Closed Big Decision, Little Guy

Bricken finds himself enamored with Wind Reach. (Solstice)

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The westernmost tip of Kalea, Wind Reach is home to an amazing group of people and their giant eagle mounts. [Lore]

Big Decision, Little Guy

Postby Bricken on September 7th, 2019, 9:50 pm

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1 Fall 519

Bricken rode on the edge of the cart, flanked by his mother. Talk had been buzzing for days as the ship docked in Thunder Bay and they loaded up for the journey to Skyinarta, talk about the inarta and the eagles. Bricken had seen eagles before - great birds, but the talk was that these birds were even greater. An inarta merchant on the caravan spoke of mighty Endals riding their eagles into battles and hunts, down to the lowly deks who worked the dirty jobs to keep the city running.
Bricken had yet to really see a proper city. His memories of Nyka were fuzzy at best, and this strange cave city gave his nerveless body something to jitter about. He rehearsed the Nari he knew in his head.
"Hello! Would you like to buy something?"
"My name is Bricken."
"We sell spice. Would you like cinnamon for this Fall?"

He wished he knew more than just trade language. The man who took care of the spice stall itself did most of the talking, while Bricken and his mother worked to additionally sell and keep track of trades.
"Do you think we'll see an eagle?" He asked his mother, kicking his legs.
"We almost always see an eagle," she replied. In the past weeks, she had been less careful of her son, telling him the importance of finding one's own self. He hadn't minded. That's what parents are supposed to do.
He looked behind, at the trail stretching behind them, lined with many horses pulling carts. Dew glittered on the grasses lining the worn road. It was very early, but he had been told they had to arrive in the morning to set up.

The trail continued to climb until a stop. Bricken heard the announcement of their arrival and quickly climbed over the crates on the cart to see.
The Sanikas Gates. They didn't seem remarkable at first, but the mountain towering overhead clearly had a lot of space. Bricken was nearly bouncing with excitement as he stared at the columns. Something was missing, however.
"Where are the..." he dug for the word, "...welcome people?"
He couldn't find the right word, but knew it made enough sense. The merchant driving the horses told him to wait and watch.
Someone, a merchant with short gray hair who had clearly made this journey many times before, slowly walked up and pulled a inconspicuous chain hanging beside the column. Bricken heard a distant sign of bells.
They began working their way inside. Another man, similarly old, greeted them in common. He didn't pay much mind to each merchant that filed in, not as much as the other workers who took to checking over what was coming in and handing off directions, nearly each one with the same bright red hair. One of them, a young woman, caught the attention of their caravan.
"What are you selling?" She asked quickly in Nari.
"Spice," the merchant replied. She rattled off more directions quicker than Bricken could understand, leaving both the pycon and the merchant lost. The merchant that had told them about Wind Reach, the Inarta, came over and began translating. The horses were being guided away as they spoke.
"She wants you to go to the outer ring, near the north end. You'll be beside a fur dealer."
They were quickly swept up. As they entered the market, they passed a large and imposing man, who nodded as they passed and gave a quick greeting.
"Remember your red..."
Bricken focused on the unknown word he spoke. Red what?
He spotted the small red flag in the merchant's hand. Must be that.

They had only just entered the market place and Bricken was already blown away. The whole place was decorated with colors and sights - reds, oranges, leaf patterns abound. Glass trinkets glistening like stars filled stalls on the inner ring, even from a distance they caught his eye. He wanted to explore.
His mother nearly read his mind.
"Go ahead. We have the stall handled."
Bricken did not have to be asked twice. Even though the market hadn't opened to the residents yet, foot traffic was still a force to be reckoned with. He was nearly stepped on quite a few times.
After a long walk for his tiny form, he made it to the middle, where artisans were showing off their recently made goods. The glass was everywhere, but still too high to see. Bricken carefully scaled a chair sat to the side, onto the back.
The glass trinkets were leaves. Tiny, glistening leaves. He gasped, and in his lean managed to lose his balance.
He tumbled to the floor, once again getting just a tad flattened. He spent a moment focusing his form, pulling his body back to shape.
What next?

