Excerpts from a Yelmalion legend. The tale shows Lunar influences in some places. Taken from the archives of the Sun Dome Temple, New Pavis, Pavis County, Prax, 1615 S.T.
The reign of the Firey Father forever was and forever will be one of divine peace and glorious order. All took their place in the cosmos from Yelm, Emperor of the Universe. He will, is and was always the centre from which all Being radiated forth. As theDara Happan Chroniclestell us, it was from Him that all of the word burst forth. The shining Celestial Court on the Imperial Mountain was the focal point of Creation's flow of magic. Thus our theologians call that early part of the Mythic Age the time of the childhood of Yelm, when all was new and innocent.
But all this known to one such as you, holder of the faith in the Son of the Sun. Likewise is the tale of how Emperor Yelm subjected himself to the rite of the Net that the world may be created anew through the intervention of His lover, Arachne Solara, creator of the dawning. Whilst giving a recital of a piece of music He had composed for the Harp of Eternal Law, several of his sons burst into the Royal Orchestra Hall. Caronnel breathlessly told of how one of the outcast gods, living on the lower reaches of the Imperial Mountain, had used a new magic power on another god called Old Father Mortal. This enchantment had somehow struck down the peaceable creator of the human races, forcing his shadow to flee to the Underworld, a realm ruled by unspeakaby corruptive forces. The Fiery Father was so impressed by this that he decreed that the assailant should be called after this new weapon, which Carronel, lord of the evening star, said was called Death. Worry over this was one amongst many of the Emperor's new responsibilities and this time is represented by Yelm the adolescent.
The passage from boy to man is always marked by testing. Your god's father proved his honour in this, and set an example Yelmalio eagerly and triumphantly took too as well. The concerns at the Imperial Mountain occupied much of the Fiery Father's time and energy: the uz raided the surrounding golden farmlands and caused a great deal of trouble. Unbeknownst to the Celestial Court, except perhaps to Yelorna, greater woes were ahead.
Death had allied himself with Storm, another of the outcast or Rebel gods. They feigned friendship between themselves, yet all would have been revealed to be treachery if the truthful light of our lord had shone on them. Whilst hungover one night in his hidden, shadowy lair, Storm drunkenly split his being into two. One of these parts left the lair and became the Trickster, a shifting, ingratiating diety who lived by eating the droppings from a nest of mice he had found hiding in the Celestial Court. Later, after both beings had forgotten they were really two parts of the same god, Storm secretly approached the Trickster. With promises of the metal of Ehilm, the yellow ore we prize so, Storm bribed the Trickster into purloining Death's power. In the dark halls of that evil entity, the Trickster gazed upon the much-sought weapon. It was in the form of a cross, the longest branch of which was sharpened into a blade. After treacherously appropriating the new magical force, the Trickster scurried off to present it to his master. Marvelling at his evil toy, Storm's gloating appreciation of the weapon was only momenatarily halted by kicking the Trickster out of his stead and down the slopes of the Imperial Mountain.
Storm set forth for the Celestial Court. He sought to hide himself from his betters, but in the everlasting illumination of the Firey Father, cover was scarce. Yet Storm hid himself as well as he might given his blustery and arrogant nature. He came upon Sir Sea whilst thus furtively crossing Yelm's golden empire. The benign ruler of the waters was proudly travelling to his ruler's residence to seek audience with the Emperor. On seeing the intruder, the dutiful king of the depths arrested Storm as an outlaw. To this lawful challenge, Storm replied that he took orders from no-one and a fight ensued. Sir Sea called upon Aroka, the Dragon of the Ianthi Waters. Storm raised his new power, calling itFysirsverd, which in our New Pelorian tongue means "First Sword" (even his language is barbarous to us). Calling forth a great volume of water, Aroka smashed Storm against the walls of a castle, made from an enchanted blue stone from a valley far to the north of here. With a leap Storm stood on the castle's battlements from which he sought to repel the Dragon.
Battle was long and hard; both lost much. Aroka called on two brother Dragons, but one, Chargith Sixwings was sleeping a slumber from which he could not be roused. The other was slain in the struggle. Meanwhile, Storm found he was not as invulnerable as he had thought and latter sort the Great Healer, Chalana Arroy for aid. Chalana Arroy healed both, before discovering the nature of Fysirsverdand realising that not even she could deal with the evil effects of it's magic. She forbid Storm to use it, and Storm agreed. Yet there was nought but treachery in his heart.
