The Book of the Tribes
By Sproo
The Book of the Tribes
This wonderful peace of part fiction, part fact was written by Sproo's tribes, and compiled by Sproo. It tells the story of early Blue Twin. - archived by JWRTolkien, reposted by XiaoMu
Chapter 1: The Emergence
1. And so we emerged from heaven into a strange and harsh world.
2. "What place is this?" we cried.
3. Thus did answer Sproo, "This is our new home. Let us explore and see what can be found."
4. So we left the gate, into the harsh desert that was the world. And we suffered the elements.
5. And Sproo looked upon the desert and our suffering and spake, "This is not good. Let us build thickets and woods, that we might take shade from the sun, and that our feet be not burned by the sand, and that the land be not parched." And so we did as he spake, and were better for it.
6. And Sproo called water from the depths of the earth, which slaked our thirst, and moistened the ground, and we rejoiced.
7. But the desert surrounding our forest quickly drained the water, and the land became parched once more.
8. Sproo saw this and was not pleased, "Let us build larger forests, that the land might not suffer this harshness, and that water be readily available for us and our loved ones." And we did as he spake, and were better for it.
9. Yet once larger forests were built, we settled into a hamlet and grew complacent.
10. And Sproo watched us and was happy.
11. "Let us build a village," he declared, "So that we might harvest the good of the forests and violet fields we have created, and that our sons and daughters need never know the fear of starvation as we first did."
12. And we saw that this was a good idea, and did as Sproo suggested, and were better for it.
Chapter 2: The Invention
1. While we lived our merry lives, multiplied and were fruitful, Sproo engaged in deep thought over many days.
2. "Let us speak of Diplomacy" he declared when he left off his thinking.
3. "I have invented a way that we might convince others to join us and understand our ways."
4. And we listened to Sproo and knew he was correct and were excited. It would be a good thing to bring our peace and happiness to others.
5. Yet Sproo looked disturbed, "You do not understand," he said unto us.
6. Once more Sproo returned to his thoughts, and we discussed his invention and watched as other tribes entered the world and headed in their different directions.
7. Eventually Sproo came to us once more and declared, "I have discovered the Fundamentals of Sorcery! I can kill people with but a thought, and with no risk to those who accompany me."
8. And we were confused as to what use this frightful magic would be. For there were no threats in our land.
9. And Sproo replied, "We know of no threats, but we do not know the whole of the world. Perhaps there are threats elsewhere. Perhaps some tribes will not be peaceful to us."
10. And we hotly debated this question. Of course there could be threats, but if we could not see them, why worry about them. One might as well worry about the sky falling, though there is nothing one could do if it did.
11. And Sproo, realizing we did not believe spake.
12. "I shall go and explore. If there are no threats, than we need not be worried, but if there are, it would be good for us to know where they lay."
13. And we agreed with Sproo and he departed from us.
Chapter 3: The Short Long Walk
1. We watched tearfully as Sproo left us with only a handful of our best gatherers. We did not know where he was going, nor did he.
2. "I shall plant forests and paths as I go, that we may never again have to suffer the tribulations of the desert," he declared, and there was some happiness to be found in that.
3. It was many weeks before Sproo returned, and when he did it was with much urgency.
4. "I have been far, laid many forests, and many hamlets. I return to you now because our help has been requested. There is war in the south east.
5. And we were sore afraid. What use this war to us, asked the elders, and Sproo replied, "Do you think the war will not eventually spread here in any event? Best to help end it now, before those who act have grown too strong for us to withstand."
6. And, because of our love for Sproo, we listened to his words and many of us joined him.
Chapter 4: The First War
1. As we travelled, we asked Sproo our many questions. Who was this war for? Who was in the wrong? Who was in the right?
2. And as we travelled, Sproo told us what he knew. The war was between the great souls Christopher, Illniyar, and Zog, though it seemed none were sure of exactly who they fought for.
3. And we joined the war. And some of us died. And then Sproo came to us with a look of shame.
4. "I have received messages from those we fight against. They say our allies seek to betray us. I do not know what to believe."
5. And there was a great confusion. "Why are we here?" asked some, and Sproo had no reply.
6. And there was a great debate on whether to trust our supposed friend or our supposed enemy. Eventually Sproo said, "Let us stay with our friend, but not commit ourselves overmuch, 'lest he not be our true friend," and we agreed with this course of action.
7. So we aided our friend lightly, until we saw a sign of betrayal, as He turned away and left us to take the full wrath of our enemy's blow, yet our enemy cancelled their blow, and turned instead to follow our friend, and so we knew they spake truth.
8. "Let this be a lesson to us all," declared Sproo, "we shall not trust any man or woman by their words, but by their actions. Their words may be a sign of betrayal or loyalty, but their actions will always reveal their true intentions."
9. And so we left The War. And our betrayer died. And we took his lands as our spoils, and established peace with our supposed opponents, Zog and illniyar.
Chapter 5: The Forming Ocean
1. And so we continued to be fruitful and multiply while Sproo travelled the land, building thickets on the deserts and villages on the thickets.
2. To the east was the earthen hills of Zog, the buffer between us and the forests of illniyar. And she taught us the secrets of stone-working and roadbuilding.
3. To the north-west was Daliana, who tirelessly worked on her own lands, changing the deserts to forest.
4. To the south-east was LordGarion, who was also building forests for his people.
5. To the south was Skajunma and Ithelruna. Powerful water spirits who had been creating a wide ocean on Blue Twin, and those of us in the South were growing concerned, as the ocean was beginning to lap up onto our fields and into our homes.
6. And illniyar headed to plug the water-gate, the source of water spirits, who were continuing to add to the ocean.
7. And he was trapped and killed by Skajunma and those who followed her, and we were sore afraid, for Skajunma's numbers were large and comparable to our own.
Chapter 6: LordGarion and the Second War
1. Our friend Zog had spake to Sproo, warning him that LordGarion and Eclipse, a great spirit who had taken some small residence at the Gate, were planning to take over the whole of the forests of Blue Twin, leaving only themselves and their tribes to occupy it.
2. So Sproo did come to us and warn us of this unholy alliance and we begged him to protect us.
3. Thus Sproo selected a number of our best warriors and head to LordGarion's lands.
4 The battle between them raged for many days and nights, with Sproo using guile to avoid being trapped by LordGarion's superior numbers.
5. At first we engaged LordGarion's forces directly, and the two cast many terrible magicks at one another, so that the sparks lit the night sky.
6. Yet LordGarion held the advantage, for we were on his lands and he had the strength of numbers.
7. So Sproo called unto us, "Retreat! We must run if we are to survive!" and we did run.
8. LordGarion gave pursuit but soon found that our smaller force easily outran his army, so did he settle many of them into the village he was at and resumed the chase.
9. And Sproo commanded us, "Dig, my warriors! Build us bunkers for safety that his men will not find us ready targets when they arrive." And so we dug.
10. And LordGarion and his men came upon us and once again the magicks of him and Sproo made the night into day.
11. And once again Sproo called unto us, "Retreat! We must run if we are to survive!" but this time he did direct us deeper into LordGarion's lands.
12. "What madness is this?" we asked, "We shall surely perish if we run that direction. Let us run toward our own lands instead!"
13. And Sproo spake to us, "As you love me and have faith in me, trust in me as your commander, for I will lead us unto victory." So as we did love him and had faith in him, we placed our trust in his command and ran toward the depths of LordGarion's land.
14. Then the cry went up from behind as LordGarion's men began to give chase and we cried "Woe is unto us!" but Sproo smiled in a most dangerous way.
15. So we ran, but just before we would have entered LordGarion's village, Sproo called to us, "Now halt! Each of us, quickly to the ground and into the trees! Let no sound escape, no sight of you be seen!" And we did as he commanded.
16. As we hid, we watched LordGarion's army run past in hot pursuit. Not seeing us on the path they redoubled their efforts, and we were sore-afraid as they ran by, lest they find us in our hiding places and fall upon us and kill us.
17. Yet they did not, and so they ran past us, so close that we could have reached out and touched them, had we dared.
18. And once they were past, Sproo lept from his hiding place with a laugh and began to chant, and the yellow sparks flew from his hands, killing many of LordGarion's men from behind.
19. When LordGarion reached the village and found us not there and his men's rear flank destroyed, great was his anger, and his rage blinded him to how his army was now smaller than our own, having settled many to match our speed and then having many more destroyed by Sproo's cunning.
20. So once more Sproo commanded us to dig bunkers, and once more LordGarion and his men came to attack, and once more yellow sparks flew between Sproo and LordGarion.
21. Yet this time Sproo did not call for a retreat.
22. This time, we stood our ground with Sproo, and when the magicks were expended we turned to hand to hand combat.
23. And in the end, we were victorious, and LordGarion lay vanquished.
Chapter 7: The Second War and Eclipse
1. Yet there was still the great soul Eclipse to deal with, who had a course set direct to one of our villages where his silver tongue would convert them and leave us and Sproo badly outnumbered, with no place to retreat.
2. We urged Sproo to run on his own, for what few of us were left were wounded, and would slow him down.
3. Sproo spake, "This Eclipse shall not harm that village, though I die in protecting it."
4. And we said unto Sproo, "And we for you, but go now, before it is too late."
5. And so he ran.
6. And he beat Eclipse to the village, and while Eclipse and his troops climbed the great fence, Sproo mustered the villagers from their bunks and prepared them to meet Eclipse.
7. Eclipse's men landed in an ambush within the village and swiftly perished, followed by Eclipse himself.
8. After this, no longer did we doubt Sproo's word when he brought forward concerns to us, for we had seen with our own eyes how a threat could come upon us before we were aware of it.
Chapter 8: The Equator
1. Though victorious, the battle had left us weary and mournful. For we had lost many friends and loved ones.
2. Yet still the ocean approached our land.
3. So Sproo spake unto us, "I will go into LordGarion's lands and speak to the tribes there, that they might see how together we may stop this ocean.
4. And being sore and tired from battle, we agreed.
5. And the tribes of LordGarion joined us, and swelled our ranks.
6. So Sproo contacted the great spirit Ithelruna, and proposed to her a truce.
7. "We have no need of quarrel, you have the southern reaches of the planet, and I have the north. Surely this is enough to satisfy us. Let us agree that you shall not raise the ocean beyond the middle line, and my tribes will not set foot in the ocean that you raise."
