Pyrre Ej'qy

[Pyrre Ej'qy]

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Name: Pyrre Zor'toza Ej'qy
Age & Sex: 22 & Male
Date of Birth: 111 Ashan 700
Race: Biqaj
Height: 6’1" [1.85m]
Weight: ~170lbs [77kg]
Origin: Orm'del Sea - South Rharnian Coast
Current Residence: Scalvoris
Marks: N/A
Curses: Rusalkis [Hated]
Languages Spoken:
Fluent: Rakahi
Conversational: Common

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Broken: Scalveen

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, Ith'ession

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Face: Noa Ah Nee

Somewhat swarthy in appearance and perpetually windblown and salt-licked, there is no mistaking Pyrre as a Biqaj, let alone a sailor.

A life spent at sea has moulded and shaped him, deeply tanned frame long, lean and lightly built from years of sailing and heaving lines. His broad shoulders, toned arms and straight back are decorated in a variety of tattoos and curious scarification designs, the latter sweeping from the front of his elbows, over his shoulders and then down to his lower back. The tattoos continue down his arms and onto his calloused hands, growing helter skelter in placement and more nautical in design, heavily influenced by the styles often sported by sailors in the numerous ports his family's ship had stopped in at over the arcs.

His dark, chin length hair is wavy and unruly and rarely tied back, instead left free and styled by the wind and sea with the occasional attempts made to get it to stay tucked behind a pointed ear. His low, heavy brow is just as expressive as the changing colours of his deep-set eyes. High cheekbones, a strong, full nose and equally full lips once so quick to be wide in a cheeky grin or open smile dominate the rest of his face and his sharp, square jawline always sports some stubble if not an outright beard.

The fateful events that led to the loss of his lower right leg have changed him both physically and psychologically. Gone is the easy manner in which he approached life, the zest and zeal that filled him and made him glow. Gone is the buoyancy in his step and smile, the hearty laugh he gave so freely and without restraint. That straight back is far more likely to be curved as he hunches down under oversized, poorly tailored clothes - most of which are no more than bits and pieces of material bundled and wrapped in a slapdash and haphazard manner about his head and frame. He moves awkwardly, uneasily, stripped of the youthful and magnetic confidence he once possessed; a hollow husk of the eager would-be adventurer he once was.

Eye Colours

Standard	Aquamarine, gold starburst
Curious	Pale blue, gold starburst
Angry	Gray and gold, silver starburst
Amorous	Platinum, gold starburst
Upset	Indigo, silver starburst
Injured	Jet, silver starburst
Drunk	Pale amber, gold starburst
Scared	Emerald, silver starburst

The starbursts that surrounds the pupil of each of his irises are also further affected by the celestial bodies:
Lunar effects: The intensity and vibrancy waxes and wanes with the moons, resulting in the starbursts being their brightest and most saturated during the full moon and dull and near non-existent during the new moon.
Solar effects: The size changes based on the season and the position of Idalos to the suns. The hot cycle sees them grow to over half the size of his iris while the cold cycle sees them shrink to a mere sliver.

[Pyrre Ej'qy]

There was a time when Pyrre was footloose and free with a lust for life and a deeply entrenched sense of hope and optimism. Mostly sheltered from Idalos and her machinations aboard his family's ship, the Meridian's Beacon, he knew little of the world he so eagerly threw himself into outside trading hubs and the views and beliefs passed down to him from his parents. Life, however, promptly chewed him up and spat him out with little recourse, leaving him jilted, broken and pessimistic. He learned the hard way that little is as it seems, that there are forces out there at play that have little concern about who and what they destroy to achieve their ends.

Battered - emotionally, physically and mentally, he is making the slow adjustment to his new reality, stubbornly fighting its acceptance along the way. Yet, at his core, he is still the young man he was before being robbed of his leg and idealism. The drive to seek out that distant horizon is still there inside of him - to learn and understand that which is new and strange to him. He still feels the pull to seek camaraderie, bonds and trust in others and the need to understand his place and purpose in this vast and fascinating world.

MBTI: ISTP [the Virtuoso]
Enneagram: 7w8 [the Opportunist]
Archetypes: The Explorer [Primary]; The Hero [Secondary]
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Likes: Being at sea, adventure & exploration, star-filled nights, a good drink, glittery trinkets
Dislikes: Feeling stuck or tied down, failure, his peg leg, storms, puzzles he can't solve

There had once been a monster named Crest who wore the guise of a Biqaj, his body a patchwork of tattoo-like scarred skin. He raged like a storm and laid ruin to all in his path. Having forsaken the land, the sea was his home and none were safe from his wrath. He knew every nook and cranny of the waters he called home, and swept up the spoils of his wake to present them to his champion, an untouchable prince from an untouchable place.

But then something changed.

There had once been a woman, a nomad of the seas, who sought purpose in life through the beliefs of the Seira'ja. She sailed from her far-flung eastern home,and sought more favourable tides along central trade routes, crossing paths with sailors, merchants and pirates, judging not profession or race. A peaceful traveller who brought calm to all around her, she shared meals, drinks and tales with those who would have her. She helped captains and quartermasters prepare their crews for their journeys, navigators and helmsmen to finalise their courses and merchants to settle on which ships to entrust their goods.

But then something changed.

She pulled that monster from the sea.

She nursed him back to health and gave him a name. For once in his life, the monster felt soothed.

Together, they acquired a ship and then, one by one, they found others lost and adrift and in need of a purpose. These loyal Biqaj became their crew, became their family, became their life.

