World of V. Richlin

Spotlight on: Molly Riedlore

2012-02-10T19:56:00.004-07:00

Full Name: Molly Lynn Clark Riedlore
Birthday: February 15, 1991
Method of Creation: #1- Molly is my favorite name!

Creation Story:
Molly has been my favorite name since I began college because of a dear friend of mine. The more I fell in love with the name the more my mind screamed at me to make my own Molly. I had this image in my head of someone who was "fierce" with a unique aura to go right along with it. For whatever reason, I decided that she had an identical twin sister who had another of one of my favorite names and thus Molly and Michelle were written down in early 2009 just in time to become 2009 Newcomers.

Original character sketch, complete with a vague sketch of their looks.

I wanted Molly to be quirkier than anyone else up to that point so I took her (and Michelle) in a completely different direction than anyone else and observed them as they grew through their college years. Molly is definitely unique, even from Michelle. The two look almost exactly alike but Molly prefers her hair to be no longer than shoulder length whereas Michelle has hers longer. Both of them carry around huge backpacks filled to the brim with everything one could possibly imagine, earning them the "Go-To" title. From bandaids to a stapler, the twins have it all and are always there to help someone in need. Probably the most popular tools in their backpacks are wrenches (for fixing wobbly stands) and a variety of woodwind maintenance tools.

Molly speaks with a somewhat stuttery, jittery, and rushed tone unlike anyone else. She is quite curvy and somewhat busty and loves wearing fitted tees and skirts. She is also quite fond of bandannas to keep her scalp from getting burned in the sun and to help accessorize her somewhat hippie style.

Molly in a nice outfit with matching bandanna (or possibly headband).

Molly is also a huge fan of accessories and is in love with bracelets, rings, and necklaces. A lot of her style has to do with the fact that she desperately wants to live in Isle Del Akai someday and has dreamed of living there since she first heard about IDA in school. She is a Tarra native and has lived there her whole life until college. She is very down-to-earth and nature-savvy, loving nothing more than the beautiful forest. The only thing she could possibly love more is the coast, which is something she has wanted since she was a little girl.

Molly in a flowy tee with a slashed butterfly design (I really have a shirt like this!), bandanna, and flowy capris.

Molly plays the oboe and enjoys it very much. She loves her section so much and fit in very well, becoming fast friends with Winterwood and Kirby. Being an IDA native, Winterwood was able to answer all of Molly's questions and then some, and when Molly found out that Kirby was another person who felt like IDA was calling his name they too became fast friends. Their friendship quickly grew into much more than that and they quickly started dating. Before anyone knew it, they were married and are so perfect for each other that hardly anyone can picture the times before they were together! Molly also became fast friends with Cobra Vice, who is also an IDA native and fellow composition major.

Some More Quirkiness
One of the first things I did when designing Molly was I made her a major Runescape-player. She was extra cool because she had 99 Construction and Runecrafting. Her name is Sadie Sage and she is quite stylish. It was because of this that I didn't want to make her an ed major but with the way composition was going she became one anyway. Actually, when I eventually renamed my own Runescape girl Molly Musica, I gave her Molly Riedlore's looks.

Kirby and Molly's Story
Kirby, being a sophomore, was eager for marching band to start again. He played alto sax there and was looking forward to meeting the new freshman class. As the marching camp began, he noticed a very beautiful girl in the trumpet section. She had short black hair, a cute grin, and an aura that was very appealing and attractive to him. He kept sneaking glances at her and sometimes their eyes would meet. He was too nervous to talk to her and didn't have a lot of opportunity anyways but at lunch one of the early days he found Lesko Diamond and managed to talk to him for a moment. He asked about the cute girl in his section and learned that her name was Molly Clark and that she was a music major. When Kirby found out she was really an oboe player in disguise his heart skipped a beat! So was he! The reason he had found her so attractive was because her sense of humor and personality was a lot like his own. They officially met around the first day of school and quickly became best friends. When they found out they were both headed for the hippie island after graduation they just knew they were meant to be together and started dating very quickly in the fall 2009 season and got engaged that December. They were married the following summer. Today, they are known as Kirby and Molly and are almost inseparable. They are well known for their dramatic entrances into band and have gotten the whole section into it too.

The Riedlore Crest
Since they were going to be eventually moving to Isle Del Akai, they decided to get married there and legally change their last name. A big reason why they chose to do so is because Molly Law sounded quite strange to them. They couldn't decide on a last name that was more stereotypical like Rivers or Lightfoot so they decided to try and combine them with their own last name. They picked Rivers because it didn't start with L and it was the last name of Winterwood after she got married. They wanted to keep Law in their name and they came up with Riverlaw which they then translated into Keòen, making Riedlore which they both loved. When they found out Riedlore was the crest of one of the Eldins of Leena they were even more excited. So it began!

The Underground Comp Club
Molly really wanted to be a composition major and wasn't immediately deterred by the bad rep that Professor Stunn had gotten. She and Cobra were first-years at the school (though Cobra was a sophomore because he transferred) and upon their first experience with lessons they were immediately turned off enough to both quit and sign up for music education instead. However, they still wanted to do composition so they, along with Brenna Robinson Farrington, formed the Underground Composition Club, essentially teaching themselves how to arrange and compose. Since Brenna was a piano major, she was able to teach them how to play the piano and different techniques for orchestration. They met once a week, rotating houses, and were actually quite good. When the department chair, Dr. Hadry, found out about their private meetings, he was not upset at all but instead took it as a red flag, as Professor Stunn's teaching ability had gone downhill significantly. When Stunn finally quit in 2011, Dr. Hadry invited the three members of the UCC to participate in the interviews for the position. He is very sensitive to his students' feelings, especially since he began his career by entering into the tail end of Dr. LaBello's reign. With the hiring of Dr. Battistone the three of them immediately went back into composition although Molly was the only one to fully drop her other degree. She never wanted to do music education but did pass many of the qualifications and could probably get a teaching job regardless.

Molly Today
Molly has changed very little in the three years that she's been around. She's still very much a hippie and is still quite popular among veteran and new students alike. She still has her backpack full of everything anyone could possibly need and still enjoys playing oboe in band and trumpet in marching band. She loves her free time now that she is no longer an official ed major and is definitely one of the entertaining ones in the band and class. Probably the only major difference is that now her outfits of choice consist of black but colorful fitted tees and cargo skirts. Oh, and the fact that her last name is Riedlore now. :P

Molly with her cute freckles and round face plus dark tee.

Molly is quickly once again becoming one of my favorites and since I actually look quite a bit like her (she has my body, ahahaha!) it will be easy to dress like her. :P

Molly as she looks most of the time. :-)

Five Fun Facts
1. Molly has two sisters (Michelle, Jennifer) and two brothers (Taylor, Matthew). All are musicians!
2. Molly named her oboe Fernando and her trumpet Clyde.
3. Molly looks the most like me out of anyone I've ever written (except in the face, and apart from the obvious Avicile Mohaili).
4. Molly is mostly vegetarian but could never fully give up meat!
5. Molly is quite popular among the young (freshman) students as she is a sweet mentor to them.

Renita's Monologue

2012-02-02T18:18:00.003-07:00

Here I am. It's the beginning of February and I'm about to go to my future university for the first time to audition and tour the campus. I finally feel like I have control of my own life. Ciria and I will be staying with Robin and Ada at their house and I can't wait!

I guess I'd better start back at the beginning. I'm the middle of three kids, all controlled viciously by my overbearing and strict parents. If anyone looked up "living through their children" they would see a picture of the Gealy family. I've always, even since I was little, felt like I was adopted or put into the wrong family because while my brother and sister faithfully did all they were forced by our parents I always felt it was wrong. I'm stubborn and as I've learned it's not the negative thing that they tried to wring from me but it was the rock by which I finally launched myself away.

My entire life was mapped out for me, mostly by my strict and fearsome father. I happened to like some doctor set I had as a child and from then on my parents decided that I was going to be a doctor. At first I went along with it because I thought I liked it. I made my parents proud and they supported me. However, by the time I hit my teens I slowly realized that I was doing medicine for all the wrong reasons. I somehow convinced my parents to let me take band in elementary school and realized that music was my passion and that it was so much greater than being a doctor had ever been. Though I felt happy doing medical stuff I had a new feeling when I played music. My parents made me go to a medical charter school when I was 12 though and I couldn't do band anymore.

It was at this point that I realized I only wanted to be a doctor because my parents were making me. Just before my 7th grade year was over I went to the counselor's office. My perfect grades were still intact but my interest had slipped so much that I was depressed and couldn't do it anymore. After a huge fight with my parents about it, in which I'm not even sure how I managed to break their wall, I was sent back to the regular middle school for 8th grade where I again took band, having kept up with the trombone in secret. If I had a coin for every time that my family tried to talk me out of playing trombone I would have had enough money to bust out of this miserable place within a year.

My parents, mad that my stubborn side had actually challenged and subdued them, didn't support me at all in my musical endeavors. I had to get rides from my friends to get to concerts because they wouldn't even drive me. They were pushing to get me into the good medical programs in high school but I held my ground and tried to resist. Eventually, I gave up and spent two hours a day getting bussed to a special campus to do medical training. I still managed to keep my grades up and do band on the side, although it was very difficult. I didn't have many friends at all and was absolutely miserable.

Throughout all of this time I managed to track down my aunt Ciria (my mom's sister) who had been kicked out of our family several years ago for not going with her parents' plans for her. She disappeared from all family related things and I just so happened to finally find her number and call her. We talked for hours and she gave me the reassurance that I was indeed doing the right thing. She even promised me that she would help me in any way that she could and that whenever I finally had enough and ran away from home (we both knew it was inevitable) she would welcome me with open arms. She paid for my high school band expenses and showed up at every music event of mine.

My father got increasingly more angry with me and he got scary at times. I thought he was going to beat me up. He never laid a hand on me but his words certainly did their damage. He'd try to manipulate me and it was only due to my gift of aura that I could withstand it without falling into chains. He threatened many times to kidnap me from music events and I had to attend everything while living in fear of what he would do to me. Somehow I managed to make everything work and keep my stupid high marks so that my parents could brag to their richy-rich neighborhood how perfect their family was.

The kicker finally came shortly after I turned 18. By then I'd had a job for 2 years and worked my butt off saving money for a car and to live on my own. With my own car came freedom to do more things. I lived in fear of my parents ruining my car but thankfully they never actually did. My senior year started and I was supposed to be filling out the form to go to AMU. Little did they know I ripped up the form after filling it out. They somehow trusted me with mailing the letter myself which gave me the perfect opportunity to hide it away. I instead applied for a normal school with a good music program as far away as I could. I got accepted at all of the schools I applied for and obviously didn't get accepted at AMU because I never turned in the forms. The consent forms were signed by Ciria. My parents finally found out on December 23rd, launching the biggest fight yet. Over the past few months I'd been ever so slowly packing up my things and taking them to Ciria's house a town over so that I wouldn't lose anything I cared about when the day came. They saw the letter from AMU saying I missed the deadline. I was so scared of being physically injured and there was a definite battle of words. Finally, my mother looked me in the eye and calmly said, "You have one hour to get out."

To me it was the best sentence I'd ever heard in that house. It still stung a lot but I was finally freed. No more picking my schedule for me. No more being forced to compete in things to being home trophies that my father prized over me. I calmly walked to my room, gathered the rest of my things (leaving all evidence of trophies, ribbons, and medical school things behind) and got in my car, leaving my house forever. When I got to Cyria's house I walked in without knocking, suitcase behind me, and saw her sitting on her couch. We made eye contact and 18 years of holding in any frustration and anger suddenly erupted from my soul. I've been physically unable to cry for years and here I was sobbing in my aunt's arms. She didn't even have to ask. She knew that I had been kicked out. December 27, 2011 to me is one of the most important days in my life. I haven't been able to cry since that day either. No matter how much I want to, tears don't come.

My estranged parents were kind enough to mail me all of my documentation like birth certificate and all of that legal stuff. They would have paid for my schooling in full if I had gone to AMU but I know Ciria's story and it's already making a difference in my life, as I'm able to do things right the first time without the pains of having to figure it out later down the road. Ciria, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for walking this path first. You were so brave. Thank you for charting these waters so that I wouldn't have to. For the first time in my life I was able to sign up for classes that I wanted to take. Having attained every credit necessary for graduation almost two years ago this semester is so very easy. No more medical school class, no more math, no more anything. I get a free period at the end of the day which means that I can go to work earlier and get more hours in. I'm still graduating with honors although I'm not walking. I don't even care. Every day when I go back to school I remember all I went through to get here. I do have a class ring which is a tangible reminder of my struggles.

This next Saturday, on 11 February, I'm going to Knywd with Ciria to audition for KU, the college we have decided on. I found it through my friend Robin, known to me as "12obin St00d." We play the same online game together and I found him a long time ago while cutting magic trees at the witch tower. We found out we both played trombone and became friends. As we talked our friendship deepened and I ended up being a member of his clan, Sno Gang. Around the time we became really close friends I began to open up about my situation. He's the one who suggested I apply at KU, which I did and it ended up being the best option for me and Ciria. When I got kicked out of my house I called him on Skype and got to talk to him. He's so sweet and we'll be staying at his house for three days come next Thursday. It'll be a long train ride but we're both excited to go and both of us are looking forward to meeting 12obin St00d and Antoine Reba in person!

Here's to peace.

From the Pen of Mera Visi {Iaso's Death}

2012-01-29T17:42:00.004-07:00

Translated from Keòen to Kevian by Lore Hieldin

One September the 2nd, in the 51st year of the reign of Kalo Freloch [1171]

They say that some of the best artists are the ones with the shortest day.

I've always known that the sun of life is setting much faster on my friends than me. Being a Terabikai, I know exactly when the sun will set on my life and I oft forget that the same knowledge does not hold true for anyone else except the Eldin. It further confirms to all who know me that Terabi and Osai both do not disclose everything that is to happen.

It is with heavy heart, on behalf of all of Leena, that Iaso Montàlo, son of Seo Montàlo, has gone the way of the sun in the very early hours of this day. He left his house sometime in the night, unaware of his surroundings and only in the company of his mind so awry, and ran down the rocky coast straight into the Mor Kean [Cayan Ocean]. It was along this abrupt and deep shore that his life ended and he was finally freed from the unsound mind that had caused so much pain, fear, and darkness to befall himself and all those around him.

In the early hours of morning he was discovered missing. Akèli looked all over the house and went down to the anvils, all the while hoping that he would be there, but knowing deep in her heart by the aura of Terabi that he was no longer on the earth. Both Kalo and I awoke from horrible dreams and knew in our hearts as well that something grave had happened. As soon as Akèli ran to my house with Kalo behind her, clearly distraught, I knew that Iaso had died. They did not know where he was but there was a certain eerie feeling of a soul gone from earth that all could feel. We immediately sent word throughout Leena that Iaso had gone missing and everyone that was able immediately set out to find him.

It was Ehry Freloch, the old woman who tended to the baths of the Ried Bhroch who found his body, safely resting on the sands of the coast, looking as if asleep, a look of final contentment on his wearied face. As we heard her cries and came running, I realized two things: firstly, that he was gone, and secondly that Terabi was the one who had laid him there, careful that his earthly shell would remain reverent and not lost at sea. I would later discover this to be Iaso's last wish-- that his body would be visible and in perfect form, not disfigured by the waves of the sea. By Kalo's vision, Iaso had left his home in the night shortly after all had gone to bed with the intent of going to the anvils but had again been overtaken by his broken mind and had run about a mile west, through the shallow waters of the Ried Bhroch, and down the grassy embankment to the small bit of shallow coastline that bordered the sharp cliffs of Dahsir. From here he entered the waters, still running without thought, past the point where the shallow waters suddenly drop. Still having no light, the waves and currents swallowed him up and it was at this place that the sun set on his life.

As those who were close to him arrived upon the scene, the cold aura of tragic death loomed above their heads. Knowing I could see him whether he was alive or not, I managed to hold my composure until Iaso's three children were brought down by their grandfather. It was then that Akèli ran to them shouting "He's gone! He's gone and he's not coming back!" Upon hearing her pained words and feeling so clearly of her grief and shock, the full realization that one of my closest friends was gone struck my all at once.

As she ran to the earthly shell of her husband to have a moment with him, I excused myself and fell to my knees, appearing in the comfort of the Realm. I stood, not entirely sure where to go. A feeling crossed my heart that I should go to the Gatherer's Hall and almost immediately I felt the unmistakable aura of Iaso, knowing that he was already there. I arrived seconds later and ran somewhat blindly towards the Hall of Windows. As soon as I reached the gardens however I saw him. There, to the left of the path, just in front of the marble steps leading inside the palace stood Iaso Montàlo. He had been restored to a state unmarred by his illness and his eyes twinkled as he looked at me with a soft, knowing grin. For the first time in my life, and for the first time in a long while for him, he was filled with life that flowed from him with no carnal restrictions. He stood tall and trim, his hands outstretched, and as I stood about ten measures back he bade me come forward. All sadness of his passing from earth left my heart and we ran towards each other, embracing and rejoicing in the perfection of his soul.

It was a while before I could speak, as I was overcome with emotion- gratitude that I was a medium and could visit anyone at any stage of their existence, sadness that nobody else had this power, happiness that Iaso was finally freed from his ailment, and riddled with questions. I started with the ones I knew that his family would want to know. He started by confirming what Kalo had seen and then began to answer all I could think to ask. The most comforting answer was to my question of if his death hurt. He smiled and simply stated:

"I didn't feel a thing. The last I remember was arising to finish some art pieces and then an immense vision to conquer the sea. The next thing I know, I was still and I could hear the hum of life itself. As I arose I was at first panicked and somewhat angry, realizing that I had died. However, almost as soon as I realized where I was, Terabi himself came to greet me. He knew of my state and calmed me, bidding me rise. I asked him to please place my body on the shore where it would be found undisturbed and he did so. Then he led me into the Realm of Aura where he knew it would be my desire to meet you here. While we waited for Leena to discover me dead I was treated to Gatherer's Hall and got to see wonderful art of mine and others and even got to read some literature to help piece my life together from the perspectives of others. Though my heart aches for my wife and children, being here feels as natural as life itself and I have never felt so free. Please tell them all of these things when you leave and tell my wife that I love her so much and that I will visit her through the Realm of Dreams."

I have been so fortunate as to remember these details clearly and have been able to write them down to look back upon. After we talked for a while I bade him farewell and returned to earth where I was again faced with the grief of an entire country in mourning. It is now late at night. Naidel and Jeffrey are both awake and weeping at the loss of such a treasured friend and artist. I have repeated the words which Iaso spoke to me to his lovely Akèli which has brought her some peace and comfort. A funeral pyre raft is being built and the earthly shell of Iaso lies in slumber in Dahsir Castle. It is common tradition, carrying over from our Catin cousins, that those who were inhibited by carnal defects are burned on a pyre to release their pure soul. Since he died at sea he is going to be burned at sea in a full, reverent, and loving ceremony.

To my dearest Iaso Montàlo, who has gone to the Realm of Souls much too soon at the age of 33, you will be forever loved and missed by all that knew you. Also, though nobody else could know this but me and Kalo, I even saw the ghost of Aranel among the rocks, grieving with everyone else. She will miss you most of all, as it will be a long time before she can see you again.

In loving memory of Iaso Eahron Montàlo, born on one 7 March in the 18th year of the reign of Kalo Freloch [1138] in Carohir, Montàlo and who went the way of the setting sun on one 2 September in the 51st year of the reign of Kalo Freloch [1171] in Leena, Freloch.

By the ink on this page we will visit oft.
Love,
Mera Visi

Lyonal in the Spotlight

2012-01-28T15:05:00.002-07:00

Sometimes I find surveys on the various blogs I follow that parents give to their kids during certain times of their life. I want to do this with my own kids someday. All of these just scream LYONAL DIAMOND so here are some of the things he would say as a 13-year-old 7th grader.

My favorite food is: popcorn.
My favorite color is: yellow!
My favorite sport to play is: gymnastics.
The best show on television is: paramedics.
My current favorite song is: Postcard. (it's a PIECE not a SONG!)
The Coolest person on Earth is: Terabi.
My favorite thing to learn about in school is: music.
The thing I do most awesomely is: back flips off the board.
If I could go anywhere in the world, I would go to: Isle Del Akai to surf.
When I grow up I'm going to be a: musician.
The book I'm loving right now is: A Certain Mr. Fay.
Three words that describe me are: unique, special, tall.
When I was little, I used to: sneer my lip.
My favorite season of the year is: autumn.
The absolute best thing about middle school is: taking band!
The snack I like best is: popcorn.
One food I really dislike is: bananas.
My best friend is: Tony Kelson.
If I had one wish, it would be: that my brother didn't have to live with this dumb disorder.
My best memory is: watching my siblings get married.

1. What is something mom always says to you?
Ki amu tu, ki'n kalaia masiro! (I love you my young son)

2. What makes mom happy?
Singing to her in the car, getting errands done for her.

3. What makes mom sad?
When she remembers her past.

4. How does your mom make you laugh?
She is witty.

5. What was your mom like as a child?
Sad, a lot.

6. How old is your mom?
44.

7. How tall is your mom?
Taller than my dad.

8. What is her favorite thing to do?
Play piano!

9. What does your mom do when you're not around?
Teaches piano lessons and calls her adult children.

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
Being the mother of an Osanokai. Oh wait...

11. What is your mom really good at?
Teaching piano and object lessons.

12. What is your mom not very good at?
Speaking Kevian. She doesn't like to.

13. What does your mom do for a job?
Teaches piano lessons.

14.What is your mom's favorite food?
Smoked salmon.

15.What makes you proud of your mom?
She overcame her past.

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
I don't know.

17. What do you and your mom do together?
We knit.

18. How are you and your mom the same?
We are both tall.

19. How are you and your mom different?
My mom has black hair. Also she's a woman.

20. How do you know your mom loves you?
She is there for me.

21. What does your mom like most about your dad?
She said "hi'n leomira" (his calm head. it doesn't translate well)

22. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
Tarra.

Stuff Airi Hieldin Sorela Says

2012-01-23T23:28:00.003-07:00

In the same vein as those popular "Stuff [X Demographic] Say," here's a perfect place for Airi quotes!

On High Clarinet Playing (for context, here is the piece she references!)

“The first time I heard it, I found it impressive. The second time I heard it, it was all right. The third time I heard it, I wanted to rip my hair out and take an ice pick to my ears.”

(was it bad?) “No, it wasn’t bad! It was superb playing… It’s just the sort of thing you can only enjoy once, like scratching an itch. After that, it just hurts."

Random Classroom Advice
“Listen! This will change you for the better. This will help you when nothing else works. When you’re struggling with Ear Training homework and cannot figure out what to do… Remember: Today is the first day of the rest of your life!”

“Enjoy this Thursday. It’s the only one this week you get!” (she says this a lot according to her class)

At Lunch With Mildred Oswald (a voice student)
“Do you want these fries? They taste like potato.” (she was kidding)

Airi on Language
(a group of people [Lesko’s gang] walk past Airi as she is leaving the office. She turns to them and talks for a moment. Then, she is suddenly deep in thought)
Lesko: “What’s the matter, Airi?”
Airi: “Why do we cook bacon and bake cookies? The Kevian language is strange…”

Airi on Mischief
(Airi is upstairs chatting with some students. She sits down and gives one of her students advice. The topic turns to mischief)
“I was a young woman once too, quite mischievous in fact. One day, I arrived at school at the same time as Silanu always does and there was hardly anything to do as it was so early. While he was studying in the library I went out and locked all the bathrooms on the ground floor from the inside and then climbed out! They never caught me.”
(They all drop a lung laughing. Finally a student asks a question)
Student: “Does your husband know?”
Airi: “Oh yes, he knew it was me but he waited until after school to laugh about it.”

Airi on Death
(Having dinner with her brothers)
“It’s weird that you’ll reside in the Realm one day…”

Us Both??

2012-01-21T21:20:00.003-07:00

I am very happy to announce that not one, but both of the ladies of the Diamond-Latham house are expecting!

I've known for weeks (call it my instincts) but haven't bothered to look until now. Rebecca hasn't been feeling well the past few days and we finally went to the store to get those cute little sticks of anxiety. Knowing already what mine would be (and the test didn't disappoint) we awaited the results of Rebecca's with nervous excitement. When we saw that little plus we both were ecstatic! We eagerly awaited the arrival of our men and the babies and had arranged a treasure hunt that they loved solving. At the end, inside the pillows on the couch, they found the letters used to spell out the words they both wanted to hear: "We're both expecting!" The look on Eric's face was priceless!

I'm so excited to be pregnant alongside Rebecca! Our littlest ones will be the same age! How neat! She's probably further ahead than me based on our little math but we'll have the details after our appointment!

Happy as always with news like this,
Avicile Mohaili Diamond

Your Mom

2012-01-15T00:56:00.004-07:00

Sometimes, I dive so deep into the lives of my peeps that I can see their parents. Here's a short collection of some of the parents of my favorite little stars:

Elwin Lochgren, the father of Moira and Severin Lochgren.
I pictured him as a total stereotypical Lochgren with light, curly hair and a cheery face. He works as a ferry operator and constantly sails the 12 miles from Leena Eithre-Resa to Taleah and back.

Tania Balthòr Lochgren, mother of Moira and Severin Lochgren.
I pictured her as being outgoing, caring, and unique in her fashion. Her trademarks are her very short black hair and her love for the color purple.

(all 4 Lochgrens can be found mentioned in this chapter)

Meadow Delmont Rivers, mom of Eagle and Falcon Rivers.
I immediately pictured a part-Catin woman with very long, straight, black hair as the Rivers' mother. She is sweet and crafty, working at the local apothecary in Port Rose with her twin sister. The boys look like their father and their little sister, Phoenix, is the only one that looks like Mom!

Baxter Lightfoot, father of Winterwood (Rivers), Jaguarondi, and Moonbeam Lightfoot.
Baxter is the band director of Port Rose High School and has successfully convinced almost every member of his and the Rivers families mentioned in this blog to join band. Because the Lightfoot kids are a hefty part Rakian, I gave Baxter the Rakian features like a broad nose, springy straight hair, and large dog-like eyes.

Ashlan Sorela, the father of Aratan and Aulivar Sorela.
Ashlan is the son of S. R. Sorela and Airi Hieldin and I picture him with his father's eyes and his mother's smile. He looks very much like his father, especially with his equally long, black hair. He of course works in Sothrey Tavern as an innkeeper and musician.

Though not a father himself, I couldn't resist. This is Aulivar Sorela, the youngest son of Ashlan, dressed in his school uniform long coat. I'm excited to see what happens as he grows up!

Spotlight on: Carey Nihael

2012-01-12T23:15:00.005-07:00

Full Name: Carey Alfred Nihael
Birthday: February 28, 1993
Method of Creation: #3- He's Kenyon's son! His name again comes from method 2 because he is named after Carey Idle.

Creation Story:
Almost as quickly as Kenyon jumped into the story pages so too did his son. I thought that the name Carey would fit perfectly here and have always liked the name used for a boy and wanted someone to make the name more convincing to me. I toyed around with Carey's age, first making him a young child of about 7 or so but ended up liking his name so much that I did some math and realized I could put him down as a senior in high school, making him a 2011 Newcomer.

Carey as a Newcomer

I set off to incorporate him into the Lochgren Series, since he would be hanging out with Moira quite a bit at school but originally thought of him as some kind of aloof guy. I'm so glad I was wrong. I had no idea that he would end up being one of the main characters of the Lochgren Series, appearing in most of the chapters, by becoming one of Moira's best friends. From there, he quickly shone through as a genuinely caring and sweet guy who had a quirky side to him. He was a perfect addition to the oboe section and within weeks nobody could even remember the times before him there. He looks only so slightly like his father but is following in his musical steps. With a dad like Kenyon, whose best friend is Dr. Sorela, Carey is no doubt very close to him. Dr. Sorela is Carey's godfather and Carey calls him Bhren-meiro, a Keòen term of endearment along the lines of Papa or Grandpa.

Carey, age 18

A Short Bio:
Carey loves to tell people he was born in Kaytue, even though he only lived there for barely a year before moving to Tevernid where he lived for 8 years. Right before he was about to start 4th grade he moved once more to Pathreeah where he spent the remainder of his school years. Sometime after the final move, Carey was able to play a musical instrument of his choice in the elementary school band. For years he told his father he wanted to be just like him and play the oboe. After making absolute certain that Carey wanted to play for himself and not only because of him, his dad gave him his very own little student model and began teaching him lessons.

Carey describes his first encounter with his favorite little Obby as his father handing over his own instrument one day as he practiced, saying "Go on, give it a honk!" The rest is history. Carey went through middle and high school as a band geek and was immensely talented and driven. He loved to play and begged his father to teach him reed making so that he could handle anything on the fly. He also gave his school friends mini-lessons and tips to help them play, never keeping secrets about playing to himself. He was known in high school for always wanting to share his talents with anyone who asked and was the opposite of stuck-up.

He met a handful of his future section mates during his college audition and fit right in. He was a perfect counterpart to Kirby as they sat in band on the first part and often traded solos for fun. He quickly became a favorite of teachers and students alike and was always sunny and upbeat. All his life, people often joked that his name was perfect as it was full of care.

A sketch done during class one day...

Five Fun Facts:
1. Carey can speak some Keòen and is learning lots more, being friends with four Keòen speakers!
2. Carey is the oldest of five. He has two brothers and two sisters: Justine, Johannes, Alicia, and Nick. He is very close to all of them, despite being 11 years older than Nick.
3. One of his closest friends, Jalen Matthews, is several years younger than him.
4. Carey is Moira's best friend.
5. His home nickname is Carey-Q, based off the misconception that his middle name is the same as his father's.

Spotlight on: Cobra Vice

2012-01-11T17:23:00.007-07:00

Full Name: Cobra Sethery Vice
Birthday: November 30, 1989
Method of Creation: #3- He was just a quick sketch on paper that I never expected to flesh out!

Creation Story:
Cobra can easily be traced back to a picture I drew of Eagle Rivers way back in the day. Eagle was the drum major of his high school marching band, along with two others. I drew a quick sketch of these three, naming the other two Cobra Vice and Lion Stallion.

Cobra on the left, Eagle in the middle, Lion on the right

Cobra took form as a tall boy with a pointed face, deep-set eyes, and a very prominent widow's peak. His hair is sort of based off of a teacher I had that had a ponytail that revealed a flat-cut style during the 5 seconds he would wear it down when he adjusted it. It's semi-curly although on Cobra it became black and not a dirty blonde and Cobra always wears it down. It's combed back and although the waves make it springy, it isn't frizzy.

At first, Cobra was mostly Raellian by race, with other races mixed in since he's a Red Islander. Like most who live in IDA, Cobra has an animal name. Years later when Jadali really made it onto the map I realized that Cobra looked just like a Jadali-Kiillra (can't deny it with that widow's peak! haha) and it became settled: he has a 2nd-generation Raellian father (Jacoria Vice) and a (pure!) Jadali-Kiillra mother (Selda Hieldin) from Cobh de Via who always felt like the hippie life was the life for her. Cobra is an only child and was born quite a while after his parents met and were married. His middle name, Sethery, is the Keòen word for snake which further complements his first name.

The things I knew about Cobra were limited. Being a drum major, he was obviously into music and ended up playing tenor sax (probably in tribute to the same guy that he got his hair from). He was in the same grade as Eagle (HS class of '08) and was a good friend of not only Eagle but his brother Falcon and Jaguarondi Lightfoot (twin brother of Eagle's wife Winterwood). Cobra's circle of friends included Jag, Falcon, Eagle, and Blackbear Kye Moonset- a pretty famous young man of his hometown. When Eagle had his near-death experience in late 2008, Cobra's family hosted many of the visitors in the hotel that I realized they owned. He went to Kesly Coastal University for his freshman year of college but somehow Eagle and Jag convinced him to join them over at KU and he did so, taking the tenor sax spot in band and majoring in music ed. Probably the most adorable thing that I knew about Cobra was that he has a lisp. I didn't even connect that to the fact both of his names mean snake; it just happened that way!

When Cobra made the big move from his coastal town of Port Rose to the bustling city of Kennywood many more things happened. With the realization of Haven Henley and her story of arriving in Kiillaana from Catarika with her cousin Cedric somehow the two connected and began dating. Haven was well known for being one of the only people who could read Cedric's expressionless face (making her strongly of Terabi) and it was quickly realized that Cobra had that ability as well, connecting deeply and quickly with Cedric. Somewhere along the line, Haven and Cobra got engaged and were married shortly after Cedric's death in 2010. Sometime after that, Haven became pregnant with their son and he was born on a very significant day, February 7, sharing his birthday with both Cedric and Haven. Cobra and Haven took this as a sign from Terabi and Cedric that their heartache and struggles were known.

Cobra and Haven's son is named Sidry Phoenix Vice (first name sounding like Cedric and also being a form of Sethery, middle name symbolic of being reborn) and looks a lot like Cedric but also quite a bit like Cobra. He is currently almost a year old.

While Cobra isn't as prominent as many others he is still very unique and part of a storyline that I will probably write about someday. Currently, he is getting ready to student teach at Lionel High School next school year.

Five Fun Facts
1. Cobra is very nature-loving. He gets it from his Hieldin blood!
2. Cobra is strongly of Terabi and has the gift of reading people.
3. Cobra loves conducting.
4. Cobra hopes to move back to Isle del Akai and become a band director.
5. Cobra is introverted but very kind and helpful always.

Rodney in Narrative

2012-01-10T17:13:00.003-07:00

Below are three very old narratives, completely unedited, about the life of Rodney Savage. Enjoy!

"Rodney"
Written 31 August, 2005
…She turned the corner and there he was, in the same spot, wearing the same clothing that he was described in. He looked and acted almost exactly like he was described. He was lying down with his back propped up against the wall, his hands hidden by the pocket of his huge, oversized, white sweatshirt. His left leg was stretched out, threatening to trip any person who wasn’t paying attention. His right leg was bent, his right foot next to his left knee. His pants were extremely baggy, but to Avi, they looked very comfortable. He had on a pair of white skate shoes with fat, white laces. Oh, how all his clothing looked comfortable and warm in this cold January winter. He had on his hood, as he always did, but she could see the side of his face. His dark brown bangs were gelled and spiked forward, and his beautiful blue eyes were made even more powerful by the permanent scowl he had when listening to his music or thinking up lyrics. He had no grin or frown, his lips were in a look of concentration.

