Yulagh the Prosperous
Heblin Parable
The heblin have a myth about an oracle from long ago who knew too much, helped too many, and was ruined when her usefulness ran out.
Ages ago, before heblin were mainly known for their wandering caravans, they were hailed as diplomats and peace-makers. So much so, in fact that it was commonly believed by other species that every heblin had a silver tongue and the ability to befriend anybody. Even though this wasn't true, there were many among the heblin who collected stories and their strong oral storytelling traditions made them very comfortable with words and communicating ideas through fairytales and parables.
With confilct between humans and orcs especially frequent during this period many of the feelings of hostility weren't based on personal experience but rather deep-seated racisim ingrained throughout their respective cultures. Although the orcs of the era were war-like, a specific tribe called the Yulagh reached out to the nearby heblin for help making peace with the nearby settlement of humans. The orc chief explained to the heblin Speaker that the constant conflict between the two groups was badly affecting their tribe and they wanted it to stop. As a gift to the heblin for helping, the orcs offered to openly trade with them - something quite coveted at the time.
Before approaching the human leaders, the Speaker sought the opinion of their clan Seer. The Seer was a very wise person who the Speaker believed could see versions of the future in their divining cards - something the heblin were already known for and still are today. The Seer indeed had a vision - the truce would bring a time of incredible prosperity for the humans and the orcs would speak of this time for generations to come!
Taking this as good news, the elated Speaker went to the human tribe and explained how the orc chief wanted to permanently cease hostility between all three represented species in the region. He acknowledged the past violence and how neither side was solely responsible for how it began but together they could choose to take credit for how the bloodshed finally ended. It was a persuasive argument and after the Speaker shared the vision of their Seer, the three leaders gathered and agreed that there was no need for fighting with such an abundance of space and resources surrounding them.
The three kept their promises. The human population was still uneasy trusting the word of orcs but it was made more palateable with the heblin being involved. The three groups continued to live seperately, yet the knowledge that their neighbors were no longer a danger to them had a powerful effect on the human and heblin communities. Among the humans, more children were born in the following five years than ever before and with the sense of safety, the tribe became a village. Permanent structures were built and a small group of nomadic outsiders settled in the area, enticed by the stability in the region and bringing new skills and experience to the community.
Nearly six years to the day of the agreement, the orcs attacked the human settlement. They murdered every adult that fought them, enslaved those who couldn't fight, and took in every child as though they were an orc. When asked by the Speaker why the orcs had broken the truce and shed so much blood, she responded by
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