Batty
Battle Name
- Batty the Bardificer
- Joined in 2025
Pronouns: she/they
Realm: Crimson Shore
Race: Batfolk
Events Attended:
2025
SoCal Beach Day
2026
Battle of Andor
Necropolis Summerween
SoCal Beach Day
Pillage the Village
Phoenix Rising
Accomplishments:
First Place - Bardic Competition - Phoenix Rising 2026
Best Fighting Garb - A&S Competition - Phoenix Rising 2026
Lore:
My first night on my own:
Batfolk stick together, for the cauldron. We defend our own. We don’t wander far. We avoid conflict with others. We study the stars at night, then sleep during the day. This is the life I grew up in. Dark, isolated, safe. And boring. So very, very boring.
We were warned that the outside world was filled with war. That the humans were always fighting each other for land and status and that they would one day die out because of it. We were told that other races fought too and some even fought alongside the humans in their wars. Though sometimes, the other races would fight the humans as well. This scared most pups into being content with the lives we lived in our caves. For this little Batty, it just fueled a fire within me to one day escape.
I had to convince my family and our Elders to let me work as a Guardian so I could see the outside of the cave. I was originally meant to be a Storyteller, like my mother Lyra, only to repeat the stories of our people without being able to add any myself. I knew I wasn’t strong enough to fight like the Warriors, but I wanted some way to write my own tales of adventure that weren’t just warnings to stay inside. Elder Zotz decided to grant my request on a temporary basis, hoping it would alleviate my curiosity so that I might eventually comply with what was already predetermined by the stars, according to him. I was so excited to prove them all wrong.
After training in archery for a month, I thought at least I’d get to defend our cauldron from outside threats. But as I stood watch at the mouth of the cave, they never came. Guardian Molo explained to me that the Warriors were the ones who went beyond the cave to scout for threats and usually took care of them before anything made it anywhere near our posts. So most nights consisted of me and Guardian Molo watching at the mouth of the cave, bored out of our minds, watching the vast nothingness except the forest that lay before us.
One night, I had had enough and decided to wander out a bit, just to see what it was like outside the cave. Guardian Molo was nodding off out of sheer boredom so I knew he wouldn’t even notice I was gone. And I figured it would be fine since nothing exciting happens anyways. So, once he began to snore, I sheathed my bow and arrows and took off.
As I flew into the night, I found out our cave is in a mountain that faces inland. But the scent of salt on the wind led me to believe that this mountain was right by an ocean. So, following the scent, I flew around the mountain and eventually laid my eyes upon a moonlight sea for the first time ever in my life. I had already been accustomed to the moon and the stars of the night sky, but to see their reflections dancing on the waves astounded me. The crashing of water on rocks was so loud, it frightened me at first. But as I watched the tide ebb and flow upon the sand, it became more and more peaceful and my fears washed away.
I eventually found a tree to roost in to rest my wings after watching the waves for hours. By the time sunrise seemed on its way, I couldn’t bear to leave this sight that only became more beautiful as the colors changed from dark blues to purple and to pink as the sun made its way closer and closer to the morning sky. I had to shut my eyes from how bright it was, which eventually led to me drifting off to sleep.
A nightmare:
I don’t always have the same exact nightmare, but it always ends the same. “This was fated to be.”
One time, I dreamt I was a performer on the stage. I was all by myself, only a chair and a small table set up with what looked to be my character’s dinner. At first, I could see fellow actors waiting in the wings, watching me with excitement. There was an orchestra pit in front of me, filled with musicians staring at their music sheets, the conductor watching me. I looked out at the audience, a medium sized crowd of people, every seat was filled. I was in the middle of my heartfelt soliloquy, when all of a sudden, I forgot my lines. I froze for a few moments, trying to remember, but I couldn’t recall what to say. I tried to get off the stage but suddenly there was nowhere to go, all the actors had disappeared and the backstage area was gone, just walls right where the wings ended. I couldn’t go into the audience either, the orchestra pit was in the way but it suddenly lowered deep into the ground, I could no longer see the musicians or the conductor. I would fall to my death if I tried to jump down into it. And then I realized, I couldn’t fly for some reason, it was like I didn’t have wings. I kept scrambling to remember my lines, pacing the stage which kept getting smaller and smaller, the curtains closing in on me. I managed to get my costume caught on something and it ripped off of my body. I covered myself with my arms, grateful to at least be wearing underwear. The audience finally started to laugh as I became more and more embarrassed, more and more flustered. Their laughter grew louder and louder until I couldn’t take it anymore and finally shouted “Stop!” Then a deafening silence came over the audience. It felt like an eternity before every single member in the crowd pointed at me and all spoke together at the exact same time: “This was fated to be.” Suddenly, a trap door from underneath me opened and I fell into darkness.
