Cyrrane
Number of People: 42
(19 Females 23 Males)
0-5 (0): 6 | 6-20 (1/2): 9 | 21+ (1): 27
Number of Pets: (1/4) 18
Amount of servings: 36
Next visit with Ancestors:Today
As always, the patrol was passing rather uneventfully. This time, Jorveid was a little more quiet, having been berated by his father for not paying enough attention the previous day (Ulgrik, of course, had just been very worried and had acted like that because of his fear for his son). Pantaleon had also been told off by Jaymes, but.. That wasn't the reason he was more quiet. No, he was thinking about the young boy in Joan's hut, all weak and confused. Panto was ready to protect him with his life. These thoughts, noble as they may be, did not make him any more concentrated on the scouting however, and he was amongst the last of them to notice that all three dogs had started running towards a bush. Panto immediately began to follow them. "Wai-" Jaymes had been about to shout a warning to Panto, but he noticed the dogs tails: they were high and wagging, which indicated that there wasn't too much danger. He thus decided to keep quiet.
Panto and Jorveid, who had also run forward very quickly, arrived by the dogs just as something grey started to emerge from the bushes. A tiny dog, all in shades of white, grey and black, head high and ears pricked forward. Its tail was wagging calmly from left to right and its small black eyes were looking straight at Jorveid. The young dwarf held out his hand slowly and the dog stepped forward, sniffed it for a few seconds, then licked it affectionately. "Awwwwwww!!" Jorveid grinned widely and laid his hand carefully on the dogs back, then stroked it. "Daaaaaad she's so cuuuuuute look at herrrrr!!!" Jorveid looked up at his father with wide, pleading eyes- an expression echoed by Panto's look at Jaymes. Ulgrik sighed while Jaymes facepalmed. "Panto, we don't know where she's from-" "Jorveid, for all we know she might already have a family somewhere.." But neither of them had finished talking when the dog, tail still wagging, trotted over to Ulgrik and put both her paws on his legs, almost looking as if she was smiling as she looked up into his eyes. "Ughh..." Ulgrik looked at her, not moving. "You're not making this any easier, you know." he grumbled at the ball of fluff.
There was a long silence, during which Panto mouthed "Can we keep her" at Jaymes, and Jorveid almost had both his hands together in front of him to plead with his father. In the end, it was the dogs that broke the silence. Orchid had come to sniff at the newcomer, who had barked (or more like 'yipped') playfully in response. The four dogs then began a playful dance of smelling and chasing each others tails. Ulgrik let out a long-suffering sigh when he realized the four already liked each other. If he hadn't wanted the dog, it was too late now. "Well you've won, we can keep her." he finally conceded, and braced himself for his son's impending tackle-hug and yells of joy.
~~~
Talyn, Lyra, Aaron and Hilda had gone together to the lake, the hot summer weather being perfect for a nice dip in the river. Today was Aaron's day off, so it was the only reason he had been able to come. They had gone to the most western bank, for it was the shallowest and thus safest for the children. "Remember girls, don't go far in the water. You stay very close to the side, ok? I might take you for a little swim later, but just be careful." "Yes daddy!" "Yes Aaron!" and the two girls tore off their clothes, then off into the water they went. Hilda leaned back and grabbed a bottle of beer from her pack, kept cool thanks to the metal sheets Hessin and installed for her, while Aaron sat in the shade of the trees next to her. Hilda mused that while Hessin might not be a very classic dwarf, he sure was a smart boy, and his little inventions made everyone's lives easier. "I'm glad they've got each other." Aaron let out, half in his thoughts. "Who, the girls?" Hilda asked, looking at the two shrieking gremlins in the water. Aaron nodded. "Yeah, they're good friends. That's always important." he added, thinking back on his own childhood, devoid of that. Now that he did have friends, he realized how much he had been missing out on before. Hilda took a gulp of beer, before nodding. "They're both very strong-headed girls, they can get through anything together." Hilda grinned, thinking about her endless fights with Talyn. "Just put on your socks, alright?" "But I not like socks!" "Listen, it's -10 degrees celsius outside, your toes will freeze to death." "But I not want to!" Aaron laughed. "Yeah, strong-headed for sure. Like you."
The afternoon passed peacefully, with a small snack in between two waterfights and two less beers in the pack (Hilda was careful not to drink more, she didn't want to set *such* a bad example). When the two children began being tired, and thus arguing, Hilda and Aaron quickly packed up and started calling them. Lyra came, but Talyn crossed her arms and stood waist-deep in the water, shaking her head. "Stay!" She responded, pouting. Aaron looked at Hilda helplessly, who shrugged and rolled up her sleeves, then took off her shoes. "Go ahead with Lyra, I'll catch up." she grinned. Aaron smiled. Talyn's stubbornness was big, but Hilda was still stronger than the little girl and would have absolutely no problem taking her under her arm to carry her back. "Alright, well see you later!" he called, and he and Lyra (who was very proud of having acted like a big girl and not argued when they needed to get back) made their way back to the road that led up to Cyrrane.
~
Just as Aaron and Lyra reached the northern edge of the lake (they had to go around to reach the slope that led up the cliff), unfamiliar noises reached their ears. It was a clip-clop noise, followed by some footsteps. A few voiced floated towards, voices which Aaron recognized. The hunter chief grabbed Lyra's hand and pulled her with him, grinning widely. "Almtrude, Tamara, Rovi!" he called ahead, and the voices clamored back: "Aaron!" a few meters still, and then the group came into view. At the front was Almtrude, pipe in one hand and carrying a tiny box in her other. Just behind her, Tamara sat proudly on a large grey dappled horse, which whinnied and tossed its head at the approach of Aaron and Lyra. Beside the horse, Rovi walked, eyes fixed on a bag he was very carefully cradling in his arms.
The three travelers stopped when Aaron and Lyra approached, and all were smiling widely. Almtrude spoke first. "Ah, Aaron, it's wonderful te see ya! It's been too long." the red-haired hunter grinned back and clapped her on the shoulder. "It's a pleasure, Almtrude. We almost thought you'd never come back.."
Beside the two, Rovi had approached Lyra and was bending to be at her level. "Lyra, is that really you? Oh my, you've grown so much since last time.. I'm going to be so shocked by the other kids." Lyra drew herself up a little. "Yes, I'm a big girl now! Are you Rovi? And what's in that bag?"
Tamara had slid off the horse and, holding its reins, now came to join Aaron and Almtrude chatting. "Now I don't know if you feel the same way, but I am exhausted by this trip and am really looking forward to sleeping in a real bed. And eat a meal that isn't burned on the outside and raw on the inside." Almtrude and Aaron looked at her for a second, before Almtrude laughed and slapped her heartily on the back- an action which Tamara did not particularly enjoy, as despite standing a head taller than Almtrude, the slap made her stumble forward a few steps. "Ah, ye haven't changed a bit, Tamara! But I s'pose ye deserve it, ye did some very good bargaining back there. Let's go." and the group of five moved on in direction of the village, Lyra and Rovi still chattering light-heartedly together.
~
About twenty minutes later, the top of the houses could finally be seen. Lyra ran ahead of the others, calling for her family. "Mum, dad! Arun, Rhys! Almtrude and Tamara and Rovi is back! And Rovi said he has some small dragon eggs!!" soon enough, people left their occupations to greet the travelers. Myriam arrived too, her face looking much more relaxed than it had been in weeks. "Oh, it's wonderful to see you three! I-I almost thought I had sent you to your deaths." she admitted, speaking more quietly on her second sentence than on her first. Almtrude seemed to be the only one who heard it, and she took Myriam's shoulder warmly- not seeming to be bothered by the fact she had to reach rather far up for it. "I told ye, there's no need for worry. I wasn't gonna let any of these kids get hurt." Almtrude nodded towards Rovi and Tamara. Rovi and his sister were hugging tightly, while Tamara had her hands on her hips and was frowning at Xzavier. "What do you mean the cantaloupe seeds got eaten by birds??"
Myriam let a small smile break through, and she nodded slowly. "I know. Thank you." the young leader took a deep breath, and, looking around at the village- her village- a feeling of pride washed away her previous fears. Today, they had come another step forward, and met other villages, had gone to this mysterious marketplace. They had come so far already, it felt like they could overcome anything now. "Cyrranians, tonight, I propose a feast to welcome back Almtrude, Tamara and Rovi!" there was a loud cheer from the group. That decided, Myriam began giving out tasks. "Aaron, Laedrya, find a couple people to help you out in the kitchen! I trust you'll find something good to do. Azelle, Ana, please take care of the animals the three have brought back. You can put the horse near the west south side, there's a good place for her. Ulgrik, can you help them with that? Rovi, Almtrude and Tamara, come with me. We've got a lot of things to talk about." as the group of four moved towards the leader's house, Almtrude looked around for a second, then back at Myriam. "Now tell me, where the hell did all those kids come from?"
