The Remylian-Selassan Ancestror Mythos

[The Blackcloak]

Όνομα Συγγραφέα: Blackcloak- Σωτήρης

Είδος: Dark Fantasy

Βία; Ναι

Σεξ; Ναι

Αριθμός Λέξεων: ;

Αυτοτελής; Τμήμα ιστορίας μελλοντικού ( ; ) fantasy κόσμου

Σχόλια: Για απορίες ρωτήστε αν ενδιαφέρεστε, δε θα τα εξηγήσω όλα από πριν.

 

 

 

The Remylian-Selassan Ancestral Mythos

 

The first Men who rose to Daemonhood in Uropa were Tribal Selassans. They were a female Sele from an agrarian clan and a male Warrior from a pastoral clan who first crossed the same Mountain (Omphalos). The woman crossed it through underground caves in its loins, subsisting on the eggs and flesh of large serpents which nested there, also mating with them in serpent form and mothering the Spring Dragons. The man climbed to its snowy top and descended from the other side, feasting on large birds of prey which he slew with his sling.

 

The man and the woman met on the other side and became a couple. But they parted when she became pregnant (maybe aeons later). He went to the North where he taught Thurs the Son of the Siegvater the ways of Daemonhood and the Storm. She went to the East where she was worshiped amongst the Clans of Ved and learned from Sesh, the Eldest. There she bore her first son, Zagreos, but the ordeal almost killed her, so she abandoned him in the wild, where he was raised by a tigress. She then returned to Selassa.

 

There, Zoerea the Serpent was reunited with Deos the Eagle, who had returned too. Together they reigned over the Selassan Tribes in the Golden Age, discreetly guiding them to wisdom and power and using their priesthood to defend them from Partholonian invasions (the first Wars of Light and Shadow) and heal their scars. Then came Lycaeon, their second son. Unlike Zagreos he was neither handsome nor hale, but disfigured and crippled. He was however much more warlike, organized and crafty. Her mother cherished him, but his father shunned him. He was taught the ways of theurgy, which he specialized and refined to create necromancy. He was also a supreme smith and forged steel and cold iron weapons (among them the Blades of Father and Son, The Talon of Sovereignty and the Fang of Reaping, artifacts of tremendous power that could hold the spirits of Daemons).

 

But the Secondboy, Lycaeon, was also mentally twisted and bloodthirsty. He sacrificed his first son to his father and served him his flesh in hopes to gain his favor. His father was horrified and ashamed, so he exiled Lycaeon to the West among the “Dead People”, after cursing him with the head of a wolf so that all would know of his vices. The Hound went on to teach and organize the Remylian ancestor-worshiping Tribes into a stratified society of Warriors, Magi and Priests in service to him and his children with humans, the Cynocephaloi. He also created a giant two headed iron wolf, Orthros, as a living weapon, an anchor for the Remylian souls, and a phylace for his spirit, should ever his body die.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While the foundations of the Remylian Theocracy were set, in Selassa a wayward son returned. Zagreos the Cat had been adopted by the Southern Clans of Ved and was the one to bring them Fire, so he was worshipped first among the Daemons. There, he was also the first to make wine. Having met travelers from the West, he realized that his ancestry lay somewhere in Uropa, so he travelled there with his original Thiassos of Maenads, masked priestesses who reenacted legends under the influence of the Daemon and his juices. He was accompanied by his lesser children with animals and mortals ( Pyric Cats and Lygeis respectively) and greeted by the least children of Zoerea, the Agathodaemones.

 

In Selassa the Thiassos was first ignored, then resisted and finally embraced. Local Thiassoi sprouted everywhere, with Koryphaioi in the role of the Daemon and local girls as Maenads. It reached even the Selassan Cities south of Remylium and from there the death-bound people of Lycaeon, where it was almost instinctively brutally and hatefully suppressed.

 

The influence of the cult grew that much, that the Serpent herself was convinced by her children to attend the Mysteries. She became a Maenad and, as destiny would have it, united with her Firstborn in body and mind in a vineyard near a well, after they had feasted on raw goat. In three days she gave birth to triplets, the first and only Grand Daemons of the Cat, the Chimeroi.

