DRAGON PASS ON 5 LUNARS A DAY

By Jesimor The Scriptor, Initiate of Irripi Ontor.

I began my journey from Our Lady Moon’s most holy city of Torang just after the festival of the goddess that the pagan heathens call the Sacred Time. Mother Oraxarane had thoroughly chastised me for my over-indulgence in imported Sartarite beer, a tipple which to my palate is far more pleasant than the vinegary wines from the Holy Country that she instructs me are more befitting a candidate for Our Father Irripi’s solemn priesthood. Indeed, so exasperated had Mother Oraxarane become with my incessant questions on the history and peoples of what she calls "That Den of Iniquity" that I found myself packed off with naught but a rather plodding old horse (who I instantly dubbed "Sir Knacker" for such was clearly his destination) and a brand new writing set, with the instruction not to return until I had "chronicled the sights and sounds of Dragon Pass in all its barbaric squalor so that future students not be distracted by these infernal daydreams." My budget was limited to a mere five silver Imperials a day, which I rapidly discovered were called "Lunars" outside the empire.

Sir Knacker and I passed through the heartlands of the Empire amidst the incessant showers that herald the coming of spring. Fortunately for the health of myself and my mount, we could stay at the Imperial way-stations and seldom was a hot fire and a bowl of gruel more welcome than after a full day’s plodding along at Sir Knacker’s sedate pace through driving rain, so soaked that the shoulders of my white tunic soon turned a bilious pink as the dye leeched out of the sodden woollen cloak that was supposed to deflect the rain. My first acquisition was stout leather hat with a brim, my romantic notion of riding along wearing my magnificent crested helmet dashed after the first day when I found that somehow the mud of the road had managed to splash all the way to the top of the crest.

As we approached the borderlands and the Kingdom of Tarsh, the rain became more broken and the trees began to look more like giant flower-gardens than skeletal trolls. The soldiers became progressively less and less willing to offer a simple traveller space at the fire and I soon had to start paying for the gruel. I don’t like to think what Sir Knacker had to eat each night, but by the smell of his breath each morning it had probably been in the hayloft for years. The last good meal we were to have for several months was given us at the magnificent Temple of the Reaching Moon just south of Furthest, which is really more like a small town than a temple.

We progressed beyond the glowline in Movement week. If you have never been outside the Empire you probably have no inkling what a magnificent sight the glowline is... or how shocking is the emptiness in your heart when you cross it and Our Lady Moon turns from her full, protective gaze into a huntress’ bow or, worse, turns from you entirely! Almost at once, I could feel that there was a change in the air. These are the lands of Orlanth the Storm God and the Great Dragons, no matter how our generals may claim the lands to be conquered. It is but a dozen years since the King of Sartar fell at Boldhome and there are soldiers in the garrison at Furthest who swear they were there the day the priestess tried to consecrate a new Temple of the Reaching Moon on Wind Top and saw the dragon unearth itself under the foundation and swallow most of the congregation.

Since I did listen to my mother sometimes, I didn’t just trot Sir Knacker into Dragon Pass as if it were Teeola’s Promenade. Instead, I managed to tag along in the baggage trail of Vorlane the Hangman, a mighty Rune Lord of Yara Aranis, as he set out on an expedition to rescue Lady Zzar, the local priestess of Jakaleel the Witch, who had been kidnapped last Blackday when her powers were weakest. Lady Zzar, I learned to my surprise, was a troll, and the troll queens of Shadow’s Dance and the Troll Woods didn’t think too much of one of their priestesses (and what’s more of the pure Mistress Race!) defecting to the invaders. We rode south from Goldedge to Bagnot and then entered Dragon Pass proper, the great ranges of the Rockwoods rising to the east and west like the teeth of the dragon that devoured the priestess... just a dozen years ago. Dragons aren’t stories in this part of the world. They really do lie under your feet and even Sir Knacker was looking quite suspiciously at some of what Vorlane called "quartzite boulders" that seemed to track and follow us as we walked past.

The land here bears the scars of many wars. The blasted lands from the Dragonkill war overlap with the gentle mounds that cover the lands where hundreds of soldiers have died in the last decade, and some mornings we passed the fresh corpses of lone travellers who hadn’t hidden themselves well enough in the night.

