Volo Pah

Considered by the elves as something between holy scripture and mythical tales, the Volo Pah is the only existing written tome from the time of the ancient elves. Written in the ancient and dead language of Q'che , the book (whose title translates to Book of the People) outlines the elven understanding of the creation myth, and principally contains the story of The Dragon Twins.

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Volo Pah

Forward

Since ancient times the story of the Volo Pah, the worlds creation and the creation of humanity by the Whills of Solun have long been passed down orally from village orators to the next generation of orators.
Since the colonization of mankind and the modernization of the known world, these traditions are dwindling and the Elven people as we know them are passing from their traditional elements into a more contemporary era. It has thus become a desire of the Church of Creation to preserve the history and traditions of these people.
What follows is the translation of the document known as the Volo Pah, first transcribed in the original Q’che language of the Elves, and recorded by Cleric Tomas Duponte. While not a literal translation, it is considered by this committee to be a correct telling of the Elven understanding of the creation myth and the accounts of the Elven Dragon Twins.
Signed,
Hienruch Dolgrum, Chair of the Committee to Preserve Ancient History

Preamble

THIS is the beginning of the History of these people, of the Q'che (Ancient name for the elves of north equikora, and also the name of their language) of the great citadel of Tuluk. And the great Sky God, who was alone on the primordial sea, created then his children who would act on his will. And it was by their will that the earth and its inhabitants were created. And they were called the Forces (original text actually translates the elven nomenclature for the gods as ‘Whills’ but has since been changed for consistency with the church’s current teachings and doctrine).
They were with him that created all: The Sun and the Moon, the Great Sea and the River Queen, the Enigmatic Wanderer and the Mother of Dragons, the Lightning Lady and the Jewel Eyed Crafstman, She who is known as the Eagle of Chaos, The Grower and the Lady Death, even Silver Crowned Mountain

The Forming of the World

THIS is the beginning of the world, of this very earth that we walk. For a time there was nothing, only darkness on the surface of the Great Primordial Sea. It was then that the Great Sky God bespoke his plan to the council of gods, and it was by their words that the world was formed. Indeed they only needed speak, and the world took shape. Earth they said, and the ground and the plates of the earth sprung up from the primordial sea and were shaped by them that spoke. And again they said sky and the primordial sea was lifted by their will and the sun and moon were made to appear in the sky. Then came the mountains from the depths of the earth, and the plants and the trees were shaped in the same way. And when they were done the gods walked on the earth, and they wondered who would serve them and worship them and sustain them, and they found no life in the world and the determined at that point to create life.

The Creation of the Animals

THIS is the shaping of the Animals. In the early days of the Q'che realm, before the founding if the Great Citadel, there were no animals in the world nor were there people. And the Gods desired someone to sustain them. By whom they and their deeds would be remembered.
So they, the gods, set about creating all of the worlds animals and the Aurochs and the Jaguar and the Falcon. And when they were shaped by the Gods the Gods told them, “The earth is your world and the mountains and the sky and the forests and the jungles are all yours and you may speak one to another, each according to your kind and be free.”
And when the animals had heard this the spread far and wide and inhabited the world that the gods had formed for them.

The Fall of the Animals

THEN came time when the gods commanded the animals to speak to them that created them. And they said, “Speak oh might Aurochs, oh swift Jaguar and clever Falcon. Speak and worship us who created you.”
But the animals spoke not, for they could not speak. For the gods had created them wrong, and had not made it possible for the animals to sustain them and remember them.
So the gods in their sorrow spoke unto the animals and said, “You will never speak, for it is not a possibility for you to do so. And so the world will remain yours, the mountains and the forests and the jungles, but you will be made low and you will be hunted and devoured. And because you could not speak, you will be eaten.”

The Creation of the Mud People

THIS is the beginning of the second creative period. For the gods still sought to be sustains and remembered by a people, so they said to each other that they would try again. And they took the mud and the water of the earth and they formed and shaped a people of mud.
But the people would not stand, and they would collapse and they would topple apart because they were mud and not alive. And after many attempts the gods wearied of trying to make the mud people alive and smote them where they were and there are no remains of the mud people found on the earth.

The Creation of the Golems

SO then the gods decided amongst themselves that once again they would attempt to form life. Life that would sustain them, their creators. and by whom the gods would be remembered.
Knowing that mud did not work, and was incapable of sustaining life the gods then turned to the stronger materials of the earth. And of these stones, and irons and clays they formed the first of life, the Golems. And the golems spoke, and they worshiped they that shaped them by their command.

