Cyric/Shylah
Posted: Sun Jan 08, 2012 12:18 am
So here goes:
Player Name- Ryan (Jerial)
((Just as a note, I will probably use just this account for both characters))
Gáethán Cyric gall-óglaigh
Age- 34
Race- Human (carries stag-shifter genes from an ancestor, but does not have the powers himself)
Height- 6'4''
Weight- ~180
Eye Color- Green
Hair Color- Brown
Physical Description- Cyric is quite well built. He has been performing labor for his entire life and is in physical condition indicative of a hunter-gatherer. He has tribal tattoos all over his body that are characteristic of his bloodline; his forefathers, all the eldest sons, bore the same markings. He wears leather from animals he has hunted himself, as well as furs. Cyric looks hardened, and though he is built like a bear, he is not much larger than the average man. He shears his hair below his shoulders, and the long, wavy locks are kept back by a strip of leather tied around his head. He has a strong jaw and deep, threatening eyes, his most distinguishing feature.
Possessions-
- Leather/Fur clothing
- Supplies for making leather, a skill he has dabbled in over the course of his career. He has learned tricks and techniques from masters from Corezo to Tian Xia, though he himself is not a master at the craft.
- A simple broadsword and leather scabbard passed down by his paternal ancestors, inscribed with runes that none but those of his clan (or someone very learned indeed) could translate- his surname, Gáethán
- A yew bow and goose-feather fletched arrows, made himself as a young man
- Many iron necklaces on leather straps that show his allegiance or acceptance into aspects of his society, such as one that tells of his profession as a hunter and warrior/mercenary, as well as one that hangs over an identical tattoo, the one that marks him as a member of the Gáethán bloodline
- A few useful items, such as thread, hides, et cetera, used for bartering
Armor-
-- A shield inherited from his uncle, wooden, inscribed with his uncle's markings
-- Leather knuckle gloves/bracers that reach from his knuckles almost to his elbows, with iron studs on the knuckles
-- A leather tunic and a mail shirt, both his father's
-- A leather belt which includes his scabbard and leather straps that fall on the sides of his legs that are backed with mail
All his armor is leather with iron buckles.
Personality-
Cyric looks slightly young for his age, mostly due to an active lifestyle and high metabolism. He has no distinguishing marks, and is not very different-looking than most mercenaries, which he supposes is an advantage. Cyric enjoys large meals, especially stews, and does drink, though not enough to become overly intoxicated. Cyric, oddly considering his physical appearance, is a lover of music, though he himself does not know how to play any musical instruments. He does sing, mostly traditional verses in his native language, which he will sing for Shylah. Cyric's favorite color is black; all of his self-made leather is black, a trait not shared by Shylah, who much prefers natural browns.
Cyric is a hunter and a mercenary that adheres to a moral code set up by his forefathers. It is:
Am fear nach gheidh na h-airm 'nam na sìth,
Cha bhi iad aige 'n am a chogaidh.
(Who keeps not his arms in times of peace,
Will have no arms in times of war.)
Strengths-
Mercenary- Cyric is an accomplished warrior and hunter. Cyric is very proficient in tactics, and often persuades his employers to allow him to be an fighting officer in a campaign. He often overestimates his one-on-one fighting ability based on his tactical successes, and has gotten himself into trouble before based on this overconfidence. Since he met Shylah, she has improved
Druidic Protection- One of Cyric's necklaces was a gift from a friend, a Druid, that grants him protection from most of the everyday bumps, bruises, and scrapes, but Cyric is still vulnerable to weapons and the like.
Hermit- In his days wandering the world, Cyric learned to read the sun and stars with a precise accuracy, as well as having the knowledge to survive on his own as a hunter.
Leatherworker- Cyric makes his own leather apparel, though he is not a tailor like Shylah.
