Yurie Yileen / Eyelian / Walker of Dreams

[Yurie Yileen]

Name  -  Yurie Yileen

Gender  -  Male

Age  -  30

Race  -  Human

Tribe  -  Eyelian

Job  -

Yurie is currently exploring the world as a part of his “dreaming”.  He has little need of money as he is capable of hunting and / or foraging wild food.  He is skilled at finding and making basic shelter and is thus quite independent.  When he does need to make some money he has a range of talents that he can draw from.  His usual methods are playing music or telling peoples’ fortunes.

Title  -  Walker of Dreams

Overview   -

Yurie is following a unique path with the help of his spirit guides and the Great Spirits Themselves.  He was born into an Eyelian family in the shadow of the Rimmerins Ring mountains.  He grew up in a very traditional Eyelian society, yet made close friendships with elves and hobbits alike.  He later felt a calling to travel and joined the Black Butterfly Rovers to further this aim.  After traveling with them for some time, he again felt a calling from the Spirits.  This led to his separation from the Rovers, and his present situation as you encounter him today.

Appearance -

Let me introduce you to a good friend of mine, Yurie Yileen.  What’s that?  He’s pretty short, huh?  1.5 peds to be precise.  But don’t you feel it?  The self confidence that just oozes out of him?  And it’s not surprising, either.  Sure, he’s pretty slim, but take a look at those muscles!  Make no mistake, Yurie can pack a punch if he wants to, and he knows it!  Not that he's an aggressive man.  You can see that in his face.  Go on, have a look.

Yeah, you're right, he has been out in the sun quite a lot; that's why he’s as brown as a nut!  Got the peace of nature in him, too.  I can see that, can’t you?  Such a kind, serene face.  And have you ever seen such bright eyes before?  Sparkling like the stars on a clear, Elverground night.  When I look into those deep, dark brown eyes, I see the mountains and the grasslands; the forests and the sky.  How about you, what can you see?  Some people say that his eyes look intelligent; maybe too intelligent, kind of mischievous, even!

There you go!  What a smile.  It lights up the room, don't you think?  Makes your troubles seem lighter somehow.  He often smiles like that.  Take a closer look at his eyes and you can see the smile lines already forming.

And can you see that?  Just there, on the back of his neck; looks like a small, black butterfly has just landed on him.  No?  Oh, well, don’t worry, sometimes he grows his hair a bit longer just to cover it up…some people treat him unkindly because of that little thing.  But he never covers up those other two tattoos, the ones on his upper arms.  Eagle talons ready to catch their prey.  Pretty fierce looking, right?  I like the way those claws follow the contours of his muscles; whoever tattooed him sure had some skill.

And take a look at his hands.  Do you like the rings?  Which one do you prefer, that soft silver one on his left hand, or the glowing gold one on his right?  What's that?  They look pretty similar?  Take a closer look.  Can you read the writing engraved into the silver?  And aren’t there more butterflies engraved into the gold?

You like his pants?  They look pretty comfortable.  I wouldn't wear them quite as loose as that, but I like the colour.  Black hides the dirt better when you're out on the road!  Pretty practical, too.  All those pockets are there for a reason.  He likes to keep a lot of his personal possessions close by.  Bit of a nightmare if you've got a bad memory, though...where did that pipe get to?

You prefer the cinnabrown shirt?  Me too.  Cinnabrown is such a rich colour...shame that Yurie's is so faded now!  Not that it matters.  Clothes aren't all that important to an Eyelian.  To be honest, I reckon Yurie'd be a lot happier running around natural, like.  Did you notice that he’s bare foot?  I’ve seen him wear sandals sometimes, deer skin I think.  But he prefers to keep in close contact with the earth.

Do you see that spear he's carrying?  Hard to miss, right?  I wouldn't want to get onto the wrong end of it!  The head is double edged and sharp as an old woman’s tongue!  That shaft is made from good old oak.  I reckon it'll last forever; not many woods more sturdy than that.

And what do you think of that bow?  Nice, right.  Nothing fancy, but it does what it needs to!  Birch wood and sheep horn.  There’s even a bit of sheep bone in there.  Sure, some of those compound bows are more powerful, but this one’s strength comes from its simplicity.  No kidding.  Can you imagine trying to restring one of those compound monsters out in the wilds?

Do you know much about arrows?  Well, Yurie does.  He makes them himself, usually.  Pretty simple for the most part.  He only uses stone heads on them, but they do what they need to!  He also has some metal headed ones that his father gave to him.  There are even some armour piercers in his quiver that really look the business!  It just goes to prove a point; armour really is over rated!  Yurie doesn’t wear any.  He was taught that a truly proficient fighter evades the blows rather than being lazy and relying on a chunk of dead cow to absorb them.  And anyway, it’s a pretty rare thing for Yurie to get into deadly combat.  Like myself, he believes that it’s best to end disputes verbally.

Oh, did you say “hello” to Barega yet?  He’ll be upset if you don’t; crows can be quite sensitive, you know.  He’s usually happy enough perching on Yurie’s left shoulder like that, but he likes to spread his wings from time to time.  Personally I think that Yurie’s hair looks a bit like Barega’s feathers, both are blacker than midnight.  What’s that, Yurie?  Your dad hates your hair?  Too, short, right?  Still, I like it; seems the curls are tighter when it’s short like that.  Easier to look after, as well.  Just consider yourself lucky that you don’t have much body hair, nothing worse than having to shave all of the damn time!

Well, that’s Yurie for you.  Now that you’ve met him, I’m sure you’ll be seeing each other around.  But don’t go yet!  It’s kind of traditional for us to mark an important moment like this one, you know, meeting a new friend for the first time.  Maybe you’d like to join us for a smoke?  I'm sure that Yurie has got some fine hobbit weed on him somewhere...

Personality -

Yurie has an optimistic outlook on life and takes great pleasure in living.  He has a deep serenity about him, which comes from his belief in the guidance and protection of the Great Spirits.  He is confident and self assured without being arrogant or overbearing.

He tends to be quite laid back.  Yurie doesn’t believe in rushing life, which is probably a personality trait that he picked up whilst spending lazy afternoons watching the clouds drift over the Elverground with his hobbit friends.  It was probably these same friends who introduced him to hobbit weed.  He can often be seen smoking this weed; sometimes with a look of deep contemplation on his face and sometimes with a look of devilry!  Yurie has a tendency to be a little forgetful and blames this on his smoking habit.

Yurie has a great respect for the natural balance of life.  He is happiest when surrounded by the natural world, and can become uncomfortable and restless when confined in a city for too long.

Yurie is a peaceful person who would prefer to maintain harmony with those around him through conversation and reason.  However, it has become clear to him over the years that sometimes these methods don’t work, and a harsher method has to be employed.  As such, Yurie has no qualms with using threats and / or physical force to end disputes.  If he ever gets angry it’s when he sees people exploiting, bullying or otherwise abusing others.  In these situations Yurie tends to respond quickly; perhaps acting first and thinking later.

On a lighter note, Yurie loves to have fun and is quite an outgoing person.  He will talk to pretty much anybody and extend his hospitality to them.  Of course, he isn’t always like this, and he too has times when he feels the need to withdraw into himself and reflect on life.  It’s not uncommon for Yurie to suddenly split away from a lively group and find a place of solitude somewhere.  He sometimes also enters into trances and meditation.

