The Tragedy of Erinalta

The Tragedy of Erinalta
(as written by Pinat, Runepriest of Lankhar Mhy)

Erinalta, the sole heir of the Quinan tribe, was war chief despite being a woman. Still, no one doubted her martial prowess. She was big, tough and headstrong… all qualities valued by Orlanthi! When the Lunar Empire started taxing the inhabitants of the Tarsh (who were, it must be noted, OUTSIDE of the glow of the empire), she gathered together a warband of nearly 1000 warriors from her stead and various others.

Tragically, on the day of the battle, the Reaching Moon spread her foul glow over the field, leading to a rout of historic magnitude. Erinalta survived, though terribly scarred, with but a few others. Enraged, her clan (led by people unhappy with a woman leader) beat her already-injured body and cast her out.

In the wilderness, she met a wild shaman named Tree Under Water and his Lankhar Mhy wife, Pinat. He told her of a schemed to tear down the Lunar temple by inviting all spirits to assault it at once. With the temple gone, the glow would fade and the righteous could reclaim what was theirs. (Pinat, for her part, claimed she was only there to study the habits of wild shaman and had actually been kidnapped.)

Erinalta saw this as a means to redeem herself and save her brethren (despite of how she was treated) and readily agreed. Pinat thought the plan foolish and the shaman drove her away, divorcing her as well. The warrior and the shaman vowed to sneak into the city and were followed by Pinat to record what would transpire.

They managed to sneak in but assaulted the largest building they saw… which turned out to be a warehouse. They were quickly apprehended and thrown in a dungeon. To their good fortune, the shaman managed to seduce an Earthshaker priestess by wooing her through the small window to their cell and only being able to see her feet while he remained completely hidden. She called on earth spirits to free them.

On a dark, moonless night, with a raging storm at their back, they began their assault on the temple with allies drawn from the subjugated populace. The waned moon and the spirits roused by the storm gave them the best chance to tear down the ziggurat. The statue of Irrippi Ontor on top of the temple came to life and calmed the rebels. The shaman climbed the ziggurat but was instantly struck dead when he touched the bronze skin of the massive statue.

Erinalta was captured and given the chance to follow the Red Moon henceforth. She spat on the temple floor and declare that the Moon was no goddess. The Elder Sister raised her staff and the beaten woman vanished.

(Appendix by Pinat’s disciple)

There are no further direct accounts of Erinalta but there is a Lunar berserker cult that calls out ‘Erinalta!’ and slay all they encounter, friend or foe. They neither ask nor give quarter and seemingly have the gifts of the Storm (Stormbulls berserk spirit, flight like Orlanthi and an immunity to torture.)