Legacy Preview

Legacy: a preview & history

The noise was deafening in the tavern, but the jovial air was infectious. Walking in right off the street, it was hard for anyone to resist celebrating with everyone else, even as seating became a premium. The dark hardwood walls reflected the light of the multiple lanterns and roaring fire across the room, shining brightly where stains of spilled ale had worn themselves into the grain of the wood. The two serving girls laughed merrily as they danced from table to table, expertly avoiding the hands of men a little too deep in their cups.

It was a coming of age celebration, or the closest thing to it in the small village. It was obvious to many of this by the huge late winter boar spinning on the spit, just out reach of the tavern goers. Even the younger members of the village, including the children, were there, laughing and celebrating though with weaker to even none potent drinks. As another barrel was broken open, the third so far that night, an older man of his sixties rose up on a chair before the fire place. Raising his arms and slowly gaining the attention of the noisy crowd he smiled a smug, if not kind smile.


"I cannot tell you all how much I've enjoyed this night! And I thank you all for attending, even if I still think your all fools for believing him a man now!" he said, gesturing his flagon at a boy in the back. Boy would be the wrong word now, as he was the one to slay the boar and earn the title of man that night, but his appearance said otherwise.

His face was clean shaven to the point of never having facial hair, and his eyes shown with a childlike gleam of curiosity. The cloths he wore spoke of the gifts he had already received, as they were neither dirty, worn, nor homemade. They were his gift from the towns tailor, a simple combination of pale grass green breech's and milk white tunic. His boots gleamed, the leather still fresh from the cobbler's shop, while he praised the matching gloves even more. He stood up to face the crowd, his short cut raven hair blocking the light of the lantern behind him. The two village girls slid back from where they had been talking to him, trying to save face as a number of other girls simply sighed as their eyes met his face. If nothing could be said about him, the boy… sorry, 'man' had a strange aura about him that he as of yet had found a lass resistant to.

"You would have me a boy until my grandchildren sat on your lap, old man!" he said with a playful smile. A number of the younger people laughed at that, but the older man only shock his head.

As for him, the older fellow could best be called strange. Even in the heat of the tavern he wore his cloak, reveling in flashes the crimson tunic and sky blue breech's he wore beneath whenever his arms moved from underneath. The lantern light caught on the beaten pendent about his neck as he leaned back in a huge boat of laughter. His sea green eyes gleamed under his combed back gray hair, and oddly white teeth shining from beneath his short beard.

"Why get my hopes up for that? You'd be lucky to find yourself a wife boy, with all you're preening like a peacock!" he laughed, the other men in the tavern roaring along with him.

"Oh, sit down you senile old fool! Stop your preaching and lets enjoy the night!" the boy yelled back, cheers coming from as many of the towns men as from his own age.

"Hold it there boy! It might be your night, but we old folk always get our say. But, if you don't want your gift from this old coot, who am I to tell our village hero, nay?" he said slowly stepping back down. A chorus of voices rose up in protest as he did so, slowly standing back up again smiling all the while.

"I appear to be outnumbered. You win this time then! Let's hear what you have to say!" the boy laughed back. The old man nodded and looked thoughtful for a moment, more than likely thinking up what story to tell this time. Though not many of the villagers liked the old man for his abilities in spell work, not one would miss any of his tales.

"All right then… For this occasion, how about I tell you the truth our noble family's don't want us common folk to recall, aye?" he asked, and waiting for anyone to speak out, slowly began as the children gathered in a circle on the floor around him.


"Long ago, the races of our land were at peace with one another. The human towns were filled with the crafts work of the short statured Dwarves, the music and arts of the quick witted Elves, and even the amazing foods only the Animalia those furry beast men could ever grow! It had been that way for many years, ever since we humans first found our way to this land. But, the peace soon was broken. Far away in the place once called Togaraths Valley, a strange mist had been growing. No one knew what it was, or where it had come from, but one day all the mist vanished into a single point, and the valley exploded with the power of its movement. The valley sunk into the earth becoming a deep, dark chasm almost ten leagues across, but none know how deep it is. From this scar on the earth, three beings emerged, each larger than a mountain. They were the Black Kings, and everywhere they walked the earth died and soil turned to dust. The air about them was a thick miasma to toxic for any creature to breathe. They're bodies were but blots of shadow stretching to the sky, and the shadows they cast were always long. Village's leagues away were clouded by it, and they turned to ash anything they touched. The fear they speared throughout the land was thickened by the fact no race could harm them. Not the fierceness of the Animalia, the weapons of the Dwarves, the magic's of the Elves, or the strategies of us humans could do anything to them. All seemed lost, until the great powers rose to fight as well."

