Warg and Peace

S01 — Session 26

1626, Sea Season

Season, Week, Day

1626, Sea Season, Fertility Week, Fireday to Godday

Dramatis Personae

Events

As before, the log will be recounted with extracts 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, and also, importantly, The Sonnets to Mellia, Sweetest of Healers, White Lady of Esrolia, additionally, we will be seeing the Sonnets in Praise of Xenofos. Editorial commentary will be recorded [thus]. The {“D”} voice will appear in this selection of extracts. Berra JarangsdottiHumaktisaga has importance also.

[Good morning. Garin. Professor. You know me. And now I know you. I have read your words on the change of tense in Varanis. Every. Single. One.

I am bored with reciting poetry, and therefore you will be reciting it. Those of you who do not read school communications may be surprised by this. I have the read receipts, which count as one course credit each. It is a requirement of this course that you read communications from your professor. However, I have volunteers for each of the segments, so if you paused in horror just then, relax.

First, The Sonnets to Mellia, Sweetest of Healers, White Lady of Esrolia.]

Uh…umm…
Within the Precinct of Palatial Star
Sweet Mellia heard the calling from afar1von Sturm notes here the debt in Coleridge to this work, “And through this tumult, Kublai heard from far”
By Orlanth sent, through Tennebris of fame
To beg that Mellia take another name
And in the white-robed tenderness she own’d
Her power was to the HeroQuest then loaned
She sighed and promised in her voice repose
Would woken be, and Kallyr ‘scape her foes.

{‘Oh, we’re making it better by doing exactly the same thing again, are we? Sure, why not.’}

[Thank you. Ten points for … no, you are all too young for me to make that reference at you. But we have another volunteer, and another volunteer – Berra JarangsdottiHumaktisaga]

Small Sword swiftly
Her Self-name sounded
Volunteered vanquishment
Death-Vale reeve of verity

Would wax and wane
As wolf with Wyrd
To Honour’s Tenet
Humakt’s Terror-Trial

Told Tennebris truly
To take heart
She could take Quest
Coughing up Kallyr

[And there we understand that they will be taking up the interrupted quest. This is less explicit in Mellia, although calling from afar is a phrase used in the Great Call to Quest, of course. A brief break, then, with NalaTiwrSaga.]

Sacred Earth held Air
Within Boldhome lay Kalis
Nala spoke her words

The Lunar Spy
And Varanis, and the Box
And all airful pride

[It’s notable that NalaTiwrSaga should pause to discuss this while the great turning point of the Sea Season is upon us. Note it, and we’ll move on to more of Berra.]

Dashed Dagger Deathward
D’Val found drawing
Stone on sword
Sitting in silent study

Berra brave bowed
Beauty to the Beast2As Charrington has it:

Serious question, centred on sex
Rumoured reputation ruined
instead, initiateship. No impure proposal
imputed to sword. So it goes.
Quick quoth to Quilled one3Queried quill-man quickly quacked up
Claiming Humakt’s Quest

Embassy to Eril made
Elocution errors evaded4Probably an allusion to the infamous, ‘USE SHORTER BLOODY WORDS PLEASE, SIR’ moment.
High Sword had
More Humanity in Humakt5It is unclear from context whether Humakt is the god, or his representative in the Temple

Cleansed in cold clods
Came to cave of craftsman
Blacksmith beat Berra
Into Brute empty Beast

[I like the accent. Maybe a bit less leaning on the quacking, though. So we have the Heroquest, and we have the wolf, and we have Chalana Arroy. And now, we have the odd case of Sonnets to Varanis – a Vingan, guarding over our Vingan Voria. Little enough to say, but of course this extract needs no explanation.]

She strode within the frescoed palace walls,
Her armour sounded in the echoing halls,
Til in the chamber of the prince she stood
Her heart aflood that she could do no good.
While others in her care6Maximillian 17 has ‘others found by chance’. would stand forth now
To wake Kallyr, the Prince with Star in brow.

[And back, as you knew we must, to Berra JarangsdottiHumaktisaga.]

Woman-child went walking
Wolf within woods
Swallowed Separated substance
Sealing out Soul
Healer hurried from home
Heard Humakt’s howls
Caught Kallyr’s crying
Called to cross Humakt

{‘Well, I’m glad I won’t have to do anything there. WHAT THE SWIVE?’}

[And, there being no surprises there, on to The Sonnets to Mellia, Sweetest of Healers, White Lady of Esrolia.]

She walked the wood and sought the Trickster out7Notably, Chalana Arroy here seeks, rather than simply finding, Eurmal. The deliberate action is at odds with many of the tellings of the story, but appropriate to add a note of urgency to a Quest that might otherwise have stretched for days or weeks, given the patience of the Wolf at the Door.
The law of Death and Honour’s Pride to flout
A trick of lies she needed to give aid
And so it happens she and Eurmal trade
Her help she never would withdraw of course
But sometimes was it given him with pauc-
iity of patience, figured in a sigh
Or sadness gleaming from her lovely eye
And now he told her how to trick the Truth
And open up his hungry throat to ruth
With berries and with flame and with a kiss
(And Mellia adroitly dodged from his.)

