[center][img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/146572ed-ee3b-477b-a1cb-fbd6adb87448.png[/img]
[b][color=96512B][h3]Gerrik Far-Teacher[/h3]
Level 7 Hain Hero
34 Khookies[/color][/b][/center]

Rain fell lightly on the verdant fields around Tallgrass. Some of the villagers stayed in the shelter of their tents, doing a little crafting or cooking, while others braved the elements to complete their work. Among those outside was Gerrik, his leather jacket providing some protection from the rain. He was digging in the dirt of his farm, uprooting plants and muttering curses. This was the second time he'd had to uproot and burn half his yams because of a blight which had infected the crop. Apparently replacing the plant was not enough to remove the blight, for it seemed that the ground itself retained some of the blight. He would have to plant his yams elsewhere. Perhaps another crop could be grown in this patch of soil in the mean time. Setbacks were expected, considering the experimental nature of his task, but that didn't make them any less frustrating.

Gerrik's attention was pulled from his work when someone announced, "Trader!"

He perked his head up to a peculiar sight. A white giant was walking by the village, but it was no ordinary white giant. On the giant's back were many sacks and bundles tied down with rope, and more rope and rigging attached itself to the giant's back and limbs and a bridle attached to the head. On a wooden structure of sorts on the giant's back sat a hain, dressed in fine leather and adorned in jewelry. As the white giant passed near the village, the hain pulled some ropes and a thick sack unfurled over the white giant's head.

The white giant, effectively blinded, started walking backwards. It lifted a leg to try and paw the sack off, but the hain pulled another rope attached to a pulley and tugged, the rope pulling on the bridle and lifting the white giant's head out of the way of its foot.

"Some help here, please," called the hain on the white giant.

Already other hain in the village had gathered around the white giant and were pulling on ropes dangling from it. These ropes ran through pulleys to the white giant's head, and by pulling the ropes the white giant's neck craned upwards until it was looking up at the sky. Disoriented, the white giant sat down, wood rattling and ropes wobbling. The trader tied off the ropes so they were secure and taught. Only then did he descend from the back of the white giant.

As Gerrik approached the scene, the trader was bartering with the villagers around him, opening sacks and displaying bundles of commodities and goods.

"Yes, I do have some lovely red cinnabar, although it's travelled a long way to get here so you'll need to offer something valuable. Something for special occasions? I have some fine Vascogne wine for you, Arlen. I'll take 20 arrows for it. Fine, fine, 12, but no less than that. Ah, that is some nice leather, which should sell nicely further south. What would you like for it? How about some wool for the winter? Oh hello there, I don't believe we've met."

The trader stuck out a hand in greeting to Gerrik. Gerrik shook it.

"I'm Dibbler the Trader," the trader greeted.

"I'm Gerrik Far-Teacher," Gerrik replied.

Dibbler's eyes widened slightly, and his eyes darted briefly to the Eenal Bow slung over Gerrik's shoulder and the Guardian Shield strapped inconspicuously to his arm, before resuming eye contact with Gerrik and turning his palms upwards. "Oh of course! [i]The[/i] Gerrik Far-Teacher. A pleasure to finally meet you. Please, take a look at my wares. See if anything takes your fancy."

Gerrik looked up at the bundles stacked on the sitting white giant, which still attempted to reach a foot up to its bound and covered head occasionally, although lacked the flexibility to succeed. Gerrik was able to catalogue Dibbler's entire inventory in mere moments with his Perception, and he spotted a couple of items of interest.

"What's in that bag up there?" Gerrik inquired.

"Ah, yes, I've got something special up there," Dibbler said as he climbed up the stack of bags to reach inside. He pulled out a strange mechanical contraption. "I got this trinket from a trader in the far north. It was made by the hands of a demigoddess, or so I've been told. Observe the unmatched craftsmanship! Marvel at the unique and advanced technology! It can be yours, for the right price."

Gerrik took the device and turned it over in his hands. He twisted a key, which wound up a metal spring inside it, and the contraption sprang out of his hands with a click. It landed on the ground, and after a few more faint clicks it jumped again, hopping forwards. It vaguely resembled a frog, albeit made from a material similar to star-fiend carapace. Although, for Gerrik, who had never seen clockwork before, it was a wondrous contraption which he wanted to study, among other things.

Dibbler bent down to pick up the clockwork frog, and addressed another potential customer ("No, this quality wool is worth at least two hides.")

Gerrik withdrew a knife of star-fiend carapace from his jacket and held the blade between two fingers. "How would you value this in exchange?"

"An alum nayum knife? Alum nayum's normally too soft to make decent knives," Dibbler said. When Dibbler took the knife and felt its weight, and tapped it and heard the different tone, his eyes widened. "This isn't alum nayum."

"It is star-fiend carapace."

