Site hosted by Angelfire.com: Build your free website today!

A Myth of the Black Hunter

Before the dawn of history, Geniché abandoned the Earth and withdrew into the Underworld. The Earth, once a Paradise, became a dangerous and desolate wilderness, and the creatures of the world wandered lost in confusion.

Some amongst Geniché's children chose to follow her into the Underworld. The first was her son Osidred, who became the Judge of the Dead, appointed by his mother to greet the dead at the place of their judgement and listen to the accounts of their accusers. Many of the spirits of Earth followed after, as did beasts great and small, and parts of the world were no longer fertile. And many of Djara's dark brood followed her, the dark-hearted spirits who became Death Guides and furies, nightmares and carrion eaters.

Many of Geniché's children stayed behind to help the peoples of the world in their struggles. Others stayed behind to hurt them. One such was her youngest son, who grew angry that the world had driven his mother into exile. His brother Ammon Agdah, had forgiven the world, and was now helping the lost peoples of the world to survive, but Geniché's youngest could not forgive them. He looked up into the sky, and saw Hathhalla sharpening her great axe, and paryed to her for guidance. She whipsered in his ear, and he fashioned a great barbed spear out of an ancient oak, and summoned a great steed, and began to hunt across the Earth.

Wherever he went, he would fall upon the lost peoples of the Earth with a great roar, taking the still-living heads of those he speared as trophies to dangle from hooks, and casting a compulsion upon others to make them join his vengeful quest. In time his first name was forgotten, and he came to be called the Black Hunter, and his mad entourage was called the Wild Hunt, and they were a plague upon the desolate world.

The Wild Hunt raged across the Earth for long centuries, and one day the Black Hunter spied three tribes gathering upon an isle, and sought to hunt there. The Wild Hunt jumped the Silver Scale Sea and landed upon the shores of Ürüne Düré, but the goddess Ariahavé leapt from the skies and drove them back across the sea, barring them from returning. Ariahavé taught the way to defeat the Black Hunter to the Düréans, and Achre and Thula, Ceram and Oloma learned from them. King Hashuwat and Agall together, Cewert, Surep; in time, a hundred heroes from across the world defeated the Black Hunter one by one, until he roared only in the dark places of the Earth where people rarely went. Finally, the Durean queen Hannath Hammergreia sought him out, and banished him to the Underworld.

A Guide to the Divine The Düréans A Myth of the Black Hunter A Year of Thirteen Moons Dragon Kings & Emperors Tales of the Witch-Queen Citadel King and Highland Clan