• Closed • Darkness, Under the Light of Yldria

[Yanahalqah]

Saun 38 of Arc 720

Bright white light. Intense and blinding. It bounced around, reflected in the multi-faceted wall of the building. Everything around shimmered and sparkled like diamond. Yana shielded her face with a hand, though it helped very little. It too bent the light, sending it to dance in multiple rainbow colours. She needed a moment to register where she was. Uleuda. Yldria. The center of the crystal city, where all Yludih entered when they visited Uleuda. Though she couldn’t see them, Yana was acutely aware of other bodies appearing within the light, walking off in the direction where the light dimmed. She followed.

She did not recall falling asleep. In fact, she did not remember going to her room to collapse into a soft bed. Instead there had been papers. Stacks upon towering stacks of them, all waiting for her to read them, approve them, and send them to the next person. She’d been falling behind on the administration, having insisted to join her subordinates for a morning patrol that ended up continuing well into the afternoon due to…an unforeseen encounter. Which, of course, had added more paperwork.

In front of her, multiple Yludih bodies roughly hewn from glass-like crystals became visible. More shadows played among them, the brightness of Yldria no longer as intense as before. A portal appeared, a vista of the city beyond --the central square of Uleuda-- coming into view. Out into the crystal world she stepped, greeted with friendly and welcoming words from the Yludih on greeting duty.

One set of welcoming words came from the form of a thin and brittle looking Yludih who had been waiting for quite some time, although he wouldn’t tell her that. He smiled when he saw her appear, finally. They were wearing the same clothes, like every other Yludih ever. He approached her for a few steps and then halted, waiting for her to adjust to Uleuda. He had no real way of telling when that was the case so instead he simply waited, in clear sight, for her to notice him and start heading for him.

He’d been here for some time already, he wasn’t sure how much exactly, but he remembered going out to the courtyard to look at the sunset, all bundled up in furs and blankets to keep the cold from bothering him too much. Apparently, it had bothered him so little he’d fallen asleep there. He figured it would be fine for a few breaks before going back out into Idalos and get into a proper bed.

“You’re here.” He said as she approached him, as if he had to confirm it to her. Or as if he had to confirm it to himself. He felt nervous. Did he sound nervous? Were his chimes off? It had been some time since he’d last spoken with her. It had been a very relieving conversation for him. He’d lost a lot of weight off of his shoulders that night.

“I’m here,” she confirmed, smiling through her words. “Did you wait for me? I’m sorry I’m a little late.” Was she? Yana wasn’t too certain what time it was on Idalos right now. Everything was a bit of a blur.

He shook his head at her question. “I just got here a little while ago. Not to worry.”

A relieved crackle. “I actually forgot about today. I wasn’t going to show up.”
Sin raised a curious eyebrow, although only he would ever know about it. “Oh? How come you’re here then?” It stung more than he had expected to hear those words from her.

“I fell asleep. I didn’t think I was that exhausted…” She produced a helpless shrug. “I’m really sorry, I’ve been swamped recently, so I haven’t had much time to not think about work.”

A relieved smile, equally invisible as the eyebrows. “Seems like Aelig intends for us to be here this trial.” There was mirth in his voice as he spoke. She scoffed at the statement, as she always did. Which only made him smile more. It was good to know that despite all the changes between them and within them, some things hadn’t changed since their first meeting.

“Either way, I don’t mean to make excuses. I’m sorry I forgot, and I’m glad I still made it. You’ve got...” Yana frowned as she tried to guess at the time again. “Well, several hours to be the only thing on my mind, so I hope that’s enough to make up for it.”

He held out his hand to her. Despite some things not changing, others had. He needed the contact to make sure she was real. Not that holding her hand alone was enough but it helped to confirm things. Despite his best attempts, or maybe because of his constant trying, he still hadn’t gotten over all of it. So he extended a hand and waited for her to hold it. He didn’t really care anymore if that drew attention or not. Those that knew them had long ago guessed at their relationship and those that didn’t were just faceless, nameless hunks of crystal to him anyway.

