Tales From The Skalds

This night we talk of gods, of wisdom and danger, promises kept and promises broken.

We know well five gods whom we follow, to whom we hold true and who hold true to us. Issa the Green, tender of growing things, that we may have a home and meal to come back to. Angry Kunn who leads our warriors down the path of rage that they may be strong enough to smite our foes and keep us safe. Wise Borris guides us in knowledge, learning and wisdom that we may know best how to overcome those that would oppose us. Flegg reminds us that there is fun in this world, that we can enjoy our existence. Knux looks after our Jarls that they may lead wisely, honourably and well.

As we know there are other gods and other greater powers in this world, but not all are wise enough to acknowledge that. They may not like it, we do not like the one who fell and now leads the wildfolk to the path of evil. But watchful we are because we know of her least she lead others astray. To our west they worship another lady, a god yes but one followed by too many fools. We know she exists but is a god of westeners and that is whom she cares about. Her followers are not so wise, they, or most of them, do not recognise the truth, that their lady is but one amongst many.

These fools seek to have everyone follow their lady. They promise a lot, but their favours come at a price. Their masters live far to the west, in lands grown fat on sloth and greed, ripe hunting for the strong. So far they have kept their armies, so a wise warrior would do well not to make war upon them, but they have not kept an eye out for the evils more insidious forms. They refuse to acknowledge the other gods, and underestimate the terror that they face. They preach ignorance based on promises that they cannot keep, but that can only be disproved by slaughter by when it is too late. It is after all your freedom that they crave. They would have you follow their mortal masters far to the west, to answer to foreign powers that care not if you suffer to make them rich and wrap it all in promises made on behalf of a god.

Already they have corrupted Algundy, and their priests walk that land openly, claiming power while behind their backs the agents of the real enemy lurk untroubled. Once that land had sense, for one wise in older lore mentioned five gods who sound more than hauntingly familiar. Kunx Death Gaze, the Knower of Riddles, Wisha, Gifter and Angry Kunn, yes the last we know well.

Now the fools look further east and that leads them here. For fools they are, they do not acknowledge the power of the enemy for what it is. They simply ban all magics they do not understand and by understand they actually mean performed by the official followers of their lady. This has nothing to do with sense. We know power has dangers, yes true wizardry comes from the evil one but not all power comes from that source. They however look only at the appearance of the practitioner, not deeper to the true source of the power. Only by being aware of the danger, acknowledging it exists can we understand enough to choose with care. Power we have, our gods grant us the power to defend ourselves and those with the training use this against our enemies. But we watch carefully, and condemn those that take the easy route to evil, not those we simply do not know.

So wary are we. For once more trouble rises in the east. True we must be to those that have saved us before, and not led astray by those that simply wish us harm. However pretty their words and empty promises look they are deluded fools. The enemy walks amongst them ignored. Where were the fools that would now lead our people astray when last the evil rose, I’ll tell you, at home in bed. Only the fact that we live between them and harms way and that we were strong enough saved them then. Maybe we should not bother again you say, but our homes lie on that path west and the evil will not just pass us by so no we again must win and leave the foolish to their ignorance.

Last our ancient foe and her children came west from their den of evil it was together that we stood against her. Above five gods, Issa, Kunn, Wise Borris, Flegg and Knux, and below three Jarls. Together, many as one we stood, where one faltered the others caught them and survive we did as friends and comrades. Those in the west would back but one god and one man. Strong each may be but if that one be blinded or falter what then. They already are blind to the danger, the evil divided them, they did not see and Algundys strength is spent.

Now that danger comes to us, those from the west lead Snorri astray, they would have him cast his lot in with but one god and try to rule as one man. Oh do the followers of the evil chukkle. Yes even now as they send their scattered servants west, supposedly to help. Do not be fooled, of use only as pawns against the west they are, here all they can do is prolong suffering and lead us into a war with but one end, carnage.

Snorri has fallen but the Axebytes are mostly fens, their leaders now may be fools but that has not always been so, and they could see wisdom again.

Yes to wisdom we look and to leadership. For last we fought back the tide of evil three stood together. Those Jarls were of clans Balder, strong still, Wolfguard, ever our eye on the east, wonder why they were targeted first by troubles, and Axebyte, wonder now why they are set against us. Yes my fensfolk, we are being led astray, taken down one by one. It is the same tactic they used before, set one against another. The evil is but one god, strong she may be but together Knux, Kunn, Issa, Flegg and Wise Borris are stronger. That one seeks to remove the wildfolks fractions and wield them as one. A poor army they may make but only together, with many clans standing shoulder to shoulder can we turn the tide of their numbers and disregard for their losses to come. Then together led by a group of wise Jarls we can send them back to the evil pit from whence they came.

To do this sense must we see, together we must stand. Do not waste our strength fighting each other to stop a few fools being led astray. To your fellow fensfolk you must speak. They have not forgotten, take the blindfolds off their eyes, unplug their ears of empty promises. They are the army of the fenslands and together we can make it one.

We are the fensfolk, we walk the path of rage. Together we stand, divided we would fall. So with our eyes and ears open together we stand and cast out those who promise us all but deliver none. Together we cast down the one who would corrupt us. For we are the fensfolk and together our clans and people stand!