Elmal and Gold-Hoarder
Gold-Hoarder was a fearsome foe. By promising great gifts, he lured
away many of Elmal's friends. (As Elmal had warned, these gifts were
not nearly as glittering once received.)
But Gold-Hoarder had not gained his wealth by accident; he was a deadly warrior, and drove Elmal from the battlefield. Elmal was hard-pressed to blind him momentarily, so he didn't see the home stead and passed it by. Some of those Elmal defended, disheartened by his defeat, departed. Others proposed to pay tribute to Gold-Hoarder, but Elmal convinced them what lay at the end of this road.
Elmal's own faith was never shaken, but he realized he would need a different approach. "Being loyal and steadfast is one thing, but I must also be clever. Sometimes the best way to defend is to attack. Gold-Hoarder is taking advantage of the greed and fear of the people. I must take advantage of his weakness."
Elmal went to where he knew Gold-Hoarder would travel. He waited patiently, watching. Finally he saw what treasure Gold-Hoarder valued above all.
[Variants here include having it stolen, finding a similar one, or
challenging Gold-Hoarder for this. With Gold-Hoarder enraged or
distracted, Elmal defeats him, but suffered a grievous wound]
Here's Rob Helm's writeup of how the quest worked. The players are members of the Longneedle clan of Anadikki. I've edited out some character-specific stuff. We began the quest late in the session, so I ran it quickly, without as much detail as usual. Note how even though the myth is only about Elmal, all the player heroes can participate.
Player Characters
Anukal: devotee of Elmal (most have turned to Yelmalio) [Michael]
Lormak: surly hunter of Urtelos (the bear) [Neil]
Orlev: hot-headed warrior [Mike]
Tanekke: forager and worshipper of Darkka (the bear) [Rob]
Voski: piper, who spent part of his youth in Carmania [Pam]
To Brolia Again (Summer 902)
Orlev was enthusiastic about the possibilities of loot and glory from
fighting dragons in Brolia on behalf of the new Shah of Carmania.
Voski and Lormak were quick to agree, although Voski inquired whether
"standing around and getting melted" was part of the plan. [1] Not at
all, said Orlev. "And if the Shah gets melted again, we'll run away,
come back to the puddle, and be rich."
"If you are seeking gold," observed Anukal, "don't forget to put enough away to pay for carriage of the dead."
"If we are killed by dragons, we'll be immolated on the spot and sent to Orlanth's hall," replied Orlev. "Sheep die, cattle die, kinsmen die, the only thing that doesn't die is glory well won."
"We should not be seeking glory," Anukal said, but nevertheless reluctantly agreed to accompany an expedition with that goal.
The ring was favorably inclined to let warriors join Londrulf Windeye in Brolia [2]. Knowing they would need auxiliaries, Tanekke reluctantly handed Brynith over to one of Kolbyr's sisters and joined the warriors, laden with food and healing supplies.
Meeting Londrulf
We reached Brolia after a long but uneventful journey. Not long
after, we caught signs of a seventeen-person EWF patrol. Lormak led
us to evade them, helped by Orlev's advice on likely-looking hiding
spots, but in the end they spotted us and began to close on us. So we
took to our heels. Voski said a prayer over Tanekke to speed her up,
and a good thing, because she barely managed to keep up with the men.
But in the end, we outdistanced our pursuers with Orlanth's help.
We were eventually spotted by Londrulf Windeye's sentinels and brought to him. Lormak and Tanekke gave gifts of food and mead, for the next holy day. "May the taste remind you of our land and renew you in your protection of it," Tanekke wished him. [3]
He looked much worse than before, harried and drawn, but Orlev observed, "You look excellent for a dead man." [4]
"Death could not stop me from fighting the dragons," Londrulf replied. "But it seems that I won't need to take the vow of a Windlord to never sleep twice under the same roof, with all the warriors pursuing me!"
His men were dispersed to avoid being spotted, although Londrulf said that he could call them at need.
We asked for news of the Carmania army, and whether they had aided Londrulf. Londrulf said he had met the warlord of Carmania, Survilstar, brother of the Shah.
