The Observatory: The Constellations Contest

[Bebhinn]

To celebrate the opening of our Observatory at the Learned Guildhall we running a contest about the Constellations in the Valorn Night Sky.

We would like you to name one constellation, describe the pattern of the stars and tell us about the mythology behind it.



For example ….

Name: The Bunny

Star pattern: 4 stars marking the tips of the ears, nose and tail. (your welcome to draw the constellation … I haven’t as I have the artistic ability of a sewer rat and that’s being unkind to rats)

Mythology: Many moons ago when Gorvan the Warrior was anything but a warrior he took a liking to killing the Cute Bunnies up at the Rabbit Hutch near Ryndall. For many marcs he continued his savage slaying of these defenceless animals until one brave, heroic bunny made a bid for freedom. He bit the young Gorvan on the finger and hoped away to safety. The incensed Gorvan swore that he would take revenge up the Bunny and now every night you can see the Bunny hoping across the midnight sky forever trying to escape the wrath of the Warrior. (hhmmm I write nearly as well as I draw !!)



The contest is open to everyone in Valorn and the entrants can be either funny or serious .. we really don’t mind. Entries can either be posted directly on here or pm'ed to me through this forum.

The winning entrant will have his or hers constellation name added to the map hanging on the wall in the Observatory and in addition there will be plat prizes !!! 1st prize 2000 plat, 2nd 1000 plat and 3rd 500 plat.

All enteries will be gathered together in the Observatory on our forum for everyone to read.

If you have any question please either contact Bebhinn or Elodan Fireblade (Lug).


Bebhinnxx

[AKA Azure]

When does this contest end? And thank you for not making us draw...my abilities on that front would also offend sewer rats.

[Bebhinn]

*smacks her forehead* I knew they'd be something that I'd forget.

The contest ends at the end of January

Bebh xx

[purazon]

For those in need of inspiration. Turcko made a map of the nightly sky in this thread:

http://www.darkgrimoire.com/bb/ftopic42 ... alron.html

Question: can one person enter more than 1 constellation?

[Bebhinn]

Question: can one person enter more than 1 constellation?

There's no restriction on how many constellations you can enter Purazon.

Bebhxxx

[Valina Ravenclaw]

Name: the Silver Wolf

star pattern: Six stars forming the head of a majestic wolf (looking to the left if seen from the Circle of Stones): one star each for the tips of the ears, one for the snout, one particularly bright one where the eye would be, and two slightly below and to the right denoting the neck.

Mythology: It's the mythical guiding spirit of the Order of the Silver Wolf. 'Nuff said.

[AKA Azure]

Since you already did the bunny, I decided to try a different sort. Thanks for the due date and the open ended number of submissions.


As I was thinking about the contest, I was reminded about a constellation myth I'd already seen here once - Mylor's. I post the link for people's reading pleasure. http://www.darkgrimoire.com/bb/ftopic5829.Cory+s+Compass+and+the+Juggler.html


And this one is mine:

Name: The Smile or Miranda's Smile
Formation: 4 stars in a faint cresent pattern
Appears: Just around Fall Fest


Mythology: There is a strange formation which hangs low in the western skies just around Fall Festival time. It is 4 stars, and if you drew a line from one to the other you would be left with what looks like a slight, enigmatic smile. To some, it is called Miranda's Smile, though few know why anymore.

Long ago, when the world was younger, even before the time Korrith had hair and Doyle's hair had color other then silver and grey, there existed a young and beautiful rogue. Now this rogue was talented and skilled, and it is said she could steal a flea off a sleeping bos and none would be the wiser. Shaerih was her name.

Of course not everyone would believe such tales of her prowess, but they soon learned to their dismay that it was true. She could take a loose tooth out of a mouth with no one the wiser. She would walk unseen through crowds, taking what caught her fancy and replacing what didn't. But what she loved most in the world was a challenge.

She spent her life setting her sight on what some might not consider achievable goal - and achieving them. A godly target she decided would be her next goal. But it couldn't be something obvious and tangible she thought. It had to be somethingdifferent. Anyone could be given an item by the gods; her goal had to be more difficult.