Now in a fury, Storm strode forth from the Healer's wards and called on his Charioteer to drive him to the Imperial Mountain. As they reached the upper slopes of that place, fulgent circles of heat repulsed them. Afraid, they circled round, trampling some of the royal gazelles. They sought refuge from the searing bands in a dark cave. Inside they found a labyrinthine maze which had been used as a hideout by the uz. The two outcasts struck out at the uz with murderous blows, running blindly from them when they could. Soon they were captured by their queen, an ancient creature so old she had known the divine Creator of the cosmos in his youth. The Queen,Illianna-harin of the Secret Moon, gave them five broken sticks, telling them each had a different magical use. Because of the enchantments she had cast on their eyes, they failed to perceive her trickery until told of it by their fool, the Grey one. Since that day the uz and worshippers of the Storm have always allied in times of trouble.
The goddess of the secret moon cloaked them in blue, which emboldened them against the waves of invisible fire that assaulted them when they started climbing up the mountain once more. In the Celestial Court, the Emperor saw all that had happened and knew of the test that was to come. He called his sons and followers together. Yelmalio was absent at that time, venturing on the lower plane around the Imperial Mountain in the land called Ernaldela. However, Yelmalio's captain, Yoloricus, was present in his stead. Yelm told them that Storm was to be allowed into the Celestial Court unharmed and brought to the Chamber of Illuminated Perception. Such bidding was of course obeyed by the father's enlightened followers. The only one who did not follow the letter of the Eternal Law was Yelorna, warrior maiden. She armed herself in secret.
Approaching the Celestial Court, Storm and his Charioteer watched terrified as enormous sheets of flame sprang up in two long walls on either side, going up the mountain to the Court. As they crossed at the top, making a tunnel, Yoloricus called out to them, "only the one who would be King may step forth". At this the Charioteer sneered; he was determined to accompany his master. But Storm pushed him back, not wishing to compromise his chance of entering the Court without a fight.
Stepping through, Storm wrapped the blue cloak around himself to beat back the heat of the walls of flame. Drenched in sweat, he was hurried through the gates and lead to the Chamber. All was darkness until Yelm stood forth: his mere presence in the room blinded Storm so badly it took him a long time to recover his sight fully. During this time he was cast into the dungeon. When he had recovered he was called for. The Emperor now understood all and had divided his form into two halves, one much more powerful than the other. The stronger stood aside, watching the encounter in ghostly form, whilst the weaker met with Storm. The outcast's leader was enraged and drunk on Yelm's nectar. He demanded satisfaction by combat yet Yelm persuaded him to settle for a test of music.
To great applause, Yelm played on the Harp of Eternal Law, a tune betokening the shining beauty and justice that underlies all of Creation. Yelmalio accompanied him as his Vrok Hawk circled high above near the ceiling of the Chamber. But when Storm's turn came, applause turned to booing. He took a horn and played a note. The judger of the contest, Yelm's wife Ernalda, said it sounded like the noise one of the Royal Asses made after eating too many oats. Angered at this, Storm took his weapon and struck down that portion of Yelm standing in the Chamber.
At this, the greater portion of Yelm appeared once more, again blinding Storm. He said, "it has come to pass as it was meant to. You have played your part well child and will again soon. I leave you now for parts you have so far seen in only your nightmares. There I will call you to me when I have need of you." For a year the court was full of processions and funeral marches as slowly all its populace followed their lord down the slopes of the Imperial Mountain to the Halls of the Dead. The moment the lesser proportion of Yelm had been struck, thunder cracked across the sky and the land was filled with a darkness so dense it resisted the thrust of a spear. This then subsided till a Lesser Darkness covered the realm. Lokarnos, noble lord of all merchants, was diseased and in Glorantha tribes that had once travelled the world found their wagons broken and their steeds dead. All the while, Yelmalio watched over the torch- lit procession, heavy of heart yet still obeying his father's eternal law.
Storm and his cronies filled the world. Death, the Trickster, Liar and the Grey One raced up and down the Imperial Mountain until descending to plague the people below in Glorantha. They spread lies, deceit and disorder with them. Storm's lies had brought the cleansing flow of Srimak's River to a sluggish halt. Beyond, unknown forces forded the now stagnant waters and crossed them into the realms of Being. They were lead by the offspring of a brother of Storm known as the Evil One. First they wrecked the abandoned Celestial Court and then followed Storm down into the Hero Plane of Glorantha as well. This then was the Lesser Darkness, but worse was to come.
lawrence@aslak.demon.co.uk