The First Age of Man

[Voda Vosa]

Sheng Shemin

"Well...That's a long story my friend, and I guess we do have the time eh?" Sheng replied. He tries to spread his legs to get more confortable, but the crowded cart prevents him from doing so. He wasn't sure how will the rest react to his story, but being godless is almost as bad in the eyes of the ignorant as casting magical spells, and he trusted these good people was neither ignorant nor quick to anger. He cleared his throat.
"I lived in a tribe far north from here. It's a bigger tribe, from what Inguar has told me about yours. We were closer to some small orc settlements, and we had the men to spare so there was always a few trained warriors in our tribe, occasionally we would find a small orc scouting party, and our survival depended on their quick demise, so our warriors always travelled with the hunters and gatherers, and with our own scouts. And young Sheng was always around the warriors ye know? I learned much from them, and also from the herbalist and from everyone that could stand that little annoying me around. The herbalist even taught me how to use a rune of power, can you imagine?.... But with curiosity comes understanding of things, I figured, if anyone can learn this useful and forbidden art, why is it forbidden? When I came to age I was puzzled by the All-father thing, I suspected that all the tabu came from this cult. So I harassed our Gothi for explanations, and many he gave me, thinking he'd convince me. But nay, it ain't convincing ol' Sheng of things that have no sense. I don't believe in this entity the gothis proclaim to have created all. There's so much logical holes in their stories, its just impossible for me to believe in that. Perhaps my mistake was to tell him that..." Sheng reads the faces of the rest, seeing how his godless nature would sink in in them. Perhaps he wasn't the wisest of men, making the same mistake twice, but his boldness, or stupidity, might be rewarded this time. Perhaps. If no one seems to be ready to skewer him and burn him in a pyre, he continues.
"He planted this little baby in my tent." he says, patting the sword. "An old metal sword, from old times. I learnt from one of the elders that such treasures can some times be found among ancient ruins. You can see its no orc sword, but most of the people of my tribe didn't see that. The Gothi framed me and got me expelled from the tribe, claiming I had dealings with the orcs. There were a few friends there that stood in my defence, but there was little they could against the rest. So as to not endanger their own lives, I decided to walk away. I had learnt many things and thought that I could stand a chance in the wilderness by myself. In the end, this sword that damned me also saved my life in more than one occasion, where a stone sword would have broken, this little fella stud firm and allowed me to walk away in one piece. I've been alone for a year now, moving from here to there, before finding the cave. I was looking for some game when this white owl startled me, and by chance I found some footprints that lead me to the orcs that where ambushing ye. I advanced slowly, and smacked one right off the cliff with my shield! Hah! You should have seen the face of his friend! His only reaction was a clumsy club attack, which of course I dodged. Next thing he knew was that his head was falling down the slope while his body was still standing there." he brags, chuckling.

 

[Piston Honda]

"Magic is forbidden because it's dangerous!" Sialfi burst with what strength he had. "We don't know where it comes from, it may be a gift from the gods, but there are those that do not commune with them. A person's magic might come from a rune, but who knows what the runes could unleash if someone does not understand them? It is nothing to be trifled with." He caught his breath. "And how dare you call us a cult and question the Gothis? You would question Rofna, when she has done much for us? How do you know that your Gothi planted that sword?"

 

[KirayaTiDrekan]

Seerah's eyes open as Sialfi's words get her attention, "Why do you take Sheng's words so personally? I heard no insults directed at us. And who are you to question one such as he when you and I share his story, only a few verses further in the telling? Hjamofir welcomed you and I to the tribe with open arms, did he not?"

 

[Shayuri]

Niraya shrank back a bit from Sialfi's outburst, but then lifted her voice a little and said, "I think...I hope...that what makes magic dangerous is not where it comes from, but how it's used."

"I mean...does it really matter who made a spear? It's the hand that holds it that decides who to strike, and why."

