I didn't word that properly
Line of Knowledge is how far the tribes can project their influence.
Oh and expect an update by the end of the week.
'Ai Orsa' – The Hunt, A Saka Novel
- Thread starter Shahrasayr
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I didn't word that properly
Line of Knowledge is how far the tribes can project their influence.
Oh and expect an update by the end of the week.
Sorry my life has stalled the TL a bit.
I will have it going again as soon as Easter.
Sorry my life has stalled the TL a bit.
I will have it going again as soon as Easter.
Good to hear that.
Sorry my life has stalled the TL a bit.
I will have it going again as soon as Easter.
I hope everything is alright! Spring is always a most hectic season! Take your time, a TL this good is worth waiting for
The Messenger
Ai Gäogāha
The man thundered on his mount over the hot and dry hillocks, the dust flying up behind him. He panted while riding his horse full gallop, the thrill of the ride and the importance of his mission keeping him going. While he rode on he cursed as a the sun thundered down upon him and the east wind started to blow and dust got in his eyes. Skilfully just letting go of his horses reins, letting it thunder on, rubbed his eyes and saw what he needed to reach. In a distance was the small town of Asttuacä [1], looking untouched and cut off from the rest of the world despite the power it commanded over the rest of the landscape.
He slowed his horse down and began trotting it on their the long trek into the town. Under the sweltering heat of Pardaka, he started to see why the Saka of these lands were known as some of the deadliest archers and skilled riders. The grass in the area was dry and burnt, unlike the grass of the cool and misty Steppe. The sun here burnt every inch of skin exposed to the sun and made everyone thirst for water like never before.
He arrived at the gates of the settlement at midday and took a huge drink of water before heaving and getting off his horse. He walked up to the two chatting guards at the front of the gate who had b barely noticed him. One guard saw him coming out of the corner of his eye and clasped his dagger just in case of a fight. The messenger stretched for a moment before relaying his message.
"I come bearing news for the great chief Hora. I come with knowledge of the events in the mountains that he must be informed of." he rasped, his mouth still parched. The guards grew alarmed at the sound of the word 'mountains'.
"You're not one of those hill men are you? You wear Saka clothing but we cannot be sure if your words are of truth...." one guard exclaimed, pointing at him. "Lay down your weapons and then you may talk."
The ignorance of the men angered him. "Why would I be a hill man? Do you not see my steed, do you not hear my voice and me speaking my mother tongue?" he stated, not taking no for an answer. "Any ways, a true Saka may not put his bow back in the quiver till he has fired with it." drawing an arrow before turning around and firing it into the distance.
The guards seemed happy with this answer and sheathed their swords, shouting commands to the man in the tower to open the gate. As the wooden gate creaked open, the messenger mounted his horse and trotted into the town.
Instantly he was met by a gust of familiar scents and sights all around him. Here was the sights of his childhood, sights that were seemed many a lifetimes ago. He could see a few ladies tattooing a bride's feet, men stringing their bows, a couple of young men trying to break a horse and many other things he missed. This was the world he dreamed of and remembered, if it was a little hotter and dustier than the cool misty Steppes.
As he rode on through the village the top of the Parysä's [2] hall came into view. A beautiful structure, one of the few with a wooden roof and beautifully carved figures on it. He saw the two heavily armoured guards wearing armour that was so reminiscent of that of Yavanas. He was sure if he were to approach them and ask where they had gotten it they would say off the bodies and chests of their enemies. The truth would probably be that they had stolen it from a grave or a caravan.
When he stopped in front of these guards he expected as much or less incompetence as he had received at the entry. Yet he only had to say he was a messenger and they moved their spears out of the way for him, calling for a pitcher of water to be thrown at the feet of his horse [3]. He got off his horse and a guard took it away to tether it, while another opened the door of the hall to him.
He walked in and saw what could only be described as inspiring. yellow tinted windows let in golden sunlight into a hall with many armoured and eccentrically colourful men, a huge hustle and discussion taking, place. And at the end of the hall sat the parysä Hora on a ornate wooden throne covered in rugs and furs, that had been carved from the same wood on the wall behind it.
The messenger made his way across the buzzing crowd of warriors and chiefs, to the throne where the parysä was having his own conversations, wrapped up in them. He then went and knelt before the throne and waited for Hora's attention. As soon as he did so the parysä noticed and signalled his banner riders to silence the entire hall. Hora looked at the man before him before a look of remembrance came upon him.
"Rise rider. I think I recognise you from a long time ago. Yes, you were the very messenger that delivered the message of Meherdat's aggression weren't you? Have you got some more news that may change the fate of the tribe?" chuckled Hora, the rest of his hall echoing his laughter. Some of the older warriors of the tribe genuinely laughed, having memories of the split. The younger ones did so out of fear of getting on the bad side of the parysä.
He rose and looked at the warrior sitting in front of him with sadness. "Once more you shall be disappointed by the information I bring, o chief. Great events have taken place in the north. My lord, murunda Mogha is dead. He joined the great hunt in the sky two winters ago. He had just cornered a boar when the cliff under him and his horse gave way and he plummeted to the land of the dead, his last wish being that you would know that he had found a home. I have ridden for a long time to deliver this message to you as he shall ride no more." the entire hall having fallen silent as soon as he had uttered those words. The parysä in front of him looked shocked for a moment before it turning into a look of reluctant acceptance.
