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The Sealing of Katuasakona

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The Sealing of Katuasakona

by Bofford Bonkbottle, The Chapel of Flint.

 

In the time before the gods, chaos reigned absolutely. The world was dominated by monstrous creatures of immense size and power, it's not known where they came from but we do know that they are immortal and rival the gods in power. These beings are often known as Elder Gods.

It would have been impossible for civilisation to take hold in the time of the Elder Gods; any attempt at order would have drawn their wrath. The older races of the world, elves and dwarves, lived in scattered communities and clung to life by staying hidden. The dwarves fled deep beneath the earth, and the elves found shelter in the deep forests and the edges of the Feywild. It was the birth of humankind and thus their gods which spelled the end of the Elder Gods; these young human gods were as tenacious as those who worshipped them, and they saw the chaos as a threat to their loyal followers.

It was learned early on that the Elder Gods could not be destroyed, the only hope was banishment to far away realms or sealing with old and potent magic. Most of the story of how each Elder God was conquered has fallen into myth and legend, and are near impossible to verify. My life's work has been to research these myths and draw truth from them. One of the earliest I explored was Katuasakona, or "The Chained One In The Deep".

Katuasakona, though able to move on land, preferred to dwell in the depths of the ocean, commanding legions of monsters and terrors under it's thrall. Travel by sea was impossible in these dark times, nothing escaped the great one's watchful eye.

Each of the gods played their part in the banishment of the Elder Gods, but Katuasakona was seen as a greater threat to Gordel (The Wild), and Jofur (The Storm Bringer). These deities of wild places and storms saw an opportunity to claim the seas as their domain and set their plan in motion.

Their first confrontation was not successful, the young gods underestimated the power of Katuasakona and were cast aside like rag dolls. Forced to retreat, they realised that their quarry was too powerful to be fought head-on – they must outsmart it. Being too proud to admit their initial defeat, Gordel and Jofur did not approach their kin, but set a second plan in motion themselves.

The pair travelled to The Plane of Water, an endless ocean and a place of power for Katuasakona. It was journey fraught with danger, their aim was to find a place where Katuasakona would feel at ease and begin construction of a shrine. They found a rocky and remote island and set to work carving an altar. They worked dilligently, their aim was to convince the Elder God that they had seen the error of their ways, and that the carving of the altar was an act of deference. They decorated the rocks with images of Katuasakona's victories, and domination of the sea.

Their work did not escape Katuasakona's attention for long. With curiosity piqued, the Great tentacled behemoth approached the island. When it was within mere feet of the altar, the two younger gods began their assault. Huge chains forged by Jofur sprang from the water around the island, twisting their way around Katuasakona's enormous form. Gordel began chanting ancient magics to bind and seal, severing Katuasakona's connection to the sea around it and siphoning off power.

Siphoned power does not disappear. Gordel had selected a sapphire with unmatched quality as a conduit, it was filled with all of Katuasakona's rage and destructive influence, and as it's body became weak the golden chains dragged it into the depths. The endless ocean around the island grew calm, and the armies of sea creatures under Katuasakona's thrall were freed.

It is said that Gordel and Jofur took this stone and entrusted it to their followers. It could never be destroyed, as it contained far too much raw power, and so it must be kept far from the Elder God's island prison. Despite my best attempts, I have been unable to locate this stone.

Thousands of years passed, the very name of Katuasakona faded from the collective memory of the world, and the oceans were conquered by creatures of the land. Trade blossomed, and with the banishment of many other Elder Gods, civilisations were allowed to form.

If only this was the end of the story, but alas it is not. The magic used to seal Katuasakona was imperfect – without the aid of their brethren the two gods had not considered every possible method that might be used to escape such bonds. Their pride had caused them to slip up.

Slowly Katuasakona regained some of it's power. Centuries passed before it was able to communicate with nearby creatures. The beasts of the sea around it became enthralled and would do the Elder God's bidding but with limited ability themselves. Millenia passed before finally The Chained One In The Deep became aware of another consciousness nearby, a lost sailor had found the island and dragged himself to the shore to rest.

Katuasakona worked quickly to enslave this newcomer to their island. They promised great riches, infinite power, and a place by their side. Enthralled, and lacking any other option, the sailor was ready to serve. The elder god spent the last of the strength it had built over the last thousand years to impress upon it's follower an image of the gem that held it's power. It also constructed a compass, magical in nature, which would always point to Lehen Kartzela – Katuasakona's island prison. This way the sailor could find his way back.

The identity of the sailor and how we left that island are lost to history, but escape he did. During my years of travel and research I finally came across his compass in the hands of a cult. How it came to be in my possession is a story for another time, but suffice to say I made many enemies that day. The compass must never fall into the hands of one of Katuasakona's thralls, it would spell the end of days.