?The Tale of Bearren and Lursienne?
Category: Best IDU Film.
Introduction
This story is based on historical events, although some of the original details may have been lost or altered during the intervening two Eight-Cubed?s [and slightly more] of years. Bearren and Lursienne were a pair of lovers, he an Ursine and she a TrueBear
(1), who achieved an important victory against the tyrannical leaders of the Purple Empire. Their tale has already been told in various ways before now
(and there is a ?Notes about [the main] earlier versions? section at the end of this post?), but this film?s creators think that they have managed an even better version.
OOC: You might notice some similarities between this story and J.R.R. Tolkien?s story about Beren and L?thien, although the differences do extend beyond simply replacing the Elves or Men with Bears. On an OOC basis that is a case of me following the adage ?If you?re going to steal, then steal from the best?: However on an IC basis the Bears would attribute it to rather similar events having happened in the two ?parallel? versions of Reality, or even to Tolkien having dreamed about the Ursine events but seen them in the light of his own Reality instead?
You might spot some other references to RL entertainment media, too.
It?s actually been several years since I decided that a version of this story was a part of the Bears? history, and now this festival has motivated me to work out the details.
^_^
__________________________________________
Basic Data
Studio: Flowers? Films/21st-Century Bear.
Date of release: simultaneously for this Festival and in Bears Armed.
Running time: Two parts, each of 1 watch
(= 90 minutes) in length, normally shown together but with an interval of a third or even half of a watch between them.
Language: Ursine
(original filming), English
(major roles mostly re-filmed in studio, & master-copy then digitally altered so that words and facial movements match; minor roles just dubbed, generally by the original actors, but with the words of certain Powers
given only as subtitles? This is the version being shown at the Festival), German
(most roles dubbed, generally by the original actors, but with the with the words of certain Powers
given only as subtitles), French
(ditto), several other ?Ursinnic? languages
(either likewise, or fully dubbed).
__________________________________________
Story Synopsis
Bearren, the son of Barrarhirhr
(who was last generally-acknowledged chief of the entire Clan Irrumerrhabarra (2) ), was an Ursine hero in the struggle against the wizard-ruled ?Purple Empire?. He was forced into exile in the south, after the fight in which his father perished and their homeland was over-run by Imperial forces, and led a small band of guerrillas for several years, and spent much of that time helping to defend a local ?Queendom? ? which had apparently arisen separately from the main Ursine culture ? before the people of that land migrated eastwards to found the city of Shebahr. After that he headed north-east through the mountains and, acting on the advice of a powerful spirit known as ?She Within Bahar?Kai? which manifested in the only good pass through that section of the range, eventually found his way into the forests of Barrdenn. In those days Barrdenn was inhabited by TrueBears under the joint rule of the Lady Merrienne
(one of the StarBears (3), who had chosen & been allowed to remain on Urrth after earlier deeds there?) and her consort the TrueBear leader (or ?King?) Dorrath. Shortly after entering the area under that couple?s protection Bearren encountered Lursienne, the daughter and only child of those rulers, who was dancing in praise of the Great Bear and Mother Nature in the moon?s light in a glade
(in ?Southerr Barrdenn?, the part of that realm lying to the south-west of the Long Lake; that glade was surrounded by magnolia trees and wild lilac, two species that are still found there today although that is the only area in which they grow naturally on that side of the mountains) and the two fell instantly in love with each other.
A few days later Bearren?s presence there was discovered by Baerron the Minstrel
(4), a TrueBear from Dorrath?s court who was also in love with Lursienne, who informed his king about this Ursine having entered Barrdenn and about the couple?s relationship. They were summoned before Dorrath and Merrienne, and went willingly because Lursienne was certain that she could persuade her father to grant her wishes in this matter.
Dorrath was reluctant to let the couple wed, however, at least in part because of the difference between their potential life-expectancies and the long time in which Lursienne therefore would be left with only memories: After a lengthy debate he finally agreed that they could do so
if Bearron proved himself by retrieving one or more of certain artefacts of power that the Empire had stolen from their rightful places: These were three out of a set of eight ?Star-Crystals? which the StarBears had planted in selected spots while they were ?cleansing? the land after the earlier ?Wizards? War?
