[center][img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/146572ed-ee3b-477b-a1cb-fbd6adb87448.png[/img]
[b][color=96512B][h3]Gerrik Far-Teacher[/h3]
Level 9 Hain Hero
15 Khookies[/color][/b][/center]

[center][i]8-11 years Post Realta[/i][/center]

Two hain stood among the rows of tomato plants, growing up wooden sticks shoved into the ground. One knelt down and gently lifted up a stem bearing a yellow flower.

"Elword, do you see the flowers on this tomato plant?" Gerrik said.

"Of course," Elword replied. He took the flower in his own hands and inspected it more closely. After a few moments of scrutiny, Elword said, "I do not see any signs of infection. It appears to me to be a regular specimen. Is there anything remarkable about this flower that I've missed?"

Gerrik shook his head. "This is an ordinary flower. But I want you to consider it more deeply. Why does it produce flowers?"

Elword leaned back, put a hand to his chin and rapped a finger against his chin. "That's a tricky one. I'll need to think it over."

Gerrik straightened up. "While you think you can shovel." He gestured over to the manure pile on the edge of the farm.

Elword sighed and stood up. "Very well."

Gerrik went to attend to other business while Elword performed this chore. He piled the collective waste of the hain and violet slugs of Tallgrass into a wide basket, carried it over to the crops, shoveled manure onto the base of the plants, and repeated. It was menial labour, but that freed the mind to think. As Elword worked, his mind pondered this puzzle. One clue he found were seeds in the manure, passed through from those who had eaten the original fruits.

Some hours later, Gerrik came back to check on Elword.

"I've figured out an answer, Gerrik," Elword announced.

"Excellent. Let's hear it," Gerrik said.

"The flowers turn into fruit. The fruit contains seeds. The fruit gets eaten, then the seeds get pooped out somewhere. The seeds can then grow into new plants, nourished by the manure. That is why plants produce flowers and fruit," explained Elword.

Gerrik flicked up a palm. "Very good. Excellent application of deduction. That is one of the key observations I made in starting these farms. However, it doesn't quite answer my question. You've told me why plants produce [i]fruit[/i], but you haven't told me why they produce [i]flowers[/i] first, rather than skipping straight to producing fruit." Elword's jaw clenched. Gerrik stepped forwards and patted Elword on the shoulder. "That one might take you a bit longer. You'll need more observations too. Don't lose any sleep on it, though."

Gerrik stepped past Elword and added, "Come now, get washed up then meet me down at the forge."

"Yes, Far-Teacher."

[hr]
Sharon sat in the hut cradling the soft-shelled hain baby. The baby reclined restfully in Sharon's arm as her other hand stroked the baby's head.

Arlen then walked into the hut, carrying a couple of loaves of bread from the town baker. "Bread is ready."

Gerrik reached out to take the baby, and Sharon went to get some food. He supported the baby, his baby, in the crook of his arm and rested a palm on the baby's beak. The baby's eyes watched as Sharon returned with food and sat down beside Gerrik. She put a chunk of the very white bread, which was impregnated with clay, into her mouth. She chewed, then spat it out into her hand and hand-fed the food into the baby's mouth.

When the baby had been fed, Tami reached forwards. "Can I hold him?"

In answer Gerrik handed the baby to Tami. He adjusted Tami's arms to ensure she was holding the child properly, then went off to grab food for himself. Tami had held the baby for a few moments, looking into his eyes, before giggling and softly saying, "He's so cute."

She rocked the baby in her arms, until he rolled his head to one side and drooled out half-digested food over Tami's arm. "Gross, Zan!"

Arlen picked up a cloth set aside for this purpose and wiped up the mess. Then he took the baby Zan into his own arms. With a small wooden bowl he slowly poured a drink of water into the baby's mouth. After a few minutes of cradling and gentle rocking, the baby fell asleep, and Arlen set the baby down in a cradle with a pillow stuffed with straw.

[hr]
The group of hain rushed forwards, maces uplifted and protected by wooden shields, then swung at their foes, stone mace heads hitting their targets with a crunch. After two strikes the hain formation fell back under the cover of their shields.

These targets were crude hainoid statues made of branches lashed together. Gerrik paced behind the row of wooden training dummies as the hain ran their drill. "Better this time, but still a long way to go. Sarey, you dropped your guard during the charge; that would be lethal against a competent foe. Elword, you didn't commit to the swing; you can't inflict harm with a halfhearted attack. Frans, you didn't keep up with the formation when you retreated; the strength of this maneuver is that you're working as a team. Now repeat until you move as an unbreakable unit."

The drill continued, with the hain charging, striking and withdrawing. Eventually, Gerrik was satisfied. "Alright, next exercise: partner up, collect training weapons and get sparring. Elword, you're with me."

For the more competitive among the hain, this arrangement seemed unfair to Elword, since no one in Tallgrass was anywhere near as good a fighter as Gerrik, and Elword was almost always partnered with Gerrik. But Elword was wiser than that. The point of sparring was not to win, but to learn, and the apprentice of Wind Striker himself was a brilliant teacher in the ways of combat.

"Pick your weapon," Gerrik said. From the rack of lightly padded training weapons, Elword selected a staff, and Gerrik selected likewise. Gerrik cast aside the Eenal Bow and Guardian Shield as they squared up for combat. Both got into combat stances and held their staves at the ready.

