Chapter One
A new age had dawned for the lands of men. The Empire was gone and in it's place were baronies, all slowly forming into larger and larger combinations until five Nord Kingdoms arose. White-River, Stags-Heart, Golden-Dome, Mountain's-Dale and Nord's-Haunt. (all the names are given in English as to not confuse the reader) Her Kings were: Hermann-Deathblade of White-River, Hanns-The-Great-Reacher of Stagsheart. Pieter-Oathblade of Golden-Dome. Gerhart-Hall-Songs of Mountain's Dale and Jurgen-White-Blade of Nord's Haunt. The Nord lords ruled over the former subjects of the late Empire and added the strongest of them to their armies when wartime with the Orcs or other Night creatures came about. It was no secret that each of the Kings desired to be the Kaiser but the defense of humanity came first.
The Prince of Nord's Haunt, Karl Yaegar II, was captured by native bandit-rebels when he was in transport between Holds and passed to the care of an elderly native woman who tended bees. His father launched an all out effort to find him but the elderly woman hid him when the knights came, looking for an infant with his features. The woman renamed him Ostric and taught him in the ways of beekeeping and the forest. Years passed and his father had given up on him as dead and sired several new male heirs, Prince Konrad, Prince Lothar, Prince Dagobert and Prince Ewald.
Unfortunately the Bandit-Rebels, led by Tanaric-the-Bloodly-Handed, raided the Hold and killed the King, his wife and all of his sons. Tanaric made himself the King and became a great tyrant over the people of that Kingdom. The lords refused to swear alliegence to him and rose in revolt with all the thanes, knights and Nord freeholders. The Tyrant's Army consisted of most of the native population. The war lasted seven long, bloody years and the old woman fled with her adopted boy to the Court of Hermann-Deathblade.
Chapter Two.
Ostric and his "mother" were allowed to settle in the village of Tannhausen. She was appointed the "Chief Beekeeper" and planned to pass the role to her adopted son when he was old enough. The war was long since over, the Tyrant Tanaric had been murdered by his own mistress for a steep blood-price and the Crown of that Kingdom had reverted to King Pieter-Oathblade and his heirs. The old woman died and Ostric longed for adventure and spoke with the King's Captain of the Army to enlist as a soldier or a Fenns-Ranger. He was placed under Ganaric-Strongarm of the Royal Rangers in his seventeenth year and he married a local girl. His marriage had caused a bit of a stir because he looked Nord but he spoke the language of the Kelti.
One night, Ostric, and his fellows were out on patrol when they seized several bandits in their camp and questioned them. "Lord Yaegar? Is that you? You look as alive when we first took you for ransom many years ago. Of course the ransom note never went out because I was captured and thrown in yet another dungeon, one of many in my poor, miserble life. If I can make amends with you, return to claim your throne. You are the sole heir of King Jurgen-White-Blade." said the bandit. The men all laughed at once. "You certainly have a sense of humor bandit!" said Ostric. "Perhaps your little story will buy you the giblet in the Kingdom of Golden-Dome but fortunately for you, you will only be jailed and you will pay your fine and you will go free." said the Captain of the Rangers. The men shot questioning looks to Ostric and he strugged, something he didn't do often, if he could help it. The Captain shot Ostric a look that said "Come talk to me later." and Ostric couldn't help ducking it.
The Rangers rode back to the Hold and unloaded the bandits into the gaol and collected their fines. "Now get out of the Kingdom." warned Danaric, the Captain of the Rangers, to the bandits. They left the bandits in the cell and just as Ostric turned to leave, the older bandit threw a pebble at Ostric. "Hey! What I said was true, it wasn't a drunken story. I have a witness, according to the customs and the laws of the Kingdom. The other witness is Yesarian-The-Troll-Killer. He lives over in Klausenhiem and tends the King's cattle there."
