[MelancholyFae]

This is her backstory; also added family names in above post and updated age.

Mani’Jarach and Umbri’tam: The Clan and Clergy

Spoiler

The Clan of Mani’Jarach was an old one and prosperous one. Merging with the Umbriaec bloodline was more a political power move than of love. Together, the two families desired strength beyond normal means - what they considered a surefire way to rise up in ranks, even after death, and serve their God for eternity.

Sidian was the third child of this family-clergy merger, and was born in the Dusk Realm, along with her two older brothers. They were all given three roles to follow; one of the training of the Xitian Race, in which all Xitians learned of themselves and of the elements; one of the training of the Warrior, depicted by their Clan side; and one of the training of the Faith, demanded of them by the Clergy side.

At age four, Sidian and the others had gone through the Dusk Portal to visit the Clan’s Manor deep in the Blackmoor Ridge, mainly for the older boys to get a good personal look at the Middle Realm that they would eventually call their second home. Even though the War of the Veld had been going on for about ten years, a lot of the Xitian families were overconfident in their abilities, and with the winning of a few key battles, and therefore saw no real danger in still using the portal on their whims. Unfortunately, due to bad timing and the terribly unfortunate incident of the destruction of the Dusk Portal, the parents were left on one side, while the children were stranded with only a few loyalists and clan members on the more dangerous Middle-Realm side.

Without a way back, morale was rather low for those stranded, but it wasn’t until two years after the closing of the portal, that danger was closest. Lucins and Mesalians had begun to band together and started indiscriminately killing anyone of Xitian blood.

The clan had to quickly leave their manor, their second home centuries old, and started their almost-constant travel to keep the children safe while they were trained. They avoided the Purges as best as they could by staying out of sight and out of mind, never venturing within three days’ of any city or town, and only letting the most successful hunters away from the group to gather food and supplies. This wore down everyone, especially the children. They were constantly unhappy and tired, and training them to exhaustion only prevented them from complaining or running away.

Even after the Purges were said to have ended, the small clan kept moving, having no one to trust on this side of the Portal. On occasion, they were able to find another small group of Xitians or Xitian-supporters; news, plans, hopes and dreams were always passed between them, but the clan never stayed in one place for long.

For Sidian and her brothers, training was still a constant thing - in the Ways of the Xitian race, in the Way of the Clan Warrior, and in the Way of the Faith. The elders of the clan also came to realize that for them all to survive their exile, they also needed to learn about the Mesalians, their cultures and customs and language, and so the children were well-rounded and prepared by the elders for almost any circumstances that could arise in their adulthood.

Bitter arguments arose when the two older brothers wanted to go out and fight for their way home before they had reached the age of eighteen, only five years after the end of the Purges. A compromise had to be reached for the sake of the clan, and the two brothers joined a different group of Xitian camp, with the promise of keeping in touch. It was there they learned how to use the local bats as flying messengers, and quickly the Clan Mani’Jarach and the Clan Tor’amar shared what knowledge they could while still allowing the freedom of travel.

The two brothers became crucial messengers for a few of the known clangroups that were scattered around, and helped organize what small delayed fights they were able, while staying away from the cities themselves. Sidian continued her training, envious of her brothers and their newfound freedom, pouring her excess energy into learning anything she possibly could, as fast as she could, preferring her Nether and Religious training to any other.

As Sidian turned 19, news of the subtle manipulations the Xitians were having on the Mesalians, in their towns and cities and groups and guilds, finally blossomed into riots and battles worthy of being called a Civil War. She helped in any way she could without being directly involved, usually coming up with creative ways to do mundane things, trying to prove her worth to Clan and Clergy, as well as to others. It wasn’t until later in her 19th year that she learned that her goal of achieving the highest rank possible in the Umbric Knights was cut short - and so she decided to switch her priorities for now, and focus not on power and glory, but on getting back home to the Dusk Realm.

