The Olympnomachi: The Tragedy of Valderian MacValkerion

The tragedy continues

As to the jewel, where what he gave her, was forged out of fondness for her, and out of the sincere desire as a paternal figure to protect her. The great ‘Jewels’ that he forged, were done out of genuine love, the first was stolen from him by a group of Dwarves, whom he disowned. The latter, he poured his awe at the universe, wonderment and passion for the world, and that of his pupil, the Elven prince Valderian. A prince of the line of Feälandvil that, great prince of the first great royal house of the High-Elves, Valderian, was one of the humblest of this great line. Where other Elves feared working with Iron, for how poisonous it could be, to them, Valderian had made a bargain with Vili to trade some of his essence, to be Dvalin’s pupil. This almost halved the years of his life, though it was a sacrifice he made gladly, if it meant he might receive the honour of studying under wise Dvalin.

Together they wrought many gifts, for the world, for the Elf-prince became as a son to Dvalin, and he was the finest student the Dwarf-smith ever had. Greater than, even Hephaestus or Weyland the Smith, so that he was the only black-smith to ever approach his master’s skill.

Full of the same goodness, the same love for the world, and the stars as his teacher, he forged in that distant age the Stjárgamen with these sentiments in his heart.

The great pendant was full of their great hopes for the universe, their hopes that all might turn well. The gem was shown to all the gods, who marvelled and murmured for days, about the great beauty of the necklace crafted by the two, weary yet proud blacksmiths.

Such was the beauty of the stone, and so great was his awe for it that Vili that same god who had bestowed upon Valderian the right to touch iron along with his brothers Oðin and Vé blessed it. Never has there been a greater blessing cast in the history of all the world, than that which they put upon the stone, with even this blessing destined as they knew to bring about immense sorrow onto the world.

Their work was one of love, of passion and one which as stated, Astrild felt the most longing for, followed by the rest of the goddesses. It was not only, the gods who noticed the beauty of the gems, for Valderian’s brother Pelunion the moment he visited, after the death of their father, to illness noticed the gem at once.

From the moment, Pelunion set eyes upon the Stjárgamen, he was filled with passion and greed for it. At first, he told himself that, he had no need for it that his sneaking into the small room at the back of Dvalin’s home, to gaze upon it was enough. Soon enough though, the Elf-prince liked to sit nearer and nearer to it, so that his nose almost touched it.

It was upon one of these long nights that, Pelunion was caught by Dvalin’s most recent wife, the lady Brynlyn, the greatest love of his life. As the great Dwarven patriarch was absent, delivering his and Valderian’s newly forged sword, Rautadrar (Iron-Defender), Pelunion had believed that he was safe, in his jewel-watching. Unfortunately, for all concerned, he was caught as he had left the door ajar, and though he was immensely fond of Brynlyn, and panicked herewith at that moment.

Brynlyn misunderstood his intentions, and it was at that moment that, he tore one of the swords from the walls, and slew her when she strove to grasp the Stjárgamen, to keep it away from him. This was the first time anyone slew another for one of the three grand godly jewels. And it was destined to not be the last.

Aware that his brother might not forgive such a gesture, the younger brother took the jewel with it at first burning the flesh of his hand. So great was the burning of his flesh that, bits of the prince’s flesh was melted, from his bones. His screams echoed for miles, as he doused his hand, in the same fire in the smithy that, was used to douse hot metal. It was after that moment that, anyone ever had their flesh seared by the gem. Quite why this was the case, has many explanations; mayhap the innate goodness, poured into the gem is unable to accept evil of any sort. Or mayhap it lay in the stars, visible in the gemstone that burned, with such fervour that there was never an eye that it, failed to catch.

Little did it matter, for no person of goodly intent ever burnt their flesh, whenever or wherever they grasped it across the age, with Pelunion making off with it, by grasping the chain linked to it. He fled into the night, laughing despite the pain in his left-hand so gleeful was he to, at last hold the gem in his hands.

The tale may well have ended there, were it not for Valderian full of rage, upon his return before Dvalin, from his own delivery to his wife’s brother of the Hámelerions. These armbands, which he had recently forged, as a wedding gift to the new king of the Elves, were made of lesser metals, yet were nonetheless just as prized. A testament to his abilities, though the prince himself had no such regard for them, as he did the Stjárgamen. He gave chase after his brother, who fled back to the home, of their mother.

It might have been best, had Valderian respected the sanctity of that place, yet full of wroth, and with his own blade in hand, he broke into the house and before the entirety of all his kin, menaced Pelunion, with it. His new sword Qual'valess (god’s death-bringer) was forged, from the scales and bones, of the great dragon Vangalathan, harder than most auricalchum blades, so that there were even gods who feared it.

“Betrayer! Thief and murderer!” Accused the smith in a rage, unable to control himself so great was his grief over the death of Brynlyn, and fury at the loss, of his greatest achievement. An Elf most aware of himself, Valderian knew he could never forge such wonders again. He had tried with the Hámelerii stones, and failed, only the sword of Vangalathan neared such an accomplishment.

