I don’t know if dear Windy (er, Rowind to anyone else!) realizes, it, but this month marks our 10th anniversary traveling and performing together. While I wouldn’t trade that time for anything, sometimes, listening to the fantastic tales he shares with our audiences, I get to wishing that we could experience some adventures like those firsthand.

There’s more to it, really, something I haven’t ever told anyone. About 11 years ago, I was getting very discouraged with the direction my life was headed. I had only been providing musical performances for gnomes, and, to be honest, there are a lot of gnome musicians. I was eager to venture to distant lands (other than portal-hopping back and forth from Lantan to Waterdeep), but was unsure that I’d be safe on my own.

I guess I wasn’t.

I was playing my lute while walking along a lonely road, not really knowing or caring what direction I was headed in. I had recently left Waterdeep, and I was near Triboar, I think.

And then I wasn’t.

I found myself in a beautiful land, though kind of scary too. It was night, and the stars above were in constellations unfamiliar to me. The air was colder and brisker than it had been moments before. The trees were so much larger than any I had ever seen, impossibly bigger. Even in the darkness, the colors of the vegetation were much more vibrant.

I wasn’t sure what to do, so I cautiously continued to explore, a little scared and a little excited. There wasn’t a sound, not even the crickets that so often sing at night. So, mostly to comfort myself, I sang just to have something to listen to, and to help me stay awake, for though the night air was stimulating, I found myself getting sleepy quite quickly.

I woke up, some unknown amount of time later. I was just outside of Waterdeep, and upon returning to the city, discovered that several months had passed. I bumped into Rowind, who recognized me. I was so relieved to see a friendly face, and as he was heading out on the road to perform in some of the smaller villages north of Waterdeep, I eagerly joined him. We’ve been together ever since, and I’ve felt much safer being with him.

I’ve also since discovered that I can sometimes find crossroads— little “shortcuts” hidden from normal view and protected by fey guardians. Apparently the guardians love music, and sometimes allow us to pass through one of their protected backroads if they are pleased by a performance. But always, we find ourselves somewhere recognizable in Faerūn, and always have been able to return home by a similar means.

Today as we entered Triboar, I thought I may have finally caught a glimpse of... something. Something that made the memories of that time 11 years ago come racing back. I think I’m ready to go look for that vibrant land again.

Character sheet: Roywyn Rivenstone [Rock Gnome Bard]

Posted by Kristin on July 20, 2006, 15:09 | Roywyn’s Journal | ~PC Bios~