Qora Paunene Zela

Qora

Sediryl's crazy Faulfenzair friend.

Appearance and Personality

An Eye of Faulza, Qora is white with red fire points (ears, throat, fingertips, toes), with bright green eyes. He's shorter than Daize, and has the body of an unmated male. He smells of smoke and incense.

Qora is irreverent, wry, has a priest's sense of humor (cutting, direct, and truthful in a way meant to help rather than harm: surgical humor. ("Are all Faulfenzair priests..." "Rude? No. You're just lucky.") Well educated. Does not look away from the evils of the universe. Practical, has a mechanical gift. Very good at extrapolating from data, particularly data that isn't normal for Faulfenza to understand, like politics and warfare, by treating them as logical problems with inputs/outputs/expect progressions.

Initially prickly because of his status as an Eye who can't see visions, and prickly with aliens because he associates them with that inability, he mellows after sufficient contact with Others, and starts reserving his quips for when they'll be funny, rather than distracting.

Dancing Style

"Qora danced with a deliberate power that invested every motion with meaning, and yet something about it felt so natural that it made her think of a white banner twisting in the wind, or dandelion fluff floating through summer sunlight. Such lightness of carriage, to go with such a dense frame. How did he make it look so effortless?"

Biography

Qora's Background Timeline: Author's Notes, June 2024

Parents and Family

Lera (born 30 BA) and Oderen (born 18 BA) were both from Paunene. Lera went to the Hearth after studying to be a mechanic because she wanted to repair ships and space platforms; she is a practical, rational personality type. Oderen is an astronomer, a dreamer and idealist. Oderen’s brother, Nauden (Qora’s paternal uncle) keeps the family home up, he’s a shepherd on the edge of town. Lera’s parents lived in space (refining ore from asteroids) for a while before returning home in Paunene to raise their family. Lera and Oderen Entwined on the Hearth while undergoing their respective schooling, and had just made their life plans together when Zafiil returned as the messiah and changed things - they were 145 and 157 years old, respectively. They embraced it with gusto and became part of the new push to embrace the forthcoming expansion into the galactic community. Other than a brief period during and after his birth, they lived in space, and Qora with them. They visited the family home frequently, but it’s not ‘home’ to Qora, space is.

Qora's Birth and Young Life

Qora was born in 290 BA in the village of Paunene (on Quapendai), 40 years after Zafiil died. Like every Eye except Jan, he was born with the Paint. As expected of people who witnessed the messiah’s ministry, they told him stories of the Promise Renewed as he grew up; by then, the narrative was firmly ‘there are bad Others and good Others, and Zafiil has promised us that we will love these good Others, who are waiting for us.’ Notably, what few Eyes are born to the Faulfenza tend to remain on Qufiil, and prefer the Preserve... Qora, however, remained the son of the technological twin planet.

The treaty with the Alliance was signed in 311 BA, when Qora was 21 years old (the equivalent of a late elementary school child). He asked his parents what it meant, and they explained that this was the Promise’s fulfillment, and that he was fortunate to be living during this time. But he overheard them talking later when they thought they were alone about how surprised they were that their oracular son didn’t have anything to say about the Others. This started him on a path of resenting them, and maybe just a little, blaming them for the fact that he doesn’t have visions.

We went to his fostering in a fishing village (Zela) on Quafiirla, and found it frustrating; though he was good with the strictly (and simply) mechanical contrivances available to the Preserve lifestyle, he missed technological life. On completing the fostering period, he went to the Hearth because it felt natural to return. He planned to do similar work to his mother, but it wasn't satisfying. It took him a few years of dissatisfaction for his mother to suggest he might be bored, and maybe he should become part of a scouting crew. “But we’ve found the Others so what is there left to scout for?” “Haven’t you heard? We explore for our own sakes, now. To find resources, to discover hazards, and to perhaps find a site that will serve us when Qufiil no longer can."

