From- Locuta Errata; Brown Sage of Irrippi Ontor,Chief Ambassador of His Majesties court to the Anali of Garsting, and Heir presumptive to the High Seat of Darleep and surrounding lands.
To - His Imperial Majesty, Takenegi; Lord of Five Quarters, Son of the Moon, Glorious Light of Heaven.
Greetings:
Recently while traveling on your behalf to Garsting I had a
chance encounter, the nature of which, I felt to be in your interest to
hear. I was traveling through the Jord Mountains with my entourage.
My destination was, of course, the diplomatic summit at Mt. Daffyd in
Garsting.
We had penetrated deep into the Jord Mountains, searching for a pass which our guide (an Imther hill tribesman) had assured us was there. When we had arrived at the location where the pass would supposedly grant us easy passage to Garsting we found nothing but impassable hills and mountains.
The guide and I were embroiled in a conversation in which I was explaining that his failings as a guide were truly not his fault. Rather, that he should blame his parents and single set of grandparents.
It was then that the ground benath us began to toss and convulse. Verily would we have fled for our lives but the shaking was of such a violence that our legs did fail to support us and we fell. Our terror in such a strait should have been nigh onto over whelming. I say should, for such was not the case. Instead, a wave of pure benevolance swept o'er us and left such a feeling of utter peace and contentment that even now as I draft this note my spirit cries out to recapture that moment.
I lay there and watched in silence as the hills tore themselves free of the ground and reared up above us. Clouds of blinding choking dirt fell upon us and three of my envoy expired beneath it.
When at last I could see and breath again, I looked to Dayzatars realm and saw before me the massive visage of a true Dragon. A Dragon which was returning my gaze with its immense silver orbs. I knew then that I was soon to stand in Yelms august court. Yet I was powerless to move and so I lay there and peacefully awaited my fate.
It spoke to me then. Not in words such as men use, but in pictures and feelings which I experienced in my mind. Its thoughts carried a depth of meanings, all intertwined and interdependant. I was, for an endless moment, transcendent.
"You are Locuta Errata , sage to that being, Irrippi Ontor."
I will admit to being more than slightly overwhelmed. I had known that my name was well known within the bounds of the Empire. That in foreign ports it carried some weight among scholars and kings. Yet to have my fame acknowledged by a true Dragon itself, ... well, high praise indeed.
"Tell me of the Empire," it said.
Compelled by the Dragon peace which lay upon me I could do not but speak the truth.
"The Empire stands fast."
"Tell me of the Redlands and this creature like you, Sheng
Solaris. Tell me of the war and the armies that move into the
heartland."
" It is true," I said, " that the nomads have penetrated deep
within the Empire. We stand against him though."
The Dragon swung its head towards the Heartland. "I see that the storm stands beside you."
"It is true. The Orlanthi tribesmen have been staunch
companions."
"I see that the Forestfolk and the Nightborn fight side by side
with the Children of the Light."
"Yes Lord Dragon. Long have we been allies and strong are the
ties that bind us together."
Its head swung back and pinned me with that luminescant stare. "Where then are the Dragonewts?"
I could see then where this conversation was going and I attemted to answer as diplomatically as all my years allowed.
"They are not with us," I said. " They have not been with us
since their great betrayel at the Ostentalka Project. Since they
brought their armies into Dorastor and sought to o'er take the world
council ."
"Are they not your allies. Do they not share your God?"
"Technically yes. Our trust though was damaged and is not
easily won back."
A wave of sorrow washed o'er me and I could almost believe that the Dragon sighed.
"You will carry a message for me," it said imperiously. " You will
deliver it to that creature which rules your kind and you will deliver it to
the council of races, that all may know the truth and this rift between
Men and Dragonewt may be healed."
Suddenly this Dragonewt absorbed my mind within its own. Like a twig cast into the fires of Enverinus, my mind was burned bare. Leaving me open to the secrets that the keeper held in store.
My soul was aflight, my being carried high by the wind of its passage. Far below me was Genertela. Clouds sang out to me as I passed over them and my spirit sang with them.
I was and had always been, Keeper of Secrets. In another time, however, I was and would always be The Sibilant Tongue of Ouroboros. As the Sibilant Tongue I had tied myself to the material and fought the Powers of the Void.
When the time was right I found that I had become and had ever been the Inhuman King. I stood as I had during the Darkness with lesser creatures on all sides. Some faces I knew of old. That son of Argan Argar with whom I stood in the Darkness. That ancient Nymph, she has changed much but I knew her before she embraced darkness and fire.
The Cosmic Egg came into the hands of the council at that time. I alone recognized it for what it was, an undamaged egg of the Ancestral Dragons. I knew then that if the egg were brought to fruition and if the forces within and without the egg were in balance, then forth from the egg would ascend Mover of Heavens. The living incarnation of the cosmic Ouroboros. Most importantly, if my timing was correct and my balance impeccable, then I would be the avatar that would emerge from within the shell.
And my spirit shook at the thought of what could emerge if the egg were not in balance, and the destruction which would surely follow.
So it was that I entangled myself further with the council. I played the games of these creatures and made ties with those who knew me before. Meeting me there were the other leaders of my kind; Master Herds Allosaurs, Mind of the Golden Dragon, and That Which Cracks Eggs.
