Description
The centaur before you is a beguiling sight; a thin, feminine frame from
the waist up, with a heart-shaped face, sharp cheekbones, and skin the
color of a sun-kissed peach and sparkling green eyes. Her hair is a shade
lighter than butterscotch, a touch darker than white wine, and it drapes
playfully halfway down her shoulder blades. Just a few inches below the
base of her ribcage begins seemingly the body of another entire creature,
a shining white horse, reminiscent of a pegasus or a unicorn with neither
wings nor horn.
Role
Violence in the Forest of Prosimy
Added Fri Apr 10 10:14:44 2020 at level 38:
There were dark days in the woods then as there are dark days in the woods
now. Where the decree came from, it is unknown, but years ago in the Forests
of Prosimy, centaurs were occasionally seen and notably were paler than
those found elsewhere. The white horses with the torsos of men ran free in
the small forest, likely protected by and protecting of the Outlanders that are
said to reside there. But the decree came, and the centaurs were hunted for
a decade, their children slaughtered and their elders in hiding. The youngest
and likely last born, a fair young lass named Frahyel was brought to the most
wise among her people and she was told of her heritage, told of her gifts, and
told to find a life elsewhere, away from the pain and suffering and death of
her homeland. She was four years old and she was still small enough to be
stowed away in a tiny crate that could be shipped across the sea, far from
whoever wished the death of her kind. A bard was paid handsomly to ensure
she made it safely to the Northern Plains where she could live freely with
nature and possibly even those of her kind. When Frahyel was old enough to
return to those forests, many years later, there was no centaur to be found
north of Arkham except travelers like herself. A lost soul chasing ghosts.
A Voyage Across the Dragon Sea
Added Fri Apr 10 10:25:07 2020 at level 38:
The young Frahyel departed Arkham on a boat headed for Hamsah Mu'tazz
as the dawn broke. The sunlight peaked in between the wooden boards of
the crate she was stowed away in. A bard by the name of Ghaeric who was
charged with her safe passage hummed a tune, "Oh I have a dream and a
dream has a me, I'll sing it with gusto, I'll sing it with glee, I dream of
a lover to kiss by the sea." He practiced it, to near perfection, and
Frahyel too young to know her future, much less her talents, began to
hum along, almost if by instinct. She harmonized, better even then at
that age than the seasoned bard who taught her that first song. Her voice
was bright and pronounced and full of joy, completely unrecognizeable
from the misery she has just escaped. It didn't go unnoticed by Ghaeric,
if anything his jealousy of her wonderful voice instilled a hatred of his
new found charge. He kicked at the box on the third day of travel, and
Frahyel learned to hold her voice. Not everyone would always want to
hear it. When he abandoned her on the boat before it set sail again, she
sang out as loud as she could until a kind soul came to inspect what the
wonderul sound coming from the crate was. An elven paladin, and a
Maran at that, found the young centaur and asked her for her name.
"Frahyel, I am going to the plains," she said. And so he took her to the
nearest land by the Fortress so that he could keep watch over her. She
found other centaur there, and found a happy life to begin a happy
childhood, just starting a few years later than most.
Youth Among the Plains
Added Fri Apr 10 18:14:18 2020 at level 39:
Frahyel grew, and while paler and more boisterous than her fellow centaurs,
she was loved and nurtured by her new family. Not too far from the Inn of
the Eternal Star, where she would sneak out at night to listen to the songs.
Practicing them for herself, one evening she was caught, singing a bit too
loud and in a spot a bit too obvious. Two adult male centauls brought her
back from the road and warned her of getting too close to places where
alcohol flowed freely. Frahyel had no knoweldge of the history of drinking
and what it did to centaurs, driving them mad with lust and violence. So
the warnings felt at odds with what she saw, joy and life even if it meant
a bit of flirting and the occasional brawl. She did not see the passions rage
to the point of horror, but the passions she did see were inspiring. When
she was little more than 10 years old she wrote songs about lovers and
swindlers. Sharing these songs with the other young centaurs got her in
trouble on more than one occasion and so she was finally pulled aside to
be encouraged to practice the cannon of the bard. The lone minstrel
centaur of her small found tribe instructed her to sing epic songs full of
glory and with uplifting messages. While she might be inclined to play a
tune more bawdy or playful, she found herself able to compromise on the
songbook offered her as she was finally able to practice her craft without
anyone punishing or shaming her. The life of a singer was one she could
finally embrace with a full, bright voice.
