Historical Scroll of the Hevendi People

Srevn Nemr

Year 1067-PE

Hevendi People - Peacewalkers of the Gods

Abt. the Year 583-PE & the Time that Followed

People wondered and may yet wonder much of the people called the Peacewalkers, for most of what has been said of them has crossed from mouth to mouth too many times and over too much time, and is no longer to be considered truth; it has become disembodied from the source, a noble people, and is now bordering fanatical fantasies.

Here, I, Srevn Nemr, shall shatter disillusioned rumors and present the truth of those who held the appropriate title of 'Peacewalkers', which I have found through diligent, and at times exasperatingly difficult research. I shall begin as far back as research has allowed and bring you forward, through stories and truths that have long been shrouded in mystery.

In or around the year 583-PE, peace covered the land we now know as the kingdom of Anicharite. The crops grew in plenty and the rains fell with abundance on the land. Many believed the gods looked favorably upon their wonderful land for their hard labors and quiet reverence, whether this pride in their land was the cause or not, such a time of peace was not to last. It was strange, how quickly things changed.

One day farmers in their fields were working alongside each other, hand in hand per say; best of friends, kin of kin, husband and wife, even on occasion lord and servant. Then it happened. It was neither subtle nor as a roaring lion, rather persistent and prolonged urgings of darkness... No particular account has, or probably can, state the first occurrence, whether because of the overwhelming quantity, or for some other more sophisticated reasoning. All that is recorded is that it came as a shock and dealt swiftly its blow to all lands.

Husband turned on wife, brother on brother, and all other relationships seemed to be removed from the hearts of all on the land. It was as if 'heart' and all the meaning and implications of the word were removed from the system of life, leading many to an early grave. This description is the best that I could conceive for the horrors that engulfed the land, and it was my discovery of the hidden records that opened my mind to the reasons research has been so difficult when concerning the Peacewalkers.

I do not wish to explain in detail the images that haunt me from the hidden records, as I do not wish the sleepless nights, and the constant uneasiness upon others, and as I have no enemies that may contrive to usurp my work and steal this record recording such things will not even hold the satisfaction of vengeance. I only warn of the symptoms, the removal of 'heart' from the land. I do not mean from a person here or there, as there will always be some who throw 'heart' away of their own will; rather I speak of entire villages, towns, cities, even nations throwing away the core of humanity.

I have diverged from speaking of the Peacewalkers to this necessary foundation, for their story and the plight of the land are entwined as one, for they were a people unaffected by the removal of 'heart' and thus the only still capable of finding the root of the poison and curing the land, and thus bring 'peace' back to the land. It is from their involvement that they received the title 'Peacewalkers' and it is by no means what they called themselves.

Hevendi, this is the proper and sacred name which the Peacewalkers humbly called themselves. Research has not yielded to me the meaning of their name, only that it was inseparably connected with their manner of worship within their closely guarded religious beliefs. I have been able to discover however that their religion and practices, however strange to the rest of the land, were their masterful and powerful sword and shield against the plague that so easily betook all others so unprepared.

In complete control of themselves and the bonds they chose to make, the Hevendi people, already well known for their much traveling, pointed the sword of their 'heart' to the Southeast and began a prolonged and trial filled journey through a heartless land to find the source of the de-bonding. Many times they fought with the people living in the lands they traveled through, not because they wished harm, rather because they were given no choice.

The people of the land had become centered on themselves and no one else. They thus sought all that was not theirs and would kill if denied their desires. The Hevendi made peace where they could, giving away the little that they had, but it was often not enough to satisfy the 'hunger' that had grown in the people. Eventually, deprived of all but the clothes they wore and the weapons they carried for defense, they reached the land they had set out for. The land lying almost directly South of our Anicharite kingdom's capital, a land bordering the Eastern Sea and covered with nearly the largest mountains of our continent.

It was here that they discovered a mysterious mountain people, who were also unaffected by the plague. At first it was a pleasant surprise, to find other who could be reasoned with, but the feeling was soon dispelled as the Hevendi realized that, though different from the people they had traveled amongst for several months, the mountain people were similar to the heartless land; that is to say, they were a people who had chosen to throw their hearts away and choose a path of darkness... a path to power.

