the-endless-traveler

[the-endless-traveler]

Personal Viera Lore: Claimed by the Wilds

She was young in a land that asked her to survive and be strong. She was fragile in a land that spoke to her mind without her realizing it, where the souls of her kin echoed in her heart and threatened to overwhelm her every day. And... She was only a child of five summers forced to witness the horrors of the mortal mind.

Her father was far from a man she would stay with. Unlike the few males that decided to remain in the village, who took up the mantle of caretakers for the weaker members of the clan, he was a violent man who claimed his rights by force at every step he could. Often he challenged the Matriarch, her mother, and often he seize her power for his own ambitions. Often she heard his words as a warning for times to come, carved in her young mind as a constant threat. When he wasn't threatening her mother, it was her sisters who suffered a similar fate, but he never dared touch her... Quite the opposite. He was suspiciously tender with the only child who bore his blood red eyes.

"We deserve our rightful place as leaders of the clan... Unlike you, we worked for it."

Chosen by the Earth, the Matriarch was the one who led the clan to prosperity in the depths of Golmore for the future generations to share the bounty of the Earth, and the man would challenge this authority to his own, who he claimed to deserve it by right for the work he did as a protector of the Wilds.

Then, a dark day rose.

She returned home, after she was with her childhood friend and her sisters, only to see the man she hated standing before his mother, bleeding on the ground. His sword laid on the ground, covered in the same blood that flowed outside of her mother's body. She felt her pain and his unbridled rage awakening a darkness she never recognized... Hate. Hate in the heart of a five summers' child.

She lost control. Her young voice exploded in a myriad of tones, enveloping the room with dozens of echoes whispering words of evil. Neither her mother or her father expected their child to come home and unleash a power beyond what her small body would endure, her voice whispering words far beyond her own understanding. Their child was far, her soul given to the Earth as Her voice surged through her mouth.

"Darkness was seen with Our eyes. We borrow this soul to show Our punishment."

She took the bloodied sword, her voice singing a tormented requiem who forced the man to kneel in front of its power. Each word tortured his spirit, tore his mind apart and slowly turned him into what She wished him to be. Docile. Subserviant. Powerless. Only his eyes could witness his fate, as his own child tore his body apart wit his own sword, slashing the flesh limb by limb until all remained was a pile of unrecognizable blood.

"We judged, and We watch once more."

A few steps and the child fell to unconsciousness. She would only know later that she was the one who killed her own father, forever plagued with conflicting emotions from a man she hated but she was still bound to.

A vision that will forever haunt her mind.

-----

The Dreamweaver's songs are mostly used to heal the mind through manipulation, but that power can also be used to significantly alter the psyche of someone who hears that song. The most terrifying power of the Songs are when they're used to completely strip the willpower of someone through their magic, though it is rarely used and considered a forbidden knowledge.

The Dreamweavers being a conduit for the Will of the Wilds, She can take over their bodies for a short period of time to show her will to the clan, and sometimes dispense justice... Using that very song to submit the criminal before executing them in a bloodbath of violence. The host stays conscious, a spectator of their own actions while the Mother acts with their body.

Rayna was only a child when it happened the first time, killing her own father in the process...

[the-endless-traveler]

Personal Viera Lore: A Song to Ease the Mind

"Focus your mind, young one. Open your heart to who you seek to heal..."

Rahli'in was holding her pupil's hand, whispering the words she needed to learn while she was performing the song. In front of her, another Viera laid down on a simple bed of wood and leaves, not the most comfortable but the scent from the plants was made to be relaxing and to help the dreamer in their sleep. Some could argue it was a form of drug, but it was only a mild soporific plant.

Rayna kept singing, her voice shivering as her heart was welcoming the emotions of her kin dreaming in silence. Joy, love, anger, hate, feat, doubt... All were surging inside her and replaced hers for a moment, but she kept singing, her small hands holding those of her sleeping elder.

"Do not let her emotions overwhelm you... Hold them close, as a hug from your mother, feel their warmth and cold, but do not let them command your mind. You are the mistress of yourself."

As she sang, she reached the point she was instructed to. A sorrowful memory that plagued a sleeping mind for moons, one she wanted to find peace from. Each note unraveled the memory piece by piece, each word made a event of old easier to bear. Her voice was comfort found in the deep consciousness of a sleeping Viera, who will wake up with a sense of relief from her once sorrowful mind.

After what seemed hours of songs and dreams, the sleeping Viera woke up. Relieved as promised, with a new understanding of what birthed her sadness and how to face it. Though, her words were not of thanks but of fear... Rayna looked at Rahli'in once her kin was gone.

