Elegy of the Sheaim

"And as the warband marched north from the gleaming Ring of Carcer, they trodded into the snowcovered foothills of the Pristin Pass once more. They were just about to make camp for the night, resting in a cave they had found to avoid the freezing cold, when a pack of wild wolves attacked them. The Sheaim warriors fought with a strength of will and body that resulted in the quick victory, as the beasts were slain once and all. Not a single warrior had taken serious injury. The Sheaim men sat down and prepared their new meal. They had gotten used to the life and troubles of the Frozen Foothills."



-Elegy of the Sheaim, year unknown (dated between year 14 and year 17 after the founding of Iristad)
 
"The warband soon discovered a wall of impassable mountains to the north. Dedicated solely to the task Os-Gabella had given them, to map out the Valley of the Carcer, they continued through the Frozen Foothills back westwards. As the leader of the men climbed a particularly steep hilltop, where no trees blocked his sight, he caught sight of them again. The bears were heading towards the Sheaim warband. The leader quickly turned around and yelled a warning to his men. Even those fierce beasts would not stop them, bent in will as they were to do Os-Gabellas bidding, even in death."



-Elegy of the Sheaim, year 19
 
"The men were exhausted after the fight against the brutal enemies. Many of them had died, yet more of them remained. The leader of the warband reached into the carcass of the bear he had fought and claimed it's heart. This shall bestow upon us the fierce strength of those animals, he proclaimed. The men revealed small smiles, rare among the Sheaim. They, too, felt the strength of the bears running in their blood."



-Elegy of the Sheaim, years 19-20
 
"The scouts praised their luck. One of them had spotted a small tribal village in the jungle to the southwest, and they would be on their way there any time soon. But that was among their lesser achievements for now. What they were even more proud of was the small, glittering stones they had discovered in the area. They bore heay resemblence to the stones of Death magic that had once been claimed by the greatest mages of an earlier age, and the scouts were sure that Os-Gabella would deem their find of utmost importance.

As one of the scouts looked up from the small handful of stones he held, he caught a glimpse of movement in the jungle to the northeast, across the river. He focused, and sure enough, large, man-like creatures were moving through the jungle. He signaled the other scouts and hoped that the brutal Gorillas would steer around them."



-Elegy of the Sheaim, year 20.
 
"What is it?, an uncareful scout bursted out. The closest to him immidiately held his hand over the idiots mouth before whispering to him: Gorillas. Be silent.
But it was too late. One of the large creatures stopped its march and turned to watch the group of scouts. With a series of snorts and grunts, it halted the rest of the flock. We stood as shocked while the titaneous creatures judged our appearances. Were we a threat to them?

After this stalemate had lasted for some seconds, where silence had reigned supreme, the group of gorillas quickly set in movement towards us. I cried out to the others as I picked up a pointed stick. Keep them off our side of the river. Find whatever branches you can use to concuss them!

Several of the others did as I asked, but everyone quickly lost the overview of the fight. I saw many of my comrades killed by the rock-like fists of the savage beasts, and fought with an even more hellbent anger. Slowly, we thinned out the number of the beasts. As the large silverback fell under series of heavy blows, taking a couple of us with him before dropping into the river, the beasts turned around and fled. We could not follow them, neither did we have the intentions to do so.

The next couple of hours are unclear to me. Somehow we managed to bury the dead in the unwelcoming mould of the jungle. Each of them was buried with one of the shining stones over each eye. The ritual looked like a tribute to death and its yielders. Afterwards, we skinned the gorillas, and cut their meat from the bones. While the meat itself was not very edible, the strong bones of the beasts would make fine weapons.

Severed, but in new and better equipment, we trekked southwest towards the small village nearby."



-Sheaim scout recounting the taming of the jungle, year 21.
 
"After their dramatic entering in the small village, the Sheaim scouts, now laden with whatever plunder the village had held, met a group of Ljosalfar scouts. Judging from their appearance, the Ljosalfar had been in a battle much harder than the battle the Sheaim had just experienced. Thrilled by the fact that nature was as harsh to its champions as to everyone else, the Sheaim scout leader entered the camp of the elven scouts. He was quickly met by the leader of the group.

Greetings, Sheaim. Have you got any help to spare? We were attacked by giant spiders, and our wounds refuse to heal. We are too weak to move for a long time to pass, and vulnerable to the dangers of the jungle. We ask of you to help us guard our camp while we recover.

The Sheaim leader smiled at the elf. Nature can take care of it's champions without us, it seems. I will not lend you my aid, elf.

With those words, he left the elven camp. The leader of the elves swore, but knew that putting an end to the mans life in anger would mean a quick death to his entire squad. He fell back on his makeshift bed of leaves and cried out in pain as the poison reared it's ugly head again."



-Elegy of the Sheaim, year 21.
 
"The scout leader stopped and gazed in awe at the majesty in front of him. He spoke as his second in command approached him from behind:
They say that the Sea is the most beautiful thing in the world. I did not believe it until now. Look at those wide stretches of blue, Ybirn. Can you imagine the weight of such a vast... Creature? Or it's power?

Ybirn, the second in command, looked at the scout leader. No, I can't. But if it's not my imagination, there are clams down there, ripe for eating. And I am hungry and tired.

The scout leader shook his head and followed Ybirn down the hill towards the sea. He, too, was starving and tired. The jungle had been rough to them."



