Jarang was the proud son of Orlgandi Ivrikson. So proud was he that instead
of following the wyrd of his brother, Kjarten, sometimes called The Stone,
he followed his own wyrd and become his own man. Jarang took a wife, Janna
Ernasdottir, and he built a stead near Backford. It was hard work, but
Jarang was looked upon favorably by Barntar and Orlanth because he followed
his own
path in life.
Two years after the birth of his first child, a daughter, Jarang finally received the gift he had been waiting for. On that day, the sky was so dark that it seemed as if night had fallen. The wind howled, and it rained so hard that one could barely see. At that moment, Utag arrived. Utag was large and healthy, and he announced his arrival into the world by summoning all of the winds he could from his tiny lungs.
Utag grew tall and strong, and he made Jarang very proud. Jarang had two more sons, Illig and Svarr, but Utag was always his favorite. Jarang spent much time teaching Utag the secrets men need to know. He taught Utag how to plow the fields and reap a bountiful harvest. Jarang taught him how to herd cattle and how to best pasture the cattle. Jarang also showed Utag how to build fences, dig granaries, and he even told Utag the secrets of building a stead. Utag proved to be very adept at learning these secrets, and he enjoyed much favor with his father for this.
Early one morning, when Utag was seventeen years old, he and his brotherIllig were unexpectedly awakened by their two uncles, Kjarten and Umathkel. Outside the storms raged, and it was dark as it had been on the day Utag entered the world. It was the season of Storm. Illig asked why they had come, but silence was the only answer he received. Utag noticed that Jarang and Leika were not in the stead.
Utag and Illig were taken to the clan's Orlanth temple, long a place of awe and mystery. The temple was a magnificent building, built of oak, strong and sturdy, with many ornate carvings that the children did not understand. At the temple, Jardfor, the clan's godi, and a few other men of the clan waited, (Utag later learned that some of the men were avatars of Orlanth himself, while others were holy men who served Jardfor).
Upon their arrival into the temple, Utag and Illig were told to sit down. When it had been announced that all of the children had arrived, Jardfor passed around a wooden bowl full of odd-smelling liquid and instructed each of those present to drink exactly one swallow, and then sit down and remain silent.
Although it smelled terrible, Utag took a large swallow of the drink when it came his turn, and he sat down with the other children. When it came Illig's turn to drink, Illig asked what the liquid was. Jardfor told him that it was soma, a fact that meant little to Illig. Not wanting to appear ignorant, Illig took his swallow and sat down.
After several minutes of waiting, Utag's head began to swirl. A strange energy entered his body, and it began to seem as if everything around him was alive and moving. Finally, Jardfor began to speak. "You have been brought here because it is time to find out if you are ready to become men. If you are to become men, it is necessary for you to learn the mysteries of Orlanth, the god of all good men and King of all the Gods."
For the next six days, Utag, Illig, and the other older male children of the clan drank soma and listened to Jardfor tell stories about Orlanth. On that first day, Jardfor told of the creation of the world and explained the lineage of Orlanth and his kin. For the next two days, Jardfor told many of the tales involving the great deeds of Orlanth and his kin.
On the fourth day, Jardfor told a very long story of Orlanth's contests with Yelm, the stale ruler of the Universe. Time after time Orlanth lost contests to the stale god. Finally, however, Orlanth proved his right to be ruler of all the gods in a test of arms. Orlanth, using the sword Death, killed Yelm and sent him screaming into Hell. That night, all of the children went to sleep happy.
The next day, the children were in for a rude surprise. After reminding the children of Orlanths glorious success against Yelm, Jardfor told how Orlanth's action had allowed chaos into the world. He told fearsome stories of armies of chaos blighting the world and killing many of Orlanths kin. That night, the children found it difficult to sleep, many of them seeing dark broo lurking in the shadows.
On the sixth day, Jardfor told how Orlanth recognized his mistake and set about to make everything right. This he called the Lightbringers Quest, and the story lasted all day and through most of the night. At the end of the story, Jardfor gave his final words of wisdom, "Orlanth is the god of all free men. He is just and honorable, and he takes action when it is needed. That alone does not explain his greatness among all other gods. Orlanth became the King of the Gods because he acted, and when he made mistakes he recognized those mistakes and fixed them."
On the morning of the seventh day, the children were awakened very early in the morning by their uncles. Before they were taken away, Jardfor spoke. "Now it is time for you to be tested as Orlanth once was, he said. "If you pass these tests, you will become men and be granted the blessings of Orlanth. Once you have finished your test, you are to return to the temple."
Utag, Illig, and the other children were then taken into a forest several miles from the Jungardi clan lands, to a place where it had been whispered by all children that it was deadly to enter. As they neared a large clearing in which stood a grassy knoll, Umathkel took Illig and wandered off. Kjarten-Stone took Utag away where he witnessed great and terrible mysteries, but these are never to be revealed to outsiders and Ive already told you too much.
As the children returned to the temple of Orlanth, Utag noticed that all of the men of the clan were assembled within the temple. Yelm began his descent into Hell as the godi began his ceremony. All of the children were asked to stand in a ring in the center of the temple. Great magics were summoned, and the temple filled with clouds and howling winds. Utag noticed great creatures of air flying all about, and he could see many spirits he had not noticed before.
Beginning with the older children, the godi asked each of the children for proof of their manhood. Each responded by telling the tale of their tests. After all were finished, the godi called upon Orlanth to recognize each of those present as men. At that, the winds howled and a great gout of lighning came down from the sky. Thunderous booms could be heard all around, and then, everything fell quiet.
The godi then walked up to each child and asked, "Do you recognize Orlanth as King of the Gods and bind yourself to his service?" Each of the children answered yes, and after each there was again a chorus of thunderous booms. When it came time for Utag to answer, he gave his yes. At that moment, Utag felt a presence he had not felt before, a presence that was both strong and powerful. So strong was this presence that Utag did not even notice the booming noises arising from all around him.