She noticed that one of his fingers was tapping to a beat, probably to the music that was blaring through the headphones. He did not seem to be really looking at anything, just stuck in thought. As she watched him from afar, she noticed the three, and only three, people that he hung out with. The guy to this man’s left was lying on the floor with his head on his binder, solving a 4X4 Rubik’s Cube that the boy to the young man’s right just scrambled. Avi realized that this was William, the nerd of the group. The two boys on the left were playing a game of cards. The one not facing the young man was the only one not wearing the large, baggy clothing. He was wearing jeans and a T-Shirt. Avi knew who this was, it was her cousin, Jayce, a great drummer, and the talker of the group. The boy facing Jayce had his hair in dreadlocks and was talking about what had happened in Math class. This was Steven Jones, better known to everyone as Ghost.

As Avi watched, the young man that she had been watching turned, and his eyes met hers. It was odd, but Avi could not look away. Neither could this young man. She managed to smile shyly and wave before dashing down the hall in the other direction, her face turning red. Later in the day, she asked her cousin Jayce what that young man’s name was. She was told that his name was Rodney Savage… and within a few weeks, Rodney became Avicile’s first real boyfriend…

"Rodney's Schooling"
Written 24 October, 2005
Rodney started out Kindergarten like normal over at Blue River Elementary School. Unfortunately, his teacher and the principal did not understand his unusually quiet ways. He got yelled at a lot by Mrs. Kellons, which made him even quieter. The whole year was bad- every conference was negativity- neither the teacher nor the principal ever said anything good about Rodney, which was odd because he was a very smart kid and picked up things very fast. His mother got into several arguments about Rodney’s “lack of social skills.”

At the very end of the year, less that two weeks before school got out, Mrs. Kellons and Mrs. Solen scheduled another conference. Rodney was in the back of the room playing by himself as his mom sat down with the teacher and principal. They didn’t get far before things got bad. Mrs. Kellons started off with, “Mrs. Savage, we have talked with the school psychiatrist about your son…” (She never referred to him by his name. He was referred to as “the quiet kid” or “your son.”) “…and we have decided that, due to his lack of social skills, the best option for him is to repeat Kindergarten.” Those words were barely out of her mouth when Rodney’s mom jumped up, very upset that they could think such a thing.

“How dare you say that about my son, my pride and joy. You want my son to repeat Kindergarten just because he prefers to be alone? That’s all you ever talk about!! Why can’t ‘your son’ interact during playtime? ‘Your son’ doesn’t do show and tell. ‘The quiet one’ is over there. His name isn’t ‘the quiet one!’ His name is Rodney James Savage and he is a normal person! Have you not noticed how well he writes his letters? Have you not noticed that what he so-called lacks in social skills he makes up for in academics? You have the nerve to get together with the psychiatrist and suggest that he gets held back just because he doesn’t talk as much as a ‘normal’ kid does? Well let me tell you he sure won’t be going to first grade here!! I’m taking him out of this school as soon as I can!! Come on Rodney, time to go.”

The whole way home, Rodney’s mom was enraged. Rodney just sat in the passenger seat (of the Rodneymobile, by the way) and scowled. The instant they got home, his mom was on the phone with Wagon Wheel Elementary School registering Rodney there. She realized that she’d better sign up Joel as well, so she did that too. They were immediately accepted and everything was taken care of. His mom explained Rodney’s anti-socialness and they said they’d take care of him.

Rodney got pulled out of kindergarten a week early. His mom couldn’t stand sending her son to a place where he was treated less than equal. Rodney started the first grade at WWES after that summer. His teacher was Mrs. Smithson and she was very good. She understood Rodney’s quiet ways and worked with him to get him to participate in class but be quiet at the same time. Rodney met his best friend in this class, Jayce Richlin. They hung out together all the time and slept over at each other’s houses. In second grade, Steven Jones joined the group. The three of them did everything together and after William Ritter moved in and was accepted their group became complete. Four friends that were always together, doing all the fun things every group does. Rodney’s mom was so happy.

When they hit middle school, Rodney and Ghost went to Ken Bridges Middle School while Jayce and William went to Milton Middle School. They were together at someone’s house every weekend and holiday. They grew up into teens and grew even closer. Finally, after three years of long separation, they were in the same high school! They started a band called the No-Namers with the four of them plus Joel.

"Rodney's First Day of School"
Written 26 December, 2005
Beep beep! The alarm went off at 6:00 at a two-story house on the east end of Kajil Street. Rodney threw back the covers and groaned- it was the first day of school. That meant he’d have to introduce himself to the classes he would soon occupy. He slowly slipped into his favorite clothes- a huge sweatshirt, loose, baggy jeans, and big floppy skate shoes. After getting ready he had mixed feelings about going to school. He loudly let his mom know how much he hated school- working in groups, reading aloud from the text, answering stupid questions, etc., but he was also secretly excited, for he’d see his four best friends and his girlfriend, who he hadn’t seen all summer.

He slowly ambled towards one of his most prized possessions- his white and blue Toyotavan. He fumbled around for his keys and clumsily stuck them into the ignition. A quarter-turn later and he was on his way to school. He turned the music all the way up as protest for not being able to bring his player to school. He soon arrived at school and parked in his usual spot- in the tennis court parking lot. As he got out and slowly dragged his feet towards the back door he wondered if his friends would be there.

His question was answered quickly because as he opened the door, his entire group was there waiting for him. He ran to his girlfriend and held her tight- he hadn’t seen her all summer! He was so happy to see his friends! He stayed right there until the bell rang and he reluctantly left and ambled off to Kevian. He had a new teacher named Mrs. Johnson.

He knew this class would suck the moment he sat down. There were no desks but six tables. “Sit down at a table. No sir, not over there, at a table.” Rodney was mad. He thought he could escape sitting by himself but no such luck. He kicked the chair over to the farthest corner possible and sat down. Then he slowly backed up so that he was back to where he was before. After Mrs. Johnson spent a large portion of the class hour talking about herself, she told everyone to stand up and introduce themselves. Rodney stared at his empty kangaroo pocket in disgust as everyone told something about themselves. When the time came for Rodney to stand up, he remained slouched in his chair and grumbled, “I’m Rodney.” without looking up. “Please stand up and say your name again and something you did.” Rodney reluctantly stood up- actually it was more like a pitiful half-slouch- and again, without lifting his head, quickly grumbled, “I’m Rodney. I did things.” and promptly collapsed back into his chair. “Well, that’s very interesting Rodney. Um, who’s next?”

Second period was none better. “Welcome to Government,” the high-pitched voice said sternly. “I expect you to do the best you can in this class.” Rodney took his usual seat- the corner farthest away from the door and everyone else. Thankfully he was allowed to stay there but what happened next was what Rodney would describe as mortifying. She made everyone get in a circle and introduce themselves, using alliterative adjectives. The circle went around and everyone had to repeat the previous names. Silly Sammi, Tantalizing Tina, Wacky William, the list went on. When it got to Rodney, he simply said, quietly and quickly as usual, “I’m Rodney.” “I didn’t hear your name,” Ms. Callahan said fakely. Rodney was annoyed. She was clearly trying to get him to say another lame, stupid word to describe himself. He would have none of it. “Rodney,” he said quickly and continued staring at a small hole that had worn its way to the top of his pocket. To his surprise and disgust, she said, “Now class, can we think of a good word to describe Rodney?” Rodney shuddered while a few kids snickered. Quiet? No, that doesn’t start with an R. Rowdy? No, total opposite of what he was. Rare? Yes, rare Rodney. Great, now he was tarred with Rare Rodney, like he was a steak or something. He was filled with the biggest of disgust and mortification. He didn’t want anyone to check him out. “Now, Rare Rodney, recite the rest of the class.” Now the last thing Rodney would want to do is attempt to know everyone in his class so he coolly said, “I’ll pass,” and continued to stare at the hole in his pocket. Ms. Callahan finally gave up and the circle continued.

Finally, after what seemed like days, Rodney was saved by the bell. He ran out of the room before he could get yelled at by his psycho teacher. What was next? Oh, Calculus. He had the same teacher has his older brother Joel. “Welcome to Calculus,” the man at the desk said. “I’m Mr. Kirre and you’ll learn all about curves in this class.” Rodney relaxed and knew that this class would be fun. Joel was constantly reciting the funny lines he said in class. When he took role, he stopped at Rodney’s name and after he said he was here Mr. Kirre said, “Savage… Rodney, is Joel your brother?” Rodney smiled and said, “Yeah.” It didn’t matter who was in the class now because Mr. Kirre was here.

After that class was break. Rodney immediately rushed downstairs to his special spot on the wall. He was greeted by his “gang” and enjoyed swapping stories of the morning mess. Soon though, he found himself heading for Econ. He entered the door and groaned- this class was full of chatty girls! Literally- everyone in his class was his ideal version of the worst person to share a class with! The teacher was the very oblivious Mrs. Seller. Luckily, when she made everyone introduce themselves, he successfully avoided being called on because he so conveniently placed himself between a pile of stacked desks. Nobody noticed him, even when class got out. By the time she realized, he was running down the hall to his next class- shop.

Rodney has always loved shop and he was more than eager to say hi to Mr. Barnes. He took his usual chair- in the back corner of course, but he was more open and alert than in his morning classes. All of his buddies share this class with him so he was very happy when they all walked in and sat in their “usual spots.” There were a few new people in the class so they introduced themselves. Then, the olds introduced themselves. When the spotlight fell on Rodney, he said his name quietly. “I’m sorry, what’s your name?” Mr. Barnes said teasingly. In unison, William and Ghost yelled out, “RODNEY SAVAGE! HE’S A SENIOR AND HE HAS A BAND! HE PLAYS THE GUITAR AND TENOR SAX IN HIS SPARE TIME!!” Rodney just laughed and said, “That’s about it.” But before they could go on, Jayce said, “He really likes to listen to music.” Rodney was so glad his buddies were there to speak for him when he didn’t like to.

The last hour was one of Rodney’s favorites- Advanced Guitar. There was no playing on the first day of school, but they once again introduced themselves and Rodney spoke quietly. They had to say their name, grade, and why they’re in the class. Rodney, hurriedly as always, said, “I’m Rodney, senior, and I have a band.” The class yelled, “Hi, Rodney!” He just frowned and shrunk up even tighter. He stared at the hole in his pocket and wondered just how much time he had left before he could go home. He started playing with the hole in his pocket and thought of how weird this class would be with Joel gone. He was absentmindedly listening to the same lecture that Mr. Cook said every year about his life and why he plays guitar and so on. He peeked around to see who was in the class; a bunch of people he didn’t know and a few he did. He looked down at the hole again and found that he could stick his finger through it. Yes, this class would be really different without Joel because they couldn’t sit in the back and write songs together and RRRIIPP! Back to the present! Rodney had torn his pocket open! Great, now everyone was looking at him. He never let his mind wander like this until he met Avicile. He suddenly realized that he’d be spending the afternoon with her! Yes!

The bell finally rang and Rodney quickly left and got to his car. He found Avicile and they went home together to hang out for the evening.

Spotlight on: Rodney Savage

2012-01-10T16:28:00.005-07:00

Full Name: Rodney James Savage
Birthday: November 5, 1987
Method of Creation: #2- He's a meld of several people meant to stereotype how I was feeling at the time of his creation.

Creation Story:
Rodney is a special guy. He's one of the first people I created in high school and one of the only to be a physical representation of how I was feeling. In fact, it's because of Rodney that I wear baggy clothing (though not so much anymore).

I remember it clearly. I was a sophomore in high school, right around the time basketball season started. I was at a point in my life where I still desperately wanted to fit in and was trying to make myself known. I went to my first ever "pep band game" (that's what we call it when we as a pep band plays at basketball games) and was extremely frustrated at the deep friendships and general good time going on around me while I was stuck outside of every single friend circle. I was also a little jealous at the fact that the guy I had a crush on had a girlfriend and they were having such a good time. I left that game raging and depressed and I remember the exact moment when I was waiting for my dad to get me (I couldn't drive yet) and the emotions inside me changed in an instant. It was like a switch had been flipped- one that would remain flipped forever after: I became quiet. I still had my moments but at that moment, I had suddenly mellowed out and refused to speak.

I began thinking of a sort of idealized guy that I could narrate my feelings through and sketched a scowling boy with a pointed face laying apathetically on the hall floor, his crew cut and spiked bangs covered by the hood of his sweatshirt at least 5 times too big. In his ears, though hidden by his hood, were earbuds which led to the iPod in his kangaroo pocket. One leg was stretched out, the other bent, and he seemed to have sort of fallen against the wall and called it good. He had on baggy pants and skate shoes- it seemed he wanted comfort over anything else. His hands were hidden inside his kangaroo pocket and he just sat there and stared, his eyes filled with teenage angst. He never spoke and was considered selective mute. It wasn't that he was afraid to speak, he just saw no reason to and was perfectly content with being silent. His introvertedness was so overpowering that it seemed as if any hint of socialization within five feet was sucked into his soul.

Rodney, Abstract in a Cloud...

From that moment, Rodney was born. His name--both first and last--comes from people I knew at the time and he took little bits of their personality and others. Being antisocial, Rodney was mostly left alone and never bothered because he was notoriously cranky. At times, it seemed like his scowl would eat up his eyes. He was known mostly for being a gamer and somehow he had three friends who had managed to break through his walls and keep the embers of socialness lit. His friends, all named after people I knew at the time, were Jayce Richlin, William Ritter, and Steven "Ghost" Jones. Each had their own distinct traits: Jayce was an outgoing archer who played drums, William could solve a 4x4 Rubik's Cube in lightning speeds, and Ghost was a laid-back dude who clicked with all of them really well.

Now that Rodney had some friends, it was time to think about the kinds of things that he did. With a group of four, it became obvious that they were in an amateur garage band called the No-Namers (in the same vein as ILEN) that actually played in the school talent shows. Rodney was a saxophone-player who, although he discontinued band in high school, still played and was quite musical, picking up the guitar instead. He had a low but light voice and was quite a good ballad-singer. While it seemed that he and his three friends didn't interact much at school they always hung out together in the halls and outside of school they were all quite animated.

Later on, Rodney would become my idealized boyfriend and I began to look for his traits in others (my next boyfriend, who became my husband, is actually nothing like Rodney, lol) and even went as far as to perpetuate Rodney's personality by sort of becoming him myself. I bought myself some huge skate shoes, baggy jeans, and huge sweatshirts and suddenly felt like I had found the real me for the moment. I loved when that happened! I created my own role models!

Keep in mind that I had a "twin" back then, none other than Avicile Mohaili. With Rodney being my idealized boyfriend, I thought "why not have them date!" Date they did up until Rodney left for college. The only reason they didn't pursue something beyond high school was really because her initials would have been a naughty word indeed (Put two and two together. Her name woulda been Avicile Star Savage.)! Also, by that point, I felt like Rodney was heading down a different path than Avicile Mohaili and she ended up dating and marrying the other idealized guy I was so happy with, Lesko Diamond.

Rodney's big claim to fame was his gaming ability. Being a loner has its advantages in that regard and he became a time prodigy. He could own the toughest DDR and Guitar Hero songs like they were nothing and won a lot of competitions. After he began dating Avicile Mohaili she was able to break through his barrier and he began to be more social and even nice to people! He also opened his home a few nights a week to gaming parties which he became quite popular for.

Rodney changed slightly from my original vision as he evolved as a teen. He used to be quite gruff and had kind of a mouth on him. He was always yelling at his mom but she always responded back with love and kindness. He began to emit this strong aura of peace whenever he walked into a room once he broke from his shell and years later when Terabi entered my mind I immediately knew in my heart that Rodney was a Terabikai, hidden by his mask of angst. Now in college and beyond, Rodney is more social than he was before and doesn't mind the fact that people are drawn to him because of his aura.

Rodney's Simple Blade of Lovelight

Five Fun Facts
1. Rodney has an older brother named Joel.
2. Rodney is ripped underneath his baggy clothes!
3. Rodney marched tenor sax in college at UBT.
4. Rodney drives an old Toyotavan, my idealized car, lol
5. Rodney is a Terabikai!

Mr. Diamond

2012-01-09T14:13:00.004-07:00

It felt weird to be walking through the green-painted doors of the school he would have gone to had he not moved back in 2001. It felt even stranger that he was entering as a teacher and not a student, even though admittedly he still looked like one, standing tall at 5'7''. He was a little nervous though he had foreseen exactly how the day would go and put the feeling off as excitement. He was wearing a dark collared shirt, covered by the beloved black jacket he had worn for years. His hand gripped his briefcase a little more tightly as he turned to the right and entered through the quiet office to the teachers' lounge, finding his very own nametag in the basket marked STUDENT TEACHERS. The picture had been taken earlier in the week at the special staff meeting for UBT's student teachers who had finally made it through all of their studies and would be put to the test as they attempted to educate others who may or may not care about the subject. He looked at it and smiled. There was just something about seeing OJA DIAMOND, STUDENT TEACHER, HISTORY that made him happy.

With his free left hand he took the silver pen from his pocket and signed in next to his name printed on the list of the three student teachers who were spreading their wings at Tarra Heights High School. He was at the top of the list as usual, right above Virgil Moss and Sylvan Vestus. He knew both well. Virgil was a familiar face in most of his education classes and he knew she'd make a great biology teacher. Sylvan was one of the first people Oja met in college and happened to be a fellow clarinet player. Oja was excited that Sylvan was finally student teaching band and was happy for him. He looked forward to seeing both over the next few months and thought excitedly about what the day had in store for him as he headed up the stairs to the heart of the school where he would again enter the classroom of Mrs. Ariana Costner.

Mrs. Costner was a kindly grandmother figure who was very smart and knew her stuff when it came to history. Her specialty was Catin History and for the past 20 years it was all she taught. When she discovered that there was a young education major who was not only studying Catin and Jadali History but was also a Man of Osai, she immediately put him on hold to student teach in her classroom and to take her place if possible. For the past semester Oja had been visiting her classroom a few days a week, silently observing and making comments when invited. The students loved him and were excited to have him as their student teacher.

Oja would be there every day from 7:40 to lunch, teaching Junior-level Kiillaanian History for 1st and 3rd period and the elective Catin History open to upperclassmen for 2nd and 4th period. After this he would return to school Tuesdays and Thursdays for afternoon orchestra and the music classes he chose to continue for his music minor. While it seemed like somewhat of a busy schedule Oja could easily handle it and more. Needing no sleep, he accelerated through every class he took and was able to get his two degrees done with plenty of room to spare. All that was left now was this semester of teaching to wrap up his college career.

As he walked through the door early in the morning, before the school was alive with students, Mrs. Costner greeted him with a smile. She stood quickly and walked cheerily over to him, shaking his hand with both of hers and began telling him some last-minute tips for teaching high schoolers and holding a captive audience. Oja was ready for this and was getting more excited to begin flying solo with little help from his mentor. He'd lectured a handful of times and had gotten the hang of handling the different personalities of a high school classroom. He excitedly shared his thoughts and feelings and waved at the students as they entered on their first day back from the Year's End break. Among the things he would find the weirdest was the fact that he would be called Mr. Diamond. That would take him a while to get used to!

As the room filled up and the bell rang, Oja stood to take his place at the front of the room. As he did so, Mrs. Costner gave his arm one last loving squeeze and, a twinkle in her eyes, whispered, "Happy Birthday!" She had remembered and Oja walked to take command of the class with a smile on his face, the visions of his two-year-old nephew wishing him a happy birthday that morning in his mind. It was his time to spread his wings and soar.

From the Pen of Mera Visi {A Night in the Realm}

2012-01-08T20:42:00.002-07:00

Translated from Keòen to Kevian by Lore Hieldin

One October the 14th, in the 41st year of the reign of Kalo Freloch [1161]

Today, as I sit in my house, my young son sleeping in the bed within my view, I recollect the events of the night past. Today was mostly uneventful. Iaso is feeling much better and I saw him in the Law Hall this morning with sweet young Aio sitting in his arms and Akèli—her tired eyes the only sign of the previous night’s struggles—sitting with her head on her husband’s shoulder. It’s times like these when I realize how close we come to losing Iaso and how grateful we are that he escapes from the clouded nightmares hidden in his mind to return to us with a smiling face.

I looked over at him sitting there with his wife and son and our eyes met. He put his hand to his heart and bowed his head as a symbol of his eternal gratitude for my efforts to help him. As I look at him, a fresh and deep cut glistening red on the left side of his cheek near his eye, his eyes sunken and vacant, his expression blank, I can’t help but wonder how many can see past his appearance and feel of his dominating aura of good. What he lacks in physical appearance he negates with his ingenious ideas, quick wit, and charming friendliness. He is a good man, one with a great talent oft overshadowed by his cursed and imperfect body. I cherish my deep friendship with such a wonderful soul.

Last night, after a trying and frustrating evening, I retired to my house in the late hours; long after the sun had set. In a mindset of frustration, my soul ached for my dear Iaso who was struggling yet again with the ailment that stole away much of his judgment and mind. He fell yet again into another nightmarish vision of spectacular thought and image and had been anticipating it all day long. My latest potion is no doubt working but cannot stop everything, much like the stopper to the pipe that supplies water to the greenhouse on campus cannot stop all of the water that rushes forth with all its might. The aura of this one was very dark and fearful indeed. As he tried to describe to us what he was seeing he couldn’t get the words out so he feverishly grabbed at a pen and tried to sketch some sort of representation of the nightmare unfolding in his mind. We all stood by, recording as much as we could of his state of being, some growing fearful and others standing stone-faced, conditioned to his bizarre display. I was so hoping it wouldn’t turn to the loss of control that seemed to come so often now and he seemed to be coming back to us but then his burdened body was forced to surrender to that greater ailment and with a cry he was thrown back, his entire being like a stone. We were too late to reach him and the side of his head once again brushed forcefully against the shelving against the wall, creating a fresh new wound to add to his scarred appearance.

Those not used to this frightful scene ran out of the room while others looked on, their mouths covered with their hands in horror, as those conditioned to Iaso’s ailment ran forth to protect him from his surroundings. Being near the door, I kicked the threshold in anger and frustration. I truly hate seeing my good friend being stolen by something so evasive to help. No longer does this horrific scene shock me; it only angers me and pushes me to do more to find a potion that will cure him. Patience is the only aura that can make this terrible scene bearable and just my presence is enough to invite the aura of comfort into the room. After what feels like an eternity, Iaso is finally and eerily still and he is taken out in the arms of Eolan to my house where we quietly lay him on the cot and work to bandage his bleeding temple. I skillfully and carefully apply a numbing ointment to the deep wound which instantly stops the bleeding and will take away a lot of the sting when he awakens. While he sleeps here we also bundle him in blankets to prepare him for the cart ride back to his house. With his wife walking at my side, everyone is solemn and blank; we look like a dark procession of death underneath the starry night as Iaso lies on the cart, not moving a muscle. We carefully lay him on his bed and Aio, just a year old, sleeps nearby, watched by his grandmother who eyes us with pity, a look of earnest well-wishing on her face. As we turn to leave, I hand Akèli a small bottle with a new potion I have made to have him try the next morning. She manages a small smile as we retire into the night and I return home unhappy.

As I prepare myself for sleep, I walk out into the moonlit night, my dearest Naidel sleeping peacefully; Jeffrey asleep on his bed, unaware of what has just taken place earlier in the medicinal room of our house, being conditioned to all manner of people from Aranel to Iaso and beyond to anyone needing aid and barely opening an eye to the commotion. My soul is rent with anguish and I need to talk to someone specific.

Looking into the twinkling stars in the cold October night, I close my eyes and slip into the Realm, an immediate wave of warmth and peace overcoming my tired and burdened body. Opening my eyes, I am greeted by the familiar blue-lit cobblestone floors that stretch out in every direction. The aura of this place is one of warmth and peace and I head straight for the Gatherer’s Hall.

Upon arriving, I am greeted by the familiar alley of tall buildings alive with souls of living Terabikai and of all souls past. I make my way down the lovely avenue towards the majestic castle upon which Terabi resides. Entering the palace gates I stop to admire the lovely gardens aglow in many colors; the familiar blue glow radiating from all around. I slowly ascend the marble steps to the tall doors and with a wave of my hand they slowly open, exposing a very long hallway with a massive, vaulted ceiling. Ornate statues line the walls, alternating with pillars, and square windows the size and shapes of various portraits line both walls. This is a place I have been before; it is called by us the Hall of Windows. Here, we can communicate to anyone in Osai’s Realm of Vision. This place is especially made good use of by those who have died who have promised loved ones that they will always be in their dreams. It is also the place for those departed, as well as living Terabikai, to give counsel or warnings to those they love. As I look around I see a number of people looking through one of the many windows, quietly conversing with an ethereal face on the other side of the glass.

I continue onward, down the Hall of Windows, until at last I reach the clear door made of bright blue power that leads to the throne room. All initiates visit this room in their youth as it is here where they are given their weapon of Lovelight and taught in the ways of its use. Today I am in pressing need to talk to a powerful friend, my master himself. I stand tall at these double doors, glowing and almost alive, and kneel, bowing my head and placing my right hand over my glowing heart. As I do so, I feel an aura of great warmth and love and the doors slowly open. As I walk through, there in the middle of the room is the man I seek. He stands tall, his long, black hair framing his Catin face. His dark eyes glow white with his mark and his white robes emit a blue glow that carries the aura of his soft smile far beyond his physical being. In his right hand he holds a tall staff made of the same blue Lovelight that composes all of our weapons used to fight the cursebearers of the Realm.

As I walk closer to him, he lowers his chin as a sign of compassion and humility. Stopping a few paces from him, I draw my blade and take my stance, as is the ritualistic greeting of Terabikai in the Realm. He pulls his staff from the ground and holds it in both hands releasing a small flash of light with which I block skillfully with my sword. With this, he smiles and says, in a clear voice, “Mera Visi!” and returns his staff to the glowing blue of his chest. I do the same with my blade and, my hands together, whisper, “Terabi…”

“What brings you to my Realm this night?” he asked me.
I couldn’t hold it back and as I stood, looking into his eyes glowing with perfect and eternal compassion, I told him everything that had transpired from early morning until the moment I could finally go to the Realm. The whole time, Terabi didn’t move a muscle, waiting for me to finish. When at last I concluded my thoughts he simply nodded and held out his hands. Nothing was more inviting and I meekly walked up to him, embracing him. As soon as our beings connected I felt an immense power greater than my own which gave me newfound strength and comfort instantly.

After that, I asked him what I could do in my eternal quest to find the right combination of herbs that could possibly help Iaso and so many out there like him. We talked for hours within the walls of his throne room as we discussed my findings so far and things I could try and do. The most welcome thing that he did was give me comfort and strength with renewed patience to face the terrible affliction that my dear friend was born with. He suggested an area in Ardin that I have not yet visited which was home to some unique flora I would likely find useful. As our much needed and appreciated meeting drew to a close, I thanked him again for his love and for choosing me to be his servant in the lands of Jadali who would help shine a clear light on the lives of the Terabikai. Thank you, Terabi, for everything.

I am thankful tonight is of a completely different mood. As I conclude this journal covering the past two days I am in awe at how fast things change and how much people strengthen through their trials. May life go on in celebration of all things—good and bad—that shape us. I bid thee Nos Wha [good night].

From my pen,
Mera Visi

The Original 13

2012-01-06T15:11:00.005-07:00

The 13 founders of Jadali were hand-chosen by Terabi and Osai themselves. They all had a previous life before their life in their new country but not much is known about them. Here is the tiny bit of information that is known about the originals, compiled by Ari Salo and Stanton Bridger (with help from Terabi and Osai themselves).

The original 13 founders of Jadali can be grouped in the following Keòen rhyme:

Madel Osai ddw Terabi ddar,
Jadali thoseth del tech tiar.
Da Osanokai taibheid thema.
‘One del Eldin kaiseth-cha.
‘One naneth del Taibhwn.
Tho del Vadir-Drakon kwn:
‘One Thokwn, ‘one solo.
‘One Thokwn naneth ahr.
Ddw, tho naneth osiel-sar.

(translated)
Made of Osai and Terabi both,
Jadali was founded of 13.
A Man of Osai to lead them. (Freloch)
One was related to the Eldin. (Lochgren)
One was royal. (Balthòr)
Two (families) were of Dragon-Dodger's party:
One pair, one solo. (Montàlo and Hieldin)
One pair were farmers. (Ardin)
And, two were quiet ones. (Lochmont)

A Man of Osai to Lead Them
Born in 984, Eagle Cry Ennel (also known as Eagle Warrior) was discovered to be a Man of Osai at the age of 8. He lived somewhere around Tevernid, probably within the boundaries of Tensk, and was one of the last in the generation that came of age at 16 (in the year 1000 coming of age was raised to 18). Like most Kiillra his lineage is relatively unknown but it is known that he has the blood of Sorela and that his father’s name was Faraway Fellow. Eagle Warrior married Rose of the Lake in 1000 and had a daughter named Lily of Green Lake in January of 1002. His whole family was highly involved in the Enemy Uprising of 1013 and he lost his wife, who fought in battle (women had a choice of whether they wanted to fight), in 1014. When the battle was over and Kiillaana had won, Eagle Warrior took then 12-year-old Lily of Green Lake and settled in Tevernid, knowing that they were to become people of high importance but having no idea in what form.

The answer came in early 1019. Eagle Warrior was presented a very strong vision of Osai telling him to take his daughter and her fiancée and meet at the tree of the castle where they would be joined by five couples summoned of either him or Terabi. They were to go to King Bedan and tell him that they were chosen of Osai and Terabi to form a new race and make their way north east to the coast near the giant uninhabitable island, which would serve as their home. They were chosen to form a race signifying the friendship of Terabi and Osai. Eagle Warrior accepted this immediately and found his daughter and her fiancée already waiting, for they too had seen this vision. They were surprised at who else was called and knew that it was all meant to be. One of the women was a daughter of King Bedan himself and the Queen’s father, being a Man of Osai himself, knew that all of this was true and therefore it was all celebrated and encouraged. When they reached Taleah around the summer of that year, Osai and Terabi appeared to them, promising that they would always have a Man of Osai to lead them.

Eagle Cry Ennel, Eagle Warrior, became Isiador Freloch when he was transformed. He ruled Jadali for 100 years and was succeeded by Kalo Freloch in 1120. He brought with him the art of the sword.

One Was Related to the Eldin
The only child of Eagle Warrior, Lily of Green Lake, was born in the very early days of 1002. She was a very talented craftswoman, making everything from jewelry to clothing. Her mother was killed in the Enemy Uprising and her father was a Man of Osai. She lived in Tevernid most of her childhood and was 17 years old when she received word she was to become the mother of a new race. She wasn’t yet married but was engaged to Red Rapids, the son of a sailor. Because of circumstances she was allowed to get married at 17 when the group reached Taleah in around June of 1019.

Lily of Green Lake became Akèli Lochgren when she was transformed. She brought with her the art of crafting.

Red Rapids was the son of a Kiillaanian sailor named Ocean Oliver who traveled between Kiillaana and Catarika almost exclusively with little time for much else. Red Rapids accompanied him often, learning all he could about astronomy, navigation, and sailing. He was not involved in the battle of Enemy Uprising but was sent to Tevernid at the age of 15 to attend some formal schooling. It was here that he met Lily of Green Lake and fell in love with her. They were engaged at the age of 17 and soon after he was discovered to be a chosen father of the Jadali race. He and Lily were the youngest couple of the 13 and were allowed to marry at 17 instead of 18 when they reached Taleah.

Red Rapids became Barthàl Lochgren when he was transformed and brought with him the skills of Astronomy, Navigation, Riedlore, and Sailing.

One Was Royal
Ailena Redwater was the second of three children of King Bedan and Queen Jeneiyl Alihi. She was born in the year 999 in Tevernid and was 14 when the Enemy Uprising happened. She fought in the battle and survived along with the rest of her family. She married Nate of Numbers in 1017 when she was 18 and was later chosen at the age of 19 to be a mother of the Jadali race. She had the full support of her family and eagerly traveled to have a hand in creation and history.

Ailena Redwater became Tania Balthòr when she was transformed and brought with her many talents in music.

Nate of Numbers, also known as Ennel Nome, was the son of villager Wolverine Hills and was born in 998. He was gifted with an incredible logical genius that he used for trickery and manipulation in his early years but soon learned to control and use for good. He became a friend of the royal family and married their middle child, Ailena Redwater. He fought in the Enemy Uprising in which his father and brother were killed. He gladly accepted the invitation to become a father of the Jadali race and worked closely with the Eldin writing documents and setting up the history center.

Ennel Nome became Henal Balthòr when he was transformed and brought with him Logic and Law.

Two of Dragon-Dodger’s Party

One Pair
Nemo Knight, son of River Glenn and Heartslove, was born in 995. He was a great warrior who was also adept at hunting and had an amazing hand at caring for livestock, coming from a farming family who lived in Endor. He was a very close friend of Dragon Dodger and accompanied him on the journey down the Wise Trail to the remote settlements around Tavener, spreading the word and gathering an army. He fought in the Enemy Uprising and was triumphant. He later married Medieval Myley in 1015 at the age of 20. He was very honored to receive the call to become a father of Jadali and enjoyed all aspects of the journey.

Nemo Knight became Eahron Montàlo when he was transformed and brought with him Mountaineering, Falconry, Hunting, Leathercraft, and Animal Medicine.

Medieval Myley, daughter of Seka Sword and Jenyil Whirlpool, was a city girl from Tevernid whose family was close to the royal family and Dragon Dodger’s family. She was Nemo Knight’s best friend and she too traveled down the Wise Trail. She was a very talented cook, able to make something out of nothing. She was also an amazing surveyor, learning the art of mapmaking from her parents. She was very excited to become a mother of Jadali and honored to be able to do so with her best friend.

Medieval Myley became Nathàli Montàlo when she was transformed and brought with her the arts of cooking and mapmaking.

…and One Solo
Dani Dungeness, daughter of Gypsy George and Jenny of the Lake, was born in 996 and was from the southeastern coast, probably from present-day Bedan or Denzeltonia. Being a nomad, she traveled alone and learned to survive with her surroundings. She was gifted with an amazing sense of the flora and fauna and discovered several potions for various uses. She found her way into Tensk with her parents and befriended Medieval Myley and Carla Castle. She eagerly agreed to accompany them on the Wise Trail and proved invaluable with her knowledge of the herb. She married Cosmic Curtin in 1015 and was the farthest away, living in Pyra on the edge of Endor, when she and Curtin had an undeniable dream that they were to be called to found a nation.

Dani Dungeness became Aranel Hieldin and brought with her when she was transformed and brought with her the art of Herblore.

Cosmic Curtin was the 10th child of Canyon Flyer and Wandering Willow and was from Tevernid. He was one of 8 men of their school year born in 995. His entire family fought in battle and many were killed. His mother and two sisters survived and moved to Jadali on the first fleet when the borders were opened in 1040. Curtin had a vast interest and knowledge in astronomy and surveying as well as nature and was a good friend of Red Rapids/Barthàl Lochgren. He always knew he would move somewhere far away and was eager to receive his call.

