This is an epic tale. A tale of heroes and hunger, villains and vore, gods and gaining, monsters and mpreg (clearly marked so the squeamish need not worry), and a young girl's quest to save her brother.
In ancient times, there were many empires and races scattered across the lands. None was so great and majestic however as the Kingdom of Jalthor. The people of Jalthor were a noble race. Their men were strong and their women healthy. Their kind were marked by their green skin, the two powerful tentacles growing from their backs, and the psionic power to create a shield against oncoming blows purely through the power of their minds once in each passage of the sun.
Though they revered the numerous spirits of earth, fire, water, air, death, and nature, and paid homage to the great dragons of their land, above all beings they worshipped the great god Xalgamoth, a powerful deity with five tentacles, four clawed arms, three all-seeing eyes that could release death and destruction or healing and resurrection, altogether female and male yet truly neither. One glorious day, the great god was struck by celestial love, and descended to the land of Jalthor for love of a mortal woman.
This mortal woman was Jadred, princess of Jalthor. She ascended to the status of a queen, and between them was conceived Xalgared, the half-god princess of Jalthor. When Jadred ascended with Xalgamoth to the palace of the god, Xalgared became queen. She in turn fell in love with a mortal man learned in the schools of natural science and wizardry. Between then two children were born, a boy with the power of visions and divination, and a girl of undiscerned powers.
When both had seen not more than twelve and seven summers, the brother was abducted by a fierce race of magical giants that breathed hellfire and spread madness in their wake. The girl took it upon herself to assemble a group of noble warriors, epic bards, inspired craftsmen, wise mystics, and powerful mages to set forth on the northern sea or die trying. Her name was Jaldra, and this is her story.
JALDRA'S JOURNEY
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Jaldra knelt in the Temple of All, facing the seven altars of Earth, Fire, Water, Air, Nature, Death, and Xalgamoth. Her slender form was prostrate, her arms stretched towards the wide world, her eyes gazing towards the heavens, her tentacles intertwined behind her back in prayer. "Oh Xalgamoth, the greatest god of Jalthor, with four clawed arms, five tentacles, and three all-seeing eyes, I ask you for help. Xalgared, your daughter and my mother, fears her son dead and is struck powerless with divine grief. The king has become dependant on the prince's power of visions and auguries to guide and advice him and has fallen into panic fearing him lost beyond reach. I am the only one in my line left with will and hope left to act. Please Xalgamoth, send your grand-daughter a sign." She paused, and spoke again. "Oh spirits of air, bring what tidings the wind has carried of my brother, so that I might find him if he can be seen." She bowed and turned a little. "Oh spirits of water, make swift and easy the way between the many islands so that I might sail to him if he is to be reached." She bowed and turned again. "Oh spirits of fire, light my way so that I may find him if he is to be found." She bowed and turned. "Oh spirits of earth, shift and crack the walls of his prison, so that I may free him if he is to be freed." She turned and bowed to the nature altar. "Oh spirits of nature, if bird, beast, bug or bush has encountered him, let me know of him if he is to be known." Finally she turned to the altar of death. "Oh spirits of death, tell me if he now rests in the grave, so that I may seek to cast his killers into your domain. Let me avenge him if he is to be avenged."
She closed her eyes, sighed, and let two tears roll down her cheeks. She calmed herself and waited for some acknowledgement of her prayers. She felt an amazing force in the room. It was pressing on all sides, from without and within, a wave of acknowledgement, an immense surge of holy power and wisdom coming out to meet her. She opened her eyes. Before her stood an elder spirit of death, nature, earth, fire, water, and air, and the god Xalgamoth itself. "Hear and obey Jaldra. Your brother yet lives. You must go on a quest to find him, and retrieve him if you can. But first, you must assemble a team of champions for our quest. By our signs you will know where to find them."
The spirit of fire spoke first.
"Go into the garden behind the temple wherein there is a bush with orange flowers. Pick one of these flowers, then dig one tentacle-length beneath the bush were you will find a golden bracelet set with rubies. You will venture to the eastern shore and find the person who can make the flower light a starless night and one who can eat the bracelet, respectively."
