Description
A young woman stands here dressed conservatively in a black, wooloen dress.
She has an attractive, symmetrical face, which is framed by dark hair. This
has been pulled back into a bun at tha back of her head. A few light
freckles dot her face, and her eyes are a dark shade of brown. Looking
more closely at her clothing, you notice that, while modest, it is cut
from fine cloth, and seems to have been tailored specifically to her
measurements. Despite this, the overall ensemble evokes the image of a
school teacher or nanny, or perhaps a novitiate in a particularly dour
religious order. Oddly, she has a case strapped across her back in the
shape of a fiddle, and a sword at her side fastened to a leather belt
that is decidedly incongruous with the rest of her appearance.
Role
The Novitiate
Added Sat Apr 1 17:23:52 2023 at level 38:
Shyen pauses for a moment and lays aside her paint brush. She is not
tired. Or, at least, she does not feel tired. However, the sisters have
told her that such breaks are necessary in order to avoid costly errors,
and that is important to her, so a break it is. She has not made one
error yet, in fact, despite being quite a bit being younger than the other
novices. It is a source of pride for her, and has simultaneously made
her name known among her superiors while alienating her from her peers.
She can see the ocean far off in the distance through the window on the
opposite wall of the scriptorium. Only a tiny slice, though, as the
opening is quite narrow; wide enough to accommodate an outgoing
projectile, but too narrow for a would-be raider to squeeze through.
Despite living so near to the sea for her entire life, she has never seen
it up close. She should like to, some day. Shyen has read books, of
course. So many books. About the building of ships, and sailing. About
the creatures that live under the waves. Treatises on the most efficient
way to catch fish. Herbal remedies to stave off seasickness. But for all
that knowledge, it is not the same as being there.
Arching her back, she stretches, exhales with a sigh, and takes stock of
her life. No, the convent is not entirely what she had expected when she
first arrived as a young "orphan", but she must admit it has served her
purposes well. Growing up on her father's farm, she understood from an
early age what her lot in life would be if she didn't take action. The
men in her community were barely literate, and even that would be denied
to her as a woman. The mere thought of it made her angry.
So she ran away. Looking back, her plan had been that of a child, simple
and poorly thought out, but through fate or good luck, it had worked.
She remembers stealing away in the night, hiking the roughly fifteen miles
over open country to reach the convent, mussing her hair, smearing dirt on
her face and body, donning some rags she'd stolen from her mother's
cupboard, and presenting herself to the sisters as an "orphan" willing to
serve in whatever capacity they would allow. She chuckles to remember the
tears she manufactured in order to win their sympathy.
Shyen abruptly snaps out of her reverie and decides break time is over.
Picking up the fine-tipped paint brush she had lain aside moments before,
she dips it into a tiny pot of brightly colored paint and squints in
concentration as she once again bends over the illuminated antiphonary she
had been working on before. She is focused on on a particular miniature
today that depicts a king, seated on a throne, wielding a golden scepter.
She wonders, idly, what that would be like.
Life and Death in the North
Added Sat Apr 1 17:43:00 2023 at level 38:
The big day had finally arrived. Shyen's mass would finally debut; it
had been the focus of her musical efforts for at least a year's time.
She had written it for five voices, a cappella, since the sisters forbade
the use of instruments. She found this restriction irritating and
unnecessarily limiting, but the challenge it presented was gratifying and
she was well pleased with the end result. It was a triumph. And, she
hoped, it would create a pretext for her to finally leave the convent, so
that she might instruct others of the order in its performance.
Alas, it was not to be.
Most of the events of that day are a blur to her now, accessible only in
rough form, which makes it all the more odd that she can recall certain
specific details. It was unseasonably warm, and humid, and even now she
can bring to mind the distinct aroma of so many women gathered in such a
small space, who, through recently washed, could do no more to withstand
the realities of the climate than her small monastic community could to
withstand the raiders. She remembers the sound of the one sister's voice
whom she'd chosen to sing the alto part; how she was always slightly flat
on one note in particular. She remembers the keen of the woman's wailing
as she was being raped, and, later, the vacant, almost peaceful, look on
her face after the Northmen slit her throat. No great loss, that.
