Date: Tue, 9 Dec 2003 21:49:36 -0600
From: Corey Perez <cperez@gmotion.com>
Subject: Eternal Dream-13 (Gay,male,Fantasy)series

	Well, all I can say is wow.

	I've gotten a lot of emails after the last chapter.  I guess guys
just find strong men exciting.  ?

	Anyway, for future reference, I have a small jpg file that is the
map of the continent where the story takes place.  If you would like a copy
of the file, feel free to email me and I will be happy to send it to you.

	MMMM Chapter 13.  I wonder how many of you are feeling
superstitious?

	I hope you will find this chapter to be nice and informative.  It
should give you an understanding of the feelings of Duke Harmon and his
crew of people.

	Anyway, enjoy the read.  Of course, if you have any questions,
comments, suggestions or requests for the map, feel free to contact me at
cperez@gmotion.com.


* * * * * * * * * * * *

Human (hyoo men) n.

	Humans are a bipedal, mammalian race that primarily occupies the
eastern portion of the Continent of El'Analon (the Refuge).  They are
structurally similar to elves in most respects.

	Physically, the differences are primarily cosmetic.  Humans tend to
have more tone to their skin, their hair is generally darker, their eyes
are slightly smaller and their ears are rounded.  The eyesight, hearing and
balance of humans tend to be below that of the elves, though they tend to
be stronger.

	Psychologically, the differences are slightly more pronounced.
Humans tend to be more driven and impulsive.  They have a greater tendency
tward violence and domination, which are traits that they share with most
predatory animals.  This last has led many to hypothesize that humans have
been evolved from simple creatures.

	Unfortunately, the true origins of humans are lost to the mists of
time.  The more prevalent theories share the common idea that the humans
were formed from elves, just as the orks had been, during the War of Power
that drove elvinkind to this continent over 5,000 years ago.

	The first of these theories suggests that the humans were the first
attempt by the Dark God Kerlack to create a warrior race to conquer the
Heavens.  Proponents of this theory put forth the aggressive tendencies of
humans and the aforementioned predatory instincts as proof that they are
likened to orks.  Indeed, even in the known history of mankind, barbaric
savagery is far from unknown.

	The second, more widely accepted, theory states that Hurin the
Shaper was more likely to have created the humans.  Proponents of this
theory suggest that the God Hurin reshaped elves into humans for the
purpose of creating a race designed to offset the orks.  Their predatory
instincts make them well suited for aggressive actions, and their ability
to persecute a grudge beyond all reason would be perfect for wiping out a
competing species.

	It is unfortunate that the Shaper was destroyed while providing the
elvin people with the means to escape and reach this continent (See the War
of Power Volume under listing: God: Hurin the Shaper).  It is impossible to
ask the Shaper his purpose for humans, and it certainly seems that he did
not have the time to finish his work with humanity.  It is more unfortunate
still that Hurin did not confide in his fellow deities any plans he might
have had for humanity.

	Other than conjecture, little is known about human origins.  Only
verbal retelling has preserved any of the prehistory of humanity.  This
oral record is given certain credence due to the fact that most of the
stories handed down compliment or confirm each other.  These stories tell
use that, originally, all of humanity was confined in the area North of the
Hurin Mountains, in what are the modern Duchies of Kelmor, Harmon and
Highland.

	A barbarian existence was the norm, as the rocky soil of this area
does not lend itself well to agriculture.  Heavily forested slopes, rolling
hills and large rock formations dominate the countryside.

	At this time, humans were mostly a hunter-gatherer species, with
some minor domestication of herd animals (primarily goats and sheep which
are plentiful).  Society was organized along a family/tribal basis where
groups would wander nomadically, frequently fighting over resources.

	As the populations grew, some of these tribes were incapable of
adequate competition.  It is believed that these unfortunate tribes were
either less physically capable and so were denied full access to the
territory necessary to sustain them.

