View source for Aethon's Journey Home

=== Summary ===
Aethon Nyzreth, a weather-hardened wanderer of barbarian roots, sets out in February to track down Lord Valkaenar Vaeari after cryptic dreams tie him to the family. Traveling with his color-shifting dog Prism, he braves storms, poverty-stricken lands, and tavern gossip to follow whispers of Silvaeari and Vaeari territories. Along the way, he pieces together fragments of history: fractured noble houses, shifting power, and a looming connection between Silvaeari and Vaeari rule.

His path leads through tavern suspicions, patrol encounters, and stories of feared enforcers, before finally arriving at Brookhaven Castle. There, his bold claim to be Aethon reborn earns him suspicion and imprisonment by Valkaenar himself. Through shared memories and painful details, Aethon convinces Valkaenar of his identity, leading to a reluctant—if tense—acceptance.

Valkaenar, however, reveals a dark, tangled history: children lost to betrayal, cults, execution, and addiction; a son, Averon Silvaeari, who fled to the Equinox and founded a new branch of the family; and a desperate, disastrous attempt to “save” his grandson Erevan, which ended in kidnapping, mutilation, and exile of Erevan’s Seelie wife Ava, pregnant with Raven. The conversation, with Yaria grounding Valkaenar’s raw confessions, exposes the heavy cost of his creed that “family is everything.”

== Detailed Summary ==
It is February, cold and harsh. Aethon decides to travel despite the weather. He's a nomad of a barbarian culture—not dirt poor but frugal, used to rough travel. He plans on sleeping in barns, even if that means bunking with livestock, unaware it's considered a favorite punishment for his grandson.

Aethon travels with Prism, his dog (who changes color). He relies on Prism for warmth at night and shows affection by hugging him to stay warm, making Prism a bit smelly over time.

He is aware people think he’s foolish for setting out in this weather without a clear explanation. He doesn't tell them much because they don't believe in "the old ways" or magic.

His motivations: he feels a stronger duty to this family—presumably Valkaenar's line—than to the one he currently lives with. He feels compelled to go despite unclear dreams that only provided a name matching someone he'd recently heard about. He’s following rumors about Valkaenar Vaeari, even though the directions are vague.

Travel Conditions:

He travels "sideways" across the land (slightly southward) from the border, avoiding moving too deep north or south. He rolls decently (17) on checking distance—it'll take ~6 days or so on foot.

The weather is harsh but survivable, about what you'd expect in February. He doesn't freeze to death, but it’s uncomfortable.

He enters taverns to gather rumors, trying to stretch his meager coin by pretending he's already ordered. He’s desperate for information but initially gets little helpful detail.

Threats on the Road:

He avoids bandit trouble thanks to his skill as a hunter but notices how bad the roads are. He’s annoyed: the old lord he rebelled against at least kept them clear, while current local lords let them fall apart.

He passes through areas with visible poverty, where people either loudly complain or stay silent out of fear.

Encounters About Silvaeari and Valkaenar Vaeari:

He starts hearing Silvaeari mentioned. In taverns, he asks about who controls the land and hears vague talk about Silvaeari without clarity if it’s a person, family, or group.

He gets warnings from locals: “Don’t poke at Silvaeari. Best to avoid them.” He learns their territory stretches further south than he's yet traveled.

Locals are confused when he asks for “Sylveari,” sometimes treating it like a first or last name, not understanding.

One man warns him it’s dangerous to go looking for them and laughs about getting arrested as the only surefire way to meet them.

He learns Valkaenar Vaeari’s lands are about 9–10 hours south by carriage—so several days on foot, especially in bad weather.

Aethon concludes finding Silvaeari might lead him to Valkaenar Vaeari, thinking there is a family connection. He hears from someone that Silvaeari territory is somewhat better kept, which he notices as he gets closer.

Locals debate among themselves whether Silvaeari is a single person, a family, or even the name of Valkaenar’s wife, child, or grandchild.

He’s told Valkaenar is “the lord down that way” and is known by name here. One says people are waiting for soldiers to arrive to announce that Valkaenar’s rule is expanding, even if it’s not formal yet.

Political talk hints at Silvaeari being a branch or related family of Vaeari. There’s gossip about an old split or offspring that reabsorbed but didn't fully integrate.