Dibbler's mouth gaped ajar for a moment, but quickly snapped it shut. He was here to barter, not gawk. "It is good craftsmanship and rare materials, I will admit. However, it pales in comparison to this marvel of divine craftsmanship. I'd like a little bit more for it."

Gerrik was not so easily swayed. He took his knife back. "While that toy frog may be an exceptional piece of work, it also serves no practical value. I bet that you've been trying to sell it across all of Mesathalassa with no luck because nobody wants to make that steep a trade for something which doesn't do anything." Dibbler tried his best to retain a neutral face. Gerrik continued, "And besides, this can do more than an ordinary knife. Watch." Gerrik took from his jacket a regular flint knife and scraped it against the star-fiend blade. Red-hot sparks were produced.

Dibbler dipped his beak down and bared a palm to Gerrik, a signal of defeat, although really he was happy to finally sell the contraption. "Alright, your knife for the toy frog."

"On one condition," Gerrik added. "You must tell people how the knife was made."

This was strange to Dibbler, but did not materially impact the value of the deal to him. "Huh? Oh, must be a Chipper thing. Sure, if you insist. Tell me about it and I'll share it."

Dibbler stayed in Tallgrass for the rest of the day, receiving and selling goods. Gerrik showed him his forge as requested. In the late afternoon, Dibbler climbed aboard his white giant and departed. He could not stay in any one place for long, otherwise the white giant might get restless, and if it spotted a creature it didn't like while bound it could cause serious damage to the rigging as it flew into a rage. The village waved Dibbler farewell and got back to their daily lives.

[hr]
[url=https://youtu.be/iVjL4hVWgdE]The sounds of sticks clapping together and voices singing rang out across the village[/url]. The smoke and embers of a bonfire rose into the starry sky, mixed with the aroma of roasting meat. The light of Auricolor and Vigilate and Scitis shone over the grassy planes, with the glittering rings visible in the heavens. In the village the illumination of the moons was mixed with the dancing light of the bonfire, and in that light hain danced also. Moving in time with the rhythm of the music, pairs, trios and quartets of hain spun around and weaved through each other. Laughter rose from the dancers and the onlookers. No one knew the steps, so frequently the dancers would collide, but that only added to the jovial atmosphere.

One of the trios was Sharon, Arlen and Gerrik, and really this celebration was for them. The other hain of Tallgrass came to Gerrik to pat him on the back and welcome him into the community, and to Sharon and Arlen to congratulate them on the new addition to their family. After a few rounds of the dance, it came time for Gerrik to say a few words.

Gerrik stood atop a log next to the bonfire, and the crowd hushed when they saw he was about to speak.

"Thank you very much for hosting this celebration for me and Sharon and Arlen. I have been with you for almost a whole season now. I have been to many, many villages in my life. And I'll admit, Tallgrass isn't the biggest, or the richest, or the most advanced. But Tallgrass does occupy a special place in my heart. And that's because Sharon here has taken it." Gerrik looked to Sharon, who looked down bashfully. Once the fawning of the villagers subsided, Gerrik continued. "It is for that reason that, while I have been a nomad for many years, I will now call Tallgrass home."

This elicited a cheer from the villagers. Then food was served, with meat cut from the spit roast, imported wine poured into wooden cups, and other delicious meals prepared by the village. The feast began, and the festivities continued.

[hr]
[url=https://youtu.be/BKvqydpZmwM]It was calm in the forest[/url]. The moons were still shining against the star-covered sky, and there was the sound of a gentle breeze rustling through the canopy. Along a familiar path walked Sharon, who seemed to be looking for someone.

"Up here," called a gentle voice. Sharon's heart skipped a beat as she looked up and saw Gerrik sitting on a branch up in a tree. He held a palm up, then gestured for Sharon to climb. She did so, and while she wasn't as acrobatic as Gerrik, he had taken care to select a tree which would be easy for Sharon to climb. Soon Sharon had made it up to the branch Gerrik was sitting and took a seat next to him. Once steady, Sharon put her fingers in Gerrik's mouth and Gerrik put his fingers in Sharon's mouth- a hain kiss.

Eventually Gerrik took his hand back, wrapped it around Sharon's waist and pulled her close, supporting her on the tree branch. Side by side, they were able to look closely into each other's eyes.

"You're looking lovely tonight," Gerrik cooed.

"You're looking pretty good too. You must have washed up for a special occasion," Sharon teased.

Gerrik suppressed a chuckle and rubbed Sharon's side. "The stars are lovely tonight too."

Sharon tilted her head to look up at the sky. Gerrik had also chosen this spot to have a good view of the stars. They sat snuggled together observing the heavens above in all their splendour. The Galbarian night sky, with its multiple moons and the prismatic rings, was particularly beautiful. If one looked closely at the right part of the sky, they would notice the burgundy wanderer Ilunabaras. There was a momentary short streak of light in one part of the sky, a shooting star, and Sharon let out a soft gasp of fear and cuddled closer to Gerrik.

