Hornet

[Hornet]

Name: Hornet (but see Concept)

Race: Pycon

Gender: Male

Age: 2 seasons (birth date: 62nd of winter, 512 AV)

Place of Birth: Riverfall

Current Location: Riverfall

Height: 4"
Weight: 6 pounds


Appearance:
Just like most Pycon, Hornet's shape has changed quite often in his short life.
At birth, the Pycon was little more then an elongated egg shape. In just a couple of days, the top of that egg developed into a featureless head on a virtually nonexistent neck. The features of his face only took shape during his search for a name. A blindfold appeared where his eyes should have been. He received a small nose, suggested by the merest trace of a line in the clay. He developed small lips above a stylized, pointed beard, and a pair of ears with lobes longer then the ears themselves. His head remained completely bald, though.

The rest of his body also continued developing. He grew four short, stubby arms, complete with miniature hands, which he used to walk around on. His back took on the shape of a turtle-shell, decorated with renditions of the letters of the alphabet, which became ever more complicated as his writing skill improved.


Concept:
"A name tells as much about the person giving the name as it does about the thing being named. A lover who calls his sweetheart "dearest" would become angry if someone else used that same name for her. A father who calls his son "Alex", which means mighty warrior, expresses the hope that that's what he'll become. But how then am I supposed to choose a name for myself? If I choose a name, how can I be sure that name still reflects who I am a season later? Or even that it fits the perception of those who interact with me now? And if that name describes me, then it doesn't describe whom I should be. So I use the name "Hornet". It doesn't fit, it doesn't make much sense, but since I haven't found a better name yet, I don't really have an alternative."

"Change will come, whether you like it or not. So why worry about the future? Just prepare yourself as best you can, try not to do anything stupid, and enjoy the moment. When the future comes, it will have whole new experiences in store for you."

"What is true now may not be true later. Yet if I write things down, that text will stay the same. So if I learn as much as possible about the here and now, I can write that down, and in the future compare it with the way things are then. I can observe change and, by doing so, hopefully find those changes that will make me me."

"The world is a dangerous place. Outside the city, wilderness lurks, but even the cities are full of people who don't watch where they're going and could step on you at any moment. You'll need companions to protect you, to look out for you. Those companions will be better then you, stronger then you. You'll have to live up to them, make sure you're worth the trouble. Listen to what they have to say, and never let them down. What would you be without them?"


History:
62nd of Winter, 512 AV:
The Pyve was on high alert. One of them was vulnerable and needed protection, and everyone rose to the occasion. In addition to the soon to be mother, the Eldest and two midwives were present to deal with any complications that might arise. The entrances to the Pyve were closely guarded, to avoid unforeseen visitors disturbing the delicate occurrence. Naturally, everybody kept an eye out for what Harameus might have to say. Unfortunately, no messages were seen. The lights that appeared in the sky that night were of course noticed, identified as unusual, and dismissed as too obvious to be a message.

80th of Winter, 512 AV:
The night of the Ice Masquerade. The whole city had gathered to celebrate life and to dance the night away. The Pycon weren't so foolish as to venture out onto the dance floor, where a whole mass of people where jumping up and down without having the courtesy to look where they placed their feet, but they were there nonetheless. They had claimed a table in a corner and made their own dance floor there. The latest addition to the Pyve started the evening just sitting and observing, as he had done the last week. However, the music seemed to do something to him. It wasn't long before he was rolling along with the rhythm. Apparently, that didn't satisfy him though. He kept keeping an eye on the dancers, both on the main stage as well as on the table. His movements were an attempt to mimic them, but after a while, it became clear even to him that something was missing. After noticing that, the rest of the night was lost to him. He spent it in concentration, trying in vain to find that shape that allowed others to raise their bodies of the ground and move around on the beat of the drums. Time and again he tried to shape his body into these appendages, but never managed to hold them for more then a few seconds, let alone actually stand on them. It was only when he fell asleep that night, when his clay started to shape itself to his dreams, that the four little arms that would carry him through the next couple of seasons took shape.