Strengths -

Yurie can communicate with a variety of different animals and has an especially strong bond with crows.  This is due to his Eyelian upbringing and training as a Beast Master.  The crow is his spirit guide.  More specificaly, Yurie can communicate with cats, rats, crows and gryphs.

Yurie is skilled at flying his gryph, Pindari.  He can also use his bow whilst flying.

Yurie is an expert bowman; he has been using bows since the age of six.  He can also make good quality bows and arrows with stone heads.

Yurie can use a spear for hunting and self defence.

Yurie is experienced at hunting and foraging for food.

He is a musician who can play the flute and frame drum.

A good fortune teller who can enter into trance.  He has a highly developed intuition and believes that he has a close connection with the spirit world.

Weaknesses -

Yurie can be quite forgetful.

He will sometimes act before thinking and this has placed him in dangerous situations in the past.

Yurie has a weakness for women…especially beautiful women.

Some people have noted that Yurie is irresponsible.  This is because of his laid back approach to life.

Yurie doesn’t care much for money, and as such, he is often broke.  Yurie doesn’t see this as a weakness, but others in society might.

Due to his appearnace some people consider Yurie to be somewhat of a “lowlife” and will treat him as such.  This is made worse if they realize that he is a Black Butterfly.

His love of smoking the weed has left his lungs in poor shape.  This means that he gets out of breath during intense physical activity.

Oh, and he’s also quite forgetful.

Magic -

No real magical ability, but his understanding of animals and his ability to communicate with them can appear to be magical to others.  His close connection with the world of the spirits and his skill in fortune telling have led a few people to believe that he has some kind of magical ability.

History -

When I came to this world, I was without a name or identity.  It was the responsibility of my father to enter the “Lodge of Purification” to discover how I was to be known in this life.  As I am the youngest child of seven, my father had already had plenty of experience in this duty!

He told me that it was about midnight when the Great Eagle Spirit came to tell him the name of his latest child.  The Eagle whispered into my father’s ear, “your son is to be called Yurie Yileen.”  My father bowed his head in understanding, before repeating the name back to the Eagle.  In our language, Yurie means “to hear” and Yileen means “a dream”.  After thanking the Spirit, and making a small sacrifice, my father returned home to let the rest of my family know the name of their newest member.

After my “naming” I was cared for by my mother and elder siblings.  Under their care I learnt how to walk and talk.  I don’t hold memories of this time, but my family told me that I was always trying to escape from the confines of our house.  My mother especially remembers how quiet and peaceful I used to be during the terrific thunderstorms that come crashing around the Rimmerins Ring mountains.  She took it as a sign that I was to be close to the Great Father.

My earliest childhood memories come in patches, with no distinct time order.  I remember those times with fondness, for I was secure and surrounded by love.  I would spend most of my time playing with my sister, Akala, who is 2 years older than me.  We would dig into the Earth around my family's kaouje plants, and play games of our own making.  I can still remember the strong smell of pine that permeated our house, and whenever I smell pine wood I’m overcome by feelings of safety and contentment.

One very significant event in my childhood came when I was about five years old.  It was a fine day in midsummer when I went with my mother to visit one of my elder sisters.  She's a member of the Order of the Wings.  I remember that my mother left me with some of the Order members whilst she went to talk with my sister alone.  There were several girls there and a few big birds as well.  The birds fascinated me!  They were much bigger than any other birds that I had seen, and they seemed dignified, somehow.

Being a small and very curious child, I made my way over to them, leaving the girls talking and playing.  There were two larger birds, and one smaller one.  The larger two ignored me, but the smaller one lowered its head close to me.  It seemed to be just as curious as I was!  Well, I had a piece of dried meat in my pocket that my mother had given me earlier.  I took it out of my pocket and held it, (nervously), infront of the bird.  Without any hesitation, it took the meat from me and gobbled it down!

It was about thiis time that my mother returned.  After briefly scolding the girls for allowing me to wander off, she came and told me that I should go inside and say "hello" to my sister.  As I followed my mother, the bird followed me.  It seemed as though I had made a new friend!

After a while it became clear that this small gryph, who was called Pindari, didn't want to leave me.  I didn't understand much at the time...I was just playing with my new friend!  As I grew older and learnt more about gryphs, I understood what had really happened.

Pindari had been one of the "surplus" gryphs that the Order gets sometimes when there are more birds than new members.  He had been ready to chose a partner, and because he hadn't chosen any of the other gryphs, he was going to be released into the wild to find one.  Well, that's when I arrived and met him.  Seems that for some reason he took a liking to me.  Instead of flying off into the wilderness that day, he stayed with me.

The Order members of course understood what had happened, and they arranged a ceremony to mark the occassion.  That was one of the most important days in my life, because from that point on, Pindari has almost always been at my side.

I also began my ‘formal’ schooling around this time.  To be honest, it was just a small group of children from surrounding homesteads who came together to learn under the tutoring of a few dedicated teachers.  I enjoyed my time at school, mostly because of the companionship and opportunities to play!  I found the academic subjects boring and would always look forwards to the time when we would be dismissed for the day and I could practice my riding skills with Pindari!

My father also felt that it was important for me to learn how to use a bow from a young age.  As such, he gave me my first bow and arrow set on my sixth birthday.  I was so excited!  I had often seen my elder brothers and sisters practicing with their bows and had been fascinated by them.  My father became my first bow teacher.  He taught me not only how to use the bow, but how to make and string them as well.  My first attempts were far from perfect, but over the years I learnt how to make very strong and effective pieces.  I also learnt how to craft arrows.  The arrows that I make are fairly simple, using only stone heads, but they have served me well in hunting.

So, for a large proportion of my childhood days, I was engaged in flying and shooting lessons.  When not studying directly under my teachers or siblings, I would be out practicing by myself or with friends from the surrounding areas.  Having Pindari gave me so much freedom to explore the Elverground.  As I grew older I would often sleep out under the stars, eating food that I had hunted or foraged for myself.  Wild rabbit was always a favourite of mine.

Of course, during my time exploring the Elverground, I came upon the wonderful hobbits of Elvenveran.  These folk impressed me with their hospitality and laid back approach to life.  I made many good friends in Elvenveran and would often spend time there.  It was from my hobbit friends that I acquired the habit of smoking and the skill of pipe making.  I also learnt from them how to play the flute, how to sing and how to have a good time!

I would have to say that I had a productive and free childhood.  Maybe I didn’t learn much academically; but at least I grasped the basics.

This was my lifestyle until my thirteenth year.

In my thirteenth year, the local Elders, and my family, decided that I should take my vision quest to find my spirit guide and to enter my manhood.  I was both excited and nervous when I heard this news.  I was excited because I knew that every Eyelian must undertake this trial, and nervous because I was worried that maybe I wouldn’t be able to receive a guide!

Before I left my home for the lodge, my mother gave me a small cotton pouch to hang around my neck.  She said that there was a powerful medicine inside that would give me courage.

I was very nervous as I approached the lodge, and even though my hand was clenched tightly around the small pouch, I didn’t feel very courageous!  Once I was there, however, and the ritual chants had begun, I felt a great sense of peace steal over me, gradually washing away my fear and tension…maybe my mother’s medicine was working after all.  I could feel my muscles relaxing and my mind becoming freer as the ritual continued.  When it came time for me to leave the lodge and enter the wilderness, I was already experiencing visions.

