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YorA famed explorer and adventure organizer. Yor is a Ghorak Zo, is male, is a Fighter, and is wearing the symbol of Order of the White Elephant.  Portrait by Sor The following is the story of how Pauly and Yor were exiled to Puddleby and its surrounding lands. The story of Pauly and Yor as written by Pauly My parents, Thorg and Kalia Bokunta, lived a peaceful and happy life in a Ghorak Zo fishing village on a small island called Zue Can'tho (translates roughly into "one home") in the Great Sea northwest of the Islands of Lok'Groton. Our existence on Zue Can'tho has been short, and we have heard our Elders tell the story many times. We were told that we actually originated from another realm. We were brought to the Western Continent through an ancient portal in the Sword of the World Mountains. This portal was discovered by Dwarven Mystics and kept secret from Emperor Mobius. The Dwarves had sent Emissaries to our realm to ask for our help in fighting The Dark Sentinels of The Ascendancy. Following our defeat, our ancestors were sent to live on the Western Continent in The City of Mountain's Reach. The story also tells how we migrated from the Western Continent to Zue Can'tho shortly after the Uli Rebellion concluded. Some of our ancestors, including our Great Great Grandfathers, fought in those wars. Some Ghorak Zo were not happy with living under Mobius's influence in a place he provided. The Ghorak Zo of Zue Can'tho were among these discontents and fled the Western Continent in the Year 238 eventually finding a home on Zue Can'tho. Zue Can'tho is a peaceful and beautiful place just out of reach of Mobius's influence. Although isolated, we were visited from time to time. Merchant trading vessels came to Zue Can'tho from time to time to barter supplies for fish, vegetables, carpets, and other such items that the hard working Ghorak Zo of Zue Can'tho would produce. Many of these trading vessels were populated with humans who were very kind to the Ghorak Zo of Zue Can'tho. My parents were fascinated by human culture and learned much about it from their human friends who bartered with them from time to time. One such human, a Captain Paul Galahadian of the trading vessel Delphi, was particularly kind to my parents and even stayed with them for a time. But most important was Captain Paul saving my father's life when a fishing trip was cut short by a terrible storm. He jumped in the water and pulled my father, who had been thrown overboard by a tremendous wave, back into the boat just as he was sinking below the surface. Upon my birth, their first child, it was decided I would be named "Pauly" Bokunta after Captain Paul Galahadian, also in part because my mother was especially fascinated by human names. Four years later Thorg and Kalia gave birth to their second child. It was my feisty little brother whom they decided to name "Yor". Yor is a word in the Ghorak Zo language that roughly translates into "hyperactive" or "excitable". Yor could never stay still, and as he got older, he developed this habit of headbutting others when he got over-excited, like when he killed his first Tak'mar. Yor and I grew up as very happy Ghorak Zo surrounded by family and friends who loved us. I was following in my father's footsteps and becoming an expert fisherman. Yor preferred hunting around the island with weapons he built on his own. His favorite weapon was his P'Tak Shokra (rough translation "Blade of Power") which he used to hunt down Tak'mars, Griks, and other assorted creatures. Just after my 19th birthday my life and the lives of the people of Zue Can'tho took a tragic turn for the worse. Early one morning a small armada of ships appeared on the horizon...like we had never seen before. As they got closer we were able to deduce that they were flying the flag of the Darshak Horde. The people began to panic because we were aware of the Darshak Pirates and their atrocities as told by Captain Paul and other visitors. Although Ghorak Zo have reputations as being good fighters, the people of Zue Can'tho were not experienced in such matters other than the simple training exercises that were held a few times per week. Despite this disadvantage everyone stayed to protect the village and the younger children were hidden in underground storage areas, Yor included. Yor wanted to stay above and fight the Darshak because he thought he was of age and had proven himself in combat. My father disagreed and he also wanted somebody like Yor, whom the other children looked up to, to stay below and keep everyone calm. There was really no time or nowhere to run anyways. The Darshaks came from their vessels in smaller boats, and there were hundreds of them. My people fought bravely, but were no match for the Horde. Many were killed, including my father. The rest, myself