Lore & Chronicles

The tale of Felix the Frippo - Atysmas Storytelling Assembly in Jena Year 2600 (2018-12-28)

There are lots of Atysmas stories about yubos and gingos and even the Kinitch, but tonight I will tell you a tale about a little frippo who almost ruined Atysmas.

Many, many, years ago Felix the frippo was frolicking through the forest. Sometimes he would stop to graze on the wildflowers, but mostly he just bounded along from place to place. He was in the middle of one bound when something hit his head.

*bonk*

"Ow!" Felix looked up and saw a big tree with shining lights and ornaments, big ornaments, like the one that had just hit his head.

Well, that was an attack, and he knew what to do, so he used his special talent and sucked all the sap out of the tree.

As he did so, it got smaller, and the ornaments got smaller and then the lights went out.

"Hah! So much for that one," said Felix. "But if there is one, there are usually others, and I should make sure they cannot harm my brothers and sisters."

So Felix went throughout the forest and wherever he saw one of the dangerous magical trees he drained it of sap and it went dark.

As he was passing by Avalae on his way back to his home he heard homins talking about the trees and saying, "At least the trees in the other three lands are still lit. Atysmas will still come."

There were trees in other lands! They must be drained as well. Felix knew it must be his duty. Whatever this "Atysmas" was, the trees were a danger to frippos everywhere.

So Felix travelled through Hidden Source to the Burning Desert and to Thesos and Pyr and then across the Outback to the Witherings, and to the Cities of Intuition, and crossed the Trench of Trials and scurried through Bounty Beaches to the lands of Aeden Aqueous.

Everywhere he went, he drained and darkened the Atysmas trees as he travelled. It was the day before Atysmas when he arrived in Fairhaven.

Now it is a little known fact that on the day before Atysmas, in the evening, beasts and homins can speak to each other.

Thus it was that as Felix was draining the Atysmas tree in front of Fairhaven, a little red-headed Tryker child named Ba’Hoolie Sindie came up and said, "Stop that! You’re ruining Atysmas!" Felix stopped and looked at her in surprise.

"A tree like this one attacked me and I am keeping them from attacking other frippos," Felix said. "What is Atysmas?" he asked, because he had never heard of it.

"Atysmas is the time when everyone gives presents to each other and Father Atysmas rides through the sky and gives presents to everyone! It only happens once every five years, and it is a time of joy and peace."

"An Atysmas tree would never have attacked you. You must have just run into it with your bounding. Like this, see?" She hit an ornament on the tree with her little fist and it went: *bonk* with just the same sound that Felix had heard in the forest.

Felix thought and thought and thought and realized that he might have made a mistake. "Am I really ruining Atysmas?" he asked.

Sindie said, "Oy, because if the Atysmas trees are not lit, then Father Atysmas cannot find our villages to leave his presents, and tonight is the night he is supposed to come!"

Felix was very sad because he now realized that in his rush to protect his people from a danger that didn’t really exist, he had done something very bad for the homins.

He had stopped draining the tree, but when he tried to put the sap back nothing happened. "What can I do? I can’t put the sap back into the trees."

"I don’t know" said Sindie "but I bet Mr. Snow can help. He’s just a little bit away in Lakenisle. Follow me!" Felix followed her and they swam to Lakenisle and found Mr Snow standing by an oven.

"Ho, Ho!" said Mr Snow. "We need a special magic to solve this problem. I’ll bake a special cookie!"

"But, Mr. Snow, your cookies are only good for making new snow people!" said Sindie.

"Do you think I give out all my recipes to homins? I have lots of them! Let’s see, a little of this, a spoonful of sugar, a dash of spice, toast it in the oven, and there it is, practically perfect in every way."

"Little frippo, eat this cookie and for the rest of the night you will be able to push sap into things as easily as you normally drain sap."

"But Mr. Snow, how will we be able to do that before Father Atysmas comes?"

"I will give you these pacts and you will carry the frippo to all the towns in the New Lands, so he can do it fast. Start in Fairhaven, and I have given you an extra pact for that town so you can come home."

So Felix ate the cookie and Sindie picked up Felix and first they went to Fairhaven where Felix filled up the Atysmas tree and it glowed so much that there were flows of light up the branches in addition to the regular lights.

