6. And
Shattered then the other Gods the earth herself, and the rocks of
our dens fell in upon us, crushing the people of ISSA as they slept,
and the seas rushed in, drowning the caves and the mossy dells,
stilling forever the soft sibilance of our brooks and streams,
engulfing the sweet land which ISSA had given us.
– Oh weep for the precious land of ISSA
7.journeyed
We then toward those lands where the sun makes his bed, and
ISSA led us. Found we there a fair land of swamp and tangled
thicket and sluggish rivers, dark beneath the trees. And our
brothers, the serpents, dwelt there in abundance. And ISSA commanded
us that we raise a city beside the holy River of the Serpent, and
called we the name of the city Sthiss Tor in honor of the holy wisdom
of ISSA.
– All praise to ISSA, cold and fair
8. And yet
There came a time when ISSA called us to him and spake unto us,
saying:
‘Behold, it has come to pass that I must depart from thee. The
Gods have warred, and the earth may no longer sustain us.’
Loud were our lamentations at ISSXs words, and we cried out
unto him, saying:
‘We beseech thee, oh mighty God, absent thyself not from us, for
who will lead and guide us if thou depart?’
And ISSA wept.
– Revere the tears of sorrowing ISSA
9. Again
Spake ISSA unto us, saying:
‘Behold, I am thy God, and I love thee. In spirit shall I abide with
thee, and from thy number will I select the one through whom shall
I speak. Thou shalt hear and obey the one – even as it were me.’
– Hear and obey the word of ISSA
THE HOLY BOOKS
I0. Now
Of all the servants of ISSA, most beloved was Salmissra, the
Priestess, and ISSA touched her and exalted her and spake unto the
people again, saying:
‘Behold my handmaiden, Salmissra. Her have I touched and
exalted. And she shall be queen over thee and have dominion, and
her voice shall be my voice, and thou shall call her name eternal, for
I am with her – even as with thee unto the end of days.’
– All praise to eternal Salmissra, handmaiden of ISSA
II. Spake
Then eternal Salmissra, Queen of the Serpent People, saying:
(The remainder of the fragment has been lost.)
* This is typical of the Nyissan character, and the addition of the hundreds of narcotics
available to them enabled us to posit an alien culture with no correspondence to any on
this world. It is reasonable for them to be the way they are. Their society has echoes of the
Egyptian, but only slight ones.
HYMN TO CHALDAN
NOTE:This is the famous War-hymn of the Asturian Arends believed to
have been composed sometime early in the second millennium. While
there exist Mimbrate and Wacite hymns of similar tenor, this particular
piece most universally captures the spirit of Arendia, and despite its
Asturian origin it is widely sung in Mimbrate chapels even to this day.
Historical research indicates that it was also popular in Wacune before
those people were obliterated during the Arendian Civil Wars.
Honor, Glory and Dominion be thine, 0 Chaldan.
Grant, Divine Lord, Victory unto thy Servants.
See, 0 our God, how we adore Thee.
Smite, Great Judge, the Wicked and Unjust.
Chastise our Foes. Consume them with Fire.
Scourge hhnhim who has despite unto us.
Blessed be the Name of Chaldan
Power, Might, and Empire be thine, 0 Chaldan.
Bless, Warrior God, the Weapons of thy Children.
Gird us, Great One, in Armor impenetrable.
Hear, Blessed Chaldan, our Lament for the Fallen.
Comfort us in our Bereavement.
Revenge us upon our Enemies.
Blessed be the name of Chaldan.
Wisdom, Honor, Eternal Worship be thine, 0 Chaldan.
Give, 0 our God, courage for the battle.
Hearken, Divinity’ unto our War-Prayer.
Sustain, Magnificence, our just Cause.
Punish him who speaks slightingly to us.
Blessed be the name of Chaldan.
THE HOLY BOOKS
There are, of course, some four hundred and eighteen more verses,
but the quality definitely deteriorates beyond this point, and the
descriptions of the punishments invoked upon enemies are too
graphic to repeat in a text which might inadvertently fall into the
hands of women or children.
THE HOLY BOOKS
EEEE-AAAAY!