 

These monstrosities grew at a staggering rate and began to harass resisters of the cult, eating and burning them alive, driving them to homicidal and homophagic manias and blood orgies by the score. The First amongst them, Polyderkes, was brazen enough to attack the Grand Temple of Deos in Elysia while the Eagle himself attended the Eucharisteria.

 

Deos finally understood and intervened. He slew personally the abominations and purged the cult. His Templars rooted it out and executed many of its followers and Zagreos’ lesser Daemons. However, the cult of Zoerea moved to protect their brothers and sisters in the Mysteries and its influence was such that the Purge almost stopped.

 

The Eagle decided to cut the beast’s twin heads, both Feline and Serpentine. He sent word to his Secondboy at Remylium and asked him to trap the couple so that he could strike them down. Wary, the Hound saw nonetheless the threat posed even to him by his mother and brother. To ensure his dominance, however, he carried with him The Fang of Reaping, intending to wield it against his progenitor after he had neutralized his antagonists.

 

Lycaeon used shade spies to locate Zagreos and Zoerea. Through them, he crafted spirit bindings around the sleeping couple and then informed his parent of his success. Sensing his child’s plans for betrayal, Deos struggled with him, took hold of the Fang and striked Lycaeon down, trapping his spirit within it. He then reached the profane lovers and summoned lightning from the sky to devour them. It consumed them thoughroughly, but for the Charcoal Heart of Zagreos and the Unblinking Eyes of Zoerea.

 

Wishing to carry the burden of his family’s Hybris, the Eagle feasted on these remains, intending to secure them inside him. However, the Charcoal Heart proved to be his match, as it immolated his core, destroying his body and driving his spirit to the Talon of Sovereignty which lay forgotten in one of his temples. The Templars and Priests of Lycaeon had now to fend for themselves. What they both agreed on was the virtual extermination of the Cults and Daemons of Zoerea and Zagreos. But when they were done, the brotherly backstabbing began.

 

The organization formed around the Orthros, with its head in Remylium and formally represented by the first Pope, Sectus, increased steadily in power and came to be known as the Death Guard. Cynocephaloi and Death Guard magi and Priests had infiltrated the Selassan City-States and expanded the influence of the Remylian state there. The Templars of Deos organized Purges against them and played an important part in the unification of Selassa. Nonetheless, the Selassan Empire and the Remylian Theocracy retained strong connections and were part of the same Dominion, so they grudgingly accepted each other and warred with Eastern and Northern neighbors. Mostly…

Edited June 7, 2010 by The Blackcloak

[tec-goblin]

Σαν λογοτεχνεία, έχει υπερβολικά πολλά ονόματα, και χάνεται η μπάλα, αλλά σαν εισαγωγικό σε κάποιον κόσμο, είναι πολύ πολύ ενδιαφέρον. Η γλώσσα είναι ιδιαίτερη, αλλά δουλεύει περίεργα. Σκέφτομαι άγγλους και αμερικάνους να προφέρουν αυτά τα ελληνικά με κεφαλαία και ακούγεται αστείο ;). Επίσης χάνουν εντελώς το νόημα αυτών των ελληνικών.

Πάντως βγάζει ενδιαφέρον setting, και φαντάζομαι αυτός ήταν ο σκοπός σου!

[Nihilio]

Θα μπορούσε να είναι απόσπασμα από το fluff ενός fantasy campaign setting ή σημειώσεις από μυθιστόρημα. Η ανιμιστική προσέγγιση στην Αρχαιοελληνική μυθολογία έχει ενδιαφέρον μεν, αλλά στο απόσπασμα καθεαυτό διακρίνω 3 προβλήματα:

1) Είναι απόσπασμα. Ένα κομμάτι που δεν είναι η αρχή και σίγουρα όχι το τέλος όλης της μυθολογίας. Έτσι, πολλοί από τους όρους μου φαντάζουν άγνωστοι

