《Uurda》 The Dance of Uurda Ela ¡°Before the age of men, there were two great spirits. The first was Uurda (The World), mother of life, who stood at the center of the world. The other was Fora, father of nothing, who peered in from beyond the borders of existence. For countless years, the sun remained still, hung directly above the center of the world - the place where Uurda stood. Life was stagnant, where it existed at all. And still, knowing nothing else, Fora found it beautiful. He marvelled at the way light pierced the clear, waveless oceans, and each grain of sand that filled this world¡¯s vast deserts. He counted the sparse flora that managed to push through the dry dirt or clung to the large stones, praising them as they rose and mourning them when they inevitably fell again. Only Uurda stood without faltering, her roots deeper than any other. As time passed, something strange caught Fora¡¯s attention. A creature - tiny and protected by a brittle shell - burrowed out of the dirt near Uurda. Naturally, the spirit was entranced and drew closer. However, his awe soon turned to outrage when this creature began to eat away at one of Uurda¡¯s roots. Without thinking, the great spirit reached out to intervene and accidentally pushed the sun with such force it sank beneath the world¡¯s horizon. The great ball of flame rolled across the underside of the world, causing the oceans that cover it to boil violently. Dark clouds spilled into the surface world above, bringing with them a dense gray curtain of rain occasionally pierced by lightning. This once silent world seemingly thrown into chaos, Fora withdrew, not wanting to risk a worse situation. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it As the first night of this world advanced, the sun drew nearer to Uurda¡¯s roots, and Fora began to notice a change. Uurda shook, only slightly at first, but then more intensely. Steam crept out from beneath the great spirit, and climbed up its figure to the tips of its leaves. The dirt beneath Uurda shifted as if becoming fluid, then erupted. In the middle of this chaos, she began the most beautiful, intense movement Fora had ever seen. Light and steam billowed up from her now exposed roots, and reflected off her glistening leaves. Unfortunately, her dance filled the sky with with heavy clouds, and soon he was unable to witness anything but the shadows she cast against the thick gray veil. Fora was there when the sun reached the end of its path to pull it back up into the sky, where he held it until the clouds cleared and he could once again see Uurda. However, her branches were still and her leaves dried. Her dance had come to an end, and all returned to stagnation once again. Such a motionless world was unable to captivate Fora as it once had. So, wanting to see Uurda¡¯s dance once more, he carried the sun far to the west and carefully rolled it across the underside of the world. Again, he was captivated by her chaotic beauty. Days and nights began to pass more regularly. Over time, life would begin to flourish around Uurda, and the great forest Uurda Ela (Heart of Uurda) would be born. For a time, all life would dance with Uurda Ela and follow her movements, but the rise of men changed this. Those who do not move with the wind and nature, who would instead challenge life itself, have no place among those of us who live within Uurda Ela. They are our enemies.¡± Translation Notes: The original story of The Dance of Uurda was traditionally memorized and passed on through word of mouth. Due to insufficient historical records, much of this text is based on speculation derived from drawings, ritual sites and other gathered evidences. The names used were taken from ancient texts written soon after the tribes of Uurda Ela were wiped out, such as the Bruuni etiological myth Er-Genesis [y203]. History of the Bruuni Empire: Vol 1 (y203) ¡°Our world exists as a barrier between two realms. The first, Artol, a realm of light where loyal servants of Bruun (The First God of Fire) are given access to an eternal paradise after death. The other, Mertol, is a dark realm for the lost and disloyal at the bottom of Mora (the great ocean on the underside of the world). Mertol can only be accessed by entering the black pool in Uurda Lau (Mouth of the World), which rests beneath the great tree Uurda itself. This must be done in the evening, when the water is still. There was a time when the path to Mertol remained open, and the savage tribes of Uurda Ela would dance with the lost souls throughout the night. They celebrated the foul spirits even as the stars were extinguished and the waters of Mora poured down on them from the drowned sky. This wicked