The Seven Pillars

[nopantsyet]

My group has just started a campaign I've been working on for several months. It's a homebrew world with a strong barbarian feel to it. The first four parts are the background information the playersreceived over the course of the summer to inspire them. That is followed by a side-prologue that only applies to one character--it is not common knowledge to the others. And then the actual story begins.

 

[nopantsyet]

Prologue I: The Awakening

In the early days the Vek descended from the blights in the North upon the Fari and the Askaani, who dwelt upon the badlands in the central regions of the continent. Before those times, those lands had been rich in life and sustenance, but on account of the great wars of the giant lords, they were scarred and barren. But not so much so as the northern blights, and so they were desirable to the Vek.

The Vek were renown most especially because of their great strength and large stature as compared to all except that race of giants, the Nephelym. Thus with great force they harassed the Fari destroying them and scattering the remnants who would flee. And quickly the Fari were no more. The Askaani were but slightly more fortunate as the lands they occupied were further eastward, near the sands of the Inuta, the great ice desert.

Now these lands were said in legend to have held great riches and vast cities in ancient times, when the Earth-Gods walked in these cities among their inhabitants. By this time however, they were covered with an unmelting ice and blasted by fierce gales. It was the effect of those gales to wear the greater ice to a finer material, much like the sands of the southern wastes, but wholly made of ice. Thus was Inuta called the Sands of Ice. The Nushta were perpetual wanderers on the vast expanse of Inuta, having devised a curious means of stitching furs and skins around their feet in such a fashion as to make their steps light upon the sands, allowing them to traverse the ice sands with considerable ease, following herds of Winter Rothe and Great White Bears, which they hunted for their own subsistence.

At the time the Vek descended in fury upon the Fari and upon the Askaani, certain numbers of the Askaani who had hitherto maintained relations of trade with the Nushta, were able to escape into Inuta, joining themselves to the Nushtan tribes. Those Askaani who joined themselves to the Nushta, being much lighter of complexion than the Nushta, begat mixed seed, who were themselves light of skin and are to this day called "Nushta I'nasha," which is in translation, "Children of the Ice."

After their conquest into the south, the Vek multiplied greatly, and began to spread across the land. As they grew in numbers, they separated by associations of family and kin into clans, or "garugh," in their tongue. The five garugh became the predominant societies in that land, and their members inhabited the greater part of the central regions, while those who tilled the land and herded beasts dwindled in number until there were but few.

Most renowned among the garugh was Garugh Zakh. Having after the time of their descent into the central regions dwelt chiefly in the foothills of the Dire Peaks, the forebearers of the Zakh found themselves near neighbors to the Nephelym. Rumors from other lands label the Zakh as the mixed offspring of humans and Nephelym, but it is known among the Vek that the hatred of the Nephelym is for humans is unmatched among the sentient creatures, and among humans, none are more reviled by the Nephelym than those who known as Garugh Zahk. Being engaged in nearly-constant warfare with the giants, their numbers were few, and only the greatest and strongest were capable of surviving. Thus, for the reputation of the Zakh, are the Vek known as being second only to the Nephelym in strength, in prowess of warfare, and in stature.

Sorkhul, Chronologies, vol. III, "The Hordes"

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The world that you know is a vast blight. Everywhere you turn, the land is cursed and barren. The sky is darkened. There is a sun, and it shines on each day; but that lonely sun provides no warmth or comfort to the creatures it watches over. Maybe it is the bitterness of a world without hope, but the sun seems less bright each day, and a murk and haze seem to spread across the land. Likewise a similar shroud seems to hang over the mind and memory of all of mankind, who know not from whence they came, or to what end they were created. Legends speak of a time that gods walked the earth and bestowed great gifts of wisdom, power and beauty upon earth's inhabitants. But these gods are not known among men, nor where they have fled and why they hide themselves. In truth, few consider such topics as gods or beauty; it is a harsh land upon which they must survive, and there are many beasts and men that would destroy a life in the time it takes to think on any god. Survival is god enough for any man who is fortunate enough to find it.

