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Imriel de Corvidae Captain
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 Posted: Fri Aug 11, 2006 1:05 pm
This is the journal of Odilen and her many friends!
Please do not post unless you are given permission by the owner of this journal. Otherwise, feel free to take a look around.
To go back to ElderSpark, click [here].
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Posted: Fri Aug 11, 2006 7:15 pm
Page One Post One: Imriel's Post Post Two: Table of Contents Post Three: The Ieldi - Odilen Swandancer Post Four: Kyendi Old and New Post Five: History - What Came Before Post Six: Dramatis Personae Post Seven: Wagon Wandering Post Eight: Art Impressions Post Nine: Collected Works Post Ten-End: ... Page Two Post One: Kyunru Family Post Two: Kun-Kun Family Post Three: Pala Family Post Four: Familiar Friends Post Five: Other Family Members Post Six-End: ...
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Posted: Fri Aug 11, 2006 7:15 pm
i will show you all your dreams
grab your weary hearts and follow me! Name: Odilen Swandancer Age: Equivalent to 24 in human terms. Born August 1st, 2004. Race: Ieldi, Mute Swan Class: Bard Occupation: Bardic Storyteller, Dancer, Wanderer Current Home: Her 'gypsy' wagon. Odilen also maintains her childhood residence in New Kyendi, which is accessible through a portal on top of the Durem clock tower. She doesn't stay in New Kyendi for long periods of time, but she does stop by rather often even if her visits are relatively brief. Interesting Features: Odilen has tiny feathers over much of her body, though they're so small and fine that they're not really noticeable unless you get close to her. The mask marking on her face is entirely natural. Odilen also has very faint rune markings on her arms and legs, relics of her unusual rebirth, but they are extremely hard to see - you'd have to practically stick your eye right next to her arm to even notice them. And she wouldn't like that. Odilen does have wings, but they're part of her arm structure. Her bones are hollow, and while she doesn't have the arm strength to actually fly just yet (she's working on it) she can glide if she finds a high place with favorable conditions, like in New Kyendi. Due to her dancing and near-constant travel, Odilen has a well-toned body, lithe and graceful but surprisingly tough. She's not trained for fighting, though. Lastly, though this isn't really a feature - Odilen's voice is somewhat damaged from an incident when she was a child. Her speaking voice is unaffected, but her singing voice is extremely hoarse, harsh and raspy. She's rather embarrassed by this and avoids singing whenever possible. This raspy and broken quality will also manifest if she tries to shout or scream loudly, so she tries to avoid that as well - especially screaming, as that was part of what damaged her vocal cords in the first place. Her reactions to scary events tend to be turning inward and getting very quiet instead of screaming. Likes: Poetry, stories, folktales and legends. Traveling. High places, especially large trees. Swimming. Dancing. Gliding. Writing. Zayn. Pears and cashews. Sabilasi melons. Filling her life (and wagon) with people, creatures, and tales. Dislikes: Not being permitted to chronicle a story she feels she has a right to tell, or being denied information she feels she has a right to know. Being asked to sing. Being too far away from trees or high artificial structures (instinctive fear). Having her ability to move restricted, even a little. Personality: Odilen is bright and cheerful, highly social and confident. She has an effervescent personality, curious and almost always ready to laugh, with a large impish streak. Odilen is also extremely creative, with her talents leaning strongly towards writing stories and poetry. She styles herself a bard, and loves to travel across Gaia, collecting tales and telling and retelling them, along with writing and performing her own pieces. She also enjoys telling stories by means of dance. However, Odilen also struggles with an instinctive ancestral fear of the ground, tending to get quite antsy and irritable when she's not within striking distance of trees or artificial structures. Superstitiously, she never goes without shoes when outside, and won't sit on the ground outside without at least a blanket between herself and the earth. She also has a serious fear of being trapped or restrained, especially if her physical movement is restricted. She has difficulty with nightmares, sometimes. Still, she manages to recover in the morning and goes on her way, making each step forward count.
