Awakened

to the sound of drums!

In this life there are two kinds of critters. There are those who have been tempted into doing what is wrong, with the justification that their actions are honest. And there are those who are honorable inside and out.

The road for the honorable is a hard one with plenty of peril along the way. The brave creatures in this world stumble through the dark, and decide to go on even when all hope is gone. For what else is there to do but go on when your intentions are virtuous?

Prelude;

an action or event serving as an introduction to something more important

Please call me Ferna. an old gnorbu says as she hobbles into the room. She slowly sits down in an old chair that has clearly seen better days. The room is dusty to the point where you can see the filth in the trappings of light that leak through the thick black curtains. These curtains are most definitely from a different time you think, probably the last Darigan war.

The old creature stares at you through aged eyes, and you wonder if she is actually seeing you, or some sort of blob due to eyes that refuse to work any longer.

Child , she whispers in a hoarse voice, Let me tell you of a time when heroes triumphed over villains, an age when valor was an honorable trait. Today you kids think that speaking out about your views is noble. Pshh. When I was alive, we didn't say, we did.

She stands from her chair and walks over to the table she keeps her books on. You see her lovingly move a few books to the next chair over. She continues to dig through the clutter until she finds what she is looking for. Ha, she exclaims as her eyes light up. From your vantage point you can see the ragtag book's title, The Chronicles of Ferna.

This was written by a dear friend of mine, it's about my days in the Darigan War. I was a hero then. Here, here, take it. She says as she shoves the book in your arms, and makes shooing noises. She seems to become angry at your blank stare and says, Get out of here, and take your young mind with you!

You start to wonder why you even came looking for the old Gnorbu's house. Then you remember, it was to discover what true heroes are made of, and what becomes of them when everyone has forgotten.

Silhouette;

a dark shape outlined against a lighter background

Cast and Stars;

Mother and Father are no more than figments of Ferna's past, but their strong D.N.A. run through her bloodlines, coursing through her and influencing every decision she ever made. Their voices sing in her heart even though they are lost to her forever.

Sir is Ferna's serogate father. He found her as an infant and raised her up as her own, despite the consequences. He is a true hero in Ferna's eyes and the man that made her who she is today. Sir is the one neopet that truly changed her and her name.

Opa De' Asloe is one of Ferna's brothers, though they aren't related by bloodline. Ferna helped Asloe get through a period in his life when society robbed him of everything he believed in, including what he is. Asloe gave Ferna the gift of her colorless battle markings, although inadvertently.

Zillen Ostek is Ferna's arch nemesis. He is physically weak, but mentally he's one of the most powerful Neoepts in the world. He is an extraordinary thing whom Ferna hates with all her being. Zillen taunted her as a child, he bulled her so badly that Ferna became silent for the rest of her life.

Neamai Tek is Ferna's sister, though not related by bloodline. Along one of the roads during Ferna's adventure Neamai's shop appears out of the blue. Having had nightmares from Zillen's taunting, Ferna sells her bad dreams to Neamai.

Blueprints;

Over the course of almost two years I've designed, redesigned and redesigned again my character of Ferna. These are her blueprints and how she started out leading up to this point here. I will also describe my thoughts on the design, how her anatomy would have worked and what made me change it.

Ferna started out as a design I had done for a mutant acara named Mhilol (long since traded off). This creature was to control diamonds by using its aura to materialize the shards of sparkling iridescence.

These stark blue crystals could transform her body into segmented pieces which were used as armor.

The green hair was meant to be frizzy, flowing and poofy all at the same time. This lime green color is what transferred over to Ferna's most used design, ultimately evolving into her blue wispy mane.

Eventually I realized that little to no thought was put into this design and the character's story, so I scraped it. Though later on pieces of the design start to appear in Ferna's first design.

This is Ferna's first actual design. The way she moved would have been something between a rhino's gait and a horse's canter. Something a bit odd, I agree.

She was born from a fern and by the will of many goddesses and gods from different legends she became a neopet.

I came by Ferna by applying for her. The user (the name of which I have forgotten) who adopted her to me said the reason for choosing me was my dedication for Ferna.

