"Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear. ."
-- MARK TWAIN
-- MARK TWAIN
BASIC INFORMATION
EaRLY LIFE
His business card reads 'Toyota Inko III, Expedition Guide and Explorer. No matter the danger, risk or difficulty. ' He has the guts to fill a factory size vat, and have some left over to give to you. He's a popular choice for both private expeditions and government funded explorations because he has a way of getting to and back from nearly impossible situations. He is also the only Musan (mice) to be a explorer, since the species tends to be more comfortable as entrepreneurs on the high scale and construction workers on the down scale. They are homebodies who don't enjoy travel and prefer to live in hoards with several extended family members living in the same house together. The usual Musan household includes the first family parents, children, grandparents, any aunts and uncles who are not married, and occasionally an aunt or uncle with their children. He prefers to be called Tom and refuses to acknowledge nicknames such as 'Toy" or "Tata." Although he doesn't enjoy resorting to violence, he will if he's angry enough or trying to protect something. His family did not approve of his choice of being an explorer at first, because they feared it would be too dangerous and was a job that was mainly for low class Canidans (dogs). They didn't think he would succeed, but he didn't care, he wanted to do it, so he did. -- Tom's father, (Also Toyota) was a serious, down to earth man who held onto traditions because that was all he had. He followed the rules, but had his moment to shine. Toyota II came from 5 generations of inkmakers. The one who started it all began when he came to the kingdom of Aeglia to work as a farmhand at a charcoal factory for ink production. They came from the Northeast, past the Qone Desert and beyond the Gangly Mountains. He fell in love, stayed and had kids like all others do. During that time, most of the children died early and rarely did any survive past youth. One of his sons adopted his father's work doing the layman's work, but another combined the burnt powder with the sap of trees and oil from lamps. His invention became widespread and although he did not become a rich man overnight, their family was able to move out of the tiny apartment into a family suite. The brothers built a name out of their product, which they gratuitously called Lampblack. Their work granted them the attention of Lord Pyrus, who gave them a mediocre and lowly job as inkmaker of the Court. Their family stayed with the Court, until their role became redundant, since others began making inks similar to Lampblack. Poverty did reach them, but they struggled to keep their position in the court, falling out of favor more and more. It was at the brink of abandonment, when spurred by the downward spiral, Toyota the First began to experiment with other materials. Instead of focusing on the ink itself, he created the ink dispenser which made writing portable. At the time there was only one way to make Lampblack, which was by dipping pentips into the pen. The ink dispenser could be inserted into a carefully crafted pen and let ink flow generously. It was a hit. The following generation, Yamaha followed with his father's legacy and continued in his footsteps. Toyota II was then given the torch. Their lives were easy. They lived in a townhouse, with all the family members contributing to the industry. They were a family owned business and besides the work they did for the Court, they kept a list of private clients. Toyota II had the misfortune of have one son, and 3 pretty girls. Tom was unruly. Unafraid. Uncharacteristic, in comparison to his older siblings and his ancestors. His relationship with his father was arduous. Once he was old enough to walk, climb and run, he was the bane of his father's existence. Although he loved drawing, especially mapping out the adventures he had, his father always found his adventurous nature disturbing. No one else in their family line had been as such. Tom loved his father in retrospect, but found him insufferably suffocating most times. As the only boy in the generation, he was expected to take on his father's vocation. His cousins had more skill with it, but as the son of the first sons, it was a responsibility he should have taken on. He wanted nothing to do with inkmaking besides using it. His mother encouraged him. Even though she was perfectly happy in the home, cleaning, cooking, tending to the house chores, she found him to be her little ray of curious sunshine. She was worried about him more often than she wasn't, but she worried about everything. Their marriage had been arranged and she'd been picked for her specific skillset and lack of ambition or headstrong qualities. He hates how she always defers to her husband's wishes and assumes she has no power. He was a mama's boy, but