 | Name | A Thousand Nights (III) |
| Type (Ingame) | Quest Item | |
| Family | Book, A Thousand Nights | |
| Rarity |  | |
| Description | A wandering researcher once walked through rainforest, desert, and city during a time of great catastrophe, collecting these stories along the way. It is said that the original work truly did contain countless tales and that naught but a fragment of that is still extant today. |
Item Story
| The Tale of the Prince and the Sumpter Beast Long, long ago, when Port Ormos was still ruled by the seafaring Deys, there was one valiant Dey amongst their number. He was the subjugator of countless isles and domains, thus obtaining many curious treasures and becoming second to none in wealth throughout the port. Yet the mariner's life had left him time for but a single son in his latter years, and passed away before the prince would reach adulthood. The Dey's son had inherited his great wealth, but had no power over those his father had administered. Guided by elders who lacked moral fiber, he quickly began to live the life of a sensuous animal. The prosperous streets of Port Ormos were like a beast that swallowed gold, and so the Dey's inheritance was emptied by the princeling within a few years, even saddling him with a massive debt in the process. By the time the prince came to his senses, the walls of his home were bare, with not a single Mora to be found within. After selling his estates and dismissing the servants, the prince, with nowhere to go, sought refuge at a shrine to an ancient patron god of mariners, which through the patronage of his father in turn had attained its current august stature. The prince asked the shrine's priest for aid thusly: "Wise elder, I was once the son of a Dey who conquered the seven seas, but see, I have fallen this far due to my unconstrained extravagance. I beg that you have mercy upon me and show me a swift way through which I might clear my debts and ransom my estates. I promise that I will change for the better and become a man who knows his place." "Young prince," the priest said, "the fates of mortals have long been ordained by the gods, but they must accomplish those fates themselves. Since you desire to turn over a new leaf, should you not begin through hard work rather than relying on opportunism?" The prince quickly replied, "my father was a great patron of this shrine, so if we must argue, half of the golden statues and indeed, your expenses, should belong to me by right. And am I not here to claim this debt I am owed?" "Arrogant prince, will you make an enemy of the gods?" The priest said with a sigh. "Yet on your father's account, if you shall promise to keep to your place and manage your finances well, I shall tell you how to become wealthy." And so the prince swore to upon the divine statue, and the priest directed him to a street market at the outport. Coming to said market, the prince met a woman dressed in great finery tending to an emaciated Sumpter Beast. "Esteemed lady," the prince asked, "is there anything I might do for you?" "You've come at a good time," the woman replied. "I must go out to sea on an urgent errand, and I fear that there is no one who can help me take care of this beast. But if you will aid me, I shall return in three months and pay you ten million Mora." The prince was overjoyed at this. "But," the woman continued, "you must not feed this beast till it is full, nor can you speak to it. Otherwise, even that which you own now, you shall lose." "And what have I to lose?" The prince thought to himself, and thus agreed readily. The woman then entrusted the Sumpter Beast to him. Three months passed quickly, and as the woman requested, not once did he completely fill the Sumpter Beast's stomach, nor did he speak one word to it, until the final day. On this day, the prince, excited at the thought of his soon-to-be reward as he sat before a fire, spoke to the Sumpter Beast, "O good Sumpter Beast, it is thanks to you that I shall be rich again. If you have a request, name it, and I shall satisfy you." Hearing these words, the Sumpter Beast cried, "O honored prince, I have no other wish but to have a full stomach on this last day." Hearing the Sumpter Beast speak, the prince was greatly shocked and allowed his curiosity to take over, forgetting all about the woman's instruction. Turning around, he brought water and hay from the feeding trough. "My most gentle prince," the now-full Sumpter Beast said slowly, "I was once a god who served the heavens and ruled over many vassal kings of the desert, but I was cheated by that venomous witch and forced into this form. If you will have mercy upon me and release me into the desert, I swear upon the king of the blazing sun that I will grant you riches beyond counting, more by far than what that witch can give." The prince felt dubious about the Sumpter Beast's words, and so he decided to hide it, and then conceal himself in a corner to await the woman's return. She did indeed return the next day, only to find both prince and Sumpter Beast missing. "Faithless wretch!" The woman cursed. "If I catch you, I shall seal you in the smallest magic bottle I find, and there you shall face eternal torment!" Seeing her thus, the prince finally believed the Sumpter Beast's words. Once she had left, he prepared to release the poor animal. As it was about to leave, it said to him, "O merciful prince, may all the desert gods defend you — I shall fulfill my promise to grant you endless riches and happiness. I ask only that you do not ask where they came from, or else, you will lose even that which you have now." Following the Sumpter Beast's directions, the prince came to a hidden place at the edge of the desert, and there he did indeed discover a mighty and luxurious palace. Its walls were decorated with gold and gems, and its gates were made of pure gold, with a lovely male servant leading many lovely ladies out of those great doors to receive him. And thus did the prince once again lead an opulent life. Each day, the male servant would bring him silver, gold, pearls, and gems. Rare delicacies and fine wine were his to enjoy, and each day brought unique dancing girls to keep him company — and such was his life for three years. But even in merriment and revelry could boredom be bred, and one day the prince woke from days of drunken stupor, and he thought to himself, "I tired now of my life today, and am in need of new thrills. Now, was it not because I refused the instruction of the witch that I gained this life of mine? Who then may say if that Sumpter Beast did not hide something from me for fear that I might discover his secret? If I can find the source of this limitless wealth, surely greater happiness still shall be mine." And so the prince summoned his faithful servant, and said to him, "my most loyal servant. Could you tell me of the source of the gold and gems, wine and spirits, and even these musicians and courtesans, that you bring before me each day?" "Of course, my respected master," the manservant replied. "Each day, I traverse the lands between the desert and this place, and all that you enjoy is drawn thereof. Your lovely dancers were once swaying desert eels, the glittering gold are the endless sands, and the gourmet meals you enjoy are of my own personal make." "And I, your loyal servant," the manservant paused, "am naught but a humble scarab." Just as he finished speaking, the glorious palace dissolved in an instant, and the prince found that he was seated upon a squat sand dune, and there was nothing around him apart from crawling insects. After a long while, he regained his senses, and even through his shock and terror he felt the hand of grief and regret. And yet, what he had now lost could not easily be regained, and the prince was at last reduced to wandering, never to feel happiness again. From then on, he would tell anyone who wished to hear him speak this story... |
I'm not sure about her dashes... Yae's dashes don't have i-frames, but we'll see.