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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Insight" data-source="post: 4948669" data-attributes="member: 11437">Q'ynn Daelrith - Crucible Challenge III - An Inspirational StoryQ'ynn Daelrith was almost finished mucking the last stall in the gladiatorial stables when he heard a familiar grunt and then a sneeze from the rear of the stables.  Theebie was awake."Criminy!" the griffon exclaimed.  "What's that smell?"  Theebie didn't really care that much for the smell of other animals, especially the warhorses, and the stench of their excrement offended his senses even more.Q'ynn, bucket in hand, rounded the corner of the large stall to see Theebie roughly flap his wings and shake his head.  "You know exactly what that smell is," Daelrith said."Doesn't mean I have to like it," the griffon replied.  "What are you still doing here?"That was a good question on two levels.  Daelrith had spent more than the required time cleaning out the stables.  He often dallied here so that he was less likely to be chosen to fight.  Q'ynn really didn't care for the company of most of the other fighters.  There were a few he liked: Grumber, of course, Sadaj, the dragonborn, Manripper, the half-troll who was nicer than his name sounded, Atrius, the eladrin, Pirx, strangely, and Kadaj, the goliath.  Some of the newer gladiators he barely knew and, since they weren't likely to be around long, Daelrith decided it wasn't worth his time to get to know them.But Theebie's question also struck a deeper chord.  Why was Daelrith still fighting in the arena?  Surely, Q'ynn had fought enough battles and earned his masters enough glory and gold.  Normally, those slaves who win enough matches were released or moved onto new venues.  Q'ynn wondered if maybe other forces were at work keeping him in the area."Kord be praised," Q'ynn said.  "You have a lot of questions this morning.""Oh, Kord this and Kord that," Theebie replied.  "One would think Kord were your sire the way you talk.""He is my deity," Q'ynn said.  "Were it not for the grace of Kord's divinity, I likely wouldn't be standing before you now."The griffon ruffled his feathers.  "And this is bad, how?""You're in a bad mood," Daelrith pointed out.  "I think someone needs to be fed."  Q'ynn moved to an awful-smelling trough full of various animal and beast scraps, the freshest of which was a week old."Darn right," Theebie said.  "Have any sheep?""I don't see any," Q'ynn replied, holding his nose.  "I see some owlbear... and some horse, I guess.""Ooh, no horse!" Theebie said.  "I guess the owlbear."Q'ynn took a shovelful of owlbear meat and dumped it before Theebie."Say," Theebie said.  "You never finished telling me that story about your grandfather and that mermaid."Q'ynn finished dumping the second shovel load of owlbear meat.  In an attempt to evade the aroma, he took two steps back.  "Sure," he said.  "Why not?"***If you recall, my maternal grandfather was Kiernan Malley, a sailor of some renown.  He sailed the Shining Coast, from Port Maul to Garigos to Ethizar, all the way to the Ends.  So famous was Kiernan Malley that, when the war broke out between Salthea and Uither, a conflict that became known as the War of the Maiden's Ear, King Hedrizas of Salthea commissioned my grandfather as admiral of the Salthean navy.  Admiral Malley led a fleet of seven tall ships, at the head of which was King Hedrizas' flagship, the Courser, one of the fastest and most powerful ships in the known world.A half-elf, Admiral Malley found himself captain of a flagship that was also half-elven.  Not in the way you think; the crew of the Courser was half human and half elf.  Normally, this wouldn't have been a problem.  In the Salthean navy, elves and humans had worked alongside each other for generations.  The problem, as you could well imagine, was the enemy.  Uither, located on the edge of the Staw Forest, was allied with the elves of said forest and populated its naval and ground forces with those elves.  It was likely, then, that elves would be pitted against elves and, according to elven religion, that could not happen.My grandfather had a plan, a dangerous plan, but a plan nonetheless.  Admiral Malley knew of an island known as Harpies' Rest.  The island was notorious among sailors.  They avoided Harpies' Rest because of the inhabitants' penchant for charming sailors and luring them to their untimely deaths.  Malley knew, however, that the harpies had been wiped out because he and his crew had been the ones responsible for driving the wicked creatures from the island.  Malley sailed his fleet across Greydepths Bay, where it was likely Salthean and Uitheran navies would clash, to Harpies' Rest and explored the island.  There, Malley located a great, ancient conche shell.  Blowing on the shell summoned a mermaid named Pashreeta, whom Malley had known, on a rather intimate basis mind you, many years before.  Admiral Malley knew of the mermaid's ability to charm elves, which most creatures couldn't manage, but also knew that Pashreeta was unlikely to leave the island.  Thus, Admiral Malley proposed marriage and the two were wed then and there.Pashreeta traveled alongside the Courser back to Greydepths Bay.  Within a day or so, sure enough, Uitheran ships loaded with elven archers and marines, crossed into view.  The Courser drove straight for the Uitheran flagship, the Intrepid.  The elves on both ships saw each other and confusion ensued.  As neither party really wanted to do battle, Pashreeta intervened.  She used her charm powers on the Uitheran elves, who immediately came under the mermaid's power.  Pashreeta caused the Uitheran elves to board the Courser and ally themselves with their fellow elves, forming a huge force.  Together, the elves conquered the rest of the Uitheran fleet and sailed towards Uither.One thing naturally led to another and before long, Uither was forced to capitulate and sign a peace treaty that exists to this day.  And all because of a mermaid and her ancient and unabiding love for a half-elf sailor.***"That's ridiculous," Theebie remarked.  "No sea creature ever fell in love with a human."  Q'ynn saw a bit of owlbear flank about to fall from the griffon's mouth.  "You've got a --""Ah," Theebie replied, flipping his lip and catching the morsel.  "Thank you.  Anyway, I don't believe it.""It's true," Daelrith replied.  "I can prove it.""Balderdash," the griffon said.  "Besides, if your maternal grandfather married a mermaid, then who was your grandmother?"Q'ynn began to finish his work.  "I can show you the proof if you want."  The griffon finished off the rest of the owlbear.  "Mmm," he said.  "Hits the spot."  He looked around the immediate area.  "Any more owlbear?"Q'ynn nodded his head.  "Nothing left but horse," he replied.Theebie grimaced.  "Do they expect me to starve in here?""If I kill something in the arena, something you can eat, I'll insist they bring it straight here," Daelrith said.  "Last chance to see the proof.""Proof of what?" Theebie demanded.  "Your ridiculous tale of maritime copulation?"Q'ynn stopped what he was doing, putting his filthy mop aside.  Drawing up his left sleeve, Q'ynn revealed a secret he showed to few."Are those... scales?" the griffon asked, astounded.  "Maybe my eyesight is starting to go.""Your eyesight is fine," Q'ynn said, rolling his sleeve back down.  "That's not the only place they appear, but it's the only place I'm going to show you.""But that means...""It doesn't mean much," Q'ynn said.  "I can swim a little better than most.  That's about it."That sure shut the griffon's mouth.  All he could do is sneeze and grumble for the next five minutes, whereupon Q'ynn Daelrith was finished with this work in the stables and returned to the gladiator barracks.</blockquote>

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