Being so good at stealth herself, this rogue could sometimes tell when others were about, even hidden from mortal eyes. She waited until she was certain godly eyes were upon her. One day near, the time of Fall Festival, she knew she was being watched, and she set to work at the common room of the inn.

She stole and unstole, swapped and reswapped, and at first, folks weren't the wiser. But the warrior prepared to leave and found a holy hammer at his side instead of his trusty sword. The enchanter put up her hand to make sure her hair was properly in place and found lock picks instead of her carefully carved and bejeweled hairsticks.

Even the rogues were not safe. One of them found that instead of his trusty cloak, he had a cleric's robe fastened about his neck. And the cleric? Instead of the holy ring, a blessed ring glowed serenely on her hand. Confusion struck, then chaos reigned as another warrior attempted to make a pot of tea, but found her pouch full of enchanter's dust and not tea leaves as she had thought.

And through it all, Miranda, for that was who was there, watched and finally she smiled. Quick as thought itself Shaerih reached out, slipped that smile from Miranda's face and tossed it into the sky.

The incident was so amusing that the gods allowed the smile to stay there. Ever since that night the appearance of the Smile heralds the imminent arrival of Fall Fest. And the next time you hear someone say "as rare as Miranda's smile", just wait for Fall Festival and point out that constellation. For to the right people, and at the right times, it's not rare at all.

[Blythe]

Name: Kunda’shi: The Bane of Sir Pestus

Star pattern: 8 twinkling bright stars make out the serpentine shape from head to tail. Several small star clusters intersect the formation; one just off of the highest star seems to form an almost forked tongue, one near the center and one near the tail. This formation can be seen just west of the Dundee horizon after the rise of the second Demon Eye on very clear, still nights. If the viewer’s eyes are held in a strong squint, the center star cluster almost takes the shape of a key (but not really).

Mythology: One of the most bothersome beasts in Valorn, this well known viper has been the bur in Sir Pestus’ armor for many thousands of marcs after swallowing the precious key to Iron Knight’s Shield Case. The actual name of the legendary viper is not known, but it’s been repeated by many a weary adventurer that the beast seemed to expel in its final, foul breath what has been interpreted as: kunda’shi. This particular star formation is often associated with hidden danger and viewing it in its full glory on a rare clear night should be taken as a reminder of the evil that lies coiled around the lands.
Image<--click here.

[Scally]

The Tear of Xazandil

Description
A simple four star pattern, found at it's highest point in the northern sky during mid Fall.

............
......x....
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..........x
x..........
.....x.....
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An ancient tale puts the great Dragon Xazandil'shabrek in a mighty battle, beside those of the Order of Ryn, in a struggle to permenantly entrap the demon lord Balthazar. The forces' struggle saw massive casualties, and even the great Dragon herself was beyond immunity from his wrath.. The story holds that the Demon Lord himself struck a blow upon her that caused a roar of great pain and fury, for one moment drowning out all other sounds across the entire land of Valorn, and indeed upon the ears of the Gods Themselves.
Used as a rallying cry, the forces of good pushed forth and (although -unfortunately- temporarily) contained his will and influence across the land. The Gods, in their wisdom, saw the formation of the constellation as symbol of courage and strength amidst great pain and suffering, to remind all of the people of Valorn that no matter how dark the path, the strength of good shall overcome.

[Nya Lyn]

Can i just say...fantastic entries so far, keep them coming!
Im really enjoying reading them....

[Belgarian Sernium]

Ok, call me stupid but how do I get to the observatory and once there how do I look into the telesope. Like I said, call me dumb *laughs*

[Lug]

The observatory can be found by following the lake road from Milltown, to the Royal Road then first North and first east. Then go up!

As for for the telescope, place your eye to it and look through it!

[Lug]

By my reckoning, one week to go!

[Synvasti Shymere]

The Fool's Compass

A bright, solitary star that wanders the northern horizon each winter.

Long ago, a faithless woman found a treasure box wherein an enchanted compass hid. No simple instrument, this compass glowed with light and pointed the way to glory. Though harvest time beckoned, she left her humble farm to pursue a marvelous adventure. Behind her, what grain her neighbors didn't scavenge, rotted and mouldered in the autumn rains.

