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Post by frankthetriviaman on Aug 24, 2016 16:42:22 GMT -5
In this series, we explore how the various species came to Elbaf. A story divided into several chapters, we are all free to contribute, so long as the story is covered in chronological order. (so that the flow makes sense)
Let us start this series with the giants, and how they came to Elbaf.
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CHAPTER ONE: EXODUS
In an area of what is now the United Kingdom, the Colormen and some tribes of giants were celebrating. It had taken many decades and generations, but at long last the barbaric tribes of giants had been destroyed. Because some were nomadic, and others were settled in remote regions, it had taken generations to find and hunt down the barbaric tribes which only knew one thing: warfare. In just as long a time the Colormen had been working with the peaceful giants to create peaceful relations between the giants who could be reasoned with, and those truly good, and with humans who lived near them, in order to create a world where the giants and humans could live in harmony. Now, hundreds of years of near constant warfare had come to an end.... the last of the barbaric tribes had been destroyed, leaving only the good tribes of giants. In a meeting point on the British Isles, representatives from almost all the giant tribes, and of the Colormen who worked with them to bring an end to the barbarians, officially declared their war over.
"Colormen, we stand here today to mark a joyous occasion. After many decades, we can finally and truly make peace with the humans. For too long, we have been subject to constant battle, with both the barbaric scourge that gave us a bad name, and the humans who mistook us for barbarians. But now, we can rejoice, for this bloodshed was not in vain. With the destruction of these last remaining tribes, the barbaric giants are no more. Now, an age of peace will reign as human and giant finally come together. On behalf of all 83 good tribes of giants, I thank you, for the gift you have helped us bring is more valuable than any amount of gold or jewels" one of the giant chiefs explained as he presented a gift to the Sudrian Colormen.
"Giants, while I do regret that 244 tribes of your brothers and sisters had to be destroyed, it was a necessary deed to ensure you remaining tribes could prosper. The humans could not distinguish the barbarians from yourselves, and you became victims of the crossfire; so much so that the Galcunaic and Farduvian tribes, who only wanted peace, were wiped out as well. Let this day stand as a testament to the world that after so much sacrifice and conflict, a new peace has risen, allowing the giants and humans to exist peacefully."
"We cannot thank you enough for the gift you have given us; we shall be forever grateful to the Colormen." The giant replied. Over the next week, a massive celebration took place, where the giants and Colormen celebrated the newfound peace. When it was over, the peaceful giant tribes returned to their proper places throughout Europe, and the Colormen returned to Sodor.
For the next 23 years, all was peaceful as the giants and humans coexisted in harmony. But then, it happened.
Many kingdoms and countries did not come to terms with the new peace, and even though the neighboring giants never gave them problems, they could not stand the thought of any giants living. And so, all those kingdoms which were malevolent towards the giants, as if coordinating a massive strike, rose together at once, and began attacking the giants.
Word spread to the Colormen, who sent messengers to the kingdoms telling them they were making a huge mistake. Their pleas fell on deaf ears.
The giant tribes fled to Sodor; to the Colormen who had helped them before. If anyone could save them, it was the Sudrian Colormen. Tribe leaders who had survived the onslaught, and the Colormen began tossing around ideas, when suddenly one of the Tribe leaders had an idea. "There is land beyond the ocean where we will be safe. The land of Elbaf should be a haven for beings such as ourselves. If we can escape there, we will be able to have a second chance away from all this hate and prejudice. I do not like having to suggest something so drastic, that we all get sent away like this, but considering all the factors, it looks like it's our best option for us to survive" The Giants explained.
The Colormen discussed it over, since several members had their doubts about the island's existence. Most said it did, but were wary of it after hearing rumors that vikings and celts had settled the island, and after so many viking invasions, the Colormen were concerned. But what other option was there? At the very least, there must be land somewhere in the North Atlantic for the Giants to settle. So after much discussion, the Colormen came to a decision. "Very well, we understand the reasoning and accept that this is what must happen. Some of your tribes are nomadic, but perhaps this land will offer a chance for all of the 83 tribes to finally come together" one Colorman proposed.
Then came the predicament... how to get them all to Elbaf. the giants ranged in size from 25 feet to 60 feet, and the tribes ranged in size from 25 members to 500 members. By the best estimates, the Colormen were dealing with approximately 30,000 giants to transport. Then, the Colormen had an idea.
"Trust us; it shall be done in a matter of days" the Colormen assured. Indeed, much to the giant's surprise it had only taken one week for the Colormen to finish their project. It was a fleet of massive arks, 250 in total. They could hold anywhere from 100 to 300 giants apiece, or they were meant to be supply ships. They were of specific size categories, since some giants were larger than others from tribe to tribe. The adults of some tribes got to be 25 feet tall, and it others they got as tall as 60 feet. The arks were massive, said to be "so large they made Noah's look like a rowboat" according to some.
The Colormen were pressed for time- they now only had 10 days to load the giants onto the arks, plus supplies and tell them what to do. A combined force from many kingdoms was said to be forming and it was only a matter of time before they marched onto them. So, some Colormen helped the giants get to the arks, others explained what they had to do. "The voyage will last about 12 days or so, just follow the stars like this, and you will get there" they explained.
It had taken a long while, but at last all arks were prepared. As the last giants prepared to board, a chief gave some parting words to the Colormen.
"I cannot thank you enough for everything you have done. I am saddened that we must leave our ancestral homes behind, but this is for the best. If the humans cannot be as accepting of us as you are, then we must go our separate ways. But you though, you tried your hardest to get everyone to accept us, and for that, we thank you. You have done so much for us, and for that we will be forever grateful. Once we get to Elbaf, we shall speak of the heroic Colormen, who saved us from being wiped out. Though we may never see each other again, rest assured your legacy shall live on in Elbaf. Thank you all, we are forever grateful for the help you have given us. Though this chapter has ended, we will start anew on Elbaf, and I foresee a bright new future ahead."
The final farewells were exchanged, and the massive fleet of arks departed. With the death of the barbaric giants, and the peaceful giants off to a new land, from this day onward no giants would ever be encountered. Indeed, when the assembled force arrived to destroy the giants, they found nothing, except some abandoned remains of what looked like a camp for giants. Confused, they turned home and decided not to bother investigating further.
Thanks to the efforts of the Colormen, now the giants only reside in Elbaf, where they are safe from the threats of the outside world.
NEXT TIME:
Chapter two, Voyage. The peaceful giants now sail on to Elbaf, with only open water separating them from starting anew. But back on continental Europe, it seems that not every stone went unturned...
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Aug 25, 2016 1:09:23 GMT -5
CHAPTER TWO: VOYAGE
One full day had passed since departing from Sodor. the fleet of massive arks moved slowly across the ocean, being careful to stay together and in formation as they steadily made their way towards Elbaf. When possible, a series of ropes were used to allow giants to go from ark to ark; mainly to allow the transfer of supplies and allow the tribe chiefs and elders to have meetings. At the end of the first day, representatives from most of the tribes had met on the flagship ark; it was the biggest of all the arks, and along it's sides it flew the banners of all 83 tribes, to symbolize the unity among them as they sailed to their new home.
"We are making good progress; at the end of day one, no ships have been reported missing and we've covered about 30 miles" one elder said.
"How are we moving anyway?" another elder asked.
"The Colormen enchanted these arks to move in response to the will of who is commanding said ark. In this case, all captains are willing the ark to move forward at a steady speed that is fast enough to be reasonable, but slow enough to avoid accidents and keep the formation steady" a third elder said.
"can't we go faster? 30 miles in one day seems awfully slow" one pointed out.
"We cannot take the risk of losing formation, or any of the arks. Especially supply arks, since they contain food, and resources to start anew once we get to Elbaf" the first chief pointed out.
"They said once we hit the ocean current, we will pick up some speed. But until then, all we can do is keep our pace, and hope we find Elbaf ahead of schedule" another chief said.
"I hope that is soon... only a handful of the tribes are familiar with the sea, and I fear that in ships like these, even though we have plenty of space on them, if we are not careful a whole Ark or two could be wiped out by disease" a chief explained.
"All sick individuals are accounted for and being kept a close eye on. With the medical knowledge the Colormen gave us, they assured us the mortality rate will be low" a chief explained.
After some more discussion, the chiefs and elders left to return to the arks of their respective tribes. It would be a long voyage, but the payout was worth the risk.
Time went on, and days passed. For the 30,000 or so giants across the arks, time would be passed by telling stories, playing games, and perhaps most important of all the exchange of ideas and cultures among the tribes. Though for the most part the 83 tribes shared many similarities, at the same time there were also a good deal of differences. Thankfully though, these giants were the peaceful, civilized type, and ideas were able to be shared respectfully and without resorting to violence. It was vitally integral that all giants came together during this voyage, for once they landed on Elbaf it was important for there to be a plan in place.
"We must build shelter straight away; if we do not have an established home, how will we ever get organized?" The leader of a agrarian tribe said.
"No, we must find a clean source of water first! The water the Colormen gave us for this trip will only last us so long, we must have water if we are to survive!" The leader of a nomadic tribe argued.
"On the contrary, a source of metals is most important; otherwise we will not have the resources to make the structures and facilities to support ourselves" a the leader of a mining tribe argued.
"Look, with 30 thousand of us, maybe a little more, it is quite clear that we have more than enough manpower to divide and conquer. In fact, all that and more should be brought to our attention. Clearly, it is only by combining our strengths and putting them together will we be able to get a foothold in our new home." one leader said as he stopped the argument.
"But... what of the Vikings said to inhabit Elbaf already?" another chief asked.
"Elbaf is a huge place, from what information we have available to us. All we have to do is find a place that is uninhabited to them, and we shall settle there. Live and let live; we don't interfere with them, and they won't interfere with us" one reasoned. The other chiefs nodded.
"How goes the voyage so far?" One tribe leader asked.
"We have picked up speed... last couple days we have made 50 miles in a day. By the Colormen's estimates the closest point of Elbaf to Sodor is about 700 to 750 miles away. We may actually arrive a day or two early. I only hope we have all our decisions in order before then" another chief sighed.
"All will work out. Even though my people are seafarers, even we have never seen seas so calm before. They are playing much to our favor" the chief of a seafaring tribe of giants explained.
"Your experience with the seas has been invaluable to us this voyage; we cannot thank you enough" the leader of a woodworking tribe of giants said.
"Your gratitude is unnecessary... we are all in this together" the chief assured. After this meeting, once again the giants returned to their arks for the night.
On day eight of the voyage, the giants ran into a bit of a predicament. Five of the supply arks had their food supplies run empty, and because they had lost so much of their mass over the last week, they were starting to rise high in the water, throwing off their center of balance and increasing the risk of capsizing.
"Is their anything important on those arks?" One chief asked.
"No; those arks were among the ones dedicated to food for the voyage; it would be distributed on a daily basis among the arks we used to transport passengers. There are some supplies on them, but nothing we cannot replace through crafting" another informed.
"They will slow us down; I suggest we strip them of anything useful and let them drift" the chief of one of the seafaring tribes said. The others agreed.
The arks had to slow down to allow this operation to proceed smoothly, but it only took a couple hours. Once the captains of those arks disembarked, they drifted out of formation, and floated into the horizon. They would never be seen by the giants again.
On the last night of the voyage, two seafaring chiefs were checking the stars for their position. "We are almost there. If these calculations are correct, in a matter of hours we will soon catch sight of land" one said.
"I agree. This has been a truly remarkable voyage. The seas have been calm and the weather had been placid. And there were more than 30,000 of us in this voyage... to think that we've only had a dozen or so deaths from this trip... all of old age" one observed.
"It is saddening they will not get to see the shores of Elbaf, but their memories will live on" the other assured. And on the other side of this ark, another conversation pretty much summed up the mood.
"In less than 24 hours, a new chapter will start for us" another giant explained.
"Although we may never see our friends the Colormen again, at least we will never see those barbaric tribes that gave us a bad name too" one said.
"thank goodness" said a third. But unbeknownst to them, despite the rather thorough efforts of the Colormen, they failed to eliminate all the barbaric giants.
High in Northern Europe, unbeknownst to anyone, even the Colormen and peaceful giants, the fragmented remains of some of the barbaric tribes had come together, finally realizing they would be better off working together than fighting one another. the 2,000 or so individuals represented 17 of the 244 purged Barbaric tribes, but they were able to get by.
One day, the chiefs were meeting to discuss their next move, when one of the warrior scouts ran in. "Sir! You won't believe this! The peaceful giants, they've all fled! On a huge fleet of arks, to Elbaf! The Colormen helped them, now we're the only giant's left in the world!" He said.
"What?! Our far weaker brothers and sisters get to live free and peacefully in Elbaf while we freeze and starve in this frozen wasteland!! This is unbelievable!" One of the chiefs fumed.
"Why should they get to live free? I say we sail to Elbaf too!" another chief proposed.
"The rest of the world thinks our culture is dead anyway; it is not like we will be missed" one further argued.
"Yes; if they get a free pass to start a new life then we deserve it more!" One said. Indeed, most of the 17 tribe chiefs agreed. But some had their reservations.
"And how do you propose we get there? It is not like we have enough trees here to build enough boats for all of us" one said. Then, most in the room turned to the chiefs of the two surviving seafaring tribes.
"You among all of us have most experience with the sea; any ideas?" One asked.
"In my many voyages I have sailed near Elbaf several times, and I know it's location by the stars, so I can definitely navigate us there" the first explained.
"and once we share the location among us surviving seafarers, we can sail in formation" the other explained.
"Between our two tribes are 600 of us, and of these 400 are more than capable of manning boats" the first said.
"But what of the boats! We can't get to Elbaf if we do not have boats in the first place!" a chief of one tribe said.
"I may have an idea... our villages were abandoned when we retreated here, and I send scouts to them now and then to retrieve supplies. They say that our ships still remain at port... if we can get to our ships, we can get out of here" the second seafaring chief said. At last, the group all agreed on a plan.
