Aged S'Kra storyteller

Aged S'Kra storyteller
Status:	Alive
Race:	S'Kra Mur
Gender:	Male
Location:	Muspar'i (Ranik Map 47)

This NPC wanders the streets of Muspar'i.

Description

The storyteller is a gentle-appearing S'Kra whose black scales are now dulled slightly with age. He is clad in the flowing robes of a long-time resident of Muspar'i, its loose folds providing protection against the sun while not deterring the coolness provided by a random breeze. As he notices you looking in his direction he meets your eyes with an intelligent blue gaze, then turns back to the small cluster of children before him who have gathered to hear his tales.

Story

• ASK STORYTELLER ABOUT STORY to begin a tale. This will be a time consuming event that will give periodic 20 second roundtimes.

The S'Kra storyteller pauses in his speech long enough to turn to you and say kindly, "Should you wish to listen to my tales, you may take a seat here with me." Nodding to you, he returns to his audience.

[You may LISTEN STORYTELLER to hear his tale, if you like.]

• LISTEN STORYTELLER:

You draw closer to an aged S'Kra storyteller to listen to the tale that has just begun.

[To stop listening to the storyteller at any time, IGNORE him.]

Tale of Truth

The S'Kra Mur man says in a soft voice, "This is the tale of Truth, and how it can be both fair and vicious with only a few words."

He bows to you and the other members of his audience.

"The sages of the S'Kra Mur are known as seekers of the truth, and many are the strange and terrible truths that they know," he says. "Long ago, before the great war between the Elves and the Humans, an ignorant and covetous tyrant once determined to possess himself of this truth. He was called Rue'hhdan, a great warlord of Sraan Malk. He decided that truth was something which the learned sage Qehhz of Sraan Mehath could be forced to tell him."

Shaking his head, the storyteller continues, "Soldiers arrested Qehhz as he passed through the land ruled by the tyrant, and brought him to the court of the lord. Rue'hhdan said, 'I have ordained that the truths which you know are to be told to me in words which I understand, otherwise your life is forfeit.'"

"With steady voice, Qehhz answered, 'Do you observe in this noble court the universal custom whereby if an arrested person tells the truth in answer to a question and that truth does not incriminate him, he is released to freedom?'" The storyteller spreads his hands, looking askance to the crowd around him.

The storyteller brings his hands together, settling them into his lap as he continues, "'We do,' said the lord."

"'I call upon all of you here present to witness this, by the honor of our lord,' said Qehhz, 'and I will now tell you not one truth, but three.'"

Shaking his head, the storyteller says, "'We must also be satisfied,' Rue'hhdan warned, 'that what you claim to be truths are in fact true. The proof of it must accompany the telling.'

"'For such a lord as you,' said Qehhz, 'to whom we can give not one truth but three, we can also give truths which will be self-evident.' Rue'hhdan preened himself at this compliment."

Here the storyteller pauses, gazing at the sky as if in thought. After a moment, he looks down at his audience and says, "'The first truth,' said the sage, 'is that I am he who is called Qehhz the sage of Sraan Mehath. The second is that you have agreed to release me if I tell the truth. The third is that you wish to know the truth only as you conceive it.'"

With a slight smile on his face, the S'Kra Mur storyteller recites, "Such was the impression caused through the members of the court by these words that the tyrant was compelled to give the learned sage his freedom. Qehhz quickly made his way out of the country to safer lands. Rue'hhdan fell to the q'zhalata within two years, having had the nobles' confidence in him shattered."

The S'Kra Mur storyteller smiles gently at this audience, his tale finished.

[You may GIVE the storyteller some Lirums if you wish to tip him.]