Obscure and under represented race Lore.

[Midnight_Carnival]

Everybody knows at least one story about an Elf, or a Dwarf.
Other races such as Goblins, Naga, Trolls may feature in the stories, but they will be the bad guys and thus misrepresented.

What I'm trying to do is write stories for under/misrepresented races, tell the tales they would tell.

I started writing a long droning Saurian chant about the children of the moon, becuase I imagined them telling stories in long droning chants, but I fell asleep half way through writing it... Undead wouldn't tell stories and most Woses' stoires would take so long to tell that Elves dies of old age before they finish. I can honestly say I don't know what kind of stories Trolls would tell.

So I wrote some Goblin stories.
I tried to capture the oral storytelling techniques that I imagined them using, also, the heroes use cunning and magic rather than brute force, oh and I must warn you that you will need a box of tissues, these stories are really sad.

The tale of Sarukkah

Once there was a great goblin Ha'uub* called Sarukkah. He had the ability to make himself
invisible. One day, in a great battle, he fought against a fierce human warrior.
The warrior wielded a great iron mace. The warrior had an elven squire, but he
and his people didn't know that he was an elf; for he was an elven
diplomat in disguise, and over 1000 years old. His elven sight allowed him to see
Sarukkah, and he told the man he was serving where Sarukkah was on the battlefield.
The warrior struck Sarukkah on the head, denting half his head in,
and his steel helmet splintered and pierced his skull above one eye,
covering that eye and giving him one eye of steel. He lay on the ground
in a state like death for more than half the battle, after which he got up and continued
to fight, but without his previous skill or finesse. He stayed in the army of the
goblins, and was a very capable Gras**, but he called himself Sarkah, and could not remember anything of his former life. All the goblins had great respect for him.

* A Ha'uub is a goblin who is either a master without a discipline, or a master of all
disciplines.

** A Gras is a goblin footsoldier.

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The tale of Jahlyasm and the magic of the unrisen sun

This is a tale of magic (the mother goblin said), and the night is still young
and the moon is big, and there are many hours before dawn, so any young goblins
who wish to go out and play should go and play, and only those who
wish to listen should stay to listen.

There was once a goblin named Skennik who was a great mage. All of the Deepest
of the Deep Ones attended his birth, and blessed him that he would be remembered
forever in the songs that mother goblins sing to their young. But there was one
who resented this, and cursed him, that although he would always be remembered,
he would only be remembered because he would train an even greater apprentice.

And so Skennek became a powerful mage, but he was a bitter and impatient goblin,
and he was cruel to his apprentices, and beat them often, even killing some.
He had one cowardly and feeble apprentice called Jahlyasm, who was lazy and foolish
and inept in his studies. He was beaten most frequently of all the master's apprentices.

One day Jahlyasm did something foolish, and he hid in a cave to escape being beaten by
his master. A female goblin came to him, and told him to follow, and led him down
a secret passage deep into the heart of the earth. At one point Jahlyasm became
exhausted, and had to stop and sleep, but the female goblin showed no signs of fatigue.
Later there was a noise of a great beast stomping through the tunnel, and the female
goblin threw him quickly into a hole to conceal him.

At last, they came to the caverns of the Deep Ones. The Deep Ones greeted him like
a hero, and showed him many secrets, and led him through their caverns. He even saw
the Hall of Fire, although he did not enter. The deep ones taught him great magic,
and he met the ancient dead who taught him magic that had been forgotten, and he
met the dead ones who had not yet been born, and they taught him magic that they
remembered that had not yet been discovered. This was the magic of the unrisen sun.

At last, after four days, Jahlyasm began to starve, for there was no food for living
goblins in the caverns of the Deep Ones. Then the Deep Ones stopped teaching him, and
he teleported out of the caverns of the Deep Ones, and stole some food, before going
back to his master.

His master beat him with a stick, and Jahlyasm sent some of his magic outside. When
the master went out to investigate, Jahlyasm made his skin harder than stone, and
the stick broke. His master asked him: "Who was that great mage outside my door?"
Jahlyasm replied: "I do not know".

Then Jahlyasm's master set him many chores. Jahlyasm sent more of his magic outside,
to distract his master again, and used some of his magic to do his chores. Then his
master returned and asked him: "who was that great mage outside the door?"
Jahlyasm replied: "I do not know".

Then Skennik grew angry, and said: "You have become the apprentice of another mage,
and you have come back to steal my secrets and teach them to your new master!"
And he began to beat Jahlyasm harder than ever with a stick.

And Jahlyasm grew afraid, and used his magic to take control of the stick and beat
his master with it, while it was still in his master's hand.

Then Skennik realised that Jahlyasm was the great apprentice that he was to train,
and that he had performed the magic outside the door, and he bowed down before Jahlyasm
and called him a great master, and brought him goblin wine. Then he asked Jahlyasm
to teach him some of his skill.

And Jahlyasm taught Skennik, and Skennik taught his apprentices, and they wrote down
Jahlyasm's tale, and his teachings. He was a great mage amoungst the goblins and
performed many feats, and trained many apprentices. But he was not as cruel a master
as Skennik, and his apprentices became some of the greatest goblin mages.

But one day the female goblin returned, and dragged him back to the caverns of the Deep
Ones.


----------------------

The tale of Minnan and the slippery waters

It is said that there was once a female goblin born who resembled a human girl-child. For that reason her mother cruelly named her Minnan. She was wild and would not listen to her mother. One day her mother caught her and beat her savagely. She despaired at what to do and in her despair found some magic. She made her mother's hair flame fiercely. When her father learnt what she had done he took her to an old mage, renowned for his cruelty, so that she could become an apprentice. In her heart she would have become a Rael***. Although her new master was cruel, he was not as savage as Skennik and he valued her because she learned faster than his other apprentices and developed great skill.

Minnan took to her studies fiercely and was known for her skill while she was still young. She decided that she would not take a mate, as she did not want to be distracted from her studies. For this reason many a male goblin sought to make her his mate. At first she ignored them, and later she used her magic to thwart them. She lived in the time before Jahlyasm and there was not a male goblin who was her match for skill or cunning.

The more she thwarted male goblins, the more they wanted to win renown by taking what no other had been able to. There came a time when she had to kill male goblins; mages and fighters of all sorts, Ha'uubs great in skill, all that went to find her died. After she had killed some of the greatest of her time it was said that none could defeat her and many came to challenge her. She was not a fighter and was not glad of the slaughter so she fled.

No matter how far she would go they would find her, those who came to be her mate and those who came to kill her and those who came to beg her to teach them her skill. She would change her appearance many times, but where ever she went she became known by her magic. If she healed someone who was wounded they would find her. If she brought fresh water to the thirsty they would find her. When she tried to teach her skill to some, many more would come, and most of those who came did not come to learn. In time the elves learned of her and they called her a monster. She became hunted even more.

