Cole's Dream?

[Etinfall]

Fire. Ice. Lightning, BOOM! Two elves speaking, voices not. Wings spread, Talons sharp.

[Etinfall]

One human, one elf. Scales. A giant eye surrounded by a blue light. A battlefield, bones, rust. Flash, flash. Nothing...

[Etinfall]

a woman ...an elf. surviving ...sad. but why? A spider grinning.
my journey, trying to get back.

 images. sounds. voices. wind.

a climb into clouds, cow? confusion ..a flower.
my journey, going to get back.

flashes. noise. voices. wind.

my journey, back.

[Etinfall]

*punching walls, trash barrels, smashing benches*

"DROW!!! everywhere I look DROW! just doing what they please. Taking away what I love. Tearing me up inside. Sitting in Hlint, talking to the ones I thought were friends. Deceiving them, thats what they do. Poisoning people, killing people, destroying our world. Something needs to be done. They have crippled the surfacers, the rivvel, thats what the called me. Rivvel. Well if no one else will do something I will. They will not get away with this."

*hands bloodied*

"I will seek the answers, I will end this. I must take away from them what they take away from me. Happiness, love, friendship. Dirty DROW!!

*exhausted...falls to the ground*

[Etinfall]

I am so lost. Drow are my enemy...but Veldrin may not be. He has shown me a side of me that I didn't see was happening. I have changed, but is it hate? I thought so...maybe not. We have all done things, some to survive...some out of hate. But we al do things. I can see past those. I have always said that. Now I must prove it. I forfeit my life for another...I lay down my soul. Is it in time? I can only hope.

The drow are an enemy,,, Veldrin may not be. Am I?

[Etinfall]

As Cole exits the forest he sees a passerby... instinctively he stops dead in his tracks, focuses on not being there... and watches. The pedestrian walks with in a few yards of him, not seeing him at all.

It has been months since Cole has started his training. He has improved in his hiding skills as well as moving quietly. Testing himself by walking through camps of ogres and giants, picking something up and leaving. At first, there were many battles, usually ending up bloody Cole would just try harder.

Now... he is unseen. Soon his training must advance. And soon, his plans for revenge will come to fruition.

[Etinfall]

shadows...

darkness...

alone.

[Etinfall]

As Cole sets about gathering the things needed for a journey, he looks around. In a way he will miss Hlint. But in a way he will not. So many people come through here, it's no wonder nature has been lost. Or is he lost from nature?

Well, this is why this trip is so important to Cole. To travel across land and sea, to be reminded in what he believes in. He will journey to the continent of Dregar, to the Forest of Mists. To find his path again. He feels he has been called to the Newly built Temple in the forest. It seemed like a dream, but he does not think it was. More of a message... Come to Folian. That is what he heard, between the awake and sleep. Now he is awake and ready to begin...

[Etinfall]

As Cole makes his way makes his way through Rilara he decides to head north. After spending weeks in the Wolfswood he ends up in Lannisport. This is the last place he wanted to be. But a Cleric of the Wolfswood said he really should travel to Lannisport. This is all he would say.

Cole enters the city...feeling a tad depressed for stepping off his path. He sees a familiar face standing in a small crowd, speaking to an old man. He listens in, a missing girl? What is this? Is this what Folian wanted of him? To be here at this exact time? To help in this grave matter? Only one way to find out. The Temple will just have to wait a bit longer for Cole Etinfall to arrive.


Cole steps up, "May I be of service?..."

[Etinfall]

With the help of some good friends, I finally made my way to the Temple for Folian S'pae. It was a long time coming.

The Vakhar, a guild of Rangers, Druids, and Clerics that believe in the balance of nature, showed me the way. They have showed me more than that. They show me that we can all make a difference, no matter how wounded you are. They have asked me to serve on the Trunk Council, as the representative for the Tauron, and I have accepted the challenge.

But it will be together that we change this world for better.

[Etinfall]

Changes...happens to all.

Must I embrace the dark, just to see what is in the light? My training has taught me a lot, but now it holds me from other duties. I must rejoin my friends soon, for I feel I will need them in times to come. Their guidance will be what keeps me from slipping off the edge of darkness. If I do not abandon them in the mean time.

I must get past this stage of my training and find my true path again. When one walks a path there are many branches to follow.

