Story Tales of Tirn

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Preamble
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For the past year or so, maybe even longer now, I've been trying to start a roleplay under the title of 'Paragons' but every single time, I was never satisfied with my attempts at world building so the roleplay has never been successfully launched during any of its iterations. I can blame it on writer's block, lack of motivation, being too busy in real life, etc. Ultimately though it all comes down to a failure of discipline. Every time I'd try to make the roleplay, it ended up being somewhat different from the last whether it was the way magic worked, or how many races there were, what the level of technology was, stuff like that and it'd always fall apart simply because I couldn't make up my mind on one little detail or another. On the other hand, some elements have remained fairly consistent over time such as there being two types of magic: ki and mana; the continent and main setting of the roleplay being named Tirn, divided up into four nations with each one ruled by a distinct fantasy race such as elves, orcs, etc.; the existence of colossal beings that threatened the land of Tirn and an order of warriors formed to counter them, the Paragons.

What follows will be a series of short stories following random characters within the setting of this world. I figure if I can't bring my roleplay to life, I could at least do this much and maybe that vague image of Tirn floating around in my brain will finally coalesce into something more than an idea. Feel free to leave comments or feedback on any short stories I get around to writing. I'll be keeping them organized in the table of contents below, so there's no need to worry about the thread getting cluttered. Also note that there is no particular order to these stories, so one character's story might take place far in the past or future of another character within the setting. There may also be plot holes, inconsistencies and straight up contradictions that may or may not be intentional on my part. For that, I apologize in advance and hope you enjoy the read anyway.

Table of Contents

1. Galzis Stoneback​

 

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Galzis Stoneback



The strongest human, King of Steel, Bulwark of the Middlelands and Hero of Nors.

Many are his titles and deeds, but before he was a Paragon, he was a Dragoon.

And before he was a Dragoon, he was...​

Stoneback.

This is the tale of his youth...

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The sun blazed white over the snowy peaks of the Spearpoint Mountains. Elsewhere, it would have been scorching hot at this time of year, but here the winds blew eternally cold with sharp teeth of frozen dust, every breath a blizzard. For the unwary traveler, a hidden crevice buried beneath a trapdoor of snow might spell their doom, or the winds could fling them sheer off a cliff. It could be that they freeze to death among the peaks, becoming as one with the ice clad stone should they fail to find shelter. Or perhaps they do find shelter, only to starve when they run out of food and water as they wait for the snowstorm to pass. In the absolute worst case scenario, the unwary traveler would happen upon a small cave fully stocked with salted meats, barrels of mead and stacks of kindling, enough to last a single person an entire month... or at least, until the ones who had gathered these provisions in the first place happened to appear at the entrance of the cave with spears, axes and knives in hand.

Galzis stood at the back of the group, as was his place as youngest among them. His lean back felt the cold of the Spearpoint winds through the heavy furs of his clothing, but from the front he could feel a wash of warmth from the fire crackling merrily away in the centre of the cave. Just behind it was a stranger in thick lowland clothing, all wool and looking like a rat cornered by a pack of mountain lions as the group of hunters stood and stared with eyes of flint.

"What should we do with him?" asked Brun, the second oldest of the group, smiling menacingly through his shaggy mane of dark brown hair as he leaned against his spear.

"I say we ask him his name," the second youngest of the group, Johann, replied as he pointed at the stranger with his axe. "And find out where he came from."

At the gesture, the stranger retreated further towards the back of the cave whilst speaking rapidly with hands held up in surrender. Galzis noted that the stranger's voice was muffled in a thick scarf, but he could sense the fear in it.

"Hey, watch it," Brun gently admonished as he pushed Johann's arm down. "He doesn't understand our language."

The stranger calmed down slightly upon hearing the mild rebuke in Brun's voice and for a moment, it seemed even to Galzis that this encounter would be a peaceful one. Relief showed as clear as daylight in the stranger's eyes before the leader of the group stalked forward with spear in hand, his face a mask of cold stone.

"This intruder is a thief and there is only one thing we do to thieves," he said as he thrust the point of his spear into the stranger's throat.

Blood welled up instantly and the stranger began to cough and choke the way so many animals Galzis had seen do before at the end of a hunt. At first the eyes went wide with pain, then with panic and then they would waver on the point between life and death before eventually slipping into oblivion, staring into nothing as though in a dream. The process never seemed to last so long before, but on this occasion, Galzis felt that he had been standing at the mouth of the cave for hours. So this is how a man dies, he thought, but then he realized as the leader bent down to pull back the stranger's hood. No, not a man.

"By the gods, Harkin," Brun said in astonishment. "There was no need for that, it was just a girl."

"No older than Galzis," Johann added as he looked back at the younger hunter.

"And still a thief," the leader, Harkin, replied flatly as he pulled his spear out of the girl's throat and went to examine what remained of the provisions she had consumed. "Our laws are clear on this."

A heavy silence fell then as the group slowly shuffled further inside the cave, settling down on their haunches next to the fire with their backs to the body of the dead girl. Only Harkin poked and prodded through her clothing to find what belongings she had after the inspection of provisions was done.

"The lowlanders will probably come looking for her," Brun said as he lay his spear on the ground to rub his hands together.

"They'll never find her," Harkin replied as he tore a locket off the dead girl's neck and rubbed the blood off its smooth metal surface. "More importantly, how is Galzis doing?"

Galzis looked up dumbly as he mumbled, "What?"

"It's your first time seeing someone die, isn't it?" Johann asked as he hooked an arm over the boy's shoulder. "How do you feel about it?"

For a while, Galzis said nothing as he returned his gaze to the fire. He deliberated on an answer, but ultimately the only reply he could manage was a noncommittal shrug. What was there to say?

"Don't think too hard on it, just say whatever comes to mind," Brun said as he sat watchfully.

How can I when you're all staring at me, Galzis thought with some irritation as he tried once again to summon an answer. "I think..." he said slowly, choosing his words carefully. "I would prefer to hunt animals than people."

"Why?" Harkin asked pointedly as he sat by the fire and held up the locket, examining it from one angle to another.

The next answer came quicker. "Because they're not like us. It is... easier."

Johann laughed and ruffled Galzis's coal black hair as Brun nodded with approval. Judging from their expressions, the young hunter assumed he gave a good answer, though he did not feel any different. The weight of the girl's death was still heavy on his mind. Looking back at her body, Galzis realized that her hair was red, just like Johann's. She could have been one of his sisters.

A sharp click interrupted his thoughts as Harkin pressed a button on the locket and opened its cover to reveal a picture of a bearded man with red hair. "Understand this," the leader said as he showed the picture to everyone before holding it up for Galzis alone. "Although they may seem like us, they are not one of us. These are lowlanders. From now on, think of them like animals. Do you understand?"

Galzis nodded slowly, but Harkin clicked his tongue in irritation as he moved the locket closer towards the boy's face, unsatisfied with his response. "We are Stoneback. They are lowlanders. They are not like us. Do. You. Understand."

At this, Galzis nodded more firmly and Harkin leaned back, apparently satisfied this time.

"Good."

Brun and Johann shared a look of concern, sensing the uncertainty that lingered in Galzis's heart, but when Harkin sat back down and swept his eyes over the group, they lowered their heads and returned their attention to the fire. The young hunter was still not sure what he was supposed to think of the entire event, but he was certain that if anyone asked for his thoughts on the matter again, his answer would remain the same. He would have preferred not to kill a person, even if that person was a lowlander.


More to come.