Character Name: Ael Rynthien Current Level: 21 An update on your character's biography: Original submission. http://www.layonaraonline.com/forums...=search#M86680 Development Thread - Journal. http://www.layonaraonline.com/forums...=search#M87896 Development Thread - Screen Shot Album. http://www.layonaraonline.com/forums...sp?albumid=308 Ael has spent a great deal of time writing and speaking inon behalf of various causes he has supported. 1. Shortly after arriving in Hlint, Ael wrote an essay on behalf of the Unity Movement: encouraged people of faith to put aside their differences in the face of Bloodstone’s threat; Pilgrimage of the Faithful.
http://www.layonaraonline.com/forums...=search#M91264 2. Ael warned of sightings in the Broken Forest; this lead to his involvement in efforts to eradicate undead, mainly lead by Quantum.
http://www.layonaraonline.com/forums...=search#M96544 3. Ael offered advice on organizing against Blood; as wel, he offered to organize scouts.
http://www.layonaraonline.com/forums...search#M102225 4. He supported the formation of an assembly to serve as a liaison between the Dragon Called and the various governments and organizations extant upon Layonara.
http://www.layonaraonline.com/forums...search#M118339 5. Ael wrote extensively in public posts and private correspondence to foster efforts to re-take Stone.
http://www.layonaraonline.com/forums...search#M133358 6. Ael begins openly publishing his thoughts and notes regarding the inadequacy of Az’atta’s faith for those of his kindred who have renounced the depravity of Ca’Duz and Vierdri’ira.
http://www.layonaraonline.com/forums...search#M179024 Events and outcomes upon which Ael has exerted an influence. Quests Ael makes a difference in each and every effort in which he chooses to participate. If for whatever reason he feels that he is not making or will not be able to make such a difference, he moves on to other matters upon which he can make an impact. Here is a small sample of quests in which Ael has contributed significantly to a favorable outcome. 1. The Rescue of One Certain Soul. An impromptu quest by Rhizome. 2005.7.6.
http://www.layonaraonline.com/forums...=search#M89974 Immediately after Ael arrived in Hlint, a restless spirit began stirring up the undead in Hlint Crypts, causing them to spew forth and terrorize the village. It turned out this spirit was once a slave, and Ael used this common experience (Ael had been enslaved on Xantril for several years) to establish a rapport with it and fathom what needed to be done to give it peace. Where others initially wanted to destroy the spirit, Ael insisted on this course of cooperation, as the spirit’s requests were by no means evil - it simply wanted its body to be buried with its family. The group accomplished this and Hlint returned to “normal”. 2. Orc Hordes Series. Along with those who chose to assume the forms of orcs, Ael infiltrated the horde of the supernaturally influenced orcish warlord, Corash. Presenting himself as the seer of this “tribe” of orcs, he gained Corash’s confidence, thus helping the adventurers get direct access to Corash. He obtained Corash’s permission for the group to leave the horde (no orc could depart from the horde without such permission) and seek the shaman of the Fiery Tusk Clan, who eventually provided the group with means to defeat Corash. 3. War against Blood. Ael participated in many of these operations where he distinguished himself in two capacities: that of being a medic and scout. By “medic”, I mean that prior to the gathering of forces for each engagement, Ael spent considerable sums of gold purchasing large amounts of healing kits and potions - especially the cure serious target potions available then from a traveling salesman. He would split these potions between himself and two or three others immediately prior to embarking on the mission. Many of the Dragon Summoned were saved from death or the brink thereof by these potions; Ael especially was able to use his speed and nimbleness to heal those in the heart of the fighting. As a scout, Ael was able to use his speed and stealth ( and being able to continue to move quickly while under cover) to warn of approaching enemies. For instance, in Blood’s Vision, King’s Sight, a group of which Ael was a member was tasked with defending a landing site while another group rescued a person vital to the war against Blood. Ael kept a forward position as scout and archer; and also used his speed and abilities (quivering palm, stunning) to take out enemy casters once their front had been engaged. The enemy was not able to approach the defenders’ position without Ael’s having spotted them; and the havoc he helped cause among their spellcaster support helped his team meet its objective. 4. Return of the Lich series. Supporting a group tasked with the rescue of Daren Valhaikor, Ael thoroughly scouted the approaches to the Ca’Duzite holy city of Cenze’Tolan. Having determined from this that any force-based attempt to enter the city would be suicide, he persuaded the party to allow him to infiltrate the city to get more information and fathom other possibilities for freeing Darren. Together with the doppleganger Quarion, Ael infiltrated the city and gained access to its leader, Narlantor, eventually securing a deal in which the adventurers were able to rescue Daren as part one of the city’s Byzantine political intrigues. 5. The Tower Series. Ael’s puzzle solving abilities (and using focused, detailed observation to figure out mechanisms/gadgets) contributed the group’s survival on a mysterious island.