Being made from sterner stuff, Shyen was not so lucky. She endured what
came next in silence, not willing to grant her attacker the satisfaction of
hearing her wail. Perhaps because of this lack of annoyance, they chose
not to put her to the sword, and instead loaded her onto one of their
crude ships with some other of her sisters and a few of the men employed
by the order. She knew none of them, and realized that she had no wish
to. In fact, over the course of the thoroughly unpleasant journey to the
raiders' homeland, she grew to resent them. All of them. She respected
the order's dedication to learning, and knowledge, and art, but she
despised their weakness. It seemed almost intentional, as if it were an
inherent part of their faith. How could they not have anticipated the
raiders and prepared an adequate defense? Unforgivable.
When the hell that was her ocean passage finally ended, Shyen discovered a
fresh new hell awaited her on land. She was a thrall to her captors,
treated no better than cattle, and in some cases worse. There would be no
more books. No more learning. And, worst of all, no more music. It
occurred to Shyen that her life would very much resemble the one she might
have led if she had never left her father's farm. Only now she had tasted
of something more, which made the prospect of living out the remainder of
her days as a thrall all the more depressing. She would dwell on this,
become consumed by it, and in so doing descend to a very dark place.
Life and Death in the North
Added Sat Apr 1 17:53:32 2023 at level 38:
Shyen absentmindedly tunes the crude lute she's been given by the Northern
lord. By ear. It is not a well-made instrument and won't stay tuned for
more than a single performance, so this is a frequent activity of hers.
She is grateful for the opportunity to learn a new instrument, which had
been denied her in the convent, but, as usual, every silver cloud has a
black lining. In this case, the reason she'd been given the lute.
She thinks back to the early days. Her life in captivity began, she
suspects, much as it did for most women abducted by the Northmen: with
back-breaking labor and frequent sexual abuse. In Shyen's case, however,
her lord quickly recognized her skill for music (and ability to read) and
set her to a different task: the tutoring and musical instruction of his
son. Whereas the vast majority of Northmen are illiterate, the nobility
recognize some limited value in education insofar as it is necessary to
facilitate trade. When it comes to music, however, rather than value it
for its own sake, they seem to view it as merely a medium through which
they may recount their glorious conquests. She finds this to be thin
gruel, but thin gruel is better than none at all.
Her thoughts are cut short as the little lord arrives, ready for the
day's lesson. By way of example, she begins to strum her poorly-made
lute and sing. At first, she does so only as a skilled technician,
crafting her performance to create the perception of emotional
vulnerability without actually feeling anything. Yet, as she continues
to play, and sing, something strange happens. Something that has never
happened to her before, and rarely ever since. Shyen becomes lost in
her own song.
All the injustices done to her over the course of her life surge to the
forefront of her mind, and, with them, all the anger and resentment she
feels toward their perpetrators. It is not righteous anger, but the
bitter sort that drives men and women to especially dark deeds. With it
there is also sadness, but, again, not of the typical sort common to all
who grieve. Rather it is an abiding despair; the absence of any hope
that one's circumstances will ever improve; inward-facing rather than
outward; feeding on itself and growing ever hungrier even as it does.
These feelings, and more, she pushes into her song, oblivious to the
boy's presence and, indeed, to almost everything else around her. When at
last she finishes, she returns to herself as one awaking from a trance.
The little lordling, for his part, comprehends none of this. He is still
seated before her, listening in rapt attention, hands crossed in his lap.
He shows no emotion whatsoever, but Shyen notices the marks of tears on
his face. Without saying a word, he stands, turns and leaves.
She learns some hours later that the boy has thrown himself off a cliff
and into the sea. Oops.
A Role to Play
Added Sat Apr 1 17:54:07 2023 at level 38:
With her pupil's untimely demise, Shyen is once again relegated to the
duties of a common thrall. Though, unlike the other women in her
situation, who seem to have established a modicum of camaraderie, she is
universally hated for having once succeeded in rising above her station.