With their combined expertise, they carved out a simple yet profitable existence upon the Orm’del Sea.

And everyone was happy.

____________________________

The last child of three born to Enua and Wyck Zor’toza, Pyrre completed their crew-turned-family-turned-clan. He was given the name Gale and his world quickly became the sea, his clan and their brig, the Meridian’s Beacon.

He rank amok on that ship with his older twin siblings - Peak and Quay, causing minor mischief amongst the crew between learning the ropes of life at sea. His days were spent laughing with dolphins and enjoying the salty breeze on his face, the sound of creaking wood, flapping sails and the sound of waves and seabirds, while his nights were dedicated to stories and meals shared amongst the crew, often beneath starry, moon-lit skies.

School was not something he or his siblings participated in; instead, all his knowledge came from the collective whole of his clan, with each passing on what they knew based on their own experiences. Everything was either gained through oration or the trial and error of hands-on experience assisting and working alongside the crew. The only books he ever knew were ship logs, nautical charts and maps, which he poured over with wonder, tracing coastlines with his fingers and learning the names of the major cities along their routes - and vague familiarity with the names of more farflung and distant places. It was a simple life, yet it never felt lacking.

Gale learned all about managing and sailing a ship from his father and the crew, of finding his way through rough waters and how to find land. He learned of navigational tools and, more importantly, how to rely on his surroundings and nature to find his way - and to support him if supplies ran scarce. The sea could provide almost everything he needed apart from fresh water - but, even then, there were ways to circumnavigate that. Moreover, there were patterns to follow everywhere - in the birds, the clouds and winds, the movement of the celestial bodies and the colours and movement of the waters they lived upon. He latched on to this more than anything, his curious mind fixated by the wonders of his surroundings.

His father, the captain of the ship, was a mysterious man, stoic and sparing of words. His teachings were few and far between and Gale embraced them as the rare gifts they were. He learned of Xiur and the names of stars and how important it was to understand the watery world they navigated. The intimidating man passed on bits and pieces of his knowledge of specific rituals and traditions, the most important being his reverence of Chrien and his insistence of making an offering the first trial of every season. It was the one thing Gale was resistant to follow - finding the sacrifice of living things (often fish or other sea-life and, on rare occasions, crewmates grown invalid due to age, injury or illness) as barbaric. It shaped his view of the Immortal and caused him to push against any reverence or worship of the Seascourge.

His mother instilled in her children - as well as the whole of her clan - U’frek’s place in their world. She was the spiritual leader of their clan, gentle and patient in her ways, and wielded words in a way that could calm a raging storm. Between passing down her knowledge of the Book of Mekta and managing the emotional needs of her crew-turned-clan, she was also one of the few to go ashore to manage the clan's business interests. She encouraged Gale to learn more about people and the world beyond the clan and taught her children the basics of Common so they might be able to better interact with others whenever they made port if they chose to.

Gale’s first experience with individuals outside their clan was when he was thirteen. It was rare for the Meridian’s Beacon to take passengers, but Enua made exceptions for the odd merchant wishing to travel with their goods for a higher fee. It was widely known that Wyck and a number of other crew members disliked outsiders, yet Gale’s mother always managed to keep the peace. The youth was fascinated by the oddly styled man who spoke in tongues so strange and foreign. Yet the hesitance - and thinly veiled hostility - expressed by his siblings and father curbed his excitement and made him, momentarily, question his interest in learning more about the man’s world - about the world beyond the ship that was his home and the trade routes his family stuck to.

His awe and wonder would inevitably win out, however, and, at fifteen, he finally went ashore for the first time while at port in Volta. To say the experience was overwhelming to the youth would be an understatement.

There was so much - too much - for the youth to take in. It was so foreign and bizarre and equal parts fascinating and terrifying. However, the land felt too solid and wrong beneath him and the amount of people around him too much, like the bodies might rise up in a wave and swallow him. Despite this, he couldn’t shake the thrill of the new. It caused a ripple effect within him and, with his eyes now fully open to the expansive and oh so different world that lay beyond, created a desire within him to continue to pursue this feeling - this need for more.

Buoyed by the strange experience, the feeling was short-lived, evaporating the instant he returned to the ship and saw the look in his father’s eyes. Pain. Betrayal. Disappointment. Contempt. He shrunk beneath the weight of it and made a point to try and redeem himself. The captain had never once left his ship, never once set foot on dry land, and this one moment of freedom Gale had experienced formed a rift between him and his father, as well as between his parents.

Gale, however, had never been the captain’s favoured child - that had always been his older brother, the equally stoic and distant Peak. Though he felt a nagging desire to do everything he could to gain his father’s approval, the feeling lessened with age. It was eventually replaced with acceptance - and, with that, relief. In a few arc’s time, he knew Peak would be of age to take the clan on as his own, leaving him and his sister, Quay, the luxury of going off on their own and forging their own path.

And so Gale allowed himself the chance to let his eyes and ears wander whenever the ship made port. He paid special attention to any words of wisdom or morsels of information he could pick up while at port, mainly picking up stories and bits and pieces of interesting gossip when spoken in Rakahi as his mind was still curious about the world beyond. But his focus was still on his place within his clan and upon his ship.

At sixteen arcs, he took part in the rite of passage his siblings had previously endured, one their father felt was necessary for them to consider themselves true Biqaj and beings fit to sail the seas. Blindfolded and left within the middle of the Meridian Main with nothing more than one of his clan’s sloops that had been adapted to handle open ocean sailing, he had to find his own way back to a specified port within three trials or risk having to do the entire process again. If he did not make it within three tries, he’d be deemed a failure. The reality weighed heavily on the youth but he was determined to master it as his siblings had as it would surely mean he was fit for the life he longed for, a life seeking the distant horizon and exploring every corner of Idalos’ oceans.