~~
Arun and Rhys watched Ana and Azelle carefully carry the strange bag after having put the horse in a meadow. Lyra had said the travelers had brought small dragon eggs.. Was that really true? If yes, the two young elves would stop at nothing to get a good look at them... The two women carrying the bag dropped the eggs off at a common storeroom before leaving- to help prepare for the feast, no doubt. Arun and Rhys only looked at each other once before Rhys grinned and began to move towards it, Arun following like a shadow.
Once inside, the boys searched around for a while, not seeing the eggs. Rhys snapped his fingers in annoyance as he realized where they were. "Dammit. They must've brought them to the locked room." this storeroom, or more precisely, storage building, was composed of several different rooms where people would store things. There was a place for spare gardening tools and seeds, one for mining tools, etc. The locked room was the place rare or expensive materials were kept- like the gold Silas and Jorund sometimes found, or, in this case, the small dragon eggs. Arun tapped Rhys' shoulder. "I bet they forgot to lock the window again." he whispered. More than once already, the two boys had been sorely tempted by a glittering gold nugget or a carefully carved nacre figurine on the shelves of the locked room, visible through a small round window about a meter fifty off the ground. Once, they had even gone as far as push at the window, which, to their surprise, had opened! Now seemed like a good time to try climbing up. "Alright, let's go."
The two left the storeroom, and went around the back, to that small window. They had grown since the last time, and weren't quite so sure they actually fit inside anymore-but it was worth a try. "OK Arun, you go first, you're a better climber. I'll help you up, then once you're inside you pull me up too." the dark-haired boy nodded. Rhys positioned himself near the wall, putting his hands in a ladder sort of way, on which Arun stepped to reach the window. Yes, it was open again! "Here goes nothing." Arun muttered, and pushed himself up through the window.
For Rhys down on the ground, the wait was excruciatingly long as Arun wiggled into the room, then crashed to the ground inside because, of course, his legs were still stuck outside while the rest of his body had gone in. Rhys looked around fearfully, but, seeing no-one, carefully stood on his tiptoes to peer inside. "Arun, are you alright? Are the eggs there?" there was silence for a second, then Arun's disheveled face appeared. "I think I saw the eggs, yeah. Now come before someone sees us." and after another dozen seconds of urgent climbing and pulling, Rhys also managed to get in.
The room wasn't too big, but in every corner, treasures awaited. Old statues discovered on patrol, gold and jewels found in the mines, ancient scrolls, carved harpoons found on the beach and much more. The boys eyes glittered just as much as the riches around them, and even more so when they spotted three fist-sized eggs, carefully placed in a padded box in a patch of sun shining through the window. "Wooooooaaah..." Rhys reached out to caress the top of one. The egg Rhys had touched was of a golden color. Arun came next to his brother and carefully tapped the green egg- the last one was brown. "They're-" "They're warm, yeah." Rhys finished his brother's sentence. "So they're alive." Arun whispered.
A second later, both boys had tensed up and were staring at the eggs. The golden one had.. had moved. The two looked at each other, panicked, and when they looked back, a small crack had appeared in the shell of the green egg. "Uh-oh.." Rhys whispered. "What do we do??" gentle tapping and cracking noises were coming from the eggs, and it was obvious that the shell was opening. "I-I think we should go." Arun stammered. Rhys nodded wordlessly and backed up to the window, eyes fixed on the eggs. Arun followed suit, and had been about to climb up when he suddenly yelled in fright, staring at the eggs. Rhys put a hand on his shoulder. "Arun, are you alright??" his brother did not reply, simply staring at the eggs. And Rhys saw that the green egg had finally opened completely and a small, green creature was picking its way out of the shell shards. Its purple eyes were staring straight at Arun. "She's talking to me." Arun murmured. Rhys was about to answer when-
"Hello, what's your name?" "Aah!" Rhys jumped and whirled around. "Who was that??" "Me, Ephyr, of course! Who else?" And when Rhys looked back at the eggs, he saw two small, black eyes staring at him from between the golden shells. "Why can you talk to me?" "Because I chose you." Rhys was vaguely aware that Arun was also talking, and realized that the green one must have 'chosen' him too. "What does that mean?" "It means I'll always be there for you, and we'll always do stuff together."
~
A few meters away, behind the locked door, the blonde woman frowned, head tilted. Who was behind that locked door and why were they talking? No-one should be allowed in there unless they had the express permission of Myriam or one of the chiefs.. Marya had been sent here to retrieve the pretty candle holders for the feast, but she hadn't been told there would be people in here already... A little worried, but more curious than afraid, Marya put the key in the lock and turned, then opened the door slowly- only to be greeted by four pairs of eyes. Wait a second. Four?? Marya had immediately noticed Arun and Rhys (whom she was was sure were not supposed to be in here) but the other two pairs of eyes- firelizards! They had hatched! Marya had just about been ready to turn around and tell Myriam when a voice stopped her. "Hello!" the voice was undoubtedly male, but it was sweet and friendly. "Wait, who-" Marya turned around again and was startled to see two azure blue eyes staring at her. "I'm Gozri. What's your name?" Marya stood frozen for a second, blinking at the small brown creature that made his way out of the remnants of his egg. "My.. My name is Marya. Did you pick me then? I didn't really mean to-" "Yes, yes I did! Now don't apologize, I'm happy I found you."
Marya smiled, but then her eyes settled on the place Arun and Rhys had been standing. The boys were gone?? Marya whirled around, and just about caught them slipping out the door behind her. Her hands shot out and she caught both of them by the scruff of the shirt. "Hrm, boys, I think you have some explaining to do... In front of Myriam." the young elves looked at each other, the expression of 'yeah we messed up' on their faces. "Do we really?.." Rhys tried, looking up at Marya with pleading eyes. The woman was unforgiving. "Yup."
"Mom's gonna kill us." Arun whispered to his brother as they were marched out of the storeroom. Rhys nodded. "Dad too."
~~~
The feast was at its peak, and people were happily eating the delicious ratatouille and grilled mushrooms the unofficial village chefs, Aaron and Laedrya, had managed to whip up in a few hours. Zacchaeus and Yameldein had helped out too, and were very proud of their addition to the feast: a sharply spiced soup whose recipe came from Yameldein's dwarven clan. Aaron had also managed to convince the vegetarian Laedrya to allow him a single meat meal, crisp hare slices marinated in a sweet-and-savoury sauce. Hilda had agreed to open her stash of alcohol to the public- a project she had been working on with Tamara and Calder for a while now- and various drinks like ale and wine were being served along the tables. For the children, Ana had pressed some apples and grapes earlier in the morning, and it was simply up to the careful parents to make sure their children did not mistake wine for grape juice.
Perhaps alone not enjoying the festivities to their fullest was Virion. He was picking at his plate, nose turned up distastefully at the squishy ratatouille. What a disgust. No, what he had enjoyed most in this pitiful attempt at a feast were the grilled mushrooms. Laedrya really had managed to find the same ones as back home. Another reason he needed to get her back. The dark elf turned his gaze to the object of his visit, talking and laughing with that stuck-up nitwit husband of hers. This should never have happened, and it would need to be corrected.
As he was in his thoughts, Virion noticed something else out of the corner of his eye. A lone dwarf, sitting a little away from everyone else, glaring at the rest of the villagers and holding his plate tightly, as if anyone could come out and take it from him. Certainly not someone who seems to like the others... Virion was curious, and, casually, stood and made his way to the dwarf. "Greetings. I am relatively new in this village, I don't believe we have met yet?" he held out a hand to shake. The dwarf looked up at Virion and sniffed mistrustfully. "What'd'ya want?" Virion, surprised by this answer, raised an eyebrow and looked at the dwarf for a few seconds, gauging him, trying to understand.. And finally-
"You.. You don't trust them, do you?" "Nor you, for that matter." "But if I told I could help you get what you want, would you trust me?" "Depends. What'd'ya think I want?" Virion stayed silent for a few seconds, observing the dwarf. One of the miners, obviously, according to his sooty clothing. But, unlike most other villagers, he had some jewelry as well, a little silver bracelet and a ring with a precious stone- perhaps a sapphire? When the dwarf noticed Virion looking at his jewelry, he scowled and covered them with his other hand. Virion smiled. That was all he needed to know. "You want riches, but you don't want anyone taking them from you." Virion said calmly, sitting down gracefully on the nearby chair. The dwarf huffed, but didn't deny that. "Me name's Jorund. Jorund Thunderpike. What'd'ye wanna do?" Virion held out his hand to shake again, which the dwarf, this time, reluctantly took. "We can do many great things..." and Virion began spinning his tale of love and revenge, knowing that once he was done, Jorund would have no choice but to help him.
