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Östron mythology has a long history of reverence for the natural spirits of the world. Great trees; babbling mountain streams; serene, calm forest ponds. The old tales, passed on from old men sitting around their fires, in their halls, drinking ale, tell a story of a people who first and foremost loved nature, and believed everything wonderful about it was a spirit, unseen, but not unfelt by their people. Every new plant, every new animal, each new place they traveled the Östrons and the tribes they came from gave much respect to the wonders of nature. As Östrons traveled to and in the new world, searching for a home, they encountered great forests filled with giant dark trees and oversized mushrooms. Early tales from the Elder days mentioned cattle that grew great growths of mushrooms on their backs, thus many associated these mystical dark forests with those legends of old. The Östrons passed through many of these forests on their way to a new home. None were more enchanting than the great forest of Wiccaweald, home to one of the largest spruce-oak forests in the Mercurian Empire.
Wiccaweald was first settled in the early 300s. Initially a varied group of tribes, these tribes unified unlike few others in Östlaed. They developed a respect and indeed worship of the trees, mushrooms, and mooshrooms that inhabit the forest. While they pay reverance to Creepers as well, even in their local temple the liturgy largely focuses on the spirits of the mushrooms.
~oOo~
Spring did not come quickly to the forest of Wiccaweald. Under the trees, the air would remain cool almost until summer. On this particular early Spring day of the year 542, those facts remained.
The ceorls of Wiccaweald had long ago built shrines to their local spirits - one could even say each of their homes is a temple to the spirits of the mushrooms. The entire village could even be seen as a desecration to the legislated form of Östron Creeperism. The hunters, gatherers, fishermen, and craftsmen of Wiccaweald made plans in the previous weeks to protect their precious village from the dreaded Halig Frecan of the Ealdorman. Would he really do as rumoured, and smash their precious shrines, temples, even their homes?
Four large guard towers look over the village of Wiccaweald to give early warning to any large body of enemies headed to the village. In addition, many hamlets hidden carefully in the forest served as additional early warning from harm. On this particular early Spring day, the people of Wiccaweald alerted their silent alarm system of light footed archers for the first time in nearly 50 years (when the forces of the then Eorl Mark Accynnafon arrived to petition them to join the fledgling realm of Östlaed). Yes, the Halig Frecan had come - some hundreds strong, coming from Acholm and Merscafen, joining Halig Frecan forces already stationed in Wiccaweald.
The Thane of Wiccaweald knew their mission. He met them to the north of the village, closer to the Merscafen swamp than to the village.
“You will turn around, and leave us be” he shouted from a well placed, and hidden guard tower.
The commander of the Halig Frecan assembled before him called out, saying “You were first asked. You refused. You were secondly ordered. You again refused. The third time, is now. We are here to enforce the laws of our Ealdorman. We mean you no harm! However, we shall enforce his divine will.”
The Thane responded, saying “Turn back. You do not have to do this. You cannot enforce unity on an Östron!”
The Knights of the Halig Frecan formed a shield wall, and began their march deeper into the forest. The Thane ordered his men to form several ambush points with the forest canopy. The commander of the Knights did not respond again.
The Knights entered the village close to dark. They did not find the gates closed. This was the moment that the commander of these forces should have heeded the call of a Knight from Wiccaweald: “They will let you in, most certainly. You will enter in, side exposed in the narrow roads between the thick trunks of ancient oaks, and they will prick you with so many flying needles that you will look like Saeppedun cheese.”
He did not listen. The full array of this army was now in the village. A battering ram was brought forth to break into the local temple. It was not needed - after one strike, the doors opened as if not locked at all.
The air became thick with arrows like gnats in the Merscafen swamp at midsummer. Chaos began immediately. Many were killed instantly. Due to the quick thinking of a group of soldiers from Beorcfeld, a new shield wall was formed. The troops unleashed their own crossbows into the trees with such force that many trees split, and many archers of Wiccaweald were either exposed or dropped from their trees. As more archers fell, the Thane of Wiccaweald gave the order for his infantry (composed of militia members and former Knights of the Order) to began assaulting the main contingent of Halig Frecan.
“No fucking noble prick is going to come to my village!” yelled the Thane. Many of the Wiccawealdan archers and infantry began shouting “Fuck the Döm! Fuck the Döm!” as they pushed further into the enemy lines.
With some 200+ dead, and he himself wounded, the command of the Halig Frecan ordered their retreat. Fighting continued on in the form of capturing the wounded for some time, as the Halig Frecan retreated to Merscafen.
“This didn’t have to happen,” thought the Thane.
~oOo~
“You are relieved of duty, commander.”
The Ealdorman was not happy. He didn’t think they had it in them to actually fight back!
He gave instructions to the other Haligcnihten present: “This is not good, word of this might get out. Set up a blockade of the Groenesee. Post more forces on the roads around the entire forest. Send word to forces in Frithengestshire to do the same.”
He paced around the throne room in the Östur. He threw a mug of Old Ale down the hall. Everyone present listened to it slowly stop clattering along the wood floor.
He sat down, and in a much more calm voice spoke up, saying: “I want to have a meeting with the Thane of Wiccaweald, personally. I have an idea of how to settle this. If we march in there with more forces to enforce this Döm, even more Östrons will die, and my brother may raise an army against me. I must find another way to convince them to remove that fucking temple.”
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Ealdorman Cerdic Beoden Accynnafon of Östlond
Runner Up of the Glas Claddach Boat Building Competition
Minister of Justice
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