#i have not found my tribe and ive lost hope finding them at the age i am now

[buzz-killed]

living vivaciously thru my art.

[azvolrien]

An Incomplete Timeline of Stranatir

OK, despite the tag this is more of a reference document than a story; I mentioned once that I have a timeline drawn up to help keep when all my stories happen straight in my head. I update it periodically when I have new stuff to add, but this is what I have sorted out so far.

AI = ‘Anno imperii’, ‘in the Year of the Empire’ (I hope). Previous years are ‘BE’, ‘Before the Empire’, as ‘ante imperium’ would lead to confusion.

AI   1          Raan the Conqueror, chieftain of the Bear Tribe of Raan’s Fort (‘Ki-Raan’), finishes his campaign to unite the scattered Kargvallen (the ‘Jagged Lands’, an old name for the Kiraani Hills) tribes into a single nation; traditionally considered the founding of the Kiraani Empire. Things kind of escalate from there.

     1409    Schism of the Balaurin; the expansionist ‘Sky Kings’ led by Voice of the Mountain travel from the Dragon’s Teeth to the Eastern Highlands and enslave the orcs. I guess they thought it would be easier than trying to conquer the Kiraani, as the orcs had yet to invent ballistae.  

     1420    Approximate beginning of the Raiding Period – an era in Sea Loch history characterised by warfare and raiding between the people of the different lochs, each under the leadership of a different local monarch. Vikings, basically. Kiraan glances in their direction and decides to let things settle down over there before attempting anything.

     1740    Traditionally considered the end of the Raiding Period, with the unification of the Sea Lochs under High King Fergus. Local monarchs keep their titles but swear fealty to the High King.

     2109    The Sea Loch Country and the Hawk Steppes are annexed into the Kiraani Empire; the Emperor adds ‘High King’ and ‘Great Khan’ to his list of titles. The nation of Stormhaven is founded when a slave ship runs aground on the coast and Queen Eleri the First (just Eleri at that point) masterminds the escape. On the other side of the continent, Ikara the Black leads the orcs (who have now invented ballistae, and have also worked out a few useful things about ‘blast pulp’) in the Last Revolt against the Sky Kings; Voice of the Mountain and all other dragons in the Eastern Highlands (save one) are slain. Some of the Sky Kings successfully escape the mountains and join communities in the lowlands to the west, but most are killed with the dragons.

     2214    The Devourer appears at Eyrie Spire and begins consuming magic for miles around. To date no one is completely sure what it really was (not even me!). Almost all dragons die in the event, leaving only a handful of survivors and unhatched eggs; Balaurin civilisation collapses without them. Most human survivors quietly integrate into the Mammoth People on the ice fields to the north or Kiraan south of the mountains and a few remain in the mountains with most of the surviving  dragons, but some become more belligerent. The Balaurin mage Morath (known to Stormhaven as the Harbinger) and her dragon Dark Shadow over the Frozen Land (‘Shadow’) come to Stormhaven in warning and are slain in battle against an invading Balaurin faction.

     2696    Crown Prince Zarannon of Kiraan (‘Zar’, and believe it or not that was not an intentional pun on ‘Tsar’) is born to Emperor Kaial III and Imperial Consort Aysel Darehyin Yaigani.

     2702    Lorna, an eighteen-year-old girl of the Sea People, becomes disillusioned with the violent culture of her remote island birthplace and steals a boat to defect to the mainland. She is caught in a storm on the way and washes up on a beach in the Sea Loch Country, where she is taken in by Bruide MacDovran, his wife Morag, and their son Euan (also eighteen). Although she’s unofficially adopted into the family, her relationship with Euan is very much not that of brother and sister.  

     2710    26th Voynithi/March – Roan is born to Lorna and Euan, and orphaned by raiders a couple of months later; she is then raised by her widowed grandfather Bruide, who cannot bear to keep using NicEuan as her patronymic and changes it to NicBruide, the name she will bear for the rest of her life.

     2711    15th of Sirakithi/January – Fayn reyth Aren is born. The village priest views her albinism as a terrible omen and insists that they leave her in the forest to die. Her parents Aren and Kayun can’t completely overrule him, but manage to talk him down to allowing her to live just outside the village boundaries in the care of her eldest sister Una. Una does a pretty good job, all things considered, and is probably the biggest reason Fayn had both the skills to survive alone and the ability to eventually return to civilisation.  

                 8th of Rivedi/July – Asta zeDamar is born. There’s not really anything more interesting to say about that part of her life; she has a fairly happy and nondescript middle-class upbringing up until the point everything goes horribly wrong for her.

                 16th of Messis/September – Wygar Smith is born, and left at a Stormhaven orphanage by his biological parents Wyatt and Irwen (no surname) two days later. Nicholas and Mari Smith adopt him after a month in the orphanage; he doesn’t remember it, but once he’s financially capable of it he makes regular donations to the orphanage.

     2716    Nirali is born. (cradle name: ‘Blue Eyes’) Unlike Fayn’s experience, her albinism is noted as unusual and her parents are advised to be careful with sun exposure, but it otherwise has no effect on her upbringing. Her eccentricities are entirely her own.

     2717    Emperor Kaial orders the genocide of the Falkari people out of paranoia; only Fayn survives. Zar, horrified, cuts all ties to his father not strictly related to his duties as Crown Prince and immediately starts planning what he’ll do to try and atone for it once he takes the throne. Stormhaven declares war shortly after the massacre.

     2719    The Darkwald War ends with the signing of Treaty of Harbinger Pass; nobody can really be said to have conclusively won or lost but hostilities between Stormhaven and the Empire are officially over. Unofficially, Stormhaven is not totally convinced, so the Harbinger Gate is constructed to block the pass. The Darkwald as far south as the Stone River is designated an official buffer zone between Stormhaven and the Empire. People can still pass through from one to the other but the only activity allowed within the zone is services for travellers on the Great Darkwald Road, such as roadside campsites and the village of Halfway.

     2723    Wygar begins his apprenticeship at the Stormhaven College of Sorcery alongside Calburn, Rhona and the rest of their yearmates.

     2726    Karash is born. (cradle name: ‘Honey’)

     2731    Roan graduates from the University of Duncraig following the death of her grandfather earlier in the year and begins working in a bank.

