A Compilation of Fae & Arasai Lore

Discussion in 'History and Lore 2' started by Sapphirius, Jan 27, 2013.

  1. Sapphirius Well-Known Member

    Some friends of mine informed me that the thread I had worked so hard to put together (with multiple dev responses) vanished with the new forums, and they requested that I repost the thread. While I did not save every single post in that thread, I did duplicate most of what I wrote on another forum. Obviously, any links that get copied over in this repost will not work (as they link to the old forums), but at my friends' request... Multiple posts incoming!


    The timelines I wrote are, at best, an educated guess.
    (I apologize in advance for the blinding walls of text.)

    One of the things I've learned while doing geneology for my family and church was that you must often extract the facts from the fiction: things like names, dates, relations, cause of death, etc. These are things that cannot be argued and that are set in stone. Once you have extracted this information, you can then fit it into an existing timeline. This is the information I've extracted from the Fae quests and books.
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    I chose the Norrathian timeline from The History of Norrath.

    This is done in half-century blocks. These events did not actually occur on these exact years but at approximately these times, give or take 25 years or so.

    400 years Ago
    The Council of Gods
    The Creation of the Fae
    The Dream Ring

    350 Years Ago
    War of the Fay
    The Invasion of the Nexus
    The Halfling Attack on Neriak
    The Burning Ring
    The Ring of Sadness

    300 Years Ago
    The Awakening of the Ogres and 2nd Rallosian War
    The Ring of Sadness (cont.)
    The Quiet Ring
    The Creation of the Arasai begins

    250 Years Ago
    First Ring of Chaos

    200 Years Ago
    The Ring of Leaving

    150-100 Years Ago
    The Rending
    The Ring of Trials
    The Evolution of the Fae

    100-50 Years Ago
    The Ring of Regrowth

    15 Years Ago
    The Second Ring of Chaos
    The Shattering

    Present Day
    The Peaceful Ring
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    Fae Queens by Rings:
    Dream Ring - Joleena, learned Fair'Dal language and brought the Fae to Kelethin
    Burning Ring - Maarita, bridged gaps between the races of Kelethin, also queen at the beginning of the War of the Fay
    Ring of Sadness - Cydney, saw the rebuilding of Kelethin, spirit bud was lost, no mention of how
    Quiet Ring - Saphrina, saw the Fae return to Kelethin, killed by orcs & spirit bud destroyed
    First Ring of Chaos - Jillian, granted brownies the title of "Friends of the Fae"
    Ring of Leaving - Unknown
    Ring of Trials - Liivika, died just before her wedding
    Ring of Regrowth - 2 Unnamed Queens, both missing without a trace
    Second Ring of Chaos - Sephria, Kilina's mother & Kilina, both killed in the Shattering
    Peaceful Ring - Oola, Amree's mother & Amree, current queen
  2. Sapphirius Well-Known Member

    The other thing I learned from doing geneology is sorting truth from prejudice. Often, our own personal views on the world will color the things that happen to us, causing us to paint a picture that is not entirely accurate or so far removed from the true occurence as to be somewhat laughable. For example, my daughter to this day still believes that I ripped the head off her bobblehead puppy. What actually happened was the puppy had been left on the floor and a neighbor stepped on it and broke it. It's also evident at a much larger scale when you read elementary history text books and then compare them to the things you learn in college, where you learn things such as the Civil War not actually being started because of slavery.

    Well, this applies in game as well. Kaitheel confirms this when he says, "Not everything in Norrath lines up beautifully. Keep in mind that all the information you find in game, whether through book or dialog, is being delivered from someone's point of view. They may have an agenda or a personal slant that will bring to light seemingly contradictory points from another's telling. For instance, I doubt the book "Arasai -Hate Gives Rise To Another Superior Race!" was written by a Teir'dal, for it does not paint them in the most complimentary of light. Also, the book is a retelling of the tale. Perhaps it is the story that Cristanos wants people to know. Perhaps it is propaganda built on bits of truth, intentionally shrouded in mystery."

    Now, I had this nice wonderful post typed out on the Haven website that gave a very brief summary of Fae & Arasai lives, but that has since been lost, and the copy I had is gone. (I had to reformat my harddrive.) Instead of trying to duplicate what I had written in a brief summary, I'll just address it in a "myth versus truth" format and then follow it with personal theories. I've started out by listing all the various things I've heard in game. Keep in mind that the "theory" sections are my own personal theories and could possibly be wrong. However, the "truth" sections are based on facts extracted from in-game lore and developer statements.

    Myth #1: Tunare created the Fae.
    Truth: Tunare did not create the Fae. According to a dev post on the EOF beta boards (now lost to me), the Fae evolved from the Faefolke, which include dryads, fairies, sprites, treants, and brownies. However, their evolution was a direct result of magical anomalies within the Faydark... anomalies created by Tunare. As a result, they credit her with their creation.
    But wait a minute, Tenny. You typed up the History of the Fae book for us, and it specifically says that Tunare created the Fae.
    Tunare, goddess of nature, gave us life.
    As she walked through Greater Faydark, flowers sprung up beneath her feet. One of these flowers turned its face toward her as a heliotrope to the sun.
    "You are precious," said Tunare, laughing and gently cupping the blossom in her hands. And so the first Fae were formed of blossoms and Tunare's laughter.

    Well, this would be true. The book does indeed say that Tunare created the Fae... and from flowers at that. The Bible also says that man was created from clay while scientists state that we were evolved from primates. This is the Fae creation story, much like the Book of Genesis is one of the many many human creation stories in real life. Whether you regard it as truth or not is entirely up to your character's interpretation.

    Theory: My theory on Fae evolution is that they evolved with Tunare's influence.

    Myth #2: Fae are born from flowers and/or spirit buds.
    Truth: Fae are not born from flowers. They are born to parents just like every other race. They have a mother and father, brothers and sisters. You even hear NPCs refer to their siblings in various quest lines and the History of the Fae even refers to mother and daughter when speaking of the Fae queens and the various Rings they reigned in.

    Theory: I believe Fae are mammillian and give live birth. Why do I believe this? Because female Fae have breasts. Iksar, Frogloks and Sarnak are non-mammillian races and do not have breasts. I emphasized giving live birth because there is a mammal that lays eggs. I don't believe that Fae lay eggs or plant flowers for two reasons: I see no nests or eggs anywhere, and the Call of Kelethin NPC very clearly states that Fae do not come from plants. Period.

    Myth #3: Spirit buds are flowers.
    Truth: No, spirit buds are the wisps of light that float around Kelethin and the Nursery. This is stated in game in several places. Astaar Evinien states, "You've heard of the Fae spirit buds and may have assumed that we are some type of plant! It's merely a figure of speech. Our spirit buds surround the city, observing and guiding us. When a spirit bud is ready for renewal, it chooses when and where to return."
    But wait a minute. The Matron of the Nursery has you kill shrumblers to protect the spirit blooms. "The spirit blooms grow both to the east and west of here." Well, yes she does, but she never once says that those spirit blooms are the flowers that you can physically see. Ah ha! But Brinks talks about making clothes for all the newly awakened Fae. Yes, he does. Have you noticed that he is making specialized clothing? He needed spidersilk for cloth, wolf pelts for leather, and crab and turtle shells for chain and plate. He's referring to making clothes for newly awakened Fae because they are awakening into the adventure class that they will become. They are outgrowing their childhood garments and into adulthood.

    Theory: Several NPCs refer to a Fae's awakening. I believe this is the "budding" or "blooming" that most NPCs speak of. A spirit bloom would be a spirit that is newly awakened... inside a Fae.

    Myth #4: Fae are born with their spirit buds.
    Truth: Fae are not born with their buds. They merge with their buds when they reach adulthood. Ilmarr asked, "Is there a sort of racial Ritual/Celebration that takes young Fae into the Nursery and then whatever joining occurs?" Owlchick answered, "As the Fae youth feel these stirrings, they naturally gravitate toward those areas in which the Fae spirit buds are more concentrated. And of course, a high concentration of Fae spirit buds would be most likely to occur in areas where there are magical influences that allow them freedom to grow."

    Theory: Fae are an empty vessel when they are born. They have their own personalities but no guidance or direction. Acquiring a spirit means they have become a vesself for that spirit (similar to the vessels you read about in the Obelisk lore), and that spirit in turn awakens and guides them on their journeys.

    Myth #5: Fae are reincarnations.
    Truth: Yes, Fae are reincarnations, but not in the sense that you traditionally think of. Each Fae is their own individual being. The spirit they merge with is more just their guide and a recording of their history, which is why history is such an important part of a Fae's life and why the loss of a spirit bud is so tragic. This is stated several times over in various quests.

    Theory: As I said earlier, the Fae are vessels for these spirits that guide them through their life's journey. The spirit bud is more of an imprint of history than anything else. Sometimes, they may not remember anything from their spirit bud's memories. Sometimes, they may remember everything. I believe this because of Aileeta Reila's statement, "From your question, I gather you're unsure of whether you're making your own choices, or if your choices are dictated to you by your own past." And then, "That's another sign of your spirit reblossoming. All the memories within it, as well as your new memories, are turning over and around, trying to make sense of things. Don't worry about it, just let things happen to you."
  3. Sapphirius Well-Known Member

    Myth #6: Fae live as long as elves do.
    Truth: Fae have a life span of approximately 70 years according to Owlchick (slightly shorter than that of a human's), and she states that this time was shortened with their evolution during the Rending. This seems to be confirmed when you timeline the book the History of the Fae.

    Theory: I have no theory on this one. I'll take the developer's word for it that their life span is slightly shorter than that of a human's.

    Myth #7: Evil fae are arasai, and/or good arasai are fae.
    Truth: Saying this is tantamount to saying that evil high elves are dark elves, and good dark elves are high elves. It's just not true. Well, they look the same, just their wings are different, you say. It's more than just their wings. Their skin, hair, and eye colorations are also different. Elves are both humanoid with pointed ears and slanted eyes. The only difference is skin, hair, and eye coloration and height. An arasai is an arasai, whether they are good or evil. Period. The same with a fae.

    Theory: While I feel the fae could care less, the arasai are a very proud race, and I think calling a good arasai a "fae" would be a most grevious insult to that arasai.

    Myth #8: Christanos created Arasai from captured Fae spirit buds.
    Truth: Now, this would be up for debate. The book on Arasai states, "Queen Christanos performed dark and beautifully abhorrent magics upon the captured spirit blossoms. She would allow them to birth, and then torture them with unspeakable acts. After the inevitably painful deaths, she would perform further sadistic magics upon the resulting spirit blossoms." Again, this falls under the clause of seperating fact from fiction. The fact is that the Innoruuk deity quest line has you steal Fae spirit buds for the Seraph of Hate. However, we also know from in-game lore that Christanos and the Church of Innoruuk are at odds with each other, and the Seraph never says why you are stealing the buds for her. There is no confirmation that the buds you steal are the same ones that Christanos tortured over the course of 300 years.

    Theory: The book specifically speaks of spirit blooms. I'll point you to an earlier theory where I stated that the spirit blooms are spirit buds that are awakening inside maturing Fae. When the books says, "On a mission of secrecy a band of Teir'Dal traveled from Neriak to the disdained lands of Faydwer. There they were able to acquire, through clandestine acts, fae spirit blossoms," I believe it means that they captured Fae who were just awakening or going through their Rite of Passage. I believe they also captured other Fae, such as the two queens in the History of the Fae book who went missing without a trace.

    Myth #9: Arasai wings are weak and/or delicate.
    Truth: Fae wings are weaker and more delicate than arasai wings. In fact, the fae wings were not even able to survive the process of Christanos's years of tainting, so she replaced the wings with those of bats, moths, and other cave creatures. Now, the book does mention that some arasai are born without wings or with badly damaged wings. These arasai are given magically constructed wings to use.

    Theory: There are some wing choices that seem to confirm this. On the male arasai, there is a jagged wing pattern that ends in a little ball that hovers over their shoulders instead of directly connecting like other wings do. The structure of the wings that the membranes stretch from look much like straight wooden slats or splints to hold the wing's shape.

    Myth #10: Arasai do not merge with spirit buds.
    Truth: Arasai do in fact have spirit buds and merge with them just like fae do. Kaitheel confirmed this in the Arasai Lore thread when he stated, "You are also correct to interpret the purple and blue orbs that languish around Neriak and especially Darklight Palace, are the spirit buds of Arasai."

    Theory: Saying that the arasai reproduce, grow and devlop completely different would not make much sense as dark elves reproduce grow and develop in the same manner that high elves do. Just because dark elves went through centuries of corruption doesn't mean that they suddenly ignored all possible biological functions and started hatching from eggs. The same applies to arasai. They would not have been changed so drastically from their original biological forms as to begin hatching from eggs or missing major milestones of their development.

    Myth #11: Arasai are slaves to the Teir'Dal.
    Truth: There is nothing to indicate positively that the arasai are in fact meant to be slaves or even subserviant to Teir'Dal. However, Fileyl Alyyharil in Hate's Envy who states, "You are not Teir'Dal, you are but our slave."

    Theory: I think the Arasai were created as superiors to the Teir'Dal who had fallen from Christanos' favor. They were not created to be slaves to anyone but the Queen herself. However, and understandably, the Teir'Dal will be bitter towards arasai and even jealous and will do their best to belittle their station in life as they believe that they are Norrath's superior race, not the arasai.
    Below are official developer statements, in-game lore, and NPC transcripts regarding Fae & Arasai lore. As you can see, Arasai lore is sadly lacking in comparison to Fae lore, but I'd like to think that is because they are so similar to the Fae.
    luminosa and Uwkete-of-Crushbone like this.
  4. Sapphirius Well-Known Member

    By Owlchick (from EOF Beta Boards)
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    Specteral wrote:
    I have a few questions relating to the lore and history of the fae:

    First, what kind of lifespan do fae have? Don't need anything exact, just trying to figure out which segment of life my fae will be in.

    Second, what kind of family structure do Fae have? Are they born or do they appear as a result of magical excess similar to faries?

    Third, are there any great heros in the Fae culture that would pertain to melee combat? I suspect I can find the answer to this one off old EQ1 lore sites, but decided to ask at the source instead.

    Fourth, any cultural things that Fae should stay away from? IE Fae normally don't like X.

    Hope I didn't ask anything too screwy, trying to come up with a decent backstory for my little Fae monk.
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    MG and I had long, philosophical discussions about these things. I was surprised, actually, at how many folks asked your question two first (albeit phrased in such a way that would make someone as sweet and innocent as a Fae blush).

    The general lifespan of a Fae is approximately 70 "human years," although of course disease, war and other unpleasant things can shorten that considerably.

    Fae families are essentially the same as Feir'Dal: there is a father and a mother and then there are little cherubs. What changes within a Fae is a period during which their spirit begins to stir, an awakening that marks the end of their childhood and the beginning of the adult phase in their lives. The Fae may not generally remember precise details of their spirits' past, but they may have increased sensitivity to places and things that held significance for that spirit. Some Fae have a much stronger spirit that allows glimpses of its past in addition to the emotional stirrings tied to locations and objects.

    Before joining with a new Fae, the spirit buds tend to cluster in areas near Kelethin, sometimes called "nurseries," although the spirits are not actual flowers. Fae are obviously very close to nature and some of their spirits would probably enjoy sleeping on a petal, so there are often spirits floating amongst gardens. In fact, when a Fae dies, its spirit is often seen as a tiny, flickering light that will remain near the site of that Fae's demise for some time. That light is considered the "spirit bud" and is often brought back to Kelethin by the deceased Fae's kin. Losing a spirit bud is considered a very tragic event, as it means that the memories and experiences of that particular Fae's spirit cannot be recovered. A particular fear is losing a spirit bud far from home, as the Fae worry that their enemies might seek to use that spirit with unnatural and unpleasant consequences.