Years passed, and the woman walked all the roads of Valorn. She traveled to Kilican and Ethucan, and to places whose names are lost. She learned much about the use of weapons and the color of people's gratitude. Coins and gems weighed her pockets, and she wore a crown of pride. “I and my compass, my wit and my will, these alone shape my destiny.”

One day, she passed wayside shrine, and saw a lone priest healing a trio of merchants. One hailed her with a wave and bade her not to travel onward, for the road ahead was beset with something evil. The glow of her compass intensified, and the woman offered her aid in defeating the evil. “Best you take the blessings of the gods, lass,” counseled another merchant. “Lest the evil take your bones.”

“Let the gods tend to you,” she murmured. “Those wounds are fierce.”

Undaunted, she strode down the road and called out a challenge into the waiting darkness. It rumbled only mocking laughter back, and the words of a curse that chilled her heart and warped the light of her compass.

Stumbling back to the shrine, she wept in terror and hid the compass within her rucksack. No words of cleric or merchant could reach her, and though she remained near the statue of Cory throughout the night, by morning she'd fled another direction.

She eventually outran the fear, and awoke one day with the desire to use the compass once again. This time her travels led her into mischief and peril, harrowing scrapes that more often than not endangered those around her. Her name became a slogan for ill-luck, and all the glory of her youth faded. Eventually, she cried out to the gods to help her, to lift the curse.

Ben the Mighty, god of the fury and the flail, who smites the wicked and takes umbrage against lawbreakers, answered her plea. He took the compass from the woman, scrutinized it for a moment, and shrugged. Then he flung it into the heavens. It hangs there still, often the brightest mote on a dark night, compelling enough to deceive the unwary and lead the careless astray.

*One must assume that Ben would never put a falsehood in the sky, or loose a curse to roam the heavens, so perhaps the star is not truly cursed. After all, one with a comprehensive understanding of the stars in their seasons can use the Fool's Compass to navigate, rumors of ill-luck aside. The danger comes only if one depends on the single star to guide them, taking no heed of landmarks or other constellations.

[kitwritten]

Name: Tear of the King

Star Pattern: http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y53/moppitopdrew/SUNP0013.jpg

((Notice: I tried my hardest to use my camera on this and augment it, but it just didn't work. If I can find a scanner of some sort, I'll use it, but if not, this is as good as it's going to get. And, fyi, the flying thing is a person with bunny ears getting shot out of the cannon. It looks so much better on the paper. ))

Mythology: It always somewhat amazes me that our mother’s tell us of legends and fables from times long past, in order to scare us into doing their bidding. Not that frightening children into going to bed is amazing, but that they choose things from our past and not the nightmares that appear in our every day lives.

I will be imparting to you the story that my mother told me when I was a boy. I will also be adding some things myself. It is not this scholar’s point to tell you any truths, but to bring some evidence and some fiction to your attention, so that you may choose your own beliefs. The names of those involved have all been lost, or I would speak of them. Thus, it begins:


There was a time when unity was far from the minds of any human being in Valorn. A time when monsters did not roam the lands as freely as today. But the dangers were just as great. Wars were waged between man for various reasons. The biggest feud starter was that there were four separate kingdoms in Valorn. One in the North. One in the South. And kingdoms to the East and West. It is the tale of the latter two that I will tell.

The ruler of the Kingdom of the West was as evil a man as you can get without calling him Balthazar himself. The Pharaoh, as he will be called, was a man of greed. He did anything he could to get what he wanted and many battles raged from his doing, for it is said that he planned to rule all of Valorn.

His first conquest was that of the lands to the East. A generally peaceful kingdom, it was not seemingly a hard land to conquer. The King of the Eastern kingdom was loved by all of his people. He would stroll amongst them, never fearing for a knife in his back, or for his people to revolt against him. He was just and fair, a tactician in many different ways.

The Pharaoh started out by commanding small troops to raze the villages and farmhouses of the East. His plans seemed to be to draw the East out toward him, and therefore give him the advantage of a harsh climate, in which his people were used to. The King, wanting to stop a war from happening, sent an emissary to ask The Pharaoh of his terms for peace. The emissary was sent back headless.

The King was appalled by this act, but rather than meet him on the field of battle he pulled all of his subjects to his Castle stronghold. He sent out a scouting party once a week to find any stragglers that may have not heard of the decree. The scouts sent back word of women and children among the dead who never made it. The scouting parties were never heard from after they had sent back word of their first findings.

