Chapter Five Hundred and Twenty-Eight — Let the Record Show
Chapter Five Hundred and Twenty-Eight — Let the Record Show I was never someone who was super interested in like... rigorous study. I mean, at school, I'd do what I could to pass, but I was usually working just hard enough to get the grades I needed to keep my teachers happy.For the easier subjects, I got good grades, for the harder ones I'd need to study a heap more and I had usually passed without too much trouble.The truth was, though, that when it came to studying... it was kind of boring? Books should be exciting tales of friendship and adventure, not multiplication tables or dry records of dead people.All that to say that I was kind of impressed with how absorbed I became in the book Ophelia found for me.With storybook prose, Mister Celiga opened The Lost History of the Black Avatars by explaining his personal curiosity concerning these strange legends.Throughout my extensive explorations of ancient and premodern history, I have frequently encountered myths, legends, and folklore. As historians, it is crucial to recognize that such narratives evolve over time, often influenced by cultural shifts. However, certain stories exhibit remarkable continuity across centuries. One such tale captured my attention, and any discerning reader who has noted the title of this volume will already be aware of the subject to which I refer.Celiga went on for a few pages, but the start of the volume as a whole really just felt like... a friendly but open letter. Not one addressed to one person in particular, but rather one meant to be read by a lot of people. Or maybe it was like a lecture? But no, it was too... personal for that.I didn't know what to make of it, but it was very interesting reading, even if Celiga was a bit academic in the way he wrote.The myths surrounding the Black Avatars initially struck me as highly localized. While they do feature a diverse array of characters spanning multiple species, this characteristic is not uncommon among other mythological traditions. What proved most surprising, however, was that as I began compiling accounts of these figures, I encountered remarkably similar narratives transcending national and cultural boundaries. While such widespread dissemination is not entirely unprecedented, it often suggests that the myth in question possesses more than a mere kernel of truth. Yet, as a rigorous scholar, I found that the more I uncovered about the legendary Black Avatars, the more my skepticism grew rather than diminished.Thus, after a period of relative academic respite, I enlisted several promising young scholars from the University of Deepmarsh and dispatched them on expeditions across the continent. Their journeys took them to Sylphfree, the Trenten Flats, the distant Crying Mountains, the neighboring Harpy Mountains, and westward to Mattergrove and the network of independent city-states scattered across the western lowlands. These students were entrusted with a range of scholarly tasks, but most pertinent to this volume was their charge to collect, transcribe, and analyze any myths, records, or relevant mention of the Black Avatars.I might have had to reread a few bits. This was interesting, sure, but it wasn't as easy to parse as some of the stories I was used to. Maybe that was because he was a serious historian, or maybe it was just because this was fact, not fiction.Carrying a few books, Calamity joined me at the table I'd picked out in the corner, and soon Desiree joined the both of us, though she only had two books herself. Calamity was rather smug about that. I decided to continue reading before I looked into what they found.If nothing else, it felt like Celiga's book would at least give me something to work off of when it came to the myths of the Black Avatars.I set about compiling and organizing the reports sent back by the scholars. As I sifted through the countless permutations of fairy tales and moral fables that form the canon of the Black Avatars, any deviations from this pattern began to stand out.Some sources portrayed the Black Avatars in a less polished, less idealized fashion. Descriptions of their clothing are more naturalistic, lacking fantastic embellishment (although they universally agree that black was certainly a prominent color). These sources, though few in number, all shared a curious characteristic — they tended to be older. And the older they were, the farther and farther they strayed from the concept of a fairy tale. More and more, they read like they could perhaps be historical accounts.There are many old writings that might contain reference to the Black Avatars, but separating the wheat from the chaff is difficult. In these older writings, the modern term "Black Avatar" had yet to be coined, so determining if some particular group of black-dressed individuals is meant to be the Black Avatars is often impossible.However, one source stood out to me in the Sylphfree Royal Library, dating back nearly three centuries. This document describes the arrival of a small group of highly skilled individuals who secured an audience with the reigning queen of Sylphfree. The specifics of their meeting have either been lost to history or remain concealed within the queen's personal diary. Notably, this group referred to themselves simply as the Avatars, though contemporary accounts explicitly mention their distinctive all-black attire.The next record which I can conclusively determine is a reference to the Avatars appears approximately three years later, in a city guard logbook from the far western