Feed The Machine
04-29-07, 05:38 PM
Name: Galyl Galóriand
Age: 22
Race: Elf (Dacilea)
Hair Color: Olive green
Eye Color: Yellow green
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 165 lbs.
Occupation: Servant and Engineer
Personality:
Galyl is strange in the sense that he is very sociable, yet very reserved at the same time. Never is he careless to give up information about himself, or anything that could possibly hurt him in some shape or form, later. When engaging people, he tries his best to get them to reveal things about themselves albeit not being to forceful or too passive in his attempts. Galyl is a genius with a near photographic memory, remembering next to everything his senses experience. This in turn has caused many people to take a liking to Galyl, since he's able to recognize a face and remember nearly everything that he knows about that person, no matter how much time has passed.
On the other hand, he is also uncomfortable with his physical appearance. Ironically, he doesn't resort to covering himself up, or showing outward anxious behavior, knowing that doing so would let everyone who gazed at him know how insecure he was. However, internally he has a tendency to grow paranoid around people that he is unfamiliar with, thinking that they are saying things about his appearance, even if they're not. The only time when his paranoia is not a factor is if he develops a friendship with someone. Other than that, the young elf is very respectful to his elders as well as those who are deserving of it. Also, he is loyal to those who are dear to him. He has a strong sense of justice, always willing to do what he can to correct that which he deems an injustice.
Appearance:
Young Galóriand has handsome facial features, but they are somewhat overshadowed by his peculiar appearance. His skin is as white as milk which proves to be an oddity in itself. But what is truly strange is the stems,leaves, and branches jutting out of his body at various locations. At the corners of his jaw are three inch stems each with two leaves on each one. Atop his head seems to be five horns of some sort, but closer speculation reveals them to be twelve-inch branches shooting backwards wildly in a similar fashion to his hair. Both his shoulders and elbows also have protrusions; in the case of his shoulders, branch stumps about two inches in diameter and two inches in length. As for his elbows, two six-inch branches extend out with several single leaf stems jutting out of them.
As for clothing, Galyl's attire goes as follows:
- chestnut colored cloak made from the hide of a Dur'Taigen (shape-shifting wolf)
- long brown shorts with a rope serving as a belt.
- tightly fitted (spandex-like) black pants underneath the shorts.
- sandals made out of rope and trakym.
- (Galyl doesn't wear a shirt, choosing to let his cloak keep his upper body warm when necessary.)
History:
[ Fall of the Galóriands ]
Nobody dares speak publicly of the once noble Galóriand family, as their tragedy is considered to be a blemish that Raiaera will never be able to rid herself of. Efforts of course, were made to erase knowledge of what had happened to that once prospering family, such as forbidding historians from printing their accounts in tomes. But whispers of their story could always be heard, whether at a quiet dinner table, or an alleyway where loiterers roamed.
Their awful fate wasn't supposed to be so, considering how well liked they were. Known throughout all of Raiaera, they were a family highly devoted to the protection of the elven lands. Almost all of them were exclusively Bladesingers, with only a few being an exception to that rule. But even these exceptions still did things that aided in protection of Raiaera, whether that was being teachers in Istien University, or soldiers of Tel Aglarim. Their adeptness in swordplay and song magic were renowned, having anyone that sought to cause harm to them or the citizens of Raiaera think twice before doing so. The Galóriands were stationed out of Eluriand, but spent a great deal of time in Trenyce trying to clean up what was known as the "Underbelly of Raiaera". Great strides were being made during their tenure there, but this was all before dread had fallen upon them.
During the Wars of the Tap, the Forgotten Ones had their eyes set on the Galóriands, mainly Xem'zûnd the necromancer. They recognized that such a powerful family had to be dealt with before they could truly conquer Raiaera. Direct forms of attack against the Galóriands weren't even suggested as it was already apparent that the Galóriands would be more than a match for any minion dispatched against them; several might've fallen, but the effort expended for that kind of a task would not be worth it. So, Xem'zûnd came up with a plan. He had several of his undead minions capture one of the Galóriand children and bring it back to the Red Forest. It was a simple operation, but most effective since a Galóriand could be found anywhere between Trenyce and Eluriand; they were a family consisting of well over 200,000 members. But no matter the Galóriand, if one was in need of any kind of assistance, the rest would be there to provide it.
