INTRODUCTION

While the loboshigaru population of old Hallifax was best known for its
military service to the city, a number of Hallifaxian loboshigaru
dedicated their efforts to the pursuit of the arts. The art produced by
these loboshigaru citizens often differed from that produced by citizens
of other races. The unique traits of the art created by members of the
vassal packs have their origin in the culture of the nomadic packs,
although the art of the vassal packs does show a degree of Hallifaxian
influence which is absent in the art produced by other loboshigaru
populations. Likewise, other branches of the Hallifaxian artistic
tradition show the influence of the vassal packs. Hallifaxian art owes a
great debt to the vassal packs to this day.

This book consists of scholiast's editions of two documents and assorted fragmentary works
dating to the Early Imperial Period. Creating facsimiles of the original
documents, which have been entrusted to the Institutional Society of
Hallifax, has been deemed an inefficient use of time. As such, the text
and annotations have been transcribed according to the Standardized
Societal Historical Publishing Protocol. All such annotations are noted
as parenthetical statements inserted into the copied document's text.
Footnotes have also been provided which may provide useful contextual
information for the reader.

Some background information may be of use to those who wish to maximize
the educational value of this book. An overview of the vassal packs of
old Hallifax which may provide useful context for this work may be found
in "On the Vassal Packs of Hallifax" by Lord Portius Windwhisper.
Additionally, those readers who have not had the good fortune to be
educated in classical Hallifaxian literature will benefit immensely from
a brief introduction to the topic. Classical literature, that which was
composed before the Taint Wars, was written almost exclusively in
archaic Lucidian. The primary known exceptions to this were the
literature composed specifically for the consumption of the relatively
uneducated lower castes, which was composed in the common language, and
that which was written for the imperial court, which was naturally
composed in Merian. The report contained in this book was written in
the common language, with the exception of the poetry
within it which was recorded in an archaic dialect of Loboshigaru. As of
the publication of this book too little vassal pack literature is extant
to classify it as a third exception to the common use of archaic
Lucidian, but that does appear to be quite likely.

Classical poetry was dominated by two broad genres. The first of these,
which was generally held in the highest regard, is the epic which
includes both full epics of multiple books and shorter epyllia. The
second is the lyric, which most commonly concerned itself with
extraordinarily abstract ideas and was rarely circulated outside of the
Collective itself. A third genre, war poetry, was often held in lower
regard and less commonly composed. It concerned itself almost
exclusively with military matters, but did not contain the sustained
narrative found in epic. The loboshigaru of Hallifax seem to have been
the majority of military poets, although several trill and lucidians are
also known to have worked in the genre.

POETRY OF AONOA ULALU, LETTER

Dearest Kroa,

May this letter find you well, and may you forgive the tears that stain
this page. I would never dream of calling you away from Talthos and your
duty, but I long to hear your voice again, and to hold your hands in my
own. Alas that we must bear another long month of separation!

The Ministry has kept me busy of late. It is a poor distraction, but it
is better than nothing. I have enclosed a copy of my latest report. May
it serve until I can please you with my own voice again!

I hope that the industrialization efforts are proceeding well, and that
they shall be completed ahead of schedule. If there is anything that you
desire from the city that I can send you, you need only ask. I long to
make you comfortable during your time in the frontier.

Signed with deepest love,

Fiyoc

POETRY OF AONOA ULALU, AFFIRMATION

I, Deputy Secretary of Cultural Affairs Fiyoc Pavok, do fully and
sincerely affirm that the contents of this report are true in their
entirety. I do consent to submit to the judgment of my superior officers
and to bear whatever penalty they deem proper should any portion of this
report to be found false, whether that falsehood is a result of malice
or incompetence. I swear that the contents of this report shall remain
confidential should they ever be declared to be so, and to submit to the
judgment of my superior officers and to whatever penalty they deem
proper should I be found responsible for any breach of that
confidentiality.

Deputy Secretary of Cultural Affairs Fiyoc Pavok[1]

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[1]. A standard affirmation which appeared before unclassified
government documents of the period. A similar form is in use in the
modern era.)

POETRY OF AONOA ULALU, INTRODUCTION

The poetry herein was composed and performed by one Aonoa of pack Ulalu
at the fourth pack symposium[1]. This acclaimed poet {Four Masks[2].}
has performed at two other pack symposia, claiming victory on both
occasions, and has won great acclaim in battle as a war poet[3].

