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I was glad to visit Skara Brae, for you have often told me of the years you spent there. It is not much changed from your descriptions; it is still open and fair, with shops, schools and homes all connected by the shining stone walkways. The winds from offshore were sweet and cool, and the surrounding hill country was green from the rains.
I had known that Skara Brae was a ship-building community, but I hadn't known that it was a place of spiritual contemplation as well. Even the mages primarily study enchantments that focus the mind and spirit. Communication and understanding seem to be their goals, which I believe is unique to the magic of this island. The general philosophy of the people is one that I admire, although I am uncertain about its validity. They rate cleanliness of primary importance, which is unfortunate since I entered their gates after several weeks of living outdoors. I normally consider myself to be a cleanly man, but I felt as foul as a beggar in Skara Brae. I rode down the streets, and mine was the only horse leaving mud clods. I'd cleaned and polished my armor but two days before, and I could still smell the creek silt on it. They have soap in Skara Brae that can melt the shell off an egg, I can attest to it. Their philosophies also inspire them to spend their spare time in music and other spiritual arts. They admire anything that can represent their ideals of intellect and emotion. I have had poetry read to me in markets, in inns and once in a blacksmith shop while my horse was being shod. They are skilled shipwrights, but they are increasingly plagued by pirates. Britain's navy protects those ships heading toward the mainland, but those heading outwards are preyed upon by rogues. The lands around Skara Brae are fairly trouble-free, though, since there are scores of rangers who are attracted to the philosophies of the city, and visit often in substantial numbers. A point of note is that in Skara Brae, the body is revered without adornment or modification, and those who enter soon learn to remove earrings and cover any tattoos. They say that each "shell" - be it a human body, an animal's or a plant's - contains a spirit, and that the shell should be respected as well as the "etheric culmination" within. I cannot help but think of the undead creatures and ghosts I have encountered, and wonder what they think of spirits lacking the surrounding body shell they regard so highly. Perhaps I will ask them on my next visit. Your friend, Garreth |
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