Thule in Flames - Part I: Strangers afoot
Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2003 8:30 am
Well, here we go. Picking up where the Prologue left off...
The burial
In Whitesbarrow the Thursday began with the burial of Lady Greta, officiated by the passing Anselmite Friar Mattheus. The ceremony went ahead without incident, but not long afterwards there was some commotion. Some of the wild men, dwelling in the woods somewhere north of Whitesbarrow, appeared at the grave and put thistles upon it. Did the heathens mean to mock the burial, or what was going on? The villagers dared not confront the savages, but let them leave again.
The war council
Meanwhile the Kings and their retinues had begun their council of war, but things started off poorly. Distrust was strong between the various camps. The party from Highmark in particular were noticeably uncooperative; they doubted the Prince's alleged being the same as Gholan the Ungodly, and the seriousness of the threat. Even Father Benedictus Arosenius, the ex-Principalist defector who had shortly before Moonhallow put himself under Queen Katarina's protection, was unable to convince them otherwise.
And the news of the good Father were no laughing matter. The power of the Prince, he declared, was so great that all his enemies could put against him was like flea-bites to him. The whole North was heading into a new Darkness with no end in sight. There was but one glimmer of hope, if the Northern Kingdoms would put faith in his knowledge... but that was not for free. He boldly demanded both amnesty for his numerous crimes and a great grant of money or land.
Several voices were raised for simply hanging the apostate, but the Kings later agreed to his proposition with the reservation that no reward should be paid until the Prince was finally defeated - until then Benedictus would stay in the Queen's "care". His information proved not to be overly revolutionizing: he revealed that the power of the Prince was tied to specific places, centres of the power of Earth-magic that he used and corrupted. The strangely arranged advances of the Principalists had mainly aimed to secure these spots. To break the power of the Prince, his power over these points of force needed to be broken.
Things were not improved by the fuming wrath of the delegates of Southmeadow. They had already been much vexed about the secret pact made by Arosia, Gedania and Highmark before the war, and now they claimed to have documents to prove that the Arosian Baron Gabriel Blade was involved in the piracy that had plagued their sea trade.
The arrival of the emissaries
Seeming more hopeful was the arrival of messengers from two other of the Created peoples. The Dwarves of Rockhome to the north had heeded the invitation and sent one of their sages, Randgrid the Elder, to the help of Men. More unexpectedly three emissaries from the Elves, the feared and distrusted Immortals, declared themselves on the side of Men against the dark Prince. It would, however, be some time before the demi-human emissaries had their say.
Aiglos the Elf: At the first council, there was much argument about taxes, refugees and old disputes. Not much was decided upon. We felt that the Gedanians and Arosians realized our peril, while the Southmeadowers and Highmarkers appeared not to understand. The council was bewildering to us and we never got to speak our piece properly. In the end, we decided to offer the Gedanians and Arosians a separate council where we could get to the point.
This would have to wait for the moment.
The Elven delegation (yes, I know the guy on the left looks uncannily like Obi-Wan Kenobi
)
On to Whitesbarrow
Randgrid the Dwarf went off to Whitesbarrow. At the cabin of the sons of Tor, she stopped by and came to talk to the younger brother Jante, who had been the student of the Lady Greta. He proved very interested in her strange lore and persuaded her to relate some of her legends. The Dwarf, surprised to find such learned company among simple peasants and also curious about the deceased Greta, happily agreed. In particular, the dwarven legend of Aurviotr, the Vessel of Perfection, awoke the interest of Jante.
Afterwards the Dwarf left but promised to return.