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Posted: Fri Aug 11, 2006 7:16 pm
Quote: A long time ago in another world there lived a race of beings known as the Ieldi. They were a humble people, quite content to live in harmony with nature, never really concerning themselves with what lay outside their forests. The Ieldi were an avian race, born with the ability to fly, and thus their most treasured thing was their freedom. Their arboreal cities were vast and beautiful, often spanning for miles, but never coming close to the ground, which the Ieldi feared greatly... Part I: The Sleeping Beast and the Birth of Oluine There was an old legend that told about a great beast that slept underneath the soil. It mattered not that other creatures, such as the kyunru, lived on the ground. It was the Ieldi that this creature wanted. According to this legend, it was an Ieldi priest that trapped the evil thing deep underneath the earth, to stop it from eating the children. Because this was before the race had grown wings, and they were quite vulnerable to predators. In this early time, the Ieldi were much like humans. However, before the beast was sealed away completely, it said to the priest: "You will regret this deed. As each new birth takes it's first step upon the earth, I shall devour it's body set it's soul to the ether." With that, the creature fell into a slumber deep underground. The priest, desperate, went immediately to the gods, telling them what happened and begging them to help his people. And so the gods said to the priest: "Fear not, for with each new birth, your people shall gain the sky, forsaking the ground and it's hidden danger. But, harken, before the next child arrives, you must all leave the ground. You must never touch it again, or our blessing will not save you from the beast that has cursed you so." So with that, the priest returned to his home with the bittersweet news. His people welcomed him, making him a hero for ridding them of the terrible beast that had hunted them for so long. They wasted no time in moving their cities into the trees. For word of the priest's valor and its cost had spread across the land. It was difficult for them at first, being so used to living on the ground. But it took five months for the entire Ieldi populace to migrate to their new homes. It took six months for the next Ieldi infant to be born. And indeed, the child was born with feathered wings. It was smaller and lighter than normal, and was named Oluine, their word for 'Free'. And as the gods promised, all children born were winged, and it was not long before the entire Ieldi race took to the skies. Part II: The Beast Awakens A long and prosperous time followed. The Ieldi remained very shy and reclusive, too afraid to leave their forests. For even though they could fly, and had grown graceful and swift, they could not endure long periods of flight. So it was made that no one was to set foot outside of the forests. It was too dangerous. In the trees there was little chance for someone to fall to the ground, and only the Hunters lived below the undernets that prevented young Ieldi from falling whilst they learned to fly. It was just too dangerous for an Ieldi to venture out of the forest, and risk getting tired and not having a tree to rest on... But of course.. it was bound to happen. It is untold who finally set foot upon the ground. Some say it was a child who fell while trying to sneak past the undernets to see the Hunters at work. Others say it was an Ieldi scientist born long after the Turning, who didn't believe the old legends and wanted to prove they were false. There are even other tales that it was a lone Ieldi, who left the forest in search of adventure, only to tire in mid-flight and fall to his death... Regardless of who did it. It happened, and it took only moments. The ground opened and the beast was freed. It set upon its prey with the fury of a thousand years of smoldering hate. Their bodies fell away as the spirits were pulled from them, stuck between this world and the next. In the blink of an eye, the beast devoured all of their bodies and was forced back underground. The cities lay empty, nothing but the Ieldi had been touched. Part III: To Live Again The spirits of the people hovered invisibly in the air for a long time, not realizing what happened, too confused to do anything but be. Slowly there came a consciousness to them again, and they began to wander. It didn't take long after that for the first of them to contact the gods, who were mildly perplexed about their disappearance. The kindest of the gods came to them with a smile and a gift. It was a small, delicately carved statue. She said to them that she would grant them life again through these statues and a very special ritual. So it was that slowly, with the patience of this gentle goddess, that the Ieldi were brought back into the world. But this time of rebirth was short-lived. There came an intrusion into their world. A group of highly powerful wizards opened a Gate that bridged into the world of the Ieldi, sending the natural balance into chaos. The Wizards were not around for long, one of their own having angered the very goddess who had helped nurture the Ieldi. The once gentle goddess became death incarnate and slew many of the intruders. As the remaining wizards retreated and began to close the Gate.. the disturbance in energies caused a sort of magical black hole effect, sucking the entire populace of spirit Ieldi through the Gate and into Gaia. They were trapped. In this world, there wasn't enough magic to support a continuous corporeal manifestation. They could barely be seen or heard, most often they were feared as evil ghosts when they showed themselves to people. And here.. away from their gods.. there was no way to summon the spirits into a body. So they were stuck... -- chronicled by La Karasu The place where the Ieldi Race was reborn. The village tree was brought from Sabilasi itself by Koniryu, the Kyunru God of Nature. Using magical relics and runes, the spirits of the Ieldi were attracted back to corporeal form, reborn again as children under the care of their keepers. Odilen, Mute Swan, was one of those Ieldi, cared for by her mother Sosiqui. Her young life was shattered when Kyendi itself came under attack by the forces of chaos, and a great wave of entropy destroyed the tree, bringing it down nearly from underneath the young Ieldi and her keeper. Fortunately, they were rescued, but Odilen's terror was such that she irreparably damaged her vocal cords by screaming for, quite literally, days. It was an miracle of healing and therapy to even allow her to speak again. After Old Kyendi's fall, a link to what remained of Sabilasi was established in a dimensional pocket, a beautiful tree once belonging to the ancient Ieldi society. Odilen lived there for quite some time, learning to be again, learning to exist without fear suffocating her every moment. When she was a teenager, her mother passed away from exposure to the entropy wave that destroyed Old Kyendi. Henceforth, Odilen became a wanderer, discovering in her soul a love for stories and keeping them alive. So she travels across Gaia, seeing tales and spreading as much as she can, to preserve memory and the name of the Ieldi kin.