"Why did I felt fear when she spoke to you?" "Our power is tolerated by the clan and your mother... A few summers ago, when you were but a small crying child, someone misused the powers of the Dreamweavers and tried to seize the clan by force." "Is this why Ma never talks about who is my father?" "You are a smart child, you know... Yes. He killed the old matriarch, your grand-mother, and tried to use his power to made the clan kneel. But this story also hides another secret..."

Rayna closed her eyes slightly, then opened them to stare at Rahli'in.

"Ma suffered. She never looked at my eyes." "Too smart... Yes. She still loves you, but she can not get past what happened, even with my help."

The young Viera nodded slightly, then walked outside the house.

"Where are you going, Rayna?" "I will help Ma, like today."

-----

From the various songs known by the Dreamweavers of Mahina, the most used is the Aria of Soothing, a song made to ease the burden of painful memories by balancing them with more positive ones that stay related. For this, the Dreamweaver makes their patient asleep first with a sleeping encense, then enter in a singing trance...

[the-endless-traveler]

Psst, get there.

It's nice peeps.

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https://rpmentors.org/

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Our mission is to create a safe and enriching environment for roleplayers to learn through encouragement, positive reinforcement, and supportive advice from peers. For the past several years we have helped thousands of people find their footing in the FFXIV RP Community. Be it from the very first steps as a sprout or a seasoned roleplayer joining the game, everyone has a place in our server. We are always looking for more people to join in on our creative efforts. Give and receive feedback on character concepts, answer questions about RP culture and browse our LFRP segment for potential new friends & events. See you there!

[the-endless-traveler]

Personal Viera Lore: The Last Journey

"Brothers! Sisters!"

A heavy silence fell on the shoulders of everyone present, their eyes looking at their Matriarch. To her, none could hide their sadness over what was happening today, but she ignored it. She learned to ignore what made her human for the sake of her duties, thanks to her mentor...

She who now takes her steps towards her Last Journey.

"Rahli'in was a mystery, as I am for many. We both shared more than our eyes, for we are Dreamweavers."

Whispers started to rise, but quickly faded as her blood red eyes ran across all the clan. Her clan. She had to be strong for them and never show any of her weaknesses, despite the ritual of today weighing on her heart as if the world itself was on her shoulders. Rahli'in was more than a mentor to her, she was her shoulder to cry when her own existence was too much to bear.

She closed her eyes for a second, before looking at the village.

"She was my mentor. A confident. Behind the mask of stone was a warm heart, open to all. Before I, she was the one who guided our people to their Last Journey."

She stepped down, two other Viera lowering the peaceful body below the village, to the Earth each of them was born from. Her eyes couldn't watch this moment, and she instead focused on the bright moon above the trees, causing more whispers amongst her sisters. Her heart sank, sensing all of those conflicted emotions about someone she knew and lived with for years. She was close to break.

It was time for the ceremony proper.

"Earth! Receive our gift to thee! She who served thee for seasons now returns!"

Her voice was vibrating with power, her hands raising to the skies as magic flower through her entire body. The Last Journey began, and the moon lit the village with a bright silver light.

"Stars! Allow this soul to shine near thee, for she was a light in her life!"

The whole clan began to chant along their Matriarch, each word echoing in the village as if the land itself mourned its loss.

"Moon! May her memories return to us once more! May Rahli'in, Weaver of Fate, return to us once more!"

And after mourning, joy erupted. The spellweavers closed the earth above the now departed, while the rest of the village brought the feast of the year. The Last Journey was never meant to be filled with sadness, but with joy to know the lost ones are watching over the clan.

But she couldn't help to feel downed, and instead of enjoying the feast with her clan, she returned home. Her mother aged gracefully, but deep inside she knew... Not many seasons were lieft.

"Rayna... You are not with the others?" "And so are you, Mother. You never missed those." "I... shunned Rahli'in. My regrets would tarnish the Last Journey, and I know you do not need that." "... Go. Join them."

She embraced her mother, her red eyes staring straight at her blue ones.

"Rayna..." "Stelha. You don't have long either, I know it. Please."

"Repair your soul before it is too late."

-----

The Last Journey is a ritual to honor the fallen of the Clan, their bodies returned to the forest while their souls shine in the skies. Unlike many furenal rituals, the Last Journey is meant to share hope and remember who was the Sister or Brother who died, in all their glory for the entire night. A feast is offered to the Wilds in honor of the departed, while the clan wishes for them to watch over the future.

Except the Dreamweaver, Rayna, Matriarch of Mahina as her mother is now too weak to carry on her duties...

[the-endless-traveler]

Mystral's family!

From left to right:

Halsia, Mystral's sister and actual Moonblade. An absolute fury in battle, known to use Earth magic to enhance her brutal strength.

Zalphiria, Mystral's sister and actual Moonsong. Gentle and a bit shy, she's a studious soul that use enhanced Wind magic for various uses, including healing.

