Lore & Chronicles

Tale told by Storyteller Lutrykin - Atysmas Storytelling Assembly in Jena Year 2591 (2016-12-26)

Eukisse’s Hat
Why Mektoub Mounts wear red caps at Atysmas.

Long long ago, back in the Old Lands, even before the founding of Coriolus or Zoran, when homins lived in small villages, there was a young Fyros hominette who lived in a village in the Desert.

This hominette, who was named Eukisse, was an orphan, and was raised by the village as a whole to honour her parents.

She had studied hard and learned much about the different fibres that she could harvest in the desert, how to comb them and spin them to make thread and yarn.

Eukisse also knew all the different dyes that she could colour the fibres with, how to prepare them and how to combine them. She made many new colours.

She also knew how to knit all kinds of garments, socks and gloves and vests and hats, and she would make them in all the colours she knew how to create.

Because she was so busy with spinning and dying and knitting she did not have much time to make friends.

When she had a little time and tried to approach the other children in the village they pointed and laughed and said: "Kiss, kiss, go play with your piss."

As we all know, yubo piss is an important ingredient in making dyes work correctly. However, children can be very cruel.

One day Eukisse made a recipe for a dye that was so bright a red that you could say it glowed when it was applied to Anete fibre.

She knitted a hat of the glowing red Anete fibre, put it on her head and went to the village square to show it off, but the other children mocked her, saying that a glowing hat would only attract predators.

Now the time of Atysmas came near and all the children looked forward to the presents that the Sint (Father Atysmas) would bring them.

The night before Atysmas she said her prayers and then tucked herself into bed to sleep until the morning. A dust storm was rising and the wind was blowing hard, but her hut was solid and she was not afraid.

As she was beginning to go to sleep there was a knock at the door of her hut. She wrapped a blanket around her and opened the door.

There stood Father Atysmas himself. Behind him were his mektoub mount and his train of Packers, all loaded with gifts. Eukisse could barely see them through the dust.

"Eukisse, will you loan me your glowing hat? The dust is so thick I need more light to lead my packers so that I can deliver the presents.”

Of course Eukisse was glad to do so, but Father Atysmas was disappointed. "It needs to fit on the head of my mount. This is too small."

In a flash, Eukisse grabbed her knitting needles and knitted with the glowing yarn as fast as she could. In no more time than it takes to tell, she had made a Mektoub sized hat, glowing brightly in the darkness of the dust storm.

Father Atysmas delivered all his gifts that night, thanks to the glowing hat. The last gift was to Eukisse, a new set of the shiniest knitting needles she had ever seen.

Ever since then at Atysmas time the Mektoub Mounts wear red hats to remember the time that Eukisse saved Atysmas with a red hat.

Epilogue: The children of the village never did invite her to play with them. Children can be cruel.
However, Eukisse finally married a handsome homin who was able to see her talents even if she wasn't popular and they were happy together for all their life.

Tale by Kyriann - Atysmas Storytelling Assembly in Jena Year 2606 (2019-12-29)

Lillipukin and the botanist

Once upon a time there was a lutrykin so tiny that Father Atysmas didn't really know what to do with him.
If he asked him to drive the sleigh, the mektoubs wouldn't move an inch, if he sent him to the toys workshop, he would almost get crushed by the plush yubos and lets not talk about going to harvest anything, a simple piece of sawdust would make him totter.
So he was preferring to perch him on his hat, at least there, he wasn't in danger of losing him.
And our lutrykin was bored, perched on his hat, without having the slightest chance to take part in all this bustle.
And then one year, just before Atysmas, when the bustle was at its height, Father Atysmas found himself well and truly annoyed. It was imperative to take a message to Ke-Piang Geoi, a hawker who is usually in the Void, but absolutely no one was available. Father Atysmas lamented in despair when he heard a small chirping voice:
— But I, I could carry the message! I would so much like to help!
Father Atysmas startled. It has to be said that, in all this turmoil, he had somewhat forgotten his little lutrykin.
He took him in his hands and put him in front of his face and then thought, thought, thought…
— All right, I have no other solution… Lillipukin, I'm going to entrust you with an essential mission. You're going to ask Ke-Piang Geoi where he put my order. You're going to go on the back of one of the mektoubs. He'll take you to the Staring Stronghold. When you get the answer, you will shout “OOOOOOOOOH!” in the mektoub's ear, and he will bring you back here. Do you understand?
— Yes! chirped Lillipukin. Thank you Father Atysmas! You'll be content with me, I promise you!