Cosmic Curtin became Kalo Hieldin when he was transformed and brought with him Astronomy, Mapmaking, and Architecture.

A Pair Were Farmers
Born in 998, Branded Brandon lived his whole life in the outskirts of the kingdom, a farmer’s son of Pirate Parlin. His role in the war was to help store and provide food and livestock for the armies and give them shelter in the large storehouse. Most of his family voluntarily fought in the war and almost all were slain so he returned to his farm with some other orphaned teens and rebuilt it. He fell in love with Jemima Soaring One and the two were married in 1017. When they learned they had been called to be founders of the Jadali race they handed the farm over to Branded Brandon’s younger brother, Eltan Osiel, and hurried to Tevernid for instruction.

Branded Brandon became Viervan Ardin when he was transformed and brought with him the skills of Farming, Herblore, and Animal Medicine.

Jemima Soaring One was an excellent cook who hailed from Tevernid. She was the daughter of Alaina Springwater and the two fought in the war, doing their part of helping make food for the warriors. As a result of the war, Jemima Soaring One became an orphan and moved with about 20 other orphaned teens to the farm of Branded Brandon. The two fell in love and were married. Being a visionary young woman, she always saw herself doing something great and eagerly accepted the call to found a race.

Jemima Soaring One became Sofia Ardin when she was transformed and brought with her the skills of Cooking and Food Storage.

Two Were Quiet Ones
Brand Badger, son of Silent Hawk, was a young warrior born in 990. He lived all his life at the center of the kingdom and fought valiantly for Kiillaana. He was a quiet and reserved man who tended to himself most of the time but who loved others and was fiercely loyal to those close to him. He fought in the battle of Enemy Uprising with honor and survived without incident, thanking the gods for sparing him when so many around him fell. He married Emerald Crystal after the war ended in 1018 and almost immediately afterwards he received and accepted the invitation to become a founder of Jadali.

Brand Badger became Saldin Lochmont after he was transformed and brought with him the skills of the sword and the bow.

Emerald Crystal, daughter of Tree Maiden, was a dark young lady who lived in the rolling hills north of Tevernid. Born in 992, she was already out of her teens when she took part in the Battle of Enemy Uprising, helping to watch the children of the war. She met Brand Badger sometime after the war ended and the two were married in 1018. She was very moved and honored to be chosen to mother a new race and took her call very seriously.

Emerald Crystal became Iria Lochmont after she was transformed and took with her an immense maternal instinct.

The Eldins of Leena

2012-01-03T02:54:00.008-07:00

With the 10th Eldin having just been born (but not quite yet discovered!), here is a list of the Eldins past and some facts about them! Obviously I know some better than others and hopefully one day I'll be able to add more fun facts about them to this list.

The 9th Eldin
Name: Ilonwyn Lochmont
Birthday: January 1, 1908
Date of Death: Still alive, just turned 104 years old!
Age:
Birth City: Thahro-del-Mont, Balthòr
Crest: Lochmont
Class: 883

Notes
Ilonwyn became the 9th Eldin on his 20th birthday, succeeding Lore Hieldin. He is the current Eldin, having just turned 104 years old. Though he is a Lochmont, he was born and grew up in Balthòr, attending secondary school at the University of Leena where he studied history. He loved being in the company of Lore Hieldin and the two were a lot alike. Among other things he was the Eldin and a personal witness at the time of the discovery of the man with both gifts (S. R. Sorela) and is the most traveled Eldin. He can be described as tall and poised, with long and straight black hair, a signature of his Lochmont blood. He is somewhat quieter and introverted than the average folk but still very much enjoys the company of others. He is well known for his friendliness, memory of people and events, and the animated way he recounts personal stories.

A drawing of Ilonwyn Lochmont

The 8th Eldin
Name: Lore Faron Hieldin
Birthday: July 11, 1792
Date of Death: January 1, 1928
Age: 135
Birth City: Lott, Hieldin
Crest: Hieldin
Class: 767

Notes
An outgoing, bright man, Lore Hieldin is very famous for his fairy tale wedding and love to his wife, Naidel. The two were celebrities, their lived followed and themselves adored. Both traveled the country, speaking to the people and mingling among them, helping out and really being on their level. In addition, Lore is also famous for translating the entire works of Mera Visi into Kevian. He welcomed visitors to Jadali with open arms and a warm smile and was very proud of his people. He became the 8th Eldin at the age of just 13 years old, succeeding Trevin Riedlore, and was also pretty famous for being such a young Eldin.

The 7th Eldin
Name: Trevin Chobhal Riedlore
Birthday: January 7, 1670
Date of Death: September 6, 1805
Age: 135
Birth City: Jiorèl, Balthòr
Crest: Balthòr
Class: 645

Notes
Trevin Riedlore became the 7th Eldin at the age of 20, succeeding Riedlan Migala. He was of a large family of ferrymen, hence his last name. He could be described as a dark but caring man.

The 6th Eldin
Name: Riedlan Hieldin Migala
Birthday: September 24, 1559
Date of Death: January 28, 1690
Age: 130
Birth City: Arioch, Hieldin
Crest: Hieldin
Class: 534

Notes
Riedlan Migala was a nature-lover from the beginning. His family adopted the Migala crest from the Migali crest, signifying their knowledge and love of flora, centuries earlier. He was as signature of a Hieldin as one could be at the time! He became the 6th Eldin at the age of 24, succeeding Meiro Bhangren.

The 5th Eldin
Name: Meiro Bhangren
Birthday: March 26, 1460
Date of Death: October 12, 1583
Age: 123
Birth City: Bir-Tael, Lochgren
Crest: Lochgren
Class: 435

Notes
Meiro Bhangren was among the third generation of the Bhangren crest (meaning "green-thumb"), helping to popularize it and solidify it as a pure crest that is not one of the original 7. He became the 5th Eldin at the age of 19, succeeding Arador Montàlo.

The 4th Eldin
Name: Arador Frelan Montàlo
Birthday: June 21, 1342
Date of Death: July 5, 1479
Age: 137
Birth City: Rengoll, Montàlo
Crest: Montàlo
Class: 317

Notes
Arador was born amidst much conflict in Kiillaana and was foreseen by Drakon Lochgren to fight in battle, so he was trained from a young age as a warrior. He began fighting in small battles at the age of 12 and was was made commander of the Jadali Army at the age of 16 in 1358. When Terabi's War reached Whaven in 1359, Arador sent the entire Jadali Army to Kiillaana to honor their alliance. With the help of Terabi, Arador slayed the last of the three great and powerful enemies, ending Terabi's War on March 29, 1360. Honored by his country, he was crowned a hero. Osai was especially pleased with Arador's nobility so he presented him a gift of easily recognizable children. Starting in 1376, three sons and two daughters were born with red hair, adopting the 'Airbhroch (red-hair) crest. This trait can be found in small populations in Jadali and in fairly large numbers in Dahhod. Arador became the 4th Eldin of Leena at the age of 21, succeeding Drakon Lochgren, and would live almost as long.

Arador Montàlo as a new Eldin

The 3rd Eldin
Name: Drakon Lochgren
Birthday: May 14, 1223
Date of Death: October 3, 1364
Age: 141
Birth City: Leena, Freloch
Crest: Lochgren
Class: 198

Notes
One of the longest-living Osanokai ever, Drakon Lochgren was a strong man who was well versed in military things. Though he didn't ever travel to Kiillaana or Catarika to serve in their army, he personally met with every warrior that Jadali sent. He helped to really organize the records of the people and spent a lot of time condensing, clarifying, and cleaning all of the loose records and artifacts that had accumulated over the past two centuries. He was well-loved as an Eldin and enjoyed his role as Eldin very much, keeping a detailed journal of the dealings of his life. He became the 3rd Eldin at the age of 16, succeeding Kalo Freloch.

The 2nd Eldin
Name: Kalo Freloch
Birthday: November 9, 1100
Date of Death: September 22, 1239
Age: 138
Birth City: Aradd-Aurora, Freloch
Crest: Freloch
Class: 75

Notes
Kalo was born of parents who settled near Leena to build up the capital. He became the second Eldin at the age of 19, succeeding Isiador Freloch. He is most famous for his friendship with Mera Visi, the most famous Terabikai in Jadali. Kalo was a nature-loving man who loved music and theatre along with sports. He was well-loved by the people and saw the colonization of many cities and lands. Many of the country's most famous figures, such as Mera Visi, Aranel Balthòr and Iaso Montàlo were around in his lifetime. Kalo made close friends and enjoyed traveling the country hiking, skiing, sailing, and rafting with those he loved.

The 1st Eldin
Name: Isiador Freloch
Birthday: January 31, 984
Date of Death: March 21, 1120
Age: 136
Birth City: Tevernid, Tensk
Crest: Freloch
Class: (none)

Notes
Isiador Freloch was born in the kingdom of Tensk under the name Eagle Cry Ennel (he was also known as Eagle Warrior because of his Osanokai status). He was married at 16 and had one child, a daughter, when he was 18. In 1013, at the age of 29, Eagle Warrior, his wife, and his daughter all fought in the Battle of the Enemy Uprising. His wife was killed in battle but his daughter was spared and in 1019 they were instructed of Osai to colonize Jadali along with 11 others and the rest is history. His name was changed to Isiador Freloch (meaning Eagle with the Heart of a Warrior) and he became the first Eldin of Leena in 1020. He ruled for 100 years and saw Jadali unfold and take root before his eyes.

More Fast Facts

Longest-living Eldin: Drakon Lochgren at 141
Shortest-living Eldin: Meiro Bhangren at 123
Oldest Successor: Isiador Freloch at 36 (if that's cheating, then Riedlan Migala was 24)
Youngest Successor: Lore Hieldin at 13
Crest Frequency: Freloch- 2; Lochgren- 2; Lochmont- 1; Balthòr- 1; Montàlo- 1; Hieldin- 2; Ardin- Finally 1 with the newest future Eldin!!!
Those from a province other than their crest: Drakon Lochgren (Freloch) and Ilonwyn Lochmont (Balthòr)
Eldins without an Original 7 Crest: Meiro Bhangren, Riedlan Migala, and Trevin Riedlore, all in a row!
Ever wonder what happens during that period when the Eldin and his successor are both living? Well, this gives the older of the two more opportunities to travel all over the world while his successor learns how the country is run. Certain dealings are shared between the two and, above all else, they have a great time being in each others' company. Every successor is different in personality but the same in their love for the people so the transition is pretty seamless.

Jadali Schooling

2012-01-01T21:42:00.004-07:00

Happy New Year! As it's the first day of the year, it's also the first day of the Jadali school year! Here's a post of how schooling works in Jadali. A summary of Jadali education can be found in this post.

Overview
The Jadali school year is unlike schooling in Kiillaana and Catarika in that it starts January 1st (or the first Monday if the 1st falls on the weekend), the year that children turn 5. This means that Jadali children start at the age of 4. While it would seem that Jadali starts school three months later than those in Kiillaana and Catarika, it really starts school eight months earlier.

History
The Original 13 spent the first five years of their new life building up Leena Eithre-Resa and Leena. The first child of the next generation was Kaèric Montàlo, born January 3, 1025. According to Isiador Freloch, as shown by Osai, the plan of education came into place and the year that Kaèric turned 5 he began formal schooling. As the country was still very young in 1030 he had innate mastery of many things and was mainly taught the ways of his parents and given opportunities to practice and choose the skills he wanted to develop fully, along with the other few children born that year. Over the next 50 years the population of Jadali increased exponentially and schools were beginning to be established everywhere. Not surprisingly, Kaèric Montàlo helped to develop the school system and was the first headmaster of Leena University, located just outside the walls of Dahsir Castle (which was in the process of completion in his lifetime) and was established as a place for boarding upperclassmen and those seeking education from the best in their fields. In addition he also helped establish smaller such schools in the other provinces. He lived to be 103 years old and fathered 19 children, many of whom adopted the Freloch crest. Of the 6 who didn’t, 4 left for Montàlo and two stayed and became teachers in Leena. The word “Kaèrich” became the word for Headmaster and the name “Kaèlan” was given to those who were strong and wise, leaving the root “Kaè” to mean wise and learned.

Class System
Starting with the birth of Kaèric Montàlo, a class began to be assigned to each year. This class number would stay with every student as they ascended throughout their 13 years of schooling. The year 2012 marks the 987th class (Class 001 is the year 1025). It is the class, not the year, that identifies someone's school age and it is common tradition to give school-related gifts like bookmarks, inkwells, and jewellery with the class number on it. Even students that go to Kiillaana for high school keep this class number which is honored.

Primary School
Children begin Year 1 when they are ages 4 turning 5. Primary school contains years 1-7 and students ages 4-11. These primary schools are located in each city or each capital city of the county (if the area is very remote, such as most of Ardin and areas of Hieldin and Montàlo). Here students learn the basics of reading, writing, math, history, imaginative play, and basic skills such as cooking, crafting, fishing, and construction. A variety of elective classes are available such as music, Kiillaanian Studies, weapons training, and astronomy. Most of these electives are compulsory to some degree with more in-depth classes offered for those who wish to develop those areas of interest. Each province has different focuses as well, based on traditions and location (i.e. Ardin has a stronger agricultural focus, Montàlo and Hieldin focus a lot on crafting warm clothing and Riedlore, Balthòr focuses a lot on trade, etc.).

Secondary School
Beginning in the 8th year (age 11/12), students attend secondary school. There are two types of schools that serve these students. The first is called Local Secondary School. These schools are located in each capital city of Lochgren, Lochmont, Freloch, and Balthòr and in each county of Montàlo, Hieldin, and Ardin. Being concentrated, these schools are much bigger and located on large, expansive campuses. The courses offered are more demanding and students are allowed to choose much more of what they would like to take, having many options under the required course subjects. Boarding is provided at every school but is more common in the schools of the more remote provinces. However, as Jadali is relatively small many students are able to travel to and from school each day by horse or ox; stables are provided.

Students who are interested in a narrower field of study or who want the experience may attend secondary school at the University of Leena which is classified as a boarding school. Located in Freloch northeast of Dahsir Castle and the Great Law Hall, this university campus hosts approximately 10,000 secondary students each year. Their classes are contained mainly in one large building but they have access to preparatory classes that take advantage of the specialty buildings dotted about the campus. Both types of secondary school contain years 8-13 with students graduating at the age of 17.

High School on the Mainland
Students that wish to go to high school in Kiillaana attend Local Secondary School and take mandatory Kiillaanian Studies and Kevian language classes in addition to their other studies, offered in Year 8 or Year 9 (if they decide later). They attend secondary school from years 8 through 11, leaving Year 11 after light term to begin the 9th grade. Because of the 8 month difference in school start times between Kiillaana and Jadali the cutoff for Jadali students is December 31 instead of August 31, making some Jadali students quite a bit younger than their peers.

There are two options for high school in Kiillaana. The first is Taleah High School, located in the capital of Jadali/Kiillaana affairs, Taleah. Between 80 and 100 Jadali students contribute to the THS student body spread across the 4 grades. A much smaller mainland school, located in Whaven, welcomes between 5 and 10 Jadali students to their student body each year. These students are treated like any other student in the Kiillaanian school system; the only major difference is those with birthdays after September 1st who are younger than their peers.

Students who attend schooling in Kiillaana do not take the ferry back and forth each day. Instead, they live with what is known as a sponsor, or a family that opens up their home for a student to stay for the year, much like an exchange student. Families have to meet certain criteria such as being above 30 years of age and having certain lifestyles. Obviously, they must also be willing to open their house for board. Families exempt from these rules are relatives of Jadali students and students moving in with people they already know. For the rest, they fill out a form with their likes and dislikes and are matched with a family. Many Taleah families make it a tradition to sponsor one or more students and most homes are built to accommodate this.

Terms
The Jadali school year is divided up into three terms of 4 months each. There are no big breaks in the school year; rather, these breaks are divided up and spread throughout. The last full week of every month consists of half days or independent study. There are small holidays here and there that are observed. A typical school day goes from 8 or 9 to about 5 in the evening with classes lasting about an hour each. There are a variety of programs including sports, music, arts, and social clubs that meet during free hours or after school. The weekends are free.

First Term, known as “Fresh Term,” runs from January through the last full week of April, with the last week of March off for Spring Holiday to coincide with THS and WHS being on spring break.

Second Term, known as “Light Term” or “Summer Term,” runs from May through the last week of August. During these four months course loads are considerably lighter, working their way from full days into half days beginning around June, transitioning to independent study/Summer Holiday in July and the beginning of August, and then transitioning back to half days in mid-August where they remain until the end of this term the last week of August. This gives students a chance to take advantage of programs that take place in summer and to have some time off along with those from Kiillaana who are on summer break.

Third Term, known as “Exams Term,” begins in September and runs to the third week of December. A lot of time is spent on studying and practicing for exams of various difficulty and importance depending on year. The last week of November is taken off in observance of Harvest Festival and the last two weeks of December are off except for exams.

University
After graduation at the age of 17 (or 18 if attending high school) students may, at any time, begin pursuing mastery of their chosen field either independently through work/apprenticeship or by attending University of Leena, the only university in Jadali. Those who attend University of Leena can study countless skills under the watchful eye and mentorship of the best teachers in the country. Most craft-type skills such as art, cooking, herblore, and history can be evaluated for mastery and double mastery on campus. For skills such as gardening, farming, sailing, and riedlore, a panel will travel to the location of the skiller for evaluation and certification.

Mastery
Mastery of a skill is a process that takes anywhere between three years for those with high levels of proficiency to around six years (or more if one is obtaining mastery while having another job, usually raising children). After mastery is certified, one can try and achieve double mastery, becoming a true high-tier master of their craft. Many of those who have achieved double mastery become teachers or outstanding icons in Jadali history. Double mastery takes lots of time and careful practice of the skill with only a handful of exceptions limited mostly to prodigies of the craft. Most who obtain double mastery do so between the ages of 30 and 40. It is quite possible to obtain mastery in multiple skills or studies although double mastery in two skills is quite rare unless said skills go together (i.e. riedlore/astrology hunting/craft: furs, or sailing/navigation).

List of Famous Double-Masters

Danil Balthòr- Art: Metals
Mera Visi- Herblore
Iaso Montàlo- Art: Metals
Aio Montàlo- Art: Metals
Isli Loch- Herblore
Rupert Freloch- Astronomy (with Mastery in Sailing)
S. R. Sorela- Music Performance: Oboe and History: Jadali/Catin: Music

The Osai and Terabi Forums

2011-12-30T18:15:00.002-07:00

Since the introduction of the internet, there have been official international forums established to help quickly spread ideas, news, and questions among those of the Great Catin Gifts. Both are set up in the same format and style and were created by Ari Salo, who has enlisted the help of the ministry to maintain them.

Features
Both forums provide, above all else, a place for those possessing one of the two Great Catin Gifts to talk to each other. This is a great way for them to meet others with the same gift and to discuss happenings. It is also a place for those who are in the know, curious, or scholars of these gifts to discuss and receive news. Both forums have three levels of membership.

Three Levels of Membership
Level 1 of membership is restricted to those who possess either Osai Naori or Terabi Tana. Members can discuss in private threads not visible to anyone else and have full moderation capabilities.

Level 2 of membership is for siblings, parents, relatives, scholars, and experts on the Great Catin Gifts. Also included in this level are news reporters, government officials, those of the other gift (if they so choose), and those with the knowledge, capacity, worth, and desire to have high level discussions. Someone is appointed to level 2 by invitation after an interview by a level 1 member.

Level 3 of membership is open to all who want to learn more about the Great Catin Gifts and post questions, comments, and stories. Any news that is permissible to tell to the general population is visible to all members and many check often for anything noteworthy that they find interesting.

The Osai Forums
This forum is for those with Osai Naori and those interested in learning about the Gift of Osai. Its level 1 circle contains 26 members (two are too young to have an account thus far) and has quite an extensive base. The most common and obvious topic restricted to level 1 members is that of visions which are not to be shared openly until a further time, if at all. Since the level 1 is so small, it is fairly easy to get into an actual discussion with a Man of Osai and to learn about them firsthand. The most popular feature of the Osai Forums is the Genealogy Wall which traces every Osanokai on record back to the original 6. The official language of the Osai Forums is Catin, but plenty of posts are made in Kevian as well. As the forum is international, posts can be translated into every major language.

The Terabi Forums
More commonly known as the Teracor Forums, this is the place for those with Terabi Tana and those interested in learning about the Strength of Terabi. There are well over 500 members in the level 1 circle with an also quite extensive base. The most common topics restricted to level 1 members are Realm meetings and Realm happenings. Since Terabi Tana is more universal than Osai Naori, it is much bigger. The most popular feature of the Teracor Forums has proven to be the Terabi Sightings page which lists the firsthand and secondhand accounts of times Terabi has visited people on the earth (obviously verified by a moderator). The official languages of the Teracor Forums are Catin, Keòen, and Kevian with posts able to be translated into every major language.

From the Pen of Mera Visi {First Encounter, Iaso Montàlo}

2011-12-29T01:42:00.006-07:00

Translated from Keòen to Kevian by Lore Hieldin

One January the 2nd, in the 29th year of the reign of Kalo Freloch [1149]

Today marks the beginning of the fifth year of my life in Leena. In pursuit of my double mastery in Herblore I have had the opportunity to teach the young ones the inherent knowledge of the many properties of the various leaf and plant, as well as lecture those versed in the art on my new findings and discoveries. I am even beginning to be referred to by many as an Allan [one supremely gifted in the knowledge of plants].

This morning I was led by Mikal Egàlo to the commons [school house] of the 113th class [the children born of 1138] where I was greeted by those children of Leena who were mostly the age of 10, entering their 11th year of life. There, in the corner, lay a small boy with unkempt and wild hair. His eyes were wide and seemed to have a blank look to them. I remember the way they stared. He seemed to be disconnected from the rest of his class and I could see scars--fresh and faded--upon his crown. As I approached, Mikal and Eolan Salo (a doctor) turned to me, saying:

"This is Iaso Montàlo, of the Montàlo province. He has what we can only describe as 'a mind of unbalanced energy.' He constantly and oft sees things of spectacular magnitude and is able to recall them and dictate or write them down. He is aspiring to become an artist of metalwork and is very, very talented. I want for you, Mera Visi, to try and find a potion that will ease his unrest and help him to be more well than lost in his uneven emotions."

I do not know what to think of this yet. I can feel of his aura and it is one of purity and love unlike any I've felt. He is so innocent, his true intent often lost or masked by his broken body. His vacant eyes lit up upon my arrival and he was drawn to me like I was to him. I sat with him and talked with him a very long while. He told me he has heard of me and my interest and work in Herblore. His large eyes looked longingly at me and with love and trust, yearning for me to care for him and find relief to his frequent unrest. I vowed right there that among my studies I would go on a quest to find the right combination of herbs to aid his well being.

It is clear that he does not have the Curse of the Realm, but I have not seen anything like him. From what has been described to me, and what I was able to observe even on a day like today, all I can conclude is that he has an inherent condition that causes his emotions to go completely out of reality and his mind to throw itself into unsettling and warped visions. As I sit at my desk tonight after my daily studies, amidst more charts and graphs, after having made several hundred unfinished potions, this vision of the young Iaso Montàlo will not leave my mind. I shall traverse the Realm later tonight and inquire of Terabi on this matter.

From my pen,
Mera Visi

Being of One or the Other

2011-12-28T01:54:00.004-07:00

Ever wonder what I mean when I say someone is "Of Osai" or "Of Terabi?"

Here's what I mean:

Someone who is of Osai has extremely vivid dreams or visions with tangible and understandable meaning. They also can see themselves doing certain things in the future and are very in tune with their heart. They are visionary people and will often be noted as saying things like "I can see myself doing this" or "I just saw myself [in whatever future capacity] for a brief moment." Their dreams always bring them inspiration, admonition, and entertainment unique to them and their situation. Osai likes those given his traits to be happy in darkness (sleep). These are also the people that hear the tiny whispers that speak to their heart, helping them throughout life. All Men of Osai have these traits but the general population can have them as well.

Someone who is of Terabi is able to sense the auras of others--not to the extent that Terabikai do but enough that it's what gives them the qualities of compassion, understanding, and empathy. They are the ones who notice a change in someone's demeanor in an instant. They also have the ability to sense the overall atmosphere of certain people and places and are very in tune with their own emotions. People of Terabi are very concerned with the well being of others and do all they can to brighten someone's day through kind words and actions.

People can be of Osai, of Terabi, or a mix of both. Some people are strongly of one or both and some are less strong but can relate their actions to one or the other. People can also be of neither and have qualities of other deity. As for me, well, I'm strongly of both! I'll often say "That's a very Terabian way of thinking" when describing something to do with empathy or sensing of mood/spirit/aura of someone or someplace. Some people of certain personalities or upbringing will be more likely to be strongly of one or the other. It is more common to be of Terabi than of Osai. Most Jadali-Kiillra are of both, since the country was created by Terabi and Osai. Often, people will have a mix of traits used to describe both as they work together in harmony.

Renita and Ciria

2011-12-28T01:17:00.005-07:00

As I look at the list of newcomers to KU for next fall, I try to see if any of the names jump out at me. Sometimes a simple name will invoke a story so I take it and go from there. Such is the case of Renita Gealy and Ciria Hynda.

Starting with Renita, I immediately felt like she had a rough past. I picked up on the vibes that she was from a strict household where she had expectations placed so highly on her that she was caving in. Immediately a story from people in my life came to mind which easily became the basis for a new story, Renita's story. Based off some submissions from the website Six Billion Secrets, which I read daily for inspiration and to catch the auras of the lives of others, a story came to light.

Basically, in summary, Renita's parents are quite literally forcing her to become a doctor. However, she really hates all the medical stuff and would really rather play the trombone and major in music. They refuse to support her at all so she makes her own money to keep her passion going. She also has secret help from her aunt (who would become Ciria) who is 9 years older than her and has traveled the exact same path, realized that life is about happiness, and took back control. Ciria becomes a source of inspiration for Renita and fuels her courage to tell her parents that she is no longer going to try and live up to their unobtainable expectations. This really doesn't go over well and when they find out that Renita is not going to AMU (the best medical university in Kiillaana) and is instead going to major in music they flip out and not only refuse to pay a cent (they would have paid for everything if she went with their plan) but they also disown her. Her parents are very rich and materialistic and are in constant competition with the neighbors and friends and cannot comprehend what they would say if they found out their daughter was not going into a rich profession.

After this happens, during Renita's winter break, she moves in with Ciria who lives nearby and makes all necessary plans to get scholarships needed for school. Renita plays Runescape to chat with others and to get away from the frustrations of her family life and one of her close friends (Robin Coulter) from the game, a trombone player himself, encourages her to audition for the university he attends (yes, he was quite brave for sharing that much personal info, but he did it over facebook and not Runescape). Ciria, who has taken up the saxophone since quitting the school of her parents' dreams, decides that she too wants to major in music and that it "sounds like fun" so she too prepares an audition and studies the basics of theory with Renita.

Ciria herself has a unique story as well. Growing up in the same situation as Renita, she was told by her parents that she would be an engineer so that's what she did. She met someone in college who noticed right away she wasn't happy and spoke some simple advice that would strike her at the very center of her heart. Halfway through her sophomore year of college she realized that she could do with her own life what she pleased so she "gave school the middle finger," dropped out, and enrolled in a comminuty college where she majored in medical assisting and became an assistant in a radiology office. She is almost 29 years old and single, having sensed very strongly that she was to remain in the town she lived in until a certain major event would happen (she is strongly of Osai). Renita moving in with her would prove to be this major event and the two would go on to audition and receive near-full rides to KU.

Renita has quite a lot of baggage from years of being labeled second best next to her older sister and younger brother. She never really felt like she fit into the family because, unlike her brother and sister, she was not a people-pleaser in any way. Her self esteem is very low because she refused to be fake in her rich town community and was outcast all the time. She became depressed and bottled up her frustrations and sadness for so long that she is no longer able to cry. Her father would yell up a storm if Renita got anything below an A in any class and her parents would hand-pick her class schedule for her. They manipulated her to do what they wanted by verbally abusing her and making her feel guilty for anything she did outside of their desires and it was only due to Ciria's mentoring that Renita survived until she turned 18 in September of 2011 and was able to freely move out and take control of her own life, something Ciria learned far too late.

These two join the Newcomers 2012 and I hope to include them in some capacity in the Lochgren Series.

Who is Lunfort?

2011-12-24T01:51:00.003-07:00

Most of the things I write are things that are already set, or mostly set, in my mind. The things that aren't circulate inside my endless mind, waiting until another piece of the puzzle is written or discovered further down the line. Usually, my inspiration comes in a dream or through an experience and then things fall into place.

Right now I'm stuck on a big idea that seems, right now, to be floating in blackness, not really connecting to anything. In typical RCT fashion, I go about naming random peeps that I want to track throughout the park and I always write them down, conducting various experiments (usually to see how long guests of a certain energy level or ride preference "survive" inside a mature park). While at the time the names seem something of little interest, when I look back at them they suddenly take on greater form. This has happened with a guy that I randomly tagged who I named Daniel Lunfort.

I have certain go-to names for different situations and one random one in particular for RCT involves guests who are, fortunately or unfortunately, wearing a tan shirt and tan pants. Combined with the skin tone that every RCT peep has, this unfortunate choice of clothing makes the guess look.... naked. This was a special circumstance (though it's way more common in RCT2) and, for whatever reason, the go-to name for these special guests is Daniel. One walked into my park when I happened to be tagging people so he got a quick name and off he went.

A few days later, the name on paper stood out at me, loudly screaming that there was a story underneath that name. So far, the name Lunfort has become a crest of interest and I've used it twice already in other RCT parks. I made a park that had an extensive train system and named one of the tracks the Lunfort track, so I know there's one of those somewhere in Kiillaana. In another, I called the whole park County Lunfort in an effort to try and build a city, though it ended up veering off from my original vision so it hasn't shed too much light on it yet.

All I know right now about Lunfort is that it's a really strong crest somewhere in the Tensk-Kiishla region. Daniel Lunfort is a Terabikai and the more I thought about it the idea that this is a line of Terabikai took root. This would be very odd and interesting, as Terabi doesn't choose his men by family, and hardly any Terabikai is directly related to another. I don't really know any more than this right now so it will be fun to see what becomes of this in the upcoming times.

For now, here are some questions that will eventually be answered:

What is so special about Daniel Lunfort? (He's listed as a cursethrower for his claim to fame)
How closely related are the Terabikai in the Lunfort line? One per generation, one per 100 years? Straight line (grandfather, son) or indirect (uncles, cousins)?
What has made their line so favored by Terabi?
When did this start?
Where does the Lunfort line originate?
How big is this line? (It's pretty big)
Do these men have any other special abilities that unify them?
What is the Lunfort crest known for?
Is their weapon the same?

Just some things to think about. It'll all fall into place soon!

Diamond/Latham Holiday Letter 2011

2011-12-22T00:40:00.003-07:00

Hello everyone! As this year comes to a close, we are all celebrating the highs and lows of 2011. We have lived in our house for a year and a half now and are still loving the neighborhood just as much as we did when we moved in. Over the past year several highly musical families have moved in around us and it's been quite exciting to see this young neighborhood take root and grow old and mossy. We've made so many great friends and have enjoyed hosting countless parties, both big and small.

Lesko
I started the year off rough but recovered in time to complete my junior recital, which was a great time indeed. I've been working a lot and have passed several more classes that have helped me move along in my career as an audio recording specialist. I still work at Norton Johnson and greatly enjoy the people I work with and the fun that we have. As my junior year ended Eric and I did a summer tour all over Kiillaana with ILEN playing in several places and making wonderful memories along the way. We even got to spend a few days in Jadali! I'm also really happy to say that as of this fall KU finally got on the bandwagon and offers an Audio Production degree, thanks to the new audio center built on campus right behind the music building. All of the classes I've taken over the past few years totally count towards that degree so I'm proud to say that I'll be the first person here to graduate with a degree in AudPro! Dr. Holland has been so fun to work with and I'm definitely coming back this fall to get my master's. I'll likely freelance for a while until something more permanent becomes available but I'm looking closely at the Kphil and the Black Shirt Gang. As always, I'm still in ILEN and we're still going strong!

My health took a dive again as the fall started, involving a few trips to the hospital, but as of recent I feel much better and hopefully this snag is behind us. My family has been amazing in helping me stay in good spirits and I want to thank them all for helping me cross every thorny path with confidence. I really hope this year brings much less drama in the health department.

Avicile
Wow! What a year this has been! On January 17th, we welcomed our daughter Emerald into our crazy family. She's proving to be a handful but fairly quiet and she's already showing a social butterfly personality. I've been busy with school, going part-time so that I can get a class or two out of the way each semester so that one day I can graduate with a general music degree. I'm hoping to get back into band, despite the imminence of our growing family, especially since at the moment I won't be having any children this next semester, haha. I'm taking a slightly fuller load to check some music classes off the list and as always I'm still a big member of Club Spicy. It's grown over this past year as new music parent folk join the fold and I've had a wonderful time watching their children and them watching mine so that I can attend some classes. Everything is working out beautifully and I'm so thankful for my family and friends who are always there to lend me a hand and to be there to talk to.

Sterling
Our Early Sterling is almost two years old already! He's up and running and is a quiet but social little guy! He loves to walk into band and orchestra when it ends and say hello to Daddy and make the rounds in his arms to say hello to everyone. His other favorite activity is eating! He's very tall and skinny, just like his daddy, and looks much older than his age because of this. He's got quite a big vocabulary too- he's certainly living up to his Early title! We're very excited to see how he grows this next year. :-)

Emerald
Our Emerald is almost a year old already! If we thought Sterling looked like his daddy, Emerald looks even more so! She's full of energy and is almost walking now. She loves to be with Sterling in whatever he's doing and we can't wait until she is old enough to play with him. We can tell that they will be best friends. She is a very adaptable girl who loves anything that is LOUD! We can't wait to see her grow even more this next year!

Eric
Hello everyone, Eric here. This year has been totally awesome. I still work as a music coordinator at KP under the eye of my good friend and love it. My job now is to schedule the events in the park and get those that want to perform slated up. I've also had several opportunities to play in the park too which I've enjoyed immensely. This past summer ILEN went on tour all over Kiillaana and I had a total blast. The coolest thing that happened was my older brother Neil started dating Augustus' little sister Danielle when we were going along and they got married! Oh, ILEN love! As our senior year has started Rebecca and I have decided that the time is right to start trying to add children to our family. No news yet but you better believe you'll hear it when it happens. :P I'm just chugging along working towards my big senior recital as well as taking the last couple of my music business classes. Once that's all done I can relax and find my groove as a professional musician. I've put in an audition as a permanent member of the Black Shirt Gang and if I get that then I'll be playing my high chops all over the scene. I've been loving life and can't wait to see what happens this next year.

