Shattered Kingdoms

Here stands a slender--some say skinny--female half-elf. She stands nearly five and a half feet tall, olive-skinned, with wavy brown hair falling beyond her pointed ears to just below her shoulder blades. It is loosely kept back with a piece of ribbon, but several rogueish wisps fly free, teasing her oval, rosy-cheeked face. Her sea-green eyes are, perhaps, the most compelling feature of this half-elven woman; despite the sparkle they seem to have within them, they betray a deep melancholy, a quiet, unrelenting sadness.

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o [Scores] Liya, E'Marishkala Chmelyk - Wisdom's Woodswalker o
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o Status: Grand Master(1) Race: Half-elf Class: Scout o
o Kingdom: Zhenshi Cabal: Talon of the Feathered Dragon (Member) o
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o Coins: zero o
o Carrying: 0/21 items Load: 0.0/245.0 pounds o
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o Health: Excellent Mental: Drained Physical: Fresh o
o Attribute points: 0 Wimpy: 0 percent Mode: Kill/aggressive o
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o You are standing. o
o You are over one-third of the way to the next level. o
o You have played 1924 hour(s) so far. o
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o [Attributes] Liya E'Marishkala Chmelyk - Wisdom's Woodswalker o
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o Status: Grand Master(1) Race: Half-elf Class: Scout o
o Age: 151 Sex: Female Size: Medium o
o Alignment: Principled Handiness: Left handed Religion: Zavijah o
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o STR: Strong INT: Brilliant WIS: Clever o
o DEX: Acrobatic CON: Durable CHA: Dynamic o
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o Carrying capacity: 21 items with a maximum weight of 245.0 pounds. o
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Amateur - spear (mastered) axe (superb)
bow (mastered) dagger (superb)
sling (very good)
staff (very good) sword (mastered)
whip (superb) dirt kicking (mastered)
dodge (mastered) fletch (mastered)
swim (mastered) taslamaran tongue (mastered)
uxmaln tongue (mastered) zhensh tongue (mastered)
empire tongue (mastered) aghelian tongue (superb)
sylvan tongue (mastered) firmyrn tongue (superb)
deep tongue (mastered) taslamaran writing (mastered)
uxmaln writing (mastered) zhensh writing (mastered)
empire writing (mastered) aghelian writing (mastered)
sylvan writing (mastered) firmyrn writing (mastered)
deep writing (mastered)
Novice - butcher (mastered) endurance (mastered)
sneak (mastered) tame (mastered)
Initiate - shield block (mastered) second attack (mastered)
camouflage (mastered) herbalism (mastered)
Apprentice- parry (superb) rescue (very good)
self defense (superb) skin (mastered)
Journeyman- disguise (mastered) brawling (superb)
climb (superb) pathfinding (mastered)
Veteran - third attack (mastered) fast healing (mastered)
haggle (superb) tracking (mastered)
Expert - enhanced damage (mastered) rapid shot (very good)
skirmish (good) snare (superb)
Mentor - crossbow (superb) ambush (superb)

It's hard to believe that I have brought my first character through 151 years, and that now it's all over. I started SK warily, just to see what it was like. I had played heavily on a MUD before, but I didn't expect to get quite as immersed in SK as I ended up getting. It's been a fun 2 1/2 years of my life, and I have a lot of people to thank. My apologies beforehand if I have forgotten to mention a key character in Liya's life. It's been so long and she's met so many people, it's hard for me to remember all of them.

To begin...
Thanks go to the Talons in general, for letting a newbie in and then giving her the chance to lead for as long as she did. It was definitely an experience. Being inducted into the Talons by Adara was memorable. It's been a fun 120 years. Specific thanks goes to Youma--Liya didn't really like him until near the end (he always seemed a bit gruff) though she always had a certain amount of respect and awe for him. When he finally stepped down, she was very sorry to see him go. He left some large shoes to fill and Liya always wished he had stayed around to help her know how to fill them. I'll also mention Grventiinal, Sterk, and Hixendor here for the rp they gave and for having faith in Liya as a leader.

Thanks go to the many people who helped Liya out, especially in her early days when she had no idea what was going on. If you pointed her in the right direction, showed her what to do, provided equipment for her, or helped her fight against enemies, my thanks. Most of the time I never quite knew what I was doing, so help was always appreciated. In this regard, specific thanks go to Zavier, Amilira, Arsilan, Rosalin?, Ghent (that tour to the Temple of Murder was a highlight of her life), Uillean, Irekoya, Alleli, Aelraen, Thayian, and Lueshion.