But I did not wake up, not yet. I went into another scene. I had fallen onto a hilltop of flowers and rolled down the hill until I bumped into my old classmates, Auri and Tera. They told me to hush, giggling as they did so, like I had just told a joke of some sort. I sat up and saw Elder Savii giving a lecture during one of our old classes. He spoke of unity among the batfolk, about showing up when we needed each other, about being an equal member of the cauldron. These were sentiments I had mostly agreed with and did my best to live by. But deep down, I knew I had individual aspirations. Auri and Tera kept whispering to me but I kept trying to ignore them; I wanted to hear Elder Savii’s words. Eventually I got frustrated and shushed them, a bit too loudly apparently, because I was then singled out by the Elder. Suddenly, I was raised above my classmates but I was not flying, it seemed that the Elder was using magic to not only restrain me but move my body to be seen by everyone around me. This was strange because Elder Savii didn’t use magic in this way, to bind someone, he would only use magic as a necessity to defend or bolster others. “Little one, you dare interrupt my lesson? What authority do you hold that gives you any right to speak on such matters you clearly do not know enough about?” I tried to explain what happened, but I couldn’t utter a sound. I couldn’t even move my lips, it was as if they were sealed shut or didn’t exist at all. Auri and Tera spoke up, alternating sentences. “She doesn’t fit in, Elder.” “She stands out too much.” “She thinks only of herself.” “She won’t join our fun.” I felt enraged, I tried to scream, I tried to plead my case, but still, I couldn’t speak or make a sound. I looked at my friends with confusion in my eyes. They looked up to me with crooked smiles, possessed by some spiteful vengeance I do not know the cause of. It wasn’t right, this wasn’t like them. We had always gotten along, we loved spending time together. If we got in trouble, we’d all be in trouble together.
The fear in me grew as I struggled to be heard but continued to only be silent. I looked to the Elder once more, pleading as I stared at him, tears filling my eyes. I tried to send my thoughts towards him. “No! I am one of the cauldron, I do not mean to make trouble, I am being framed to be something I am not, please listen to me, Elder!” He showed no recognition of my thoughts or my feelings. He sighed and used his magic to send my body to hover over some sort of small box, barely long enough or wide enough for me to fit in. “You disappoint me, my child. I thought you knew better than this. But since you want so badly to stand alone, then maybe this will satisfy you.” He then lowered my body into the box, a tight fit, then the lid shut on top of me loudly. As soon as the lid shut, I was in utter darkness and silence. My classmates and the elder were gone, I could no longer see the space where we had gathered for class. I still couldn’t speak, and I could barely move. Suddenly, I heard a new voice, a voice I couldn’t recognize. It was deep yet calm, speaking with a sense of authority. “If you wander from us, you will have no one to support you. You must do what your Elders say, or else there will be consequences.” The walls of the small box disappeared, I felt myself no longer restrained or silenced. I was in an everlasting dark void. Suddenly, a pair of bright yellow eyes filled with anger stared at me from far away. They blinked once, then they suddenly rushed towards me, growing bigger and bigger. I screamed in fear and braced myself for the impact. I felt myself being shoved down hard enough to be knocked out. Before I awoke, I heard the voice say, “This is fated to be.”
A message:
Dear Mama,
Once again, I hope this message makes it to you. I worry that anything sent by me might be discarded or tampered with in some way. In case they have and this is the first message of mine you’re reading, allow me to summarize my last two letters.