The Fall of the Golems

BUT in time the gods grew displeased with the Golems. Because the golems did everything that they were commanded to do, but there was no life in them. Indeed they were living, but were yet un-alive.
And so the gods forsook them and commanded that their faces be crushed. And even the animals of the worlds said unto the golems, “you hunted us and ate us and ripped our flesh apart for your food that you did not need.” And the Animals crushed their faces. And the trees and the vines and the great waters spoke to the golems and said, “You chopped us and boiled us and used us for your homes and you have been forsaken.” And their faces were crushed. And even the pots and pans said unto the golems, “blackened were wax and beaten and burned all by you who have been forsaken.” And by the pots and pans too were their faces crushed.
And everywhere the golems went their faces were crushed and they were hated across the face of the world for the gods had shamed them.

The Creation of the Elves

THIS here is the beginning of those mortals known as elves. By the command of the gods were they shaped first and foremost among other mortals and they were shaped to sustain and remember the gods.
And so they did.
So pleased were the gods with the shaping of the elves that for centuries they crafted nothing more. However later they felt the stirs of creation upon them again and crafted into the world dwarves and men. And with their will did they complete this last and great period of creation.

The Pride of Six Wings

BEGINNING here is the tale of the great demon Six Wings. For before the world was bright, when there was yet little light did he challenge the gods. And he, being the great demon said, “Behold, I am the greatest of all the gods in this land. For my eyes are like rubies, the most precious of all stones and see here my great wings, six of them there are for I am greater than even he the Great Sky God and none dare oppose me.”
And Six Wings had two sons and a bride, and his bride was called Imhuate, the mother of Hags and his sons were the great serpent Culquote and Xi’curo, known as the scourge of the ocean and the devourer of men. And Six Wings’ sons were also full of pride for all the creations on the earth did marvel and tremble in their presence for their pride gave them power and their power was great in that day.
And the Great Sky God heard the boasting of Six Wings, and professed of his defeat and sanctioned that he should be killed. For his pride was great, and it offended the gods that formed the world and threatened the lives of the elves they cherished and tended to.

The Defeat of Six Wings

SO it was that Hunakhu and his brother Cabrakan were directed by the gods to kill six wings. And they were young men at the time, elves of great power. They were simply avatars (again, the original Q’che translation of the word ‘avatar’ actually comes out to something close to quintessence or type, however given there is no direct translation in order to maintain consistency with the church’s views on the matter it has been changed to Avatar for the purpose of this translation) of those who had created them.
Six Wings was a great beast, and he flew from mountaintop to mountaintop devouring the greatest of the Aurochs and Drakes (there has been some speculation as to the translation of this word. Historical records of explorers at the time show us that Drakes as we know them today are actually a more recent addition to the ecosystem. It has therefore been proposed that a more accurate translation of the original Q’che word would be Dragons. As such, it would seem to paint a drastically different picture of the threat Six Wings represented to the world if he devoured dragons as a food source. Such a drastically different picture would it paint, that the translation of this word alone is a heated topic among most Q’che scholars) that were found there.
And when Six Wings was hungry, he left his family and flew to a nearby mountain top to feast. Now Hunakhu and Cabrakan had learned of his patterns and they waited in a bush near his food source. And when Six Wings had landed and began to eat his meal the two boys burst from the bushed and struck him with magical arrows that they had prepared ahead of time. And they struck him repeatedly in the jaw, and his jaw was broken and fell to the earth. And such was his pain that Six Wings went into a rage and ripped Hunakhu’s arm from his body and flew away to his home.
And Imhuate, the bride of Six Wings, saw what had happened and fled in horror at the sight of her groom. And angry were the sons of Six Wings so they went into the world to punish the boys who had injured their father. And Six Wings placed the arm of Hunakhu above his mantle, that it would be a warning and a trophy to all who saw it. And knew that the boys would come back to get it, and he would then devour them. But great was his pain, and even greater his hunger, for he could not eat without his jaw.
And the boys knew they had struck a hard blow against Six Wings, but that he still lived could not be permitted. And so they took the bones of his jaw and fashioned blade of his teeth. And they disguised themselves as elders of the elven people, making their clothes to be that of poor travelers and barbers. And they came to the home of Six Wings and Six Wings saw them, but he did not see that they were the twins for their disguises made them look old.
And Six Wings descended upon them, seeing that they were barbers and healers and he begged them to heal him for so great was his hunger that he could not bear it any longer. And the boys said, “We are not but humble barbers, and we can heal matters of teeth and eyes. But we cannot heal your hunger.” And Six Wings spake and said, “Then heal my jaw and my teeth that I might once again eat, and help improve my vision that I might find the evil boys that did this thing to me,”
And so the twins set about their work, but they did not heal his jaw nor improve his vision. Instead they used the blade fashioned from his own teeth and they plucked out his jeweled eyes and rent his six wings from his body and when this had happened the Pride of Six Wings was gone, and his power over the earth was no more and he shrunk until he died and was no more. And into his house the twins went, and they lived there for a while and returned Hunakhu’s arm to its rightful place and he was restored.