U’frek was surely watching him as the seas and skies were favourable during his first run, and he made it to port just on the final break of the third trial. As was custom, the entire crew celebrated the success of their youngest member, with Gale opting to follow in the tradition of his father’s ways and enduring the long and painful process of receiving his scarification designs to mark the occasion just as his sister and various other crew members had before him.

As a crew that worked hard the majority of the arc, moments like this afforded them a break to take part in much needed revelry. It stretched over the course of two nights but, in the pre-dawn of that third trial, everything changed. The seas grew rough and unpredictable as a storm raged off in the open waters to the north. Given the state of most of the crew, they struggled to steer the ship away from danger. Shouts rang out of a man overboard. It was the Captain, Wyck, who was shouting.

Enua was gone.

Despite the crew's best efforts, their beloved crewmate and founding member was lost to the sea. And while this was the fate all wished for, the loss shattered all those of the Meridian’s Beacon. What had started as a celebration shifted like the tide into a somber memorial.

Everything changed after that. It wasn’t a subtle or slow change. It was sudden and dramatic.

The Captain became irrational and impossible to deal with, belligerent with grief and rage. All hoped the coming of the age of the twins would see Peak take control of the clan and make things right, but that never happened.

Upon that day, Quay made it clear she would leave. This was welcomed and celebrated as it had always been clear this would be her path. Peak, however, shocked everyone when he too chose to leave. The news sent a ripple through the clan and Gale felt it more than any. In that instant, he felt swept away from the life he had dreamt of and longed for since he could remember, caught in some ugly rip he couldn’t get out of.

Life, as he knew it, became grey, stormy and turbulent over the next few arcs. His father continued to deteriorate, growing madder every trial, and the pressure to take on and save the clan and its livelihood grew with the Captain’s decline. Even before he came of age, Gale felt the weight of his crew’s eyes and expectations, their desperation. When the time came, he found himself incredibly conflicted, torn between his desires and obligations. With his eyes on the horizon, he reluctantly took on the Zor’toza name and styled himself Pyrre.

Much to his dismay, this mere act didn’t miraculously change anything. The clan and its business continued to decline, having lost many of its connections after the loss of Enua. Pyrre struggled to try and act as the clan’s new mediary; yet, lacking the skills and fluency in Common that his mother had possessed, he found it an impossible task. Paired with the ever-present and ever-growing tension within the clan and its general distrust of the land and those who chose to live upon it, any attempt to suggest alternatives was met with dismissive contempt. There was no convincing the crew or his father of seeking out new routes or new means of survival; none would budge from the safety of what they knew or the lanes they so often travelled.

It was a soul-crushing time for the young Biqaj, and one he felt he would never surface from. With whispers of mutiny on the crew's lips, Pyrre finally caught his first break after stopping in at Foster’s Landing, the port south of Etzos. He chanced upon a merchant eager to seek passage for himself, his product and his entourage, and who seemed happy to spend as many nels as he could in the process as a display of his new found wealth.

Pyrre was not his mother, and so the trip to Rharne (by way of Volta), was marred with uncomfortable moments between the crew and its bombastic passengers. However, it did grant him moments of escape as his interest grew in a woman the merchant kept on his arm. She was magnetic - from her gaze, to her toying smiles and her mere presence and energy, Pyrre was utterly entranced and pushed his luck on numerous occasions to steal a fleeting exchange of words. The woman’s Rakahi was convincing enough, and the pair shared teasing stories about the world and life. She single-handedly reignited the fire in him that had long since been doused by his responsibilities, rekindled that flame of hope and longing for more.

The impact of his brief encounter with the woman was so great that he felt as if the suns had been snuffed out once she and the rest of the group disembarked. All became colourless and numb once more as he prepared the ship with the rest of the crew for the next leg of the route. So when the large, silent man that had been acting as her guard approached the evening before they were to set sail, Pyrre froze and found himself once more conflicted as the guard relayed a message from the woman. An invitation: of company - of adventure.

Pyrre met with the pair and, after a night of deep drinking and discussing, was left dizzy with the prospect. Join them. Go with them to this far away place in the north called Viden. Take part in expeditions and exploits into the unknown.

Everything she spoke was what he wanted to hear.

And he was helpless to resist.

It was not a small feat to approach his father the following morning, in the predawn haze, with what he was going to say. The young Biqaj had rehearsed it over and over again the night before but now, standing before the intimidating captain, his confidence poured out of him. Whatever he had planned to say escaped him but he did manage to express his wishes: Grant me leave to do this one thing.

His father was fury incarnate.

He roared and lashed out, verbally denounced him and stripped him of the Zor’tosa name and banned him from his ship - the only place Pyrre had ever known as home.

Now Ej’qy, clanless, and with nothing but the clothes on his back, he returned to the pair, suddenly aware and overcome with the feeling of loss, of being set adrift because he chose two strangers and whimsy over his namesake and clan.

To their credit, the pair held up their end of the bargain. The journey north was not without dangers, nor was the expedition Pyrre and the Lotharro set out on.

It was there Pyrre felt the consequences of his actions the most. It was there, on the frozen waters on the Hollow Sea, that he faced Chrien. It was there his life was forever changed, where he was maimed and robbed of his leg and cursed by the Immortal of Spite.