"Right, we'll split our numbers in two; half shall go to this town, and the other half to this one. Our boats should still be seaworthy; the cold air we find does little to damage them. Then, once we've taken these boats out of port, we'll meet here, under the stars. Finally, once our fleet is together, we shall sail on to Elbaf, where the nearest tip we will touch down on is... here" one said, indicating a peninsula on Elbaf.
Gathering what supplies they could, they left their Northern home and made their way to the abandoned giant villages. Between the two villages, they found 7 intact "Drakkar" ships; at 300 giants apiece, there was enough room for all of them, and just enough seafaring giants to man them.
"There won't be much room for our supplies and us though" one giant noted.
"These ships were designed for speed, not comfort. But rest assured, by our calculations, if we do not run into a patch of icebergs we should be there in as little as three days" one explained. Compared to the 12 days of the arks; but they already had a huge head start on the barbarian giants.
Though the seafaring giants had not forgotten their lifestyle, and just as planned, once the supplies and giants were loaded, the seven massive longships met at the location under the stars. The captains were briefed by the chiefs of the seafaring tribes.
"Here is our course; if all goes well we will land at Elbaf in three days. Come on lads, let's go! We've much sea to cover" the chief ordered. Once in formation, the seven ships traveled much faster than the arks; and with the inhuman stamina of the seafaring giants, they could go many hours rowing nonstop.
......
It had been nearly a week and a half for the peaceful giants and their fleet of arks. But at long last, the lookout on the lead ark spotted something. It was land, and there was no denying it... it was Elbaf.
"LAND HO! Elbaf straight ahead!" the lookout cried out joyously. As the message passed along the fleet, the 30,000 giants cheered and celebrated; at long last, they were home.
"A new life... a new, peaceful life. Stand by to make landfall!" A seafaring tribe chief ordered. The arks began changing their formation, as some came to a stop off the coast, and others prepared to beach themselves.
But unbeknownst to the peaceful giants, the barbaric giants were soon to make landfall themselves, on an Elbaf Peninsula about 50 miles from where the peaceful giants were landing. They were still a day or so off, but fate had its own ideas.
With the entire Giant race setting sail for Elbaf to begin a new life, word began to spread to not only the Barbaric Tribes, but the rest of the world as well. Their mass exodus sent shocks across the whole magical world, sparking ideas they had never intended, both good and bad, and the eventual meet up of separated tribes did not bode well either. Elbaf was about to experience a shocking impact, but that tale is for later on...
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Aug 25, 2016 22:23:41 GMT -5
CHAPTER THREE: SETTLEMENT
As the first wave of arks came to be beached on the shores of Elbaf, scouts made way to see what they had come across. In short, they had hit the jackpot with the land they had come across.
"The land beyond this beach is a large, flat plain, with few rocks and trees. If we plan this out properly, there will be space for enough homes for all of us, plus land for our crops, animals and other necessary structures" the scout said.
"Excellent" the leader of an agrarian tribe said. He was brought to the plain to assess the soil, "ah, perfect, it is fertile and plentiful. There shall be a great harvest this year once the fields are tilled" he said.
Indeed, the early waves of giants found the plain to be perfect. And nearby, a hearty river with plenty of fresh water. "We shall designate the point where to set up that filtering and boiling system the Colormen gave us, then from there we shall establish our supply of clean water" the leader of a tribe of craftsmen said. But there was one problem.
"I am concerned the amount of wood we will need... could attract the attention of the human settlements if we start cutting down trees" one explained. This concern resonated with all the tribes present. But then, the chief of a tribe of woodworkers had an idea.
"The arks have served their purpose; I propose we break them down for wood, as an enormous fleet of arks could attract the attention of the outside world" he said. "the wood is strong and hearty, and will serve as a good building material" he explained.
"I hate to lose such magnificent vessels; but I cannot argue with logic. Perhaps some more practical boats for fishing and mapping the island's shore can be built from the scrap" the chief of a seafaring tribe said.
"We will keep that in mind" a boatwright giant said. And so, the process began.
Starting with arks that were primarily used to hold supplies, and arks that did not hold as many as others, they built a series of wooden houses, each one built with family size, height of giants, and other needs in mind. Agrarian tribes had their houses built closer to the fields, and mining giants had theirs built closer to the nearby mountains. Appropriate tools were distributed among the proper jobs, and work progressed.
With so many hands to help out, in the first 12 hours after the fleet made landfall, about 20 arks had been disassembled, and 1600 giants had homes. Some were able to get furniture that was transported during the voyage, others began making furnishings. And when the night fell, those who did not have homes yet slept on the arcs, while those that did, the children and unskilled workers went to sleep, while the skilled workers went on working through the night.
As the number of buildings grew, some giant scouts made headway deeper into Elbaf. Low and behold, they found the human settlement on the island.
"So they are here; the vikings we heard so much about" one observed.
"What should we do?" the younger asked the elder.
"Let them be. We shall not bother them, and hopefully they will not bother us" the elder replied. And they went to report what they found.
When the sun rose the next day, more arks had been disassembled, and progress was astounding. Various facilities, such as barns and chicken coops, had been set up already, allowing for giant's animals to be disembarked as well. Chickens, horses, cows, bulls, pigs, sheep and goats all got off the boats.
"I hope they are still all right; many have not moved in days" one noted. Those some individuals had died during the voyage, thankfully there proved to be no problems as the animals took to their new home quite well.
As much progress was made, the chiefs came together, and decided on a name for their settlement. In honor of the Colormen that helped them escape to their new home, the giants called their settlement "The Province of Sudria" on the continent of Elbaf. And this was just the beginning.
But about fifty miles from the peaceful giant's new home, trouble was afoot. Thanks to the higher speeds of their longships, the barbarian giants made great time and landed only about a day after the peaceful ones. A scouting party of ten disembarked first.
"So this is Elbaf... somewhat unimpressive, actually" one giant shrugged.
"Well, it's at least better than that frozen wasteland we were forced to hide out in..." replied the giant's chief.
"I don't suppose anyone's got any ideas what to do? All my tribe knows is the way of the sword and pillaging" another chief said.
"Most of us were nomadic; our tents should make adequate shelter for now" a third chief pointed out.
And in a matter of hours, enough tents were set out for the 2,000 barbaric giants. "So does anyone have a plan? I'm not sure if anyone has realized yet, but the peaceful giants have got 15 times the numbers and probably just that many more skills." One warrior giant pointed out.
"But are they even here yet? For all we know we've got a good head start on them" another pointed out.
"Hmm... you're right. So what should we do?" a third warrior giant asked.
"The decision has been made" one of the chiefs declared as he entered the area. "Tomorrow, scouting parties will be sent out to determine just what we are dealing with on this island" he proclaimed.
"But for all we know we beat the weaker giants here! What is there to find?" A warrior asked.
"Idiots! Of course the peaceful giants are already here, they had at least a week head start on us! And the humans that live here could prove useful. Which is why we have a plan. First, we locate the human and giant settlements. Then, we ally ourselves with the humans, and get their assistance in destroying our other. And then, once their settlement is ours, we lay waste to the humans, and claim Elbaf as our own!" the chief declared.
"Brilliant!"
"They'll never see that coming!"
"Two birds with one stone!"
And the barbarian giants celebrated their master plan.
But unbeknownst to both sets of giants, the humans had found them, with scouts observing their settlements. they quickly reported back to their home to report the news.
......
Night had fallen in the human settlement when the scouts came to the chief of the human settlement.
"Sir! It's incredible! Two new settlements, right along the southern coast!" they said.
"Yes, about 50 miles from one another, at least! One is significantly bigger than the other, and more built up. They seem to be... giants, sir" the scout said.
"Giants? Hmm... I wonder if this is connected to the wizards and witches that have also fled here recently..." the chief said to himself.
"A connection?" The scouts asked.
"Yes... the magic folk that have been retreating here, though even their knowledge is secondhand, they speak of these... purges of evil creatures. About groups of mages that have been hunting down creatures that have been terrorizing humans for too long" The chief recalled.
"Come to think of it... the larger group looked more like refugees than vile creatures... perhaps they fled because they were caught in the crossfire?" a scout proposed.
"And the smaller group looked like battle hardened warriors... maybe their actions were causing the others problems?" the other scout suggested.
"Potentially... but without hard evidence we cannot prove any of this speculation" the chief said.
"So what should we do?" The scout asked.
"Wait and see what happens. Let's take no direct action for now and see what unfolds" the chief decided.
And with that, the meeting ended.
After the night had risen and the three groups had settled into the night, they did not realize the groundbreaking event that would come upon the morrow, and that it would change the face and future of Elbaf to never be the same again...
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Aug 28, 2016 13:46:40 GMT -5
CHAPTER FOUR: ENCOUNTERS
None of the three groups interacted for several days. Though each side secretly watched one another, direct contact was not being made.
Over at the Province of Sudria, the peaceful giants had accomplished something great: at last, all 30,000 giants had settled on Elbaf, and all necessary homes, facilities and structures were built. Of the massive fleet of arks they sailed on, only 7 now remained, the rest broken up for parts for building and for smaller, more practical boats.
Meanwhile, the barbaric tribe of Giants was doing what it was known for, getting their weapons ready for battle and making plans of what to say to the humans that they wanted to 'ally' with to eliminate their peaceful counterparts...
In the human settlement, years of peace between the former enemies, the Celtics and the Vikings, had finally begun to settle in as the two different cultures began to rub off on one another. These past few years had also brought magic users to Elbaf, who had heard of its acceptance of multiple ideals both good and bad, so this had led to magic being introduced to the continent and people beginning to use it more frequently due to these magic users teaching there skills as a way to 'earn their own keep', to say the least.
Now, an older mage was training some young ones how to "bring life to the unliving stone," for he was a mage of The Order of Masteri. Decades earlier, his own order had been destroyed by the Colormen, but he had left before the war could begin. His last words to his arrogant superiors still echoed in his mind.
"I do not let my arrogance cloud my judgement, and I can see that this is a foe we cannot fight blindly against, and see victory unscathed. Do what you want, but I will have no part of this war" and he turned his back to his superiors.
But now, he alone held the knowledge of how golems were created. Before him, 5 human males stood; they were his apprentices. Many were interested, but per Masteri tradition, he would only take on apprentices who were male, and between 18 and 25. Others species, and females begged to be his apprentice, but he shook his head.
"I am sorry, but the tradition is clear; I can only take those who meet the requirements. I do not make the rules, I merely enforce them" he sighed. But now he had a job to do.
"To bring life to stone, you must ensure the stone is high quality. The best golems are made of only one material" the elder mage said, as he began to form the stone into a humanoid shape.
"Yes master" replied a pupil as he and the four others tried to reenact what the former Masteri Mage had just done...
"Don't just copy my movements! Shape them in a way that makes you more atoned to the Earth itself, make them your own!"
Anyways, the chieftains of the human settlement, a council of former Vikings and Celtics respectfully, were gathering together to discuss the latest issues of the settlement, when a guard ran into the meeting hall...
"Chieftains! I have grave news to report to you! It is very urgent!" yelled the guard
"Out with it lad! What could it be!" shouted a Celtic chief in return
"An group of 25 warrior giants from the tribe that came in the longships! They're coming from the south and their hostility is unknown!" responded the guard
All of the chieftains became on edge, in the past, long before the 'purges' of magical creatures began, entire kingdoms would hire one or two giants from warrior tribes as mercenaries for their wars, and just with one or two alone, especially if one of the giants knew magic, whole age old conflicts would be decided in a day, with not even magic users from the rival kingdoms being able to stop them for long. So a small army of Warrior Giants was no small fret for the human settlement...
"What should we do?" asked a Celtic leader
"Obvious! We'll fight them before they can even reach our villages! Let the gods protect us!" shouted a Viking leader as some others cheered in agreement
"Are you a fool! Fighting a giant, more so an army of them, will bring only harm upon our people! A pointless fight like this will end with countless deaths!" yelled a Celtic leader as the two groups began to argue before two older men in anger shouted, "Silence!", to calm the commotion...
"Though one side is right in the respect if we back down from opponents this great it would be an insult to our way of life and our ability to call ourselves men..." said the older man in Celtic-looking attire
"The other side is correct in the fact if we face into this conflict blindly without even knowing what the Giant's want is foolish and will only bring unwanted destruction to all parties involved..." finished the older man in Viking attire
Both sides had now settled down after their elders had reaffirmed each sides' arguments, so now they were finished on deciding a plan of action...
"So it is agreed that we will meet the group of Giants first outside the gate, with our warriors ready inside if they pull something, and then invite them into our settlement or drive them out depending on their objectives?" asked a Celtic Chief to finalize the plan
"Agreed!" shouted the other chiefs as another guard came running in...
"My Chiefs! They will be here shortly! What have the gods blessed you with as a plan of action?' asked the guard
"Ready the warriors! The chieftains will meet wit hour 'guests' personally..." replied a Viking Chief
"Aye!" responded the guard as he ran back out to relay his orders...
.....
The group of Chieftains, all with weapons ready to draw, stood out at the front of the gate ready to face the monstrous size of their opponents. Some of the chieftains were praying to the gods, while others were mentally preparing for the inevitable fight against the unstoppable Giants, and some made peace and prayed for safe passage through Heaven to Valhalla...
"Here they come..." said a Chieftain
"Ready yourselves men... If all else fails, God will open the path for us warriors to sit at Odin's table..." replied another
"Aye!" rallied the group as the Giants finally approached the humans
"We are the Giant Clan of the Northern Seas, we wish to make peace with your group! We also ask a favor in order to make sure either of our livelihoods are not threatened, please let us speak to your leader!" declared a Giant spokesman from the incoming army
"We wish to speak to your leader of your clan alone in a talk with our Head Chiefs before we can come to a decision!" shouted a Celtic Chief back towards the Giants
"We agree to those terms, we will now send our Chief, Ganir, to hear our pleas!" yelled the Giant spokesman in response
Soon, an older, heavily bearded giant came from behind the ranks of the Giants and began to approach the human settlement. The two older leaders from earlier, the one who had silenced the argument, emerged from their ranks as well, and met with the presumed Giant Chieftain...
