Solo [flashback; closed] Elements of Suffering

[Tiernan Swiftriver]

Timestamp: 30th Day of Summer, 497 AV (12th bell) Location: Area just outside of Glasswater Bay. oocTiernan is ten years old. Info on NPC's used: Tiernan's mother, father, and pod lia. All info found on his CS. Tiernan was in no mood to allow anything other than the initiation to plague the forefront of his mind. It seemed insane to do, but he abandoned the logic of danger to force himself to became happy through sheer force of will. Holding s forced smile until his cheeks relaxed enough to trick his mind into smiling genuinely. Tiernan held control over himself as he stood in his parents cabin of the Palivar that belonged to the Swifriver pod's Lia. Unfortunately, whether he liked it or not, he had to admit that the upcoming initiation into reimancy was his own doing. He had endlessly begged to be initiated when he was both eight and nine years of age, yet he always received the same response form his mother. To wait until he was ten years young. So, with those thoughts in mind he took a deep breath followed by an unnecessary breath and gritted his teeth against the need to show his nervous fit. He closed his eyes briefly to focus his control over his emotions, then walked out of the cabin and down the hall to the upper deck. The light of day destroyed his entire facade of calm as he looked to the sky. It was the stormy sky of the usual summer season in the Suvan sea that held a promising paroxysm. Dark grey storm clouds had gathered in the skies, looming overhead filled with agitation, anger, and excitement as if Zulrav the God of Storms himself was fighting against Tiernan's anxious wish to be initiated into Reimancy. Within the clouds deep crackles of thunder heralded the advancement of lightning. As he looked to the sky he could hear a ruffed rugged voice speaking aloud. "Maybe we should hold'er'off? Least'till the storm blows'way" The small boys jaw nearly fell to the floor as he took a single step backwards to hide in the doorway he had just exited. The voice came from his father who stood next to his mother, and Pod Lia Gwendolyn Swiftriver. "It will cruch Tiernan but, I also agree with you hon." Lia Gwendolyn was the only one who seemed to disagree with them as she tapped a finger against the railing of the ship. "Just a little thunder and lightning, if there is any light rain we can work through it. I'll agree to stop if heavy rains come." They all spoke as they looked to the skys with their backs facing Tiernan's postion. He eavesdropped for a moment before setting his back against the inner railing of the stairs and doorway too the lower cabins. A part of him truly did want to wait for later, he was still young and could learn any other day. However, their was apart of him that wished to learn the arcane today. Against all odds be it his families words, or the winds. He knew if he pushed hard enough he could convince his family to continue but the winds were out of their hands. Tiernan closed his eyes as he began to pray a prayer to the god Zulrav. From birth, Tiernan was taught how to prey to communicate his endearing love and honor to the all-father of the ocean Laviku. So the aspects of prey and worship were not hard for him to grasp. "Wondrous and everyshifting Zulrav. Whose voice is heard in the wind, whose breath gives life to the our ships sails. Hear my pleas. Aye'am just a child small and weak but ready to learn strength. I beseech you to lessen your storm, so that I may learn a lesson that will make me stronger in the arcane. To learn the elements. Strength Not to harm, but to be able to defend my family; and to stand steadfast in your strong wind to sail true through the sea with wind in the sails." His words were spoken honestly, with a trust and confidence that his words were truly heard by Zulrav. Tiernan didn't care if the storm god responded or not, but he believed that his words were heard. It was a leap of faith a worshiper felt that when talking to the divine. Whatever the storm would bring, he felt ready to stand in the wind and learn reimancy. Tiernan didn't know his voice had increased in volume towards the end of his prayer and caught the attention of his family. As soon as his eyes opened he was greeted by his mother, father, and pod lia who were looking down at him from the upper deck. Down the stairs below were other Pod members who were peaking out of the other cabins. "That good enough for you two?" Lia Gwendolyn said with a hit of sarcasm. Tiernan felt slightly embarrassed about being caught, but was happy the little incident had changed his parents minds about halting the initiation. The prayer also helped to boost his own confidence as well. Walking up the stairs and onto the upper deck he joined his family on the bow of the ship as his mother waved a hand to let everyone know she was beginning.

[Tiernan Swiftriver]