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Posted: Fri Aug 11, 2006 7:16 pm
The original chronicle of Odilen's childhood... Sosiqui May 5th, 2004 ~ I got this, um, note from Karasu. Hey, it's a start!A Note From Karasu!
{pinned to the tree near your shelf is a note!}
"Hey there Sosi ^__^ Welcome to your new shelf. I know you don't have your nest relic yet, but that doesn't mean you can't start decorating ^__~ I'll have a nice portrait of your shelf area up soon, and hopefully you'll get your nest soon too! See you later! :3"
Rasu~
A Note From Karasu!
{pinned to the tree near your shelf is a note!}
"Congrats! Your nest is cleaned up and ready for some luring action! I was feeling better so I went ahead and brought it up to your shelf. Well then, good luck!"
Rasu~
Spirit Status:  Your relic is all but vibrating to pieces. The runes that were inscribed on the inside of the relic have detached themselves and now hover about the nest. The light coming from within the relic has intensified so much that you can't see the spirit at all... it must be time!
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Posted: Fri Aug 11, 2006 7:16 pm
Sosiqui: Odilen's 'mother' of sorts, the woman who raised her. Sosiqui stumbled upon the first gathering of the Pantheon and was swept up in the search for Siff's children. During that gathering, she obtained a kyunru egg and was later given a kun-kun gem, which sealed her bond with the races of Sabilasi. She also grew close to Chronos, the Kyunru God of Time, as they shared an interest in time magic and manipulation. Eventually, Sosiqui volunteered to be one of the first keepers of an Ieldi relic. Odilen was reborn into her care. She raised the young Ieldi as best she could even through the traumatic fall of Old Kyendi's village tree. However, whether it was the effects of the massive entropy-wave unleashed at Old Kyendi or something else... Sosiqui began to grow weaker and weaker after that. When Odilen was the equivalent of a teenager, her 'mother' died. Odilen still remembers Sosiqui with fond tenderness. She is buried in Sabilasi near the roots of New Kyendi's tree. Pantalai: Another figure from Odilen's childhood, Pantalai is a crowned-crane bishounen with a penchant for poetry, big words, and posing prettily for people. He's vain, but he has a good heart, even if he tries to hide his mushy interior underneath his prettiness and flowery language. Pantalai cared for Solstice and Rhumba while Odilen was newborn. He helped rescue them all when Old Kyendi's village tree fell, and helped care for Odilen and get her settled on the right foot after Sosiqui passed away. Rhumba still lives with him, and his fortune-telling shop is a common stop on Odilen's journeys. Zayn: played by kalindara --- journalThis roguish thief and artist is also an Ieldi, one of the refugees from Old Kyendi and the last of the first-generation reborn Ieldi to arrive on Gaia. Odilen knew him only briefly when they were children before they were taken their separate ways after Old Kyendi's fall; Odilen's early childhood fear of the ground, combined with Zayn's fear of heights, only exacerbated their separation. The two of them finally met again as adults, utterly by chance as they both became enmeshed in the tale of the Crystal of Gaia, centered around the tiny inn and tavern of Turtle's Paradise. They got to know each other better, the only other members of the Kin they each knew, and have become close friends... perhaps something more, in the future?
