Post by primeape on Aug 5, 2016 21:32:35 GMT -5
I - Heritance
The House of Gwynn, family of merchants by the muncipality of Waterdeep by the brims of Western Heartlands. The family was well provided and steady in the trade, yet not claimed nobility. The family trade focused on distribution of common materials of the crafts, Iron, Coal, Crops, Meat and linens. The merchant family was inherited to the elder son of the house head, while siblings were then given to training for either the state as clerks or militia, depending on apptitude and perhaps even arranged as a promise according to any various trade by the house. Third option was to pay their respects to the deities of the Realms, for blessings of the prosperous tidings for the trade.
The young girl was not of particular apptitude for any option in particular to make the choice better or for worse, the fairness and softness of a child bear little in the affairs of trade and tradition. She had inherited the fair image of her mother; Shimmering wheat hue'd strands of hair, they fell softly beside the small face. She had yet rounded cheeks of a child, blue eyes of the youth. Fair and young, mayhaps a touch reserved and timid, unlike her older brother; Fiery eyes and bolsterous nature much alike his father, absent of wisdom of an old age. The boy would by tradition and by right of heritance claim the head of the house as the father would pass from this life, become the lord of the trade. For better or for the worse.
Concepts of duty and tradition weren't something that a girl less than five winters would readily understand. She knew only, that her mother would always bring her by the bed before the sun would set down, she knew that her mother would remain by her side 'till she shut her eyes and fell asleep. But these two things brought her away from all that she held dear, for duty and for tradition. The little girl, bursting into tear and tremble at the day when her duty began. The girl was not easily shook to such an extend, she was obidient and a good child, heeding to the word as expected. Yet, the dawn of her new life was too much to bear for a child.
Her mother took upon the daughter's hands: "Why do you cry so, dear Valinnia?" .. The child responded, forcing back tear and trembling voice: " I am afraid, mother .. I want to stay .. I am afraid to go with them. " .. The mother brought low a piece of linen cloth, wiping clean the tears painting under the sad and swollen eyes: " We are all afraid my dear, when the night is brought down, we fear of the dark and what it may bring. You musn't fear the dark, you musn't hide when it comes or I will never find you. Stand up and light a torch so I can see you, so everyone can see you." .. The mother gave her daughter only this and her embrace, in hopes to bring brave in the the small heart. And so left the eldest daughter of house Gwynn upon a journey deep upon the road leading east into Heartlands. She shed no single tear after this, fighting back her urge to do so, she held onto the hand of the grey old priest and squeezed firmly. " You will be fine, dear, god's smile this day and so do I" .. The greying man gave a warm elderly smile and a reassuring laughter, responded only with a sniffle and silence.
II - Calling
She wore the robes of grey and white, traditional gowns of a temple-maid. Working from sunrise to dawn upon tasks needing attendance, cleaning, washing the clothes, prepearing food. By morning, midday and before the sun set they revered upon the god's in silence, aided the priest and elder sisters in preparations for rites and masses. The days were spent slowly, the tasks weren't overly arduous but simply dull, tasks what were driven and practised to the tee 'till it was almost automated. By some days, free time came ever so seldom, however the tasks were completed beforehand. Most maids would spend these hours by chattering, knitting, reading and various small tasks that could be done by hand.
The eldest daughter of Gwynn cared little of tasks or handiwork commonly done by her sisters. She wandered the nearby meadows aimlessly, striking grass with a stick, chasing grasshoppers and watching the vast blue skies. She wasn't readily approachable, not because what would be expected of a timid child, but because of her aloofness and disregard of common matters. She was taught gently by her family, common courtesy did not evade her, but the striking irrelevance of her to affairs of people was off-putting. She was often left alone to meander, rarely did she seek contact from others.
