Bedarin and Meuari and the Cursing of the Madarikes
The tale of Bedarin Lehemendua, the first of the Madarikes, and his great love Meuari Aibstenhula, the Songweaver of Nila.
Summary
In times of old, when the world was young, as the races of men and giant were being forged by death and blood, the great one Nila set about in crafting a race of peace. There, in the east, at the base of the burning mountain Buranden, Nila set her creation to awaken clad in tough hide and sturdy bark. There, Bedarin first of his people was awoken and breathed his first breath. The first of the race was called Bedarin Lehemendua, a name that means "blessed one of thought" by Nila herself who loved this last of the races most of all.
Created as guardians of the tranquil groves and placid forests of the vast world, Bedarin awoke in a frenzy, unaccustomed to the vibrant and sensory world around him. Seeing the panicked state of her creation, Nila sent a messenger to the terrified mortal, a woman named Meuari who came to soothe the panicking Bedarin. In the ravings and short madness of Bedarin, he bashed his head against tree, against stone, and against the ground, for he did not understand noise or his own hearing. Yet Bedarin's madness passed with the wind when he heard a melody coming upon it, a singing of calm but yet of power. From a gap in the trees and bramble, a song echoed through the grove. In a tongue of majesty and power, there sang Meuari, songweaver of those on high, and her voice rang out for the first time in these dark places. The forest came to peace, for Meuari's voice brought ease to all the world's creatures, for she was fair, yes and all animals and plants loved her, but she sang with a power like the moving of the sun in the sky, like the rushing winds of a gale. All the world fell under her spell, as did Bedarin who came to calm and stopped his raving madness. When Meuari's song at last ended, Bedarin was peaceable and she told him of the world he dwelled in and of his duty to the world. Seeing the madness pass, the animals of the forest emerged from burrow and nest to greet Bedarin. The sparrow brought Bedarin seed and acorn, the fox brought its fresh prey and Bedarin came to understand the nature of nature itself.
In a state of peace, Nila on high called out in a great voice and she came to converse with her loved creation. Bedarin, feeling thankful and wishing to make a form of offering to his creator, swore an oath on the very pillars of wood he was born of and upon all the shapes of the world. Bedarin swore to care for the world's old places, the forests, the old rivers, the hills, and mountains, and do naught else. Bedarin swore to never take up the hard rock of the sword, nor pluck the bow nor bring harm to any of the creations of his beloved Nila. For a time, the first of the last children made a home in the old forest beneath Buranden's wake, striding among the forest and caring for its young trees and animals alike. All of nature saw a caretaker in Bedarin, for he strove among the groves and the dells, nursing and tending to the beloved and innocent animals of the wide world. Bedarin and Meuari walked the groves and the grace of Nila followed them into the creeks and the writhing rivers in those days. Lockstepping the pair sang songs and brought peace everywhere they went.
Until one day, when Meuari's music ceased, the pair became lost from one another and Bedarin became lost in the expansive old forest. There, a demoness of malice, power, and shapeshifting spied on the vulnerable Bedarin. The demoness had been spurred firstly by giants, for their far-gazing eyes had seen her cruelty and trickery. Then she came upon men who threw her out for she had no softness, no caressing touch, only sharp and pointed fingers, grasping and clutching at all goodness and seeking it for herself. The Faen strangers had not let her come to their great pillared cities, for they had heard of her misdeeds and evil from the tongues of men.