Our journey took us through the lands of Sartar, the valley of the Sun Dome temple where the mercenary soldiers of Yelmalio drill and practice and through the dark Troll woods themselves. We met warriors and cowards, had our pockets picked expertly in Boldhome and were nearly lynched by an angry mob in Wilm’s Church, which isn’t as peaceful a town as its name would suggest. Vorlane only got us out of that one by agreeing to go into the hills to deal with the broo bandits who had been infecting all the cattle with the Creeping Chills. I saw dragonewts and riders from Prax and adventurers who sought treasures in the ancient ruins but limped back three days later with bandaged stumps and haunted eyes. Dragon Pass isn’t a safe place to be, but it is never dull. Mother Oraxarane was very wise- two seasons of life in Dragon’s Pass were enough to last me a whole lifetime. Sir Knacker and I were never so happy as the day we stepped back across the glowline and headed back to the heart of the empire. Adventure proved too rich for my blood!

In the following pages I have collected my thoughts on the people, places, religions and terrors of Dragon Pass. Read and enjoy them, but don’t go to south to see for yourself!

By Jesimor The Scriptor, Initiate of Irripi Ontor, in the year 1613 by the reckoning of Dragon Pass.

The Kingdom of Sartar

Sartar founded his kingdom in 1492 in a land where humans had been obliterated by the Dragons of the Dragonkill war four hundred years earlier. His dynasty ruled the kingdom until the Lunar Empire’s southward expansion reached the region, some hundred years later. The Sartarite humans name themselves part of one of two dozen tribes and each tribe controlled their own tribal lands in the manner of a feudality sworn to the King. The capital city of Sartar is Boldhome, nestled next to a mountain lake under the arms of Wind Top. It is said that the Sartarite kings had struck some deal with the Dragons of Dragon Pass; mayhaps some reparation was made for the actions of those previous human inhabitants whose persecution of the dragonewts had led all the dragons from across all Time and Space to gather in defence of their ancestral homelands and sweep Dragon Pass clean of human life in the Dragonkill war. Unlike most lands, Sartar seemingly refuses to go quietly to the Red Goddess of the Lunars, and rebellion simmers under the surface of every hamlet and village in these lands. It is said that even the emperor fears that he may trigger the reappearance of the Dragons if he exerts the full powers of the Goddess to conquer these lands.

The Kingdom of Tarsh "Lunar Tarsh"

The Kingdom of Tarsh was conquered by the Empire in 1582 and is now well integrated into the Empire proper. The glowline, which marks the extent of visibility of the Moon and delineates the boundary of the Empire proper, stops at the Tarshite towns of Bagnot and Dunstop.

The Troll Woods and Shadow’s Dance

These lands typify the miserable terrain which most non-human races are now forced to occupy. Even in these bleak areas the elder races must compete for space, both with each other and with the chaos creatures that seem to spawn and drip from every darkened fissure and cave.

Dragon Pass

Dragon Pass proper is one of only three navigable passes through the great Rockwood mountains. It is the widest of the three and the only lowland pass. The others are Wyrm’s High Pass, a lofty valley which can be traversed by small, careful, crafty and well-equipped groups in summer, and the Giant’s Pass, which is ruled by members of that race and normally considered inaccessible to humans.

Prax

Prax is a barren wasteland inhabited by barbarian nomad tribes who ride tribal beasts (Rhino, Zebra, Sable, Impala, High Llama, Bolo Lizard and Bison). They must compete with the Pol-Joni, hated newcomers who ride horses, breaking the ancient prohibitions against horses on the plains of Prax. Prax was conquered more recently than Sartar, but is far more firmly under Lunar control.

Balazar

Balazar is a rugged and thinly-populated expanse of grassy plains to the north of Dragon Pass. The Lunar empire has not spread across Balazar and so some rebels from Sartar have fled there. However, the easiest route (through Dragon Pass itself) is heavily patrolled by Lunar forces.

Esrolia or The Holy Country

Esrolia lies to the South of Dragon Pass. It is densely populated and ruled by a distant Pharaoh who has so far resisted the advances of the Lunar Emperor. The inhabitants of Dragon Pass consider the lives of the people in Esrolia as worse than slavery, for slaves don’t pay taxes. Even the lowest farmer in Sartar owns his land and is free to do what he wishes therein.

