Legends of Belariath
Brass
Brass' Story
Brass tell story 'bout where Brass come from and what bring Brass to nation called B'leriath. Brass born in mountains north and west of Nanthalion, ten days travel. Brass last one of four males born and Brass runt of litter. Mudder, all ogre kin call Momma. Momma favor bigger, stronger brudders, have not much use for Brass. Fadder called Mortoke - fadder chief of ogre tribe in western mountains. Fadder name ogre runt Brass, 'cuz Mortoke say Brass small now, but fated to be mighty ogre. Mortoke say Brass have big kahoneys, whatever 'dat mean.
Anyway, Brass grow up 'wid siblin' rivals. Bigger brudders pick on Brass. Always give small ogre hard time. Beat Brass up and play mean tricks on Brass. One time 'dey pertend be nice, give Brass nice warm drink. Brass drink and find yellow water berry salty - spit out, and brudders laugh and laugh. Brass learn to be tough; learn to scrap and use smarts to trick brudders. Brass catch snakes and put where brudders sleep. Brass put sticky sap of pine in brudders hair - get even. It not take long for ogre to grow full size - seven, maybe eight season. Brass learn hunt and trap 'wid brudders. Nebber enough food - brudders take food, so Brass have to find way to get own food. Brass learn make own traps and hide 'dem perty good. Brass go into woods alone and eat own catch. Brudders not know how Brass grow big as 'dem.
Mortoke, he tribal shaman, and fadder choose Brass to learn art of shaman for tribe. Brass spend time alone 'wid Mortoke and learn much of ogre wisdom and arts of the forest. Brass learn to heal a little and make foe stunned for short time. Brass learn 'bout ways to defend against attacks. All 'dis make brudders jealous eben more and 'dey no like Brass.
'Den fadder get sick. Chief of tribe get weak, some udders try take place. Brass try help Mortoke since fadder only one 'dat ebber try help Brass. Brass make challenge. All ogre 'dat want be chief, 'dey all try in contest. Brass make game - trow and catch axe - and Brass trick ogre males 'dat want be chief to play contest. Brass play for fadder remain as chief. Day of contest come and Brass ready, do much practice trowing axe. Six ogres want play and see which one win, become next chief. Two brudders want play and take fadder's place as chief. So all ogres try game and soon many hurts. One lose couple fingers, no can play more. Nudder one get clonk on head, no can see straight, and have to quit game. Nudder one no trow axe berry good - too easy catch, and 'dat one gone. Now is down to Brass and two brudders - biggest one, 'dat Chop and next big one 'dat one called Fart - Brass not unnerstan' why 'dey call him 'dat, but 'dat brudder make bad smell offen. Brass catch eber axe 'dat Fart trow. Fart no can catch Brass trow, so Fart grumble and sit down. All move away from where Fart sit. Now down to Brass and Chop, so Chop trow axe and Brass catch. Brass trow axe and Chop catch. It go like 'dat for many trows, back and forth. Chop start get mad and tries trow at Brass groin, but Brass too fast for Chop. Brass catch it anyhow, but now Brass mad. Brass trow berry hard at brudder's head and Chop not catch axe. Axe buried in face of brudder.
Brass win game and fadder get to stay chief 'til Mortoke get well. All ogre must accept result of contest. 'Dat ogre honor. But now Chop mad - say Brass ruin perty face - and get berry angry when udder ogres call him Head Chop now. 'Den, one day brudder get two friends and follow Brass to traps. 'Dey try ambush Brass when eating. Brass kill one friend 'wid spear, but udder two 'dey too strong, Brass not able to win fight, but shaman magic help Brass survive. So Brass run 'way from 'dere. Brudder no can catch Brass hard as 'dey try. Brass no go back to tribe 'wid blood of ogre on hands. So Brass follow river down from mountains flowing south and a little east.
One day, Brass find band of goblins along river. Brass berry hungry now, so wait for goblin to go alone into woods. Brass kill 'dat one and drag body off into woods to eat. 'Den Brass follow goblins down river. Eber day Brass kill nudder one and eat. Brass save heads in bag. Week later, all goblins in Brass belly and Brass find self in forest far from mountains. Brass look for place to rest and find cave - have to fight bear and take cave 'way from bear. Brass stay in cave, eat bear for t'ree days and make cloak from fur. 'Dat when Brass hear voices. Brass go look and find two lion women playing near hot spring. Brass come out of forest and first 'dey scared of ogre. But Brass make friends when offer to show 'dem big ogre cock. 'Dey like 'dat and soon Brass make lion girls berry happy. Lion girls tell Brass 'bout town nearby - town 'wid all kind of people - elf, human, cat-folk, eben a few ogres, and many more 'dat Brass neber see b'fore. 'Dey say, “Go to Lonely Inn”. 'Dey say much fame and fortune to be won 'dere.
So Brass travel down road a little way and find 'dis Inn. Big ogre at bar makes welcome for Brass and say Brass can stay 'dere. Brass make friends 'wid Grunt and watch Grunt serve drinks at bar. Eber night, Brass go sleep in forest and next day go to Inn, watch Grunt, and make few friends. 'Den one day, Grunt come no more to Inn. Brass 'tink 'dey need new ogre at bar, find out Brass have to talk to one named Ehlanna. Brass find out who 'dis woman is and tries talk to woman. Ehlanna say, Brass have to trow Ehlanna out of Inn - 'dat freaky task. So Brass try, but first time fail. 'Dat woman one slippery elf. But 'den Brass toss her on shoulder and Ehlanna having fun. Ehlanna joke 'wid friends and not see wood beam over door when Brass try to 'trow her out again. Elven woman hit head on doorway and knocked senseless. Now Brass 'tink, ogre in big trouble, but Ehlanna laugh and hire Brass as tender at bar.
Brass work at Inn and serve customers and trow out any 'dat make trouble. 'Dey eben pay Brass and soon Brass have enough of 'da coins to buy property where cave is. Brass try make friends and look for mate. One girl, Fahmi, steal ogre heart. Brass 'tink she perfect mate, eben ask her move into cave 'wid Brass. Fahmi pledge undying love, but few days later Fahmi gone, Brass neber see her again. So, Brass live alone in cave north of town. Sometime he work at Inn and some days just hang out in forest checking traps and tanning hides. Brass make nice collection of heads to make cave look good. Brass practice art of shaman and try gain more magic. Brass like B'leraith and town of Nanthalion, 'tink maybe stay here a while and see what fame and fortune Brass can win.