A few benches away, alone, too, Silas watched the two with apprehension. He knew Jorund well, and this was very worrying.
~~
At the center of the village, a less malevolent tale was preparing to be spun. Myriam had quieted everyone down, and now, Almtrude walked to the center, between all the tables and near the large bonfire. "Young or old, boy, girl or everything in between, come around and listen.. For this tale has no requirement to listen to, and may bring some teachings to the most experienced of you." a few of the children left their parents side to go sit on the ground, closer to the storyteller. "This tale talks of courage and loyalty, but also of weakness and insecurity... It is a tale of people like you and me, people who do their best in a world they do not always understand. Come and listen, not just with your ears, but with your hearts as well." the village had fallen silent save for the crackling of the bonfire. In that near silence, a new sound came up- mandola strings being gently picked, creating a haunting melody that plunged the listeners into a world of magic and mystery, a world of wonder and fear.
"My story begins in this world, but many, many years ago, before this village existed, when magic still permeated every corner of the world. There was a village of peaceful people. No-one knows what race they were, some say they belonged to a race that has since disappeared. In this village, everyone had a role, and everyone was always ready to help the other. They were like one big family. In this village lived a man called Uskoa, and while he was accepted by everyone, he never felt like he fitted in." and while she said that, Almtrude looked over to Silas. "Uskoa felt he was different, because his skin was completely white, his eyes almost red, and the sun hurt him. Apart from that, he was a completely normal person and everyone accepted him as he was- for him, however, it was hard. Hard to accept he was worth just as much as other people, despite being so different." in Silas' eyes, there was a light of recognition.
"Uskoa was used to hunting and wandering at night, when everyone slept. Then, one night, as he was quietly walking, he heard strange noises coming from the village... And there was light, too- a fire!" Almtrude grabbed a branch from the fire behind her, holding it out in front of her. "Uskoa ran back, and he saw the fire wasn't there by chance. Hundreds of dark-clothed men had overrun the village, and were rounding up the villagers- everyone except Uskoa." slight pause. "the young man had no idea what to do, he wasn't strong, he wasn't smart, he couldn't save his friends and family... This was the moment he was caught!" Jayme's mandola hit a dissonant chord, and some of the younger children gasped.
"The attackers brought Uskoa to their leader. That leader laughed when he saw Uskoa, and asked if he was some sort of monster because of his skin and eyes. Uskoa was terrified, and the leaders words cut through him. Was he really a monster?" a sad tone on the mandola. "And yet, Uskoa didn't want to give the leader the satisfaction of knowing he was hurt and scared. So he only kept struggling, refusing to let himself be taken so easily. The leader was amused at his tenacity, so he told Uskoa: 'If you can bring back the God's Moonstone, I will let the villagers free. However, if you don't come back in a year, I will kill all of them.' At this, Uskoa felt despair fill him. Everybody knew about the Gods Moonstone, but that knowledge wasn't of much use: everybody also knew that it was at the top of the world's highest mountain, a place where staying more than a minute in place could make you freeze up completely, and where the winds were so strong they could blow you off the mountain."
"But Uskoa couldn't give up like that. He agreed, and that same night, was sent on his way. Nobody believed he would make it back, least of all the attackers." And, always accompanied by Jaymes, Almtrude described Uskoa's travel. At first he only traveled by night, to avoid hurting himself with the sun, but after a while, he realized he would never get back in time, so he began walking in the sun as well. At first, the days were burning hot and the nights temperate, but as he arrived at the mountain, the days and nights got colder and colder, and Uskoa was glad he moved around during the night- it helped him keep warm. Up and up he went, but he never felt like he was remotely close to the top.
"One night, as he was walking, a great booming tore the otherwise silent air." Almtrude continued. "The ground started shaking, and the snow around Uskoa was trembling." as before, Jaymes' mandola accompanied the words, deep and worrying chords. "Uskoa tried to find shelter, but it was too late: an avalanche was coming for him! Uskoa was swept by the wave of freezing snow and rocks. He tried holding on desperately, but the wave was too strong, it pushed him off his feet, until Uskoa's head hit a rock and everything became dark for him..." immediately, Jaymes' mandola calmed and went into gentle, almost mournful notes. "When Uskoa awoke, he was in a warm little house, in a soft bed. There was a bandage around his head and a bowl of hot soup nearby. He could see no-one. So he began eating the soup, feeling it warm up his body from the inside."
"Just as he finished, the door opened, and an old lady entered the room. She had ebony skin, and bright, maybe even white, eyes. She turned towards Uskoa, tilted her head and smiled. 'Ah, you are awake.' she said. Uskoa hesitated, then answered. 'Yes, but I do not know where I am.' when the lady answered, Uskoa howled in despair: she had told him he was at the foot of the mountain. All his hard work for nothing, and now, he had no chance to get back to the top in time, no chance to save his village!" a few of the children in front of Almtrude let out an "Oh no..."
Almtrude continued. "But when Uskoa finally explained his quest to the old lady, she suddenly paused and stared at Uskoa. 'You know, I see something within you, young man...' she began. Uskoa drew himself up a little. 'I cannot see as others do, but I can see something within you, something very powerful. I think- no, I KNOW that you are meant to succeed.' she paused for a few more seconds, and finished at last. 'You are strong, Uskoa. Whatever others say, you have an incredible force inside you, and this strength is what will get you up that mountain. I know you can make it.'"
"Uskoa barely dared to believe her, but she didn't seem like she was lying, and.. What if ? What if he really was capable of making it? Uskoa bade the old woman farewell, and thanked her profusely. She only smiled and repeated, again, that he was stronger inside than could be seen, and she had no doubt he would make it. And Uskoa began his climb again."
"The climb wasn't any easier than before, but now, at every step, Uskoa reminded himself of what the old woman had said. At every storm, at every fall, Uskoa told himself he could make it. He was strong, he had a goal in mind and he would make it. The old woman believed in him. Every step brought Uskoa closer to the top, until, finally, he reached the snow-covered plateau of the Gods Mountain. There, nestled between a few rocks, laid a fist-sized, pearly white stone, and at its center shone a myriad of blue and red flames, dancing in the sun. Uskoa seemed to have forgotten to breathe for a few second, with how enraptured he was by the delicate jewel."
"But he had no time to waste. It had taken him almost nine months to climb to the top, and he would now need to be three times as fast to get back home than it had taken him to come. Uskoa was worried, but again, he reminded himself of the old woman's words, and confidence filled his heart once more. He would make it."
"As expected, the way back was hard, but easier than when he had come. In three weeks, he was at the bottom of the mountains, and the nights became warm again. Five days later, he recognized the forest. And after two more days, on the last day of his quest, Uskoa finally saw his village. It was a sad sight. The normally blooming trees and flowers were dead. The stream ran dark and grey, seemingly dirtied by something inside the village, and the children who normally ran and laughed playfully around were nowhere to be seen."
"As Uskoa entered his home village, there was a great murmuring amongst the bandits around. It seemed like they recognized him, but instead of laughing, they stared at him in wonder and almost fear. And when he faced the leader of the bandits, Uskoa realized that it was not them that had changed, but him. Instead of cowering as he had once, he stood straight. His eyes, usually a weak pink, now showed clear confidence. His hands, which he would often wring in worry, were at is side, one holding the bag with the moonstone, the other balled in a fist. Uskoa was no longer afraid."
"And so he talked to the leader, who did not act as confident as he had a year ago. 'You thought you were punishing me, with a trip that nobody had come back from. You thought I would die, that I would give up. But instead, you showed me how strong I was. You showed me I was not the weakling everyone thought I was- including me. Here is your moonstone. Now get out of my village. These people deserve freedom.' the leader of the bandits did not utter a sound. He did not even take the moonstone. Silently, he put a bunch of keys on the table, and walked out of the village. His men followed him."