In this world, there are but two groups of men who, to your knowledge, have managed to survive the hardships of survival. The Vek, the strong and fierce clans of the central badlands, and the Nushta, wanderers who roam the wastes of the great ice desert where Vek do not tread. Tradition speaks of others--too weak to survive by strength and wit--reduced to tilling the earth and herding dumb beasts. But those, if they ever lived, were broken by a world to hard to bear.

Legend and rumor tell of another sort of people. People who constructed dwellings out of stone and wood and leave no land open between them. Hearts full with chaos and corruption--a people who stretch forth the expanse of their dwellings to cover vast lands, and delight in all manner of treachery and intrigue. Less people than children of demons. But those are just stories told to scare children who are too lazy to gather nuts in the winter.

And there are those who speak of a time past. A time when peace and beauty reigned where now are only chaos and blight. But no one can actually recall such a time. And if such a time truly existed, what horrible event brought about its end? Nobody has memory of any such event, nor any time before it. But there are a few who have rooted deeply in their mind an understanding that something is amiss; that mankind is more noble than this existence grants. Those few refer to themselves as the awakened, for they see the shrouds of darkness lifted from their minds as the veil of sleep is lifted by the light of morning. They wander the land trying to fit together the lost pieces of the past. The delve into the depths of the earth and cast themselves upon the waves of the sea in search of any bit of knowledge, then meet in cabals and covens and secret societies to share their secret knowledge.

You have awakened to this bleak world.

 

[nopantsyet]

Prologue II: Nephelym

In the days before our fathers left the blights, they had knowledge of the giants whom they called N'filim, or "the fallen," for they believed the giants to have fallen from the sky before they ascended the mountains. At that time, there were no wars between man and giants, for the giants were few, and turned one against another in warfare. All giants are said to have sprung from the seed of six great giant lords: Anakim, Emim, Horim, Avim, Zamzummim, and Rephaim. And those giant lords fought great wars in the mountain tops, with terrible thunderings heard in the plains below. Lightning lept from peak to peak, fires and storms raged, whole mountains were torn asunder. No man dared approach the mountains in those days for the wars of the giants were too fierce for any to abide. In time, their wars ranged across the fertile plains beside the mountains. The now desolate landscape before us bears the scars of those battles.

After many wars and disputations, Anakim brought together Emim, Avim and Zamzummim in council and each agreed to peace. They built on the mountain we call Hah'reb the city of Kiriath-Arba: "The City of Four." But two were not included in the accord: Horim and Rephaim. The four quickly joined together in warfare against Horim. Some say Horim was destroyed from off the face of the earth in one great battle, others say his seed escaped to the great ice desert and now dwell in caves of snow.

Kiriath-Arba stood in peace for many generations until Rephaim?whom the Anakim tongue called Bukath, or phantom?descended from Mount Shahan east of Hah'reb into Kiriath-Arba. Rephaim with the clouds in his eyes and the wind in his breath fought Anakim, Emim, Horim and Zamzummim and was victorious. He took lordship over all Nephelym and renamed Kiriath-Arba in the Rephaim tongue, Iremsha, "City of One." But within a generation of man, Zamzummim had mastered the calling forth of storms and lightning and took rulership over Iremsha. It was at that time that the giants ceased to fight among themselves and fixed their hatred strongly towards mankind.

Our fathers knew not the end of the wars among the giants when they left the blights and migrated southward to our present lands. As Vek multiplied and separated garugh from garugh, Zakh was chosen by the Nephelym as the worthiest foe among the Vek, and since those days the Nephelym have made war chiefly with GarughZakh.

S'Gath, Elder Sage of Garugh Zakh, speaking on the Nephelym

 

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Prologue III: The Vek

Our first-father Kereg led the Vek from the blights and cleared the lands before them of unworthy inhabitants. Having led the Vek in strength and honor, he lived out his days at their head until he died in glory as he slew the giant lord Raphaim. Before this time, there had been many sore disputations among the sons of Kereg as to which of them would stand in the place of their father at his passing. At the fires of his death bed, Abed, the third son of Kereg, called together the five sons of Kereg and made quorum. There he persuaded his brethren to enter into a pact, each to stand at the head of a fifth part of the Vek and make no war amongst themselves. They forswore to eachother and in memorial of the event, called the tribes ?garugh,? after the word for ?quorum,? which word is now unspoken save in reference to the five tribes of the Vek. They called the garugh each after his own name. And their names were Kereg, Zakh, Abed, Natta and Teg.

