Editing Game-Summaries:10/13/2018 Recollections (section)

==Ci's Shanjiu Inspiration==
Ci invites Dereth, Cassio, Ember, Amon, and Loco to the Shanjiu Keep for a meal a few nights before their upcoming adventure. It's a simple meal of roast fowl and vegetables, and though the ingredients are humble they are well seasoned with spices you find it hard to recognize. You discuss the progress on the keep and, as usual Cassio dominates the conversation with stories about Cassio. In in an uncharacteristically quiet moment while Cassio devours a small squib, Ci begins speaking quietly…

"There once was a raven that lived near small village on the shores of a great ocean. The raven was a great and powerful raven, indeed his brethren called him king raven, and he got first choice of the garbage and offal left out by the villagers about town. He often went about with his chest feathers puffed out, cackling and cawing when others of his flock came too near, or the stones thrown by the village children came to close to knocking him off his perch.  "I am greatest of all the birds don't you see? I am the strongest, and can fly the farthest, and have more tricks, and more wisdom than all other birds? How could there ever be a bird greater than me?"

“It so happened that at the end of a grey day in the fall, when the chill of the coming winter was just beginning to creep into the air, the ravens saw a strange sight in the sky. A large flock of swans were flying all in formation from the north. They made a long circle about the small village, and alighted on the shore just as the last rays of the day were winking out in the west over the water. The ravens were all a twitter with talk about the swans. 

"How majestic!" they said and "How beautiful!" 

"Did you see  how they flew?" said another. "All in a line! They must be the smartest birds we have ever seen, to learn to fly like that!"

“King Raven was quite annoyed at the talk of the other Ravens. ‘That is no feat to fly in straight line!’ he cackled. ‘Why any fool bird could do that... I can fly in a hundred different ways, up down and sideways. I can zoom and I can swoop, and can turn and I can flip! See, this is how a King of Birds flies!’ 

“He proceeded to demonstrate his flying for all his flock. Indeed so great was his display and his commotion that it drew the attention of the villagers and swans as well. The villagers watched and said, ‘that fool raven is up to his old tricks again’, and laughed and threw him bread, which he snatched from the air as he swooped and dove. The swans merely watched from the shore, and when he finished politely clucked and shook their feathers, which is what passes for applause among swans.”

“The raven, now more full of himself than ever, strode out to the shore to speak to the swans. They welcomed him warmly, and congratulated him on his fine display. King Raven said ‘Indeed, I am quite talented as a flyer, as you have seen! Can any of you fly in a hundred ways, up down and sideways? Can you snatch bread from the air, and turns flips and dive and swoop?’ 

“Humbly the swans answered, ‘Indeed no, friend Raven. We swans can fly but one way, the way we were taught by our foremothers and forefathers.’ 

“I thought not!’ crowed the raven, and he went on ‘I bet there is not one of you that can fly with me! I challenge any of you to a contest of flight! the winner shall be called King of all Birds!”


“One rather mature swan that had been listening to the raven cluck and preen, picked her head up from foraging and settling in for the night and said, ‘We have no time for such foolishness, and certainly no desire to be king of all birds, but we will fly with the first light, as is our way, and you are welcome to fly with us and demonstrate your talent."

"I accept your terms,’ croaked the Raven. and he flew off, with one last loop for good measure. 

“In the morning, the raven met the birds on the shore, somewhat after first light, as the raven was not by nature an early riser. ‘Well, let's begin then!’ he called to the assembled swans. ‘We have been only waiting on you friend raven, but we don't have far to go today, so we could afford the delay,’ and with that the entire flock took the air as one. They had launched themselves and assembled in the air, before King Raven could even move a feather. They made one more slow circle of the village and then headed out over the western ocean.”

“The Raven finally recovered, gathered himself and took off after the swans. he approached at great speed calling, ‘that was impressive I admit, but taking off is not flying, and this how a REAL king flies!’ He then proceeded to swoop and dive around and among their formation. He looped one bird then the next. He dove between them and climbed ahead of them. he flew so that his wings almost touched the waves, then climbed so high the swans could barely see him. He put on such a display as they had never seen.”

“Just as he finished a great loop around the whole flock, the raven noticed the sun had climbed high in the sky, and it was now late morning. He realized he had had no bread or entrails today and was quite hungry. He also noticed his wings were a bit tired from all his swooping a diving, and as he turned to find his village he realized he could not see the land! He saw nothing but miles and miles of ocean all around, and for the first time in many years he was afraid. In his pride, he resolved not to say anything however, and flew on. He grew more tired and more tired, and begin to dip lower and lower towards the waves. He was not cackling and cawing now, and indeed, feared he might not survive. He noticed then, perhaps for the first time, how effortlessly the swans flew. They seemed no more tired now than when they had taken off this morning. their formation was still precise and their speed though modest was steady and strong.

“When he could bear it no more, he called out ‘Friend swans! I submit! I cannot fly any farther! I fear I will drown!’ Without a word, the flock turned and glided towards him. The swan at the head of the formation flew beneath him, and just as his wings gave out, she caught his body on her huge back. Then as one, the flock turned back towards the way they had come, and slowly climbed back into the sky.”

“It was a long while before the raven could speak, and when he did he simply said ‘How? I am the greatest flyer of all time! How could you have bested me?’ 

“The old swan on whose back he now perched simply said, ‘Did you not see how we flew? Together? No one in the lead too long, no one left out or left behind? In this way we make each other stronger. This is the lesson we learn from ancestors and teach to our children, that we are all greater together than we are alone, and doing well that which we are born to do, is better than trying to be something we are not.’

“And with that the swans slowly glided back the shore where they had slept the night before. They settled in again, and the raven stumbled off to collapse in exhaustion. In the morning when the raven awoke the swans were long gone, flying with the sun at the backs and the breeze in their faces. For a long while the raven did not cackle or crow or puff or preen. He did sometimes look to the west however, and when he did, he always next found someway to be helpful to his flock."

And with that Ci, resumed his meal, as if he had not been speaking at all. From the far side of the table, you hear Ember chuckle, "Cassio! Hey Cassio! What did you think of that story?" 
Cassio mumbles "Hmm? What? I am sorry Ci I am sure it was a fine tale, but I quit listening when I realized that it was not about me."

"Was it not?" Ci says. "Hmm..." and resumes his meal.