No sooner said than done, Lillipukin is transported to the Void at full speed.
But when he arrives at the Stronghold, he is compelled to note that the hawker is not there.
— But how am I going to do? I can't leave without the answer! I promised Father Atysmas I would bring it back to him.
— Come on, you, go ahead, he can't be far!
But Lillipukin may slap with all his strength and try to shake the reins, but the mektoub doesn't move a muscle.
— By Jena's pigtails, I'll have to manage without you!
When he was angry, our lutrykin wasn't very polite! But we'll forgive him for this misuse of language, the situation was difficult.
— Never mind, I get down. I'll manage to find a way back up.
He clings to the trunk and begins to climb down, when the mektoub, annoyed by an itch, abruptly turns around and sends poor Lillipukin into the air.
— AAAAAAH! Lillipukin shouts before crashing in the slope.
— Ow, ow, ow, ow! Lillipukin rises somehow and starts to climb back up the slope, afraid that the mektoub has gone back to Father Atysmas because of the scream.
When he finally reaches the top, exhausted by the run, he finds, relieved, the mektoub that hasn't moved.
Lillipukin falls on the grass.
— Pfff! I'm exhausted.
He leans against a fragaria stem and soon falls asleep tired.

— Hmmmmmm, but what is then this outgrowth?
Lillipukin wakes up with a start and sees a huge amber eye bent over him.
— AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! he shouts.
— OOOOOOOOOH ! shouts the amber eye. And in a great crash, a great mass falls to the ground while Lillipukin sees the Atysmas mektoub fly off.
— Nooooo! But it's too late.
Lillipukin turns towards the heap mass. He realizes that what he took for an eye is a kind of telescope and that the rest of the mass is a huge Matis sitting down.
— What were you thinking, shouting like that? Because of you, the mektoub is gone and I'm stuck here and Father Atysmas will never entrust me with anything ever again!!!
Sobs shake the little lutrykin from head to toe.
— I'm very sorry, Ser, if my presence has caused any trouble. May I inquire about that? This is, how can I put it, the first time I've encountered an entity of your kind and that surprised me, I must confess. I thought for a moment that I had discovered a new variety of fragaria, but I don't know of any plant capable of making such a scream! I'm failing in all my duties! I am Tolo Di Niolo, a modest botanist from Karan.
— Lillipukin, Father Atymas' Lutrykin and at the moment, so much full with problems, that I don't know if I will ever get out of it.
And Lillipukin tells everything, Father Atysmas' request, the vanished hawker and the mektoub flying away.
— Hmm, I see. Would you allow me to try and find a solution for you? I've had an idea running through my head since I saw you, but it's a bit experimental!
— I'll do anything to prove that I can do something useful!
— So here's my idea. Perhaps you have already noticed that there are small flying animals with propellers in the Void. Some of them are green. I call them Heliarachnes. They're very fast. I was figuring they'd just the right size to serve you as a mount. And if you manage to tame one, then you could ride as you please and find Ke-Piang Geoi to deliver him Father Atysmas's message.
The lutrykin leaps to his feet.
— Yeeeaaah! What a wonderful idea. Let's go at once and try and capture one!
Lillipukin falls back sit, discouraged.
