Dubin of Clan Eucra
Dubin of Clan Eucra
A boy who dreamed of saving a girl from his clan who disappeared in the forest
DnD Beyond character sheet
Physical Description
General Physical Condition
Somewhat frail
Physical quirks
He used to have green eyes, but the effects of the magical rituals he repeatedly experienced turn them grey.
Apparel & Accessories
He often wears a leather and fur cloak from his hillfolk clan over his school robes. The cloak is perhaps a bit small now and showing superficial signs of age, but is still quite sturdy and the wear has given it a softer and cozier appearance.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Dubin volunteered to be used in a divination ritual meant to direct his dreams to the location of another child of his clan, a young girl that gotten lost in the forest, but all he saw were foggy images of a strange village decorated with frozen fire, a home with an exotic forge and the smell of luxurious foods. He couldn't see any people in this village, but sometimes he thought he saw strange shadows.
So they repeated the ritual again and again over the years hoping for a clearer picture, but all he saw was the same strange, empty village.
Though they stopped performing the ritual as they had no choice but to give up their search, Dubin continued to suffer side effects of the repeated ritual. His dreams became strange and he continued to see glimpses of the strange village and now a garden that burned with magical fire.
Eventually he somehow learned to control these dreams, and he started to get the feeling that he was still dreaming even when he knew he was awake. It was when he tried to exert his will on this waking dream feeling that strange things started to happen. Instead of shaking off the fog of dream, he began to affect the world around him.
Concerned for both Dubin and of his unknown magical ability attracting unwanted attention, the hillfolk tribe managed to get in contact with mages of the Ioth Academy, who agreed to take him to the Academy.
The dreams of the village became less and less frequent over time, and seemed to stop entirely around the time he arrived a the Academy. He did occasionally get dreams of the other parts of the Academy, and of students he didn't recognize. The teachers told him it was probably just a side effect of being at the Academy and being exposed to its magics.
Education
Dedicated student
Lodge - Grotto
Crafting - Painting, mostly about stuff he dreamt
Spirituality
Supernatural Philosophy
Etiology
Failures & Embarrassments
Failed to locate the girl who went missing from his village through the divination dream ritual. Nobody blames him for this, except himself.
Mental Trauma
Was repeatedly subject to the divination dream ritual, which affected his mind in unusual ways.
Intellectual Characteristics
Average intelligence, not used to studying, but quickly learned how to.
Morality & Philosophy
Don't hurt anyone and protect your clan.
Personality Characteristics
Motivation
Feels a great obligation to his hillfolk clan, even though he understands he may never be able to return. Also still feels the emotional weight of trying and failing to find the lost girl from his clan, and his magic is an almost constant reminder of his failed search.
He also wants to better understand and control his ability so that he can keep those around him safe from himself.
Likes & Dislikes
He likes to be boisterous, outgoing, and even be a bit clever, but this has all been squashed in the past few years, partly by melancholy over his failure to locate the lost girl from his clan, and partly because he fears he may still be a danger to those who are close to him.
Hygiene
Clean, yes. Tidy, ehh....
Social
Contacts & Relations
A handful of other students like to hang around him, because they think his magic is cool, but only two have become genuine friends. While he can't help but fear for their safety around him, he also appreciates their attention and care.
One is a dokkalfar student named Luteti who was initially curious about his oneiromancy, but in time learned to like the person and tends to act as his best friend/personal guard, warding off others on Dubin's behalf.
The other is more genuinely concerned about Dubin himself, and is a half-elf named Ruby. Everyone just kind of assumes they are dating, but they are definitely not, and have even been allowed to room together.
He has also been mentored by a dokkalfar teacher who has some knowledge in oneiromancy, though not all the exercises they have him do actually seem to be focused on control.
He also kind of made friends with a fey creature in the forest near where his clan dwelt that taught him Sylvan. He told her he had to leave for Ioth Academy before he left, who knows where she is now.
Family Ties
He left his clan and family back home, and hopes that he will be to at least see his family, but he knows he can never truly return, because the risk of being found the infernals is too great.
He also feels a special attachment to the lost girl, not only because she is part of his clan, but because she has indirectly defined the direction of his life for the past several years, good and bad.