Mystral herself, in her younger years.

Rahli'in, on the back. Mystral's mentor as a Dreamweaver. Like Mystral, she's a caring and empathetic soul with strong emotions hidden behind a impenetrable and expressionless mask. She isn't blind, but tend to hide her eyes.

Stelha, Mystral's mother and old matriarch of Mahina. Stern but just, she held the clan against all threats, but died when the village got attacked by a man possessed by a voidsent named Neclord who reanimated several of her dead clansmates.

Fjall, Mystral's father in law and chosen father. Since his daughter (Sanaria) and Mystral were close, he was naturally close to her and his calm behavior managed to capture the young heart of the Viera when she was but a kid.

Yep, there's one missing... Sanaria, Mystral's soulmate, but that's for later.

[the-endless-traveler]

Personal Viera Lore: the Dreamweavers

She was quietly waiting in the small house, her eyes wandering around and observing where she was. There was never much in the houses of her village and this one wasn't an exception. A bed or multiple, if the Viera had a family or not, a table usually empty unless at the earliest hours of the night, where food was on the table, stools or chairs made of wood, weapons... This one wasn't an exception.

The table wasn't empty, but instead filled with ancient books with some left open to the air. The young Viera walked to read the title, leaving a hand on the open page to not disturb whoever read this one before. "The Last Journey" was written on the leather, slightly glowing in the faint darkness of the house. She knew of the Last Journey and was forbidden to see her friend Xelha return to the Earth, instead confined in this hom far away from the ceremony.

She left that book to focus on other titles, each one referencing a ritual performed in Mahina... Except one. One of the books that was lying open on the table had no title or name tied to it, but instead lines of text that didn't made any sense. Ever curious, the young Viera turned one page, suddenly filled with a rush of emotions and without hearing the voice at the entrance.

"Curious, are we, Rayna?"

Her mother, Stelha, followed by another Viera she never saw and yet felt strangely familiar. Her eyes, red as embers... Like hers, who are red as blood.

"I do not think you ever met..." "Rahli'in. The Weaver of Fate. And you, little one..." "Rayna."

She didn't fear the unknown Viera who shared her eyes. Instead, she was intrigued, curious of this unknown face and walking towards her. Rahli'in kneels down, looking deep within the young sapling's eyes.

"Stelha, your call was right. Her link is even stronger than mine, but she is so young... How?" "I wish I knew, Rahli..." "A curse it is not, Stelha. It comes with hardships, yes, but it also comes with the most caring souls I know... Empathy and love, hidden behind a mask of silence or darkness. A situation you are familiar with, Rayna...?"

She silently nodded, only to whisper in her usual voice.

"Always. A storming song of hearts, all silent for a time... A silence I wished to join, but was left aside." "Stelha! You stopped her to see the Last Journey?!"

Anger in the voice of Rahli'in was so intense it could be touched, Rayna recoiling slightly from the feeling. She felt it as it was hers.

"I had to after the last attack!" "You know too well it would scar her for life! You told me yourself she liked Xelha!" "Mama... Rahli'in. Stop screaming."

Both the adults turned to the young viera, her eyes emptied. Stelha kneels down as well, looking at her daughter.

"It is fine... I could feel your hearts from here, and Xelha too. I did not missed it because you all were here... I just wanted to see her one last time." "Rayna... I'm sorry. I will never make that mistake again."

And for the first time, Rayna felt the warmth of her mother's embrace.

"Rahli... Train my daughter. Please." "I will, Stelha. Dreamweavers are as much important to the clan as the rest. To sense the Forest, the heart of our Sisters... It is the most important task we can offer to everyone. But Rayna, I am asking you this now... Do you wish to?"

The sapling grabbed Rahli's hand. Both had the same warm touch, a rush of emotions coursing through her body. She was hiding them all, and she could feel them.

"Yes... Mama will not see me crying again."

Rahli'in couldn't help but smile, a glance offered to her Matriarch.

"I told you Stelha... We Dreamweavers are caring souls."

-----

The Dreamweavers are a caste of Mahina who live retired from the main village... only because their powers make them extremely vulnerable in crowds. Shielding themselves from the world by wearing a natural mask of emotionless, from their voice to their expressions, they are a rare groupe of extremely sensitive Viera who share a deeper connection with the Wilds and its people's hearts. Healers of the Soul, they are also the ones that perform the hardest of Mahina's rituals...

The Last Journey.

[the-endless-traveler]

Personal Viera Lore: The Voice of the Wilds

The screams of pain were filling the small house, and none of her sisters knew what to do, scrambling around to find a remedy, anything that could help their young sister. Neither Zalphiria and Halsia knew anything about what happened, and all the sisters could do was to carefully lie Rayna on her bed.

