By the way, did you know that Chaosium has sold the rights to make an animated movie out of The King of Sartar to Walt Disney Inc.? Just like in Robin Hood and Oliver all characters will be turned into animals. MOB will write the theme song, and probably some other of the music as well. The working title is The Alynx King. Greg has donated all money he got out of this to charity.
More serious topic: Kralorelan magic and belief...
I still like the countryside people summoning spirits,
though. Do they only do it through theistic worship, or do they use
"sorcery" (summoning a certain being is something you train like any
other craft), or some other type of magic?
Hmm, what about countryside/lower classes = mystic magic based on crafts
and other mundane skills, civil servants/upper classes= mystic magic
based on the arts and sciences (mathematics, astrology, alchemy....)?
Hhmm, eh, is one allowed to write a Kralorelan folk tale? Not one that would ever be epproved of by any right-minded mandarin, though.
JUST SLOW THE HEADSMAN AND THE SORCERER
Once upon a time, in the province of Wi Xiang (1), there lived an old
couple who had only one son and were very poor. The son's name was really
Huang Li, but everone called him Just Slow, for though large and
strong he was inept at most things he was told to do, but his mother
always said: "He is not stupid, just slow." and no one in the village agreed.
Just Slow ate so much so that he was really a burden to his parents, for he in no way was such a good worker as on would believe by his bulk. It took him a very long time to learn how to do things right, and whenever he had learnt something, he would to it very slowly and carefully, as not to make any mistakes. This annoyed everyone in the village, since Just Slow's father was becoming old and weak and whenever the farmers where called by the local magistrate to do public works, he caused trouble for everybody. However, no one dared to tell Just Slow, for though he never had acted violently, people were afraid of him, because of his large strength. Thus, the villagers sent three men to tell the magistrate and make HIM tell Just Slow, since no one would surely dare hurt the magistrate.
The three farmers went to the magistrate and said:
"Your Exellency, please tell the big lout whose name is Huang Li, but
which everybody calls Just Slow, that he should better himself, since he
is a really bad worker and slows the whole village down whenever we are
called together to work."
The magistrate know about the problem but had, in fact, not dared to do
anything about it, since he also feared Just Slow, having grown up in the
village. He said:
"But surely you know that this man is slow and dumb by birth. What if he
cannot change himself? What do you expect me to do then?"
"Your Excellency, just have your guards whip just slow and throw him out
of the village, to become a common beggar." the villagers answered, since
they really did not like Just Slow.
The magistrate frowned, and his face paled. He thought of the two drunken
louts who passed for guards in the village, and what could happen if
someone really made Just Slow angry. But he did not wish to tell the
villagers this, so he said:
"But think upon his old parents. Surely you cannot suggest that we should
deprive them of their only son, who was born to care for them as they
were born to rear him. Remember what Aptanace the Sage said about respect
for the elders, and what happened when one of his grandchildren did not
listen. Remember also what the Blessed Emperor Mikaday, the originator of
our laws, said about never punish anyone for a crime for which he is not
responsible, and remember what happened to the exarch who disobeyed that
law. I cannot do such a thing."
The villagers frowned, and finally one of them said:
"Your Excellence, could it be possible to find him a place in the
administration, or some master in a craft requiring strength, so that he
could move away from thew village, and still support his parents?"
The Magistrate thought about how stupid Just Slow, but sighed and said he
would try. And the villagers left.
A month passed, and the magistrate happened to meet the High Judge's of
thr province Second Assistant Scribe, who was a distant cousin of his. He
lamented upon the many troubles of running a small and dirty village full
of uneducated louts, upon which the Second Assistant Scribe lamented upon
the pressures and responsibilities of such a high position as his.
"For instance, I have to get a new headsman for the city of Tu. The
current one is a big mistake. He needs six chops to kill a man who is to
be beheaded, but kills those who are to be tortured to early."
Upon hearing this, the magistrate suddenly became very glad, and said:
"Oh cousin, I might have the perfect man for you. A big brute from my
small and unimportant village, known as Just Slow. This my be a mistake, you
know, me knowing nothing about your exalted duties, but it could be worth a
try." The Second Assistant Scribe was glad to hear this, since he would not
have to search for a man to take the foul duties of the headsman. So he said:
"I am sure your man is the right one, if he his strong and careful. Send
him to me as soon as possible."