 

[Voda Vosa]

"Magic is forbidden because it's dangerous!" Sialfi burst with what strength he had. "We don't know where it comes from, it may be a gift from the gods, but there are those that do not commune with them. A person's magic might come from a rune, but who knows what the runes could unleash if someone does not understand them? It is nothing to be trifled with." He caught his breath. "And how dare you call us a cult and question the Gothis? You would question Rofna, when she has done much for us? How do you know that your Gothi planted that sword?"

"Easy there kid, I'm not calling ye a cult, you can believe in green ogres if ye want, I don't care, nor I don't judge ye fer what you believe in, I'm just saying I aint believing it. And Gothi are people, just like ye and me, they come in all varieties, this Ronfa can be a good person, but not because she's a Gothi. I know that son of an orc Fafnarl planted the sword, he was grinning maliciously the last time I cast my eyes upon my former tribe and was the only one that really hated me for not believing in the All-Father." Sheng explains, trying to contain the outraging wounded lad. Seerah's intervention in his favour tranquilized the warrior somewhat. He draws a black charcoal. "Yer words are quite strong fer a man that owes his life to magic." he says pointing at Sialfi with the charcoal, then starts drawing something on the floor of the cart. A circle, with two smaller circles at each side, and then he starts inscribing tiny symbols, forming a fourth circle that connects the other two. "Runes, and magic are safer than most people think. A rune is like a machine, like this cart, it does what it does, and nothing more. If you use it incorrectly, it just won't do anything. A simpleton like myself can understand a basic rune, remember it and use it, and there's no chance I'll be summoning a horde of demons to plague the land. If there is a rune for doing that, I doubt I would even understand its a rune." Sheng explains, and takes out his waterskin, uncorks it and holds it with his feet, while he puts his open palm down over the rune he just draw and the other hand forming a fist over the mouth of the waterskin. He starts humming and chanting softly, and the rune glows with a faint blue hue, as water vapour in the air starts whirling around his closed fist, drawn to the centre of it. Sheng's hand soon starts dripping water, and then pouring a continuous flow of clean water into the waterskin. After a few moments, the glow dissappears and so does the flow of water vapour and water from Sheng's hand. As Sheng lift his open palm from the rune, the drawing is blurred and useless.

 

[KirayaTiDrekan]

Seerah smiled at Sheng's display. There was more to this outcast than met the eye, it seemed.

 

[Axel]

Tekai sat tight-lipped in the front of the cart, listening intently but not speaking. To a point, he agreed with Sialfi. Magic terrified the living wits out of him. Still, if his thinking and restless night had gained any insight it was that he was scared of magic because he didn't understand it.

It is useful to be patient and cautious with anything new. Until I understand what is happening to Niraya and Seerah it is best to protect them, so I can learn more. But I will not join in! he resolved, listening to the arguments back and forth.

Finally, after Sheng's display, he speaks up. "Sheng, where does this water come from? I understand how a spear moves from here to there. But where has the water come from, and how did you move it?"

 

[Piston Honda]

Sialfi seemed a bit taken aback by Niraya. “But magic is no spear to be picked up and set down, to be made by our hands. It is something you take into yourself, from sources we do not understand. If you let it in, who knows what else you could take in without knowing. Could magic transfer part of something into you? Turn you into that? Maybe magic comes from gods, maybe it comes from devils. And one does not have to believe for them to be real. But it, it’s power comes from something, otherwise it’s nothing more than meaningless shapes.” He begins to realize his pleas are falling on deaf ears and becomes lost in thought.

 

[KirayaTiDrekan]

Seerah falls into a troubled silence, Sialfi's words ringing a little too true. He was right, there was a price, at least for her. She wondered about Niraya as well.

 

[Voda Vosa]

"My friend the herbalist told me that this rune allows you to gather water vapor in your hand, and it turns into liquid form by itself, like in a cloud. So you could say the water is all around us. Quinn also said that magic energy is permeating us, like sunlight, or wind and that runes allow us to give shape or harness it to do something useful for us people. I'm just a warrior with a few tricks, but I'll love to learn more." Seemingly happy with his defense Sheng smiles.