Flame-Forged Insight

According to ancient tribal traditions passed down by the fool who cried out to the night,
The flames within the chamber burned crimson, as the descendant who was about to begin their journey sat in the corner of the craftsman's home.
The blacksmith from the mountains waved his hammer, shattering crystal to a chorus of clinks.
The old man, who had trouble walking and was clutching a cane, reached into a basket with his free hand and withdrew a treasure from another time.

"Akamai, the time has come. We're sure to uncover some rich vein of ore or trove of treasure!"
"Indeed, Kau Kau, and when we do, our deeds will be recorded on woven scrolls."
Once upon a time, these two youths from the People of the Springs had sworn to explore all of Natlan.
To them, adventures and victories were a duty bestowed by the Wayob,
While stories of mysterious islands and heroes of yore filled their hearts and minds.
And so the young adventurers set out on their journey to perform a pilgrimage on foot.

But legends of bygone heroes seldom record the troubles that afflict ordinary people,
And the world contains far fewer treasures than it does intrepid explorers.
The ore they dug up was mostly ordinary, the crystals they uncovered, humdrum even amongst mundanities.
But what of it? Their joy remained undimmed, and by the light of their nighttime bonfires, they held up the rocks they had collected.
They recalled the scenes and the sentiments they had experienced when they found them.
This one was taken from beneath the claws of a giant Tepetlisaurus while they were passing through crystal-filled mountains.
While this one was the vicious fiend that tripped them by the edge of a natural hot spring when they were drunk.
This stone, covered in ashes, had once stood lengthy vigil on the edge of an ancient city, burned to ash.
There it had remained until the two travelers passed by and took it for themselves, paying no mind to the gray sentinel's wishes.

And now, as the forger of stone takes each one and melts it down, the past stirs once more — brought back to life with each memory spoken.
When they learned that Akamai's descendant wished to emulate their forebear, they chose to use these rocks as materials.
They would forge a blade to protect the scion soon to travel, for they knew only too well the dangers that lurked within the world.
When the great blade was forged, Akamai and Kau Kau handed it to the would-be wanderer as a parting gift.

"Let the memories of the past accompany you on your journey, in place of forebears who now lack the strength to..."
"The past flows through the blood into each new generation, like an unquenchable fire passed down through rituals that never cease to burn."