He ventured closer to the middle, where he saw it.
A massive eagle was perched directly on an arch in the center. It was larger than a horse. Bricken remembered the Inarta's words about how an eagle would telepathically communicate with its chosen rider.
Is he talking now?
Bricken had heard a bell toll in the distance, but was too distracted to notice at first. Until the crowd poured in.
Almost immediately, he was rushed. He saw the eagle take off, its wingspan so vast he felt it would take him ten chimes to walk accross them. The feet around him kicked and scrambled, forcing him to run as fast as he could back. He retraced his steps, taking a few wrong turns until ending up back at his familiar stall.
A man was browsing.
"Spice!" Bricken called, clambering up the side. The stall was designed for easy climbing for its pycon workers, with small ledges build into the side.
"Would you like cinammon for Fall?"
The man blinked several times at the pycon.
"Clay?"
Bricken shook his clay-like hand.
"Pycon!"
The man lowered himself. He seemed puzzled, but then nodded and went on his way.
"Wait!-Wait!" Bricken called. The man didn't hear, as the crowd was noisy enough on its own.
"I want to stay," Bricken said softly. He made his way to his mother, standing over a ledger book.
"I want to stay," he repeated. His mother looked up, her carved eyes not showing her shock. Bricken could sense it, however.
"I-" She took a moment to think. "Yes. That could be helpful to you. It is time for you to become your own pycon, after all."
She turned to the merchant and explained. The merchant nodded, and said a quick farewell, taking over the ledger book as another customer came by.

His mother looked at him, then climbed down and reached into her own personal belonging bag.
"For you," she said, "a symbol of Harameus. Keep it close. Always remember to keep an eye out for his messages, for he gave us life."
She handed him a ring, tied to a short rope of silk looped around. He waved his arm, then pulled the string around his shoulder.
"Thank you," he spoke.
He found the Inarti merchant at a nearby stall.
"I want to... stay."
The man smiled at him.
"Here? Sure?"
Bricken did a full body nod, more of a bow. He learned early on that many would not pick up on tiny movements from tiny people.
"Go see the Valintar."
He turned to a nearby Inarti, an old friend perhaps, and spoke very quickly in Nari. Bricken picked up a few words here and there, but the speed of the whistling language made it hard.

The friend looked at him. Bricken recognized the next phrase.
"You can pick him up."
The stranger held out a hand, and Bricken quickly climbed aboard. Riding on people wasn't a shameful thing. It was just a fact that someone five inches tall couldn't keep up.
With that, they travelled through the stone halls before reaching a large stained glass feature. They went inside to see a man already alerted by the sound of entry. He was another Inarta. Bricken had resigned himself to the knowledge they would be all he saw for a while.
Bricken went right ahead and spoke what he wanted.
"Hello. I am Bricken. I want to... sta-live... here."
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Big Decision, Little Guy

Postby Solstice on September 15th, 2019, 8:46 pm


A cool gust of wind drifted across the Courtyard of the Sky, a hint of the weather that would soon temper the heat from the sweltering summer a season ago. Today, all of Wind Reach was in a violently good mood. The shadows and smoke from the previous season had blown away, leaving chilled tempers and cheered spirits. Even before the market opened, before Syna had peeked her golden head past the crest of mountains in the distance and the merchants were still hauling stalls and wares into the Courtyard of the Sky, eagles had began to perch on the uplifted platforms dotting the marketplace. Bright colored wings extended and absorbed Syna's warmth as she rose, casting dark silhouettes and long shadows across the entirety of the market.

Nevin inhaled the warm air and firmly, but gently, guided his assistants as they set up their stalls for the day. The glassworkers had thrown their weight into the decorations this season, fueled by the previous season's strife, and Nevin made sure that the placement of every single piece of glass caught the light just so and allowed the truth of their beauty to shine to all who viewed them. One of the apprentices had suggested the leaf motif, and the rest of the glassworkers had taken to the idea like moths to flame. By the time the marketplace was open, their stall shone with all the brightness and beauty of a forest in autumn thrall.

When the Market was finally open, Nevin spent some time organizing his assistants until he was confident that the glassworks shop was running like a finely oiled machine. And then, for a bit to time, Nevin turned away from his stall and browsed the market. He kept half an eye on his stall at all times, but it was good to encourage independence in the workers under his care. The master glassworker was unusually lacking in pride for an Avora of his station. One day he would be gone and one of the youngsters under his care would take his place. The more independent they were, the better.

Nevin passed from stall to stall, glancing at the wares, but with no real desire to buy anything in particular. He leaned in towards one stall in particular, inhaling the sharp scent of spice, when a very small voice piped up, a tiny chirp amidst the roar of haggle, conversation, and music.

"Spice!" the voice chirped. "Would you like cinnamon for fall?" The voice carried a thick, stilted accent. Like the speaker was uncomfortable or unfamiliar with speaking Nari. Nevin's eyes roamed until he found the source of the voice, and blinked with surprise when he realized a tiny clay figure was looking at him.

"Clay?" the man murmered, more to himself than to the figure. But the figure responded anyways, waving one of it's tiny hands. "Pycon!" the strange creature replied.

Ah. Now that rang a few bells for the man. Nevin had heard, once or twice, of the strange little clay men roaming the world, little tag-alongs full of bright curiosity for the world and its inhabitants. Nevin chuckled to himself as he turned away and headed back to his stall as he saw one of his apprentices struggling. In the bustle of conversation surrounding them, the creature's cried for Nevin to wait were swallowed by noise.