— But if they're so swift, how can we catch one?
The Matis has a wry smile.
— Don't worry too much. I know I don't look much, but from my research I've developed a certain ease in capturing these tiny beasts. There's, right above us, everything you need for capture.
— It is a dorao, you can recognize it by its long trunk and the creepers hanging from its foliage. With the creepers and a branch, I can build a net.
While explaining, Tolo Di Niolo jumps up to catch one or two creepers and starts to weave them together, making the net at lightning speed.
— There you go. I'm ready. Would you like to climb on my shoulder? I know a spot a little further down the slope where you can often find heliarachnes.
With Lillipukin well clinged to his armour, the botanist launches into the slope with the net ready, and with a sure skill, captures a heliarachne.
— And hop! Let's see our catch.
Tolo skillfully seizes the little beast to show it to Lillipukin still perched on his shoulder.
Two bulging red eyes, a round bright green body and a propeller-shaped toupee, Lillipukin finds the little beast very friendly.
— Onward, Ser Lutrykin, climb on your mount!
Lillipukin sits on the back of the heliarachne and Tolo frees the tiny beast, which starts to leap up in the sky, hoping to bewilder this unwanted traveller. Soon, they disappear from the sight of Tolo who begins to fear the worst for his little companion.
Lillipukin, he, clings desperately to the toupee so as not to fall despite the raging roars. Turns and other loops follow one another but the grip doesn't let go! It must be said that little lutrykin was used to clinging on to Father Atysmas's hat in all circumstances and therefore had a tremendous amount of practice. Gradually the pace of the tumbles slowed down and Lillipukin could consider leading the manoeuvre by gently moving the toupee. He passes close to a group of other heliarachnes that come to surround Lillipukin and his mount, following them, as magnetized.
Lillipukin is jubilant, too happy with his dressage and leads the whole group to Tolo to thank him.
He sees him, then, riding up the slope at full speed, chased by a zerx that has taken him in pursuit. He presses his mount and throws it, along with the whole group, at the head of the zerx, roaring, turning, blinding and disorienting the filthy beast with their tumbles. The botanist runs for cover. The zerx ends up falling, trying to catch the heliarachnes that blind him, and rolling down the slope.
The botanist is saved!
Lillipukin can now proudly present on his destrier in front of his friend.
— I can never thank you enough, Ser Lutrykin.
— You're joking, botanist! You've just given me Atysmas' greatest gift, you've given me back my freedom and the possibility to be a full-fledged lutrykin. That's I who owe you all!
Father Atysmas' deep and grave voice resounds then.
— Yes, it is a wonderful gift that you have given each other.
— Oh! Father Atysmas! You are there?
— When I saw the mektoub come back all alone, I suspected that something had happened and I arrived at the right time to see this epic fight. You're a brave lutrykin, Lillipukin! Now hurry up and find Ke-Piang Geoi and go back to the workshop! Your heliarachne is yours forever. As for you, Botanist, I can't give you a gift precious enough to thank you for giving back the joy of life to my little lutrykin, but I hope the bards will sing this episode for a long time.

