The Butcher's Mushroom

The legend of a greedy administrator causing a disaster on their mining grounds.

Summary

A mining settlement was lead by a coldhearted and greedy administrator. One day she decided to expand the mining grounds towards the Plains of Sparkling Colors in search of greater riches. But besides the usable resources, these plains contained deposits of explosive rocks which frequently led to accidents among the miners.
The injured people were treated by a gentle, generous healer who was loved by everyone in the settlement. One day when he watered the mushrooms from which he made his ointments, he saw the mushrooms transform into fiery plumes, similar to those of larger fire crystals blowing up. The insects crawling across the soil began to look like people running away in terror. The fungal fibers on the soil made it look like frost covered the ground. The healer told the administrator what he had seen, but she only laughed at him and told him to go back to his patients.
One evening in early winter when the sunlight was nearly gone, an unfortunate accident caused the whole site to blow up in a massive fireball. All the miners working that shift were killed, and way back in the settlement, many buildings were destroyed by the blast wave. The smoke from the explosion rose up the clouds, spreading like the cap of a mushroom.
The furious settlers started comparing the administrator to a butcher, saying she treated the workers as nothing more than cattle that she could murder for her own gain. The administrator herself was deeply shocked when she realized how many people had died in that explosion and how many families were grieving. She stopped leaving her home and the settlement fell into poverty, both because the mining activity had stopped and because the administrator no longer sold their resources to the caravans.
Eventually, the healer pointed out to her that exiling herself would not bring the dead miners back. So she went out to face the angry crowd and publicly apologized. The healer supported her, calming the people down and reminding them that everyone had the right to learn from mistakes. The settlement was moved to a poorer but safer location. Together with the healer, the administrator sought ways to protect the miners from the previously common injuries. She also learned how to tend to the mushrooms and married the healer. The two of them lead the settlement into an age of prosperity.

Historical Basis

The Rul have been mining close to Hazu Kalpasu since the beginning of the metalworking age, and possibly even before that. However, due to the instable nature of Mustik Kogli and, to some degree, Hazu Ropuru, it is impossible to find traces of any mining settlements from the Era of the First Civilization.

Spread

As all Nuorian legends that survived past the Final War, they were compiled in the Tales from the Southern Shore.

Cultural Reception

During the First Civilization

Unsurprisingly, this particular legend was especially popular among miners all over Hazu Kalpasu. It was usually taken at face value and used as a cautionary tale about handling the dangerous fire crystals with great care.

During the Final War

When the conflict between the Rilanga Union and the Ran-E-Zu Confederation began to escalate, there were a number of scientists and politicians who warned about the disastrous consequences that this war could have. Most of them were either publicly shamed, removed from their positions or even executed. The Guardians of Identity who hid the eponymous devices compared this attitude to "the butcher laughing about the mushroom".

During the Era of Recovery

Among the Rilsu, retellings of this legend like to stress how the administrator had learned her lession from this terrible mistake. They usually include the phrase "dotengi e palru golkiz" ("in destruction lies a lesson") which is the motto of the Rilsu World Republic.

by Kathrin Janowski

Date of First Recording

489 NZR

Telling / Prose

The Butcher's Mushroom

Related Ethnicities

• Nuora

Related Locations

• Hazu Kalpasu
• Hazu Ropuru

by Kathrin Janowski

by Kathrin Janowski

English

In destruction exists a lesson.

— motto of the Rilsu World Republic

Rile

Dotengi e palru golkiz.

— Rokosasmi Rilsu lu kenda

Rile

Dotengi e palru golkiz.

— Rokosasmi Rilsu lu kenda

Further Reading