Randgrid the Dwarf
The villagers had other worries than old legends to deal with for the moment, though. A village meeting was held. A new village elder was elected; Torvald of Willow Farm; the headman of the Willowungar family, who might be expected neutral in the dispute of the Highungar and Trotters. The first matter was about this; more precisely the rather sizeable inheritance left by Greta, and which both families claimed based on various relations. The Highungar had a new trump in the form of Johan son of Magnus, a no-good cousin whose father was said to be an illegitimate son of Simon Trotter, Greta's father-in-law. No decision was made at the beginning; a counter-suggestion to build a chapel for the money was raised. The matter was postponed to the next meeting, but the inheritance was opened and shown to the villagers. It proved to consist of a considerable sum of money in coin and jewelry, a few old scrolls with Greta's notes on the Wild Folk (with whom she had had some dealings in younger days), and a strange rune-adorned cup that no one recognized. Jante son of Tor, upon seeing the cup, recalled the Dwarf's tale of Aurviotr and decided to inform her as soon as possible.
As Greta's disciple, Jante was also charged by the villagers to contact the wild men and find out what their behaviour at the grave was supposed to mean.
Torvald the village elder
The enemy approaches
The village gathering quickly ended as a terrifying pair was seen just outside the village: two knights in black, their shields adorned with grinning skulls and the six-pointed cross of the Prince! Apparently they were looking for someone or something - but what? Whatever it was, they did not find it at the village and they soon left again. Both Jante and Torvald, the village elder, were now convinced that this had to do with the cup Greta had left behind, and it was decided to summon Randgrid to the next gathering and ask her advice.
The dark knights
The Flock of the Lynx
After things had calmed down, Jante and his brother Kare went on their mission to the wild men. After some difficulties they found them and could speak to their spiritual leader, a young man called Sun, the disciple of the wise Snow Owl. The matter of the thistles was resolved quickly; it was the wild men's way to honor the dead - Greta had had some contact with the Wild Folk and was apparently considered a holy woman by them, too. But the Flock of the Lynx, as this group within the Tribe was called, was now troubled and sundered; Sun told of the return of Eldest. The greatest and wisest shaman of their legends, Eldest, had returned and appeared to them anew. But he had said strange and terrible things; in his absence the teachings of the Wild Folk were supposed to have been corrupted and the truth forgotten; their ceremonies that meant to keep the evil Shadow shut out of the world were instead holding it fixed in their midst. Everything seemed to be turned on its head, and there was much confusion.
Jante Tor-son and Sun the shaman
Coming up next: Part II - Night falls on Whitesbarrow
The burial
In Whitesbarrow the Thursday began with the burial of Lady Greta, officiated by the passing Anselmite Friar Mattheus. The ceremony went ahead without incident, but not long afterwards there was some commotion. Some of the wild men, dwelling in the woods somewhere north of Whitesbarrow, appeared at the grave and put thistles upon it. Did the heathens mean to mock the burial, or what was going on? The villagers dared not confront the savages, but let them leave again.
The war council
Meanwhile the Kings and their retinues had begun their council of war, but things started off poorly. Distrust was strong between the various camps. The party from Highmark in particular were noticeably uncooperative; they doubted the Prince's alleged being the same as Gholan the Ungodly, and the seriousness of the threat. Even Father Benedictus Arosenius, the ex-Principalist defector who had shortly before Moonhallow put himself under Queen Katarina's protection, was unable to convince them otherwise.
And the news of the good Father were no laughing matter. The power of the Prince, he declared, was so great that all his enemies could put against him was like flea-bites to him. The whole North was heading into a new Darkness with no end in sight. There was but one glimmer of hope, if the Northern Kingdoms would put faith in his knowledge... but that was not for free. He boldly demanded both amnesty for his numerous crimes and a great grant of money or land.
Several voices were raised for simply hanging the apostate, but the Kings later agreed to his proposition with the reservation that no reward should be paid until the Prince was finally defeated - until then Benedictus would stay in the Queen's "care". His information proved not to be overly revolutionizing: he revealed that the power of the Prince was tied to specific places, centres of the power of Earth-magic that he used and corrupted. The strangely arranged advances of the Principalists had mainly aimed to secure these spots. To break the power of the Prince, his power over these points of force needed to be broken.
Things were not improved by the fuming wrath of the delegates of Southmeadow. They had already been much vexed about the secret pact made by Arosia, Gedania and Highmark before the war, and now they claimed to have documents to prove that the Arosian Baron Gabriel Blade was involved in the piracy that had plagued their sea trade.
