Flan Mythos, Part 1

Inspired by the works of Greyhawk Grognard, I'm going to post some of my own work on the various pantheons and mythoi of Greyhawk, as I ahve developed them. First up: the Flan Mythos...

IN THE BEGINNING…
Many stories begin with “In the Beginning…,” but this one does not, for the World always was, always has been, and always will be. The beginning of this story, of how the gods came to be, well that begins at an ending, for this World we live in is not the first, nor will it be the last. At the ending of the last World, there survived but two beings, or at least, seemed to be — Oerth, whom we today call Beory, and Magic, he that is named Boccob.

Then as now, Magic was always obsessed with itself, and ignored the Oerth, while for her part, Oerth sought to seduce and subdue Magic, for she was lonely, and desired a mate. To entice Magic, she created trees and flowers, bears and bees — all the plants and animals that stand and live upon the Oerth. A great work it was, the World Garden, but Magic remained unmoved and self-absorbed.

To feed the plants and animals, Oerth had created rain, and the clouds to carry it. Feeling that perhaps she needed something more interesting to catch Magic’s attention, she caused her clouds to burst forth with thunder and lightning, disturbing Magic’s peace. Seeking to remain aloof and meditative, Magic sought a way to stop the loud and demanding display of Oerth, and so he created Allitur, whom he sent down to Oerth to lecture her on the impropriety of disturbing his father, Magic.

For long years he lectured Oerth, walking among her trees and debating with wise coyotes and wily ravens, seeking to mollify her and get her to understand things his father’s way… to little avail. For her part, Oerth sought to seduce Allitur, thinking perhaps he might be a worthy mate, first with honey and sweet fruits, then with the purr of cats and the cuddliness of hares, and later with wisdom and knowledge hidden deep within herself, knowledge that even Magic himself knew not. But Allitur, like his father, remained unmoved.

Finally, Oerth herself took on form, that of the luscious maiden, and took for herself the name Beory. But Allitur — oh so wise and yet so foolish, so very proper and yet still so unjust — failed to be moved by her feminine wiles. Failed to be seduced… but understood, perhaps for the first time, what she sought.

And so Allitur went to his father to plead Beory’s case. Unmoved, but knowing that in his sons words there was wisdom, if not at least a cessation of the troubles wrought upon his meditation by Oerth, Magic sent forth a second son, a champion whom it felt could meet and satiate Beory’s needs. Forth from Magic then strode Rao, born of reason, seeker of peace and serenity… and great potential.

For an age and a day Beory and Rao dallied together in the world garden that was Oerth, and on that last day was born their first son, Pelor, the sun, born of the first fruits of love, shining forth upon all things, bringing goodness and kindness, love and light to all. Pelor strode forth into the sky as a symbol of the love that Rao and Beory then held for each other… and then the twin discovered that, for all their joy in each other, they had been lonely.

So for another age and a day they dallied again, and upon the last day were born unto them the twins, Obad-Hai and Berei, the Shalm and the Hearth. Born they were to be father and mother to men and women, and upon the day after their birth Rao and Beory gifted them with men and women to be their people. Obad-Hai took the men out to hunt in the World Garden, teaching them the way of arrow and bow, spear and axe, while Berei taught the women the ways of fire and hearth, fruit and grain, card and loom.

Meanwhile, Allitur, forgotten by the lovers, had wandered the World Garden unto the ends of the Oerth, which far in the West ended in fetid swaps where Oerth met infinite still waters. And there he was found by a young boy — a chance meeting, or rather, a meeting by ill-chance, for the young boy was none other than Ralishaz. The boy evinced great joy at finding another, or so he said, as there had ever been just himself and his father in their cave at the far end of the world.

Ralishaz led Allitur by the hand through the fetid swamps and misty marshes to a hillock midway between Oerth and Water. There, at the entrance to a cave black as night, where even the light of Pelor had never fallen, sat the boy’s father, a not unhandsome man who introduced himself as Incabulos, brother of Oerth. After lighting torches and setting the table, Incabulos offered Allitur salt and meat, mead and bread, then asked after his fair sister, and after the history of Allitur and his peoples.

