Catskills Retirement Home

Before I continue with Elyriel, I finally dug up a map of Britannia to show the non-Ultima players the world we lived in.  I apologize for the size, zoom, etc, but I could take up a whole page with it.  This map is courtesy of Gram, who posted it to UO Stratics.  I have modified only two places – the red dot near the top of the map marks Stark Keep and the blue dot to the right of Stark is the general vicinity of Winterfell Township in Trammel.  I can’t say for sure how close the Township was to the original Northwood site in Felucca.  Keep in mind that the map doesn’t reflect true North in this orientation.  The Ultima symbol on the left can be used as the cardinal directions – North was the upper right corner of this map more or less (basically rotate the picture about 45 degrees counter-clockwise).

While posted at Stark Keep, Elyriel learned a great deal about Winterfell, its citizens, and the allies and foes the Kingdom had accumulated over the years.  She spent most of her time defending the Keep, which at first just meant fighting off the occasional wandering monster.  Unfortunately, the King and Queen didn’t learn about Elyriel becoming a squire until a while after she had started training.  The topic came up one evening when Daca wheedled Elyriel into tagging along to a dinner the royals were having with some folks…

Weeks slipped by. Wraith demanded excellence in his training – one wrong step and he pressed the advantage, his practice blade slapping the side of her helm or bruising her arm or leg in stern reprimand. The same was true as he taught her the lance. During their tilts, he’d knock her harshly to the ground whenever she let her shield slip and leave an opening. But he never stopped offering new wisdom and experience. Whenever she fell with the wind knocked from her, he waited patiently as she gathered her wits and took his outstretched hand. Once she dusted herself off and lifted her weapon and shield again, he’d smile and make a few suggestions before they started again.

So it was routine to saddle up her horse and pack her things when he told her about Winterfell’s escort for a merchant caravan.

Riding in the company of a half-dozen other knights and soldiers, Elly watched Wraith’s movements closely, doing her best to respond quickly to every command. He ordered the company into place once the caravan arrived, seated easily atop his horse, his armor polished to perfection and a deadly lance held at the ready. She tried her best to follow suit, keeping her shoulders straight and her senses alert for any danger.

William Scott II: I suppose we could speak now…

Jocelyn: Oh
Jocelyn: *nods*

William Scott II: If you have a moment.

Elyriel Winters: *blinks*
Elyriel Winters: aye, your Majesties

William Scott II: *nods*
William Scott II: Care to be seated?
William Scott II: *smiles*

Elyriel Winters: *nods*

William Scott II: *moves the bottles away*

Elyriel Winters: I’ve not done anything wrong, have I, milord?

While posted at Stark Keep, Elyriel learned a great deal about Winterfell, its citizens, and the allies and foes the Kingdom had accumulated over the years.  She spent most of her time defending the Keep, which at first just meant fighting off the occasional wandering monster.  Of course, the Shadowclan, Undead, Drow, and Crimsons made appearances too.  But Elyriel was also sparring with Wraith and Sterling, so at least her combat skills were advancing enough to keep up.

St John Wraith: Hail

Elyriel Winters: Hail, sir

St John Wraith: I do nay believe we have met

Elyriel Winters: *smiles*

St John Wraith: I am St John Wraith

Elyriel Winters: Actually we did once, under strange circumstances.

St John Wraith: oh?

Elyriel Winters: My name is Elyriel Winters
Elyriel Winters: *nods*

St John Wraith: *thinks*

Elyriel Winters: You helped find me a gate home after my first visit here.

Now we get into the first character that I truly roleplayed from Day 1 of her existence.  I created Elyriel in early 2000 after having debated for some time about taking the plunge and trying to hook up with one of the “hard core” roleplaying groups I’d met as Brenna.  As I mentioned in my posts about the Battle for Trinsic, a run-in with Xavier Sterling finally convinced me that it was time to give it a try.  I created Elyriel with no real plan for where she would end up – I simply put together a backstory and gave her a childishly golden view on knights.  I wanted to introduce her to Winterfell, but I started her in Yew so I could work on her skills and meet a few other roleplayers first.  She spent a month or two in the Yew neighborhood, making a few friends and generally trying to avoid getting killed with the Minax War spawns plaguing the town.

In mid-2000, Brenna was “dead”.  That’s to say that she was dead as far as her friends in the Silver League were concerned.  Ivy Stormfront had driven off the demon that had been using Brenna for Minax’s purposes, but to do so, she had to kill the Lady of Mithril and take her spirit elsewhere.

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The Fall of Trinsic took a toll on poor Brenna.  After her encounter with Koldorn’s spirit, she became convinced that Minax had played a role in Gorren’s disappearance.  Whenever she wasn’t defending Trinsic, she expanded her search efforts to the Lone Lands and some of the snowy wastes of Britannia to look for clues.

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