The Elusive Evelyn of Eldemore

[Skeseth]

Art (c) to Riz on DA

Name: Evelyn ???

Occupation: Jack of all Trades in Everything Sinister and Illegal - For Hire: Will work for gold silver shelter food

Skills: Being bad at everything, but always willing to try and learn, mediocre in thieving (with help), being clumsy, loud, and speaking her mind

Likes: Adventure, Thrills, Adrenaline Junkie, Hunting, Potatoes (hard to ruin), Money (if she could ever get some more), Solitude, High Places

Dislikes: Crowded Places, Small Spaces, Hunger, Cold

[Skeseth]

She goes by no other name, keeping her surname a secret or creating a different false identification to everyone she meets. It could be Evelyn Ferrick in the morning and Evelyn Vosgier in the evening. Lying, unfortunately, does not come easy to her and so she sticks to introducing herself as just Evelyn.

What little of the Eldemore population actually know is that from a young age, Evelyn was being groomed as an heir to the House Cairon in Alabaster City, one of the most prodigious and wealthy households. They pride themselves in their bloodline, their social status, and holding up to the rest of the aristocrats in the grand capitol. Very few can match up to their wealth and prestige. Their wealth comes mainly from politics and land, though some whispers say they have other less respectful means of acquiring so much.


Royal White Drake of House Cairon

Evelyn was born to Lord Wulfroth Cairon and Lady Odelia Cairon as their firstborn child and were instructed for that to be their last, as the birth was difficult for Lady Odelia. Evelyn grew up surrounded by servants and chambermaids that helped her dress, clean, and teach her the proper ways of being a woman as well as everything a Cairon purebred lady should know once she is out in society. It was not often that she have time off to herself, but in the moments she was able to escape during her rebellious pre-teen years, she met some unusual and wonderful folks in the city of Alabaster. Her parents were almost non-existent, except for the first few years when her mother doted on her—what Lady Odelia called her miracle child. Lady Odelia was born in the Montceaux family, and was a little less restricted in her aristocratic education. She held many folklore books and stories from the magical races which she shared with a young Evelyn to inspire the dreamer-like qualities she saw in her daughter.

The oppressing atmosphere and the pressure of being the Cairon heir did not work well with Evelyn’s aloof personality. Demands for her mother’s attention from Lord Wulfroth and others pulled her away from her daughter as soon as Evelyn came to an age where she needed to start her education. While occasionally rebellious, Evelyn learned her studies in hopes of joining her mother soon. The aristocratic lifestyle, however, was difficult to bear and her father’s narcissism and control became a thorn in Evelyn’s side.

It was not until age 15 that Evelyn finally snapped. Her father still demanded another heir (“A proper heir!”) to the Cairon name. While the family extended with cousins and other relatives, the eldest child still followed the line and kept the blood pure, as her father’s father and those before were taught. Lady Odelia agreed, but the warning about a second child was valid. Neither the mother nor the child survived the birth. Taking the loss of her mother hard, Evelyn refused to continue her education on her father’s demand. Lord Wulfroth was not a completely heartless man, turning to drink at the loss of his beloved wife and unborn son. He still focused his attention on the family and began to find a suitable betrothal for his only child to secure the House Cairon to follow the pure blood first born line.

Evelyn rebelled. She refused to be stuck to the aristocratic ways. She wished to explore Eldemore and the land and not be stuck following the family tradition of politics, wealth, and society. She was introduced a year early to the public. Stiff traditions, introductions during political balls, meeting potential matches her father had hand chosen… Her life was suddenly scheduled down to the hour. A year after her mother’s death, she had enough. It was difficult to manage, to escape the walls of the Cairon House with their vigilant white drake guards. It meant that Evelyn had to take very little with her. With just a rucksack filled with essentials, a good amount of gold to initially start off, Evelyn managed to just barely slip by during a change of guards.