didn't let her control his actions. He always acted, then apologized, rather than ask for permission. She always was the forgiving sort. Even when his father held grudges and refused to negotiate with him (i.e. sending him to his room without dinner), she always came up to his room after dinner and fed him, making sure he had every bite. Out of his three sisters, Daiso was most like his mother, who was the middle daughter. The oldest sister, Moma, was like his mother, but also more like his father in the way she was very traditional in her ways of thinking and judgmental to anything that went against the grain. He doesn't like her much. Just prefers to stay out of her way. His third sister, was the one his father doted on. She was innately curious and had an interest in the industry and helped out in the store front. She was bright and good at selling ink. His sisters never had to worry about discipline from their parents because they were girls and sacred to the Musan household. To raise a hand against them was just as equal a sin as striking them to death. The worst they were subjected to was deep disappointment and disapproval. For him, he had no such protection. Most of the punishment he received was post-facto. It ranged from a night without food, corporeal punishment, or menial household chores. His father was strict, harboring specific times for curfew and even when dinner should be eaten. His mother was the more lenient, but even she could not keep her head up in front of his father. In a way his parents were overprotective. All Musan families were. They tended to stray from anything that might be from mere curiosity or reckless. They couldn't afford such lax tendencies. Since they were of the lower genus, they had to maintain a high level of wariness, because at any time tragedy could strike and have them sent into the Hunting Grounds. Tom refused to stay within the boundaries of the status quo. He was always poking his nose into things he shouldn't, talking to people he had no business with, things of that nature. In his family, he was always considered the odd ball out. His siblings didn't exactly desire his presence most of the time. They felt he was too unruly or bothersome with all his questions and meddling. His mother loved him, he knew that, but he didn't feel the affection. His father at one point was a kind and gentle hearted man. He loved his children, but Tom's personality clashed too much with his and their relationship was tense from the time Tom could run off on his own. They lived with his grandmother, his father's brother's family, and his mother's brother's family. Unlike many other Musan families, who were on the brink of poverty most often than not, Tom's family enjoyed relative luxury. Their house was small for the 23 people who lived inside, but it was a good sturdy home, with running water and plenty of rooms. There was always something happening in the house. Constant chatter, talk, or some sort of activity happening. Since they all worked for the same company, they often had family meetings. Tom deliberately refused to attend them after a certain age. Tom is a mix of street smart and book smart. He loves the lore and legends hidden in old tomes, but he also loves navigating the streets and making his own specialized maps for the city. He's intelligent, and an enthusiastic intellectual, but he prefers scholarship for a purpose of finding information. He doesn't peruse for the sake of just knowing random information. He doesn't think he's all that smart, but he knows how to make his way around a book and pen. He was taught with an iron fist from early on. Due to their close relationship with some of the Court members, Tom was allowed to be tutored. He was taught how to read and write, with some access to mathematics and basic engineering knowledge. He sat in on lessons, rather than truly being taught. He was not allowed to ask questions, or gain any help so his education was severely limited. His calligraphy on the other hand was polished into the best writing, since the students would take advantage of him and make him write out their homework for them. His spelling is pristine and his pronunciation more towards the aristocratic arena, but his vocabulary is largely based on street-speech. CAREER