Natta, also called "the lame," being the more cunning of the sons of Kereg on account of his infirmity, and having ambition to surpass all his brothers, was the first to break the pact, seeking to destroy Teg, perceiving him to be weaker, and thinking his people most easily conquered. But Teg did prevail upon Kereg the younger to give aid to his people in defense of their lives and lands. This Kereg did, but for the price of a fourth part of the lands of Teg. In this first war of the Vek, Natta was wounded and taken captive by a warrior of Kereg, and Kereg and Teg determined to put him to death for his offenses. But Abed, hearing of these disputations, interceded, and prevailed upon his brothers to spare Teg, and not take his life, but to cause him and his people to take an oath that they would come forth in battle no more, which oath they did take.

But a few years were passed in peace before Kereg the younger did gather his people to come against Zakh, for ever was Kereg jealous of his younger brother's great strength. And so the people of Kereg did rise up against Zahk, but were driven back by the greater strength of our father Zahk and his f warriors. A second time did Kereg bring battle to Zakh but again was he driven back into his own lands. But the third time, he made an alliance with Natta, for Abed and Teg refused to rise up against their brother Zakh. Together Kereg and Natta came against Zakh with such force as was not seen since Kereg the elder led the Vek from the blights and swept the Fari and Askaani before him.

But poorly did Kereg and Natta estimate the strength of their brother and his skill in battle. For the warriors of Zakh perpared themselves for battle in a manner never before seen among the Vek. They took up clubs and their spears in both hands and met their foes with such fury that the greater part of their numbers were destroyed in a single day. And Zakh did take the life of Kereg, whom he slew in vengeance for the lives of his own people who had been slain by the hands of Kereg . And thus died the first son of Kereg.

And Natta did place himself at the head of the people of Kereg and did possess all the lands of Kereg, including the fourth part of the lands of Teg that Kereg had obtained. But Milakh, the son of Kereg, despised his uncle. For he did perceive that it was the ambition and cunning of Natta that was the cause of the death of his father at the hands of Zakh, and he believed it was his rightful place to lead the remnant of Kereg.

So Milakh undertook to kill Natta and did put forth challenge against him which Natta met. But Natta, being slowed with his infirmity, could not stand against Milakh. And so fell another son of Kereg. And Milakh took the head of the people of Natta, who he renamed Kereg after his father.

But the people of Kereg were divided, those who were for Milakh and the remnant of Kereg, and those who were for Zez, the eldest son of Natta. And so there was war between the remnant of Kereg and the remnant of Natta. But Abed and Teg, having seen too much bloodshed among the people of their father, negotiated peace between Milakh and Zez. And their lands were split and they became once again Garugh Kereg and Garugh Natta.

During the time in which the four garugh were occupied with the matter of Milakh and Zez, the Nephelym first came down from Hah'reb and Iremsha against Zakh. The Nephelym having resolved the disputations amongst themselves and being united under Zamzummim, saw the great strength and skill of Zakh, who now occupied the lands abutting their own. And the Nephelym were angry that any should appear in the land with strength as great as their own. In their anger, the Nephelym came down from the mountains against Zakh. But the Zakh, being hardened from years of battle with Kereg and Natta, were strong in the face of the giants and drove them back into the mountains which we call ?Dire.? And so began the first of many wars of our people with the Nephelym. Never has any creature so despised man as the Nephelym do the Zakh. But never has man resisted such hatred with such strength as the Zakh.

