Yorell’s Memoirs

At sea, waters flux from the movement of the land beneath, the wind against and the pull of celestial forces above. On land, life shifts and sheds as nature bestows new demands. So shall you, my son, enjoy this close marriage to the essence flows. Only with the embrace of this dynamic will you come to the wisdom of identity.

Andorn SeaDrake to his son Yorell 5905 TE

My earliest memories of my childhood were of greeting the morning on a beach along the Bay of Ulor. My father and I watched the sun rise and then he would expect me to study the primer he had given me. That primer taught how to manipulate and control the essence flows around me. I grew in my proficiency quickly. I would use the flow to complete simple tasks such as raising the sails of our sloop or tying off ropes. Unfortunately there something inside me that tapped the flows directly. At times I drew in too much energy and it would explode around me. My father, through my life, helped me learn to control my energy reception, as much as possible, but for the rest of my life I would periodically have the problem of overdrawing the essence flows.

After my morning studies, my father and I began our seasonal tasks. Autumn would be spent on the shore and piers gathering mollusks, Vessin, Trice, and Akunga for poultices. Winter would bring our foraging inland. In spring and summer, we would see little of solid ground, sailing deep into the bay and sometimes even into Farok Tesea to harvest deep water corals and fish. Shaal, Neela and Illoura were always thanked for their bounty.

I never knew my mother and my father never spoke of her. He remained without a mate for his entire life. Some women found his kindness and quiet mystery attractive, but he politely declined any of their advancements. I was unsure if he was happy, at times he bore a tacit loneliness and at other times seemed completely at peace. When I grew older I realized he was not alone, for he had a bond with the energies around him. Andorn’s marriage was to his gods and their manifestations, but even devout priests long for the conventional company of beings like themselves.

Uncle Guthrin taught me the shrewd aspects of business. He was more animated and boisterous than my father. Guthring told many wondrous tales about his travels to Haalkitane and Mur Fostisyr. He drew me into the thirst for trade and travel. As my father schooled me on the unseen, Guthrin educated me on the intricacies of commerce. I remember fondly our first trip to Norek. I remember him watching proudly as I, for the first time, haggled the price of wares with a shop clerk.

As I matured, trips to Norek became more frequent. I consistently would fetch the highest prices for our herbs. I soon took over sole responsibility of finding lucrative prices for our merchandise. When I reached the age of fifty Guthrin, my father and I traveled to Lethys to expand our trade ports. We stayed for two years. I learned much about the land and people of that area, as well as Gul, the Plasidar area, Bazilar City and Meluria.

For next ten years I remember much happiness spending time with my Uncle and father. At time we would leave each other to explore and take care of our own personal affairs, but we never stayed apart for very long. I knew that my human kin were reaching their final years, and I wanted to spend as much time enjoying their company as I was allowed.

In the final year of his life Andorn, my father, gave me his most precious gift. I believe Shaal, Illoura and Neela all guided his hand that day as he placed on my back the mark of my birthright. Even in his late years, weakened from the passage of time, Andorn hand never wavered during his artistry, he remained steady, true and without pause hour after hour. The tattooing was long and painful. The design took an entire day to complete. I remember that I slipped in and out of consciousness and saw figures before me blurred as if witnessed through a murky pool. And there was an overwhelming smell of cherry blossoms…

When complete the depiction of a Seadrake, proud and unyielding, sprang from my back. I knew that my life would never be the same again.

My Uncle and my father died soon after the completion of the tattoo. I fell into a malaise for months afterwards. The loneliness at no longer having the only family I had ever known had overwhelmed me. Luckily, I was soon visited by a half-Iylar named Randae Terisonen. Initially, I had thought our meeting was happenstance, he was playing harp at a tavern I was too often frequenting. Randae comforted me and quickly became a valued friend. He lifted my spirits and after a few months his council helped me overcome my grief. He eventually revealed that he had been seeking me out. He announced that he was my cousin, a relation of my mother. Randae and I discussed how my father retained much bitterness concerning my mother’s abandonment of her husband and son. Though he never revealed the information completely, he insinuated that the reasons for my mother leaving were not selfish ones. Randae and talked much of my destiny to become a priest as my father was. But unlike Andorn, my bond was not with the gods Shaal and Neela alone, but with Illoura as well. “ A gift from your mother.”, he phrased it. While Shaal is God of the Sea, there are other beauties on land.”, Randae explained. “Illoura is the Goddess of the Earth, she is the mistress of growing things, of plants and animals of the land. Praise Shaal, when you are out at sea, but when on land seek Illoura, for mastery at both sea and land.”

