ROLEPLAY

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This thread follows to the “Hunting the sorcerer and the sorcerer’s hunt”.
http://app.ryzom.com/app_forum/index.php?page=topic/view/17899/1
It also is the translation of this thread: http://app.ryzom.com/app_forum/index.php?page=topic/view/19482/1
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#1 – Storyteller


A summer day, in FairHaven, on the docks, she was walking a less-tense pace than her usual. Evidence of a long habit, nothing in her walk was betraying the burden due to the black and chitinous armour in which she enjoyed roaming on Atys.

At the water edge, lovers were kissing. Alone among all the others, she would have had a hard job having them notice the world around them. Grasping her helmet by one horn, she removed it from her head, letting her blond and smooth hair fly in the breeze. No one could have guessed, just by seeing, the efforts she had had to make for months to keep a relatively quiet face.

News was now quite old. The marauder had disappeared from his jail.

Between the Zoraïs unable to keep him captive, and the Trykers unable to protect him once caught, she didn’t know if she should feel eased or irritated.

For some, the main thing was that he was dead. But for her, irritation was strongest.

Was she the only one who didn’t believe that his substance wouldn’t die with him? Was she the only one worrying about what had happened to his production of poison phials, and to his controlling potions?

Everything was clear, to her, for a long time. Xiao-mei’s interrogation – and it had been quite a long time ago! – had made her to understand. It wasn’t alcohol which, at the time when this stale yubo still was a member of her entourage, had had her to forget the marriage proposal of this impotent runt, nor had drunkenness had her to accept. It wasn’t either hangover which had made her to lose every memory of the celebration.

Forgetfulness… the substance forced obedience, and then forgetfulness. He had tested his mixture on her.

Never would she forget the mortification of waking up near this degenerate louse of an under-fripo with no future. She didn’t own any poison, but she had her own proved way to kill. Ezek’s corpse hasn’t been found. Marks of fight have been noted. He may be definitively dead. He may not. What is sure is that he won’t give away anything about his experiments if he isn’t captive and questioned.

If the drinking water reservoirs of FairHaven, which supply a great part of the bark for its everyday needs, are contaminated with his corrupt goo, no one knows how to deflect it. Nowhere, no one really knows what lived in this mad soul. No one. The marauders seemed to enjoy attacking this town. How much of those mixtures did they still hold? Did they know how to reproduce it?

The solar clock had hidden behind the mountains. The lovers had disappeared. The backwash was cradling her sombre thoughts. The ones which were haunting her every evening, between two patrols. Which had her swaying between worry and irritation.

The only things that remained to help her keeping an impassive face, were the guards and what might be hiding behind the night and the horizon.

Before the hills revealed the sparkle of a rifle’s scope, she put on her helmet again, hiding her face and her thoughts. The sorcerer of the black queen had been sacrificed. The rest of the game would soon be unveiled.

#2 – Makan


Makan macFay tied the letter to Eolas’ leg and let it fly. He looked as the light-bird moved away until it disappeared on the horizon.

***

Nair-Jazzy,

I’m contacting you because I don’t know to whom to turn anymore. The Black Dragons Clan (T.N.: Bai Nhori Drakani) is the closest to Macfay clan and I want to break the news to you about some worries regarding a common friend. Ny-San isn’t feeling good and I’m really worried about her. Since the tragic event taken upon our clan by the “Clan des Forces Obscures” and the “Clan de la Sève Noire”, Swan is suffering from nightmares, anxieties, and a slight paranoia. It happened that she left panic-stricken in the middle of the night, with armor and weapons, while there was visibly nothing to trouble the night’s silence.

She’s often murmuring the name of Anonyma’s torturer in a whisper, with no reason, and she becomes fierce when we question her about it. She’s isolating herself a lot and she’s becoming strange. I’m also worrying about ny-Anonyma, who seems to be noticing it despite her state.

I’ve got also to mention something about this one. She seems to be still enclosed in her cocoon and it’s very hard for us to communicate with her and reach her. However, since Skaya (Swan’s light-bird) became infatuated with Anonyma, this one looks more serene and less tormented. The small flying doesn’t leave her anymore and it stays by her side as a guardian spirit. Swan is the one who was taking care of her, but we’d like to transfer our sister by the Drakani for a better protection. I’m neither a mage nor a warrior, and a good number of MacFay have disappeared for quite a long time now. I’m feeling atrociously sad at the idea of not having her near me anymore, but her health and security are at stake.

I don’t want to jeopardize Swan’s position as a Taliar, that’s why I’d like for this letter to remain confidential. I don’t know how to speak about it anymore, I’m asking for your help. She trusts you, and she may open to you.

Makan macFay

#3 – Swan


The young homina quietly closes the door. When waking up, they’ll discover her message, too late to hold her back.
“I’m taking a journey, a long journey. Farewell Nair-MacFays. Take care of you.”

