[Stories] Origin Stories

 Our first Action Project of the main year! This one is for my humanities class, Stories. The first unit of Stories has been all about origin myths and theories. We had Lily Be come in and talk about how anything can become a story. We also looked at a few including The Norse creation story, The Big Bang, and the Cherokee creation story. These all were helpful in thinking about origins to the world and people, but I went with something a little different. I decided to make an origin story for a single person, who is in fact my dungeons and dragon character. It is about where their powers originated and how one lucky moment spawned a whole new future.

Tracan Holimion: Origin 

Nosk

Skai and Jada looked over his body, Tracan, their friend, no, more than a friend, He was family. But as they watched, he grew taller, his ears shrunk to almost nothing, his skin darkened until it was like staring at the night sky. He was like nothing they had ever seen. He resembled a changeling but there were a few strange differences. First, changelings are milk-colored, they appear made of porcelain, and his blood was purple, similar to Mind Flayer’s and other aberrations. They searched his body, looking for answers until they happened upon a journal, dated back 40 years prior. They opened it and started to read.

---

The blinding light creeps into my room. I shuffle around against the rough ground to try and block it out. I have so little rest in my body, My only thought is to savor the few seconds I have before-

“Wake up, before I make you” The voice slithers into my mind. I sit up with my head down. There’s no point in pretending to not hear. He can sense the thoughts racing through my head, a telling sign of my consciousness. I look up at who’s got transfer duty today. A slimy grey face with tentacles on one end, like a squid placed on top of a human body. My keepers are Illithids, more commonly called Mind Flayers. This particular one is Tress, who seems to be some sort of screwup, as he is often on transfer duty. Transferring is the most dreaded of all jobs because then they have to interact with such gross monstrosities as we are. If not for the importance of the “cargo” as they call us, they would have a thrall do it. “Stand. Up.” said the voice. I did as he said and examined my reflection in the transparent walls. An obsidian face with long, silvery hair looks back. One of the panels is opened and I slowly walk out, careful to not make any sort of threatening action, as that would immediately be met with punishment. Tress led me over to the examination area and asked me the daily questions. “Approximately how long were you unconscious?”

“Three hours and twenty-three minutes”

“Do you have any currently open wounds?”

“Yes, on my back, although you would know that already” I looked at him to try and see his reaction to such a comment, on a bad day that would result in punishment. His face is covered in tentacles, normally hard to read but with a decade of practice, I’ve gotten good at it. The slight twinkle in his eyes showed he was amused. 

“Don’t worry, as we were walking over I disconnected from the hive mind, and I’m in a good mood. I won’t be punishing you today.”

I sighed. “Sometimes you worry me. Why can’t you always be disconnected? It would be nice to have someone who is nice all the time, instead of in infrequent, fleeting moments.”

“It’s not my choice, Nosk.” It took me a second to remember that was, no, is my name. Usually, if I am referred to at all, it is by a number. 003. I was the third child to be born in this lab. I do not know who birthed me, like a turtle in its den, the earliest memory I have is of that damp, dark room. Unfortunately, I don’t have any moonlight to guide me.

Tress continues, “When an Elder Brain decides it wants to check what I’m thinking about, it just happens.” He continued his examination, the rest of the questions could be answered fairly easily by just looking at me. He then led me over to the testing room. The more violent test subjects have to be restrained. I know there’s no point, I’ll just be punished, so I just follow. Little things like that make me know that their trust can be earned to the point of release, as long as I just keep being good. If I follow directions, eventually I must be let out. It only makes sense. I enter the testing room and sit on the chair. A pleasant, non Illithid voice flows through my ears as it plays through the speaker. A nice change of pace from the slimy mind talk that is always a surprise, no matter how many times I “hear” it. 

“Welcome to day 3700 of Shapechanger-Ceromorph testing. We are going to go through some basic Shapeshifting practice today. Say “Yes” when you are ready to proceed. Be warned, if you choose to not say yes, you may be subject to punishment.” I should probably clarify why I am here instead of having a thrall brand on my neck. I am a changeling, a race of shapeshifters that are often outcasts from society. Except I’ve never known a society to be outcast from. Mindflayers don’t breed through normal means, they have to insert a parasitic tadpole into a victim’s eye, where it then devours the brain and takes over the body by attaching to the brain stem, transforming it into an Illithid and subjecting it to the control of Elder Brains. They want to see if they can make a changeling suitable for this process, as it has never been done before but would be very strong for them.

“Yes,” I reply. I’ve only ever refused to say yes once, and it was the worst punishment I’d experienced. My only worldly possession, and my sole source of entertainment, a book of Elvin Mythology, was burned in front of me. I’ve never dared refuse again.

