We are the Champions

S01 — Session 6

1625, Earth Season

Season, Week, Day

1625: Earth Season, Harmony Week, Windsday

Dramatis Personae


As before, the log will be recounted with extracts from Berra JarangsdottiHumaktisaga, from The Sonnets to Melia, Sweetest of Healers, White Lady of Esrolia, The Death of Rajar , The Sonnets to Vestra, Grey Lady of Wisdom, and NalaTwrSaga. “Insertions will occur” in a cynical or sarcastic voice, best recalled amongst the Unicorns of Prax. Footnotes for the interested are included at the bottom of the extracts. [Editorial comments will be bracketed thus, and there will be more than normal, in the absence of the Q voice for this chapter. See S1, ep 2 for other footnotes related to titles of epic poems.]


Events

[As will be recalled, we left our heroes in Whitewall, after the reconsecration of the temples. The plan at that point was for a trip to Mount Kero Finn, where hopefully mystic visions would inspire them onwards, and perhaps trigger a Lightbringer’s quest, with possible repercussions for Sartar. It is with some surprise, therefore that after a section of the manuscript which is damaged, that Berra JarangsdottiHumaktisaga picks up with a complete change of plans.]

Sagely spake Sword Berra1 Older versions of the manuscript say ‘Sagely spake sword bearing Berra.’, another example of post-hoc editing of the text, to make it appear prophetic.
Swearing Sword God’s Wisdom
Showed a Wiser Way
To Weary Wights and
Shatter Spirits, Shades
Severing Soul-chains.

Eagerly Eril was engaged
Ears heard words expressed
Chiefs Champion, Humakt was
Cleaver of Coldfolk
Guider to Goodlands
God, and Death’s Guardian.

Silently Sword-Lord listened.
Showed no softness
Wyrd willing, Wyter waking
Would Warrior wills make!
Daughter of Jarang daring
Darkness defying, King denying!2 This section is unusual. Groupings are normally of 4 or 8 lines, but this pair of 6 line verses suggests disorder and disquiet.

[From a more objective point of view, however, The Sonnets to Vestra give a little more detail. ]

Vestra heard the plan bespoken then
And knew what evils might yet ensue when
A mere ‘nitiate acclaimed the part of Gods
And with another found themselves at odds

Yet one might die, and so the story fail
She’d truth record, but yet her sister pale
Heard this, and reckoned it a thing most ill
She’d heal it, with a Windlord’s silver pill!

[This appears to note that Vestra planned to record what really happened, for good or ill, whilst Melia objected to this misuse of people. 3 It should be noted that the sonnets of the half sisters are never short of praise for one another, and many writers (Wiermonken, most notably) have suggested that the sonnets are part of an orchestrated propaganda campaign on the part of House Saiciae. That said, there are historical artefacts which do relate to both women, and so they cannot be entirely invented for this purpose. Picking up in the The Sonnets to Melia]

Melia saw the boil of fyrdsman fear unfold
He saw himself as not Orlanth, most bold.
He knew he was a plain and simple man,
No coward this, he into battle ran
But saw the limits that the Sage God told
And would his place of simple honour hold.

White Lady knew, and saw his inner fear
Chalana whispered soft balms into her ear
And she to him, thus calmed his fearful doubt
With words most plain, “Lets go and sort this out.”
So him, with Berra, led to where the Wind Lord lay
And bade him save his kinsman on that day!

[The intervention of Koraki (see his own extensive saga entries) is probably a later embroidery- Koraki is such a folk hero as the proud, impetuous, slightly mischievous but noble and changeable Windlord that the temptation to tie him to this saga cycle must have been irresistible4 See any number of Robin Hood or King Arthur or Merlin legends. . Meanwhile, Rajar sought to gather worshippers in his own inimitable style.]

When a Uroxi gathers
Worshippers for Orlanth Rex
He does what he Khan

[The plan and preparation do not entirely please Berra’s companions, as can be seen from both Vestra and Melia’s reactions above. These feeling is continued in the below extract from Melia.]

Her tears for violence yet to come she shed
Her hopes for peaceful battle she had pled.
Yet sword on sword was what must come to be
And she would then neither maimed or slain she’d see.