The Defeat of Culquote

AFTER the defeat of the great demon Six Wings, the twins knew that he had two sons who would be angry at the death of their father. And so the twins were sustained by the gods in their decision that the sons of Six Wings also needed to be killed. And so they wandered the land searching for the great serpent Culquote. And great was this serpent and thick was his armor, but bare his belly. But alas, he crawled upon his belly or kept it low to the earth so that he could not be killed.
And Culquote was fond of fish and often was found along the banks of the rivers of the ancient world hunting for fish and crabs. And so great was his appetite that often there was not food for the people of the valley and the wood and so the twins were even more dedicated to the destruction of Culquote. So they planned among themselves how they would destroy him and they devised a plan, and they created a great crab from a rock and used large carnivorous plants to be its claws and with the power granted them by the forces did they shape its life and made it like the Golems of past creationary periods.
Then they traveled along the banks of the rivers and found the great serpent. And he was hungry, for long ago had the twins conversed with the fishes of the rivers and the crabs and had asked them to hide and go to other places so that Culquote would not be able to find food and he would become very hungry. And so when the twins found him he said to them from across the rivers, “Children*, have you any food or seen fishes in this river. For I am great with hunger and need to feed. I have a great treasure of rubies and gems and precious metals. I will part with a portion of it with you if you, but help me find some sustenance.” (*This translation of the Q’che into children has sparked a bit of controversy. While most engraving and historical stela from the period depict the early adventures of the Dragon Twins as occurring in their adulthood, the direct translation of the Q’che here implies that they were at least young men if not actual boys at the time. Interestingly enough it seems like there is no real consensus on this matter even between the elves, with each elven settlement believing differently some claiming they were children others that they were adults and even others that claim they were never children but borne of the gods themselves)
And the twins laughed among themselves, for they knew that Colquote was falling into their trap. And they were clever boys, and so with guile did they trick Colquote into revealing the location of his treasure to them first. And then, when he had told them where his horde was, he begged them for food. And the twins said, “We do not have any food, but down near the river’s mouth there is a great mountain and in a cave we did find a huge crab. And we tried to eat it, but it snapped at us with its claws and we were afraid so we left. But you, oh mighty serpent, should be able to destroy it easily.”
And Colquote asked them to guide him to the cave, and walked with him they did. And when they came to the cave Colquote went in on his belly and the great crab that the twins had made fled from his presence. And Colquote returned to the boys and told them of what had happened and the boys, in their cleverness, suggested that he enter the cave on his back. For they had programmed the crab that they had created to flee from the great serpent unless he were to enter the cave on his back. And so great with Colquote’s hunger that he did not hesitate to listen to the boys’ suggestion.
So Colquote entered the cave crawling on his back, and the crab did not flee from his presence. But his belly was exposed and with their great strength and using hammers of strong metals the twins struck the cave’s supports, even the roots of the mountain and the mountain collapsed on the great serpent and Colquote was entirely destroyed.
And the twins did return to the location where Culquote had shown them his treasure was hidden, and they did take the jewels and precious metals and did give it to the people of Tukul where they hid it for the twins in their great citadel.

The Fall of Xi’curo

THEN this is the beginning of the destruction of the third prideful one. And great was Xi’curo in strength and stature and none could challenge him in battle. And he went across the face of the earth and wherever he deemed it so, mountains were felled in his wake.
And the Great Sky God witnessed this destruction of His creation and spoke unto the Dragon Twins, “By my word Xi’curo must be destroyed. For great is his pride, even unto that of his father and he destroys my creation wherever he goes. So you are commanded to bring him far into the east where he will be destroyed.”
And the twins humbled themselves before the Great Sky God and said, “Behold, it is good that this is your will. And such is our will as well, for we have despised Xi’curo these many years. And we will do as you command.”
And they went far into the North, where the greatest of the mountains were and they found Xi’curo and before them he smote a mountain and it was no more for such was his strength. And the twins conferred among themselves, for they knew the strength of Xi’curo was too great and they could not defeat him but by cleverness. And they made a plan for they new great was his pride.
So the twins went to Xi’curo and said, “Boy, where are you going?” And Xi’curo said to them, “I go nowhere, I am just here felling mountains and I will do so as long as there is light in sky.” And then Xi’curo said to the twins, “I do not recognize your faces. Who are you?” And the Twins, wise in their youth hid themselves and said, “We are no one, poor orphans are we and we have been hunting in these mountains with our bow. But behold we have not found much food.” Then they spoke of his strength saying, “Is it true that you can fell any mountain?” And Xi’curo puffed himself up, like his father before him, and said, “There is no mountain or creation of the gods that gave beat me in strength. Indeed, point me to a mountain and I will show you that it sha fall before me.”
And the twins marveled among themselves, for they knew his pride was great and that surely Xi’curo would fall into their trap. And so they said, “Behold, in the far east we have seen a mountain. And it grows tall, and continues to grow until it blocks out the sun and boasts it does that no one can conquer it. Let us take you there, and we will walk to your left and right and hunt birds along the path and surely you will fell the mountain that the sun may return.”
And so Xi’curo traveled with the twins, and he marveled at their magicks, for their quivers were empty and they shot no arrows, but wherever the boys did shoot at a bird so the bird fell. And the boys then collected the birds and cooked them and their skins were blackened and savory and did drip with fats and seasonings and the boys did not offer Xi’curo any birds.
And they whispered among themselves, “Soon he will be ravenous with hunger and gluttonous like his brother and father. And we will take a bird and poison it with lime and stone and white earth and when he eats it, he will be defeated.”
And indeed after their long travels Xi’curo could smell the savoury scents of their meals and he did become ravenous and greedy with hunger and demanded that the boys make him a feast. And they presented him with the bird that they had prepared and he did devour it whole, and this was his downfall.
And they continued to travel, but when they had reached the mountain and it’s peak, Xi’curo’s arms and legs had become weak because of the bird that he had eaten and when he smote the mountain, it did not fall. And with his pride gone so too was his power and the boys tied up his arms and his legs and they threw him down the face of the mountain and he died.
We will now tell the tale of the births of Hunakhu and Cabrakan, having first written the tale of their defeat of the three prideful ones known as Six Wings, Colquote and Xi’curo.

