The unkept promise
An origin story of the Dorians
Have you ever wondered how the Verdurous Mother, so protective of her creations, ever let us split the bosom that feeds and shelters them in two? How a forest so ancient and untamed bears the mark of mortalkind in so profane a manner? How we dared to carve a ribbon from the canopy and even call it the King’s own property?
And across the eons, how can you be sure the true story has not been thinned by those who seek to strengthen their claims over nature and the mortal realm? Was it truly a king who ordered a road to be laid through the endless green to bind his cities and carry his troops and earnings? Or was the path there long before that king was a glimmer in his father’s eye?
You see, we mortals are wayward creatures. We need to make sense of the world, so we weave these intricate tales of dwarven or human legacy, of ancestral rights to call a place our own, or of forefathers who shaped the world for us to inherit, but we tend to forget that they too were as fragile as we are, their lives fleeting moments in the grand scheme of things. We forget their sacrifice and thus shall suffer again. We ignore their debts, so we may pay them with interest when the creditor comes knocking.
See the dwarves; in their longer lifespans they have earned the wisdom to set things in perspective. They have learned their place in the world by remembering their past and so are not like us, bound to repeat the mistakes that led to their downfall. And how do they achieve that passing of knowledge to the young dwarflings? They tell a tale that contains the truth, albeit wrapped in a more reassuring cloak.
So let me entertain you with a story of the road you travel, as a Rolfgari might tell it, were it theirs to claim.
A long time ago, when the mortals had not hunted the huge beasts of legend away from their lands, it was they who were the prey being chased. Each time they found a bountiful field and tried to settle, they had to flee some earth-bound monster. When they built on top of hills to avoid that, some winged terror would find them. For it was a time of danger and horror, like which we will never see again, when every day would find a village or a caravan smaller until there were none left to carry on.
Menfolk braved their way through Dolvareth’s terrain until one day they found a passage through tall mountains, one which made the hair on their necks stand on end. For the mere idea of walking into a sunless ravine, defenseless against whatever threat lay in wait there, caused their insides to tangle with fear.
Had they the choice, they might never have walked into the Dorian peninsula, but they did not. Those who chose to stay and face their foe never saw another day, while those who dared step into the unknown became the fathers of our nation. As they navigated the steep terrain, the pass became narrower with every footstep, so no monster was small enough to keep up with their pace.
Days passed before Nir bathed them again with his bright light, revealing the most lush and beautiful landscape they had ever seen, one they would go on to claim as home.
But here still, they had to fight for their place. Only now the beasts were smaller, and the new hope that filled them had replenished their courage and enhanced their resolve. They built and rebuilt, and even though they still traveled throughout the year, it was not for fear of monsters but to protect themselves from the elements.
Until one day, when they no longer feared, a terror found them, one so primal that nobody ever dared describe it. It chased them through the land and cornered them before the ancient forest, where they ventured not, for it was dense and dark and wild. For days and nights they tried to muster the courage to repeat the labors of their ancestors, diminishing in numbers as the horror crept around them. Some ventured forth and never returned, others attacked the woods themselves, and others prayed to anyone who would listen.
And Anara did listen. In her infinite graciousness and affinity for life itself she decided to help the mortals. So she sent her children to speak to them and carry her will.
Three spirits came to see the tribe’s chief and gave him promises three:
The forest would not hurt his folk if they left it alone.
Its children would attack the beast, but only for a day.
The trees would part for them and show them the way.
But never should they come again to touch even a stone.
The clansmen accepted the offering and made their way through the forest, eventually reaching the valley and going on to found the great cities of the south. The forest parted for them and protected them as if they were its denizens, but as they passed the story to their children, they changed it to protect them from the fear that their tribe had lived in for so long. As the new era was dawning, man forgot what he owed to nature, to the gods, and to those that came before. We forgot our promises and so we broke them. And even though some forces are graceful beyond revenge or grudge, some are not.
So you do well to fear the whispers as you are passing through the forest on the King’s Highway. At least this way you show them that you are not as arrogant or ignorant as they believe our species to be. And that humility may one day save your life.
Malljule with company
The Dorians did not originate in the Doriande region. They are the descendants of tribes that migrated south during the Era of Monsters (see Dorian Chronology). At first they settled in the northern part of the peninsula, as The Whispering Forest formed a natural barrier between them and the coastline.
In time, some tribes moved south and founded settlements, that grew into Fiorlas and Skarm. After the Kingdom of Doriande was established, the ancient trail that wound through the forest, connecting north and south, was widened and paved to serve as the King's Highway, carrying both commerce and armies. Yet not all welcomed this change. Some folk, and especially Anara's Followers, opposed it, believing it far too great a violation of the sacred woods.
Nice origin story for those people. Hope the primal terror was never seen again.
A lot of unofficial Challenges
Either way they have debts to pay. And even though they carved their path through the forest, it is still a vast unexplored area in the middle of their kingdom ;) Thanks for reading my story and for leaving a comment :)