Finally, I implore you to put an end to this endeavor, for Azar’s mysteries are shielded by zealots. The loss of the life of yet another Brother stands as a testament to their isolationist fervor. It is my conviction that our efforts should be redirected to realms where our mere approach is not met with aggression.

Brother Han of Arest. Letter to Head Scribe Madrabo. Water 89, 371 a.F.

Very little is known about Ammar of Jarath’s early life, as the Fifth Travel Journal of Gesuvo of Masifrest is our sole source on the matter. Attempting to discern fact from fiction in those pages is hopeless and, therefore, the story will be treated as history in this chapter.

I

In the northern part of our neighboring continent, a gulf exists. At the very heart of this coastal inlet, a religious order, specializing in protective magic, established and erected an imposing monastery. The devout followers, alongside the laborers, formed a thriving village that embraced the name of the gulf itself — “Jarath”. Meanwhile, the monastic sanctuary took on that of the order, recognized as “Sheir”.

Members of the order of Sheir practice techniques to defend themselves. The weapon they carry with them is the qitod — a long, straight, wooden stick whose main purpose is to block incoming attacks. They study the magical arts, using spells to disarm the enemy, shield themselves or other people, and harden their qitod, making it almost indestructible.

Because of their defensive skills, the order is often hired to protect goods or individuals, especially while traveling when they are most vulnerable. A mission of unknown details occurred in 222 a.F. What we know is that the tasked party brought back to Jarath a six-year-old boy from a modest agricultural community. This child was Ammar.

II

When Ammar was born in 216 a.F., the complicated labor costed his mother’s life. For his first six years, his father raised him alone while tending to the land. The group saw the child as a promising prospect. So much so that they convinced his father to allow them to take the boy and induct him as an apprentice. Ammar impressed them so much that they accepted him despite being two years younger than their customs demanded of a pupil.

During the next seven years, Ammar was instructed in reading, writing, mathematics, history, and religious doctrine. He was also trained in the magical arts, physical dexterity, and fighting techniques using the qitod. During this period, and in part because of his early induction, he stood out among his peers. Neither them nor his tutors doubted that, the day he turned sixteen, he would be accepted as a novice, a full member of the order. Because of his expulsion three years before that date, the expected event never came to fruition.

III:

According to sheir folklore, in ancient times, a formidable group of magic users known as the ifri existed. These mages gained knowledge so deep that they neared earning powers rivaling those of the gods, capable of altering the fabric of reality. Feeling challenged by this audacity, the gods punished the ifri. Some sources say the gods intended to make them an eternal example for other sentient beings. Other claim the ifri were already too powerful for even the gods to fully strip them of their abilities. Ultimately, they were stripped of their humanity but kept their powers, only limited to the domain of their own bodies. They could still shape-shift, but no form gained through this ability could cause harm.

The goddess of trade, communication, and travel viewed this as unfair, considering the ifri had gained their powers without harming others and had never openly challenged the gods. Without the knowledge or approval of the other divines, she granted the ifri a gift within her domain. They could continue to use their powers only when making a pact with a well-meaning sentient being who harbors no ill intent in their heart. Legend has it that when the other deities discovered this, they struck down the goddess. Her vanishing is believed to be tied to Azar’s isolationism and ongoing warfare.

In current times, the ifri have transformed into malevolent shape-shifters, harboring intense animosity toward humans, perhaps fueled by envy for the freedoms they once enjoyed. To wield their magical abilities, the ifri use cunning tactics, deceiving unsuspecting individuals into unwitting agreements. Some may not even realize they’ve made a deal, while others may believe it offers mutual benefits. In truth, the ifri aim to secure pacts that harm humans, or at least give little to no advantage to them. The latter was the case of Ammar.

IV:

On a fateful rainy day in Jarath during the year 229 a.F., a pivotal moment unfolded in Ammar’s history. At thirteen, still an apprentice, he found himself assigned essential chores for the monastery’s operations. This morning, his duties led him along with a group of his peers to collect provisions from the town.

Ammar, the most talented apprentice, guarded the perimeter while the others loaded the provisions. During his watch, he heard the distressed cries of a young boy. Investigating further, he discovered the child chained behind the grocer’s building, a victim of slave trading. Despite the ban on slavery in most of Azar, stories circulated about slavers living among them, kidnapping young children from the towns and selling them on savage lands. The desperate child pleaded for help, promising anything in return.

Without paying attention to the kid’s words, Ammar proceeded, driven only by a sense of justice. He used his qitod as a lever to break the chains. As they snapped, the fate of the interaction was sealed. The suppressing spell that was keeping the prisoner helpless broke. Simultaneously, Ammar unwittingly entered into a contract with an ifri. The freed creature had offered a wish in exchange for his help, and its counterpart had implicitly agreed when he had provided it.

The cunning ifri transformed into a terrifying monster, knowing the sudden fright would cloud its victim’s judgment. Ammar didn’t realize the creature before him was an ifri. He didn’t know it couldn’t cause him physical harm. He didn’t consider using spells to shield himself and buy time until help arrived.

For the rest of his existence, Ammar refused to describe the monster. He witnessed a horrifying sight that instilled an unmatched fear for his life and safety. The creature got the reaction it wanted – begging. The first words he uttered were a plead to not be hurt. And at that moment, he had expressed his wish. Taking the shape of a bird, the ifri vanished into the clouds. When his fellow apprentices arrived, after hearing the commotion, Ammar was still in shock, not understanding what had just happened, let alone the curse that was just cast upon him.