     2732    Asta graduates from the Imperial University of Kiraan. Her parents are killed in an accident; she sells herself into slavery to cover their considerable debts (in Nivalis/December) and is purchased by Lady Fiona MacArra as a secretary. Fiona initially offers her freedom but Asta declines on the grounds that she would just be out on the street. Instead she agrees to stay with Fiona for five years or until Fiona’s death, whichever comes soonest. Roan decides she hates working in a bank, resigns, and moves to Dun Ardech to live, as Asta put it, as a semi-feral sea witch. Nirali begins training as a Memory-Singer.

     2736    Voynithi: Wygar and his yearmates leave the College for the traditional journeying year.

     2737    Events of The Last Shapeshifter and most of Water Horses.

                 Voynithi: Wygar returns from his journeying year and meets Fayn in the Darkwald, where she’s been living a mostly feral existence since the Falkari genocide. She accompanies him back to Stormhaven and adjusts surprisingly well.

                 Gracilis/November: Wygar and Fayn marry. They acknowledge that this is pretty soon but it works for them. Death of Lady Fiona MacArra.

                 Nivalis: Asta’s manumission in Fiona’s will is overruled and her ownership passes to Lord Darius ‘Daro’ MacArra, Fiona’s grandson, who has had his eye on her since she first came to Duncraig. Asta escapes from Castle MacArra (not unscathed) and flees to Dun Ardech, where she meets Roan.

     2738    Sirakithi: Daro kidnaps Asta from Dun Ardech with the help of his guards and a hired crew; Roan kills him and rescues her. Asta travels to Stormhaven aboard the merchant ship Curlew at Roan’s insistence and finds work in the College’s admin office.

                 Nivalis: Wygar and Fayn travel to the Northern Forest at Zar’s request to investigate a spate of mysterious disappearances there. Events of The Northern Forest.

     2739    Nivalis: Death (from old age) of Emperor Kaial; Zar ascends the Imperial throne to become Emperor Zarannon IV, with his coronation held on the winter solstice. Wygar and Fayn attend with the Stormhaven delegation. Events of To Kiraan. Aysel leaves the Imperial City and returns home to the Hawk Steppes.

     2740    Sirakithi: Under Zar’s new Protection of Slaves Act, Clan MacArra are arrested and imprisoned for their horrific abuse of their slaves. Now that it’s safe for her to do so, Asta returns to Dun Ardech to live with Roan. Specifically on the 7th.

                 12th of Rivedi: Una Falkari Smith is born. Calburn and Rhona travel to the Hawk Steppes and travel with a band of Yaigan nomads for a while. Events of The Hawk Steppes.

                 Gracilis: Wygar and Fayn travel to the Darkwald for Una’s naming ceremony.

     2742    Ikara is born. (Cradle name: ‘Little Red’) Karash begins training as a Memory-Singer.

     2744    Torsani/June: Karash and Ikara are orphaned in the Fever Summer. Karash takes on parental duties for his infant half-sister; juggling his training with raising her is difficult, but he manages.

                 Nivalis: Asta and Roan marry.

     2746    Wygar reconnects with his biological family, somewhat by accident. He never really comes to think of Wyatt and Irwen as his parents, but he remains on cordial terms with them and Una does consider them her grandparents.

     2748    Wygar, Calburn and Rhona go missing on the far western continent and are presumed dead. Events of Centaurs of Varakai.

     2749    Wygar, Calburn and Rhona make it home to Stormhaven, accompanied by the Red Sun centaur herd. The Red Suns go to live on the Hawk Steppes, where the landscape suits them a bit better. The Steppe tribes are surprised but generally roll with it.

     2750    Events of The Lady of Kaltara. Wygar, Fayn and Una go on holiday to Stonehead. Fayn is kidnapped by Mara Kovar, the Lady of Kaltara, and Wygar and Una travel to rescue her.

     2752    Una begins her own apprenticeship at the College.

     2754    Nivalis: Roan goes missing fishing in a winter storm. Riabhach rescues her from the water and gets her safely to the island of Starwatch. Una and some other apprentices visit the Order of Night on the island and are caught up in a raid by a band of Sea People led by the warrior Svanna, the daughter of Lorna’s sister and so Roan’s first cousin unbeknownst to either of them. Events of The Island of Stars.

     2756    High Master Idris Carwel retires; Wygar is promoted to take his place as head of the School of Combat. Nobody is really surprised by this.

     2758    Ikara begins training as an Initiate Windkindred.  

     2764    Ikara bonds with the rukh Tsheer and ascends to full Windsister.

     2765    Una leaves on her journeying year. She meets Bright Star in the High Cold Dark (‘Star’) in the Dragon’s Teeth, accidentally forms a permanent blood-bond with the young dragon, and is adopted by the surviving Balaurin. The Sea People invade Stormhaven in force under King Torann, but are defeated (read: their fleet is practically obliterated) by the Balaurin dragons.

     2767    Events of Anchored Tempest. The Balaurin relocate from Journey’s End to Ornfell, close enough to the Sea Loch Country for much easier trade. Una and Star travel to the Eastern Highlands and encounter the orcs. Halted Flow of the River of Time (‘River’), the last survivor of the Sky Kings’ faction, is discovered guarding a cache of five hundred viable dragon eggs held in stasis. River is killed; the Balaurin transport the eggs to Ornfell for incubation.

     2768    Interim between Anchored Tempest and its epilogue. Karash, Ikara and Nirali accompany Una on her journey back across the continent from the Eastern Highlands to Stormhaven, acting as something between explorers and unofficial ambassadors between the orcs and the wider world. They have a few hurdles along the way, but overall it goes well. I haven’t decided anything more specific yet.

