• Solo • [Treth] Friendly Faces

[Tei'serin Nji'ryn]

7th Ashan, 717


As Tei'serin left the school for the trial, she planned to head right home so she could begin the task of grading the spelling test she had just given her students. But she was distracted by strains of beautiful music traveling on the pleasant breeze. Wanting to hear more of the song, Tei'serin followed her ears to the Old Sow's Ear. Normally, she avoided the tavern like the plague. She didn't approve of people drinking themselves stupid to begin with. And she had personal reasons to avoid the popular tavern. Tedrik spent a great deal of his time in the Old Sow's Ear when he was in Treth, and Tei'serin had good reason to never want to see him again. Jared worked there as a bouncer, and although he was nowhere near as bad as Tedrik, Tei'serin would be happy to avoid him for the rest of her life, too. But the music was too pretty to ignore, so after a few trills of hesitation, she slipped inside to listen.

A Sev'ryn woman stood in the corner of the tavern, playing a wistful song on her fiddle. The woman looked to be a few arcs older than Tei'serin. She noticed Tei'serin listening to her, and smiled as she played. When she finished her song, the woman approached Tei'serin with a welcoming smile.

"You don't usually set foot in the tavern unless someone needs the help of the local herbalist. What brings you here now?"

Tei'serin smiled shyly.

"Your music. That was a very beautiful song."

"Thank you. Do you have some time to talk? I'm due for a break, and it would be nice to talk to another Sev'ryn. I'm sorry. I never introduced myself. My name is Tar'isa."

"I'm Tei'serin."

Tar'isa led Tei'serin out of the tavern so they could talk more freely. Tei'serin wasn't especially good at small talk. She was wary of strangers, and despite having lived here most of her life, she had been kept very isolated. Making friends didn't come easily to her. But Tar'isa was a Sev'ryn, and as such, a connection to her mother's people. Tei'serin hoped that in speaking to the older woman, she would be able to learn more about her people.

"Have you lived here in Treth for long?" Tei'serin asked politely.

She couldn't remember having seen Tar'isa before, but she rarely went to the tavern, so she might not have. Tar'isa smiled.

"You could say that. I came to Treth in search of my familiar, Ter. And I fell in love with this place, so once I found him, I decided to stay. I've lived here for several arcs now. But don't feel bad if you haven't seen me before. I don't have any children, and I'm quite healthy, thank Moseke. I haven't needed your services as an herbalist yet." she said with a gentle laugh.

Tei'serin blushed. They lived in such a small village that it seemed silly that she wouldn't have seen the woman around before. And yet...it wasn't impossible either. She rarely had reason to go to the tavern, and unless she was tending to a patient, doing something school related, or attending a festival, she was usually at home. Thorin made certain of that. Questions swirled around her mind, and she burned with curiosity. But Tei'serin didn't want to be rude, so she hesitated to ask.

"You're curious about Ter, aren't you?" she asked with a light laugh.

Tei'serin started. Then she flushed a deeper shade of red. Was she really that obvious?

"I don't mind. Ask me anything you want."

"You said that he is your familiar. What...how...I mean..."

Tar'isa chuckled.

"Have you ever been to Desnind?"

The seemingly random question caught Tei'serin off guard. She wasn't sure what it had to do with anything, but she shook her head.

"I want to go some day, but I've never been there."

Tar'isa nodded.

"I thought as much. Had you grown up in Desnind, you would know that every full blooded Sev'ryn has a familiar. Some half Sev'ryn do as well, but not all of them do, and it is harder for them to meet and find their familiar even if they have one. These familiars are called Ose-bori, which means half ghost in our language. They are the other halves of our souls."

Tei'serin blinked, startled. The idea that she had a familiar out there somewhere was a fascinating one. She said the word Ose-bori a few times quietly, trying to get the pronunciation right as well as committing the word to memory.

"Does that mean that I have a familiar, too? You said that you came here in search of your familiar...your Ose-bori. How can I find mine if I have one? Where would I even start looking?"

"Yes, you do. Our Ose-bori begin calling out to us in our dreams when they sense that we are ready to meet them. They never come to us. And if we do seek them out, we must earn their trust, and prove that we are worthy of them before they will accept us. But if we can manage that, it is truly worth any effort we make to gain their trust. If you do bond to your Ose-bori, a mark will appear on your body somewhere. It looks something like a tattoo, but is raised slightly. And it will represent your Ose-bori in some way."

Tar'isa paused to roll up the sleeve covering her right arm. Tei'serin saw what looked to be a black feather tattoo on her upper right arm. A mark like that would have deep meaning for the person who was marked. It made her feel self conscious about her own tattoos. All but one were marks of Thorin's control over her. He had forced them on her at his whim. Some were done as punishments over the arcs while others were reminders of just who was in control of her life. Only one tattoo, the one her mother gave her when she was a baby held any positive meaning for her.