A Glimpse of The Light
Added Fri Apr 10 18:53:08 2020 at level 39:
When Frahyel was old enough to adventure on her own, she immediately
discovered the many limitations the world would put in front of her. A
mapmaker tried to make her sail the seas on an errand, she was too big
for any raft available. An early friend had her follow him downstairs only
to find she couldn't climb up again. Crawling through a hole was not going
to happen. She had to learn quick that her kind may have their advantages
but she needed to be smarter to offset the drawbacks. Kindness became
her way of overcoming such obstacles. She made friends early and often.
She was but a year or two into leaving her home when such a friendship
would change her life. Theorendus. When she first saw him, with him
standing nearly three feet above her, he took her breath away. He was
massive and with such sad eyes, yet the Light that shined through him was
bright and unmistakable. He asked her quickly if she had plans to join the
Fortress, and if she had been thinking of any other path before that moment
it was no longer one she considered, "Yes!" she exclaimed instinctually.
Whatever cabal could take this weary soul and make him into a beacon for
the Light was a place she wanted to call home. She pledged the moment
she was advanced enough to do so.
Frahyel's Pledge to the Fortress of the Light
Added Fri Apr 10 18:54:39 2020 at level 39:
"I humbly seek to join the ranks of the Acolytes of the Golden Sun. I know
my voice and my blade are needed in these dark times, as evil spreads
throughout Thera with only the forces of the Fortress of Light to abate
them. I would see darkness end in my lifetime, even if at my final breath.
Short of that, every moment of my life is to be devoted to its eradication.
In my time in Thera, I hope to add to the cannon of song verses that aid
the Light in its quest against darkness. For those souls who seek
redemption, I aim to be a model for turning back for dark paths, and for
those who refuse such offers, I will ensure their destruction and menace
causes no further harm to innocents. I am a servant of the Light and wish
nothing more than to be a shield against the forces of the dark."
An Introduction to Lady Padwei
Added Thu Apr 16 16:17:43 2020 at level 51:
Upon discussions with Maran Theorendus and Acolyte Elaanai, Frahyel was
recommended to join the Fortress. Being without a Marshall, a Prophet, or
a Cardinal at the time, the task fell to Lady Padwei to interview the young
centaur bard. Frahyel, happy to now visit the Inn of the Eternal Star without
any discouragement from her people, had frequented it often and so met first
with Elaanai who advocated to Lady Padwei for a discussion, right at the
Tale-Telling Fire as though it were any other soul, passing through for a
beer or a cup of tea. Frahyel was in awe. This was a Goddess, sitting
right in front of her and speaking plainly. Lady Padwei interrogated Frahyel
on her Pledge, noting that the eradication of darkness more closely aligned
with the oath of the Maran. Frahyel was instructed on how the Shield must
work to spread the Light rather than simply expelling the darkness. She also
warned Frahyel that the greatest enemy to the Fortress was not the Empire
nor the Scions nor the Tribunal but instead came from within. She cautioned
Frahyel specifically on the Maran themselves, their desire to strike out at
the darkness more frequently would result in the suffering of innocents. Her
task was to keep them hopeful and be the Shield protecting those who would
fall to the Sword otherwise. Immediately after her induction, Frahyel was
tasked with one more critical mission. Lady Padwei said, shortly before
dissapearing from Frahyel's eyes for many years, "If you do find someone
willing and true in their intent, you can sponsor them, encourage them,
bring them to me." With that, Frahyel began her time as Scribe, serving the
Fortress.