[reconnecting]

been thinking about being disconnected lately.

its mostly a rambling vent, i kind of lost what i was saying for a bit.

years ago, we did this almost same thing. we tried, for years, to reconnect with our Breton people, because the body is part that.

its a dying culture? okay, well lets see what i can find. mostly christianized things, but some other stuff, so lets focus on that. its all in french or breton, okay, let me try to learn some of that so i can read. how do the dances work, what are the instruments, who did we worship before, wheres our music, whats our culture, who am i who am i who am i?? can i learn? can i join? how does it work tell me tell me tell me who i am even though you cant.

the information is almost all gone. the older generations are pretty much the only ones to know about it, and i cant talk to them because they speak breton and nobody speaks breton. okay where can i find out more, how do i find out more? traditional clothes? music? the music is almost only in france because celtic festivals dont include breton normally.

and now?

i work up the courage to work past an abusive grandfather and find out about the other side. puerto rico, okay. things dont fit let me keep looking this doesnt match what we know. taino, okay. that matches things better, but... orphaned family means we were cut off. who knows things? nobody. ill keep asking, new questions, different questions. check a dna test, find relatives on that side, ask them. what do they know? finally find someone who does, has family the same age, same generation as the one we got cut off at, and they look so similar in photos.

okay lets go off this what do you know what can you tell me im sorry to ask im so sorry i have nothing to give you but can you help??

they will, they do. they tell me our tribe doesnt exist anymore, that so few do. that they still practice. they have the clothes, the names, the dances, the music. they have the traditions still and no tribe name because there werent enough to be a tribe a few generations back. i ask if they ever knew the name, they say theyll ask, i hope for the best. their family has dementia in it too. what else can even be done about that? nothing. im sorry for asking, thank you for answering. i have so many more questions.

the elders i speak to have no answers. i ask them the questions and they respond until i say what i know, and they have no answers either. how can they? i hope they still help, i hope theyll teach me, but they cant have all the answers either. i know this. hopefully they have some. hopefully its not too much, too much asking.

i look on my own. i ask others. they offer to help, to find my familys tribe if they can, but if theyre gone... what then? the family says theyre gone. been nameless for too long, will there be anything else to find? i cant ask the person who offered to help, the language barrier confuses both of us, and this issue is too complicated for me to explain to him. i look up information. the things weve been saying for years, the same things, theyre things my ancestors did, things connected to my culture.

i wonder how it is that i got these things, if its coincidence, if a coincidence like that is even possible with how many similarities there are.

i feel like im eating my own tail.

i ask my friends what to do, they have no answers except to learn, hope that itll work out. they tell me it should, its not that uncommon a situation. it should be fine, keep up hope, im not alone, we arent alone, were family, theyll teach us what they know. theyre right but it doesnt stop the knowledge that their nations aren’t mine. ill learn. ill learn whatever im taught but its not Mine to learn, to pass on.

i ask my friends about my grandfather, the other one, if its polite to try and learn about his culture as well if i dont claim it. they say yes, yes, i Should know, I should learn Something about it. i ask, his grandmother was cherokee, they dont know the tribe, the family is all dead already. i dont ask why. the dementia hits hard, he doesnt remember, there are happier things to remember, dont trigger an episode.

connected on so many sides to different cultures, what should be recently. just a few generations away. i met my great great grandmother, i could have met the others, they could have been alive, they could have taught me. it wasnt that long ago and i didnt meet them, i didnt know. nobody knew. nobody connected though.

why did nobody connect? i cant understand that but i have to. i understand one grandfather, he is racist, is abusive. its a tactic. i understand that, even if i hate him. i understand another grandfather, the generational gap, the timing, the ages of them all. i understand that it was probably for safety. i understand my grandmother. it wasnt her interest to ask, past what she grew up with. nobody asked past what they grew up with.

i cant understand why they didnt ask. why do i have to be the one to ask, to do this legwork? it would have been easier for my mother, for my grandparents, to do this. it would have been easier. more recent, more connected, more resources. and they didnt. should i be upset? am i allowed to be?

my friends say i am. ‘youve just found out your family is almost all gone, youre allowed to be upset.’ “its a hard thing to know your culture and not be able to grasp it. its okay.”

my mother doesnt. when i bring it up she looks disappointed. i get it. the family that she connects to it is abusive, ruined her life. i understand. but this isnt them, theres more beyond it. she looks with those eyes. “why would you want to know? you grew up without it, isnt this enough? arent we enough?”

i have no response. how can i explain the feeling of someone standing behind me, shoving, pushing, saying i have to? how can i explain the feeling like if i dont, something will go horribly wrong, that i need to connect now or itll be gone forever? how do i explain that im the last chance we have to connect, to learn? im the last generation that could do this? how do i explain that to people who dont care, who gave that chance up?

my sister doesnt understand. i ask if she wants to learn, wants to try, and she sounds interested until i explain it will take work. shes interested in the claim, but when i say that shed have to study, have to catch up with the knowledge of the people who lived their lives in it, she drops it, stops asking questions. what do i do with that? she should be interested, shouldnt she? why would you not want to know, or only want to know up until i say it takes work? ive put in over a full days worth of work this week alone, just on this topic, on finding out the little that i know now, and could never regret it, but i say it takes works and she leaves the room with a polite dismissal.

i want to connect. i want to know, what are the cultures that should be in my family like? how do i find them? how do i learn, what do i do, who will teach me, will anyone? why is nobody interested in connecting except for me?

why is it only something they care about when its convenient?

[zoran-royalty]

Just Once IV: Distant Friends

Rutara wasn’t fond of parties, if she was really being honest. She found most court parties to be stuffy, stifling affairs, and if she could have left without making some kind of political slight, she probably would have. Most of the time, anyway. Zelda was her best friend besides her brother, so she would make exceptions for her. After all, misery loves company.

At the moment, she was wearing a dress that was some sort of bizarre hybrid of Hylian high fashion and the distinct lack conventional clothing of the Zora. A fitted bodice and an open-front, sheer skirt. Its only positive point was that it accented her deep purple scales. She hated it, and made a great show of complaining about it while lying sprawled on Zelda’s gigantic bed.

Zelda had laughter in her voice when she said “Why don’t you just leave it here then and wear your sash?”

Rutara rolled over and rested on her elbows as she faced her friend. Thank goodness whoever designed this crazy garment at least had enough sense to cut the sleeves short enough to let her fins free. “Some suitor or other commissioned it for me. Father said I had to at least wear it once. Apparently it’s supposed to be wearable on land and in the water,” she gave a sharp smile, “We’ll see how it holds up hunting tomorrow.”

Zelda turned from her jewelry box, holding up two pairs of earrings and grinning. “I can already see you ‘accidentally’ ripping it on coral. Now, green or blue?”