Tense Tavern Moment:

At one tavern, while asking about Silvaeari, Aethon’s unusual formality and age stand out. A local, impressed by Prism’s color-changing fur, tries to buy the dog for four gold, making Aethon angry.

Aethon refuses repeatedly, growing red with anger. He gets Prism and leaves before things escalate, suspecting someone might try to steal the dog.

Camping and Continuing:

He keeps Prism close and finds places to sleep—mostly barns—to save money. No one follows him or tries to steal Prism, though he doesn’t realize it's partly because locals fear angering Silvaeari.

He rests, then continues south, determined. He now understands Silvaeari is tied to Vaeari somehow—maybe family, maybe something else—but the details are confusing even to the locals.

Aethon spends the night with Prism and sets out the next day if the weather allows, heading in the direction he believes will lead him to Valkaenar. Travel improves noticeably as he gets deeper into Silvaeari territory. Roads are clearer, there are no signs of bandits, though he still sees minor neglect here and there. He covers a good stretch with very little civilization.

Being a skilled survivalist, Aethon checks old animal burrows to see if they're fresh enough for game, hoping to secure food along the way. He spends about two days crossing empty terrain before starting to see regular patrols in Vaeari colors. The crest they bear is different from what he remembers, but he can’t say how long it’s been since he last saw it—at least twenty years.

He approaches a patrol openly, explaining he seeks an audience with Lord Valkaenar. The patrol seems wary but tells him to keep on this main road toward a specific town where he can get better directions. They warn it involves a couple of road changes, but there are signs, and he can read them.

As he travels further south, Aethon notices more evidence of good governance—repairs underway, patrolled roads—but also work left undone, likely because it’s February. It reassures him that his dreams may have led him to a better ruler than those he’s seen elsewhere.

Aethon eventually reaches the town the patrol mentioned and finds Vaeari patrols or guards stationed there. They’re on duty but staying near warmth in the cold. When he asks to see Lord Valkaenar, they say that’s a lofty goal—he might need to go through a lesser agent first, and he’s still some distance away. They point him toward Castle Brookhaven as the next step.

Aethon thinks about the rumors of Valkaenar being bound to his house and wonders if there’s some teleportation magic at play, considering Valkaenar’s old wizard training. The guard warns there’s talk of a storm coming. Though Aethon doesn’t smell it on the wind, he decides to be cautious.

As the air starts to shift, he recognizes the weather might change and seeks an inn. He spends minimal coin to share a cramped room with others, declining a bath to save money. Prism curls up with him for warmth, though they’re both getting a bit smelly.

Despite Prism’s unusual color-changing fur, no one is too shocked—it’s the Faerie Realm, after all. A curious child keeps trying to approach Prism, but the mother gently keeps the child away, apologizing for waking Aethon when she finally gathers the child in the morning.

By dawn, the storm is in full force, having started only a couple hours earlier. The inn offers warm food (for a price), and Aethon accepts—it’s better than trying to hunt in the storm, and he’s budgeted for such needs.

He waits out most of the day indoors. There's a self-styled "bard" trying to keep spirits up with songs and stories, though he’s neither skilled nor well-equipped. By mid-afternoon, the storm lightens enough to consider leaving, but he judges it’s too close to dark to bother and pays for another night.

That evening he heads to the local tavern, hoping to gather information. He deliberately asks the locals about Vaeari and Silvaeari.

They tell him:

Vaeari is the ruling family—Valkaenar is the lord.

Silvaeari had been in charge as the law, but now Lord Averon Silvaeari (Valkaenar’s son) is technically a lord under Valkaenar.

It's confusing; people aren’t sure who’s really in charge, but both hold power.

The area had always been Silvaeari land. Valkaenar took over last January after giving the previous lord a deadline to leave—when he didn’t, they fought a “scheduled battle” that Valkaenar won.

Some think it was a weird, aristocratic power play.

The shift in rule has improved things—less banditry, more order.

People also describe the Silvaeari crest in conversation: a shield with a frog perched on it, wings draped downward, and ornate squiggles—it's fancy but poorly understood by common folk. Someone sketches it roughly for Aethon so he can recognize it later.

They confirm there's a long, complicated connection between Vaeari and Silvaeari, with families splitting and merging over time. Locals seem unclear on the details but agree the two houses are now tied closely, though the power structure is murky.