Tom's work was discovered by chance when he was 15. His large scale map of Pyrria's slums caught the eye of Bogotas who saw the potential in the little mouse's skills. He first hired him as a page secretary, mark down his schedules and bring him his mail. After finding out that Tom had a penchant for being able to find paths that were unconventional but much quicker than any traditional route (due to his tendencies to climb, jump and squeeze through alleys), he gave Tom the opportunity to be hired as a scout apprentice in conjunction with military efforts. Tom was ecstatic and immediately agreed. It's a wild success and the Scouts are impressed with his abilities. They request him again and again for more missions and he gains reputation quickly. In 1564, when Tom is 17, he meets Chardonnay who has ideas of a different future. She plants the thought into Tom's mind that he must look further than just the lands within Aeglia. She mentions a place with all the answers and truth, known as the Library within the Desert of Qone. Intrigued by the thought that he might be able to find the old maps and manuscripts of ancients, he took her up on the offer. He departed to the northern borders into the Kingdom of Tsetquari, where he met nomadic Merchants who knew the Desert. Upon meeting him, they allowed him to participate in their cultural traditions and he integrated as he traveled, adapting quickly and garnering adoration due to his resilience versus size. The lands surrounding the Library are treacherous and the Nomads could not enter, so they left him at the 'gates' wishing him luck and wellness.He was alone in his final journey which tried him in ways he did not thought possible. He walked days without water, and his food ran out as well. He did not know whether he was walking in a particular direction, or in circles. All he knew was that by chance he was caught in a quick sand hole and after struggling initially, gave in to the fates and let himself sink. He fell into the top levels of the ancient library, finally entering the dim premises. The Library was ancient, held in a stasis from the magic that was brought into it by the inhabitants. He wandered its halls for days, in awe. He felt no hunger, thirst, or the passage of time. Someone was watching him, but everytime he turned his head, the vision was gone from the corners of his eyes. He absorbed himself in the old scripts, but most of the scripts were old languages he had no idea how to read. Frustration began to settle in when he realized his knowledge was severely limited. He had no way of translating the text, though he could see the pictures and vaguely make sense of the words. He scribbled down what he felt was important, transcribing the images and the text nearly identically. He only had a small book of paper, since it was expensive to buy and he had very little extra money to spend after buying bags, clothes and other items for traveling purposes. Wrote as small as possible, neatly as possible. He had no idea how many days went by, or if only minutes or hours. The fatigue never settled in and he remained alert, conscious, lucid during his early days inthe Library. Then he meets the creature who had been watching over him. The Library was once a great city, as he found the deep layers, but the culture was based upon knowledge and the recording of history. The Strigis were deligent and obsessive with their record keeping, making them distinctly precious to surrounding nations. The land used to be well known and traveled, before the Great Drought wiped out the flora and the sand foundations sunk, engulfing the city. Then he begins to see the forms of the residents. Every so often they would flicker in the corners of his eyes. Phantoms. It's one of the few things that truly sends shivers down his spine, even today. He remembers though, the longer he stayed, the more amicable the phantoms seemed to be. They even gave him reading advice. He had no idea how they were able to move the books, but they often knocked them off the shelves. It was during the time he was searching through the other rooms that he had an urge to open a door. The books rattled on the shelf and dust rose from the ground, but he did it anyways. A figure was sitting in the middle of the room, ink scrawled along its entire body. Accidentally, he brushed away the dust that had been settled very precisely on the ash-circle. Thenext few hours were by far the worst in his life. Trapped in the darkness of the corners of the giant library, Tom realized it was not a tomb but a prison. The being was fearsome in the ways the old creatures were, not exactly of the living kind and not quite the austere beauty of the Devas. Instead it was grotesque with maws of a lion, the scales of a reptile which peeled and flaked in certain regions. The thorns poked out from the textured skin, sharp and black with venom. Most bizarrely, a long tail was coiled, held latched to the ground, kept at a sharp line against the ground. It was serrated with articulated joints. He knew not what the name of the creature was, or whence it came, but he knew that he must run and leave. The ghosts of the library, despite their benevolence towards him were malicious once the magic that chained the monster was released. They rattled and screamed as he ran past, looking for escape routes. He managed to find his way through a long corridor, similar to the servant passages he used in the Aeglian castle on his way to the courts. There was always a back exit. He