"I'm Chief Asger of the former Viking faction, and he is Chief Cynbel of the former Celtic faction, we have a private warehouse we wish to discuss these issues with you in, and as a way to ensure we wish no harm, we will leave all our forces out here and our gate open for your troops if one among our ranks has the Gaul to betray our orders..." said the older Viking Chief from before
"I will agree to those terms, now I wish to see the fruits of the tolerant human tribe found only on Elbaf..." replied Ganir as he followed the two chieftains to inside the Human Settlement...
Ganir stared in wonder at the progress of the humans in such little time since the declaration of tolerance in ideals to the outside world, since word had traveled across the lands that fighting between the Vikings and Celtics plagued Elbaf, many could barely believe this proclamation only a few years after the start of the fighting, so many just chalked it up as rumors of the survivors of that war who had abandoned Elbaf, but what laid before Ganir's eyes told him the exact opposite...
The Giant could see Viking Warriors flirting with Celtic Women, a priest in Christian attire addressing a sermon to a group of Norse men about Odin, Celtic fisherman rowing out on Viking Longboats, and the biggest surprise, magic users helping out by creating golems... Golems! Ganir had never seen so many Golems! He had heard tales of an Order with the ability to craft them, and had heard they made great warriors and were great help on and off the battlefield, but never had he seen one up close! He knew Giant's could learn magic, but in his tribe, magic was not a valuable thing so most warriors with magic learned how to use magic to shape the battlefield to their advantage, so this came as quite the shock...
"I see you are surprised by our way of life... Yes, well, after our war between the two factions, we made peace and announced it to the world, trying to tell our homelands to stop invading each other and make peace, but it seems most didn't believe our tale... Though a few magic users had arrived recently, so that's benefited our settlement greatly..." said Cynbel with a chuckle to the giant
The trio soon approached a giant storehouse, with just enough room inside Ganir would not touch the ceiling when sitting down, thanking he wasn't as big as a few of his other kin, but he still was quite huge nonetheless...
"This is where we store the grains for the winter, now that spring is upon us, it is mostly empty..." said Asger as he motioned the giant to enter...
The trio finally sat down as Asger closed the storehouse's doors and Cynbel asked, "Alright Ganir, what is it that you require our assistance with?"
Ganir then went on to explain the true story, mostly, of how the other tribe and mages of the outside world had forced them to flee towards the north, how they fled to Elbaf in order to try again at life, when they learned of the other tribe's arrival, and how they felt threatened the other tribe woudd come after them again, beginning another war...
"It seems you are in quite the predicament..." said Cynbel
"And it seems you require our help in vanquishing your foes, the rival tribe in order to obtain peace on Elbaf..." added Asger
"Both tell us Ganir, which side is the peaceful one in this conflict, hm?" asked Cynbel
"You have lived longer than the two of us combined, but it seems you are none the wiser..." answered Asger
"Our factions are both born warriors, and our scouting parties have seen both your rivals and your base encampments, so we know who is who in this situation..." replied Cynbel
"But... Before you leave and start a war that will devour this island, we wish to tell you a story and think about your next decision very carefully after this story..." added Asger
"Only when you tell us your answer from this story with the approval of your tribe, will we give you our answer as well..." finished Cynbel
"So will you listen to our tale?" asked Asger
.....
Ganir was soon leaving the human settlement, and his men soon approached him once he got towards where the Giants had been waiting...
"Chief Ganir, what are your orders? Should we raid the human settlement? Did they agree to our plans?" asked one of the warriors
"This is not something we will discuss right here, rally the warriors, we will be returning to our base camp..." answered Ganir as his warriors shouted in acceptance as they returned to their kin...
"Chiefs, what did you say to him that made him leave immediately like that?" asked a Celtic warrior
"We just told him a story..." responded Asger
.....
Ganir and his band of warriors soon returned, to the shock of the rest of the barbaric tribe...
"Chief Ganir, why are you back so soon, did the plan wit hthe humans not go through?" asked another Chieftain
"No, they asked me to reconsider our offer of an alliance..." replied Ganir
"WHAT!?! They asked to reconsider, how did they make Ganir, one of our most determined and battle-hardened soldiers, think of reconsidering?" asked another Chieftain
"They told me a story..." answered Ganir
"What makes this story so special that it made you reconsider our plans?" shouted another Chieftain in anger
Ganir responded, "Well, they asked to to tell it to you all as well, so here it goes:
A long ago, there were a group of two tribes, one was known it's violence and savagery, while the other was more peaceful, but natural born warriors... The two groups had once founded a beautiful island untouched from the world and claimed it as their own, without the other side realizing they had done the same. Eventually, the two groups found out about the other, and after an innocent brawl turning into a war that fought for years, the beautiful island soon turned into a wasteland, with only the other side caring for the entire island, and the elimination of the invaders from the other group. After a tedious battle which soaked an entire plain's filed in red, the two chieftains of both factions, both were left in that field of corpses, mere inches from each other, almost dead... With the embrace of death slowly approaching, the two chieftains decided to talk over the reasons for this foolish war and the harm it had brought both sides. Ironically, they had come to an agreement and discovered each side had obtained something the other needed, and with a hearty laugh in the face of death, the two chieftains, finally excepted that, maybe, one day, their groups could com to an agreement, and maybe become one and share the island... together... As if a message from the gods to say that they made the right decision, the opposing sides had returned to claim their chiefs and almost nearly fought again before in their shallow breaths they ended that war in a simple shout... When the two chieftains had recovered, they met once more and finally made peace between each other, and that island flourished into the beauty it once was that had attracted the two groups in the beginning... Now we want to ask, what do you think is more important, dying on a battlefield and destroying what could have been shared, or not starting the war to begin with..."
"That story... It mentions a war... Do you think they believe we'll bring a war on this land if we fight our rivals?" asked an angered Chieftain
"No, they're saying if we choose the route like in the story, we will only destroy what we sought, a place where we could be free and live peacefully..." replied Ganir
"So are you saying we should abandon our way of life?" asked a Chieftain
"Well, our way of live caused us to be in this mess, look at how little we've become, maybe it is time to change our ways..." said another Chieftain
"By doing that we'll be disgracing our forefathers!" shouted another
"But if we don't change our ideals will be lose to the ages, and what is the point of that!" yelled a Chieftain as well
"Whatever our answer is, it will decide both our fate, our rival's, and Elbaf as a whole..." answered Ganir solemnly
.....
Back in Sudria, a scout Giant was reporting back to his the head Chieftain of the peaceful tribe...
"Chief Izmir! We've spotted contact between the humans and what we believe to be the remnants of the Barbaric Tribes! What should we do? " asked the scout
"The Barbaric Tribes are still around! I thought we eliminated them! No matter, knowing those greedy barbarians, they will be coming for this settlement... Mobilize the troops! If it's a fight they want, we'll give it to them! Have every warrior guarding this Province, they won't be able to get past our front gate with the strength of our defenses!" shouted Izmir in response
"Aye sir!" answered the scout as he ran off to inform the others...
The final act of the fate of the Giant Clan and Elbaf itself is nearing, soon the upcoming events will decide the future of not just Elbaf, but the entire magical world itself...
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Nov 27, 2016 1:11:40 GMT -5
CHAPTER FIVE: REJECTION
An entire day had passed since the Barbaric Tribe's meeting with the Humans, and the group had finally come to a decision...
"So Chieftain Ganir, it is settled then, correct?" asked a Chief
"Yes, send a summons to the humans, we have our answer, if might be a good idea if they come and see our decision for themselves..." replied Ganir as the other Giant Chief sent a messenger to the human settlement...
.....
Fearing the worst, the Peaceful giants prepared their defensive army for what they believed to be an inevitable conflict coming up.
As the soldiers trained, the blacksmiths were hard at work, forging armor, weapons and shields, while other craftsmen helped out according to their specialties.
"The barbarians take no pride in the forging of their tools! Let us show them how superior metalwork can equal their tenacity in battle!" A blacksmith called out to his fellow workers, who all shouted in agreement.
The soldiers trained on dummies, and with each other.
"Remember, the barbarian is a dangerous foe!" A trainer called out. "He will fight until he has won, or he is dead. He will be more concerned about killing us and pillaging than his own safety! He will be more aggressive, and we must counter that by being prepared to take any blow he can strike at us!"
"Yes sir!" the soldiers in training called out. What they lacked in battlefield experience and other key areas, they made up in in quality of gear and other areas.
A giant general was looking over a suit of armor, newly forged, with shield and sword.
"The whole set is steel, with some leather around the joints and chainmail covering others. It offers complete protection and the helmet offers a compromise between sight and protection with its unique design" the blacksmith explained.
"But will it take a blow from a barbarian blade?" the general asked.
"Absolutely. The low grade iron of the barbarians is no match for the steel of this set. I must warn though, steel is more expensive and harder to produce than straight up iron. We can make higher quality iron armor, but the steel armor... we may not have enough ready in time." the blacksmith explained.
"Well what can you do?" The general asked.
"Well... about 5 sets a day, and we already have 15 sets done... and with the time we have before the barbarians come... I anticipate 50 sets will be ready. But we'll also have enough iron armor to go around, so it's not like the army will be unarmored" the blacksmith assured.
"I don't like it... but I understand your problem" the general assured.
"Also sir...any armor will hold out against the barbarians really. They are the kind of army meant for hit and run, skirmishing and the like, but we can withstand a drawn out battle, if that helps you any" the blacksmith explained.
"That may be true... I do not deny that our weapons and armor can last in a drawn-out battle. Our men though, may not. Only our core army is dedicated soldiers, the rest are volunteers, who will be lucky to get half the training of the others before they march on us" the general said concerned.
"And we know first hand... the stamina of the barbarians is unreal. Legend says they can go two days of continuous fighting, without rest" the blacksmith said, a shiver running down his spine.
Thinking over the conundrum, the general had an idea. "A soldier is only as good as the food he eats... I will speak to some of the farmers and cooks about preparing something special for the troops" the General said as he left.
......
On a side note, training at the Barbarian village was quite different. They focused on specific, key areas.
Some groups were running up and down hills constantly, to build their stamina. Some were building makeshift walls and tearing them down by force to train their strength. Some were throwing boulders or trees to train their strength. Depending on the tribe, some troops fought each other with either wooden, training blades... or real, battle ready blades.
Sword and ax wielders were training on logs, and javelin throwers trained by placing targets a good distance away, and throwing them.
The one tribe that knew archery trained in a similar manner, but in a different field.
Some barbarian warriors, who had not yet been made aware of the meeting from the other day, were practicing their skills in the arts of warfare
"So brothers... what do you think of this strike?" One said to the others as he sliced a rock in two...
"Oi, you lot, didn't you here the Chiefs and the Chieftain, stop training, we got work to do!" shouted a Giant Warrior
"Sorry, we'll get right to work!" shouted the Giant who had sliced the stone as the rest of the warriors began to follow suit...
The barbaric giant were preparing for what was probably the most important moment in their history.
Some time had passed, and at last the day came where the barbaric giants began marching towards Sudria. That morning, the defensive army of Sudria was in for a very hearty breakfast indeed- all troops had a breakfast of steak and eggs. Anticipating a long day ahead, the generals of the peaceful giant army ordered this hearty meal be prepared. "Eat up troops! This will probably be our last meal for a while" a general declared.
It took about 20 minutes for every soldier to finish, then they marched out to meet the barbaric giants.
......
At the barbarian camp, one last exchange was taking place before they would head to Sudria.
"Are you serious Chief Ganir?!" shouted a giant chief .
"That decision would be an insult to our ancestors themselves! If we did that, we would be sacrificing our way of life!" yelled another in frustration .
Ganir, as he stood now, had gathered all of the remaining Barbaric Chiefs and was announcing the plan of withdrawing their ways to the group...
"I rather we all surrender our ways and survive than do not evolve and kill our kin... Would you rather not have any of our customs remaining and dying with them, never to tell the glorious and heroic tales of our ancestors to future generations and just be always remembered as heartless ravagers that destroyed all we came across?" replied Ganir in a serious tone .
"But Head Chief if we do evolve like you want us to, could we?" asked a giant
"And would the peaceful giants even accept us then?' followed another
"That is something for the fates to decide..." Ganir mused, before ordering the barbaric giants to move out.
......
The sun rose ever higher as the Defensive Army of Sudria stood in formation, waiting for the inevitable. At last, in the distance they could see the barbaric giants marching towards them.
"Here they come! Prepare yourselves my friends, if they want to take Sudria, they have to go through all of us to do it!" A general declared.
"Hurrah!" The assembled army cried.
The barbaric giants marched ever closer. 17 of them were carrying banners that had the marker of their respective tribes; even if they lacked civilization they knew enough to develop some sort of visual marker to distinguish their tribes. Hundreds of barbarian warriors were out in front, with the non-combatant ones staying a distance behind. The peaceful giants kept formation, raising their shields, with the swordsmen taking the center, and spear men on the flanks, weapons raised and ready for a charge.
The barbarians marched ever closer. There was no clear organization, in fact it seemed like they were coming as a mob. Typical barbarian methods. And yet something was off.
"What gives? They should be charging us by now. They've got high ground and everything" one soldier pointed out.
"Something's not right here... they always charge head on into battle, sneak attacks aren't their thing" his commander agreed.
"Archers, prepare to fire!" The commander of the archer regiment called from the Sudria walls, as they drew arrows and prepared to fight.
The barbarians stopped marching about 100 yards from the peaceful giants army. Then, one giant came forward.