Hopeless and in rising panic Bedarin came closer and closer to this temptress and evildoer. She came to take the fair form of Meuari, yet she did not sing her beautiful songs, for she had no beautiful voice of her own and Bedarin did not understand. Instead, she bade him come closer, come to her and walk with her once more. Bedarin, innocent and easily swayed did so and came to her thinking nothing of it. However, Bedarin and his demoness in disguise came upon a faint glow of singing and the pair came upon the true Meuari singing to let her Bedarin know where she was. Now Bedarin came to a state of confusion as he had a pair of his beloved Meuari before him. The two then debated with him over which of them was true and Bedarin listened. The true Meuari sang for him once more and she sang a song like that of old, bringing the sun and all the world's rivers to a standstill once more. The false Meuari rose, knowing she could not do likewise, she tempted Bedarin with her figure and her lustful appearance. She danced, lightfooted and elegant still, Bedarin knew in his heart what he saw was false, and yet, his heart beat greatly and he saw himself entranced by the dancing of the false Meuari.
Not knowing wrong, Bedarin accused Meuari of deceiving him, and with her prey ensnared, the demoness whispered into Bedarin's ear, the punishment for deception. The false Meuari formed for Bedarin Lehemendua, a great spear, taken from the soil and sand of the river and hardened by the fire of the sun. The demoness compelled Bedarin to run the deceiver through. With a strike of wrath, Bedarin struck Meuari with his earthly spear, and by the wrath of Lehemendua, Meuari's blood spilled into the rivers and seeped deep into the earth. With a deathly scream, Meuari brought panic and anxiety to the world with a final song of death.
With her final breath, Meuari called out to Nila and the presence of the high one came to see the sight of Bedarin before his beloved and an earthen spear in hand. A paternal rage came before placid Nila, and she rebuked her once beloved creation, cursing him. The great one's curse came upon Bedarin and all his kin, for they would be a wanderer and a fugitive, unbound to the earth from which he had defiled with the blood of the sweet and innocent. All who saw the Bedarinil would know of this shame, all would know of his foul deed, and the kin of Bedarin would be cast away from society and fearful of their unstable wrath. They would never again hear the pleasance of song and know only the madness and fear that they knew before blessed music came to their ear. The final act of Nila's curse was the most powerful, that of all the races, the kin of Bedarin would remain away from the blessing of Nila, they would be imperishable and never leave the abode of the world and be reunited with her. Nila marked the kin of Bedarin with a name from above, and so they came to be known as the Madarikes, the cursed children.
The Madarikes descend from Bedarin and his bewitching demoness, one called Tatzaeil. The Madarikes carry on amidst the dark dens of lands where light does not find them, in deep forest, they do not roam but rest weary in the earth, many never to utter a word.
Created as guardians of the tranquil groves and placid forests of the vast world, Bedarin awoke in a frenzy, unaccustomed to the vibrant and sensory world around him. Seeing the panicked state of her creation, Nila sent a messenger to the terrified mortal, a woman named Meuari who came to soothe the panicking Bedarin. In the ravings and short madness of Bedarin, he bashed his head against tree, against stone, and against the ground, for he did not understand noise or his own hearing. Yet Bedarin's madness passed with the wind when he heard a melody coming upon it, a singing of calm but yet of power. From a gap in the trees and bramble, a song echoed through the grove. In a tongue of majesty and power, there sang Meuari, songweaver of those on high, and her voice rang out for the first time in these dark places. The forest came to peace, for Meuari's voice brought ease to all the world's creatures, for she was fair, yes and all animals and plants loved her, but she sang with a power like the moving of the sun in the sky, like the rushing winds of a gale. All the world fell under her spell, as did Bedarin who came to calm and stopped his raving madness. When Meuari's song at last ended, Bedarin was peaceable and she told him of the world he dwelled in and of his duty to the world. Seeing the madness pass, the animals of the forest emerged from burrow and nest to greet Bedarin. The sparrow brought Bedarin seed and acorn, the fox brought its fresh prey and Bedarin came to understand the nature of nature itself.