I found out our mountain is near the ocean and I have been mostly traveling along the coastline. I find myself enamored with the port towns and the sea life. Smaller towns are simpler, not as bustling as ports made for trade. And they are less likely to experience war. The Elders were right about how much humans love their war, Mama. Always fighting, always finding conflict amongst each other. But that’s not all they are capable of, Mama. And not all they enjoy doing.
One of my favorite things to find in towns are marketplaces. Especially during special events. The things that can be created are so vast! Many vendors show off how they make their wares at the market, with their own hands! I’ve seen with my own eyes how so many things are made: weapons, armor, clothing, tents, cooking supplies, toys. It’s incredible, Mama, what can be made without magic. I have been teaching myself how to mend and make clothes along my travels. I am still learning so nothing I have made is very good, but I hope to find a mentor to help me hone my skills someday. If I find out that you are indeed getting my letters, I shall have to send a package with something I’ve made someday. Do you still love the color lavender? I hope so.
Speaking of magic, there is very little magic amongst humans. It is rare to find a human wizard, but I believe that is because they stay secluded in order to continue studying their magic. Sound familiar? That was a joke, Mama, I assure you. Though, I do believe that seclusion can be helpful in study, but only for short periods of time. Too much could drive one to madness…
Now, onto my latest adventures! I recently came across a small group of soldiers from one of the coastal cities known as Crimson Shore. At first, I only observed them from afar, I had no interest in joining their battles. Their leader is a tall, strong furry creature called Sully. At first, he seems ferocious while fighting, but during their times of rest, he is quite kind and jolly. Such duality astounded me. His second in command is a sort of tree-like creature I had never seen before named Atreus. Another fierce fighter, tall and strong. He never hesitates during a fight, no matter who is on the other side of it. There is also a dwarf called Seeker who is very helpful on and off the field. He helps train new recruits, he likes to cook, he owns an inn, and he seems to know many other people from other realms. He also has a partner who helps to take care of him and the other fighters but I can’t seem to catch what their name is, it’s very strange.
And those are just the leaders, there are a few other fighters amongst this group. Some human, some humanoid, some monster. Some of the humans have named themselves after animals, for some reason, so odd. There is one fighter, though, that I am extremely intrigued by. He is a Skaven, a rat-kin. But this one actually has certain traits like a squirrel. He also dresses like a mage but does not seem to use magic. But I believe magic has been used on him…a very scary kind of magic. You see, his tail….it is just bone. I believe this Skaven was brought back with necromancy. Yet, he seems as lively as the rest of his fellow fighters. In fact, he was known to be very fast on the field, apparently. And he favors archery! It reminded me of my training days, and surprisingly, I was starting to miss them.
Now, I know what you’d say to me, Mama, if you could. You’d tell me I’m too small and too weak to fight, that it’s too dangerous and that I need to stay far away from the battlefield. I remember how scared you were whenever I came home from training. You’d have a healing salve and bandages at the ready in case I had torn my wing or took an arrow to a limb. Even though our training arrows were not sharp and couldn’t pierce anything, they could still leave bruises or leave cuts from the fletchings if aimed at a body. Thankfully, I was good at dodging out of the way to avoid being hit. Except that one time when the fletching of an arrow grazed my ear, which taught me that I need to duck down lower in the future. But besides that, I’m a decent archer, Mama. Oh! And on the battlefield, the fighters with swords and big shields tend to help keep the archers safe or the archers are up high and away from most of the fighting anyways!
So please don’t be upset with me for what I did a couple days before I wrote this letter. I...I did approach the Skaven, who is named Ratatoskr but he just goes by Toskr, for short. I told him I admired his skills and that I had been an archer myself before. We sat down at a tavern and we got to know each other. Since batfolk are not common in this part of the realm, he asked me more about myself and where I’m from. I actually got to be a storyteller for once, Mama. Just like you always wanted. His fellow fighters came around to hear me tell my stories of my home and of my travels. I don’t have magic like you do to accompany my stories so I had to describe things in more detail. And they actually appreciated the different voices I used to differentiate characters so make sure to tell that to Elder Zotz since he always scolded me for “being too silly.”
