Zylai'a

Member created stories, poems, & other creative work.
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Mick
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Re: Zylai'a

Post by Mick »

Zylai'a can be heard offering a new song with most of her performances. People accuse her of spreading the doctrine, but if asked she merely states she has been inspired by the recent experiences of some of her friends.

Crossing Over

Anxious this road
Twisted, turning, muddied, and wet
Late the day grown
Seeking to seize one more rise ‘fore sun sets

At last you see
Gruff terrain give way to gentle valley floor
Soon lush will be
Life. Safe. Welfare and peace unfelt before

But Lo! A hitch
Which halts every boon and best laid plan
The road, that bitch
Has wound to that river what ‘waits each man

Late or early
This stream finds and helps define every trail
Marking surely
Marches most dogged it stops without fail

Whate’er the road
Was like before. Whate’er the eyes have seen
The next abode
Lies waiting beyond dark run’s peaceful sheen

And peace awaits
For all those whose wandering path allows
But other fates
Find souls with woven vice upon their brow

Facing black brook
Makes mute the noise of the restless track
Cannot help look
Back, along and within, where treasures are stacked

Too many fear
What lies beyond pales aside the road’s allure
And what’s held dear
Will ne’er be matched when the river’s crossed sure

But worry not
Ye who hear my strains or strive ‘long the row
Passage is bought
And current will bare your soul in the flow

Crossing Over
Something too often our minds will deny
Crossing Over
What those unprepared with each breath decry
Crossing Over
Without effort you will find it occurs
Crossing Over
Soon, for that road and that river are yours
Talk less. Listen more.

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Peter_Abelard
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Re: Zylai'a

Post by Peter_Abelard »

Zylai’a ‘s perceptions of what the Life is, lived on the knife edge of this city, adds so much to the depth of our little game, mick. And so beautifully wrought, too! I think your songs are getting even better, if that’s possible. Thank you for sharing her story, and your art!
Character arcs are sharp, pointy little things. A little blood may spill!

Now Playing: Luva Si'nede, Olivus Angustian
Past Characters: Valyar Floshin, Sarenna Irithyl, Millicent Riverstone, Dev Revels, Catarina Helms, Fenris Estelmer, Arryn Temple, Penrose Hawke, Kara Ravensfell, Arana Belecthor
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oldgrayrogue
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Re: Zylai'a

Post by oldgrayrogue »

Kiir listens to the bard's melancholy song. As it ends to the strains of her mournful violin he whispers to himself in elven:

"The moment of crossing is all that matters. The very moment."
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Mick
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Re: Zylai'a

Post by Mick »

Excerpts From The Weathered Journal Of Zylai’a Lorn-recovered from her scarcely lived in home.

Tonight we camp south of Daggerford. How father endured these wagons year in and year out is beyond me. The forest is quite thick here. Thick and quiet. Where he fell cannot be far. A more somber tune than usual tonight.

This place. This city of so-called Splendors. Long have I desired to look upon what my father spoke so fondly of, the place he felt the need to court so often. Now that I am here and can see and hear and taste it, I find it…disappointing. Something that took everything from me should be more impressive, I think.

I performed my first tonight in the city. It was well-received, but the venue was not honest. There was little sense of the pain that life brings. Only adventure and revelry and excess capture the attention of most here. I fear I will find it difficult to be truly honest in this place. The loss I feel…have most always felt…I very much doubt will be appreciated by this rabble. Perhaps one day they will feel such loss and understand. Then the music will find true meaning to them.

I have fallen in with some who find it easy to accept a lovely face. They are so willing to be deceived. Merely protesting their graverobbing has them arguing amongst themselves. One of the morninglord even defends me. That sliver of irony is too delicious not to savour. I very much think that I will dine on that dessert for some time. If only I could confront him regarding his false god of light. Perhaps he can be shown the truth. Still…he is very handsome.

Tonight, a blessing. She has seen fit to guide me to the abode of her faithful. I knew it by the…*section scribbled through* After descending into darkness, Her deeper darkness swept me up to Her temple. There I have found longing fulfilled, Her dark embrace. There I have met her voice in this city, Lord Moonstar. He has accepted me into the family of Her servants. His priestess eschews my other god, but Vanrak ensures me the alliance holds. For the first time since arriving, I have found a place for me. They even desire my truest songs and revel in the pain of my loss. Precisely as I would have it.

The warrior Kalo seems lost and in pain. He lacks direction. His heart may prove receptive.

Today, a service for those lost children. Truth of it, that memorial captures more of myself than it does those babes. It felt…right…to let that grief consume me. If only I could see grief find all of those who looked on. I must find a way to show them the truth.

