Clever Kehmeh

How To Obtain

Pending Information

Book Text

Text provided by Telarapedia

All Eth children know the tale of Clever Kehmeh, for Clever Kehmeh managed to steal the light of the sun and traded it for the empire of the Eth. In the ancient days, the sun walked freely upon Telara. She was a radiant woman with long golden hair and skin like baked cinnamon, and it was her great pleasure to leave the night in the care of the moon and walk among the great dunes of the southern deserts. You could tell when she had been by, for her long flowing cloak left tracks in the sand like shimmying rivers.

Clever Kehmeh was drinking from the turquoise waters of an oasis one night when he heard a singing that made him warm to the tips of his toes and fingers. He hid behind a palm and watched as the sun came up to the oasis, glowing cloak of gold flowing behind her.

"Such blue water, and what a thirst I have," she said. "If only I had a cup."

Kehmeh emerged from behind the tree. "Beautiful lady," he said, "let me offer you mine."

The sun was not immune to compliments, and she colored softly and said, "That would be most appreciated, traveler."

Kehmeh handed her the cup, and the sun smiled brilliantly. She drew to the water's edge, and as she did, her brilliant cloak brushed against the shore. "Do you wish me to hold that for you? It's going to get terribly wet."

The sun considered this and then said, "Very well."

She removed the glowing cloak and handed it to Kehmeh. As she turned back to the water, Kehmeh vanished into the night, running as fast as his legs could carry him. In the distance, he heard the sun wail with anger and sorrow.

Kehmeh ran and ran before finally taking refuge within a cluster of rocks. He donned the cloak, and marveled at the way it radiated with his movements. A lesser man would have run straight to camp and proudly shown off the cloak, only to have the sun come up behind him and flay him where he stood. Kehmeh was clever, and he instead hid the cloak within a crevice in the rock.

He found her wandering the dunes. When she saw him, her beautiful face was twisted with fury. "You!" she shouted. "Return what you have stolen!"

"I believe," he said, "that you are in no position to make threats, as only I know where the cloak is. Kill me, and you will never find it."

Her face quickly sobered, and she looked at him with muted rage. "Very well, then," she said, "what is it that you want?"

"I wish to know what your cloak is made from," he said, "and how it is that its light urges the palms to grow and spread, and coaxes the world from day to day."

The sun knew that this knowledge was not intended for the men who walked the dirt of Telara, but she also needed to either get her cloak back or spend her days without plan or purpose.

"Source," she said, "it is made of the source. The sacred stone from which Telara is molded." She knelt, and thrust her hand through the crust of the ground, reaching deep. When she withdrew her arm, a shining blue stone rested in her palm.

She gave Kehmeh the sourcestone, and Kehmeh returned her cloak.

With sourcestone, we Eth forged the greatest empire that ever was or would be, and we have never forgotten the sun, nor the great secret she gave us.