THE LAMENT OF MARA
NOTE FROM THE IMPERIAL LIBRARIAN OF TOL HONETH:
This peculiar piece was produced by a melancholy monk at Mar-Ten”n
in the late 27th century. Though he steadfastly maintained until his
death that these were the actual words of the grieving God, Mara, it is
easily evident that this mournful work is rather the product of a mind
diseased by solitude, racial guilt and the continual wail of the wind in
the barren trees near the monastery.
The unfortunate history of the destruction of Maragor and the
extermination of its people is a moral burden which the Tolnedran Empire
must bear. We must not, however, lapse into hysteria as a result of our
sense of guilt. Rather we must resolve never again to turn to such
savagery in our quest for advantage and profit.
Truly, the spirit of the C4od Mara stands as a continual remonstrance
to us,. and, balanced against the proverbs Of OUT own beloved Nedra,
provides every decent and right-thinking Tolnedran with those bounds
against which he may measure his conduct.
EEEE – AAAAY!
EEEE – AAAAY!
Oh Weep for Mara whose people are no more.
Sorrow,
Sorrow,
Grief and Woe
The people are destroyed, the elders and the
children.
The men are cut down, and the women, fountainhead-of race and blood and kind
are slain.
The people of Mara are no more.
EEEE-AAAAY!
Sorrow
Sorrow
and
The people of Mara are no more.
Cursed then is the land.
Betrayed am I by my brothers.
Betrayed land of the Marags shall be forever
Accursed.
My hand shall be raised against it.
No fruit shall it bear to outlanders.
‘ ‘i l’
No rest or sleep shall they find there.
Madness only shall they reap
among my empty cities.
And I will raise an army of the dead
against all who come into this land.
Blood and death to all who profane my sacred altars.
EEEE – AAAAY!
EEEE – AAAAY!
Sorrow!
Sorrow!
Sorrow!
o, weep for Mara, whose people are no more*
* This was written to explain the haunting of Maragor. Note that we now have two insane
gods (Torak being the other). Mara recovers, however, when Taiba appears. Note also the
hints of a matriarchal society.
THE PROVERBS OF NEDRA
There are some 1800 proverbs of Nedra. The few presented here are a
random sampling containing the general spirit of the advice of Nedra
to his people. The fact that Tolnedra is the dominant power in the west
is silent testimony to the efficacy of Nedra’s advice.
Kill not. Dead men cannot buy from thee.
2. Steal not. Give full measure, and thy customer shall return.
“”,3 ov
Cheat not. Keep thy mind unto thine own business and thou shalt
prosper
Store up thy goods against thine old age. Prepare for adversity’
and be prudent in thine expenditures.
Be bountiful unto thy children and unto thy brother’s children so
that they will be bountiful unto thee when thy vigor is
diminished.
6. Bribe not the tax-collector. If he will betray the throne, will he not
betray thee also?
7. Adulterate not the coinage nor shave away fragments therefrom.
The coin thou sendest away today shall return unto thee
tomorrow, and then whom hast thou robbed?
8. Dabble not. Select thy wares and become conversant with them.
Who can know both shoes and jewels at the same time?
Deal in the very best thou canst afford. Who will buy from one
who hath no faith in his own goods?
10. Be patient in thy dealings. Courtesy and wit are gold. Anger and
spite are brass.
11. Cheat not. Thy customer will remember thee and shall never
return.
12. Revenge thyself not on him who hath dealt falsely with thee. No
profit is to be found in revenge.
13. Be ever watchful of the servant with ambition. If he is stupid, he
will steal from thee. If he is clever, he will supplant thee.
14. Traffic only in tangible things. Who can weigh the wind or
measure a promise?
15. Store up gold. Time cannot tarnish it, nor fashion cheapen. Trade
thy gold only in the certainty of bringing in more.*
The merchant class has been greatly neglected in fantasy, but wrongly. This Tolnedran
greed’ added an interesting side-light to the character of our heroine. Ce’Nedra loves
money.
THE SERMON OF ALDUR
Unto his Disciples
* As mentioned in the Introduction this was a false start. We were still groping around the
edges of ‘the Will and the Word’ when it was written, and this was an attempt to define it
and to set some limits, the most important being that you have to believe that it is going to