The Tale of the Father of Hunakhu and Cabrakan

WE shall now name the name of the father of Hunakhu and Cabrakan. We shall retell it. We shall tell the tale of the engendering of Hunakhu and and Cabrakan, but we shall only tell the half of it. We shall tell the smallest part of the tale of their father.

The Deeds of One Hunakhu and Seven Hunakhu Above Ribalba

THIS, therefore, is the account to those whose names are One Hunakhu and Seven Hunakhu (the translation of these names have proven to be problematic over the various versions of the text. In regards to One Hunakhu, the Q’che word preceding the name could be understood in the common language as the honorific Senior, whereby Hunakhu of the dragon twins would be a Junior. This is complicated by the seven, preceding the name of Seven Hunakhu, who is in fact One Hunakhu’s brother and therefore could not be a seventh junior. We have left this passage then in the direct translation of the original Q’che, and leave the interpretation thereof to the reader). And in the darkness of the world, before the world was fully lit by the Great Sky God, One Hunakhu and Seven Hunakhu were born to Ki’cocoa and Tremleque.
Now this One Hunakhu had two sons, Berut being the name of the firstborn and Chona the second one was called. And he had a wife, and she was called Truxalla. Thus she was called, the wife of One Hunakhu.
But Seven Hunakhu did not have a wife. Nor did he have children. For he was alone, or a secondary. And he was like a servant to Hunakhu and a companion. And they were great thinkers, and were probably the most intelligent among the elves. They were seers upon the face of the earth and were good by their nature and in their birth as well.
And they revealed their talents to the sons of One Hunakhu, and they become artisans and musicians and painters and creators of all things beautiful. But for One Hunakhu and Seven Hunakhu they played dice and ball all day and into the night. And oftentimes the four of them would face off against one another.
And when they would play in the ball court, they would be watched by the Eagle of Chaos. That god who had created the magic in the world. And the elves were never far from her, nor was Ribalba far from her, for she loved the elves more than any other creation.
And by then the mother of Berut and Chona had died.
And it was on the path to the island of Ribalba (Ribalba is the Q’che word for hell, and is still used today in modern elven vernacular to describe an underworld full of disease and sickness ruled by the Lords of the Underworld. Modern speculation on the various references to Ribalba across Q’che texts has lead many scholars to believe that the Ribalba in this tale was actually a great island located somewhere off the western coast of South Equikora, an island riddled with caves and underground passages where water would collect and spoil and fetter with disease) that the Lords of the Ribalba (The title Lords here is being interpreted from the original Q’che word ‘Caroque’ which doesn’t have a direct translation, but signifies a person of power but less than a god. Modern speculation assumes that the ‘Caroque’ in question were probably powerful magic users, who would seem godlike to the common mortal), being called One death and Seven Death, did hear the brother’s playing ball. And they said to each other, “What is it that they do upon the surface of the world. With their stamping and shouting. We will invite them here to play ball with us, and we will defeat them. For they have simply failed to worship us. And they act arrogantly, and we shall defeat them for that.
And they, being the Lords of Ribalba gathered their thoughts together to lay out their plans.
And these therefore were the great judges of all them lords, and they were each given their tasks and dominions by the Lords of Ribalba.
These are the lords name Encroaching Scab and Pooled Blood, and their task was to make people sick in the blood.
These then are the lords Pus Demon and Jaundice Demon, and their task is to swell people up until their faces become yellow and their limbs leak of pus. And thus are the dominions of Pus Demon and Jaundice Demon.
These then were the lords called Bone Staff and Skull Staff, and they are who would skeletize people so they truly became skeletons. And they were just bearers of staff in the kingdom of Ribalba, but this was their domain.
These then were the lords called Stabbing Demon and Sweeping Demon, and their task was to swoop down on all those who left trash in their homes and did not sweep clean their porches. And Sweeping and Stabbing Demon would fall upon them and stab them until they were dead.
And these are the lords called Lord Wing and Packstrap, and their dominion was to murder those who died on the road. And it was said that they would be suddenly taken with a sickness and blood would pool from their mouth and they would collapse in their own vomit. And this was the tasks and deeds of Lord Wing and Packstrap.
These, therefore, gathered their thoughts together with One Hunakhu and Seven Hunakhu were beaten and harassed and driven into the Kingdom of Ribalba. For the Lords of Ribalba did desire the gaming equipment of the brothers, even their leather clothes and their arm protectors and their gaming masks and their boots. For they were finely crafted and the Lords of Ribalba were angered that they did not have such fine equipment.

