Lucrecea (prime)/The Mythical Qyn'arj (essay)

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Introduction

There are many fanciful tales within the halls of the Aies about the qyn'arj. Descriptions of this mythical creature in poem and prose range from fairytale whimsy to haunting anecdotes of yore, where the division between fact and exaggeration is now difficult to discern. Yet beneath it all, there are kernels of truth hidden amid flowery language and offhanded references alike.

It is necessary to understand that it is extremely unlikely that a living qyn'arj exists anymore, anywhere, having been driven to extinction some millennia ago. However, there are yet living cousins to this mythical creature, and further evidence exists today that helps to quantify precisely what its characteristics were in life. This is especially so given the disturbing accounts of those brave explorers venturing in the ruins of Old Ta'Faendryl, who bring back tales of encountering undead versions of this majestic beast.

Below is the accumulated research of the past several years, which is humbly submitted to Ta'Illistim's Masters of Lore for consideration of its inclusion in the Library Aies. May it be received in the spirit in which it was given: freely, a gift of knowledge touching our intertwined pasts and futures, shared between our great Houses.

Lucrecea Ruin of the Ardenai

Appearance

Historical records confirm that the qyn'arj was indeed a flying reptile, occasionally compared to a wyvern but clearly quite distinct. While the wyvern has great leathery wings, those of the qyn'arj were feathered; while the wyvern has two legs upon which to stand, the qyn'arj had only its wings for limbs. The face of the qyn'arj was also gently tapered upon the brow and blunted upon the snout, much more like that of some species of vipers and far less draconic than some accounts might have led us to believe. Its maw was filled with two rows of sharpened teeth, including fangs capable of injecting venom into its prey, and the qyn'arj's jaw was unfused like that of a snake. While it could grow fairly large, capable of devouring a small pony whole, it has never been recorded as approaching the impressive size of a wyvern. And also unlike the wyvern, there are no historical accounts that indicate it is capable of speech, although the qyn'arj does occasionally possess this ability in children's tales featuring the sun spinner among a large cast of fantastical creatures.

Those capable of perceiving echoes of fallen spirits have written that such glimpses able to be seen even today within the barrier of Old Ta'Faendryl appear to match some historical accounts of the living qyn'arj. Most interesting is that these echoes only appear to show a specific coloration pattern, that of a golden scaled serpentine beast with great, rainbow-hued wings, often glimpsed within a radiant corona. This is especially notable given that one of the qyn'arj's closest living relatives is the winged viper, which is generally encountered with white, grey, brown or red plumage.

The first references to the qyn'arj are among some of the remaining ballads preserved from before the formation of the seven Houses. In one verse taken from "A Distant Sojourn", a weary guard takes a moment's rest under the shade of a tree with a view of the town's outskirts. The most well regarded modern interpretation of the ballad relates this account as follows:

But children were they, uncaring,

Their voices raised in merry song,

Their play 'round him and haon both

Causing its branches to stir.

Seven sun spinners emerged,

One for each child and just so hued,

Taking to wing to whirl and turn above,

As Summer smiled upon them

With his full golden radiance

Through leaves of stained glass.

His heart turned to joy

Upon seeing them dance -

A fortuitous portent

To dispel his foul mood.

Modern critics of this ballad often dispute the importance of some of the terminology used, however on several points the passage is very clear. First, the seven hues were taken to mirror the seven founding Houses. Second, while the individual colors were not regarded as remarkable for the qyn'arj themselves, they were clearly impactful enough that the founders did eventually adopt them at some point well after the ballad had been written. Even accounting for modern disputes as to whether portions of the ballad were adapted later on to include references to differently colored qyn'arj, nearly all historians agree that there is no indication that such varied hues were considered anything unusual for this creature at the time the ballad was composed. The "fortuitous portent" is associated with the mere presence of the qyn'arj and their behavior around the seven children for each of the seven founding Houses - not their individual coloration.

A much later ballad, "Lahrair's Lament", includes a passage that references the Child Argent watching a flight of qyn'arj at play below Ta'Illistim's cliffs near dusk, when suddenly a griffin arrives, scattering the qyn'arj and killing one of them:

Shooting stars of blue, green, and violet

Ascended to the heavens,

Yet gold darkened to crimson

Beneath the fel shadow

As chill night fell,

As Lahrair wept.

