"Upon my birth, a great mystic came to my father and told him of a
vision he saw of my fathers only child.  He saw this child surrounded
by spirits and holy flames, standing beside a mighty hunter in the
midst of a vast desert.  A lonely wolf came to them, and took up the
hunt at their side.  Soon, also came an eagle and a bear to lend their
strength.  Before long, all manners of birds and beasts of prey arrived
to join in the hunt, each one an animal out of place.  The child
danced, rain brought life to the barren earth, and a shochi, an arc of
light with many colors, appeared above them.
 
"So it was, the Speaker of my native tribe, the Sza-ji, took me as a
babe to teach me, guide me in the ways of the spirits, and prepare me
for the prophecy to come.  In my sixteenth year, my vision quest was
completed, and I was sent far to the west, across oceans and land, to
the city of Exile, to fulfill my destiny.  Within a few years, the
spirits led me to the mighty hunter Tarak Artachi and the speaker
Zephir.  From this meeting was born a new tribe, and from that time the
Shochi have walked the realms.
 
"In the decades since that union, I have borne two children to the name
Artachi, and have smiled upon my childrens children.  I have seen the
destruction brought by war, the falling of godspirits, the rebirth of
forests, and the rise of cities.  I have been a speaker of Vengeance,
of Life, of Healing, for my people and the lands I call my home.  I
have seen my people withdraw from the peering eyes of the cities, deep
into the wilds, and have walked as druid, hermit, and monk.
 
"As the spirits have always guided me, so too have they led me to those
who aided my growth, my own enlightenment.  I honor those who have
challenged and taught me, in life as well as from the spirit realm.
Foremost amongst the fallen, my mentor and teacher, Delnan, as well as
others - Zephir, Dryel, Carlotta, Diello....  Foremost amongst the
breathing, my love, my mate, my chieftain, Tarak, as well as others -
Fayne, Aster, Abane, Akein....
 
"My bones grow old, and in time I, too, shall pass from these lands.
The cycle will continue its course, the lands I cherish will find new
defenders, the enlightenment I find will be taught by the students,
those my eyes see as the child I once was.  I will know peace when that
time comes if I can look upon my mortal life and see my destiny
fulfilled, and that even ages hence, I will have the wisdom to guide
those who follow the paths I have walked."