Rutara looked Zelda up and down, contemplating. “Blue. They make your eyes look brighter.” She rolled onto her back again, reached out, and plucked a small chocolate off of the tray sitting on Zelda’s bed. “So,” she said around the candy in her mouth, “Who all is comin’ to this shindig?”

Zelda slumped forward and groaned. “The usual. Labrynnian delegates, the Holodrum royals, representatives from the major tribes of Hyrule—“

“Oh yeah, is the red-head coming?”

Zelda’s spine went rigid as her eyes widened. Rutara hadn’t meant to put her on edge with that question, but she had. “I… haven’t heard from him since his last letter, just before his coronation.”

“You didn’t go?” Rutara asked holding her arm up and inspecting her nails.

“Did you pay attention when we had to learn about the other Hyrulean cultures?” Zelda said with a hand on her hip, “Gerudo ceremonies are sacred and closed to outsiders.”

The Zora on her bed squinted and dropped her arm back to the bed. “Lame.”

Zelda sighed a bit, and turned back to her vanity. “Besides,” she spat bitterly, “I’m still not allowed to enter the desert. Even after Impa agreed to go with me, Father won’t let me go.”

Rutara hummed as she sat up and moved to get off the bed. She glanced towards Zelda’s balcony as she heard the telltale sound of hooves meeting the cobblestone of the road outside. “Fun topic time,” she said as she grabbed the tray of candy and then walked over to place a hand on Zelda’s shoulder. “Let’s watch the attendees come so we can make fun of their outfits while they can’t hear us.”

The Hylian princess allowed herself to relax as she laughed a bit, snatching one of the chocolates from the tray. “Deal.”

—

Ganondorf had honestly meant to write sooner, to tell his friend about everything that had happened since his coronation. However, there was a lot to cover, and he simply hadn’t had the time to devote to letters that he had in his youth. Suddenly being completely and utterly in charge of trade, guard schedules, diplomatic relations, training guidelines, and problem solving for his tribe had taken some getting used to, but he believed he was falling into stride. And, praise Din, the dark whispers from his childhood were less frequent when he threw himself into his work for his people.

Riding in his carriage, he held the formal invitation to Zelda’s party that was enclosed with her last letter. It had been about three months since she had written to him. Hopefully she would understand. Hopefully he wouldn’t cause too much of a stir at the party.

It had been ten years since he last set foot in Hyrule castle, and he and Aela hadn’t stayed long enough for Ganondorf to remember much of it. He and Aela both remembered being cold in the summer, so she had taken great lengths to have warmer clothing tailored for a winter celebration. He had been miserable when he first set out from the desert, but now he was thankful for the layers and furs his caretaker had procured. He would have to apologize for his whining later.

As he stepped out of the carriage, he marveled at the light dusting of snow in the courtyard. Everything glittered slightly in the light of the obscene number of torches lit throughout the castle grounds. He took a deep breath and did his best to look relaxed and non-threateneing. 

Still, the guards stiffened a bit as he approached. Ganondorf did his best to ignore the dark, indignant voice in the back of his mind as he showed his invitation.

—

“Oh! Oh! Ten o’clock!” Rutara exclaimed, elbowing Zelda, “Councilman Idris is wearing that dreadful hat from last year!”

The two girls descended into laughter as they gawked at the feathery monstrosity said councilman paraded around in. Zelda leaned forward a bit before pointing sharply at an approaching carriage. “Ten rupees says the Holodrum prince is wearing pink and green again,”

Rutela snorted. “He wore that at Rilan’s coming-of-age in summer,” she said, remembering her brother’s own party. “I say it’s purple and orange this time.”

As Zelda kept an eye on the Holodrum carriage, Rutara noticed another just entering the castle’s outer gate. As it rolled into the main grounds, She could just barely make out a seal she wasn’t as familiar with. She knew she had seen it before, and she mentally cycled through the tribes of Hyrule before it finally clicked in her mind.

“Called it!” Zelda exclaimed beside her, causing the Zora to jump. Indeed, the prince of Holodrum appeared to be in costume as a moldy wildberry, however Rutara had something else on her mind.

“C’mon!” Rutara said, grabbing Zelda’s wrist and half-dragging the Hylian princess off the balcony. Zelda stumbled as her friend pulled her, offering some— but not much—resistance.

“Where? Why—“ Zelda tried to form a proper question, but it was a bit hard with an energetic Zora weaving around her furniture and out to the hall.

“Trust me!”

—

The main hall of the castle was definitely the focal point of the party that night. The pillars, staircases, and railing of the balcony were bedecked in evergreen. Hundreds of lanterns had been strung throughout the space, and chandeliers blazed brightly. Everything was cast with a golden glow. This, coupled with a small group of court musicians playing cheery tunes, gave the hall a warm, comfortable atmosphere. Between two large staircases, space had been designated as a dance floor. The remainder of the space was filled with people, some sitting at tables and others walking around and mingling. Soft music from a string quartet filled the space above the idle chatter of guests.

Ganondorf tried to ignore the gawking stares as he made his way into the main hall. This was complicated by the fact that he was intently looking around for Zelda, despite having no idea how she had changed in the ten years since they last saw each other. A handful of the other guests would attempt to be friendly with the Gerudo king, however it was easy to see the fear in their eyes.

From the balcony above, Ganondorf just barely caught a flash of royal purple followed by blue and gold. He tried to focus on said flash, but it quickly wove through the crowds both on the upper floor and the staircase, so he made his way closer to where the flash was headed, hoping to see it better.

—

Rutara, it seemed, was as adept at swimming through crowds as she was through water. At least thrice, Zelda would’ve lost the Zora had either of them not maintained an iron grip on the other.

Despite some indignation at being dragged around like this at her own birthday ball, Zelda couldn’t help but smile as her friend led her through small breaks in the crowds. It almost seemed like a complicated dance as they read the movements of the people around them to find gaps in the throng.

As soon as they reached the bottom of the stairs, Rutara suddenly stopped. Once Zelda’s momentum carried her passed her friend, the Zora shoved her even farther forward. Zelda laughed and turned back towards her friend. “Ruta—!” she called in mock-indignation.

Rutara simply smirked, pointed ahead of where she had shoved Zelda, and dashed off again.

