Book VIII: Ajax the Freemaker
Chapter 3: Let My People Go
So what happened with Ajax?
Having convinced the man to follow the voice of the mystery god all the way to the mountains that bordered Gor, I let him suffer for a bit before finally revealing myself as Rhokki. Since he’d never heard or seen the lumenarc before, and since Rhokki’s presence was indeed impressive, Ajax had no other choice but to accept the ruse.
Eventually, I revealed the truth about his past to him. As you can imagine, things didn’t go over well when Ajax had to confront the horrors of all the crimes he’d committed over the years against the Drokka—his true people.
It took a bit of divine intervention to stay Ajax from murdering himself. And it took even longer to convince him that he was, in fact, destined not to be the next king of the Derkka, but instead the Deliverer of the Drokka! Thankfully, I can be rather convincing. Eventually, with his psyche as repaired as I could get it, I sent Ajax back to Gor to fulfill the legacy I’d planned for him. Yet it wasn’t going to be easy.
Meanwhile a lot had happened in Gor while Ajax had been gone. For starters, King Rokan died. Whether it was through natural causes or not, who can say? Yet the power vacuum that followed didn’t last long because Bashumel, that evil high priest of Baal, quickly took power, murdering Ajax’s (presumed) mother Jezze and the rest of Rokan’s lineage, along with anyone else he considered a threat.
With no one to stop him, Bashumel thrived as the new King. Tall and gaunt, Bashumel exuded an aura of malevolent authority that I just loved. With skin that was pale, almost translucent, many of Bashumel’s veins were visible beneath the surface, giving him a spectral appearance that was otherworldly.
Even after taking the throne, Bashumel refused to give up his status as the High Priest. He also kept his wardrobe, preferring his elaborate black robes embroidered with silver symbols of Baal over anything else, as well as the intricately carved staff of his office, a wizened root topped with the petrified head of a giant asp. Each finger of his hand was adorned with a ring, each signifying a memorable sacrifice to Baal, for he believed true power came from complete allegiance to his god. Although King Rokan was a big man with an intimidating presence, Bashumel’s unsettling aura made even his closest confidants afraid.
In the years that Ajax was away, King Bashumel ruled his Derkka people and their Drokka slaves with an iron fist. The Derkka High Priest reveled in his position, conducting gruesome rituals to appease Baal, often involving human sacrifices and dark magic that kept the people in perpetual fear and subjugation.
Ajax’s journey back to Gor was a ‘transformative’ experience. The mountainous terrain was unforgiving, and the physical toll was immense, but it paled in comparison to the emotional and psychological anguish he endured. Still haunted by the atrocities he’d committed against his own people, Ajax was plagued with self-loathing. His every step felt like a penance. He doubted his ability to lead the Drokka – a people who were the victims of his many crimes in the name of Baal. and redeem himself. And yet, driven on by Rhokki’s command, Ajax forged ahead – back towards Gor and his destiny.
As you can imagine, Bashumel wasn’t welcoming to Ajax when he finally returned, yet return Ajax did—demanding his evil rival free the Drokka people.
And so, the stage was set for Ajax to headline a tale eerily similar to that of Moses and the Israelites—although Ajax did it about 17 centuries before Moses’ time!
Unfortunately for Bashumel, Baal did not have his back, for my plans called for Ajax to succeed.
The Apocrypha of Azazel 