Rather than get enraged by this, The King gathered all willing men in his stronghold that would fight. They trained for eight hours a day for three months, while there country side was being ravaged. All stonemasons were recruited as well, and practiced their talents under the best stonemason in the kingdom.

Then came the day when a vast army of the west could be seen in the distance. The King commanded his army, and told them to push them back as far as they were able. The army was disciplined, strong, and agile. Every one of them met the western army on the field. And push they did. The stonemasons were set behind the eastern army and followed them. The offensive push went on for four days, before the Western army retreated all the way back to the Western Kingdom.

The Eastern army were have said to have let out a ‘Huzzah’ loud enough to peak the interests of Ben and Cory, who thought to watch the rest of the goings on from above. The stonemasons then began their work, creating what we now know as The Wall. It took ten years for the Wall to be built, separating the East from the West completely. The West attacked, sometimes softly, sometimes ferociously. But every time halted the building of the humongous structure. And each time the Western Army was turned back. When the soldiers were not fighting, they were helping with the building of the structure.

Till it was one week’s worth of work for it to be finished. It had been a month since the West had attacked, and in that time, The Pharaoh had ordered for every man to take up arms. They were trained quickly and let loose upon The Wall, it being a week left to finish. The battle was the most heated than anyone had yet seen in Valorn. It took place on the western side. The King fought alongside his own men. The Pharaoh stayed out of harms way in his castle.

When it seemed that all was lost, for the Western army had surrounded the Eastern, The King knelt. He prayed to the Gods, Cory and Ben for his army to be saved. He prayed that his kingdom may once again know peace. But most of all, he prayed for The Wall to be given time to finish, so that other generations may be protected by it. A stray tear graced The King’s face. His men, having seen what their King was doing, knelt and prayed as well.

Ben and Cory looked to each other, knowing what was to be done, as they had seen the whole thing. They multiplied The King’s solitary tear and cast it as a huge wall of ice between the two armies. The Eastern army looked around in amazement, but saw that the Gods had given them enough time for The Wall to be built, for the ice was melting quickly in the deserts atmosphere.

All men worked quickly to finish it, The King included. And as the Western army slashed through the ice, The Wall was finished and every soldier was on the top. They let loose arrows and scattered the Western Army for the last time. The East was never attacked by The Pharaoh again.

And if ever The Wall should fall, Ben and Cory took the King’s Tear and stretched it across the night’s sky as a reminder of the East’s hardship.

[Will Rook]

Name : Requitance

Star Pattern : One brightly glowing star, and a dully glowing one a short distance to the left

Mythology : Once there was a man. Once there was a woman. Such a typical beginning to a story, no? But indulge me, for in lies a story passed down, about a strange occurance of the sky that may have been noticed by those that are frequent gazers.

The man was an adventurer, much like you or I. Bored of his old caravan life, he had decided to seek his fortunes elsewhere, and share with the rest of the world what gifts he had, meagre though they might be. By chance, he ended up in these very lands.

Several years later saw his station rise to that of a knight. Hard work, of giving what aid that he could to those that he saw, had paid off, and he had gained the recognition of the king. He could not believe his luck, that a few years ago he was making his living peddling what wares he and his family could find, whereas now, he was an accomplished member of what he now considered his home. Yet though he was content, there was still something missing.

She had dark hair, like the still of midnight. In contrast to that were her eyes, which gleamed a bright green. Her red lips were full, and glistened with speckles of ice crystal. She was a Lady of the lands.....she was taken.

Promised to a lord by her father, had she been, and bonded in the same way, she was the focus of his attentions, perhaps his very reason of awakening, ever since he had happened to lay eyes on her at the local market, her dark tresses of hair flowing behind her beside her satin gown. He watched over her, swore to himself that he would protect her, at all costs. He swore to himself that no woman would enter his life but her.

The Lady knew of his desire. Yet there was nothing she could, or would, do about it. She was not unhappy with her life, it was different from what she had grown up in, and pleasurably so. She had even grown to love her bondmate over the time they spent together, for he in himself was not a bad man. She did not wish to risk it all over some fruitless fraternisations, nor did she have any intention of doing so.

