The Later Tale of the Pennà
Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 3:42 pm
It has been told in the Elder Tale of the time of beginnings, how before all else there was the B0O0O0/\/\ and the appearance of the many Gods. It has told of the creation of the world upon the Eternal Pillar, and of Humanity's appearance beneath the shadow of the Highest Mountain; and of how human beiwent their separate ways.
It has been told how those who went south learned the craft of the building of boats and spread along the coast, and as the sun crossed above them, right to left, they sailed across to the sun-warmed Rainbow Isles. It has been told how they spread out along the great jewels of land in the midst of the sea, and how the People came to rest upon the Home Isle, that others called Benacia; and how they tamed the mighty four-legged chickens. And it has been told of the first great times of glory, how the eastern cousins of the People, from Khaz Modan, sailed forth in their splendor, and built great cities and wondrous devices, and how they erected the Sky Pillar upon the eternal Hill of Tunè. And they conquered the Isle with their might, and in time even brought down He who was the greatest of heroes, in his last stand upon the bridge; and the Old Gods went to war with those who had Transcended, and lost to them, and so the Gods of Cedrism came to be worshipped. And it has also told of the Day of Flame, when the ships came no more, and hunger reigned, and crimson light flared in the east that was not the work of sunrise, and all the marvels of the old days were gone.
And it has been told how a new empire arose among a group of the Sundered Peoples, who lived far inland and in their poverty rarely tasted the meat of fish. And it has been told how the great emperor, which they call "The Kaiser", proclaimed his dominion over the Isle, and brought forth new days of glory, and how the Isle became rich through its dealings with the great nations, and how the Line of Mortis resided there, and of the long-lived Count who was not human.
But hear now the later Tale. For it came to pass that the renewed time of greatness came to an end as well. There came days of conflict, of disarray and confusion, of schemes and wild hopes; and of great ideologies that led men to do war upon one another. It was in the days of Mors IV Nerrolar, who was as one of our own, that the beginnings of the en could be seen; for it was the resurgence of the isolationists and the modernists that resulted in his death, and the investigations into the workings of the Sky Pillar, whose wonders had been meant to stay secret. And in times afterward the struggle mirrored dark times upon the mainland, wars of religion and ideals, and all the people of Shireroth struggled to find themselves. And upon the Isle, as in other far corners of the empire, dark times descended.
And it came to pass at last that full war erupted among the People, and outside factions allied with one side or the other, prolonging the conflict; and the herds of the callamenni were decimated, and the cities and towns ruined, and food despoiled, and the Count driven away. And the warring factions, desperate for victory, entered the Sky Pillar, each hoping to use it against the other, and neither understanding its mysteries. And in a great thunderclap and a flash like unto the wrath of Agni, the Sky Pillar was brought down, and its vast energies unleashed across the Isle in a great firestorm.
The greater part of the People lost their lives that day, and all that they had built and all they loved were consigned to the flame. Save only their boats; for the fishing villages were furthest from the ruin, and their boats safe upon the water. Those families as were able to gather supplies and flee in their vessels left the Isle to burn, and never came to look upon it again. No solace had they, save that their Count came to them and set them free, and promised them that he would watch over them always, and proclaimed that one day they would return to their beloved home and build anew. Then he leaped into the water, and swam away, and was never seen again.
The boats set sail toward the rising sun. War and confusion reigned still elsewhere, and the People learned through pain and suffering not to build homes upon the lands already claimed by others, instead taking what lumber and materials they could and moving on. It was indeed their intent to find a new place for themselves, some unknown place; but in all places they went there dwelled people, who in troubled times would suffer no others to join them. And at last they came to Musica, and the land turned to the north where the People did not want to go. West lay the horrors behind them, and south lay a vast ocean whose limits they dared not test; but the people of Musica told tales of people to the east, who gathered in cities upon the face of the water.
And those who heard, taking heart, summoned together all of the People, and off the sluggish waters of the mouths of the River Elwynn, there was the first gathering of the Great Flotilla. Therein it was decided that the People should henceforth remain unshackled and roam the ocean sea, living upon its bounty as they had become accustomed, and move amongst the floating cities like the nomads of old; and that not one member of the People should set foot upon land in order to dwell there, but only to trade, to explore, and to learn, and to return to the sea; and that this should hold until the People returned to their Isle, as the Old Count had promised them. And all the People swore an oath to obey and uphold the Abjuration, as they came to call it, and may Death not spare the one who breaks it.
