Alakoring

From: Stephen P Martin <ilium_at_juno.com>
Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997 02:24:58 EST

David Dunham <dunham_at_pensee.com>
 Alakoring Dragonbreaker
>
>A traditional way to fight dragons is with bags of wind (see Vadrus vs
>Enkoshons in Wyrms Footprints* or "Orlanth and Aroka" in King of Sartar)
so
>he probably has a spell like:
>

I agree that there is more to it than this. BTW, Vadrus and Enkoshons is reprinted in Wyrms Footprints, so is still available.

>Enchant Bag 1 point, ritual, reusable, stackable

I actually created a spell which _summoned_ a wind, the exact one determined by what day of the week you cast the spell.
>
>But I suspect there's more than just this. Could he somehow make the air
>reject a dragon in flight?
>

I would suggest you also can look to the Gloranthan Sky, where the Orlanth dragon-slaying myth is reenacted on a regular basis. For example, Orlanth's Ring moves upwards from Stormgate to the Pole Star 21 times per year. It would be very difficult for the Sky Dragon to _not_ be completed at least once. "Completed" means that the green star in Orlanth's Ring comes to be in the exact part of the Sky Dragon constellation where it originally was (according to the Orlanthi).

Whatever night of the year this occurred, it probably marks the holy day of the dragon-slaying aspect of Orlanth: the dragon is completed, and then Orlanth chops its head off again.

BTW, I cannot take credit for this -- either Nick of Greg (or both) came up with this, I do not remember which.

So, one aspect of the fight was that it probably took place one the _day_ when this occurred. After all, if it happened at night, when the Dragon could be seen completed, the dragon would also be strong. But, if you went to the opposite day of the year, the same event happends (invisibly) in the sky during the day.

Alternately, Alakoring knew that if he could just hold out agianst the dragon until the star was out of alignment again, he would have the upper hand against the dragon again.

I also once got the impression that Alakoring had _wrestled_ the dragon, and so gave his subcult a Windstrength spell to simulate how he defeated the dragon.

Finally, note that Drang was the Diamond _Storm_ Dragon. This must also have had something to do with it, IMO.

>
>* To tie in with a recent comment, Vadrus rescued Blue Woman from the
water
>demon, and ended up fathering Iphara on her. Orlanth rescued Heler from
>Aroka the Blue Dragon. It's easy to see a possible connection between
Blue
>Woman and Heler.
>

I had never noticed this either, and it does change the whole Heler thing. Completely. Also, the comment that Heler was a _militant_ rather than a _martial_ deity (sorry, I can't recall who said it) is very well taken. I must concede the point on Heler.

So, to the Orlanthi, what is the difference between a militant and a martial deity?

Peter Metcalfe <P.Metcalfe_at_student.canterbury.ac.nz> long post
>
>They are not destroyed...
>Thus the Bat is actually performing a Good Deed when it eats
>people.
>
>Most Pelorians, alas, are skeptical of this doctrine...
>

Most people everywhere, I think. So, if this is true, what did the Bat do when it ate people in the First Age, before it was "enlightened" by the Goddess?

Stephen Martin
ilium_at_juno.com

- -----------------------------------------------

The Book of Drastic Resolutions
drastic_at_juno.com

---