The Seduction of Tarahelera
The Destorniskings were given hospitality by the chief of the Oxhead Pol Joni clan, Darsenerus. The chief spoke with the Destorniskings and his own holy folk – the priestess Orelia the Crone and Hantralanth the Lawspeaker - about the ritual they would perform; the sacred Seduction of Tarahelera.
After hours of discussion, it was agreed that Robasart the Lover would take the part of Niskis in the magical ritual. His kinsman Caradoc would fill the role of Yinkin, the trusted companion and brother, stealthy and a good guide. For all the others it was more difficult, but finally it was all decided, and the preparations began.
The ceremony itself took two full days. About a thousand Pol Joni gathered atop the sacred hill where the ritual would be held. The Pol Joni would offer the gods their best bull, their best horse, and their best ram. Lindrella agreed to give the best of the few geese she had not yet sold. Lindrella set up everything needed for the sacrifices.
The sacred participants were clothed and masked as their part in the ritual. Robasart was dressed in the best clothes available, his skin was painted blue and he was given the weapons and insignia of Niskis. Caradoc was painted black and given gloves with sharp alynx claws to wear. Lindrella, as the cunning aspect of Ernalda, was clothed in pelts and painted in red. Hantralanth was garbed as the dark clouds of Orlanth and was given the Sandals of Darkness and a black cloak. Orelia the Crone was given a cloak of feathers and circles were painted around her eyes. Finally Orstandel the Smith was to be the sword and shield of Orlanth, and wore the best possible armor and carrying what good weapons he could.
And then it was time for the ritual. Everybody gathered around the hilltop. Robasart was sitting cross-legged in the centre, in deep concentration and meditating upon his breath. Lindrella held the ceremony and sacrificed the beasts. Spirits appeared. At first they were not visible, but you could feel them. They grew more powerful. All the Pol Joni chanted and played their instruments in the rhythm of the ritual. And finally things began to change. The participants no longer rested on earthen ground, but had the feeling that they were flying through space and time. Upwards they flew, towards the heavens, and all of a sudden they were standing in the great hall of Orlanth!
It would take to much time to describe this maginificient hall and itīs inhabitants. Many of the gods of the storm pantheon and their followers were there. But none took note of the Destorniskings themselves! Instead all saw Niskis and Yinkin, with the others around them as aides or advisors. They sought to leave for the Golden Palace but there was an additional problem nobody had thought about: The Great Hall has eight plus one secret doors, and all lead to different planes or places! The solution came when the Cunning of Niskis (Lindrella) called upon Ernalda for help. It was the goddess herself who told Niskis to leave now and capture Tarahelera, and a wish from her is like an order from Orlanth. She whispered briefly to Orlanth, and the Great God showed them how to open the Eighth Door of Karulinoran, which leads to the Sky Realm.
Leaving the Great Hall of Orlanth, the sacred party came onto the Celestial Fields of the Sky Realm. There are settlements in the fields of golden wheat, but those living there ignored us. Both Lindrella and Orelia took some of the golden wheat with them, though for different reasons.
The sacred party had little luck finding the Palace of Gold, until they remembered that the Palace of Gold is the brightest part of the Sky. Closer and closer the party came, until they reached the Palace of the Sky Tribe. Many beings were there, anonymous faces with arrogant behaviour, often dressed in red, yellow or god. Niskis and his companions stood out as foreigners but they were ignored as being beneath the interest of the inhabitants.
The Palace of Gold is an enormous ziggurat in the center of the Celestial City, and since there was no other way to enter (violence didnīt seem to be an option…) the party walked through the great high gates and past the eagle-headed guardians.
The Palace of Gold is a place sprawling with divine action. Gods walk there, godlings, their helpers, trustees and many more. Evereything is decorated, but all the beings are strangely faceless. And they all have an arrogant manner, with no etiquette or courtesy.
Within Yinkin as a guide, Niskis and his followers were able to reach the Palace of Gold, and there the appartments of the Lord Venebain, but the door was guarded by the biggest and most monstrous hound imaginable! This dread beast was Rowdril, the guardian of evil, the teeth of Lord Venebain. It was dozing on the doorstep, and Yinkin smiled as he realized that his plan could work. He had brought meat from the Hall of Orlanth - where there is food in abundance - and on his silent paws he sneaked to the hound and tied the meat to its tail! Be it the scent of the meat or the tightening of the knot, suddenly the hound awoke. Yinkin jumped back, covered by the Shadows of Niskis, as the hound sniffed. Soon he discovered the meat behind itself. It turned. So did the meat. A wild hunt started, Rowdril chasing his own tail. The demon watchdog forgot about the door it had to guard!
That was the moment Niskis had been waiting for. He stormed forward, the rest in tow, and all were inside before the demon hound got its meal. That was the third stage of the ritual, but now the party was inside the labyrinth that is Lord Venebains quarters.
The party walked through the labyrinth. They avoided the guardians, the sky captains. But they couldnīt find Tarahelera until one of the sacred party suggested that they listen for the sound of music and singing, and let Niskis be guided by that. It worked! Soon enough Niskis found the garden and hid himself behind a bush. There he saw the beautiful Blue Woman -Tarahelera – singing and dancing. The goddess was blindingly beautiful, like an azure stream, and she wore a skirt with many patterns and designs.
The sight of the Blue Woman filled Niskis with lust and desire. Without thinking about dangers he stepped out of hiding and startet to sing a poem he composed on the spot. All his heart and soul was in this song, and he called about every scrape of power the Pol Joni could give him out of the ritual. He called out:
Without warning
as a whirlwind
swoops on an oak
Love shakes my heart….
Now it was Tarahelera who was struck by a divine thunderbolt, and very quickly she was in Niskisī strong arms. Niskis and Tarahelera performed a sacred Nisking dance, accompanied by the songs of hummingbirds and honey bees. At the height of the dance, the Daring One made love to the Blue Goddess in the garden, and Tarahelera pledged herself to Niskis and agreed to come wherever and whenever Niskis wished.
Tarahelera showed Niskis a secret path out of the Palace of God to the Celestial Fields. Accompanied by the Blue Woman, they ran across the Celestial Fields, supported by the powers set free by the sacrifice of the horse. Unfortunately Lord Venebain soon knew what had happened and he gathered his companions and chased after the refugees. But Niskis and his companions ran like the wind, and were aided by their prayers to Orlanth.
When Niskis reached Aedin's Gap, the gate to Orlanth's Great Hall, the Thunder Brothers were waiting, armed, and prepared for battle. Even Lord Venebain didnīt dare to fight them there, and so all he could do was to scream a curse against Robarsart and the Blue Jay clan. As the curse streaked out for its target, Orstandel threw himself into its path and took the curse intended for Robarsart, thus sparing Robarsart from Venebain's curse.
Niskis entered the Great Hall hand in hand with Tarahelera. There were cheers all over the place, many a toast was spoken for Niskis, and a great feast began. The party felt drunk after a few sips, but it wasnīt the drinks that made them dizzy but their return to the Mundane World. When they opened their eyes they recognized one thing immediately: It was raining! In Prax during Fire Season! A sweet, gentle summer rain! The ritual had succeeded, and all the Pol Joni cheered and praised Orlanth, Ernalda, Tarahelera and Niskis. And Robarsart got a lot of invitations to various tents held by women::…
After the festivities the party returned to the Dundealos lands, with the sacred bull and an escort from the Oxhead Pol Joni, whose friendship they have won. There were already ties between the tribes, and the ritual made them even stronger. But it remains to be seen if the sacred bull can prevent the ill omens to become bitter truth.
Powered by hypermail