8. And Ithelruna and Skajunma saw the mighty force that Sproo could amass on the edge of the water, and realized that any battle would be long and truly bloody, and so did agree to this truce as the best for their own tribes as well.
9. So the Equator of Blue Twin was formed, and so peace reigned between the great spirits.
Chapter 9: The Cycle of Leaf
1. Then came a time of great plenty.
2. We grew, and spread, and multiplied, and were happy.
3. We expanded north-west, as the great spirit Daliana grew tired of the mortal realm, and her soul fled her body, leaving her eyes glazed, and Sproo eased her passage unto Heaven.
4. We expanded north-east, as the great spirit Pauluss grew tired of the mortal realm, and his soul fled his body, leaving his eyes glazed, and Sproo eased his passage unto Heaven.
5. We expanded such that the Tribes of Sproo covered a third of the world of Blue Twin.
6. And those of us in the villages harvested the violets from the fields and the wood from the forests, and lived with work and plenty.
7. And those of us in the forests danced merrily and raised our children in happiness, though we lived on the meagre pickings of the forest.
8. And Sproo watched us and was happy for our joy.
9. So did he return to his ponderings, and devised many inventions of strange and wondrous use.
10. And also did he travel to the edges of our lands and teach and learn from the other great spirits of Blue Twin.
11. Until the day came when the forest could sustain no more of us.
12. "No matter," said we, "for we are content with our lives, what need is there for more?"
13. Yet when Sproo returned and saw this, he chided us for our selfishness.
14. "Let not your roots grow too deep in one place, my friends," did he say.
15. "Remain in the forest to long and you will forget how your brethren in the village work and prosper."
16. "Yet remain in the village too long and you will forget how your brethren in the forest play and love."
17. "And no Tribes, no matter how strong, will live in peace if they forget the other's struggles."
18. "Truly, the way of Leaf is like unto the seasons. A constant cycle of renewal."
19. And we hung our heads in shame, for in our happiness we had forgotten this.
20. And those of us in the forest moved into the village, and Sproo did escort a lucky few from the village back into the forests, that we may each enjoy the experience of each.
21. And such is the Cycle of Leaf unto this day.
Chapter 10: The False Prophets
1. So it was that as we lived in the Cycle of Leaf we saw many great spirits enter through the Gate.
2. Those that asked, Sproo would direct beyond our lands.
3. Those who grew tired of the mortal realm, and whose eyes did glaze, did Sproo ease their passage back unto Heaven.
4. Yet there were those who did not ask, and who did not glaze.
5. Of those, many attempted to pillage the Leaf Gate, yet Sproo had foreseen this happening and so had placed his most faithful warriors on the gate to guard it.
6. So strong was the devotion of the Guard that even though each day one member starved, none turned their back on Sproo, and they followed his orders without question.
7. And those that would pillage the leaf gate were struck down by the Guard without mercy or quarter.
8. What remained were the false prophets.
9. Those who would enter the gate and head off into our lands, and with flowery speeches and sweet-sounding lies attempt to convert the faithful to their cause.
10. And Sproo despaired that the Tribes might lose their way to such false prophets.
11. And so he gave unto each false prophet a single warning.
12. "Stop what you're doing now," spake he, "or I shall remove you from the forests of Blue Twin"
13. For those that heeded, Sproo held no animosity, and gave freely of the harvests of the violet fields, the forest quarries, and the wooded lands.
14. For those that did not, Sproo would pursue and destroy, for he would countenance none spreading falsehoods among us.
15. Yet they came in great number, and some of the Tribes, blinded by the false promises of the prophets, turned from Sproo, and this caused him great sadness.
16. And so it came to pass that Sproo found himself in a never ending pursuit of the next false prophet. For each one he destroyed, another seemed to take its place.
17. And Sproo grew weary of the chase.
Chapter 11: The New Apprentice
1. In Sproo's great weariness, he found his mind dwelling upon a thought.
2. That which cannot be endured must be destroyed.
3. That which can be neither endured nor destroyed must be controlled.
4. Sproo could no longer endure the false prophets.
5. Yet neither could he destroy them all himself, for they came like bees unto the fields.
6. And he dared not destroy the Gate, lest he need some passage back to Blue Twin himself one day.
7. So Sproo placed himself in deep thought about the question of how to control the false prophets
8. When lo, did a wondrous idea occur.
9. Perhaps instead of destroying the false prophets himself, he could enlist one of their own to do the task.
10. And so he did send word to the latest false prophet to enter Blue Twin seeking with him a discussion of terms.
11. And this false prophet's name was MysticMist.
12. And Sproo did say unto us, "Let some of the Tribes turn to follow MysticMist."
13. "That he may grow and prosper and aid us in our struggles against the many other prophets who would take our peace."
14. And unto MysticMist did Sproo grant that portion of Blue Twin that had been Daliana's.
15. Saying unto him, "This land defined by the great fence is to be yours."
16. "I ask only that you watch o'er the Gate for me while I run to the far reaches of the forest for my people."
17. And MysticMist did agree. And the arrangement did seem good.
18. So Sproo told us of this arrangement, and further said, "Perhaps this MysticMist may become my apprentice."
19. "So that I will teach him my wisdom, and together we shall ensure the peace of the forest."
20. And so Sproo did try to teach MysticMist, both in the magics and inventions he had discovered, and in his wisdom about the ways of Go-Krida.
21. And we were happy to see him do so.
Chapter 12: The Failed Apprentice
1. Yet when Sproo did try to teach MysticMist, he found the great spirit to be lacking in comprehension.
2. For MysticMist was unwilling to learn or recall, and would ask Sproo the same question for many weeks.
3. And each week Sproo would reply unto him, "I answered this before, but.." and supply the answer.
4. Yet still MysticMist did not learn.
5. And Sproo grew frustrated.
6. Until one day, as MysticMist crossed the leaf gate, he did ask yet again a question that Sproo had already answered.
7. And Sproo spake unto us, "What point the attempt to teach this one?"
8. "He treats my attempts to teach as offal, discarding them as fast as I may provide them."
9. "Yet he treats my time as the grains of sand in the desert, assuming I have an infinite amount, and that none of it be of any value."
10. "For this, I spit upon him, and cast him down from my outstretched arms."
11. "Let him carry himself, for I will carry him no longer."
12. "And let him suffer for every advantage I have given him."
13. And with each word Sproo spoke, he countenance grew more fierce, and we were afraid to look upon him.
Chapter 13: The Wrath of Sproo
1. "Guard!" cried Sproo, and we shook at his wrath, for we knew not what form it would take.
2. "Destroy this MysticMist! Let him see that his life holds as little value to me as my teachings do to him!"
3. And the Guard obeyed, catching MysticMist on the gate and tearing his body apart.
4. And MysticMist did call to Sproo for help, but his cries went unheeded.
5. So his soul was sent unto heaven.
6. Yet he gained a new body and returned to Blue Twin, and the Guard once again caught him and tore his body apart, leaving the flesh hanging from the trees around the gate as a warning of Sproo's wrath.
7. And this did happen three times in total.
8. And each time did MysticMist call for Sproo to end the Guard's assault on him.
9. Yet each time did Sproo ignore his pleas.
10. And at the last, we called unto Sproo, "No more! Punish him no more, for it terrifies us to see you so."
11. And Sproo heard us and relented.
12. And he hung his head in shame at what he had done.
13. "Forgive me, my Tribes," did he say, "for I allowed the hot blood of wrath to o'ertake my senses."
14. "I did not mean to frighten you so."
15. And we forgave him, and all was well between us.
Chapter 14: The Grand Design
1. Then did Sproo come to us with a wondrous discovery.
2. "Blue Twin is not the only world in the universe," did he say.
3. "And I have been blessed with the ability to speak to many others on far away worlds."
4. "Why I have even spoken with God."
5. "What sayeth God unto thee, Sproo?" did we ask, for we were most curious as to the wisdom of God.
6. And Sproo replied unto us with a sly smile "'Goodness', mostly."
7. And we were confused.
8. But Sproo spake unto us and said, "But what is important of this is that I am learning of a great many things, some of them exciting, some of them worrisome.
9. "All the worlds are feeling the pressures of so many souls, and many would pay dearly for such bounty as we have."
10. "Lo, listen to my plan," did he ask, and we waited to hear his idea.
11. "As you are now aware, the world is far larger than Blue Twin. There are rumours of people being able to access the worlds through other places than the gates."
12. "My people, if this is the case, I cannot guarantee our safety as we are now."
13. "For we cover a full-third of Blue Twin. Far too much for even such as myself to protect."
14. "So, I propose that we give up the majority of our territory. Keeping only the best land for ourselves, that we may grow and prosper in safety from foreign marauders."
15. "Yet we must do this quietly, for if others were to hear before we were prepared, there would be chaos. Thus you must agree to tell no-one."
16. And we did, for we could see the wisdom in his words.
17. "Now I shall go around the forests, spreading this plan and gathering our friends and relatives that we shall make a pilgrimage to the promised land."
18. "And this land we shall make into our stronghold, and develop not just a simple village, but a sophisticated town and perhaps even a mighty castle."
19. "And thus the Tribes shall be known and respected throughout the Universe."
Chapter 15: The Third War
1. So Sproo did set off on yet another journey. This time to gather the Tribes together into a great stronghold.
2. But it was not to be so simple as that.
3. While he was travelling, he received a call for help. It seems the great soul Tututkhamen, who had been living on Blue Twin peacefully, had gone mad.
4. He had turned and killed Zog with little warning.
5. When confronted with this act, he claimed that she had glazed, and that he was merely easing her passage unto Heaven, but was not believed.
6. Indeed, Zog herself responded from heaven that she did not believe she had glazed, though she had been in thought for a time.
7. Yet we urged Sproo not to turn away from our grand design, even as the other souls on Blue Twin requested his assistance.
8. And Sproo spake unto us, "I must aid them. Though not to sate the hot blood of revenge as some might assume."
9. Instead, I must go so we are assured that Tututkhamen will not later turn his eyes toward our stronghold.
10. So Sproo gathered a mighty force and set off into the hills of Zog's land.
11. And Sproo avoided direct conflict with Tututkhamen in the hills, instead settling hamlets that blocked Tututkhamen path and allowed others to catch up with him.
