Mary walked into the reception area of St. Catherine’s Library and presented her temporary Library Card to the young receptionist, a Danielle according to her nametag, and asked if she could speak with Dr Bradbury. Unfortunately, he was currently busy but he asked another librarian, a Jamil Hassan if he could assist her. Mary was directed up two long flights of stairs to a study covered floor-to-ceiling with shelves filled to overflowing with antique books, just some of the chamber’s many treasures.
Mr Hassan was a tall, very handsome man with neatly trimmed black hair and a beard but without a moustache, which somehow suited his elegant African features. He wore an immaculate suit, decorated silk waistcoat and matching tie and, despite being indoors, a camelhair coat. He had spats over his shoes of all things.
“How may we help you?” Jamil politely asked, after introducing himself. Mary hesitated for a second, “Are you aware of ah, my earlier session with Dr Bradbury?” He nodded, “Bradbury has made me aware of your concerns about the apparent partial mystical transformation of your teammate. How specifically can we help you?”
Mary explained that she needed assistance with a couple of things. She wanted to know about some spells that she had a suspicion might prove useful; could the library help her to “improvise a ritual” to mimic what Akira had once done with a spell called the “Wondrous Working of Weyan”? She explained that Akira had used just such a spell to drain an area of all mystical energy though perhaps there might be other spells that were a bit less ‘nuclear’ she might have prepared as alternatives?
Jamil smiled. “I think we can do that. There are also a series of spells that might be useful to have primed and ready called the Magic of the Modrossus, which is a collection of spells invoking the power of the Triluminary and includes a nullify magic spell. It’s not as effective as The Wonderous Working but had the advantage that it is directed at a specific target.
The Modrossus is an amalgam of three potent mystic entities: Abbridon, Heshem, and Lamal, often depicted as a glowing being with three heads: male, female, and androgyne, or a lion, a serpent, and an eagle, each with a glowing rune on its forehead. The Modrossus is the single greatest force for positive and protective magic known to earthly magicians, and they often invoke its name and power in their duties.”
Jamil pulled out a glittering pair of Pince-nez spectacles, placed them on the bridge of his nose and stared at Mary for a couple of minutes without speaking. Eventually he said, “Your personal mana is low, it’s unlikely you would be able to use more than one spell before it drains you. You will need to decide which spell, the Wonderous Working or Modrossus’, would be your best option to have ready prepared and primed. Now you said you needed a couple of things?”
“I also need to know more about this Yig and especially any enemies it may have?”
Jamil sat down on a sofa opposite Mary and explained, “Yig is complex and a lot of information about him is contradictory. Yig is known as the Father of Serpents and is considered to be one of the Great Old Ones. He acts as a god who supposedly sends his minions/children out to punish all who have murdered a snake by either killing or turning them into a snake-like creature such as himself. He is the father of Ayi’ig and the mate of the outer god Yidhra.
Even though Yig is easy to anger, Yig is also supposedly easy to please, as I said contradictory.
Some identify him with the Stygian serpent god Set and with the Great Serpent worshipped by the Serpent Men. Have you ever seen a serpent man or possibly a picture of one? They are long necked, fork-tongued, lack lids over their eyes. Yig on the other hand has been described as ‘shapen like a man, except ye look at him clost.’ Yig is said to be half-anthropomorphic appearing to be like a man or at least some form of hybrid serpent-human unless apparently viewed closely, the half-human father of serpents. Other texts describe him as ‘manifesting as a gigantic snake with the arms of a man.’
What is certain is that Yig is considered to be the god of snakes and serpents everywhere and his character is arbitrary and capricious. Though typically well-disposed to those who honour him and all serpents, he punishes those who would harm snakes. After suitable tortures, Yig’s victims were supposedly transformed into spotted snakes.
He apparently feels a fierce devotion to his ‘children.’ and in some native cultures, Yig was said to become unusually ravenous in the autumn, in response the natives would conduct orgies in lonely places, accompanied by the ceaseless beating of tom-toms, then when the corn harvest came, the Indians would give Yig some corn, and dance in proper regalia to the sound of whistle, rattle, and drum in order to pacify him.