"I hope I can find my Ose-bori some day. You said that they call to us in our dreams when we are ready...how do we know that they are calling us? I mean, dreams are just...dreams."

"You just know. When you are ready to receive the dreams, you will know them for what they are. Not every Sev'ryn seeks their Ose-bori out when the dreams come. But not doing so comes at a potential price. If you do not follow your dreams, and bond to your Ose-bori, and they die...the consequences are severe indeed. Should that happen, you will feel the pain of losing your other half for the rest of your life. Most people who suffer that pain retreat into their own minds, surviving as best they can until they follow the part of themselves that has been lost."

Tei'serin shuddered. She decided then and there that if she ever did dream of her Ose-bori, she would follow those dreams no matter what the consequences.

[Tei'serin Nji'ryn]

They walked for a while in amiable silence. Tar'isa had given Tei'serin a lot to think about, and she wanted to make sure that she remembered it all. These were all things she probably would have grown up learning had she been born in Desnind, and she couldn't help but wish she had been. What would her life been like then? Would she have ever come to Treth? Tei'serin did like it here despite her problems with Thorin. Would her mother still be alive? She might well be had she not been on her adopted father's ship when it sank. Then it occurred to her. Had she grown up in Desnind, she never would have met her adopted father. That quickly changed her mind about wishing she had been born in Desnind. As much as it hurt to have lost the man she knew as a father, she wouldn't give up her memories of him for anything.

Her thoughts switched back to her conversation with Tar'isa, and she remembered something the older woman had said that had snagged her curiosity. Tar'isa had thanked Moseke for her good health, much the was she herself would have done. It could have meant no more than the fact that Tar'isa worshiped Moseke. Most Sev'ryn did, after all. And yet...it was unusual enough to hear someone thank Moseke here in Treth that it stood out in her mind. Could it mean that Tar'isa had been blessed by Moseke as she had? That she served her as she did? It would be wonderful if she did. Tei'serin longed for someone to talk to about such things. She had so many questions! Although she had managed to stumble into discovering some things she could do with the gift Moseke had given her, Tei'serin had the feeling that there was more still to learn. Not learning everything she could would be disrespectful to Moseke, and an insult to the blessing she had been given. But she had learned what she had learned so far mostly by luck. If she had a teacher, she could learn more. But...could she ask? Should she? Tei'serin didn't want to be rude, and offend Tar'isa. So she hesitated uncertainly.

"You look like you have another question. What is it?" Tar'isa asked kindly.


"It's just that...you thanked Moseke for your good health earlier. Are you...have you...do you serve her? I do." she stammered.


Tei'serin blushed. Now it sounded as if she was bragging, and that wasn't the case at all.


"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to brag. And I'm sorry if I offended you by asking. I just...I've managed to learn some of what I can do with the gift that Moseke has given me. But I can't help thinking that I still have more to learn. It would be an insult to the gift I was given if I didn't try to learn everything I can about my blessing...but I don't even know where to start. Most of what I have learned, I learned by sheer luck."


Tei'serin blushed again. She knew that she must sound like a complete idiot. That, or she sounded impossibly young and stupid. Tar'isa chuckled softly.


"I do serve Moseke, Tei'serin. I am honored to have been blessed by her three times."


Tei'serin's eyes widened in awe, and she stared at the older woman with a great deal of respect, and admiration.


"Can you...will you teach me?"


Tar'isa chuckled again.


"If I can. What have you learned so far?"


Tei'serin told her about her ability to heal small wounds, and draw the toxins out of someone who had been poisoned. These were the abilities that she knew best; she had used them more than once in her work as an herbalist. Then she spoke of how she had stumbled into learning that she could create spores that would put someone to sleep, and create a prison made out of rock and dirt. But she avoided telling the other woman of just how she had learned about those abilities. She wasn't prepared to try and explain her relationship with Thorin, and his men to anyone. That was a horror and a shame too deep to speak of to anyone. Finally, she told Tar'isa about how she learned that she could turn small parts of herself into stone or wood.


"You're right, Tei'serin. There are some things I can teach you about."


At Tei'serin's eager expression, she held up a cautioning hand.


"One of the abilities you have yet to learn of is something you need to discover on your own. A lot of what you can do with it depends on your own creativity, and what you need the ability to do. If I were to tell you of my own experiences with it, it can only limit your own progress with the ability."


Tei'serin nodded.


"But there are two abilities that I think I can help you with. Both are abilities that are very difficult to discover on your own unless you happen to stumble into exactly the right circumstances to need them...and even then, it isn't a sure thing that you would discover them. The first of these abilities is that you can summon small sprites, familiars, or wisps to come to your aid when you need them."


