The First Life of Tanan Read Online Free
Author: Andrew Riley
where they established their first village, Masura, or ‘New Sura’.
For the first year they lived near the shore of the sea, fishing and cultivating crops. Komisa sent scouting parties a hundred miles in every direction to learn about the new land and insure that there were no other people in the vicinity. They were alone.
They built crude boats and began to explore the sea. The explorers returned with news of a large, lush island in the middle of the sea. Komisa traveled to this island to see it for himself. The island was almost one hundred miles from east to west and sixty miles across from north to south. The eastern side of the island was mountainous and heavily forested, while the western side was almost entirely rolling hills of fertile land.
The people abandoned Masura and moved to the island they were calling Komisan, and named their new city Panna, or “City of Peace”.
Komisa, who had led his people to this beautiful new land, was proclaimed King by his followers. Under the leadership of Komisa and his heirs, the Komisani thrived. They cultivated the land and focused their efforts toward improving their lives. Over time the Komisani developed a written language, learned to refine and combine metals, and made advances in medicine, architecture, art, literature and philosophy. Within three hundred years, all the cities and villages of Komisan had paved roads, running water and sewer systems. Herd animals were brought from the mainland, and the entire western side of Komisan became a patchwork of pastures, fields and orchards.
The population grew from the one hundred and forty-seven who arrived with Komisa to a hundred-thousand. The population leveled off at that number by royal decree several hundred years after the founding of Komisan. Life on Komisan was peaceful and prosperous.
• • •
Very early on, when the Komisani government was formed, a constabulary called The King’s Legion was created. The Legion was charged with keeping the peace across Komisan. As the population grew, a Royal Palace was built in Panna and an elite branch of the Legion was established to act as a ceremonial guard.
When a hunting party returned from the mainland and reported that they had been attacked by a tribe of Lataki plainsmen, the reigning King sent a platoon from this royal guard to investigate. The Komisani had not forgotten that their ancestors came to their island to escape the warlike plainsmen, and the King gave the Legion the authority to kill any Lataki that came too close to Komisan. The King believed that if the Lataki plainsmen learned of the prosperity of Komisan, they would raid the island and that prosperity would end. The King expanded the Legion further, removing the title of King’s Legion from the constabulary, and reserving it for the military force that guarded the palace and patrolled the mainland. From that point forward, the primary mission of the King’s Legion was to prevent the Lataki from learning about Komisan.
• • •
As the population of Komisan grew and spread across the island, the Abbots were there to guide them. The Brotherhood of Abbots existed for thousands of years before Komisa led his people to the island, and they spanned the inhabited world. The Abbots lived mostly in secluded mountain Abbeys where they catalogued the knowledge of man. They were also subtly influencing emerging societies toward the path of peace and enlightenment.
When Komisa left Sura, he had no idea there were twelve Abbots traveling with him. As the Komisani society began to mature, Abbots introduced written language.
Abbots were also the Masters of magic. They were alert to identify children who showed talent in the magical arts. They trained some, like Tanan’s grandfather, in the healing arts. Others they recruited into the Brotherhood.
The Abbots placed an Abbey in every town and
For the first year they lived near the shore of the sea, fishing and cultivating crops. Komisa sent scouting parties a hundred miles in every direction to learn about the new land and insure that there were no other people in the vicinity. They were alone.
They built crude boats and began to explore the sea. The explorers returned with news of a large, lush island in the middle of the sea. Komisa traveled to this island to see it for himself. The island was almost one hundred miles from east to west and sixty miles across from north to south. The eastern side of the island was mountainous and heavily forested, while the western side was almost entirely rolling hills of fertile land.
The people abandoned Masura and moved to the island they were calling Komisan, and named their new city Panna, or “City of Peace”.
Komisa, who had led his people to this beautiful new land, was proclaimed King by his followers. Under the leadership of Komisa and his heirs, the Komisani thrived. They cultivated the land and focused their efforts toward improving their lives. Over time the Komisani developed a written language, learned to refine and combine metals, and made advances in medicine, architecture, art, literature and philosophy. Within three hundred years, all the cities and villages of Komisan had paved roads, running water and sewer systems. Herd animals were brought from the mainland, and the entire western side of Komisan became a patchwork of pastures, fields and orchards.
The population grew from the one hundred and forty-seven who arrived with Komisa to a hundred-thousand. The population leveled off at that number by royal decree several hundred years after the founding of Komisan. Life on Komisan was peaceful and prosperous.
• • •
Very early on, when the Komisani government was formed, a constabulary called The King’s Legion was created. The Legion was charged with keeping the peace across Komisan. As the population grew, a Royal Palace was built in Panna and an elite branch of the Legion was established to act as a ceremonial guard.
When a hunting party returned from the mainland and reported that they had been attacked by a tribe of Lataki plainsmen, the reigning King sent a platoon from this royal guard to investigate. The Komisani had not forgotten that their ancestors came to their island to escape the warlike plainsmen, and the King gave the Legion the authority to kill any Lataki that came too close to Komisan. The King believed that if the Lataki plainsmen learned of the prosperity of Komisan, they would raid the island and that prosperity would end. The King expanded the Legion further, removing the title of King’s Legion from the constabulary, and reserving it for the military force that guarded the palace and patrolled the mainland. From that point forward, the primary mission of the King’s Legion was to prevent the Lataki from learning about Komisan.
• • •
As the population of Komisan grew and spread across the island, the Abbots were there to guide them. The Brotherhood of Abbots existed for thousands of years before Komisa led his people to the island, and they spanned the inhabited world. The Abbots lived mostly in secluded mountain Abbeys where they catalogued the knowledge of man. They were also subtly influencing emerging societies toward the path of peace and enlightenment.
When Komisa left Sura, he had no idea there were twelve Abbots traveling with him. As the Komisani society began to mature, Abbots introduced written language.
Abbots were also the Masters of magic. They were alert to identify children who showed talent in the magical arts. They trained some, like Tanan’s grandfather, in the healing arts. Others they recruited into the Brotherhood.
The Abbots placed an Abbey in every town and
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