Altered Lore

Fen

10 min read

Fen

Overview

Fen is a Lyra Exalt and Alterer from the Kasirga Clan. She is bonded with Crowbar, a scarecrow Chimera with a pumpkin head. Fen joined the Rediscovery Endeavor seeking The Song of One and Mnemosyne, driven by her desire to lift the banishment of the Kasirga Clan from the Lyra alliance.

Early Life and Grandfather’s Death

Fen’s grandfather was Cayrat Steinn, the great Caravan Shepherd of the Kasirga Clan. She grew up on The Ouroboros, the ring-shaped Sahanka of the Kasirga Clan, waking to contemplate the horizon from bay windows. She would climb access ramps, greet troubadours and herdsmen, walk along the circus throwing smiles to aerialists and clowns. One day, Fen found a small frail bird on an endless plain of withered grass and brought it to Berchad the pigeon fancier. When she returned home, many people were waiting with tearful eyes. Cao led her to her grandfather’s room where Cayrat Steinn lay with eyes closed, not moving. That night, Fen took refuge in the pigeon loft, stroking the feathers of the small bird she named Juju.

Kasirga Clan Banishment

Cayrat Steinn had named Esmeralda (an Eidolon) to take his place as Shepherd, and the elders agreed. However, the Matriarch opposed this decision. The Matriarchs of all the Clans conferred and condemned the decision, proclaiming that if the Kasirga Clan persisted, it would be banished from the Lyra alliance. Fen tried to convince their Matriarch to reconsider, reminding them there had always been nine Clans among the Lyra and they had sung The Song of One together. Esmeralda decided to entrust the fate to the Kasirga elders, and they insisted she take the reins. The banishment hit like a thunderclap. The Ouroboros set course for Arkaster to stay there until the Expeditionary Corps were ready to depart.

Life in Arkaster and Friendship with Nevenka

Fen struggled to have the sentence lifted, but no one listened. The Song of One had been forgotten, its words lost. Getting used to urban life was difficult, but city life had charm. With friends, they founded a music group: Fen on vocals, Tamati on percussion, Boona on bass, Orbec on keyboard, and Crowbar on guitar. Together, they scoured bars and concert halls, making a name for themselves. During one performance, Fen met Nevenka who had also been expelled from her Clan. Together, they roamed the streets, Fen keeping watch while Nev graffitied on walls, then fled laughing to take refuge in a tavern. When Fen asked Nevenka why she had joined the exploration forces, Nevenka turned the question back. Fen told her about her Clan’s situation and dream of finding The Song of One. Nev suggested finding Mnemosyne, the goddess of memory and mother of the Muses.

Role as Exalt

Fen became a Lyra Exalt and joined the Rediscovery Endeavor, driven by her desire to find The Song of One and possibly locate Mnemosyne to impose her will on The Nine Sisters and lift the Kasirga Clan’s banishment

Timeline of Activities

381 AC - Serving Tea During Route Planning

Fen served steaming herbal tea to Venerable Ones while Esmeralda traced route from Avesta to capital, requesting audience with Basileus about Rediscovery Endeavor.

383 AC - Inkcasting with Itoro

Fen watched Itoro write about Ouroboros work losing circus for housing, then tried creating playmate for Juju with ink and brush.

384 AC - Summoning Anansi for Song of One

Fen summoned Anansi spider who claimed to own all stories, weaving web with Alteration to catch ideas, but Anansi said Song was impossible task.

386 AC - Twinkle Twinkle Nursery Rhyme

Fen helped Auraq wrangle escaped children, tugging Qannik by ear while Crowbar stood guard, and created lyre for Aruzhan to sing nursery rhyme.

391 AC - Hatter’s Tea Party

Nevenka summoned Hatter with Cheshire Cat and March Hare at tavern, covering table with desserts and cocktails including Stargazer for Fen.

391 AC - All In Casino Disaster

Fen watched Nevenka lose all savings at casino, trying to stop gambling, covering eyes when Nevenka went all in with altered dice.

391 AC - Showing Nevenka The Ouroboros

Fen guided Nevenka through The Ouroboros gangways past construction workers, showing big top and pool with plastic ducks.

392 AC - Lyra Festival Concert

Crowbar played electric guitar with Boona on bass and Tamati on drums while Fen sang, performing last concert in Arkaster before departure.

