Inoora

For this week Lady Jabberwocky’s writing prompt was to write a story or a poem that included the word “turtle.” Here is a poem I’ve written about an aspidochelone, a legendary sea turtle whose shell is as large as an island. The writing prompt reminded me of Ogzura, the aspidochelone that featured in my solo adventure Vorin’s Labyrinth – Second Expedition. But I picture Inoora as being a lot smaller than Ogzura. The setting is a fantasy world of my own which I’m creating for the purpose of literature rather than gaming. I like the way this poem has encouraged me to create the details of this world, such as having the people of Addiroy wear girdles for mourning.

Vast turtle, larger than a whale

Or the ships from Ubthelos that sail

Across the waters of Morb Deep

That turbulent sea, whose waters keep

A constant hammer on every land

From dry Kohthaal, of desert sand

To far Mothoov, of jungles green

And Addiroy, Yemor, Saveen

Inoora, titan of Morb Deep

Often haunted the troubled sleep

Of King Durngar of Addiroy

That warlike king, who did destroy

All the ports of fair Saveen

But the goddess Zurala, in a dream

Said to him, that she would send

A sea monster to attack and rend

All his ships, and bring him doom

For Zurala, goddess of the moon

Is worshipped by all throughout Saveen

In temples great and temples mean

And King Durngar was filled with fear

When he learned, from his trusted seer

That two ships lost beneath the sea

Mighty galleys, strong as could be

Had been sunk by Inoora, the great sea turtle

And the Addiroyans wore mourning girdles

For Inoora broke their mighty kingdom

And Morb Deep they did abandon

But that was not the only way

That Inoora brought death and deep dismay

For her shell could be still above the sea

An island, she appeared to be

And sailors landed on that shore

And, as according to old sea lore

She dived and drowned them in Morb Deep

And left them as ghosts who found no sleep

But if Inoora could speak to men

What secrets might she give to them?

For she is of ancient, eldritch times

And beneath Morb Deep are many signs

Of drowned cities, temples, and tombs

Strange sights warning of watery doom

The sunken kingdom of Morb Deep

And the secrets there, Inoora keeps.