As we so voted twenty years before, I went to Dorastor to help instill the wisdom of the goddesses into the new god. We wanted a god for all beings, both male and female, and a wise leader, concerned more for the welfare of all, rather than a god a power, conquest, and greed. But because Naveria was a land subject to the Dara Happan Empire, I had to achieve these goals from within the confines of the court. I feared the Emporer would try to make the new god much like Brightface, who slew the High Goddess and enslaved our people.
When I recieved a clandestine letter about controlling Dara Happa+s power, I was elated that I might have some allies on the project. I assumed the letter was from the Dark Folk, a wise and ancient race who still recognize the value of female leadership. But hardly had I arrived at Raibanth, when I heard a copy of the secret note being read to the Emperor himself! I was horrified that the secret had been discovered, but soon realized it was little secret that Dara Happa had many enemies. It has long been the nature of Brightface to alienate all.
I quickly suggested to the Emperor that I could be of more use in Dorastor, ferreting out the source of the conspiracy against him. He agreed, and off I went, free from that oppressive atmosphere.
In Dorastor I met with Wahnaker the Bison Heir and Tadaha Red Bison, the Khan of the Bison People of Prax. I told them of our Pelorian deity Bisos the Bull, son of Kereus, son of Naveria, searching them for some Earth solidarity. Wahnaker seemed unswayed from his devotion to the Emperor. The lonely Praxian looked intrigued, but he found other allies with the Storm Folk & the Only Old One.
I soon met Vrope, Priestes of Dorasta. She dearly wanted the new deity to be female. I felt that a god who had the wisdom of both sexes would be preferable, but that seemed too difficult to achieve. I agreed to back her on ceating a goddess. Penemara, priestess of the Erinflarth, agreed with us too. Prior to the vote, the Emperor ordered me to arrange to make the god male, but I have never been much interested in orders.
Because I was trying so successfully to absent myself from court, I heard of the Emporer+s marraige to Penemara after the event occurred. I was afraid that she would betray our cause, but she had little power over earth worship. After speaking with her, it became apparent that she still agreed with us, she just felt that she could be more effective from within the court! She has a stronger stomach than I.
Vryope and I prevaled, and Osentalka was female. The Emperor was furious. He summoned me back to Dara Happa, and demanded that I turn over all my Naverian armies to Pelangio the Iron Vrok, a hopelessly violent man. I tried to reason that the move would leave Naveria defenseless, but the Emperor merely offered to move Pelangio+s thugs into Naveria for +protection+. So I surrendered our armies to the Emperor. I had no choice. Such is the ruling wisdom of Brightface.
The Emporer was also angry about the weight of Darkness in the embryonic deity. Pelangio asked to releash Shargash to teach the Dark Folk a lesson. Holy Estorex and myself argued against using mindless destruction to solve all one+s problems. Then a messenger reported chaos attacks in Dragon Pass, and gave the Emperor the excuse we wanted. But Pelangio still needed the blessing of Holy Estorex to release Shargash, and that wise and gentle man was still reluctant - Dragon Pass was a long was from Peloria. But the Emporer was by now obsessed with power and greed. Khorzanelm made that most holy of men bow to the floor, placed his foot on that poor old man+s neck , and forced Holy Estorex to allow the realease of Shargash. It was then I knew that this emporer did not deserve his position - he would have to be replaced. But how?
The goddesses provided. Kwaratch Kang strode into court to present a personal challenge to the Emperor. Because he was unjust, Khorzanelm was weak. The false emperor easily succumbed to the Dark Warrior. When Penemara heard that the Dark Magic used to slay the Emperor prevented his Return, she threw herself at her husband+s murderer. Kang slew her, too. I belive it was Holy Estorex who aided her Return.
Mathiman, Darjiin to the core, quickly usurped the throne. Loyal Wanakher the Bison Lord stood ready to back the claim of Khorzanelm+s young son, but after Penemara+s Return she married Mathiman, and the Usurper swore to uphold the boy as his heir. Mathiman announced that marrying the wife of the former Emperor would legitimize his claim - even emperors remember the supreme legitimacy of female rule!
Mathiman was posturing on the Footstool, Shargash was loose, and everyone was scrambling for political cover. The Emperor withdrew Dara Happa from the God Project. I took advantage of the confusion to return to the God Project. Just outside Dara Happa, Kestinelm, Bright Eagle Lord of Rhinliddi, approached me cautiously. He was grasping for a hint of discontent. I dared not trust him, and returned some senseless drivel about the +Justice of Yelm+ to make him look elsewhere for treason. When I next spoke with him, I implored the help of the goddesses to know his true heart. I saw that his people were also slaves of the Dara Happan, and he had as little love for them as I . We agreed to flee Brightface+s empire, and look for political help against the Emperor.