To escape those who hunted her, Minnan learned to breathe water like a fish. She would spend many days beneath the waters but would come out again. In time it was learned that she could live in water and her hunters found her there. She would flee to places of the greatest depth, and call the monsters of the deep to protect her. One day, deep beneath the waves she found a cave to hide in. She came upon caverns so old that even the Deep Ones had forgotten them in their songs. She spend a long time there learning the magic of the waters, and she did not grow old. She made daughters who were like her with her magic and they became the sea witches. She learned to become slippery in the waters, so she could move unseen through the waters that she became.

Many believed that she was dead, but none had forgotten her. The stories of her skill at healing and of her skill at helping were all forgotten when those she helped and healed died. The stories of her great skill and of the many she killed were remembered and these stories grew. When she or her daughters saw a goblin, the goblin would flee in terror. Even the proud elves feared her. As she became the waters she mixed with her daughters who had become the waters too, and when she did this she learned all that they knew and they learned all she knew. It happened that they never spoke because there was no need, and soon none could say who was the mother or the daughter.

After ages, her magic had grown very great, but she had no one new to teach it to. After an age of speaking to no one and fighting with no one, she made herself, or one of her daughters into the likeness of a female goblin and went back to the land of the goblins. When she went to speak with a goblin one night, all the Deepest of the Deep Ones came and they drove her from the land back to the waters. Minnan who had always been hunted was now driven away. She who had many running to her now found that they would only run from her.

She returned to the sea and mixed with all those like her in it. They wept bitterly, but their tears meant nothing in the salty sea.

*** A Rael is a goblin scout or ranger.


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The tale of Cuienn who became slippery in blood
At one time the humans and the dwarves made an agreement to fight side by side to push the goblins from their lands. The bristly ones would attack the tunnels from below and the humans would run down the fleeing goblins with their terrible horses. The goblin armies were scattered and they fled ever further into the wilderness.
During a great battle, a distinguished Ha'uub named Varik became separated from his host and had to fight for all he was worth to stay alive. Though his great skill, his cunning and his many feats saved his life, they did not save him from harm and he bled from many a sword and spear wound, and many an arrow bit into his flesh. Eventually, he used his skill to make the humans believe he was dead and lay very still until his attackers left to kill other goblins.

When the humans had gone, Varik found that he did not have the strength to walk. Although it was getting dark he could not see very far and did not know where to go. He crawled away from the noise of battle hoping to find a quiet place to rest. He came to the mouth of a great river, where it joined the sea and could move no further. In agony he cried out "Is there none on land or in the waters who can heal me?" Then a female goblin was beside him and she healed him skillfully. When she had healed him, Varik told her that he was in her debt and asked her name. "I am called Minnan of the sea witches" she said, and Varik wailed with terror and called to the Deep Ones. The earth began to shake and the sea witch fled into the deep river.

Although Varik found his strength renewed and all his wounds healed, the great human army lay between him and his host and he could not fight his way through it. Though he possessed many great feats, he could not make himself invisible and crawl his way through the humans. Their horses and hounds were trained to smell him and they would surely kill him. Instead, Varik came at night and killed any human he found alone. He called in a loud voice to frighten the horses so that they broke free and trampled sleeping soldiers and set the hounds to fighting amongst themselves. So in this way, after killing many humans, he got through the human army by night, but he could not find his host.
He searched everywhere for them, but he found no signs of them or of any goblins. He followed the army of humans killing many by night in the hope that he would learn where they had driven the goblins to, but he could learn nothing.

They came to a land of many hills, and Varik had not seen the humans fight for many days. They had sent their skilled hunters to find him with hounds, so he took to the hills to elude them. When they sought him in the hills he took to the mountains, and when they sought him in the mountains he took to the caves. One day, he found a deep cave with a fresh spring in it. He was thirsty from running all night and he drank deeply from the fresh water. "I bless this spring" he said, "may none ever harm it". When he said this, a female goblin came out of the spring and spoke to him. "I thank your for the blessing" she said, "now the Deep Ones will leave me in peace" and then she looked at him sharply. "This does not cover your debt" she said, "for you repayed my kindness by calling the Deep Ones to hunt me! Giving me a rest from the harm you have caused me does not clear your debt!" Varik then looked at his feet and told her "I shall give you whatever your heart desires."

Varik stayed with the Minnan sea witch in their cave for many years and they had a son who they called Cuienn. Every night Varik would go and slay many humans and he would carry horses back to the cave. Cuienn loved the sweet horse flesh and he grew strong from eating it. He learnt the ways of fighting from his father and became his match with the curved goblin blade and with the spear. He learnt the ways of magic from his mother and he too learnt to become slippery in the waters as she could. He asked his father if he could join him in battle, but his father said no. One evening when Varik left to fight the humans, Cuienn took two curved goblin blades and followed him. Although Varik stepped lightly, Cuienn's feet never touched the ground. Although Varik moved unseen through the shadows, Cuienn wrapped the shadows around him when he moved. Although no human could have seen Varik, the far-sighted elves could not have seen Cuienn.

Varik darted in and out of fighting with humans, killing some and terrifying others. Cuienn moved unseen beside him, he killed so many humans that the ground became soaked with blood. So many humans died that night that they swore not to sleep until the goblins who attacked them died. As Varik went back to the cave laughing, the humans huddled in terror. They made many plans that day to capture the goblin who had killed so many of them. When Varik came to the cave, Cuienn greeted him for he had run ahead unseen and washed the smell of blood away in the stream. "I killed many humans tonight!" Varik told his son, and Cuienn smiled.

The next night the humans lay pretending to sleep, but each one lay with his eyes open and a weapon in his hands. Varik left his cave with Cuienn unseen following him. When he came upon the humans, they were waiting for him and attacked him immediately. Although they could not see him in the dark, they watched where their comrades fell and struck out blindly. Varik and Cuienn found themselves surrounded by humans who were lashing out wildly and calling for fire. Varik fought as he had never fought before, and Cuienn fought alongside him. Men and horses fell in huge numbers and their blood fell like rain. For hours Varik and Cuienn fought until Varik grew weary, he struck down many humans, but many more came to kill him. He was struck in many places and suffered greatly. Cuienn could not heal his father for he fought desperately with a blade in each hand. By dawn Varik had died of his wounds, but he had left a mountain of dead amongst his enemies. Cuienn was in despair at what to do, he too had suffered many wounds during the night.

Cuienn saw that the blood of humans and horses had flooded the field up to his ankles. As the humans closed in on him he used the trick his mother had shown him and became slippery in the blood. When his enemies sought him they found nothing, and from where they did not expect him he stuck them savagely. Every time he went into the blood he was refreshed greatly, as though he had drank from the sweet spring in his own cave. Every time he stepped out of the blood he found that all the wounds on his body had healed. By evening the humans grew terrified and fled the field of blood. Cuienn pursued his attackers, enraged at his father's death and wishing to kill all of them. As they sought refuge in a nearby forest, they were cut down to a man by a company of Gras who had been hiding there, waiting to attack the humans.

