SA | Taeith

Birth - 10 years:

Taeith was born to a mated pair of horses by the names of Nivia and Rorek. Both were of pure Serorian blood, and as such, were nomads who followed the trails laid out by their ancestors in correspondence with the seasons. But, as Nivia began to show the life growing within her, Rorek decided that it would be safer to return to Osulas till their child was ready to travel with them. The little buckskin filly was born just as the morning sun rose over the horizon, gracing the family with it's presence. Both of her parents were delighted and took Taeith to the small shrines in Osulas to bless their young child. They hoped this would bring her good fortune, though they dare not travel to The Sear as they feared any blessing from the fire god would counter act the blessings of the other four.

The family lived in Osulas until Taeith was around two. They quickly packed up their things and headed out into the desert with a group that was going out on a long gathering expedition. As they followed the ancient paths, Taeith learned about each of the gods and other life lessons from her mother and some of the other horses in the group that were gathering medicinal herbs, while her father and others would scout and gather supplies for the herd. Rorek was skilled in finding metal veins, and he would make note of where these veins were and report them to other Serorian gatherers, mostly to groups who were returning to Osulas. Nivia's specialty was in gathering herbs for medicine, and had been offered the position of medicine horse numerous times in the past, though declined because she felt more pride in knowing where different herbs grew. At night, Nivia would whisper a prayer before Taeith fell asleep, and it's a habit for the buckskin to do even today.

When Taeith showed signs of becoming a gatherer like her parents, Rorek and Nivia decided to figure out what their daughter's skill would be in. Would she gather food and medicinal herbs? Would she find spots for crops and become a planter? Would she follow in her father's footsteps and find metal for armor? When the group rested in one spot for a few days, Rorek would take Taeith out while Nivia rested and took care of the camp with others staying behind. During this alone time with her father, Taeith learned the minimum amount needed of each aspect of her future role. Rorek taught her about the veins, about herbs, about what plants were edible and what weren’t and which season they would be planted in, and more. He was surprised when Taeith had a strong interest in rocks, taking a liking to shiny pebbles along river banks the most. After a small discussion with Nivia, the pair decided they would travel back to Osulas to have Taeith trained under an artisan jeweler.

As the group rested one night on their return journey, they were approached by a sickly looking mare. Trusting and accepting, the group took the mare in. Little did they know that it was trap by a group of wandering Vagabonds. They were awoken by sharp prods and quickly had everything taken off of them. They took Rorek's notes, the herbs Nivia had gathered, Taeith's small collection of pebbles and common uncut gems, their personal belongings, and other things from the group. Outraged, Rorek tried to defend his family against the thieves and was taken down in the process. The group’s warriors reacted and soon a brawl broke out. In the fight, Rorek was severely injured. The medicine horses tried their best to stabilize him, but they were unable to do much for him.

Taieth and her mother finally made it to Osulas within the week, fear returning to their home. It was then Nivia sought out the jeweler she had originally come back to Osulas for. It was time to find her daughter a teacher.

10 - 18 years:

The artisan jeweler was a wise old stallion who was reaching retirement. He had a knack for seeing any flaw in a gemstone brought to him, and was super picky about what he bought and sold. At first, Nivia wasn't having in luck in having him take on an apprentice, but he eventually gave in after Taeith brought him her personal collection as a gift. "Your child may not have much skill now, but she does have an eye for the finer things. I may be able to do something with her," he said, shaking his head.

Taeith's impatience was the first thing the jeweler needed to tame. She was so eager to learn, but couldn't sit down long enough to learn anything. She was always getting into everything and making a mess of his workshop. The stallion almost kicked her out a few times, and threatened to to get her attention. When Taeith did sit still long enough, the lessons were about looking for fractures in the crystal structure of the gems, how luster could make or break a gem, how to tell what was real over fake with a streaking process, and what gems came in what colors. She learned where to find gems and sought for rocks, like obsidian and marble. She learned how to mine as well, though the stallion did most of the work until she was fourteen and able to hold a pick axe correctly.