dance would only cease after the sun chased them back into the earth. [...] The Eastern Plains were uniting under the rule of Bruun, the first God, who manifested not as a single entity, but as the united minds and powers of countless men who move with a shared purpose. The Head of Bruun, the great King Baremna, led the crusade against the heathen barbarians who sought to align themselves with the tribes of Uurda Ela, before turning towards the great forest itself. The heathen tribes of Uurda Ela heard of Bruun and turned the forest against him, fearing his divine punishment. Wherever his hands reached, there would only be massive trees decorated with barbs and dangerous plants that poisoned or burned his skin. The First God, making use of Baremna¡¯s wisdom, ordered all those who were loyal to bring dry wood and kindling, then build a great fire just outside the forest. All day, the fire raged and licked against the forest, but the wood was far too wet to burn. Baremna, alongside the Hands of Bruun, stood next to the fire, and watched as it grew. The sun began to set, and soon it became dark. Still, Bruun waited, patiently feeding the flames. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Behind the wall of trees, the forest began to shift, to dance along with the fallen souls that crept out from beneath Uurda. That wicked dance it did every night, with greater and greater intensity, until the water of Mora began pouring from the sky. The flames hissed and and recoiled, but did not fade. Still, Bruun waited, watching intently as the forest wall shifted and arched over the still growing fire. As the dance reached its peak, a light shone brilliantly from the base Uurda, casting a shadow on the dark pillar of steam leading to the sky. The trees nearest to the fire had dried, but not ignited. Soon, they would run low on fuel and the dance would slow. Their chance would be missed. Baremna defiantly approached the flames, unbothered by its intensity, and speaking with the voice of Bruun, commanded it to advance and consume the evil at the heart of Uurda Ela - to consume Uurda. In response, the fire twisted and curled, then reached out toward the forest and began crawling away from its ashen bed. The flames, guided by the voice of Bruun, touched against the bark of the nearest tree. Its claws sunk deep into the wooden flesh, the wound hissing as black streaks spread like an infection across its surface. The tree erupted and was rapidly consumed. The forest itself recoiled, the roots tearing out of the earth to strike at Bruun¡¯s divine judgement to no avail. The heathen tribes, having grown complacent behind their fortification, were thrown into chaos. The Voice of Bruun carved a path towards Uurda, granting his hands passage as they cleansed the forest of the evil that festered there. The Voice of Bruun was challenged only by Uurda itself, which did not relent to its flames. Even as it burned - the bark charred and curling, its leaves reduced to smoke - the mighty tree never faltered. Around this eternal flame, Bruun erected Mora Dak (Mora¡¯s Gate, an open tower), purifying the water of Mora on its path to the skies. [...] Surrounding Mora Dak is the city of Baremnan, named after the first Head of Bruun. [...]¡± Translation Notes: The Bruuni Empire kept many records, but these can not be determined as entirely factual as few other sources survived this period. Against Utopianism: Gods and Liberation "After the conclusion of the Two-Hundred Years War in the late 12th century, the Bruuni Empire had all but been destroyed. The once great and terrible city of Baremnan lay in ruins, save for the imposing Mora Dak which even invading armies would not dare approach. Of the scattered fire gods (as well as their warring empires) vying for the unquestioned supremacy once held by Bruun, the most notable contenders were the Eli¡¯iah Cirila (Eli¡¯iah¡¯s Blue Flame) Empire from the eastern plains; the Ohmari (of the god Ohmared) Empire of the central-western deserts; the Atir Valhyamal (The Sun¡¯s Light) of the northern frozen lands beyond the mountains; and the most influential remaining faction of the former Bruuni Empire, which fled south and began assimilating tribes that had largely evaded prior global conflicts. The ruins of Baremnan remained unoccupied by any except revenants, vagrants, escaped slaves and adventurers who belonged to no god. This is likely because the region had long been exhausted of useful resources, and what structures remained were dilapidated as a result of the late Bruuni Empire¡¯s internal conflicts - mostly failed slave uprisings that, when cut down, reduced the laboring population greatly and led to the