We’ve Heard The Tales
We’ve heard the tales of how the Grendar and Bromekel Dwarves living on and within the mountains kept the giants and dragons from spreading into the world. And yet, when the traders come from the mountain settlements, they never speak of dwarves, dragons or giants, or if they do, they wink and smile because they know there are no such things.
We’ve heard tales of how the Ravenian and Thunder Elves living deep within the forests allied with the good faeries and kept the goblins, ogres, trolls and dark faeries from spreading into the world. And again, when the forest traders come, they never say anything about these creatures, unless they’re smiling and telling tales to young children.
We’ve heard tales of the Methiz Halflings patrolling the badlands and keeping the aberrant beasts from moving in from the Sands. Of course, everyone knows that the Sands are filled with horrors beyond imagining, and only the bravest explorers ever return (and when they do, oh the treasures they bring!). But, has anyone ever seen a halfling? Of course not.
We’ve heard tales of how the Paulallae and Kalins protected the world from the beings falling from the sky during the starshowers, but no one can really say what a Paulalla or a Kalin is. The starshowers, all three of them, have come and gone every season like they always have, and we celebrate their return every season. We know that their colors match their seasons. And yet, what does this really mean? No creatures fall from the sky with the starshowers. Surely then, Paulallae and Kalins are as mythical as dwarves, elves and halflings.
Superstitious elders and frightened children speak of ghosts. “Beware Alegna’s Spirit!” they say as they run away. But when asked, no one can say who or what Alegna was. And, really, have you ever seen a ghost? Neither have I. There’s a good reason. They don’t exist. Tens of thousands have died. How many ghosts have you actually heard of? One. There are no ghosts.
Some people claim to speak to the dead. Every last one of them has been exposed to be mad or a charlatan. The dead don’t speak. They can’t. They’re dead.
The stories of our childhood tell of magical beings, special places and mysterious powers, why does this world have none of that? There is no magic. There are no spirits. Why have we been told these lies?
The priests assure me there are gods and that they’re powerful and good. Why then is there evil in this world? Why don’t the gods intervene? Sometimes, after hours of prayer and rest, someone who was terribly ill gets a little better. But when I get sick, bedrest does the trick. I think that the priests are just as deluded as the rest of us. There are no gods, or if there are, they’re silent and uncaring.
The natural world seems unconcerned with the questions that plague people. Haven’t you noticed that the foxes and squirrels and eagles go about their days without fret and worry? The seasons change. The White months always give way, eventually, to the Green. The Green always cycle through the Red. The Brown to the Gray to the White and back again. What does nature know that we do not? The natural world is the only sane one. We believe in magic and ghosts and we’re full of troubles. The natural world is what it is and it’s free from trouble.
The scholars write about how and why this world was formed. How do they know these things? They are trying to answer questions that don’t even need to be asked. So they make up stories of gods and magic and the stars. They have no evidence for their ideas.
Dave Paul 