Chaeye Larrinthe
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
The Dreamwalker, or as we'd later know her as, Chaeye Larrinthe, first appeared in Eoantos, 5102, during the Second Griffin War as part of the Griffin Sword Saga. Identifying herself only as the Dreamwalker, an Emissary of Ronan.
She would play a significant role in Elanthia.
Dreams
The following dreams were experienced by some adventurers in Elanthia during the Griffin Sword Saga during 5102 or 5103.
First sent: The first things you see are stars -- thousands of points of silvery light blazing above a grove of birch trees. The second thing you see is a Vaalorian woman clad in black chainmail. She chooses each step so carefully that her footfalls make no sound at all, and, after circling the pool at the center of the grove, she kneels before the onyx altar at the head of the pool. Silvery blonde hair restrained only by a slim silver circlet cascades down her back, and her eyes shine like twin stars from the shadowed alabaster of her face. Casting her gaze to the ground, she speaks clearly and intensely: "Sentry of Liabo, Guardian of the Night, Master of Dreams -- Ronan, my Lord, hear me... Second sent: "Within the sea of darkness, a vision comes to you. The first things you see are stars -- thousands of points of silver light blazing above a grove of birch trees, and more starry radiance reflects back from a circular pool at the grove's heart. The second thing you see is a Vaalorian woman clad in black chainmail, who kneels before an onyx altar at the head of the pool. A silver-hilted black longsword rests across her palms, which she holds skyward in an attitude of offering. Silvery blonde hair restrained only by a slim silver circlet cascades down the elven woman's back, and her eyes shine like twin stars from the shadowed alabaster of her face."" Although the waters of the pool have been placidly still until now, small wavelets form upon the surface of the pool, and the reflections of the shimmering stars break in a spray of silvery light. A soft, swirling luminescence gathers upon the surface of the pool, and the elven woman slowly lowers the blade to rest upon her knees as she gazes into the restless waters. "My Lord..." she whispers, and then she falls silent, transfixed by whatever she sees within the waters."" Third sent: The star-eyed woman seems to be waiting for something as she gazes at the altar, but, after a moment, her attitude of expectancy fades. She glances at the pool, then looks back at the altar, then turns away. Before she completes even one step, a snow-white feather flutters out of the starlit sky to land on one of her onyx-clasped boots. Brow furrowed with confusion, she kneels, picks up the feather, and turns it slowly over as she inspects it. The perfectly feather is fully twice as long as one of her hands from wrist to fingertip. Looking back at the altar, she says quietly, "I do not understand..."" Fourth sent: The first things you see are stars -- thousands of points of silver light blazing above a grove of birch trees, and more starry radiance reflects back from a circular pool at the grove's heart. The second thing you see is a Vaalorian woman clad in black chainmail, who clasps a silver-hilted rolaren longsword in both hands as she kneels before an onyx altar at the head of the pool. Silvery blonde hair restrained only by a slim silver circlet cascades down the elven woman's back, and her eyes shine like twin stars from the shadowed alabaster of her face. The woman's face is calm and composed, but her clear, silk-smooth voice rings with intensity as she prays. "Ronan, my Lord, hear me... I am thy hand, as ever I have been since I first heard thy voice in my dreams. Why is my path now confused? Why does the starlight cling to me, and why will the shadows not conceal me? Why do I weaken?" She pauses, but there is no response, and the night seems to grow darker as the silence closes in. Fifth sent: Within the sea of darkness, a vision comes to you. You hear a cold, silk-smooth voice whisper, "My Lord..." and then the image of a Vaalorian woman clad in black chainmail coalesces in your mind's eye. She stands at the edge of a cliff, brought to bay by the attacks of a pair of colossal jackals, and her star-silver eyes shift erratically as she searches for a means of escape. Blood runs down her alabaster cheek from an ugly gash above her eye, and droplets of sweat glisten upon her forehead, but both of the jackals are limping from leg wounds." The shaggy brown beast on the left lunges at her, and she parries its teeth with the flat of her rolaren blade. As she does so, the second jackal darts inward and snaps at her ankle. The warrior twists desperately sideways to avoid the second jackal's attack, but her boot slips upon a loose rock, and she stumbles. As the woman throws her arms out to try to catch herself, dropping the sword, the first jackal takes the advantage. Jagged ivory teeth find a savage grip in the ivory skin of the woman's throat, and blood sprays violently forth in gouts of crimson as jackal and woman alike plummet off the cliff's edge into the night." Sixth sent: The drowsiness