The Final Underworld Showdown

We marched to the Great Shrine from where we assembled, having been divided into ‘Boars’ Heads’ for our own safety and protection: I was with Laird Ruidhan’s ‘head’. We were ambushed by Ciara's minions, just outside the shrine, where we met with 3 priests and then performed a rite to open the portal into Don's realm: with much effort and energies.

We acted from the actions of the hero, Bran, who had been called himself from defending the shrine in a time of need to serve the All-Mother in the Underworld as one of its Lords. Here he had called on Don, he who administers the entryway into the Underworld realms, and a portal had been opened. We called on Anu and her aspects, spoke of our need, and then called on Don to let us through: at first it seemed we did not succeed, and we poured our energies into the Underworld board, surrounding Jander and making contact with them both. Then our perceptions began to shift and I could feel the presence of the Ancestors swelling as the area became less stable.

We found ourselves in a long dark corridor leading to a cave-like area, with two exits: one to the Halls of Heroes and one to Don's realm in the Underworld. Here the fallen come and are judged, and are sent by him to their final residence. The flow of spirits continued about us as we made our way. We were met and guided by a cute dead chick, named Suibhan, who had been condemned to serve Don after losing her faith in Anu. She had fallen into bitterness and despair at the loss of her brother. As we marched boldly through into the Underworld, she asked each of us ‘Do you pass through willingly?’ and we answered ‘Aye’. We saw minions of Ciara – those we had just slain perhaps – file through as well.

Don's realm (I will put a full account with proper names together, but for now they escape me...) is essentially a staging post where the condemned are sorted into one of the five Underworld punishment realms:

- Mider's realm of sorrow, for those succumbed to despair and anguish (suicides go here), tormented by Bain Sidhe and Nightmares (Caer Sidhe)
- Gwynn's realm of the hunted, for the fallen fey (not too sure what else) – continually stalked by Hunters and fearsome beasts
- Bran's realm of fallen heroes, for those that failed Her (Caer Rigor?) – presumably home to his clan’s unfaithful
- The Lord of Summer's realm for cowards - full of formor
- Lady Obum's realm of pain, for those most foul betrayers - home to the vile Clan McSeaga, long forgotten for their crimes against Anu

(Caer Nennius, Caer Tyffdd)

We set up camp in some pavilions about Don's home whilst we looked for clues to what needed to be done and fended off minions from all 5 realms, all foes we'd faced before: hunters from Gwynn’s realm, fallen heroes and the clan of betrayers and murderous thieves, bain sidhe and nightmares, and the fearsome formor.

Hunters: intelligent and agile, stealthy and able to bypass armour with ease – they fall rapidly when cornered, however. Able to use magics and incant.

Bain sidhe: most dangerous as they fall, as their dying breath can rend a pattern – marked by faces green.

Nightmares: fell the mightiest warriors into a deep, unnatural slumber with a single blow, from which they wake with tortured nightmares and despair.

Formor: mighty warriors, nigh on unstoppable, with crushing blows and highest magics; they enter a fearsome rage when feared, shrugging off the mightiest blows.

Bran’s Clan: tartan of bright and dark blue and white; courageous warriors.

McSeagas: tartan of blue and green ‘squares’; dishonest and sneaky.

Whilst some sat and pondered, searched for clues, and looked to documents found in Don's home, Donald and I started McAylwyning to find out our needed course. And so it fell to us to gain insight from our guide. The rite of passage had returned the board coins to their realms, and we had to travel again to each realm and retrieve them: setting right what was wrong and restoring balance to the underworld. (For the minions should not have been leaving their assigned realms and Ciara had truly overstepped his bounds.) The Lords and Suibhan largely aided us as they could, when not under the gaze of their overlord – loyal still to holy Anu. Just like in Gwynn's realm, and Obum's, it was to be that only a number of us could venture into each realm - and none could venture into more than one: which could have condemned us all. For Don holds record books of all who fall and only they can enter the relevant realm: and so, to pass, we too had to have our names entered with the fallen – setting in ‘stone’ our destination upon death, should we fail his test of worth to enter the Heroes’ Halls.

I went with Queen Blodwyn to Mider's realm, the mission of compassion, the realm of sorrow. There we met Etarip - Ajnin's sister, the fallen fey princess - and I was able to pass on Ajnin's words. She gave me a message and a token of thanks that I passed to Donald, and he later ventured into Gwynn's realm to carry Etarip's message for me. The token was her silvery tiara. In Mider's realm, we had to bring comfort to a number of fallen (whilst fending off Bain Sidhe) in order to tease out stories from them that Mider had told them of himself, in order to comfort them - for he had forgotten himself and got lost in his own despair. Then we formed a rite about him, with Etarip's aid, to restore him in all his glory.

