THE WARRIOR MAIDEN
Triyama was a walang puppet from Bali in the late 1800's. She was the favourite character of a young princess named Surya. The princess was so enamoured by Triyama, that she befriended the puppeteer and was allowed to play with Triyama inbetween shows. In Bali and the surrounding regions, the walang were held in high regard, as the puppets were believed to be possessed by gods, spirits, and the very characters they represented. When Surya played with her beloved puppet, she truly believed she was playing with Triyama, the brave warrior heroine from her favourite tales... Surya lived at a time when Dutch Imperialists sought to undermine the Balinese Royalty. Unfortunately for Surya, her family was a target of these Imperialists. The attack came during the climax of one of Triyama's plays. One by one Surya's family fell to the blades of hired thugs. But as the knives turned to Surya the miraculous happened. The assassins were killed by the sword maiden Triyama. Young Surya was spared. Triyama stayed with the girl some time, but once Surya was able enough to stand on her own, Triyama disappeared...