Spring 324 A.C.
A legend has been unearthed at Nokohii Crest... Urusian spirits are known to be elusive. Few in Urus can say they have basked in one's presence, let alone spoken to such a creature. And yet, in an impressive show of determination, Urusian residents insist on worshipping the beings. They're there, just barely out of sight, they say, waiting for offerings, words, belief. Now, in the depths of the forest, in the moonlit clearing, you find yourself face to face with a living folk tale. The Urusian spirit looks down at you from its perch. Its ears twitch and its nose moves, but it remains motionless otherwise, as if trapped in time, suspended in the rays of light cast down by the moon above. Its presence is so captivating, you almost forget the stranger standing next to you. At last, you tear your eyes away from the spirit, and look at the Niravar beside you instead.
Face to face with a living folk tale.
Though their stature is smaller than that of any grown Niravar you have seen, the proportions and demeanor of the newcomer make you conclude with a degree of certainty that they are an adult. Their face is flatter and rounder than that of most Niravar, and their front paws are large and powerful. But it is their hind legs that catch your attention – they lack any feline features whatsoever, and resemble instead the legs found on a goat, or a fawn. They incline their head to the side. "I'm Ortrun. And this..." they nod towards the still-motionless being on the boulder in front of you, "is Cavort-By-Moonlight." At the sound of its name, the spirit's two tails sway back and forth. Ortrun walks past you, stopping just before the shrine. Their paws shift in practiced motions over the ingredients laid out on the pedestal, but the story they tell is directed at you. Living in Urus means living in perseverance, in knowing that no matter what the next day brings, you will be there to face it. Your connection to the outside world may be severed, your home may crumble beneath your paws, strong winds may make every venture outside a potentiall lethal trip, but in spite of it all, Urusians persevere. And, Ortrun nods back in the direction of the Nokohii Crest festivities, nothing gets the Urusian residents' spirits up like celebration. And on one such night, the Urusians' dancing, their joy, hope, and belief, brought into the world a creature of pure determination. Cavort-By-Moonlight is more than a spirit of joy, song, and dance. It is a spirit of hope. And sometimes, Ortrun continues, it bestows this hope, this unwavering determination, upon Niravar it deems worthy. It is then that the dawning insight strikes you; this is no partial change caused by a magic object. No - you have just stumbled upon an entirely new kind of Niravar.
Winter 323 A.C.
Greyhedge, Ianfire, Daratrine, all three pieces to the puzzle converge in the end. And who better to tell this story than the magus herself - Ianfire's granddaughter? |
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