Syrah

• Textiles & Ropemaking

Lore Part I listed with her mate, Claret

It is a foundational tenet of Longneck Reach: Compassion is not something you have to earn.

It's true; every individual, regardless of species or breed, is viewed as having a strength. All skills are valued, and all contributions are welcome. There is no "should be". The Reach honors and elevates what you already are. A trembling young Wildclaw with no fighting skill, no fighting spirit, whose attempts at using his natural Lightning magic have only ever led to humiliating failure and who has never won a fight, is honored for his skill with healing. A loyal, friendly, and eager but supremely unskilled Coatl who is more a menace to his own side than his enemies in combat is positioned prominently on a rise in gleaming armor and excels in his new role as a guard--visible, honorable, authoritative but not intimidating.

But this is also true: You do not have to contribute to have worth.

When she first arrived, Syrah was so traumatized she was unable to sleep or eat, let alone slot herself into a role within the clan. She feared to let any other dragon close enough to speak to her. That period of intense fear passed, with time and help; and as she healed, she began to feel frustrated and ashamed.

Traditional clan roles were unsuitable for Syrah, with her condition. She could not run patrols; an attack out on the steppe would leave her helpless to defend herself if anything went wrong. She was too anxious for diplomacy, and learning medicine proved unexpectedly triggering. Sentry duty by definition involved being alone on a high place--much like many forms of craftsmanship that generally involved sharp, heated, or breakable objects, it was a phenomenally dangerous position for a dragon prone to violent, unpredictable seizures. She lacked the muscle for farming.

As it happened, Syrah did find a niche in time. There was no safety concern with Syrah weaving, and the repetitive, productive nature of the task actually proved more effective than the experimental meditation techniques. (Anathemia is primarily a physical condition; but, as it is tied to magic and magic flares with emotional intensity, while controlling anxiety will not prevent attacks it can lessen the frequency. There will always be completely organic magical flares that are outside any kind of control, so anything to help prevent what can be prevented can be immensely helpful.)

Athis, her Serthis physician, was not too proud to admit that she should have brought the issue to her sister sooner; Shirala is head of the Longneck Reach craftspeople, and hadn't even noticed how miserable Syrah was making herself thinking she was a burden until it was pointed out. She'd kick herself for it if she had legs.

Syrah never quite matched the Serthii for sheer efficiency in weaving; but it was a stepping-stone. She tried knitting, and found that to be even better for her condition due to being more portable. At Iskan's suggestion she learned ropemaking and the Serthii were so interested that the Reach no longer has to buy its rope. She's learning embroidery. Athis was the first to realize that there is a long history of magically-imbued clothing, and start working on techniques to siphon Syrah's excess magical power directly into her work, bleeding off the pressure and reducing the frequency and intensity of her episodes.

It proved immensely healing for her, finding something she could do. But, while Adecia is careful never to downplay the fact that Syrah's work is genuinely valuable to the Reach, she is also careful never to lose sight of the truth of those first many years: it never had to be. There was no price to be paid, there was nothing to be earned. If Syrah had been genuinely unable to reliably do any kind of work, she would still be a part of the Reach. All she ever had to do was breathe.

There are a thousand and one ways to contribute something of worth; but there is more to worth than what you can contribute. The love of her clan was never something she had to earn.