Sayvara, introduction and biography

[Sayvara]

I am transfering some of my old writings here. This is the first iteration of Sayvara. Back then she started out as a bard, thus had some knowledge of the arcane. She has since become the swordfighter we all know. She always carried the greatsword though, even as a bard.

- I love you Celeena!

As the ship slips into the fog, Markas calls out to his love. With a heavy heart, he turns and walks back up the pier. "Just a few days" she said... a few minutes feels too long at this point. Whatever mission house Thuranni has for her, he prays for it to be quick. Especially concidering a snake has slithered into the haven: Sayvara is in Stormreach

Master Lextalionis had given him the disturbing news: a dark-skinned woman had walked straight up to Celeena and presented herself as Markas' lover. Master Lex had in an understatement said that Celeena did not take those news well. Weapons had been drawn and threats exchanged. Strangely enough the guard that was supposed to be posted near the Phoenix Tavern, where the exchange took place, was nowhere to be found. Before things could settle, the woman had sheathed her blade and simply walked out. From what the dwarf had told him Celeena had followed her out in a rage... only to come back a few minutes later, confused and for some while not quite remembering why she had felt hostility. It was all a most alarming chain of events.

When Markas had caught up with Celeena in the Garden of Respite, she had been in a fragile state and not been able to provide much more information. Sayvara had made several claims about Markas and what she said was their relationship. Some the things she had said were easilly dismissed, such as the fact his name was indeed Markas and not a false alias. But unfortunately he had to admit that not all of them were false. He did know Sayvara, in fact he had grown up with her... and he had indeed been her lover. Truths mixed with lies to sow doubt and drive wedges between friends... a signature Markas knew all too well. In fact, this was so obvious that he began to wonder if it have been intentional on Sayvara's part just to get his attension. The question was why... what is she up to?

It had taken the better part of an hour to calm Celeena. Eventually she had embraced him and declared her undying love for him. She had accompanied him back to his room at the tavern and they had spent the time deep in eachothers arms before her departure.

As Markas passes through the gates to the marketplace, he hardly hears the greeting of the guard. He is deep in thought and worry. Before she left, Celeena had made a quick check with her sources and none of them had heard of Sayvara causing any trouble in Stormreach before this evening. The only appearance she seemed to have made was a visit the Leaky Dinghy when Celeena and the others had been there. Apart from that, nothing. It worries him. If Sayvara is concentrating her efforts on him and those around him, he fears for what will happen to his friends and Celeena.

As he approaches the tavern, he finds that he is exhausted. The flood of emotions that has assulted him in the last few hours is fatiguing. He needs some rest before he can deal with all this. Well inside, he asks the barmaid to send someone to wake him at midnight... that should give him at least six hours to relax and recouperate.

But as he step into his room, the uninvited presence signals he is not likely to get much sleep at all.

- Hello Markas... good to see you again, lover.

[Sayvara]

- Sayvara... you miserable little... How?!

She grins at him, satisfied to see that her little stunt has had the desired effect. She finds him as pathetically predictable as when he left her.

- Oh, nothing to it really. While these door lock-constructs keep unauthorized people from operating them, they cannot detect a simple charm spell. The maid will soon have some explaining to do.

Markas stares at her in disbelief. This is even worse than he had feared... she has added arcane knowledge to her vile repertoire. As if things weren't bad enough already...

Gracefully she rises from the chair... her movements strong and confident.

- That was such a sweet farewell down at the docks. Quite moving. Seems you kissed and made up quite nicely.

Her dark hazel eyes glance at the bed... the sheets still displaced in a tattle-tale pattern.

- You did more than that, didn't you? It's not as if you can hide it...

She sniffs the air once.

- ...the whole room reeks of musk.

Markas feels the anger rise within him. How dare she desecrate the memory of their act of love?!

- You shut your face, right now! he growls at her.

- Or what, exactly? she replies, the tone of her voice completely devoid of intent to follow the request.

- Or I will shut it for you... for good!

The corner of her mouth moves into a crooked smile. So predictable... she still has him wrapped around her finger.

- Oh please Markas! Don't embarrass yourself! If you are going to use threats on me, you should at least be prepared to make good on them. And I know you are not. You still don't hit women, do you?

- In your case, I am more than willing to make an exception.

She keeps smiling and changes the subject... slowly walking over to the bed... she touches the sheets.

- She's a bit scrawny, isn't she?

- Who?

- Your new pet. She's an elf... elf noble none the less. Someone to care for... someone to protect. I bet that hit your soft spot.

- Stop it! Don't you dare speak of her like that! You don't know what we have!

She spins around at the words... the smile is gone and she looks directly at him.

- I know exactly what you have! You're in love, you idiot. More than you have ever been. And she feels the same for you. Am I not right?

Markas is stunned at the words. She raises her voice.

- Am I not right!?

Markas grits his teeth... she is right.

- Get to the point wench.

- You will destroy her... you know that. You cannot run from it Markas. You are what you are... and nothing can change that. How are you going to live with having crushed the one you love, hm?

- First, you know nothing of that. Second, why do you even pretend to care?!

- I care about you Markas! If you think back at your miserable life, you know I am the only one who has ever given a damn about you! Heck, you don't even know half of what I have done for you!

- All you have done is cause me pain! And you're doing it again now. You are trying come between me and Celeena!

The answer is plain and straight to the point.

- Of course I am. I have every intention of making sure you two break up before it is too late.

Markas blinks... this is one aspect of her he has never been able to handle fully: her brutal honesty. As much as she is able to deliver lies and deceipt, she also stuns the ones around her with hard truths.

- W... why?

- I told you: because you will destroy her... and that will obliterate you because you care for her. You will never be able to live with that.

- Why do you think that will happen?

