Barbek
Barbek /'bɑːrbɛk/ was a New Dawn painter and a historian who lived in the 16th CSR somewhere in Duls.
Life
He was born in Central Dantria, in a small village half way between Gun Den and Purtule. His family crossed Ouna in early 16th CSR. His father died from exhaustion when they were already approaching Duls. The loss of his father mere days away from shelter left a heavy mark on Barbek.
They stayed at Ouna Town and then moved east. There's no indication that either he or any of his siblings ever ventured beyond Duls. Instead, they dedicated their lives to helping incoming New Dawn migrants.
Details of Barbek's life are scant. He seemed to regret his parents' decision to leave Dantria, but viewed the desert as "the ultimate symbol of deterioration, an inspiration to build". He left no children, a decision he mentions in his diaries: "My land sends so many children to this barren realm. Welcoming a child from the stairs would be to bring them across the blaze into the burning rock, when they could step onto the meadow."
"Welcoming a child from the stairs" is a reference to Quun Tirtoir and is equivalent to "a child is born".
Work
Barbek left several dozen paintings, depicting the New Dawn. His major themes were travelers crossing Ouna and life at Duls, which he tended to portray as enormous inhospitable spaces, with tiny dots of humans plowing ahead.
His works have influenced many other New Dawn artists, who eventually went on to establish the school of Barbek in Barzo in the 18th CSR.
Barbek documented a lot of the day to day life in Duls, helping to understand the dynamics between Ouna Town, Leykarya and Duls, as well as how the settlers viewed themselves and their journey. His diaries are one of the primary sources for that period of the New Dawn.