That's the end of my story, but next time you go to the Void, take a good look if, on the back of a heliarachne, you don't see a little lutrykin, and remember of his botanist friend.

Conte, par Lutrykin - Veillée des contes d'Atysoël de l'année 2606 de Jena (29/12/2019)



Caprysmas

Il était une fois un capryni qui était né un jour d’Atysoël. Ses parents l’avaient appelé Caprysmas.
On aurait dit que le père Atysoël et toutes les fées s’étaient penchés sur sa naissance.
Il était beau, fort, endurant, habile de sa corne et de ses sabots et tellement courageux qu’il était un pilier du troupeau qui vivait près d'Avalae.
Pour autant, il n’était pas aimé car il se montrait fort orgueilleux de tous ses avantages.
Il n’avait qu’un ami, un capryni tellement gentil que tout le troupeau l’adorait.
Cet ami admirait Caprysmas, qui savait, en retour, se montrer charmant et prodiguer plein de conseils judicieux.
Avec tous les autres, Caprymas se révélait hautain et sans cœur.
Il était particulièrement dur avec un petit capryni, très faible mais dont le plus grand défaut, aux yeux de Caprysmas, était d’avoir de la répartie et l’habitude de se défendre par la dérision.
Un jour débarqua dans le troupeau, un capryni auréolé de son appartenance à un troupeau d’Yrkanis.
Bien évidemment, ce jeune capryni fringuant et très coquet devint très rapidement la coqueluche du troupeau, déclenchant l’hostilité de Caprysmas.
À l’insu de tous, il partit pour Yrkanis et apprit que son rival en avait été chassé pour avoir mis tout le troupeau en danger en s’enfuyant un jour où il était censé monter la garde.
Revenu à Avalae, Caprysmas était bien décidé à faire éloigner le nouveau-venu sans pour autant dévoiler son secret, préférant le garder pour lui pour avoir une emprise sur son rival.
Mais, le petit capryni à la langue bien pendue était tombé sous le charme du nouveau-venu et il réussit à éviter qu’il ne soit définitivement banni bien que relégué à une place très subalterne.
Bientôt une grande nouvelle arriva : le Père Atysoël cherchait des coureurs pour compléter l’attelage de son traîneau.
Caprysmas partit, en toute confiance, trouver le Père Atysoël : il était persuadé que la place de chef de l’attelage était la sienne, qu’elle n’attendait que lui.
Les mots peinent à décrire la rage qui le saisit quand le Père Atysoël refusa sa déclaration, lui démontrant combien son attitude pleine d’orgueil lui faisait commettre de vilenies.
Refusant d’écouter plus avant, il se réfugia auprès de son seul ami et essaya d’oublier le traîneau d’Atysoël.
Mais peine perdue, tout le troupeau était en ébullition : le Père Atysoël organisait une grande course entre Yrkanis et Fairhaven pour trouver les membres de son attelage.
Ce ne fut que préparatifs et entraînements, chacun cherchant à donner le meilleur de lui-même pour cette grande fête.
Borné dans son refus, Caprysmas tenta d’abord d’empêcher son ami de se joindre aux autres mais il repensa aux reproches du Père Atysoël et, la mort dans l’âme, le laissa participer, à la fois envieux et heureux de le voir aussi joyeux.
Le grand jour arriva. Tous les coureurs d’Atys étaient rassemblés devant Yrkanis, prêts à s’élancer.
Au dernier moment, Caprysmas décida de prendre le départ et quand le signal retentit, il bondit comme les autres.
Mais lui seul manquait totalement d’entraînement et il se retrouva très rapidement vers la fin du peloton.
Humilié, il était sur le point de renoncer quand il vit revenir vers lui son ami avec quelques membres du troupeau qui venaient l’encourager.
Cette bonté lui redonna du cœur à l’ouvrage et petit à petit, il regagna le terrain perdu car malgré tous ses défauts, il restait un champion parmi les caprynis.
En vue du Labyrinthe des Lutins, il avait rejoint la tête de la course.
C’est alors qu’il aperçut son rival qui essayait de tricher en prenant un raccourci, entraînant à sa suite le petit à la langue acérée.
Bien que sachant le coin rempli de dangereux cuttlers, Caprysmas, n’écoutant que son courage, se lança à leur poursuite.
Au détour du chemin, il fallut se rendre à l’évidence, le rival s’était servi du petit comme bouclier et l’avait lâchement abandonné aux prises avec les cuttlers.
Caprysmas plongea dans la mêlée embrochant les cuttlers et les repoussant de ses puissants sabots arrières.
Le petit capryni refusa de s’enfuir et resta à combattre à ses côtés dans une bataille épique mais inégale et vouée à l’échec.
C’était sans compter sur l’ami de tous qui, rameutant tout le troupeau, vint porter secours à Caprysmas.
C’est uni dans le combat que les caprynis arrivèrent à Fairhaven, épuisés mais fiers d’eux-mêmes.

Ce fut un mektoub qui gagna la course mais le père Atysoël, qui avait tout vu, donna une place dans l’attelage à Caprysmas qui sut se contenter de cette place et, quand il revenait dans son troupeau, tout le monde lui faisait fête.

Et son rival, me direz-vous ? J’ai bien peur qu’il n’ait fini dans l’estomac d’un torbak mais ce n’est pas à dire dans un conte d’Atysoël.

Tale told by Lutrykin - Atysmas Storytelling Assembly in Jena Year 2606 (2019-12-29)
Initially written by Napseis and told during 2011 Atysmas.