So he went to the Hearth’s university to be trained as ship’s crew. He found it irritating to be surrounded by people who were enthusiastic about the Others and the (presumably forthcoming Golden Age. His roommate was Daize, and she was one of the few he could stand because her parents taught her the dangers Zafiil warned about. Zafiil was never specific with the public about the evils/sins of Other society, but what she said was clear enough: they were responsible for the Laizafzafiir’s destruction, they bought and sold people, they treated them like prey.

After graduation, Qora did his community service in Paunene helping herders like his uncle. When he returned, he was assigned to a ship. Unlike prior eras, scoutships now have shorter missions and return and rotate crews more often. Wolen is planning for a future where the tasks are different, and some Faulfenza will be participating in Fleet. So Qora was in and out of ships for several decades. These ships are exploring away from the Alliance, so they do not run into any Others. They find one dead solar system, but the slide is defunct, so it’s logged as a curiosity.

Qora took a break in his 160s to help his parents when his mother had an accident and needed care. When he returned, at nearly 170, he was approached by Wolen to be part of the special crew he wants to field to investigate pirate activities. Qora remembered the stories Daize told about the Others and was more than willing to believe the Faulfenza needed their own defense. Paudii, he didn't know until he met her as Emissary… but Daize he was delighted to be reunited with (and it was probably inevitable that she should be tapped for this mission given her background). He also knows Iidainii and Jedan from his time at the Hearth. The rest of the crew was new to him when he joined.

The technology on the Willseeker is part borrowed from Fleet, so he became familiar with Fleet technology, like the Duster. The weapons were Faulfenzair-designed, however. He remained with this crew for 20ish years, and they became like another family to him. They underwent several test missions, then committed to longer runs out. Qora returned to Qufiil several times during this period, but most of his time he spent aboard and abroad. Then Wolen finally sent them to the mission that saw them enslaved.

Events of the Chatcaavan War

He was captured by pirates and ended up in Kamaney's depot, where he was given to Sediryl by Kamaney as a gift; he was selected on the same tour of the slave depot as Vasiht'h was, which is how both of them ended up in Sediryl's 'posession'. Daize, during their brief reunion in captivity, told him about Sediryl.

He remained in her quarters as her "slave", where he gave her advice and kept her and Vasiht'h centered. "Right where you're supposed to be?" Sediryl asked him, but he answered: "Not at all. But I have plenty of time to figure out how to make use of where I am to the best of my ability."

When the Queen was delivered to Sediryl's care, he watched over her, and carried her when necessary. When Sediryl took over as pirate queen, he followed her to the pirate flagship (carrying the Queen Ransomed). There he kept her company, ended up crashing on the Vault with her. Once the Queen Ransomed was taken in by the Vault's overseers, he stayed with the Faulfenzair contingent, joining the principal party when they boarded the Twelveworld Lord's flagship for transport to the Throneworld. From there, Qora and the Faulfenza went aboard the Emperor's flagship when it went to Selnor's aid.

After that, while Paudii returned to Qufiil to report on events, Qora remained behind with the remaining Faulfenza of the Willseeker, in Selnor, which is how he got himself invited to (or invited himself) to accompany Sediryl back to the pirate base. There, he saved Sediryl from immolation by walking into the fires she'd created to rescue her. Sediryl thanks him in the hospital, and tells him that she's going home. He says he and the Faulfenza will follow: "So, then, we go along. My cadre and I. We may not be the only ones either. Finding Faulza’s gift among the Others is going to inspire a great deal of curiosity among my people." Afterwards, he does, in fact, return with her to Escutcheon. Sediryl observes: "Nor was Jahir the only one with aliens to wrangle, because her Faulfenza—she was starting to think of them that way—had come down to the planet with her and were intent on getting into every- thing. They were exploring the capital right now, and Goddess alone knew what trouble they’d find. Unlike the Pelted, who’d inherited humanity’s awe of the Eldritch, the Faulfenza felt no deference for their hosts. Respect, certainly, but they were fearless and curious and Sediryl was thankful there were only four of them, while wondering with both trepidation and amusement what it would be like when more of them showed up in Qora’s wake."