included, were taken prisoner aboard the Darshak ships. The only exception was Yor and the other children. I did not see them, so I thought that perhaps the Darshak did not discover where they were hiding. I would not learn Yor and the others' fate until years later. I watched my mother being dragged aboard another Darshak vessel. It would be the last time I ever saw her. As we sailed away tears flowed from my eyes watching my village... my home burn to the ground. My life as I knew it was over. We sailed for many days and nights before we saw land again, surviving on meager food rations the Darshaks made available. When we finally reached land, we found ourselves at the edge of a great empire... the empire ruled by none other than Mobius himself! We had heard frightening stories about Mobius and his empire from travelers passing by, but in our wildest imaginations we could have never envisioned the grand city that now was upon us. We soon learned that we were to be sold as slaves to the empire. Apparently the Darshaks had been making quite a business out of selling innocent people as slaves to the empire. My young age and good health made me a hot commodity, and I was quickly thrust into a life of hard labor for the empire. Five years later I managed to escape but didn't exactly end up where I had hoped. There was a cave-in where we were mining under the main castle, and I took advantage of the distraction and slipped away. I quickly made my way through the maze of tunnels and ended up in some of the castle's lower chambers. I surprised a guard, knocking him out, and in the process I took a large key chain full of keys. I was looking for a way out, trying keys on every door I could find, when I stumbled into a strange laboratory filled with some of the oddest looking things I'd ever seen. In the middle of the room was a large mirror that glowed and kind of vibrated. Upon closer examination, I felt this strange force that seemed to beckon me into the mirror. So I stepped through and appeared on this beach which was near a small town. I thought it was an illusion, but I soon realized I was no longer on the mainland, but rather on a large island with a town called Puddleby. There were many races there, including Ghorak Zo and Human, and it seemed every person's explanation for getting or being exiled here was equally wondrous. So I was forced to make a life for myself there, but it wasn't all that bad. I made many friends of all races, and I stood with them fighting against all evil and protecting my new home of Puddleby. Even the Darshaks had a presence in this realm and in my time in Puddleby I had come face to face with them many times. On occasion I would even get to assist in raiding their nearby base, which at least gave me a little sense of justice. I had a faint hope that I would someday find a clue to the whereabouts of my beloved mother and discover the fate of my younger brother Yor or perhaps even return to the mainland and help overthrow Mobius and his evil empire. After living in Puddleby for awhile, I started to realize that staying here would likely get me no closer to solving the mysteries of my family. So I decided I would have to leave and search for them myself. At the time I realized this there was chaos all over the island with the appearance of "Rifts" and armies of undine. I couldn't leave all my friends during this chaotic period, so I decided to stay and fight until we were victorious. This great battle became known as the "Ripture Wars," and after a long, hard battle, victory was indeed ours! Shortly after the war a boat arrived at the docks with a familiar passenger. I was stunned when I was told there was a young Ghorak Zo named Yor asking around for me. Not believing what I was hearing, I went into town to to see for myself. Standing by the Library was a dark-skinned Ghorak Zo with a goofy smile. It wasn't until I walked up to him that I realized that this was indeed my long lost younger brother! Actually I knew for sure when he headbutted me over the excitement! I was overjoyed as well so I headbutted him back! After embracing each other, we went back to my home and exchanged our tales. Yor said that after the Darshak left Zue Can'tho, he and the other children had no choice but to rebuild what they could of our village and make a life for themselves. With Yor leading the way, they did just that, but unlike before, they kept things simple and mostly relied on themselves. Only on rare occasions would a merchant vessel come to trade and it would only be with the most trusted people such as Captain Paul Galahadian. Yor and the others were afraid of attracting any more Darshak to Zue Can'tho. Yor explained how Captain Paul sort of became a father-figure to all of them. He would sometimes stay for weeks at a time to make sure they had everything they needed. Then, Yor said