From: RuneQuest-Request@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM (RQ Digest Maintainer) To: RuneQuest@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM (Daily automated RQ-Digest) Reply-To: RuneQuest@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM (RuneQuest Daily) Subject: RuneQuest Daily, Tue, 14 Jun 1994, part 1 Sender: Henk.Langeveld@Holland.Sun.COM Content-Return: Prohibited Precedence: junk X-RQ-ID: Intro This is the RuneQuest Daily Bulletin, a mailing list on the subjects of Avalon Hill's RPG and Greg Stafford's world of Glorantha. It is sent out once per day in digest format. More details on the RuneQuest Daily and Digest can be found after the last message in this digest. --------------------- From: SMITHH@A1.MGH.HARVARD.EDU (Harald Smith 617 726-2172) Subject: jannisor story Message-ID: <01HDHIJN8VIEQT5SM5@MR.MGH.HARVARD.EDU> Date: 13 Jun 94 02:48:00 GMT X-RQ-ID: 4542 (The following story is told in Imther and includes common Imtherian terms. Neal is the Imtherian term for village. Marl is the Imtherian term for clan. Marec (pl.marex) is the Imtherian term for the noble leader of a clan.) Jannisor and the Gargoyle King by Harald Smith In the days when Aranor was Marec of the Wilktar marl and that marl lay north in the Vale of Tork, people came to Aranor's hall fleeing from a great enemy. Aranor was disturbed to see these people come, so he asked their leader to come before him. "Why have yhou come to the lands of the Wilktar marl?" he asked sternly for he hoped to intimidate the man. "Oh, mighty lord," the refugee answered, "a great foe, an army of 10,000 madmen, cursed by chaos, pursues us." "And have you not tried to stop them?" asked Aranor gruffly, though this news certainly concerned him. "Oh, yes, mighty lord. The army of Brankaar marched against them bearing the Raining Arrows, the River Flails, and the Shields of Thunder. But the Raining Arrows could not pierce this foe. And the River Flails could not blunt this foe. And the laughter of the madmen broke the Shields of Thunder. The army of Brankaar then fell before them. They used their Evil Eyes to cripple Brankaar's men. They used their Hell Sickles to cut the jewels from Brankaar's men. And they laughed again and again so that the army of Brankaar fell deaf and dumb and died." Now hearing this, Aranor was alarmed and he asked the refugee if he knew of anyone who could stop this foe, but the refugee did not. Aranor then brought this tale to his marl and after recounting the story, he asked the members of the marl if they knew of anyone who could stop this foe, but they did not. But when Aranor was about to tell his marl to pack up all their goods and join the refugees in flight, he heard Sonsio the Fool laughing. "Why do you laugh when we must flee," Aranor asked angrily. "Because our marl is not the only marl. Among the Laramite, though our bitter foes, there is said to be a hero named Jannisor who can do anything." Now Aranor, though he hated the Laramite marl, recognized the truth in this and the voice of Khelmal counseling him to stand firm. Though filled with misgivings, Aranor sent a message to Gelton, Marec of the Laramite marl telling him of the foe which approached and asking of this hero Jannisor. The next day, a rough-looking hunter arrived at the hall of Aranor. He was bearded after the fashion of Khelmal with great blond curls around his chin. He was garbed afer the fashion of Gordaval with leather jerkin, bow skirt, and hard-worn sandals and bore a mighty bow of ash. He was cloaked as a fisherman with a net around his broad shoulders and weights upon his belt. Aranor looked over the hunter and said, "How are you called and what message does Gelton send to me since he does not send his warriors?" The hunter was in fact Jannisor, but he told Aranor, "I am called Sonnajir and the message from Gelton is that Jannisor will come to your aid if you help my messenger (that is myself) to enter the hall of Tor Gargoule and return therefrom." When Aranor heard this, he was troubled, for Tor Gargoule was the haunt of the gargoyles and their terrible song. "Surely you have no need to go and enter there. Do you not know that the song of the gargoyles destroys the souls of men and that the king who lives within those halls devours those who enter?" "That may be," the hunter, Jannisor, replied, "but that is what I have been asked to do." "Very well then. I shall have my boldest warriors accompany you, those who bear the Spear of Hope, the Staff of Arahar, the Sandals of Teliska, and the Song of Khalana. Further, I shall have my marl pray for your return. But if you do not return within two days, then it is clear that you have failed and we must find another means to bring Jannisor's aid." The hunter smiled, "If I fail, then do not count upon Jannisor, but flee instead to other lands." So Aranor called for his four boldest warriors to join the messenger and for his marl to pray for the spirit of Sonnajir. That very day, Jannisor led the warriors across the rolling hills until the dark mount of Tor Gargoule could be seen. With their keen eyes, the warriors could see gargoyles crawling up and around the highest towers and flying in the skies above. The warriors were ready to continue on, but Jannisor halted them. "First, we much each share a round of cheese. In this way, we are linked together like a hearth. Second, each of you shall take hold of a weight that ties to my cloak. In this way, we are linked together like a neal. Finally, each of you must take these plugs of wax and place them in your ears so that you do not hear the song of the gargoyle king. And you must hold tight to my cloak, so that I, though I hear the song, am not lost to you. In this way, we have formed a new bond because we are from different marls, a khelix of those who dare to enter Tor Gargoule." The warriors followed Jannisor's instructions, though did not want to. After all, they thought he was just a hunter and they were four brave warriors. But the