Religious Views
Mostly typical Hillfolk stuff. He views his dream experiences with a certain spiritual slant, as the ritual itself was performed with a religious flavor to it. He has also started to learn and find comfort in Zeilar, thanks to his time spent with Ruby.
Social Aptitude
Makes friends easily and is naturally likable (a trait that is common in his clan), but he has become less outgoing, since he doesn't feel confident about controlling his magic, and doesn't like people hanging around him that haven't accepted the risk. The more he confidence he gains in control, the more of the old Dubin is likely to come out.
Mannerisms
Friendly, and if he ever feels relaxed with the others around him, happy and boisterous. Fairly open with his emotions. Stutters when nervous. Likes to trade jabs with others, especially Luteti. Will sometimes swear at the Alfar students in Sylvan if they give him shit because he's found it to be effective at diffusing their hostility, probably due to it being so unexpected coming from a human.
Speech
Speaks primarily in Common but with the occasional rude Undercommon or Sylvan word or phrase thrown in. Can converse in either language where appropriate.
Wealth & Financial state
Dirt poor, because all the hillfolk really have in terms of material wealth is dirt. And furs, I guess.
Birthplace
Clan Eucra - near the Sunswept Lands
Children
Current Residence
Ioth Academy - The Ring - Tarselmoor House - rooming with Ruby, Luteti has an unknown roommate
Gender
Male
Eyes
Grey
Hair
Mussed up
Quotes & Catchphrases
Frequently references "getting out of bed" when making exclamations.
e.g. "What a day to get out of bed" "I got out of bed for this?" "This better be worth getting of bed for"
Also a selection of fey/sylvan insults and swearing such as "Nobody wants to know your name" and "You have boring buttons"
Ruby
Ruby wears a choker with a Zeilar amulet affixed to the front. The depiction is stylized in a way that is unique to the priesthood, and also has a ruby gemstone in the middle, something not typically found in these amulets.
Ruby was born in Bronthan Capital in the year 6848 to an unknown mother and father, and adopted by one of the high ranking priests to be raised in and around the temples and palaces in the capital. All that is known about her parents is that one is a member of the priesthood, and the other was an elf who was not supposed to be there.
The unique combination of her elven and priestly heritage gave her a unique gift of magic that might have been heralded had she not been of such unknown parentage, and not been completely overshadowed by the presence of another blessed child born less than a year before her.
Instead, she served as an assistant to her adopted father, or to anyone her adopted father told her to assist, which sometimes involved being around the very blessed child some saw her as a pale imitation of. When not on duty, she would spend much of her free time worshiping Zeilar and studying the teachings of the Brothan faith in preparation for her to join the priesthood when she came of age.
It was only after that child had gone missing and was presumed dead did attention finally shift to Ruby in a meaningful way. While negative comparisons to the original blessed child were expected, it was ultimately the scandal of her parentage that was too great for the priesthood to bear, and it was decided that she should be sent to Ioth Academy. The reason she was given was so that she could receive the best magical education available and return better able to help serve and defend her country (even though she could have easily received sufficient training and education in Brontha). In reality, they just needed to get rid of her. While some, including her adopted father, hope she will in fact return and be such a force in the service of Brontha that any past scandal she is a reminder of will be brushed aside, most do not care if she returns or would even prefer that she doesn't, and are proceeding under the assumption that she won't.
Ruby is naturally sweet and compassionate, and holds a deep faith in Zeilar, from which she emulates the other aspects of the Phoenix God; honesty, bravery, etc. Her faith also gives her a certain naiveté when it comes to how corruptible people can be even without the direct influence of the infernals. While she is aware of some of the questions that surround her (parentage, comparisons to and taking up the blessed child's position, didn't need to go to the Academy) she has made no attempt to find fault in any of this and fully intends to return to Brontha like she was told to, if not for the complication that is her relationship with Dubin. She doesn't want to leave him alone, but also knows that taking him to Brontha (or as Luteti has suggested, to a Dokkalfar Grotto) probably isn't the best idea for him.
Luteti
Luteti is a Dokkalfar born in one of the Dokkalfar grottos. He is motivated by knowledge and curiosity. He wants to learn about everything he can, whether its music, magic, history, religion, nature, or anything else. It is for this reason he follows the path of the bardic arts, learning several musical instruments (BUT NOT THE LUTE, NEVER THE LUTE, DON'T ASK ABOUT THE LUTE, DON'T EVEN CALL HIM "LUTE" EITHER), and studying as wide a variety of topics about the current world as possible. He knows that there are sources of power emerging in the mortal plane, more than most of people seem willing to acknowledge, and seeks to understand and harness that power.