returns, and a tide of darkness rolls over you. You feel the distant impact of your body striking the ground as you collapse, but you can see nothing at all... Within the sea of darkness, a vision comes to you. The first things you see are stars -- thousands of points of silver light blazing above a grove of birch trees, and more starry radiance reflects back from a circular pool at the grove's heart. The second thing you see is a Vaalorian woman clad in black chainmail, who kneels beside an onyx altar and stares into the pool. Silvery blonde hair restrained only by a slim silver circlet cascades down the elven woman's shoulders, partially hiding her shadowed alabaster face, and her star-silver eyes are bright with tears. A silver-hilted black rolaren longsword rests on the grass beside her right knee. "Is there no way that I cannot fail?" the silver-eyed woman asks. Her voice is oddly remote, as smooth as silk and as cold as ice. "Am I doomed to defeat?" After a long pause, she turns her gaze to the altar, and her jaw firms with determination as she takes a deep, slow breath. "If this is to be, then it is to be. I will go to the jackal's teeth, and wound them however I may before the end... and my death will not be in vain. My sworn will follow after me, and they will destroy what I could not." She wraps her right hand about the hilt of the longsword, places a reverent kiss upon the blade, and then brandishes the sword formally overhead as she presses her left hand to her heart. The vision fades as the darkness retreats, both flowing away from your senses like an ocean wave retreating from the shore, and the world reforms around you as your eyes slowly focus. Seventh sent: The birch trees, the pool. She said..she said her wounds run deep, and she lowered her blade." Within the sea of darkness, a vision comes to you. The first things you see are stars -- thousands of points of silver light blazing above a grove of birch trees, and more starry radiance reflects back from a circular pool at the grove's heart. The second thing you see is a Vaalorian woman clad in black chainmail, who kneels beside an onyx altar and brandishes a black rolaren blade overhead as she gazes up into the night sky. Silvery blonde hair restrained only by a slim silver circlet cascades down the woman's back, and her star-silver eyes are bright with tears." Small wavelets form upon the surface of the pool, and the reflections of the shimmering stars break in a spray of silvery light. The woman lowers the blade to rest upon her knees as she gazes into the restless waters, and her gaze unfocuses as she stares into the pool. "The wounds run so deep..." she whispers, and then she falls silent, transfixed by whatever she sees within the waters." Eighth sent: Within the sea of darkness, a vision comes to you. You hear a cold, silk-smooth voice whisper, "The wounds run so deep..." and then the image of a Vaalorian woman clad in black chainmail coalesces in your mind's eye. She stands at the edge of a cliff, brought to bay by the attacks of a pair of colossal jackals, and her star-silver eyes shift erratically as she searches for a means of escape. Blood runs down her alabaster cheek from an ugly gash above her eye, and droplets of sweat glisten upon her forehead, but both of the jackals are limping from leg wounds." The shaggy brown beast on the left lunges at her, and she parries its teeth with the flat of her rolaren blade. As she does so, the second jackal darts inward and snaps at her ankle. Rather than dodging the blow, she accepts it, and her face contorts with her cry of agony as the jackal's teeth crunch down through muscle and shatter bone. Her boot strikes a loose rock as she falls forward, and a sideways kick sends one of her attackers flying over the edge of the cliff. As the first jackal snaps down at her throat, she interposes her sword as she twists sideways, and the jackal's head comes flying off as the edge of her blade rips sharply upward. Abruptly, she is alone atop the cliff with the dying corpse of the jackal -- crippled, but alive. Ninth: Within the sea of darkness, a vision comes to you. The first things you see are stars -- thousands of points of silver light blazing above a grove of birch trees, and more starry radiance reflects back from a circular pool at the grove's heart. The second thing you see is a Vaalorian woman clad in black chainmail, who kneels beside an onyx altar and stares into the pool. Silvery blonde hair restrained only by a slim silver circlet cascades down her back, and her eyes shine like twin stars from the shadowed alabaster of her face. Her right hand is knotted about the silver hilt of a black rolaren longsword, and the blade rests across her knees." Wavelets in the circular pool ripple, then fade away, and finally the water is as smooth and reflects as evenly as a polished mirror. Several more moments pass before the woman's silk-smooth voice echoes softly through the grove. "If it is thy will that I should let this battle go, then I will let it go." A more formal tone enters her voice as she says, "Guardian of the Night, I will follow thee. My blades and bolts are thine, my