Asriel

I walk towards the Barbarian camps, an interesting people these Barbarians. Their society simple, unconvolutted like most these days, militant and survival their priorities. Yet unlike other violent races and peoples they flourish instead of being at the brink of extinction as would be expected from all the intertribal fighting. There are rules to those even, they take fighting as a game of sorts that they compete in.

From the little I've observed they seem to be divided into tribes and villages which fight each other and sometimes together. Even in their isolation from much the rest of humanity their society hasn't devolved into cannibalism, feudalism, the worship of spirits or other traps that humanity seems to fall into when searching for the Way. Though they value fighting prowess and the only honourable death in their culture is a death in battle. They seem to have none-fighters that are treated relatively well and not as second class citizens as one would expect.

I'm not exactly sure why I've come here to be honest. But as I crest the hill and walk into their camp I'm not challenged. Interesting...

I walk amongst the tribesmen and watch them interact. Besides some nudity and parchment for staring especially by the women I am mostly ignored but twice I got into a staring and aura contest. Both my challengers seem to control their auras naturally, with no training or guile, instinct but effectively enough.

Most everyone here has thick spiritual energy, but bottled and unrefined with nowhere to go. Their maridians must be clogged to sludge, what could these people become with a little training in some of the ways? Terrifying most likely. There isn't one Awakened amongst them. Not a one. I have already taken notice of several warriors at the cusp of Awakening, atrophied there. But not one actual Awakened and definitely none whose energy makes me think 'future Awakened'.

I follow the densest and most active spiritual energy usage to a semi-permanent building I can't see into with spatial awareness. A tall, long wooden building that’s extremely well made for the speed with which it sprang up, in such a rural part of the world. One of several I've noticed in this camp that is predominantly tents.

"Come." A young man at the entrance says in Sandersonian. He looks small for a Barbarian, but is probably the most normal male in size I've seen since I've been walking around here. The fact that's he's taller than me is irrelevant.

I follow him into a dimly lit longhouse partitioned in half. I can't see what the other half houses but this half of the building has chairs, tables, a fireplace. There are 18 people inside who I can't examine.

I look at the two young men and young woman. The woman I can examine just fine, she also has dense spiritual energy but is no threat, she hasn't condensed it into pressure yet. Come to think of it, even the high spiritual energy I sensed outside wasn't condensed.

What kind of people have such naturally high spirit energy but seem so inept at using it? Well, I probably shouldn't call them inept because I had no idea pure spiritual energy could be used to counter chakra abilities before that 'examine' failed.

"Welcome traveller, we have been expecting you. Please sit."

One of the men says. I sit at a long table and am passed some meat bread and mead.

We eat in silence for a while.

Patience is something everyone in the brotherhood learns in spades.

After the food is taken away the real discussion begins.

"How was I expected? Clairvoyance?"

"I am unfamiliar with the word but I doubt it would describe our methods." One of them says.

I'm guessing these are the equivalent of 'wise-men' or 'shaman' of the Barbarian people.

"Please tell me more of your people and your ways," I say.

"Only if we can share stories." Another says. I nod my acceptance and we share stories.

The history of the tribes is long and harder than I would have imagined. They settled this continent by travelling through one of the spacial gates when such things still interconnected Pangaea, this was probably a Romaen frontier then. Almost ancient history now, when travel across the super-continent was as simple as walking through a door.

The Barbarians fought against creatures that were very dangerous, fast, and good at spiritual attacks and soul curses. Creatures they knew only as Phantoms or Orama.

This was when all on Gaia was still malleable, before creatures too powerful were exiled from the world as history reads. The 'Människor', as these Barbarians called themselves at the time, fought a war of attrition against these Orama Phantoms.

Though the phantoms were few in number, they outmatched the Människor in every way being faster and stronger. But they could not stand the sun, and so the Människor had hope. Especially when as time progressed they were birthing children stronger, taller and more resistant to spiritual attacks faster. It also didn't seem to be the Omara's intentions to wipe them out completely which allowed their continued survival.