The arrival of the emissaries
Seeming more hopeful was the arrival of messengers from two other of the Created peoples. The Dwarves of Rockhome to the north had heeded the invitation and sent one of their sages, Randgrid the Elder, to the help of Men. More unexpectedly three emissaries from the Elves, the feared and distrusted Immortals, declared themselves on the side of Men against the dark Prince. It would, however, be some time before the demi-human emissaries had their say.
Aiglos the Elf: At the first council, there was much argument about taxes, refugees and old disputes. Not much was decided upon. We felt that the Gedanians and Arosians realized our peril, while the Southmeadowers and Highmarkers appeared not to understand. The council was bewildering to us and we never got to speak our piece properly. In the end, we decided to offer the Gedanians and Arosians a separate council where we could get to the point.
This would have to wait for the moment.
The Elven delegation (yes, I know the guy on the left looks uncannily like Obi-Wan Kenobi
)On to Whitesbarrow
Randgrid the Dwarf went off to Whitesbarrow. At the cabin of the sons of Tor, she stopped by and came to talk to the younger brother Jante, who had been the student of the Lady Greta. He proved very interested in her strange lore and persuaded her to relate some of her legends. The Dwarf, surprised to find such learned company among simple peasants and also curious about the deceased Greta, happily agreed. In particular, the dwarven legend of Aurviotr, the Vessel of Perfection, awoke the interest of Jante.
Afterwards the Dwarf left but promised to return.
Randgrid the Dwarf
The villagers had other worries than old legends to deal with for the moment, though. A village meeting was held. A new village elder was elected; Torvald of Willow Farm; the headman of the Willowungar family, who might be expected neutral in the dispute of the Highungar and Trotters. The first matter was about this; more precisely the rather sizeable inheritance left by Greta, and which both families claimed based on various relations. The Highungar had a new trump in the form of Johan son of Magnus, a no-good cousin whose father was said to be an illegitimate son of Simon Trotter, Greta's father-in-law. No decision was made at the beginning; a counter-suggestion to build a chapel for the money was raised. The matter was postponed to the next meeting, but the inheritance was opened and shown to the villagers. It proved to consist of a considerable sum of money in coin and jewelry, a few old scrolls with Greta's notes on the Wild Folk (with whom she had had some dealings in younger days), and a strange rune-adorned cup that no one recognized. Jante son of Tor, upon seeing the cup, recalled the Dwarf's tale of Aurviotr and decided to inform her as soon as possible.
As Greta's disciple, Jante was also charged by the villagers to contact the wild men and find out what their behaviour at the grave was supposed to mean.
Torvald the village elder
The enemy approaches
The village gathering quickly ended as a terrifying pair was seen just outside the village: two knights in black, their shields adorned with grinning skulls and the six-pointed cross of the Prince! Apparently they were looking for someone or something - but what? Whatever it was, they did not find it at the village and they soon left again. Both Jante and Torvald, the village elder, were now convinced that this had to do with the cup Greta had left behind, and it was decided to summon Randgrid to the next gathering and ask her advice.
The dark knights
The Flock of the Lynx
After things had calmed down, Jante and his brother Kare went on their mission to the wild men. After some difficulties they found them and could speak to their spiritual leader, a young man called Sun, the disciple of the wise Snow Owl. The matter of the thistles was resolved quickly; it was the wild men's way to honor the dead - Greta had had some contact with the Wild Folk and was apparently considered a holy woman by them, too. But the Flock of the Lynx, as this group within the Tribe was called, was now troubled and sundered; Sun told of the return of Eldest. The greatest and wisest shaman of their legends, Eldest, had returned and appeared to them anew. But he had said strange and terrible things; in his absence the teachings of the Wild Folk were supposed to have been corrupted and the truth forgotten; their ceremonies that meant to keep the evil Shadow shut out of the world were instead holding it fixed in their midst. Everything seemed to be turned on its head, and there was much confusion.
Jante Tor-son and Sun the shaman
Coming up next: Part II - Night falls on Whitesbarrow
