New Character Submission - Gvhe

[bmkbobcat]

Character: Gvhe (pronounced: guh-hay)
Age: 18
Gender: Female
Class: Druid (eventualy leaning toward shifter)
Race: Wemic
Alignment: Neutral Good
Deity: None

Biography Background Story

-Part 1-

Gvhe's first memories are that of stalking beetles and butterflies while playing amongst the tall grasses of the Savannahs; near the small rock dens at the edge of the River of Floods where she was born. She and the other young cubs would chase each other for hours, practicing their skills of strength and dexterity. She remembers having fun at the time, when her instincts were the only thing driving her, but as she grew and started to develop thoughts of her own, things began to change. She knew that the hunt was a part of the great never ending circle. The Pride would follow the game herds when they would move to new grazing lands; only taking a life in order to defend or sustain themselves. Still, she struggled with the thought of having to join the hunt one day. She was not comfortable with the thought of having to take a life, even for her own survival. Yet, the desire for the hunt was powerful; boiling her blood with anticipation. Perhaps she was a hunter after all, just as her mother and grandmother before her. Still, her heart strove for something more.

As her 18th season approached, her anxiety grew. Soon she would be set forth on her right of passage. She would be expected to make a solo hunt and return with a trophy that would seal her proper place in the Pride. She would earn her hunter name, and be tattooed with the mark of adulthood. She would strive to do her best, but a feeling of dread always lingered. Then, the big day arrived.

Gvhe stood proud as her Grandmother, Neeree, began the ceremony. The proud matriarch gave Gvhe a bow and quiver that she had made with her own hands. Her Mother, Mina, fastened a leather pouch over one shoulder that hung across Gvhe's chest, and came to a rest at her side. The pouch contained a few of the remaining healing herbs that had been collected before the sky went dark some years before. With a nod from the High Druid of the Savannahs, Gvhe set off on her first and most important quest.

She roamed aimlessly for awhile. Alone with her thoughts, she wondered if she would actually have the courage to complete her task. Then she saw them, fresh deer tracks. It was time to stop daydreaming and begin the trek toward her destiny. Stealthily, she tracked the animals to a small clearing among the dying trees of Silver Grove. She could smell them nearby. Creeping silently, she made her way through the wood. There, in the distance, her trophy.

Blurry eyed, she aimed, pulled back the bow string, closed her eyes, and let fly a wild arrow. To her shock and amazement, the arrow hit its mark and the animal fell. A mixture of emotions filled her breast. The instinctive satisfaction of the hunt battled with her consciousness at the thought of this sacrifice. She was well aware of the circle of life; it was a part of daily life on the Savannahs. She understood its meaning, but knowing that this had happened by her hand made her stomach turn.

Lowering her head in reverence, she slowly made her way toward her fallen prey. As she got closer, things began to come more into focus. The hind quarters covered in its smooth shining fur, the powerful haunches, the cloven hooves...suddenly she realized that she was not seeing what she had expected. These were not the cloven hooves of a deer. She followed the animals shape. Her heart sank as she realized that she had shot her arrow, not at a deer, but straight through the heart of a young centaur foul. She had unknowingly killed one of the protectors of her people.

Panic filled her very core, she could not move, or even think. Gvhe stood there for a long time, unable to pull herself from this nightmare. Soon, her blood began to rise; she threw down her bow and began to run as fast as she could. Her thoughts raced, her vision blurred, and yet still she ran. It was not until her wind finally broke and her muscles could go no more that she came to a stop and slumped to the ground.

The ground was gritty, yet soft, and it smelled of salt. She looked up to find herself at the edge of the sea. Gvhe had never traveled this far from the Pride, but that realization seemed petty against the current situation in which she found herself. Heartbroken, Gvhe lay at the edge of the beach looking out over the vast waters of the Sea of Scales. Emptiness took her over. The water rippled before her like a hypnotic blanket waiting to engulf her soul. Time slipped away and the darkness clouded her thoughts until she could no longer make sense of them. Her body and mind drifted into nothingness.