"Giants of Sudria, we do not want to fight you!" he called out; he seemed to be some sort of leader.
The peaceful giants were confused at first, but then a general called out "do you seriously expect us to fall for that? You've done nothing but rage brutal warfare against us for countless generations, spilling innocent blood in the name of unjust war! You're nothing but savage beasts!" he called out.
"Not today! Today is different!" The barbaric giant called out
"How so?" the peaceful giant general inquired.
"Fellow giants, we come today with a proposition. We wish to join your village!" Another barbaric leader called out. The peaceful giants were shocked.
"Join us!? After all you've done to terrorize us, what gives you the right to leach off our village?!" One peaceful villager cried out.
"No! We want to join and work with you!" The same barbaric leader called out.
"What is it you could possibly offer us? All you know is the way of the sword, and pillaging, and destruction!" a peaceful soldier said.
"We... we could always learn to pick up new trades. Some of us do have basic skills with certain crafts!" A barbaric warrior pointed out.
"Our craftsmen are dedicated to their craft, unlike yours. Everything you can make, we can make of higher quality" a peaceful carpenter said.
"We... we know how to forge iron! Surely we could learn to be better blacksmiths!" One barbarian warrior offered.
"So you claim to be able to forge iron? We can forge steel!" A peaceful blacksmith said.
"The point is, we just want to continue to live here in peace... something you savages are incapable of doing!" Another peaceful soldier said.
"We can live in peace! Just give us a chance!" One barbaric chief called out.
"That's rich, coming from giants who have a long history of destroying everything they come across and stealing the rest! Even if you were to give up warfare, what could you possibly offer us? Our village has everything we need to function" a peaceful giant general said.
"We... have tribes that know shipbuilding and fishing" one barbaric chief offered.
"SO DO WE!! AND OURS ARE BETTER!!" Several peaceful giants boomed.
"We truly desire peace! Please, give us a chance!" Another barbaric giant chief pleaded.
The Peaceful giants, though shocked, were not buying the words of the barbaric giants for a second; after all, pillaging and warfare was their way of life, their tradition, their "culture" even; there was no way they would trust them, at all.
Then, one of the Peaceful giant chiefs came forward, and called out to one of the 17 barbarian chiefs. "Agrodan of the Halmiodies tribe- my father and brother both fell to your blade! Every night for the last 35 years, it has been the same nightmare over and over... I still here those screams as if you were stabbing them right now! Not to mention the destruction you wrecked on my tribe's village just so yours could get some food from pillaging- WHY WOULD I EVER FORGIVE YOU!!!" He boomed.
Agrodan stepped forward and began speaking "I... I have no doubt that nothing I say will ever earn my forgiveness from you, but at least consider this! I have done nothing but wage war and pillage because that is all I know! It is how my parents raised me! It is how my parents were raised! And my grandparents! As far back as we can remember, my tribe has worked this way because it is all we know! Perhaps... perhaps if you give me a chance to atone for my deeds, I can make myself a better man!" He called out.
"The only thing you deserve is death! The whole lot of you!" The peaceful giant chief declared, before turning his back on the barbarians and preparing to leave.
"Now please, there is no more need for this! Just... just give us chance and maybe we can come together!" A barbaric chief shouted.
After hearing the barbaric giants out, the Peaceful giants came together and discussed what they heard. Though a couple did believe in giving them a chance, the majority by far though had a very clear position: never.
A messenger delivered the decision of the Peaceful giants leaders: "After much consideration, the leaders of the province of Sudria have come to the conclusion that the barbaric giants... have absolutely no place in our society and will never be welcome in our village. Your savagery and barbarism speak volumes to you not just as warriors, but as individuals. Once a barbarian, ALWAYS a barbarian; we will not forgive the countless atrocities you have committed against us, and we will not forget either. The heroic Colormen, and the Cerulean Giants in particular, stood by our side even our darkest hours, and today we honor their legacy in our village by standing up for ourselves. We shall respect your desire to live on Elbaf, but we will make our stance absolutely clear: our existence shall be nothing more than non-aggressive co-existence: as long as you do not attack us, we shall not bother you either. You speak of wanting peace, but warfare is in your blood- we only hope that you will not stain this island red with your legacy of destruction and bloodshed. This is our final word on this matter."
The faces of the barbaric giants fell as this proclamation was spoken; any hope of joining with the peaceful giants was crushed, right then and there.
From the protective wall that surrounded the village, the leader of the Giant Village army shouted an order: "All troops return to the village! There will be no battle today!" The pleas from the barbaric giants for reconsideration fell on deaf ears as the army returned home. Then, once the last peaceful giants returned to the village, another order was given. This time, it was one of the leaders
"Shut the gate! We have no further business with these savages..." The leader said, before turning his back on the barbaric giants outside the wall.
Slowly, the gates began closing, as the barbaric giants screams and cries began to die down from loss of hope.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Jan 15, 2017 22:41:48 GMT -5
CHAPTER SIX: LAMENTATIONS
The mighty gates of the Sudria wall closed slowly but steadily, despite the pleas of the barbaric giants. When it looked like this was all for nothing, at last a booming voice rang out, "I SURRENDER!!" he shouted.
The gates stopped moving. The Peaceful giants were confused by what happened. At last, one of the 17 barbaric giant chiefs stepped forward. It was Feldur, known among the peaceful giants as "Feldur the Butcher" for his remorseless, vile nature in combat, and in the pillaging of towns. The general in charge of the peaceful forces ordered all movement to stop.
"So, the Butcher has decided to surrender? Last time I checked, you barbarians fight on till the very end." The giant of the Sudria forces called out.
"I have no reason to anymore. My tribe once numbered in the hundreds, but now there are only 31 of us. Families have been completely destroyed by the wars that have been fought these past decades, and the time has come for me to atone for my sins. I surrender my self to be judged by your military tribunal!" He called out.
The peaceful giants had to think about this; for the first time, a barbaric giant was willing to take responsibility for the atrocities he had committed. It was unheard of.
"If this is so, what are your terms of surrender?" The Sudria general asked. Normally, the victor would define the terms of surrender, but given the unusual circumstances here, the peaceful giants decided to give them a chance to see what would happen.
"My only condition is that sanctuary in your village be granted to the following three giants from my tribe!" He called out. He presented an elderly man, a young boy, and a baby girl.
"The parents of this baby and this boy here died of disease many months ago; the girl is not even a year old, and the boy, not even nine. And this is my father, who is dying. The children are young, and have not picked up any barbaric ways just yet; perhaps there is hope that they may do better under the care of your kind. And my father here is dying, he perhaps only has a month to live at most. The boy is of age to begin an apprenticeship, and desires to be a blacksmith; perhaps he can do better under your direction. As for my father, he deserves to die with dignity, not in some shoddy camp on the edge of a land he will never get the chance to see. Please, do what you can for him in his final weeks. These are my only terms of surrender" he said, throwing down his sword and helmet.
Once again the matter went straight to the leaders of the village. After talking it over for what seemed like ages, a messenger was sent once again.
"The four individuals in question shall be escorted into the province of Sudria; all other barbaric giants are to leave and return to their village. Any attempt at forced entry into Sudira will be interpreted as a declaration of war. That is the final word in this matter."
It was not the ending they wanted, but it was the best they could do. Heartbroken, the assembled group of barbaric giants could only look on as the four giants were escorted into Sudria, before the gates closed.
The Barbarians returned to their camp, morale was very low after being rejected by the peaceful giants. Then, some of the humans came to visit them.
"What seems to be the matter?" One human asked.
"The Peaceful giants rejected us; they said they cannot forgive the atrocities committed against them, and refused us entry, save for a couple children too young to fight and a dying elder" one giant explained.
"It seems that in our initial meeting, you did not tell us the whole story; perhaps someone should explain what is going on" a human suggested.
"As ashamed as I am to admit it" one barbaric chief declared "Our tribe... has a long history of attacking their tribes, often unprovoked" he said with a sigh.
"Mine as well" one said
"and mine" declared another. Five chiefs went on to confess that throughout the generations, they had repeated raided peaceful giant settlements to get food and supplies.
"Why didn't you just raise animals or farm for yourself?" A confused human asked.
"Because we don't have that knowledge. We know nothing beyond warfare" one chief explained.
But then, the human turned to the dozen or so others "What about you? You seem to be quiet on this matter" the human observed.
"Well, we weren't always called Barbarians, my father's father and his ancestors had our tribes be called the Warrior Giants and fought and taught his people the way of the sword and the battlefield, it was only after the introduction of the Seven Paths and Ravagers finding the way to power in tribes of the Warrior Giants that we were renamed as 'Barbarians'..." answered Ganir.
"So you weren't always Barbarians?' asked Cynbel to make sure
"My friends, we were never Barbarians, it was only the dilution of our culture and the actions of outliers that created this situation for us, the warrior's code we live by may have wanted us to avenge our fallen kin, but we didn't entirely respect all of them..." replied Ganir.
"Well Cynbel, it seems there's more to the story than meets the eye..." mentioned Asger.
"It seems we need to learn more of the story, for now, Asger and I will will be departing, we will return shortly..." responded Cynbel.
"Where will you be going? "asked a giant chief.
"Isn't it obvious?" answered Asger
And Cynbel added, "To the Province of Sudria, where the Peaceful Giants lie..."
.........
Next day, the humans decided it was about time they met the Peaceful giants, and explained the situation to the human settlement.
"Shall we send some messengers to Sudria?" One human asked.
"No; we decided that this will be a matter the two of us personally will handle. Let's go Cynbel, I think it's time we hear their side of the story" Asger proposed.
"Agreed" Cynbel replied as the two went to leave. About two hours later, they stood outside the mighty gates of Sudria.
Looking at the gates, they spotted a giant soldier standing watch over one of the lookout points. "Greetings! we are from the human settlement, and I assure you we mean no harm! we do not even wish entry, we simply wish to talk with your leader. it will take but a few minutes at most" Cynbel assured, as Asger nodded in agreement.
Some time later, a couple of the Peaceful giant chiefs came to the wall.
"What is is you want?" One chief asked.
"We heard rumors that the other group of giants tried to enter your village but were denied entry. We wanted to know if that was true" Asger called out.
"Those savages? That is correct, we denied them entry to our village because they have no place in our society" one of the peaceful giant chiefs explained.
"And why were they denied entry; aren't they your kin?" Cynbel asked.
"No, the barbaric giants are not our kin. As to being denied entry, they had it coming I'm afraid... after everything they have done to us, we want nothing to do with them" The other peaceful giant chief declared.
"Why's that, then?" Cynbel asked.
"Well, here's the thing. For many generations, us, the Peaceful, civilized giants, desired only to live in harmony with humans, and live a peaceful existence. But then, it happened. For no good reason, those barbarians attacked us! They raided and pillaged our villages for their own gain, leaching off us just to get food and supplies. It was an endless cycle of attacking and destruction for generations, until finally, we decided to stand up for ourselves. With the help of the Noble Colormen we fought back against the savages that plagued us for so long. It took many, many years, but finally the barbaric tribes were no more, and we were able to achieve our dream... for about 2 decades. Eventually, many humans couldn't tell us from the barbarians and we were getting attacked for no reason again. We couldn't take it anymore, so with the Colormen's help, we sailed to Elbaf so we could start anew and leave our problems behind- including them!" he explained.
"Is that now?" Asger asked.
"Every word we have spoken is the truth. Make no mistake- there is a very clear distinction in good and evil here- and we are the good giants. We desire only to live in peace... something that is not possible with those barbarians present. We had to turn them away because it is only a matter of time before they rise up and destroy everything we worked so hard to build. So let me give you some advice- don't trust those savages. They know nothing beyond the way of the sword, and if you are not careful, they will stain this island red with blood and orange with fire" the other chief said.
"Many of our kind are terrified of them- we have seen first hand what they can do, and would not wish that upon anyone. We settle our disputes with words now, not swords! Warfare is only as a means of defense for us, not senseless aggression!" the first peaceful giant chief explained.
"Can't you offer them some sort of chance? When given the option a creature in the end will know what's right or wrong to continue on surviving..." Cynbel asked.
"Our history with them shows otherwise. Many times, we tried to offer barbaric tribes the dove and the olive branch... only for them to respond with the sword and the spear! Their offer of "peace" means nothing, for you see, a scorpion, try as it may, it cannot resist its nature to sting its prey. If we let them in, it is only a matter of time before their true nature emerges and they turn on us." The peaceful giant chief explained.
"Then why not offer them a chance to change their ways?" Asger asked
"That is not an option I am afraid. For you see, the barbarian giants are not barbarians by choice. They are barbarians by nature. It is in their blood and heritage to be barbaric, and their desire for needless war is proof enough of that point." One peaceful chief explained.
"You seem to imply they cannot change; do I have that right?" Cynbel asked.
"As I said, a scorpion, no matter how hard it tries, cannot resist the urge to sting its prey, even if that means killing its prey will in a way, kill itself" the other peaceful chief explained.
"Is that the whole story?" Asger asked.
"Yes; the whole truth and nothing but the truth. I'm afraid there is nothing more to say." The first chief replied.
"Alright, we've heard what we needed to know, we thank you for hearing us out, even if the 'scorpion's stinger' couldn't be ignored..." Cynbel said before the two humans turned to leave
When they returned to the village, they assessed what they learned from both tribes.
"I have no doubt the peaceful giants are capable of reason; but it seems that with regards to the barbarian giants they let fear control their thinking" Cynbel noted
"They mentioned that they made their choices based on personal experiences though- so it would seem the war they mentioned was far more severe than either side is letting on" Asger replied
"The peaceful giants cannot seem to be able to see the barbarian giants as their kin. I am concerned that they still see them as opponents in a war that is long since ended" Cynbel stated.
......