12. Many major souls died in that war, as Tututkhamen's forces were over a thousand strong, and few had the numbers to match him so far into the hills.
13. Finally, the great soul greenB did land the final blow, and we rejoiced.
14. Yet our rejoicing was shortlived, for Tututkhamen reappeared on a temple dedicated to the earth. Zog's last act had been to teach him arcane earth skills that allowed him to survive even fatal blows.
15. And Sproo did run through his forests, along long forgotten paths and roads little used, so that he could arrive at the temple quickly.
16. When he arrived, he joined Skajunma, who had slid along the water currents, and together they set mighty hamlets that trapped and eventually eliminated Tututkhamen from Blue Twin.
17. But over this time, the grand design had been left untended.
Chapter 16: The Second Coming of Eclipse
1. So did Sproo resume his spreading of the word of the grand design amongst the tribes.
2. First heading to the far north-easterly regions, where the war with Tututkhamen had raged.
3. And he went unto the guards he had left in the hills, and lamented for they were slowly starving.
4. And upon them he bestowed great praise and a wealth of nectar, for they had remained steadfast in case of Tututkhamen's return.
5. He moved the men into the north eastern towns in preparation for The Exodus, and they gathered the food from the fields for the trip.
6. Yet then at the leaf gate did Eclipse arrive.
7. And Eclipse's reputation was known unto the denizens of Blue Twin now, for he had taken on the mantle of the world destroyer, and even claimed some success over some far off worlds.
8. And he fell upon the remains of Guardsmen at the gate for many of them had gone with Sproo to stand in the third war.
9. Yet doing so was a foolish action, for though he might win, it would leave him much weakened and without the strength to resist a second attack.
10. So Sproo set to mobilizing the village nearest while the guardsmen fought in vain, and looked to take an overwhelming force to face Eclipse.
11. "Why do you spend so much time raising such a mighty army?" we asked of him.
12. He responded unto us, saying "For what reason would the world-destroyer doom himself?"
13. We thought perhaps he was over-confidant. Perhaps Blue Twin was not to his liking.
14. But Sproo spake unto us, "Perhaps it is a trap and his brethren have mastered the heavenly gates for transport."
15. "But know this, there is no trap that can hold the cautious soul."
16. And so we waited and listened to the anguished cries of the Guardsmen as they died.
17. Eventually the army was gathered, and Sproo moved to combat Eclipse, and we waited for the trap to be sprung.
18. But no trap occurred, and Eclipse was destroyed once again.
19. And Sproo turned unto us and begged our forgiveness for his caution had doomed many of the Tribesmen.
20. But we forgave him, for we understood his mind, and knew he had done that which he thought best.
21. Yet this is where we learned that even Sproo may make a mistake.
Chapter 17: The Exodus
1. Once again did Sproo turn to the grand design.
2. He had spread word throughout the forests and villages of the Tribes and we were eager to begin.
3. But on seeing our great numbers did he despair.
4 "How shall I move all of you to our new home in Rainbow Trickster? We are so many that we would starve even as we formed our procession."
5. And we too were at a loss for this problem.
6. Until Sproo took note of how a young leaf soul would follow harvesters back to a village, invariably causing the whole hamlet to retreat to the village in search of them.
7. And Sproo did laugh, for what had been a source of difficulty for us became a solution to him.
8. "Come my people of the village, I will take you to the forest outside and show you the correct path. After that, I leave it up to you to make your way to the next village."
9. "But how will we not get lost?" did we ask, because even though we followed the cycle of leaf, the forest beyond our villages was still unknown to many of us.
10. "Let the youngest lead you," he laughed, "for their curiosity will take you where you need to go."
11. So village by village did Sproo clear the great forest of the Tribes.
12. We would mobilize under Sproo's command and move clear of the village, and he would set us down and send harvesters to gather the wood and nectar, and we would follow them back to the next village while Sproo ran ahead.
13. And we did this from the whole of the great forest, eventually coming to rest in either the village of Rainbow Trickster in the promised land, or the outlying village of Goblin Moss.
14. And there were over 4000 of us in number, and the great reunion that ensued was a celebration that lasted many days.
15. We all rejoiced at our coming to the promised land and praised Sproo for his wisdom.
Chapter 18: The Planning of the Stronghold
1. "Let us rejoice!" called Sproo, "for we have reached the promised land and will build a stronghold to protect us from evil for now and evermore!"
2. Yet we looked upon the land and saw that it was no different from any of the other forests.
3. "But how is this land different from our forests before?" did we ask.
4. "Ah, my people. This land that will become our stronghold is different in that it takes the least from the other inhabitants of Blue Twin. We need fight no wars over this land."
5. The elders recognized Sproo's wisdom and nodded sagely.
6. "What shall we call this land?" did we ask unto him.
7. Sproo merely shrugged. "It will be our Stronghold. Call it as such."
8. And so we looked over the stronghold.
9. It was a land of forests and violet fields, surrounding the village of Rainbow Trickster and encompassing all that the harvesters of the village could reach in a day.
10. Sproo sat with the elders and planned its defence.
11. "My people. You cannot hope to withstand the might an Angel might bring on your own. Yet I may not always be instantly available.
12. If we have enough time, I can return and martial our strength.
13. And with enough time, the Leaf is an unstoppable force, growing through any and all cracks and fortifications.
14. And time is the ally of the defender prepared for siege.
15. And time is the enemy of the attacker who has fewer numbers.
16. So we must make sure that the time and the numbers are ours."
17. The elders agreed with Sproo, and so began planning a stronghold that would maximize the time an invader needed to reach the village at the center.
18. We would create a great system of walls and roads guarded by great hamlets in the forests such that an invader would have to cross at least two walls from any point, and would require such a force as to withstand two of the largest hamlets we could muster.
19. This would guarantee us time for Sproo to return and organize our defence.
20. And the roads would spiral from the outer edge to the central village itself.
21. Thus we could maintain the Cycle of Leaf even as we maintained our defence.
22. And over time, did the Tribes grow to making a town, and even a City.
23. But that is a tale for a different chapter, and a different book.
Chapter 19: The Second Coming of Lord Garion
1. Yet shortly after the planning had finished did Sproo come to us with a look of anger and urgency.
2. And we asked him what was troubling him so.
3. "LordGarion has returned," did he say unto us, "brought by Zog, the trusting fool."
4. The elders grew very concerned, and the young shoots grew wide eyed.
5. For all who had not been at the First War had heard of it.
6. And they knew that LordGarion was not to be trusted.
7. Indeed, it turned out to be so, for it was not long after that we heard that Zog had been slain at LordGarion's hand.
8. Sproo spake unto us, "Let this be a lesson of trust."
9. "Twice now has Zog's poor judgement of trust cost her her body."
10. "Twice now has she given us a threat on Blue Twin that we should not have had to endure. First allowing Tututkhamen to reanimate, and now allowing LordGarion to arrive safely."
11. "So let us always be twice twice sure that those who we trust are deserving."
12. "If their actions betray their words, we should expect to be betrayed."
13. "If their words betray their actions, we should expect to be betrayed."
14. "If they betray their allies, we should expect to be betrayed."
15. "If they ally with betrayers, we should expect to be betrayed."
16. And Sproo sent unto LordGarion an ultimatum.
17. "You are to leave Blue Twin immediately and by the fastest means possible. Your choice is only whether you go by way of Heaven or not."
18. LordGarion attempted to bargain with Sproo.
19. "Let me live in peace for two weeks, and I shall leave peacefully."
20. Yet Sproo did not trust his words and did tell him so.
21. And LordGarion attempted to ply Sproo with false reasons.
22. "If you attack me, I shall cause much destruction, and I shall be present for much longer than two weeks while you attempt to catch me."
23. The elders were concerned, for they could see some truth in these words
24. "Perhaps we should let him stay?" they did ask unto Sproo.
25. "And allow him to establish some fortification of his own?
26. "Better to endure some small hardship now than large hardship once the enemy is well positioned."
27. "Or have you forgotten the old plan to wipe out all Tribes save his own and those of Eclipse?"
28. With that, he turned and strode from the village, calling for the young shoots to join him and once again turn back destruction.
Chapter 20: The Hunt
1. So did Sproo leave the village of Yellow Goblin Moss in his quest to rid Blue Twin of LordGarion once more.
2. And from the waters rose Ithelruna, who would not countenance LordGarions' treatment of Zog.
3. She joined forces with Sproo and moved to guard one of the largest of Zog's old earth tribes on the Earth Temple, protecting them from his being able to reach them and ply them with lies of riches.
4. As Sproo approached with a mighty force, four figures strong, LordGarion turned and ran, for the forces of Zog's were not so easily converted, and he could not stand against such an army.
5. Hence did Sproo give chase out of the forests and across the hills to the east.
6. LordGarion chose a place to leave his minions and run on alone, hoping that Sproo's army would hold him back.
7. Yet Sproo was wise with the paths of Blue Twin, and knew shortcuts that enabled him to gain on LordGarion
8. However, we could not keep pace, and begged Sproo to let us stop, though it shamed us to do so.
9. Those who were there say they shall never forget his face as he nodded. It had returned to the days of his failed apprentice, and we knew there would be no end to this but bloodshed.
10. And Sproo, seeing the lead that LordGarion had, was solemn.
11. So he called out to the residents of Blue Twin, offering a great bounty of elemental materials and foodstuffs for those who would kill lordgarion.
12. But the other major souls on Blue Twin were of great distance away and so could not provide aid as quickly as it would be needed.
13. For many days did the two run, yet each mile they ran, did Sproo slowly gain ground.
14. For Blue Twin was his home and he had lain many of the roads himself, and knew them by the feel of the cobblestones under his feet.
15. To the far east they ran, where they came to the lands of illniyar and were forced to turn north.
16. To the far north they ran, where they came to edge of the world and were forced to turn west.
17. And as they ran to the west, Sproo cursed the timing.
18. For it had not been long before when these forests that they now ran through teemed with the Tribes.
19. Yet the Tribes had moved to their new homeland, and so were not there to bring an end to this chase.
20. Thus did Sproo learn the law of unintended consequences.
21. He vowed, from thenceforth, to always have a guard on every square of the Tribes that he could.
22. And so they ran to the west until they reached the edge of the world, where they had to turn south once more.
23. And here Sproo laughed, for he saw LordGarion had come to the great fence that had marked the edge of MysticMists' land so long ago.
