General history for initial village: ------------------------------------ By "Khilghard" In a slumbering hamlet, farmers tending to their crops and bakers creating loaves of fresh, hot bread began noticing signs of smoke in the horizon in the evening hours. Since they had never seen a fire that only happened at night many were curious. One morning several days after this had started happening, several men went off in search of this new mystery. Three days later, two men on horseback carrying strange instruments and wounded from something the villages had never seen, returned. Their healing art, having been perfected over the centuries, soon had the men in a state where they could speak as comfortably as possible. What they spoke of scared the villagers beyond belief. Many said that such a thing could never happen, and that they were not going to listen any further to such lyers. Others turning to trust quickly wrote down an account of what the scouting party had seen. Trusting only a few among the hamlet, they kept the writing on the stones a secret. That record was found years after the struggle and the knowledge of how it came about was known throughout the land. Those stones became sacred for the people as they struggled to overcome a world shattered by war. The knowledge the scouting party had contained had come too late to the kingdoms ears, but for future generations it would not. Content of stones: ------------------ After having ridden for two days as hard as was possible, they came across a huge body of men. How they had passed the army's scouts was a mystery not even the wisest of men knew. They were promptly captured and taken before a devilish leader, who tortured them for information. The lead man only remembers of hearing laughter as he was dragged away with huge tears in his body from a cat of nine tails and from the repeated blows of fists on bare skin. Knife marks and other wounds would scar his body forever. That night the scouting party listened to others of the same kingdom being tortured, whipped, beaten, and thrown in dirt and mud to perish. Those were the unfortunate who had been captured as the army made its way into the heart of an unknowing kingdom. Brought before the devilish king again, all of the party were killed but two men. They were given weapons, armor and the means to survive to return to their village to die with them. A message was also sent with them to let the kingdom know that they should prepare for death, for their end was very near. That man survived the death of his hamlet he watched those around him die. He had learned the ways of a warrior as a means for mental exercise and protection in the wild. He had never even imagined of using such talents for death, yet he used such talents when a small army of men came charging into the village and began the slaughter of death. The devilish king himself came and challenged the young fool to a duel. The man who had led a scouting party searching for the cause of a new mystery failed and was forced to watch as his whole village was slaughtered. He never forgot that day... ever. His son, remembering his fathers dying words, took the kings challenge. Only this time he would win. A great war ravaged that ancient land. A land of peace and hope. A long, long forgotten enemy awoke from powerful slumber. Filled with new fury and hate for a people with so much, they conquered and enslaved an entire nation, for they had forgotten about war and the use of weapons. It was a time of destruction. The first generation was quickly bowed under the rule of such an enemy. They had no spirit and no life. The second generation of slaves were different. Raised amongst death and strife, they knew about war and weapons. A leader formed a band of guerilla forces. He freed slaves and started revolt after revolt until the rebellion had enough people to start a civil war. The nation split in two as the rebels started a new country and decicively beat the enemy after several years of hardship, pain, and labor. Instead of destroying what might be his peoples only way of remembering that hate is a powerful weapon, he left his enemy to do what they wished. From that decision another nation was created from what was left of the war, countless looting, and wholesale slaughter. After a long successful rule of the new kingdom, that rebel leader, discontent with sitting in a palace day after day, quietly led a few followers who gathered a few peasants, farmers, smithy's, bakers, and other people necessary to start a small village. The dissappearance of that rebel leader was soon forgotten in a few years. After several generations of living, the village of Aldrich was just another village created after The Great War. For the villagers, it was a time of peace and new beginning. Even though the war was over, they wanted to love life for the joy of it. But even though they achieved that peace and hope each child from the Rebel family was taught in the ways of war and weapons. They were trained in royal affairs. For even though the enemy had been tamed, it was only for a time, and time knew what would happen with those who forgot lessons learned in long ago years. Names: ------ Aldrich - Lead man of the scouting party before The Great War. Nylus - Son of Aldrich and rebel leader (later King Nylus). Several Generations later . . . current village today. Jarab - Direct descendant of Nylus and Aldrich. Jezebel - Baker s daughter Ali, little girl of someone Adrienne, Baker Brinor, name of mayor in town Nisuf, name of farmer Miyora, name of farmer Bjorn, name of smith Toryan, name of smith