Back at Sudria, once inside the four barbaric giants were taken to their respective new homes. The baby girl was given to a peaceful giant couple who were unable to conceive, and at last had a child. The young boy was taken in as an apprentice by one of the peaceful giant blacksmiths; his work would begin in the coming days.
The elder giant was taken to an infirmary of sorts, where the village doctors would look after him to help make his final weeks easier.
As for Feldur the butcher, he was taken to a building that he did not quite understand the purpose of.
"This is courthouse; one of the gifts the Colormen gave us was an understanding of a legal system where a defendant, such as yourself, has rights that cannot be infringed upon, and your punishment shall be dealt out fairly depending on the severity of your crime." One of the peaceful giants explained.
"Pah! The Colormen, what's so special about them?" Feldur said. He was met with a slap across the face by one of the guards.
"How DARE you speak ill of our heroes and saviors! The Colormen are a force of true good, and were the only ones who would side with us in our darkest hours. And then there were the greatest heroes of them all, the Cerulean Giants! Never before had we seen humans gain the ability to grow to our sizes and fight along side us to defend what is right. We could not have made it to Elbaf if it was not for them, and we will never forget their generous gift to us" the first guard said.
"And yet they kill so many magic creatures..." Feldur pointed out.
"ONLY the evil ones! The Evil species that ruined our lives and were a danger to everyone. The species that could not be allowed to live because they existed only for bloodshed. Just like you, Butcher! What have you contributed to the world, besides a legacy of pillaging, and destruction, and blood and fire?!" Another guard said.
"The Colormen are a force of true good Feldur... I only hope you live long enough to realize that" the first guard replied.
"I...I had no idea..." Feldur said, at a loss for words. Then he was taken into the courthouse.
Once inside, Feldur was greeted by a few different individuals, who gave him a quick run down of what was to happen.
"This man here will be the judge, who will ultimately decide your fate, and sentence. This man will present evidence against you and this man will help you defend yourself on your behalf. Do you understand?" The giant asked.
"I think so... this concept of "law" is very foreign to a giant such as myself" Feldur replied.
"We'll help you through it. Now then, first we shall bring the charges against you, then you shall enter a plea. If you say you did it, you shall plea "guilty" and if you say you did not do it, you shall plea "not guilty." Only Not guilty pleas go to trial, so let us begin" the judge giant said.
the charges were brought up against Feldur the butcher. "For the record, this isn't necessarily the "military tribunal" you have heard of; since we are not at war, that is unnecessary" the prosecutor giant explained.
After reading off a series of more than 20 charges, the judge asked how Feldur pleaded. After talking it over with the defense, he came to a decision "guilty on all" he simply replied. The judge certainly was taken aback, but decided to go along with it.
"Well, that does save us a lot of trouble. Now, as for your punishment... you will be glad to hear that because the Colormen introduced to us the idea of Restorative Justice, we believe that punishment should focus on rehabilitation, not stripping you down and humiliating you. Consider yourself lucky though- you are the exception, not the rule, since you are a barbarian, I could have easily sentenced you to death. My sentence is as such- we will put you to work on a non-combatant job, and see how well you function. If you are able to change your ways, we will consider you absolved of your crimes. However, if you should kill or steal or any other crime... we will see to it you are put to death" The judge said.
"Very well... if you insist" Feldur replied. As things came to a close, he had one last request.
"As per custom, since I have surrendered, please let me turn over my sword to one of your generals. If I am to retire from the battlefield, at least give me a warrior's send off" Feldur said.
"Granted. We shall arrange for this, then you will be sent to work at the mines; should be a job fitting for a man of your strength" the judge said.
Some time later, one of the peaceful giant generals came over to accept Feldur's sword. But just as Feldur began reaching for it, the unexpected happened...
Rather than remove the sword and scabbard together, suddenly he drew he sword outright and lunged for the peaceful giant general! Feldur let out a battle cry as he surged his blade forward... only to be stopped as two swords from the soldiers alongside the general drew theirs and plunged them into the Butcher's chest, the steel blades piercing Feldur's leather armor like a hot knife through butter. Feldur dropped his sword as he fell to his knees, the on his side.
"Feldur, why?!" The general fumed.
"I... couldn't help myself..." was all Feldur the Butcher managed to say before closing his eyes and dying.
"I knew we couldn't trust him..." one of the soldiers fumed as he sheathed his blade.
"Just like the tale of the Scorpion and the Frog... can't change who you are." the other soldier said.
"So what do we do?" Another soldier asked, who was just on the sides and witnessed everything that had transpired.
"Burn the body, and scatter the ashes into the sea... a monster like him doesn't deserve a ceremonial burial" the peaceful general said, before picking up Feldur the Butcher's sword and taking it away.
"As you wish sir" said one of the soldiers as he gestured to some of the others to help him pick up the body.
Outside, the general called over some troops. "Get some logs together and make a pyre... I want this done tonight" he said. And the soldiers set to it.
Days later, in the infirmary building of Sudria, the elderly barbaric giant proved to be a different case. Given that he was sick and dying, unlike Feldur, his father was rather docile by comparison and did not have any fight left in him.
"I suppose it was a fitting end for a barbarian tribe chief like him; not sure if you are aware, but in almost all barbaric tribes, dying in battle is the most glorious way to die. Any other "way out" is considered shameful" the Father of Feldur, Brenok the Mighty, explained.
"That does certainly explain why your kind show no fear in battle" one of the doctors replied, before administering some medicine.
"It is quite unfortunate, really. You see, the Colormen have done much research into disease, and as it happens this is one in particular that was well studied by them. A cure does exist, but only if we catch it early on. Your case is unfortunately, in a very advanced stage and beyond the point of recovery" the doctor said.
Brenok though, was not upset. "I am in the twilight of my life, so my time is almost up anyway. Were it not for this wretched illness, I would have yearned for one last battle to die in. And yet, here I am, stuck in a bed in a land I am not welcome in" Brenok pointed out.
"As a doctor, I am duty bound to care for all my patients. At least from my perspective, whether you are civilized or barbarian is irrelevant to me." The doctor said.
"Civilized... I always hear the term, and yet I never quite understood what does it mean to be "civilized" Brenok explained.
"I am not that surprised; a barbarian like yourself would not be able to understand the kinds of things we have. And yet, everything we have has made our life so much easier" the doctor said.
"Such as?" Brenok asked.
"Reading and writing, to allow for long distance communication, record keeping and the like. Farming and domestication of animals, so we no longer have to follow herds of animals to maintain a supply of food. Law, to allow order to be maintained in our villages and protect the rights of all individuals. Even the basic trades have benefited from the knowledge we have learned over the generations, yielding higher quality goods without expending so many resources. By far though, the gifts the Colormen gave us, a price cannot be placed upon them. Their advanced knowledge of medicine has saved hundreds of our lives, and their methods for cleaning water have lead to an almost complete eradication of diseases that once plagued entire villages" the doctor said.
"The Colormen, eh? Perhaps in the end, becoming their enemy was the biggest mistake our tribe made" Brenok mused.
"Our safe arrival on Elbaf is their legacy. What is yours, Brenok? Beyond pillaging and warfare?" The doctor asked, curious.
"I... I do not know. My whole life can be summarized by those two words. We always had to fight to survive. When we needed food and no animals were around to hunt, we had to pillage the villages for supplies. Likewise, in order to survive against all the other forces against us, we had to fight, not just to survive, but to prove our right to exist. And yet, in the end, it seems the only things I can say I have accomplished are the wars I have fought and the villages I have destroyed. I... I only can wonder... if I was born in a tribe like yours, would I have been a better man? Could I have left my mark in another way? Or perhaps, a barbarian is all I am, because it is all I know." Brenok said.
"Many factors influence the man you became Brenok; how you were raised is no exception. I have no doubt that if you were born in the right tribe, perhaps you could have left you mark in history with honor and glory, rather than bloodshed and destruction" the doctor assured.
"Perhaps I could have, good sir. Perhaps I could have..." Brenok said. Then, the elder giant closed his eyes and fell asleep.
Hours later, when the doctor came to check on him, he found that Brenok had died peacefully in his sleep. Though saddened, he hoped that in the end, Brenok the Mighty was able to learn something from their last conversation. He brought his death to the attention of the Peaceful Giants Council.
"What shall we do?" One of the 83 tribe chiefs asked.
"Bring his body to the barbarian encampment; he's their problem now. We know not what is the procedure for how the barbarians handle their dead, so perhaps it is best left up to them to decide" a Chief concluded. The rest nodded in agreement.
......
Next day, the barbaric giants found the body of Brenok the Mighty just outside their camp; wrapped in a simple shroud, his clothes from the day he went into Sudria folded beside him.
"Brenok is... dead?" One of the 16 remaining barbarian chiefs asked; before having the new chief of Brenok and Feldur's tribe check the body to confirm it.
"This... this is him" he said. "It must have been the disease that killed him then; I see now wounds of battle" another chief pointed out.
"Well, he didn't die in battle, so what happens now? Are we supposed to shun the body or something since he did not die gloriously?" One giant asked.
"Perhaps we should consult Chief Ganir for advice, since he is in charge of all tribes combined" one chief proposed.
A group of the remaining chiefs began to approach Head Chief Ganir for his guidance, since his talk with the humans of Elbaf, they had been giving him council and even were teaching him and other Barbarians their way of life to give them ideas on he way the Peaceful Giants think the 'Civilized' behave, so their lessons mostly came from Cynbel's people...
"Chief Ganir; Brenok has been returned to us. He does not bear any wounds of battle; what shall we do with him?" One chief asked.
"Give him a warrior's send off, just as our forefathers have taught us" Ganir replied, but he clearly had something else on his mind. The chiefs noticed this.
"Is something on your mind, sir?" one chief asked.
"Yes" Ganir replied.
"Chief Ganir, we're at the crossroads as the humans say, what can we do now?" asked a fellow chief
"You are right in saying we're at a crossroad, we can't leave Elbaf and go someplace else, the only home we have left was in that frozen tundra ,and even then other diverged members of our species would have come to kill us sooner or later, and the humans drove us out of our former homes so we can't return there either, Elbaf is the only place we can be if we wish to survive..." replied Ganir
"So why should we unite with them Chief? We even tried to kill them when we first got here, so what's the probelm with sill being fragmented?" added another chief
"As the humans have informed me, those two chiefs are highly intelligent in the ways of warfare and the mind itself, the believe if we don't unite then we will be in conflict with the Peaceful faction once again. They say it took a lot to admit we do want to change, no more living like this, believe me I wish we could continue our way of life but there isn't any way to any more... If only those two were here, they maybe this useless leader could be helpful for once..." moaned Ganir
"Nonsense Ganir, it takes a lot of effort to know when it's time to change your ways..." said a voice
"Is that?" asked a Giant
"No it can't be?" replied another
"Is that Cynbel, and Asger too?" questioned Ganir as the two human chiefs appeared before the Giant clan once again
"Yes friend, we've come to help you in your time of need..." answered Asger
"So, did you hear from the Peaceful Giant lot?" asked Ganir
"Yes, and it seems they're hellbent on not letting you in, seems they're stuck in the mentality you lot will never change..." responded Cynbel
"So, do you two have any thoughts on what we should do now?" asked Ganir
"Two actually Ganir, and if you follow through you'll at least be able to get a meeting with their leaders..." answered Asger
"And what is your plan?" questioned the Giant Chief
"Simple, surrender..."
............
Some days later, the 83 chiefs had come together to discuss how Sudria would be run. Much discussion yielded the Constitution of Sudria, signed by all the chiefs. it read as such:
Constitution of Sudria
PREAMBLE:
The cultures of this world are many and diverse. This holds true for the giants as well as the humans. Though once we existed separately but peacefully, upon this page we hereby declare that as of its signing, the 83 tribes of giants now come together as one and form a united nation. From this day forward, we exist as one power, United by our desire for peace and forging a new life on this new land. The Giants hereby claim that the land on the continent of Elbaf, known as the Province of Sudria, shall become our home for generations to come. And so, we the giants, in order to form a nation as one, hereby establish this Constitution for the Province of Sudria, and from it the laws of our land shall be declared.
DISTRIBUTION OF POWER:
Power is not meant to be held by a single individual. It is meant to be divided and shared, for unlimited power held by a single individual is an inevitable road to corruption. Therefore, it is decided that Autocracy and Absolute Monarchy has no place in Sudria. The army, though important as an entity, should not be both in charge of the village and the defense of said village, lest the rights of all be restricted to bare minimums. Therefore, dictatorships have no place in Sudria. The wealth of individuals, the religious and spiritual beliefs of individuals, the physical strength of individuals and the military service of individuals should not be the primary qualifications for holding power, therefore Plutocracy, Theocracy, Kraterocracy, and Stratocracy have no place in Sudria.
Each tribe is unique and offers something to contribute to Sudria. Therefore, the system of government shall be as such. Each of the 83 tribes will elect a leader; said leader is an individual who represents the best interests of said tribe. The individual has the intelligence, integrity, honor and merit to be in charge of said tribe, and is allowed to make small decisions that only affect the tribe as seen fit.
When all 83 tribes come together, it shall be called the Council of Sudria, and this council forms the main governing body of Sudria and its residents. Though all chiefs are equal in power, at any given time there is to be one leader who serves as the Head of the Council as a whole. This leader shall, for all intents and purposes, be the leader of Sudria as a whole. Although most power shall rest with the Council, the Head of the Council is the one who has the final authority on matters to be specified in this Constitution.
Therefore, at any given time, membership in the Council is to be proportionate to the number of tribes represented in Sudria. Since 83 tribes exist with Sudria, therefore there are to be 83 members of the Council. When elected, each member serves the position as long as the individual is of sound mind and serving the good of the giants. Members are free to serve until death or stepping down of their own accord.
Though they do not hold any real power, the Constitution recognizes the role of elders in the society of Sudria, and as such a Council of Elders can be established, to help manage Day-to-Day matters the Council of Sudria cannot handle.