From the point that I left the lodge, time lost all meaning for me.  I was in a familiar yet strange world, surrounded by spirits and beings that I didn’t recognize.  I could see colours that I had never seen before, and my awareness was heightened.

A constant feeling that I had was one of restlessness, as though I had been dug up from my roots and tossed into an ever changing wind.  During my journey I met with many different spirits; spirits of animals, spirits of places and spirits from different times.  I learnt all that I could from them; and felt as though my learning would never end.

Gradually it dawned on me that I still hadn’t encountered my spirit guide.  Or had I?  Maybe it had been one of the many spirits that I had already encountered?  Could it be that I just hadn’t recognized it?  Could it be that I was doomed to forever wander in this strange world?  Maybe my spirit guide had been the wily fox?  The ingenious tortoise?  Or maybe even the devious spider?  And yet I hadn’t felt a real connection with any of these beings.

I remember that I stopped walking and fell to my knees on a rocky outcrop.  The stars were clear above me, the land silent and dark before me.  I pressed my palms together and prayed.  I prayed all of the prayers that I knew and many that I didn’t.  I prayed in my own language and languages long forgotten.  I called to the Great Father and the Great Mother; I beseeched my ancestors, I pleaded with the spirits…but still none would come.

It was at this point, when my tongue stuck in my parched mouth and no more prayers would come, that I closed my eyes and fell backwards into myself.  I fell in somersaults backwards, into the darkness of my own mind, closer to the center of my being.

When I stopped falling, I opened my eyes; but still, all was black.  The stars were no longer visible, and the wind no longer brushed my skin.  I felt a cold fear begin to rise from the depths of my heart.  Had I gone blind?  Had I even died?  My fingers reached for my pouch; but instead of finding a cotton bag, I found my own heart.  It was warm and beating steadily.  As I listened to the beating, I began to feel calm again; and then, in the silence between the beats, I heard it’s voice.

The language was unknown to me; and yet it felt closer to me than my own breath.  I instantly understood, and listened with rapt attention.  The voice said, “I have been with you since before you were dreamed.  We played together and learnt together in the world before this one.”  The voice paused, and I had the feeling that I already knew what it was about to tell me.

It continued, “When you were born to this world, you began to see and hear and experience in different ways.  You were captivated by the new; and you forgot the old.”  Yes, I already knew this.  It had been buried within me all of this time.  “But now you have searched for what you had forgotten.  And you have found me again.”

As the voice continued, I began to speak at the same time as it; two voices speaking in unison, “And our pathway is before us again.  And we shall continue our journey together again.  And we shall play as before.  And we shall learn as before.”  At this point I began to speak slightly before the other voice, which now became an echo, “And I know who you are; and you know who I am; open the door, and we shall be as one.”

I already knew which door I needed to open.  And when it opened, I saw a great shape gracefully gliding towards me from out of the darkness.  An impossible shape; blacker than the blackness that surrounded me; perfectly visible in its invisibility.

The doorway to my mind was open.  The pathway to my thoughts was clear. The shape came closer.  The door opened wider.  The colossal bird sailed through.  And as the door slammed shut, my consciousness flared for a moment of infinity; before extinguishing itself into nothingness.

When I resurfaced into consciousness, I was lying on my back.  I could hear hushed voices talking, and smell a faint trace of smoke in the air.  Slowly, I opened my eyes.  The light was very low, but still the faint glow hurt my eyes.  My body was exhausted.  I struggled to lift my head from the straw pillow on which it had been placed, but it felt like somebody had replaced it with a giant rock!  Then I heard a very familiar voice say, “Look, he’s back.  Give him something to drink.”  My father came into view, and he held a cup of some kind of a bitter tasting tea to my lips and helped me drink.

When I had finished the first cup, the familiar voice, which I now recognized as that of our local Elder, Mityan, said, “Congratulations, you have found your guide.”  My father returned with some more tea, and helped me to sit upright, slumped against one of the wooden walls.  I could see Mityan now.  He was sitting cross legged opposite me, and smoking a pipe.  Apart from us three, I could see nobody else present in the small room.

“How long was I away?”  I asked.  “It is of no importance,”  he replied.  “But, how can you know that I was successful in my quest?”  Mityan took a long drag on the pipe, held the smoke for a while, exhaled, and then smiled.  “The man that sits before us today is not the boy that sat before us in the Lodge.  When I look into your eyes, I can see that you have changed.”  My father smiled also, as though they were sharing a joke.  He continued, “you now have your spirit guide.  It is your choice whether you want to share with others what form your guide takes.  You can tell everybody you meet; or you can never tell another soul.”

He paused, and his face started to betray the mirth that he was feeling inside.  He continued, “But I believe that most will be able to work it out for themselves.”  As he said this, my father’s smile widened, and I had a burning to desire to know what that weren’t telling me.  Just then, before I could ask them what I wanted to know, a shadow detached itself from the wall and flew towards me.  It landed lightly on my lap, and as I looked into its pitch black eyes, I felt as though I was looking into my own soul.

“He came to us early this morning.”  Mityan said.  “He had a lock of your hair in his beak.  Understanding that he wanted us to follow him, we set out.  He led us straight to where we found you, lying unconscious on a rocky outcrop.”

I had hardly heard his words, the storm crow that sat before me was taking up almost all of my attention.  I said “thank you”, and it seemed as though he understood me.  He nodded his head and perched on my left shoulder.  At that moment the name 'Barega' came into my head, and I said it aloud.  The crow cawed in response and we took it as a sign that he was to be known by this name.  "Welcome, Barega."  Mityan and my father said in unison.

From that day on, Barega has been a constant companion of mine.  He is a physical manifestation of my spirit guide, which in this world takes the form of a crow.

Also from that day, my training began in earnest.  Since my family already had a secure future, with two of my elder sisters and one of my elder brothers working on our kao-kao farm; and because I had shown a love of the bow, my future career was determined to be the same as my father’s, and so I began my training as a Beast Master.

For ten years I studied and trained in the ways of a Beast Master.  I learnt many things, including how to communicate with animals and how to survive in the wilderness.  I began by learning how to communicate with Barega.  Because of my close connection with him, it didn't take me long to learn.  I would also practice communicating with other crows.  After my vision quest, it seemed as though more crows settled around our house!

My father thought that I should learn how to communicate with smaller animals first, so he set about teaching me how to communicate with common cats and rats.  There were always rats around our farm, and they seemed to attract stray cats.

I became quite proficient at communicating with the cats, rats and crows.  I always found it easiest to communicate with Barega, though.

And of course, as my relationship with Pindari grew, I also learnt lots about how to communicate with gryphs.

My proficiency with the bow, particularly shooting from the back of Pindari, continued to improve.  My father also saw to it that I was trained in how to use a spear.

During this period I would often train with other young men of my age.  We started out with staffs.  Some of the other boys would use straw or leather to protect themselves from the bruises and welts that the staffs would cause, but I never did.  My father always told me that if you used armour then you would get lazy and end up taking shots that you could have avoided; “once smitten, twice shy!”

After training with a staff for a while, my father allowed me to use a practice spear.  This was basically a staff that had a sharpened end.  Eventually, when he thought that I was ready, my father presented me with a real spear.  It was made of oak wood and had a single, straight, and wickedly sharp head.