Religions

The Seven Mothers and other Lunar Deities

Many of the religions we recognise in the heart of the empire do not appeal to those on the wild borderlands. The seven allied cults of the mothers who brought the goddess into being are the most popular out here and the forms of worship are explicitly designed to draw new worshippers gradually under the umbrella of the goddess. The Seven Mothers are Queen Dee’zola (the healing goddess, similar to Chalana Arroy), Jakaleel the Witch (goddess of magic and mysteries), Teelo Norroi (goddess of youth and innocence), Irripi Ontor (god of knowledge, similar to Lhankor Mhy), Yanafal Tarnils (god of soldiers, similar to Humakt), Danfive Xaron (a very gloomy cult which offers a last chance for convicted criminals to reform by adopting a life of strict abstinence) and "She Who Waits" (who is not worshipped as such). Also popular are Etyries (the goddess of traders, said to be the daughter of Issaries and his representative in the Empire!) and Yara Aranis (the demon goddess who terrifies the barbarian horse nomads).

Humakt

Humakt is the god of death who slew Grandfather Mortal with his sword and thus opened to road to Hell for all who followed. In Dragon Pass, Humakt is a god of honourable soldiers, adventurers and warrior leaders. His priests act as trainers and chaplains for armies and mercenaries alike. Humakt is widely worshipped in Sartar and although many suspected that his temples were used to organise resistance to the Lunar occupation, no evidence has been found. Worshippers have to follow an increasingly strict honour code as they progress through the cult’s hierarchy.

Yelmalio

The son of the sun-god Yelm, Yelmalio is another god of death who trains soldiers. The cult of Yelmalio is close-knit and involves whole communities rather than just individuals. It is said that Humakt trains heroes where Yelmalio trains infantrymen. Yelmalians are skilled in archery and massed troop formations rather than swordsmanship and individual combat.

The Lightbringers

The lightbringers (described individually below) are the most widely-worshipped by humans of Dragon Pass. The seven lightbringers were Orlanth, Chalana Arroy, Lhankor Mhy, Issaries, Eurmal, Flesh Man and Ginna Jar. Only the first four are actively worshipped hereabouts. The lightbringers are said to have rescued the sun-god Yelm from Hell, after Orlanth had borrowed Humakt’s sword to slay him in a quarrel.

Orlanth

Orlanth is a storm god and is the patron of Sartar. The locals claim he is King of the Gods. Three subcults are widely recognised; Orlanth Thunderous is the weather-god aspect, Orlanth Rex is the ruler and Orlanth Adventurous is the wanderer and hero. The last of these three is the most widespread and the most apt to have clashes with Imperials.

Chalana Arroy

Chalana Arroy is the goddess of healing. Her worshippers have great powers to heal the injured and the sick but must forswear violence and must never cause injury to others. Chalana Arroy can even restore the dead to life in a way almost as profound as that which our own Lady Moon can do!

Lhankor Mhy

Lhankor Mhy is the god of scholars and knowledge. His worshippers are more frequently to be found in libraries than in armies, more interested in old books than in ancient treasures. All his worshippers must be bearded- even the women!

Issaries

Issaries is the god of traders and the marketplace. His priests can perform rituals to sanctify the marketplace and protect those who come to trade within. He is understandably popular amongst the many merchants and traders who travel through the dangerous areas of Dragon Pass and his association with the other Lightbringers frequently allows his followers to seek protection from Orlanth heroes, wisdom from Lhankor Mhy scholars and succour from Chalana Arroy’s healers.

Kyger Litor

Kyger Litor is the mother goddess of the trolls. Those who joins her cult become honorary trolls, though few non-trolls can pass the entrance requirements or stomach the celebratory feast afterwards! The trolls have many other fascinating god and goddess who I can only mention here: Aranea (goddess of spiders, which some trolls use as riding beasts), Argan Argar (god of troll traders and generally the only one who shows the faintest hint of what we might recognise as civilisation), Gorakiki (goddess of insects, again uses as beasts of burdens in the trolls’ underground farms), Hunter (who is called Foundchild by humans, see his entry elsewhere), Xiola Umbar (troll goddess of mercy) and finally Zorak Zoran, who is another berserker warrior god. Apparently quite a few unpleasant specimens of other races worship Zorak Zoran, though for the life of me I don’t why!

Aldrya

Aldrya is the goddess of all the Aldryami, the dryads and elves of the forest. Their worship is strange and alien, as they are after all plants, but beautiful in the manner of flowering orchids and roses. Apparently, members of other races who dwell in the deep forests are allowed to join her cult and I understand that they become almost as silent as elves in the wooded glades.

Foundchild

Foundchild is the god of hunters, a primitive god who is widely worshipped in Balazar and other areas where the primary form of subsistence in hunting rather than farming.