This, O People, is why we fly upon the wings of the waves, and why dry land remains foreign soil to us forever more. We are given to the ocean sea, and at its mercy we remain, till at last it sweeps us west, and the towers of the Great Port shine in the distance, and the Hill of Tunè rise above us again, and we are called home.
It has been told how those who went south learned the craft of the building of boats and spread along the coast, and as the sun crossed above them, right to left, they sailed across to the sun-warmed Rainbow Isles. It has been told how they spread out along the great jewels of land in the midst of the sea, and how the People came to rest upon the Home Isle, that others called Benacia; and how they tamed the mighty four-legged chickens. And it has been told of the first great times of glory, how the eastern cousins of the People, from Khaz Modan, sailed forth in their splendor, and built great cities and wondrous devices, and how they erected the Sky Pillar upon the eternal Hill of Tunè. And they conquered the Isle with their might, and in time even brought down He who was the greatest of heroes, in his last stand upon the bridge; and the Old Gods went to war with those who had Transcended, and lost to them, and so the Gods of Cedrism came to be worshipped. And it has also told of the Day of Flame, when the ships came no more, and hunger reigned, and crimson light flared in the east that was not the work of sunrise, and all the marvels of the old days were gone.
And it has been told how a new empire arose among a group of the Sundered Peoples, who lived far inland and in their poverty rarely tasted the meat of fish. And it has been told how the great emperor, which they call "The Kaiser", proclaimed his dominion over the Isle, and brought forth new days of glory, and how the Isle became rich through its dealings with the great nations, and how the Line of Mortis resided there, and of the long-lived Count who was not human.
But hear now the later Tale. For it came to pass that the renewed time of greatness came to an end as well. There came days of conflict, of disarray and confusion, of schemes and wild hopes; and of great ideologies that led men to do war upon one another. It was in the days of Mors IV Nerrolar, who was as one of our own, that the beginnings of the en could be seen; for it was the resurgence of the isolationists and the modernists that resulted in his death, and the investigations into the workings of the Sky Pillar, whose wonders had been meant to stay secret. And in times afterward the struggle mirrored dark times upon the mainland, wars of religion and ideals, and all the people of Shireroth struggled to find themselves. And upon the Isle, as in other far corners of the empire, dark times descended.
And it came to pass at last that full war erupted among the People, and outside factions allied with one side or the other, prolonging the conflict; and the herds of the callamenni were decimated, and the cities and towns ruined, and food despoiled, and the Count driven away. And the warring factions, desperate for victory, entered the Sky Pillar, each hoping to use it against the other, and neither understanding its mysteries. And in a great thunderclap and a flash like unto the wrath of Agni, the Sky Pillar was brought down, and its vast energies unleashed across the Isle in a great firestorm.
The greater part of the People lost their lives that day, and all that they had built and all they loved were consigned to the flame. Save only their boats; for the fishing villages were furthest from the ruin, and their boats safe upon the water. Those families as were able to gather supplies and flee in their vessels left the Isle to burn, and never came to look upon it again. No solace had they, save that their Count came to them and set them free, and promised them that he would watch over them always, and proclaimed that one day they would return to their beloved home and build anew. Then he leaped into the water, and swam away, and was never seen again.
The boats set sail toward the rising sun. War and confusion reigned still elsewhere, and the People learned through pain and suffering not to build homes upon the lands already claimed by others, instead taking what lumber and materials they could and moving on. It was indeed their intent to find a new place for themselves, some unknown place; but in all places they went there dwelled people, who in troubled times would suffer no others to join them. And at last they came to Musica, and the land turned to the north where the People did not want to go. West lay the horrors behind them, and south lay a vast ocean whose limits they dared not test; but the people of Musica told tales of people to the east, who gathered in cities upon the face of the water.
And those who heard, taking heart, summoned together all of the People, and off the sluggish waters of the mouths of the River Elwynn, there was the first gathering of the Great Flotilla. Therein it was decided that the People should henceforth remain unshackled and roam the ocean sea, living upon its bounty as they had become accustomed, and move amongst the floating cities like the nomads of old; and that not one member of the People should set foot upon land in order to dwell there, but only to trade, to explore, and to learn, and to return to the sea; and that this should hold until the People returned to their Isle, as the Old Count had promised them. And all the People swore an oath to obey and uphold the Abjuration, as they came to call it, and may Death not spare the one who breaks it.
This, O People, is why we fly upon the wings of the waves, and why dry land remains foreign soil to us forever more. We are given to the ocean sea, and at its mercy we remain, till at last it sweeps us west, and the towers of the Great Port shine in the distance, and the Hill of Tunè rise above us again, and we are called home.