2) Οι περισσότεροι μύθοι δημιουργίας είναι έτσι γραμμένοι ώστε να έχουν κάποιο ηθικό δίδαγμα. Εδώ δεν διέκρινα κάτι τέτοιο, αντίθετα είδα 2-3 διαφορετικές ιστορίες με κοινό στοιχείο μια γεννεαλογία. Οι συμβολισμοί υπάρχουν μεν, αλλά μου φαίνεται ότι λείπει η δομή που θα τους κάνει να έχουν δύναμη

3) Δεν έχω ιδέα για το "άρωμα" του κόσμου. Βέβαια, τα περισσότερα τέτοια αποσπάσματα δεν το καταφέρνουν, αλλά κάπως θα έπρεπε να βλέπουμε το τι είναι διαφορετικό από "άλλον έναν φάνταζυ κόσμο"

 

Περισσότερα αν είναι ελπίζω να τα πούμε αύριο από κοντά.

[The Blackcloak]

Οκ, επεξηγήσεις:

 

Spring Dragons : Grand Daemons of Zoerea, giant intelligent female serpents who procreate through parthenogenesis, guard sources of water and underground treasures and have access to powerful Earth and Water Theurgy.

 

Siegvater Grauermantel: Wildejagdsherr, Grimnir, Autumn Aspected Ancestral Daemon of the Nornians and the Reichsmen. His Major Children are the Kriegsmaedchen, 13 Battle Maidens who change into savage white wolves and guide die Wilde Jagd. He exalts his faithful dead into the Einherjar, elite Spirit Warriors.

 

Thurs: der Hammer , Rotbard, Widderhorn. His son, a Spring Aspected Ancestral Daemon with authority over storms.

 

Ved: A Subcontinent and Dominion in Southern Asa, Southeast from Uropa.

 

Sesh: The Thousand Serpents, The Eldest, Yin Aspected Ancestral Daemon of Ved. Possibly the First Ancestral Daemon in Asa.

 

Partholonia: The Westernmost Dominion of Asa, home to Ahriman (Yin) and Simurgh (Yang).

 

Theurgy: Ability to mystically manipulate reality through Ritual and Will, associated with Seloi and Magi.

 

Seloi: Wise men and women of Selassa, usually Oracles and speakers of mystical Tongues

 

Magi: Their Remylian counterpart

 

Templars: Channelers of Deos, usually also martially inclined

 

Necromancy: Ability to manipulate the spirits and bodies of the Dead.

 

Dead People: The Old Tribes of Remylium, characterized by strict ancestor worship and belief in the Underworld, an Autumn aspected supposed Realm.

 

Cynocephaloi: Major Daemons of Lycaeon, with black wolf heads and human bodies. Natural and superb smiths and Necromancers.

 

Phylace: A Spiritual Storehouse and Prison.

 

Pyric Cats: Felids with the ability to manipulate Fire, Lesser children of Zagreos and normal felids. Intelligent and usually serving as mounts for his other servants and Daemons.

 

Lygeis: Humanoid Major Daemons of Zagreos with supernatural vision and lynx ears. His children with humans. Superb hunters, trackers and charmers, prone to revelry and debauchery.

 

Agathodaemones: Lesser Daemons of Zoerea, large intelligent serpents thought to guard places of worship or homes .

 

Thiassoi: Troupes

 

Holy Mysteries: Reenacting of the Birth, Death and Rebirth of Zagreos and Him dominating the Southern Clans of Ved.

 

 

Chimeroi: Shapechanging Grand Daemons of Zagreos. In their original form, from the knees and up they are giant humanoid tigers with 6 taloned hands. Black fire breathing goat heads sprout from their waists and venomous serpentine heads from their tails. From the knees and down they consist of a tangled mass of vines and ivy which spreads over the ground like an infestation spreads over a rotting body. They are immune to fire and poisons of any kind. They are known to cause manias of homicidal and homophagic nature over their adversaries.

 

Eucharisteria: Thanks-giving ritual to Deos in the central Selassan City State of Elysium in Sterea.

 

 

Charcoal Heart: The charred Heart of Zagreos himself.

 

Unblinking Eyes: The regenerating serpentine Eyes of Zoerea.