It was a miracle he survived, and a miracle that the trio managed to acquire the ruined sloop that was the scene of that traumatic event, as well as passage to the east - to Scalvoris.

[Pyrre Ej'qy]

Pyrre's beliefs stem from his experiences at sea and his understanding of the balance of life and the place the Immortals have in it.

Ufrek

As a Biqaj, sailor and son of a Seira'ja follower, his relationship with and faith in the Immortal U'frek is perhaps the strongest. He views the Ocean Father as just that, a father of his race and the seas upon which he had spent the bulk of his life. Although Pyrre holds knowledge of the Book of Mekta, he, himself, has yet to follow in his mother's footsteps to become a dedicated member of the Seira'ja, and it was never forced upon him. Instead, his mother encouraged him to develop his own relationship with the Immortal and, as such, his faith is more casual and natural. He finds peace on U'frek's waters, doing as his kind were meant to, and values the ability to sail and live upon such a perilous and disputed domain. His faith, however, is being severely tested following the event that led to the loss of his leg and he currently feels abandoned and left adrift.

Xiur

Xiur, the Star Walker, is held in nearly as high a regard as his Immortal sibling. Just as Pyrre values and is grateful for his time upon the seas, he is just as grateful of the night sky and the stars which not only act as invaluable navigational tools, but also companions. It was his father who first introduced him to the Immortal and the story of how Xiur gifted their people the stars, teaching them their names and how to use them on their journeys. Pyrre finds joy and inspiration in the starry skies and the stories one could learn from them.

Treid

Much like his introduction to U'frek and Xiur, Pyrre's understanding of Treid came from the Immortal's domain over the moons and the huge cultural significance these celestial bodies have on the ocean and tides. Like Xiur's stars, the Moonbearer's three moons serve as Pyrre's companions, helping his get through long, dark nights. Their movements paired with the Biqaj being a curious being who enjoys all things different and new lead to him appreciating the Immortal's domains of knowledge and longing and inevitably served as a catalyst to get Pyrre to where he is now.

Chrien

Chrien is a name he fears more than respects, and views any storm or heavy sea conditions as her creation. While his parents tried steering him towards understanding the Immortal's place and merit in their world, Pyrre never felt it worth paying the Seascourge any deference, instead viewing her vindictive ministrations and fury as hinderances to his people's way of life.

[Pyrre Ej'qy]

Rusalkis - Hated
Pyrre had the misfortune of crossing paths with the very tempestuous Seascourge while in the frozen waters off Viden. It was there she chose to curse him and mark him as a Hated of Rusalkis, preferring to leave the Biqaj wishing for death rather than smiting him, herself. She is the reason he only has one leg, ruining the other before she left the mark of her curse - the angry, stormy waves that shift around his torso - on his being.

Curse Story

Approved here

Something felt amiss.

The cog carrying the expedition crew creaked as it came to, square sails flapping flimsily as they lost the wind. And then near silence, even as the frigid and choppy waters of the Hollow Sea lapped at the ship’s sides.

It was an eerie thing. Surreal. The area around them seemingly suspended in a white fog that hid the Dead Hills from view. Bits of white, fluffy snow dropped lazily about in a way that, in any other situation, might seem serene. But this was a wild place, dangerous and relatively uncharted, so even harmless snowflakes sent shivers down spines.

The sound reached them before anything else - of wood clacking against wood. The sloop this noise came from slowly followed, emerging from the hazey white of their surroundings like a spectre. The rocky shoreline peaked out from the distance as the cog drifted closer towards
both, captain and crew drawing the larger vessel as close to the sloop as they could without endangering their ship.

Pyrre secured his line and then moved towards the portside railing, pale blue eyes nearly white from curiosity as they fixed on the sloop.

“That looks like the scout’s ship”, spoke the Videnese expedition lead, Orias, as he moved alongside the younger Biqaj.

Pyrre didn’t quite understand all that had been said, but he also hadn’t been fully paying attention. He was fixated on the ship and couldn’t shake the wrongness of it, his eyes continuing to survey the smaller vessel as it rocked with each passing wave. His eyes passed over the length of the ship until they reached the bow and -

“The bow sprit-”.

The words fell out in a jumble of Rakahi just as he noticed the damage and he struggled to get out the Common equivalent, “Bow, look. Broke end.” He gestured in a manner to indicate the long bow sprit at the front of the vessel, hand turning and then dropping down abruptly, adding, “End. Broke off.” for emphasis.

Orias fixed his eyes on where the Biqaj indicated and frowned before straightening, “They’re likely ashore after taking that damage.” He turned and called out to the crew and captain, “Captain Yates, may we ready the boats to go ashore?”

The captain, a gnarled human woman who looked like she had weathered her fair share of storms hesitated, eyes turning up to the sky then out towards the white nothingness. Her crew - consisting of mostly huge Ellune men and women and a few weathered humans, also seemed hesitant.

“That ship ain’t secured, Orias, and those scouts weren’t Ellune. They would ‘ave froze t’death after bein’ in this water.” Captain Yates’ voice was nasally yet firm, and the grimness of this discovery only hardened her words, “I want to secure that sloop first, lest it drift into me own ship. I’m not losing me ship or me crew for your endeavour, Orias - Yvithia be damned.”

_________

A pregnant pause had followed the crashing thud that sounded as the gangplank had connected with the smaller vessel. No order came, and none of the ship’s resident crew looked eager to board. Pyrre’s curiosity got the best of him, however, and he promptly hopped up onto the gangplank, crossed it, and then dropped down into the sloop.