[Etinfall]

I feel the darkness around me. I know this is what I asked for... to learn of it's secrets, it's strength... it's power. But I am getting too close to it, the shadows are reaching me. I need to find my path again. It seems so lost, hidden. How can this be happening!!  Have I chosen a deadly path? One that will lead to my demise?

it is so dark...

[Etinfall]

Day in day out I see travesties in the woodlands and forests. Saw a man use a clouded leopard as a weapon with no concern for the animal at all. I was arguing with the Vakhar about what we should do about the threat coming to Mistone when I saw it. I tore off to stop him. I was mad..angry! I wanted to hurt this man...

These are the ones we are suppose to help protect from Blood's forces? At times I think, let them die. But as soon as I think it I step back. How can I think that, it is not how I feel. But some may deserve it that is for sure. Let Blood take them out, hide in the shadows of the largest trees, and let it happen.

*Cole tosses down his quill, disgusted with him self for putting those thoughts to paper*

*he fades to the dark and sits there*

[Etinfall]

*Cole sits quietly as he reads his last entry.*  "I wonder if this new path I am on will be the one to advance my... skills? It feels to be the direction I have been searching for."  *He writes.*  Gateway, Spring Dawning 8, 1396 It started in Vale, a stranger sends me a note. It says he has a proposition for me and to meet him by the stage by Vale, alone. Usually this is no problem, being alone I mean. But today was different. Today I was around friends. As I went to meet the stranger, my friends followed me, worried. The man was there by the stage as he wrote in his letter. When he saw the others with me he immediately turned tail and left. I almost didn't stop him but my curiosity got the better of me, he had mentioned he danced with the shadows. That was all it took, due to my never-ending search for answers and a direction to follow. I had been lost for so long. After pleading with him to stay he tells me why he called for me.  The man's name was Valagh Zaulochar. He tells me he wants me to rid the area near the mahogany grove in northern Dregar of a group protecting it. My first thought was to turn away but then I thought I heard him say the dark ones were that group. My instinct kicks in and I think drow are behind it, I was wrong. He goes on by saying that these dark ones were killing anything that gets in sight of the grove and that he needs to have access to make his bows for people. He also tells me that he would guard the trees from being over harvested. This sounds good to me and I agree to go and see these people. Expecting a fight and a long journey I ask Jenarra, Luna, Jacchri, and Garnet to assist me. They all agreed, though I did confuse them with my misunderstanding about the dark ones.  *Cole suddenly hears a noise, stashes his journal and quill, then steps back into the shadows...*

[Etinfall]

...the journey is over now...or is it just beginning? We travelled to the north part of Dreger, to meet with these dark ones. It became clear soon after talking with these "Dark Ones" that they were not there for evil purposes like Zaulochar said. They were preventing the Mahogany from being harvested. Some of my group was not comfortable with the way these dark druids were going about the protection of the trees. But I knew, or felt that is what was needed. At the last moment before a battle erupted I halted. "Wait!", I said. "I can't do this with a clear heart. It isn't right."  Some of the others were a tad surprised, but I really wasn't

After speaking with one of the druids she must have saw something, or felt something in my words. She asked if my path was clear, it wasn't. She asked if I needed help, I did. Then out of nowhere a hooded man came to us as we spoke. He was strange in all the ways there is to be strange. No matter how hard I tried I could not get a clear glimpse of his face. Always in shadow. We talked, about many things. It felt like a test, one where if I passed all things in my life could change. I felt I needed this.

 

He decided too help me, I am glad about that...but concerned at the same time. Where will this lead me? Will I be me when I get there?

[Etinfall]

It has been several months since I began my time with Maylua Freurden. In all this time I still hardly know him. He is extremely advanced in the secrets of the Shadow and he has taught me a lot. But I know I have even more to still learn. When I first found the shadow, I could not control it. Now, I am beginning to. I can find a shadow in almost any terrain, and quickly to. But the more I learn, the more confused I get. I no longer feel like I am slipping into the darkness as I once did, but I feel my views changing. It might be Maylua, on some level is also showing more to this world than just the shadows. I see the trees, the animals, the flowers, and the creatures in this world in trouble. I see the need to protect it all, it is what makes all of us. Without nature, we all will suffer.  I will continue to study with Maylua Freurden, mysterious as he is, for as long as I can learn from him. And maybe someday, he will trust me enough to show me who he really is.