Delani Denusk

[Delani Denusk]

Delani Denusk Appearance Race: Human, Drykas Gender: Female Age: 33 Birthday: 51, Fall, 479. Birthplace: Endrykas Appearance: Delani was never the most beautiful or striking of her clan or even pavilion. She could not compare to some even in the other clans, but her real beauty laid elsewhere. Her wavy, tawny brown hair was kept within a complicated braid, piled high atop her head. Strips of black and grey cloth have been woven into wraps around many of the braids, in reverence of the ferocity of the Djed Storm of 512 and the loss experienced during that awful day. There are many streaks of dark grey in her braided hair that is not masked by the wraps within. Her matronly face bares the weathering of one who survived alone in the crow’s feet at her lucid, jade-green eyes, and the taut dimples near her mouth. Once a little more round than some of her cousins, Delani has thinned considerably, a sign of her time lost in the Sea of Grass, surviving and searching for her people, her family. The bright shades of her clothing has softened considerably since she’s been missing, no longer striking azure and blues and sapphires, and now more muted, pastel. Most of the knot and beadwork has been lost, unfortunately, and her shoes have been replaced with elk skin moccasins. Her most significant features, however, come from her Windmarks. The first tattoo weave starts at the top of her neck and descends between her shoulder blades. The left and right wings of the knot-work marking extends over her shoulder blades with the two tips ending just peaking over her shoulders on the front. The second pair of tattoos, though not true wind marks, are memorial marks for two she knew well in life. The core of the dual-tattoo sits in the inside center of both arms biceps. On the left, an A sits beside the inner crescent; on the right, a D in the adjacent location. The lower blade-portion of the pattern ends over her elbow in deference to the loss of her beloved friends, a representation of their severance from life. Furthermore, her right hand and left shoulder at the neckline bare horrid looking burn marks that were not treated well, a remnant of the lightning that struck her and killed both her Strider and Ahanu. Aside from the scarring and windmarks, Delani does bare the mark of Eyris upon her left hand, the Lormar glowing softly when it is exposed. However, the Drykas dame tends to keep the hand covered in a fingerless glove out of modesties sake. It is not out of shame that she hides the gnosis but in an act of humility. She is very proud to have been chosen by Eyris. Character Concept Delani was always inquisitive, from childhood to present. Everything about their world and life in the Sea of Grass was an opportunity to learn something new and exciting. While she lacked any level of proficiency for webbing, Denali developed a keen sense of understanding about their world quickly. The dangers of the grasslands could not inhibit her interest even a little and she was often in trouble for wandering from her mother to investigate something both inside the roaming city and outside its boundaries. She is exceptionally skilled at reading more than what the eye can see from an object and was quick to elaborate on this when questioned. However, the weeks lost in the Sea have hardened her, somewhat, concentrating her inquisitive and curious nature into that of a keen observer and knower of the real hardships beyond the protection of the clans. Delani will fiercely study something before she gives any level of input when it comes to non-social endeavors. This is innately true of all physical things. Her social perceptions, however, have waned since she was separated from the Web and Endrykas, and as a result she is a bit quieter around others.

[Delani Denusk]

Delani Denusk Character History Pre-Spring 513: Delani’s potential as a child was explicitly with knowledge. Some believed she could even be a Wise woman of the clan, in time, for though her curiosity and interest in the world often led her to trouble, the girl was never dangerously reckless. Her disobedience to mother almost always resulted in acquiring new knowledge of Endrykas, of the Sapphire clan, or of the world outside their mobile community. Her knack for understanding was profound. So it came as no surprise when a two year old Strider came to Denali when she was twelve. The young mare was far prettier than Delani’s average appearance with a stunning reddish buckskin coat with dark ash, almost black, colored legs and a blonde and black mane. Her tail was a solid black and her nature was much like the pre-teen’s own: inquisitive, interested in all things, and very willing to learn. The pride in the girls eyes was as grand as the Sea of Grass itself! To be chosen by these magnificent horses was the greatest honor she ever hoped for, and only with begrudging winces did she receive her Windmarks as a result. She worked with the mare daily, obtaining her first yvas and riding with some of the adults on gathering trips every chance she got. Her name was thus obtained from the pretty horse and who she would be hailed by until present: Delani Denusk. It is a name she wears with utmost pride. As she grew, she trained. Her bow-promise was minimal, but was countered by her ability with a Falx. It wasn't a common spear for the Drykas, but not unheard of. The weapon worked more like a long-handled sword, but acted more like a scythe. It proved of particular use when Delani and a