She was accompanied by her apprentice {Tabhe Ulalu. A charming girl.
Lord Shevat seemed positively enthralled with her performance.} who
performed with a variety of percussion instruments.

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[1] To date, no other references to these pack symposia have been found.
It seems likely that they were some manner of academic or artistic
conference sponsored by the city itself, possibly to encourage the
integration of the vassal pack into the Collective as a whole. They
appear to have been competitive. See below.

[2] Loboshigaru poets wore masks while reciting narrative poetry. These
masks represented the main character of the poem and were usually
produced by one of the poet's close friends, often a mate. See next
document.

[3] Loboshigaru poets often recited poems in praise of their comrades
and invectives against their enemies while in battle. If the military
poem featuring further in this document is indicative of the genre as a
whole, it may have served as a means of reigning in the pack's violent
instincts in battle.

POETRY OF AONOA ULALU, MILITARY

{I was not allowed to add a title. I would have called this "Ulalu
at Talthos" since it was first composed when Ulalu and her pack
slaughtered those brigands a few years back. You would know the details
better than I, of course. I do hope this reminds you of your own glory
on that days.}

Our hands are power! Our hands are pain!
Here is our chief, the enemy's bane
who can resist her, who dares to try?
Who stands against us while others fly?

{The response. A one-one pattern.}

Pain for the pack, death for the city
death without wrath, blood without pity.
We are Ulalu, she is our chief
our glory, the enemy's grief!

Mighty Ulalu, twelfth of her name
who fought the great war, made her heart tame.
She bested herself, she shall best you,
those who oppose us will get what is due.

Pain for the pack, death for the city
death without wrath, blood without pity.
We are Ulalu, she is our chief,
our glory, and the enemy's grief!

Kneel and repent, or stand and die!
Quarrel with us, your widows will sigh
and shed bitter tears for your deeds
go to your doom, where your passion leads.

Pain for the pack, death for the city
death without wrath, blood without pity.
We are Ulalu, she is our chief
our glory, the enemy's grief!

{SCHL. Charming, isn't it? Stirs the blood. I cannot understand how
those loboshigaru stay so calm when they recite it.}

POETRY OF AONOA ULALU, EPYLLION

{Her mask was magnificent. Wood, of course, but painted
marvellously. Kamo Ulalu made it, apparently. We shall have to
commission a statue from him for our home once we are wed.}

Voice of the pack. Voice of the people.
I'll sing of the gift that old Maka wove,
a gift for his son, a teaching tool
a vast tapestry of the finest wool.
He chopped down a tree, and he carved the wood,
and he built up his loom with greatest care
and he sheared his flock, and he washed the wool
and he slowly spun it upon his wheel.
He dyed the threads and he brought them forth to his loom
and when at last he was ready to weave,
he knelt for three days, grappled with his heart.
He fought without food, and he fought without rest
until at long last his passions were slain,
then he went to his work, then he went to his loom
and wed thread to thread with the skill of his hands.

He worked for long hours, he worked for long days
old Maka tended to his loom for weeks,
and the long weeks grew slowly into years,
but he never faltered nor shirked his task
and over time the thread grew into art
which earned great praise from all those who saw it.
It was woven with care, it was woven with skill
it brought him pride to have brought it forth from the loom.
He bore it out for his son, smiling in his joy,
and old Maka gave it to young Quinno
a gift of great love, a gift of great care.

Young Quinno looked upon his gift, seeing many things,
the deeds of his people, the foes of his race
and the things which in time he would have to do.
He saw the packs in their fury, in their rage
shedding the red blood of their own kin
and the monsters behind them, smelling their blood
hunting the packs as they reveled in rage.
And calm Quinno saw them walking the mountains
full of their red rage even as they starved
rushing towards their doom with their hands outstretched.

He saw the two men, he saw the first comrade,
the man with wings and a crystalline staff
the skypainter's shard who led his fathers home,
and the other one, who stood behind him
who stood far taller than all of the rest
he bore a long staff of wood, he was wrapped in a robe
he stood tall and he stood without pride.
He held one hand forth to the shard of Loboshi,
he held one hand forth to his dearest kin
and the other was placed on the first comrade's shoulder
as each one among them swore the solemn oath
to serve the spires and be served in their turn.

And young Quinno saw the great spires themselves
shining bright in the vastness of the sky,
where the mind is at peace, where the soul does not rage,
where the reasoning mind rules over all.
He saw the castes aligned in peace for the common good,
and he saw himself standing in the spires,
keeping the sweet peace in the city.

