Tavrican Legends and Lore

From Storing Don

Contents 1 The Epic of Tell 1.1 The Epic of Farlen Tell 1.2 Begin Epic 2 Tavrican Religion 2.1 Core Deities 2.2 Lesser Deities 2.3 Demideities

[edit] The Epic of Tell

[edit] The Epic of Farlen Tell

In Tavrica, it is customary for the Archduke to gather the children of the noble families once a year and give them a history lesson. This is a tradition dating back to the year 62. For the children, it is a day of great anticipation, for they are let out of their schooling for the day.

Today is the first such day during Cayel's term as Archduke. He smiles brightly as the children file onto the baclony. It is a bright, sunny morning, and the Archduke has decided to take advantage of it. As the last of the children take their seat, Cayel starts speaking.

"Good morning," he says jovially with a wave. "I trust you will have no objections to starting right into it? Righto then. Let us begin." Grabbing the legendary bow Tell from the pedestal where he had set it earlier, Cayel holds it aloft. "This is Tell," he says in a reverent tone. "Our national symbol of glory and the greatest bow ever made. Including myself, only four ment, great Tavrican leaders all, have been able to draw it. I'm sure you know who thay are, but I'll go into detail any way. Excluding myself there was Cadifor Istel, who led and died honorably in the battle against the Vadali. There was Stafelch Geilil, who led the revolt against the Endalian control of Tavrica, and last, but most certainly not the least, is Farlen Tell, for whom the bow is named.

"This is why you've been gathered here today. To learn about this man and what he did for Tavricans before such a thing as Tavrica ever existed. Without this man, there's a large possibility that none of what you see here today would exist. And now that I've raised your expectancy, I think its time to begin."

[edit] Begin Epic

Every Tavrican knows of Farlen Tell. He is often portrayed as the perfect hero: tall, strong, handsome, noble, courageous, daring. Not to crush your reality, but Tell isn't all he's cracked up to be. If you've ever seen a picture of Tell, you'd know this right away. In actuality, he was a short man, at least, for a Tavrican. He had short, brown hair instead of the luxurious, flowing, blonde hair that is described in the stories. He was a somewhat selfish man, with anger issuses and a gambling problem. But if there is one good thing to be said about Tell, it was that he was lucky. Not only did he win nearly every game of dice, he won so many archer contests by just shooting randomly that people gave up trying. The man was practically unbeatable.

I'm going to pause in this history of Tell for a bit to regale you with another legend. There is an old Tavrican demideity, the evil Serpent, a servant of Croshnir, the God of Death.

The Serpent lived in the mountains, and would atack villages and cities, preying on livestock and small children. It had a serpentine body and six spindly legs, which could propel it twenty feet forward in less than five seconds. With the stinger of a scorpion, the claws of a mantis, and the venemous bite of an adder, it was a fearsome creature to behold. No sword could slice it. Arrows could not pierce its scaly hide, and magic just glanced off like so many flies. Hunter after hunter, warrior after warrior, they all challenged it, and, one by one, they died. Cruel, ruthless, and evil to the core, the Serpent was feared by all.

All, that is, except for Tell, who, for some reason unknown to even the greatest historians, didn't believe that the Serpent was real. Every evening, he would sit in the taverns, gambling the night away and drinking ale with his buddies. He would boast loudly that the Serpent would not attack, nay, could not attack, because it didn't exist. This pattern went on until, one night, the Serpent proved him wrong.

It happened one night while Tell was deeply involved in a game of dice, which, astonishingly, he was loosing. Badly. Finally, Tell's temper snapped, and he stormed out of the tavern. It was only a few minutes that he was out of the village, but when he came back, there was not a single building left standing, and bloody, chewed up corpses littered the streets. Shocked, Tell wandered aimlessly, wondering what could have happened when the thing struck. Rising from the remains of a demolished house, a still bloody, half-eaten body in its terrible maw, the Serpent stood, surveying its surroundings. It spotted the trembling form of Tell, and hurriedly forgot its meal in favor of live prey. Stinger at the ready, claws gropin the air, it approached Tell, who was parlyzed with fear. Closer, closer, the beast came, analyzing the man with a savage intelligence, knowing it could take its time.

