Sigil: City of Doors

((OOC: This is mainly for my own use as I flesh out the story of 4 of my characters. Its a bit of a retcon of what i've written before about them, especially what has happened between Purity and Chastity. Ultimately i want to work their stories to make a player based event (So, ill run it as a player, not as a DM) for others to join in with at some unspecified point in the future. Reading what i write here will not be a necessity))

Bring me Sunshine, in your smile,
Bring me Laughter, all the while,
In this world where we live, there should be more happiness,
So much joy you can give, to each brand new bright tomorrow,

Make me happy, through the years,
Never bring me, any tears,
Let your arms be as warm as the sun from up above,
Bring me fun, bring me sunshine, bring me love.

Bring me Sunshine, in your eyes,
Bring me rainbows, from the skies,
Life's too short to be spent having anything but fun,
We can be so content, if we gather little sunbeams,

Be light-hearted, all day long,
Keep me singing, happy songs,
Let your arms be as warm as the sun from up above,
Bring me fun, bring me sunshine, bring me love.

Melody finished playing and the other sisters, Purity, Harmony, and Chastity, clapped in joy.

"Wonderful sister!" said Harmony "Did you compose that yourself?"

"With a little help on the words from Songmaster Yakob, yes" Melody beamed at the praise.

It was an unseasonably hot early Spring day in Midgard. In just a few days would be the festival of Ostara, and the twins would be counted as being women on their common 13th Birthday (children in Midgard sharing a common birthday regardless of their actual date of birth).

The day after Ostara would be the day of choosing, where the boys and girls not already apprenticed or chosen for roles would line up and be chosen by the associated masters and leaders and taken as apprentices.

Melody had already secured her future life, Songmaster and Skald Yakob had already taken the young Melody under his wing.

"Will you not reconsider sister?" asked Purity to Melody "A life serving Freya will be so rewarding"

"Sure little miss innocent. Until some barezark rips off your head in combat. You and Harmony go and play Valkyrie. I shall write a dirge for your funerals. At least our youngest sister" nodding towards the grinning Chastity "doesn't seem too interested in throwing herself into battle."

Chastity continued grinning and pulled out a book "Interesting you should mention barezarks. Was just reading about one of our ancestors. Great-great-great-grandfather Arangor."

Purity looked scandalized "That's our family history! You know we are not allowed to even touch that. Put it back immediately before you are found out."

Chastity chuckled "Oh sister, relax. Nobody will even know it was even taken, ill return it later. Anyway, you should take a look at this Melody, it loads of songs and poems about our ancestors and their deeds.... and you really need to read about Grandpa Arangor and what he did to a dragon" she handed the book to Melody open on a certain page.

As Melody read the relevant page her face started to turn crimson. "That's...." she stammered "...detailed. I didn't even know it was possible... i mean, i've seen the horses and cattle in mating season.... but... aren't there laws or something?"

Chastity chuckled further. "And that i'm sure is half the reason we are not allowed to read the book".

"Let me see" said Purity

"Oh no, Miss goody twoshoes. We certainly don't want to tarnish your pure mind."

Chastity returned the book to a satchel and jumped up "Ill get this put back before anyone noticed is been taken" and with that, ran off.

"Damn that girl" said Harmony "She has no respect for our ancestors"

"Lighten up sister... and besides" she said with wide eyes "Its certainly instructional. I'll have to watch myself around the songmaster I can see. Men!"

"I worry" said Purity "You know who has Chastity in his sights? Cronak the Hunter. Its rumoured he will choose her on the Choosing"

"Our youngest sister is an excellent marksman. She will do well as a hunter." said Harmony.

"Yes, and if the rumours are to be believed an excellent thief, poacher, and rumoured to worship Loki" said Purity, sniffing as she said the name of the deity of mischief.

"Not everyone in our family has to worship Freya you know sister. After the choosing I will say my vows to the AllFather. I hope you will not be offended by that."

"No no no" exclaimed Purity "AllFather is wise and will be a good inspiration for your music... but Loki.... " she let the sentence trail off.

"Loki is Loki" said Harmony "and as such deserves our respect as one who saved the Aesir in the distant past. How he conducts himself these days is a matter for the gods, not for us mortals. And besides, our youngest sisters does seem to have a mischievous streak to her character, it would be appropriate."

"Anyway, let us enjoy our free time together. In just a few days we will be counted as women, and as such will be expected to attend to our duties."

The Choosing

The village girls and boys had lined up in the village as was tradition, and one by one they were chosen.

Melody and Chastity hadn't even really lined up. As the line was forming their masters-to-be had simply walked up and took them off to the side. Now they stood grinning, Melody playing gently with a Lute that Yakob had presented her with, and Chastity with a bow she had received from Cronak. Now they waved from the sidelines to their two elder sisters. It was funny that even though they were only separated from each other by hours at most, they still acknowledged the small age difference.

There had been a small altercation at the festival the day before. Chastity always seemed to have a problem attracting the boys. Something in her character. So when Purity had gone for a walk with one of the more handsome boys of the village, Chastity had flew into a rage, followed the pair, and cut both boy and Purity. She had left Purity with a nasty cut on her leg that would definitely leave a large scar. However, Harmony and Melody had seen Chastity follow the pair, and had intervened before things had turned fatal. The boy had run off, but Purity stayed and calmed her sister and forgave her. Chastity apologised and promised it would never happen again.

Now Purity and Harmony stood tall and proud, awaiting their choosing. Both were pretty sure they would enter the temple, to become trainee Valkyries, maidens dedicated to protecting the tribe and spreading the word of Freya and caring for the menfolk in battle, be their shieldmaidens.

The first surprise was for Harmony though. Indeed it was a priest of Ferya that stepped forward to claim her, but not from the temple. It was the old hermit Mogri, who lived in the forest and communicated with the ancestors and spirits and elementals of the forest. Harmony looked to the assembled priests from the temple who looked at Harmony and nodded their heads. From the looks on their faces some of them were not happy with this development, but obviously something had been decided. Harmony was to become a shaman, serving both Freya and the ancestors. An honourable position, but a lonely one.

As the ranks of assembled children thinned Purity remained confident. She wasn't at all nervous when finally the High Priest of Freya stepped up to her to take her. What did surprise her was as the High Priest stopped in front of her he started to shimmer. It seemed like time stopped, indeed, the birds in the sky had stopped moving, and the shimmering form finally resolved itself into the most beautiful women Purity had ever seen.

"F-f-f-" stammered Purity

"Hey babe!" said the golden haired avatar of the Goddess of Love and Fertility "Just had to come and see you in person. I'm in need of a new favourite, and i've chosen you. Don't let me down! Be seeing you around honey, train hard and well, and we will speak again." and with a wink and a smile she was gone, leaving in her place the old male priest.

"Well, what are you staring at Miss Sunshine?" enquired the priest "Let's get a move on! You training starts today! And we have prayers to Freya in less than an hour. If you're lucky she may shine a light on you!"

"A light" thought Purity "A bloody visitation more like it. And what did she mean by favourite?"

A small buzzing started in her head and she heard the words "Don't worry dollface, you'll soon learn" and the voice faded with laughter.

The sisters departed then with their masters, to start their new lives.

How they all came to Sigil though, that is a story for another day...