Ariss

Many years have passed since we arrived in this strange and unknown land. Many years since the night that we went to bed in our homes, surrounded by our families, on our journeys, in inns or taverns… only to wake in the beautiful wilderness of another world. The wise ones speak of a Shattering of the world, of a gem that contains the world. They speak of many pieces of said gem, each containing a world and many different lands. So much do they say, yet what is it to us, those of us that still stare at the stars in the night, blinking away the tears of sorrow for all that we lost, for all the loved ones we had to leave behind.

And yet… we prevailed. From our midst rose a leader to guide us on our first steps and the first huts changed to large camps, to houses and towers. On the side of the mountain, rising above the waters of the lake we built our home, more beautiful than any town we had ever seen before. We built a home for all our hopes and dreams, for the first children to be born into this strange new world, for laughter and joy in such evil times.

This, too, is over. The city of our dreams has fallen to a power unknown to us, a power within us. Once more do we wander; once more do we seek a home. Many paths lead through this land and at each turn our numbers dwindle. Each of those that leave shall find their own home, live their own lives. Many of them we shall see once more, some we will not. Such is the fate of our life. Such is the nature of this land.

And yet there is hope. Hope to regain what strength we had in the beginning, hope to unite in times of need and face what dangers oppose us. How we shall do such I cannot say. Up here in the mountains, where the view seems endless on all sides, up here we see the wilderness that separates us. So few are the dwellings of our kind, tucked away in valleys, in forests and caves. Once the last packhorse reaches the top of the pass we shall set out again. Wanderers in foreign lands… wanders among the worlds. May the virtues guide our feet…