Oh.

—

Oh.

It had been about ten years since he had seen her. Whenever Ganondorf had pictured Zelda, she had started that sweet six-year-old. As they wrote to each other and grew, he started envisioning how he thought she looked. He pictured her closer to the height of his cousins, but maybe a bit more delicate. Still, how he thought of her still tended to skew younger. But the young woman in front of him?

She’s beautiful.

She was a picture of grace. A goddess given mortal form.

He heard a dark chuckle. You’re not entirely wrong. 

Just for tonight, the young king thought, let me be.

—

He had grown taller than she expected. His fiery red hair was pulled back by the traditional Gerudo headpiece. Even through the finery he wore, Zelda could see he had grown strong as well. However not everything had changed, his eyes were still that soft gold, even if they looked a bit harder than they had when they were children.

She had changed too. Ganondorf saw she held herself with a grace that hadn’t existed in their childhood. Delicate, but wise. She held a power different than his, but just as strong.

For a moment, they just stared at each other, content in seeing each other again. When the musicians struck up a new tune, the trance was broken, and Ganondorf and Zelda broke into wide smiles.

“Would you care to dance, Princess?” Ganondorf said softly.

“It would be my pleasure.

[eotheria]

The World of Eotheria According to Lady Valentine

Part 16: The Sultanate of Etrana

And now we come to the third of the three greater human nations: Etrana. Though they are roughly on equal footing to Kresnik and LaCroix in terms of size and military strength, they have long chosen a stance of non-intervention when it comes to assisting their neighbors to the west, prefering to concentrate on their own internal affairs instead. This has not endeared themselves to Kresnik or LaCroix, particularly when both nations are at each others’ throats and just waiting for an excuse to go to war.

Etranan people make up the vast majority of the human population in their own nation, unsurprisingly. The people of Etrana are generally tall and muscular, with dark mahogany skin, curly black hair, and dark eyes. LaCroixians and Northerners, described in the previous chapter, are also known in Etrana, but are comparatively rare, making up roughly one out of every twenty humans in Etrana.

The founding of the Sultanate is a relatively recent development compared to the other human nations. In the past, the region of Etrana was the focus of a great many wars between three distinct provinces, Dumabail (northwestern Etrana), Nurhatlar (southwestern Etrana), and Az’zashtun (eastern Etrana). The three provinces would be unified in a single nation as a result of what is now known as the War of Unification. The seeds were actually sown in 633 BGE, when the Kordran Empire attempted an invasion of Nurhatlar and Az’zashtun. The two nations joined forces to fend off the hobgoblins, and soon after turned their blades to another common enemy: Dumabail. The province of Dumabail surrendered after a six year long war, and the Sultanate of Etrana was founded in 614 BGE. The sultanate held for a long time; there had been a number of internal conflicts, but nothing that ever amounted to civil war, and once the Seven Goddesses descended, all infighting, for the most part, ceased.

Etrana takes great pride as a sea-faring nation. They were the first to discover the continent of Olbera, the New World, though little is still known about it. They also founded a number of island nations between Etrana and Olbera, all of which are territories of the Sultanate. Interestingly, Etrana has begun its own experiments into magitech research,and recently developed the first fully steam powered ship. It’s relatively primitive compared to the great magitechnology that Kresnik has produced, but by all accounts it’s effective and efficient.

The Sultanate

Etrana is the only one of the seven nations that maintains an absolute monarchy. In theory at least. In practice this power is not so absolute. Though Etrana has no diet, parliament, senate, or the like, it does have a military order called the Yellow Shields. The Yellow Shields were formed in 228 GE after the overthrowing of the infamous Mad Sultan Hayyan, a man who’d been pushed to the throne by his family despite showing signs of mental illness at an early age. Among his acts, he ordered the murder of his entire family out of sheer paranoia, accused an order of Nahaniel worshipers of conspiring with the Kordran and ordered them burned at the stake, and, most bizarrely of all, insisted that he could fly. Hayyan’s successor, an Etranan statesman named Farhad, signed a law to grant the Yellow Shields emergency powers if ever the sultan of Etrana were to overstep the bounds of his position.

The problem is that Farhad never thought of a way to police the Yellow Shields themselves (he had thought that, being devout Nahaniel worshipers, the Yellow Shields would be beyond such temptations). This arrangement worked out well for the first hundred years or so, but eventually the Yellow Shields realized that there were plenty of loopholes to allow them to grant themselves emergency powers whenever they wanted and take control of Etrana if need be. As the old saying goes, power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. No less than three sultans have been overthrown by the Yellow Shields since this law was put into place, and not all of them for particularly good reasons, and the Yellow Shields have, on several occasions, used the mere threat of taking control to get the sultan to do whatever they wanted. That’s not to say the sultan is completely hopeless. The Yellow Shields can be tried and convicted of treason if they go too far. It’s just that it’s very difficult to find proof of such, and every attempt to change the law to reduce the power of the Yellow Shields has been met with swift resistance. It doesn’t help that more and more these days the Yellow Shields have been rumored to be receiving direct funding from some of Etrana’s wealthiest, which may well make them pawns of the filthy rich.

The current sultan, Alhazad ak’Khim, age 44, is no stranger to this game of political intrigue. He’s well liked by the people, but not so much by the nobility and the wealthy. To his credit, he has worked towards compromise. The Yellow Shields and the wealthy have conceded to a number of tax reforms to improve the lives of the poor. However, there is one thing they absolutely will not budge on: they refuse to take any part in the current political struggle between the Kresnik Empire, the LaCroix Union, and the Kordran Empire. Most in Etrana see the struggle between Kresnik and LaCroix to be a matter between the two nations. Although King Arthur IV of LaCroix tactfully warned the leaders of Etrana that Kresnik would not stop with LaCroix, most feel that much of Kresnik’s hostility towards LaCroix was LaCroix’s fault. After all, LaCroix was the one who built a union and fortified their borders simply because they feared that Kresnik was looking their way next. And while Etrana has no love for the Kordran Empire, they not see them as an immediate danger. Of course, the fact that Etrana does not share a border with Kordran might have a lot to do with that.