Frahyel, the Beacon
Added Thu Apr 16 16:20:04 2020 at level 51:
Frahyel found her unbreakable spirit and boundless joy to make her a perfect
fit as a Scribe. She traveled with all manner of company, from noble Paladins
to questionable Thieves, sharing the vision of a world where darkness was
diminished not by striking at it, but rather by making the Light brighter and
brighter. This meant traveling to dangerous, dark places and singing as loud
as she could, to be a beacon of Light. This also meant singing and speaking
to those who were currently on dark paths. An early example included
Frahyel meeting a sell-sword, drunk and violent, in the forests west of
Galadon. As she helped him get to a bed and sleep off the night's mistakes,
Frahyel saw a shell of a human who had for too long lived life without
purpose other than that of selfish whims. She fed him breakfast and
listened to his story, which included murder, rape, and reckless conquests
for gold and glory. His name was Harmunth, a human not much more traveled
than herself, and for a time, she was able to guide him on a slow curve
in his path, hopefully towards the Light. She walked with him for many days,
speaking to him about her hopes and how she wanted him to seek redemption.
He was smitten and may have told the centaur simply what she wanted to hear,
but full of faith and belief, she let him continue on his way and he agreed to
return to her soon so that they could go together to see Lady Padwei and
take steps to begin his new path with her sponsorship. It was not to be. Less
than a week later, Frahyel was visiting the town of Dagdan and stopped by
Norman's Bar, to see none other than Harmunth himself, drunk to a stupor
and harassing a barmaid. Frahyel approached, immediately hoping to help
him once again return to the path of the Light but he pushed her away,
asking if she wanted to go with him upstairs and if she didn't, to be gone as
he "had no more use for preaching save for screaming the gods names in
a bed with a wench." His face was cruel, distorted and cold. "Are you a
wench?" he asked, tauntingly. Frahyel left, disheartened that her work had
been for nothing and she had failed. This was not true, but at the time it
made her question whether she was cut out for this life after all.
Lost Walks and Missteps
Added Sun Apr 19 11:45:29 2020 at level 51:
Her days of traveling and supporting the Fortress continued unabated,
and she found herself frequently traveling with those not of the Light and
even those who had in their past turned from the Light. She learned more
about the life of druids and rangers, but also that of necomancers and
assassins. Still reeling from her failure of neglecting to save a soul, she
was cautious about who she pushed on their mortal path. This reluctance
and perhaps even cowardice on her part, did not go unnoticed. She was
traveling with a Conjurer, and watched them bind angels and even stike
and slay an innocent angel who refused their demands. She fled and
and abandoned her groupmates, weeping at the loss, and stirring none
other than Lady Padwei herself to hold her to account. The loss of any
innocent life was a tragedy, and for it to come at the hands of a Maran or
an Acolyte, was unacceptable. Lady Padwei took mercy on Frahyel but
others were not so fortunate. As had been foretold, the greatest threat
facing the Fortress had come from within, carelessness and recklessness
had less to the loss of innocents. It was a turning point for Frahyel, as
she recommitted herself to her oath, balancing the need to learn about
and befriend souls from all backgrounds and walks of life, but keeping
those on darker paths at a safe distance.
Eybaen and the Temptation of Redemption, Part One
Added Wed Apr 22 10:25:50 2020 at level 51:
Frahyel spent many nights, after aiding her brothers and sisters at the
Fortress, drinking and singing at the Inn of the Eternal Star. While less
and less did she find herself traveling with those of gray or even dark
paths, she did make a point to share a drink or even a song with as many
walking away from the Light as she could. When the moment presented
itself, she would even go so far as to counsel them on how they could
still turn around and walk a different way. One such soul was a former
Imperial, an assassin named Eybaen. He spoke to her of a sad tale, one
involving having fallen in love with a woman he was told to murder. Upon
forsaking his oath and becoming anathema to the Empire, she was then
murdered anyway. He realized he had led them to her, and had caused
her death even if he had not been the blade in her heart. Frahyel saw
a story, not of a dark man changed, but of a man on a dark path who
found the right choice even if those further enshrouded in darkness did
not permit him and his lover to live in peace. So began many stories,
even a few of her own past, between the two. She became somewhat
smitten herself with the roguish human, thinking here is a man who will
change for love and when his love was taken away, he would still seek a
new path forward, rather than give in to dismay and despair. It was
Eybaen himself who first led Frahyel to the oasis that Lady Padwei calls
her shrine. That night, as they spoke in the desert, Frahyel danced for
for the human, and sang the song she first heard on her voyage west
oh so many years ago. Humorously, a tune about pining for someone
to join your bed by the sea felt uplifting and a moment of pure joy in
the cold desert night.
