Fragments from the Elura Tales

In these fragments from Elura Stories, Mianmo gives us a teasing glimpse at the stories told about the mother of the sa-elurae, quite possibly told by the sa-elurae themselves. But some historical context is important to understand both the stories and Mianmo herself.

While sa-elurae could be found as enterprising individuals in places as far afield as Glamour and Nochet, archeological evidence suggests that their communities were centered on the northern bank of the Stream, particularly at Duck Point, Quackford, Bayberry and Clearwine. (Note that while these communities were close to Beast Valley, they were outside it; the sa-elurae were distinguished from the elurae of Beast Valley by their choice to live among humans, rather than treating them solely as somewhat dimwitted entertainment.) While all sa-elurae were by birth members of the cult of the primordial fox goddess Vusalka (who was likely the Vuskaratha of Middle Sea Empire texts), they were also strongly associated in Sartar with the trade-cults of Issaries and Etyries, who they called Etyries Goodears and claimed as one of their own; with the cult of Donandar the Entertainer, particularly the Puppeteer Troupe; and Ernalda-Uleria, Ernalda in her aspect as the Great Lover.

These associations, along with their inability to breed with humans (without proper dispensation from Ernalda-Uleria) despite very active libidos, led to the sa-elurae being stereotyped as untrustworthy sex workers among the Heortling tribes of southern Kerofinela. Stories abounded of how sa-elurae merchants would lift their tails to sweeten a deal, and how their musicians were more than happy to accommodate “private performances”; we have records from the Blue House in Boldhome that suggest the priestess “Kellys Brightbrow,” a top earner from 1616 to 1626, was a sa-elurae using a natural talent for mimicry for her scandalous performances. 

In the margin of one of her manuscripts, Mianmo wrote: “my tunic embroidered NOT A MEMBER OF THE CULT OF LANBRIL is provoking many questions already answered by the tunic.” As no such piece of clothing was found in her tomb, it is unclear as to whether this was another one of her jokes— but it is similarly revealing. The thief-cult was associated with Illusion, after all, and the sa-elurae were forced to the margins of society. Would it have been surprising if some turned to the cult as just another way to make a living?

Perhaps it would be surprising in the Kingdom of Sartar, given their loyalty to the kingdom’s legendary founder, a shocking polestar for these mercurial beast-women. (In them we can see a feminine echo of the wild Telmori bodyguards of the Princes of Sartar.) While overlooked by Fazzur Wideread’s Duck Hunt, many sa-elurae risked their hides to act as Duck smugglers, and Lunar tax forms reveal some fox woman pelts were mixed in with the dead Ducks. They are on the margins of the tales of rebellion against the Lunars from 1602 to 1625: as daring smugglers, as spies in Lunar caravans and command posts, as messengers and facilitators for rebel warbands. Perhaps it was in this context that Mianmo had interactions with the Haraborn clan, the core of the famed Company of the Dragon.

(Translator’s note: the use of “sales” below may seem anachronistic; Mianmo used a New Pelorian loanword here, which had developed similar connotations among the Heortlings at the time of her writing.)

When Hykim counted all eight hundred animals, he came up with eight hundred and one every time.

“What are you saying, Hykim?” Elura said. “I’ve been here the whole time.”

The lesson: never admit to anything.

^v^

When the Machine was counting all the pieces of the world, there was a hole in the shape of a fox and a woman; so it sent sages to Elura’s tula to find out why it was so and which she was.

“What are you guys, sheriffs?” Elura said. “Get off my tula.”

The lesson: if they don’t tell you they’re sheriffs, you can get the whole case tossed out on a technicality.

^v^

When the dragons woke, and the sky was made out of dragons, and the valleys were flooded with fire, the little dragons hunted men. No one could escape the Dragon King and his backwards hawks; everyone they caught was burnt to a crisp, or else slit from throat to stomach.

When they came to Elura, she stuck her tongue out. Then she rolled over and waggled her paws in the air. So they rode on by, and didn’t bother to look inside her tula.

The lesson: no one asks hard questions of a soft tummy.

^v^

Vinakin the Sage stood before King Tumak Broadbelt and spoke for a day and a night on the duty of a king to have good, strong sons and pious daughters, for the benefit of the tribe.

“That might be so,” Elura said, “but has anyone seen any rats around here lately?”

The lesson: know when to change the subject.