Rana Swiftriver, Tiernan's mother, called Swiftriver's together whom decided to attend the initiation. A collective of other members of the pods ships were observing the ritual at a distance aboard their own ships. Talick Swiftriver, Tiernan's father had taken a seat along the floor with legs crossed as he watched curiously. Despite the commonality of arcane summoning practices that the Swiftriver pod supported. Talick himself was a stranger to the arcane. Likewise, Lia Gwendolyn Swiftriver who was sitting in a chair next to Talick had inherited the title of Lia from the privies Lia who was a summoner herself. Tiernan stood in front of his mother who lowered her arms to hug her son. "Here and now in front of the eyes of loved ones do I officiate your initiation into Reimancy." There was a sudden uproar of congratulatory yells from other ships rafted to the ship they were on who heard the ceremony beginning. "Aye'have waited for this day for a long time." He said, glancing up at the storm clouds above that seemed ready to bust with rain. "After this day your body will be able to manifest your Djed into res. A substance that will become second nature to your body to create as if it were your own blood." His mother turned to a near table to pick up a small dagger. "But first, my son. You must pass a trial of suffering. Please kneel down and show me the palms of your hands." Once the initiation had begun Tiernan was in no hurry to speak. He listened carefully, expecting everything his mother had just said. He remembered, quite vividly, the conversations he had with his mother before about the painful nature of the initiation. Knowing full well what was going to happen he kept a distant respect as he did as his mother had told. Kneeling down onto his knees which pressed against the wooden floor. Holding his arms out towards his mother with his palms facing upward. His mother walked forward with the dagger in her right hand. She reached out with her left hand and grasped his right hand by the wrist so it wouldn't move. "I am happy to see you be so strong my lovely darling son." Her words caused Tiernan's gaze to shift from his hand to her face. "She is proud of my strength… Stay strong… Stay strong…" He repeated in his head as he felt pain surge up his arms. The fine edge of the dagger slowly dug beneath the skin as if a scalpel in the the hands of an armature doctor. Tiernan cliched his teeth as he resisted the urge to scream or moan in pain. Soon, a surge of pain began to emanate from his left palm as she made a second incision with the daggers blade. When the cuts were finished Tiernan could only watch in a painful awe as his hands were coved in blood. The wounds were minor but because they were so fresh the bleeding seemed worse than it appeared. He cupped his hands together as small streams of blood began to fill his hands up before slipping through the cracks of his palms to the floor below. Once he separated his hands large droplets of blood splatted against his pants legs as he held his palms towards his mother. "Aye'am ready." Rana nodded her head as she glanced to her husband and Lia with worried eyes. The adults all shared their expressions of sorrowful pride. Sorrow for the pain the boy was about to feel yet pride he was going through with the act. As if on cue a light drizzle began to rain down onto the ship from the storm clouds above. The water offered Tiernan a reprieve from the pain as the water droplets fell onto his palms washing the blood away slowly. His mother began to slowly summon her res which appeared as a purple hue of gas. Rana locked eyes with Tiernan for a moment before her gas if res surrounded his body. "Aye'am strong" The words slipping from his lips becoming an unofficial cue to begin. Tiernan never expected the level of pain that suddenly entered into his body. The res of gas leaking into the wounds made on his palm, flowing into his nose, and mouth down his throat. The sensation of res pouring down his throat was so alien to him that it overshadowed the pain just enough to keep him from screaming. His body felt like it was tearing away as the res forced its way into his very being bringing sensations of pain beyond comprehension, beyond sufferings recognition. The pain rattled through his head, but he didn't know his own head anymore. Tiernan was in there somewhere, but he could barely think anymore. He had reached a catalyst of pain that engulfed him in the pure emotion of suffering. In the very bowels of his soul he was shrieking and pleading for it to continue. He was trying to weather the storm, trying to bring himself above the current. He was strong. It was due to the alien sensations, pain, and absents of exterior awareness that Tiernan didn't notice he was convulsing rapidly. Having fallen to his side off of his knees. HIs father quickly ran over while taking off his shirt to lay it under Tiernan's head so he wouldn't hurt himself. The initiation lasted for ten chimes. The last five chimes felt as if the world was meant to suffer. As if he understood fully that the concepts of suffering were what made people stronger, it was at this stage of the initiation that he had gotten used to the res in his throat and let out a bloodcurdling scream. It was so loud that it echoed out to sea for others in the distance to hear, and be frightened by thoughts of what caused the scream. The scream itself caused a tear to fall from his mothers eye as she couldn't keep her concentration. She was glad that the light rain had washed the tears away as she kept her eyes closed. A mothers love keeping her from watching her convulsing sons body. Tiernan stopped convulsing as his mother began to remove her res from his body. HIs rapidly flailing left arm slammed down against the ground, and his legs ceased tio kick out underneath him. The ethereal purple res dripping from her sons bloody palms, mouth, and nose pulled back into her own body. Rana had over-given enough to cause her eyes to turn blood shot which Talick noticed immediately. LIa Gwendolyn escorted Rana to her cabin as Talick took Tiernan back to the cabin shared by children. Laying him down on a bunk. Timestamp: 32th Day of Summer, 497 AV (12th bell) Two days. Two days Tiernan had been lying in bed, immobile. His breathing was slow, his eyes barely seeming to move beneath their lids. It had nearly been impossible to get any water or food into him so a tray laid on a near table with a cup water and a fish to eat. Noticeably, he looked to his hands to see they were both bandaged up to hide the wounds on them. Bruises blossomed over his arms from repeted slaps against the wooden ground when he was convulsing. Despite the lingering pains he felt, he was more thirsty then sore. Once he sat Tiernan felt as if something had changed inside of his body. Like he had a second pulse of blood. He concentrated on that pulse until something happened inside of him. The pulse focused itself into the palm of his right bandaged hand, mainly because the pain in his left hand hurt more. He focused on the pain as his Djed began to manifest as itself as alabaster glowing res. Tiernan watched as the res took on the solidity of a gas and hovered infront of his face. In the depths of his mind he could remember the feeling of the rain washing the blood away from his hands, the sensation of swimming in the sea, and the feeling of water satisfying his thirst. Because he was thinking of water his res transformed into it. Making water the first element he leaned on his path of Reimancy.

[Cascade]

Adventurer's Loot Tiernan'sLoot : Skill XP Reward Reimancy +1 Lore: A Prayer To Zulrav Reimancy: Initiation The Pain Of Being Initiated Into Reimancy The First Element: Water It was a short thread so there's not much XP to give, but it gave a good insight to Tiernan's past. Such a reckless kid, begging to be initiated at such an age! If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to PM me!