"The warlord is trying to learn the ways of the dragons," said Londrulf, "He did not bring a great army, just his companions. Few speak any Anadikking, other than a certain Sir Javinu." (Voski was pleased to hear a familiar name).
Londrulf said that Carmanian aid would be useful, but he was loath to attract too much EWF attention, and the northerners might not be as useful as we hoped. "They are bright and soft, like the gold they carry," agreed Lormak.
Seeking the Carmanians
Londrulf gave us permission to make contact with the Carmanians, in
hope of identifying a target for a joint strike. We headed off in the
direction that he had last seen Survilstar. On the way, we met a
Brolian hunting party who told Orlev of the sad death of his
paramour. [5] Orlev mourned copiously, and gave them two javelin
heads, earning their friendship. The Brolians reported that
dragonfriends had been hunting them for helping the rebels. "We have
no quarrel with the dragons," they said. "We just don't want them
here."
The Brolians shared what they had as we rested for a meal. They indicated that Londrulf and Varnorl [6], despite their grudging entente, had not been getting along. They could point us to the Carmanians: "Horses are good eating. You have to drive them into a gopher field to break their legs. [7] You have to pick the right fields though, there are oddly-pocked holes that don't go down far. Those are where Arkat's great handfuls of salt gouged out the craters, when he cursed our lands."
We proceeded toward the Carmanian camp and were soon challenged in the strange language of Tawari sentries. Voski gave the proper greeting in Carmanian and was taken to meet the warlord. The horsemen enjoyed the luxury of a real camp, with a fancy pavilion, concealed so well by the magic of warding rods that even Lormak might have missed it. We caught glimpses of horses, warriors playing some kind of board game, and Carmanian magicians with pointy hats looking into crystal balls. Voski was please to warmly greet Sir Javinu, who replied briefly in our own language. (Voski later observed that the knight's accent had not improved.)
Voski introduced his companions: Lormak the Pleasant, Orlev the Bold, Anukal the Stout (of heart), and Tanekke the Angry, and said that we had answered the Carmanian call for fighters. We boasted of dragon-slaying deeds, which Sir Javinu said that we should recount to the warlord. As we headed for the warlord's tent, Sir Javinu explained the Carmanian's enmity with the dragons: "They are of the dark god, who took dragon form to take out the eyes of the light god." We said that as for us, our people were weak and starving under the dragon tribute, and ready to join such a strong and wealth ally against the scaly menace.
Survilstar's Quest
Survilstar, warlord and brother of the Shah came in, and the
Carmanians knelt. Voski and the Anadikkings offered gifts and cheers.
"We kneel to no man," Voski explained, "but we greet him as a great
chief in our own way." (Tanekke and Voski observed that Javinu's
translation left out the part about not kneeling).
Javinu then explained the warlord's goal: To follow a myth to discover the weakness of a dragon and then defeat it, just as high light god Idovanus had done [8]. He asked if we have myths of defeating dragons. The warlord believed that he could not kill a dragon directly with the myth of his own people, because the dragon did not actually die in "The Battle of Two," and pursuing that story might bind Survilstar to one side in the battle of Light and Darkness. "Balance is the preferred order of things. If you turn too much to the Light, you create a shadow, as Lokamayadon created Arkat."
Having heard the Carmanian story of their dual gods, Anukal was intrigued by parallels between Elmal's defeat of Hoarder of Gold and the struggle of the bright god of Carmania. He told how the Hoarder lured people away by their greed, though his gifts are not nearly as glittering once they have been received, and how Elmal discovered his weakness. Voski also described how Orlanth prepared to kill Aroka, but Survilstar did not think it was as likely to be effective: "The Lion Shah prepared carefully to kill a dragon, as your wind god did in that story, but my uncle died all the same."