    Combat is not the primary focus of the Fae, so there are no martial heroes in the sense of conquerers. Individuals are less likely to be known than groups of defenders, though even in that regard, the Fae are pretty reticent about their achievements. There are no written records of the Fae being involved in the War of the Fay (which began the Burning Ring), although according to Fae tradition, they had come to the defense of Kelethin and allied with the Feir'Dal. Perhaps, as they were smaller in size then, their contributions were simply overlooked. In this way, any modern Fae can tell the tale of how one of their ancestors did this thing or the other during the War of Fay (or any other Ring in their history) and no one can really dispute it.

    Fae, like many magical beings, are superstitious. They would rather cross upstream than downstream (as being downstream has the "ebb" factor, and they consider it bad luck to do something that might cause their magic to ebb). They prefer not to ride horses because the motion is not as smooth and graceful as their glide...but then, some Fae find it great fun because it's so different. They particularly like dark chocolate with...oh...wait. That last one was about me.

    The Fae love to play tricks of all kinds on the unwary and they don't mind when the joke is on them so long as it's a good one.
    Hope this helps somewhat.

    T'chick
    Designer
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    By Owlchick (from "On the, ahem, reproduction of fae")
    Illmarr wrote::

    So you have baby cherubs over here, and Spirit buds over there waiting to join. That suggests that the cherubs are the product of biological reproduction to me. They exist without being merged with a Spirit Bud. My question off this working premise becomes: Are the Fae drawn by some mystical force when the time is right to the Nursery to join with their Spirit Bud?

    Yes, that's a great way of looking at it. It's sort of like listening to a song , or reading a poem, and feeling something stir inside you. You want to find out more about whatever it is that brought on those feelings, so you read more poems or listen to more of the same music. The Fae are naturally curious creatures, so this is a time when they will explore their environment, seeking out places where these feelings are strongest.

    Is there a sort of racial Ritual/Celebration that takes young Fae into the Nursery and then whatever joining occurs?

    As the Fae youth feel these stirrings, they naturally gravitate toward those areas in which the Fae spirit buds are more concentrated. And of course, a high concentration of Fae spirit buds would be most likely to occur in areas where there are magical influences that allow them freedom to grow.

    Am I over-thinking and is this just too esoteric or irrelevant a question/topic for a game?

    Well, as someone quoted me earlier, I was surprised by how many people are thinking this through to it's natural, er, beginning.

    ((Owlchick's responses are the italicized above))
  5. Sapphirius Well-Known Member

    Welcome to Kelethin!

    Welcome to Kelethin!
    Kelethin is a thriving community once again, thanks to the cooperation of the Fae and Feir'Dal, under the leadership of Queen Amree of the Fae.
    Throughout the lands, you will often find curious objects that seem to serve no purpose.
    These may be collectible items, dropped long ago by another traveler passing through the area.
    When you've completed a collection of leaves, stones or shells (for example), you may bring them to Kelethin's own Venla Vaara, a collector of all sorts of odds and ends.
    She can usually be found near the Kelethin First Regional Bank.
    You can't wait to jump into explorations, can you? The expanse of Greater Faydark calls to you, beckoning you to plunge right in and start exploring.
    You'll find many areas marked on your map, while others are mysterious corners waiting for you to find them.
    Take any of Kelethin's three fast and efficient acorn lifts down to the forest floor.
    You'll be amazed at the abundance of wildlife and flora to be found!
    When you travel off the beaten path, you'll learn to recognize such landmarks as Granite Hills or Emerald Lake.
    Reading is a pleasure, especially when someone reads aloud to you. It's like a symphony of words set to different music each time it's heard.
    You'll find any number of books scattered throughout Kelethin, and their owners are generous lenders. You may also purchase books from Piritta Silvarri.
    The Lore and Legends books teach new skills, making them a practical as well as entertaining read.
    The Fae are fond of history, which for them is an ongoing process as their spirits can re-blossom as long as they are nurtured.
    There are several works by Feir'Dal authors in the collections found throughout Kelethin, too.
    If you happen across a book that's missing some pages (or pages that are missing a book), Venla Vaara can help you restore them, if you bring completed sets to her.
    As you continue your journeys around Kelethin, you may notice things that are a bit unusual.
    A pine needle beneath an oak tree. An old firepit in the forest.
    Ordinary? Or something else entirely? Only closer examination can provide answers to questions such as these.
    If you're as curious as a Fae, you'll want to rush up and examine everything.
    Be careful, though! Some Fae like to play tricks on the unsuspecting, and you could fall victim to one of their traps!
    While Kelethin has not completely embraced "Outsiders," as many of the newcomers to the town are called, there are advantages to new commercial enterprises.
    Representatives from Qeynos, Freeport, and the Far Seas Trading Company have made themselves available to those who seek excitement.
    In a land with the rich history of Norrath, there are always relics of past glory that resurface now and again.
    These pieces of our collective heritage are beautiful, rare objects that may not be easy to obtain, but are well worth the effort.
    As you gain more life experience, you'll want to focus your training in your chosen field. Fortunately, Kelethin is well-equipped for training of all kinds!
    Look for representatives of the Order of Arcane (mages), House of Falling Stars (priests), Sylvan Hunters (scouts), Protectors of Growth (warriors) and Tunare's Pages (crafts) throughout Kelethin.
    Though Kelethin has suffered fire and destruction in the past, it returns to life more beautiful than before.
    This is not only a testament to the sturdiness of its construction, but the faith of its inhabitants.
    We welcome you to Kelethin and hope you will enjoy your life amongst the trees!
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    The History of the Fae

    This is a history of the Fae. Its pages cannot be completed at one time, but must be gained through valor and experience.
    Through my own experiences, I can gain knownledge and insight into the Fae.
    Tunare, goddess of nature, gave us life.
    As she walked through Greater Faydark, flowers sprung up beneath her feet. One of these flowers turned its face toward her as a heliotrope to the sun.
    "You are precious," said Tunare, laughing and gently cupping the blossom in her hands. And so the first Fae were formed of blossoms and Tunare's laughter.
    That was the beginning of the Dream Ring, the first Ring in which Fae realized that their lives were indeed precious.
    Life was quiet for the Fae in those distant times.
    One of the Fae learned the language of the Feir'Dal, our brothers and sisters of Tunare. In time, all Fae learned some Feir'Dal words and added them to our own language, Faerlie.
    And Joleena took her new language skills into Kelethin, the city of the Feir'Dal. She lived amongst them for a time and when she returned, we made her our first Queen.
    Our people had often lived in small bands, roving through the Faydarks.
    We recognized that we had much in common with the Feir'Dal, and so over time, many of the Fae migrated to live near the trees which formed its base.
    Many of the Fae died in the Burning Ring, when the armies of the War of the Fey crossed the woods, burning everything before them.
    Those who were not killed were horrified. We had never witnessed so much death and destruction!
    And though emissaries were sent to Felwithe, the Koada'Dal sent no help. Much of Greater Faydark and Kelethin were burned, yet the First Children did nothing.
    Instead, they closed themselves away once the War had ended. And so began the Ring of Sadness.
    We helped the Feir'Dal rebuild Kelethin. Who else had they to turn to but the Fae?
    Queen Cydney oversaw our contributions, channeling our Fae magic to heal the trees and restore the Faydarks to beauty.
    We mourned, for Queen Cydney's spirit bud, holding all her memories and experiences, was lost to us forever.
    Each Fae if formed from the spirit bud of one of the ancestors.
    By maintaining the blossom, the Fae can reawaken its spirit and remember threads from the distant past.
    Many of us who can recall the Ring of Sadness prefer to remember the Quiet Ring that followed instead, for the Age of Ware did not touch Kelethin until later.
    As the gods seemed to withdraw from us, the Fae's magical influences seemed to wave as well.
    Though we had moved away from Kelethin itself, remembering the Burning Ring, Queen Saphrina encouraged us to move back.
    "There are dark forces everywhere," she said. "It will be easier for us to join with the Feir'Dal before it is too late."
    And so we did, building a wall of brambles to keep the city safe.
    The Crushbone orcs proved Queen Saphrina right - they took her life and destroyed her spirit bud. This was truly the First Ring of Chaos.
    Deterred by the thick brambles we had raised beneath the city, the orcs laid siege to Kelethin, never envisioning from which direction our help would come.
    They crept in from Lesser Faydark, an army of brownies, and decimated the Crushbone orcs.
    They had never been our particular allies before, rescuing us had been incidental to their love of battle. Queen Jillian granted them the status "Friend of the Fae" from that moment onward.
    The siege was broken, yet the wards raging around us did not cease. Nor did the orcs let up their attempted assault on the city.
    An uneasily peaceful time followed - the Ring of Leaving.
    In a very short span of time, we witnessed some of the remaining Fair'Dal and others leave Faydwer. They spoke of receiving a vision, a word from Tunare.
    And as time went on, we let the beambles protecting Kelethin dissipate as we moved into the city ourselves.
    We thought that the troubled times lay behind us now, yet the Ring of Trials had only begun.
    All around us the lands began to change, groaning and breaking apart. Built into the trees, Kelethin withstood the trembling earth below.
    We felt we were being tested, but had no way of knowing if we passed.
    The last trial was the death of our young, beautiful Queen Liivika, just two days before her wedding, leaving the Fae to mourn yet again.
    Some began to question how Tunare could leave us. Others argued that she had not left, that we simply needed to learn how to live like the Feir'Dal.
    We Fae lost some of our innocence, but we know that we are not alone. Our spirits tell us this.
    Changes were wrought, some not as obvious as the madly swirling seas and other very evident.
    We were growing taller and the shapes and colors of our wings began to differ. The Ring of Regrowth marked a period of rapid changes amongst the Fae.
    Sadly, during this time two of our Queens disappeared and we were unable to recover their spirits.
    The Second Ring of Chaos begain with what Outsiders call the Shattering. Shards of Luclin rained down around Fawdwer, but fortunately, most of Greater Faydark escaped unscathed.
    A few of Kelethin's platforms caught fire, though most of the city was untouched.
    Queen Sephria and later her daughter Queen Kilina were both killed by the rain of debris which stopped as suddenly as it had started.
    Some days, we wondered what had become of those who had left Faydwer.
    Where did they go? Did they perish in the Second Ring of Chaos? Would we ever see them or their kin again? For our spirits continued to renew and continued to remember.
    And then ships arrived as well as parties crossing into Greater Faydark from elsewhere, and we knew that times were changing. Again.
    This began the Peaceful Ring, which continues to the present. Given our history, we wonder - Peaceful for how long?
    Queen Oola oversaw the rebuilding of the parts of Kelethin that had been destroyed and left the city to her daughter AMree, our current Queen.
    Who knows what our future holds, now that Outsiders come once again to Faydwer?
    luminosa and Uwkete-of-Crushbone like this.
  6. Sapphirius Well-Known Member

    By Kaitheel (from Arasai Lore (Help?))

    I may not be as pretty as Owlchick, but I hope my points will help!

    Not everything in Norrath lines up beautifully. Keep in mind that all the information you find in game, whether through book or dialog, is being delivered from someone's point of view. They may have an agenda or a personal slant that will bring to light seemingly contradictory points from another's telling. For instance, I doubt the book "Arasai -Hate Gives Rise To Another Superior Race!" was written by a Teir'dal, for it does not paint them in the most complimentary of light. Also, the book is a retelling of the tale. Perhaps it is the story that Cristanos wants people to know. Perhaps it is propaganda built on bits of truth, intentionally shrouded in mystery.

    In the sentence, "She would allow them birth, and then torture them with unspeakable acts." The pronoun is referring to the spirit buds. But the word "birth" could be referring to a physical birth, the moment of creation, or an awakening of consciousness. As far as the Arasai creation tale goes it has never been specified. Some Arasai may take it literal, others more metaphorically, and others may find it blasphemous to even question it. (They know who created them and who above all else deserves their praise!)

    The spirit bud is the spirit of the deceased, in both the case of Fae and Arasai. As you said, "Arasai merge with their spirit bud when they mature just as Fae do, and that they create one when they die." You are right. Were the original Arasai buds placed in captured Fae, or did Cristanos use yet more dark magics to give them physical bodies? Again, that is her secret. I wouldn't put either past her! What we know for sure is that when she damaged the chrysalis, the butterfly came out wrong!

    You are also correct to interpret the purple and blue orbs that languish around Neriak and especially Darklight Palace, are the spirit buds of Arasai.
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Arasai - Hate Gives Rise to Another Superior Race
    The Arasai

    Hate Gives Rise To Another SUperior Race

    Chapter 1: A Necessary Journey

    Long ago, before the world above was rocked and Luclin was shattered, the gods of Norrath walked this plane. They gave birth to a myriad of races. All of which were pitiful and in need of coddling, save one - Innorruk's Teir'Dal!

    They were ruthless, sinister, cunning, and dangerous. They were the very embodiment of His hate! For thousands of years they fulfilled his bidding and adhered to his tenets.

    Then came the years of his absence. But this did not mean the end of the great Teir'Dal empire! The Dark Prince had left the Teir'Dal his words - seeds of disdain that grew darker within them. Those seeds were then taken up and nurtured by Queen CHristanos of the Teir'Dal. She guided the empire and strengthened it even in times of isolation.

    But not all Teir'Dal are strong. Some showed weaknesses during this time and fell out of favor for speaking blasphemies about Her Ever-darkness, The Queen. Some attempts were even made upon her blessed life. The traitorous ones were all dealt with, slowly and agonizingly, but it made Her Unholyness angry and distrustful of other Teir'Dal.

    If she were to focus on the prosperity of Neriak and the empire of the Teir'Dal empire then she must have an army of allegiant warriors by her side!

    On a mission of secrecy a band of Teir'Dal traveled from Neriak to the disdained lands of Faydwer. There they were able to acquire, through clandestine acts, fae spirit blossoms.

    Chapter 2: The Circle of Hate and Creation

    Queen Christanos performed dark and beautifully abhorrent magics upon the captured spirit blossoms. She would allow them to birth, and then torture them with unspeakable acts. After the inevitably painful deaths, she would perform further sadistic magics upon the resulting spirit blossoms.

    Over and over, the cycle of birth, torment and death continued, thus molding them into something new - something superior to the fae by far!

    Chapter 3: Wings of Fate

    The wings of the fae turned out to be too fragile to withstand the violent acts. Time and time again, curing Queen Christanos' tainting of the blossoms, the creatures were formed with withered and broken wings.

    She knew this to be an opportunity to further remove them from the appearance of the pitiful fae, and to embody them with characteristics of creatures associated with such blissful aspects as decay and darkness.

    Through further delightful twisting, she adapted the wings of dark cave creatures such as bats and moths for her malignant children. But even to this day, a few arasai are born without wing or with wings too damaged to allow flight. As a result they are granted arcane constructed wings on which they can still glorify Her Darkness in deed and word.

    Chapter 4: Living in The City of Hate.

    The arasai are now just as Queen Christanos wanted. They are physical embodiments of undying devotion for their creator and goddess, with a penchant for dark magics and pain.