The godi then took each child to the center of the ring to make their sacrifices to Orlanth. Gunnar, the son of the clan chieftain, had the most noteworthy sacrifice, his father having donated a large bull for the ceremony. When it was Utag's turn, an old ram was brought out to the center of the circle. Jardfor handed Utag a dagger, and instructed him to kill the ram. Utag took the dagger, grabbed the ram by the head, and slit the animals throat. A small silver bowl with intricate carvings was placed under the animals head to collect the blood, and after the bowl had been filled, Jardfor told Utag to drink the blood. The sight of the blood made Utag feel sick, but he desperately wanted to prove that he was a man, and he drank the entire bowl.
After each of the children had made their sacrifice, the godi announced that all those now present in the temple were men of Orlanth. Again a great thundering arose within the temple, but this time it came from the men of the clan who were banging their weapons against their shields in a mighty wapantake.
After leaving the ceremony, Utag, Illig, and the others were then welcomed by the entire clan and hailed as men. A great clan feast was just beginning. During the feast, Kjarten stood up and announced that he was proud to welcome Utag, the eldest son of his proud brother Jarang, into the clan. As the whole clan watched, he presented Utag his first sword, which Utag named Hearthguard.
The season after Utag and Illig had been initiated into the ways of Orlanth, problems began to arise in the lands of the Jungardi. A stranger arrived with several men, and he began harassing many of the clan members, claiming that they were plowing lands that belonged to the "Sons of Hendrik" At first this stranger, called Ortossi, and his men used the clan law moot to demand compensation for these imagined wrongs and to steal lands away from the good men of the clan. After winning some initial victories, Ortossi became furious when he began losing decisions because of the wise advice of a grey bearded sage who had been taken into the clans Inner Ring.
One season, Ortossi travelled with some of his men to Jarangstead to try and intimidate Jarang into voting for him at the upcoming clan law moot. Everyone knew that Jarang had been a fair and honest juror at the law moots for many years, and Ortossi saw that he would pose a serious threat to his ignoble ambitions. After delivering his threats, Jarang spat on Ortossi and told himto leave his stead before he and his sons killed them all.
While working the fields one day with his father and his brother Svar, Utag
heard the whistling sound of a warning arrow streaking across the sky. All
of those present knew that this could mean only one thing, and they all
rushed to arm themselves with the weapons they now kept at the ready
because of the trouble Ortossi had been causing. Jarang ordered Svar to run
as fast as he
could to neighboring Gunnarstead and gather the assistance of several of the
good men there. After arming themselves, Jarang, Utag and Illig ran as fast
as they could towards Jarangstead.
As they neared the stead, it became immediately clear that it was under attack. Utag could see that Ortossi and several of his men were fighting from horse with Nim Sarnagson and several of his sons. The barn was smoking, and it looked as if much of the stead had been wrecked. As Jarang and his sons approached, all could see Leika as she grabbed an axe and charged Ortossi.
Ortossi shamefully struck her down as she came at him. Seeing this, Jarang went into a fury and went straight for Ortossi. As Ortossi charged him from his horse, Jarang waited for just the right moment and gave such a blow to Ortossi's shield arm that he knocked him from his mount. A great combat ensued, the two of them trading mighty blow for mighty blow.
Utag and Illig saw that Nim Sarnagson and his sons were in trouble, and they charged towards the rest of the fray confident that Jarang could hold his own against Ortossi. One of Nims sons had already fallen, and Utag could see that the others were fighting desperately for their lives. As he approached, Utag was charged by a very large man wearing metal armor and wielding a sword so mighty that took him both hands to use. It was all that Utag could do to hold this man back, for he knew how to wield his sword very well. All of his energies had to be put into holding this man back, and for many minutes the two of them fought with neither side landing a significant blow. At his side, Illig fought a valiant battle against another of the armor-clad warriors.
Jarang, in his rage, struck blow after blow after blow at Ortossi, barely remembering to avoid the blows coming at him. For several minutes the battle continued in this manner. Jarangs rage proved to be his undoing, though, as it caused him to finally miss one of those blows. Ortossi landed a terrible blow that cut Jarang from his chest down to his abdomen, and Jarang fell to the ground with a terrible groan. Figuring that the blow he dealt Jarang would be fatal, Ortossi turned to join his men in combat.
Seeing Jarang fall, Utag struck a desperate blow at his opponent that completely severed his right arm. As his opponent fell to the ground, Utag ran screaming towards Ortossi. At that moment, Ortossi saw Svar and several men from Gunnarstead approaching to lend their strong arms to the battle. Seeing that they were now outnumbered, Ortossi called for a retreat, and those of his men who still survived remounted and rode away from the battle. Utag reached Jarang, and, finding him still alive, healed him as best he could, but Jarang's strength never fully returned after that blow.
The following year, Ortossi and his men killed Utags uncle Kjarten-Stone, Rostakos (the clan chieftain), and several clan thanes. The clan turned to King Venharl of the Hendrieki for help against Ortossi, but his only offer of protection came under the condition that the clan allow another Hendrieki to become clan leader. At the clan moot called to discuss these issues, Jarang and Utag spoke out strongly, saying that it was intolerable, but the clan voted to accept the offer of the Hendreiki king.
That season, Jarang, Utag, Illig, Svar, and Theya all decided to leave Jarangstead to the criminals who would take it by force. They would now venture forth in the footsteps of Colymar to seek new fortune in the lands of Dragon Pass.
End of Glorantha Digest V2 #46
WWW material at http://hops.wharton.upenn.edu/~loren/rolegame.html
Powered by hypermail