All for Love
After Grand Wright Korak departed from the dwarves, he came to the aid of his half-brother Maal, building for him a magnificent subterranean realm, where all the dead might be judged, and live on, if they were not reborn. He set down in that realm a great forge fire, in which flawed souls might be remade at the pleasure of the gods. Though it is rare, from time to time Korak will go to his half-brother’s realm to mend a broken spirit.
After building Maal’s realm, Clever Handed Korak returned to the mortal world and began to travel with his
cousin, Darmon. Both went in disguise and taught the races of mortals many secrets, such as the making of steel, and the secret of arches. The Lord of Wrights came to be very fond of both his half-brother and his cousin, bringing them together on many adventures. They were the sons of an ancient conflict and their mothers opposed each other often, but Master Korak forged a friendship between himself, Maal, and Darmon, that lasts to this day.
Thus, the three quested together, searching for a wife for Maal, and they were known by gods and mortals both as the Three Companions. In this quest, they came upon the Three Sisters, and Korak Hammer Hand fell madly in love with the guardian of the trees, Thellyne the Huntress. There are many tales of his efforts to woo the lady of the wood, but the grandest is the tale of the seven impossible labors.
After years of Korak’s courting, Thellyne the Huntress determined a way to be rid of him. She demanded of him seven impossible labors, to prove his love. If he succeeded, she would marry him. Master Korak readily agreed. First, she asked him to make the woods of the world more beautiful, so he journeyed far and wide, coating every leaf of every tree in a thin layer of gold. Thus leaves turn gold every year, to remember Korak’s journey, and it is why a thin layer of metal applied to a surface is called a “leaf,” by craftsmen.
Next, she demanded a sign of endless love. So Korak made a perfect ring of gold, for rings have neither beginning nor end, and a perfect circle provides no waypoint at which a journey may stop, so love might circle endlessly. Though she did not accept the gift, mortals still exchange rings as signs of never-ending love.
Next the Huntress asked the Grand Wright to find her a creature that travels neither by walking on land, nor by swimming in water, nor by flying in the air. Master Korak went to the mountains and found one of the great dragons, whose name was Ouroboros. He took away its legs and wings, so that it could only slither on the ground. He called the new creature a snake.
But Thellyne was not pleased with the snake, and said she wanted it to be a different color. So, for his fourth labor, the King of the Crucible taught the snake to change its skin, and thus, snakes shed their skins in remembrance. Korak left the snake to its own devices. It retreated to its mountain home, where it eventually grew so big it began to gnaw on its own tail. There are many legends about the fate of Ouroboros, but they need not be spoken here.
For the fifth labor, Thellyne pointed to a sad-looking creature: a reptile that crept from a hole in the earth. It ran swiftly, but not as fast as the rains, which washed away its home. The reptile raced in circles, lost, until a wolf happened by and gobbled the miserable creature up. “Those lizards, the turtles, are the fastest creatures in the world, and dear to me. They would be happy, but they keep losing their homes. Make them homes with no doors, but which keep them safe; and which might be moved anywhere, but can never be lost.” Master Korak decided to make them shells to carry on their backs, as he had seen snails do. He had trouble hitting upon the right shell. First, he created one of lapis and chalcedony, but it would not keep the turtles safe, since everyone would want to steal them. This shell he gave to his cousin, Aymara, and from it she fashioned the first lyre, upon which she plays to this day. The next shell he made was of steel and adamantine, but it was too heavy for the poor little creatures. This he gave to Thellyne’s sister, Canelle, and she wears it as a breastplate.
Finally, he crafted a shell like the shells of the sea, coloring it green like the wood to please Thellyne. He bound these to the turtles’ backs and bellies, so they were safe and never lost their homes, no matter where they went. But the shells were heavy, and the once-swift turtles grew ponderous.
Now despairing that Korak would complete all the labors, and she would have to marry him, Thellyne demanded that Korak bring her the most beautiful thing in the world. This labor took many years, for the Lord of Wrights had seen many delightful things on his travels, and could not say which was most beautiful of all. At last, talking to his cousin Aymara, he determined what it was, and returned to Thellyne, empty- handed. “I bring you my love, for love is the most beautiful thing in the world,” he told her, and she wept, for she knew he was right.
It was therefore time for the final labor to be decreed, and a weeping Thellyne did not know how to break free from her obligation. So she asked Master Korak to give her what she most desired. Beholding her there, weeping, the Lord of Wrights knew that she most desired freedom from their bargain.
He gave it to her, thus completing the seven impossible labors, but he did not win Thellyne’s hand. For that he continues to strive, proving his love for the Mistress of the Wood whenever and however he may.
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