>Is there any possibility to get more information on the War of the Sword
>and the Helm?
Jeff Richard summarized it in Enclosure #1. Since that's likely OOP, I'll quote it.
The Sword and Helm Saga is the climactic disaster of the
Vingkotlings. It is so famous that even distant tribes
know of it and have some version of its tragedy.
King Rastagar is the center and instigator of the doom of
the Vingkotlings. He lived when the Gods were failing to
help their worshippers* and the king relied so little on
them that he might have been an atheist. His entire life
was spent fighting against trolls and chaos, and even without
the gods he was successful at it.
His pride grew until he demanded sex with the wife of a
loyal housecarl. She resisted, which lead to murder and
rape. The king's own kin broke into factions. The two
accoutrements of the king were separated, weakening the
king seriously. Foul deeds were down to bring the Sword
and Helm back together. Families and allies were summoned
to help, and soon all the Vingkotlings were engaged in a
savage struggle. Some of them turned to dragons, trolls
or even chaos for help, worsening everything.
Forces connived, betrayed and convulsed upon themselves and
came together at the Last Royal Betrayal. Battle was met,
sword to shield, brother against brother, blood against
poison. Nearly everybody was slain, and the Sword and Helm
was taken by a father and son who slinked of the field and
never used them properly again**
The best poem about this ends with a soliloquy by Jornafor
the poet who describes the field of the slain, and then
narrates the destruction of the world as the sky breaks
and falls, black flames sweep the earth and the dead rise
once again to fight chaos, and once again fall.
p19, Enclosure #1
*most versions of the poem suggest that Orlanth had already commenced the Lightbringers' Quest, placing the Sword and Helm saga during the Greater Darkness.
**Some of these victims of the Last Royal Betrayal afterwards
achieve immortality as the Immortal Royal Guardians of the Heortling Kings.
>Was the war fought over the battlegear of Vingot? I'd really need to
>know what the saga is about, since it's obviously an important part of
>Esrolias history and identity.
It's not really. All the average Esrolian needs to know is that the Men destroyed themselves in a stupid war and the women took over.
>Also who is Ovodaka, that was struck down by Babeester Gor?
From November's myth of the Month, Ovadaka is the last guardian who held all the other goddesses prisoner.
--Peter Metcalfe
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