Dear Mr Curly, I have done little travelling lately because I have been so dreadfully weary. Can it be true as the old Ecclesiastes said; that all things lead to weariness? Surely not. Perhaps the opposite is true: that all nothings lead to weariness. I have a peculiar feeling, Curly, that I am worn out from something I haven't yet done and the more I don't do it, the more exhausted I become. How strange. Could it be something I haven't realised? Perhaps it's something I haven't said? Something I haven't finished! It must be very large and true whatever it is and a lively struggle in the doing but I look forward to it immensely. I know I need it. First, however, I must curl up in my chair and sleep deeply with the duck. Perhaps I'll dream of this thing and wake up refreshed and do it. My fond wishes to you Mr. Curly, and to all Curly Flat. Yours sleepily, Vasco Pyjama xxx P.S. Not having breakfast can make you weary. That's for sure!
When Meesei motioned to try and sit upwards, Sabine immediately stopped her and bent down to hug her instead. The hug was interrupted by Kaleeth, but Sabine didn't mind. She let go and stood quietly while the others began to interact with Meesei.
Janius smiled widely and glanced to the floor. "If I remember correctly, you were the one who made me realise how to grow, Meesei." Janius stepped up, wrapped an arm firmly around Kaleeth's and rubbed her upper arm with his hand. Janius gave Kaleeth a smile, but it faded as he turned to Meesei on the bed. "Even before we went to Black Marsh, you gave me a family. Now..." He chuckled to stave off other feelings. "...it's grown."
There was a moment where Janius took a deep breath in and out of his nose. He looked as if he was going to say something more, but he settled on something simple. "You're the best leader I could imagine," he said, before glancing briefly to the others. "The best any of us could have had." He turned back to Meesei, frowning. "Thank you."
Meesei's hand caused Sabine to stop and look at her again. She was mollified by Meesei's words to the extent that her voice was lowered, but she still sounded croaky and distraught. "I will not let you die, Meesei. I love you."
At that, Sabine brought both her hands around Meesei's hand and pressed it to the bridge of her nose. She closed her eyes, unsure of what else to do after being informed of how difficult the silver would be to get out. Another pair of tears was pushed down her cheeks and dripped off her chin.
There was a persistent silence. In that pause, Janius looked either side of himself, and then murmured to Kaleeth. "How about you offer the ring back, dear?"
... This raises a pretty interesting discussion. We should pick some moment to be a reference point for all the peoples of Galbar (or at least most of them) to track how far they've come from the ancient past.
I vote we go back to a little earlier and set it at the Phantasmagoria, that was global and visible and brought on a whole lot of fun changes.
If you like. I was going to wait until someone actually invented a calendar, though. That'll probably arise as a necessity once people put agriculture and astronomy together.
... Random words + random language on google translator. Ilunabar is sunset in Basque
Shit. The process behind choosing the name 'hain' is one step closer to being revealed...
All time and no work makes Mutton plot histories. All time and no work makes Mutton plot histories. All time and no work makes Mutton plot histories.
There are no dates as there are no calendars!
Prehistory:
Esaulic Era
??: Created by Toun in the Valley of Peace. Toun steals the slave hain and scatters the rest all over Galbar.
??: Hain gather into small tribes and embrace hunter-gatherer lifestyles.
??: The mythical hain, Ch'eater, sacrifices his family to occult powers in return for immortality.
??: Cultural signs of a clean white and complete hain shell being considered attractive and smooth, gapless surfaces seen as aesthetically comforting is observed. Scholars speculate this to be imparted by Toun's perfectionism, though this theory is not popular. Most attribute this behaviour to the nature of its origins; areas populated heavily by dangerous fibrelings originated a cultural aversion to hair and gaps where hair might poke through.
??: The first sculptor in the Cult of Jvan, Fishbones, completes metamorphosis.
??: The first wild urtelem walk upon Galbar.
Ikanotita Era
??: Widespread and sudden signs of violence and fear towards the Cult of Jvan erupt across the global Hain population. This is correlated with evidence of wild creatures and ants behaving the same way.
??: The tale of Niciel's forgiveness takes place, founding worship of Niciel amongst valley hain and beginning relations with the newly created angels.
??: The tale of Slough and the Hunters takes place, where Slough is known by the name ‘Life-Deer’. The tale is supposedly allegorical, but its alignment with descriptions of the life goddess from other species suggests otherwise. Reverence for nature spreads amongst hain tribes, particularly around the north-west Jvanic coast.