It was when I was about 22 years of age that I began having the visions.  I would detach from this world and enter into the world of spirits.  At first it was believed that I was maybe being chosen to become a leader; but when I explained the content of my visions to the Elders, it became clear that this was not the case.  It seemed to them that this was a continuation of my dream and my destiny; the spirits were trying to communicate something to me.

The message seemed unclear.  I had strange visions, of far away places and people I didn’t know; yet they seemed as good friends.  I once again began to feel the sense of restlessness that I had felt so strongly in my vision quest all those years before.  For one year it continued like this.  The visions and feeling of being blown by the wind increased gradually.  Still, I seemed no closer to understanding.   Then, in the summer of my 23rd year, it all became clear.

That summer was the summer when the Black Butterfly Rovers crossed my path.  A good friend of mine told me that there was a group of travelers and entertainers crossing the Elverground; and I knew deep inside that I had to meet them.

When I first encountered the group, I felt a recognition.  It seemed to me that I was coming closer to the resolution of my strange visions.  As the day wore on, and as I met and talked and played with different people from the group, I felt the sense of restlessness leaving me, as though I was discovering a new home.  That night I stayed with the group, and as I slept I had a series of dreams and visions.  At the height of them, my spirit guide, the crow, told me that I should join the Butterflies and begin the next part of my journey.  For me, he explained, the way of wisdom lay on the road.  When I awoke in the morning, I knew what had to be done.

I asked the Rovers where they were heading, and if I would be allowed to join them on their travels.  They said that they would gladly accept me, and they told me in which direction they were traveling.

Of course, I couldn’t leave my home, my friends and my family just like that!  So I went home that same day to discuss my decision with my family.  When I told them of my idea, I was surprised by their response.  I had expected some resistance to the idea, but it seemed as though they had been expecting this to happen.

Later that evening, my mother asked me if I had definitely decided to leave, to which I replied that I had.  She didn’t try to stop me or argue with me.  Instead, she simply gave me a small wooden box.  Inside there was a silver ring which glowed softly and serenely in the candle light.  When I looked closer I could see that it had been engraved with my family and clan names.

“So that you won’t forget us,”  she said softly.  I was surprised, and she must have seen my expression, for she said, “I have long known that your path would lead you away from us.  It was written into your destiny before you were even born.”  She smiled at me, and said, “So I had this ring made for you.  I must admit, I dreaded the day when I would have to give it to you, and right now, I don’t think you can imagine the sorrow that I feel.”  Her eyes were becoming moist as she continued, “But this life is full of farewells and greetings.  I know that in our parting lies the seed of our reunion.  I give you this ring with my blessings."

"You must listen to your dream, Yurie.  You must travel and see and learn.  You must experience all that the world has to offer, and you must grow.  But never forget that you will always have a home and a family here.”  She reached out and took my hand; and then she slipped the ring onto my finger; a perfect fit; and then she cried.

The next day I traveled all over the Elverground, telling my friends that I would be leaving a week later.  A few were surprised, but most seemed to know that such a leaving was inevitable for me.  And so a huge party was to be held on the night before my departure.  All were invited, for a night of fun, festivities, remembrances and blessings.

The night went well, and will certainly be remembered fondly for many years to come.

The morning after, I left as quickly as I could.  I had already said my goodbyes and didn’t want to prolong the moment.  With my belongings gathered together, Barega on my shoulder, myself on Pindari, I flew away from my home of 23 years.  I left whilst the others were sleeping, and I did not look back.  Pindari carried me east towards the rising sun; towards the Black Butterfly camp; towards my future dream.

I found their camp easily; and I found acceptance among them easier!  I received a tattoo of a butterfly on the back of my neck; marking my new beginning.

At first I was involved in a variety of different activities, trying to find to which I was most suited.  It soon became apparent that I had no interest in the shadier side of the group.  As such, I spent a lot of my time playing with the other musicians.

Another group of people that interested me was the fortune tellers.  I found that I had a natural talent for this; a well developed intuition, I guess.  I was taught how to read peoples’ fortunes using a variety of techniques, but I found that cards and coins yielded the best results.  As such, I focused my efforts on mastering these techniques, learning their mysteries by heart.

In turn I also shared the skills that I had.  I helped the fortune tellers enter into trance and taught the fighters among the group how to use a spear.  I shared my knowledge of bow making and hunting.  And of course, I shared my knowledge of pipe making!  I found lots of other smokers in that roving group!

And so my voyage continued.  I grew in experience and wisdom as well as age.  We traveled to many different places, and I made lots of new friends.  Sometimes I would think of my home and family back on the Elverground, but usually I was too busy to be sad.  In my seven years of travel with the Rovers, I went back to my home to see my friends and family four times.  It was always a great joy to see them again, though a little upsetting to see how my parents had visibly aged since I had left.

After seven years of traveling with the Rovers, in my thirtieth year, I once again felt a pulling in my heart.  The same feeling that I had felt seven years before.  The feeling that it was time to move on.  This time, when the visions came, I was better able to understand them.  It seemed as though my path was becoming even less distinct.  This time, I would need to head out into the world by myself.  Well, not exactly by myself, for Pindari, Barega, the Great Spirits and my ancestors would always be with me!  But I felt as though it was time for me to split away from the hospitality of the Black Butterflies.

Once again I had to tell those I loved that I would be leaving them; and once again they seemed to have expected it.  Erland, my best friend amongst the group, had a gold ring made for me; similar to the silver one that my mother had given me.  This one was engraved with a line of interlinked butterflies, and I would wear it on my right hand.

Once again I arranged a leaving party; and once again it was one to remember!  When I finally parted from the group, I knew that I would also always have a home amongst them…if I could ever find them again!

And so began a new chapter in my life.

Weapons -

A composite bow made from birch wood and mountain sheep horn / bone.  A quiver of arrows with slightly different heads.  Most of the heads are made from stone, but Yurie also keeps some metal “armour piercers” and "incendiary" arrows.

A simple spear made from oak.  It is two peds high and has a single, straight, double edged metal head that is one fore long.

Belongings -

Yurie has several pipes.  He tends to keep his favourite one about his person, along with a pouch or two of hobbitweed.  He likes to keep a few different kinds of the weed with him to suit different moods.  For idle times, Yurie keeps a few blocks of wood and a small knife for whittling and making pipes.

Yurie likes to keep a wooden flute close by for musical moments.
He also has a small frame drum and a two headed hand drum.  The frame drum is used for providing percussion, and the two headed drum is used to help him enter trance and as an aid to meditation.

He also keeps a pack of divining cards wrapped in black silk.  He made the cards himself, under the guidance of an experienced fortune teller.  He has added details to them, under the guidance of his spirit guide.

Familiars -

One male gryph called Pindari.  Pindari is relatively small for a gryph.  His body is covered in dark brown feathers.  The feathers on his head are of a lighter brown.

One stormcrow called Barega.  Barega is large and completely black.  His feathers are shiny but always scruffy.

____________________________________________________________________

[Kalína Dalá'isyrás]

I went ahead and did a basic spell check via editing your CD.

One quick thing. If you could break up a couple of your large paragraphs into at least a couple, it would help with reading.

[Yurie Yileen]

Okay, thanks for the comment, Kalina.

I've chopped up some of the bigger paragraphs into smaller sections.  I hope that it's a bit more readable now!