    She has arisen as a tangible goddess upon this plan and deserves to be exalted as such, by all!
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  7. Sapphirius Well-Known Member

    Hate's Envy - Fileyl Alyylharil

    You say, "Hail, Fileyl Alyylharil"
    Fileyl Alyylharil says, "Ah, it's one of... you."
    You say, "One of me?"
    Fileyl Alyylharil says, "Yes. One of you. One of Cristanos' chosen. You will get special treatment if you travel to Neriak. But don't worry, for each unearned right the Queen drapes about your shoulders, the distaste some have for you will only increase."
    You say, "Distaste?"
    Fileyl Alyylharil says, "You are not Teir'Dal, you are but our slave. Keeping that in mind at all times will make your time spent in our company all the easier. Forget it and, well, there are some who need little excuse to start trouble, especially with one of you."
    You say, "Very well."
    Fileyl Alyylharil says, "You learn quickly, that will serve you well. You will not find an abundance of love from most Teir'Dal. If you're looking for acceptance, go find Queen Cristanos. If you're looking for work, then you'll find it here."
    You say, "What work?"
    Fileyl Alyylharil says, "I don't think it matters much to you. It will earn you money, that's what's important. I've got it on good authority that the mayor is looking to clear out the dusk prowlers. Now, this is good, because they've been nothing but trouble since they got here. But it's also bad, because the more of them there are around the easier it is to get their pelts. Without pelts, I don't make any money. Thus, I need you to go collect some pelts for me."
    You say, "All right."
    Fileyl Alyylharil says, "I'll pay you when you give me the pelts."
    You say, "I'll return."

    You say, "Hail, Fileyl Alyylharil"
    Fileyl Alyylharil says, "Do you have the pelts?"
    You say, "Yes."
    Fileyl Alyylharil says, "Perfect. These are fine. As promised here's your payment. Keep working for me and I'll be sure to put in a good word for you with my political contacts in Neriak. I do have more work if you're interested."
    You say, "What work?"
    Fileyl Alyylharil says, "I use the Malkaen Weed that grows around here as part of a curing process. The process takes a very large amount of the weed, though. Fortunately, nobody ever sells the stuff since it's lying around everywhere. As such, it's dirt cheap or free, you just have to have someone to collect it. Which is what I'd like you to do."
    You say, "I can do that."
    Fileyl Alyylharil says, "Of course you can, a monkey could do it! But a monkey wouldn't know what to do with the money afterwards."
    You say, "I'll be back."

    You say, "Hail, Fileyl Alyylharil"
    Fileyl Alyylharil says, "Did you collect the weeds?"
    You say, "Yes, I did. Here you go."
    Fileyl Alyylharil says, "Good, good. I can get to work on more orders now. On that note, I've completed an order and need it delivered. Do you mind running it to the customer for me? The order is for Danya Halfmoon, she's usually outside at her anvil, just west of here. Yah, I'd do it but... well she's been quite annoying lately."
    You say, "I can bring it to her."
    Fileyl Alyylharil says, "I appreciate it."
    You say to, "You're welcome."
    You say, "Hail, Danya Halfmoon"
    Danya Halfmoon says, "What do you need? Just looking for a job?"
    You say, "I have your order from Fileyl."
    Danya Halfmoon says, "Ah. Then I appreciate it."
    You say, "You're welcome."

    You say, "Hail, Fileyl Alyylharil"
    Fileyl Alyylharil says, "Hello again. Leaving Hate's Envy anytime soon?"
    You say, "Maybe, why?"
    Fileyl Alyylharil says, "I have another delivery for you. This time the order needs to be delivered west of T'Vatar Post, which is north of here. Interested?"
    You say, "I'd be interested."
    Fileyl Alyylharil says, "It's for Dirzdia T'Zauvirr. She asked for it to be delivered near the southern bridge that crosses the Searing Tendril. That's the river that flows from the Smoldering Lake. To get there, follow the path out of Hate's Envy. When you hit T'Vatar Post, go west. When the fork splits, follow it left."
    You say, "I understand."
    Fileyl Alyylharil says, "Excellent. I'll be sure to speak highly of you in my dealings, Shikaeshi."
    You say, "Thank you."

    You say, "Hail, Dirzdia T'Zauvirr"
    Dirzdia T'Zauvirr says, "Hello."
    You say, "Hi. I've a delivery from Fileyl for you."
    Dirzdia T'Zauvirr says, "Perfect! Thanks! Just put it on the ground there."
    You say, "All right. Goodbye."
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Neriak - Arasai Mentor Quest

    You say, "Hail, Mur'ss Z'Hel'Viiryn"
    Mur'ss Z'Hel'Viiryn says, "I greet you, fellow child of the goddess! Glory to Her Splendid Deleteriousness!"
    You say, "And glory to Neriak, the city of hate!"
    Mur'ss Z'Hel'Viiryn says, "Good, good! Well, I have some plans that need tending. No more distractions!"
    You say, "Plans?"
    Mur'ss Z'Hel'Viiryn says, "Yes, my desires and plans so dark. They hatch soon! Such vile, such hate. Oh, it will be wondrous!"
    You say, "What plans are these?"
    Mur'ss Z'Hel'Viiryn says, "Well, my group and I are to... no. Look about, fool! I cannot speak of the evil secret plans here. Public space has many ears and many sneaky eyes. I can only say that it is evil! I do not even know if I can trust you with that!"
    You say, "I like evil. I can help you!"
    Mur'ss Z'Hel'Viiryn says, "I hope so. Tell you what, I've got a few loose ends that do need tying up for this plan to work. If you truly wish to help, that is."
    You say, "I do."
    Mur'ss Z'Hel'Viiryn says, "Very well. Gather bloodwine roots from around Neriak, and obtain the ancient Sacrificial Urn of Bile from the Darkhold Warehouse. Return to me, quickly!"
    You say, "I will."

    You say, "Hail, Mur'ss Z'Hel'Viiryn"
    Mur'ss Z'Hel'Viiryn says, "Hahahaha! Success! You have the roots and the sacrificial urn. Bless the Goddess! Now hold the urn."
    You say, "What? Why?"
    Mur'ss Z'Hel'Viiryn says, "Roch nar sne'eeee. Chu' zaarr kel'Feh leeet."
    You say, "Is that all?"
    Mur'ss Z'Hel'Viiryn says, "I trust you for one more task. Take the cursed sacrificial urn to Tsabrar De'Kenmtor, who waits at the The Toadstool Inn. Do not speak of me."
    You say, "Gotcha."

    You say, "Hail, Tsabrar De'Kenmtor"
    Tsabrar De'Kenmtor says, "What'da ya want?"
    You say, "I have come to present you this urn."
    Tsabrar De'Kenmtor says, "What?! You steal my prized urn, and then DARE to show your face to me?! I will not be paying you to get my house's item back!"
    You say, "Wait! It's not like that!"
    Tsabrar De'Kenmtor says, "You are the one that is to pay!"

    You say, "Hail, Mur'ss Z'Hel'Viiryn"
    Mur'ss Z'Hel'Viiryn says, "Hehehehe! You are all bruised. Hehehehe! Got you good!"
    You say, "You conniving little... Why I oughta..."
    Mur'ss Z'Hel'Viiryn says, "Calm your temper, and allow me to make it up to you. The laugh was well worth some payment!"
    You say, "Payment would be good."
    Mur'ss Z'Hel'Viiryn says, "Good, good! Here you are, Shikaeshi. May you walk within hate."
    You say, "Always."
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  8. Sapphirius Well-Known Member

    The Nursery - Matron of the Nursery Series

    You say, "Hail, Matron of the Nursery"
    Matron of the Nursery says, "Thank Tunare you're here! There's little time to explain. An infestation of shrumblers has appeared in the nursery and they're eating the spirit blooms! Can you help us?"
    You say, "Yes, I'll get rid of the shrumblers."
    Matron of the Nursery says, "The spirit blooms grow both to the east and west of here. Please be careful!"
    You say, "I'll be safe."
    Matron of the Nursery says, "I hope so. You are still quite young and those creatures can be very dangerous!"
    You say, "I will return."

    You say, "Hail, Matron of the Nursery"
    Matron of the Nursery says, "Thank you so much! The spirit blooms should be fine now. It was strange... we've never seen shrumblers that large or in such great numbers."
    You say, "Where did they come from?"
    Matron of the Nurserya says, "The shrumblers came from the direction of the pond just to the southwest. Vile grobin scouts were recently seen in that area. I know it is much to ask, but could you check out the area and get rid of any grobin scouts that you find?"
    You say, "Sure, I'll check things out."
    Matron of the Nursery says, "Thank you. I fear for the spirit bloom nursery with the grobins so close. It wouldn't surprise me if they're behind the infestation too!"
    You say, "I'll take care of things."

    You say, "Hail, Matron of the Nursery"
    Matron of the Nursery says, "Are the grobin scouts still out there?"
    You say, "I ran a few of them off.. I also saw some grobins putting something in the water of the pond."
    Matron of the Nursery says, "You noticed the grobins putting something in the pond's water? This is most troubling. The creatures and plants of this area depend on that enchanted water to grow big and strong! The grobins must be stopped or many things will suffer."
    You say, "I'll stop them."
    Matron of the Nursery says, "Thank you, Bellflower. The grobins are usually up to something devious. I hope you can find out what it is for the sake of the spirit bloom nursery."
    You say, "I'll do my best to find out."

    You say, "Hail, Matron of the Nursery"
    Matron of the Nursery says, "Were you able to find out what the grobins at the pond were up to?"
    You say, "Yes. They had jars of shrumbler eggs that they were pouring into the pond."
    Matron of the Nursery says, "So the grobin were behind the infestation! I knew it! Putting those eggs in the enchanted pond would make the shrumblers grow incredibly quick and strong. Hmm, I wonder where they were getting all those eggs, though. That question will have to wait, however. I've discovered a greater problem."
    You say, "What is wrong?"
    Matron of the Nursery says, "It seems the shrumblers did more damage to the spirit blooms than I previously thought. I need to heal the blooms but I don't have the components with me."
    You say, "I can get what you need."
    Matron of the Nursery says, "Thank you, Bellflower. The herbs can be harvested from the faeicia plants not far from here to the west."
    You say, "I'll go gather some."
    Matron of the Nursery says, "Be careful of the wolves though, they can be quite feisty if they haven't eaten."
    You say, "I'll be careful."

    You say, "Hail, Matron of the Nursery"
    Matron of the Nursery says, "Welcome back, Bellflower. Were you able to gather the healing herbs I need?"
    You say, "Yes, I have them right here."
    Matron of the Nursery says, "Very good. I'll begin the healing of the spirit blooms. Thank you so much for all you've done. I don't know what we would've done if you hadn't awoken when you did."
    You say, "You are welcome."
    Matron of the Nursery says, "Before you go, can you do one last thing for me? I fear the grobins will try attacking the spirit blooms again. I need you to deliver a message to Sentry Trillis and warn him about the grobins."
    You say, "I can take the message for you."
    Matron of the Nursery says, "Thank you, Bellflower. May Tunare bless you for all you have done! Now I have some spirit blooms to heal."
    You say, "Goodbye, Matron of the Nursery."

    You say, "Hail, Sentry Trillis"
    Sentry Trillis says, "Greetings, young one. What brings you to my post?"
    You say, "The Matron of the Nursery has a message for you."
    Sentry Trillis says, "She does? Hmmm... she's worried about the grobins, but she should rest easy. I spotted where the grobins ran off to when you scared them away from the pond. I already alerted my friend, Captain Steelforge."
    You say, "Where did they go?"
    Sentry Trillis says, "If you look west of here you might be able to make out the cave the grobins ran into. Captain Steelforge has been dispatched to investigate. If you want to help, you could take my report to him. "
    You say, "Sure. I can take the report for you."
    Sentry Trillisa says, "Thanks. The report is a simple "All Clear" for now, but I thought he would like to know. So long, Bellflower."
    You say, "So long, Sentry Trillis."

    You say, "Hail, Captain Steelforge"
    Captain Steelforge says, "Whoa, what are ye doin' out here? Thar be grobins in this cave that'll eat yer eyeballs and roast yer toes! Watch yerself youngin'."
    You say, "I brought a status report from Sentry Trillis."
    Captain Steelforge says, "Private Trillis' report, ya say? Good, looks like "All Clear" from up top, boys. Now ya best be gettin' to some place safe. Grobins ain't some wee pals to be playing ring-around-the-rosey-posey with."
    You say, "Grobins don't worry me. I already got rid of the ones at Amethyst Pond."
    Captain Steelforge says, "Not worried, eh? We could all use a bit o' help if yer interested. But it involves goin' into Drippy Caves, so it be okay if ye want to back out."
    You say, "I can handle it. What is going on?"
    Captain Steelforge says, "We got here a few minutes ago, and before we could even unload our packs, old Spelunkle darted into the caves to investigate. He's got no brains, but ya gotta admire his spunk. We need to set up the defenses here to contain the grobin, but I need you to check on Spelunkle and make sure he's okay."
    You say, "You got it."
    Captain Steelforge says, "I'm sure he's fine, but that don't stop me from worrying."
    You say, "I'll find him."

    You say, "Hail, Scout Spelunkle"
    Scout Spelunkle, "AAAAAHHHHH! Oh wait, yer not a grobin... What are you doin' scaring me like that!?"
    You say, "Captain Steelforge wanted to know if you were okay. You shouldn't go running off alone."
    Scout Spelunkle says, "Doh! I knew I forgot something... orders... I need to remember to get me orders first! Everything's okay here, I just really like my job as a Specialist Spelunker. Nothin' like crawlin' around in a dark, musty cave."
    You say, "Have you discovered anything while you were down here?"
    Scout Spelunkle says, "I found where the grobins are gettin' their shrumbler eggs. They're keepin' a big shrumbler in a cave near the back... and boy, she's a big one! They scoop up the icky eggs she lays, put 'em in jars and then they carry 'em out of here. "
    You say, "They need to be stopped. What do you have planned?"
    Scout Spelunkle says, "Me?! I'm not a sword swingin' or finger wigglin' type. I'm just an explorer! Maybe you can do it! You could get to the shrumbler queen you could take her out! "
    You say, "I'll do it."
    Scout Spelunkle says, "Good. All you have to do is eliminate the shrumbler queen. That'll stop the grobins from gettin those shrumbler eggs. Once you finish that, go back to the captain and let him know what happened."
    You say, "I understand."

    You say, "Hail, Captain Steelforge"
    Captain Steelforgea says, "Did ya find little Spelunkle? Tell me, is he okay?"
    You say, "He's fine. He also told me about the shrumbler queen they had in the cave."
    Captain Steelforge says, "The shrumbler queen they "had"? Did they go and move her or somethin'?"
    You say, "Nah, I took care of it."
    Captain Steelforge says, "You did? Amazin'! You solved our problems on your own?"
    You say, "I couldn't have done it without Spelunkle's help."
    Captain Steelforge says, "Cleanin' up the rest of these grobins should be a breeze now that you've destroyed their operation. You did a fine job, Bellflower. Please take this as payment. "
    You say, "Thank you, Captain Steelforge."
    Captain Steelforge says, "Oh, before you go... could you take this report of our activities to Jenthis Viridar at the Sapling Spur Outpost? You'll find the outpost through Echo Echo Canyon, east of here."
    You say, "Sure, I can take it."
    Captain Steelforge says, "Thanks again for all your help!"
    You say, "You are welcome."