(5) in order to help stabilise its occult energies, and the Empire?s leadership was now using them as a source of additional power for its magics. Bearron accepted this challenge, travelled to the tower of the Vivimancer
(one of the Empire?s most powerful wizards), and fought his way past the guards there who included several monstrous ?BereWolves?
(the Ursine equivalent of ?Werewolves?, who turned into something like a monstrous form of one of the extinct Amphicyonid
?Bear-Dogs?? (6) ) but was himself defeated by the Vivimancer?s chief lieutenant Baurron
(who was then thought to be ?merely? one of the [very] few TrueBears to have fallen into corruption, but was subsequently revealed to have been already demon-possessed by this point) ? who took the form of an even mightier BereWolf for this fight ? and was cast into an oubliette. Here the first half of the two-parter film ends?
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
The second half of the story opens back in Barrdenn, to which news of Bearron?s captivity was brought by a talking bird: This film agrees with the earlier ?approved? versions and with the epic poem in making that bird a Kitt-Robin, although some of the other versions use a Raven instead. Darroth refused to send a rescue mission, but Lursienne managed to steal away in the night with the aid of a being named ?Pu?an, the Mighty Talking Hog of Barrdenn?, whom it is suggested had originally come to Urrth as a helper for the Lady Merrienne. Lursienne wore an enchanted cloak of feathers from many different types of birds, which enabled her to take a winged form temporarily, for this journey.
Once they reached the Vivimancer?s tower Pu?an dealt with its remaining BereWolf guardians, even driving off Baurron (who entered the fight after his minions were defeated) himself, and then Lursienne ? using powers inherited through her mother and
(at least according to this
version of the story, although none of the earlier ones mention it?) powers actually lent secretly by Merrienne to her daughter ? sang a great Song which brought down most of the tower?s structure. Unfortunately the Vivimancer managed to escape, though, by employing the Star-Crystal?s power to transport him to its other two stolen counterparts which were in the Empire?s capital city, but the very depth of Bearren?s prison underground protected him from the debris and Lursienne was able to set him free. Also cast into the oubliette had been his uncle Barragon, the Bear who had had betrayed Barrahirh?s forces to the Empire in the first place, who had been turned into a BereWolf since then but who had retained enough self-control to help Bearren against the tower?s other guardians ? although he received mortal wounds from Baurron in that fight ? instead of opposing him: With his dying words he explained that the betrayal had actually been motivated by his thinking that a deal with the Empire was his clan?s only real hope of survival rather than (as Bearren had previously thought was the case) by personal ambition, and when Lursienne was able to confirm that he spoke truly Bearren forgave him.
Lursienne ?sang? Bearren back to health, although she had been unable to save Barragon as well, and once he was mostly recovered the he gave his uncle a proper burial. A magically-produced ?outer ?pelt? had been attached to Barragon to cause his transformation, but had fallen off when he died: Lursienne, with the assistance of Barragon?s spirit which lingered for a while longer on Urrth to help the couple further, was able to place this ?loosely? over Bearren, so that it gave him the appearance of a BereWolf ? and some of its physical prowess, as well ? without letting the wolf-spirit that was bound within it influence his behaviour. She then donned again her ?cloak of many feathers?, and cast a glamour so that her flying form would look to most onlookers as though it was one of the flying creatures that the Vivimaner had created instead, and the couple journeyed onwards to the Empire?s capital city ? which is now known only as ?the Forgotten City?, whatever name it actually had in that age having been deliberately ?lost? ? to continue the quest for the Star-Crystals. In those guises they travelled openly, as though they had a right to visit the city, and none of the Imperial personnel whom they passed along the way attempted to stop them: They did get into one fight during the journey, though, saving a person who seemed to be just a young female Ursine but who turned out to be really a daughter of the River Surra?s spirit herself
(7) from a gigantic spider. Pu?an made his own way to the woods outside the city, more covertly.