Once again, while the use of specific colors was regarded as symbolic, the presence of different colors never appears to have ever been in question.

Outside of these two older ballads and the assorted children's tales, most historical records reference individual qyn'arj as silver, green, blue or gold, which are the colors mirrored in natural variations of mined imflass. This is undoubtedly what led to its regional nickname of "imflass spinner" among what Ashrim records remain. Given the House's active dislike of most of the Arkati outside of Charl and Niima, it is reasonable for them to have adopted a variant of its "sun spinner" nickname to linguistically separate the qyn'arj from Phoen's influence and to better tie it to a metal recorded as common among the coastal City-States and their outlying townships.

The last known living true qyn'arj died during a particularly violent flight of the grifflets about six thousand years ago, according to several records from that era. At the time, it was not uncommon for more prominent Illistim families to set aside portions of their estates to house personal menageries, with the most prized beasts being exceptionally rare, exceptionally magical, exceptionally dangerous, or some combination of all three.

Yve Nellereune, sometimes recalled as Yve the Strident, owned an aged qyn'arj with a permanently disfigured wing in her menagerie. In spite of the creature's disability, it was regarded as exceptionally beautiful in appearance, with "downy feathers of spun platinum gleaming against pale amethyst scales." Regrettably, its inability to fly prevented its escape when the Red Flight occurred, which as historians recall is when the local griffin population experienced a tenfold increase in hatchlings that coincided with a long-planned renovation of the defense towers.

While Yve wrote many lengthy ballads and essays regarding the death of her beloved qyn'arj, most records emphasized that the loss of elven lives was by far the greater tragedy from the Red Flight.

Cultural Links

Throughout history, the qyn'arj has been associated with good luck in varying forms.

Several idioms have come and gone through the centuries referencing them. "Wish upon a spinner's scale" is one phrase that is still occasionally used even today in some of the rustic villages on the outskirts of the northern City-States, which are often a wealth of old traditions carried to present even when most have forgotten their origins. The simplistic yet affectionately written term of "qyn'arj's luck" is noted in a number of records in the first few centuries following the end of the Age of Chaos, predominantly in mercantile reports from the coastal City-States. This idiom was especially prevalent in records archived from Ta'Loenthra related to two guilds, one of which was the long defunct Gem Scribers, whose infamy regarding its dissolution after decades of scandal, political bribery and corruption led to several patronage laws that persist to this day.

Variations of "illuminated by Phoen's light" and "lit by Phoen's rainbow" also appear to have referenced the qyn'arj when their linguistic roots are further examined. These phrases appear to have been inspired by a rousing public address given by a Commander Aer of House Vaalor following a successful campaign against a raiding band of ogres. In his speech, the Commander referenced the overwhelming number of the ogres being turned back by his troops after "a flash of gold overhead trailing rainbowed banners marked the blackened heart of the horde for our archers, and so illuminated by Phoen's own light, arrows were sent into it by the hundreds." This moment marked a turn of the tide as the ogre's shamans were killed, allowing the foot soldiers to push forward in the wake of their magical wards falling, eventually killing or scattering the entire band of raiders. While his campaign logs were apparently much briefer than his speeches, there was a line related to that battle that simply stated, "Sun spinner outside camp. Spirits are up. Good. We'll need all the luck we can get today." In the years that followed, similar phrases started appearing with surprising frequency in official records, especially among those associated with House Vaalor.

In a much more unusual link to good fortune, the qyn'arj has managed to span significant changes among the elven Houses, and, indeed, among elves as a whole. While House Illistim was founded first, perched upon the edges of the Dragonspine, the two Houses that followed were each drawn to their domains by the sight of qyn'arj dancing in the skies above.

Aradhul Vaalor as well is said, by some accounts, to have met with good fortune in association with the presence of qyn'arj as he and those wandering with him lingered in the valleys south of the newly founded Ta'Illistim. The tale of his encounter with the wyvern Garsnik, and the wyvern's patronage of Aradhul and his family, are well known today. Yet there also exist two versions of this oral history that call forth imagery of a qyn'arj, startled from its nest by the footsteps of Aradhul's company, flying toward the foothills of the Dragonspine, its progress southward followed by the elves for several hours before encountering Garsnik.