24. So was he forced to turn and run along the great fence, but Sproo knew that along that path lay a cul-de-sac.
25. And Sproo was confident that he would soon be able to trap LordGarion and bring an end to his existence on Blue Twin.
26. But alas, he was wrong.
Chapter 21: The Emergence of Dworkin
1. From the Leaf Gate did emerge a soul with the name of Dworkin.
2. And he set an immediate course to intercept Sproo in his relentless pursuit of LordGarion.
3. Sproo did hail him cautiously, for this new soul was of similar appearance to LordGarion.
4. And we were sore afraid that he was some strange familiar of LordGarion's brought to life, though the rules of Heaven lay against it.5. And so did Sproo spake unto Heaven and the ArchAngels. Asking for their advice.
6. But they advised that it was not so.
7. So did Sproo contact this Dworkin in good faith, and asked him to halt his movement.
8. For Sproo had well learned the lesson of the false prophets and tricksters who would seek to attack any who came near.
9. Dworkin did profess he was of peaceful intent and would make no move against Sproo, though he made no move to stop his course.
10. And we watched with great concern as Dworkin entered the same lands as Sproo.
11. All seemed peaceful for a time as Sproo continued on and Dworkin made no move against him.
12. Yet it was not to be, for of a sudden, Dworkin commanded his army into melee with Sproo's meagre forces.
13. It was for nought however, as Sproo was already well away into the forest, leaving Dworkin to posture helplessly in melee with an invisible opponent.
14. And Sproo spake unto Dworkin, telling him that there would be no mercy for him, but that as the threat he posed was small, there remained time for him to contemplate his next life.
15. We questioned Sproo on this, for Dworkin was a new soul, and perhaps had been seduced by LordGarion's lies.
16. And Sproo saw this and relented. "Forgive me, my peoples, my anger has grown great since LordGarion has chosen to pollute the very thoughts and discussions that the Angels have with each other.
17. And a trick supplied by the ArchAngels is now being abused to no good ends.
18. Thus has my mind has been much occupied to no good purpose cleaning the filth, and indeed it may have infected my own thoughts.
19. Perhaps I was o'erhasty."
20. Thus did Sproo spake unto Dworkin once more, "I acted too hasty in my last. Perhaps you did not know what you were doing, or were deceived by LordGarion. I say unto you now, leave me and my Tribes in peace and I will leave you the same."
21. And so did Sproo arrive at the cul-de-sac, having called several new shoots to him from Heaven, to find LordGarion already climbing the fence.
22. So he prepared magiks that were sure to bring LordGarion down.
23. Alas, chance intervened, or perhaps the pollution across the forums by LordGarion had distracted his spell-weaving abilities.
24. Whatever the cause, Sproo's magiks fizzled and smoked and caused Sproo to be delayed while LordGarion finished his climb across the fence.
25. Yet behind him came Dworkin, who had given no answer to Sproo's request for peace.
26. This time it was Sproo hampered by the fence, and Dworkin's warriors caught a few Tribe members who were not quick enough climbing, and they pulled them down cruelly from the fence and sent them back to the First Tree.
27. At that point, did Sproo add Dworkin to the Bounty, and spake unto him:
28. Use what time you have on Blue Twin wisely.
29. For you shall not remain long beyond LordGarion's passing.
Chapter 22: The Foiling of the First Trap
1. Still did LordGarion run and Sproo give chase.
2. Once more, to our shame, we were unable to keep pace with Sproo and so begged him to go on without us.
3. "Hold not your failings against yourself," did he say unto us, "unless you have not tried your utmost."
4. And we took comfort in his words, for we and he knew that we would do nothing less for him.
5. So did Sproo proceed through the forest roads alone after LordGarion.
6. It became obvious that sooner or later Sproo would catch his quarry, as the other souls of Blue Twin were finally nearing, and LordGarion would soon have nowhere safe to flee.
7. Thus did LordGarion's first attempt to catch Sproo unawares did occur.
8. Late one night, as he had just escaped Sproo once more, did he summon but a few earth souls to him from Heaven.
9. And these he settled with orders to kill any who would come through the land before running off once more.
10. Fortunately, Sproo's time in the forests had made him alert to such happenings.
11. Or perhaps the trees themselves whispered to him what had occurred up ahead.
12. Thus did Sproo know of the trap and changed his course to avoid it, though it cost him many hours that he would have to make up again.
13. And we heard that in the Angelic discussions did LordGarion attempt to brand Sproo as a coward for not heedlessly rushing forward.. as LordGarion himself had done once so long ago.
14. And we saw that Sproo's answer was to smile grimly and proceed around the trap.
15. For an accusation of cowardice is wasted words.
16. As those who are cowards already know it in their hearts.
17. And those who are not feel no sting from the insult.
Chapter 23: The Foiling of the Second Trap
1. As Sproo proceeded around the trap, LordGarion was able to turn back, coming to Yellow Goblin Moss where so many of us had settled.
2. The young shoots were all eager to participate, and many threatened to chase down LordGarion themselves.
3. Sproo did chide them for their foolishness.
4. "Stay indoors," did he warn us
5. "For in the village there is no room to mount the army that you would need to catch an Angel."
6. So we did as Sproo bade us, and when we saw LordGarion move through the village we were indeed afraid.
7. For many of us had not seen the terrible majesty of an Earth Angel before.
8. Or felt the ground tremble as he strode through our village.
9. Yet from the north west did Dworkin also approach.
10. And Sproo saw this and was concerned.
11. For while he had no doubt he could end LordGarion's existence while in Yellow Goblin Moss, he was not sure he could yet withstand a joint attack of two angels.
12. And so he spake unto Dworkin, "If LordGarion has tempted you to enter that village, I urge you to stop now.
13. For if you do so enter, I will be forced to turn my attention to you, lest you convert my Tribes against me."
14. And Dworkin did feign ignorance of such a possibility, but Sproo persisted.
15. "Do not be complacent. LordGarion knows as well as I that in Yellow Goblin Moss you would be the larger threat to me than he, lest my tribes decide to follow you.
16. And he will use the opportunity not to aid you, for you mean nothing to him, but rather to run further away and gather his own forces while I deal with you myself.
17. Be no patsy for LordGarion who has already betrayed Zog, who aided him before."
18. And Dworkin seemed to take heed, for he stopped his advancement, which heartened Sproo considerably.
19. For he knew that he would be through the village now before Dworkin could enter it.
20. Thus was the second trap foiled.
Chapter 24: The Battle
1. Thus did the chase resume, but now others of Blue Twin were approaching
2. Also the paths to ready stores of earthen souls had been removed, so reinforcements available for LordGarion were few.
3. Lo, there were but two hamlets left that were friendly to LordGarion, and Sproo had maneuvered to block LordGarion's access to one, so he went to the second and began recruiting them into a force to make his final stand.
4. Sproo left off the chase an instead turned to the other hamlet.
5. The young shoots begged him to continue and strike down LordGarion whilst he recruited.
6. Yet did spake Sproo, "He would merely leave off recruiting and come to the second hamlet, thereby gaining forces to outnumber us."
7. So instead did we strike the other hamlet.
8. LordGarion seeing this, left off his recruitment early to come assist his fellows, hoping to fall upon us whilst we were locked in bloody combat with the earthen folks, striking them down with our grass blades and suffering under their mighty picks.
9. And indeed he did, and brought to bear once again the yellow sparks of forcebolts to try and dwindle our numbers before we concluded our combat.
10. In this, he was aided by fortunate happenstance.
11. The time governor wobbled, and LordGarion suddenly released not one, but two forcebolts in quick succession.
12. And Sproo grew gravely concerned, for his calculations had not taken into account the vagaries of time.
13. "Fight for your lives!" he called, for he knew they did indeed depend on it.
14. So emboldened we fought even harder than before, but it was not enough. LordGarion's magics had weakened our number enough that it would take another round of combat against his settled hamlet.
15. In the distance, we could see the great soul Talons approaching with reinforcements, but he was too far to be of assistance yet.
16. Whilst Sproo urged us on, the oldest members, those closest to them, heard his dark thoughts.
17. "Woe is come unto us," he did spake, "for I did not think LordGarion's men would arrive so soon, nor take into account the vagaries of the Time Governor."
18. We tried to reassure him that neither could have been predicted but he was not consolable.
19. "I fear I have doomed us for nought," did he say, "for the outcome of this battle now rests in LordGarion's hands."
20. Then the flutes played, telling of victory over the earthen hamlet, and Sproo's ears perked.
21. "What be this trickery?" he asked.
22. And we told him there was no trickery. We had defeated the foes.
23. "But how? Has not LordGarion reinforced them?"
24. And we answered that he had not.
25. At this Sproo did leap from his sadness, and began to hurriedly call out orders, telling us to settle quickly and send warning shots across the host of LordGarion's armies that they would turn to prepare for battle.
26. While we did this, Sproo prepared his own magics, and Talons did join him and add his magics to the fray.
27. Thus it came to pass that while we had LordGarion occupied with his forces, Talons flowed around behind and laid waste to his rear flank with magical attacks, finishing off LordGarion and his forces.
28. So there came a time of Peace to the Tribes.
Chapter 25: The Repayment
1. During the time of peace, Sproo had much work ahead of him, for he had promised huge amounts of our stores and many strange elemental items to those who would help him rid the world of LordGarion and his associates.
2. The angel Talons had landed the final blow to LordGarion, so to him went the bulk of the spoils.
3. And so great was the weight that even with nearly 2000 members of the tribes, it was all we could do to carry it.
4. Yet this was new to us, for not long before Sproo himself would have been able to shoulder the load with no difficulty.
5. "What has happened?" we did ask him, "where has your great strength gone?"
6. So did he speak unto us, "It is the aging of the universe."
7. "Just as the oak changes from seedling to shoot, from sapling to tree, so does the universe change."
8. "Each stage will be different from the last, better in some ways, worse in others."
9. And as he shifted the great weight on his shoulders (for even weakened, he could still carry far more than the mightiest of us) he grinned ruefully, and spake "This is just one of the worse."
10. "Take heart though, for when we have finished our work, we will see about finding the better."