??: Stone Chipper begins wandering Galbar, spreading knowledge to willing tribes of hain. Stone working and urtelem taming become widespread. Hain tool use increases and tool designs homogenise, save for contextual applications that prove more efficient.
??: Gerrik the apprentice joins Stone Chipper's travels.
??: The Chipper Tradition of travelling scholars and craftshain begins.
??: The Rovaick walk Galbar. Putatively, they were made by Vestec from an amalgam of all life on Galbar at the time, including hain. They are mostly confined to mountains, away from white giants.
??: The first signs of bright staff flowers (also known as hogweed) used as protective talismans by some hain tribes. This lines up with spread of a number of new flower varieties all over Galbar. Association with Toun appears to be independent, despite some shamanic traditions applying the new flowers' significance to each of the gods.
??: Teknall's 'sacred flower', called the earthsoul flower by most hain, is used in urtelem taming in some parts of the world due to its strange property of colouring to urtelem emotions in the vicinity.
??: Humans walk Galbar in small numbers.
??: The demigod, Lifprasil, is born. The insidie are created. Hain interactions with insidie are limited to Vectec's voren insidie in chaos hordes.
??: Strange remains of an entire tribe of hain, cut into precise and perfect portions, are dated to this point in time.
??: Chaos hordes form near the ironheart mountains, including hain members.
??: First evidence of hain 'second hatching' rituals, otherwise known as 'Beautification of the Flesh' in Jvanic circles. This ritual is different from tribe to tribe, but follows from the intrinsic urge of hain to carve disturbing images into their shells upon adolescence. This evidence lines up a short time after the needle fae appear on Galbar. Attacks against Jvanic sculptors decline.
??: The metatic ocean is created. Countless hain and human tribes are annihilated. Cornerstone is created.
??: Tales of the Great Ant TOBIA take place. The Niciel worshipping valley hain in particular speak of the friendly creature's exploits with them and the angels.
??: A simultaneous period of shared pain amongst the entire hain population precedes the first accounts of strange sparks of unexplained power from a few hain.
??: Proto-Ilunabarous languages tie many languages and dialects by a common root, extrapolated to have been created at this time.
??: Rudimentary astronomy is depicted in some hain societies.
??: The bow drill sees use in hain tribes. Fire creation spreads around Galbar via Chippers.
??: Gerrik Far-Teacher is canonised by Teknall, who reveals his true identity as a god.
??: Grot's armies mobilise. Hain tribes around the north of the ironheart mountains are destroyed or displaced.
??: Phantasmagoria takes places. Great leaps are made in sentient technology and culture. Evidence of formal trade, bread making, pottery, leatherworking, trapping, herbalism and poisoning, eloquence, poison use, fruit selection, sewing, binding and weaving, artistic wood carving, winemaking, bead making, and petroglyphs/painting are seen worldwide rather than in secluded accidental pockets.
??: Stories of the archangel Falas speak of meeting 'strange creatures' outside of the Valley of Peace. These are a tribe of hain, suggesting that the Valley Hain have either died out, gone into hiding from the angels of the valley, or mutated beyond physical recognition. Of course, Falas may have had a secluded upbringing. Such things are lost to history.
??: Shamanic hain tradition shows more mentions of the foreign entity known as 'Jaan'.
??: The Prophet Sularn is inscribed and the cult of Toun and Teknall is founded. Those with the mark of Toun are able to descend from the mountains without fear and interact with humans and hain.
??: Gerrik Far-Teacher and a mysterious warrior hain assemble an army to help repel Grot's northern army before it reaches the Valley of Peace.
??: First tales of hain-human interaction. Some episodes are peaceful and trade is made, others are violent and superstition is born. Deep seated beliefs about hair do not help in some cases.
<COMING SOON: THE BRONZE AGE>
This is mostly for my own reference so I can track the development of the hain. We've only had one plot hole so far, but I've given it excuses. I'll maintain it in my character post, with all the other crap.
It goes without saying, but please let me know if I've made any errors.
Sabine's face began to tense up with Meesei's praise. "No," Sabine shook her head again and her voice quivered as she nearly shouted, "Do not...talk like that! You promised not to give up!" Sabine took two short, strained breaths and her face reddened fully, "I do not know what to do if you die! You were always there! Ever since I found the pack!" Sabine could barely keep her eyes open and focussed with how clouded they were, "I have to get the silver out! Show me where it is!"
