The Great Potlatch of Yurok Szaboyar-Szekeres

The Jarl inclined his head to his host. "Our smaller friends never seem to get the dimensions right do they? They either make them to size they've heard of in legends or they refuse to believe we are as big as we are." Tholarg was grinning broadly, then he turned to the younger giants that stood a few paces behind. "Allow me to introduce my son and heir Bjorn." The platinum haired Bjorn bowed quickly with blush creeping up his neck. He had been eying one of the young women serving at table and had not been wholly attentive. "And my nephew Eldgen."

Eldgen had been paying attention and gave slow measured bow. His strawberry blond hair and beard were trimmed close and he was dressed in a khatis style. "My lord I offer greetings on behalf of my father Thane Gudrik. He will surely be saddened to learn that he missed the chance of your hospitality."

"At long last, all those who I invited have arrived," bellowed Yurok as the last of the invitees, the Elonese namely, found their way into his halls. With the presentation of the gifts by Prince Chonny and his accompanying retinue Yurok bowed respectfully before taking the instruments in his one hand with a chuckle, "I thank you for these gifts, although I do not believe the people of these southern lands understand the point of a Potlatch. With you here, it can finally begin; please, take your seat at my table."

With all of his guests taking their seats Yurok returned to his throne at the head of the hall and stood, his massive form making quite the visage of the Northern Giants once feared when they had first arrived. With his one good arm outstretched, drinking horn held tightly in hand while his petrified arm remained pinned to his stomach, he bade his kinsmen rise and respond in kind.

"Welcome, friends," he said with a pearly white smile marring his well scarred visage, "Welcome to my halls! You have come from far and wide, just rulers all in your own right or perhaps fledglings learning such things even as we speak! In honor of my ancestors and of our shared creator, I open my doors and my stock my halls for you, noble friends of the Almur! This is an auspicious day, the first Great Potlatch held by my Hearthhome in generations. With a roof over our heads rather than the great blue sky, I am at last able to welcome such guests in my hold rather than a dirt-floored yurt. I can say, from the bottom of my heart, that you have all shown me great respect and honor by joining my Hearthhome, Hold, and I in this, such an important day to me people. But, though due to no fault of your own, I believe the true meaning of the Potlatch has escaped you for it is I who's Hearth is now bedecked with great gifts worthy of Yuron himself, no less. This is a travesty, for it is my duty as the host of this Potlatch to give gifts unto you. So, without further ado, I declare this Great Potlatch truly begun; brothers, bring forth our guests gifts!"

With the voice of the Kezur carrying over the hall all of his kinsmen, along with many of the dwarves who had been prepared for the traditions for months now, raised their glasses, drinking horns, and mugs in a toast as the retainers of the Kezur entered from the sides. With them first came great plates, platters, and dishes absolutely piled with the finest foods available to the United Holds ranging from traditional Almuric meals, the delicacies of Beg Gurhim, and other more familiar foods found throughout both the North and the South. With them came fine utensils, each pair uniquely crafted of numerous different fine materials.

"Please, enjoy to your hearts content! If my great offerings to not meet your taste, I will make sure to find for you something that will. All before you is yours and it is my duty as host to provide; that includes the silverware, might I add!"

Laughter broke out among the Almur throughout the halls, cheering loudly for their Lord as they enjoyed the gifts provided. Dwarven courtiers up and down the hall admired the food and the gifts, talking among themselves joyously while more and more was piled in front of them. As the food was provided to his guests in the lower hall Yurok waved over the next set of gifts for his more prestigious guests, those he had personally invited. Retainers brought forth chests of gold, held in cases of dark wood with beautiful Almuric steel appearing as the grain of wood put to metal as the rivets and clasps. Each one contained gold coins, freshly minted from the newly constructed banks of Mog Bhelnom, as well as numerous gemstones and rare metal items. Along with these initial, shared gifts of treasures of the United Holds more retainers arrived with more unique gifts for those who had arrived.

To the Ikegami, a pair of curved blades made from a mixture of design elements from the Ikegami and the Gospodars. Both had bone handles, carved from the ivory of some great beast from the north, with sigils written along both sides, one in Ikegami lettering and the other in Almuric script inscribing the saying "Friends are known First in Hardship".

Next, presented to the newly pronounced King of Ontare, was a set of Almuric Platemail. Along the faces of the individual plates were numerous carvings and inlays that told the story of the August Duchy and its Lord, as the Almur knew it, from his glorious battles to his crowning as the King of Ontare-Berranda. On the chest, clear to see, were two raised outlines of squares with the smallest text inside their frame that, when read closely, was revealed to be the front page of the Aedaknam and the Raegarnam, both given a place on the armor's chest as per Berrandan fashion.