Rebecca
Hello, hello! I've been quite busy this year working on my performance degree and have been hired as a member of the KP orchestra. Basically, instead of swiping park tickets I now get to play trumpet in the live shows that the park puts on, which is much more enjoyable, I think! ;) The music sometimes gets old but it's lots of fun and the musicians there are great. There are lots from KU there too. The three of us seniors (me, Eric, Lesko) are still busy with marching band as always and will be sad when we have to leave. It's been a lot of fun but I think all of us are glad to be done with it all. Now that graduation is so close Eric and I are getting ready to add our own children to the mix. :) We're planning to have a family built through birth and adoption and can't wait until we're old enough to do that. We're already planning it now and have gotten things in order for when that time comes. Other than that, I've been great this past year and have enjoyed going to school with my cousins and family.

Well, with all of that, we hope everyone is having a wonderful Year's End!

Love,
Lesko, Avicile, Sterling, Emerald, Eric, and Rebecca

Template Poetry: Through Their Eyes

2011-12-11T17:51:00.004-07:00

I love seeing how creative I can be with the "I Am" poems that are popular school writing assignments. One of my favorite things to do to make them more fun is write them through the eyes of another. Here are some examples that I've written, from the humorous to the deep and serious. Enjoy!

I am a computer virus.
I wonder how long it’ll take you to find me.
I hear your cursing as you wonder what went wrong.
I see you try everything you can to find me.
I want to anger you.
I am a computer virus.

I pretend to be your friend.
I feel your anger and frustration.
I touch the depths of your fuse, igniting it.
I worry about you sometimes.
I cry with laughter as you try to get rid of me.
I am a computer virus.

I understand more about your computer than you do.
I say I’m harmless, but I’m really not.
I dream of the money you’ll spend getting rid of me.
I try to destroy you.
I hope that I’ll be able to reside for a while.
I am a computer virus.

*****

I am the Terabikai-Osanokai
I wonder who needs my aid today
I hear the words of Osai; comforting and informative
I see the thoughts of others
I want to help.
I am the Terabikai-Osanokai

I pretend not to use the Realm to traverse
I feel the auras of all; past and present
I touch the lives of everyone around me
I worry that I may become consumed by the dormant evil within me
I cry out against evil.
I am the Terabikai-Osanokai

I understand the needs of all who seek my counsel
I say the right thing, always
I dream in vision
I try to imagine life through the eyes of others
I am the Terabikai-Osanokai
(Dr. Sorela)

*****

I am the lighter half.
I wonder why I was chosen.
I hear the morning birds and the evening rains.
I see the world through auras of green and gold.
I want to live in the heart of Dahhod.
I am the brother of darkness.

I pretend to know what to do.
I feel the energy that comes from within me.
I touch lives with my love for life.
I worry that I might miss an opportunity to create a memory.
I cry tears of joy as I count my dear friends.
I am the Extroverted twin.

I understand the roles of others.
I say funny things to get others to laugh.
I dream of being more selfless every day.
I try to uplift and inspire.
I am the lightness of the Darklight.
(Lesko Diamond)

I am the darker half.
I wonder how others view me.
I hear the voice of Osai guiding me.
I see what others cannot.
I want to make the world a better place.
I am the brother of lightness.

I pretend to understand weariness.
I feel the power of Darkness which resides in me.
I touch the road silently as I glide past.
I worry about those who are lost.
I cry at that thought.
I am the Introverted twin.

I understand the ways of the Moon.
I say many things out of love each day.
I dream of people who need my help.
I try to balance the two sides to my being.
I am the darkness of the Darklight.
(Oja Diamond)

*****

I am apprehensive and afraid.
I wonder if today will be the day…
I hear the sickening, ungodly sounds thrust from within.
I see the unnatural placement of my limbs…
I want to tell others that it doesn’t hurt me.
I am apprehensive and afraid.

I pretend that I feel as sprightly as I look.
I feel awful, like my foundation is tilted.
I touch the lives of many through my struggles.
I worry that the one thing I run from will show up when I least expect it.
I cry as I think of that simple light that I must run from.
I am apprehensive and afraid.

I understand that I won’t simply ‘get better.’
I say that this doesn’t define me.
I dream of life without the burden I carry.
I try to be as open as I can possibly be.
I am the face of illness.
(Lesko Diamond)

The Evolution of Drawings

2011-12-07T18:28:00.009-07:00

I thought it might be fun to take some of the people that I have multiple drawings of and see how they change over time as 1.) My drawing techniques grow and change and 2.) The vision I have in my head changes. Enjoy!

Lesko Diamond
4 Pictures across 4 Years

A drawing fresh from my first semester of college, this is a picture of Lesko Diamond taken by Oja as they visit Lake Ohro in Kalitonia (Yes, I remember the story. Think about it- chronologically, Lesko is still in high school when this was "taken"). This was the picture that confirmed Lesko to "Pretty Boy" status, evidenced by his fitted, stripy sweater, scarf, and somewhat skinny jeans, paired with Vans. I had a really hard time drawing blonde hair and was still a noob at the facial shape game but I think it turned out pretty good, especially since I suck at full body drawings now. :P It was drawn on December 6, 2007, 4 years and one day ago!

This picture of Lesko in his basketball days was drawn on March 22, 2008, when Lesko was still in high school. Although he could no longer play basketball by then (due to his spinal fusion) I had fun drawing a snapshot of history during that very brief moment when Lesko was more into sports than music. His hair looks a bit better but still off from what I really want it to look like, although that could be due to the fact that it's probably supposed to be green in this picture. I was trying to show off his newfound tallness and body type. That outfit is supposed to be royal blue and bright yellow. Go Lions!

A fairly recent picture of Lesko done on January 31, 2010. I was trying to showcase his energetic personality. He's wearing his ILEN shirt (he's the letter L) and a fitted jacket over it, along with his skinny-ish jeans and Vans. I really like this picture because his Catin eyes are in proportion to his face (not too big like they usually end up!) and his facial shape is much more accurate (though a bit too round). His hair is also convincingly blond!

A very recent picture done on October 27, 2011, of Lesko with his head wrapped up in preparation for a 72 hour ambulatory EEG. His VNS magnet is also hanging onto the left strap of his backpack. It's titled "Rocky Times" because, well, life was kind of sucking for him at that particular month. Despite it all, he is still of high spirits and smiling, filling people with his endless energy. That's what I love most about him.

Moira Lochgren
3 Pictures across 9 Months

Drawn on February 16, 2011, this picture of Moira was the very first, as the idea of a Newcomer from Jadali entertained my mind. Little did I know that I'd take an attempt at my first novel with her as a main character. I drew her based off what I thought someone of Lochgren blood would look like- blonde wavy hair, oval face, two-colored eyes. From this picture, I realized that she looked like someone I know who became sort of the basis for future drawings of Moira.

A nice drawing of Moira done on September 26, 2011. It's not my best, as it kind of changes my original view, but I think it's pretty. She looks a little too much like Arwen though. :P

This latest drawing of Moira was done on her birthday, November 17, 2011 (hence I wrote "Dor Diene Ahraddwr!" as the subtitle :P). I love this picture and I think it's the most accurate by far. It shows her with very lovely hair that even I am envious of, and dressed in much warmer clothing instead of her favorite but too cold peasant tops. She even has on a scarf! So cute! Everything is perfect.

Nathan Surcaston
3 Pictures Across 1.5 Years

This is my first drawing of Nathan, done on June 20, 2010, trying to stay true to the person he's based off of. I got much right but his hair is a bit too dark, as I still can't do blond hair very well. This picture says a lot about his personality and I love his sweater vest!

Another attempt a year later (June 15, 2011), this one is also very good. Everything in the previous drawing carried over and it looks almost the same. The scars that cover his face are ever so faintly present and not really noticeable, which is how he wants it to be. He's probably the only person that can make so many large scars on his face disappear.

This latest picture, drawn after I had a very... Terabian dream, was done on November 27, 2011. Everything has continued to remain the same, from his rectangle glasses down to his sweater vest. His large eyes continue to get bigger, which is a trait of his (very wide-open, irresistibly blue, and almost sparkling with the Mark of Terabi). I picture him as very professional, softspoken, and one of the kindest souls known to man. I don't know if he marches in this outfit though... :P

Terabi
3 Pictures in 2 Years

One of the first drawings I made of Terabi, done on December 1, 2009, showing off an ageless and yet youthful appearance that I loved and definitely accepted. His hair is long and done up in ornamental ties. His boots look a bit weird though. They're supposed to be cool bound leather but they're much too big. Oh well, he's the God of Aura! He can do whatever he wants! In his hand he holds a Blade of Lovelight. I'm not sure if it's his or the blade of a new initiate, but it looks quite awesome.

Probably my favorite portrait of Terabi, this one was drawn on February 13, 2011, during a time when he was heavily on my mind. His Teracor is shown glowing blue and his youthful face radiates with kindness.

The latest full drawing of Terabi, this one was done on September 18, 2011. He holds his Staff of Lovelight and wears a Jadali-style outfit with a cloak. I love how his eyes look in this picture and one again he has that ageless youth look about him. His gifts are all centered around the emotion of love and this is so evident in these pictures.

Spotlight on: Sorrell and Daniel Burke

2011-12-03T22:21:00.006-07:00

Full Names: Sorrell Justus Burke and Daniel Rohan Burke
Birthday: November 29, 1993
Method of Creation: #1- they're my double names of the month! Also a little of #2 because they're ever so slightly based off someone I go to school with.

Creation Story
Every so often, I'll get a name I really like stuck in my mind. It's called the "Name of the Month" although it's more like every couple months. I've had this trend of favorites go back to at least 8th grade when my favorite name of the time was Bethany. After a while I began creating a new person with my month's favorite name or really whenever any name got stuck in my head. After writing out the story and history of Slade Burke, in which one of the two students was named Sorrell, I fell in love with the name. I thought I was being cool by taking Sorela and taking off the A, but when I wrote it out on Word I noticed it wasn't underlined in red which means it's an actual name recognized enough to be in Word's too-small dictionary. I looked it up and sure enough Sorrell was a name (although it was pronounced SO-rull and not so-REL). Within a few days the brand new visage of Sorrell Burke was leaving my pencil and coming to life on the pages of my notebook during Literature, which is the class this term that most of my drawings happen.

Around the same time, I had a dream about a friend of mine which led to, among many things, adding the name Daniel to my list of favorite names. I couldn't let Sorrell go alone, as both of these names gained equal favor on that list, so I gave him a twin brother!

As I thought of Sorrell and Daniel, strong images of those dramatic black and white portraits of smiling faces with the really sparkling eyes came to mind. Since it was just Sorrell at first, I pictured him with wide and lightly colored eyes holding some sort of woodwind instrument, an eventual professional musician. When Daniel came along shortly thereafter, I imagined him taking a different path through music and becoming a conductor and band director in addition to a woodwind musician. Without any question I determined them to both be clarinet players.

With this image of them in my mind, I had to decide what exactly they looked like. They're both extremely photogenic, the kind of people that look good no matter when you snap a picture of them. They dress in nice clothes with those button-up plaid shirts or fitted sweaters paired with some slip-on shoes like Vans. The jeans are always fitted, never baggy or ratty, and their hair is always done up nicely, completing their polished look. I refer to the men that wear this style as "Pretty Boys." I love the term Pretty Boy and as I drew them I set out to overly exaggerate this. Here's what I came up with and I must say I am very pleased with how they turned out!

Sorrell was drawn out first. I love love love love how sparkly his hazel eyes look! He's definitely not dark! It took so long to get the hair just right but once I did it became easy to draw again because his brother dresses the same way!

Daniel was next, drawn the next day because I didn't have time to finish before class ended and I had to make a mad dash to my next class. He's got on a plaid button-up shirt over some band shirt or something and has that same spiked hair that his brother does. :P Same eyes, too!

With their portraits drawn, I set to work writing out their stories, as in that short time it took me to draw them I could already pick up on their unique auras. They're not identical but look very much alike (Daniel has darker hair and different colored eyes). That being said, their personalities are near identical. They often joke that their different looks are what builds their character (saying identical twins with identical personalities are too hard to distinguish). They are the best of friends and do everything together. Both love to read books and articles and then write reviews of said material. Both are adept at writing essays which should greatly help them when they get to college. They play the same instrument, the clarinet, and both are planning to major in music when they go to college very far away from their flat and big city homeland. One of the only differences really is that Daniel is more education and teaching oriented and Sorrell is more performance oriented. They are also very compassionate, sweet, and kind (which means they'll probably team up with Nathan to do good works for others!) and have the gift of listening.

I had already long decided that they were indeed directs descendants of Slade Burke, which isn't too hard as most of Tensk and the surrounding areas carry his crests. Thanks to the history of Slade that I had just written about a month ago I gave the state of Kiishla something to be famous for (the big triumph battle where Slade reveals his true allegiance for you history buffs keeping track). The capital city of Raanlen is home to the battle site, a huge museum of history dedicated to the facts of that entire battle (Terabi's War), and... it's the hometown of the Burke twins! Yes, I threw a curveball and they're not from Tensk but the state to the north. Oh well, people move around a lot in 700 years!

With that small but significant fact came a pride about their ancestry. Both boys are well versed in the history of Slade and all of the things he did and are proud to be descendants. It seems like all my peeps as of late know their stuff when it comes to Terabi and Osai! :P

Anyway, since I won't have much to write about on them until next summer when I hope to put them into the Lochgren Series, I'll leave you with some fun facts!

1. Sorrell is older by 13 minutes
2. Both boys are lefties!
3. They taught themselves the extinct language of Kiillra and love to speak it.
4. They love to take the train down to Tevernid with friends to get penny candy and to hear the multitude of orchestras and bands perform.
5. Both visit Kaywood every summer for the annual Kaywood Music Festival.

Visi Aranel

2011-12-01T22:49:00.005-07:00

The following is a folk tune that tells the tale of someone traveling to Aranel Ieni-Sar in the night and meeting the ghost of Aranel there, listening to her sad tales. It follows this melody:

Enjoy this piece I wrote in my literature class today, complete with annotations!

Visi Aranel1

While trav’ling through the Forests Dark
Beneath the Twilight moon
I knew what I was looking for
Traversing since high noon
I waded through Y Ried Bhroch2
It felt not cold to me
I traveled onward through the trees
Within my hands a Key3

A key of curious craftsmanship
Made to unlock the night
Made by the hands of that Balthòr4
To fill the space with light
And as I traveled further
The lantern shining bright
The evidence of what I sought
Crept slowly to my sight

And not unlike Aradd-Aurore5
This place was nos osield6
And as I faced an olden tree
A figure I beheld!
She was as they had spoken
I quickly realized—
The blue visage of Aranel
Now shone before my eyes!

She had a look of sorrows past
A yearning to be free
And as I stood ten measures7 back
She spake these words to me:
Ɇ nan da sarlan eddryd
Ɇ patho Kina rai
O abindar nia Amahryd
Tho Kina otelwr!8

We stood conversing in the grove
Until the morning sun
And of her stories of time past
She told me by the one9
I listened with intention
I wrote on parchments three
As I retired back to home
I took this tale with me.

1. The Vision of Aranel 2. The River Red, a major river in Jadali that passes through several major cities including Leena. 3. Lantern 4. Danil Balthor, a double master of art metals, who made ornate lanterns among other things. 5. Aradd-Aurora, Seers' Forest, the forested village west of Leena. 6. Illuminated by moonlight, giving it an aura of darkness and mystery. 7. About 8.5 feet. 8. "I am a harmless spirit who awaits my turn; may I live in Heaven with my family someday." 9. "By the one" is the Catin expression for "one by one."

Aranel Balthòr

2011-11-30T18:48:00.003-07:00

Aranel Balthòr is the daughter and only child of Danil Balthòr and Nyssa Lochmont. She was born in the city of Telbut Rinwr in the province of Balthòr on October 13, 1127, which puts her into the 102nd class. She is most famed for her extremely cursed life, brought upon her entirely by the foolish and evil acts of her mother. Aranel is quite possibly the most accursed person in history.

Aranel’s Mother
Nyssa Lochmont (b. 1106 d. 1130) was a very rebellious woman and was only interested in herself which landed her into all kinds of trouble. She was unusually fascinated by the ways of evil and was highly interested in the beasts and demons of Terabi's Realm, believing she could become one of them if she tried hard enough. Many believe that she came into contact with the beasts of the Realm somehow and vowed to help them spread destruction, demanding them to take her. The demons evidently agreed to take her as their own but not without having a little fun. Nyssa, afraid of getting hurt by a curse, managed to convince them to deflect all of their curses onto her unborn baby, sacrificing it to the demon of chaos. This however backfired as they weren't about to let a rash, teenage girl get away free, cursing her with accidents so that she would get caught. Shortly after the birth of Aranel, Nyssa was finally arrested for trying to kill and overthrow various people when her curse of accidents revealed herself. She was taken to prison in Whaven, where she died some two years later. Many people speculate that Nyssa became a lesser beast of the Realm, likely a demon of anger.

Aranel’s Father
Danil Balthòr (b. 1107 d. 1200) was a young artistic genius who fell in love with a misguided and evil lady (married 1125-1128). After Nyssa’s imprisonment their marriage was nullified and he remarried in 1130 to Akèli Enna Freloch and had three children- Fenton (b. 1132), Elvin Bhaius (b. 1137), and Ellandra (b. 1140). Together Danil and Akèli raised Aranel while Danil continued to pursue double mastery in Art Metals. He taught at the Balthòr School, located in Thahro del Mont, until the year 1144 when he was invited to teach at Leena University, becoming Professor of Art Metals from that year until his death in 1200 at the age of 92. He was the teacher of Iaso Montàlo, who became one of the most recognized and famous artists of Jadali. Danil and Akèli would go on to raise their granddaughter after Aranel’s death.

Aranel’s Stepmother
Akèli Enna Freloch (b. 1110 d. 1193) was a sweet girl from Leena. She was the cousin of Kalo Freloch and visited his family up in Thahro del Mont often. She fell in love with Danil Balthòr but was unable to move there so he ended up marrying Nyssa Lochmont. However, Nyssa proved to be evil and their marriage was canceled almost 3 years later when she was arrested and convicted for various hate crimes. Akèli was finally able to move to Thahro del Mont where she heard about all of the dealings with Nyssa and visited Danil often, still in love with him. They chose to get married even though Danil had a daughter and did so in late 1130 when Aranel was 3. She adopted Aranel as her own child a year later and together they raised her.

Aranel’s Early Years
Because of the evildoings of her mother and her selfish sacrifice, Aranel led a cursed life. She was attacked strongly by the demon of chaos and often and was very sickly, rarely leaving the house. Over her life the beast drained her of thought, never ceasing to try and consume her completely. She was found to have the curse almost immediately after her birth, confirmed when she was given her name by Kalo Freloch, the Eldin of Leena at the time. Mera Visi was two years older than her and they went to school together. The first time he saw specifically her get attacked was when he was 16 years old and from that point on he was on a quest to save her and keep the curse at bay.

Aranel moved from Thahro del Mont to Leena with her family in 1144 when her father accepted the post of Professor of Art Metals. Over the years she grew very close to Mera Visi, Key Freloch, Iaso Montàlo, and Barthàl Balthòr. She was sweet but very shy and timid, tripping over words and was always moving (not unlike S. R. Sorela, cursed by the same monster). Mera Visi was able to stop current attacks and heal her to her baseline but was unable to completely remove her curse and it grew inside of her as years went on.

Aranel’s Later Years
Despite her increasingly fragile and volatile nature Aranel married Barthàl Balthòr in 1160 at the age of 33.* He too had increasingly fragile health, being stricken with a disease that “made his skin taste of the sea and caused him to cough constantly and seem like he hadn’t eaten.” This disease would later be identified as cystic fibrosis. Against all odds, Aranel became pregnant in 1161 and gave birth to a daughter (August 3, 1162) who she named Miriele Balthòr. While pregnant, Terabi gave Mera Visi a power to be bestowed upon Aranel to protect her from harm and to completely protect her child. This worked and the small line of curses was broken. However, Barthàl Balthòr passed away in the very early days of 1163 due to complications from his disease. Being stricken with fresh grief gave the demons of the Realm newfound power to torment her and Aranel began to go mad. She soon became unable to care for her daughter and Miriele was placed into the care of her grandparents.

*It has been said and confirmed many times that Aranel was very much in love with Iaso Montàlo but he was much too young for her to marry, being 10 years younger. This fact would continue to torment her throughout the rest of her life.

Throughout the next 7 years Aranel went increasingly mad. By 1165 she no longer stayed in her house and wandered around Freloch and Lochmont, being constantly thrown down by the curse and muttering incomprehensible things. Everyone in the towns east of the Ried Bhroch knew about her and looked after her collectively, providing her with meals and sheltering her when she would accept it. She still corresponded with Mera Visi, Key Freloch, and Iaso Montàlo often and enjoyed their company. By 1168 she could no longer speak and was becoming increasingly obsessed with a worry that she would inevitably become consumed by the beasts of the Realm and tried to flee, never staying in the same place longer than a few hours.

Aranel’s Cursed Death
By 1170 Aranel had gone completely mad. She was exhausted from running around and was extremely unkempt and frail. Terabi had worked with the other gods as well as Mera Visi to establish a ritual that would free her from the curses she carried, provided she could wait until all appropriate measures were put in place. Becoming desperate, she decided to take her own life, the one measure she was absolutely forbidden to take. On October 31, 1170, Aranel was last seen near her hometown of Telbut Rinwr, wandering the streets, her clothing tattered. Unknown to anyone at the time, she had stolen or acquired a rope and a sharp knife from the city and made her way to the densely forested area southeast of where her childhood home was. Once there, she took a wooden ladder and climbed a tall oak tree. She reached a large branch and tied her feet and knees to it with the rope. She then pushed the ladder down and, looking up into the moonlight, slit her wrists with the dagger. As darkness overtook her she fell backwards, hanging upside down to let the blood out more quickly.

Unfortunately, as she led a cursed life and took her own life, she was punished with a cursed death. Her soul was separated from her body but it did not return to the Realm of Spirits. She screamed as she beheld her dead body and only then realized that she had cursed herself further by not asking to be released. Her body was found the next morning and her death attracted the attention of most of the east coast. Though she was invisible to the general population, her cries could be heard and a haunting presence felt. Mera Visi, being a Man of Terabi, could see her perfectly and was able to talk to her, though he had a hard time doing so for she was very distraught and not so used to having control of her body again. She was free of her curse but stuck in a state that would prove to be almost worse. She could not join her ancestors and descendants in the Realm of Spirits and was doomed to forever haunt areas of Jadali.

The Ghost of Aranel
Aranel hid for the first several years of her new ghostly existence, only able to be found by Mera Visi. After the death of Iaso Montàlo nearly a year after her, she was thrown into despair and hid deep in the forest for several years. As time walked ever steadily forward, Aranel accepted her fate but was still mightily upset by it all. As the members of her family and her close friends died and younger generations were raised up Aranel lost connection with them, becoming totally isolated and alone. Her only comfort was in talking to the Eldin of Leena, as he remained a ruler for over 100 years at a time and was the most constant thing she had in her afterlife.

To this day Aranel’s ghost travels around Jadali, listening and observing what people are doing, though she mainly occupies one of three places: Dahsir Castle (especially the south corridor), University of Leena (usually the art metal building), and the forest where she took her life which is now referred to as Aranel Ieni-Sar (The Spirited/Haunted Woods of Aranel). She is of no threat to anyone but her faint cries can be heard by all, magnified by moonlight and darkness. She is able to cause basic mischief like ruffling parchment, tipping over bottles, and rustling trees and there is a definite feeling when she is around. She can walk through people and the experience is said to feel “like the pains of a tormented soul.”

To this day she remains along the east coast, haunting the lands, her blue outline visible to any Terabikai, Osanokai, or those of her lineage (the descendants of her step-siblings). Her ghost is certainly perceptible by anyone specifically looking for her though the Terabikai are able to locate her faster than anyone else because of her aura. Most people who seek her out with true intent and not to prove they could do it do eventually find her and she usually enjoys the company. She is civil and kind, although very sad, and is extremely lonely since her ancestors have no memory of her in flesh and after 840+ years she doesn’t know many a familiar face. While she is invisible to most of the people who seek her and they can't hear her voice, her presence is easily identifiable and she uses her basic powers of ruffling pages and things like that to show that she is aware and listening. She has befriended S. R. Sorela, Meiro Freloch, Isli Loch, and Ilonwyn Lochmont and will often pay special visits to them. They, of course, can hear her perfectly and see her in her true form (Isli is a very distant relative of Fenton). Meiro has described her as a "bitter, sad, blue ghost."

The demon that bound itself to her was destroyed in 1963 by S. R. Sorela and this took away a considerable amount of her misery. She knew of his curse and he found her in the castle corridors where he befriended her and they commiserated together. She was definitely present when the whole event took place though she watched from afar. She sought him out when he was able to occupy his body again and thanked him immensely for his act.

The Stone with the Imprint
Aranel's body was buried in a small family graveyard located on the eastern border of Aranel Ieni-Sar. Mera was quite upset that she killed herself because he knew what it would mean to be a ghost barred from the Realm of Souls. Iaso Montalo made a small metal statuette that now sits atop her burial site and about a year after her death a curious stone appeared in front of it with a carved imprint of a hand and the inscription "The Blood of Aranel will set her free." This enchanted stone was set in place by Terabi under the direction of some of the other gods and nobody really knew what to make of it, knowing that someone would have to pay in blood with their hand on the stone. Over time, as relatives tried their blood on the stone, nothing happened and Aranel lost that last fraction of hope that she would be freed. It wasn't until it was much too late that they realized that the person had to be "of age" (17 or older) and that it could only be a pure-blooded descendant.

Miriele’s Decision
Aranel's daughter Miriele was 8 years old at the time of her death and was forever changed by it. She never visited the spot where her mother died and felt that the only way to break the chain of death was to leave Jadali forever. She maintained a very low profile, afraid of what people would think or expect of her and shortly after she came of age she made preparations to leave forever. She took with her everything that she owned, including a keepsake puzzle box made by her grandfather full of documents, letters, and pendants given to Aranel by her friends, family, and husband to remember her by. At the age of 20, in 1183, Miriele went to the Lighthouse Port (Resa Kiybh) and boarded a ship bound for Cayadora, never to be seen or heard from again.

Even though nobody in Jadali knew for sure what happened to Miriele after the age of 20 she eventually died and upon doing so entered Terabi’s Realm and spoke with Mera Visi, apologizing for her rash actions but confirming that she had lived a good life and had produced many strong children. Mera explained to Miriele that it was discovered a few years after she left that only she could have freed Aranel from her cursed death. Aranel would forever remain on the earth as a cursed spirit unless a direct descendant could return and perform a proper ritual to set her free. He explained that it could very well take centuries but Kalo Freloch had seen all of this in vision and that it would happen eventually. Miriele was quite upset about all this, as she had not fully believed that her mother wouldn't be in the Realm of Souls to welcome her home in death. According to the visions of the Osanokai, Miriele is actively playing a hand in making sure her descendants survive and that the only tangible record of their secret ancestor, the metal puzzle box of documents, survives with them.

Spotlight on: Airi Sorela

2011-11-26T02:55:00.007-07:00

Full Name: Airi Isli Hieldin Sorela
Birthday: February 21, 1950
Method of Creation: #3- She was born from my mind as Dr. Sorela took form!

First sketch of Airi done 27 June, 2011

Creation Story
Oh, my dear Airi (that's EYE-ree, thanks!). Where do I begin? A long time ago, when SRS was still a barely-tangible cloud of darkness, I realized that he must have a family. Up until that point, he had sort of lived nebulously, without any connections to other people. As much as I liked the idea of him being solitary I realized that it wasn't practical and that I would have to jump out of the rut I had created. His wife would be more important than anyone else and although the initial creation of Airi was slow, she eventually gained speed and is now such an important part of the SRS story that I can't think of the time before her.

I always envisioned someone tall and dark to be his wife. She would be pure, having the two colored eyes, and would have one of the Jadali crests. She ended up being a Hieldin, although she isn't from the province. Her name is popular in Catin and Keòen alike and every time I would think of her with her beautiful name, I always saw a dancer. As SRS evolved so did Airi, going from a random other person that had to be there but was still pretty detached to his other half- a musical master who taught just like him. It wasn't until the summer of 2011 that Airi took on her full form and her history became mostly complete. Once I drew her I began to put a personality to her and before long she became one of my favorites.

While Airi isn't based off anyone specifically, she does have several personality traits similar to a couple professors I have at school. She is like her husband in her mannerisms- smooth, poetic, crisp, and gentle. She has the body of a dancer and is unusually tall for a Jadali woman (5'10''). Though she is in her 60's she is still as limber and fit as someone half her age, being blessed with long life by Osai and Terabi. Unlike her husband, however, Airi is very outspoken and has a unique way of getting her opinions of people across tactfully and in a way that she can't get in trouble for. She is the kind of teacher that students would love to go to dinner with just to hear her funny stories and the completely unexpected things that she comes up with. Most of her humor is in the presentation of the things she says.

Airi is less introverted than her husband but is still quiet, speaking slowly and crisply. She is among the darker colored Jadali, having shoulder-length, wavy, jet black hair that she either wears naturally or tied over her left shoulder and skin about as dark as her husband with his beautiful tan Catin skin. She prefers traditional Jadali dress to the dressy clothes that her colleagues wear; her favorites are the lovely and light linen skirts to the knee, light-colored tops, and light sandals, handmade from the valleys of Hieldin. She loves pendants and anklets, wearing her usual favorites along with new pieces.

Airi can be found at school on Tuesdays and Thursdays where she teaches upper level Ear Training, gives voice lessons to a handful of students, and directs Women's Chorus. Her PhD and Double Mastery is in vocal performance but she also possesses a master's degree in piano accompaniment and is actually very talented as a pianist. She enthusiastically accompanies her husband and his studio in all of their musical endeavors and when solo festival season comes around in the spring she also accompanies Dr. Nihael's studio. In addition, she is highly involved in the Pathreeah City Chorale and performs various roles in the operas that the KSB puts on.

A Short Bio (Sprinkled with Narratives)
Airi Isli Hieldin was born on February 21, 1950, in the Jadali capital city of Leena. She lived along a quaint, dirt road southwest of Cothrey Dahsir lined with trees and outlined by the cavernous black cliffs. She was the first and only child (for 17 years) of Danil Hieldin and Tahra Balthòr, a very young couple who had just finished high school in Taleah and had barely moved into an old stone house that was shared between Danil and his brother. Danil had gotten a job as a Jadali-Kiillaana relations worker and would have to move back and forth between the two countries several times as the needs of the people changed.

Just down the road lived a very interesting family. As Airi grew older she became more and more aware of the oddity of this older couple and their young son. The mother was a tall woman, Anwyn Ardin, who had gone to school in Taleah and who now was an agriculture teacher at University of Leena. The father, Rada Sorela, was an old Catin man, completely in love with the Jadali culture. He was from the Catin capital of Rihanu and had a lot of ties to Andaradd (the Catin equivalent of Dahhod). He knew the Keòen language well and from the meetings at the inn Airi learned that he wanted nothing more than to someday live in Jadali, the home of such a beautiful language and culture. This couple lived in Leena for several years before moving to Taleah for a while so that Rada could teach Catin at the high school. After the birth of their son when they were in their early 40's they became aware of an immense and unusual power emanating from him and felt it necessary to have him seen by the Eldin.

Their son was quite an unusual person, for sure. He was a year ahead of Airi in school and spent much of his time alone, wandering the coastline and forests, seeking out darkness. Upon being given his Eldin's Blessing it was discovered that he was a Man of Osai. This had only happened once in the history of Jadali, where another Man of Osai, not destined to become the Eldin, was born of their race. Airi knew him well. His name was Silanu and he was very misunderstood because in addition to being a Man of Osai, he was stricken with the Curse of the Realm. Out of the numerous serious curses that took hold of people he had the very worst of them all. Airi would often watch from her balcony as this boy would wander seemingly aimlessly around the grounds of his house, his whole body twitchy; unable to keep still. His eyes were wide and his breathing was fast and heavy, and he often wrung his hands or gripped them nervously around his arms, as if to try and shield himself from the curse which had somehow befallen him.

Most of the neighborhood was afraid of him, for the curse attacked him hard and often, throwing him to the ground in an agony only he could comprehend. He attended school under the watchful eye of a Terabikai a couple years older than him named Meiro Freloch. It seemed that his only relief from the pains of his curse came in his presence. Airi, however, always felt a deep compassion for the boy. During the times when Silanu would be lying stiffly in his bed Airi would sometimes sneak by, holding his hand, unafraid of how the curse had twisted his body. She knew that music was one of the only ways to ward off the evils of the Realm and would sing softly to him. He loved this and had a special friendship with her.

Airi moved to Taleah a handful of times and received schooling from both countries. Her family moved there for good in 1962 when Airi was 12 and would spend their summers in Leena. Airi always looked forward to seeing her cursed friend, baffled along with everyone else as to why such a strong and powerful gift had been combined with an awful curse. She had immersed herself in books and writings about Terabi and Osai, thirsty for knowledge and understanding of the presence of these two extremes in her dear friend. There was always some unrest in her mind about how these two things would play out and knew that at some point something would have to change. She just knew that something would happen; she could just feel it. She had read a handful of times an allusion made of Osai about a man who would have both of the Great Catin Gifts but nobody knew when it would happen or who it would be. Though she felt crazy for even thinking it, deep down, she had a suspicion that her cursed friend Silanu was this person.

On that fateful day in the fall of 1963, when Sorela battled against his demon and won, Airi was in the 8th grade. It was a dreadfully stormy day- overcast, shadowed, and a strong aura of darkness and dread hung over most of the land. Around dinner time, she was struck with a sudden dread and could literally hear a scream. She couldn't eat and certainly couldn't focus on anything except her cursed friend, the tall and thin boy with the messy hair and crazed look, whose terrified visage flashed to the forefront of her mind. She just knew that something had happened to him. She had no idea what it was but she just knew that it was Osai telling her something. She could barely sleep that night as she waited, sick to her stomach, what the news would say in the morning for she knew that something of this magnitude would definitely make it to Taleah by morning.

