Vuael & the Vuzhota

Vuaeul was the youngest of Queen Tess’s fifty daughters and still a child when her mother died in war against the Moqeva. When her father Shotaviras forsook all Lashunta and fled into the rainwood’s depth, she, who had been his most beloved, sorrowed the most from his loss.
As Vuaeul grew to maidenhood, she hunted the rainwood, as her mother had done in youthtide. Yet, whereas her twenty-nine older sisters took steeds among the rainwood’s Shota and became clan-queens, Vuaeul brooked her Shota-kinship to run and hunt with the packs, dwelling wild, hunting game, and suckling the milk-trees’ teatworts. When her kinfolk asked her to come home, she naysaid, telling that she ever sought her father.
On a full moon’s night in Heaventide,while Vuaeul camped beside a glade, an Elfmaid stepped forth from the moonlight, with hair like Father Night’s cloak and milky skin. She sang dear words, overknelt Vuaeul, and tried to kiss her brow. Yet Vuaeul drew a knife, set it against the Elfmaid’s belly, and bade her begone. At her threat, the Elfmaid faded.
On the full moon’s next night, while Vuaeul camped beside the same glade, an Elfman stepped forth from the moonlight, with skin coal-dark but set with shining gems even like Nightheaven, and hair like spun silver. He knelt before Vuaeul, wooed dearly, and tried to kiss her brow. Yet she set her knife against his manliness and bade him begone. At her threat, the Elfman faded.
On the full moon’s third night while Vuaeul camped, a shape again stepped forth from the moonlight. Yet now it showed as both man and wife, Elf and Lashunta, forwhy it was Elindrae wandering earthbound and seeking sport. They bade Vuaeul tell why she withheld love and what boon she would take to let the Moon-God love her. Vuaeul answered: ~O’imi shoaf Shotara. Tara yuaef o’domara-tei o’mimesassi o’ta-yei~ - “I only love Shota. I would love them or none to dwell with them and as them.”
Before her eyes, Elindrae shifted shape until they stood forth as a great Shota-bull. When Vuaeul neared and laid hand on his snout, she shifted as well and became a Shota-queen. Then the Moon-Good straddled her, and they swived mightily.
Afterward, Vuaeul ran with the Shota packs as a mighty queen. Yet Elindrae had laid a great egg-clutch in her womb, which she bore and nested. When they hatched, half were Shota, and half were Lashunta. As they grew, they learned to shift shape even as their mother and father could. So they became the Vuzhota, wandering and dwelling among both Lashunta and Shota as they would.

Cultural Reception

Retaea Nomads leave out wheatcakes on Vuael's Night (the first visible full moon in Heaventide) to appease the Vuzhota and keep them from making mischief within their camps and herds.

Date of Setting

Age of Legend