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Message: <blockquote data-quote="PieAndDragon" data-source="post: 3585861" data-attributes="member: 18108">This story hour continues on from the <a href="http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=190828" target="_blank">Tale of Teal Flameshot</a>, also an ENWorld.IntroductionWelcome Friend, to my tale, one of greed, danger and brutal bloody violence.My family know me as Cayuga, my fellow cultists known me as Lightstep and others label me as one of the Muskovy family. My friends know me as Kay. Sadly, I have few friends.I am plain-spoken, never shy with my opinions. No-one would describe me as pretty, indeed I am rarely spoken of at all. Although taller than most girls, I do my best to remain unnoticed and unseen, preferring others to bask in the attention of onlookers. Being noticed is not my desire.My family, the Muskovy, were cursed centuries ago, forced to follow the martial god Yelmalio, who claims mastery over the sky and sun. I have yet to see him riding up there among the clouds. Our ancestor Arn-Muskovy, made a dark pact with our master, exchanging our freedom and years for mastery of powerful rune magics, dooming us to servitude for all of our lives.Some, such my cousin Teal, revel in this service, seeking battle and trying to find glory in the name of the Sky Lord. I look on it in a different manner. I wish to stay alive, to live to a ripe old age in luxury and grand surroundings.To my knowledge, none of my family have ever braved the wrath of our fiery lord my serving another. Or if they have, it has been erased from our family’s knowledge. I have no desire to follow the generations of Muskovy’s into an early death, like that of my uncle, father or older sister, or in childbirth like my own mother, who bore my younger brother and the her eighth child of the Muskovy clan. Nor does the fate of my grandfather, spending his last days lonely in a roofless tower, seeking the mysteries of Yelmalio, appeal to me.I wish to find my own fate.Johnstown, the city which we call home, has come upon hard times recently, with many of its priests slaughtered by the forces of Chaos, and rumours of distant armies looking to take advantage of our weakness. The Muskovy family have lost many members, leaving me, at nineteen, one of the eldest left alive.Before now, I have travelled around a little, spending time with different companions, never staying too long in any place, or with any people. By nature I am quiet, adept at avoiding notice by friend or foe, finding things others don’t want found, dodging trouble where I can. When trouble does find me, I am trained with spear, javelin and bow, as are most of my cult.A year and a half ago, I took the vows of an initiate, as expected for one in my family. I have always had a good sense of balance and co-ordination, but after my ritual I have found both to be heightened, granting me unnatural grace and speed. Among my vows, I promised to give up all meat, show kindness always to horses, never cover my arms with leather, avoid the use of flails and whips and never trust the race known as dwarfs. In recognition of my gift and natural tendencies, they gave me the title of “Lightstep”. There are far worse names I could go as.Soon after I took my vows, I married married Finnan, a farmer and priest of an earth cult, something arranged by my family and cult when I was but a child. I have seen very little of him, and wish it to remain that way. No children will I bear to live under the Muskovy curse.I have yet to give any speeches for my cult, unable to understand or speak any of the archaic tongue all Yelmalio services are given in. My skills lie not in speaking with others, as I am best used as a scout or spy, hiding where others cannot.For the last year, I have spent my time among the arid grasslands of the Balazar, a land of primitive hunters a Season’s travel from Jonstown, investigating the cult of Yelmalio there at the behest of my own. Most of my time was spent drinking with the locals, hunting the beasts which roam the plains. Now I return to my home city, and look forward to seeing civilisation once more.I am Cayuga Muskovy, known as Lightstep, and this is my tale.</blockquote>

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