Weaknesses-
Mercenary- Cyric holds politics in low regard, and is easily swayed by those with money; however, he will carefully weigh out whether a potential employer is likely to emerge victorious from a conflict. Even more so than the former, he will never fight for a cause or group that he considers unscrupulous or seedy. He often overestimates his one-on-one fighting ability based on his tactical successes, and has gotten himself into trouble before based on this overconfidence. Since he met Shylah, she has improved his fighting ability, but the statement still fully stands.
Arrogance- Cyric is quick to refuse an employment offer if they hold themselves in higher regard than he. Cyric is an accomplished warrior, and he knows it, but he must remain loyal to his title and his clan, so he remains a mercenary. Cyric will go so far as decapitating someone he finds extremely distasteful that is in command of him, if only to take the command himself.
Tribal- Though Cyric has what some would call 'street knowledge', and though he is fluent in three languages, Cyric does not know much of the arts or of mathematics, other than a few tricks to navigate relative to the sun and stars, of which he understands the application, but only has a vague idea of the underlying concept.
Memory- Cyric has post-traumatic stress disorder, and is predisposed to bouts of horrific symptoms associated with this. To accompany the disorder, he has throbbing headaches that usually form after traumatic events similar to the ones suffered by those with traumatic brain damage.
History-
Gáethán Cyric gall-óglaigh was born in Pretana. Cyric's mother died in childbirth, and his father was away hunting at the time with his brothers, at the urging of his mother. Cyric was delivered by his aunt; he saw her as a mother figure for his entire childhood. When Cyric's father arrived from hunting the evening of his birth, he took the child and left him out in the frigid cold to die. When he awoke in the morning to dispose of the body, he found the child still living. Realizing what he had attempted to do, he brought the child into the hut, nestled him among the skins of his sister and her husband, and left them all, simply disappearing.
Cyric grew in the care of his uncle and aunt to be a great hunter. Even by the age of 13 winters he was hunting with the adults of the clan. At 17, he would have his first blood, from a rival clan. That night, Cyric was given his coming of age ceremony; his body was marked with tattoos that spelled out everything about him, and he was given the necklaces of his clan, his profession, his shifting blood (since he had no shifting power of his own, the pendant was his mother's), and other, more detailed ones. That night, a friend of his, a fledgling druid, also gave him one, a pendant of protection. This he accepted graciously.
Cyric sailed from his home the next dawn, not realizing he would not return. He was seemingly immune to seasickness, as his uncle told him; most young warriors were incapacitated for a week or more. Even so, a feeling of anxiety followed him for the entire ride on the ship to the mainland. His uncle told him that he could earn a living buckling and unbuckling his vambraces, seeing as he did it so often.
Cyric has told no one of what happened after he arrived in Eyropa, up until the point of the funeral pyre for his uncle not long after, though he has told Shylah it was a wild animal that was his undoing. After that, he decided not to return to Pretana, but, since he was an adult, to stay on the continent and wander as an independent hermit, as he had been told his father did after his mother died.
Nothing remarkable happened for the next decade, after which he decided he should rejoin the world. He traveled north to the home of the men his people named the Men of Ice. He spent many moons there, learning from their culture, which was not as different from his own. He traveled elsewhere after learning from them, becoming even more proficient at reading the different skies of the world.
No significant events took place after this, at least until he met Shylah, 17 years after his self-imposed exile. She was a huntress that he met in Trelham, a village Cyric always held in the highest disdain. Shylah was selling the meat she had killed that morning, as he himself was doing. Cyric recognized her as one he had met briefly in Tian Xia on an escort contract; in fact, they had traveled together then. They were soon traveling together again of their own volition, and a year later, they were married in Corezo.
Cyric was pointed in the direction of the Thar of Shaddin by a man in Keltaris after Shylah approached him for advice, and Shylah trusted the man, so they traveled there, and were not pleased with what they found. Cyric was still fiercely loyal to his heritage, and as such, he was obligated to defend the druidic aicmeach. He now roams the area south of the Thar, traveling between there and Keltaris.