"And so, Uskoa had saved his village. He had no special power, no magical artefact. He simply had the one thing so many people are missing, and yet is essential for one's well-being. Confidence. A few years later, Uskoa made the trip to the mountain again, to return the stone. He saw the old lady once more, and when she saw him, she smiled and said a few words. 'While it is always best to believe in oneself, a little help from others can be a great blessing.' "
And thus, Almtrude finished her tale. The assembled villagers were silent for a minute, no doubt thinking about what they had just heard. Then, a single clap. To many people's surprise, it came from Aakash. Then, Myriam clapped, followed by Aaron. And then the entire village was clapping. When Almtrude looked at Silas, she saw tears in his eyes shining in the fire light, and her heart swelled: all she ever wanted was to help, and it seemed like the message had really touched Silas' heart. Maybe now, he would believe in himself too.
(Zacchaeus is taking his assessment to become Gatherer!
Lyra is testing hunting with Aaron
Hessin is now healer apprentice!
All apprentices train a random skill
Apple and Cinnamon breed
Ephyr and Gorzri breed
Redneck breeds with Sky of BRW
Donovan breeds with Aurunci of Carmina Abyssi
Myriam goes to the ancestors and requests an elder with the traits ST-A3 / HC-17 / HS-S / EC-E5 / Y / human
Joan researches medicine
Ulgrik, Jorveid, Almtrude, Pantaleon and Jaymes scout with Iméra, Solian, Ashe and Orchid
Zaos, Alizz, Aakash and Marya do a border patrol
Aaron, Nayah, Gwinaelle and Peony hunt
Bargas, Alkhas and Azelle (with Apple and Cinnamon) hunt
Laedrya, Xzavier, Ana and Yameldein gather
Tamara and Zacchaeus tend the carrot and cantaloupe seeds
Silas, Calder, Rovi, Virion and Jorund mine using a steel axe
Cats and dogs hunt (-; )
Mod notes: any injuries to anyone are fine, but please don't kill some! Most important ones: Myriam, Zaos, Almtrude, Pantaleon, Tamara, Xzavier, Rhys, Arun, Lyra, Myreon, Virion, Ian. I'd still be sad for other deaths but they're not that important for plot reasons.
Number of People: 42
(19 Females 23 Males)
0-5 (0): 6 | 6-20 (1/2): 9 | 21+ (1): 27
Number of Pets: (1/4) 18
Amount of servings: 36
Next visit with Ancestors:Today
As always, the patrol was passing rather uneventfully. This time, Jorveid was a little more quiet, having been berated by his father for not paying enough attention the previous day (Ulgrik, of course, had just been very worried and had acted like that because of his fear for his son). Pantaleon had also been told off by Jaymes, but.. That wasn't the reason he was more quiet. No, he was thinking about the young boy in Joan's hut, all weak and confused. Panto was ready to protect him with his life. These thoughts, noble as they may be, did not make him any more concentrated on the scouting however, and he was amongst the last of them to notice that all three dogs had started running towards a bush. Panto immediately began to follow them. "Wai-" Jaymes had been about to shout a warning to Panto, but he noticed the dogs tails: they were high and wagging, which indicated that there wasn't too much danger. He thus decided to keep quiet.
Panto and Jorveid, who had also run forward very quickly, arrived by the dogs just as something grey started to emerge from the bushes. A tiny dog, all in shades of white, grey and black, head high and ears pricked forward. Its tail was wagging calmly from left to right and its small black eyes were looking straight at Jorveid. The young dwarf held out his hand slowly and the dog stepped forward, sniffed it for a few seconds, then licked it affectionately. "Awwwwwww!!" Jorveid grinned widely and laid his hand carefully on the dogs back, then stroked it. "Daaaaaad she's so cuuuuuute look at herrrrr!!!" Jorveid looked up at his father with wide, pleading eyes- an expression echoed by Panto's look at Jaymes. Ulgrik sighed while Jaymes facepalmed. "Panto, we don't know where she's from-" "Jorveid, for all we know she might already have a family somewhere.." But neither of them had finished talking when the dog, tail still wagging, trotted over to Ulgrik and put both her paws on his legs, almost looking as if she was smiling as she looked up into his eyes. "Ughh..." Ulgrik looked at her, not moving. "You're not making this any easier, you know." he grumbled at the ball of fluff.
There was a long silence, during which Panto mouthed "Can we keep her" at Jaymes, and Jorveid almost had both his hands together in front of him to plead with his father. In the end, it was the dogs that broke the silence. Orchid had come to sniff at the newcomer, who had barked (or more like 'yipped') playfully in response. The four dogs then began a playful dance of smelling and chasing each others tails. Ulgrik let out a long-suffering sigh when he realized the four already liked each other. If he hadn't wanted the dog, it was too late now. "Well you've won, we can keep her." he finally conceded, and braced himself for his son's impending tackle-hug and yells of joy.
~~~
Talyn, Lyra, Aaron and Hilda had gone together to the lake, the hot summer weather being perfect for a nice dip in the river. Today was Aaron's day off, so it was the only reason he had been able to come. They had gone to the most western bank, for it was the shallowest and thus safest for the children. "Remember girls, don't go far in the water. You stay very close to the side, ok? I might take you for a little swim later, but just be careful." "Yes daddy!" "Yes Aaron!" and the two girls tore off their clothes, then off into the water they went. Hilda leaned back and grabbed a bottle of beer from her pack, kept cool thanks to the metal sheets Hessin and installed for her, while Aaron sat in the shade of the trees next to her. Hilda mused that while Hessin might not be a very classic dwarf, he sure was a smart boy, and his little inventions made everyone's lives easier. "I'm glad they've got each other." Aaron let out, half in his thoughts. "Who, the girls?" Hilda asked, looking at the two shrieking gremlins in the water. Aaron nodded. "Yeah, they're good friends. That's always important." he added, thinking back on his own childhood, devoid of that. Now that he did have friends, he realized how much he had been missing out on before. Hilda took a gulp of beer, before nodding. "They're both very strong-headed girls, they can get through anything together." Hilda grinned, thinking about her endless fights with Talyn. "Just put on your socks, alright?" "But I not like socks!" "Listen, it's -10 degrees celsius outside, your toes will freeze to death." "But I not want to!" Aaron laughed. "Yeah, strong-headed for sure. Like you."
The afternoon passed peacefully, with a small snack in between two waterfights and two less beers in the pack (Hilda was careful not to drink more, she didn't want to set *such* a bad example). When the two children began being tired, and thus arguing, Hilda and Aaron quickly packed up and started calling them. Lyra came, but Talyn crossed her arms and stood waist-deep in the water, shaking her head. "Stay!" She responded, pouting. Aaron looked at Hilda helplessly, who shrugged and rolled up her sleeves, then took off her shoes. "Go ahead with Lyra, I'll catch up." she grinned. Aaron smiled. Talyn's stubbornness was big, but Hilda was still stronger than the little girl and would have absolutely no problem taking her under her arm to carry her back. "Alright, well see you later!" he called, and he and Lyra (who was very proud of having acted like a big girl and not argued when they needed to get back) made their way back to the road that led up to Cyrrane.
~
Just as Aaron and Lyra reached the northern edge of the lake (they had to go around to reach the slope that led up the cliff), unfamiliar noises reached their ears. It was a clip-clop noise, followed by some footsteps. A few voiced floated towards, voices which Aaron recognized. The hunter chief grabbed Lyra's hand and pulled her with him, grinning widely. "Almtrude, Tamara, Rovi!" he called ahead, and the voices clamored back: "Aaron!" a few meters still, and then the group came into view. At the front was Almtrude, pipe in one hand and carrying a tiny box in her other. Just behind her, Tamara sat proudly on a large grey dappled horse, which whinnied and tossed its head at the approach of Aaron and Lyra. Beside the horse, Rovi walked, eyes fixed on a bag he was very carefully cradling in his arms.
The three travelers stopped when Aaron and Lyra approached, and all were smiling widely. Almtrude spoke first. "Ah, Aaron, it's wonderful te see ya! It's been too long." the red-haired hunter grinned back and clapped her on the shoulder. "It's a pleasure, Almtrude. We almost thought you'd never come back.."
Beside the two, Rovi had approached Lyra and was bending to be at her level. "Lyra, is that really you? Oh my, you've grown so much since last time.. I'm going to be so shocked by the other kids." Lyra drew herself up a little. "Yes, I'm a big girl now! Are you Rovi? And what's in that bag?"
