Haeseni Mythologie (Hanso-Raev Pantheon and Dulonian Folklore)

[yopplwasupxxx 5946]

 

 

HAESENI MYTHOLOGIE 

(OR, THE HANSO-RAEV PANTHEON AND FOLKLORE OF THE HINTERLANDS)

BY

OTTO THE TARCHARMAN

 

Introduction

 

Centuries before our time, before that of Prophet Sigmund and the Vochna, and before that of the Rhenyari Invasion, there existed a whole period of history without the teachings of the Canonist Church and entire civilizations devoid of monotheistic virtue. These pagan times, thwarted only by diligent missionary work and the Waldorvian Crusades of the 600s AES, were rife with countless gods and goddesses, spirits and divinities, most often in competition and many of them overlapping as well as being numerous in their strange requirements of ritualistic prayer, sacrifice, and heterodox profession. The gods of note, which this book examines in depth, is the pantheon and collection of minor divinites from the trade city of Dules, the first union of the Almanno-Raev before its eventual marriage under the wise Barbanov dynasty in the unified dual monarchy of modern Haense.

 

“Diedrik Ruswalda - The Sage-Heathen” by Rupert Vesnic, 3rd Count of Susa (1713)

 

The city’s mythology is a syncretic conglomeration (or to some a violent clash) of varying gods and tales, unified purely in the common heritage of the city. Its chiefest influences are the Almannir tradition, where the majority of the Dulonians claimed their descent, as well as the Raevir pantheon of the Lahy and the southern Hunnician basin. Even Canonism itself had left influences on the disorderly pantheons, such as with its paganified forms of Joren and his wife Tara (Joran and Taran respectively). In overview, the Dulonian Pantheon is divided into three main categories: the Primordial Gods, which include the Triune and the Demiurge, the Celestial Gods which rules the planes beyond the mortal one, and the Mortal Gods, which rule in the mortal plane directly (these are further split into the Asserandz, Nikirandz, and the Demigods). These three sections are considered hierarchical, with the Primordial Gods at the top, the Celestial Gods below them, and the Mortal Gods at last. While considered the least powerful, the Mortal Gods were the most commonly used as the patrons of clans and the pagan Dulonians themselves, while the Primordial Gods (and to a lesser extent, the Celestial Gods) remained more abstract in idea and practical application.

 

Through these three categories are twenty-six ‘primary’ deities, or deities were commonly held to be the most revered and most mentioned in poems, sagas, and folktales. In this work, I mention more than twenty-six total gods and goddesses, as in truth the all-expansive pantheon of the Dulonian is nigh-infinite in its size, though many of these more ‘esoteric’ deities derive more from regional, clan-based spirituality than from a national religion. The twenty-six deities include: of the Primordials, Orve, Aan, Maan, and Eraan, of the Celestials, Sindhor, Asseran, and Nikul, of the Morrigivar, Tova, Druka, and Ybis, of the Asserandz, Frysklund (or Jylig/Meargost), Sethrlund, Wieklen, Garundorech, Elda, Kostana, and Haruhtrow (or Mhizdelt), of the Nikirandz, Osbjor, Horjeni, Ystlev, Gorm, Pisktro, Mogasza, and Jardani.

 

Majority of the rituals and traditions of the rituals performed by the ancient Dulonians are mostly lost to history, many of them never written down by its priests and priestesses and passed only by oral tradition. Where I could find clues of the ancient rites of the gods, I have included as footnotes, though for brevity’s sake I have focused more on the symbolism and metaphysical meaning of the gods and myths in question. Also, from my studies in the oral traditions of the highlands, namely folkish kennings and poetic devices recited, I have also included notable passages of poetry coinciding with their respective stories. Many stories have been lost, sadly, though I have done my best to find the ones I can and reconstruct others if I arrive at a reasonable conclusion from other, outside references and sources.

 

 Now many may ask, ‘why Eti, my friend, why do you write of gods long dead and of a city long forgotten?’ I do this purely for I see myself, as a Haeseni man, as a true and proper Dulonian. For Dules, the union of Hanseti and Raev before its time, was the embodiment of what the contemporary Haeseni man is, for every child of Haense’s bosom is the heir of Dules’ fortune. And in having this lofty inheritance, they must know their history and knowledge of the past, so it may be carried on in proper tradition.

 

As the Dulonians once said, “Bar Maan ovare syr.” or “Only Death is Fair.”

 

---

 

Dulonian Cosmology

 

The Planes of Existence

    The mythological cosmos of the Dulonians differed compared to our modern views, though it remains relatively simple to understand despite such. The universe, that is the totality of the planes themselves, is the Orve-Undun or ‘land of existence’, which contains Uldei, the palace of Garmund the Demiurge, and the three main realms as well as the Randunduz, constellations of the Noendeu. Asserundu, Nikirundu, and Sindhorundu are the realms of the sun, moon, and earth respectively, while the space between them harbors the Noendeu, or infinite void, and the Randunduz, the constellations or realms of the mortal gods. The plane of Sindhor also has two sub-realms within it, the Vibbenundu, or the magickal, invisible realm of the Vibbenszi, and the Rechur, or the underearth of the Sindhorundu. The outer edges of the universe, where little to nothing supposed exists, is called the Stynya, or Limbo.

 

ORVE-UNDUN

Fabric of Existence

 

ULDEI

Realm-Palace of Garmund

 

ASSERUNDU

Realm of the Sun

 

NOENDEU

The Void Between Planes

 

RANDUNDUZ

The Constellations

 

NIKIRUNDU

Realm of the Moon

 

SINDHORUNDU

Realm of the Earth

 

IBENUNDU

Realm of the Ibszi

 

RECHUR

The Underearth

 

STYNYA

Edge of Existence 

 

Randunduz, the Cosmic Palace-Constellations

    After the great conflict between the sun Asseran and the moon Nikul ended, their generals, called the Asserandz and Nikirandz respectively, were given estates and realms of their own for their service to their respective gods. These abodes, called the Randunduz (sing. Randundu), act as miniature demesne of the mortal deities, housing their estates and palaces, where their rule as despotic autocrats. Not all gods have their own constellation, for many live in the realm of Sinhor herself, though the most notable deities who do I have listed below.

 

‘The Queen’

Morrigehein, Realm of Morrig

 

‘The Crow’

Gormehein, Realm of Gorm

 

‘The Wolf’

Wielkenhein, Realm of Wielken

 

‘The Hand’

Mogazehein, Realm of Mogasza

 

Noendeu, the Voidal Space

    Between the planes of Sindhorundu, Nikirundu, and Asserundu sits the empty space known as the Noendeu, or Abyss. Magick is known to come from the Noendeu in the form of energy residue from both the realms of Asseran and Nikul. Travel across the abyss is known to be treacherous, and requires the use of magickal objects known as Noendukr, which allow one to travel great bridges across the vast emptiness.

