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Epilogue I - Arkanis d'Arvon
The Final Thoughts
-----
Fourty-eight years ago, in the bustling city of Suzail, a child was born. Dubbed 'Arkanis' by his parents, this boy was their sole male descendant and was destined to one day lay claim to the house. Lay claim to a title he did not want, in a Country he had no intention of remaining in, and married to a woman who he did not love. Why? Because his parents were so set on continuing their bloodline, they cast their son's happiness into the Hells just for their own, personal peace of mind.
After having received a sturdy education in numerous subjects, as well as tutorship on the arcane, the boy could no longer stand the strict rules governing how nobles acted, nor could he deal with the decidedly unamusing and stuffy nobles themselves. On a whim, at the tender age of thirteen, the boy was consumed with wanderlust and he promptly left the Cormyrean capital of Suzail - and the kingdom of Cormyr itself, shortly after.
Many people would think a nobleman mad to flee his own house and birthright, let alone the easy life that comes with it all. Perhaps the boy was mad? A few people called him that, after all; but he was also called many other names - wanderer, vagabond, rogue, scoundrel, thief, trickster. None of these were far from the truth, as he was all of them; the boy simply did what he wished, when he wished. He did everything by himself and rejected the concept of having other people help him, even when he needed help the most. He never wanted to have everything handed to him on a silver platter - he wanted to go out into the great expanse and live life.
And live life he did. He committed his fair share of crimes in order to keep his ribcage from meeting his spine, most of which were just petty theft and pickpocketing wealthy-types, but he also performed tricks and acts to gain freely-given money from the local public. A copper or two here, a silver there, and he could eat for another day.
Tricks. He loved tricks - he loved playing them on others, he loved them being played on him. With this boy there was rarely a dull moment, his mind always calculating what he could do next, what strange and otherworldly scenario he could fathom once certain conditions were met, or made. Unsurprisingly, this is where his title of 'Trickster' came from - a title which he remains proud of.
The boy never stayed in one place for any length of time, he was always on the move and always trying to enjoy himself. A few tricks here, a drink there, a night with a pretty lass which will probably be promptly forgotten, and then on the road again to a different city or town. Never a regret left behind him, and never a glance back.
To list and detail all the notable occurances and (mis)adventures that the boy got himself into would take more time than even Jergal himself would have. Despite his short and all-too human life, he lived more than ten men combined - and throw in an elf for good measure. He rarely dwelled on any previous occurance or person, and was always looking forward to the future rather than looking behind at the past.
There was one event in the future, however, that he wasn't looking forward to. It was unavoidable, it was fate; from the moment he was born and his parents decided to have no more children, he was destined to one day become the head of his family. No matter what he did to try to avoid it, it was always there and looming over him. Despite this, he did his best to ignore it and not let it keep him down. But the end was approaching far quicker than he had ever suspected.
So came the final free chapter of the boy's life; the penultimate moment before he was returned back to whence he came, and the split second where he realised that there was life after lordship - the Sundered Valley. Whilst this was just another ordinary destination for his travels, he entered it believing that he would simply continue on his life of travelling shortly afterwards. He never expected to fall in love there, nor did he foresee staying for so long and then returning.
This is no fairy-tale, however, and the one whom he loved did not love him back. Despite his initial sorrow and depression at this revelation, he concluded that he would be happy to simply travel by this sweetheart of his. After all, the two were almost kindred spirits. They were so close and alike that they eventually became known as 'the Trickster Duo.' Amalares Aseph'nara and Arkanis d'Arvon. Amy and Arky.
But all good things come to an end, and the boy was whisked away to Cormyr after a trio of Purple Dragon Knights and the ambassador they protected found him in the Valley. For one long month he remained in Cormyr, unable to leave, and being re-educated on nobility, proper manners and the like. But the chance to depart soon came, and he promised to return to his homeland after he had found his companion.
As before, the Gods did not smile upon the boy, and his companion was nowhere to be seen. He searched high, he searched low, and yet he could not uncover her location. He used his rapidly-depleting time in the Valley to say farewell to those he knew, and then he left - disheartened at the loss of his closest friend.
The years went by, and the boy eventually became a man of sound mind and character. He had shed the child-in-an-adults body persona he once had, though it occasionally made itself known from time to time. He eventually selected a suitable mating companion of fitting breed and status, and he had a family. He was the head of the household, a lord of Cormyr whom others looked up to, and as respected a member of Cormyrean society as his sister; Joanna d'Arvon, long-serving Ornrion of the Purple Dragons.
Despite his sexcapades, misadventures, tricks, pranks and crimes over the course of his life, the boy remained unrepentant and was happy with his choices even as the end came lumbering closer. He had only one, single regret - and that was that he never found his lost companion again. He may no longer have been a child in mind, but he remained stubborn. Stubborn and hopeful that he would one day be reunited with her. He did everything in his power to try to discern where she was, how she was going, what state of health she was in - but even has an accomplished mage by the end, he could not find even a sliver of her by scrying, nor could his servants.
In his failing health, he resigned himself to his inescapable demise. He was pleased with the life he had lead, after all - he had certainly lived, and now it was over. The final curtain.
I'm so sorry I never found you, and that I never said goodbye. This boy misses you still, Amy. With all of his heart.
Signed,
Lord Arkanis d'Arvon
House Arvon
Suzail, Cormyr
Dated: Eleasias 14, 1394.
