The Journey of Yvelda Fucking Volen

YeVelda Volen of the Shaolin Monks of the Henan Province in Darkest Zhongyuan (Midlands and Forests)
Background and Origin (Player: Jenn)
6’ 210 lbs. 20 years of age
 
YeVelda was found as a small baby abandoned in the surrounding forest area of the Zhongyuan Henan Province by Daruma. Daruma was out collecting mushrooms and herbs for the Shaolin tea ritual, as well as, taking in some forest bathing to cleanse his spirit for the ceremony when heard a small guttural cry. After further investigation he came across what he thought, at first, was a pig or abnormal mammal but realized soon it was a child. A Half-Orc female child to be exact. Orcs had abandoned the area in the last several months due to no pillaging advantages and to find a child of this sort meant they must have had their way with a local human on the war path. This child had no one. He vowed to raise her in the monetary as a monk within the Shaolin way. Maybe this would help build relations between these different races as the Buddhist religion teaches.
Age 10 - Yevelda was bored and full of angst. Her studies were too easy. It’s almost if she was built for Shaolin training but she still didn’t feel a part of the monastery. Buddhism alluded her yet she tried and tried again to find the peace and understanding Daruma swore it would bring. The only thing that truly satisfied her heart was her Pan flute. She would wander in the midland woods and play the flute to calm her nerves after each brutal training session. She loved the fights but when would she ever get to use her skills. Frustrated, she yearned to experience life, see new places and meet others. Little did she know the plan Daruma had for her.
Age 15 - Daruma had been training her for years and it was revealed she was to be the representative of trade for their monastery and an Outlander for her people. YeVelda had the tendency to speak out of turn, a little too bluntly, and not think prior to whatever came out of her mouth. If Daruma’s plan was to work he would have to reign her in before sending off into the great unknown. The monks specialized in short swords, Quarterstaff, training and movement to go with the weapons, a mindset to prepare the defender, and delicious ceremonial mushroom tea for enlightenment. It was to be YeVelda’s task to travel the world and make partnerships with others through expeditions, explain and show what the Shaolin had to offer and send them back for trade with the monastery. During her travels Daruma was specific that she needed to learn from others how the monastery could benefit from other worldly items they may not be aware of and send what she thought would be useful through the alliance traders to build and strengthen the monastery. Daruma expressed carefully: not everyone would be nice, not everyone would care to learn or know what they had to offer, and others would care too much and try and take it without trade. YeVelda needs to discern who to trust and who cast aside which had always been difficult for her in the past. Daruma told her not to return until she had mastered the use of Ki and the Way of the Hand through her Buddhist training. Only then could she take his place and have earned the respect and trust to run the monastery.
YeVelda had been travelling now for 10 years. She had won some great alliances and sent partnership to her people. This provided them knowledge and resources the monastery couldn’t fathom prior. At certain times she could feel the Ki and use it but it took more concentration and focus and when she was in the brutality and heat of battle this was difficult. YeVelda needed to grasp her spiritual Ki mastery to reach The Way of the Hand. Now that she had grown her relationships with people through proving her athleticism, savagery, and easy manipulation through shear size and strength she knew it was time to delve into the spiritual realm and grasp the Ki that so eluded her. Ugh, what a bitch…
 
Note: Who is Daruma?
He was a Buddhist monk who lived during the 5th or 6th century. He is traditionally credited as the transmitter of Chan Buddhism to China, and regarded as its first Chinese patriarch. According to Chinese legend, he also began the physical training of the monks of Shaolin Monastery that led to the creation of Shaolin kung fu. - See uploaded pics
 
Zhongyuan Henan DoJo Dedicated the Teachings and Spiritual Leadership of Daruma:
 
Yvelda has been very busy. Collecting reclaimed and fresh wood from the surrounding area and with the help of Graklak and the other Timlet Team members she has constructed a beautiful sanctuary. Yvelda has endeared herself to the people of Hugelwald and has offered not only sessions for learning the art of defense and offense in the Kung Fu style with weapons she has grown up and trained with but spiritual guidance and meditation to provide the trainees with the proper knowledge on when and how to fight with honor. This guidance has been of great benefit to helping the people of Hugelwald recover from the recent attacks and bring peace among the city. It has also allowed for growth on planning for other means of preparation for any future attacks besides just using brute force. The dojo is open to all and a knock at the door is all that’s needed to find strength and solace.
 
Spiritual Room for the Dojo - See uploaded pics
 
Training Room for Kung Fu in the Dojo - See uploaded pics
 
 
Ki and Magic – YVelda Grows Stronger along with the Weave of Universal Magic
 
YVelda Volen has had a very huge realization. The Ki is getting weird, different, stronger! Over the past several days after the battle with Barengar during the down time while Grand Duchess Beata and her army have taken over the castle, YVelda has been spending time meditating and working inside her spirituality. She has also done much research on the area of Jorgfurt. She is considering this for her barony due to the distance to monastery. It could be an excellent recruiting center and seemed peaceful and growth productive. Mainly populated by humans and dwarfs, who are already part of the current monastery, she was feeling a connection from a distance and wanted to go with her gut about the place she would pick. This could be a place of positive messaging and recruiting to increase the religion and strength of the monks in Hugelwald. She needs to talk to the group and Cora about this and see where they land on their own areas and Cora’s participation and role.
 
