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"I don't have any adventurous stories about my past, just toil and hard work. I grew up in a poor village, trying to avoid the wars."

"My parents pushed each of my brothers to learn everything and find a trade, so we could have the lives they couldn't. My brothers all chose trades, sailor, solider, doctor, lawman, hunter/trapper, mechanic."

"I could never find a trade that satisfied me, I was always more interested in stories. Until I heard the stories of the Greatest Sword."

"A sword is more than a weapon. It is a symbol, and in that it has power. There is a reason that swords are the only Gifts that can be sealed, why the swords are the most powerful of the Gifts, and why the faithful wielded their faith as swords in the Manifestation wars. All the spheres have swords, some Gifted, some not, but all of them powerful. This is a story about the sword of Peace."

"Once upon a time, there was an old king whose kingdom stretched far beyond the horizon. He was a good king and fair king, and he was beloved by all his subjects. He held his kingdom together through wisdom, cunning, and appeals to the better nature of his nobles. In all his time ruling he never once had to lift his Royal Sword in the call of battle. While he ruled, the kingdom and all within it prospered."

"However, all things mortal must eventually die, just as all good times must eventually pass. So it would be for the king and his kingdom, and the wise old king worried for the fate of his subjects upon his death. For while the mother of Life had been good to the king, she had blessed him with seven daughters instead of seven sons, and had blessed each of those seven daughters with seven sons of their own. He had given each of his seven by seven grandsons a piece of his kingdom in the hope that they would prove themselves to be a worthy successor, but each had revealed himself to be more cunning and greedy than the other. And so it came to pass that the King, in the last year of his life, called his trusted royal Hand to his throne and said, 'Consult with our soothsayers: what will come to pass when I am unable to wear the crown?'"

"The Hand searched the kingdom for a month and a day, and came back to the throne with a grim and ashen expression. 'My king, I have consulted those who can read the Fates, and they all confirm the same prophecy. `When the crown falls, there will be no peace until all the sons of daughters agree on their next ruler.` What is more, each has been asked the same question by your grandsons. I fear that even now that each prepares to make war.'"

"Resolved to prevent this fate, the king gathered his most knowledgeable advisors. They discussed for 6 days, but none could find an acceptable resolution to the king. The king gathered his finest mages. They worked for 11 days, but none could prevent the coming conflict. The king gathered his best priests from every sphere. Each day they prayed, and each day one priest left without answers. This continued for 41 days, until only priests of Hope and Peace were left. On the 42nd day, both approached the King. 'Your Highness,' said the Hope priest, 'do not fall into despair. All is not lost.' 'Your Highness,' said the Peace priest, 'there is a way to prevent the coming conflict, but at great personal cost.' The king gave them his thanks and sent them off to compose his thoughts. He stayed alone in his room for a night and a day, then summoned his trusted royal hand to his bedchambers. 'Hand, arrange a royal appearance amongst the crags at the foot of my castle walls. When events come to pass, you must do exactly as I say.' The king told his loyal hand his plan, and after much hesitation and pleading, the relented to his royal will."

"The following day, the king stood upon the rocks, above his subjects. He addressed them all. 'My subjects, I am in the last year of my life. The Gods have shown to me who will be my next successor.' He raised his royal sword. 'This sword has never been raised to the call of battle in my hands, nor shall it ever. I hereby declare that the next man who is able to take this sword from my sheath to be the next true and rightful king of the kingdom. He will lead it to a time of prosperity it has not yet known. Until that time I appoint my loyal hand as Regent of the kingdom, and charge him with preserving the land until the next true king steps forward to claim my place.' And with one sharp motion, the king turned the sword, thrusting it through his chest and into the stone behind. His crown fell off his head and clattered to the rocks below."

"What followed was a great commotion. News of the king's death traveled quickly throughout the kingdom. Upon hearing of their grandfather's death, each of the seven by seven sons amassed their forces and marched upon the capital of the kingdom. When they arrived, the new regent of the kingdom addressed them all: 'Sons to the kingdom, our king has declared that whoever is the first to wield his sword shall be the first to be named the new king. Let us here and now all be bound to that royal claim.' The seven by seven sons each stood up and agreed, eager in their greed to pull the sword for themselves. It was then that the Hand asked the crowds to part, and the seven by seven sons rushed forward to the sword. They fought physically before the body of their grandfather until each had a chance to pull on the sword. They fought for seven days, but try as they might, none of them could move the sword more than a hair's width. The king's grandsons realized that they could have no claim on the crown without claiming the sword as well. Exhausted by the struggle, the sons of the kingdom grudgingly withdrew their armies from the capital and went back to manage their individual fiefdoms."