Yana let her fingers intertwine with his, holding him firmly yet gently. Palm against palm, thumbs overlapping. “Where to? You get to choose this time, unless you really don’t want to?” She really didn’t mind having him hold on to her. Perhaps if it had been anyone else, but not Sintih. In a way, this felt like progress.

“I want to. But first a little piece of business first.” He gave her hand a soft squeeze. “You have an appointment to make with the Monk, before you forget. You missed your last one.”

Something between a sigh and a groan --a cacophony of chimes and cracking noises-- escaped her. If she could, she’d have made a face. “I’m not here for the monk though. He won’t mind if I push today’s appointment a bit further back.” A very hypocritical statement coming from someone who had always preached about the importance of showing up to your appointments. Preferably in a punctual manner.

“You said I could choose. It’ll only take a bit. Just go and do him the courtesy of rescheduling. I promise I’ll take you somewhere nice once it’s done.” He laughed. There wasn’t really any variety in what you could find in Uleuda so wherever he promised to take her would count as both nice and plain at the same time.

Well, she couldn’t argue with that logic. Rescheduling was a basic courtesy. The monk deserved that much, at the very least. “Fine. To the monk first then. Quicky reschedule, make a different appointment. How long can it take?”

[Sintih]

It took two full hours.

Although most of that time was spent trying to find him first, the actual rescheduling took about a bit, as Sin had estimated. Then another thirty minutes passed while the monk voiced his displeasure of her skipping the last session, and the importance of regular follow-up sessions for sensitive matters concerning the mind. Sintih himself did not escape the overly helpful monk’s attention either. His condition had not gone overlooked during his infrequent visits after an arc of absence from Uleuda. The monk wanted to make sure the thin Yludih was doing as ‘fine’ as he said he was, to the point of annoyance.

Still, neither could fault the fellow for caring.

“Right. I apologize for that.” Sintih said as they’d left the crystal house the Monk used for meeting others. “I really thought it would be a few bits at most. I guess he’s really worried about us.” Again hand in hand, the two Yludih walked through the inner streets of Uleuda.

“Honestly, that’s probably the reason I keep showing up to the sessions. He feels genuine. He doesn’t judge. Maybe you should go see him too every once in a while. Vent a little if I’m not available.”

It wasn’t a bad idea, per se. It was simply that Sintih already had a handful of doctors looking after him in Idalos and he didn’t really want to add another one to the list for Uleuda as well. Although, he did basically use Yana for that whenever she was available and he’d had an annoying or difficult day so maybe it would be better to get someone professional involved. “I’ll think about it.” He said. “Some other time. For now, it’s just you and me. We just need to pick up some new crystal pieces I ordered and then it’s time to taste defeat.”

“Yes, time for you to taste defeat, I agree.” She nodded sagely.

“Someone will be tasting defeat, that’s for sure. We’ll see who’s doing the tasting when we’re done.” Another squeeze and then he started to lead her towards the craftsman where he’d put in his order.

“Please,” she said with a wave of her free hand, then turned her head to face him. “I see right through you. You’ll need to take some extreme measures and exploit some serious left-field strategies to beat me, whether I’m tired or not.”

“Aha!” He chimed, softly, pleasantly. “You’re already expecting the left-field ones so it’s a good thing I prepared an array of right-field measures this time.” He made his chimes sound suspicious, a little edge of a lie in there to throw her off. Not that he really expected much from his strategies. He’d not played for a very long time and had definitely lost his edge, something she’d pointed out to him by winning several game nights in a row.

She chuckled, the sound ringing out like crystal bells. “I expect nothing, but consider everything.” For a couple moments, she left it at that. Then she added: “Well, why don’t I play with a handicap tonight? I’ll send my spearmen down the middle of the board if it’s a forest or mountainous terrain. And if it’s a thin pass, it’ll be the cavalry.”

“Oh, no, no, no. There will be no handicapping. I don’t want you to have an out for when I have you taste defeat later. I won’t have you claiming I won because of a handicap. It’s either all or nothing. I see right through your mind games, little conqueror.” Sin shook his head excessively as he spoke, sounding quite amused at the whole conversation. Somehow, he didn’t think he’d mind if he lost again. He’d held a victorious record of several arcs before meeting Yana so he regarded the whole thing as a new experience. Although, perhaps the experience was getting a little old now.