Korthyr Faendryl and his line had already lived in what would later grow into the heart of Old Ta'Faendryl, having chosen it some years earlier for its fertile land, strategic access to the headwaters of the Mistydeep, and for what historians today note as "a keen fondness for its unique fauna." There are a few remaining journals preserved from this era that reference several of Korthyr's nieces and nephews as having qyn'arj for pets, though whether they were truly domesticated or seen more as living trophies is unclear.

There exists some evidence that, with the founding of the seven Great Houses, some qyn'arj followed the Dhe'nar on their long journey south to Rhoska-Tor upon their separation from their elven brethren. Precise records of the Departure are scarce; even the Library Aies has only perfunctory mention of this event, and of course any records that the Dhe'nar may have kept were destroyed through internal strife during their own great cataclysm. However, most remarkable is that when House Faendryl was banished from the City-States and began construction of their new home near Maelshyvve, this move was greeted not as a disgrace but rather as a start of a great new era, marked by the unexpected sight of a what appeared to be a qyn'arj, only of "glimmering silver scales and wings patterned with the dying embers of a sunset swallowed by dusk." The Faendryl, having left behind everything, had not expected to see such a familiar creature so far from their old home. That its coloration was identical to their favored lor, from its silvered trunk to its flame-hued leaves in their autumnal glory, was seen as an especially auspicious omen.

The Southern qyn'arj, as it was first so classified, does still exist today and is a common sight outside the walls of New Ta'Faendryl. More recent texts almost uniformly refer to it now as a "star spinner", which is clearly a reference to the qyn'arj's original nickname.

Taxonomy Links

While the true qyn'arj is no more, there are several distinct creatures in different corners of Elanith that appear to be its closest living relatives. All of these beasts share similar qualities in that they are flying serpents possessing two wings and no additional limbs, bear a combination of scales and feathers, bear two or more venomous fangs that are used primarily to incapacitate their prey or to begin the digestive process, and which reproduce via clutches of eggs. Their size, coloration, and patterns vary from creature to creature.

The Soci'arj of Eh'lah and the Eh'na'arj of Sharath

According to several Dhe'nari merchants who have traveled out of the Southron Wastes to peddle their wares, a portion of the qyn'arj's name shares a linguistic root with their language. An "arj" is a snake, the word apparently a very basic term for any type of serpent or viper, from the lowliest garter snake to the massive winged wyrms. In Dhe'nar-si, it is common to use multiple prefixes and suffixes to modify a given word or concept, thereby giving it a new, expanded meaning.

There are two different flying serpents common to the cities of the Southron Wastes worthy of note in relation to the qyn'arj. The first is the eh'na'arj, which directly translates to "bird snake", and which is most similar to the winged serpents of the Red Forest and beyond. Its plumage is typically brown or grey, often with black bands like that of a hawk, and covers it almost entirely; what scales are visible beneath are a matte, dark charcoal hue. This is possibly an adaptation of living within the dreary confines of the Forest of Ash that surrounds Sharath.

The second creature native to the region is the soci'arj, which directly translates to "sun snake", and is possibly one of the closest remaining relatives alive to the true qyn'arj, as it possesses glittering golden scales offset by scant snowy white feathers forming a crest on its head and partially covering its wings. An especially small winged serpent about the size of a squirrel, it is not known to have any other color variations. It dwells in the jungles outside of Eh'lah.

This linguistic link to modern Dhe'nar-si lends further credence to the tales that some qyn'arj followed the Dhe'nar to Rhoska-Tor, either trailing behind the wandering families or brought with them as pets - or as some manner of beasts of burden. It also suggests that the qyn'arj may have followed them even further south to the jungles beyond the Southron Wastes, where they evolved into the soci'arj, and then later into the eh'na'arj. Unfortunately, there is no indication that "qyn" survived as a prefix in either modern elven or Dhe'nar-si, so it is difficult to determine what, if any, significance there was for the qyn'arj's name in the old elven tongue.