"Hala! What do we do?!" "Find Mom, quickly! I will be strong enough to hold her if- Argh! Run!"

While one ran away to get their mom, Halsia held the wrist of her sister, trying to stop her from clawing herself. Her nails already sank into her skin, dropping a bit of blood on the bed, Halsia having a hard time to keep her sister to hurt herself. She was the strongest of the three sisters, but in her fits of pure rage, Rayna was almost impossible to handle even for her.

Her mom finally entered the house, rushing to her daughter to hold her in her arms. She wasn't bothered by her screams, full of worries about her child.

"Mom..." "Halsia, Zalphiria, go see if Sanaria is alright. I will take care of Rayna."

They ran away, far from their sister's pain and not without worries. In her mother's arms, Rayna finally began to calm down, only leaving the sounds of a young sapling crying, her head hidden deep in Stelha's hair.

"What happened, Rayna?" "The Forest... It hurts... so much... I hear it... screaming... pain... suffering... fear... It lost... someone... something..."

She knew her daughter had a particular bond with Nature and the Land, but never imagined this gift to hurt her. She was maybe unable to give or take the energy of the Land, but her bond with It was stronger than anyone she saw in her years. Stelha began to sing, easing the pain of her child with a lullaby she knew well. A faint whisper that slowly put her sapling to sleep, right when the two others came back with a male Viera bearing a black mask... and a black book. Stelha put her child to her bed before turning to the man, frowning.

"Fjall? What are you doing here? Where's Sanaria?" "Sanaria is fine, but Xelha... She returned to the Earth in her sleep, a smile on her lips." "Sana... was crying. She stayed home." "When your saplings told me what happened, I left to carry the cold wind and her diary. You know what to do, Matriarch."

She walked to take the book in her hand, not seeing her daughter waking up, her blood red eyes empty of any emotion, staring in the dark. Her next words called a cold wind inside the house, Fjall shivering in his lightweight armor.

"She left... at peace... But the Forest... still cries..." "Rayna? Are you alright?!", Halsia said, rushing to her sister, closely followed by Zalphiria. "The Land... cries... Sana too... For their pain... reaches my Soul..."

Stelha looked at her daughter, then at Fjall.

"Fjall. Warn everyone. We have the Last Journey to prepare." "Fine, Matriarch." "Tell the Moonblade and the Moonsong to join me. We have another situation I wish you to not spread. It is... Rayna." "Rayna? What about her?"

The Viera only offered a sigh.

"She is a Dreamweaver... A Moon-cursed Dreamweaver. She hears the Voice of the Wilds. The Heart of our Land."

-----

In Mahina, most Viera can hear the Forest if they offer their open mind in prayer, usually during certain ceremonies. In rare occurences however, it happens that a Viera is born with the ability to hear the Voice of the Wilds, the heart of the Forest at any time, and feel its emotions as if they were their own.

But who are the Dreamweavers...?

[the-endless-traveler]

Personal Viera Lore: The Nature of Mahina

"Ma! I have something to ask you!"

Her mother was preparing her arrows for the next hunt when her daughter ran to her. Young a full of energy, this day, she knew she had to humor her endless curiosity.

"Can you explain Nature? Zaphiria tried but…"

Her mom smiled lightly, offering a small seat to her ever curious daughter.

"Nature is simple, Rayna. First, there is the Body, what the Earth gave you to show your strengths to the world. It can be harsh or beautiful, with a charming voice or a roaring growl. A Sister, a Brother, or even both… The Moonblade is she who embodies this part of us." "And then?" "Then, there is the Mind. When you grow up, you will learn and live, filling your diaries and sharing your adventures in our land. It can makes the Body stronger or weaker, the Soul brittle or resilient… Why the Moonsong is our Mind."

The young Viera closed her blood red eyes for a moment, nodding in silence.

"Finally, the Soul. The gift from our Forest, which shows to the world who you are. A Soul is as the river, forever changing with time and how your Mind will grow. None can know what your soul will be the next season, or the next sunrise. It is also the hardest to heal… and why the Bloodsong is our Soul. Chosen by the Forest, never by us."

The kid stood up and hugged her mom, both with the same faint smile on their face.

"Zaphiria will be our Mind then?" "Yes, and Halsia the Body." "And me?"

She looked at her daughter and patted her ever growing black hair.

"You will be the Matriarch, my dear sapling, and lead our clan to its future, whichever it will be… And I will be proud of you, always."

-----

The Nature, for the Viera of Mahina, is what makes a Spoken. Their Body, their Mind and their Soul, fused by the Will of the Forest to birth the new member of the village.

