18
Nov
The fall of great Hyborea, as told by the inhabitants of a lost tenple under the mountains.
Once, Hyborea was great and mighty. We ruled many lands and many peoples. The Great Spirits protected and guided us. Then fell the Long Night. Through treachery, barbarians invaded and destroyed Great Hyborea. Upon its smoldering ruins, they fought among each other. Civilisation was diminished forever – no longer could Hyborea be the shining Light of the world. Now only darkness, confusion and uncultured barbarism reigned. Brother fought brother, men became cannibals and art and books were nothing but kindling for the fires that raged everywhere.
Then, out of the darkness came Apollo. Sent by the Spirits to guide us, he took a small group of Hyboreans and led them away. Apollo cast a shimmering veil to hide us from barbarous eyes. Hidden behind this veil of stars, we were safe.
The old empire fell to ruin and barbarism, but Apollo guided us. In the City Below we held to the Hyborean ways – a small light in a sea of darkness, but a light nonetheless. He taught us the ways of Gorm the Lawgiver, Usimagas the Many-eyed and Madura the Mother – the Great Spirits.In their worship, we grew strong.
Apollo travelled beyond the stars to the ruined empire to fight the Great Enemy and seek out survivors. those he brought back were often confused. They knew nothing of our ways and spoke in strange tongues. We made slaves and servants out of them, and slowly integrated them into out society.
Then, one day, Apollo returned wounded. His body was torn and broken, and his breath was weak. He was taken to the great temple of Madura, where his wounds were treated. He spoke of the Great War beyond the stars, and how horrible men had become that they had mistreated a servant of the Great Spirits so.
Apollo would not return to the world beyond the stars. He stayed with us, to guide us further. He was taken to the temple across the lake, broken in body, but strong in spirit. He still dwells there today, speaking his wisdom through his servants. When the world beyond the stars has rediscovered civilisation, Apollo will walk there once more, and together we will spread the Light of Hyborea across the world.
What the priests say:
GORM: That was over 150 years ago. Much has changed. Oh, Apollo still lives, but his words have been twisted! His servants call themselves the Disciples of Zargon now – and they refuse to adhere to the laws of Gorm. Laws that were taught us by Apollo himself! Hyborea is a lawless society – no better than the barbarians beyond. Sacred drugs are abused, Magi think themselves equal to the Spirits and worse: those… women even doubt the existence of Great Gorm! The Brotherhood must have access to the temple of Apollo – or Zargon, if he calls himself that now – and talk with him. He must not know about the lawlessness, or he would have acted.
USIMAGAS: Apollo was a visionary. He hid us from the outside world to let us grow our strength, while all about us the world fell to ruin. Apollo unlocked many secrets: long life, the star curtain behind which he hid us, the basics of the Twelve Spells of creation… and the Magi of Usimagas were always intened to be the heirs to that knowledge. Le the Gormites mewl and cry to their great Spirit, let the women of Madura deny the power magic. It is the Zargonites we must focus on, for they hold the temple, and therefore the sacred knowledge of Apollo. By rights it must be ours! When we learn the secret of the star shield, there is nothing standing in our way, we we Magi shall rule as sorceror Kings over the barbarian world beyond.
MADURA: Apollo was a man. A clever man, but mortal nonetheless. Our grandmothers saw his wounds 150 years ago, and they were horrendous. No man would have survived, even with our aid. The Zargonites now rule the temple, pretending to speak for Apollo himself. Nonsense. They are merely using his legend to further their own cause – they want the people drugged and obedient. The Magi are almost as bad – they desire only power, which they think they’ll get with their so-called ‘secrets of creation’. The Gormite are stuck in the pointless veneration of a Spirit that hasn’t answered in a century. The spirits are dead. Apollo is dead. Magic is a lie. We must abandon the old ways, and live for ourselves.
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