Well, this is a fragment of my Otkorion campaign as it slowly comes together. This is the story of Argin Terror and the Fall of Tinaros and I'm absolutley certain that it's full of contrdictions and mistakes conflicting with the obscure mass of Ralian information.
The Fall Of Tinaros
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Copyright (c) Nicholas Effingham
Long ago, in the Age of the God Learners, there came to be a great city
named Jorglaban, that housed the most powerful magics of the land west of
Old Wind. Ancient spirits would gather and discuss the Universal Truth.
The Count of this almighty city was named by birthright and thus the title
was passed down throughout the years. As years passed into decades, and
decades into centuries, Jorglaban was lost in it's own strange magics, and
slipped slowly from the real world into the next, until one day the city and
it's treasures could no longer be found. Thus, the Count of Jorglaban was
without a home.
The Count took the lands of Tinaros as the new lands for him, his family
and his people. Thereby it came to pass that one thousand five hundred and
ninety four years since St. Ehilm had climbed the darkened staircase built
by Mostal to the gates of Ascension, that the Count of Jorglaban, known as
Count Thinrade the Second, was in power. His wife was Countess Juliet, a
woman of countless purity, gifted with the most fluid, dark hair that any of
the Saints had ever laid eyes upon. It was said that she gave birth to her
children through the powers of St. Uleria merely because she was so chaste
only a virgin birth could befit her. Her husband was the most powerful,
regal and honourable man the Saints had ever laid eyes upon, and with a
mighty blade in hand strode the land, saving his people from the evils that
befell them. He was the holder of the Comptal Regalia of Tinaros, a device
much known for it's magic and awe inspiring power. The Countess had three
children. They were two boys, Albrin, a fighter and Rune Priest of much
renown, Tanrin, the greatest scholar that the land had known, who had
written the fabled Achrit Imagois and penned the Diary of St. Lhankor Mhy.
The last was a girl, as much the virgin and pure as her mother. Her name is
now forgotten to us, and she is known only as the Pure One.
It was in this year that the Partanians declared war. The Count took his
armour and weapons, and took the apparel of battle. With a pray to the
Creator he went to his battle. The battle at Felster Lake is much
remembered. The Count was slain by a great Dragon Claw which was summoned
from beyond by magics almost powerful enough to break the Compromise. The
Countess despaired when the news came to her, and in desperation cried out
"Oh, what I would give to make those murderers pay!"
The Countess did give. She gave all she had, and more. That night the
Virgin Queen was approached by the Devil who took guise as a man and offered
her that in return for her three children he would grant her revenge. For
two days the Devil came, and each day she deliberated over his words. As the
sin of revenge welled up inside her, the Countess agreed. The Devil eagerly
told her that revenge was hers. He named each of the children, Albrin was
named mind, Tanrin was named soul, and the Pure One named body. The next day
the Countess Juliet thought that she had dreamt these comings for all her
children stood living and no revenge came.
When dawn came later that day Albrin told his friends and family he was
leaving to make vengeance upon his fathers killers. The Countess wondered if
this was the revenge she had asked for, but it was not quite so.
Albrin wandered on his own for only one eve before a man appeared to him.
This was one of the forms of the evil Gbaji, brought to life by the Devil
for Albrin's sake. Albrin was offered great power in return for one thing,
his mind. Albrin took the offer, eager in his youth to make his father's
enemies pay. With a crack of lightning Albrin became Albrin Broolord.
Instilled with power he went from man to broo, and evil entered his soul.
Broolord was gifted as a worshipper of Jotimam, a representative of the
Unholy Trio and the great Hero of the chaos people.
Albrin wandered for years gathering power in his broo form. His family went
unawares, and thought him dead. The Countess grieved greatly for her son.
Albrin managed to walk the paths into Godtime, and herein managed to ride
the Black Goat and thus became Sidana's apostle. Albrin also walked the
Paths of Lost Chaos and returned each time with more and more power. The
Broolord then returned to his home, this time in the guise of his old self
through his magic.