The Summons of One Hunakhu and Seven Hunakhu to Ribalba

THESE then were the war counselors of the Lords of Ribalba. And they were four in number, and appeared as owls.
And the Lords of Ribalba, being called One Death and Seven Death, gathered their thoughts and said to the war counselors, “Go and summon One Hunakhu and Seven Hunakhu and make them come to us so that they may be defeated.”
And the war counselors did as they were bid by the Lords of the Ribalba and said to One Hunakhu and Seven Hunakhu, “Come you, to the Kingdom of Ribalba, for thus has commanded One Death and Seven Death."
And One Hunakhu and his brother were not afraid, for they knew of their own skill in the ball game. And so they returned to their home and packed their gear that they might travel to the island kingdom of Ribalba, but they left their rubber ball. It was their most prized possession and so they left it, and tied it hidden in the lintel of their home. And so they left, and One Hunakhu's sons stayed with their grandmother, for they were artists and musicians and would not fair well in the hellish lands of Ribalba.
And so the brothers traveled to the Kingdom of Ribalba and they found the island and discovered the hidden path that lead downward into a cave, and this cave continued downward until the brothers found themselves in the underworld of Ribalba and there they were defeated for they had arrived in the kingdom that was made for them as a trap. And though they did not know it, they were defeated.
And they went to the ball court, and this court was called the Jade Court for it was made of fine jade and obsidian and was the finest ball court in all of the Creations. And they saw the lords of the underworld and the brothers saw not that these lords were golems and effigies of the Lords of Ribalba and the brothers humbled themselves before the golems and were immediately surround by laughter from all of the Lords for they had greeted things that were not alive.
And when the brothers had submitted to kuch laughter, they, being weary from their travels, asked of the Lords for a place to sit. And they were offered a bench to the side of the court and they knew not that it was a hot stone meant for cooking and when they sat upon it they were burned and began to dance about and the lords of Ribalba again laughed for the brothers were again defeated.
And then came One Death and Seven Death to the brothers One Hunakhu and Seven Hunakhu and they said, "Welcome to Ribalba great champions of the ball game. We see you have brought your fine equipment and your arm shields and we look forward to playing you. But for now you should rest and we will play in the morning. So you will stay in the Dark House and I will have a torch and cigars brought to you."
And the brothers were taken to the Dark House.
And THESE are the trials of Ribalba, for there were many. This here is the Dark House, which is black inside and let's in no light. And this then is the Frost House, for inside it is colder than any other place in all of the Creations and its walls and roofs are covered with ice that are razor sharp like knives. And this then is the Serpent House, which is full of lizards and snakes and other fell reptiles that are of the most poisonous variety. And then this here is the Thunder House and it is filled with tempests and storms that lash out at all who enter and they are scorched. And these are the trials of Ribalba, and One Hunakhu and his brother did not going in to any of these except the Dark House, but they are listed here for reference.
And when the brothers entered the Dark House they beheld that it was pitch black and they could not see. But the darkness was filled with terrors and clucking sounds and other effects meant to intimidate them and scare them. And after many hours one of the War Counselors was dispatched to the dark house and brought them a torch and cigars, but it said to them, "The Lords of Ribalba have brought these to you and demanded that you use them not, and return them unused to the Lords in the morning."
But the brothers were defeated and they used the torch and smoked the cigars. And when they were retrieved in the morning the Lords of Ribalba were mad with the brothers.
And when the game began, the Lords of Ribalba enacted their final plan for the brothers. This then was their weapon of choice, and it was called the White Ball, but it was a game ball that was made out of blades. And when the brothers played the game they were killed almost instantly, and the Lords buried their bodies beneath the court, except for One Hunakhu's head. which they cleaved from his body and hung in a tree near the court as a trophy and a warning to all who would cross the Lords of Ribalba.