Shylah gall-óglaigh
Age- 28
Race- Human (one-eighth elven on her father's side)
Height- 5'11''
Weight- ~145
Eye Color- Ice Blue
Hair Color- Reddish Blonde
Physical Description- Shylah is somewhat tall, and has wavy hair that Cyric describes as being undecided on blonde or auburn. She is athletic and strong as one would expect from a huntress and mercenary. Some would call her beautiful, but as she is a woman of the wood, she does not place much importance on physical beauty. However, she brushes her hair daily with an ivory comb given to her as payment for protecting a group of traders on the way to Obdijani, where she also acquired her signature pair of hook swords. Shylah has sure hands and surer eyes, the icy blue cracked with tiny black threads snaking their way outward from her pupils.
Possessions-
- Leather armor very similar to Cyric's, but natural dark brown
- A pair of hook swords, given to her as payment for a mercenary job
- A ring given to her by her mother, polished iron and sapphire
- An ivory comb
- A yew bow and goose-feather fletched arrows
Personality-
Shylah is extremely introverted, and usually lets Cyric do the talking. In fact, she almost never speaks to anyone but Cyric. She enjoys music, and used to be able to play a range of instruments, but her memory precludes her from playing further, and therefore will not look at a musician who is playing music. She is, curiously, a bit of a daredevil, often taking risks in combat. This stems both from experience and her large amount of trust in herself. She does not drink, but occasionally smokes a special tobacco from Tian Xia from a bowl she received at the same time. Cyric disapproves of her smoking, stating his disdain for religious ceremony.
Overall, Shylah has a bright outlook on life, though she would sacrifice her own quality of life for that of someone else. Though she would do so freely, she would only do so if she knew that the recipient of her sacrifice would not know the origin of their good fortune. ((Sounds complicated, but I'm tired. Just wrote a 3000-word paper.))
Strengths-
Huntress- Shylah is a great tracker, and can be close to perfectly silent when need be. She also has extensive knowledge of flora and fauna.
Mercenary- Shylah is deadly with her hook swords and with her bow. Shylah does not enjoy war like Cyric, but is no stranger to killing.
Beauty- Shylah is a great distraction to men. Her eyes in particular can lure a man in; they can also turn just as fierce as her heart, intimidating the most powerful of men. Though she is prepossessing, she chooses not to look men in the eye if she can help it, other than Cyric, of course.
World Traveler- Shylah has traversed the far corners of the world, from Corezo to Tian Xia and from Apthoni to Norrolenirlund. As such, she is aware of cultural subtleties most wouldn't catch and is fluent in several languages.
Tailor- Shylah is a fair tailor, able to sew clothing for herself and Cyric.
Weaknesses-
Memory- Shylah's autobiographical memory has been damaged, and only glimpses (('bumps', for the neurologically inclined)) will come through. Though her semantic memory is fine for the most part, her episodic memory is also damaged. Her procedural memory This is another source of negative emotion for her, though she says that since she cannot remember her homeland, she does not need to have a past, only to forge a future.
Shallow- Shylah forms opinions very quickly about people, leading from her distrust mainly of men.
Scarred- Shylah is jumpy and distrusting, making her an effective warrior, but impotent in social matters. Again, she uses Cyric as a crutch, a sort of surrogate speaker or translator. Rarely speaks, even though she understands several languages.
History-
Shylah cannot remember much from her past, other than her mother and her home. Her mother was a beautiful blonde, tall and lithe, that served as a squire for her father when he went away from their home. She remembered her mother as a kind, but hard, person, strong, with the most enigmatic eyes Shylah had ever seen. She died with Shylah's father when Shylah was a young girl, old enough to remember yet not old enough to be considered a woman.
After her teen years being cared for by an aunt, a raid by men from the north once again killed everyone she cared about. By this time she was as accomplished as any human; she decided that she would see the world, just to get away from it all. She was afraid of attachment, as she had never had a productive relationship that did not end either in betrayal or death. This made her deadly, a powerful weapon. She became relatively wealthy from contract money and bounties as well as the exotic furs and meats she sold.
