The Guardians of the Mountains

An old legend says that on the high ridges of the Taygeti mountains, mystical beings called guardians live their lives. Nobody knows what they look like, whether they are humans or animals. It is also not known what exactly they are guarding: maybe the dense forests that adorn those mysterious areas or the mountains, so that no one can climb them…?

It is said that many years ago, there were some brave people who ventured to explore, eager to find out more but none of them ever returned. So as time went on, the mystery on this subject deepened.

The elders are convinced that there is nothing beyond the mountain’s range that surrounds their finite little world and they have no one to contradict them, because the high cliffs whose peaks are lost in the clouds, seem to be an insurmountable wall which is meant to keep them there, blocked forever.

However, no one can explain how the first people came to that land, laying the foundations of their world. The story told by the pages of the old manuscripts stops right before shedding light on this question so the world is doomed to continue its existence in ignorance, devoid of such details.

More than a century ago, when the late Urlem of Rohn, the father of the current king came to throne, he thought it would be a good idea to reform the whole country. He renamed it the New Land and divided people into zones and cities based on certain pronounced attributes. After that, he set up the King’s Council, made up of one representative from each city.

Thus, Rohn – the king’s city – came to be inhabited only by wealthy and well-educated people, such as philosophers, poets, and wise ones. Located in the northeast corner at the base of the mountains, the city stretches with pride and is guarded by high walls, built to keep enemies away. The rich plains, the abundant food, and the state of fulfillment continue to this day to make this city the most prosperous in the whole land and because everything around was green, Urlem of Rohn was inspired to proclaim green as the national color. When Kayan of Rohn – son of Urlem – took the power, he gave the royal guards the name of Green Berets, according to the uniform they wore.

Close to Rohn, located in the eastern area lies the city of Thimer. Its inhabitants are well known for their physical beauty. Their faces seem sculpted by the finest hand of an invisible artist but in addition to this glamorous attribute, thimerians people tend to be a little naive and impulsive which makes them an easy target for outrageous criminals. That was the reason why the king ordered that a big part of his garrisons must settle down in the south, to guard the road to both cities. In this way, the establishment of Green Berets from that place took the name of South Guard.

Besides Rohn and Thimer, other cities have developed in the land of the New World, such as Sibaln or Ramat which are inhabited by people from the middle strata of society. These people have no other particular characteristics than the fact that they are great workers. Thus, most of them came over time to work the plains around the city of Rohn.

In the opposite corner of the king’s residence, on the other side of the land is the city of Dalvir. Also built at the base of the Taygeti Mountains, the well-known city hides in the shade of a thick forest. Its name inspires fear and horror because the dalvirians seem to be the worst beings mankind has ever known. They are heartless and soulless, living only to rob, kill and destroy everything in their path. Every time the opportunity arises, the Green Berets fight fiercely with these people, leaving the battlefield bathed in a lot of blood.

Several other smaller settlements such as Siher, Lutir, Minir, and Orvia are scattered throughout the northwestern part of the land. These villages gathered various people who fled away from the hustle and bustle of the big cities. A dense and extensive forest covers much of this area, providing natural protection to those who took refuge there, hiding them from the wickedness of dalvirians people and other predators.

Because it seems that through those forests, a bunch of robbers found their place. They have been terrorizing the surroundings for more than a few decades. Some stories tell that the only difference between them and the dalvirians people is that they are more focused on looting and robbing than killing. Others believe the contrary, saying that their purpose is to protect the forest dwellers from the bloodthirsty hand of the dalvirians.

In any case, the king has been struggling for a long time to catch them, putting all sorts of valuable rewards on their heads. But most of the ambushes by which the Green Berets tried to get them, turned out to be in vain, the robbers managing to escape unharmed almost every time.

This was the reason why constantly preoccupied with the dangers that are so close to them, the inhabitants of the New World no longer have time to think about the mystery of the Taygeti Mountains and the secrets that those yet unexplored areas might hide.

Thus, the years passed, life went on and now, with the new generations, the legends about the guardians of the mountains have been completely forgotten.