The Immaculate Conception and Godly Heritage of Hunakhu and Cabrakan

And after many years, there came the daughter of Gathered Blood to the court and the tree which was forbidden for any to enter. But she, being called Lady Blood and a God (the translation here is very controversial. The Church staunchly opposes the belief in Gods other than the Forces of Creation and most agree with them. Therefore, like in other uses of this passage one can assume that the translation of the above word could be understood as a very powerful mage or sorcerer) in her own right. And she said to herself, "how can this place be forbidden me, me the Lady Blood. I will go unto this court and I will see what the Lords have forbidden me."
And when she descended to the court she saw the tree with One Hunakhu's head in it, and saw that it had borne much fruit like gourds. and she went to pick one, but had mistake One Hunakhus head for a gourd and he asked her, "what is it you require from a lowly head." And she was startled and said, "why are you just a head, and you speak so sadly. Why must you be so melancholy?" And he spake back and said, "I am depressed for in my arrogance I sought to defeat the Lords of Ribalba, and for my arrogance my brother was killed and I will never see my family again."
And filled with regret for what her Lords had done, Lady Blood felt much sorrow and empathy for One Hunakhu and she said, "What can I do that I might help you." And One Hunakhu said, "See that I am just a head. And my children are gone from me and will not remember me. And so I truly am dead, for no one or thing exists to carry on my memory and my name." And moved by his words she did hold out her hand to him and said, "Spit here into my hand and I will carry your memory and your legacy will be extended beyond this tree and these lands."
And One Hunakhu spit into the hand of Lady Blood and unknown to her or him she became with child and after spending time with the head of One Hunakhu she did return home and was in the sixth month of her childbearing days.

The Ascension of Lady Blood to the World Above

And when Lady Blood had returned to the house of her father, Gathered Blood, she was found with child. And her father said to her, "what is this. but the result of your firnications. For you are a whore." And she pleaded with him and said, "please father, say not these things to for me. For I have known the face of no man. Whereby I came with these babies I know not."
And Gathered Blood gathered his thoughts and his War Counselors and told them, "you will carry her to the world above and you with sacrifice her and will carve out her heart and bring it back that we, the Lords of the Underworld, might devour it."
And when he had gone Lady Blood said to the War Counselors, "you will not kill me." And they agreed, for they loved her greatly and did not desire to do her harm. But they said to her, "what then shall we do my lady. For your father, who is our master. Has commanded that we take you to the world above and sacrifice you to the Forces and bring your heart back to him."
And Lady Blood pondered this and said, "carry me then to the world above, and we will take the sap of a tree and I will form it into a heart of blood and you will let me go free and return the effigy of my heart to my father." And the War Counselors did as she commanded them.
And when the War Counselors brought back the effigy of Lady Bloods heart Gathered Blood took it and roasted it over a fire, and the scent of it was delicious and he offered it to the other Lords of Ribalba for such is the doom of all fornicators and the Lords of Robalba devour their hearts more than anything.
And now we will tell the tale of the adoption of Lady Blood into the family of One Hunakhu and Seven Hunakhu. And the birth if the boys who would be known as the Dragon Twins.

The Adoption if Lady Blood and the birth of Hunakhu and Cabrakan

And Lady Blood, being exiled to the world above traveled the world above for many days until she came upon the house if One Hunakhu. And she spoke to the mother of One Hunakhu and said, "see these unborn babies, these then are the children of One Hunakhu and your grandchildren." And the mother of One Hunakhu believed her not and said, "my sons are gone, having being killed years ago in the Kingdom of Ribalba and you cannot speak truth. Indeed you are a harlot and suffering the results of your fornications and are unwelcome here."
And Lady Blood, being near the end of her childbearing days, cried to her and said, "how may I prove my worth to you and what can be done that I might be a part of your family?" And grandmother bid that she go into the field and harvest the corn found there, enough for her and her two grandsons and should there be any left then too would Lady Blood be permitted to eat.
But this then was a trap, for the fields had not brought forth much corn in years and there was only one ear when the Lady Blood arrived. And she knew then that she would be defeated unless she could perform some miracle. And so she called upon the aid of the Eagle of Chaos, and was blessed by her Magicks and from the one ear of corn she drew five and twenty and the original ear remained there in the field. But the evidence of the others was strewn about.
And when the Lady Blood returned to the house of the grandmother and presented the corn that she had gathered the grandmother said, "alas, you are a fornicate and a thief. From who then did you steal this corn?" And the Lady Blood answered not and the grandmother went out into the field and found the evidence of the twenty and five ears of corn and saw that the original remainder and she was astonished.
And when the grandmother returned to her home, in anger she said, "truth it is then that you are the paramour of my son One Hunakhu. For it is only by the power of the great Eagle of Chaos could you have done this thing and she was always fond of my sons. So you will have a home here, for the time being, but you will find no love in these walls oh fornicator."
And these then ended the days of her child bearing and Lady Blood did give birth to Hunakhu and Cabrakan. And they were born in the mountains, and they cried a lot. And the children of One Humakhu and the mother of One Hunakhu hated the children and ordered them be put outside to die. And so the brothers of Hunakhu and Cabrakan did put the babies on an ant hill to be devoured.
But the boys were not devoured. And now we will tell the tale of how the Dragon Twins defeated their brothers.

