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Legend of the Irtax

In ancient Nuzyeran lore there is a legend, originating in the outskirts of the Salted Valley. According to this legend, centuries ago there were two creatures...
In Airsahc, the native Nuzyeran language, the smaller creatures were known as Irtaxelbrow. Translated, this word means, "Scattered warblers," called thus for their distinctive screech, as well as their reclusive nature. By the Nuzyers, these creatures were simply called the Irtax. They were small creatures, not much larger than a human hand. They had large bobbing eyes, and could see with precision and pinpoint accuracy. They were skittish and paranoid, fearing nearly every creature except their own kind. They could run like lightening, and were masters of stealth and wit. Their ability to move soundlessly through the forest made them exceptionally difficult to detect.

Though fearful of most creatures, the Irtax had only one real predator, the Ortsempti. The Ortsempti were known by Nuzyers as Orts, and were distantly related to the Nuzyeran Barbarian. These large, apelike creatures hunted the Irtax incessantly. Despite their lumbering demeanor, the Orts could also be quick and stealthy when they needed to be. They found it to be a great challenge to hunt the Irtax. It is unknown whether their fascination with these creatures was instinctive, or if they simply found sport in hunting them, since there were other available creatures in the forests.
Orts lived in herds, and dwelt in wikiups built of logs, sticks, and tree branches. Each herd consisted of parents and children, living in one large wikiup. Despite their strong familial ties, feuds and battles between families were common.
An Ort's greatest honor was it's headdress, made of twisted vine, feather, and leaves. To an Ort, the headdress represented triumphs in the field of battle.

The native Nuzyers, observing these creatures throughout history, had a fascination with the way these two creatures interacted, and from these observations were born many of the games of these ancient people. In the following chapters, we will unfold the observations made by the Nuzyerans, and how those observations evolved into their tribal games.

Eshewk Hunt

The Origin:

In the Salted Valley, tucked between the mountain and the sea, was a small region known in Airsahc as Ungam. In Ungam the forests were filled with a poisonous fruit called eshewk. This poison was so potent that even touching it could cause muscle failure and locked joints.

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