Thanks go to the Zavijahn sisters and brothers, most notably Queaju, Karn and Linarumien, for providing some fun rp. Liya's 'interview' with Karn prior to entering the faith was another highlight of her life. Also thanks to Buxtehude for that one day of amazing rp where the two of them met in the temple on the Taslamaran beach. Here I'll also say thank you to those who asked about the Wisdom faith and drew some rp out of that.

Thanks go to the many, many people who were simply friends and/or who rp'ed with Liya. Liya had a lot of good quality friends, and for someone who is not particularly interested in pk or political power, this was a huge reason why I played the game. It's hard to know where to begin, so I'll try my best to somehow work through everyone. First of all, Feyan. Liya considered the griffon her best friend for a long time. When she mysteriously disappeared, Liya was heartbroken, but she never forgot the playful griffon who was always getting herself lost or eaten by tigers. Hehe, I sincerely hope your next character turned out more successful, friend. Thanks to Adara, Vaerta, and Alynwen--Liya admired these three women immensely and wished she could be as strong and just and wise as they. I don't know if she ever succeeded, but she always looked up to you three. Thank you, too, for showing me the ropes, training with me, resurrecting me, and providing a ton of fun. Singing in the inn with Aly was something I won't ever forget, nor Adara's "No Rest for a Sorceress."

Thank you Byrnid--you're a phenomenal player and your wit was refreshing. Liya respected Byrnid immensely and his sudden death marked a turning point in Liya's life and in the life of the Talons. Liya missed Byrnid until her dying day. Thank you, Gallus, for your friendship, your humor, and for playing duets with Liya early on. Thank you Eraylos and Enthus--the two sprites she most liked out of all she'd ever met. Thanks to Othet and Apelila who saved Liya's life all those years ago in Sith'a'niel. It made for some unforgettable rp. Othet's friendship was always something Liya enjoyed. He was such a selfless dwarf and always so willing to help out when he could. Thanks also for showing her the special hill and for "Liya Day" when she was so down that one time. Thanks go to Lirimaer and her helpfulness and friendship and willingness to rp. Thank you also to Nemarosa for being Liya's favorite student and a friend in whom she could always confide in and laugh with. Thanks go to Eruntalon--you play the violin magnificently

Thanks to Thorrian for his help, encouragement, and rp when Liya was first starting out. (Just so you know, in the end Liya managed to forgive you.) Thanks to Cyril--from the first meeting to the end, I had a lot of fun with the character. His unexpected death was sad and unfortunate, but Liya never forgot him. Thanks to Corathir, despite the headache he nearly always gave Liya (I'm sorry, but it's true). Corathir's and Liya's beliefs clashed a lot, both in regards to religion and politics. Even so, it was fun to rp with you. After Vartan's death, Liya particularly treasured your friendship, because you were the one person she could truly talk to about him and she really needed that at the time. So thank you for listening and for allowing her to talk your pointy ears off. And because this could go on forever I'll say quick thank yous to Styk, Avinal, Nari and Ilvanor (Liya's adopted children), Trevel, Keiji (Liya always felt sad about how those events turned out), Sithara, Skicore, Elspeth, Takeshi (the one darkie Liya liked), Preltor, Adroan, Krail, Winksy...if I've forgotten you, I'm sorry! I blame it on my 150-year-old memory!

Finally, infinite thanks go to Vartan. To stand by someone for literally her entire life is nearly unfathomable, and yet it is exactly what you did. Befriending the lost orphan girl and always sticking up for her and protecting her, rarely caring about your own safety, you knew her better than anyone else ever could have. Maintaining a friendship through her first marriage, you were nothing but a gentleman and nothing but patient. Through every phase of life you were always there to lean on. You always treated her like she was someone special, someone cherished. And even after your own death, you still came to visit her. Even as a ghost, you were there for her during her last moments. I cannot find the words to say that would do him justice. Liya always felt that she was the most blessed woman in all the realms to have ever existed because she had you. Thank you for everything.