 

Ibenundu, the Land of the Ibszi

    The Ibszi, a small magickal race of imps, as children of Sindhor hold their own realm within that of Sindhorundu, separate from the rest of mortals and other creatures of the earth. The nature of this realm is unknown, for no mortal has reportedly ever entered the land of the Ibszi, with only speculation and details given by Ibszi themselves to fill the lofty gap. It is said to be a land of immense beauty, rivalling that of the great groves of the elves, and none are ever able to feel hunger or thirst inside. Also according to legend, a third type of Ibsz, separate from the Vibbenszi and Libbiszi, also resides within the land of the Ibszi, though has never been seen by any mortal eyes.

 

Rechur, the Underearth

    Deep beneath the earthen floor of the realm of Sindhorundu lies the realm of Garundorech, called Rechur or the Underearth. Home of the great flesh worms, children of Garundorech, and the mice-men of Ystilev, Rechur is hotly contested between the two great races and fought for constantly by the great armies of worm and mouse. The treasures of the earth, from gold to iron, are said to originate first from Rechur, carried to and fro by the great flesh worms who dig caves in the earthen underbelly.

 

---

 

The Primordial Deities

 

The Triune Goddesses of Existence

At the head and genesis of all Dulonian myths, from creation to the wanderings of the demigods, are a trinity of gods known individually as life (Aan), Death (Maan), and Memory (Eraan), who together unify to create the singular essence known as Existence (Orve). Aan and Maan are commonly portrayed together in a dichotomy of ideas (with Eraan or Memory being a more mysterious goddess separate from the two), with Aan being the essence of life, human ambition, and ultimately the chaos of humanity. Maan, on the other hand as the Goddess of Death, is seen as the embodiment of justice and virtue. Eraan, the Goddess of Memory, is a difficult one to place, and deals more in the knowledge of something rather than the actual essence of thing in its physical and metaphysical. Her existence is primarily used as the muse and influence of life and death, the goddess which guides the goddesses themselves. In Dulonian theology, Eraan is linked with the concept of ‘Second-Life’, or life through the lives of others, where one lives a theoretical ‘second life’ through the legends and histories remembered by their descendents.

 

The Triune Goddesses live not in any plane but all planes, existing in tandem to the created and the uncreated. Commonly, the created is referred to as the Realm of Life, and the uncreated is referred to the Realm of Death, though to make this comparison does it an injustice. Death is the uncreated and the created made undone, the total truth which uncovers the mask of creation and the fallibility of the created. Like a light, it shines upon the stage of time, and so if Death is the scene, then Life is the players, casting about the tragedy of existence in its glory. And from afar sits Memory, the only seat of the audience, who sees the great cycle unfold before her in the lonesome theater of forgotten times.

 

“In age where time exists not

And form laked shaped and clot,

Where faith lacked its zealot

In the darkness of sunshine’s naught.

 

Two sisters came, together longed

With their third formerly thronged

Draped in the mystic sarong

Of life’s every-moving song.

 

From their teets came righteous milk

Which control the lives all ilk,

From the bovine’s wilk,

To the spinning of the worm’s silk.”

-Dulonia Lexica

 

ORVE

‘The Everything and Nothing; Existence’

 

ORVE, or EXISTENCE, the beginning of all things and its eventual end by its demise. It is the trinity union of Life, Death, and Memory (Second-Life), the spiritual power which drives the ‘All’  and the ‘Nothing’ into their respective states. In Haeseni art, she is commonly portrayed as a woman with three heads (one black, one white, and one gold) holding in each hand the bulavas of the world.

 

AAN

‘Goddess of Life, Trickery, Ambition, Deceit’

 

AAN, or LIFE, the first of the goddesses, the symbol of both the created and the chaos of existence. It is Life who is seen as the more wretched in the dual relationship of herself and Death, inflicting the tortures of despair and sin into the hearts of man. Through her to the fires of the world burn, kept alive in the endless cycle of creation. Commonly, she is paired with the vulture Yr, who breathes from its beak white flames and nests upon her shoulder. In Haeseni art, she portrayed in all white with red hair, holding in her hands the Spear of War and Sword of Chaos.

 

MAAN

‘Goddess of Death, Honor, Humility, Truth’

 

MAAN, or DEATH, the second goddess of the Triune pact, is the embodiment of encroaching mortality and order of the chaotic world. In the total chaos of Life, only Death doles the justice which is craved the imperfect creation, leaving to men the only truth in a distrustful world. With her companion the eagle Froschel, she guides the righteous souls in life and death to the achievement of glory and enlightenment. In Haeseni art, she portrayed in all grey with golden hair, holding in her left hand the Mirror of Revelation and her right is making the symbol of Hervanikin (or ‘peace’).

 

ERAAN

‘Goddess of Memory, Love, Passion, Second-Life’

 

ERAAN, or MEMORY, the third and final goddess of the Primordials, is the most mysterious and least-referenced of the three divine triplets. She is most commonly invoked in song, poetry, and historical writings, where her power is called upon to remember the fallen through their ‘second-life’, or life through the memories of others. Unlike the other two, Eraan is never portrayed in art, and instead is symbolized typically either by a lyre or a shining thunderbolt.

 

---

 

The Demiurge of Creation

Aan and Maan would mate in separation of Eraan, and through their union birthed the being known as the Demiurge (Garmund). According to legend, he was born in the great cosmic lake known as Balo Mün and took only full metaphysical form after devouring his mothers’ placenta, the divine essence (called the Orvekinu) which granted him the powers of creation. Garmund, looked upon as inferior by his mothers, cast himself out in exile and left to create his own ‘existence’. In his grief, he carved from it with both his hands two planes of existence, the celestial and mortal planes, from where he created both in his image. Between both planes, called the Sky, he created his home and resting place, from where he rules both the Celestial and Mortal in a single kingdom.

 

“From their bosoms came birth

Yet imperfection came unearthed

The child whose mothers saw no worth

And no ability to have opinions coerced.

 

‘O cursed womb of perfect make,

Yet cursed me to the bottom of ship’s strake!’

The son of divine cried in tears opaque

With none to soothe such break.

 

From the depths of Balo Mün,

He devoured that which gave boon

And from sprout the threads the world’s loom.

Yet in all his work, both made paradise and doom.”

-Dulonia Lexica (circa 

 

Garmund created the beings known as the Celestial Gods, as well as humanity and the creatures of the earth. However, because he was the birth of Aan and Maan, he was both just yet unjust, corrupt yet incorruptible, and so he created the world both a paradise and a dystopia. He would give man life, yet curse him with hunger and pestilence. He would give woman the gift of childbirth, yet curse her with pain and mortality. He would give children hope, yet curse them with sadism and despair. Even the gods he created to shepherd the created were cursed with imperfection and mundane desires in contrary to their original, divine purpose.

