RE: Orlanth's Magic Weapon Subcults - lightning

From: Sam Elliot <samclau_at_...>
Date: Mon, 10 Dec 2007 19:44:41 -0200


> The Lightning Spear is possibly gained on the Hill of
> Gold?
> Alternatively, I find Simon Phipp again.
> http://www.soltakss.com/hquest09.html

My personal preference would be to link it with Yavor Lightning. I wrote the following but never really finished it and haven't ever really used it. I'm sure it conflicts with anything written about this stuff too. You might find something of use in there, though.

Sam.

The Mythology of Yavor Lightning

Stagnant Age (early Golden Age)

In the Stagnant Age, Umath was born, separating with the force of his will Sky from Earth. With this act, Umath brought change to the world, leading to the birth of other gods and goddesses, demons and humans.

Umath’s Age (Late Golden Age)

Umath’s Age is defined by the battles between Umath who sought change and the Fire Tribe who sought stasis. Yavor was one of the foremost warriors of the Fire Tribe, named by them the Great Fulguration. Umath was not the Fire Tribe’s only enemy, though, for others had seen change being wrought and sought to find a place for themselves. Thus, Yavor fought the Green Tribe (??), casting fire at their warriors from afar and wresting a suit of silver armour from one of their Gods. He fought the Dark Tribe too, sticking fire in their bellies. His greatest weapon, though, was the bolt which comes from the Sky above in search of the Earth below, scything through all who stand in its path.

Emperor Yelm ruled from the Golden City and sent a messenger to tell Umath to stop being himself but the messenger could not catch up and so the world saw the power of Movement. Umath had created the first Hospitality Rites and so Yavor, as did many other Sky gods, followed these rites up to the point where he could deliver his message to the upstart god, cutting through the Middle Air with his skybolt to demonstrate how angry were Umath’s own parents. As ever when one of the sky gods violated Umath’s rites, violence ensued. This time, Umath nearly extinguished Yavor but Yavor instead cut Umath’s head off to teach him a lesson and so the god took himself to the healing baths of Melimios in the White God’s Palace.

Yelm was angry that Yavor had let the upstart god escape and so sent Jagrekriand, the Red God and chief Defender of the Sky Realm, after Umath. Umath had healed by now but could not move quite as quickly, so the Red God was able to force him into battle, which he did many times. Eventually, Umath met Jagrekriand in battle at Highgate. Again, Umath was wounded and took refuge with the White God, Zenfel, in the Healing Baths.

This time, Zenfel, growing weary of Umath, plotted in secret with Jagrekriand to ambush Umath. One of Umath’s warriors, though, declared that this was not honourable. Having perceived that that his kin meant to enslave the world (for Chalana Arroy had healed his vision), this god, who was Elmal the Bright, left the Fire Tribe to follow his own path. Yavor saw this and, seeking to use this new idea, Honour, yet not overly familiar with its workings, declared that his magic could only work in the open so he could not participate in the ambush. Ever since, people have sought refuge from Yavor in buildings.

Now Orlanth, Umath’s youngest son, was just a boy and the Wind brought to him whispers of the White God’s plans. These whispers he took to his father who, with Orlanth’s older brothers, crushed the White God’s palace, land and people, sending his sons out to hunt the survivors down.

Umath was now in the open, though, and Yavor could attack him without giving up his new idea of Honour. This he did, for the second time cutting off Umath’s head, but this time extinguishing himself so as to escape unharmed.

Now Umath was truly wounded and had no place to seek sanctuary. When Jagrekriand arrived, the Red God turned himself black with fury at the upstart god who had so wounded his own father, the Emperor. Umath, though, fought so hard that the land about them broke. With no sanctuary (having destroyed it himself), Umath was slain, his body dispersed among the winds, although his enemy too was smashed into pieces.

Yavor, coming upon the carnage, saw Umath’s angry thoughts dissipating as sparks in the breeze and thought to make darts out of the great god’s brain. So busy crafting these lightning arrows was he that he didn’t see the boy Orlanth creeping up and stealing a number of the arrows for himself. Orlanth ’s anger at seeing his father slain was directed at the slayer rather than at Yavor. So, the boy heaped up a mound of earth, now known as Arrowmound in the Skyreach Range and stuck the arrows in the dirt. From here he hurled his missiles at the remnants of the Red God, preventing his father’s enemy from reforming.

