Description
A slight rustling draws your attention to a broad-shouldered man. Many things
about him seem to be a dichotomy in balance. His limbs are thickly corded yet
long and slender retaining a certain litheness. Dirt can be seen under his
nails, yet glowing porcelain skin stands in stark contrast the grime at the
edges of his being, obscuring a life lived under the sun.
But what appears most unique is his harsh facade. Four jagged parrallel scars
run from his right temple to his left square set jaw. The beast that left the
mark must have also broke his hawkish nose that stands askew to the center of
his face. Peering out from the mar are two brilliantly burning golden eyes
that shift through the colors of the rising dawn.
Role
Life Eternal Interrupted.
Added Wed Dec 25 22:09:39 2019 at level 2:
Yaennistel heard a low grumbling carried upon the warm winds of the azure
mountain scape. It had been ages since he heard that sound, and yet Bamard's
throaty growl was unmistakable to Yaennistel. Yet something was missing,
Bamard's ursine twin Mahtowa's voice was not to be heard anywhere. The two
bears were inseparable from each other as they were from Bamard's side of his
rangering days. He went to the window of his cabin, and sure enough the
lumbering, grizzled animal sauntered up the trail.
Quickly Yaennistel became a confused soul. Ages ago he had buried the
memories of his life, when his daughter and wife crossed from the Tahril
mountains to his side. He had lived for an eternity in peace and bliss,
comforted by a life well lived and given in protection of others.
Before his death, he ranged across the Tahril. He had built the bridge over
the windy gap. Countless lost souls he rescued from the precipice of death at
the peak of the mountains, and ushered others safely along the ledges to
Uller's storm. It was there, in the Tahril he had found Bamard and Mahtowa as
cubs abandoned by their mother. He had watched the matriarch charge down the
mountain at a massive male bear who was seeking an easy meal. Both tumbled
into the white depths below.
Both Uller and the Sylvan Wardens had courted him, yet he would give neither
his service or fealty. For to Yaennistel, serving life and the Light was
paramount above all else. For this, he was rewarded with an eternity in the
Azure Fields when he breathed his last breath.
This is why he was confused. How did Bamard find him in the Azurefields? Why
was he here? Bamard's presence could only mean his promise of eternity in the
Azurefields was at an end.
Ancient Memories Buried.
Added Wed Dec 25 22:17:47 2019 at level 2:
All the years Yaennistel raised Bamard and Mahtowa, he felt like he could
speak with them, though he knew there was no verbal exchange. He knew their
mannerisms and they his. They moved as one, fought as one. Yet, here was
Bamard in his home, speaking to him. Pleading with him for his return to the
prime material realms.
So many memories Yaennistel tried to repress, yet the bear kept pushing for
their recollection. Yaennistel did not wish to recall his final day, even
though it was given in his greatest act of charity and martyrdom. Yes, he
remembered the horrific undead and its horde that had come into the Tahril
mountains in pursuit of a band lead by a paladin. Yes, he remembered how the
zombies encircled them, and unable to witness the scene charged down the
slopes to intervene.
With the fury of an avalanche, Yaennistel recalled how he summoned Bamard and
Mahtowa to his side as they chased and eventually surpassed his wife. The
huge bears plowed through the horde, as Yaennistel lept upon the wight, the
lords of light blessed his final lucid breaths and the clouds parted behind
him and the sun pierced the creatures soul. Yet, its ghoulish claws raked
his face, leaving a festering wound that would be his demise.
Yes, Yaennistel remembered this and more. Yet, when his final plagued breath
passed, he vowed to never recall them. But as Bamard spoke in his spirit bear
tongue, Yaennistel had no recourse but to recollect them.
A Soul Called to Rebirth.
Added Wed Dec 25 22:23:59 2019 at level 2:
Eventually Yaennistel was able to push aside the flood of memories and ask
Bamard why he had come. Bamard explained that he and Mahtowa remained, even
as spirits, on the Tahril Mountains, ever watchful as Yaennistel had been.
They had been guides for countless travelers seeking passage through the
treacherous mountains.
Ages passed, and evil had come and gone in the desert at the foot of the
slopes. But now, a new evil had been lying in wait in the sands below. The
Scions of the Eternal Night was evil enough as it was before, now though,
with an undead at their lead it was time for the mountains to roar back to
life once more. And this time, it made frequent use of their mountain home.
Life and the Light need a champion once more, and that was why Bamard had
come to summon Yaennistel back. How this was possible, Yaennistel did not
know, much like how he did not know how Bamard had come to the Azure fields,
but he trusted his ageless friend. Yaennistel hugged his wife and daughter,
vowing that he would return when the evil had been vanquished.
Then he turned to follow Yaennistel through the hidden spirit trails. When
you have lived as a soul through the ages, time takes a different feel, yet,
the paths to the prime world seemed to take ages more. Suddenly he heard
another familiar sound, that of Mahtowa. The great bear was caring for the
soul of a dying man, in a familiar cave, keeping him alive until Bamard and
Yaennistel's arrival. Yaennistel looked down at the feverish man, four ragged
scars crossing his face similar to his own.
He had seen this before.
Yaennistel now knew why he was called. He placed his sholder on the haunches
of his friends, and the bear's medicine flowed freely into him, and into the
host before him.
Suddenly, the diseased man's eyes flew upon and two golden orbs shown
brightly of a new life within.
Finding Footing and a New Awakening.
Added Sun Jan 26 09:51:25 2020 at level 36:
Much time has passed since those wakening moments. Once again Yaennistel
found himself in his mortal shell, confined by things such as thirst and
hunger, pain, and drowsiness. But also awakened by the serenity of the wilds,
the comfort of the seasons first snow, and warmth of friendship. Each
sensations that the ages in the Azurefields had wiped away.
