The Tale of Glamth'r

            A bard stepped onto a raised platform, ruffling his cloak.  Red and yellow checkers of wool shimmered in the low light.  He cleared his throat and began, “In the Age of Tribes across our land there was lived once a great leader.  His name was Glamth’r.”

            The crowd, half of town rabble and half of merchants, gave a cheer at the mention.

            The bard continued, “Glamth’r was the chieftain of the Marav’c, a nomadic tribe from the Emerald Plain.  He led his people north to the Broken Rocks in pursuit of deer, rather than south to more pastures for their sheep.  The Marav’c hunted and slaughtered their livestock in the mountains.  For five years they ate well, helping the population to grow larger than any in other in Morek.

            “In the sixth autumn of hunting in the Broken Rocks, they descended into the Marav’c Hills.  Before the hills, two great streams pooled into a massive lake, the Lake of the Kierotha.  The Marav’c were quite astounded when they found the scaly Kierotha when they went to drink.  Glamth’r was the only hope for the Marav’c’s survival.  He convinced the leader of the Kierotha, Le’xird, that cooperation between the two peoples would be the best choice for each.  Le’xird agreed and traded with the Marav’c.  They exchanged venison for fish and lake-grass for hide.  The two tribes flourished for over a decade.”

            The bard paused.  He took a sip of some amber liquid from a bronze chalice, no doubt honey water.

            “On the day of Le’xird’s death at the age of ninety-four, the situation went sour.  The successive Kierotha chieftain, called Mieratha the Betrayer, broke all ties with the Marav’c.  He distrusted these “land stalkers” as he named them.  Fifty Kierotha warriors were sent to the surface to drive off the Marav’c wielding sharpened stones and pike bones.  Unfortunately for them, the Marav’c camp had swelled to several hundred and they had perfected their hunting spears.  With Glamth’r at the lead, the Marav’c hunters set the Kierotha to flee with few casualties.  Soon peace was reclaimed with the Kierotha, stretching to today.”

            The bard stepped down from the platform and bowed to applause.  He was warmed up for a long night.