The Människor were adapting through the generationa and started getting the upper hand in physical confrontation, but the phantoms were also getting better at manipulating spirit and curse magic.

The Orama eventually worked a Grand Working with many of the Människor's fallen. Cursing them and the land they were on. The dead rose and became draugr, the first ghouls in that land. Immortal beings that can eat nothing but human flesh yet retain enough humanity to be horrified by their own appetites. Souless things, my wisen hosts emphasize.

The living were set upon by uncontrollable rages that gave them bouths of rabid madness with superhuman resilience and strength. Manniskor could slaughter their entire families remorselessly when the rage was upon them and be filled with suicidal despair when it left them. The land became more dangerous with dark affinity creatures attracted to it after the curse. The plants changed, becoming more hostile and poisonous.

Defeated, the Människor left their first land during 'The Great Tract'. The Människor separated after travelling for many months in search of a new place to make a home. Some choosing to go further into the mainland. Deep into the mountains to isolate themselves from other people. Others went through the frontier gates to settle virgin lands within the then Romaen Empire.

The new settlers in the new land were scorned by the other humans, labelled as 'barbarians'. A name they took with pride as they moved farthest away from other human settlements. Being stopped from travelling any further northward by the Dawn Forest and the Titan Mountains which were impassable at the time.

Legend claims those who stayed in the land longest refusing to leave or simply wanting to keep testing themselves against the Orama phantoms were further changed. Becoming the first Orc people legend goes.

"I have heard of legends that speak of such times from some of my teachers. But that was well over 6000 years ago."

"Yes," one of them says. "That was long ago. So long in fact that many if not all the tribesmen have forgotten that we and those like orcs have a common ancestry."

"How is it that you have retained this knowledge?"

"We are known as 'Seers' amongst our people. We have the curse of seeing the past when going through our choosing. For some reason, the spirits don't want us to forget."

"I can see that you have learnt to control your curse and use it to your advantage," I say, thinking of the battle I had witnessed just 9 days ago. I have delayed long enough, I should be leaving in two more days.

"I have to recruit for a cause I do not yet fully understand. But believe without a doubt it will be for the good of Gaia." I say without preamble. "This 'cause' will shelter all who find it and share its values. It will provide refuge, but at the cost that those accepted will defend it when called to. But for now, it can provide teaching and training."

"If we would let our young go with you, would they always be allowed to defend their people?"

"If they so choose, yes," I respond.

"If they realise that your ways are not for them. Could they renounce your cause and lead their own lives without incurring debt?" Another asks from the corner.

"If they vow to keep our secrets until released to divulge them, yes they can leave."

''Could this cause become an ally to the Barbarian people. Recruiting from us in exchange for teaching and knowledge in weapons making and other disciplines?"

I consider that for a moment. These people are very clever, and my third eye is ineffective against them. I'm definitely negotiating from a slight disadvantage, but they are desperate.

"How is it that you speak the language of your enemy so well?" I ask, working through something that's been bothering me.

"Prfffhhh.." One of them snorts. "The Sandersonians are not our enemy. They are just an opponent we can test ourselves against."

"To answer your question, we have known for many years of their eventual coming. And we made sure the chiefs of every tribe sent people to learn their ways." The leanest man says leaning forward, the rest still straight bin their stools. These are old men by the standards of mundane but they're healthy old men.

"Very well. I am not permitted to make permanent allies but I can argue for an alliance. So long as we do not fight your battles for you but exchange information and resources." I say finally.

A few of them chuckle. "No true Barbarian would want their battles fought by another." The oldest looking says, standing.

We all stand and raise our cups.

"To new friendships!" He shouts. Drinking his mead down.

"To new friendships!" We all shout and follow suit.

These are interesting people, I hope this is what Malaki meant for me to do. A new Order that's unlike the Order in Tiba, well Malaki was vague about the scope and my negotiation power. Arg, to new friendships.