It was odd to the midwife that the newborn boy had not cried at all in the time from being born to being wrapped up in a cloth, but the woman was confident in her abilities. Every test she had done showed for certain that the child was perfectly healthy. However, a confused expression covered her face as she looked at the exhausted mother holding the still silent boy in her arms as she remembered the brief moment after she'd picked him up... it felt like being left out in the desert at night as a near unearthly cold covered her. It passed as quickly as it came and left her uncertain. As she watched though the newborn baby turned its head towards her, it's face entirely void of emotion as if he was looking at air. Unconsciously, the midwife shivered before excusing herself with a half smile and hurrying out of the room leaving the child to the care of it's two joyous parents.
Perhaps it was that moment, that startled and uncertain midwife who caused the child to tread a path of hardships or perhaps it would have happened regardless... All that mattered at the time was the look of excitement the newborn's parents were giving him and the strange sense of shock the child could feel staring at them. Being near them gave him a sense of joy, but in complete discord with his emotions something seemed to pull the child toward's apathy.
Unknown to any other than that baby, a ghostly figure had appeared behind the couple.Its face a blur though it's eyes were crystal clear as it stared at them with sympathy.
"Heaven despises you and even Fate has played a cruel trick upon you. You won't understand me now, but someday you will look back and recall this scene. On that day all I can tell you is that Heaven and Fate are different, just do as you wish child."
Years went by in a blur as you slowly grew, your body lagging behind others though your mind easily surpassing them by miles. From what you remember it wasn't even a year after your birth that you could speak fluently and only a mere month after that you could hold conversations with an ease only known to those with over a decade of experience. As you aged you quickly came to realize that you were different from others, where they were quick to display their emotions outwardly you always viewed it all with complete apathy and only your Mother could cause your cold attitude to change. Of course when it was time for you to learn with the other children it didn't take long for them to begin to exclude you, even bully you on occasion as you were just too different from them.
While the others played outside, you would spend your days at home watching your Mother at work as she tended to the herb garden or created medicines in her workshop all with a smile on her face. One day you remember sitting there as she grind up a mixture of murkroot and sungrass when you recalled something one of the kid's had called you, the term filled you with curiosity.
"Mom, what does the word 'ghost' mean?"
Something about the question startled her as she suddenly dropped the mortar and pestle onto the table with a clatter, her teardrop face turning to look at you as she wiped a few loose strands of black hair back behind her ear. The piercing look in her blue eyes made you certain something was wrong, but still your mother frowned as she put her hands against her hips.
"Where did you hear that from, White?"
White, your name still confuses you even now though the explanation your mom gave was
'It's a pure color, just like you.'"Calen called me a ghost this morning, I think he was upset that my marks were higher than his again."
Your mother's frown deepened further, but her expression turned kind as her hand patted your head.
"Most people think ghosts are the resentments of people who've died come back to haunt us, but that's entirely wrong for our people. Ghosts are our guardians, they're the souls of those who died yet refused to leave our people behind to face the wrath of Heaven. They gave up the chance to pass on and reincarnate in order to watch over us. You're different, a calm child who looks unlike the others and people will use that to try to hurt you, but I know you won't let it.
Just remember White, most will do this out of fear for what is different and only a few will truly wish to harm you with it. For those that cast you aside in fear I ask you return their fear with kindness, but to those who try to push you down out of hate return to them what they gave tenfold."
Shortly after your Mom left the room and that's when it all began. You're not sure what exactly she did that day, but from then on you noticed people seemed to distance themselves from your family even treat you with hostility when before there had been kindness. She tried to hide it from you though as the months passed you noticed your mother's health deteriorate rapidly until at last she laid bedridden, her once beautiful figure withered away to almost nothing. All the while your Father seemed to grow worse by the day, the despise of those around him and the decline of his wife driving him to alcohol along with bouts of rage directed at you... though never within earshot of your mom.
Not long after you turned seven your mother passed away and as you stood before her grave you cried for the first time and swore to follow your mother's advice from that day as she had even as she wilted away into nothing. It was after her death that your dad finally snapped and why you find yourself in this situation...
Your arms cover your head by instinct as the drunken behemoth of a man in-front of you lashes out with his fist as his other hand clings to a bottle. A sharp pain jolts through your arm and you vaguely comprehend that it had fractured before you are sent sprawling to the floor. Standing over you is a man with extremely tanned copper color skin with his entire body dressed in a shabby training robe while a pair of green eyes filled with hate glare at you from behind a mess of short brown hair. A square face, small nose, faint wrinkles around the eyes and a pair of slim eyebrows all matching that of your dad's own face, but you've long since decided the two are separate men.
Sensing what is about to come from almost a year of experience you curl into a ball just before he lashes out with his leg sending you smashing across the room and right into the brick wall causing your vision to fade for a moment. Laying there curled in a ball you can here the man that claims to be your dad cursing,
"God damned ghost. It was bad enough that your Mom died because of you and now you can't even bring home enough money to pay for your food. Go to the Guild tomorrow and look for work, if you don't have two silvers by tonight then you won't eat and you can be finding your own damned place to live. Useless bastard."
You can hear a bottle shattering at the end of the last line followed by a door slamming signalling your father holing himself in his room once more. Slowly you pick yourself up off the ground and look at the messy room before you, your straw mattress thankfully relatively untouched by the spilled wine. A sigh escapes you as you start to pick up the bottle shard before dumping them in a corner to be dealt with another day. Collapsing onto your bed you think about what to do tomorrow...
[] Go the Guild like your father had told you. It'll be tough work, some of it likely dangerous, but at least you have the highest chance of making those two silvers.
[] Search around the nearby marketplace, perhaps a store might be willing to take on another porter. It won't make that money in a day, but it'd be a stable income.
[] Look for a craftsman willing to take on an inexperienced person such as yourself as an apprentice. Perhaps it's best you left here, even if it might cause dad to collapse entirely.
[] Write InAge: 8
Traits:
Heart of Ice - In the entirety of life the only thing that ever truly moved your emotions was your mother and with her death you shed tears for the first time. No matter what you face you find yourself viewing it all without care, while you do not despise life you do not love it either. It simply is and so you continue on hoping to achieve something that would make your mother proud if only for her.
You will find that your emotions are nigh impossible to effect by yourself, or others leaving you in an essentially permanent state of complete calm focus.
Ghost of Greysand - You are quite well known throughout Greysand despite its rather large size and tens of thousands of citizens. Perhaps it is to do with your smaller than average stature, white hair, white eyes and extremely pale skin. Regardless of the reason many of the city's residents dislike you, or treat you with some degree of contempt.
A bit rushed, but I wanted to get this kicked off so here you guys go. Enjoy the results of your choice!
To be fair you guys chose the middle ground when it comes to family events for the choice. Choosing the sword birthmark would've had you well known and loved by the city and your family held in high regards while red eyes would've had you orphaned as your family died before you were five. This is probably the only instance where I'll tell you guys the outcomes of other actions (even if this was a rather explanation).
Author
Topic: Seeking Ascension - A game of achieving immortality (Read 2259 times)