And this was exactly the case. When word got out that a young Galóriand girl by the name of Vadrielia had been seized by Xem'zûnd, the noble family was outraged. Every capable warrior was full prepared to advance against the Forgotten Ones, but were prohibited by the High Bard Council. "Such a large campaign for one child is foolhardy" was the phrase that was used by the council. However, it was also the phrase that ignited the anger of every single person born of the Galóriand name.
Despite the decision of the High Bard Council, the Galóriand Bladesingers opted to go to the Red Forest and retrieve Valaina. This played right into Xem'zûnd's hands. He knew of the Galóriands' intense loyalty to one another, and was aware that the entirety of the family would march down to the Red Forest. Therefore, he set up a trap whereas once the Galóriands walked into the forest, they would have their magic capabilities locked up. When this occurred, a strange bright light descended upon all of them which transformed them all into undead elves. The noble warriors hadn't realized what'd happened to them until the intense light dimmed, but once they took notice, they immediately sought to flee the evil forest, understanding that in their fury they did not prepare for what Xem'zûnd could've throw at them. Unfortunately, a legion of the Forgotten Ones' monstrous minions had emerged from the brush of the blood colored bushes unwilling to let the Galóriands leave. A small war ensued with the nobles losing two thirds of their warriors. All of the Galóriands would've been lost had the remaining third of them not managed to successfully flee.
Beaten and battered, the nobles trekked through the plains of Raiaera with a desire to reach Eluriand. However, the madness that came with being turned undead started to seize many of the Bladesingers. The stronger individuals that'd managed to resist the insanity slayed their brethren that'd lost their mind.
Arriving in the capital city, the nobles rushed to meet with the members of the High Bard Council and inform them of their condition. Every single one of them were highly disappointed with the Galóriands for their disobedience, but set aside their personal feelings on the matter in order to attend to their illness. Gathering the Headmasters of Turlin and Lissilin, every effort was made to remedy the Galóriand plague. However, they hadn't fallen to the same disease that every other elf that'd become undead had fallen to. This was a unique variation, one that no member of the High Bard Council had ever seen before. It became a great cause for concern since members of the council grew worried that if such a horrid disease existed, it could quite possibly effect the entirety of the Raiaeran population. So, intense research went into finding cures for the Galóriand disease, and what they discovered was that such a variation of the undead curse could only be received within the Red Forest since the strength of the Forgotten Ones' magic seemed to be at its strongest there. Afterwards, research of the noble family's curse stopped being pursued with the same vehemence, despite the Galóriands pleas to continue with it. Members of the Council began to look upon the family scornfully insisting that they themselves were to blame for their condition. Yet despite the ridicule, the Galóriands still sought the aid of the Council. It wasn't until the Cora'Lindstra had passed a law, banishing the Galóriands to the wilderness of Raiaera, and forbidding any further research on the "Galóriand disease", that they decided to give up asking the Council. They knew that giving the circumstances, they were lucky that the order to have them all exterminated had not been issued. The reason for this though, was well known; the Galóriands did way too much for Raiaera to be completely disrespected. But, this didn't stop them from doing their own research. The remaining Galóriands vowed that they would cure themselves of their illness no matter how long it took them.
(Post "Wars of the Tap")
[ The Cleansing ]
Centuries after the Forgotten Ones were defeated by the citizens of Raiaera, the Galóriand war against their disease still raged on. By this time, many people had conveniently forgotten about this once noble family especially since there were so few of them left. In fact, younger generations even believed the event to be a complete myth, instituted by fierce nationalists desiring to instill an early sense of loyalty in the elven children of Raiaera. However, the small network of remaining Galóriands stayed intact, exchanging information that they learned about their disease. But all of this still wasn't enough. They were making very slow progress, and in all of these years they had only managed to create medicines that would only slow the degeneration of their minds and bodies temporarily; they needed a real solution fast.
Enter Uril Galóriand. In the small circle of Galóriands, Uril was known as being quite eccentric. He, along with his good friend Hiomir, and his 9 year old grandson Galyl had moved into the dangerous Red Forest, believing that the cure to their disease lied within its depths. Entry into the forest though did not come without its share of challenges. Monsters from time to time attacked the trio, but were warded off by the fighting prowess of both Hiomir and young Galyl, who he'd began training in the art of swordplay four years ago. The Galóriands had fallen far from their days as elite Bladesingers, but since Hiomir's immediate family had kept the teachings of the Bladesingers of old alive, he dedicated his life to keeping his skills sharp, as well as training Galyl to do the same.