And so the heartache continued and grew for our knight, yet not a word of complaint did he utter, fulfilling his duties without question, both those that his station demanded, and those that he had imposed upon himself.

One day, the crier called out of daemons approaching Caernville. As a Knight, he was sworn to defend the lands. He knew that he would have to leave her, to do battle. He also knew there was a chance that he may not come back afterward. Unable to bear the thought of drifting away into the wisps of a memory, without a trace, he sent a message bird to the Lady, asking her to meet him in the town centre.

The Lady heeded the bird, for though they were not together, a close friendship had bloomed between the two. Upon her arrival, the knight gifted her an item that he had saved over the years, along with these words


'One day, our stars will be aligned, and one day, we will be together. Even if not, even if our paths merely cross, and do not meet, my star will always be next to your, brightly shining one, and however dull it may be, it will always stand close, all but hidden the radiance of yours, but still, always there'


The Lady remained expressionless at his words, but as he turned to walk away, stopped with with a gentle touch to his shoulder. As he turned back towards her, she allowed him a brief moment of requitance. A brief kiss... After a short pause, our knight then turned again and left, with a small smile on his face and perhaps a lighter heart, towards the dark road that awaited him. As he did, a plain silver ring found its way onto the Lady's finger as well.

And sometimes, when dark is night, a dully glowing star can just be made out, a short distance to the west of a brighty glowing one. And, if looked at later, from just the right angle, it almost appears as though it has made its way eastward, for what might be that long awaited moment of requitance.

And so, while this may not count as a constellation, persay, I thought that it might perhaps deserve mention in our study of the stars

(Disclaimer, this may or may not have actually happened. What it is, as mentioned earlier, a story passed down)

[Gar Windgust]

Name: The Unicorn

Star Pattern: 10 stars, spread across the western sky, make up this constellation. The pattern is very rough, and finding them all is not easy. Except for one. Four outline the body, one points out the tail and one each for two legs. Two show the position of the head, and one more is the tip of the horn. This last star the ancients called the wandering star, for good reason.

Mythology: In the time before the Golden Age many gods fought over control of the lands and the skies, and many strange creatures walked the lands. One, according to ancient tales, was the magical unicorn. This creature walked on four legs but with shoulders that were as high as any mans head. Females were much greater in number and only slightly smaller. It had a single horn growing out of it's head that was said to contain great magic. So, during this dark age the people of the lands looked to the sky for hope and found an unusual occurrence. Every three years the wandering star would cross the western sky. It would move from left to right and in a slightly upward direction. It always appeared to be red in color, but as it moved across the sky it would grow brighter and brighter as it reached the middle of its path. Sometime in the spring it would pause in it's place at the tip of the unicorns horn. Staying in place only a few days it would continue on its way, once again growing dimmer as it made it's exit to the right. The people would celebrate the coming of this wandering red star with a festival that made the one each fall dim in comparison. The revelry lasted only 10 days, the number of stars in the constellation and about the number of days the wandering star seemed to pause in it's place. The lines that once connected the stars in the minds of the people seem to have disappeared. However, the wandering red star can still be seen. It is at it's brightest every three springs, still pausing in the western sky at the tip of a long forgotten magical horn.

[JezzTheWarrior]

Constellation Name: The Fire Brand

Star Pattern: Four stars in a rough, slightly zigzagged line, culminating in a hazy glowing nebula at one end. Appears low on the horizon at mid-winter.

Mythology:

It was late spring when the Gods first set mankind on Valorn amongst the animals that had flourished there for a long time. The animals watched with interest as humans took their first tentative steps on the land. But it soon became clear that humans were neither good hunters nor well adapted to survival in a land that could be harsh at times.

All the animals soon lost interest or wondered if mankind was a mistake by the Gods, or a failed experiment. All, that is, except Wolf. Wolf continued to watch the humans. She knew that the Gods did not make mistakes. She saw that during the summer they managed to eke a living from the land. They caught small creatures to eat. They picked fruit and grains like many other creatures. She was reminded much of her own litter of cubs when they were helpless and new.

