Introduction

What brings a fictional world to life are the stories characters experience in them. Not just at the time of your writing, but in the history as well. You can just make things the way they are for the sake of… well, because you’re the writer, and that's fun. However, when developing a history for your setting it’s not only fun figuring out the milestones that shape the world but also to place a character near one of those milestones, and learn the story they would experience. This story is one of those. This is a tale from a time long before my main narrative. Before all the races expanded across the planet, established relations, and fought wars. Before the gods were just legends. This is just one character’s glimpse of a historical milestone.

_{As usual with anything I post, everything is original content including the artwork unless specifically stated.}

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PART 1

It was his twenty-seventh summer and Galdor Adarian still had not heard the voice of Ysara. Valdari are considered adolescents until they receive the wisdom of their god by hearing her voice in their mind. Galdor lived in a small colony east of his home country; the hills, forests, and open lands there were all unclaimed, only the mountains were occupied by a race called the Dverg.

Galdor’s father told him about the Valdari scouts who discovered the Dverg. He was only just born when the massive mountain to the south east of their country was found. As the scouts left what was properly known as Valisara the land grew thin; with water on both sides, traversing a massive mountain was the only way to continue. Deep in the mountain’s passes the scouts found ornate entrances carved in the stone. As their country was granted to them by Ysara at creation, they discovered that this mountain and all others to the east were granted to the Dverg.

The Valdari scouts towered over the Dverg and found them in all physical aspects as complete opposites. Valdari are thin and the Dverg, nearly a third their height, were very thick and muscular. The scouts found the Dvergrinn eyes small and featureless, while the Valdaris’ large eyes, although black, are decorated with white speckles and an occasional cloud of green or blue. They say it’s because of Ysara’s gift to read the stars, which also makes them expert navigators. In addition, the Valdari are hairless and the Dverg appeared covered by it, at least what wasn’t concealed by clothing.

Since the Valdari mission was exploration they did not raise conflict when the Dverg denied passage through their mountain. However, being in their nature to navigate, when the scouts returned home with this information they could not resist the lure of exploring the unknown. They were charged by Ysara after-all to seek out the other races of the world, and this was the first time they had actually encountered one.

In addition to the call of Ysara, another reason the Valdari circumvented Dvergrinn wishes was to seek a third race. The Dverg do not wander from their mountains, and the Valdari scouts felt they may have been denied passage because the Dverg did not want to endanger their relations with another people. The Dverg hinted at a dull featured race having a size averaging between their own two races already exploring the open lands east of the central mountain range.

So now it has come that Galdor’s family, and several others, sailed across the sea and established a colony. As far as they knew, they were the only race to have built vessels capable of travelling open waters. On this new land north of the barrier mountain a large range of mountains could be seen to the east. They knew all mountains belong to the Dverg, but it was here that the Valdari saw with their own eyes how extensive the mountains truly are. The Dverg say in that mountain range their creator, Dorak, hatched them from stone. It's not been confirmed if Dverg are still born in such a strange way, but Valdari scholars say Ysara used stardust to create them, and they’re now born from their mother’s body; only ever one child to a Valdari mother.

Although the colony broke the implied desires of the Dverg in that first encounter years ago, it was their duty to follow Ysara’s call. Perhaps she had great purpose for Valdari relations with this un-encountered third race and they couldn’t let the Dverg come between that. So the colonists sent scouting parties to survey the lands, avoiding getting too close to any mountains. Galdor volunteered for the next one setting out.

“Your decision is wise son,” his father told him the night he prepared his things. “Those of your age who seek challenge are likely to hear Ysara’s voice sooner.”

“I think soon has passed father,” Galdor replied matter-of-factly. He held great respect for his father, but it was true that Galdor was the oldest in the colony to have not reached maturity.

Galdor’s father held a special role in the colony; Ilemdor Adarian was sent from their home country not only to be a member of the leadership, but also because of his exquisite crafting skills. The Valdari knew the dangers of the world, so Ilemdor’s skills were not just applied to useful tools and fastenings, but also weapons. He gave each blade an attention to detail and touch of beauty that made them more than tools of battle. He crafted a blade personally for each member of the colony, including his son, and they all knew how fortunate they were that someone of such skill was sent to establish a colony rather than provide in their home country.

“Don’t concern yourself Galdor,” Ilemdor said as his son tightened the opening of his pack. “The stars show more than where to travel. You’ll see this soon. They can show you things about our world in more ways than one. You’re following them now, your time is near.”