In our fear, will we turn our backs on the very things that have defined the Gelfling race since the dawn of Thra? Peace? Harmony? Unity?
The Makrak crisis was a series of attacks perpetrated by the Makraks in Skarith during the early Age of Division. Forced by the destruction of their underground home to emerge in the aftermath of the Great Division, the Makraks were driven mad by the surface world's environment and began attacking Podling and Gelfling settlements.
This prompted the Gelfling to ally themselves with the Skeksis. The crisis was averted by the intervention of Raunip and the urRu, with the former volunteering to lead the Makraks to a new home in the Field of Fire.
While brief, the crisis saw the creation of the Alliance of the Crystal, which would last a thousand trine, and the emergence of the Skeksis Empire as a major power on Thra. It also left an indelible mark on Gelfling culture, having been their first experience of war and with the word "Makrak" being used in a pejorative sense from then on.
History[]
After the second Great Conjunction brought about the Great Division, a Skeksis struck the Crystal and caused an earthquake which destroyed the subterranean Makrak homeland. The survivors made their way to the surface of Skarith and, driven insane by fear, began attacking Podling villages. News of the attacks spread to the Spriton Clan and left its members fearful of venturing from their homes. After the village of Noy was struck, Maudra Carn secretly summoned the Skeksis ambassador skekVar. Carn met with her council of elders, with her advisor Kartak speaking out against antagonizing the Makraks, citing their having only attacked Podlings, but was overruled by Carn, who presented skekVar and revealed her intention to plead the Lords of the Crystal for assistance. The meeting concluded with skekVar promising to aid the Gelfling militarily, as long as the Gelfling themselves provided the Skeksis with weapons.[1]
Raunip urged his mother Aughra to take action, but she was too preoccupied with identifying the true shard. He took matters into his own hands and headed for Spriton territory, where Thall showed him the Gelfling forging weapons of war. Raunip interrupted a council meeting, warning the attendees not to trust the Skeksis, but was driven out. He and Thall were later approached by urGoh, who took them to the Valley of the urRu. There, urSu announced that he did not intend to intervene, stating that it was not the urRu's place to decide Thra's fate. The next day, the Makraks besieged the valley, but were halted by the Podling Kotha, who used his gift of Animal Soul Speaking to communicate with them and thus learned that they had no malicious intent.[1]
When a Spriton scout reported this incident to Carn and skekVar, the ambassador, thinking that Thall had betrayed them, called the Skeksis to arms and marched to the valley. Once there, skekVar ordered all Makraks, Thall and Raunip massacred, but the bloodshed was averted when the urRu intervened and offered to act as mediators. The opposing sides congregated in Spriton territory, and talks initially proved unfruitful, as none had any ideas as to where the Makraks could settle. The impasse was broken when urGoh revealed the existence of the Field of Fire, which could have provided the Makraks with a new home.[1]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Froud, B., Dow Smith, M, Sheikman, A. & John, L. (2015). The Dark Crystal: Creation Myths, Vol. III. Archaia. ISBN 978-1-60886-435-5.