He appeared at the door of his mothers bedroom in the middle of the stormy
night that would signal Tinaros' fall. His mother wept when she saw him and
held him. And with Sidana's hoof guiding him, he held her. He partook of her
love and happiness of his safety and then partook of her body. Juliet,
overwhelmed by her sons arrival let him have her virginity as his prize for
returning. At the height of passion his facade fell and Juliet saw her son
for the hideous broo he was.
For only one season was she with child. During this time her son revealed
himself to his family, retaining the guise of a mortal man. He told the
court his mother was taken ill. Behind closeted doors he abused his new toy
daily, driving her slowly insane. When she gave birth it was like all broo
birth, and the child sprung forth from her chest. It was human, in outward
appearance, and Albrin was upset that his kin was not like him. Albrin said
he would slay the abomination and try again. Albrin died trying, though the
baby did not raise a finger.
The Pure One was to come across her mother and child. She soon pieced
together, and when she saw the innocence of baby, chose to cover it up, and
with the help of confidants she made it seem both mother and brother were
killed by the Partanian's.
The Pure One brought the child up, but the state of Tinaros still warred
with the Partanian's. It is said that on the day that the Partanians tried
to make a mass attack on the city that Argin was seen to watch the fleets
approach. The fleet mysteriously sank, with no explanation, magical or
otherwise, and then the young child turned away, back to his toys.
The Pure One named her brother Argin, the second in line to the Count's
title now held by her brother. Argin managed to walk when he was only two
and on that day the Estali army burned the city and plundered it's
greatness. Tinaros was falling.
When Argin was eight he went into the burial grounds and uncovered his
brothers body. He beheaded the corpse and then, using powers known only to
him and his half brother Tien, took the mind of his brother. With the powers
of Albrin Broolord Argin went to his brother Count Tanrin and demanded to
rule the dying city. Tanrin refused and Argin devoured his soul, and the
soul of the ruling council. Argin then took the remainders of the city's
resources and chose to leave. As he left he demanded that the most beautiful
woman in the city be his concubine. Seseine herself demanded it, he said.
The city again refused, but Argin laid waste to the palace and the grounds
around it. The city pleaded, but Argin destroyed it's places of healing and
knowledge. The city found the most beautiful woman in the city, his sister.
Argin shrugged. He claimed that her body had been promised to him anyhow,
and thusly she has been his prostitute since.
Argin devoured the soulless husk of his brother, and then used the power
gained therein to devour all knowledge of his sister and thus she has been
lost to the world so none may follow him and claim her back. He then
devoured the cities greatest sorcerers, and thus gained greater power.
Lastly he turned to his mother. He devoured her in earnest.
That was his single mistake. Whilst Juliet's wrath, her revenge and her
hate, all powered Argin to extremes unknown, her soul still lingered and had
not reached Solace. It was absorbed by Argin, became part of him. Brother,
mother and son were all one. Argin could only hear the whispers of his
mother telling him the secrets of revenge, the method in which to destroy
all those who threatened him. The Partanian's were destroyed shortly after,
but no survivor was found in amongst the city remains and so it is uncertain
as to whether it was Argin Terror or not.
Argin Terror, Son of the Devil has ever since walked the land, with his
mystical regiment of the Second Dead and the Claw of the Devil at his side.
He is known to be distant, but can concentrate long enough to destroy you if
you plague him enough, so beware the Evil One who Come With Mist, for this
is the Son of Wakboth and the Destroyer of Nations. His quiet maundering in
the lands of Tinaros are supposed to be the mustering of an army including
those who are dead, those who are undead and those which do not exist, or
may exist. We all fear those lands now, for the soul of Juliet still
whispers revenge in Argin's ear, and the target of that revenge is unknown
to us all. Perhaps it is the Felster and all those around (God forbid!) or
perhaps he will destroy those lands north of here, ruled by the Moon Woman,
or perhaps his hate is directed towards someone not even part of this Cosmos
anymore. Perhaps he will follow Brithos. We can only pray.
Nick E.
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Nick the Shaman of Thed
E-Mail:wal_at_eff.u-net.com
http://www.u-net.com/~eff/
I thought Britain was Dorastor without broo,
but then Sandy made it all clear to me.
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End of Glorantha Digest V3 #201
WWW material at http://hops.wharton.upenn.edu/~loren/rolegame.html
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