The Path - Part Two: The Lesson of the Seha River¶
This book can be found in a chest at a tower in Sahd. It is the second of three books in "The Path," and stresses the importance of hard work and determination, through a tale of four people attempting to complete the rite of boating up the violent Seha River.
Coordinates¶
| X | Y | Z |
|---|---|---|
| 4675 | 174 | 5455 |
Transcription¶
While one Drehmari with a rowboat can navigate the placid Ohgai River, the roiling Seha requires a crew of at least four to portage the rafts up its steep waterfalls.
There is no such limitation for Vibrant Salmon. Despite their great size, they swim up the Seha every year with the power of weak divine magic to lay their eggs in the highlands.
Until the roads and cliffside town were built, imitating the salmon was one of the most dangerous tasks done in all of Sahd. And yet, as part of the annual rituals for the Harvest Spirits, it was, and still is one of the greatest honors for young, strong, Sahdan to be selected to undergo.
And so it was that four were chosen to sail through the Hidden Vale from the mouth of the Seha up to the highlands. One was a young warrior, seeking to inflict pain and receive it for her country. Another was a young politician, seeking the pleasures of fame while bringing the pleasures of honor to his homeland. A third was a young monk, seeking to relieve themselves from fear through devotion while bringing the fear of divine wrath to their congregation. Finally, the fourth was a young woodcarver. He only sought survival and to accumulate wisdom which would aid his family's practice.
As they began on their journey, the four were in high spirits. Suddenly, however, the monk's voice cried out in alarm, and a terrible scraping sound echoed on the steep walls of the gorge. A jagged rock had burst through the raft! Following the politician's lead and using the warrior's strength, they managed to wade through the strong current and bring the raft to a stony bank. Then, breathing heavily, they sat down to plan their next move.
The warrior spoke first: "This hole is inconsequential. Though it might be painful and difficult to continue, we should still proceed." Agreeing to try, the four placed the raft back in the river and tried to paddle with all their might, but were swiftly rejected by the strong current and hole in the hull.
Next, the politician spoke: "The other townsfolk will not know what transpired. We should abandon the boat here and simply walk back, telling them we reached the top. After all, it is a lovely day, and it would be much more pleasurable to quit now than to continue and fail again". But after attempting to scale the tall gorge wall, it became clear that they were trapped. Third, the monk's voice rose, quaveringly. "I am fearful of what will happen to us if we try to continue forwards, climb that steep wall, or scale back down along the rocks. We should hope that they fear for us and wait for rescue". And so, they began to wait. The warrior became impatient and began to cruelly mock the monk. The monk sat, head in hands, in the throes of panic. And the politician lazily perched on a rock, practicing his campaign speeches.
Finally, the woodcarver spoke. "I have finished a patch for the raft. I'm not sure that it will hold, but the four of us set out with one goal in mind. Though I am not as accomplished, I think that the only way we can reach the top of the river is if we work together and use each of our strengths."
And so they set out again. The warrior used their great strength to row against the current. The politician told amusing stories to keep spirits high. The monk kept a careful eye on the surrounding rocks to look for trouble. And the woodcarver did his best to learn all he could along the journey while offering encouragement and keeping the others focused on their task.
It was thus only with the woodcarvers' words that the four young Drehmari were able to traverse the Seha. If nothing else, this tale certainly illustrates the might of the Vibrant Salmon!