The tales of Glowric Liesayer of the faithless Vantaros must be answered. They are a perversion made to serve Harvar Tightfist in his wars on the true followers of Elmal & Orlanth. Therefore I Conla Conlason, godi of Elmal at Anrathstead set out the truth of Yelmalio the Traitor.
When Orlanth stole Ernalda from thralldom in the jealous clutches of Yelm
she brought with her the son fathered on her by the Evil Emperor. Orlanth
said " The son is not the father" & accepted the infant as his own.
Together they named the young sun Elmal & he was housed in Orlanth's own
hall & fed at Orlanth's own table.
Elmal swiftly grew into a proud & capable carl in Orlanth's service. He was
gifted many times for his loyal service. Orlanth gave him the Sunspear he
took from Yelm's corpse & the Night Seeing he tore from Gash. When Elmal
desired marriage Orlanth gave him Inora, his sister, so making the carl a
full part of the family. But Elmal's pride had grown & he demanded things
of his wife that she could not properly give & abused & harmed her servants
for daring to show joy in his presence. So it was an unhappy & childless
match.
Then one day a shining messenger appeared at the stead demanding obeisance
from Orlanth in the name of Yelm. So insulting was the herald that Orlanth
slew him where he stood. Soon after another shining messenger appeared.
This one attempted to cast evil magic & so was slain also. But one day a
shining messenger came while Orlanth was out dealing with one of the many
threats of the time. Elmal recieved the guest who treated him with great
courtesy, greater than had been shown to Orlanth. Elmal was secretly
flattered but said " why do you treat the carl better than the thane?" The
messenger answered that Elmal was of greater lineage than his lord & so
deserved greater praise. The flattery inflamed Elmals pride & he demanded
to know his father. The messenger, with fair & cunning words, told him of
his decent from Yelm & fanned his pride at the same time. Elmal felt that
he had been decieved &, taking the name Yelmalio, he cast out Inora &
sought out Ernalda. When he found her he beat her & dragged her off to be
his wife.
Apon his return Orlanth was enraged. His sister spurned & his wife stolen
(again) & forced into an incestuous marriage. That this was done by one he
trusted more than his kin was almost unbearable.
He tracked Yelmalio across the land. At one place he found Ernalda's cold
body where Yelmalio had abandoned her to the dark. Orlanth mourned his wife
& set out after the traitor again. He caught the Sun's son at The Hill of
Gold. The fight was long & bitter for there was hatred on both sides but
Orlanth prevailed. He then said "I take back your father's spear for it was
won in honour & given in honour but you are beyond honour. Further for the
suffering you caused my wife, your mother, I take one other thing; your
hope in the darkness." In doing so Orlanth severed Elmal from Yelmalio
taking those things he deemed of worth, loyalty to appointed leaders,
independance of thought, & pride in his personal worth. That is the true
secret of Elmal & why he is not Yelmalio & why Yelmalio lost to the Zombie
Lord. Elmal is all the things Orlanth took from Yelmalio at The Hill of
Gold but most importantly he is the hope in the dark without which no-one
can stand before his foes.
Darvall
madamx_at_mikka.net.au
>From quiet homes & first beginnings
Out to the undicovered ends
Theres nothing worth the wear of winning
But laughter & the love of friends.
Hilare Belloc
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