"Who is the great Ha'uub who has defeated an army?" they called out, and Cuienn stepped out of the shadows. When they saw him they were astounded that such a young goblin could be so skilled in battle and in magic. The Gras-Ha who had been fighting for more years than Cuienn had lived asked him to teach them his great skill, and he did, but he never taught anyone else how to become slippery in blood. He stayed with the company of Gras for a year and drank much goblin wine and ate many horses and taught them many great feats, he was called the greatest Ha'uub of the age by those goblins who knew him.

After a year he went back to his cave, but his mother had left the stream and gone back to the sea for she thought that both Varik and Cuienn had died during that night. When he went looking for the company of Gras he had known he could not find them, for another army of humans had driven them away. Cuienn wandered alone in the lands of the humans until he came to a castle of the humans. He found out that when the humans were attacked they sought refuge in the castle under the protection of the human lord, who was said to be a great warrior. Cuienn decided that he would kill this lord of the humans and everyone in the castle. He entered the gate unseen, but when he stood within the castle walls he made himself plainly visible. It was the middle of the day and the humans did not expect to see a goblin in their castle where they felt safe, they called to him and asked him who he was and he answered "I am death amongst you".

For every injury Cuienn suffered he took twenty lives, every time he struck a human, that human died. He did not need to strike the same human twice. He danced in and out of the fighting so that it was seldom that any could find him with their weapons. After he had killed many human soldiers, the bodyguard of the human lord came out to fight him in their doubled mail, wielding their mighty halberds, their great-swords and their terrible bows. Cuienn fought as he had never fought before but he killed them only in their ones and twos. Then the human lord came to the fight in his black armor and his spiky helm, he fought with an axe in each hand and was the match for twenty or thirty Gras on his own. Cuienn was sorely pressed in that fight for the bodyguards were hard to kill, and try as he might he could not even scratch the human lord.

Then the iron gate opened and more human soldiers came into the castle. Cuienn found that they were far easier to kill than the lord and his bodyguard and soon the castle ran with blood. When there was enough blood Cuienn could become slippery in the blood once again and he attacked the lord and the bodyguards renewed. He rolled under halberds and dodged swords until he got to the lord. As he moved one way so he found his way blocked by an axe, an when he sought to move the other he found an axe there too. He made it look like he would go both ways at once and then he dived between the lords legs. He stabbed powerfully with his curved goblin blade so that it was driven between the steel plates and it shattered. He rolled to safety and continued to fight with only one blade.

Cuienn saw that he had inflicted a deep gash in the leg of the human lord, and that his blood was mixing with the blood that flooded the castle halls. He also saw what measure of man the lord of humans was, and that with ten such wounds he would stand and fight all day. Cuienn once more became slippery in blood and he entered the lord's body as blood, then he became as he was within the lord. The lord of humans' armor snapped, his body was torn apart and his flesh hung from the ceiling in slivers. Those human soldiers left alive fled, but Cuienn hunted them remorselessly. He killed every one in that castle, even the women and children of humans. He killed every hound, sparing only the horses. These he took with him as food, he ate one in the first night after his great battle and one every three nights after that. He soon found a band of goblins who were Rael, they had been sent to find out why so many human soldiers had been called away from the fighting. They had been called back because there was not a lord amongst the humans who felt he had enough guards in his castle when they heard the tale of the goblin who killed castles.

The Rael led Cuienn to the places where the goblin army hid and Cuienn showed the goblins the spiky helmet of the human lord. Cuienn said that the age where goblins ran and hid was past and that it was now the age for humans and bristly dwarves to run and hide. The goblins cheered that they would have such a great Ha'uub leading them in battle. When the news spread, many hordes of goblins united and they formed a huge army. Each goblin fought valiantly, as they would find a place in the song of Cuienn who killed armies and left castles to drown in their own blood.

Many human armies also combined so that they could meet the great army of the goblins in battle. The battle lasted for four days and none could count the human warriors Cuienn slew. Many times it looked as though the goblins would be crushed, but their terrible leader would always turn the battle. Eventually on the fourth evening, after four days and three nights of fighting without stopping for sleep or food the human army was broken and fled in terror. Cuienn too was exhausted and famished, he left the other goblins to pursue the fleeing humans and began to eat the warm flesh of a horse which had just been killed. A human archer had been injured in the fray, but he had not died, the goblins were busy fighting and chasing other humans and left him to his fate. As the last of his strength left him he drew back his mighty longbow and sent his last unbroken arrow into the back of Cuienn's skull.

Cuienn died instantly and to this day, mother goblins will not name their children Cuienn for it is considered an ill-omened name.



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If you can think of more or better Goblin stories, or a better way of telling them, or stories from other under/missrepresented races I would value your contribution.
-thanks.

[boru]

I think they're great stories!

They don't exactly fit with the (very limited) information we have on goblins. According to the help files, goblins are small orcs. They are not a separate race. However, I can imagine that some goblins would set out on their own, especially since they are so mistreated by the larger orcs, and once they have established their own societies, natural selection would only make them more physically different from orcs over many generations.

I imagine they would have to subsist in habitats undesirable by the more powerful races, such as swampland or desert. I think they'd have to be migratory, skilled traders (or thieves), and able to quickly adapt to different kinds of environments. Maybe some would survive by their ability to amuse other races, or find other ways to show they are not worth the trouble to kill. Many would probably be slaves to other races.

While their legends might speak of great warriors and magic users, outside of some kind of golden age of goblinhood, such heroes would be few and far between due to their frail physique and limited mental capacity.

The golden age of goblinhood angle is intriguing. It's possible that, if other races went into a decline, they'd leave the goblins in peace long enough for them to develop a magical caste.

I've begun work on a scenario involving a major event in the goblin timeline .. when they learned to tame wolves and ride them.

[Midnight_Carnival]

I think they're great stories!

Somebody actually read my stuff and liked it! PWN PWN PWN!!!!!

-sorry, I just had to get that out of my system.

I am aware that my version of goblinism differs frow what is written about them in Wesnoth lore. The way I see it Goblins are a true fairy race -so are Trolls, before you get the idea that I'm advocating pretty pink Gobbos- but they were corrupted and adulterated. Orcs are a hybrid race consisting of Humans, Goblins and bits of Ogre/Troll perhaps; the thing is that either "true Goblins" no longer exist, or they have lost touch with their culture and magic.

One thing I do disagree with outright is thier "limited mental capacity". I don't suscribe to what I will call 'biblical Tolkienism', but Mr T said that goblins (he also did not diferentiate between Gobbos and Orcs) were not stupid, and probably responsible for the inventions of many of the nastiest weapons around. I argue that Goblins have highly foccused minds. They are very clever when it comes to thinking up nasty ways of dealing with larger and stronger opponents (ask my cavalry man who lost to one in a villiage at night), but not much interested in developing civil engineering for example, or sanitation, or medicine or politics...

Also, in Wesnoth, I have noticed a sort of gradual decent into Goblinhood, the toughest Orcs become soldiers, then come the archers and assassins, last and least are the Goblin Spearmen. I can imagine someting similar in Orcish society. But just for fun, one day try playing as Orcs and "going zombie" with Goblins. It is for fun!

