The Ancient Days of Dwarves
The Great Task.
KHENKATATH
Before everything and after the beginning and after the dark, there was the fire which did beget life, the water which did beget life, the world within, Ana-thayor, Ketemuhr the Father-Son-Brother, Kepapahr the Mother-Daughter-Sister, Tanghar the Great Disturber, Rhunuk the Great Guardian, Oru the Great Revealer, Khalimassik the Great Temptress, the rest of the Teturihm who live forever, and all the mortal creatures. The mortals did live in the land beneath, and did know the secret of fire, as it was given to them by the will of Rhunuk the Wise and the mischief of Tanghar the Craven. They did learn to make fire for warmth and for cooking and for crafting. And they did prosper under the loving watch of Ana-thayor, Ketemuhr and Kepapahr. Above them, above the land, above the sea, above the sky and in the divine firmament, Tanghar the Great Stealer did slip through the world of shadow, careful to miss the light of moon and the sun, which did blind him. One day, he did come upon Oru the Bald, one of his brethren. Oru did involve himself in all manner of trickery and guile, if only to amuse himself at the shame of others. Tanghar did see the way of Oru and, when no others where near, did speak thus: O guileful Oru, who doth shift his form as he pleases, hear me. Yea though my people accuse me of theft of the Ruleth-Durin and I am made to suffer by the will of Rhunuk, my punishment is gratuitous. Yet, by mine own will, I choose to endure hers. Listen, now, as I recount my tale for thee! Oru did listen to the tale of Tanghar with great interest. Oru himself did also face the firm judgments of Rhunuk in his own past. Often did his pranks seem unkind to her, and she did impose punishments upon him. And when Tanghar did finish his own tale of adventure, Oru did speak thusly in return: O Great Disturber of Order, I see how thine adventure was born of equal parts mischief and well-meaning. It was wrong for Ana-thayor, Ketemuhr and Kepapahr to imprison our mortal children with their love. It was right for thee to steal the Ruleth-Durin and thus change the order of things. Ye must continue to test the mortals that they may grow and prosper under thine intangible guidance. And, so too, shall I go unto the mortals and guide them in mine own way, though where ye did steal, I will give. And, as well, it shall be of great amusement to me and great bother to Rhunuk! With that, the two did part company. Tanghar did go to spy upon Rhunuk, while Oru did leave the firmament to begin his journey to the mortals. Oru did first become as a star and move from the divine firmament into the night sky. Oru did summon the sun to light his way, and when he did see well enough, he did become as a bird and did dive from the sky into the wide seas. In the water, he did become as a fish and did swim from the sea unto the land. Upon the shore, he did become as a snake and did move across the land until he did find a small hole. And he did know that this hole did lead into the land beneath, where all the mortals did dwell. He did come upon the mortals after four seasons of journey, and see how they did live, and hear what they did believe. Oru did then know what manner of gift he was to give unto the mortals, for this he did not know until then. In the shadows of the campfire of the mortals, Oru did become as them, did grow wild hair upon his bald pate, and did conceal his eyes which did glow, one blue and one yellow, with the dark colour of the mortals. Then he did come unto them as one of their own, and did speak unto them his gift: O dear friends, why do ye speak of this dark place, lit only by our small fires, as the length and breadth of all existence? Do ye not know of the world above? The lands of the sky? Did not thine elders tell of the world of light, made of equal parts blue day which is lit by the brilliance of the sun, and black sky which is lit by the shine of the stars and the glow of moon? A land where there is a season of birth and a season of heat and a season of death and a season of cold! Do ye not know? Do ye wish to know? For I can show ye this land! And Oru did gaze deeply into the eyes of these mortals and they did see visions of the world above, did come to know the bright warmth of the sun, the complex beauty of the stars, the magic wonder of the moon, and the bountiful wealth of the animals and the plants. And when Oru did remove his gaze, the visions did fade. And yet, to the mortals, they did become most powerful memories of places to which they did never go afore this. And as the mortals did wonder and marvel at what they did remember, Oru did become as a butterfly and did fly to the next group of mortals, whom he did tell the same story and show the same vision. And Oru did go amongst all the mortals and impart upon them the vision of the lands of the sky. And when he did finish giving his gift of inspiration, Oru did become as a sparrow and fly through the tunnel from whence he came, and up to the divine firmament to watch the fruit of his trickery. For he had shown them the bountiful world above their dark lands beneath, but he had not shown them the way. And it would amuse him greatly to see what Rhunuk the Great Guardian and the other Teturihm, and Ketemuhr, and Kepapahr, and Ana-thayor would do to satisfy the wish of the mortals. It was not long afore the mortals did begin their new quest for the lands of the sky. And from the start, they did argue upon the matters of how to make their dreams of sun and moon become truth. Some of the mortals did think of nothing but getting to the land above, and they did at first scratch and claw at the rock, and soon did pound upon the walls with callous hands. They did pound and pound and pound all their hours of waking and did sleep little but deeply, and their leader was called Ugpor-stoshakis. Soon their bodies did grow with muscle and labour, and they did grow to a size greater than all the mortals. The tribe of Ugpor-stoshakis did care nothing for the falling of rock, whether it did cause injury to themselves or to others. Some of those who did follow Ugpor-stoshakis did feel frustration in their task, though, and did quit this way, judging the labour futile and dangerous to themselves. These were led by Rikhen-ri-Bragkin, and those of his tribe were full of frustration, did mill about and did watch the others who did choose ways different from the angry pounding of the rock. The tribe of the Purlanthet did choose to go about their quest in an orderly and thoughtful manner, and they were led by Orahmantesk. He did have the wisdom to organize their camp by the strength of skill of each individual, using the differences of each as a benefit to the whole tribe. Orahmantesk did discover the secrets of language and mathematics and metal. They did plan their way thouroughly, examining the walls of rock and earth to find the most sensible place to begin their toil. They did devise the tools with which to carve their path without injury to themselves or others. They did dig a tunnel of safety by crafting columns of stone to steady the rock. They did work in turns, when some did work the others did rest and when they did rest the others would work, allowing all the proper sleep while never ceasing the contruction. And the tribe of Orahmantesk did thrive and become strong while they did retain their proper size. Thus began the Khenkhatath.