"In the following years, a festival was held every year on the anniversary of the king's death. Each of the seven by seven sons returned on the day of this festival to claim the sword as their own. Each brought different magical and godly favors to bear upon the sword, but none could draw it from the rock. Eventually the drawing of the sword was opened to all subjects of the kingdom, but none could move the sword from the stone in which it lay, nor would anyone draw the sword until the stories of the king's death had passed on into legend. The times that followed the king's death were not easy, but at least there was peace. In this, the wise old king proved the old adage-- sometimes a sheathed sword can win the war."

---

"I heard this tale from a traveling Sun priest I met during my travels."

"Once long ago, in the Tara'hin of old, there lived two holy knights of the Sun."

"Zephelda was a woman of dark skin and bronze hair, whose laughter rang through the palace halls like a melody."

"Obronos was man of few words and a strong back, whose calloused hands were nonetheless gentle."

"They fell into love, first with the Goddess who warms the day, and then with each other. With their work they honored their emperor, and with their love they honored each other."

"One day, a priest brought the Emperor news of a malevolence that had set himself upon a village town. Malevolences, as you know, are the worst of the demons, for they hide in the shadows and cause those they torment to damn themselves."

"'My Emperor,” said the priest, 'a dark cloud has fallen upon my people. They murder and conspire unto one another, and I fear we will not last the month.'"

"'Fear no longer,' said the Emperor, 'for I will send you my two finest knights of the Sun. Zephelda, Obronos, travel to this village,and bring the warmth of the Sun back into the hearts and minds of my people. Leave no shadow untouched.'"

"So it came to pass, and so the knights traveled for seven days to war with the demon."

"The lovers' war with the malevolence was short and brutal. The malevolence tried to turn the Zephelda and Obronos against each other, but it was no use. Their love for one another was much too strong."

"Through their combined faith, the Sun's radiance broke through the cloud that had overtaken the hearts and minds of the villagers. Hateful and filled with spite, the malevolence made one last attempt upon the knights who had unraveled his work."

"The demon hid in the robes of the priest, and when the priest approached Zephelda in thanks, the demon struck to kill. Obronos sensed this in an instant."

"He pushed Zephelda aside and did battle with the demon bodily. Enraged and entangled, the demon returned to Hell, taking Obronos with him so that he might wreak his slow revenge."

"Zephelda returned to the palace, but she carried a shadow in her heart. She felt many things-- the longing for Obronos's presense, the hatred for the demon that had stolen him away, and the dishonor of having failed her one true love. Try as she might, she could not move on."

"It would be a dishonor to Obronos's sacrifice to enjoy her time in the mortal planes while Obronos suffered in Hell."

"So she set herself a quest: she would rescue Obronos from the malevolence, even if that meant venturing into the fires of Hell herself."

"She headed deep into the black lands of Vesturia, for in those days they were the favored empire of Darkness and they knew the ways of Hell best. She waged war there for seven years, searching for a key to Obronos's prison. One day while exploring a dark and forgotten tomb, the lights from her faith glinted upon a Gifted Sword."

"She sensed that it contained a great evil and that she should leave it lay, but try as she might she could not move on."

"Her love for Obronos had not faded. If he was wrestling the depths of Hell to be reunited with her, she could do the same for him here on Shem."

"So it came to pass that Zephelda took the Sword of Eternal Damnation and set to learn its secrets."

"The Sword spoke to her and tried to worm its way into her heart, but with her Faith and dignity she remained strong and steadfast. Over time it began to spill its secrets. It could open a portal to Hell and protect her therein, but such a blasphemy would require a great sacrifice."

"Zephedla almost threw down the Sword when she learned this, but try as she might she could not move on."

"If Obronos had sacrificed himself bodily for her, she could do the same for him."

"So it came to pass that Zephelda used the Sword to cut out her own heart upon a dark altar, a heart which beat only for him. She left it on this mortal plane as she ventured into the fires of Hell to his rescue."

"In Hell, she was constantly beset by all manner of foul creatures. In the battle with her thirteenth greater demon, Zephelda received a mortal blow."

"She should have died there, but try as she might she could not move on."

"She burned at the injustice of having gotten so close to her love, only to be snatched back into the arms of her Goddess. If Obronos had lived for years without feeling the Sun’s embrace, then she could do the same for him."

"So it came to pass that Zephelda renounced her faith to the Sun Goddess, and was born again in the fires of Hell."

"Renewed with a dark strength, Zephelda hunted for Obronos. Upon reaching the malevolence's realm, she heard Obronos weeping from the top of a tower of brimstone."

"She climbed the tower and did battle with the malevolence, but as strong as she now was the malevolence was much older and stronger."

"The malevolence promised that that so long as it lived, it would make sure that Zephelda and Obronos would never be reunited. 'You cannot win. Leave now, and make the most of your pitiful life.'"

"Zephelda knew this malevolence could only speak the truth, but try as she might she could not move on."

"If only one of them should escape from this dark place, it should be Obronos."