Aethon listens carefully, storing it all away for when he meets Valkaenar—or someone in Silvaeari who can point him there.

Aethon remains in the tavern overnight, talking with locals who confirm the frog crest on the Silvaeari shield by sketching it roughly for him on a napkin. Someone offhandedly jokes that it “has something to do with drugs,” but no one seems to know why.

He learns that getting to Brookhaven on foot will take at least a couple of days. The road used to be worse, but a new one was built just last summer, making the route easier. Locals discuss this improvement idly, noting it was a big deal for trade and movement.

In the course of conversation, he hears there’s a strange wizard out that way—a personal wizard to the lord himself. The locals argue over the wizard’s name: Klaus Pine Needle, Needle Pine, Needletime, even Needlesomethingorother. It’s clear they don’t really know for sure, but they agree he’s “nuts” and runs an eccentric, almost comical household just outside Brookhaven Castle.

They describe Klaus’s place as impossible to miss, because it’s so strange it looks like “Small Fae designed it.” Aethon quietly files this detail away.

The talk turns back to Silvaeari, but there’s not much new. The locals mention that Silvaeari patrols don’t come around as often now that Vaeari guard presence has increased. They imply they never really had much trouble with Silvaeari anyway—those enforcers only targeted real problems.

One man claps Aethon on the shoulder and says figuring out the connection between Silvaeari and Vaeari is a puzzle for smarter people. Someone jokes that Valkaenar himself used to be called Sylvaeari once, “before he dropped the Syl part,” hinting at how tangled family names and titles have become. Aethon doesn't fully grasp that Silvaeari means “Not Vaeari” in their local tongue, despite some memories that might have told him so.

They also discuss Rivvin Silvaeari, describing him in hushed tones as a terrifying enforcer. The stories paint him as violent, dangerous, and possibly a shapeshifter who can become a massive grizzly bear, capable of tearing people apart. Locals treat these tales like a mix of legend and genuine fear, admitting they've rarely seen him personally but warning he’s only a problem for troublemakers.

Travel Toward Brookhaven:

The next day, Aethon and Prism head out. They follow signs toward Brookhaven, noticing the roads improve—new construction is obvious despite snow and ice.

He finds crossroads with clear signage, though there's no real town there.

He spends one cold night in improvised shelter, using fresh snow for insulation and relying on Prism for warmth.

As he gets closer to civilization, the road becomes well-maintained, and traffic increases, even for February.

Arrival at Brookhaven:

He sees Brookhaven Castle from a distance—perched on the mountainside. It’s familiar terrain but has changed since what he remembers. It’s similar in layout but newer in details.

Before the final ascent, he spots Klaus’s house at the base of the switchback. It’s unmistakable, covered in bizarre, whimsical design that screams fae influence. Aethon understands now why locals said it was impossible to miss, and why they suspect the lord keeps Klaus around for the spectacle.

Entering Brookhaven:

He follows the winding switchback road. The main gates are open; there’s enough activity that no one immediately stops him, though guards note him and Prism carefully. His color-changing dog is novel, but they don’t raise alarms, simply recording the unusual visitor.

Aethon realizes he himself looks quite different than he did millenia ago—same species, same gender, but thats about it.

Interaction at the Castle:

Eventually, someone halts him to ask his business. Aethon explains he seeks an audience with Lord Valkaenar, offering that he has news likely to be of interest. The guard agrees to pass along the message.

When pressed for details by someone else, Aethon politely insists he prefers to deliver the news personally to Lord Vaeari.

Aethon gives his name at the castle gate, identifying himself as Aethon Nyzreth and requesting an audience with Lord Valkaenar Vaeari, claiming he has memories to share. The guard records the request, warning it will likely be the next day before Valkaenar can see him.

The guard asks where Aethon can be found, but since the nearest town is over an hour away by carriage, Aethon says he’ll simply wait in the morning. The message is dutifully passed up the chain—but it doesn’t sound urgent.

That evening, Yaria informs Valkaenar of the request as they’re winding down for the night. Hearing the name Aethon Nyzreth provokes anger in Valkaenar. He recognizes it as his grandfather's name. Furious that anyone would dare “poke” at old family wounds, he orders that the stranger be arrested on sight and brought to him immediately when seen. Yaria, concerned about his agitation, follows him, trying to keep him calm.

