From The Jackals To The Shepherds: Ten of Diamonds

From The Jackals To The Shepherds

The Woods:

The Map:

Dave – Taylor – Vi – Past – Sarah – Nyssa

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Battlebards Tracks used:

Elven Dirge – Farewell – Score Music – Philippe Payet

Heavenly Plane – Crystal Arch – Score Music – Ian Fisher

Heavenly Plane Caelum – Score Music – Maria Milewska

Transcription:

For a long time, we were at war with The Jackals. But now, we’ve driven them off, and we have this – a year of relative peace. In this moment, there is an opportunity to build something.

A week has passed.

Earth has not anything to show more fair: dull would he be of soul who could pass by a sight so touching in its majesty: our houses now, like clothing, wear the beauty of the morning; silent, bare, fish nets, field plows, shacks, statue, and community square lie open unto the fields, and to the sky; all bright and glittering in the smokeless air.

Never did sun more beautifully steep in his first splendour, valley, rock, or hill; never saw I, never felt, a calm so deep! the river glides at its own sweet will. The very houses seem asleep; and all that mighty heart is lying still! But while the houses sleep, they sleep well full, for the influx of community members has packed them wide. Djuna’s family and friends sleep on makeshift hammocks, or nestled tightly invited into already full beds. Housing once again is scarce in our community.

Drach, having spent time still in quiet rest on the river bank with the charming girl who’s been with us a long time, now stirs restless in her absence. His journal, neglected for a time, not occupies his days and he begins to feel the call of idle hands again as the summer days begin to cool. No longer as warm as to make work sting with sweat, he begins to look for more work in the community.

As he polls the newcomers, Djuna’s friends and family reunited with her once more in our small community nestled in the mountains, they ask themselves “Who is this happy Warrior who no longer holds his blade?”

It is the generous spirit, whose high endeavours are an inward light that makes the path before him always bright; who, once doomed to go in company with Pain, and Fear, and Bloodshed, turns his necessity to glorious gain; controls them and subdues, transmutes, bereaves of their bad influence, and their good receives: more skilful in self-knowledge, even more pure, as tempted more; more able to endure the light of the sun and the strain of the work as he begins to build new houses, and, as more exposed to suffering and distress; then, also, more alive to tenderness and warmth to those newly come to us.

Drach’s work brings him closer to those new to the community and as his hands build walls, his chatter builds bonds with folks of all sorts. He labours good on good to fix, and owes to virtue every triumph that he knows. He comprehends his trusting nature and knows each person good and as he works to expand the houses we have in our community we start to grow into more, into the first inkling of a town. He works happy as a lover; and attired with sudden brightness, like a Man inspired; he who, though once suffering storm and turbulence in the fight against the Jackals is yet a Soul whose master-bias leans to homefelt pleasures and to gentle scenes;
Sweet images he shares with the newcomers, many of whom still dream in the night of Jackals and danger. He finds comfort in himself and in his cause. This is the happy Warrior; this is he that every man in arms should wish to be.

Drach works, not tirelessly, for he feels the strain of his work and in the evenings retires to a bunk to sleep strongly through the night and wake in the morning with stiff muscles. As he works, the youth in the community greet the newest youngster, a small child by the name of Safwan. Yuen carries with her the doll that Ezekiel had made to mend their feud, it having been completed this week only. She holds it to Safwan as an introduction, and as they reach for it, the three youngsters go to bonding over the new doll, all admiring Ezekiel’s craftsmanship.

As the last light from the summer sun edges below the trees, we take a moment to sigh and appreciate our summer. It went by too quickly but most of us are better for it. As the forest foragers go their rounds and Llayana tends to xer soil, we take stock of the dusk light and ask ourselves what should our focus be going into autumn.

I think Drach’s (pronounced like ox) got the best idea, for sure. Especially if more people find our camp, we should have roofs to put over their heads. Especially if the days are getting shorter and colder.

Shelter’s great, but we’re barely keeping up on our food supply. I think we should focus on stocking our larders for the leaner months. Winter may freeze this river solid, and crops won’t grow under snow.

Any time we prepare for something, it goes wrong, or something new happens, or we change priorities. If we live life day to day and let the magic of the mountains come to us we should be ready to adapt to whatever life sends our way!

The Beast in the woods and The Creature underground have left us alone for a suspiciously long time, and we haven’t seemed to have even met the Monster in the river. The warning on those metal plates still rings in my ears. We should make sure we can defend ourselves when the inevitable happens.

Indecisive, the only thing we can all agree on is how beautiful the summer sun looks as it dips behind the peaks.

And a week passes.

Thank you for joining us for the twenty third episode of From The Jackals To The Shepherds. If you like this show please give us a rating on iTunes, tell a friend, or share us on social media. As always the intro for the show was read by Dave Lapru, who is also our mapkeeper. You can find Dave on twitter at plantbird, and I’m at leviathan files. Please consider visiting our website at Riverhouse Games dot com, or supporting this show and other Riverhouse Games work on Patreon at patreon dot com slash Riverhouse Games. Music for this episode was provided by Battlebards dot com. Until next week, I hope your week goes well.

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