Enemies of Etrana

That’s not to say that Etrana does not have its own struggles. They absolutely do. Minotaurs, vile worshipers of Rakkadi, demon lord of violence, have taken hold in northwestern Etrana, in the fertile grasslands. These minotaurs were forced out of LaCroix by their ancient enemies, the gnolls, and regularly raid Etranan villages in the name of their deranged demon lord. However, not all minotaurs are vicious and violent. Some of the more peaceful minotaur tribes that denounce Rakkadi were also displaced from LaCroix and found their way to Etrana, and while many Etranans give them a wide berth, they are more than happy to lend a hand in dealing with their more violent brethren.

A much greater threat to the Etranans are the lamia. These beings resemble centaurs somewhat, though with the lower body of a different creature entirely, usually a feline, though goat and antelope lamia are known. The lamia make their homes in the deserts of northern and central Etrana. Like minotaurs, lamia are worshipers of a demon lord. In this case, the lamia worship Saya, the demon queen of desire. Seductive creatures by nature, lamia are quite hedonistic, seeking to surround themselves with beauty and slaves. But don’t let this fool you into thinking them weak. Lamia are masters of illusion, misdirection, and mirages to deceive and destroy their foes. And when they need to throw down, they’re very capable of such. There are four known tribes of lamia, but all of them are allied with one another and have effectively declared war on Etrana, seeking to take what they consider their ancestral homelands. The Etranans have been at war with the lamia for centuries, but have never rid themselves of these creatures for any long period of time. Every time it seems they are defeated, they return, stronger than ever. The fact that a lamia can disguise themselves as a human (and very easily at that) might have had something to do with it. The only fortunate thing about the lamia is that they detest all other races, including the Rakkadi worshiping minotaurs, detailed above.

The Sphinxes

There are very few things in Eotheria that give me pause. Some of my fellow vampires conspire against me, but even if all of them fought me at once I would not consider them a major threat. The insane worshipers of the Primordial Chaos are too disorganized for me to consider them any more than fodder. The Church of Galan, for the most part, knows better than to meddle in my affairs, and I have no fear of their goddesses. Even the light of the sun does not harm me as much as it once did.

And then there are the sphinxes of Etrana. These damnable creatures! They act as guardians of lost treasure troves of knowledge, claiming to be the servants of ancient gods unknown to all in Eotheria. They allow only the worthy to take of their treasures; and no, you're not worthy in their eyes. Trust me. if you believe yourself to be so, by all means, go to a sphinx's lair and let them ask you an unsolvable riddle. Even if you give the correct answer, odds are they won't be happy with the way you answered and will eat you anyway, or they'll tell you that answering correctly didn't guarantee they wouldn't eat you. They are a pain and a half to deal with, since they always know when you're lying, and it's all but impossible to tell what their intentions are. Their morality is bizarre to say the least. Most accept that morality is on a dual spectrum of good and evil, and law and chaos. Nowhere on these spectrum do sphinxes sit. If they follow any rules at all, they are rules of their own making that we cannot hope to comprehend. None of this would be all that annoying if not for one glaring problem. Reality has no rules where a sphinx is concerned! Gravity? Causality? Time and space? They laugh at such things. Attempting to fight a sphinx is folly simply because they don't have to kill you; they can simply force you to rapidly age backwards or deposit you in one of the elemental planes, never to be heard from again.

If there are any limitations to a sphinx's reality bending power it is that it is limited to their lairs (and mercifully they almost never leave them), and that they are bound by the Primordial Ban as everything else is. My outsider wizard acquaintance told me that sphinxes on other worlds are indeed the vault keepers of the gods that the Eotherian sphinxes claim they are. If this is the case, and if the sphinxes were around since the creation of the Primordial Ban, perhaps this is why they act as they do. Perhaps the weariness of the ages and the lack of any divine command from the outer planes has driven them as insane as they behave.

Either way, I can not even begin to fathom the amount of knowledge that the sphinxes have. For all I know they could very well teach Mephis, Demon Lord of Knowledge, a thing or two. They may know everything about Eotheria; when the Primordial Chaos will next awaken, who created the warforged, what became of the dragons, the nature of the gods of Eotheria, and many other secrets that I would love to know the answers to. Sadly with the vault keepers being as unhinged as they are, that knowledge may never leave the lairs of the sphinxes.

Nahaniel, the Navigator

With the Etranans having a passion for seafaring, it was only natural that their goddess would be a goddess of the sea. Nahaniel is represented as an Etranan woman, barefoot, wearing a long yellow scarf over her face. Said to be more capricious and mercurial than her fellow goddesses, Nahaniel embodies the wind: gentle and refreshing at her best, terrible and destructive at her worst. Despite this, she is seen as a benevolent goddess. She is often referred to by Etranans as “The Navigator”. Seamen who set sail from port always give prayers to Nahaniel, that she may guide them to a safe passage.

This finishes up Etrana. In the next chapter I will talk about the four lesser nations, beginning with Creat Pristan.

[duhragonball]

[FIC] Luffa: The Legendary Super Saiyan (80/?)

Disclaimer: This story features characters and concepts based on Dragon Ball, which is a trademark of Bird Studio/Shueisha and Toei Animation.   This is an unauthorized work, and no profit is being made on this work by me. This story is copyright of me. Download if you like, but please don’t archive it without my permission. Don’t be shy.

Continuity Note: About 1000 years before the events of Dragon Ball Z.

Previous chapters conveniently available here.

[6 May 234 Before Age.  Planet Saiya.]

"You really expect me to believe that?!"  Luffa shouted.

They were standing in an abandoned laboratory hidden in the lower levels of Planet Saiya's capital city.  Luffa and Zatte had come to this planet at the invitation of King Rehval, believing that he was an old enemy of Luffa's mother, and an accessory in the forced termination of Luffa's unborn child.

Instead, Rehval now claimed that these were the actions of his father, the previous king, also named Rehval.  It was such a brazen denial that it could only be a pathetic, desperate lie... or a simple, extraordinary truth.

"Are you telling us this has all been a case of mistaken identity?" Zatte asked.  "You don't look old enough to have ruled Planet Saiya thirty years ago, but..."

"The Saiyan people age very differently from what most species would consider normal, Ms. Zatte," Rehval explained.  "We remain in our prime for most of our lives, so a septuagenarian looks almost exactly like a young adult."

