Aethelflaed of Wessex Aethelstan

amongst some of the normally more divisive Celts. Aethelflaed of The kingdom of Ulster, in particular, is friendly to Wessex (Ae-thel-flaad) her and regularly lauds her greatness. Famosissima Regina Saxonum, Her political maneuverings are coming near to a “The Great Lady of the Saxons” point where she may take up arms against King Aethelstan, in spite of their history. Tensions Mercia, Angeland in Britain between her and Aethelstan have been rising as he has sought further lands to control, while she Aethelflaed may be a queen but with her mousy supports the continued existence of many small- brown hair, pale skin, and plain-looking, er Kingdoms across the Isles. Many of the Cymry dull-coloured clothes, she does not look the part. kings and lords would happily pledge their lives to To look upon her it would not be surprising to her in exchange for a less strict overlordship. see her working the fields or tending to animals amongst her people. Despite appearances, she has a cunning eye and is adept at the political halls of (Ethel-stan) power. Under her humble clothes, she conceals a Aethelstan knife that can be planted in the back of her enemies King of Wessex should the need arise. All this is in spite of her rel- Winchester, Wessex, Angleland in Britain atively advanced age, having fostered Aethelstan and been an important figure throughout the isles. King Aethelstan rules from his seat of power in Renowned by the Cymry and those of Ulster as Winchester, Wessex. He is the head of the “White a powerful Saxon queen, many would prefer to God army” that has invaded the Isles. With his deal with her than her kinsmen. She has been Crusaders of the church of the White God Aethel- more diplomatic in her dealings with other stan conquered Mercia and East Anglia. Kings, especially when compared to Aethelstan. Aethelflaed leads powerful forces of separatism Aethelstan’s beginnings were humble. Before for the region of Mercia. he was born, his grandfather faced the invading Norse armies of Ivar the Boneless and lost. Ae- Aethelflaed’s court has long been a safe harbour thelstan’s family was driven from the Isles, and for those on the run from other powerful forc- sought refuge in the south with the Frankish king es and she accepts many outsiders with different Charles the Simple. pasts. In these dark days, Aethelfaed believes it is to her great advantage to have a large and diverse Devout and ambitious, Aethelstan gained favour number of allies. with Emperor Otto, and was entrusted to lead a holy conquest of the Poetic Isles. With messengers Aethelflaed has been a powerful leader of her forc- proclaiming the return of the royal bloodline, Ae- es and has long been able to retain stability of her thelstan found a sympathetic army already waiting realm in the face of the Viking incursions. Despite for him on the shores of Wessex. Upon hearing being a Follower of the White God, she is relatively of his coming, they ousted their Viking King in a accepting of other faiths and peoples. This has led peasant’s rebellion. Without a single battle Aethel- to both the stability of her region and acceptance stan claimed Wessex, then moved his army to con- - 76 - Sample file - 77 - quer Mercia and East Anglia and applied his great of young Alan, a trust built up by undergoing holy tactical mind to easily take those lands and secure baptism in the church of the White God. Otto the Great’s foothold. Years later, and under the guidance of King Aeth- Now King Aethelstan sets his sights on the con- elstan, the king’s half-brother Edmund the Just, quest of Northumbria, Alba, and Eire. Religion and his father Mathuedoï’s training, Alan became a is Aethelstan’s greatest strength, and his great- competent warrior and showed a cunning mindset est weakness. His devotion prevents him from that gave him his first nickname, “The Fox”, for setting up what would be key alliances amongst his favouring of traps and ambushes to wipe out pagan Celts and Norse. The denizens of Isles are his enemies on the battlefield rather than using or- still mostly devoted to the White God regardless. thodox tactics. Aethelstan may have enemies on all sides, but his potential to rally the support of the faithful, and his Alan, since the earliest time in his life, has been guile, makes him a powerful force in the Isles. given one objective by his people: free Breizh and restore the rightful rule of his homeland. Alan Varvek (Al-an Varr-Vek) Bede (Beed) “Wrybeard”, Al Louar, “The Fox” Exiled nobleman from Breizh The Venerable, Deceased Winchester, Wessex, Angleland in Britain Otherworld