The Pursuit to the End of the World

[GodlyD&D]

The Pursuit to the End of the World

The court suddenly came to an end as the judge slammed the hammer, saying, "The Ithalists will pay five thousand megamite bits, and keep to their side and not approach the Arceusians anymore. The Arceusians will resume the work of retrieving the glowing gems and the restructuring the Farisian quarter." That was that, and the Ithalist representatives were held by the court officers until the initial payment was made and there was arrangement for the rest.

When those of the Arceusians side in court had left, Jerapard of the Ithalists said, "The Arceusians can now continue uninterrupted, as long as they are still retrieving the glowing gems, without end. Only if any of us keep any of them from retrieving most of those can they be stopped. We need to consider the ways for that!"

Tuharlion said, "Any here can meet with me this evening at the Doohop Bar. We can have things to discuss there, with strong men there ready for action!"

[GodlyD&D]

A number of others there understood what that would mean. Jaregon did not, though. When the group of Ithalists dispersed from the place where court was held, Jaregon asked Fornesak what was happening, and where the Doohop Bar was.

Fornesak said, "You will come with me! We shall stop at the bakery stand at Filter Park, and when evening is coming, we will go, and I will lead you to Doohop Bar. The action that will be needed is for any Ithalists with us who would dare to snatch the glowing gems from the Arceusians where they retrieve them, before they come to their quarter with them. Let us go to Filter Park for now."

[GodlyD&D]

Fornesak led the way from the brick building where court was held through the moderately busy street toward Filter Park, just over half a dozen blocks away, though Jaregon knew it was that way, but had hardly ever gone there. Most were walking along this way, though a few were using wagons. They went past the collection centers and further on the shops and stands. A little beyond the knowledge sanctuary they came to Filter Park, a wide grassy area with a walkway cutting across it diagonally from one corner to the opposite corner, and at the center there was an apparent image that was molded, placed just on the other side of that walkway, standing on what might be a pedestal, but there was a door certainly there at the front. Jaregon did not know what was beyond that door.

A good number of other people were here at this park, couples or small families generally, with portable chairs they had brought, or pads they sat on.

Fornesak said, "We will stop at the bakery stand first of all, and get some things for ourselves, alright?"

[GodlyD&D]

Jaregon accompanied Fornesak to the stand at the front of the park facing the street. As they looked to choose from the various freshly baked goods, Jaregon asked, "Do you understand what Ithalists might do in these circumstances?"

Fornesak told him, "Not here, this is not the place. Besides the Arceusians, there are many Eldersons, who freely tell others any news they hear, and Bengens who will push their own way. We have to look out for ourselves, no one else will look out for our people. I can speak a little about how our history led to the things we deal with now, when we go sit and eat, but there will be much more to learn at the meeting we should get to."

Jaregon selected a wide lithian bakeric. Fornesak soon had a petian ruffleridge, both items costing them a couple of megamite bits. They walked back then through the park, looking for where they might sit. Jaregon then said, "No one is yet using those seats at the great pedestal with the statue."

Fornesak said, "There? You want to sit there?"

"It would beat just sitting in the grass, while we eat, wouldn't it?"

[GodlyD&D]

Fornesak answered, "Well, it would give us a more comfortable position for a little longer. But it looks like sitting there would draw more attention to us, and if it does, I would not speak what I was going to speak of with you."

Jaregon said, "We can still keep an eye out, as we eat and you explain what you will. You could just stop and we would keep eating if anyone approached."

"Very well. We will sit here, for awhile anyway."

They sat at the seats before the pedestal with the great image, a figure eesembling a man showing strength, with the kilt shown on him which men were generally wearing, and a coat over him, and arms akimbo with hands on his hips. But the head of the figure looked quite different, with a face like a rock genie.

Fornesak started. "All the early people lived around the center area of the world. They had their growing society, and all in it were told of the ancestral master beings, who had come from the higher home, and after having the Bengens, their children, put in charge of things, they had departed."

