I've taken it upon myself to write a myth of the Char-un people of Erigia. In the History of the Lunar Empire: First Wane, it talks about the emperor's grant of the forested Erigia to the Char-un, probably to get them out of his hair. After destroying everything with the Skyburn, the hero Panishi is mentioned as performing three tasks to "appease" the goddess of the land, known to the elves as Mother of the Forest. This is the story of what happened, as told in Char-un yurts and around campfires unto this day.
Panishi's Three Conquests
When the Khan Panishi, future hero of the Char-un, created the Skyburn and desolated Erigia, he knew that if his people were ever to become one with the land, he must chase down the goddess of Erigia, called by the elves Mother of the Forest, and bend her to his will. Panishi needed to find Mother of the Forest, and gain her submission to his rule, so her land could once again support life after the holocaust of the Skyburn.
He set forth upon his quest astride his charger, and entered the Hero Plane. He sought the court of Mother of the Forest, that he might show her his prowess, and demonstrate to her his superiority, so she would submit to him, acknowledging his claim to both her and the land.
After traveling for many days, he arrived at her court, and was
greeted cooly, and with some disdain, like some country bumpkin arriving
at the court of a great king. =93You have ravaged my land and slain my
child. You have stolen from me all I hold dear, and you will make
amends, mark my words,=94 scolded Mother of the Forest. =93You come befor=
e
me, claiming both me and my land by right of conquest, and you say I
must submit. But you bear with you no proof of your prowess, nor any
gifts fit for the wooing of a queen such as I. Both these things you
must bring to me, and if I am to submit to your will, you must submit to
mine.=94
Panishi was greatly angered by this affrontery, but he saw that
Mother of the Forest was strong and proud, and fiesty as well, and this
stirred his lust. He dropped from his steed, and bent on one knee, and,
one eye cocked so he could peer at Mother of the Forest=92s secret charms=
,
he said, =93What would you have me do, my fine, saucy, young queen, to
prove my worth? My lance stands ready to serve you, you have only to
point it where you wish it thrust. It is entirely at your service.=94
Mother of the Forest looked sternly at Panishi, for she knew whereupon he cast his gaze, but she smiled inwardly, for she knew that the hero=92s lusts would serve her well. =93First, you loathesome and noisome brute, you must catch and tame the beast Whirlwind Chaser. She races through my kingdom without my leave, and eats the pinecones from my favoured tree spoiling its perfect beauty. You must milk her, and bring me this golden goblet, filled to the brim, to prove that you have indeed tamed her.=94
Panishi scowled, for the milking of mares was woman=92s work, and it was clear that Mother of the Forest mocked him. Panishi said, his voice terrible in its fury, =93You mock me woman, and all your court laughs at me, for they see my humiliation. I vow that, when I am triumphant, and return with your accursed milk, you will submit, and know what it is to be woman to Char-un. I paint my face black, and tie my horse=92s tail in a knot, so all will know that I shall complete my quest or die!=94 With these words, he leapt upon his steed, and raced away from Mother of the Forest, swift as the wind.
For many days Panishi rode, his face painted black as his temper.
=93How dare that woman, whose son the forest I have slain, make fun of
me,=94 he seethed. =93I, whose magic brought fire from the sky to scour t=
he
land of the pestilential elves. I who will lead my people to greatness,
so that the soft people of the south will know terror when they hear the
name Char-un spoken by their talking leaves.=94 He seethed, and raged
against the gods for this cruel fate, but soon began thinking of Mother
of the Forests=92s ample charms, and the vengeance he would wreak upon
her, and he smiled.