Amalie was very new to the glassworkers, only fifteen, but with a bright potential that had outshone all her Yasi pupils. She had a great deal of potential to the arts, but when it came to people she had considerable reservations. Children needed to be exposed to things they didn't like so they could learn and grow, but Nevin was not an unkind man. The stress in her eyes as an Endal shouted orders at her was evident. Nevin gently moved her aside and took the demanding man's order. After the Endal's order had been completed and a lull had fallen over the myriad of orders, a small voice piped up from the ground.

"I want to stay," chirped a familiar voice in strained Nari. Nevin found the small pycon, nearly lost in the sea of bodies coming and going from one end of the market to the next. It took the glassworker a few blinks to process what he had said, and a moment later a small smile had worked its way across his face. Nevin wondered for a brief moment what had compelled the little creature to stay, but despite his curiosity he had no idea if the creature would know if he were to ask.

"Here? Sure. Go see the Valintar." Nevin's eyes drifted towards Amalie, who had been watching the development with clear interest.

"Amalie," Nevin said in rapid Nari. "Take the little one to the Valintar. You could use a break." Relief flooded the girl's eyes, followed briefly by confusion as she looked at the small creature standing on the ground. "You can carry him," Nevin told her, just barely keeping the amusement from his eyes.

"Yes, of course," the girl chirped demurely. She held out a single hand to him, and a moment later he had latched on. The girl left the market in a rush, and soon the crowds had faded to silence, but for the tap of feet against stone. The Valintar's office was a grand structure at the center of Wind Reach, adorned in fantastic stained glass windows with every color of the rainbow. The girl knocked lightly against the door, then pushed her way inside. The interior of the Valintar's office was full of plush couches and had a warm, lived in feel. Immediately, a red haired man turned towards the two, a single eyebrow raised.

"Yes?" he asked.

Amalie spoke in a rush. "Nevin asked me to bring this little creature to speak to you," the girl said in rapid Nari.

Kaden's quizzical glance turned to the small clay figure poised on the girl's hand.

"Hello. I am Bricken. I want to... sta-live... here."

"A pycon," Kaden said, surprised. Although the Valintar was well experienced in the many races populating the world of Mizahar, this was the first time he had encountered one of the little clay people personally.

"You want to stay in Wind Reach?" The Inarta's expression was plainly puzzled. After a moment of thought, Kaden sighed and switched to Common. "Are you sure? I can't imagine life will be particularly easy here for someone of your...erm, stature." The man frowned for a long moment. "Is there anything you're particularly good at?" he asked finally. Perhaps getting a feel for the creature's capabilities could help him to pin down where he belonged.
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Big Decision, Little Guy

Postby Bricken on September 17th, 2019, 1:10 am

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Much of the Nari surrounding him was still indescipherable beyond snippets of sounds he strung together.
As he was carried through the stone halls, he took in everything around him. A few people bustled about, and every once in a while he would spot a hunched over figure further in the caves. He tried to peer closer, but the world was going too fast. Before he knew it, he was before the building, then inside. He was too busy speaking his wishes to even pay much attention to the soft-looking room, let alone care all too much about the texture of couches. He comfortably could sit just about wherever, especially places that larger beings couldn't reach.

"A pycon... You want to stay in Wind Reach? Are you sure? I can't imagine life will be particularly easy here for someone of your...erm, stature. Is there anything you're particularly good at?"

Bricken wasn't phased by the statement that his life was not going to be easy. He had always been small and resigned himself to the fact that sometimes he just had to figure out how to do big things in his own way.
The Valintar's switch to Common brought him comfort. Communicating in his native tongue would make it easier, but a part of him wished he could show off the Nari he had already picked up, even if it was still quite basic. What was Bricken good at? He thought for a moment, completely still.
The five inch tall figure didn't move much when it was uneeded. He didn't have nerves to shake. The stillness usually brought a small amount of shock to people when he finally did move, so he had started to learn how to mimic the way large people moved. As he consciously became aware of his stillness, he rolled gently on his heels, letting his arms swing. It did seem to bring the words he needed to say.

"I spent my entire life so far travelling with merchants. I know arithmetic and some more complex mathematics from helping with ledgers, and I've learned how to sell things and talk to people. I'm also quite good at climbing and slipping out of troublesome situations, and can do physical work that requires small hands and being close up. I also learn quickly. There's not much in the way of physical skills, though. I'm only three seasons old after all."
He stood for another moment, then kicked a stubby foot and said "I do want to learn magic, too, or anything else that could make me useful."
He felt in his very being the urge to impress, or at least be accepted and allowed to stay and be trained to be useful. He wanted to belong.
"I am still learning Nari. Being immersed in it should help with that."
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Big Decision, Little Guy

Postby Solstice on September 18th, 2019, 5:31 pm


The dubious expression on the Valintar's face gradually cleared to something more thoughtful as the little pycon listed off his defining qualities. Kaden was, ultimately, a thoughtful man. He put a great deal of consideration into the running of his city and the gears that turned it were, inevitably, people. Any man, woman, or child could prove to be useful, even a strange little one such as this. The mention of mathematics and a curiosity in magic drew a few sharp glances, but all the rest was fairly basic stuff.

