Jalma

"Upon my birth, a great mystic came to my father and told him of a vision he saw of my father’s only child. He saw this child surrounded by spirits and holy flames, standing beside a mighty hunter in the midst of a vast desert. A lonely wolf came to them, and took up the hunt at their side. Soon, also came an eagle and a bear to lend their strength. Before long, all manners of birds and beasts of prey arrived to join in the hunt, each one an animal out of place. The child danced, rain brought life to the barren earth, and a s’hochi, an arc of light with many colors, appeared above them.

"So it was, the Speaker of my native tribe, the Sza-ji, took me as a babe to teach me, guide me in the ways of the spirits, and prepare me for the prophecy to come. In my sixteenth year, my vision quest was completed, and I was sent far to the west, across oceans and land, to the city of Exile, to fulfill my destiny. Within a few years, the spirits led me to the mighty hunter Tarak Artachi and the speaker Zephir. From this meeting was born a new tribe, and from that time the S’hochi have walked the realms.

"In the decades since that union, I have borne two children to the name Artachi, and have smiled upon my children’s children. I have seen the destruction brought by war, the falling of godspirits, the rebirth of forests, and the rise of cities. I have been a speaker of Vengeance, of Life, of Healing, for my people and the lands I call my home. I have seen my people withdraw from the peering eyes of the cities, deep into the wilds, and have walked as druid, hermit, and monk.

"As the spirits have always guided me, so too have they led me to those who aided my growth, my own enlightenment. I honor those who have challenged and taught me, in life as well as from the spirit realm. Foremost amongst the fallen, my mentor and teacher, Delnan, as well as others - Zephir, Dryel, Carlotta, Diello.... Foremost amongst the breathing, my love, my mate, my chieftain, Tarak, as well as others - Fayne, Aster, Abane, Akein...

"My bones grow old, and in time I, too, shall pass from these lands. The cycle will continue its course, the lands I cherish will find new defenders, the enlightenment I find will be taught by the students, those my eyes see as the child I once was. I will know peace when that time comes if I can look upon my mortal life and see my destiny fulfilled, and that even ages hence, I will have the wisdom to guide those who follow the paths I have walked."