Lara documents/Lara 004
Translated by Whilyam
Regahrovaht[edit | edit source]
004.001 (Preface)[edit | edit source]
When God first saw D'ni being formed, God talked to a low D'ni woman known as Hahno. God said to her that God would physically visit D'ni over the course of one hundred and twenty-five years to test the people's faith and morality. Once as a poor man, once as a rich man, once as an envious man, once as a dishonest man, and once as a pure man. God told Hahno to record how God was treated and to spread the word afterwards of what she was taught. She agreed and her life was happy and prosperous for twenty-five years.
004.002[edit | edit source]
Hahno then was then filled with soft luck[1]. Her husband, Ainehm, left her and she had no money and moved to a poorer district. There she met a poor man living as a merchant of off-worlder goods. His name was Pahbto. The man befriended her and had the most handsome face which seemed to shine through the dirt which covered him. And he would take her with him when he asked the higher for money and she saw how they scorned him and hit him and rejected him, and she felt sorry for him. And while she suspected it, it was not until a man was immoral with her that she knew. With a single hand, Pahbto destroyed the man so wholly that no one remembered he existed. He then thanked Hahno and revealed he was God. God touched the ground and it turned into precious stones and God told her to take them as a thanks and then God left. And while the stones made her one of the wealthiest D'ni, she was sad, for while she was married, she had loved the poor man despite deception. And she returned to her husband, who had suffered as well, and while she did not tell him about God's hand in their wealth, together they saved and prospered for twenty-five years.
004.003[edit | edit source]
Quickly Hahno rose to a position where she and Ainehm were among the richest in D'ni. Hahno and Ainehm were invited to a rich friend’s age for a celebration of the birth of a son[2]. And there she met a senior Guildsman in the Writers Guild named Osookehn. After the celebration, the two met often to discuss politics and visions and other issues. One day Osookehn took Hahno to one of his ages and showed her around the facilities he had constructed. Toward the end of his tour, he showed her a massive slave house. The slaves there brought them food and drink and performed immoral acts for them. At this, Hahno stood and told Osookehn she wished to leave for she was offended at the immorality.
"What is morality but the opinion of our prophets?" he asked.
"Morality is God's command, not to be spoken of as such."
"And what is God but the scare-creature of our minds?"
"You have no faith."
"I have faith in what I see."
And so Hahno left and denounced the man in public. But the man was friends with many and his actions were approved and Hahno was scorned for not remembering her place and even Ainehm was silent. However, they remained quiet and humble and lived peacefully for twenty-five years.
004.004[edit | edit source]
To have challenged a writer made Hahno a person who was interesting to other people[3]. Among them was a man named Ahnsehkh. He became quite close to her and they met often to debate playfully. Ainehm grew more distant and was sad. One day, upon her returning from Ahnsehkh's house, Ainehm confronted her.
"Why do you shame yourself before God?" he demanded.
"I do not."
"Why are you dishonest with me? Why neglect as you have? Why be unfaithful to the one who has supported you?"
And Ainehm grew violent and brought pain to Hahno.
"You bring no honor to God." He said.
And though in pain, Hahno called out still. "I love[4] and honor God as I love and honor you and hope you do of me.”"
And at that, the pain was gone and Ainehm smiled and a person came out of him and it was God. And after they greeted God, Hahno asked what had happened.
"The one who hit you was I to test your faith that love of the mind is greater than hate of the heart or violence of the body. The one who envied the one who took your time was Ainehm who now sees how he was wrong."
And so God left them and Ainehm first learned of God's duty bestowed to Hahno and was happy for he knew that God would move them correctly and they were happy and loving for twenty-five years.
004.005[edit | edit source]
After God left, Hahno and Ainehm were happy together and loved each other. It was in this time that they decided to become philanthropists[5]. A man came to them to offer them an age once owned by the Guild of Caterers. It was a massive food age and Hahno felt they could help feed poor D'ni with products from the age. And so they bought the age and the man and Hahno and Ainehm were friends. Ainehm began meeting with him more. Betting on races in Tahsheetahj[6]. Soon Ainehm lost almost all their wealth. One day he overheard the man talking with a rider he bet on, telling him to lose and Ainehm was sad. And so Ainehm told his wife of this and Hahno, knowing it was God, was calm. They would be humble once more as they had come to be. And they lived poorly and humbly for twenty-five years.
004.006[edit | edit source]
It had been twenty-five years since God left them as the dishonest man. Hahno was two hundred years old. Ainehm had died five years earlier of a sickness[7] and Hahno was sick as well. Hahno was very tired and she lay, as she had years before, on the side of an alley in a poor district, when a small child walked up to her.
"Peace to you, God." She said weakly.
"Have you learned from what you have seen?" God asked as the child.
"To love and glorify God. To be honest and kind and faithful to all who you see and who see you."
And so God had Hahno print what she experienced and had her submit it to the King. And then God let her sleep.
Footnotes[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Seems like a D'ni phrase meaning something like bad luck, but it also seems to refer to actual imperfections in whatever would turn around that luck. Confusing. –Whilyam
- ↑ This being the friend's son, not Hahno’s. –Whilyam
- ↑ The word here is a personal noun meaning essentially "person of interest". –Whilyam
- ↑ Love here being "taygahn" love of the mind. –Whilyam
- ↑ The word here is a personal noun for someone who charitable. –Whilyam
- ↑ I've looked through the historical records I have, but I can’t find a mention of this age. It either didn’t exist or, more likely, was a gambling age running under the radar of the maintainers.–Whilyam
- ↑ No records of an epidemic of D'ni. Looks like it could have been a sickness in the lower districts from bacteria in either a fishing district or a sickness from an age in one of the industrial districts as the histories have numerous mentions of both. –Whilyam
Given that the plagues in D’ni history were considered significant events in D’ni history and that this story seems to refer to the sickness in an off-hand manner, I’d guess that this sickness is not one of those plagues. –J.D.
