Per' of the Hills [Archive] - EQ2 Forum Archive @ EQ2Wire

MysticTrunks01

10-02-2007, 07:31 PM

(I've just finished with the seven novel series by Stephen King likely some have read, "The Dark Tower". I have to say the world and characters captured me in a way few do and the end of the series which I just finished could not have been anything but what it was. For as King said, it's the road, not the destination that gives the enjoyment. Everything about it held me well, especially, the way the people spoke. Nothing over the top, but little things. Ways of speech, which as many know can make the difference between a flat and fleshed out character. It made me want to right something akin to it and it gave me an idea for a character, someone for Xannis to "palaver" with. If only in story form. My own personal way of pulling from that of Mid-World to Norrath but hold true to Norrath as well since it is also one of those worlds that holds me in her grasp and doesn't care much to let go. For those that haven't read the series, i recommend it. Highly recommend it. I only say all this because credit and inspiration goes to Stephen King and his creation of a wonderful world... or worlds, do you kennit? ) Xannis Sul'Egna, Ilharn of the Silver Circle, husband, or mate if you ask her, to Vakarina Val'Kavek, father to Toiyana Sul'Egna and Yunfei Sul'Egna, Tunare love and keep her, walked across the plains and wilds of Norrath. Green waving grasses in the windy breeze. Rocky craters left over from the Shattering of the moon Luclin far above, slowly filling with waters and life, one day to be no more than a pock on the face of history. His clothes were not old but far from new. Stretched and used leathers of a monk who's seen many battles, both great and small. A gunny pack hangs casually over his back slung over a single shoulder. Hands tucked firmly into the bowels of his deep pockets and a cinnamon laced toothpick stuck from the left side of his mouth as he walked with little purpose, slightly slumped, over the land. His thoughts going the direction of his feet, as in to say, no place important. He was Tier'Dal. The race of Dark Elves, but not from the race of today, say true. But from that of the Long Ago. When Dark Elf had more meaning than that of being dark skinned and living in the caves of the Underworld. His skin was a healthy shade of a light purple hue, rough but not as rough as one that has traveled the miles and years as he should likely have. His fading violet eyes, which could go from kind and caring, to hard as death in an instant of situational change, looking to the bit of horizon as he walked side by side with his thoughts, seeing the way, but not truely. It was on this day, being in a place high upon the hills between that of the Plains of Karana and what was once Qeynos Hills, but now known as Antonica, just one of those little did bit facts that sprang to his old mind randomly and passed just as fast, that 'Less bade him a possible friend, though he knew it not at the moment. Hidden here, in the deep hills was a small home. no bigger he'd judge than a single room. A lazy curl of smoke rose up into the sky from a hand laid stone chimney. The wood of the place, as aged and old as ever Xannis had seen. It was a gray white, warped in many places to the point of wonder that it was still attached at all to the fame of the thing. Upon the porch sat something equally as aged and gnarled. An old human. I'd have you see this man very well. He sat in a rocking chair as equally gray white as the houses porch that held it's weight. The man himself was not what one would consider handsome, not in old age and likely not as the young. His features were that of, well, a bulldog. His lower jaw jutted out in defiance of nature below his upper, though most of the teeth that once called that place home had packed up and moved on long ago. His face was a was wrinkles of all kinds. Big wrinkles that clustered at his neck and under the corners of his defiant jaw. Crows feet left their tracks at the corners of the eyes. Upon all of this the tiny wrinkles of age, even the big wrinkles that laid tracks from right to left across his brow. His hair was the white of snow and what there was of it, for it had thinned with the years, was neatly combed and slicked over a great patch of bald in the middle of his head. A comb over halo, if you will. In his thin and faded lips, was a rolled up smoke, homemade, making the same lazy curls as it's big brother the chimney. Fading violet eyes met with the sky blue that were dug deep into that of the humans. It was here that old human and old Tier'Dal met for the first time. Mayhap a friendship that would last until one or the others dying day, mayhap for the last time, but that was for the 'Less to decide.

