![]() Even the mightiest and most arrogant of kings can be humbled by the smallest of men. Vishnu returned control of the Heavens to Indra and left his Avatar behind, but he also left behind a valuable lesson. Vamana sends Bali to the underworld but, in recognizing Bali's benevolence, shows mercy by granting him sovereignty over it in appreciation of Bali's sacrifice. Bowing in humility, Bali offered his head as the third step. Bali's demon army surged forth, but the demon king held them back. He challenged Bali to go back on his word or offer somewhere else for him to step. Now, with everything under his two units, Vamana had nowhere to place his third step. With a second step, he consumed the heavens. With one colossal step, he engulfed all the Earth and the Underworld. ![]() Immediately, Vamana grew to cosmic proportions, crashing through the ceiling of the palace and filling the sky. Bali offered Vamana an island but Vamana stuck to his request, which Bali granted against the wishes of his advisor. Vishnu, disguised as the monk Vamana and carrying a wooden umbrella, requested only as much land as he could cover in three steps. In his splendid palace, Bali was giving gifts to the pious. Unable to reclaim his seat, Indra implored Vishnu for aid, and so Vishnu took the form of a small mortal man, a priest named Vamana. ![]() After conquering the Underworld and all the Earth, Bali managed to wrest the Heavens from the God Indra. The demon king, Bali, was fair and righteous, yet for all his virtues, Bali was extremely proud and driven by fierce ambition. His harsh lessons in humility have shamed even the proudest of kings. There is no creature, living nor dead, more greedy, more vile than a dwarf.Though small of stature, Vamana, the Fifth Avatar of Vishnu, should never be underestimated. In the frozen reaches of Asgard, beneath her mighty stone peaks, do they dwell, ever hammering to forge more gold jewelry, to carve more gleaming gems, to breathe curses into their finery.Īmong these wretched kin is Fafnir, son of Hreidmar, with a swollen smithing arm and a ravenous hunger for violence, both of which are eclipsed by his avarice. One Spring, Odin, Loki, and Honir visited Hreidmar's realm, bearing an otter pelt they'd skinned on their journey. Horrified, Hreidmar entombed the Aesir, for the otter was, in truth, his third son. Freedom would not be theirs until Loki returned with the hide filled with gold. Refusing to be outdone, the Trickster God, stuffed the pelt to bursting with the cursed treasure of Andvarri. Hreidmar, unaware of the maligned hoard, greedily exchanged the Aesir for the wealth. That night, curling his powerful arm, Fafnir strangled his father and vanished into the frosted night with the cursed gold.Īnd so it was that madness took him. Paranoid his last brother would steal the treasure, Fafnir guarded it jealously while the curse whispered in his ear. ![]() Slowly, surely, twisted he became, scaled and nightmarish. ![]() His breath turned to poison, his maw, fanged, his demeanor, fouler. The very symbol of greed.įor centuries Fafnir kept no company, but the War of the Gods grows ever closer, and the clink of coin runs rampant a bulging sack on the belt of every warrior. He craves every piece, and spares no thought to shed blood for the glittering gold.įafnir transforms into a terrifying dragon and is untargetable during the process. When he emerges in dragon form, he regains 200 Mana and nearby enemies become poisoned, taking damage three times over 3s. ![]()
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