Among the current theories is that "qyn" is simply an archaic term denoting "greater", which would account for the existence of the qyn'arj alongside other "lesser" flying serpents in some historical records. Another possibility is that it is a term denoting "prismatic" or "rainbow", due to a similarity with the middle elven "quellyn", which is a meteorological term referencing the mist after a heavy rain, and the Dhe'nari-si "quel'yn", which directly translates to "see [the] cloud", but is used colloquially to remark upon unusual and especially aesthetic changes in the sky, such as the appearance of sun halos. Lastly, it is also possible that "qyn" references the origins of the qyn'arj themselves, whether from a precise region, valence, or a specific creator whose name is lost to the ages.

The Star Spinner of Rhoska-Tor

Ongoing observation and study of the "Southron qyn'arj" of Rhoska-Tor by fauna experts among the Faendryl's Clerisy and Agrestis eventually revealed that the creature was not a true qyn'arj, but most likely an evolved descendant of it, its own physiology augmented by the influences of Maelshyvve and the region's unusual concentration of mana foci. The star spinner, as it is more commonly known, is smaller than the true qyn'arj, growing only to the size of a large dog or wolf at most. It is typically of a uniform coloration pattern, bearing burnished silver scales that are prominently visible from snout to tail tip, as well as a plumed crest upon the head and feathers covering the leading half of its wings. The feathers do have some slight variation but are always somewhere in the range of red to ruddy browns, sometimes darkening to black. It is not uncommon to see Faendryl artwork depict a star spinner nesting in the boughs of twining lor trees, given the surprising similarity they share with the tree's autumn colors.

The Crested Spinner of the Northern Steppes

Looking much further north to the Northern Steppes and on the outskirts of Ta'Ardenai's more remote villages, the crested spinner can be glimpsed during the warmer months. Very similar to the winged viper of the Red Forest in both size and coloration, its scales are more visible, with plumage completely absent upon its entire belly. Its wings are only half-covered with feathers, and they often have a mottled pattern.

The crested spinner is most often seen in the deep woods north of Ta'Ardenai and the highlands of the Northern Steppes, especially where brush grows dense and offers them shelter from the ever present winds. A variant of it, which bears the same name but is paler in color, can sometimes be glimpsed along the northern coasts where both Ardenai and Loenthran alike consider it good fortune to have one flitting past when setting sail upon the eastern seas. A parting from home accompanied by a crested spinner is believed by many among the seaside towns to ensure swift passage and a safe return, yielding the common phrase of a "spinner's tide" being a prevailing wind or current that allows a ship to sail directly to its home port.

Some local folklore hints that the crested spinner may have come about after a qyn'arj wandered too far into the Darkling Wood and was somehow affected by the local spirits that dwelled within. In addition to the phrase, to "wish upon a spinner's scale," another curious idiom comes from the wild lands north of Ta'Ardenai: to "ensnare sunshine's luck" is to turn very difficult obstacles into one's own favor. While Phoen is well regarded as a primary patron of House Ardenai, so, too, are the wild spirits of the wood petitioned, and some shamans of the Darkling Wood are said to be able to petition those same spirits, who in turn seek Phoen's own favor on behalf of the shaman.

The Wyvern Connection

While the true qyn'arj has been compared to a wyvern in passing due to its features, there is the remote possibility that the two are somehow further linked beyond them both being flying reptiles with scales and limited limbs. In a critical examination of the tales regarding the wyvern Garsnik and his patronage of Aradhul Vaalor, nearly all accounts agree that wyverns, being purely magical creatures, are born through only magical means. There are no records of how qyn'arj reproduce, however their closest living relatives all do so by laying nests of eggs. Garsnik once claimed that wyverns are capable of creating lesser entities with a mere thought, much as they were themselves created by a Drake. Garsnik's remarks on the topic are recorded:

Being that I am lesser than the great drakes, those I create are diminished in size and ability when compared even to myself. Should one of them possess the ability to create others, those too would be diminished further until such time as there will be left none that can create more of my species. This does not concern me overmuch as I have little use for others of my kind.

This quotation is attributed by Chronicler Kartus Il'Tarq Vaalor to Vaalor Court Bard Flantio Sindaris, who was regarded as one of the most well versed historians in the history and exploits of Garsnik. While it is merely a theory at this juncture, it is entirely possible that the qyn'arj were created by a wyvern, or several wyverns, accounting for the two different creatures being occasionally linked in some myths, such as that involving Aradhul and the founding of Ta'Vaalor. This would also account for there being no records of how they reproduce, if they lay eggs, how they raise their young, and so on. And, it could also account for how some qyn'arj became shaped by their environments, changing and evolving into some of the creatures known today.

