Lore & Chronicles

Tale told by Eoda - Atysmas Storytelling Assembly in Jena Year 2576 (2013-12-22)

The young Hunter

This is the story of a young homin.
He was a hunter. From the beginning he didn't hunt for fun.
He always hunted to get something to eat or to get skins that he could sell, or to make his clothes and his tools.

On one Atysmas evening, the young hunter was sad that the season hadn't been good to him and he hadn't made money.
He hadn't been able to provide anything to his family, so he decided to go out hunting, despite the snow and cold, in order to make something he could give them.

After one hour of tracking, the young homin finally discovered a strange creature that looked like a yubo... but with horns.
The hunter was surprised, but it was Atysmas evening, and he wanted to give something to his family.
So he stayed crouched under cover, waiting for the creature to come closer... and he jumped on it when it came within reach!

"Stop!" shouted the yubo. The hunter paused his movement. "I'm one of the many Atysmas yubos, I'm there to bring joy and good mood on this evening!"
The homin sighed, "Alas, I'm a hunter, and the year has been tough. I'd like to give gifts, but I cannot pay for them."
"Therefore, I'd like to create something with my own hands, but all the animals are hiding from the cold..."

Understanding his distress, the yubo gestured for the hunter to follow it, and he complied, while holding back his sadness.
Together, they went to the last hawker who was still selling something, and the yubo had the hunter buy a simple worn pick for a few dappers.
The yubo then led the hunter to a vast clearing, where he started digging.
Taken aback, the hunter mimicked the horned yubo, and discovered quickly that the ground was full of resources.

Together, they got enough materials for the hunter to manage to make clothes and jewels for his family.

To thank the Atysmas yubo, the young homin decided that he would never again take the life of an animal, and from that day on he became a harvester.

Tale told by Freyr - Atysmas Storytelling Assembly in Jena Year 2576 (2013-12-22)

Legend

It is actually a legend I heard.
It is said that even the great bandits fear the great Atysmas Spirit.
So they gather once a year in a secret place on Atys to try to find the Spirit.

But, until now they were unable to find it, for the spirit is fast and leaves only snow behind.

That is why they are so angry with homis... 'cause they believe that the Atysmas Spirit loves them more and more each year and leaves presents all over Atys for them and not for the bandits;

which, by the way, were called nomads, but since they did not believe the Atysmas Spirit existed, they did not celebrate it, they became dark inside and turned into bandits.

On the other hand, it is said that the Spirit still hopes, to this day, that they will find that spark of goodness and when they do, they will finally find the presents scatered all over Atys and share the laughter and hapiness of Atysmas with homins.

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.

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



Lillipukin et le botaniste

Il était une fois un lutrykin tellement petit que le Père Atysoël ne savait pas très bien quoi faire de lui.
S’il lui demandait de conduire le traîneau, les mektoubs ne bougeaient pas d’un millimètre, s’il l’envoyait à l’atelier de fabrique des jouets, il manquait se faire écraser par les yubos en peluche et ne parlons pas d’aller récolter quoi que ce soit, un simple morceau de sciure le faisait vaciller.
Alors il préférait le percher sur son bonnet, au moins là, il ne risquait pas de le perdre.
Et notre lutrykin s’ennuyait, perché sur le bonnet, sans avoir la moindre chance de participer à toute cette agitation.
Et voilà qu’une année, juste avant Atysoël, alors que l’agitation était à son comble, le Père Atysoël se retrouva bien embêté. Il fallait impérativement porter un message à Ke-Piang Geoi, un colporteur qui se trouve généralement au Vide, mais absolument personne n’était disponible. Le Père Atysoël se lamentait, désespéré, quand il entendit une petite voix pépier :
— Mais, moi, je pourrais porter le message ! Je voudrais tellement aider !
Le Père Atysoël sursauta. Il faut bien dire que, dans toute cette agitation, il avait un peu oublié son petit lutrykin.
Il le prit dans ses mains et le mit devant son visage puis réfléchit, réfléchit, réfléchit…
— D’accord, je n’ai pas d’autre solution… Lillipukin, je vais te confier une mission essentielle. Tu vas aller demander à Ke-Piang Geoi où il a mis ma commande. Tu vas partir sur le dos d’un des mektoubs. Il t’amènera à la Forteresse de la Contemplation. Quand tu auras la réponse, tu crieras « OOOOOOOOH ! » dans l’oreille du mektoub, et il te ramènera ici. Tu as bien compris?
— Oui ! pépia Lillipukin. Merci Père Atysoël ! Tu seras content de moi, je te le promets !