One day, she was in the yard practicing with her quarterstaff and her hands became very warm and started to glow. It was a feeling of power but, what kind of power? She became distracted listening to Elohihm yell directions at Graklak on the other side of the yard behind the large divided hedges in the garden. Looking down she realized the feeling had passed and her hands were normal once more.
 
For days, she thought of the glow and shifted back and forth between fear and excitement. What did it mean??? After dinner one evening, she pulled Elohihm aside and asked if he had ever heard of anything like this happening. They discussed the battles, the increasing discovery of magic in a world where there had been none and they had been the outcasts. Now, it seemed they were the chosen, the wanted, and the world was leaning their way. The more they ventured out the more they discovered magic was still out there, developing, and seemed to be gaining strength. Lord Barengar himself was proof. They decided to think on it and Elohihm asked to be kept posted on any further developments.
 
Again, training in the yard, ugh, it always seems that Graklak and Elohihm train when I do! She’s listening to the swipes, smacks and the declaration of spells and cantrips each are trying for the other to learn. It was irritating her as she practiced on the other side of the tall hedges. All the sudden the glow returned, more powerful than it had ever been, the feeling was of intense power. Yvelda flips over the hedge and lands between the sparing Timlinks, and when she try to alert Eloheim a resounding BOOM comes out of her mouth and the ground starts to tremor. Holding up in her hands in shock, suddenly, a flames shoot out of her palms giving both Eloheim and Graklak a great shock backwards and onto the ground. As they look up and recover ahe’s also stumbling and her eyes are big, round, surprised…she stares at Eloheim hard and he says, ‘Now that’s something we can work with.’ and laughs cracking them all up. Is this what magic feels like? I guess she’ll have to see.
 
Elohihm and YVelda start working together on a throughout the short-lived break combining and harnessing her Ki to re-produce the power she can feel; staying power to help her with advantage over their enemies. It is working but how will she use this newfound ability to do anything against enemies or to protect her clan or constituents in the new Castle location, Hugelwald, or Jorgurt?
 
One night, meditating that lead her into the deepest of sleeps Daruma came to her. He was glowing in the same glow of the Ki that she has been building. He smiles and floats towards her extending his arms palms upward. Daruma doesn’t speak in his regular tongue. All his words are coming out in the sound of the bells of the monastery but she understands. She can feel the God Gruumsh working with them and through them as Daruma begins to lead her in patterns and rituals of old Buddhist tradition she never knew of. The Ki grows stronger between them and she can feel the energy of light and dark forces of the universe and almost see and touch them in their forms as they slide past in misted apparitions. Daruma begins to spin and she follows suit, weaving her body and quarterstaff in lightning fast infinity rolls! All of the sudden infinity circles of the staffs expand out and surround her being. Daruma motions for her to spin over and over again gaining momentum to keep each of the bestowed spells strong to be carried onto the physical plane.
 
When she wakes she is exhausted as if she had been physically and mentally training for months. She knew it was real, felt it. There may have not been a physical item such as the magical pan flute she received from Daruma in their last dream plane connection but the soreness and pain were real. She needed to get Elohihm up and he and Graklak to the yard to test the spells and strength of the Ki. Discover and uncover the power of her new abilities, Now that she knows more of the truth of the powers of Ki how could this change training at the monastery and the increase the magical weave of the world in general? She couldn’t wait to talk with Cora… but first, just a few minutes of real sleep. As she reached under her pillow to fold her head and nod off she feels something and pulls out an object. It is an amulet in the symbol of the Dharma wheel; she could feel the warmth and the power of the key radiating in her hand. This she will carry with her every day forward.
 
The Symbol of Buddhism: The Dharma Wheel, or Dharmachakra

The Dharmachakra represents the eight-fold path, and the first teaching of Buddha after enlightenment
The Dharmachakra also called the Dharma Wheel, is the most important symbol of Buddhism. According to Buddhist legend, the wheel was turned when the Buddha was at Varnasi, his first teaching after enlightenment. While early forms of the symbols varied in their look, the longstanding Buddhist symbol takes the form of an eight-spoked wheel. The wheel represents the Dharma, the teachings of the Buddha. In the center of the wheel are three swirls that represent the three jewels of Buddhism, which are the Buddha (or the teacher), the Dharma (teachings of Buddha), and the sangha (the community). The Dharmachakra takes the form of a wheel to represent the completeness of the Dharma. By connecting the eight spokes, these Buddhist symbols show how the steps of the Eight Fold Path are connected, as are the three jewels at the center. The symbol of the Dharma Wheel provides inspiration and peace for the Bhodisatva (or the Buddhist practitioner).