[Simonne Miller]

You have a quite long CD here! Let me give you a uri-check

Name  -  Yurie Yileen

Gender  -  Male

Age  -  30

Race  -  Human

Tribe  -  Eyelian

Job  - Yurie is currently exploring the world as a part of his “dreaming”.  He has little need of money as he is capable of hunting and / or foraging wild food.  He is skilled at finding and making basic shelter and is thus quite independent.  When he does need to make some money he has a range of talents that he can draw from.  His usual methods are playing music or telling peoples’ fortunes.

Title  -  Walker of Dreams

Overview   -

Yurie is following a unique path with the help of his spirit guides and the Great Spirits Themselves.  He was born into an Eyelian family in the shadow of the Rimmerins Ring mountains.  He grew up in a very traditional Eyelian society, yet made close friendships with elves and hobbits alike.  He later felt a calling to travel and joined the Black Butterfly Rovers to further this aim.  After traveling with them for some time, he again felt a calling from the Spirits.  This led to his separation from the Rovers, and his present situation as you encounter him today.

Nothing in the appearance to comment about. It's funny and original  . And I didn't find anything wrong with the personality either. Good job!


Strengths -

Yurie can communicate with a variety of different animals which animals?and has an especially strong bond with crows.  This is due to his Eyelian upbringing and training as a Beast Master.  The crow is his spirit guide.

Yurie is skilled at flying his gryph, Pindari.  He can also use his bow whilst flying.

Yurie is an expert bowman; he has been using bows since the age of six.  He can also make good quality bows and arrows.

Skilled in unarmed combat and stick fighting.  Yurie is exceptionally agile, fast and flexible.  He has also been trained in knife fighting and has had to use his knowledge on a number of occasions whilst traveling.

Yurie is experienced at hunting and foraging for food.

He is a talented musician who can play the flute and frame drum as well as sing.

A good fortune teller who can enter into trance and commune with the spirits, though he isn’t a religious leader. I'm not too sure about this strength... I'd have to ask my fellow moderators though.

Weaknesses -

Yurie can be quite forgetful.

He will sometimes act before thinking and this has placed him in dangerous situations in the past.

Yurie has a weakness for women…especially beautiful women.

Although Yurie has been trained in using a machete for combat, he has very little “practical” experience of using this weapon.

Some people have noted that Yurie is irresponsible.  This is because of his laid back approach to life..

Yurie doesn’t care much for money, and as such, he is often broke.  Yurie doesn’t see this as a weakness, but others in society might.

Since Yurie spent most of his childhood out of the classroom, learning practical skills, his academic knowledge is quite limited. could you explain a bit more why this is a weakness?

Due to his appearnace some people consider Yurie to be somewhat of a “lowlife” and will treat him as such.  This is made worse if they realize that he is a Black Butterfly.

Oh, and he’s also quite forgetful. ( )

I kind of get the feeling you're a little unbalanced. He has a gryph, he can talk to various animals, he is skilled in archery, unarmed combat and he has the machete. The gryph alone is quite a strong strength, as it can fight along with you, with beak and talons. I don't find a weakness that really balances this out. If you don't agree with me, just tell me, I'm a reasonable person

Magic -

No real magical ability, but his understanding of animals and his ability to communicate with them can appear to be magical to others.  His close connection with the world of the spirits and his skill in fortune telling have led a few people to believe that he has some kind of magical ability.

History -

When I came to this world, I was without a name or identity.  It was the responsibility of my father to enter the “Lodge of Purification” to discover how I was to be known in this life.  As I am the youngest child of seven, my father had already had plenty of experience in this duty!

He told me that it was about midnight when the Great Eagle Spirit came to tell him the name of his latest child.  The Eagle whispered into my father’s ear, “your son is to be called Yurie Yileen.”  My father bowed his head in understanding, before repeating the name back to the Eagle.  In our language, Yurie means “to hear” and Yileen means “a dream”.  After thanking the Spirit, and making a small sacrifice, my father returned home to let the rest of my family know the name of their newest member.

After my “naming” I was cared for by my mother and elder siblings.  Under their care I learnt how to walk and talk.  I don’t hold memories of this time, but my family told me that I was always trying to escape from the confines of our house.  My mother especially remembers how quiet and peaceful I used to be during the terrific thunderstorms that come crashing around the Rimmerins Ring mountains.  She took it as a sign that I was to be close to the Great Father.

My earliest childhood memories come in patches, with no distinct time order.  I remember those times with fondness, for I was secure and surrounded by love.  I would spend most of my time playing with my sister, Akala, who is 2 years older than me.  We would dig into the Earth around my family's kaouje plants, and play games of our own making.  I can still remember the strong smell of pine that permeated our house, and whenever I smell pine wood I’m overcome by feelings of safety and contentment.

One very significant event in my childhood came when I was about five years old.  It was a fine day in midsummer when one of my elder sisters returned to our family home for a brief respite from her rigorous training for the “Order of the Wings”.  She had two gryphs with her.  One of them was, of course, her own; but the other had come to meet me!  Pindari had been one of the gryphs that had been left over at the start of the induction for new Order members.  As such, he had been given to my sister, an older member, to look after.  She then asked her Ma’eila, and Pindari himself, if she could introduce the gryph to her youngest brother.  They both agreed to this. Let me think about this. I don't know if the Order would just give away their gryphs.

I still count that day of our first meeting as one of the most important in my life.  It soon became obvious that Pindari wanted to stay with me, and since that time he has almost constantly been at my side.

I also began my ‘formal’ schooling around this time.  To be honest, it was just a small group of children from surrounding homesteads who came together to learn under the tutoring of a few dedicated teachers.  I enjoyed my time at school, mostly because of the companionship and opportunities to play!  I found the academic subjects boring and would always look forwards to the time when we would be dismissed for the day and I could practice my riding skills with Pindari!

My father also felt that it was important for me to learn how to use a bow from a young age.  As such, he gave me my first bow and arrow set on my sixth birthday.  I was so excited!  I had often seen my elder brothers and sisters practicing with their bows and had been fascinated by them.  My father became my first bow teacher.  He taught me not only how to use the bow, but how to make and string them as well.  My first attempts were far from perfect, but over the years I learnt how to make very strong and effective pieces.  I also learnt how to craft arrows of varying kinds. Did he also learn how to make the arrow-heads?

So, for a large proportion of my childhood days, I was engaged in flying and shooting lessons.  When not studying directly under my teachers or siblings, I would be out practicing by myself or with friends from the surrounding areas.  Having Pindari gave me so much freedom to explore the Elverground.  As I grew older I would often sleep out under the stars, eating food that I had hunted or foraged for myself.  Wild rabbit was always a favourite of mine.

Of course, during my time exploring the Elverground, I came upon the wonderful hobbits of Elvenveran.  These folk impressed me with their hospitality and laid back approach to life.  I made many good friends in Elvenveran and would often spend time there.  It was from my hobbit friends that I acquired the habit of smoking and the skill of pipe making.  I also learnt from them how to play the flute, how to sing and how to have a good time!

I would have to say that I had a productive and free childhood.  Maybe I didn’t learn much academically; but at least I grasped the basics.

This was my lifestyle until my thirteenth year.