    You say, "Hail, Jenthis Viridar"
    Jenthis Viridar says to you, "Welcome to Sapling Spur Outpost. I am Jenthis Viridar, the current rank around here. I, well... I'd like to offer our assistance, but we're in a bit of a predicament right now."
    You say to Jenthis Viridar, "I am Bellflower. I have a status report from Captain Steelforge."
    Jenthis Viridar says to you, "Ah, very good. I will... I will get to this when there's time."
    You say to Jenthis Viridar, "Glad to be of service."
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  9. Sapphirius Well-Known Member

    The Nursery - Brink Trudger Series

    You say, "Hail, Brink Trudger"
    Brink Trudger says, "Hi there, young one'! Heh. Off to start your adventures in the great-big, crazy world, eh? Always keep your wits about you! My wits saved me from a few scrapes over the years."
    You say, "Who are you?"
    Brink Trudger says, "The names Trudger, youngin', Brink Trudger. I've been where you're going. I used to be an adventurer, wandering the Shattered Lands, but now I help the Matron of the Nursery by making clothing for newly awakened fae. Eh, I could use your help, if you're willing."
    You say, "Sure. How can I help?"
    Brink Trudger says, "I'm running low on leather for my fae outfits. I'd go out hunting myself, but I don't think my old bones could take it. Hahaha! If you get me some growler pelts from the grey growlers west of here, I could tan them to make new strips of leather."
    You say, "I can get the hides for you."
    Brink Trudger says, "Great! I appreciate it!"
    You say, "This should be no problem."

    You say, "Hail, Brink Trudger"
    Brink Trudger says, "Howdy youngin'! How goes the hunt for the growler pelts?"
    You say, "I have some growler pelts for you."
    Brink Trudger says, "These are great! Nice skinning job on the hides. They'll make great leather pieces. You know, I hate to ask, but, uh, I need your help just one more time. "
    You say, "Sure, what is it?"
    Brink Trudger says, "While you were out, I discovered I'm almost out of the spider silk I use to sew fae clothes for the magically-inclined. I'd be in your debt if you'd get me just a small amount of spider silk so that I can continue making the wee fae outfits."
    You say, "I'll get the silk for you."
    Brink Trudger says, "Wonderful! The silkspinner spiders usually live in an area to the west, past the growlers. Be careful though, those silkspinners are dangerous fellers!"
    You say, "I'll be careful."

    You say, "Hail, Brink Trudger"
    Brink Trudger says, "Welcome back, Bellflower. Heehee ...Were you able to get your hands on some spider silk?"
    You say, "Yes, I have some spider silk for you."
    Brink Trudger says, "Marvelous! Uhoh! This silk is very good quality! You, you did an excellent job, and I know the fae appreciate your hard work. You'll make a fine adventurer, Bellflower. A fine adventurer, indeed. Huhuh."
    You say, "Is there anything else I can help with?"
    Brink Trudger says, "Hmmm... I'm running low on hard plates to use in making the armor for the heavy fighter types. If you get me the shells I need, I'd sure appreciate it."
    You say, "What kind of shells do you need?"
    Brink Trudger says, "I've been using crustacean and turtle shells. The clawsnaps and sand sifters on the beach seem plentiful. If you bring me their shells, I'm sure I'll be able to make them into hard armor for newly awakened fae."
    You say, "I'll get the shells for you."
    Brink Trudger says, "Thank you, Bellflower. I'll be right here putting this gear together."
    You say, "Okay, I'll be right back."

    You say, "Hail, Brink Trudger"
    Brink Trudger says, "Hello there, Bellflower. Any luck getting those shells from the beach?"
    You say, "Yes, I have them right here."
    Brink Trudger says, "Ah, these are excellent huhhuh. Not a scratch on 'em! Uh, these will make fine plate armor, indeed. We appreciate everything you've done. You're going to make a mark in this world, I tell you."
    You say, "Thanks, Brink."
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Sapling Spur Outpost - Call of Kelethin Quest

    You say, "Hail, Lady Astaar Evinien"
    Lady Astaar Evinien says, "Hello there! Are you here to participate in the Fae Ritual of Calling?"
    You say, "What's that?"
    Lady Astaar Evinien says, "It's a ritual that allows the Fae, as well as those who honor our ways, to return to Kelethin whenever they wish."
    You say, "I'd love to do that."
    Lady Astaar Evinien says, "Excellent! I have already heard of your prowess from the Matron, Bellflower, so this will be easy for you. The Fae use these simple rituals to help us retain our sense of community, especially with so many changes coming our way lately."
    You say, "What must I do?"
    Lady Astaar Evinien says, "You've heard of the Fae spirit buds and may have assumed that we are some type of plant! It's merely a figure of speech. Our spirit buds surround the city, observing and guiding us. When a spirit bud is ready for renewal, it chooses when and where to return. The ritual you'll perform welcomes a spirit back to us, helping it focus on our beloved city."
    You say, "I see."
    Lady Astaar Evinien says, "Take this simple offering with you to the memorial inside Kelethin to those who fell during the Siege. The best way to welcome a new spirit is by honoring those spirits no longer with us."
    You say, "I will do this."

    You say, "Hail, Lady Astaar Evinien"
    Lady Astaar Evinien says, "Have you placed the offering at the memorial?"
    You say, "Yes, I have."
    Lady Astaar Evinien says, "Do you understand? Or do you have questions?"
    You say, "I don't understand the meaning of the memorial."
    Lady Astaar Evinien says, "The memorial was placed on the remains of a tree burnt during the Siege. Many, not just Fae, lost their lives in that time. Many of our spirits were lost in that time...so we honor the returning Fae spirits that much more. We are glad that they can return, you see?"
    You say, "I see."
    Lady Astaar Evinien says, "May Tunare guide you, Bellflower! You've shown the Fae respect by honoring our ritual. I'm pleased to present you with the Call of Kelethin, so that your spirit may also return to us."
    You say, "Thank you."
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  10. Sapphirius Well-Known Member

    Kelethin - Fae Rite of Passage Series

    You say, "Hail, Lady Katri Eloranta"
    Lady Katri Eloranta says, "Hello, I am Lady Katri Eloranta, advisor. How may I help you?"
    You say, "I am seeking adventure."
    Lady Katri Eloranta says, "Are you ready to begin your studies for the Rite of Passage?"
    You say, "The Rite of Passage?"
    Lady Katri Eloranta says, "Once you complete the Rite of Passage, you are granted full access to the city of Kelethin. The Rite tests your knowledge, capability and competence and allows us to see what your spirit remembers."
    You say, "My spirit remembers quite a lot, but it forgot about the Rite of Passage."
    Lady Katri Eloranta says, "That's natural. As time flows past us, our spirit buds save only what is absolutely necessary for our survival. The Rite of Passage has changed over time as we have changed ourselves. Are you ready to begin?"
    You say, "I am ready."
    Lady Katri Eloranta says, "The Rite of Passage is a test of your maturity. While our spirits retain the essentials stored by our ancestors, we are only able to pass the Rite of Passage at the right time of our growth."
    You say, "There are several tests, aren't there?"
    Lady Katri Eloranta says, "Correct. And you must pass each test, though you can certainly take as much time as you need. This isn't a test of speed, but of spirit."
    You say, "I understand."
    Lady Katri Eloranta says, "You will learn everything you need to know from the instructors, but which elements will be in your individual Rite of Passage will only be revealed in the final test."
    You say, "What should I study first?"
    Lady Katri Eloranta says, "Although we are peaceful, we all learn the art of self-defense. Go to the library, just one platform over, where you will learn about our self-defense postures. And be careful crossing the platforms, Bellflower."
    You say, "I know!"
    Lady Katri Eloranta says, "I realize you've heard that all your life, but it would certainly be a shame to lose such a promising spirit at this point, wouldn't it?"
    You say, "I will come back when I've completed this task."

    You say, "Hail, Bark Chiselchin"
    Bark Chiselchin says, "Your form needs improvement! Keep your back straight!"
    You say, "Excuse me?"
    Bark Chiselchin says, "It's all in the posture. Always be ready, that's the path to self-defense! You have to be ready to sway like the wind, to flow like water and to bite like an angry fly. That's the art of self-defense!"
    You say, "Should I know anything more?"
    Bark Chiselchin says, "You should learn all your life, kid. Otherwise, life isn't worth living. That's the whole truth of self-defense. You want to last longer than your opponent. Self-defense isn't something that can be taught, but it can be learned. Got it?"
    You say, "Got it."
    Bark Chiselchin says, "If you're ever jumped again, it's your own fault. Keep your shoulders back, your ears clean and your head high. Now off with you! Back to Lady Katri, I've business to attend to."
    You say, "Will do."

    You say, "Hail, Lady Katri Eloranta"
    Lady Katri Eloranta says, "How goes your self-defense training?"
    You say, "I completed the training, my lady."
    Lady Katri Eloranta says, "Don't be so formal, Bellflower. Please, call me "Katri." The title of "Lady" is merely the way that advisors such as myself are distinguished in Kelethin. Or have you forgotten that?"
    You say, "I'm sorry, but I honestly don't remember."
    Lady Katri Eloranta says, "Not to worry. The Rite of Passage exists to teach you not only how to conduct yourself but also how to retain the memories of your spirit so that they may be passed down through the generations."
    You say, "Should I study more about history now?"
    Lady Katri Eloranta says, "That's an excellent idea, Bellflower. Much of our history is inherited through our spirit bud and yet, there are still gaps. The collective memories of our community are what maintains our continuity. Your first instructor is my sister, Lyyti Eloranta."
    You say, "She is a history teacher?"
    Lady Katri Eloranta says, "There are several, all in Kelethin. My sister, Lyyti Eloranta, is an excellent teacher."
    You say, "I'll get started on my history lessons."
    Lady Katri Eloranta says, "Lyyti is minding her shop on the platform near the bank. If you get lost, ask any of the guards to help you find her."
    You say, "Thank you!"

    You say, "Hail, Lyyti Eloranta"
    Lyyti Eloranta says, "May I help you with something?"
    You say, "Lady Katri said that you're the history instructor."
    Lyyti Eloranta says, "Are you wondering why she sent you to learn history from a merchant?"
    You say, "Sort of. Did you used to be a history teacher?"
    Lyyti Eloranta says, "I love our Fae heritage and when Katri told me she would be the Rite of Passage advisor, I told her I wanted to help. I believe my spirit used to inhabit that of a teacher. Each Fae's spirit holds memories and experiences from the ancestors, but they are often incomplete, leaving gaps in our history that only the community's knowledge can fill."
    You say, "Will these lessons fill in all the gaps?"
    Lyyti Eloranta says, "I'm not going to talk your ears off about history -- yet! Your spirit bud has begun to re-awaken. That's how you know it's time for you to consider the Rite of Passage. To help your spirit along, sometimes it needs to be -- jiggled."
    You say, "You want me to jump around?"
    Lyyti Eloranta says, "Not really. Have you ever had the feeling that you've been somewhere before, but you honestly don't recall ever being there in your life? That's the re-awakening of your spirit bud. The Rite of Passage completes its re-awakening, revealing some of its experiences and memories to you."
    You say, "Will all the old memories come back?"
    Lyyti Eloranta says, "Sometimes, though that is very rare. Usually, when a Fae's life ends and our spirits return to bud form, it is quite a long time before that spirit bud is ready to be renewed. The memories of each spirit are unique. The more of them we awaken, the more history we remember."
    You say, "What must I do now, then?"
    Lyyti Eloranta says, "You will need to visit several areas of Kelethin to help your spirit further its re-awakening. Pay attention to the areas that stir your interest the most, for those are places that held importance to your spirit at some point along the way."
    You say, "And then? Where's the history in this lesson?"
    Lyyti Eloranta says, "You will speak to several different folks along the way -- I've written their names down for you in your journal. You should start with Banker Athinae over there. The history is within you. All we can do is help re-awaken it."
    You say, "All right."

    You say, "Hail, Athinae Panteraas"
    Athinae Panteraas says, "How can I help you today?"
    You say, "Lyyti suggested I come speak with you."
    Athinae Panteraas says, "Ah, Bellflower! You're starting your Rite of Passage already? Why, I remember when your spirit bud was smaller than a wisp! Time flows swiftly these days, faster than in the Rings of old."
    You say, "Do you remember much about Kelethin's past?"
    Athinae Panteraas says, "As much as I need to remember. Kelethin was made by the Feir'Dal -- the wood elves. Many of them left or otherwise dwindled away while our Fae spirits continued to grow. My own spirit reacted so strongly to being inside the bank when I started the Rite of Passage that I knew I was destined to be a banker. Or a bank robber!"
    You say, "I guess you chose the former! Er, right?"
    Athinae Panteraas says, "Of course, Bellflower! All my memories are tied into financing, tracking the possessions folks place into or take out of their accounts. As a congratulations for beginning your Rite of Passage, we've prepared a banking slot for you. You can store items as well as coin safely here."
    You say, "That's good to know!"
    Athinae Panteraas says, "If you have questions about how banking works, talk to Trainer Kaali at Green Knoll. She's the one who taught me! Meanwhile, I need to tend to our customers' needs. Best wishes on beginning your journey, Bellflower!"
    You say, "Thank you!"
    luminosa and Uwkete-of-Crushbone like this.
  11. Sapphirius Well-Known Member

    You say, "Hail, Raimo Heinila"
    Raimo Heinila says, "Yes? What do you want?"
    You say, "I've started the Rite of Passage and..."
    Raimo Heinila says, "That gives you the right to interrupt me on my walk? It's bad enough that the Outsiders won't leave me in peace, but a young sprout like you should know better."
    You say, "But Lyyti said to speak with you!"
    Raimo Heinila says, "And if Lyyti said to jump off one of the bridges, would you? The value in history, sprout, is that when you remember it, you can avoid making the same mistakes. I am still trying to learn that lesson."
    You say, "What kind of mistakes?"
    Raimo Heinila says, "Mistakes in war and in peace! We should never have allowed the Outsiders to come to Kelethin. Huh! Look at the poor, diseased treants on Green Knoll -- they're dying of an Outsiders' disease. Before long, the disease will waste away treants throughout the Faydarks and who knows what else must suffer for that."
    You say, "We could heal the treants...or cull them."
    Raimo Heinila says, "Our healing has proved useless against whatever plague the Outsiders have placed upon those defenseless treants. You're so eager to defend the Outsiders, you are free to clean up after them as well. Princess Saphronia is right. They'll bring nothing but death, as they always have."
    You say, "Queen Amree says..."
    Raimo Heinila says, "Queen Amree's spirit comes from a different Ring entirely. You want to listen to happy stories, go see Hamnal Teolofin. Now, please, leave an old spirit in peace. Ugh. Mark my words -- we'll be sorry for the day the Outsiders arrived."
    You say, "I'm sorry to have bothered you."

    You say, "Hail, Lady Katri Eloranta"
    Lady Katri Eloranta, "You've finished your Fae history studies so soon?"
    You say, "Not yet, but I have some questions."
    Lady Katri Eloranta says, "I'll do my best to answer. What is it?"
    You say, "I spoke with Raimo...he blames Outsiders for bringing disease to the Faydarks."
    Lady Katri Eloranta says, "Dark events in Raimo's past lives continue to shadow his outlook to this day. Not all Fae believe Outsiders are evil."
    You say, "I don't believe all Outsiders are to blame, though I am troubled by the diseased treants."
    Lady Katri Eloranta says, "Ah, the poor treants, rotting from the inside out. We've tried to heal them, but by the time the disease is obvious, it's too late. And I fear the disease is spreading."
    You say, "Are all the treants of the Faydark at risk?"
    Lady Katri Eloranta says, "All of nature is bound together. When one being suffers, those around it suffer as well. There are spiders and beetles that seem to show signs of disease as well, poor wretches."
    You say, "What can we do about it?"
    Lady Katri Eloranta says, "You stand at the cusp of your adulthood. What do you recommend that we do with these creatures, Bellflower? What does your spirit tell you?"
    You say, "We must cull those that are diseased."
    Lady Katri Eloranta says, "Destruction is not something we Fae take lightly, but it is sometimes the only way. We have quarantined those creatures beginning to show signs of disease here on Green Knoll."
    You say, "I will remove the diseased creatures."
    Lady Katri Eloranta says, "Thank you, Bellflower. Let me know when you are ready to go on with your history lessons."
    You say, "I will."