few other riders were called upon to track down a rabid grass bear around her 20th birthday. The bear had been giving trouble to some of the trade caravans that dared the Sea of Grass to trade with Endrykas and some had been commissioned to kill or frighten it away from the traders. It was this cooperative experience that earned her the special hand carved bone-grip on her personal falx when she turned 20 a few weeks later, a gift from her uncle in recognition for her skill and bravery. Delani’s intellect continued to be of use as she learned more and more about her people and the lands they all lived on. She learned of the many plants they used for medicine, and others that were key components in dyes; she learned what fires worked best to keep the packs of glassbeaks at bay and how to weave materials into improvised clothing and tools from the wilderness. She became especially intrigued in breeding when her mare bred with a stallion the following year. Though her lack of skill with Webbing was well known in the Denusk pavilion, her intelligence overall made up for it in equally productive ways. One thing, however, did become noticeable as the young woman continued to grow. She never did marry. Friendships were gathered outside the clan and pavilion, but the woman never did marry even as her thirtieth birthday approached. It did not seem to outwardly bother her, though, for she was just as happy with her knowledge as she was in the company of others. As her thirtieth birthday came, however, one of her friendships with a man from the Ruby clan named Ahanu Bloodstalk developed into more. There was talk that marriage might be in question for the two were often seen together, Ahanu teaching her about building and knot-work, and she always listening, always studying. The give and take relationship was imbalanced to some, but neither seemed bothered by this. Ahanu himself was still unmarried, and did show interest in Delani possibly becoming his first wife. But time would tell if it blossomed into more. However, fate intervened four years later… Delani and Ahanu were out hunting and did not receive news of the storm in time. It was a storm all would remember for the rest of their lives; a storm Delani would have emblazoned on her memory forever for how could she forget that awful day or the weeks that followed? They had worked for three days tracking one of the giant serpents that moved through the Sea of Grass after it had been spotted amongst the Zibri herds. One of the mammoth snakes could not afford to be left so near the herds lest it decimates them in a single feeding, and this one was said to be a doozy. Mounted on Delani with Ahanu riding a young Seme behind her, the pair trailed the snake from the clans to a full days travel beyond it, taking care to mark their pathing and remain connected to the web as much as possible. It was Delani who spotted the snake first, the mottled patterns hiding it well in the towering grasses and its golden eyes almost missed from its piled spot. Had it not shifted one of the many coils, it might have been missed entirely. Killing it was not a problem; nor the skinning and butchering, the usable parts loaded onto the Seme and Ahanu mounting up behind Delani so that she and the strider mare could lead them back to one of the nearby arteries leading back to the caravan. They were midway home when the first bolt struck, a massive jab of lightning that nearly threw the two riders from the mare’s back when she reared and killed the young Seme instantly. Delani turned her with knees and got her moving quickly as the rain kicked in soon after. They had no idea the level of destruction that was coming, however. As they charged past the point of the dead Seme and galloped for the roads that were still half a day ahead, as the Strider runs. But neither made it to roads. Not an hour past the first strike, both were forced into a hillock not far from where they heard a geyser, sheltering as the first masses of hail began to fall. Delani dismounted during this time and left the mare and her friend at the back of the pseudo-cave they had found in the hillock to approach the entrance and watch the skies. The wind had whipped the grasses into frenzy, tearing sheaves of it and twisting others while more of those unnatural bolts continued to rain down from above. She turned from the entrance briefly at this point to call to Ahanu, shouting over the wind. He must see this! And that moment she would never forget. She couldn’t forget calling him forward and taking his hand. She’d never forget the bolt that passed through her and into him, filling the cave behind him with rampant bolts that burned her vision and left her ears a-ringing; she’d never forget their palms melting in the heat of the bolt or the horrible scream her Strider gave as its heart burst from the currents running through her body. It was a vision of nightmares the likes of a Zith hunt could manifest, and one that would never leave her in the weeks to come. She spent ten days after the storm finally passed curled against the opposite corner of where her friend, the one she could have wed, now lay moldering, opposite where her Strider lay bloated and dead. Her curiosity had cost her severely: how could she possibly recover? How was she going to find her way back to the city? For all intents and purposes, the Denusk was lost in a Sea few were made to survive in... Soon after the ten-day had passed, Lady Eyris came to her, and revealed to her a way to reconnect