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The Light of the Future
Even from a young age, this little girl...always loved to help people. Her vivid smile, innocence, and empathy to almost anyone made her more adorable then the average child. Her softness touched many people around the small area that she would have grown up in, had it not been for that fateful night...her memory is stained with the visions of things that simply will not disappear. Will not fade away...things that envelope ones dreams with the doom of the past...
Curiously, the girl was not unique, per say. She was quite normal, not so much bland, but normally didn't stand out besides her personality. Her life was quite mundane in actuality. Her name was Charlene, a name her mother let her pick out as soon as she could understand common to a certain degree of fluency. Her parents were god fearing peasants, struggling along with life, hardship, and coin. Nothing out of the ordinary. Although her parents did fear the enlightened ones above and below, their family was in a rural area near the Grand City of Waterdeep...where they discovered a deity that filled them with unimaginable warmth; Sel?ne.
On this day...when she was barely 8 years of age, Charlene's life would plunge into a spiral of confusion, sorrow, and determination. Giving the roughness of living in poverty, her parents saw Sel?nes Priesthood as welcoming; their future was important to them. They began taking interest in becoming Sel?nites to better see how things might happen for them...and it rubbed off drastically on Charlene. Always thinking of tomorrow, how it might plan out, what might go wrong or happen unexpectedly. It fascinated her.
Learning and slowly accepting worship of Sel?ne, soon after her mother told her friends of the faith, in Waterdeep. Though this seemed like a peaceful, nice idea to many, including Charlene, it attracted two individuals who will forever be carved into Charlene's memory. Blabbing to friends and family of the faith, word reached the ears of two Illythiiri...or Drow, who happened to be in the area. Hearing the mention of Sel?nes name caused them to become angry; for they worshiped the Dark Goddess, the Eternal Foe, and dark sister of Sel?ne, Shar.
The night after her parents spoke of the faith in Waterdeep, something happened...something that Charlene then thought...could never happen. Her life was flipped into a negative sphere of pain and emotional curiosity. After supper, just before the stars came up in the sky, two shadowy figures crept about the small cottage where her parents lived. Whispering in a strange language, slowly they walked towards her parents, who were then praying to the stars outside. The night was like any other for her mom, dad, and Charlene herself.
''Mommy...are you praying to Sel?ne for more shiny coins..?'' Charlene asked her mother, innocently.
''Not quite dear...we just want to be blessed for tomorrow, and the day thereafter...the Moonmaiden will help us get past any hardships if we can see them coming!'' Exclaimed her mother with great fervor.
''It'll be ok...we've lived for 8 years like this...rough times are coming, Lauraline...winter, no crops to grow...any bit of help is appreciated Sel?ne will show us the way...'' Replied Valen, with a hopeful wink to his love.
Lauraline was an aasimar, while Valen was a human...given that unity, Charlene's birth was blessed by her mothers personality and language, with her fathers determination and intelligence. Though peasants, her mother and father were very smart in the ways of survival, making use of the nearby city of Waterdeep for any means of trade they possibly could.
Closing their eyes and praying silently, they made it all too easy for the assassins of Shar to dispatch two more followers of the moon...sneaking behind her father, one of the drow, who was a average height female, stabbed him directly in his back. Watching the blood come out, her expression was of fulfillment; darkness appears to come out of the wound. Her eyes were wide, tears began to flow steadily down Charlene's cheeks as she witnessed a turning point in her life she could never change.
Opening her eyes hastily, Lauraline turned around in a manner of quickness, only to be stabbed in the stomach by the other hidden drow. Charlene couldn't see the person who did it...just the blood...the darkness...it overwhelmed her. Shutting her eyes, sobbing heavily, she couldn't bear to see anymore. Her parents died shortly after the malicious blows were inflicted upon them. The assassins were going to kill her, but felt it unnecessary. Having slain two followers of Sel?ne was enough to earn them something pleasurable, something dark...from Shar. Slipping into the shadows as if they were made of darkness, they disappeared.