hunter had a way about him and followed the ancient ways, so the warriors agreed. So with all ears plugged but Jannisor's and all linked by the cloak of Jannisor and the sharing of cheese, they approached Tor Gargoule. They looked at the dark citadel in amazement. Towers rose up hundreds of kingsteps into the air to end in graceful pinnacles or tree-like platforms. Winged and crawling denizens graced each and every tower, alike in their deformity and ugliness. In the midst of these lofty towers stood a massive gate of darkest stone held upright by two gigantic gargoyles, so tall that their feet were higher than a man's head and their wings, if spread, would darken the greatest villa. Twenty or more kingsteps their bodies rose to reach heads so large they could swallow a man whole. Their mouths were open and they sang songs of age and power, which could turn a normal man's strength to weakness. But the brave warriors did not hear that song for their ears were fully stuffed with wax. Only Jannisor heard their song--a song which spoke of lost fathers and ravaged mothers, of withered lands and blasted plains, of death without rebirth, of doom without protection, of the void of utter emptiness. Only Jannisor heard the rumbling voices like falling stones that thundered in his ears and made him feel as if his head would burst. Only Jannisor heard the high, grating sound of stone grinding stone that shrieked in his ears and tore at his spirit. Jannisor wailed and flung about like a floundering fish, but was held fast within the cloak. Jannisor felt his strength depart, his legs weaken under him, but was held upright within the cloak. Jannisor's spirit sought to leave his body far behind, but was held to the body by that net-like cloak of his own devising. And his companions did not release him, bonded as they were, until that passed that dreadful gate. Then they stood in a great hall of darkest grey, so dull that light would not reflect. Great arches soared to the top of the vaulted chamber. Long windows drapped the walls like tapestries. Great buttresses held the heavy walls in place. And at the far end, wearing a crown of black obsidian, the gargoyle king sat upon his haunches and hungrily watched the five approach. "Who are you and why do you dare enter my hall?" the gargoyle king asked, the hall shaking with his thunderous voice. "I am called Jannisor, and I come to warn you of the chaos which comes and to call upon your aid." "You puny being think that I fear chaos? I who led my folk into the Dawning and beyond?!" exclaimed the outraged king. "You deign to ask for my aid, I who aided the Earthwielder in his day, I who aided Khelmal when he limped across the quaking land?" "Yes, I ask for your aid. For the chaos folk who come have heard the screams of the Bat and will ignore your song as did I. They have stopped the Raining Arrows and will stop the petty darts of your children. They have shattered the Thundering Shields and will shatter your thundering halls. And you will meet the death without rebirth, the doom without protection, and leave your father to face the void alone. Only together, bonded as Khelmal bound the earth, can we halt these mad folk." Then the gargoyle king laughed at Jannisor's impudence. The laughter shook the hall again and again, reverberating from wall to wall. The laughter shook the floor so violently that Jannisor and his companions fell to their knees in dismay. "I shall feast upon your flesh," the gargoyle king cried, "and on that of your fellows. And from your flesh I shall tear your spirits and toss them into the earth well--that is how you shall be bound to the earth!" The gargoyle king then stood and unfurled his stony wings. He moved forward to eat them then and there. Jannisor retreated into a corner, afraid now that he had failed. But in that corner, one of the warriors pointed to a small struggle with his spear. Jannisor saw that struggle--that of a fly caught within a spider's web. Jannisor smiled and drew his bow. He quickly tied lines to each arrow and to his cloak. Then he fired those arrows up and over and around the gargoyle king so that the net quickly covered the giant foe. Then the warriors pulled mightily upon the lines so that the gargoyle king was bound and tied. Weights were placed upon the net so that the king could not flee or move. "Like the flyin the spider's web are you bound. I would slay you now for your haughtiness," said Jannisor. "Spare me," replied the king, "for I will do as you ask for my children's sake. They would be lost without me." Jannisor asked the gargoyle king to pledge upon his father's existence to aid them and the king agreed. Jannisor then asked the gargoyle king to take him to the well of the earth and, still dressed in his net-like chains, the gargoyle king did. From the well, Jannisor pulled great black gooey strands of earthblood and placed those strands in four great cauldrons for the warriors to carry. As they set to leave, Jannisor released the bonds upon the gargoyle king and said, "There will come a time soon when I shall call upon you again to aid me in binding this chaos foe. Do not fail me, lest you shall be bound again and this time to your final doom." The gargoyle king agreed and Jannisor with his four companions departed. When Jannisor and the warriors reached the Wilktar marl, there was much rejoicing. Aranor approached Jannisor and said, "I did not expect your return, but could only hope it would be so." "Know that your hope was enough and all that was asked," replied Jannisor. "Know also that I am Jannisor and that I answer the prayers of those who give me aid. Now gather your marl so that we may work the stuff of the earth and then go together to face this army of madmen. Each of you bears within you the hope to succeed and we will make a new bond so that no one is alone." So with the Wilktar marl and the Laramite marl, Jannisor prepared to meet the chaos horde and preserve the land of the great vale. But that battle is another tale.