What began as a common sight native to the eastern half of the continent eventually waned as the qyn'arj either slowly died off, unable to create their own offspring, or gradually evolved into other creatures. Others migrated elsewhere in Elanith, either by their own whims or following other population shifts, where they eventually were changed by environmental forces and evolved into new forms.

The Winged Viper of the Red Forest

One of the descendants of those qyn'arj that migrated into western Elanith is the winged viper of the Red Forest, influenced by the fey Ilvari and the forest's other even more unusual properties. The Red Forest, which is a soft place accessible from the woods outside of Ta'Vaalor as well as through the deep forests in the western frontier near Wehnimer's Landing, is home to what is likely the most well-known living relative of the qyn'arj in most portions of the City-States as well as the western lands. Its description in the twenty fifth edition of "The Comprehensive Avian Taxonomy" accurately noted:

The viper has a sinuous scaley body of purest white, feathered from snout to tail. Two majestic wings arch from its body roughly one-third of the way down its length. The viper's mouth is filled with long, needle sharp fangs, and its forked tongue flickers constantly to taste the air hungrily.

In addition, the winged viper is known to have variations in color ranging from brown to grey, sometimes with red-tinged plumes.

The Flying Serpent of Nydds

Another variety of flying serpent was once present in the former Kingdom of Hendor, which is now part of the Turamzzyrian Empire. Of this creature, Sage Deinirius Antroydes of Nydds related:

The historians of Nydds love to tell of the winged serpents that used to populate the area in days gone by. They were described as very beautiful, sparkling all over as though covered with jewels. Some were colorfully crested, and their bright wings had eyes like those of a peacock's tail. Despite their splendor, the serpents wreaked havoc on poultry and other farmyard creatures, and were eventually exterminated.

Further research into these famed winged serpents confirms that a successful campaign against them was completed early in the 44th century by the modern calendar standard. Their extermination was carried out following a period of rapid upheaval within the Empire, which saw the death of Emperor Bezzender and his heir, both of whom were poisoned by political rivals using Luukosian deathwort. As a result, anything remotely linked to Luukos was viewed as suspect. While most modern records focus on the loss of livestock, some earlier texts also reference the winged serpent as the "flying Luukosian demon," which may indicate that there were other reasons that the flying serpents were so fervently driven to extinction.

Indeed, some of these same accounts include a series of letters between two officials in Nydds. In them, a spokesman of many of the local farmers both praises the serpents' beauty and condemns them as Luukosian demons in the very same letter. Meanwhile, his correspondent, a sage at one of the local colleges, appears to petition the spokesman to preserve some of the winged serpents, emphasizing their historical importance to the city and limited impact on livestock. A final letter between the two cautions that the Halls of Solace's "influence has grown," likely an oblique reference to the greater role that the Order of Voln played in the extermination campaign.

Residents of South Hendor will still occasionally wear good luck charms depicting this same creature. While the winged serpent of Nydds may no longer live, its memory is held in high regard among those who dwell there today.

Theological Links

There are three myths pertaining to three distinct Arkati that are worthy of mention regarding the qyn'arj and its living relatives.

OOC References

Spirit beast:

Description: a majestic gold-scaled qyn'arj

Examine: Rainbow-colored wings spread majestically from the serpentine body of the qyn'arj. Otherwise, it looks like a giant flying snake with extremely venomous fangs: in short, the stuff of which nightmares are born.

Attack 1: swoops down on radiant wings to rake its talons at

Attack 2: aims a murderous bite at

Flavor Message: throwing back its serpentine head to let out a bloodcurdling screech

Creature:

Description: a lich qyn'arj

Examine: The qyn'arj is a creature of legend, a massive serpent held aloft on brightly colored wings. But the lich qyn'arj before you has been animated by some means. The qyn'arj's body seems to hover there without the need to beat its rotting and mottled wings. Decaying flesh covers its body, but the head is completely skeletal and polished to the fine white of bleached bone. Swirling red pinpoints float where eyes used to be, and dagger sharp teeth can be seen inside its maw.

Reptilian family creatures; hybrid body type. No legs or arms. Magical, corporeal undead. Casts Minor Cold (1709), Web (118), Unbalance (110).