Then they went to the Cities of Intuition, and to Thesos and Dyron and Pyr, and to the cities and towns in the Majestic Garden, and in each place Felix re-filled the trees he had drained and gave them a bit extra.

Finally, in Avalae, Sindie put Felix down and said, "Goodbye, Mister Felix. You made everything better again, so this is a truly Felix Atysmas!"

Then Felix said, "Sindie Ba’Hoolie, you have shown me the true meaning of Atysmas." Then they each went to their own homes, and Father Atysmas delivered gifts not just to the homins in the New Lands, but also special treats to all the frippos in the forest.

And from that day to this, Atysmas Trees have spirals of extra sap that run around their branches.

Story told by Kyriann - Atysmas Storytelling Assembly in Jena Year 2600 (2018-12-28)

The Black Dragon - Ba Nhor Drakan
A Tryker tale

Once upon a time was a little Tryker named Naroy. You will tell me that small and Tryker is redundant, but not at all! Naroy really was very small, first because he wasn't very old, secondly because he didn't have much of an appetite, although his mother stuffed his pockets with gingerbread and fruit and, last but not least, because all around him there were only big and turbulent Fyros children.

Because, you should know, Naroy lived in Pyr with his mother and he lived in Pyr because his mother was Fyros. A beautiful, tall Fyros with fire hair and a long, unruly lock, in brief a real Fyros.
And our very small Naroy, with arms and legs like pins, he had green hair - green, but so dark that it seemed almost black.

And that's why Naroy was the laughing stock of his playmates. Even with superhominian efforts, he was never able to match them at running or fighting. He always ended up lying on the Bark, the gingerbread vanished from his pockets and his dark hair dulled under the sawdust and became even greener.

His life was not always an easy one but Naroy was a brave and cheerful fellow. He would shake off the sawdust and, without complaint, return home where he received his reward: his mother would tell him stories of Fyrak and he would fall asleep touching his mother's red, Fyrak-coloured hair.

“Hey, little runt! Show us a little bit of what you can do! Come and fight!”
Naroy is well aware that he has no chance against the mountain of muscles who just set this challenge.
“No! You're just a loser who only hits those smaller than you! Find yourself some challenges on your level, go find Fyrak!”

“Fyrak? You're just a good-for-nothing Tryker, don't talk about what you don't know!”

“Yes, I'm a Tryker and small, but I'm brave! I will, I will go to Fyrak!”

“Ahahah! That's right, you dwarf, bring us the Dragon and you can start calling yourself our equal.”

“All right, I'll prove to you that a Tryker is worth a hundred Fyros.”

Naroy runs home and picks up his bag. He stuffs it with gingerbread, takies his training stick and goes to leave when he comes across his mother on her way home.

“Oh my darling, here you are! What are you doing with that big bag? Go put it down quickly, we'll have dinner soon, you can help me prepare it.

“But mummy...”
Although Naroy feels capable of facing Fyrak, he prefers to stop before his mother's frown… so we see, from time to time, even the craziest heroes have a bit of sense. Temporary end of the expedition to reach Fyrak.

“Mummy, everything's in order, can I join my friends?”
“Of course, my darling! Give me a quick kiss and run along but it's already late, don't stay too long.”

Naroy decides to leave the bag behind but stuffs his pockets with gingerbread before fleeing into the alleys of Pyr, towards the main entrance. No matter how hard he runs, he ostensibly sees the light fading. The sky has changed to its beautiful orange color when he arrives in front of the guards.

“Oh oh oh! Who do we have here?”

“It's just me, Naroy.”

The guard's gaze seems to come from a long way up.

“And what are you doing at the door at this hour, Naroy?”

Naroy shows his stick.
“I'll get Fyrak and prove I'm worth a hundred Fyros!”

Such is the guards' laughter that their female leader comes to see what is happening.

“What's going on here?”

“Ahahahahah! It's this little runt here who wants to go and caress the Fireraiser's ribs with his stick!”

The chief, who is a great friend of Naroy's mother, recognizes him and smiles kindly at the boy.

“I'm sure you're brave enough for that, Naroy, but it's late and your mother will worry. I'll keep your stick and give it back to you tomorrow for you to set off again in search of Fyrak. In the meantime, you go home.”

And with a swift hand, she retrieves the stick and turns Naroy towards the city.

