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Recently I had the pleasure of meeting a Grelf and thinking it might interest you, I have recounted the experience here.
Upon hearing that a Grelf had arrived in Barqa, I seized the opportunity and hurriedly sent a page to invite the Grelf to dine with me for lunch. I eagerly looked forward to my first conversation with a Grelf and hoped to learn a bit more about them.
The Grelf's name was Yesil. We dined in a favorite coffe house I like to frequent, one of those outdoor ones that have begun to spring up all across the growing city of Barqa. We greeted each other as is the custom and sat at our prepared table for the meal.
"I have begun writing a book on the inhabitants and locals of the greater Siccus Badlands," I began. "I was hoping that you could educate me on the history of Grelves so that I may describe your people more accurately in my book."
"History of what Grelf wish you, for me, you to educate?" Yesil asked.
"Well, I suppose your history would be a great place to start, if you do not mind," I replied.
"Yesil mind, do not," Yesil stated. "Ask away and answer, Yesil shall."
"Splendid!" The conversation was going well, I thought to myself. We were interupted by the coffee house host bringing us drinks.
After the host had left us, I continued. "Let us start at the beginning. Where were you born?"
"Matter does it, where born I was? Matters only that born I was and continue to live, I do," Yesil answered.
I could not tell if my question had offended him for his tone and facial expression remained the same. "That it matters, is not the reason I asked." I subconsciously began to assemble my sentences like Yesil and realized it only after I had spoken. I did not want to appear condescending so I made a conscious effort to speak as I normally do. "I only asked because I am sure my readers will be curious to know where Grelves originate from. However, if you do not wish to talk about your childhood, I will not press you."
"Childhood of mine, far in the past it is. Far in the past, best it is," he replied.
"Perhaps then you would be inclined to share with me the secret of how Grelves are all so wealthy?" I plied a slightly different topic.
"A secret it is not, and wonder do I as to why asked, is such a question. Long lives have Grelves lived. Logical it only is, that accumulated wealth have we." Once again Yesil's response was not what I had expected.
I took a bite of food and washed it down with a swig of raspberry lemongrass juice, buying myself time to analyze the conversation and think of a line of conversation that would extract some information from Yesil without making him uncomfortable. Suddenly I realized that his is reply to my last question gave me a lead to a new question. "You say all you Grelves have lived long lives. May I ask how many years you have lived?"
"Years, Grelves count do not, but when born I was, the Siccus Badlands, fields of grass and forest were." His answer was again vague but I had finally gained a new piece of information about the Grelves. They were old, very old indeed. And so this thought led me to my next question. "Having lived so long, you must have many generations of grandchildren," I queried.
"Families, Grelves have not," was his reply but to my delight he continued without me having to ply him with another question. "For women Grelves, no more are."
I choked on my food. I had been trying to avoid unpleasant topics yet I had inadvertently broached a topic that I was sure near the top of Yesil's list of unpleasant topics.
I knew that for now I should end my quest into the Grelven past and turn the conversation to a lighter topic of the present day but I could not help myself. I had to ask one more question. "Do you mean that in all of Historica there is not one Grelven woman left?" I asked.
"The day the fields of grass and forest to sand and dust were turned, lost all Grelven women were," was his reply.
I quickly brought the conversation to the present times. For the remainder of our meal, we discussed the various Guilds of Historica, the growth of Barqa, and various other affairs currently taking place in Historica.
We parted on a pleasant note and I assured Yesil that when my castle was completed, I would always have a room ready for him for whenever his travels brought him to Barqa. And so ended my interview with a Grelf