region, along the outskirts of Mattergrove. The account originates from what is now known as Port Hazel, though at the time, it bore the name the Royal Port of Hazelfield. This record details a conflict between the city guard—composed exclusively of humans—and a group of black-clad travelers. This band consisted of a single human, two sylphs, a grenoil, and a "tall human of unusual proportions who was not of the Ostri."The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.Once again, the group identified themselves as Avatars, though whether they were dressed in black is not explicitly stated in the text. What is emphasized, however, is their martial prowess. They reportedly fought the city guard to a standstill before engaging the royal guard, whose ranks included several third-tier combatants. The encounter resulted in significant destruction, though the record does not indicate any loss of life.I blinked as I read that. So... two hundred years ago, the Black Avatars might've been real people. Possibly. It looked fairly likely, if I could trust this author. That was long before airships and such, so they would have had to travel on foot or by ship. Sylphfree and Mattergrove weren't close to each other at all. It would take... months, maybe a year, to get from one to the other on foot. Unless they had skills that let them move faster, or teleport... right, that would complicate things.I wasn't great at Geography, and the units of measurement here were way different from back home, but I had the impression that the continent I was on was about the size of Europe back home... more or less? I'd never seen a full globe of Dirt. I wasn't even sure if one existed yet. Had anyone circumnavigated the world yet? Maybe a dragon could do it, but if so, they didn't spread world maps around.Anyway, the Black Avatars dated back some ways. Celiga had little annotations in his text that pointed to pages further in with transcripts of the original documents. I turned over to those, but most were very hard to read, even with my translation magic, they were in a very archaic font? Is it still a font if it's handwriting?There were a few more appearances of groups that may or may not have been the Black Avatar that Celiga and his associates found. He prefaced that a few of those were very suspicious, and that he was skeptical about them. Others seemed more reliable and detailed, but they were few and far between.If the mentions of the Avatars ended here, this volume would amount to little more than a pamphlet. However, the early accounts of this group—while admittedly speculative on my part—suggest the presence of a band of mixed-species travelers journeying across the continent for reasons unknown. Their only apparent commonalities were their black attire and the fact that most, if not all, appeared to be of at least second-tier strength or higher. While individuals of such power were not unheard of—especially in the more tumultuous periods of history when martial prowess was more frequently cultivated—their repeated appearances remain intriguing.Following a brief absence from recorded history, the Black Avatars reemerge, and it is at this point that their legend truly begins to take shape. The first legend of the Black Avatars. I was able to trace several accounts of the Black Avatars back to the northern reaches of the continent. These stories stand out as particularly noteworthy, as this region had little in the way of scholars at the time, so the events must've been significant to be worth so much ink.I sat up. That was super interesting. The first legend that survived to this day. The rest before that were just little footnotes and historical bits of data, but they weren't really stories.This myth finds its origins in a pass known as the Walker's Path—a valley nestled between two of the smaller peaks within the Harpy Mountain range. Today, this region is home to the thriving city of Walker's Rest, but at the time of these events, it was little more than a small village, one that, according to the accounts, was beset by a subtle yet insidious adversary.It is the nature of this foe that elevates the tale from mere myth to a possible historical anecdote. If this were simply a story of a band of benevolent, powerful travelers vanquishing a cruel beast, it might be dismissed as little more than a local legend. However, the entity in question is often depicted not as a conventional monster, but as a figure—either a harpy or a human—capable of beguiling others into servitude. What makes this figure particularly intriguing is its recurring association with a greater, more nebulous entity. Many versions of the tale suggest that this foe was merely an extension or fragment of something far more monstrous, an entity frequently described as originating from an untended or otherwise unknown dungeon.I contend that it is the mystical nature of this adversary—rather than it simply being an exceptionally powerful native creature—that elevated the stories of the Black Avatars into legend. This figure is consistently described as not only strong and intelligent but also possessing a mastery of insidious and formidable magical abilities. It is this aspect, rather than mere physical prowess, that imbues the account with an almost supernatural quality, transforming it from a historical curiosity into a legend that endures across generations.A foe that lived in a dungeon?"Hey, guys, have you found anything about the enemy that the Black Avatars were fighting?" I asked. "Because... I think I have a feeling, and it's not a good one."