    You say, "Hail, Lady Katri Eloranta"
    Lady Katri Eloranta says, "You seem troubled, Bellflower. What is it?"
    You say, "I wish we could have healed those creatures."
    Lady Katri Eloranta/a says, "So do we all. Whenever possible, we prefer the way of peace and harmony. When we must kill something, we prefer it be in self-defense. All things must be done for the greater good, even if it goes against our personal feelings on the matter. In that way, it is our personal Ring of Fate."
    You say, "It just didn't seem right, hunting things that were so obviously sick."
    Lady Katri Eloranta says, "I understand. And you wonder why I would ask someone on their Rite of Passage to do this task."
    You say, "What would make them so diseased they could not be healed?"
    Lady Katri Eloranta says, "A good question. My suspicion is that some external force is at work. A force which knows that many Fae will blame the Outsiders for the sickness."
    You say, "Something trying to stir up trouble between the Fae and the Outsiders?"
    Lady Katri Eloranta says, "And amongst the Fae. Our Queen Amree welcomes Outsiders, yet her heir Princess Saphronia does not. We are so busy arguing about the Outsiders that this malevolent force is free to walk amongst us, unnoticed but for its ill effects."
    You say, "There must be something we can do to find out."
    Lady Katri Eloranta says, "Our information is very limited, yet... I've heard a few rumors..."
    You say, "What sort of rumors?"
    Lady Katri Eloranta says, "I would not distract you from the Rite of Passage, Bellflower, if it were not so important to protect these creatures from the ravages of disease. Have you heard of the Grender?"
    You say, "No. What's that?"
    Lady Katri Eloranta says, "The Grender is a twisted creature rumored to be half-man, half-beast. And like a parasite, it sucks the life force out of the world around it and gives nothing back in return."
    You say, "Has the Grender's involvement been proven?"
    Lady Katri Eloranta says, "No, it is only conjecture. In fact, no one has proven it even exists. But if all be true, our realm would be in considerable danger. One of the Fae Royal Messengers has been trying to locate its lair. Perhaps you can aid him?"
    You say, "I'll locate the Grender!"
    Lady Katri Eloranta says, "Excellent, Bellflower! It might just be a rumor, but all rumors have some basis in fact. If nothing else, you may help disprove that the Grender even exists."
    You say, "Where will I find the Fae Royal Messenger?"
    Lady Katri Eloranta says, "Speak with Kalamar Vesinger, our local Grender expert. You'll find him at Joleena's Restaurant in Kelethin. Safe journeys."
    You say, "I'll let you know what I find out."

    You say, "Hail, Kalamar Vesinger"
    Kalamar Vesinger says to you, "Yes? How can I help you?"
    You say, "Lady Katri said you might be able to help me."
    Kalamar Vesinger says, "Ah, if Lady Katri sent you, I'd be more than happy to help you. What is it you need, huh?"
    You say, "It's about the Grender...I hear you're the first person who saw it."
    Kalamar Vesinger says, "I haven't actually seen it myself, but I did some of the initial investigation into its existence. I'm sure it really exists. Some folks are skeptical, though."
    You say, "Why is that?"
    Kalamar Vesinger says, "For one thing, if such a creature existed, why hasn't anyone seen it before? Also, we can't find its lair. It's possible that it spreads its influence from Lesser Faydark, but then why haven't we seen evidence of disease on creatures anywhere else?"
    You say, "Have the scouts been able to learn anything?"
    Kalamar Vesinger says, "We've been debating whether or not no news is good news. No recent incidents have been reported around Kelethin. However, given that only creatures near our town have been affected, it's likely that the Grender is nearby."
    You say, "Sounds reasonable."
    Kalamar Vesinger says, "A creature that large could only hide in a few places. Perhaps you'd help out by investigating a few of these places?"
    You say, "Of course!"
    Kalamar Vesinger says, "Excellent. Here's a scroll for you. It has a list of some areas that shouldn't be too difficult for you to reach on your own. Take a quick look around, then come back and let me know what you find out."
    You say, "I'll be back."

    You say, "Hail, Kalamar Vesinger"
    Kalamar Vesinger says, "How goes the hunt?"
    You say, "I've been everywhere on the list but haven't seen anything about the Grender."
    Kalamar Vesinger says, "No? That's disappointing, to say the least. We did receive one more report while you were gone, but it's not particularly credible."
    You say, "Why's that?"
    Kalamar Vesinger says, "The report indicates that the Grender is in Kelethin! That's just absurd. And yet, how else would a creature like this be able to affect saplings and other young creatures so close to our home?"
    You say, "If the Grender were inside the city, someone would sound the alarm."
    Kalamar Vesinger says, "My thoughts exactly. It is possible, however unlikely, that the Grender's lair is beneath Kelethin itself. You don't recall seeing anything out of the ordinary? Anything that a creature could hide in?"
    You say, "Well...there are some very large tree stumps."
    Kalamar Vesinger says, "So you suspect the Grender is inside one of these stumps? Hm. This could be dangerous. Kelethin is linked to two of these stumps via bridges and platforms. If the Grender has a lair that close, we may have simply been searching for it too far away!"
    You say, "I could check out these stumps for you."
    Kalamar Vesinger says, "Yes...yes, that would be excellent! Search the stumps carefully. It could be that the Grender is using some sort of magical device to concentrate his influence around the city. That would certainly explain why these diseased creatures have only been seen nearby."
    You say, "I'll be thorough."
  12. Sapphirius Well-Known Member

    You say, "Hail, Kalamar Vesinger"
    Kalamar Vesinger says, "Any news, Bellflower?"
    You say, "I located several magical devices and destroyed them."
    Kalamar Vesinger says, "Ah...so the latest reports were true. Which stump is that beast using as its lair?"
    You say, "The central stump."
    Kalamar Vesinger says, "Bellflower, for someone who has not completed the Rite of Passage, you show commendable courage and initiative. I'm very impressed! Your spirit has found a worthy place to reawaken."
    You say, "Thank you! But what can I do to help now?"
    Kalamar Vesinger says to you, "This might be beyond what Lady Katri had intended when she sent you to me. Perhaps you should check with her to see if she will allow you to assist us further. She will be working with other newcomers and Rite of Passage applicants near the Old Kelethin Acorn Lift."
    You say, "I'll do that."

    You say, "Hail, Lady Katri Eloranta"
    Lady Katri Eloranta says, "Have you learned more about the Grender?"
    You say, "Apparently, it really does exist -- and it's using one of Kelethin's tree stumps as its lair!"
    Lady Katri Eloranta says, "The Grender using one of our own trees as its lair is very bad news. When something is close to you, you tend to overlook it. This creature must be dealt with, and swiftly!"
    You say, "I want to help!"
    Lady Katri Eloranta says, "No, Bellflower. You are in the midst of your Rite of Passage. If you leave now before it is complete, you may never be able to finish."
    You say, "Kelethin must be saved at all costs."
    Lady Katri Eloranta says, "You're willing to sacrifice your own future to save Kelethin?"
    You say, "Yes. My spirit will renew someday, whether in me or in someone else."
    Lady Katri Eloranta says to you, "Well done, Bellflower. I knew I sensed greatness in you."
    You say, "You did?"
    Lady Katri Eloranta says to you, "Of course! I venture to say that you will want to discuss strategies concerning the Grender with someone. It won't do to just rush blindly in for the attack. Speak with Jalmari Keletana, near the Old Kelethin Acorn Lift. She belongs to our self-defense counsel and will assist you."
    You say, "I'll speak with her now."

    You say, "Hail, Jalmari Keletana"
    Jalmari Keletana says, "Yes? Can I help you?"
    You say, "I need to speak with you about the Grender."
    Jalmari Keletana says, "The Grender? I do not have time to listen to more rumors about a mythical creature!"
    You say, "But I have proof!"
    Jalmari Keletana says, "Where is your "proof," Bellflower? Do you think it's wise to pull a prank while you're undergoing the Rite of Passage? No one has forgotten that stunt you pulled in Joleena's Restaurant."
    You say, "I was much younger then. And besides, there really is a Grender!"
    Jalmari Keletana says, "Where is the proof, then? How were you able to locate it while our scouts could not?"
    You say, "The scouts focused on areas farther away. The Grender is beneath Kelethin itself."
    Jalmari Keletana says, "Interesting...then we'll need to hold a meeting to discuss what this could mean and how we're to handle it. The Queen will want to be involved. She's very hands-on. When you get to the Fae Royal Hall, speak with the Lady Milika Vikaarinen. She'll decide whether you get to meet Queen Amree today or not."
    You say, "I get to meet the Queen?"
    Jalmari Keletana says, "Before you seek an audience with her, speak to Hamnal and Eleoona. They're both members of the self-defense team stationed near the other two lifts. Explain to them what has happened and get their recommendations before you head to the Fae Royal Hall."
    You say, "I'll be on my way."

    You say, "Hail, Eleoona Faleisinae"
    Eleoona Faleisinae says, "What do you seek?"
    You say, "Jalmari Keletana sent me to ask your advice about the Grender."
    Eleoona Faleisinae says, "The Grender? I've heard of it. They say it breathes fire and belches a thick gaseous cloud that poisons all it touches! They say its eyes are red hot coals and if you stare into them, you'll be blinded!"
    You say, "They say that?"
    Eleoona Faleisinae says, "Of course not! Heehee ... I'm just kidding! What do you need advice about?"
    You say, "Working with Kalamar Vesinger, I've located the Grender's lair beneath Kelethin. Jalmari wants to know what you recommend we do."
    Eleoona Faleisinae says, "I've no time for your foolishness! I'm planning the next social event for the self-defense force and it does not include waltzing with the Grender. Please, take your jokes elsewhere."
    You say, "But I...oh, nevermind."

    You say, "Hail, Hamnal Teolofin"
    Hamnal Teolofin says, "Yes? What can I do for you?"
    You say, "Jalmari sent me to speak with you about the Grender."
    Hamnal Teolofin says, "Why does Jalmari think I'd be interested in more rumors and nonsense about that mythical creature?"
    You say, "In working with Kalamar Vesinger, I've located the Grender's lair -- beneath Kelethin!"
    Hamnal Teolofina says, "That's not good. We'll need to move swiftly against it. So it really exists? That is disheartening, that something could spread disease to our land and be hiding so close to our homes!"
    You say, "Jalmari wants your advice on the matter."
    Hamnal Teolofin says, "Move swiftly. If it is close by, then it would notice any sudden change in our behaviors. We must act before it suspects that we know where it is. And that it actually exists."
    You say, "Thank you!"

    You say, "Hail, Lady Milika Vikaarinen"
    Lady Milika Vikaarinen says, "Greetings! What brings you into the Fae Royal Hall this day?"
    You say, "I have news of the Grender!"
    Lady Milika Vikaarinen says, "The mythical beast that supposedly steals a Fae's wings at night?"
    You say, "Er...I don't think that's the same one."
    Lady Milika Vikaarinen says, "What Grender is it, then?"
    You say, "The one that's brought disease to Greater Faydark's creatures. Its lair is directly beneath Kelethin!"
    Lady Milika Vikaarinen says, "This is terrible news! We must defend Kelethin at all costs!"
    You say, "I know where it is. I'll go!"
    Lady Milika Vikaarinen says, "You? Hm...I would prefer to send someone with more experience, but perhaps stealth is the wiser course. You know where it is and can hurry there before it escapes. Speak with Queen Amree and ask permission to undertake this task."
    You say, "I will."

    You say, "Hail, Queen Amree"
    Queen Amree says, "Welcome to the Hall. What is it you seek?"
    You, "I seek permission to hunt the Grender!"
    Queen Amree says, "Ah, so you're the one who has proven its existence! You wouldn't believe some of the tales I've been hearing about it."
    You say, "I've heard them, too."
    Queen Amree says, "Kelethin is grateful for your assistance. This will be an excellent challenge for you. Go, then, and come see me when you have completed this task."
    You say, "Thank you, Ma'am."

    You say, "Hail, Queen Amree"
    Queen Amree says, "Have you successfully slain the Grender?"
    You say, "Yes, I have!"
    Queen Amree says, "Excellent! I've heard of you from my cousin, Lady Katri. She has been quite pleased with your progress."
    You say, "Thank you, Ma'am!"
    Queen Amree says, "She's so pleased, in fact, that she considers the completion of this deed sufficient to prove your spirit's awakening. Bellflower, you have successfully completed your Rite of Passage! Congratulations!"
    You say, "I don't know what to say!"
    Queen Amree says, "Your dedication to Kelethin has been admirable. Go now and receive your reward from Lady Katri. Good luck to you always, Bellflower. May Tunare bless you."
    You say, "Thank you!"

    You say, "Hail, Lady Katri Eloranta"
    Lady Katri Eloranta says, "What's the latest news about the Grender?"
    You say, "I received permission from Queen Amree herself to slay the Grender."
    Lady Katri Eloranta says, "Then the creatures of Greater Faydark will be safe again! That is excellent news, Bellflower."
    You say, "Queen Amree said that I might be finished with the Rite of Passage already. Is that true?"
    Lady Katri Eloranta says, "You have shown that you put others before yourself, that your spirit has matured to the point where you are no longer a youth, but a full member of our society. Yes. You have passed. Congratulations!"
    You say, "I'm honored."
    Lady Katri Eloranta says, "Should you wish to continue learning more about your Fae heritage, Lady Aileeta Reila will be happy to help you."
    You say, "Thank you."
    Lady Katri Eloranta says, "You should speak with Innkeeper Twiggy in Kelethin about getting a room for yourself, if you haven't done so already."
    You say, "I appreciate your help, Lady Katri."
    Lady Katri Eloranta says, "You'll also want to speak with Gibrien Marsden, the Assistant City Registrar. He will explain what must be done to register as a citizen of Kelethin. May Tunare bless you, Bellflower!"
    You say, "Farewell!"
  13. Sapphirius Well-Known Member

    Kelethin - Fae Mentor Series

    You say, "Hail, Lady Aileeta Reila"
    Lady Aileeta Reila says, "Hello, Bellflower! How are things going for you?"
    You say, "Lady Katri said you could teach me more about Fae history."
    Lady Aileeta Reila says, "Certainly! We all heard how you located the fabled Grender and bested it in combat! Good for you! But let's not completely neglect your Rite of Passage. What can I tell you about our history?"
    You say, "Everyone speaks of the Rings and I'm afraid my knowledge of them is pretty sketchy."
    Lady Aileeta Reila says, "The Fae measure time as do the trees: in Rings. The Outsiders use a system of "Ages" to describe events in their past. I prefer our system, as it is so much more organic. I'd be happy to help you remember the system."
    You say, "Thank you! Where do we begin?"
    Lady Aileeta Reila says, "At the beginning, of course! I know you did not have a chance to reawaken your spirit bud by visiting all the traditional places. We'll start with that. And it is not so difficult as it may seem, for learning history is learning the meaning of your surroundings."
    You say, "That's encouraging."
    Lady Aileeta Reila says, "I knew you'd think so! Restaurateur Brizeyl Myrika at Joleena's Restaurant can help you remember the Dream Ring. Try speaking with her."
    You say, "I'll do so."