The trio's adventures led them to the Obsidian Spire, where they finally took up residence in the ominous, yet vacant abode. They searched the massive palace day by day but still didn't find what they were looking for. Uril did nothing but read countless ancient documents that were littered about the libraries in the Spire. His frustrations grew the more he came across documents that spoke nothing about the Galóriand disease and how to cure it. But, he did come across something of interest in one of the papers that'd he'd read. It was dated some time before the end of the Wars of the Tap and covered the strange topic of fusion between technology and magic. It was always known that Raiaeran magic shut down anything technological that entered its borders, which in turn limited other nations from even attempting to attack the elven lands. This left the elves with an advantage since there weren't very many that excelled in magic like they did. This document stated that there was a way to overcome their magic as well as any other forms of it. Uril' eyes widened as he continued, thinking that perhaps the answers for the cure of the Galóriand disease lied in learning more about fusion between technology and magic. Uril' slaved away at countless texts and other readings about this topic, learning that Xem'zûnd had planned to release a giant humanoid-like "machine" on Raiaera, that was capable of nullifying its spells, and producing "magic" that even the Headmasters of the schools of magic had no answer for. Uril couldn't fathom that there would be something in existence like that, but soon gathered Galyl and Hiomir to look for it throughout the Obsidian Spire.
It was an extremely long process, that which took three years, but Galyl managed to find the "machine". It was deep within the central tower of the Spire, within a massive room that easily was 30 or more stories high. Mold was caked to the onyx stone "machine", as it sat lifelessly like an old doll. Galyl wasn't entirely sure why this thing for so long had been the center of his grandfather's attention, but he didn't think too much about it; he'd always been one to obey his grandfather without question, seeing how he'd raised him ever since the early age of three, back when his parents died to the disease. Uril said that the machine would cure them of their illness, yet the young boy wasn't sure how it would do that.
"To feed the machine......that will set us free. To serve the machine.....that will set us free."
Galyl was an extremely intelligent young man, but even he had no idea what his grandfather was babbling about. However, he was suddenly stabbed in the back by Hiomir with a strange device that had somehow awakened the machine. The giant recognized the device protruding through the young elf's chest and instantly devoured the boy. All of the machine's gears were turning frantically, responding to the "foreign object" now in Galyl's body. The cries of the young elf could be heard deep in the belly of the monster; cries that made Uril and even Hiomir cringe.
Once the machine's tremors and bizarre body twitches ceased, a compartment in its chest opened up, revealing a newly transformed Galyl. He no longer donned the sickly grey and greenish skintone of a diseased elf, but a white tone of purification. Uril was overjoyed at this and attempted to embrace his grandchild. But the young elf pushed his grandfather away, screaming at the top of his lungs in shock of his new appearance, and also what Hiomir had done to him. Terror consumed Galyl, as all of this was so sudden. He felt feelings of betrayal, not sure what to make his elders' actions. Hiomir, being his usual cool and collected self approached his disciple, threatening to take his life if he didn't calm down.
Some time later when the boy was more relaxed, everything was explained to him. He was told by Uril that the only way to cleansing the Galóriands of their disease lied with the machine, which was originally built by Xem'zûnd and his subordinates in order to conquer Raiaera with. He continued, saying that the machine was mainly built because of the realization that the elven magic was too strong, even for the Forgotten Ones to overcome alone. But there was a problem. Because of the complexity of this technological and magical creation, the machine had been giving life, and it required a servant, one that would devote every waking moment to its construction and betterment. One could not truly gain anything for himself, but had to gain and give much to the machine and for the well being of the machine. Many were unwilling to pay such a high price, but even when Xem'zûnd forced them to submit and give themselves to the creation, they were quickly destroyed once the machine devoured them, seeing them as unfit to serve it. Xem'zûnd couldn't understand why this was happening. He contemplated giving himself over to servitude, seeing how he was far more powerful than his minions, but changed his mind as he was fearful of being destroyed as well. So, he left the machine alone, deciding that more research into magical and technological fusion was necessary before he could ever hope to proceed with his creation. However, he never finished what he started since the citizens of Raiaera had defeated him, along with the rest of the Forgotten Ones during the Wars of the Tap.
