The young elf, Skyler soon to take the Mali name Ysher sits in prayer at the peace shrine, for in a few elven hours she will take her oath to seal her as the Death Vigilant of Fate. The scent of pine-cones burning around her as she tries to pray for clarity of what all the recent events of the past two years have meant...
"Where did it all start?" she softly tries to remember, for to clear the mind you need to settle the past memories.
Two years ago, almost to this very day she remembers - leaving a tavern in Norland, a bit drunk at that and heading towards the north more. At this time, the trail was easy to get to as no blizzard had taken winter and time of day actually existed. There was no eternal night time to confuse even the smartest of travelers, it was peace to get there. She remembers now entering the city and seeing the keep burning, she had missed an attack on the city by hours.
The High Prince greets her, but doesn't mention any titles. He asks a question that to this very moment she ponders on "What has brought you to Fenn?" To her the answer is not simple, it was a feeling , a calling. How do you describe a calling to someone with out sounding mad? Yet she said just that, the Prince nodded and welcomed her as if she had always been someone he'd knew.
Days pass, and she remembers still feeling lost. She inquires about how she can be accepted given her past. At this point in her silent prayer she feels a small shiver, as she reflects on her past yet again. A 21 year old elf with no parents, and nothing to claim her own. A former bandit who had done unspeakable deeds, now wanting redemption in a land she just came to.. looking back she wonders why she was granted this new start. She was told to go to the birth shrine with an animal Sacrifice and pray.
She remembers taking a sheep there. They both stood there, she felt the sheep start to panic so she took her blade and did a fast slice to its neck to give it a mercy kill. There is no pride in allowing suffering when you can give mercy, she thinks on that action now.
She recalls the memory, tossing the head, the legs, the body, the heart, and the stomach into the flame piece by piece reciting prayers as she did each limb. This was her rebirth, she stayed at the peace shrine for hours after reflecting on her life...and thats when her path began
Trial 1: Birth
She was instructed to find an animal that can survive in the winter climate and raise it. She didn't really go looking for one, one found her. She remembers following a fox trail in the snow, seeing the footprints and then hearing a faint "Screow" noise. She lowered her bow, eventually losing the fox track as she got closer to spot the baby Screowl alone. No nest near by and it near death, she scooped it up and hurried to her room above the Fenn tavern where she stayed up for hours nursing it. She would name him Arawan, she remembers being told a story growing up, a fairy-tale have you of a god named Arawn who represented war, revenge and terror. She knew such stories not true but felt the name fitting for her new creature anyway.
She returned to her Prince months later when the animal was healthy and no longer a baby, to say her trial was done.
Trial 2: Peace
Go to a nation or culture and study them. Find out about their culture, religion, government and report back...in writing. This was the struggle as she didn't know how to read or right. What most could do easily she has an extra step. She recalls going to Yong Ping and meeting first a human she would become friends with Malta. Malta wasn't from Yong Ping but was one of the first people she saw there and has become a good friend of hers. They drank, and she ended up leaving the town for the night questioning if she was on the right path. She had a feeling when she woke up to return to finish her trial. And so she did, and she learned to write as best she could over time to document her experience. This trial was done
Trial 3: War
Hunt a predator and return. By far the easiest trial for her she recalls. Previously getting hurt in a group hunting tournament when she encountered a bear proved little issue when it came to this. She recalls trekking into the blizzard with one good arm, and her bow. She spotted a panther and climbed a tree, she saw. She remembers now using the tree to help steady herself and her bow with her good arm. She recalls the smell, the cold air hurting her face as the blizzard went on. Hook, Draw, Aim..Fire - the first arrow went through its neck. She would send 3 more into it before dragging it back and making a cloak from it.
Trial 4: Death
As she recalls this memory, she burns another pine cone, looking up from her prayer state as her mind is still not clear. She breaths in and resumes thinking
She remembers this night, being taken by Vytrek out of the tavern and taken to a lake near the Peace shrine where she was asked to get into until the coldness would over take her. This took hours to accomplish as when she entered the waters she prayed and meditated. Not once did she complain about the experience, not even as the waters took her and she passed out. She remembers waking and being asked how she felt....
Trial 5: Fate
At this point she had picked the Moniker of fate. Why? Because two years ago she was a troubled elf who lived the life of a former bandit who had just wandered into the north. Now she had a home, food, friends, faith. All through no direct actions of her own, it was almost like a destiny. Fate had brought her to where she is.
She was told no trial could be made for fate, as making a trial for such would be counter-productive.
The young elf, now 23 but still not as experienced as mostly everyone in Fenn was not at first happy by this. She had done so many things and now is being told there is nothing to do..to wait..to pray.
And so she did, she would pray. She would drink in the tavern as she normally would and she would now smoke. Having been in constant pain for almost a year after her bear incident she has gotten use to smoking, as it not only helps the chronic pain that doesn't fade even though she is healed..but it relaxes her mind. She now recalls the events of the previous elven day, she had finished smoking above the tavern and went down for some tea. She was having a conversation as normal but got a feeling, almost of impending doom. She fights it off and continues to drink. The feeling gets stronger and now its more than anxiety, she is seeing things in her mind. What she see's is unclear. She ignores it. Finally it becomes too much and she gives into the anxious feeling and leaves the tavern.
Despite a blizzard and a never ending night, her path clears for her. This is not to say the snow parted or stopped, it certainly didn't. She has a sight almost that lead her deep into the mountains with no issues on getting there. The weather, the night time, it all was there but her feelings pushed her past it.
She stops walking and see's a shattered stone on the floor with blood by it. Almost a corrupted stone. She hears voices and laughter as she picks it up. When she picks it up she is swallowed by a cobalt mist and she hears the voices louder. She hears the laughter louder. Finally a spirit reaches out to her and asks why she is there.
She replies that a vision lead her to this very spot and she wanted to know what was needed of her.
She would at that very spot have her first vision. She recalls seeing the men, children, women of Fenn suffering at the hands of an ethereal entity. She recalls more detail and how the first person she demanded to see when she returned to Fenn was Vytrek...her loyality to her new home sealed as she wanted to tell no one else but the person who saved her life two years ago by bringing her into the city and to where she is today...her high Prince.
Her prayers ending..
She rises, ending her meditation. All that's left is to take her oath and her trials are done. Understanding nothing more clear than Fate had brought her here, and that is her calling.