    You say, "Hail, Restauranteur Brizeyl Myrika"
    Restauranteur Brizeyl Myrika says, "Welcome to Joleena's Restaurant, Bellflower! I haven't seen you come in for a bit!"
    You say, "Hi, Brizeyl! Lady Aileeta suggested I speak with you about Fae time Rings."
    Restauranteur Brizeyl Myrika says, "And I'll just bet you're wondering why! Don't tilt your nose that way, I'd be wondering, too. You see, as the current owner of Joleena's Restaurant, it's my obligation to keep the connection with our history."
    You say, "Has there always been a Joleena's Restaurant in Kelethin?"
    Restauranteur Brizeyl Myrika says to you, "No, but it harkens back to the first Queen of the Fae, Joleena. Back then, the Fae didn't interact with Outsiders much, but Joleena changed the way the Fae thought and felt about them. For the most part."
    You say, "This was in the Dream Ring, wasn't it?"
    Restauranteur Brizeyl Myrika says, "That's right. Because we were so young a race, formed from Tunare's footsteps in those days, we call that first Ring of time the Dream Ring. Joleena helped us realize that even though we are not like Tunare's other children, we could all share her blessings."
    You say, "And she was elected the first Queen of the Fae for her wisdom."
    Restauranteur Brizeyl Myrika says, "You remember more than you think. That's because your spirit bud also remembers and it guides your thoughts. Some call it intuition, but it's really your spirit."
    You say, "I don't remember the names of all our Queens, though."
    Restauranteur Brizeyl Myrika says, "The Fae are lucky. Most of our lifetimes have been fairly peaceful and who remembers who was Queen in a time of peace? It's unfortunate that we usually remember only those who led in times of chaos."
    You say, "What about Queen Maarita?"
    Restauranteur Brizeyl Myrika says, "Queen Maarita was the first Queen of the Fae whose coronation was attended by Outsiders -- the Feir'Dal. Maarita had lived amongst them for a long while. She bridged the gaps between our kind and theirs. But then, you remember her because of what happened next."
    You say, "The War of Fay."
    Restauranteur Brizeyl Myrika says, "That began the Burning Ring, when the armies of the Teir'Dal sent troops to burn Kelethin and keep the Feir'Dal from helping the Koada'Dal in Felwithe. A very sad time. We could not imagine the children of Tunare in such chaos."
    You say, "You sound so sad."
    Restauranteur Brizeyl Myrika says, "My spirit grows heavy with remembering those dark times. It was because of the Burning Ring that so many Fae view Outsiders poorly, you know. Ah, well. I must return to my other duties. You'll want to know more, though, I'm sure."
    You say, "Who else should I speak with?"
    Restauranteur Brizeyl Myrika says, "No one, for now. The Rings are so numerous that your ears would fall off or their tips bend over from the strain of listening! Let's instead ruin your eyesight. Go to the library in Old Kelethin and read up on the subject. You'll be able to find the book easily on the shelves of one of the bookcases there."
    You say, "Thank you, Brizeyl!"

    You say, "Hail, Lady Aileeta Reila"
    Lady Aileeta Reila says, "Did you find time to speak with Brizeyl?"
    You say, "Yes, I did."
    Lady Aileeta Reila says, "Did talking with her help you remember anything?"
    You say, "No...I remembered nothing."
    Lady Aileeta Reila says, "Not every spirit bud lived through every Ring, so what memories come back are irregular. Some Fae do not remember anything of their past, ever. It's another one of Tunare's mysteries."
    You say, "Brizeyl recommended I read about our history."
    Lady Aileeta Reila says, "So you've finished reading The History of the Fae? Then let's begin the test!"
    You say, "I'll bet it's a history test."
    Lady Aileeta Reila says, "History is important to the Fae, for we have Tunare's gift of our spirits re-blossoming. That means we have better memories than others! Usually. I still forget where I put down a book I was just reading. But anyway, let's begin."
    You say, "I'm ready."
    Lady Aileeta Reila says, "Who was the first Queen of the Fae?"
    You say, "Queen Joleena."
    Lady Aileeta Reila says, "Correct! Queen Amree is our current Queen and she's descended through her maternal line all the way back to Queen Joleena. Next -- Name a major event of the Burning Ring."
    You say, "The War of the Fay."
    Lady Aileeta Reila says, "Yes, a very dark time for all of Faydwer. We had never seen a war of elves against elves before and it was terrible to behold. And the Teir'Dal...well, never mind. Next -- Who saved Kelethin from the Crushbone orcs' siege?"
    You say, "The brownies of Lesser Faydark."
    Lady Aileeta Reila says, "Excellent! You paid attention to your reading, that's great! Your final question -- What Ring are we currently in?"
    You say, "Peaceful Ring."
    Lady Aileeta Reila says, "You know quite a bit about our history, Bellflower! Let's move onto the present, shall we?"
    You say, "Of course! I liked learning our history, though."
    Lady Aileeta Reila says, "Many Fae have conflicting views on the past -- their own perception is colored by the memories of their spirit bud. In this way, the reblossoming is both a blessing and a curse. If we lived only in the present, I'm sure we'd be less suspicious of the Outsiders."
    You say, "Some Outsiders are interested in helping the Fae and befriending Kelethin."
    Lady Aileeta Reila says, "That's true. And, in fact, some Outsiders have asked to help us gather ingredients for some of our unguents. It's a good idea for you to learn to identify some of the items that we use in distilling our healing potions and salves. Then if you want, you'll be able to share this knowledge."
    You say, "All right."
    Lady Aileeta Reila says, "The first ingredient that you'll need to identify are the medicinal lichens that grow near Granite Hills. Second, the Greater Faydark is home to numerous mushrooms, but only a certain kind is useful for our purposes, and you'll find them in fairy rings near other mushroom clusters. Finally, you'll need to obtain some medicinal berries from the bushes that grow only in very damp conditions, near ponds and streams."
    You say, "I'll look for them."
  14. Sapphirius Well-Known Member

    You say, "Hail, Lady Aileeta Reila"
    Lady Aileeta Reila says, "How goes the plant identification, Bellflower?"
    You say, "I've found the types of medicinal plants you requested."
    Lady Aileeta Reila says, "These are in great condition. Identifying what flora can be used in healing salves is very important, even if you're not a healer. We Fae are very versatile, but somethings are nice for us all to know."
    You say, "Are the Fae usually healers?"
    Lady Aileeta Reila says, "Fae make a variety of choices depending on what they are drawn to by their spirit bud. Those of us whose spirits feel pulled toward teaching tend to become mentors or teachers. Others are drawn to self-defense. Sometimes, when you cannot decide, it means your spirit bud has been drawn to a number of different professions."
    You say, "How much of my life am I living of my own choice?"
    Lady Aileeta Reila says, "Though your spirit is drawn to places and professions, wherever you take wing is ultimately your own, Bellflower. Our spirits guide us. They do not dictate what we must do. Would you like to explore your interests a little more?"
    You say, "Yes, I would."
    Lady Aileeta Reila says, "From your question, I gather you're unsure of whether you're making your own choices, or if your choices are dictated to you by your own past."
    You say, "Something like that."
    Lady Aileeta Reila says, "That's another sign of your spirit reblossoming. All the memories within it, as well as your new memories, are turning over and around, trying to make sense of things. Don't worry about it, just let things happen to you."
    You say, "How does that help me understand it?"
    Lady Aileeta Reila says, "What you need to do is get some perspective. I realize you already feel a sense of calling toward a given profession. That's natural! Now let us walk through some ways that we Fae use our calling and skills to aid those around us."
    You say, "How?"
    Lady Aileeta Reila says, "The medicinal flora you gathered is one facet. Fae are skilled at recognizing the intrinsic benefits of many plants in Greater Faydark. This is a gift from Tunare, to be in tune with nature's bounty."
    You say, "I see. What else?"
    Lady Aileeta Reila says, "Speak with Whittier. He is a treant who has chosen to live with us in Kelethin. He's got a very good memory and can help you even more than I can. He'll guide you further. Good luck, Bellflower!"
    You say, "Thank you!"

    You say, "Hail, Whittier"
    Whittier says, "Nothing like living high amongst the branches, eh?"
    You say, "Lady Aileeta said I should speak with you."
    Whittier says, "Of course you should! Everyone should, but folks these days are more interested in themselves than in others! Even the Fae have changed and not entirely for the better."
    You say, "What do you mean?"
    Whittier says, "Don't let my rugged good looks fool you. I've got more rings than a jewelry store! In the old days, the Fae would always stop to heal me. Now you see I have this scab forming on this branch and nobody has yet stopped to take a look! Is that progress? Or something else?"
    You say, "Let me see...wow, that's a pretty deep cut! How'd it happen?"
    Whittier says, "One of those pesky little cats prancing around the platforms thought I might make a good scratching post. One moment I'm asleep, next moment I'm full of scratches and oozing sap everywhere! Most unpleasant!"
    You say, "What can I do to help you?"
    Whittier says, "Once the bark heals up, it'll callus up nicely. What you need to do is pay attention! Don't become all self-important and busy! Talk to folks, learn about them and accept them for what they are. That's what you should do."
    You say, "I see. Well, thanks for your time."
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    Kelethin - Random NPC Information

    You say, "Hail, Hamnal Teolofin"
    Hamnal Teolofin says, "Yes? What can I do for you?"
    You say, "I've been learning the history of the Fae."
    Hamnal Teolofin says, "You're beginning the Rite of Passage? Good for you. I know you need to help your spirit bud reawaken. That helps prepare you for the challenges ahead. Have you been drawn to anything in particular yet?"
    You say, "Not yet. At least, I don't think so."
    Hamnal Teolofin says, "Sometimes it can take a while. I remember the shock of it, the first time my spirit began to recall things from its past -- from the Burning Ring. I sense that you have spoken with old Raimo. Don't let him worry you with his anti-Outsider rubbish."
    You say, "He seemed rather angry."
    Hamnal Teolofin says, "His spirit and mine go way back. We're both warriors, you see, defending the Fae through the lives of all our spirits. In the Burning Ring, during the War of Fay, our spirits were slain defending Queen Maarita. He's taken it somewhat bitterly, poor fellow, even though our spirits have survived."
    You say, "Raimo mentioned Princess Saphronia..."
    Hamnal Teolofin says, "She's young still and her spirit is still reawakening. Her memories, like Raimo's, are sad and bitter. Outsiders caused trouble, yes, but many of them also came to our aid. Like the brownies that came to save Kelethin when we were under siege. Without them, neither you or I would be here."
    You say, "How do I know which Outsiders are good and which are evil?"
    Hamnal Teolofin says, "It is impossible to tell by looking. There is something seeping through from somewhere into our lands, but who is to say that the Outsiders brought it? Perhaps it's been here all along."
    You say, "I see. Well, thank you for your time."
  15. Sapphirius Well-Known Member

    Theory: My philosophy is to never say anything unless you have the facts behind you to back you up. I do realize that a lot of people will read this, and their first thought will be, "Now, I have to rewrite my character's backstory," but at least it should provide a little bit more conformity in Fae & Arasai lives if people know just the basic stuff... like they don't come from flowers.[IMG]

    Yeah, the nursery has those huge flowers all over. So does Tunare's Grove and Lesser Faydark... which gets into another theory of mine. The History of the Fae speaks of the Fae raising a giant wall of brambles to pretect Kelethin. I believe those giant flowers (which they obviously got from Lesser Faydark) are the remnants of that giant wall of brambles.

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    Updates since the original post...
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    And a statement from Jindrack made here does indeed confirm that Fae are not born from flowers. According to him, the original plan when all the quests had been written was that the Fae would come from flowers. However, Owlchick changed this (obviously before beta because her post I quoted was written very early during beta testing).

    "When Owlchick was working on Kelethin she changed the backstory of the Fae and give them their present lore, that they are born from mortal parents and at a certain point one of the glowy spirit buds seen in the skies of the Greater Faydark would merge with the Fae."

    Now, here's the interesting part. According to Jindrack, the original plan for the Arasai had been that they would tear themselves free from buds. Their buds had been corrupted while in plant form by Christanos. This would explain why the Arasai lore book speaks of stealing spirit blooms and why the Matron still speaks of blooms growing to the east and west of the Nursery. However, since the lore was changed, this is obviously not how Christanos created the Arasai. I'm awaiting a response to my question about revisiting Arasai lore to clarify this event.

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    YAY! I finally got my post back from Haven. Here is the brief summary I wrote regarding Fae & Arasai...


    I've decided to write up a somewhat brief summary on Fae and Arasai lives based mostly on statements made by the developers on SOE's official forums and partly upon lore from in-game books, quests, and NPCs... because I am soooooo very tired of reading backstories for our fairy friends that has them being "hatched" or born from flowers.

    First, we go way back to the beginning: the creation of the Fae. In spite of popular belief, Tunare did not create the Fae. However, they credit her with their existence. The Faefolke races include dryads, treants, sprites, fairies, and most recently, Fae and Arasai. Fae were created by the magical fluctuations within the Faydark while Tunare's presence had been withdrawn from Norrath. While it was most certainly influenced by Tunare, she did not have a direct hand in their creation. It was more of an anomoly that evolved them from their Faefolke counterparts into the fairies they are today. Yes, I know no one likes hearing that they're an accident or a freak of nature or evolved from another race. However, this is how the Fae came into being according to a lore dev on the EOF Beta Forums. Unfortunately, I couldn't find that post to quote for reference.

    So, did Tunare create the Fae? No, she did not. However, they credit her with their creation anyway. Moving on.

    How are the Fae born into the world? Have you noticed that female Fae have mammary glands and male Fae have... erm... bulges. SOE has been fairly accurate in their depiction of characters. Female Iksar and Frogloks do not have breasts. So why, if the Fae are hatched or born from flowers, would there be male and female Fae and they actually look male and female? Well, the answer would be that they are not hatched or born from flowers. They are born just like anyone else. You have parents and children just like with human races, elven, so on and so forth.

    When the Fae mature into adulthood, they wander off to the Nursery to merge with their spirit bloom. This spirit bloom is the reincarnated soul of another Fae. Fae already have their own personalities and predispositions. Think of this process as Faes being a vessel for the knowledge that these spirit blooms possess. The blooms then lead them through life. There are old blooms and new blooms and blooms everywhere in between, but the important thing to note is that these spirit blooms are not those big flowers you see in the nursery. They're those big glowies you see drifting around the Nursery and Kelethin. This is confirmed if you have a character following Innoruuk. (Part of the Innoruuk deity quest is to steal a spirit bud for the Seraph of Hate, who is a half elf... ironically.)

    It is considered to be a very grave tragedy to lose a spirit bloom. When Fae die, they try to do so near a nursery or somewhere safe where their spirit bud/bloom/whatever can be brought to a nursery. When they die, they form a little ball of light above their bodies. That is their spirit bloom. It takes all of that Fae's experiences and the experiences it had in previous lives with it to impart to a new Fae (or vessel, if you would prefer). To get an idea of what age this would all hapen at, Fae life spans are relatively the same as human life spans. The average Fae lives for about 70 years.

