Lerian Wyndrunner  

Uploaded February 18th, 2018 by Drewinette

You say, 'Hail, Lerian Wyndrunner'

Lerian Wyndrunner gives a tilt of his head toward you, 'Greetings. I'm not a native of Surefall Glade, so please forgive me if I don't recognize your face, friend. If you're here to [inquire about my presence], please rest assured that I'm not a threat to this sacred place. I hail from Jaggedpine, so my respect for the glade is equal to those who call Surefall their home.'

You say, 'I have come to inquire about your presence.'

Lerian Wyndrunner says, 'My sister, Jhaya, and I were sent from our homeland of the Jaggedpine Forest by our elders to share and trade knowledge with our brethren of the glade, from whom we've been separated for nearly two generations. My [talents] in the art of curing hides are held in high regard by my people. As a show of good faith and as celebration of our reunion with the Qeynos loyalists of Karana, my mentor thought it best that my sister and I travel here to offer our talents to the native artisans of the Glade.'

You say, 'Tell me more about your talents.'

Lerian Wyndrunner says, 'Nolan Greenwood, my mentor and one of our elders, taught me the ways of the natural world and started me on my path as a druid in the service of The Rainkeeper. Through these lessons, I learned to adapt the gifts blessed upon me by Karana. I tap into my power to protect Karana's sacred [temple of the wilderness] in order to bestow a unique durability to animal hide. A seasoned tailor such as my sister can then work this cured hide into a useful wearable.'

You say, 'What do you mean by 'temple of the wilderness'?'

Lerian Wyndrunner says, 'Those crusaders dedicated to The Rainkeeper that prove themselves to be the most faithful to our patron father of the storm were selected to guard the Shrine of Karana. This shrine is a magnificent structure of white pillars. It's a beautiful and lasting reminder of Karana's power. I believe those who dedicate themselves to nature would call such a structure a druid ring. However, this shrine is not used for the purpose of transportation -- no, my friend, it is considered to be the epicenter of Karana's power on the material realm. The origin of the shrine is a [legend] among my people.'

You say, 'How is this ring a legend?'

Lerian Wyndrunner says, 'It's rumored that each of the deities of nature has their own sacred ground -- a place untainted by anything antithetical to that deity's ideals. However, this is only speculation devised by theologians, as no other sacred ground has been discovered that can compare to the Shrine of Karana's majesty. And the legend behind it... well, it's quite a [tale].'

You say, 'Tell me of this tale.'

Lerian Wyndrunner says, 'When humanity was still scattered tribes upon the face of Norrath, many years before cities such as Qeynos were erected, Jaggedpine was home to a group of nomadic humans. They spent many years eking out an existence in the untamed forest. On the tenth anniversary of the humans' arrival, Karana sent his [blessing].'

You say, 'What blessing did Karana send?'

Lerian Wyndrunner says, 'The human nomads had seen storms before -- but nothing compared to the powerful tempest that arrived upon the wings of the eventide wind on that fateful day. A magnificent yet frightful maelstrom of gray clouds brought dancing arcs of silver lightning and chants of pounding thunder. The storm assailed the forest all night. Barreling winds toppled many ancient pinewoods. Powerful bursts of lightning struck the earth, sparking a blazing fire that burned bright in spite of the unrelenting rain. The next morning, when the chaos subsided, the nomads realized that a sizeable section of the forest had been cleared by the storm. This area became known as the [Throne of Karana's Thunder]. In worship of Karana, my ancestors toiled for three generations to create a [gift to him] worthy of him.'

You say, 'Why was it called the Throne of Karana's Thunder?'

Lerian Wyndrunner says, 'The great storm was clearly a gift from Karana -- by clearing out a portion of the dense forest, he was acknowledging our presence. Our ancestors built a village in this clearing and dubbed it the Throne of Karana's Thunder, a name that was changed by the latest generation to Fort Jaggedpine. This new name is considered by many to be blasphemous and disrespectful to our history and patron deity. Unfortunately, times change, and traditions must be subject to the changing eras -- though the faithful will always remember our home in Karana's legacy as the Throne of Karana's Thunder.'

You say, 'What was the gift to him?'

Lerian Wyndrunner says, 'In the final moments of the storm, a great bolt of lightning emerged from the sky, crashing into a hillside. The ensuing blaze destroyed much of the flora on the hill and the impact of the lightning strike displaced several feet of impacted earth, revealing a mass of flawless white stone. Using this stone, our ancestors spent decades constructing the grandest of monuments dedicated to The Rainkeeper in thanks for his gift and acceptance of us. It was during the construction of this stone ring and shortly after the storm that we began to explore and harness the powers of nature. The first druids of Karana then came into being. Once the ring was built, the most adept druids spent three solid days in prayer, attempting to bestow unto the ring a final [offering] to The Rainkeeper.'

You say, 'What was this offering to the Rainkeeper?'

Lerian Wyndrunner says, 'At the end of the third day of prayer, a swell of clouds rolled in, bringing a heavy rain that swept across the forest. As the druids continued praying, the legends say that one druid reached to the sky and gave praise to the storm itself. Weaving a spell of conjuration, he summoned the essence of the storm into himself. Then, with a single touch of his hand to the northern stone, he imbued in the pillars the siphoned force of the storm. Four runes appeared on the stones, runes that symbolize the primal forces of the storm: Wind, Water, Lightning, and Thunder. These rings are now an eternal testament to Karana's power.'