Nothing could have prepared her for what she learned early the next day. Her father, a scribbled note in hand, ran into Airi's room, waking her and breathlessly reiterating what he had heard from the news messengers at the ferry docks. Glancing at his notes to make sure he didn't say anything wrong, Airi learned that morning that Silanu had been attacked inside the south wall of Dahsir Castle and that he had been pushed beyond death with no aid. In the moments before he was about to become totally shattered and destroyed a surprising turn had taken place. It was at this time that Airi learned, along with the rest of the world, that her cursed friend that so many people feared, had just changed Catin and Jadali history forever. He had killed the demon which had cursed him. He was a Terabikai. He was the man with both gifts.

All throughout the day and week ahead, the whole world was abuzz with this news. Every Osai and Terabi scholar went crazy as they wrote down their thoughts and feelings of this momentous day. Airi begged her parents to take the ferry to Jadali so that she could visit her friend as he lay in the home of Isli Loch, the herbalist that had inherited the house of Mera Visi, recovering from the severe burns and complete mental breakdown he had suffered as a result of this monumental feat. They agreed wholeheartedly and upon their first opportunity were traveling west to their home in Leena.

Airi ran into the room where her friend lay, tears streaming down her face, as she beheld his frail body wrapped gently in cloth treated with an herbal paste that only a true master could prepare. The room smelled strongly of bitter herbs and raw, open flesh. Silanu's dark eyes were open but completely vacant except for a faintly glowing slash across his brown irises- the mark of a Terabikai in the Realm. His breathing was quick and labored and he was almost motionless except for occasional strikes of a sort of lightning from within, as if the soul fragment in him wasn't quite drained of energy yet. A hollow tube crafted of braided strips of the grass that grew along the river and greased with some sort of animal fat or resin snaked gently from his nose. His wild hair was singed and burnt very short, especially around the back of his neck. She noticed Isli preparing more strips of cloth with the herbal mixture and as she turned they made eye contact. When Isli saw Airi standing in the doorway she walked over, putting her arm around her, and letting her cry into her side. She gently explained what had happened and what was taking place now, nodding as Airi reached for Silanu's hand, taking it in hers. It was surprisingly warm and as they made contact she could feel the unmistakable energy of a Terabikai flow freely through her. She wept as she saw the bandages that engulfed his right arm and spanned across his chest and the images of this visit never left her mind.

Over the next few months, Airi received personal updates from Isli herself of Silanu's progress as he healed from the immensity of what had befallen upon him. He recovered with incredible speed, being a Man of Osai, and when she visited him in the springtime he was much more aware and in his body. It took many months for him to regain the ability to speak but when he did, Airi was there. He would smile as Airi visited him, knowing that she was one of his truest friends. Her perception of his feelings was astounding and he loved her for this. When at last he was fully healed enough to return to his business on earth, it was nearly summer. As he stood up and left the bed where he had spent so many months for the last time, Airi was there along with her parents, his parents, Isli, Meiro, and the Eldin. He had changed immensely. Where he was once twitchy and shaking, unable to stop moving, he now moved slowly in fluid, sweeping motions. His true voice finally sounded; where it was once stuttering and scared it was now gentle, grandiose, and powerful. His dark eyes were no longer wide with fear and were now gentle and almost glowing. He remained very dark but he was now quiet and calm, even more unique and mysterious than he was before. With the curse totally gone, his aura of love, peace, and comfort shone outward, prominent enough for everyone to take it in.

It was at this time that the young and immensely-changed Silanu decided what his future would hold. He decided to attend school in Taleah and study music in college. He needed a host family to sponsor him and both he and Airi knew right away that it would be her family. He and Airi began the 9th grade together at Taleah High School in the fall of 1964. She loved having him live at their house and cherished the moments when she could hear him practicing. By this point he was very good at the oboe and made the most challenging of melodies sound meaningful and effortless. Meanwhile, Airi participated in the school choir, yearning to further her unique and lovely voice. As she progressed through school she discovered that she was an exceptional pianist and made a pretty good sum of money accompanying other music students as they performed solos. She and Silanu, best friends the whole way through school, worked together in preparing an amazing number of pieces.

When at last their senior year came upon them they both had their eyes set on a college for music where they could grow their talents to mastery and meet numerous amazing people along the way. They took the train down to Tevernid, armed with their best works, and appeared before a large panel of judges who would hear them and decide if they were driven and qualified enough to make it into the undergraduate program at the Tevernid School of Music. Airi played piano behind Silanu and he played piano behind her, sharing that special connection that so rarely forms between two musicians. Their persistence and perseverance paid off and both were heartily accepted into the music programs there. They graduated from Taleah High School in 1968 and began their new life, as an engaged couple, in the large and very old city of Tevernid.

Airi and Silanu were married on January 1, 1970, in the Great Law Hall of Leena. They lived as a newlywed couple in a quaint house by the woods south of Tevernid and immersed themselves in the music they had worked so hard to master. With her husband's ability to forgo sleep he devoted many of his evenings to the study of Jadali history, wishing to obtain a parallel degree in Early Catin and Jadali Musicology along with oboe performance. This would end up taking a decade so Airi was able to take as much time as she needed to obtain her PhD in vocal performance and ped. In addition, she decided that being an accompanist was something she really loved and wanted to continue doing so she got a masters degree in piano accompaniment as well.

Airi taught and sang in some of the best choirs in the Tevernid area and when her husband went to Jadali for two years to complete his PhD in Jadali Musicology she gladly went along, becoming the temporary music director at the University of Leena. The town was thrilled to have them back, for Sorela's fame as the man with both gifts was by now greatly celebrated. Both of them took this time also to become certified as double masters in performance. By the time 1979 had rolled around, Dr. Sorela was highly sought after and had several colleges asking him to teach there. However, upon visions from Osai, he was shown that the school that would be the best fit for him and Airi was not at any of the musical institutes. It was at a school far off in the west that had a very strong music program that had every need that the Sorela family would need. In May of 1980 Silanu and Airi moved far from Jadali and Tevernid and settled in the laid-back film and music city of Kennywood.

It was also around this time that Airi was thrilled to announce that she was pregnant with her first and only child. As they settled into a quaint, wooded, newly-built home in the far north city of Juananica both were heartily received as professors at Kennywood University. Silanu became professor of oboe and music history and once Airi was able to work she taught ear training, advanced accompanying, and later took on the role as director of Women's Chorus.

The only child of Silanu and Airi, a son they named Ashlan Kaitano Sorela, was born on October 29, 1980. Though they lived some 20 miles outside of Kennywood Ashlan attended all of his schooling there since his parents spent their days teaching. He grew up speaking Keòen and Kevian and was raised in the ways of the Jadali-Kiillra. He did learn to speak Catin, since he is 1/4 Catin after all (and his name is Catin!), and always felt at home with the Catin festivities. He grew up in the music building and Dr. Sorela always spoke about his son with much love. Airi enjoyed bringing him to choir practice on the days that he didn't have school and he knew a lot about the practice of music from a very young age. He is now married and lives in Dahhod with his two boys.

Once Airi became a full-time professor in 1986, she was on campus all the time and her students loved her. As she got older they changed things around and she became busy with various choral activities, traveling around the cities to give clinics and to observe what was happening with the choirs in schools. She is also an opera singer and is quite fit, loving the stage life. She is still the director of Women's Chorus and gives lessons to about 10-15 students each semester as they embark on their own musical endeavors. On campus she goes by Dr. Hieldin Sorela but prefers that her students and friends call her simply Airi. She loves her job and loves to perform. She is also the official accompanist for her husband's studio, a part-time occupation which she loves. Her sense of humor is unique and fun and with her heightened powers from Terabi and Osai she is able to bring calm with her anywhere and always radiates with a sense of fun.

When Airi isn't teaching she loves to travel, especially back home to Jadali where her parents now permanently reside. She has two much younger brothers, born 17 and 20 years after her, who are both masters in history and live in various parts of Jadali. She especially loves green forests and bright streams, calling it her "Hieldin nature."

Airi in the Hieldin province with windswept hair :)

As Airi and her husband enter their 6th decade of life they are more in love than ever. Best friends from the very beginning they have hardly been apart. Since Dr. Sorela will live to be 300 years old, Airi has been blessed with unusually long life as well. She loves this fact and is so happy to get many more wonderful years with her mysterious and sweet husband.

Spotlight on: Sarech Sobol

2011-11-23T22:23:00.006-07:00

Full Name: Sarech Tamerche Sobol del Lochmont
Birthday: September 22, 1973
Method of Creation: #1- He started as a name! Also a little of #3 as I wanted to start writing about the people in Oja Diamond's life.

Creation Story
Sarech certainly has quite a story behind his name! His first name is the Keòen version of the name Cyreg which I got from Runescape. I never really thought much of it until suddenly one day I realized it would make a great Keòen name. So, I changed some of the sounds around and the fancy name Sarech was born. His middle name is almost as cool. All the time when I'm almost asleep random words and names pop into my head. I've been trying to be proactive about having a pen and paper handy to write them down and then laugh at what trippy things my mind conjures when I'm half awake. One day, it was the name Tanate Tamerg. No idea what it means or where it came from but I liked it so I took Tamerg and again put it into Keòen and made it Tamerche. His last name just came to me one random afternoon so I put it all together.

I then made a sketch of him, because that's what I do!

I didn't know until I drew him but he's pure, meaning he has the blue and brown eyes. This means that he hails from a pure crest and therefore has "del Lochmont" after his new crest to signify that if his fathers didn't change their names he would be a Lochmont. Sobol is the Dahhod-Keòen word for Chobhal or Sobhal, meaning ‘dweller.’ Also, as I was drawing him, I realized that, yes, he's from Dahhod!

As for who he is, I was thinking of things I could write about and since Oja Diamond has been on my mind a whole lot, along with Tarra and Dahhod, I decided it was time to write about the people like his professors. Dr. Sobol became his clarinet professor and a very close friend, similar to the way Dr. Sorela is very close to some of his students. Oja considers SaSo (his nickname since his name is a little hard to say) one of his greatest friends and they often host each others' families for dinner. Sarech is a great man- he is outgoing, extroverted, and kind. He is quite tall, especially for a Lochmont (he claims to have lots of Ardin blood), and has a cheeky grin along with his dark, twinkling eyes. He is always the one to be upbeat and keep lessons and classes interesting. He has the gift of being an energy source and people are drawn to him to be energized.

A Short Bio
Sarech was born in Dahhod late in 1973. He later found out that his birthday was the day before Dr. Sorela and was always proud of this fact. Growing up, he was surrounded by music and felt like the clarinet was his calling. He started playing at the age of 10 and hardly set it down, playing at places like Sothrey Tavern whenever he had the chance. He mastered the instrument very quickly and worked diligently around his home and the city earning enough money to travel to Kaywood where he purchased his very own handmade clarinet signed by its maker, Teslun Kolani. His charismatic personality caught the eye of all the workers and he travels there every summer to participate in the annual Week of Reeds that Kaywood puts on.

After Sarech graduated from high school in 1992 he attended University of Baydi, Tarra (UBT), majoring in clarinet performance and graduating in 1996. It was during this time that he met his wife, Kaila Lochmont, while raking leaves one fall evening in Dahhod. It was common for Dahhodites to do these small jobs rather than have a big job while going to school and it helped many a person find a best friend or future spouse. They were married in 1994 when Sarech was 21 and Kaila was nearly 23 in the same brightly-colored scenery of leaves where they met.

Once Sarech graduated from UBT in 1996 (Kaila had graduated 2 years earlier with a degree in education) they moved to the nation's capital where Sarech got his masters and PhD in clarinet performance at the Tevernid School of Music, graduating in 2000. While attending TSOM, he became very good friends with another grad student in his year, Kenyon Nihael, who he still visits often, as they have the connection of the Sorela family to help keep them in contact.

Things worked out in Dr. Sobol's favor as the clarinet position at UBT was opened just two years after he graduated and it had his name on it. He applied for the position and was hired so he and Kaila returned happily to Dahhod to begin the rest of their lives in their careers. Every weekday, Sarech makes the short ride by bus to the train station where he, along with about 25 others, catches the 6:00 train to the Tarra hub, eventually arriving at the UBT campus at about 8:00. Many music students look forward to his arrival and he is sure to greet all of them by name as he cheerily walks to his office, right next to that of his godfather, Merkeir Larkos.

(A bit about Dr. Larkos)
When Sarech was born, the best friend of his father was named his godfather. He would eventually go on to become professor of oboe at UBT in 1996. Merkeir and Sarech go out to lunch at the nearby cafe every day, always ordering the daily special, chatting away in Keòen and always sharing stories.

Since their return to Dahhod, Sarech and Kaila have had three children: Odessa (1999), Danil Tesin (2000), and Clarissa (2004). All three are heavily involved in the music and dance traditions of their lovely city.

I now leave you with fine fun facts about this wonderful guy!

1. He lives just up the street from Ashlan Sorela.
2. He still loves raking leaves more than anything non-music related. :P
3. He has a brother who took on the Lochmont crest (and not the Sobol crest).
4. His first language was Keòen and he says he always thinks in it, sometimes speaking it when he doesn't mean to.
5. He loves hiking in the forest with his family. Once they reach their favorite spot, he plays his favorite pieces which echo off the rocks and flow across the river.

The Gift of Swaying

2011-11-21T20:21:00.005-07:00

The Gift of Swaying, also known as A Way With Words, is a Terabian gift that is very rare. Using a partial ability to sense the auras of others combined with a very specific aura of their own, people with this gift have the ability to say the right thing, at the right time, in the right context, with the right voice inflection and body language to turn the hearts of everyone they encounter.

While it is supposed to only be used for good, mostly to turn rebels back to the right path, those with this gift are not bound to Terabi and can become corrupt, using their gift to manipulate others to do their bidding. If this is not corrected, Terabi will know about it and will take it away and destroy the offender.

The most famous example of someone with this gift yielding to temptation and becoming corrupt was Terabi's War, in which three men with A Way With Words banded together and nearly drove Kiillaana into the ground in their lust for power. All three fell by Terabi's wrath and good was ultimately restored, but not until after a lengthy battle with much death, bloodshed, and the destroying of hundreds of cities. Though dark in nature, this battle gave rise to the Kiillaanian hero, Slade Burke.

On the other side of the coin, there is one gal, Rosemary Larkin Summers, who has this gift and though she is quite blunt and not always very nice she is fiercely loyal to Terabi and uses her gift as it's intended. Her angry lectures make her audience feel sick with shame and the sharp words aimed at those who make fun of people like her husband deal a quick but piercing blow to the soul. Every slap to the face of a rude boy from her hometown and every biting word to a friend or enemy doing the wrong thing is done out of love and with the intention of changing bad ways into good.

Not everyone with this gift is violent in its usage. Every Terabikai has this gift automatically, since they can feel the exact emotion of the person they're with, and it extends past words to action when words are unnecessary. The Gift of Swaying is a lesser form of Perfect Empathy. For Terabikai like Nathan Surcaston and Dr. Sorela, most of their Gift of Swaying is in their actions and much less in their words. Nathan is well-known for his ability to do the right thing to cheer anybody up and rarely has to use words when doing so.

There are many people who are able to charm their way out of situations because of who they are. Most do not have A Way With Words but instead have the gift of boldness and are able to do things in a way different enough from the norm that a different reaction is produced. Others are good with words and are confident in their dealings but do not have this gift as they don't have the power to speak to the souls of their recipients.

This gift can be confirmed by an Aikada (a person imbued with the permanent ability to call the mark of Terabi and Osai in order to confirm those with the Great Catin Gifts) because A Way With Words comes from Terabi.

Spotlight on: Carrington Lionheart

2011-11-21T14:43:00.005-07:00

Full Name: Carrington Lionheart
Birthday: August 31, 1994
Method of Creation: #2- She's a meld of several people and personalities!

Creation Story:

Where do I begin? Carrington came together from so many sources that I'll probably never get it completely right. My overall intentions with her were to gain a place in my Lochgren Series where she would be the future wife of Carey Nihael and a possible friend of Moira's. However, I really didn't like this idea, which actually tends to happen most times when I try and create spouses for people, but liked her so much that I decided to keep her as a 2012 newcomer. I have no idea what will actually happen with her so we'll count this spotlight as a time capsule and see what transpires. :P

When she began solidifying in my mind I decided that she was an oboe player. This was actually one of the main reasons I decided not to have her and Carey get together after all. With Winterwood's little sister Moonbeam becoming a Newcomer 2012 member too I decided that Carrington would be her housemate and best friend. Therefore, I went ahead and kept Carrington's story, adding to it, anticipating her arrival and hopefully stepping into the pages of my Lochgren Series.

Carrington's looks and personality are heavily based off of a person I really did go to high school with, but exaggerated in places. Two years ago, when I was writing in the 2010 Newcomers I had this image of a hip, trendy, brightly-colored girl on one of those hippie scooters with her long, red hair blowing in the wind under her girly motorcycle helmet. I wanted to put her into the oboe section with Kirby and Molly but decided to put in 2 boys instead (Ben Torrell and Alistair George), with the excuse that Molly was fierce and trendy enough. However, this image always stayed in my mind and as soon as Carrington started forming I knew in my heart she was this image.

Using the girl I went to school with as a guide, Carrington took form with a teeny, tiny 5'1'' frame (a bit shorter than my original thought of 5'3''), bright, burgundy-colored hair in loose waves past her shoulders, a heart-shaped face with rosy cheeks and a flashy smile, and eyes of bright cobalt blue. Like the person I went to school with, Carrington dresses in bright, fitted clothing meant to show off her figure and accentuate her brightly colored features. She is also very opinionated and is not intimidated by those who challenge her. She is strong with words and may or may not have the rare Terabian gift called "A Way With Words." By the time I get to writing her in my stories I'll know. If she doesn't, then she definitely has the ability not to lose composure, ever.

However, there is one area where she differs from the person I knew and that is in her nature. She is an extrovert to the highest degree and is very outspoken. Carrington knows this, however, and makes sure not to go over-the-top and become offensive and annoying. She is quite interested in others and loves to talk about anything and everything. She loves to learn things and see things through the eyes of others. She is also completely fearless- she was that baby that would wave at strangers and as a child never hid behind her parents, often being the one to initiate conversation anywhere. In addition, she is blunt where blunt is due, unafraid of embarrassing herself or making people uncomfortable by stating truth in order to get through to others. Because she is so sure of herself, usually these situations become a learning experience for others and have gained her the reputation of "Only Carrington could say that and [not get in trouble/not make things awkward/get away with it/make an obscure point/say it like that/convince people to...]." She is bold and fierce but also very nice.

I have confirmed that Carrington is heavily of Osai, meaning that she has a very strong conscience that she is readily able to listen to and her dreams are very real, giving her the visions and insight about her life that she needs. Because of her personality she seems like she would be of Terabi but she is not (unless she does have A Way With Words). She has foreseen what she wants to do in college and is going about getting everything in place to do that. She is a girl of little reason- her heart tells her what to do without much "shopping around" or consideration for other options. She knows what she wants and has no reason to go on in the chance that something better may turn up later. This is how I am, knowing when the right thing has crossed my consideration, and Carrington seemed like the perfect person to give such a way of doing things to!

Now that all of that's out of the way, I can talk about her story! I'll start with her name.

Carrington is from the city of Whaven (prounced FHAY-ven) which is in the extreme north peninsula of New Asia. There is a direct connection from Whaven to Resa Ere in Jadali which means there are lots of people of Jadali-Kiillra descent living there. Whaven is known for being a very remote area, dreary and rainy, and an area devoid of color. It's home to an old prison that was once used for the holding of convicts from Jadali and Kiillaana and also a high school that hosts a handful of Jadali students seeking an education on the mainland.

Among the stereotypical dreariness surrounding this tiny coastal town there is also a timeless tradition alive here but dead almost everywhere else in Kiillaana, only also alive in some parts of Jadali. This is the tradition of not having a crest and simply having two names or a title. While in Jadali it's usually used sparingly (think Mera Visi) here in Whaven it's a tradition that goes back almost 1000 years before Kiillaana established crests for its residents. When Carrington was 4 years old, she was given the middle name of Lionheart by her grandfather in a naming ceremony. Whether her name influenced her personality or defined what was already there is unknown but her name fits her so well that it seems like it was meant to be only hers.

Carrington lived in Whaven for 9 years before her father (Archer Spear), tired of the boring sea life and wanting Carrington to be exposed to a bigger variety of people, started moving around the country. The three of them (Zoe Leighton is her mother) landed in the freezing mountain college town of Alton, Kalitonia, in 2003, staying there for a couple years until 2008 when they moved to Castleford, one of the suburbs of the Kiillaanian capital of Tevernid. Carrington spent her first two years of high school here before moving again in 2010 to the giant city of Kaytue and finishing off her last two years at Kaytue North High School. She will be graduating in 2012 as the youngest girl of her class (born on the cutoff!) and will likely start college at the age of 17.

As for Carrington's musical timeline, she loved the music of Jadali, visiting there often because of the close proximity and because she had many relatives there. She independently picked up the flute and oboe, getting a good feel for both. When she moved to Alton she continued to play and saw herself as more of an oboe player so that's what she decided to play in the 6th grade. She gained instant admiration for "playing something so hard" and was the only one for years. This pleased her so she kept it up, taking lessons and getting good. When she moved to Tevernid she found herself surrounded by an outstanding music program and was happy to have plenty of opportunities to shine and grow. By the time she moved to Kaytue she was totally sure of her future career as a musician.

Something interesting happened right before she moved to Kaytue. In the days before school was ending her director took her into his office and handed her a bulky instrument case. He told her it had been on the shelf for years and that he felt like she might have fun with it. Inside was an old english horn that needed some work but Carrington was excited all the same. When she moved to Kaytue her father took it into a repair shop where it was discovered to be an instrument of very good quality and that with some care it played beautifully. Armed with this rare instrument, Carrington began to learn it and had soon mastered it as well. Her high school prided itself in having an actual Cor Anglais in their band and Carrington decided that she wanted to play it in college too. She foresaw herself becoming a double reed specialist and that was all she needed to continue playing her two favorites.

So... what this all means is that she is going to college to play Cor Anglais. Sweet!

Now that I've successfully rambled on about someone who I haven't even properly developed into a story yet I'll leave you with five fun facts.

1. Carrington's favorite color is blue.
2. She is actually three races- Kiillaanian, Lisjovalan, and Jadali-Kiillra.
3. Her grandfather (Michael del Natura) was in band at Taleah High School with Dr. Sorela.
4. She is very into Jadali history and is well aware about who will be her oboe professor! :D
5. She has always wanted a sister, more than anything.

The Next Eldin

2011-11-11T17:28:00.003-07:00

The Osanokai forums are completely abuzz today as confirming news of the next Eldin of Leena has descended into the eyes of all those on his business. Yes indeed, the number of Osanokai can be raised from 27 to 28! While he has not yet been seen by the Eldin, Ilonwyn has definitely confirmed that he is out there and will be arriving in Leena within the week. Here's what everyone does know:

He is of Ardin blood!
He has a twin brother! This makes him the 3rd ever to have a twin.
He was born on 11-11-11!
He is unlike any Osanokai who came before him (well, this is true for most Osanokai, especially SRS, but the reason why is different from anyone).
He has a long name to go with his unique time and date of birth.

His name and birthplace will be announced as soon as they are discovered by Ilonwyn. What an exciting time!

Office Space

2011-11-07T18:40:00.003-07:00

When I get bored I like to draw stuff. Nuff said!

The sign on Dr. Sorela's door, explained somewhat heavily here.

The inside of Dr. Sorela's office, although it's a lot bigger than this. I was just playing around trying to get the gist of what it looked like so I could write about it like I did here and here. It's actually somewhat unfinished as I picture so much more in here like huge bookcases and wayyyy more pictures and cards on his bulletin board and all over the walls. At least the tapestry curtains are there!

Dr. Nihael and Dr. Pines' office doors, showing off the randomness of Kenyon against the neat and orderly ways of Percy. Haha. Dr. Nihael has eyes on his door!

Slade Burke

2011-11-05T18:47:00.015-06:00

Probably one of the most well-known Terabikai behind Mera Visi, Slade Burke is definitely the Kiillaanian equivalent. His dark life set the stage for one of the most amazing secrets in Kiillra history and one of the best masks in the world. For someone with an aura so strong to convince the world he was on evil's side right up until the last possible moment is nothing short of incredible. For 37 long years, Slade Burke hid behind a mask of bitterness until his shining moment when he would finally reveal his true allegiance.

First draft sketch of Slade Burke

Childhood
Slade Burke was born on 4 August, 1321, in the Tevernid suburb of Farringway. Living next to the capital of Kiillaana, he was exposed to all of the political news as it happened and had an early knowledge of the methods of war. His whole young life was peppered with tragedies, including the deaths of several friends and close relatives due to sickness and battles that were starting to come about. When he was five years old, his brother and only sibling, Blaise Burke, was born (5 November, 1326). From an early age Blaise showed signs of the illness that plagued so many and was extremely hard to manage, leading to many dark times.

First draft sketch of Blaise Burke

The family tragedies continued with the death of Slade's mother, Adele Law, in 1329 leaving Slade motherless at the age of seven. By now Slade was darkened by death, afraid to invest in close relationships for fear of loss which would translate into a lifetime of seemingly cold and uncaring ways. The loss of Slade's father, Arthur Burke, in 1335, left Slade an orphan at the age of 13 and fully responsible for then 8-year-old Blaise. After this, Blaise and Slade lived alone, supported by the town. Many would stop by and bring meals or volunteer to watch Blaise so that Slade could go to school. They were left with a healthy sum of money that would continue to support the brothers for a few years. Their mean grandmother moved in with them for a few months but her own bad health forced her to leave and she died when Slade was 15.

Initiation
Apart from S. R. Sorela, who was initiated at 14, Slade is the oldest person to receive initiation as a Terabikai just a few months shy of his 14th birthday. Exactly four weeks after the death of his father, Slade was gently taken into the Realm where he was given his Blade of Lovelight and taught in the Realm's ways. He humbly questioned his ability as a Terabikai, given his rough nature, but Terabi smiled and explained that he chose him precisely because he had this angry aura about him. Slade had been chosen as a Terabikai because he was to fulfill a special mission, one that had never been given to a Terabikai before.

Terabi explained that Slade was to be a double agent. Osai and Terabi had long foreseen a great battle that would commence starting just north of Farringway involving three corrupted and powerful enemies that had used their Gift of Swaying to manipulate others to help ascend them to power. Slade's job was to pretend to be on the enemy's side- to the point of being hated by others and almost sending Kiillaana to destruction. However, when the time was right, he would find out the information he needed to defeat this enemy and redeem the area north of Tensk. He was to tell nobody of his Great Catin Gift and to keep it totally hidden.

Slade could do this easily as he had been doing it for most of his life. He didn't care what others thought of him and was very distant; the only person he was very close to was his brother. While he came off as hardened, dark, cold, blunt, and uncaring to almost everyone, his first request after his initiation was to see his parents. They were all reunited in the Realm and Slade would turn to them for advice time and time again, as he pretended to sleep, and was thus effectively raised into a good man by dead parents.

Armed with this information, he found it somewhat difficult at first to keep from melting into compassion but his set ways made it easy for him to hide behind a mask. The only person that knew of his deep secret was Blaise, who was also the only one who demanded Slade's company. Many didn't know they were related after they grew to adulthood and wondered why on earth of all people Blaise would always call for Slade to be at his side in times of distress. Of course, only Slade knew why- because he was a Terabikai after all and had the aura of comforting and peace.

Military School
Upon the death of his grandmother, Slade and Blaise moved south to the capital city of Tevernid. Slade enrolled himself in the military and was taught classes through Tevernid Royal University. Though Blaise could never be in the military due to his extreme medical issues, he was still encouraged to contribute and helped to design and implement decorations on armour, shields, and banners. While Slade learned and mastered the art of the sword (something he was naturally good at because he had a blade of Lovelight) many wonderfully kind people volunteered to watch Blaise and teach him as best they could. Slade would go through this program for 7 years, being silently admired by many and feared by most. He lived in a nice house away from the dormitories with his brother and would watch over him with all of his spare time.

History Career
Slade found that he was naturally talented and interested in History- so much so that he caught most of the teachers' attention. He excelled through the history courses faster than they could be taught and was approached by the headmaster of the Tevernid Secondary School and asked if he would be the new history professor. Slade agreed and began command of a lecture-classroom in September of 1344 at the age of just 22. He was again provided with a lovely, although dark, living quarters that was big enough to accommodate Blaise, who was by now about to turn 18. During the day, when Slade was busy lecturing, many wonderful people agreed to take Blaise out into the city to enjoy it and find inspiration for artwork.

Blaise Burke, portrayed as a young adult

Professor Burke was known for his strict and foreboding classes. Everyone had to take from him and although he was feared for being so cold, he was an excellent teacher and his students learned a lot. Having the power to know the true intents of his students helped as well and he was able to tailor each lecture to get through to everyone. Many people commented on his incredibly detailed knowledge of Terabi, of which he always spoke very highly. Everyone assumed that this was his field of study; nobody ever suspected that he could be a Man of Terabi. Even the fact that he spoke fluent Keòen didn't catch their attention. This was the way Slade wanted it and the way Terabi had intended it to be. Despite his mask of coldness, Slade was a good man and would often use the Realm to do random acts of kindness to students and staff, always anonymous, to brighten their day. Nobody figured out who was doing this but certainly nobody expected it to be Slade.

Slade Burke as a history teacher

Slade would go on teaching under this dark mask for almost 15 years until the spring of 1359 when he would leave along with most of the school to fight in the war that had been raging since 1354.

Terabi's War
Being cold and uncaring, Slade was able to put on another show that he was out to get gain. This helped get him deeply acquainted with the three leaders of the opposition that had grown so big. He pretended to be in their side, committing bad acts (that he would later sneak up and undo, if possible). He was one of the few people that weren't manipulated by the enemies' misuse of the Gift of Swaying, although he pretended that he was. They never suspected he was a Terabikai at all, too blinded by their own corruption.

Five years into the uprising and battles, it was time for Kiillaana to assemble and fight against this corruption and greed for power. By this point, many hated Slade, thinking he was on the enemy's side. While the Kiillaanian army assembled, Slade was nowhere to be found. His room would be deserted and nobody would see him for days. In reality he was in the Realm, getting special instructions of Terabi and was preparing for the day when he would be betrayed by the enemy and turn the tables for good.

The Mask Removed
(written in narrative form)
It was a cold night that night. Blaise was safe at Professor Rysco's house and the war in the city of Raanlen had commenced. While everyone thought that Professor Burke had fled once again to give aid to the enemy, he was in reality hiding in a very dark corner of the woods, Terabi standing right in front of him, and had just had an icy purple aura thrown at him. As the disc hit him in the chest, his whole body glowed brightly for a moment before sinking back to almost total darkness.

"This will protect you," Terabi whispered. "You know what you have to do now."

"I will bring you honor, Master," Slade whispered so softly that his lips barely moved.
He then turned on his heels and began walking towards a tower; he had arranged to meet with the chief enemy to discuss some information he had discovered about the military's strategy, information that would be deadly should the enemy learn about it. Terabi looked at him for a moment, fading into the background until he disappeared completely.

As Slade walked quickly, his stride quite large, his dark and sunken eyes wide with the fear that someone would see him (really he was worried about the death he would shortly endure), he thought over the recent events in his head. In fact, he could even begin to see his life flash before his eyes. It wasn't particularly happy- he could see his whole family dying and his brother twisted and screaming from the effects of the illness that wreaked havoc on his thin body. He silently made his way to a tower that was a stronghold of food and supplies for the enemy's army and walked around to the door hidden by trees.

However, he had been spotted by two of his former students who had broken away from the main army in order to pursue Slade and see if he really would leak valuable information to the enemies. Sorrell Montalo and Alain Arthur Knightsword were on his tail and managed to quietly creep into the room. Slade knew of their presence, of course, but realized that they were likely sent there because of Osai to create a diversion and knew that they would be ok- if he acted fast.

The two students watched through a small window as Slade passed four guards and went up a small flight of stairs where the corrupt and bend figure of the enemy leader was standing, the light in his eyes totally gone and replaced with stony greed. They exchanged greetings and as they talked, Slade and the two students could see the large sword that the enemy was holding- stroking its hilt even then. Finally, the topic turned to the war and Slade quietly and emotionlessly divulged everything that all those on the good side of this battle feared he would tell. Sorrell and Alain looked at each other with wide eyes, sick with shock that Slade would commit such a betrayal. They did not know what to do but knew that they couldn't move. They had no idea what would happen when they were found but were too shocked to care.

After he finished, the enemy smiled.
"Your move now," Slade said flatly, aware that these two students were watching and had no idea that he was a double agent, "Your move."

"All right, here's our little move..." cackled the enemy as he too divulged in great detail all of his plans for this battle. Sorrell and Alain felt even sicker as they literally saw their world collapse. Maybe death would be better than anything. Fearing the worst, they looked on, but the couple of events that happened next were completely unexpected.

"And," said the enemy, "now that I've told you all of that, it's time your little story ends. You've been a great help, Slade, but I just can't keep you around anymore. I've used you for what I needed and you're no use to me now."

With that, Slade's eyes grew wide with fear and although he said nothing, he bit his lower lip, knowing what would happen. As the enemy said this (and whether it was Slade's doing or the enemy nobody knows) the two of them backed into a corner, Slade defenseless. In a flash faster than light, the enemy turned and with a sickening crunch plunged his long sword into Slade's unarmoured sternum.

Sorrell and Alain were now even more sickened. Even though Slade had betrayed them they couldn't help but feel a serious blow when he was so unfairly and unjustly killed, all because the enemy had no more need of him! What treachery!

Slade's mouth opened as he attempted to yell but no sound came out. "This is the way the world goes now!" laughed the enemy as Slade fell, shaking, to his knees, still choking for air as life was sliced from him. He weakly lifted his head a bit and then with total calmness lifted his eyes until they met with the enemy's. After a half a second that seemed an eternity he spoke, clear as day, a smile coming to his face, "You're wrong!"

With that, he disappeared, leaving the enemy holding a bloodless sword to the wall. He knew the moment the enemy had spoken that the aura of protection would work and never doubted it; most of his fear was what it was going to feel like (it turned out to feel like a cold object in a powerful forcefield- no pain at all!). Sorrell and Alain let out an audible gasp! They could hardly believe their eyes! Slade was a Terabikai! He was on their side! However, that was as far as they got because their gasps were loud and easily audible to the still bewildered enemy who had only just begun to realize what had just happened.

"YOU! Intruders! How dare you enter this forbidden place!" the enemy screamed at them, his face red with fury, as he charged at them with his large sword raised high above his head, ready to slit both of their necks. They hadn't thought that part through and realized now that death would likely come. They backed in a corner, Sorrell covering Alain, as the enemy drew nearer. Sorrell figured that the enemy would have to kill him first and maybe Alain could escape somehow. Time seemed to slow down as the enemy sped closer, ready to strike at any second.