MysticTrunks01

10-03-2007, 01:31 PM

Xannis, being ever the Tier'Dal he was, thought it might be best to avoid the old man. Unlike most of his kind, he had no intention of harming the old human, that was a path left behind long ago, but he knew most humans of age had a healthy and understandable hatred or fear of his kind. He made to turn about when a cracked and dusty voice came from the sun bleached home, "Goin' afore you even says a word are ye? Don't seem like the kinda thing yur people be doin'. Figured by the color of ye I was gonna be done in finally. 'Parently that ain't so isn't youngster?" The monk paused and turned back to face the man, who had shout talked a good 20 yards. He to to his feet slowly with the same casual listless grace as before and closed the distance by half before stopping. "It was out of no disrespect Old Father, it was only for your peace of mind. I mean you no harm, I assure you." The aged human looked him over long and hard. Few things made Xannis Sul'Egna uncomfortable but something in that scrutinizing gaze of old blue eyes made the tiny hairs on the back of his neck and those on his arms prickle. "Ye, I supposen' ye didn't no did ye. Well come on up here then if it does ye fine. Take a load off. I can see the miles in yers eyes, that I surely can." He waved a wrinkled and age spot marked hand in the come hither gesture and pointed to a place on the steps. Xannis held for a moment, his centuries of training and expecting traps weighing it all, before finally shrugging a lite shrug and crossing the remaining ten meters to the old cottage. He shouldered off his pack and lay it on the lowest step. He himself sat on the top step of the three. "Thank you Old Father." It was strange, certainly, to a call a human of some where in the eighties a title of the old when Xannis him self had over ten times the number of years under his belt. There was something there though. Age was not always the number of years physically upon the world of Norrath though, nay. Age could just as easily be the amount of life lived in the given years. This was true here, for Xannis keen eye as well, could see this man had lived much. "BAH!" He spat, "You do me a kindness surely, but folken 'round here call me Grandper' of the Hills. Per' for short, do you kennit?" The Tier'Dal blinked his mind repeating, Do you kennit?, a word he'd only heard his old master use near three hundred years ago, it brought a smile to his face as he answered, "Aye Per', I kennit. I kennit very well. I'm Xannis Sul'Egna." He held out his hand up to the Per' in his rocker, a gesture he knew many humans and other races used to greet someone. The old man smirked, leaned in a bit, something in his back popped audibly, and shook it firmly. His hand was callused and rough to the touch and strong too. For what looked like a feeble elderly man, he had one hell of a grip. "So what brings ye up to these parts, Sai Xannis?" A puff of white smoke exhailed this mouth making him look like weathered dragon for only a moment. "My feet for the most part, truth be told. A great many things to think about, sometimes I find letting my feet take me where they will while my mind does the thought takes me places I might now otherwise see and it gets me out of Freeport. Today, it seems they brought me here," Xannis shifted the toothpick from one side of his mouth to the other, his nose getting just the hint of cinnamon left in the wood splinter. Nodding, "Yar so it would seem. So yur Freeport eh? Pah. Buncha hoodlems and scallywags the lot of em. Surprised to hear it, that I am. Well mannered feller like yurself livin' in a place such as that." While his words were of dislike for the city of Freeport, ruled by it's Liche Leader Lucan De'Lere, his face was of good cheer. "Actually, I live in the City of Tree's, Kelethin. Do you know of Kelethin Per'?" "Yar, yar, I know of it. Tain't never been though, was lost since before I was even a pup suckin' at the teet and I'm to damned old now to go seein' and adventurin'. Place of them elves and faery folk yea?" He raised two bushy white eyebrows tufted over his wrinkled brow. The monk nodded, "You say true, I say thankee." This time it was old Per's turn to look curiously at an expression he'd not heard in an age. Xannis continued, "I have business in Freeport. Truth to tell, I cause as much trouble as I repair. But my wife, Vakarina's her name, is a Matron of a house... making me the Ilharn." The Tier'Dal shrugged, as though it was an everyday thing to mention, like a rain fall two days back. "It is what it is of course and I do what I can for those that might need it." The old man chortled a gleeful happy laugh, "Well I'll be dipped in horse [Removed for Content] and set out to field, didn't know my guest was royalty!" He slapped his knee, it wasn't a meaty slap, more like hitting two sticks together. Xannis sat there a moment and like many forms of laughter, this one was infectious and he began to chuckle and then laugh our right, shaking his head, "Nay nay Per'. I'm not royalty! Just damned old monk with responsibility. Nothing more or less, I promise." He grinned up at the old man who was wiping speckled of laughter tears from his eyes. "If'n ye say so Sai Xannis, if'n ye say so. Do you care to stay a spell, have a meal mayhap?" The old Per' didn't know why he offered this. He'd always been friendly enough, but more or less enjoyed his time up here alone, save for the old dog likely passed out on the rug inside and a mule tied up in the back. Something about the dark skinned man though, had taken to his fancy though. Shaking his head the monk replied, "Nay, I'd not intrude on your hospitality more than I have already." He stood, picking up his pack again. "I should get back anyhow, given the sun I've been away awhile." He paused and nodded to himself, "But, if your offer holds to anther day, mayhap i can take you on that offer then? Have us a bit of palaver?" The old man, again surprised at the use of the old words, grinned a toothy grin, surprisingly straight those teeth were, and nodded. "Aye, I'll even dust of another rocker for ye if ye happen to come back." The old Per' flicked the butt of his cigarette over the railing. "Long days and pleasent nights to ye, Sai Xannis." Bowing his head slightly, "And may you have twice as many, Per' of the Hills."