Ael’s Cdq 1. In the course of trying to salvage holy items in advance of looting and desecrating Ca’Duzites, Ael’s group managed to retrieve what is now the oldest known holy tome of Az’atta’s faith. This is now in the hands of the Az’attan priest Daren Valhaikor. Although this item has no intrinsic powers those possessing it can wield, its value to Az’atta’s faith cannot be understated. On a personal level, Ael’s studying this work contributed to his decision to leave Az’attas faith and define his own system of belief and practice. Whether ultimately he is the only one who follows this path or a multitude rally around him is immaterial; he has heard the clarion call of his own soul and must follow regardless of price. 2. Ael was in charge of all aspects of an expedition against what was then a major Ca’Duzite stronghold, a temple of theirs on the River of Shadows in Dregar. He coordinated meetings and preparations so everyone in his force would be well prepared materially, logistically and with knowledge of goals, strategy, and tactics for this endeavor. Preparations included but were not limited to making materials such as potions, scrolls and wands. Ael himself, and later with a small group, thoroughly scouted the area where the operation would be conducted, along with its approaches. Against heavy odds, Ael’s well prepared group successfully rescued the Az’attan priestess, Aylahadratha. Unlikely allies, if only for that day, threw their weight against the Ca’Duzite enclave resulting in its near-complete destruction. 3. Preparations for the mission engendered discussion among Az’attans, at that time Ael included, as to the extent of force to be used against the Ca’Duzites in the assault intended to distract their attention from the rescue, the latter being the core objective of the mission. Three of Ael’s closest friends who advocated a more deceptive and less force-oriented approach failed to persuade Ael and opted not to participate in his final plan. This brought into the open a debate between factions within Az’atta’s faith ranging from pure pacifists to more militant warriors defending the faith in a thousand-year holy war against Ca’Duz. Thus Ael’s actions have stirred a debate within one of Layonara’s religions as to what course it should take regarding fundamental issues pertaining to its very survival. 4. The near utter loss of the Ca’Duzite stronghold on the River of Shadows, which contained 300+ of its finest warriors and priests set back any plans of that faction and its allies involving those forces and that position. Furthermore, it takes a significant amount of time to muster such a concentration of force on or near the surface from the remote cities of the underdark. So any plans involving this stronghold were set back a great deal if not entirely compromised.
A few more developmental notes. At the heart of Ael’s existence is a fundamental question of nature versus nurture. I summarized this in the introduction to Ael’s development string. He was born into the extremely Machiavellian climate of a drow noble house in Olist Orbinn. And his indoctrination into drow culture had been well under way by the time his house fell. Add to that a length of time spent enslaved to fiends on Xantril for an amount of time he still cannot recall (as an aside, he still doesn’t know how old he is). House d’lil Maethra, that of his family, fell 1 ½ years before Ael was to perform a series of extremely difficult and deadly missions (known simply as “The Trials&rdquo
which, if he had succeeded, would have qualified him for full membership in his House. With the least failure, he would have died in the course of the missions, or else had he survived yet failed, his mother, Vress’lvel, would have killed him, herself - an excruciatingly slow and painful death, culminating in his sacrifice to a dark god. See the entry in Ael’s journal I submitted on 2005.11.29. There, Ael recalls how he was being trained to become and assassin and a spy - some one his mother could send to places where she dare not go, to gather information, to seduce, to kill. As he had not become a full-fledged member of his house, he was not introduced to the secrets a member of his standing would have come to know. Now the nurture aspect arises after Ayalahadratha rescued him. He ended up in the care of a lawful good monk of Rofirein for some eighty years. See the original bio for this. Which path will he follow? Will his dark nature win out, or will the years of care and teaching received from the good monk (and Ayla, to a lesser extent) give Ael what he needs to walk in the light? Or will some synthesis evolve in which Ael will follow a darker path without becoming lost in depravity or a slave to power? These are the core questions. Memories of his days in the underdark and on Xantril had been mostly lost to him, a result of the extreme trauma he suffered. Yet recently, as he heals himself more on an emotional level, a floodgate of memory has been opened, bringing him to face his dark past. Through his meditation work, he has achieved a level of detachment from his mental/emotional phenomena (thoughts, emotions, sensations - including pain and pleasure) which allows him to face up to all the terrifying memories and nightmares. Please read through his journal to see what all he has recalled about his dark past. In the entry I submitted on 2005.11.16, Ael recalls some of the torture he endured during his captivity on Xantril. Unbeknownst to Ael, this was not merely wanton cruelty. They were putting him through a series of rituals designed to break him utterly - mind, body, and spirit, then reforge him into a new dark entity, part demon, part drow, combining the strengths of both for some unspeakable end. Please note Ael’s journal where he remembers and researches his name. Ael Rynthien d’lil Maethra, meaning “Purifiying Fire of the Dragon”, in common (entry submitted on 2005.7.14). I submit the following brief history of which Ael knows nothing (of course, subject to approval). His house was one of the oldest of drow houses, dating back to the times when the drow directly served the chromatic dragons. And the dragon they served was none other than Pyrtechon, hence they named themselves direcly, “Of the Dragon”. They were supremely powerful