Seconds turned into minutes, which changed into an hour...time passed on, Charlene did not want to go with it...for once, she wanted to stay with the past; when her parents were alive. Naive because of her age, her concept of life and death was simple at best, though it was enough to make her realize the truth; her parents were dead. What made her nearly as sad, is she didn't know why...why would someone murder her parents?
For a month, the little girl ate any food she could get. Having been stocked for the winter, she ate what was needed for her survival, wept most of the day for her loss, then became entranced by questions that she possessed no answers for. Finally, coming to terms with what happened enough to decide on something to do, she traveled to Waterdeep with a merchant. The last remains of her gold went to the nice old man who let her travel along with him. No food, no money, all she had were questions...the answers, she thought, may be in the Temple of Sel?ne...who else could explain what happened and why it did?
Walking in slowly, the girl peered around, looking for someone to talk to...anyone who could help her. She approached a robbed man at the near center of the temple. Tugging the angelic robe he wore, he turned around with a smile to the little girl; her cheeks were lined by where her tears cleaned the dirt from her face days before. Eyes watering, she began to speak with a stutter.
''S...s-sir..are you a follower of Sel?ne...are you the person who can help me...who can tell me why my mommy...my daddy...are gone..''
Thinking of her as a lost child, the priest lightly replied.
''I'm sure your mother and father are close by, child...I'm sure-''
She interrupted him, tears coming from her eyes.
''They...died...someone with dark skin, he put something sharp in my daddy's back...it was so dark...and the blood...why...?''
''...Were your parents of Sel?ne's Faith..?'' He replied, wiping the tears from her eyes with his gentle touch.
''Y-yes...my mommy and daddy started praying at night, to the stars...and the moon...not long ago..'' Her tone was almost silent.
''I see...'' He thought immediately of the two drow that the clergy were informed of months ago, who were spying on the temple and it's activities. He let out a heavy sigh of sadness, believing no little girl should have to go through this kind of situation.
''Do you want to know why...?'' He asked softly.
''Yes.'' She said almost immediately after. Her eyes were hungry for the answers to a dozen questions eating away at her conscious.
As the priest explained what he was sure happened, she began to acknowledge things; why Shar and Sel?ne are opposed, why her parents were murdered, and why things were the way they were for her, as a whole. Trying to come to terms with it as best she could, all she wanted to do was listen, and pick apart what she was going to do next in her head; for the next day, or week...the future was blank for her. Wanting to fill that gap, she tried her hardest to think of a purpose for herself.
She remained at the Temple, studying the arts of the Moonmaiden. She eventually decided that...her purpose would be to follow Sel?ne...to make sure that no one ever feels the kind of pain she did. The Cleric was impressed with her sense of self choice to serve Sel?ne, but still keep her moral goals intact. Grabbing some odd material from altar that was blessed with light, he began to make an amulet out of the material. A few weeks passed before he was finished.
At the age of 13, she began having...dreams..of places she has never seen before. Places that a short time later, she eventually does see. The Cleric called them premonitions...he said that Sel?ne may have blessed her innocent, kind soul with the ability to see some fragments of the future, like her heart desires her to. Though mostly blurry, some of them came true, making her firmly believe in the Moonmaiden even more.
Receiving the amulet kindly from the Cleric, she smiled at the insignia of Sel?ne on the front, and her name on the back. She embraced him lightly with love, and slowly began to thank him.
''Thank you...so much, Bannen. You have given me so much, to what do I owe you in return..?''
He chuckled at her, and began to reply.
''Nothing; serve Sel?ne well, follow our code, your morals, and save the lives of our kin and faith. That's all I ask of you child.''
She smiled softly, returning to her studies on premonitions, and the land itself.
She stayed there for many years, until she was 18. She pursued many of her visions; many professions in which to help prevent Shar from hurting other people...but none seemed to fit...a few Monks of Sel?ne caught her eye one day. Their discipline, freedom of movement and power of body excited her curiosity. Deep down, she wanted to suppress her feelings to be more guile when the time to strike upon Shar was right...thusly, she asked to become a Monk of the Moonmaiden. The Cleric who helped her for several years had explained to them the hardships of her life, her desires...her pain many years before she reached adulthood. They gladly accepted her, training her to be disciplined, lawful, and true.