	Eventually these less fortunate tribes began to band together for
survival, establishing a cooperative federation of tribes.  Ensuing wars,
however, eventually drove these tribes into the Hurin Mountains, where they
eventually discovered a pass into the Central and Eastern parts of the
Continent.  Once in these warmer, more fertile lands, the cooperative
tribes eventually discovered agriculture and other forms of sustenance and
began to settle down into the first human civilizations.

	The first of these true cities, Anathusula, developed a written
language and from this, recorded history of humanity begins.

	The tribes had settled into different parts of the countryside,
built cities and founded their own governmental systems yet remained
cooperative with one another for the most part.  They continued to share
developments in the sciences, metallurgy, and agriculture, as well as
maintaining a common written and spoken language for ease of interaction.
None had forgotten the tribes that had driven them from the North.

	The different city-states that formed eventually began to maintain
a small standing army of professional soldiers for keeping the peace,
suppressing bandits and protecting their sources.  Wars, while not unheard
of, were rare and the small forces of bronze-armed soldiers were able to
maintain the peace.

	Within a few centuries, occasional contact was established with the
Northern tribes.  Such meetings were rarely peaceful, but enough contact
was maintained to allow these Northern barbarians to acquire the secrets of
working in bronze, and forging weapons.

	The record of the effect of this revelation had on the North is
sporadic at best; bur the end result is well established.  Three of the
major tribes succeeded in absorbing, or destroying, all other competitors.
These three large tribes coexisted with minimal (for them) conflict, but
eventually growth began to push them closer and closer to open war.

	Kemler Orinson, ruler of what is believed to be the largest of the
three tribes proposed a radical solution to the crisis: Follow the example
of the Southerners and band together.  As an incentive for cooperation,
Kemler pointed out that there was plenty of space in the Southern lands as
well as riches, women, food and other valuables.  He proposed that the
tribes join into an unstoppable horde and take these lands for their own.

	At this time in history Geren Anathusula, Archduke of Anathusula,
had just recently come into power.  His father had managed to all but
absorb their northern ally which had allowed his curious, and industrious
people to discover a new metal in the Hurin Mountains: Iron.  The
Anathusulans began learning to turn this wondrous new metal into more
efficient tools, armor and weapons that they traded to the other Duchies.
However, for the first time in their history, this Anathusula chose to keep
the secrets of extracting and working this metal to themselves.  This
decision would prove fortuitous.

	When the Northern tribes descended on the Southlands, they were an
unstoppable tidal wave of destruction.  The Northern frontier was more
heavily fortified than any other part of Anthulsula and a greater
concentration of the standing army was usually stationed there.  However,
recent trade disputes with some of Anathusula's neighbors over iron had
prompted Archduke Geren to send the bulk of his armies to protect the trade
routes and foundries from jealous rivals.  The now under-staffed frontier
posed little difficulty for the barbarians who swept over the forts and
descended on the northern city of Norcrest.

	The fighting was intense, but eventually the barbarians prevailed,
pouring into the city and butchering every male and male child older than
an infant.  They took the females as slaves and breeders, and proceeded to
loot and raze the city.  Within two months they had utterly gutted the
city, leaving only ruins and burnt fields.

	Geren used the little time he had to hammer the Southern cities
into a coalition to drive the barbarians out of the South.  He pointed to
the fate of Norcrest, and the fates of their ancestors at the hands of
these tribes.  He even went so far to appeal to the more mercenary side of
their natures by offering to share the technology to extract and work the
iron that they all coveted.

	The united armies gathered, and met the barbarians north of the
city of Anthulsula and drove them back.  Over the course of a five-year
campaign, the iron armed Southern coalition drove the bronze equipped
barbarians back into the mountains where they finally defeated them in a
decisive battle.  The barbarians scattered but not broken, fell back to
regroup.