In my thirteenth year, the local Elders, and my family, decided that I should take my vision quest to find my spirit guide and to enter my manhood.  I was both excited and nervous when I heard this news.  I was excited because I knew that every Eyelian must undertake this trial, and nervous because I was worried that maybe I wouldn’t be able to receive a guide!

Before I left my home for the lodge, my mother gave me a small cotton pouch to hang around my neck.  She said that there was a powerful medicine inside that would give me courage.

I was very nervous as I approached the lodge, and even though my hand was clenched tightly around the small pouch, I didn’t feel very courageous!  Once I was there, however, and the ritual chants had begun, I felt a great sense of peace steal over me, gradually washing away my fear and tension…maybe my mother’s medicine was working after all.  I could feel my muscles relaxing and my mind becoming freer as the ritual continued.  When it came time for me to leave the lodge and enter the wilderness, I was already experiencing visions.

From the point that I left the lodge, time lost all meaning for me.  I was in a familiar yet strange world, surrounded by spirits and beings that I didn’t recognize.  I could see colours that I had never seen before, and my awareness was heightened.

A constant feeling that I had was one of restlessness, as though I had been dug up from my roots and tossed into an ever changing wind.  During my journey I met with many different spirits; spirits of animals, spirits of places and spirits from different times.  I learnt all that I could from them; and felt as though my learning would never end.

Gradually it dawned on me that I still hadn’t encountered my spirit guide.  Or had I?  Maybe it had been one of the many spirits that I had already encountered?  Could it be that I just hadn’t recognized it?  Could it be that I was doomed to forever wander in this strange world?  Maybe my spirit guide had been the wily fox?  The ingenious tortoise?  Or maybe even the one eyed snake of passion? eh... what? The one eyed snake of passion? And yet I hadn’t felt a real connection with any of these beings.

I remember that I stopped walking and fell to my knees on a rocky outcrop.  The stars were clear above me, the land silent and dark before me.  I pressed my palms together and prayed.  I prayed all of the prayers that I knew and many that I didn’t.  I prayed in my own language and languages long forgotten. How do you know languages long forgotten? I called to the Great Father and the Great Mother; I beseeched my ancestors, I pleaded with the spirits…but still none would come.

It was at this point, when my tongue stuck in my parched mouth and no more prayers would come, that I closed my eyes and fell backwards into myself.  I fell in somersaults backwards, into the darkness of my own mind, closer to the center of my being.

When I stopped falling, I opened my eyes; but still, all was black.  The stars were no longer visible, and the wind no longer brushed my skin.  I felt a cold fear begin to rise from the depths of my heart.  Had I gone blind?  Had I even died?  My fingers reached for my pouch; but instead of finding a cotton bag, I found my own heart.  It was warm and beating steadily.  As I listened to the beating, I began to feel calm again; and then, in the silence between the beats, I heard it’s voice.

The language was unknown to me; and yet it felt closer to me than my own breath.  I instantly understood, and listened with rapt attention.  The voice said, “I have been with you since before you were dreamed.  We played together and learnt together in the world before this one.”  The voice paused, and I had the feeling that I already knew what it was about to tell me.

It continued, “When you were born to this world, you began to see and hear and experience in different ways.  You were captivated by the new; and you forgot the old.”  Yes, I already knew this.  It had been buried within me all of this time.  “But now you have searched for what you had forgotten.  And you have found me again.”

As the voice continued, I began to speak at the same time as it; two voices speaking in unison, “And our pathway is before us again.  And we shall continue our journey together again.  And we shall play as before.  And we shall learn as before.”  At this point I began to speak slightly before the other voice, which now became an echo, “And I know who you are; and you know who I am; open the door, and we shall be as one.”

I already knew which door I needed to open.  And when it opened, I saw a great shape gracefully gliding towards me from out of the darkness.  An impossible shape; blacker than the blackness that surrounded me; perfectly visible in its invisibility.

The doorway to my mind was open.  The pathway to my thoughts was clear. The shape came closer.  The door opened wider.  The colossal bird sailed through.  And as the door slammed shut, my consciousness flared for a moment of infinity; before extinguishing itself into nothingness.

When I resurfaced into consciousness, I was lying on my back.  I could hear hushed voices talking, and smell a faint trace of smoke in the air.  Slowly, I opened my eyes.  The light was very low, but still the faint glow hurt my eyes.  My body was exhausted.  I struggled to lift my head from the straw pillow on which it had been placed, but it felt like somebody had replaced it with a giant rock!  Then I heard a very familiar voice say, “look, he’s back.  Give him something to drink.”  My father came into view, and he held a cup of some kind of a bitter tasting tea to my lips and helped me drink.

When I had finished the first cup, the familiar voice, which I now recognized as that of our local Elder, Mityan, said, “congratulations, you have found your guide.”  My father returned with some more tea, and helped me to sit upright, slumped against one of the wooden walls.  I could see Mityan now.  He was sitting cross legged opposite me, and smoking a pipe.  Apart from us three, I could see nobody else present in the small room.

“How long was I away?”  I asked.  “It is of no importance,”  he replied.  “But, how can you know that I was successful in my quest?”  Mityan took a long drag on the pipe, held the smoke for a while, exhaled, and then smiled.  “The man that sits before us today is not the boy that sat before us in the Lodge.  When I look into your eyes, I can see that you have changed.”  My father smiled also, as though they were sharing a joke.  He continued, “you now have your spirit guide.  It is your choice whether you want to share with others what form your guide takes.  You can tell everybody you meet; or you can never tell another soul.”

He paused, and his face started to betray the mirth that he was feeling inside.  He continued, “But I believe that most will be able to work it out for themselves.”  As he said this, my father’s smile widened, and I had a burning to desire to know what that weren’t telling me.  Just then, before I could ask them what I wanted to know, a shadow detached itself from the wall and flew towards me.  It landed lightly on my lap, and as I looked into its pitch black eyes, I felt as though I was looking into my own soul.

“He came to us early this morning.”  Mityan said.  “He had a lock of your hair in his beak.  Understanding that he wanted us to follow him, we set out.  He led us straight to where we found you, lying unconscious on a rocky outcrop.”

I had hardly heard his words, the storm crow that sat before me was taking up almost all of my attention.  I said “thank you”, and was surprised to hear my voice speak in the language of crows.  The bird nodded its head in acknowledgement, and then hopped onto my left shoulder.  It leant in close to my ear and said, “my name is Barega.”  “His name is Barega,” I said.  The other two men nodded and said, “welcome, Barega.”This is not entirely how Eyelians talk to animals. They don't have an actual 'language', but the Eyelians are able to mimic the behaviour of the animals so closely that they understand each other. In the case of a crow this would also involve certain noises, but it's still not a language with words.

From that day on, Barega has been a constant companion of mine.  He is a physical manifestation of my spirit guide, which in this world takes the form of a crow.

Also from that day, my training began in earnest.  Since my family already had a secure future, with two of my elder sisters and one of my elder brothers working on our kao-kao farm; and because I had shown a love of the bow, my future career was determined to be the same as my father’s, and so I began my training as a Beast Master.

For ten years I studied and trained in the ways of a Beast Master.  I learnt many things, including how to communicate with animals and how to survive in the wilderness.  My proficiency with the bow, particularly shooting from the back of Pindari, continued to improve.  My father also saw to it that I was trained in stick fighting and unarmed combat.