She does not remember much more, excepting the night she was raped, robbed and left for dead by employers that had hired her to protect a carriage headed for Keltaris. She made her way to Keltaris after spending two days doing nothing but lying by the side of the road; Shylah had no idea why, for she had no desire to live. She finally collapsed in front of a building off the main drag of the city.
The old man that occupied the building took her in and nursed her back to health. Shylah's memory of this was fuzzy, but she could never forget the man's face. What she did remember were the emotions associated with that face: compassion, redemption, caring, the likes of which she had forgotten could exist in a world where all who harbored them were reserved the most horrible deaths. That man gave her the courage to keep living through a time when she could have given up and died by that roadside.
She decided it was not her wont to stay in one place, and she was not about to change that. She continued wandering as a lone soul, hunting to keep herself alive and earning income through whatever she could find. She was wary at first of returning to her old trade, but her confidence grew with her strength as she returned to the femme fatale she once knew as herself. Shylah, now having regained all of her identity, if not her memory, traveled from Tian Xia to Corezo over the course of a few long years that left her savvy of the ways of the world. Somehow, though, something was still missing, keeping her from her previous potential.
It was soon after this that she met Cyric. In Cyric's history, the rest of Shylah's tale is told.
The tragic thing about Cyric and Shylah is that Shylah hides behind Cyric so much that she will never be able to fully recover from her brain damage. She might become quote-unquote 'better', but her memory and her trust of people will never heal as long as she is with Cyric. She has an inkling of this reasoning, but a combination of denial and hope keeps her from fully realizing it. Cyric is completely blind to the fact.
((Articles on memory:
http://www.positscience.com/brain-resou ... of-memory- Root memory page
http://www.positscience.com/brain-resou ... it-memory- Episodic and semantic memory
http://www.positscience.com/brain-resou ... it-memory- Procedural memory))
Player Name- Ryan (Jerial)
((Just as a note, I will probably use just this account for both characters))
Gáethán Cyric gall-óglaigh
Age- 34
Race- Human (carries stag-shifter genes from an ancestor, but does not have the powers himself)
Height- 6'4''
Weight- ~180
Eye Color- Green
Hair Color- Brown
Physical Description- Cyric is quite well built. He has been performing labor for his entire life and is in physical condition indicative of a hunter-gatherer. He has tribal tattoos all over his body that are characteristic of his bloodline; his forefathers, all the eldest sons, bore the same markings. He wears leather from animals he has hunted himself, as well as furs. Cyric looks hardened, and though he is built like a bear, he is not much larger than the average man. He shears his hair below his shoulders, and the long, wavy locks are kept back by a strip of leather tied around his head. He has a strong jaw and deep, threatening eyes, his most distinguishing feature.
Possessions-
- Leather/Fur clothing
- Supplies for making leather, a skill he has dabbled in over the course of his career. He has learned tricks and techniques from masters from Corezo to Tian Xia, though he himself is not a master at the craft.
- A simple broadsword and leather scabbard passed down by his paternal ancestors, inscribed with runes that none but those of his clan (or someone very learned indeed) could translate- his surname, Gáethán
- A yew bow and goose-feather fletched arrows, made himself as a young man
- Many iron necklaces on leather straps that show his allegiance or acceptance into aspects of his society, such as one that tells of his profession as a hunter and warrior/mercenary, as well as one that hangs over an identical tattoo, the one that marks him as a member of the Gáethán bloodline
- A few useful items, such as thread, hides, et cetera, used for bartering
Armor-
-- A shield inherited from his uncle, wooden, inscribed with his uncle's markings
-- Leather knuckle gloves/bracers that reach from his knuckles almost to his elbows, with iron studs on the knuckles
-- A leather tunic and a mail shirt, both his father's
-- A leather belt which includes his scabbard and leather straps that fall on the sides of his legs that are backed with mail
All his armor is leather with iron buckles.