The trees of Atysmas

Tonight I'm going to tell you the adventure - the true story! - of four homins.
Our group of friends is composed by a Tryker, a Matis, a Fyros and a Zoraï, all gathered together to celebrate Atysmas in peace.
Having decided to celebrate in Verdant Heights, our four companions met up in Yrkanis and decided to go and enjoy the show that the snowy forest would offer them.
The forest surrounds them, white and pure in its cocoon of snow.
Mischievous as usual, the Tryker plays about in the snow.
Realizing that he is far from his companions, he decides to hide fireworks in a fir tree to surprise his friends.
And what a surprise!
The tree stood there, majestic and illuminated! In front of so much beauty, they said to themselves that they absolutely had to let other homins enjoy it.
How they would like to admire these enchantments, every evening, in the quiet of their home, smoking good moss perfumed with sap of enola!
Without delay, our friends start thinking. The Fyros offers them, directly, to cut down the tree and bring it back.
The Matis tells them that he will know how to preserve the beautiful plant, although he thinks the process is a bit brutal.
Finally, the Zoraï tells them that he will know how to enchant the tree so that it never stops shining.
Back in the city, the children hurry around the strange procession, delighted and overexcited. It's beautiful, it's big, and it shines!
Moved by the delighted shouts of their children, the parents decide to ask the homins to share their find.
And so it is that, from now on, in each home at Atysmas, a beautiful illuminated fir tree is to be found, symbolizing the union of the sparkling Trykers, the cunning Matis, the wise Zoraï and the industrious Fyros.

The Great Library also preserves four tales heard at an earlier Atysmas vigil (for the moment only in their French version):

• Conte du Noël gourmand (Tale of the Greedy Christmas)
• L'Esprit de Noël (The Spirit of Christmas)
• La légende du Labyrinthe des Lutins (The Legend of the Maze of Sprite)
• Un chant d'Atysoël (A Song of Atysmas)

Frido the Frippo
Near a meadow where mektoubs and raspal were grazing, there was an old root thicket. In this thicket, near a barn and granary, there lived a family of talkative frippos. But the homins had moved on, barn and granary were empty. And as it turned to become winter soonish, the frippos started to gather grains and nuts and jubula and staw. All frippos laboured day and night. All, but the frippo Frido. ``Frido, why don't you work?'' they asked. ``I am working'' replied Frido, ``I'm collecting sun rays for the cold and dark winter days''. And as they saw Frido sitting there, gazing at the meadow, they said ``And now, Frido? We are all working, what do you do?'' ``I'm collecting colours'' he said, ``as the winter is long and grey.'' And once it looked like Frido was half asleep while all others were working hard. ``Are you dreaming, Frido?'' the frippos asked with contempt. ``Heck, no'', he said, ``I'm collecting words. There are long and dark winter days and we will not know what we shall talk about.'' As winter was approaching, and the first snow fell, the five small Frippos retreated into their hide-out between the roots and branches. In the first days they still had plenty to eat and the Frippos told many stories about singing Varinx and dancing Tyranchas. The whole family of Frippos was happy! But more and more of the nuts and Jubula eaten, the straw ran empty and the grains were only a remote memory. It suddenly became quite cold between the roots and branches of the old root, and no-one felt anymore like talking. Then they suddenly remembered when Frido talked about sun rays, colours and words. ``Frido!'' they called, ``what abour your provisions?'' ``Close your eyes'' he replied and climbed a large root. ``Now I'm sending you sun rays. Do you already feel how warm they are? Warm, nice and golden?'' And while Frido was telling about the Sun, the four Frippos already felt much warmer. Was it Fridos voice? Or was it some magic? ``And what about the colours?'' they asked excitedly. ``Close your eyes again.'' said Frido. And as he talked about blue Liosta and orange Gonji in the yellow fields of Ba-Che and of green leaves of the Jubula bushes, then they saw the colours so clearly and vibrantly as if they had been painted within their small Frippo heads. ``And the words, Frido?'' Frido cleared his throat, waited a moment and then told from a small stage: ``Who scatters the snow flakes, who melts the ice?'' Who makes the loud weather, who makes it silent? Who brings the lucky clover in Frutor? Who dims the day, who lights the Moon? Four small Frippos like you and me, live in heaven and think of you. The first Frippo in spring makes the rain laugh. The summer Frippo is the painter and has to colour the flowers. The autumn frippo sends his regards with nuts and Bac-Che. The winter frippo needs warm shoes for his cold feet. Spring, summer, autumn and winter are the four seasons, no more, no less. Four different happiness``. As Frido finished all Frippo clapped jollily, laughed and shouted ''Firdo, you are a poet!`` Firdo blushed, bowed and said humbly ''I know, you beloved Frippo-faces.``