Naroy leaves sadly but, for all that, does not admit defeat and, as his steps bring him back into the city, he looks for some ruse which will allow him to get out again, despite everything. The falling night will be his ally.

Near the Forge, he finds some charcoal, which allows him to blacken his hands and face. Small as he is, he passes through the darkness without being seen and heads for the North Gate. The guards do not see the small shadow crowned with dark green hair that slips between the wall and the lights of the gate and then disappears towards the stables, without making a sound.

He came out yes! But night is really here now and he can't see anything. He goes ahead at random and ends up stumbling and falling down on the ground.

Despair is about to overwhelm him, but he realizes that what made him fall is a strange yubo wearing a red hat.

“Oh, excuse me, little yubo, I hope I didn't hurt you. Do you want some gingerbread for me to be forgiven?”

The yubo comes closer, nibbles on the gingerbread and lies down at Naroy's feet.

“If you could talk… With such a hat on your head, I'm sure you know where I could find Fyrak.”

“Oh no, I don't know nothing about Fyrak, I'm a yubo of Atysmas!”

Naroy is so surprised that his jaw feels ready to drop off.

“But why are you looking for Fyrak?”

Naroy explains and the Atysmas yubo immerses himself in intense thinking.

“Um, if I bring a dragon here, can you give him some of that good gingerbread too?”

“Oh, could you do that? Of course, I'll give you both all my gingerbread!”

Naroy jumps on the yubo to hug him.

“Watch my hat! Watch my hat! Stay here and don't try to follow me, you could scare him!”

“I promise, I won't move!”

The yubo runs towards the stables where he finds his accomplice the Atysmas mektoub with his horns tied on his head.

“Touby, my friend, you have to help me and as a reward we will both get very good gingerbread!”

“Ummm, I'm interested. Tell me what to do.”
“A little homin tripped over me, he'd like to see Fyrak. Of course, there's no question of disturbing the Great Fireraiser, but if you tie your horns on your back, a shooki stem on your tail and cover yourself with a big black sheet, I'm sure that, thanks to the night, you'll be a perfect dragon. You'll set off fireworks with your trunk and that's it.”

As soon as said, as soon as done, and Touby is turned into a black dragon.

“You look gorgeous! Let's go join the little homin. When you get close to him, you'll stand on your hind legs, you'll be huge next to him!”

Naroy sees the yubo coming back with the great black shadow following him. He opens wide his eyes in wonder.

“Oh, he's so tall! But why is he black? I thought Fyrak was as red as my mom's hair.”

“Yes, yes, but Fyrak is red, red like the wrath that destroys everything, like the fire that wreaks havoc, not like your mom's hair. This one is black because it brings the sweetness of dreams and star-spangled nights. It's black like your hair, you sweet brave little Tryker. He's black for the multicolored fireworks to be seen better.”

And Touby starts to launch the fireworks, multicoloured and with noisy bursts that bring to the stables all the children of Pyr who dance with joy once seeing the dragon and Naroy at his side.

“BRAVO! BRAVO! LONG LIVE NAROY! LONG LIVE THE BLACK DRAGON!”

And Naroy returns home, carried in triumph by his friends.

And when that Li'l Tryker grows up, he will create the Black Dragon Guard, but that's another story.

Story told by Kyriann - Atysmas Storytelling Assembly in Jena Year 2596 (2017-12-26)

The torn mask

You know that we traditionally wear red and white clothes for Atysmas but do you know why?
This is a story as told to me in the Jungle.