Personality-
Cyric looks slightly young for his age, mostly due to an active lifestyle and high metabolism. He has no distinguishing marks, and is not very different-looking than most mercenaries, which he supposes is an advantage. Cyric enjoys large meals, especially stews, and does drink, though not enough to become overly intoxicated. Cyric, oddly considering his physical appearance, is a lover of music, though he himself does not know how to play any musical instruments. He does sing, mostly traditional verses in his native language, which he will sing for Shylah. Cyric's favorite color is black; all of his self-made leather is black, a trait not shared by Shylah, who much prefers natural browns.
Cyric is a hunter and a mercenary that adheres to a moral code set up by his forefathers. It is:
Am fear nach gheidh na h-airm 'nam na sìth,
Cha bhi iad aige 'n am a chogaidh.
(Who keeps not his arms in times of peace,
Will have no arms in times of war.)
Strengths-
Mercenary- Cyric is an accomplished warrior and hunter. Cyric is very proficient in tactics, and often persuades his employers to allow him to be an fighting officer in a campaign. He often overestimates his one-on-one fighting ability based on his tactical successes, and has gotten himself into trouble before based on this overconfidence. Since he met Shylah, she has improved
Druidic Protection- One of Cyric's necklaces was a gift from a friend, a Druid, that grants him protection from most of the everyday bumps, bruises, and scrapes, but Cyric is still vulnerable to weapons and the like.
Hermit- In his days wandering the world, Cyric learned to read the sun and stars with a precise accuracy, as well as having the knowledge to survive on his own as a hunter.
Leatherworker- Cyric makes his own leather apparel, though he is not a tailor like Shylah.
Weaknesses-
Mercenary- Cyric holds politics in low regard, and is easily swayed by those with money; however, he will carefully weigh out whether a potential employer is likely to emerge victorious from a conflict. Even more so than the former, he will never fight for a cause or group that he considers unscrupulous or seedy. He often overestimates his one-on-one fighting ability based on his tactical successes, and has gotten himself into trouble before based on this overconfidence. Since he met Shylah, she has improved his fighting ability, but the statement still fully stands.
Arrogance- Cyric is quick to refuse an employment offer if they hold themselves in higher regard than he. Cyric is an accomplished warrior, and he knows it, but he must remain loyal to his title and his clan, so he remains a mercenary. Cyric will go so far as decapitating someone he finds extremely distasteful that is in command of him, if only to take the command himself.
Tribal- Though Cyric has what some would call 'street knowledge', and though he is fluent in three languages, Cyric does not know much of the arts or of mathematics, other than a few tricks to navigate relative to the sun and stars, of which he understands the application, but only has a vague idea of the underlying concept.
Memory- Cyric has post-traumatic stress disorder, and is predisposed to bouts of horrific symptoms associated with this. To accompany the disorder, he has throbbing headaches that usually form after traumatic events similar to the ones suffered by those with traumatic brain damage.
History-
Gáethán Cyric gall-óglaigh was born in Pretana. Cyric's mother died in childbirth, and his father was away hunting at the time with his brothers, at the urging of his mother. Cyric was delivered by his aunt; he saw her as a mother figure for his entire childhood. When Cyric's father arrived from hunting the evening of his birth, he took the child and left him out in the frigid cold to die. When he awoke in the morning to dispose of the body, he found the child still living. Realizing what he had attempted to do, he brought the child into the hut, nestled him among the skins of his sister and her husband, and left them all, simply disappearing.
Cyric grew in the care of his uncle and aunt to be a great hunter. Even by the age of 13 winters he was hunting with the adults of the clan. At 17, he would have his first blood, from a rival clan. That night, Cyric was given his coming of age ceremony; his body was marked with tattoos that spelled out everything about him, and he was given the necklaces of his clan, his profession, his shifting blood (since he had no shifting power of his own, the pendant was his mother's), and other, more detailed ones. That night, a friend of his, a fledgling druid, also gave him one, a pendant of protection. This he accepted graciously.