Randae and I remained together long enough to travel to Bazilar city and enjoy some of the countryside of Meluria. We often spoke of my responsibility to the gods and people of Kulthea because of my being half-immortal. He encouraged me to travel, research and learn all I could to prepare myself for my destiny. Randae assured me that it would all be clear to me someday. We parted with hopes we would cross paths again in the future.

Years passed with many new lands and cities. My wealth increased with many successful business ventures. I grew very skilled in sailing, gathering and preparing herbs and manipulating the essence flows to serve my needs. The problem of losing control of the essence I drew happened at times, but those occasions were seldom. In fact, I believe I became quite arrogant. I would soon have a humbling brush with death that would remind me of my place in this world.

I was sailing inside the Elysea Bay. There was electricity in the air; I felt it, but my overconfidence and greed for the valuable kelp I sought caused me to sail on. Suddenly an Essence storm erupted from the clouds. Bolts of color, untethered sparks of magical energy cascaded the entire area, engulfing both my ship and my person. I remember thinking how beautiful the storm was while knowing it was probably going to take my life. The waters around my boat began to swirl and open. The beams started to crack and heave. I knelt on the deck of my ship, a condemned man bowing to his executioner. Soon the ship began its decent into the waves, pulled into the darkness below.

Just as I expected the quick pain and numbness of death to devour me, I saw a figure of a man. The man was muscular with white hair and deep blue eyes. Kelp garments hung off his pale skin body. In that moment, all sound was suspended. Only his voice, deep and resounding, did I hear. “You should have sensed this coming, Yorell. Such a good sailor—not time yet. From thence forward you shall be my messenger. You are the SeaDrake. Fearless, noble, cunning, and yet with fury. And yet, as the ocean, you are also constantly changing, not always the SeaDrake, and your mark will depict this. Though when at sea and in places of my followers, the SeaDrake shall you be, my fury shall you have—as your father before you, YOU SHALL BE MY SERVANT.”

Blackness then consumed me.

I awoke on the shore of U-Lyshak, my homeland and also, the land of the SeaDrake. I soon noticed how the experience had effected me. Shaal had given me more than my life, he had called upon my responsibility to him, the role my father had held previously, the role of Shaal’s messenger, the SeaDrake. I have never been sure of whether it was my lineage or my direct link with the magical energy flows which brought the deities to me. Either way, I was now eternally, a priest.

The tattoo my father had given me was now blessed by Shaal. It gave me steadfast courage in the face of all threat. Unfortunately, I learned this gift caused me to be reckless at times, for now I did not possess the quality that makes men cautious in the face of danger. The tattoo would now swirl into different shapes, different pictures. Sometimes the pictures are riddles that reveal unknown truths; sometimes the tattoo reflects a mood, situation or identity of the present time. I have no control of what appears; I would use it to aid my interpretation of the current world around me.

Years later Illoura would come to make also.

After that I began my role as the SeaDrake. I continued my life as a traveler, herbalist, businessman and scholar. Whenever Shaal would call upon me I would answer. During my travels on the sea, I would make sure no one was violating the laws of Shaal. Few did, and those who did suffered swift and sever punishment.

As my link with my gods grew, the Unlife began to spread through Helyssa, and U-Lyshak in the form of the Priests of Yarth. I investigated them for many years as to what their purposes were and whom they had corrupted. I found out their plans too late to save the life of King Halek, but I was able to help Prince Kier Ianis escape their treachery. Now the Priests Yarth search for me as well as the prince with murderous intentions.

Recently my travels led me to the island of Nomikos where I met my companions Kelgryn, an Erlini, the Lokarian Garath, Dap a strange human from parts unknown, the dragonnette familiar of Garath, Kasha and Gryk, Kelgryn’s ape companion.

We will see where fate leads us now…