From EncyclopAtys
!!!! WIP !!!! The last editing was from Lanstiril on 9.12.2019.
II.1 First vigil
Elea did not know how to take up the first vigil. But with a resolute step, she made her way to the fire in the back of the camp. She immediately recognized the voice of the guard which had become so familiar to her.
"Hey! The seamstress, come and sit here and tell us one of your stories."
And then, it all began. She no longer had to mull over. You had to get going.
"Hello, I am Eleanide.
β Blah blah, don't worry, all of them know you. They see you come and go in the camp and beware your pickaxe.
β OK! So, what you want to know?"
Elea kept her diary, of which she had reread some pages the day before.
"In the beginning, when you arrived, how was it going without Chiang?
β Whoa! Not yersterday's stuff."
β Which year was it?"
β Uh... Let's see *opens her diary, reads the date* in Germinally 2526. My mother left me on the Matis island thinking that I would better integrate considering the whiteness of my skin. During this first winter on Atys, I walked the Bark with great curiosity and discovered a territory where I was free.
I met Glorfindel and Ephemede, two young refugees with whom I was hunting.
"A Matis and a Fyros girl?"
β Fail! At that time on this island, Matis only were accepted at the reception, the other races were relegated on other islands with their races. Even guards and merchants were all Matis. And so we had access only to Matis craft.
β Oh? No thong-kirt? Nor shorts?
β Hu! Nay, only nun's gowns... sober, I mean. And Chiang was not there to tell us that it existed, nor to guide us, to help. Luckily, there was the beautiful Sithi in her violet outfit and some older, older refugees to watch over us newbs as we were then. I stayed on the island to discover foraging that I did not know at all. From where I came from a child could not access it. I discovered new techniques of magic and combat too. I watched the merchant's pretty outfits while Ephesus, more pragmatic, watched for the most effective weapons. *Hihi* One day she bought a pistol that was of no use to her, as no merchant and none on the island could craft ammunition.
β Oh! No launchers?
β Whoa, nay! Only old-school, as liked by Glorfindel: blows of sword and magic. One day Glorfindel and then Ephemede, more seasoned than I, set out for the continent leaving me alone to my apprenticeship. I then concentrated on the thorough discovery of the territory.
β Yeah... You farted around, that's it! Were you afraid to follow them?
β Pfff... I did not feel ready to join a bigger land and I was hoping my mother would come back. Then, on spring, I was called out "Are you Eleanide?" I answered "Yes." And the guard gave me a fold that I opened with haste, hoping it was from my mother, but I did not recognize the writing.
"Eleanide, bring your bottom to the mainland, stop daydreaming. It is not on the island that you will learn much. Join me in Yrkanis tomorrow, I'm waiting for you! " . And it was signed "Moonblades, your brother". Ah, here is the half-brother my mother had spoken me of and whom I had to join. I obeyed, and the next day, bundle on my back, I set out for the mainland. And that's how I got here. That will be all for tonight, a long day awaits us tomorrow. Night all."
Elea stood up leaving them to their barrels and chatting. On her way, she heard "night", "bankun".
II.2 Arrival in Yrkanis
Elea arrived near the fire where young people were already waiting for her.
"Hey, the seamstress, how was your brother?
β My half-brother? Well he was red-headed, Matis and he loved the desert. Well, yes, it's in the genes.*smiles*Uh, for throwing pickaxes ... *hihi* Nay, he hated foraging, so yes maybe he was throwing picks to get rid of them. Here we are? Everyone is installed?*passing the basket of cookies* So, let's resume my arrival in Yrkanis.
β Why did you get to Yrkanis and not Zora?"
β Ah, at that time, we were left with no choice: the Fyros came from their island by the desert, the matis by the forest, and so on.
β What?
β Well, yes, the guards on the island were stricter than they are now. When I arrived in town, I hoped to find Moonblades or my friends of the island. But no one I knew. I was looking for my brother's apartment, the address of which he had written on the letter addressed to the caretaker. Arrived at the bottom of her tree, his caretaker said to me:
"Sorry, young homina, your brother is not here. He left this for you." He handed me a purse and a fold which I hastened to read. "Eleanide, I went on a hunt with Damaa, my homina."
β Hu what? He did not welcome you?
β Hey, that's my half-brother! Not my mother. I go on: [colorbba=#fcf]"You should meet Tregian and Dante in town, I leave you a dapper purse for your expenses. See you tonight. Moonblades"[/color] Then I thanked the caretaker and visited the town. Suddenly a blond appeared in front of me.