with Endrykas and the others. It would be a long and trying journey, but it would see her home alive. Through Eyris, her gnosis was obtained and the trial began. Delani spent eight weeks after carefully searching the trails she found with the aid of the Lykata (experimentally at first), looking for a route to safety or survivors. She found food and drinkable water during this time and slowly regained her strength. However, she could not prevent infection from her injured hand and shoulder, and eventually it caught up with her. It was nearly too late when a caravan, similarly separated from the trade routes, happened to find her. The party was a caravan, one of the first to try traversing the Sea since the storm two months ago. They welcomed the Drykas matron openly. Just having someone to talk to besides herself again was a godsend, but Delani was slow to truly interact. Her words were more reserved, her attention more observant than interactive. She showed gratitude for their hospitality and healing. That which she'd found along the trails thus far had only staved off the worst of the infection. Her hand and shoulder were still wracked with pain and swollen with pus-filled blisters. Delani was more than thankful that this little band of travellers had enough supplies to spare for tending to the untreated wounds. Delani remained with the party for many months as they carefully traversed the broken trails, trying to find the travelling city and taking advantage of Delani's experience and intelligence. However, the dangers of the Sea eventually caught up with the troupe and resulted in more deaths. A glassbeak assault left the group scattered (most being picked off quickly by other predators) and Delani separated once more from a means home. She'd fled down the path they'd been following upon one of the Colorsplash stallions the caravan had to haul the cart of supplies. The dun stud had managed to escape with his newfound rider with minimal injuries. Delani had a ride at last. Winter was approaching when the first Drykas she'd seen alive since the storm were finally found. It was a small pavillion of Ruby Clan that did not travel with the city except briefly in the winter. They'd been trying to reconnect with them for quite a while, but with little luck. Their desperation was clear to Delani when she was shown the sick-beds. Children and adults alike were layed up, riddled with pox. The Ankal was willing to help her so long as she could help in return, but Delani was not sure what all she could do to aid them. She was no healer or Webmaster, eventhough she was linked to the Sapphire clan. Her experience extended to random knowledge as opposed to anything focused. The Ankal said it might help them find some kind of treatment while they continued towards the wintering grounds, hoping to reunite with the City. And so, it is with this disconnected family that Delani remained, working as best she could with them and sharing what she'd learned while lost in the Sea in an effort to help the sick and dying. She still had hopes of finding her family within Endrykas as well as passing on the news of her friends passing to his loved ones. But that journey would have to wait, for now. Post-Spring 513: Refer to thread list

[Delani Denusk]

Delani Denusk Languages Fluent Language: Pavi, Common Basic Language: Poor Language: Skills   Novice Skill SP/RB Total Level Animal Husbandry (horse) 6xp 6 Novice Brawling 0 1 Novice Falconry 0 1 Novice Herbalism 0 2 Novice Horsemanship 0 1 Novice Interrogation 0 4 Novice Land Navigation 0 2 Novice Leadership 0 3 Novice Medicine 0 3 Novice Meditation 0 4 Novice Philosophy 0 3 Novice Planning 0 2 Novice Rhetoric 0 13 Novice Sailing 0 2 Novice Socialization 0 18 Novice Swimming 0 3 Novice Weapons: Falx 8SP 10 Novice Webbing 0 1 Novice Wilderness Survival 11SP 20 Novice   Competent Skill XP Total Level Riding 10RB, 14SP 31 Competent   Expert Skill XP Total Level Observation 17SP 62 Expert   Master Skill XP Total Level Eyris Gnosis: Rank 1, Marked The singularly marked Lykata can invoke random images associated with objects. They might gain simple insight such as species, race, or even a name. If they are lucky they will be able to see purpose or perhaps even the mood of a contributor. Level ones don’t often get more than two or three impressions off any singular object. However, if they move through a location and try and ‘view’ more than one object at a time they can often get a pretty decent idea - via random glimpses at contributions - of what a location or set of objects was used for. Lores   SP and Flashbacks Lore count: 23 Thread Lore Starting Lore Lore of Sea of Grass Geography, Lore of the Importance of the Strider A child's Enthuasiasm/Horse Anatomy 101 Malkar Denusk, Loving Father; Shuknal the Strider; Neela the Reed Doll; Animal Husbandry: Gelding v. Stallion; Animal Husbandry: Withers, Forelock, Poll, Crest; Animal Husbandry: Gaits of a Horse; Riding: Trusting a Horse's Instinct On the Trail Intelligence to Balance Lack of Experience; Marcus Graydawn: Of the Diamond Clan; A Warrior's Greeting; Marcus: Without Family; Follow a Horse's Instinct Death of a Clansman Fighting a dog who wants to play, The Importance of Question, Losing your Father, In loss, a family reborn Trapped in the Lake Make Time for Play on a Beautiful Day, Alternate Solution when Under Pressure, Escaping a Glassbeak, Dealing with an Emotional Charoda, A Life Saved - Responsible Thereafter Where do we go from here Sorrow of Grief, Taking