The Anchorwind Matriarchs
Spike, Simon, and Boco walk through the portal from Lion’s Arch into Divinity’s Reach.
Spike and Simon gasp with wonder!
Spike: Crysania was here!
Simon nods vigorously, other people can tell!
Spike: Look at all the planets and stars orbiting each other on the ceiling!
Simon sits and takes in the sight.
Spike: That big moon isn’t smiling though, that’s weird.
Simon: It still is a big domed room with beams of light coming down, and a tower on one side.
Spike grins: We made it, dood.
Boco: Kweh?
Simon: Kweh!
Spike arches an eyebrow quizzicly.
Simon: Boco still doesn’t know who Crysania is, remember.
Spike: Oh yeah.
Without another word, they dash off north, to the grand building on the other side of the celestial display!
They quietly open the large red doors, under careful watch of the Shining Blade Guards, and try to walk in. They can’t wait to surprise Crysania.
Shining Blade Guard 3: Your Moa will have to wait out here.
Boco shoves his beak in the air with disgust: Kweh…
Simon tries to reassure Boco that this will be a short trip: Kweh, Kweh!
Shining Blade Guard 3 looks confused.
Spike: You get used to it.
In they go, but they don’t find her. As they approach the large throne, they are interrupted.
Shining Blade Guard 1: State your business, citizen.
Spike: Who are you, and where is Crysania?!
Shining Blade Guard 1: Who?
The pair are both deflated and frustrated.
Spike: Will people quit saying that?
Simon looks at the camera: No, seriously.
Shining Blade Guard 1 grows stern: You are in the presence of Queen Jennah – who is about to retire for the night – STATE. YOUR. BUSINESS.
Spike: Who?
Shining Blade Guard 1: OUT! NOW!
Several Shining Blade Guards promptly converge on the pair and escort them out of the throne room and back outside to find Boco staring down the same guard with menace.
They all sit on the steps outside of the throne room, looking at the orbiting celestial display.
Spike: WTF, dood!
Simon shrugs helplessly.
Boco offers a quiet ‘Kweh.’
Spike: Now that I stop to think, since when did Crysania ever get into pillars and shrubbery?
Simon: …yeah, that’s true.
They both sigh.
Simon: There’s still the Loremasters.
Spike leaps to his feet: and the pubs!
It was true. People were retiring for the night, surely that meant other people were just getting started. Somewhere in this bastion of humanity there must be a good place for an ale, or several.
They, at random, decided to head southeast. Musing on all the houses stacked up on top of each other, and crammed next to each other and how it reminded them of Kaineng a bit, they came to the Plaza of Kormir.
Spike: Kormir, eh?
Simon looks at the camera: What a @#$%, right?
Spike shakes his head: Friendly Charr, talking plants, smart midgets, and worshipping Kormir. What has happened to this world?
Citizen 1: Are you speaking ill of the 6?
Spike: Son, I was there when Kormir triggered Nightfall.
Citizen 1 laughs: And I’m the King of Divinity’s Reach!
Simon’s flame erupts, and he marches with intent right to the citizen by the statue: You got a problem, kid?
Citizen 1: …kinda?
Simon yells: SPEAK!
Everyone nearby stops and looks at Simon effectively tower over this frightened citizen.
The citizen sidesteps a couple times before backing away: Nah, I’m good.
Simon growls: @#$%ing Kormir.
Spike nods and pets Boco, who is visibly keeping a distance from Simon.
Spike smiles: It’s ok. You weren’t there, you don’t understand.
Boco keeps his distance anyway.
Descending from the Plaza of Kormir, they wander around past this circus tent full of noise making devices.
Stopping to listen a bit, Spike turns to Simon and ponders aloud: You know, dood, you used to give some of the best fire dances anyone has ever seen. Full of twirling things and…fire!
Simon smiles: When we find Crysania, I shall fire dance again!
Boco cheers: Kweh!
Moving on from a brief stop at the noise tent, they find a place called The Dead End. The Dead End seemed to be a hole-in-the-wall place, and Boco seemed content to continue wandering around outside, but inside was bustling with activity! In the corner, opposite the fireplace, there was a table littered with books and a single chair. Seated in the chair was a man constantly bouncing between his pen and his tankard.
Spike nudges Simon and points to the man: Reminds me of Dandd.
Simon nods, although it’s hard to tell.
They both cozy up to the bar and Spike orders an ale. Few seem to notice Simon orders nothing. On Spike’s second ale, Simon moves to the fireplace and sits down. ‘It’s good just to relax a bit now and then’ he thought.