She stared quizzically at the barely humanoid mass of flames. She had heard right, but, eat the bracelet? Maybe it was one of those weird symbolic thingies that gods so often use. In any case if she follow his instructions good outcomes would be engineered for her. She listened to the next spirit speak.
"Travel to the northern coast where one of my faithful priests awaits you," howled the thin and high yet roaring voice of the elder air spirit. "You need only clap twice and I will create a gale as a sign to him. He will use the powers I have granted him to suspend a single feather in the air, and you are to recruit the man who pierces it from twelve times twelve body-lengths away."
This sounded more like the traditional divine predictions/quests. She nodded her head to show she understood.
The deep voiced, resonating earth god spoke next. "Go to the southern coast and challenge each person you meet to a test of blades. The one you choose will be the first to defeat you and shall bear a copper sword set with a single emerald. Have this fighter spear for you a wild banderlooon and roast it only with the salt you find under the ground where it falls and three drops of honey. Bring the roasted banderloon to the sorceress Whare as a gift and she will join your company."
The spirit of nature rustled its leaves and preened its feathers as it spoke. ?In your fight with the banderloon you will be wounded. Do not dress or treat the wound. Instead fellow the green bird through the forest. A healer there will treat your wound and join your quest. Another banderloon will come to you pursued by a hunter. Tell the banderloon to be still, and the hunter will see it obey and join your quest.
The death spirit stared, eyes glowing from its deep skull. Its voice was solemn and peaceful. ?Go into the slums of the city and ask for a poison called hyndbud, then ask the one who delivers it for the name of a good mercenary. The two will be powerful warriors on your voyage.?
The great god Xalgamoth addressed her in the voice feminine, masculine, familiar and alien, altogether encompassing and above the qualities she knew in life. ?Go to the palace of your parents. There at the gate you will find a woman with one less sandal than she has tentacles, and a man telling of grief without gesture, glance, or words. You need only inform them of your goal and they will be at your side.?
Last spoke the churning gurgling spirit of water. ?Head to the east port when you have assembled these companions. Tell them not a word of your quest, and offer only a single white pearl for your pay. Once the captain has accepted your offer, set sail and do not turn back.?
To be continued
In ancient times, there were many empires and races scattered across the lands. None was so great and majestic however as the Kingdom of Jalthor. The people of Jalthor were a noble race. Their men were strong and their women healthy. Their kind were marked by their green skin, the two powerful tentacles growing from their backs, and the psionic power to create a shield against oncoming blows purely through the power of their minds once in each passage of the sun.
Though they revered the numerous spirits of earth, fire, water, air, death, and nature, and paid homage to the great dragons of their land, above all beings they worshipped the great god Xalgamoth, a powerful deity with five tentacles, four clawed arms, three all-seeing eyes that could release death and destruction or healing and resurrection, altogether female and male yet truly neither. One glorious day, the great god was struck by celestial love, and descended to the land of Jalthor for love of a mortal woman.
This mortal woman was Jadred, princess of Jalthor. She ascended to the status of a queen, and between them was conceived Xalgared, the half-god princess of Jalthor. When Jadred ascended with Xalgamoth to the palace of the god, Xalgared became queen. She in turn fell in love with a mortal man learned in the schools of natural science and wizardry. Between then two children were born, a boy with the power of visions and divination, and a girl of undiscerned powers.
When both had seen not more than twelve and seven summers, the brother was abducted by a fierce race of magical giants that breathed hellfire and spread madness in their wake. The girl took it upon herself to assemble a group of noble warriors, epic bards, inspired craftsmen, wise mystics, and powerful mages to set forth on the northern sea or die trying. Her name was Jaldra, and this is her story.