"Are you Eleanide?" I thought it was Tregian or Dante, I answered yes and suddenly he proposed to marry me and give me a mount, saying the mount was beautiful and brave. Young I was... I ran as fast as I could, thinking he was a madman. I learned later that Tregian and Damaa, to get rid of this young Matis named Kaanor, had send him on my way telling him I was worth marrying.
β Roh... the smart ones!
β Running straight in front of me I bump in the stall of the tattooists and hairdressers. The hairdresser seeing me all ruffled, gently did my hair and offered me a hat.
β Oh, a hat? Are you talking about the Tryker hat?
β Yes, at that time, we could have everything." I chose the macaroons with pretty violet ribbons that were cheaper. I continued my visit. I discovered the palace, the officials, I noted everything on a plan to get my bearings. In the evening I returned to the entrance of the town. I found a redhead who presented himself as my brother, and a pretty Matis homina with green hair, Damaa, a great Matis homina with an axe, Tregian and a grumpy Tryker, Dante . We spend the evening at the bar, where I related my meeting with the blond. All of them laughed. We all dozed off on the bar. And we stop there for tonight. Night all.
β Banrund the seamstress."
II.3 Animi Limina
"Come on, let's set up around the fire, I brought cookies.
β And me some beer.
β Uh yes ... Bah gently, eh! We are there for your learning. So where were we?
β You met your brother and his friends.
β Ah yes. Dante, the Tryker, watched over me while I was training with the sword. The girls, meanwhile, made me visit the region in search of the small yellow dots.
'β Small yellow dots?
β Yes.*Elea laughed*We listened to know where we were needed. As soon as we heard screaming "Oucchhh!" or "I'm going to massacre you!" , we would go to heal the homin alone, often wounded. The more cute he was, the more points we got.
β What! You were grading?
β Uh yes, the homin had a grade between 1 and 10.
β Rhoo, you imps.
β That's how I learned to heal.*coughs*
β And your brother?
β Moon, he was behind me every moment, he taught me how to heal while staying safe, observing the mobs' rounds and sometimes rushing into the pile with my shield. We were a fine team. At fall Animi Limina was created "The Gates of Mind". Moon left the Ombres Atysiennes (Atysian Shadows) and his desert, Damaa and Tregian left Aegura.
β Who was the chief?
β There were none, we were all adults, all agreeing to be together, to help and to progress. Moon was with Damaa. They were cute, sometimes they bickered about who would do the dishes. They often ended up in Thesos under the waterfall to do the dishes together. *blushes* Tregian was with Dante. They preferred to take refuge in the Lakes, to discover the islands.
β Yeah... not only the islands that they discovered.*a guard laughs*
β They were preparing for their wedding, yes. As for me, I visited the forest, foraged at Towerbridge. The guild grew bigger with the arrival of friends: Ravenak, our darling, a nice fyros of the Ombres Atysiennes, who always signed his letters with "Kind regards" and who, poor man, tailored all my purple light armors, a homage to Sithi. Khouffou, chief of the Aeguras, a great friend of Moon, joined us too; he was a crazy Matis, when he saw a herd of mobs, he would jump on it and shout "Banzaiiii" , hence his nickname: the mad puller. From there, other Aeguras joined us: Xoian, Atom ... It was the time of the big powerful guilds in the forest, as everywhere. I was comfortable in Animi, far from the "12 Houses".
β What was that?
β The 12 Houses were 12 powerful ancient guilds that lived in Yrkanis. Haughty, disdainful Matis, sometimes imbued with their person, who didn't care about the little ones not following their ideas, like Animi. But we did not care, we grew up, we had fun, we learned and our melting pot of races disturbed but was recognized a bit at a time, not always for good *hihi*, I confess. Especially after the temples when everyone had to choose. But this is another tale, related to the temples and Elias. For now it's time for me to go dreaming about all those little yellow dots I've known. Night, guard.
β Banrund Elea.
β Banrund the seamstress.
β ....
II.4 The alliances
The circle was again formed around the fire and all were quietly chatting. Elea arrived, settled down and yet the question fell.
"Say, seamstress, the 12 Houses still exist?
β Nay, they don't since long ago. Together, they advanced, together they disappeared. They were powerful. Like the assembly of the Lakes with our friends the "Lames d'Aeden" (Blades of Aeden) with grampy Fei and his diapers and Nepherkan the most flattering, womanizing of the trykers I have known but not as perverse as Ulukyn who was watching under the petticoats. Oh, those imps, they were emptying the barrels of beer at FH's bar as fast as the bartender received them.