She used her ‘youngest sister’ wiles to convince her two brothers to assist her in gathering all the information they possibly could about both portals and the three realms, to see if they could discover alternate ways home if fixing their Dusk Portal was impossible. Rumors were followed, myths and legends were discovered, books were unearthed, and tales were listened to and deciphered, leading the entire clan often on dangerous journeys across the lands, into tombs and sacred sites, near Lucin-based cities now chaotic from the riots and corruption, and in old, almost forgotten Xitian ruins from when they ruled the areas. The middle brother, given a set of his own bats by the other clan as tokens of appreciation and gratitude, created lines of communication between them when they did separate, and the elder began to keep everything they did written down. It was now Sidian’s turn to explore, travel, and find her niche in the Xitian culture on this side of the Portal.

Five years, and finally the group traveling with Sidian found a few interesting leads, all pointing toward the Forbidden Lands. Having exhausted all other possibilities, she led them across the waters, determined beyond almost all reasoning to continue her quest. Her brothers followed her, though most of the clan stayed behind on the mainland, preferring to not travel across water, and preferring to stay close to the other clans. Unfortunately, the bats were unable to cross the large span of water, and so communication was limited to written letters delivered by loyal and trusted Clan servants. Before she left, she was given the honor of being Knight Reverent, one of the youngest by far at the age of 23, and the highest she could hope to reach until she was able to go home.

Another six years of almost constant travel, with letters sent back and forth, and no new leads left Sidian frustrated. Nothing much changed on the mainland, and her elder brother had fallen in love with a daring young woman of another clan, and they’d decided to settle down and act as another stable point for communication. She continued on with her middle brother and a few others for another year, occasionally coming across other Xitians; rarely coming across any new information, but often leaving behind trails of hope.

It was at the end of that year, that Sidan struck gold, and her perseverance paid off.

Sidian and her Brothers: Training in the Way of the Bloodmoon Warrior

Spoiler

The main basis of training as a Clan Warrior was fighting techniques, though there was Clan history thrown in for references and knowledge - it was a proud thing to know your Clan’s history, and the heroes that came from the bloodline.

A Mani’Jarach Warrior was also known for their code of honour and diplomacy; a bit unpopular, but no Xitian could argue that it made the Clan any less powerful. It gained them enemies when battles were fought and the defeated went home alive and disgraced, and it gained them friends when favors were called in and the clan assisted another as if blood-related. Workers were not considered slaves, but more indentured servants - and this mindset created loyalty when comparing to some of the other Clan families.

Warrior training always started early - usually by the age of seven they would know the rudimentary weapon skills (swords and daggers are sharp, staves can reach, chakrams can fly in the air if thrown right) and then choose their favorite. This didn’t quite work as they all wanted to practice with each other, and so Sidian ended up at age three playing with sticks and toys while the two boys learned the actual tasks of how to hold, thrust and swing weapons, punch and dodge, and other fighting techniques. At first it was without weapons, then with simple wooden ones, finally graduating to their weapon of choice. Even though she was smacked around more often than not by her brothers, she stayed determined as a true Xitian warrior would, and learned her best.

Her eldest brother gained preference with heavy curved blades, and opted to learn the more fiery style of slashing in a windbane technique. The middle child was less of a show-off, and with his strength also in fire, had chosen a bladed metal staff only for defense while he chose flames as his weapon of choice. Battling each other often led to cuts and burns, but they reveled in their experiences and excelled in their warrior skills.

Sidian wasn’t able to make up her mind when she was younger, and therefore her skill in weapons wasn’t able to match her brothers. She often stopped in the middle of the mock fights to heal up any cuts they had, and it took years for her to break the habit of being -too- generous and sensitive to others being hurt, even her brothers.

As she grew older, she liked the defensive abilities the staff could give her, but also fell in love with the way she could move and look intimidating with a set of bladed rings twirling about her hands, somewhat bluffing her skill in them. She practiced with the rings more often as a way to meditate than for fighting, and began to incorporate them into her daily routine.

Like her brothers, she was given weapons at her Rite of Maturity that she keeps with her at all times - a bladed metal quarterstaff etched with Xitian script, and two metal rings, their blades forming complex curves and flames.

Sidian: Training in the Xitian Way

Spoiler

All Xitians were taught the history of the Dusk Realm; specifically about Xitian history, their conquers, and other monumental occasions. The Xitian language was also important; which included reading, writing as well as speech. Some other subjects that were touched upon were the Xitian way of intimidation - often with stances, speech, choice of weapons, or the use of their elements - and the Xitian creeds and ways of life. The largest chunk of training was personalized, and depended on the Xitian’s strength in an element and their personal temperament.

