Hopefully, I can finish my Arylos piece here. Either way, we'll be having a Mod 10 come this August. Entitled Storm King's Thunder, we'll be going back to where it all began in terms of R.A Salvatore's career as we know it: Icewind Dale. Out of the Ten Towns, it seems that only Bryn Shander was more willing to accept Drizzt upon merit rather than reputation. It's like me being accepted by Middlesbrough F.C as a talent upon the merit of ability, not the merit of my ITE cert.
Productive failure has never felt this good. Thanks to Mr Salvatore himself.
Continuation from The Maze Engine...
I'm pretty sure it will take Mod 11 to explain what kind of nefarious scheme awaits both Neverwinter and the cult of Elemental Evil (in courtesy of Vizeran DeVir, no less). Until then, I find it quite amusing to imagine Arylos and Cyrea taking centre stage come August. Not only is August the month of my country's independence, Arylos as a character is also the alter-ego of a Singaporean who was deemed a
productive failure. Namely yours truly (conversely speaking, it means Cyrea Durothil can be interpreted as
a local Singaporean girl who is rich, beautiful, and intelligent. Whoever she may be... *shrugs*). The best part of the deal? We finally get to see Catti-brie and Wulfgar. Hopefully, we will know by August the reason why the last two members of the legendary Companions of the Hall went MIA during the events of Underdark and Maze Engine. Come to think of it, Iruladoon will most likely be a major player this time round (after all,
Mielikki did pick the correct location and boundary).
In other news, perhaps Myrreas will join in the fun as well. After all, Dagult Neverember may want to see him dead for some reason or another.
Why Arylos and Cyrea?
Which now comes to the tricky part. How am I going to ease the pair together instead of
a shotgun chemistry? As a purist in story telling, I'd never do that. They say opposites attract, but how are you going to do so? I won't be surprised if Cyrea hated Arylos' guts in the same way no beautiful A*STAR scholar graduated from Charles Sturt University would ever take a liking to some porter working in the SGH. *shrugs*
Relevance of Isil Dragonsbane
I swear that plagiarism is the last thing on my mind on this guy. Yes, I know what ISIL stands for. If I want to be politically incorrect (and trust me when I say I am), the correct acronym should either IS (Islamic State) or ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria). If you're worried about human stupidity, it means this is something verily real and incurable. Not to mention incorrigible in nature as well.
Do I need any more reason to be cynical when it comes to human intelligence? This is not to say Levant isn't counted as part of legitimate English. Quite likely the final alphabet of ISIL refers to the final ambition of Al-Baghdadi himself. After all, Israel is part of the Levant and we all know how much the terrorists want to kill the Jews (not to mention Christians like yours truly as well).
Note: Funnily enough, I tend to use IS instead of ISIS whenever I feel like exposing their strategy. Perhaps I'm not so politically incorrect after all. 8shurgs*
When I first planned for a focal villain in my Neverwinter Six saga, two aspects come to mind.
1. I feel like creating an agent of Cyric inspired by ISIS/ISIL/IS/whatever names you can come up for Raqqah and Al-Baghdadi himself.
2. The timeline was actually post-game.
I do not have a problem with point 1. Things do change quite a bit though for point 2. This was exactly why I had to think about whether to keep Isil Dragonsbane or to remove him completely. After coming to terms with whatever alternatives available, I decided to keep rather than removing. Thanks to Mr Salvatore, I actually realized that I can easily utilize the technique of prequel writing. Release-wise, the Icewind Dale trilogy was the first series to hit the bookshelves. Chronologically, it was the Dark Elf trilogy which was conceived first. Interestingly, Drizzt's journey to find a home actually mirrored Arylos' predicament as a lone wolf without a home. The differences, however, could never be any more contrasting.
Now back to Isil Dragonsbane. I swear this is a product of creativity gone dry. After all, I'm only a human being just like the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew. In short, any form of plagiarism is 100% unintentional and accidental.
Race-wise, my original take was some hulking dude. Perhaps a half-orc or even a full-blooded orc. Yet, I can never tear myself from the imagery of an evil dragonborn. After some consideration, I decided to obey my heart rather than my head. I'm born a creative genius (?) after all, not some gifted academic graduated from an elite education.