β What! At that time already the bar of FH was squatted?
β Well, yes *smiles* first-class boasters they were, they had to show the example to the new arrivals and to perpetuate the tradition *thinks of Kaon* In the desert also there was a pool, it was the Fyros Alliance among them extremists like the "RΓ΄deurs d'Atys" (Prowlers of Atys). Well! Kalbatcha was not an extremist, when one approached him *thinks of a Fyros who treads upon the Bark these days and who resembles him and smiles* . There were also the "Ombres des Kamis" (Shadows of the Kamis)... Ah, and others, more posed, like the "Ombres atysiennes" (Atysian Shadows) whose Moonblades was a part. Besides, it was at that time that I met Req, who crafted me medium armors for many small materials that I could forage. Bah, yeah, I was not quite seasoned. So, I also met Misugi, the second maddest puller of the Animi team.
β Why mad puller?
β Oh! smiles as she remembers the scene . The Animi often went hunting to the bridge at Thesos. Khouffou the go-getter would pull two occyx and Misugi pulled them too. So, they were enchaining. But suddenly the heal did not follow. Sometimes the healer forgot to care for them the time to recharge everyone *hihi*.
β The champions were your friends?" They were Kamis, nay?
β Oh, that's for sure, Meteer, their leader, was training them like kamis *laughs*.I still remember hearing him shouting: "What did you do? Walk around the lake twice with your heavy armor on the back" . At that time, we did not care of the cults but Animi was not always well-judged, as I told you. Thanks to Animi I was free to choose my craftsmen like Req or Caska and their average armors, or Meteer and his heavy armors and before him Molitor, or Misugi for his axes, and Tinigliath and Gemma for their jewelry, but even more so Omira and Mallo for their light armors.
β Old people who do not exist what?
β Yes, elders who have given way to young, like you. Besides, where are you with your crafts? *seeing that some dropped their heads * OK, I won't bother you with that. There was also a ZoraΓ― alliance with the "Compagnons des Kamis" Companions of the Kamis), the "Graines des Kamis" (Seeds of the Kamis) and the "Ordre des Questeurs (Order of Quaestors) but I was not dragging along with these blues, I sometimes saw quaestors including Schetana. They were hunting at the Void and I rather hunted at the Grove of Confusion.
β They were powerful?
β Yes. At that time on the outposts, the battles were tough and the fighters numerous. On the other hand there were only tin cans and mages on the fields.
β Tin cans?
β Yes, it's the nickname for the tanks, the warriors in heavy armor *hihi*. There was no shooter. We had not yet taken too much interest in this tactic. Those were fair, or almost fair *winks* battles, fights of honor, of peoples.
β Roh? No low blow? No surprise blows? Bah, it was crap, they had to get bored, the cans.
β All I can tell you is that I was already healing with bombs *hihi* and I was not yet used to throw pickaxes *smiles* . But I was watching and I know that there were yet agreements between guilds, dubious a bit sometimes. We'll stop there for tonight. Night all." Elea went to rest, thinking of all the negotiations she had heard when she lived in Yrkanis. In her wake she did not even hear the "banrund" anymore.
II.5 The calm before the storm
"Let's go! We settle down and get back. *smiles*
β Where ?
β In the past. So let's see we were... Err... *reads his diary* Ah yes in 2528, before the outposts.
β Bha, you did not say alliances were on OPs?
β Yes, but that was much later, after the construction of the temples in 2530. There we are in 2528, everything was calm, joy and laughter. There were parties here and there. As the first major raffle, organized by a famous villain, Holkan.
β Ah? How villain?
β There was a rumor that he was killing those foraging in Primes Roots. But I confess that I never suffered his wrath. He had sold 20k dappers the ticket. The lots came from different crafters, foragers. On the day of the raffle, in the Agora, each had two dice and the biggest number won the prize. Animi has got many sympathetic lots, especially weapons. In fact, this raffle gave Animi Limina the idea of ββmaking an auction of foraged materials. We all began to forage intensively, each in her/his preferred region and each according to her/his level. Moon and Damaa foraged at the Magic Source.
β Magic Source?
β Oh yes, that's true, this source no longer gives as much as before. It is located near Yrkanis, below, where one validates a foraging rite. It was possible to forage excellent Beng of quality 200.
β All year long?