During this period I would often train with other young men of my age.  I particularly enjoyed using throws, joint locks and chokes.  We would never use bladed weapons when we sparred with one another, but we would regularly use sticks.  Some of the other boys would use straw or leather to protect themselves from the bruises and welts that the sticks would cause, but I never did.  My personal belief was that if you used armour, then you would get lazy and end up taking shots that you could have avoided; “once smitten, twice shy!” Did anyone teach him this belief? Because that's what you said earlier in your CD, that he was 'taught' to believe this

It was when I was about 22 years of age that I began having the visions.  I would detach from this world and enter into the world of spirits.  At first it was believed that I was maybe being chosen to become a leader; but when I explained the content of my visions to the Elders, it became clear that this was not the case.  It seemed to them that this was a continuation of my dream and my destiny; the spirits were trying to communicate something to me.

The message seemed unclear.  I had strange visions, of far away places and people I didn’t know; yet they seemed as good friends.  I once again began to feel the sense of restlessness that I had felt so strongly in my vision quest all those years before.  For one year it continued like this.  The visions and feeling of being blown by the wind increased gradually.  Still, I seemed no closer to understanding.   Then, in the summer of my 23rd year, it all became clear.

That summer was the summer when the Black Butterfly Rovers crossed my path.  A good friend of mine told me that there was a group of travelers and entertainers crossing the Elverground; and I knew deep inside that I had to meet them.

When I first encountered the group, I felt a recognition.  It seemed to me that I was coming closer to the resolution of my strange visions.  As the day wore on, and as I met and talked and played with different people from the group, I felt the sense of restlessness leaving me, as though I was discovering a new home.  That night I stayed with the group, and as I slept I had a series of dreams and visions.  At the height of them, my spirit guide, the crow, told me that I should join the Butterflies and begin the next part of my journey.  For me, he explained, the way of wisdom lay on the road.  When I awoke in the morning, I knew what had to be done.

I asked the Rovers where they were heading, and if I would be allowed to join them on their travels.  They said that they would gladly accept me, and they told me in which direction they were traveling.

Of course, I couldn’t leave my home, my friends and my family just like that!  So I went home that same day to discuss my decision with my family.  When I told them of my idea, I was surprised by their response.  I had expected some resistance to the idea, but it seemed as though they had been expecting this to happen.

Later that evening, my mother asked me if I had definitely decided to leave, to which I replied that I had.  She didn’t try to stop me or argue with me.  Instead, she simply gave me a small wooden box.  Inside there was a silver ring which glowed softly and serenely in the candle light.  When I looked closer I could see that it had been engraved with my family and clan names.

“So that you won’t forget us,”  she said softly.  I was surprised, and she must have seen my expression, for she said, “I have long known that your path would lead you away from us.  It was written into your destiny before you were even born.”  She smiled at me, and said, “So I had this ring made for you.  I must admit, I dreaded the day when I would have to give it to you, and right now, I don’t think you can imagine the sorrow that I feel.”  Her eyes were becoming moist as she continued, “but this life is full of farewells and greetings.  I know that in our parting lies the seed of our reunion.  I give you this ring with my blessings."

"You must listen to your dream, Yurie.  You must travel and see and learn.  You must experience all that the world has to offer, and you must grow.  But never forget that you will always have a home and a family here.”  She reached out and took my hand; and then she slipped the ring onto my finger; a perfect fit; and then she cried.

The next day I traveled all over the Elverground, telling my friends that I would be leaving a week later.  A few were surprised, but most seemed to know that such a leaving was inevitable for me.  And so a huge party was to be held on the night before my departure.  All were invited, for a night of fun, festivities, remembrances and blessings.

The night went well, and will certainly be remembered fondly for many years to come.

The morning after, I left as quickly as I could.  I had already said my goodbyes and didn’t want to prolong the moment.  With my belongings gathered together, Barega on my shoulder, myself on Pindari, I flew away from my home of 23 years.  I left whilst the others were sleeping, and I did not look back.  Pindari carried me east towards the rising sun; towards the Black Butterfly camp; towards my future dream.

I found their camp easily; and I found acceptance among them easier!  I received a tattoo of a butterfly on the back of my neck; marking my new beginning.

At first I was involved in a variety of different activities, trying to find to which I was most suited.  It soon became apparent that I had no interest in the shadier side of the group.  As such, I spent a lot of my time playing with the other musicians.  I also continued to train my combat skills.  There were some expert knife fighters in the group, with whom I trained everyday.  I learnt how to fight with machetes and knives, and even how to craft them.  It reminded me of when I had been a young boy, learning how to make bows and arrows!

Another group of people that interested me was the fortune tellers.  I found that I had a natural talent for this; a well developed intuition, I guess.  I was taught how to read peoples’ fortunes using a variety of techniques, but I found that cards and coins yielded the best results.  As such, I focused my efforts on mastering these techniques, learning their mysteries by heart.

In turn I also shared the skills that I had.  I helped the fortune tellers enter into trance and taught the knife fighters my clan’s form of unarmed and stick combat.  I shared my knowledge of bow making and hunting.  And of course, I shared my knowledge of pipe making!  I found lots of other smokers in that roving group!

And so my voyage continued.  I grew in experience and wisdom as well as age.  We traveled to many different places, and I made lots of new friends.  Sometimes I would think of my home and family back on the Elverground, but usually I was too busy to be sad.  In my seven years of travel with the Rovers, I went back to my home to see my friends and family four times.  It was always a great joy to see them again, though a little upsetting to see how my parents had visibly aged since I had left.

After seven years of traveling with the Rovers, in my thirtieth year, I once again felt a pulling in my heart.  The same feeling that I had felt seven years before.  The feeling that it was time to move on.  This time, when the visions came, I was better able to understand them.  It seemed as though my path was becoming even less distinct.  This time, I would need to head out into the world by myself.  Well, not exactly by myself, for Pindari, Barega, the Great Spirits and my ancestors would always be with me!  But I felt as though it was time for me to split away from the hospitality of the Black Butterflies.

Once again I had to tell those I loved that I would be leaving them; and once again they seemed to have expected it.  Erland, my best friend amongst the group, had a gold ring made for me; similar to the silver one that my mother had given me.  This one was engraved with a line of interlinked butterflies, and I would wear it on my right hand.

Once again I arranged a leaving party; and once again it was one to remember!  When I finally parted from the group, I knew that I would also always have a home amongst them…if I could ever find them again!

And so began a new chapter in my life.

Weapons -

A composite bow made from birch wood and mountain sheep horn / bone..  A quiver of arrows with slightly different heads.  Most of the heads are “regular” but Yurie also keeps some “armour piercing” and "incendiary" arrows.

A machete and dagger.  Both of these are plain to look at but strong and effective.  The dagger is double edged.

A waist high walking stick made from black birch.

Belongings -

Yurie has several pipes.  He tends to keep his favourite one about his person, along with a pouch or two of hobbitweed.  He likes to keep a few different kinds of the weed with him to suit different moods.  For idle times, Yurie keeps a few blocks of wood and a small knife for whittling and making pipes.

Yurie likes to keep a wooden flute close by for musical moments.
He also has a small frame drum and a two headed hand drum.  The frame drum is used for providing percussion, and the two headed drum is used to help him enter trance and as an aid to meditation.

He also keeps a pack of divining cards wrapped in black silk.  He made the cards himself, under the guidance of an experienced fortune teller.  He has added details to them, under the guidance of his spirit guide.