That research was read thoroughly by Uril, and the old man came to the conclusion that the giant was incomplete. As for why he chose to offer up Galyl as as servant, he played on the old myths about how monsters would devour little children. And since the machine was nothing short of a creater monster, he took that chance.
All of this was a lot to take in for the young elf, and in no way did he even hope to understand it all now. Despite what Uril and Hiomir had done to him, he trusted that they knew what they were doing. In due time he would understand what his grandfather understood and be able to make sense of all of this.
[ Life of Servitude ]
Ten years later, Uril had perished due to being unable to fight off the disease any longer. Not enough progress had been made in order to figure out how to cure himself and Hiomir of the illness. But, Hiomir was physically stronger than his oldtime ally since he trained constantly, both mentally and physically. Galyl studied every bit of research there was on the machine and grew to learn a great deal about the machine and its inner workings. For one, he learned that the reason why he'd been transformed and "cured" of his illness was because when the giant chose a servant for itself, it in a sense became one with its new "caretaker", thus forcing the servant to shed his former body. So it wasn't so much a matter of healing, but instead a matter of giving up ones old life to begin a new life of serving the machine.
And indeed it was certainly a life of servitude. Nearly all day would Galyl tinker with the different mechanisms of the machine, trying to learn more and more about it. After being devoured six years ago, it never moved again. This irritated the Galóriand, since it made no sense logically. Yet thinking in a logical manner with regard to the machine was foolish; it was a unique invention comprised of the blending of both magic and technology. One was required to think out of the box in order to figure the machine out.
At around midnight, Hiomir paid Galyl visits, forcing him to train with him in order to keep his swordsmanship sharp. The young elf found it hard at times to step away from his dealings with the machine, but knew that Hiomir would not allow his skills to dull. But it was during one of his training sessions that Hiomir sat his disciple of nearly 13 years down, explaining to him the history of the Galóriand disease. He knew that Galyl never really knew the cause of their illness, and being the type of kid that only did what his elders told him to do, he wouldn't even think to ask about it.
After learning of how Xem'zûnd had cursed the Galóriands with the disease, and also how the High Bard Council had banished them to Raiaeran wilderness after they discovered that the disease was something that could only be given in the Red Forest, Galyl tensed up. He wasn't so upset that Xem'zûnd had cursed his people since the enemy was expected to do things like that. But for the High Bard Council to abandon his ancestors during their time of need was disgraceful, especially after all that the Galóriands had done for Raiaera at that time. It was at this moment that Galyl decided that the restoration of his family's glory would become a priority of his; and it would be accomplished with the aid of the machine. His life had become all for Xem'zûnd's creation, but that didn't mean that through serving it, he couldn't do this deed for his family line.
Raiaera, along with the rest of the world would surely remember the Galóriands.
- - - - - - - - - -
(A Dacilea is an elf that has been cured of the undead disease by means of being devoured by Xem'zûnd's machine. Naturally, Galyl is the only one ;). )
- - - - - - - - - -
Skills:
Swordplay: Galyl's intellect is on genius level, which allows him to efficiently care for the machine without the least bit of trouble. But in addition to that, he is a very good swordsman, having been rigorously trained by Hiomir in an ancient form of Bladesinger swordplay, nearly his entire life. In no way is he near mastery, but he is very familiar with a sword and capable of handling himself in a duel.
Archery: Although much better with a sword, Galyl is a decent archer with average skills. He taught himself how to use it, reading several books on the art of archery, as well as constructing bows and arrows. Hiomir did not approve of that idea, as he believed that all a man needed for protection was his sword.
Roots: After undergoing his bizarre transformation by way of the machine, the young elf is able to extend two inch thick oak roots from any part of his body. They can extend to fifteen feet and the amount he can extend at a time are three.
Graft: Galyl uses wooden weapons since he is actually able to draw them into his body. This is something that he tends to do with his weapons when he is not using them.
Equipment:
+ Oak Claymore
+ Yew Bow
+ 10 Cyper Arrows
+ steel enchantment rune - embedded in the claymore in order to make it as strong as
steel.