Amazingly enough, Sergeant Knox will actually mention the real hero of Neverwinter if you happen to complete Vault of the Nine prior to creating a new character. See where this is going? ;)
Note: Oh crap. Just discovered that Dragonsbane is also the last name of a certain monarch ruling Damara. That is until he's rumored to be assassinated. Either Cyric will be having fun with the living or
I'll have to do an Ahnuld.
Aspect of the Lone Wolf. Literally
Aspect of the Lone Wolf is an actual class feature skill for the hunter ranger. In fact, it's quite likely the most commonly used class feature for hunter rangers due to its excellent defensive qualities. When we talk about a lone wolf, the first thing coming to mind will be the lone terrorist attack (something like the recent Paris terror attack last year). However, lone wolf can also refer to a social pariah. This is exactly the reason why Fenmarel Mestarine is known as the Lone Wolf among the Seldarine (most likely ever since Lolth outed herself as the head of elven terrorism). Likewise, Arylos is also a lone wolf. In fact, Irion the Hunter (i.e. Arylos' second mentor after
Heriol the Warder) referred to him as "
a spitting image of my god Fenmarel Mestarine if there is truly one."
As you all may have known by now, Arylos was no different from an abandoned child right from the start. As an infant, he was abandoned to die. As a young lad, he was no different from being abandoned due to the death of Brave Unknown (i.e. the name given by his fellow Whelunians). When Wheloon was officially declared a prison city, he was effectively orphaned for good. And it didn't really help that Arylos spent pretty much 99% of his current life without emotions. Maybe literally, maybe not totally. Who knows?
How he managed to escape from that Changi Prison City (i.e. Wheloon), I'm not gonna spoil it for you. After all, spoiling the romantic aspect is already bad enough. However, I can say that his first mentor may have taught quite a bit of stuff. Ironically, Arylos would eventually become to the current Neverwinter what Heriol was to the same city countless years ago. After all, both the Sons of Alagondar and Dagult Neverember called themselves the legitimate ruler of Neverwinter (for the former, it's specifically Arlon Bladeshaper if you noticed what the in-game lore said from his POV).
["Ah, the one and only Hero of Neverwinter!"
Before the cheerful greeting, Arylos paid no heed as the half-elf sat down in front of him. Abruptly, the atmosphere changed. A deathly silence pervaded their surroundings, yet not one of the other patrons turned a glance towards them. Gone was that wide grin of his, the half-elf now assuming a wry smile and an imposing gaze.
"I'm waiting for someone. State your business and begone," whispered the wood elf, his amber orbs never departing from his counterpart, "Unless of course you're the one sending this message."
"A keen eye and that sharpest perception," sighed the lean leader of his group as he took the parchment from Arylos, "Let's cut the chase then. I already have her killed."
"An act befitting of Arlon Bladeshaper," came the dry reply.
"I could have done worse to that beautiful lackey of the Lord Pretender. Rest assured, however, that I grant the envoy a quick death while ordering my men not to rape her. Lost one good man because of his attempted insubordination, however."
"Truly a shame," nodded Arylos slightly, "Tell me the truth. Karzov is merely your puppet. Am I right?"
"What makes you think so?"
"Once an Uthgardt, forever one. Holding back while restraining that bestial fury of his is never approved by the Battle Fathe."
Arlon then let out a laugh, but it was nothing like that cheerful tone behind his greeting. It was a chilling laugh, the very tone sending a shiver down every listener's spine. From the basement till the second level, all were pierced by his laughter.
"Bravo! Bravo!" smirked the rebel leader, his slow applause reverberating throughout the entire Driftwood Tavern, "You are truly spot on, my friend. Why not we join forces to smite that mongrel who calls himself a king? With my leadership and your tactical brilliance, surely..."
"I'm not interested in playing your game any more than being interested in Neverember's gold. Now if you excuse me, I have something to take care of."
As Arylos climbed up the steps, a female attendant drew out her poisoned dagger. Only to be stopped by Arlon himself.
"No, Honor. I prefer that our hero stays alive."
"But..."
"Do not let me repeat myself."
Before Arlon's ice cold gaze, Honor Reigh could only stay rooted on the floor as terror seized her racing heart.
"I like him. Wit, foresight, and above all his guts. He knew I won't kill him."
"Why?" asked another attendant, his raspy voice masking a dissatisfaction caused by Arylos' snub.