Once the couple reached the actual gates of the Forbidden City their disguises became useless. The mortal guards fell back before their might, and their spiritual power, but Baurron led an entire pack of BereWolves against them and in the face of this threat Lursienne and Bearren then surrendered? as they had secretly planned. They were taken before the Purple Emperor in person, who taunted them by showing that one of the Star-Crystals was in his personal possession, but then Lursienne
(deliberately using so much of her innate power that none of the emperor?s magical defences could withstand it, in full knowledge that this would render her mortal like Bearren) sang a song that cast the emperor, with all of his court and its inner guards, into a deep slumber. Bearren took the Star-Crystal from the emperor?s crown, into his left hand, but this disturbance in the Empire?s mystical energies awoke the Wolf-demon
Hlupperkharrone ? the ?Mother of BereWolves?, who had been bound by the Empire?s greatest wizards working together and wielding that stone, as a source for the spells of transformation that had created the lesser BereWolves in their service ? who bit off Bearrren?s left hand and swallowed both this and the crystal. She then charged out of the city, scattering the guards along the way (which proved useful to our heroes), and headed for Barrdenn with the intention of using that additional power to win a confrontation against her ancient enemy Merrienne. Our heroes followed her, joined by Pu?an just outside the city, and the Surra ? in gratitude for their rescue of her daughter ? gave them easy passage but then hindered the pursuing forces so much that they were unable to catch the heroic trio before those had entered the lands under Merrienne?s protection.
Fortunately the need to try and assimilate the crystal?s power, which burned within her guts, slowed the demon sufficiently for the heroes ?whom the Great Pig had allowed to use him as a steed ? to catch up with her at the entrance to Barrdenn: There Bearren (now wielding his sword right-handed
(8)), Lursienne, and Pu?an, fought the hardest battle of their lives, but eventually managed to fell the demon. That monster?s material form dissipated as soon as Bearren had cut its belly open to regain possession of the crystal, which he presented immediately to King Dorrath in completion of the assigned quest, and Merrienne easily banished its spirit not only from Barrdenn alone but from the entire Urrth into the outer Void. Unfortunately mighty Pu?an had been mortally wounded by the demon before she perished, in ways that the powers of Lursienne and Merrienne could not heal, thus fulfilling a prophecy that only ?the greatest of wolves? would ever slay him, but he survived for long enough to see these latter events; to hear Dorrath to give consent to a wedding between Lursienne and Bearren; and to utter several prophetic verses of his own.
(And there the film, although not the full story, ends?)
__________________________________________
Cast
Lursienne: Barrwen ?Evenstar? vah-Bearren
(9)
Merrienne: voice = Barrwenn ?Evenstar? vah-Bearren; image = a figure made from white light, digitally placed using motion-capture from acting by an anonymous TrueBear
(It is considered impossible for mortals to portray either Merienne or any of the other StarBears accurately enough, so by longstanding convention some method along those lines is always used?)
King Dorrath: Berrond ?Half-TrueBear? vah-Bearren
(10)
Bearren: Berruss o Wirrenne
(This is his first major role: he was chosen for it over various more-experienced candidates because the film?s creators felt that using an actor whom viewers would not subconsciously identify with other roles too was fitting.)
Barrahirhr: Hrrobh o Wirrenne
(11) (He is the father of Berruss o Wirrenne, in RL as well as IC in this film.)
Eldramirra (mother of Bearren): Charra o Herrchaum
Barragon (as Ursine): Parroch Marrn?hae
Barragon (as BereWolf): (animatronics)
Adharrm: Berruss West
(This character was a companion of Bearren during his exile, until that hero left the SouthWoods and crossed the mountains.)