Once upon a time there was a Kwai who had lost faith in the Kamis and had chosen to live among the Matis in the church of Jena. Nevertheless, he had remained very much loved, surrounded by friends from the four nations because he was also very kind, always ready to help his neighbour. His mask reflected his inner serenity, without any mark.
One day our kwai falls asleep, tired, at the corner of a fire in a secluded place in the city of Yrkanis. When he wakes up, he feels a little shaky, not as usual but without being able to say why. Returning to the center of Yrkanis, he senses on him the glances of the homins he meets. He feels it as fear or anger. His mask is pulling him more and more and he looks for a smooth enough surface to be able to examine it. Horror! He falls on his knees and tears flow on his mask, but without erasing the marks that zebra it from one end to the other, red and white scratches, marks of treachery and infamy. In vain, he tries to erase them and, covered with shame, he locks himself in his helmet refusing to remove it whatever the circumstances.
Here he is, wandering on the bark, miserable, locked up in his helmet, unable to feel the sweetness of the wind and the rays of the day star on his mask.
Between you and me, I think that the hardest was still not being able to drink beer in charming company at the bar but well, it is a story about Zorai not tryker.
But in spite of these marks, he remains a good homin and one day he sees himself questioned by a Zoraï at the entrance of the Kitin’s Lair in Almati. She lost a very precious pendant in there and needs help finding it and here they are, facing the dangers of the place side by side. After many fights, they arrive in a secluded and quiet room where changing lights create wonderful drawings on the walls. The show is striking and full of happiness, the pendant is there!
The joy of the Zorai warms the heart of the so sad kwai.
- Ari'kami Kito, you are such a good homin. But why don't you take off your helmet? Nu would like to be able to thank you and engrave your features in my memory.
- Shikyo-ne, kai'bini, don't ask me that.
- But why, the place is quiet and the lights are so beautiful. Please, show me your mask!
Without a word, the kwai tilts his head to remove his helmet and raises his eyes towards the homina. Tears of shame flow over the mask without a sound.
- Oh! The homina's eyes widen and her hand extends towards the mask until she touches the marks.
- Ne, I can't believe it, you are too kind to wear these marks. What happened?
He puts on his helmet and tells his story.
- But you must certainly not hide these marks! exclaims the homina. If you hide them, you're right about whoever did them. If you put them out in the open while remaining yourself, you resist the threat and are stronger than him. Believe me, you're not what those marks would mean.
The way back is calm and just before leaving the Zorai turns to our homin:
- Please, trust me, remove your helmet and walk proudly. I will follow you.
Galvanized by the words of the wise Zorai, the kwai removes the helmet and goes back to the others. The first encounters are difficult but the presence of Zorai reassures and the kindness of the kwai ends up triumphing over the last reticence.
Atysmas is here and the kwai multiplies the good deeds so much so that these red and white marks visible between all are greeted with joy and even hoped for.
For this reason, the homins who do not wear masks have become accustomed to wear red and white on their clothes for the period of Atysmas.

Histoire racontée par Kyriann - Veillée des contes d'Atysoël de l'année 2596 de Jena (26/12/2017)

La lumière des feux

Il était une fois une jeune trykette qui était heureuse dans sa famille. Rippie Be’Loppy, car tel était le nom de notre trykette, avait paisiblement grandi dans les lacs mais elle avait rejoint une famille qui estimait que l’hominité était plus importante que la sève ou la faction. Du coup, dans sa famille, elle côtoyait toutes les sèves et s’ouvrait aux trésors de l’amitié. Un jour, elle dansait avec un zoraï, le lendemain elle s’entrainait avec une matis… La vie semblait s’écouler sans heurt tant la joie de vivre emplissait sa maison. La cheffe de sa maison était une trykette elle aussi. Rippie adorait sa cheffe qu’elle considérait comme sa grande sœur. Parfois elle la voyait se renfermer sur elle-même, car sa cheffe avait déjà vécu des choses effroyables, avant même que les Kitins ne ravagent la surface d’Atys. Dans ces moments, Rippie était toujours là pour aider sa grande sœur et il suffisait de retrouver les membres de la famille pour que ces instants de noirceur s’enfuient devant la joie et les rires. Rien ne semblait pouvoir les atteindre.

Pourtant, petit à petit, l’un après l’autre, les membres de la maison se faisaient plus rares puis finissaient par disparaître car la vie est ainsi faite que rien n’est immuable.
Un jour, il ne resta plus que Rippie et sa grande sœur. Rippie essayait de maintenir la joie, mais parfois le cœur n’y était plus et sans les rires des autres, il devenait de plus en plus difficile de tenir à distance les démons de sa grande sœur.
Arriva ce jour funeste, où loin de l’amitié de Rippie, la cheffe de la maison perdit son sang-froid. Harcelée, se sentant rattrapée par ses démons, la cheffe rejoignit les plus noirs des noirs, coupant les ponts avec l’hominité et abandonnant les rênes de sa maison.
Rippie se sentit coupable de n’avoir pas été là et elle guetta, en vain, longuement sa grande sœur sans penser à prendre soin d’elle. Elle devint une vraie sauvage et perdit jusqu’à l’habitude de parler aux homins.
Épuisée et inconsolable, Rippie revint à Avendale et prit la terrible décision de quitter cette maison qui lui rappelait trop combien ils avaient été heureux.
Elle erra longtemps sans s’arrêter car dans chaque endroit le flot de ses souvenirs menaçait de la submerger jusqu’à, un jour, tomber sur une enfant en pleurs.