said the bandit. "What? He didn't want to run the risk of being declared an outlaw and being hanged?" asked Ostric with a grin. "Better, he "got religion" and teaches every weekend at the Temple." said the bandit. "If you ask me, he is just trying to cover his own arse." said the bandit. Everyone laughed. Everyone except Ostric. Ostric walked back up the stairs and went to the room were Danaric's office was located. "Come, sit down." said Danaric as he beckoned his charge to a chair. "Ostric. You said that you were the son of a beekeeping lady, Messinia Faratric? And yet you look Nord? Who am I to believe? Did you commit a crime against your thane or your King?" asked the Captain. "Old Faber collected the honey from her, he is my witness." said Ostric bravely. "Then I shall talk with him. I would hate to remove you from the Rangers but if his story doesn't hold, I will have to arrest you for making a false witness to an Officer of the King." said Danaric gravely. Ostric left the room and went back to the bunkhouse and sat on his straw pallet and began to think, "who was he really?" he wondered as dayfall became night. The men were gambling away their paychecks again with games of cards and dice and plenty of the King's ale and rum. He tended to avoid their games and instead sent his money to his new wife, who tended to his "other" home, which was a cottar rented from the King, worked by a Kelti slave, a young man who had flights of fancy to enliven his dull life as a slave. He worried sometimes that he didn't get home enough and that the slave would "move in" on his wife and kids and he would lose what joy he had. He took it upon himself to warn the slave to mind his own business. The next day came the "drums for muster" and the men lined up in the courtyard of the Castle. "Good, good." said the Captain of the Rangers as he inspected the men. "Oh, Ostric, good news. I talked with the old man. Your story holds water.
I also checked out the story of our bandit warlord, turns out that his story is true. You are the son of the late King Jurgen-White-Blade. So we have a bit of a problem; you are unlawfully married to a native, since you are a Nord. You can remain with us, since we take both Nords and everyone else. No problem there. Another problem is you don't know a lick of Nord and to boot, you dress like a native and the King of this Kingdom wants to see you immediately." said the Captain. "Yes Sir!" said Ostric and asked to be dismissed. "Everyone is dismissed!" said the Captain. The men went back to their bunkhouse, since the day was an off-day. Ostric went to the throne-room and bowed to the King, who was off his throne and pacing. "Oh Ostric. I wanted to talk with you. You seem to be in a bit of a bind, now that your past has been accidentally revealed. Several Kings want you to swear alleigence to them as liegelord while you retain your Kingdom for their benefit. Problem is you have no legs to stand on, no-one would recognize you as a noble. I could keep you here at this court, under my protection but I look down on idle Princes. You have to do something. I shall put you in charge of the Rangers. Your pay will be seven manors. I raise you to the rank of Knight." said the King. "I am astonished, your Grace!" said Ostric. "Don't screw this up, and learn Nord for crying out loud." said the King. "Dismissed!" said the King. Ostric went to his wife and told her the good news. "But you have to find a way to pass as Nord." said Ostric. "Fine, I will dye my hair reddish" she said. Ostric went and tried to get himself called by his true name; (Sir) Prince Karl Yaegar II. He learned Nord from the former Captain of the Rangers, whom he raised to Secondary Captain of the Rangers, since he was back to just being enlisted. He sent his wife and children to Yurgenson Hall and she watched over the manors from there while he continued in his duties to the King.
Chapter Three
Word got out to the other Kings in the other Holds that King Pieter had taken the once-lost Prince under his protection. The Kings schemed to get the loyalty and attention of the Prince and began to send him gifts. King Hanns sent 20 hunting steeds, King Hermann sent an ancient sword, King Gerhart sent 1 million in gold. The Prince used the gold to rebuild his father's Castle from ruins. He had ridden out to the site many times and was able to locate the graves of his fallen family and reburied the remains under a chapel he had built on the site of the new Castle. He hired stonemasons to build the Keep and curtain-walls and the Hall. The project took 10 years. The King became worried that he would lose his possesion to the Prince and finally the day came when the Prince vouched the question. "May I, Sire, be finally recognized as the Crown Prince of my own Kingdom?" asked the Prince, in full Nord, dressed in Nord noble clothing. "Fine, I release you from my wardship. Your Kingdom is safe and the other Kings have told me in letters that they would recognize you as King of your own Kingdom. Your lords already recognize you, as you know. I would like my manors back though." said the King. "Fine, they are thine." said the Prince. The family had since moved into the new Castle so the manors that he held from the King were occupied by their thanes.
The mysterious Ethnarch visited the Crown Prince and gave him his blessing. The Patriarch crowned the Crown Prince as King in full sight of his lords and subjects. His first act was to allow the marriage between Nords and natives.
The End
(I might rewrite this in more detail at a later point but it is late and my mind feels like mush.)
