On Parents
I write this with the presumption that any reading it - who, I must assume, are reading this with my permission lest they meet my wrath - were wise enough to read the previous message as well. The chronology of this journal is relevant, though moreso for the entries I intend on writing from this point onwards.
My mother and father, as mentioned previously, were both in Galasthin's military. My mother was born to study, to hear her say it. Her teachers never doubted which path she would follow: from the second she entered her schooling, she was determined to become a wizard. She succeeded, obviously. By the time she met my father, she'd already progressed high in the ranks of the Alu'thaniel and had multiple distinctions in the University of Celtharil.
I knew her as Amal. Everyone else knew her as Melari - Melari Ri'thimael, prior to marriage, and Melari An'thimael thereafter. Her family wasn't large, and none of them were involved with my life. I've never asked why.
My father, on the other hand, preferred the blade over anything magical. It wasn't for lack of ability: he'd been born with a sorcerous spark and had promptly ignored it in favour of his family's swords. His birth family was rather more prominent than my mother's, being that he'd been born to one of House An'dare. For the potential education of certain individuals - House An'dare are one of the Nine Families that hold significant power throughout all elves loyal to their blood. Fortunately for my sanity, he was not in the main branch of the family. Unfortunately, this has not spared me the stigma of dealing with their politics at times. He promised to teach me bladework when I grew older, in the hope that I would at least wield them alongside magic. It would not be a promise he could keep. Prior to his marriage, he was Cealrin An'dare. Marriage saw his last name shift to An'thimael alongside my mother. But I knew him as Atar.
They met in the military. My father's squadron were to accompany a group of high-ranking diplomats south to the lands of Tsukirai. My mother was assigned to their group as a battlemage. I expect their love story was particularly romantic. The only two who know it in full are no longer here, so I will not spin fictions of how they fell together. They were happy and in love, and injury could not part them. My father courted her properly when they returned to Galasthin. They were wed and lived in married bliss, striking as a deadly duo on missions and spending time in each others' arms. And then they chose to have me, some years after their wedding.
I grew up loved, despite their sometimes-lengthy absences. It was hard when I was young for I couldn't make sense of their disappearance. It got easier, and I enjoyed my time with them. We were a happy family, the three of us. I have never mentioned the potential existence of a fourth member to any out loud, but it was something I had discussed with them. 'Discussed', with the understanding that I was a child and my schoolmates with siblings seemed to love having them. It's fruitless to dwell on what could have been.
It was the year I'd turned 70 that Amal disappeared.
Her mission should have been a simple one. I remember staring at the scrolls for hours trying to make sense of what happened. She had been sent north, towards the sloped forests crawling at the feet of the elder mountains, to investigate the impact of a recent avalanche. Her spellbook was filled with teleportation and wards, and the local village had suffered no attacks for centuries.
They never found her body. Her blood and hair, yes. Fragments of her bone were even located once clerics brought the sun's heat down to melt through the snow. She was not the only one to disappear. The village, too, was slaughtered. One elf had been left there - not alive - as their mocking sign. I was not permitted to read the details of his file until I was much older, and I will not repeat them now. Not if there is the slightest chance that Ilurae would read this journal.
It broke my father. For days following the news, all he did was weep. I didn't know what to do, so I joined him.
It was around a week after her funeral that the extent of his broken mind was made clear, and this is a scene I remember with icy precision. It is also not one I care to recount in detail. He bid me farewell in a manner that made certain I understood how much he cared for me, and then he left with madness dancing in his eyes, disappearing into the forests. I waited for three days before seeking help. Unlike my mother, there was no trace left of Atar.
This is granting me the mother of all headaches. I shall pause in my recollections for now. The next piece of my tale is not one I wish to write whilst entirely sober.
Lyadrí 'Anárien''s Journal Ordered oldest to newest
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Foreword
27th of Neth, 5622
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On Meetings
14th Rova, 5626
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On Parents
14th Rova, 5626
27th of Neth, 5622
14th Rova, 5626
14th Rova, 5626
The major events and journals in Lyadrí 'Anárien''s history, from the beginning to today.
Hmph. [i]Drow.[/i]
11:14 pm - 14.06.2021Aurelie wants to invite me around for tea. I somehow presume this is more the sort of tea that leads to "Lyadrí, what happened to your eye? Let's spar so I can ascertain whether the true bloodline still remains most dominant" rather than anything like what I shared with Aster yesterday. I cannot blame her for trying, but she hasn't properly sparred me for a solid decade. With any luck, I can use this as a training exercise for my students.
11:16 pm - 11.11.2019It would be preferable to not have to endure the whinings of our political neighbours at yet another of these pointless conferences. I do not know why I must be here. I am expressly *not* involved in the political happenings of Galasthin for the most part. Gods spare me this idiocy before I lose what little patience I have to spare.