“Well, it’s your loss.” There was a noticeable grin in her voice. “Both literally and figuratively.”

About a break later, Sintih removed the last of his pieces from the board of a final brawl between his remaining pieces and a perfectly executed ambush on Yana’s part. “Alright, fine. Defeat tastes bad.” It was definitely getting a little old now.

“I told you I’d send spearmen down the middle!” She gifted him with a full blown bout of laughter, though most of it came from the memory of his surprised “Ah! You didn’t--” when she’d revealed those units during the game. She could vividly picture his face. Sour with the taste of defeat, yet amused by the boldness of her plan. That she’d told him her plan in advance and then actually gone through with it would have made him a little proud as well. And satisfied too. It’d been a great game after all, full of twists and turns, loss of units on both sides, small victories that battled for control of the board. Still while she would not admit it, this had been a close one. If Sin had pushed his archers into the middle forest instead of his swordsmen, he’d have dealt a formidable blow to Yana’s forces, and put a massive dent in her plan and chances to win.

“That’s enough losing for one night. How about we end the night with a quiet walk in the forest?” It was always quiet once you got away from other Yludih. Uleuda didn’t really have the ‘sounds of nature’ that most people expected from, well, nature. But it would give them some real privacy and perhaps a moment to connect, more so than the hand-holding ever could. Sin quickly collected his crystals in the pouch and set them aside. He could come and collect them later.

“That sounds wonderful. I came across a nice spot recently. I think it was in the western part? Secluded, but close to the wall. There’s some cover there as well.”

[Yanahalqah]

It was never difficult to reach the forest, despite the huge wall that separated it from the city of Uleuda. Rich in heavy gates and watchful Yludih guards, the defenses were meant to keep Nulliem out, not to keep the citizens in. There was no need to present some legal form or official crest to be allowed passage into the forest. No fee, no inspection. Only a couple words of warning if Nulliem had been seen in the area recently. The only time people were prevented from heading outside the wall was when the creatures of the void were unusually active, restlessly mounting mindless assaults on the crystal environment. When Ancients needed to be dispatched to deal with the threat.

Lucky for them, today was no such day. No guards blocked their path, no warnings were given when they strolled through the western gate. The Yludih on duty simply nodded, then returned to their idle conversation. One with a more defined mouth gave them a knowing smile as they passed. It seemed like this direction was popular among the more amorous of Yludih. If either Sintih or Yana noticed, they didn’t let it show, despite both of them being well aware of the western forest’s reputation.

Sintih let himself be pulled along as Yana guided them. He didn’t know of the particular spot she had in mind so he simply followed, holding onto her hand as if he could lose her the moment she would let go. Crystal trees grew abundantly here, with occasional crystal undergrowth filling the space between them. “Is this where you take all your boyfriends?” He chimed, jokingly yet probingly. He’d never asked her about that before.

Her initial reaction was one of denial, but she cut herself off before even a syllable had left her mouth. “Actually, yes,” she considered.

“Oh.” He chimed, sounding and feeling as if someone had just landed a hammer in his stomach. That definitely wasn’t what he had expected. Or hoped for. Was it because it was close to Uleuda? Or because it was out of sight, covered by the trees? Maybe she simply liked the place? Sin let out a meaningless chime which shivered with an undertone of badly hidden jealousy.

She poked him in the side of his torso as he did. “You’re turning green, Sintih.” Yana chuckled as if his change in mood didn’t bother her one bit. “You are all of my boyfriends.”

“Oh.” He chimed again, this time heavy with relief. “I knew that.” He added, too quickly to make it seem true.

“Mhmm. I’m sure you did.” She shook her head. When she’d first met him, Yana never would have guessed at Sintih’s quick to flare up bouts of jealousy. They blinded him to the obvious, dulling his otherwise sharp mind. It was endearing, in a way. Sometimes. “Oh, by the by, I’m coming to visit you soon.”