Curiously, the girl was not unique, per say. She was quite normal, not so much bland, but normally didn't stand out besides her personality. Her life was quite mundane in actuality. Her name was Charlene, a name her mother let her pick out as soon as she could understand common to a certain degree of fluency. Her parents were god fearing peasants, struggling along with life, hardship, and coin. Nothing out of the ordinary. Although her parents did fear the enlightened ones above and below, their family was in a rural area near the Grand City of Waterdeep...where they discovered a deity that filled them with unimaginable warmth; Sel?ne.
On this day...when she was barely 8 years of age, Charlene's life would plunge into a spiral of confusion, sorrow, and determination. Giving the roughness of living in poverty, her parents saw Sel?nes Priesthood as welcoming; their future was important to them. They began taking interest in becoming Sel?nites to better see how things might happen for them...and it rubbed off drastically on Charlene. Always thinking of tomorrow, how it might plan out, what might go wrong or happen unexpectedly. It fascinated her.
Learning and slowly accepting worship of Sel?ne, soon after her mother told her friends of the faith, in Waterdeep. Though this seemed like a peaceful, nice idea to many, including Charlene, it attracted two individuals who will forever be carved into Charlene's memory. Blabbing to friends and family of the faith, word reached the ears of two Illythiiri...or Drow, who happened to be in the area. Hearing the mention of Sel?nes name caused them to become angry; for they worshiped the Dark Goddess, the Eternal Foe, and dark sister of Sel?ne, Shar.
The night after her parents spoke of the faith in Waterdeep, something happened...something that Charlene then thought...could never happen. Her life was flipped into a negative sphere of pain and emotional curiosity. After supper, just before the stars came up in the sky, two shadowy figures crept about the small cottage where her parents lived. Whispering in a strange language, slowly they walked towards her parents, who were then praying to the stars outside. The night was like any other for her mom, dad, and Charlene herself.
''Mommy...are you praying to Sel?ne for more shiny coins..?'' Charlene asked her mother, innocently.
''Not quite dear...we just want to be blessed for tomorrow, and the day thereafter...the Moonmaiden will help us get past any hardships if we can see them coming!'' Exclaimed her mother with great fervor.
''It'll be ok...we've lived for 8 years like this...rough times are coming, Lauraline...winter, no crops to grow...any bit of help is appreciated Sel?ne will show us the way...'' Replied Valen, with a hopeful wink to his love.
Lauraline was an aasimar, while Valen was a human...given that unity, Charlene's birth was blessed by her mothers personality and language, with her fathers determination and intelligence. Though peasants, her mother and father were very smart in the ways of survival, making use of the nearby city of Waterdeep for any means of trade they possibly could.
Closing their eyes and praying silently, they made it all too easy for the assassins of Shar to dispatch two more followers of the moon...sneaking behind her father, one of the drow, who was a average height female, stabbed him directly in his back. Watching the blood come out, her expression was of fulfillment; darkness appears to come out of the wound. Her eyes were wide, tears began to flow steadily down Charlene's cheeks as she witnessed a turning point in her life she could never change.
Opening her eyes hastily, Lauraline turned around in a manner of quickness, only to be stabbed in the stomach by the other hidden drow. Charlene couldn't see the person who did it...just the blood...the darkness...it overwhelmed her. Shutting her eyes, sobbing heavily, she couldn't bear to see anymore. Her parents died shortly after the malicious blows were inflicted upon them. The assassins were going to kill her, but felt it unnecessary. Having slain two followers of Sel?ne was enough to earn them something pleasurable, something dark...from Shar. Slipping into the shadows as if they were made of darkness, they disappeared.
Seconds turned into minutes, which changed into an hour...time passed on, Charlene did not want to go with it...for once, she wanted to stay with the past; when her parents were alive. Naive because of her age, her concept of life and death was simple at best, though it was enough to make her realize the truth; her parents were dead. What made her nearly as sad, is she didn't know why...why would someone murder her parents?