And so it was that Just Slow was sent to the city of Tu.
Just Slow was not told what his job was until he came to Tu, merely that is was a post of importance that would support his old father and mother. When he came to know what it was, he was shocked, for few occupations are more ignoble than that of headsman, worse than butchering and emptying latrines. However, the Second Assistant Scribe told him that it still was a service to the Emperor, and Just Slow, being a generally peaceful man and not bound to disagree with anyone, took the post. He never grew to like it, but he became quite good at it. He killed those condemned to beheading with one careful chop, and no man who was to be flogged or in any other way tortured died unless he should, and then exactly as quickly as the judge had decided. He grew quite popular with the Second Assistant Scribe, which made the Captain of the Guards of Tu, the son of a mandarin, jealous, so that he and his men taunted the big and thick-headed Just Slow.
One day the guards brought a man to the prison of those condemned to
bodily punishments by the high judge, who had been charged with
practising vile black sorcery, tried, found guilty and condemned to death
by beheading and then burning, so that his bodily soul would not rise as
an Eija, a foul spirit (2). He cursed and spattered at the guards, who
were mightily afraid of him. They put him in the strongest of cells, and
went to Just Slow to brag about their bravery in capturing the horrible
sorcerer. Just Slow ignored their bragging, and went about his duties. In
the evening, however, the captain of the guard called for Just Slow, and
said:
"That sorcerer is mumbling vile spells and curses in his warped native
language (3) in his cell, and presents a clear danger to my men. I command you
to go in and make him be quiet!"
Just Slow scratched his head and thought for a while. Then he said:
"But is not that your responsibility, as being guards. Besides, i think
the poor man is just praying to the gods for mercy, as most people are
wont to do when but in my cells."
The captain was lethally afraid of the sorcerer, and his men even more,
but he was to proud to say that to Just Slow, so he said:
"No, when in your prison, the prisoners are your responsibility. Do you
presume I would ursurp what is rightfully yours?"
Just Slow scratched his head and thought for a while. Then he said:
"No, I suppose not. I suppose I have to get up and calm him."
And so he went up to the strong cells, who was on the upper floor, to
calm down the sorcerer.
The sorcerer was really down on his knees, kowtowing to empty air and
mumbling arcane phrases. Just Slow watched him from the little hole in
the stout door and was just to open the lock and go in, when the cell
darkened and a horrible devil appeared in the cell. He was shaped as a
tall, muscular man, carrying a large headsman's sword in two of his four
hand and a scourge made of iron and a wicked-looking saw in the two
others. He wore a headsman's hood and a dark mantle made of the flayed
skins of human beings.
And Just Slow almost fell to the floor and made the four obeisances and
the five kowtows reserved for Exarchs and Emperors only, for he
recognized the devil as mighty Shui Ti, the Celestial Executioner,
Heavenly Headsman, the God of Death!
The sorcerer made the four obeisances and five kowtows, and groveled:
"Oh Mighty Lord, your humble servant beg you to intervene as before, and
save this worthless servants life again."
Upon this Shui Ti grew if possible even darker, and snarled:
"And for what reason, pray tell me? Why should my risk my head and
position for a lowly, worthless mortal?"
And the sorcerer answered:
"Oh Mighty Lord, carrier of the Sword of Violence, the Scourge of Plague,
and the Saw of Old Age, when those stupid city guards ransacked my home
and burnt my magic paraphernalia, they did not check behind the
fireplace. There is hidden a hundred thousand in copper cash, which i
have stolen or been paid by sinful citizens. All those copper cash will I
sacrifice to you, as it is acrificed to the dead for help along the way,
if you save me."
Upon this Shui Ti snarled:
"This is allvery well, but you know that when someone is prescribed to
die, as you are, I cannot prevent it withour having another soul to show
to the Celestial Exarchs of Punishment and Reward. They would not
appreciate if a soul was missing."
And the sorcerer answered:
"Oh Mighty Lord, the Celestial Exarchs of Punishment and Reward will be
easily fooled. See, when I am about to die, I will use my evil eye to
kill the judge, whose soul is surely as dirty as mine."