A new age had dawned for the lands of men. The Empire was gone and in it's place were baronies, all slowly forming into larger and larger combinations until five Nord Kingdoms arose. White-River, Stags-Heart, Golden-Dome, Mountain's-Dale and Nord's-Haunt. (all the names are given in English as to not confuse the reader) Her Kings were: Hermann-Deathblade of White-River, Hanns-The-Great-Reacher of Stagsheart. Pieter-Oathblade of Golden-Dome. Gerhart-Hall-Songs of Mountain's Dale and Jurgen-White-Blade of Nord's Haunt. The Nord lords ruled over the former subjects of the late Empire and added the strongest of them to their armies when wartime with the Orcs or other Night creatures came about. It was no secret that each of the Kings desired to be the Kaiser but the defense of humanity came first.
The Prince of Nord's Haunt, Karl Yaegar II, was captured by native bandit-rebels when he was in transport between Holds and passed to the care of an elderly native woman who tended bees. His father launched an all out effort to find him but the elderly woman hid him when the knights came, looking for an infant with his features. The woman renamed him Ostric and taught him in the ways of beekeeping and the forest. Years passed and his father had given up on him as dead and sired several new male heirs, Prince Konrad, Prince Lothar, Prince Dagobert and Prince Ewald.
Unfortunately the Bandit-Rebels, led by Tanaric-the-Bloodly-Handed, raided the Hold and killed the King, his wife and all of his sons. Tanaric made himself the King and became a great tyrant over the people of that Kingdom. The lords refused to swear alliegence to him and rose in revolt with all the thanes, knights and Nord freeholders. The Tyrant's Army consisted of most of the native population. The war lasted seven long, bloody years and the old woman fled with her adopted boy to the Court of Hermann-Deathblade.
Chapter Two.
Ostric and his "mother" were allowed to settle in the village of Tannhausen. She was appointed the "Chief Beekeeper" and planned to pass the role to her adopted son when he was old enough. The war was long since over, the Tyrant Tanaric had been murdered by his own mistress for a steep blood-price and the Crown of that Kingdom had reverted to King Pieter-Oathblade and his heirs. The old woman died and Ostric longed for adventure and spoke with the King's Captain of the Army to enlist as a soldier or a Fenns-Ranger. He was placed under Ganaric-Strongarm of the Royal Rangers in his seventeenth year and he married a local girl. His marriage had caused a bit of a stir because he looked Nord but he spoke the language of the Kelti.
One night, Ostric, and his fellows were out on patrol when they seized several bandits in their camp and questioned them. "Lord Yaegar? Is that you? You look as alive when we first took you for ransom many years ago. Of course the ransom note never went out because I was captured and thrown in yet another dungeon, one of many in my poor, miserble life. If I can make amends with you, return to claim your throne. You are the sole heir of King Jurgen-White-Blade." said the bandit. The men all laughed at once. "You certainly have a sense of humor bandit!" said Ostric. "Perhaps your little story will buy you the giblet in the Kingdom of Golden-Dome but fortunately for you, you will only be jailed and you will pay your fine and you will go free." said the Captain of the Rangers. The men shot questioning looks to Ostric and he strugged, something he didn't do often, if he could help it. The Captain shot Ostric a look that said "Come talk to me later." and Ostric couldn't help ducking it.
The Rangers rode back to the Hold and unloaded the bandits into the gaol and collected their fines. "Now get out of the Kingdom." warned Danaric, the Captain of the Rangers, to the bandits. They left the bandits in the cell and just as Ostric turned to leave, the older bandit threw a pebble at Ostric. "Hey! What I said was true, it wasn't a drunken story. I have a witness, according to the customs and the laws of the Kingdom. The other witness is Yesarian-The-Troll-Killer. He lives over in Klausenhiem and tends the King's cattle there."
