Description
An ivory-skinned man with long brown hair and sharply pointed ears
catches your attention. His hair is tangled with leaves and twigs, making
it clear that he spends much of his time in the wilderness. His face is
stern, with angular features and squinting, shallow-set eyes. It is difficult
to tell if he bears any scars or blemishes because any of skin that is
exposed is caked with mud. It appears that some of his body has been
painted, but again the mud makes it difficult to tell, likely with dyes
made from berries and other natural mediums. The clothing that he wears
beneath his armor is all natural fibers, mainly tanned hide and woven
cottons. The rotting carcass of a small animal, already picked at by one
animal or another, dangles from his belt. Maggots occasionally drip from
the bottom of the animal's corpse, particularly when the man makes any
sudden movements. The powerful stink of decay surrounds the man, but
he does not seem to mind it. Examining him more closely, you realize that...
Role
Chapter 1: A Terrible Day to be Born
Added Tue Dec 20 18:13:19 2005 at level 1:
The day was full of bad omens, which is why the druid mid-wife was
trying to postpone the birth. It was happening, though, whether she
liked it or not. She cast one last glance towards the large oak that sat
on the hill above the tiny village. Still full of ravens. She sighed deeply
before entering the small hut.
The mother was obviously in great pain. She had been given the tanned
hide of a rabbit to bite down on, but it obviously wasn't helping her get
any relief.
"The stars do not favor this birth, Lyniahlia, but you cannot hold out for
another day. We could always kill the child before he is born. It might
save your life and the world." It was obvious from her expression that
the midwife herself did not like the advice she had just given.
"No!" screamed Lyniahlia, "The stars and other omens you see are
wrong, my son will go on to do great things!"
"This many omens could not possibly be wrong, but I will bring this
child into the world anyway. So long as you understand that judging by
the way things look, you're not going to make it through the delivery.
That the Celestial Eye is in the Serpent of Chaos as the Burning Ring of
Fire cloaks the Lotus of spirit certainly suggests that death is imminent.
The ravens in the oak tree on the hill and the vultures overhead are
certainly ill omens as well. I wish we could wait until tomorrow, the
Celestial Eye will have moved by then, not to mention we will be out of
The Month of the Great Evil." The frown lines on the midwife's forehead had
never been more prominent than they were now.
Lyniahlia, obviously more anxious about the situation following the midwife's
statement, began biting down on the hide again. "Do it!" she said out the side
of her mouth.
Chapter 2: Child of the Dead and Dying
Added Tue Dec 20 18:14:38 2005 at level 1:
He was seven now and seven hard years it had been. Ostracized by the others
in his village, it had been a lonely existence. He was known as "The Child of
Dead and Dying." His mother, having died in childbirth, had never been there
to protect him from the cruelty of the other wood-elves. His father, stricken by
the plague thirteen days following Ylynliun's birth, had been quarantined in the
DarkWood. It was thought that to get near Ylynliun was to get near Death itself.
For seven years the routine had been wake up, walk out to the street for the scraps
of food left by the midwives, and return to the house. To step outside of those hard
boundaries was to invite violence and ridicule. To avoid rejection he avoided people
altogether. He was a stranger to freedom, a prisoner in his own home. He yearned
for a better life. First though, there was something he had to do.
Having packed up his paltry belongings, Ylynliun traveled deep into the DarkWood
looking for his father. The DarkWood was where those wood-elves stricken with
disease or otherwise incapable of safely living among the other wood-elves were
banished to. Ylynliun was amazed that he had never been sent there, but the reason
for this apparent reprieve was likely his willingness to barricade himself inside his
home.
The DarkWood was frightening to behold. Full of trees so twisted that they were
believed to harbor wickedness in their roots, few dared enter these woods unless
there was no other choice. Ylynliun was not even sure his father was still alive.
Indeed, it was difficult to imagine that anybody could survive in a place this
dank. The trees seemed to lean in upon him as he walked down what was
likely a deer trail, seeming to reach for his exposed neck with their twisted finger-
like branches. Animals scattered ahead of his approaching footsteps, causing a
symphony of crackling leaves and snapping branches. At least, he hoped these
sounds were caused by animals fleeing.
As he approached what appeared to be a pool of blood he was sent sprawling by
a large creature. The two of them tumbled down a steep hill finally landing in a
pool of water. Ylynliun struggled to get out from underneath the beast, which had
apparently suffered grievous wounds as a result of the fall. As he scrambled out
from beneath the animal and stood up he realized that it was not an animal or beast
at all. It was a man, covered in pus-filled wounds. His father lie dead before him,
yet another example of Death following him.
"I was wondering when that old loon would finally die," came a voice from
somewhere above. Ylynliun scanned his surroundings, but saw nothing. "He's
been threatening these quiet woods with his disease for years. Hungry, he was.
Probably the reason he attacked you in such a manner. Ironic that he now lie
dead."
"I seem to have that effect on people." Ylynliun replied.
Chapter 3: The DarkWood Druid
Added Tue Dec 20 18:16:46 2005 at level 1:
He was a large man, but no portion of his skin was exposed. Everything was
concealed beneath his clothing. He was clothed in priestly robes, decorated in
various druidic runes, fashioned from animal skins and dried plants.
