Ushnor of the Farrad Garr

"Ushnor!" rumbled the Garrman to his son. "It is time."

"Yes, Father," said the cub, startled by his father's calling from his sleep.

The sun will not be up for another 2 hours, so the sky is still pitch black. However, the auspicious hour for the ritual has come. And it would be terrible if they missed the holy hour, the most special hour in the life of Ushnor. It is his inception to the tutelage of Grandfather Reeshan, the eldest patriarch of the Farrad pride.

The Farrad Garr had made camp by the grass plains of Wolfgrave last night. While Reeshan and the children would hike the Black Mountain, the pride would move out to cull, trusting the mage shield of Reeshan would protect the mountain.

Ushnor and another five cubs of the pride were gathered around a stone mortar that had seemed to be unmoved on the ground for ages. Hand torches and a bonfire lit up the area. The rest of the pride stood behind of the cubs, rumbling and roaring to encourage the young. Grandfather Reeshan approached the mortar, and signaled for someone. A horseman, gagged and bound, was dragged to the mortar by Ushnor's father.

"Thank you, Naggir," said Reeshan, "This be a fine offering to the gods and good blood for the little mages."

"Ushnor deserves the best," Naggir rumbled.

Reeshan took out a cerulite crystal, glowing blue, from his hemp pouch and placed it in the center of the mortar. He then said a brief prayer to the stars, and he turned to the horseman, still bound, and exposed his neck. The elderly's claw sliced open the throat, and blood flowed into the mortar, over the cerulite. The horseman did not die immediately.

"Drink, lil' warriors!" roared Reeshan.

All five of the cubs hurried to the mortar and began scooping and downing the cerulite-infused horseman blood. Except for Ushnor, who stood there visibly trembling.

Naggir, puffing with anger, dragged his son by the neck and dropped him into the blood bath. Ushnor struggled to get out of the mortar.

Naggir grabbed Ushnor's face with both hands, and said, "The leaders of the Farrad Garr are battle mages. You will not be an exception." He then try to drown his son in the blood. Of course, he only tried.

As the sun rose over the yellow plains, Reeshan and the six cubs began to climb the mountain. Near the peak is an old retreat for mage training used by the Farrad Garr for generations. That is where they are going to stay for a year. Ushnor turned and saw his father and the pride had broke camp and were riding out into the plain for the next culling.

Already, Ushnor is contemplating an escape. Away from all this blood and tribal warfare. Maybe he will head for the nearest port city and stow away in an arcliner. If he is lucky, he'll get to see the metal towers of the Akeeans, or the white walls of Albeum. Yes, he is going to run for it.