And slowly, the Tryker slips into the peaceful night of the lakes. Her affairs are in order and her dear MacFays will be much safer without her.

It is time to live. Makan has doubts. I can feel his eyes looking for mines. But I cannot tell him a thing wihtout putting him in jeopardy. And then there are those horrible nightmares… those bottomless eyes which are haunting my nights. The eyes of the One who isn’t named anymore. “He” is dead. At least it is what I believed. But his corpse hasn’t been found back.
It is more than time to live.


Jazzy doesn’t understand this dreadful vision. I shouldn’t have told him. Nor should I have told about this monstrous zorai… He wants to hold me back but there’s nothing anymore in the lakes that could help me. I’ve got to go there, I’ve got do know.

Not to tell Dwane anything either. My sole family. He’d follow me wherever I’d go. And I’ve got to see through this quest on my own. Learn where I come from…
Yes, it is time… maybe even too late.

A last gaze on the sleeping city… “When will I see again these beloved shores?” whispers the Tryker as she enters the water.

_____

Dawn isn’t far away anymore. The Tryker chews a piece of dried yubo without stopping. A shiver runs through her as she walks down into the prime roots. She knows well this gloomy area. Danger is everywhere and she travels light. But she’s so small, she’ll hide easily.

#4 – Dwane


“What’s wrong with this stupid animal”, grumbles the Tryker awoken from his deep sleep. He throws his old boot on the light-bird which resumes with greater intensity. “It never chirps at night, what is Swan up to once more?”… He rolls over on his side, still grumbling.
But his instinct wakes him up all of a sudden… there’s something happening Dwane takes a look at Anonyma but she’s deeply asleep. Reassured, he retrieves his boot and goes inspecting all the rooms. Shakya is restless: it flies around Dwane with strange whistling.

The door is securely locked but Dwane discovers a short message: he instantly recognizes his cousin’s handwriting! She has left!
With one simple movement, he grabs his gear, his weapons and a stock of crystals. “There’s nothing that could part us. I’ll find her” Dwane promises himself, and he tightens his jaws. Even by night, the young Tryker knows how to spot any track. He rushes forward without looking behind.

#5 – Swan


In the distance, she can see a figure coming closer at a quick pace, hardly exhausted from a long running.
Without slowing down her pace, the stranger eludes every danger without hesitation. Swan recognizes the look of a tryker homina… She’s unable to help observing her, without even thinking of hiding, the way she has learned to do it lately. “Run away”, her instinct is shouting her.

The homina stops not far from there to catch her breath for a moment. Swan is feeling so weak, her feet refusing to move. She’s fascinated by the homina, dreadful but splendid, so dangerous and so powerful. Swan feels her strengths deserting her… The terrifying and mysterious homina comes nearer. A strange feeling crosses her body.

#6 – Seralee


As she’s travelling through the Prime Roots, Seralee stays a bit to catch her breath after escaping once again the most aggressive kitins. There’s no safe place in those lands, she watches continuously her surroundings. She doesn’t notice any danger but she feels nonetheless like being observed. Not far from there, she notices an homina. A magnificent Tryker who’s staring at her intensely. Seralee knows perfectly what danger looks like, but from this homina exudes only pain. Being of a curious nature, Seralee feels the need to discover who this Tryker is and what is causing her such pain. Since she knows that most homins would be afraid of her and her family, she’s surprised to see that the small homina doesn’t try to flee. She decides to come closer.

Seralee hails the magnificent young homina, assuring her, with her sweetest smile, that she had nothing to fear and asking her name. My name’s Swan, she answers. What a marvellous name for such a kind and small homina, thinks Seralee, and she instantly wants to know the young homina. She comes closer, and she can almost feel Swan’s heart beat faster. Seralee tries to engage conversation with her when, suddenly, a powerful kirosta appears, coming at high speed.

Since she fears this kitin and knows its power, Seralee grabs Swan’s hand and starts running, dragging Swan away with her. Together, they run at lightning speed but, unfortunately, Swan stumbles on a root and lags behind. The kirosta is still coming on their heels. It poisons her with its sting and tears her weakened body. Seralee doesn’t hesitate for a second, she gives rise to the full power of her magic and attacks the kirosta without end, finally killing it in a roar of thunder and lightning.

After a short moment to catch her breath, Seralee rushes towards Swan and discovers her severely hurt, lying on the floor, hardly breathing. Seralee is already feeling love for this young girl and doesn’t wish anything more than helping and healing her. But unfortunately her magical strengths have been drained. Seralee has to make a decision; if she leaves, the young Tryker probably won’t survive.