Upon this Shui Ti laughed:
"Very well! And when you rises and puts your cut-off-head on, all will
think that you have been pardoned by the Celestial Judges, and that they
punished the judge who dared execute an innocent man, counter to
Miakday's Laws. And so you will go free!"
And the sorcerer joined in the laughter, and Just Slow for the first time
in his life grew Really Angry, that his patron god should not only be
bribed like a simple magistrate by copper cash, but also that he should
so easily betray a servant for another, making Just Slow look bad in
front of everyone. And he scratched his head and
thought for a while, and when he was finished, the devil was gone. And
Just Slow returned down, for now the sorcerer had become quiet, and he
had a plan.
On the next day, when they brought the sorcerer to be executed, Just Slow
was waiting as usual. The sorcerer eagerly put his head upon the block,
but all the same screamed that he was innocent. And Just Slow said:
"Be still. I must make a test swing first, and then this will be over."
But the sorcerer chuckled and focused his evil eye upon the judge who had
sentenced him, and stood beside the block to watch over the procedings.
And Just Slow took his sword
and swung it
and struck off the head
of the judge, just before he was hit by the evil eye of the sorcerer,
which was as blue as his frozen soul (3)! And the people who had come to
watch all gasped in fear. But the sorcerer screamed, and died on the spot.
Then all the people gasped a gain, for lo, the headsman took the head of
the judge and replaced it on the shoulders of the judge, and lo, the
judge quickened, with not a mark on his skin. And all marveled at this
miracle. But Just Slow knew that if it was true as they said in the
countryside, that Death is a bad official, easily bribed, it might be
true what they said when they said he was stupid as well. (4)
The guards recovered themselves, and was just to seize Just Slow, when
the judge also recovered himself, and said:
"Headsman, your clumsiness nearily cost me my life, but your quick
thinking saved it. For was it not so, that the Emperor Mikaday had seen
that I was not always a good judge, and so he made this happen, so that I
would repent in time. Know, that the short moment I was dead, i saw the
Celestial Exarchs of Punishment and Reward loom over me, and look as if I
were a poisoning sorcerer, ready to cast me into hell."
"Your Most Exalted Excellence", said Just Slow, "you may be just right.
For just as I struck off your head, I heard the voice of my heavenly
patron, Shui Ti, God of death, say to me: "Put back his head on his
shoulders, and he shall live again."
"So, I will not punish you for my mistake, but instead grant you a boon",
the judge said. And everyone thought of all the powers and what great
treasures and privileges Just Slow may ask for, so they all marvelled at
just Slow's excellent humility when he said:
"Your Most Exalted Excellence, I wish only one thing: Relieve me of my
office as headsman, for I am not the right man for the office, if i
should fail like this, and my patron shall have to kill my targets for me"
and pointed to the dead sorcerer.
And the judge granted this boon, for he really did not care for having to
stand so close to a such clumsy headsman. And so Just Slow went home to
his village, but first he went to the house of the sorcerer and fetched
the hundred thousand copper cash, and with this money he became a
prosperous merchant, who took good care of his aged parents. And anytime
anyone come to speak of the mercy and justice of the Emperor, Just Slow
would say:
"So true, so true. It is only a shame that some of his servants are
anything but perfect."
1, This denotes that the story is just a fairy-tale - it is in no way to
be taken as actual truth, since such a province never has existed.
Compare the RW phrase "east of the sun, west of the moon":
2, The soul will always go to its just reward - either to go to await the
passing of the emperor, or, if it has not lead a Correct Life, to go to
the Realm of Punishment, there to be punished for its trangressions,
before it is reincarnated. The bodily soul, however, hovers on the Plane
Between that of Gods and Men, and can return as a ghost if one is not
careful. The Eija is called a wraith in the western lands.
3, Sorcerers are often foreigners, since foreigners are bad! (general
statement about many cultures - in the RW Scandinavia, sorcerers tend to
be Same (Lapps) and Finns - unless it is them who is telling the tale, in
which case they are Swedes or Russians.... That his eyes are blue as his
frozen soul means that he probably is a foreign devil from the west, not
a witch-man from the animal people.
4, In the countryside, yes. I doubt that they are so unsure about Death
being in any way unfair if you would ask an educated Kralorelan.
All my HO, of course - and of course with plenty of RW inspiration......
Erik
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