ROLE OF JUSTICE:
As taught to us by the noble Colormen of Sodor, true Justice cannot be achieved through retribution and punishment alone. If an individual commits a crime, but is unable to learn from mistakes made, or be made a better giant, then all that has been achieved is revenge. Therefore, Sudria hereby recognizes that Restorative Justice is the focus of our Justice System. If found guilty, the criminal in question shall be sentenced appropriately based on the severity and nature of the crime in question. When the criminal is released from said sentence, the end goal is to have reformed the individual into a better person, so that he or she may be a functioning, contributing member of Sudria society upon release.
There is only one exception to the rule above. If the crime is so severe it cannot be forgiven in any way, and the individual is beyond feeling remorse and incapable of being rehabilitated, therefore said individual is to be either sentenced to death, or exiled from Sudria for life, depending on the nature of the crime.
Justice shall be administrated by a Judge, who oversees the cases brought before him. A prosecutor will bring forth the charges against an individual and a defense administrator shall defend the accused. Both sides may present evidence and argue the case before the judge, who after hearing both sides will make a decision based on sound judgement.
FOREIGN POLICY:
The purpose of the Giants' exodus to Elbaf was to start anew and leave our problems behind us. Therefore, we hereby declare that the outside world, beyond Elbaf, we shall remain neutral and isolated from. If they should ever come across the shores of Sudria, the only outsiders of Elbaf we will welcome is the Sudrian Colormen, in honor of their contributions to our society, and the selfless assistance they provided in our time of need. Beyond Sudria though, if other provinces are found to exist on Elbaf, the Council is to establish if said provinces are worth establishing relationships with, and will approach them as deemed appropriate.
DOMESTIC POLICY:
Regardless of size, all 83 tribes which make up this nation of Giants are hereby considered equal to each other, and none are to be held in higher regard to any other. All tribes respect one another and work together to make Sudria as great a nation as it can be
ROLE OF WARFARE:
As peaceful, civilized giants, we see warfare as a largely unnecessary practice. Internal matters can be solved through discussion rather than bloodshed, and external matters should, in theory, be nonexistent. Therefore, the role of the military is strictly in defense of Sudria. War is to not be initiated, unless there is an imminent, clear danger to Sudria, and the focus of the war is on the defense of Sudria and its people.
REGARDING BARBARIC GIANTS:
In reference to the problems mentioned prior, barbaric giants are hereby included. They are culture-less savages who have no place in Sudria and will never be welcome within the Province. Their desire for warfare has no place in Sudria or among us, for it directly contradicts with our desire for peace. Peace is not possible for the barbaric giants, and their unprovoked warfare against us for generations is a testament to that fact. Therefore, the Province of Sudria shall only be the home to peaceful, civilized giants.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Feb 26, 2017 2:18:20 GMT -5
CHAPTER SEVEN: DEBATES
It had been at least a week since the barbaric giants tried to gain entry to Sudria, and several days since the Constitution of Sudria had been established. The first act of the Council of Sudria was an act of good will to show that the 83 tribes had come together. The Council of Sudria accomplished this by making a series of symbolic gestures to show that now, they would live and work as one.
First, they declared that from that year onward, the 15th of September would be "Landing Day" to celebrate the arrival of the Arks to Sudria, and the establishment of their new province. The first of September, when the Arks departed Sodor, would be celebrated as "Evacuation Day" to celebrate their departure from the old world and the beginning of their voyage to start a new life. Finally, the two week period in between Evacuation Day and Landing Day would be called "Celebration of the Exodus" to celebrate their voyage to Elbaf and the start of their new life.
In order to have a symbol of the celebration, and have a physical monument which could be used as a centerpiece of the Celebration, one of the seven remaining arks that was still intact was declared to be a "cultural treasure to be spared from breaking up" and moored in the harbor of Sudria. Though primarily used for fishing vessels and other, smaller craft, there was one dock that was just big enough for the selected Ark. It was no ordinary ark though- this was the biggest of them all- it was the Ark which bore the banners with symbols of all 83 tribes, and was the flagship of the fleet as it sailed to Sudria. The Ark of Unity was declared to be the first monument to Giant History, and there would be many more to follow.
"May this ark stand as a symbol of our unity, and the new life we have created on Sudria!" Izmir declared.
"Hurrah!" The gathered crowd declared. Then, some other giant chiefs came forward. The first was Randel, the chief who was fourth in line to succeed Izmir if he were to fall sick.
"My fellow giants, unity is a principle that guides us through this time of change. All 83 of our tribes have come together to create a new life, and so it is my honor to introduce to you our major upcoming projects. First, shall be the Wall of Unity. The Walls that protect our village shall be decorated on the interior with the 83 symbols of our tribes. And then there shall be the project that honors our heritage. Throughout Sudria, we shall raise 50 statues honoring great giants from our shared history. Let their legacy be remembered even here on Sudria" he declared to the sound of applause.
The next was Ortwald, the seventh in line to succeed Izmir.
"We will also be expediting the building of sites sacred to our tribes. For some tribes, it is ancestral worship, for others it is nature worship. Even some of you have picked up some human religions. We will be commissioning the building of your sacred sites in the coming days, in locations that are respective of your worships" he declared to applause.
"And finally, applying what the Colormen taught us, we will be establishing a basic education system for all Giant children, so that regardless of what job they take, they all have an education and have understanding of basic yet important concepts like literacy and math. And then, we will also establish the school for higher learning. Those who do not wish to pursue the traditional crafts can go here, to study fields such as philosophy and science, and work to make life in Sudria just a little better. We have come so far these past several weeks- now let's keep moving forward, and show just how good we can be when we fight together as one! And as to the barbaric giants, to hell with them! They have no right to enter this village! So let's show them just how great we can become without them! Strength through unity! Let us come together, and create the best nation we can!" He declared, to the sounds of cheers and applause.
In the distance, someone watched all this unfold...
It was Asger and Cynbel; the two chiefs of the human tribe, plus a small group of fellow humans. They had heard that something big was going to happen in the peaceful giant village, and had to see it for themselves.
"Most interesting... they speak of unity and yet also refuse to welcome the barbaric giants" one observed.
"Does that make them hypocrites?" Asked the other.
"No; they let their fear control their thoughts of the barbaric giants. I'm sure as creatures of reason they would welcome the barbaric giants when presented with a rational argument for their inclusion in Sudria" the first replied.
"We cannot allow their groups to exist separately, lest history repeat itself" the other explained.
"Agreed; and they tower over us, so when I think of the damage our kind caused, I cannot help but shudder at the thought of what they are capable of" the first said, feeling nervous.
"The peaceful giants outnumber the barbarians and warriors 15 to one; should a war begin, I believe it will be short, but destructive" the other replied.
"We must ensure a peaceful resolution to their story; lest more blood be spilled on this island" the first said.
"Perhaps we should meet the Warrior giants soon; to inform them of what we have just witnessed" the other suggested.
"Agreed; it would seem their ceremony is over, so we need not stay longer" the first replied. And the small group of humans quietly left.
Back at the Barbarian Camp, Ganir was rallying his men once more...
"Alright men, in a few days we will try once more to seek entrance into their lands, if not, I fear it will be the end of our kind..." rallied Ganir as his fellow warriors followed suit in a cheer...
Night soon fell upon Elbaf, and as the Giants and humans slept, no one could possibly predict the outcome of the upcoming events...
At least another week had passed since the dedications in Sudria had concluded, and now the peaceful giants were hard at work. Some stonemasons were carving statues, to forever immortalize 50 of the most notable giants in their history, while others worked on the school of higher learning, or the places of worship that each tribe needed for their respective beliefs. But perhaps the most symbolic project of them all- various tradesmen from all of the tribes were working on the Wall of Unity; showing how they now stood united in this new chapter in their lives.
Izmir, from a special location in Sudria, stood and could see most everything that was going on. "We are doing a fine job; all of this shall be a first step towards the cultural enrichment and diffusion of our tribes" he said, speaking to another chief.
"Indeed; if the barbaric giants could see what we've accomplished, they would be so overwhelmed with everything, I can only imagine the looks on their faces" the chief replied with a grin.
"Would that be before or after they destroy everything and steal what is not tied down?" Izmir asked.
"Point taken. How goes everything?" One chief asked.
"Our projects are coming along quite nicely. As you can see, 14 of the symbols on the Wall of Unity are already complete, and the rest are taking shape. I think I especially look forward to the School of higher learning; then we can apply those gifts the Colormen gave us more practically." Izmir explained.
"Oh yes; science, medicine... imagine what we can accomplish now. Though perhaps a study of the local vegetation is in order; we will need to know what is safe and..." but just then, a peaceful giant soldier came running in.
"Sir! It is terrible! The barbaric giants, they are marching towards us again!" He said.
"What?! How dare those savages appear before us again! Ah well, I shall handle it personally this time; perhaps hearing it from the actual chief of this village will make them get the message" Izmir explained. And he left to go confront the barbarians.
Some time later, Izmir was on the wall, overlooking the marching barbaric giants. Around 2,000 of them- men, women and children. 17 of them held staffs that bore the symbols of the surviving barbaric tribes. They came to a stop only a few hundred yards from the wall.
"So you have come again; what is the meaning of this visit?" Izmir asked.
A few giants stepped forward.
"We have come to make the same request- entry into your province" one of the barbarians declared.
"I thought my fellow chief made it clear when he spoke, but since there appears to be some confusion I shall handle this personally. Barbaric giants, I am Izmir, the head chief in charge of the Council of Sudria, the ruling body of this province. And I am here to inform you, once and for all, that you will NEVER be welcome in this province. We have labored for many weeks to build something we can be proud of- what gives you the right to just come in and leach off our hard work? You have nothing that can be contributed to our society that we do not already have or can do better. We respect your right to live on Elbaf if you so choose, but it will not be with us. As said before, we shall continue to live a non-aggressive coexistence, but nothing more. Now return to the land you claim as your own; there is nothing for you here." Izmir said, indicating it was time for the barbarians to go.
But the barbarians would not leave. They stood there for a little while, saying nothing, but at the same time, showing no signs of aggression.
"If there is something on your minds, you are free to speak. It will change nothing, but if it will make you content, you may say what you want." Izmir said.
At last, one barbaric giant spoke, "We... have no intention of leaving this time" he said, non-threateningly.
Izmir was confused. "Why do you stay when you know these gates will not open?" He asked.
After staying silent for about a minute, another barbarian giant spoke "we know that you peaceful giants... are creatures of reason, and we feel that if you are confronted with strong evidence, rational beings such as yourselves will take such evidence into account" he explained.
"We are men of honor in not just warfare alone, we wish our pleas to be heard, so listen to us once more"
A few more peaceful giant chiefs joined him on the wall, and were made aware of the situation.
"While we respect your commitment to your endeavor, I must reinforce that what you are doing now is a useless gesture. Only Peaceful, Civilized giants live within these walls, and we intend to keep it that way!" One peaceful chief declared.
"Do... do you not let us in because our culture is not like yours?" One barbaric chief asked.
"No, we do not let you in because your hunger and love of warfare has no place in our society; the giants begin anew in Sudria, and one of our guiding principles is Warfare is only to be carried out in defense of Sudria and it's people; we will not wage aggressive war, ever" one Peaceful chief declared.
"83 tribes live within these walls; there is plenty of diversity, we assure you! That is not the issue at hand; the issue is we cannot live together because we do not see eye to eye on many issues; yes, within our society we have disagreements as well, but we resolve them with words, not bloodshed" said another.
"But we are not fighting now! Does that mean nothing to you?" The barbaric chief asked.
"While we are impressed that you have suppressed your urge to attack us for this long, at the end of the day you are still warmongers, and such savagery has no place in Sudria" a peaceful giant chief replied.
"Have you considered the possibility that what you see as savagery may be a misunderstanding due to cultural differences? Surely we we exchanged ideas we could learn from each other" another barbaric chief offered.
"Warfare is NOT culture!" One peaceful giant chief boomed. "Your way of the sword has formed a path of bloodshed and destruction that stops right here at our gates! We will not let your desire for war break down everything we have worked so hard to rebuild!" A peaceful giant chief boomed.
"But we do not seek to destroy! Surely you see that our weapons not being drawn is an indicator of us having no intention to fight" the barbaric chief argued.
"For how long? Warfare is in your nature; you cannot suppress who you really are!" the peaceful giant chief explained.
"We agree that waging warfare needlessly is something we can do without; so give us a chance to prove we are better than that!" the barbaric chief said.
"Nonsense! You cannot fight what is inside you!" The peaceful chief declared.
The barbaric giants could not believe it; no matter what they said or did, they could not convince the peaceful giants that they wanted to end their ways with regard to needless warfare.
"Why do you not believe that we can change!?" One of the giants called out.
"Barbarism is in your blood! You cannot change even if you wanted to!" The peaceful giants shot back.
"Why do you believe that!?" The barbaric giants shot back.
Then, one of the peaceful giant chiefs standing beside Izmir came forward and spoke. "Are you familiar with the tale of The Scorpion and The Frog?" He called out.
"No; what is it?" The barbaric giant asked.
And the peaceful giant proceeded to tell the tale.
......
One day, a scorpion looked around at the mountain where he lived and decided that he wanted a change. So he set out on a journey through the forests and hills. He climbed over rocks and under vines and kept going until he reached a river. The river was wide and swift, and the scorpion stopped to reconsider the situation. He couldn't see any way across. So he ran upriver and then checked downriver, all the while thinking that he might have to turn back.
Suddenly, he saw a frog sitting in the rushes by the bank of the stream on the other side of the river. He decided to ask the frog for help getting across the stream.
"Hellooo Mr. Frog!" called the scorpion across the water, "Would you be so kind as to give me a ride on your back across the river?"
"Well now, Mr. Scorpion! How do I know that if I try to help you, you wont try to kill me?" asked the frog hesitantly.