When the nights turned cold, she saw that man was struggling. The humans huddled in a cave to keep warm and food was hard for them to find. Again she was reminded of helpless cubs but saw that the humans had no fur to keep them warm and could not see well in the dark like many creatures could.

Now Wolf was known as a wise and sometimes helpful creature. She had travelled far and seen much. She knew of a great fissure in the ground where red hot, moulten rock poured across the landscape sometimes, burning everything in its path. It was to this fissure (perhaps the very one that lies beneath Dundee now) that Wolf ran. Wolf took a branch in her teeeth and set it alight at one end by plunging it into the hot magma. Wolf's fure was badly singed in the process but she ran as swiftly as she could, carrying the fire brand in her teeth, back to where mankind huddled in the cold and dark.

The huddled humans were terrified at first as the huge wolf entered their cave. But when the wolf dropped the firebrand onto a pile of sticks that happened to be laying in one corner of the cave, they soon got the idea! They saw that Wolf was injured and tended her wounds as best they could. Wolf saw that there was hope for these cub-like humans and in return for treating her wounds, she gave them two young wolves to be their eyes in the dark and to help keep them warm on the long cold nights.

So it was that mankind survived his first winter on Valorn.

When the Firebrand appears over the horizon in mid-winter, it serves as a reminder to all mankind that he survived the first cold winter with the help of a wise and compassionate fellow creature and that his faithful friend, the dog, still serves as his eyes on dark nights and keeps him warm with his companionship.

Jezzara
145068

[Lug]

Good grief! This is going to be hard to judge, loads of quality entries!

You've still got till the end of January, to make it harder, for us!

[vardian]

The Sword of Valorn, or the People’s Sword



As Sunrifter makes His majestic progress down through the sky to His rest, a star appears low on the horizon, bright enough to be seen in the fading light. It will rise a few marcs and as the day’s light ends, its companions make their presence known to the Valornians below. The bright star is called Herald and has a guard with it: A much smaller less bright star very close, or so it seems, just above and to its left. A little way almost directly below, equally spaced and not quite in a straight line, two stars of equal brightness to each other, but pale compared to Herald above. Between those two stars, almost equally placed to the left and right, others come to form the hilt. Three brother stars, known in their own right as the Watchful Brethren, form one end of the hilt, and a solitary star, the Warrior, opposite to the right complete it. Much later in the eve, as the night slips on allowing its celestial inhabitants to rise high in the sky, one great bright star, The Eye of Ben, almost twice as far from the central star of the constellation as the Herald, forms the point of the sword and to our unworthy eyes below appears to be softly caressed by a further celestial swirl behind giving it an ethereal glow besides its own great glory. The great Sword of Valorn now hangs defiant in the sky pointing straight down towards the Land and its people. A gift from the very god Ben himself: And this is how it came to pass.

Valorn’s troubles in times gone past may not have involved the great evils that stalk the land now, but they were still not times of peace. The great Wall that splits the desert in twain still separated Valornian from Valornian. Great battles raged and people lost fathers and sons, brothers, husbands and lovers. Scarce a family went unscathed and all knew some loss. In these times as the country struggled to keep those fighting fed and strong, the peoples of Valorn went hungry and, after long years of struggle with no hope in sight, they fell into despair. Soon the different tribes and factions were fighting amongst themselves as well as with their neighbours and support for the wars waned to the point of extinction.

In these dark times, the clerics of the land were looked upon with mistrust and suspicion. The people had cried to their gods and heard no answer and the clerics could offer no explanation. The warriors were no longer looked on with respect and reverence, but as the cause of hunger and hurt and pain. Their fighting had brought the lands to the very edge of collapse in the people’s eyes. The rogues were vilified wherever they went. The people remembered a time of plenty, or chose to think they did, and blamed the rogues for its demise. A rogue could make their way in any clime and so, the people reasoned, they were doing so now while the rest if the population suffered. The enchanters’ arcane arts were looked upon with equal derision. The people did not understand their ways and, as is so often the case, lack of comprehension meant suspicious blame. It started that these misgivings against the professions were muted, quiet conversations, carried out in secret for fear of causing offence. As time wore on though, the cries grew louder until for fear of hurting the people in self defence, not just for their lives, the four professions made self-banishment their way and went to the harder places to scrape a living. Not for them the quiet comfort of the towns, but the harsh, dry desert, the cold, snowy mountains and the inaccessible rocky paths.