85th of Winter, 512 AV:
"My, you've grown, haven't you? I guess it won't be long before you pick your name."
The remark of the Eldest left the young Pycon somewhat bewildered. "What is a name?" he asked.
"Why, hasn't anyone told you about those yet?" the reply came. "It's something the bigger races came up with. They use one or a couple of words to describe themselves. It tells others who they are. For example, the leader of Riverfall is called Nivar Chivan, and Malin is the one who works in the office where they find jobs for Akalak children. They can be quite useful when you're talking about someone. They're a bit weird, mind you, because they never change, so it's important to choose carefully."
"They don't change? Why?" The entire concept seemed foreign to the young one. "I change always, so why not my name?"
"A difficult question." The Eldest paused for a moment to thing about how to answer this. "I guess it is because a changing name wouldn't work. If we were talking about Malin, and he decided to change his name, we wouldn't know about whom we were talking anymore. But don't worry. You don't have to choose a name immediately. Just think about it, ask around, and only choose when you feel ready."

89th of Winter, 512 AV:
"Mother, Eldest said I need a name. Which do I choose?"
"You will have to decide for yourself, child. After all, if anyone knows you, it's you."
"But I change, and my name not."
"Don't worry about it much. The big ones don't really think about it. Whatever name you come up with will be fine."
"But if all names are good, which do I choose?"
"Whichever feels best. Just let Harameus guide you. He knows how you should be, and your name is a part of that."

3rd of Spring, 513 AV:
It was the beginning of spring and an exceptional beautiful day for the time of season. In the Knirin Gardens, the city took advantage. The place was filled with laughter and conversation. A group of children practiced their combat skills, a drummer beat the rhythm for a pair of dancers, an artist was drawing Lake Knirin, and an Akalak was conversing with a human female.
"Would you please delight me with your name?"
It was just a question as could be heard at least thousand times each day, but for the Pycon who was strolling along on four arms, it seemed a message from above. You could ask strangers about names! And if you were lucky, they would respond! He immediately put this theory to the test. "Do you know what my name should be?" he asked the group of Akalak children that was wrestling on the grass. Their reactions didn't give much hope though. Most of them simply burst out laughing, but the oldest of the group was a bit harsher in his response.
"Leave us alone! Can't you see we're busy? Annoying little ..."
Just asking random strangers didn't seem to be working either. He must have understood the message wrong.

6th of Spring, 513 AV:
He took another stroll through the gardens, still looking for what the name should be. Radiance perhaps, like the sunlight reflecting on Lake Knirin? Nah, there was too much light in that to describe him. Warrior, a name that reflected what those Akalak children were training for, implied a need to get close and personal that simply seemed ridiculous. The river was ever moving, never the same, but River somehow didn't feel like the name for him. A shrill cry from the air made him consider and dismiss Hawk. Then he spotted it. A ribbit was out hunting near the edge of the lake, and had spotted some large insect that was feeding there. The insect had seen the reptile as well though, and it didn't much feel like being eaten. A quick sting later, and the ribbit had to retreat back to the water while the insect flew off unharmed. Hornet. It didn't make sense at all, but it would do. At least till a better one came along.

18th of Spring, 513 AV:
It should have been such an easy task. Just go down to the Zhongjie Warrens to collect tools that were being imported for one of the fellow Pyve members. They had been paid in advance, so he wouldn't even have to worry about counting out the money. Sure, getting anywhere in Riverfall was never simple, since it's myriad of stairways where made to size for Akalak and therefore a very serious obstacle for a four inch tall Pycon, but he was used to them. Just stand up on two arms, take the time to shift some clay to the other two if more reach is necessary, grab the edge of the next step, and hoist yourself up. Then repeat this process over and over, depending on where you needed to go. Down was simpler, just carefully shift over the edge of the step and let yourself drop down.
It should have been easy, but he forgot one of the basic rules of being a Pycon. Always look up, because they never look down. It was a young Akalak, probably less then ten years past his rite of trial, and he was late for training. The man took the steps two at a time, and didn't even notice that he crushed two arms and good part of a lower body in the process.
The Pycon couldn't fail to notice though. Losing a third of your body does tend to draw your attention. It was a new experience, but not one he would like to repeat anytime soon, or at all even. His head had managed to avoid being hit, thankfully. If that foot had been placed even slightly more forward, he might not have lived to tell the tale. Now, he needed a couple of minutes to recover from the shock, try to get used to the feeling of extreme discomfort, and gather himself together as best he could. Some bits were hopelessly lost, crushed to powder or sticking to an Akalak foot somewhere. Luckily though, the complete lower part of his right rear arm, including the hand, could be salvaged.
After that, he had to make it home somehow. There he could find the clay he needed to recover, as well as people to care for him. It was going to be a long journey home, though, and he didn't even have the tools to show for it.
Eventually, his body would show the experience. As he regrew his back in the following days, it took on the shape of a turtle-shell, a stark reminder that he needed protection when something like this should occur again.

