Revelations of the Iron Vrok Palangio’s Account of the Birth of Osentalka
I, Palangio, Son of Shargash, Governor of Alkoth, Governor of Henjarl, General of the Armies of Dara Happa, trusted advisor to the Emperor Khorzanelm the Magnificent, First Ambassador from Dara Happa to the High Council of Genertela, who am called the Iron Vrok, was present for much of what happened during the creation of the Great God Nysalor by the High Council in Dorastor. Nowadays, of course, everyone knows the general facts surrounding this event — that the peoples of the hundred lands and the ten races united to create the Perfect One, Osentalka. Most people also know of the turmoil in Dara Happa at that time — that his Imperial Majesty, Khorzanelm the Magnificent, was assassinated; that the Governor of Darjiin usurped the throne; and that I was exiled from holy Raibanth for many years. Many of the details of these events, however, are still shrouded in darkness. I will now enlighten you.
I set out for Dorastor full of confidence and bright expectations. Under Khorzanelm the Empire was whole again. The High Council had begged to him to join, wooing him with rich gifts and promises. I was fresh from my successes at the Treaty of Lakrene, where I had bearded the worshippers of the Rebel Gods and ended the threat to our Southern border. And just before leaving for Dorastor, I had a dream, sent by Shargash and Veng, of a huge iron bird of great destructive power, an Iron Vrok, that I believed could be constructed if I could find someone of sufficient skill and power.
My party were six. I, as First Ambassador, was in charge, assisted by my counterpart from Yuthuppa, Holy Estorex, high priest of Dayzatar. Next were the Governors of Darjiin and Kestinaddi, the latter being my deceitful cousin, whom I had brought along so I could keep an eye on him. I also brought Wahnakar the Bison Heir, Khan of the Hungry Plateau and KanOra the ManaAlkElsor, a woman, Priestess of Naveria.
Just before we departed, a vile tract was discovered that claimed to be a plea for ‘balance’ at the Council, but singled out Dara Happa as the enemy and advanced the darkness rune, in the form of a clenched fist, as the symbol of this balance. Balance indeed! It was, however, no worse than I have come to expect from the foul Digijelm and the worshippers of Rebellus Terminus. The tract made a great impression on the Emperor, who shredded it in a fit of rage.
No sooner had we left the Emperor than Penemara, a Priestess of Oslira, somehow trapped him alone and beguiled him with magic, for she wished to marry the Emperor. Now Penemara, though a Pelorian, was not of Dara Happa and could never be a suitable match for his Imperial Majesty. Khorzanelm, however, was completely besotted with the woman and married her forthwith. Now this, in itself, was not bad, for the Emperor had many wives, and satisfying the Emperor’s generative urges is a fitting position and a great honor for any woman. Still, it was an ill omen and, like Philekka before her, Penemara was destined to be the ruination of an Emperor of Dara Happa.
In Dorastor I set about trying to shore up my old alliances with the Dwarves. I spoke with Iron Diamond Voice about my dream. He thought he could find a suitable artisan and offered to make inquiries on my behalf. I attempted to speak with the Greatway dwarves as well but was unable to gain a suitable audience. One of the dwarves, Isidilian the Wise, had recently been graced with an audience before his Imperial Majesty in Dara Happa, at which he was permitted to kneel, rather than prostrate himself as is customary. Apparently the impertinent fellow took offense at this honor and resolved to make Dara Happans kneel in his presence. Needless to say this was unacceptable, and I departed Greatway immediately. I also made contact with a smith of the Third Eye Blue people, one Yuko Dostipikis, who claimed to be selling magical weapons of great potency. I did not want such weapons to fall into the hands of my enemies, so I offered him protection from the Dwarves, whom he claimed had threatened him, in exchange for an arrangement to sell exclusively to me. He claimed to be very interested, but wanted to think it over. I was suspicious of this, but agreed to wait and discuss the matter later.
