The Forgotten Fey - The Opari

[Kane]

The Opari –Empathic Healers

99 Last Age: Lord Hagaril was dying; his wounds were too deep and too infected to heal. He led the resistance in the Green March and there was none who could easily take his place. Resistance in the east was already on the brink of collapse in his absence. We needed him and all I could do was sit by his bedside as he coughs up blood and slowly dies. I should be at the front but I couldn’t leave him. I would remain until his last breath and then take my place back on the battle line.

Word had been sent to the capital in the hopes that some miracle could save the commander of the March. Our prayers were answered in the form of three frail, wild eyed creatures, with skin the color of oak bark. They came with members of the Queen’s personal guard who forced everyone to stay a dozen or more feet away. The creatures, apparently females, stretched out elongated hands with boney fingers each more than a foot long. Spread out like a spider’s web the fingers reached out toward Lord Hagaril, probing but not touching them. The creatures recoiled from his wounds and looked like they wanted to flee. No sound escaped their lips but their concern was evident. Their fingers entwined and their large, oval eyes glanced back and forth from Lord Hagaril’s body to each other.

One of the creatures reached out and touched the face of one of the guards, whose eyes were solid black, something I’d missed; an Eye of the Queen. There were no words but there was some form of communication.  Eyes downcast the creature withdrew her hand and led the other two of its kind toward the body. Linking hands they touched my Lord’s body and writhed in evident pain, yet still no sound escaped their lips. As I watched the Lord’s body began to take on a healthier color and his wounds began to slowly heal. To my horror I saw some of his wounds appear on each of the creatures and their blood began to flow. First one, than the other two of the strange fey fell to the ground and the Queen’s Eye yelled for a healer. Somehow, these fey had taken the wounds away from Lord Hagaril who was breathing easily for the first time in weeks. My lord would live but at what cost?

Description/Influence: The Osari are a very rare race of fey that are empathic healers. They heal by taking on the wounds of others and using their own advanced rate of healing to survive. An Osari ranges anywhere from four to six feet in height, weigh no more than ninety pounds, have very elongated limbs and large oval eyes. Their skin is rough to the touch and the color of oak bark. They once were found across Eredane and were know to the Dorn as the People of the Oak.

The Osari are mute and communicate through touch. They can feel raw emotions and pain from a short distance (normally 20-60 feet); an ability that grows as the Osari gets older. Their pain sense is so extreme, that they have fled their traditional homes near the Burning Line. They shun other fey communities and live in small, isolated villages usually no more than 30 individuals. 

The Osari suffered greatly with the Sundering and the subsequent invasions of Dorn, Sarcosan, and Orcs. Their abilities as healers were well known in First and Second Ages and they were sought out to be unwilling healers for the truly powerful. Ripped from the safety of their tribes, individual Osari were often imprisoned and forced to use their abilities to keep their masters alive. Surrounded by cruelty and suffering the Osari would quickly sicken and die, spurring a fresh cull of their tribes. In the Last Age there are likely no more than 2,000 Osari living in Erethor and isolated woodlands in the Kaladruns.

[TwiceBorn]

Another winning concept -- thanks, Kane! I have a few questions, though... under what circumstances would Osari be willing healers (if that is their main gift/power, then surely there must be times when they feel a sense of duty to heal)? And why do they shun other fey communities?

[Kane]

Twiceborn,

The Osari can't abide the suffering of the constant warfare, especially near the Burning Line. They are healers and would willingly help those in need as long as it doesn't endanger their own lives. The three Osari in the story willingly served the Witch Queen, but were scared about the amount of pain/ extent of the wounds. That's why it took three of them. Sorry for any confusion.

Kane