A Wyter Shade of Pale

S01 — Session 22

1626, Sea Season


Season, Week, Day

1626, Sea Season, Harmony week Fireday

Dramatis Personae

Events

As before, the log will be recounted with extracts from Berra JarangsdottiHumaktisaga, from The Lay of Serala, Lance of the Cold Sun , The Death of Rajar, and NalaTiwrSaga. As with last time there will be extracts from the Sonnets to Varanis. Editorial commentary will be recorded [thus]. Both the {“D”} and “T” voice appear in this selection of extracts.

[Greetings. This is the penultimate lecture of this calendar year. As such it will be a chance for us to reflect on matters before hopefully ending the year on a ‘bang’ next session, with what I promise will be a fascinating session. Before then, however, we have what von Sturm described as ‘a boring bit’. I would suggest, however, that there are some fascinating elements of foreshadowing here, which render us immune to such Teutdroning. Now, as I’m sure you’re aware, I have a doubtful relationship with early Gloranthan archaeology, so I shall put the first quote in purely as a placeholder. This is a Darktongue inscription, found in a dig in Nochet, two centuries ago (although naturally it was not interpreted until the discovery of the Daisetta stone permitted Darktongue to be decyphered). ]

,,Friend1 Again, the term ‘NotUzUs’ is used here (see the findings on Mount Kero Finn) which implies a non-troll band brother or sister. Fox speculates that the slight difference in shading indicates a singular in this case. I concur with that assessment. accompanied Enlo.
Enlo band2It is unclear which trollkin band was founded in this place, however I have chosen to interpret it as related, although the identification of one of the band of heroes as Trollkin is controversial, and even if the Salid mentioned is a Trollkin, it is also debatable whether he is the Salid Lawchallenger about whom extensive literature exists. founded this place.3Garin is much more accepting of this darktongue record, found in a refuse pit with associated char, than with the steles in the same style from Kero Fin.,,

[I’m sure we shall have a lively debate about this at some point. Perhaps at the end, if I am unable to fill the lecture time fully, and am obliged to humour the Dean’s inexplicable dislike for pure pedagogy. Moving on to more reliably attributable works, let us start with NalaTwirSaga.]

“What do you mean I can’t come??”

Tall Unicorn maid
Hiring help in Trollkin bar
Keeps her head Enlo

Enlo promise aid
Their light to Dark night bringing
Salid gaining trust

Great Troll yelling. Fire
Leaping. Wise Nala leaving.
What would an Uzdo?4 This is an interesting pun. This relies on the Uzdo/Uz do homophones, which works in Esrolian, but not Praxian, but also needs an understanding of basic Darktongue. This provides further evidence the author was Esrolian as (1) it’s linguistically simpler, and (2) Esrolians liked that sort of ‘too clever by half’ joke.

[We now move to look at the House Saiciae, as told in Sonnets to Varanis]

Bold Varanis came to Grandmother’s throne
“Grandmother, I now wish it hereby known
That Onjur Eel rides loose in this, our town
He seeks to slay us all, and bring us down

I will ride to see our Queen and bring word
For none can speak and be so clearly heard!
Our friends who rode from ice bound northern lands
Have brought this timely warning to our hands!”

Her Houselady pondered then a brief while.
Spake, “Be then my voice to our Queen, my Chile.
And warn her of this cave troll at her breast
And serve our City, and our tribe, the best!”

Thus like a Wind, the Lady e’er rode on
And to the Orlanth temple she had gone
And there she donned the silks of royal blood
Whilst Berra struggled with her self, in mud5 This throwaway line has caused much debate as to its meaning.
,6Given the prevailing warm climate, genuine mud is unlikely. Alleyn has it as a metaphorical darkness related to the Blue Tree clan’s infamously deadly river. The Chester marginalia has what looks like a fountain to the right hand side of the page, and a fist over a mastery rune to the left..

[Berra JarangsdottiHumaktisaga gives a little more detail.]

Last Love lay waiting
Laid Berra low by lashing7The Sage Llewun notes that Berra’s reported high understanding of the water Rune makes this a prime candidate for the use of the whip in combat.
Fought fierce with flashing
Fists and love face flying

Temptation tasted then
Tore at The Dagger’s Truth
Bravely Berra Brought
A brief8 Fox’s writings discuss the possible meanings of this Brief in more detail. Does it mean a end which was brief in duration, or brief in time until the end? end to blazing blissful time

[We shall draw a veil over this, and resume at the Royal Palace with The Lay of Serala, Lance of the Cold Sun .]

Serala to the proud and lovely stone-Queen came.
Said, “Thus to you warning I shall give, in Elmal’s name!
Husband to your Earth-Queen thus unto you I show
The inner Truth, which my Cult-mates only and ever do Know.

Your realm stands ever in the danger from a man
Whose blows have struck against Kallyr, and ‘gainst my clan
And thus to you I warning bring, that you may now
With fore-word dodge his treach’rous blow!”

“Great Horse maid”, thus the EarthQueen spake
“Your words are noble, and for your great fame’s sake
I hear them now, and bow before your warlike art
Which binds you close, as kinsfolk to my beating heart!

And so with great Earth magics of my secret own
I throw a divination ‘gainst this threat against my throne
And you shall bring this down against this evil man
And thwart this deep and evil art and subtle plan!”

[ The Death of Rajartells us the result of this divination.]

Lunars forted up
In Public House of past note
Will they let us inn?

{“INN?!?!? That’s a fortified Palazzo!!”}

What Really Happened

Session Quotes

Related Logs

  • 1
    Again, the term ‘NotUzUs’ is used here (see the findings on Mount Kero Finn) which implies a non-troll band brother or sister. Fox speculates that the slight difference in shading indicates a singular in this case. I concur with that assessment.
  • 2
    It is unclear which trollkin band was founded in this place, however I have chosen to interpret it as related, although the identification of one of the band of heroes as Trollkin is controversial, and even if the Salid mentioned is a Trollkin, it is also debatable whether he is the Salid Lawchallenger about whom extensive literature exists.
  • 3
    Garin is much more accepting of this darktongue record, found in a refuse pit with associated char, than with the steles in the same style from Kero Fin.
  • 4
    This is an interesting pun. This relies on the Uzdo/Uz do homophones, which works in Esrolian, but not Praxian, but also needs an understanding of basic Darktongue. This provides further evidence the author was Esrolian as (1) it’s linguistically simpler, and (2) Esrolians liked that sort of ‘too clever by half’ joke.
  • 5
    This throwaway line has caused much debate as to its meaning.
  • 6
    Given the prevailing warm climate, genuine mud is unlikely. Alleyn has it as a metaphorical darkness related to the Blue Tree clan’s infamously deadly river. The Chester marginalia has what looks like a fountain to the right hand side of the page, and a fist over a mastery rune to the left.
  • 7
    The Sage Llewun notes that Berra’s reported high understanding of the water Rune makes this a prime candidate for the use of the whip in combat.
  • 8
    Fox’s writings discuss the possible meanings of this Brief in more detail. Does it mean a end which was brief in duration, or brief in time until the end?