Alan Varvek is the grandson of the last king of Though dead, Bede the Venerable remains a high- Breizh, and heir to the throne. As such, he also ly-regarded and influential figure in the Celtic inherited the messy appearance of that line. His World. Bede was born into a noble family in the head is a blonde mess of hair, and though he is vicinity of the twin monasteries of The Abbey a young man, his face is covered by a thin mess Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul Monkwear- of a beard. He wears chainmail over his riding mouth–Jarrow, and accordingly he studied in the attire, an iron circlet, and usually carries both a order at Jarrow, the centre of learning in all of the shortsword and a bow. northern part of Britain. Alan was exiled alongside his father, the Count of Bede distinguished himself as one of the greatest Poher, after the ruination of Breizh. The capital, clerical scholars of the Great Isles. He was known Nantes, lies in ruins and, despite their best at- for his expertise in the domain of computus and tempts, and with the support of the King of Fran- pushed for the Anno Domini dating-system and cia, they failed to retake their homeland from the spent a lot of his time perfecting the dates on the Viking invaders. calendar. Through a long career of learning, Bede the Venerable plied his hand to almost every do- The key members of the Breizhiz nobility exiled main of science and theology available at the time. themselves for their own safety to Britain, under His greatest and most influential work was the King Aethelstan’s protection. The price of this Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum, a series protection was that the king became the godfather of five tomes chronicling the history of the Great - 78 - Sample file - 79 - Isles starting with Caesar’s invasion and ending in amongst these lands for seven years, sailing, map- his present. Though Bede was decidedly a follow- ping, and travelling around them. For all that time er of the White God, these volumes have become there was never a winter, for here cold never threat- a beacon of unity among Anglo-Saxon tribes in ened the shores. The Druids say that Brendan and these dark times, pagan and monotheist alike. his monks found their way into the Otherworld. The clergy of the church of the White God insists they A carved statue marks where Bede the Venerable is somehow found the “Garden of Eden”. buried, showing his appearance at death: the long hair and beard he had, and the long robes he so of- Even after seven years the monks had no intention ten wore. The carving is in more the Outer-Mid- of returning back to Eire but one day they came to gard style, depicting him in a Roman tunic with a a mighty river and on its banks sat a supernatural quill in his hand. being. The being admonished the monks about travelling further. In all accounts, even Brendan himself refused to name or label this mysterious (Bren-dan) figure or speak further on the matter, as though Saint Brendan giving it a name or title would somehow invoke it The Sailor, Deceased again. As a result of that warning, the monks im- Eire mediately set sail back to Eire. There, Brendan made his monastery on the western coast of Eire near a mountain that now bears his name. In his life, Saint Brendan was a scholar, a writer, and an adventurous sailor. Brendan travelled all the known seas of the Celtic World and more. His adven- tures included travelling and preaching all around the Saint Brigid of Isles and founding many communities, monasteries, (Brij-ed) and churches. Then came his greatest quest. Kildare Abbess, Deceased For what would be his most famous voyage, At rest in Kildare, Eire Brendan and his followers first built a large hide boat around a wicker and light wood frame. The group of fourteen monks prepared for a voyage Born of princely ancestors, Brigid was supposed of forty days, when at the final moment, two ad- to marry and further the interests of her clan but ditional volunteers joined the voyage. They set refused and took the veil. She and seven other sail and experienced the grace of the White God nuns dedicated themselves to raising a convent. during the first fifteen days of sailing, making good They chose the location of a great oak tree to begin time with fair weather. After this, they suffered an- the construction, thus it was named Kildare, “the other fifteen days of powerful ocean currents and church of the oak”. Later it became a holy town fitful winds. Yet, Brendan maintained his faith, and and a monastery was erected.

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