He seems to buck the reputation Dokkalfar have of being callously pragmatic towards non-alfar races, and shows a desire to befriend and look out for Dubin that many can't help but distrust. Though there have been no outward signs that his friendship is anything but genuine, his suggestion that Dubin move to a Dokkalfar Grotto after graduating from the Ring raised a few eyebrows, especially Ruby's, even though it's hard to deny that the Dokkalfar are best equipped to help him.
Nonetheless, he does look out for Dubin, and seems to be able to predict when Dubin is at risk of losing control of magic, to which he reacts defensively, subtlety creating space for him while Ruby helps more directly.
In the Grotto, he (along with Ruby) sticks with Dubin at all times. When they move to The Ring, Luteti will have a separate room, and will start to sometimes leave the two alone in their room and while focusing more on other things.
Bittersweet Dreams (Are Made of This)
6863
Now that I (mostly) have a handle on controlling my magic while awake, Divana says that I need to start practicing dreamwalking. She spent a lot of time going over the various rules the academy has about dreamwalking and how even though they are very restrictive, it's important to follow them because they're the rules. I don't think she likes those rules very much. The bottom line is, I needed a volunteer.
____________
I laid down in bed and looked across the room at Ruby where she was also in bed.
"See you tonight" she smiled at me.
I smiled back, then took a long deep breath and closed my eyes.
A moment later I felt the morning sun shining brightly through the door of my hut. I got out of bed and stepped out onto the grounds of the clan hold. I looked around at the people of the clan, some vaguely familiar, some very familiar. A mist shrouded around the outskirts of the hold, obscuring the sun. Setting aside the comforting surroundings, I wandered northeast, into the forest. As I stepped out of the hold, the mist grew thicker, and the sounds and smells of the hold faded almost instantly.
I walked through the mist on instinct and soon found myself in another village. This wasn't right. It was that village again, decorated by fire. I hadn't seen it years, not since I started at the academy. It was different this time, I could tell there were people around, they looked like... alfar? There was some kind of celebration happening down the road, it kind of looked like a birthday party? Alfar don't celebrate birthdays. This wasn't where I'm supposed to be. I backed out of the village and the mist grew thicker again.
I looked around again to get my bearings. As I focused, the mist started to thin, revealing the forest and a bright noonday sun shining low through the trees. I walked towards the sun and it started to rise higher into sky. Ahead of me was a fallen tree and then a clearing, sounds of metal clashing and magical fire beyond. I stepped over the wooden obstacle and through the other debris of a shattered gate, and into the midst of a battle. Raveners streamed into the city around me and were being cut down by the blades and fire of the soldiers and priests defending the city. As I wandered into the melee I heard a familiar voice cry out.
"Behind you!"
I spun around and saw a ravener with a jagged sword raised ready to strike me. I held up my hand and they froze in place for a moment, then was cut down as a spectral halberd, burning with radiant fire. The ravener collapsed into a heap and Ruby walked up behind them.
"You made it! Come on, we've got to retake the gate"
Caught up in the moment, I rushed back the way I came in, dispatching raveners along the way. As the gate came in sight, I could see the raveners clambering over the debris, behind them an infernal general, and beyond, the mist shrouded forest.
I stopped and grabbed Ruby by the arm.
"Wait"
I held her hand and focused on her. For a moment the world fell out of focus. We looked around, the gate was intact, and closed. The raveners were gone, replaced by citizens. Soldiers patrolled or stood guard.
"Welcome to Brontha," Ruby beamed "let me show you around."
She took my hand and lead me through the city, pointing out landmarks and her favorite locations. Eventually, we made our way to particularly important looking hall, at the opposite end of which sat small figure upon a throne.
"It's her..." Ruby whispered, in awe.
We crossed the hall slowly, side by side. The figure sat there, unmoving. As we got closer I could make out more detail. The figure was a girl, though I couldn't figure out her age. At one moment she looked about our age, the next several years younger. She was adorned in a ceremonial outfit. Her hands were resting in her lap, a symbol of Zeilar visibly glowed on the back of one of her hands. I went up to her still unmoving form and studied her face. Beneath the headdress and makeup she looked... familiar? Have I seen this face before?