11. And so we did, and we learned that even the Angels change.
The Book of the Tribes
This wonderful peace of part fiction, part fact was written by Sproo's tribes, and compiled by Sproo. It tells the story of early Blue Twin. - archived by JWRTolkien, reposted by XiaoMu
Chapter 1: The Emergence
1. And so we emerged from heaven into a strange and harsh world.
2. "What place is this?" we cried.
3. Thus did answer Sproo, "This is our new home. Let us explore and see what can be found."
4. So we left the gate, into the harsh desert that was the world. And we suffered the elements.
5. And Sproo looked upon the desert and our suffering and spake, "This is not good. Let us build thickets and woods, that we might take shade from the sun, and that our feet be not burned by the sand, and that the land be not parched." And so we did as he spake, and were better for it.
6. And Sproo called water from the depths of the earth, which slaked our thirst, and moistened the ground, and we rejoiced.
7. But the desert surrounding our forest quickly drained the water, and the land became parched once more.
8. Sproo saw this and was not pleased, "Let us build larger forests, that the land might not suffer this harshness, and that water be readily available for us and our loved ones." And we did as he spake, and were better for it.
9. Yet once larger forests were built, we settled into a hamlet and grew complacent.
10. And Sproo watched us and was happy.
11. "Let us build a village," he declared, "So that we might harvest the good of the forests and violet fields we have created, and that our sons and daughters need never know the fear of starvation as we first did."
12. And we saw that this was a good idea, and did as Sproo suggested, and were better for it.
Chapter 2: The Invention
1. While we lived our merry lives, multiplied and were fruitful, Sproo engaged in deep thought over many days.
2. "Let us speak of Diplomacy" he declared when he left off his thinking.
3. "I have invented a way that we might convince others to join us and understand our ways."
4. And we listened to Sproo and knew he was correct and were excited. It would be a good thing to bring our peace and happiness to others.
5. Yet Sproo looked disturbed, "You do not understand," he said unto us.
6. Once more Sproo returned to his thoughts, and we discussed his invention and watched as other tribes entered the world and headed in their different directions.
7. Eventually Sproo came to us once more and declared, "I have discovered the Fundamentals of Sorcery! I can kill people with but a thought, and with no risk to those who accompany me."
8. And we were confused as to what use this frightful magic would be. For there were no threats in our land.
9. And Sproo replied, "We know of no threats, but we do not know the whole of the world. Perhaps there are threats elsewhere. Perhaps some tribes will not be peaceful to us."
10. And we hotly debated this question. Of course there could be threats, but if we could not see them, why worry about them. One might as well worry about the sky falling, though there is nothing one could do if it did.
11. And Sproo, realizing we did not believe spake.
12. "I shall go and explore. If there are no threats, than we need not be worried, but if there are, it would be good for us to know where they lay."
13. And we agreed with Sproo and he departed from us.
Chapter 3: The Short Long Walk
1. We watched tearfully as Sproo left us with only a handful of our best gatherers. We did not know where he was going, nor did he.
2. "I shall plant forests and paths as I go, that we may never again have to suffer the tribulations of the desert," he declared, and there was some happiness to be found in that.
3. It was many weeks before Sproo returned, and when he did it was with much urgency.
4. "I have been far, laid many forests, and many hamlets. I return to you now because our help has been requested. There is war in the south east.
5. And we were sore afraid. What use this war to us, asked the elders, and Sproo replied, "Do you think the war will not eventually spread here in any event? Best to help end it now, before those who act have grown too strong for us to withstand."
6. And, because of our love for Sproo, we listened to his words and many of us joined him.
Chapter 4: The First War
1. As we travelled, we asked Sproo our many questions. Who was this war for? Who was in the wrong? Who was in the right?
2. And as we travelled, Sproo told us what he knew. The war was between the great souls Christopher, Illniyar, and Zog, though it seemed none were sure of exactly who they fought for.
3. And we joined the war. And some of us died. And then Sproo came to us with a look of shame.
4. "I have received messages from those we fight against. They say our allies seek to betray us. I do not know what to believe."
5. And there was a great confusion. "Why are we here?" asked some, and Sproo had no reply.
6. And there was a great debate on whether to trust our supposed friend or our supposed enemy. Eventually Sproo said, "Let us stay with our friend, but not commit ourselves overmuch, 'lest he not be our true friend," and we agreed with this course of action.
7. So we aided our friend lightly, until we saw a sign of betrayal, as He turned away and left us to take the full wrath of our enemy's blow, yet our enemy cancelled their blow, and turned instead to follow our friend, and so we knew they spake truth.
8. "Let this be a lesson to us all," declared Sproo, "we shall not trust any man or woman by their words, but by their actions. Their words may be a sign of betrayal or loyalty, but their actions will always reveal their true intentions."
9. And so we left The War. And our betrayer died. And we took his lands as our spoils, and established peace with our supposed opponents, Zog and illniyar.
Chapter 5: The Forming Ocean
1. And so we continued to be fruitful and multiply while Sproo travelled the land, building thickets on the deserts and villages on the thickets.
2. To the east was the earthen hills of Zog, the buffer between us and the forests of illniyar. And she taught us the secrets of stone-working and roadbuilding.
3. To the north-west was Daliana, who tirelessly worked on her own lands, changing the deserts to forest.
4. To the south-east was LordGarion, who was also building forests for his people.
5. To the south was Skajunma and Ithelruna. Powerful water spirits who had been creating a wide ocean on Blue Twin, and those of us in the South were growing concerned, as the ocean was beginning to lap up onto our fields and into our homes.
6. And illniyar headed to plug the water-gate, the source of water spirits, who were continuing to add to the ocean.
7. And he was trapped and killed by Skajunma and those who followed her, and we were sore afraid, for Skajunma's numbers were large and comparable to our own.
Chapter 6: LordGarion and the Second War
1. Our friend Zog had spake to Sproo, warning him that LordGarion and Eclipse, a great spirit who had taken some small residence at the Gate, were planning to take over the whole of the forests of Blue Twin, leaving only themselves and their tribes to occupy it.
2. So Sproo did come to us and warn us of this unholy alliance and we begged him to protect us.
3. Thus Sproo selected a number of our best warriors and head to LordGarion's lands.
4 The battle between them raged for many days and nights, with Sproo using guile to avoid being trapped by LordGarion's superior numbers.
5. At first we engaged LordGarion's forces directly, and the two cast many terrible magicks at one another, so that the sparks lit the night sky.
6. Yet LordGarion held the advantage, for we were on his lands and he had the strength of numbers.
7. So Sproo called unto us, "Retreat! We must run if we are to survive!" and we did run.
8. LordGarion gave pursuit but soon found that our smaller force easily outran his army, so did he settle many of them into the village he was at and resumed the chase.
9. And Sproo commanded us, "Dig, my warriors! Build us bunkers for safety that his men will not find us ready targets when they arrive." And so we dug.
10. And LordGarion and his men came upon us and once again the magicks of him and Sproo made the night into day.
11. And once again Sproo called unto us, "Retreat! We must run if we are to survive!" but this time he did direct us deeper into LordGarion's lands.
12. "What madness is this?" we asked, "We shall surely perish if we run that direction. Let us run toward our own lands instead!"
13. And Sproo spake to us, "As you love me and have faith in me, trust in me as your commander, for I will lead us unto victory." So as we did love him and had faith in him, we placed our trust in his command and ran toward the depths of LordGarion's land.
14. Then the cry went up from behind as LordGarion's men began to give chase and we cried "Woe is unto us!" but Sproo smiled in a most dangerous way.
15. So we ran, but just before we would have entered LordGarion's village, Sproo called to us, "Now halt! Each of us, quickly to the ground and into the trees! Let no sound escape, no sight of you be seen!" And we did as he commanded.
16. As we hid, we watched LordGarion's army run past in hot pursuit. Not seeing us on the path they redoubled their efforts, and we were sore-afraid as they ran by, lest they find us in our hiding places and fall upon us and kill us.
17. Yet they did not, and so they ran past us, so close that we could have reached out and touched them, had we dared.
18. And once they were past, Sproo lept from his hiding place with a laugh and began to chant, and the yellow sparks flew from his hands, killing many of LordGarion's men from behind.
19. When LordGarion reached the village and found us not there and his men's rear flank destroyed, great was his anger, and his rage blinded him to how his army was now smaller than our own, having settled many to match our speed and then having many more destroyed by Sproo's cunning.
20. So once more Sproo commanded us to dig bunkers, and once more LordGarion and his men came to attack, and once more yellow sparks flew between Sproo and LordGarion.
21. Yet this time Sproo did not call for a retreat.
22. This time, we stood our ground with Sproo, and when the magicks were expended we turned to hand to hand combat.
23. And in the end, we were victorious, and LordGarion lay vanquished.
Chapter 7: The Second War and Eclipse
1. Yet there was still the great soul Eclipse to deal with, who had a course set direct to one of our villages where his silver tongue would convert them and leave us and Sproo badly outnumbered, with no place to retreat.
2. We urged Sproo to run on his own, for what few of us were left were wounded, and would slow him down.
3. Sproo spake, "This Eclipse shall not harm that village, though I die in protecting it."
4. And we said unto Sproo, "And we for you, but go now, before it is too late."
5. And so he ran.
6. And he beat Eclipse to the village, and while Eclipse and his troops climbed the great fence, Sproo mustered the villagers from their bunks and prepared them to meet Eclipse.
7. Eclipse's men landed in an ambush within the village and swiftly perished, followed by Eclipse himself.
8. After this, no longer did we doubt Sproo's word when he brought forward concerns to us, for we had seen with our own eyes how a threat could come upon us before we were aware of it.
Chapter 8: The Equator
1. Though victorious, the battle had left us weary and mournful. For we had lost many friends and loved ones.
2. Yet still the ocean approached our land.
3. So Sproo spake unto us, "I will go into LordGarion's lands and speak to the tribes there, that they might see how together we may stop this ocean.
4. And being sore and tired from battle, we agreed.
5. And the tribes of LordGarion joined us, and swelled our ranks.
6. So Sproo contacted the great spirit Ithelruna, and proposed to her a truce.
7. "We have no need of quarrel, you have the southern reaches of the planet, and I have the north. Surely this is enough to satisfy us. Let us agree that you shall not raise the ocean beyond the middle line, and my tribes will not set foot in the ocean that you raise."