Finally, the beast struck, snapping its head forward almost faster than the eye could follow. And, as sure as Tell stood there, he knew he was staring his death in the face. (That's all I got for now. I'll edit the rest in later.)

[edit] Tavrican Religion

[edit] Core Deities

• Ehlonna - The Goddess of the Forests (Head Goddess) (Kilvaer)
• Ehlonna is the mother of Tavrica, with hair of deep red draping down her shoulders and back, decorated with leaves and flowers; colors changing with in the seasons with the trees, flowers blossoming in spring. Her skin is the palest white, but in the shades of a light green. A dress of bark, moss, and leaves is loose around her slender body. Where her bare feet glide, life springs up in any stone or soil, blossomed flowers and climbing vines that wrap around her ankles as they cling to the mother goddess. Her presence instils utter serenity and peace, with the ease of the wind brushing her grass carpeted garden, and the strength of the trees that bow to her. Birds are drawn to her arms like they were boughs, which bear bracelets of thin vines, and she sings with them in her leisure.

• Sorne - The God of the Hunt (Kilvaer)
• Sorne is clad in furs of deer, bear, wolf, squirrel, and many other animal pelts. Weapons line his body, with his great bow Irsk tied to his strong back. The man is tall and strong in body and senses, able to walk over autumn's most fragile leaf without it cracking a cry of shattering. Two hounds accompany him on his hunts; Lors and Baste, who are mates. His awesome ability of camouflage and stalking is unmatched by any hunter. He is the husband of Ehlonna.

• Arishera - The Goddess of Fire (Kilvaer)
• Arishera is a fair entity of the ever-changing fire. Her body is in constant motion, as if in a dance, mimicking the flames she holds dominion over. Her red-gold hair is a twisting display of her flailing nature, that riles the heat of Tavrican blood in the veins of all Ehlonna's children. A halo of fire is wreathed around her neck, like a garland of burning flowers, which are copied around her wrists and ankles, each flaring with her exciting nature. Her dancing is wild and alive, with steps and movements that are constantly changing and shifting like fire does as it enacts her dance in its lesser forms. The crackling of her music keeps the cadence of her dance, and the light she shines is like a beacon to lead Tavricans towards the victory over any enemies.

• Callelch - The God of the Waters (Falkyn)
• Callelch is Arishera's husband. Dorume is their child, and, as such, Callelch is especially attached to him. When you don't find him with Arishera, he is out, following Dorume's trail in his ceaseless wanderings of the earth. Callelch carries with him a harpoon, which he uses to spear the fish and the other food the sea bears, for him and Arishera to eat. He wears a once white robe that has been stained by the sea, and he has various aquatic fauna, from seaweed to various mollusks, living in his heavy beard.

• Stellnar - The Goddess of the Skies (Falkyn)
• Stellnar sits on top of her throne of clouds and looks down upon the world, watching it roll by underneath her. She is clad in a dress of the purest cumulus clouds, and wears a tiara of cirrus. She goes everywhere barefoot, and has flowing white hair. Her breathe is the cool, spring time breeze, her anger the vicious storms that sink ships. When she cries, her tears rain down onto the face of her lover, Dorume, who reaches up his arms to comfort her.

• Dorume - The God of the Earth (Falkyn)
• Dorume wanders the earth, following the path of his lover, Stellnar, as she travels across the heavens on her clouds. His sole longing is to be with her and comfort her in her times of need. Whenever he senses that something has disturbed her, he reaches out his arms, the mountains of the world, to try and comfort her. He is slow to anger, but when he feels his lover is threatened or in danger, his wrath is quick and vengeful.

• Croshnir - The God of Death and the Underworld (Falkyn)
• Croshnir is tall, and dark skinned. On his head, he wears the antlers of the largest stag ever hunted and wears a robe made of black furs. He carries with him at all times his staff, which has a job akin to that of a scythe for a reaper. When someone is about to die, it is said that those chosen by the gods can see him rising from the ground, and, right at the moment of death, stabs his staff through the heart of the deceased.