In a state of peace, Nila on high called out in a great voice and she came to converse with her loved creation. Bedarin, feeling thankful and wishing to make a form of offering to his creator, swore an oath on the very pillars of wood he was born of and upon all the shapes of the world. Bedarin swore to care for the world's old places, the forests, the old rivers, the hills, and mountains, and do naught else. Bedarin swore to never take up the hard rock of the sword, nor pluck the bow nor bring harm to any of the creations of his beloved Nila. For a time, the first of the last children made a home in the old forest beneath Buranden's wake, striding among the forest and caring for its young trees and animals alike. All of nature saw a caretaker in Bedarin, for he strove among the groves and the dells, nursing and tending to the beloved and innocent animals of the wide world. Bedarin and Meuari walked the groves and the grace of Nila followed them into the creeks and the writhing rivers in those days. Lockstepping the pair sang songs and brought peace everywhere they went.
Until one day, when Meuari's music ceased, the pair became lost from one another and Bedarin became lost in the expansive old forest. There, a demoness of malice, power, and shapeshifting spied on the vulnerable Bedarin. The demoness had been spurred firstly by giants, for their far-gazing eyes had seen her cruelty and trickery. Then she came upon men who threw her out for she had no softness, no caressing touch, only sharp and pointed fingers, grasping and clutching at all goodness and seeking it for herself. The Faen strangers had not let her come to their great pillared cities, for they had heard of her misdeeds and evil from the tongues of men.
Hopeless and in rising panic Bedarin came closer and closer to this temptress and evildoer. She came to take the fair form of Meuari, yet she did not sing her beautiful songs, for she had no beautiful voice of her own and Bedarin did not understand. Instead, she bade him come closer, come to her and walk with her once more. Bedarin, innocent and easily swayed did so and came to her thinking nothing of it. However, Bedarin and his demoness in disguise came upon a faint glow of singing and the pair came upon the true Meuari singing to let her Bedarin know where she was. Now Bedarin came to a state of confusion as he had a pair of his beloved Meuari before him. The two then debated with him over which of them was true and Bedarin listened. The true Meuari sang for him once more and she sang a song like that of old, bringing the sun and all the world's rivers to a standstill once more. The false Meuari rose, knowing she could not do likewise, she tempted Bedarin with her figure and her lustful appearance. She danced, lightfooted and elegant still, Bedarin knew in his heart what he saw was false, and yet, his heart beat greatly and he saw himself entranced by the dancing of the false Meuari.
Not knowing wrong, Bedarin accused Meuari of deceiving him, and with her prey ensnared, the demoness whispered into Bedarin's ear, the punishment for deception. The false Meuari formed for Bedarin Lehemendua, a great spear, taken from the soil and sand of the river and hardened by the fire of the sun. The demoness compelled Bedarin to run the deceiver through. With a strike of wrath, Bedarin struck Meuari with his earthly spear, and by the wrath of Lehemendua, Meuari's blood spilled into the rivers and seeped deep into the earth. With a deathly scream, Meuari brought panic and anxiety to the world with a final song of death.
With her final breath, Meuari called out to Nila and the presence of the high one came to see the sight of Bedarin before his beloved and an earthen spear in hand. A paternal rage came before placid Nila, and she rebuked her once beloved creation, cursing him. The great one's curse came upon Bedarin and all his kin, for they would be a wanderer and a fugitive, unbound to the earth from which he had defiled with the blood of the sweet and innocent. All who saw the Bedarinil would know of this shame, all would know of his foul deed, and the kin of Bedarin would be cast away from society and fearful of their unstable wrath. They would never again hear the pleasance of song and know only the madness and fear that they knew before blessed music came to their ear. The final act of Nila's curse was the most powerful, that of all the races, the kin of Bedarin would remain away from the blessing of Nila, they would be imperishable and never leave the abode of the world and be reunited with her. Nila marked the kin of Bedarin with a name from above, and so they came to be known as the Madarikes, the cursed children.
The Madarikes descend from Bedarin and his bewitching demoness, one called Tatzaeil. The Madarikes carry on amidst the dark dens of lands where light does not find them, in deep forest, they do not roam but rest weary in the earth, many never to utter a word.
(Bedarin Lehemendua and Meuari Aibstenhula)
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