 

 

Purge: Religious Hunt and Extermination

Edited June 12, 2010 by The Blackcloak

[Amandel]

Θα συμφωνήσω με τα παιδιά παραπάνω. Έχει πολύ καλές ιδέες και πολύ υλικό για να δουλέψει κανείς. Και βασικά από το δεύτερο πόστ που έκανες, εμένα μου φαίνεται λες και θέλεις να φτιάξεις ένα βιβλίο ενός campaign setting, δηλαδή προσπαθείς να ακουλουθήσεις αυτή τη δομή και βάσει αυτής της δομής δουλεύεις και το γραπτό.

Γενικά, προσπάθησε να ξεδιαλύνεις και να απλουστεύσεις λίγο την ιστορία ή τουλάχιστον το ιντρο. Χώρισέ το σε κεφάλαια, βάλε καμια χρονολόγηση, γιατί η αλήθεια είναι ότι είναι πηγμένο στην πολύ καλή ομολογουμένως πληροφορία, αλλά όταν προσπάθησα να το διαβάσω ως διήγημα ζορίστηκα με όλα τα ονόματα κτλ.

 

Ενίσχυσε λιγάκι και την γεωγραφική τοποθέτηση με κανένα χάρτη (μπορώ να σε βοηθήσω σε αυτό μιας και έχω μπόλικο χρόνο τώρα), δώσε τόπο χρόνο κτλ κτλ. Αφού βλέπω ότι εκεί το πας στο να το κάνεις κόσμο ενός campaign, ξεκίνα από τα πολύ βασικά, τη ραχοκοκαλιά και μετά άπλωσέ το μεθοδικά και θα βγει.

 

Α, στα συν της ιστορίας είναι η ατμόσφαιρα. Μου άρεσε το ντάρκ ύφος και το έχεις πετύχει αρκετά. Μου θύμισε τον κόσμο του Κόναν λιγάκι.

[Electroscribe]

Ενδιαφέρουσες εικόνες-ιδέες.

 

Νομίζω ότι το Mythos-Μύθος στον τίτλο είναι λίγο άστοχο, καθώς δίνονται μόνο αντικειμενικές πληροφορίες και μάλιστα για κάποια γεγονότα άγνωστα στους πολλούς (και όχι ασαφή-ελλειπή-αντικρουόμενα δεδομένα)

 

Μια χαρά μου φάνηκε η συνέχεια της ιστορίας, δεν την βρήκα αποσπασματική. Εξαίρεση η τελευταία παράγραφος, στην οποία γίνεται ένα τεράστιο άλμα προς πράγματα πολύ κατοπινά που ο αναγνώστης θα έπρεπε να έχει ήδη υπόψη του (καθώς το κείμενο αποτελεί σύνοψη του πώς φτάσαμε σε αυτά). Δεν συνδέεται καν η πρώτη της πρόταση με την προηγούμενη παράγραφο (ποια οργάνωση;)

 

Δυο σημεία που πρέπει να προσέξεις είναι ότι το συγκεκριμένο κείμενο δεν προσφέρεται για να αποτελέσει πρώτο δείγμα σε κάποιον που δεν έχει καμιά ιδέα για τον κόσμο σου. Δες πόσες εξηγήσεις χρειάτηκε να δώσεις (και ξέχασες και μερικές) χωρίς να είναι δεμένες μέσα στο κείμενο. Περίπου άλλες τόσες λέξεις. Και πάλι μου έμειναν απορίες και μάλιστα πολύ βασικές (τι είναι οι Daemons, πώς γίνεται κάποιος κτλ.)

 

Οι όροι που χρησιμοποίησες, δεν ξέρω πως θα φαίνονται σε κάποιον αγγλόφωνο. Είναι όντως πολύ πυκνή η χρήση μη αγγλικών λέξεων.

 

Τέλος, οι αναφορές στην ιστορία και τη μυθολογία του δικού μας είναι άφθονες. Αλλά οι ίδιοι άνθρωποι που θα τις αναγνωρίσουν, είναι μάλλον αυτοί που θα ενοχληθούν κιόλας από τις αλλαγές που έκανες στα γνωστά πρόσωπα και τις ιστορίες τους.

 

Κάτι ψιλολοΐδια θα βρεις στο αρχείο:

 

 

The Remylian-Selassan Ancestror Mythos.doc