Burtt: Hrrick Warden
(ditto)
Kurtt: Kurtt Russett
(ditto)
She Within Bahar?Kai: Marrla Flowers
(only as a disembodied voice)
Baeron the Minstrel: Werrin Torrent
Pu?an, the Great Hog: voice = Danno Parroch Carrarray; image =
(animatronics)
Daughter-of-Surra: Sarronna Fairbearrn
The Vivimancer: Leomhar Kellerren
Baurron the Accursed: voice = Peddar Crushing; image as Ursine = a figure made from purple light, digitally placed using motion-capture from acting by an anonymous TrueBear; image as BereWolf =
(animatronics)
Imperial General Tarkwon: Peddar Crushing
The Purple Emperor: Ursiosophurr Lee
Hlupperkharrone: voice =
(synthesized); image = a figure made from purple light, digitally placed using motion-capture from animatronics.
__________________________________________
Creators (other than Cast)
Producer: Garraigh Mixed-kin
Director: Marrla Flowers
Assistant Director / Head of Cinematography: Norrbearh Peacetown
Script: Hrarroh Amnarrh?bahr Borr-Vurra
(12), drawing on both the ?family-authorised? script for the 1938 film and the subsequent scholarly writings of Professor Jherran Hronno Hrrealh PhD (of Kings? University).
Soundtrack: partly adapted from the scores for both the opera and the 1938 film, selected &re-orchestrated by Jherran Werrim?s-son (who also composed the added material) and Maestro Ehrrtree Foreview, and performed by the Council Groves Philharmonic Orchestra under the latter?s direction.
Routemaster: Barriss Kurrens
Special Effects: the Danno Carrarray Studio
(animatronics, and props in general); Entertainments Light and Magic (?E.L.M.?)
(digital effects)
__________________________________________
Notes about locations
Filming took place not only in the studios and on their back-lot but also at various sites within the lands of Clan Irrumbarra, Clan Redwood, Clan Greenwoods, Clan Chargh?ghrurr, and Clan WildWoods; in the woods of Southerr-Barrdenn; in the forest of
Iffurrien, part of which stood in
(with the locally-basedTrueBears? permission) for the ?Barrdenn? of King Dorrath?s time; and at several sites in the Marches.
The actual remains of the Vivimancer?s Tower are still regarded as unsafe, and are off-limit to all Bears except maybeso under very special circumstances (which filming this movie was
not considered to constitute?). Another semi-ruined tower of comparable vintage, situated in the North-Western March, was therefore used as the model for a modern re-creation of the original.
__________________________________________
OOC Footnotes
(1) ?TrueBears? are to Ursines, more-or-less, as Elves
(of the ?Tolkienian? kind) are to Humans.
(2) ?Irrumerrhabarra? translates into English as ?First Bears in the West?, reflecting the fact that their ancestors had indeed been the first group to head westwards after the ?Great Awakening? when the earliest generation of modern-type Ursines became sapient. Following the defeat of the Purple Empire, and of the ?Demon Empire? approximately another generation after the latter event some survivors regrouped in a part of their old homeland as ?Clan Irrumbarra? which still exists today: another group, who had migrated even further into the west to avoid those Empires? forces, eventually ended up as the nucleus around which the Northlander clan ?Errhabarra? was founded.
(3) And the ?StarBears? are this setting?s counterpart to Tolkien?s ?Valar?, at least as those appear to the Ursines.
(4) Baerron is famed as one of the greatest minstrels of all time, and his [sometimes used] designation ?Baerron of
Barrdenn is said to be the origin of the term ?bairrd? which is still widely used in these lands to denote a skilled minstrel of the traditional type. He is also credited with inventing both the harp and the first script for writing the Ursine language. It is presumed that he was among the fatalities, dying alongside his king, when the Demon Empire?s forces finally reached the heart of Barrdenn.
(5) The Wizards? War was the conflict in which the human ?Luvarian? civilisation had self-destructed, almost an Eight-Cubed of years before the first ?awakening? of ?modern? Ursines to sapience.
(6) See
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bear_dog .
(7) This was probably the same ?Daughter of the Surra? who later became the mother of the hero-musician ?Urrthro, the Wild Harper?.
(8) There?s a story behind Bearren?s ability to do
that well, too, but it?s one for another time?