Other tribes believed that Yig had to be driven away by means of suitable rites and the beating of the drums which supposedly kept Yig away as they called upon Tirawa, the father of humanity to aid them.
No, I do not have the actual rituals and I’m not sure how effective they would be in reality. Though I do wonder if Yig might be affected by vibrations?
According to some ancient texts here in the Library, in times long passed, Yig and his then-mate Coatlicue ruled the crimson cavern of Yoth beneath the subterranean land of K’n-yan, where the two were worshipped as gods by the denizens of Yoth, the Serpent Men. This arrangement came to an end when the Serpent Men transferred their veneration to another god, and mighty Yig placed his curse upon them. No idea what that curse was though.
The Old Ones of K’n-yan regarded Yig as the principle of life symbolized as the Father of all Serpents; their cryptic shrines to Yig were apparently lavish and remarkable and in ancient Mu, T’yog believed that Yig was among the gods friendly to man, who might one day take sides with us against Ghatanothoa, a sort of cosmic medusa.
Yig is also thought to be the deity responsible for the legends of the Kukulcan and Quetzalcoatl as worshipped by native tribes in Central and South America and some other civilisations have identified Yig as Set.
Now Set was a god of the desert, storms, disorder, violence, and foreigners in ancient Egyptian religion. In Ancient Greek, the god’s name is given as Sēth.
Set had a positive role where he accompanied Ra on his solar boat to repel Apep, the serpent of Chaos. Set had a vital role as a reconciled combatant. In Egyptian mythology, Set is portrayed as the usurper who killed and mutilated his own brother Osiris. Osiris’ wife Isis reassembled (remembered) Osiris’ corpse and resurrected her dead husband long enough to conceive his son and heir Horus. Horus sought revenge upon Set, and the myths describe their conflicts. This Osiris myth is a prominent theme in Egyptian mythology.
The Greeks would later associate Set with Typhon, a monstrous and evil force of raging nature. Both were sons of deities representing the Earth (Gaia and Geb) who attacked the principal deities. Set has also been classed as a trickster deity who, as a god of disorder, resorted to deception to achieve bad ends
Ah, now Ayi’ig is the daughter of Yig and the Outer Goddess Yidhra appearing as an octopus-like monstrosity with serpentine eyes and tentacles who apparently dwells in a cavern within a deep canyon somewhere. Her appearance is often connected with Yig’s.
That’s all the information I have on Yig, sorry. I think that invoking him is something we would strongly advise against.
Now would you like me to help you prepare the Wonderous Working? Ah, you follow the Celtic school of the Arts don’t you? Then can I make some recommendations as to how to best prepare yourself in advance? It’s a case of creating the right frame of mind and being ready to summon the spell forth at a minutes notice with a word and a gesture…”
Several hours later back at the BASEment
Mary was finally ready to discuss her chaotic thoughts with the other surviving members of the team, and explain what she’s been doing. “The Library’s been very helpful – I think. I know a lot more about Yig now -perhaps too much – certainly a lot of it is contradictory, but that maybe says something about Yig hisself; somewhat unpredictable, not entirely dark, pops up under a lot of different names in different cultures, going way, way back, apparently to pre-human times.
So, part of the mystery is why Akira would have afflicted himself with this, which is usually regarded as Yig’s punishment for those who injure serpent-kind. It doesn’t seem to involve any benefits, only suffering and slavery as far as anyone can tell. Anyone got any ideas for Akira’s motives?”
She shrugged. “Anyway, I have some things prepared that may help to counteract what’s happening to him – though if, or how, they might work I’m not too sure. But, one thing it maybe that Yig hisself is sensitive to vibrations, like drumming for instance. Not sure we want to be carrying big bass drums around with us, but Sam, I reckon with your weight and strength you could work up a good loud sound just by stamping rhythmically, and/or pounding with your fists? Mace, maybe you could come up with something techy on the same lines? It kind of makes sense, because snakes crawling on the ground wouldn’t be too keen on the earth tickling their tummies so.”
Superhero Adventures, UK Style 