It is a dark time. For once, however, Shyen's dour outlook proves to be
unfounded and an opportunity present itself.
Once a year the Empire sends and emissary to her lord's household to
collect tribute, and, occasionally, bloodoaths. The emissaries never
offer the oath to mere thralls, however, for two reasons: first, because
thralls are rarely fit for anything other than being a thrall, and second,
because it would needlessly antagonize their owner. While the Empire
could, of course, quash any act of rebellion by a vassal kingdom, it would
reflect poorly on an emissary if he were found to have needlessly provoked
war. The cost of such a campaign far outweighs the value of a single
bloodoath, so the oath is offered only to free men and women.
In her new role as scullery maid Shyen finds ample opportunity to "ruin"
one of her Lady's dresses during the laundering process and to pin the
blame on one of her peers. The other woman is whipped for her supposed
carelessness, but that's no concern of Shyen's. With the garment in hand,
the rest is a simple matter. Some makeup nicked while cleaning the Lady's
chambers, the mannerisms of the Northern nobility studied while serving
their meals, etc. So it is that when the Imperial emissary makes his
annual trip, he is visited in his chambers not by Shyen the Lord's
thrall, or Shyen the studious novice, but Shyen the charming noblewoman.
After some "convincing" the emissary is happy to oblige with the bloodoath.
Of course her ruse is not constructed to be permanent, and soon both the
Lord and the Emissary are aware of her trickery. She has planned for
this, however. Typically in such a situation one might expect to become
anathema and suffer immediate execution, but political circumstance
dictates otherwise. For the Emissary, to reveal that he had been duped so
easily would surely displease his superiors, and for the Lord to insist
on Shyen's anathema and execution would be to reveal the Emissary's folly.
So, though it pleases neither of them especially, both Lord and Emissary
chose to say nothing more of the circumstances of Shyen's oath. From that
day forward, as far as the Emissary is concerned, she is exactly what
she claims to be: a noblewoman from a minor house in a Northern Imperial
vassal state.
Shyen, however, has never forgotten the truth.
Brief Summary
Added Sat Apr 1 17:54:40 2023 at level 38:
Shyen is a gifted musician and a sociopath. Sensing correctly that, as
a woman, she would never receive a proper education in the small farming
community where she was born, she ran away from home, lied about being
an orphan, and joined a convent. Shyen was never a true believer in the
order's faith, but she went through the motions insofar as it was
necessary to acquire the knowledge and training she desired.
Her education was cut short when the convent was attacked by Northern
raiders, who took her captive as a thrall. Her experience is loosely
based on the real-world events or early Ireland, when Viking raiders
would frequently attack Christian monastic communities (which were easy
targets) and abduct their members.
She eventually came to be the possession of the king of a minor Imperial
vassal state. Recognizing she was educated, the king tasked her with
tutoring his son. This backfired when Shyen's accidentally charmed the
into committing suicide, though her part in his death was not understood.
Once again a common thrall, she managed to escape by impersonating a
noblewoman and tricking an Imperial emissary into administering the oath.
The circumstances of her life and innate lack of a moral compass, have
made Shyen a True Believer in the cause. She views complete Imperial
dominance as the surest way to ensure that others like herself are not
denied the opportunity to reach their full potential, whether because
they are poor, of low station, or because they are female. Imperial
dominion would also limit the attacks of those like the raiders who
abducted her; such kingdoms only exercise partial autonomy because the
Empire is not yet capable of exerting total control.
Shyen is a lover of knowledge and values it above almost everything else,
save, perhaps, for her music. She most certainly values it more than the
lives of innocents. To the extent she seeks to seize power within the
Empire, one of her main motivations is the desire to increase the number
of individuals under her authority whom she can order to assist with her
various research projects.
