Crystal's letter to home.

 May arms reach you, Glander and Glanderis,

I have stumbled upon an old acquaintance and her co-workers.  I believe one or two are in charge...I’ll explain that later.  Polly is whom I am referring too.  If you remember a few months ago Polly and I stormed a bandit/cuilt layer and freed a nearby town.  Glander you would have loved it, she has the strength of the mightiest Earthens.  She can even throw as one who wields the wind, like Breezen.  Yes, of course you have that letter already.  I’ll move on to her co-workers.  First there is Antonio de Delicado, with him my description of his personality will change as I am getting mixed information.  He, by humans and many other races, is considered handsome.   I’ll see if he’ll let me draw a picture of him and I’ll send it home for Elder Glanderis.  She can determine his looks against others she has collected.  Let me know what she thinks, she always has wide ideas about people.  Gland, didn’t you once say you had a wide brimmed hit with a blue feather?  Antonio has a hat that sounds like your own, except his feather is red.  I’ll show it in the drawing if I can find some colors, my old ones are worn and are good for nothing except some experiments.  I want to find a forge and melt the colors and then pour on some parchment in a pattern.  I’ll send it home if I get time to do it.  As for Antonio, Polly tells me that he has a most intriguing fighting style.  I will attempt to bring both sides forth in this.  Polly says that he fights laying on the ground and is a...What was the word she used… Ah, yes, fragile.  And or weak is another one she had said once, though I think by mistake.  She feels bad for him and feels he needs someone to guard him.  Antonio has yet to give me a good explanation, but I suspect that fortuin just has dealt with him poorly recently.  He briefly said that, that was not his fighting style.  I believe him for if it was, he would be the luckiest man alive to have lived this long and not to have fallen victim to his own fragileness.  Dland, don’t worry when I see him fight I will give a full account so you may tell us what it was like during your Privilege and how all the odds were stacked against you and how “This fellow has it easy”.  

Antonio is a captain of a ship, or so I am told.  I am also told that Shift is the captain.  Shift is a Drow...That reminds me Polly wanted me to meet her uh, friend, Pellanistra who I don’t think exists because she says she’s a Drow and I haven’t seen any female Drow except one we rescued later.  Back to point, Shift is a quiet one.  I’m sorry Elder Glanderis, I can’t say if he is handsome by human-Okay not human standards if I remember humans hate Drow.  I’m not sure if he is handsome by your standards, he isn’t ugle.  I would say above normal, but again I may notice details but not in man as you do.  I will include a picture of him too, he stands still often so he will not be hard.  He, to Gland, wears a large brimmed hat though he does not have a feather.  His hat calls for one, purple is the color that comes to mind.  But you can discuss it when you see his picture.  Before I continue with this adventure, let me finish giving the names of the others of this group.

Guile is a race I have not encountered before, but she sounds like something Elder Glander once told at the family gathering.  He called them “Those who are bound by blood” though I believe Guile said she is bloodbound.  I’m not sure if it’s a race or a belief.  Either way, she has many markings.  I mean tattoos.   I am not a poet in words, I’ll let my pen give the details of her appearance.  Isn’t Heaver going through his scars and tattoos phase?  Besure to show him her picture, and write to me on how he responds.  I’m sure he will think of her as the “Most adorned woman I have ever seen.”  Just don’t tell him where I am at, I know he will be starting the Privilege in a month from this letter and I don’t want him creeping this woman out.  Not that he would make it to this side of the world any time soon.  

Polly you know, ah yes then there is Nilsa.  Poor girl, I first learned of her name due to a horrible attack that took place at her village.  Her family was taken and killed, either out of spite or to learn of her location, I am not sure.  The village suffered greatly... I have done pictures of various eyes reflecting the light of fire within them.  I have experienced burned villages, even great towns burned to the ground.  I have seen much hate in the wars and battles I served in,  but here in this village and these people...There was an unspoken hate that was louder than the vileist curses I have ever heard.  Fire flooded like water, taking the whole village in a single swoop.  Blood ran free, pouring over the land trying in vain to quench the burning flames that reached ever higher to bring low the ancient trees.  My fortitude, trained into me from childhood and the army later in life, is what allowed me to endure the wailing of the mothers, fathers, children.  All who had lost love or land.  Still it was hard to hear, my eyes have taken record of the sight.  And as many things in war and hate, I wish I could forget.  But I nore those with me could ever.  I, along with others, told Nilsa in short words what had happened.  At this rate I’m going to just get a group picture if I can, there are just too many to send a single drawing of each.  

Their personalities, starting with the “easiest” manly because I don’t know him.  Shift is still, unmoving, hard to read and passionate.  He is unmoving both in body and mind, he seems without heart yet I find him best resembling that of a hardened commander who’s care for his troop he would give his life for.  That is if they have first earned his respect.  Though he does not look as one from the military, he holds himself as one in command.  He is passionate, a stone at first but once you trigger something he does not agree with he makes no effort to hide it, restrain it a bit perhaps.  I say still because he is indeed the best for the great portraits of the wealthy and royals.  Nature itself does not seem to move him, calm or experience seems to keep him.  I can not tell you, Glanderis, of his personal life that he keeps to himself.

Guile is caring, uncertain, intriguing and mysterious.  When I say uncertain, I do not mean in everything.  But indeed when she is near Antonio or in a position to make a choice in something other than protection or attack.  She looks to someone else, manly Antonio.  Intriguing and mysterious are along the same lines, absolutely fascinating.  Yet she is not comfortable sharing about her or her people.  Yes, she did share a little.  But nothing more than what Elder Glander told us from his past about the Bloodbound he met once.  Caring, it is hard to explain.  Something about her face or the way she acts, says that she is a deep caring person.  As time goes I will learn more about them, as always take the descriptions knowing they are only at-a-glance.  