The pair went on numerous outings, traveling along the mountain side, deep into the desert, into caves and sometimes along river beds. Taeith was his bodyguard half of the time, as they would run into other nomads and strangers. During these outings, Taeith also watched the stallion bargin with others, taking mental notes for herself. She wanted to be just like her master and able to get the best price and sell the highest. The stallion made a huge impression on her and he became her father figure.

Once Taeith hit eighteen, she was ready to be on her own. Now an official adult, she had to go through the Ceremony of the Rising Wind. With others in her age group, she fasted and didn't sleep, though it was hard. She almost fell asleep four times throughout the night, her mentor nudging her awake during the whole process. Nivia had given her herbs to stall her hunger, though she told her daughter to not say anything. The new adults ventured out into the harsh daylight once the sun rose, and Taeith branched off of them as she knew where she wanted to wait for her visions. There was a cavern full of crystal structures that her mentor had found years prior to Taeith's birth, and he had shown it to her for the very purpose of finding her vision. He had advised to head there, as the crystals held magic that could help her. When Taeith found the cavern, she walked until finding a clearing and settled down, tucking her legs under her as she waited for the visions to come to her.

While waiting, she took in the sight of the softly glowing crystals, in complete awe of the place as she had been the first time. It felt like she was waiting ages, but she started to hear something. It was almost a whisper and Taeith shot up onto her hooves when she thought she saw something. She thought she saw an equine figure, but as she shook her head, the figure disappeared. Kicking herself, Taeith laid back down and waited again. She felt a presence behind her, but dared to not move this time. "My sweet little girl...look how you've grown," a masculine voice whispered. Taeith stayed still, not wanting the figure behind her to disappear again. "Your gift will bring you the fortune your mother and I had wished for you, but you must keep your wits sharp. It is dangerous to wander alone in this world, especially when caring priceless materials as you will. Alya has sent me in her place so that you will know that she is watching over you and our family." Taeith had a hard time placing the voice, but as she slowly turned her head she was staring at her father, Rorek. Tears sprang to her eyes and as she started to speak, the stallion quieted her. "I am gone, but fear not. I will always be with you in your heart. Your path is already set and you have taken your first steps. Do not falter when faced with doubt or tough decisions. My daughter, I am so proud of you. Return to Osulas, and start your next journey."

Her father faded and Taeith took the next few moments to let out the cry she had been holding back. She ended up falling asleep, as exhaustion finally hit her.

When she returned to her mother and mentor, she told them of her vision and how it was her destiny to continue the path she was on. Both were proud of her and Nivia took Taeith to the shrines one more time for good luck. At each shrine, they both said the nightly prayer and left small tokens for each of the gods. When Taeith was about to set off for the first time without Nivia, her mother approached her. "My daughter, you will travel far and to other continents, but I fear for you if you ever enter the fire god's land. Please be safe and always come back to visit," Nivia said. "It is time you set off on your own to start your life. I will be praying every day for your safety." Taeith's mentor had a few parting words as well when she came to thank him for his teachings. "Child, you were a pain at times, but you were a fast learner. My secrets are now yours. Remember the teachings and you will prosper. Oh, and bring me back something good when you return."

19 years - Present Time:

After returning from a gathering mission, Taeith was called to Osprey's Palace and was placed in charge of gathering expedition. The herd was going through a tough drought and he tasked her group to find food and farming land to the north. Setting out with high hopes, Tae lead her group with confidence though about halfway through their journey all hope seemed lost. They hadn't found anything and the heat was draining them. Almost giving up, a sudden gust of wind passed over the group. A sign from Alya, their patron goddess! They must have been going in the right way and soon enough, they found what they were looking for. Sadly, they were ambushed by coytoes and had to fight to keep their treasure. They returned with the good news and the herd could rest easy for a little bit. Exhausted, but happy, Taeith retired to her home to rest.

