Our Votanki brethren suggested that we approach the Redwyrm clan first =
as
they were the clan closest to the border with Tarsh and this we agreed =
to
do.=A0 We sent our Votanki brethren to the Redwyrm and their leaders =
agreed to
meet with us.=A0 The Redwyrm had been sadly decimated by darkmen =
attacks and
were eager to secure our aid.=A0 They were however somewhat suspicious =
about
our intentions since they had not the means of hiring us and in fact =
the
Votanki had more experience in hiring out as mercenaries than they did =
in
employing them.=A0 Their leader, Elder Burrfoot, asked us flat out what =
we
wanted in Votankiland as it is a hard, poor land, suited only for =
hunters.=A0
I answered that my God had led us here for some reason and that we =
wanted to
make ourselves a home here.=A0 He replied that his people only had land =
enough
for themselves and had none to share.=A0 He thought that if we could =
drive off
the darkmen perhaps we could have the land they were living on, however =
even
this would have to be agreed to by all the clans and they had not been
united under one of their own for many, many years.=A0 Not since the =
days of
their legendary king Hargaard Silverfist at least.=A0 We had a quick =
council
meeting and agreed that we would start by aiding the Redwyrms and see =
where
matters went from there.
The darkmen were complacent and unwary.=A0 Using our magics of light =
and
anti-darkness we fell upon them like a hammer on an anvil.=A0 The =
combination
of our stalwart Templars and the native scouts proved to be an =
excellent
one.=A0 Despite the darkmen's best efforts, fighting as demons when we =
had
them cornered, we rooted them out of their lair and drove them off into =
the
wilderness.=A0 Our success and the effectiveness of our magic against =
them
caused many of the young men to forswear their traditional ways and vow =
to
follow only Yemalio spurning all others.=A0 This did not of course sit =
well
with the elders of the Redwyrms and I feared the dissent that it would
bring.=A0 During the celebration for our victory I called for silence =
and
stood up before all the Redwyrms and my own followers and made a speech =
to
them.=A0 I thanked everyone for their help in routing the darkmen and =
praised
the bravery of the young men and my own Templars. Before the utterances =
of
the elders got too vocal I also praised their traditional ways and told =
the
young men that I could not accept them among=A0 my followers of Yemalio =
until
such time as my God was accepted by the Votanki.=A0 I told them that I =
had to
find the shaman Blueface and ask him what I would have to do to get =
Yemalio
accepted by the Votanki.
"He must be accepted as kin, accepted as a leader and warrior", replied
someone in a loud, clear voice.=A0 Startled we all looked for the =
source of
the voice and we saw a powerful looking old man whose body was covered =
with
blue tattoos of power. Beside him was a huge saber toothed cat with =
rune
carved fangs.=A0 This could be none other than Blueface himself and his =
helper
Greyrunner Runefang.=A0 Once past their shock everyone fell over =
themselves to
make a place for the shaman at the fire.=A0 We asked him why he was =
here and
he replied that he was here because he was again needed.=A0 He told me =
that my
God was needed but that to be accepted I, as my god's representative =
would
have to marry into the family of the Votanki.=A0 But first I must earn =
the
respect and love of the Votanki.=A0 How was I to do this I wondered. =
=A0
Blueface suggested a course of action.=A0 If I aided the clans in =
driving the
darkmen out of Votankiland and stepped lightly on their ways I would =
make
friends with them.=A0 If I accepted their ways and gave myself to them =
and
their gods they would love me.=A0 In private, words in my ears only he =
later
told me that I should seek out and woo Rigtaina the hunting nymph, =
daughter
of Foundchild and the Wild Mother.=A0 I thought briefly on this and =
said that
I thought this sounded like a wise course of action. =A0 I would have =
to
consult with my followers first though.=A0 Blueface said that he would =
stay on
long enough to hear our decision.
The next morning we met in privacy and discussed the course of action
Blueface had suggested.=A0 It seemed to us that the God had led us here =
for
just this purpose, hard though it was for us to see why Yemalio would =
want
us to live here bereft of his holy kin. =A0 However the ways of the =
gods are
sometimes strange to all so we voted and agreed that we would stay in =
this
harsh land and make it our own.=A0 We made our decision known to =
Blueface and
he told us that he would be back when he was needed.=A0 He turned and =
left the
camp.
What to tell of the following years?=A0 We drove the darkmen farther =
and
farther out into the wilderness.=A0 We made truce with the treemen and =
they
agreed, partly based on their friendly relationship with my God that =
they
would leave the Votanki alone. Fortunately the Votanki dislike the =
forests
the treemen prize so as long as the Votanki agreed not to burn the =
forests
the agreement was easy to keep. We worked very hard to keep them from =
doing
this.=A0 The stonemen who lived nearby in one of their underground =
cities we
saw not at all and counted ourselves glad of that fact. The darkmen =
though
we drove mercilessly and slew wherever we found them.=A0 It took us =
almost
four whole years to do so but finally we drove them out into the aptly =
named
Elder Wilds.=A0 More and more clans came to rely upon and follow us and =
I kept
my word about not allowing the young men to join Yemalio.=A0 I =
respected their
ways, seeking membership in their hunter cult of Foundchild, and living =
my
life following their rules.=A0 I urged my followers to take Votanki =
brides and
respect their ways and most did so.=A0 Not loyal Trilus though.=A0=20
Oliver
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