Elaina
The constellation of Dominus the Giant was in the skies as Elaina went to the Monk's guild, her new home, to tell the Monks of her story. Elaina breathed the night air in deeply, pleased with her new decision to learn about the Monks, only, she frowned to herself, she understood the nature spells, but was having a considerable time learning about the Monk's martial arts skills, preferring her crystal bow.
Entering the Monk's guild, she sat down in the meeting room and leaned against a table leg. Tucking her robes around her bare feet, she smiled at all there- Maccabee, Soudis, Worsuegui, Krugar, Radiance, and a couple others- before beginning her tale. Taking a deep breath, she began: "I grew up in the high mountain valleys... The clouds hung heavy over our mountains, leaving their chilly breath in a white misty haze. The beauty took my breath away, even after 18 years."
Elaina paused and smiled at Soudis as he shook a silver tin over the fire to make some popcorn.
"The crystal palace loomed tall and gleaming near the summit of Mt. B'ranath... A rainbow sparkled from its sides when the sun broke over the crest of the mountains, sending colorful rays of light down across the forest... Small families of elves would huddle around bright cooking fires, their colorful tents adding to the beauty of the spectacle, waiting patiently for the palace doors to open, and the priests to emerge."
Soudis quietly passed around the buttery popcorn for everyone, trying not to interrupt the Priestess' tale.
"I was Elaina... healer, empath, oracle, prophetess, writer, poet and crystal seer," Elaina blushed, "So many titles. I was a High Priestess to the Wood Elves, in the Pelon D'Ettare, in the Kingdom of Saianthe. Each morning, as I had been trained from birth, my sister Glenneth and I would go down to the camps and minister to the elves."
Elaina smiled fondly, "It was our calling, our life's work... To help and to heal. Elves would travel from miles away to seek the services of the priests of our order."
Pain entered her eyes briefly as she remembered her sister, "Glenneth was known as 'the kind.' She had a gift for helping the young, and a smile always in her eyes," ruefully, Elaina added, "I was much more reserved. I was closer to the earth, which was the source of the power of our magic."
"One morning, as I shook off the chill in the air, and began to prepare for the day's adventures, I was shaken by a sudden quavering. The bottom dropped away from my feet as blackness surrounded me," Elaina tensed and then shuddered, "I staggered as colored sparkles whirled wildly in the air."
Maccabee gasped.
"Regaining my balance, I opened my eyes, to see a group of complete strangers facing me with curious expressions, sort of like shock," Elaina giggled as she remembered the look on their faces, "It seems Lord Davar, Immortal of Magic, had allowed his avatar Fisitilin access to the void, and that senile plainswalker had summoned my form across place and time," Elaina frowned.
Krugar added, nodding, "Senile and powerful."
"At first I thought it was just a joke, as my sister, Glenneth, was always playing practical jokes on people in the palace," Elaina looked at her audience with a fierce scowl, "But then I got so angry! I was spitting!" Radiance blinked at the thought of the proper Elaina spitting, "I demanded to be returned at once!"
Elaina let out a deep sigh, "Sadly it seems the void had fallen and return was impossible. To make matters worse, I had no magic in this strange and hostile world, as I had no words or chants, my magic being based on elementals," Elaina moved her glowing pearl to her left hand, "Any earth elements. We draw the power up from the earth. Focus is through the element. No words are required, only concentration, and the gift. Those with the gift were taken as babes from their homes and raised by the order. We had priest of war, of healing and of administration. Each had their own gifts. But ultimately, our destiny was to serve."
Soudis passed around some more popcorn.
"Lost and alone, I became a guest of the magi, and the unwilling ward of Lord Davar himself," Elaina winced, "I spent days and days mastering chants. My backpack overflowed with scrolls. And I grew in power as I learned the magic of this world."
"In Davar's castle I found a secret garden. It contained all of Hearthome's journals," Elaina smiled almost to herself, a faraway look in her eyes, "I read every one."
Coming back to the present, Elaina blushed as she looked at her rapt audience, "Now that was a terribly sad story. If nothing else, it made me realize my life was not so bad," she chuckled.
"Anyway, time passed, and one day I had to rescue a chicken. Kirala was threatening to barbeque it, and Mystikdreamer was so upset! But to save it I had to get into the Wizard's guild. So I learned how to do a quest, and joined the guild. Now, Davar was thrilled and put me instantly to work there. So I stayed."
Krugar teased Elaina. "Davar? Thrilled?"
"Free labor," Elaina joked, "Seriously though, he has been wonderful to me. Adopted me even. And somedays prolly regrets it, like when I blew up his lab," Elaina grinned. "Then I met Wolf. She was a monk," Elaina offered in explanation for the reason she was in the Monk's guild.
"I could not bring much with me when I came to Terris, I only had a few crystals on me. I have since fashioned a crystal butterfly, and I am working on a crystal bow. Davar was able to breath life into the butterfly with his magic."
Elaina brushed back a lock of her silver white hair and smiled. "I'm done. Well, except I wanted to become a Monk," Elaina looked down, "It seems closest to who I am. Is that strange?" Elaina blushed.
Krugar said, "Nah, we have a tendancy to wear off on people."
"Well it did. Until Staan made me start kicking things with my feet. And my hands were bruised for a week! Bows are much better!" Elaina grinned.
Krugar teased, "Ya think being a previous wizard, you woulda tried to use your head first..."
The audience degenerated into chit chat at this point. Chuckling, she gave them each a hug, smiled and winked, then as suddenly as she was there, she disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke, leaving them to ponder her story.