The Tale of the Lord of Flame and the Queen of Winter
Pay heed, all who hear, to the tale of the Lord of Flame and the deliverance of our people.
When first we came to this land, we held strong to the traditions of our ancestors. We built our homes, raised our families, and honored the Gods and our dead as we always had. Then the Long Dark came.
When the sky was black and ash fell as rain from the sky, the ancestors turned their backs upon us. The Old Gods had grown jealous of us. They cursed us for leaving our old homes and making our way to a new land. Our crops failed, our animals died, and our hunters found nothing but bloodthirsty creatures in the wilds. Many died, yet when they were given to their rest, they did not sleep. They rose up and made war upon us. From the sea came those who had fallen before us, with a wrathful, malevolent gleam in their eyes they now desired nothing but to drag those of us still living to their frozen, watery rests. Our wise men and women went mad with the whisperings of the Old Gods, whisperings which drove them to do terrible things to those who still followed them.
We fought these creatures, these mockeries of our ancestors. But it was not enough. One by one, our warriors fell, only to rise up and join in their slayer's march. Those driven mad by the Old Gods called for us to give ourselves over. It seemed all was lost.
Then, from the wilderness, came one called Eindride. He claimed to have had a vision from one he called the 'Lord of Flame'. He said he had been sent to marshal our people, to show us how to fight these creatures, and how to save ourselves.
Many scoffed at his words. They would not believe his promises of deliverance. Some, though, saw hope. They joined him as he marched towards our enemies. When he was nearly upon the legions of our foes, he drew a long blade, as black as the clouds in the skies but shining with the light of the forgotten stars, its rippled blade reminding those that followed him of the waves of the sea that had betrayed us. He called for our people to stand firm, that they would win the day and free our people. And it was so.
When the battle was over, few who had followed Eindride had fallen, though our enemies lay in mountains about them. He called for his followers, for they were truly his, to gather up their fallen and follow him. He would show them how the bodies of men and women were shown respect in his Lord's lands.
He led them for many days across the trackless snows, until they came to the mountains on the horizon. First he led down into a cavern he called Ishell. There he placed the bodies of the fallen warrior women upon biers of carven ice. As he led the others from that place, it is said a chill descended upon that cavern, freezing their forms into the cavern itself.
Then he led them to the peak of the highest mount above and down into its fiery heart he called Eldfjall. There, he laid the bodies of the fallen men on biers of stone. Eindride commanded his men to return to their people and spread the words of the Lord of Flame.
'Whenever a great man falls, his body is to be brought here and placed upon the stones. If the Lord of Flame finds him worthy, he will be taken into our Lord's hall where he will rest until his strength is needed again. Whenever a good man falls, his body is to be burned by his people, so that all will know of his passing. When a coward falls, his body is to be destroyed and buried in the ground so that none will remember him.
When a woman falls, her body is to be treated in the same manner, unless she was a woman of great courage. Then, her body is to be wrapped in white cloth and placed in the heart of Ishell, the cavern of ice at the foot of the mountain. There, the Queen of Winter will judge her. If she is found worthy, the Queen will take her as one of her maidens. If this is done, the Queen will cool the Lord's wrath and the Lord will warm the Queen's embrace, and so our people may thrive.
When they had been given these commandments, they went from that place to spread the word of our Lord. It is said that when they had reached the rim of the mount, they turned to see a great flow of fire cover the bodies of Eindride and their fallen. When the fire had receded, there was nothing left but the stone slabs, covered in the honorifics of those who had been taken.
As they climbed down the mountain, it is said the skies cleared and the sun rose over the mountains for the first time in many ages. It was with this sign of our Lord's favor that the family of Eindride returned to our people to tell their story and lead them in the proper way. They brought us the commandments of our Lord, and by these commandments have we since lived. Though many dangers still haunt our lands, from the bodies of cowards not destroyed to the beasts of the wilds, as long as we honor the Lord of Flame and the Queen of Winter, our lands shall be secured to us forever.
