Post by irene on Mar 15, 2008 5:30:59 GMT -5
Sara Gand was born some thirty years ago, in the woodlands to the west of the small town Beregost, in the Western Heartlands.
Her mother is a moon-elf, Selene End'anarra, and her father a local warden and ranger, Jorus Gand. These two met one another forty odd years ago, in a moonlit glade at midsummer, and it was love at first sight, and love ever since.
Their only child is Sara, who grew up with her parents in a small cottage not to far from Beregost. It was a happy childhood, her parents treating their only child with infinite love and care. She learned the ways of the woods, and the ways of her fathers people. Her mother did her best to teach her the language and the history of her own people, but none the less, Sara is far more human than elf in her appearance and upbringing.
It was not a childhood without it's dangers, especially for one as adventurous and curious as Sara. Dangers lurked in the forest, from brigands, and poachers and stray gnolls and darker creatures as well. A wizard lived but a days travel from the cottage, in a secluded tower. Skeletons roamed around it, created by the spells of the necromancer, to scare off casual visitors.
Sara's closest friends was the two children of a family of hin, who resided in Beregost. Those three would undertake their own adventures, in spite of their parents warnings. And one sunny day, they decided to travel to the necromancers tower, and see what they could learn there.
The events that followed were to change the life of Sara for good. Upon nearing the tower, a horde of armed skeletons set upon them... the three discovered that their joyous adventure was turning into a nightmare. They fled, but the relentless undead followed them mercilessly. The youngest of the hin fell behind, and Sara and the brother of the hin was never to see him again. Their stamina was wearing out, and resignation was creeping upon them... when Sara stumbled and fell.
Stunned and dizzy she struggled back to her feet, her horrified companion disappearing into the trees ahead of her, and turned to face the pursuing skeletons, realizing her life was over.
Without warning, the creature emerged. Like a horse, but slightly bigger. A gracious spiraled horn grew from her forehead, and her skin was silvery-white. The unicorn disposed of the skeletons in a blink of an eye, before turning to face Sara. For a long moment they looked at each-other, Sara open-mouthed and unable to grasp what had happened, the unicorn with laughter in her purple eyes. Something filled Sara... joy, happiness, the feeling of glory and adventure. Then the unicorn vanished as suddenly as it had come.
Upon returning home, admist the sadness and sorrow for the vanished hin, something else filled Sara, a feeling she had learned something important. In the time to follow she spoke to many. Bards, rangers, priests and sages. She learned of Lurue, the Unicorn Queen. And she knew she'd found her patron goddess.
Some years later, a morning filled with sunlight after rain, the horrors of years ago long forgotten, she noticed her mother looking at her father, crossing the open space in front of the cabin. Her mothers eyes were loving, but also filled with sadness, and she followed her mothers gaze. She saw her father, but suddenly she saw him with his mothers eyes. Her mother was as she had always been... ageless, her silvery hair full and wavy, her skin smooth and without scars or lines. Her father.... was grey, slightly bend. Still strong, but there was none of the fiery redness left in his hair or beard.
That evening was the last Sara was to spend home... Her mother and father explained to her that a choice was before her, but before she could make that choice, she would have to know her mothers people as well as her fathers. Her mother believed that large numbers of her kin was living in Cormyr, and the following morning Sara set out. Sadness and joy filling her. Sadness of leaving home, but joy and excitement at the unknown that was lying before her... to be discovered and savoured. There was friends to be made and adventure to be had, evil to be laughed at and good to be rejoiced. There was a life to be lived in full!
Her mother is a moon-elf, Selene End'anarra, and her father a local warden and ranger, Jorus Gand. These two met one another forty odd years ago, in a moonlit glade at midsummer, and it was love at first sight, and love ever since.
Their only child is Sara, who grew up with her parents in a small cottage not to far from Beregost. It was a happy childhood, her parents treating their only child with infinite love and care. She learned the ways of the woods, and the ways of her fathers people. Her mother did her best to teach her the language and the history of her own people, but none the less, Sara is far more human than elf in her appearance and upbringing.
It was not a childhood without it's dangers, especially for one as adventurous and curious as Sara. Dangers lurked in the forest, from brigands, and poachers and stray gnolls and darker creatures as well. A wizard lived but a days travel from the cottage, in a secluded tower. Skeletons roamed around it, created by the spells of the necromancer, to scare off casual visitors.
Sara's closest friends was the two children of a family of hin, who resided in Beregost. Those three would undertake their own adventures, in spite of their parents warnings. And one sunny day, they decided to travel to the necromancers tower, and see what they could learn there.
The events that followed were to change the life of Sara for good. Upon nearing the tower, a horde of armed skeletons set upon them... the three discovered that their joyous adventure was turning into a nightmare. They fled, but the relentless undead followed them mercilessly. The youngest of the hin fell behind, and Sara and the brother of the hin was never to see him again. Their stamina was wearing out, and resignation was creeping upon them... when Sara stumbled and fell.
Stunned and dizzy she struggled back to her feet, her horrified companion disappearing into the trees ahead of her, and turned to face the pursuing skeletons, realizing her life was over.
Without warning, the creature emerged. Like a horse, but slightly bigger. A gracious spiraled horn grew from her forehead, and her skin was silvery-white. The unicorn disposed of the skeletons in a blink of an eye, before turning to face Sara. For a long moment they looked at each-other, Sara open-mouthed and unable to grasp what had happened, the unicorn with laughter in her purple eyes. Something filled Sara... joy, happiness, the feeling of glory and adventure. Then the unicorn vanished as suddenly as it had come.
Upon returning home, admist the sadness and sorrow for the vanished hin, something else filled Sara, a feeling she had learned something important. In the time to follow she spoke to many. Bards, rangers, priests and sages. She learned of Lurue, the Unicorn Queen. And she knew she'd found her patron goddess.
Some years later, a morning filled with sunlight after rain, the horrors of years ago long forgotten, she noticed her mother looking at her father, crossing the open space in front of the cabin. Her mothers eyes were loving, but also filled with sadness, and she followed her mothers gaze. She saw her father, but suddenly she saw him with his mothers eyes. Her mother was as she had always been... ageless, her silvery hair full and wavy, her skin smooth and without scars or lines. Her father.... was grey, slightly bend. Still strong, but there was none of the fiery redness left in his hair or beard.
That evening was the last Sara was to spend home... Her mother and father explained to her that a choice was before her, but before she could make that choice, she would have to know her mothers people as well as her fathers. Her mother believed that large numbers of her kin was living in Cormyr, and the following morning Sara set out. Sadness and joy filling her. Sadness of leaving home, but joy and excitement at the unknown that was lying before her... to be discovered and savoured. There was friends to be made and adventure to be had, evil to be laughed at and good to be rejoiced. There was a life to be lived in full!