“How soon?” This time, impatience.

“Ehh,” her chimes were as elongated as they were hesitant. “Soon-ish? I’m not sure. I have some things to finish, but once they’re done… I did put in a request for a leave of absence. As long as no unexpected emergencies come up, it should be approved. Although that might take a while in and of itself. You know how they are.”

“Going by my own experiences with Rynmerian bureaucracy, that’s probably sometime next arc, if things go smoothly.” He smiled, unseen, and with it the hints of jealousy faded entirely.

“Something like that, yes.” A tingling of laughter. “But I’m hoping for next season.”

“Next season would be soon enough for me. I think I’ll be able to live without you for that much longer.”

“Don’t forget to add the time for me to actually travel there, too. I can’t Rupture my way to your side instantaneously like you can.”

“You know that offer is on the table. It’s been there for… I forgot how long now. You just have to let me teach you. It’ll be fun and it helps if either of us are trying to find the other in the future.” It would be fun, if nobody died during the initiation. He left that part out of it, though. Now wasn’t the time nor the place to discuss or debate the pros and cons of having a magical spark embedded into your soul by being flung through space by a half-assed Rupturer like himself. At least his mother had known what she’d been doing when she did it to him.

“Tempting as that sounds,” Yana began, sounding in no shape or form even slightly convinced, “I’d be painting a nice target on my own back for the Mantis to see. And they’re already breathing down my neck too frequently as it is. Honestly, dare to contradict their ideology, and you’re one step away from the pyre, mage or no.” Yana was fortunate to still be around, her refusal to hide her views on the topic having landed her in hot water several times. Her Etzori heritage had served as an acceptable excuse for a while, but it wouldn’t forever.

[Sintih]

“Those guys are still around, hmm? That silly boy still insists on hamstringing himself and his entire kingdom because of his paranoia…” Sin shook his head, remembering a past where he’d once been a proud Rynmerian himself, proud to be a member of such a prestigious kingdom. Now it was nothing more than a plague stricken island barely worth mentioning.

“Around and thriving, I’m afraid. Still in power, still acting as an extension of the King’s will. And still getting on my nerves because of it.” She sighed. “If I didn’t mind starting from zero, I’d probably have given up by now. Maybe take my chances elsewhere.”

“Elsewhere more northern where there is permanent snow, usually, and a particularly charming, and handsome, guy you know?”

“Well, that particularly charming and handsome guy I know is a definite plus, as is the University they have there. Unfortunately, I’m not too keen on the Mindreading Queen ruling the place.”

“Well, they all have their pros and cons. Constant breathing down your neck by anti magic zealots in one place, mind reading immortals in another. No place is perfect.” Sin shrugged. He hadn’t really dealt with that side of Viden since his return to society there, although he was pretty sure they were keeping an eye on him either way. He was a potential danger.

“True. Even Etzos is not immune. I’ve heard rumors of an Immortal taking up residence there too. Feels like the plague there made everyone lose their minds.” She sighed again, remembering an unpleasant memory. “Which reminds me, I actually will need to make you wait a bit longer after all. I need to go to Etzos first for a few days. Visit a grave.”

“Oh, yes, sure. Of course. Take all the time you need.” Sintih caught himself wondering what that was like, having parents who were actually dead-dead. All he had to do was go to sleep and there they were, within walking distance to help with anything and everything mental or spiritual that bothered him in Idalos. Physical aid was impossible but advice or contacts who could help were never ending. The perks of having been socialites throughout their entire lives.

If she were capable of it in her crystal form, she’d have smiled without mirth. “It’s been a year or so, and only recently are we again allowed to leave the island. It’s… I don’t know. I feel bad for not being able to be there during the burial. Like I failed somehow.”

“Please.” Sin interjected. “You didn’t fail anyone. If there’s anyone who has done more to try and help the situation than you, I have yet to hear about them.”

“I know! I know it’s not my fault. They didn’t let any ships leave the harbor, the portals have been shut down for arcs, I can’t magically teleport. It’s just that I feel that maybe I should have tried harder. Put in more effort. Like I gave up too soon.” She shook her head. “But apart from trying to swim across the ocean myself, I didn’t really have any options left. And I know that. Rationally, I’m aware that I’ve done what I could. But it doesn’t feel that way.”

