Post by Coreander on Jul 21, 2008 23:13:38 GMT -5
I was born in the Silver Marches, in Everlund, on the seventh day of Flamerule. Given that it is a large caravan city, trade and people coming and going were the primary activities. Life was prosperous for many, but precarious for all, as we were constantly under some threat of attack from any side of the city. My parents, Einahr (human) and Keena (a Moon Elf) Larkspur, were well-respected traders and merchants. They were not horribly rich, but their profits were more than what many were making, so we lived comfortably. When I was an infant, as I was told, my mother used to have me in a sling on her back when she was going about her work, and said I was a lucky charm (“once they see how adorable you are they cannot say no to whatever deal I offer them” she would say). I could never confirm whether or not that was true. I do remember that she had a radiant smile, and very warm eyes. My father was quite the looker too, as he had many women fawning over him, much to my mother’s chagrin sometimes.
My happy little life with my parents was cut drastically short when I was all but 3 years old. My parents were on a special trade assignment that turned out to be an ambush. They had left me with a friend. I was orphaned that day. My little heart broke into so many pieces. I stayed with that family friend until I was adopted by a couple 7 months later.
Horace and Katrine Moore were my adoptive parents. They lived in Quaervarr in a very nice and large home. They had many pretty things which I was never allowed to touch. Unfortunately they turned out to be horrible people, and even worse parents. I was not a child in that house so much as I was a little servant. I had a doll for a toy, and that’s all they gave me. My bed was in the corner of the food cellar, they typically fed me very little, and they dressed me in rags. When I wouldn’t do as I was told, or I did something in an unsatisfactory way they would beat or lash me and leave me unfed for the day. I was never let out to play, so barely anyone knew of my existence. I questioned every good diety I could think of as to how such a thing could be allowed to happen to me. Why would such cruelty be inflicted on an innocent child? I remembered an old song my mother used to sing to me, and I would hum it to myself for comfort every day.
When I was 7 years old I finally escaped my prison by making a run for it while fetching some water from the well on the homestead. I ran as far as my feet would take me; I couldn’t tell you where I wound up when I finally collapsed from exhaustion. I curled up in a bush, satisfied I had gotten far enough away that those wicked people couldn’t get me. When I awoke I was startled to see the face of a beautiful woman staring at me. This woman, and her husband, would turn out to be one of the greatest blessings of my life. My prayers had been answered.
Nagena Orentas was a Moon Elf like my mother. Her green eyes were the most striking I had ever seen, and her long, voluminous black hair fell in all the right places. She wore several gems around her neck, and on her wrists, and clothed herself in fine dresses (mostly of the color red). She was most pleasingly endowed and filled out those dresses well. She was a bard, a singer, and she had the most angelic voice I had ever heard. Her husband, Varren, was a moon Elf and bard as well, but he played numerous instruments. He was remarkably handsome, just as much as my father, if not a little more so. His smile could make any woman swoon, and he had a velvety smooth, deep voice. His eyes showered love upon you. These two gorgeous souls decided to take me in as their own after finding me in that bush, half-starved and bruised.
Their home was in Silverymoon, but we spent most of our time traveling to different towns. A little troupe of traveling performers is what we were. Nagena taught me to sing, and Varren taught me to play instruments. We traveled much of Faerun, but not all of it, and our performances always drew large crowds as we always had songs that tailored to every race and taste. The house in Silverymoon was of modest size, but elegantly decorated, so it was most pleasing to the eye. I had an actual bed chamber, and a bed that was like sleeping on a cloud. Nagena liked to dress me in garments similar to her own. They provided me with everything I needed, and more. All the hate that had been able to breed in my heart over my years of servitude had melted away thanks to these two wonderful people. They were Sunites, and thus they taught me the ways of our Lady Firehair. I was the most joyful girl you had ever seen.
I lived, traveled, and performed with Nagena and Varren until I was 17. I figured I was ready to see the rest of the world on my own, and that they had taught me all that they could. With many tears I bid them goodbye. Varren had even sent me off with his prized guitar. I still have it with me, and play it whenever I have the chance.
