Role

Chapter 3

"Our Land"
These words are tattooed on his back from shoulder to shoulder in
bright white-blue runes. Not etched by Qing Long's hand, but by
his mother's, so that he should not forget where his loyalty lies.
Qing Long was born in lands near the Western Aryth, but these
lands were not what his mother meant. She meant all lands
beneath the heavens where Ancients played. That all these lands
and peoples must be free.

Qing Long aged, and came to understand what it meant to protect
these lands, and he understood what it was that threatened them.
The Western Aryth is not far from Seantryn Modan, and he saw
men in chains, bound to serve the will of another. These men had
broken spirits and lost the fire within them that made them men,
and they were to be pitied. But Qing Long only felt anger at those
who enslaved them and broke their spirits. He saw Seantryn grow
North, South, East, West, plowing forests and creatures as it
moved, these two were like the men enslaved. These lands and
tree spirits were destroyed or lost the fire within them that made
them natural and unbound. Again, Qing Long knew the taste of
anger at those who enslaved them and broke their spirits.

But anger leads to bitterness and self-loathing unless one has the
Courage to see beyond it to what must be done. Qing Long sees
the power of Seantryn Modan. Understands the strength of its
armies. Qing Long has traveled much, to Hamsah, Galadon,
Udgaard. He has seen many Seantryn Modans, many Empires
driven by will to bind and enslave. Here he understands the nature
of the words stretched across his skin, and knows what must be
done. The slavemasters must be pushed back and destroyed, and
the lands and spirits within them must stir and be freed so that all
beneath the heavens roams unbound once more. This will take
much Courage to face what must be faced.