Valemon

We whisper together in the cave, keeping our voices down to avoid filling the space with annoying echoes. Talking with this Lyra storyteller is a real pleasure as he seems to have a thousand stories in his pack… as well as thousands more historic and fictional anecdotes. Of course, there's no proof to support the truth of his tales, but it's a joy to immerse myself in the legends he's learned by heart and that he can share around the fire – or while walking through the bowels of a vast glacier, like we're doing now. I had never crossed paths with him in the Ouroboros, but this chance encounter with his expedition had been a stroke of luck and a genuine blessing. Suddenly, however, something catches my attention, and I place my hand on my companion's arm to ask him to be quiet for a moment. There's a tenuous sound, seemingly from far away.

I hear a dull pounding, followed by breathless shouts. The storyteller listens too and furrows his brow. The cries seem to be coming from behind a thick barrier of ice, which is blocking our path to the source of this apparent call for help. I quickly consider our options and decide to call on the Bear King Valemon, who should be more than strong enough to break open this icy cell. I place my Glyphs on the walls, and the old white bear materializes within the translucent veil with his front paws extended. By sheer force of will, he twists and deforms the ice. I step back and take cover, of course. The ice sublimates in a sudden cloud of steam, opening a narrow passage to the other side. Let's hurry – someone needs our help.

In the Norwegian folktale Kvitebjørn Kong Valemon, collected in the 19th century, Valemon is a king cursed by a witch to become a polar bear. A king's daughter falls in love with him despite his appearance and journeys to the witch's castle to free Valemon from her clutches. Together they develop a plan to get rid of the witch and her followers, and with a bit of clever trickery, they succeed.

WARU

393 AC