And now, for those of you who are still reading, her history...
Liya was raised in a Zhensh village by a human family. The story she was told growing up was that she was found as an infant on their doorstep. The human couple took her in, seeing an opportunity to raise the half-elven girl as a servant. While they were not cruel to her, they were not particularly kind and loving either. They were especially irritated by her absent-mindedness and her propensity to daydream when she should've been getting her work done. Having finally grown wealthy enough to afford a 'decent' servant, the couple sent her away. Because she was half-elven, she was not highly regarded by the villagers, so she took her few things and headed out. She wandered for some time, making it, by luck it seemed, to the zakami pens in Nerina. She helped out there, gaining coin for a few lessons in wilderness survival, until she felt she needed to advance her skills. The capital city of Nerina was a very confusing place for the country girl at first and she wandered about for days finding odd jobs here and there. A man named Endrial approached her and asked her if she needed help, but she was so lost she didn't even know where to begin. She finally worked up the courage to ask Peyron, an approachable-looking fellow, for a bit of help. She followed him into the Inn of the Rumbling Zakami only to see him immediately slaughtered by a deep elven woman. Terrified, Liya fled the inn and refused to return for months. She had heard of the Outpost in Ayamao and tried to find her way there, but every attempt found her in the greedy clutches of spiders and scorpions.

Finally, after more wandering, she found an acquaintance, a dwarf named Piotr, standing on the road just outside Nerina. She was just about to approach him for directions when he stepped into a gate. Looking very forlorn, she glanced around and spotted a lean male human. Gathering what little courage she had left, she asked him if he could point her in the direction of Ayamao. The man looked at her and ran back into the city. Dejected, she simply stood there, not knowing what to do. Minutes later, however, he returned (having just taken a few lessons in the Zhensh language) and introduced himself as Vartan, and so began their journey through the mountain pass into Ayamao. The trip took several days, and in that time he taught her a lot about the lay of the land and Pyrathia in general. He even let her lead the way so that she would learn her way around (you've no idea how helpful that was). They took a tour of Sith'a'niel and eventually found themselves chatting in the library. He took his leave of her and that was the last she saw of him for nearly 10 years.

In the meantime, she began her training in earnest. She met a man named Thorrian and they quickly fell in love. During that time he joined the faith of Sadal and she joined the faith of Zavijah. Liya disappeared for a period of two years (for meditation and reflection, presumably) and when she came back she found that Thorrian, now her fiance, was with another woman. Distraught, she fled to Sith'a'niel and was about to throw herself permanently into the River when Othet and Apelila (through a bit of trickery, Othet later admitted) convinced her to spare herself and give herself time to heal. She heeded the advice and began her training again. Some years later, she met Cyril and began training with him. He eventually proposed and she accepted. It was about this time that Vartan returned. Cyril had recently joined the Talons and was often away on Talon business or back at his family's farm in Zhenshi. Vartan and Liya picked up their friendship where it left off and did a lot of training at this time in the Chancel, often with Styk.

It was also around this time that Liya joined the Talons and that Vartan and Liya started the Pilgrimage. After Cyril and Liya's wedding, Cyril grew busier and busier with his duties as a Talon and as the High Follower of Meissa, even more so when he became Captain of the Talons. The Zhensh truce with the Empire caused a lot of conflict for Cyril, and, coupled with a few religious matters, he had a nervous breakdown. Liya stood by his side, but it pained her to see him go through all of that. By this time, Youma had stepped down as Commander and Cyril and Liya were a husband-and-wife team of leaders for the Talons. One evening, after a long day of paperwork, he complained of a headache. That marked the beginning of a long illness for him, during which he was completely bedridden. Liya was now Prime Minister of Zhenshi and a well-known teacher of the ways of a scout. Politics began to wear on the half-elven woman, who had always had the leadership position thrust upon her, and she decided to resign from leadership and remain a soldier. Though she spent a good deal of time at home taking care of Cyril, he passed away a few years later and his ashes and symbol were buried at the site where he had proposed to her roughly 20 years earlier. As usual, Vartan was there to console Liya and keep her from wallowing in self-pity.

When Byrnid, now the Prime Minister of Zhenshi, died suddenly, the Talons sort of collapsed upon themselves and though Liya was asked to take the position again, she declined. However, there ensued a dispute over leadership between Corathir and Grventiinal and the direction in which to take Zhenshi, resulting in a messy, though short-lived, civil war, and Liya found herself Prime Minister again. By now, Vartan had transferred his citizenship and joined the Talons with Liya. As the years went by, Vartan and Liya both realized how much they loved each other and, with a bit of prodding from Lirimaer, Vartan asked her to marry him. She happily accepted. Liya again promoted Corathir to second-in-command, something she later considered a grave mistake. They had a huge falling out and she tried to step down from the Talons entirely, though the Court of Blossoms seemed to refuse to acknowledge that they had lost their longest standing Talon. (Eventually she allowed herself to become more active again.) Vartan, however, did not seem to mind this as Liya now had very few duties to attend to. In these later years Liya and Vartan spent a lot of time doing what they liked best--reading books and talking. Vartan's age finally caught up with him and he died while teaching a young rogue halfling in the Hart and Rose in Exile. Liya was devastated, though she had known the day was coming. She lost any ambition during the years following his death and spent a good deal of time sitting sorrowfully in the inn in Nerina drinking tea.