"Because he is not interested in interfering with our war. That Lord Pretender knows just as much, that's why our hero is still stuck with the thankless task of leading the rangers of Neverwinter."
"And that Arylos knew it," murmured a shaken Honor Reigh, "Very different from that freak of an Arkaiun."
"Different from Alphonse Knox, yes. Equally valuable, definitely," answered Arlon, his grin never fading, "Let's go, my merry underlings. Back to where we first belong after Cymril's death."]
Strategic genius, a master tactician
There's a difference between being gifted and maximizing your talent. For Arylos, he already displayed a knack for understanding tactics and strategy under the tutelage of Tunaster Dranik. However, it was under the darkness of Wheloon after it was sealed off that he started displaying the brutal efficiency of his mind. Ever mindful of words and surroundings, no faction or individual could ever harm even a hair on his head.
Upon his escape into the Hermit's Wood, Arylos encountered a ghost. Having nothing to live for, he was nevertheless saved by that very spirit. Revealing himself as Heriol the Warder, Arylos soon discovered that this Heriol was none other than the original hero of Neverwinter. Impressed by the sharp perception evident in Arylos, Heriol decided to impart what he knew unto the wood elf. If his days at Wheloon had honed Arylos' situational awareness, then Heriol's tutelage allowed him to understand the skill of deployment. As a paladin of Torm, the deceased hero also tried to drill his code of honor into Arylos' mind. This time round, he was met with constant failure. No thanks to his past trauma, Arylos rejected what others liked to call honor and chivalry with a sneer.
Eventually, it was the irreconcilable differences caused by individual beliefs which drove a wedge between teacher and protege. Parting on amicable terms nevertheless, Heriol managed to send a message to an old friend of his. With Arylos discovered by a spellscarred wood elf by the name of Irion the Hunter, Heriol at last departed from the Prime Material Plane in peace.
Under the watchful eye of Irion, Arylos managed to put in full use what he learned throughout his entire years. Impressed by what he saw, the rest of the Eldreth Veluuthra nonetheless chose to treat Irion's disciple with disdain. For Arylos was nothing more than an interloper, a genius without value.
As fate would have it, Arylos was sent to the Neverwinter Wood at the command of Torynnar Rhaevaern, the unofficial leader of Vel'Nikeryma. It was there where he first met the Forsworn, members of the Gray Wolf Tribe who desired a way back to Uthgardtheim instead of Shar's embrace. With a chance to start anew and perhaps resolving a haunted past, where would the lone wolf go after all has been done?
~My character sheet (?) for Arylos
Brief intro on the women in Arylos' life (so far, that is)
Korey:
A Koryan maiden adopted by a local hothands named Stev Gibbons, she was the only person brave enough to approach Arylos. For he had lost his emotions by then, thus earning the fear of others around him. After all, who could forget that riot happening prior to discovering him as an abandoned infant? Or that traumatic death befalling Brave Unknown, something which was wrongfully blamed upon him? In a catastrophic sequence of events sparked by sudden anger unexplained, Azoun V was forced to seal off Wheloon in the name of security. Stev was brutally lynched by an angry mob as a result, Korey, in turn, was gang raped by the very same bunch of men. Arylos could only watch in horror, the mob oblivious to the wood elf hiding in one corner. Ironically, this was when he experienced emotions like before. Never to forget such a grievous wrong, Arylos proceeded to exact vengeance upon every member of that mob. For he remembered clearly their faces, he managed to extract their names and favorite haunt. It was at a rundown tavern where he unleashed a massive explosion via the use of a doohickey made by a priest of Gond. He cared not how many lives were forced to accompany the murderers as a result. The only memory engraved in his heart and mind was that Korey committing suicide. Together as well the words Arylos whispered before unleashing his inevitable act of revenge.
"Kelemvor sends his regards."
Bellyn:
A Forsworn who was the daughter of Thalos Oathbreaker, she took offense at Arylos at the very beginning. Accusing him of being a voyeur where in fact he was waiting for a particularly dangerous gnoll to pass by, she grew to be curious about that emotionless Or-tel-quessir. This emotion, however, didn't set in until later. In a chance encounter, Arylos managed to save Thalos from a raging ogre affected by Shar's maddening touch. During the conversation, Arylos exposed Thalos' facade as a leader unwilling to fight his own people gone astray. Explaining that the leader of the Forsworn was merely preserving his own fighters for that one decisive battle, Arylos, in turn, earned the respect of every Forsworn. Starting from Thalos no less. It was during this time that Bellyn felt a sense of intrigue.