	Geren, convinced that it would never end until the barbarian tribes
were crushed once and for all, fought to hold the coalition together in the
face of apparent victory.  In desperation he expanded an Anathusulian
custom to marry his many sons off to the heirs of the different
city-states.  Anathusulian nobles had used the custom of marrying male
heirs for the purposes of cementing alliances without formally merging the
two families, or running the risk of conflict over children from such a
union.  Seeing many advantages of continuing such close ties, the other
human nations agreed, and so the custom spread among all the Southern
cities.

	Geren used the influence gained through these marriages to keep a
full field army operating North of the Hurin Mountains in order to keep the
barbarians off balance for as long as possible while he used the time to
prepare.

	Inevitably the barbarians managed to reorganize.  Over the course
of the war, they had even managed to acquire the secrets of iron, which was
plentiful in the rocky North.  The now better-armed and prepared barbarians
were well motivated by the Southerners invasion of their lands.  They drove
the Southern army slowly back into the Hurin Mountains.

	Fortunately for Geren and the Southern coalition, the time that it
had taken to drive his army back was enough to complete the fortress that
now blocked the only pass into the South.  The Southern army took shelter
within the fortress city now known as Geren's Gate.  Against these prepared
fortifications, Geren managed to utterly shatter the barbarian hordes.  He
spent most of the rest of his reign subduing the Northern lands which he
added to his already large territory, making Anthulsula the largest human
nation to date.

	In time, the great duchy was broken up into 5 smaller provinces as
chunks were broken off in order to secure the inheritance of the
descendants of Geren the Great.  These developed into their present forms
as the Duchies of Kelmor, Highland, Harmon, Salidor and of course
Anthulsula.  These independent nations were eventually united by the
Sorcerers of Haven into the Kingdom of Man as it is today, and the City of
Anthulsula was selected as the permanent capitol.

---- The Histories

* * * * * * * * * * * *

	"Don't you think that was a little excessive Belshatha?"  E'rin
asked under his breath.  Long years had taught him how to speak without
moving his lips.  He kept his gentle features in a mask of casual unconcern
over the scene that sent shockwaves through the Royal Court.

	As the Court began milling and debating quietly over the shocking
and unprecedented actions of the Prince, a lone figure cut through the
chaos.  Making an obvious beeline for the thrones, Dera'Lione cut through
the crowd like a ship driving toward its destination.  The guards that kept
the people back from the thrones parted to allow the Lord Commander
through.  He stopped at the base of the dais and spoke.

	"Your Highness', may I have permission to approach?"  He asked
politely in a voice that carried over the noise of the furiously whispering
Court.  All conversation ceased instantly as they waited to see the
volatile Prince's response.

	At E'rin's nearly invisible shrug, Andy gestured for the Paladin
leader to approach.  As he stepped onto a step that allowed him to look the
pair in the eyes Dera'Lione turned to E'rin.

	"Your Highness, could I trouble you to arrange some privacy for
us?"

	E'rin smiled slightly, and inclined his head in assent.  Closing
his eyes, the elvin Prince wove a barrier around the dais that blocked both
sight and sound from penetrating to the outside, while allowing the three
of them to still monitor their surroundings.

	"Thank you Prince E'rin."  He said with a slight bow to the elf.
He turned to Andy and took a deep breath that he slowly released, blowing
his mustaches out in the process.  It was a habit that allowed those who
knew him to tell when he was considering his words carefully.  After a
moment he shook his head in resignation and started in.  "Do you have any
idea of what you have unleashed here today Andy?"  He asked quietly.

	Andy wilted in his throne.  The confrontation with Duke Harmon had
taken a lot of emotional energy out of him, not to mention the power he had
unconsciously radiated.

	"He was so much like my father."  He replied in a near whisper.

	Dera'Lione winched slightly at hearing the comparison.  From what
he knew of Harmon, if someone similar had raised this young man, he must
have had a difficult childhood.

	"I couldn't help it." He started, his voice beginning to crack with
emotion.  "It was like facing my father again, and this time I just
snapped."

	E'rin put his arm around his love and reached out to take Andy's
hand in his own, lending him what emotional support he could.