Seeing the madness of her eldest son, Hrúwendis intervened, scolding him in the harshest of terms. Reminding him, of how his father had always favoured him, and of how Pelunion had been given very little, in comparison to his younger sibling. “Why seek thou to deny, thy brother all? In the days of thy father, it was he who was of the greatest of comforts to me, when we were besieged by those awful Dwarves, during the war. Where thou sought always, to assist in the forge or on the walls, with nary a thought to thy bride, or myself it was he who comforted us. And he, who hast ever catered to his duties as a proper son, and husband where thou hath ever neglected thy most important duties!”

The Elf-lady Cadhranithia, who had without the awareness of her husband, long-since been the mistress of Pelunion, in competition with his shy, wife, the lady Iaunalthess. Since just after the birth of the fourth of Valderian’s sons, after he had departed to study under Dvalin, leaving his sons in her care. This had left Pelunion the patriarch of the family in Valkerion’s eldest son’s absence, and in time the father of Cadhranithia’s two daughters with the girls hidden, from their uncle/stepfather. The thief having in turn, eight sons with Iaunalthess, who had borne them reluctantly, and who had attempted to raise them all, to despise her good-sister’s children. Notably her daughters, with the two kinfolk intermingling in some cases, to that the eldest sons, Thedarian, the eldest of Valderian’s sons and Pelunion’s eldest, Pelulakar, who were as brothers themselves, of a far closer nature than their fathers.

This affair had gone on for two centuries, with the approval of Hrúwendis, who had always felt it to be a just affair, and was supported also due in no small part, to her disdain for Iaunalthess. So that her two good-daughters each of them hungering, for the Stjárgamen and convinced it ought to come to them by right, of either Pelunion’s love or being his bride. The two for the first in their lives, agreed with one another, though by the end of the argument, they turned upon one another, as they were incapable to keep from bickering.

“Thy brother deserves some sort of compensation, for all that he hast done for us, husband,” Argued Cadhranithia in the end, at her most honeyed to the disgust of three of her sons.

“Ye would say so, if only because you think it should come back to ye, or thy slattern daughters,” The typically timid lady Iaunalthess, unable to keep her tongue in check, with three of her sons, Pelulakar, Rylion and Dwinalthas the Long all turning upon her in turn.

In the chaos, Balssyr saw his chance to rescue his uncle, whom he saw more as a father, than his own, Balssyr thus leaped upon his father, to attempt to disarm him. Lowering his blade instinctively, out of fear of harming his son, Valderian was to regret his moment of inattention.

Seeing his chance, Pelunion drew his own sword, the same that had drawn Brynlyn’s blood, so that he to the great cheer of his mother struck his nephew dead. Broken by this loss, Valderian fell to his knees to hold his son, he had not long to weep for his son as he was beheaded by his brother.

Cheered on by his mother who now turned upon him, demanding that a wergild had to be paid, in full to his mother; who as the aggrieved party was owed the Stjárgamen by virtue, of how she had lost her ‘beloved’ grandson and son.

Refusing her, Pelunion was nonetheless chased away by the enraged Aubälion. Second-born of Valderian the great smith, he took up his father’s sword, and all knew fear, for he was known as the ‘Mighty’ amongst the Elves. Famous for being the fiercest warrior, of all the High Elves, of the ancient period who ever lived, he attempted to slay his uncle, and once he had fled, along with a number of his cousins and even his elder brother. Aubälion vowed vengeance then, and to reclaim the Stjárgamen, swearing upon the sword Qual'valess, his father’s soul and above all else, in the name of Hoenir the ‘Elf-Maker’. His sword still fresh, with the blood which he had dipped into his father’s blood, Aubälion forced his remaining brother and cousins, to swear the oath also; the remaining men-folk being; Vysdaru the Loyal and their three cousins Khelvran the Pious and Welkior Foul-Heart and Dincheon the Gentle.

Full of wroth, he declared his elder brother not his brother, and marched into the kitchens ignoring his screeching mother (who had remained, in a state of shock at her youngest son’s death), to slay his half-sisters, Aubälion was to find the girls missing. Having foreseen his nephew’s actions, Pelunion had fled through there, and taken his daughters with him, in his flight from the house of Valkerion.

As to Dvalin, he returned home to find his wife dead, with his sons calling out for blood, the Dwarf consulted with his friend, the sworn-brother of Valderian Elkaldar the Wise. A faithful Elf, who left and returned to inform him, of all that had befallen the clan of Valkerion. Heartbroken, at the loss of his surrogate-son, he fell into despair and drink, after this incident. He might well have lent his support, to the sons of Valderian, were it not for how a man having wandered into the wilds of the Velentian woods, captured him and his sons. Doing so, to force them, to forge for him the terrible demonic sword Tyrfing...