I was still concerened with balance in the growing godling. There was little light in the venture, and the Dark Folk, allied with the dragonnewts, the Mostali, and the Storm Folk, had dominated the rituals do far. I had heard that the Only Old One was a wise and selfless leader, so I went to speak with him about the imbalance. To my dismay, he said that he cared most about the welfare of the Elder Races, as they have been in decline. He urged me to join his alliance, and then he would address my concerns. Because I had no reason to trust him, I had to reject his offer.
Next it was time to vote on Osentalka+s initiation myths - the last chance
to change the sex of the godling. I feared that the god would be changed
into a Vogmarinized(2) male being. I couldn+t make anyone understand my
fears of a male god. The dwarves and the dragonnewts said that the sex of
the god was irrellevant, but then male gods hadn+t destroyed their
civilization.
Eventually, I realized that if the god became male, it would still have been
born female, and thus would be both!
When Penemara told me that the Emporer INSISTED that the god be male, it became obvious that the god would have to become male if the Dara Happans were to return to the project. I then agreed to support Dara Happa for the initiation myth. Poor Rhinliddi had been surrounded by Pelangio+s armies, so to spare his people Kestinelm was forced to rejoin the Empire. Ironically, Kestinelm+s talent for organization made him Dara Happa+s voice on the God Project.
Then, tragedy stuck. Emperor (and I use the term only in its political sense) Mathiman sobered up long enough to notice that I had pulled Naveria out of the Empire! He drunkenly threatened to overrun us. Thinking quickly, I promised him that I would arrange to change the sex of Osentalka if he would not invade Naveria. The vote was already going to go this way, but Mathiman was far too drunk to know that! Mathiman further raved about his latest insane personal agenda - to place his young stepson into the Egg, so that the boy might become the god+s +willie+. I thought this was rather a keen joke, until I realized that this aspect of Osentalka was quite important to them! I negotiated a deal with the emporer: I would help his stepson become part of the god, and Mathiman would agree to leave Naveria free of Dara Happa for as long as the empire shall exist. I did spare them a lecture on the irrellevancies of an earthly reproductive organ to a divine being. I figured that becoming a useless appendage was an appropriate fate for Dara Happan emperor!
Now it was time for the final vote - Osentalka+s self and the blessings she would bestow. Dara Happa was back in the rituals, with their largely unspent power finally mustered for the Self Myth. I had to join their coalition, hoping I could modify its influence. Their members included Saratin Seomale, a Light Son of the Plant Folk, Kestinelm, Holy Estorex, and Wahnaker. Most dangerous of all was Pelangio. Until now the general had been busy playing with his armies, but now he hoped to include Shargash+s appetite for gleeful destruction into the core of the new god! We carefully compromised on a self aspect: fearsome (Pelangio) protector (me), made of pure (Holy Estorex) light (Seolame and Kestinelm). Then we wrote the self myth down and all signed it - so no one could change it. Then Kestinelm led the voting. I used my remaining Earth Powers to forge a blessing of fertility to plants and animals. (I encluded the animals for poor Tadaha the Red Bison. He had been abandoned by his allies, and he gave me his remaining Powers because of my Naveria+s ties to the Bull God.) Kestinelm had enough light power to triumph over the Only Old One and his allies in the bid for the Self. Kestinelm also finageled the Writing of the Blessing to include the Paradisal Aviator when no one was looking - a born politician, that one!
When the turmoil of the voting was done, I made the final Council as Speaker for Earth! Also present were Good Kestinelm for Fire, and Wise Craigspider for Darkness, Faithful Penemara for Water. Our first challenge was to end the the War With the Dragonewts, which we did by electing Gita Flatsnout as the seventh member of the council.
Our most important task was to choose a tutor for Osentalka. I wanted the position myself, to ensure the new god learned the benefits of Balance in all things. But the Dara Happans wanted a male tutor, Craigspider wanted an Elder Race guide, and several council members insisted that Vrypoe would be an excellent tutor. Still elated by the spirit of compromise, we chose two tutors: GonnOrta,a male of an Elder Race, and Vryope, a priestess of the good earth and a woman.
When all was done, I had helped create a balanced deity of both sexes, and given her the two best tutors I could think of. Speaking Wheel, who long had been the only reasonable voice of Light, had become part of the god. Kestinelm, Holy Estorex, and even Palangio had proven themselves to be reasonable men, able to see the wisdom of the godesses and come to a successful compromise. And, best of all, Naveria is free.
(1) Pelandan name for Yelm
(2) Vogmarinized - a Pelandan term referring to the obsession with power,
status, and greed displayed by unwise rulers, and, unfortunately, most
males.
End of Glorantha Digest V1 #147
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