Eybaen and the Temptation of Redemption, Part Two
Added Fri Apr 24 11:00:10 2020 at level 51:
Not all took the words of Eybaen seriously. There were Maran, a Thief
named Jaane in particular, who continued to strike at Eybaen because he
had started his path with dark steps and they could not see his arc
towards redemption. Frahyel now found herself with two tasks, one to
pursue and assist those who would bend towards the Light and a second
to keep the Maran and other good souls from dissuading those seeking
redemption. For Eybaen's part, he began to actively support the
Fortress while also spending time in the wilderness, hoping to one day
join the refuge. It highlighted a difficult balance for Frahyel, she had
friends of both the Tribunal and the Tree, such as Krendala, a kind
Conjurer she traveled with in her youth, sometimes a day or two before
traveling with Blarn, a Druid. Ensuring her friends did not harm one
another even when diameterically opposed would become a lifelong
struggle. As a singer, her strongest weapon to ensure peace was her
voice and so she set about first protecting the man she sponsored to
turn towards the Light.
Frahyel's Missive of Sponsorship
Added Fri Apr 24 11:09:33 2020 at level 51:
"As some of you know, I have been counseling Eybaen on his
path of redemption. He has expressed great concern over the
wickedness in his past and has set himself upon a new journey
to protect the innocent and bring the fight to the darkness. I do
not know his heart or his mind any better than what I have seen
with my own eyes or what I have heard from his lips to my own
ears, but I find his desire of conversion to be genuine and for
my part, I hope and I believe that he in sincere and will continue
bending towards the Light. I am willing to sponsor him in this and
wish of my brothers and sisters of the Light to look on him as a
soul who would join our cause some bright day in the near future."
An Acolyte of the Golden Sun
Added Sat Apr 25 15:20:06 2020 at level 51:
It was shortly after her missive that Jaane, a Squire, struck Eybaen
and the two came to battle. It was determined that Eybaen had only
attacked in defense. Elder Maran Theorendus and the Marshall
Deiramor debated expelling Jaane from their ranks altogether. It
was Frahyel who spoke to both Jaane and Eybaen, getting them to
agree to meet and put the skirmish behind them. Jaane, to his credit,
suggested they go to Lady Padwei's shrine and that Eybaen, despite
worshipping a different god, ask for forgiveness from the goddess who
most singularly represented the hope of the Light and the power of
redemption. Eybaen agreed and travelled with Frahyel and Jaane to
the oasis in the desert. At that point, all was as mended as could be,
though Jaane suspected he had likely behaved in a manner that
would ensure he would never be made a Maran at the Fortress. It is
unknowable if this were the case for Jaane perished but a few weeks
later. That day by the oasis was not one where only a single consequential
occurance transpired, for Lady Padwei herself came to speak to Frahyel
shortly after the three disbanded. They discussed her next steps,
how Frahyel could remain as a beacon for the Maran and for all those
who would bend towards the Light. Padwei challenged her that the
tools she had employed so far might not be enough, and that more
challenging times were ahead. "But if you feel that your voice can
pierce the darkness alone, we'll see what comes," said Lady Padwei.
Frahyel, having recently reached the pinnacle of her guild, was unsure
if it was an adomnishment, a belief more was needed before she was
ready to serve the Fortress with greater responsibilities. But Lady
Padwei smiled, and Frahyel was at that very moment elevated to the
ranks of the Acolytes. Frahyel blinked in disbelief and kneeled before
the Goddess. "Keep lively, Frahyel." she was told, and with that, the
next chapter began.