S'Gath, Elder Sage of Garugh Zakh, speaking on the Vek

 

[nopantsyet]

Prologue IV: Garugh Zakh

Garugh Zakh. The boldest and strongest warriors save the great Nephelym themselves. The four septs of Garugh Zakh occupy the lands to the west of the Dire Peaks, so named as much for their steep, jagged ridges and fierce weather as for their primary inhabitants, the Nephelym. The Zakh lands span five days journey from north to south and seven from east to west. The four septs, Ammah (stone fist), Yahd (strong arm), Qi'akh (blazing fire), and Siau (fierce wind), have divided the lands into equal parcels, each running north to south. The easternmost land is occupied by Ammah Sept. These are your people?called the Warriors of the Stone Fist for you have ever been first to face the Nephelym descending from the mountains.

The challenges and threats that face the Stone Fist are too numerous to count. The warm season lasts only the first four moons of the year with a full nine moons of winter following. Fevers, diseases and starvation are a regular part of life. And although it does not snow in these lands, terrible storms of thunder, lightning, and torrential rain and hail are common year round.

The Zakh have no gods, but if they were to turn their hearts to worship, it would be the great herds of rothe that would receive their adulation, for it is the rothe that provide them with meat and marrow for strength and with skins for shelter and clothing. Zakh encampments are noted for their scatterings of dhu'aan, or smoke huts, in which they prepare and preserve the rothe. After it is killed and its blood and marrow drained, they drape the skin of the rothe over a frame built from its bones and tied with its sinews. In this they hang strips of meat over a bed of coals upon which are placed nuts and herbs to add season to the meat and to remove the scent of death from the skin. After several days of smoking over the coals, the process is complete. These meat strips, called waala, are easily transported and will last several months without spoiling. Since bodies of water are rare, the Zakh create drums of rothe skin and bones that they use to collect rainwater, which serves as their primary water source. The dried skin, bones and sinews are also used for tents, clothing, or whatever utility might be found. Although they are more rare and difficult to hunt, great bears are utilized in the same manner as the rothe.

During the warm season, in some of the flatter parts of the badlands can be found a wild grain called jau, which is a dark and bitter grain. The Zakh make use of it in numerous ways. The most significant use is in a tack they call chapaati. This is prepared by crushing the grains and mixing it with rothe'blood and marrow to create a spongy red dough that is flattened and placed on hot rocks to create a hard, dark red flatbread that is salty, nourishing, travels well and will keep for several weeks. In addition to waala and chapaati, the Zakh supplement their diet with whatever nuts, berries and herbs are in season.

The ruling of the Zakh within the individual septs falls to a chieftan they call ?dhiin sar.? This chief is neither elected nor granted rulership by birthright or ascension. Strength and the ability to lead, both in battle and in providing for their people, are the requirements of any who would be dhiin sar. Unlike the other garugh, the Zakh do not follow the practice of ascension by challenge-and-defeat. They are strong and independent-minded, and they will only be led by one who earns respect and proves himself worthy of the position, not by one who demands it by virtue of killing another man. For this reason, their leaders serve until they die in battle, or in rare cases, of sickness or old age. This gives the four septs of Zakh a much greater level of political and social stability than is found among the other garugh.

When a dhiin sar dies, the new leader steps forward and presents himself as dhiin sar. The Zakh believe that leadership must be proven before it is granted. As such, a true dhiin sar knows himself and is known to the sept. On the rare occasions that there is dissent, the would-be leaders enter the tent of the elder sage and in a ceremony known only to the sages and those who have witnessed it, the true leader is made known. There is no dishonor in a challenge made by a worthy man, nor is there penalty for loss.

Ammah Sept has always occupied the foremost position among the four septs. As such, the dhiin sar of Ammah Sept also holds the title of dhiin bara and is chief among dhiin sar when the four septs hold council, which they do at midsummer and midwinter each year as well as in times of war, famine, or other extreme difficulty.

This political structure is far more sophisticated than that which exists in the other garugh and as a result, the Zakh have proven themselves to be the most stable garugh despite being the least numerous.

Each sept also has a sage or khirad who provides council to the dhiin sar as well as to individuals within the sept. He is healer and historian, judge and adjudicator. He knows the arts of herbs and the reading of the signs of the weather. All of this he is taught when he is khirad cheyla?apprentice to the elder sage, and upon the death of his mentor, he becomes the elder sage and takes his own apprentice. In this manner is the knowledge of the sages preserved through the generations.