"Are you familiar with our castes in Wind Reach?" Kaden asked. Beside the door to Kaden's office, a perch stood. Atop that perch rested a majestic gold eagle, who through the events had been staring at both Bricken and Amalie with an intense curiosity. Kaden approached the bird and reached out a hand to stroke the bird's head. It let out a soft chirp in reply. "At the top of the caste are the men and women who ride eagles, our Endals. They protect and feed the city and it's inhabitants, and the greatest respect is shown to them as a result. All members of the city obey them without question, and they have the best things the city has to offer."

Kaden turned back towards Bricken and Amalie. Amalie was holding out the small clay figure, looking lost, but held her composure. For now, Kaden ignored her in favor of the pycon. "The next highest caste is the Avora. They are the craftsman of our city. The glassblowers, the smiths, the hunters, mages who sculpt our city's innards and direct the lava flows. Below that are the Chiet. The common folk. They do the work below the Avora and Endals. Childcare, cooking for the common masses, organizing, cleaning. Things such as that. And below that…"

Here Kaden paused a moment and reached into a pouch at his waist. He withdrew a scrap of meat, which he offered to the eagle. The bird snapped it up in a flash, tearing into furiously. "The Deks," Kaden said. His face was grim. "They are the lowest of the low. Fit for nothing more than the hardest of labor and deserving of nothing more than the dredges of whatever food and clothing remains for them. You would do well to work hard so as to avoid that caste." Kaden paused again. "Then of course there are the Yasi. The children. Their caste is all about learning how to work and figuring out what caste they belong to." Something in Kaden's words caused the Inarta to pause and he gave Bricken a slow, thoughtful look. "I must admit I don't know much about your people's life cycles. How old are you Bricken? Are you young for a Pycon?"
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Big Decision, Little Guy

Postby Bricken on September 19th, 2019, 1:45 am

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"Are you familiar with the castes of Wind Reach?"

Bricken had heard some about the castes. He wasn't very familiar with social classes on their own - let alone strictly defined ones such as the castes in Wind Reach. He listened close to the descriptions. The endals, at the very top, the eagle riders. He knew of them, but hadn't even met one. Bricken thought about the eagle he saw. Who was its rider? He pictured a mighty warrior on its great back, one of the inarta. The gold eagle sitting in the office would be dwarfed by the size of the bird in the market, and that was a massive bird on its own. It viewed Bricken through a single amber eye, pupils wide, head turned in profile. It seemed to know he was not food despite his stature. Was it intelligence or training that gave it this control?
The Avora. Craftsmen. The glass trinkets all over the market, they would have been made by Avora. He listened intently to the line about mages - how would they even do that? He'd learn eventually. The chiet, the commoners, doing the jobs below the Avora that need to be done for the survival of the city.

Kaden held a piece of meat out. The eagle snatched it with incredible speed and began tearing away. A predator if Bricken had ever seen one. He felt a warm excitement in his nexus. Maybe one day he could have a bird. Nothing as great as an eagle, of course, not anything that could easily carry him off. Perhaps something small.

Deks. He had heard the word, in passing. Unmentionables. Undeserving. Undesirable. What drops someone to such a low status, that they cannot even provide common help to their own city? He knew he would learn quickly. How the castes interacted, what makes someone belong to their caste. And then there were the Yasi. Kaden's question of his age gave him pause. There really is a hard comparison to make. Pycon lived a much shorter life than other races, and grew up quickly. His infant form was merely a ball of clay that could only eat, eventually growing sentience, forming legs. His second form was simply an orb shape with limbs. He hadn't had formed eyes, but the pycon senses didn't work through organs. He could see well enough without them through the frontwards side of his nexus. Soon he learned that others preferred humanoid shapes and faces, something to personify. That became his current form.

"Yes," he replied. "My mother said I am still young, but old enough to start exploring on my own and creating my own path in life. Pycon don't rely on parents for much beyond a couple seasons."
He thought hard about everything he had learned so far about how humans aged. Humans were dependent on their parents for many years. It wasn't until a decade in that they could start really forming skills of their own.
"I haven't had time to learn anything on my own, though. I'm still what your kind would likely consider a child or teenager."

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Bricken
a boy of clay and wonder
 
Posts: 26
Words: 22297
Joined roleplay: August 14th, 2019, 2:32 am
Race: Pycon
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