I traveled for a year alone, until a short stay in Waterdeep. It was there I met my first love, Torrin Lumine. He was such a pretty sight, and charming to boot. I fell fast and hard for this man, and to my surprise, he had fallen just the same for me (or so I had thought). I was so enchanted with him I decided to stay and make a home with him in Waterdeep. I had a silver ring made for him, with a heart and a little love-saying in Elven engraved in it. I gave it to him one day to show how committed I was to him. A month later I had gone to an inn on the outer edge of town to do a performance. The performance was cut short due to several overly-rowdy patrons, thus I went home far earlier than what Torrin had expected. When I arrived home I was mortified to find him in bed with another woman. My heart was shattered. I snatched up the ring I had given him from the bedside table, spat in Torrin and the woman’s face, grabbed a satchel of my things, and ran out the door. I never looked back.
I wandered about aimlessly, in a heartbroken daze for months. Apparently I had wound up in Amn, somewhere in the city of Athkatla. I ran in to the most peculiar man while in a local pub. His name was Norim Knightly. I did not trust him at all when I first met him, as he had an air about him that gave me the impression he was up to something. That feeling I got from him turned out to be exactly right. I left him at the pub, but the next day I found him waiting outside of the inn I was staying at. He told me “pretty little miss, you are coming with me whether you like it or not, and we shall have great adventure together!” I tried to object but he would shush me every time I tried to speak. So, off we went, and I was so horribly confused.
For three years I wandered with this man, and not always in the most hospitable places (though, I swear, we were just walking in one giant circle). There were never any romantic inclinations between the two of us at all (though I had always thought he was most handsome and attractively built). He dragged me along with him to heal my heart and show me I could trust a man again. Somehow, just from that meeting at the pub, he figured out what had happened to me. I have never been able to figure out how. He had such an odd personality, and loved to cause innocent mischief wherever he could (you can see where I get it from).
Norim was an avid dancer, but not a bard. He decided to add to my performance skills and taught me how to dance. He taught me many things, and yet he barely shared anything about himself. Still, he became the best friend I have ever had (and had given me the nickname of ‘The Tragic Bard of Love‘). One morning, after we had camped for the night, I discovered him gone and a letter beside my bed roll. The letter read :
“My Dear Elsa,
Farewell my little Tragic Bard. I have dragged you along with me long enough, and now I must move on to the next soul that needs a bit of mischief. I must admit, I could have left you sooner, but I have found your company to be the most enjoyable of all. I will think of you often with a most wicked smile. Who knows… Maybe someday we’ll meet again in a most peculiar location.
With much love,
Norim Knightly”
I was disappointed to be on my own again, and yet I felt exhilarated. I packed up my things, and went on my way. I still keep Norim’s letter with me as if it’s a little treasure.
The rest of the story up until now? Not really important. In fact, it’s quite bland.
My happy little life with my parents was cut drastically short when I was all but 3 years old. My parents were on a special trade assignment that turned out to be an ambush. They had left me with a friend. I was orphaned that day. My little heart broke into so many pieces. I stayed with that family friend until I was adopted by a couple 7 months later.
Horace and Katrine Moore were my adoptive parents. They lived in Quaervarr in a very nice and large home. They had many pretty things which I was never allowed to touch. Unfortunately they turned out to be horrible people, and even worse parents. I was not a child in that house so much as I was a little servant. I had a doll for a toy, and that’s all they gave me. My bed was in the corner of the food cellar, they typically fed me very little, and they dressed me in rags. When I wouldn’t do as I was told, or I did something in an unsatisfactory way they would beat or lash me and leave me unfed for the day. I was never let out to play, so barely anyone knew of my existence. I questioned every good diety I could think of as to how such a thing could be allowed to happen to me. Why would such cruelty be inflicted on an innocent child? I remembered an old song my mother used to sing to me, and I would hum it to myself for comfort every day.
When I was 7 years old I finally escaped my prison by making a run for it while fetching some water from the well on the homestead. I ran as far as my feet would take me; I couldn’t tell you where I wound up when I finally collapsed from exhaustion. I curled up in a bush, satisfied I had gotten far enough away that those wicked people couldn’t get me. When I awoke I was startled to see the face of a beautiful woman staring at me. This woman, and her husband, would turn out to be one of the greatest blessings of my life. My prayers had been answered.
