Lore/Story Ochuvnqitiz

(all dialogue translated from Dogun)

We entered Ungike ha Ievem, walking slowly towards the lake. As far as I could sense, the mood was solemn and sad, but not without a bit of happiness from being there again. As we took our places around the ancient magma, I looked around the cavern.

Though not as big as some other ones, it was large, over forty meters in every direction. In the middle was the fabled Medo ha Tichol - the Lake of Life. Its surface was calm and very bright, brighter than any magma in the Molten Heights. Though I heard about it from Arzul and others before, its majesty still caught me unprepared. To the left from the entrance, there was a large flat wall inscribed with the details of long-cold inhabitants of this place, the Dychruke ha rauq - The Wall of Memory. The writing was weathered from time and there were ongoing discussions among the survivors whether to renew it or not, whether to preserve the past of honor the cold. Overall, the room was very clean considering the place was dug up very recently, only a little debris left.

I took a glance at the crowd. There was basically everyone, small, large, bright and dimming alike. Some of the last ones will be there soon, a thought crept into my mind, and this will repeat. I noticed a group of dwarves standing to the left of me, Barden, Kracken and a few others, tightly next to each other, apparently uncomfortable. Not very surprising, considering the Doguns' relations with the dwarves, even if they helped with the peace. To their right stood Paeta, a human shaman, with a mix of sadness and curiosity. Just like me, she came to help, to study the Dogun culture and help to end the war. Though she arrived fairly late to the efforts, the few missions she carried out and her enthusiasm securely earned her place today. Pighuru standing on the opposite side noticed my wandering look and nodded, a surprisingly human gesture.

Arzul's touch woke me up from my thoughts. "Ceru is here." And indeed, they were. Six Doguns carrying a large stone tablet entered the cavern. On it, there was the shell of Ceru, whose core cooled a day ago in an accident in the Freezing Heights. With utmost care they laid the slab on the ground, right at the lake. "Medodrha was calling Cero back." they called out.
Half of the crowd replied: "But the world stole their heat early." There didn't seem to be any clear division between who was in which half, as if everyone randomly picked one, so I did the same and joined the second one, along with Arzul and Paeta.
They said: "We were in unity when they were warm,"
"but now we are standing at the edge."
"They will continue further,"
"where we cannot follow them."
"We will remain united in our minds."
"Their shell will melt,"
"but the core lasts."
"They must not be forgotten after they leave."
"And thus the Wall of Memory awaits."
A Dogun called Michai came to the body and said "As a friend, I shall write their name."
And all of us said "They will never be forgotten."
They went to the wall and wrote there: "Ceru" in glowing symbols, then returned to into the mass of Doguns.
Then, Sidio emerged from the crowd. "As a student, I shall write their deeds."
"Their legacy will be honored forever."
They carefully inscribed: "Worked for peace and recovered long lost monuments."
Lastly, Paku said: "As the tribe's leader I shall write their end."
"Their cooling will not be for nothing."
They wrote: "Cooled under collapsed ice."

After the chieftain went back into the anonymity of the crowd, there was a minute of silence. Then, half of us said: "We shall honor the dead with gifts from our own cores,"
And the other replied: "for without them we are not whole."
Everyone slowly began moving towards the body. One by one we stood before them, letting a drop of their cores emerge on their hands and fall on the cold shell. Some dimmed in silence, but most shared their memories with them. "They saved me from entombment.", "We used to discuss history." and many more. Luckily, Arzul told me of this before, so I brought my treasured piece of magma I found in one of the missions. Like the rest, I put it to Ceru's legs. I noticed Paeta cut her forearm with a knife and let drops of blood pour on it. A part of us.

When we were done, two of the slab carriers magically lifted the slab and moved it above the center of the Lake. Another pair began making a hole below. "Ceru was a mentor, a friend, and a peacemaker," said Michai. "They were always the first into action, the first to right a wrong, despite the age. Their warmth was so searing nothing less than an ancient ice could stop them. The world is colder without them, but they will be never forgotten." The stone tablet was slowly descended into the hole and the surface reconnected.
"Ceru now travels into the earth's core," said one half of the crowd.
"and soon they will meet Medodrha and rejoice," replied the rest.
One by one, we began making our way towards the exit. Some remained and mourned for the cold Dogun.

Ceru
khorpeh no plarioku o catyh no dychruzigunku plunyhom al
enoleh no pi drhaqenolqar dolnehom​