As time went on she found herself more able to cope with the loss. It was also made easier when she befriended a shaman named Ilvanor, the son of a close friend of hers, and he often seanced Vartan so that his ghost could come visit Liya. Liya spent less and less time away from the dealings of the realms and more time with her nieces and nephews of the E'Marishkala family. Occasionally she would stop by Nerina to see how things were going. However, she realized that her time was coming to an end and she had lost touch with much of the political, religious, and social events of the world. While reconnecting with a few old friends she met her end, surrounded, as she had wished, by those she loved most in the world.

What do I say? When I dragged you into SK, a newbie myself at the time, I never dreamed it would result in such a vivid, alive character - one who became a friend in her own right.

Liya outlived several of my chars, and had an impact on all of them. To Adara she was a beloved fledgling, one she loved taking under her wing, inducting into the Talons, talking to and singing with and adventuring (and dying) with. Watching her grow from "thinking she was taller than she was" into a wiser young woman. Liya and Vyrsa were more like youths together, and Vyrsa always was glad to lend a shoulder during the Thorrian years. To Alynwen - a respected friend, although Aly didn't always approve of the joking, the player was always having fun. And the whole stupid oath that she'd never sing in an inn again - alas! You made Aly's final moments awesome. And finally with Rosa, her teacher, her mentor, one of her oldest and dearest friends. Even if you did always junk her arrow/herb stashes! So many things we never got to do, but so many good times. If you hadn't promised to haunt Rosa, she'd be crushed.

Those eyes, and clean fingernails, that silvery laugh, the songs and tales - participating in the hero tourney and the Festival of Song - dealing with the frustrations of Talon leadership, off and on, and the frustrations of being a lighty in a grey organization - these and more will be remembered. Liya touched a lot of characters with her buoyant good spirit, wit, love of riddles, and willingness to just sit and chat or go off and adventure.

Kudos! Liya deserves a standing ovation. I hope the next is as fun for you. And I look forward to meeting her.

I liked this char too much, even as an enemy most of the time, she was fun to play with, kudos!

Damn, I just seen u and vartan both on today. Was fun being with her in the talons, great rp and always helpful.

GL with w/e you do. Hopefully you have another character or there is going to be another?

*gasp*

Liya was a true Talon of Zhenshi, and a wonderfully played character that portrayed a real, alive, and lovable personality in a game such as this. Interacting with Liya was always enjoyable experience from several perspectives, and she would react differently as the situation demanded it - lending her the much deserved contrast in a slew of many other characters from Zhenshi.

Her other outstanding qualities include not forsaking roleplay for game mechanics purposes, longevity, and over her life time Liya was able to not only create but also propagate Talons roleplay and agendas to those around her will be remembered for a long time to come, along with the rest of the crew she was with throughout her life time.

Congratulations on such a character, thank you for the good times, and yup, looking forward to the future characters.

Liya was a wonderful character. Through the three characters I had I was able to see Liya on both sides and really enjoyed it. You certainly had a great first character.

I look forward to your next. Until then, I'll buy the drinks tonight.

Cheers

sleeper

Wow I never interacted with this character but anyone who can play a quality character for that long has my respect. SK needs more players like you.

Ah, I think I met you with Rhet/Flaine I remember you being caught up in a lot of love rp, but it was cool, Nice character.

Liya was a very beautiful character. She is that old that I hardly recall what chars of mine have interacted with her. Was it Gasbah? I only remember what a nice impression she made to me. Well done and I wish you all the luck with your next.

I -- well! -- thanks. I always liked Liya as a character and it was very enjoyable to watch you from up here as well. Can't wait to see what you play next, you're an excellent player.

I confess that I'm a little disappointed that I could've bothered you today and RP'ed with you, and that would've been really nice since it would've been one of my last interactions with the character, but alas -- real life has been kicking me in the pants lately.

I'm sad to see Liya go!