Story name: Beginning of New Changes
Author: Evilhumour
Publication date: July 22, 2013 (MK-Guild)
Location: A village in the northeastern Outer Midlands
Date: circa 707 CR
Overview
Lukous, the last believer in Dualism, decides to leave his corrupt village for Metamor Keep.
Summary
After a heavy storm, Lukous heads out to gather wood, then heads to the market to exchange it with a merchant for information. The merchant and he are long-time trading partners, but they barely know each other, and it has been years since they last met. Lukous still trusts him more than his fellow villagers, who have fallen under the sway of Rackit's corruption of Dualism, a religion little known to the outside world.
Lukous's price for his wood is information from the outside world. The merchant recounts some of the events of the past years, and off-handedly mentions that Metamor has become cursed since they last met. Lukous's demeanor changes, and he quickly leaves, saying that he intends to go west to Metamor. As the merchant follows him, Lukous tells him that his father died around the same time that Metamor was cursed, and had told him to leave as soon as he heard of a great change in the world, and that he was to leave and find the meaning behind that great change. As they arrive at Lukous's house, he tells him this land is evil, and the merchant should never return to this village. The merchant offers him a ride in his wagon to Metamor, in exchange for telling him why he shouldn't return.
Lukous invites him in, and explains what it is that the merchant has always found off about the town: there is no graveyard near the church. This is because the church practices Dualism, not the Ecclesian as it is dressed up as. Lukous explains that Dualism is one of the world's oldest religions, believing in perfect balance between the forces of life and death. Their most controversial practice, which Lukous only alludes to, is their consumption of the dead to honor them. Their people were slaughtered for this belief, hence their isolation from the world. But in the last few generations, Dualism has been corrupted to promote killing their enemies, a belief opposed by Lukous's family, of which he is the only one. He knows that by leaving the village, he will doom the village to self-destruction.
Knowing how shocking this information is, he offers the merchant a chance to turn down his offer, but the merchant declines, intending to keep his promise to travel to Metamor. He gives his name, Naet.
Characters
Main characters:
- Lukous: A villager, the last true believer in Dualism. On hearing of Metamor's curse, he resolves to leave his village at once to investigate.
- He has brown hair and blue eyes.
- He lives in his family home by himself.
- He carries an oaken club.
- It is implied that he can see auras of others, hence his seeing the villagers as bleak with sin, and the trees as withered (while Naet sees them as pleasant).
- He is a Dualist. He wears a perfectly balanced crystal prism under his shirt.
- He learned long ago to hide his feelings from others. He is usually blunt and business-oriented.
Supporting characters:
- Naet: A merchant, and a friend of Lukous. Astounded by Lukous's reaction to Metamor, he gives Lukous a ride in his wagon to Metamor, even after hearing the truth of Lukous's beliefs.
- He distrusts the villagers; his table at the trading depot is in the far corner, specifically to prevent anyone backstabbing him.
- He has a mostly good nature, though he did blatantly cheat Lukous once.
- He is a Follower.
Important mention:
- Rackit: A priest. His family has been enemies with Lukous's family.
- He has reinterpreted Dualism to permit the murder of his enemies, a great betrayal of Dualism.
Referenced:
- Nau: The Dualist god of death.
- Yau: The Dualist god of life.
- Nasoj: The evil wizard who cursed Metamor.
- Lukous's father, a Dualist. He told Lukous about a message he got from Yau and Nau, to go and investigate the first great change he was to hear in the world. He died 7 years ago.
Locations
- The village lies between the Elderwood to the west and the Aelfwood to the east, with the Great Barrier Range just to the north. (This puts it in either northern Salinon or northern Delavia).
- The village has many brightly colored buildings.
- The church, notably, does not have a cemetery, as it is a Dualist church.
- A forest surrounds the village, which to Lukous appear withered as he enters the village, but to Naet look pleasant.
- The village holds what Lukous considers the last temple of Dualism.
- Lukous's home has a small staircase to the front door. Inside are a table and two chairs.
- There are blots on the windows, and locks on the door.
- The former homeland of Dualism is on an island to the south.
Society
- The village is secluded and self-ruling; it does not pay taxes to any nobles. But they are hiding their belief in a corrupt form of Dualism, pretending to be Ecclesians. Those who notice and ask questions are quickly eliminated.
- They are on the brink of killing each other over their religion.
- When outsiders come, the temple of Dualism is disguised as an Ecclesian church.
- According to Lukous, Dualism is one of the world's oldest religions. Its central belief is in Yau and Nau, deities of life and death. Perfect living requires proper balance between these two forces in all things — generally by acting in moderation in what one takes and gives to others.
- Their most controversial practice is to consume their dead, returning the flesh to their bodies. Hence, they do not use cemeteries.
- Rackit's corrupted version of Dualism involves killing and eating Rackit's enemies, including overly inquisitive outsiders.
- The old greeting of business, at least between Lukous and Naet, is for the trader to greet the merchant, the merchant to greet in kind and ask the trader's health, and the trader to confirm.
Chronology
- Centuries ago, as the Ecclesian faith was being founded, a messenger was sent from the island of the Dualists to a garrison on the mainland, hoping to open a relationship with the new faith. The garrison was disgusted by Dualism, and demanded that they repent or fight. The only Dualists to survive were those who escaped, who went on to found Lukous's village.
- This event was written in the Ecclesian scriptures as the discovery of a barbaric island town of cannibals. Lukous considers it merely part of the natural change of the world, of Dualism losing its place to the Follower and Lightbringer faiths.
- In the last few generations, Dualists have either left the faith, or joined Rackit's corrupt version. Lukous's family was the minority opposition, growing smaller until leaving only Lukous.
- Naet's family has traded with Lukous's family for years. It has been at least six years since they last traded.
- Last night it stormed in the village.
Points of Interest
- Naet knows Lukous's name at the start of the story, yet he asks for Lukous's name as part of his price for taking him to Metamor.