33th of Spring, 513 AV:
School. The concept had sounded new and exciting. A brand new set of experiences, new people to meet, new things to do. The first couple of bells had been pretty ridiculous though. The teacher had been going on and on about how every time if you had 2 fingers, and then 3, you would have a total of 5. Whereas every Pycon knew that if you had 2 fingers, and then 3, no one could tell how many fingers you would have the next day. You weren't even guaranteed to have hands! What made things worse was that each time, he first explained in Tukant, before explaining in Common. That meant sitting for half a chime listening to a sentence he couldn't understand, then listen to ten words in common, then do the waiting all over again.
The next subject was far more appealing though. With writing, he understood, you could describe the way things are now. And when you looked at it again, whether it would be next week or next year, it would still be there, exactly as you had written it! So you could see exactly how things changed! That sounded fascinating.

47th of Spring, 513 AV:
Odd, that a city full of people who always look the same holds a three day festival dedicated to the way they look. Especially when they end it with a contest where they take off most of their clothes to show that they all look exactly the same, with humps in exactly the same places. And then they claim that changing your shape to make it look as if you have those humps too is not the same as working all year to actually develop them. As if it doesn't require effort and training to get the shape exactly right.
That doesn't mean that Pycon can't have some fun with the theme and provide entertainment for the rest of the city in the meantime. Their contest takes place in a stall just outside Gideon's Glory. Each contestant creates shapes in the categories flora and fauna, objects, monsters, and the spectacle is finished with the Pycons' own March of Muscle. The spectators judge on creativity, aesthetics and likeness.
Though Hornet participated, he didn't leave much of an impression. His namesake form received some good marks, but his weights didn't do so well when he failed to get them nice and round, and his Kalvikasi wasn't that impressive at four inches. His march went reasonable, but with everybody trying the same thing, less then a season of experience simply wouldn't be noticed.

59th of Spring, 513 AV:
Another day, another lesson. Or more accurately, the same lesson all over. Why do Akalaks learn so slowly? It makes the lessons so horribly boring if the teacher has to repeat things again and again.
And then there's writing. Sure, it's great that letters stay the same after you've written them, but do they really have to look the same each time? Just add a bit of curve here, make this connecting line a bit more wavelike, there, that should add some variation.

61st of Spring, 513 AV:
"There's something strange about these letters." The teacher stopped to take a closer look at the tablet the Pycon was working on. "Your writing used to be consistent, but lately the shapes seem to be a bit off."
"I've been trying to improve the letters, sir."
"Improvements? What do you mean?"
"The letters are so boring when they're all the same. So I made them prettier. Don't you notice the flower pattern on top of each letter?"
"Flower pattern? Wait... How big did you make the flowers?"
"About half the size of my fingers."
"But that's about one twentieth of an inch! You decorate letters at that level of detail? Those are far too small for me! You know what, if you are interested in making letters prettier, you should ask Calia Denright for lessons sometime. She knows quite a bit about calligraphy, and is usually willing to teach. She can help you create decorations that a human can actually see."

62nd of Spring, 513 AV:
"Good morning, and congratulations!" the Eldest greeted him as he arrived in the common room. "Starting today, you are officially a season old. That's something to remember. So the Pyve has a present for you. Since you're starting calligraphy lessons, and are generally interested in writing, we thought you might like to receive a diary. A little book to record exactly everything that happened to you."