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Chapter Five Hundred and Twenty-Nine — I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream, For Poutine
Chapter Five Hundred and Twenty-Nine — I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream, For Poutine It was early evening when we left the library. It wasn't shutting its doors yet or anything, but the lanternmen were going around outside, lighting the lamposts that lined the streets even as the sky started to darken at a rapid rate.If we wanted to make it back to the Beaver before it was completely dark out, we had to leave right then and there. So we did, but not before I said goodbye to Ophelia and the older grenoil lady at the counter. We decided not to sign out any of the books we'd scoured through. Mostly because if we were leaving soon, then we might come back to Port Royal in the distant future to discover a team of miffed librarians waiting for us at the docks.Instead, we took notes where we could, and Ophelia came over with a stack of loose-leaf and copied entire pages and sections of books over instantly. It wasn't a perfect copy—the ink was kind of pale looking—but it was still a very impressive use of a skill.So, we left the library with a stack of notes shoved into a small bag that Desiree had with her, and started to make our way over to the Beaver. "Should we grab something to eat?" I asked."Could use a bite," Calamity said."Ah, sorry, I meant more like... something to cook with the others once we get back home," I said."Oh." Calamity pouted a little, then shrugged. "I guess. Did you have anything in mind?""Well, it's a little chilly. So maybe some sort of stew? Or a nice warm veggie soup? We can grab some bread on the way, something nice and fresh."Fresh bread was so yummy it was scary."Broccoli, you hail from a land that is more distant than even the furthest isle on this green dirt," Desiree said. "Are there not any foods from your home that you yearn for you could prepare for us?""Oh!" I said. That was a very neat idea. "I guess so! I can't think of anything... well, I guess fast food?""Fast food?" Calamity asked. "I have experience with that. You mean like flash gazelles and stuff, right?""No, no," I said with a giggle. "It's food that you buy in places that make lots of food very quickly. So it's ready... fastly? Anyway, it's not good food, but it's sometimes not too expensive and it's usually fast.""Like a vendor stall?" Calamity asked."Kinda!" I agreed. "Now... burgers might be popular, but I think the beef would give me tummy-aches now. Oh! Fries! I bet I could make some of those if we find some potatoes. I don't know if they sell cheese curds around here, but I think I can whip up some gravy, that's half a poutine!""Half a what?""Poutine. You start by cutting potatoes into little strips and then deep frying them in oil ..." I rambled on as we made our way through the city, though we stopped by a bustling little general store along the way with a market next to it where a nice old grenoil was selling locally-farmed vegetables and a few cooking necessities.So, when we made our way back to the Beaver, it was with a few bags filled with fresh produce. Unfortunately, it started to snow quite heavily on the way back, and as the wind picked up, it made the walk to the Beaver a little unpleasant and hard to fill with chatter and talk.I really did need to invest in better winter gear. Like... big comfy boots. I saw some grenoil with their feet wrapped in furs-topped sandals that looked kind of goofy over their wide feet, but also very warm, and it made me a little envious as I trudged along on a road that started with ankle-height snow and soon had snow up to my lower calf."Home!" I cheered as we made it to the docks. The Beaver looked cozy and inviting, a yellow glow coming from its portholes. Snow melted as it landed on the warm ship, rivulets of water running down the side and freezing into glittering icicles that hung from the hulls.We maybe needed to insulate the ship better, actually, if so much heat was slipping through the walls."Home!" Calamity said. "I hope that food of yours is easy to make because I'm starving."I laughed, the good cheer helping me bounce up the gangplank past two sylph guards who stoically ignored the snow piling up on their heads. I supposed that made sense. The sylph lived high up on mountaintops and were probably used to a bit of a chill.Once inside the Beaver, I stomped my feet a few times to shake the snow off my Mary Janes, then hurried over to the kitchen to put down our supplies. It was warm inside, a little steamy even, and I wasn't the only one who