Hunakhu and Cabrakan defeat their half brothers

THIS is the tale of how the dragon twins defeated their half brothers. For their half brothers, being artist and singers and poets were nor skilled with the bow and did not hunt. But Hunakhu and Cabrakan, being raised in the wilderness and taught many skills at the hands of the great Eagle of Chaos (for their mother had perished of sorrow many years previous) were mightily skilled with the bow and arrow and did hunt many birds and cooked them and feasted on them.
And the brothers of the twins smelled the birds and demanded that since the twins had not died as commanded they were then to bring food every day for their half brothers and their grandmother to eat. And so the boys did as their elders bid them, but whenever they would bring back food they were commanded to bring more and so when the boys did as they were told and returned with more food, their brothers and grandmother had eaten all the food and left none for the boys.
And so the boys, great with hunger and know that if they did not soon eat that they would die, put together a plan to defeat their wicked grandmother and their half brothers. So the following day the pair returned from the jungle but they did not have birds and they were harshly questioned by their older brothers and grandmother as to why they had no brought home any food for their family to eat. And the twins answered to their elders that they had indeed shot many birds, but they had all be caught in a giant tree. And the twins older brothers demanded they be shown this tree and when the twins had shown it to them they could not see the birds. AI the twins instructed their older brothers to climb the tree to the top where the birds were waiting.
And so the brothers climbed the tree, and using the skills that the Great Eagle of Chaos had taught the brothers, the tree began to grow taller and taller and the older boys could not get down. And they were trapped, and this is how the dragon twins defeated their older brothers.
And Hunakhu further humiliated his brothers by telling them to wrap their mantles around their waists and use them as protection for their legs to slide down the branches of the tree. But when the older brothers did this Hunakhu used the powers given him by the Eagle of Chaos and changed his brothers and their mantles became fur, and their boot cloven hooves and horns sprouted from their heads. Truly they became the first Satyrs.
And the twins returned to their wicked grandmother and she demanded to know where her other grandchildren were, which she loved more than the twins. And when the twins told her that their older brothers were not harmed, she demanded to see them. And so the twins allowed their brothers to escape and when they came to the house their grandmother laughed at the sight of them and the older brothers fled in shame. And so the twins defeated their wicked grandmother, and she found joy in their humor and allowed them to love with her in the house.

