The Return of Leweyd the Many-Ones

There is a tradition or an old wives' tale that the villagers in the southern regions of Alven have long held: one day, the god Leweyd the Many-Ones will return from the The Underworld or Otherworld and reclaim the kingdom of the gods in the North. On a moonless night, Leweyd will ride his beloved horse Whitetail across The Eastern Seas and arrive on the coast of Alven. He will bring back with him all the great past clan chieftains of Alven, as promised long ago to the Thanes. A new age of plenty and prosperity will be ushered in the world. Accompanying him will be his beautiful hound of many colours, Greysnayde, who is always by his side.

Summary

The southern regions of Lowside  and Farside have always had a strong following of the god Leweyd. In many towns and villages, Feast of Leweyd is more lavish and important than the two-week celebrations of Beltane. It is, then, not surprising that folklore and folktales have grown around the enigmatic but all-pervading deity of the Many Faces.
For example, in the town of Willieburn in the Shaydburn Hills, the The Lewsayd Games are renowned throughout the region. Clansmen and clanswomen from all over this mountainous eastern region gather up on the third day of the Feast to compete in a series of throwing events: throwing of the stone, the spear, and the bucket. Thanks are given to Lewyed, the Great Warrior, and Gifted Thrower while much beer is drunk. Everyone takes part in singing songs and reciting epics of his exploits and his return.

Historical Basis

The return of Leweyd the Many-ones to Alven and the world of men has been mentioned in the songs and poems of the southern clans for the last five hundred years, but no tales of his return has ever had a mention in any of the classic texts of the Old Area. This is why many historians refute the idea that such a prophecy is a legitimate part of the Events Yet to Come. The archivists in The Order of Leweyd, who are the principal guardians of the god's legacy and devote most of their study time to trace Leweyd's footprints on this earth, have condemned the beliefs as mere old wives' tales.

Spread

The stories of Leweyd the Many-Ones' return do not have the same foundation in the west of Alven. In these parts, although Leweyd is still revered as an important god who should be properly propitiated, he dwells firmly in the Underworld or Otherworld where his hound and horse, Greynayde and Whitetail, guide the spirits of the newly departed to find their way through the many roads of the Underworld. It is said that spirits are able to follow the white mare's tail in the gloom of The Deep Glens.

Variations & Mutation

In the little-known Glenthorn, below The Stonepire mountain, not too far from the The Lost Lochs, there stands the mining town of Thornraeglen - so named because of the Thornwood growing wild on the mountain side. The townspeople's devotion to Leweyd the Many-Ones is second to none. In the center of their covered market square, stands the only representation of the god in existence. A statue, made of silver, and measuring 20 arms in height. The Statue of Leweyd is represented throwing The True Spear he was famous for. In other parts of Alven, it is considered bad luck to craft or paint representations of the gods, but the people of Thornraeglen have equated their wealth and good fortune with the erection of the statue, and it is customary for the  clansmen and clanswomen to touch the feet of the silver deity in the hope it will bring them luck and healing.

Cultural Reception

It is worth mentioning again that these tales are purely apocryphal and do not reflect the beliefs of the Archive and the Thane. From the capital city in the east, the Archive has spread its influence in the lands of Alven over the last two centuries. Its teachings are now, by and large, the sanctioned version of the Events Yet to Come. However, the Alvenish regions mentioned in this article are somewhat on the fringe of the Clanlands of Alven, which could explain why the belief in Lewyed's return is still very much part of the southern people's faith.

In Literature

The tales of the Return of Leweyd the Many-Ones live on in the poems and songs of the northern clans. Many seers, north of the River Aiker will be able to recite the well-known traditional epic poem of The Horse, the Dog, the Man, and the Sea. This twenty scroll-long story tells, in minute detail, how Leweyd would liberate himself from his Underworld prison to emerge, unscathed from the sea, and reclaim his rightful place in the land of the living. It also relates his glorious travels back to the The Godlands, and how, when arrived on the shores of his homeland, he would quell the belching fires of the mountains. The epic became very popular fifty years ago and was transformed into a five-hour historic play by the Master Seer to Clan Redgill, Sunill Lochen. The play is still performed on the long winter nights in the mountain keeps of the eastern clan Chieftains.

Date of Setting

part of the Events Yet to Come (apocryphal)