Description
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A figure clad in fur, leather and animal skins appears before you. Mud,
muck, and Whistlewood swampweed cling to the armor, emanating not the most
pleasant of smells. A long hooded cloak covers most of the body, making
specific features difficult to distinguish. Knee-high alligator skin boots
show signs of extensive wear despite this man's futile attempts to keep
intact. A broad braided belt, in addition to the leather pants, holds up a
variety of trinkets and artifacts of shamanistic nature.
While the intial impression may be a tad offputting, there is charm to this
creature. Locks of silver-white hair, intertwined with mithril, poke from
underneath the hood. Pale skin is surprisingly free of blemishes, scars and
bruises. Slender fingers are adorned with natural stones, showing
preference to opal and amber. The creature's palms (if held open) would
reveal a pattern of microscopic and intricate tattoos of previously unknown
origin.
Fiery eyes, deeply inset beneath bushy eyebrows, show passion and dediction.
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Role
Blessing Gone Curse
Added Tue Jan 19 17:02:27 2021 at level 40:
As it turns out, Virren was doomed to a childhood of misery long before he
was even born. You see, he was born one of a set of twins, a rare phenomenon
among the citizens of Evermoon. What could have been a miracle, instead
became a curse.
Their birth had been seen as a sign of hope and good luck at first. They
had been met with much celebration but it was short lived. It had not taken
his parents long to discover the unusual behaviors and cruelty of Virren's
brother - Izzo. Izzo would claim to hear and see things that the others did
not, and upon seeing said things, he would act them out. Their mother had
feared for Izzo's life and what would become of him and all those around
him. She had been the Queen's assistant in Evermoon, and went in search of a
cure to make Izzo more like other children... but she was never to be seen
again. Their father had been deeply saddened by the loss of his wife,
blamed the twins (including Virren) for the tragedy and one day simply left.
Heart of Whistlewood Swamp
Added Tue Jan 19 17:04:09 2021 at level 40:
With both parents gone, the Evermoon Court had come to see the boys as a
sign of bad luck and could not tollerate such "blemish" on their reputation.
The Evermoon guard separated the boys and threw them out of the city. Izzo
(as Virren later found out) was devoured by trolls. As to Virren, he opened
his eyes in the Heart of Whistlewood Swamp with a pack of giant rats
circling his tiny body. He let out a scream and closed his eyes hoping for
a quick and painless death. Death did not come to him though, instead he
heard the sounds of a struggle.
He opened his eyes to see that a human hunter, an old animist hermit, had
come out from the marshweeds and was fighting off the rats. Virren dragged
himself over to the wounded rats and finished them off. They would pay for
trying to eat him alive!
For the next few years, Virren studied with the hermit (whose name was
O'loro). He learned both how to survive and how to hunt. To hermit's
disappointment, the animist spirits did not find home within Virren, so the
hermit taught the boy the more practical skills of marsh dwelling.
Departure
Added Tue Jan 19 17:05:34 2021 at level 40:
New found blessings do not tend to last long for Virren. His training had
been cut short when the hermit had suddenly died one day while in the middle
of one of their lessons. With the loss of the only person that did not wish
him dead, Virren was alone, living in the swamps, only the whistling of
marshweeds to keep him company.
To keep his body strong and mind sane, Virren began to observe animal
movements and turn them into dance. The tribal rythms within the mists of
the swamps brought peace to his troubled soul and continued to strengthen
his body. One day, he noticed a pattern to the rustling of the marshweeds,
they seemed to tell a story, albeit in a tongue unknown to Virren. After
some time, the meaning began to emerge - the weeds were singing of a place
to the east of Thera, by the name of the Eternal Star. Having little left
in the swamp but basic shelter, Virren grabbed a walking stick and headed
east.
Work to Be Done
Added Sun Jan 31 08:06:51 2021 at level 51:
The Inn of the Eternal Star was not exactly what Virren expected. The
marshweeds sang of the stage for all of Thera, the center of the Universe.
Instead, Virren found a quaint, charming, but largely empty establishment.
The floors were covered with dust, Olin appeared lethargic and the few
dishes sold in the kitchen lacked spice. To Virren's surprise, there were
no other artists, painters or dancers within the Inn's halls, except for the
gambler of course (but that's another story!) There was a lot of work to be
done. The Inn ought to be exactly what the marshweeds described - a place
full of panache! Broom in one hand and empty whiskey glass in another,
Virren got going.
And as to the dance. Having no other dancers around him, Virren did not
have a great idea of what was "customary" for modern Thera, so he began to
adopt the spiritual animistic flailings that he performed in the swamp to
the more modern world around him. He centered his moves around a primal
object - a totem, a sapling or the flame, while paying tribute to what he
saw growing up in the swamp - the animals, the toads, the weeds, and the
mucks.
The dance was met with mixed success. The fire giants were delighted with
violent coitus motions and loud groans in the dance of Virile Flame, while
others were clearly frightened and offput. There was much work to be done
in modernizing his moves.