Monday, May 23, 2011

In the Depths of Kaiser Wilhelm Mountains

The shaman lowered his head spines and looked through the misting rain at the earth man's wooden fort. He adjusted his seating and contemplated the alien's village. It was many many day since the Earth man had came in a giant sky bird made of metal. Some of the younger braves had attacked it but the sky birds fearful cry had driven them away. A human came from the bird and spoke the language of the People. He had many warriors with him but they stayed at a distance. The Human leader asked to speak with the Elders and waited. The Elders sent the Shaman to hear the Humans words. The Human said he was a Great War leader, called a General, and had come here to help the People in their fight against the other humans. He continued the tale saying that he was different from the other earth men who had invaded the People's mountains. The other earth men he called "Imperialists", and they had invaded the Generals lands on earth and dominated his people. The General had made war on the Imperialists but he had been abandoned by his allies. He was forced to retreat and prepare for the day he would go back to war against the other Imperialists. The General learned of the People's struggle against the Imperialist invaders and gathered his forces, left his home to come here and help the people in their fight. He then had several of his warriors bring forward many containers. the general opened the first and held out a sword of a earth man steel. The shaman was stunned to see such wealth. Many braves would kill to possess such a weapon and looking in the container the general was offering dozens, if not hundreds of these to the People. The General Evered the bade to the Shaman and he took it. The Shaman was no fool and asked what the General wanted for these gifts. The General wanted only to see the Imperialists pay in blood for their transgression against the People. He offered to make the People other weapons, powerful weapons to kill the Imperials from afar with metal and fire. The Shaman took the gifts to the Elders and told the the Generals tale.
The Elders argued but in the end it was decided, If the General provided the new weapons the people would make the rivers run red with human blood.

The Shaman delivered the Elder's decision and the General was over joyed. The General asked if he could build a place for his men in a nearby valley and the Eldar's agreed. The valley was remote and seldom disturbed by the People, but the General's metal sky bird could enter it easily. The Elder's sent the Shaman and a band of braves to keep watch on the General and send word to them when the weapons were ready. The Shaman watched as the General's warriors cleared an area and quickly built a fort against one cliff face on the valley side. Then they started to dig into the very rock of the cliff face, night and day never stopping. The Shaman admired the General. He lead his people and followed him with a devotion the Shaman had never seen before. Then one morning a brave woke the Shaman and reported that the metal sky bird had left in the night. It was soon after that the great fires began in the General's camp. During the day great plumes of smoke rose from the fort and at night great flashes of light and flame could be seen. Many days past and the then one day the valley's peace was scattered by an explosion and then a slide of rock from the valley wall. The Shaman roused the braves and ran down the trail to the valley floor. There he found the General and a group of his men. As the Shaman approached the crowd parted and in the center was a squat heavy wood frame that held a large bronze tube. A wisp of smoke came from the top and the Shaman recognized it as a cannon. He had seen them used before against the People, were many died. The heat of battle begin to rise in his chest. With this weapon the People could force the Imperials back from the ancestral homelands. The Shaman looked up at the General and saw the hunter in his eyes. In the People's tongue the General said " Yes my Green Brother, we will take the fight to the Imperialists and make them pay for their transgressions."

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