^v^

One day, Elura’s cunning daughter came to the clearing where Elura was sunning herself in trollglasses, and expressed dissatisfaction with the shape of the world, with the fact that people had things that she did not, and that it was impossible to get good conversation out of satyrs.

“Ety, darling,” Elura said, “have you ever considered a career in sales?”

The lesson: leverage your strengths, and the Moon is the limit.

^v^

The Necromancer befouled the waters, made soft and rotten the land, raised the dead to a false life, and squatted in the midst of his desolation.

“Scenic views,” Elura said. “You’ll barely need a shovel to dig latrines, and you can do whatever you want to the neighbors!”

The lesson: everything is valuable to someone.

^v^

Vinakin the Sage stood before King Tumak Broadbelt and told him that Woman Like A Fox was always looking for the man who could give her a son, and that she would always be incomplete without one.

Elura fell out of her chair, caught her breath, then started laughing harder.

The lesson: look him in the eyes and beg him for a son, and he’ll redouble his efforts.

^v^

Ironhoof sent word ahead that he was sending Elura a man looking for a concession; and to bless him if he was worthy, and to eat him if he was not. “I think you will find his magic stronger”; those were Ironhoof’s words. So Elura dressed herself in the skins and beads and bones of a great magician, and of it made the silk gown of a lady of dead Jrustela. She found herself a dank cave to lurk in, barely tall enough for her, and of it made a grand hall worthy of queens and the daughters of queens. She poured the heads of mice and the tails of snakes into a pot, and of it made a hearty stew for champions; and the boards were heaped with clay bread and the haunches of dogs, which she made worthy of kings. Then she waited with her tail tucked around her as a belt.

When that man arrived with his companions, Elura curtseyed, radiant. “What do you think? Am I not beautiful, my guest?”

“You are radiant,” that one said, and kissed the back of her hand. “Only, fool that I am— I suppose I will have to throw away the gift I brought for you.” And one of his companions brought forth a casket, and when that one opened it, inside was a gown even more beautiful, and when Elura looked closer with the eye that could not be fooled by any of her daughters, there it still was.

“W-e-ll,” she said, covering her mouth in dismissal, “I suppose I will accept it, if only to spare your feelings.”

Then, she gestured into the mouth of the cave. “Will you not come into my house and share of my hospitality, then?”

“I would be honored,” that one said. “Only, fool that I am— I suppose I shall have to tear down the gift I made for you.” And one of his companions put down his tools, and Elura saw a hall even more grand than the one that she had made, and when Elura looked closer with the eye that could not be fooled by any of her daughters, there it still was.

“W-e-ll,” she said, covering her mouth in dismissal, “I suppose I will accept it, if only to spare your feelings.”

Then she had his companions go and fetch the meal that she had prepared for them, and spread it at the table in that newbuilt hall. “Come, let us break bread together and eat our fill,” she said. “Will you not join me?”

“I would be honored,” that one said. “Only, fool that I am— I suppose I will have to throw out the gift I cooked for you.” And his companions opened their pots and barrels, and inside was a feast seasoned with Esrolian spices, and Elura found that she was drooling, and when Elura looked closer with the eye that could not be fooled by any of her daughters, there it still was.

“W-e-ll,” she said, covering her mouth in dismissal, “I suppose I will accept it, if only to spare your feelings.” And then she ate her fill, and there was enough left over for the next day even so.

“I have given you three gifts,” that one said, clasping her hand in hands that never held a sword. “All I ask in return, Lady Elura, is that you be my bed-wife, and let me raise our children.”

Then she laughed in his face. “If you know my name,” she said, cackling, “you know that I have never given a man children, though a thousand have tried to fill my belly.”

“Then none of them tried hard enough,” that one said softly, and she made very dignified noises in answer, and her tail lifted all by itself. But instead that one knelt in supplication and said: “This is how we begin in Esrolia.” And her noises grew even more refined, and they still echo in that place today.

And Elura called that one a fool, after, but with kindness in her voice; and she gave that one the White Jewel to bring back to Ironhoof as a sign of her concession. But that one smiled and said to her: “You will bear my children, though you will not think they are mine at first; not until they reveal themselves. Then you will give them leave to come to my country and learn my ways.”

And ever afterwards, among Elura’s daughters there are ones who leave the fine house of their mother and come among the peltless peoples, not hiding their ears or tail, and they say: “we have come to learn that one’s ways.” And because of this, we are named sa-elurae.