Without consent, Sabine brought her hands over Meesei's torso and began to search her body with healing magic. It was not harmful at all, but it was clear that she was in no state to perform precise surgery, let alone try anything that the warband's best healers would not have already tried themselves.
Sabine's mind flashed back to being physically attacked by the Khajiit mage and Fendros helping her. Her eyes flicked to her wrist, still scarred by her own dagger from the hands of the mage. Still, she closed her eyes and shook her head. "I am okay. None in our pack were badly hurt, but..." Sabine turned her head away slightly, "...Peiter lost his arm. I remember hurting Gallus when he was trying to help because I was so scared. He is recovering, though. You told me to help him and I was able to. I feel horrible."
That experience was one of many that was repeating in Sabine's mind constantly, compounding her stress.
"But, there is also...We..." Sabine blinked a couple of times and a tear fell, "A Senche-raht attacked Irenya in the courtyard. She...her body was left behind. Uthri and Tzirret are so, so sad. Gallus has...I have only seen him twice. He is not showing anything." Sabine sniffed and tried taking another breath. She didn't want to give in to emotion again yet. "Those left in the courtyard...a few fell, but almost everyone escaped. There were a...there were many that died before that. In the keep and..." Sabine trailed off.
How advanced are humans at this point? Can't find a post were its iterated.
They're kind of cave men still. The rovaick will soon scale up agriculture and work out metalcraft, so once that reaches the southern shores of the white ocean, humans should be in bronze age territory.
Again, an attempt at communication as the pack entered the tent was held by hesitation. Meesei didn't appear much different to how she was before she began the treatment, but seeing her weakness in her movements brought her fate to the forefront of the minds of all present.
Sabine remained standing away from the bed for a few moments. Her next steps were slow and silent. She padded up to Meesei's side, swallowed, and then reached to take her hand. She squeezed it hard and took in an uneven breath.
"Meesei," Sabine began shakily, "I am scared." Her voice raised slightly as she continued, "I want to take the silver out of you. You can locate it. You can help, can you not!?"
Janius and Fendros stayed back for now. Janius took Kaleeth's hand and held her close as he watched on.
[center][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPjJCVylFBo[/youtube][/center]
[quote=Michael Leunig. The Curly Pyjama Letters.]
Dear Mr Curly,
I have done little travelling lately because I have been so dreadfully weary. Can it be true as the old Ecclesiastes said; that all things lead to weariness? Surely not. Perhaps the opposite is true: that all [u]nothings[/u] lead to weariness. I have a peculiar feeling, Curly, that [u]I[/u] am worn out from something I haven't yet done and the more I don't do it, the more exhausted I become. How strange. Could it be something I haven't realised? Perhaps it's something I haven't said? Something I haven't finished! It must be very large and true whatever it is and a lively struggle in the doing but I look forward to it immensely. I know I need it. First, however, I must curl up in my chair and sleep deeply with the duck. Perhaps I'll dream of this thing and wake up refreshed and do it. My fond wishes to you Mr. Curly, and to all Curly Flat.
Yours sleepily,
Vasco Pyjama
xxx
P.S. Not having breakfast can make you weary. That's for sure!
[/quote]
<div style="white-space:pre-wrap;"><div class="bb-center"><iframe src="//youtube.com/embed/HPjJCVylFBo?theme=dark" frameborder="0" width="496" height="279" allowfullscreen></iframe></div><br><br><blockquote class="bb-quote">Dear Mr Curly,<br>I have done little travelling lately because I have been so dreadfully weary. Can it be true as the old Ecclesiastes said; that all things lead to weariness? Surely not. Perhaps the opposite is true: that all <span class="bb-u">nothings</span> lead to weariness. I have a peculiar feeling, Curly, that <span class="bb-u">I</span> am worn out from something I haven't yet done and the more I don't do it, the more exhausted I become. How strange. Could it be something I haven't realised? Perhaps it's something I haven't said? Something I haven't finished! It must be very large and true whatever it is and a lively struggle in the doing but I look forward to it immensely. I know I need it. First, however, I must curl up in my chair and sleep deeply with the duck. Perhaps I'll dream of this thing and wake up refreshed and do it. My fond wishes to you Mr. Curly, and to all Curly Flat.<br>Yours sleepily,<br>	Vasco Pyjama<br>	xxx<br>P.S. Not having breakfast can make you weary. That's for sure!<footer>Michael Leunig. The Curly Pyjama Letters.</footer></blockquote></div>
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