(9) Yes, she
is this Reality?s counterpart to Arwen ?Evenstar?, daughter of Elrond, and thus a great-granddaughter to Bearren and Lursienne. This is her first film role, although she?s been interested in the theatre since attending the opening night of Shakes-Bears? play about this story while she was a student.
(10) Yes, and this is the counterpart to Elrond: His participation was unprecedented, was beyond the production team?s hopes, and was for reasons which he refuses to discuss even with his own daughter.
(11) Hrrobh o Wirrenne has had a long and successful career in show business. He originally made his name as secret agent ?Naborru LoneBear? in a television series called
?The Bear from B.A.S.I.C.?, and used that to go into the films instead; he is best-known nowadays, at least until
this film becomes widely seen, in the role of adventuring archaeologist ?Garrison Fforde? who was the hero of
?Raiders of the Lost Park?,
?Garrison Fforde and the Temple of Gloom?, and
?Garrison Fforde and the List Curs?d?.
(12) He is a member of what would be, if the monarchy were restored, the Royal Family? but is not ?the rightful heir? and
certainly not this Reality?s counterpart to ?Aragorn, son of Arathorn?.
__________________________________________
Notes about [the main] earlier versions
1). ?The Tale of Lursienne and Bearren?: epic poem; dates from during or just after the struggle against the ?Demon Empire?, and the intervention against the demons by the
StarBears; its is generally attributed to
Baerron, the Minstrel of Barrdenn (whose title gave rise to the term ?Barrdh?
for a minstrel of both great talent and considerable learning), who was alive at the time of the events described and was personally acquainted with the protagonists.
2). ?The Tragedie of Bearren and Lursienne?; stage play, [1599 AD]; by Werrim o SwanWater, who is commonly known ? because of his works? moving effects ? as
?Shakes-Bears?; adds some material to the poetic version, including a pair of comic-relief ?Brock?
(i.e. anthropomorphic Badger) servants and a ?prophecy? about the rise to power of the Borr-Vurra dynasty, as well as giving Bearren a greater share of the limelight.
3). ?Bearren and Lursienne?; opera, [1889 AD]; lyrics by Artorrios Ghilhbearrh, drawing heavily on Shakes-Bears; music by the famous Ostboran composer Dmitrri Leitmotiv.
4). ?Bearren and Lursienne?; silent film, black-&-white, [1908 AD].
5). ?Bearren and Lursienne?; silent film, black-&-white, [1924 AD].
6). ?Bearren and Lursienne?; ?talkie?, black-&-white, [1934 AD]; Furrnurr Cousins studio; the first version to be publicly endorsed by its subjects? closest living relatives, and thus considered more authentic than any of its precursors except maybeso the epic poem.
7). ?Bearren and Lursienne?; ?talkie?, with several extracts from (1) turned into songs but otherwise basically a remake of (6), and technicolour, [1938 AD]); Furrnurr Cousins studio; score by Berrich Goldencorn; also endorsed by the
vah-Bearren family; brilliant film, one of the ?classics?, and still shown on national television annually.
8). ?Bearren and Lursienne?; musical, technicolour, [1957 AD]; BGB studio; draws to some extent on the opera.
9). ?The legend of Lursienne and Bearren?; concept album & rock opera, [1975] by keyboardist Hrrick WakeBear, drawing mainly on the epic poem.
10). The ?Bearren and Lursienne?, or ?Star-Quest?, trilogy; ?Bearren?s Journey?, ?The Two Towers?, and ?A New Hope?; 'talking' / technicolour films, with better special effects than the earlier versions, [1976/1978/1981 AD]; produced & directed by the Talking-Mountain brothers, Jherro and Jharge; its script owes more to Shakes-Bears? play than to any of the previous films; score by Jharrge Goldencorn, son of Berrich; verrry popular, then and now, and very ?merchandised? too; spin-offs included three different series of childrens? cartoons on television, and a comic-book series.
11.) ?The Tragedy of Bearren and Lursienne?; film version of Shakes-Bears?s play, made by and [originally] for the BABC [1986].
(edited to tidy-up a few minor formatting errors.)