Lormak then asked the obvious question, "What's in it for us?" which Tanekke repeated more loudly, and in Carmanian. More eloquently, Voski pointed out, "Our clan suffered greatly to support the Shah at the Lionkill and is weighted under the tribute of the dragons. [9] They deserve wergild for their greatest priest of light, and for the four warriors we place at risk." Anukal nearly queered the deal when he protested to Voski, "This is a sacred myth of Elmal, not something to be haggled over. Is this man honorable? If you believe in him then I will risk what it takes."
The calculations and negotiations were sped by a sudden hue and cry: A full-sized dragon, not just a wyvern, had been sighted to the south. Under this sign, we began to prepare for a ritual on Victorious Sun Day. [10]
Preparing for Gold Hoarder
Survilstar gathered many oxen to sacrifice [11], while Orlev enjoyed
the warlord's thane-ly hospitality in full. His revels were redoubled
when news reached us that Varnorl Dragonbreaker had defeated the
flying dragon we had spotted. [12] Strangely, the warlord did not
join his men whooping it with strong drink in Carmanian fashion: For
all his wealth, he seemed less free than a chief.
Some of the preparations were aided by a truly weird foreigner among the warlord's advisors: a man with dark brown skin and a bizarre accent to his Carmanian, who said he came from the distant south, across the ocean. He claimed to have a degree in heroquesting from a university. [13] When Lormak hoped to pull Leikulf [14] into the quest as Gold Hoarder, the foreigner observed that anything would be possible, but the most likely foe drawn in would be the dragon that Survilstar would ultimately kill with the secret learned.
That dragon soon revealed itself. Runners reported that a great legless wyrm was approaching from the east, travelling along the ground. It was immense, tall as a lodge but ten times as long. It moved slowly, but covered ground quickly, because it moved day and night. Its path was taking it where Varnorl had defeated the earlier, flying dragon. Orlev and Lormak resolved to go to that spot and get dragon scales for an effigy, and see if Varnorl would come on the heroquest.
They found Varnorl preparing to face the oncoming wyrm. Reports came that it was shiny, almost as if it were made of rubies. ("Beautiful," observed Lormak. "All we need is one fistful of its hide to make this trip worthwhile.") Though the wyrm was huge, it left a surprisingly small swathe of destruction as it came slithering through Brolia's scrubby trees.
Varnorl was still in good shape compared to the haggard Londrulf, excited at the opportunity to meet the foe. So excited, in fact, that he refused to join the ritual. "The great dragon is just on the other side of that ridge," he said, pointing. "And I cannot run away from a dragon."
"We aren't asking you to run away," said Voski. "We are calling on you to fight it, as Orlanth. The brother of the Shah has heard of your great deeds and sent us personally for your help."
"You will not lose this beast," Lormak added, "for I swear by all that is sacred that I can track it."
Persuaded, Varnorl set out with the Longneedles and his retinue, and arrived just in the nick of time. His arrival set of a flurry of activity among the Carmanian magicians, as they reworked their star sightings to fit him into the ritual.
The Quest
The plan was to drop out of the quest after learning the dragon's
weakness. [15] With the great sacrifices that the Carmanians could
provide [16], we were soon under the orange skies of the Storm Age.
But the landscape was strange: Orlanth's people were hiding in camp,
under attack by a great wyrm. When Varnorl, as Elmal's champion,
challenged the creature, it opened its mouth, tall as four houses,
and drew in a vast breath. Varnorl disappeared into its maw in an
instant, and we were driven from the battlefield.
As we brooded on our defeat, the wyrm appeared in Orlev's thoughts, promising him great wealth. "You could have your own ruby cloak if you join me," it whispered, "and ruby armor as well. Rubies as big as a dragonewt's egg. No woman could take her eyes off you."
"You are a dragon, full of lies," retorted Orlev. "Everyone who talks with you comes off worst, while everyone who fights at least has a chance." Loyal to Anukal, he turned away from the monster, and convinced many others not to take the dragon's poisoned gifts.
