Southern Exalt

THE PRIMORDIAL WAR Then, Ahlat was summoned into the presence of the Unconquered Sun. The great Celestial Incarna was looking for champions, heroes whom he could raise up for coming battles — with whom, the god did not say. Ahlat knew, however. The rumors circulated widely in Creation that the Incarna thought ceaselessly of the Games of Divinity. The Unconquered Sun explained that he had already spoken to Bright Spearpoint, but that the Hunter God seemed a fool. Would Ahlat support the new order in Creation? Ahlat would. Now, there were many bands of herders on the plains of the South. Each band had its herd of cattle, from which it harvested milk and blood and meat and leather — always offering a share of its goods to the Anklok. The Southern Dragon Kings took what was offered, of course, and sometimes more. From what re- mained of their goods, men made offerings to Ahlat as their god of cattle — always small offerings, but enough to keep Ahlat happy and well fed on prayers. Ahlat materialized and made his presence known to his shamans and priests in the herding bands. He com- manded them to offer a new sacrifice: the hecatomb, the whole offering of 100 cattle. None of the bands Ahlat chose were large enough to offer 100 cattle and survive on the remainder. Some turned away from Ahlat’s directive and paid for it. Whenever the Cattle God needed to appear a second or third time, he used his powers to lay waste to the tribes’ herds with terrible sicknesses or bargained with local water gods to dry up their sources for a time. Other tribes of herders instantly understood what the god com- manded and recognized that Ahlat did not intend for them to die by killing all their cattle. They went to war, instead. All over the South, tribe marched on tribe to steal cattle for the hecatomb sacrifices, slaying other herders and driving off their cows. The more cunning tribes built walls of mud-brick and founded villages within them, to better protect their animals. Others innovated, develop- ing short bows and swords of metal and obsidian to fight off invaders or to attack their neighbors. The number of gods proliferated in order to watch over the new technologies and new centers of human settlement. Some peoples planted seeds in the ground to secure for themselves and their cattle a reliable food source so they did not have to herd their cattle through dangerous country from one waterhole to another. And heroes arose. The cattle raids turned into outright battles, the battles turned into brush wars, and the brush wars turned into raging conflicts lasting for generations. The warriors in every tribe, people, clan, city-state and country turned to their bravest, most courageous, most patriotic and most cunning to defend house and home and cattle against raiders — and to take the cattle and land of their enemies.