- Because it is in your blood... in our blood! The heritage from our mother.

- You're babbling nonsense. We don't have the same mother. We are not twins just because we were born together!

She smiles again... chuckling.

- I am not talking about our human mothers you twit! I am talking about our common mother.

Markas is confused beyond words.

- Explain... make it quick.

She nods to him.

- Have a seat Mark...

- I prefer to st...

- Sit, damnit! she roars at him.

Bareing his teeth at her... he slowly complies. Sitting down in one of the chairs of the tavern room. She walks up to him... standing tall before him. Then she surprises him again... this time by kneeling down. She sits crouched before him... and he finds herself looking down at her. Whatever she has to say, she has his full attension. Her voice is calm as she asks him.

- Do you still feel it Markas?

- Feel what?

- The rage... the passion... the wonderful rush of excitement as you run someone through? That sweet sensation of power and control as you see their blood on your blade?

She cannot fail to notice how he cringes at the question. It is as she has walked straight into the deepest and darkest chambers of his soul. This time however, she doesn't smile in triumph.

- I do... I feel it Markas. Havn't you ever wondered where it came from? Why you cannot shake it? I know you have tried. You want to be a good man... but despite all the healing you have done, all the good deeds and endless hours helping others... the only time you feel true satisfaction is when you have someone else's life in your hands.

He just sits quiet... breath shuddering slightly. When she wants to she can strip people truly naked... and she is doing it to him.

- That is her legacy Markas... her gift to us. And if you don't learn to live with it, you'll end up destroying everyone that will ever love you... including your precious Celeena.

- Wh... who are you talking about?

- That raid on our village... the night you and I were conceived... those were not any ordinary drow. She commanded them Markas. They were her own. Think! Have you ever heard of drow assaulting humans just for that? Everyone lived Markas! Yes, they were raped and violated... but everyone lived to talk about it! No attack of the scorpion worshippers has ever had that signature.

Markas swallows and stares facinated at her. She speaks the truth. The brutal attack on their home village had indeed not been an ordinary one. Everyone had lived through it... nothing was stolen... and the perhaps most odd thing about it was that none of the drow had had the white scorpion tatoos.

Markas finds himself staring at her. Lips are dry. Breathless he asks her again...

- Who is she? Who are you talking about?

She leans into him... the whisper nearly inaudible:

- Fury...

[Sayvara]

A passing glance will not reveal anything special about Sayvara Aellann. Apart from her distinguishing feature - her near obsidian black skin - she looks nothing out of the ordinary to the casual observer. Just another common citizen.

It is when you look again that her intense hazel eyes cut through your mind like a blade through flesh. At best she will ignore you. If she wants to play, you'll be her toy. And if you get on her wrong side, expect nothing short of being left for dead.

She is very direct in her ways, bordering on blunt. Still she is charismatic and will usually get away with being up front about things. She will lie to you just as easilly as slapping you across the face with a hard-hitting truth. Far from all can handle her unabashed manners. Those that do find her lively, flirtatious and always at the center of the discussion.

She can match most men in strength, only yielding to the strongest fighters. However this is a fact she usually hides. When moving about town, she will be dressed casually, sporting a robe that hides her strong frame. When going on adventure, many have been surprised to see her suddenly wield a greatsword, swinging it with ease and using it with deadly results. Several have told this bard to hold back, not expecting a female minstrel to be able to hold her own in battle... only to find her dashing head first into the nearest collection of enemies and sending them to their creator. This rash and impulsive attitude has earned her alot more than simple scratches for battle wounds and accompanying healers are often kept busy. The results however are always satisfactory as she steps over the piles of corpses left in her wake.

She has used her bard talents to learn the art of charming persons and creatures, making them stop dead in their tracks. This allows her to manipulate them or to give herself the edge needed to strike them down. She finds it especially amusing to turn enemies against eachother as it gives her room to take on even larger packs of them.

Her performances will capture hearts and minds with ease. If in a good mood, she will tell you tales of love, blood and beautiful death.

[Sayvara]

Trust?

No sweetie... you shouldn't trust me. Trust is such a quaint and fallable concept. Just think about it: trust is the first step towards betrayal. The latter cannot exist without the first.

If you asked me, distrust is one of the best foundations for working together. No no, I am not joking. Everyone has it the wrong way around, thinking that if they can just build enough trust everything will work out. Bah... fools I tell ya! One think that they would have learned their lessons. It's common sense. The Turtle and the Scorpion ya know...

You haven't heard that one? Gosh, I though everyone knew it by now! Alright then... I'll tell ya.

The Scorpion is on the river bank and he wants to cross. So he calls out to the Turtle saying "Please let me ride on your back to the other side". The Turtle hesitates, afraid the Scorpion will sting him. Then he realises that if the Scorpion would sting him, they would both perish. So the Turtle decides to trust the Scorpion and lets him climb onto his carapace. But half way over the river, the Turtle feels a sting to his soft neck... and with his last breaths he cries out: "Why did you do that?! Now we will both die!". To which the Scoprion replies: "Hey... you knew I was a Scorpion... what did you expect?"

So the Turtle and the Scorpion both died because the Turtle based their cooperation on trust. If only he would have said: "Hmm... I don't trust you... so I will keep my head tucked back where you can't sting me". That way, they both would have survived.

So... distrust is good. Distrust works. Once you have establised that there will be no trust between the parties, then it is up to you to protect yourself. So if someone does try to cut you in the back, then it is your own responsibility if you don't have it covered. You make your survival your own matter instead of relying on others to do it for you! Then you don't have to worry if they will protect you or not and therefore you can feel totally safe with them.

That's the beauty of it.... only with perfect distrust can you have perfect trust. See what I mean honey?