"It's too bad she's dead."
I looked over at Ruby. Through the dim light I could just make out that she was awake, a glint of a tear from beneath her eye. I got out of bed and went over to her side.
She looked up at me "Don't leave me, too."
"I won't."
Through the Looking Glass
6854
The elders decided the rituals would stop almost a year ago. No progress had been made, the had dreams stayed more or less the same, and the elders were becoming worried about attracting more unwanted attention. The risk had become to great, so they ruled search must stop. Though forever part of our clan in our hearts, the clan hold was no longer her home. Her parents had thanked me for my efforts, and gave me a new cloak. It had been her blanket, they said. They wanted me to have it. Under the fur I found a message stitched into the leather - **Wherever destiny takes you, you will always be our little beacon of hope and love.**
I couldn't give up, though. Even if I wanted to give up like the elders said, I was still getting the dreams. The medicine woman couldn't find any mention of this in the notes she had about the dokkalfar ritual. She gave me a pouch with herbs and showed me how to brew tea with it. I should drink it before I go to bed, it would help me focus my thoughts even while I slept so that I could will the dreams to be my own.
That evening I looked up at the glowing smoke from the fire fading into the pitch black sky. A familiar feeling of unease came over me. I went inside and brewed the tea as the medicine woman had instructed.
My eyes grew heavy as I set the empty cup down and flopped into bed. Focus... will the dreams...
I saw fire, everywhere. No buildings, just a garden on fire actually burning. This is wrong. The garden wasn't on fire before. Focus, will the dream. After moment of unease and dizziness, I looked around again. The garden still burned. Through the smoke and flame I thought I saw figure running away? Probably just an illusion created the by the fire light. The garden was still burning. I looked closely at the plants, they were starting to wilt from the heat. Odd. The fire didn't damage the buildings before. I focused on the plants, to stop the flame from hurting them. The leaves began to un-wilt, and I began to grow dizzy again. The flames darkened.
I groaned. Last night's supper was now dripping from my bed onto the floor, along with a bit of lunch, and few bits of herb from the tea. I shouldn't have done that. I shouldn't have messed with the dream, not that dream, anyways.
I didn't want to go to sleep again, but I was too tired. I had a normal dream - I think. At least, I didn't see fire. Instead I found myself stepping out of my home, looking up at the sky and seeing... stone. Stone and glowing crystal. I looked around but I wasn't in the clan hold, I saw unfamiliar buildings in a vast city. I turned around and my home was gone. I wandered down the street and saw a few stray people wandering around in the distance. I walked towards them. I heard talking, yet though I could hear the words, I couldn't understand them. They were coming from a building. I peered in the window into room that looked like the clan hall, but smaller. The voices were coming from inside, but I couldn't see anyone. I sat down by the window and just listened. Maybe I could learn in time, if I came back here.
Off to Never-Never Land
The bed was moved to the middle of room. Clan elders and parents gather around him. Dubin laid on the bed with just a hint of fear in his eyes, any sense of tiredness wiped away by the nerves.
The clan medicine woman entered the room, hooded and cloaked. Standing over Dubin, she spoke the ritual words in the dokkalfar tongue, the translation of which was never told to the tribe, but are recorded below:
Say your prayers little one
Sleep with one eye open
Heavy thoughts tonight
Hush, little baby, don't say a word
Exit light, enter night, take my hand
You're off to never-never land
As the final words were spoken, the rest of the adults had moved to the edges of the room, and the medicine woman dropped a pinch of some kind of dust onto his forehead.
She stepped back a few paces and spoke once more "Sleep, little one. Let your dreams guide you to our lost daughter" as the effects of magical sleep fell onto Dubin.
When Dubin awoke, his vision was clouded and distorted, not like the fog that sometimes crept through the forest and into the clan hold, like he was looking through an old glass bottle that the clan herbalists used. As he focused on his surroundings, he realized he wasn't anywhere he knew. Not in a forest or a cave like he expected. There were buildings, but not clan buildings. As he looked up he saw... he saw fire. All over the buildings was fire, but the fire didn't burn, it just sat there, frozen. And where were the people? Had they all left? Did they flee the fire? His vision started to cloud up again, then darkness overtook him.
