The Ten Gifts

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Introduction

This ancient tale explains the origins of the stars and celestial bodies as well as the virtues of the Circle Pantheon. It is primarily a galdori tale, but a version told among humans has a human protagonist.

The Ten Gifts

Long after the time of the Great Storm, which cast the gods out of their home of mona, and shortly after the creation of Vita and all its inhabitants, when the creatures of the world had begun to move about, and search, and meet, and speak, there was a boy of the magical clan- a galdor- who wished to explore the world. He had no greater desire than to see all the world of Vita, to know every cavern and mountain, every field and every creek.

He began traveling one day, and as the sun set, he stopped and set up camp. He could go no further, for there was absolute darkness in the skies. No moon or stars to light his way. As he rested he found himself terribly hungry, for he had brought nothing to eat. He cried out, though he had not a hope for someone to hear him, “I cannot see to hunt, and I shall surely die by the morning if I cannot eat.” The gods, watching over their galdor son, sent Hulali to the boy. From the stream nearby flopped a fish, right to his feet. At the same time, six stars lit up the sky. This gave the boy just enough light to see to find a piece of flint, as well as some dry wood to start a fire and cook the fish. He thanked Hulali for his blessing and took the fish and ate it.

In this way he survived many nights- as the sun set, he would rest by a stream, and Hulali would send him a fish, which he would cook and eat by the light of these six stars. After many days of travel he reached a mountain. The boy began climbing, but he was not so strong as the mountain, and quickly tired. “I shall never see all the world,” he wept, “for I cannot cross this single mountain.” The gods heard his cries and they wished greatly for him to see all of their wonders of creation, so they sent Bash unto him. The boy quickly stopped weeping, for the great stone upon which he sat began to roll underneath him. He was filled with great terror, for he feared the mountain would come crashing down and take him with it, but to his amazement, the stone rolled uphill. When it reached another great stone it stopped, and three stars burst to light in the sky, giving him more light. By this light he stepped onto the second great stone, and it too began to roll up the mountain. This continued all night, one stone would roll to the next, and the boy would step over onto the other, until he had crossed all of the mountains before him. The next morning, when he had reached the other side, he picked up a small stone and thanked Bash. He carried the stone that he would not forget the might of the mountains in the day, when the stars were not there to remind him.

He continued traveling until he reached a great forest, the likes of which he had never seen. As he walked these great woods he was lost in its beauty, for the flowers and whice and butterflies were more wonderful than any he had yet seen. But he began to be careless as he admired these things, and many times was careless with his life, as he nearly fell into a deep trench while watching whice, and into quicksand while watching ostas play. So one night the gods sent to him Hurte. She appeared to him as a great and beautiful tiger. He was filled with wonder and terror as the creature crept after him. He began to flee in terror and cried out for help, and for a time none came. But the gods sent Vulker as well, and as soon as his terror reached its peak, and the tiger nearly had him, a great tree covered in vines reached down and lifted him out of harm’s way. The boy thanked Vulker for saving his life, and as he calmed down, he thanked Hurte as well, “for I did not see the beauty of my own life. Were I to perish for admiring the rest of the world, I could no longer appreciate the beauty of it.” After he gave thanks, many more stars erupted into the sky, as two constellations- that he might not forget the trees or the dangerous beauty of the world.

As he traveled, he began to accumulate great wealth. A vast treasury, like none the world had seen, was hidden in a great cave for his every need. Every time the amount grew less, it seemed that the very earth would spat out gold at his feet, and when he realized that this was another miraculous blessing, he cried out his thanks to Ophur, who had given him such great wealth. On the night that he gave his thanks, six new stars winked at him from the sky.

After many years of travel, and great accumulation of wealth, the boy had grown older and had seen much of the world. But he remembered the beauty of life, and realized that he had no one to share it with. He wept aloud, “I have seen the world and known its wonders, I have not wanted all my life, and now I have a great surplus but I have not known the life of a family, and have no one with which to share my wealth.” And so the gods sent to him Roa, who brought to him a woman. When he saw her he was greatly in love, and so they were married. Upon their wedding night, seven stars shone overhead to remind him of who sent him his family, and he gave thanks to Roa.

It was not long thereafter that he and his wife had a child. And not long thereafter, he had another. Over several years they had ten wonderful, healthy children. But he knew that each child was a gift from Imaan, and with each child he began to truly age. He thanked Imaan for each child, and as the tenth and final child was born, five stars came alight near Roa.

The boy- now an old man- began to weep one night as his wife slept. “I have traveled all the world, and have a wife and many children. But what good have I done for this world? What have my accomplishments done for others?” At this the gods sent Vespe to him, who ushered a whice unto his window. It was a plain and simple bird, but as he looked upon it, the bird spoke to him. “Silly child,” it said, “Every day you traveled you were kept watch over by the gods. You know more of the world than any yet living man. You have many children, and have as great a love for them as you do all of Vita.” And with that the bird flew away. The man rose and went to the window, where he saw nine new stars in the sky, and was filled with wisdom. He promptly sat and began to map all the wonders that he had seen. Every cavern and mountain, every field and every creek was drawn upon the maps of the world. He made ten copies and gave one of them to each of his children, as well as great wealth from his surplus, “Go,” he said, “and know the wonders of the gods.” And his children set forth into the world, and they each settled in far-away lands. These children married, and had children of their own, and soon they became the rulers of the many lands of the world.

When he had sufficiently aged, and his wife had passed away, and he was satisfied with the life of his children, a great stag came to him in the night. The man fell asleep, and as he did he saw fourteen stars arrive in the sky. The stag carried his ghost to Alioe, who had yet to bless him. She took the ghost and said, “You have lived life for all the gods who have blessed you. In your antelife, you shall be blessed by me and show my glory to all the world.” And so she turned him into Benea, the great moon, and brought the ghost of his wife to him as Osta. She gave him one final gift, as six stars shone to watch over him in the night. At the great man’s death, and his return as a beautiful moon, the earth wept great tears, which became the Wanderers, and a great many more stars.

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Contributed by JaderGader