noticed.Calamity peeled off his coat with a dramatic sigh. "I think my fur is still wet under this," he complained. "Might need to dry off before I help with anything."This novel's true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.Desiree, still wrapped in her layers, simply nodded. "I will be in my quarters until the meal is ready."That left me with an armful of groceries and no immediate helpers.I didn't have to wait long, though. Amaryllis was already in the kitchen when I arrived, perched on a stool and nursing a cup of tea while she read through some documents. She barely looked up as I clattered onto the counter."You bought food?" she asked."Yup! Hungry?"Amaryllis looked up at that, then shrugged a shoulder. "I could eat," she said. "It's finally warm enough to move. There was a terrible chill earlier, but Awen has been tinkering around the ship and we worked out a way to warm it up.""Oh, it is nice in here," I said. "Any fire danger?""What? No, of course not," she said. "What are we cooking?"I grinned. 'We' meant she'd help, right? "We're making fries and gravy! And a veggie soup! Something nice and warm and tasty... I hope. And maybe not too long to cook."She sniffed, then took another sip of her tea. "If you need my help, I'll consider it. But only if you promise not to make a mess."I grinned at her. "I don't have S-Rank Cleaning for nothing, you know.""I thought it was to compensate for being such a mess?"With that, I got to work. The first order of business was prepping the potatoes. I started scrubbing them down in the sink while Amaryllis watched. I thought she'd go back to her reading, but instead, she sighed, set her papers aside, and joined me."If you're making something new, I'd rather ensure it's edible," she said, grabbing a peeler.I bounced a little in place. "You're the best, Amaryllis!""Obviously," she muttered, rolling her eyes. But I caught the tiny flicker of amusement in her huff.As we peeled and chopped, I decided to bring up what I'd been reading. "So, I found out some cool things about the Black Avatars.""Oh?" she asked. "The search wasn't fruitless, then?""Not at all! There's this book by some historian, a grenoil who I think lives in Deepmarsh? He did a lot of research on them. Maybe we should visit him, actually, there might be more that wasn't in his book. Anyway, I didn't read the whole thing, but it sounds like the black Avatars were kind of like us."Amaryllis blinked owlishly at that. "Like us?" she asked."They were higher-levelled than most people, and they went around trying to help. No airship, though, but still. They were all kinds of different species too."She nodded. "That is how the stories tend to portray them.""Yeah, and there's this cool account of them fighting the entire city guard of Port Hazel, which almost sounded like something we could've done, you know?"I kept slicing the potatoes into strips, and it took me a moment to realize Amaryllis had gone silent. I glanced over at her.She was staring at me in total confusion."Uh-" I started."Broccoli," she interrupted me. "This ... account. It sounds like you're talking about something that actually happened.""Um ... well. Assuming the author was telling the truth, I think it did.""Broccoli, the Black Avatars are fairy tales.""I know, but I think they might also have been real."Amaryllis held my gaze for a long moment before sighing wearily. "Knowing the stuff we keep getting mixed up in, I guess I should've expected that.""Yeah, getting mixed up in crazy stuff is another way they were like us!" I said. "But they wear all-black, which sounds real annoying in the summer. Also, it's a bit edgy?""Edgy?" Amaryllis asked. "As in... sharp but also embarrassingly awkward? Your translation came across strangely there."I nodded. "Yeah, both of those. Anyway! I think they might have been fighting against rogue dungeons.""Rogue dungeons?" Amaryllis asked. "I don't think there's such a thing. Root-cursed dungeons aside.""But it is possible, right?" I asked. "Maybe the Evil Roots are an older problem than we thought?""It's possible," Amaryllis said. "But if so, I think I would have heard of them by now. Even the king of Sylphfree seemed unaware of them, and I'd expect a head of state to be aware of such a threat, at least.""So it's a mystery!" I cheered.Amaryllis glared at me, then sighed. "We... might actually have to research this with more depth. You mentioned that historian lived in Deepmarsh?""Yup," I said."Well, that's a day's flight from here. Less if the winds are favourable. I suppose it couldn't hurt to speak to him directly."
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