Turning to glance back at the cog, he realised none had followed and, for a moment, his nerves nearly got the best of him. However, he gathered himself and began to do a quick survey of the deck as he moved towards the stern with the intent on setting the rudder and dropping the sloop’s anchor. He hadn’t gone three paces before he saw it - a large chunk taken out of the low, starboard railing. He froze at the sight of the splintered, virgin wood but then steeled himself once more and, with brow narrowed in concentration, he moved closer to investigate.

Just to the side of the missing chunk were thick, claw-like marks bore deep into the railing. The Biqaj sailor had no notion of what sort of creature could have caused such significant damage, but the thought of it made his blood go cold.

A thud sounded as Ymbre, the large Lotharro, dropped down in the sloop, his weight causing it to rock. Pyrre snapped his attention towards the larger man and watched as the Lotharro struggled to find his balance, looking sheepish in the process. He eventually advanced, his actions prompting Orias to also venture out onto the sloop. The added weight, bodies and eyes only made Pyrre all the more edgy.

“Geez,” remarked the expedition lead as he noticed the damage.

Pyrre took this opportunity, “Explain me dangers here - uhm - in north waters?” He hated his limited Common.

“Dangers? You mean do I know what could have caused this damage?”

Pyrre nodded.

“There are some Mer this far north, and Jognuwr can get aggressive if they feel their young are threatened..” Orias supplied.

Pyrre shook his head. As a Biqaj, he had never had a poor encounter with a Mer. But this Jognuwr? “Jog-nur - has claws?”

Orias shook his head.

Then, in a near unnatural display, the wind suddenly changed direction, heralded by biting bits of snow and a terrible crack as it caught the larger vessel’s sails. The sea shifted and lurched beneath the two ships, resulting in frenetic cries as the crew of the cog scrambled to regain control.

The small, crippled sloop rocked dangerously over the frothy peaks, toppling the large Lotharro and Orias. Pyrre, having crouched, felt himself pitched clear over the large gash he had been inspecting and into the angry frozen sea.

More shouts, more chaos. A shrill exchange between Orias and the cog’s gnarled captain, the expedition lead full of desperation as the larger vessel began to turn away to sail out of the oncoming storm.

Pyrre heard nothing of it - just the silence of the churning sea around him as he kicked and pulled and fought to find the surface that looked forever out of reach.

And then pain.

He would never have the words to articulate what it was he felt in that moment. His joints, his muscles, his entire being jolted with pressure as a noise too foreign to the watery world he found himself in invaded his senses. It pierced his mind, sounding both within his very skull and in snatches all around. It pinned him in place.

There, suspended in the churning wake of the storm, a voice filled his mind, engulfing his very reality. Voice was generous, as it was more like a mix of a roaring gale, the grinding of stone and the crack of splintering wood rather than actual words. But the noise created meaning somehow within him.

“Biqaj.”

The sounds were terrifying in this voice and vibrated through him.

“Wretched, pathetic creature,” it bellowed, the feeling echoing and pounding throughout his being, “daring to claim my seas.”

“You are weak.”

The sound smashed into him, doubling him over and knocking the wind from him. He felt the loathing and bile of the voice roil through him as his lungs filled with salt water. He wanted to move, wanted to get away, yet he remained frozen in place, at the mercy of whatever it was that had him in its grip.

Pyrre’s reality spun as he felt a tug from above. A solid hand had seized a handful of his coat and tunic and worked to tug him to the surface and, but for a moment, the painful invisible grip that had him in its clutches ceased.

True, real, physical pain burst through him as something huge lashed out and caught his right calf, hooking it with unseen claws. He tried to scream but there was no air left in his lungs. Then that inexplicable feeling returned, filling him to the point he might burst.

The voice flared over and through him, then, malicious and cruel, “Worthless thing.”

The claws dug deeper still and then, with a suddenness, raked down, making ribbons of his mortal flesh. “How easy it would be to kill you..” the voice boomed and cracked, “I would rather have you beg for such relief.”

Pyrre felt something strike his body; the burning sensation forked and jolted across his torso, searing her mark upon his flesh.

“I curse you, weakling. Long may you suffer.”

Then, just as quickly as the storm had formed, the sea and skies began to calm. The terrifying grip that had held him slipped away in what felt like every direction and that surreal, spellbound pain gave way to true agony, then shock, then black nothingness as his limp, mangled form was dragged up out of the waters.

The last of Chrien’s words echoed deep in his subconsciousness, never to be forgotten.

[Pyrre Ej'qy]

Starting Package: Seafarer's Pack

Wardrobe

One poor quality outfit [SP]:

• Long sleeved hemp shirt discoloured from salt and sweat and threadbare at the elbows, wrists and shoulders
• Weather-worn and salt-stained jute pants that fall just below the knee
• Simple jute vest that looks comparatively fresh if not oversized
• Wax canvas hooded cape
• Various scraps of ruined material and offcuts of rope and netting from his ship worn as decoration or as belts
• A single half-ruined shoe

One basic quality outfit [SP]:

• Long sleeved cotton shirt
• Simple hide trousers - right leg shortened
• Weathered linen sash with frayed ends
• Thick braided hemp belt
• Sealskin coat
• A single battered boot

Accessories

One set of poor+ quality jewellery [SP]:

• Beaded necklace: Short braided hemp cord threaded with bits of copper, crude clay beads and shells
• Braided necklace: Simple medium length braided leather and hemp necklace
• Marlinspike pendant: Old, bone carved marlinspike on a long length of leather

Armament

Basic quality leather armor [SP]
Poor+ quality harpoons (2) [SP]

Miscellaneous

Toiletries [SP]
Crutch [SP]
Peg Leg Prosthesis [SP]
Poor quality map of Treid's Mouth

Heirloom:
Steel Cutlass: Simple in its design, this curved basic+ blade was found within the belly of his sloop. Its worn leather scabbard is dotted with three small, smooth aventurine stones on each side of which Pyrre covets more than the blade, itself.