This idea was scrapped after a little more than half a year. I liked it, but I wanted something more compact with more muscle.

Fern's net design was probably the start of her real character; the battle-born.

The skull adorned on her head would have been used for ramming things, while the spikes would be used for crushing. the spikes were one of the only things carrying over into her final design.

This particular design was space-themed, which is where I came up with my idea for her missing limb. This missing limb carried over into the next two designs.

This net design 'copies' the guild Revolution's motto. I did not intend this, seeing that Ferna's character was supposed to be the leader of a Revolution, rebellious and strong. I also had the saying up there before I discovered Revolution.

This design was much the same as the last, though missing a lot of details (the skull, markings were changed, etc.)

Also, her fuzzy mane was chopped off and jagged in this image of her. It shows how she was rebellious at one point in her life.

This is the last design before Fern's final design. The same markings apply here as they did in the last image. The horns on her back, the missing limb. The only things that were really changed was the style and her mane was grown in a bit more than in the last image.

This is Ferna's most recent design. This piece took six hours to finish. You can bet that this design will pretty much be her last one.

The color of her mane was changed to a teal, as well as her eyes. The markings were changed to show the map she would follow on her quest (ancient runes). The missing limb is not so missing anymore and her mane was grown in full. Her tail became more wispy, as well as her mane.

The only thing that pretty much stuck throughout the designing process was her back spikes.

Chronicles;

factual written accounts of important or historical events in the order of their occurrence

Sing in me o' Muse! the causes and the crimes relate;
What faerie was provok'd, and whence her hate;
For what offense the Queen of Darigan began
To persecute such a just, brave mortal as I am.

Kind whispers from friends and family spoke of how unusual the little purple lump was. Her sleepy eyes opened to see a world of soft clouds and velvety colors. So strange and odd this world was to her. Her mother's warmth comforted her sudden fears, and her father's soft paws brushed aside the heavy blue mane that whirled around her face, neck and shoulders. The tufts of fur twirled down to her belly, as did her newly found comfort in the calm space of her hut.

As the cold winds blew specks of frozen rain at the walls of their small shelter, Mother and Father guarded their newborn with the warmth of the hut and their everlasting love. Their family and friends had vacated the premises not even an hour ago. In the distance, the sound of drums echoed through the battlefields. The eerie sound awakened the sleeping child. "Hush, hush little one." Mother whispered with love. Smiling kindly down on her fluffy newborn, she only saw perfection in her tiny features.

Father spoke quickly, "We need to name her." He knew that if something ever happened to him, or his wife, the only thing his child would have from them would be her name. Pacing back and forth, he began to think of names, not realizing his wife had already picked one out.

Recalling the name she picked out just months ago, Mother spoke, "Fern, her name is Fern. That is our gift to her, as we don't have much else to give her." She said so very matter-of-factly, not realizing that with the naming, Mother was sending her child on a life changing journey. She lovingly embroidered the name into the soft cotton of Fern's baby blanket. Frail and innocent, Fern's kind face nuzzled her mother's cheek. Falling back asleep, Fern dreamt of future adventures.

The drums in the distance came closer to the family hut, so close that the anxious parents could hear the battle cries of the fallen. Fern awoke in her crib to a pounding noise at the door. It was kicked in, revealing a soldier of great stature followed by a Gnorbu in clothes stained by battle. They were whooping and yelling, creating an atmosphere of chaos. Father tried to stop them, but he was not strong enough. They took hold of Fern's parents, and pulled them outside kicking and screaming. That was the last time Fern ever saw her beloved parents.

The delicate cries of the little Gnorbu sounded clean and pure throughout the chaos. The last soldier heard her cries, and being a compassionate Gnorbu, he couldn't leave the babe behind. He scooped up the bundle of fur, and took her blanket with him. The hot, chaotic atmosphere erupted into a blizzard of white specks and sharp winds as they stepped outside.