The Next Day

When Aethon shows up at the gates again, he’s quickly arrested. The guards aren’t gentle, dragging him to the dungeon. Prism tries to defend his master but is forced away and separated—taken elsewhere but not harmed.

Aethon sits in the dark for about 20 minutes, reflecting that this might have been a critical error in judgment—especially since he knows Valkaenar’s reputation for cruelty.

Valkaenar eventually descends into the dungeon, looking down at Aethon with cold fury. He demands to know why Aethon is stirring up such painful memories and threatens him with violence if he can’t explain himself quickly. Aethon tries to calm things, offering personal details that would be nearly impossible to know without shared family history—like memories of a childhood birthday party.

Valkaenar remains suspicious but admits the details sound real. He agrees to move Aethon somewhere more private, warning him that any betrayal will go very badly. He hauls Aethon upstairs to a small storage room—warning him the walls aren’t soundproof but demanding he speak quietly.

Their Conversation Deepens

Aethon explains he doesn’t remember everything clearly, that he believes he’s a reincarnation of Valkaenar’s grandfather. He shares odd but intimate details only family would know, despite gaps in memory.

Valkaenar, still cautious, demands to hear more—asking about things that happened when he was a child. Aethon recalls enough beats to be plausible, describing breaking crystal, and Valkaenar's mother caring about the mess more than the nosy servant. Valkaenar acknowledges the memory, unsettled by how well Aethon knows it.

He presses further, questioning Aethon about tutors and learning. Aethon offers up a name from memory—Rohan—which Valkaenar recognizes.

Shifting from Hostility to Reluctant Acceptance

Valkaenar gradually softens, realizing there’s no easy way Aethon could have known these things without being who he claims. He orders Aethon cleaned up, warning about fleas and parasites. Prism, he assures him, will also be taken care of.

He insists Aethon bathe before they talk further, making it clear he doesn’t want fleas in his own quarters. As Aethon washes, Valkaenar sits nearby, guarding him while continuing to question him.

Valkaenar points out it’s been far longer than 20 years—he himself is over 16,000 years old. They discuss the rebuilt castle: similar in layout to the original but modernized over millennia. Valkaenar reveals he preserved the family library and journals, including those of Aethon’s prior life.

Deeper Family History Revealed

Valkaenar opens up, explaining the tangled, often tragic history of his family:

His firstborn, Daryndel, hated him for being an authority figure and once tried to attack him. Valkaenar killed him reflexively in the fight, later realizing Daryndel had been trying to provoke him to extract information he’d sworn not to share.

He had two children, twins, Roah and Vaksenar, that were executed by order of Queen Mab for founding an incest-based cult, and while their deaths saddened Valkaenar, he viewed them as necessary and chose not to bring them back.

His daughter Estrelle tried to infiltrate an enemy house to protect their family but became addicted to a drug called Petals. Valkaenar had to kill her himself when she returned, beyond saving. He had tried to get Queen Mab involved to stop it, but she refused.

Another son, Drenevyr (Averon Silvaeari), eventually fled to Equinox after conflict at home. He changed his name and started his own branch of the family there. Valkaenar let him go, hoping he’d eventually return.

Valkaenar describes the heartbreak of these betrayals, murders, and the messy, complicated nature of the Vaeari legacy.

About the Family’s Expansion

He talks about how, despite tragedy, the family has grown. Averon has had four children, and those children are now beginning families of their own. There are complex ties, including cult involvement, that Mab despises enough to send inquisitors after.

Valkaenar also clarifies the confusing link between Silvaeari and Vaeari:

Drenevyr took the name Averon Silvaeari when he split off to Equinox. He and his descendants use the surname Silvaeari.

Bonded to Yaria

Yaria stays at Valkaenar’s side through this tense encounter. They openly talk about being Bonded—true soulmates whose connection is so deep it transcends lifetimes and magic. Valkaenar admits the concept sounds unbelievable but is absolutely real in their experience.

Church of Ryn Explained

Later, Valkaenar gives Aethon a primer on the Church of Ryn:

Ryn (full name T’Ryndiel) was an elven Emperor on Relune.

He became close friends with Titania and cooperated with her for centuries.

Queen Mab eventually saw him as a threat and sent thirty Reavers to kill him and his army. She succeeded—but Ryn ascended to godhood afterward.