In typical Spike fashion, a drinking contest came about. It was Spike vs. a man much again his size. The crowd’s elevated noise interfered with the man with the books, trying to write and drink. The crowd’s noise reached fever pitch when Spike’s opponent began to wobble a bit.
In typical Spike fashion, the @#$% talking got louder as well.
Spike: Don’t you know who I am? CLAN ANCHORWIND, @#$%& !!
Spike downs another one, and the crowd roars! However, the man was piqued, and began flipping through one of his books with intent.
Spike’s opponent downs another one as well, but leans heavily on the large wooden pillar on the corner of the bar.
Spike downs two more, one in each hand: FOR CRYSANIA!
The man taps a page in his book a couple times, and turns in his chair to look at Spike with interest.
Spike’s opponent tries to double-fist his drinks and falls forward, face down on the bar floor.
Simon re-joins his friend to raise his fist in triumph.
Simon: Your Winner: SPIKEANGELO ZENOBIUS ANCHORWIND!
The man in the corner looks back at his book and taps a line just beneath the first place he tapped.
Simon looks down at the fallen opponent and holds an L to his flame: Pay up, LOSER.
Patron 2 takes a cheap shot kick to Simon, while bent over.
Patron 2: He ain’t payin’ not’in.
Simon stands back up, dusts himself off and fist-bumps with Spike, fusing together.
Patron 2, visibly frightened, reflexively throws a half-full tankard at Spike. Spike moves out of the way, where the tankard flies through the Aura of Simon and ignites. The flaming tankard impacts another patron across the bar and spills ale all over their shirt.
Patron 4: Oi! Who did that?
Several patrons point at patron 2, while patron 2 points at Spike. One patron points at another who wasn’t involved at all.
For whatever reason, Patron 4 decides to throw the tankard back at patron 2, but has terrible aim and hits patron 5. Patron 5 spins around off his stool, very angry, and ponders his reaction.
Patron 3: BAR FIGHT!
Spike wastes no time in punching the lights out of a half-inebriated patron 2 and then the Aura of Simon burns a smiley face into his shirt just for the fun of it, much to the amusement of the man in the corner, who never really took his eyes off of the fused pair. The man in the corner calmly got up and followed the pair out of The Dead End, and left the rest of the patrons to brawl it out, as the bartender was trying his best to stop his place from being damaged any further.
The pair leave The Dead End and Simon takes his own form again.
The man from the corner: STOP!
Simon: I need to go find Boco.
Spike nods and they part ways for now.
Spike: What can I do you for?
The man from the corner: Who are you?
Spike frowns: It’s awfully rude to ask that without introducing yourself, yes?
The man from the corner looks taken aback: Well, yes, I suppose. I’m one of Krytan’s Loremasters.
Spike cheers.
Loremaster: If I heard you right, you said Anchorwind?
Spike nods thoroughly.
The Loremaster Smiles: Come to my place in the morning, we have much to discuss. It’s a blue trimmed house in the Ossan Quarter, near a masked statue on a pillar. It’s hard to miss.
Spike: Is this about Crysania?
The Loremaster: According to my books, Yes.
Spike: LLLEEEEOOOOO! IIIIII FFFFOOOUUNNNDDDD IIIITTTTT!
Loremaster: What?
Spike: I mean…. SSSSSIIIIIMMMOOONNN!!! WWWEEEE FFFOOOUUUNNNDDD HHHEEERRRR!!!
Loremaster: Simon is the peculiar one who is….
Spike: On fire?
The Loremaster nods.
Spike: You get used to it.
Simon: Boco, did you hear something?
Boco nods: Kweh.
Simon: Now where are we?
Boco shakes his head: Kweh…
Simon: Yes, these are pretty tents, but we need to get back.
–
The next morning, much to the excitement of Spike and Simon, they find the Loremaster’s House in the Ossan Quarter.
Spike goes to knock on the door, but the Loremaster opens the door as they approach: Welcome, welcome!
Spike and Simon freeze for a moment, and Spike forgets to lower his raised fist, prepared to knock still.
The Loremaster grins: Come in, come in!
They all enter, and immediately Boco rests near the cooking stove.
Spike: Wow, this place is very…Vabbian.
The Loremaster smiles: I have a feeling you’ve been there.
Spike laughs: More times than I can count.
Simon growls: @#$%ing Kormir.
The Loremaster chuckles: I heard there was an incident at the plaza.
Spike: There wasn’t any trouble, just a couple words exchanged.
The Loremaster shrugs: Must have been something else.
Spike: Anyway, I don’t think you brought us here to talk about Kormir.