hid away from the creature with horns like a ram, piercing through its skull. In terror, he watched as it crawled past him, lethargic, gaining back its motility. He realized the creature knew exactly where it needed to go. Keeping quiet, a skill all Musans were born with, he followed after the monster and found himself walking through the ancient caverns of an underground passage way. It was untouched by civilized hands, and retained the sparkling qualities of a crystal grotto. As he traveled further and further, he felt the weight of time return to his body and the dreadful feeling of hungry as well as thirst. Thankfully there was a pool that sat in the bottom of the caverns. He drank his fill, abating hunger with water. It was fresh and clean, with a strange taste that wasn't unpleasant. He drank more and more until he could not drink anymore, feeling stronger and fresher than ever before. He made it out of the cavern with little but his journal in his pocket and the clothes on his back. Without knowing the gravity of his situation, for he had passed through the Caves of Arthmides and drank from the Waters of Lomos. Due to his trip into the Library, he would live far longer than the oldest Musans, with a vitality of his current years. He escaped and the heat and the hungry and thirst was never as bad as when he first left the Library. He was found wandering with blistered feet along the Desert of Qone by a band of merchants on their way to Avaria. He returned to Aeglia where he spent the next months translating the information he transcriped during his time in the Library. Chardonnay gave him special rights to the inner archives and connections to those who studied the ancient writ and languages. His journal was possibly the most valuable information at the time, yet painfully underrepresenting of the greatness of the Library. He did not know that he had been the first in many long years to have left the mythical kingdom. Yet in his escape he had unleashed a dark malice to the lands of Qoni. Wisely he did not mention the lake or the caves or how he escaped. FALLOUT
In the subsequent weeks of traveling between Chardonnay's home and his own crammed apartment, he saved a battered Felinan by smuggling him into his family home. When his family caught him, they were outraged. They screamed at him and nearly disowned him for his insolent behavior of bringing in the terror into their home. Unlike his family, he had little care for the natural hierarchy of the Animas, and was more interested in making sure a fellow citizen would survive. Little did he know that his heroic tendencies would lead to a lifetime of strife and uncertainty, for the man he saved was Jericho Patel, the sister-son of Chardonnay Cavelle. His father, terrified of the consequences of having a Felinan in his home told him the instant the man was able to function on his home that he and Tom must leave the premises. Tom agreed, having no lingering feelings to stay with his opressive family. He is the quiet sort, so there weren't many words he exchanged with the strange Felinan, but he knew that there was a kindness under the scars and intimidation. There was something about the way he held himself that gave Tom the hope that what he did was the right thing, despite the status quo. "Do you not fear me?" Finally the man wakes, lucid for the first time in a day. He still cannot stand, for he lost a lot of blood, but he manages to keep his eyes open. "No." How could a common Felinan strike fear in him when he's faced the monstrous beast and hungry. "Should I fear you?" The man stared but shook his head. "You are strange, but I find great comfort in your presence." It must be the milk of poppy speaking because no man, no Felinan would say that to a Musan. So perhaps they were both strange. When Jericho learned of his disownment due to his generosity, he offered the Musan a space in his home. He saw the tiny space Tom called home, a room with barely any space for a small palette and far too many precious journals to be safe in the home. Tom, agreed, only because he knew the various artifacts given to him by his friends in far places was too precious for him to keep it out unprotected. T The greatest disillusionment Toyota had in his life is the atrocious strictness in which Lord Pyrus would maintain stagnant growth refusing to allow for any technological advancements besides the growing of corn and wheat in larger quantities and anything relative to mundane facts of life. He knew the only way anyone could reach the far passageway over the Endling mountains was to develop the technology that would be able to fly them over or bore them under. Either way, he struggled most with the oppressive non-technologically expanding society he lived in. Which was why he went on a covert mission into the south to retrieve a precious mineral. The mineral was a crystallized viscous fluid which