'Drifia's Legacy' (a character biography)
GrabtharsHammer
Member Posts: 27
'Drifia's Legacy'
Startled, the unfamiliar rodent quickly scurried into a small crevice in the jagged rock face.
"CARELESS!", Izz'lyn Mae'ep thought to himself, even as he fled hastily,ever upward, into the dizzying heights of the Upperdark. "when did I become such an oaf?!"
Fortunately the strange animal, a mammal of sorts, did not lend voice to his clumsiness. What did it matter though , the trackers were close. He could feel them; even count them, by the very hairs standing upon the nape of his neck.
Leaping from the narrow path, to a large stalactite, suspended above an in imperceptibly deep maw, he coiled then propelled himself across to a small ledge.
Climbing desperately, he spied his trackers pointing from below. Abandoning subtlety, he kicked loose a rock upon their heads, as he pulled himself over an inviting ledge; poisoned arrows, whistling upward in vain, past his temporary cover.
Crawling into a small gap in the rocks, he committed himself to chance and desperation.
As the hole opened up, he found himself at the bottom a narrow fissure. Tall with many small ledges; adequate to supply critical defilade.
He began his hasty ascent. Crawling, jumping dodging, and climbing in frantic abandon, he managed to maintain his narrow lead.
The lofty crevasse made breathing increasingly difficult.
The itch of nitrogen bubbles beneath his skin and lack of oxygen weakened him considerably; fortunately his pursuers were surely afflicted in this fashion.
When finally he reached the top, he was met with several choices. tunnels branched of from the enormous cavern he found himself in.
The one that caught his attention, was glowing with what could only be surface light.
Unfortunately it was at the far end of a vast aeolian plateau. Wind swept dunes of uninviting sand, would make the trek slow.
With no time to waist, and his hunters threatening to reach the summit soon, he sprinted into the frozen desert.
The ground was hard and crunchy, much to his relief, and he was able to make it several hundred yards before the archers emerged.
Their arrows missed marginally, but every time they stopped to take aim , he gained more ground.
By the time he reached the welcome sanctuary of the dimly lit cave, he was lumbering in a determined, yet exhausted gate.
Every corner he turned made it harder and harder for him to keep his eyes open as the light stung his eyes.
Finally a glowing drift of snow loomed before him.
He did not stop. He did not pause or even think, as he hurled himself through the frigged barrier.
Light exploded all around him as he began to fall. Even with his lids shut tight, the brightness was piercing and painful.
A few seconds latter he grazed the side of the mountain, and bounced away, spinning awkwardly; in which direction he knew not.
Suddenly the snow swallowed him whole, cushioning the blow of the icy alp, as it ricocheted him back out of the drift, only as he found it again quickly enough.
With varying speed, he tumbled blind, down the seemingly endless slope.
He rolled, was hurled into the air and landed only to flail again and again, until finally he slid to a halt
Barely conscious, he felt numb and disconnected. No longer concerned for his life, he surrendered to the welcome embrace of slumber.
He dreamed of fire and warmth. A women's voice talked to him in a kindly manner, even as she busied herself with the task of her varied chores.
"Sip this she said:, as the cradled his head, pulling it up.
He felt almost awake, yet not quite; drifting in and out.
"These assassins, of yours, are very persistent." she said with an eager anticipation.
"It's time that we met", as she drooped her robe and strolled au naturel into the bone chilling caress of the night's windy snowfall.
He heard the beating of enormous wings, as something took flight.
The deafening roar, brought him momentarily to his senses.
"KNOW ME DROW!, FOR YOU HAVE STUMBLED INTO MY DOMAIN!", a not so distant voice thundered, sending him into a frozen panic; unable to move or even to blink.
"I am DRIFIA!... FEED MY PASSION... FOR I SHALL DINE UPON YOUR DESPAIR!"
The potion took effect, as Izz'lyn was again drifting in and out.
The woman glided into the to fire-lit dwelling, which looked to be hewn from the mountain itself. Snowy tears began to weep upon her skin, as she re-donned her robe and knelt at his side.
"The drink was to numb the pain", she said, as she pulled his arm from beneath the furs of his bedding. His arm was twisted in an unnatural fashion, and he wondered if it was even of any use at this point. She pulled the arm , this way and that, then splinting it with gentle care.
She disappeared to the foot of the bed, and began tugging on his legs; first one and then the other.
When she returned to his side she had another small bowl.
"This will taste and smell quite bad, I'm afraid", as she helped him to sip.
Now you will sleep again. When you awaken your bones will be mended.
From a deep and dreamless sleep Izz'lyn awoke. The women. all to real smiled warmly.
" Good morning dear sir... I am afraid I don't know your name", she inquired.
" Izz'lyn... Izz'lyn of the house Mae'ep."
Greetings to you Izz'lyn ", I am Drifia.. I found you near death not far from here".
"Do you make it a habit of leaping from mountains?", she teased.
"Just the once", he smiled at her jest, although I can't say I remember much.
He paused, straining to remember, and shuddered a li'l, with fear, at a vague recollection.