Other tribes did join in the effort. There was the tribe of the No-rakthet, who did refine the tools of the Khenkhatath but did take too much pleasure in their studies and did forget their duties at times. There was the tribe of the Rhekkinthet, who did not enjoy any labours of the Khenkhatath, save the cooking and clothing to feed and cover the labourers, but they did too often covet the glittering gems and interesting things which did come free from the rock in the construction. There was the tribe of the Thalodurthet, who of all did love the Ruleth-Durin most, and they did want most to dance around their fires and sing, but they too did want to reach the lands of the sky, so they did help all the tribes in their tasks, even the tribe of Ugpor-stoshakis. There was the tribe of the Kelmunuar, who did little to aid the Khenkhatath, and did keep mostly to themselves, although they did, from time to time, offer helpful advice. There was the tribe of the Doblynthit who did sneak among the toil and steal from all, and they did become small and dirty in their way. Soon, the tribe of Rikhen-ri-Bragkin did lust for the fruits of labour and fellowship, and they did capture the stragglers and the unwary of all the tribes - from the giant sons of Ugpor-stoshakis to the thieving wretches of the Doblynthit - and force them to labour for Rikhen-ri-Bragkin. The tribe of Rikhen-ri-Bragkin, who did become foul and hairy with their malice, did unite with the tribe of the Doblynthit, who did become small and ugly with their skulking, to wage war upon the tribe of Orahmantesk, who did become strong and wise with their labour on the Khenkhatath, and their allies. And, by the actions of Rikhen-ri-Bragkin, blood was first shed in war. As all the tribes did turn their tools into weapons and spill mortal blood, Ana-thayor, Ketemuhr the Father-Son-Brother, Kepapahr the Mother-Daughter-Sister, and the Teturihm who live forever, did take notice of the Khenkhatath and the An-khenkhoman. And the gods did weep. The gods did decree that the hostilities end, but the Tribe of Rikhen-ri-Bragkin did scorn the will of the gods and did foment disobedience and chaos. And this did anger Ana-thayor, for never had any mortal forsaken the divine will of the immortals, and Ana-thayor did move to strike them down in punishment for their insolence, but Kepapahr and Ketemuhr did intervene. They spake thusly: O beloved Ana-thayor from whom the world did come, we do love thee so, but ye must not harm the mortals with thy great power, for they must learn the price of their folly. Those with good hearts will reveal themselves as such, and those with evil hearts will reveal themselves as such. This Khenkhatath and this Khenkhoman doth define the futures of these young mortals. It is right that these tribes learn the price of war that they may know the benefits of peace. Look upon the tribe of Orahmantesk, and their allies, and see how they work in unison, see how each accounts for the others' weaknesses with their own strengths. Strife and toil hath taught these valuable lessons. And see that without the tribe of Rikhen-ri-Bragkin, and their allies, this lesson may not have been one so easy to learn. Let their struggle to find the lands of the sky continue. Though many may fall, more will grow unto new and admirable persons. And they will make thee proud with their triumphs! And we will be proud of thy restraint! And Ana-thayor did listen to the wisdom of Kepapahr and Ketemuhr, and did leave the mortals to their own devices, whether it be war or toil or peace or strife. While the tribe of Rikhen-ri-Bragkin and their allies did worry and plot over war and attack, the tribe of Orahmantesk did devote themselves to the preparation of defense, and to the Khenkatath. Were it not for the swaying loyalty of the tribe of the Thalodurthet, and the unswaying complacency of the Kelmunuar, all would have proven easy, but Rikhen-ri-Bragkin did bribe and cajole some of the Thalodurthet to join his cause and leave the camp of the Khenkatath. Soon Thalodurthet did fight against Thalodurthet on both sides of the An-khenkhoman. And it is their curse that ever since this time they have always, do now, and will ever fight amongst themselves and spill their own blood. Their ways do make them strong, some say, and others say their ways do make them weak, but all agree their ways do make their lives eventful and brief. The tribe of the Kelmunuar did contribute little to the Khenkatath. Patiently they did sit and criticize and sing and praise and sleep, but rarely did they lend hand to the effort. For them, it did seem the task was in haste, and for others it did seem the Kelmunuar did squander their time with the construct of pretty things of little use. At times, the