Maybe it explained why she’d been burying herself in her work lately. Don’t think, just work. Push everything else out. A very Yana thing to do.

“You’re just overworked. Tell them to put a rush on that leave of absence request you put in.” Sin mustered what little leadership qualities he could manage these days to make his chimes vibrate with authority. After having been together with Yana for so long, he’d learned a trick or two to get her to do things. While he didn’t have any real authority over her, he’d learned that she seemed to respond better to authority when it came to these sorts of things. Things like it being ok to have missed a funeral because of a nation crippling plague, taking a day off when you were exhausted from weeks of non-stop work, or general self-care. Once a soldier, always a soldier.

“Maybe.” Her free hand brushed in the air, as if to brush away her words and the current mood. “Anyway, I didn’t mean to be a downer.”

“There’s no downing here. It was on your mind. Now you’ve shared it and I can help you shoulder that, however little help I can provide. Why don’t we step it up a little so we can find this spot of yours and I’ll help you calm down a little, relax a little. Take a load off your mind, at least.” Despite his best intentions, he wouldn’t be able to affect her physically, not in here. Especially not since they were actually several trials of travel away from each other in Idalos.

Yana gave his hand a little squeeze. “Thanks. Maybe I should listen to you more. Sometimes you say something halfway decent, and it’s the strangest thing. But yes, I’ll do that.”

“That sounds like a great idea. I’ve always known you were someone who’d see my genius.” He squeezed her hand back and then kissed her on the side of her head, just above where he imagined/remembered her ear to be. There wasn’t much kissing, really, more of a soft headbutt as the lower part of one head shaped crystal bumped into the upper part of the other head shaped crystal. It had been more a reflex in the moment than an actual Yludih show of affection. Being Ronan for so long had affected him more than he’d thought.

As he pulled away, he felt her stiffen under his touch. Crystals tensing, ready for action. Yana untangled her hand from his, her arm gently snaking in front of him, pushing him to a stop. Momentary confusion made way for realization that corroded the asterism. Before them, a large swathe of the crystal forest --trees, bushes, rocks and even the very ground itself-- was gone. Eaten away to the point where a miniature void now existed in the middle of the forest.

“What i-...” He stopped before more chimes left him. He knew exactly what, once his focus was on the darkness ahead. How had this happened? He’d never seen such a large hole of nothing in the middle of the light. At the edges, always, but this close to the walls, never. This was bad. Every tactical crystal in his body urged him to turn and run. Nothing was here.

Both pulled away from the darkness, recoiling as if it were a deadly trap. Fear and confusion took hold, the dangers of the creatures housed by the void etched into their hearts and minds by both experience and tales and etched into their very core by simply existing. Sintih turned away first, pulling at the tether that was their arms, drawing Yana away.

And stopped when he noticed something moving in the dark. A familiar shape barely visible, a silhouette that blended in perfectly with the void around it, as long as it didn’t move. It staggered towards them, making no sound as it did. The telltale sound of crystal being crushed into dust as it’s body passed through oddly absent, as there was no crystal left around it to consume. It’s swaying pattern of movement had something hypnotic, the creature dancing across the void as if it was a patch of ice. And then, before either of them realized, it was upon them. Silent and faster than either of them had ever experienced before.

[Yanahalqah]

Its charge was so fast. Too fast. With the crystal underground eaten away, there was nothing to slow the Nulliem down. It rocketed towards them, its sheer speed taking both Yludih by surprise. Yana reacted, but wasn’t quick enough. The Nulliem’s movement patterns were too erratic for her to predict without further exposure to them. Yet, she made an attempt. One arm pushed Sintih out of the way as she stepped back, the Nulliem taking the other. She didn’t realize it was missing until she tried using it, and there came no response. Fingertips to shoulder, the entire limb was gone.