Post-War Period

Qora and the remaining Faulfenza from the Willseeker (minus its (dead?) Faulfiirla (Captain)) returned with Sediryl to Escutcheon after the events of the war. In response to Val's requirement that Sediryl train her talents (and Sediryl's caviling at the same), Qora declared that he would oversee her education. "I am a harder taskmaster than any Eldritch priest. They don’t know what mastery looks like—obviously, or their last fire talents would not have killed themselves. No, Princess. I’m afraid you will give me an hour every day. To Dance, and discuss fire, and the God." He insisted she did not have an Eldritch's talents, but rather Faulza's gift (of fire).

Dance Practice

Qora's words during the events of Sediryl's wedding and investiture are suggestive of his having had a vision, or knowing a little of Faulza's plan:

"And your people?" the Queen dared to ask. "What are your people a people of?"
"Of God," Qora said. "And we’ll need that too, soon enough."

Volunteered his pattern to Attendant. Left with Lisinthir when he returned to the Chatcaavan Empire.

Timeline

• Born in 290 BA (his parents were 260 and 272 years old); 40 years after Zafiil's death and 21 years prior to the Faulfenza joining the Alliance. This is also 115 years before true first contact with the Others.
• Standard fostering age is third decade, so it was between 320 and 325 when he was sent to foster on Quafiirla. Fostering is a 30-year commitment, so he would have completed it between 350-355.
• Graduated from the Hearth's program probably around 360ish BA. At that point, he was due for mandatory service, which puts his date of report on his first ship at 380 BA or so.
• Was in and out of space on various ships from 380ish BA until capture, in 481 BA.
• Was 191 years old, Alliance-standard, when the Chatcaavan War broke out in 481 BA. His parents were 451 and 463 years old (and still alive).

Relationships

• Friends with the Queen Ransomed and Vasiht'h because of their experiences escaping from slavers; said once to the Queen that they were family.
• Sediryl's counselor and teacher, turned that duty over to Auniira for a time.
• He met Maia during captivity on the pirate base. Enjoys joking with her. "That is good advice. I'd heed it, Not-Flesh-and-Blood creature."

Quotes

• "Don’t waste time soothing me. I don’t require soothing. Our God is a god of fire, foreign woman, and fire burns even its friends."
• "Truth is [beautiful]. Even when it hurts."

• "Have you thought that perhaps she needs this tension to propel her through those next few days? An engine works on pressure. Remove the pressure, no propulsion."

• "Put that feeling into your body, and through your body into the world. When you speak this way, you transform that speech into beauty. Training will be difficult. You will strengthen your body, and marry it to your will and your emotions. You will have to concentrate. But to speak, you cannot wall away your ambivalence, your grief, your hope. They must go through your body and into the world."

• "People die in war, Eldritch princess. People also die from stupid accidents, and horrible diseases, and old age. Do we prefer to die young? Of course not. But Faulza willing, our deaths have meaning. This… death while escaping tyranny, and preventing more loss? Better that, than many, many alternatives."

• "The fastest way to learn is snoot-first."

• "Worser things by far than to be given gifts by great powers."

• "I think you have no problems that could not be solved with a knife, Princess."

• "A true dancer never trips."

• "That's why I want to see if I can turn some unsuspecting Chatcaavan into one of us. What a fascinating turn of events that would be! You could go from pampered servant to God-touched priest in a single step of the dance!"

Quotes and Observations by Others

• "He didn’t bat a lash at a pirate cage, a battle between warships in space, or a shuttle crashing on an alien planet. I don’t think his heart rate is even capable of acceleration."

--Sediryl

Trivia

• he's adopted a lot of Pelted gestures: smiling, nodding ("Qora nodded, and the Alliance gesture was so strange Vasiht'h couldn't stop staring at him.")
• calls Sediryl 'princess'