One of these particular days by the hillsides off the temple, just off the road to the side, nearby the tall-grassed meadows she often wandered by. The young girl came by something by a small barrow, open to the side of the meadow. The barrow was clear of trees, making it a pleasant spot to seize and watch over the grass taller than the young girl. The vast sea of grass extended beyond what the eye could see. By the meadow stood an object appearing older than what the young girl thought the most ancient thing, mayhaps the temple she were assigned to, or perhaps the old priest that brought her into. Once metallic, now rusted and moss-covered sword stood stricken into the earth, facing towards and over the meadows. Rays of sun would reflect poorly on the old texture, yet giving a reminder of what its now forgotten purposes once were. The girl stood beside a sword, deeply facinated by an old forgotten item by the barrows; Touching lightly upon the hilt, wondering why was it left there to stand alone. She felt likeness to the old tool, it stood silent in its forgotten duty, long gone was the men once wielding it.
" Father, why does an old sword stand by the barrows, just beyond the temple, nearby the meadows " .. The old greying priest smiled vaguely, speaking in the now weakened tone of an elder " There was once a lion, a kind beast, a beast of courage and honour-.. Of duty and diligence. His duties included the safety of common men and children, the lion made a promise long ago to the men and their children, but in due long ages he forgot his word. One day, long ago, a darkly clad man appeared in the east. The darkly clad man wanted that the common men and their children were subjegted to his rule. The common men refused, they did not want a ruler of a dark .. He was cruel and selfish, malicious.. The common men and their children rebelled against the darkly clad man but were not strong enough to reject him, his gauntleted arms were too strong and heavy, striking down any man opposing him."
" The lion remembered his duties, he remembered that he was the only one capable, he had claw and teeth sharp enough to pierce the dark clad plates. So the lion came forth, his mane glowing bright in the light of sun, his claw flashing true as steel, he challenged the dark advessary and so they fought over the fate of common men and their children. Earth trembled and shook, skies struck lightning and fire. The lion and the dark advessary fought longly and hard, they were alike to one another as the sun is to a moon. The lion's claw would pierce the dark clad armour, but not deep enough. The advessary's dark was too deep, too thick to undo."
" The lion then turned to the common men and their children. He told them that he could not bring low the dark advessary, not like this. He promised then to the common men, and their children, that he will remain true to his duties as he promised countless ages ago. He set eyes upon the common men and their children, he asked the men leave their children behind and come in the aid of this cause so their children needn't live in slavery, in fear and opression, but live free of the darkness in safety .. The lion promised that the children of men will be safe, the lion vowed on this, the lion gave his promise to never back down upon his promises again .. Never to forget his duties "
" And so went the golden lion, staying true to his promise to the men and their children. They went against the darkly clad advessary and fought true, and in great flash of heavens and shaking earth the advessary was nomore .. The golden lion was nomore and the brave men following were nomore. "
The child, mouth gaped in awe and facination: " What happened to the lion-.. What happened to the men?-.. What happened to the darkly clad man? "
The priest replayed with heavy tone, with sanctified word " The lion was nomore, but became something more, so that he could keep his promises to the men everafter. The men went with the lion where no common men can walk, they became lions themselves so that if the darkly clad man ever returns, he would find more lions, more claws and teeth, and more men. The union of lion and men would be the first and the last line against the dark clad man and his servants."
The young girl smiled, mayhaps the first one ever so long and bright, and mayhaps the last time aswell:
" I wish to be a lion aswell. "
III - The Lioness
The years chiseled a girl into a young woman, breaking bones and receiving strikes from a hard wooden practise-sword would break the less dedicated men, leaving them discouraged and low in spirits. But for some, regardless of their personal reasons, it reforged them into something new, able to take a hit, fall and stand up and most importantly: Strike back. She now stood towering in height well beyond her mother and even to the height of his father. The glimmering wheat of her hair flashing in sunlight as she made steady and true swings by the sword, her eyes yet blue as they were but nomore like a child, but with a flame and forged steel; Refusing to break, vainly bending when pushed only to spring back to its true form. She wielded a sword better than his brother and would take in more hits and still stay in her stance. She was part of the brotherhood now, one of the men and women of sword.