P.S. I still have a flair for the dramatic!
The Final Thoughts
-----
Fourty-eight years ago, in the bustling city of Suzail, a child was born. Dubbed 'Arkanis' by his parents, this boy was their sole male descendant and was destined to one day lay claim to the house. Lay claim to a title he did not want, in a Country he had no intention of remaining in, and married to a woman who he did not love. Why? Because his parents were so set on continuing their bloodline, they cast their son's happiness into the Hells just for their own, personal peace of mind.
After having received a sturdy education in numerous subjects, as well as tutorship on the arcane, the boy could no longer stand the strict rules governing how nobles acted, nor could he deal with the decidedly unamusing and stuffy nobles themselves. On a whim, at the tender age of thirteen, the boy was consumed with wanderlust and he promptly left the Cormyrean capital of Suzail - and the kingdom of Cormyr itself, shortly after.
Many people would think a nobleman mad to flee his own house and birthright, let alone the easy life that comes with it all. Perhaps the boy was mad? A few people called him that, after all; but he was also called many other names - wanderer, vagabond, rogue, scoundrel, thief, trickster. None of these were far from the truth, as he was all of them; the boy simply did what he wished, when he wished. He did everything by himself and rejected the concept of having other people help him, even when he needed help the most. He never wanted to have everything handed to him on a silver platter - he wanted to go out into the great expanse and live life.
And live life he did. He committed his fair share of crimes in order to keep his ribcage from meeting his spine, most of which were just petty theft and pickpocketing wealthy-types, but he also performed tricks and acts to gain freely-given money from the local public. A copper or two here, a silver there, and he could eat for another day.
Tricks. He loved tricks - he loved playing them on others, he loved them being played on him. With this boy there was rarely a dull moment, his mind always calculating what he could do next, what strange and otherworldly scenario he could fathom once certain conditions were met, or made. Unsurprisingly, this is where his title of 'Trickster' came from - a title which he remains proud of.
The boy never stayed in one place for any length of time, he was always on the move and always trying to enjoy himself. A few tricks here, a drink there, a night with a pretty lass which will probably be promptly forgotten, and then on the road again to a different city or town. Never a regret left behind him, and never a glance back.
To list and detail all the notable occurances and (mis)adventures that the boy got himself into would take more time than even Jergal himself would have. Despite his short and all-too human life, he lived more than ten men combined - and throw in an elf for good measure. He rarely dwelled on any previous occurance or person, and was always looking forward to the future rather than looking behind at the past.
There was one event in the future, however, that he wasn't looking forward to. It was unavoidable, it was fate; from the moment he was born and his parents decided to have no more children, he was destined to one day become the head of his family. No matter what he did to try to avoid it, it was always there and looming over him. Despite this, he did his best to ignore it and not let it keep him down. But the end was approaching far quicker than he had ever suspected.
So came the final free chapter of the boy's life; the penultimate moment before he was returned back to whence he came, and the split second where he realised that there was life after lordship - the Sundered Valley. Whilst this was just another ordinary destination for his travels, he entered it believing that he would simply continue on his life of travelling shortly afterwards. He never expected to fall in love there, nor did he foresee staying for so long and then returning.
This is no fairy-tale, however, and the one whom he loved did not love him back. Despite his initial sorrow and depression at this revelation, he concluded that he would be happy to simply travel by this sweetheart of his. After all, the two were almost kindred spirits. They were so close and alike that they eventually became known as 'the Trickster Duo.' Amalares Aseph'nara and Arkanis d'Arvon. Amy and Arky.
But all good things come to an end, and the boy was whisked away to Cormyr after a trio of Purple Dragon Knights and the ambassador they protected found him in the Valley. For one long month he remained in Cormyr, unable to leave, and being re-educated on nobility, proper manners and the like. But the chance to depart soon came, and he promised to return to his homeland after he had found his companion.
As before, the Gods did not smile upon the boy, and his companion was nowhere to be seen. He searched high, he searched low, and yet he could not uncover her location. He used his rapidly-depleting time in the Valley to say farewell to those he knew, and then he left - disheartened at the loss of his closest friend.
The years went by, and the boy eventually became a man of sound mind and character. He had shed the child-in-an-adults body persona he once had, though it occasionally made itself known from time to time. He eventually selected a suitable mating companion of fitting breed and status, and he had a family. He was the head of the household, a lord of Cormyr whom others looked up to, and as respected a member of Cormyrean society as his sister; Joanna d'Arvon, long-serving Ornrion of the Purple Dragons.
Despite his sexcapades, misadventures, tricks, pranks and crimes over the course of his life, the boy remained unrepentant and was happy with his choices even as the end came lumbering closer. He had only one, single regret - and that was that he never found his lost companion again. He may no longer have been a child in mind, but he remained stubborn. Stubborn and hopeful that he would one day be reunited with her. He did everything in his power to try to discern where she was, how she was going, what state of health she was in - but even has an accomplished mage by the end, he could not find even a sliver of her by scrying, nor could his servants.
In his failing health, he resigned himself to his inescapable demise. He was pleased with the life he had lead, after all - he had certainly lived, and now it was over. The final curtain.
I'm so sorry I never found you, and that I never said goodbye. This boy misses you still, Amy. With all of his heart.
Signed,
Lord Arkanis d'Arvon
House Arvon
Suzail, Cormyr
Dated: Eleasias 14, 1394.
P.S. I still have a flair for the dramatic!