For a month, the little girl ate any food she could get. Having been stocked for the winter, she ate what was needed for her survival, wept most of the day for her loss, then became entranced by questions that she possessed no answers for. Finally, coming to terms with what happened enough to decide on something to do, she traveled to Waterdeep with a merchant. The last remains of her gold went to the nice old man who let her travel along with him. No food, no money, all she had were questions...the answers, she thought, may be in the Temple of Sel?ne...who else could explain what happened and why it did?
Walking in slowly, the girl peered around, looking for someone to talk to...anyone who could help her. She approached a robbed man at the near center of the temple. Tugging the angelic robe he wore, he turned around with a smile to the little girl; her cheeks were lined by where her tears cleaned the dirt from her face days before. Eyes watering, she began to speak with a stutter.
''S...s-sir..are you a follower of Sel?ne...are you the person who can help me...who can tell me why my mommy...my daddy...are gone..''
Thinking of her as a lost child, the priest lightly replied.
''I'm sure your mother and father are close by, child...I'm sure-''
She interrupted him, tears coming from her eyes.
''They...died...someone with dark skin, he put something sharp in my daddy's back...it was so dark...and the blood...why...?''
''...Were your parents of Sel?ne's Faith..?'' He replied, wiping the tears from her eyes with his gentle touch.
''Y-yes...my mommy and daddy started praying at night, to the stars...and the moon...not long ago..'' Her tone was almost silent.
''I see...'' He thought immediately of the two drow that the clergy were informed of months ago, who were spying on the temple and it's activities. He let out a heavy sigh of sadness, believing no little girl should have to go through this kind of situation.
''Do you want to know why...?'' He asked softly.
''Yes.'' She said almost immediately after. Her eyes were hungry for the answers to a dozen questions eating away at her conscious.
As the priest explained what he was sure happened, she began to acknowledge things; why Shar and Sel?ne are opposed, why her parents were murdered, and why things were the way they were for her, as a whole. Trying to come to terms with it as best she could, all she wanted to do was listen, and pick apart what she was going to do next in her head; for the next day, or week...the future was blank for her. Wanting to fill that gap, she tried her hardest to think of a purpose for herself.
She remained at the Temple, studying the arts of the Moonmaiden. She eventually decided that...her purpose would be to follow Sel?ne...to make sure that no one ever feels the kind of pain she did. The Cleric was impressed with her sense of self choice to serve Sel?ne, but still keep her moral goals intact. Grabbing some odd material from altar that was blessed with light, he began to make an amulet out of the material. A few weeks passed before he was finished.
At the age of 13, she began having...dreams..of places she has never seen before. Places that a short time later, she eventually does see. The Cleric called them premonitions...he said that Sel?ne may have blessed her innocent, kind soul with the ability to see some fragments of the future, like her heart desires her to. Though mostly blurry, some of them came true, making her firmly believe in the Moonmaiden even more.
Receiving the amulet kindly from the Cleric, she smiled at the insignia of Sel?ne on the front, and her name on the back. She embraced him lightly with love, and slowly began to thank him.
''Thank you...so much, Bannen. You have given me so much, to what do I owe you in return..?''
He chuckled at her, and began to reply.
''Nothing; serve Sel?ne well, follow our code, your morals, and save the lives of our kin and faith. That's all I ask of you child.''
She smiled softly, returning to her studies on premonitions, and the land itself.
She stayed there for many years, until she was 18. She pursued many of her visions; many professions in which to help prevent Shar from hurting other people...but none seemed to fit...a few Monks of Sel?ne caught her eye one day. Their discipline, freedom of movement and power of body excited her curiosity. Deep down, she wanted to suppress her feelings to be more guile when the time to strike upon Shar was right...thusly, she asked to become a Monk of the Moonmaiden. The Cleric who helped her for several years had explained to them the hardships of her life, her desires...her pain many years before she reached adulthood. They gladly accepted her, training her to be disciplined, lawful, and true.
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