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Posted: Fri Aug 11, 2006 7:16 pm
Odilen's wagon houses both the Ieldi herself and her companions. It is a bow-top gypsy wagon, beautifully crafted and quite cozy inside, built compact yet comfortable... although considering the number of friends Odilen has crammed into it, it can get crowded in there! Inside the wagon is a small pot-bellied stove, a tiny bathing nook that doubles as sink/counter when the top is pulled over it, a bed along one wall that lifts to reveal storage space underneath, and a table with benches (that also have storage space underneath, natch) that has just enough room for two human-sized beings to sit at and enjoy a meal. One side of the wagon has an awning that can be pulled out, down, and hammered into the ground with pegs to create a tent-space right next to the wagon's side. Because of the small amount of space (and the relatively large number of creatures living in Odilen's care), Odilen tends not to have a large number of material possessions - most of what she owns is books, scrolls and the like, plus clothes and a few sentimental items. Odilen also uses a number of pre-made magical paper charms that trigger with a word and have limited use time. The paper charms are handy for things like light and extra heat in the winter, among other things. The wagon is pulled by Odilen's chocobo, Kez. (Click the image above for a larger view of the wagon! Here is another example of a gypsy wagon like Odilen's. Sans chocobo, of course.) Kez: [cert]Born: April 30th, 2005 --- Gender: Male --- Species: Chocobo (full-size) Kez is Odilen's oldest companion, after Solstice and Rhumba. She purchased Kez from a chocobo stable outside of Durem after deciding that she wanted to wander and could not bear to remain in New Kyendi alone any longer. At first, she rode him everywhere and camped, but once she had enough money saved up she purchased her gypsy wagon. Kez still happily pulls the wagon and is also glad to be ridden solo if need be. Kez is a pleasant if pragmatic sort, more than used to his mistress' vagaries and those of her 'retinue'. He handles everything with a sense of resignation. Sometimes he feels put-upon, but Odilen does her best to make him feel included even though he can't talk and can't come inside the wagon himself, like the rest of her companions. Kez is happy to meet new people, especially when they specifically pay attention to him instead of being distracted by the more elaborate members of Odilen's group.
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Posted: Fri Aug 11, 2006 7:17 pm
Odilen - Child:Odilen - Adult:The Companions:
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Posted: Fri Aug 11, 2006 7:17 pm
The Song of Sabilasi
as penned by the famous bard Odilen Swandancer, of the Ieldi Kin and a daughter of Kyendi
.i.
The flighty spirits
slip through the veil between worlds;
to them and them alone is passage given.
The tree calls, with every breath of wind
that blows and rustles emerald leaves -
Here, here, is a summon to rebirth.
A home and hope away from fear.
They come, trembling, seeking release.
Their old trees crumbled long ago;
cracking and rotting to the ground.
Those who loved the leaves, who built
grand cities in the highest heights
are gone now, shot into the ether
by an ancient curse.
Only faded spirits remain.
And now they come, shuddering through
the space between worlds.
.ii.
Space is cracked,
memory lies in twisted shards.
A haze of panic coats the world.
This is what the spirits see;
a whirl of too-bright light
blinds and confuses.
But at the heart, there is the tree.
Familiar voices swirl through branches,
the sounds of kin thought long-lost.
Tiny hooves sound on bark
and mischievous giggles follow them.
And here, there, the step of the gods,
the pantheon breathing and moving once more.
All are assembled.
.iii.
And now, a new creature;
a race two-legged that clings to the tree.
Kyunru flock to them, the kun-kun play,
and the pantheon grants them blessing.
They balance on shelves, and wait.
Why would humans care about fragile spirits?
The questions sounds through the ether,
terrifying and tantalizing all who hear.
Humans. So like Ieldi, yet unlike.
The tree, the air, is foreign to them,
and yet they balance on the edge of bark
with gentle whispers and soft words.
They are calling, adding their voices
to the song of the tree.
.iv.
Ancient runes shiver in the air,
their rhythm unmistakable.
These are the words of the ancestors,
written on the relics of old.
Why have they come into the hands of humans?
Slowly, these relics become a focus-
the one point of stability
in a broken and dizzy world.
Such words! such treasures!
such gentle emotion is given voice -
and the runes and the tree support it all,
the most ancient song of Sabilasi.
Fear shrinks, fades, dies.
The Beast is gone. There is renewal,
and finally, finally, they reach out
to grasp this precious gift.
On the shelves, the relics glow,
and flighty spirits find a home.
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Posted: Fri Aug 11, 2006 7:17 pm
with the sleep in your eyes
daybreak's in sight
with hope in your heart
step from the dark
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Posted: Fri Aug 11, 2006 7:17 pm
songs collect in my dreams
silently scream
time running like sand
right through your hands
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Posted: Fri Aug 11, 2006 7:17 pm
i've been
places you've never seen
never crossed your mind until now
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Posted: Fri Aug 11, 2006 7:18 pm
and i've seen
shadows on the ground
captured secrets lost and never found
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Posted: Fri Aug 11, 2006 7:18 pm
you can
always feel your way
close your eyes and drift away
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Posted: Fri Aug 11, 2006 7:18 pm
i will
show you all your dreams
grab your weary hearts and follow me!
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