Age: 22
Race: Elf (Dacilea)
Hair Color: Olive green
Eye Color: Yellow green
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 165 lbs.
Occupation: Servant and Engineer
Personality:
Galyl is strange in the sense that he is very sociable, yet very reserved at the same time. Never is he careless to give up information about himself, or anything that could possibly hurt him in some shape or form, later. When engaging people, he tries his best to get them to reveal things about themselves albeit not being to forceful or too passive in his attempts. Galyl is a genius with a near photographic memory, remembering next to everything his senses experience. This in turn has caused many people to take a liking to Galyl, since he's able to recognize a face and remember nearly everything that he knows about that person, no matter how much time has passed.
On the other hand, he is also uncomfortable with his physical appearance. Ironically, he doesn't resort to covering himself up, or showing outward anxious behavior, knowing that doing so would let everyone who gazed at him know how insecure he was. However, internally he has a tendency to grow paranoid around people that he is unfamiliar with, thinking that they are saying things about his appearance, even if they're not. The only time when his paranoia is not a factor is if he develops a friendship with someone. Other than that, the young elf is very respectful to his elders as well as those who are deserving of it. Also, he is loyal to those who are dear to him. He has a strong sense of justice, always willing to do what he can to correct that which he deems an injustice.
Appearance:
Young Galóriand has handsome facial features, but they are somewhat overshadowed by his peculiar appearance. His skin is as white as milk which proves to be an oddity in itself. But what is truly strange is the stems,leaves, and branches jutting out of his body at various locations. At the corners of his jaw are three inch stems each with two leaves on each one. Atop his head seems to be five horns of some sort, but closer speculation reveals them to be twelve-inch branches shooting backwards wildly in a similar fashion to his hair. Both his shoulders and elbows also have protrusions; in the case of his shoulders, branch stumps about two inches in diameter and two inches in length. As for his elbows, two six-inch branches extend out with several single leaf stems jutting out of them.
As for clothing, Galyl's attire goes as follows:
- chestnut colored cloak made from the hide of a Dur'Taigen (shape-shifting wolf)
- long brown shorts with a rope serving as a belt.
- tightly fitted (spandex-like) black pants underneath the shorts.
- sandals made out of rope and trakym.
- (Galyl doesn't wear a shirt, choosing to let his cloak keep his upper body warm when necessary.)
History:
[ Fall of the Galóriands ]
Nobody dares speak publicly of the once noble Galóriand family, as their tragedy is considered to be a blemish that Raiaera will never be able to rid herself of. Efforts of course, were made to erase knowledge of what had happened to that once prospering family, such as forbidding historians from printing their accounts in tomes. But whispers of their story could always be heard, whether at a quiet dinner table, or an alleyway where loiterers roamed.
Their awful fate wasn't supposed to be so, considering how well liked they were. Known throughout all of Raiaera, they were a family highly devoted to the protection of the elven lands. Almost all of them were exclusively Bladesingers, with only a few being an exception to that rule. But even these exceptions still did things that aided in protection of Raiaera, whether that was being teachers in Istien University, or soldiers of Tel Aglarim. Their adeptness in swordplay and song magic were renowned, having anyone that sought to cause harm to them or the citizens of Raiaera think twice before doing so. The Galóriands were stationed out of Eluriand, but spent a great deal of time in Trenyce trying to clean up what was known as the "Underbelly of Raiaera". Great strides were being made during their tenure there, but this was all before dread had fallen upon them.
During the Wars of the Tap, the Forgotten Ones had their eyes set on the Galóriands, mainly Xem'zûnd the necromancer. They recognized that such a powerful family had to be dealt with before they could truly conquer Raiaera. Direct forms of attack against the Galóriands weren't even suggested as it was already apparent that the Galóriands would be more than a match for any minion dispatched against them; several might've fallen, but the effort expended for that kind of a task would not be worth it. So, Xem'zûnd came up with a plan. He had several of his undead minions capture one of the Galóriand children and bring it back to the Red Forest. It was a simple operation, but most effective since a Galóriand could be found anywhere between Trenyce and Eluriand; they were a family consisting of well over 200,000 members. But no matter the Galóriand, if one was in need of any kind of assistance, the rest would be there to provide it.
