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The Aegise |
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Of the Aegise, as told by Bob |
| Good day, My friends. It has come to my attention that you seek
knowledge… yes? Or… perhaps you seek the truth? A story, even. Come,
dear friends, and listen… perhaps you will learn what you wish to hear. My head now rattles with loose information garnered over the years… My body and mind be not feeble, however. There is so much knowledge in this world that one can grow confused. The story I now tell can be mistaken as lore by some… myth, by others… and for many, just a simple fairy tale. It may seem so, at times. Taken by the winds of trade, the story has been passed down… changed… jumbled… and exaggerated. So few know it… and even fewer know the truth. Dear friends… Are you willing to hear the truth from a stranger? I see… Then open your ears, dear friends, and let the truth be known… Many people know of the ruins in the north. Many now know of an ancient kingdom once called Cannae. And many know, from scholars and such, that they were a corrupt, strong people… until they faded away into the ink smudged pages of history. Perhaps, now, I can clarify some of these pages… just for you, dear friends… Yes, Very little is known about those left behind after Cannaeus. It seems that the time was devoid of any real written records. Perhaps the falling of the great tower had something to do with this… However, people are allowed to theorize, make hypotheses and such, and some are right. Many say that the former civilization simply died off… some say they all migrated… But, to be more precise, they divided and scattered to the west and to the east. But, before I get into detail, perhaps it would be best to look into why they migrated, yes? After the falling of the tower, the Cannaeus’ people were in a great state of social instability… Idols fell; “Heretics” were openly killed in the streets. Most of the time they were innocent, but none could do much to stop it… Or so they thought. The people grew more and more distant from their old, barbaric ways, and seeking the light of intellectual prosperity, there came two prophets. One, a peaceful man, who spoke of intellectual gain, love, and peace, and the other, a Radical… A firebrand who spoke of paving a new way by taking what was rightfully their upon a new land. His name is still unknown, but some tales have told of him being a white being of divine origin. Many say he was of kitsune descent. However, it doesn’t quite matter now- the details, anyway… What is said is that the prophet gained great appeal by the people, saying that he was a ‘savior’- not a god, nor a ruler, but the one who knew the way to the Promised Land. How he had gained so much power and morale is beyond even the trade winds, but some accounts say that it was his charming appearance. After gaining momentum, the prophet and his people moved to the east- On to new lands. They moved through dense jungles, dangerous swamps, and to cliffy shores… The divine one had somehow stayed safe and healthy throughout the journey- an amazing feat to many. This only boosted the morale and vigor of the migration. Upon reaching the shores of the continent, the migrants had only one choice- to travel by sea. They had tried many ways, finding the easiest way by raft and boat. They traveled to a chain of islands, just east of the continent. In time they had made their way to their own Promised Land, meeting many different tribes and peoples along the way. They took with them from the main land some of the nearby porcupine tribe members, converting them to their ways. However, upon reaching the Promised Land, their quilled allies grew aloof, later creating their own culture on the western half of the island. Upon reaching the island, the people were without food and shelter. Their only saving grace was the fact that the island was already populated by two native tribes- A reptilian tribe of hunter-gatherers to the south called the Gilafoue, and to the north, a mountainous bird people known as the Korima. The Gilafoue were excellent woods-people. It took the migrants only two years to settle and develop a village. When settled, the Migrants took on a name… the Aegise. Where the name came from is beyond the trade winds, both east and west… some even believe it was the name of the prophet who had lead them past danger and to their new homes. All was good from then on… Occasionally there was a drought in their inland homes, but nothing too grand. It was an age of learning - of peace. Of course, the Aegise, in time, became rivals with the Gilafoue… nothing too violent, however. Even during this new age of study, the Aegise never forgot their dark former masters- the Cannaeus. Though they remembered their demons and rituals and the fear they instilled into their hearts… they longed to follow in their footsteps. But, unlike the Cannaeus, they wished to perfect it- to purify the darkness… but who knew of magic? From then on, the history grows quite foggy. Oh dear, It seems that perhaps even my own pages have grown smudged… I believe it was then that the Aegise appealed to the bird people of the north. For some time they had known the bird people were wise, rich with so-called magic. It took years of study and practice to attain the knowledge and skill to summon what were known as sprites- Small spirits, similar to nymphs. No one would have known that this would lead the Aegise into its golden age. With the sprites came Sciences, Crafts, Math, and Medicines. It was an amazing age that is now only depicted in the ruins. From these ruins, it would seem that the Aegise grew militant- Travelling oceans with their new power to convert people to their ways… With the power of the sprites, wars were won with ease. However, it is widely believed that the use of these sprites were also their downfall… Some say that it was a sprite that brought the kingdom down. Some say it was a kitsune, one who had diverged from the path of light and good, and was directly related to the very prophet who had brought the people to a new country. Some say both of the kitsunes were mad... however… the dark one had power. This power of corruption is believed to have caused the fall of the Aegise… and is the reason why many kitsunes can no longer use the magic of old. However, that is only what has been said. As I have said, dear friends, memories can be jumbled… after time, your own memories can fool you. Be this a fairy tale… Lore… Myth… Or even fact, I know only of an old Story… Will you choose to believe the word of a stranger…friend? |