 

After creation, he saw what he had wrought, and he wept for it lacked the perfection of his mothers, and so he cast himself into the Sky, to remain away from his creation till the End of Time (excluding his part in the Second Creation, see below). From the great palace of Uldei he sits in lofty throne (the Uldenga), forever watching the machinations of his children with despair, tended to by his servants (see Uldenirnz).

 

Garumdir and Zulmrund, Aspects of Garmund

In some sects of the Dulonians, Garmund (in the fashion of his mothers) created two brothers of his own, known as Garumdir the Divine Crafter and Zulmrund the Divine Destroyer. Both are not separate gods per say but rather two faces, or roles, that the Demiurge plays- in act of further creation he is seen as Garumdir, but in destroying his creation he is seen as Zulmrund. This dual relationship led to the common Dulonian belief in birth, death, and rebirth belief, seeing much of life as cyclical. The doctrine of reincarnation, common amongst the clans of the hinterlands, sprang root from this dual relationship.

 

The Second Creation

    After the great Duel of the Delung, where the pryr Wealtfyr and the children of the Nikirandz god Osbjor slew the Asserandz god Frysklund in open battle, Garmund once more briefly took interested in humanity, especially to the young human who pulled off the nigh impossible feat. Taking Wealtfyr into his court, he would allow him to drink the milk from the divine utter of Wreslani and become divine. Later, after much pleading, his wife Agdalla joined him in divinity, and they would become Garmund’s ‘First Man’ and ‘First Woman’. In Agdalla’s womb Garmund blessed the pair with four children, would become the later Four Descendants, and from they spawn the races of the world. These brothers- Malu, Urgward, Horren, and Crükus- were dotted upon by Garmund himself, and with his own divine servants were they raised as the proper mortal kings of the realms of Sindhor.

 

    The comet Ybis, however, would interfere in the plans of Garmund, and one after one each brother fell to disobedience against Garmund’s plans. With oaths secured from each one, the God of Courage rose up in rebellion against Garmund, intent on taking the throne of Uldenga for himself with fellow deities Mhizdelt, an Asserandz goddess, and Horjeni, a Nikirandz god. For the ensuing affairs, including the infamous Nijggey Feast, and for the majority of the war of Ybis against the forces of Druka, Sindhor, Horren, and others, Garmund remained silent. Yet when Ybis would attempt to enter Garmund’s palace and sit upon Uldenga, Garmund became enraged and took the form of Zulmrund, entering Ybis in battle and defeating him. As punishment, he cast Ybis from the entirety of all planes of existence, forever to wander the limbo of Styniya. Garmund afterwords remained then in his personal realm, solemnly remaining silent to the mortal planes until the coming of the end of time.

 

Geermadin, the End and Rebirth of Time

    The end of the world to the Dulonians is prophesied to occur in the event of Geermadin, the End of Time, where Garmund in the form of Zulmrund will decimate the mortal plane and forge it anew. Reasoning for the world’s destruction differs from clan tradition to clan, typically including some form of moral fall of man to a point of impossible reconciliation. The destruction as well, including any details pertaining to method and cause, are also scarce and vary tremendously across the different peoples of the ancient hinterlands. A key aspect of all legends regarding the Geermadin regards the rebirth of the world, and how Garmund in the form of Garmundir would recreate the world and begin time again.

 

GARMUND

‘The Demiurge’

 

GARMUND, or the DEMIURGE, is the imperfect offspring of Aan and Maan, the creator of both the cosmos and the mortal plane. From him does the mortal and celestial planes come into existence, ruling as both disinterested father and regretful despot. Only the greatest of men, those who have risen to the status of demi-god, when deign to ever meet him and walk his halls. Commonly, he is divided between his dual roles of creator and damner as Garumdir and Zulmrund respectively. In Haeseni art, he is commonly portrayed as an old, withered and hoar man, usually with a crown on his head and a spectre in his hand. 

 

GARUMDIR

‘The Divine Creator’

 

    GARUMDIR is the image of Garmund as the DIVINE CREATOR, which crafts the mortal and celestial planes by his own hammer and anvil. In primeval layman’s perspective, Garumdir would be considered the ‘benevolent’ form of Garmund. In Haeseni art, he is commonly portrayed as a weathered smith working a forge.

 

ZULMRUND

‘The Divine Destroyer’

 

ZULMRUND, or Garmund as the DIVINE DESTROYER, is he who will come to destroy the world it has wrought upon the final fall of mortals, the final decimation wrought upon the mortal plane. To many, he would be considered the ‘malevolent’ form of Garmund for his aim on destroying the world once and for all. In Haeseni art, he is commonly portrayed as a wild man, usually covered in paint and wielding a club.

 

“Zulmrund Brings Death to the Maiden Fulswig” by Senrik van der Brube (301 ES)

 

---

 

The Celestial Deities

 

The Realms of Sindhor (Earth), Asseran (Sun), and Nikul (Moon)

Garmund created the beings known as the Celestial Gods, a pantheon led by the Earth (Sindor), the Sun (Asseran), and their son the Moon (Nikul), who together ruled the spirits and the infinite void (to the Dulonians, considered to be the cosmos). In the early days of creation, both Asseran and Nikul appeared in the day, the joint sun and moon in the celestial world, with night being completely dark and devoid of any light.

 

Asseran was a proud and powerful god, and with his solar rays he ruled the celestial realm with an iron grip. The created upon the realm of Sindhor, reliant on the power of Asseran to feed the plants of the earth, worshipped the sun as master god of the triumvirate, yet their subservient station was forever cursed under his heel. Both Asseran’s son, Nikul, and his wife, Sindhor, were unlike him and saw the plight of the created on the earth. Sindhor, equal in strength to her husband, cared for the plants and stones of the earth, loving her beauty and wishing nothing more than to maintain it. Nikul, weaker in strength yet just and noble in his resolve, and saw the plight of the living creatures and took a keen, special interest in the proto-descendants. He heard their cries in the pitch black of night, and in divine pity, he first taught man the art of fire-making. Later, he also gave them the skills of speaking, praying, and writing, as well as the knowledge on where to plant crops and how to till the fields.

 

The people praised Nikul but Asseran, his father, saw this and grew furious. The sun was a wrathful god, and one of great pride, and to see a usurper such as fire infuriated him. Upon a thorough investigation by his children the olwoki, the Clouds, he discovered it was his very child Nikul who had given man such blasphemy, and in a fit of rage, cast him down to the earth in intent to kill him. Much to his misfortune, however, his wife Sindhor would protect their child on his impact on her plane, and Nikul in human form regathered strength amongst the people he helped raise up. After some period of wandering and healing, the Moon rallied the makeshift armies of humanity in an attempt to overthrow his father and right the wrong done to him. Nikul approached his mother for her help in the coming war, though in a secret deal between herself and her husband, she remained by his side.