    So what does all this have to do with the Arasai? Well, Arasai were created from the Fae. Queen Christanos was brought their spirit blooms and over the process of years, she found and totured Fae and their spirit blooms and "perfected" them over time. Their wings were too fragile to survive the process, so she replaced the wings with moth and bat wings and such. Some Arasai wings were so horribly mutilated that they cannot fly without the aid of magically constructed wings. You can see this especially on the male Arasai model. On of the wings on the male model is jagged and does not actually connect to his shoulders. Rather, it connects to a little ball that floats near his shoulder where it should connect.

    They have the same life span and cycle as the Fae. You can even see their spirit blooms floating around Neriak at the fountain near the Forge of Blue Flame and around the Queen's Castle. Following along these lines of logic, and it has been confirmed by a dev, Arasai are born just like Fae are. They merge with their spirit blooms when they mature to adulthood just like Fae do, and they have the same average 70 year life span just like Fae do.

    So why does the book on Arasai lore not outline all of this? Because the books in the game are written from a single point of view. They are one-sided, biased, and often contain misinformation and leave out information that is not useful to whatever propaganda they're spewing out at the time. You can't take the in-game NPCs, quests, and books at face value. Rather, you have to seperate what is fact from what may be biased conjecture or ignorance and then combine those facts with facts you learned from elsewhere. If you read a book that says that Arasai are superior to Teir'Dal and that they were created to be Christanos's perfect soldiers, then the only thing "true" about that statement would be that they were created to be part of Christanos's soldiers. Otherwise, she'd have nothing but Arasai in her castle to guard her, and The Arm would be nothing but Arasai as well.


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    By the way, something I never added... These are the racial descriptions for fae & arasai on the character creation screen.

    Fae
    Fae are the vivacious heart of the Greater Faydark. Friendly and light-hearted, they enjoy playing tricks on the unwary. Child-like in their superstitions and beliefs as well as highly adept at magical skills. This gives them a sense of humor that is often described as “tricksy.”
    Fae are a good race, they start in Kelethin.


    Arasai
    The malicious children of hate and dark magic, Arasai honor their goddess through defiling and torturing the inferior races across Norrath, taking pure pleasure in their cruelty. The Arasai are blindingly loyal to the Teir'Dal Queen Cristanos, whom they worship as a goddess, and are powerful allies to the dark elves.
    Arasai are an evil race, they start in Neriak.
    luminosa and Uwkete-of-Crushbone like this.
  16. Sapphirius Well-Known Member

    This is the last post from the original Compilation series. I promise. I had the dialogue for the Innoruuk quest series where it speaks of of stealing the Fae spirit buds, but that post was never duplicated onto the Town Square forum and has since been lost. If anyone would like to add it, I'd be deeply appreciative.

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    OK, I was never able to recover the post that spoke of the evolution of the Fae, but I did find this post made by Vhalen which seems to confirm the post I referred to.



    "The fairies and the fae are similar in many ways. They are both part of a racial class known as fairiefolke. The fairiefolke, sometimes known simply as fay, are comprised of a great many of diverse fay races. Wisps, pixies, brownies, rhym, fae, fairy, etc., these are all types of fairiefolke that exist in Norrath.

    "All fairiefolke are entities that spring to life from the condensed arcane forces of growth of their native environment. Although growth may be the dominant power of most forestlands, it is not the sole influence upon these realms. With a bit of this and a bit of that, fay races can appear far different than their cousins. A pixie may look quite similar to a fairy, but it has a tinge of malice and mirth to create a very troublesome fay that is best avoided.

    "Fay are not immune to evolution. Their forms are not always constant. They share a close bond to the forest around them. Should the magical properties of that forest change, most likely, the resident fay will also change in some fashion. Tunare had a large influence over the Faydark forests of Faydwer. Simply visiting the woodlands had a great effect to the arcane composition of the realm. It is rumored that the planar presence of the Goddess of Growth eventually evolved the fae to the race they are today, one of the dominant fairiefolke races of Norrath.

    "I do hope that helps somewhat."
    Uwkete-of-Crushbone likes this.
  17. Sapphirius Well-Known Member

    Here is the missing dialogue for the Innoruuk deity quest where you're instructed to steel a spirit bloom.
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    Innoruuk Deity Quests - A Necessary Step

    You say, "Hail, Xilania Nevagon"
    Xilania Nevagon says to you, "Well, Merribell, are you prepared?"
    You say to Xilania Nevagon, "I am."
    Xilania Nevagon says to you, "I have a mission for you. I would like you to travel to the northern section of the Greater Faydark. Through Echo Echo Canyon, to where the Fae spirit buds eventually come to rest. In that enclosed area, there is a cavern known as Drippy Cave to the south west. The grobins have tried to use the shrumblers of these caves to assault the Nursery."
    You say to Xilania Nevagon, "Assault the Nursery?"
    Xilania Nevagon says to you, "The shrumblers were--for whatever reason--naturally adept at retrieving the Fae spirit buds. The spirit buds are delicate and wisp like. They flow freely about the Faydark until they are ready to 'hatch' or 'sprout' or whatever it is they do. They naturally come to rest at the nursery that the Fae have set up. We must retrieve one of these spirit buds."
    You say to Xilania Nevagon, "And you want me to go get it?"
    Xilania Nevagon says to you, "Not exactly. The spirit buds are fragile, Merribell. When the bud lands it secures itself to the surface it lands on. Neither you nor I could pull the buds from this surface without severely damaging the bud, something we can not have. The shrumblers, however, can uproot the buds."
    You say to Xilania Nevagon, "So we use a shrumbler to get a spirit bud."
    Xilania Nevagon says to you, "Yes, but we must prepare the shrumbler first. When a shrumbler plucks a spirit bud it begins the digestion process very, very quickly. That, too, will damage our spirit bud. Though I do have a plan. As you may have guessed by now, I have observed the ecology of the shrumblers for some time. One thing that may help us is one of the predators of the shrumblers: the sandsponges."
    You say to Xilania Nevagon, "How will they help?"
    Xilania Nevagon says to you, "When the sandsponges consume a shrumbler, they do not chew it. They simply take it inside their system. The makeup of the sandsponge's body then starts the digestion process. One part of this process has the effect of constricting the throat muscles of the shrumblers. This happens along the entire length of the shrumbler."
    You say to Xilania Nevagon, "All right."
    Xilania Nevagon says to you, "So, with some help from nature, we shall have what is ours. By taking a shrumbler to the beach and allowing a sandsponge to consume it, then rescuing it from the sandsponge, we will have a shrumbler with a constricted throat. This shrumbler can then be released among the spirit buds of the Nursery to find a bud for us without the fear of the shrumbler digesting the bud."
    You say to Xilania Nevagon, "Interesting."
    Xilania Nevagon says to you, "Take this net deep into the Drippy Cave, southwest of the Nursery in northern Greater Faydark. Find a shrumbler hatchling and catch it. Use that hatchling as bait for a sandsponge. Once caught, pull the hatchling from the sandsponge and release it near the Fae nursery. The shrumbler will take care of the rest. Bring the spirit bud directly to me, Merribell."
    You say to Xilania Nevagon, "I understand."
    Xilania Nevagon says to you, "This is an important task. Do not let Innoruuk down."
    You say to Xilania Nevagon, "I won't."

    You say, "Hail, Xilania Nevagon"
    Xilania Nevagon says to you, "Do you have the spirit bud?"
    You say to Xilania Nevagon, "I do."
    Xilania Nevagon says to you, "Well done, Merribell. Well done."
    You say to Xilania Nevagon, "What purpose will it serve?"
    Xilania Nevagon says to you, "Look to the Teir'Dal for your answer. These spirit buds will elevate us like none before. And in this elevation you have played a significant role. More than that I cannot tell you."
    You say to Xilania Nevagon, "I understand."
    Xilania Nevagon says to you, "I am sure you do not, but you will. Good day, Merribell. Thank you."
    You say to Xilania Nevagon, "You're welcome."
  18. Sapphirius Well-Known Member

    And now, I know why my friends wanted me to repost this thread on the official forums...

    With the recent updates (within the last year), new mentor quests have been introduced to the game, including new Fae & Arasai mentor quests. The Arasai mentor quests really don't touch upon Arasai lore at all. It focuses upon the drama between Queen Christanos and the Thexians. The Arasai work more as interrogators and enforcers for Christanos. However, I've included the dialogue anyway because it is that race's mentor quest. Unfortunately, the Fae mentor quests did touch upon Fae lore. I say "unfortunately" because the last quest in the series completely undoes six years of Fae lore.

    Multiple lore devs have stated that Fae do not come from flowers and that spirit buds are the glowy wisps that float around Kelethin and Neriak. It's written down multiple quests, for example:
    Lady Astaar Evinien says, "You've heard of the Fae spirit buds and may have assumed that we are some type of plant! It's merely a figure of speech. Our spirit buds surround the city, observing and guiding us. When a spirit bud is ready for renewal, it chooses when and where to return. The ritual you'll perform welcomes a spirit back to us, helping it focus on our beloved city."

    Immediately upon doing the Qeynos Fae mentor quest series, there is confusion. My friends and I went through the entire series and picked it apart line by line and came up with a possible explanation for the conflicting information between this new quest and the established lore. We had just concluded that the flowers must be where new spirit buds come from, when I did the third quest and came across this line:
    You say to an assassin, "Each one of those flowers you burned would have contained a fae child, had we not deceived you."

    Fae & Arasai lore is confusing enough without having a quest completely disregard the pre-established lore. Personally, I'm ignoring this one line in this one quest and will continue to use the pre-established Fae lore.

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    Qeynos - Fae Mentor Quests

    You say, "Hail, Guard Laelyth"
    Guard Laelyth says to you, "Greetings, Bellflower, on this super illustrious day! I have a most secret message for you!"
    You say to Guard Laelyth, "If it's secret, shouldn't you be whispering?"
    Guard Laelyth says to you, "Oh... is that what one does? Well I seem to have spoiled it already. I am to inform you that a person of great importance is waiting for you near the shore of the Forest Ruins. You can quickly reach her on the rowboat here."

    You say, "Hail, A shrouded fae"
    (a shrouded fae says to you, "Over here, Bellflower. I must speak with you on a matter of great importance."
    You say to a shrouded fae, "Wait a minute... you're Queen Amree!"
    a shrouded fae says to you, "Please keep you voice down, we are in enough of a bind already. I fear we have more enemies in Qeynos than I had anticipated."
    You say to Queen Amree, "Enemies... in Qeynos?"
    Queen Amree says to you, "I would not have believed it either! I begin to fear that this is more dangerous a place than anticipated... perhaps I should not have come."
    You say to Queen Amree, "Why have you come, my queen? Isn't it dangerous for you to leave the colony?"
    Queen Amree says to you, "It is unprecedented, true. But never before have we allowed ourselves to so thoroughly trust outsiders, and this task is of the utmost importance. I had to oversee it personally. Can I trust you to aid me if I reveal my mission here?"
    You say to Queen Amree, "Of course! My loyalty to you and the Faydark are paramount."
    Queen Amree says to you, "Very good. As you should know, our history is fraught with great disasters. Our ancestral home of Kelethin has thrice suffered devastating losses to its trees and people, and each time we have been lucky enough to pull through with a bare minimum to rebuild."
    You say to Queen Amree, "Is there no better way to protect Kelethin?"
    Queen Amree says to you, "Our people cannot abide living among stone like the dwarves and humans do. Our home is in the trees, and trees can be burned. We will protect them as long as we can, but as the world grows more volatile so does our risk of destruction increase."
    You say to Queen Amree, "That seems overly pessimistic."
    Queen Amree says to you, "Much innocence is lost when one becomes responsible for the fate of her people. I hope that Faydark is ever our home, but I must also prepare us for disaster. It is in that light that I have come to Qeynos to establish a new nursery. Queen Antonia has agreed to allow us to convert a small corner of the Elddar Grove to our needs."
    You say to Queen Amree, "So what is the problem? Has she retracted her offer?"
    Queen Amree says to you, "In order to establish a new nursery we brought with us a sapling of the great oak, several juvenile flower buds, and the enchanted loam the tree and flowers will need to prosper in the mundane soil of this continent. But the loam has gone missing right under our noses! The sapling and buds do not have long, Bellflower. They must be planted with that loam soon if they are to survive."
    You say to Queen Amree, "Where was the loam last seen?"
    Queen Amree says to you, "It was placed under guard of Eetu. He was right behind us as we exited the ship. We spent but a few moments taking stock of our surroundings and ensuring all our supplies had made it before noticing his absence! He is one of my most loyal guards and I do not believe he would willingly doom so many of his unborn kin. You are more familiar with these environs than any of us, Bellflower. My guards cannot leave me or the buds; we desperately need your help in locating Eetu and that loam!"
    You say to Queen Amree, "Alright, there is no cover on the beach, so if he was taken he must be further inland. I will begin by investigating the area just past the beachhead."

    You say, "Hail, Queen Amree"
    Queen Amree says to you, "Bellflower you look grim! Please tell me what you discovered!"
    You say to Queen Amree, "I followed the trail leading from Eetu's attack. It led to a gnoll lair in Willow Wood."
    Queen Amree says to you, "I have heard much of these gnolls. They are like the orcs of our continent: None know how the conflict between us began, but ancient feuds do not easily die. Still, the gnolls here should have no reason for hostility toward us. And what value would they see in a crate full of dirt?"
    You say to Queen Amree, "I agree, my queen. It is also unlikely they could have executed so subtle an attack."
    Queen Amree says to you, "A wise observation. I fear I am out of my element in this strange land and have no nose for what city dwellers refer to as "politics". It is clear we will need guidance, but I wish to keep this as internal an affair as I can. You have proved brave and resourceful; do you feel capable of mixing with these giants and tracking down both the loam and its thief?"
    You say to Queen Amree, "I will not let you down!"
    Queen Amree says to you, "Good. Over the past few years we have been working hard to establish relationships with the inhabitants here. One human in particular has always been very straightforward with us. I do not know if she possesses the guile needed for these situations, but she is our best shot. I will arrange for you to meet her."
    You say to Queen Amree, "If you trust her, so shall I."
    Queen Amree says to you, "Her name is Jesenda, and you should be able to locate her near the dojo in Elddar Grove. Please hurry, Bellflower, the flowers have already begun to wilt."
    You say to Queen Amree, "I will make haste."
  19. Sapphirius Well-Known Member

    You say, "Hail, Jesenda "
    Jesenda says to you, "Good morrow, my winged friend. Your queen sent word ahead to inform me of the situation. I am no politician, but I have an ear for common gossip. Perhaps together we can work out the identity of your hidden enemy."
    You say to Jesenda , "Could it be the gnolls? Are they craftier than we'd presumed?"
    Jesenda says to you, "Gnolls are ill suited to execute such a subtle attack. No, this has to be politically motivated. And given the skill of the thief, I would suspect they were hired by a citizen of wealth."
    You say to Jesenda , "That could implicate Queen Antonia, but then why would she invite Queen Amree here to begin with?"
    Jesenda says to you, "Exactly. Antonia has publicly stated her approval for this union, and she stands to lose face and support if it fails."
    You say to Jesenda , "Perhaps the attack was not really targeted at us, and was instead intended to embarrass Antonia then."
    Jesenda says to you, "I had not considered that, Bellflower. I do not think embarrassment alone would be worth the risk this malefactor took. But you may have touched on the full motive. Tell me, what is your attitude toward Queen Amree? Are there any among your race whose commands would supersede hers?"
    You say to Jesenda , "None! She is my queen and I trust her judgment."
    Jesenda says to you, "That is the sentiment held by most of your race. You are independent, but trust your queen implicitly and expect the same of others. It is not so in Qeynos, as Antonia is not the only ruler. Have you heard of the Circle of Ten?"
    You say to Jesenda , "The circle of who?"
    Jesenda says to you, "The Circle of Ten are, as you might have guessed, ten representatives from among the various races in Qeynos, elected to rule in the absence of a true heir of Bayle. Prior to Antonia's arrival several years back, they had full control over the city."
    You say to Jesenda , "Power breeds corruption. It sounds as though they have not relinquished their power since her arrival."
    Jesenda says to you, "They most certainly have not. And the rumors say that Antonia has been slowly restricting their power. She has even begun to butt heads with them publicly at times. The citizens of Qeynos are divided in their loyalties, and do not know which way to turn."
    You say to Jesenda , "So the Circle might see the fae as a threat because we would advocate loyalty to the queen."
    Jesenda says to you, "That does sound like a more compelling motive to this treachery. Still, you require more proof than that. To make your nursery truly safe you will need to discover the thief who took your loam and expose him and the Circle to Antonia."
    You say to Jesenda , "Might I requisition you help in this matter? I can show you the site of the attack."
    Jesenda says to you, "You are unusual for your race. In general, fae prefer naivety. They enjoy their childlike innocence and will strive to preserve it, which is why the other races do not always take you seriously. If only they could see you and your queen. Under pressure, you both express a composure even the most experienced politician would be envious of!"
    You say to Jesenda , "I don't know how to... your compliment is most generous. This way, if you will!"

