Brief History of Kotini - Part 5

The Second Scattering and the Third Settlement
You may remember that at the beginning of the Second Scattering, Beorn and I have our memories drained and had put ourselves in a coma. So we only know about what happened in the Second Scattering from the historical records of the Third Settlement.

In brief, the survivors of the Second City mostly kept together during the Second Scattering. They led a vaguely nomadic life at first, moving to wherever there was food and travelling to get as far away from the Second City as possible. At first they stuck to the mountains, where there was high ground, but eventually they explored the Southern Flood Plains as the flood waters began to drain away. At last, they found a suitable place where they ended up settling. They weren't sure whether they were going to stay there at first. The area they had found was up against the mountains and water cascaded down wide rocky basins which they names The Steps. This area was abundant in game and edible plants grew in abundance. Eventually they started rebuilding their rough huts and tents into more permanent structures. Those remaining in the Lagoon Ranges soon heard of the settlement and came to rejoin them. Thus the Third Settlement began.

The first thing they built was a large garden that would supply them with food while they cleared land for farming. After the food issue had been mostly dealt with, the society began to split into groups who specialised in different areas. The Hunters were the settlement's soldiers and protectors, they also kept the people supplied with meat until animals could be domesticated. Medical professionals, tailors, weavers, bakers, milliners, blacksmiths, chefs, miners, millers, etc also began to spring up. Historians and recorders were deemed unnecessary in the earlier years, but there were always a few who recorded in crude journals the settlement's events and achievements. These recorders became officially recognised about 100 or so years later, along with inventors who became scientists and experimental engineers. Science became a viable field where one could earn coin, supported by grants from the Council. Exploratory expeditions were permitted and people began finding books and artifacts.

People started wondering about their ancestors and where they had come from, but the Council was not as interested in their people's history as they were in gleaning technology and reverse engineering whatever they could to make life in the Settlement easier.

And then I was found in some caves to the south, along with a massive library.

Four years later, the Second City was discovered, along with Beorn who had turned wild. Beorn was brought back into the Settlement and revitalised. He was taught to talk and we became friends. I was working as a historian and archivist's apprentice at the time, neither of us able to remember anything about our past. We discovered a page from an old journal of mine that led them to Mt Anakin the Tallest where the devil fish had their base. The devil fish followed the scientists that survived to the Third Settlement just in time for the Great Storms.

The Settlement evacuated, losing at least a third of its population and we relocated to the Second City, where we continued to fight the devil fish. We also found Venus alive and still living in the city.

To cut a long story short, Beorn and I regained our memories. We found the Old City. Beorn died protecting me. I was captured by the devil fish and freed by my adopted father and mentor. I discovered the real me and destroyed every last devil fish within the Lagoon Ranges.

And then I left.
Just as the Age of Rediscovery was beginning.