"DO YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENS TO INTRUDERS!" the enemy shouted, milliseconds away from striking. Suddenly, there was another loud cracking sound as a long, thin blade shot through the enemy's chest, hitting Sorrell fairly hard in the sternum enough to cut his skin but not enough to pierce through to his heart. As quickly as the enemy had shouted, he was now silent, his mouth still open as if to say something more as he would kill these two young students. Just like that, he fell over sideways, exposing the tall, thin, dark figure of Slade Burke, their professor, the man who had just "betrayed" them, the man who had just stuck his sword through the back of the enemy, all the way to the hilt, and had saved their lives. His eyes were glowing with the mark of Terabi and he was looking directly at them, his thin mouth in a straight line as always.

The two students were dumbfounded. "How did you-- When were you-- You're... GOOD?"

"No time to explain!" shouted Slade, "Kill the guards!" He threw his sword, one he had found in the storehouse, at Alain and removed the one from the enemy's hand and gave it to Sorrell. "I have the key to this storehouse now. This battle belongs to us!"

With that they all easily killed the four totally unsuspecting guards that were standing around the entrance, effectively claiming the storehouse for themselves. Mere hours later, the army leader of Kiillaana charged into the battle, Slade Burke riding ahead, to announce their victory. The first enemy had been destroyed and Slade's secret was finally going to be revealed.

Later Life
After Slade's victory over the enemy, he was quickly crowned a hero. Finally able to remove his mask and be known as a true Terabikai, he was forgiven by his people and crowned as a national hero, someone of the same caliber as Dragon Dodger and his four friends. He went on to fight in the other two great enemy battles, emerging victorious. After the war ended on 29 March, 1360, Slade returned to teaching, this time at Tevernid Royal University, where he was received with great admiration.

Slade, portrayed as a dark man.

Slade married a longtime friend, Leial Ried, in 1362. Though they were older parents (he was 40, she was 38), they had three children: Sloan, Sidonie, and Bryon. Blaise lived with Slade and his family until his death in 1388 (age 61). The whole family cared for him until his last breath and he was a treasured uncle to Slade’s three children.

Slade lived the remainder of his life in Tevernid and went back to the Realm at the age of 74 in 1396. Many of his descendants live in Tevernid today under the crests of Burke, Carrow, Corund, and Machey. He has left a lasting mark as being the Dark Terabikai or the Double Agent. Those two students became famous for their personal firsthand accounts of the moment that mast was removed and he was found to be an actual Terabikai.

Jadali: A Wiki-Style Entry

2011-10-19T21:35:00.008-06:00

Jadali is a large island country situated 12 miles east of Kiillaana and a fair distance west of Cayadora. The name of the country itself comes from an ancient Catin word meaning "together" or "blended/intermixed." The native inhabitants of Jadali are called Jadali-Kiillra, meaning that they are a blended race originating from Kiillaana. True, pure-blooded Jadali Kiillra have, like many famous bloodlines, a mark in their eyes to denote their lineage. In this case, their right eye is blue and their left eye is brown.

History
Main article: The History of Jadali

The large island off the eastern coast of Kiillaana was uninhabitable due to extreme weather- a barrier placed upon it by Jinjo who created it, later removing it and gifting the island to Terabi and Osai for the purpose of creating a country, race, and culture as a representation of their friendship. In the year 1019 of Kiillaana's creation, 13 people (6 young couples and one Man of Osai) were personally chosen and gathered in the Kiillaanian capital of Tevernid and instructed to travel northward along the coast until they arrived at the city of present-day Taleah. From here they gathered everything they would need and took a boat to Jadali, landing in Leena Eithre-Resa. From here, the 13 were personally transfigured, all given their distinctive eyes, Sorela blood (which several already had), a unique mix of Catin and Kiillaanian traits, and were imbued with the language of Keòen (a blend of the Catin and Kiillra languages with a different syntax). This new race was divided by the couples into 7 crests, with the Eldin's being Freloch. His daughter became the first Lochgren. All of the crests were passed down by birth except the Freloch crest, which was given to those who dedicated their lives to the building and formation of the capital and its buildings. The capital of Jadali is on the opposite side of the island from the original landing site. It is called Leena and contains Dahsir Castle, the Great Law Hall of Jadali, University of Leena, the history center, and many other official buildings.

A list of the original 13 Jadali-Kiillra representing the 7 crests:

Isiador Freloch
Barthàl and Akèli Lochgren
Saldin and Iria Lochmont
Henal and Tania Balthòr
Kalo and Aranel Hieldin
Eahron and Nathàli Montàlo
Viervan and Sofia Ardin

Jadali is known for its heavy cultural emphasis on nature, love, and compassion and is heavily Terabi-oriented. However, the people are also Osai-oriented; it seems lopsided because Terabi didn't have any place dedicated him until Jadali was formed, while the entire city of Rihanu was turned to Osai. Therefore, Terabi is more prominent in Jadali.

Government

Jadali is unique in the fact that it is ruled by a Man of Osai, known as the Eldin of Leena. This was a promise made by Osai when the original 13 were transformed. The Eldin of Leena resides in Dahsir Castle. As Osanokai live much longer than others, there have only been 9 rulers of Jadali, despite the fact that it is almost 1,000 years old.

List of Eldins:

Isiador Freloch- 984-1120
Kalo Freloch- 1100-1239
Drakon Lochgren- 1223-1364
Arador Montalo- 1342-1479
Meiro Bhangren- 1460-1583
Riedlan Migala- 1559-1690
Trevin Riedlore- 1670-1805
Lore Hieldin- 1792-1928
Ilonwyn Lochmont- 1908-Present

As the younger Osanokai ages he is taught in the ways of governing the country and there is always a period of roughly 10-30 years where both Osanokai occupy Dahsir Castle at the same time. Dahsir Castle is the meetingplace of the representatives from each province as well as ministry officials during their bi-annual meetings.

Each province has a local ministry that comes together at Dahsir Castle at least twice a year (more depending on the position) to discuss government business. These figures are often celebrated by the people and well-loved. Every decision is overseen by the Eldin but the local leaders are somewhat free to enact regional rules.

Military Involvement

The Jadali-Kiillra have always remained loyal allies of both Kiillaana and Catarika, since they are a meld of those two races. Throughout history Jadali has raised up armies and navies to keep order in their own land but mainly to send to Kiillaana as needed. Many soldiers and warriors were sent from Jadali to the Kiillaanian capital of Tevernid to fight in further battles with other countries. Lots of these men and women stayed in Kiillaana, eventually heading west along the Wise Trail and settling a city about 20 miles west of Tavener along the massive maple forest which they called Tarra. They further traveled deep into this maple forest, establishing Dahhod and later Yofreya, the Jadali Quarters of Kiillaana (outside of the eastern coastal states). In addition, many Jadali were sent to Catarika for service there and went onto establish Andaradd, the Jadali Quarters of Catarika, northeast of Rihanu.

The most notable service done by Jadali-Kiillra was their role in The Great Battle (also known as Terabi's War) which lasted from 1354-1360 and took place very near Jadali in the very northern and east parts of Kiillaana. The Jadali lent their services in 1358 under the command of 16-year-old Arador Montalo, the Osanokai next in line to become the Eldin of Leena a few years later, succeeding Drakon Lochgren. The Jadali made up a huge part of the army that would go on to eventually defeat the enemy powers with the aid of Terabi himself.

Environment

-Provinces
Jadali is divided into seven provinces, named after the seven crests, signifying the areas of the country that family members initially went to after about the third generation. Because of this, the most common last name in any province will match (the most common crest in the Hieldin province is Hieldin and so forth). Each province has about 40 cities except for Freloch which only has a handful of cities but also houses the capital and the country's university, taking up lots of land. Each province has a capital city where all provincial matters are housed and directed. The capital city is also the home of the local ministry which sends its officials to Leena at least twice a year to meet with the Eldin and discuss government-related things. The capital, in every province, happens to also be the largest city.

-Geography
Jadali is quite diverse in geography. Traditionally the land is divided into three sections: First, the heavily forested and hilly southern region dotted with both smooth beaches and rough coastlines that make up the provinces of Lochgren, Freloch, Lochmont, and Balthòr. Second, the tall, rugged mountains and large valleys that make up the provinces of Montàlo and Hieldin. Third, the very flat farming land north of the mountains which the province of Ardin fully encompasses. The large and flat expanses of land are used for the raising of livestock and the farming of crops which are traded for other goods. No section of Jadali is isolated; the most common mode of travel from the northern part of the island is by boat, followed by horse or ox. Several rivers run through Jadali with the largest and most well-known being the Ried Bhroch (Red River) which runs from Hieldin through Balthòr, Lochmont, and Freloch, exiting into the Cayan ocean just south of Dahsir Castle in a brilliant waterfall over the dark, rocky coast.

-Climate
Jadali is located along the strip of the earth that encompasses wild jungle life. The areas closer to sea level remain fairly hot, averaging 80 in the summer, 40-60 in fall and spring, and 30-40 in the winter. Snow seldom falls in the lowlands but such occurrences are not rare. In the mountain regions the weather is about 20 degrees cooler and large snowfalls in the winter are common.

-Biodiversity
Jadali is home to several species of plants found nowhere else in the world. Many of these are gifts from Terabi and Osai to make Jadali self-sufficient. Several herbs grow wild and in gardens used to make potions to treat a variety of things. Several jungle trees grow as well as maples, oaks, palms, and other tall trees. The animal life is a lot less but contains typical jungle and forest animals and has lots of horses, cows, oxen, goats, chickens, and the like.

Demography

-Ethnicity/Immigration
Jadali had closed borders for 20 years, opening them in 1040 after the third generation was starting to be born among the 13. At that time, a large number of Kiillaanian people who felt drawn to the land moved there. Over time, the number of people immigrating to Jadali has been far less than those leaving for cities like Andaradd and Dahhod, keeping the pure-blooded Jadali race alive and growing. Today, a majority of the population is pure and can trace their full and often complicated lineage back to the original 13. Several Kiillanian, Catin, and non-pure Jadali Kiillra live in Jadali and enjoy the country's unique culture as much as everyone else. If a Jadali-Kiillra marries and has children with someone who is not pure, they lose their two-colored eyes. However, there are several famous nonpure crests that do have unique markings in their eye such as the Loch crest which has green eyes.

-Language
Main article: A Guide to Keòen Pronunciation
The language of Jadali is called Keòen and is, in essence, a blend of the Catin and Kiillra (now extinct and replaces with Kevian), the two languages that make up the Jadali-Kiillra. However, Keòen uses a much different flow and several different sounds than Catin and Kiillra alone. It is also known as one of the only Aural Languages, meaning that the idea comes merely from the speaking of the words rather than the words themselves. Because of this, Keòen can be understood by someone who does not speak it, called the Gift of Jadali.

-Education
The school year in Jadali is very different from schools in any surrounding country. Instead of starting in September the school year starts on January 1 (or the 2nd or 3rd if this day falls on the weekend) and schooling begins the year that students turn 5 (essentially a year earlier than schools in Kiillaana and Catarika). Since Jadali is not industrialized students learn many more things than in other countries. The school year is divided into three periods of four months each with the majority of heavy learning taking place in all months but summer months. Every third week has either half days or no school and the months from May through August are half-days or no school. At the age of 13/14 students have the option to attend high school in Kiillaana if they so choose, attending nearby Taleah High School.

If a student chooses to attend Taleah High School, they must take courses in their home town school called Kiillaanian Studies to teach them life in an industrialized world so they know what things like electricity and cars are before they arrive. Since it takes the good part of a day to travel from Jadali to Taleah and back again all Jadali students stay throughout the school year with host families, known as sponsors. Most of the families living in Taleah are signed up and have preparations made for students to stay with them. Many students become very close with their sponsors and enjoy each others' company. Most students travel home on the weekends or extended holidays as well. Each year about 75 students from Jadali go to school in Taleah.

Students that do not attend Taleah High School either attend their local high school or attend boarding school at University of Leena which also contains a large national high school. Jadali students graduate the year that they turn 18, which totals to 14 years of schooling. After high school many go on to obtain mastery and double mastery in a variety of skills ranging from cooking to art. All mastery certification takes place at University of Leena or, if the skill is one like ranching, a panel will travel to their home for certification. As Jadali has no electricity or factories, everything is handmade and an enormous array of skills are available to choose from.

Culture

-Music
Jadali is well known for placing music above every other form of art and communication, believing that music is one of the most powerful forces in the world, ranked just below love. Jadali is probably most famous for its irregular 7/8 dance meter (the 7 beats represent the 7 crests), called the Keòen Dance. Several dances have been written around this unique meter of 2+2+3. In addition, several beautiful melodies have been composed by the musicians of the times and are sung often.

Two instruments were invented and evolved in Jadali that define the country's sound: Ddachàr (oboe), a double reed instrument; and Bharchai (flute) a keyed pipe. Other instruments such as brass horns and bowed strings made their way to Jadali from Catarika and Kiillaana, coming together to form full orchestras that perform in large music halls and the many resonant caves that dot the Jadali landscape.

Manuscripts of pieces from the country's early age is still preserved in the history center and shows a love for both dong and dance. Every city has some sort of ensemble and nightly concerts entertain natives and visitors alike.

-Art
There were several visual artists throughout Jadali's history, the most popular being versed in the skill of Art Metal. These artists made things like pendants, rings, necklaces, and other jewelry in addition to larger works like statues, railings, and decor. Others entered the art of carving, since stone is the primary building material of Jadali, and several metal-cast or stone-carved statues can be found in every city, village, and town. Still others became masters of visual crafting such as weaving, knitting, painting, and the like. Visual art, like music, is a very important piece of Jadali culture and is celebrated often.

-Literature
Several great writers emerged from Jadali, bringing to the world stories, songs, and extremely detailed journals. The most famous literary writer in Jadali history is Mera Visi, a Terabikai who lived among the country's 100th-200th years. Receiving instruction from Terabi himself, Mera Visi wrote a daily journal of not only experiences of the Realm but also of the people, places, thoughts, and dealings of his time, inspiring several others to do the same. All of his original manuscripts have been preserved and reside, in their original bound books, in the history center of the University of Leena. Thanks to his work there are several full diaries and journals of people from all walks of life, giving a very accurate picture into the lives of the people of such a unique country. All works are handwritten and only seldom copied by scribes or rare printing presses. Today, with the help of Kiillaana, it is much easier to publish many copies of stories and documents.

-Entertainment
The Jadali-Kiillra are for the most part a social people and enjoy being together. Therefore, large social gatherings such as festivals, concerts, readings, and dances are common and highly favored. Small towns often hold weekly parties and concerts at the local pub in which song and dance unites everyone like family. Many places, especially in the rancher regions like Ardin, olympic-style games are held periodically, demonstrating fitness and skill in a social setting. Other more solitary entertainment activities include rafting down sections of rivers, sledding, whale-watching, surfing, and a host of small playground games. Children are taught many songs and dances and will often make their own, creating new ones that may become national favorites.

The Story of Christine Sky Johnson

2011-10-15T17:27:00.004-06:00

Christine Sky (b. 23 Feb 1974) was always musically oriented. She grew up in Kennywood and took piano lessons from the time she was 4 years old. When she was in the 4th grade she expressed a strong interest in playing the flute. On her 10th birthday in 1984 she was gifted a flute her mom had found at a garage sale. Christine immediately set off on her own, learning how to play as many notes as she could remember. She jumped right into 5th grade beginning band where she quickly rose to the top of the section. As she made her way through junior high she continued to excel and was first chair of all the honor bands she participated in. By high school, she had decided that her dream was to major in flute performance. She had never been more sure of something in her life. She made first chair of the All-Regional Honor Band which was comprised of 9 states in 1989 and 1991, gaining her lots of recognition among her peers.

Christine easily gained a scholarship at several schools but because of living expenses and family situations she could only go to Kennywood University, which she began after graduating from Kennywood High School in 1992. She was excited to move onto college and learn even more about how to play well. Dr. LaBello, the flute teacher at the time, was already 6 years into what the faculty and several students eventually called "The 11 Year Reign of Evil." Christine was warned about Dr. LaBello by several people and had heard lots of bad things about her, especially her ability to sweet-talk and manipulate students and staff, but she shrugged them off, hoping that they were wrong. The Fall 1992 semester began and Christine was thrown into college life.

She met Dr. LaBello and thought she seemed nice enough. However, very early into the semester, Christine began to perceive things she didn't like. Dr. LaBello taught theory and ear training and would often talk down to her students as if they didn't know anything. Knowing that this was no way to learn, Christine transferred to different classes. When Dr. LaBello questioned her, she made up an excuse that she had another class in the way. However, this treatment of students and anger at dropping her class carried over into Christine's lessons. She would go in feeling confident, only to get yelled at and picked apart at every detail. She wanted so much to perform for others, totally capable of doing so, but was denied because she "didn't have the right attitude." Christine could tell that the only reason she couldn't play was because she wasn't favored. She then made the mistake of calling Dr. LaBello on it. From that point on, Christine felt punished for things she didn't even do wrong. This was a disaster. Music, which had always been fun, now felt like a punishment. The other flute students agreed but silently went forward, convinced that this was how college was supposed to be.

There came a time in the middle of the semester that Christine felt like giving up all hope. Her spirits had been crushed and her desire to play had left her. However, unlike all of the other flute students, she was not okay with this. She did not accept that this was what college was like. With hardly anyone, certainly none of the flute studio on her side, Christine felt like she had nowhere to go but away. She had heard things about one particular professor who had the gift of listening and in a last effort just days before she was about to walk to the registrar's office to end music for good, she quietly tiptoed down the dark hallway, her head hanging low, major change papers in hand, and made her way to the office of someone she had only seen a couple times and certainly didn't know well.

She stood stone-faced and silent outside the door, gathering the courage to knock. Before she could even rise her arm, however, she heard a low, soft voice say "Come in!" It seemed like a whisper but it was loud and clear through the closed door. Her hands trembling, biting on her lip, Christine slowly opened the door and crept in. After quickly shutting it behind her, she looked up at the tall and majestic figure of Dr. Sorela, the oboe professor, a well-seasoned teacher and one who was always ready to listen with open ears.

"Christine, please have a seat," he said, gesturing warmly to a soft and padded crimson bench next to the door.

There was an unmistakable air of calm and peace in the room and his soft voice further calmed Christine, who collapsed into the warmth of the chair, ready to burst into tears at any moment, less from nervousness now and more from sheer relief that what others had said about him being a gifted listener were correct. She bit her lip hard as she tried in vain to hold tears back. She was beginning to get choked up and her throat hurt with every breath. She slowly looked up and met her wide and teary blue eyes with Dr. Sorela's deep and dark brown eyes which seemed to glow with warmth and compassion.

"I know why you are here, Christine," Dr. Sorela began, slowly scooting his chair out from his desk and around the table where he made reeds. "Talk when you feel ready..."

It was a long time before Christine spoke, not so much because she was scared of what to say, but because she didn't want to lose her composure. However, when a lone tear fell down her rosy cheek she realized that nothing could stop her now. With a deep breath she again looked up at Dr. Sorela, her vision blurred with her tears.

"I... I don't know," she began, not sure how to start her train of thoughts. Finally, she just started talking, pausing only for a sniffle or to wipe her eyes. "Dr. LaBello hates me and it sucks to be a flute student here because it feels like s-she's punishing those she doesn't like by not letting them *sniff* do anything as if she wants to make us quit!" Dr. Sorela said nothing but had slowly reached out his long arm, gracefully handing Christine a tissue. She took it and began to dab at her eyes and nose. Still crying heavily, she continued. "I'm not having any fun here! They all warned be about her but I thought they were exaggerating! N-now I see that they were... they were being nice about her! She's made me hate something I've loved my whole life and I have no options to go away from here with my scholarship and housing and stuff... I just don't see any other way out of this disaster except to give up music completely and d-do s-something else!"

As she said the words that she had thought so often but not actually uttered, she began to cry harder. The thought of giving up music was unbearably painful to her and something that she had never ever considered doing. She hadn't even thought of what she would do other than music. Her life for the past 8 years had been nothing but music and it was her dream to become a professional flute player and a professor. All she could see in her mind was her flute next to a hole of black vacancy. She buried her head in her hands and wept bitterly, not knowing what sort of thing Dr. Sorela would say. Would he tell her to deal with it? Would he side with LaBello? What advice would he give her? Sure that she had said all she needed, she calmed down and looked longingly at Dr. Sorela, hoping that his response would make her feel better, for she couldn't feel much worse at that point.

Dr. Sorela waited for a moment, his face in ponder, his hand stroking his chin as he thought about what she had said. Unknown to her, he was seeing and hearing all kinds of messages from Osai, perceiving miles past what Christine had just told him. Finally he sat up and spoke, slowly and with pauses every few words.

"My dear Christine! Music is your life! Do not give up what you stand for because of one bad person. I perceive that without music you are lost. Fear not, for I am on your side. Miss LaBello has a bad aura about her. Your soul is pure and your ability to see past her lies is a gift to be celebrated, not a cursing to be punished. I too see past her and know that one day she will have to answer for what she has done. Music should not be a punishment and she has made it so."

He sat up a bit straighter and looked around before deciding how to say what he was obviously about to tell her next.

"If flute is no longer fun but music is too great a part of your life to give up and abandon..." He paused for a long time, looking up towards the ceiling and then back at Christine, a smile coming to his face, "Why not switch instruments? Why not... oboe?"

As soon as he said this, the fog of hopelessness seemed to evaporate around her. For the first time in weeks, she saw a light at the end of the tunnel instead of the darkness of uncertainty and punishment she had seen so much.

"...Oboe?" she whispered, raising her eyebrows. "You really think I could play it?"

"Of course!" Dr. Sorela said, smiling, "It really is quite similar to flute. Some of the fingering are the same! They both read concert pitch and you've got the intuition and musicality to learn quickly. I have full confidence in you, should you choose to leave Miss LaBello's studio and walk into mine."

Christine sat there for quite a while. To her it felt like hours but it was only a few minutes. She was faced with another big decision. She knew already that she could not continue with Dr. LaBello but had newfound hope in the extreme likelihood that she would not have to give up music afterall. She had been a major flute player for a long time with a promising flute career and this decision would change it drastically. However, after she weighed and flipped over every option she had at that point she realized that she really had nothing to lose. The flute studio was an awful place to be and students were leaving right and left, leaving only those too afraid to stand up to the harsh treatment or completely deceived by her ways. The way she saw it she was either leaving music for good and possibly never returning again or staying in music but learning a different and less commonly played instrument but one equally as beautiful and lovely.

With a deep breath as she realized that her life would never ever be the same after this point, she turned to Dr. Sorela, her eyes wide but no longer filled with tears, and with a slight hint of a smile and a shakiness in her voice of both fear and excitement, stated her decision.

"I want to give the oboe a try. It can only go up from here, right?"

Upon saying those words, she immediately knew that she had made the right decision. Any shadow of doubt that had lingered was completely gone and everything around her looked brighter. She ended up staying in Dr. Sorela's office for a very long time, getting her first lecture about the oboe and how it worked. She left his office with a student oboe of her own complete with a couple handmade reeds to get her started and instructions on what to do. She wasn't even afraid as she went to the registrar's office to officially change everything around and certainly wasn't afraid the next day to march right up to Dr. LaBello's office and declare that she was changing instruments and leaving the flute studio, overriding anything she would try to do to fail her out of school or at least the music program.

"I'm not under your charge anymore. I'm one of Dr. Sorela's students now," Christine proclaimed with these last words, shutting the door of Dr. LaBello's office and thus shutting the door on her flute career. She didn't care. There was nothing LaBello could do about it, because Dr. Sorela was one of the only people that could not be swayed by her cunning words and therefore had no more power or influence on Christine's life. This school may have lost a great flute player, Christine thought to herself, but it just gained a mighty good oboist!

From that day on, Christine Sky could be found in the practice rooms or in Dr. Sorela's office almost daily as she worked hard to learn and master an entirely new instrument. True to his words, she learned quickly and had finally found that encouragement and fun she always believed should exist even in college. She took every opportunity to rub it in to LaBello's face that she didn't make her quit music like she had so many others. Christine graduated 5 years later in 1997, just in time to see Dr. LaBello's reign of evil come to an end as finally a new department chair came in and did not fall for her ways. Suddenly everything LaBello had even done was thrown into the eye of the whole department and when proof of embezzlement had finally come out, she was taken out of the school by the police, never to return. Christine, along with so many others, worked tirelessly interviewing all of the new candidates, making sure whoever would replace her would be worthy and never treat students that way again. She rejoiced along with several of the faculty and students as Dr. Blaze Kye was hired to replace Dr. LaBello.

After graduation, Christine went to grad school at University of Kaytue and then went on to receive a PhD in oboe performance at the Tevernid School of Music in 2002. She married her good friend, flutist Royston Johnson, in 2000. She then spent the next few years teaching oboe at Clerval University in Viratown, Denzeltonia, taking some time off to have and raise her two daughters and one son, Lisa, Benjamin, and Ashley. In 2008, Christine Sky Johnson received the job of her dreams and became the oboe professor at Ricktoria Landon University. Her husband became the flute professor there in 2010.

Today, Dr. Sky Johnson still talks highly of Dr. Sorela, calling him a father and mentor. He even became her and her children's godfather. She has tried to become that same compassionate person that he was for her so many years earlier, telling discouraged students to visit her. She has never forgotten her experiences from the day she "walked into that office a flute player and walked out an oboe player."

Nathan in the Realm

2011-10-04T20:35:00.006-06:00

It had grown very quiet in the house. Aslan and Nathan had carried Severin to his bed where he was now sleeping and were sitting on the couches in the living room, their faces weary as the heaviness of what had just transpired settled upon their minds. Neither of them spoke but rested their heads on their hands, their elbows on their legs. Moira was sitting in the armchair, her brow furrowed, a tear rolling down her cheek as she felt the years of pain and struggle show itself. However, it was also of relief as now two of her closest friends, one a Terabikai, understood and could now carry that burden with him.

A long time went by and Aslan excused himself and went downstairs. Suddenly Nathan stood and spoke to Moira.

“I need to know the name of the man who gave you that power,” he whispered quickly.

“How come?”

“I would like to visit with him in the Realm; get his thoughts. I also want to ask him something. Can you tell me about him?”

Moira sighed and then spoke flatly but with care in her voice.

“Severin… told us what had happened. About the cold feeling he had, I mean. We didn’t really know what had really happened so we thought it was one of those things that people hang onto and refuse to let go so it festers and infects them. We were all affected by what happened but none so badly as him. He almost immediately had a terrible aversion to fire, even the word would set him off. He refused to leave his room when the lanterns were lit or when dinner was being made. We had no idea at all that he was cursed...

"We said the word to him- shouted it at him. We made him say it. My parents wouldn’t leave until he said fire 5 times. They held torches towards him. Of course he screamed but we thought that he would soon get over it when he heard it enough, but he just got worse. One day, about a year later, our dad cornered him and held him down, screaming the word over and over again. He began to act as he did tonight, screaming a horrible tortured scream, and then we saw the mark in his eyes and immediately we stopped. We didn’t know what to do but realized right then that this was more than some bad experience. This was a curse. There was nothing Severin could do to stop it. Saying the word or seeing a flame only activated the curse embedded in his Teracor that day, calling the monster to his presence.

"My father, being a ship captain, knew of a man who was a double master of Astronomy and also a local Terabikai so right away we contacted him. He came to our house immediately, rushing into the Realm to stop the attack before it consumed him but it had been lodged even deeper into him. He returned after a long fight, bringing Severin back to us. He couldn’t remove the curse but confirmed our suddenly realized fears- that he did indeed have a curse through no fault of his own. He then disappeared and reappeared, turning to me and telling me I was a very good soul and that Terabi had given him permission to bestow upon me an aura that would keep the beast away when Severin was in my presence. He also placed an aura shield upon our house so that he would always feel safe there. The only place he can be in the presence of an open flame and not be thrown into the curse is our home. This is why Severin is always at my side.

"People may think it’s odd but they don’t understand what could happen should you or I leave him alone. It strikes the most at night, when he is the most vulnerable. His first year of college was very unsettling for him and he spent most of his time in two buildings. I was not there but somehow he managed to go the whole year without an open attack… Anyway, the very kind man who gave me that aura was an older man. He died at the end of 2008 so he’ll definitely be in the Realm. We were all there for his ceremony of leaving. The man which you seek is named Rupert Freloch.”

Nathan looked at Moira, his blue eyes glowing briefly with the mark of Terabi.

“Thank you, Moira. I shall speak with him when I return home,” he said gently, shaking her hand and turning to leave. "I shall see you tomorrow. Severin should be fully recovered by then."

Nathan arrived back at his apartment about half an hour later and quietly went to his room. He knew he would need to take his whole body with him and not just his spirit so he made sure nobody would disturb him and turned off his light. Looking around at the walls, covered with pictures of friends, family, and serene scenes of nature, he took a deep breath and fell backwards. He did not fear as he began to race closer to the ground, and as he was about to land on the white carpet he heard the familiar whooshing sound, falling right through the floor, not feeling anything except warm energy. He was now appearing to fall upwards, as if he had fallen forward but in reverse, and stopped just as his body was once again level.

He now found himself in the peace and serenity of the Realm, swirling blue energy surrounding him. Everything was perfectly in order, the soft, blue light twinkling as it illuminated the otherwise sunless and shadowed place. Beneath his feet, the neat cobblestone floor stretched endlessly in every direction, not entirely even as it expanded almost like water on the surface of a lake. A low resonance hummed, the pitch changing slightly up and down, exactly in time with the flickering of the low light. The Realm stretched infinitely for miles and miles, the cobblestones finally meeting with darkness at the horizon. Every so often a small set of pillars- meeting ports- stood tall, made of white stone. Far off in the distance Nathan could see the blue-tinted shapes of Terabikai walking from place to place slowly, some with no urgency while others glided along with a destination in mind. Out of the corner of his eye he saw someone appear, walk a few paces, and then disappear, knowing that they had just used the Realm to traverse.

Nathan stood for a moment, taking a deep breath as he marveled the simplicity yet power of the Realm that he was so privileged to enter in his own timing. He was no longer wearing the clothing he had on but was instead wearing long flowing black robes. His chest now glowed bright blue and this radiance illuminated his whole body. Turning his head slowly in either direction, he saw nobody nearby and held his hands over his heart. A moment later, a bright white and blue orb had appeared in the space. It grew larger as he slowly moved his hands apart and white light swirled around quickly in the center. Once it was no bigger than a large citrus fruit, he gingerly brought the sphere to his lips, closed his eyes, and whispered, as articulate as he could, “Rupert Freloch.”

The whisper echoed louder and louder and he threw the sphere gently into the air where it shot off a circular wave of blue light and then disappeared. Nathan watched as it disappeared, knowing what would shortly follow. A moment later the figure of a man standing tall appeared from the horizon and flew quickly towards him, trailing a tail of blue light. He came stiffly to a halt with a loud WHOOSH a few feet away from Nathan. Rupert Freloch looked as Jadali as they came: he had dark, wavy hair slightly less than shoulder length, large smiling eyes, a broad and square face, and a darker left eye. He was surprisingly muscular and stood about Nathan’s height and had a look of compassion on his face. He looked surprised that he had been summoned and, looking up at Nathan, drew his blade of Lovelight, a marvelous scimitar heavily ornamented asymmetrically with bites and flares, and assumed a stance of duel. Nathan responded to this normal ritualistic greeting by drawing his own weapon, a bow.

“Oh wow! You’re one of the rare ones with a bow!” exclaimed Rupert with a smile. Nathan pointed his bow upwards and fired an arrow straight up, catching the returning light nimbly on his fingertips before it jumped back into his bow. He returned his weapon to his chest and Rupert did the same.

“It’s not often that someone calls for me,” Rupert began, “in fact, you’re the first!” Nathan could see that Rupert was apparently not very famous as a Terabikai, probably overshadowed by the more widely-known Meiro Freloch that was present in Dr. Sorela’s young and cursed youth. “You obviously know my name, but who are you?”

“I am Nathan Surcaston of Sunway, but currently residing in Kennywood. Have you heard of it?”

Rupert looked slightly puzzled so Nathan swept his right arm out, causing a map of the world to form in the air next to him. He repeated the name of his hometown and pointed it out on the map. Rupert smiled and nodded.

“Wow, that’s really far away! Forgive me, for my sense of landlocked places escapes me. Who do I know who lives there?”

“Well he wasn’t born there but he moved there for school. I hope you find his name and the name of his sister familiar because they are why I’m here.”

“Hmm… who is it then?”

“Severin Lochgren. And his sister Moira.”

“Oh wow! Yes, Severin and his family… What’s he doing there?”

Nathan smiled and calmly went on, raising his eyebrows, hinting in his voice. “There’s an important Terabikai that resides in this area that you’re missing. Can you think of who that might be?”

Rupert thought for a minute before suddenly realizing who Nathan was talking about. His eyes widened as the excitement came upon him. “Oh yes, of course! How could I have forgotten! Our own Sorela is there! The man who has both gifts and who slew the greatest threat behind the false king!”

“Yes, that’s exactly right,” said Nathan, noticing that Rupert took a minute to remember things, “Can you think of what they might be doing so far away?”

This time Rupert had an answer as the details of his doings had finally come back to mind. “He thinks that Sorela can help him and protect him from his curse!”

“Yes, that’s right. You remember!”

“Ah yes, sorry about being slow to recall. You see, nobody ever talks to me here. Most people go to Meiro Freloch with questions. When I entered here for good I went right to the Realm of Spirits and only so rarely pop in Terabi’s Realm so I am not as sharp and up to date on these things as him. I just spend lots of time with my lovely wife and other members of my family and only come here when summoned, really. Come, let’s talk at the Gatherer’s Hall. Take my hand.”

With these last words he withdrew a small blue orb and held it out for Nathan to touch. “This will take us there quickly. I bet you’ve only seen this place a handful of times.”

Nathan put his left hand on the orb and was gently but quickly thrust with Rupert through the vast space of the Realm, coming lightly to a halt at the entrance of what appeared to be a long alleyway in front of a massive castle. Nathan knew this place from his initiation so many years ago but had never been to this part of it looking for people to talk to. Where there was usually a vast and endless open space, here stood several tall buildings, looking as if they had fallen through the earth to the Realm just as he had. He knew that this was the main city that enclosed and surrounded Terabi's throne where important meetings and initiations took place. There were people all around, both men and women, those that had died long ago as well as living Terabikai who were there as their bodies slept, having some alone time or talking with friends.