Life outside the walls was amazing! At first. She suddenly felt a freedom that she has never had. She also suddenly realized that she had never done anything for herself. She attempted to dress as she thought the “peasant-folk” would, but still she stood out. Her first few days were full of terror and she very nearly returned home shame-faced with metaphorical tail between her legs, especially as she went her money quickly with her expensive tastes in dining and accommodations. When she realized she had to get income in some way, if she really wished to cut ties with the small percentage of wealthy citizens, Evelyn attempted to lie her way into things. First she claimed to be an expert in waiting tables and cleaning. Things that she had never lifted a finger in, and when discovered she found herself back without a job.

Good morals was not something that Evelyn gave much thought. Having secretly read stories of bandits, pirates, and rouges sounded made that kind of life exciting. Between trying to lie her way into menial labor duties, to which she dramatically failed at (“Can’t you even carry one dish without breaking it, girl!?” “You WASH the linens separately and RINSE the soap out, you stupid brat!” “I told you if I caught you sleeping again on your shift I’ll toss you out on the streets like all the rest of the orphans!”) she attempted to learn the ways at being a thief and scoundrel.

It was a challenge, and again among the beginning she nearly gave up and considered facing the wrath of her farther. But then life helped her find a way… It came in the form of a shape-shifting rune, difficult to notice to all except for Evelyn who was down on her luck with almost nothing left to her name and starving. She did not have much experience with the magical creatures of Eldemore; being raised to learn to be a Lady did not include playing with pets or having a bond to distract you. The staff at House Cairon of course had the occasional serval to help, or the sleipnir in the stables to learn riding, or obviously the regal drakes. Never had she heard of a rune quite like this one, changing its form to look inconspicuous in the window of a watchmaker’s shop. As soon as the customer and owner were turned away, the black and orange came back to life and stole the shiny trinket it had been stalking and darted out the door before it could even be caught.

That is, not by the owner. Evelyn followed the curious creature and in a secluded alley where a kind old woman had set up a garden, did she meet her first rune dragon face to face. A long story short, the rune took an interest to the desperation in Evelyn; she saw an apprentice in the human. The rune had a crooked tail… Evelyn had taken a crooked path in life. The pair bonded, and Evelyn finally had a partner in crime-- who did all the crime while Evelyn tried not to ruin it! And if it wasn't a crime, it was certainly something Evelyn had to run away or pay for.

[Skeseth]

Rooz

Bonded: Evelyn
Gender: Female
Breedable: Yes
Type: Hallow Rune

"The Trickster of Hallows Eve"

The Hallow Rune is a dragon only ever seen during the festive nights of September through November. They begin to appear when the leaves change and fall, and stay till the cold nights when the trees are bare and children are dressed to fright. These type of Runes are known for their morphing ability which they use to mimic other Rune Dragons and even inanimate objects! The Hallow will make itself appear as anything it deems interesting, and the mischievous little dragons love to play tricks on others while confusing the unsuspecting with their many morph changes. A Hallow Rune is said to not have a 'true form' but this is false, it is just that the little dragon's true appearance is rarely seen and even then, those who see it are not sure if it is just another trick or if it is the real thing. This Dragon's real form is actually quite appealing and they even have an ember like glow to them as if an inner flame burns beneath their coal black skin. This Rune however, has a bandage over its tail that does not seem to straighten out fully. Perhaps it was broken at some point and has never healed properly? Needless to say, the dragon's tail now has a crook to it that makes it bend permanently inward and also tends to give away the dragon whenever it morphs. It does not seem to dull it's happy demeanor though, and even seems proud of it's bandage. Hopefully this Rune will go to a good home as we continue to search for Tiddly Winks, what with all the vampires about, it is amazing that this one has not been bitten!

I've decided, Rooz is Rooz. The more it is seen, the more I say it, the more it definitely fits and is in the spirit of Halloween. Playing a ruse on her companions and strangers is one of her favorite things, and it embodies the term trickster in every way. The name originates from the name Roozani (African origin) and the name's meaning is, perfectly, 'Trick'. I then shortened it to Rooz and pronounce it as 'Ruse', which is a trick or deception as well. I thought this fit perfectly two-ways, without actually calling her Ruse. And even better, for me it can really sound both feminine and masculine, considering how often she morphs, you never really can tell this dragon is a female until you get her back into her true form.



