|
The Iaranori worshipped their own versions of the Elder Gods, with special emphasis on Naervara. One figure, however, was unique: Bennarlar, daughter of the Queen Batydded. In Iaranori, Bennarlar signifies "Child of Stars" or "Starlike Child." The name is usually renedered into Coruman as Naervakchen. The Human Galactic Rider Kyl Mathis rendered the name into Anglich as Istel. The epic poem The Lay of Istel has hundreds of stanzas, and tells of the birth of Istel, the history of the Empire of the Iaranor, and the sad aftermath of its fall. Not even Kyl Mathis could complete a translation of the entire work. Only the first stanzas are presented here. |
T |
he Scattered Worlds around the tale is told Of the greatness of Ismallia's daughter race, And one among them all who shines most bold: Batydded, the Queen most fair of face Who ruled across the midnight deeps of space Brought glory to a hundred hundred worlds Forged all to one and gave each one its place A peaceful banner Batydded unfurled Like rising tide around the stars her power curled. |
F |
ar off in utter dark a threat awaits The Lord of Strife prepares his dreadful fleet While souls know nought of vastly moving fates And Batydded builds up her realm most sweet. The baleful Lord upon his baleful seat, Raids Ismall's worlds and takes her children slave Now must the Queen his awful navies meet Deny to him the power that he craves And drive his awful servants from their dark enclave. |
F |
ull fifty years her golden ships did build From all of Ismall's worlds the fighters came From ev'ry land Iaranori tilled From ev'ry home and ev'ry tribal name Full fifty years they sought themselves to tame While workers skilled assembled starships strong At last the time arrived to seek their fame In flame of launch was heard the battle-song And fair Ismallia's sky bruned bright the whole night long. |
B |
atydded within her ship of grey Sacrificed to all the gods she knew Ismallia far behind her fell away She knelt and prayed devout the voyage through At ev'ry stop, all about the view Was filled with dancing points of brilliant white And with the massive fleet there always flew The blessings of the goddess of the night: Naervara's stars kept Ismall's hopes alight. |
T |
he battle raged for six-and-sixty days Ismallia's brave defenders fell in scores Fortresses were rent and died ablaze Death claimed many valiant warriors Batydded lost seven commodores Whose names will e'er be recalled by kin As long as waters lap Ismallia's shores As long as all the stars in heaven spin Yet neither Lord of Strife nor Batydded could win. |
A |
t last the raging violence of the fight Disturbing space with endless anguished cries Called forth the lady of the blessed night Yet from the battle's flame there did arise As blasts did ships and crewfolk volatize Such a cloud of dust and seething gas As blinded Naervara's sparkling eyes Hid from her within this dark morass Was Batydded and folk, whose fortunes seem to pass. |
A |
nd still within this dark the fighting went Now ship to ship in vast confused pace And still Iaranori lives were spent The soldiers of this old and mighty race Of cowardice bore not the merest trace. And Batydded urged on courageous squads To give the Dark Lord's ships the fatal chase Never did they mind the dreadful odds Yet in her ship of grey the Queen beseeched her gods. |
I |
n ship of silver-green Menetarlan The loyal deputy of Ismall's Queen Did battle with an alien caravan One valiant fighting ship against fourteen Menetarlan was sanwiched in between The target of destructive furious bolts 'Til uncontrolled across the sky did careen, Battered back and forth by mighty jolts The proud green ship whose tortured engine now revolts. |
A |
nd now the Elder Gods conspire with fate The ship of silver-freen arrests its flight And all the skies and stars reverberate With cry of Batydded's own faithful knight A cry 'tis answered by the waiting might Of the Elder Race upon Nephestal fair. The Daamin send their fleets into twilight In answer to Iaranori prayer To catch the wicked Lord of Strife all unaware |
N |
ow Daamin ships Menetarlan escort; A proud, fierce fleet two hundred vessels strong And called from out a distant alien port Another sixty warships join the throng And five-and-thirty more appear erelong From the Daamin colony called Citadel. And ghostly, chilling Daamin evensong Gives to the ships a powerful farewell For they from Scattered Worlds the Dark Lord would expel. |
N |
ow to the tortured cloud of combat came Menetarlan with all her allied troops Now lights and banners through the dark proclaim Arrival of the liberating groups Into the dark Menetarlan then swoops The Daamin forces join in bold attack Its losses now the silver ship recoups Against dark nebula the Queen's ships tack And joined as one the two fleets drive the Dark Lord's back. |
O |
ut of the battle-cloud emerges now The ship of grey with Batydded aboard And Ismall's Queen affirms a sacred vow To bring about the death of darkness' lord. Then, separating from the dismal horde A black ship arrows forth and is pursued With all the speed the grey ship can afford And both speed on in starbright solitude The two by Naervara, Queen of Night, are viewed. |
F |
orth hastened Naervara for she knew That Batydded assistance soon would need And from the battle scene she quick withdrew And left the Daamin fleet to intercede. The rescue of Ismallia did proceed And pushed the Dark Lord's ships into retreat Yet when the dust of battle did recede Leaving friendly navies free to meet Without their Queen there was not hope in Ismall's fleet. |
N |
ow Batydded's resolve was far from spent She pushed her vessel to its very bounds And all oblivious the black ship went With ev'ry step velocity compounds With ev'ry minute space around resounds To cry of tortured engines running fast. The watching goddess Batydded astounds For she believed the Queen to be outclassed And did not think th'Iaranori so steadfast. |
| The Empire of the Iaranor |
Table of Contents |