Nathan followed Rupert as he held out his arm, opening a wooden door without touching it. Like everything else in the Realm, all of the structures had a glowing blue appearance, illuminated not from lights but solely from this glow of energy. They both stepped in and Rupert undid the claps of his cloak. They had entered a sort of pub- quiet, solitary men sat alone, sipping figuratively on beverages composed of different auras and emotions while fingering through the pages of old books copied from the world into the spirit matter of the Realm. A bit ahead, a man was floating in the air reading and studying some written newspaper in a language Nathan could not read. A man and woman sat at a small table engaged in flirtatious conversation, a spot on their ring fingers both glowing the same color of white signifying their bond of marriage. In the corner, eight men- two Terabikai and six the souls of those who had died and were visiting from the Realm of Spirits- were playing cards, laughing and enjoying their time together. Finally Rupert led Nathan to an open table and they sat facing each other.

"What is this place?" Nathan asked, marveling at all of the people around him.

"Ah! This is the City of Terabi's Palace. Those who have died are permitted to come here if they so choose from one of the four doorways nearby. Of course Terabikai always come here too. This is where they talk to the dead. They can also go to the Hall of Windows where they can speak to the dead and contact those through Osai's Realm. You'll find lots of men and women here. Every book of record, journalism, story, and history is copied here, free for us to read. Whenever a work gets destroyed, it becomes more solidified here, where it rests forever. Every painting in here is one that was lost on earth. Lots of people prefer this Realm to the Realm of Spirits and are known as regulars. We're at the local pub where people can order drinks meant to give the feeling of their favorites back on the earth. It's also a very popular spot for conversing as you can see. So what is it you want to ask of me?”

"What I want to know is simple. I understand that it was you that used your powers of Aikada to know for certain that Severin had the curse. You gave a protecting aura to his sister and to his household. He is fine in both of our presence. All I ask is if there is a way to remove a curse completely."

Rupert's eyes grew wide as he heard this and excitement filled his face for a moment. He leaned over the table and in a low voice began to whisper.

"When Sorela killed the demon of highest power almost fifty years ago, he caused many things to happen. Sure, everyone knows that he completely obliterated it, being left with its dormant soul fragment in him, and freeing all from its grasp, but the one thing he did that is so overlooked, and in my eyes the greatest act of all, was he forged the ability for Terabikai to remove curses completely. It's rarely been done because a bond of pure friendship must be forged in order to have enough power to do it, but it has been done. You seek to relieve Severin from his fear of fire. It will take great study to master this high-level art but I am willing to teach you. Just be aware that it causes great physical harm, just like killing that demon has scarred Sorela's body and slipped a rock into his wheel, if you will. Is this what you want?"

Nathan, his wide eyes shining brightly with the mark, looked at Rupert and nodded. "Yes. I sense you have studied this skill and this is what has moved me to seek you out."

"Very well then! I shall meet you soon again! Fare thee well, Nathan Surcaston, your heart is pure and you are strong. Come here any time to talk with any of the dead and all of the Terabikai."

With those words, Rupert pulled another orb out of his chest, whispered into it, and was drawn into the orb which then dispersed. Nathan was very happy to hear these words and as he made his way back to his room on the earth he knew that he had just made a very good friend who would prove to be a wonderful teacher.

Severin's Secret

2011-10-04T20:34:00.008-06:00

It was a rainy morning, the kind of rain known in Keòen as Ⱥmèo iach. Moira, Severin, and Aslan were by now very used to their trek towards campus and, upon recent discovery of the campus shuttle, began taking advantage of that free service to arrive at the music building even faster. Today they were extra grateful for the shuttle's existence as the chilly rain turned everything vibrant but damp. Umbrellas of all different personalities- colors and shapes, bloomed on the sidewalks along the street and could easily be seen deeper into campus between buildings.

As the bell signaled a stop inside the trolley, the three of them got out and began trudging along towards the music building a short distance away. Moira had brought an umbrella from home on the return trip and was now very grateful that she had as the three of them huddled tightly together underneath the tightly woven, waxed canvas fabric and wooden mechanisms. It was barely big enough for them but they managed to make it work as they approached their destination. Both Moira and Severin had on traveler's cloaks that sheltered their hair from the rain and Aslan had on the sweatshirt he could be known, without a doubt, to be wearing or carrying close to him.

"Hah, it's only 7:50!" Moira said as she gently shook the raindrops from her umbrella.

"Yeah, record timing! We totally intercepted that trolley!" replied Aslan, cheerfully. "I love this weather! Nothing like good ol Autumn rain; reminds me of back home."

"Oh right! You're from the jungle too!" Severin replied, realizing that he was almost as close to the Kiillaanian jungle as Aslan was. "It rains a lot like this in Jadali too, but mostly in the forests near the mountains."

"And Rengoll!" Moira added.

"Hah, yeah, and Rengoll..." Severin added, "It's always raining there!"

"Wait, where's Rengoll?" asked Aslan, as they entered the warmth and dryness of the music building.

"Montàlo," Moira and Severin said together.

"Oh duh, I knew that... I think..." Aslan muttered as he headed for the lockers to store his bassoon before heading upstairs, Severin by his side.

"You two go ahead, I've got something to do upstairs," said Moira. She had gotten a message from Nathan Surcaston the night before and was expecting him, knowing full well what he was going to talk to her about. As the figures of her flatmates disappeared from view she opened the door to the stairs and headed to the top floor, passing Carey in the stairwell.

"Ohai, Carey! What are you doing?" she said cheerfully.

"Oh, just heading for my reed-making class. Starts in 2 minutes!" he replied, full of energy and slightly out of breath from running around.

"Sounds like fun, you better hurry up!" she replied, smiling. She could tell that Carey loved this class and was picking up his enthusiasm, becoming suddenly more energetic. It was a lovely gift that Carey had and one that Moira loved.

"Haha, I love this class! All 6 of us + Dr. Sorela telling us stories for an hour = fun! Best hour ever!"

They climbed to the top floor together. He opened the door for her and they walked in together. With a wave Carey gleefully skipped away and disappeared down the dark hallway that led to Dr. Sorela's office, leaving Moira alone, heading for the lounge. She hadn't been there much but had heard loads of stories that were spoken, created, or retold there- mostly from Declan but also from the upperclassmen who had some classics. She made her way to the old, dusty couches and knew that Nathan was there waiting for her. She could feel his aura long before she saw him.

Sure enough he was sitting alone on a couch along the back wall, wearing a nice collared shirt and tie, a blue vested sweater over it. He was sitting tall, his wide eyes almost glowing, a soft smile on his face. His hands were folded neatly in his lap and he appeared motionless and almost ethereal. He turned his head when he heard her footsteps and once he saw it was her he quickly stood and glided his hand forward.

"Hello, Moira! I'm glad you got my message," Nathan said in a soft voice.

"Good morning, Nathan!" Moira replied, shaking his hand. "You know, you're more like Dr. Sorela than you think!"

Nathan smiled and looked at her, his big blue eyes masking the obvious scars that covered his face from his accident two years earlier. "Oh yes, we are much alike. We must have come from the same aural plane."

Moira knew that he wanted to talk to her alone and away from anyone who might hear and made her way to the couch in the corner, sitting down. Nathan joined her at the other side, still sitting totally upright, a feeling of serenity surrounding him.

"Do you know why you are here?" he asked, lowering his voice even more, his eyes locked with hers.

"Yes. You've sensed it. Dr. Sorela told us and so I assumed you'd know too. He knows that you know," Moira replied, a tone of seriousness in her voice. "I'll answer all you need to know."

Nathan turned his head slowly, looking at Moira out of the corner of his eyes. After a pause he spoke. "How does it present itself?"

"Fear," Moira answered, her expression not changing.

"...and the word too?" Nathan continued.

"Yes, and all the words possibly relating to it."

"How common is it?"

"It's recognized but uncommon."

"Am I in danger of saying it?" Nathan asked earnestly.

Moira took in a slow breath before she spoke. "Yes, but we all are, but with you here I think he'll be all right. You're drawn to stay by him and protect him, aren't you?"

"Yes. Terabi has told me to watch him so I know it's real. It's not an... insect... or reptile, is it?"

"No, it's not any sort of animal. I don't have his permission so I don't want to say in case someone hears us," Moira whispered, barely audible.

"That's fine. I respect his business and your loyalty," Nathan replied, his eyes filled with trust. Moira knew that it wouldn't be long before he, and Aslan, would discover that Severin was deeply cursed. The imminence of his curse coming out was looming ever closer, she could feel it.

"I just hope that when it comes out you'll be nearby and that nobody sees it. I've heard the word a few times but Severin wasn't around. Just know that Severin knows that you know that he's cursed, but he doesn't know if you know by which and what it is."

"Worry not. I know when to act and how. I have a feeling it won't be far from now."

They stood up to leave but before they headed for the stairs Moira stopped him.

"Nathan?" she asked.

"Yes?"

"Stay close to Severin today. The beast is coming. I can feel it in his countenance."

"Fear not, I will. I plan to spend the evening at your house. This premonition is so great that you and I can both feel it. Enjoy your day, Moira."

*****

Their worry that Severin's secret would be revealed came faster than they both thought.

The room was dark like usual. A complete opposite from the usually intense sunlight outside ("Hey, it's easier to see today since it's cloudy out!"), Severin and Aslan fumbled around, clumsily squeezing past the people getting out of the class before who were heading the opposite way in huge packs. Finally they found their way to where Nathan Surcaston was sitting, a backpack on one chair and a small book on the chair on the other side of him. He greeted them with a smile and scooted over so that Severin was now in the middle with Nathan to his left and Aslan to his right. They watched, their eyes getting used to the darkness, as the large auditorium room, the kind used for large class lectures, slowly filled up. People of every kind were milling in, climbing around others as they made their way to their seats. They could hear tiny snippets of conversations and smirked at a few of them ("Oh my GAWSH this yoga class is like... soooo awesomeeeee!") but otherwise remained quiet and still. Soon the room was mostly full and buzzing with hushed voices as they waited. Finally a door opened and their teacher, a tall man with a neat moustache and short, brown hair came strolling in.

"All right class. Today, we're going to talk about behavior modification therapy. I told you last time that we were going to watch a video so if you're afraid of spiders I would advise you to leave the room and have a friend take notes for you."

At this, several people snickered, and looked around waiting for someone to stand up. Nobody did so and after a couple more tense seconds the psychology professor continued on. In the darkness of the room none of them saw Severin begin chewing on his lip and wringing his hands, knowing that what they would watch was something very real and personal to him.

"We will be watching a video about someone with Arachnophobia who is learning to overcome that fear. The attempt of the researcher is to separate the anxiety from the object. If nobody has any questions we shall begin. It will take most of the hour."

The movie clip began. It was about a college-age girl who was deathly afraid of spiders in a completely irrational way. Her fear had no known roots, she explained, and she was willing to subject herself to major discomfort for the sake of information that could possibly be used to help others. The clip went on to show her getting hooked up to some machines that would read her blood pressure, heartrate, breathing, and temperature. Some of the class snickered, others looked bored, but the three best friends in the back of the room were watching with total attention, getting annoyed at all the texters and whispers of conversation going on around them.

The film was surprisingly intense, even for many who had appeared to be bored. It was as if the class could feel her aura of profound fear as she was very slowly confronted with a harmless spider. She was hysterical- panic, crying, hyperventilating at times. She looked absolutely miserable and it became hard for her to think, although despite all that she was able to narrate her feelings and thoughts rather well. Most of the room was now silent as they watched on as, near the end of it, she actually held the spider in her hand. A short followup signified the end of the film, with her a month later saying that her nightmares of spiders had gone down a lot and that she felt slightly better about the whole thing. She ended saying that it would take time to get over completely but after the first step it was much easier to do.

In the row in front of the three, a bored-looking boy was laughing to his friend, going on about how absurd phobias were and how they should be able to "just suck it up." Just then an angry voice interrupted him and he realized he should not have said that.

"You don't know what it's like! None of you! Nobody knows unless they have it. It's a very real thing and you better be grateful it's not affecting you!"

It was then that both Nathan and Aslan suddenly realized that Severin had been unusually quiet, and had now burst forth, vouching for this girl. The boy opened his mouth to say something but, after seeing the angry and serious look on Severin's face, knew that it was not highly advised so he simply yet truthfully said "I'm sorry" (Nathan, a Terabikai, confirmed he was being honest) and grew quiet, walking with his friends out the door. Aslan looked at Severin with a look of surprise, for he had never seen him defend someone other than his sister so fiercely.

"Severin... I noticed that you know an awful lot about the Realm. How do you know so much about uh... about phobias? You don't have one, do you?" he asked, lowering his voice so that only Nathan could hear them.

"I- ...I'll tell you later. It's a... long story..." Severin trailed off as we said these words, with a definite shakiness to his voice. "Just know that... well, I trust you guys."

With this, he sped off for his next class leaving Nathan and Aslan alone, heading the opposite way. Nathan turned a warm, caring eye towards Aslan and whispered in his ever so soft and Keoen-hinted voice,

"He felt her anxiety as much as I did, Aslan. I have a feeling he's about to tell us something that he's never told anyone before and it's important that we listen."

"Of course I will. I never knew that- someone so strong willed as him... would have a secret like that to try and hide..." Aslan's voice trailed off as he walked with wonder and slight guilt in his heart. What if I made fun of the thing that is his very fear? he thought. What could he possibly have been hinting at? What if it wasn't him who had this, but a relative?

Late that afternoon, after the late classes ended, Moira and Aslan returned to their rental home, followed soon after by Severin and Nathan. Severin was fumbling for the keys, deep in conversation with Nathan, having gone to the local tea house for hot chocolate on this cold and rainy day. They entered, drying off in the entryway, before joining Aslan and Moira on the couch, talking about their day.

Before long, but not in too big of a hurry (none had forgotten what Severin had said), the topic turned to psychology and what had happened in class. They (mostly Aslan) relayed everything to Moira, telling her about the movie clip that was played. Instead of looking confused or shocked, like Aslan expected, she kept stealing wide-eyed glances at her brother, as if expecting him to say something awful. Severin kept quiet and the color began to drain from his face. He nodded blankly as the story was retold. Nathan and Moira shared a look confirming what they had felt all day and both shared a reassuring look with Severin. Not forgetting his promise, Severin took a deep breath once the story had ended and opened his mouth to speak.

"I- ..." his once strong voice had suddenly gone weak. He opened his mouth to say something but he found it difficult to speak and so he closed it again. The three others were looking at him, Moira feeling a knot of dread at what would likely happen, Nathan looking as poised as ever, and Aslan slightly confused by everything.

"T-there's something I have to tell you," he began. They realized with a pang of horror that Severin had begun shaking, and sweat was forming on his face. He stood for a moment and it was clear that all color had gone from his face again and he sank back down, his legs shaking too much to support his weight. Moira got up and walked over to him, putting her hand on his arm, kneeling beside him.

"I'm right here Severin. You know you'll be safe with me here, and both of them as well. If you need me to talk for you just let me know." She spoke this in a very sweet and strong voice, and it took a moment for any of them to realize that she had said this in Keòen. It didn't matter, for all four of them spoke it, and Moira looked up at Severin, her eyes filled with compassion and encouragement.

"Yeah..." he replied, looking at his feet. "I trust them. I am going to tell them! Nathan's a Terabikai and would understand everything as it is, and Aslan has proved himself trustworthy."

Severin took a shaky breath and told Nathan and Aslan to sit on the opposite couch so he could face them. "I want you two to face me," he said, "and gather close. It will help."

Both of them, though Aslan more than Nathan, were a bit scared at how he was acting. They had never seen him like this before. They had seen him angry and certainly strong, but never reduced to such a feeble and anxious state. Nathan, of course, knew what he was about to say but Aslan really had no idea. Both of them felt and knew that he had something to hide; little subtle hints were dropped by Severin himself, but now they were going to hear just what that secret was.

"Draw that curtain behind you," he said, and Nathan sprang to his feet, blocking the small rays from outside with the beautiful butterfly tapestry that graced their large window. The room was now much darker, but this seemed to bring peace and comfort to Severin and Moira. Nathan returned to his seat and, moving the other couch closer, leaned in along with Aslan, their wide eyes glowing with trust, as they wondered what on earth he was going to tell them. They knew that it wasn't going to be easy and were prepared for anything that may happen.

"You must promise not to tell ANYONE of what I am about to say," Severin said, his voice slightly calmer now that Aslan and Nathan were so close. Moira had taken a seat right next to him, knowing that her presence brought him calm.

"We wouldn't dare," Aslan whispered. Nathan did not need to speak. By simply being a Man of Terabi he was bound to trust and would never dare mention a stray word. Severin knew this, and as he looked in Nathan's large blue eyes, he thought for a moment that he saw the defining mark glow briefly across them.

"What I am about to tell you is something that I have never told ANYONE. The only people that know are Moira and the rest of my family. I have gotten very good at hiding this and it's easily my weakest point. Watching that video today and as we've been studying this kind of thing has really set off this spot in my heart. Yes, I have a phobia. Mine is rational in its nature although it has gotten out of hand and has run away from me. I guess I should-"

His voice trailed off, as the realization of what he was about to do suddenly hit him. He tried desperately to stall his confession, to help his anxiety go down. He was quiet for a moment and nobody spoke. Then suddenly he began talking, a little too fast, and all at once.

"You know, this is kind of like jumping into a cold lake. If you hesitate at all you get more anxious and then you chicken out and it becomes unbearable. I just have to go right out and say it. I heard somewhere that by avoiding straight talking about it, it makes that fear unnecessarily worse..."

Once again he stopped, contemplating what to say first. Moira was looking up at him, his left arm in her hands, and she was rubbing it in a motherly sort of way. She was looking at him with a mix of worry and amazement now, as it was clearly evident that he had told nobody of this dark secret.

"I... I guess I'd b-better give a... back...ground..." by now he was shaking visibly. "You know... talk my way up to it...

"When I was five years old..."

At these words he made a sort of shuddering jump, as if he had said something awful. Beads of sweat were forming on his face more readily now and with a very shaky hand he wiped them on his sweatshirt. Breathing hard and fast he paused for a long time before speaking suddenly.

"I have the curse," he said quickly, eyes wide, "...the Curse of the Realm. The worst one out there since Sorela killed the next in line. I got it when I was five years old."

Nathan looked at him knowingly but this was all news to Aslan, who sat wide-eyed and silent.

"I- uh... we- we had this house along the coast you see... it was made of.... w-wood." The words gradually got faster until he was talking much too fast again. He began stuttering and his eyes grew wide again.

"...and it was owned b-by not just my mom but her brothers and sisters... I remember it like yesterday. It was small, but it had two floors. It was just... just a few of us. My aunt was there, and t-two of my older cousins... and Moira of course... We were downstairs on the ground floor and -"

His voice trailed off even more now and he looked like he was going to be sick. Moira looked at him and started rubbing his back, saying nothing. Finally, after collecting his wits, he continued, even more shakily than before.

"The word. I can't say it... But I must! I trust you... I'm going to say it... I have the protection of two of you and trust from all... We were p-playing outside... W-we were j-just h-having some f-fun... And then.... It j-just happened....."

At this it seemed that fear had gotten hold of him. He let out a scream and curled into a ball, shaking so badly it seemed like he would fall over. He was now crying out, as the memory of what had happened, one that he had suppressed for so long, was now fresh and in the air. Nathan and Aslan said nothing, but they both were feeling the immense aura that was present, even stronger than the girl in the video. Moira looked at him, ready to continue the story if he could not. Finally, Severin seemed to have found his wits once more and sat up, continuing his story.

"You don't have to say it if you think it will call the demon," Moira said, calmly.

"I can say it... I'm going to say it. Yes. Easy now... Then..... t-the house... there was a f-flash... it... it..... it c-caught... h-..... f-..... v-.... Oh Word, it c-caught F-F-FIRE!"

That last word that erupted from his mouth sounded like it didn't even come from him. It sounded so foreign that it was if someone inside him had said it. Upon saying this, hot tears of panic and nearly 15 years of suppressed anxiety had suddenly come out. Severin was now sprawled across the couch, his head in his hands, screaming and crying as if his whole body were on fire. He was digging at his face and it was Moira who gently took his hands away before he hurt himself.

He had done it. Tried only a handful of times, he actually named his own Unmentionable. Everyone in that room knew that he would only say that in front of people he truly trusted. He could barely even talk about it in front of his own family. As if a floodgate was open, crying uncontrollably, Severin began to howl out the rest of his story and many things after it. It became easier to tell the rest now that he had seemingly gotten the worst part over with.

"They became consumed! I was outside but they were in there! They perished! My aunt and two cousins gone! I watched as you-know-what engulfed that house and took it to the ground! We all were there and witnessed it! I stepped closer and was hit with a feeling of ice. I stepped closer though I was warned not to! It was caused by the beast who was after my aunt but it hit me instead! The cries! The anguish! It haunts my sleep! It haunts my days! It infects my mind and I can't stop hearing their cries or seeing people- everyone! Everyone engulfed in f-f-flames!!! I'm the toughest person anyone knows and I can't even say a four letter word!

"Nobody understands unless they witness it or have it themselves! It's a curse I would not wish on anybody but I know far more have it than let on! People think it's so easy to get rid of! They have no idea what desperate and great lengths they will go to... to dispel any mention of the word! They laugh when they hear people can't even mention certain words! They think it's some big joke! I've been carrying this burden for FIFTEEN YEARS! Don't tell ME it's a joke! This is REAL! I know because I LIVE WITH IT EVERY DAY OF MY LIFE! I may be good at hiding it but don't tell me it doesn't exist! I've tried to live with it but it takes so much more time than a day- a month- a year! I AM A CURSED MAN"

Suddenly, at the conclusion of these words, something happened that was not expected but prepared for anyway. Neither Nathan nor Moira thought that the demon would be daft enough to attack in both of their presence but they knew as soon as he hit the floor that they were wrong. Severin let out a tortured scream, his body jumping out suddenly, violently meeting the floor. His arms and legs flailing, his back arching, they could just make out the mark of the curse shining red in his eyes.

"HE'S GOT THE CURSE!" shouted Aslan in horror. "HE'S UNDER ATTACK!"

Nathan had already reacted and dove right at Severin's twisted body, moving faster than they had seen before. As he made contact with the floor he disappeared from view, leaving Moira and Aslan to look on with horrific awe as Nathan would demonstrate the power of a Terabikai 'most famous; the one they wish they never had to use but were grateful to possess.' All they could do were hold each other tightly and look away as bright light filled their living room.

"GET BACK, YOU UTTER FOOL!"

Severin, though barely able to control any part of his body, fully aware of where he was, could see the majestic figure of Nathan wielding a bow that glowed brightly blue. The curse imbedded in his chest stung him, pain and despair shooting in all directions, the nasty and twisted form of the demon that had captured him pinning him down.

"HOW DARE YOU TRY AND ATTACK HIM WHEN A TERABIKAI AND AN AURA OF PROTECTION ARE IN THE SAME ROOM!"

Nathan's normally timid voice was now loud as thunder, his eyes shining brightly, the mark of Terabi so visible in his large eyes that it seemed to cast its own light. He was poised, ready to fire an arrow of pure Lovelight straight at the demon.

"LEAVE HIM BE! RETURN TO YOUR FOUL WASTE OF FALSE DOMINION!"

He hissed and lunged forward, letting his arrow loose a second later. It pierced through the darkness of the Realm and as it hit the beast it shattered into lightning, spreading all over in small pathways along the beast's exterior, before collecting again, the mass of light flying back into Nathan's upheld bow. The beast, realizing that he could not cause more harm, let off a scream and retreated, leaving Severin in a diminished heap on the cobblestone floor.

He was totally exhausted mentally and physically collapsed in a shaking heap. Nathan approached Severin and silently placed his hand on his arm. On the other side, Moira and Aslan knew that the beast had left him because his screams were silenced and the mark of the curse no longer glowed in his eyes. They knew that Nathan was successful.

It was with a soft voice of deep love that Nathan spoke.

"Severin, what you have told us was very brave. We cannot possibly fully understand but we are honored that you trust us enough to help us carry your burden, and carry it we will. It is not a sign of weakness at all and I know that you know that. Our understanding has deepened and I can sense that some of that burden has been lifted off your heart. Your sister and I felt this coming but we did not expect that he would attack with both of us here."

Nathan stowed his bow of Lovelight back into his chest and with a final deep breath, closed his eyes and whispered Terabi's creed. Almost instantly, a feeling of warm peace came over Severin and he knew that Nathan had placed in him a calming aura. He felt immensely better at confessing his secret and knowing that he had two more people to help him carry this meant the world to him.

"A bow..." Severin whispered with awe before falling still. He was too exhausted to say more and watched with heavy eyes as Nathan knelt beside him and cradled him in his arms. They remained for a moment before Nathan whispered once more and fell back through the floor of Terabi's Realm, his body and Severin's soul appearing in the rental house once more. The horrors of that night were great and all of them were exhausted. Aslan and Nathan carried the barely-conscious body of Severin to his room where they laid him down in his bed. He promptly fell asleep and for the first time in his life slept soundly, too exhausted to let the bad thoughts of people and places on fire to further poison his soul. Even in as miserable a state as he was, he could hardly remember any days that he felt happier.

Dor Diene Ahraddwr, S. R. Sorela!

2011-09-22T22:05:00.005-06:00

Silanu Ravosilu Sorela. So much has been said! A man of such prominence written about more than anyone else in this blog! As you turn 62 years old on 23 September 2011 I present a chain of drawings and links to every post that makes a mention of you. Happy Birthday, Ripya Kaisudia, and Dor Diene Ahraddwr!!

A Selection of Sketches Throughout the Years

The first drawing ever, done in 2008.

Another early drawing showcasing your darkness...

A picture from your youth, when the curse still burned within you.

A picture of your darkness...

And a picture of what you now look like in my mind.

Lastly, my favorite picture and in my mind the most accurate to date.

Your life was first spoken here and here. As your magnificent story took its form it inspired so much else! From the good to the bad, from the small mention to the title lead, more has been written containing your loving eyes and majestic self than anyone! Here's to 238 more years of your unique aura here!

The CHARMing Five

2011-09-18T20:28:00.003-06:00

School was going well for Moira and Severin. It has been nearly a month since their first day and the days had now grown into weeks. Severin had become very good friends with Nathan Surcaston and spent much of his time with him doing random acts of kindness to everyone they could. Moira had become fast friends with the whole oboe section, especially Molly, Carey, and Winterwood. She also had become quite popular among the flute studio due to her outgoing and friendly nature.

As the members of the various major ensembles had become set in stone it was now time for the chamber groups to begin forming. People all over the halls were discussing groups they would like to do. Severin had already found himself as part of a woodwind quintet with Nathan, Ben, Trey, and Armando and was enjoying being coached by Dr. Kye. Moira loved quintet music and was quite excited to start thinking about forming one. Aslan had already agreed to play bassoon whenever she got the people together to play.

"Would you want to be in a woodwind quintet?" Moira asked Carey as they sat in biology. They had recently discovered that they had somehow both signed up for this class in between theory and music 101 and had become very good friends within a single class period. They now always sat together right in the front row near the door so they could run out and hurry back to the music building.

"That would be awesome! I've been thinking about it myself. Y'think we can round up five freshmen?" he replied, his eyes wide with excitement.

"I hope so," said Moira. "Aslan said he'd play bassoon if I got a group together. I'm sure there's enough freshmen to do it. Are you in?"

"I'm in! In like... winnnn-sauce..." he replied, thinking for a minute on a word that started with 'in' before giving up, making Moira giggle. "I guess you're the one organizing this," he went on. "Who do you want to coach us?"

"I was hoping Dr. Sorela could coach us," she replied with a shy smile.

"Well I don't see why he couldn't. He'd probably... consider it a high honor," he said, imitating Dr. Sorela's voice with amazing accuracy. "Who do you know who's a freshman that we could possibly round up for horn and clarinet?" he asked.

"I was thinking we could get Ravosilu to be our horn player. He's probably in a brass quintet or something by now but it wouldn't hurt to ask. Besides, if he was in it with us and we had Dr. Sorela as our coach he'd be fine speaking Catin."

Carey laughed in agreement before he suddenly interjected. "Wait! I know who we can get to play clarinet! Remember in theory the other day when Hsan Ba was talking about wanting to play regular clarinet once in a while? I bet he'd love to do this! Here- I'll text him right now!"

Moira tried to pay attention to the lecture while frantically writing down names on her notebook while Carey discreetly texted Hsan Ba with his phone awkwardly peeking out from under his textbook.

"Oh yeah! I forgot about Sean!" Moira exclaimed as she wrote down the composition of a sugar molecule next to Carey's name. "...Wait... what do you mean when you say 'regular clarinet?'"

"He plays bass clarinet in band, remember?" he said without looking up from his phone which had lit up already. "By the way he says he'd love to play clarinet for us," he added without missing a beat.

"Yay! That's 4 out of 5! I guess we can talk to Ravo before music 101," Moira thought out loud as she wrote Hsan Ba next to her own name. "How long have you known Sean?" she asked Carey.

"Oh he went to Pathreeah West High School with me all 4 years there. We ended up doing a lot of musical stuff together. He's straight from the Tellish quarters, if it wasn't obvious from his name. If you see any Tellish person in band you can pretty safely assume they're from Pathreeah," he said laughing.

"Really? Like who?" she asked, amused.

"Um... well, I went to school with Pierce, y'know, the horn player..."

"Oh yeah! He's my neighbor!" Moira exclaimed smiling.

"Oh really?! Awesome! Then you know Hugo too. They're best friends and I know them both well." He thought for a moment before speaking again. "Oh yeah! You know Rebecca, the trumpet player? The girl with blonde hair?"

Moira just looked at him confused.

"...The girl... with... no thumbs?" he added suggestively.

"Oh! Yeah, I know who you're talking about! She's hilarious!"

"Hehe. Her name is Rebecca and she's from Pathreeah too. She was a senior when I was a freshman. I know a lot of her younger brothers and sisters though. Almost all of them sing, if not play some sort of instrument... But anyway, see? All Tellish, all from Pathreeah!"

They continued discussing things and when they were dismissed from class they literally ran all the way to the music building and up the stairs where they caught Ravosilu Kribana just as he was walking through the door. Carey and Moira both ran up to him on either side and started talking to him excitedly.

"Ravo! Ravo do you want to be in our quintet?"
"We need a horn player, Ravo! Will you join us?"

He stopped and looked around, confused.

"N'za te tu hosa?" he asked, bewildered. "Oh, sorry! Ah... What is... is you want of me?"

Now that they had his attention, Moira mustered up the best Catin she could muster and said, slowly, "Kiki hosa tu... para... en... ermmm... woodwind quintet?"

Her slight grasp on Catin seemed to be good enough for Ravosilu to understand, for his eyes lit up and a wide smile came to his face. Thought her Catin wasn't as smooth as lots of the bilingual music students and was really a mix of languages he knew exactly what she wanted.

"Are you... asking me to be... nia en woodwind quintet with tutu?" he asked slowly, hoping every word he said was correct.

"Yes!" said Carey and Moira together, happily.

"Aiii, I'll do it!" he said happily. He then grabbed Fiara, who had just walked in, by the arm and began speaking fast Catin to her. She looked at him and nodded her head a few times before turning to Carey and Moira smiling.

"He says he hopes you're asking him to do a woodwind quintet," she said, Ravosilu smiling and nodding behind her, "He told me he's been looking for a quintet to be in since school started for it's one of his favorite things to do. Also, he wants me to let you know that woodwind quintet is his favorite and that he doesn't like brass quintet so much. Is this what you're asking?"

"Hooray!" they both shouted. "Yes it is! If he's in then our quintet is complete!"

Fiara turned around and relayed all of this to Ravo in flawless Catin. He asked her one more thing so she turned again to Carey and Moira who were setting their bags down on desks. "He wants to know who is coaching, and if it will be someone who speaks Catin as he's still not quite comfortable with the Kevian language.

"Don't worry," Moira said, looking at Ravo in his dark brown eyes, "Dr. Sorela will be our coach."

Ravo understood this and smiled widely. He wrote down his available times on a piece of paper and handed it to Moira. "It looks like you got yourself a quintet!" he said, smiling, confidently trying out phrases he had learned from his uncle.

"Isvari ni!" Moira replied, smiling at him. Ravo's mouth opened in pleasant surprise at Moira's good use of Catin and then took a seat nearby.

Two days later, Moira, Hsan, Carey, Ravo, and Aslan were all sitting in a classroom, Dr. Sorela standing tall and facing them with a smile on his face and love in his eyes. They had just finished reading through a couple of pieces that seemed fun and exciting to play and were packing up. All of them were pleased with how well they already blended together and really clicked. Moira had taken upon herself the leadership position and had listened to all of the pieces carefully.

"Now I want everyone to think about which of these pieces you really like so we can vote on what to play and everything" Moira said as they quietly discussed their favorites. Dr. Sorela gave them all a smile and a wave goodbye as he glided out the door and back to his office for Molly's lesson.

"We totally need a name for ourselves!" Hsan said, as soon as the door was again closed. The other four all agreed.

"How about an anagram of our names," suggested Carey.

"That's a great idea!" said Moira and Aslan together.

"What's an anagram?" asked Ravo.

Using his translator, Moira and Carey explained it to him. "Oo! That's a great idea!" Ravo exclaimed once he realizes what they were doing.

Carey walked to the board. "First, let's see if the first letters of our names spell anything. Sean, do you want your name to start with H or X... or S?"

"H, I guess," he replied, already a step ahead of Carey. "Cuz... if you spell it with H, then you can spell CHARM."

They all froze as the realization that their names really did spell out a word came upon them.

"That's awesome!" said Moira.

"It could spell MARCH too, I suppose," Sean went on, "but personally I find us all quite charming!"

Just like that, as quick as the idea had come to them, the CHARMing quintet was born along with the means of their introduction. They decided to have Moira introduce the four boys by letter, them playing a tuning A in response. When it got to Moira's turn, Carey or Sean would stand up and introduce her. They planned a couple short skits to present as a way to break the ice for the audience. Suddenly they couldn't wait to perform!

Spotlight on: Kirby Riedlore

2011-09-15T18:08:00.003-06:00

Full Name: Kirby Roy Law, later it became Kirby Roy Riedlore
Birthday: July 8, 1990
Method of Creation: #2- he's a homage to a friend I made in Europe.

Creation Story:

I'm really surprised I never did a spotlight on Kirby! I guess I don't talk about him a whole lot but he's definitely there! Kirby comes from the same person as Kenyon Nihael, actually. However, unlike Dr. Nihael who only took his name, Kirby is a slightly more direct homage and a tiny bit more tangible.