[Pyrre Ej'qy]

Clothing

Cavani's Cloak -

This cloak shimmers a soft color in complete darkness that echoes that of the wearer’s aura. While this item does little to protect against weapons, its strange ability of heating an individual up or cooling them down (depending on the season) makes it an interesting keepsake. [Purchased with PBP]

Lucky Charm -

A small lucky charm - kind of like a real life monopoly-piece - in the shape of a battered looking hat

[Pyrre Ej'qy]

Port of Call: Synnefa Bay, Tangar, Viden
Current Home Port: Port Diablo, Almund, Scalvoris

A rather sad and weather-worn wooden ship in dire need of repairs, the Shiver acts as both Pyrre's home and mode of transportation. It is a simple, single-masted sloop with a mainsail and jib rigged fore and aft currently moored in Almund at Port Diablo. This sloop has hold and living quarters under the main deck with a single bed, table, chair, storage chest, and shelf. Despite the current state of it, the Shiver is capable of carrying up to four people and is still sea-worthy - as long as it sticks to coastlines. More info and changelog here.

Ship Items

Gangplank [SP]
Anchor [SP]
Mooring hook [SP]
Enough rope, rigging, maintenance supplies, etc for one Cycle [SP]

Tools

Fishing kit, poor+ quality [SP]
Navigation kit, poor+ quality [SP]
Shipwrighting kit, poor+ quality [SP]
Cartography kit, poor+ quality [SP]
Sighting lens [SP]
Compass [SP]

Miscellaneous

Plates (6) [SP]
Eating knives (2) [SP]
Fish Smoker [SP]
Lantern & oil [SP]

[Pyrre Ej'qy]

Memory Threads

Date	Title	Status	Notes
81 Ymiden 713	Pelagic Playground	Reviewed	Solo
81 Ymiden 713	Pelagic Playground II	Reviewed	Solo
81 Ymiden 713	Pelagic Playground III	Reviewed	Solo

Vhalar 722

Date	Title	Status	Notes
1	Always the First...	Placeholder	Solo
2	In the Deep End	Reviewed	Collab
8	Blind Disregard	Reviewed	Solo
8	Keyframe	Reviewed	Solo
8	Keyframe II	Placeholder	Solo
31	Something Wicked This Way Comes	Reviewed	Halloween Special
48	Roads are for Landlubbers	Placeholder	Solo
49	Alphabet Soup	Placeholder	Solo
49	Winsome, Lose Some	Reviewed	Collab
49	Where'd She Go?	Reviewed	Collab
50	Monachopsis	Active	Collab
90	Spring Tides Sprung (a Leak)	Reviewed	Solo
90	The Ebb and Flood of Focus	Reviewed	Solo
90	Coming and Going like the Tides	Reviewed	Solo
91	Cast Off the Rust	Reviewed	Solo
91	Cast Off the Rust II [WT]	Reviewed	Solo
92	The Skies are Alive with the Sound of Music	Active	Collab
105	Revenge of the Hollow Queen	Abandoned - Submitted	Collab

Zida 722

Date	Title	Status	Notes
1	Making a Connection [WT]	Active	Solo
15	A Bone to Pick	Reviewed	Collab
18	The Lost Echo	Abandoned	Collab
30	Come in from the Cold	Active	Solo
30	A Messy Arrangement	Placeholder	Solo
42	Saoire Event - Receiving	Reviewed	Collab
42	Saoire Event - Giving	Active	Collab

Cylus 723

Date	Title	Status	Notes
1	Not Good	Reviewed	Solo
1	Still Not Good [WT]	Active	Solo
5	A Different Way to Stay Warm	Active	Solo

Ashan 723

Date

Title

Status

Notes

Ymiden 723

Date

Title

Status

Notes

Saun 723

Date

Title

Status

Notes

Starter Quest

A Most (Un)Fortunate Albatross:

A night spent in cups at an Almund gambling den should have been uneventful, for the most part. Everyone coming through the den for the most part ignored Pyrre in his corner. That was until when he took another sip, upending his mug to finish off his drink, something solid caught on the back of his throat. For a few trills, coughing, and sputtering, nobody did anything to bother with the strange, crippled biqaj. That is until a very beautiful human woman arrived through the miasma of smoke and beer smell. She came right up behind Pyrre, and after a solid thwap to the upper back, caused him to cough up whatever had caused him to choke.

She quirked a brow, and if he followed her gaze to the top of the table, he'd see why she was surprised. There, a shiny onyx nel was lying on the table. Before he could react, she snatched it up, remarking to Pyrre, "Rum luck!". That might've been it, and perhaps Pyrre would've been content for her to walk away and leave him alone, except she took him up by the arm, and said, "You'll be my lucky albatross tonight, Rummy. Let's have some fun."

So she spent the onyx, buying into one game after another. Pyrre didn't partake in the games but watched on as the woman won game after game. Bit by bit, break after another into the dark of night she and Pyrre gamed and drank, until at last in a drunken stupor, she invited him to her inn room across town. "Care to try your luck, Albatross?"