Tamara had slid off the horse and, holding its reins, now came to join Aaron and Almtrude chatting. "Now I don't know if you feel the same way, but I am exhausted by this trip and am really looking forward to sleeping in a real bed. And eat a meal that isn't burned on the outside and raw on the inside." Almtrude and Aaron looked at her for a second, before Almtrude laughed and slapped her heartily on the back- an action which Tamara did not particularly enjoy, as despite standing a head taller than Almtrude, the slap made her stumble forward a few steps. "Ah, ye haven't changed a bit, Tamara! But I s'pose ye deserve it, ye did some very good bargaining back there. Let's go." and the group of five moved on in direction of the village, Lyra and Rovi still chattering light-heartedly together.
~
About twenty minutes later, the top of the houses could finally be seen. Lyra ran ahead of the others, calling for her family. "Mum, dad! Arun, Rhys! Almtrude and Tamara and Rovi is back! And Rovi said he has some small dragon eggs!!" soon enough, people left their occupations to greet the travelers. Myriam arrived too, her face looking much more relaxed than it had been in weeks. "Oh, it's wonderful to see you three! I-I almost thought I had sent you to your deaths." she admitted, speaking more quietly on her second sentence than on her first. Almtrude seemed to be the only one who heard it, and she took Myriam's shoulder warmly- not seeming to be bothered by the fact she had to reach rather far up for it. "I told ye, there's no need for worry. I wasn't gonna let any of these kids get hurt." Almtrude nodded towards Rovi and Tamara. Rovi and his sister were hugging tightly, while Tamara had her hands on her hips and was frowning at Xzavier. "What do you mean the cantaloupe seeds got eaten by birds??"
Myriam let a small smile break through, and she nodded slowly. "I know. Thank you." the young leader took a deep breath, and, looking around at the village- her village- a feeling of pride washed away her previous fears. Today, they had come another step forward, and met other villages, had gone to this mysterious marketplace. They had come so far already, it felt like they could overcome anything now. "Cyrranians, tonight, I propose a feast to welcome back Almtrude, Tamara and Rovi!" there was a loud cheer from the group. That decided, Myriam began giving out tasks. "Aaron, Laedrya, find a couple people to help you out in the kitchen! I trust you'll find something good to do. Azelle, Ana, please take care of the animals the three have brought back. You can put the horse near the west south side, there's a good place for her. Ulgrik, can you help them with that? Rovi, Almtrude and Tamara, come with me. We've got a lot of things to talk about." as the group of four moved towards the leader's house, Almtrude looked around for a second, then back at Myriam. "Now tell me, where the hell did all those kids come from?"
~~
Arun and Rhys watched Ana and Azelle carefully carry the strange bag after having put the horse in a meadow. Lyra had said the travelers had brought small dragon eggs.. Was that really true? If yes, the two young elves would stop at nothing to get a good look at them... The two women carrying the bag dropped the eggs off at a common storeroom before leaving- to help prepare for the feast, no doubt. Arun and Rhys only looked at each other once before Rhys grinned and began to move towards it, Arun following like a shadow.
Once inside, the boys searched around for a while, not seeing the eggs. Rhys snapped his fingers in annoyance as he realized where they were. "Dammit. They must've brought them to the locked room." this storeroom, or more precisely, storage building, was composed of several different rooms where people would store things. There was a place for spare gardening tools and seeds, one for mining tools, etc. The locked room was the place rare or expensive materials were kept- like the gold Silas and Jorund sometimes found, or, in this case, the small dragon eggs. Arun tapped Rhys' shoulder. "I bet they forgot to lock the window again." he whispered. More than once already, the two boys had been sorely tempted by a glittering gold nugget or a carefully carved nacre figurine on the shelves of the locked room, visible through a small round window about a meter fifty off the ground. Once, they had even gone as far as push at the window, which, to their surprise, had opened! Now seemed like a good time to try climbing up. "Alright, let's go."
The two left the storeroom, and went around the back, to that small window. They had grown since the last time, and weren't quite so sure they actually fit inside anymore-but it was worth a try. "OK Arun, you go first, you're a better climber. I'll help you up, then once you're inside you pull me up too." the dark-haired boy nodded. Rhys positioned himself near the wall, putting his hands in a ladder sort of way, on which Arun stepped to reach the window. Yes, it was open again! "Here goes nothing." Arun muttered, and pushed himself up through the window.
For Rhys down on the ground, the wait was excruciatingly long as Arun wiggled into the room, then crashed to the ground inside because, of course, his legs were still stuck outside while the rest of his body had gone in. Rhys looked around fearfully, but, seeing no-one, carefully stood on his tiptoes to peer inside. "Arun, are you alright? Are the eggs there?" there was silence for a second, then Arun's disheveled face appeared. "I think I saw the eggs, yeah. Now come before someone sees us." and after another dozen seconds of urgent climbing and pulling, Rhys also managed to get in.
The room wasn't too big, but in every corner, treasures awaited. Old statues discovered on patrol, gold and jewels found in the mines, ancient scrolls, carved harpoons found on the beach and much more. The boys eyes glittered just as much as the riches around them, and even more so when they spotted three fist-sized eggs, carefully placed in a padded box in a patch of sun shining through the window. "Wooooooaaah..." Rhys reached out to caress the top of one. The egg Rhys had touched was of a golden color. Arun came next to his brother and carefully tapped the green egg- the last one was brown. "They're-" "They're warm, yeah." Rhys finished his brother's sentence. "So they're alive." Arun whispered.
A second later, both boys had tensed up and were staring at the eggs. The golden one had.. had moved. The two looked at each other, panicked, and when they looked back, a small crack had appeared in the shell of the green egg. "Uh-oh.." Rhys whispered. "What do we do??" gentle tapping and cracking noises were coming from the eggs, and it was obvious that the shell was opening. "I-I think we should go." Arun stammered. Rhys nodded wordlessly and backed up to the window, eyes fixed on the eggs. Arun followed suit, and had been about to climb up when he suddenly yelled in fright, staring at the eggs. Rhys put a hand on his shoulder. "Arun, are you alright??" his brother did not reply, simply staring at the eggs. And Rhys saw that the green egg had finally opened completely and a small, green creature was picking its way out of the shell shards. Its purple eyes were staring straight at Arun. "She's talking to me." Arun murmured. Rhys was about to answer when-
"Hello, what's your name?" "Aah!" Rhys jumped and whirled around. "Who was that??" "Me, Ephyr, of course! Who else?" And when Rhys looked back at the eggs, he saw two small, black eyes staring at him from between the golden shells. "Why can you talk to me?" "Because I chose you." Rhys was vaguely aware that Arun was also talking, and realized that the green one must have 'chosen' him too. "What does that mean?" "It means I'll always be there for you, and we'll always do stuff together."
~
A few meters away, behind the locked door, the blonde woman frowned, head tilted. Who was behind that locked door and why were they talking? No-one should be allowed in there unless they had the express permission of Myriam or one of the chiefs.. Marya had been sent here to retrieve the pretty candle holders for the feast, but she hadn't been told there would be people in here already... A little worried, but more curious than afraid, Marya put the key in the lock and turned, then opened the door slowly- only to be greeted by four pairs of eyes. Wait a second. Four?? Marya had immediately noticed Arun and Rhys (whom she was was sure were not supposed to be in here) but the other two pairs of eyes- firelizards! They had hatched! Marya had just about been ready to turn around and tell Myriam when a voice stopped her. "Hello!" the voice was undoubtedly male, but it was sweet and friendly. "Wait, who-" Marya turned around again and was startled to see two azure blue eyes staring at her. "I'm Gozri. What's your name?" Marya stood frozen for a second, blinking at the small brown creature that made his way out of the remnants of his egg. "My.. My name is Marya. Did you pick me then? I didn't really mean to-" "Yes, yes I did! Now don't apologize, I'm happy I found you."
Marya smiled, but then her eyes settled on the place Arun and Rhys had been standing. The boys were gone?? Marya whirled around, and just about caught them slipping out the door behind her. Her hands shot out and she caught both of them by the scruff of the shirt. "Hrm, boys, I think you have some explaining to do... In front of Myriam." the young elves looked at each other, the expression of 'yeah we messed up' on their faces. "Do we really?.." Rhys tried, looking up at Marya with pleading eyes. The woman was unforgiving. "Yup."
"Mom's gonna kill us." Arun whispered to his brother as they were marched out of the storeroom. Rhys nodded. "Dad too."