MysticTrunks01

10-07-2007, 11:46 AM

It was not the same clear and bright day with that perfect temperature and breeze that could wrap a person like a lovers embrace. Today, was more like being bullied by the fat kid in the school yard because you answered a question in class he could not. It was two windy for one. Xannis hair whipped about his face it eye stinging slaps. The cold was the second little annoyance. For this time of year it was far colder than it should be. Very likely this was an effect of the wind. Lastly, tying up the package of miserable days with a nice bow, the thick overcast sky. It broiled ominous all about, daring someone to make an off handed comment about how it looked like rain. Woe to the person that did so, for it would release a torrent they'd not soon forget.Still, Xannis trudged on and up, to the gray-white wood of the Per's old shanty house. As he crested the ridge, the plume of puffy white smoke still streamed from the chimney. With the wind, however, it was fluttered off and a way before it could make it's climb to the sky, mission thwarted for the day. There Per' sat, in his rocker, and old yellow dog laying next to him. He was bundled up with more clothing, three layers by the looks of it, but hell or high water, he was on his porch. Not only that, there was an empty rocker next to him. The monk grinned to himself as he thought, "The old codger knew I would be back." Xannis made his way up to the porch step and stopped there nodding, "Well met, Per'." Bowing his head and pulling off his pack."Yar, and back at ye as well Sai Xannis. Come on up, get outta that [I cannot control my vocabulary] blasted wind for you catch yurself the death. Winds comin' off the ocean behind us... house block the most of it, aye that it does, that it does." Xannis did as he was bayed, mounting the three steps as they creaked and protested under his weight. He sat carefully, the rocker looked old and he was unsure it it would hold his weight, though he need not have worried for it held him up fully just fine. Nodding he rocked a little, testing it. "You were expecting me?" he looked to the old human as he asked."Nay, not so really. Was hopin' a bit though. Figured, better safe than sorry. I says to old Scratch here I says, 'Scratch, ye think that Darkie feller gonna come back like he said, or you think he just gonna stiff old Per' on his hill?'" The dog, dirty yellow lab, looked up at the sound of his name. One year pointing straight up, the other loose and floppy at the end. Realizing his master did not actually want anything he let out a "humf" of air and rested his muzzle back on his leg. Per' watched this and nodded, "Yar, that there was about what he told me too, just like that. So I figured, what the hell, I'll get out the old rocker in case and if nothing happens, well, worst is i look like a fool to Scratch here and nothing more, eh?"Xannis grinned, white teeth over light purple lips. "If nothing else Per', i try to be a man of my word as much as the people about me let me do so. Truth told, sometimes even when they'd rather i didn't."Per' nodded at this, pulling out a pouch of tabacco and rolling paper, "Smoke?"Xannis shook his head no. "Nay, Per'. Clogs the lungs something fierce I'm told."A cackling, flemy laugh returned, "Hogspit! What's that some druidie tree hugger crap you got in yur head Sai? Good tabacki like this, keeps ye alive! Warms up the body and the smoke keeps them chiggers and 'squeeter bugs away. And ye been about the word I'm sure by the look of ye. Some of them bugs 'round Norrath [I cannot control my vocabulary] near take yur head off!" Per' sprinkled the shredded leaves in the paper, licked and twisted and passed it off to Xannis. "Give it a try at the least eh?"Taking it dubiously in his finger he looked it over, took a deep breath and shrugged. "I'll try anything twice," he muttered, causing a sharp crack of laughter from the old man. He lit thecigarette with a smoldering stick and took in one lungful. The heat wasn't so much from the fire at the end, but the taste of the leaves. And then, heexhaled smoothly, letting the smoke drift out his nostrils as though he'd done it a thousand times. Per' began to nod impressed, when Xannis coughed and hacked pounding his chest.Per' [I cannot control my vocabulary] near fell from his chair. Slapping his knee and laughing in great wheezing sounds. "Takes some getting used to, but trust me you'll like it after a time."Xannis, expelling violently the last bit of smoke, did not still, find it entirely unpleasant. Still, it came to him, "Someone I knew said, 'Ain't nothin' you take inter yur body that you should have ta get used too! Either it is or it ain't!' But he was a stubborn old son of a [I cannot control my vocabulary] anyhow. Can't hurt to try." They both laughed, Xannis a bit horsely, but he took another drag all the same. Their palaver went on.

