Post by The Sergeant / Alisha on Feb 19, 2018 8:23:55 GMT
At the foothills of the Cloud Peak Mountains, where the borders of Amnish realm begin, the Sunari tribe shepherd hordes of yak and mountain goat. Their milk, meat and fur provide the Sunari all they need. An in exchange the nomads protect their flock. It is with the Sunari, the Elf Alisha grew up. Her family have protected the flock for over 500 years. The border war between Amn and Baldur’s Gate has come and gone, the Iron Crisis resolved and the Orc War-band lead by Graveth-Nor defeated. And still the Sunari watch their flock. Today is relative quiet, like much of the last ten years.
Alisha, with her long thick brown hair and pointed ears, grew up under the tutelage of her eldest brother, Belista, a Druid of the Sunari. She learnt compassion, patience and mercy from Belista, as well as the skills of Druidcraft. However it was a human of the tribe, Tyson, from whom she learnt how to fight, and who had instilled a sense of adventure and risk into her Elven mind. For a time she wondered if an Elf could love a Man, but now Tyson is gone. Where the human has been in the eighteen years since he left, Alisha knows not. His plan was for adventure; she hopes he found it.
Seven moons ago the dream began. Night after night. A vision of an island with a portal, and through the portal her name was called. Each evening as Alisha meditated the vision would visit her. The same portal, and the voice clear and deep calling, “Alisha.”
As she made arrows at the edge of the encampment one morning, while the dew was still wet on the grass, she heard the voice once again. Looking up, a large yak looked to her, its eyes golden in the morning light, “The portal,” the Yak spoke without moving its mouth. The wind blew through her hair. She finished making the final arrow, then rose, deciding to answer the call. The yak’s eye’s returned to their natural black, and returned to the herd.
With the tribe’s blessing she made the journey north. Two days after the left, her brother found the body of yak, blackened as if burnt, but no sign of fire. Its body crawled with lice and maggots as if rotting for weeks, and its eyes a strange tinge of gold. He disposed of the corpse far from the herd and the tribe moved the following morning.
Alish made her trip alone, north through the Cloud Peak pass and toward Nashkel, Beregost and further to the port of Baldur’s Gate. A cirty she had heard off from traders and travellers over the years. The small towns were amusing to Alisha, with their taverns and first world worries and social politics. But the city was a beast in its own right. Heaving and growling and untamed. It was at Baldur’s Gate she met a Halfling who had spoken of a portal, the portal in her dreams, on a small island to the West.
Two weeks later Alisha was in front of the portal. She had gained passage on a boat; a reward for helping a small party clear out an unwanted visitor in the city catacombs. The portal’s island housed a collection of wooden structures, built within the last year as pilgrims travelled into the land she now knew as Kantas. As she looked into the portal she did not hear name called. No spirit or energy took her or guided her. Just a farmer and a collection of sheep queuing behind her. She had come this far and stepped through despite the disappointing silence. She landed onto the dusty square of Daring Heights, the sound of bleating as the sheep soon joined her with their farmer.
It in Daring Heights she stayed for her first night, in the Four Fair Winds. And it is there her vision changed for the first time since it had begun. This time her vision went through the portal and into the town square. Her name was called again, louder, from the East. The vision left Daring, racing to a small port town, then the waves and the sea. The voice still called. And as the coastline drew further away, and her vision was filled with blue water, she saw the source of the voice far in the distance, but large and frightening. A giant elk stood in the sea. Its enormous frame, with layers of fur, and antlers piercing the clouds. Waves crashed against its legs, and long lengths of seaweed hung from the fur on the elk’s golden fleece. “Alisha,’ a warm voice called to her from the Giant Elk, and she awoke. Her heart jumped and sweat ran over her smooth skin.
The morning came, and Alisha set off toward Port First.
Alisha, with her long thick brown hair and pointed ears, grew up under the tutelage of her eldest brother, Belista, a Druid of the Sunari. She learnt compassion, patience and mercy from Belista, as well as the skills of Druidcraft. However it was a human of the tribe, Tyson, from whom she learnt how to fight, and who had instilled a sense of adventure and risk into her Elven mind. For a time she wondered if an Elf could love a Man, but now Tyson is gone. Where the human has been in the eighteen years since he left, Alisha knows not. His plan was for adventure; she hopes he found it.
Seven moons ago the dream began. Night after night. A vision of an island with a portal, and through the portal her name was called. Each evening as Alisha meditated the vision would visit her. The same portal, and the voice clear and deep calling, “Alisha.”
As she made arrows at the edge of the encampment one morning, while the dew was still wet on the grass, she heard the voice once again. Looking up, a large yak looked to her, its eyes golden in the morning light, “The portal,” the Yak spoke without moving its mouth. The wind blew through her hair. She finished making the final arrow, then rose, deciding to answer the call. The yak’s eye’s returned to their natural black, and returned to the herd.
With the tribe’s blessing she made the journey north. Two days after the left, her brother found the body of yak, blackened as if burnt, but no sign of fire. Its body crawled with lice and maggots as if rotting for weeks, and its eyes a strange tinge of gold. He disposed of the corpse far from the herd and the tribe moved the following morning.
Alish made her trip alone, north through the Cloud Peak pass and toward Nashkel, Beregost and further to the port of Baldur’s Gate. A cirty she had heard off from traders and travellers over the years. The small towns were amusing to Alisha, with their taverns and first world worries and social politics. But the city was a beast in its own right. Heaving and growling and untamed. It was at Baldur’s Gate she met a Halfling who had spoken of a portal, the portal in her dreams, on a small island to the West.
Two weeks later Alisha was in front of the portal. She had gained passage on a boat; a reward for helping a small party clear out an unwanted visitor in the city catacombs. The portal’s island housed a collection of wooden structures, built within the last year as pilgrims travelled into the land she now knew as Kantas. As she looked into the portal she did not hear name called. No spirit or energy took her or guided her. Just a farmer and a collection of sheep queuing behind her. She had come this far and stepped through despite the disappointing silence. She landed onto the dusty square of Daring Heights, the sound of bleating as the sheep soon joined her with their farmer.
It in Daring Heights she stayed for her first night, in the Four Fair Winds. And it is there her vision changed for the first time since it had begun. This time her vision went through the portal and into the town square. Her name was called again, louder, from the East. The vision left Daring, racing to a small port town, then the waves and the sea. The voice still called. And as the coastline drew further away, and her vision was filled with blue water, she saw the source of the voice far in the distance, but large and frightening. A giant elk stood in the sea. Its enormous frame, with layers of fur, and antlers piercing the clouds. Waves crashed against its legs, and long lengths of seaweed hung from the fur on the elk’s golden fleece. “Alisha,’ a warm voice called to her from the Giant Elk, and she awoke. Her heart jumped and sweat ran over her smooth skin.
The morning came, and Alisha set off toward Port First.