out grief on another. Kavala: Chasing the bad, never the good, An offer given to Kavala to teach,   FB512 Lore Count: 10 Alone I walk pt1&2 512 journey Bugs for brunch? Bad Idea, The Use of Lykata, The Djed Monster, (Alone I walk pt2) Drying Wood on the Go, Focusing Through Pain, Thank Your Gods, When in Danger Curiosity can Kill To Know is Bliss/My Savior Comes: pt3 Loktupar the savior, Kyanapa the healer, Walking among Strange Saviors To Know is Bliss/My Savior Comes: pt4 I am Drykas, we know horses; Loktupar: The Seer; Among the Caravan; Loktupar: The Troubled Camel; Meditation: Inner Peace   513 Lore Count: 35 Denusk Fam. Reunion: Fly on the Web Cleaning Canvas; Singing Songs, Help from the Web, Aramenta: The Whispering Webber Returning Home All have known loss, Returning to Endrykas It Isn't really goodbye Saying Goodbye So Soon After Reuniting, Memories of Happier Times, Vanator: Position on Syliras Raids, Delivering a Curtsy News From Home Brodon: Father's Death, Brodon: Not a Fan of Myri, Yahal: Holy and Merciful, Destruction of Hai, The Bliss of Knowledge, Brodon: Arrow - His Hawk, Legend of the Zibri, Brodon: Father's Symbol, Brodon: Lovaak - His Horse, Jackals: Ahnatep's Guards, Brodon: Father's History The Day Before it Begins Be Mindful of an Akalak's Other Half; Syka Will Need Strong Minds, Not Just Bodies; Abase: The Lighter Half has the Final Say; Irist: Doesn't Want to Go to Syka; Convincing Two Halves to Work Together Colors and Cuddies Gnosis: Takes time to pick through all the data; Brodon: Should invest in gloves; Prefer Horse over Falcon; Sailing: Stern is in the back Family Comes First Braiding Song Mother Sang to Her As A Child.

[Delani Denusk]

Delani Denusk Possessions 1 Set of Clothing (Colorful) -Faded Shirt -Faded Pants -Faded Undergarments -Weathered Coat -Elk Skin moccassins 1 Backpack which contains: -Comb (Bone) -Brush (Bone) -Soap -Razor -Waterskin -Balanced Rations (1 Week’s Worth) -1 eating knife -Flint & Steel 100 Gold Mizas Heirloom: A falx with a plain curved blade. The handle, however, is made from hand-carved bone with a depiction of a grass bear upon it, the bears mouth appearing to consume the base of the blade and its front paws in midswipe. (25 gm) Coram: Coram is a rescued Colorsplash, obtained during Delani's time with the caravan searching for Endrykas in the months following the 512 Djed Storm. He was her only means of escape when a pack of glassbeaks killed the others in the caravan, and for a time became her only friend. While he lacks the speed and intelligence of the Striders, his strength and stability were of great use as Delani searched for any Drykas that might help her get home. Housing Dawn Sister cabin (Syka Expedition) Location: en route to Syka House: 1 large tent (4 person) 1 large tarp 100 ft of rope 1 lantern 2 torches 1 bedroll 1 blanket 1 set of fishing tackle & hooks 1 Yvas, frayed and burned Sacrificed to Laviku, 50 Summer 513 1 Nikali Leash (use currently unknown) Ledger Purchase Cost Total Starting +100 GM 100 GM Wind Skins Tattoo -29 GM 71 GM Spring Living Expenses (Poor) -45 GM 26 GM Summer Living Expenses -45GM -19GM

[Delani Denusk]

Delani Denusk Thread List   Flashbacks Summer 89, 484-A Child's Enthuasiasm/Horse Anatomy 101: Delani recites her lessons on horse physiology and anatomy to her father one night while watching the herds dance in the fields around the tents. Fall 1 486-History Lessons and Adventuring: Delani and Vanator accompany Dela’s father, Malkar, to the Hymnal Caverns during a scouting trip. They learn about some of the history of their people, including where they sheltered during the Valterrian and what they ate. Fall 87, 494- Death of a Clansman(completed): Delani receives difficult to bare news from her uncle, Eachann, of her fathers death during the fall hunt. Winter 45 494-Where do we go from here?: Some weeks after her fathers death, Delani and Kavala have an almost violent encounter that leads to the foundation of a strong friendship as cousins. Fall 28, 499-Of Beasts and Sword/Respect Earned Fall 85, 499-Trapped in the Lake(completed): A rather exciting encounter with a Charoda named Jh’eon that’s trapped in a lake. Delani rescues him, only for them to flee from glassbeaks to a small island nearby and wait out the beasts retreat. Summer 21, 504-I Nuit would happen: While on a mission into the Vayt pools with others from Endrykas, Delani encounters a Nuit, the first she has ever seen. Spring 26, 506 On The Trail(abandoned): Hunting with a Gray-Dawn can lead to interesting conversations about a woman’s position in Drykas culture. Summer 10, 508-Breed all about it: Delani gets to talk with one of the youth of Endrykas, Kallian, and shares her views on breeding while their horses interact with the herd. Summer 1, 510-Nothing is Sacred   FB A Year of Struggle 512 Spring 19, 512-To Know is Bliss/Alone I walk(Completed): Shortly after receiving the Lykata from Eyris, Delani begins her journey to find Endrykas or her pavilion, but winds up defending herself against a mutant of the great storm in the sacred crater known as Stardown Spring 28, 512-To Know is Bliss/Alone I walk: pt 2(completed): The infection in her hand and shoulder has spiked and Delani fights to maintain awareness and remember what plants could help reduce the inflammation and fever she’s struggling with. Summer 7, 512: To Know Is Bliss/My Savior Comes pt3: Rescue comes unexpectedly when a caravan, led by the Chaktawe Loktupar, discovers her. She would have surely died without their aid. Summer 20, 512-To know is Bliss/My Savior: pt4: Thirteen days have passed since her rescue by the traders. A storm gathers on the horizon, threatening foul weather that day. Delani gets more answers from Loktupar. Summer 24, 512- To Know is Bliss/My Savior comes pt5 After learning some of the basics of meditation, Delani pesters Loktupar to teach her more about the skill.   