The Moonblade is the embodiement of the Body, a fighter of exceptional skill who leads the hunts of the clan. The Moonsong is the embodiement of the Mind, a healer of physical and mental wounds that takes care of many rituals inside the village. The Bloodsong is the only one chosen by the Forest itself to roam outside the world, fighting the threats to Mahina from beyond its borders, and the embodiement of the Soul, forever changing.

Rayna, however, was the third child of the Matriarch...

[the-endless-traveler]

Personal Viera Lore: The Song of the Dreamwalker

(I guess I'll post some of those sometimes... Some bits of the headcanon I worked on since Viera got added in game.)

Long ago, somewhere in Golmore…

Dreams. For the common Viera, they were a mystery and a sign that they never returned to the Earth, their drifting mind living the visions of their Forest in a well deserved night. Some of them were warm and offered solace, others were cold and woke up the weakest in their sleep, drenching in sweat. Then, there was her… The Dreamless. Her nights were silent, cloaked in a perpetual void despite her sleep being often watched by her sisters of blood. She never moved during her nights, but she was breathing softly and always woke up fresh and recovered from her wild hunts of the day. Her mother, the Matriarch of her village, was still concerned with the silence of her soul when the Moon was high.

One day, she was in her home, surrounded by her sisters of blood and her mother. Again, the couldn't tell what was her dream, for she had none, but her words raised eyebrows and curiosity.

"One of us has a dream of blood and fury. Erupting anger. Our forest itself never showed such rage."

Despite her young age, like her sisters of blood, her mother always listened to the cryptic words of her child. From her birth, she had an unique bond with the Land, one that reached further than any, and yet she refused her role as a Moonsong Spirit, healers of body and soul in her clan. Still, the matriarch followed her daughter to another house in the village, whose only tenant was a solitary hunter she knew well.

"Xelha? Do you have a moment to spare?", the Matriarch said. Her voice was stern but amiable as usual, hiding well the problem at hand. "I do. Is that your daughter, Matriarch?"

Xelha was one of tallest Viera of the clan, and trained for seasons untold to build a body able to stand against the wrath of the Land itself.

Rumors of her beast-like strength were only matched by the terrifying eyes she wore in battle, fueled by nothing but an unending fury born from the Earth itself. "Xelha, the Demon-Eyed" was one of her many surnames.

The young sapling wasn't afraid of her giant Sister, but Xelha on another hand… She had a severe phobia of her presence. One that made her muscles tense and her eyes shifty.

"I know, Xelha, I know… But give her a moment of your time today? Rayna is special in more ways than even I imagined." "If you insist, Matriarch…"

She sat on her bed, letting the young Viera getting close… That kid was the only thing that scared her for many reasons, and one of them happened at this instant. As if it was nothing, she copied the voice of the hunter with a terrifying precision that sent shivers down her spine.

"A Moon of blood is what your soul sees… For it aches with rage of source unknown." "Urgh she does it again…!" "Rayna!" "… I am sorry, Mother.", the sapling said, her voice returning to her usual self. Young, but already the wisdom of many ages in her voice, an unsettling calm that seemed to hide many secrets. "Lay down, for I will see where it begins…"

Unsure, Xelha still followed the kid's words under the gaze of her Matriarch. There, it began. A song infused with magic a Viera of her age shouldn't even know, awakening the deepest emotions hidden in her soul, layer after layer, each note undressing her very soul to reveal the tiniest of cracks.

A rage unending against the Land that took her Promised. A wish to leave the world who took her heart away, but also a sense of duty for her Clan who offered her everything since her birth. Behind all of this… Grief. Sorrow. Memories that are never forgotten.

When the song ends in a silence as heavy as the mist of an early monsoon, Xelha was hiding her eyes from her Matriarch and the young Viera she feared that much… Exactly because of this power.

"The depths of grief and sorrow birthed fury and rage. Dreams that pull you in the void. A hand can reach you until this sun rests…"

The young Viera left the house, not an eye offered to either her mother or the hunter. The Matriarch couldn't help but to sigh.

"So that's what this is all about…" "That sapling is terrifying and you know it, Matriarch. But… Somehow she tried to help me?" "She's always like that… Helpful, but every single time she just scares the wits out of everyone. But to think she knows the Song of the Dreamwalker is new…"

------

The Song of the Dreamwalker is an ancient magic from Mystral's clan, the Moonsingers, and her village, Mahina. It's power to reveal the emotions of a person that hears it is terrifying to some, and helpful to others, and its often used to ease the minds of the hunters of Mahina, who live a dangerous life in the depths of Golmore.

How, however, a kid of barely ten years old knew this is another story for later...

[the-endless-traveler]

Vierapril #30: Future

Diary of the Thunder Fury, first page

"My two treasures,"

"If you read this book, don't try to find a sense. I just wrote my thoughts every night before I tried to sleep, and they were often drifting towards you. How you are important to me, and how far my love can go just for you. My doubts, my wishes, my hopes... It's all here and I want you to know them."