tribe of the Kelmunuar did lend aid to the defense of the camp, but always at a distance. Like the Kelmunuar, the tribe of the Rhekkinthet did not enjoy the labours of digging or the matters of war, but unlike the Kelmunuar, the tribe of the Rhekkinthet did what else they could to help. They did craft clothes, brew drink and cook meals for all, but especially for themselves. The Rhekkinthet did feed themselves well, and they did try to make what comfort they could for all the tribes of the Khenkatath. And they were welcome in all camps. And they did also serve as scouts and spies in the defense, for they were even more adept at moving unseen and unheard than were the Doblynthit. Though the Rhekkinthet were artful, they did not share the foul ways of the malicious wretches of the Doblynthit. The tribe of the No-rakthet did work most alongside the tribe of Orahmantesk. They did devise clever tools to aid in the effort, as they did prefer to use their craft more than their muscle to do work. At times their tools did seem without benefit or wisdom, and more of their number did sustain injury in the making and use of these devices than in labour or war.
Yet some of their devices did serve the Khenkatath to great effect, and all were grateful for the help of their inventiveness. And so, under the guidance of the gods, Orahmantesk did employ the vigour and strength of his Purlanthet, the ingenuity and enthusiasm of the No-rakthet, the support and artifice of the Rhekkinthet, the desire and eagerness of the Thalodurthet and even the criticism and songs of the Kelmunuar to engage in the Khenkatath. And when the toil and labour did seem endless and the cause and sacrifice did seem futile, Orahmantesk did speak thusly: O dear cousins, how the sight of thee doth fill me with pride! Long have we striven for our goals, many are our sacrifices, and little do we find solace from our enemies. There have come times when it did seem as though hope was nothing more than the flicker of a flame on a candle, and that our resolve was waning. Yet, we must remember that our candles are together stronger than all the campfires of the enemy. We must remember that it is our resolve that did bring us this far! It is our hope, fellowship, and love that does make our task possible. Together, we will forge our destiny. Together, we will attain our goals. Together, we will reach the land of the sky, walk under the stars, bask under the sun and dance in the light of the gentle moon! And we will rejoice! We will rejoice as we remember our toil and labour and look back upon it with pride. And we will think unto ourselves; O how wonderful that time was, when we did forge with our hands, minds and hearts, the future of our people, the boon of our children. And it will be a happy remembrance! So renew thy vigour and return to the Khenkatath, for songs of praise await us in the land of the sky! And thus was built the An-ruleth-ankar, and the mortals did safely reach the lands of the sky. When all of the tribe of the Purlanthet and their allies did emerge from the road, Orahmantesk, in all his wisdom, did decree that the An-ruleth-ankar which all did sacrifice to build, they would now seal. So it was done, to prevent the tribe of Rikhen-ri-Bragkin from following, the fruit of the Khenkatath they did shut with stone. Thus did end the An-khenkhoman. And when the Purlanthet, the No-rakthet, the Rhekkinthet, the Thalodurthet, and the Kelmunuar did turn away from their toil to look upon the land of the sky, they did gaze about in wonder and mystery. New scents did waft to their noses, new colours did regale their eyes, new textures did come to their fingers, new sounds did reach in their ears, and new tastes did sweeten their mouths. All the elders of Purlanthet, who were to become our people, did see wisdom in choosing a leader for this new world, and all knew that it was to be Orahmantesk. Thus the Purlanthet did crown Orahmantesk as their Ral, and all did know that Orahmantesk would be the Rulek-ral, for none would ever equal the triumph of the Khenkatath. And Ana-thayor, Ketemuhr the Father-Son-Brother, Kepapahr the Mother-Daughter-Sister, Tanghar the Great Disturber, Rhunuk the Great Guardian, Oru the Great Revealer, Khalimassik the Great Temptress, and the rest of the Teturihm who live forever did look upon the mortals and smile for they were proud. And they did also weep, for they knew the mortals would forget the time of the gods. Thus did end the Khenkatath.
[Introduction] [Tosh Khama] [Tosh Bhul] [Khenkatath]
[Tosh Firok] [Tosh Breohm] [Ankhoman-Nit] [Dueta-Claidmor]
[Penkhoman-Nit] [Khenmuht] [Dueta-Kultar] [Dueta-Khurtunk]
[Tosh Haraka (part 1)] [Tosh Haraka (part 2)]
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