Spring 513 Spring 58, 513- Denusk Family Reunion II-A Fly on the Web(completed): Aramenta discovers where Delani is on the web after being asked by her cousin, Vanator, to help find members of the Denusk pavilion. Denusk Family Reunion III-To Sing for Joy (placeholder): At last, Vanator finds Delani with the help of Aramenta and the family is reunited, bringing a close to this chapter of hardship in the drykas womans life. Spring 90-Returning Home (completed): Following the reunion, Delani returns to Endryaks to try and reconnect with a city she no longer feels a part of.   Summer 513 Summer 6, Stonewhistling pavilion-Well as well him as another(Ara's wedding): In a show of gratitude, Delani pays her respects to Aramenta on her wedding day, thanking her again for the salvation she provided. Summer 48-It isn't really goodbye (vanator)(Completed): After word of the Mr. Syka’s search for participants in his quest reached Endrykas, Delani comes to Riverfall, and seeks her Ankal’s (Vanator) blessing to leave and go where her heart tells her. She, too, shares her thoughts on the situation in Endrykas and the desperation the clan leaders feel. Summer 48-Syka quest, Mustering: After receiving her Ankal’s blessing, Delani joins the party that lets everybody meet and greet who will be joining the Syka adventure. Summer 48 (Mustering party, aside) News from Home(completed): A fellow drykas is discovered to be participating in the quest and Delani takes a moment to speak with him, sharing news of the city after she’d reconnected with it with Brodon. Summer 48-after the party: Relax, it's just a question When the party finally ends, Dela catches up with Jared in order to ask him some questions, and arranges bunkmates with Eleret. Summer 49 (Morning)-Family Comes First/Dogs R Us: With Mathias’ approval , Delani heads to Sanctuary to speak with her cousins about the acquisition of some dogs. Not only does she get to tell them a heartfelt goodbye, but her cousin gives her all of one set! Summer 49, 513 (late morning)-Colors and Cuddies: Delani and Brodon investigate the Dawn and Dusk Sisters as well as speak with Lacerta briefly. Having never sailed before, Delani wishes to understand it better through the Lykata. Summer 49, 513 (early afternoon) The Day before it begins: Delani runs into Abase, only it’s not him, but Irist (his brother). Some words of wisdom are shared with the irksome man before a middle ground is met. Summer 50-Sacrifices At: Riverfall: The quest is underway and it’s time to make your sacrifices and receive your just reward. Strangely, Delani receives a Nikali leash. Midnight, Summer 51, 513-The ghosts of the past are hard to let go   Fall 513 contents   Winter 513

[Delani Denusk]

Delani Denusk Lost and Found: The earning of a Gnosis The anxious and frightened snorts and stamps of her strider were lost amidst the sound of the wind, the roar of thunder overhead deafening all when the cave itself was not overwhelmed by the echoes of the hail that pounded the world outside, flattening huge patches of the towering grass. It made speaking even more difficult, both Drykas needing to shout just to be heard. They had taken shelter in the cave as soon as they could, barely able to get in before the first wave of chaos was unleashed on the world outside. The man and woman hunkered at the back at first, watching the flashes at the entrance warily and hoping it would only hail. If it rained, the cave would likely flood and kill the three taking cover. That alone was a horror they’d rather not face. But as the hours rolled on and the nightmarish storm continued, Delani could not help but find herself fascinated, almost hypnotized, by what she was seeing. It was beautiful in its own horrific way and prompted quite an interesting opportunity to learn something. But she wielded no more magic than what her mind alone allowed; and the dangers of this freakish thing were quite clear. The woman would have to watch and learn from the cave only. “I’m going to stand by the entrance, Ahanu. I want to see this.” She shouted over the din, mouth near his ear as she got to her feet. But the other grabbed her wrist, urging her to stay back; his words, however, were lost in the cacophony and Delani left him by the mare at the back. She hunkered near the entrance, using a rocky outcrop to peer up into the boiling sky and rain that had just begun to fall in sheets. The weather in the Sea was always a source of amazement to the intellect, something that should always be respected, even when feared. Its power an awful and beautiful thing; how anyone could ignore such was beyond her! Delani could not help wondering just how such a storm could be, how it could come upon them so quickly with virtually no warning. But then, they had been separated for the most part from the Web and could easily have missed warnings that may have been sent forth. “Ahanu, you must see this! Look at how the wind pulls upon the land. By the gods, I think it might vortex!” She looked over her should and reached for his hand, grinning from ear to ear. “It’s pulling the rain back up almost before it