"It's long, sometimes without any sense. I write this first page with fear, the fear something will happen to me... Solution Nine isn't as safe as I thought and staying too far from you stings as much as a lightning shock. I learned a way to restore my aether and I'll return with that answer, then... I don't know."

"All I know is my future isn't in Alexandria, but with you. Yet... I can't leave those thirty years there in the back as if they never existed. Instead, I'll bring Alexandria home. Make a future where Electrope isn't a tool of war, but of wonders..."

"I have no idea where I'm walking. I just know it's the right direction."

~ Elegy of Love in Lunacy, first page.

[the-endless-traveler]

Vierapril #29: Secret

Diary of the Thunder Fury, recent days

"You want to know my secret?! Fine! Fine!"

"You fell in love with a monster! You tied yourselves to a killer, a murderer drenched in blood! You decided to give a chance to betrayal! The question you should ask yourself isn't "why", but "when"!"

"They all left. Every single one. I know you will leave too, once you see who I really am. What kind of cold-blood, heartless killer you offered your heart too. What sort of person you wished to share your life with."

"When will I betray your love for reasons even I don't know anymore. When will I forget you, as my memories slowly break apart. When will my heart will let you fade away, only leaving a weapon to walk free and taint the earth red with blood."

"Here! You have it, my deepest secret. Happy to know the truth now? Happy to know I shouldn't be alive?! That I am nothing more than the blade I carry?!"

"That... I am nothing..."

~ Elegy of Love in Lunacy, unknown page written in blood.

[the-endless-traveler]

Vierapril #28: Favorite Job

Been playing Gunbreaker a lot lately... So have Mystral and her new gunblade, Sapphire Phoenix.

[the-endless-traveler]

Vierapril #27: Sad

Diary of the Thunder Fury, day unknown

- Ah, I knew you were here! - Amy...?

The Elezen ran to the bench, leaning against the wood right behind the Viera. She always knew her partner in research was hiding in front of the loniliest view of Sharlayan to think and was certain she would find her in the same place today. It was supposed to be a day of joy, the end of the semester and yet she was away from the festivities.

- Avoiding the party? They're raiding the Last Stand sandwiches... If we don't go quickly we'll miss them all, professor!

As much as she was her partner in research, the Viera was also her teacher in curative magicks and someone she considered a friend despite her outbursts. She could at least canalize them for a while when they happened, and make sure she wouldn't do anything rash. Today was a bit different, though. It wasn't violence that made its course in her mind, but melancholy and nostalgia. A single sentence from her professor was enough for her to notice the lack of emotions, typical from her phases of melancholy.

- I never liked those parties... - One of those days, huh? I know you avoid them, but never without your nouliths. - ... Amy I hate your perspicacity sometimes...

Amy faintly laughed before she sat down next to the Viera. She learned to hit the spot and have the wits of her teacher, despite the high age gap between them. Promised to a brilliant future if she kept it that way, even with one of the hardest thesis subject in her belt.

- Speak your mind, then. We both know it helps. - I was reading your thesis... Or rather, the notes on it... The mysteries of death?

She nodded slightly, looking at the waning sun.

- I'm studying a single event, more exactly. Did you ever had those moments where you feel like you already lived what is happening in front of your eyes? - I always had visions, I wouldn't make the difference... - Ah, right, your "bond". Anyway! My theory is that when someone dies and returns to the Aether, the memories get mostly wiped, except a few... Then, when that souls is reincarnated, they can live a similar situation as the previous soul and... Professor?

She never saw the Viera crying even once in her time in Sharlayan, and she worked with her for five years. Unsure of what to do, the Elezen just rested a hand on her teacher's shoulder.

- Did I... said something wrong? - ...Can I ask you a question, Amalynn?

She nodded slightly, her teacher looking straight at her eyes. Even with tears drowning her eyes, her gaze was still powerful, savage, and yet caring and kind.

- Did you lost someone? - Well... My father, from old age. It was natural, though, but I have hunch your story isn't. - Yes... She died in my arms. I always thought she would wait for me, later... - Oh... Oh. Sorry. I... I didn't know. Maybe I should change the-

A finger on her lips as a gesture of silence, the gaze of her professor being more insistant.

- Continue. Your thesis is important for you... The fault is on me, to cling on the past for hundred of years. - So this is the source of everything, huh? Alright, then let me make you a promise.

She stood up in front of the waning sun and raised her book to the skies.

"I'll make sure my work will make grieving easier for everyone."

[the-endless-traveler]

Vierapril #26: Sky

Diary of the Thunder Fury, dreams

"I had a dream, tonight... A dream that awoke me from my sleep. It was too real... Tears rolled from my eyes, and I feel I should write it for you two to remember it if I forget it once."

