Volos: Meeting the Storyteller

The Trilling Stone: The large rock at the center of Ellomyr that would sometimes let out a loud vibrating sound.

Upon arrival in Ellomyr, it was the first place that I decided to look in my search. It would be the most obvious place-a thing that had been looked at by many others before me. Nonetheless, it was the best starting point that I had.

I looked at the floating stone carefully. I tried to analyze if I could determine the source of its floating energy-or if I could sense anything about it's sound. It did not sing while I stood in observation, but I hope that in my stay in Ellomyr it might do so at a time that I can observe. I want to know if the sound originates in another dimension-someplace that I can get to that most others can't. After all, movement between worlds is my specialty.



As I was observing the stone, a child bumped into my leg, nearly causing me to topple over. She was a young girl, perhaps around six in age. She seemed to be in a hurry. I watched as she ran to where a collection of young children were gathered. They sat on the dusty ground in front of an old man who wore a bright smile. He was seated in a wooden chair against one of the houses, and he looked old enough that I imagined standing or walking for long would cause him trouble. Nonetheless, he seemed to have great energy as he spoke to the children.

I walked across the square to see what this was about, and found him in the middle of a story:

"The beast let out a terrible roar and ran at Naiara, but she was clever and had been prepared for it. Using the machine that she had found down below, she trapped the monster. It let out a yelp as a golden cage rose up around it. She sat down in front of the cage and she just talked to the beast. She talked with it for many days, barely moving from her spot on the ground, just eating the rations from her pack as she spoke to the beast. She even shared some of the rations with the monster.

"When the cage faded away, she was ready for the beast to attack, although she hoped it wouldn't. It moved towards her slowly. Her hand reached back for her dagger, fastened on her belt behind her. But then the beast just nuzzled against her. She had tamed it. The beast would travel with her. Of course, she named it Noxive, and you know the stories about him."

He seemed to catch sight of me, and a worried look crossed his face. He looked back at the children, forcing another smile as he continued his story.

"She brought Noxive back to the stone, and they would protect it together for another ten years. Now then, best you all run along."

"Can't you tell another story?" one of the children asked.

"Yeah, tell us the one about why the stone makes its sounds!" a boy shouted.

He smiled at them. "Not right now. Go play and let me rest a while."

The kids dispersed, some more energetically than others.

"I ain't seen you around here before," the man said to me. His tone was anxious, much less at ease than he had been telling his story to the kids.

"I've not been around before," I said. "Volos."

"I'm Gurner," he answered.

"You really know about why the stone makes its sounds?" I asked.

He shrugged. "It's just stories, for the kids. I don't really know, no one does."

"Ah," I answered. I wasn't sure if I was disappointed that I didn't have the answer, or if I was glad that no one had yet solved this mystery.

We spoke a little longer, but I could tell that he wasn't terribly at ease conversing with me. I am not sure if it was because I'm a stranger to town, or if it's just that he prefers the company of children to that of more aged folks.

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