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Elemental Rulers and The Beast Lords in the Young Kingdoms


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#1 Guest_Clovis_*

Posted 28 May 2007 - 11:01 AM

THE ELEMENTAL LORDS

In terms of power, the elemental rulers were considerably weaker than the Lords of Law and Chaos in the Elric saga, though still immensely powerful by mortal terms. They are largely unconcerned with the struggle between Law and Chaos, other than how in might affect their own domains. Four elemental rulers exist: Grome, Straasha, Lassa, and Kakatal.


Grome (GROME): Grome is the ruler of the earth elementals, and all that comes under his domain. He is patron to those who work the earth (miners and farmers, for example) or those who work with the gifts of the earth (potters, stonemasons, etc). Grome is by extension associated with fertility: Grome smiles on those who bear and raise many sons and daughters. Grome is the most conservative and stolid in temperament among the elemental lords, with a legendary stubbornness. He is also viewed as greedy by some, and note that his temples tend to hoard wealth. Priests of Grome point out that the gold and jewels that they take in are rightfully his to begin with, and they are merely returning what was borrowed. Grome is Straasha’s brother, and there is rivalry between the two over possession of a rare magical artifact called The Ship that Sails over Land and Water.

Straasha (STRAH-shaaa): Straasha is the Water King, the lord of all water elementals and ruler over the rivers, lakes and the upper layers of the oceans and seas. Perhaps the gentlest of all the elemental lords, Straasha is seen as a stern, but kindly, father figure to his followers. He has temple in many of the nations of the Young Kingdoms, and is worshipped by those who rely on the waters for their livelihood – fisherman, sailors, shipbuilders, and the like. He is unique among the elemental rulers in that he is involved in the struggle against Chaos, or at least one part of it. Pyaray commands the depths of the ocean, and Straasha despises the Chaos lord’s corrupting influence, believing his presence fouls the waters, which should be vibrant and pure. Straasha is Grome’s brother.


Lassa(Lah-sah): The Lady of the Air is depicted as a mature, yet beautiful woman in the temples dedicated to her. She is the patron of singers, orators, glassblowers, and other fine craftsman. She is often the patron of nobility, and her clergy tend to be drawn from the social elite of a given nation. Like the wind, she can be fickle, and is capable of cruelty towards those who offend her – a seafaring merchant might find his vessel without the benefit of tradewinds, for example – but she is generally seen as benign and nurturing, if somewhat condescending.


Kakatal (Kah-CATTLE): The fire lord is unsurprisingly the most destructive and capricious of the elemental lords. He is the most demanding of ritual sacrifices from his clergy (though nothing like the Lord of Chaos), and his basic nature is far from nurturing. Yet, Kakatal is also benevolent in many ways. Fire can destroy, but fire can also create. Blacksmiths and smelters pay him respect, and healers understand the ability of fire to cauterize and to burn away impurities. Kakatal’s priest preach the virtue of self-reliance, making him popular with some explorers and warriors as well.





THE BEAST LORDS

Beast Lords make several appearances in the Elric Saga, though there are doubtless many more in the multiverse that Michael Moorcock envisioned. In simplest terms, a Beast Lord is the perfect ideal of particular creature, be it a dog, a cat, bird, what have you. Its power derives from the collective identity of the creatures it represents. The lord of cats, for example, is formed from what every feline unconsciously thinks makes it a cat. There is no distinction for species – there’s not a separate lord of tigers, or for individual breeds of lizard, etc. Beast Lords have names that are onomatopoetic, thus the Beast Lord for dogs is named Roofdrak, the one for insects is NNUUURRRR'C'C' (think of a mosquito buzzing in your ear) etc. Melnibonèans have ancient pacts with the Beast Lords, and can call on them if their skill with sorcery is great enough. Summonings for a Beast Lord are always said in rhyme.




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