Aussitôt dit, aussitôt fait, Lillipukin est transporté au Vide à toute allure.
Mais arrivé à la Forteresse, force est de constater que le colporteur, lui, n’est pas là.
— Mais comment vais-je faire ? Je ne peux pas repartir sans la réponse ! J’ai promis au Père Atysoël de la lui rapporter.
— Allez toi, avance, il ne doit pas être loin !
Mais Lillipukin a beau taper de toutes ses forces et tenter de secouer les rênes, le mektoub ne bouge pas d’un poil.
— Par les couettes de Jena, il va falloir que je me débrouille sans toi !
Quand il était énervé, notre lutrykin n’était pas très poli ! Mais nous lui pardonnerons cet écart de langage, la situation était difficile.
— Tant pis, je descends. J’arriverai bien à trouver un moyen de remonter.
Il s’accroche à la trompe et commence à descendre, quand le mektoub, agacé par une démangeaison, se retourne brusquement et envoie le pauvre Lillipukin dans les airs.
— AAAAAH ! crie Lillipukin avant de s’écraser dans la pente.
— Ouille ouille ouille ! Lillipukin se relève tant bien que mal et commence à remonter la pente, effrayé à l’idée que le mektoub soit reparti vers le Père Atysoël à cause du cri.
Quand enfin il parvient au sommet, épuisé par la course, il retrouve, soulagé, le mektoub qui n’a pas bougé.
Lillipukin en tombe sur l’herbe.
— Pfff ! Je suis exténué.
Il s’adosse contre une tige de fragaria et ne tarde pas à s’endormir de fatigue.

