Memoirs of Mundus- The Sugar Pilgrimage

  • The Sugar Pilgrimage

     

    Ian McClure

     

    Far back in the mists of time, when Azurah had but recently shared her secrets with the Khajiit, there lived a prophet, a true cat blessed by Jone and Jode to be able to scry into the foggy future that had yet to come. This prophet- whose name has been lost- foretold of a day when Hermorah of the tides would cease to guide the holy moon sugar to the groves of the Tenmar Forest, disillusioned by Khajiit that did not follow the path of the moons. The prophet saw this, and shuddered. For how would they commune with the ja'Kha'jay without the sugar?



    He looked to the night sky, and begged the moons for a way to prove to great Hermorah that there were true cats on Nirni. And a great hawk flew forth from the heavens, with the wondrous smell of the sugar dunes of The Sands Beyond The Stars. Khenarthi, Goddess of the Winds, spoke then, and she said: “Little Khajiit, you are a true follower of the ja'Kha'jay. This I know to be true, but my younger brother, Hermorah, he is blinded by his rage at those that are not faithful. You must prove to those Khajiit that ja'Kha'jay is real and powerful and just.”. The prophet nodded. “This one understands. All will know the benevolence of the moons!”.

     


    Khenarthi gifted upon her champion three gifts for the task. The first was a pouch of the holiest moon sugar, that had been blessed to cure all disease. The second was a simple flute made of Valenwood oak, but its tone could soothe the anger and pain in the hearts of Khajiit. And the third was a necklace, a pendant in the shape of the crescent moons. Khenarthi did not tell the prophet what it was for, but he knew it to be important.



    And so, with the relics, the prophet set forth on his quest. He walked for many days and nights across the deserts of Anequina, until arriving at the great city of Dune. And in Dune, the prophet discovered that plague had taken hold of the city. He walked the streets full of the dead, until he chanced upon a sick beggar. “Begone from here, prophet!” the beggar spat. “The Two Moons have abandoned Dune!”. But the prophet gave him the blessed sugar, curing the Khajiit of his disease. He bowed his head and said: “This one understands his folly. The ja'Kha'jay embraces all Khajiit. This one was a fool to not see that.”.



    After the prophet had banished the plague from Dune, he continued upon his pilgrimage. On the roads, he encountered two tribes of warring Khajiit. He met with the leaders of the tribes, and asked: “Why do you fight your common cat?”. And the leaders both said: “Because the ja'Kha'jay is false, and its teachings foolish. We fight for land, and for sugar.”. And so, the prophet played his flute. And all the warriors laid down their weapons, giddy as though having indulged in moon sugar. The leaders smiled and said: “These ones were the fools after all. We now understand that ja'Kha'jay is real, and we shall no longer fight one another.”.


    And on walked the prophet, braving the harsh winds and biting sands. However, he soon found that he was making no progress in the trackless desert. He felt the seeds of doubt being planted in his mind, as to the nature of ja'Kha'jay. But he looked at his clawed hand, which still held the crescent moon amulet. And he smiled, for he knew that the amulet was a most holy gift from Khenarthi, and it assured him of his rightful path of the moons.



    Then, a voice spoke within the prophet's head. It was none other than Hermorah of the tides, and he said: “You have proved, to me and to yourself, that there are yet true cats on Nirni. I will continue to send the holy moon sugar to the forest. You have completed your task.”. And the prophet sank to his knees, weeping, and thanked Hermorah, Khenarthi, and all the gods of the ja'Kha'jay. And that, young cubs, is why there is yet moon sugar to be had, all thanks to the benevolence of the Moons.

     

     

    ((Author's Note)): So, this was actually written ages ago, for a roleplay event I participated in with a character of mine, a Khajiit Moon Priest. This is supposed to be a traditional Khajiiti myth, and I'm rather proud of it, hence why I'm posting it here. Please leave a comment or critique if you have any, and I hope you enjoyed it!

Comments

7 Comments
  • Tenebrous
    Tenebrous   ·  June 17, 2016
    Thanks, Lissette! I'm particularly proud of this, as mentioned previously, so I'm happy it's getting so much attention.
  • The Long-Chapper
    The Long-Chapper   ·  June 16, 2016
    Fine job, Ian.Ā Ā Ā 
    You've captured the spirit of a myth tale very well.Ā 
  • Tenebrous
    Tenebrous   ·  June 16, 2016
    Thanks, you two! To be honest, I feel that writing from the viewpoint of any culture that's not my own is difficult, let alone a fictional one. Glad you all like it!
  • Veloth the Prophet
    Veloth the Prophet   ·  June 16, 2016
    Love this! Yeah it can be really hard trying to write the way Khajiit speak\think.
  • Sotek
    Sotek   ·  June 16, 2016
    Glad you decided to share this withĀ  us Ian. Terrific job.
  • Tenebrous
    Tenebrous   ·  June 16, 2016
    Thanks! This was actually really hard to write- this is not only not my usual writing fare (this is the first, and so far only, time I've written a religious myth), but I also had to really get into the Khajiiti mindset, so to speak. The UESP was a great ...  more
  • Paws
    Paws   ·  June 16, 2016
    Epic! So Clan Mother, so spot onĀ