I cannot accept what transpired this night. Gods, but the pain was intense. But not nearly so agonizing as the truth of this curse that has found me. That has been in me. A curse made worse by the lies of my father. The change that came on me was terrible. The humiliation of it, being seen as an animal by those others. Knowing that it sprouted from the enemy. I am not certain I can endure this indignity. Still, this may afford me opportunity to find that which Vanrak seeks. Perhaps the enemy will accept me as one of their own and show the way to the vault of stars. Still I fear to tell him. The shame is unbearable.

I was right about Kalo. His darkness was such fertile ground. Even more so after he fell tonight. She has returned him, though they all think it was me and my deception. Rarely have I felt more alive than after winning him to Her. I never knew a soul could be held and forged into something so physical and useful. Truly a fine day.

Today I spoke with the morninglord’s servant at the place overlooking the City of the Dead. That perch of sages is the highest place and he chooses to offer his apostasies to lathander there. It would have been so easy to push him from that perch, but I am not certain it would have killed him. Likely he would have only been wounded and he would know how much I despise his faith in his god. As my mind dwelled on it, the shadow of an idea came to me. He has faith, but in truth his faith seems fragile. Were he acquainted with loss, he might cast off his light for Her truth.

Troubling, this. Is my pull to him out of desire to bend him to Her…or merely out of desire? It is forbidden to hope, but I would like for him to be closer. Still, his faith will ever be an obstacle between us. How to wrest it from him…

Suddenly today, it seems possible. He has left her, that whore. The door is cracked open. His eyes seem only for me now. He continues to defend my deception. I try not to smile every time he does.

Another boon from Lord Moonstar. Tonight he suggested the dwarf Murgen had been to the vault of stars and that he was also wooing Her shadowy gifts. I will seek an opportunity to get to know him and test him.

The thieving dwarf seems receptive. He believes his discovery of the Vault was by chance. He will seek it out again, but he is interested in joining our fold. I am not certain I trust him. I will have to find some way to test him.

Last night I made love to Arryn for the first time. There, in his room, in the dark. In Her dark. The blending of Her and my seductions were too much for him. Truth of it, it was nigh unto too much for me. He seems utterly enraptured, but I want him closer still. Only his abandonment of his useless faith in light will allow for this. It struck me as we were one how I might nudge him away from the light. I will give it careful thought…

Murgen has his doubts, but I believe it a perfect plan. He will kill Donegal and the loss my love feels will cause him to doubt his faith. She and I will be there when he does. Then he will be completely ours. He will report back when the deed is done.

*over two tendays since last entry*

Damnable curse! It took me into the forest and it held me prisoner. A humiliation that it took so long for me to overcome the taint of that enemy bitch. I returned to the city to find that my love has fallen, predated on by those reptiles. Never will I forgive…so many things. My curse. My lack of control. His reckless enthusiasm. Most of all, though…the fact that he died in the morninglord’s faith. Losing him is made eternally worse by knowing that he rests forever with his damnable god.

Insult to injury now. Lord Moonstar has turned on me. I revealed the enemy’s curse within me and he erupted in anger, trying to kill me. This would have been dire enough, but it was compounded by being rescued by his sister, the undead priestess who herself serves the moonmaiden. Worse still, the thieving dwarf who walks in shadow betrayed me to her. That he sought to save me is the only reason he still lives. I can scarce abide this salvation. Loss I can withstand, embrace even, but how much further can I be humiliated? How can I live with this? Tonight I will focus on breath. Tomorrow the way forward.

I have decided. The Nightmaiden has not turned from me. Her servant here has. I will see him dead again and I will take his place. I will pray louder now to my first Lord, the Vaunted. He will grant me the tools, the path to power, and the allies to bring down both the Moonstar siblings.

My list of allies and those willing to help me grows. The blessings of the Vaunted are formidable. He has granted me the power to take life and I have put it to the test often. Work is underway on my new home. Soon we will take residence and research will begin in earnest to build my servants. I have had some most intriguing insights.

The Ilmateri wench has fallen. I wonder if she suffered and, if so, if she enjoyed it. She would have made excellent raw material, but too many eyes kept me from claiming it.

The ogres beneath the city wield dark powers. It seems some other power also drives them forward. With the deathly gifts they bring to bear, I suspect some knowledge there may serve me well. We will be going against them again soon.
Talk less. Listen more.

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jmecha
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Re: Zylai'a

Post by jmecha »

Well Done!
Current Characters: Aelenta Renvanith
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