The Armellian Grimnismal

I dont think I have written fanfiction since I was like twelve, but Armello actually made me do it. Enjoy this little piece I posted on their forum, which has unfortunately been closed down.

Original myth do not steal

Okay, so this one probably bears some explaining. The general setting of Armello has always reminded me of the tale from norse mythology called Grimnismal. In it, a king is chosen by Odin to rule but turns out to be not so suited for the job. Instead, a kid that shows kindness to the disguised Odin gets the throne. The bulk of the poem is a presentation of people and places from norse myth to benefit the new king. One day I got it into my head to write an “Armellian” version, so to speak. The main problem was who to use for the Odin role (as well as the role of his wife Frigg). In the end I ended up using my own character for the job. And so I present to you, the Armellian Grimnismal! I have done my best to pay homage to the writing-style and meter of the original tale while at the same time working in as many Armello references as possible.

There were two cubs, one a lion and one a otter. The otter was ten years old but the lion eight. Once they went out fishing, hoping to catch the fabled rainbow-fish, which would signify the coming of a true king. While they were fishing two rabbit peasants came up to them. One of them were an old thin man with a bent back and a wide grin and the other a hefty mistress with hair down to her belly. The thin man spoke with the lion and advised him on his fishing and the peasant woman did the same for the otter. Suddenly the otter felt a thug and it was the rainbow fish. He struggled mightily as the river grew fiercer and hotter from the struggle. Seeing that the otter had almost pulled the fish ashore the lion pushed him into the water so that the river carried him away. "Go where the Banes may take you" the lion shouted. He turned around but the peasant couple was gone. The lion returned and later became the king of Armello and a man of great renown. 

Tymor and Permeter were sitting on the moon and looked upon the world. Tymor said: "See how your champion lives among bandits and thieves while mine is a king and rules over many clans?" Permeter responded: "He is so mad from the rot that he tortures and kills innocent beggars if he suspects there is a thief among them". Tymor said that it was the greatest lie and they made a bet about this matter. Tymor disguised himself as a dirty stranger and entered the capital where the king´s guards captured him. He was placed upon on a log and the king´s sorcerers cast immolation on both ends. There the stranger was questioned by the king for nine days and nights but said nothing. The following night the king was busy talking with his trusted steward. A boy called Sylas, son of the otter, came and gave the stranger a drink of wyldsap. He said it was a foul deed to torture the stranger without any reason. The stranger had now sat on the log for so long that the fire burned the purple mantle on his back.

Tymor spake:

Hot are you fire, too fierce by far
Too hot for a stranger to bear
At my back the cottontail is smote
At my front the huldra´s joy is fast catching flames!

I sat between fires, for nine night and days
No meat, no mead was I given
Save Sylas alone, so alone shall he rule
Over the clans and towns of Armello

Glory to your name, Sylas, hailed you are
By the god of tricks and traps
For a single drink you will never get
A greater gift than I offer

The lands to the north, that lies far away
Snow and wolf live together
And Thane´s descandents shall ever there dwell
As long as Armello stands

Greenguard is the valley where
Elyssa a hall has set
And in Shamrock fields, Brun received
His scars of ancient times

An old ruin I see, a bluish hue
Although only a circle remains
Here Sana was given, by the mighty stag god
The blue stones of  prophecy

The rat clan city stands well tall
Amid the murmurs and lofty waves
There daily does Mecurio, with bags of gold
In gladness drink his wine

In Magna´s home, the iron shield
The tables stretches far
There does the mistress, every day
Sew a belt from foxes she´s slain
It is easy to know for those that searches
When you are at her house
The roof is made from shields, all are bright
On the benches chainmails are strewn
It is easy to know for those that searches
When you are at her house
The sign of the wolf hangs over the door
And above a eagle flies

Also there is River´s home
The wolf of marvelous might
Now she lives, the bow-maiden fair
In the home that her father had.

 In the ruins of blackspire, I verily see
A form I find most foul
Sargon knows and sees very far
But his destiny is far from sorrow-free

In the smithy and mines of the warren
Where the industrious rabbits hold sway
In well-built armor, Barnaby glad
Let his hammer clink and clang

In the same city Amber sits and collects
The treasures and followers she have
Half of the stones, the blue precious stones
Of which Sana has but two

In the capital, the beggers and thieves
Are hidden beneath the streets
Here all her days, do Twiss dwell
As master of the guild

Into the woods, here is Horace´s home
Deep among roses and thorns
The mighty man here he sits
His words given heed by all

The waters run grey and the high-standing grass
Blows as the whirwind Zosha whirls by
But the words of her mistress she will not heed
When she has taken the throne

In Arcdale Woods and Blueberry town
The very best food is made
Scarlet knows what few men do
Where the best fare may be had

The mighty mistress, the thieves heed
The famed bandit king of old
The weapon-decked bandit clan, knows and sees all
About what the king may do

Twiss and Horace she sends every day
Every day they set forth
Scarlet worries that the poet will not return
But for Twiss she worries more

Loud roars the river when Ghor transforms
Joy flows into the woods
Hard does his back seems as he rolls
To wade the torrent wild

Here is rot´s bog , the darkest of gate
Under it are dungeons deep
Old is the gate, old are the roads
But the darkness is tightly locked
Five hundred doors  and forty there are,
I think, in Adventurer´s Tomb
Eight hundred guard will a single bane fight
When Armello to doom must go
Five hundred rooms  and forty there are
I think, in the castle built;
Of all the homes  whose roofs I see from the moon
Tis one the greatest, I deem

The underground roads, the rivers black
Underneath the world they run
Over one festers banes, over one is Armello
Over the last lies the gods own land

More banes there are, in the underwyrm
Than an brilliant fool could count
All shall ever, as long as I know
Gnaw the roots of the world
They suffer more evil, uncountables blows
Far more than men do know
Strive is among men, the gods are unjust
And banes do gnaw beneath

The best of kingdoms must Armello be
Teleport best of spells
Of all the followers, apprentice is best
And thorns the best of games
Mercurio of rats, Rivers own bow
Scarlet of bandits and Pride´s Edge of swords

You are drunk, oh king. Drunk of the hot rot wine
Much have you lost for no more help
Will you get from the heroes´ clans

You listened not to my advice, all that I told
False are the words of your friends
All around you, usurpers are they
Hoping to wet their swords

Your rotten body shall the banes have
For your days are numbered and gone
All are hostile, even I
Come at us, if you can!

When the king heard this he took his sword to slay Sylas and Tymor but as dawn approached the rot took his body and he fell down dead. Tymor immediately disappeared and Sylas was credited for killing the mad king. He grew up and ruled wisely for many years.