sadly, about two years ago Captain Paul stopped coming without any word. The other vessel which stopped by occasionally stopped coming as well. Months went by and they heard nothing. Then about one year ago, Yor and some of the others decided it was time to go out in search of answers... about missing family members and Captain Paul. Most of the other people wanted answers as well, so eventually everyone agreed that it was time to leave Zue Can'tho and find some answers. Crude boats were constructed, and everyone soon left in small groups in various directions. Yor's group went to a nearby island where a thriving port of commerce called Velaria existed. It is there Yor learned that Captain Paul's vessel, The Delphi, and some other merchant vessels were attacked and sunk by Darshak Warships. Apparently the Darshaks had been trying to increase their influence in the area, and they saw Captain Paul and other merchants as a threat, so they made an example of them. Yor and I both shed a tear when he told me this news. Yor still had a burning desire to discover the whereabouts of his family, so he took a job as a crewmember of the merchant vessel Granger in hopes that he would find some clues to these mysteries in his travels. He spent nearly a year on the Granger and was unable to learn anything useful except for some rumors about Ghorak Zo slave camps on the mainland and a place called The Lok'Groton Islands in the far east where people were exiled for their alleged crimes against the Emperor. At first Yor didn't think too much about this Lok'Groton place, but then he started to wonder if there was a chance that some answers would be found there. Perhaps somebody there knew something of his family. Yor got his opportunity when the Granger stopped at a small island port a considerable distance east from Zue Can'tho. There was another vessel there that Yor learned traded with Darshaks who lived on one of the Lok'Groton Islands called "Ash Island." That night Yor quietly slipped onto the vessel and hid in the cargo hold. He stayed there for four days eating only the food he brought with him. Then the vessel finally reached its destination, a barren and dead-looking island with a Darshak settlement. Yor quietly slipped off the vessel just as he had sneaked on. Yor quickly got away from the Darshak village and made his way to the southern shore of what was called Ash Island. He had to avoid horrific creatures along the way, the likes of which he had never seen. On the southern shore he was fortunate to run into a small hunting party from Puddleby. They were kind to him and told him they knew of me. They offered to take Yor to Puddleby on their boats and that lead up to our reunion. I am forever in debt to them for their kindness. Yor could have been easily killed on Ash Island and been gone forever since he had not yet touched our magical altar. Due to Yor's arrival, I delayed my departure for weeks and kept my departure a secret from Yor. I wanted to spend time with him and get to know him better. I also wanted to help him start a life in this new world. Yor adapted quickly to life in Puddleby and found he was able to pursue his passions of hunting and training his fighting skills. I also must give much thanks to my clanmates of the Sun Dragon Clan who accepted Yor into their clan immediately and made him feel right at home. When I eventually became satisfied with Yor's well-being in Puddleby, I decided it was time to depart on my quest for answers to our Mother's fate. Yor had previously told me about some rumors about Ghorak Zo slave camps on and off of the mainland, so I decided I would start with looking into that. As I expected, Yor wanted to go with me when I finally told him. As the older brother, I had the right to speak for Yor, and I reminded him of that, but stubborn as he is, he still wanted to come. I understood how important it was to him, but I didn't want to throw him back into the risky and unpredictable life he just left... wandering the Great Sea, never staying in one place too long. I knew it would also be very dangerous and didn't want to risk Yor's life. I told him he needed to stay to keep our family name alive and thriving. Plus, he had managed to make many friends and had a good life here, even though he had only been here for a few weeks. He finally sadly accepted the fact that I would be going without him, and I finished my preparations. I was fortunate in that two of my longtime friends, Aposol and Microdot, had decided to join me on my journey. Aposol also shared a common goal with me... to find a lost family member. In his case it was his sister Terreka. I shed many tears the day I left, and I'll never forget seeing Yor standing on the docks, waving at me and trying to hold his tears back. I hope someday I will return with our Mother and we can all be together again. |