Dubin slept all through the night, then the morning, and then next night again. It wasn't until mid-day after the 2nd morning after the ritual did he finally awake. His vision blurred from sleep, but his surroundings familiar. As he was served a warm stew, he told the elders what he could remember of his dream. Clouded vision, and a strange burning city. Disheartened, but not ready to give up, they agreed to repeat the ritual the following evening.
This next time Dubin awoke in the dream, his vision was clearer, but the setting had not changed. He still couldn't make sense of the strange fire that consumed the town but did not burn, but he was drawn to a specific house. There, his sense of smell seemed to come alive at the scent of strange luxurious food that defied his imagination (and wouldn't encounter anything like it until he came to Academy, years later). Eventually he came upon a strange forge, the frozen fire seemed to leap from it and spiral upwards. As he looked around he saw a strange, twisted shadow on the wall. Was this all that remained of the person that once lived here? What's going on? Why isn't it working?
Was there something wrong with the ritual? The elders asked each other. The medicine woman studied the all notes and histories recorded when the mysterious Dokkalfar more than a generation past had visited the clan. Is the ritual flawed? Perhaps we should wait for the changing of the seasons? That's too far away. What about the next fog coming in from the forest? Who knows when that will happen.
"I want to try again." Dubin spoke up. "We have to find her, I have to find her"
So they tried, again and again. At different times of day and night, when the last leaf fell in autumn and when the first flower bloomed in spring. Yet the dreams never changed. A year had now passed and the elders were forced to surrender. No progress had been made and the clan had no other means to locate her.
Yet even though the rituals stopped, Dubin continued to hope, he never gave up. How could he? After all, even though the rituals had stopped, the dreams still came to him.
Year 4 project wrap up
Dubin's Etiology project attempted to catalogue and present the process from dawn magic to the creation of the mind, psychic energy, and the dream world. With some help from his mentor, the pragmatic and somewhat detached dokkalfar Divana, Dubin's project was well researched, but during rehearsals, he found that focusing on the complex illusions in the magical presentation while also speaking on the subject proved difficult for him, so he was forced to simplify the visual elements for the actual presentation, resulting in confusingly vague visuals, despite his narration being on point. Average roll 17.3.
Ruby, taking Advanced Elemental Studies, put together a presentation focused on the element of fire, demonstrating various forms and sources of element, with particular attention paid to the elemental titan Zeilar. Average roll 19.3
Luteti took Draconic Studies, and did cultural comparison between the various draconic culture and other cultures in Anacra, and then turned it into a song. Turns out fitting that much information into a song was kinda weird. Average roll 17.
Destiny Manifests
Though his dreams continued to be strange, repeatedly visiting the underground cities and the empty, burning town, Dubin tried to return to a normal life in his clan during his waking hours.
Standing in the doorway to his home he shielded his eyes from the morning sun from his eyes and looked around. A strange feeling like he was dreaming still followed him, but he was determined to make up for the time he lost in ritual sleep and make FRIENDS again. He went over to where a group of kids was playing in the dirt and talking about what they wanted to apprentice in and greeted them warmly, the oldest child in the group greeted him back and welcomed him into the group. Dubin sat down and started playing, and just as he was starting shake off the last effects of the previous night's sleep, the same child that had welcomed him in just a moment prior looked over at him, scowled, and excused himself from the group.
"Already? But the tree's shadow is still touching the fence."
"Yes. I just realized I need to see the medicine woman right now."
Dubin was too surprised to say anything. Still determined to make FRIENDS - and also getting that weird dreaming feeling again - he looked over at the kid next to him and asked to play together, to which the other child readily agreed. Just as Dubin was starting to feel better, the kid he was playing with suddenly pushed him over ground and ran away screaming, clutching his head. Hurt and confused, Dubin looked around at the other kids who were now just staring at him. As the adults started to come up to see what all the commotion was about, the older kid came back with the medicine woman.
"There! He used some kind of magic on me, I know it!"
"Dubin, I think you should stay inside today, how does that sound?"
"No! I'm tired of being inside all the time!"
Dubin started running towards the edge of the clan hold, in the direction of the forest. A few adults moved to grab him.
"Let him go. His body may have recovered, but I think his mind still needs more time to heal. That will happen faster if isn't kept inside all the time."