10th of Summer, 513 AV:
"Since you've been living here for more then a season, it's time to start your defense training. One of the requirements to be considered a Kuvan, or citizen, in Riverfall is to be able to fight for the city with at least one weapon. So everybody in this city will have to learn to fight. But even if you decide not to stay in Riverfall and venture out into the world instead, you'll find that being able to defend yourself is quite useful in a lot of situations. So you better pay attention.
You'll undoubtedly have noticed that most intelligent creatures are significantly larger then us. That provides us with both advantages and disadvantages. Our main disadvantage is a significantly shorter reach. A human with a sword can strike anywhere between one and five feet from his body. A Pycon wielding a sword of comparatively similar size could hit anywhere between four inch and one foot away. As a result, trying to use human fighting styles will usually not end well. Those fighting styles have been developed for fighting opponents of similar size, and are simply not suitable when your opponents are 10 times larger then you.
However, I mentioned that we have advantages as well. The first advantage we have is that we can hit at closer distances. The person wielding a sword will have trouble hitting someone who is extremely close to him. We, on the other hand, have no problems with that whatsoever. So that's one of the main strategies of Py-Ken. Get extremely close to your opponent, making it difficult for them to hit you, and then strike their weak spots.
A second advantage we have is that when we stand on the ground, we are close to our opponents feet. That's where the Py-Whip comes in. The whip is a weapon that is used to loop around the feet of your opponent, pulling them off balance and leaving them vulnerable.
But to be quite honest, even when we fully train on those techniques, it will be difficult to be of help to Akalak. They train their entire life for close combat, so to think that we can better them at what they are best at would be foolishness. Luckily, we have our third advantage. Because we are small, it is easy for us to hide. That means that it is easy for us to find a safe place, and attack our opponents from there using a ranged weapon. If you do it right, choosing a new hiding place ever so often, it is impossible for your opponent to attack you back. That will be the art I'll teach you."

23th of Summer, 513 AV:
The messages were quivering as a gentle breeze swirled through the square. It twirled around the statue of Qalaya, stirring the ashes in the fire pit. His teacher had directed him here. According to her, this was the place to marvel at the work of a master calligrapher and pay his respects to a goddess he couldn't ignore. Although he never would be foolish enough to blatantly ignore a god whose domain he entered, most of the gods Calia talked about just weren't all that relevant for him. She tended to focus on light, honor, discipline, when his interests were in change and identity. Whatever she could tell him about Qalaya though, he soaked up. Recording change, sharing experiences, and writing were all extremely relevant. So he had to be here.
Actually admiring the writing would be quite a feat, though. The messages were hanging from the various vines that crawled their way up the walls of the square, and none of them hung at easy reading height. There was but one thing to do. Choosing the thickest vine he could find, he started to make his way up, hand over hand over hand over hand. He had to climb around crossing vines often, while desperately trying to ignore the fall of several body lengths that was lurking just beneath his shell.
"Can I help you, little one? I saw you entering the square and came down as fast as I could." The young woman who spoke these words looked down over the twigs and twines that formed the roof edge. "Yes, it seems I can. One moment, I'll be right there!" Her head disappeared and a short while later, she was climbing down a ladder dressed in a simple tunic. "Sorry for keeping you waiting. I had to tidy up a bit, as I just landed. Now you wanted to look at the messages? Just climb on my hand, and I'll lift you up. Anything in particular you're looking for?"
"Good writing, mostly. Calia said I could find that here. Any pieces you would recommend?" the Pycon answered as he carefully moved onto her outstretched hand. "Thank you for your help. Everything is always so high."
"Don't mention it. As for good writing, are you really asking a lady to critique her own work?"
"You are the master calligrapher Calia mentioned? I didn't know! You seem so young."
"I just follow my calling, nothing more. Qalaya asks us to keep records, so I keep the best records I can. These messages are less permanent, but since they'll be offered to her, I still put some effort in. It also means people are more likely to ask me to write the notes. Here, I'm quite happy with how this one turned out."
"Quite happy? It looks beautiful! I could never hope to get such symmetry in my letters. And why do they look so flourishing when you've hardly decorated them at all?"
"Stop the compliments already! Of course you can learn it too. It just takes practice, that's all. You said Calia sent you here? She'll do an excellent job teaching you the basics."
"And I guess being on good terms with Qalaya wouldn't hurt either? I've written a little offering for her. Could I ask you to deliver it for me, please? If it isn't too much trouble, that is?"
"Of course, little one. No trouble whatsoever."

36th of Summer, 513 AV:
The starflowers were perfect. With their large leaves, they provided just enough cover to take aim at the rightmost target on the dollhouses. From there, it was just a short run to the snow-in-summer, where he could disappear from view again. It was a simple move, and one he should have down by now. He took his aim carefully, and with a puff of air sent his dart flying. A short sprint, dive for it... made it. Exactly as planned. Now to see if he had hit his target. He peered through the mat of flowers...
And was immediately hit by a berry shot from a slingshot. "Sorry little one," his mentor called, "but that was too predictable. Your run was good though, you didn't give me time to spot you. But it was obvious that you disappeared into the flowers were you did. So don't immediately show yourself. Take your time, choose your position, keep your opponent guessing."