until the rise of Vierdri’ira and Baraeon Ca’Duz, when their power started to wane. Eventually, they had to abandon their open worship of Pyrtechon, although they continued to worship The Destroyer secretly. By the time of it’s fall, House d’lil Maethra had fallen to a rank of Third House of Olist Orbinn. Ael had several siblings, four older sisters and an older brother, then two younger sisters. As stated in the journal, females dominated the house. His fourth eldest sister, in a power play, betrayed her mother by informing the matron of the First House about the secret worship of Pyrtechon.. Of course, this lead to the fall of Ael’s house at the hands of the first two houses; and to what extent they had enlisted some support from the dragon-hating Bloodstone is an open question. A motive for the latter would have been to ensure that the drow remained fully cut off from Pyrtechon. Ael doesn’t know that his two younger sisters, who had been sold into slavery with him, have survived as well. And to what extent they had been transformed, as the fiends had been trying to do to him - another open question. The demon overseeing all of this Svraalinoth, though serving within Xandrial’s legions occupying Xantril for Bloodstone, was and is an agent of Pyrtechon. And as the Destroyer (Pyrtechon) had foreseen the fall of his servants in House d’lil Maethra, he had plotted to save the youngest of the house and transform them into more powerful beings to do his bidding upon Layonara. Here I want to interject another aspect of Ael’s development that will run throughout his existence. A person can be very wise and have a great deal of insight into themselves and the world around them. But if they insist on “going it alone”, without input from mentors or colleagues, they could find themselves too close to some problem in their life. Too close either to perceive it or to solve it. So with Ael - he seeks wisdom, but there are some things that he just can’t see, like the danger of his fascination with the drow and the underdark. Ael learns quickly, and after eighty years on the surface, he knows how to respond in a manner that gets favorable social results for him. This is not inherently devious at this state...it is just survival. Although he is still emotionally detached when it comes to “loving reactions” and empathy, he is beginning to learn about love, mainly through his relationship with Sahala. Yet he can still be a bit cold and aloof - very much so if his darker nature is coming out for whatever reason. In terms of dangerous fascinations, please read the journal entry I submitted on 2005.8.11. Here is a crucial passage, that actually appears quite minor.
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Abruptly, she turned and walked away from him, and up a short dais to sit upon a throne, elaborately carved from a single huge ruby. From deeply within, the jewel-throne glowed with a light that seemed to pulse with the heart beat of she who sat within its embrace - its hue exactly matching the blood-crimson color of her eyes.
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Again, the theme of the Ruby Throne may never be fully addressed, and if so, only in an wlcdq. Pyrtechon gave it to the founders of House d’lil Maethra millennia ago as a powerful “gift” that actually served to enslave them to him. Some one among those who destroyed House d’lil Maethra claimed it as a prize, seduced by its beauty and promises of hidden power. But so long as the Ruby Throne exists, so does House d’lil Maethra - it has not truly fallen. Just as Ael doesn’t know his family served the Destroyer, he does not know the nature of the Ruby Throne. The throne has a consciousness, linked forever to Pyrtechon and to a lesser extent, the survivors of House d’lil Maethra - Ael and his two sisters, whose names Ael cannot remember. Ael has had dreams of the Ruby Throne, similar to the hallucination he had in the above journal entry. From these visions he believes it exists somewhere. Confident in his own will, he wonders if one day he could obtain it to wield as an instrument for achieving what he thinks is best the realm. And so, the Ruby Throne is reaching out to the three siblings. To what end will this lead?
How do you see your character being or becoming a World Leader? Faith and Ideals. Faith, ideas, and ideals have always been crucial to Ael. As demonstrated, he has influenced two of Layonara’s faiths: Az’atta’s, through the debate his actions have engendered; and Ca’duz’s through the destruction of one of their temples. In moving away from Az’attas faith, Ael is beginning to define a Way which embraces darkness and power without becoming its slave, and which espouses skillful action and speech based upon wise reflection. For some time the latter has been Ael’s personal way of life, whether he can more broadly define it to encompass a larger following, thus becoming a true Way, is an open question.
Of Pen and Sword. As demonstrated above, Ael has had an impact as a team member and a follower in participating in groups tasked with various missions; and as a leader in writing to support ideas and causes; in speaking before others to advocate causes he supports; and in preparing and leading forces in high stakes expeditions.
What sort of position and/or title do you envision for your character? I would like Ael to continue to develop his personal “Way” into something broader. One possibility is that somewhere Ael would establish a small territory - i.e., he would conquer land and establish a government. This would be a stronghold and haven for drow who have chosen to move on from a past of depravity and slavery to power. It would be open to all who accept a core set of fundamental principles and who are willing to work and live side by side with the aforementioned drow. Another possibility that does not exclude the previous one is Ael’s becoming some sort of philosopher - writing, speaking, and generating a great deal of debate and discussion about issues fundamental to the realm. Whatever evolves, I would like to include the core elements enumerated in the previous section: Faith, Ideals, the Pen, and the Sword, the latterof course is the Fist, in Ael's case.
Thanks for considering this.
Yllyrryon 
Ael Rynthien 
Linear Mode
