Report: The Book of Humility

[Garak Nightchill]

Where: Magincia, Fire Temple, Shrine of Humility
When: Wednesday 20th September

Led by: Roland Dagorian, Templi Squire

Attended by:

Vince Valentine, Grenadier Sergeant
Kal ShadowHand, Reformed Heretic Regular Scout
Gimbly, Regular Grenadier
Vincent Redfield, Junior Dragoon
Hoagie, Regular Dragoon
Falconheart, Guardsman Recruit
Perun, Junior Scout
Edmund Rufus, Junior Scout


My Lord Preceptor,

I bring thee joyous news!  As thou art aware, I was investigating the whereabouts of the Book of Humility.  A goodly number of Guardsmen accompanied me on this Holy Quest.  I have included their names above that thou wilt know those who serve Avatar and those who but claim to. 

Once assembled, we did march to the Minoc moongate to take us to Magincia.  Verily hath this city lost its way.  Once the City of Humility, now 'tis more akin to the City of Pride.  Many of the buildings contained libraries and we searched them anon, to no avail.  A Guardsman did discover a tome on llamas and this work was destroyed forthwith.  I did also espy two tomes by Lord Blackthorn espousing such heresies as tolerance to other races such as lizardmen, orcs and ratmen. 

Avatar did guide us to the Merchant's Guild which did also contain many tomes.  One of the Dragoons discovered a note indicating that the Book of Humility had indeed been there.  But a merchant, who I now believe to be a descendant of the Paragon of Humility mentioned in the tome, had taken the tome for an annual pilgrimmage to the Shrine of Humility.  An addendum to the note indicated this merchant was long overdue in returning.

Tarrying nay longer, I led the Guardsmen to the dock whereupon I used the last of my travelling funds to hire a vessel to take us to the Shrine of Humility on the Isle of the Avatar.  Distressingly this vessel was named Pride of Magincia, an ill omen, and the Guardsmen did espouse their disapprobation about the condition of the ship.  But Avatar doth not reward faint hearts, so we set sail anon.



We eventually arrived at the shrine, colliding with a derelict vessel also moored nearby.  'Tis my belief this vessel was the one sailed upon by the merchant, Lucan Shepherd.  We marched to the Shrine and found no trace of anyone, but there were chilling signs of daemon involvment.  'Twas clear they had taken the merchant.

With nothing standing between our victory but defeat, we did march resolute to the Fire Temple to confront these minions of the Guardian.  Battling out way inside, moving ever onwards, we discovered the mutilated remains of the merchant, doomed in a sacrifice to the Guardian, but of the Book of Humility there was no sign.

A search of the Temple was carried out and the sharp eyes of the Dragoons again prevailed, Hoagie I believe, or mayhaps Redfield.  The Book of Humility was found in the pack belonging to the merchant, discarded by the Abyss-spawn.  We fought our way out and marched back to the Shrine of Humility where we resanctified the tome by chanting the Holy Mantra of Humility, Lum, thrice.  We then set sail for Cove.

Thus marketh the recovery of the Book of Humility.

In Nomini Avatar,

Roland Dagorian
Templi Squire

[Garak Nightchill]

The Book of Humility

By

Redren Mallor


Far to the south of Vesper lies the island of Magincia.  This island was once the refuge of a community of shepherds who struggled to raise their sheep on the shores, fending off the occasional pirate raid from the Bucanneers Den.  But nothing stays the same.  A diamond mine was discovered on the island and many of the community soon abandoned their flocks for the lure of easy wealth.  The island became renowned for its wealth and soon grew into a bustling city of splendour, fine-looking buildings appearing on the fields where the shepherds once grazed their flocks.  Whilst still officially known as the City of Humility, 'tis increasingly apparent that the City of Pride may be more appropriate.

Not all the shepherds turned to commerce however.  One such shepherd boy, by the name of Tom, continued to raise his meagre flock on the few areas of the island suitable for such endeavours, selling the wool and mutton to the haughty merchant princes of the city.  Content with his lot in life, Tom continued working and living on an island that had changed beyond all recognition.  In time he married and had a son named John, raising him as he had been raised.  But John felt envious of his peers, the sons and daughters of the merchants and nobles, strutting around in their fine clothes treating him as little more than a begger.

One fateful day, as Tom and John Shepherd were tending to the flock near the sea, a reaver ship from the Bucanneers Den landed and it's pirates swarmed ashore.  Two guards, named Gaius and Octavian, saw the raiding party.  Gaius ran to the city to raise the alert leaving Octavian to watch the pirates, hidden behind a tree. 

The pirates brashly approached the terrified shepherds and searched them roughly for gold, which they did not have.  Tom meekly allowed the search, hoping the pirates would leave them be.  Even when the pirates seized three of their sheep the two shepherds did nothing.  But angered by the lack of gold, the pirate captain ordered his men to seize the boy as a slave.  Praying for nothing more than the chance to buy his son some time to flee, Tom attacked the nearest pirate with his crook, taking them by surprise.  As the first pirate fell, Octavian ran out, blade drawn, and attacked the pirates.

The pirates were as tough as any that sailed the ocean but the unexpected resistance and the sudden appearance of a guard soon put them to flight, but nay before Octavian slew one of the fleeing pirates and Tom had stunned the pirate captain with his crook.  Having taken several minor wounds and overcome with terror, Tom collapsed to his knees and Octavian killed the dazed captain with his sword, just as the other guards arrived.  Seeing the bodies of three pirates, including the captain, they reached the wrong conclusion that Octavian had killed them all and hailed him as a hero for slaying the feared pirate captain.  Dazed by the attention, he did not contradict them.  Outraged, the shepherd's son John opened his mouth but was silenced by a look from his father. 

Tom Shepherd found himself torn between Honesty and Humility. Honesty demanded he correct the guards, letting them know it was he who had defeated two of the pirates.  But his Humble nature was content to let the guard take the credit since he, Tom, would know in his heart who had done the deed, and glory was not something he sought after. 

Choosing Humility over Honesty, and Ignored by the guards, Tom and John gathered their flock and returned home.

Tom's tale should end here but alas it does not.  Some years later, disobeying his father, John told a visiting noble the story and one day Tom was summoned to Minoc by ship.  He reached Minoc safely but the ship returning him to Magincia was captured by pirates, the fate of the crew and passengers unknown.  His son John soon abandoned the family livelihood of shepherding and started a small merchant company, which thrived.

Thus endeth the tale of Humility.