Uk and Oll, World Myth and Background Options

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Uk and Oll

There is a tale told from so long ago of two craftsmen, brothers Uk and Oll, or in some tales, Tuk and Ol. They loved to craft, to build and to experiment with their craft. Tuk, specialised in the building of Towers and Oll in the building of bridges. And, as is often the way of brothers they were somewhat competitive, each seeking to build something greater than the other, to prove that their particular art was the more worthy and their skill superior to the other.

Uk, for his part created a mighty tower, so high that it broke the heavens, whilst Oll created a bridge so fine and expansive that it crossed the worlds, however their harmonious lives were to be disrupted by their very skills. For where Uk’s Tower breached the heavens it broke into a place it should not. A place where dark, dark forces had been cast and exiled. Forces that ever sought to return to the world they had been banished from by whatever means. These dark decayed bodiless shadows of once greater men were known as The Eth'Aderacht.

The Eth’Aderacht swarmed down Uk’s tower into his world, possessing his people and taking control of them. On entering the world they discovered Oll’s people and saw a way to end the banishment imposed on them by The Laiu. Oll and his people knew the greatest secrets of bridges, of their construction, their mystic use and how they could cross the worlds. They even realised that Oll’s great bridge could return them to Primus and so they sought to enslave Oll’s people and so they set the people of Uk to hunt down the people of Oll.

Oll, fearing for his people and realising the dangers the Eth’Aderacht posed to the many worlds had his people flee across the great world bridge and he left last. Taking his Great Hammer he smote each span as he crossed it, quite literally “breaking his bridge” to prevent the Eth’Aderacht from following.

Eventually the people of Oll reached a world far beyond the direct touch of the Eth’Aderacht but Oll was both wise and cautious and knew that the skills of his people with Bridges would forever make them a target for those that served or might grow to serve the Eth’Aderacht. With great sadness Oll took from his people their wit and cast it away, denying them the true knowledge of Bridges, leaving them with diminished intellect but somewhat safer from the depredations of The Eth’Aderacht.

And that, some say is how the Trolls came to find themselves on our world and why even today many a Troll, without understanding, will venerate bridges and travellers. Of course, the tale of what happened to Uk and his people, the Ggrutuck is for another day…