Nagena Orentas was a Moon Elf like my mother. Her green eyes were the most striking I had ever seen, and her long, voluminous black hair fell in all the right places. She wore several gems around her neck, and on her wrists, and clothed herself in fine dresses (mostly of the color red). She was most pleasingly endowed and filled out those dresses well. She was a bard, a singer, and she had the most angelic voice I had ever heard. Her husband, Varren, was a moon Elf and bard as well, but he played numerous instruments. He was remarkably handsome, just as much as my father, if not a little more so. His smile could make any woman swoon, and he had a velvety smooth, deep voice. His eyes showered love upon you. These two gorgeous souls decided to take me in as their own after finding me in that bush, half-starved and bruised.
Their home was in Silverymoon, but we spent most of our time traveling to different towns. A little troupe of traveling performers is what we were. Nagena taught me to sing, and Varren taught me to play instruments. We traveled much of Faerun, but not all of it, and our performances always drew large crowds as we always had songs that tailored to every race and taste. The house in Silverymoon was of modest size, but elegantly decorated, so it was most pleasing to the eye. I had an actual bed chamber, and a bed that was like sleeping on a cloud. Nagena liked to dress me in garments similar to her own. They provided me with everything I needed, and more. All the hate that had been able to breed in my heart over my years of servitude had melted away thanks to these two wonderful people. They were Sunites, and thus they taught me the ways of our Lady Firehair. I was the most joyful girl you had ever seen.
I lived, traveled, and performed with Nagena and Varren until I was 17. I figured I was ready to see the rest of the world on my own, and that they had taught me all that they could. With many tears I bid them goodbye. Varren had even sent me off with his prized guitar. I still have it with me, and play it whenever I have the chance.
I traveled for a year alone, until a short stay in Waterdeep. It was there I met my first love, Torrin Lumine. He was such a pretty sight, and charming to boot. I fell fast and hard for this man, and to my surprise, he had fallen just the same for me (or so I had thought). I was so enchanted with him I decided to stay and make a home with him in Waterdeep. I had a silver ring made for him, with a heart and a little love-saying in Elven engraved in it. I gave it to him one day to show how committed I was to him. A month later I had gone to an inn on the outer edge of town to do a performance. The performance was cut short due to several overly-rowdy patrons, thus I went home far earlier than what Torrin had expected. When I arrived home I was mortified to find him in bed with another woman. My heart was shattered. I snatched up the ring I had given him from the bedside table, spat in Torrin and the woman’s face, grabbed a satchel of my things, and ran out the door. I never looked back.
I wandered about aimlessly, in a heartbroken daze for months. Apparently I had wound up in Amn, somewhere in the city of Athkatla. I ran in to the most peculiar man while in a local pub. His name was Norim Knightly. I did not trust him at all when I first met him, as he had an air about him that gave me the impression he was up to something. That feeling I got from him turned out to be exactly right. I left him at the pub, but the next day I found him waiting outside of the inn I was staying at. He told me “pretty little miss, you are coming with me whether you like it or not, and we shall have great adventure together!” I tried to object but he would shush me every time I tried to speak. So, off we went, and I was so horribly confused.
For three years I wandered with this man, and not always in the most hospitable places (though, I swear, we were just walking in one giant circle). There were never any romantic inclinations between the two of us at all (though I had always thought he was most handsome and attractively built). He dragged me along with him to heal my heart and show me I could trust a man again. Somehow, just from that meeting at the pub, he figured out what had happened to me. I have never been able to figure out how. He had such an odd personality, and loved to cause innocent mischief wherever he could (you can see where I get it from).
Norim was an avid dancer, but not a bard. He decided to add to my performance skills and taught me how to dance. He taught me many things, and yet he barely shared anything about himself. Still, he became the best friend I have ever had (and had given me the nickname of ‘The Tragic Bard of Love‘). One morning, after we had camped for the night, I discovered him gone and a letter beside my bed roll. The letter read :
“My Dear Elsa,
Farewell my little Tragic Bard. I have dragged you along with me long enough, and now I must move on to the next soul that needs a bit of mischief. I must admit, I could have left you sooner, but I have found your company to be the most enjoyable of all. I will think of you often with a most wicked smile. Who knows… Maybe someday we’ll meet again in a most peculiar location.
With much love,
Norim Knightly”
I was disappointed to be on my own again, and yet I felt exhilarated. I packed up my things, and went on my way. I still keep Norim’s letter with me as if it’s a little treasure.
The rest of the story up until now? Not really important. In fact, it’s quite bland.