Gerrik held Sharon comfortingly. Few people on Galbar had been able to see shooting stars the same since the night the star-fiends attacked. Gerrik decided to speak. "Did you know falling stars aren't actually stars? Not even normal falling stars," he added.

Sharon cocked her head. "They aren't?"

"No. If you watch carefully, you'll notice that they don't start at a star. They appear from nowhere, or so it seems."

"Then what are they?"

"I don't know. Maybe they're something falling from the heavens. Maybe they're some effect with the starlight. Maybe they can be either."

"A Chipper once came to Tallgrass and mentioned that the stars were like a sheet wrapped around the world, and that the moons floated between the sheet and the world. Is that true?"

Gerrik cocked his head noncommittally. "I remember when I came up with that idea. Perhaps I was a bit brash then, for really I don't have enough information to make such a statement with any degree of certainty. Other possible scenarios include the stars being tiny, separate objects, or perhaps very distant large objects; the moons could be either disks or balls, or perhaps they are embedded in the firmament and swim around with the stars; or maybe our world is but a single object in a great cosmic dance and it is only our limited perspective that makes it seem like the centre of everything.

"There are a few things I am sure of, though. In the heavens we have objects moving differently. The moons move independently of the stars, and then wandering stars like Ilunabaras or temporary objects like falling stars move in their own manners. Most of the stars don't seem to move at all. It is likely, although not certain, that these different objects exist in different layers of the heavens. The other thing I am sure of is that our world is round, like a ball."

Sharon peered at Gerrik quizzically. "Really? How do things not fall off?"

Gerrik stroked Sharon's shoulder and gazed fondly at the moons above. "Stone Chipper and I figured it out while travelling. If you're ever somewhere flat, you will notice that at the horizon objects appear to drop away, as if going over a hill. This effect is particularly obvious at the ocean, which is quite flat. This led to the conclusion that the world must be round. As for how things don't fall off, it must be that 'down' is always towards the middle of the ball, which would make everywhere feel flat."

Sharon snuggled closer to Gerrik and rubbed her head against his. "I've heard of the ocean, but never been there. What's it like?"

Gerrik ran a hand over Sharon's chin and mouth. "You've seen a lake, right? Now picture a lake so big that you can't see the other side. The water stretches as far as the eye can see with a beautiful blue that reflects the sky. Around the edge of the ocean you often have sand. The sand is gritty yet soft underfoot. And the water pulses back and forth, surging up the sand, then receding back, as though the sea itself were breathing. Perhaps someday I'll take you to visit the ocean, so you can see it with your own eyes."

"That would be nice," Sharon purred. She took Gerrik's hand and gently nibbled his fingers. They sat there for a few minutes simply staring into each other's eyes until Sharon spoke again. "You've spent a lot of time travelling. You've seen so much of the world. And most of that time you spent with Stone Chipper. And yet, one day, he left. How did you cope?"

Gerrik's head bowed down and his eyes closed. "Stone Chipper. I left everything to follow him. When he came to my original tribe, I realised that the world was so much bigger and grander than what I could possibly see staying at home. And Chipper was famous and healthy and intelligent, and I was still young and I wanted to be like that, so I went with him. He took me under his care, and my expectations were fulfilled. I got to see so much of the world, although I know that I've only seen a fraction of all there is. He taught me what he knew, and was the best mentor I could possibly ask for. But it could not stay that way forever, for he was training me as an apprentice. This meant that one day I had to go off and do his work myself. By the time that day came, he had already trained me to be independent, so I was prepared. He gifted me with my bow and shield, which aside from being useful tools are reminders of him, and blessed me with power, vitality and intellect to carry on this work. He still keeps in contact, and helps me when I need it.

"Although, it's sometimes hard being alone. I had all the skills and capabilities to survive on my own, but that didn't make it any less lonely. Hain aren't meant to be alone. It wasn't too bad, though. I travelled from village to village, so I was rarely alone for too long, but with Chipper gone I didn't have anyone with whom I had a really personal connection, and that was tough."

Gerrik inhaled sharply and his eyes grew damp before he continued. "I've told you about the Battle of the Tempest. I had never seen so much death and violence in one place, and I saw every detail of it. Every single..." Gerrik screwed his eyes shut. "It was horrifying. For days it haunted my every waking thought. I left Hillfort as soon as I could to leave the memories behind. With no-one to speak to, all I could do to stop myself from thinking about it was to keep busy, and while travelling all I could to do keep busy was run. So I ran. I ran, jumping over logs, skipping across rocks, swinging under tree branches, anything to keep myself occupied, to make myself so exhausted I wouldn't think. The images faded over time, but I never forget. The nightmares still trouble me occasionally.

