The Rocks of Whitewall
The Mailing List has seen some lengthy discussion of rocks. Here's a story by Oliver Bernuetz which found much approval:
<Oliver Bernuetz:>
Here's a suggestion: during the battles between the Storm Tribe and the Water Tribe Helamakt had to fight a battle where the waters tried to overwhelm him. As he slew the attackers he piled their bodies higher and higher so he had somewhere to stand where he could still breathe. Eventually he built a mound high enough and had slain enough foes to win the fight. The bodies of his briny foes turned into limestone (of the coquina variety (you can still see smaller chunks of some of the deep sea monsters in the rock)).
Later on Sestarto the Artist came along and struck by the rugged beauty of the spot built Whitewall. During the construction he somehow turned the limestone into a magical marble.
And the story:
Helemakt Versus the Waves
And it was during the war against the waters that Helamakt did battle with the waves. The waves were attempting to overcome the land, surging over Ernalda bearing their cargos of monsters and sea life. Where barley field had been was now found merman's beard, where fat cattle had grazed, fat fish floated. When Helamakt saw this he was moved to battle. He leapt to the beach and roared a challenge to the waves. They heard his challenge and answered it by surging eagerly forward. He slashed at the waves and laughed at them. But wave piled on wave and the water got deeper and Helamakt found it harder to fight. Eight mighty waves had rolled up to him and the water was already high enough so that only his neck and shoulders were out of the water. But the ninth wave bore a mighty monster of the deep and this Helamakt slew with his Slays Sevens Blow. He leapt onto the monster's back and again was free to battle freely. But more waves came and started piling higher again and after eight Helamakt found himself struggling again. But again the ninth wave bore a mighty monster and after a brief struggle it too was slain and piled on top of the first monster. And so it went. Nine times nine times nine waves came and each ninth wave bore a mighty denizen of the deep. And each carcass was added to the pile. But finally the waves wearied of the fight and their brutal losses and retreated leaving Helamakt unbloodied atop a tall pile of the monsters of the deep. And Helamakt roared his defiance of the waves and stomped his foot turning the monsters into stone. And you can still see the bodies of the sea creatures in the stone at Whitewall. It is also said that if you listen carefully in the caverns deep below Whitewall you can still hear the sea and see ghostly fish. It is also rumoured that careless wanders, lacking wisdom and wards, who go too deep within the mound may never return but fall prey instead to some phantom monster of the deep.
Lant Ulfar's Arm
<Jane Williams> And after that... this could be the "somehow" that turned limestone to marble.
DP p 38. The story of Larnste's Table. Destor is trying to protect Larnste from an attempt by a giant called Lant Ulfar to "stop" him. And he hits him a few times. His head ends up on Larnste's Table, his heart on Two Ridge Top. And his arm is severed, but we never get told where it lands. Could it be the basis of Whitewall? Landing on top of the limestone, providing enough heat and pressure to turn some of it to marble, and the giant's blood providing interesting magical crystals?
Two Ridge Top, incidentally, became a fort in the Vingotling Age (DP p57), and the ridges are made of obsidian. Black is a nice contrast to white....
<Stewart Stansfield>
How about the concept that on the Helamakt holy day that symbolises this victory, elements of the myth play out again on the geology? Beneath the shining veneer of the marble the whole cliffs seem to swirl slowly--perhaps imperctibly, until one is attuned to the mythic currents--as the half-evident bodies of the denizens of the deep twirl in hypnotic repetition of the battle. Accompanied by other aural phenomena and charged atmosphere.
<Jane Williams> Helamakt's Holy Day -
Looking up dates. ST p 80 tells us that Water Day, Mobility week, Storm Season, is "Black Rain Day", the Heler holy day dedicated to Helamakt. Not ideal, but the best I can find so far.
Updated 2004/03/09 ODB
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