"You tended my wounds?", he inquired trying to compose himself.
"Yes, you were most definitely in a bad way.. fortunately I have some skill at the healing arts", she smiled reassuringly.
"You won't have to be worrying about your 'friends' either.. they will not be pursuing you further." "Nor shall they be reporting of your fate".
"I thank you dear lady", his mind hearing faint echoes.. and something else... and then his eyes flew open wide, as he recalled where he had heard the name Drifia.
"Fear not Izz'lyn", I intend you no harm.. although I would ask a kindness of you".
"A kindness?"
"Yes.. I am very old.. ancient in fact, even for my kind", as her eyes became serpentine for a moment, before returning to a look of gentleness.
"The world is changing, and I feel compelled to move on, so to speak."
"The thought that my presence will be forgotten here, has concerned me of late."
"before I journey, I wish to leave a legacy and a testimony of my existence", as her hand gently caressed his newly healed arm.
Several months latter, as a beautiful spring day dawned, Izz'lyn and Drifia emerged from their home to breath in the crisp morning air.
"I will miss you Drifia" he said.
She studied his face, and empathized with him for a moment.
"Hmm... I did not consider that a drow male might experience attachment... nor that maybe... so could I", she said almost sorrowfully.
"perhaps I shall return sooner than I planned ", until then, take care of our daughter.
Drifia shed her robe and walked across the hill side, a mixture of snow and newly uncovered grass.
As she took flight she roared... enormous blue wings beating the air:
"MAY THE TEN TOWNS NEVER FORGET WHO REIGNS ABSOLUTE UPON THE MOUNTAIN.. "
"ONCE THE SWORD OF MULCARN, AND TITAN OF EREBUS.. THE COLD BREATH OF FAERUN AND ANCIENT SENTINEL OF THE NORTH... I AM DRIFIA.. FORGET ME NOT!"
Drifia made a spectacular exit from Faerun, buzzing the town as she made her way to the sea... disappearing across the waves to an undiscovered shore.
The biography of the "Legacy of Drifia'... Dil'ithra, which in the drow tongue, means 'Ice Dragon'.
Note: Dil'ithra is the half-elf Dragon Disciple in my group. This my answer to 'how does one get dragon blood?'.
Startled, the unfamiliar rodent quickly scurried into a small crevice in the jagged rock face.
"CARELESS!", Izz'lyn Mae'ep thought to himself, even as he fled hastily,ever upward, into the dizzying heights of the Upperdark. "when did I become such an oaf?!"
Fortunately the strange animal, a mammal of sorts, did not lend voice to his clumsiness. What did it matter though , the trackers were close. He could feel them; even count them, by the very hairs standing upon the nape of his neck.
Leaping from the narrow path, to a large stalactite, suspended above an in imperceptibly deep maw, he coiled then propelled himself across to a small ledge.
Climbing desperately, he spied his trackers pointing from below. Abandoning subtlety, he kicked loose a rock upon their heads, as he pulled himself over an inviting ledge; poisoned arrows, whistling upward in vain, past his temporary cover.
Crawling into a small gap in the rocks, he committed himself to chance and desperation.
As the hole opened up, he found himself at the bottom a narrow fissure. Tall with many small ledges; adequate to supply critical defilade.
He began his hasty ascent. Crawling, jumping dodging, and climbing in frantic abandon, he managed to maintain his narrow lead.
The lofty crevasse made breathing increasingly difficult.
The itch of nitrogen bubbles beneath his skin and lack of oxygen weakened him considerably; fortunately his pursuers were surely afflicted in this fashion.
When finally he reached the top, he was met with several choices. tunnels branched of from the enormous cavern he found himself in.
The one that caught his attention, was glowing with what could only be surface light.
Unfortunately it was at the far end of a vast aeolian plateau. Wind swept dunes of uninviting sand, would make the trek slow.
With no time to waist, and his hunters threatening to reach the summit soon, he sprinted into the frozen desert.
The ground was hard and crunchy, much to his relief, and he was able to make it several hundred yards before the archers emerged.
Their arrows missed marginally, but every time they stopped to take aim , he gained more ground.
By the time he reached the welcome sanctuary of the dimly lit cave, he was lumbering in a determined, yet exhausted gate.
Every corner he turned made it harder and harder for him to keep his eyes open as the light stung his eyes.
Finally a glowing drift of snow loomed before him.
He did not stop. He did not pause or even think, as he hurled himself through the frigged barrier.
Light exploded all around him as he began to fall. Even with his lids shut tight, the brightness was piercing and painful.
A few seconds latter he grazed the side of the mountain, and bounced away, spinning awkwardly; in which direction he knew not.
Suddenly the snow swallowed him whole, cushioning the blow of the icy alp, as it ricocheted him back out of the drift, only as he found it again quickly enough.
With varying speed, he tumbled blind, down the seemingly endless slope.
He rolled, was hurled into the air and landed only to flail again and again, until finally he slid to a halt
Barely conscious, he felt numb and disconnected. No longer concerned for his life, he surrendered to the welcome embrace of slumber.