strength is thine, my life is thine. If I cannot fight two wars, then I will devote my strength to one, and endure the defeat of the other..." Slowly, she sheathes the longsword, and the ebony scabbard makes no sound as she slips the black blade home." Tenth: Within the sea of darkness, a vision comes to you. The first things you see are stars -- thousands of points of silver light blazing above a grove of birch trees, and more starry radiance reflects back from a circular pool at the grove's heart. The second thing you see is a Vaalorian woman clad in black chainmail, who kneels beside an onyx altar. Silvery blonde hair restrained only by a slim silver circlet cascades down her back, and her eyes shine like twin stars from the shadowed alabaster of her face as she raises her gaze to the night sky." The woman's silk-smooth voice echoes softly through the grove. "One will... one strength... one past... one soul... one war. Remember me, Elanith, and remember all that was clouded in dreams..." She closes her eyes, and, as if cued by the motion, the brilliance of the stars fades from sky and pool alike as a cloud passes overhead. In cold, silk-smooth tones, she clearly says, "Chaeye Larrinthe Vaalor. Remember me." The birch leaves flutter, wavelets ripple over the surface of the pool, and a few wisps of hair dance across the woman's face as a breeze sneaks through the grove... then, all is still." Eleventh: Within the sea of darkness, a vision comes to you. The first things you see are stars -- thousands of points of silver light blazing above a grove of birch trees, and more starry radiance reflects back from a circular pool at the grove's heart. The second thing you see is an elven woman clad in black chainmail, who clasps a silver-hilted rolaren longsword in both hands as she kneels before an onyx altar at the head of the pool. Silvery blonde hair restrained only by a slim silver circlet cascades down the woman's back, and her eyes shine like twin stars. Her skin is as black as jet, and she gazes down at one of her own hands as if she had never seen it before." Softly, the woman says, "If this is your will, my Lord, I accept it. For passion, for truth, for sanctuary, and now for the battle... I am four times marked... and yet..." She tilts back her head to gaze into the star-filled sky, and her silk-smooth tones carry the intensity of fervor or fanaticism. "Even if I were never marked, my soul is marked. I will accept whatever guidance is given, and I will find the way to do what is needed if there is none. Forever into the night, forever against the nightmare... I will stand sentry from dusk until dawn, and I will reforge myself for new dreams until the end of dreaming."" Twelth: Within the sea of darkness, a vision comes to you. The first things you see are stars -- thousands of points of silver light blazing above a grove of birch trees, and more starry radiance reflects back from a circular pool at the grove's heart. The second thing you see is an elven woman clad in black chainmail, who clasps a silver-hilted rolaren longsword in both hands as she kneels before an onyx altar at the head of the pool. Silvery blonde hair restrained only by a slim silver circlet cascades down the woman's back, and her eyes shine like twin stars. Her skin is as black as jet, but her features are Vaalorian despite her odd coloring. As the elf speaks, she gazes at the altar, and her silk-smooth tones drift through the birches with the intensity of prayer: "I will stand sentry from dusk until dawn, and I will reforge myself for new dreams until the end of dreaming." After a moment of contemplation, she sheathes her longsword and rises. As she surveys the grove, her star-silver gaze directly meets yours, but she does not seem to see you. A thought seems to strike her, and, turning back to the altar, she asks quietly, "What of the Griffin Sword?" The birch leaves shiver on their twigs, and an electric thrill of expectancy fills the air.... The vision fades as the darkness retreats, both flowing away from your senses like an ocean wave retreating from the shore, and the world reforms around you as your eyes slowly focus. A rememberance that Vaalor elves had: Like the fleeting echoes of a dream, a name passes through your mind: "Chaeye Larrinthe Vaalor." Wisps of memory follow with the name... something about a madwoman of Ta'Vaalor who attempted to poison her commander roughly three hundred years ago, and wound up sentenced to a madhouse in Ta'Illistim for study. You do not know why you would particularly remember this at this time.
In Song
Evandelire sang this song of Chaeye in 5102 or 5103. The context and location of the performance is undocumented.
Evandelire says, "This is an older work than I am -- a teacher made me learn it when I was first learning my craft -- but it keeps running through my head, lately."
Evandelire studies her tambourine for a moment before beginning to play. She runs through a complex syncopated introduction before settling down into a rapid beat with martial overtones.
Waves of martial rhythm pulse through your body as Evandelire increases the intensity of her tambourine music.
