This tale takes place during the Time of the Bane, some two
hundred years ago. At this time a man calling himself Soros the Conqueror, who may
or not have been the former High Priest of Taath Dazrada Soros, had gained control of the
White Dove of Rinanni. All that was known of his plans at that time was that he had
gained control of much of the surrounding land, and planned to take over the Spur.
The city, as you may imagine, was in a great state of distress and unrest.
And at that time there arrived in the city a human bardess of
Rinanni named Kyria Starsong. Though the city was in turmoil, the citizens of the
Spur took notice of Kyria. Partly it was because she was as fair as any woman of the
city, with long golden hair and a voice like a nightingale's. Partly it was because
she was kind and gentle and loving of spirit, with never a harsh word for anyone, and with
boundless hope for an end to the troubled times. And perhaps partly it was because
she was blind, and dependent upon the kindness of others to make her way upon the chaos of
the city, yet never complained of any difficulty.
Now, many there were in the city impressed by the bardess for
all these reasons, but none more so than a Drag-al runemage named Poindexter
Phillpott. Poindexter was not an ordinary Drag-al, raucous and rowdy and prone to
all matter of games and party; but was sober and studious, of shy demeanor, and devoted to
his magickal studies. He was not prone, in short, to rash commitments or affairs of
the heart. Yet he had but to once set eyes upon Kyria, and was instantly
smitten. Poindexter became a near-constant companion to Kyria, scrupulously
attendant to her needs and always available for her aid; his friends noticed this change
in his character with great amusement.
Now, there came to pass several days in which Kyria was not
seen in the city. Poindexter was distressed by her absence, but his friends pointed
out to him that she was no doubt safe in her rooms, and that he had no cause to
worry. As they spoke of these things in the center of Town Square, there was a great
disturbance, and who should appear but Soros himself. Those who had known the High
Priest of Taath claimed that if this Soros be the same as the one they had originally
known, he had been changed immeasurably. But that is irrelevant to this tale.
Soros eyed the gathered crowd, and uttered various threats, which were answered by cries
of defiance by the townsfolk. But then Soros silenced the crowd by dropping
something upon the cobblestones.
It was a blue sapphire choker. And though most gathered
in the Square thought it at best vaguely familiar, Poindexter recognized it at once.
It was Kyria's.
And as Soros hurled threats upon the crowd, and the crowd
responded with the most vile imprecations they could think of, poor Poindexter begged
Soros for news of Kyria. It was to no avail. His point made, his purpose done,
Soros departed the Town Square, leaving poor Poindexter despairing, Kyria's choker in his
hands.
For several days Poindexter roamed the city with his friends,
searching for Kyria, with no luck. The Drag-al feared that his love had been taken
from the city, or worse, that she no longer lived at all.
Then, as Poindexter and his friends took in a battle at the
Arena, debating their next move, an odd thing began to happen. Kyria's blue sapphire
choker began to pulse and glow. And with a bit of experimentation Poindexter
discovered that the choker's glow grew brighter when he moved in certain directions,
dimmer in others. Poindexter followed the brightening glow through the Town Square,
into the Poor Quarter, and finally to the very steps of the Anything Goes Club.
Swallowing his embarrassment, he entered the Club and began to search the premises.
In one of the the rooms he found his love Kyria lying
unconscious on the floor, a guard standing over her, beating her lifeless with his
axe. With a great cry the brave Drag-al jumped to intercept the guard's blows, and
with sword and rune fended off the villain's attacks, though Poindexter nearly gave up his
own life in the process.
He carried Kyria out of that decadent place, and they
returned to the safety of the Town Square. But as Poindexter's relief and excitement
faded to a more sensible state, he realized that his love was not yet out of danger.
For around Kyria's neck, where the sapphire choker once had been, now she wore a choker of
black acid, which seemed to eminate an aura of evil and cruelty. Sadly Kyria told
Poindexter that Soros had placed the black acid choker around her neck, and if she or
anyone else tried to remove it, it would surely kill her.
The entire city searched for a solution to Kyria's
plight. Two young Dragons, Rand and Rime, seized upon a possible solution, and
persuaded the bardess to cooperate. The Dragons found a priest to aid them, and took
Kyria to a safe and quiet place. And there, as quickly and humanely as they could
manage, the two Dragons slew Kyria and searched her lifeless corpse.
Rime snatched up the black acid choker, and Rand exhorted the
priest to resurrect Kyria, for the intent was to in this way foil Soros' plan. But
Soros, it appears, was more clever than two young Dragons. For all of the priest's
prayers could not bring poor Kyria back to life, and the black acid choker began to roil
and pulse most ominously in Rime's hands.
Rime fled for the bank, thinking to hurl it in the vault
before it could cause harm. And indeed he almost made it into the bank before the
choker exploded, and Rime with it. It's said it took the House of the Dead several
hours to find enough of Rime to bring him back to the living.
As for Kyria, Rand and the priest took her body to the Temple
of Rinanni. And there she lay, waiting for something to release her soul from the
land of the living, or to restore life to her stricken body. Poindexter learned of
what had happened to Kyria, and fled directly to the Temple of Rinanni. He
shouldered through the mass of people gathered there to gaze upon his beloved one last
time. Tears welling in his eyes, Poindexter placed the blue sapphire choker upon
Kyria's neck, and a soft kiss upon her lips.
All the temple was silent, watching Poindexter, for a long
moment. And then Kyria's eyes fluttered and opened, for what the power of the Gods
and the cunning of Dragons could not accomplish, the simple love of a worthy Drag-al made
reality.
Kyria was alive.
Several days later, Kyria and Poindexter swore vows of
eternal fidelity at the altar of the Temple of Rinanni. And then, after saying
farewell to all their friends and well-wishers, they left the Spur. It is said that
they found a place of peace and eternal springtime, and there they lived out the rest of
their lives in happiness, and never returned to the Spur again.
And that is the tale of Poindexter and Kyria.
Revised: September 02, 1998.
Copyright © 1995 by Mythic Entertainment.
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