Tei'serin's eyes widened again, this time in amazement.


"Familiars...are these spirits different than the Ose-bori?" she asked curiously.


Tar'isa nodded.


"Both are spirits, but the spirits that come to your aid when you use this ability are a different kind than the Ose-bori are. These ones will not bond to you the way your Ose-bori does. They will however aid you in combat, healing, or any other task you may need help with."


Tei'serin nodded to show that she understood.


"At first, you will only be able to summon one of them at a time. But as with everything, practice makes perfect. As you practice this ability, and get used to the strain it puts on you, you will be able to summon more of them at once. Using this ability is exhausting at first."


"Like the ability that allows me to create a prison made out of rock and dirt."


"Yes, just like that. At first, you won't want to use it in a combat situation because of how much it takes out of you. If it fails, you won't have much energy left to fight with. But with practice, you will adapt to the strain, and it will get easier to use this ability. There are a couple of things you need to remember. These beings have minds of their own, so they may act according to their will and what they see as right or wrong rather than simply doing what you ask of them. So if you summon them to help you fight, they may provide a distraction rather than attacking your opponent. Or they may defend you instead. If they do attack, it may not be in a way that you expect. Also, it is a good idea to present an offering for the being that you summon. You must persuade them to obey you, and offering them something in exchange is a good way of doing that."


"That makes sense. It's only fair to give something in return if you want someone to do something for you. This is the same principle."


"Exactly. Now, I want you to try and summon something. Focus on summoning something to help you, but don't focus on the type of being you want to summon. Instead, try to focus on the need that you have. That way, the creature that comes will be one that can help with your specific need."


"What kind of offering should I give them?"


"That depends on what you need them to do. The bigger the task, the greater their reward should be. For this, though...do you have any food on you?"


Tei'serin nodded, and produced an apple that one of her students had given her.


"That will work just fine."


"Do spirits eat food the way we do?"


"Some do. They don't need it to survive as we do, but some spirits like the taste. For others, it is the thought that you are giving something that they appreciate."


"Okay. And what should I ask of the creature I summon? I don't really need anything right now..."


Tar'isa thought for a few trills.


"Do you have something of yours that I can hide? You could ask the being that comes to find it for you."


Tei'serin nodded. After giving the matter some thought, she handed Tar'isa a copper nel.


"Will this work?"


It was Tar'isa's turn to nod. When the older woman told her to, Tei'serin closed her eyes. Once Tar'isa had hidden the coin, she told Tei'serin that it was okay to open her eyes once more. Then she told her to try any summon something to help her find it. Tei'serin obeyed. She focused on the need to find her missing nel. Once she had that need firmly in her mind, she began "calling" for something to come help her find it. Her strength dwindled quickly as she continued to call out for help. But after a few bits, she felt a small breeze hear her face. There was a shimmer in the air, and as she looked at it, it solidified into a small glowing creature.


"Will you help me find my copper nel? I lost it around here somewhere." she asked as she concentrated on what the nel looked like as firmly as she could.


"If you do, I'll give you this apple." she promised.


The little sprite looked at the apple for several trills, considering the offer. Then it nodded. Tei'serin watched in amazement as the tiny creature zipped around in search of her nel. It took several bits, but eventually the sprite found the coin under a bush. When it brought the coin over to Tei'serin, she gave it the apple as promised. The sprite ate the apple quickly, core and all. Then it vanished back to wherever it had come from.


"How do you feel?" Tar'isa asked Tei'serin.


Tei'serin considered the question carefully before answering.


"Like I've been running for a long time. Not out of breath, exactly...but as tired as I would be if I had been running for a long time."


"And that is after you summoned a single sprite to aid you with a simple task. Had it taken longer for the sprite to find the nel, or had you needed it for a bigger task, you would feel worse than you do now. Until you get used to the strain this ability puts on you, there is a real danger of you overextending yourself, and passing out. That is something you need to be aware of, especially if you are even fighting someone. Even once you are used to the strain, you need to be careful not to overextend yourself." Tar'isa cautioned.


Tei'serin nodded to show that she understood.


"I'll be careful." she promised.

[Tei'serin Nji'ryn]

Tar'isa smiled to take the sting out of her previous words.

"The next ability I can teach you is an extension of some of the ones you already know."

Tei'serin looked interested at the older woman's comment.

"How so?" she asked eagerly.

"Well, one of the abilities you know will allow you to heal small injuries, and another will let you draw toxins from someone, so you can help them if they are poisoned, right?"

Tei'serin nodded.

"This ability will allow you to help someone who has a mental ailment rather than a physical one. Once you learn how to do it, you can calm mental ailments that are caused by old age, wounds, poison, curses, or magic."