Antonio is daring, inexperienced in commanding, risk taking and hasn’t a clue.  Now, I am not being insulting, not with intention anyways.  I mean try as he might, he claims to be leader but does not lead.  Shift would do far better as he always (so far) has a plan and knows how to command.  But you know full well Gland, for you among many have trained me to follow a chain of command.  If I’m alone or in command as I have been, then I’ll do what is deemed necessary.  Antonio asks others what they want to do, it is one thing to gather opinions and options.  It is another to wait for everyone to agree.  I’m hoping in time that will change and he will learn true leadership, whatever that might mean for him.  As for the “hasn’t a clue”, he still seems to need guidance and yet wants others to see him as something he is not.  In truth I do not know who he really is, only what he shows.  But nevertheless he is my commander until he relinquishes me or I move on…  He is daring and risk taking as any adventure would be.  He seems to me to still be a “swashbuckler” who, as you know, works alone or is the fun rogue of the group.  The person who is always willing to execute the plan no matter how extreme it may be.  Works great in and out of the group, not ever as the decision person.  Unless it’s on the fly as one of your hair brain ideas Gland, the more I think about it, you could relate to Antonio.  

Nilsa is the last, as you already have Polly.  Nilsa is as one would expect any Paladin to be, stubborn when it comes to their belief system.  They are often known as kind and caring, good warriors and never back down as long as they breathe.  In a war, I have counted on many Paladins and never once doubted the “rightness” of their cause.  However when it comes to cities and subterfuge they are not the strongest.  In the current adventure we are in (I’ll explain it more in a bit) we gave her information and she is acting on it.  She too is young, three years older than I was when I left for the Privilege twenty-six years ago.  I can not say much to her own personality, for she fits (on the outside) the description of other Paladins I have met.  You all have met them too, so I need not go into detail.  

Again these are all first impressions and either good or bad, they change.

Now to the story of current events.  After I saw Polly I found out that she worked for Antonio and I was one of many he was looking to hire.  I along with others were hired unto the crew.  From there we traveled a few hours before arriving upon a shattered ship, with one piece of rackage large enough to hold close to twenty people though it only held seven that I could see.  I looked as though there were seven against one.  I saw an arrow fly overhead and hit one of the seven, I jumped in the water and began attacking once on the other side.  Unfortunately I fell during battle, but others overcame it and saved the woman they were surrounding.  After a lot of conversation I didn’t understand, we set sail.  When next we docked we were in Waterdeep.  We went in search of Nilsa to guard her and warn her, this group is giving mixed messages.  I believe I understand what is going on, yet I do not believe to be able to explain it.  Most of their communication is in understanding, not in a plain or explaining themselves.  There is something deeper here.  It reminds me of the story that you once told Glander, of the “Kendid Tribe '' one look would explain their intentions.  Mind you these people are not that strong, but there is something about it that reminds me of that story.  Gland, Glan they were talking of using children in their many plans.  Children that are not their own!  I could not believe my ears.  All their conversations went from one idea to another, I will not even attempt to write it down.  In the end the plan they decided on was for half of us to stay the night at the orphanage and the other at an inn.   The next day we went to go talk to Lady Laeral Silverhand, the open Lord of Waterdeep.  Yes, they acted as if they knew her and were family.  Sorry, humans.  I forget the word is friend.  We went before her greatness, I said nothing but listened to them talk to her as if it were commonplace.  This is a strange group, I’m still puzzling them out.  After talking about a lot of their personal goings ons, we talked about plans.  We are to trap someone called Jasper, who is apparently a horrible human in both looks and person.  So I am told.  He apparently has a whole list of crimes against those both with this group and without.  Enhanced, it will be hard to explain this group and it will take many letters.  The trap went off as planned.  We got Jasper but lost someone else that we were supposed to get.  Switch knew enough of our race to know that we have abilities with our elements.  He asked me to make a lot of water in a Tavern.  Strangest request I have had-I take that back I’ve had one stranger.  Still, it was odd.  I understood what they wanted, but it is not in my normal mind set.  Gland, this sly, stealthiness and cunning is far more up your ally than it has ever been mine.  I suppose it is a skill I should learn if ever I need it, but in forty-ones years I do not recall ever using those skills.  I mean besides trying to take Vairdin’s jumping rings.  It was his own fault for bragging about how good they were.  But that was years ago, and if I have used the skills since I do not recall.  I end this letter with us sitting in a tavern at the end of a story that I am still unraveling.  Mind you, I have written this over a span of days, so it is as many of my letters, out of order.  I’ll be in Waterdeep for about five days, after that I do not know.  Write your letters and I’ll send the address of where I am staying when next I stay in a location long enough for letters.   Until next I write, farewell Twine.

This part is for Players to better understand the Genasi way, if your interested:

-Translation board:

Genasi           -----           Human:

Glander                           Father

Gland                              Pa or Papa

Glanderis                        Mother

Glan                                Ma or Mame

Elder Glanderis               Grandmother

Elder Glander                 GrandFather

Earthen                           A earth Genasi

Breezen                          A air Genasi

Firener                            A fire Genasi

Riverairein                      A water Genasi

Privilege                         A right of passage or trile

Enhanced                       Parents

Twine                              Family

-Phrases:

“May arms reach you” a greeting and or a blessing.  Generally reserved for Genasi family, but can be used for someone a Genasi respacts or honors.  Yet is not a “Friend”.

“My arms reach you” Only ever used for a lover or someone who is an outsider who has befriended a Genasi.

Culture:

Genasi do not have “friends” as we know them.  They have acquaintance and family.  To become a Ganasi “friend” is to become a family member.  That is how they will see you even if you're not related or married into the family.