I am that merry wanderer of the night. _Puck

If there is every an iconic trickster that comes to mind, it is the mischievous Puck, famously known for his role in Shakespeare's A Midsummer's Night Dream. Rooz's very trickster personality is similar to the mischievous sprite, though taking in some of his personality from the way he is portrayed in Disney's Gargoyles. If there is anything that this Hallow Rune loves to do more, is having a laugh (for herself), and usually that means playing with those people and runes around her to do so.

And play she does-- her morphing abilities are never ending, and she uses them to a great extent just as she moves around. It's a surprise if you ever see her at all in her normal form, though usually when she sleeps or seeks comfort she will definitely be in the shape she was born in, unable to hide away. She knows she cannot fully blend in when changing form, but she does try her hardest. It becomes a game-- how long can I fool this person/rune this time, before they realize? Evelyn does not fall for it, somehow knowing just what Rooz is at any time.

Up and down, up and down, / I will lead them up and down. / I am feared in field and town. / Goblin lead them up and down. _ Puck, A Midsummer's Night Dream

But not everything requires changing forms... Most of her tricks are done at night, and ranged from purely amusing silly tricks to sinister and dangerous. She loves to confuse others for her amusement, and if there ever were a story to pay attention to, it would be this one, :

A lost traveler in the forest, panicked in the moonless darkness, has grown confused and terrified. The possibility of their death out in that darkness, where anything could be lurking just steps away in the shadows, forces the traveler to not give up, to grasp onto any help. Suddenly, they see a warm bobbing glow in the distance. Rejoicing that they will be saved, the traveler follows the guiding light with a strong hope to find someone at the end of it. It keeps moving away, yet flickering and bobbing as if held by someone. The traveler's screams go unheeded, and they continue until their throat goes hoarse. Suddenly the light stops! The traveler cries in joy; they were saved! Through the trees, tripping over stones, they inch closer. The light grows larger, until finally they break through to a small unfamiliar clearing. They are surrounded by trees, a small bare patch between where they stood and where the light shown. An orb in the darkest of shadows across the ways, with two golden eyes piercing the stranger. Suddenly, there was a chitter sounding remarkably like laughter; the eyes blinked once, twice, and the light blinked out on the third time. Without guidance and even more turned around than before, the traveler's fate became unknown...

Was it Rooz or just another Hallow Rune that enjoyed the same kind of tricks? Or would she play such a dangerous trick at all...? The possibilities are endless with this Hallow Rune, and one must always be on their guard to not be tricked by her. If there is ever a Rune Bearer that knows how to keep on her toes, it is Evelyn. After her first companion, Norina, she learned quickly to always be aware of any mischief that might be aimed her way. While the Portal Rune tries not to unleash many of her experiments on her rune bearer, Rooz certainly does. It could almost be seen as a sign of affection as they are rarely no more than silly pranks; no where near as bad as the tricks she pulls on the other runes and people she meets.

Demona: That's it! That's what I want! If you cannot get rid of all the humans, then at least rid me of that human: Elisa Maza!
Puck: Did you say *that* human or that *human*?
[Demona glares at him]
Puck: Oh, never mind, I'll figure it out. This just might be fun after all.

One of the more annoying things that Rooz tends to pull is twisting a person's request. If there is any way to do the complete opposite of requested, she will do so. She will test boundaries whenever she can especially when she is bored-- a bored Rooz is not a good Rooz! Words to live by.

Evelyn will take her everywhere, even if it might mean trouble where she goes. She allows Rooz to disguise herself as any rune whenever meeting people, and soon enough can get a reputation as that woman with hundreds of runes to call her friend. The reputation she will gain... and not always good, considering the sort of mischief Rooz leaves behind when visiting cities and villages. Rooz helped change Evelyn's life when they first met... Evelyn, a clumsy stranger in a strange land after running away from her life. The mischief, apologies, and bad reputation is meaningless to the bond she shares with Rooz. At least with the Hallow Rune at her side, Evelyn was finally able to be seen as the merry rogue she wanted her life to turn into!