Cyric sailed from his home the next dawn, not realizing he would not return. He was seemingly immune to seasickness, as his uncle told him; most young warriors were incapacitated for a week or more. Even so, a feeling of anxiety followed him for the entire ride on the ship to the mainland. His uncle told him that he could earn a living buckling and unbuckling his vambraces, seeing as he did it so often.
Cyric has told no one of what happened after he arrived in Eyropa, up until the point of the funeral pyre for his uncle not long after, though he has told Shylah it was a wild animal that was his undoing. After that, he decided not to return to Pretana, but, since he was an adult, to stay on the continent and wander as an independent hermit, as he had been told his father did after his mother died.
Nothing remarkable happened for the next decade, after which he decided he should rejoin the world. He traveled north to the home of the men his people named the Men of Ice. He spent many moons there, learning from their culture, which was not as different from his own. He traveled elsewhere after learning from them, becoming even more proficient at reading the different skies of the world.
No significant events took place after this, at least until he met Shylah, 17 years after his self-imposed exile. She was a huntress that he met in Trelham, a village Cyric always held in the highest disdain. Shylah was selling the meat she had killed that morning, as he himself was doing. Cyric recognized her as one he had met briefly in Tian Xia on an escort contract; in fact, they had traveled together then. They were soon traveling together again of their own volition, and a year later, they were married in Corezo.
Cyric was pointed in the direction of the Thar of Shaddin by a man in Keltaris after Shylah approached him for advice, and Shylah trusted the man, so they traveled there, and were not pleased with what they found. Cyric was still fiercely loyal to his heritage, and as such, he was obligated to defend the druidic aicmeach. He now roams the area south of the Thar, traveling between there and Keltaris.
Shylah gall-óglaigh
Age- 28
Race- Human (one-eighth elven on her father's side)
Height- 5'11''
Weight- ~145
Eye Color- Ice Blue
Hair Color- Reddish Blonde
Physical Description- Shylah is somewhat tall, and has wavy hair that Cyric describes as being undecided on blonde or auburn. She is athletic and strong as one would expect from a huntress and mercenary. Some would call her beautiful, but as she is a woman of the wood, she does not place much importance on physical beauty. However, she brushes her hair daily with an ivory comb given to her as payment for protecting a group of traders on the way to Obdijani, where she also acquired her signature pair of hook swords. Shylah has sure hands and surer eyes, the icy blue cracked with tiny black threads snaking their way outward from her pupils.
Possessions-
- Leather armor very similar to Cyric's, but natural dark brown
- A pair of hook swords, given to her as payment for a mercenary job
- A ring given to her by her mother, polished iron and sapphire
- An ivory comb
- A yew bow and goose-feather fletched arrows
Personality-
Shylah is extremely introverted, and usually lets Cyric do the talking. In fact, she almost never speaks to anyone but Cyric. She enjoys music, and used to be able to play a range of instruments, but her memory precludes her from playing further, and therefore will not look at a musician who is playing music. She is, curiously, a bit of a daredevil, often taking risks in combat. This stems both from experience and her large amount of trust in herself. She does not drink, but occasionally smokes a special tobacco from Tian Xia from a bowl she received at the same time. Cyric disapproves of her smoking, stating his disdain for religious ceremony.
Overall, Shylah has a bright outlook on life, though she would sacrifice her own quality of life for that of someone else. Though she would do so freely, she would only do so if she knew that the recipient of her sacrifice would not know the origin of their good fortune. ((Sounds complicated, but I'm tired. Just wrote a 3000-word paper.))
Strengths-
Huntress- Shylah is a great tracker, and can be close to perfectly silent when need be. She also has extensive knowledge of flora and fauna.