Calm Quinno saw the packs living in peace,
kneeling together in their lofty chambers
grappling with their bloody hearts and raging minds
and finding triumph in the spires, mastering their souls,
weaving peace and serenity through service.

He saw all of that in the woven wool,
as he took the cherished gift in his hands
from Old Maka, his beloved father,
who wove it with his heart and with his skillful hands.

{Beautiful. So long, too. I can hardly begin to understand how her
voice held out through the performance.[1]}

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[1] Significantly shorter than most contemporary works by other races in
Hallifax, likely due to its oral nature. It may have been a single
episode in a larger epic, as a whole epic would have been far too long
to perform in a single event.

FRAGMENTS

The following fragments have been collected from a wide variety
of documents which can be attributed to Hallifaxian loboshigaru with
certainty or are otherwise relevant. In most cases the bulk of the text
has been rendered illegible.

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Taken from "Commentaries on the Third Razine Deployment" by Air
Marshal Axcui Ockek. Seven known copies of this book exist, all in a
highly damaged state. This passage is legible in two of the extant
copies.

"...Amona Kekru marched at the side of Kekru himself, shouting her
verses in a clear voice. These steadied the pack, which had until that point
been so eager to enter the fray that their discipline was threatened.
This continued even when the battle was joined and the pack was free to
partake of the slaughter. She was silenced only by death, a dwarf having
crushed her skull with his hammer. Then all of the pack was enraged save
for Kekru and his sages, who could not contain their comrade's fury. The
dwarves were put to flight by their ferocity, and pack was calmed only
when there was no sight of the enemy."

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Taken from "Poetics" by an unknown author. This is the sole
legible fragment in the single known copy of this book, retained by the
Library of Universal Knowledge in the historical archives.

"...This is retained from the loboshigaru custom of active poetry, in
which such things are aides to memory. They are of no such use to
others, who employ them as metrical aides...[1]"
                                    
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This set of fragments is taken from a book of poetry retained by
the Windwhisper family which was badly damaged in a fire. The word
"Loboshigaru" is legible on the spine of the book, and it can be assumed
to be a collection of loboshigaru poetry, or possible a single long poem
featuring highly variable content. The original book is written in
archaic loboshigaru, which has here been translated.

This fragment is found on approximately the twentieth page. Some
pages before it are missing, and the precise number is unknown.

"...red blood rained down on the wide-reaching ground
and fierce Tekanu roared as..."

Three or four lines are illegible.

"...rose up, grasping the manslaughtering spear
and ran into the hot flames, slaughtering hundreds
without fear or remorse, claiming his glory
with the sound of his voice reaching the sky..."

This fragment is found several pages after the previous.

"...and the fruit of the orchard...
...swollen with...
...therein delighting...
...beating quickly, hot without..."

This fragment is found on the last page of the book.

"...Ice melts, wood rots, and the gift of the flocks
soon fades away. The bones of the mountains remain
as we make them...."

Seven lines are illegible.

"...such is that which dark ink gives us
if we allow it to give us...."

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[1]Likely refers to the use of formulae in epic poetry. If so, the
author is correct to note that they are used as metrical aides, but they
are unlikely to be derived from loboshigaru poetry. Their use in
Hallifax appears to predate the establishment of the vassal packs.
Independent development of the technique by both cultures is probably.
In light of this error, his note on their use by loboshigaru poets as
memory aides must be taken with some skepticism, although such a use in
oral poetry is entirely plausible.

LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF EDEC TAROCH

With the exception of a few words which are noted below, this document
was written in the common language.

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This document is authorized by Edec Taroch[1] and supercedes all
previous wills and codicils.

All real property is to be split equitably amongst my children. In the
event that none survive me, all real property is to pass to the state to
be employed for the common good.

All monetary wealth shall be given over to the education and betterment
of promising members of the lower castes with the eventual goal of their
elevation in society.

My personal effects shall be distributed as follows:

All furnishings produced by the carpenter[2] Moanu Kekru are to be given
to my son Etaiyi on the condition that they be given to the
Institutional Society of Hallifax upon his death. All furnishings
produced by the carpenter Kupaka Kekru are to be given to my daughter
Kleye on the condition that they be given to the Ministry of Pack
Affairs after her death.

The tapestry given to me as a wedding gift by Puahi Ulalu shall be given
to Etaiyi Taroch on the occasion of his marriage. Should he die unwed,
it shall be given to Kleye Taroch. Should both of them die unwed, it
shall be sold and the proceeds shall be given to the state.