After a few seconds Elword made the first move, sliding his grip down to hold the staff near one end and thrusting forwards. Gerrik brought his staff around to push Elword's staff aside, then quickly stepped forwards and lashed out at Elword's hip. Elword stepped back and brought his staff around to block. Gerrik pushed forwards and swung at Elword's head. Elword lifted his staff to block again, then flicked his staff out to strike at Gerrik's groin. Gerrik twisted so the blow only struck his thigh, then brought his staff down to sweep Elword's staff aside. Staff inside Elword's guard, Gerrik batted Elword in the chest twice before Elword spun his staff around to push Gerrik's staff away. Gerrik, staff horizontal, flicked his staff out to strike at Elword's other side. Elword, staff vertical, blocked the blow. Then Elword swung to strike Gerrik up high, then down low, but Gerrik blocked both blows. Then Gerrik moved forwards, pushing into Elword, and hooked a foot under Elword's leg. Elword fell backwards and landed with a thump.

Gerrik did not follow up his advantage, but instead took a step back and looked out at the other sparring hain. "Frans," he called out to a hain wielding a shield and mace against another hain wielding a spear, "Lengthen your stance. That will help you brace better."

Elword swung out at Gerrik's legs, hoping to capitalise on Gerrik's distraction, but Gerrik was never distracted. Gerrik jumped over the staff then took a few steps backwards and waited for Elword to get back to his feet. Elword took a moment to compose himself, then they continued sparring.

Later, as the hain were practising throwing sling stones at the training dummies, Sharon came up to speak to Gerrik. "Must you teach these people how to fight and kill?"

Gerrik soothingly stroked the side of Sharon's head. "The world is a dangerous place. Ashlings, fiberlings, hordes, hain and humans who might seek to take what they want by force, and more. We can't rely on urtelem to protect us completely, especially since no herds live nearby. I have seen fighting first hand, and you know that I know how terrible it is to be involved in such fighting. While I sincerely hope that Tallgrass is never threatened in such a manner, I will not let us be unprepared. That is why I am training every able-bodied person in this village to be ready if we ever have to defend our homes." Gerrik lifted Sharon's beak up and looked into her eyes. "That is why. To keep us safe. To keep you safe."

[hr]
Gerrik stood waiting outside the small enclosed tent as Arlen and Sharon approached, carrying an armful of inkflies and a bowl of stew. "How far through is she?" Sharon asked.

"About half way," Gerrik replied.

Faint sobs belonging to Tami came from within the tent. Arlen adjusted his grip on the inkflies, took the stew Sharon had been carrying, then went to the entrance of the tent and said, "Tami, I'm coming in."

As Arlen shared words of comfort with his daughter, Sharon and Gerrik walked out of earshot.

"Don't you have any wise words which might help Tami?" Sharon asked.

Gerrik was silent for a few moments, then said, "I never had a Second Hatching."

Sharon's face expressed bewilderment, so Gerrik continued. "Hain haven't always had Second Hatchings. This... curse, one could call it, happened at some point in the past. As you know, I'm ancient, and I predate even the Second Hatchings."

Sharon gaped for a few moments. Gerrik finished, "You and Arlen are better equipped for handling this than I am. You know what it is like, from personal experience, while I don't."

Sharon simply nodded.

Arlen then emerged from the tent, and the three returned to their hut.

[hr]
Elword pumped the bellows of the furnace, stoking the flames until they were hot enough to cause the ore-filled rocks to weep molten copper into a clay mould. With tongs made of star-fiend carapace, he pulled the mould out then quenched it in a bucket of water. He then reached in with his hand, picked up the mould, and removed the ingot of copper.

"Gerrik," Elword said.

"Yes, Elword?"

"I've devised an idea."

Gerrik paused from his work and looked to Elword. "What is it?"

"Years ago you would travel the world and teach things to everyone you met. Now you are living here in Tallgrass, so only people who come to Tallgrass can learn from you. But what if there was a way for you to spread knowledge far and wide without having to leave Tallgrass?"

"That would be good. I assume you have found such a way, having brought it up."

"I have. We can spread knowledge via art, such as weavings, pottery and carvings. Fibeslay do it for the stories of their culture. We can do it for the methods of making things. We have the craftshain to do it, and I've seen you make similar drawings for our local craftshain."

Gerrik considered this for a few seconds, pondering on the possibilities. "It's brilliant," he concluded, "You can get to work on it immediately."

Elword seemed surprised. "Me?"

"Yes you. It was your idea. I have a village to run. You have as much time as I give you. Replacing your current chores, your new assignment is to get this informational artwork created. Tell people you're working under my orders if it gets them to do what you need them to do. Understood?"

Elword nodded. "Yes, Gerrik." Then he left the forge and got to work.

[hider=Summary]
Five sections describing some of Gerrik's life in Tallgrass, with a developing family and apprentice Elword.

First section: Elword and Gerrik are doing farm work. Elword does chores. Gerrik challenges Elword with questions on naturalism (in this instance, why do plants make flowers?).

Second section: family scene, with Gerrik's baby Zan. It is noted that one way hain get the aluminium silicates in their diet is by impregnating bread with clay.

Third section: combat training, run by Gerrik. Elword is included in the training, and Gerrik has been training Elword in combat personally, passing on his skills as Wind Striker's apprentice. Gerrik is doing this to ensure Tallgrass is protected in the case of an invasion.

Fourth section: Tami is undergoing her Second Hatching. Gerrik can't help much, since he's so ancient that he predates Second Hatchings.

Fifth section: Elword works the bellows in Gerrik's forge, as Gerrik smelts some copper ore (obtained via trade) (-2 Khookies for bellows). Elword pitches an idea to Gerrik: create and disseminate informational artwork to teach people things. Gerrik thinks this is a brilliant idea, and delegates responsibility to Elword (-2 Khookies for tradable informational artwork) (expect to see such artwork around Mesathalassa in the near future. Written words aren't widely known yet: these are just pictures).

[u]Khookies Summary[/u]
[i]Start:[/i] 15 Khookies
[i]Spent:[/i] 4 Khookies
[i]Earned:[/i] 9 Khookies (12,000+ character post)
[i]End:[/i] 20 Khookies
[/hider]