Hero Wars
Issaries, Inc. |
The Travels of Biturian VaroshTwo Are Better Than One
Adari is a frontier town between Shadows Dance and Prax.
It was first settled in the Dawn Age and is also the birthplace of Pavis,
but since has been razed and rebuilt often. There trolls, elves, humans,
and other lesser races of the area meet as equals. Issaries has a fine temple
there.
Our journey to Adari was uneventful, and Norayeep and I had much time to talk. Our elvish escort carried the goods I had gotten, but they would not go past Adari, so I needed pack beasts to continue. When we reached the city, therefore, Norayeep went to inspect the available pack animals while I went to find an Orlanth priest. The Storm Voice was called Argrath Dragonspear, and I was surprised to see Jarang Bladesong, whom I had met in Pavis, among his followers. Jarang put in a good word for me, recounting how I had helped to cover his escape from Lunar guards in Pavis by getting them drunk. I thought that a good omen, and so Argrath seemed to think as well, and he agreed to marry Norayeep and I with Lightbringer ceremonies. Norayeep was bursting with excitement when we met at the inn, but did not tell me what she had found for beasts. I thought that she had made a good bargain, and was happy to wait to learn what it was while we looked for others to fill out the ceremonies. There seemed a dearth of priests for the cults, but we were content to find initiates to substitute. The ceremony was held in Issaries temple, and the High Priest there was glad to fulfill our god's role. He cast a Market Protection spell over the ceremony for luck, even though we were in an already-protected temple. He then invoked Issaries to bind us with his passing, and ordered that we hold hands for the rest of the ceremony. The Initiates of the other cults then spoke. A healer called for Chalana Arroy to bless us and keep us whole. The Lhankor Mhy scholar called for his god to make our ground steady for us to walk upon. Flesh Man, who was a beggar taken from the street (as is the custom in Adari), called for all people to recognize the touch of the gods. The trickster already had gotten drunk to give us his luck, and called for more ale. Then Argrath began his part. While the others were busy, he already had cast Cloudcall, and at his command the thunder rumbled and the lightning flashed outside. A wind rose from the south, a lucky wind, and Argrath called upon Orlanth to watch and protect the marriage. He invoked the ancient poem:
Stand together always, two are better than one. The Ernalda Initiate invoked her fertility chant, but instead of one voice we heard two. Then the Initiate finished her chant, and the other voice continued with other verses to make it into a spell. At last I found the source, but did not recognize the woman. When the ceremony was done, there was a feast. We gifted everyone for their parts, and some of them in turn gave us tokens of luck. As this formality was ending, I noted the chanting woman waiting too, and with her was a bison kahn. With great glee, Norayeep introduced them: Varaneena Cow-eye and Narmeed Whirlvishbane. I saw that the man wore iron, and that the priestess wore many arm rings denoting the cattle she tended. Your presence at our wedding was goddess-sent," she said. "Your arrows have brought my husband great luck, and the goods you gifted us with have made us rich. They call my clan the Flower Bison now, because the women all sing to narl flowers. An elf saw that, and it led to friendship. Now we have worked out that they will return beast tails to us if we return elves we have freed from the Lunars. The Goddess is pleased." "We would not want it said," continued Narmeed, "that we missed a chance to trade luck. We met your wife yesterday, seeking mules to buy. We forbade her, and instead gift you with seven fine bison, each healthy and one a young bull. They will serve you well, and Norayeep can tend them easily. Please take them, and bless us thereby." "Done," I said. I could tell Norayeep was pleased, for she always was embarrassed to be tending mules. I was pleased too. We invited the friends of the priests and Initiates. The High Priest of the temple sold us more food and wine, and I bargained quite well against him. The Bison people and the Orlanth people made good friendships that night, and as the sun rose we all looked forward to many fine days ahead for us. The crowd dispersed, leaving Norayeep and I with the bison in the dawn, brave and glad for our long future ahead. |