Seralee takes Swan in her arms. Swan is so afflicted she doesn’t put up any resistance and let herself be taken away. As she’s aware that her strengths will disappear soon if she goes too far like this, Seralee thinks at asking for help, assured that her beloved family won’t hesitate to answer her call. But the place isn’t safe and she doesn’t want to put in jeopardy the ones she loves even more; she then makes a definitive decision. Seralee opens her bag, takes her precious crystal and, still holding Swan near her, activates it and goes back to her camp with Swan in her arms.

#7 – Anonyma


Anonyma feels happy. She enjoys Skaya’s presence. Swan’s small light-bird is gendle. She enjoys playing with him.

She has seen a lot of people around her. There are Swan and Cybele, of course, but also Zam, and Dwane predictably enough. But loads of others also, whose names she doesn’t know… except for this matis who always seems to be sad when he’s looking at her.
But it doesn’t interest her, she has Skaya.

Skaya belongs to Swan. But Anonyma doesn’t care about it. Skaya is kind to her. Swan also is kind to her, she comes visiting her every day, and having her walk and taking care of her.

On one evening, everyone has gathered around Anonyma. But she doesn’t care, she has Skaya. They have talked for a long time, Anonyma was falling asleep when Cybele has asked her to follow her. She has taken her to another house, and has told her that she would stay there from now. Anonyma was unable to care les… she had Skaya.

Skaya leaves every morning to join Swan. He’s her light-bird. But Anonyma knows pretty well that he always come back to her. And Swan often comes long.

But today morning, Skaya has come back alone… Swan isn’t with him. Anonyma doesn’t care, she has Skaya.

Though, she feels sad…

#8 – Makan


Makan was lounging dead drunk on his desk. He let himself be cradled by the effects of alcohol, feeling sad, defeated. He had heard Dwane take his weapons and equipment and disappear in the Shadow of a Swan who wasn’t coming back. Cybèle had come and collected Anonyma on this same evening, to take her by the Drakanis. It was probably the best thing for her and he knew it. Nonetheless, he was already missing her presence… she had been like a child from this dreadful day… Even so, she remained his beloved cousin, and now she also was abandoning him. He heard sometimes Zam and Gabatcho walking in the hall, but his sister Meilya was the only one allowed entering his lair, if that. The homin was becoming taciturn and was very seldom willing to be disturbed. His sister was working on daytime, and kept him company on evening. Makan was horribly weak and cursed himself for not being a better brother for this small sister he hadn’t seen for a long time.

The poor Tryker didn’t exit the hall of the macFay clan, except in very rare occurrences. He continued his work as a storyteller and wrote scores of words on paper. Between two beer bottles, he prayed for his goddess, so that she would protect the missing homins and that the light-birds would take them back home.

He closed his eyes and fell asleep.

#10 – Swan

The pale winter dawn struggles to light the lake city. Yet nothing could blunt the emotion of the Tryker homina. It has been a long time since she last approached Avendale…

She moves forward slowly by fear of running into a homin waking up earlier than the others. Fortunately, bier has flowed freely on the day before et it is a happy silence which welcomes her.

She slips behind a mount then sits, her feet plunged into the freezing water. Here she knows herself to be out of sight. It’s here that everything has started. That she has learned who Anoyma was and that everything has swung.

She shakes her head.. She hasn’t come for recollection. Only to watch. At least, to glimpse Anonyma, so frail and so far away. Just to know if she’s fine.

The Tryker waits, motionless. She knows that Skaya, her light-bird, has felt her. It will want to go out and Anonyma will follow it. They’re linked now. A few minutes are enough. She has a glimpse of them in the distance but doesn’t move. She’s unable to do it. She shivers so hard that she would have fallen if she hadn’t been already sitting.

Skaya flap its wings towards her. But Swan closes her eyes… The bird comes back and lands on Anonyma’s hand. She smiles...

#11 – Swan


Now that Swan knows about her history, her nightmares have stopped… That her blood be half mara, half tryker, in the end, wasn’t of importance anymore. She was free, that’s all.

Waking up on this morning, she had seen Zvorax, Elio, Dwane, Zam around her. Her family in the mara camp. Her links were so strong that they had chosen to follow her, to protect her. Stronger that those wretched blood. And she hadn’t understood at all.

She had believed in the illusory protection of the marauders… Recently, she had been observing helplessly the way they were manipulating Cybèle to have her become their slave. Kitin fodder… It was unbearable and so far away from the freedom Swan was yearning for.

She felt the need to see again her dear Anonyma. She had fled from the Lakes because she had thought she was a danger to her, but it was over. She knew that nothing could reach her anymore. Her family, that was everything that mattered. When she left Anonyma on this day, her decision was made.

And she knew where to go… in the core of herself she had always known it. The only place where she would feel free and in family. The links between the MacFays and the Larmes had existed since always. She would be fine there. They would all be fine there. Roving would end.