The Church is relatively new, with growing influence and clerics able to perform healing and truth-telling magic.

Valkaenar explains one of his clerics (named Eris) will help Aethon get properly cleaned and healed of parasites. Eris is actually the live-in girlfriend of his youngest son.

On Averon (Drenevyr Silvaeari) and the Church of Ryn

Valkaenar says his son Averon (born Drenevyr Vaeari) fled north to the Equinox region between the Winter and Summer Courts, adopting the name Averon Silvaeari.

Averon built a new family there with his wife Lenya.

He became a patron of the arts, helping found and support the Church of Ryn.

Valkaenar notes that at the time he considered the church a dangerous cult, which Mab herself was actively sending inquisitors to suppress.

Blooding Mistakes

Valkaenar says he and Yaria had tried to ensure Averon’s children were properly blooded, sending blood for them from afar.

Erevan, Averon’s eldest son, wasn't properly blooded.

They also sent blood for Mera, Erevan’s sister, but aren’t sure if it “counted” due to age at the time.

He says he didn’t even realize this had gone wrong until much later.

Fear of Losing Another Generation

Valkaenar explains that once he learned Averon’s family was in what he thought was a cult, he panicked.

He’d already lost two children (the twins) to another cult that was so twisted Mab executed them herself.

He refused to let it happen again.

The Kidnapping of Erevan

When Erevan repeatedly got into trouble in Equinox, Valkaenar decided to intervene in the harshest way possible:

He kidnapped Erevan himself from Equinox.

He planned to use Erevan as leverage to force Averon to negotiate and return to the family’s control.

Critically, Ava, Erevan’s wife (a Seelie woman from Titania’s court, self-exiled), was left behind in Equinox—pregnant with their son Raven.

Valkaenar admits he didn't realize Ava was still pregnant, thinking the child was already born. He calls it the worst thing that he ever did.

Complications with Titania’s Court

Valkaenar says he vastly underestimated the political danger:

Ava was not just Seelie, but specifically a former member of Titania’s Court.

Though she’d self-exiled, those ties made the entire situation volatile.

He mentions ironically that he has since actually worked for Titania himself now.

Valkaenar insists he thought he was protecting the family—family is everything.

Yaria interrupts to say she warned him it was a terrible idea.

Valkaenar admits she was absolutely right, calling it one of the very few times she forcefully disagreed with him over thousands of years.

The Overlord’s Surprise Visit

Valkaenar says that his overlord at the time—not Zero—made an unexpected inspection visit.

He had kept Erevan’s presence secret from this overlord, hoping to quietly solve the situation first.

When the overlord arrived, Valkaenar panicked.

To hide what he’d done:

He cut off Erevan’s wings.

He imprisoned him in a stasis chamber in his lab to keep him hidden.

He says this was done to “buy time” and keep Erevan out of sight, but calls it reckless and cruel in hindsight.

Yaria points out they hadn’t even discussed this plan. Valkaenar admits it was stupid and unplanned.

He had allowed Erevan to continue practicing the Church of Ryn’s faith in secret.

By then, Valkaenar realized the Church of Ryn wasn’t even a cult.

He also admits he killed his own wizard for failing to return Ava safely after teleporting her away. He says he no longer trusted anyone else with such precious responsibilities.

Valkaenar even tried to go himself to return Erevan home and apologize—but was ambushed on the return trip and nearly died, surviving only by hibernating in the Dreamstate.

Tone and Reflection

Throughout, Valkaenar is raw and unflinching about his crimes:

He kidnapped his grandson.

He mutilated and 'imprisoned' him.

He tore apart a young family, leaving Ava alone and pregnant in Equinox.

He insists he wasn’t trying to be cruel—just so desperate to “save” them from Mab’s inquisitors that he lost sight of all reason.

Yaria is the steady moral compass in the conversation.

She calls him on his failures without condemning him outright.

Their exchanges reveal a complex, painfully honest relationship forged over millennia.

Aethon listens and learns the dark truth of what Valkaenar’s “family above all” philosophy really cost.

Valkaenar clarifies that:

Erevan is Averon’s eldest son with Lenya.

Ava is Erevan’s wife, a Seelie exile from Titania’s Court.

Raven is their son, born in Equinox while Erevan was missing.