— Hummmmmmm, mais qu’est-ce donc que cette excroissance ?
Lillipukin se réveille en sursaut et voit penché sur lui un énorme œil d’ambre.
— AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH ! crie-t-il.
— OOOOOOOOH ! crie l’oeil d’ambre. Et dans un grand fracas, une grande masse tombe à terre tandis que Lillipukin voit s’envoler le mektoub d’Atysoël.
— Nooooon ! Mais il est trop tard.
Lillipukin se retourne vers la masse en tas. Il s’aperçoit que ce qu’il a pris pour un œil est une sorte de lunette et que le reste de la masse correspond à un immense matis en train de s’asseoir.
— Mais qu’est-ce qu’il t’a pris de crier comme ça ? Par ta faute, le mektoub est parti et moi je suis coincé ici et le Père Atysoël ne me confiera plus jamais rien !!!
Des sanglots secouent le petit lutrykin de la tête au pieds.
— Je suis vraiment désolé, Ser, si ma présence a causé le moindre problème. Puis-je me permettre de m’en enquérir ? C’est, comment dire, la première fois que je croise une entité de votre espèce et cela m’a surpris, je dois bien l’avouer. J’ai cru pendant un instant avoir découvert une nouvelle variété de fragaria mais je ne connais aucune plante capable de pousser un tel cri ! Je manque à tous mes devoirs ! Je suis Tolo Di Niolo, modeste botaniste du Karan.
— Lillipukin, lutrykin du Père Atysoël et présentement, tellement plein de problèmes, que je ne sais pas si je m’en sortirai un jour.
Et Lillipukin raconte tout, la demande du Père Atysoël, le colporteur disparu et le mektoub envolé.
— Hum, je vois. Est ce que vous me permettriez d’essayer de vous trouver une solution ? J’ai une idée qui me trotte dans la tête depuis que je vous ai vu, mais c’est un peu expérimental !
— Je suis prêt à n’importe quoi pour arriver à prouver que je peux servir à quelque chose !
— Alors voilà mon idée. Peut-être avez-vous déjà remarqué qu’il existe, au Vide, des petits animaux volants avec des hélices. Certains sont verts. Je les appelle des héliarachnes. Ils sont très rapides. Je me disais qu’ils ont juste la bonne taille pour vous servir de monture. Et si vous parvenez à en dompter un, vous pourriez alors vous déplacer à votre gré et retrouver Ke-Piang Geoi pour lui délivrer le message du Père Atysoël.
Le lutrykin bondit sur ses pieds.
— Ouiiiii ! Quelle merveilleuse idée. Allons sur le champ tenter d’en capturer un !
Lillipukin retombe assis, découragé.
— Mais s’ils sont si rapides, comment peut-on en attraper un ?
Le Matis a un sourire en coin.
— Ne vous inquiétez pas trop. Je sais bien que je ne paie pas de mine mais, du fait de mes recherches, j’ai développé une certaine aisance dans la capture de ces petites bêtes. Il y a, juste au dessus de nous, tout ce qu’il faut pour la capture.
— C’est un dorao, on le reconnaît à son long tronc et aux lianes qui pendent de sa frondaison. Avec les lianes et une branche, je peux construire un filet.
Tout en expliquant, Tolo Di Niolo saute pour attraper une ou deux lianes et commencer à les tresser entre elles, fabriquant le filet à la vitesse de l’éclair.
— Et voilà, je suis prêt. Voulez-vous grimper sur mon épaule ? Je connais un coin, un peu plus bas dans la pente, où on trouve souvent des héliarachnes.
Lillipukin bien accroché à son armure, le botaniste s’élance dans la pente, le filet prêt, et, d’un coup d’une habileté certaine, capture une héliarachne.
— Et hop ! Voyons voir notre prise.
Tolo s’empare habilement de la petite bête pour la montrer à Lillipukin toujours perché sur son épaule.
Deux yeux rouges globuleux, un corps tout rond vert brillant et un toupet en forme d’hélice, Lillipukin trouve la petite bête très sympathique.
— En avant Messire Lutrykin, grimpez sur votre monture !
Lillipukin s’installe sur le dos de l’héliarachne et Tolo libère la petite bête qui se met à faire des bonds dans le ciel, espérant désarçonner ce voyageur non désiré. Bientôt, ils disparaissent de la vue de Tolo qui commence à craindre le pire pour son petit compagnon.
Lillipukin, lui, s’accroche désespérément au toupet pour ne pas tomber malgré les vrombissements rageurs. Les virages et autres loopings s’enchaînent mais la prise ne lâche pas ! Il faut dire que le petit lutrykin était habitué à se cramponner au bonnet du Père Atysoël dans toutes les circonstances et avait donc un formidable entraînement. Petit à petit, le rythme des cabrioles ralentit et Lillipukin peut envisager de diriger la manœuvre en déplaçant délicatement le toupet. Il passe près d’un groupe d’autres héliarachnes qui viennent entourer Lillipukin et sa monture, les suivant comme aimantés.
Lillipukin jubile, trop heureux de son dressage et entraîne tout le groupe vers Tolo pour le remercier.
Il le voit, alors, remontant la pente à toute allure, poursuivi par un zerx qui l’a pris en chasse. Il presse sa monture et la lance, ainsi que tout le groupe, à la tête du zerx, vrombissant, tournant, aveuglant et déboussolant la bête immonde par leurs cabrioles. Le botaniste court se mettre à l’abri. Le zerx finit par tomber, essayant d’attraper les héliarachnes qui l’aveuglent, et par rouler au bas de la pente.
Le botaniste est sauvé !
Lillipukin peut se présenter, fièrement monté sur son destrier, devant son ami.
— Je ne pourrai jamais assez vous remercier, messire Lutrykin.
— Tu rigoles botaniste ! Tu viens de me faire le plus beau des cadeaux d’Atysoël, tu m’as rendu ma liberté et la possibilité d’être un lutrykin à part entière. C’est moi qui te dois tout !
La voix profonde et grave du Père Atysoël résonne alors.
— Oui, c’est un cadeau merveilleux que vous vous êtes faits mutuellement.
— Oh ! Père Atysoël ! Tu es là ?
— Quand j’ai vu le mektoub revenir tout seul, je me suis douté qu’il s’était passé quelque chose et je suis arrivé au bon moment pour voir ce combat épique. Tu es un valeureux lutrykin, Lillipukin ! Va vite maintenant trouver Ke-Piang Geoi et rentre à l’atelier ! Ton Héliarachne est tienne à jamais. Quant à toi, Botaniste, je ne peux te faire un don assez précieux pour te remercier d’avoir rendu la joie de vivre à mon petit lutrykin mais j’espère que les bardes chanteront cet épisode longtemps.