PK Wins
Feb 25, 2023|Lv 26|The Redhorn Mountains|Galtax vs 1: [26] Shyen (100%, corrosive slice)
Mar 2, 2023 |Lv 28|The Eastern Road|Galtax vs 1: [28] Shyen (100%, corrosive slice)
Mar 6, 2023 |Lv 30|Outlying Villages|Rakti vs 1: [30] Shyen (100%, crushing force)
Mar 7, 2023 |Lv 30|The Imperial Palace|Antharde vs 1: [30] Shyen (0%, slash)
Mar 12, 2023|Lv 35|The Imperial Lands|Calenion vs 1: [35] Shyen (100%, crushing force)
Mar 12, 2023|Lv 35|The Northern Mountains|Svedra vs 1: [35] Shyen (100%, crushing force)
Mar 19, 2023|Lv 36|Graveyard|Grobruk vs 1: [36] Shyen (100%, divine power)
Mar 27, 2023|Lv 38|A Wagon-Marked Road|Yvcalla vs 1: [38] Shyen (100%, crushing force)
Mar 28, 2023|Lv 38|Hardan Road|Skoo vs 1: [38] Shyen (100%, crushing force)
Mar 28, 2023|Lv 38|The Coral Head|Greandin vs 2: [38] Shyen (63%, reverberating blast), [32] Faramond (36%)
Mar 30, 2023|Lv 38|Mount Calandaryl|Revi vs 2: [38] Shyen (69%), [38] Myrincyl (30%, searing cut)
Mar 30, 2023|Lv 38|Mount Calandaryl|Aidle vs 2: [38] Shyen (53%), [38] Myrincyl (46%, throw)
Apr 1, 2023 |Lv 38|The Fields of Balator|Aonokii vs 3: [38] Shyen (72%, cleave), [30] Sulirye (3%), [41] Myrincyl (23%)
Apr 1, 2023 |Lv 38|BattleRager Village|Mahinya vs 3: [40] Faramond (27%), [41] Myrincyl (10%), [38] Shyen (62%, immolation)
Apr 1, 2023 |Lv 38|Graveyard|Breliyu vs 1: [38] Shyen (100%, cleave)
Apr 2, 2023 |Lv 38|The Rocky Paths|Jechva vs 1: [38] Shyen (100%, cleave)
Apr 2, 2023 |Lv 38|The Shadow Peak Pass|Deyvin vs 1: [38] Shyen (100%, cleave)
Apr 3, 2023 |Lv 39|The Outlander Refuge|Vurhus vs 2: [39] Shyen (42%), [39] Yurvup (57%, cranial hit)
Apr 5, 2023 |Lv 39|The Dragon Sea|Sinaaht vs 1: [39] Shyen (100%, cleave)
Apr 6, 2023 |Lv 39|The Drogran Hills|Vanorin vs 1: [39] Shyen (100%, KB)
Apr 6, 2023 |Lv 39|The Battlefield|Aidle vs 1: [39] Shyen (100%, roundhouse)
Apr 6, 2023 |Lv 39|The Imperial Palace|Nibaeth vs 3: [39] Shyen (55%, crush), [45] Myrincyl (33%), [35] Sulirye (11%)
Apr 8, 2023 |Lv 40|The Imperial Palace|Lamashtua vs 2: [45] Myrincyl (54%), [40] Shyen (45%, KB)
Apr 8, 2023 |Lv 40|The Imperial Palace|Vurhus vs 2: [41] Yurvup (41%), [40] Shyen (58%, reverberating blast)
Apr 9, 2023 |Lv 40|Amaranthian Forest|Sinaaht vs 1: [40] Shyen (100%, crush)
Apr 10, 2023|Lv 41|A Northern Trail|Gualnok vs 1: [41] Shyen (100%, crush)
Apr 14, 2023|Lv 42|Mausoleum|Kathsael vs 1: [42] Shyen (100%, crush)
Apr 17, 2023|Lv 51|Fortress of Light|Greandin vs 2: [51] Sulirye (32%, arcing flames), [51] Shyen (67%)
Apr 18, 2023|Lv 51|The North Road|Arjaby vs 1: [51] Shyen (100%, kick)