It took days, years of growing accustomed to each, even walking at first was
foreign.
He first found his footing within the Tahril, but knew that he could not
remain only in the mountains this time. So much more awaited beyond the
frigid peaks. The evil without had ended his first life, and he knew that if
unchecked, it would not only end his second-breathing, but also far more than
that in the wide world. It was with this realization Yaennistel ventured out
from the comfort of his stony home.
As he traversed the lands, he found a new sensation that he had not known in
his first breathing. His time among the spirits of light had attuned him to
the spirit world that he had not known before. Not only did the spirits of
Light speak to him, but also the spirits of Life and Nature.
Finding Purpose in his Second-Breath.
Added Sun Jan 26 09:56:09 2020 at level 36:
As Yaennistel learned to attune himself to the wilds and the spirits that
dwelled there, he was visited by a particular spirit, that of a bobcat. This
visit was profoundly influencing for Yaennistel.
It challenged him. Challenged him to consider why the spirits of Bamard and
Muhtowa called him from the Azurefields? Why was he permitted his
Second-Breath? What would he do with this second chance at living?
To that time, Yaennistels travels outside the Tahril had consisted of
hunting wicked creatures and men. That is what he had thought he was called
to back to do. The spirit highlighted the suffering in the world that he
fought, but only working to end suffering would be a wasted chance at life
again. While it is a noble goal, spending so much time providing reprieve
would surely cast oneself into the same state.
It is with this, Yaennistel took pause, to consider the things he did
appreciate in this second life. Those quiet moments in meditation. Finding
joy of the sun breaking through the clouds on the most bitter cold of days.
Watching the spring break anew and life grow abundant.
The spirit encouraged him, to spend his days as a new cub to discover life.
To leave no leaf unturned in curiosity of what lay beneath. To not be fearful
of striking dead the evil found beneath, but also to enjoy the surprises that
may lie there as well.
Discerning his Future in the Light.
Added Sun Jan 26 10:04:09 2020 at level 36:
Eventually an important time had come for Yaennistel. He knew the Sylvans
Wardens were no more, and in their place something more sinister rose in its
place. A Tree that housed spirits of Light, but also provided a home for evil
spirits and souls. A twisted perversion of what once existed in the Ashes of
Nowhere.
At the same time, he heard of a place where the Light was held most dear to
all who called it home. Having given his life to help shepherd the light
safely through the Tahril, he felt a certain kinship to the residents of
those hallowed halls that fought for and protected the Light.
But as he learned more of the Fortress of Light, multiple paths were
presented to him. He returned often to the visit by the bobcat spirit, and
perhaps this muddled the fork in the road for Yaennistel.
On the right hand lay the path of the Maran, something he felt a deep
connection with. His time in the Azurefields imbued him with a connection
with the Angels, as he was often visited by the holy from Elysium. His
first-breath's end fighting the undead, and the opportunity to ferret out
the wicked held great appeal to him.
But he knew that path treaded close to that which the Spirit had warned. That
his second-breath should not be focused on suffering, but finding ways to
appreciate and share joy of life despite it. That life and life breathes
everywhere, and will my second life bring joy to others amidst the violence?
It was this advice, that strongly drew Yaennistel to give full consideration
of the path of the Acolytes of the Golden Sun.
This led him to consult many within the Fortress. He presented himself to the
Cardinal Bulonk, and the prior Cardinal Pohtdid, as well as the Marshall and
Captain of the Holy Brigade. It was these later conversations that revealed
that the two paths are not mutually exclusive. The Marshall still enjoyed a
good visit to the tavern, a drink, and the company of fine women from time to
time, to remind him of why he leads the fight against the darkness. The
Captain concurred that finding a reason beyond the fight, was essential to
propelling the hunt into the darkest places in order for it to succeed.
It was with these conversations Yaennistel knew he could battle to end
suffering, and part of that battle was to ensure he and others around him
enjoyed life at the same time.
PK Wins
Jan 5, 2020 |Lv 20|The Rhymery|Dzonkulese vs 1: [20] Yaennistel (100%, biting cold)
Jan 21, 2020|Lv 34|Feanwyyn Weald|Cadmar vs 2: [40] Valiralur (73%, lightning strike), [34] Yaennistel (26%)
Jan 25, 2020|Lv 36|East Sumner's Road|Ilaanist vs 2: [36] Yaennistel (37%), [36] Kuuzhan (62%, mountain storm kick)
Feb 8, 2020 |Lv 45|Blackclaw Village|Angaph vs 2: [46] Dzonkulese (87%, flurry), [45] Yaennistel (12%)
Feb 8, 2020 |Lv 45|The Redhorn Mountains|Dhrak vs 2: [45] Yaennistel (9%), [51] Steapa (90%, divine power)
Feb 9, 2020 |Lv 45|Khalid River|Dzonkulese vs 2: [51] Ysforgul (68%, divine power), [45] Yaennistel (31%)
Feb 18, 2020|Lv 51|The Ruins of Ostalagiah|Steapa vs 2: [51] Yaennistel (5%), [51] Krata (94%, burst of energy)
Feb 18, 2020|Lv 51|The Redhorn Mountains|Krata vs 3: [51] Yaennistel (0%), [51] Steapa (45%), [51] Ellainaraya (54%, disembowelment) *Disemboweled*
Feb 22, 2020|Lv 51|Fortress of Light|Dhrak vs 2: [51] Yaennistel (8%, surprise attack), [51] Steapa (91%)