[boru]

Interesting concept. There is a bit in Wesnoth about the Orc bloodline being corrupted. Perhaps this is due to interspecies marriage with ancient goblins? The fact that orcs call their runts "goblins" does not necessarily negate the possibility of a true goblin race. In any case, there could definitely be a campaign centered around your goblin warrior myth. That one sort of reminds me of some of the Cuchulain myths, especially the one where he attacks the sea.

[Midnight_Carnival]

Interesting concept. There is a bit in Wesnoth about the Orc bloodline being corrupted. Perhaps this is due to interspecies marriage with ancient goblins? The fact that orcs call their runts "goblins" does not necessarily negate the possibility of a true goblin race. In any case, there could definitely be a campaign centered around your goblin warrior myth. That one sort of reminds me of some of the Cuchulain myths, especially the one where he attacks the sea.

Indeed, I loved the Tain, although I was more taken with Maev (Medb - Irish spelling) than Chuchullain.
Honoured by your comparison.
I can't promise a campaign since I am stuck on my attempted Saurian campaign, little things like how my savage guy (made from an old Ghoul sprite) holds the club in his right hand, but then I drew him attacking with his left. I have to redo a lot of stuff, and I have accademic work + looking for real work, the sort that get you real money. But I would love to make a Goblins standing up to the Humans campaign, write a whole Goblin faction, I have some quite good (I think) ideas for units...

[boru]

I had the good fortune of seeing a stage production of the Tain while on vacation in Dublin. I love that story.

I'm still at work on my storyboard for a goblin campaign. I'm not sure you'd like it .. it's a comedy first, and a Wesnoth campaign second, at least at this stage. And the goblins are not really all that mythic. They're a tribe that's descended from escaped slaves and deserters from orcish armies. If they had any kind of oral tradition, it's long lost. I would like to use the idea that goblins were originally a separate race, not merely runty orcs. At this stage, their gene pool has been rather polluted by inter-species breeding. Still, they do a pretty good job of staying one step ahead of the humans, at least in terms of guile and cunning.

[Midnight_Carnival]

Wrote this and had to borrow usbdisk doubling as mp3 player to bring it here. Warning, it's long! If you
didn't like the other you won't like this one, may not be that good anyway, didn't edit it yet.
If you want to know why at the limits of the goblin territories patrolled by the Skreid and in the high passes there is the imaged of a small warped goblin, be my guest.

The Tale of Pundirr's Bent Heart.

There came a time when a wise and noble lord came to lead the humans and he extended the hand of peace towards the goblins. It was said that in his army a Gras would be paid the same as a human spearman and that they were given first rights to the plunder and fresh meat of the battle-fields. The lord of humans was peerless in magic and in warfare and the elders of every goblin settlement named him a Ha'uub as one, although they did not consult the Deep Ones before doing so. His might was so great that the elves hid themselves away or crossed the seas to escape him so that a time came when the elvish tongue had become forgotten by all. The dwarves locked themselves so deeply in their caverns that none could find them and there they stayed till they starved to death, or else they would make an agreement with the lord of humans to forge weapons for his armies in exchange for peace in their dwellings. Not a dwarf would show his bristly face above ground by day or night and all the other races submitted themselves to the human lord. It was said he put a darkness in the sky so that the sun would not burn the Goblins who had come to live in his realm, and for that reason, many goblins went to live amongst the humans. When the fighting was done they stayed, for they saw many wondrous things in the human lands. But in the cities and towns of humans the goblins who had not become slaves lived like rats, stealing and begging where they could. They had forgotten the disciplines of battle and the ways of goblin magic, they had forgotten to honour the Deep Ones. They had no feats and were little better than the hounds humans keep in battle.

Now at this time there was a leader amongst the goblins named Edtoh who was wise and strong, he was a seasoned Ha'uub of many feats and he despaired at what he was seeing the goblin people become. He led as many goblins as would follow him to a secret place he knew of, it was a dark vale amidst the highest and sharpest mountain ranges. Edtoh had a brother named Undshe who was no less than Edtoh in battle, a Ha'uub who could match all of his brother's feats, but in wisdom he was like an unmated goblin female, or the male goblins who pursue her. Undshe had fought for the lord of humans leading a great host of Gras and Gunil**** even after the fighting had ended, Undshe and his host were paid in gold by the lord of humans to stay in his army. Yet for all this he was jealous of his brother who goblins would follow without the promise of gold. Whenever the lord of humans was away, Undshe would send his Rael to seek the dark valley of his brother. And well might he covert it, for the valley was bordered on three sides by peaks of granite and of obsidian which could break even the strongest pick or twist even the hardest sinews of tunnelers, on the other side of the valley was a jagged and rocky shore where the seas hurled their fury against the black stone, and not even the nimblest of rowers would dare those waters on the calmest of summer's nights. In the dark valley the sheer walls held the winds at bay, and great trees grew, in this forest many kinds of game sheltered, and not only were the springs of the dark valley rich in fish, but they would was nuggets of gold the size of baby goblins along, and none in the dark valley would ever go wanting. Though Undshe sought his brother's valley, he could not find it, for Edtoh had forbidden any goblin leaving the valley to speak of it, moreover he had hidden the only trail into the valley with great cunning so that the human traders could not find it. The trail led to a narrow and meandering crack in the rock, and it was said that a single determined goblin could hold that pass against an army although all hoped they would not be that goblin.

Many young goblins were born in that dark valley, and there was a great commotion when the time came for the first sorting of new goblin warriors. Among these there was a young malformed goblin named Pundirr. His mother was in two minds about exposing him when he was born, for he was not harmoniously composed. She did not kill him only because he was so full of life and vigor. But he was ugly to look upon. He was bent and twisted so that not one part of his body was straight, and none could say how his parts met for he was bludgeoned together out of the uglies parts of the ugliest goblins ever. He had one arm, large and thick that would do any troll proud, this arm was so long that he walked on its calloused knuckles. His outer arm was small and shy, the hand was want to curl round and hid in his armpit. His shoulders were at different heights and his back was twisted, of his feet it is best never told. He had one great foot, as heavy and as hard as iron, and whenever he lifted that foot he would fall over if not for his big arm. His other foot was small and nimble, it would dance cleverly on its own and those who watched it could not but laugh at his small foot. His knees were at the backs of his legs and at different heights and his hips were impossible to relate. His face was so ugly that the toads who come out of their holes to dance at night would die of fright when they saw him coming, and the slugs who crept up the dank cave walls would weep for him out of pity. When the other young goblins his age did not drive Pundirr away with stones, he would play with them and they found him to be every bit as strong and agile as they were, and twice as determined. When the time came for the first sorting of goblin warriors from the dark valley the other young goblins bade Pundirr come along with them, for they wanted to see him driven away or come to some harm, but he happily followed them to the sorting arena.