Left alone now without their defenders, their healers, their rogues and their enchanters, the Valornians stumbled and fell until they cried out once more to their gods. In their far exiles, the four professions heard their cries and pondered long how they could help them. Despite all that had happened and all that was past, they still loved the lands and from their viewpoints at all far corners of the land could see that the fights of the past had indeed been in vain. The future was a place that required solidarity amongst the people if they were to survive.

One night, a shooting star streaked across the sky; rising in the west and arcing to the east before disappearing in a dramatic burst of light. The people in the lands threw themselves down on their faces in fear and terror thinking the gods must surely be about to punish them for their lack of faith. In their far places, the four professions pondered long on what it might mean. At length, the leader of each profession came together at the Wall and discussed what the meaning of the shooting star could be and what was to be done to appease the gods and draw the lands together. They came to the conclusion that the star had been a Herald of the gods and was a sign they should do their will. It was decided that they would call upon the gods and ask them what they wished. The tallest structure was the tower in the Wall and so it was decided to go there.

The news was carried to the people by messenger and far from being pleased; they thought this would rile the gods further. They grew angry and drew together bands of volunteers to go and brave the displeasure of the professions and either kill their leaders or at least frighten them away from the lands for good. They made good their weapons and travelled out into the desert to confront them. Hearing this news, the leader of the Warriors stood firm and pledged his intent to protect the cleric, rogue and enchanter at the base of the Wall. So the guard stood as the three brethren of the other professions slowly climbed to the top of the tower. It fell to the cleric to pray and call loudly to the gods telling of their obedience and their sorrow for the land. The cleric begged the gods to show them their will and to give a sign for the future.

Six long days and nights passed as the watchful brethren waited patiently in wind and rain, blazing heat and cold for an answer. No food or drink passed their lips and their bodies remained still until they were weak with hunger and stiff from remaining in one attitude so long. Throughout this time their watchful warrior guard kept his vigil turning away the groups sent to deal with the professions. He did not fight, but spoke with them all and gradually they came to realise their misunderstanding and saw the professions working together to try and save the land. Tales of this great warrior and his wisdom spread throughout the land until finally a great crowd gathered to hear him speak.

Suddenly there was a mighty rush of wind and it felt to the Brethren atop the tower and the people below as though all light in the land had been extinguished. There was unutterable silence and all were sore afraid. Then a great glow appeared atop the tower and Lo! The great god Ben himself showed himself and His great forehead shone forth lighting the desert below. His eyes blazed as the brightest of stars would not dare to! He spake and the people heard of his displeasure at the internal fighting and neighbourly disputes that had torn the great creation of He and his gods to pieces! Hereafter, He said, there would be enemies indeed and all the people must learn to fight together or perish! These enemies would be a great evil and would march as no foes that had ever been seen against all the land of Valorn. Unite or die was His command!

Being a merciful god, His mighty hand came down upon the Watchful Brethren and their guard and they found they had new powers of blessing and enchantment, great strength and cunning that the professions might not be defenceless in their new fight. But, He said, in future nothing would be given freely, but all would work hard for their protection, and all would now strive to enter one of the four professions that were good in His sight. The leaders of the four professions bowed low and gave thanks to the great god Ben and His holy wisdom.

Then as He withdrew His mighty presence from them, His great arm sprang aloft and a shower of love sprinkles fell from His hand into the dark sky.

So there they hung, as now, a reminder, every day of what went before and of what the gods’ will is for us all. The Herald - that first sight to the professions that the gods will be done. The three Brethren and the Warrior that stood for their gods in patience and awe, and of course, the Great Eye of Ben, watching over us all. Together they form the People’s sword - a symbol of the power given to the people though their professions to unite and fight. It stands erect in the sky pointing down from Ben to the people below, in the gentle swirling cluster of faint stars behind it. It is both a symbol of unity and a sign to obey the gods.

Some say that when the palace of Kings appeared in Milltown, and the King was placed upon the throne, the shining sword he was given to hold in his hand was the embodiment of those events of old and that the sword was a symbol of the very gods showing his place in the order of the world: The Sword of Valorn.

Vardian
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