest.

She turned to the boy and showed a smile. He said, "S-sarathai... is it true what they say? That you're l-leaving the village? To go to the very depths of the forest?"

She nodded sadly. "I am afraid it is true. I must. Listen to the trees..."

A breeze whispered through the branches above them. She closed her eyes. It was wrong to linger, now the decision had been made.

She looked at Sylvar again. He had his bow, and proudly sported the quiver on his back in the manner of the pathfinders.

"Why don't you take me as far as the crystal falls? Show me a secret path."

@Shadowsun

 

GM Approved

Name: Perrindill Hearthcore
Age: 97 summers as told by roots
Race: Wood-Elf
Appearance:

Gear: Leather and enchanted armor. Sword cane with holy symbol. Various ingredients and throwing daggers.
Magical Nature: Life
Bio:
Born and raised, the song of the wood and life has always sung to him. He has spent a life time of a short lived race loving and nurturing that song. Taken in by an order he was raised as a healer and guardian of the wood. As all wood elves take and blend with nature, he is one chosen to give back. To seek out blight and elder trees and mend them, or eradicate what taints the wood.

Recently promoted, or graduated, to a status where he may patrol and go where the wood calls him he is setting out to mend what has been harmed. Though his heart will always be with his people he is marked as belonging to the wood and the One of the Three, Tellus, that blessed them all so.

 

The Outskirts​

The Outskirts of the Capital

Sylvar's face looked crestfallen. The apprehension that bit away at his face, his meek look as he stared at his feet listening to what he did not want to be true. But such was the ebb and flow of things, not always what the mind or heart desired. He repositioned the quiver on his back, his bow in hand, with its beautifully crafted frame. The Wood Elves made the very best bows in all of Aequus. With a subdued sigh he nodded, he knew in his heart there was no use convincing her to stay. Her spirit was like that of the wind and fire. Wild, chaotic, free, energetic. Not like his own soul of the earth and wood that wished to stay at home and grow great roots. He knew this day would come at some time, some juncture at the future but did not know when or how it would occur.

They would travel quietly in the soft light. Their Elven feet left no impression in the woodland dirt, some minutes going by without a word exchanged between them. There was little sound as they traveled, only the quiet swishing of spring leaves and little forest creatures traveling along with them in the silence. At last, they would come to the gushing Crystal Falls.

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The water roiled with excitement, splashing down and pooling together in the fervor spirit of Loreth. Sylvar's eyes were still downcast as he asked Sarathai another question.

"Sarathai, what is it? What draws you away from the village, into the unknown of the forest?"

TAG: @Kurisan

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The South of Loreth

In another part of the wood was another Elf, one of a different calling than Sarathai but a wood elf all the same. Perrindill Hearthcore had just completed his training with the ancient Wood Elf Order that maintained and looked over the borders of Loreth. The Wood Elves that maintained the border were a proud and longstanding Order, dating back to the first Wood Elf: Elyon, from who the line of Kings and Queens of Loreth descends. The word 'Elyon' itself meant "The Great Tree" or the "First Tree" and so that it was the Order was named 'The Shield of Elyon'. In passing a member of the Order is referred to as a 'Shield'.

"So you excited that you're Shield now?" The voice that echoed in Perrindill's ear would be that of Venathryn Farsight. She was about Perrindill's age and had become a Shield the spring prior to him.

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She looked at him with a soft smile, they had both been assigned to the same patrol group. Each group comprised three members, two junior and one senior. They were standing at the edge of their woodland barracks. It was where Perrindill had been told he would meet the team he was assigned to. Apparently, several Orcs from Xan had been spotted along the Southern Border and it would be their responsibility to investigate further and determine how many Orcs there were.

Their captain, whoever it was, was running late. Although the perception of time worked differently for a Wood Elf than humans it was nonetheless likely a cause of concern for Perrindill, he would be able to tell it was for Venathryn. Her nervous pacing and swaying of side to side would give that away.

TAG: @Mitth_Fisto

 

IC: Perrindill Hearthcore
The South of Loreth

He was excited, he knew there was no denying it! He had pressed and checked his uniform for the dozenth time as he made his way for his first patrol in 'The Shield of Elyon'. He could hardly believe that he, a bare 97 year old was actually a part of 'Shield'.

"So you excited that you're Shield now?" The voice that echoed in Perrindill's ear would be that of Venathryn Farsight. She was about Perrindill's age and had become a Shield the spring prior to him.

Grinning back at her, he shrugged with an absent minded rub of his left ear. "Yes. Yes I am. I hope the senior member doesn't hold it against me." he knew he was being a silly youth. Yet he just couldn't help it.
She looked at him with a soft smile, as he looked about at were they were standing - at the edge of their woodland barracks. It was where Perrindill had been told he would meet the team he was assigned to. Apparently, several Orcs from Xan had been spotted along the Southern Border and it would be their responsibility to investigate further and determine how many Orcs there were.

Sounded easy enough, although in his mind he wasn't sure why they weren't just going to decimate the ugly brutes. That wasn't there mission and surely the captain, their captain would have things to say about it all. Thinking of, where was their captain? Looking over he noticed Venathryn was nervous as well. Her nervous pacing and swaying of side to side was a clear give away.

"So. . .where is our captain from?" he asked lightly, trying to take both of their minds off of the captains absence for a moment.

TAG: @Shadowsun