Who is this stranger who earned father's respect?
Why is he so cold and merciless despite having both flesh and blood?
What manner of a man he truly is?
Those questions spurred her to approach the Or-tel-quessir, but without success. At last, however, tragedy struck. In a battle against the Dark Hunter, Bellyn was infected by that very same darkness plaguing the ogre which nearly killed Thalos last time round. For the Dark Hunter was nothing more than a perverse image of Uthgar, a lie concieved by Shar's deception towards the Gray Wolf Tribe. Forced to make a decision, Arylos drew his bow. His resolve never wavering, his hand never trembled. As Bellyn asked Arylos whether he had ever loved her in spite of his unfeeling attitude, the wood elf gave an answer which unexpectedly brought her peace.
"Uthgar is never my god, you are never my love."
Korey:
Not to be confused with the first Korey, this Koryan lass was discovered naked in Arylos' patrol vicinity. Still a lone wolf fighting against random incursions, the Kelemvorite had already amassed a fearsome reputation even among the followers of Gruumsh. Ironically known as the God of Death, Arylos was swiftly forced to stand his ground against a group of Thayan slavers. Choosing not to kill the unconscious slave, Arylos wrapped her in his own cloak and carried her back to his abode. News of his uncharacteristic mercy soon spread among his elven brethren like wildfire, many were the ones calling for execution to be meted out. If not for Irion suggesting an alternative, surely both Arylos and Korey would have been riddled with arrows. In exchange for her life, however, Arylos must train her how to kill without mercy. Not only that, she must also murder her own emotions as a result. Grateful for his deed of kindness, the girl chose to take this path with nary a hesitation. Due to her status as an amnesiac, Arylos had to give her a new name. Inexplicably, he named her after that woman he failed to protect all the while: Korey.
Brief intro on the holy men (actually only three because my focus running a bit low)
Doomguide Volahk:
Ever a firm believer in Kelemvor's requirement to comfort the mourning, Volahk is never one to disrespect the dead. Arguably the most powerful doomguide in terms of turning the undead, he was the chief reason why the Neverdeath Graveyard enjoyed plenty of peaceful years where incursions were seen merely as a daily inconvenience. Together with his fellow doomguide Orran, the duo was seen as the bastion of Doomguide's Watch. Towards Arylos, however, he reserved nothing but contempt. For he could never understand the manner which Arylos perceived death in the same way the wood elf couldn't be bothered to consider the senior doomguide's way of seeing death. Yet as Orran has pointed out more oft than not, neither of them were wrong in the same manner neither party should be seen as completely right.
Doomguide Orran:
Like Volahk, Orran held more closely the benevolent aspect of death instead of its harsher side. Unlike his comrade, however, Orran was never a judgmental person. In fact, he would always be the one stepping in whenever a conflict between Volahk and Arylos seemed inevitable. If Volahk was the most powerful enemy of the undead, then Orran would be that master of the sword. In fact, no doomguide is better suited for dealing with the Red Wizards of Thay than the Hewer of Kelemvor himself.
Doomguide Vesper Soulhearth:
A Damaran by birth, Vesper was known both as a fearsome warrior and a leader of equal standard. Rumored to be a bastard son of Yarin Frostmantle, the present king of Damara, Vesper nevertheless scoffed at such an insult. Not only was he already a sellsword long before Yarin assumed the throne, he also held the tyrant in contempt. Even unto now, this view has yet to display signs of waning. In a chance meeting with Lorelei Gravesower at Kelemvor's Garden, Vesper decided to quit his life of killing and looting. Instead, he swore piety to Kelemvor and pledged his life to that of a doomguide. Still retaining a semblance of his old temper, Vesper's previous act of violence actually involved an ongoing scurrilous lie accusing Lorelei of being a harlot. Suffice to say, the speaker was treated with numerous punches and a few broken ribs. Out of the many doomguides aiding Neverwinter, Vesper was one of the very few willing to befriend Arylos despite the Or-tel-quessir's resistance.
Well, guess that's the end of my post.
Let's see if I can come up with lyrics for my ideal Kalafina song for the Neverwinter Six saga.
