Description
Radiant, even at her age, Nialona stands, her straight posture speaking
volumes for her soul. What remained of her quirky youthful beauty has
been refined and solidified into regality, her waifish elegance turned
to that of a wise, quiet mother. The years have thinned her lush, red
pout; now her smile is slimmer, and her cheeks a bit more hollow. She,
however, cannot be said to be any less beautiful, for age has treated
her very kindly. Her movements are more deliberate now as the years
have strained her body. Slim limbs, long and lithe, seem suited mostly
for dance; the torso is comprised of a series of generous and delicious
curves. The fluid lines of her neck and shoulders, collarbone straight
as an arrow; above these things is her sun-browned visage, features
surrouned by slight wrinkles. Even her eyes, gray, clear as crystal
and piercing like first light, are subject to these small lines of age.
She has taken down her now-gray curls, and they bounce about her back
and shoulders, swaying almost in their own time. Despite the stern,
wise appearance Nialona's years have given her, she acts and laughs like
one young, her blazing spirit untouched by time.
Role
My Life as A Teenage Geisha
Added Sat Oct 23 17:34:14 2004 at level 1:
She did not live in a brothel. The tea house was indeed open to paying
customers who wished to spend time with the girls, but they were not
whores.They were entertainers, rare birds. Both intelligent and
beautiful. They were masters of any art. Educated in literature,
mathematics, and the magics, for some. They were conversationalists,
companions, musicians, and waitresses. Not whores.
The tea house, which sat in a scenic place on the south docks, was a
gathering place for high-society men and occasionally, women. They
came to enjoy the beauty that Matron Sierisa worked so hard to create.
They came for the atmosphere. They came for the gourmet dinners. They
came with friends and colleagues. They came to throw around money and
impress everyone.
The girls had these people in their pockets. The girls had these people
wrapped around their little fingers. They smiled, danced and laughed.
They seduced everyone in the room and went to bed alone. This is what
the Matron taught them. This was the entireity of their lives.
Sailors came, from time to time, from lands north and west. They had
been fed misinformation and assumed that the tea house was a high-priced
brothel. The girls dispatched these men with some force, for they were
not merely artists. A young lady living in Seantryn Modan, such a
dangerous city, needed to know how to protect herself, so the Matron
had them trained in the arts of fighting as well.
The tea house is no longer standing. It, and most of the dock, was
washed away in a typhoon. Nialona was one of the lucky girls, away from
her home when it was destroyed.She continues to live the way she was
taught by Matron Sierisa for it is the life that makes her happiest.
She travels, though, perhaps in search of another home.
The Golden Finch
Added Sun Oct 24 21:47:11 2004 at level 6:
You pick up and open a small diary, bound in oiled red leather.The
pages are filled with encounters and ideas, all written in an elegant
feminine script. At the moment, the following page stands out:
I had a dream last night in which I walked alone through a deserted
city. I believe it was the city of ghosts or dreams as there were no
people there I could find. The town was peaceful. The sun shone and
the breeze was warm. The solitude was not entirely unpleasant, but
nevertheless eerie. I heard a faint melody after a few minutes of
walking and so I followed it. My ears led me to a garden filled with
the most beautiful roses I had ever seen. Red-black ones, all in full
bloom. In the center of the garden was a marble fountain, and perched
upon its corner was a glowing golden finch. The finch stopped her
singing and beckoned to me with a wing.I sat beside her and listened
in awe as she began to speak. "You are lucky," the finch warbled to
me. "You are not a mere dream like me, Nialona. You can see also
the beauty of reality. It will keep you grounded to remember this, my
child. Too many walk with their heads always here and never find their
true place or calling."The finch then flapped her tiny wings and
flitted toward the setting sun. Before the dream could fade, I plucked
a rose and sniffed it. Oddly, it was without scent.
Sticky Fingers
Added Mon Oct 25 13:52:13 2004 at level 14:
The girls came from many different backgrounds.Some had been sold to
the tea house and were bound to it by money. Yet others had come there
for the discipline Matron Sierisa could provide. Nialona came from
Aturi when she was eleven years old to work for her parents. She found
the tea house as a matter of coincidence. The Matron met her at the
door and would have employed her on the spot, based upon her looks, but
there were other rigors Nialona would have to put up with first. The
Matron trained Nialona for two years before she was allowed to entertain
customers. However rigorous the training was, Nialona never wanted for
anything. Some of the other girls did, however, and thievery was an
accepted art among them. Nialona picked up a few things from these
girls and used them to her advantage after the tea house was destroyed.
Another of the Thief's Memoirs
Added Thu Dec 9 21:46:34 2004 at level 29:
You find yourself once again flipping through a small diary of oiled
red leather. Many pages are blank, but the rest are filled with
figure sketches of extravagant dances, and various thoughts from the
author; all the notes are written in a very feminite and elegant script.
You stop flipping on a page adjacent to sketches of a dance that are
labeled "The Fan Dance" and begin to read the following words:
I know what I know. And I cannot waste time doubting myself. To do
this would be to anathemize myself from all I have ever learned. Doubt
and mistrust belongs with those, not myself, who have yet to prove they
are trustworthy. But... Are my actions true to my soul? The things I
do were taught, and have become habit, so they feel natural to me. It
is not unnatural to be polite... It is not unnatural to be meek. These
qualities are desirable and favored by the gods... Aren't they? I made
up my mind to join the Heralds because of the similarities they shared
with the purpose of the tea house. They are entertainers and great
minds, people who bring joy and inspiration to others around them. Of
course the Heralds are not paid for their services, but it is because
they offer them willingly, happily. WE offer them willingly, happily.
I am getting away from the subject, however. I mean that... Perhaps I
am not as free as I always thought I was. Mister Rixljyn... (Jynx, as
he prefers) has spoken to me once or twice on this subject... And I
have visited the home of his Lady, Shazirah. She seems to me to be
very wise and...very free. I cannot describe the feeling her home
gives me. It is a place that brings out something within me. It is
unfamiliar but seems as natural as all my planted habits.