Knightfall's Gods of Harqual Story Hour [Updated: Jun 16/04]

[Knightfall]

Cronn versus Tu
The two Greater Gods raged across the sky, matching the others speed and intensity. They fought from the Savanna of the Sun to the peaks of the Greystone Mountains. Cronn knew that Tu was a formidable foe and used all his strength against the vile cat god.

Cronn was starting to feel the rage flow through his godsoul again but suppressed it concentrating all his energy on keeping Tu’s great spear at bay. His great axe, North Rage, wasn’t the most effective weapon against the cat god’s spear but he wouldn’t fight with anything else. North Rage was part of him, like an extension of his essence. Tu never showed any sort of emotion during the battle, except to hurl insults at the barbarian god.

“You pantheon is collapsing, Great Cronn.” His words mocking Cronn’s heritage and kin. “Soon I will send you to the Twilight as I did Seraph!”

That did it.

The rage took Cronn in a way he had never experienced and he roared a thunderous barbarian war cry and charged the cat god. Tu had never seen anything like it and actually wondered if he was afraid. Cronn’s Avatar grew to twice its normal size. He towered over the cat god, as North Rage smashed into Tu’s great spear, splitting it in half like a mortal weapon.

Yes, Tu was sure that what he was feeling was fear. He fled before the onslaught of the Lord of the North. Heading for the city of his people, Tattenger. There he would be at his strongest; there he could face Cronn on his own terms.

The cat god quickly outdistanced the raging barbarian god reaching Tattenger far enough ahead of Cronn to summon all his divine power. Tu’s great spear reformed in the presence of his greatest power, and when Cronn finally arrived, Tu’s Avatar was almost the same size as the raging barbarian’s.

The two clashed above the streets of Tattenger. Each gaining the upper hand and then losing almost as quickly. Tu’s essence began to dwindle while Cronn’s rage sapped his strength as well. Soon the two gods fought like mortals in the streets of Tattenger, brawling like two rivals for the same wench.

“Enough, I’ve had enough of this nonsense! I have no time for this!” Cronn swung North Rage sending Tu’s Avatar into a nearby building, destroying it completely.

Tu pulled himself from the wreckage of the building only to be pinned to the ground by the barbarian god. Cronn held Tu’s Avatar down with all his strength calling out to the sky.

“Here me Mirella, I have defeated the God of the Tabaxi and petition you to grant me a request.”

“What is your request, Great Cronn?” The All-Mother appeared before the two gods and Tu’s people bowed down to the Great Mother of Kulan, awed by her presence.

“I request that Tu and his people be banished from Kulan for his crimes against my kin.”

“Why do you not just destroy him?”

Cronn shook his head looking at the Tabaxi God. “I did not start this quarrel and will not destroy one who has yet to gain the wisdom to realize why his actions are wrong. If I destroy him, I would be no better then Hiisi.”

“Indeed you have become wise through the ages, Great Cronn.” Mirella smiled at the barbarian god. “I will grant your request.”

“You cannot do this! It is my destiny to rule!” The cat god snarled and spat at the All-Mother but could not break free of Cronn’s grip.

“Perhaps,” Mirella stood above the howling cat god. “But not yet. I banish you, and your people as well, from the lands of Harqual for a 1,001 years. Hopefully by then you will have matured a little.”

Mirella looked to Cronn and he nodded that he was satisfied. Then Mirella reached through time to find a place where Tu and his people could not escape. There she sent the cat god and his people to languish. Thus it was that the city of Tattenger left the mortal plane, forgotten in time.

“Thank you All-Mother.” Cronn dropped to one knee and paid homage to the Mother of Kulan as he had done all those ages ago.

“Now is not the time, Great Cronn. One of your kin is risking everything he is to break Hiisi’s power over Harqual.”

“Who?”

“Jaeger.”

“No!”
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Next... The Challenge.

 

[Knightfall]

The Challenge
Hiisi knew the battle was over, he had lost almost as much as Cronn’s pantheon. All the Dark Children were gone, there power with them. Hiisi had had to beg Thera to come to Lunia and add her power to the battle. But then the God of Prophecy had arrived and sent her to the Twilight.

His blockade had fallen as Aegir had surprised everyone by rising out of the Great River with a battle ready army of followers. If Hiisi had received word of the event like he was suppose to then he wouldn’t have been caught between Jalivier & Aegir’s armies. Vespin was dead, he knew his godson would never have let this slip by.

His pantheon was broken but he refused to surrender. Better to retreat and regain his power then die needlessly in savage battle. Hiisi motioned to Mussin to call the retreat. The vile god laughed at Hiisi’s plight, and he, Druaga, and Nether shifted away from the shores of Lunia.

“Damn you to the Abyss, Mussin, you will suffer for this!”

“No!” A voice rang out behind the Lord of Darkness.

Hiisi wondered who would dare contradict him turning to see Cronn’s godson Jaeger walking towards him. “Well, this is an unexpected pleasure. I feel like taking my frustration out on someone. It might as well be you, little god child.”