Mercenary- Shylah is deadly with her hook swords and with her bow. Shylah does not enjoy war like Cyric, but is no stranger to killing.
Beauty- Shylah is a great distraction to men. Her eyes in particular can lure a man in; they can also turn just as fierce as her heart, intimidating the most powerful of men. Though she is prepossessing, she chooses not to look men in the eye if she can help it, other than Cyric, of course.
World Traveler- Shylah has traversed the far corners of the world, from Corezo to Tian Xia and from Apthoni to Norrolenirlund. As such, she is aware of cultural subtleties most wouldn't catch and is fluent in several languages.
Tailor- Shylah is a fair tailor, able to sew clothing for herself and Cyric.
Weaknesses-
Memory- Shylah's autobiographical memory has been damaged, and only glimpses (('bumps', for the neurologically inclined)) will come through. Though her semantic memory is fine for the most part, her episodic memory is also damaged. Her procedural memory This is another source of negative emotion for her, though she says that since she cannot remember her homeland, she does not need to have a past, only to forge a future.
Shallow- Shylah forms opinions very quickly about people, leading from her distrust mainly of men.
Scarred- Shylah is jumpy and distrusting, making her an effective warrior, but impotent in social matters. Again, she uses Cyric as a crutch, a sort of surrogate speaker or translator. Rarely speaks, even though she understands several languages.
History-
Shylah cannot remember much from her past, other than her mother and her home. Her mother was a beautiful blonde, tall and lithe, that served as a squire for her father when he went away from their home. She remembered her mother as a kind, but hard, person, strong, with the most enigmatic eyes Shylah had ever seen. She died with Shylah's father when Shylah was a young girl, old enough to remember yet not old enough to be considered a woman.
After her teen years being cared for by an aunt, a raid by men from the north once again killed everyone she cared about. By this time she was as accomplished as any human; she decided that she would see the world, just to get away from it all. She was afraid of attachment, as she had never had a productive relationship that did not end either in betrayal or death. This made her deadly, a powerful weapon. She became relatively wealthy from contract money and bounties as well as the exotic furs and meats she sold.
She does not remember much more, excepting the night she was raped, robbed and left for dead by employers that had hired her to protect a carriage headed for Keltaris. She made her way to Keltaris after spending two days doing nothing but lying by the side of the road; Shylah had no idea why, for she had no desire to live. She finally collapsed in front of a building off the main drag of the city.
The old man that occupied the building took her in and nursed her back to health. Shylah's memory of this was fuzzy, but she could never forget the man's face. What she did remember were the emotions associated with that face: compassion, redemption, caring, the likes of which she had forgotten could exist in a world where all who harbored them were reserved the most horrible deaths. That man gave her the courage to keep living through a time when she could have given up and died by that roadside.
She decided it was not her wont to stay in one place, and she was not about to change that. She continued wandering as a lone soul, hunting to keep herself alive and earning income through whatever she could find. She was wary at first of returning to her old trade, but her confidence grew with her strength as she returned to the femme fatale she once knew as herself. Shylah, now having regained all of her identity, if not her memory, traveled from Tian Xia to Corezo over the course of a few long years that left her savvy of the ways of the world. Somehow, though, something was still missing, keeping her from her previous potential.
It was soon after this that she met Cyric. In Cyric's history, the rest of Shylah's tale is told.
The tragic thing about Cyric and Shylah is that Shylah hides behind Cyric so much that she will never be able to fully recover from her brain damage. She might become quote-unquote 'better', but her memory and her trust of people will never heal as long as she is with Cyric. She has an inkling of this reasoning, but a combination of denial and hope keeps her from fully realizing it. Cyric is completely blind to the fact.
((Articles on memory:
http://www.positscience.com/brain-resou ... of-memory- Root memory page
http://www.positscience.com/brain-resou ... it-memory- Episodic and semantic memory
http://www.positscience.com/brain-resou ... it-memory- Procedural memory))