"The Sprites, beings of the elements around us, rose from there slumber to protect the land the Black Kings destroyed, knowing that they would be the first to fall if not. The Dragons, who saw themselves as the guardians of the planet rose up on their mighty wings and took the battle to the sky's, only to fall as well. The greatest powers of the land could not face these beings, but after much bloodshed, they swallowed their pride and worked as one. Together the two races sealed the Black Kings beyond a great door at the very bottom of the chasm they had once rose from, now called the Silent Abyss. With the Black Kings gone, people dared to hope that peace would return, but the pride of the Sprites proved otherwise. The Sprites believed that they alone had been the undoing of the Kings, not even recalling the help of the Dragons. The Dragons, thought they cared not who had been the true cause of the Kings downfall, were enraged by the claim they had not been part of said downfall. They challenged the Sprites to remember their assistance, but the Sprites fiend ignorance. And so, not a year after the Rein of Shadows, as the years the Kings had walked was called, a war between the elements of the land, and the lands protectors began."

"The years that passed were called the Days of Undoing, as the very land seemed to come undone by the battles. The races of the land, caught between the fighting, were forced to choose sides. The Elves took the side of the Sprites as they were long companions in their domain, while the Animalia took up the banner of the beast like beings of the sky. Dwarves and Humans remained neutral, but only just barley. Years passed without victor, and all thought that the world would die by our hands than that of the vile Black Kings. It was so till the day a young dragon, sprite, and human died in one place. The Humans were enraged by this, and sought the fighting powers to see what they had caused. The Dragons saw what was done and cried, their mourning finally breaking through the haze of their rage. The Sprites resolve failed at the sight of their enemies reduced so, and put down their weapons to mourn. When their tears had watered the earth, the Dragons proposed a deal. They would bless a line of humans with gifts of both sides, Dragons and Sprites, to watch over the world so such an event would never occur again. The Sprites agreed, and so blessed two human bloodlines. The ones blessed by the Dragons now rule as the kings of the realm, while the ones blessed by the Sprites have all but vanished from history."

"This is the knowledge denied to the commoners after the late king's death. Fourteen years ago, the king passed and the prince was lost, leaving only the wicked adviser to watch over us. We have felt his wrath in taxes, and yet he still claims to search for the crown prince, and the blessed relics he escaped with. This ends the tale I have told, and the knowledge that is to be passed with it. Remember well all, be you young or old as I, for history is known to repeat its self." he old man finished, and stepping down from the chair received a short applause, as most were lost in thoughts of his tale.


As the night grew older, people began to fetter out and return homeward, the next day sure to be as tough as the last. As they did, the boy approached the old man and clapped him on the shoulder.

"You tell your tales better before a crowd, you old fool." he said smiling. The older man laughed and without turning said,

"Just remember that story is history lad. Like you'll be if you can't work in the morn."

"Well, I'd say the same to you Uncle, but you'll just sleep till noon again won't you?"

"In your dreams boy! You may be a man in the eyes of this village, but to me you still have a long way to go! As such, you had better be ready at the crack of dawn or I'll skin your hide!"

"Whatever you say Lan, whatever you say." the boy said smiling as he walked away to grab the few other gifts he had received, as well as a goodly portion of what was left of the boar.

"You'd better believe I'm right Cleru, or you won't be seeing a penny for your laboring tomorrow!" the old man by the name of Lan called as the boy, by the name of Cleru, walked away. Cleru could only laugh, knowing his Uncle wouldn't have paid him a thing anyway. But nothing could bring his sprites down tonight, as he was finally a man in all eyes but Lan's. All in all, he felt content… but also felt as if his story had yet to begin.