Legends of Belariath

Wemic History

One hundred years after the Plague Wars had ended, the Plague sent in retreat, the Goddess Gaea gave birth to a daughter. Her name was Shakmeth, and she was to give birth to a new race.

Shakmeth was as unlike her mother and brother, Chiron, as it was possible to be. She did not share their love of nature, instead looking towards the cities of the high elves, the humans and the dwarves. She was fascinated by what she saw and, as she watched, a plan formed. She would use the humans for her plan, for the high elves were too arrogant and the dwarves as unyielding and unchanging as the mountains they dwelled within.

She carefully selected men and women of many different professions, but they all had one thing in common: an uncommonly strong sense of honor. She came to these humans in dreams and told them of a place in the south, within the Great Plains, where there was a wide river of pure water. She told them that when they came to this sacred place, all would be made clear. Not all answered her summons and those who did not were dismissed immediately, never to regain her favor. When the dreams ceased never to return, they assumed it was only a dream, nothing more. Those that attended her summons continued to dream. In these dreams, she told them of how she had chosen them because she believed they were the best mankind had to offer. She guided them through the Great Plains, diligently steering them around the Barbarian Clans and dangerous creatures that resided there, carefully herding them together and towards the place she had chosen.

When the people arrived at the riverside, she told them to wait. They set up camp and waited, but Shakmeth did not make them wait for long. She had been ready for this, waiting for this herself. Lions began to gather and come to the camp, their numbers equal to the number of humans present. The people, fearing that they were wild lions, prepared to fight. Shakmeth stopped them, instructing that each man and woman must embrace one of the lions present. The people were shocked and dismayed by this command. Were they only to be sacrifices to the appetites of these beasts?

Finally, one man, a man named Rakeesh decided to put his trust in this voice from his dreams. He stepped forward and embraced one of the lions. There was a sudden flash of light, blinding the people who looked on in terror. When they regained their sight, both man and lion were gone. In their place stood Rakeesh, the first Wemic, the first King, the one whom all Kings to follow would emulate, but never equal.

The sight of the half-man, half-lion calmed the fears of many, but others were more terrified than ever. Was this what awaited them, this merging of man and beast? Rakeesh said nothing, and the Goddess as well was silent, waiting. Eventually, one, then another stepped forward to embrace a lion. In the end, nearly all of those present chose to do so. Only a few refused; mostly men. Shakmeth allowed these few to live and even pointed them homeward. However, they never made it home to live among the humans. The dangers of the Great Plains were many and without the Goddess to guide them, they fell prey the animals and Barbarians that roamed there.

The newly reborn Wemic were granted further visions. Rakeesh was made their King, ordained by the Goddess to rule them. To him she gave a special vision: a grand city by the river. This city was full of proud pyramids and platforms. At the tallest pyramid, he saw an altar to Shakmeth with a great statue made in her likeness. He told the others what he had seen and, from that vision, guided by the Goddess, he made the plans of the city. Those present began to build it. As they worked, bonds formed. The new people developed a sense of community and culture, made friends, found loves. Thusly, the Wemic race began.

The first encounter that the Wemic had with any other races of Belariath was with a tribe of humans. They were the Simbani, a barbarian Clan of cattle herders, men who measured their wealth by the number of cows they owned.

The two groups were on the verge of war, which was only narrowly averted by Rakeesh. Rakeesh proposed a contest between himself and the headman of the Simbani, a man named Laiban. Each was to go out and track down a beast of the Great Plains. The Simbani called this contest "Running Death," and for good reason. It was a large lizard of pure muscle and sinew with a single horn on its head. It walked upright on two legs and had a massive jaw full of dagger-sharp teeth. Though it possessed a deadly bite, its claws were even deadlier. The task was to kill this creature and take its horn from it. The first to do so was the winner. If Rakeesh won, then the Simbani would leave the Wemic in peace. If Laiban won, then the Wemic people would leave this place, and never return.

Rakeesh and Laiban set out the next day, searching for the beast. After only one full day of searching, Rakeesh found and slew one of the beasts, taking the horn. He returned to the camp first and the contest was over. The Simbani, true to their word, left the Wemic in peace. Over the course of time, the two groups became allies.