The next time Taeith headed out, she was heading to Sterling to attend the River of Gems. She had made contact with some Breim herd members and was allowed to come to the convention. She was given a guide and a home to rest in. While she was there, Breim and Seroran ambassadors were in talks and soon the Breim herd allowed some land to rebuild crops for a short period of time. As she was in the area already, Taeith stopped by the camp on her way home and decided to stay and help. During that time, Kaia had come to her in a dream and blessed the mare with Earth Manipulation. The gift came in handy when it came to the crops and soon Tae was part of the team. A few weeks later, the camp got a visit from some Breim herd members who were sent to see how the camp was doing. During a tour of the grounds lead by the energetic mare, the ground suddenly opened up and the camp was destroyed.

With the Breim camp a failure, the herd was at a loss of what to do as the drought seemed to get worse. Soon, news of an oasis reached the Sultan and the whole herd packed up their things and relocated. While they stayed in the oasis, Tae and a few other herd members noticed the Sultan conversing with members of the Aodh herd. Curious, they started to eavesdrop, though were soon discovered by the visitors. Not wanting their presence to add to the heated discussion, they exposed themselves and witnessed the start of what was soon to be a declaration of war.

War was on the horizon. The herd branched out, everyone finding tasks to help out. Taeith wasn't able to join one of the larger gathering groups but overheard one group looking for a certain ore that could be used to help make weapons and armor. Tae felt her heart skip a beat as she remembered her father mentioning where the ore might be found. Though it is very rare for a gatherer to go out on their own, Tae had enough confidence in herself to find the ore herself. With her blessing of Earth Manipulation, Tae was able to expose the ore for her fellow herd members to come and mine once she told them where it was.

Just as they seemed to be prepared for anything, Osprey suddenly up and left following the absence of Alya. With his disappearance, a new sultan was elected, Baram. Taeith was a neutral party during the squabble of what to do with the Talroians, hoping those with a better understanding of the situation to take care of the issue. Things worked out and everyone was content with the resolve, throwing a festival together to not only celebrate but to try and get in contact with their lost goddess. Tae found herself slipping away into the desert, reaching out not only to Alya, but to Kaia as well.

When the time came to act on their treaty with the Talori herd, Taeith found herself with a group of equines on a different journey. They were headed to The God's Landing to once again pray to their goddess for her return. It was an honor and Tae was excited to be one of the first common horses to step hoof on top of the sacred ground. Along the way, the group encountered a jackalope that had the ability to teleport, which had frightened the group almost into a state of unrest. But, once the creature was located, they continued onward with no issues. Upon reaching the top, Taeith barely had registered the sight of her home when the impossible happened. Alya had come back and she had appeared before them. Before leaving her children, she had bestowed a vision of the tragedy the kirins had brought the herd in the past, leaving Taeith with not so fond opinions of the scaly residents.

War was on the horizon not long after. The threat of the Aodh invaders forced many in the herd to pack up and move to the Oasis for safety. Taeith and her mother sought shelter with the rest of the herd, though it wasn't long till Taeith found herself in the middle of making a big decision. Along with others in the Oasis, they made the decision to use "The Weapon" Alya had bestowed upon the herd to protect themselves. It hadn't been an easy decision and it took a lot of persuading (mostly arguing) to finally get "The Weapon" to activate. Once it worked, the Oasis was surrounded by a barrier that kept threats out, but the herd inside. Suddenly unsure if she had made the right choice, Taeith has to live with the decision and has been stuck inside the Oasis since.

Months passed and with little news of the outside happenings, the herd inside the Oasis was growing restless. "The Weapon" started to hum one day which drew a crowd of horses to try and calm it. Taeith and the others first thought they could use the weapon to free them of their safe haven, but "The Weapon" only started to make things worse. It caused random places and things to warp and in fear, everyone's emotions started to run. It was decided that before anyone touch "The Weapon" they had to be calm and in the right mind set. It was only after Ayla's voice was heard did they find calm and "The Weapon" reached out for the barrier. She had granted them passage in and out of the Oasis with the use of teleportation.