The City of Forgotten Names🔊

Once upon a time, in a far-off kingdom isolated from the rest of the world by mystical barriers, was the city of Durkthal. Durkthal was a strange place filled with folktales and magical occurrences. The most puzzling aspect of this city was that once someone entered, they lost their name inexplicably and irrevocably. They could recall everything about their past, except their own names.

For centuries, the wizards and scholars probed this mystery but could find no answer. As the years passed, the people slowly accepted their fate and found serenity in their anonymity. They created a culture where titles founded on occupations or skills replaced names. Thus, the wanderer, the baker, the smith and so on, came to exist.

In this unique city, lived a young and ambitious blacksmith, famously known as 'the Smith.' The Smith was loved for his heart of gold and a craftsmanship that matched no other. He had a curiosity unlike his fellow citizens, he was not content with forgetting his name, his past, and he sought ever obsessively for a solution.

Word spread that an ancient prophecy about a powerful artifact, 'the Mirror of Eons,' could restore anyone's name if they peered into it. The Smith, restless, undertook a journey to retrieve the mirror, bidding farewell to his beloved city. Days turned into weeks, then months, as the Smith travelled through ominous forests, climbed the highest mountains, and traversed the deadliest deserts, facing formidable beasts and tricksters of the dark.

In his journey, he encountered the Nymph of Visions, an oracle known to be indifferent to human plight. However, the Smith’s sincerity touched her. He traded his most beautiful crafted jewel for a glimpse into his future. The Nymph of Visions revealed that his quest would be futile. But, ignited by obstinacy and an unyielding spirit, the Smith dismissed her prediction and ventured forward.

Finally, after years of hardships, the Smith found the Mirror of Eon. With pounding heart, he stood before the mirror, ready to regain his lost identity: his name. As he beholding his reflection in the mirror, a mix of joy and nervousness throbbed within his chest. Would he finally reclaim his lost name? The Mirror, in its mystic voice, spoke, 'You are known to your city as the Smith, to the deserts as the resilient, to the mountains as the brave, to the forests as the kind-hearted. You carry a thousand names, each earned through your deeds and character. Tell me, would you rather learn a name given at birth or embrace the multiple identities you’ve earned?'

The Smith stood still, absorbed in the mirror's words. Suddenly, he felt a wave of realization. He nodded, smiling at his reflection, now understanding the city's curse was, indeed, a blessing. The anonymity had given him the freedom to be anyone and anything. He was not tied to one name, one identity. He was the Smith, the Resilient, the Brave, and the Kind-hearted.

With gratitude towards the city of Durkthal that bestowed upon him this realization, he returned home. The Smith shared his experiences and the mirror's wisdom, urging his fellow citizens to revel in their earned titles rather than mourn their forgotten names. The city thrived in this newfound perspective, and people found meaning and pride in their unique identities as their titles became tales shared in legends.

And thus, the city of Durkthal, the city of forgotten names, turned into the city of thousand tales, a utopia where every individual's worth was measured not by a given name, but by their deeds, experiences, and the identities they created for themselves.