When first we came to this land, we held strong to the traditions of our ancestors. We built our homes, raised our families, and honored the Gods and our dead as we always had. Then the Long Dark came.
When the sky was black and ash fell as rain from the sky, the ancestors turned their backs upon us. The Old Gods had grown jealous of us. They cursed us for leaving our old homes and making our way to a new land. Our crops failed, our animals died, and our hunters found nothing but bloodthirsty creatures in the wilds. Many died, yet when they were given to their rest, they did not sleep. They rose up and made war upon us. From the sea came those who had fallen before us, with a wrathful, malevolent gleam in their eyes they now desired nothing but to drag those of us still living to their frozen, watery rests. Our wise men and women went mad with the whisperings of the Old Gods, whisperings which drove them to do terrible things to those who still followed them.
We fought these creatures, these mockeries of our ancestors. But it was not enough. One by one, our warriors fell, only to rise up and join in their slayer's march. Those driven mad by the Old Gods called for us to give ourselves over. It seemed all was lost.
Then, from the wilderness, came one called Eindride. He claimed to have had a vision from one he called the 'Lord of Flame'. He said he had been sent to marshal our people, to show us how to fight these creatures, and how to save ourselves.
Many scoffed at his words. They would not believe his promises of deliverance. Some, though, saw hope. They joined him as he marched towards our enemies. When he was nearly upon the legions of our foes, he drew a long blade, as black as the clouds in the skies but shining with the light of the forgotten stars, its rippled blade reminding those that followed him of the waves of the sea that had betrayed us. He called for our people to stand firm, that they would win the day and free our people. And it was so.
When the battle was over, few who had followed Eindride had fallen, though our enemies lay in mountains about them. He called for his followers, for they were truly his, to gather up their fallen and follow him. He would show them how the bodies of men and women were shown respect in his Lord's lands.
He led them for many days across the trackless snows, until they came to the mountains on the horizon. First he led down into a cavern he called Ishell. There he placed the bodies of the fallen warrior women upon biers of carven ice. As he led the others from that place, it is said a chill descended upon that cavern, freezing their forms into the cavern itself.
Then he led them to the peak of the highest mount above and down into its fiery heart he called Eldfjall. There, he laid the bodies of the fallen men on biers of stone. Eindride commanded his men to return to their people and spread the words of the Lord of Flame.
'Whenever a great man falls, his body is to be brought here and placed upon the stones. If the Lord of Flame finds him worthy, he will be taken into our Lord's hall where he will rest until his strength is needed again. Whenever a good man falls, his body is to be burned by his people, so that all will know of his passing. When a coward falls, his body is to be destroyed and buried in the ground so that none will remember him.
When a woman falls, her body is to be treated in the same manner, unless she was a woman of great courage. Then, her body is to be wrapped in white cloth and placed in the heart of Ishell, the cavern of ice at the foot of the mountain. There, the Queen of Winter will judge her. If she is found worthy, the Queen will take her as one of her maidens. If this is done, the Queen will cool the Lord's wrath and the Lord will warm the Queen's embrace, and so our people may thrive.
When they had been given these commandments, they went from that place to spread the word of our Lord. It is said that when they had reached the rim of the mount, they turned to see a great flow of fire cover the bodies of Eindride and their fallen. When the fire had receded, there was nothing left but the stone slabs, covered in the honorifics of those who had been taken.
As they climbed down the mountain, it is said the skies cleared and the sun rose over the mountains for the first time in many ages. It was with this sign of our Lord's favor that the family of Eindride returned to our people to tell their story and lead them in the proper way. They brought us the commandments of our Lord, and by these commandments have we since lived. Though many dangers still haunt our lands, from the bodies of cowards not destroyed to the beasts of the wilds, as long as we honor the Lord of Flame and the Queen of Winter, our lands shall be secured to us forever.