Elle était, une fois de plus, revenue dans les Lacs, attirée par cette douceur qu’elle aspirait, malgré tout, à retrouver. Là elle entendit pleurer, des pleurs déchirants mais réfrénés comme si l’homin qui pleurait avait peur d’attirer l’attention. Elle, qui avait tant pleuré, ne put résister à ces sanglots et, s’approchant sans faire de bruit, elle découvrit cachée dans un bosquet de bambú une petite fille toute habillée de bric et de broc. Craignant qu’elle ne s’enfuie et ne se heurte à un des cloppers qui arpentaient la plage, Rippie bondit et attrapa la petite pour la serrer dans ses bras. La petite commença par se débattre de toutes ses forces mais, visiblement exténuée, elle se laissa rapidement aller dans les bras de Rippie et les sanglots reprirent de plus belle jusqu’à ce qu’elle s’endorme d’un coup.
Rippie resta là de longues heures, attendant que la petite se réveille.
Quand elle ouvrit les yeux, Rippie lui sourit et ouvrit la bouche pour lui demander son nom et ce qu’elle faisait là mais elle n’avait pas parlé depuis longtemps et tout ce qui sortit fut un croassement qui fit éclater de rire la petite. Rippie ne put que serrer ce petit corps contre elle pendant qu’elles étaient toutes les deux secouées par un fou-rire entrecoupé de sanglots. Rippie avait retrouvé une raison de vivre.
Rippie et la petite parcouraient Atys en tout sens. Rippie parlait, enseignait, montrait, la petite écoutait, apprenait et s’entraînait. Le soir, elles s’endormaient sous la voûte du ciel et les racines de la canopée. Si l’une avait du chagrin, l’autre était là pour la consoler. Si l’une était heureuse, la présence de l’autre renforçait cette joie. Les yubos les suivaient partout où elles allaient. Même les cloppers hésitaient devant tant de bonne humeur.

Un matin d’Atysoël, sentant une présence, Rippie se réveille en sursaut et voit en face d’elle une homine inconnue. Des yeux, elle cherche la petite mais ne la trouve nulle part et pâlit subitement. L’homine en face lui sourit gentiment et d’une voix très douce lui dit :
« Ne cherche plus la petite, Rippie. Tu l’as prise sous ton aile et tu lui as enseigné sans rien lui demander en retour. Elle a accompli son destin. Pour te récompenser, je vais t’offrir deux choses, d’abord tu n’oublieras jamais ces instants de bonheur et pourras toujours y puiser la consolation pour aller de l’avant, ensuite je vais t’apprendre à allumer des feux de camp dans lesquels brilleront les images de l’amitié. Ceux pour qui tu les allumeras seront apaisés de leurs tourments. »
L’homine se lève et tend à Rippie un briquet qui semble diffuser une douce lumière.
« Prends le, Rippie, et sème la joie sur Atys »
Et l’homine disparaît.

Depuis, Rippie parcourt les chemins d’Atys. Elle en connaît tous les recoins et en fait découvrir la beauté à tous ceux qui veulent faire un bout de chemin avec elle. A la fin de la journée, elle allume le feu de camp et les homins qui l’accompagnent croient entendre un rire d’enfant et voir dans les flammes un sourire qui leur réchauffe le cœur.

Et un jour, un après l’autre, ses frères et sœurs croiseront les feux de camp et reviendront dans la maison…

Story told by Naton - Atysmas Storytelling Assembly in Jena Year 2596 (2017-12-26)

The power of Goo
A Karavaneer's tale

Friends, listen to my story!

At that time homins did not know Kamis yet. However, Kamis were alive and watched Atys, biding their time. Jena was still their Supreme Kami.

So, one of them was observing homins. He had settled quietly in the middle of a Fyros village and had taken the look of a well's rim. Every morning, a young homina was coming to draw a bucket of water for preparation of the first meal. Her name was Ulynarus, and her wakening had put her in a good mood. While pulling on the rope that held her bucket, she was singing simple rhymes in a soft and warm voice, deeply troubling the Kami. He was waiting more and more eagerly for this moment every day.