First, a young lass who’d lost herself in despair and thought Anu lost and forgotten: another one to succumb in grief, though she never explained her story fully. With true orcish logic, and a stroke of genius, Bloodthunk hacked his hand with his sword before asking the Lady of Wisdom to heal his wound, waylaying this lass’s doubts; then Wilted Petal, a suicide many knew in life, broken-hearted in unrequited love; then a clansman of Bran’s who I was able to persuade to take his second chance and now fight for Bran, as he had stood aside when Bran needed him most; and finally, Laoch Andraste, another recent suicide filled with guilt for ‘failing’ the Queens – and now restored to confidence and forgiven by Queen Blodwyn’s mercy.

Mider brings comfort and support to those of his realm, a true ray of light in the bleakness of the Underworld. He was a boy who radiated joy and found it in all things, passing it to those he met - till he met a lass he couldn't comfort, for she had lost her love. He found love then, too, but was rejected by her and then knew sorrow. He tried to heal this lass's love, but to no avail, and turned to Anu: who explained the need for balance, for sorrow and joy, pain and love. And she tasked him with his role, to bring comfort to those who needed it most.

I will let others recount their trips, but briefly: the trip to formor-land, led by Jander, was a bloodbath struggle through the hordes and back; the trip to Obum, led by Ruidhan, needed to free Grogan from a magical prison - but they were beaten off by waves of the forgotten clan. On this mission, Lilith MacBeth fell - trapped in the realm unless Anu intervenes. They did, however, return with a magical glove to aid us.

Laird Cedric, having not committed to a realm, ventured into Obum's alone to try again - but alas his valiant effort failed. The Mortains had previously refused this mission, for they would not trust Obum's words after their previous dealings. A couple of MA were the only others not to venture into a realm.

Gwynn had tricks and games waiting for his visitors, along with his vicious magic and his ferocious pets. A Mortain lad promised his pattern to Gwynn to ensure success - a noble sacrifice. And in Bran's realm, our greatest heroes fought valiant honour duels against Bran's greatest warriors, winning us a sword to aid the fight against Ciara.

Whilst the parties ventured forth, the few remaining defended the camp from all manner of underworld beasts - including the huge beast from Gwynn's realm, Gwynn's hound from the recent Clan Council, the necromantic bitch from Obum’s realm and the foul Harridans themselves - all held in Ciara's power and unleashed on us again and again. We also encountered the spectres of Lairds Obidask, Mephisto, Haggis and Ainsley - or possible agents of Ciara taking on their forms to mislead us.

Finally, it came time to perform the rite of summoning – at light’s brightest point (midday) - to bind Ciara into one form and one face that we might remind him of his duties. (For Ciara was of many faces and none, every realm and none.) I was one of six to take on the role of Underworld Lord, Mider for my part, and to tell our tale and call that realm’s power forth. About us paced one lass for each Queen, calling on their strength to aid us. With only 4/5 coins, we had to pray for success. And success we achieved, as his mighty form appeared - summoning hosts from all the gateways: all our fiercest enemies on one battlefield - it was not a clash for the faint of heart. The battle went on and on, and appeared to go ill, as our energies were spent and the fallen lay all around. Several vanished from the realm as Ciara dismissed them, but were waiting for us back home and safe. Yet the dwindling of our numbers told as again and again these hordes poured forth, led by the huge beast and the Harridan bitches (that finally I got to smite most righteously).

With Anu with us in spirit, despite Ciara's gaining control of some of our number, and Laird Cedric calling for us to renounce Anu for Ciara when our fates looked bleakest, those valiant few that could retake their feet continued to take the fight to our foes. I myself called upon Anu's fury and vent it upon the blasphemous ancestor, fearing no retribution whilst seeing Her will done. Yet, every time we beat him down, he would arise anew, drawing on his ancestral power - within his own realm – and calling forth again his hordes... till, as all looked black, Anu herself appeared and the fight was won.

I know some coins were found, and some rites performed, but I know not the details: aside from hurriedly translating one in a break from fighting. [It bore the name of one of the realms – presumably they opened the way for Anu’s intervention.] For I had my duels to fight, against the fell beast, against the magic of the Harridan mage and the sword of the Harridan warrior woman, and against Ciara himself.

Obidask and Hercules appeared alongside the elderly form of the All-Mother, resplendent in her silence. She replaced the grovelling Ciara with Obidask as Lord of the Underworld, to protect the realms and the balance there, and banished Ciara away elsewhere. Don tried to claim ownership of Jander's pattern, for a deal made out of Anu's sight in a ritual some time ago - when another desperate need was felt. But Obidask pointed out that a deal out of Her sight was no deal at all, and Don (Arawn) bowed to the will of the All-Mother and let him leave. I reminded Obi of his wizzle skills as I stepped through the gateway.

Under the Lady’s gaze,

Kianan McAylwyn,
Bards Guild

 

All Works are © Original Author

(OC Author - Paul Martin)