“Thank you. In front of you, there should be an illusion of some sample humanoids. Please change into each of them as you see them.” I’ve done this exercise thousands of times before. The first illusion pops up. I’ve only learned what these are by the cleaner thralls that come and sometimes, if there are no Mind Flayers around, talk to me. A bright smiling Elf appears. They are always smiling, but I’ve never seen one smiling in real life. I change into her, and a bright green checkmark flashes. “One out of two-hundred-eighty-thousand five hundred seventy-seven.” 

“Here we go…” I mutter and I prepare myself for the next 18 or so hours of testing.

---

“Two-hundred-eighty-thousand five hundred seventy-seven out of two-hundred-eighty thousand five hundred seventy-seven. Congratulations, testing is complete for today. Please wait for your escort to descend from the observation deck.” I sit down for a few minutes and wait for Tress to come down. 

After a while, I yell up “Tress! Wake up!” There are some loud banging noises, followed by what sounds like swears in a language I don’t understand, and finally, some locks clicking open. The door swings agape and Tress slowly walks out. I highly suspect that they have beds in there so they can sleep while I am testing, although they would never admit it. 

“Dang Nosk that flew right by. You ready to go grab a bite?”

“Not everyone can sleep through it all” I mutter under my breath.

“What was that?” he asks with a laugh.

“Nothing. You’re right I’m starving. Let’s go” I make my way towards the mess hall. It’s not that far a walk, but each moment feels like forever when you haven’t eaten in about 19 hours. Suddenly, I feel a rumbling under me. I thought it must be my stomach, but no, the ground itself is shaking. I look up and see cracks forming in the ceiling. I have just enough time to think about what I should do before the ceiling caves in above us. I hear Tress gurgle out a scream before everything goes dark.

I regain consciousness in a haze. A large beam has fallen next to me and seemed to have knocked Tress on the head. Dark purple blood is oozing out of his forehead. I get up and assess my damage. Nothing is broken, nothing sprain, just a few minor cuts, and bruises. A fire rages above, most likely why the ceiling fell. I got very lucky. I then go to investigate Tress. I pull him from out of the beam and try to see his condition. I feel no pulse. I lower my head, even if he was an Illithid he didn’t deserve this. Suddenly, I hear voices down the hall. I then realize I will be punished for this, simply by the act of living when an Illithid did not. In a split second, I drag Tress up the beam and throw him into the fire. Then, as he burns away, I shift into him, I didn’t even know I could become a Mind Flayer, but, I feel tentacles grow on my face, my hands becoming more clawlike, and then I look at my reflection in the window, and I’m a perfect recreation of Tress. I bang my head against the beam to get some blood dripping out. Just a moment later, two Illithids and a Tsakandi (A lizardfolk that has been turned by an illithid tadpole) turn the corner.

“What happened Tress? Why can’t I sense you in the hivemind?” One asks.

“I...I don’t know, I can’t sense it at all!” I try and make a confused and frantic face.

“Did you just speak aloud? What has happened to your telepathy?” Questions the other.

“I did get hit on the head by this beam...maybe I’ve had some brain damage? Oh no, will I ever be able to connect again?”

“I don’t know. Hopefully. Say, Tress, weren’t you watching a changeling?”  The first asks suspiciously.

“Uhm, yes I was but...I suspect the body is up there burning” I point up the beam as the smell of burning flesh reaching our noses.

“Ah yes, that would make sense. Say, can you tell us our names?” The second askes with an inquisitive look.

I take a quick glance at my reflection again, and I have an idea. “Mollusk and Calamari?” And before they respond I sprint full speed at the window and jump at it with all my force, concentrating it all into one punch. Luckily for me, it’s not reinforced. I crash through the window and land on the ground on the other side. There is wilderness a far as the eye can see. I pick a direction, begin running, and I start my new life.

---

“So...he was a changeling all along?” Jada spat out, her voice shaking with distrust. 

“I suppose so,” replied Skai, who seemed much less hurt by such a betrayal. “This does explain why he is different from all the rest, and why he lied to us. Had we known he was conditioned by Illithids, we would have cast him out. He also seems to be completely unique, if only by the fact that there are no records of even partially ceromorphed changelings before”

“Doesn’t change anything. He lied and lied and lied. I can’t believe I trusted him.” Jada raised her staff, as their hair stood on end, a bolt of lightning streaked from Jada’s hand and cut through Tracan, or Nosk or whatever his name was. He caught fire and burned as the two adventurers walked away.