The Celvynogion: Prologue

This story was started way back in the early nineties whilst I was at college. Over the years I added bits and pieces to it and used parts in Dungeons and Dragons Campaigns. Inspired in many ways by the writings of Dave Eddings and Robert Holdstock, I wanted to produce a story with a Female lead character and not just a strong supporting lady. That was not a sexist aim, I just felt it was time for a Girl heroine.

Some of the imagery in the story I dark, hopefully oppressive. I wanted to impart that sense of darkness that covers the land

Snork Maiden 2002-04-17

Prologue.

… and the egg formed and was hatched, the Golden Serpent, Frond, slowly uncoiled and expressed itself. Then the darkness retreated from its body and as it did so, the great serpent shed its scales diminishing until it was no more than a brightly glowing sphere.

The scales glittered in the soft pulsing radiance of the sphere and began to move in unison whilst themselves rotating, and as they moved they grew. Those that were far from the sphere were cold and barren; those that moved close to the sphere were scorched and left arid by its great radiance. But there was one that moved in the favour of the sphere and its body swelled and flourished and took on the appearance of the great, coiled serpent. It scales sparkled and scintillated with shifting hues and, … it breathed.

Then the sphere threw out fire and stone and those not in its favour were smitten and left to die but those that it loved it set around a protecting globe and this globe shone in the light of the sphere.

The Serpent grew and its scales took on new forms and each was as one with the Serpent. These creatures flourished and multiplied on the back of the serpent and the Sphere was pleased and warmed them and loved them and was satisfied.

But there had been other serpents; these had not received the favour of the Sphere and they had been crippled and left to die. And their bitterness was great and formed a consciousness. The disfavoured were united by this consciousness and slowly yet surely it grew stronger. The consciousness set its will upon the ‘Favoured’ and resolved to make great Evil and this consciousness took the form of a Dark Sphere in the shadow of the Great Sphere and its will became strong seeking to influence the will of the creatures on the serpent that they might become enslaved.

But the Great Sphere was wise to overture of the Dark Sphere and so was formed the Celvynog. The Great Sphere seeing the peril of its beloved, turned upon the Consciousness and entrapped it in five stones, each carved with a Sigel and bound with strong wards.

The Four of the stones were given to the Celvynog that they should be held secure and they were divided among the four tribes. Each of the tribes placed the Gems in the guardianship of their own patron serpents.

Eptra the Bronze Dragon was set to guard the Freune Stone, a large uncut ruby and sigiled with fire runes, deep in the hot mantle of the Serpent. Eptra coiled his body tightly around the Ruby and it merged into his body pulsing with the strong beat of his heart.

Wenet the Silver Dragon was charged with the protection of the second Stone, Wulte, a large sapphire with a hue of deep blue and sigiled with ice runes. Wixtle took the Gem and carried to the ice lands of the North. Deep into the icy caverns, clutching the stone in her huge paw it became a deadly claw and Wenet slept.

The third stone was given to Arneg the Gold Dragon. His charge was an uncut diamond, Erte, which he kept inside his mouth. In time the Great Gem became part of his jaw providing a third fang with which he could gnaw at the side of the mountains tunnelling out long and intricate caverns and chambers.

The fourth stone came to the Platinum Dragon, Dwaht. A great serpent that had taken a preference to the great sea known as ‘The Farg’. Here she guarded the huge Green Emerald, Xalt, that had been made her charge. Carrying it deep into the darkness of the great sea. She coiled around it and slept also.

The fifth stone was simply a Pebble, it too engraved with the binding runes and sigils but with all its magic masked. The Sphere cast the pebble onto the great beach of Garant Ethad but in time it was carried with the sea currents around the World of the serpent.

With the consciousness imprisoned and dispersed, peace returned and the Serpent slept. But there were followers of the Dark Sphere already established on the Serpent world and they offered up great sacrifices seeking to reunite the consciousness and these followers were known as the Vargatrim.

The Celvynog saw that the Vargatrim were strong in number and they were driven from the four tribes and exiled over sea to the west. The four tribes were united against the Vargatrim and were resolved to destroy them for all time. But the Vargatrim was strong and fought long and hard over many centuries and generations. They employed partisans and assassins who had become disillusioned by the Celvynog over the centuries and with their assistance the Celvynog were all but destroyed. In the final years of the war, the four dragons were awakened coming to the aid of the Celvynog but it was too late. The Vargatrim quickly overpowered and captured the dragons, slaying them brutally and regaining control of the four stones they had guarded.

The Vargatrim expected a fifth Dragon to reveal itself and so provide them with the fifth and final stone, but it never came. In a final push the dark forces eliminated the last remaining Celvynog and started systematically to search for the fifth lair.

So it was that the Serpent was awakened from its deep slumber. The denizens of the Vargatrim dug deep into the earth seeking to find that last stone. It searched for its children but none could be found and in its sorrow and anger smote the Vargatrim and greatly reduced their numbers. The seas arose and covered their lands and the earth was split devouring their cities and causing the mountains to collapse onto their farms and industries. When all this had been done, the Serpent wept for the loss of the Celvynog.

Yet the Vargatrim was still not fully destroyed and they set to rebuilding their cities. They built Four Towers to hold the Rune Stones and used them in an attempt to locate the fifth. In its fragmented form the dark consciousness was unable to locate the last piece, yet in its vagueness it was able to put forth a prophecy. A prophecy that held the Vargatrim together, and over the aeons they waited. Waited and made plans of preparation when they would see the signs in the sky and the prophesy could be fulfilled...