On one evening, a young hawker entered the village. Smooth talker and crowned with the halo of exotism his activity provided, he easily seduced the beautiful Ulynarus. Her morning singing became even deeper and happier.

For three days and three nights, Ulynarus stayed by her prince, deaf to the warnings of his entourage, living a moment of intense happiness. When he left, she wanted to follow him, but, with a brutal word, he told her that he did not want it. He liked the isolation, and the change of homina in each village. He thanked her for the good times passed in her company, assuring her that he would keep an imperishable memory of those, said goodbye to her, and left without looking back.

Ulynarus' liveliness ran dry. No more singing in the morning at her coming to the well. Friends and family tried to comfort her, and said that time would fix things. Another homin would some day replace this lost love. Everyone in the village was sure of that, and patience was called for.

But the Kami knew nothing of all that. After some days without singing in the morning, he tried desperately to understand what had happened. Listening to conversations, spying on the beauty more than ever, he at last understood.

One morning, the well's rim disappeared. Racing at the speed of fire pushed by the wind, the Kami quickly found our merchant, responsible for Ulynarus' mutism. He invoked his power of death and threw it on the unfortunate homin. Gnawed from the inside by the first manifestation of the Goo, he became insane and incoherent and died in a few days.

Learning this, Jena went into deep anger.

"What? I charge you with great responsibilities, namely watching over Atys, and I provide you with the means to assume them! And with those, what are you doing? Instead of protecting, you destroy! You are not worthy of this power!"

She deprived the Kamis of the power of death and threw it away, to deal with it later. She wanted to banish this little Kami, but he fomented a revolt and took power over Jena who then found help from the Karavan. But all of this is another story.

Know that so arose the Goo, the great plague of Atys, and Ma-Duk.

And, for those who wonder what happened to Ulynarus, she comforted herself quickly and had a happy life in her village, married to the homin who came to rebuild the well's rim. Her early singing rang out for decades into the future.

Friends, my story is over.

Story told by Nehrie - Atysmas Storytelling Assembly in Jena Year 2586 (2015-12-20)

The First Atysmas in the New Land

I watched the moon rising over the ridge to the west. It seemed to fill the whole sky. So huge. So different than back in The Old Lands. There it seemed as though the moon was a small, distant orb floating inaccessible in the sky. Here? Well... I felt myself lean back looking at the moon that seemed to almost be bending over me. The sound of the waterfall across the inlet soothed my tiredness.

It was the first time we'd had to stop for a long time. We'd been traveling since we'd left the Old Lands. Every place we went we had to struggle to avoid Kitins. Our daily survival in constant question. I missed the ones who were gone. Life Giver! I felt guilty for each and everyone that was gone. I forced myself away from those thoughts. I would think about that later. Maybe in a little time I could bear to look at my ghosts. Maybe with a little time it wouldn't hurt so much my family, was gone...

In the mean time I had to think of what to do for the others in the clan. We're all we had now. We're the only ones. What's left of homins.

I thought of all the old traditions. Atysmas was almost here.

When I was a child we would plan for weeks of surprises for each other. What a good feeling to do something for someone else!

I looked back toward Windermeer where the clan was resting. I wondered what the future held for us.

Then I heard a loud splash right beside me on the dark side of the beach. Water splashed up over my head. Suddenly, I was surrounded by loud voices, bright lights, people clapping me on my back. I think it was friendly.

As my eyes adjusted to the light I realized I was surrounded by a group of Karavan Dissidents we had meant the night before. I couldn't help being apprehensive. Were they really on our side? Were they going to decide to kill us? A perfect time for an attack! Right after sundown on the first night we had to rest. We simply weren't prepared!

"We thought of you this Atysmas! We thought of your children! We come to bring you gifts! We know it's early but on Atysmas we must be home with our own children! We hope you don't mind we bring you gifts!"

"Gifts!?" I echoed blankly.

"Yes, come! Where are the others? We bring gift for everyone!"

I tried to hold back the tears that burned my eyes. I think I was successful.

This simple kindness after all we had been through was more than I expected. There were indeed gifts and food for everyone. At long last I felt hope we had found a home.