"We were lying down on the grass of an unknown land... The stars were dotting the night and despite my blindness, I could see them all shining in a faint light. A warm wind was slightly blowing against us, but you both still held on me as if you were cold. Nothing disturbed us, we could watch the stars until we all fell asleep with a smile on our faces."

"If you two read this... Help me remember this dream when I feel myself fading in the dark. Help me to reach the dream so I can finally cling to life." "Help me to make this dream true."

-- Elegy of Love in Lunacy, last page.

[the-endless-traveler]

Vierapril #25: Jump

Diary of the Thunder Fury, SILENCE!

She needed some fresh air after being inside her forge for the whole day. The Purple Lys Thundersmith... A name inspired by her beloved wife's favorite flower, a flame lys, and the constant purple that came in her life thirty years ago. Levin, electrope, Alexandria... Even her own eyes went purple, and her new forge was ready to create the best weapons and armor she can offer. She was always proud of her work, even now, and her new gunblade was a testament of her skill and pride as a smith. Perfectly mixing the high-technology of Alexandria and the traditional craftsmanship of Eorzea wasn't an easy feat, but she managed to break through. Now, she just needed a pause.

Alone.

The whispers began. Faint, and only her could hear their grating voice. She tried for years to find their source, only to end in the same conclusion over and over... Herself.

Abandoned.

The voice was hers, whispering words that would slowly drag her into a pit of emptiness where her torment would continue over and over until she realizes her only freedom is to jump towards the Seven Hells she belongs to. Each word was a knife stabbed in her chest, carving pain in her soul and madness in her fragile spirit. And only her head the words...

They will leave. You are a threat. They fear you. They hate you.

"Silence", she whispered to herself, walking without a goal around the Empyreum. "My dream... is true...". A dream of a quiet life. A dream where she could just enjoy what she has, without being plagued by the past and her self-inflicted scars.

It is your fault. Always your fault. Deserved.

She was leaning against a stone railing, looking at the emptiness below Ishgard. An tempting emptiness...

Jump. "Shut up..." Alone. "Shutupshutupshutupshutup..." Abandoned.

"Shut up!"

She drew her blade, slashing the air behind her, the barrel pointing to the face of a concerned Templar Knight who passed by. Surprised by the sudden burst of violence, he also drew his sword in case the strange Viera would attack.

- Lady, please calm down! - ... Sorry.

She returned her blade on her back, letting a heavy sigh escape her mouth. Her voice was emptied of any form of emotion, her gaze looking to the eternal darkness.

- Are you sure everything is fine, Lady? - ... It's nothing. Please... leave me be. It... will not happen again.

He was doubtful, but ultimately, there wasn't any danger anymore and nobody was hurt, and left... not too far, keeping an eye on the unstable Viera from afar.

She lied, after all. It wasn't nothing. But she couldn't ask for help.

[the-endless-traveler]

Vierapril #24: Responsibility

Diary of the Thunder Fury, The Silent Plea

"They all trust me."

She trained her penmanship for years to hide her blindness, using aetherial ink to be able to see her own writing through aether. Sure, it was more expensive, but she didn't had much choice in the matter, it was that... or give up the only way she knew to write her thoughts without anyone knowing what was inside her mind. She sighed slightly and returned to her page. Her eyes were emptied of their pupil, but also from any emotion when she was far from her two treasures. To preserve herself, her only solution was to lock everything from the outside world, except to her beloved wives... To who she can never lie.

"I often wonder what I did to earn that trust. Was it because I offered my nouliths, and later my blade, to help them? I do that with anyone as long as they can pay, and they sometimes reach to me again, but that's mostly it. If it's becuase I sticked with them when the old company crumbled, then that one is on me I guess... Everyone needed a new start and some options."

She sighed slightly. She brought to them more problems than anything else, and if they lost their trust she would understand it. But... instead, they went at great lengths just for her. She never understood why, except for two.

"But how can I return that trust? If I could see my reflection, I would try to smash the mirror... I can't stand my own self, how can I really help anyone else? I... have no idea of what I should do, all I know is this feeling... Those people are my responsability. To help them, support them, protect them... Because they did the same for me for reasons I don't understand."

"We need each other is my conclusion... and my new responsability."

She closed the diary and locked the leather cover with a magical seal. Silent words and magic she repeated so much during her entire life even her blindness didn't killed her ability to seal her own writings. Maybe her scrambled thoughts were right this time, and her new company were her new responsability.

Maybe her new duty.

[the-endless-traveler]

Vierapril #23: Mastery

Diary of the Thunder Fury, day unknown

- Miss Mystral, we have granted you the mark of the Archon... However...