Whatever he does from that point, is Pyrre's to decide. Who is this woman, and what does she want with Pyrre?

Should you undertake this starting quest, you may apply for a reward of 1 WP at its completion and review request, linking back to this wiki entry that it's approved as a non-wealth thread wp award.

(Starting Quests are totally optional. You're not obliged to undertake them. They're merely meant as a jumping off point for new characters.)

[Pyrre Ej'qy]

Skill	Total	Knowledges	Proficiency
Seafaring [FT]	51 / 100	22	Expert
-	-	-	-
Detection	30 / 250	21	Competent
Investigation	30 / 250	16	Competent
Navigation	45 / 250	14	Competent
Socialisation [RB]	26 / 250	21	Competent
-	-	-	-
Athletics	5 / 250	6	Novice
Cartography	5 / 250	4	Novice
Combat: Unarmed	5 / 250	1	Novice
Deception	5 / 250	1	Novice
Discipline	10 / 250	9	Novice
Endurance	15 / 250	11	Novice
Field Craft	5 / 250	4	Novice
Intelligence	5 / 250	1	Novice
Intimidation	5 / 250	1	Novice
Linguistics	5 / 250	3	Novice
Logistics	10 / 250	8	Novice
Medicine	0 / 250	3	Novice
Psychology	5 / 250	7	Novice
Resistance	10 / 250	12	Novice
Seduction	5 / 250	2	Novice
Strength	5 / 250	2	Novice
Swimming	5 / 250	3	Novice

Knowledges Tracked in UCP

Athletics (5)

1. Athletics: Climbing a rope ladder to board a ship
2. Athletics: Getting around on one foot by hopping
3. Athletics: Lengthening and moving an amputated limb to work out a cramp
4. Athletics: Knowing your physical and spatial limitations as an amputee
5. Athletics: Using your crutch and peg as leverage while your muscles keep you upright

Deception (1)

1. Deception: Changing the conversation to hide a lie

Detection (12)

1. Detection: Scanning an area for threats and dangers [SP]
2. Detection: Spotting the difference between land and sea birds [SP]
3. Detection: It's quiet and peaceful underwater during calm seas
4. Detection: Spotting bubbles made by shellfish under the sand
5. Detection: Noticing an act done in your favour
6. Detection: Noticing changes in a companion's behaviour
7. Detection: Discovering a secret compartment behind a false panel
8. Detection: Water movements can indicate signs of a leaky hull
9. Detection: Using the wrack line as a guide when reading tides
10. Detection: Feeling the music even if you don't understand the words
11. Detection: Noticing the confidence of a thief
12. Detection: Detecting a familiar flavour in an unfamiliar dish

Discipline (7)

1. Discipline I (Pig Boy Starting Reward Knowledge)
2. Discipline II (Pig Boy Starting Reward Knowledge)
3. Discipline III (Pig Boy Starting Reward Knowledge)
4. Discipline IV (Pig Boy Starting Reward Knowledge)
5. Discipline V (Pig Boy Starting Reward Knowledge)
6. Discipline: Persevering to get your point across despite distractions
7. Discipline: The drive to finish what you started despite how futile it all feels
8. Discipline: Forcing focus elsewhere to distract yourself from the present

Endurance (9)

1. Endurance: Straining to hold a line in strong winds [SP]
2. Endurance: Pushing through exhaustion and fatigue [SP]
3. Endurance I (Pig Boy Starting Reward Knowledge)
4. Endurance II (Pig Boy Starting Reward Knowledge)
5. Endurance III (Pig Boy Starting Reward Knowledge)
6. Endurance IV (Pig Boy Starting Reward Knowledge)
7. Endurance V (Pig Boy Starting Reward Knowledge)
8. Endurance: Staying submerged until your lungs burn
9. Endurance: Repeated bending and climbing is exhausting - especially with one leg

Field Craft (4)

1. Field Craft: Rocky tidal areas are a great place to forage for shellfish
2. Field Craft: Keep foraged shellfish in salt water to keep them fresh
3. Field Craft: How to check if foraged shellfish is fresh and good to eat
4. Field Craft: Use a knife to pry open foraged shellfish

Intelligence (1)

1. Intelligence: Alyra: A contact for a different type of 'good time' and where to find her

Investigation (6)

1. Investigation: Trust your gut instinct [SP]
2. Investigation: Process of elimination [SP]
3. Investigation: Ask questions until you get firm answers
4. Investigation: Elaborate on what you know when seeking clarification
5. Investigation: Making sense of the information you have
6. Investigation: Using past experiences to come to a conclusion

Linguistics (3)

1. Linguistics: Common: the word for pail
2. Linguistics: Common: The word Outsider
3. Linguistics: Knowing words and understanding how they’re used in context are two different things

Logistics (5)

1. Logistics: Coming up with a plan
2. Logistics: When in doubt, keep it simple and start with the easiest tasks
3. Logistics: Prioritising what needs to be done during a time sensitive situation
4. Logistics: Identifying potential issues that might negatively impact a course of action
5. Logistics: Prepare yourself with necessary materials and provisions

Navigation (13)

