Tales of the Lesser Gods

[Ed. note: The material that appears below was published as part of the original Gods of Hârn, but was not included in Hârnmaster Religion. I am thankful to both Columbia Games and to N. Robin Crossby for allowing it to appear as part of the HRT General Issues pages until such a time as it is reprinted.]

Introduction

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The Wars of Dawn

When the First Gods had withdrawn from conflict, some gods still battled, knowing no other way. This was the time of the war of the lesser gods, before the Concordat. The battle for supremacy was fought openly and with little thought of mercy; gods fell, were imprisoned and even slain. There were acts of great heroism and cowardice in this epic and tragic time. Gradually their numbers dwindled, and they were able to make peace. This was an age of great tales.

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The Eldest God

First, it is said, there was Siem. Of the lesser gods, the Lord of Dreams grew first from the chaos. While other gods waged war in the "worlds between the worlds", Siem journeyed to the mortal planes and perceived the peril of the Sindarin and Khuzdul (elves and dwarves). Siem did not create the elder peoples, but he gave them their special powers and made them what they are. This cost them their youthful innocence, but gave them the necessary abilities to survive the difficult times that were to follow.

While wars raged between the lesser gods, Siem prepared places for the lesser races. Perceiving that most of Kelestia would be for men, he set aside the Blessed Realm for the elves and dwarves, and made it his own kingdom, a "perfect" place for his chosen people, a world from which he could hold most of the violence of the worlds. Then he sought out his folk. First to Midgaad, where he led a migration of the elves and dwarves from great defeat, then to the other worlds to gather together those who had gone astray. Not all his folk followed him. Some had built their hopes on Yashain, Kethira or Midgaad. Siem would not impose his will upon his peoples. Those who stayed behind were not abandoned. Siem aided where he could, but his power was greatest in the Blessed Realm.

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Morgath and Bukrai

The origin and nature of the Orb That Cannot be Viewed are lost to the time when the First Gods had not made peace. Bukrai is a sphere of black nothingness, said to be a "gate" to the plane where the essence of the First Gods dwell. Why they left such an artifact is unknown. Perhaps it is a window through which they can perceive the lower planes and the doings of gods and men. Perhaps, as is often held, Bukrai is actually one of the Immutable Ones, a "Mad God", imprisoned within the sphere for the good of Kelestia. Whatever its true nature, for aeons the lesser gods were aware of Bukrai, never fully understanding its nature, nor daring to gaze within.

There came a time when Morgath, who was not then as he is now, was besieged within his stronghold by three gods and their armies. It seemed certain that his realm would fall and that he would perish. Morgath spent the last of his strength in a mighty attack to break the siege and escape. Fleeing through shadow, he came to the "Eighth Plane" (?), the lifeless world on which Bukrai lay. There he siezed the orb.

By the power of Bukrai, Morgath was able to utterly destroy his three enemies, but he too was lost. Gazing within the sphere, he was forever changed. Siem, the oldest and wisest of the lesser gods, warned him, saying,

"Restore the dark orb and I shall grant thee forgetfulness, for he that takes it for his own shall know no peace, 'though he may be a master of souls, shall his own be forfeit".

But Morgath spurned the advice, turning his back on Siem to study Bukrai and learn its secrets. Siem said to the other gods, "Now is heralded the end, for as he grows, shall grow the shadow and all the strength of man and beast and god may not avail".

Soon after, Siem isolated himself in the Blessed Realm, calling most of his folk to follow. The other gods made no attempt to recover Bukrai for Save-K'nor warned that the time was not right. Since the siezure, Morgath has gained some knowledge of the sphere's workings, but he has grown ever more insane, and has even violated the Concordat from time to time.

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Agrik and Larani

In the age before the Concordat, the greatest rivalry was between the goddess Larani and Agrik, the Lord of Fire. Larani valued the freedom and joys of mortalkind and Agrik treasured power above all else. The armies of Agrik, led by fiery demons, pillaged the worlds and fought often with the knights of the Shieldmaiden. Demons, demigods and mortals were slain as worlds were laid waste.

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Ahnu and Dhivu

There came an impasse in the war and Larani resolved to turn the tide. Calling upon the craft of Ilvir, and lore stolen from Save-K'nor, the Sage of Heaven, she built a new god to champion her cause. This god she called Ahnu, first of the dragons. Ahnu was a mighty, graceful beast, fueled by fires from the heart of Yashain and able to ride the winds on majestic wings.

Larani won Ahnu's loyalty by love and sent him forth to Agrik's fortress Balgashang to turn her enemy's fiery weapons against him. Ahnu breathed mightily upon the towers of Balgashang, and its warlord was afraid, for the weapons to fight fire were repugnant to him and beyond his ken and control.

Morgath, however, decided that he did not desire the fall of Balgashang and, gazing within Bukrai, drew upon his own lore to create a mirror image of Ahnu, which he called Dhivu. But where Ahnu was a creature of primal fire, Dhivu contained a tiny part of the icy void. Her strength was that of the glacier, her breath the blizzard. Morgath set the compulsion of Bukrai upon her and sent her forth to battle Ahnu.

But once she came to Balgashang, beyond the power of the dark orb, and looked upon Ahnu, she forgot the shadow and was free. Ahnu and Dhivu gazed upon each other and perceived beauty. The great dragons betrayed their creators and fled to the mortal worlds.