Elsewhere things went poorly. The Digijelm were organized and threatened to dominate the first phase of the God Project. The Emperor had arrived in person to participate, but he was disorganized, doubtless still under the influence of Penemara’s glamour, and gave little direction to the rest of our party. My treacherous cousin was off advancing his own goals. Without direction Holy Estorex, Wahnakar, and the Darjiin accomplished little. Worst of all, KanOra, one of our own, was conspiring with the Vyrope of Dorasta to fix the sex of the new god. Osentalka was to be born a woman!
The Emperor was outraged at this. He recalled the entire mission to Dara Happa, and we set about planning to withdraw from the Council and create our own god to rule in despite of the Council. The Emperor asked me to prepare for war. I asked for and received direct control of all our armies, especially those of KanOra. KanOra protested that this would leave Naveria defenseless. I offered to move some of my own troops in to ensure security, but she declined my offer. Penemara, having got what she came for, threw in with us. She offered me what troops she had, and I took them. She claimed also to have the ability to weaken one warrior to the point that he would be easy prey. Given what she had done to our Emperor, I had no reason to doubt her abilities. Since war with the Council seemed likely, I suggested she attack Kwaratch Kang, a bloodthirsty Digijelm and the Warlord of the Council. Kang was the only warrior of the Council who stood a chance against me in battle. If he were weakened, I could destroy him at my leisure should the need arise.
I also asked to release Shargash from His confinement in Alkoth. To do this I required the consent of the Emperor and the assistance of the Governor of Yuthuppa. Holy Estorex was reluctant. He is a man of peace, and Shargash is the soul of war. Shargash is a wrathful and hungry god, the Destroyer Who smashed the world that Yelm might rise again, and the True Thunderer, against Whom the spawn of Umatum cannot stand. The Emperor commanded Holy Estorex to assist me, and Shargash was freed. Glory to Shargash! Full of His wrath and hunger, I went forth.
I journeyed to Snakepipe Hollow, where an incursion of Chaos had been reported. I called upon the power of Shargash and attacked the foul Broo army, slaying and devouring many of them. To my surprise, out of the carnage and destruction, the dead Broos arose again stronger than before I had attacked. Cragspider was there, and she upbraided me for making the situation worse. Woe to her that she did not profit from my lesson! For she and the Council attacked the Broos again in force, and from this attack the Broos came back doubled, even trebled in power. Reports came to me then that enormous Scarlet Bat had been sighted in Dara Happa. I hurried to the scene and confronted the bat, a chaos monstrosity too horrid to describe. Again I called again upon the power of Shargash and met the bat in combat. I sorely wounded the bat, but I did not destroy it. My last memory is of its enormous maw closing around me. My personal guard carried my body back to Dara Happa, where the priests of Yelm could resurrect me.
While I was pursuing the bat, Penemara had gone to Dorastor. There she sought out and attacked Kwaratch Kang. Alas! She overestimated her power. Instead of crippling the Warlord, she merely pricked him. Penemara quailed in the face of Kang’s anger. She denied personal responsibility, claiming the attack had been commanded by her Emperor. The damage having been done, Penemara returned to Dara Happa. There she came across the procession bearing my body. Her magical powers included the ability to restore the dead to life, and this she did for me. For this I am grateful, though in truth the priests of Yelm by then were close at hand.
What happened after this I discovered later. Kwaratch Kang journeyed to Raibanth, where he approached the Emperor and slew him with magic. How he was able to get close to the Emperor is still unclear to me. Only poor, tragic Penemara tried to stop him, and she paid with her life. The Governor of Darjiin witnessed the murder, and it is to his everlasting shame and infamy that he did not give his life for his Emperor. Having failed in Khorzanelm’s defense, he should have hurried the body to the priests of Yelm so the Emperor could be restored to life. Instead, he usurped the throne.