-Elegy of the Sheaim, year 22
 
Knock, Knock, Knucklebone,
why are you here all alone,
better pray to live thru the night,
favourite stop on vultures flight,
corpses old or newly fresh,
withered bone or rotting flesh,
even the air here is so hallow,
spend your last night in the barrow

-"Night in the Barrow", by Skadi Gosym, Sheaim poet. Year unknown.

 
"The scout leader shivered in fear as the scouts descended into the barrow again. The first days expedition had yielded a fair amount of treasure off the old corpses, but the men had grown tired and their torches had burnt down. This time, they brought double the amount of torches, and they were split in pairs, moving down the many small corridors. Ybirn was walking in front of the scout leader as they entered a small gravechamber, where old skeletons lay resting on the floor.

Ybirn walked swiftly into the room, while the scout leader moved more cautiously. Ybirn kneeled and looked like he examined something. The scout leader approached as Ybirn stood up again.

What is it, Ybirn?, he asked nerveously. He felt a chill spine as the other man turned to face him. In his right hand rested a long, smooth blade. The scout leader stood mute as Ybirn raised the sword. Even in the faint light from their torches, he could see the blighted colour of the blade. It was poisoned. The scout leaders eyes widened as Ybrin thrusted the blade through his chest. You were always too weak to lead this squad, worm. Ybirn quickly withdrew the blade and ran back out of the barrow, yelling warnings to his scout companions. Soon after, they were all back on the surface, with the exception of the leader of the squad. Many of the scouts looked questioningly at Ybirn and his newly aquired blade.

They attacked us just as I found it. I managed to escape, but they got him. We should collapse the barrow before moving on.

The scouts nodded. Whether they believed it or not, they had a new, and appearently better, leader."



-Elegy of the Sheaim, year 27
 
I was aware that the elves were inferior to my subjects, both in will and in mind, but never had I imagined such fooliness from them than to set free the scourge of the Pristine Pass! The only redemption is that now, those elven scouts are serving as the first meal of the Gargoyles. I will need new warriors to fight back this enemy. Many warriors.

 
"Ybirn led the scouts east in a blazing tempo, until they reached the coast. in the hilly terrain, they had found sweet, small, purple fruits. Grapes. Ybirn looked up from the small plant he was spectating as he heard a sound from the trees to the northeast. A loud sound. He immidiately recognized the sound of the gorillas, and so did the rest of the scouts. If the beasts attacked now, they would be ready."



-Elegy of the Sheaim, year 29
 
I hear the first rings of the bells of Armageddon. All over the world, others are having the same feeling of impending doom as I, this night. I doubt they look foward to it like I do. The King of Hope whispers in the ears of the innocent and guilty alike.

 
"Ybirn wiped his blade in the fur of the dead beast in front of him. He had taken some injury from the battle, but nothing serious. Around him, the other scouts were observing him with respect... and perhaps a bit of fear, he wondered. He smiled to himself as he firmed his grip on the blade. They were his now. He had the command."



-Ybirn the Merciless, foreword.
 
"All around him the men cowered with fear as the Gargoyles descended upon them. They had chosen a small, dense group of trees on a hilltop to defend themselves from the golemlike birds, thinking the trees would provide them some cover. Instead, it had reaved them of the chance to spot where the gargoyles came from. The creatures dived on them randomly. Several of the stone birds had dived blindly into a tree and had been killed, but more still had hit the men. They were only a few left, when the gargoyles landed among them, fangs out. The leader of the warband looked at the birds of doom. He felt his heart shiver, but gathered his courage and yelled: To Os-Gabella!
Those were his last words. The warband was eradicated."



-Elegy of the Sheaim, year 30
 
"And as the rumours of Ybirn and his success spread throughout Iristad, more young men were inspired to take on the dangerous, but seemingly rewarding, task of scouting. Soon, they had gathered a small group and strayed east from the city, out in the forests. There, the young men faced their first trial: That of the wild bears. And they bested it with ease and took proud from the battle and strength from the hearts of the beasts."



-Elegy of the Sheaim, year 36.
 
"The Sheaim people watched in awe as the sky was illuminated by a bright constellation of stars. The wounded felt their pain ease and their wounds close, and even in her Dark Palace, Os-Gabella felt a certain soothing feeling. She knew the whispers of the King of Hope were loudened out by the shine of Sirona when the Bronze Owl showed itself on the sky."



-Elegy of the Sheaim, year 38
 
"And as the stars spread the wings and show,
the splendor of the bronzen owl,
all over the land will poisons wane,
soldiers lifted from their strain,
as wounds heal themselves,
pain shifts back from were it dwelves,
When all these stars are in their place,
the world will feel Sirona's Gaze"

"The Bronze Owl", by Skadi Gosym, Sheaim poet, year unknown.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

PDX Firefly
Release Date! | Ages Part Two
Replies
12
Views
2K
Sephi
S
PDX Firefly
Millennia | Community Q&A II
Replies
7
Views
1K
Ita Bear
Ita Bear
PDX Firefly
Developer Diary | After the Demo
Replies
5
Views
982
Sephi
S
King Phaedron
The Best Map I've ever made - a dramatic Soulblazer!
Replies
3
Views
897
SaboteurINT
SaboteurINT
R
Best "thematic" religions/civics for each leader?
Replies
0
Views
656
RamblinWreck
R
Top Bottom