~~~
The feast was at its peak, and people were happily eating the delicious ratatouille and grilled mushrooms the unofficial village chefs, Aaron and Laedrya, had managed to whip up in a few hours. Zacchaeus and Yameldein had helped out too, and were very proud of their addition to the feast: a sharply spiced soup whose recipe came from Yameldein's dwarven clan. Aaron had also managed to convince the vegetarian Laedrya to allow him a single meat meal, crisp hare slices marinated in a sweet-and-savoury sauce. Hilda had agreed to open her stash of alcohol to the public- a project she had been working on with Tamara and Calder for a while now- and various drinks like ale and wine were being served along the tables. For the children, Ana had pressed some apples and grapes earlier in the morning, and it was simply up to the careful parents to make sure their children did not mistake wine for grape juice.
Perhaps alone not enjoying the festivities to their fullest was Virion. He was picking at his plate, nose turned up distastefully at the squishy ratatouille. What a disgust. No, what he had enjoyed most in this pitiful attempt at a feast were the grilled mushrooms. Laedrya really had managed to find the same ones as back home. Another reason he needed to get her back. The dark elf turned his gaze to the object of his visit, talking and laughing with that stuck-up nitwit husband of hers. This should never have happened, and it would need to be corrected.
As he was in his thoughts, Virion noticed something else out of the corner of his eye. A lone dwarf, sitting a little away from everyone else, glaring at the rest of the villagers and holding his plate tightly, as if anyone could come out and take it from him. Certainly not someone who seems to like the others... Virion was curious, and, casually, stood and made his way to the dwarf. "Greetings. I am relatively new in this village, I don't believe we have met yet?" he held out a hand to shake. The dwarf looked up at Virion and sniffed mistrustfully. "What'd'ya want?" Virion, surprised by this answer, raised an eyebrow and looked at the dwarf for a few seconds, gauging him, trying to understand.. And finally-
"You.. You don't trust them, do you?" "Nor you, for that matter." "But if I told I could help you get what you want, would you trust me?" "Depends. What'd'ya think I want?" Virion stayed silent for a few seconds, observing the dwarf. One of the miners, obviously, according to his sooty clothing. But, unlike most other villagers, he had some jewelry as well, a little silver bracelet and a ring with a precious stone- perhaps a sapphire? When the dwarf noticed Virion looking at his jewelry, he scowled and covered them with his other hand. Virion smiled. That was all he needed to know. "You want riches, but you don't want anyone taking them from you." Virion said calmly, sitting down gracefully on the nearby chair. The dwarf huffed, but didn't deny that. "Me name's Jorund. Jorund Thunderpike. What'd'ye wanna do?" Virion held out his hand to shake again, which the dwarf, this time, reluctantly took. "We can do many great things..." and Virion began spinning his tale of love and revenge, knowing that once he was done, Jorund would have no choice but to help him.
A few benches away, alone, too, Silas watched the two with apprehension. He knew Jorund well, and this was very worrying.
~~
At the center of the village, a less malevolent tale was preparing to be spun. Myriam had quieted everyone down, and now, Almtrude walked to the center, between all the tables and near the large bonfire. "Young or old, boy, girl or everything in between, come around and listen.. For this tale has no requirement to listen to, and may bring some teachings to the most experienced of you." a few of the children left their parents side to go sit on the ground, closer to the storyteller. "This tale talks of courage and loyalty, but also of weakness and insecurity... It is a tale of people like you and me, people who do their best in a world they do not always understand. Come and listen, not just with your ears, but with your hearts as well." the village had fallen silent save for the crackling of the bonfire. In that near silence, a new sound came up- mandola strings being gently picked, creating a haunting melody that plunged the listeners into a world of magic and mystery, a world of wonder and fear.
"My story begins in this world, but many, many years ago, before this village existed, when magic still permeated every corner of the world. There was a village of peaceful people. No-one knows what race they were, some say they belonged to a race that has since disappeared. In this village, everyone had a role, and everyone was always ready to help the other. They were like one big family. In this village lived a man called Uskoa, and while he was accepted by everyone, he never felt like he fitted in." and while she said that, Almtrude looked over to Silas. "Uskoa felt he was different, because his skin was completely white, his eyes almost red, and the sun hurt him. Apart from that, he was a completely normal person and everyone accepted him as he was- for him, however, it was hard. Hard to accept he was worth just as much as other people, despite being so different." in Silas' eyes, there was a light of recognition.
"Uskoa was used to hunting and wandering at night, when everyone slept. Then, one night, as he was quietly walking, he heard strange noises coming from the village... And there was light, too- a fire!" Almtrude grabbed a branch from the fire behind her, holding it out in front of her. "Uskoa ran back, and he saw the fire wasn't there by chance. Hundreds of dark-clothed men had overrun the village, and were rounding up the villagers- everyone except Uskoa." slight pause. "the young man had no idea what to do, he wasn't strong, he wasn't smart, he couldn't save his friends and family... This was the moment he was caught!" Jayme's mandola hit a dissonant chord, and some of the younger children gasped.
"The attackers brought Uskoa to their leader. That leader laughed when he saw Uskoa, and asked if he was some sort of monster because of his skin and eyes. Uskoa was terrified, and the leaders words cut through him. Was he really a monster?" a sad tone on the mandola. "And yet, Uskoa didn't want to give the leader the satisfaction of knowing he was hurt and scared. So he only kept struggling, refusing to let himself be taken so easily. The leader was amused at his tenacity, so he told Uskoa: 'If you can bring back the God's Moonstone, I will let the villagers free. However, if you don't come back in a year, I will kill all of them.' At this, Uskoa felt despair fill him. Everybody knew about the Gods Moonstone, but that knowledge wasn't of much use: everybody also knew that it was at the top of the world's highest mountain, a place where staying more than a minute in place could make you freeze up completely, and where the winds were so strong they could blow you off the mountain."
"But Uskoa couldn't give up like that. He agreed, and that same night, was sent on his way. Nobody believed he would make it back, least of all the attackers." And, always accompanied by Jaymes, Almtrude described Uskoa's travel. At first he only traveled by night, to avoid hurting himself with the sun, but after a while, he realized he would never get back in time, so he began walking in the sun as well. At first, the days were burning hot and the nights temperate, but as he arrived at the mountain, the days and nights got colder and colder, and Uskoa was glad he moved around during the night- it helped him keep warm. Up and up he went, but he never felt like he was remotely close to the top.
"One night, as he was walking, a great booming tore the otherwise silent air." Almtrude continued. "The ground started shaking, and the snow around Uskoa was trembling." as before, Jaymes' mandola accompanied the words, deep and worrying chords. "Uskoa tried to find shelter, but it was too late: an avalanche was coming for him! Uskoa was swept by the wave of freezing snow and rocks. He tried holding on desperately, but the wave was too strong, it pushed him off his feet, until Uskoa's head hit a rock and everything became dark for him..." immediately, Jaymes' mandola calmed and went into gentle, almost mournful notes. "When Uskoa awoke, he was in a warm little house, in a soft bed. There was a bandage around his head and a bowl of hot soup nearby. He could see no-one. So he began eating the soup, feeling it warm up his body from the inside."
"Just as he finished, the door opened, and an old lady entered the room. She had ebony skin, and bright, maybe even white, eyes. She turned towards Uskoa, tilted her head and smiled. 'Ah, you are awake.' she said. Uskoa hesitated, then answered. 'Yes, but I do not know where I am.' when the lady answered, Uskoa howled in despair: she had told him he was at the foot of the mountain. All his hard work for nothing, and now, he had no chance to get back to the top in time, no chance to save his village!" a few of the children in front of Almtrude let out an "Oh no..."
Almtrude continued. "But when Uskoa finally explained his quest to the old lady, she suddenly paused and stared at Uskoa. 'You know, I see something within you, young man...' she began. Uskoa drew himself up a little. 'I cannot see as others do, but I can see something within you, something very powerful. I think- no, I KNOW that you are meant to succeed.' she paused for a few more seconds, and finished at last. 'You are strong, Uskoa. Whatever others say, you have an incredible force inside you, and this strength is what will get you up that mountain. I know you can make it.'"
"Uskoa barely dared to believe her, but she didn't seem like she was lying, and.. What if ? What if he really was capable of making it? Uskoa bade the old woman farewell, and thanked her profusely. She only smiled and repeated, again, that he was stronger inside than could be seen, and she had no doubt he would make it. And Uskoa began his climb again."