Gvhe woke several hours later. She slowly raised herself and began a much labored walk along the dark coast line. She needed to clear her thoughts and decide what to do. In the distance she made out a shape of something at the edge of the water. As she got closer, she could see pieces of wood floating their way up to the sand. Among them, unconscious, was a sight like none she had seen before. What she saw amazed her. There, lying helpless on the beach was a being with pink skin, very little fur, only two legs, and no tail! What was this thing? Where did it come from?

She stood in amazement for only a moment, then gently picked up the limp figure and carried it to safety. There, she opened the pouch that her mother had entrusted to her and began grinding some of the herbs between two smooth rocks that she had collected from nearby. Slowly and carefully she administered the healing concoction to the wounds on the creature; as she did so, something in her stirred. It was a feeling that she had never experienced before; a kind of warmth emanating between her hands, the herbs, and the wounds. Soon, the creature’s wounds began to visibly heal. Gvhe tried to concentrate; forcing her own life force into this strange being. She had taken one life today, perhaps now she could save one. She did not understand it now, but this would be the beginning of a new life for her.

Slowly and steadily she worked, until finally, the creatures eyes opened. It made this gurgled squeal of sorts, sat up, and backed away from Gvhe as quickly as it could. Its eyes had a frenzied look of fear, and its body trembled. Gvhe smiled and tried to tell the creature that it was safe, but it did not seem to understand. She slowly pointed at its wounds, and then held out her clawed hand, trying to show her intent. The creature looked at its wounds, then to the herbs, then to her, and its face softened. Slowly, it rose from the sand and began to make gestures that were not familiar to Gvhe. Suddenly, a bright flash of light appeared, engulfing the creature and nearly startling Gvhe half to death. When the light faded, and Gvhe regained her composure, she realized that the creature was not only completely healed; it looked rested and strong. Gvhe could not help it; she sat there, mouth agape, starring at this wonder.

The creature smiled and approached her, reaching out a hand toward hers. She responded in kind, though she still felt a bit unsteady. It made sounds as if to communicate, but Gvhe could not understand. It looked out toward the sea, then inland, then at Gvhe. This she understood. It was asking her to guide it. Together they walked side by side, the stranger toward unknown lands, and Gvhe toward her judgment. She would lead him home, but by way of the grove where the fallen centaur lay. She must admit what she had done, and return the centaur to his people.

When they reached the grove, Gvhe led the Stranger to where the foal had fallen from her arrow. She gathered up her bow, carefully removed the arrow from the chest of the young centaur, and prepared to transport him home. The Stranger put out a hand, as if to stop Gvhe, and gestured for her to step back. Something from within her made her obey, and when she did, there was an explosion of light from the Stranger's hands. Gvhe turned her head in pain from the strength of the light. When she was able to look back again, the foal was looking back at her. Gvhe lost her knees and slumped to the ground. The foal smiled, waved, and bounded into the woods with the energy only one that young could have. Gvhe looked over at the Stranger, he looked weakened, but he smiled. Gvhe's shock soon turned to pure joy. She got up and excitedly but gently grabbed the stranger by the shoulders. As she nuzzled that kind face with hers, she picked the Stranger up in her great arms and headed for home. What a story she would have to tell.

Needless to say, it was quite a sight, this young lioness and her trophy striding up to the Pride. Gvhe, with a steady voice, began to recite the tale. Everyone listened intently as they examined the strange creature she had brought home with her. The Stranger stood next to Gvhe; feet glued to the ground. She could feel the Stranger's reserve, took a brief pause, and put a gentle hand to the Stranger's shoulder before she continued. When she had finished, the High Druid approached. Gvhe lowered her eyes and awaited her judgment; the Stranger trembled under her hand.