was frozen in the earth for centuries and millennia. He knew the extraction process only because Chardonnay had given him the information. The other part was because he was very skilled in getting into small spaces as well as getting out of them. He wrapped it up in the special fabric he procured from the markets which would preserve the cold environment the crystals needed to retain their shape. He brought the particles to Jerry who happened to be a energy scientist. Though this connection, they spent more time together trying to figure out ways to provide a source of energy. At first Jerry was skeptical that energy could be made from it, but Tom was convinced due to the information he managed to collect from the Library. During the next three years, Tom invested all his free time in helping Jerry around the house and lab. When they discovered the method to breakdown the crystalline structures into a form that could release energy if exposed to mechanical motion, then Tom began to develop his own instrumentations with the help of Toffee who specialized in transportation gear. She was wary of his interest, but since they had been friends for a long period of time, she agreed and helped him. Between this time, he had a fallout with Jerry which resulted in their separation due to the fact that he had essentially stolen Jerry's work. Jerry felt obligated to place a patent on the technology and kept it hidden with the help of Chardonnay, Bogotas, and Presiliere. Then came the Revolution of the Leporans. While Jerry kept the pertinent information quiet and secret, he used the contraptions that Tom and Toffee built to create weaponized version which could eliminate the disparity in power between flying creatures and land animals. During this time, several trials were taking place which revealed the immoral tastes of the raptorian population. Especially those in high positions. The major trial was that of Beirut, a Pied Bat from the North, who had been a slave to the Ferrano family. The family was not indicted, but it began the storm in the lower castes which propagated throughout the nation. They found they were weak alone, but immensely strong together. With the help of Jerry's technology, Chardonnay's political games, and the slow devaluation of the monarchy policy, they were able to bring the revolution about. Tom was recruited by Chardonnay through blackmailing, to be enlisted into the revolution in smuggling the weaponry to the commoners. He was reluctant, but knew there was no other person who was as easily disposable and manipulatable as he was. He understood this was for the greater good. He knew he had skills, so he became a bootlegger of sorts. There was a time when he was almost captured and killed on the spot but he escaped due to the quick interference of Jerry. Their relationship becomes a whirlwind of emotions quickly after and neither of them really understand how deeply the feelings go during the short period of the revolution. The Revolution only lasted about 4 months and was one of the most brutal in the history of Cuprea. CAPTURE & ESCAPE
Unfortunately, Tom was spurred to go back to the Library about 1 month after the total destruction of the previous government. The transition was rather smooth, considering there were several council members who were preparing for long periods of time for the opportunity of revolution. The one who urged him to leave was Chardonnay, who did not want Jerry to get tied to such a short living creature. The average Musan lived to about 37 and rarely reached 40 yrs old, which is nearly a third of how long a Felinan lives. His travel led to his unfortunate capture and conversion into a slave sent to the Palace of Czarajan. They traveled much like tethered animals through the desert. He was not chosen during the initial round, so he was essentially automatically sent to be a construction worker for the royal civil department. He spent 2 weeks under hard labor when he gave key input in the transportation of the materials and gained unwanted notice. Irritated by his intelligence, the headman sent him to the dinner party, which usually meant death for a Musan. The dinner was with the Czarajan and his nobility. Nobody chose him for he was skinny, and his bones stuck out. Unlike other Musans, he's abnormally without instinctual fear and spoke candidly no matter what the situation or person. This interested the Czarajan Prince who was a Cobrisi and only ate other Nagas rather than Musans, Leporans, or other creatures. He was asked why he had been sent to the dinner, a euphemism for a death sentence. He responded with careful words, not to incriminate his overseer and said, "I spoke out of turn, in the hopes of improving the construction of greatness." Impressed by his tactfulness, the Prince made him show what advice he had given, from the massive towering palace parapets, the entire town could