02:37 pm - 15.10.2019Today, I was granted an incredible teaching opportunity by the misfortune of three students. The trio in question decided it was wise to begin disparaging my character whilst waiting for a professor's class to begin. One of them was trying her best to play an imitation of myself. The most 'amusing' quote of their impersonation was [i]clearly[/i] "I'm not racist, I have a drow friend!". Not only is this a disgustingly xenophobic statement, but it is factually and *grammatically* incorrect. 'Xenophobe' is the correct term, after all. The trio were promptly removed from their class and remanded into my 'custody' of sorts by their horrified professor, whom I had been discussing the intricacies of chronomancy with. I do hope they have been enjoying their learning experience in the reclaimed Underdark. I hear that there are a great many remnants of drow experimentation that need to be dealt with, if Canthe's complaints about drow alchemy reacting badly to elven magic are anything to go by.
12:30 pm - 08.06.2019...The next person to call me a 'fire-bender' is going to feel legitimate proof of my ability to cast magic from other schools of evocation. We'll start with lightning.
04:35 pm - 04.06.2019Someone has seen fit to leave a note on my door informing me of acts they intend to commit. With my daughter. Did this have to occur in the singular non-fireproof room of my house...? In any case, I intend on finding them and introducing them to the meaning of fear. Suggestions on methods to calm down and avoid igniting their blood are welcome.
04:34 pm - 04.06.2019This should suffice as a manner of differentiating my name from the other version of myself. I should think it an accurate 'title' for what the Steppe has given me.
03:20 pm - 03.06.2019On Parents
I write this with the presumption that any reading it - who, I must assume, are reading this with my permission lest they meet my wrath - were wise enough to read the previous message as well. The chronology of this journal is relevant, though moreso for ...
05:36 am - 30.05.2019On Meetings
It tends to be the assumption of most people, particularly in Galasthin, that my hatred of the drow is exclusively because of the pre-existing tensions between my kin and the disgusting reality those monsters hold. This isn't entirely accurate. I do recog...
01:51 am - 28.05.2019Ilurae is on holiday with her cousins in House An'dare. The timing couldn't have been better.[br][br]I would not have wanted her to see today's... issues. The magical backlash from utilising that object has been unnecessarily harsh. I may need to seek Canthe's aid if this continues..
10:10 am - 26.05.2019Oh, yes, it's completely normal for the First World's denizens to accidentally fall out of their plane, I'm sure.[br]None of this explains why there is a PIXIE IN MY LIVING ROOM STILL
01:32 am - 25.05.2019Aster just showed up in my living room with bright pink hair and a hysterical pixie. Why is my life like this.
01:11 am - 25.05.2019...A letter from Qaragan was unexpected. I suppose it would be quite idiotic to walk into enemy territory alone, wouldn't it. I'm going to have to decline his invitation for a game of chess. When did the bloody warrior-king of a tribe find the time to propose games of chess?
01:41 am - 24.05.2019It was far more acceptable for Ilurae to refuse to leave my side when she was still small. She is nearly at *physical* maturity (mental being another half-century off) - at this stage, it is more of an inconvenience.[br][br]At the very least, it's making my students behave in fear of what I'll do if their errors affect her. They're very right to be scared. I'll immolate them if they so much as touch her without permission.
12:32 am - 24.05.2019I do have to wonder how many attempts Eirian will make at seducing me. I was originally keeping a tally, but it seems to have been caught in the crossfire of their last attempt.[br][br]And for those unaware of Eirian Pa'lustris: they are not making the attempt out of a desire to succeed, but instead do it out of some instinctive need to. At least, that's the current theory. Gods knows they wouldn't be trying it on both myself [b]and[/b] Daeris otherwise.
05:33 am - 23.05.2019Foreword
The year is 5622 as of my writing this. I have been assigned a task that shall involve travel into the southern lands. The purpose of these journals is to log our journey for my private reference. 'Private', if you are uncertain, means that unauthorise...
05:17 am - 23.05.2019I don't believe those heroes informed me correctly of this book's functionalities. For one, I can already see an alternate version of *myself* speaking here. I'm going to choose to ignore that one, and I should hope she does the same.[br][br]...This had better not be another of the Steppe's damn tricks!
02:44 am - 23.05.2019Lyadrí Anthimael, not to be confused with the other @lyadrianthimael . Hehehe.
02:42 am - 23.05.2019Lyadrí joins the ranks of Heroes!
Lyadrí enters the scene of legendary heroes! Welcome to the family of the Eternals!
02:42 am - 23.05.2019The list of amazing people following the adventures of Lyadrí 'Anárien'.
Blindfoldedchaos
Donald Morgan
TheDumbOwl
Alex (TheDumbOwl)
Tipper
Richard
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