One day, the wind whipped, and he saw a funnel of black ash,
whirling, reaching to the sky, careering across the blackened plain that
was once the forest. Behind this deadly whirlwind he saw the object of
his quest, the mare Whirlwind Chaser, racing after it, ever drawing
closer, but never catching up. He sped after his prize, chasing faster
and faster, until his charger=92s heart nearly burst, but Whirlwind Chase=
r
was too fast. He gave a heavy sigh, and walked his spent mount to a
nearby stream, so he could rest and drink. There he saw a man, dressed
as a warrior, with the headdress of a khan. He did not recognize this
person, and only he, Panishi, was khan in this land. =93Who are you, sir,
who would claim the right to wear the khan=92s headdress in my lands?=94
The man moaned, and turned his head, and Panishi saw that the man
was trapped under some blackened tree trunks. =93While I watered my
horse, a great whirlwind blew up, and toppled these trees onto me,=94 sai=
d
the man. =93My steed took chase, and I haven=92t seen her since. Her nam=
e
is Whirlwind Chaser, which has turned out to be an apt description of
her nature.=94
=93I must capture your Whirlwind Chaser,=94 said Panishi, =93and bri=
ng
this goblet full of her milk to the former queen of these lands, whom I
will enslave. If I free you, will you grant me the object of my quest?=94
=93I cannot grant you what is not mine to give,=94 replied the trapp=
ed
warrior. =93Whirlwind Chaser is wild and free, and allows me to ride her
because she is my sister. You must ask her. I will, however, give you
as a gift this golden bridle, which I know is Whirlwind Chaser=92s
favourite.=94
So Panishi pushed and pulled with all his might, and he dragged the
charred logs from the legs of the fallen man. The man stood, testing
his weight on each leg, and clasped Panishi to him exclaiming =93Thank yo=
u
my friend Panishi, Khan of Char-un. I am called Hyalor by my people,
and pledge that whenever Char-un need my aid, they have but to ask.
Here now is the bridle which I promised. Go now upon your quest.=94
Panishi rode away, towards the whirlwind, which still raged.
There, in the distance, was a cloud of soot being kicked up from the
plain, and, as it approached, Panishi could see that it was Whirlwind
Chaser. Panishi vaulted from his mount, and walked towards the
galloping mare, the golden bridle in his outstretched hand. =93Oh,
Whirlwind Chaser,=94 he cried. =93I have come from your brother Hyalor, w=
ho
is now free from his prison. I have brought you your favourite bridle.
I will mount you and take you back to him.=94
At the sound of her brother=92s name, Whirlwind Chaser slowed to a
canter, and then stopped before Panishi. At the sight of her favourite
bridle, she lowered her head so Panishi could place it upon her. This
Panishi did, and then in one fluid motion he leapt upon her back. He
pulled the reigns tight, guiding her away from where she had left her
brother, towards the court of Mother of the Forest. This angered
Whirlwind Chaser, who bucked and raged and tried to throw Panishi off.
But Panishi was a good rider, and the golden bridle was strong.
Whirlwind Chaser bucked and bucked, but Panishi tightened his grip, and
held on. Minutes stretched to hours and hours stretched to days, but
still Panishi held on despite any trick Whirlwind Chaser might use to
unseat him. Finally, exhausted, Whirlwind Chaser was still, submitting
to Panishi=92s will. He guided her to Mother of the Forest, and she went=
,
head held high, for she was still proud. Panishi knelt beneath her, and
filled his goblet with her milk. When they finally arrived at the court
of Mother of the Forest, the milk had fermented.
Panishi brought forth the goblet and proferred it to the object of
his desire. He led Whirlwind Chaser by her golden bridle. =93Here is you=
r
milk, oh bounteous wench,=94 he said. =93I have tamed Whirlwind Chaser, a=
s
you requested. I have milked her, like a maid, since it was your
desire. Now I claim you and your land as mine. Submit!=94
But Mother of the Forest crossed her legs, once again stirring Panishi=92s lust, and laughed. =93You have proved your devotion, but not your right to rule me. You must bring me proof of your power, proof that you can do more than murder my child with your fire.=94
Panishi=92s heart was black, and rage burned within him almost as fiercly as his lust for this mocking woman. Without a word he turned on his heel and stormed out of her court, hearing the tittering of her sycophants, and feeling her mocking gaze boring into the small of his back. He swung up onto Whirlwind Chaser and galloped away.
Some of the Aldryami had survived the Skyburn due to powerful magic which protected them in the deep forest. Though the trees were blackened and charred, some few yet stood, monuments to the great conflagration that had ravaged the land. Panishi discovered this enclave, and the elven god known to them as High King came out to meet him, swearing vengeance for what Panishi had done to his people and his forest. High King Elf and Panishi did battle for many days, while Panishi=92s people and High King Elf=92s people did battle in what is now remembered by the Char-un as Elf Hate Won. Eventually Panishi=92s magic proved too much for his foe, and High King Elf was struck down.