[And… Well, what can we say about this quest? It’s well known, in many ways, but here is a detail not often played out. Laknhor Mhy knows his vegetation, and perhaps the merest thought of him was enough to bring him within the quest, given the power of those involved. Sonnets in Praise of Xenofos.]

Sorry…. Got a cough. Can I have some water? I was feeling fine when I volunteered. Right. Got it.
The hero Xenofos his god portrayed
For Lhankor Mhy gives ever learning’s aid
And civilised and bearded walked the dell
And catalogued the leaves and flowers that fell
And wondered why they turned to red and brown
And was the swirls of air they tumbled down
When into his calm mind there came a call
And Lhankor Mhy looked upward from the fall

{whisper in the back row. “What clues does this fragment of old X does to tie it to others? And what would a supposed follower of truth have in tricking another follower of truth anyways? I think Garin is just making things up as she goes.” }

{‘That sword-in-the-mud Humakt can’t see the woods for the… woods’}

[And if Lhankor Mhy were not enough, we have … well The Lay of Serala, Lance of the Cold Sun is, as I have mentioned, not my favourite historical reference. Nevertheless, records indicate that one Serala Grazelander was rewarded handsomely for taking part in a Heroquest at this time. Those who question the archaeology of the records may of course examine this in their own time. Serala.]

She threw the proud guards into blank disarray
When in the halls the Cold Lance strode by hot-lit day
And mounted guard by Kallyr in her silk-lined cot
Declaring she’d not move ’til Prince Starbrow slept not
And there she stayed unmoving on eternal guard
Her eyes like fire, her arm as blackest iron hard
Until she felt the Quest would acted be in vain
Then sudden vanished she into the Hero Plane
In silver rimed her eyes were and in bronze and gold
To rival and extinguish great heroes brave and bold
And to Chalana Arroy and the wand’ring Lhankor Myte
She sent an arrow, whispering in heated flight

[This implies a lot about the gift of fire, and whether it was truly stolen – a thousand words on the implications, on my desk within three days, please. And we are nearly done with the Quest, although this week’s double lesson will allow us to continue until lunch. We shall go on with The Sonnets to Mellia, Sweetest of Healers, White Lady of Esrolia. Of course we will.]

And in his stomach dark there were two stars,
One on a brow, and one which burned to chars
The pouch that held it, and pale Voria’s heart
By trickery was warmed, and seemed to start,
And berries reddened lips, and then a breath
Of life was what she gave to challenge Death.
So Humakt’s honour opened up his jaws,
And he gave up his claim to Mellia’s cause.
Bold Kallyr woke within the White Robe’s shield,
For Mellia’d caused the rav’nous wolf to yield.

[I am fond of The Death of Rajar, and as we had nobody willing to volunteer for such a short segment, I’ll give it to you.]

Comfort in a cup
Reassuringly re-al8Probably not a play on words with ‘Royal’, but please do keep on writing those monographs
And holy to boot

Someone waking up
The holy sleep has left them?
Ritual for that!

[Earlier, I am sure you will recall, NalaTiwrSaga left her talking with Kalis on a box. With Kalis, we find her again.]

Generous spirits
Guardians at the Hero Gate
Tired, they sank to Earth

[And finally, you may wish to know that one of the purported fragments of Devevalsaga is dated to this moment.]

Dull Deveval Dagger
Durulz soon discovered
Hiding hunger-hurt
In heightened hastening

What Really Happened

Session Quotes

Varanis writes her own Quotes

Related Logs

  • 1
    von Sturm notes here the debt in Coleridge to this work, “And through this tumult, Kublai heard from far”
  • 2
    As Charrington has it:

    Serious question, centred on sex
    Rumoured reputation ruined
    instead, initiateship. No impure proposal
    imputed to sword. So it goes.
  • 3
    Queried quill-man quickly quacked up
  • 4
    Probably an allusion to the infamous, ‘USE SHORTER BLOODY WORDS PLEASE, SIR’ moment.
  • 5
    It is unclear from context whether Humakt is the god, or his representative in the Temple
  • 6
    Maximillian 17 has ‘others found by chance’.
  • 7
    Notably, Chalana Arroy here seeks, rather than simply finding, Eurmal. The deliberate action is at odds with many of the tellings of the story, but appropriate to add a note of urgency to a Quest that might otherwise have stretched for days or weeks, given the patience of the Wolf at the Door.
  • 8
    Probably not a play on words with ‘Royal’, but please do keep on writing those monographs
  • 9
    Possibly Kallyr – Ed.
  • 10
    The Eril is Multiple Ducks theory raises its feathered head once more.
  • 11
    Cries of horror! Nobody disappointed when confusion cleared up!