by Jeff Wilson, copyright 1998
This is the story of the founding of the Kingdom of Artifice. No one today knows where that land was, but we are indebted to them for the knowledge of Technology and enchantment.
Now, close by that cluster of worlds dwelled a monster. Occasionally the monster came out from where it dwelled and stole one of the smaller asteroids from the cluster.
At the time of which I speak a young pod came into the cluster seeking a home. They had traveled from far away and so far had not found a suitable place to live. The dwellers of the cluster warned them of the monster, and suggested that they move on. The pod did not heed the warning, however, and settled on an asteroid near to where the monster dwelled.
Shortly after they had made their home, the monster came out and stole a nearby asteroid. Unfortunately their Gelnik and Nedrin had been out hunting on that asteroid when it was stolen. Great was the love this pod had for each other, that was why they had traveled so long and so far to find a place for all them. Though sore afraid, the remaining pod decided to travel to where the monster dwelled and rescue their mates. They gathered food and set out to where the monster dwelled.
Leaving the cluster they came across something they had never seen before. It was as if an asteroid had been cut into small pieces, and put back together again in a different form. Their Demerin attempted to see what sort of magic had been used to do this, but found nothing. On the far side of this 'building' the pod found thick metal strands linking this 'building' with the next. The pod thought they were vines, but quickly discovered they had never been alive. Though they were very frightened they chose to press onward. As they flew they passed even more things that had been built from pieces of other things.
Finally, they reached the monster's home, and saw it. Four limbs it had, and a round body. Each limb ended in an appendage it used to grip things around it. It didn't float or fly, it could only move by gripping then pushing or pulling. No eyes or sensory tentacles did it have, and it was covered in shining metal. As they watched it fed pieces of stone to a fire, and took out pieces of metal, weaving the metal into the strands which bound its 'buildings' together.
"Long they watched, hoping their spouses had not been fed to the flame. Finally, they saw them; bound with the metal strands, floating listless for lack of food. Angered past fearing they went to their mates, but the monster noticed them. Though some of the pod feared and hid, some bent all their magic on the monster, but their best efforts were to no avail. No magic they had could penetrate the monster's metal skin.
Then their captured mates called out to them, directing them to focus their energy on the metal strands instead of the monster. They did so, and wrapped the monster in the metal web it had created. Then they tossed it into space where it had no way to return since it could not fly.
Then they went home, but made many trips to where the monster lived, learning what they could. Over the years, as they made friends with their neighbors, the pod learned the ways of artifice and enchantment. Finally, they knew what they could do what they must.
Flying out into the void, they discovered the monster where it floated. Wrapping it with enchanted rope they bound it's limbs. Taking the steel blades they had made and enchanted, they struck with the magic in all of them, and cut the monster open. Inside the monster they found no flesh, but more metal, and crystals, and powder, but they were not afraid. They knew they were stronger than the monster, and so they took it apart.
Arriving back home, their diviner told them that the monster was not truly dead, but would rise again if the pieces of its body were rejoined. So the pod decided to separate for the last time, each making a pilgrimage and putting a piece of the monster in the keeping of holy priests, that that monster might trouble the constellation of the Eye no more.
Upon their return, they discovered their neighbors had found that the monster was no more, and, observing the skill of the pod, had chosen them to rule and teach the rest of the cluster what they had discovered.