 

[nopantsyet]

Intermezzo: Natta

This is a piece I put together quickly for a part-time player to have a character from a different clan. Probably needs editing or creative attention, but it is definitely the last of the intro material. I promise the first session will be posted very soon...

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Natta. The Lame. The Betrayer. The Cunning. He was called by many names among the Vek and there is no question that his ambition was fed not by honor, but by baseness and depravity. He waged and incited war against his brothers. And when his life was spared by his brothers, his shame moved him further into the shadow of hatred, leading his people to become a wild and incestuous people and are such to this day. While at present they are tolerated peacefully by the other clans, it is not without contempt for their strange and base customs.

Among Garugh Natta alone is it known that the ambition of Natta was fed by his firstwife Zianna, who whispered flattering lies into his ears. It was she who told him he was despised by his brothers for his infirmity. It was she who claimed he was wronged by his brothers and granted the poorest lands. It was she who persuaded him that his brothers would turn on him if he did not strike fear into their hearts first. And so with boldness and cruelty he led his warriors against Teg. But these secrets are no longer spoken among the other clans, only that there are bizarre and depraved practices among them which cannot be named. These are the stories that are known to none but their own.

When they were victorious in their first assault on Garugh Teg, Zianna told Natta that they must eat the hearts of their fallen, that their strength might not be lost, but never were they to taste the blood of any not of Natta or they would be tainted by the contempt of the other sons of Kereg. This practice persists. In the grasslands on the southern border there are a people known as Shatwe. The Shatwe are a small dark-skinned people, barely larger than Vek children but nimble of foot and sly of character. At present, the people of Natta wish to move into the more fertile steppes of the Shatwe that they might indulge their indolence. More than one Shatwe has stumbled upon the terrible sight of crows picking at the gaping, heartless chest of a fallen Natti warrior. However Natta has failed to progress in their desire primarily as a result of the stealth and strange weapons of the Shatwe that allow them to kill a man from a distance where he cannot be reached and disappear into the tall grass.

The Secret Rite of the Warrior's Heart is practiced to the revulsion of all other Vek. When a warrior falls in bold combat, an axe is struck into his heart as one would split a log. With the head of the axe embedded in the chest, it is twisted until the ribs split and the chest cavity is laid open. The heart is then torn from the chest, never cut, and eaten by the same warrior. It is a mark of honor and strength to do this, and so it has become custom for warriors to take a length of one of the veins drawn out with the heart is ripped from the head, dry it, and string it from his belt creating on a veteran warrior the appearance of a skirt made of dried vines, but what is terrifyingly the veins of an eaten heart.

After the death of Natta, the ambition and cunning of Zianna were not abated. Upon the rise of her son Zez to the leadership of the clan, the convinced him to take her to wife in a practice so despicable that if the other clans had known, they would have immediately descended upon Garugh Natta and destroyed them from off the face of the earth. But this secret practice is not known to any of the other clans, but has continued even to the present in the following manner.

Zianna was firstwife of Natta and it was she who fed his ambition. She became the thirdwife of Zez, but remained the true power and mind behind his chieftanship until her death by the hand of Sora, firstwife of Zez. Upon the death of Zez, Sora placed her eldest son as chief and became his firstwife and the secondwife of Thar, who challenged and slew the son and husband of Sora. The woman who holds this position is known as the Firstwife of Natta, and it is she who wields ultimate power and deference, although through the chief, who is very often her own son or grandson. Vi'sha is firstwife of Natta, the chief being her second son Gerik. It is Gerik who began the attacks on the Shatwe, but Vi'sha is displeased with his lack of results and even at present plots his murder with her youngest and more pliant son, Khath, who she hopes will carve a significant holding from the lands of the Shatwe.

 

[Tuerny]

Nice start!


I hope the continuation is as interesting as the prologue

 

[nopantsyet]

The Seven Pillars, Part 1

Sunday, September 29


In Ammah Sept of Garugh Zakh, survival is the occupation of every waking moment. Every member of the society has a role, and they know and perform their role or people die. And even then, the reality is that death is an ever-present phantom, always waiting behind the next rock or in the next food shortage. And so it has become the state of affairs among Ammah Sept to operate in a very efficient and orderly manner unlike that of all other Vek, even the other septs of Garugh Zakh.