The sky was brightening with dawn as the young goblins came into the arena, and may whimpered for they were not used to being out of door in daylight. The sun rose fully and beat down on them relentlessly but no one came to sort them and the young ones were terrified. As for little bent Pundirr, he shaded himself with his huge, heavy foot and was soon asleep. Then in came the master of the sorting in a fierce leather mask, and other male goblins with him to watch the young ones suffer that day. The leather masked master roared at them for a long time in the fierce daylight and the young goblins wept, except for Pundirr who's snoring was so loud that he out-snored the shouting, so they shook him awake and beat him. When all the young goblins were terrified and not knowing which way to turn, in with a roar came the young Gras in leather masks like the master of the sorting, they brought with them whips to snap and slash and mark in blood all who could not escape them, then they took these off to become the next Gras and the rest were left shaken. Pundirr the Gras overlooked for they did not know where to strike him and worried for their whips.
After them the Gunil-ha led in the huge grey wolves who came to nip and gnash and with their teeth mark the next Gunil to run with them. When they came upon Pundirr they snarled at his ugliness, and he pulled such an ugly face back at them that the great grey wolves fled yelping and there was a shortage of Gundir in the dark valley after that.
And then the Jarke+ pelted the young goblins huddled together with the hard gourds that stain, and many ran in terror and were bowled over screaming by a well-aimed gourd, and many hid beneath their fellows. Those that had readied themselves for this thinking they would make great Jarke-ha had only to hear the squeals of those the staining gourds hit and they changed their minds. For his part Pundirr made a small target; he lay on his back and took each gourd that was hurled at him on his huge foot under which he hid. His sole was stained as black as the valley walls, yet when the Jarke-ha bade the young goblins stand and be sorted, he stood on his stained huge foot and they could not find a mark on him, then they led the marked goblins away to be trained in the discipline of the Jarke, and Pundirr stood amongst the unmarked. "It will be a sad day" said one of the goblins watching "if that bent one walks out of here a Rael". His fellow spat and answered him "a sadder day by far if he challenges all the masters here and is made a Ha'uub on the day of his sorting!" In then came the old and scarred veteran Skreid-ha*+ with their buckets of red paint and their brushes, and Pundirr stepped forward proudly bearing his little bent chest. The Skreid-ha who he approached smiled as he marked Pundirr. The leather-masked master of the sorting snorted in disgust when he saw Pundirr being marked as a Skreid, but he knew better than to question the Skreid-ha. Then Pundirr was lead off with all the Goblins the Skreid had marked to be trained in the disciplines of the Skreid, and the unmarked goblins were led off to become Rael.
And Pundirr was was taken amongst the Skreid of the dark valley and trained by them in their camp. He soon became distinguished amongst the young goblins chosen as Skreid for he was torture to fight against. One seeking to strike him was often at a loss for where to strike, for he was hard where he should be soft, soft where he should be hard and never where one thought to find him. When it was his turn to strike back he was no less formidable, for his great troll hand could knock the teeth from any goblin, even a goblin wearing a helmet with cheek-guards, and his shy hand was as quick as a snake. His quick dancing foot would foil many a goblin and foul their techniques, while the blows his heavy black foot could deliver cowed even the Skreid-ha who trained him. He learnt in short order all manner of curved blades, and the straight blades that only humans, elves and the Skreid favor, he learnt the use of every pole-weapon from the pole-flail to the halberd, from the spear to the pole-cleaver, he learnt the use of axes from the wicked sabre-axe to the jagged battle axe called the bane of skulls. With all these weapons Pundirr distinguished himself; many a time the Skreid-ha who trained him would shout "no! not like that", and many a time they would cover their eyes for Pundirr devised techniques that none could copy.
For nights and days he trained amongst the Skreid of the dark valley, and his mother learnt that he had been chosen and rushed to the training ground in great anguish for her young, for she thought he would surely be killed, or used for target practice. When she came there she did not see Pundirr, who was hiding beneath a great shield. It was his time to learn the use of shields, and all the other young Skreid hammered at him with willow branches, yet he was secure in his training and safe beneath the shield. The Skreid sought to remove her from the training ground, but she was wild and threw them like fish from a stream. "What befalls bent Pundirr?" she demanded, and she was answered "he fights! but I know not how", the goblins who overheard this made it into a chant, for it is the way of idle goblins to work things into music or jest and the young Skreid would chant back and forth amongst eachother
-what befalls bent Pundirr?
-he fights! but I know not how
Even before Pundirr had finished his training this became a famous chant amongst the Skreid, but later the lines were added
-distinguished in carnage, his thirsty spear
-has tasted the blood of three thousand
-in one night before the dawn
-a hundred he felled in a single blow
-and two leaders yielded him their weapons
-if not for a smile from the red storm
-he would be know as the greatest of Skreid-ha
But before that little bent Pundirr had to finish his training and take his watches at the mouth of the only pass into the dark valley. He had chosen amongst the weapons of the goblins a long spear with a serrated head at either, this he wielded in his strong troll arm, and a small metal shield that could turn aside any blow, this he wielded in his shy hand, many laughed for the spear was near twice as long as its wielder, and shield was a beautiful thing, worked with many metals cunningly, while Pundirr was as ugly as it is possible to imagine. For a year he stood watch with the other Skreid-ha and they made sport of his small bent frame, but he took it well.

Into the dark valley one night came a terrifying female Ha'uub, from whence she came, and how she found the dark valley, none could say, but the guards could not keep her out. She fought with two gleaming goblin blades as even Cuienn might have, and she knew many feats. She had a fine and fierce face, and raised a menacing war-chant when she went to fight that had hardened Gras-ha wetting themselves like newborn goblin babies. From her head grew thick hair the colour of blood, and like blood it spilled over her shoulders and down her back to her feet, every male goblin in the dark valley wished she would take him for a mate, but all were too afraid to approach her, for she told them that she would mate with the goblin who's feats she could not match, and they feared her greatly. This female Ha'uub with her hair flying about her and her blades dripping gore was like a red storm wind, and for that reason she was named Sarucharra.
When he saw her, Edtoh came to meet her with his jagged battle axe, but he did not challenge her, instead he called to her "what brings you to this dark valley mighty one? there are none amongst our Ha'uubs who could match you" and she looked upon him and answered as though he were a child "I seek not to settle amongst you, but to put myself beyond the reach of goblins like you! I will perform a feat here that none could ever match" Edtoh did not like her proud words, but he kept his anger in check "do what you must and leave, or stay if you will, but do not harm the goblins of the dark valley, and do not tell others where to find us" she ignored him and turning to the moon she boasted "what happens in the dark valley here will make it so I am never mated to any male goblin, and I shall die old and untouched". Then Edtoh had goblin wine sent to her and he hoped she would be about her business and be gone from his valley.