"Been a long time since I saw a healthy young man in these parts. Come, let us
return to my home and discuss what you're doing in my woods," said the druid.
Against his better judgment, Ylynliun followed the druid while providing a
brief review of what brought him into the DarkWood.
"Interesting story," said the druid as they entered a small clearing that was
impossibly warm and dry given that there was no sun or fire. "Perhaps I should
maintain a healthy distance if Death does truly follow you," said the druid with
a chuckle. "My name is Clinbethe, Keeper of DarkWood, Undead Druid of
the Moonless Night."
As Clinbethe formally introduced himself he removed the hood of his robe to
reveal his skeletal head. Ylynliun fell backwards off the log he had been sitting
on. A dry chuckle escaped the skinless lips of Clinbethe as he said, "Do not be
frightened boy, I mean you no harm. As you can see, I have been removed from
Circle of Life."
The complete story followed. Clinbethe had sinned against nature by turning his
back on it and embracing the evils of society. He had captured various exotic
animals and traveled with them to far and distant lands, charging a fee to city
dwellers who hoped to catch a fleeting glimpse of mythical beasts. The Mother,
infuriated by the transgressions of a person who had previously professed to be
her protector, stripped the hide from his bones and swept him up in a mighty
wind that deposited his undead form in the DarkWood. The only way to rid
himself of the curse was to appease the Mother and the Ancients by tending to
the needs of the DarkWood, never leaving its confines, and finding a student
who he could send forth from DarkWood to return the land to a pristine state.
Clinbethe completed his story by stating, "So you see, young Ylynliun, you
might bring me the sweet release of Death as well. I can only hope that the
omens surrounding your birth were right, for if they are, you are a godsend."
Chapter 4: Training Under the Undead Druid and Choosing a Totem
Added Tue Dec 20 18:17:53 2005 at level 1:
Ylynliun found training under Clinbethe to be very easy, likely because of his
wood-elven ancestry. Clinbethe focused Ylynliun's training on how Death is
both an end and a beginning. Before sending Ylynliun from DarkWood to
continue his learning and return the lands to a pristine state, he tasked the boy
with choosing a totem to represent his life and his quest. Ylynliun chose the
maggot.
"A rather intriguing choice, the maggot," Clinbethe said following the boy's
unusual choice. "I have seen a lot of things in my time, but I have never heard
of a young druid choosing a maggot as his totem. Perhaps you want to explain
your decision?"
Ylynliun thought about the choice for a moment. It had come to him immediately
and this was the first time he actually had to consider it. "The maggot represents
the transition point from Death to Rebirth. Flies often lay their eggs upon decaying
corpses and, as such, the birth of a new organism is closely tied to the death of
another. To my mind, the maggot symbolizes that crucial point in the Cycle most
closely."
"Insightful," Clinbethe opined, "If the maggot is to be your totem you might do
well to focus your future studies upon all creatures of this kind. The carrionfeeders
will aid you well, as closely tied to Death as you are. Seek them out, for they will be
your army."
With that, Clinbethe sent young Ylynliun from DarkWood to begin his quest to
return the lands to a pristine state.
Overview: The Maggot
Added Tue Dec 20 18:20:46 2005 at level 1:
Ylynliun's goal is to return the lands to a pristine state. His aim is to do this by
bringing Death to civilization and rebirth to Thar-Eris. Ylynliun feels a close
connection to the carrion feeders. This is because those who gain strength from
feeding upon the dead are intimately aware of how closely linked life and death
truly are. Because of his affinity for carrion feeders Ylynliun chose the maggot
as his totem. The totem, in his culture, is a symbol of his past, his present, and
his future, and encompasses his goals and the means through which he achieves
them.
During the earliest formative years of his life, Ylynliun was an outcast and a shut
in. He was a prisoner of his own home because to leave his home was to instill
fear in the hearts and minds of the other villagers. He was born under a number of
ill omens. His mother died in childbirth and his father contracted a terminal illness
only 13 days after Ylynliun was born. Because of this, he was called "The Child
of the Dead and Dying." It was thought that to be near the child was to invite
Death upon yourself.
OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Last name: Deinli. Ylynliun has no true last name. The village in which he was born
and raised was very close-knit and did not believe in creating separation between
families by giving them differing surnames. This fact made his being outcast all the
the more painful. "Deinli" is actually a made up last name that is the result of
collapsing the phrase "Death into Life" into one word.
Enemies: When it comes to allies and enemies, Ylynliun is very black and white.
You are either with him or against him. He believes that all weeds must be culled
from the garden and he places no more emphasis upon pulling one weed than
another. A weed is a weed is a weed. This stern and unforgiving approach stems
from the Mother's punishment of Clinbethe, which was both swift and unrelenting.
Interpersonal Style: Some might consider Ylynliun to be needlessly morbid and
dark. It is not that he leans towards wickedness, but instead is the fact that he is
preoccupied with Death and the wellbeing of his carrion feeder friends. Considering
he feels a deep connection with creatures such as maggots, vultures, and to a lesser
extent parasites and disease, Ylynliun is merely being true to himself and his totem.