Lanbril

Amazing as it might seem to citizens of the Empire, Sartar is so lawless that the god of thieves can even be worshipped in public halls hired for the occasion! The thieves of Dragon Pass are so organised that people can apprentice themselves to a master to learn their trade. I am glad that I followed my dear mother’s advice and never had more than five Lunars in my visible purse while I was there!

Black Fang

Black Fang is a minor but colourful cult of assassins, bandits, thieves, extortionists, racketeers and murderers, said to have arisen in Pavis some two hundred years ago. Their members are much more dangerous than those of Lanbril, being both more organised and more deadly.

Daka Fal

The Praxian barbarians honour their ancestors, and Daka Fal is the god who judges their dead and guards his worshippers after death. It is a strange cult, more akin to the practices of shamans and other primitive spiritualists than to the established priesthoods of most other religions.

Storm Bull

Storm Bull is the a Praxian sky god whose purpose in life is the destruction of chaos, in whatever form. Unlike Our Goddess who teaches that even creatures of chaos can learn to follow the ways of the goddess, the followers of Storm Bull are instructed to seek out and destroy anything tainted by the faintest touch of chaos. Those who worship this god are berserk warriors and no sensible citizen of the empire would go anywhere near a cultist in a fighting rage for they are apt to consider our inclusive philosophy touches us all with chaos.

Waha

Waha is the father-god of Prax, responsible for teaching his sons the basic way of life on the plains. He protects his people and teaches them how to tend their herds and how to avoid offending the animal spirits by use of the correct rituals of placation before slaughtering animals.

Eiritha

Eiritha is the mother-earth-goddess of Prax, provider of goods and succour to the tribes in the barren wastelands of Prax. To be cursed or exiled by the goddess means certain death on the pitiless plains and her priestesses wield much power in the tribes.

Pavis

The patron god of the city of Pavis is still widely worshipped there.

Uleria

Uleria is supposedly a goddess of love, but actually I discovered her temples are nothing more than brothels, although some of my coarser acquaintances did assure me that they were very high-class brothels and than the priestesses were most skilled!

THE PEOPLE OF DRAGON PASS

Apart from the phases of Our Lady Moon, the first thing that struck me about Dragon Pass was how many different races and peoples one met along the road. It is ironic that we are criticised for our lack of discrimination by Orlanthi and Praxians when the jumble and mixture of peoples on the streets of a typical Sartarite town would draw a bigger crowd than the circus in the heart of our Empire.

Elves come to town seeking to buy potions to repair the rot in a favourite dryad’s tree; trolls of all shapes and sizes from stunted trollkin through to mighty Mistress Race trolls or huge but stupid Cave Trolls wander about at dead of night seeking bars that will serve them their almost alchemical intoxicants. Dwarf craftsmen work away in smithies and forges, turning out weapons by the score, which will probably be turned against our loyal army if I am any judge of the characters of the disreputable folk who tend to buy them. Praxian nomads wander about looking for somewhere to tether their strange riding beasts and pause only to spit as each horse-rider goes by, and twice if he’s wearing Imperial insignia.

Dragonewts in different stages go about their incomprehensible business, sometimes stopping the traffic in a street for an hour while they build a temporary shrine and carry out some incomprehensible ritual with spectral flames licking about the top of their improvised plinth. Of course, everyone remembers what brought on the Dragonkill war and find alternative routes for their wagons! Sometimes the dragonewts seek particularly fine weapons from the dwarves but have to have them especially made, for unlike you or me or the trolls or elves, they favour their left hands in all things!

The man-beasts that live in Beast Valley can also be found in the human civilisations. Centaurs often hire themselves out as guards or soldiers as few humans can stand long against a charging centaur. Even the primitive baboons sometimes come down from the hills to trade skins and furs for luxuries like spearheads and tanned leather.

I defy anyone not to think of laughing when he first meets a duck in the flesh (or in the feather). Some say that these poor unfortunates were humans cursed with this twisted form back in the Godtime for not helping in the war against chaos. Others say that they were originally birds cursed with intelligence and flightlessness. Anyway, I strongly advise you to stifle your laughter, for ducks do not find their physical form funny and for some strange reason most of the ducks you meet on the streets of Sartarite towns tend to be ornery and can run between your legs and stick a shortsword somewhere where you don’t have armour before you’ve finished your first guffaw.

For some reason, the moon has strange effects on some people outside the empire, and on the full moon they turn into animals such as bears, wolves, boars and tigers. Try not to sleep under the open sky when Our Lady Moon is full unless you are under the protection of a mighty Imperial Rune Lord.