The Loremaster inhales: No, no. Not this time anyway.
The Loremaster chuckles to himself, but continues: I conduct research on certain clans. Human clans that had achieved “Champion of the Gods” status following the Invasion of Ascalon. Clan Anchorwind was one of those clans.
Spike and Simon look at each other: CRYSANIA!
The Loremaster: Yes, her name is written here. One of the Anchorwind Matriarchs.
Simon looks at the camera: One?
Spike: My thoughts exactly, there was only one Crysania.
The Loremaster: Sure. There is only one Crysania, but according to my Research, there were 5 Anchorwind Matriarchs.
Spike takes a seat at the table next to the Loremaster.
The Loremaster: According to my book here, there was Crysania the Healer.
Spike and Simon both Cheer.
The Loremaster continues: Samus the bounty hunter, Zenobia of the Ogre Battles, Terra the Esper, and Marle the Time Traveller.
Spike hmms.
Spike: So they could all be around?
The Loremaster laughs: Oh I highly doubt it. These records are ancient, and are periodically transcribed again so they aren’t lost due to age. I’m sure they’re all long since dead. You’d have to track down their descendants.
Spike growls angrily: Crysania isn’t dead. Well…she is – but she’s still around!
The Loremaster leans back in his chair: Look. I’ve seen many a great and wonderful thing. However, a Matriarch of an entire clan, a Champion of the Gods, – herself – dead but still around? You’re talking about something way beyond the scope of the normal living being.
Spike: …and we have to find her!
The Loremaster: He said your name was, what again?
Spike: Spikelangelo.
The Loremaster: Full name.
Spike: Spikelangelo Zenobius Anchorwind. Has a nice ring to it, no?
The Loremaster: Your name has some of your clan heritage.
Spike: Oh…
The Loremaster: Your mom surely knew that.
Spike taps his index fingers together nervously: I’m sure she did.
The Loremaster: I’m not fluent where all portals lead, how big the mists are, how many continents there are, where all ships go, etc. It wouldn’t surprise me if each Matriarch had her own clan facet-
Simon looks at the camera: Probably not Samus.
The Loremaster: -Things tend to grow over time. We’re talking a long time here.
Spike: We can worry about everyone else later. They’re probably long since dead and on other worlds and way beyond our reach…
Simon interrupts: Then how did you know about them?
The Loremaster smiles: Now THAT is a good question. The answer to that is before my time. I inherited these copies, and I don’t know much of your clan – I’ve just made copies of your information so I recognized the name. It helps that your clan starts with an “A”
Spike growls: NONE OF THIS HELPS US FIND CRYSANIA!
The Loremaster smiles again: Look at my book.
The Loremaster’s finger scrolls down past a very long list of names until it rests on the last one in his book: Richter Anchorwind.
Spike: Richter Anchorwind.
Simon: That name sounds familiar.
The Loremaster: He is human mesmer, from a noble family here – in Divinity’s Reach – who is a known Dwayna believer. He was last seen in the Maguuma Wastes helping people, last I knew.
Simon smiles: Sounds like my kind of guy.
Spike grins too: He’ll fit right in.
The Loremaster: He might have some more information about your Matriarchs, and the rest of your Clan for that matter.
Simon: What do you say dood. Go find this Richter guy?
Spike: Or go after Wizard’s Tower?
Boco: Kweh?
Simon: Good point. Why not both?
Spike nods: Indeed. Let’s do both!
The pair in unison: Thank you, dood!
The Loremaster grabs a pen: what was your name?
Simon: Simon.
Loremaster: Full name.
Simon: Ummm… Simon Says Quin.
Loremaster: What an odd name for an odd fellow.
Simon’s flame dies to an ember.
Loremaster: And you’re both descendants of Crysania Anchorwind? How many generations?
Spike and Simon look at each other.
Spike offers shakily: Children, let’s go with children.
The Loremaster looks up from his book: You’re trying to tell me you’re hundreds of years old? That you somehow survived the Charr, and witnessed the Gods leave us to squander amongst ourselves.
Spike: The first part yes, we were probably drunk and passed out for the second part.
The Loremaster scribbles their names on the bottom of the page, near Richter’s: Whatever. Go find your clan-mate. I can do no more for you.
They grumble loudly, but they leave.
Spike: One of these days, people will believe us.
Simon: When we find Crysania.
Spike and Simon together: Yeah, when we find Crysania…
The pair begin their walk towards a portal, still searching. Still searching.
References:
Guild Wars
The Matriarchs (Metroid, Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy VI, Ogre Battle, Dragonlance)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Movie)