    You say, "Hail, Queen Amree"
    Queen Amree says to you, "Is that the loam!? Thank goodness! You both have my deepest gratitude. Were you able to determine who was behind its theft?"
    You say to Queen Amree, "We can only conjecture. A mysterious assassin attacked us several times. He had some sway over the gnolls, and may be an agent of the Circle of Ten."
    Queen Amree says to you, "The Circle? Would they willingly order the death of innocent fae souls? One might expect this behavior in Freeport, but I would never have guessed it in Qeynos."
    You say to Queen Amree, "They are at odds with the Queen. They feel your presence here weakens their position."
    Queen Amree says to you, "I am very grateful that our children and our tree have been spared, but I fear I may have made a mistake in bringing them here. This city has too many rulers, and too much unrest between them."
    You say to Queen Amree, "Creating this tie with Qeynos never promised to be an easy path. You will face resistance both here and at home, but it is for the greater good of your people that you endure the challenges."
    Queen Amree says to you, "There is wisdom in your words, yet I must be cautious. For the good of my people I cannot allow pride to blind my decisions. I wholeheartedly wish to support Queen Antonia, and I firmly stand behind my decision to establish a nursery here, but the cost may be too great. I cannot risk our children."
    You say to Queen Amree, "The nursery would not be left unprotected. Our kin, the wood elves, would help us watch over it. And if we could send a message to the Circle of Ten... a message that we would not abide their treachery..."
    Queen Amree says to you, "This decision weighs heavily on me. Before I decide on the fate of the grove, I believe we should carry out your plan to expose the Circle. Whether we remain in Qeynos or not, they must be held accountable for their actions!"
    You say to Queen Amree, "Exposing them will not be easy. We must force ourselves to think like city-dwellers if we are to have any hope at tricking them. And you should take no part in this, my Queen."
    Queen Amree says to you, "If my wish could be granted, I would not have you participate in it either, Bellflower. But I trust no one else with this task. Please speak again to Jesenda for guidance."
    You say to Queen Amree, "As you say..."

    You say, "Hail, Jesenda "
    Jesenda says to you, "The assassin exhibited more resources than I was aware of. I'm afraid this is becoming too dangerous for me, and I can only offer council from here on out."
    You say to Jesenda , "You have already done more than most would dare."
    Jesenda says to you, "You must detain and question the assassin if you can. If he is truly backed by the Circle, however, he will have resources well beyond our own. Magical weapons and concoctions; something that gives him control over gnolls. I fear we've only seen a fraction of his combat prowess; do not underestimate him, Bellflower."
    You say to Jesenda , "Catching and questioning him, I can handle... but I cannot play shadow games with him forever. I do not know how to draw him out into the open."
    Jesenda says to you, "It is a gift that fae minds cannot conjure up such plots. I know a surefire way to draw him out, but it involves deception. Would you be comfortable with that?"
    You say to Jesenda , "I suspect it is the only way."
    Jesenda says to you, "Good. Then I propose you go about pretending you have eliminated the threat. Begin setting up the nursery as scheduled, but use an ordinary sapling and flowers. Once erected, leave them conspicuously unguarded,
    while watching from the shadows. Surely the thief will return in an attempt to sabotage them."
    You say to Jesenda , "I would never have concocted such a plan. Do you think that will work?"
    Jesenda says to you, "It is a poor farce, and would be far too obvious if perpetrated by anyone else. But the thief is relying on your naivety, and will assume you feel safe that the threat has already been eliminated. This will make him over-confident. You have but one chance at this; you will not trick him a second time."
    You say to Jesenda , "Then I must strike quickly."
    Jesenda says to you, "I will discuss the details with your queen. You should meet her other guards in Elddar Grove to begin the process."
    You say to Jesenda , "I will do that.

    You plant the false flower bud within the grove.
    You say, "Got you!"
    an assassin says, "I was unaware that you fae were so devious!"

    You say, "Hail, An assassin"
    an assassin says to you, "Your stature belies your true power, little fae. Please... give me a clean death."
    You say to an assassin, "How can you ask that after you attempted to murder innocent unborn fae?"
    an assassin says to you, "I have done no such thing! I was paid only to harass the fae attempting to plant their garden here. I would certainly never harm children."
    You say to an assassin, "Each one of those flowers you burned would have contained a fae child, had we not deceived you."
    an assassin says to you, "Whaaat??? I... had no idea. Clearly my superiors have betrayed me as they did you. If you give me my life, I will point you to the man behind the curtain."
    You say to an assassin, "Your actions were reprehensible regardless of your knowledge, but I will spare your life."
    an assassin says to you, "Thank you. The one you seek; the one who gave me my orders... is Baron Ironforge himself. He must have known the true consequences of the task he set before me. I cannot work for such a man. You need never worry about seeing me again."
    You say to an assassin, "Did he perchance tell you why you were doing this?"
    an assassin says to you, "He did not elaborate much. A strong tie between Queen Antonia and your people, fae and wood elves, would provide her with too much leverage. The Baron hoped to break your faith in Antonia."
    You say to an assassin, "All this destruction just to sever a friendship. Such waste."
    an assassin says to you, "You would do well to study it, if you wish to protect your brethren, little fae. You may never wish to engage in politics yourself, but understanding the motivations of others is a powerful tool. I will have to follow my own advice more carefully in the future..."
    You say to an assassin, "I hope that you do."
  20. Sapphirius Well-Known Member

    You say, "Hail, Queen Amree"
    Queen Amree says to you, "I received word that you captured the assailant but then freed him. Please explain yourself!"
    You say to Queen Amree, "I did. He was mislead by his master and did not realize the full consequences of his actions. He also revealed to me that Baron Ironforge himself ordered the destruction of our grove."
    Queen Amree says to you, "I was worried you did not have the stomach to handle affairs as they did in Qeynos. You have grown since we last spoke. Baron Ironforge will know that we now have our eyes on him. That should dissuade further attacks, at least for a time. I will personally inform Antonia of these events before I take my leave."
    You say to Queen Amree, "Does this mean you've decided on the fate of the grove?"
    Queen Amree says to you, "You've made a remarkable impression here, Bellflower, and have helped shape my decision. I will establish the new grove, as planned. But it will need protection. It is with this in mind that I am appointing you High Guardian and Protector of the Grove. Others will be assigned with the day-to-day watch, but I am charging you with aiding against any threats that fall outside the means of these caretakers."
    You say to Queen Amree, "Thank you, my queen. I will uphold this title and do honor to our people."
    Queen Amree says to you, "I must return to Kelethin soon; I have already been gone too long. I leave the nursery in your capable hands. Farewell, Bellflower."

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Freeport - Arasai Mentor Quests

    You say, "Hail, Ambassador Anttel V'Xeath"
    Ambassador Anttel V'Xeath says to you, "Why hello! It's nice to see another Childe of our Beloved Queen Cristanos. Tell me, are you interested in performing a special service for Her Malicious Majesty, or have only need of my more mundane responsibilities?"
    You say to Ambassador Anttel V'Xeath, "What kind of special service?"
    Ambassador Anttel V'Xeath says to you, "Have you ever heard of a Thexian? They're Teir'Dal, but they refuse to submit to our Immortal Queen, if you could imagine such a thing!? I've even heard rumor that they may be trying to replace our Queen with some remnant of the House of Thex. As if Her Sacred Sanguinariness would allow such a thing to occur."
    You say to Ambassador Anttel V'Xeath, "I've run into Thexians before. They seem as mortal as anyone else."
    Ambassador Anttel V'Xeath says to you, "You speak the truth! After their failed attempt to seize Freeport during the absence of the Overlord, some of the Thexians returned to their stronghold in Longshadow Alley where they now plot sedition and spread poisonous lies."
    You say to Ambassador Anttel V'Xeath, "How may I assist the Queen?"
    Ambassador Anttel V'Xeath says to you, "We need to figure out which of Her Dark Majesty's subjects are still loyal and which have fallen to this Thexian disease. One of my agents is in Longshadow Alley. Go speak with her; she'll be able to point you to a person of interest. "
    You say, "Hail, Ambassador Anttel V'Xeath"
    Ambassador Anttel V'Xeath says to you, "Why hello! It's nice to see another Childe of our Beloved Queen Cristanos. Tell me, are you interested in performing a special service for Her Malicious Majesty, or have only need of my more mundane responsibilities?"
    You say to Ambassador Anttel V'Xeath, "What kind of special service?"
    Ambassador Anttel V'Xeath says to you, "Have you ever heard of a Thexian? They're Teir'Dal, but they refuse to submit to our Immortal Queen, if you could imagine such a thing!? I've even heard rumor that they may be trying to replace our Queen with some remnant of the House of Thex. As if Her Sacred Sanguinariness would allow such a thing to occur."
    You say to Ambassador Anttel V'Xeath, "A Teir'Dal that refuses to submit to the Queen is guilty of treason!"
    Ambassador Anttel V'Xeath says to you, "You speak the truth! After their failed attempt to seize Freeport during the absence of the Overlord, some of the Thexians returned to their stronghold in Longshadow Alley where they now plot sedition and spread poisonous lies."
    You say to Ambassador Anttel V'Xeath, "How may I assist the Queen?"
    Ambassador Anttel V'Xeath says to you, "We need to figure out which of Her Dark Majesty's subjects are still loyal and which have fallen to this Thexian disease. One of my agents is in Longshadow Alley. Go speak with her; she'll be able to point you to a person of interest. "
    You say to Ambassador Anttel V'Xeath, "I'll go talk to her at once!"

    You say, "Hail, Kora N'Vaxin"
    Kora N'Vaxin says to you in Fayefolk, "Oh hello! Did Ambassador Anttel send you?"
    You say to Kora N'Vaxin, "Yes, he said you would be able to assist me?"
    Kora N'Vaxin says to you in Fayefolk, "In your mission for the Divine Mother! Yes, of course, you really are very lucky! I'm a little envious, I've not been allowed to kill any Thexians yet, just watch so far."
    You say to Kora N'Vaxin, "You want to kill Thexians do you?"
    Kora N'Vaxin says to you in Fayefolk, "Of course! Well, anyone that questions the divine nature of our Queen, really. After all, she created the Arasai. Don't only gods have the power to create an entire race? What have the Thexians done with their time; aside from speak falsely against Her Hallowed Holiness?"
    You say to Kora N'Vaxin, "Anttel said you could point me to a person of interest?"
    Kora N'Vaxin says to you in Fayefolk, "Sorry! Yes, go see the Teir'Dal merchant Ryltrin V'Zival. He's been acting just a little too polite lately. "
    You say to Kora N'Vaxin, "I'll go see him at once. May the blessings of the Queen be with you."

    You say, "Hail, Ryltrin V'Zival"
    Ryltrin V'Zival says to you, "Good day! Is there anything you see that catches your attention? If you desire something that I don't have in stock, I can get it for you."
    You say to Ryltrin V'Zival, "Good day. You come highly recommended. I've been told you may be able to help me find something. "
    Ryltrin V'Zival says to you, "Anything above, on, or below Norrath, I can get it for you. Tell me. What do you desire?"
    You say to Ryltrin V'Zival, "Information. Our Queen wishes to know that even in this place, there are Teir'Dal that still know where their loyalties lay."
    Ryltrin V'Zival says to you, "Eternal glory to the Queen! Yes, the recent troubles here in Freeport would have been hard to miss. An occasional customer of mine recently left a scrap of paper in my store; perhaps you'd be willing to return it to her?"
    You say to Ryltrin V'Zival, "Perhaps. Just whom would I be looking for?"
    Ryltrin V'Zival says to you, "Miral K'Thoath. She's just down the road. Thank you, the writings on that paper were becoming distasteful."
    You say to Ryltrin V'Zival, "Thank you for your time. You have an excellent shop, I'll be sure to tell my friends."

    You say, "Hail, Miral K'Thoath"
    Miral K'Thoath says to you, "Hello. Is there something I can help you with?"
    You say to Miral K'Thoath, "Yes. Could you tell me when and where the next sedition themed Thexian meeting will be?"
    Miral K'Thoath says to you, "I'm sorry, I'm not sure I know what you're talking about."
    You say to Miral K'Thoath, "Really? The information I was given said that you have been busy trying to get others to attend just such a meeting. "
    Miral K'Thoath says to you, "I did go to a meeting, but I'm not a Thexian! I can tell you when they're planning on meeting next! Please spare my life!"
    You say to Miral K'Thoath, "Your life belongs to the Queen! Be truthful and confess what you know and it may be yours to enjoy a bit longer!"
    Miral K'Thoath says to you, "Here! Everything you need is written here! I swear I'm loyal! Anything else I learn, I'll make sure you know of it!"
    You say to Miral K'Thoath, "Thank you. Keep your life as your reward."

    You say, "Hail, Ambassador Anttel V'Xeath"
    Ambassador Anttel V'Xeath says to you, "Hello again Meribel. Have you seen these new Lucanic Knights patrolling the city? I wonder if there's a suit small enough to fit an Arasai. Maybe I can have a set made... How did things go in Longshadow Alley?"
    You say to Ambassador Anttel V'Xeath, "I'm not sure you'd care for the cost of that armor. Apparently the Thexians are planning a get together, may I attend?"
    Ambassador Anttel V'Xeath says to you, "I think that would be a brilliant idea, but you can't go looking like that. For some strange reason traitorous Thexians get all shy when arasai are near, we wouldn't want to make your hosts feel uncomfortable would we?"
    You say to Ambassador Anttel V'Xeath, "I may have a petrified Teir'Dal eye somewhere. Or maybe I could borrow one?"
    Ambassador Anttel V'Xeath says to you, "Illusions are too easy to see through or disrupt, even if Glimmadge Pilk at the Academy says differently. We need to make sure this disguise holds up. I have a potion of Hate's Identic, it should do the job, provided the alchemist I got from is accurate."
    You say to Ambassador Anttel V'Xeath, "How does it work?"
    Ambassador Anttel V'Xeath says to you, "A few drops of the victim's blood into the vial then down the hatch. You'll take on their appearance very quickly. As far as who's blood, Kora should be able to help you find a willing donor. Don't forget to take pictures of the party!"
    You say to Ambassador Anttel V'Xeath, "Back to Longshadow Alley then."