Zatte looked at Luffa, as though considering the implications of this.

"The Rehval Dynasty began with my grandfather," he went on.  "It was Rehval The First who settled this planet and named it Saiya, after the mythical world where the Saiyans first evolved.    When he died, my father, Rehval the Second assumed the throne.  He reigned for over half a century, before I was forced to put a stop to him."

"You killed him?"  Luffa asked.

"Are you so surprised, Luffa?" Rehval asked.   "Your mother taught you that he was a tyrant.  Your father was plotting against him as well.  My father made many enemies in his lifetime.  I was simply the last, and the one in the best position to act against him."

He pulled a wooden stool out from under a recess in one of the lab benches, and sat down.

"As the crown prince, I looked up to my father.  He was devoted to forging the Saiyan people into a great and powerful nation, as opposed to a disparate tribe of marauders.  But in the final years of his reign, I began to learn just how far he was willing to go to achieve his goals."

He waved his hand at the arcane symbols scrawled on the wall.  "This laboratory was just the tip of the iceberg.  He conducted all sorts of secret alchemical research, but he also dabbled in genetic engineering, witchcraft, necromancy, and a number of other un-Saiyan practices.  His dream was to discover a way to unlock the ultimate potential of the Saiyan race.  About a year ago, I learned he was using live Saiyans in his experiments.  I had no choice but to kill him, though I told the public that he had died of an illness.  I couldn't risk jeopardizing my grandfather's accomplishments by exposing my father's crimes."

He pointed to an urn on a shelf of chemicals.  "That, ladies, is all that remains of Rehval II's body.  "Unfortunately, his legacy, casts a much longer shadow.  Once I consolidated power, I studied my father's records, and learned of his experiments with Saiyan fetal tissue.  And that was when I learned of his role in your ordeal, Luffa."

"How did he find out about it?" Luffa asked.

"Through your husband Kandai," Rehval said. "I never knew the full story, but from what I gather, your father was trying to find a way to increase his own strength.  Somewhere along the way, he succeeded.  Instead of hiring himself out for obscure mercenary work, he was carrying out bold raids on the frontiers of the Camelian Empire.  As I told you before, whenever a Saiyan causes trouble, word reaches Planet Saiya very quickly.  The Camelians complained to our ambassador there, and an investigation revealed it was Orij, an old malcontent who had married your mother, an anti-royalist.

"My father promised the Camelians that he would deal with Orij, but privately, he wished to learn the secret to his sudden power increase.  He eventually made contact with Kandai, and plied him for information.  Kandai was eager to make a fresh start, and it wasn't difficult to loosen his tongue.  He told my father about the Tikosi, and their technique for isolating the biological factors that made one Saiyan stronger than another.  He told him that the Tikosi were making you stronger, and then duplicating that power increase in Orij.  I assumed the Tikosi's eventual goal was to apply the same treatment for themselves.

"This piqued my father's interest.  He planned to eliminate Orij to placate the Camelians, then conquer the Tikosi and claim their research for himself.  But first he wanted to see what he could accomplish with his own alchemical techniques, so he struck a bargain with Kandai.  In exchange for certain rewards, your husband returned to the Tikosi Planet and obtained... well, he took your unborn child.  Then he brought the fetus back to Saiya for my father to test.

"And what did that accomplish?"  Luffa asked bitterly.  "Other than ending a Saiyan boy's battle before he had a chance to fight?"

"In the end, very little," Rehval said quietly.  "My father's notes were very unclear on the matter, but from what I could make out, he didn't make much progress after receiving the tissue.  He wrote that he intended to crush Orij and invade the Tikosi planet, but he never got the chance.  A scouting party found the planet abandoned, and Orij's remains lying near a large crater.  Soon after, reports of a Super Saiyan on Bigreen began to circulate, and it didn't take long to piece together what had happened."

"Is that why your father sent that team of assassins after us?" Zatte asked.  "Did he think Luffa would come looking for revenge?"

"It was a test," Rehval said.  "You have to understand, Luffa, that there are a lot of conflicting reports about just who and what you are.  Most Saiyans believe you're a fraud. ��A number of early Super Saiyan sightings turned out to be Orij's activities on the Camelian frontier.  People believe you're man, a woman, a ghost, a goddess, a Saiyan, a mutant, and any number of other things.  My father wanted to make certain that you really were Orij's daughter--that you had survived the Tikosi and that you really were as strong as the rumors said.  The team of soldiers was sent to either kill you or take your measure."

"Well I hope he was pleased with the result," Luffa said.  "He should have just approached me himself, or did that little demonstration make him lose his nerve?"

"He was obsessed with you after that," Rehval said.  "He sent ten of his strongest warriors, and none of them survived.  He knew you were strong, but after that incident he realized that you were unstoppable.  And then the Shockmaster invaded the Federation, and he proved to be at least as powerful.  My father was withdrew to his research, determined to find some way to match your level of power.  When you defeated the Shockmaster, he became even more worried, since there was no longer a power in the galaxy that could counterbalance your own.

"While he was plotting against you in secret, the work of running the kingdom was delegated to the crown prince: me.  One day I needed to consult with him on a matter of state business, and I found him down here, lost in some demonic ritual.  He was a shadow of his former self-- half-starved, sleep deprived,driven mad by his obsession.  When I realized what he had done and what he planned to do, I knew I had no choice but to kill him and take his place."

"Then you invited Luffa to come here in order to make peace," Zatte concluded.

"In my arrogance, I believed you were aware of my accession to the throne," Rehval said.  "You never threatened Saiya or its interests, but neither did you make any overtures toward us.  After a year, I decided it was time to clear the air, and this string of Saiyan murders seemed like a sensible topic for us to discuss.

"Luffa, I sincerely apologize, both for my father's actions, and for my flippant tone at dinner.  If I had known that you thought I was Rehval II, I would have approached our meeting very differently."

"Would you, now?" Luffa grumbled.  "I guess you would have told me the same story you're telling me now, only from a safe distance, right?"

She walked to the shelf containing the urn of Rehval II's remains, and ran her finger along the shelf, the  looked at the dust that had accumulated on her fingertip.

"It's all very convenient, Rehval.  I suppose you can prove all of this.  You don't seem like the type to leave any loose ends."