be seen. From there he pointed out that the fastest routes were not through the large busy streets, especially when transporting lots of materials, but through the side passages which were smaller but less used. Mildly entertained by the quiet Musan, Tarkash obliged to keep Tom alive. He found the overseer who had sent Tom to his 'death' and made Tom watch as he ate him. Tom had nightmares of the scene for the rest of his life. It was the image of being eaten alive after having a venom lull you into a trance that scared him most. Sensing the fear, Tarkash had an entertaining time antagonizing his new pet secretary. It was during this time Tarkash caught Tom sketching out the scene that kept returning to his dreams, of the overseer being swallowed into an unhinged mouth. Tarkash thought the drawing to be incredibly beautiful so gave Tom special tasks in drawing various things, usually gruesome events. He would take Tom to the pits where the lowest of the low slaves slept and fought for food. He was forced to watch as bread was dropped down and the slaves nearly tore each other apart to get the stale bread crumbs. What scared him more was Tarkash watching with him, completely enthralled by the violence. During his time in Rajnagara, he gained the position of Royal Scribe and Record Keeper. Although he knew little of the language, he learned quickly under the tutelage of Koan, the wizen Fennec who tutored nearly all of the nobility. During his enslavement, he thought about Jerry, longed for his companionship, sometimes wrote him letters but kept them hidden so no one could know his heart. Koan in the end found the journal and knew all about it, but he kept his tongue bit. He also met Bigelow, who was the most rambunctious person he ever met. Bigelow nearly tore his ear off in a fight, instigated by Tarkash himself who kept Bigelow for his unusually violent personality. A beautiful peacock who had his wings torn off for everyone to see, and his tail plucked when the noble thought it appropriate. The lifestyle had caused Bigelow to fight more like a rooster than a peacock. He kept his nails sharp and his muscles lean. Tom saved himself when he climbed up a tree, somewhere Bigelow could not go. Although a sign of cowardice, Tarkash had thought the whole situation hilarious and gave them the opportunity to become friends. They were thick as thieves once they got to know each other. Although Bigelow was a slave, he was a pet, so he had the distinct allowance to roam wherever he wanted. He knew the castle's ins and outs better than anyone else. It was during one of their many excursions, out in the city when a few very angry and murderous rats attempted to kill Tarkash. The guards were too surprised to make much effort in protection Tarkash. Remembering the fighting techniques Bigelow taught him, he stole a dagger from an oncoming rat and fought off an offender who had come close to killing Tarkash. The split moment was all Tarkash needed before he exploded out of his carriage and destroyed the few remaining. Although Tom was terrified of the wrath of Tarkash, he did not expect Tarkash to give him his freedom for saving his life. He did not know that saving a life, when one is not expected to is the highest payment of respect he could give in the kingdom of Tsetquari. He was given an honored medal, and the mark of a free-man in the nation of Tsetquari, under the protection of Tarkash. He gladly received the mark upon his collarbone, though painful it had been when getting it. He was also gifted several items that would make any man jealous. For two months, he stayed in Rajnagara because he wanted to find a way to get Bigelow out. Unfortunately, he could not without enraging his previous master so he simply waited until Bigelow wished to leave. He left a week before Bigelow and they met up in the shelter of the nomadic tribes which Tom had special relations with due to his previous travels with them. They find the Library once more and this time Tom knows his way in and out of the Library. He does not stay long, for he knows the weakness that results. He gathers as much information as possible about the sea and the original creation stories of the world. Bigelow finds the entire place to be terrifying and does not appreciate it one bit. They leave earlier than Tom likes, but they make it out. They meet up with the Nomad tribe that Tom agreed to pay if they met them at a specific location and make their way down to Arnabos. During their travels, he hears rumors of a terror that has been unleashed in the Desert of Qone, that wreaks havok on all the nomads. Tom does not realize he was the cause and maintains civil ignorance. When they arrive in Arnabos, the first news he hears is that Jerry has become a hero and a very wealthy man. In a few days he would be receiving the Presiliere Award, named after the politician who died during the revolution. Tom