“He walked naked into our midst, his pale skin covered in blue lines. Runes and symbols, words written in lost, forbidden tongues, intricate labyrinthine patterns—all these ran along his body, covering his skin from crown to sole. They say that Uagan, rune-master of the gods, designed the pattern, drawing on the forgotten lore of sunken Anturr.”
In this first instalment of The Lorebook, we meet Saorlach, the demigod son of Gaillag, and the main antagonist in Son of the Thunder Goddess.
Gaillag is one of many gods that make up the Divine Council of the Sutathar. Yet the gods are constantly at one another’s throats, and Gaillag has grown tired of sharing authority with the others. She concocts a scheme to seize more power, a plan centered on her son Saorlach whom she bore to the mortal king Clubhar of Centiros.
Gaillag approaches one of her lovers, Uagan, rune-master of the gods, and convinces him to design a pattern of protective tattoos for Saorlach. Uagan, drawing on the forgotten lore of accursed Anturr, covers Saorlach’s body from crown to sole in runes and symbols, words written in lost, forbidden tongues, and intricate labyrinthine patterns. Gaillag also convinces another lover, Gobban, smith of the Sutathar, to fashion Duleònar, the “god-maimer,” a sword capable of killing gods.
Gaillag brings her son to the Council of the Sutathar atop Mount Urra and tells them that he is now to be considered a god. They all mock her to scorn, especially Hebbac, the god of falcons, who is vicious in his mockery. Gaillag ignores him and invites the other gods to try to harm her son. Saorlach’s magical tattoos protect him from every attack, and the gods are filled with wonder when they are unable to kill him. Then Gaillag instructs her son to try out his new sword on Hebbac. Saorlach runs the blade through Hebbac’s heart, tearing the god’s soul from his body. The others are aghast at what Gaillag and her son have done. No mortal man has ever drawn divine blood before. They turn on her and tell her to take her son away.
“Hebbac bled as only mortal man should bleed. And as his lifeblood poured out, and he fell dying to his knees, his eyes were wide with shock.”
Gaillag brings Saorlach back to Centiros and leaves the god-killing sword in his keeping. When he comes of age, Saorlach takes command of his father’s fearsome warriors. He begins to rampage, looting and murdering, burning villages and impaling the common people on stakes. His plan is to conquer all the lands of Moralann, ruling over them as king. One day, he will come for the gods themselves. And Gaillag will reign as Queen of the Sutathar.
If you’d like to see what happens to Saorlach next, check out Son of the Thunder Goddess today.
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