Interpreting Dreams with Ruby and Luteti
The first time I told them about my dreams - I mean THOSE dreams - Ruby immediately though of how it must have been a sign from Zeilar. Luteti asked her what the sign was, but Ruby couldn't say. She was sure though, how could a dream with that much fire NOT be about Zeilar? Luteti focused more on the ritual, theorizing about different ways the ritual had been screwed up. When I repeated the ritual words to him - I could literally recite them in my sleep, he just leaned back and pondered. "Did she say them correctly?" What did he mean by that? "Were the words spoken with the correct rhythm?" "She probably got the vibe wrong" I couldn't be sure. He had several ideas for what the dream could be depending on different ways the ritual had been screwed up. Two of his favorites were that it might have been a vision of last days of Luminias, or a prophecy of the future of Ioth Academy. At one point he even suggested that the ritual HAD worked, and was showing me - get this - an alfar refuge. How could that even make sense?
Eventually Ruby did start coming through with ideas about how the dreams were a sign from Zeilar. I'm not sure I really believe that, but she does make it sound nice.
Dubin attends the Green Gala with Ruby and Luteti
Dubin, Luteti, and Ruby attended the Green Gala together as a trio, though everyone assumed that it was Ruby and Dubin attending together, with Luteti as the third wheel. Dubin didn't want to go, but Ruby insisted it would be good for him (and pointed out that this was the first time his mentor allowed him to leave The Grotto since he arrived), and Luteti assured him he would be fine.
They mostly hung around near the edges of the crowd and didn't have a great view of the performances. Ruby tried to stay for all of them, but had to duck out to use the restroom after the song about the fall of Luminias, missing the fire dance entirely. She was quite sad she missed it when Dubin and Luteti told her about it, as the way they described it made it sound almost Brothan.
In the middle of the magical plant performance, they had to step out of the hall as Dubin started to get a headache from the noise of the crowd and their thoughts. It didn't help that thought he started to recognize some of the people in his room from some of his dreams about other parts of the Academy. They found a quiet balcony where Dubin could collect himself. Ruby joined him while Luteti stood by near the entrance.
When they returned to the Gala several minutes later, the room was abuzz with gossip about how several of the best performers of the night had all dramatically left early. Brushing off the gossip, they spent the rest of the evening quietly enjoying themselves and watching the remainder of the performances.
A Funny Fairy Friend
6858
Years had passed since the last ritual had been performed, but the dreams never stopped. Slowed, perhaps, but never stopped. More people turned to ash. A burning garden.
His strange magical ability had started to worry the clan elders and they were now debating what they could do, lest he attract infernal attention to them. In the mean time, he had started to explore the forest in his free time, which he had a lot of since even though he was more than old enough to start apprenticing, his trouble focusing and outbursts of magic meant that he wasn't suitable for any such duty.
As he wandered the forest he felt the now familiar upwelling of energy. His senses blurred as if he was in a dream. Maybe I can use this? He stumbled into a small clearing and tried to focus this feeling outward and sensed... something? No not a thing, but... not a person either. It was a strange intelligence, unlike anything he felt when he was with his clan. He looked around.
"Hello? Is someone there?"
"hee heee heee, I'm watching you!!"
"Is this a game? Should I try to hide from you?"
"You can't hide from me, silly"
"Well then why don't you come out so I can see you, too?"
A not so little fairy flits out from... somewhere? and sits on a branch.
"Hello, what are you doing here?"
"Looking for you silly, and now I found you"
"What do you want?"
"To say Hi!"
"Hi?"
The fairy falls off the branch giggling, but catches herself in mid air and flies back onto it, this time standing.
"Aren't you a little tall for a fairy?"
"Aren't you a little short for a human?"
"I'm still growing! Did you forget to stop growing?"
The fairy cackles with laughter, and then shrinks and flies over to Dubin.
"Is this what you were expecting?"
"What did you say? All I heard was squeaking. Shall I call you Squeaky?"
The squeaking laughter of the fairy normalizes as she grows back to her normal size.
"My name is Hilde silly. Hildegard. Well, that's not my *true* name, but it's what you can call me."
"Well if it's not your true name then I'll call you Squeaky anyways, how does that sound Hildegard?"
Hilde does a cartwheel in the air as she tries to process Dubin's last statement.