hits the ground only to slam it into another spot. Amazing!” But Ahanu was shaking his head adamantly, screaming for his friend to step away from the entrance, at least shelter in the back with them. He even reached for her. But she’d looked away again, staring once more into the heavens and the hell that was the 512 Djed Storm. “Look, I think I see one! Amazing, you can see the way the wind focuses upon that point. The clouds are descending with it. Oh my, there’s some from the ground rising to meet it! Ahanu-,“ She turned towards him, her eyes wide. He grabbed her hand in that instant and for the briefest of moments she felt a strange tingle that made the hair on the back of her neck and arms stand on end. Had Delani reached to her scalp, she was sure she would have felt her own braids trying to pull loose and the hair rise uncontrollably. But the instant was over in a sudden intense shot of pain and heat. It radiated through her shoulder and chest, down her other shoulder, and through Ahanu and her linked hands. She had this strange tightening sensation as her muscles contracted and the smell of burning flesh radiated between them before darkness descended. It was the last thing Delani remembered before she woke some hours later, drenched from head to foot and her left shoulder and right hand throbbing in excruciating pain. The worst of the storm appeared to have passed and now only a light drizzle fell from the ashy clouds overhead. The wind still gusted stronger than usual, but its persistent force did not wane. It never did out here in the grasslands. It never would; but at least the storm had ended. Delani sat up slowly, wincing and groaning, her teeth bared, as she grabbed at her right wrist with left hand, gritting against the throb that pulsed through it. The smell of burned flesh was still strong and the woman fought to get her thoughts in order as she looked around the cave. As her eyes adjusted to the light and the shapes within the chamber began to distinguish themselves, she felt a scream rise into her throat. Draped across her legs was the unmoving form of Ahanu, his face a charred ruin and his hand burnt beyond recognition. What was more frightening as she scrambled from beneath him was the absent nickers of the mare strider. She looked to where last the horse had been seen and found as bad a sight as Ahanu’s decimated corpse. The mare lay on her side, eyes wide and staring and ears still oozing blood from the electrocution that had been received. All around the cave walls, spots had been burnt, the intensity of the lightning that had pulsed through her body and into her ally and friends and Striders having left the spots of the wall and ground it touched polished and gleaming, as though it had been transformed into glass. The drykas dame scurried away from both bodies, not in repulsion, but in agony at their sight. They were dead…all because she wanted to watch the storm. How foolish could she have been? She felt exhaustion and sorrow rising as she settled on the opposite side of the cave from the two dead ones, her wounded hand tucked in close to her belly and her left rising to lay lightly over the burn she felt at the base of her neck on left shoulder. It was in this position that she would remain, crying and sleeping, for ten days. As the tenth day lightened and the sun rose outside, Delani lifted her head, resting her chin upon her knee as she stared at the now rotting figures across the way. The smell was strong in the cave, their bodies having been equally drenched by the rains from the storm and causing mold to grow rapidly upon their bodies. Outside, there was a sound. It was faint, but there, a voice talking; but whose? Had a party found where last she and Ahanu had been reported on the Web and tracked them here? It could be a predator, too; and Delani hadn’t the strength to face a predator after two weeks doing nothing but crying and sleeping. She was just too weak, physically, to even attempt defending herself if it was. With a worn sigh, the woman slowly got to her feet and shuffled, feet dragging heavily, to the cave entrance. It took as much effort to climb out as it did to stand and once Delani reached the top, she could not help collapsing to her knees again with a spent groan. When she raised her head once more, she found herself staring at a most curious sight. She had expected many warriors from Endrykas, working their way through the grass along the webbing, tracking those who might have been separated (like herself), and bringing them back to the others. But what she saw standing a few yards from where she now settled on her knees was not a warrior party, or even a hunting party. It wasn’t a predator, either. It was, of all things, a child! The girl, obviously a drykas, was bent over a puddle that appeared to be glowing red and blue. Her hair was long and blonde, braided eloquently and set high upon her head. Her youthful face had a wisened way about it and splashed across her brow was a tattoo she did not recognize. It wasn’t one that might typically be seen on an elevated member of the clans, one who had been chosen by a strider, that is; and for the first time since the pair below her had died, she wondered what that tag might mean. What was so special about it for clearly this was a special child to be out in the Grass without supervision and no beast yet having harmed her. Delani tried to speak, her mouth working and heavy, dry tongue trying to call out to the girl, but the lack of water and