1. Navigation: When in doubt - follow the coast line [SP]
2. Navigation: Tides are influenced by the three moons (Zilis, Rahkrii and Telva)[SP]
3. Navigation: Following a course on a map [SP]
4. Navigation: Making use of a compass [SP]
5. Navigation: Using the sun(s) to determine direction [SP]
6. Navigation: Visually aligning pairs of landmarks to help sail in a straight line [SP]
7. Navigation: Sighting land birds in the sky means land is near [SP]
8. Navigation: Daily bird flight patterns can help determine direction [SP]
9. Navigation: Follow migratory birds when in open water to find land [SP]
10. Navigation: Using Rivor, the blue north star, and Vihara, the white moving star, to understand direction [SP]
11. Navigation: Basic understanding of wave behaviour and patterns [SP]
12. Navigation: Using the movement and position of known celestial bodies to locate an area
13. Navigation: Formulating a chart to track the ebb and flood of local tides

Psychology (4)

1. Psychology: Dealing with a trigger word and its effects
2. Psychology: Grounding effects of a companion's actions
3. Psychology: Reaching an understanding that 'it is what it is'
4. Psychology: Picking up on the meaning behind a companion's habits

Resistance (8)

1. Resistance I (Pig Boy Starting Reward Knowledge)
2. Resistance II (Pig Boy Starting Reward Knowledge)
3. Resistance III (Pig Boy Starting Reward Knowledge)
4. Resistance IV (Pig Boy Starting Reward Knowledge)
5. Resistance V (Pig Boy Starting Reward Knowledge)
6. Resistance: Cheap ale bloats more than buzzes
7. Resistance: Needing booze to fight off intense feelings
8. Resistance: Enduring the second-hand smoke of drugs

Seafaring (12)

1. Seafaring: Fore-and-aft rig basics [SP]
2. Seafaring: Square rig basics [SP]
3. Seafaring: Common sailing knots [SP]
4. Seafaring: Parts of a ship [SP]
5. Seafaring: How to sail with a crew [SP]
6. Seafaring: Understanding points of sail [SP]
7. Seafaring: Sail trimming basics [SP]
8. Seafaring: Finding a safe place to anchor [SP]
9. Seafaring: Basic sail management to keep control in heavy conditions [SP]
10. Seafaring: Choose open water over shallows during heavy weather [SP]
11. Seafaring: A regularly maintained ship is easier to sail [SP]
12. Seafaring: Ship’s bell rings every halfbreak during a watch for a total of eight rings - or four rings during dogwatch

Seduction (1)

1. Seduction: Using light touches and eyebrow waggles to persuade

Socialisation (13)

1. Socialisation: Using non-verbal cues [SP]
2. Socialisation: Stories bring people together [SP]
3. Socialisation: Understanding use of tone [SP]
4. Socialisation: The basic art of negotiation [SP]
5. Socialisation: Exaggeration flavours a tale [SP]
6. Socialisation: Affection and humor can lighten a heavy topic
7. Socialisation: Using witty rhetoric and logic to persuade
8. Socialisation: Using gestures to add meaning to words
9. Socialisation: Requesting others to speak slowly so you can understand what's being said
10. Socialisation: Expressing displeasure
11. Socialisation: Diffusing a situation with a gentle look and touch
12. Socialization: Using metaphors to calm and convince
13. Socialization: Feeling confident in determining the meaning of something based on how it’s used in conversation

Strength (1)

1. Strength: Pushing yourself up to your feet after a near fall

Swimming (3)

1. Swimming: Using your arms to pull and legs to kick to get you to the surface
2. Swimming: Easier to surface when you have something to push off of
3. Swimming: Staying afloat by treading water

Non-Skill

1. Creation Legends: Biqaj [HI]
2. Customs & Traditions: Biqaj [HI]
3. Immortal: Chrien [HI]
4. Immortal: Treid [HI]
5. Immortal: U'frek [HI]
6. Immortal: Xiur [HI]
7. Location: Scalvoris [HI]
8. Race: Mer [HI]
9. The Orm'del Sea: Meridian Main trade routes [HI]
10. The Orm'del Sea: Frigid Main trade routes [HI]

Note Only starting skills and knowledges listed. All progress to be tracked in UCP

[Pyrre Ej'qy]

Record Keeping Done in UCP

Thread/Skill	Adjustment	Total
[Racial Bonus] Socialisation	+25	0
[Starting Skill] Navigation	+26	0
[Starting Skill] Seafaring	+26	0
[Starting Skill] Detection	+10	0
[Starting Skill] Endurance	+10	0
[Starting Skill] Investigation	+10	0
[Pig Boy Approval] Discipline	+5	0
[Pig Boy Approval] Endurance	+5	0
[Pig Boy Approval] Resistance	+5	0
Pelagic Playground I	+10	10
Pelagic Playground II	+10	20
Pelagic Playground III	+10	30
A Bone to Pick	+15	45
Swimming	-5	40
Socialisation	-1	39
Seafaring	-5	34
Psychology	-5	29
Logistics	-5	24
Field Craft	-5	19
Detection	-4	15
Athletics	-5	10
Spring Tides	+10	20
Detection	-7	13
Seafaring	-13	0
Ebb and Flood	+10	10
Detection	-5	5
Endurance	-5	0
Coming and Going	+10	10
Linguistics	-5	5
Seduction	-5	0

Current Wealth Tier: Tier 2
Current Wealth Skill: Seafaring [Competent]
Profession: Sailor [Non-wage earning]

Thread/Item	Adjustment	Total WP
Starting Package	Tier 2 (6 WP)	6
Cast Off the Rust II	+1 WP	7
Saoire Gifting Event Comission	-1 WP	6

Thread/Event	Renown	Total
Starting Renown [CS Approval - Pig Boy]	20	20
Something Wicked...	5	25

Note Only starting skills, wealth and renown listed. All progress to be tracked in UCP