C’est la fin de mon histoire mais la prochaine fois que vous irez au Vide, regardez bien si, sur le dos d’un héliarachne, vous ne voyez pas un petit lutrykin, et souvenez-vous de son ami botaniste.

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

Caprysmas

Once upon a time there was a capryni who was born on Atysmas Day. His parents named him Caprysmas.
It seemed like he had been blessed at birth by the gifts of Father Atysmas and all the fairies.
He was handsome, strong, tough, skilled with his horn and hooves and so brave that he was a pillar of the herd that lived near Avalae.
Yet he was not loved, for he was very proud of all his advantages.
He had only one friend, a capryni so kind that the whole herd adored him.
This friend admired Caprysmas, who, in return, knew how to be charming and give lots of wise advice.
With all the others, Caprymas was haughty and heartless.
He was particularly hard on a small Capryni, very weak but whose greatest defect, in Caprysmas' eyes, was to be quick-witted and the habit of defending himself with derision.
One day, landed in the herd, a capryni with the halo of belonging to an Yrkanis herd.
Of course, this frisky and very coquettish young capryni quickly became the darling of the herd, triggering the hostility of Caprysmas.
Unbeknownst to all, he left for Yrkanis and learned that his rival had been expelled from there for having endangered the whole herd by fleeing one day when he was supposed to stand guard.
Back at Avalae, Caprysmas was determined to have the newcomer sent away without revealing his secret, preferring to keep it for himself to have a hold on his rival.
But, the little capryni with the sharp tongue had fallen under the spell of the newcomer and he managed to avoid him being banished definitively although he was relegated to a very subordinate position.
Soon some great news arrived: Father Atysmas was looking for runners to complete the team of his sleigh.
Caprysmas left, in all confidence, to see Father Atysmas: he was convinced that the position of head of the team was his, that it was only waiting for him.
Words can hardly describe the rage that seized him when Father Atysmas refused his declaration, showing him how much his over proud attitude made him commit villainies.
Refusing to listen further, he took refuge in the company of his only friend and attempt to forget Atysmas' sleigh.
But, wasted effort, the whole herd was in turmoil: Father Atysmas was organizing a great race between Yrkanis and Fairhaven to find the members of his team.
Time then was dedicated only to preparation and training , each one trying to give the best of himself for this great feast.
Stubborn in his refusal, Caprysmas first tried to prevent his friend from joining the others but he thought back to Father Atysmas reproaches and, with a heavy heart, let him participate, both envious and happy to see him so joyful.
The great day arrived. All the runners of Atys were gathered in front of Yrkanis, ready to set off.
At the last moment, Caprysmas decided to take the start and when the signal was given, he jumped like the others.
But he was the only one who was totally out of practice and he found himself very quickly towards the end of the pack.
Humiliated, he was about to give up when he saw his friend come back to him with some members of the herd who came to encourage him.
This kindness gave him back his heart and little by little, he regained the lost ground because despite all his flaws, he remained a champion among the caprynis.
In view of the Maze of Sprite, he had reached the head of the race.
It was then that he saw his rival trying to cheat by taking a shortcut, dragging the little one with the sharp tongue after him.
Although he knew the corner was full of dangerous cuttlers, Caprysmas, listening only to his courage, set off in pursuit.
At a bend in the road, he had to face the fact: the rival had used the little one as a shield and had cowardly abandoned him facing the cuttlers.
Caprysmas plunged into the fray, skewering the cuttlers and pushing them away with his powerful hind hooves.
The little capryni refused to run away and remained at his side in an epic but unequal and doomed battle…
It would hadn't it been for the friend of all, who, having gathered the whole herd, came to Caprysmas' aid.
United in battle, the caprynis arrived in Fairhaven, exhausted but proud of themselves.

It was a mektoub who won the race, but Father Atysmas, who had seen everything, gave a place in the team to Caprysmas who made do with that place and, when he returned to his herd, everyone celebrated him.

And his rival, you will say to me? I'm afraid he ended up in the stomach of a torbak, but that's not to say in an Atysmas tale.

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.``