The fighters applauded after each story and they welcomed me with open arms. They couldn’t seem to pronounce my name very well so they just started calling me “Batty”. It is very simple, but then again, batfolk just aren’t common around here so it’s not surprising that my name and our language might be confusing. Apparently, Toskr used to just be called “Squirrel” before. And to be honest, it’s nice to have a new name for this new life I have been forging for myself. And to be given it by this group of fighters who I have come to admire makes it feel even more special.
Since then, I have joined them at their practices and have picked up a bow and arrows once again. I don’t know if I will ever truly join them on the field, I merely practice on the sidelines, for now. But I help to make food and bring water whenever they need rest. And I join in the revelry in the evenings with song and dance. It has truly been a pleasure to have found this group and I cannot wait to see what more stories they inspire in me to share with you and all the other realms.
Please do not fret, Mama. I promise you I am doing my best to stay safe. And since it looks like I am done with traveling for a while, I have a return address for you to send letters to now! I am staying at Seeker’s Soup House and Inn. And make sure to put Batty as my name, they all know me here as that. But I will always be your little Pallidua, no matter how far I fly from you. I hope someday, I may be able to return. I hope the Elders change their ways and see that staying isolated for so long is not doing our kind enough good. There are new stories to be told, Mama. New people to meet, new ideas to ponder. We do not need to be tied to our fates. We can make our own.
Stay healthy, my beautiful Mama. I hope to hear from you soon, Batty aka Pallidua
Returning Home:
As I flew home for the first time in years, I still couldn’t even believe I heard back from my mother at all, let alone be exempt from my exile. What’s more, I couldn’t help but wonder how much truly has changed since I’ve been away, or if things were still the same and these words my mother wrote are simply that: words.
“My dearest Pallidua,
I hope you can forgive my silence after all this time, I truly have missed you so much and was so relieved when I found out you are alive! I want you to know that I did receive your last few letters and I appreciate your summaries within each one. You were right, the Guardians were instructed by the Elders to destroy your letters to deny you any access to the cauldron. But your fellow Guardian Molo began to wonder what it was you were trying to tell me, so he began to read your letters before destroying them. Until eventually, he decided to hide them, then he sought me out to tell me about all the previous ones he had read and give me the most recent one. From then on, he immediately hid them and allowed me to be the first to read them. His visits have helped me regain my smile and your letters have inspired me immensely. I can see now that our ways need to change, our stories are old and we are far too isolated from the world. We are stuck in a state of limbo, we do not grow, we do not learn or adapt. You, my sweet one, have shown me what we could be capable of.
I have confessed to the elders of your letters and was put on trial where I pleaded my case for them to allow you to return. They must see that staying here only keeps us stagnant. After many days, they agreed to allow you to return to tell of your adventures. I hope that your own accounts may yet convince them of what I already know, that we must transform if we truly are to live and thrive.
Please write to me once more to let us know when we will receive you, I promise you will not be turned away or attacked. I cannot wait to meet you again, Batty.
Your mother, Lyra”
It made me smile to see my old name once again, but I smiled even wider when my mother referred to me as my nickname my friends gave me. I have to hope that if she can accept me, and if Molo can accept me, then maybe there will be others in our cauldron who can as well.
I had been about a week’s journey away from the cauldron when I got my mother’s letter. I told my friends I needed to go home for a while but that I would be back in no time. They wished me luck and told me they’d be waiting with open arms for my return. I felt so lucky to have met them and I looked forward to seeing them again in a few weeks. I wrote back to my mother right before I began to make my way back to the cave. I wasn’t sure whether to think of this as a “homecoming” because I wasn’t sure if this truly was my home anymore. It would have to depend on what came of my trial.
Mother didn’t say it, but I had guessed that I wasn’t coming back as a hero or an honored guest. I expected to be put on trial, just as she had been. In fact, I expected that I was going to be visiting her in a jail cell and not our home. I had many guesses in my head, many expectations of what would happen when I arrived. But I really hoped deep down that my guesses were wrong.