[edit] Lesser Deities

• Dorahnt - The God of Fate (Da Pipo)
• Dorahnt is the son of Croshnir (much like Cupid is the son of Venus, one parent isn't actually mentioned) and decides over one's fate. He is the god of luck and all things chaotic and unpredictable. He wears a mask, which has two half faces on it. On the left side, it is a skull. On the right, a laughing man. From this mask, his robes extend. The left side of them is pure black, and reaches down to his left foot. His left foot is clad into a metal boot, depicting a monstrous claw. The right side of his robes is colored red, yellow, blue, violet, all sorts of colors associated with happiness. It ends into a boot with the same colorful pattern. He carries two scepters with him. One, ending in a skull, and the other ending in the form of a glass of wine. Dorahnt is very unpredictable, and shakes his two scepters above the heads of the innocents as he wills. When he pours wine over one's head, they shall be lucky, but if he covers them in blood, his father stands at the ready.

• The Olews - The Gryphons of the Seasons (Belthor)
• In the ancient times the four gryphons; Setlar, the Gryphon of Spring, Talei, the Gryphon of Summer, Naerval, the Gryphon of Autumn, and Calod, the Gryphon of Winter, were all involved in a massive struggle for dominance. During this time, the weather was always fluctuating, never steady for more than a few seconds. Ehlonna, seeing the effect this was having on her children, stepped in and stopped the fight. To ensure such an awesome struggle would never again happen, she divided the year into four parts, during which time, one for each separate season.

Setlar is eagle headed and has the body of a lion. Talei is falcon headed and has the body of a tiger. Naerval is hawk headed and has the body of a panther. Calod has the head of an osprey and the body of a leopard.

• Waywarck - The God of Travel (Martijn)
• Waywarck, once a normal traveler, traveled the world on the back of the Olews. He flew year long all the way from Elibe to Maris, and saw much of the world. When he returned, he was weary, and died of exhaustion as a result. The gods then layed him down upon a pyre and burned him, and the ashes where strewn across the earth. From these ashes, Waywarck was reincarnated as a god, and made it his goal to protect weary travelers like him, granting them asylum at his wayward shrines and temple. He is usually depicted as a man in dusty traveling garb on top of one of the 4 Olews.

• Aor and Roa - The Heavenly Brothers (Kilvaer)
• Aor and Roa were brothers that mirrored the other's image; long blonde hair, youthful bodies, and beautiful faces. They were the fairest of gods, second to Ehlonna in beauty, and they weren't hesitant to remind others of it. Aor was a master huntsman, and Roa a genius minstrel. Aor joins Sorne on his hunts as his second, and Roa entertains the garden with his music. Despite their odd differences, the brothers are almost never separated, sparking discussion of a more secret relationship between them.

• Opharion - The Storm Rider (Falkyn)
• Opharion is Dorume's half-brother, Callelch's eldest son. He who controls the storms, sailors fear his wrath, and many captains offer up prayers to him before embarking on a voyage. Like his younger brother, Opharion is infatuated with Stellnar, and is fiercely competitive with Dorume in an attempt to woo the Goddess of the Skies.

• Kareesha - The Goddess of Love (Da Pipo)
• Being the Goddess of Love, Kareesha is the most beautiful of all gods. She was born from the ashes Arishera left behind during her first dance, when Ehlonna came across the area. Kareesha is tall, and slim. She is usually depicted being barely covered up, or not at all. She fuels the hearts of men and women with love and lust, and even the gods aren't immune to her actions. She once seduced Callelch, and from that night, Opharion was born. She also instilled his love for Stellnar, in an attempt to grant them happiness, but when she connected their hearts, Dorume, unknowingly, stood in the way, and both gods fell in love with Stellnar.

• Gealach - The Goddess of the Moon (Gnave)
• Gealach was a silver furred polecat. She was a chronic trickster. She loved to play pranks on the deities and would constantly think of new pranks to pull. One day she stole Arishera's beloved pet fireflies. Gealach took the fireflies to the sky where she let them escape. In her anger Arishera vowed that if Gealach ever returned to the surface she would give her to Sorne to hunt. Wolves howl at Gealach when she shows herself completely so that she will not outshine Arishera's beloved fireflies still lost in the night sky. Gealach becomes scared and retreats, only to try and escape again later. Callelch also reaches the sea for Gealach at all times in an attempt to drown the one who made his wife upset.