8. And Ithelruna and Skajunma saw the mighty force that Sproo could amass on the edge of the water, and realized that any battle would be long and truly bloody, and so did agree to this truce as the best for their own tribes as well.
9. So the Equator of Blue Twin was formed, and so peace reigned between the great spirits.
Chapter 9: The Cycle of Leaf
1. Then came a time of great plenty.
2. We grew, and spread, and multiplied, and were happy.
3. We expanded north-west, as the great spirit Daliana grew tired of the mortal realm, and her soul fled her body, leaving her eyes glazed, and Sproo eased her passage unto Heaven.
4. We expanded north-east, as the great spirit Pauluss grew tired of the mortal realm, and his soul fled his body, leaving his eyes glazed, and Sproo eased his passage unto Heaven.
5. We expanded such that the Tribes of Sproo covered a third of the world of Blue Twin.
6. And those of us in the villages harvested the violets from the fields and the wood from the forests, and lived with work and plenty.
7. And those of us in the forests danced merrily and raised our children in happiness, though we lived on the meagre pickings of the forest.
8. And Sproo watched us and was happy for our joy.
9. So did he return to his ponderings, and devised many inventions of strange and wondrous use.
10. And also did he travel to the edges of our lands and teach and learn from the other great spirits of Blue Twin.
11. Until the day came when the forest could sustain no more of us.
12. "No matter," said we, "for we are content with our lives, what need is there for more?"
13. Yet when Sproo returned and saw this, he chided us for our selfishness.
14. "Let not your roots grow too deep in one place, my friends," did he say.
15. "Remain in the forest to long and you will forget how your brethren in the village work and prosper."
16. "Yet remain in the village too long and you will forget how your brethren in the forest play and love."
17. "And no Tribes, no matter how strong, will live in peace if they forget the other's struggles."
18. "Truly, the way of Leaf is like unto the seasons. A constant cycle of renewal."
19. And we hung our heads in shame, for in our happiness we had forgotten this.
20. And those of us in the forest moved into the village, and Sproo did escort a lucky few from the village back into the forests, that we may each enjoy the experience of each.
21. And such is the Cycle of Leaf unto this day.
Chapter 10: The False Prophets
1. So it was that as we lived in the Cycle of Leaf we saw many great spirits enter through the Gate.
2. Those that asked, Sproo would direct beyond our lands.
3. Those who grew tired of the mortal realm, and whose eyes did glaze, did Sproo ease their passage back unto Heaven.
4. Yet there were those who did not ask, and who did not glaze.
5. Of those, many attempted to pillage the Leaf Gate, yet Sproo had foreseen this happening and so had placed his most faithful warriors on the gate to guard it.
6. So strong was the devotion of the Guard that even though each day one member starved, none turned their back on Sproo, and they followed his orders without question.
7. And those that would pillage the leaf gate were struck down by the Guard without mercy or quarter.
8. What remained were the false prophets.
9. Those who would enter the gate and head off into our lands, and with flowery speeches and sweet-sounding lies attempt to convert the faithful to their cause.
10. And Sproo despaired that the Tribes might lose their way to such false prophets.
11. And so he gave unto each false prophet a single warning.
12. "Stop what you're doing now," spake he, "or I shall remove you from the forests of Blue Twin"
13. For those that heeded, Sproo held no animosity, and gave freely of the harvests of the violet fields, the forest quarries, and the wooded lands.
14. For those that did not, Sproo would pursue and destroy, for he would countenance none spreading falsehoods among us.
15. Yet they came in great number, and some of the Tribes, blinded by the false promises of the prophets, turned from Sproo, and this caused him great sadness.
16. And so it came to pass that Sproo found himself in a never ending pursuit of the next false prophet. For each one he destroyed, another seemed to take its place.
17. And Sproo grew weary of the chase.
Chapter 11: The New Apprentice
1. In Sproo's great weariness, he found his mind dwelling upon a thought.
2. That which cannot be endured must be destroyed.
3. That which can be neither endured nor destroyed must be controlled.
4. Sproo could no longer endure the false prophets.
5. Yet neither could he destroy them all himself, for they came like bees unto the fields.
6. And he dared not destroy the Gate, lest he need some passage back to Blue Twin himself one day.
7. So Sproo placed himself in deep thought about the question of how to control the false prophets
8. When lo, did a wondrous idea occur.
9. Perhaps instead of destroying the false prophets himself, he could enlist one of their own to do the task.
10. And so he did send word to the latest false prophet to enter Blue Twin seeking with him a discussion of terms.
11. And this false prophet's name was MysticMist.
12. And Sproo did say unto us, "Let some of the Tribes turn to follow MysticMist."
13. "That he may grow and prosper and aid us in our struggles against the many other prophets who would take our peace."
14. And unto MysticMist did Sproo grant that portion of Blue Twin that had been Daliana's.
15. Saying unto him, "This land defined by the great fence is to be yours."
16. "I ask only that you watch o'er the Gate for me while I run to the far reaches of the forest for my people."
17. And MysticMist did agree. And the arrangement did seem good.
18. So Sproo told us of this arrangement, and further said, "Perhaps this MysticMist may become my apprentice."
19. "So that I will teach him my wisdom, and together we shall ensure the peace of the forest."
20. And so Sproo did try to teach MysticMist, both in the magics and inventions he had discovered, and in his wisdom about the ways of Go-Krida.
21. And we were happy to see him do so.
Chapter 12: The Failed Apprentice
1. Yet when Sproo did try to teach MysticMist, he found the great spirit to be lacking in comprehension.
2. For MysticMist was unwilling to learn or recall, and would ask Sproo the same question for many weeks.
3. And each week Sproo would reply unto him, "I answered this before, but.." and supply the answer.
4. Yet still MysticMist did not learn.
5. And Sproo grew frustrated.
6. Until one day, as MysticMist crossed the leaf gate, he did ask yet again a question that Sproo had already answered.
7. And Sproo spake unto us, "What point the attempt to teach this one?"
8. "He treats my attempts to teach as offal, discarding them as fast as I may provide them."
9. "Yet he treats my time as the grains of sand in the desert, assuming I have an infinite amount, and that none of it be of any value."
10. "For this, I spit upon him, and cast him down from my outstretched arms."
11. "Let him carry himself, for I will carry him no longer."
12. "And let him suffer for every advantage I have given him."
13. And with each word Sproo spoke, he countenance grew more fierce, and we were afraid to look upon him.
Chapter 13: The Wrath of Sproo
1. "Guard!" cried Sproo, and we shook at his wrath, for we knew not what form it would take.
2. "Destroy this MysticMist! Let him see that his life holds as little value to me as my teachings do to him!"
3. And the Guard obeyed, catching MysticMist on the gate and tearing his body apart.
4. And MysticMist did call to Sproo for help, but his cries went unheeded.
5. So his soul was sent unto heaven.
6. Yet he gained a new body and returned to Blue Twin, and the Guard once again caught him and tore his body apart, leaving the flesh hanging from the trees around the gate as a warning of Sproo's wrath.
7. And this did happen three times in total.
8. And each time did MysticMist call for Sproo to end the Guard's assault on him.
9. Yet each time did Sproo ignore his pleas.
10. And at the last, we called unto Sproo, "No more! Punish him no more, for it terrifies us to see you so."
11. And Sproo heard us and relented.
12. And he hung his head in shame at what he had done.
13. "Forgive me, my Tribes," did he say, "for I allowed the hot blood of wrath to o'ertake my senses."
14. "I did not mean to frighten you so."
15. And we forgave him, and all was well between us.
Chapter 14: The Grand Design
1. Then did Sproo come to us with a wondrous discovery.
2. "Blue Twin is not the only world in the universe," did he say.
3. "And I have been blessed with the ability to speak to many others on far away worlds."
4. "Why I have even spoken with God."
5. "What sayeth God unto thee, Sproo?" did we ask, for we were most curious as to the wisdom of God.
6. And Sproo replied unto us with a sly smile "'Goodness', mostly."
7. And we were confused.
8. But Sproo spake unto us and said, "But what is important of this is that I am learning of a great many things, some of them exciting, some of them worrisome.
9. "All the worlds are feeling the pressures of so many souls, and many would pay dearly for such bounty as we have."
10. "Lo, listen to my plan," did he ask, and we waited to hear his idea.
11. "As you are now aware, the world is far larger than Blue Twin. There are rumours of people being able to access the worlds through other places than the gates."
12. "My people, if this is the case, I cannot guarantee our safety as we are now."
13. "For we cover a full-third of Blue Twin. Far too much for even such as myself to protect."
14. "So, I propose that we give up the majority of our territory. Keeping only the best land for ourselves, that we may grow and prosper in safety from foreign marauders."
15. "Yet we must do this quietly, for if others were to hear before we were prepared, there would be chaos. Thus you must agree to tell no-one."
16. And we did, for we could see the wisdom in his words.
17. "Now I shall go around the forests, spreading this plan and gathering our friends and relatives that we shall make a pilgrimage to the promised land."
18. "And this land we shall make into our stronghold, and develop not just a simple village, but a sophisticated town and perhaps even a mighty castle."
19. "And thus the Tribes shall be known and respected throughout the Universe."
Chapter 15: The Third War
1. So Sproo did set off on yet another journey. This time to gather the Tribes together into a great stronghold.
2. But it was not to be so simple as that.
3. While he was travelling, he received a call for help. It seems the great soul Tututkhamen, who had been living on Blue Twin peacefully, had gone mad.
4. He had turned and killed Zog with little warning.
5. When confronted with this act, he claimed that she had glazed, and that he was merely easing her passage unto Heaven, but was not believed.
6. Indeed, Zog herself responded from heaven that she did not believe she had glazed, though she had been in thought for a time.
7. Yet we urged Sproo not to turn away from our grand design, even as the other souls on Blue Twin requested his assistance.
8. And Sproo spake unto us, "I must aid them. Though not to sate the hot blood of revenge as some might assume."
9. Instead, I must go so we are assured that Tututkhamen will not later turn his eyes toward our stronghold.
10. So Sproo gathered a mighty force and set off into the hills of Zog's land.
11. And Sproo avoided direct conflict with Tututkhamen in the hills, instead settling hamlets that blocked Tututkhamen path and allowed others to catch up with him.