After a week of travel, I finally laid my eyes once again upon the mountain that held our cave within. And with it, I also saw the beach and the ocean that I fell in love with on that faithful day. I was filled with so many emotions that I couldn’t help but stop to rest on that same tree and stare as the sun was setting, a smile on my face as a single tear fell. It gave me a chance to calm my mind before I had to make my way around the mountain to the mouth of the cave. I thought of my new found family and remembering how much they supported me, I found the courage to make the rest of the way toward the cave.
As the mouth of the cave came into view, I could see two Guardians as usual but there was a third one waiting at the center of the entrance, which was strange. It turned out to be Molo. He was a taller, more lanky batfolk than most so he was easy to spot. As I flew closer, the other Guardians noticed me and began to draw their arrows, but Molo told them to stand down and they did as they were told. I landed with no issue and looked up towards Molo. “Merry Twilight, Guardian Molo. I have…I have arrived…at the request of my Mother.” I hesitated to speak, I wasn’t sure what would happen if I sounded too informal. Molo spoke with his gentle but deep voice. “I will take you to her, follow me.” With that, he turned and flew deep into the cave. I followed behind, staying silent as we made our way towards the inner sanctum. Nothing seemed different, but as we flew by, I could feel the stares of my fellow batfolk on me, though I didn’t stare back, worried to see what kinds of expressions I’d be met with. But I could hear the curiosity in their murmurs, and to my surprise, I also heard what sounded like delight in my return.
Molo led the way to my old dwelling where I had lived before with my mother. I was surprised at this, but relieved to be able to rest in a familiar setting. When I saw my mother waiting for me in the yard, all sense of formality left me. I immediately felt tears well up in my eyes and I screeched when I saw her, almost as loudly as she screeched when she saw me. I flew straight into her wings and we embraced for what felt like an eternity. When we finally let go, I could see how much time truly had passed. The tiny streak of silver in her hair had now overtaken all of the dark brown that had been there before. When she looked at me, I could tell that she was still able to sense me, but the slight cloudiness in her eyes told me that her sight was beginning to fail.
“My sweet little Palli, I’ve missed you so much. I can barely wrap my wings around you, you’ve grown so much,” she lied. I giggled, “Mama, you know that’s not true, I’ve been this size since before I…” I hesitated, “Since before I left.” The guilt washed over me and the tears of joy became tears of regret. “Oh Mama, I am so sorry…you must have been so worried and so sad for so long…I never meant to…I just….” She held me tighter and hushed my tearful apologies. “You are here now, you are safe now and have been safe for all this time. That has helped heal my sorrow immensely.”
Molo had found a spot nearby to land, giving us space to reunite. Mama gestured for him to come near. “If it wasn’t for this Guardian, we wouldn’t be having this wonderful reunion. You must thank him properly for giving us this gift.” I wiped my tears and turned to Molo. “Thank you, Guardian Molo. I know you risked much to make this happen, I hope you have not been reprimanded or punished too severely.” I bowed to him, he nodded his head back to me. “Any repercussions I’ve been dealt are worth it. While I do apologize for reading your letters and for destroying the first few, I only regret not reading the first ones and making this happen sooner. Your stories of your adventures were truly incredible, I could no longer understand why the Elders kept us hidden and isolated for so long when there is so much life out in the world. Things need to change. I hope you can help start that change, Batty.” He chuckled after saying the name. “Still such a strange nickname for you. It’s so simple, doesn't really encapsulate you at all.” I shrugged. “Apparently in common, they call someone ‘batty’ when they are a bit…eccentric? Makes me wonder what bats the humans saw that made them come up with that definition.” Molo smiled. “Eccentric, huh? Maybe that does suit you.”
Mama and Molo and I all ate together before the trial. They told me that nothing really had changed while I’d been away, but I noticed at least one thing. It seems like Mama unofficially adopted Molo and now I seem to have a brother instead of being an only child. I didn’t mind, though. It felt nice to know my family here was a little bigger than it used to be.
Eventually, a duo of Guardians arrived to escort the three of us to the trial. I felt nervous. I had been telling stories in taverns and at campfires for years now, not for any reason but to have fun. But now, I’d have to tell a story that could change my people’s entire culture. I looked to Mama and Molo, I thought of my mates from Crimson Shore, and I took a deep breath.
“I’m ready.”