It was a night when Pundirr stood guard at the only pass into the dark valley that Sarucharra made her intentions known. The pass was known as the black throat, for it was narrow and twisted as it climbed among the mountains, but it came to a high-point and then dropped off into the dark valley. Two goblins could not travel that path side-by-side and it was said that climbing the walls was impossible. At that time Edtoh knew of no threat to the dark valley, and so the Skreid would send only four of their number to guard the black throat by night and six by day.
Unbeknown to them, Undshe, fierce brother to Edtoh had learnt of the valley through his spies, and he had gathered and army of five thousand to march upon it. All he awaited was a time when the guard was lowered in the dark valley, then he planned to kill Edtoh an take his lands, these he would open to the humans in the hope that the lord of humans would favor him even more. At the dusk when the Skreid were still sleepy, the four of them stood talking amongst eachother, one said "the red one has made her intentions known, she seeks to be the greatest Ha'uub of all time" and Pundirr hopped and flopped with excitement at this "how would she do this?" he asked. Another answered him "she would go to the roiling grey waves and challenge all the sea-witches of Minnan and defeat them!" The last one spoke then saying to the ground or to his feet "it is ill fortune to be here on this night, for I would sorely have witnessed such a battle!" Then the three Skreid passed a sly look amongst them and they addressed Pundirr: "bent one, you are short but you are as brave as any Skreid, bent one, you have the sharpest eyes amongst us will you not guard the mouth of the black pass? Bent one, remember you are a Skreid, be brave and take this horn, for an army could march upon us unawares! blow hard on your horn if you see a host of elves or an army of men come upon us, blow hard little Pundirr and the goblins of the dark valley will rally to your call!" and Pundirr puffed up his misshapen chest with pride and went to guard the moth of the valley.
Later that night before the moon appeared on the horizon, a goblin came out of the valley in great haste (he was one of Undshe's spies) and he addressed the Skreid "it is a shame that you Skreid must spend the night here, for Sarucharra has made good on her boasting and gone with two lethal blades to the edge of the waters. She has about her an aura of might which even the dull-eyed humans would plainly see that has Ha'uubs hiding behind rocks and she has raised her mighty war-chant, it is as though the mountains would join her in her chanting! When last I saw she stood upon a flat rock at the edge of the waves and the seas heaved and thundered in wrath to answer her" at this report one of the Skreid ran forward to Pundirr and told him. "be vigilant little bent one, remember that you are a Skreid, blow on your horn and the other three Skreid will come to your aid." saying this he raced off to watch the battle.
Then the moon showed her bright face and the birds of the day were quieted, it was just before the birds of the night began their chorus that a second messenger from the dark valley made haste out of the black throat, on his way out he addressed the Skreid saying "it is a shame and an insult that you Skreid must spend the night here, for Sarucharra has called out her challenge in a loud voice and Minnan has answered! She appeared, standing on the waves, she appeared, not as a monster of the deeps, but as a lovely female goblin, when Edtoh saw the two female goblins facing one another he asked that he be bound in iron chains so that he did not run at them in a passion! Oh, the words Minnan spoke were not words of war, she called Sarucharra 'little red wolf-cub' and bade her go off and practice with her blades, she told her to find a mate while still young and not to fight the tireless deeps, she said that although there were no Ha'uubs who could match her prowess amongst the living she could not hope to prevail against the waters of the seas, then she called the terrible Sarucharra 'little sister' and begged her not to waste her life. But Sarucharra stood firm upon the flat rock, she answered that she had had seven sisters, four by birth and three by name, all were called more fair, more clever and more powerful than her, but she killed them one and all and drank their blood and she will make the same with Minnan! When last I saw she was loosening up for battle, and Minnan's fair face turned bitter and she began gathering the might of the deeps that even the Deep Ones should fear!" at this report the second of the Skreid ran forward to Pundirr and told him. "be vigilant little bent one, remember that you are a Skreid, blow on your horn and all the other of the dark valley Skreid will come to your aid."
Now the night progressed till the time when the humans are want to blow out their candles and their lamps and go to bed, and when even the laziest of goblins would bestir himself. Great thunderings could be heard from the dark valley and the other Skreid was hopping and straining like a tethered wolf, he was despairing and looking this way and that. But little bent Pundirr said to himself "if the dark valley should fall in of its own accord tonight they will find me here at my post, and not a cricket will get past me, not the shadow of a nightingale!" The last of the messengers came with haste and in a fury to get out of the dark valley, he addressed the Skreid saying "Oh woe upon you brave Skreid! it is a shame and an insult and an injury that you should stand watch here on this of all nights! The battle between the mistress of swords and the mistress of the deeps has been joined, and there is not a goblin in the dark valley who is not there to see it, thought all watch from high places and from behind cover! It happened that Sarucharra directed a wail that cut like an axe at Minnan who became slippery in the waters but reappeared to hurl dark jagged corals and rocks draped with seaweed at her adversary, these were rocks that a troll could not shift, yet Sarucharra slipped out from under their path, or she took them with her murderous blades and made dust of them! Then Minnan directed lightnings from out of the deeps at her foe, but Sarucharra turned them back all. Finally Minnan raised a great fist of the purple waters from the deepest depths as high as the clouds, in this she had venomous monsters of many eyes and shards of black ice as long and sharp as spears. The sea witch hurled this down upon the female Ha'uub to crush her, but Sarucharra wove a net of blades about herself and not even a single drop touched her! When last I saw, Sarucharra was sweating, and shaking, but still the light of eagerness for battle burned in her eyes and strongly she stood, and Minnan was calling upon all the sea witches to make and end of her!" at this report the last of the three Skreid ran forward to Pundirr and told him. "be vigilant little bent one, remember that you are a Skreid, blow on your horn and all the other of the dark valley goblins, be they young or old, strong or weak, male or female, all will come to your aid!" and with this he raced off to watch the fight.

