History

I’ve just finished reading Marcus Fender’s history of Dorian’s trip to Earth called “Birth of the Fire”. Fender got it all wrong. He doesn’t know Dorian, like I do.

I did not go to Earth with Dorian, and to be honest he has been awful busy since he returned, but I know the man. I grew up with him. He did not consciously start the Earth revolution to put Harappa in a stronger negotiating position. That is not Dorian’s way. 

Dorian is a peace maker. OK, sometimes he does like to stir the pot, but to try to start a revolution, no way.

History has a way of getting all mixed up. I was at the Battle of Caelum. I’ve read three different accounts of that day and not one of them has things the was I saw them.I was standing right next to Rodin when he confronted the Salusian General. It was a thing of beauty to watch. The way Rodin handled that over stuffed tin soldier, it made me laugh. Historians like to talk of big things. Glory, hate, love, the grand emotions. They aren’t too interested in the more mundane things that we humans focus on during our everyday lives.

What I remember of the Battle of Caelum is the camaraderie I felt with Dorian, Ina, Rodin and the Caelumite council that day. We were just a small handful of individuals standing against the largest army ever seen on Harappa. And now everyone know who came out on top.

Philip Normer 

of the White Mountain Clan of Harappa

Before humans got to Harappa the black wolves were the kings of their world. Evolution on Harappa was following a slightly different arc that what we saw on our home planet Earth.

The primary life form on Harappa is the algae in the ocean. There are two large land masses on Harappa. They are on opposite sides of the world and there was little or not exchange of genetic material between them.

The Farside is rocky and jagged in the extreme. There is very little inhabitable land. Most of the Farside is vertical. Live forms on the far side are mostly strange things growing in tide pools on the rocky coast line. I would expect some of the flying things from our side may have migrated there, but the Farside is mostly rock.

The Great River Plain, where we settled at first was the most fecund spot on Harappa. The plant life wilted quickly in the face of the grasses, shrubs and trees we brought with us from Earth. Most of the wild life fell ill to viruses we also brought with us. The things that survived moved to places we did not go.

The black wolves retreated to the Old Forest and beyond.

Black wolves look something like hairless dogs. Longer snouts, metallic looking teeth and generally skinnier. The were the pinnacle of Harappan evolution. Very intelligent they hunt in packs, coordinating their efforts. We don’t know how they communicate, nor much about their social lives. The have never survived captivity.

                 Philip Normer

                 of the white Mountain clan of Harappa

Biology of the Old Forest

Biology of the Old Forest

There are creatures living in the Old forest from the Ancient Times, from before we lived here. You have to be sharp when you travel there. The worst things will only come out at night, but the day time is no piece of cake. There are Batlings, insects the size of your hand that will take a chunk of flesh if you let them. Worse, are the Gorgitos, just slightly smaller than the Batlings but they have a needle nose as long as your pinkie that they will use to puncture your skin to suck you blood. And, that’s not the worst of them, when they feed they leave hundreds of larva under you skin that will migrate through your body, slowly eating you to death. A death, which I might add is very painful and prolonged. Hiking through the Old forest requires that you keep a long knife or short sword in your hand at all times. 

I learned that these things are not quite as bad as they sound. As big as they are they fly so slowly that it is not that hard to knock them out of the air.

The Gorgitos have a nasty habit of pointing their stinger straight up towards the sky when they hit the ground. You first reaction might be to stomp on them once you’ve successfully knocked one down, but that can result in a deadly sting unless you learn to swiftly brush the stinger aside before stomping.

“There’s things on the ground to watch for as well. Keeping you eyes on your path is crucial. Land Anemones look like a slightly raised ring of dirt. Step in the middle and you loose all or part of a foot. Then there’s the Squatters. They look like a doughy animal rolled flat with a rolling pin. They will lie in the dirt and partially cover themselves. They aren’t harmful, they eat smaller insects, but they can startle you if you step on one. 

Then there are the predators. We’ll talk about them tomorrow.

Philip Normer

of the White Mountain clan of Harappa

The Mandan People

In my last post I mentioned my wife Ina. Anyone who’s read Aldo’s “History of the battle of Caelum” knows the story of Dorian’s trip to Terraholm. I accompanied Dorian on that trip and those of you who have read that book know that it was something of an adventure.

It was the first time that I had ever left the White Mountains. Saw a lot of strange things. That was when I learned to play rock and roll music. More about that later.

That adventure was also when I met Ina. She was born to the Mandan people. The Mandan occupy the Green Mountains north of the Old Forest. They live primarily by sheep herding. 

