A Trip to the Karanas
Shanna's EQ Fan Fiction
It's always slightly overcast in the Karanas – a blustery sky forever threatening rain. But the ample storms that blew through the plains never dampened one's spirit. It was the rain of life, giving growth to the lush grass and beautiful trees that dotted the sparse lands here and there. The rain was the blessing of the god Karana; and his followers found a certain peace in the sloping lands and cloudy sky of the plains that were his namesake. Nysa Brytewynde hitched her bow back on her shoulder. Running at this speed always caused it to slip down her slender arm. The lithe half-elf was making the long trek from the Qeynos Hills to South Karana. She had happened on the land by chance just a few days earlier; her original intentions being to hunt gnolls in the Lair of Split Paw. She'd never made it into the underbelly of the gnoll's den. Plentiful hunting and bountiful loot had kept her roaming the plains she now had come to love.
Her brother, Erian, had spoken often of the Karanas – he had traveled there a few times with a young Druid he had befriended in Surefall Glade. He had told Nysa many tales of hunting lions and playing chase with wolves through the vast, grassy plains. She had been intrigued by his accounts of a Barbarian fishing village and a town built right into a small glade of trees populated by a bird people called Aviaks. She dreamt of playing target practice with Centaurs at their Stables as Erian had, or spending an afternoon in the branches of a friendly Treant and speaking of centuries past. He brought her back bits of jewelry and armor that he looted there. Nysa smiled remembering. How she had longed to go with Erian and the Druid Toyne on their many hunts. "Not yet, sister," Erian had told her. "When you are old and strong enough, I will take you there." The day had never come.
He had been missing a total of six years now. He had always been an adventurer at heart – so much more than Nysa. He had left their quiet home in the city of Qeynos when she was only eight. He wanted to become a Ranger like their father, who had retired when he met their mother. He left for Surefall Glade, coming back often to visit his family. Nysa looked up to her older brother, who came home with wild stories of the young Rangers and Druids in training going to hunt gnolls in Blackburrow. Nysa was out with a friend when, six years later, bandits who had smuggled away on a vessel at the docks had broken into their home and murdered their parents. She moved to Surefall Glade with her brother, and began training as a Ranger herself. She hadn't been there but two years when Erian announced to all that he was setting out alone – on his epic journey. All had begged him to wait until he was older and had more experience – none begging more fervently than Nysa and Belinne, the pretty human he'd promised to marry. But when Erian had an idea, there was no stopping him. It was the last anyone ever saw of him. Nysa had sworn to find him; someday.
Today she was a full-fledged Ranger in her own right. Though she spent her days honing her own skills and gaining experience in her class, she never stopped looking for Erian.
Nysa shook herself from thoughts of the past as the tall walls of rock loomed close on either side of her. The wind blew strong through this tight chasm, creating an eerie noise. She was leaving the Qeynos Hills and entering North Karana. Remembering being surprised, and almost killed, by a rabid werewolf when she had come through here less experienced, she scanned the ground for the unmistakable tracks. No werewolves were around, and none had been for quite some time. Nysa had avoided hunting in the Karanas through all of her younger days – it reminded her too painfully of Erian. But having hunted just a few times in South Karana, she now knew why her brother had so loved the lands named for the god they both worshipped. She was in love, too. The open plains were ideal for her to put to use her Tracking skill, and they were abundant with creatures that didn't attack on sight.
She nodded in passing to a small grey wolf, and picked up speed. If she did well hunting today she would advance enough to be able to cast the speed spell. Spirit of Wolf – Druids got it much earlier on, but a Ranger had to work long and hard to have the convenience of a wolf's speed at their fingertips.
She was meeting Cenalorn at the Luclin spires in North Karana. She had been hunting with the young human Warrior for years now, and was excited to show him the new land she'd scoped out. He was so handsome, with his sparkling blue eyes and rough brown beard. Nysa had been smitten with him the first time they met outside the gates of Qeynos. The two had been close ever since.
As she passed from West to North Karana she picked up the faint tracks of Hill Giants – too far away from the dirt path she traveled to worry about, but she was aware of them nonetheless. Suddenly she heard a faint call in the hills to her left. She stopped and strained to hear – someone was calling for help.
"Can you help me?" the voice rang out.
There was no one else for miles, and Nysa could never pass up someone in need. "Hold on," she called back. "Let me track you." There was only one set of footprints that went into the hills that could be the caller's. His voice had given prove that he was not an Ogre or Troll, and the small footprints Nysa saw had to belong to some type of elf. She called to the young man as she tracked him, trying to learn more of his predicament.
"I need healing," he said, "I've been hurt quite badly."
Following the sound of his voice and the small footprints, Nysa found herself coming over the top of a large hill. At the bottom of it she saw a powerful human – she could see from his ornate robe that he was some type of caster, and immediately felt a strong feeling of hate around the entire area. Standing next to him was a small Dark Elf, his head encased in a giant skull with horns as a helm.
"I can't go down there," Nysa called down to the Dark Elf. "He'll kill me."
"No, it's okay," he smiled back at up her, giving a little wave. "I have him mesmerized."
Nysa took off down the hill, and as she got closer the Dark Elf's wounds became even more apparent. He was not far from death, and he was swaying slightly on his feet.
As she stood a few from the odd pair, she closed her eyes and began chanting. A bright blue light surrounded her, sparkling around her like thousands of tiny stars. The Dark Elf's wounds begin to close up.
"I'm working on my epic," he told her as she concentrated on her casting. She thought of Erian. Had he perished in a similar battle, with no friendly stranger such as herself to heal him in his awful predicament? Soon the Dark Elf was completely healed. He thanked her profusely, and she quickly turned and followed his footprints back out onto the road. She had no desire to be around when that man woke up from the mesmerize spell that had been cast on him. She hoped the Dark Elf would be able to defeat him in the final round.
- To be continued… -