All adults hunt, forage, patrol, and fight, regardless of gender and until they die. The youth maintain the camp, prepare the food, and raise the children, though in other cultures they themselves would be considered such. At the age of four they begin instruction in these duties, which they recieve from the older children. They are guided in these responsibilities until they are capable of performing them independently. And then, where necessary, they impart these skills to others.

Combat training takes place within the camp also. There are always at least two armed patrols at the encampment. One has watch duty and the other oversees the martial training of all children aged ten and older, although in reality their training begins much earlier as even their childhood games reflect and teach the skills necessary for survival.

And so it was that on the particular day of which I speak, a certain group was patrolling the southernmost edge of the Dire Peaks when they encountered a most bizarre character. Short by their standards, and far too thin to have the necessary strength to carry the obviously Vek body that slumped over his shoulder.

But even more bizarre was his manner of fress. Unlike the loose stitchings of skins and furs that the Vek are accustomed to wearing, this man wore clothing of supple skins, cut and stiched finely to conform to his figure. As well was his sword, being of a craftsmanship unknown among the Vek, its blade gleamed in the sunlight and curved back slightly at the end.

Andrinador, being chief among the patrol, accosted the strange man while Turbac made his way quietly through the surrounding rocks to bring his spear to the ready behind him. The questions put to him, in order of importance were, what are you doing in our lands. why do you have a Vek warrior on your back, and who are you?

He introduced himself as Ashgon of the great swamp at Tirnoth. And while his speech was accented and bore the lilt of a child, they understood what he said except for the thing called a swamp and the place called Tirnoth. These things were not known to them, so Ashgon explained swamp and told that Tirnoth lay at the southwestern edge of the continent, where the land meets the great waters.

The Zakh patrol was again confounded, for the idea of dense vegetation steeped in water and mud were too foreign to their experience; and for any waters to be large enough to be called "great" was simply ludicrous. But they all knew, although they did not speak, that they had of late had strange thoughts and dreames strange dreams. And if those could be, so too could the words of the stranger.

Ashgon continued to tell how he had that same day come across the body that he now carried, battered and bruised and left for dead. They could tell he was not of Zakh, but no Vek would be so foolish to venture into Nepehelym territory alone. And this one had almost paid the price of that foolishness.

Andrinador pressed him again, why was he here, and he explained, "There has among us arisen a prophetess, and she dreams and speaks what she sees. She speaks of a broken world--our world, and mad visions of destruction and hints of secrets long forgotten. We understood but little of what she spoke until recently when she has become increasingly more intelligible.

"Most recently she spoke of a vision in which she saw seven pillars that stretched far into the sky. And on those pillars were inscribed the secrets that have lain hidden for generations: the secret of our broken world.

"There are those of us who believe on her words and follow her. We are those who also have had our minds opened to the discord of our existence. We are those who will throw off the cloak of ignorance and fear and seek the answers that are lost. I have crossed the land, and will continue to walk it until I find what I seek."

The three Zakh thought on these words, for each had seen similar things and thought similar thoughts.

Andrinador continued to press, "But why have you come into the lands of Garugh Zakh of Vek?"

"That answer is twofold," began Ashgon. "Firstly, the prophetess spoke of a pillar among the highest peaks, which are those at whose base we now stand. Secondly, we know of members of many peoples who also call themselves "awakened," but none from among the Vek. I had hoped that in my search I might encounter such as well."

The Zakh conferred briefly. None even hinted at his recent thoughts, but each was clearly affected by the words of the stranger. They must take this stranger back to Drakha, dhiin sar of Ammah sept and also father of Andrinador.

But for the moment, they did their best to rouse the semi-conscious warrior, and they shared waala and chapaati with both, assuring them both if nothing else, safe passage out of Zakh lands.