Odd. An oddly gentle way to go, the touch of a Nulliem. She had expected it to be excruciating, but instead it just felt numb. At least for a couple moments. Then the pain did kick in, a burning and stabbing sensation that threatened to split her head in two. Yana screamed and yelled and roared, staggering backwards, clutching her shoulder.

He stumbled back from the force of Yana’s wild push and found himself unbalanced before he hit the ground, hard. He didn’t have the luxury to hurt. He was on his feet again as quick as he could, pushing himself up with one hand, losing sight of Yana for a single moment. He searched for her the moment after and found her. She seemed wrong, somehow. Then she screamed in pain. Her voice shrill and sharp like a knife, cutting through his crystals as he stood, indecisive for a moment.

Frozen in pain and fear and shock, it took too long for Yana’s survival instincts to kick in. For them to tell her to turn tail and run. Towards Sintih, to grab him, and dash away together, towards a safer place. The Nulliem was already upon her when she finally spun around, taking the first steps of what was supposed to be flight. Sin reacted and began reaching for her, moving forward to grab her and pull her away from the nothing. He was too slow by only a fraction of a second. A moment too late. Instead of pulling her to safety, both her crystal feet and part of her lower legs vanished inside of the Nulliem’s body, and the scarred Yludih toppled, collapsing face first onto the crystal ground. Her hand fell past his outstretched fingers, a hair’s width away, yet so far out of reach.

Yana cast a frightened glance over her shoulder to reveal the Nulliem looming over her, coming in for the kill. She wasn’t going to make it. There was no escape. Yana saw her life flash before her eyes. Not a perfect life in the slightest. Disappointingly short. Lacking several accomplishments she’d dreamed of, wished for. But, the last few years had been strangely satisfying and fulfilling. Today too. Today especially, despite it’s abrupt end.

It was equally strange how little fear there was when faced with certain death, and how glad she was to die now. Not because she wanted to, but because she’d been able to see Sintih one last time. Spend time with him right until the end. Talk to him, be close to him, laugh and smile with him. In a way, she couldn’t be happier.

[Sintih]

Of course she had regrets. Several. But there was one that rose above the rest, larger and taller. Looming, just like the Nulliem. It was a selfish thing to do. Something that would hurt him like nothing else, she knew. However, it might also be one of the highlights of his life, a moment he would think back on fondly if he survived.

And she wanted him to, certainly. She wanted him to live, and perhaps mourn her for a while, but eventually move on and find happiness elsewhere, with someone else. To not cling to the past, to her. So part of her did not want to give in to her selfishness. Would he though? Survive? Could he? Sintih’s body did not take well to strenuous activity. It was not made for running and fighting. Maybe if he’d run when she’d pushed him away… but he hadn’t. He was still there, the fool. Watching, hurting, crying. Calling for her. Desperation coloring his voice as he choked on her name.

It too made her oddly happy. Happy she meant that much to him. She should tell him. She really should. She didn’t want to die with that regret. She didn’t want him to die without her having said it.

She would have chuckled if she could. Emotions were the strangest thing. Never would she have ever guessed that the both of them dying would bring her joy. But it wasn’t the dying itself. It was that they were together. That neither had to die alone. That in their final moments, they were united still.

Ah. She’d been such a fool. A stupid, absolutely ridiculously large fool. If only she’d realized that sooner… They could have spent more time in each other’s company. So much more…

Yana glanced over to the most important person she’d met in her life, the one who meant everything to her. She wanted to smile, but her Yludih form did not allow it. Instead she had to settle for a voice unmarred by pain, the hurt dulled by shock, and the closeness of death.

“Sintih, I love y—“

Her sentence was cut off before she could finish it, before the last word was completely let go of. The crippled Yludih’s body completely engulfed by the Nulliem. Completely consumed. And when the Nulliem rose upright again, Yana was gone.

He watched as she struggled. He watched as she reached for him. He listened as she tried to speak. Her voice was incredibly sharp in this chaos. His name, from her mouth, brought him a lot of joy. It always had. It all happened so fast. He barely managed a step from the moment she fell to the moment she shattered forever. Raging grief washed over him as Yana’s crystal form shattered into a thousand pieces, lightless.