12. Many major souls died in that war, as Tututkhamen's forces were over a thousand strong, and few had the numbers to match him so far into the hills.
13. Finally, the great soul greenB did land the final blow, and we rejoiced.
14. Yet our rejoicing was shortlived, for Tututkhamen reappeared on a temple dedicated to the earth. Zog's last act had been to teach him arcane earth skills that allowed him to survive even fatal blows.
15. And Sproo did run through his forests, along long forgotten paths and roads little used, so that he could arrive at the temple quickly.
16. When he arrived, he joined Skajunma, who had slid along the water currents, and together they set mighty hamlets that trapped and eventually eliminated Tututkhamen from Blue Twin.
17. But over this time, the grand design had been left untended.
Chapter 16: The Second Coming of Eclipse
1. So did Sproo resume his spreading of the word of the grand design amongst the tribes.
2. First heading to the far north-easterly regions, where the war with Tututkhamen had raged.
3. And he went unto the guards he had left in the hills, and lamented for they were slowly starving.
4. And upon them he bestowed great praise and a wealth of nectar, for they had remained steadfast in case of Tututkhamen's return.
5. He moved the men into the north eastern towns in preparation for The Exodus, and they gathered the food from the fields for the trip.
6. Yet then at the leaf gate did Eclipse arrive.
7. And Eclipse's reputation was known unto the denizens of Blue Twin now, for he had taken on the mantle of the world destroyer, and even claimed some success over some far off worlds.
8. And he fell upon the remains of Guardsmen at the gate for many of them had gone with Sproo to stand in the third war.
9. Yet doing so was a foolish action, for though he might win, it would leave him much weakened and without the strength to resist a second attack.
10. So Sproo set to mobilizing the village nearest while the guardsmen fought in vain, and looked to take an overwhelming force to face Eclipse.
11. "Why do you spend so much time raising such a mighty army?" we asked of him.
12. He responded unto us, saying "For what reason would the world-destroyer doom himself?"
13. We thought perhaps he was over-confidant. Perhaps Blue Twin was not to his liking.
14. But Sproo spake unto us, "Perhaps it is a trap and his brethren have mastered the heavenly gates for transport."
15. "But know this, there is no trap that can hold the cautious soul."
16. And so we waited and listened to the anguished cries of the Guardsmen as they died.
17. Eventually the army was gathered, and Sproo moved to combat Eclipse, and we waited for the trap to be sprung.
18. But no trap occurred, and Eclipse was destroyed once again.
19. And Sproo turned unto us and begged our forgiveness for his caution had doomed many of the Tribesmen.
20. But we forgave him, for we understood his mind, and knew he had done that which he thought best.
21. Yet this is where we learned that even Sproo may make a mistake.
Chapter 17: The Exodus
1. Once again did Sproo turn to the grand design.
2. He had spread word throughout the forests and villages of the Tribes and we were eager to begin.
3. But on seeing our great numbers did he despair.
4 "How shall I move all of you to our new home in Rainbow Trickster? We are so many that we would starve even as we formed our procession."
5. And we too were at a loss for this problem.
6. Until Sproo took note of how a young leaf soul would follow harvesters back to a village, invariably causing the whole hamlet to retreat to the village in search of them.
7. And Sproo did laugh, for what had been a source of difficulty for us became a solution to him.
8. "Come my people of the village, I will take you to the forest outside and show you the correct path. After that, I leave it up to you to make your way to the next village."
9. "But how will we not get lost?" did we ask, because even though we followed the cycle of leaf, the forest beyond our villages was still unknown to many of us.
10. "Let the youngest lead you," he laughed, "for their curiosity will take you where you need to go."
11. So village by village did Sproo clear the great forest of the Tribes.
12. We would mobilize under Sproo's command and move clear of the village, and he would set us down and send harvesters to gather the wood and nectar, and we would follow them back to the next village while Sproo ran ahead.
13. And we did this from the whole of the great forest, eventually coming to rest in either the village of Rainbow Trickster in the promised land, or the outlying village of Goblin Moss.
14. And there were over 4000 of us in number, and the great reunion that ensued was a celebration that lasted many days.
15. We all rejoiced at our coming to the promised land and praised Sproo for his wisdom.
Chapter 18: The Planning of the Stronghold
1. "Let us rejoice!" called Sproo, "for we have reached the promised land and will build a stronghold to protect us from evil for now and evermore!"
2. Yet we looked upon the land and saw that it was no different from any of the other forests.
3. "But how is this land different from our forests before?" did we ask.
4. "Ah, my people. This land that will become our stronghold is different in that it takes the least from the other inhabitants of Blue Twin. We need fight no wars over this land."
5. The elders recognized Sproo's wisdom and nodded sagely.
6. "What shall we call this land?" did we ask unto him.
7. Sproo merely shrugged. "It will be our Stronghold. Call it as such."
8. And so we looked over the stronghold.
9. It was a land of forests and violet fields, surrounding the village of Rainbow Trickster and encompassing all that the harvesters of the village could reach in a day.
10. Sproo sat with the elders and planned its defence.
11. "My people. You cannot hope to withstand the might an Angel might bring on your own. Yet I may not always be instantly available.
12. If we have enough time, I can return and martial our strength.
13. And with enough time, the Leaf is an unstoppable force, growing through any and all cracks and fortifications.
14. And time is the ally of the defender prepared for siege.
15. And time is the enemy of the attacker who has fewer numbers.
16. So we must make sure that the time and the numbers are ours."
17. The elders agreed with Sproo, and so began planning a stronghold that would maximize the time an invader needed to reach the village at the center.
18. We would create a great system of walls and roads guarded by great hamlets in the forests such that an invader would have to cross at least two walls from any point, and would require such a force as to withstand two of the largest hamlets we could muster.
19. This would guarantee us time for Sproo to return and organize our defence.
20. And the roads would spiral from the outer edge to the central village itself.
21. Thus we could maintain the Cycle of Leaf even as we maintained our defence.
22. And over time, did the Tribes grow to making a town, and even a City.
23. But that is a tale for a different chapter, and a different book.
Chapter 19: The Second Coming of Lord Garion
1. Yet shortly after the planning had finished did Sproo come to us with a look of anger and urgency.
2. And we asked him what was troubling him so.
3. "LordGarion has returned," did he say unto us, "brought by Zog, the trusting fool."
4. The elders grew very concerned, and the young shoots grew wide eyed.
5. For all who had not been at the First War had heard of it.
6. And they knew that LordGarion was not to be trusted.
7. Indeed, it turned out to be so, for it was not long after that we heard that Zog had been slain at LordGarion's hand.
8. Sproo spake unto us, "Let this be a lesson of trust."
9. "Twice now has Zog's poor judgement of trust cost her her body."
10. "Twice now has she given us a threat on Blue Twin that we should not have had to endure. First allowing Tututkhamen to reanimate, and now allowing LordGarion to arrive safely."
11. "So let us always be twice twice sure that those who we trust are deserving."
12. "If their actions betray their words, we should expect to be betrayed."
13. "If their words betray their actions, we should expect to be betrayed."
14. "If they betray their allies, we should expect to be betrayed."
15. "If they ally with betrayers, we should expect to be betrayed."
16. And Sproo sent unto LordGarion an ultimatum.
17. "You are to leave Blue Twin immediately and by the fastest means possible. Your choice is only whether you go by way of Heaven or not."
18. LordGarion attempted to bargain with Sproo.
19. "Let me live in peace for two weeks, and I shall leave peacefully."
20. Yet Sproo did not trust his words and did tell him so.
21. And LordGarion attempted to ply Sproo with false reasons.
22. "If you attack me, I shall cause much destruction, and I shall be present for much longer than two weeks while you attempt to catch me."
23. The elders were concerned, for they could see some truth in these words
24. "Perhaps we should let him stay?" they did ask unto Sproo.
25. "And allow him to establish some fortification of his own?
26. "Better to endure some small hardship now than large hardship once the enemy is well positioned."
27. "Or have you forgotten the old plan to wipe out all Tribes save his own and those of Eclipse?"
28. With that, he turned and strode from the village, calling for the young shoots to join him and once again turn back destruction.
Chapter 20: The Hunt
1. So did Sproo leave the village of Yellow Goblin Moss in his quest to rid Blue Twin of LordGarion once more.
2. And from the waters rose Ithelruna, who would not countenance LordGarions' treatment of Zog.
3. She joined forces with Sproo and moved to guard one of the largest of Zog's old earth tribes on the Earth Temple, protecting them from his being able to reach them and ply them with lies of riches.
4. As Sproo approached with a mighty force, four figures strong, LordGarion turned and ran, for the forces of Zog's were not so easily converted, and he could not stand against such an army.
5. Hence did Sproo give chase out of the forests and across the hills to the east.
6. LordGarion chose a place to leave his minions and run on alone, hoping that Sproo's army would hold him back.
7. Yet Sproo was wise with the paths of Blue Twin, and knew shortcuts that enabled him to gain on LordGarion
8. However, we could not keep pace, and begged Sproo to let us stop, though it shamed us to do so.
9. Those who were there say they shall never forget his face as he nodded. It had returned to the days of his failed apprentice, and we knew there would be no end to this but bloodshed.
10. And Sproo, seeing the lead that LordGarion had, was solemn.
11. So he called out to the residents of Blue Twin, offering a great bounty of elemental materials and foodstuffs for those who would kill lordgarion.
12. But the other major souls on Blue Twin were of great distance away and so could not provide aid as quickly as it would be needed.
13. For many days did the two run, yet each mile they ran, did Sproo slowly gain ground.
14. For Blue Twin was his home and he had lain many of the roads himself, and knew them by the feel of the cobblestones under his feet.
15. To the far east they ran, where they came to the lands of illniyar and were forced to turn north.
16. To the far north they ran, where they came to edge of the world and were forced to turn west.
17. And as they ran to the west, Sproo cursed the timing.
18. For it had not been long before when these forests that they now ran through teemed with the Tribes.
19. Yet the Tribes had moved to their new homeland, and so were not there to bring an end to this chase.
20. Thus did Sproo learn the law of unintended consequences.
21. He vowed, from thenceforth, to always have a guard on every square of the Tribes that he could.
22. And so they ran to the west until they reached the edge of the world, where they had to turn south once more.
23. And here Sproo laughed, for he saw LordGarion had come to the great fence that had marked the edge of MysticMists' land so long ago.
