The Keldi Wanderer Account

### Preface

During the Ephedonian Golden Age, a group of scholars and explorers went north looking for new lands for the Ephedonian Emperor to conquer. The Ephedonian Northern Expedition went north, and there they discovered the island of Aráinn, and build their camp on the southern beach where they landed. Soon they discovered the island wasn’t uninhabited, and shortly thereafter the locals attacked the Expedition camp, thinking they were foreign invaders from one of the other islands of Kaldrheim. The Expedition members fortified their camp the next day, but were interrupted by the local ruler, the young king Magni Urethrid, who ruled from the nearby fort, Dun Meredin.

The Expedition tried to bargain by offering the king gifts, first they gave him a bag of copper coins, but the king refused as all he saw was shiny brown stones, and he had plenty of amber. Then they gave him a bronze sword, but he showed them his staff-bow with arrows of a strange metal, so again he refused. Then a scholar grabbed a book and handed it to the king, the king looked at the strange bark with drawings, then smiled and waved his hand like he wanted more. The scholar handed the king and his men books from all corners of Ephedonis, the Aránni king examined the books closely, then invited the foreigners to his great hall in Dun Meredin.

For months the Ephedonians and Aráinni traded, feasted and were shown the lands of Aráinn. The scholars taught an Aráinni elder their language, and soon they could communicate. After about a year, king Magni came to the Expedition leaders, he complained of an old rival, who had pillaged numerous villages lately, and asked the Ephedonians for help. In one of their books a scholar found plans for a siege tower, together with Aráinni locals an Ephedonian engineer built the siege tower, with wood from the nearby forests. While foresting for wood, the engineer saw some weird trees. He asked about them, and the locals explained that they were yew trees, a tree used by Aráinni archers for their bows. The engineer took the new wood to the Expedition leaders, and they couldn’t believe their eyes. They asked king Magni for more wood, and he promised them plenty as long as they would help him take Duine, the home of his rival. And so they did. The siege tower was quickly finished, and the Duinean king stood hopelessly and watched as his stone walls were breached by the Ephedonian siege tower, and soldiers poured in.

This victory led king Magni to take the last bastions of the Duineans, securing all of Aráinn for him alone. And so it was that the kingdom of Meredinean-Aráinn, became the kingdom of Aráinn. The unification meant that Magni now was secure, and Aráinn finally had peace. As a gift to the Ephedonians for their help, he granted them the lands around their camp as a trade post. The Ephedonian camp soon transformed into a town, as foreign traders and locals moved in, along with builders and scholars from all of the empire. This meant that the savage people of Aráinn were invited into the civilized world, leaving their quarrelsome past behind.

 In the Imperial Expedition there was Educated Medvis, who tells the local boy Onas, of lands in the south where the sun always burns, and of strange cities and great halls of bark with drawings. A Medvi Scholer tells The Kelds about The Medvi Land. they send in The Keldi Wanderer. Hence "Keldi Wanderer Account"

### Chapter 1

Onas’s Curiosity

Onas a young Aráinn lad, born in the Kingdom of Aráinn during the Ephedonian Expedition. From a preacher father who is tolerant to strangers, he grew interest on those strangers who seemed mighty and rich. He allowed Onas to keep company with the Ephedonian Expeditors. As a young lad Onas witnessed huge ships come and go unlike the keldi boats. full of new goods unpresented in the land. Onas adored that far place more than his cold home. He would spend much time with the Ephedonians, he grew their tongue. He learned about his own land by the eyes of the Ephedonians, accompanying them with their expeditions. He traveled the isles with the protection of the imperials. The imperials adored his mead that he brews with his uncle, they would invite him to trips and camps in the condition that he would bring his special mead with him for the party. That is the true reason the imperials gave liking to him. That skill gave him access of learning and the ability to read Ephedonian.

Bands of explorers come and go. One day a fleet from Ruthbei came to trade and explore Onas witnessed brown people like wood on the ships he couldn't differentiate them from poles and pillars, sticks wearing clothes. As they sailed closer he saw that they are moving! they are men! Did they paint themselves in a tribal coat he wondered. These are not the Ephedonians he knew. They anchored at bay one by one they disembarked and handshaking the fair imperials on the docks. Amber wood people shaking mens hands! One of them came close to Onas to greet him Onas felt chivers and ran to the way home in fear. As he was running he bumped an Ephedonian Guard. He screamed “what are those you folks brought!” the Imperial Guard bursted laughing as he explained that they were Medvis, back in there land the sun so bright it steals the whiteness of their skins, while he pushes him toward a Medvi scholar trying to great the young lad. Onas relaxed a bit and soon later started talking to the Medvis. They started telling him stories about Ruthbei and the Medvi mountains. About a land full of beach dirt like the ocean. Onas now have two completely different lands to learn about his Curiosity jumped right and left between the two lands. He is more attracted to adventure as ever. But he is only 14 of age and can't afford an adventure. He thinks how would he leave his cold home and leave his father and mother that he adores. He thought about convincing them to come. But soon realized that the Imperials rarely allow any Kelds of traveling with them back to their homes, as the empire has a war with folks of a very different look that they are used to, the confusion of the local Ephedonians may trick them that we are the enemy. One night he asked his father to allow him to leave and wish him luck. But the old man was struck by worry and he suggested a guardian, the young lad jumped to a conclusion that he will take his uncle, as they may convince to bring the mead craftsmanship to Ephedonis.