Apr 18, 2023|Lv 51|The Imperial Palace|Draulvar vs 1: [51] Shyen (100%, reverberating blast)
Apr 21, 2023|Lv 51|The Outpost of Tir-Talath|Xaevyir vs 2: [51] Shyen (4%), [51] Drogathar (95%, parting blow)
Apr 22, 2023|Lv 51|The Inn of the Eternal Star|Pvask vs 2: [51] Karnix (72%, smash), [51] Shyen (27%)
Apr 23, 2023|Lv 51|The Imperial Lands|Karnix vs 3: [51] Shyen (20%, crush), [51] Kobar (73%), [51] Sulirye (5%)
May 2, 2023 |Lv 51|The Imperial Palace|Pvask vs 3: [51] Gnobflink (7%), [51] Kobar (65%, hellfire), [51] Shyen (26%)
May 5, 2023 |Lv 51|The Dragon Sea|Wraewir vs 1: [51] Shyen (100%, reverberating blast)
May 5, 2023 |Lv 51|East Sumner's Road|Bramond vs 3: [51] Kathsael (80%, torments), [51] Shyen (6%), [51] Horrindyr (12%)
May 5, 2023 |Lv 51|The Jade Mountains|Gualnok vs 1: [51] Shyen (100%, crush)
May 15, 2023|Lv 51|Galadon|Arjaby vs 1: [51] Shyen (100%, mental assault)
May 17, 2023|Lv 51|Fortress of Light|Greandin vs 2: [51] Shyen (37%), [51] Dhramghuul (62%, torments)
May 22, 2023|Lv 51|The Outlander Refuge|Vhriha vs 3: [51] Shyen (7%), [51] Dhramghuul (92%, wrath), [51] Sulirye (0%)
May 22, 2023|Lv 51|The Imperial Palace|Vhriha vs 3: [51] Marlevaur (72%, wall of fire), [51] Dhramghuul (19%), [51] Shyen (8%)
May 22, 2023|Lv 51|Fortress of Light|Marlevaur vs 3: [51] Sulirye (0%), [51] Dhramghuul (5%), [51] Shyen (93%, KB)
May 23, 2023|Lv 51|The Imperial Palace|Vhriha vs 1: [51] Shyen (100%, KB)
May 23, 2023|Lv 51|The Imperial Palace|Mystrillania vs 2: [50] Skarrmak (7%), [51] Shyen (92%, mental assault)
PK Deaths
Feb 27, 2023|Lv 26|The Eastern Road|vs 1: [24] Cyllen (100%, cut)
Mar 24, 2023|Lv 37|Hamsah Mu'tazz|vs 1: [41] Ghrudzar (100%, infernal power)
Mar 29, 2023|Lv 38|Elemental Temple|vs 3: [33] Faramond (55%), [36] Greandin (35%), [34] Lorihya (9%, divine power)
Apr 16, 2023|Lv 51|Fortress of Light|vs 2: [51] Aelvinia (55%, searing light), [51] Karnix (44%)
Apr 17, 2023|Lv 51|Fortress of Light|vs 3: [44] Bodovan (0%), [51] Aelvinia (44%, punch), [51] Karnix (55%)
Apr 18, 2023|Lv 51|Crystal Island|vs 3: [51] Lorihya (9%), [46] Xaevyir (13%), [51] Karnix (77%, hit)
Apr 21, 2023|Lv 51|Fortress of Light|vs 2: [51] Lorihya (41%), [51] Xaevyir (58%, wrath)
May 5, 2023 |Lv 51|The Imperial Lands|vs 4: [51] Kathsael (4%), [51] Aserunyra (21%, lightning bolt), [51] Horrindyr (25%), [51] Charrooth (48%)
May 13, 2023|Lv 51|Forest of Prosimy|vs 1: [51] Gualnok (100%, bite)
May 17, 2023|Lv 51|The Redhorn Mountains|vs 2: [51] Mystrillania (36%, bite), [51] Greandin (63%)
May 26, 2023|Lv 51|Fortress of Light|vs 3: [51] Mystrillania (25%), [51] Charrooth (34%, critical hit), [51] Aserunyra (40%)