24. So was he forced to turn and run along the great fence, but Sproo knew that along that path lay a cul-de-sac.
25. And Sproo was confident that he would soon be able to trap LordGarion and bring an end to his existence on Blue Twin.
26. But alas, he was wrong.
Chapter 21: The Emergence of Dworkin
1. From the Leaf Gate did emerge a soul with the name of Dworkin.
2. And he set an immediate course to intercept Sproo in his relentless pursuit of LordGarion.
3. Sproo did hail him cautiously, for this new soul was of similar appearance to LordGarion.
4. And we were sore afraid that he was some strange familiar of LordGarion's brought to life, though the rules of Heaven lay against it.5. And so did Sproo spake unto Heaven and the ArchAngels. Asking for their advice.
6. But they advised that it was not so.
7. So did Sproo contact this Dworkin in good faith, and asked him to halt his movement.
8. For Sproo had well learned the lesson of the false prophets and tricksters who would seek to attack any who came near.
9. Dworkin did profess he was of peaceful intent and would make no move against Sproo, though he made no move to stop his course.
10. And we watched with great concern as Dworkin entered the same lands as Sproo.
11. All seemed peaceful for a time as Sproo continued on and Dworkin made no move against him.
12. Yet it was not to be, for of a sudden, Dworkin commanded his army into melee with Sproo's meagre forces.
13. It was for nought however, as Sproo was already well away into the forest, leaving Dworkin to posture helplessly in melee with an invisible opponent.
14. And Sproo spake unto Dworkin, telling him that there would be no mercy for him, but that as the threat he posed was small, there remained time for him to contemplate his next life.
15. We questioned Sproo on this, for Dworkin was a new soul, and perhaps had been seduced by LordGarion's lies.
16. And Sproo saw this and relented. "Forgive me, my peoples, my anger has grown great since LordGarion has chosen to pollute the very thoughts and discussions that the Angels have with each other.
17. And a trick supplied by the ArchAngels is now being abused to no good ends.
18. Thus has my mind has been much occupied to no good purpose cleaning the filth, and indeed it may have infected my own thoughts.
19. Perhaps I was o'erhasty."
20. Thus did Sproo spake unto Dworkin once more, "I acted too hasty in my last. Perhaps you did not know what you were doing, or were deceived by LordGarion. I say unto you now, leave me and my Tribes in peace and I will leave you the same."
21. And so did Sproo arrive at the cul-de-sac, having called several new shoots to him from Heaven, to find LordGarion already climbing the fence.
22. So he prepared magiks that were sure to bring LordGarion down.
23. Alas, chance intervened, or perhaps the pollution across the forums by LordGarion had distracted his spell-weaving abilities.
24. Whatever the cause, Sproo's magiks fizzled and smoked and caused Sproo to be delayed while LordGarion finished his climb across the fence.
25. Yet behind him came Dworkin, who had given no answer to Sproo's request for peace.
26. This time it was Sproo hampered by the fence, and Dworkin's warriors caught a few Tribe members who were not quick enough climbing, and they pulled them down cruelly from the fence and sent them back to the First Tree.
27. At that point, did Sproo add Dworkin to the Bounty, and spake unto him:
28. Use what time you have on Blue Twin wisely.
29. For you shall not remain long beyond LordGarion's passing.
Chapter 22: The Foiling of the First Trap
1. Still did LordGarion run and Sproo give chase.
2. Once more, to our shame, we were unable to keep pace with Sproo and so begged him to go on without us.
3. "Hold not your failings against yourself," did he say unto us, "unless you have not tried your utmost."
4. And we took comfort in his words, for we and he knew that we would do nothing less for him.
5. So did Sproo proceed through the forest roads alone after LordGarion.
6. It became obvious that sooner or later Sproo would catch his quarry, as the other souls of Blue Twin were finally nearing, and LordGarion would soon have nowhere safe to flee.
7. Thus did LordGarion's first attempt to catch Sproo unawares did occur.
8. Late one night, as he had just escaped Sproo once more, did he summon but a few earth souls to him from Heaven.
9. And these he settled with orders to kill any who would come through the land before running off once more.
10. Fortunately, Sproo's time in the forests had made him alert to such happenings.
11. Or perhaps the trees themselves whispered to him what had occurred up ahead.
12. Thus did Sproo know of the trap and changed his course to avoid it, though it cost him many hours that he would have to make up again.
13. And we heard that in the Angelic discussions did LordGarion attempt to brand Sproo as a coward for not heedlessly rushing forward.. as LordGarion himself had done once so long ago.
14. And we saw that Sproo's answer was to smile grimly and proceed around the trap.
15. For an accusation of cowardice is wasted words.
16. As those who are cowards already know it in their hearts.
17. And those who are not feel no sting from the insult.
Chapter 23: The Foiling of the Second Trap
1. As Sproo proceeded around the trap, LordGarion was able to turn back, coming to Yellow Goblin Moss where so many of us had settled.
2. The young shoots were all eager to participate, and many threatened to chase down LordGarion themselves.
3. Sproo did chide them for their foolishness.
4. "Stay indoors," did he warn us
5. "For in the village there is no room to mount the army that you would need to catch an Angel."
6. So we did as Sproo bade us, and when we saw LordGarion move through the village we were indeed afraid.
7. For many of us had not seen the terrible majesty of an Earth Angel before.
8. Or felt the ground tremble as he strode through our village.
9. Yet from the north west did Dworkin also approach.
10. And Sproo saw this and was concerned.
11. For while he had no doubt he could end LordGarion's existence while in Yellow Goblin Moss, he was not sure he could yet withstand a joint attack of two angels.
12. And so he spake unto Dworkin, "If LordGarion has tempted you to enter that village, I urge you to stop now.
13. For if you do so enter, I will be forced to turn my attention to you, lest you convert my Tribes against me."
14. And Dworkin did feign ignorance of such a possibility, but Sproo persisted.
15. "Do not be complacent. LordGarion knows as well as I that in Yellow Goblin Moss you would be the larger threat to me than he, lest my tribes decide to follow you.
16. And he will use the opportunity not to aid you, for you mean nothing to him, but rather to run further away and gather his own forces while I deal with you myself.
17. Be no patsy for LordGarion who has already betrayed Zog, who aided him before."
18. And Dworkin seemed to take heed, for he stopped his advancement, which heartened Sproo considerably.
19. For he knew that he would be through the village now before Dworkin could enter it.
20. Thus was the second trap foiled.
Chapter 24: The Battle
1. Thus did the chase resume, but now others of Blue Twin were approaching
2. Also the paths to ready stores of earthen souls had been removed, so reinforcements available for LordGarion were few.
3. Lo, there were but two hamlets left that were friendly to LordGarion, and Sproo had maneuvered to block LordGarion's access to one, so he went to the second and began recruiting them into a force to make his final stand.
4. Sproo left off the chase an instead turned to the other hamlet.
5. The young shoots begged him to continue and strike down LordGarion whilst he recruited.
6. Yet did spake Sproo, "He would merely leave off recruiting and come to the second hamlet, thereby gaining forces to outnumber us."
7. So instead did we strike the other hamlet.
8. LordGarion seeing this, left off his recruitment early to come assist his fellows, hoping to fall upon us whilst we were locked in bloody combat with the earthen folks, striking them down with our grass blades and suffering under their mighty picks.
9. And indeed he did, and brought to bear once again the yellow sparks of forcebolts to try and dwindle our numbers before we concluded our combat.
10. In this, he was aided by fortunate happenstance.
11. The time governor wobbled, and LordGarion suddenly released not one, but two forcebolts in quick succession.
12. And Sproo grew gravely concerned, for his calculations had not taken into account the vagaries of time.
13. "Fight for your lives!" he called, for he knew they did indeed depend on it.
14. So emboldened we fought even harder than before, but it was not enough. LordGarion's magics had weakened our number enough that it would take another round of combat against his settled hamlet.
15. In the distance, we could see the great soul Talons approaching with reinforcements, but he was too far to be of assistance yet.
16. Whilst Sproo urged us on, the oldest members, those closest to them, heard his dark thoughts.
17. "Woe is come unto us," he did spake, "for I did not think LordGarion's men would arrive so soon, nor take into account the vagaries of the Time Governor."
18. We tried to reassure him that neither could have been predicted but he was not consolable.
19. "I fear I have doomed us for nought," did he say, "for the outcome of this battle now rests in LordGarion's hands."
20. Then the flutes played, telling of victory over the earthen hamlet, and Sproo's ears perked.
21. "What be this trickery?" he asked.
22. And we told him there was no trickery. We had defeated the foes.
23. "But how? Has not LordGarion reinforced them?"
24. And we answered that he had not.
25. At this Sproo did leap from his sadness, and began to hurriedly call out orders, telling us to settle quickly and send warning shots across the host of LordGarion's armies that they would turn to prepare for battle.
26. While we did this, Sproo prepared his own magics, and Talons did join him and add his magics to the fray.
27. Thus it came to pass that while we had LordGarion occupied with his forces, Talons flowed around behind and laid waste to his rear flank with magical attacks, finishing off LordGarion and his forces.
28. So there came a time of Peace to the Tribes.
Chapter 25: The Repayment
1. During the time of peace, Sproo had much work ahead of him, for he had promised huge amounts of our stores and many strange elemental items to those who would help him rid the world of LordGarion and his associates.
2. The angel Talons had landed the final blow to LordGarion, so to him went the bulk of the spoils.
3. And so great was the weight that even with nearly 2000 members of the tribes, it was all we could do to carry it.
4. Yet this was new to us, for not long before Sproo himself would have been able to shoulder the load with no difficulty.
5. "What has happened?" we did ask him, "where has your great strength gone?"
6. So did he speak unto us, "It is the aging of the universe."
7. "Just as the oak changes from seedling to shoot, from sapling to tree, so does the universe change."
8. "Each stage will be different from the last, better in some ways, worse in others."
9. And as he shifted the great weight on his shoulders (for even weakened, he could still carry far more than the mightiest of us) he grinned ruefully, and spake "This is just one of the worse."
10. "Take heart though, for when we have finished our work, we will see about finding the better."
11. And so we did, and we learned that even the Angels change.
posted by xiaomu at 7:46 AM
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