Song by Meggy - Atysmas Storytelling Assembly in Jena Year 2586 (2015-12-20)

Itsy Bitsy Yubo (Tune: Itsy Bitsy Spider)

The Itsy Bitsy Yubo climed up the Atysmas Tree...
Down came the snow, and the yubo began to freeze...
Out came the sun and it warmed the yubo's fur...
and the Itsy Bitsy Yubo climbed to the top and began to purr.

The First Atysmas - As told by the Storyteller Lutrykin - Atysmas Storytelling Assembly in Jena Year 2586 (2015-12-20)

It was many many years ago, even as Lutrykins count time.
There was no Atysmas yet...
It happened once that it was wintertime and the weather was very cold that year.
A small tribe of homins of all races gathered around a fire and wondered how they were going to survive.
They had very little fuel, and less food.  The hunting was bad due to the cold and the Dust was too hard to dig.
A little Tryker baby began to cry because she was soooo hungry.
One of the Fyros children gave the baby his last bit of dried honey so her cries wouldn't attract the wild beasts.
A Zorai child started singing a silly song about dancing Yubos, and the baby smiled.
A Matis child put a sack on his head and danced around, claiming he had a brand new hat.
The baby laughed out loud and reached for the sack.  "Hat!!" she said.  
Then the adults all laughed and joined the Zorai child singing silly songs.  
They forgot their hunger for the moment and relaxed.
Then they noticed that there was movement outside the camp and everyone was worried.
But it wasn't savage beasts, but a circle of dancing yubos!
Where the yubos danced the Dust was softened and good food came to the surface.
And in one spot a tall tree sprouted, so fast that shells stuck to the branches and glittered in the moonlight.
And after that the homins gathered together once in a while to sing and give gifts and to praise the yubos.
And they would decorate a tree.
Because Atys had rescued them that night, they named the day after Atys.

And that is all I remember.

Poem told by Rykal - Atysmas Storytelling Assembly in Jena Year 2586 (2015-12-20)

Atysmas

We are all waiting, this new day.
All gathered together, to keep ourselves warm.
We look at the sky strewn with stars.
After having succeeded in driving away evil.

We pushed that back.
A few past months ago.
Now, we have gathered on this day.
To give and receive gifts alternately

We seek to be warmed by the fire.
Here, where warmth becomes the welcome.

For all that, not forgetting,
Our dear friends who could not come to greet us.
But with whom we shared such good times.
I thank them for every instant.

Poem told by Cliffarson - Atysmas Storytelling Assembly in Jena Year 2586 (2015-12-20)

Poem

Jolly Old Saint Nekothus
Put your claw away
please don't kill a single soul
while I run away

Atysmas is here right now
The burning desert's cold
if you don't chase me too far
I think I may grow old.

Poem told by Nicholo - Atysmas Storytelling Assembly in Jena Year 2586 (2015-12-20)

12 Days of Atysmas Last Verse

On the twelfth day of Atysmas
my true love sent to me:
12 Silly Gubani
11 Torbak Purring
10 Zerx Leaping
9 Varinx Chasing
8 Shaggy Shalah
7 Bandits a Slaying
6 Ragus a howling
5 Golden Ocyx
4 Flapping Igara
3 Horrid Cuties
2 Flying Yuboand
A Kincher on a killing spree

Poem told by Salazar - Atysmas Storytelling Assembly in Jena Year 2586 (2015-12-20)

AN ODE TO BODOKIN

His eyes, his crown like amber;
The skin like a piece of the nights, sprinkled with stars;
A growl as deep as the caverns of the big root,
Yet soft and caring,
As if he sings a love song for our splendoured greens,
A lullaby.
We are safe, he sings,
For Jena watches day and night over us,
And while he sings
The bark trembles under his strong feet.

Song by Krill - Atysmas Storytelling Assembly in Jena Year 2586 (2015-12-20)

Song (Tune: Jolly Old Saint Nicholas)

It is the beer of Atysmas,
Which have all homins singing,
From Fairhaven to Avendale,
From crepuscule untill morning.
And when a barrel is empty,
This song can be heard in the night…

My Santa Ba’Naer,
We really need more beer.
You know, we are real Trykers,
Not yubos, we don’t drink water.

True, it is tasting good,
And it is drunk quite well,
The beer you serve for Atysmas,
You could say it’s exceptional.