392 AC - Performance with Crowbar

Fen drew from Ignescence while Crowbar played powerful riff across distance, summoning Sandman, Cloth Dancer, and singing to transform world with music and Asmodeus’s laughter.

392 AC - Waru’s Dismissal

Waru Toowoom dismissed Fen’s claims with single gesture as part of campaign obstructing Rediscovery Endeavor operations.

393 AC - Hot Spring Vision at Storvhit

Fen bathed in hot springs at Storvhit alongside Auraq and Nevenka. Confided plan to Auraq: find The Song of One to reunite Lyra Matriarchs as Chiara Caceres once did, seek Mnemosyne who holds all world’s memories and knows Song’s words, then call upon Mnemosyne’s Eidolon to convince Muses to sway The Nine Matriarchs since Mnemosyne is their mother. Stated: “I don’t care if people say it’s impossible or pointless. I will make things right. I know it’s the right thing to do, and the Wind agrees with me.” Suddenly heard voices carried by Wind - trapped entity described as “lightning, rain, and ice” and “chill of winter” that growled, roared, and struck against cage. Turned to Auraq with wide eyes declaring: “It’s an Oneiros, and it needs our help!“

393 AC - Conversing with Kuraokami

Fen successfully conversed with Kuraokami, imprisoned primordial dragon Oneiros at heart of Cais Adarra, using affinity with Wind. Projected voice to entity’s dwelling and heard its words with far greater clarity than previous scouts - actual exchange of intelligible speech rather than mere echo. Kuraokami claimed status as Oneiros imprisoned by human seeking to harness its power, embodying concepts of rain and snow. Entity commanded Fen to set it free using both coaxing words and veiled threats. Fen’s successful communication provided Temera Singh and expedition with critical intelligence about Belisenki hostilities source.

393 AC - BLISS! Concert Memory Loss

Fen performed with BLISS! at The Screed, drawing on Ignescence to maintain energy despite exhaustion from week of daily descents into lower tiers of City of Scholars. Mid-performance, Fen and Crowbar simultaneously suffered violent episodes—Fen clutched her head in mute shock while Crowbar experienced migraine causing missed notes. Fen found herself unable to remember lyrics, stammering before horrified audience with tears streaming down face. Tamati attempted to cover by finishing verse while Orbec improvised solo. When Crowbar approached concerned, Fen revealed with trembling voice that she could no longer recall the song’s words.

393 AC, June-September - Pre-Concert Preparation at The Stage

Fen prepared for BLISS! concert at The Stage, applying makeup and warming up voice while the band flew over camp throwing confetti to announce the show.

393 AC, June-September - Sap Duende Rehearsal

Fen summoned Ole Bull, Ethel Waters, and Baishan during rehearsal, with Boona preparing Sap-coated mandolin for Baishan’s synesthetic performance.

393 AC - Investigating Memory Loss at City of Scholars

Nevenka brought Fen into the City of Scholars corridors to search for her lost memories. Fen described the experience as words being sucked out—not simple forgetting but total amnesia requiring Tamati to repeat information and reviewing notes to re-learn everything. While Fen observed Nevenka activating black memory stones with Ignescence, Fen absorbed songs and lamentations from the sealed fragments—expressions of love for the City interwoven with deep sadness from a lost age. Fen came to understand the stones contained sealed memories from another time, slices of life trapped in stone.

393 AC - Reaching Sofia Within The Hunger

Fen participated in the Exalt operation against The Hunger in The Maze. While Teija meditated atop a memory block with Nauraa shielding them, Fen sat at Teija’s side and extended her consciousness into the entity. She broke through layers of caustic memories—bitterness, abandonment, incomprehension—that had poisoned the creature’s soul over ages. Deep within, Fen discovered Sofia, a honey-gold child suspended in a golden bubble like oil in water, dreaming in fetal position. Using emotions from her own life—her grandfather’s touch, the shock of the Kasirga Clan’s excommunication, her mother’s departure—Fen forged armor of “Abandonment. Betrayal. Solitude.” Then she countered with memories of companionship: fireside gatherings on The Ouroboros, Aru’s smile, the roar of crowds after concerts, Nevenka’s antics. “Reunion. Loyalty. Presence.” When Sofia opened her eyes and reached back, Fen asked her name. The child remembered and spoke it clearly: Sofia.

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