The Legend of the Bitter Pill
The Legend of the Bitter Pill is a myth that details the creation of The Putric Isles by the Travesty Retch.
Summary
"Once upon a time, there was a great island named Sarkic Elgris, or "The Old Flesh" in the common tongue. Sarkic Elgris was a bountiful, beautiful place; covered by rainforests that held unique and wonderous creatures, and mountains that touched the heavens with gentle peaks.
It was the homeland of the lost race, only known as The Clever Folk, who could build magical machines, and had technology far greater than any kingdom around today. They were known far and wide as a kind and gentle people, happily sharing their technology with their Vedalken neighbours in Kthombru.
However, the Clever Folk were being surveyed by envious eyes. The Great Kraken, Retch, saw the technology of The Clever as an affront to his power. Others say that Retch simply desired revenge for what the Clever Folk had done with The New Gods. Whatever the cause, Retch was far larger than any normal Kraken, as it was said that he could reach into the depths of the void with his tentacles, and he used his strength and size to remove the object of its envy, thus proving itself superior.
Retch used his mighty beak to swallow Sarkic Elgris, breaking it into three pieces. Panicking, the Clever Folk came up with a cunning plan. They loved their island, moreso than their corporeal forms, and they were repulsed by the concept of it being destroyed by such a beast. They completed an unspeakable ritual, and the entire race forfeited their souls to Kal Crist, a Travesty devoted to primordial fear, in order to spare their island from complete destruction.
Kal Crist smiled upon them, and gratefully accepted the sacrifice. The Clever Folk were never seen again. The ritual made one of the pieces to become so foul, so poisonous that it caused Retch to vomit before he could finish destroying Sarkic Elgris completely. The pieces were scattered around Retch, and were granted names: Sarkic Mal, "The Bad Flesh", so named as it was coated in the bile of the Kraken's stomach, Sarkic Naish, "The New Flesh", which was caught on the tongue of Hadar, and so it was protected from its bile, and lastly, Krop Tor, "The Bitter Pill", the site the ritual was performed on and the product of the Clever Folk's ritual. Retch himself died due to the poisoned lands of Krop Tor. All that was left of him was his beak and his tongue, which fossilised over the years and become Kryksic Taith, "The Great Maw", which forms the largest, and most dangerous, island of the Putric Isles."
Historical Basis
This legend has a strong historical basis, and is even seen as fact by a majority of the residents of the Putric Isles. Most of the old names of the islands were soon replaced by new names, less weighted by their history: Sarkic Mal became The Foul Lands, Sarkic Naish became Naish Island and Kryksic Taith became Hadar's Retch.
Date of First Recording
7254
Date of Setting
7235
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