History of Valdessi
Valdessi's past
Fires of the Past
I was born in the city of Kiev in a country far to the west. There, life is not so much different than it is here. Children run through the streets of the cities, old men sell their goods at the market, and house wives do their daily chores. To someone who was traveling through Kiev, it would appear like a normal place...just another town...just another life.
Then there was the view of the people that lived there. The emperor was harsh and his soldiers harsher. People would be exectued daily for his amusement, laws were unfair and cruel, and the hints of rebellion threatened to tear the nation apart. Times were tough and getting tougher. Every death of an innocent begger or a blind man would add fuel to the fires that were beginning to sweep across Kiev. It was just a matter of time.
My father, Vladimir Teresov was one of those men that sought a new way of life...a new beginning. He and my mother joined a resistance movement called the Am Nah Shak. As times got harder, so did my father. His compelling speeches and secret meetings began to take the city by storm. He worked hard to defend the citizens and it was only a matter of time before he began to capture their hearts and minds. As the Am Nah Shak grew stronger and my father rose through their ranks, he became bolder and more defiant.
My mother was just as passionate was he was. She would go through the streets and bring the beggers and homeless to places where the city guards couldn't arrest them. This was a direct defiance of the laws of Kiev. The Emperor had no tolorance for beggers and the poor and demanded that all be brought to him for trial immediately. Everyone knew that this was to feed his sadistic bloodlust, but few ever stepped up to do anything about it.
That is probably why my mother was arrested. No one knows the exact reason for sure. She was walking through the market one day and Guards from the Palace attacked her. She was not a strong woman and had no hope of defending herself and nearly died in the intial assault. She was arrested and tried for treason. Of course she was found guilty and she suffered a public execution
My father wept bitterly for her for what seemed like days. People had doubts that he would continue with his mission. They thought that the Am Nah Shak and the growing resistance movement would soon perish. They were wrong. My mother's death added the last spark that would be needed to start a war. My father gathered the Am Nah Shak together and attacked a garrison outside of Kiev. The war had begun.
The Emperor tried to retaliate, but the Am Nah Shak were like ghosts. They would hit a lightly defended target and vanish. There was little an army trained for open war could do against these tactics. The attacks continued for sometime, but it was only a matter of time before success made my father careless. He became too successful and too bold for his own good.
My father, the Am Nah Shak, and an angry mob stormed the palace. A bloody battle raged on between the Emporer's army and the Am Nah Shak. I guess you could say that my father was victorious in the end because his body was found near the Emperor's corpse and my father's sword was buried in his enemy's chest. Unfortuately, my father suffered a similar fate.
Had I been older, I would have continued what my father started, but I was just a boy. Having nothing but memories, feelings of hopelessness, and a desire to move on from my shattered life, I left Kiev. I really didn't know much about the world outside those gates. My father had taught me how to hunt and how to survive, but I never that those skills would be of any use except for gathering food. Little did I know how much those basic skills would play a part in my life.
A legacy is born
Wandering and seeking
I didn't know where I was going or what I was looking for. Things were a blur at first. No family, no friends, and no home. All I had were memories, emotions, and the basic tools for survival. All I carried was an extra set of clothing, a knife, and a bow with a few arrows. With that all in hand, I moved East, making my way from one river to the next and crossing over lands that I never knew existed.
The exploration and the wild lifestyle had captured my imagination and my passion. I longed to learn more about myself and more about nature. Little did I know that this was the call of the wild...the calling of the Rangers.
I really don't know how many yuri I spent in the wilderness, but I still remember the day that I came across the Western gates of Buya. The mighty wall of that city was a sight to behold, especially since I hadn't seen anything larger than a villiage in many yuri. This was almost new to me and of course brought back vague memories of the past.
I decided that Buya was the place for me. It's libraries held vast abounts of information about the Tao, balance, nature, and many other interesting subjects. The thirst I had for so long was finally being quenched by my new knowledge. I learned more about the world in those first three yuri than I ever did alone in the wild. Sure, my experiences were numerous, but my actual knowledge of the world was so limited. All of these new views were facinating to me.
When I wasn't reading, I was earning money by selling wool from the wild sheep and gathering deposits of amber that I would find laying in the crevices of rocks in caves. Life was slow and became monotonous, yet I didn't hault my studies.
It wasn't long before I came across a scroll that interested me more than the others. It was the Ranger's Code. In it were details of trapping, knowledge of nature, and skills of the wilderness. I learned that the Rangers were a small band of people that believed in very much the same things that I did. I began to seek them.
Those were the days when Angelica was Elder. She trained me in the ways of the Ranger and before long, I was named a member of the Circle that I so desparetly sought. I knew instantly that I was home...that I had found my calling and my fate.
I had my ups and downs in the Rangers. I walked the path, guideded it, and now have the honor of leading it. I only hope that I can follow in the footsteps of the great elders before me. My goal is to bring the Rangers to new levels. I believe I can attain that.
*Fiery Passion*
*Burning Desire*
*Endless Hope*
Always remember that you are in the eyes of the Ever Watchful...the Eyes of the Rangers.
Valdessi Teresov, son of Vladimir Teresov
Elder of the Rangers