The High Druid spoke of ancestry, honor, birthright, wisdom, and bravery. He said that even though she had made a grave mistake, thanks to the Stranger, she had narrowly averted potential disaster. Regardless of where circumstances had led her, he was proud that she had returned to face her mistake with honor instead of concealing it. He asked her about how she had come to her decision, and about the healing she had performed. She answered as best she could, even though it was hard to put the feelings into words. He then reached into the pouch that hung at his side, and from it, pulled a strand of leather.

Hanging from the strand was the claw of a great bear. He placed the claw in his hand, held it tightly and closed his eyes. Shortly, his hands began to glow with an orange aura. He put his opposite hand to Gvhe's shoulder and pressed. She felt pain, but did not react to it. When he removed his hand, a tattoo remained. He examined the tattoo and then exclaimed to the entire assembly, "This is Gvhe Outlander; Child of the Great Oak!" Gvhe looked down at her shoulder to see that she had not been given the tattoo of a hunter of the Pride, but that of a leaf, the symbol given to those who would someday become a druid. Her destiny had been revealed.

There was much celebration all throughout the next day. The stranger stayed among them only a short while, and then was escorted to the village of the centaurs where Gvhe once again told her story to the Elders there. As the High Druid had said, this second chance was not only given to Gvhe, and to the Stranger, but to the foal and his people. They deserved to know how close disaster had come. To her relief, Gvhe was forgiven for her atrocity, and the Stranger would be given a parade escort to the shore nearest the shipping lanes. There the stranger could wait to be picked up by a passing merchant ship. Gvhe and the Stranger exchanged their goodbyes, and then they both set forth on their own path toward home.

-Part 2-

Gvhe spent the next 8 months studying under the Elder Druids of the Pride. She was required to return the bow and quiver that her Grandmother had made for her; as Druids were not allowed to use bows of any kind. This saddened her, but her sadness was equaled by her delight at no longer having to be one with the hunt. In fact, even if she had desired to still be a part of the hunt, she was not allowed to. As one of her teachers had said, "This is a steadfast rule to all Druids, but a special one in your case, young one. We don't need anymore wild arrows, now do we?" Gvhe could feel her ears turning pink with embarrassment.

Gvhe's training was like being caught up in a whirlwind. Her mornings started early and her days ran late as she moved from one teacher to the next, each sharing pieces of their specialty in Druid knowledge. As she trained, the spark that had been ignited in her that day on the beach, grew. But, that was not the only spark kindling within her; her curiosity about the world outside of her homeland was growing at an equally steady rate.

As her 19th season approached, something strange began to happen over the Sea of Scales. A strong wind began to blow and large waves crashed onto the shores of Veapra. Most of the land dwelling life began moving inland, looking for shelter where they could find it. The Elders of the Tribe became very concerned and called a meeting of all the Prides. What forces were at work here? Though it seemed ages ago, it was only a decade since the great darkness had engulfed them. Many lives had been lost as the sources of food for the plant eaters began to die, and now this.

Gvhe's mind was clouded. What was going on? She decided to go to the river and sort out her thoughts. As she lay on the cool rocks at the edge, she watched fish jump in the shallows. She wondered if the fish were worried too. Curiosity was burning inside her, and yet, she felt a dread that she had only felt once before. Shaking her head, she slowly made her way back the Pride.

As she crested the hill where the Pride had gathered for the night, her Grandmother approached her. "Gvhe", she said. "The Elders have decided." Gvhe felt a lump in her throat. "All apprentices of the Great Oak must set out in search of answers to these riddles, and help in the defense against whatever dark forces may have a hand in it." It was time, Gvhe was to leave the Pride behind and finish developing her Druid abilities as best she could on her own.

A week later, all preparations had been made. Each Pride set forth their young Druidic students toward whatever end they would meet. Gvhe gathered her satchel, pack, and spear. She said her goodbyes to friends, teachers, and family. She took one last look at the dying grasses of the Savannah's and wondered if she would ever again return home. Her curiosity was now replaced by fear at what may lay ahead. Finally, struggling with the desire to stay and the pull to go, she turned and set out once again to meet her destiny.

