|
Shadowean The older woman would often walk upstream from the mill
where her family had lived for a number of generations. Her part, as her age
had increased, consisted of helping with the baking, herb gathering along the
banks of the brook, and keeping an eye on the water flow making sure debris
was reported to her son the miller. Life
for her was good and she was glad she could still help in her own way.
One particular day, as she was practicing her herb lore, she felt the
desire to check on a red berry patch she knew of.
The berries should be just ripe enough for harvest and wouldn’t that
make a nice pie for the family? She thought.
So she set forth to the clearing where she knew the berries to be
growing and as she came closer she got that nagging feeling that someone was
close by. Her suspicions were confirmed when she noticed that many of
the berries had been “harvested” already.
Duly warned she pulled her dagger and warily began searching the berry
patch. Her search revealed to her
the “danger” to be a rather ‘rough around the edges’, ‘berry-smeared
from head to toe’ small child who was fast asleep upon the ground. Well of course the woman had never in all her years found
such as this on a gathering and found herself with the question of who this
wean was and where did he come from? Arousing
the wean carefully she found him to be responsive to her small talk, thinking
to herself the best thing was to return to her family so a proper search party
could be formed and not wishing to lose the child she realized she would have
to carry him. Well a red berry
smeared wean was not what she felt like carrying, so bringing him down to the
brook she began to clean him up as well as she could, and as she finished
looking closely at the child she smiled and said, “Well then wean aren’t
you as dark as a shadow.”
That is how I met my mother, I have been called Shadowean ever since.
The resulting search party found my birth family was waylaid by a
roving band of marauders there was not much left at the site of attack no
mementos, no ideas of who to inquire of, nothing. Apparently I had wandered to
the brook and moved along the bank until I found the berry patch. The
Brooktenders took me in and raised me as one of their own.
I grew well and strong learning as I could, all that I could.
I prospered in love and the companionship of family, in pleasure of a
hard days work showing tangible results, and belief that your word was your
bond and that there was definite right and wrong and one should weigh one’s
choices and act properly. I don’t have a birthday as most but I do have a finding
day, and on my fifteenth finding day I was asked what I wished.
Nervous to speak my mind but reminded of my lessons by my mother. I
stated my desire to find my own way into the world, well knowing looks passed
among the family, apparently they knew me better than I knew myself… well
almost. My mother had taught me
much about everything she knew, but she told me she knew that for me that was
not enough, so she gave me her blessing and wished Lumnis grant me wisdom.
I began a journey that has continued to this day.
I have learned that helping others is something that I almost feel
compelled to do. My search for
the learning that must predicate knowledge that in turn leads to wisdom
brought me to Voln. I have
searched for enlightenment and found much to abate my need to help others in
this society. I have constantly
asked Lumnis to guide my steps that I am worthy of the knowledge and wisdom
that I hold. I have found
companions that hold to a high moral code of conduct that I find… consistent
with the way I view right, wrong and the way in which I conduct myself.
For that I am proud to be a member of Onoir and the Protectors of the
Citadel. I hope to help build the
legacy we all hold dear. The journey continues, I search for wisdom in all I do, may
Lumnis lead you to yours. Shadowean
Brooktender Cleric of Lumnis Master
of Voln Protector
of the Citadel Onoir,
apprentice to Morgiest |