The flesh that kept a man standing was weak, it would break before steel and even worse, the darkness and the wicked. Something that the young woman learnt durning her duties as a newborn lioness, the fear of death made men to hide in the dark and run. The darkness itself lashing at men to common crimes, petty theft and murder. The lioness was taught why it was needed what they did, why there must always be a lion beside the man, because men cannot stand on their own. The lion must always shine in light when the dark is deep, always remind the man what the true enemy is, stay an example to the man. The brotherhood would so strike aside what makes a man, and become what is a lion. Somewhere there in transition, makes birth into a beast but not lion. A beast will rend and devour, it has claws and fangs as sharp as the lion, but without the shine of a lion's mane, a beast that treads by its power only beside the helpless men, disregarding them and their fears. A lion would never forget why it is a lion, and will always remain true to her duty and promise to the common men.
The young woman, the lioness would forge herself true to the image of the lion. She became to understand what made a lion true, by witnessing what beastly men with their rending claws would do, without remorse, without dignity .. Forgetting the promise of a lion to the common men. She heard ill tales from beyond, the temple of her childhood attacked by bandits and mayby even worse, killing and looting all for their own gain and prestige.
In all that dark haze, in pain and in shed blood, she was confused and angry, what once was her childhood was taken away by greedy men and mayby even worse, servants of the darkness:
" Why must I protect the man, give me a sword to strike at the beasts, let me bring vengeance for the man who raised me into faith!" The young lioness, furious and ready to bring war upon those who wronged her past.
Her trainer, a scarred now old knight of the order gave a sheathed sword, shield and a chained shirt. He spoke sternly, ill-taken by the furious lash of the young Gwynn, snapping at her " Come join us then, young lioness, you and I shall go and find those who have wronged you and your past "
And so the lioness and the knight went, here, there and everywhere. Searching tracks of brigands, beasts of men. One night hearing rumour of passing troupe of ill-appearing men and bags of loot. They set afoot in their track untill finally reaching their hideout by the nearby forest, a small band of thugs making camp. The knight ordered the lioness for a proper approach in arms, striking true and focused, keeping up to shield. The lioness losing to her fury, to her vengeance in blood struck into her advessaries, not with the bright shine of a lion and his mane-.. But alike the beast once warned, she screamed due justice while taking life in the lion's name .. Striking dark, with the edge of her own dark.
Once blood was shed, battle done and the thugs, men like beasts, were done and lifeless. The young lioness fell to knee, washed in red and sorrow, the vengeance in blood fulfilled but no joy or honour warming heart. She shed tears and grappled upon the hilt of her sword brining the sharp edge by her chest, screaming on her err, wailing in dishonour .. " I am no lion!-.. i rend like a beast, I pierce the flesh in hate and anger!-.. I am unworthy, I will end myself to reserve the honour of father, who taught me about the lion .."
The knight put upon a knee aswell beside the heartless woman, paying silent prayer for the dead, hoping their salvation in the afterlife. Uttered stern and true:
" The lion also, once forgot his duty to the man. Ashamed of this he was, but he did not renounce himself as a lion, because he knew himself a lion and he knew there must always be a lion or men will fall in dark and never find the way. The lion will stand beside the man and watch over them, reminding them what makes a beast .. And what makes a lion .. Gwynn, do not give away your life for shame and anger, give now your life to become what you are. You are a lion amongst men, and you must stand beside them when the darkness comes. For the father in the temple, and for these beasts of men you have slayed. Show them that a lion will shine and stay ever-true to his duty."
The young lioness wiped her red tears, calming and brining low the edge of her blade. Standing up and paying respect for the dead, for the father in the temple and the beast of men, the thug:
" I, Valinnia De Gwynn swear upon the True lion, I make oath to the lion to stand by the man of the Realms. I will be of righteous justice, true duty and hope of common man and their children. I will give my life as a man and become the image of the lion and never again break my promise untill the day I die... "