In which the author speaks of Michael Moorcock's Elric and his pact with the Lords of Chaos.

Let Us Speak of Magic: Part the Tenth

Dear Reader,

What is real power? Is it the strength to overcome every threat, to be above even the thought of fear, to be able to work your will without the possibility of failure? That might be how a Melnibonéan would define power. Real power.

As we continue through Elric’s saga, his cousin Yyrkoon – who seized the opportunity to roll Elric’s limp body into the sea during the confusion of battle – wants real power.

And he wants it the traditional way, the way of the ancestors: Make pacts with demons. Gain the patronage of a God of Chaos. And, above all else, lay hold of the Black Swords (preferably both).

With Elric out of the way through a convenient drowning, our dear Yyrkoon is on the path to unlimited power. Of course, he didn't expect Elric to work sorcery and save his own life as he sunk helplessly beneath the waters.

But before we pick up the thread that leads us to Chaos, here is an important reminder: In our last letter, recall that Straasha, the Lord of the Water Elementals, who saved Elric from a watery death, warned him against turning to the gods for help.

So what got Elric to ignore Straasha’s advice?

Confronting the Traitor

When Elric returns from his presumed death he finds his cousin Yyrkoon swiftly moving to install himself as Emperor. At first Yyrkoon can’t believe that Elric survived but then he calls down a curse upon him:

At least Yyrkoon is concerned for the future of his people. (And in a way, he's right...)

But our doomed hero responds with a laugh:

So Chaos is weak now. That sounds like a good thing actually. The “Dukes of Hell” may not be ideal allies. Yet please note that summoning them still requires: “A greater sorcery than yours.” I wonder who might be capable of that kind of magic?

Still, facing his own impending doom, Yyrkoon wants to know how Elric survived. So Elric shares that he used sorcery. That answer provokes the traitor to ask the question dearest to his heart:

The Gods (the Chaos Lords and the Lords of Law) aren’t the Beast Lords or the Elemental Lords – they aren’t compelled to come when you call.

And we get a glimpse of something important here: two black swords…

Having overcome his cousin, Elric lets him live. This mercy towards Yyrkoon is a consistent failing in our hero. Yyrkoon on the other hand doesn’t wait around to see if he’s going to be spared. He acts and acts boldly.

Desperate Times Lead to Desperate Summonings

Yyrkoon works a sorcery and escapes. And in the process he carries away Elric’s love, Cymoril. Because bad guys don’t just want to save their own skin – they want to hurt you too.

After months of searching for his enemy and his love, Elric cannot find either. And so, in desperation – Yes, you guessed it! – he turns to the gods. Specifically he turns to Arioch, the god that Yyrkoon invoked to curse him.

And so we turn to some grimoires (Is there a more fantasy word than “grimoires?”) to work his dread sorcery:

When a tragic hero almost doesn’t do something, you know it’s a really bad something that he’s about to do. But at least it's written in an epic High Speech that is the ancient language of sorcery. Like Le Guin's Earthsea, the best magic requires understanding of a kind of speech you can't pick up at home (unless you happen to live with a wizard, I suppose).

Calling the Knight of the Swords

This is a much more involved process than the incantations that we saw involving beast or elemental. Also note that the Actorios is mentioned (parenthetically), the stone in the Ring of Kings we mentioned in our last letter. And it’s a capital S summoning, for a little extra umph.

I’m really not sure what we’re supposed to make of “twisting tunnels of logic, across endless plains of ideas, through mountains of symbolism and endless universes of alternate truths” other than his mind’s doing crazy weird stuff.

Alright we’ve come this far, let’s hear the rest of this rather drawn out sequence:

The name over and over and over – bracketed with all manners of ominous and fearful statements about who we are trying to make contact with. Then Elric brings himself into the incantation with his name and promises of service:

But he hadn’t…

As we pause our conversation for now, I leave you with one critical note from that swirl of summoning:

That’s right: “infinite power.” That’s real power.

And infinite power is something even the gods don’t claim – remember that. Also remember this was power that the emperors once wielded. It turns out they laid it down. Elric's cruel, decadent, and insane people laid down infinite power once before...

One wonders why.

Ah, Dear Reader, there is so much more to tell and reflect upon concerning Elric and Arioch and the Two Black Swords. And Yyrkoon's usefulness must come to an end. And I didn't get to Elric's battlecry or the vengeful slaughter of the city of Quarzhasaat like I promised in the last letter, but there's more time for tragedy born of dark sorcery. Two further installments remains.

When next we meet we will witness an ancient pact renewed, which leads to one far worse.

Until then: Don’t bargain with Chaos Gods.

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Best regards,

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Bryan