The sky was bathed in swathes of red and orange as Limysus pulled the sun from its perch in the sky to give way for Aulla's two boons, Toth and Teith, both of which were but pale shades visible against the blazing sunset. Yet, such a sight was missed by many who lived on the peaks of The Broken Range, or the Caelum Petram as it was known to the Chu'manah. The tribes were littered across the mountains in the earlier time of man and its rebirth after The Shattering. They lived in relative peace until the world began to reform it's society and culture, leaving no place for such a proud, yet roughly cultured people. Soon, the sands of time began to wipe away the legacy of an aging tribe. Facing the ocean, the last of the Chu'manah nestled themselves away in a secluded alove seemingly cut into the face of the mountain.
Here, on the gentle bottom slope a roughly sewn animal hide tent set upon the light sands of the beach a woman's screams echoed across the crashing waves, strained cries from the throws of labor. The mother, Ankhi, leaned back into the loving embrace of Tuiwei Kywen, the parents of the yet unnamed baby painfully worming its way from within its mother. Tuiwei smiled, brushing the sweat-matted hair of his wife from her head, "Ankhi," he cooed, "You are so very strong, our child will be beautiful."
Ankhi squeezed his hand in response, her tear stricken face scrunched together in pain, "The baby is strong," she wheezed, smiling, "Just like the father." Tuiwei smiled, his heart warmed by his wife's humor even during such a challenging trial. The minutes turned to hours and finally the baby came forth and choked down its first breath of air.
The Shaman cradled the baby in her arms, looking at the two parents before her, "It is a girl," she stated, passing the baby into the arms of her mother. Ankhi kissed the baby's forehead, as did Tuiwei, before passing her into the arms of Ankhi's mother, tradition dictating that the mother of the mother name the baby. Malikma, Ankhi's mother, rose from her position kneeling next to her daughter. She held the baby gingerly, meeting the gaze of two tiny golden eyes. With a swift cut, Tuiwei seperated child from mother and Malikma turned to gaze upon the land.
Before her the sky bled. Limysus rode across the sky, slowly trailing ribbons of deep red, bright orange, and brilliant yellow, painting the setting of the Sun with the brilliance of its rays. A reflection of the scene glittered from the calming ocean waves, as if the water had chosen to walk, rather than run to the shore. The backdrop of the two pale moons set against the harsher color gave the moons the appearance of glittering, almost as such as the baby's eyes. It was then that Malikma knew, and the words fell from the elder shaman's lips in a hushed whisper, "Ignis.. Ambu'leh," she paused, "Fire walker."
The years passed by as baby grew into child. Most nights, the great fire in the center of the village was prone to the boisterous laughter of the child echoed across the rock and sand. There were not many her age, births being far and few between, yet this did not bother the child. Rarely the smile fell from her face, the joy and livelihood of such a young age leaving her free from the stress of living in the world. The men would travel miles to hunt in the Wilden Woods, but Ignis Ambu'leh would only know laughter and play, until the time was ripe for her to become a woman.
As a child, she was always drawn to her grandmother's ways, that of the Elder Shaman. Even at such a young age, she would find time from her fantasies and activites to watch Malikma teach the younger Shaman's how to create a certain poultice, or a brew to cure stomach aches, and many other ancient remedies handed down through the ages. Though interest never stuck long with Ignis, and she never really gleaned any real information, Malikma saw in her the next great Shaman. Perhaps, Malikma would think to herself, Ignis would be the one to break the cycle of curse, and bring back the powers of the Chu'manah bloodline. It had been nearly twenty years before anyone had been born with any latent magical ability. Though there were those that could be taught, their ability to harness the essence of the land were minimal at best. Unfortunately, the last great Shaman, one who could tear lightning from the sky itself, died not long ago at the tender, cocky age of his late twenties. Malikma had great hopes for her granddaughter, but those hopes always lay silent behind old, sparkling eyes.
Ignis learned many things as a child growing up in the Chu'manah way, yet nearly all of her learning centered around survival and remembering the past. The other women of the camp took a fond liking to Ignis, but it was the Chu'manah way that everybody pitch in with the proper raising of a Kelpi child. Even as she played with the other, if a bit older, kids she was learning morales and how to get along in life with the soul in balance. She learned how to cook and properly clean an animal so that each of its parts were usable in some fashion, from the ears to the hooves. From there she learned sewing and leather working, all things centered around benefitting the tribe.
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