-Notes-

// I understand that having the Stranger come back to the Pride may cause some conflicts in the Grande scheme. If so, let me know and I will attempt to adjust the story so that Gvhe and the Stranger separate before she returns to the Pride. Hopefully though, this brief encounter won’t cause any ripples in the World blanket. *ducks*

-Druid Agreement-

I understand and agree to the objectives of being a druid in Layonara.

I understand and agree to the rules of achieving these objectives.

I understand the internal organizational structure of the druids.

[darkstorme]

Hi there!

A good start, but you've gone and chosen one of the hardest combinations from the get-go! *grins* Wemics are a special subrace, and as such require an extensive biography, as do druids. Quite aside from the length (which I understand has been a trouble regardless due to the inexplicable clipping of your posts), there are a few other issues that I'd like to see addressed:

• Why is Gvhe a druid? We're thrown into the story with the presumption that she's already a druid, but we need to know how she got to this state, and who trained her - or if she didn't train, details of how her innate gifts manifested. The Druid Information page in LORE should provide you with plenty of inspiration to write up her druidic awakening. (That being said, the hunt can easily be druid-like, provided it's for subsistence, not for sport. If you wish for Gvhe's interpretation of druidic behaviour to exclude hunting, write along those lines.)
• Prestige Classes are not approved on submission. Please remove Shifter from your class build (but you're perfectly entitled to indicate a leaning in that eventual direction.)
• Wemics can neither speak nor understand Common. If her grandmother knows it, you'll need a very good reason for it. Very few Wemics who leave the island do so voluntarily, and fewer still ever come back, and their exposure to humans/humanoids is virtually nonexistent.
• As laudable as the task of gathering seeds might be... you may wish to read the Layonaran Timeline. Of particular note:

  Originally Posted by LORE

  1402
  A large group of heroes destroy Bloodstone and the war ends. At nearly the same time a Bloodwell is destroyed in the Demon Tower and the resulting explosion levels a large part of the Demon Mountains and puts the world into the Dark Ages due to the dust and debris that circles the globe.

  . As such, shade is not in high demand anywhere on Layonara, as the sun has not been seen unobscured in ten years now.
• Also, all druid submissions must include the numbered statements found on the Druid Submissions page. This is a prerequisite to acceptance.

As I said, a very nice start, and I can see where you're going with this character concept - I'd just like to see greater development both on the Wemic and druid aspects, and the points I've covered addressed.

Thanks, and happy writing! (Hopefully the forum will clear up whatever this truncation issue is. )

[bmkbobcat]

Thanks much! I will read the suggested, and try to expand a bit based on your suggestions. It will take me a bit to get to know Layonara, but I'll do my best to comply. *thinking cap - on*

PS, I think the truncation I was suffering was because I was pasting from Word - not verified yet - but will let you know.

[darkstorme]

*nods* Word's special characters give the forum conniption fits. The simplest solution is to copy-paste from Word into Notepad (or some similar plaintext editor), to strip the special characters, and from there into the entry area.

(That being said, if all you're using Word for is the spellchecker, pick up Firefox v. 2.0, and you get it built in! )

[bmkbobcat]

Darkstorme, I have been reading much about the World of Layonara, but I was wondering if you could point me to a place that would list what creatures are in certain parts of the World? Specifically, what sorts of creatures would one find in the areas of the Sea of Grass and the River of Floods?

PS; Word was indeed the culprit - notepad is our friend.

[darkstorme]

Hey again - glad to hear that the special characters were at fault, as before.