We of Alkoth hate Darjiin Usurpers. When word reach the city that the Emperor was dead, and a Darjiin Usurper stood upon the Footstool of Yelm, I had to forcibly restrain the people of Alkoth from marching on Darjiin and the Usurper. The Usurper, of course, made his claims of legitimacy, but these claims were hollow and false. He could not trace his descent from an emperor within four generations. Nor was his enthronement legitimized by Alkoth and, since the time of Eusibus, no rightful emperor has, nor ever could be, legitimized without Alkoth. I am convinced that in time it will be discovered that the Darjiin Usurper cheated on the ten tests, thus stripping away his last vestige of legitimacy.
For a time I remained in Alkoth, venturing forth only to crush a rebellion of Sable Riders on the Hungry Plateau. The Darjiin Usurper withdrew from the Council. This prompted my treacherous cousin to approach me about becoming emperor himself. Failing that, he would support me, he said, if I were to give Kestinaddi its independence, with him at its head, of course. I rejected this out of hand. Though a foul usurper may have sat upon the Footstool of Yelm, still I would crush any attempt to break up the empire. I made this perfectly clear to my cousin and dismissed him. Shortly thereafter the Usurper made an about face and rejoined the Council.
The Darjiin Usurper then called me to Raibanth. I assumed he would ask Alkoth to legitimize his usurpation. Instead he tried to strip me of my offices, recalled Shargash, and promoted Wahnakar in my place. He even ordered that Shargash be released for Wahnakar. This was intolerable and quite beyond his rights or capabilities. I resolved then to kill the Usurper. I attacked, but without using magic. As Kwaratch Kang had succeeded in killing our beloved Khorzanelm, I assumed the Usurper, as a lesser man, would be easy prey. I did not find out until later that Kang had, in fact, used death magic rather than arms to slay the Emperor. The Usurper had, of course, pilfered as much of the Imperial Regalia as he could lay his hands on; he also launched a Sunspear at me. With these magics he was able to fight me to a draw, and I retired to Alkoth. I needed time to think. I could always return later with magic and kill him then.
It was now late in the third phase of the God Project, and there was civil war in Dara Happa. I considered marching on Darjiin and Vonlath, where sits holy Raibanth, and liberating the Tower of Yelm. I had the troops and, with me in command, victory was assured. I was approached at this time by Kwaratch Kang with an offer of alliance, which I seriously considered. Kang was a great warrior, second only to myself, and worthy of respect. Oddly enough we became friends of sorts in later years. He was, however, a Digijelm. I was approached at this time also by Holy Estorex and KanOra, appealing for peace in the name of Dara Happan unity. The God Project was proceeding with or without us, and we would either be with the new god or against it. I found this last argument compelling. I would take no action that would weaken the empire. Dara Happa was, after all, my first and foremost obligation.
At this time I spoke again with Iron Diamond Voice. He said he had found a smith great enough to build my Iron Vrok. It was Yuko Dostipikis, the smith of the Third Eye Blue people. Iron Diamond Voice said I would need iron, which he could procure for me. Later we came across the ubiquitous Dostipikis. He agreed in principle to create my Vrok, but his price was the necklace of Kero Fin, which was currently in the possession of Seri-phy-ranor, who would never have given it up willingly. This price was too high, and neither Iron Diamond Voice nor myself would have any part of it.
I was then approached again by Holy Estorex and KanOra. The Darjiin Usurper, realizing the weakness of his position, had sent them to sue for peace. If I would end hostilities, he would give back to me what he had tried to take away before. Of course these things were not his to give back any more than they were his to take away. Nevertheless I agreed to the truce for the sake of Dara Happa. A false emperor is better than no emperor. Shargash was freed again, and the civil war was ended.
The God Project was drawing to a close. There were a number of military situations facing the Council, and I had offered my support to Iron Diamond Voice, who was now the Warlord of the Council. I spent some time devouring enemies of the Council, and Iron Diamond Voice provided me with the iron I had requested. I found Yuko Dostipikis, who was now willing to construct the Iron Vrok, if I would provide him with the necessary iron and my dragonskin shield. I agreed to this, and the Vrok was soon ready.
