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“Thank you for meeting me here. I hope we can come to an agreement today. ” Ealdorman Accynnafon greeted the Thane of Wiccaweald in the market square of the village. He was not wearing his usual robe, but instead, a suit of thick leather covered by a cloak. Both men had their personal guards, as well as forces capable of fighting on either side. On this occasion, the Ealdorman had brought many heavily armored knights, and a whole host of Halig Frecan soldiers surrounded the village.
The Thane did not waste any time, saying “I am not sure we can, Ealdorman. I must ask that you leave Wiccaweald if you intent on demanding the destruction of our shrines to the forest.”
The Ealdorman stiffened his posture. He glared at the Thane momentarily, then replied saying “Oh, and what exactly do you propose I do? Ignore my own law? Let you ignore our laws? I don’t see what choice you think I have in this matter.”
The Thane gave a hand signal he thought would be hidden from the Ealdorman’s sight. It was one to signal his forces to retreat further in reality, to hopefully save themselves for another day. The Ealdorman caught a glance of the hand signal, and without hesitation, he said “By the power vested in me by the strength of the Östron people, I shall take control of this village. Your line ends here!”
Ealdorman Accynnafon drew his massive double handed sword, forged from Merscafen Mine folded steel, detailed with Östron runes, emeralds, and silver. Before the Thane could flinch, his head was severed from his body. The cut was so clean that no blood stained the Ealdorman’s blade.
“Unite, or die, Wiccaweald” he yelled. “Find his children, and bring to me! Purge the village of its heretical shrines!”
The Haligchnihten found almost no resistance; without their Thane, the forces of Wiccaweald knew they had no chance. The children of the Thane, however, had long since left for the remote wilderness of the Saeppebeorge to the south, and would not be found on that day by the Ealdorman or his Knights.
Ealdorman Mark Accynnafon II would indeed rule by fear.
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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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