"The climb wasn't any easier than before, but now, at every step, Uskoa reminded himself of what the old woman had said. At every storm, at every fall, Uskoa told himself he could make it. He was strong, he had a goal in mind and he would make it. The old woman believed in him. Every step brought Uskoa closer to the top, until, finally, he reached the snow-covered plateau of the Gods Mountain. There, nestled between a few rocks, laid a fist-sized, pearly white stone, and at its center shone a myriad of blue and red flames, dancing in the sun. Uskoa seemed to have forgotten to breathe for a few second, with how enraptured he was by the delicate jewel."
"But he had no time to waste. It had taken him almost nine months to climb to the top, and he would now need to be three times as fast to get back home than it had taken him to come. Uskoa was worried, but again, he reminded himself of the old woman's words, and confidence filled his heart once more. He would make it."
"As expected, the way back was hard, but easier than when he had come. In three weeks, he was at the bottom of the mountains, and the nights became warm again. Five days later, he recognized the forest. And after two more days, on the last day of his quest, Uskoa finally saw his village. It was a sad sight. The normally blooming trees and flowers were dead. The stream ran dark and grey, seemingly dirtied by something inside the village, and the children who normally ran and laughed playfully around were nowhere to be seen."
"As Uskoa entered his home village, there was a great murmuring amongst the bandits around. It seemed like they recognized him, but instead of laughing, they stared at him in wonder and almost fear. And when he faced the leader of the bandits, Uskoa realized that it was not them that had changed, but him. Instead of cowering as he had once, he stood straight. His eyes, usually a weak pink, now showed clear confidence. His hands, which he would often wring in worry, were at is side, one holding the bag with the moonstone, the other balled in a fist. Uskoa was no longer afraid."
"And so he talked to the leader, who did not act as confident as he had a year ago. 'You thought you were punishing me, with a trip that nobody had come back from. You thought I would die, that I would give up. But instead, you showed me how strong I was. You showed me I was not the weakling everyone thought I was- including me. Here is your moonstone. Now get out of my village. These people deserve freedom.' the leader of the bandits did not utter a sound. He did not even take the moonstone. Silently, he put a bunch of keys on the table, and walked out of the village. His men followed him."
"And so, Uskoa had saved his village. He had no special power, no magical artefact. He simply had the one thing so many people are missing, and yet is essential for one's well-being. Confidence. A few years later, Uskoa made the trip to the mountain again, to return the stone. He saw the old lady once more, and when she saw him, she smiled and said a few words. 'While it is always best to believe in oneself, a little help from others can be a great blessing.' "
And thus, Almtrude finished her tale. The assembled villagers were silent for a minute, no doubt thinking about what they had just heard. Then, a single clap. To many people's surprise, it came from Aakash. Then, Myriam clapped, followed by Aaron. And then the entire village was clapping. When Almtrude looked at Silas, she saw tears in his eyes shining in the fire light, and her heart swelled: all she ever wanted was to help, and it seemed like the message had really touched Silas' heart. Maybe now, he would believe in himself too.
(Zacchaeus is taking his assessment to become Gatherer!
Lyra is testing hunting with Aaron
Hessin is now healer apprentice!
All apprentices train a random skill
Apple and Cinnamon breed
Ephyr and Gorzri breed
Redneck breeds with Sky of BRW
Donovan breeds with Aurunci of Carmina Abyssi
Myriam goes to the ancestors and requests an elder with the traits ST-A3 / HC-17 / HS-S / EC-E5 / Y / human
Joan researches medicine
Ulgrik, Jorveid, Almtrude, Pantaleon and Jaymes scout with Iméra, Solian, Ashe and Orchid
Zaos, Alizz, Aakash and Marya do a border patrol
Aaron, Nayah, Gwinaelle and Peony hunt
Bargas, Alkhas and Azelle (with Apple and Cinnamon) hunt
Laedrya, Xzavier, Ana and Yameldein gather
Tamara and Zacchaeus tend the carrot and cantaloupe seeds
Silas, Calder, Rovi, Virion and Jorund mine using a steel axe
Cats and dogs hunt (-; )
Mod notes: any injuries to anyone are fine, but please don't kill some! Most important ones: Myriam, Zaos, Almtrude, Pantaleon, Tamara, Xzavier, Rhys, Arun, Lyra, Myreon, Virion, Ian. I'd still be sad for other deaths but they're not that important for plot reasons.
- Head Chief:
Myriam Sheherezad | 38 | Female | Human
↪ ST-D7 / HC-5 / HS-HW / EC-A6 / X
Healer:
Joan Helend | 30 | Female | Human | 12 KP
↪ ST-D11 / HC-11 / HS-HC / EC-E6 / Y
War Chief:
Zaos Faelen | 43 | Male | Elf
↪ ST-E3 / HC-1 / HS-LC / EC-A6 / X
Warriors:
Rovi Wild | 38 | Male | Human
↪ ST - C11 / HS - LC / HC - 1 / EC - H6 / X
Marya Ward | 33 | Female | Human
↪ ST - C3 / HS - LC / HC - 12 / EC - F7 / X
Calder Thornton (and Jagged) | 36 | Male | Witch
↪ ST - F6 / HS - S / HC - 3 / EC - B3 / X
Azelle Wild | 24 | Female | Human
↪ ST - C9 / HS - AC / HC - 5 / EC - F2 / X
Aakash Bhate | 36 | Male | Human
↪ ST - B7 / HS - LW / HC - 5 / EC - H7 / X
Alizz Highcliff (and Hestia) | 20 | Female | Witch
↪ ST - C8 / HS - LW / HC - 6 / EC - D8 / X
Virion Keihana | 38 | Male | Elf
↪ ST - D11 / HS - HW / HC - 5 / EC - A2 / X
Name | Age | Gender | [url=image link]Race[/url]
↪ here
Scout Chief:
Almtrude Lightfoot | 62 | Female | Dwarf
↪ ST - C7 / HS - HC / HC - 53 / EC - A11 / Y
Scouts:
Pantaleon Brown (and Zacharius) | 38 | Male | Hobbit
↪ ST-C5 / HC-23 / HS-S / EC-H7 / X
Jaymes Weitzman | 28 | Male | Human
↪ ST - B2 / HS - S / HC - 18 / EC - C7 / X
Ulgrik Beasthand | 39 | Male | Dwarf
↪ ST - F11 / HS - LC / HC - 24 / EC - A6 / X
Name | Age | Gender | [url=image link]Race[/url]
↪ here
Hunting Chief:
Aaron Crawford | 46 | Male | Human
↪ ST-C3 / HC-53 / HS-S / EC-D7 / X
Hunters:
Hilda Bronzemane | 42 | Female | Dwarf
↪ ST-D6 / HC-5 / HS-HW / EC-A2 / X
Bargas Fireaxe | 31 | Male | Dwarf
↪ ST - B5 / HS - HC / HC - 22 / EC - A7 / X
Alkhas Ennaer | 29 | Male | Elf
↪ ST - A5 / HS - LC / HC - 18 / EC - C10 / X
Nayah Aidjii | 26 | Female | Human
↪ ST - F8 / HS - S / HC - 40 / EC - E3 / X
Peony Song | 23 | Female | Hobbit
↪ ST - F1 / HS - LW / HC - 65 / EC - C8 / X
Name | Age | Gender | [url=image link]Race[/url]
↪ here
Miners:
Silas Denver | 25 | Male | Human
↪ ST - B3 / HS - HW / HC - 24 / EC - E3 / Y
Jorund Thunderpike | 47 | Male | Dwarf
