The Early Life of Gramail

The story of Gramail starts in a very different way to the other Gods. We all know Gramail as one of the Gods of Temuair. However, there is a slight difference with how Gramail came to be. The deity was not born of two gods, nor did he originate as one either. 

 

Gramail’s beginnings are unique.

 

Gramail was born as an Aosdan. He had no special powers. Ancient Hybrasyl is where the Aosdans lived, a very long time ago. He lived a fairly standard life there, he did not begin to have any uneasy feelings about his life until he was roughly 5 or 6 years old. 

 

Gramail was an unusually sensible boy, most Aosdans tended to be simple minded, lived day to day and frolicked around Aosda. Aosda was a primitive place, daily living was chaotic, and it was very unordered. Most Aosdans did not mind this as they were much the same.

 

Children his own age would badger their parents who were too busy with their own pleasures to pay much mind to them. Usually giving them whatever they were whinging for so as to rid themselves of their offspring. They loved their children but they were rather indifferent to them as soon as they could run. Aosdan children grew up to act as their parents had before them, a perpetual cycle that would never be broken. Until Gramail came along that was. Something inside him must have been different, a brighter spark burned inside him like a roaring flame.

 

Gramail however craved order, neatness, sense to his life. From a young age he was tidy, enjoyed observing nature and people alike. He did not join in with the games the other children his age played. 

 

As he aged more, he wanted to study. His home did not have the materials to learn he hungered for. He desired books to devour, worldly knowledge, and most importantly, a teacher. 

 

From a young age Gramail felt he needed to leave Aosda, travel the lands and seek out others who had similar desires to himself. It was a thing no other had done before him. He waited until he was around 13 years old, practically a man in his society. He felt this was a good time to go forth into the lands in search of wisdom and knowledge. 

 

He gathered some supplies together, bid farewell to his parents and began his journey on a cool summer morning. 

 

He had an old horse to set off with, so he began a long trek along a faded dirty path. It hadn’t been used in some time, as the Aosdans were self sufficient and had no need to travel.

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End of first lesson.

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He travelled for about two hours or so until he came to a small village with an inn, a few hut type houses and a stall selling necessities. 

 

He sat down on some grass where some birds were pecking at the floor. He was exhausted, so he got some bread out of his pack and began nibbling at it. He heard a twig snap behind him. He whipped his head around to stare, and there before him stood a tall man with salt and pepper black hair, piercing blue eyes and a kind face. He was a rather tall man wearing a peculiar outfit which consisted of brown patches on a pair of faded blue breeches, a blue cotton shirt, grey boots and an old brown cloak. 

 

The stranger in the blue ensemble continued to stand and stare Gramail. The boy was a strange sight, not many children were known to sit and observe nature. This child was very serious with no hint of laughter about him. The stranger wondered if the child could be a good student, as he was looking for one.

 

He looked quizzically at Gramail and asked him what he was doing there. 

Gramail replied “I am observing, I like to see how things are when natural order is allowed to happen. Though I don’t understand why the bird is eating the sand? It’s very peculiar.”

The stranger explained that birds will intentionally eat odd non food type things, sand for example, to aid their digestion. Gramail took a great interest in this. The stranger was delighted.

“Sir, how do you know such things? Where I live, no one would have known that.. Let alone even questioned it.”

“Child, my name is Aadolf. I make it my business to learn about the world, I was also an inquisitive child, much like yourself boy.”

 

The man turned around as if to leave, he had other things he had to do and places to travel. 

Gramail suddenly turned around and stood up

“Sir, where are you going?” 

“I need to leave, I left my home unattended. My library may end up with mice in there eating the pages.”

The boy stood up and began to follow the man.

“What about your family boy? If you follow me, you will learn, but you will not be returning until a long time from now. Are you sure that’s what you want?”

Gramail looked back towards his home thoughtfully, but he’d made his mind up a long time ago.

“No, my family are foolish as are the rest of the Aosdans who reside here. They are good people. They are also silly, wasteful, their lifestyle is so lavish I don’t understand it. I want to learn about more important things with my life rather than stay here and wither away and lose my brain.”

Aadolf studied the young lad thoughtfully, thinking that he would make a fine student and make something of himself one day.

The man nodded his head and smiled at Gramail. He began to lead the way towards his horse and cart he had left parked a little ways away.

With that, that is how Gramail came to leave his people and begin his studies with the old man Aadolf.

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End of second lesson.

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The beginning of the journey in the man's cart wasn't a very interesting one. The pair of them had sat quietly, left alone to their thoughts for the first hour or so. 

 

Gramail had thought from the moment they had met that Aadolf had a lot of knowledge to offer, this was his chance to learn. He was eagerly excited for when this teaching would begin, wondering if he would learn quickly and move on to more advanced teachings. He wasn’t even entirely sure what lessons this man could offer him, but he was an interesting fellow, surely it would be worth learning from someone as interesting as he.

 

Aadolf had a few thoughts on Gramail when he first met the boy. The child is far too serious to go through life without so much as cracking a smile, or laughing at a joke. He needed to teach this child that life wasn’t so serious. The boy seemed keen on learning about nature, but first he needed to learn how to look after himself, do chores. If he is an Aosdan I doubt he knows much about doing anything for himself.

 

The young boy was enjoying looking at the scenery, they were just passing a farm which had some cows and sheep grazing.

 

Aadolf spent another half hour or so just thinking about what types of things he could teach this boy. He was an old scholar, he went out of his way to pore through books from all regions of the world that he could have, and store them at his library at home.

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End of third lesson.

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Aadolf broke the silence eventually asking Gramail “So boy, what kind of teaching did you have in mind? What interests you?”

 

Gramail didn’t answer straight away, he waited a few moments. 

 

“I'm not entirely sure, I just want to learn about.. Well everything. I like nature, but I also want to learn about people. Different societies. I want to know not everyone out there is like Aosdans. I found growing up there to be rather frustrating.”

 

Aadolf looked at him again. Perhaps he isn't as simple minded as I first thought.

He happily thought there was more to teach him. 

 

And with that, we leave off after their simple conversation.

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Story needs finishing.

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