Eventually, Orlanth tired of this sport. So, pinning one of Jagrekriand’s arms to the sky with an arrow, he allowed the rest of the Red God to reform. As each part of the Red God reattached itself, though, Orlanth pinned the new part to the Sky. Thus was the Red God bound to the Sky for eternity, unable to escape.

Storm Age / Lesser Darkness

Following the death of Yelm at the end of the Golden Age, Orlanth set about vanquishing the rest of the ancient enemy, the Fire Tribe. Eventually, he came face to face with Yavor. After a long struggle, he disarmed Yavor and cut his head off, just as Yavor had done twice with his father.

Unaware that Yavor had sought only to fight honourably with his father Umath, Orlanth chose not to send Yavor after the Emperor to the land of Death but instead to imprison him within his Great Hall. Having seen Yavor’s great gifts as a warrior, he imprisoned his parts as the lightning weapons, the spear Gutburner, the javelin Treeburner, and the Stormspear bolt of power. These weapons he used himself on occasion or at times left for his own warriors to wield.

With Yavor imprisoned, Orlanth and his tribe soon forgot about him for many were the foes they vanquished in those times. Yavor, though, saw his ancient enemy grow in wisdom. He saw kinstrife tear the Storm Tribe assunder, leading to Orlanth’s exile. He saw how Orlanth then returned to heal his Tribe. He saw Orlanth pondering his own mistakes and realizing that it was he who had to fix the mistakes. Finally, in the Darkness, Orlanth left and Yavor saw Elmal elected as chieftain, something which Yavor could not have imagined happening before.

With Orlanth gone and Chaos roaming the world, Elmal and the Storm Tribe were beset from all sides. Many times did Elmal save the clan, even wielding Gutburner himself on occasion. Towards the end, though, Elmal faced his sorest tests, when Teller of Lies came and tried to deceive Elmal by exploiting his Pride. Yavor saw all of this and, when Elmal looked most likely to falter, chose finally to reveal himself to his kinsman. Hearing a oice whisper in his ear, Elmal looked behind a scratched piece of wood and saw Yavor’s head hidden there. Yavor’s beard had grown long with no way to cut it so he was almost unrecognizable, but Elmal saw the rune on his forehead and knew him to be a kinsman.

He chose to listen to Yavor’s advice, which was to remember the very idea which Elmal had shown Yavor in another age. With Honour, therefore, Elmal once again saved the stead and this time, following Yavor’s advice, went after Teller of Lies, using guile to trick his way into the Chaos foe’s insides. There, he used Gutburner to rip the monster apart from the inside.

In Orlanth’s absence, Elmal gave Yavor his arms back, the former bearers all being dead. When Orlanth finally returned in the Dawn, Elmal handed the ring of leadership back and introduced to his chieftain the new member of the Tribe. At first, Orlanth didn’t recognize his ancient enemy and thanked him for his services, offering him a place among his Thanes. Fortunately, when he did realize who Yavor was, only Elmal and Ohorlanth were beside him and they were able to calm his rage. Ohorlanth, in order to appease his lord, promised always to follow Yavor lest the former Fire Tribe warrior seek to betray his new Tribe. At first, Yavor was offended, but he soon grew used to his constant companion and eventually the two became firm friends, always going into battle together, but Yavor always a little in front, the Thunder following fast on his heels.

So did Yavor become one of the Thunder Brothers, performing many great feats alongside his companions. He formed his own warband and built a Lightning Hall for them. He armed them with Lightning Spears harvested from the Ash Maidens’ daughters in return for protection and led them against the Vingkotlings’ enemies. In quieter moments, Yavor used his powers to clear new steads for the Vingkotlings – the Aldryami always respected him and so retreated before him – showing them how well plants can grow in ashes.

Meanwhile, the Fire Tribe, jealous of their lost warrior’spowers, named one of their Starcaptains after him, but this false god is but a shadow of the true Yavor Lightning.

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