"Accept my apologies, comrade," spoke Yurok over to his friend, "But when I explored your lands I paid your armorer for your measurements. If it were not for the desire to keep the surprise such, I would have not resorted to such cunning."

To the Prince of the Sefti-Cerdigonian Commonwealth, a greatbow carved from the very same bone material the handles and scabbards of the Ikegami swords and inlaid with flowing Messarom script up and down reading out prayers from the Raegarnam. It could be seen that, despite the Almuric craftmanship, great care was taken by the Artificers who labored over the weapon to keep to a more Cerdigonian Sylph design reminiscent of bows used by the Saighdeoir of the South. With the bow came a bone and wood quiver and a stock of exceedingly long arrows no doubt designed with great distance and flight in mind.

The Firetooth were to receive a gift of slightly increased volume, two large boxes presented to the representatives of the Firetooth. Each of the boxes were of lighter, reddish wood compared to the chests originally presented but still had steel latches and inlays. When opened it revealed a rich, dark red interior that contained three pistols each, one for each of the Council Elders and the last for the Chief himself. Each one was obviously a labor of love, unique and special in every way with different woods, different patterns, and different carvings blessing their forms.

"Let this be a gift worthy of the one you provided me," spoke Yurok with a grin, a sense of comraderie borne by a mutual history with firearms shared between the two groups more clearly than ever, "I hope your brethren in your homeland appreciate them as the Artificers did when making them; they could hardly let them go when the time came."

Presented to Haldu Veliu was something special indeed, considered fitting for the people who it was gifted to. A chest, much like the box presented to the firetooth, was offered containing multiple different instruments necessary for exploration, each the Almuric counterpart to ones more commonly used in the South. With the first gift offered a second was provided, this time offered by Kharok himself, a set of golden scales with proper weights to accompanying them.

"To you, brother," spoke Kharok with a great smile, "So that your family might continue to enjoy great fortune! You'll have to weigh all the treasures we offer, after all!"

When the time came for the Jotun to receive their gift it was hefted out by Master Artificer Bertok of Quick-Silver himself, the greatest Artificer yet living in the Gospodar's realm. The weapon presented was a massive jezzail, perfect made for someone of Almuric stature and wrought from materials to match. Uniquely, rather than wood or some other similar material used for the weapon's stock Almur ivory was used instead, a sign of great respect. Along with the steel bands that held the barrel in place and the numerous silver inlays along the milky white haft that spoke of tales of Balno, the Great Kithancestor of the Sea, the animal many Almur associated with the Jotun.

"This weapon is made from the bones of an Artificer who shared his Kith with you, that of Balno," uttered Bertok from behind his faceless steel mask, "He lost his leg before his death and his body was unable to go to He-Who-Forged-The-World whole. The last of his ivory was used to make this weapon, so that the deeds committed by him through those artifacts wrought from his body will allow him to be recognized in the Afterlife. Use it with pride."

Last but not least came the gift for Prince Chonny and the Elonese. Unlike the rest of the more Southerly peoples, the Almur knew the Elonese not for their skill in tradecraft or war but for their faith. It was by the hands of the Seers, then, that their gift had to be wrought by. A great wood cutting, inlaid with fine metals and painted with rich, earthen tones used so frequently by the Almur, portrayed the Tree of Saint Oleo, unmarred by the damage it received decades past in retaliation by the Jotun and standing resplendently as a gently breeze rustles the leaves out of place.

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-- Each invited guest receives a personalized gift as well as a chest of treasures worth five gold that shall be added to their ledgers automatically.

The King looked over the set of armor that hung next to him. He could not hide his excitement over such a fine gift. He ran a hand over raised text, the ironwork was truly wonderful.

"A wonderful gift, my friend. I thank you for your generosity. I do believe one would be hard-pressed to find a work that matches the quality of this. I am most honored by it." He spoke, a wide smile on his face.

The Prince raised the greatbow to the cheers of his retainers, many of whom were now redfaced with drink. '' Let me thank the Great Kezur for this wonderful and fine gift! '' The Prince said. '' And let me hope that it will only be used to slay only our mutual enemies in battle! '' That drew another cheer from the Prince's men. While the young heir to the Commonwealth throne had never seen a real battle, he knew that the tides of war were thundering closer, and he would soon have to do his duty as his fathers heir.