As the monster drew nearer, Tanekke led the villagers to hide from the approaching monster in the earth. Elmal (Anukal) shone brightly despite his fear of the dragon, and blinded it to hide the village. However, in their refuge, the villagers thought that Elmal looked weak. "Why don't we just buy it off?" asked some. Then Voski as Drogarsi struck up the notes of the Lionheart Way, and Elmal pointed out that freedom and courage were the only alternative, that the dragon would just suck them dry if they began to pay tribute. Encouraged, the villagers pledged to keep up their resistance.
Elmal then sought to find what the dragon treasured most, hoping to use that against him. Orlev puzzled over the wyrm's pattern of travel (including a flight from the air), aided by careful tracking of Lormak, and determined where it would be going next. When the wyrm reached that spot, Elmal's huntsman Lormak was there waiting, concealed. He saw the wyrm lingering to look into a still pond at a missing scale on its belly, before going on. And so he learned that what the wyrm most valued was itself.
Attack on the Dragon
We returned to the Mortal World (or what the southern sage called
"the Mundane Plane") with Survilstar. He immediately gathered a
Carmanian army to confront the ruby dragon. The EWF forces deployed
in response. Not many locals emerged. Londrulf stayed away, blaming
the Carmanians for the loss of Varnorl, leading some to grumble that
he honored his ally more in death than he had in life.
The ruby wyrm came after the army at once, sometimes sweeping the ground, sometimes snapping its jaws, killing dozens of men at a blow. But it did not realize as it drove toward the center of the force that Lormak and Survilstar were buried in a gopher hole [17], waiting for their moment. Although Survilstar had refused to wear the proper gopher hat for the occasion, he at last spotted the dragon's vulnerable spot. Striking out of darkness, guided by the light of Knowledge, he called on Idovanus and killed the monster with a single blow. He emerged from the gopher hole covered in dragon blood but still aglow, to count the hundreds who had sacrificed themselves to enable him to kill the creature, and start what he hoped would be a glorious career of dragonslaying.
The Longneedles had survived the battle. Voski, Lormak, and Orlev all managed to kill and loot retreating EWFites. Anukal was slightly wounded.
Aftermath
As we returned home we brought Londrulf the news: Two dragons dead,
and a great dragonslaying hero arisen. Londrulf was impressed, and
appeared more likely to help us.
[1] Shah Saman the Lion's magnificent golden armor was melted at Lionkill.
[2] Londrulf Windeye is a noted resistance fighter from Anadikki.
[3] Londrulf has been in Brolia for several years, having been
outlawed by his own clan when they became dragonfriends.
[4] There had been rumors that the EWF had finally killed Londrulf.
[5] She had died in childbirth; I'm running a saga-style game using
Pendragon rules for annual family events.
[6] Varnorl Dragonbreaker is a rebel from Dragon Pass itself, from
Starfire Ridge.
[7] In our game, gophers have become the theme of impoverished
Brolia. I blame Mike O'Connor's marvelous illustrations.
[8] See The Fortunate Succession, p.94-95.
[9] Clans that fought alongside Saman the Lion have been assessed
double tribute. Many of the PCs have been suffering wealth penalties
as a consequence.
[10] Sacred to Elmal,
[11] The Shah's brother has an unlimited budget.
[12] Varnorl's command of the winds lets him smash dragons into the ground.
[13] University of Newfroswal, famed throughout the Empire of the Middle Sea.
[14] Lormak's rival suitor (who happens to be Londrulf's dragon-loving brother)
[15] See HeroQuest, p.200.
[16] See note 11. No need to roll for the crossover...
[17] I presume this is metaphorical on behalf of the chronicler. The
pit was obviously a bit larger.
And here is Nick Brooke's writeup:
902 - Samandar's half-brother Survilstar discovers the Carmanian Dragonslaying with aid of refugee Brolian anti-EWF fanatics. First time is like Siegfried and Fafnir: the old pit trick against one of the crawling Behemoth dragons (combines darkness/concealment with the bright death wielded by Our Hero). Survilstar must do this to prove himself to the rebels. [http://www.etyries.com/carmania/lionshah.htm]
--
David Dunham
Glorantha/HQ/RQ page: www.pensee.com/dunham/glorantha.html
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