"So it came to pass that Zephelda gave up her soul to power one last Sword strike, and struck the malevolence dead."

"Zephelda climbed to the top of the tower, the hole in her chest echoing the emptiness she felt inside. At the top, she looked upon Obronos with lifeless eyes."

"Whereas her skin was once dark, now it was pale. Whereas her hair was once caught the sun, now it burned in shadows. Whereas her voice was once a melody, now it was flat."

"'My love, I’ve come to save you.'"

"Obronos looked up at her with the lifeless eyes in return. 'I’ve watched you for seven years. Now there’s nothing worth saving.'"

"To this tale I have been told, I have but one addition:"

"Some wounds we bear for others, and some we bear for ourselves. It is important not to mistake the two."

---

"I have spent many a night in a storyteller's circle, listening for whispered truth about the Sword that forges a Golden Age."

"Much of what I know of Shem's history comes through the mouth of a circle speaker, which came from the mouth of a speaker before him."

"After many nights in the circle, you come to recognize the elements of a story that will endure."

"If I have heard a hundred stories, I have heard a thousand, and if I have heard a thousand, I have heard a million more."

"The storytellers say that all life is a story, and that every one has their own tale to tell."

"If that is so, Royce, here is what I believe would provide the narrative structure of your tale to come."

"From what I know of your story before our meeting, you lived and lived greatly. You loved and loved greatly. Then, you lost, and lost greatly. Here is where your story would begin."

"Unlike us, you spent years trying to find a new heading, but to no avail. And even though you spent many evenings looking toward the horizon for something new, the pain of your loss followed you like a weight."

"You could not see the horizon well, as you were too wounded to look behind you. You could not see your next step, as the tears blinded your eyes."

"In this story, it was no coincidence that you lost yourself in time, for when you had lost your direction everywhere else, you only had your place in time left to lose."

"Here in the story is the place where you find us. We, like you, were lost, though we may not know how or why as you do. You are the one who will navigate us from these stormy seas."

"Only you carry the compass key that leads us between times, and only you can hear the whispers of the winds that come from the mouths of others."

"Your personal narrative demands that you find your heading and therefore find yourself. The greater narrative demands that in doing so, you become our leader and guide."

"It is you that will set our new heading, leading us, and even Shem, to calmer waters."

"As for what that heading might be, I cannot say, and that is your story. But I recognize key points in your tale that I would include in my retelling."

"You have been given a blessing by the Father of Stories, upon your right hand. That will be a key to unlocking your story, our story, and all the stories of Shem."

"You have been told of the danger all birds face upon Shem, and have taken the task of their preservation upon yourself. This is a clue to what direction your heart will lead you."

"According to the map, your counterpart in this tale seems to be the Fishslayer, a being who must hunt mythical beasts in order to bear such a name."

"And your items on the map all seem to center around your past, helping you to look backward and clear your eyes, or towards mythical beasts with tales that even I have never heard."

"I predict these beasts are your future. You are the Seeker, but were I listening to this story, I would call you more than this. I would call you the Protector."

"When I was a child in my village, I would hear stories of great shamans of old who would seek out the great beasts of legend, communicate with them, and ask to share their power for a common good."

"Your story reminds me much of those I heard as a child, but as it is unfinished, it is too early for me to tell which way it will go."

"I have spent many more years of my life in story compared to history, so I cannot say how the two compare."

"The best story is rarely the most accurate history."

"The clockmakers would tell us that we are living in a corrupted history, but the storytellers would say we are forging a new story from the remnants of old ones."

"Let us hope that in this case, the storytellers are right."

---

"I heard this joke many times while living underground amongst the dwarves."

"A pair of marble dwarves are out at sea telling stories, fishing, drinking, and having a good time, when an old lamp washes up against their boat."

"The younger dwarf begins to polish the lamp, when suddenly a djinn pops out!"

"'Thank you for rescuing me, I will grant you but one wish.'"

"The younger dwarf leaps up and yells 'I with the ocean were made of ale!'"

"The djinn vanishes, and the sea around them turns to the finest pale amber."

"The young dwarf laughs and leans over to stick his head in, but soon finds himself pushed out of the the boat by the older dwarf."

"'What in the 9 Hells did you do that for?' says the younger dwarf."

"'You idiot! Now were are we going to pee?'"

"This was a tale I heard when I was first starting out as an apprentice smith, from another apprentice."

"Some years ago there was an old dwarven blacksmith who realized that as he was getting older the work wasn't getting any easier. He had always worked alone but decided he should take on an apprentice."

"He choose a strong young man that seemed to have a good work ethic- though not very bright- to be his apprentice and in the hopes he would eventually take over the smitty."

"The dwarven master was short on patience and blunt, as dwarven smiths are want to be. The young smith could not do anything right."

"One day, about six months into the apprentice's training, the old blacksmith was berating the young smith worse than usual."