[GodlyD&D]

Jaregon said, "The Bengens? I thought those were just in stories!"

"They are a main family group of the Originals. They were real and certainly here. The younger people they left here were in charge of society that was to grow. The first cities started quickly, but within a generation the first divisions occurred, where different beliefs had formed. There were those who believed in calling on Yavini, who would bless them with things, while another group believed they must work at using the land as far as they could, for any increase they could have, and that was ordained for them. Those groups still continued around each other for a long while. But Itrah became prominent, and he had discovered the earlier glowing gemstones, and after different things that were tried with them, a way of building walls quickly with power from them was discovered. And so the properties he and his followers had came to have great homes and edifices very soon, while other places were viewed as lesser, and had less business then."

[GodlyD&D]

"There were threats of violence from some places among the others outside of Itrah's following, as they became relatively poorer. So Itrah's followers gave power to an armed police force that guarded the successful edifices and homes they had, and those of this force oppressed the others more as many years went by. Some fled to join the settlements of those calling on Yavini for the care and providence they trusted. But many others who fled from that oppression went elsewhere where they started any of several small settlements elsewhere. These were the earliest of the Ithalists. There were others who also separated afterward from those oppressive people, who were the earliest Arceusians. They had a being of their own they called on, and were not tolerant to any of the others. But a couple of hundred years later, there were many Arceusians in that place, and some among them moved away to build new places for themselves somewhere apart from that first city that had formed. Some of the new places were now near where Ithalists dwelled."

[GodlyD&D]

"There are three Bengens of the Originals still here, after the others left in the early age, but they are aloof from all the rest of us, they have their massive dwelling places along the edge at the end of the world. Only one has come among the men and women of this age, Ganderbel, who is known to the Arceusians, the Ithalists, and the Eldersons, but he is not involved closely with any of them, but brings scrolls of knowledge which is otherwise lost, for those who can pay for them. There were Arceusians who got many of those, but there are some scrolls certain Ithalists managed to get. He has come again recently, and there may be another scroll of useful knowledge, that it would be better for any of us to get rather than an Arceusian again."

Fornesak stopped. They both realized a door at the base of the pedestal of the statue, right by where they sat, was opening.

[GodlyD&D]

Both men turned, in surprise, not expecting a door right there at the base, next to where they sat, to just open, and hardly noticing a low door was there, nor who they saw come out. It was a scrawny man with a beard hanging low from his face, moderately lengthy hair on his head, and wearing a cloak that seemed to be made of thick intertwining fibers. The man looked at them, and said, "I know about useful knowledge kept on scrolls!"

Fornesak said, "You heard me say something about that? Who are you? And what were you doing in there, and then coming out right then?"

This man they both now saw, for the first time, said, "I do not live anywhere, I found there was this cleaning supply storage in there, which seemed to be forgotten, and I brought things into it and fixed it up for a place like home for myself. I tried making some more space there for me to use, with digging lower. But I found something. There is a small tunnel that was already running here under this park, and still further. And I found it had been used. I brought a light with me and saw there were prints of many shod feet embedded in the dusty ground along that tunnel, as if there was weighty stuff being carried through it."

Fornesak said, "And what does that have to do with useful knowledge on scrolls?"

"Do you not see? Those who carried heavy things through the tunnel had information from scrolls that informed them of what they could get, which they needed to bring back secretly!"

[GodlyD&D]

Fornesak said, "If that is true, we should know about what was being carried, and where what was carried could be taken to. Then we should discover who they were that were getting what was carried. Can you even show us what you found?"

"If you promise not to tell anyone about this interior space where I have a place now, I will let you look. You would know there is something useful known from scrolls."

Fornesak said, "You have my word, I will not speak of you living here to anyone." He looked then at Jaregon.

Jaregon said, "I certainly won't say anything about you being here to anyone. You need space for yourself too."

"Very well. Follow me and come inside." This man then went back in through the low door, the two friends looked at each other, then Fornesak entered in after that one, and Jaregon followed.