Having no reason to mistrust his host, who had been most gracious, Allitur recounted the tale of Oerth and Magic, Rao and Beory, and the birth of Pelor, Obad-Hai, and Berei. Most interested was Incabulos in the creation of men and women, and their giving the gift of hunting and fire by his niece and nephew. Incabulos exclaimed happily at the good fortune and prosperity of his fair sister, and wondered aloud at what joys the couple might bring forth next.

Having the gift of Sight and Foresight, as he was the son of his father, Allitur answered, “A king, of course, to rule over men and women for all their days.” “A king, eh?” muttered Incabulos. “Well then, certainly, I must be off to visit my fair sister, for it has been too long since I have seen her, and I must greet this new… king.”

Inviting Allitur to stay at his home while he journeyed to see his sister, Ralishaz remained to entertain their guest. Three days after he left, the torches sputtered, and from the darkness of the deep cave sprang forth demons and devils, which held fast and silenced Allitur ere he could cry out. Down into the darkness they took him, and chained him such that his gaze fell ever into the Abyss.

Back at their manor in the World Garden, Beory and Rao eagerly awaited their third son and fourth-born child. Pelor flew high above in the sky, that every inch of the World Garden be draped in shimmering light at the birth of he that would be king of men and women. And so, at the appointed hour, just as Beory was to give birth, Incabulos arrived at their door and knocked three times.

Berei answered the door, and saw there a man she knew not, but who claimed to wish to pay his respects to the parents and the newborn king. As such had been the case for many long days, she thought little of letting the man in — and as in those days, it men were permitted at the birth of a child, had no worries to let him enter the birthing chamber, where the many chiefs of the clans then stood, ready to welcome their king.

As he entered the room, he swiftly strode to his sisters side, grinned down at her with a lizard’s smile, and greeted her. “Hello. Dear. Sister!” Beory’s eyes went wide with recognition and horror at that-which-should-not-be, but too late! For with each word Incabulos breathed forth his plagues, poison, and hatred. Strong and mighty were the chiefs of men in those days, but struck dead they were, ere their bodies fell to the ground.

Sickened were the others, Beory and Rao and Berei. Three anguished cries gave the newborn babe, ere he died… though being the scion of Oerth and Magic as he was, he could not ever truly die, and so rather than dying, he became death! And rather than the king of men, he became the death of men, for to that point men and women had not known death, only life. And so was born into the world Nerull, death incarnate, born of Oerth and Peace but born in Plague and Evil.

And so to the tears of mother and maiden Incabulos laughed and he fled the manor. As he ran through the countryside horror and screams accompanied him, for all women then filled with child lost their unborn young, and all those sleeping woke screaming in terror at the nightmares they beheld in their once unblemished dreams.

Obad-Hai, then hunting to fill the tables for the great feast to follow the birth of his brother, felt the cries of his mother and sister, of the men and women in his charge, and quickly caught the trail of the evil-doer. Him he followed across the length and breadth of the World Garden and beyond to exact vengeance. Three times they fought, and twice Incabulos struck Obad-Hai and fled again.

Their first battle took place in the far South, amid smoky mountains and rivers and lava. There Incabulos struck Obad-Hai with his bastard sword wrought of un-Oerthly iron, and Obad-Hai’s blood fell to the ground in two places — upon a vein of mithral and a stream of lava. Forth from these points instantly sprang Bleredd Metal-Maker and Joramy Fire-Hair, who together stood above their father and fought back Incabulos ere he fled. But, as he struck Obad-Hai, so too had Obad-Hai struck Incabulos with his spear — and when the black ichor that stood in its stead for blood struck the ground, forth sprang evil monsters of fire and flame, giants of fire and firenewts, salamanders and hell hounds.