The friend I met on the trip was a very sweet, talented, and friendly oboe player from the midwest. We had a lot of fun on our many fabulous adventures! Anyway, he was playing Kirby on the plane on the way home, a game I had heard about but never played. Somehow this somewhat minuscule detail became the basis for a new person. He comes from the same source as Eagle Rivers and Winterwood Lightfoot in that I wrote a story about an international honor band and chorus that toured Catarika, based obviously off my European adventures. As it would turn out, whether I meant to or not, they all ended up going to the same college and therefore became very close friends on the trip and still are. In fact, Kirby lived with Eagle his freshman year. As another fun fact, it was this friend in Europe that was roomed with the most unique and different person on the trip, the kind of guy that is misunderstood because his way of life is so different, and what became the basis for Eagle Rivers and Isiador Lochgren being roomies in my version of the story.

Kirby's Birth Through Story

Eagle and Winterwood are obvious caricatures of two people I went to college with and had known for a year by the time summer 2008 came around and this story was underway. I forgot if Kirby was written in as Winterwood's partner in music or if I had him in mind first but whatever the reason he made his debut in my story as Kirby Law, because it sounded cool. He fleshed out pretty quickly, meaning that his story and background took hold pretty fast. Here is the very first thing I ever wrote mentioning Kirby, in the form of Eagle's journal:

What A Day!!
Saturday, July 5, 2008

"...We met up with a big group of people so get ready for some names: Joining us at a local Tabesai Taresu (Catin for "Food Restaurant" or "Deli") were Jag, his roomie Kevin, Winterwood, her roomie Rianda M, her oboe friend Kirby, his roomie "Burnsy", his sister Shelby and her roomie Kioraya, Magellan, Oja, Brogan and his roomie Aladdin, Naidel, Eric and Marvin. It was a wooden building with only two walls so it was open to the air. It had a front counter that had shelves with a bunch of the sandwiches and Kalii (sushi) that the Taresu made. Behind them was a large, colorful menu with pictures of everything else they offered."

He's not mentioned much, just in passing to show he sits next to Winterwood, his roomie on the trip was Ryan Burns (Burnsy), and he has a sister named Shelby.

Another excerpt also from Eagle's journal dated July 6, 2008 shows Eagle's initial impression of Kirby as a person:

"Kirby Law- With a name like that, how can he not be bright and cheery? He certainly is and like Burnsy loves trying the new things. Call it jumping into the deep end. He loves to dance and has a love for playing that is amazing. He's from Ravnik, which is an unheard-of town north of Kaytue, which everyone has heard of. Being from the studio and show capital, he knows a thing or two about sound systems so he's always there to help get everything ready and working. I was also very happy to find out he too is going to KU in the fall. Wow! I'm gonna meet everyone here! He plays the oboe and sits right next to Winterwood so they are always playing duets together. He has a twin sister who is pretty funny as well."

From this excerpt we learn that Kirby is from Ravnik, which he is proud of and still tells people even now. He becomes fast friends with Winterwood and the two are still close today.

This is another excerpt from an entry on July 7, 2008:

"After it was over I was talking in a group of people and found out, because it's such a small world, that Kirby Law is also going to KU next year! Eric gave us some great insight into a family friend that owned and rented out several houses along the campus so that'll definitely be at the top of my list of things to go when I make the big move to KU. If all goes well then Jag, Kirby, and I will share a house or apartment together."

From this article we pinpoint the moment in time that Eagle and Winterwood found out they were going to the same college as Kirby. The Eric mentioned is Eric Latham and this whole tour story was written because Eric went on it in 2008 and was in the chorus, thus I needed some stories to happen that he could write about. The family friend is, of course, Jimmy Charles who is also heavily mentioned in the Lochgren Series. I didn't realize that he even went back that far! It goes to show that I forget the origins of a lot of things that I consider mostly understood.

One of my favorite entries in Eagle's journal from this trip is the post that happens on Kirby and Shelby's birthday because it shows how much fun they all had together being silly:

Happy Birthday and a Slice of Fashion
Tuesday, July 08, 2008

Early this morning I got up and got ready for the day. It was another free day today and we would be having dinner at a traditional Catin Suta Taresu. As our little group got a plan going we quickly learned it was Kirby and Shelby's 18th birthday! Wow what a way to celebrate! We found our way to "The Strip" and began shopping in the stores. Finally I was able to purchase a fine Catin outfit. It looks so cool! It's red and blue and I feel like a king with it on. As all of us were shopping, especially the girls, we came across a mini amusement park with a carousel. We all had to get on and took turns taking silly pictures of each other. It was so fun! There was a hat shop and a kite shop nearby so we all got crazy hats. We all decided on lobster hats so our group all got one. Then we went to the kite shop and got some kites to fly in the wind.

We found our way to an outdoor octopus ride which we all went on and then treated ourselves to a Ferris wheel. Oh the pictures we got! It was so much fun! We then found a sweets shop and got one of those giant cookies for the twins. There was a market nearby so I took the opportunity to make Islander's Bridge Mix for lunch. It was so fun to sit along the beach and sing happy birthday and enjoy the cookie bits and Islander's Bridge Mix. We had a great time and lots of laughs. When we were finished we took turns flying our kites and looking silly :-). We even bought some bread to feed the seagulls and in the distance we could see Kile and Pangi flying over the water.

Kirby became tangible very early on. He stayed this goofy and funny guy permanently and is still bringing smiles to everyone's faces in rehearsal.

Having only been seen and described through the eyes of Eagle, Kirby was largely written only in Eagle's journals which I wrote from summer 2008 when he embarked on life after high school to summer 2009 when Eagle's life mellowed out a bit and the current story that I thought was worth journaling ended. However, Kirby always remained, being in the same class as people like Lesko Diamond and Eric Latham and has turned up in a couple short stories I wrote such as the one where Lesko finds out he is related to Franklin Sorela through their great grandfather.

Kirby's Wife

Unfortunately for him, a lot of his college life happened during that black hole period when I was depressed and therefore uninspired for like a year and a half. He was still very much in my head but a lot of those details were never written down. However, he met the beautiful Molly Clark, a girl who played trumpet in marching band and oboe in band (what an odd combo!), sometime during the first month of the fall 2009 semester. She was written as a pair of identical twins (Molly and Michelle) from Tarra who came here mainly to fill open positions in the band roster I was beginning to sketch. I do remember Kirby asking Lesko Diamond (the trumpet section leader) about her and if he could meet her (he played tenor or alto sax in marching band, just like my friend I based him on). They began dating sometime after.

Molly was a girl who was especially cool because she played Runescape and her account, Sadie Sage, had 99 construction and runecrafting (two hard-to-obtain masteries for non RS-players). At first, I wrote her to not be that into music and more into Runescape (just like me at the time!) but over time that changed. Their engagement on December 27, 2009 was documented on this blog as well as their wedding on March 30, 2010. By this point Kirby was starting to come back into my mind a bit more and he became yet another person in band married to someone else in band!

Kirby Today

In the past year, I've been having fun figuring out what sort of funny stuff he does with the people in his section, particularly pulling harmless practical jokes on Winterwood and making choreographed, elaborate entrances into rehearsal with his wife. Currently he is a senior and is finishing up his last year of band before he student teaches. Apparently he was originally a performance major but over the years ended up in the official roster as a music ed major which makes sense as he wants to move to Isle del Akai and teach band, which has been true since he met Eagle and Winterwood 3 years ago.

From Law to Riedlore

Kirby changed his last name when he got married. There were lots of influencing factors, the main one being that he wanted to move to Isle del Akai when he and Molly graduated and wanted a last name that was more like those seen there. Also, Molly Lynn Law sounded really weird to me so she was all for a new last name. They wanted to do Lightfoot but it still started with L so they went with Rivers. However, they both wanted to keep Law in their new last name so they combined the two, making Riverlaw, and then translated that into Keòen, thus coming up with the last name of Riedlore, which is a real Jadali crest taken by one of the Eldins (Trevin Riedlore). Thus, we now have Kirby and Molly Riedlore.

Kirby's Family

I decided to make Kirby's small family have a common theme. I usually hate this, but hey it's not my family it's his! His father's name is Darby and we already know that his twin sister and only sibling is named Shelby. His mother doesn't follow this trend- her name is Lynneli, a name I got by looking at my work roster and seeing that one of the workers was named Lynn Elizabeth but it ran together and got cut off at Lynneli. I really liked it so there it went!

Now that I've talked for a long time I think I'll skip a sketch since this post is full of them and just leave with a physical description and 5 fun facts!

Kirby isn't hugely tall, probably 5'10'' or so. He has brown hair, crew cut with spiky bangs. His eyes are one of the first things people notice because of their shape. I think he has blue eyes but they might be brown. He's always smiling! I made a really good Mii representation of him. He's not super thin but isn't ripped or anything like that. He likes to dance and especially loves to literally waltz into rehearsal with Molly or Winterwood or Benjamin or Carey or Zora or any combination of those people.

1. Kirby's favorite game is, no surprise, Kirby.
2. He began saxophone in 6th grade but hated it, switching to oboe in the 7th grade where he remains to this day except in marching band where he plays sax.
3. He is very close to his twin sister and they talk all the time.
4. He is known for being silly, energetic, and a class clown.
5. He has wanted to move to Isle del Akai ever since he learned about it, feeling like he was meant to be born there.

The Love of Airi

2011-09-12T21:36:00.005-06:00

Tuesday came much faster than Monday had. However, just like the day before, Moira was up long before her alarm making breakfast and the boys were still savoring their last minutes of sleep. All three of them felt much less nervous now that they knew a lot of the routine, and ever since meeting with Dr. Sorela, Moira and Severin felt a great peace and excitement.

Finally, the boys had joined Moira at the table where she had already eaten most of her breakfast and was reading the local paper. Aslan had spent the previous evening with his brother while Moira and Severin had gone to the local fair with Winterwood and all the members of the oboe section including two people that neither had met yet for they were in band and not orchestra. They felt right at home with them and Moira just knew that she and Winterwood would become great friends. They didn't return home until very late and had gotten quite tan in the sun. Sleep had felt wonderful and had made the morning refreshing.

"So... how did it go with meeting Dr. Sorela?" Aslan asked, stretching.

"Oh word, it was amazing! What an amazing man!" Moira exclaimed.

"He's so tall!" added Severin. "A true Ardin for sure. I can totally see where he got his Jadali half."

"That's so awesome. I can't wait until I meet him," said Aslan, grabbing for the paper. "Also, did you have fun with Winterwood and Carey and all them? Declan's told me a bit about all them."

"Yeah we had lots of fun," they both said together.

"There was a big group!" added Moira, "We met Kirby and Molly too!"

"Oh yeah, I've heard about them. They're the couple that changed their name to Riedlore, innit?"

"Yes they did! I love that they went Keòen with it! I think they're going to be a lot of fun to be around in band. I'll be sitting right in front of them." Moira said with a smile.

Aslan then told them about his adventures with Declan and Austrey ("He gave me a big tour of the city and then we talked for hours about some of the people he knows best in the music department!"). Before long, it was time to go and they gathered their bags and began the long walk to the music building. Moira and Aslan had Dr. Kribana for Ear Training at 8:40 and Severin was very excited because he had Ear Training with Nathan and his teacher was Airi Sorela, who he had heard a little bit about and was excited to meet.

"I have Dr. Sorela's wife for ear training!" Severin reminded them. "I'm really excited to find out what she's like."

"Do you know who she is?" asked Aslan.

"Nope, we saw pictures of her, and went past her office, but that's about it," Severin said. "If anything I'm excited to have a Jadali-Kiillra teacher for this semester. It'll be so cool to not be the only one in my class with two-colored eyes."

"Hey, I have two-colored eyes!" Aslan joked, "Loch eyes are green with brown at the middle!"

"You won't be the only ones speaking Keòen," Moira added, laughing, "Don't forget that Nathan does too. That makes three!"

"Three right here in this house!" Aslan declared, in Keòen.

Laughing, they headed out the door in good spirits and soon enough found themselves at the music building and upstairs. Moira and Aslan turned right and walked to their classroom while Severin turned left to the hall behind him. It was much less crowded than the day before and it seemed calmer as well. He spotted Nathan outside the door and hurried to meet up with him. Nathan waved as he saw him running up and they entered the room together after exchanging a brief greeting.

The room was very large and had many chairs piled into the middle. Near the doors, a large audio system sat under a wooden table covered with instrument cases and boxes. A few students had already taken their seats and were staring at Severin as he walked by, talking to Nathan in Keòen, wearing traditional robes. The two of them chose seats on the far left side of the room in the front row right next to the piano.

"So this is it," Severin whispered excitedly to Nathan, "this is where we get to see what Airi Sorela is like!"

"I'm excited too," replied Nathan. "I have no idea what she's like as a teacher," he added, in Keòen.

Before long the class had filled up and most of the seats were taken. Besides some whispers of people the class was silent, waiting for their teacher to arrive. The clock slowly ticked closer to 8:40 and after several silent minutes the door opened.

In glided a very tall woman, long black hair flowing beautifully down her round face. She seemed to dance along the room to the podium in the middle where she gently placed her stack of papers. She was wearing a white tunic with peach trim and a long peach skirt and had on a beautiful earth-colored pendant. Her eyes were dark, just like her husband's, and had the same warmth to them. However, instead of both being dark brown, the right one was a dark blue while the left one was an earthy brown. Her figure was that of a dancer, trim and flexible, and like her husband, every move she made was poetic.

With a deep breath, she looked up at the class. A smile came to her face and she with a sigh she finally spoke.

"Hello, everyone," she said with the same crisp clarity as her husband, "I am Dr. Airi Hieldin Sorela. In here, you can just call me Airi, but when referring to me as a teacher outside of this class... be sure to include Hieldin, as there is already a Dr. Sorela here, and he happens to be my husband." She grinned broadly as she said this, love in her eyes. "When you discuss my heritage, Jadali eyes, my profession, or anything else outside of class... make sure you include this important crest so you don’t confuse whomever you’re talking to!"

Right away Severin liked her. She was quite different from Dr. Sorela and yet so similar. He and Nathan both immediately picked up on her clever and subtle use of delivering strong opinions and smiled knowingly to each other.

“I have accepted the invitation to return to teaching Ear Training, since Professor Stunn has seemed to have finally… vanished… without a trace.” She put lots of emphasis on the word 'vanished' and raised her eyebrows as she said this carefully chosen word. "I wonder where he went..." she added in Keòen, under her breath. Severin and Nathan tried not to laugh as she said this, for they both knew it was clearly meant for them alone to hear. Shaking her head, she added one more final sigh in Keòen: “You know it’s bad when there’s no-one in your program…"

"Anyway, where was I? Oh, yes! First, I’ll share a little about myself, since I do admit that I look… a bit different… than most of you." She scanned the room as she said this and as her eyes fell on Nathan and Severin she gave them a wink. She then smiled and slowly turned around to the right side of the class. "I come from Jadali, in the capital city of Leena. I moved several times throughout my youth between Leena and Taleah, eventually graduating from Taleah High School. I then went to Tevernid School of Music where I obtained double mastery in vocal performance. I also have a master's in piano accompaniment so worry not, I will be able to play all of the examples in the lesson plans." Once again she looked over at Severin and Nathan and whispered " 'Iso." She then continued. "I married Dr. Sorela when we were at TSOM together. What an amazing man... We lived there until he began teaching here... in 1980. We have one son, Ashlan, who now lives in Dahhod with his beautiful wife and their two children, Aratan and Aulivar... Now that I have shared a bit about myself, let me find out about all of you."

Both Severin and Nathan liked Dr. Hieldin Sorela more with every sentence she spoke. There was just something about her gentle and yet brutal honesty that made them trust her. Both thought to themselves how perfect a match she was for such a unique and powerful husband and couldn't help but feel the love she had for him as well as her students. She went down the rows, having everyone introduce themselves. When she got to Nathan, she raised her eyebrows.

"I know who you are," she whispered, in Keòen.

"I know, that you know," Nathan said back in his soft voice.

"My husband thinks very highly of you. He wants you to see him in his office after this class. Also, you better introduce yourself and pretend like we're talking about your heritage, young Esthren del Terabi."

Nathan smiled as he heard this, an exchange only understood between them and Severin. "My name is Nathan Surcaston," he said, without missing a beat, "I am a music ed major and I play horn."

"It is so nice to meet you, Nathan!" Dr. Hieldin Sorela said happily. She then turned to Severin and studied his eyes carefully. " 'Eile, Severin, 'iso! What other crest are you?"

" 'E nan Lochgren ddw Balthor ddar," he replied.

"Balthor... Hmmmm... I too am half Balthor. Can you tell?" she laughed as she said this; the rest of the class stared on, assuming she was asking him about his life.

"Oh yes, I can tell," Severin replied happily. "And thank you for the warm welcome. I love it here.... I'm Severin Lochgren, I'm a performance major and I play flute and percussion." He said this with an even thicker accent than normal, having immediately switched from Keòen to Kevian. He knew that the class was staring at him but he didn't care. All he knew was Dr. Hieldin Sorela would easily be his favorite teacher of the year and couldn't wait until the following year when he would take music history from her husband. "Your husband is most comforting," he added. Dr. Hieldin Sorela just smiled and he could see a close resemblance to his own mother.

"I'm going to love this class," he said to Nathan, who smiled back with a twinkle in his eye.

"Me too, Severin... You and me both."

The Man of the Majestic Aura

2011-09-10T21:34:00.009-06:00

Once orchestra had ended and Moira had stored her flute back in her bag, she followed Winterwood into the cramped locker room that she hadn't yet visited. Having only a small instrument she could just carry it in her bag. Winterwood motioned for her to follow her into a small inlet where her husband was lifting a bag full of music and mallets to put away. Winterwood smiled at him and put her case inside. Moira could see pictures of them together with their son taped to the inside of the locker which they shared and smiled.

"All right, I'll take you up to Sorela's office, how 'bout that?" Winterwood said as she gently closed the locker so that a young man with dreadlocks could reach his locker next to it. Moira was very excited and nervous at the same time.

"That would be wonderful! Let me get my brother," Moira answered, turning back to the band room. She found him talking to Nathan, aware immediately that Severin had the same idea and that Nathan was telling him where the office was.

"He'll know you're coming," said Nathan, repeating the words that Winterwood had told Moira earlier, "he always knows when people are coming to see him."

"Hey Severin, Winterwood said she'd take us to his office," said Moira as she got close enough not to yell. Nathan smiled at her and as he stood to leave he put his hand on Severin's shoulder.

"Excellent. Tell me about it tomorrow," he said with a smile as he turned to head for the hall where his girlfriend was waiting, "Bhedde."

"Bhedde!" Moira and Severin repeated as they waved at him. "I just love that he speaks Keòen," Moira whispered happily, "it makes me feel so much more at home, like I'm back in Taleah."

"You and me both!" Severin replied. By then, Winterwood had returned and approached them.

"Ready to go?" she asked. They were too eager to reply so they just smiled and nodded. "Great, follow me!"

The three of them made their way up the stairs, Winterwood talking the whole way about the goings on of music majors. "His office is very tidy and beautiful," she said, "and full of surprises. He has a shelf of books in Keòen and Catin that he brings and gives to people as he sees fit. He also has a bulletin board of little drawings and notes that people have made on the back of those attendance cards from concert class. There's lots of places in there to sit down too which is good since reed-making takes place there most days."

"There's a reed-making class?" Moira asked, astonished. "That sounds awesome!"

"Oh yes, it's great fun! We make a tight-knit section, that's for sure."

She led them down the long hallway that seemed to go on forever.

"That there's his wife's office," said Winterwood, pointing to a door adorned with an embellished whiteboard calendar. "She shares it with Tiffany and is only here Tuesdays and Thursdays."

"Oo, I get to meet her tomorrow!" said Severin, excited. "I have her for ear training."

"Oh yeah! She's teaching that now. I forgot about that. She's really cool- I'm sure you'll like her."

They reached the end of the hall and stopped. In front of them was a door almost fully closed, a handwritten schedule in beautiful script taped to it. Above the door was a sign in big letters that read DR. S. R. SORELA and below that was a handwritten, laminated piece of scrap paper that read Captain Darkness.

"Well, this is it!" Winterwood whispered. "I'll leave you two here. Call me when you're done!"

With that, she left them standing there and began to walk back up the long hallway to the stairs. Moira and Severin stood for a second, not sure what to do and too nervous to do anything.

"Come in!" said a soft, booming voice suddenly. It was from the other side of the door!

"Well, here we go," said Moira as she reached forward and opened the door, Severin following.

There, looking at them with the darkest almond eyes either of them had ever seen, a slight smile on his etched face, his hands together, fingers touching his chin, was possibly the most famous Jadali-Kiillra of the modern century. Once they entered and closed the door he slowly stood, rising to a magnificent height, and walked around his desk to where they stood in awe.

"It is... so nice... to finally meet you at last!" He extended his hand with a unique flow to his body and gently took theirs. The same feeling present when they had shaken Nathan's hand earlier, the power that they felt from his gentle touch was immense and no words could describe it. "Please... have a seat!" he said, slowly. Moira and Severin, giddy with excitement, sat down on the lovely ornate chairs he had by the door and he returned to the seat at his office, bringing it over.

"Well! Severin... Moira... How are you liking it out here?"

"Oh, it's great! We're really glad to be out here. We've already met so many lovely people," Moira said, her voice still shaky with giddiness.

"Ah, yes... I see you've met Winterwood already," Sorela whispered, smiling, "She's a good young woman... true..." His voice trailed off as he thought for a moment. He gently brushed a lock of hair behind his ear and then continued. "I presume that you've met Nathan Surcaston, yes?"

"Yes, I have! I had no idea that there were other Terabikai here," Severin answered.

"Oh, yes! There's me... Nathan... hmmmm... the others have left this campus..." He studied Severin thoughtfully for a moment and after a pause said, "You have come here, above all things, to seek comfort from what ails you. You need not tell me, for Osai has told me all I need to know."

Severin knew exactly what he was talking about and his heart began to beat faster as he was reminded about the biggest motive that had brought him here. However, he felt great relief knowing that Sorela could easily pick up his aura and more relieved still that he did not have to say a word about it. Moira also knew exactly what Sorela was talking about, as she had been instrumental in this as well.

"Fear not... for you are safe here," Sorela continued. "I know all too well what ails you and between Nathan and I... you have two weapons of Lovelight and three auras of protection... to hold you up. I know what your curse is and I know not to speak of it."

"Thank you... sir," whispered Severin, bowing his head. "You truly are what they all say. I feel great peace here, greater than in years past."

"I... greatly... look forward to visiting with you oft," Sorela continued, smiling at both of them, "If you ever... have questions about Terabi... or Osai... or Jadali... ask me..... Remember... I am here to help... and I have sensed your intents as some of the purest of those who seek my comfort. I look forward to watching you both grow throughout your years here..."

With all nervousness now gone, they began to talk about everything from how they all ended up in a city so far from Jadali to questions about Sorela's life, to music and back. They spoke in Keòen and neither Severin nor Moira had felt so much peace radiate from one person. When they finally left his office, an hour and a half later, they both felt so much better about their decisions to come and were given a greater sense of power. They could hardly wait to tell their family back home that they had finally met the man of so much history. Even better, they could hardly wait to tell them that it was all true.

Orchestra

2011-09-10T21:33:00.003-06:00

Moira and Severin had gone home to eat lunch and had said their goodbyes to their new friends at the music building. They caught the free shuttle that went around campus and arrived at home at about 1:00. As soon as the door was closed, Severin looked at Moira and sat her down on the couch.

"Moira, there's something about Nathan that you need to know about. This is kind of a big deal."

Moira could tell that his heart was beginning to beat faster and knew that this was either really good or really bad news. Deep down she knew it was good news for she knew her brother well but was preparing for a surprise.

"What is it?"

"Did you... feel something about Nathan when you sat by him?"

"Uh..." She definitely did but wasn't sure what Severin was getting at. "Yeah, I guess so..." she finally said.

"Moira! Nathan's a Terabikai! He too holds the power-" he stopped suddenly.

"Are you for reals?!" Moira exclaimed.

"I kid you not. He speaks Keòen and everything! That makes five of us here that speak it, not counting Dr. Sorela."

"Oo, have you seen him yet?"

"No, I keep missing him. Have you?"

"No, I haven't seen him either. We should go to his office after orchestra this afternoon. From what I gather he's really excited to meet us. Oh word, Severin! Imagine if we became close friends of his!"

"I hope we do. If he's anything like Nathan then I'm very excited to finally see him. I wonder if he knows that he's the one who made it possible for me to-"

"Oh I'm sure he foresees many things, Severin," Moira interrupted. "Let's not get too carried away yet. I'm just as excited as you to meet him." As she said this she began rubbing her hands together in anticipation.

"So how did classes go?" she went on as she served lunch.

"Oh they're great. I share a few classes with Nathan and I'm in psychology with him and Aslan. It's great fun. Seriously, what are the odds I meet an actual Terabikai that I share classes with! This is amazing! I know of two Terabikai already and it's just the first day! How about you?"

"Heh, everything's going well with me. You're right- Langley is hilarious! I'm going to love that class. My others have been pretty fun too. Lots of stares as usual but we just stand out so whatever. I'm totally looking forward to orchestra. I can't believe you got first on that one piece! It's just us and Quinn and she's way nice. I've met a ton of people in my classes and can't wait to see who I become good friends with."

They continued to talk as they ate lunch and finally got ready to catch the shuttle back to the music building for the most anticipated class yet.

***

They found themselves in the band room for the first time. As they walked past people they knew and didn't know they headed towards their seats. They already had folders with their names on them marking their places so they cautiously took their seats and got out their flutes. Moira was in the very middle of the row with Severin next to her and Quinn on the end. She and Severin would be trading off the first part on all the pieces to round everything out and Moira would be playing piccolo on one of the pieces. This meant a bit of shuffling every piece but they didn't mind too much. Moira looked to her left and saw three empty chairs. She snuck a peek at the names on the folders even though she had looked on the roster outside. Right next to her would be Winterwood Rivers, someone she hadn't even seen yet. She noticed Carey's name on the next folder and was happy to be near another freshman that she would recognize. The folder on the end simply said "Zora :)" and she wasn't sure who that was at all.

Soon more people began to pile in carrying all sorts of instruments. Moira tried to warm up on some scales but was too interested in the people walking in to stay focused. She really wanted to know who Winterwood was! She recognized Hugo, her neighbor, as he jovially sauntered in with a viola case over his shoulder, talking to a girl that Moira recognized as Aurora Fraley, a violin player from orientation. Severin also recognized a couple people form his theory class like Jupiter Torsalo, who was quietly sliding her way to her seat in the violin section. Moira recognized Jeffrey the trumpet player when he walked in, talking to a tall guy with blonde hair who was also holding a trumpet case. Declan followed them in and she smiled as she saw Aslan come through the door with his bassoon case in hand.

He waved at her and she waved back, giggling. His seat was almost right behind her and as she turned around she was suddenly aware of the three clarinet players who were in back of her.

"Hi!" she laughed. The first clarinet was a young man with a soft smile. He waved at her and introduced himself.

"Hi, I'm Franklin!" he said, with an extremely thick Vetonian accent much like the one Jimmy Charles had. Moira shook his hand and then the hand of the beautiful girl next to him whose name was Meagan. She later found out that Franklin and Meagan were married.

"You'll find that like half the band is married to someone else either in band or not far from it," Meagan laughed. The bass clarinet player was a Catin guy named Murray who had an interesting punk style about him. By now Aslan had sat down next to Franklin and another bassoon player, this one with curly blond hair hidden under a hat with the sides pinned up, had taken his place on the end of the row. Moira soon learned that his name was Makay and that two of his cousins were in band.

After a while, she spotted Carey walking through the doorway talking to a tall man and a short woman. The tall man had blond dreadlocks and rectangular glasses that slid down his tall nose. He was carrying sticks and was dressed in torn jeans and a very faded shirt. The woman was a lot shorter than him and was quite obviously married to him. She had a round face and very curly brown hair. She had a round figure and was wearing unique layers of dresses, skirts, and shirts accented further with lots of bracelets and necklaces. She looked amazing and nothing seemed to be over-the-top in her style. She had a sling tied across a shoulder and in it was an adorable curly haired boy that looked to be about a year and a half old. As she walked in she untied the sling and handed her son to another gal behind her who had a stroller with another young baby in it.

Moira couldn't see what instrument this girl had but she was talking to Carey and soon walked over, pointing out his seat. She then walked over and sat down right next to Moira. So this is Winterwood, she thought. She was very excited to sit next to someone she had deemed so cool. Winterwood looked over and noticed Moira looking at her. She had a cheery smile and held out a bejeweled hand.

"Hi there! I'm Winterwood! You must be Moira. Dr. Sorela has talked about you a lot," she said with a wink and a smile.

"Wow! I really love your... outfit! I can't even decide if I like your skirt or shirt more. I've heard that Sorela has talked about us. I can't wait to meet him!"

"You haven't met him yet? He's dying to meet you! He keeps missing you and your brother."

"Wow!" Moira was in awe. "Do you know him well?"

"Oh yes, this is my 4th year here. He's the godfather of my son. Kindest man I know. Truly one of a kind."

"Wow that's awesome! So, you play oboe I presume, then?"

"Yes I do! I'll be your ally this term in orchestra. Ask me anything, I know the ropes quite well. Have you met Carey?"

"Yeah I have. We met at orientation, sort of."

Carey took notice and, smiling broadly, said a cheerful hello with a reed sticking out of his mouth.

"Just like his father," Winterwood laughed. "But anyways yeah, after rehearsal you should totally go to Sorela's office. Trust me- he'll know you're coming. Do you know where it is?"

"I think so. I'm totally going to go do that. I can't believe he's excited about us!"

"Well, he's very Jadali. Like, his name is totally Catin and he's a Man of Osai and everything but he totally identifies with that Jadali half. He loves being able to speak Keòen with students and since he knows practically all the history of Jadali he loves talking bloodlines and stuff. You'll love him, I'm sure!"

They continued talking and finally it was time for orchestra to start. A beautiful Catin girl with curled hair and a pink outfit stood up and Winterwood got her tuner out and began playing an A. All the winds began to tune and slowly the pitch changed from being quite rough to a lot smoother. After two more A's the director, Dr. Matthews, stood.

"Well, hello everyone and welcome to another exciting year of orchestra! This is my first year flying solo so we'll see how it goes. I'm Kirill Matthews and I'm also the cello teacher here. I'm so excited to be here and to be able to work with all of you. I recognize a lot of you from years past and, of course, all of you from your auditions which were very good. What I want to do now is introduce all the freshmen and new people in the orchestra so I'm going to go around and I want you to say your name and the city you're from. Let's start with the basses and work through the strings and then back to the percussion and winds."

The only new bass was a girl named Meng Ser who was Raellian and from the west coast. In the cello section there was one new student too, a guy named, oddly, Crunch West (his name was really Curtis, however). The viola section had three new people: Hugo Kelley of Pathreeah, Emma Zira of a city on the Falitonia-Baydi border called Arjiona, and a local girl named April Correll. There were only three new violin players as well. Amber Rule was a local girl, Aurora Fraley was from Rafi, and Shadrach Callahan was the graduate assistant, though Moira didn't catch where he was from. Finally it was onto the winds. Moira listened closely, anticipating her turn to announce her presence. There weren't many new people at all. Aslan represented the bassoon section and said he was from Kile Point. In the horn section the boy from Catarika that Moira briefly saw at orientation announced himself in Catin ("K'sa Ravosilu Kribana to ki maye Corro."). Finally it was onto her row and Carey announced himself as being from Pathreeah.

Moira stood up nervously. "I'm Moira Lochgren and I'm from Jadali."

She received many oohs and ahhs and although she felt embarrassed on the outside she was secretly happy to be treated like such a celebrity. Finally it was Severin's turn and he stood.

"I'm Severin Lochgren and I'm also from Jadali."

"Are you related?" asked Dr. Matthews.

"She's my sister. No, we're not married. I'm her brother and I'm older."

The orchestra laughed and Severin smiled, proud to be related to Moira.

"What city in Jadali are you from?" asked a guy in the violin section.

"Leena Eithre-Resa," Moira and Severin said, almost in unison.

"Oh that's cool! My parents are from Dahhod and they go back to Chabhàidd," the guy said. ("That's Sarlan Lochmont," whispered Winterwood. He's got a little Jadali blood.)

Orchestra then commenced as usual and, though awkward on the first day of rehearsal with lots of new people, it was very enjoyable and they all had a great time. They were halfway through the third piece when during a pause in the music Winterwood tapped Moira lightly on the arm.

"Look!" she said, pointing at the door. Moira turned and gasped, glad that she wasn't heard. There standing in the door was the tall, dark frame of Dr. Sorela. His eyes were so dark that they seemed to absorb light and his long black hair added to his darkness. Just as described, he was wearing all black, with a long black trenchcoat. He had a soft smile on his face and the whole atmoshpere of the room seemed to change. Severin saw him too and they both took a minute to realize who they were looking at. They turned back to the music and once they had a rest again they looked back and he was gone.

"How does he do that!" Moira asked, during break. "He seems to appear out of nowhere!"

"Well, he has Stealth, remember," said Winterwood. "I think he uses the Realm to get around but I thought Terabikai weren't allowed to use it for that purpose in front of people."

"They're not," chimed in Nathan who had walked by. "He probably just uses Stealth," he said with a smile and walked off towards some friends of his.

"He's a Terabikai too," Winterwood said, gesturing at Nathan with her thumb.

"I know! We found that out today! That's amazing!"

"It's so cool, huh! They really make a difference with their presence in a room. It's probably the coolest thing ever."

"By the way Winterwood," Moira had been dying to ask this for a long time, "Your son... What's his name?"

"Oh! I forgot to tell you! His name is Riedlan."

"Riedlan! That's an awesome name!"

"Hehe yes! It's Keòen even. I thought you might like that."

"Also, what's your husband's name?"

"Oh! Right. His name is Eagle. We're both from Isle Del Akai. He does percussion and also sings but he hasn't in a while. He decided that percussion was his thing. You'll see him in band too."

"Are you in band?"

"Nope, not this year at least. I only do orchestra, lessons, and mainly online classes so that I can be with my son. I'm part of a group of music major moms and we watch each others' kids."

"That's so cool!" Moira was liking Winterwood even more with every second. They thought a lot alike and she was very nice and helpful.

As orchestra came to an end Moira found herself a friend richer and couldn't wait until that evening when she would go to the local festival with Winterwood and her family, Carey and his family, and some other people from their section that she hadn't met yet. The first step, however, was meeting Dr. Sorela. Both Moira and Severin could hardly wait for that moment and it was finally almost at hand!