He dreamed of fire and warmth. A women's voice talked to him in a kindly manner, even as she busied herself with the task of her varied chores.
"Sip this she said:, as the cradled his head, pulling it up.
He felt almost awake, yet not quite; drifting in and out.
"These assassins, of yours, are very persistent." she said with an eager anticipation.
"It's time that we met", as she drooped her robe and strolled au naturel into the bone chilling caress of the night's windy snowfall.
He heard the beating of enormous wings, as something took flight.
The deafening roar, brought him momentarily to his senses.
"KNOW ME DROW!, FOR YOU HAVE STUMBLED INTO MY DOMAIN!", a not so distant voice thundered, sending him into a frozen panic; unable to move or even to blink.
"I am DRIFIA!... FEED MY PASSION... FOR I SHALL DINE UPON YOUR DESPAIR!"
The potion took effect, as Izz'lyn was again drifting in and out.
The woman glided into the to fire-lit dwelling, which looked to be hewn from the mountain itself. Snowy tears began to weep upon her skin, as she re-donned her robe and knelt at his side.
"The drink was to numb the pain", she said, as she pulled his arm from beneath the furs of his bedding. His arm was twisted in an unnatural fashion, and he wondered if it was even of any use at this point. She pulled the arm , this way and that, then splinting it with gentle care.
She disappeared to the foot of the bed, and began tugging on his legs; first one and then the other.
When she returned to his side she had another small bowl.
"This will taste and smell quite bad, I'm afraid", as she helped him to sip.
Now you will sleep again. When you awaken your bones will be mended.
From a deep and dreamless sleep Izz'lyn awoke. The women. all to real smiled warmly.
" Good morning dear sir... I am afraid I don't know your name", she inquired.
" Izz'lyn... Izz'lyn of the house Mae'ep."
Greetings to you Izz'lyn ", I am Drifia.. I found you near death not far from here".
"Do you make it a habit of leaping from mountains?", she teased.
"Just the once", he smiled at her jest, although I can't say I remember much.
He paused, straining to remember, and shuddered a li'l, with fear, at a vague recollection.
"You tended my wounds?", he inquired trying to compose himself.
"Yes, you were most definitely in a bad way.. fortunately I have some skill at the healing arts", she smiled reassuringly.
"You won't have to be worrying about your 'friends' either.. they will not be pursuing you further." "Nor shall they be reporting of your fate".
"I thank you dear lady", his mind hearing faint echoes.. and something else... and then his eyes flew open wide, as he recalled where he had heard the name Drifia.
"Fear not Izz'lyn", I intend you no harm.. although I would ask a kindness of you".
"A kindness?"
"Yes.. I am very old.. ancient in fact, even for my kind", as her eyes became serpentine for a moment, before returning to a look of gentleness.
"The world is changing, and I feel compelled to move on, so to speak."
"The thought that my presence will be forgotten here, has concerned me of late."
"before I journey, I wish to leave a legacy and a testimony of my existence", as her hand gently caressed his newly healed arm.
Several months latter, as a beautiful spring day dawned, Izz'lyn and Drifia emerged from their home to breath in the crisp morning air.
"I will miss you Drifia" he said.
She studied his face, and empathized with him for a moment.
"Hmm... I did not consider that a drow male might experience attachment... nor that maybe... so could I", she said almost sorrowfully.
"perhaps I shall return sooner than I planned ", until then, take care of our daughter.
Drifia shed her robe and walked across the hill side, a mixture of snow and newly uncovered grass.
As she took flight she roared... enormous blue wings beating the air:
"MAY THE TEN TOWNS NEVER FORGET WHO REIGNS ABSOLUTE UPON THE MOUNTAIN.. "
"ONCE THE SWORD OF MULCARN, AND TITAN OF EREBUS.. THE COLD BREATH OF FAERUN AND ANCIENT SENTINEL OF THE NORTH... I AM DRIFIA.. FORGET ME NOT!"
Drifia made a spectacular exit from Faerun, buzzing the town as she made her way to the sea... disappearing across the waves to an undiscovered shore.
The biography of the "Legacy of Drifia'... Dil'ithra, which in the drow tongue, means 'Ice Dragon'.
Note: Dil'ithra is the half-elf Dragon Disciple in my group. This my answer to 'how does one get dragon blood?'.
Post edited by GrabtharsHammer on
3
Comments
Best part for me was Drifia intimidating those Drows. It gave me goosebumps!
Other things I noticed:
You use a lot of adverbs. If you want to step up your writing, you should replace some of them with verbs in order to convey a stronger message and feeling. Verbs really pack a punch if used correctly
Semicolons are very special in terms of application. Don't use 'em if you are not 100% sure about how they're used.
Small amount of vocab mistakes, though nothing too serious.
At large this biography is solid. I like it.
Not sure why I started adding a short story or two, but it was fun, whatever motivated me.
I feel fortunate to receive some technical critique as English was not my major in college, although Composition 2 was required a general ed. class. I will keep your comments in mind if a story happens to present itself again.