 

For a thousand years did the Sun and Moon fight between the Celestial and Mortal realms, each commanding armies of Clouds or Man in great divine clashes. During this time, Nikul fell in love with a water nymph named Morrig, who came from a small unnamed river near the heart of the world. She was said to be the most beautiful woman, and the bravest too, for she commanded armies of her own and became Nikul’s fiercest general. And so he fell in love with her, and she with him, and during the great conflict he made her his lover and granted her immortality by his side. Nikul had many other generals, as did Asseran, and these beings would also be granted the gift of divinity and ascend as the first Mortal Gods (the Gods of Asseran would be known as the Asserandz and the Gods of Nikul would be known as the Nikirandz).

 

“Lady of the Cosmos (the Goddess Morrig)” by Otto the Tarcharman (302 ES)

 

The great war raged till Asseran and his son Nikul met in a final battle in the spheres between the planes, in the Sky of the Demiurge, where they found in single combat before the Fallible Creator in his court. Both fought valiantly, though the father proved mightier to his offspring by sheer strength, and cast him down. The injured son, now covered in wounds (or craters) sustained in battle, was looked upon by his father, and instead of striking him down, he held out his hand for his battered kin. For the God of Rage he was, but he was also the God of Strength, and impressed by his son’s display, he spared him his life. In a proclamation to his son, he declared,

 

“O How the Brave is Pitied, and An Unpitied One is the Coward.

What are you if not the gall of your make,

Whether brittle from the apprentice or

Firm from the master’s touch?

And what is the sword made by sweat’s touch

If not tested in its very goal?”

 

And so he granted his son the realm of the night, where both could rule undisturbed. However, for the insolence of man, who he felt betrayed him dearly, he himself shines so brightly that no mortal man could stare at him for too long lest go blind by his very power, as a solemn reminder of his victory over the Moon. Nikul ascended to the night sky along with his wife, and both the deity-generals of Asseran and Nikul were granted realms in the night sky (known as the stars), with the formers acting as guards in-case of another insurrection and the latter as protectors of their adopted patron. The many stars clustered together would also form divine patrons in their own right, called constellations, which would dictate and control the voidal currents of magick deriving from the outer cosmos.

 

The War of Ybis and Second Creation

    The god Ybis, a son of Nikul and Morrig as one of the divine comets, had grown too ambitious for his own, casting his eyes to one day occupy the skies as his father and grandfather do. In a clever ploy, he invited all the gods and goddesses to a great feast in his expense, hosting one of the largest banquets ever to grace the planes of existence. Nearly every god came, from the Asserandz and Nikirandz to the pair of Nikul and Asseran, and for nine days they feasted in apparent peace and security. However, upon the ninth day of celebration and mirth, Ybis poisoned the cups and mugs of the different drinks of the gods who dined in his hall, casting them all into a deep slumber. Asseran, the great sun god, fell first, and his fire came extinguished and no light came in the day. His loving wife Sindhor collapsed herself upon seeing her husband, heartbroken at the sight- from there, the soil of the earth became rotten and grew no fruit. Other Asserandz and Nikirandz gods fell as well, and Ybis cheered at his close victory.

 

    But Nikul, the once champion of mortals, suspected treachery was aloof the first moment he had entered Ybis’ hall. Unlike the other gods, he knew of his son’s hidden, dark nature, and when his father collapsed in divine coma upon the table, it was Nikul who first cast out his sword. He defended the incapicated bodies of his father and mother from the vile hands of Ybis, who intended on absorbing them for their divine essence, and cast him from his son’s own hall. Ybis was forced to retreat and Nikul gathered the forces of the few remaining gods- led by the great giant-god Osbjor- in order to counter this new threat. The cries from the people of the earth would become great, as the lack of the sun and the cursed soil of Sindhor left little food for them to survive and thrive. 

 

    In ultimate sacrifice, Nikul gave the last remaining of his power, still never fully replenished from time duel against his father, to fill the needs of the mortals. From his body he opened a ground wound, and water rushed into the earth to fill great oceans and supply the people of the world with aquatic substance. Nikul’s body became then in deep slumber, dead yet not dead, and his remaining power illuminates as what is seen in the night sky today. Later, Ybis would curse many of the greater bodies of water with salt, though smaller lakes and rivers remain pure and clean of his taint. Leadership of the war would fall upon the shoulders of Osbjor, though by then the great demiurge Garmund would intervene and end the war suddenly. Asseran and Sindhor were awoken by a special potion brewed by Morrig using the blood of her former lover.

 

Geermadin, the End and Rebirth of Time

    The Dulonians believe that come the Geermadin at the hands of Zulmrund, the slumbering body of Nikul will burst to reveal the vengeful being Nikirdresna. This being would fight its grandfather Asseran in one final duel, culminating in both their deaths by the hands of their swords. Sindhor in grief would cast herself upon a sword, ending her left and thus ending all three great celestial beings. In the great rebirth of the world, the sun and moon are believed to be reborn as divine twins Asserbor and Nikirbor, who would rule the world of their daughter Burnsaldi for a million year reign of prosperity and fertility.

 

SINDHOR

‘The Earth’

 

    SINDHOR, the EARTH-MOTHER, or the great body from where mortals receive the basic needs of life. By her divine touch, life takes root and spreads across the fields, and by her bosom are the plants fed and the animals sheltered. Sindhor is one of the more popular deities among the old Dulonians, who applies virtues of fertility and fortune to her. In Haeseni Art, she is commonly portrayed as a woman enwrapped in nature, with brunette hair and white eyes.

 

In ancient tradition, it was customary to give a lastborn daughter up to Sindhor to live her life as a druidic virgin, or Firhorn. She would live her life amongst nature as a form of pseudo-priest and protector of the forests, and doing any harm to one became taboo amongst the natives. At reaching the age of fourteen, considered to the Dulonians then the age of majority, a Firhorn has the right to forsake her life and return to normal civilization, though many came to view the profession as a right of honor. The custom died upon the Northern Crusades of the 700s AES, where many would-be crusaders captured Firhornz by the dozen, taking them as either wives, slaves, or forcing them into nunneries.

 

ASSERAN

‘The Sun’

 

    ASSERAN, the SUN-FATHER, for it from his raging core the heat of summer is made, bring the energy of life to the earth of mortals. As the god of fire and the sun, the virtues of combat are commonly applied to Asseran, and many of the more warlike mortal deities and human clans claim descent from his loins. In Haeseni Art, he is commonly portrayed either in his sun form or as a grizzled, old man in armor, typically sporting blonde hair.