And this was exactly the case. When word got out that a young Galóriand girl by the name of Vadrielia had been seized by Xem'zûnd, the noble family was outraged. Every capable warrior was full prepared to advance against the Forgotten Ones, but were prohibited by the High Bard Council. "Such a large campaign for one child is foolhardy" was the phrase that was used by the council. However, it was also the phrase that ignited the anger of every single person born of the Galóriand name.
Despite the decision of the High Bard Council, the Galóriand Bladesingers opted to go to the Red Forest and retrieve Valaina. This played right into Xem'zûnd's hands. He knew of the Galóriands' intense loyalty to one another, and was aware that the entirety of the family would march down to the Red Forest. Therefore, he set up a trap whereas once the Galóriands walked into the forest, they would have their magic capabilities locked up. When this occurred, a strange bright light descended upon all of them which transformed them all into undead elves. The noble warriors hadn't realized what'd happened to them until the intense light dimmed, but once they took notice, they immediately sought to flee the evil forest, understanding that in their fury they did not prepare for what Xem'zûnd could've throw at them. Unfortunately, a legion of the Forgotten Ones' monstrous minions had emerged from the brush of the blood colored bushes unwilling to let the Galóriands leave. A small war ensued with the nobles losing two thirds of their warriors. All of the Galóriands would've been lost had the remaining third of them not managed to successfully flee.
Beaten and battered, the nobles trekked through the plains of Raiaera with a desire to reach Eluriand. However, the madness that came with being turned undead started to seize many of the Bladesingers. The stronger individuals that'd managed to resist the insanity slayed their brethren that'd lost their mind.
Arriving in the capital city, the nobles rushed to meet with the members of the High Bard Council and inform them of their condition. Every single one of them were highly disappointed with the Galóriands for their disobedience, but set aside their personal feelings on the matter in order to attend to their illness. Gathering the Headmasters of Turlin and Lissilin, every effort was made to remedy the Galóriand plague. However, they hadn't fallen to the same disease that every other elf that'd become undead had fallen to. This was a unique variation, one that no member of the High Bard Council had ever seen before. It became a great cause for concern since members of the council grew worried that if such a horrid disease existed, it could quite possibly effect the entirety of the Raiaeran population. So, intense research went into finding cures for the Galóriand disease, and what they discovered was that such a variation of the undead curse could only be received within the Red Forest since the strength of the Forgotten Ones' magic seemed to be at its strongest there. Afterwards, research of the noble family's curse stopped being pursued with the same vehemence, despite the Galóriands pleas to continue with it. Members of the Council began to look upon the family scornfully insisting that they themselves were to blame for their condition. Yet despite the ridicule, the Galóriands still sought the aid of the Council. It wasn't until the Cora'Lindstra had passed a law, banishing the Galóriands to the wilderness of Raiaera, and forbidding any further research on the "Galóriand disease", that they decided to give up asking the Council. They knew that giving the circumstances, they were lucky that the order to have them all exterminated had not been issued. The reason for this though, was well known; the Galóriands did way too much for Raiaera to be completely disrespected. But, this didn't stop them from doing their own research. The remaining Galóriands vowed that they would cure themselves of their illness no matter how long it took them.
(Post "Wars of the Tap")
[ The Cleansing ]
Centuries after the Forgotten Ones were defeated by the citizens of Raiaera, the Galóriand war against their disease still raged on. By this time, many people had conveniently forgotten about this once noble family especially since there were so few of them left. In fact, younger generations even believed the event to be a complete myth, instituted by fierce nationalists desiring to instill an early sense of loyalty in the elven children of Raiaera. However, the small network of remaining Galóriands stayed intact, exchanging information that they learned about their disease. But all of this still wasn't enough. They were making very slow progress, and in all of these years they had only managed to create medicines that would only slow the degeneration of their minds and bodies temporarily; they needed a real solution fast.
Enter Uril Galóriand. In the small circle of Galóriands, Uril was known as being quite eccentric. He, along with his good friend Hiomir, and his 9 year old grandson Galyl had moved into the dangerous Red Forest, believing that the cure to their disease lied within its depths. Entry into the forest though did not come without its share of challenges. Monsters from time to time attacked the trio, but were warded off by the fighting prowess of both Hiomir and young Galyl, who he'd began training in the art of swordplay four years ago. The Galóriands had fallen far from their days as elite Bladesingers, but since Hiomir's immediate family had kept the teachings of the Bladesingers of old alive, he dedicated his life to keeping his skills sharp, as well as training Galyl to do the same.