said the bandit. "What? He didn't want to run the risk of being declared an outlaw and being hanged?" asked Ostric with a grin. "Better, he "got religion" and teaches every weekend at the Temple." said the bandit. "If you ask me, he is just trying to cover his own arse." said the bandit. Everyone laughed. Everyone except Ostric. Ostric walked back up the stairs and went to the room were Danaric's office was located. "Come, sit down." said Danaric as he beckoned his charge to a chair. "Ostric. You said that you were the son of a beekeeping lady, Messinia Faratric? And yet you look Nord? Who am I to believe? Did you commit a crime against your thane or your King?" asked the Captain. "Old Faber collected the honey from her, he is my witness." said Ostric bravely. "Then I shall talk with him. I would hate to remove you from the Rangers but if his story doesn't hold, I will have to arrest you for making a false witness to an Officer of the King." said Danaric gravely. Ostric left the room and went back to the bunkhouse and sat on his straw pallet and began to think, "who was he really?" he wondered as dayfall became night. The men were gambling away their paychecks again with games of cards and dice and plenty of the King's ale and rum. He tended to avoid their games and instead sent his money to his new wife, who tended to his "other" home, which was a cottar rented from the King, worked by a Kelti slave, a young man who had flights of fancy to enliven his dull life as a slave. He worried sometimes that he didn't get home enough and that the slave would "move in" on his wife and kids and he would lose what joy he had. He took it upon himself to warn the slave to mind his own business. The next day came the "drums for muster" and the men lined up in the courtyard of the Castle. "Good, good." said the Captain of the Rangers as he inspected the men. "Oh, Ostric, good news. I talked with the old man. Your story holds water.
I also checked out the story of our bandit warlord, turns out that his story is true. You are the son of the late King Jurgen-White-Blade. So we have a bit of a problem; you are unlawfully married to a native, since you are a Nord. You can remain with us, since we take both Nords and everyone else. No problem there. Another problem is you don't know a lick of Nord and to boot, you dress like a native and the King of this Kingdom wants to see you immediately." said the Captain. "Yes Sir!" said Ostric and asked to be dismissed. "Everyone is dismissed!" said the Captain. The men went back to their bunkhouse, since the day was an off-day. Ostric went to the throne-room and bowed to the King, who was off his throne and pacing. "Oh Ostric. I wanted to talk with you. You seem to be in a bit of a bind, now that your past has been accidentally revealed. Several Kings want you to swear alleigence to them as liegelord while you retain your Kingdom for their benefit. Problem is you have no legs to stand on, no-one would recognize you as a noble. I could keep you here at this court, under my protection but I look down on idle Princes. You have to do something. I shall put you in charge of the Rangers. Your pay will be seven manors. I raise you to the rank of Knight." said the King. "I am astonished, your Grace!" said Ostric. "Don't screw this up, and learn Nord for crying out loud." said the King. "Dismissed!" said the King. Ostric went to his wife and told her the good news. "But you have to find a way to pass as Nord." said Ostric. "Fine, I will dye my hair reddish" she said. Ostric went and tried to get himself called by his true name; (Sir) Prince Karl Yaegar II. He learned Nord from the former Captain of the Rangers, whom he raised to Secondary Captain of the Rangers, since he was back to just being enlisted. He sent his wife and children to Yurgenson Hall and she watched over the manors from there while he continued in his duties to the King.
Chapter Three
Word got out to the other Kings in the other Holds that King Pieter had taken the once-lost Prince under his protection. The Kings schemed to get the loyalty and attention of the Prince and began to send him gifts. King Hanns sent 20 hunting steeds, King Hermann sent an ancient sword, King Gerhart sent 1 million in gold. The Prince used the gold to rebuild his father's Castle from ruins. He had ridden out to the site many times and was able to locate the graves of his fallen family and reburied the remains under a chapel he had built on the site of the new Castle. He hired stonemasons to build the Keep and curtain-walls and the Hall. The project took 10 years. The King became worried that he would lose his possesion to the Prince and finally the day came when the Prince vouched the question. "May I, Sire, be finally recognized as the Crown Prince of my own Kingdom?" asked the Prince, in full Nord, dressed in Nord noble clothing. "Fine, I release you from my wardship. Your Kingdom is safe and the other Kings have told me in letters that they would recognize you as King of your own Kingdom. Your lords already recognize you, as you know. I would like my manors back though." said the King. "Fine, they are thine." said the Prince. The family had since moved into the new Castle so the manors that he held from the King were occupied by their thanes.
The mysterious Ethnarch visited the Crown Prince and gave him his blessing. The Patriarch crowned the Crown Prince as King in full sight of his lords and subjects. His first act was to allow the marriage between Nords and natives.
The End
(I might rewrite this in more detail at a later point but it is late and my mind feels like mush.)
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