85th of Summer, 513 AV:
"They're celebrating, and jubilating, yes everyone is dancing in the streets. They're celebrating, and jubilating, with music all around you simply move those feet."
Summer in Riverfall ends with the Day of the Dance. Slightly over two seasons after his first attempt at dancing, he tried again, with significantly more success. Now that he had arms and hands to move around on, he could actually pull of some moves. This, he did with gusto, jumping from leaf to leaf on the rhythm as he made his way towards the beach. It was a good thing Riverfall had this much greenery, because he wasn't going to risk himself on the streets.
No one had been surprised much when he mentioned that he didn't know at what time he would be home. "Just know that with adults' privileges come adults' responsibilities," the Eldest had replied. And so he was out all night, dancing till he dropped.

86th of Summer, 513 AV:
"Judging by your behaviour yesterday, you seem to consider yourself an adult. We expect all adults in our Pyve who are staying longer then a season to strive for Kuvan status. That involves two things. The first is regular weapon training. I hear you've been practicing with the blowgun, so that shouldn't be a problem. The other thing expected of Kuvan is that they have a job. So as soon as fall begins, you'll be reporting to the Labor Aid office to see if they can find a job for you."
The words of the Eldest sounded a lot less fun when they didn't promise a night of partying. But he was right, of course, as could be expected from someone as experienced as him. "Sure thing. Bring it on!"

Fall, 513 AV:
As of yet, unknown.

Fluent Languages: Common
Basic Languages: -
Poor Languages: Tukant


Skills:

Skill	Rank	Sources	Proficiency
Calligraphy	10/100	(10 SP)	(Novice)
Climbing	5/100	(5 SP)	(Novice)
Copying	5/100	(5 SP)	(Novice)
Escape Artist	10/100	(10 RB)	(Novice)
Stealth	10/100	(10 SP)	(Novice)
Weapon (Blowgun)	5/100	(5 SP)	(Novice)
Writing	15/100	(15 SP)	(Novice)

Lores:
Lore: Don't get under big feet (start)
Lore: How to choose a name (start)


Possessions:
No Clothing (part of body)
Water skin
Backpack, containing:

• Toiletries
• 3 portions of clay (food for a week)
• Eating Utensils
• Flint and Steel

Toolkit, Calligraphers
Lazy Gel (4 doses)
Blowgun, 20 needles

Heirloom:
A small diary, given him by the Eldest on behalf of the Pyve, in which he has kept his journal ever since his first seasonary.

Housing:
Simple Pycon Dollhouse in the Pyve in Riverfall

• with appropriate furniture

Ledger:
On creation:

Purchase	Cost	Total
Starting	+100 GM	100 GM
Starting Package	(SP)	100 GM
Journal	Heirloom	600 GM
Cashed in Housing	+500 GM	600 GM
Simple Pycon Dollhouse	150 GM	450 GM
Blowgun Needles	-1 GM	449GM
Toolkit, Calligraphers (based on artist toolkit, x3 for Pycon size)	-75 GM	374 GM
Lazy Gel	-10 GM	364 GM
Blowgun	-10 GM	354 GM
Living Expenses Summer 513 AV, 3 days, common	-4 GM -5 SM	349 GM, 5 SM

Fall 513:

Purchase	Cost	Total
Starting	+349 GM + 5 SM	349 GM, 5 SM

Thread List:

Date	Thread Name	Status	Rewards
5th of Fall, 513 AV	Seeing Eye to Eye	Ongoing (Closed)	N/A
8th of Fall, 513 AV	Crossing the Bridge	Ongoing (Open)	N/A
13th of Fall, 513 AV	Open/Close	Ongoing (Closed)	N/A
68th of Fall, 513 AV	Hair Salon	Ongoing (Open)	N/A

Relationships:

Player	Nickname	Calls Hornet	First Met	Relationship
Clerk	-	-	Seeing Eye To Eye	Mild Dislike
Kirsi Winterflame	Serenity	Art	Crossing the Bridge	Acquaintance
Rosela	-	-	Open/Close	Acquaintance