The trio's adventures led them to the Obsidian Spire, where they finally took up residence in the ominous, yet vacant abode. They searched the massive palace day by day but still didn't find what they were looking for. Uril did nothing but read countless ancient documents that were littered about the libraries in the Spire. His frustrations grew the more he came across documents that spoke nothing about the Galóriand disease and how to cure it. But, he did come across something of interest in one of the papers that'd he'd read. It was dated some time before the end of the Wars of the Tap and covered the strange topic of fusion between technology and magic. It was always known that Raiaeran magic shut down anything technological that entered its borders, which in turn limited other nations from even attempting to attack the elven lands. This left the elves with an advantage since there weren't very many that excelled in magic like they did. This document stated that there was a way to overcome their magic as well as any other forms of it. Uril' eyes widened as he continued, thinking that perhaps the answers for the cure of the Galóriand disease lied in learning more about fusion between technology and magic. Uril' slaved away at countless texts and other readings about this topic, learning that Xem'zûnd had planned to release a giant humanoid-like "machine" on Raiaera, that was capable of nullifying its spells, and producing "magic" that even the Headmasters of the schools of magic had no answer for. Uril couldn't fathom that there would be something in existence like that, but soon gathered Galyl and Hiomir to look for it throughout the Obsidian Spire.
It was an extremely long process, that which took three years, but Galyl managed to find the "machine". It was deep within the central tower of the Spire, within a massive room that easily was 30 or more stories high. Mold was caked to the onyx stone "machine", as it sat lifelessly like an old doll. Galyl wasn't entirely sure why this thing for so long had been the center of his grandfather's attention, but he didn't think too much about it; he'd always been one to obey his grandfather without question, seeing how he'd raised him ever since the early age of three, back when his parents died to the disease. Uril said that the machine would cure them of their illness, yet the young boy wasn't sure how it would do that.
"To feed the machine......that will set us free. To serve the machine.....that will set us free."
Galyl was an extremely intelligent young man, but even he had no idea what his grandfather was babbling about. However, he was suddenly stabbed in the back by Hiomir with a strange device that had somehow awakened the machine. The giant recognized the device protruding through the young elf's chest and instantly devoured the boy. All of the machine's gears were turning frantically, responding to the "foreign object" now in Galyl's body. The cries of the young elf could be heard deep in the belly of the monster; cries that made Uril and even Hiomir cringe.
Once the machine's tremors and bizarre body twitches ceased, a compartment in its chest opened up, revealing a newly transformed Galyl. He no longer donned the sickly grey and greenish skintone of a diseased elf, but a white tone of purification. Uril was overjoyed at this and attempted to embrace his grandchild. But the young elf pushed his grandfather away, screaming at the top of his lungs in shock of his new appearance, and also what Hiomir had done to him. Terror consumed Galyl, as all of this was so sudden. He felt feelings of betrayal, not sure what to make his elders' actions. Hiomir, being his usual cool and collected self approached his disciple, threatening to take his life if he didn't calm down.
Some time later when the boy was more relaxed, everything was explained to him. He was told by Uril that the only way to cleansing the Galóriands of their disease lied with the machine, which was originally built by Xem'zûnd and his subordinates in order to conquer Raiaera with. He continued, saying that the machine was mainly built because of the realization that the elven magic was too strong, even for the Forgotten Ones to overcome alone. But there was a problem. Because of the complexity of this technological and magical creation, the machine had been giving life, and it required a servant, one that would devote every waking moment to its construction and betterment. One could not truly gain anything for himself, but had to gain and give much to the machine and for the well being of the machine. Many were unwilling to pay such a high price, but even when Xem'zûnd forced them to submit and give themselves to the creation, they were quickly destroyed once the machine devoured them, seeing them as unfit to serve it. Xem'zûnd couldn't understand why this was happening. He contemplated giving himself over to servitude, seeing how he was far more powerful than his minions, but changed his mind as he was fearful of being destroyed as well. So, he left the machine alone, deciding that more research into magical and technological fusion was necessary before he could ever hope to proceed with his creation. However, he never finished what he started since the citizens of Raiaera had defeated him, along with the rest of the Forgotten Ones during the Wars of the Tap.