A week later, the Ruthbain fleet was scheduled to leave. Dunnar, Onas’s uncle goes to offer the medvis to take him and the boy to spread his special mead to Ephedon. They surprisingly agreed to take him, but refused to take the boy. Sadness grew on his face, and he felt his dream was swept by the wind like dust. Luckily for him, one of the Medvi scholars that met him earlier that week overheard the conversation. He came to calm the boy and offered to smuggle him in one of the pots. Dunnar thought the idea was risky but the Medvi Scholar Anuf told him not to worry as the ship belongs to his dear friend captain Zadd, and he and his crew would seal a mouth for him. Dunnar agreed and with the help of Anuf lifted the boy and slided him into a man tall pot. They filled it with dried hops to cover the boy, so Onas could sit and dive into the hops if someone opens the pot.

Four of Anuf’s men carry the pot up the bridge to the ship. They thought of putting him in the storage chamber but unluckley it was full. So they decided to put him by the entrance to the storage chamber. The ship is scheduled to leave in 4 hours at dawn. Men kept loading the ship and Dunnar loaded it with mead and hops. One hour before dawn a group of imperial soldiers embarked the ship to check if there is any untaxed goods. The guard check the bundles check the storage chamber. And Onas could hear their footsteps. Suddenly someone brushed into the pot it went wobbling about, but the guard managed to hold it, and embarrassingly laughed as he apologized to the crew. While there was laughter out of the pot there was fainting fear in it.

The fleet sets to sail, three Caravan ships followed by seven galleys, they leave the bay with the sunrise to the east. In the afternoon the crew where having a ration of food. Anuf came close to the pot and knocked at it, no response, knocked again and also no response. Anuf with the help of some crew they leaned the pot. Onas popped out like a mad cat, his pupils were as large as the moon. Anuf  grabs the lad and invited him for lunch. They ate and drank happily, wishing the best to there voyage. But soon Onas returned the feast out of his stomach onto the wooden slabs. A crew member puffed as he came to clean the mess. Zadd came smiling and said “your first time aboard a ship?’ Onas answered “i ridden ships much smaller than this, Ephedonian river ships and keldi longboats” Zadd replied “these ships are for small journeys, this ship you are on cuts through the ocean for weeks and goes to the borders of the world. As it is your first time at sea, i have an idea for you, i will prepare it later tonight”.

### Chapter 2

Onas’s First Journal

Listening to the waves, and examining this mighty wooden ship, masts longer than any tower in Dun Meredin. Oars hanging high, to be used if the wind doesn't serve us right. Night reaches while we sailed close to the coast of Rannvaig. Crew members sing and laugh, while captain Zadd is reading the stars, to plan the next move. He calls the rowers to the under deck, they follow and take their position within the oars. The hanging oars flapped down and splashed into the water. He orders the crew to turn south. As a big horn sounds from the other ships in the fleet. Captain zadd orders us to signal our positions with the horns. A big and hefty lad holds the horn blows strongly three times. My ears whistled for a moment. The winds were blowing east and the rowers grunted and rowed to the rhythm of the drum. And i am here holding a parchment and a pot containing black ink made of charcoal and resin, that captain Zadd gave me earlier to practice writing in ephedonian, and record my days at sea.

They started rowing south praying for the wind to catch up with them. I ran up the upper deck over the storage. And started to stare at the horizon seeing the island shrink smaller and smaller while the gallys fully lit with torches rowing behind us. My uncle is pouring mead to the captain and his crew, he called me down the deck. I came and captain Zadd jokingly said “we can't quench the rowers with this mead or the ship will go backward and spin in place”. My uncle handed me a jug to serve Zadd’s guests i took a stack of cups and handed over to the guests and began pouring one by one, i reached Anuf at last i felt i need to grant him my thanks, i poured him a full cup. He drank it and i poured more, he looked at me smiling, and i replied “i still own you a pot of mead as big as the pot you smuggled me with”, it became past midnight, the wind caught south giving the rowers a chance to rest. They dropped the sails and the wind blew boosting the ship, captain Zadd went to slumber. Anuf finished revising the maps. The stars brighter than ever. As i am laying down below the stars looking at the eye of the sky, while the ship cuts through the ocean, i slept.

I woke up with the smell of grilled fish. As i noticed the crew were having their morning meal. I stretched and wore my tunic and joined them. The fish didn't look like any of the fishes that i know of, it is huge and it is sliced as you would slice a goat. I asked one of the crewmen as where they got that fish from, he replied “this is not a river catch or a coastline fish. Those are the size of my hand, this is an ocean fish. Its lured and harpooned, this bloody fish took two harpoons and eight men pulling it. Why two harpoons i asked. He replied as it is a backup if the other harpoon would slip.