In The Beginning¶

Various extracts of "very confused memories" of Shrewd Gibbaï, seeker of Elias.

It is decided. From desire to know more about our movement, starting today, I will lead an investigation! Then everyone can simply enjoy speaking with the oldest of us after our informal meetings.

...

This movement, as it exists, is more recent than I thought. It had been, at the very most, five or six years of the calendar of Jena when the most ancient members were contacted by homins of Elias's guild to found the movement and to aid them. It was shortly after the War of the Temples. I should learn more about this guild.

...

By chance I fell on Elias's letters in our archives! I learned a little more about Elias's guild. Although they no longer appear, I discovered that it was they who announced the arrival of Jena to the leaders of guilds, clans, brotherhoods and other groups of homins. They wanted homins to prepare for a struggle for their freedom...

Were they liars when it was all said and done? Jena has never come, as far as I know... but there was the War of the Temples a little less than two years later; perhaps it was that threat...

In every war, Elias's guild has reappeared in the Lakes. If homins could read these letters as I have, they would realize the messages are not really of peace, but of a fight for equality and freedom.

...

I was interested in researching how they began. They had many missions, even as a small movement. Elias was especially concerned about the matter of Trytonists being imprisoned by the authorities. When I read of a Zoraï who had died in his cell, having been killed by the guards of his own people, my blood ran cold. I know my people are very religious, but never would I have believed such a thing possible.

The Karavan has, in turn, an odd method to judge the faith of homins. They asked Doran, a loyal supporter, to throw himself into the void... Kegan of Elias's Guild teleported just at the right instant. When I think of it, this Kegan is gifted to be able to compete with those in authority.

...