But this Hallow Rune isn't all mischief and mayhem. She is fiercely loyal to those that she cares for. She may be small but she will protect her rune bearer and help any way she can. The sprite Puck is known to do little services for his family, especially if you are in his favor, and Rooz is the same way but she enjoys it much more and it is hard to fall out of favor with her if she is truly loyal. She can be serious when needed and occasionally it is a ruse all on its own. How can she unnerve Evelyn? By suddenly becoming the more well behaved rune or maybe the most boring. Like in Disney's Gargoyles, Owen was Puck's alter-ego and his best prank; yet he was intensely loyal to the Xanatos family.

If there is one thing that Rooz seeks far from her tricks, is the company of others. She may have gone her whole life as another rune, fooling others, but in reality she detests being alone. Never is this Hallow rune found too long by herself, happy to follow Evelyn or even teasing any creature or human around. Late at night, if Evelyn has a nightmare, she can be found in her natural state curling up with her human to offer comfort, keeping the shadows at bay with her warm glow.

Her loneliness is one of the reasons that Rooz rarely morphs into an inanimate object. She wants to be noticed in some way and therefore plays her tricks as other creatures. But in the case of needing to hide or if a prank really does call for it, she will turn into something that could easily hide in her surroundings. As much of a playful sprite as she can be, she definitely fears many things. She is not a big rune and she is not a strong rune; she definitely relies now on Evelyn if a danger actually approaches to keep her safe.

Jim Hawkins: Without the map we're dead. If we try to leave we're dead. If we stay here...
Morph:[imitating Jim] "We're dead!" "We're dead", "we're dead", "we're dead"!

At the end, Rooz is a silly creature that will never keep Evelyn bored. She is her a loyal friend to Evelyn and partner since the day she was found.

Inspirations

I researched and used several characters as personality for inspiration, among other things. The most observed one in Rooz's personality that is seen is Puck. Puck (who has many names as well as Robin Goodfellow) is both in Shakespeare's play as well as Disney's Gargoyles-- he is a mischievous sprite and in the cartoon definitely enjoys twisting the words of anyone's requests. Any wish from him will never be good... unless he likes you. He is certainly loyal to Xanatos and had even returned to protect his child even though he had been terrified of Oberon. He grew cowardly, ran away, but returned out of loyalty to the family. While Owen was a large ruse of his (and changes his form like Rooz can), he definitely enjoys serving the family and helping them. Even the folktales of Puck the sprite, it explains that he may do chores for a household so long as you do not fall out of favor with him.

Other researched inspirations are from Morph, as a silly companion that loves joking around. The friendliness and affection definitely originates from him, as well as more of her innocent silliness. She absolutely must make Evelyn happy, must make her laugh when sad! She tries, at least. Another would be evil fairies, sprites, pwcca, or however you want to think it. The folktales of these mischievous spirits luring people into danger or lights guiding travelers to becoming lost or even to their deaths. There definitely is a very dark and sinister side to Rooz...

[Skeseth]

STYRLAKR






The Story of the Summoner of War
By: Jendalie

"The old legends of our ancestors speak of the Ancients as great beasts who are the embodiment of power. No one really knows how these dragons came to be. Some say they are the result of a Rune Dragon reaching its peak of the magic it holds within itself. Others say they are pure magic manifested into dragon form. I believe them to simply be what they are- Ancients, and nothing more, though terrifying indeed. Where their existence came from is unimportant to these creatures. What really matters to them is their desire to obtain a Summoner to create a pact with and share in their powers. However, some pacts are cursed while others are a blessing. The Ancient of War is one such cursed pact, and he requires a great price in order to call upon his true name and take his power for your own. I am sure you have guessed by now that the Ancient of War is one of the Four Dragons to bring about the End of Days. And while his pact may be cursed, for war is never good, things are not always as they appear to be.

_____



The Day Evelyn Died

WIP story