The game was beyond me though, and I found that events took shape too quickly for me to control. These ephermal creatures manouvered the council such that the inner council was controlled by those who contributed the most to the project. At first the significance of this escaped me. Soon I came to realize that this was merely a method of allowing them to secure their positions by playing their game.
I sat back and observed the first round of the project. Trying to understand these short lived creatures and the methods that they were using to acheive their own ends. All too soon I realized that in standing back and observing I had lost my place on the inner council. For the first time in the history of the world council, there was no Dragonewt on the water seat.
It was then that I understood. By opening the inner seats these creatures had made them subject to control through alliances, threats, and bribes of material items.
Tomorrow spoke today. I began to have dreams of swords and blood. Open battle in the halls of the Tower of Justice. I saw myself surrounded by confilct. Death on all sides.
I went to the egg and sent forth my self. I found that the core of the egg was as black as polestars mantle. The nightborn had dominated the first round. I flew to the Palace of Black Glass in the Kingdom of Night and sought out The Only Old One. He recognized me from that space when we stood side by side against the Darkborn.
This son of Argar sought an alliance with me and I agreed, accepting the ties to flesh and form that such an alliance brought. The condition I lay down for my participation was this: that the nightborn would seek to advance the Storm and hold back the veils of Night. He agreed and all went well. The next round of the council found that the Storm was brought much into balance. The Nightborn controlled the inner council, but true to their promises they brought in diverse races to seat the council. As was only proper Mind of the Golden Dragon took the seat of water for he was and had always been the Inhuman King.
I returned to the egg and once more sent forth my inner self to feel the balance. Perturbed I was to discover that the balance still lay heavy to the night. I singled out some of these short lived beings and asked my questions. Strange it was to discover that there were some of these human things that also followed the night. They had disrupted the balance I sought by playing this game that I so little understood.
My focus changed at that time. I saw that I must stand against the dark in order to achieve the balance that I sought. It was proper then, that I should seek out the Forest Born and the Children of the Light. Together we stood against the Night Born. Together we achieved some success. Some, but as I checked the egg, not enough.
It was then that we began to consider leaving t he council and preparing for war. I knew that if the being within the cosmic egg emerged unbalanced we would need all the space we had to prepare. Then, as I was heavy with these thoughts, Saratin Seomale stood before me and displayed the might of the Children of Light. Somehow this Forest Walker had united the tribes of light and was now about to dominate the council. This was the final sign for I intuited that the outcome would move balance beyond my efforts.
Mind of the Golden Dragon informed me that he would remove us from the council if we were not given a seat on the inner. I understood that a seat there may have allowed us to sway the other leaders. At the same time Gita Dragonewt told us of his dream, that if he was not on the inner council the project would fail.
Suddenly the bloodlust came upon me. The cost of holding my self in check while dealing with these impassioned ephermals had finally claimed its price, and the price was to be blood. I strove to control this bloodbeat and informed the inner council that I must be given the position of warlord, for only there could I slake this thirst which lay upon me.
The council, not understanding my need, refused me. I had to lead, to stand at the forefront of mighty battles and see the lands covered in blood, smell life fleeting past me as death claimed its own. The warlord came to me and asked me to take some of his troops into battle, but he had no way of knowing that if I could not lead, I would not follow.
So I sought out allies, the Pentian Nomads and the Pralorelans. I offered them fresh hot blood and the death of the council. They agreed. The Pent creatures I took through the Dragonplinth road directly into Dorastor. The Pralorelans traveled across land and attacked the mustered forces of Dorastor in Kartolin Pass..
During this time the other Dragonewts came to me. They had forsaken the Council. Balance was impossible. Together we went to war.
It was there in Dorastor that our armies clashed. Knowing that the time of emergence was soon to hand and beleiving that the egg was unbalanced, I acted hastily and manifested the might of my future self. Unknown to me was that the giant Gonn Orta stood against me. When I called forth Keeper of Secrets it was Gonn Orta that raised up the mountains against me and kept me at bay.
Unable to maintain my link to my future self I fell back into the Sibilant Tongue. Looking around I saw that the armies had been stilled by the aura of my future self. There would be no battle that day. Numb I turned to the Inhuman King and he cast me forth from my body and wove the strands of now with the ties of the future. I was risen and was now and always would be, Keeper of Secrets.
Still caught up in the final fog of my past self I threw myself at Gonn Orta once more. Again he held me at bay. Seeking distance I came into my own and at last I understood. Coming down to the Tower, I felt inside and examined the egg. Somehow, balance had been achieved. I looked around myself and saw that in all the endless todays, without the participation of all races, the project would in time fail. So I spoke with Mind of the Golden Dragon and bade him to return to the council that all would be in balance.
It was then that I returned to myself, my Lord. Lying there in the dirt with this Dragon looming above me. I examined what he had shown me and I realized that he was correct. Ostentalka was being weakened by our exclusion of one of the founding races. Thus it is that I have turned aside from my summit with the Anali and am journeying to the Council that I may share that which I have learned.
I pray that Antirius sooth the assembly that they hear my words with their hearts as well as their ears.
Ever your most loyal and Humble servant,
Locuta Errata
End of Glorantha Digest V1 #175
Powered by hypermail