Going Backward To Move Forward

Ialari, in pursuit of answers to the question that is her, travels to Syka.

(This is a thread from Mizahar's fantasy roleplay forum. Why don't you register today? This message is not shown when you are logged in. Come roleplay with us, it's fun!)

Syka is a new settlement of primarily humans on the east coast of Falyndar opposite of Riverfall on The Suvan Sea. [Syka Codex]

Moderator: Gossamer

Going Backward To Move Forward

Postby Ialari Pythone on January 12th, 2018, 2:40 am

Image
1st Day of Winter in the Year 517 AV


Although a child of the mountains, Ialari was no stranger to traveling aboard a ship. In fact, over the years the sea had become something of a second or maybe third home to her. She had been to the far east coast of Syliras, the beautiful coastal city of Riverfall and now was time to experience the coastal jungle of Syka. As the ship she had booked passage on, one named, The Veronica, slowed for its arrival in Syka, the end of Autumn and the beginning of Winter caused Ialari to once again reflect on her purpose for traveling there to begin with.

Many days earlier:

Ialari stepped into the mystical doorway that she had hid under her bed in the quarters Kavala had granted her at the Sanctuary in Riverfall. As she took a step toward the door in the floor, she vanished from her chambers only to walk out of a different doorway located far away. As she moved from the material world of mortals into the divine realm of the Ukalas, the familiar tingle tickled its way across her skin. The taste of the air changed to that of a subterranean forest with its earthy smell and the sounds of insects filled a great cavern. Fissures in the cavern's ceiling allowed pillars of sunlight to spike their way down to the grassy floor. Ialari, her bare feet sinking into the grass, walked past a large pool of water accented by a flat-topped boulder that extended out over the water's surface. She approached a stone statue of a coiled snake and stopped. Her gaze went from the statue, built with her own hands, to the far end of the cavern.

On that end of the cavern loomed the Tree of Death. A great, gnarled oak, the tree bore a gruesome visage of dozens of bodies hanging from and nailed to its branches. Each of the bodies was a different reflection of Ialari in various positions of death. It stood as a symbol of just how broken Ialari was on a very deep level. Not just a symbol, the tree was also the key to unlocking the reason why Ialari was the way she was.

Pulling her gaze from the tree, she looked down at the grass and flexed her toes. Closing her eyes, she said quietly, "I know you're there. You're always there."

Behind her a figure appeared. It was a man dressed in an ancient style of robes and sporting a old man's beard. It was the fractured echo of Amir Berliotz, Master Morpher of the Seven Robes of Alahea. The Shade of Berliotz, all that remained of his ghost and its spiritual battle with Ialari years ago, existed now only as a construct of Ialari's mind given substance by her Dominion; a reflection of her inner self.

"I'm here." Berliotz said in a soft, somewhat hollow voice.

Ialari opened her eyes and looked at the statue of the snake. "The last session with Kavala digging into my Chavi has awakened something."

Berliotz nodded and said, "Yes but it is just a tiny piece of the puzzle. If you pursue it, you may not like what you find."

A frown creased Ialari's face and a rage not fitting what should be an isur, the epitome of patience bubbled to the surface. Spinning around she hissed venomously to the shade, "These games! With every new discovery all you have for me is more vague comments and veiled threats of uncovering the unwanted!

"Ialari, as I've told you countless times, I am but the echo of a dead wizard who saw something unique in you. I only know now what you know but cannot yet process. Remember, I don't have your answers because you don't. We are both a part of greater whole yet neither of us know much beyond certain feelings. Whatever Kavala helped you find now reaches out to you. Since when has that ever been a truly positive experience for either of us? If you choose to follow this thing that now calls to you, it may indeed hold the next piece of the puzzle. It may indeed further help you to unlock the greater secrets of that tree and figure out how to reforge that broken soul of yours. However, it will likely bring about great pain as well. Such is the mystery that is you."

The old bastard was right. How often had she engaged in similar arguments with him and thus with herself. It was true, she could remain in Riverfall and continue her sessions of Dreamwalking with Kavala. Those sessions were revealing so much yet they were but tiny pieces of a far greater whole. Her Chavi was flooded with so much conflict, fracture and overlap that the task of reading it and interpreting what was read was no easy task. This feeling now that Ialari had that called her to the west was growing with each passing day.

"You're right. I can't ignore the feeling though. Even if it all goes bad, I need to know what it is. Besides, I have lived off of Kavala's generosity for longer than I feel comfortable with. She has given so much and I have given so little in return. I will most surely come back but not until I unravel whatever this is." Ialari's posture softened as she looked at the admittedly absurd reflection of her inner self.

"There is one thing I can give to Kavala before I leave though. It's not like I need it anymore." Ialari turned back to the statue and to a small scrollcase sitting at its base. The case was covered in glyphs that up to that point, could only be read by Ialari. The case contained the Dominion Scrolls, ancient magical instructions for understanding and accessing the lost magical discipline of Dominion. With the case in hand, Ialari made her way back across the cavern floor to where the doorway she had entered through remained open.

"Good luck, Ialari. For both of our sakes." Berliotz's shade whispered as he vanished.

Ialari stepped through the doorway and returned to her chambers at The Sanctuary. Moving her bed back over the top of the now closed doorway. She took a seat at the small desk sat against the nearby wall. Putting quill to paper, she wrote Kavala a parting letter, thanking her for all she had done. She explained how she had to leave for a time to try and understand what Kavala had help her see and that she was leaving for Kavala a gift in return. Kavala, a skilled wizard in her own right, would quickly understand the nature of the gift as it would make itself accessible to her. Leaving the letter on the desk with the scrollcase next to it, Ialari began the process of packing up her things before setting off for Riverfall's port. She didn't know exactly where she was going but she knew that the gods would help show her the way.


Ialari had been able to find a ship that was set to travel west, its destination being a small settlement known as Syka. Booking passage, she realized the closer they got to this place called Syka, the more the feeling inside called to her. That had been a couple of days ago. Winter had now arrived although little had changed in the coastal jungle settlement. For the first day and a half since arriving in Syka, Ialari spent her time on the beach. The feeling of the sand on her feet and the sun on her face mixed with the spontaneous rainstorms brought a familiar comfort. The feeling that drew her to Syka to begin with remained but was less insistent. After her time spent lounging about the beach, Ialari realized it was time to get to know this new place and try to get settled. Then she could investigate whatever it was that led her there.
Image
Remade In My Dominion!

Character Sheet

Granted Flashback Threads between 510 and 512 by Tarot.
User avatar
Ialari Pythone
I'm Poison.
 
Posts: 619
Words: 923994
Joined roleplay: August 13th, 2009, 3:26 am
Race: Isur
Character sheet
Storyteller secrets
Medals: 7
Mizahar Grader (1) Trailblazer (2)
Overlored (1) Riverfall Seasonal Challenge (1)
2013 Mizahar NaNo Winner (1) 2012 Mizahar NaNo Winner (1)

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest