Myriad Path: The Letter

This was written with the thought in mind that all the characters might have been brought to Lord Eber's estate for the tournament, which probably isn't the case. Treat it as a "coulda happened" rather than as anything that did. I'm not trying to mess with ~zeldafreakhall's storyline, but I'm not the only one who's looked up who the other combatants are, so I figure, no harm done.

I'm also aware that Garrin's descriptions cover 17 characters, but I'd found 18 and only have confirmation that one of those didn't enter. If you recognize your character here and did not enter, PLEASE let me know.

EDIT 8/13/2006: I have removed the character that didn't enter--the descriptions are now of the right 16 contestants.

For anyone who's interested, I will also be maintaining a sort of central index of all the tournament deviations, here: [link] I won't be keeping track of the journal postings, as it's changes to the same entry.

CONSIDER THIS A SPOILER WARNING. If you don't want to know who the other characters are, and would prefer to let them be revealed with each battle, DON'T LOOK. Don't read this, and don't follow the link above.

With all of that duly disclaimed, here's what's on my character's mind just after the first match has been announced.


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THE LETTER

where?
when?

Choro, my friend:

You'll probably never see this letter. At least, I hope not, because that would mean that our host has been kind enough to grant my last wish, and get this to you, wherever you are. Which would mean I've been killed in this tournament of his. Not something I'm looking forward to, to be sure.

It's been years, hasn't it? I've never found out what happened to you. Are you alive? Did you find someone to teach you your magic, or are you still traveling? Maybe it's this depressing place--or more likely too much of our host's fine Dekuberry wine--but I miss you. Of all the people I've called friend in this world, I think the only time I meant it was when I spoke of you. And so I write this letter that I hope you'll never have to read.

I know, I don't sound like myself at all, do I? Alarmed yet? Wait 'till you hear the rest.

I don't even remember how I heard about the tournament, or who told me. Which is strange--I always remember who tells me what, you know that! But what caught my attention was the prize. A treasure beyond any other, a treasure to make anyone's wildest dreams come true. I haven't managed to find out yet whether it's an artifact, or magic, or just a hoard of riches, but really, who cares? I'm sure it would put everything we ever brought back from our little expeditions to shame! Or so I thought, and so I came.

First, I'd have to win, though. And that's where things get strange. There's sixteen of us here in all, guests of one Lord Eber Sruc, the host of this tournament. Never heard of him? That's right, me neither. I'm told this is Hyrule, but it's no part of the Hyrule that I know. Lord Sruc is welcoming enough, but there's something cold behind his smiles that I don't like. Half the servants are afraid of him, and I don't trust the ones that aren't.

And then there's the competitors themselves! I've never seen such an odd assortment of people anywhere. At least, most of them are people. There's a few of them that I wouldn't have thought existed outside your books of legend. And a few that I'd rather didn't.

Most of them are Hylian, or at least seem human. One of them's about our age, but too damn serious for someone who's still got most of his life ahead of him. And too decent for the sense of danger I get from him. There's another that could pass for a homeless beggar, if it weren't for all the muscle under that shabby coat of his. Makes me wonder if he dresses like that to get people to underestimate him. Another one looks almost too fragile to be a fighter, but has the scars to prove he's no pushover. He seems awfully attached to that big sword of his, too.

There's quite a few that move like Guards, or soldiers--I know you never learned to spot that, but I can always tell. One's dressed all in black, and is too pretty by half, but you can see in his eyes that he really wants to win this. Almost as if he must. Another of these men seems sad, or maybe tired. He looks like one good strong wind would blow him over. I'd feel sorry for him, if I could afford to waste pity on an opponent. He's in the first match, up against that huge man in all the armor with the giant axe. For all that this one looks so big and fearsome, though, he seems preoccupied, like there's a heavy weight on his mind. And then there's one that I can't nail down at all. Sometimes he barely speaks, sometimes he doesn't shut up. It's like night and day. He seems more like a Guard when he's quiet, though.

Then there's the women. One's dressed in leather and skins, and I can tell you, I think I feel sorry for the poor beasts. She's a wild woman if I ever saw one, and there's nothing of friendliness in her eyes. I'd much rather fight the pretty girl with the rapier, even with that sense of iron determination she has about her. At least if I fell to her in battle, the last sight to meet my eyes would be a pleasant one.

The other one, though! I know you'll shake your head at me, but I would swear on my life that she's half Gerudo. I've said all along that it was possible, haven't I? But something tells me any questions wouldn't be welcomed. She's lovely, to be sure, and seems friendly enough. But I notice she doesn't give anything of herself away, and seems driven by something. I bet she's a fierce fighter, too, by the looks of her.

And then there's the ones that aren't human. I wish you were here to see them. One's a Zora, a real Zora! She's a pretty, willowy thing, with long shimmering fins trailing from her limbs, and carries a staff with a blue stone probably worth a king's ransom. To be truthful, she'd look out of place among all these fighters, if it weren't for the fire in her eyes. I'm personally betting she's got some magic, because she hasn't got any weapons that I can see. There's also a girl dressed in green that the servants say is a Kokiri, one of the forest children from your storybooks. None of those stories mentioned the Kokiri being fighters, though. Either the girl's in over her head, or she's got something up her sleeve. Probably that last one, since for all that she's small, she doesn't seem very childlike.

The last few are just plain frightening. I'm no coward, but I like living, and it's these three that make me doubt whether I will. I'm hoping they're all defeated by other competitors before I have to face any of them. The one just appears to be a suit of red armor, from head to toe. The armor appears to cover a woman's shape, but there's nothing womanly, or even human, about this thing. I'm not even sure there's anything under all that metal, and for once, I don't want to know. There's also a huge, brutish creature that looks much like the Moblins we used to run into occasionally, but its face is covered with a mask. I bet a fight between these two would be something to see.

The last one, and you won't believe this, is a Poe. A ghost! How is a living man supposed to fight a ghost? And an unfriendly ghost, too. It carries a scythe fashioned from a sword blade, tainted with rust that looks uncomfortably like blood. You'd know how to defeat such a thing, I'm sure, but I can only wonder who'd let a ghost enter a competition against the living.

And that's the other thing. It isn't just that I've never heard of Lord Sruc or his estate, or that the tournament's roster is so varied and strange. There's something else going on here. I've heard some people mention the Hero of Time, or even a Hero of Winds, but never the Hero of Men that lies entombed in our own familiar Hyrule Castle. People talk about landmarks or towns that as far as I know, don't exist. It's almost as if I've been transported somewhere else entirely. A different land, and maybe even a different time.

What could Lord Sruc possibly want, to bring us all together here to fight each other? This seaside estate isn't that isolated, so it can't be just for the entertainment. His Lordship is often accompanied by an imposing figure, whose face is always hidden by that great cloth he wears. I have a bad feeling about that one. In fact, I have a sneaking suspicion that none of us chose to come, so much as we were chosen. And I have to wonder, what would they want with me? I've aspired to glory, true, but more the kind that comes with fabulous riches, not the kind that comes with power, or worthy deeds. Or the kind that brings you to the attention of mysterious lords capable of snatching a person from any time and place...

Ordinarily I'd love this. All these new people, with so many stories to tell, and so much I could learn from them. Fights and feasts and adventure! What's not to like? But under the circumstances, I'm just hoping to make it out of this thing alive, prize or no prize. It's a bad situation, all around. I'd feel better about my chances if you were here to fight by my side, my friend. I hope you're still out there somewhere, and Goddesses willing, I'll live to meet you again.

Garrin