Legends of Belariath
Akipurra
Akipurra was born to an artisan father and a weaver mother, in the village of Wef-Keftin. Although the Mahou were known for both artistry and magic, this kitten's talent manifested early as a gift for singing and storytelling. A close-knit community, her elders indulged her passion for storiees, songs and even dances. By the time she was of a responsible age, she was also able to read and write in both her own language and the common tongue very well. Despite the peaceful existance of the village, however, outside, the world was changing. And Aki's life was about to chagne forever. As she lay in an upland glade, listening to birdsong, and trying to imitate the complex patterns, she totally missed the light tread of wolven sneaking up on her. A few days later, a bedraggled group of catpeople showed up for sale on an auction block in Carsine, a city not far from the eastern coast. Huddled together, filthy, tired and hungry, it seemed surprising that they all had survived the rough handling. Cat people, Akipurra realized, were far more resilian tan most.
Because she could read and write, Akipurra went for a decent price to a scribe with more work than he could handle, and she had no problem learning to run his household and help him with his work. Her trips to the market were often longer than necessary, as she would stop to listen to the musicians and watch the dancers. The wandering caravans of traders and mercenaries all had their followers - among them both slaves and free people of many lands. To amuse herself, Aki began to commit to memory many of the stories, songs and histories of those she encountered. She learned the sensual dances of the desert nomads, the set dances of the country folk and the music and stories of all three continents of Belariath, with the enthusiasm of a child escaping from the boredom of her normal life. As time went on, those tenuous relationships came and went with the tides, the roads and the tolls charged or taken. But still, the continent had its share of travelers, and Aki mined those bits of knowledge from every passing foreigner.
She had been nearly two years with the scribe, when a petitoner to a local drow house famed for its bardery spotted her - spinning a tale in the market place, of course - and thought she would be a good gift to cement his bargain. One day she was living the life she had come to believe was normal, the next she was taken to a world nothing like she had ever seen before. Her knowledge of the dark elves was scant, but given her reception in the underdark, her future did not seem promising . The Matron obviously considered her insignificant, and passed her off to the eldest son, a noted writer and poet, but moody and taciturn by reputation. The brand of House Nesk'Itan on her left wrist was her only protection in the underdark - and not much of one either, as her interactions with other houses soon proved. Still, it provided her with certain privileges that, with her usual resiliance, she ws quick to take advantage of. She startled and amused her master many times over their years of association.
Her youth seemed to enchant him, and she was given a degree of freedom rather unusual in his household. At his insistance, her days were split between learning the drow language, helping him with his work, and being taught what history was deemed relevant; or with her teachers of music and dance. Deeming it unseemly for her to sing in a noble house, she was not given voice lessons, but taught the lute, the aulos and the harp. Her own clear, kittenish voice she saved for the marketplace and those occasional times with her wandering friends who came and went over the years. Through it all, she wrote and learned and grew in her skills. After the first year, her talent being obvious to anyone who was exposed to her for long, she was permitted to submit her works to the judgement panel twice a year, and over the next three years, was rewarded more than once for her contributions to the house and their growing library of original works.
During this time, she had thought herself safe and secure in her future. With the exception of a sorceror named Hixarian, who paid lip service to Lloth, but truly worshiped a more evil god - and had the idea that she needed to be his - her life was quite easy. Her master was fond of her, one could say spoiled her, and preferred her company almost to the exclusion of his own race. Finding her affectionate and eager, but without any real experience in sexual matters, he taught her to please him, and kept her by his side most nights, even when sense and honor demanded he return to his drow wife, who tended to bully him. The Matron, seeing his attachment to this inferior race female, and tiring of her sister's complaints, decided Aki had to go. And go she did.
While Il'yarik was away at court in the nearby city of Erotsi'Vir, members of the Matron's staff came to collect Akipurra. They had planned to take her to the city to sell her, and if the Matron knew the sorceror would be the buyer, it did not concern her. Her master, however had learned not to trust his mother and her motivations. His contacts and influence among the humans of the kingdom were far greater than hers. Stealing her from the Matron's servants was not difficult, but it was days of travel before she reached her destination in a city she had never heard of. She had no idea where Vrat'ntani was in relation to the geograhy she knew. A minor Imperial fief, it held court offices and she was sold to a court administrator of minor nobility. This was definitely better than a drow sorceror, but she was now totally uncertain of her future. Some nights, missing her former lord and dealing with this new human's ego and desires, she wasn't sure she wanted a future. As always, she made friends among the wanderers that traveled through, trading songs and stories, and companionship from people who did not look down on her or treat her badly. From them, she found out that the drow sorceror had come out of his lair, searching for someone, moving slowly in the direction of their city. She worried this over in her mind, a bit, making plans - fruitless perhaps - to survive, should she be found. Although running seemed prudent, that was not an option that presented itself. And the local slavers were very hard on runaways, which were inevitably caught.
While she mulled this over, her new master received visitors on night, and she did slip into hiding when she heard the brawl turn deadly, the household guards arriving to turn the assassination into a minor skirmish. Two days later, daring to come out of hiding, Aki went to his room and took the hidden store of money she knew he had, and prepared to leave that city forever. Her master had no family - and apparently she was forgotten, if she had ever even been noticed at all - by the killers and his retainers as well. Her wandering friends found her an old traveling bard - chronically ill and half blind. He needed her help, and she needed the cover. She bought herself a lute, some clothing for travel, and packed her small belongings on the packhorse that carried their possessions. For six months, she kept them alive by her skill and her wits, caring for him as best she could, singing in backroad taverns and hostels, always on the move. When he died finally in his sleep, she kept the pack horse and her things, and continued moving on, not sure where she was going, or what she would do when she got there. It was a hot night in early July when she walked into Nanthalion, and was given directions to the Lonely Inn.
The very first night, she made her presence known, facing down the feared necromancer Sha-Ka over his ill treatment of a catboy. To her surprise, it won her friends, Tsuneko, the catboy and himself a mage of no little skill, not the least of them.
Better still, it made her welcome in the Inn and for once, she could stop wandering and settle again to what she loved best - her music. In time, she met more friends - wanderers like herself who came - or were drawn - to this far section of the world.
Lovers, friends and enemies like the interwoven harmonies of a great song weaving through her life in steady measure to keep her busy and give her a sense of belonging. For how long? Or will it last? The outside world is not gone, and somewhere a sorceror still wishes to gift this one to his dark god to further his evil plans. Closer to home, rogues and goblins threaten the stability of life in Nanthalion. Each day is a new game to be played, with the goal of survival, and the overture of happiness to be sought.