Old Narok told many a strange tale...

[narosh]

This was told to me by an old warrior named Wattacrock, who passed on
many a tale of when Atys was young and raw and the Kitin had not yet made an appearance. He said, "As a merchant's son, I would travel with my father on the trade routes to Thesos and Yrkanis many times over the years, and listen with amazement to Old Narok in the Thesos bar, who even then was a greybeard missing a leg from the knee down, and he would tell me of many puzzling things and their true meanings. It is said he came from the Dragon's Tail in the Dunes of Exile, a hellish place in the far west reaches of Fyros.
That in itself is a tale which I will not drag on with at this time.
When Narok was well gifted with a large flagon of Silverweed sap and a noseful of finely ground Oath bark, he would call the young homins to his chair by the fire and speak of many things worthy of consideration. Not surprisingly, the adults also gathered closely and kept old Narok full of sap and bark enough for several people.
Some have said he is rebirthed every generation by the Lady Jena, for the Goddess takes pleasure in a well-told tale.

This then, is one of the first things that I remember Old Narok spoke of and left it to us to ponder upon.

Old Narok said, "There are certains things homins are reluctant to
speak of but know the truth of them in their hearts. The Ceremony
of Awakening, a rite of Jena, is one of those. The Priestesses
of Jena, in the springtime, call young homins to the temple to partake of it. It begins in the dark with the males chanting, 'Who...Who... Who?,' and is answered by the females singing 'She...She...She," as candles are lit and the statue of Holy Jena reveals herself from the shadows to their view.
The male homins rise to their feet and thunder 'Mah..Mah..Mah..,'
the voice of a Bodoc bellowing the joy of being alive and a animal sacred to the Lady.
The ceremony continues with things all partake of that is the Life Force the Lady has given us all. In good time, your parents will tell
you of thses things and your obligation to honor the Lady Jena in all
things sacred to her. Old Narok said, "All of you have heard of a female moving and dancing in a manner pleasing to all, and have heard the whisper of 'Who-She-Mah-Mah' among those watching her. This is the Lady Jena speaking to us of one of the joy of life."
After telling us this, Old Narok yawned and peered into his
empty flagon which was quickly replenished with sap. I saw Old Narok
many times after that and was quick to listen to his musings on
homin and the world as he knew it. It has been said another homin
has been named Narok, a Matis, but I know little of him. I do hope
he knows the honor of his name gift.