With it I winged my way to the City of Miracles in time for the final act of the God Project. There I discovered that my treacherous cousin was attempting to bend Osentalka to his own ends. He had acquired a large number of votes; most were likely gained from the incompetent Darjiin Usurper as well as other, more innocent dupes.
I made an alliance with an Elf, one Saratin Seomale, a lightson of Yelmalio, and the ambassador for Kralorela, Sharan Cho. Saratin was an honorable Elf with a warlike spirit. None of us wanted Osentalka to be born a simpering coward, weak and ineffectual like the disgraced Kestinendos of whom my cousin was so fond. Saratin controlled a large block of votes, and together the three of us could block my cousin’s designs. It was my plan to control the final myth, the myth of the self, the very nature, of Osentalka.
I know how to deal with my cousin. He was plotting with Holy Estorex and KanOra when I approached him. I began to dictate terms. The soul of Osentalka would be fierce, implacable, and warlike against his foes. I would contribute the power of Shargash to the new god. The seat of the new god’s soul would be in his eyes, as is proper for a god of light and fire. The six of us together would write the final myth, regardless of who was light speaker for the Council. My cousin meekly agreed to all of this. I also wanted the Elf to be the new light speaker, but Saratin claimed he was not eligible to hold the light seat. I later learned this was not true, but at the time there seemed to be no good candidate. I decided I could be generous in victory, so I allowed my cousin to have the seat. Besides, with the birth of Osentalka the Council would be rendered irrelevant.
Just then the loathsome Digijelm attempted a foul trick. One of them lured my cousin away and trapped him with magic to cause him to miss the vote, ensuring the forces of darkness would gain the soul of Osentalka. I slew the Digijelm, freeing my inept cousin from the glamour. Which Digijelm it was I cannot say, for they all look much alike.
During the bidding Holy Estorex performed the first of his great deeds. He approached Cragspider, who represented Darkness, and cast the same glamour on her that had been cast earlier on my cousin. But Holy Estorex did it with perfect timing. The Digijelm were out of the bidding. In truth this did not affect the outcome, since we had already outmaneuvered the Digijelm, but it was good to see Cragspider get her comeuppance. Turnabout is fair play, I say.
At this point we had won, and yet I saw that my treacherous cousin still held back some contributions. I suspected he was trying to renege on our agreement to contribute the powers of Shargash to the soul of the new god. I commanded him to contribute everything, which he did. We wrote the self myth for Osentalka, and the great god Nysalor was born. It was then that Holy Estorex performed the second of his great deeds, changing the dragon companion of Osentalka from black to golden, from a creature of darkness to a creature of light.
My work at the Council complete, I returned to Alkoth. There was work to be done in Dara Happa. We still had a mad Darjiin Usurper on the throne and treacherous governors in all directions. I needed to hold the Empire together till a proper heir to Khorzanelm could be found. But that is another tale.
[italics] Notes on the translation: In translating this document, I have tried to remain as faithful to the original Dara Happan text as possible. The only substantial deviation lies in my eliding many of Palangio’s titles, leaving only those that were pertinent at the time of the Council. Throughout the document Palangio refers to the Trolls as ‘Digijelm’, a derogatory term for the Uz still in use in parts of the Heartlands today. I have left this untranslated to convey some of the feelings of First Age Dara Happans towards the Trolls. Also, Palangio refers frequently to ‘the Darjiin Usurper’ and ‘my treacherous cousin’. The former is Mathiman the Impaler, who ruled Dara Happa for a brief time between the reigns of Khorzanelm the Magnificent and Khorzanelm’s son Radaidavu; the latter is Kestinelm, the Governor of Kestinaddi and Palangio’s cousin. Nowhere does he refer to them by name.
End of Glorantha Digest V1 #119
Powered by hypermail