The Twins are Summoned to Ribalba and Tested

THIS here is the story of how the dragon twins defeated the Lords of Ribalba. But not at this time will their defeat be discussed, instead we will begin with the tale of the twins' summons to the island kingdom of Ribalba.
And one day when the twins were done with their chores they were bored and they complained of their boredom to their grandmother. And she commanded they clean the rafters and the lintel of the house and so the boy performed as their elders commanded them and when they did, they discovered the fine rubber ball that belonged to One Hunakhu and Seven Hunakhu. And it was a fine ball of fine craftsmanship for if you recall One Hunakhu and Seven Hunakhu were artists.
And the boys went down to the ball court which was by the sea. And they began playing, and stomping their feet and laughing loudly.
And at this time the Lords of Ribalba were once again annoyed with the sounds of the ball game and, like they had done with the twins' father and uncle, gathered their thoughts together and summoned their war counselors and sent for the boys to come to Ribalba and play the Lords of Ribalba in a game.
And when the counselors and related the summons to the boys they went and shared these things with their grandmother. And their grandmother wept and she begged them not to go and she shared with them the deaths of her sons and the boys' father and uncle.
And the twins were not filled with sorrow and fear as their grandmother had intended, instead they were worth with anger at the Lords of Ribalba not only for that which they had done to the boys' father, but likewise their mother.
And so the reins set off, and crossed the sea to the island of Ribalba and they did find the cave that lead into the underworld and down into the underworld they went. And the Lords of Ribalba attempted to defeat the twins in the same way their father had been defeated, using the effigies and golems in their place to humiliate the twins. But the twins were far cleverer than their father and their time in the jungle and forest and mountains had given them many friends. And they used a Sprite they had befriended to go before them and identify which of the lords were real and which were effigies. And the Lords of Ribalba were shocked that the twins could see through their rise. and offered the boys rest on a bench. But remembering the story their grandmother told then of their father and uncle they refused and identified the bench as a trap and a heated stone for cooking, and the twins would not be defeated. And the Lords of Ribalba were frustrated that the boys had seen through their tricks and sent them away to the dark house to be tested further.
So the twins submitted to the dark house like their father and their uncle. And were given the same trial, namely the torch and the cigar bug were commanded not to use them and return them whole in the morning. And the boys, using the gifts of the Eagle of Chaos, survived the darkness and returned the torch and cigar unspoiled to the lords the following morning. And the Lords of Ribalba were so angry at the boys for succeeding that they decided to forgo the other houses and tests and invited the boys to the ball game.
And knowing beforehand that the Lords of Ribalba used a rigged ball with blades hidden in it the boys spotted the blades and stopped the ball and said, "you lords are false gods and have brought us here to trick us. For you know you could not beat us in a fair game so you set about to kill us. Now here this mighty lords of death, you will give us a fair game or we will leave." And the Lords were shamed in front of their court and so they agreed to let the boys continue play using their own fine rubber ball. And a long a proper game ensued and the boys allowed the Lords to win. for the twins did now want to shame the Lords of Ribalba until doing so would end the kingdom of Ribalba forever.
And so, prideful of their false victory over the boys, the Lords of Ribalba sent the boys to the Razor House, supposing it would be the boys doom. But the boys were wise and clever and they spoke to the blades in the razor house and asked them to stop, and the blades had never been spoken to before and welcomed the conversation and they stopped. And when the Lords came in the morning expecting to find the boys eviscerated instead they found them alive and safe and the blade were silent and immobile. And the Lords were angry again and challenged the boys again to a game. The stakes of which remained the same, should the boys win they were free to leave, but if they were defeated they had to face the next trial.
And the boys lost, again on purpose, and were sent to the next trial, the Cold House. And this one they defeated as well, and so it continued with the boys losing the game on purpose and facing the remaining trials and defeating each one using their cleverness and the tools they were given by the Great Eagle of Chaos. That was until the last trial which was the Serpent House. And the boys hid inside their quivers from the serpents and were safe, but alas Hunakhu did uncover his head from the quiver to see if the sun had risen and his head was cut off by Sslissk the demon God of Serpents.
The Lords of Ribalba were overjoyed at Hunakhu's defeat, but Cabrakan was not defeated. And summoning the beasts of the forests and the Jungle Cabrakan and the beats fashioned a temporary head for Hunakhu and so he could play the ball game. And the Lords were angry and so to humiliate the twins, they used Hunakhu's head as the ball for the game, but with the aid of the beasts of the jungle Cabrakan was able to substitute Hunakhu's head with a gourd resulting in an embarrassing defeat for the Lords of Ribalba.

The Fall of the Kingdom of Ribalba

And THIS then is the tale of the end of the Kingdom of Ribalba.
And the Lords were greatly embarrassed of their defeat at the hands of the twins and still wanted their destruction. So they crafted a great oven and intended on trucking the boys to enter and be burned to death. And the twins knew that the Lords of Ribalba intended this to be their end, and they also knew that if they defeated the Lords again that the Lords would come up with even more tests and trials bent in their destruction and so the boys allowed themselves to enter the oven and be burned and grinded to ash and dust.
And the Lords of Ribalba celebrated greatly and danced and rejoiced and threw the twins remains into the rivers of the underworld. And this too was part of the twins' plan. And when their remains were thrown in the river the fish of the river, which the boys had befriended, put the boys together and they were regenerated. But the fish did not know how to build elves, and so they rebuilt the twins as catfish. But after a while the boys were able to gain power over their forms and changed back into elves. And not being recognized, the twins were allowed to live amongst the Ribalbans.
And they traveled the underworld and their power and magicks were great. And they performed many miracles in the underworld such as killing creatures and bringing them back to life, burning down buildings and restoring them from the ashes and removing limbs only to regrow them in a matter of seconds. And their miracles became so well known that the Lords of Ribalba summoned the twins to entertain them. And the boys came, their identities being unknown, and they were pretended to be vagabonds and orphans. And they performed many miracles for the Lords, including burning down their palace while everyone inside remained unharmed, and then restoring it from the ashes. And their final miracle Cabrakan cut apart his brother Hunakhu only to regenerate him in front of the Lord's eyes. And when the twins had displayed their greatness and power then they revealed their identities as not only the twins that had been burned and then restored, but also the sons of One Hunakhu and his brother Seven Hunakhu, come back for revenge. And knowing their power was great the Lords wept before the twins and begged them for mercy and forgiveness. And the twins spared the Lords and commanded that the Kingdon of Ribalba never again be great. And as a reminder of this great promise the Lords and all of the Ribalbans were changed to creatures that dwell on the seeps of the oceans and became to sahuagin.

The Ascent of Hunakhu and Cabrakan

And, being finished in the underworld, the twins began the climb to the world above. But when they reached the surface they did not stop their, and they sprouted great wings from their backs and soared into the sky and became dragons. One serving life and one serving death. And they were Gods.
And there are many other tales and names of the Dragon Twins, but they are not collected in this volume, but their days on this world are without number and the Elves believe that they do still exists today.

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Type

Manuscript, Religious

Medium

Stone

Myth

The Dragon Twins

Location

North Equikora