"You're a [speaking Sylvan], you know that?"
"A what?"
"A [sylvan]"
"I don't speak fairy."
"It's not 'fairy', it's Sylvan. Come on, I'll teach it to you."
Over the next few weeks, Dubin returned to the same clearing and learned Sylvan from the fairy, thought it seemed like every other lesson was about a new way to insult someone. By the time the mages from the Academy came for him, he could carry on a basic conversation in Sylvan, and knew several dozen ways to swear at them.
"I have to go now Hilde"
"But you just got here?"
"No, I mean I have to go away, forever."
"That's a long time. Are you sure you don't mean, like, for a month?"
"The mages from Ioth Academy are here to take me back with them, I... I probably won't be coming back to my clan again. They say it's too dangerous, that I'm too dangerous."
"Wuzzzat?"
"Wuzzwhat?"
"Ioth Academy, silly"
"Oh, it's this great magical school with all the best tutors and learning and..."
"zzzz...."
The fairy turns and starts walking away.
"Okay, Hilde. I have to leave now, I just came to say goodbye."
"Okay. Bye Dubby!" ... "hmm.... Ioth Academy huh?"
Adapting to the Academy
6860
Dubin was placed in the Grotto, which happened to be the lodge with the most dokkalfar faculty, one of whom became his mentor and helped him through exercises meant to control and explore his magics. Though the mentor wasn't completely without compassion, to an astute outside observer it was obvious that the mentor was at least as interested in writing their next research paper as they were of Dubin's welfare. The caverns of the Grotto were no stranger to the echoes of the groans Dubin would make when trying to control his magic.
While many of the other students were curious about the strange boy with the strange magic, few dared approach him, as he would often try to keep them away, fearing for their safety. Only a Ruby, a compassionate soul from the temples of Brontha, and Luteti, a Dokkalfar student of everything curious about both the magic and person it was coming from, were persistent enough to actually befriend Dubin, who, despite his earlier protestations, welcomed the new friends.
He is diligent in his studies, as he wants to understand and control his magic better, or even understand the strange dreams that were induced by the ritual, and chooses his electives based on that. So far Etiology, while interesting, has been the least helpful elective so far.
Before coming to the academy his ritual induced dreams were of a strange village that was adorned with fire but didn't burn, and of a garden that was on fire. After coming to the Academy, these dreams were now of other places within the Academy, and of some of the other students, though not the alfar students. His mentor told him the shift in dreams was probably a result of the magics of the Academy, and nothing more.
About Clan Eucra
6848
Like many Hillfolk clans, Clan Eucra lived off the land, in order to move quickly in the face of an on coming infernal army. Clan Eucra managed to find some peace near the Sun Swept lands on the edge of a forest, and were able to stay settled there for many years without being disturbed.
Those capable of labor were always busy; hunting, crafting, and tending to minimalist gardens designed to be uprooted quickly leaving almost no trace. This left little time to provide constant care for the children of clan that were old enough to survive on their own, but too young to help in a more practical way, thus they were often left to wander the makeshift village, making friends or even explore the nearby woods.
Clan bonds are extremely important to all the members of the clan. Once a person is born, or in the rare case accepted, into the clan, they are part of the clan for life, no matter what happens to them afterwards. It is only under the most extreme or hopeless circumstances that a clan member is de facto abandoned, but even then they are still considered a part of the clan, even if lost.
Members of Clan Eucra in particular have always been a friendly and charismatic group, and many clan members think it's one of the clan's best and most defining features.
Divination Through Dreams
6852
The hillfolk were very cautious of the usage of magic, fearing that openly using it would attract the attention of the infernals, particularly with magic meant to touch the outside world. In such cases, they had a special ritual taught to them generations ago by a dokkalfar visitor that allows the volunteer to observe the outside world through the lens of dream without the person becoming aware. This is the ritual that Dubin volunteered to be subjected to in order to find the girl from his clan that had gotten lost. Through his dreams he would be able to see elements of her surroundings or recent memories reflected through dream. Beings that did not dream would not typically show up in these dream reflections, however.
The ritual works best when the subject is a child (according to the dokkalfar that taught it to the clan), but more pragmatically, the ritual results in the subject being tired and bed-ridden for a day or so afterwards, so having a young child volunteer impacts the clan's productivity the least.
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