Brothaigh

 

    Twas' back in the Springtime of the 3269th Year of Danaan when I was born of a poor farmer in the town of Mileth.  And, while I remember little of my childhood, I do remember being fairly bored most of the time.  My father began to let me help him with the farm at around the age of five, which I thought was simply wonderful.  However, stacking hay and milking cows quickly became incredibly tiresome tasks.  I decided, after the age of 19, that it was time to leave my father's farm and look for a job in Mileth.

   After a moon or so in search of work, I found a nice job in the Mileth Tavern, sweeping floors.  I remember after Danaan's sacrifice, the new Aislings began making their way into the tavern, telling tales of battle and good fortune.  I hoped that good Deoch might be kind enough to give me the spark that these brave adventurers held within them.

   In Deoch 4, after the restoration of the temples, I heard of a job opening in the temple to Glioca as an assistant to Meaveen.  I immediately dropped my broom and ran off for the temple.  Inside, after a brief chat with Meaveen, I praised Glioca for the new job I had received.  Over the next four Deochs, I heard the prayers of many Gliocans, even some of the masses while I was cleaning the temple.  One night, in the fall of Deoch 8, as I was cleaning the statue and getting ready to go to bed, I thought to myself how lucky those aislings were, and what I would do with the gifts that they had been given.  After completing my chores, I went back to my room at the inn wishing that I could become an Aisling.  That night, I dreamt dreams of fiery Deoch, beautiful Glioca, and oddly colored sparks flashing out in the night.

   I remember the morning after my strange dream... I awoke with a jerk to the sunshine, jumped out of bed, and felt the spark of Deoch within me.  The Gods had seen fit to grant me status as an aisling!  I was overjoyed as I threw on my ragged shirt, flew down the stairs and out the door of the inn.  As I looked about, I noticed the vivid colors surrounding me: the lush green of the trees, the earthen brown of the dirt path below my bare feet, and the beautiful dark-gray slate in which the altar rests.  I called out to a young priest, in a blue-purple coat... "Excuse me Ser, might I trouble you for a moment?  You see, I'm new to this land, and I was hoping you might educate me in the ways of the priest."  "Well," the aisling began, "the name's Ashen, and aye... I believe I can help ye."  Ashen led me over to the temple of guiding, where he spoke with me a moment on the ways of the priest.  "Let's go," he told me after he had finished.  We walked down through the tunnels of the Pantheon, and eventually came to the Lady herself.  Glancing into those beautiful eyes it seemed as if she were speaking to me without even moving her lips.  And before I knew it I was standing back in the foyer, with a dazed look on my face.  Ashen approached me within moments... "Are ye okay?" he asked.  "Aye," I replied, "At least I think I am."  "Come," he told me, "I have more to show you."   Throughout that day, my new mentor spoke with me much on the ways of Temuair, outfitted me with a cowl and boots, and even gave me a few coins for my purse.  "Thank you," I said to him as we parted ways late that evening.  "Most welcome," he replied as he silently vanished.

   After parting with my mentor and friend, I made my way down into the Mileth crypt.  Truly a terrible and dangerous place.  The air stinks of death, and the creatures who abode there have a haunting dead look in their eyes; even as one of those terrible beasts sends an innocent young aisling to Sgrios, he continues that dead stare.   I started off on the very upper level, killing a spider or two and retreating back into a corner to rest and heal.  Eventually I made my way into the second level while venturing with fellows, but the feel of death in the crypt was too much for me.  I retreated to the eastern woodlands at around my 9th insight.

   At the 11th insight, I was walking about Mileth and entered the tavern... I felt very fragile for some reason, like I could shatter into a thousand pieces at any moment.  I greeted Riona, and tiredly moved up the staircase, and eventually into my bed.  That night as soon as I lay down I entered a dream where I saw myself actually shattering, but the pieces didn't fall away into nothingness... they remained suspended, all of them only a few inches away from each other.  Then, the darkness fell.

   I awoke at what I thought was the next morning, I walked down the stairs and sat down at one of the tables. "Greetings Riona!" I called to my friend.  "Brothaigh?  I thought the Gods had deemed you too fragile!"  I remember staring oddly as I heard this.  "Eh?  I'm here, and this is still the Fall of Deoch 8, how could they have deemed me too fragile?"  "Haha, Ser, it is Deoch 13, and Spring at that!"  My eyes widened at this news.  The Gods HAD deemed me fragile, but had somehow left me suspended till a time that I might awaken again.  "Bless the Gods!" I shouted as I ran out into a now older Temuair.

   "Ser Brothaigh!  I see you are a follower of Glioca, would you care to aid a priest?" the young aisling... Callinthos I believe was his name called out to me.  "Aye, how may I help ye?" I asked the quite nicely dressed man.  "Take my place as priest, I can no longer serve the Lady, our paths lye in different directions now."  I agreed at this rather strange, and unsolicited request, though I was a bit nervous at the way in which I was approached by it.  We made our way into the temple, where I promptly took his place as a Priest of Glioca.  In fact, to this day I believe he is still a priest, only one of Fiosachd.

   Since that day in Deoch 13, my life has been much bit quieter, perhaps because I'm an old man now, and I'm enjoying my ability to simply sit back and converse with friends rather than make any life changes.  I did however enter politics back in Deoch 16, and am enjoying my task of keeping Mileth safe.  I don't teach much anymore... not like I used to back when I first started as a priest, but I do like to think that the things I teach now are more informative with the wisdom of my journeys.  I'm nothing more than an old priest in a constantly changing world, but I am enjoying my life as an aisling, and I hope the Gods will see fit to keep my life long, healthy, and fruitful in the Deochs to come.