Now it was still many hours before dawn and still the furious thunders raged in the valley, Pundirr scanned the hills around him with his beady eyes looking for anything out of the ordinary. He was debating with himself as to whether countless Bogga-ha's**+ hid in the shadows of a nearby bush and so he missed the army of Undshe's goblins who came marching up the road. Undshe came at the front of his host brandishing his cruel and cunning sabre-axe, and behind him came his Ha'uubs and his mage, his Gras-ha and his Gras, his Jarke-ha and his Jarke, there marched five thousand fighting goblins, hardened by many a battle and ready to kill. Undshe saw Pundirr and laughed outright "Run back and call the Skreid" he instructed "or stand aside, little worm, for you are no warrior" Seeing the size of the army facing him, Pundirr took a few steps back into the black throat and he shouted back "I am a Skreid! and I will contest your passage with all my might. But what you have said is true, I will not do so alone, I shall blow my horn and summon all the Skreid of the dark valley" then Pundirr blew mightily on his horn and the call of the horn echoed throughout the black throat, but the thundering of sorcery and of the fight in the valley drowned out the noise. Then Pundirr blew again, thinking the could rouse even the dead with his horn, but only a mountain goat answered him and Undshe told him "it is no use little one, your friends have played you false, you stand alone before an army. Drop your weapons and bow before me and I shall let you pick the leavings of the battle after we have taken the dark valley." But the bent one grew angry answered him "I shall bow before you only when I lick your toes clean and bite your filthy toenails short you swollen dog!" and he prepared to blow harder on his horn than ever before. Proud Undshe grew livid with this and spat back "it would be a sorry thing to have to lick your own blood off my feet ugly one, for I shall trample you underfoot!" with that he threw a knife that he kept on his belt and split the horn in Pundirr's hand, but he drew no blood from the bent one. "It is true then", Pundirr declared "that none shall stand behind me, but I pity them, for they shall miss out on a good fight, and their names shall not stand alongside mine in when mothers sing of this night" Undshe gestured and three of his Jarke stepped forward, they had killed humans, dwarves and goblins and did not fear this little obstacle. But they were accustomed to flank their target and Pundirr had chosen the place he made his first stand well for the passage narrowed there and they could not get around him. The three Jarke were humiliated by being killed by a single goblin who had never before seen battle. Then Undshe ordered his other Jarke to make short work of Pundirr, but though they came at him ten at a time, brandishing all manner of weapons, only one or two could reach him at once, and he fought on. It happened that none could come near Pundirr without stepping in the blood of their fallen comrades and their steps were fouled with spilled gore. Pundirr taunted them, for he knew all the taunts the goblins could devise, and this moved them to anger. When they sought to find him with their weapons, his shy hand would put the little shield cunningly in their way and thwart them or snare their weapons, when they pressed him heavily he would step back, knowing all the best places for defence in the black throat. When they engaged him in the wider places, some hoping to crush him by direct assault and some hoping to sneak or force their way behind him, he would deal with those who attacked him directly by fighting them directly and those who used cunning would be foiled by his dancing foot, which was more cunning than an elf. When Pundirr pulled his spear free from a Jarke in front of him, he pushed it into another lying on the ground wondering how he had fallen.

When Undshe saw that he had lost fifty or so Jarke to this unseasoned Skreid he cursed his followers for weaklings and sent one of his Ha'uub forward to finish the bent goblin. The Ha'uub made great show of checking his weapons, his armor and his shield an in this time Pundirr regained his breath, then he addressed Pundirr saying, "you are short and ugly, but you have slain fifty or so seasoned Jarke in your first battle, for that I respect you" and then he charged like the wind with his massive shield before him and his menacing war-sickle twitching behind it, ready to hack off limbs and open bellies. This Ha'uub was confident in his armor he had taken from humans he had slain, and in his great shield, he would drive Pundirr to the ground and there finish him off. Pundirr planted the one end of his spear in the ground as if he meant to let the Ha'uub impale himself on it, but then he leaped, vaulting high with his spear and as the Ha'uub rushed him he came down upon his great shield with his heavy black foot and drove the hardened warrior to the ground. "Pundirr thanks you for your respect, and hopes to earn more" he said as he brought his spear down thorough the goblin's visor.

Seeing that this bent little monster was a match for his Ha'uub, Undshe realised that he could not dismiss this foe easily and so he ordered his Jarke to find ways to scale the walls and places they could climb the mountains to drop rocks on Pundirr from above, while they did this, other Jarke pestered Pundirr by fighting him at a distance with thrown spears and javelins, thrown daggers and knives and sling stones and arrows, they flew in a storm at the bent goblin, but many were to strike the narrow twisty walls of the black throat and foul the flight of others as they fell. Pundirr's shy hand with its small metal shield moved like a fighting snake while his dancing foot kept time with it and not a single missile touched him then, he taunted them saying "take care not to plant too many thorns in the ground you are seeking to cross later!" and when they grew tired Pundirr picked up javelins and threw them back, since the passage climbed quite steeply here and since he had rested his troll arm while defending against arrows he killed quite a few Jarke in this way. Then the Jarke returned to Undshe saying that there were absolutely not places where the walls of the black throat could be scaled, and in the steep mountains, no way could be found, even for an unarmored and unarmed goblin with climbing-claws. Their master despaired, fearing the battle between the two female goblins would end before he had defeated Pundirr and that he would not be able to take the goblins of the dark valley by surprise.

Undshe sent forwards his Gras-ha with their short stabbing spears and their shields, they had fought alongside humans and knew how to fight in formations, even in close places, they came forward with their shields locked before them and above them and behind the Gras-ha, Jarke-ha skilled in the use of the bow aimed their shafts cunningly so that they would fall down like rain in the black throat just in front of the advancing Gras-ha. In this manner it was believed that if Pundirr raised his shield to meet the arrows the Gras-ha would skewer him, and if he lowered his shield to meet the Gras-ha, the arrows would pin him to the ground. Pundirr smiled as he saw them coming, at first he fended off arrows that fell like hail, but when his foes closed with him he let a few stick into his back, writing an wincing at the pain. He planted his spear as he had done when facing the Ha'uub, and the Gras-ha in front thought him about to leap so they raised theirs, then like a salmon between cold fingers he slipped between the feet of the Gras-ha, his spear lashing this way and that, hacking the sinews from the backs of his opponent's legs so that none stood when he slithered out of their tight formation, then he fell upon the archers and made great carnage amongst them. After that the black throat became known as the red gash and the air stank of blood.

Pundirr walked back to a narrow place nearly unopposed, though all could see the severe gashes in his bent back where the arrows had been torn out, they did not know how much of the blood that covered him was his own and how much belonged to their companions, it was nearly midnight and Pundirr alone had slain five hundred so far. He killed any amongst the fallen Gras-ha who sought to take him by surprise, but most pretend they were dead in the hope of being spared, this did not happen, for they were later crushed under foot. The goblins of Undshe's host let him rest while devising strategies to foil him, but none seemed to likely to work. They thought to throw flaming brands upon him, but they had brought no wood and the nearest trees were miles away. They thought to send invisible Ha'uubs, but their leader forbade them, saying that if that vile slaughterer had made and end of one Ha'uub, he could finish off others as well and Undshe did not fancy his chances against his brother with fewer Ha'uubs. In the end it was decided that the Gras and the Jarke would attack in alternating waves while Undshe's mage would bring deadly enchantments to bear. If a quick end of him could not be made, they were content to let exhaustion slay Pundirr.

And so Pundirr was driven back even as he slaughtered relentlessly, for every turn they made him take he left a hundred, and for every step the made him take backwards ten goblins lay dead. It happened that the drove him in this costly manner to the high-point of the passage and there he refused to retreat any further. He fought until his strong arm grew lame and then he took he shield in his dancing foot and the spear in his shy hand and continued to fight. The dead piled up before him till they were almost level with the high point where he stood when the mage told the host of Undshe to withdraw, for he would summon some dire sorcery and cast it upon this bent little rock who tripped so many up and caused the mouth of the passage to become a river of gore. Pundirr saw that they were withdrawing and tried to rub some life back into his strong arm, when it felt strong again he took the spear in it and the shield once more in his shy hand. The mage began calling to him great forces which had the sticky red walls trembling and Pundirr knew he could not stand against such magic. In desperation he threw his small metal shield with more force than any could know his shy hand possessed and it struck the mage in the chest and drove him into an outcropping of the passage wall. With such force was he driven that cracks formed in the wall and a large granite boulder near the top of the wall was dislodged and if rolled down crushing over a hundred of the goblins who were behind the mage before it became lodged in the tight passage.

