 HeroQuest
Issaries, Inc. except for the text of Ehilm and the Vampires which is Copyright © 2006 Tony Davis |
Ehilm and the VampiresA
myth of the Esvulari
When St. Worlath left on his Quest to Return the Sun, St. Ehilm was left to guard the Castle of Man until Worlath returned. His soldiers were strong and brave, but the foes would not stop coming until the last Man was dead. Ehilm fought many Trolls, many Beastmen, many bandits and barbarians. But these were normal fights, hungry people fighting hungry people. There could be honor and understanding in these fights. Ehilm communicated with his foes and sometimes they could be tamed and allowed into the Castle of Man. When Chaos came, however, there could be no honor and there could be no understanding. Every time one of Ehilm’s men tried to communicate with Chaos, he would be destroyed or changed. Those who were changed could not stay within the Castle of Man. Chaos came again and again to fight Man and Man always held on by the barest thread to life. One day, Ehilm’s Companions saw an army of Broo approaching. His archers peppered them with arrows, killing thousands of them. His calvary rode them down, killing hundreds of them. His Men at Arms strode out with swords and songs striking down tens of them until at last only the Dung Goat, chief of the Broo, remained. Ehilm and Dung Goat fought for a very long time. No one knows how many days, since the Sun was gone. Finally Ehilm drove his sword through Dung Goat’s belly, dealing him a mortal wound. Dung Goat laughed, even as he coughed up vile fluids. 'The Vampires are coming to slay you all... and the only thing that could stop them is dead and gone.' Then he died, smiling because his pain was finally over. Ehilm was alarmed by this news, having heard of the power of vampires in the past and knowing only a few ways to fight them. He put torches on the walls and set up sentries. He had sappers build a moat of running water. He gathered all of his Men at Arms around him and asked them to tell him what they knew. His warriors give all manner of suggestions. 'They are afraid of lizards!' said one. 'They cannot abide the smell of leather.' Said another. His warriors were willing to try any superstition that might give them a small chance against the monsters. Ehilm just shook his head and retired to his tent. He dreamed dreams of Worlath’s Journey and of Karchast’s Mission. Dreams of things that were and things that will be. The next night, the Vampires came. The Men fought valiantly, with fire and with water, with wind and with earth. The Vampires would not die, being dead already. They fought using their superstitions. Some fought calling upon false gods. All were driven off or slain. Ehilm himself fought the Vampires, attacking their Chief Vivamortus with his flashing blade and consummate skill. Even when Ehilm drove his sword through Vivamortus’ heart, the fiend merely laughed. Ehilm sounded the retreat and locked some of the people of the Castle and his remaining men at arms in the Upper Chamber as the Vampires feasted on the unfortunates in the Castle below. Finally, the Vampires withdrew. Amongst those that Ehilm had saved by locking the Upper Room was a Darkness Essence called Deep Memory who had slipped in with a gang of trollkin. In gratitude for the rescue, Deep Memory gave Ehilm a chaste kiss, which restored a glimmer of his memory of the sun. He was filled with hope. Turning to Deep Memory, he said 'I remember the Light of the Sun, but I do not feel its warmth.' She smiled a sad smile. 'I know of the Sun as well, even though I wish I did not. He burns us in the darkness, forcing us to come here. I have seen your true memory of it in the dark halls and through your memory I almost came to love it.' For a moment, they were the same, half in light and half in darkness. 'We can help each other,' said Ehilm, 'I will take some of the Sun from your dark places.' She looked sad again, 'My Mistress will speak to you, but it is dangerous.' 'Everywhere is dangerous,' he said, 'if I do not return, remember me.' At this she laughed and gave him a ring that was both lead and gold. 'You are the one who must remember.' With that, she opened a door that Ehilm had forgotten that went to Hell. Slipping the ring on his finger, Ehilm descended into the Underworld to the Halls of Night. When Ehilm came to the Halls of Night, he was confronted by guardians who tried to deny him entrance. They were strong and stalwart, but stood aside for him when he proved that he was expected by their Mistress. He came at last to the presence of the Dark Lady who ruled the hall. Bowing graciously to her, he began to tell her of his difficulties. However, she was so beautiful and so terrible that he found it hard to remember. He found himself falling in love. Something bit him on the finger, like jealousy. He looked down at the ring he wore and remembered himself. He bowed again to the Dark Lady and told her of his petition. She said 'I have your memory of the burning flame, which we like more than we like the flame itself, but what will you give me?' 'What do you wish, Dear Lady?' he asked. 'What do you love like you love the Sun?' she replied. He told her the things that he loved, telling her of the world and the people and the animals and all of the life that Chaos threatened. All of the things that were being swallowed up by the Darkness. She tried to take his sense of love, she tried to take his sense of duty, but he held on to all of these things until she finally communicated her true desire. 'I will give you this, but you must tell everyone that the Night is not all bad. That there is danger in me, but also beauty. I will claim half of the sky and you must not stand against me. Man will come to love me as others already love me. Perhaps as you will love me.' Ehilm thought hard on this, not wishing to give up any of the Light, but also knowing that Man depended on his answer. He knew that the Powers of the Sky would fight against her, but that he also was no friend of theirs. Finally he agreed. 'I will not raise my hand against the Night in its place, nor will I speak out against you in the councils of the wise.' In return she kissed his forehead, restoring to him the brilliant Memory of the Sun that he once knew that could burn in the Darkness until the Sun returned. Then Night sent him away, into the Labyrinth of Forgetting, hoping to be rid of him forever. He turned and turned in the Labyrinth, forgetting his name, his place, his power until again he felt the bite on his finger, a bite like jealousy, like love, like hunger, like something he was supposed to remember. He looked down on his finger and saw the ring again and knew who he was. The ring told him which way to go, so he knew where he was. The ring looked like a circle so he knew his own power. Soon he found his way to the end of the Labyrinth and climbed the Stairs to return to where he was before. When he returned, his Men all rejoiced, having been anxious to see him. When he returned, Deep Memory sighed, knowing that now, her purpose done, she would leave him. When he returned, he knelt on one knee to Deep Memory. 'Thank you, Lady, for your thoughts of me. Take back your ring that has served so well.' She kissed him again. 'Keep the ring, for it is the part of me that loves you and it will only cause me pain where I go now. Remember me.' With that, she descended into Hell. So he kept the ring and his memory of her and his memory of the sun. And when Vivamortus and his minions returned the next night, he and his men struck out against them in fury and in rage and in love. Burning in his heart, the Memory of the Sun which was a memory of Joy from before the dark times. This memory was enough to light a halo of golden flame around him as he struck out at the Vampires, killing all of them save Vivamortus himself who was driven away in his rage.  |