The silence was heavy in the room, only broken by the voices of the three professors of Sharlayan who summoned her for a private talk once she was done. The ritual to gain the mark was a secret, but not the means to reach that prestigious goal. Her thesis, who broke a foundation of healing magic with proven results, was accepted by the most renowned scholars of Sharlayan despite her behavior in the isolationnist island of knowledge.

Her personnality was the major problem of many of her professors. Rough at best, avoiding the other students with a visible paranoia, often being wounded left and right without disclosing the source of her fresh scars and bandages, the worse was the moments when she lashed at someone, anyone, without any forseeable reason. A rage that wounded a few, but now brought a student to death... An issue that had to be adressed.

Today was no exception. Under her outfit, bloodied bandages covering her forearms and neck, while her eyes usually blue were now of an eerie red color.

- Your attitude needs to be addressed. You represent Sharlayan now, it is time to act like it... Especially with your now colleagues and other students.

Her silence was only fury building inside her soul, her eyes staring at the three professors with what seemed an wish to kill them on the spot. When she spoke, her anger was barely contained.

- Do not put your own burden on me. I only represent myself. Not Sharlayan, and certainly not those worms you dare adress as "my colleagues"! - Miss Mystral! They are, whether it pleases you or not.

In her fury, she ripped off her bandages. Marks of burning from spells and cuts from a dull blade barely healed dotted both of her forearms.

- Would "colleagues" do this?! Where is the respect this useless mark was supposed to give me?! If this is the recognition of my fifteen years of intense work, then you can choke on it like the wretch I sent you this morning!

The professors were startled by the sudden access of rage, then realized what she was talking about. Earlier this day, a student was found at the brink of death, his body paralyzed. The most experienced Sages of the city were sent to examinate the body, without any conclusion found for now.

- It was you? Are you aware the student died? - Of course it was me, after he cornered me again and did this! You all ignored it for years! None of you pompous scholars would hear me! You were all drown in your books, so I took the matter in my own hands! - We know our students can be rough, but we never imagined...

She slammed her hand against the desk, the smell of fresh blood inundating the air around the Viera. Her own blood, dripping over the wooden desk and smearing one of the many papers the professors laid bare.

- Because you never listened... I poisoned my own blood, using your teachings to stop the poison from harming me... When I could escape his grasp, I managed to put my freshly wounded arm against his mouth... And the poison took hold. - A poison? That's all? - I enjoyed his childish screams... The poison would paralyze his vital functions one by one... The poison keeps him barely alive... - You will give us the remedy for your creation, miss Mystral. This isn't a choice.

Her rage exploded. She turned back to break a chair with her bare hands, her strength barely reduced despite the lack of proper training, by her own words, during her studies. When she turned back the the professor, her eyes were nothing but raw anger.

- Helping my tormentors? You can dream! I should have killed them all... then the rest of you who left this would fester for years! But death is too kind for such wretches... No... They will remain paralyzed... Slowly driven mad by their life as a living corpse... And when the poison will wear off...

Her laugh was terrifying. Madness clawed deep in her mind, lunacy unbound that controlled every movement and word. One of the professors, an old Elezen with glasses, squinted his eyes while directly looking at the Viera. Behind the fury and the craze, tears. Pain. Suffering. She didn't acted like this by choice or because she was using her knowledge for dark deeds. It was desperation, her last way to be heard and seen, a despair running deep enough to drive her into a form of madness he saw rarely during his years as an active field researcher.

He looked at his colleagues and nodded slightly, raising his voice and breaking his own silence since the beginning.

- Can we agree to a... trade, then? You give us the remedy and we make sure anyone involved with your... actual state is properly punished. - Heh... As if it will change the future... It's too late... Way too late... You all let that foster for fifteen years! They will all deserve... It was the first of seven! All reduced to living corpses until I decide to free them... Their minds mine to break... Their bodies mine to shatter... Then their souls mine to twist...

A new terrifying laugh. From his insight, she didn't entirely lost it, but she was far deep in a spiral of madness. With the knowledge she had in her hands and her natural ongevity, she could do severe damage by herself if she wasn't controlled in some way. The man offered a faint smile to the Viera, sure of his next words.

- If we bar them from Sharlayan, the shame will be enough they will leave the island. Would this be enough?

She faced the man for a second, silent. He knew his words hit, her body answered for her. Her shoulders were slightly less tense, her fury faintly silenced, her stance less prone to rip the throat of anyone talking back to her.

- ... Empower Esuna with the ancient spell Poisona. - What? The antidote is just... that? Magical knowledge? - You have what you wanted. Now... leave me alone.

In the room, all that was heard was her heels scratching the wooden floor and the door closing behind her. The three professors looked at each other with more questions than answer on the time bomb that exited the room.

They all agreed they had to take actions.