 

NIKUL

‘The Moon’

 

    NIKUL, the MOON, or commonly hailed as the great savior of mortals, for it is he is both cast him against his own father and son for the sake of man, eventually leading to his death. Along with his mother, Nikul was one of the more famous gods of the Dulonians, with many festivals and rites orchestrated in his name or during his holy season of winter. Because of his role in the creation of oceans and waterways, fishermen and millers commonly make Nikul their patron. In Haeseni art, he is shown as either in his moon form or as a young, handsome man, though commonly either in a position of being killed or great pain.

 

MORRIG

‘Mother of the Comets’

 

    MORRIG, the consort of Nikul and MOTHER OF THE COMETS, who once commanded armies under Nikul and took her spot as his side as his consort and equal partner. Commanders and other military personnel would call upon Morrig, though she is most famously attested as a goddess of motherhood (paired with her mother-in-law Sindhor) and pregnancy. Rites for expecting mothers are commonly done in Morrig’s name, and her name is commonly praised by would-be fathers after successful battles, hoping to return to a healthy child if giving their victory in her name. In Haeseni art, she is portrayed with black hair and pure, white skin.

 

---

 

The Morrigivar, the Comets of the Cosmos

    After the long, dreaded conflict between her father-in-law and his husband, Morrig rested in constellation of Morrighein, her estate and grandiose abode. She and Nikul had three sons, each one birthed as purposed gift for the pryr civilizations: Prosperity (or Tova), to give the cities wealth and happiness, Wisdom (or Druka), to give the leaders knowledge and morality, and Courage (or Ybis), to give the warriors fortitude and loyalty. Nikul and Morrig hoped that these three great sons would bring wealth and fortune to the lands of mortals, and indeed for many centuries the mortal clans were blessed by the comets’ powers.

 

    Ybis, however, desired a greater station than his lot. First, he attempted to create his own life in the form of beast-men together with Asserandz goddess Mhizdelt, though they turned rabid against him and he abandoned the project. Next, he attempted to coerce the mortals to worship him more fervently, and the four sons of Wealtfyr at first agreed in hesitation. He went then to his father Nikul to ask for more power and one day to join him with fellow Celestials as equals. Nikul knew of what he had done, thanks to the eyes of wise crow-god Gorm, and he shot his request down steadily. Ybis left infuriated, though he was far from concluded in his affairs.

 

“Comet in the Sky” by Jakob Macdonough (122 ES)

 

    The first great obstacle in his way was his own brothers, Tova and Druka, who themselves began to suspect Ybis' darker nature. During a hunting trip with his brother Druka, Ybis threw a rock at his brother while he climbed up a cliff, causing him to fall to his death. The breaking apart of Druka’s body is believed to be the great meteor showers seen in the night skies, and the fallen parts of his body holy and capable of granting great knowledge and wisdom. After hearing this treachery, Tova fled indiscriminately to the outer reaches of existence in the edge of Styniya, where Ybis was unable to find him. However, Tova then was unable to warn to prevent any further deeds by Ybis.

 

    With the gods Mhizdelt and Horjeni (a rival of Osbjor and ostensible claimant to his throne), Ybis devised a great feast, greater than any known to mortals or gods, with the intent of having every celestial and mortal divinity be in attended. And indeed, nearly all came except the most suspicious few, even the wary Nikul and Ybis’ celestial grandparents. Festivities commenced for nine days and nine nights, where the gods dined and wined on the flesh of boar and the nectar of mead, enjoying themselves in the plays of nymphs and ibszi. On the ninth day, Ybis hatched his most sinister plan: he poisoned the drinks of the attendants with a potion of slumber, enchanted to break even the greatest of awakening spells.

 

    One by one the gods and goddesses of existence fell as they drank the cursed drink, all except Nikul and his most loyal companions. Nikul had been suspicious of the festivities, and together with the giant-god Osbjor and and retinue of other minor Nikirandz, he refrained from all pleasantries and stayed courageous guard. When he saw his father and mother taken by the spell, he unsheathed his fiery sword immediately and protected the bodies of the fallen deities. Ybis intended on draining the energy of the sleeping gods, and when faced with the power of his father, Ybis was unable to overcome the sheer strength of a pure celestial and abandoned all pursuit. He fled with his co-conspirators to lick his wounds and devise what course of action to pursue accordingly,

 

    With Nikul’s sacrifice and death to create the oceans, Ybis would launch a final gambit in assailing the throne of Garmund himself. Without the power of the Asseran and Sindhor, however, he would be unable to face the great Demiurge in any form of combat and quickly fell. Garmund cast Ybis then to the farthest reaches of Styniya, encasing him in a great golden cage. Tova later returns to the plane of the mortals, and remains the last comet of  the sky till the coming of Sigmund centuries later.

 

TOVA

‘The White Comet’

 

    TOVA, the WHITE COMET and God of Prosperity, is the patron of merchants, artisans, and commerce and remained a popular god of the trade city of Dules of centuries. Due to his connotations with wealth, Tova was commonly called upon for luck in deals and even gambling, and many shopkeepers kept either pendants or shrines of Tova in their stores.

 

DRUKA

‘The Purple Comet’

 

    DRUKA, the PURPLE COMET and God of Wisdom, was the patron of philosophers, poets, and knowledge, idol for princes and priests. Commonly portrayed as a dragon, Druka inspired the minstrels and bards to sing and play, gave counsel to kings during great trouble, and illuminated the most wise of men with the secretest of lore.

 

YBIS

‘The Fallen Comet’

 

    YBIS, once the God of Courage and the Black Comet, was cast down upon the earth by his great-grandfather Garmund as the FALLEN COMET. Before his fall, Ybis was the common god for soldiers and warriors, praying and calling upon him for courage and steadfast action in battle. After, however, he would become a form a ‘anti-god’ compared to the main pantheon, intent on the latter’s destruction and usurpation.

 

---

 

The Uldenirnz

Within his great celestial palace, the Demiurge Garmund is tended to by an array of servants and courtiers, all deities in their own right, who follow his commands and bidding to a whim. Sources are scare on the Uldenirnz, and most information consists of only their names and roles with Garmund’s expansive primordial estate, though with few exceptions. Wreslani, the favorite cow of Garmund, is perhaps the most referenced of the collection of servant-gods, with a multitude of legends tied with the magickal milk she produces.

 

ADEGAR

‘The Divine Cupbearer’

 

    ADEGAR, or the DIVINE CUPBEARER, is one of Garmund’s many servants, in charge of serving him his favorite mead of Horr, an alcoholic mixture of honey and prikaz berries. Jejovi, the swordbearer, is said to be his brother and Folmar, the blacksmith, his son by the nymph Kyla.