"Because," the scorpion replied, "If I try to kill you, then I would die too, for you see I cannot swim!"
Now this seemed to make sense to the frog. But he asked. "What about when I get close to the bank? You could still try to kill me and get back to the shore!"
"This is true," agreed the scorpion, "But then I wouldn't be able to get to the other side of the river!"
"Alright then...how do I know you wont just wait till we get to the other side and THEN kill me?" said the frog.
"Ahh...," crooned the scorpion, "Because you see, once you've taken me to the other side of this river, I will be so grateful for your help, that it would hardly be fair to reward you with death, now would it?!"
So the frog agreed to take the scorpion across the river. He swam over to the bank and settled himself near the mud to pick up his passenger. The scorpion crawled onto the frog's back, his sharp claws prickling into the frog's soft hide, and the frog slid into the river. The muddy water swirled around them, but the frog stayed near the surface so the scorpion would not drown. He kicked strongly through the first half of the stream, his flippers paddling wildly against the current.
Halfway across the river, the frog suddenly felt a sharp sting in his back and, out of the corner of his eye, saw the scorpion remove his stinger from the frog's back. A deadening numbness began to creep into his limbs.
"You fool!" croaked the frog, "Now we shall both die! Why on earth did you do that?"
The scorpion shrugged, and did a little jig on the drownings frog's back.
"I could not help myself. It is my nature."
Then they both sank into the muddy waters of the swiftly flowing river.
Self destruction - "Its my Nature", said the Scorpion...
......
"So you see, you cannot change because barbarians are what you are! It is in your blood! Your heritage! You could not change even if you wanted to! If we open these gates to you, it will only be a matter of time before you return to your old ways and kill us!" The peaceful giants boomed.
The story resonated with the barbaric giants, as many fell to their knees; is it really so? Were they barbarians by choice, or by nature? Pillaging and warfare was all they knew, after all. Then, one of the human chiefs came forward and spoke to the barbaric giants.
"Chief Izmir, I see not one but two humans who we can only presume are their chiefs or leaders of some kind!" shouted a Giant ranger
Meanwhile, the Barbaric Giants, at a loss of what to do, turned to the two human chiefs, Cynbel and Asger, who had come to replenish hope to the lost Giants
"Do not lose faith Giants... "said Asger
"We did not form this alliance with you if we thought you could not change..." responded Cynbel
"those peaceful giants only know your reputations, not yourselves, if we saw you can change, then they will see it after some convincing..." replied Asger
"And in a way that does not invoke violence, or else the path you began will all but be forsaken..." added cynbel
"They're right, Giants, I know now what we have to do, promise me one thing, you will follow me without a doubt in your heart if you wish to change your ways..." spoke Ganir
"Chief Ganir, we have come this far, if we turn back now there would be no point whatsoever..." replied a warrior
'Alright then, follow my lead..." answered Ganir as he began moving forward...
Ganir then proceeded to raise his blade towards the sky, some peaceful giant rangers aiming arrows at his head in response, and then pierced the blade into the ground. He then followed it up by revealing a knife from his side, then slicing the leather straps of his armor, causing it to fall towards the ground in a clunky fashion. He then ended this power play by taking off his helmet and throwing it a distance away from him, then finally dropping the knife he had used to cut the strapes with down to his feet...
He shouted triumphantly, "Peaceful Giant Clan! I, head Chief of the remaining Barbaric Tribes, Ganir, have removed the weaponry of my ancestors and kin, and as you should know, this means we, the Barbaric Tribes, are completely and utterly serious in our determination and want of change, so if even after this you still do not accept us, we will leave you alone peacefully on this island..."
The other warriors, after seeing Ganir's display, began moving forward as well and tossed their weapons aside, threw off their armor, and began to stand next to Ganir in a submissive, yet awe-inspiring pose that words cannot truly describe...
"Chief Izmir, what do we do?' asked a confused peaceful giant
Izmir, at this point, was at a loss for words... All giants knew, especially the Peaceful ones, that a Barbaric Tribe would never, NEVER, toss away their weapons or armor in the face of an enemy, even allies, when on a battlefield, and it was heard that it was considered just as dishonorable, maybe even more so, than surrendering to an enemy... It was even rumored that the Peaceful Giants had never actually seen a Barbaric Giant outside of their armor or without holding a weapon unless they were dead... This, hands down, was quite a shock...
"Let them in..." Izmir said under his breath
"What did you say Chief?' asked a giant
"You heard me, open the gates! Let them in!" shouted Izmir
"But sir, they could be 'scorpions' if you get my meaning..." replied the giant
"A scorpion would not, no never, remove their stinger ever in the face of prey if he wanted to survive, to hell with that story, I said let them in! "shouted a now angered Izmir
"Yes Chief!" yelled the surprised giants as they proceeded to open the gates, letting in the Barbaric Giants, and the humans as well ,who then proceeded to enter the settlement...
Izmir returned to the hall where the 83 peaceful Chiefs met to discuss day-to-day matters. He was going to inform them of the decision to let the barbarians into Sudria. When he arrived though, thanks to some messengers they had already found out, and the Council was furious.
"How DARE you make such a rash decision on your own without consulting all of us!!" One fumed.
"You know the law of Sudria- all major decisions must be handled by the council as a whole, not an individual!!" Another reminded him.
"This can be considered grounds for your removal from power, Izmir!" A third said.
"Even if they are willing to change, why should we let them join us? They have NOTHING to contribute to our society apart from warfare and pillaging. They have no culture, no advanced knowledge, and no crafts apart from what we already have, which we can do better!!" another said. But Izmir motioned for silence.
"This is not a final decision, I am well aware of the procedure involved. What I did decide though is that in light of new evidence, they do deserve to be heard out. I have instructed the surviving barbaric chiefs to come here and plea their case. But I must ask that we stand by our principles. As with any matter, I must insist you all remain neutral until they have finished presenting their case." Izmir said.
Though very clearly furious, the others did see Izmir's point, and agreed to at least hear out the barbarians.
So they prepared their hall for the upcoming hearing. The 83 Chiefs sat together, assembled at a series of long tables, all facing towards a spot in the center of the room. The 17 barbaric chiefs were instructed to wait outside until the others were ready. After an hour or so, Izmir at last called out "All right, enter the meeting hall, and stand where indicated!" The barbaric chiefs walked in, and stood in a line, facing the seated peaceful giant chiefs.
At last, in front of the 83 peaceful Chiefs stood the 17 barbaric Chiefs.
"Barbarians, you have come today pleading to join our village" One Chief began. "In light of new evidence, we do not doubt you have the capability to change. However, this does not excuse the fact that your savagery has lead to hundreds, nay, thousands of atrocities upon us. Unprovoked warfare, destruction of entire villages, pillaging, and the fact that two peaceful tribes were wiped out can be considered genocide. These acts are inexcusable, so please enlighten all present as to why these acts should be excused and you be allowed to join us. Bear in mind, many present have witnessed your atrocities first hand, and may be difficult to sway" he continued.
The barbaric Giants looked at each other for a minute, before at last one stepped forward. The hearing to determine the future of giant kind had begun
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Apr 15, 2017 1:34:52 GMT -5
CHAPTER EIGHT: HEARING
The hearing to determine whether or not the barbarians would be welcome in Sudria had begun; whatever happened here would determine the future of giant kind. The first question had already been posed.
"Barbarians, you have come today pleading to join our village" a chief began. "In light of new evidence, we have no doubt you have the capability to change. However, this does not excuse the fact that your savagery has lead to hundreds, nay, thousands of atrocities upon us. Unprovoked warfare, destruction of entire villages, pillaging, and the fact that two peaceful tribes were wiped out can be considered genocide. These acts are inexcusable, so please enlighten all present as to why these acts should be excused and you be allowed to join us. Bear in mind, many present have witnessed your atrocities first hand, and may be difficult to sway" he continued.
The barbaric Giants looked at each other for a minute, before Ganir stepped forward.
"My fellow giant chiefs. I do not deny that some chiefs standing before you, are indeed guilty of what you speak. The rest though, are a far more honorable lot, and it is our hope that by the end of this hearing, you will see that as well."
Though some peaceful giants were nodding, the majority, by far, were not moved by the answer. Another chief spoke up "Let me ask you this; do you truly believe that you are capable of change, or are you simply saying that? You may have discarded your weapons and armor, but what is preventing you from stealing ours?" One chief asked.
"Would a hunter steal another man's prey? That is how we view your remark- we would never defy our honor by stealing our rival's weaponry. It would bring about shame to our kin and the fury of our ancestors" Ganir continued.
Some peaceful giants nodded. "A fair point; we see where you are coming from" one replied.
At last, Izmir, came forward with a question. "Tell me this- why suddenly change your ways? Last time I checked, your kin find death in battle to be the most glorious way to die, with another form of death being completely shameful and a disgrace. You say you want to change, but at least tell me this- what happened?" he asked.
"For three generations we faced bloodshed after bloodshed. And with every fallen kin we realized that if we did not change our ways soon then the culture we adore would die with us and what's the point if there is no one to remember us and what mark we left behind" Ganir explained.
"Since when is needless warfare considered culture?" A peaceful giant sneered. One of the barbaric giants growled in response and almost raised a fist, but Ganir moved first, and shook his head no, sedating his comrade.
Before the hearing could continue, a soldier came in, "Chief Izmir, there's two humans here who have requested audience to this hearing" he explained.
"This is a giants matter, concerning only our two parties. Send them away at once" Chief Izmir replied.
"We must see this meeting! For if we don't, the fate of Elbaf as a whole is to be soaked in blood once more." Cynbel called out; they were waiting by the doorway to the building.
"And what is it that you can possibly contribute to this hearing?" A peaceful chief asked.
"We've experienced your turmoil; we the humans, long ago were two tribes that painted this land red. And if we had not solved our differences earlier than we did, the island and our groups would have been destroyed long ago. So the knowledge we hold is the key in determining the fate of the giants on Elbaf as a whole." Cynbel explained. The giants were surprised with the boldness of the humans, and the power behind their proclamation.
"Very well, you can sit in the gallery for now" Izmir said, gesturing to an area that looked like it was meant for an audience.
For many hours, the giants debated on various points. It was not until the sun set that they decided to end the hearing... for now, at least.
While the hearing was ongoing, the villagers of Sudria witnessed a most shocking display. The remaining barbaric Giants, numbering 2,000 or so, were gathered in a large plaza- a large flat area paved with stone that had been set aside for special events. There was enough room for all of them to be present, and still have enough space to sit down and move around. Those nearest the houses along the edge of the plaza though, could feel that they were not welcome here. As they were escorted to wait in the plaza for now, terrified villagers ran back to their homes, locked their doors and shuttered their windows. Others scoffed at them and some said things like "damn savages" before turning their backs on them. The villagers, it seemed, would not be quick to forgive.
So the barbaric Giants waited for something to happen. At last, from one building two figures emerged. It was the infirmary where Brenok had died weeks earlier. They approached one of the peaceful soldiers looking after the barbarians and spoke.
"Are you sure? This is a huge risk you are taking" the soldier said.
"Well, under Sudria law new arrivals must receive a health check before entering, so this act does have valid grounds. Besides, thanks to the techniques the Colormen gave us, this won't take too long" he explained.
"As you wish" the soldier said. Then the doctor addressed the crowd.
"Can I have your attention please? My name is Heptes and this is Winsor. We are doctors and per Sudria law, we are required to give all of you a medical exam to insure you are not currently carrying "high-risk" diseases. So if you could please organize yourselves into smaller groups, we can complete this as quickly as possible. Thank you." He said. And the barbarians did so.
Because there were nearly 2,000 giants, and only 2 doctors to give exams, Heptes and Winsor found themselves still not finished by the time the sun had nearly set. Even after hours of four-minute exams on the tribe, they had only completed examinations of 240 of the 2,000... only a little over 1/10 of the barbaric population.
"Thank you all; we shall resume tomorrow morning with the check-ups; those of you who have passed your exams, please inform the chiefs when they ask you. Otherwise, please remain in the plaza until you have been examined. Thank you"
When the two doctors returned to the infirmary building, the other doctors of Elbaf were inside waiting for them.
"Well? What do you think?" Asked one.
"mostly little things; nothing to get worried over at this point" Winsor pointed out.
"We'll need all hands on deck tomorrow. Just the two of us isn't going to get anything done" Heptes added.
"I don't like it, but my obligations as a doctor come first. Very well" one said as the others nodded in agreement.
As they prepared to settle in for the night, Heptes made one final observation. "I don't like how close everyone is in the plaza, even if there is room for them to move around and such. If we find even one case of smallpox or measles, I'm afraid we may have to..."
"I know. But the law is the law, and if the whole group must be exiled, then so be it" one colleague replied. Then they all set off for bed.
Next morning, as soon as the sun rose high, the chiefs reconvened, and the hearing resumed. Surprisingly, one of the humans was the first to speak up.
"Beg pardon" Cynbel asked, "But what was your purpose for coming to Elbaf, and why are you so insistent on keeping them out?" he continued.
"You just don't get it, do you? For generations we have been subject to warfare and suffering at THEIR hands" one peaceful giant chief declared. "Sudria is where the giants as a species will be reborn! Gone are the days of endless, needless BARBARIC warfare, and in its place a new giant species shall come to be. One that is united under one nation and where our diversity makes us stronger, not weaker. The 83 tribes before you desire only peace, and we intend to stick to the principles of our constitution. Those who stand here asking for entry into Sudria compromise our vision. For you see, the new giants nation will be united, will be beautiful, will be peaceful, and most importantly will be CIVILIZED!" He declared to the applause of some of his fellow chiefs.
