Pierre Mustaba

Ski_MaskTheGod is a Minister in Rodinnbrok in Eldham and leader of The Tariq Sultanate. He spends most of his days tending to the new citizens of the nation and building. He also enjoys writing articles for Third Leg News.

Early Life
Born an only child into the royal family of Midari, Ski lived an adventurous young life. Midari was a thriving city in the sands of a far away land, and had kept to itself for centuries. Ski spent his early years playing through the streets. As he reached his teenage years, he grew fond of the architecture of Midari, admiring its domes and colorful terracotta. He would even design a few smaller buildings and see them built. Ski was also a talented archer, spending many hours at the range where he would practice his aim.

The Storm
In what seemed like another uneventful morning, Ski slowly climbed out of his bed and headed to his balcony. All seemed normal as he stepped out and leaned over the railing. He surveyed the streets below, making out someone running down the road. Squinting for a better look, he realized it was one of the watchmen from the eastern wall. Confused, he looked to the eastern wall. As it turns out he didn’t look into the vibrant sunrise of the morning sun, but into the dark, shady cloud of a massive sandstorm. It was an eerie quiet as the storm quickly approached. He quickly ran from his room down to the streets to alert the citizens, who lay peacefully in their beds unaware of the danger fastly approaching. As he left the doors of the palace, he watched as a shadow spread across the street. He looked left as he saw the storm, towering overhead. All he could do was grab onto the nearest tree as the storm crashed into the city. He held on for his life as the peaceful morning quickly turned into hell on earth, the sound of the buildings and early morning carts being crumbled and broken away by the battering of the storm. The storm raged for hours, and Ski eventually gave out, blacking out as he gave into the storm.

Seeking Refuge
As fate would have it, this was not the end of Ski’s story. He awoke to see buildings in ruins, markets destroyed, the streets of his once beautiful city filled with sand. Over the next several hours, most of the survivors had gathered around him. Of the hundreds who once called the thriving city home, only about a dozen remained. Though shell-shocked and hungry, the people tirelessly dug and searched for other survivors. Almost all food and supplies had been lost in the storm, and the people were quickly running out of the last scraps as they searched in the scorching sun. Ski knew that the people needed to abandon their search and move on in search of refuge. Many were against the thought of leaving the place they had called home for so many years, but agreed in the end. The citizens of Midari packed what little items they could recover and headed out on a long journey to find a new home. They travelled hundreds of miles, hiking across dense rainforests, peaking mountains, and breathtaking plains. Ski continued leading the people of Midari as they searched for a new place to call home.

An Unexpected Encounter
Ski had just helped the last member of the group cross a river when he heard quickly approaching footsteps behind him. He turned towards the front of the group to see his two scouts running back to him, wide smiles on their faces. They had found a desert! The small band rejoiced, their difficult journey seemingly at an end. They sang and shouted as they closed closer to their new home. But their cheers had attracted unexpected company. Seemingly out of nowhere, tall figures emerged from the forest around them. These men were heavily armored and carried battle axes, their helmets decorated with red pants. Ski drew his people close together as the soldiers encircled them. From the group of warriors, one stepped towards the wanderers. Seeing this as their leader, Ski drew his sword as he approached the man, ready to lay down his life for his people. But instead of raising his axe, the berserker extended his hand. He introduced himself as Sandy, king of Rodinnbrok. His soldiers lowered their weapons, accepting the people of Midari with open arms. Ski explained their story and situation to Sandy, who accompanied them on the way to the desert. Upon arrival, the people of Midari set down their belongings, preparing for their hard work ahead. “So what will you name this place, New Midari?” Sandy asked as he led his berserkers back to his city of Dreyrigard. “No, I think I’ll call it Tariq!” Ski called out to him. And from that moment, the citizens of Tariq have been hard at work, rebuilding their once magnificent city piece by piece, brick by brick. Ski even went on to prove his archery skills he had learned in Midari when he won first place in archery at the Nido Games.