The Story of Belboz's Birth

GLENDOWER
... at my nativity
The front of heaven was full of fiery shapes,
Of burning cressets; and at my birth
The frame and huge foundation of the earth
Shaked like a coward.

HOTSPUR
Why, so it would have done at the same season, if
your mother's cat had but kittened, though yourself
had never been born.

-- The First Part of Henry IV, Act 3, Scene 1

Belboz at first told his tale stiffly, but soon warmed to the task. He cleared his throat.

"My homeland. Eh, woman, you ask me of my homeland? Many winters have passed since my birth, but I can remember much of it. Now some of you may not believe that I can remember that far back, but I was set apart from other men even then, and the events surrounding it were agreed by all to be remarkable."

"The room where I was born was in the Little Tower of the Parklin Castle. Parklin is a famous keep far to the west, beyond the Havheim, beyond the Ryngaerd, and beyond the wastes. Although it had decayed from its former glory, it was still a strong point which overawed the land. My father was the law in that forlorn land, a tall man, handsome in a rugged way, but when angry, he had a look that would put fear into the heart of man and beast. My mother was a simple woman, but she was from a line of enchanters, and from her I received my natural abilities."

"The first thing that I remember about my birth was a sound. The wind moaned through the land, driving the wolf and the bear to seek refuge in the caves and the brush. The Little Tower shuddered, and those who attended my birth felt some fear, but neither my mother, father, nor I felt any, even as parts of the old wall of the castle crumbled under the force of the wind. When I was born, a great curtain of scarlet and gold shimmered across the sky."

"An aurora," interjected Checkers.

Belboz glared at Checkers for interrupting the flow of his tale. "Excuse me?"

"An aurora," explained Checkers brightly. "I saw one when I travelled through the territory of Archangel. They get them every winter there. They are beautiful. You never see them here, nor in my homeland. I guess that our lands are too far north for that."

"They never saw them at Parklin before I was born, and have never seen them since, as far as I know. But there were other wonders that night. A series of great booming sounds rung out, with a few minutes between each of them. The Great Mage of Parklin, Roggen, was of the opinion that it was the spirits of the previous mages, acknowledging the potential power that I had."

1. Belboz continued, "If I had but lived in the Golden Age, who knows what good I could have accomplished. But I was born in staitened times, and had to develop my talents as best I could."
2. Someone interjected, "What a load of piffle."

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