Name: Járndyri
Item: Axe/Tomahawk
Material: Stone
Owner: Anithola Grimcrow/Anithola
Enchantments: None
A long time ago, when people were still living below the stars in families joined together in groups of 20-40 there was 0ne tribe more attached to nature than the others. While the rest of their intellectual race evolved and developed new technologies this tribe of about 50 men and women (varied from generation to generation) This tribe chose to remain in the wilderness with their genetic ancestors (if i remember correctly all living organisms comes from the same little animal?) The tribe developed their own language, having loads of additions from the nature, like growling and snarling instead of yelling at each other. One year a special individual was born below a thundering sky and the worst storm of the generation. He was to be known as Heyroyst, the tribes chieftain. As the years passed he developed certain animalistic skills, when he wanted to he could prowl silent as a snake among the branches. And if he was in a bad mood he would go about roaring like a bear, trashing all he came upon. Because of his abilities, the tribe, and all nearby tribes respected Heyroyst and he became the icon of their tribe.
Several decades later war came upon the peaceful tribe. The more advanced neighbours had come to envy Heyroyst's incredible power and wanted an end to him and his tribe. The war lasted for a week and when the war finaly ended there was only twenty people left in the the ancient tribe. The other tribe was extinct. Later this year his first son was born, his son also had these strange powers, but not even close to the same level. When Heyroyst saw this for himself it was the spark igniting Heyroyst's idea. All boys born with his blood would be cut by his tomahawk, a beautiful axe he had carried since the age of fifteen. The blood from the cut was to be poured onto the tomahawk. If the child survived the lethal cut he was "chosen" or "approved" and would be accepted. If the child died he would be buried and thought of as weak, even the parents would be ashamed. Once this ritual was fulfilled you would oficially be a part of the skinchangers, the Umbreytingu, he hoped this would keep their tribe safe for many more years.
Centuries later the tribe had expanded. They now lived in a quite big community of over 250 people. Most of the inhabitants had at least some of his blood in them, some stronger than others. Men with a stronger bloodline were considered more appealing than others and always picked a woman with as strong bloodline as possible, this way some of the families developed more power than others. The old ritual (now a tradition) always took place when children went from childhood to adulthood, at the age of 14. The Tomahawk had strangely endured all this time and was not at all damaged, it was carried by the tribe chief at all times. When a chief died, the man with the strongest bloodline would take his place, fearsome quarrels between two men thinking themselves stronger would often take place, leading to one or more deaths.
Our time: The tribe has developed their own town within the wilderness and are over 800 in population. The chieftain at this time is a reckless man, hungering for adventure. His biggest desire is killing, as a human, or in the shape of a beast, he did not care. He was gone hunting alot and he even stole from nearby cities and towns, something the other elders thought very ill of. Their ancestors had fought to keep the tribe safe, and now a chieftain, being chieftain just because everyone feared him would ruin their long times of peace by stealing from their neighbours? They were glad when he never returned after a raid in the big town Himmel er ná.. (Heavens Reach)
The tracks were fresh, the thieves were probably just hours ahead. Anithola realised he had gained on them, they probably did not even know they were being followed. But no, one does not simply steal from the Heavens Reach food reserves. The hunger was starting to make itself noticeable as well, he had not had anything to eat since he took up the chase over 15 hours ago. And the sun was setting..
The voices grew louder as Anithola crept through the underbrush, just ahead he could see smoke rising between the leaves. Their language was unknown, which surprised Anithola. Their accent sounded nordic and barbaric, more like wolves gnarling to one another than human beings. Anithola carefully crept towards an opening in the thick vegetation. There was four of them, not armed as far as he could tell. They wore brown leather tunics and all of them bore the same tooth necklace, countless claws and teeth on a leather strap, all different.
The biggest of them started sniffing in the air, looking like he was searching for some kind of flying piece of venision. Then he quickly barfed out a short message, the other savages stiffened and started sniffing in a similar way. Anithola backed away as the sweat ran down his back, these were no ordinary people. They had a dangerous aura about them, something he had never experienced before. Suddenly a snake crept out of the underbrush, Anithola froze as he watched the snake grow, and suddenly there was a human in front of him, where there 5 seconds ago had ben a snake. Then the ornamental tomahawk came down and everything turned black.
Leaves brushed gently across Anithola's face as he struggled to rise. The four savages lay on the ground just 5 feet away, bloody and beaten. Anithola's wound in the back had healed overnight and all that was left was a scab, which turned to dust when he touched it. The savages' wounds were like claw marks, a bears perhaps. Anithola picked up the ornamental tomahawk and strapped it around his belt. Then he grabbed the reins of the horse carrying the stolen goods and headed back north, to home.
I honor you if you read it all!