A Yokudan Tale

Travelling Ra Gada Storyteller, 1E 680

Once, Tall Papa had two sons whom he loved very much. The first, Abi'oye-Khari, was a great hunter, a skilled leader and diplomat. The second, Dakarai-Adebowale, too was a great hunter, as well as a skilled enchanter and philosopher. Now both had been foolish enough to listen to the teaching of Sep to follow him to the new world, led by Abi'oye. Ruptga looked on, and could not save his sons and daughters from this new world when it was too late. But his heart was merciful and so he led them to a new land, where all was beautiful, bountiful, and hot. He promised that when Khari came of age, he would be given the family bow.

The new spirits prospered in this new land, where game was plenty, rivers ran in all seasons, and the trees remained lush. In time, Abi’oye came of age and Tall Papa sent him the bow. It was glorious, decorated with precious jewels and made of unearthly materials. Under the leadership of Abi'oye and Dakarai peace reigned throughout the lands. Abi'oye was a good authoritative leader, yet prone to bouts of emotional fevers. Dakarai was very talented in many things, but prone to a harsh and reticent nature.

One day, as Abi'oye was out hunting, a stray elephant ran into the village. In panic, the women and children scattered as the elephant destroyed everything looking for their prized plantain leaves of the fields. Without thinking, Dak'i rushed to the royal armoury and grabbed the nearest bow in sight. From it he fired a hunting arrow, grievously wounding the creature. In the commotion however, the creature the bow stuck to the elephant’s flank as it fled, attached as it was to the arrow.

The villagers gratefully praised Dak'i for his heroism, which Abi'oye heard about upon his return. Filled with jealousy for the usurpation of his sphere as the protector, the eldest was, and brusque his praises. Then they found the bow lost and used had been the Ancestral one.

Abi'oye was furious to find his brother had taken his bow without permission and so ordered his brother leave to find the item. Dak'i pleaded with his brother to stay his emotions but Abi'oye would not be moved. Thus the matter was settled.

Dak'i bade a tearful farewell to his wife and children, knowing he would never see them again. He wandered the northern lands for many months on his hopeless quest. Eventually he sought the sweet release of the void to take him from his torment and sought many ways to do so. One day, as he lay in wait for a lion or leopard to eat him, an elderly woman came upon him. She took pity on him and invited him to stay with her. Grateful, he accepted.

For many years he stayed with her, coming to see her as something akin to his grandmother. Soon, his luck turned and he came upon a pile of elephant bones. Lo and Behold! There was the bow amongst them, he could finally return to his clan. The elderly lady was sad to see him leave but she understood. Upon parting she gifted him a string of beads infused with great magical power. Each is said to have possessed a different ability. One was said to transfer memories, another could tell time, and another could lead one to water.

Dak'i returned back to the city where he was welcomed by his brother, whose heart has softened over the years, missing his beloved brother dearly. For many days there was a feast, as well as celebrations of a momentous scale. For a time things were good.

Now, Dak'i enjoyed stringing and re-stringing the beads on his necklace and would do this often throughout the day, listening as each bead sung in unique strange tones. One day, as the children were playing, Abi'oye youngest daughter-child captured one of the beads in her mouth, swallowing it as children are wont to do.

Now Dak'i, heart filled with the bitterness of indignation, saw his chance to enact his vengeance. And so, he demanded his bead be retrieved from Abi'oye’s daughter. Abi'oye sought to sooth his brother, pleading that the bead would be retrieved from the young girl when it passed through her system. But Dak'i was adamant he wanted it NOW, echoing the demands of his brother earlier. Seeing he had no choice but that which his brother was insinuating, Abi'oye was forced to slay his two year old daughter by his hand.

The bead was retrieved, but a shadow had been cast over the people of Yoku. Abi'oye could not recover from the grief of losing his daughter, and could not live with his brother and so they parted ways. Those of Dak'i left northwards whilst those of Abi'oye stayed back, moving south and east. This was done in the hopes that further fracturing of the people of Yoku could be prevented.

But Abi'oye could not forgive his brother, and entered the ancestral home of the spirits, that of the stone of Orichalc. Therein he concocted insane plans in dark and secret rooms. Utilising the connection with his ancestors, and the power granted as eldest of the people, the dead rose to fight again. A soul sickness that poisoned the lands to the north for many years, covering the land in an unnatural fog. When it finally cleared the land was revealed to have been struck barren and the people, to survive, had used the power of the Orichalc Shehai to tear themselves from the cursed ones. Since then, the followers of Abi'oye were known as those of the Lefthand.

Author's Note: This tale was taken from a travelling storyteller across my brief stay in Hammerfell and edited into this book you see here before you. It appears to tell the story of how the 'Lefthanded Elves' came to be, yet at the same time implies that the Redguards of Hammerfell are actually a kind of bastardised Aldmeri form. A claim any true Ra Gada would vehemently object to. When pressed for more details the elderly woman would not explain any more, calling upon ancient gods in Old Yoku.