That research was read thoroughly by Uril, and the old man came to the conclusion that the giant was incomplete. As for why he chose to offer up Galyl as as servant, he played on the old myths about how monsters would devour little children. And since the machine was nothing short of a creater monster, he took that chance.
All of this was a lot to take in for the young elf, and in no way did he even hope to understand it all now. Despite what Uril and Hiomir had done to him, he trusted that they knew what they were doing. In due time he would understand what his grandfather understood and be able to make sense of all of this.
[ Life of Servitude ]
Ten years later, Uril had perished due to being unable to fight off the disease any longer. Not enough progress had been made in order to figure out how to cure himself and Hiomir of the illness. But, Hiomir was physically stronger than his oldtime ally since he trained constantly, both mentally and physically. Galyl studied every bit of research there was on the machine and grew to learn a great deal about the machine and its inner workings. For one, he learned that the reason why he'd been transformed and "cured" of his illness was because when the giant chose a servant for itself, it in a sense became one with its new "caretaker", thus forcing the servant to shed his former body. So it wasn't so much a matter of healing, but instead a matter of giving up ones old life to begin a new life of serving the machine.
And indeed it was certainly a life of servitude. Nearly all day would Galyl tinker with the different mechanisms of the machine, trying to learn more and more about it. After being devoured six years ago, it never moved again. This irritated the Galóriand, since it made no sense logically. Yet thinking in a logical manner with regard to the machine was foolish; it was a unique invention comprised of the blending of both magic and technology. One was required to think out of the box in order to figure the machine out.
At around midnight, Hiomir paid Galyl visits, forcing him to train with him in order to keep his swordsmanship sharp. The young elf found it hard at times to step away from his dealings with the machine, but knew that Hiomir would not allow his skills to dull. But it was during one of his training sessions that Hiomir sat his disciple of nearly 13 years down, explaining to him the history of the Galóriand disease. He knew that Galyl never really knew the cause of their illness, and being the type of kid that only did what his elders told him to do, he wouldn't even think to ask about it.
After learning of how Xem'zûnd had cursed the Galóriands with the disease, and also how the High Bard Council had banished them to Raiaeran wilderness after they discovered that the disease was something that could only be given in the Red Forest, Galyl tensed up. He wasn't so upset that Xem'zûnd had cursed his people since the enemy was expected to do things like that. But for the High Bard Council to abandon his ancestors during their time of need was disgraceful, especially after all that the Galóriands had done for Raiaera at that time. It was at this moment that Galyl decided that the restoration of his family's glory would become a priority of his; and it would be accomplished with the aid of the machine. His life had become all for Xem'zûnd's creation, but that didn't mean that through serving it, he couldn't do this deed for his family line.
Raiaera, along with the rest of the world would surely remember the Galóriands.
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(A Dacilea is an elf that has been cured of the undead disease by means of being devoured by Xem'zûnd's machine. Naturally, Galyl is the only one ;). )
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Skills:
Swordplay: Galyl's intellect is on genius level, which allows him to efficiently care for the machine without the least bit of trouble. But in addition to that, he is a very good swordsman, having been rigorously trained by Hiomir in an ancient form of Bladesinger swordplay, nearly his entire life. In no way is he near mastery, but he is very familiar with a sword and capable of handling himself in a duel.
Archery: Although much better with a sword, Galyl is a decent archer with average skills. He taught himself how to use it, reading several books on the art of archery, as well as constructing bows and arrows. Hiomir did not approve of that idea, as he believed that all a man needed for protection was his sword.
Roots: After undergoing his bizarre transformation by way of the machine, the young elf is able to extend two inch thick oak roots from any part of his body. They can extend to fifteen feet and the amount he can extend at a time are three.
Graft: Galyl uses wooden weapons since he is actually able to draw them into his body. This is something that he tends to do with his weapons when he is not using them.
Equipment:
+ Oak Claymore
+ Yew Bow
+ 10 Cyper Arrows
+ steel enchantment rune - embedded in the claymore in order to make it as strong as
steel.