[And from Vestra}

Her brazen pen was ready, paper taut
She’d write was was, and not what others sought
And thus the truth unto her God would fly
Enshrined in records under Lhankor Mhy!

[And Nalatiwrsaga]

Unicorn lady
Confused at all Sartar Gods
Found less hit than myth

{“Don’t look at me man. You two legs just need an excuse to hit each other.”}

[The ritual must then have begun. The tale picks up in preparation, via Rajar again]

Befuddled Uroxi must
His friend fight, to please his foe
Shed blood for Humakt

[And then let us switch back to Berra JarangsdottiHumaktisaga]

Trickster God Trying
Taming the Thing
Humakt Heard, horrified
Hailed him and hooked

Sword saved from selfish
Saw his sole service.
Saving his Sovereign
Serving in silence!

Storm King called Kinsman
Killing God Cast him loose.
Storm King called Swordsmen
Sword God slew them swiftly

Storm King came Singly
Sword God unSurrendering
Fought through the Fyrd
Force foundering on Force

Sank they, the Swordsmen
Swore then their soulbond
Rising from riven bodies the Revnant
Ripped from the Right Route to Rest

Lying there listless sword Lady
Licking lips, lifeless lady drew close
Storm Bulls Savagery
Swiftly salvaging, slaying

Victorious, Valiant Humakt’s vestal
Vampire slaying in Vale of Whitewall
Death’s door opening
Down the dead descend

Warrior wielding Wind Tooth,
Worn by Gods5 The reference to Gods in the plural here is intriguing, and certain records of Whitewall exist which show some blurring between the roles of Storm Bull and Humakt in ritual in late 1625. This probably represents a failure to fully understand the Praxian form of the Urox Cult, and some cultural cross contamination. It has sadly not been explored in more detail, but would be a fascinating subject for a postgraduate in search of a thesis! now out wearied!
Sank silent to sod
Silver hand spoke to seal the day!

[Its attribution to Nalatiwrsaga is disputed, but this is the relevant place to put:]

Huntress asks Priestess
“What was their aim and intent?”
“To wave their deaths round.”

[More certainly placed is this extract from the same source, in which Nala and Tiwr ride out to quell their growing distaste for the wiles of civilisation]

Riding, seeking new
Plains and woods to quell an itch.
Lunars should have ducked.

[Vestra comes into her own, with regard to the equipment of the fallen lunars.]

And so the fallen arms and ‘quipment came
To she to whom they hoped would put a name
To foes unseen until they careless played
Too close the blade which countless foes had slay’d

At this time, she was estranged to Lunar tongue
And knew no more than rites of Yelm, the Sun
But calling ‘pon her master, Lhankor Mhy
She called a spirit unto her to hie!

And it did all the secret tale unfold
And of their mistress Great Jar-Eel it told
And it spoke of such a legions might
To stand in Red Moons half chaotic light!

And thus resolved the group of heroes all
To travel then to Kero Finn, the tall
The place of Orlanth’s birth his mothers womb
To help bring Sartar from disorders tomb!

What Really Happened

Notable Moments and Quotes

  • 1
    Older versions of the manuscript say ‘Sagely spake sword bearing Berra.’, another example of post-hoc editing of the text, to make it appear prophetic.
  • 2
    This section is unusual. Groupings are normally of 4 or 8 lines, but this pair of 6 line verses suggests disorder and disquiet.
  • 3
    It should be noted that the sonnets of the half sisters are never short of praise for one another, and many writers (Wiermonken, most notably) have suggested that the sonnets are part of an orchestrated propaganda campaign on the part of House Saiciae. That said, there are historical artefacts which do relate to both women, and so they cannot be entirely invented for this purpose.
  • 4
    See any number of Robin Hood or King Arthur or Merlin legends.
  • 5
    The reference to Gods in the plural here is intriguing, and certain records of Whitewall exist which show some blurring between the roles of Storm Bull and Humakt in ritual in late 1625. This probably represents a failure to fully understand the Praxian form of the Urox Cult, and some cultural cross contamination. It has sadly not been explored in more detail, but would be a fascinating subject for a postgraduate in search of a thesis!
  • 6
    Heortland
  • 7
    This caused some surprise to Berra’s player on realising what people thought they were doing