Sidian’s strength was entirely in the element of Nether, and due to her joint training in the Faith, she was taught how to use her Element for more than just offensive and defensive reasons. Combining this healing element with the mantras and religious discipline was relatively easy, and her creative ways of utilizing her element had her excel in training easily and quickly, advancing and becoming stronger in the use of Nether before hitting maturity.

All Xitians were supposed to train in all elements to prevent ignorance and unpreparedness, but she really had no desire to learn much of how to wield fire or earth effectively, and so they stayed at minimum skill. In fact, a hidden belief of hers was that they actually hindered her personal strength. She did not look down upon anyone who did use them to their full effects, but there were times in her earlier years she’d made it clear to others that to her, Nether was the only real power for a Xitian to wield. This way of thinking could have been influenced by her Faith teachings, but she never really explained herself to others why she felt this way.

Sidian and Her Brothers: Training in the Way of the Faith

Spoiler

Those of the bloodline of Umbriae are trained from an early age to follow the Faith as well as any other Clan or Racial teachings they’d be subjected to. It is a strict teaching, but it can blend well with other trainings as it deals with the core Xitian beliefs of personal strength, history, and the afterlife. Not everyone who follows the Way of Faith can trace their bloodline back to Umbriae himself, but those who do are usually the ones who reach the highest ranks within the Clergy.

On the father’s side of Sidian’s family is the direct ancestral trace of the Prophet Umbriae, and it was her uncles that were able to train her and her brothers the Way of the Faith, when the family was separated due to the destruction of the Dusk Portal. Not many others of the Clergy were stranded on the Middle Realm side, and so as they came across any small religious groups, her uncles doubled as traveling clergymen, spreading what information they could, acting in place of judges and authority figures, and conducting ceremonies for births, deaths, rites of passage, and other things.

The Way of the Faith was not just about Xitian religion; it was also about the Prophet Umbriae and his teachings, it was about being strong in all aspects of life, it was about excelling in everything, it was about -living- the teachings. Through the words of the Prophet, they learn that strength is not only in the physical form, but also in the spiritual and mental form; through knowledge as well as skill, and to never stray from one’s ideals or back down from one’s beliefs.

The Faith’s long history is taught, as well as discipline, mantras, meditation techniques, rites and ceremonies - though the more detailed and difficult rites and ceremonies are taught only if they decide to continue the Way of the Faith, and embrace it as a fully fledged Umbric Knight. The three children did well to learn the history, as they learned other knowledgeable skills at the same time, and Sidian especially enjoyed learning the different techniques of meditation; joining the physical and mental with the spiritual made her feel more complete as a person. Mantras and chants were her second favorite thing, as she had a natural talent for singing as did her brothers and mother, and it was one of her few joys to hum and practice singing quietly as they traveled.

Another large aspect of the Faith was its display - at certain ages or as certain Rites were reached, the occasion was marked with religious tattoos as part of the ceremony. As bloodborn, when the children reached the ages of seven and fourteen, they received a set of tattoos marking them as such - being trained in the Faith as well as being an ancestor of Umbriae. Her brothers were thrilled to be marked in such a way as to show their ancestry, and often ran around without shirts to show off. Sidian was a bit more modest, but no less thrilled, believing the pain of getting one was just as important as the Rites themselves. The eldest brother even decided to learn how to tattoo, so he could pass the tradition onto their descendants.

Even as the two brothers went on to other clans, they still came back on occasion, to visit and catch up on stories and trials. They no longer pursued further into the Clergy Ranks due to personal preference, but Sidian’s dream was to become Matriarch.

The disappointment came when Sidian turned 19, and she was finally told that due to restrictions, the highest ranking she - or any of them - could go until they crossed back to the Dusk Realm, was Knight Reverent. This was the ranking of their uncles, and one could not surpass the teacher, no matter their accomplishments. Throughout their travels they had not come across anyone higher in ranking, and this made the desire to get back to the Dusk Realm stronger than before. She knew then, she had to change her priorities so she could get back home and continue her dream.