 

JEJOVI

‘The Divine Swordbearer’

 

    JEJOVI, or the DIVINE SWORDBEARER, is the court champion of Garmund, bearing Zulmrund’s celestial hammer for the Demiurge till the coming of the end times. During the fight between the sun god Asseran and the moon god Nikul within Garmund’s hall, it was Jejovi who bestowed each of their weapons and initiated the fight as overseer. Adegar, the cupbearer, is said to be his brother and Folmar, the blacksmith, his nephew.

 

GEVOK

‘The Divine Scrivener’

 

    GEVOK, or the DIVINE SCRIVENER, is the court scribe of the Uldei, writing with steady hand the Demiurge’s lofty and petty commands on golden plates. Before taking up this role, legend tells he used to be a ibsz of modest stock, impressing the tribes of vibbenszi with his poems till eventually being invited to the court of Garmund.

 

“Folmar Crafts Fiskezwar for the hero Wealtfyr” by Jeremi van Roetgen, 17th Baron Roetgen (307 ES)

 

FOLMAR

‘The Divine Blacksmith’

 

    FOLMAR, or the DIVINE BLACKSMITH, crafts for Garmund his tools of creation and destruction, and commonly is seen as an aspect of Garmund himself. In many legends of the demi-gods, Folmar crafts for them divine instruments, from weapons such as maces and spears to mundane items like mirrors and bracelets. Adegar, the cupbearer, is said to be his father and his uncle Jejovi, the swordbearer.

 

WRESLANI

‘The Sacred Bovine of Yedellum’

 

    WRESLANI with his sacred milk fills the cups of Garmund, serving as the SACRED BOVINE OF YEDELLUM. With his nourishing milk, mortals may ascend to godhood, and indeed it is said it is how Wealtfyr, his four sons, and his later grandson Joren ascend to divine status. Worship of Wreslani was common amongst ranch herders and other pastoralists, who believed all cows as children of the him.

 

---

 

The Mortal Gods

 

The Asserandz

    The Asserandz were the former generals of the sun god Asseran, victorious in battle over Nikul and Nikirandz and cementing their place as the ‘higher’ gods when compared to their counterparts. They are led by Frysklund, the great wyrm-god and fiercest of the warriors of Asseran, though is later replaced by his son Jylig and after Meargost the cloud-lord when killed at the Duel of the Delung. Commonly, it is easy to see the Asserandz as the more violent or cruel of the gods when compared to the Nikirandz in more layman Dulonian thinking.

 

“Jylig the Northern Terror” by Otto the Tarcharman (303 ES)

 

FRYSKLUND

‘The Wyrm-God of the North’

 

    FRYSKLUND, one of the seven main Asserandz as the WYRM-GOD OF THE NORTH, was one of the most feared and respected gods ever to walk the mortal plane. His deeds were incredible and vast in number during the great civil war between Asseran and Nikul, slaying in combat numerous of Nikul’s champions till being put to stalemate by the hands of the goddess Morrig. Frysklund also harbors an immense rivalry with counterpart Osbjor of the Nikirandz, with who he later fights in the Duel of the Delung and is bested by the giant-god when assisted by the demi-god Wealtfyr and betrayed by his son Jylig for five golden thistles.

 

JYLIG

‘Frysklund’s Heir, the Northern Terror’

 

    JYLIG, originally a minor Asserandz as son of Frysklund, ascended after betraying his father for five golden thistles to become the NORTHERN TERROR. In the chaos of Frysklund’s death and the rise of Ybis, Jylig ruled the north with an iron-claw till the arrival of Joren and his fulfillment of Wealtfyr’s prophecy. After losing the support of his enslaved tribes, Jylig was slain by Joren and allowed the human to achieve godhood in the halls of Garmund.

 

SEHTRLUND

‘The Wyrm-God of the South’

 

    SEHTRLUND, one of the seven main Asserandz as the WYRM-GOD OF THE SOUTH, is the brother Frysklund, and together with one, one of the more crueler gods of existence. Not much is recorded of him in Dulonian lore, though it is inferred he remained in control of the obscure and exotic southern lands with incident.

 

WIEKLEN

‘The Wolf-God of Battle’

 

    WIEKLEN was one of the main Asserandz as the WOLF-GOD OF BATTLE, patron of soldiers and champions, and was well-known for his accomplishments in the great war between the sun and the moon. Wolves and dogs are considered the children of Wieklen, holy to his cultists, leading to the common trait of many warriors of being respectable dog-owners in hopes of Wieklen’s blessing in combat. Weapons and blades are also commonly referred to as Wieklen’s teeth and fang, and when blood is shed upon the field of battle, it is when Wieklen feeds upon the souls of the fallen combatants.

 

GARUNDORECH

‘The Lord of the Underearth’

 

    GARUNDORECH was one of the more powerful Asserandz as autocrat of the plane of Rechur and LORD OF THE UNDEREARTH, controlling vast slave armies of mole rats and his worm-children, the Garundorevar, where he conquers and inflicts harsh control over the realm of stone and dirt. It was said at the end of time, when Zulmrund destroys the earth, that Garundorech would finally go mad and attempt to conquer the magma core of the volcano Styra, where he will perish in the scorching lava. He maintains a long-time rivalry with the Nikirandz god Ystlev, the Mouse-Man.

 

ELDA

‘The Mammoth-Goddess of Rain and Storms’

 

    ELDA the MAMMOTH-GODDESS OF THE SKY is the one of the seven primary Asserandz deities as chief of the sky, commander of the weather from her sky-fortress above the clouds. By her great celestial drum she bangs the clashes of thunder, hurling spears of lightning to the earth to those who have wronged her or for her own amusement. However, it is by her opening the dam to the great celestial rivers that creates the nurturing rains, and sacrifice is made to her regularly by farmers and other agriculturalists.

 

MEARGOST

‘Lord of the Clouds’

 

    MEARGOST, marshal of the Olwolki and LORD OF THE CLOUDS, is one of the seven primary Asserandz gods, cutting his teeth as Asseran’s chief general and supporter during the war against his son the moon. All of the clouds are said to be the children of Meargost, with Meargost the son of Asseran directly through a union with a sky nymph.

 

KOSTANA

‘The Southern Wind’

 

    KOSTANA the SOUTHERN WIND, along with her Nikirandz sister Jardani, was one of the two wind goddesses and one of the seven main Asserandz deities. While her sister brings in the cold winter months of snow and frost, it is Kostana who harbingers the great spring rain and summer heat. She heralds the coming of summer with a loud trumpet, and it was alleged that one could hear Kostana blowing her horn during the start of warm spring.

