Homeland Found
By: Sancero Posted on: August 30, 2005
Excerpted from the musings of an Atavian Bard who purportedly played a role in
the events of Phaestian, 370 AF. Much of the original manuscript has been
restored, but some passages remain unreadable. They have been omitted for the
sake of aesthetics.
-Homeland Found-
Just yesterday, it seems, or else a century ago
did the quiet town of Genji, ever bound in winter snow,
awaken to the cries of death and monsters' fearsome roars,
for at her gates and in her streets prowled the savage manticores.
Long had the town contended with the savage mountain beast,
as manticores had plagued her for a hundred years, at least.
But this assault, for grounds unknown, was worse than e'er before.
No greater trial than this shall mar the pages of her lore.
But lo! One brave Atavian took flight to save his town.
The winged one, Tinja, voiced his plea to warriors all around.
And thus, we came from far and wide to answer Tinja's call:
Adventurers from 'round the world, united one and all.
A battle raged throughout the town; her snow shone red with blood.
Many sacrificed their lives, and yet the beasts withstood.
At last, when all seemed lost, the final line of fiends gave way,
but revelry had still no place in Genji's streets that day.
Among the crowd, a certain man was nowhere to be seen:
it seemed the founder, Gehan, had been taken by the queen!
So off we went, we motley band, to probe the monster's lair,
and find, with any luck, the kidnapped Gehan hiding there.
And there indeed he cowered in a niche within the cave.
With shallow breath and pleading eye, this last request he gave:
"Take my journal, read it well. My time to live has passed.
Dear Genji, please remember Gehan as you saw him last."
My sweetest song could not restore the tragic Gehan's soul.
But honoring his final plea, we made his spirit whole,
for scribbled in the pages of the journal he held dear
was a secret he had hidden for all his living years.
A mystic keystone once revealed a path unto the skies,
which Gehan had himself destroyed, thus severing the ties
between the realm of Sapience and Arcadia above.
He thence wove lies concealing all the evidence thereof.
For all his life he bore the taint of actions thus concealed,
but here, his journal to us all a puzzle now revealed.
The gate could yet be opened if the keystone were restored,
and Atavians would once again their rightful home afford.
To every corner of the world we warriors did go:
through hills and valleys, cloud and sea, through fire, ice, and snow.
One by one, we brought each piece to the Temple of the Sky
and bathed them all in Vastars pool, as Gehan's words implied.
By means divine, the stone did mend, and there within our hands
lay the key to sweet Arcadia, that distant, mystic land.
Swift to Nicator we flew, and spoke the name aloud:
"Arcadia, reveal yourself! Remove your veil of cloud!"
The heavens glowed with light surreal and from the sky appeared
a path of gleaming marble to a bold and new frontier.
From that day forth, we winged folk who'd since been homeward bound
at last could claim for once and all our dearest homeland found!