	After a moment, Andy took a deep, shuddering breath and looked up
at the Lord Commander.  "It had always been my intention to get Harmon good
and mad.  I've spent a great deal of time moving around in and amongst the
men and women out there in the camp."  He paused, gesturing out over the
encampment.  "I have been trying to get to know these people, and to make
sure that they see me, and identify me as the Prince.  I wanted Harmon
angry because I wanted the soldiers to see, and hear of him lashing out at
the one they think is their Prince."

	Dera'Lione's eyes narrowed as he regarded Andy.  "You were hoping
that if it looked like he was disloyal that none of the soldiers would
support him?"  He asked.

	Andy nodded.  "Yes, exactly.  Back where I come from it's a common
political practice to try to sway public opinion to support your positions.
It can force people in power along the routes you want them to go.  Of
course, those same people will try to influence the public as well.  But
here, such a thing isn't really accepted.  Communications aren't widely
available, and since the power here is anchored on the throne, it's all
about influencing the King and his advisors."

	"It's a dangerous game you play boy."  Dera'Lione warned.

	"It is no more dangerous than to allow a man like Harmon to
solidify his power base."  E'rin replied.

	"Yep."  Andy agreed.  "He'd tank the whole planet with his narrow
ideas."

	"And do you think you can lead a nation young man?"  The Lord
Commander asked seriously.  "Can you command an army?  Send men and women
to their deaths?"

	"I don't know."  Andy said quietly.  "All I can do is try."

	Dera'Lione nodded.  "Very well... Your Highness."  * * * * * * * *
* * * *

	Under guard, and in shackles, Duke Harmon seethed.  He had never
imagined that the young pup would dare to throw him into chains.  Not even
Kail would have risked the political fallout over such a move, but the
young man's ignorance of the Kingdom's politics was one more reason why
Harmon had to get some control of the situation.

	Without his leadership, the nobleman who flocked to his banner
would be under the sway of that prattling idiot du'Pre, and that was a
recipe for disaster.

	Suddenly, the door to the cage that held him opened, and Dera'Lione
strode in.  Harmon could not help but snarl at the man, though he knew that
the Paladin did not deserve it.

	"What do you want?"  He demanded harshly.  "As you can see, I am
quite busy."

	"Sarcasm."  The Paladin snorted.  "Well, at least you have managed
to keep your humor brother dear."

	Harmon sighed, and sank down to the floor.  "I'm sorry Dera, I
shouldn't be snapping at you like that.  I shouldn't have let that young
imposter get under my skin either."

	Dera'Lione shook his head.  "Stubborn as always I see.  Perhaps if
you hadn't been so busy trying to establish your own power over the Court,
you wouldn't have gotten so sensitive over getting your legs cut out from
under you."  He waved off the Duke's sputtering and continued.  "Face it,
the boy had you out maneuvered.  He had secured the support of the army
even before the Court had fully assembled.  This is war my brother, and
it's the good will of the soldiers that will matter, not the favors of the
Court."

	"Don't you see?"  Harmon pleaded with his younger sibling.  "There
doesn't NEED to be a war.  We shouldn't spend the lives of our people to
save these elves."

	"You are so blind."  Dera'Lione said sadly.  "Don't you think the
elves shed enough blood over the millennia keeping the orks off our backs
when we did not have the magic to defend against their shamans?  They have
always stood between the ravages of the orks and us all this time.  It's
been their women who were carried off and raped, THEIR children murdered in
the night and now it's been their home that has been taken by these
monsters."

	Harmon sat quietly and considered.

	"It doesn't have to be this way brother."  The Lord Commander said.
"The Princes have sent me here to offer to let you go, if you will support
them to the hilt.  Please."

	Harmon looked up at his beloved brother across the gulf of
political differences and sighed.  "I don't know Dera.  But I will think
about it."

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Ok, ok, I know it's short.  But this was the point that I needed to stop at
so that I could begin some more character development chapters.

	Stay tuned for part 14, the story of E'rin.

Corey.