Tei'serin knew very little about conditions that affected the mind. But she had a couple of guesses that she wanted to clarify.

"So it would help with the delirium caused by wound fever? Or possibly with senility?" she asked carefully.

How many people had died of wound fever, plagued by horrific nightmares caused by delirium in the tent back in Treidhart? Would she have been able to ease their suffering if she had known of this ability back then?

"Yes, this ability can help with those conditions as well as others. But there are risks involved in using it. Concentration is very important when using this ability. If you are interrupted, or don't concentrate on what you are doing hard enough, you risk being drawn into either your own mind, or your patient's mind, and being trapped there. And the effects of this ability are temporary unless it is used multiple times to ensure that they will last until the mental ailments are cured. If the condition is permanent, such as it the case with senility in the elderly, multiple sessions will be needed so the effects won't wear off as time passes. Using this ability too much will cause fatigue, headache, nosebleeds, and nightmares."

Tei'serin nodded to show that she understood the older woman's warning.

"How do I use the ability?" she asked after a few trills.

"To activate the ability, you must touch the patient's temples. When you do, green or yellow transparent tendrils will connect to their head, neck, and the top of their spine. Energy is then transferred through these tendrils, and sent into the body to correct the damage to their mind."

It was similar to the way her two healing abilities worked, then. The same energy tendrils were involved in all three abilities.

"Thank you for telling me about these abilities. Both sound like they will be very useful." Tei'serin said sincerely.

They walked together for a little while longer before Tar'isa told Tei'serin that she had to get back to work. Tei'serin thanked her again, then headed home.

[Rumour]

Name: Tei'serin Nji'ryn

Knowledge:
Skill:
Calming Whispers: Allows you to calm mental ailments that are caused by old age, wounds, poison, curses, or magic
Calming Whispers: How to activate
Calming Whispers: The effects of activating the ability
Protective Spirits (Minor): Summons small sprites, familiars, and/or wisps that can aid them in combat, healing, or whatever purpose they see fit
Protective Spirits (Minor): Only one creature may be summoned at first, but many can be summoned with practice
Protective Spirits (Minor): Present an offering to the summoned creatures

Non-Skill:
NPC: Jared: Works as a bouncer at the Old Sow's Ear
NPC: Tar'isa: A Sev'ryn
Tar'isa: Blessed by Moseke three times
Tar'isa: Has a falcon familiar named Ter
Tar'isa: Came to Treth in search of her familiar, but stayed because she fell in love with the village
Tar'isa: Works at the Old Sow's Ear as a musician
Tar'isa: Doesn't have any children
Tar'isa: Very healthy
Sev'ryn: Have familiars called Ose-bori
Sev'ryn: Every full blooded Sev'ryn has a familiar, but not all of them seek their familiar out
Sev'ryn: Some half Sev'ryn have familiars, but it is harder for them to find their familiars if they do have them
Sev'ryn: Follow dreams to find their familiar
Sev'ryn: Their familiars never come to them
Sev'ryn: Must earn the trust of their familiars, and are tested by them in order to gain their trust
Sev'ryn: If someone doesn't seek their familiar out when the dreams come, and their familiar dies, the pain of losing half of themselves usually causes them to retreat into themselves
Sev'ryn: When a bond with an Ose-bori is completed, a mark that represents their familiar appears on their body
Ose-bori: Wait until their Sev'ryn are ready for them before appearing to them in dreams
Ose-bori: Are the other halves of Sev'ryn souls
Tei'serin: Hopes that she will find her familiar some day
Tei'serin: Doesn't make friends easily
Xanthea: Ose-bori means half ghost

Loot: N/A
Injuries: N/A
Fame: +2 for being recognized by Tar'isa in the tavern

Points: 10

- - -

Comments: This was a lovely thread, Tei! I always enjoy getting the opportunity to read your writing, and this thread was no exception. I thought the interaction between Tei and Tar was very well done, and I love that Tar acted as a mentor figure to Tei. If Tar hasn't already been written up as an NPC, I would really encourage you to write her up and submit her to the Ne'haer City Development thread!

I made some adjustments to your skill knowledge because what you had submitted in your review request really encompassed multiple knowledges in one and was too lengthy. I believe I've covered everything you wanted Tei to know in my revisions to "Calming Spirits", however, and I've almost captured everything in my revisions to "Protective Spirits (Minor)". If you would like to change out any of the "Protective Spirits (Minor)" knowledges with something else you would have preferred for her to learn about the ability, please let me know via PM and I'll make the update.

Overall, a great read! Looking forward to your next thread.

If you feel I've missed anything or if you have questions about your review, please don't hesitate to send me a quick PM. Thanks!