“You’ll have your chance.” The young god smiled as if he had already won. Jaeger raised his voice calling out to the sky in the ancient tongue of the Old Gods. “I invoke the ancient tradition of the Finnish Pantheon. I call for the Ympyrä Ristiriita!”

“What, no, you can’t…“ Hiisi did not have time to finish his sentence. Eight Avatars of the Finnish gods appeared around Hiisi and Jaeger. Ahto, Ilmatar, Loviatar, Mielikki, Tuonetar, Ukko and Untamo.

“The challenge has been made Hiisi; do you accept or forfeit your station to the challenger?” It was Ahto that spoke the words.

“You can’t be serious, he isn’t one of us.” Hiisi was furious. As long as he was within the circle of Ympyrä Ristiriita, he could not shift away from Lunia.

“It doesn’t matter if the challenge comes from outside of the pantheon, you know that. Or do you forget how you came by your station amongst the Finns?” The Mistress of the Forest spoke in rebuttal.

“Don’t patronize me Mielikki. And yes, I will accept the challenge.” Hiisi looked at Jaeger laughing. “You little fool, you can’t defeat me. No one has ever defeated me in Ympyrä Ristiriita.”

“I don’t have to defeat you, I just have to trap you here long enough for the rest of my pantheon to finish destroying your army.” Jaeger looked passed the circle of Finnish gods noting that a growing number of Outsiders had seen the Finnish Gods appear and riders were already on their way to tell the rest of the pantheon. They would come eventually but not soon enough to save him. Not that they could, no god may interfere in this challenge. Not even his father could pass through the circle of Finnish Gods.

Jaeger’s words enraged Hiisi and the Lord of Darkness made the first move. Jaeger evaded him easily, as the Dark One was not thinking rationally. Jaeger tried to keep his foe off balance by mentioning that Hiisi’s allies seemed to have abandoned him. That really ticked him off and he almost caught Jaeger flatfooted. The God of Honor wouldn’t last long against these odds, even with Hiisi on Jaeger’s turf. Not that Celestia was his home plane, the Prime Material was. But to Jaeger, the Seven Mounting Heavens were like a second home.

Instead of dodging Hiisi’s next attack, he surprised the Lord of Darkness by meeting him head on, striking out with Honorbound against Hiisi’s torso. The first hit was his, which enraged the Dark One even more.

Hiisi tore into Jaeger, gaining four straight cuts with his sword. A great cheer rose up from one side of the circle, as a group of fiends had gathered to watch the spectacle. Jaeger blocked the next blow and noticed that a group of celestials cheered him on from the other side of the circle. Law versus Chaos, Good versus Evil. This was what it was all about on the Planes. Jaeger did not care; this was for Harqual – for all the mortals that he had grown up with, fought beside, and watched die. That was what this was all about!

The rage took Jaeger and he fought with no regard for his own essence. He took the fight to the Dark One, beating him back to the edge of the circle. Hiisi was battered by the time Jaeger's rage had subsided. Yet his strength was still greater than the young god's determination. He slammed into Jaeger, sending him sprawling to the ground. Jaeger was hurt badly by the blow barely getting up to his knees. The rage had sapped his strength and he could feel himself slipping away towards the Twilight.

“You are beaten, young one.” Hiisi stood over Jaeger and raised his fist in triumph. The fiends roared at the sight while several of Jaeger’s pantheon members looked on, helpless to do anything.

Jaeger looked to see his sister Mayela standing outside the circle with his mother Inanna. Cronn was not there yet. It didn’t matter, he had lied to Hiisi – he wasn’t stalling. It was time for phase two of his plan. Something that the First One in the Halls of Twilight hadn't suspected he knew. Jaeger was not even sure it would work.

“I have fallen Hiisi but I am not beaten.” Jaeger’s words echoed across the shores of Lunia, as Jaeger grasped Honorbound at both ends. “Here me Old Gods of all the Planes of Existence, I convey my essence to the Outer Planes wishing only one thing in return. That Hiisi be banished to Carceri for as long as my Great Father watches over the lands and people of Harqual. This I do freely with no tricks or illusions.”

Hiisi’s eyes widened with fear and he reached out towards the young god.

“No!” Cronn appeared just as Jaeger snapped Honorbound with all his strength.

Balefire erupted within the circle consuming Jaeger’s essence. The Old Gods of the Planes saw the young gods sacrifice and invoked the ancient Banishing that would trap Hiisi in Carceri for as long a Cronn watched over Harqual.

“Jaeger!” Cronn watched helplessly as his godson gave his life in the Banishing of the Lord of Darkness. A mist swirled around Hiisi and the Dark One screamed as his essence was transferred to Carceri.
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Up Next... The Aftermath of the Divinity War. After that comes new Gods of Harqual fiction, which will tell new stories of the North Gods, Sword Gods and even the coming of the Interloper (and World) Gods to Harqual.