Familiars -

One male gryph called Pindari.

One stormcrow called Barega.
Could you describe your familiars in a bit more detail? How big are they, what colour, and so on.

All right, that's it. I want to congratulate you on a character well-written and VERY well-researched. I will get back to you about your last strength and on whether or not the Order would give one of their gryphs to one who is not of the order. In any case, you should be close to titling

With regard,
Simonne

[Yurie Yileen]

Thanks for the comments, Simonne.  You're right, it is pretty long!

As you'll be able to see, I've made a few alterations in line with what you mentioned.

With regard to the part where Yurie speaks "long forgotten" languages, I think it's open to interpretation whether or not he did.  It could be that he was just talking a load of nonsense after fasting for four days and entering into communication with the "spirits".  Either way, Yurie himself believes that he was talking in "long forgotten" languages, and I think that's the important thing, because the history is written from his point of view.

I agree that he does seem to be a bit too strong, and I don't mind altering that.  I just need to know if he can keep Pindari or not.  If he can't, then I guess that'll balance him out.  If he can, then I'd be happy to drop the machete training.  I'm pretty flexible on it.     (But if I can't have a gryph, then I gotta have a horse!!!)

I wanted him to be able to enter into trance because I like to bring dreams and spirits into my writing.  I'm a big fan of "magical realist" authors and try to bring some of that into my own writing.  Anyway, I've reworded that last strength...let me know what you think!

Okay, thanks once again for taking the time to look over it!

Kind regards,

"Yurie".

[Simonne Miller]

You're lucky I'm the one who wrote the Order of the Wings. So. I think that they wouldn't normally give away gryphs, but I will allow it this once. Because I like your CD . But could you add in that it had been the right age to choose and it would otherwise have flown away into the wild, but when it saw Yurie it chose him as partner instead?

Then, one smallish thing, you're not 'allowed' to approach eagles and wolves. You'll need a better reason why you learned their language. You'll also need to specify how proficient you are in them. For reference (I'm not bragging, honest :p) look up Naya More'ek. She is not proficient in every language and there were reasons why she learned the languages she did.

Otherwise, this is looking very good indeed. Just remember to balance the gryph thing

[Yurie Yileen]

Okay, just finished a few minor alterations!

I've added in that the gryph chose Yurie just before it was sent into the wildnerness.

To balance out the strength of having a gryph I've removed a few things...

Yurie can no longer communicate with eagles.  Nor can he communicate with wolves.

Yurie still has a machete, but he hasn't received any training in how to use it as a weapon.

I hope that he is acceptably balanced now...if not, then let me know and I'll think up something else!

[Yurie Yileen]

Just bringing Yurie back to page one...

...comments welcome and appreciated! 

[Twén Aråerwén]

Hello Yurie! My sincerest apologies for your CD moving onto the second page. I'll do my best to make sure that does not happen again. ~Smiles brightly~ Your CD is somewhat extensive, though it is a wonderful read. I will be commenting on various sections as we go, I will also try to find an Eyelian expert to make sure everything is in order on that aspect of your CD. So let us begin with your S&W section, my comments shall be in the ever-ugly color: Orange
Strengths -

Yurie can communicate with a variety of different animals and has an especially strong bond with crows.  This is due to his Eyelian upbringing and training as a Beast Master.  The crow is his spirit guide.  More specificaly, Yurie can communicate with cats, rats, crows and gryphs.

Yurie is skilled at flying his gryph, Pindari.  He can also use his bow whilst flying.

Yurie is an expert bowman; he has been using bows since the age of six.  He can also make good quality bows and arrows with stone heads. You should realize that stone/flint arrowheads will be nigh useless against well armored foes.

Skilled in unarmed combat and stick fighting.  Yurie is exceptionally agile, fast and flexible. Exceptionally agile and fast is an entirely different strength and should be listed as such. The keyword here is exceptionally, this means he is above the norm. He has also been trained in knife fighting and has had to use his knowledge on a number of occasions whilst traveling. You also have three seperate forms of armed and unarmed combat listed here. With his expertise in the bow, you are far exceeding the traning of someone of his age, or any age for that matter. Limiting the weapons he is good with would do wonders for balance.

Yurie is experienced at hunting and foraging for food.

He is a talented musician who can play the flute and frame drum as well as sing. Being talented in both singing and two seperate instruments seems a bit excessive as well.

A good fortune teller who can enter into trance.  He has a highly developed intuition and a close connection with the spirit world. Having a connection to the "spirit" world is not possible. If you are saying he "thinks" he has this connection, then this needs to be defined here.

Weaknesses -

Yurie can be quite forgetful.

He will sometimes act before thinking and this has placed him in dangerous situations in the past.

Yurie has a weakness for women…especially beautiful women.

Some people have noted that Yurie is irresponsible.  This is because of his laid back approach to life.

Yurie doesn’t care much for money, and as such, he is often broke.  Yurie doesn’t see this as a weakness, but others in society might.

Since Yurie spent most of his childhood out of the classroom, learning practical skills, his academic knowledge is quite limited.  The most obvious disadvantage resulting from this is his very limited ability to read and write. Since the majority of Santharians can not read or write at all, this is not a weakness. You must keep in mnd that your character is measured against the average person, not the exceptional.

Due to his appearnace some people consider Yurie to be somewhat of a “lowlife” and will treat him as such.  This is made worse if they realize that he is a Black Butterfly.

Oh, and he’s also quite forgetful.

It really seems that the majority of your weaknesses are superficial while most of your strengths are very powerful. Limiting your weapon skills, down to an excellent archer and fair with one other weapon would help somewhat in balancing this CD. Looking over some of your weaknesses and defining them as more prominant with higher detrimental effects would also help with balance.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask them here. I hope my comments hasten your pathway to a title. I am placing the pencil icon onto yuor CD until you finish your edits. Once you are ready for more comments please return the exclamation mark and i will return to go over another section of your CD.

~Sincerely~ Twen Araerwen

[Simonne Miller]

Among the CD mods I think Vesk and I are the Eyelian experts. I'll take a look at your CD tomorrow. I know I should have done it earlier, but hey, I'm only human

[Yurie Yileen]

Okay, thanks for the comments Twen.  I'll work on balancing the strengths and weaknesses.

I really do appreciate your both having a look at it...I know it's pretty long!

Thanks a lot, 

Yurie.

Ps. I quite like that orange colour...it's not ugly at all!

[Kalína Dalá'isyrás]

Please be careful with capitalization. There are words you shouldn't capitalize and there are some which need to be. Read through the CD carefully please.

[Yurie Yileen]

Okay...have made some alterations to this.  In summary I have:

-  Limited his skill in weapons to the bow and the spear.

-  Removed his above average agility and speed.

-  Taken away his ability to sing...(I guess he sounds like a bull frog now!)

-  Added that he "believes" that he has a connection with the spirit world.

-  Given him one more weakness.

-  Changed some of the capitalisations.

So, it's ready for some more comments 

Thanks a lot,

Yurie.

[Simonne Miller]

Ok, you left one reference to the machete in his overview (I think), if you could delete that and change your emoticon to the yellow exclamation mark? Then I think you're ready for a title

[Yurie Yileen]

Okay, I've removed all machete references...I think!

Just waiting on that title 

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