Panishi picked up his fallen foe by the hair, and dragged him on
horseback to the court of Mother of the Forest. =93I have proven my
might, and my right to rule this land,=94 said Panishi. =93I offer you th=
e
God of my enemies as proof of my right. To show my compassion, I will
release him, if his people will go beyond the mountains and stain my
land no more. I claim my foe=92s magic, by right of conquest, and demand
that you honour me with it.=94
Mother of the Forest smiled, and said =93Panishi, you are stronger, and have shown your superiority over my old ally. I give to you as a prize for your victory his Golden Bow.=94 High King Elf stole away, his honour destroyed, and his people crushed. No elf has shown its face in Erigia ever since.
Mother of the Forest then looked upon Panishi, and spoke to him with furious anger. =93I was Mother of the Forest, but no forest remains in Erigia because your Skyburn has slain my child. Now I am mother of nothing. I demand that you, Panishi, give me another child that I may be called mother once again. Until such time as I can be called mother, winter shall shroud the land and nothing will grow. The land will not provide life to your people, and they will surely die.=94
Panishi noticed that, during this tirade, Mother of the Forest
slurred some of her words, and swayed drunkenly from side to side. She
had drunk the fermented milk of Whirlwind Chaser, and was now three
sheets to the wind. =93Very well, you saucy wench,=94 he said, and he str=
ode
forward with every intention of throwing the goddess down, flinging her
skirts over her head, and having his way with her then and there. But
Mother of the Forest, though desiring this union, was no wench, to be
taken willy-nilly, nor was she any sort of wanton. She slipped from
Panishi=92s grasp, and took flight, the rampant hero in hot pursuit. =93=
I
must be wooed properly, as befits a lady of my station,=94 she chided.
=93You are uncouth, and besides, you need a bath.=94
This only stirred Panishi=92s ardour even more. =93I=92ll have you y=
et,
woman!=94 he cried, doubling his efforts. Over hills and through valleys=
,
and over the wide plains did Panishi chase Mother of the Forest, but
always out of his reach she remained. Every time his pursuit flagged,
she taunted him about his cleanliness, his barbarity, and his manhood,
laughing all the while. Finally, in her intoxicated state, she caught
her heel upon a stone while turning to taunt, and fell sprawling onto
her back, her skirts flying in a most convenient manner. Panishi yelled
his triumph as he buried his lance in the warm earth, a red pennant
flying from its haft, to mark the spot of their union and to let all
know not to disturb this place until their passion subsided.
This union was fruitful, and Mother of the Forest gave birth to the grasses, which grew tall and made waves upon the plains when the wind blew. Thus Mother of the Forest became Mother of the Steppe. The great winter ended as the grasses grew in the newfound spring, and Mother of the Steppe was once again happy, with a new child to nurture, and a new people for her child to support. Panishi, in the Char-un tradition of khans, had many wives to chew his food for him in his old age, but none were remembered more fondly than his first bride, and mother of his new land. Mother of the Steppes loved her new child, and nurtured and fed her, and told her stories of her father at bedtime.
From the conquests of Panishi come several Char-un traditions. Char-un everywhere drink kumas, which is fermented mare=92s milk. They know no other alcoholic drinks, but kumas is very potent, and a little goes a long way.
Char-un play buzkashi, which is a recreation (of sorts) of Panishi=92s capture of the god of the elves and his delivery of him to Mother of the Forest. Buzkashi is played on horseback in two teams of many riders. An elf carcass (or a dead enemy of another sort, if no elf carcass is available) is placed in a large circle at the centre of a 2 or 3 mile long pitch. The team which successfully carries the carcass to its goal (where their women stand, cheering) scores a point. Most games play to three points, one for each of Panishi=92s conquests. The individual players who score the goals are awarded great glory and valuable prizes for their accomplishments, so buzkashi is only nominally a team sport. Weapons are never used.
When Char-un warriors take up the quest, or travel the war path, they paint their faces black and tie their horses' tails in knots, in emulation of Panishi.
When a Char-un man wishes to woo a young woman, he must bring her three gifts. If there are any other suitors, he must defeat them in unarmed battle, and bring his vanquished opponents before her. She has the right to ask a favour of him, which he must do, no matter how demeaning or humiliating.
When a Char-un man wishes to make a child with his wife, he must pursue her through the grasses. Where he catches her, he must place his lance point-first in the ground, a red flag tied to the butt-end, so other Char-un will know not to approach this place, so they will not be disturbed.
Much of this material was inspired by the play of the Char-un warrior Goes Ahead in my current RQ campaign, by the film Close to Eden, and by a very sparse knowlede of ancient Scythians.
End of The Glorantha Digest V5 #270
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