Something cracked within, deeper than the physical, as the Nulliem rose from her shattered remains. He could fix her. He could if he just got all the pieces together. He was more than intelligent enough, more than skilled enough. He could put her back together again and return her to life. He just had to get the pieces together. Sintih stared at Yana as she stood in front of him, arm missing, the dagger he’d stabbed in her chest back in place, lightless crystals smiling, crystals she’d never had before. He smiled back, unseen.

Another hallucination? I was so sure this ti- The thought didn’t finish as nothingness lunged forward, pushing its void through the crystals in his chest, and the asterism behind them, devouring it in an instant. The moment it was gone, Sin’s mosaic of crystals lost its source of cohesion and his remains crumbled, scattering across Yana’s, clinking and chiming in a cacophony of breaking glass as he embraced her eternally.

The void turned to focus on the light of Yldria. The darkness hungered. Nothingness walked.

[Yanahalqah]

In Andaris, Saeri LaChasse, Eídisi Captain of the Iron Hand, or the Yludih known as Yanahalqah, died where she’d been sleeping. At her desk, seated in her chair. Having fallen asleep because of exhaustion, surrounded by towering stacks of paperwork. She would never wake again.

[Sintih]

39th of Saun, 720th Arc
Idalos sunrise
Infirmary garden, Viden

The sun rose, rising above the horizon and bathed the world in light. Light reflected off of the white surface of snow and ice. Light reflecting off of beautiful crystals scattered on a bench and the ground in front of it. The wind picked up and pushed the edges of the blankets left in the corner of the bench to rustle wildly. The first snowfall, marking the near-end of the season, was already covering most of the smaller shards and pieces but a handful were too big to be hidden by the snow and continued to reflect the light, defying the snowfall.

[Strange]

Thread Review

Yanahalqah

Yanahalqah

Skill Points: +15 (cannot be used for magic)
Magic XP: None.

Renown: None.

Injuries/Overstepping: None.
Wealth Points: None.
Loot: None.

Skill Knowledge:

• none requested.

Non-Skill Knowledge:

• none requested.

Sintih

Sintih

Skill Points: +15 (cannot be used for magic)
Magic XP: None.

Renown: None.

Injuries/Overstepping: None.
Wealth Points: None.
Loot: None.

Skill Knowledge:

• none requested.

Non-Skill Knowledge:

• none requested.

Some of the first rapid switches between Sintih and Yana, and time jumps, within the same post without any visual indications about those changes - made things a bit confusing at certain points. However, it did lend to quicker banter between the two characters that displayed their affection for each other. Later on, it made for an opportunity of deeper conversation that flowed far easier than would have been capable if it had been split up between separate player posts; such as when Yana talked about her sense of failure with Sintih.

One of the things that came through in this thread was just how much Sinith and Yanahalqah cared for each other. It felt like a fair amount of important stuff was touched on, in the set-up before the Nulliem arrived. From the description of Uleuda, to the summarized game played between them, to mentions of their parents, to the world outside of them, it all set the scene up for that last part.

I appreciated that the last scene remained mostly focused on Yana and Sintih, and their attachment to each other, rather than the Nulliem or threat. This line summarizes that very well:

She would have chuckled if she could. Emotions were the strangest thing. Never would she have ever guessed that the both of them dying would bring her joy. But it wasn’t the dying itself. It was that they were together. That neither had to die alone. That in their final moments, they were united still.

Excellent writing, both of you.

The last two posts are far under the minimum 250 words per post, but considering that they are declarations of PC death in an obvious Gdoc-based collaboration, I won't request increasing the word count for them. Especially since this thread is well over the soft goal of 3000 words in total. Personally, I find it a poetic choice that gives an extra moment of stillness that comes after the major deaths of such developed PCs.

As of this review, Yanahalqah and Sintih are considered dead in the canon.

Yludih cannot become ghost, so if you'd like to either retire and/or submit them for a succession package, please do so in the PSF.

PM me if you have any questions, issues or concerns.

Total Word Count: 5790 words.

Review Request Link: viewtopic.php?p=157677#p157677
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