 

[nopantsyet]

The Seven Pillars, Part 2

Sunday, September 29


After eating, the Vek stranger was strong enough to speak and relate his tale. D'owaaji of Garugh Natta, he was among their greatest warriors, having slain many Shatwe in their ongoing wars and having numerous times performed the Rite of the Warrior's Heart. (Although the people called Shatwe and the nature of that rite was unknown to the Zakh patrol.) And he continued in his warfare until he had a dream in which he was transported into the mountains where he saw a pillar of unfathomable height with all manner of strange engravings on it. He didn't know what, but something about that dream filled him with dread in waking, and he knew he must find it and know what would move a man in this way.

The three Zakh and the outlander were equally surprised to hear these words, for in many parts they mirrored those which had just been related. What the significance of this was could not be understood at this point, but they must make great haste to present this to Drakha and even S'Gath, the Elder Sage of all Zakh. But it was agreed that for the sake of the Natta, they must wait until morning.

In the night, Andrinador was startled by a faint rockfall in the distance. There were only two things in this place that could cause that rockfall, and they were one of them. They could only hope that it was those coarse creatures so base that the Nephelym took them as slaves and called them ahgre, meaning "beast of burden." For if it had been Nephelym, their numbers were too small, their experience too short to survive.

As he approached the area from which the sound came, he suddenly felt a heavy blow strike the back of his head and he fell to the ground and slid a short distance down the rocky foothill. Fortunately his cry of surprise (for it would never be of pain) was sufficient to rouse his companions, who made their way towards the fray with great haste.

The darkness combined with the rough terrain made the ahgre, of which there were but two, a formidable oposition. The four Vek were able to navigate the rocks and keep their balance on the slope enough surround their foes and begin harrassing them from every side. Ashgon, however quick he was to his feet, found the rocky terrain too different from the soft earth of his native lands. But he was able to engage in time to deliver the final blow to the first creature, making the death of the second quick work for the four warriors.

This finalized their decision: they must not stay here any longer, not even to complete the sweep of their patrol route. Rather it was most prudent for them to return to the main encampment of Ammah as quickly as they were able.

After running from dawn till dusk, they finally arrived at the camp under twilight. But they were able to find audience with Drakha despite the lateness of the hour. After relating all they had seen and heard, their dhiin sar was stonefaced and unmoved.

"We have no use for dreams or prophetesses. We battle the land to take from it food. We battle the giants to ensure our safety. We battle the seasons for our health. That which does not give us these things is of no importance to us. We will grant these strangers safe passage out of our lands in the morning, but that is all."

Ashgon spoke, trying to emphasize the importance of his quest, even to the Vek. Their constant struggle for survival was clearly proof of the broken world, and if finding these pillars could fix that, then the Vek would benefit as well.

"There have been those who thought the land was too harsh for them. Our fathers destroyed and scattered them, for they were weak and wished to subdue the earth and the beasts to make their lives easier. But this was weakness, and for that they were destroyed off the face of the earth. And but for the assurance given you by my son, I would have a mind to do likewise to you. You will leave us at dawn and will speak no more of these visions."

Andrinador, Jakolat and Turbac were deeply disturbed by the response of their leader. A great leader he was, possibly the greatest since Zakh himself. But he did not see things as they did, and they knew the importance of the words that were spoken. So they took their pleas to S'Gath, khirad bara of all Zakh.

As they entered his tent, the smelled the strange herbal aromas that seemed to always accompany him and his strange cheyla from Siau Sept. They related all things to him, and he listened and thought on their words.

"Truly these are strange things you speak, and foreign to our custom and thinking. But each of you seems convinced of their importance and the coincidence of two strangers in our lands speaking of the same things cannot be ignored. Although I cannot claim to have seen or felt any of these things, I am stirred by their retelling. I will take council with dhiin bara and advise him to give you leave to accompany the strangers in search of knowledge that will explain or disprove these things.

As they left the tent of S'Gath, they noticed an unusual stirring in the camp for the time. Clearly the presence of strangers, much less a depraved Nattan and an outlander, was arousing interest, and sidelong glances and whisperings were passed unhidden as the three, Adrinador, Jakolat, and Turbac, moved through the camp.

Finally the word came, S'Gath had prevailed upon Drakha. They would leave in the morning.

[Final segment of this session still to come...]