The Sea of Grass is one of the hardest islands in the Dragon Isles to reach; and once you're there, the centaurs keep all visitors firmly policed, so it's safe to assume that there are no humanoid or goblinoid races near the Wemics. I imagine a broad spectrum of savannah animals live near them, fish in the river, and woodland creatures in the forest. As for particular threats, I'm consulting on that, but I believe that, again, the centaurs work to keep the island free of most unnatural threats. (Dire animals, on the other hand, still likely pose a significant threat to those who don't know to stay away... dire lions, dire tigers, and dire bears (oh my!) particularly.)

Unfortunately, as few people ever visit Veapra (I'm actually not sure if any PC currently extant has), very little is known about the isle - so assume it's a natural plain, and a bit of a safe haven. This, however, is from minor consultation and speculation. If you want a definitive answer on this one, your best bet is to post to the Ask A Gamemaster forum.

Thanks - and good attention to detail!

Edit: I've also been informed that fey abound on the island, so satyrs, nymphs, pixies, nixies, and the like would probably be plentiful.. and the mischevious/malicious ones would be the chief non-natural threat on the island.

[bmkbobcat]

That is exactly what I needed to fill in a few holes. Stay tuned for the rewrite!

Thanks muchly!

[bmkbobcat]

My rewrite is complete, but for some reason the forum does not want to allow me to cut and paste more than a few lines at a time...again...and I did it in notepad this time! /cry

Since battling the forum gods is just silly, I have posted my character submission here . Could someone who is not cursed, please transfer it here to the forum?

Thank you in advance!

[Faldred]

Bio transferred as requested.

Now, to read it...

[bmkbobcat]

Thanks so much Faldred! Darn thing was giving me fits, and believe me, that is no pretty site!

[Faldred]

The only concerns I would have in this otherwise very well-written submission are:

1) The Stranger. He works very well as a deus ex machina to save Gvhe from her mistake. However, a Cleric (which is what he must be, in the context of the game world) capable of casting Resurrection (Spell level 7) would be a powerful Cleric (15+ level) indeed. We get into the issue of the "powerful mentor" problem here, so some out-of-character clarification from you that the Stranger no longer has any involvement in Gvhe's life.

2) Why, after these events, would Gvhe leave her home to go adventuring?

[bmkbobcat]

Originally Posted by Faldred

The only concerns I would have in this otherwise very well-written submission are:

1) The Stranger. We get into the issue of the "powerful mentor" problem here, so some out-of-character clarification from you that the Stranger no longer has any involvement in Gvhe's life.

My vision of the story has The Stranger and Gvhe parting ways perminantely. I agree that my intent does not seem clear though, so let me clarify.

1) Although I did find a couple of gender errors while doing a re-read, I tried very hard to make the identy of the Stranger very ambiguous. Gvhe, having never seen this kind of being before, would not be able to clarify race, abilities, or even gender in some cases.

2) Because of the communication barrier, even if she had been able to find out a name from the Stranger, she would probably forget it by the time she was able to pronounce it. Where the Stranger is from, and what they were doing in her part of the World would remain a mystery.

3) As Veapra is so hard to get to (according to the description on the site), and as the Stranger's appearence there was quite accidental, if he ever did make it back to the island, finding the wandering Pride would prove difficult at best.

Originally Posted by Faldred

2) Why, after these events, would Gvhe leave her home to go adventuring?

Excellent question! What I invision after the Stranger's visit, is a lot of curiousity emerging about the world beyond the Pride's native homeland; not only herself, but for her druid teachers as well. To that end, Gvhe will set out on a journey in search of knowlege and new experiences.

[darkstorme]

Both those sound good - if you can write up the second one, you'll be good to go, I think.

[bmkbobcat]

Please disregard this question - it has been answered.



Alrighty, will do.

Firstly though, where would the character of Gvhe emerge in the world once she is created?

[bmkbobcat]

I believe that I have completed all of the tasks that have so far been put before me. *wipes her brow*

Please see -Part 2- of the background story from my character submission, for the new additions.

*zombies glassy-eyed to the fridge for a glass of tea*