Wardrobe

Villager: Ouroboros

Wandering through Tienyo's pasture, taking a look at all of the different critters that can be found here, you see a deer sitting off to the side, close to the forest. But this deer has leaves growing from their antlers, almost as if they were trees. There is a certain presence to this villager that you can't describe...and all of the animals seem to be paying them deference as well.

"Ah, a visitor. Welcome to my island."

"How'd I know you were a visitor? Because I know each and every being that lives here. From the plants to the minipets, the children and the spirits...everyone who calls my island home is known to me."

"What am I talking about? So you haven't noticed."

"That's true, I am a nature spirit. But I am a different kind than the seasonal spirits like Arya, or the holiday spirits like Shiloh. I am a spirit of the land; I call this place my island because it is my island."

"My name, is Ouroboros. And I am the spirit of the island itself."

"What has it been like? Well, for the longest time, the island was quiet. There was only me and the animals who called my island home here, like my companion, Daybreak. She’s been with me for countless ages. And then, suddenly, there was a trio of visitors. They set up on my island, and I must admit, I was curious. I knew about mortals from the gossip of the wind spirits, and from speaking with the seasonal spirits whenever they visited, but I had never encountered a mortal myself."

"Oh? Who were they? Tienyo, Aisling, and Zale. They’re the founders of our little village here."

"Anyway, I was a bit uneasy when they told me that they were planning on building said village here. I wasn't used to the idea of so many people at once, but they assured me that if I had a problem with them settling here on my island, they would leave. I decided that no, they could stay. It would be good for me, to see what life was like with the presence of mortals, and if things went wrong I could always 'give them the boot', as you people say."

Ouroboros smiles.

"I am glad I did not have to. Over time, more and more people joined the tiny village, and it expanded from a group of three to the bustling town you see now. I can't even imagine going back to how things were before; it would be so quiet, unnervingly so. I have gotten quite used to the noise of a populated village; it's comforting, in the same way that the leaves rustling in the wind are, or the waves lapping against the shore. Perhaps it is because they are all mine."

"Whatever the case, I am rather happy here. Young Sora even built me a house, and I must admit, I rather like the mortal concept of houses. More than a place to rest your paws and keep your things, it is a place for others to visit you. It is...a home. I have no need of a house, but a home...that is a precious thing, that these people have given me."

"Oh no, other spirits understand the concept of home as well. Well, the ones more similar to mortals, that is. But primal ones, like myself and my wife Arya? Not so much. Spirits of islands, mountains, forests, plains...we are those things. Why would we even know, much less understand, what a home is when that is a mortal concept?"

"Yes, wife. Arya and I are married. I'm just thankful that our son, Tiberius, isn't bound to the island the way I am. While I see nothing wrong with being unable to leave, and quite honestly have little desire to, Tiberius deserves to see this world around him, and he can't do that from my island."

"Why don't I want to leave? Well, I'm not like seasonal, elemental, or holiday spirits; the reason why I can't just up and leave as I please is because the island and I are one. That's why I'm bound to it. But it doesn't bother me. This is my home, after all. I'm perfectly happy here."

"Ah, I see. It's written clear on your face; you think that because I am but a lowly island, I am a weaker spirit than the others I've mentioned. But that is where you are wrong. Spirits of the land like myself...size and grandeur doesn't matter. What we are matters."

"People forget, that islands rise up from the sea from the power of a volcano. And if you think that I do not have access to that power, then you are dead wrong."

"I am not weak."

The spirit of the island gives you an unexpectedly kind smile.

"Now you know. I do not begrudge you your ignorance; my kind are not entirely well known outside of legends and fairy tales, after all."

"Yes, that's where 'Belphegor Island' came from. He needed a place to store his hoard, and after Sora bounced a wrench off his head he came to me. I must admit, the challenging part was raising the island without creating a tsunami...but I managed it in the end."

"What? What happens to the island if I die? Well, I die when my island dies. So if I were to die, it would be because my island was completely destroyed."

"Oh, you want to know if tales of nature spirits being corrupted is true? Unfortunately, yes, it is. Should something significant happen to our land, or what we represent, then it impacts us, too. Many of the forest spirits in Dragon's Maw Manor have become much more violent due to what took place under those trees. Whereas river spirits who's waters have become lifeless and polluted go insane."

Ouroboros gives you a sobering look.

"We are our lands; we are just as affected by them as we are us."

"Of course, not everything of significance must be something horrible. I know a forest spirit who had the very sword in the stone in her grove. Yes, I speak of Excalibur. To say she and her forest have become holier and more regal is an understatement. The nearby lake spirit, Avalon, changed from this as well. He changed to be more dutiful, more of a guardian, in response to his charge."

"Oh no, it's not that we're overwritten by the change. Rather, that we simply gain a new part of ourselves. We become more than we were. You are the same, are you not? Can you truly say that experiencing something significant wouldn't change you? No. Every experience changes us, like how the acorn becomes a tree. No matter how big or small."

"How have I changed?"

Ouroboros laughs. It sounds like waves hitting the shore, and leaves rusting in the wind.

"Oh, young one. I used to be far more aloof, and uncaring of the presence of others. Why would it matter, when it was just myself and my island? Mortal's lives were as fleeting as the wildflowers; where as I am as eternal as the volcano within me. That was all I needed, or so I thought. But the presence of people changed me. I'm warmer, more understanding, more caring. Even if everyone were to suddenly up and leave, that would never change, because I have known and learned from them. I can never go back to what I was before, and I wouldn't want to. I am much more fulfilled than ever; I feel like I'm truly living, rather than simply being."

"My pronouns? He and him. Spirits of the land like myself don't have the concept of genders - I mean, you wouldn't call a mountain female unless there was a significant reason to, in which case the spirit of the mountain would be female too. As for myself, I chose to identify as male. The difference is that while the mountain in my previous example would be biologically female, I am not either gender biologically. And I don't really see that changing."

"If you wish, I am more than willing to continue this conversation; learning is a noble concept. However, you likely want to take in all that my island has to offer, and who am I to keep you?"