β Yes all year long, whatever the weather. *smiles* Dantes foraged in Lakes and Ravenak in Desert. And me? Well, little forager that I was, I contributed with my forest foraging in the Bog, next to Wyac and its lickings. *laughs* We picked up a lot of materials to help the crafters to improve themselves. Everything was ready for our auction in 2530. Alas, the temples had just been built. We had to go on the OPs. *laughts*I still remember this cloud of homins on the back of mount rushing to the OPs to own them.
β What do you mean? Didn't you have to fight?
β The first time, no. But, thereafter, we had a long period of battles before the balance was reached and the instincts subsided. *laughs more loudly*
β Were the battles so funny for you still laughing?
β No. In fact, I was thinking about another auction that marked my mind.
β Ah?
β Yes, a Kara Matis named Beathnic put himself up for auction. Besides, many Matis hominas appreciated him, like Tregian, an Animi; and I think Beathnic loved to look at her. But it was Nikkou, a pretty ZoraΓ― homina of Harmonie (Harmony), a neutral guild, who won the pot with 9,302 dappers *rit*
β Uh... Most likely the dishes. *smiles*
II.6 My encounter of Shen
"Hey, seamstress, we wanted to know, did not you participate in the auction? Beathnic was yet not devoid of charm.
β Me? Nay, I only had eyes for Shenshantag at the time.
β Oh, who is he?
β He was a dark Matis of The Cercle (The Circle).
β How did you know him?
β Oh,*sigh* I met him in Davae's stable. At that time he was married to Eleanin, a beautiful and noble Obsidienne (Obsidian). I met him one day, proud with his crossbow. This is how I discovered range weapons that then were not fashionable. She looked like an Amazon with this weapon, the gorgeous Eleanin. I think that then she already wanted to travel, to see something else, to see other horizons...
β And Shen-whatshisname, how was he?
β When I met him, he was very obscure. He always had a Tryker with him, as Deed was once, whom he used as servant. He drank a lot of shooki liquor and sometimes stayed whole nights in his Yrkanis lab. He used to go out to hunt with his guild, his family, the Cercle des Profondeurs d'Atys (Circle of Atys' Depths).
β Karas?
β Yes.*smiles* Their leader Shaarm was gentle and firm. She was inspiring respect. She was a leader. As Lilithe was when succeeding her. It was better because there were pigheaded ones among them including Bouigyssimo, Kresselack. There were also great crafters like Mearthis and her jewels, and later Abyssandra, always accompanied by her guynouille even when she crafted heavy armors*laughs* and Shen and his amps. At the time of the Temples, their choice was to continue following Jena and especially her technology. They were welded, a genuine family.
β But Shen, if he was so dark, why were you with him?
β Ah, the heart has its reason that reason has not.*smiles* When one is in love, one is sometimes troubled or one accepts the other as he/she is.
β A bit like you and Oshi?
β Yes,*smiles* except that Shen at my touch was opening himself to others, to other ideas. He was trying to understand what I was seeing. He respected my friends even if they were his enemies. Besides, he some day offered flowers to Req.*laughs Bouille was to deliver his flowers to her. What he did, but with great caution.
β Ah?*not understanding her laugh*
β Yes, Bouille had to hold the flowers in heavy gloves so much thorns there were.*they all laugh* One day, Shen said to me: "Hey, I met your friend the Fyros on the OP... You know, the one who always says "Kind regards" by saying goodbye.
β Oh, Ravhoney?
β Yes that's right, Ravenak.
β Hope you didn't hit him too hard.
β Uh... No, no... He was healing Req, so she served me as a target.
β And he bursted laughing. Usually, I was asking Ravhoney or Misugi or Reqsweet to find out if Shen did not hit too hard and they answered me
"Don't worry, he also took." or "Don't worry, li'l Elea, he just tickled me." We all laughed and I left reassured despite the bruises and bandages I was seeing.
β Say, were you so naive?
β No, my friends were nice. I just made sure they were all right and that everything was fair. And then, sometimes, I avenged them.*laughs* I sometimes took Shen in Primes to escort me on my foraging. He hated that. He was bored.
β He was not foraging?
β Oulla! Shen, forage? *laughs* I made him do foraging in Forest to finish his training in amp crafting, and I even helped him finish his apprenticeship in heavy armor crafting with materials I foraged in Primes. All I foraged there was for him. Then he discovered the autolauncher. And that has been the beginning the end. His love for Fangfang took over and I transferred love to Bipbip, which I had just received from Makita, one of my protΓ©gΓ©s. There I go, it is getting late, the wake was long this time. Sorry. Do not delay to go to rest, there is battle tomorrow.
β banrund, seamstress.
To be continued