food had left her mouth a mess and her throat raw; but it did not seem she needed to speak. “You must be thirsty, Delani.” The voice that came was childlike and matched perfectly to the appearance, but the tone that sung behind it felt very different. The older woman nodded and looked at the mutant puddle. “Why not drink from here?” Whether an offer or a question, Delani was not sure. She approached cautiously on hands and knees and looked into the water. The woman met the childs eyes in the reflection she saw and was fascinated. She seemed to have the same eyes that Delani herself had when she was but a girl: full of curiosity and intelligence, a spirit meant to learn all that she could. It was very strange… The woman looked past the eyes and to the morphing puddle instead, then leaned back upon her heels and shook her head. That puddle was not natural; perhaps a product of the storm? The storm itself had not been natural either, that much the Drykas was certain of. Again, the child spoke. “A wise choice. Djed can be unpredictable even when used by those trained in it. You were wondering if the storm was supernatural, no doubt. But you could not investigate it as you might otherwise have…” The child’s eyes left the puddle and woman and looked to the cave she’d crawled from. “You must be in a great amount of pain.” Delani lowered her eyes to the blackened skin around her marred hand and the blisters that lay beneath. But that wasn’t the kind of pain the child was referring to. Slowly, her voice no more than a cracked whisper, she was able to respond. “You’ve been watching me, haven’t you.” The girl smiled, still not meeting Delani’s eyes, and nodded. “Then you know what happened. I was…careless in my interest in the storm…and now…” She looked back to the cave and hiccupped down a sob, her uninjured hand pressed against her lips for a moment. “There’s something unusual about you, but I cannot put my finger on it. It is as if I’m looking in a mirror, and yet not, as though you are a reflection of myself.” “That is very intuitive, Delani.” She did not add more, however. The girl waited, instead. The drykas dame continued. “They are dead because of me. He was trying to draw me away from the storm, but I had to know why the winds danced so…it was amazing, but reckless. I am so careful, usually.” “The power of the storm overwhelmed many, Delani. You are not alone. Will you take my hand?” The child held her smaller hand out to the other, allowing the woman to grasp her with her left instead of right. For a moment, the drykas did not take the tiny hand, instead marveling at its simple beauty. The skin of one untouched by trauma or trouble anywhere. Flawless and stunning. Then, slowly, Delani took hold and was led from the cave and the death within it. The girl took her into an archway of grass that had been twisted by the storm, leading the woman as she stumbled beside her through the tunnel that had been created and to the other end some yards beyond. “I have been watching you a long time, Delani. You are remarkably curious for a Drykas. Moreso than others of your people that have come before. Your desire to know the why and when and where and how of life is unique in its intensity, special. Your mother was wise to protect you and allow you to fan the spark of knowledge that lies within.” They reached the end of the tunnel and stepped into sunshine far more brilliant than the tiny clearing she had been in previously. Before the pair, the grasslands stretched beyond the eyes range, enormous swaths of the Sea visible. How this could be was only because a great chunk had been flattened entirely by the storm and left one able to look far across the plains uninhibited. She could see huge craters pockmarking the landscape she and the Drykas thrived in; she could see large streams that wove like snakes through the endless sea; she could even see a couple of the giant serpents meandering further on, wary survivors of the hell that had happened ten days prior. What she could not see was her people and the grand caravan that was Endrykas. But the beauty of such a sight was beyond breathtaking and it was only because of the flattened section that she was able to see so far at all. “You want to know your world, do you not?” The child said, looking up at Delani whose eyes still lay upon the plains before her. The woman nodded. “Would you like to experience it in a way few ever will?” Delani paused, releasing the girls hand and stepping away from her as she held her right hand against her belly. “The cost of a gift such as that must surely be great. But it could do great things, too, for my people. I would want them to be better for it.” “I do not offer it to them, Delani. I offer it to you.” Delani looked back to the girl at last, but still the childs eyes would not meet hers. “What do you mean?” “Do you know who I am, Delani?” Carefully, the older looking dame replied. “I…think so.” The child waited. “I…for all that you know of me, or claim to, I would guess you to be Eyris. But what worth am I to a great one such as you?” “We all make mistakes, Delani; that is the price of knowledge. The mistake you made will not foreseeably occur again. I offer you a gift of understanding. It is more than simple knowledge, lady Drykas. I offer you the opportunity at knowing. Will you chance it?” The child waited quietly for the response from the other. Delani did not know yet what to say. She was lost in this place once more, and for all her previous knowledge of her