But you’re pushing it a bit too much,
It is not worth such a price!
Ok, we’ll have a last round of it,
But you’ll have to stand the next one.

My Santa Ba’Naer,
We really need more beer.
You know, we are real Trykers,
Not yubos, we don’t drink water.

Story told by Lutrykin - Atysmas Storytelling Assembly in Jena Year 2576 (2013-12-22)

The Gingo Who Ate the Sun

One Atysmas evening, a yubo was chasing after snowflakes when it heard someone weeping.
As it got closer it discovered a baby gingo.

The meek yubo was prepared to scamper off, but the baby was crying, crying...

Even if it was a gingo, and even if in other times they would have been enemies, it was Atysmas evening, and the yubo just couldn't stand seeing someone sad on such a day.

But it wasn't about to let itself be munched on either, so it formulated an idea.

It retraced its footsteps and retrieved some capryni horns it had seen laying on the forest floor.

The yubo tied them on its head with a slaveni liana, and hid the knots with a bit of red fiber that the wind had brought.
Then, in this disguise, it introduced itself to the gingo and said that it was the emissary of Atysmas.
"I've heard your sorrow on this evening when all should be smiling," it told the gingo.
"Tell me what is making you miserable!"

The gingo choked back its tears, surprised by the apparition.
It explained, "I've eaten the sun! Now there will be no more daylight!"
The gingo continued, "I was born in the first rays of dawn,
I played for the whole morning in the snow.
Then I found a big tree full of light.
I jumped and jumped to catch all the lights,
knocking all of them down,
and when the last one fell,
the night came..."

The yubo thought hard. It then had another idea.
It explained to the gingo that, by breaking the Atysmas lights, it had offended the Festival Kami.
But, in order to fix the affront, it had to do exactly what it was told to.
The gingo, delighted to get a chance redeem itself, promised to the Atysmas yubo to do everything it would be told.

Then the yubo led it through the forest, to the foot of the Rotoa, where the buzzing of a hive could be heard.
Since the Rotoa blooms even during winter, the bees were still busy making their sweet honey.
The yubo instructed, "Tell your story to the bees and convince them to give you honey in order to make the sun reappear!"
The gingo spoke so well and the bees enjoyed her story so much that they brought her a huge honeycomb.

"Don't lose it, we're now going to the desert," said the yubo.
They traveled to the flaming forest, where the Bothaya heat up the atmosphere.
The yubo told the gingo to spread the honey on one of the young sprouts,
over and over again. As the gingo completed her task, she became all sticky.
But on the sprout, because of the heat, the honey cooked and hardened.
Then, with a stroke of its teeth, the yubo cut the cane and took it.

Then they navigated to the lakes. There the yubo had the gingo collect many shells of all colors.

Then they trekked to the Jungle and the yubo had the gingo shake the caramelized honey stick. Soon fireflies arrived, attracted by the smell, many of them getting stuck in the gingo's tacky fur.

"Now, to the Atysmas tree!" the yubo cried.

Quickly, they returned to the forest.
The gingo jumped and jumped and jumped to hang up the shells she had gathered in the tree.
The fireflies enjoyed making them sparkle.
The baked honey cane released a sweet perfume.
The gingo looked at the new shining decorations.
The yubo smiled, very pleased with itself.

And then the sun started again to pulse.
They had been running all night through the lands to decorate the tree!

From that day on the yubos began wearing disguises during Atysmas and Atysmas canes became symbols of the celebration!

Poem by Sharleen - Atysmas Storytelling Assembly in Jena Year 2576 (2013-12-22)


Happy Atysmas

Take a look at how the sky is so red,
Those are the fairies who bake the bread.

They bake Atysmas bread uncommon,
a sweet delicacy for the small and large homin.

I wish from my heart to you a refrain
for many days with no worry or pain,

A sky filled with stars unnumbered,
And a smile on your face unencumbered.

I wish you only joy, never sorrow,
And always a feeling of comfort for the morrow.

Behold: shining like a beautiful sight,
stands the Atysmas tree to give us delight.

Look how the golden light falls
and refracts on the delicate balls.

"Happy Atysmas" softly sounds,
As a bright star begins it rounds.

It shines brightly from heaven's rent
Upon the world of Atys it is sent.

So it becomes an Atysmas request,
And also for the upcoming year,
I wish to you only the best.