 

HARUHTROW

‘The Minstrel-Wanderer’

 

    HARUHTROW, the MINSTREL-WANDERER, was one of the major seven Asserandz before being imprisoned within the magickal tree Vzihenni, replaced by his abductor Mhizdelt. After Ybis’ defeat, he is later released by the demi-god Joren from the tree, where upon he gifts Joren the magickal flute of Harunyllaes in order to woo the Lady Tara. His patronage includes breweries, inns, and other like-minded institutions, and it was common to infer a prayer for Haruhtrow before the start of any celebrations or gatherings in hopes of a mirthful occasion.

 

“Vzihenni, Prison of Haruhtrow” by Otto the Tarcharman (292 ES)

 

MHIZDELT

‘The Temptress’

 

    MHIZDELT, the TEMPTRESS, was a minor Asserandz goddess who aligned herself with the diabolical machinations of Ybis, imprisoning the god Haruhtrow a divine tree and usurping his station. Not much is known of her before her rise with Ybis, though succubi were commonly attested to be her children and offspring. The beast-men are also considered the children of Mhizdelt, thanks to her hand in their creation together with Ybis. After his fall by the hands of Garmund, Mhizdelt was forced to join him in the edge of existence in Styniya, though some traditions keep her position as a major Asserandz deity.

 

---

 

The Nikirandz

    The Nikirandz were the followers and commanders of the armies of Nikul, formally led his wife Morrig and later the giant-god Osbjor. Though they lost in the fight against Asseran, the Nikirandz remain formable deities and perhaps the most popular in terms of worship and prayer when compared to their Asserandz counterparts. In simple thinking, the Nikirandz were commonly inferred to be the more benevolent deities when compared to the Asserandz, though this is not always the case.

 

OSBJOR

‘The God-King of the Galdr’

 

    OSBJOR, one of the seven main Nikirandz as the GOD-KING OF THE GALDR, is perhaps one of the most celebrated deities of the Dulonian pantheon. Originally derived from proto-Almannir roots, Osbjor is the patron of kings and knights, coming from his spotless streak of victories in the war against Asseran despite the overall loss in the conflict. Osbjor maintained a rivalry with the Asserandz general Frysklund during the war which later extended to the Duel of the Delung, where together with the demi-god Wealtfyr he slew his foe once and for all.  However, in the ensuing the fight he would endure great wounds and later perish in the burning hall of Frysklund’s keep. The benevolent giants, or Galdr, were said to be his offspring.

 

HORJENI

‘The Betrayer; God-King of the Bjeldr’

 

    HORJENI, once a celebrated figure of the Nikirandz as a God-King of the Bjeldr, became later one of the more vilified figures of the pantheon as THE BETRAYER. Though a king in his own right, Horjeni always ruled in the shadow of his older brother Osbjor, leading him to align with Ybis and conspire the fall of Nikul. However, Ybis would fall in the endeavour, and Horjeni was cast along with him into Styniya. The cursed giants, or Bjeldr, were said to be his offspring.

 

YSTLEV

‘The Mouse-Prince’

 

    YSTLEV, one of the seven main Nikirandz as the MOUSE-PRINCE, is a patron of fertility and fortune, known most famously for his countless conflicts with the Asserandz deity Garundorech in the realm of Rechur. Ystlev was commonly worshiped amongst miners, with whom the discovery of gold and other precious metals, as well as among peasantry who paired him with Morrig or Sindhor when seeking divine help in pregnancy. 

 

GORM

‘The Three-Eyed Crow’

 

    GORM the THREE-EYED CROW was one of the main Nikirandz gods, at one time an aide-de-camp and advisor to Morrig during the war of Nikul and Asseran. After the great war, Gorm became connected with the harvest of autumn and the bounty of the fields, commonly invoked when asking for the coming of a bountiful growing season. The most famous story of Gorm comes from his advising the twins Rovyk and Kolvyk, Almannir chieftains, though he was unable to solve the conflict amongst them and left a brutal civil war amongst them. Gorm is also a patron of the Hussarian basin, from whence the Raev came from, and it is believed the Karovic once symbolized a form of Gorm.

 

PISKTRO

‘The Queen of the Sea’

 

    PISKTRO was one of the main Nikirandz goddesses as the QUEEN OF THE SEA, a creature born after Nikul’s sacrifice during the Ybis’ uprising. In her great sea palace, she rules the seas and commands the great schools of fish and aquatic creatures, which call her sovereign and despot. She was popular among sailors and fishermen, who would offer her sacrifice in exchange for calm waves or large catches out at sea.

 

MOGASZA

‘The Protectress of the Home’

 

    MOGASZA was one of the main Nikirandz goddesses the PROTECTRESS OF THE HOME, and according to some legends, the nymph-sister of the goddess Morrig. Her patronage includes the protection and defense of the hearth and home, making her a very popular clan deity among different tribes. Nearly every home from the lowly serfs to the affluent burghers of the trade cities had a personal of Mogasza in their home. Marriages were also commonly done in the rite of Mogasza, with some areas incorporating her as a marriage-fertility goddess on par with Morrig.

 

JARDANI

‘The Northern Wind’

 

    JARDANI was one of the seven main Nikirandz goddesses, as well as one of the two great winds as the NORTHERN WIND, who heralds the cold winds of autumn and winter, the holy seasons of her patron Nikul. Unlike her sister, who is connected with the warmer winds of summer, Jardana commands the snow and hail, and sacrifices were common in the early winter months in order to ensure a light winter for that year.

 

MITYA

‘Mare of the East’

 

    MITYA, or the MARE OF THE EAST, was a minor Asserandz of Rhenyari origins, transported over by their Taracoi (or ‘Tarchars’) soldiery who later settled the vast steppes between the lands of the Hussarian basin and that of Rhen. In the form of a fire horse-god and patron of battle, Mitya was popular among Tarchar kossaks and even took root in sparse Raev bands.

 

GODANISTENI

‘Patron of Merchants’

   

    GODANISTENI, the PATRON OF MERCHANTS, was a minor Nikirandz of contemporary roots, originating from a corruption of the Canonist ‘Creator’ as a separate deity. Because of its connections with the typically Canonist southern merchants, the import god became paired with the virtues of mercantile success and wealth, morphing into a patron for commerce and business. In Haeseni art, Godansisteni is commonly portrayed as an obese bald man, usually upon a chest or pile of gold.

 

---

 

The Demigods

    The Demigods refer to the family of mortals starting from Wealtfyr, when he drank the milk of the divine cow Wreslani and became divine, which accomplished great and almost incredible feats. The two most famous in Dulonian tradition remain to be Wealtfyr, considered amongst them to be the ‘First Parent’ alluded to in myth and legend, and Joren, the grandson of the former and first northern king of contemporary note. The family, called the Weltung or Horrung (after Wealtfyr’s third son and champion Horren), are commonly linked to the more historical Horensons of the early classical period of the 1400s AES.