home and how to navigate it, what she was seeing below would make finding her kinsmen again almost impossible. And here was a goddess offering a way home; Delani could see that much. This gift of knowing might enable her to find them again, to reunite with her friends and family. To maybe get through the Sea alive… “Yes. I will.” The dame turned to look upon the girl and for the first time, their eyes met. The sensation that rushed through her in that instant was unbelievable. It felt like an eternity passed as the depthless eyes held the drykas’ gaze and the not-girl took her left hand, placing her smaller right one over the back of it. She was seeing the storm from a whole new perspective, seeing all of the grasslands below her. The winds were a torrent, whipping rain, shredding enormous swaths of grass, and creating the enormous vortexes she had observed. Everything seemed slowed, though, as she looked upon this glimpse in time. The winds were like a funnel, enormous and rising from their race across the lands below into a vertical and rotating column. It was a maelstrom unequivocal to anything she’d seen before. That slowed instant showed her the rain and the lightning that flashed through the sky and upon the ground. Threads of electricity climbing up from the earth to meet the clouds above in an instant so fast she almost missed it each time. She was seeing how the bolt had passed through her doing no more harm than the slightly infected burns upon her shoulder and hand. She saw how it affected worse the man and strider, the currents in their own body magnifying instead of neutralizing what had passed through her own. It was a fluke circumstance, but one that she understood now. She saw the bouncing threads of lightning through the cave, the heat that radiated from each strike causing the glassy places she had seen upon waking… When the girl released her hand and her gaze, Delani remained frozen for a moment longer. In that moment, the child that had been Eyris disappeared, leaving the Drykas woman alone in the wilderness of the Horse clans. As her vision cleared and she peered upon the hand that had been grasped, she saw the mark that had been left, a glowing Lormar symbol upon the back of her left hand. It was fascinating and the woman wondered what this could do. She would learn it in due time, utilizing the unique gift of the Lykata to find her way back to her kinsmen. It was high time she moved on.

[Delani Denusk]

Delani Denusk Relationships   Family Malkar Denusk-Delani's father and leading role model for nearly half her life, Malkar's strength and intelligence were something Delani long looked up to. He encouraged her curiosity moreso than her nervous mother did, willing to teach to the best of his ability whatever his daughter asked of him; and when he could not, he aided in finding one who could. Delani took his death in the fall of 494 hard. Name: Malkar Denusk Age: 39 DOB: 455, Spring 2 (died 494) Fourth Brother of Eachann Denusk Skills: 5 Riding, 15 Teaching, 20 Storytelling, 10 Tracking Description: A tall man with sandy hair commonly kept back in a knot and the permanent shadow of a beard on his scruffy face. Malkar has the baring of a keen observer and master tracker. He was the lead scout in the Denusk Pavilion before his death in 494 and acted as a teacher to the kids in the pavilion up until his death. He was best known for his stories, though, and would often regale the youth of Denusk and other pavilions with his stories, most of which were made up, but many baring historical fact. He was particularly fond of history and loved to teach it to his daughter, Delani. He died in fall 494 when a cyphrus olidosapux trampled him during a hunt. Ehmira Denusk-Ehmira died when Delani was 10 of childbirth complications. She had been a sickly sort and always feared for her daughter, worrying that the child's whimsical curiosity might lead her to a premature death. Delani did not well understand her mothers anxiety stemmed from the older womans own physical weaknesses, but loved her nonetheless. Eachann-Delani holds a special place in her heart for Eachann and Nadra because of the care they took of her when her father was hunting following her mothers death and later her fathers. Eachann gifted her with a falx sporting a handcarved ivory handle in recognition for her bravery one day in the grass. The Ankal was a major influence and source of wisdom and knowledge for the girl and adopted her into his family upon her parents deaths. Nadra-Like Eachann, Delani holds Nadra in high regard for her care and motherliness following her parents deaths. Where Eachann educated Delani in many things outside the tents, Nadra flamed the young Drykas' understanding of womanly deeds, including midwifery, tent care, cooking, and a variety of other pavilion tasks. Like her husband, Nadra is assumed lost during the Djed Storm of 512. Vanator-Her cousin and adopted brother, Delani knew him as the heir to the Denusk pavilion. He disappeared sometime in fall of 511; however, thanks to a young webber known as Aramenta, Delani learned of his survival and reunited with her adopted brother late in spring of 513. He has ascended as the Ankal of the pavilion following the death of his father, Eachann. Vanator is by far and large one of the closest members of the Denusk family to Delani, similar to Kavala. Kavala(cousin/sister)   Friends Coram (Colorsplash) Delani(deceased)(Strider) Aramenta Brodon Abase   Romance Ahanu(deceased) Loktupar(deceased)