The Wizards had a habit of having members of their orders live in outlying areas near some of the separated Clans. We had Rodin living near Terramark in the White Mountains. In the Green Mountains Arrok Sen lived. She became a mentor to Ina, in fact Ina was being considered for Wizard training. She had been going to Terraholm for several years with Arrok Sen and was studying with them.

I took her away from all of that. She says she prefers living in our cabin in the White Mountains, but I know she occasionally misses the excitement of being in the center of all the action. Who knows when Dorian and the politicians settled the dispute things may be different for us Harappans.

One of the gifts of the Mandan peoples to the rest of Harappa is Oodo. Oodo is a strong alcholic beverage fermented by the Mandan people. Never mix Oodo with red wine! I learned that from the Mandan on my very first night with them, but that is a story told in the history books so I won’t go into it here.

When I meet people for the first time I am often asked what the Old Forest was like. Like I said, that story is in the history books but everyone wants to know about the Gorgitos, the Batlings and the other strange creatures that live in the Old Forest.

So . . . tomorrow “The Biology of the Old Forest”

Philip Normer

of the White Mountain Clan of Harappa

Salusian Proverb

A man does as his appetite needs.

Early Harappan History

Early Harappan History

We’ve spent the last couple of weeks discussing the times just before the “Arrival” of the Earthers. They were a great time for many Harappans. Many of us will always remember those times with fondness and melancholy. We lived in the shadow of the Founder and nothing else existed. The Universe was a small and simple place. 

It was the end times for our innocence. That last wonderful Winterfest will always be a highlight of my life, no matter the amazing things I have seen since then.

How did we get to that place of warm memories and simple lives? Now might be a good time go go back to the beginning.

Now that we know the true history of Marcus Johnson I can fill in some of the details that were lost to Harappans until after the “Arrival”.

Apparently Marcus Johnson discovered Harappa while he was doing some research on Earth. Astronomy was not his main focus, but we now that he had a certain aptitude for the field.

He gathered about two thousand volunteers to move with him to this new world. They all signed agreements to keep the Founder’s secret. They would tell their children a new myth: The Founder was born on a world inhabited by Gods. The gods on Terra became over confident and vain. They destroyed their world. The Founder led a small handful of devoted followers to Harappa to continue civilization.

Part of the Founder’s new paradigm meant ridding civilization of harmful technologies. Marcus Johnson took us back to pre industrial revolution. We gave up the internal combustion engine, electricity, gun powder and many more things.

The Founder had a grand plan to build a new society but he was no fool. The first facility built on Harappa was Terraholm, the home of the Wizard Clan. It was a series of tunnels and chambers built into Mount Kailas. In this center the Founder built a vast library of Earth artifacts, books, music, art and science. The Wizards were charged with preserving these assets as well as continuing scientific research.

The third mission of the Wizards as charged by the Founder was to observe society and insure it’s orderly progression and prevent prohibited technologies from getting into the wrong hands. It was this last task that got them involved with the “Arrival”.

The people who came with Marcus Johnson to Harappa came to be called the “Firsters” and they were revered by Harappan society. The last one died in year 62. There is a monument to them in Caelum, though I haven't been to that. 

I have been to the “Founders Footprints”. In the very center of Caelum, Harappa’s first city, is a small circle of concrete. History tells us that the Founder himself placed his bare feet into this circle when it was still wet cement. People make pilgrimages to this spot so that they can place their feet in the Founders Footprints. It is said to help you “Walk the Founder’s Path”. I don’t know about that. My wife, Ina stood on those footprints, she doesn’t really follow the Founder’s path, for which I am eternally glad.

                   Philip Normer

                   of the White Mountain Clan of Harappa

Results of the Slide Race

I guess I have to say that Philip’s days as a slide racer are over. I went up to the Terramark Valley and I was having a great time watching the slide races. One of my friends in the Deer family lost his partner to a broken ankle and asked me to fill in for his next heat. 

I agreed. After all wasn’t I part of the team that won the Great slice Race of 200? Everyone is using the steering system that Dorian and I designed, so all the races are faster.

To make a long story short, Johnny and I spilled on the second jump. I rolled into a tree on the side of the course and hurt my hip. Fortunately some of the village healers were watching the race and I was given an anti inflammatory tincture right away. I’m OK but awfully sore.

I had to take yesterday off, but I promise to continue writing about Harappan culture tomorrow. Now I think I will drink some of the pain killer given to me and take a nap.

Philip Normer

of the White Mountain Clan of Harappa