and Bigelow travel swiftly to make sure that Tom can make it to Lebros in time, but various hurdles prop up during their travels and he is delayed. He arrives three days after the ceremony when Jerry is at a press conference. He tells Bigelow to get a place to stay in an inn. He waits in Jerry's home, having climbed the wall to get in through the window. When Jerry returns, it's a bittersweet reunion, but like Tom once said to Bigelow during their travels, "Returning to him is like seeing a beacon on a dark night, having gotten lost." Tom is a person who is disinterested in monogamous, committed relationships, but he does not betray Jerry even throughout the rest of his life. His heart was given to Jerry the moment he found him in a ditch, bleeding and dying. He never knew what he wanted out of a relationship, but he knows the Jerry is the only person in the world who would deal with his wacky personality and love him for who he was, even though he's a bit smothering about it. Tom gives Jerry the notes and letters that he collected over the two years he was captured. He is more skittish now, and does not have the same exuberance he once had, but Jerry only loved him more for it, which made him guilty. Sometimes he wished Jerry would forget about him and move on, so he could be happy. He knew he couldn't give Jerry what he wanted. Jerry always talked about having kids, and someone to come home to after a long day of work. He couldn't give that to Jerry. He never cared for children, he had too many ambitions to think about them. At the same time Chardonnay was weaving a long string of guilt in Tom for returning to Jerry. He spends his days up in his loft. Bigelow has made a good living situation for himself as a bartender. He makes a lot of money off of tips and as the occasional bouncer. When Tom asks whether he likes his life better or if there's any other aspirations he has, he simply remarks, "I've got a lovely broad, a home, and no dicks to suck, it's more than I ever thought possible." Bigelow marries another peahen, of plain looks but the daughter of the bar owner. He easily fits into the Northern community here. Although Tom wants to spend time with Jerry, and stick around, his wanderlust returns quickly and he's antsy for another expedition. He tries to take up scribing, but most people are afraid he will soon die despite his lack of aging. There are rumors about him, mostly about how he is a sprite who bewitched Jerry into falling in love with him. Also how he traded his soul to gain eternal youth. It's during this time that Chardonnay introduces him to Dartmouth, a savvy pre-Arnabos lieutenant who was looking to build an easterly road. He struggles with accepting the offer when finally given to him. It's Jerry who finds out later due to his sour mood. Jerry tells him if he must go, to go. He does not think twice after. He packs his stuff and joins the expedition, leaving Jerry behind, again. The expedition begins with a troop of 120 odd folk. Carpenters, blacksmiths, farriers, transporters, couriers, etc. As they move further and further away from Lebros, people are sent back to Lebros to report. Through this, Tom is able to keep in contact with Jerry. Unfortunately it's a one-way communication and Jerry can never respond to Tom. TRAVEL TO THE SEA
The journey is long, not because of the distance, but because they are also making treaties and agreements with the other nations to build the road. He gains many friends and acquaintances along the way. People who are enticed by his youthful face, yet wise words. They reach the Endling mountains and that is when the difficulties begin to arise. They manage to plow their way through the mountains. An endeavor that lasted 3 months, a healthy dosage of hard work and a shot of despair every few miles. The tunnel finally breaks through to the other side and what they find is nothing like they imagined. No one had seen the sea in milleniums. Long long eons had gone by. Tom was entranced. He helped build the town that they used as a settlement post, getting to know the natives who were strangers to the inner lands. With their help, they established the town of Jericho, named by Tom, though he would not tell anyone why he named it such. During this time he slowly began to inscribe a tattoo onto his body. He knew he wanted a map drawn so he started with Jericho scrawled onto his hand, because he helped build the city up with his bare hands. Then up along his wrist, the Endling mountains were added. Then along his arm the nations of Hjortheim, ----, and ----- until at his shoulder was the border of Arnabos. After a year of getting tattoos slowly scrawled along his arm, on the anniversary of the day he left Jericho behind, he got the last tattoo. The mark of Lebros just above his heart, because that is where he left it. His finger tips are later colored in blue to signify the ocean. |