The Revelations of Bane

 


Chapter One


1. The creature Gelgerrigoth was slain and the Gods defeated the creatures that came against them. Khoreg had led them to victory.
2. And for thirteen days all the gods of all the races feasted together and were glad.
3. Khorne the Ogre God sang the worst song he knew and the Lady Chastity just sniggered.
4. Khoreg reclined close to where Bacchus poured the finest mead and the Elixir that Khoreg had himself invented.
5. And it seemed good to Khoreg that Hecate the Goddess of dark magic should rest against his shoulder.
6. Khoreg and Hecate were as one that night.
7. Afterwards, when she had chosen the place of her dwelling, Hecate took the seed of Khoreg and brought forth children; a son and a daughter.
8. The son she gave to Khoreg to care for and that son was weaned on mead.
9. The son was taught to hold a dagger as soon as he could walk.
10. And the daughter was weaned on the strange foods of the house of Hecate.


Chapter Two


1. At his birth the son of Khoreg was named Baynne. Though he drank like his father, he took little joy in the wielding of weapons.
2. And he walked the darkest places of the fortress of Khoreg.
3. But Khoreg banned him from the wine cellar.
4. Baynne then, to his father's delight, took to spending his time in the armoury watching weapons made.
5. “If he cannot be a warrior a crafter of fine weapons is still good.” were the words of Khoreg to Hecate.


Chapter Three


1. After Baynne had spent a whole year Grafting weapons he used the forge to make darts of magic.
2. And the forge was made cold and never would its fire bum again.
3. Khoreg had to trade a small lake of ale to the Dwarven Gods to build a new forge.
4. So Khoreg and Hecate spoke together.
5. And Hecate told how her daughter learned little magic but bent wands by wielding them as though they were swords. And thus was she driving Hecate to distraction.
6. So Hecate cared for Baynne and Khoreg cared for his sister. And all were content.
7. The hands of Baynne became skilled in the wielding of all his mother's arts.


Chapter Four


1. Long were the summers in the Lands of the Gods.
2. And Baynne sported beneath me trees with the daughters of the Dryad Goddess.
3. They drank cider and blessed the trees where the apples grew.
4. Though this was a time of bliss for Baynne he knew that he would need to find a dominion of his own.

 

Chapter Five


1. After the siege of the fortress of Khoreg the gods discussed how the demons could be controlled.
2. After much persuasion even Khoreg and Khorne accepted that demon numbers were too great to;
“Stamp on them and keep stamping.”
3. And a voice spoke up saying, “If one of the gods would go among them in disguise, lead them and turn their eyes from the land of the gods we might have peace from them.”
4. Then Baynne spoke up and said, “I will do it, I will go among the demons and turn their eyes from the Lands of the Gods.”
5. And since no other would go Baynne was chosen.
6. His mother changed his form so that he was dark and terrible to behold.
7. And then she told him to be careful!
8. His father gave him a sword and dagger forged by the Dwarf Gods.
9. The Dryad daughters wept at both his leaving and the change that was upon him and closed their eyes to kiss him farewell.
10. And Baynne said, “Baynne is no more, I am Bane and a lord of the pits of hell I shall be. Voorg and Moliach are no more. I shall wrap a cloak of darkness about me and I shall take their place.”


Chapter Six


1. So Bane went among the demons.
2. And he was more cunning and had his mother's magic.
3. Many leaderless demons came to him and bowed before him.
4. And Bane had his dominion and it was not hard to turn the demons eyes from the Lands of the Gods for the demons had learned to fear them greatly.
5. And the demons looked to the lands of the mortal races.
6. At first Bane restrained them but soon he knew that he could not and still rule.
7. Bane came to crave the dealings with mortals though they all came to him in fear or greed.
8. Such is the way of Bane that he takes what sacrifice he is offered.
9. And Bane chose from among his followers, one from each of the races of the world. And they numbered six and twenty.
10. Bane took two from among them and destroyed them utterly, that they all might know the price of failure.
11. The rest he changed that they might serve his purposes.


Chapter Seven


1. The time came when Bane grew lonely in his palace in hell. He left his cloak of darkness about his throne and returned to the Lands of the Gods.
2. There he found a place where there was the sound of singing and merriment.
3. His father drank there with Khorne and Bacchus, with the Dryad Goddess and a Dwarf God and many others beside.
4. And Bane took a seat and a drink and was made welcome and was content.
5. And Bane was praised, for the demons had stayed away from the Lands of the Gods.
6. And when the morning came grim and bright. Bane prepared a drink.
7. And he took juice of the tomato, with two dashes of vinegar, and Worcester sauce and Tabasco and put a raw egg yolk in as well and drank it at one go.
8. And those who saw this said it must be tough in Hell, though Bane said it helped start the day.
9. And Khoreg ate of the willow bark and had a servant rub his shoulders. Bane asked him, “Here you find relief from pain yet you say it is good for the soul, how can this be?”
10. 'If it stops you fighting get it seen to. “Bacchus drinks two pints of wine to cure his hangover but that hinders skill at arms.”
11. 1 And when they drink together. Bane gives Khoreg news of Hell.

 

KHOREGATE THE WORLD!
HAIL TO BANE!


1. The priests of Khoreg called upon him.
2. “Mighty Khoreg, you are our great God of war and skill at arms; we march to your call alive or dead. Equalled only by Bacchus as a god of carousal. In those matters where you choose not to intervene which gods should we call upon?”
3. Thus Spake Khoreg:
4. “In matters of magic my son Bane is both a part of and apart from me, call upon his powers if you will. Call upon his mother Hecate if you will but mention not my name.”
5. “When there is need of healing of sickness or of poison, or women labour to birth new warriors, ask the Dryad Goddess; the name she calls herself is Laurellia though her names are without number.”
6. “Though farmers are worthy of respect, if you are farming you will have to call upon one of the many grubby gods of that craft, you can find one almost anywhere. If you are growing something important, like grapes, ask Bacchus.”
7. “A God of sleep? Drink more.”
8. “A God of Death? I am your God of Death; when the time comes you will feast and fight beside me in the Lands of the Gods.”
9. “Love, Marriage and Sex? If you want to marry I'd call on Laurellia and hold a drunken party beneath the trees. For the rest, you want a god involved? You could ask Bane or there always seem to be half a dozen love goddesses around at least, one of them used to be Lady Chastity.”
And the priests spoke again asking Khoreg what he wanted by way of sacrifices.
1. “Oh useful stuff, right now a barrel of elixir or two.”
2. After a pause Khoreg spoke again.
3. “Armour and weapons are useful an' food an' more drink.”
4. “Blood! What do I want with bloody blood? I don't drink the stuff. Spill your foes blood in battle, that's all I ask.”
There were further answers but the assembled priests were unable to interpret them.
And Adric the priest asked of Khoreg how he might find immortality.