 

    The legends of the demi-gods are vast with numerous unconnected tales and myths, and so for the sake of brevity I have only included key points within their biographies. (Note: In the coming years, hopefully, I shall compile the myths of the demi-gods in their epic poetic form).

 

“St Joren Blows the Whalebone Horn” by Br. Ludvik of Nevek (188 ES)

 

WEALTFYR

‘The First Demi-God’

 

    WEALTFYR, or the FIRST DEMI-GOD, was the first mortal ever to ascend to the skies as divine, besting the Asserandz god Frysklund in the Duel of the Delung and uniting the five great Mannir tribes of the hinterlands into one great empire of its own right. By his feats was humanity born, bearing with his wife Agdalla the four descendent brothers who would later created the four races of man, elf, ork, and dwarf.

 

JOREN

‘The Imprisoned God’

 

    JOREN the IMPRISONED GOD, grandson of the first demi-god Wealtfyr and his successor in deed according to the Weltic Prophecies. Joren, like his grandfather before him, killed the wyrm-chief of the Asserandz (namely Jylig Fryskovar), wandered the lands in the guise of Haruhtrow, performing during them countless feats of strength and courage, and united the north under his holy banner. Joren’s five imprisonments are of thematic note, which include his last imprisonment by his hands of his own brother Harren, only later to be freed by his nephew Odrin.

 

TARA

‘The Goddess of Love’

 

    TARA, wife of Joren and the GODDESS OF LOVE, once being the pawn of her ward-father Harren in order to lure Joren to trap and later ascended herself to a goddess in her own right upon rising as queen of the hinterlands. During her husband’s imprisonment, Tara commanded the last remaining free Mannir in the hinterlands from the clutches of her brother-in-law and the Witch Queen Sarai. The concepts of love and romance in the Dulonian sense are also commonly applied to her.

 

HARREN

‘The Damned Kinslayer’

 

    HARREN the DAMNED KINSLAYER, brother of Joren and once destined savior of mankind, who later abandoned in all to marry the witch queen known as Sarai. The details of Harren’s fall varies from tribe to tribe, with some saying he was tricked and rused by magick of the witch queen, while others say of a more sinister nature of the supposed messiah. Harren imprisoned his brother Joren under guise of marriage to his ward Tara, a would-be lover of the demi-god, using it as excuse to possess the lands of the hinterlands for himself. He is later killed and usurped by his nephew Odrin, a son of his brother Goswin.

 

ODRIN

‘The Hero of Man’

 

    ODRIN, called across the world as the HERO OF MAN, son of Goswin and nephew to both Joren and Harren. Odrin escaped the traitorous grasp of Harren after he imprisoned Joren and later killed Odrin’s own father Goswin in single duel, escaping the court of Tara and amassing himself an army. With the blessings of the gods, Odrin’s later army fought Harren in open field combat, scoring a victory over his uncle- though against the wishes of the divinities, Odrin slew Harren with his own hand and sword.

 

---

 

Other Mythological Creatures

    Haeseni mythology boasts numerous other supernatural or otherwise unworldly beings in its stories and tales, whether benevolent or malevolent to humankind. Some of these are entire species of being (such as the Galdr or the Olwolki), while some are individual creatures stooped in curse or unnatural genesis (such as the Seal Princess).

 

THE VIBBENSZI

‘Guardians of the Rivers’

 

THE VIBBENSZI are small, magickal creatures which live and guard the rivers and lakes of the hinterlands, keeping the water clean and fish plentiful. Normally, a Vibbensz is invisible, thanks to its ultimately celestial nature, and remains unseen to all; however, according to different legends, if one shows great respect to their aquatic home or their Vibbenszi clan, they will show themselves and grant a magickal wish.

 

A Vibbenildansz, or Vibdanszi, is a special form of Vibbenszi which guards specifically either a village well or homestead water source, typically as titular protectors of that specific clan or tribe.

 

THE LIBBISZI

‘The Mushroom Folk’

 

THE LIBBISZI are small magickal creatures, similar to their coz race the Vibbenszi, though instead protect not sacred water holes, but rather dwell in the great mushrooms and (more rarely) trees of the untamed forests. They carry a much more hostile attitude towards mortals than their counterparts, and will commonly attempt to eat trespassers who linger on their claimed property lest they answer a riddle.

 

THE GALDR

‘The Benevolent Giant-Men; the Osbjorsons’

 

    THE GALDR are one of the two races of giants, along with the Bjeldr, and are considered the children of the god Osbjor. The Galdr were considered the benevolent giants, and in numerous tales do they assist human heroes in their trials or tasks. Majority of the Galdr fell in the Duel of the Delung when facing the forces of Frysklund, with only one (usually named Rugr) remaining as the ‘Last King of the Galdr’. They were once close with their Bjeldr cousins, though when their king Horjeni betrayed the gods in pursuit of their own ambition, they later became their chief antagonist force.

 

THE BJELDR

‘The Malevolent Giant-Men; the Horjensons’

 

    THE BJELDR are one of the two races of giants, along with the Galdr, and are considered to be the children of god-king Horjeni. Compared to the Galdir, the Bjeldr were considered to be more ‘malevolent’ and commonly feature more as enemies and obstacles in Dulonian myth and legend.

 

THE OLWOLKI

‘The Cloud-Children of Asseran’

 

    THE OLWOLKI were the children and soldiers of Meargost, the battle-hardened veterans of the Asseran-Nikul war who now watch over mortals in solemn vigil and guard. To the Dulonians, the clouds of the day sky were considered to be real, sentient beings, changing and growing in the primordial ceiling above. The clouds are also the favored beings of the sun Asseran, who gives them the affectionate title as ‘his children’, and cloudy days are considered holy days of the Olwolki as they gather to pray to their father.

 

THE FLESH WORMS

‘Tyrants of the Dirt’

 

    THE FLESH WORMS were the great worm beings of Dulonian myth, roughly related to the more real Adunian Flesh Worms, and were considered to be the children of Garundorech. Due to Garundorech’s more hostile view of humanity, flesh worms in myth are commonly seen as enemies and foes for human heroes and demi-gods to overcome, such as Joren’s killing of Tifsrech in fulfilling the Weltic prophecies. The size of the worms vary, from either being roughly human-sized to being as large of mountains and glaciers.

 

MIDULF, THE WEREBOAR

‘Wild Man of the Forests’

 

    MIDULF, THE WEREBOAR was a character of minor Dulonian myth, which featured a cursed prince forced during the twilight hours to take the form of a hideous boar. The origins of the curse come from a witch, who either curses Midulf out of some perceived slight or for her own enjoyment. In some stories, a maiden who kisses Midulf as his one true love, freeing him and taking the woman as his queen once he retakes his rightful throne.