Tears of Folstille

Translated from the Trials of Mindaugas, an oral epic popular among sea folk of the Gold Coast and followers of Lagnia, the legend of the Tears of Folstille tells of the stranding of Mindaugas Gilmininkas on a large desolate island where he was forced to suffer dehydration for a month, until he tricked the Thirsty One into shedding a tear which Mindaugas consumed, and in doing so shattered the sadistic god's power over him.   The Trials of Mindaugas collectively tell the tales of a sailor loyal to the Sovereign Host who suffers under the command of a series of foolish captains who ignore the warnings of the gods, leading to the suffering and death of the crews. After a previous trial Mindaugas is rescued by Thilo Tucke who captains the Seawolf, and forces his crew to ignore the warnings of a storm to come and continue rowing through the dangerous shoals of a chain of islands in order to reach their destination ahead of a festival and reap greater profits. In spite of Mindaugas's warnings about the divine signs of ill weather to come, the crew are lured by Thilo's tales of the riches to be had by arriving early and they all perish when the storm arrives, leaving Mindaugas on the bleak shores of Odinsel.   On the large mystical desert island of Odinsel where The Thirsty One, Folstille, of the Nightmakers rules, Mindaugas is taunted and tortured by hallucinations of water for many days. In the beginning he admonishes the Dessicating One for his feeble tricks, and makes ardent vows to persevere, but the powers of the evil god and dehydration begin to wear on the sailor. After hoarsely whispering prayers to Lagnia, and Tala Eldoria, Mindaugas is gifted with tiny droplets of dew from a fog and is inspired toward a plot to free himself from Odinsel and Folstille before he is completely desicated.   After several days of silent suffering as Folstille continues to cause him to hallucinate and wander lost on Odinsel, he collapses on the ground and pretends to be unable to move anymore. He begins to beg the Thirsty One to release him, and when Folstille appears before Mindaugas he becomes so quiet that the god must crouch low to hear his pleas. Mindaugas describes his suffering, to the evil god's delight, and after Folstille's laughter abates he commands the dying sailor to tell him more, but instead the hero lunges forward and licks a tiny tear of glee from Folstille's eye draining him of some of his divine power and safeguarding Mindaugas permanently from dehydration.