JALDRA'S JOURNEY
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Jaldra knelt in the Temple of All, facing the seven altars of Earth, Fire, Water, Air, Nature, Death, and Xalgamoth. Her slender form was prostrate, her arms stretched towards the wide world, her eyes gazing towards the heavens, her tentacles intertwined behind her back in prayer. "Oh Xalgamoth, the greatest god of Jalthor, with four clawed arms, five tentacles, and three all-seeing eyes, I ask you for help. Xalgared, your daughter and my mother, fears her son dead and is struck powerless with divine grief. The king has become dependant on the prince's power of visions and auguries to guide and advice him and has fallen into panic fearing him lost beyond reach. I am the only one in my line left with will and hope left to act. Please Xalgamoth, send your grand-daughter a sign." She paused, and spoke again. "Oh spirits of air, bring what tidings the wind has carried of my brother, so that I might find him if he can be seen." She bowed and turned a little. "Oh spirits of water, make swift and easy the way between the many islands so that I might sail to him if he is to be reached." She bowed and turned again. "Oh spirits of fire, light my way so that I may find him if he is to be found." She bowed and turned. "Oh spirits of earth, shift and crack the walls of his prison, so that I may free him if he is to be freed." She turned and bowed to the nature altar. "Oh spirits of nature, if bird, beast, bug or bush has encountered him, let me know of him if he is to be known." Finally she turned to the altar of death. "Oh spirits of death, tell me if he now rests in the grave, so that I may seek to cast his killers into your domain. Let me avenge him if he is to be avenged."
She closed her eyes, sighed, and let two tears roll down her cheeks. She calmed herself and waited for some acknowledgement of her prayers. She felt an amazing force in the room. It was pressing on all sides, from without and within, a wave of acknowledgement, an immense surge of holy power and wisdom coming out to meet her. She opened her eyes. Before her stood an elder spirit of death, nature, earth, fire, water, and air, and the god Xalgamoth itself. "Hear and obey Jaldra. Your brother yet lives. You must go on a quest to find him, and retrieve him if you can. But first, you must assemble a team of champions for our quest. By our signs you will know where to find them."
The spirit of fire spoke first.
"Go into the garden behind the temple wherein there is a bush with orange flowers. Pick one of these flowers, then dig one tentacle-length beneath the bush were you will find a golden bracelet set with rubies. You will venture to the eastern shore and find the person who can make the flower light a starless night and one who can eat the bracelet, respectively."
She stared quizzically at the barely humanoid mass of flames. She had heard right, but, eat the bracelet? Maybe it was one of those weird symbolic thingies that gods so often use. In any case if she follow his instructions good outcomes would be engineered for her. She listened to the next spirit speak.
"Travel to the northern coast where one of my faithful priests awaits you," howled the thin and high yet roaring voice of the elder air spirit. "You need only clap twice and I will create a gale as a sign to him. He will use the powers I have granted him to suspend a single feather in the air, and you are to recruit the man who pierces it from twelve times twelve body-lengths away."
This sounded more like the traditional divine predictions/quests. She nodded her head to show she understood.
The deep voiced, resonating earth god spoke next. "Go to the southern coast and challenge each person you meet to a test of blades. The one you choose will be the first to defeat you and shall bear a copper sword set with a single emerald. Have this fighter spear for you a wild banderlooon and roast it only with the salt you find under the ground where it falls and three drops of honey. Bring the roasted banderloon to the sorceress Whare as a gift and she will join your company."
The spirit of nature rustled its leaves and preened its feathers as it spoke. ?In your fight with the banderloon you will be wounded. Do not dress or treat the wound. Instead fellow the green bird through the forest. A healer there will treat your wound and join your quest. Another banderloon will come to you pursued by a hunter. Tell the banderloon to be still, and the hunter will see it obey and join your quest.
The death spirit stared, eyes glowing from its deep skull. Its voice was solemn and peaceful. ?Go into the slums of the city and ask for a poison called hyndbud, then ask the one who delivers it for the name of a good mercenary. The two will be powerful warriors on your voyage.?
The great god Xalgamoth addressed her in the voice feminine, masculine, familiar and alien, altogether encompassing and above the qualities she knew in life. ?Go to the palace of your parents. There at the gate you will find a woman with one less sandal than she has tentacles, and a man telling of grief without gesture, glance, or words. You need only inform them of your goal and they will be at your side.?
Last spoke the churning gurgling spirit of water. ?Head to the east port when you have assembled these companions. Tell them not a word of your quest, and offer only a single white pearl for your pay. Once the captain has accepted your offer, set sail and do not turn back.?
To be continued