Ahnu and Dhivu were of fire and ice and the consumation of their love was painful. Each touch destroyed them both, and when they were done they lay lifelessly entwined. Then Peoni, the gentle maiden of Valon, took mercy upon them and shed tears above them. She brought forth the eggs of dragonkind and set them safe upon mortal worlds. Ahnu she set among the stars, and Dhivu she revived, placing her upon Kethira in the land of Ivae. Each thousand years they would change places, for never could they meet again. And their seed grew and prospered.

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The Duel of Khamar

After Ahnu and Dhivu failed to resolve the issue, Agrik evolved his own plan. He went to a place called Khamar and there lay in ambush for Larani. Leaping forth with his mighty mace, he surprised the goddess, saying, "...Now breathe thy last, sister, for I am become death, the bane of worlds". The battle lasted long, and Khamar was devastated, but eventually Agrik smote Larani and near slew her.

But Peoni loved the Lady of Paladins and used her healing powers to restore her. The Shieldmaiden recovered, taking, for the first time, the aspect of the Terrible Lady of Flowing Red. Her anger was great and, with Avarkiel her great sword, she cut the claw from Agrik's hand. Larani was about to slay Agrik, but Peoni interceded saying, "By the life I gave thee, stay thy hand".

Larani deferred to her saviour and even went so far as to offer Agrik her hand, but Agrik denied her saying, "Shall I take thy hand, as trophy of my victory. For that will come. 'Though the worlds expire, and stagnant peace prevail a thousand million aeons shall I remember". Peoni offered to heal the sundered claws, but Agrik spurned her: "And how better may I recall this day than to carry always the mark of betrayal?"

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The Sundered Claw and the Blood of Fire

As Agrik stood brooding at Khamar after the departure of the two goddesses, the god Ilvir came and spoke to him.

"A bargain shall I make, my brother. Look upon the ground, thou did shed eight drops of thy blood. With my cunning, if thou desirest, shall I make thee sons in thy own image, loyal to do thy will."

Agrik had never had allies in whom he could safely trust, so he was suspicious:

"How shall I know that this is no assassin's plot, craven one, for who shall love the mightiest of the gods?"

To this Ilvir answered,

"Trust whomever thou will, immodest one. Have thou the craft to bring forth such as I describe? For my part, I have need of thy lost talons, I do this not for love of thee. You may fear what thou will. I have offered thee true. Decide."

After brief reflection, the bargain was made. Ilvir used his craft upon the blood and birthed the V'hir, fiery demons in Agrik's image, as loyal as sons. Agrik ordered his demons to slay Ilvir, but they would not. Ilvir explained:

"Am I then so foolish? Thy sons shall be as slaves in all but this: Never shall they harm their maker, and as I command, shall they perish. Now keep or break thy bargain."

Agrik gazed upon his children, and although they had only penultimate loyalty, he admired them. Reluctantly he surrendered the claw.

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Ilvir and His Children

From the earliest times, the craft of Ilvir was great. Of all the gods, he had the greatest knowledge of the mortal races, except only for the folk of Siem, the elder peoples, the elves and dwarves. Others would come to him, saying, "make for me an army of thy craft", or "build a creature that can walk in shadow and do my bidding". Always he demanded the same payment of the gods: "give to me a portion of thy godly flesh as price, and what thou desirest is thyne". As time passed, Ilvir amassed varieties of divine flesh, and from these he made his own creatures. The gods were little concerned about Ilvir's strange lifeforms, for they seemed nothing more than harmless curiosities.

Ilvir had long coveted a part of Agrik to complete a treasured recipe. When he acquired the Sundered Claw, his plans were made. After the Concordat, he journeyed to Araka-Kalai, located "...on two worlds" and there he made his home. He made a myriad of strange creatures, some to serve him, some to teach him the ineluctable meaning of life itself (a still elusive concept) and some simply to glorify his art. In this, Ilvir has mostly withdrawn from the affairs of the gods, and seems to have diminished somewhat. At Araka-Kalai, he broods over his obscure purposes, the god that abides. Only rarely does he act, but his creatures range far and wide, a tribute to Ilvir's unique art, but still a mockery of true life whose creation is beyond even the gods.

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Halea and the Thief of Heaven

The goddess Halea was always vain of her form, and jealous of her possessions. Once, after the Concordat, the god Naveh desired her. He stole many treasures to enrich her hoards, and went to her saying, "lie with me". But Naveh was vague of form, frightening to behold, and Halea was cruel, saying, "Not in the darkest depths of the places between the worlds could I bear thy visage". Naveh was so much in love with the goddess that he used his great skill to make a mask, the Shinkra-Akra. This he carved from the jewel-heart of a great mountain. It was in the form of a skull, and symbolized the transient nature of all things. Still, Halea spurned him, and Naveh swore revenge.

The Thief of Heaven crept into Halea's Crimson Chamber and stole her favourite pet, the beautiful black cat Dekejis, whom he blinded and castrated. Halea was furious when Dekejis was returned. "Thou hast marred the beauty of my perfect feline", she said. She cast out the cat and demanded recompense from Naveh. But Naveh said: "The price is paid for there is a lesson for thee in this". Halea sought the arbitration of Save-K'nor, who told her that there was indeed a lesson at least equal in value to Halea's injury. This gave the goddess pause, and the dispute was allowed to die without further violence.

Naveh, meanwhile, took pity on Dekejis and took him in, promising him rewards to compensate for his injuries. Placing red fires where his eyes had been, Naveh gave the feline the power to perceive heat, to see in darkness. He also promised him opportunities to consume the genitals of his mortal victims which would eventually restore his own lost organs. While Dekejis consumes such delicacies with relish, the truth of the promise is yet to be proven.

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