After resting and regaining his strength, Obad-Hai took up the hunt again, with Bleredd and Joramy at his sides. He followed the villain to the uttermost North, where he trapped him in a crook of a fair river in a high mountain glen. There the three fought one, until again Incabulos struck Obad-Hai a terrible blow. His blood flew east and west, upon the mountainside and into the sweet waters of the fair river — there from sprang forth Ulaa Mountain-Mother and Zodal Hope-Bringer, who together with their exhausted brother and sister, protected their father ere Incabulos fled. Again, even as Incabulos struck Obad-Hai, so too did the Shalm return the favor, and forth from the black ichor that struck the shadowy caves and murky marsh strode forth grimlocks and grues, meazels and mites.

During this, the Great Hunt, as Obad-Hai and his sons and daughters sought out Incabulos, two other great battles occurred — Beory and Berei fought with their son and brother, Nerull, for the souls of men and women, while Rao sought out his missing brother in the depths of the Abyss.

For even moments after he was born, Nerull sought to claim his subjects, men and women, in the only way he knew — death. Using cunning and wisdom, Beory and Berei sought to dissuade Nerull from his purpose, as the deaths of every man and women would mean an end to all their plans, and all futures.

First they asked of him, “How then oh King-Of-Death, will you collect your subjects?”

Being still young and new, and not truly born to purpose, Nerull thought long and hard on the subject, until the kernel of an idea planted in the fevered dreams left by Incabulos bore poisonous fruit. Grinning — as only Nerull, lacking of lips and humor, might grin — he happily went to the smithy, and there made for himself his scythe, Life Drinker, forged to reap a harvest of souls. He proudly returned to his mother and sister and showed them his new weapon that glittered evilly in the light.

Second they asked him, “Where then, oh Reaper of Flesh, will you keep the souls of your subjects — for there is no room for the Dead in the World Garden?”

This question stumped Nerull for some time, as he knew the World Garden extended to the ends of the Oerth, and beyond was the endless still Ocean. He knew the world above was home to his grandfather, Magic, and sought not to challenge him. And then, using the reason granted him by his father, and the shadow of a dream left by Incabulos, he came upon an idea…

Meanwhile, horrified at the birth of Death, serenity shattered and peace a lost dream, Rao had lost all reason and fled the manor. After a time he found himself beside the Great Sweet Waters, which were near the heart of the World Garden. He stared into those mirror-like waters and found himself again, reflected in the light of his son, Pelor, and reason and peace once again fell upon his mind. Too, he saw reflected the endless might of his father, which made him think of his brother, whom he had not seen in some time.

At a loss of what to do in the circumstances, for he had no knowledge or understanding of Evil, he clung to this one thought, that he must find his brother, who would, being knowledgeable in all things proper and ethical, know what to do! And so he sought out Allitur, and followed his path to the West.

In time he came to the great swamp at the end of the Oerth, where he discovered the hillock and the deep, dark cave. Through mischance and ill-luck on the part of Incabulos, Ralishaz had skipped off for the day to perform some minor evil or prank, and left the cave unguarded. Finding a torch upon the wall, Rao lit it, such that it glowed with his own power, and so he set off, down the winding passages of the cave, through the bowels of Hell, over the plains of Hades, and unto the verge of the Abyss…

Far to the East, Obad-Hai and his children had for the third time and finally hunted down their quarry, Incabulos. Mighty and great was the battle that followed, and many were the wounds that Incabulos suffered. Many monsters that blight the world today were born in that battle of his ichor, including harpies and hordlings, snyads and sea-hags, lamias and leucrottas. But finally he was brought low — but not slain, for Obad-Hai and his children did not have the strength to end him, for his Evil was ancient and of unknown depths even to them.

So they chained him, there in the swamps and wastes, East of the World Garden and at the shores of the endless still Ocean. They found a great rock, a stone unblemished by time or rains, un-carven by man and un-worn by worms. Bleredd forged great chains of mithral in the fires fanned by Joramy; Ulaa drove home the spikes into the virgin black stone as Zodal placed the hopes of men and gods upon the strength of the chains, that the Evil One be forever bound thereby.

Being born of Evil, the beasts born of his blood thought nothing of feeding upon his flesh as he lay supine and unable to struggle, and so every night his flesh and organs would be torn from him by his own children, even as they would regenerate by day to be once again rent asunder at fall of darkness.

To be continued...