Here lay the source of the plague, the mountain people, whose name I know, but curse and shall not write; they had woven in their secret location in the mountains runes, spells, or perhaps curses that veiled the land, draining the people of 'heart'. They harnessed this drained power, and were plotting something with it, what I do not know, nor do I believe the Hevendi knew; they perceived only that they must bring the cult in the mountains to justice for the crime they had inflicted on the innocent people of the land.

And so battle was given between the Hevendi and the cult of the mountains, a sore battle, which I so wish I knew more about. I know there must have been magic involved, the Hevendi strike me as a people as close to magic as one could ever get, there are so many hints in the records I've scoured, much of it concealed under the cloak of their religious secrets. The cult of the mountains, cursed as I believe them to be, was most certainly deeply rooted in magic themselves. I have contemplated long why this must be so, and always conclude that the 'heart' of the people was drawn away through some means of magic.

Alas, my knowledge in this is lacking. Yet, I do know that the Hevendi were triumphant, overcoming the cult of the mountains; however, the records are unclear whether the Hevendi slew them all, sealed them away, or stripped them of their powers. And the pathetic rumors, which I so despise, refer to either one or another, as to make a certain determination of means impossible.

This is the main story in which the Hevendi are deeply involved, and though within this record of mine it is incomplete, it is still of great value, as it pushes through the lingering rumors of the Hevendi and describes the nobility which they showed in their journey of the 'heart'. All who read; remember them.

~ ~ ~

In particular, since I am currently a historian of the parish of Wesden, I wish to express the matter of importance regarding my parish as it involves the Hevendi. It was many, many years after the defeat of the cult of the mountains that the Hevendi traveled once again through our land.

In many respects they were much the same, except that they were now more open to the people of the land, they may have believed themselves somewhat responsible for the condition the land had come to the years before, and it may have been their way of repentance to speak to us as they had not before.

In any way, they entrusted us with many things that before they had kept to themselves; I am saddened that none had any particular light toward their religion, but we, the parish of Wesden were given gifts beyond value. I have been forbidden by my lord to divulge one of the gifts, but the others I may speak of.

First, and probably the most simple of the gifts, we were given a flute of the most exquisite nature, the melody bringing peace to the heart and clearness to the mind unlike any felt from herbs or spells of similar properties. The Hevendi told us that they had yet to discover all the flute was capable of, and that the change in melody may very well change the effect the music would bring. This flute is called Velveln, which the Hevendi explained mean peaceful wind.

Second, is the gift of spectacles, which I thought very peculiar for such a people to have, yet like all their gifts it was something of great value, giving the wearer the ability to see in dark places, or protect the eyes from the brightest flashes of lightning. More was explained about the spectacles, but amidst the arrival of the following gifts I am afraid I do not recall the rest of what was said about them, other than the name of the spectacles being Sharharden, interpreted as sharer of sight.

Third, we received a gift of armor, yet a piece unlike any we would conceive; we of Wesden have prided ourselves in the creation of hardened metals and have shaped the same into swords, shields and armor. Yet the gift of the Hevendi is an armor of cloth that speaks of softness and the hearth, not a battle field. Yet they assured us that the armor could withstand the blows of battle and receive not a strand cut or a cuff worn. I am not privy as to whether my lord tested their words or not, although I imagine he probably has. Additionally to not being cut the Hevendi said it would keep a man warm in freezing temperatures, cool in the heat of summer, and dry through the fiercest of storms. This armor is called Klevno, which means to cut not.

As I stated before, I am unable to speak of the fourth gift, so I merely leave reference for it here. Its name and interpretation; Molredin Hevendi, key of Hevendi.

My lord has chosen to store Molredin Hevendi away, and is still contemplating doing the same with the rest of the gifts, fearing thieves, and the wrath of the Hevendi should they be lost. I cannot say where they may be stored, and such information would not be for a document as this.

As such, I close my knowledge on the Peacewalkers called Hevendi.

Srevn Nemr

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