"And I've told you about Fibeslay, and the star-fiend I fought there. It was not the battle that shook me, but what came afterwards. The Chippers of the village blamed [i]me[/i] for the catastrophe. They blamed me, who saved them from the star-fiend!" Gerrik gritted his teeth and clenched his fist. "And they said Stone Chipper sent the star-fiend as punishment. They had the audacity to think they knew Stone Chipper better than I did! They clung to their false beliefs and banished me from Fibeslay. They rejected me, and it hurt. I had been rejected by other people before, but never by Chippers, never by those who were meant to be my own people. Not that they deserve to be called Chippers, but..." Gerrik's head sagged. "It's tough with no one to support you."

Sharon wiped a tear from Gerrik's eye, then embraced Gerrik and hung her beak over his shoulder. "You're not alone any more. I'm here. You can tell me these things. You don't have to hold them inside. I'm here for you."

"Thank you," Gerrik said gently. He brought Sharon's hand into his mouth and bit softly. He held it there for a few moments before letting go.

"I have a secret I should tell you," Gerrik said. Sharon's eyes, right in front of his own, told him to continue. "When Stone Chipper left and gave me the various blessings, he gave me a special power. I can see everything."

Sharon jerked back in surprise. "Everything?"

"Everything within ten-score paces. Every single detail. Plus the ability to remember it all. It's how I can find buried food so easily. How I know which branches to climb on without checking them. Why I'm always aware of what's going on in the village. Why the Battle of the Tempest was so traumatic for me. How I know so much about plants."

"How you're always able to notice when I miss a weave, even when you're not looking."

"Exactly. It is a very powerful gift, although you can guess why I keep it secret."

Sharon looked down bashfully. "You see everything?"

Gerrik nodded. "There's one thing in particular I can see..." Gerrik leaned in and whispered something into Sharon's ear. Sharon's mouth gaped open.

"You mean we can-? and I won't-?" On receiving a nod from Gerrik, a cheeky glint appeared in Sharon's eyes. "Oh come here." Sharon took Gerrik's hand in her mouth and pulled her body close to Gerrik.

[hr]
The village of Tallgrass was packing up their tents. With the changing season, the abundance of scavengable food would drop, so the village needed to move to their winter territory. For this reason everyone was packing up their tents and belongings to carry on their migration.

Everyone, that was, except Gerrik.

With the blight finally quashed, Gerrik's farm was growing nicely. Gerrik expected a preliminary harvest soon. However, it needed supervision and constant tending, especially if he wanted it to be large enough to support multiple people throughout the year.

Sharon, Arlen and Tami came to Gerrik to say their farewells.

"You sure you want to stay?" Sharon asked.

It was a tough question, but one Gerrik had answered before. "Yes. I need to if I want to make this farm work."

"Five-score days is a long time to be alone."

"I know. But the result will be worth it. If this works, you won't have to migrate ever again." Gerrik took Sharon's hand and kissed it lightly. "Besides, I have your return in the spring to look forwards to."

Arlen stepped up and patted Gerrik on the shoulder. "I know you're more than capable of looking after yourself. We'll see you when we return."

Sharon, Arlen and Tami all gave Gerrik one last hug before picking up their belongings and joining the rest of Tallgrass migrating away. Gerrik watched them leave. Once they were out of sight, Gerrik went back to digging in his farm. If Gerrik was going to be alone, he had better keep himself busy.

[hider=Gerrik and Sharon sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g]
First section:
Gerrik's still working out how farming works.
We meet the White-Giant-riding trader named Dibbler. He travels up and down Mesathalassa trading.
Gerrik trades a star-fiend carapace knife for a clockwork toy frog (made by Kinesis), on the condition that Dibbler shares how to make stuff from star-fiend carapace.

Second section:
Party in Tallgrass. The villagers are celebrating Gerrik's entry into Sharon and Arlen's family. This is the closest thing you get to a wedding in cultures like this.

Third section:
Gerrik and Sharon spend some personal time sitting in a tree doing some stargazing and conversing.
Of note is that Gerrik found it tough being without proper emotional or social support for so long, especially in the wake of the Battle of the Tempest and his exclusion from Fibeslay. But Sharon's here to support him now.
Gerrik also reveals his secret sense of Perception to Sharon.
[i]Of broader note, I have canonised that the name of the village in which the Battle of the Tempest (aka the village battle) took place is Hillfort.[/i]

Fourth section:
The village of Tallgrass is migrating for the winter, because hunter-gatherers are at the mercy of the terrain and seasons. Except Gerrik is staying to tend his farm, in spite of the potential loneliness. Goodbyes are said and Tallgrass moves while Gerrik stays and farms.

Khookie Summary
Start: 34 Khookies
Spent: 14 Khookies to Level up to 8 (because why not)
Earned: 10 Khookies (20000+ characters)
End: 30 Khookies
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