With the mage dead, Pundirr sought to regain his shield, but he was opposed in this, for when he entered the wider part of the passage he was set upon by invisible Ha'uubs, with their skills and their feats and many tricks and techniques. Pundirr held the spear in both hands and used it as a staff, he did not know how many Ha'uubs he slew, but after some time they withdrew and he had been driven back to the highpoint of the pass. Though the ground was slippery with blood, his heavy foot stood firm, while his dancing foot always seemed to find some place to steady him, and he stood awaiting the next attack without any shield.

As he had feared, the next attack was a rush of Jarke-ha, but they did not fight him form afar, instead they picked up the bodies of their fallen comrades and carried them before them like shields, some were still fighting for their lives and stumbled forwards not understanding while the Jarke-ha crouched behind them with war-sickles readied. As they came at him through the narrow pass, Pundirr knew not to waste his strength on the dead, but he would not allow himself to be driven back any further, so he struck the dead with such force that he drove his spear through the armored dead and the living, in armor and without who sheltered behind them, then rather than try to withdraw his spear he leaped over them and pulled his weapon loose from the other side fighting in this manner exhausted him, and soon his strong troll arm was useless again, so he fought with his spear in his shy arm, but that too grew lame and sore. When the Jarke-ha finally withdrew, those of them who still could, Pundirr was not standing on the high point of the pass any longer, the dead had been piled up in a wall higher than the slope and this had to be cleared away before the fighting could commence. Undshe himself, dazed at his losses came forward and called a halt to the fighting, as the dead were taken away their numbers were counted and it was found that alone Pundirr had killed two and a half thousand. "stand aside little Skreid-ha" beseeched Undshe, "and I will make you a commander in my host" -"it is half a host now" answered Pundirr, fighting for breath "and I am only a Skreid! the Skreid-ha of the dark valley will crush you underfoot as you boasted you would do to me." Wearily Undshe commanded that his soldiers renew the attack and they pressed the exhausted goblin hard, each one seeking be be remembered as the one who bought him down.

Though lame and in agony form his exertions, though bleeding from countless wounds Pundirr fought on through the chill hours before dawn. At some point his spear broke in half and he wielded only one half of it, then he picked up other spears, saber-axes and flails, war-sickles and anything, he fought in a deadly rage, breaking weapons on his enemies armor or on their shields or plunging them so deeply into his victims that he could not withdraw them. The sight of him roaring and spitting blood dismayed his foes, so although he was only one, when he charged they broke ranks and ran.

As dawn broke, the battle in the valley between Sarucharra and Minnan was resolved. Sarucharra was driven by fatigued and by force to admit that she was not the equal of the mighty deeps, and it is said then that Minnan came forwards and embraced her calling her "sister" again and telling her that she was now a friend and all the might of the deeps would come to her aid if she called for it. They say that rather than respond with spite or pride, Sarucharra wept and walked away ashamed of herself. The Skreid who had stood guard rushed back to the pass, lest it be discovered that they had been away from their posts that night, but when they got there they found it weeping blood and they made all haste to tell Edtoh their master of their finding. When Edtoh and his host came upon the red gash they scrambled through it, near swimming thorough gore and spilled innards of goblins who died there.
As the dawn broke, Undshe knew that he had been defeated, even if he could kill this little bent goblin, there was no way that his diminished and disheartened host could take the dark valley. He promised Pundirr that he meant no trickery and laid his sabre-axe on the ground surrendering to him, "my life is yours" he said. Pundirr staggered out of the bloody pass barely able to stand upright, there was not a single sinew in his body that had not been torn in the battle, and not a bone in his bent body which was where his mother had put it. Edtoh came behind him in a rage with his jagged battle axe and bellowed to his brother "Undshe you fool! what carnage of my people and yours have you made in the pass into my valley?" Undshe answered his brother in humility which had been unknown of him until then "of my people I have made great carnage in my foolish pride and envy, but of yours I faced only one small Skreid with my whole host and he stands before me now, I have surrendered my weapon to him and my fate is his to decide not yours" Edtoh looked in shock to little bent Pundirr and asked him, "are the things he said true?" and Pundirr said they were. Then Edtoh laid his axe at Pundirr's feet and surrendered to him as well "myself, my host, the dark valley, all its wealth and all its people are yours, for you saved us when no other could have". Pundirr looked at him and croaked pitifully "some goblin wine please!"

Now Sarucharra made and end of her weeping and saw that many were rushing to the pass, she asked a Gras-ha what had happened but he spat and ran on. In rage she flew after him, and threw him to the ground. "Have you lost all respect for my prowess because I have lost against the entire ocean?" she demanded drawing her blades, that I have fought against it and stand before you should already show you that you are no match for me!" The Gras-ha groveled before her "have pity lady" he whined "I was only angry that you distracted us all from the great battle in the valley's only pass for I'd have loved to have seen that" Sarucharra put away her blades and asked him of the battle, he told her "Edtoh's brother Undshe sought to take us unawares with an army of five thousand, a single Skreid of no account stood against him. This ugly little Skreid slew three thousand of Undshe's host unaided and one hundred in a single blow, the two leaders Edtoh and Undshe have surrendered their weapons to him and he will be named the greatest of Skreid-ha" Hearing this Sarucharra raced off faster than striking lightning, at last she believed she had found a male goblin worthy of her. When she saw Pundirr she was appalled, but seeing the mountain of bodies he had left in his wake changed her thinking of him. She made herself look as pretty as she could, trembling like the unmated girl goblin she was, then she called to Pundirr, "mighty one!" she called, "I have heard of your great feats and they are something I could never hope to match. I will mate with you if you will have me and with no other male goblin until I die, be our children fair or ugly I will raise them to be strong and teach them all my feats. Though your are so mighty I could not match you in battle, I will give my life for yours gladly if ever it is required of me, I shall make myself pleasing to you whatever it costs me" and saying this she ran forward smiling to take him in her arms.

When the exhausted Pundirr saw her coming at him like this his bent heart leaped from his mouth and he fell dead.


**** a Gunil is a goblin raider, usually associated with the fierce grey wolves.
+ a Jarke is a goblin skirmisher
*+ a Skreid is a goblin who is charged with a full time duty of protecting the goblin lands, as opposed to the goblins from various disciplines who are drafted for this purpose only when the goblin lands are under attack.
**+ a Bogga-ha is a legendary goblin assassin-mage who is always invisible and said to never fail to make and end of the one he was paid to kill.

[pauxlo]

Use more (shorter) paragraphs, it makes reading so much easier.

[boru]

The Tale of Pundirr's Bent Heart.

Loved it. It's epic. It's mythic. It's got so much going for it. You really ought to be writing for pay.