Evandelire sings:
"Your sister's death was poison in your mind, Chaeye Larrinthe.
Your grief has made you lunatic and blind, Chaeye Larrinthe.
For kindness given, you struck out to kill, Chaeye Larrinthe.
The madness taints your words and actions still, Chaeye Larrinthe --
Chaeye, now your caretakers have come."
Evandelire smacks the tambourine hard with the palm of her hand, producing a sharp bang like a crack of thunder, then suddenly shifts to a slower rhythm.
The rich cadences of a heartbeat flow from Evandelire's tambourine as her dark violet eyes drift closed. An expression of utter peace and calm washes over her face as her exquisite voice fills the air.
Evandelire sings:
"And she said,
All this, I have done by high command.
He came and took me by the hand--
You see crime, and you do not understand
Ronan chose me, Ronan called me, I am his."
Before the echoes of Evandelire's solemn melody have died from the air, she suddenly opens her eyes as she shifts back to the rapid martial beat.
The swift beats of Evandelire's tambourine hammer through your senses, accented by the ring of the instrument's gilded chimes.
Evandelire sings:
"The dreams you speak of were but lunacy, Chaeye Larrinthe.
There's naught divine that we in judgement see, Chaeye Larrinthe.
We grieved your sister's accidental death, Chaeye Larrinthe --
With your words, we see only one choice left, Chaeye Larrinthe.
Chaeye, now your caretakers have come."
Evandelire shifts to a slow, hypnotic heartbeat rhythm. The intensity of her music rises and falls in a pattern like waves crashing over the shore.
Echoes of grief and regret pervade Evandelire's exquisite voice as she sings to the rhythm of her tambourine music.
Evandelire sings:
"And she said,
Sheru has come to touch your minds.
He warps all things of truth he finds--
Take me, but know justice is maligned,
Ronan chose me, Ronan called me, I am his."
A hard crack of sound flashes through the air as Evandelire strikes her tambourine. In the next moment, the rapid martial rhythm blazes back into life, and her voice cuts sharply over the tambourine's music, infused with overtones of anger and sorrow.
Evandelire sings:
"How long is left for you on life's long road, Chaeye Larrinthe?
We spare you from the death that's rightly owed, Chaeye Larrinthe --
Ta'Illistim will watch how you hold on, Chaeye Larrinthe,
With sanity and hope alike now gone, Chaeye Larrinthe.
Chaeye, now your caretakers have come."
Evandelire plays a swift, dramatic tempo before abruptly dropping her hand from the tambourine entirely. By her pose and posture, the song is not done, however....
Evandelire surveys the area, then slowly draws a breath to sing unaccompanied.
Evandelire sings:
"And she said,
I cannot change, my lords, what you believe,
And justice done is all that you perceive,
But you can only hold me till I leave --
Ronan chose me, Ronan called me, I am his."
Evandelire touches the tambourine again, drawing soft whispers of martial rhythm from its surface. The intensity of her playing is matched and redoubled by the intensity shimmering in her dark violet eyes.
Evandelire sings:
"They quickly chose her fate, not one dissentor for Larrinthe --
They bound her and to Illistim they sent her, mad Larrinthe.
Not one from her birth-nation spoke to save her, mad Larrinthe
So clearly lunatic was her behavior, mad Larrinthe,
Caged and watched -- her caretakers had come."
As Evandelire continues to play, the tension gradually fades from her body, and the martial cadence fades from her music until only a calm beat remains.
Evandelire taps out a gentle beat with deft wrists, swaying slightly as she plays.
Evandelire sings:
"No more did we hear of her strange tale, Chaeye Larrinthe --
Ta'Illistim's physicians would not fail Chaeye Larrinthe --
Seventeen years -- and then, she slipped away, Chaeye Larrinthe,
No saner yet than on her entry day, Chaeye Larrinthe --
'Twas as she'd warned, her day to leave had come."
Evandelire accents the soft rhythm woven by her tambourine with an intricate flourish.
Evandelire sings:
"And how she broke her prison, none could say, Chaeye Larrinthe --
Upon the cell's floor, chains and wrappings lay, Chaeye Larrinthe --
One window gaped wide to the star-filled night, Chaeye Larrinthe,
But all the bars were still adhered and tight, Chaeye Larrinthe,
We wonder...."
Evandelire plays one more skillful, soft cadence before shaking the tambourine gently. The tambourine's gilded chimes shimmer as their soft music ripples through the air, and then even the last dancing sounds of the chimes fade away.