Out of all the soldiers who fought or had fallen that day, the great soldier was the only one with a true capacity to love. The trek to Darigan Citadel was long and dangerous, and had many adventures waiting for the troops and Fern along the road. Fern enjoyed playing hide-and-seek and on numerous occasions her childish behavior caused problems. But her fearlessness only caused the soldier who found her to love her more than he already did. His love for Fern was so strong he knew he couldn't lose her when he traveled back to his city. There she would be made a pet, probably chained and muted for the rest of her life.

But the great soldier also knew that he had to keep the little one a secret. If his general found out, he would loose Fern forever. His friends in the troop helped keep Fern hidden, but most of the time Fern barely escaped unnoticed. Her childishness caused more than just simple problems, it endangered her life. The great warrior who found her thought often of performing the naming ceremony. It's tradition, to claim a child as your own, to rename them. But if he did so, he would be going against Lord Darigan's law.

One night while stopped, the Gnorbu warrior picked up Fern's blanket, and with an unsteady paw, took his needle and marked a maroon 'a' at the end of her light purple name. He marked her as his at that moment, having thought of this decision for several nights. Ferna waddled up to her savior and looked at him with big eyes. "There is power in a name. Ferna, you'd be wise to remember that, my daughter."

With racing heartbeat and painful breathing, Ferna was running. She knew she needed to get away, but her body wouldn't move any faster than the canter she was operating at.

Suddenly, from behind she heard the vibrant sound of the bugle horn. They've caught up, she thinks to herself before exhaustion caught her. Her body shuddered and tripped before dropping into an uncontrolled roll.

Bright lights bombarded her eyes as they tried to adjust. Blurred figures moved in the near distance, possibly the jailors. "Ferna. You're in big trouble this time, young gnorbu." She grunted in response, a guttural sound so uncaring she might as well have told the man off. "One of these days your father isn't going to be around to bail you out of here." He tisked at her before walking away.

And one day you'll realize how your motives had affected my people." She whispered bitterly to herself. She recalled the stories Sir had told her of her family and the war, painful memories she hated reliving. They made her angry and unforgiving, qualities that might have prevented her from constantly being locked up in the Darigan catacombs. This time she was in for it. Having stolen the royal jewel of the Secret Darigan Queen, Ferna invited the Queen's wrath.

It seemed like time had stopped. For days Ferna sat in the prison fiddling with her beautiful, full mane. The long strands of fur still whirled around her neck and shoulders, possessed the raw beauty that her mother had given to her. Her father's keen eyes reflected the bright mind that sat atop her refined body.

Staring at the prison wall, deep in thought, Ferna came up with her mastermind plan to take down the Queen and King of Darigan. The hate ran deep, searing a path from her veins to her heart. Revenge formed from this fire, burning a path of destruction, a volcano of violence, eradication and havoc. The flames of misery and loathing burned in her eyes while her mind devised the devious plan.

And suddenly, the door to her cell opened, leading a flood of pure sunlight into the dark, dismal room. "Ferna, you have disappointed me. Do not do this to me again." Sounded the thunderous boom of Sir's voice, her savior, the great soldier.

Squirming in the wondrous light that she hadn't seen in days, Ferna felt guilty that once again she had disappointed her strong and pious surrogate father.

Mimes;

theatrical techniques of suggesting actions, characters, or emotions without words

Rules:

Do not enter these into any Neopian contest/spotlight (beauty contest, petpet spotlight, neopian times, guild/petpage based contest). I worked really hard on these for your enjoyment. These mimes/staffs are a privilege to use for your pets and can be taken away if mistreated.
Please do not copy, redistribute or alter in any way (this includes using my 'battle born' idea on your own mimes). I am always on the lookout for people who have copied my work or ideas, so beware.
I would highly appreciate it if you didn't demand me to make the rest of the Gnorbu mimes or the staffs. I know that they are not finished, and I will finish them when I have the time to do so.
Also, please don't send me demanding mails asking for custom mimes or staffs. If you do send me a mail like this, I will put you on my blacklist (a list that keeps track of people I won't do art for), block and report you for harassment.
No hate-mail complaining about things that are off with my mimes/staffs. Yes, I know that they aren't perfect, that's the point! Every great artist out there (not saying I'm a great artist) knows that the key to having an artistic style is to have imperfections in your work. These are for you to enjoy, not complain about.