Giants

^{APPENDIX A} A BRIEF HISTORY OF LORD URIAH'S LIFE

Lord Uriah was born in the last days of the Empire. The Shining Ones had departed with their prisoners and had laid this charge: “Find other enclaves and teach their people the ways of peace.” Uriah was born in Caphtor, also known as the City of Seth. He was born to a princely father who followed the old ways.

Because of his father, Uriah received rude treatment from his contemporaries. The Empire was strained, and arrogant Ir girded for war against Caphtor. Although he was still quite young, Uriah joined the expedition to Giant Land. The men of the Empire, guided by Seraphs, hunted for giants. Uriah fought bravely and well, but more giants had hidden in the north than expected. Many of the greatest Seraphs perished under Nephilim blades. With a handful of others, Uriah barely escaped.

Lord Uriah journeyed home to report the grim news. A year later began the War of Tears. The Empire was split, as some allied with Ir, and others with Caphtor. Uriah fought in the war, was captured early, and worked in Ir's gold mines for six years. At the end of the war, prisoners were exchanged. After hearing about his hardships in the mines, people were surprised at his survival. And from this time began the belief that he was a slippery warrior, hard to kill.

He soon departed war-ravaged Caphtor with a band of followers and headed north to Further Tarsh. The land between Further and Nearer Tarsh was a wind-swept plain, filled with the primitive Huri. Nearer Tarsh had been built on the edge of the Great Sea, while Further Tarsh stood on the shore of the mighty inland Suttung Sea. Between the cities ran a key caravan route.

The Huri of those days were hardier and in greater number than in Joash’s time. They often raided the caravans, ignoring peace talks. The Seraphs feared that if the primitives severed this caravan link, the Suttung Sea region might fall into crude barbarism. Therefore, Lord Uriah and his band of Caphtorites settled in the plains and built Havilah Holding. From the stout fort they captured wild aurochs and raised them as cattle. In their chariots, and with their Asvarn stallions, the hardy warriors proved superior to the nearby Huri. (The day of huge Huri confederations was far in the future. Only the local clans fought these strangers.)

The land was rugged, and Lord Uriah missed the cultured Caphtor ways. So although he'd taken a concubine, Dinah, he sent a trusted servant to Caphtor to find him a wife. A year later, Tamar entered Havilah Holding. She instantly hated Dinah, although she married Lord Uriah. Alas for Tamar, she bore no children, while Dinah gave Lord Uriah two fine sons. With Tamar had come other Caphtorites, and another herd of Asvarn horses. Lord Uriah now struck hard at the Huri, and more caravans journeyed between Further and Nearer Tarsh. A fierce Huri chieftain welded several clans together, and he stormed and almost captured Havilah Holding. Dinah's two sons died as they fought beside their father.

After the grim struggle, Tamar finally bore a son. At the feast of weaning, Tamar overheard Dinah mocking her son. Tamar was enraged and she made life miserable for Lord Uriah. Finally, to return peace to his life, Lord Uriah committed his gravest act. He sent Dinah, and her newly born son, away. He gave her coin and herds, but Dinah was a proud woman, and all she really took was her hate. She returned to the hill country and raised her son, Shur, there.

At Havilah Holding Tamar raised her son, Elon. He became a fine warrior and captain. Lord Uriah's wealth and lands increased, and Elon soon had sons. Then, the Huri gathered into a vast confederation. And in the Battle of Seven Clans, Lord Uriah and Elon routed the enemy through swift chariot tactics. So began the Huri Trail of Tears, as they left the open plains and headed into the nearby forests. Finally, there was peace in Elon, as Lord Uriah had named the plains.

In the nearby Paran Hills, however, a fierce warrior welded the hill people into one nation. He had ten sons, and they too were hardy warriors. Perhaps they didn't ride chariots and wield lances as taught by Lord Uriah, but they howled savagely and never gave quarter—nor did they ask any. Their leader was Shur. In time, the hill country became know as the Land of Shur, and the people as the Ten Tribes of Shur.

Dinah taught Shur about her hatred of Lord Uriah and the Land of Elon. Shortly afterward, the Huri departed the plains, as the sons of Shur began their caravan raids. Both peoples fought with incredible bravery. Both came to hate the other, for Elon led raids into the hill country.

Lord Uriah saw the tragedy, and desperately tried to repair it. Relations between Tamar and he grew cold, and because of that Elon listened less to his father. Finally, the odium of the tragedy became so strong that Lord Uriah could no longer lead the fights against Shur. Although he told no one, Lord Uriah was proud of his son Shur.

Only once more, when Shur and his sons burned Kenan, Zepho, and Teman Holdings, did Lord Uriah mount his chariot and lead the sweeping attacks that scattered the Shurites and brought forty years of peace.

So, in the days when Tarag raided Draugr's Crypt, Lord Uriah found himself worrying more about problems aboard than the unsolvable ones at home. And perhaps that terrible problem caused him to dip his drinking horn once too often into the ale vats.