"My father's death was certified by his physician," Rehval said. "He's a Grujon running a practice on Eldon IV, with no ties to the regime.  As for the rest, my father kept extensive records on his dealings, many of them in his own handwriting.  You're welcome to examine them to your satisfaction."

"Very thoughtful of you," Luffa said.

"I don't blame you for being suspicious, Luffa," Rehval said.  "I understand if we cannot be friends, but I have no desire to be your enemy.  I'm willing to do whatever it takes to assure you of that."

Luffa turned and glared at him.  "I'm glad you said that, Rehval, because there is a way you can convince me," she said.

"Name it," Rehval said.  "The royal archives are at your disposal."

"Records can be falsified," Luffa said as she walked towards him.  "And even if they're legitimate, that would only prove that your father's crimes.    They wouldn't tell me whether or not you were involved."

"I see..." Rehval said.  "Then what do you have in mind?"

"The question is: What do you have in your mind, Rehval?" Luffa said darkly.  She raised her hand and extended it towards him.  "I want to know what you knew and when you knew it.  Your story might be mostly true, but I wonder if you might be leaving out a few things that might make me... angry with you."

He remained seated, but pulled back slightly as she reached for his face.  "I can read your mind, Rehval.  It won't take long, but if you've been lying to me, I will find out."

"Proceed then.  I have nothing to hide," he said confidently.

Luffa had already planted both hands on his face.  "This will only hurt if you resist me," she warned.

"I underst--" he began to say, but Luffa had already begun, and he gasped with amazement at the experience.

One minute and thirteen seconds later, Luffa released him.  She stepped back, and breathed deeply, as if relieved to be finished.

"Are you okay?" Zatte asked.  "I've never seen you spend that much time on anyone before.  Well, except for me, when you and I--"

"I'm fine," Luffa said, mostly to cut off the rest of her statement.

"A remarkable experience," Rehval said.  He looked around the room, as though pleased to be back in the real world.  "I had no idea Saiyan telepathy could advance to such levels."

"Well, what did you find out?" Zatte asked impatiently.

Luffa looked at her and then back at Rehval.  "I took my time because I needed to be sure, she said.  "But I couldn't find any hint of deception.  At least, not about Kandai or his father.  He's... he’s telling the truth."

Rehval nodded in agreement.

******

Rehval had offered them a room in his palace, but Luffa had declined, preferring to head back to her ship for the night.

"So now what?" Zatte said as she curled up next to Luffa on her bed.

"I don't know," Luffa said.  She lay on her back and stared at the ceiling of the cabin, a sheet half-heartedly draped over herself.

"You said it yourself," Zatte said.  "If he's telling the truth, he's not our enemy."

"I still don't like the guy, Zattie," Luffa said.  "Even if he's on the level, I don't like the idea of a Saiyan King.  I never have."

"He seems to respect that," Zatte said.  "He invited us to stay a while."

"There's nothing here for me," Luffa said.  "And I'm not about to start dressing in blue and kneeling to that pompous...!"

"We don't have to live here forever, Luffa," Zatte said.  "We can leave right now if that's what you want.  But where do we go?  The Federation practically runs itself, and no one like the Shockmaster is likely to threaten it anytime soon."

"I know..." Luffa said.  "That's why I'm so disappointed.  I was hoping Rehval would give me some sport.  Beg for mercy... try some last-ditch plan to kill me.  I don't know, something."

"You wanted another Kandai," Zatte said.  "Someone you could hunt down and pour all your frustrations into."

"Not that he really satisfied me either," Luffa said.  "It's just as well.  If Rehval's daddy were still alive, I would have just killed him by now, and then  I'd be right back where I started."

"It's like you said before," Zatte said.  "Settling things with Rehval was the last connection you had with your son.  Everyone who took him from you is gone now.  There's no one left to chase, or even think about chasing."

"So..." Luffa said.  "Now what?"

"I asked you first, buster," Zatte said.

Luffa sighed.  "Maybe we could go to Yetitan, pay a visit to Wampaaan'riix and Dewbie.  Might even invite Dr. Topsas along if he's free."

"What brought this on?"  Zatte asked.

"I was just thinking about my mother," Luffa said.  "Aside from you, those guys are the closest thing to family I have left."

Zatte put her arm over Luffa and squeezed her gently.  "Don't be so sure about that..." she said.

*******

[7 May 234 Before Age.  Planet Saiya]

Far removed from the citadel which served as the planet's capital was a small village of crudely shaped houses.  There were a number of modern conveniences--paved roads, food storage devices, and a water tower--but otherwise the settlement appeared to be a throwback to some primitive age.    In one of these houses, a Saiyan  woman named Arracash heard a knock at her door.

She immediately readied herself for a fight.  The King had alerted everyone about a mysterious Saiyan-hunting killer, so naturally she had this possibility in mind, but she had lived on this planet of bloodthirsty warriors for most of her life, and she hadn't lasted this long without being prepared.  She moved along the wall, careful not to avoid being spotted from the view offered by the windows, and paused in front of the door.  She silently counted to five, then swung the door open, making sure to keep her body out of the doorway.

Nothing happened.  Arracash took a quick look, and found two women, a Saiyan and an alien with blue skin and red hair.

"We're looking for... for Arracash?" the alien said.  She seemed distracted for some reason.

"You found her," she said.  "What's this about?  And don't tell me it's King's official business.  Not while you're wearing that getup."

She was pointing at Luffa's bright yellow pants as if they were on fire.  "You want food, go catch some game in the mountains.   Lousy vagrants.  Everyone acts like I'm the village cook."

"Records at the palace said you had a son named Orij," the Saiyan said.  "That right?"

"So what?" Arracash said.  "He's old enough to fight his own battles isn't he?  I'm not responsible for his blunders."

"Luffa, this can't be Arracash," Zatte said.  "She's supposed to be in her mid seventies--"

"Luffa?" Arracash asked.  "Then this is some kind of shakedown!  You think you can pretend to be some impostor freak and I'll cower under the bed while you help yourselves to my loot?!  Who the hell do you think you are?"

She tried to shut the door, only for Luffa to catch it with her hand and hold it open.

"I think I'm your granddaughter," Luffa said.

NEXT: The Foxy Factor