neglect of necessary maintenance. Due to its position at the center of the world and four great empires, occupying this space would be seen as an advance towards a war that none were prepared for. The world emerged from a devastating war into an uneasy peace, the underlying conflict over useful resources, land and labor still unresolved. As a sense of dread plagued the lives of those privileged by these societies, their slaves had become restless and optimistic. One of the great contending powers, The Eli-iah Cirila Empire, experienced the largest slave rebellion in ancient history. Due to its weakened military and sizeable slave population (consisting primarily of greater and lesser giants, whose emergence is the result of this early period of slavery), the rebellion was the first in history to completely overturn the existing power structure. In other words, this was the first recorded successful revolution and construction of a free peoples¡¯ state - of Utopia. The former slaves of Utopia had little tolerance for any former slave owner and institution - as a result, we have very few records written by them. However, there are records from nearby empires (most significantly the Atir Valhyamal) indicating that the plains had become a haven for fleeing slaves and criminals, who were then given the means to defend themselves. Militant sub-factions formed with the intent to liberate slaves in other regions of the world - most often their homelands - and began infiltration to work with or agitate revolutionary slave movements. The Head of the God Atir (¡°sun¡± being a direct translation, but in this case it refers to the Atiri myth which claims the God Atir created the sun), Head Mjolandir, summoned Atir¡¯s forces and attacked Utopia from the north without warning. The Atiri military was by far the least impressive of the remaining major powers, relying primarily on the snaking tunnel system throughout the great northern mountains to fend off invasions. This made them incredibly vulnerable to Utopian infiltrators, who would convince the (mostly dwarven) Atiri slave population to collapse vital tunnels (and once even half of a mountain) to weaken their military, and thus strengthen their chances at a successful revolution. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. This put the Atir Valhyamal Empire¡¯s ruling class in a desperate position, which led to their invasion of Utopia. After only two years of existence, the already fragile freed slaves¡¯ state was shattered. Most survivors fled to the tunnels in the northern mountains, aided by Atiri slaves, and attempted an impromptu revolution there. The desperate momentum of the displaced Utopians and their allies (mostly consisting of Atiri slaves, but also a handful of sympathetic men and elves) drove their masters so far that they fled into Mora - the Black Ocean. Their revolution, however, failed. The returning Atiri military were eventually able to secure a route back into their homeland, and were then able to deal with the disorganized, novice revolutionaries with ease. The Ohmari Empire, by far the most powerful remaining contender, took advantage of this opportunity to launch a successful campaign for global domination. The Utopians and their ideals soon became legend, held dear by those who would be oppressed during the dark age that marked the final decline of (most) slave empires. Unfortunately, this did not lead to a rise in successful slave rebellions, or a newer, more free world order. Rather, with the return of the former Atiri masters from Mora, the Age of Fire ended, and the Age of Water began. Enslaved races became peasants and slave owners nobility. The need for slave labor faded, replaced by the need for land and the resources it held. The ability to wield fire became useless in war when facing someone who commanded water - not to mention the advances to agriculture that were made possible through the taming of water. By the 16th century, a new ¡°golden age¡± approached, and the Utopianism of the previous age - of slaves - changed along with it. The Utopianism of peasants soon began to take form, adopting a rhetoric that to this day pours from the many mouths of the god Luumra. A false promise of liberation. True liberation will only come with the death of gods. After all existing gods are defeated and the goddess Parodina fades. Only then will we be free." Editor''s note: Imvyl Bovran initially published this work early in his career as an activist under the pen name Er-Luumra (an ironic ancient Bruuni name translating to "All-Luumra"). This was written years before he was exiled from the Luumra Republic for his most famous book: How To Kill A God.