Amethest

10-08-2007, 01:11 PM

am lurking <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> and interested <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />

MysticTrunks01

10-10-2007, 10:32 PM

The Tier'Dal and the human, both old and ancient for their respective races, palavered upon the old porch of Grandpers' little home. Xannis going with a cinnamon laced toothpick out of one side of his light purple lips, his white hair with just a touch of violet if the sun it it just so, tucked behind his long pointed ears leading back into a thick braid that ended at his shoulder blades. Per' was not as well kept, he just smoked his usual hand made ciggero the thin white strands of his hair sticking in all directions of the compass for lack of combing today."So, 'Less, is not really a conscious all knowing being then, like the gods proclaim themselves to be?" Xannis arched a thin white eyebrow as he looked at the mass of wrinkled skin that was Per'."Yar, 'Less be somethin' more than that and all together somethin' less than that. It's a sorta partially sentient fate. Ways I hear it, 'Less even encompasses the gods on high themselves. Tunare, Ro, Thule, Innuruuk, the Tranquil, and on and on down to the little 'uns. It be what drives the fate of a lowly farmer boy turned Knight when his aunty and uncle are killed by troopers. To what takes a king from his thrown and puts him low to the ground. It keeps the fates and lives of all things alive and not alive. Animals and tree's, ta rivers and rocks, do you kennit?"Nodding, Xannis shifted the toothpick from one corner of his mouth to the other. "Aye, I ken. 'Less is that moment when a man should by alright be dead, but some how, manages to get away by a combination of will and luck. Or when a river over floods but erodes the rocks into it, forcing it away from a homestead."Per' was nodding, "'Zactly. It also be, when that rock face falls and crushes someone. 'Less ain't a moral coded thing, it simply is. Livin' and dyin' may be up to part of it but it won't hesitate to do what seems like unfairness to a person or peoples. Yur youngin', Yunfei take example. Terrible shame Sai Xannis, truer words never uttered, but it sounds to me, like she was ment to be there, had a purpose, even."Xannis, having told Per' what had happened to his adopted daughter in every grizzly detail a few days ago, nodded. "Her and Velshorn did not talk all that often. That they happened to be at the Jade Tiger Inn, when it happened. That she was there, used the Green. Stopped him cold. Had she not, who knows how long and how many he would have taken. Something like that, is 'Less?""Yar, that it be. 'Less like a wheel, always comes full circle. Always turns. Ye can fight it surely, but it'll run yur [Removed for Content] over as a price to do so." His gnarled and spotted hand patted over his coveralls where his heart thrummed beneath. "Ye can feel it, here. Ye listen to it and ye can almost catch its whispers. Listen close Sai Xannis, when yur doin' that monkly voodoo you do. When ye take to your sandy rock gardens and commune with the birds and nature and your lower bowel or whatever it is ye do."He pulled from deep down and harfed. A flemmy wad came up from his throat, which he spit out and over the rail of the house in a long arc. "Ye have a notion fer findin' trouble don't ye?"Xannis chuckled and shrugged lightly, "It has one for finding me, say true. Comes with the territory of what I do.""Yar, sounded like it. That's when ye really need to listen. That be when ye can save yurself a whole heap o' hurt. Cause of 'Less wills something, it'll be so, one way or another, it'll be so."The monk nodded thoughtfully as both fell to silence. Often that's what it was, the two of them sitting silent upon this white washed porch looking out over the world of Norrath. All the things he'd seen his his life. All the coincidence and heart ache. Joys and sorrows. He always though it was the tugs and pulls of two opposing gods, the God of Hate, Innoruuk and the Goddess of Growth, Tunare. Mayhap there was a third. Not a god, but a third force. "Understanding is a three edged sword," his old master had said, "Her side, His side, and the Truth." The saying it itself had many meaning. First of which is the Truth was a rare thing often hidden in hear say and perspectives.This, however, added something more to it. Added a layer. The Truth behind even two bickering gods. A greater unknown will. Perhaps a greater purpose even. Xannis was indeed interested in this concept. This possibility. One that which, in a world where he had met a god face to face. A world where he had no faith in Gods, for what faith can be hand in fact of knowing and seeing and touching? This, however took a leap of faith. A trusting of the gut that perhaps, there was and equally, that there may not be anything at all. 'Less is a wheel. Ride with it, or it will run you over.