• Grian - God of the Sun (Gnave)
• Grian was a golden colored hedgehog that grew infatuated with Arishera. After seeing her dance one day he decided to try and impress her. He made a large fire and curled up inside of it. The fire clung to his quills and eventually grew so large that the deities had to remove him from the world. They placed him in the sky were he could not harm anyone. To this day his infatuation with Arishera affects him, he burns brighter during the summer in an attempt to impress her, but grows disheartened in the winter, but as people light more fires to survive the cold he again grows infatuated and burns brighter the next summer.

[edit] Demideities

• The Serpent - Servant of Croshnir (Falkyn & TD coop)
• The Serpent is a demon that Croshnir tried to tame in his experiments with using demons as assistants in his job. These experiments failed, however, because the demons ran rampant, killing wantonly. The Serpent was one of the worst of these. With the tail of a scorpion, the claws of a mantis, the head of an adder, six spindly legs with which great distances could be covered quickly, and a thick scaly hide that deflected all attacks, the Serpent was a fearsome foe, until Tell slew it and ascended to hero-ship.

• Lors and Baste - Sorne's Faithful Hounds (Kilvaer)
• The great hounds of Sorne, the God of Hunting, are famed for their loyalty and strength, to Sorne and to each other. Lors, the male, has dark gray fur and is blind in his left eye from a scar that runs livid down to his cheek. Baste, his mate, has light brown fur and has white fur on her legs and tail. They are inseperable and dutiful, as well as having the strength to take down an elephant together. They pledged themselves to Sorne when he bested the two in hunting the red squirrel Riolle and the gold rabbit Goan, who now hang triumphantly in the man's collection.

• Gelben - The Black Stag (Kilvaer)
• Gelben, the black stag, was known as the most elusive beast in Ehlonna's forest. His antlers gleamed like polished ebony, and his pelt was like glossy jet. Many hunters sought to fell him, but none succeeded. His stride was always too quick for their arrows, carried by his black iron hooves that left obvious trails, for he enjoyed the game of pursuit and watching those who tried to play the part of a hunter fail. One day, Sorne himself entered the game, which was met by amusement by the stag. After a week of tracking and pursuing, an arrow met with Gelben's flank, and the black stag was finally defeated. His antlers were hewn, and his pelt skinned, given as gifts of homage to Croshnir

• Riolle - The Elusive Squirrel (Kilvaer)
• Riolle was a squirrel with bright auburn fur and a chestnut colored underside. It was a tall as an average person's waist. It had the advantage of gliding from the thin stretch of skin between its arms. Riolle was a mischievous demi-diety to the Tavrican gods, until Sorne bested the rodent in a contest against Lors and Baste.

• Goan - The Agile Rabbit (Kilvaer)
• Goan was a rabbit as high as an average person's knee, with burnished gold fur rippled with shine as he ran. Goan was known for his antics in Ehlonna's garden, never being able to be caught because of his incredible speed. He was finally bested by Sorne in a contest against Lors and Baste.

• Hiondyll - The Death Crow (Kilvaer)
• Hiondyll is a massive black crow the size of two men, with mirroring white tufted breasts. White markings are on his wings that resemble a twisted face of agony. He is a messenger of Croshnir, his Eyes in the Garden of Ehlonna. Hiondyll often takes roost on his master's shoulder, or the vestigial remains of a once living tree that lost its life, symbolizing Croshnir's extent of power. Some say Hiondyll carries the souls of the dead in his great, polished beak to Croshnir, and seeing a crow on a tree before a battle is considered an ill omen.

• Ladybugs - Kareesha's Servants (Da Pipo)
• Ladybugs are Kareesha's sacred animals. They carry out all matters of love for her, be it breaking up, or starting an affection. They visit mortals, and depending on their colors and the number of spots, they are considered to be a blessing, or a curse. More spots means a stronger effect, and the effects vary depending on the colour. If a ladybug is red, then it instills love in the hearts of those he visits, but if it is black with red spots, then a relationship may come to an end. Orange versions bring friendship.