The ring given to me as a wedding gift by Ulueka Ulalu shall be given to
Kluye Taroch on the occasion of her marriage. Should she die unwed, it
shall be given to Etaiyi Taroch. Should both of them die unwed, it shall
be sold and the proceeds shall be given to the state.

All other woven goods[6] shall be divided equitably among my heirs
according to their preferences.

All paintings and sculptures are to be sold and the proceeds are to be
given to the state.

All books are to be given to the Library of Universal Knowledge.

All personal effects not otherwise distributed shall be divided
equitably among my heirs according to their preferences.

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[1] A political officer who had been assigned to the vassal packs. A
number of letters which have survived to the present day refer to him as
an eccentric. Given that eccentrics do not remain political officers for
long, this likely developed late in his life and led to his retirement.

[2] Translated from Loboshigaru. Literally "wood-artist"

[3] A reasonably distinguished member of the Institutional
Society who worked as a mathematician.

[4] As the second name of Hallifaxian loboshigaru was the pack leader's
name, no family relationship should be assumed.

[5] A political officer who was herself assigned to the vassal
packs.

[6] Translated from Loboshigaru. Literally "sheep art" or "wool art."

CONCLUSION

While few extant documents remain from old Hallifax, and fewer still
pertain to the vassal packs, certain conclusions regarding the art of
the packs can be drawn from those which are available to modern
scholars. These conclusions must be treated with a degree of skepticism,
for they are based upon a very limited pool of information. Likewise,
they cannot be assumed to be accurate for the entire history of the
packs, whose social role likely shifted over time.

It is natural to begin with poetry, an art which the loboshigaru of
Hallifax held in high regard. It appears to have been the dominant
literary form practiced within the vassal packs, to the extent that at
the time of this book's publication no works of prose have been
discovered which can be definitively attributed to the packs.
Loboshigaru poetry was oral in nature, performed in both peaceful and
military contexts. In battle, it seems to have been used to maintain
discipline among the pack's warriors, playing a similar role to the
meditative chants employed by the loboshigaru of the Tosha monastery. As
such, it is quite possible that peacetime performances may have had
ritual connotations for the loboshigaru who took part in them. The
performances were certainly interactive, featuring a one or more verses
recited by the leading poet and another set of one or more verses
recited by the listening loboshigaru.

The majority of these traits are absent in the rest of the Hallifaxian
poetic tradition, but that tradition nonetheless displays the influence
of loboshigaru literature. While the practice of reciting poetry in
battle seems to have been largely limited to the loboshigaru themselves,
it was customary in some periods for poets to take part in all military
deployments, and to write verses about the events which they witnessed.
References to this custom appear only after the establishment of the
vassal packs, implying that it was a result of loboshigaru influence.
This is supported by the contemporary report of Inix Pavok (See
"Catalogue of Artifacts Pertaining to the Vassal Packs of Hallifax by
Lord Portius Windwhisper.) who commented on it only briefly.

Epic poetry in Hallifax predates the establishment of the vassal packs,
but it also shows a loboshigaru influence. In particular, two primary
characters in the Hallifaxian tradition, Quinno and Maka, seem to have
originated in loboshigaru poetry. Additionally, reports of the oral
performance of non-loboshigaru epic in Hallifax appear only after the
establishment of the packs, which may be a sign of further loboshigaru
influence on the Hallifaxian literary tradition.

In the absence of a significant quantity of artifacts, the physical art
of the vassal packs remains difficult to describe in any detail. It
seems that the loboshigaru of Hallifax placed a higher value on the
decorative arts than the fine arts, as indicated by Edec Taroch's
references to furnishings and rugs as pieces of art. This can likely be
attributed to the nomadic origins of the packs, which would naturally
lead to a preference for art which is both portable and useful for a
purpose other than simple beautification. The natural dexterity and
excellent senses of the loboshigaru race was likely of great use in
producing such objects, few of which have survived to the present day.

It is readily apparent that the loboshigaru of the vassal packs were far
more than mere warriors, fighting in the Collective's service. Their
sages possessed a wealth of artistic skill which would rightfully have
earned them a place among the lords of Hallifax. The art of the vassal
packs was evidently quite highly developed and praiseworthy. It is a
clear influence on the Hallifaxian artistic tradition even to the modern
day, and it should be honored accordingly.