"We had found a home for ourselves in the Pamir Talooki but now once again we are being stirred to move. Murunda Mogha's son, Paśyai, a young rider of no more than 15 years of age rallies the people to go raiding in the southern mountains. He is not content with the hills and mountains he was born in and has heard of the stories if the flat plains of the Steppe and desires that his people may once again roam such lands."
"But surely the tribe will not let such a young and inexperienced warrior lead them in battle? A boy of merely 15? Or has the air in the mountains maddened the men there?" asked an astonished Hora. Never had he heard of someone so young leading an entire tribe on hunts and raids.
"My lord is no ordinary man and he is a seasoned warrior even at his age. He has slain wolves with nothing but his bowstring, strangling them. He is a true rider, as he can fir an arrow of the back of his mighty steed in the middle of the night, with no light.
O parysä, I am a messenger of the hunt. In the north, under the shadows of the mountains times are changing once again. I have heard the Yeujhi wolves stir once again and the great stone cities of the Yavanas lie in ruin and flame. They come from the north and direct themselves towards us and I fear we shall have to ride once again. Perhaps they shall not stray towards the south, into these dusty hills.
But for sure we are once again we have started to move into distant times. I have heard that there are cities of stone larger than those of the Yavana to the South and East. I don't know of these are mere myths or the truth but we shall have to find out soon enough." he finished. For a moment there was utter silence in the hall before a thunder of applaud went up. Hora presented the man with the skin of a lion and invited the man to stay for a feast. The messenger could only accept. He had very long ride ahead of him.
[1] - Literally 'dry land' in Saka, so named for the drier qualities of grass and dusty land which the village is built on.
[2] - The servant. The word Hora's Saka are using for his title as he was but a companion and servant before being made into a chief.
[3]- A Saka custom as to say that one's travels may finally be tended to.
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This party has started. Alright so I have a clear sense of the direction I want to take this TL and I have recently comeback from a hurt wrist and a hectic last few weeks. I shall be posting as frequently as I can (AKA; Biweekly at worst, weekly at best). Thanks to everyone who's been supporting this TL and please forgive my clunky style of writing. I'm still trying to get my head around POV writing, which will become very frequent in this TL as it goes on.
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First of all, very nice to see this back.
And I like the little pic you've got at the top, gives the TL a lot of character. Very pumped to see what happens next for Mogha's son.
Sad to see Mogha go out the way he did though.
I also grew a slight bit attached to the character
But he needed to die for the migrations to move on as we need someone reckless and a bit less stoic to start moving the tribes once again.
Next update's Paśyai's first raids in Kashmir........
Great to see more!
My only comment would be the reference to Baluchistan - the land of Baluchistan and the Baloch people aren't attested to in records until around the 9th century, prior to that the region was known mostly as Gedrosia in the west and Makran by the Iranians and Arabs, whilst the population were mostly the Greek-recorded 'Pareitakai' and Scythian tribes who had migrated there. It was, for the most part, underpopulated at that time.
My only comment would be the reference to Baluchistan - the land of Baluchistan and the Baloch people aren't attested to in records until around the 9th century, prior to that the region was known mostly as Gedrosia in the west and Makran by the Iranians and Arabs, whilst the population were mostly the Greek-recorded 'Pareitakai' and Scythian tribes who had migrated there. It was, for the most part, underpopulated at that time.
Great to see more!
My only comment would be the reference to Baluchistan - the land of Baluchistan and the Baloch people aren't attested to in records until around the 9th century, prior to that the region was known mostly as Gedrosia in the west and Makran by the Iranians and Arabs, whilst the population were mostly the Greek-recorded 'Pareitakai' and Scythian tribes who had migrated there. It was, for the most part, underpopulated at that time.
You're right and this is what I was trying to convey. Asttuaca is the first permanent settlement in the are and even then it only acts a base for trade between the Saka. They are still primarily nomadic and the hills are sparsely populated by some minor hillmen.
I also grew a slight bit attached to the character
But he needed to die for the migrations to move on as we need someone reckless and a bit less stoic to start moving the tribes once again.
Next update's Paśyai's first raids in Kashmir........
He sounds very capable if the rider's words weren't an exaggeration . Can you give us an idea of how large the two Saka tribes have grown with the respite they got?
The rider may have been exaggerating a tiny bit the general gist of his message was accurate.
As for the tribal populations, Hora's Saka which took around 65% of the original bulk of the population and over the decade there has been popualtion growth due to the settlement of Asttuaca. The numbers would be around 15,900. As there were few local hillmen to begin with (and extreme hostility from whatever locals there were) there has been limited intermarriage.
Mogha's Saka with the remaining 35% would have been relatively small but due to lots of intermarriage and cultural fusion with the Kardaka and other Pamiri tribes their population has grown and incorporated many of the local ones and should number around 9,900.
Hora was loyal to the death to Mogha and his staunch ally. The rider just wants to make sure Hora would respect his son the same.
Thanks for the info. It'll be interesting to see how Mogha's- now Paśyai's tribe- has developed.
Nudge, nudge. Whoever guesses what city this is in OTL gets a cookie. BTW, Papyrus is a great font that gets too much hate.
That signifies a settlement that has been sacked. I'll add a key/legend in the map next time I make one.