↪ ST - F7 / HS - S / HC - 12 / EC - F8 / X
Name | Age | Gender | [url=image link]Race[/url]
↪ here
Gatherers:
Laedrya Faelen | 41 | Female | Elf
↪ ST-A11 / HC-24 / HS-LC / EC-D7 / X
Tamara Milner | 32 | Female | Human
↪ ST - F4 / HS - AC / HC - 22 / EC - G9 / X
Xzavier Findlow | 40 | Male | Human
↪ ST-G6 | HC-11 | HS-LC | EC-B11 | Y
Laila Greenfeld | 42 | Female | Human
↪ ST - C1 / HS - S / HC - 9 / EC - B5 / X
Ana Tale | 26 | Female | Fairy
↪ ST - F9 / HS - AC / HC - 9 / EC - H1 / X
Name | Age | Gender | [url=image link]Race[/url]
↪ here
Apprentices:
Zacchaeus Greenfeld | 20 | Male | Human | Gatherer (Tamara)
↪ ST - C2 / HS - LW / HC - 25 / EC - B5 / Y
Gwinaelle | 18 | Female | Dwarf | Hunter (Aaron)
↪ ST - D3 / HS - LC / HC - 8 / EC - G7 / X
Yameldein | 18 | Female | Dwarf | Gatherer (Xzavier)
↪ ST - D4 / HS - LC / HC - 10 / EC - C10 / X
Jorveid | 17 | Male | Dwarf | Scout (Almtrude)
↪ ST - F10 / HS - HW / HC - 24 / EC - D10 / X
Arun Faelen | 16 | Male | Elf | Warrior (Rovi)
↪ ST - E3 / HS - HC / HC - 1 / EC - E2 / Y
Rhys Faelen | 16 | Male | Elf | Hunter (Bargas)
↪ ST - E3 / HS - LC / HC - 26 / EC - E9 / X
Name | Age | Gender | [url=image link]Race[/url] | Apprenticeship (Mentor)
↪ here
Testers:
Hessin | 15 | Male | Human
↪ ST - A8 / HS - HC / HC - 19 / EC - G7 / X
Lyra Faelen | 9 | Female | Elf
↪ ST - E3 / HS - LC / HC - 1 / EC - A6 / X
Name | Age | Gender | [url=image link]Race[/url]
↪ here
Mothers:
Hilda Bronzemane | 42 | Female | Dwarf
↪ ST-D6 / HC-5 / HS-HW / EC-A2 / X
Maple Thornton (and Poppy) | 35 | Female | Witch
↪ ST - E4 / HS - S / HC - 13 / EC - A3 / X
Laila Greenfeld | 42 | Female | Human
↪ ST - C1 / HS - S / HC - 9 / EC - B5 / X
Name | Age | Gender | [url=image link]Race[/url]
↪ here
Children:
Talyn | 7 | Female | Human
↪ ST - D6 / HS - HW / HC - 53 / EC - A2 / X
Ian Thornton | 4 | Male | Witch
↪ ST - E4 / HS - S / HC - 3 / EC - B3 / X
Nora Greenfeld | 3 | Female | Human
↪ ST - F6 / HS - S / HC - 9 / EC - F1 / X
Axel Greenfeld | 3 | Male | Human
↪ ST - B11 / HS - HC / HC - 9 / EC - D4 / X
Myreon Sheherezad-Brown | 7 | Male | Hobbit
↪ here
Name | Age | Gender | [url=image link]Race[/url]
↪ here
Ancients:
Sabra Tale | 86 | Male | Shapeshifter (Bat)
↪ ST - C7 / HS - LC / HC - 21 / EC - B3 / X
Name | Age | Gender | [url=image link]Race[/url]
↪ here
- Ally Villages:
Black Rock Weyr | Simonpet
Mekhanikos | Hazilnut
Village Name | Username
Enemy Villages:
Village Name | Username
Village Name | Username
Borders:
North | Forest and a river | Black Rock Weyr | Simonpet
East | Forest | Village Name | Username
South | Forest | Village Name | Username
West | Lake | Village Name | Username
Food Storage:
Deer | x13 | 78 servings (l)
Boar | x9 | 38 servings (m) (30 servings used up)
Hare | x7 | 7 servings (s)
Bovine | x2 | 12 servings (l)
Carrots | x4 | 12 servings (m)
Potatoes | x8 | 24 servings (m)
Mushrooms | x14 | 28 servings (s)
Apples | x3 | 6 servings (m) (all used up)
Blueberries | x5 | 5 servings (s)
Cantaloupe | x0 | 0 servings (l)
(+Mice | x13 | 3 1/4 servings)
Total: 141 1/4 servings left | 3 years
Craftable Items:
Copper x6 | not used
Gold x5 | not used
Silver x6 | not used
Steel x3 | not used
Iron x1 | not used
Stone x2 | not used
Herbs x3 | not used
Leather x3 | not used
Twine x1 | not used
Wood x2 | not used
Cotton x3 | not used
Sand x3 | not used
Carnivore Scrap x24 | not used
Item Name | in use/ not used
Crafted Items:
Iron Sword x3 | not used | 6 uses
Stone Dagger x1 | not used | 1 use
Steel Pickaxe x2 | in use | 5 uses
Wagonbag | not used | 10 uses
Saddle | not used | 20 uses
Carrot Seed x1 | planted | blooms in 1 post
Cantaloupe Seed x1 | planted | blooms in 1 post
Item Name | in use/ not used | uses
Pets:
Barthelemy | Housecat | 13 years | Male | Looks (Breeding 2/2)
Murdoch | Half wild/housecat | 8 years | Male | Looks (Breeding 2/2)
Gertrude | Half wild/housecat | 8 years | Female | Looks (Breeding 2/2)
Pumpkin | Half wild/housecat | 6 years | Male | Looks (Breeding 1/2)
Marble | Half wild/housecat | 6 years | Female | Looks (Breeding 1/2)
Orange | Half wild/housecat | 4 years | Male | Looks (Breeding 0/2)
Mrs Mew | Half wild/housecat | 4 years | Female | Looks (Breeding 0/2)
Bear | Half wild/housecat | 3 years | Male | Looks (Breeding 0/2)
Silvy | Half wild/housecat | 3 years | Female | Looks (Breeding 0/2)
Findelia | Half wild/housecat | 3 years | Female | Looks (Breeding 0/2)
Milly | Half wild/housecat | 1 years | Female | Looks (Breeding 0/2)
Bonobo | Half wild/housecat | 1 years | Male | Looks (Breeding 0/2)
Fiona | Half wild/housecat | 1 years | Female | Looks (Breeding 0/2)
Donovan | Half wild/housecat | 1 years | Male | Looks (Breeding 0/2)
Iméra | Dog (Australian Collie) | 8 years | Female | Looks (Breeding 2/2)
Solian | Dog (Terrier/Collie) | 3 years | Male | Looks (Breeding 0/2)
Orchid | Dog (Terrier/Collie) | 3 years | Female | Looks (Breeding 0/2)
Hizralis | Dog (Terrier/Collie) | 0 years | Male | Looks (Breeding 0/2)
Ashe | Dog (Keeshond) | 1 year | Female | Looks (Breeding 0/2)
Apple (bonded to Azelle) | Horse | 4 years | Female | Looks (Breeding 0/2)
Cinnamon (bonded to Azelle) | Horse | 3 years | Male | Looks (Breeding 0/2)
Gozri (bonded to Marya) | Firelizard (brown) | 1 year | Male | Looks (Breeding 0/2)
Ephyr (bonded to Rhys) | Firelizard (gold) | 1 year | Female | Looks (Breeding 0/2)
Aipi (bonded to Arun) | Firelizard (green) | 1 year | Female | Looks (Breeding 0/2)
Redneck (bonded to Ana) | Bird (sparrow) | 1 year | Female | Looks (Breeding 0/2)
Pet Name | Type of Animal | Age | Gender | [url=link]Looks[/url] (Breeding 0/2)
Testings:
All (minimum age requirement): Healing (8) Gathering (8), Scouting (9), Fighting (10), Hunting (10), Mining (10), Leading (12) | Don't have to test all of them
Lyra | 1/7 | gathering
Child | 0/7 | what they did
Mentors:
Tamara | Zacchaeus | Gathering | 4 |
↪ Harvesting, Vegetables, Orchard Care, Crop Rotation
Aaron | Gwinaelle | Hunter | 2 |
↪ Tracking, Trapping
Xzavier | Yameldein | Gatherer | 2 |
↪ Planting, Fertiliser Making
Almtrude | Jorveid | Scout | 2 |
↪ Camouflage, Climbing
Bargas | Rhys | Hunter | 1 |
↪ Tracking
Rovi | Arun | Warrior | 1 |
↪ Unarmed Fighting
Joan | Hessin | Healer | 0 |
↪ learned
Mentor | Apprentice | Profession | No. of training sessions |
↪ learned
Deceased:
Name | Cause of Death
Name | Cause of Death
Crushes:
Tamara <-> Xzavier
Jaymes -> Ana
Zacchaeus -> Yameldein
Gwinaelle <-> Jorveid
Name ->/<-> Name
Families:
Zaos and Laedrya | Arun+Rhys (adopted)+ Lyra
Aaron and Hilda | Talyn
Calder and Maple | Ian
Pantaleon and Myriam | Myreon (adopted)
Laila and Simeon | Zacchaeus+Nora+Axel
Bargas and Alkhas | Kids
Ulgrik and ??? | Hessin (adopted)+ Jorveid
??? and ??? | Gwinaelle+Yameldein
Sabra, grandfather of Ana
Name and Name | Kids
))