"The only way for the giants as a species to survive is to let that which is good about us flourish, and abandon that which was bad about us. The barbarians before you embody everything which is bad about the giants- we refuse to let their legacy of bloodshed and destruction be rewarded. The new giants will be a peaceful, civilized race- a nation of farmers, craftsmen, intellectuals and artisans. With the exception of the Noble Colormen of Sodor, plus a few individuals here and there, humans saw us as monsters, and we swore to change that. Letting barbaric "culture" poison us will do nothing but set us back down the path we swore to abandon!" Another chief declared.
"But what makes you certain that good and evil here is so clear cut? Why don't you welcome them into your society? You speak of unity and yet refuse to let them in or consider them your kin? For Gods' sake, give them a chance to share their culture with you" Asger declared.
"Their "culture" threatens the very unity we worked so hard to build- we desire peace, not war. It is not that we do not believe in war, but rather our views on the matter are not compatible with theirs. If they want to live on Elbaf, I have no problems with that; but it will not be in Sudria. We will help them build their own village if need be, but it will not be part of Sudria, and I will assert that point strongly in this hearing" one peaceful chief explained.
"For eyes as big as yours, how can you be so blind? You speak of peace but the seeds you have sewed of your distinguished hate for the barbarians may not appear now, but I swear in the generations to come you will mistreat those warriors far worse than whatever they did during the war. Those warriors will rise up once more and the fury they will strike with will annihilate the giant race as a whole and all because of your sewed hatred into your children if you do not make peace, there will not only be no hope for this land but no hope for the world as well" Cynbel declared.
"So to prevent this outcome from occurring, who do you prevent the ones you call "barbarians" from contributing to your society at all?" Asger asked.
"Because there is nothing they can contribute that we need or want. Our advanced knowledge has granted us the ability to craft higher quality goods than they could ever make. And we see warfare only as a means of defense, not aggression. Put simply, there is nothing they can contribute that we do not already have or can do better" the peaceful giant stated.
"What makes you so certain of that?" One Barbaric giant chief asked.
"Your swords were known to break against our armor, indicating that our knowledge of blacksmithing is better. You raided and pillaged our villages for food because you have no knowledge of farming or animal domestication. You make armor of leather where we make armor of iron and steel. And your tactics and style of warfare are of no use to us because while you are strong offensive fighters, the purpose of our army is defense. It is quite clear to me that anything you could possibly offer us is either useless or unnecessary to Sudria" the peaceful chief declared.
"You can dismiss our way of life all you want, but for us The Way of the Sword is important to us not just as warriors, but as giants" one barbaric chief replied.
"I think we need to hear their side out more to get the full picture. Ganir, you seem the most knowledgeable of all the giants before us, so tell me this- is there anything of note that your tribes have accomplished that do not necessarily have to do with warfare?" Izmir asked.
"Our skills as warriors have translated into the mighty skills of a hunter. It is not unheard of for the young males of our tribes to go out with only a knife, and come back with a hundred pelts" Ganir stated.
"As impressive as that sounds, I am afraid your hunters will find Elbaf to be barren of the scourge you once hunted, for the only giant animals of Elbaf are our domesticated herds and flocks" An agrarian Peaceful Giant chief pointed out.
"But who is to say a boar will not break free and return to its instincts? When the time comes, then you will see our skills" one warrior giant chief said back.
"A fair point, but here is what I would like to know. You keep talking about "The Way of the Sword" but you have not explained what it is. Perhaps it would help if you could elaborate"
One of the barbaric chiefs spoke with pride. "it is all my tribe knows, but it is as valid as the culture you practice. It is unwritten, but passed down through the generations, we are taught as such: To live by the sword, is to die by the sword. The warrior fights for honor, and there is no greater glory than dying honorably" the barbaric giant finished.
"And look where that got you... your people were nearly wiped out by your careless desire for self-destruction" a peaceful giant chief pointed out.
"Now look here..." the barbaric giant began, but Ganir silenced him.
"You will have to excuse him; few tribes follow a literal interpretation of that creed" Ganir explained.
"Then what does the Way of the Sword mean to you?" Izmir asked.
"The Way of the Sword is not something that can be simplified in few words, but I will try the best I can. The Way of the Sword, though indeed it is about honor, your ideas of what it stands for are polluted. The honor we fight for is not our own, but is the honor of our ancestors, and the honor we restore to them will allow us warriors to meet the people we have lost once more in the afterlife" Ganir answered.
With that point finished, a peaceful giant chief stood up and said "Please be so kind as to explain to us why your unprovoked warfare and pillaging is in any way justifiable... these are acts that in no way can be forgiven, you know" a Peaceful chief asked.
"Well, in perspective, I do agree that perhaps just pillaging everything we came across was wrong" one Barbaric chief noted. "Though you should understand that not all barbaric tribes pillaged for the same reasons" he added.
"Please elaborate" another chief asked.
"Well, among the tribes, there was this idea of the "paths" that could be followed to war. It's rather hard to explain, but I will do my best. A tribe's primary focus when it came to warfare was based on the path taken. There were seven paths to war that we could follow:
The Path of Prydee- Going to war for the sake of proving self-worth. Those who follow Prydee go to battle for self-glory; whether it is to die gloriously in battle, or win a great victory, the end goal of this path is to satisfy oneself with knowing your self-worth means something
The Path of Greede- Going to war for the sake of power. Some tribes simply desired to control as much as they could, and would battle of land just because it was there
The Path of Luuste- Going to war for the love of war itself. The "bloodthirsty savages" you speak of, which even we did not get along with, usually followed the Path of Luuste; attacking anything and everything that was not part of the tribe
The Path of Envvie- Going to war to take over or away. If another tribe had better land, war would be waged to take if for their own.
The Path of Glutonie- Going to war for resources. In regions where food was scarce, we would attack tribes with plentiful food so we could survive
The Path of Wraithe- Going to war out of anger, or for the sake of war. They tended to let their emotions get the better of them and attacked anything and everything just because they were upset or angry
The Path of Slouthe- Going to war to improve well-being. There's no denying it; our crafts are second-rate compared to yours. Sometimes tribes would go to war just to take supplies that would make life easier, so they would not have to work as hard, and could rest more
...and all of the tribes followed a path like that. For example, my tribe followed the Path of Prydee" the chief finished
"They only thing that proved to me was that it confirms what we already know- warfare is a way of life for you, and not something we need in Sudria" one chief declared.
"Not necessarily. Even if it is... questionable, it shows they have some form of culture" a more sympathetic chief pointed out.
"And it's pretty much the only "culture" these things have!" One peaceful chief fumed. "Going to war to prove self-worth, what nonsense! In our society, we prove our self worth by doing things that make the community better; there's no need to resort to violence for something like that" a chief pointed out.
"Enough" Izmir declared. "Ganir, tell me this- what path does your tribe follow?" He asked.
"Those were created by a respected warrior of old in our culture, though his feats in battle are something he prided himself in and we respect, his views on life were only something a few other tribes could stand behind... Those ideals are outdated, and though maybe a little under half of the Barbarian Tribes were extorting your peoples' resources, we on the other hand, were trying to find new ways to survive, turning to mercenary work with the humans in order to sustain our way of life and feed our hunger for warfare, but once word got other you folks started a war against our tribes, the humans turned on else forcing some of our people to become filled with hate towards their species, and joining the ranks of the tribes who engaged in battles with your people... Only about 5 tribes here on Elbaf are remnants fighters who participated in your campaign to eliminate our culture from this plain..."
"Huh? Then why did my ancestors make me walk the Path of Prydee?" the barbaric chief from before asked, confused.
"Every tribe we came across always seemed to be a follower of one of the paths; how did you not follow one?" Another barbaric chief asked.
"I cannot answer for Ganir, but in the case of my tribe, we once followed one of the paths many generations ago; but our ancestors became disillusioned when they saw how fruitless and useless following such a concept was. So we voluntarily abandoned the path and dedicated our lives to mercenary work" one of the warrior chiefs explained.
Some time later in the village, from one shop a man and some of his workers were preparing a series of carts.
"But dear, you can't do this! They have no right to leach off of us!" The man's wife said.
"This isn't charity dear" the man said, who was a baker. "I owe a debt to Izmir, and perhaps this can win me favor with him and he will forgive it" he explained as he left. He arrived with the cartloads at the plaza and explained his situation to the soldiers. They let him set up the cars, which were filled with loaves of bread.
"Your attention please" he called out. "Thank you. My name is Calmin, and I am a baker from Sudria. Since you will be here for a while, the council has ordered me to provide some food for now. Though I want to make it clear that I've only got 500 loaves of bread, so I am prioritizing families with children first, now if you could all form a line here..."
"FOOD!!" Several barbarians shouted. And a good deal of young adult men began charging at the carts, followed by others.
"Mothers and children first! Mothers and children first!" Calmin called out. But suddenly he found himself being held by a couple barbarians.
"Listen here, you. Most of us haven't had anything to eat in two days, we're starving here!!" One said.
"Nothing personal, but get out of our way!" The other said before they threw Calmin a good distance away.
"D-damn savages" he fumed. He could only watch as the horde of barbarians charged at the carts. They would have made a mess of things to, if it wasn't for the arrival of Chief Ganir.
"Oi you lot! We're guests here, I expect you to follow the customs of the Peaceful Giants while we are here and abide by their set rules!" shouted Ganir as he approached and many of the warriors who had grabbed a dozen loaves or so dropped them immediately or spit them back out...
"Chief Ganir, you're back early, why is that?" asked a Warrior
"The meeting ended early and will be picked up tomorrow morning, so for now they released us to over here with you lot..." replied Ganir as the warriors began helping the woman and children to the bread
"Sorry about that, the warriors are used to our customs of warriors eating above all else, you need the stamina on the battlefield to survive so we prioritize warriors' meals in our villages, sorry if that caused you any problems..." apologized Ganir to the baker
"Not a problem, sir..." was all the baker could reply since he was still shell-shocked over the scene that had just transpired...
Next day the chiefs once again reassembled, with the Peaceful chiefs having brought in some things to help get the meeting started.
"It would seem that in light of yesterday's... developments, there is a good deal of clarification that needs to be done. This is a map of the known world, courtesy of the Colormen. It is drawn to scale, and this should help clarify the confusion" Chief Izmir explained.
"How so?" A confused Barbaric chief asked.
A large sack of coins was placed upon the table by another chief. "I took the liberty of commissioning some metalsmiths to forge these for us. Each of these coins has a unique symbol on it. Each symbol corresponds to the symbols of the 85 Tribes of Peaceful Giants, and 244 Tribes of Barbaric Giants" Izmir explained.
"But now there are only 83 tribes of Peaceful Giants and 17 tribes of Barbaric Giants" one chief pointed out.
"Correct. Now, what this map is going to do for us is resolve the confusion of why we attacked each other. Starting with this, and working our way from there, hopefully we can find what caused this war to begin in the first place" Izmir explained.
"We already know how this war started- their unprovoked pillaging and destruction of our villages!" One peaceful chief exclaimed.
"Not what I meant" Izmir retorted. First, he placed the 85 coins of the peaceful tribes on the maps in the locations of the villages; with a pebble being placed on each of the two coins that represented the tribes that had been wiped out in the war. For nomadic tribes, once the coin went down, some string was used to indicate the area they moved in, or a significant site they would stick around.
"Now, we place the coins of the barbaric tribes on the map, and we'll use these to indicate where they were, and these strings will indicate what tribes attacked which" one Peaceful chief explained.
"But how will we know who attacked who?" One barbaric chief asked.
"Simple; we have many written records of the conflicts of these wars; they will provide much information that will fill this map" Izmir explained as copies of written reports were handed out among the chiefs. But when the barbaric chiefs got them...
"Uh, what is this?" One asked, trying to make sense of what he was holding.
"It's a written report; one of many. Do... you know how to read?" One peaceful chief asked, concerned.
"What's reading?" Another confused barbaric chief asked.
"Perhaps you should sit this one out and let us work on it" one Peaceful giant chief said with a sigh of frustration.
"Do not blame us for not having a written language. Our ancestors taught us that a written word would create forgetfulness in our souls. So we memorized and recited our histories and traditions orally."
"If that is so" Izmir began, "Ganir, tell me this... what is the early history of giant kind?" he asked.
"You're in luck; the elder of my tribe told us the true history of giant kind before he died. Here is the true history of the giant race.
Giant history began many generations ago. The earliest giants were nomads of the hunter and gatherer variety. Then, the giants split in two. Some tribes took up farming and settled, and later evolved into the peaceful giants. The other half maintained their nomadic ways and evolved into a culture of honoring their ancestors and a culture of honor towards their kin. They believed the best way to honor their ancestors would be to attain honor in their current lifetime. And the highest and quickest way to attain honor was to live warrior's life and death on the battlefield. By living this life, you could bring honor to yourself and your fallen ancestors as a whole. Eventually, a group of the warriors became disillusioned with this cultural belief, and created the idea of valuing oneself above others, which evolved into the idea of the seven paths, henceforth the barbaric giants were born. This caused division once again between the warrior and barbaric giants. Though initially both sides were equal in size, the barbaric giants had such rapid population growth that the warriors were absorbed into barbaric culture, and were associated the group, even until the War of the Giants. Hence, when the barbaric giants began raiding peaceful giant settlements, the warrior giants tried to displace the idea they were the same culture by committing mercenary work, but some peaceful tribes were disgusted by this as well, appalled by the idea of fighting for coin rather than passion. Some warrior giants also felt kinship with their barbaric tribes, even if they did not share their ideals, leading them to side with the barbarians.
"...and that is the history of giant kind" Ganir finished.
"We have heard this story before, albeit with some minor differences. It surprises me, that even after keeping your stories as oral tradition... they stay as intact as our written records" Izmir said.
The chiefs proceeded to work on the map, and making sense of the War of the Giants. Hours later, between the written history of the peaceful giants, and the oral history of the barbaric and warrior tribes, the giants came to a conclusion they did not expect.
"What? How is this possible?" Izmir said in shock.
"Who could have thought a third force was at play all along..." Ganir observed
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