"'Get that big hammer over there, no, over there! By the Gods boy, you're thicker than this anvil. I'm not paying to to think! Just do what I tell you and don't be asking me questions.'"

"The old smith pulled a white hot piece of steel out of the forge and laid it on the anvil."

"As he did, he told the apprentice, 'Now, when I nod my head, hit it real good and hard.'"

"That's how the apprentice came to run the smitty with only six months of training."

"You know, with dwarves living so much longer than humans, it's can be very hard for an apprentice smith to get a-head."

"You have to strike when the iron is hot."

"An old wizard was walking through a park when he came upon two statues."

"One statue was male and the other was female. They were positioned on opposite ends of the park, facing each other with their arms extended out as if to embrace."

"The wizard stood there for a long time examining their sad facial expressions until he got an idea."

"He began chanting and cast a spell on the statues to bring them to life. Once the statues realized they were human, they quickly ran up to him."

"The wizard, being very pleased with himself, told the statues that they could finally be together as a couple but there was one condition."

"'Go off and experience with each other whatever you've wanted to do for all these years but you must be back within a half an hour before the spell wears off.'"

"Wasting no time, they quickly ran off into the bushes. The wizard, with great pride, sat down on a park bench and waited patiently. Fifteen minutes later the two statues came walking back to him."

"The wizard looked at them in shock."

"'For over a hundred years you both have bore your passions and now that you have your chance, you come back after only fifteen minutes? Go back before you lose your only chance!'"

"The female turned to the male and exclaimed, 'The old man's right! This time you hold down the pigeons and I'll crap on them!'"

"A Dhunic missionary is sent into deepest darkest depths of Taggarus to live with a tribe."

"He spends years with the people, teaching them the values of the Mother of Light."

"One thing he particularly stresses is the evil of sexual sin."

"One day the wife of one of the tribe's chiefs gives birth to a white baby."

"The village is shocked and the chief is sent by his people to talk with the missionary."

"'You have taught us of the evils of sexual sin, yet here a black woman gives birth to a white child!

"'You are the only white man who has ever set foot in our village. Anyone can see what's going on here!'"

"The missionary replies, 'No, no, my good man. You are mistaken. What you have here is a natural occurrence - what is called an albino.'"

"'Look to thy yonder field. See a field of white sheep, and yet amongst them is one black one. The Mother of Life does this on occasion.'"

"The chief pauses for a moment then says, 'Tell you what, you don't say anything about the sheep, I won't say anything about

the white baby.'"

"A guy is traveling through the back country when he sees a sign in front of a broken down shanty-style house: 'Talking Dog For Good Home' He enters and says, 'can I see this dog?'"

"'Yeah sure,' says the owner, 'The dog is in back.'"

"The guy goes into the backyard and sees a mangy looking dog sitting there."

"'Hi there, are you the talking dog?' he asks."

"'Of course,' the dog replies."

"'That's amazing! Where did you learn how to talk!'"

"'Well, it was always easy for me. When I was growing up, my brothers and sisters just barked, but I always new how to talk. It just came easily to me.'"

"'Wow, did you ever do anything with your talent?'"

"'Of course, shortly after adulthood I went and joined the people's liberation army. They turned me into a spy'"

"'In the dark of night, I would wander into the enemy encampment and walk amongst them.'"

"'People would just talk naturally around me because I was a dog. I could hear and see everything. The next night I would walk back and report all I had heard.'"

"'Wow, so how did you end up here?'"

"'Well, I did 10 years of service with the army and won 3 medals, but I really missed the quiet life. I decided to come back home, settle down with a nice bitch, and form a family of my own.'"

"Dumbfounded, the man excused himself, and went back to the owner. 'You're trying to put him out? Why would you ever give up this amazing dog?'"

"'Oh, he's a liar, he's never done any of those things.'"

"After the guy recovers from the shock of hearing a dog talk, he says 'So, what's your story?'"

"The dog looks up and says, 'Well, I discovered that I could talk when I was pretty young. I wanted to help the government, so I told the CIA. In no time at all they had me jetting from country to country, sitting in rooms with spies and world leaders, because no one figured a dog would be eavesdropping.'

'I was one of their most valuable spies for eight years running. But the jetting around really tired me out, and I knew I wasn't getting any younger so I decided to settle down. I signed up for a job at the airport to do some undercover security, wandering near suspicious characters and listening in. I uncovered some incredible dealings and was awarded a batch of medals.' 'I got married, had a mess of puppies, and now I'm just retired.'

The guy is amazed. He goes back in and asks the owner what he wants for the dog.

'Ten dollars,' the guy says.

'Ten dollars? This dog is amazing! Why on earth are you selling him so cheap?'

'Because he's a liar. He never did any of that stuff.

"A man is walking down the road one day when he sees a sign that says 'come see the