Author Topic: History of the founding of Thulsoma.  (Read 3513 times)

Glaumring the Fox

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Re: History of the founding of Thulsoma.
« Topic Start: March 24, 2011, 02:03:18 PM »
Glaumring and his men had fought for weeks on end, food a place to sleep , even to remove ones armor was near impossible, if men could survive on moments of sleep they did. Fight and sleep, fight and sleep. And then one night they stopped and all was silent. The Monsters that had been howling and scaling the walls all week... Were gone.

The sky was clear, it was overcast but the moon was full, at times the clouds would break and light from the moon would come through and stars could be seen in the inky background.

Glaumring took a moment of time and sat with his star disc, on the wall, a moment of reflection, he lined up the moon and then drew a line across space, he found a collection of stars, the hunter, the maiden... But the Bloodstars were not there.

He rose and double checked, where were the stars? He turned and looked in panic across the courtyard... Where were the stars? The stars fluctuated but never had he seen them in darkness... Was it a sign?



Storms end was already a hell hole, and that was before the monsters and then the undead had come. The barren cleared land of trenches and monster kites was awash with more terrible images that surpassed the manmade contraptions that were supposed to strike fear in whatever deigned to come here. The frail and dirty citizenry, the peasants who squabbled and dug their pathetic existence from the muck and mire around the bulwarks of Storms end had been decimated. For miles great wooden steaks had been carved by the beasts and impaled upon them in rank maggot fly infested evil were the smashed and broken bodies of countless hundreds of men and women, hung, tied and beaten and half eaten.

King Glaumring rode his slow horse down from the Storms keep and felt saddened, not so much for the loss of life but for the loss of their defenses and now the hatred the peasants felt for high Thulsomans, they threw rocks and called names from their hiding spots. They mocked the general and his men. The wretched lot of filthy peasants would not be easily converted now.

King Glaumring dismounted from his horse and walked towards a ramshackle defense that the peasants had dug out and made with logs, he climbed the front and peered over the side. Down there huddled with makeshift bows and clubs were a sorry looking assortment of men and children, the women had long been destroyed, carried away and none now were here.

"Peoples of Storms end, I assure you now that we are here and will not leave... For you the darkness has passed and the storm has ended... Allow us back, we promise that we will not let you down."

The peasants were like animals, docile and weary. They dropped their weaponry and in their faces tears could be seen , streaking the mud from their faces.

They were too weak to fight here... but elsewhere, Glaumring knew that the peasants would not give up so easily. Even now , the king lamented having to fight his own people...



King Glaumring had heard there was newly arrived noble in the realm. He sat heavily in his makeshift chair under his banners in the mud. Nothing covered him from the rain. He sat with his fist ground into the side of his head in perpetual deep thought. When he was told he barely understood, and then was startled. As if awakening from a bad dream, he shook off whatever he was thinking before and was all of a sudden very animated.

"Send in this noble to me... This man must be extremely brave or extraordinarily... Crazy for coming up here through this infested region".

Glaumring grabbed the nearest servant and shook him roughly, they had failed to tell him it was not just a mere noble, it was the very Ambassador of holy Corsanctum, here in this infested hellhole. He straightened himself and dug inside his pouch and pulled out his dented tin crown and placed it awkwardly on his head, he fastened his bear cloak around him, hollaring and cursing all the while he made his men gather whatever tarpaline to make a tent, he gave an order that wine appear even if by magic in that tent, he did not care where it came from as long as it was there... And a fire!

 The Ambassador was sure to feel that Thulsomans were an uncivilized lot for none had even bathed in about 3 weeks nor shaven, their clothing was mud and bloodied. Compared to the civilized south, this lot would look like a mere chiefdom or plot for a rabble warlord.

 Things were done hastily, everyone was unproffessional, no one knew the proper edicate, but after a while everything was as ordered and Glaumring stood and waited impatiently for word from General Randemicos to arrive with the Ambassador.

The bottle of wine upon the table, a dish of Bloodmoon fruit and some dried fish... a chunk of horseflesh. Now all there was was to wait.

The ten flap is opened by a rough looking worn out soldier, he greets you with his head bowed, and when he grasps your hand he slips a small red nut or fruit into your palm, he mutters some unknown langauge and then touches his forehead.

"You have been blessed by the stars and the fruit that grows from their light, you may now enter, please relax there is no need for formalities now, any outsider who braves the trip to Thulsoma is considered a brother, you may eat as you wish and there is wine, I am afraid that the food is not what you would eat in Corsanctum. Come sit with me and rest..."

The soldier then leaves the room. In the back of the tent by a small bronze cauldron, sits a man draped in bear fur, a small crown sits dull upon his brow. He stands and touches his forehead with the same red fruit that the soldier blessed you with, he then places it on the small table by his side.

 " Come brother of the stars, come and sit you must be tired and I am eager for your tales of the outside world, sit and eat and warm yourself by the fire."

Glaumring poured some wine into a clay cup and laid it on the table in front of Ambassador Aelwolf. he then rummaged in his belt and pulled out a clay pipe and tobacco and stuffed it, lit it and then spoke.

"It is fantastic to finally meet you, I hope that you can forgive us for the arrangements, we have just gotten here and the place has been ransacked for several weeks. I am actually going back to Storms Keep and there I can better host you, we are finishing the last of our defenses and I would like for you to see them and meet my people. Storms Keep is much better suited for our talks and there I can have your room set up and it will look out onto the ocean"

Glaumring motions to the plates and the wine.

"But first drink and eat, sleep for a time... When we arrive in Storms keep we can better speak, I have many things to speak with you about. Your arrival was unexpected and has lightened all of our hearts and eased our minds, for so long we have felt isolated from the grand lands of the south and the intrigue and court life."

Glaumring puffed his pipe briefly and then leaned forward,

" Let us speak idle and of light topics for now, Storms end is so dreary and there is nothing but death all about, tell me what of the southlands? How does Corsanctum fare? How does the High Prophet do? Did you see anything interesting upon the journey northward?"

They arrived and for once in a while the weather was clear and the sun could be seen on the ocean. It was still very wet though and Storms Keep, though nothing like Storms end in its desolation was still a very ramshackle assortment. Of course one could see the fort had a new pallisade to finally protect from the monsters.

"Ambassador Aelwolf, welcome to Storms Keep... The free peoples of Thulsoma, the eaters of the bloodmoon fruit, if you will follow me , I will show you your room and then at your leisure we can talk."

Ambassador,

I know that my kingdom is a mere impoverished dust mote on this land and probably is barely mentioned elsewhere, but what has been said about us? I am fairly certain and have heard that Morek is basically silently betting that we will crumble, that a mere stronghold cannot maintain itself, that money alone was the indication of a leaders worth. I worry not for their words for already we have done the impossible, even getting this far and building our first protective wall was deemed impossible, I know different...For it is not the size of the kingdom, nor its coffers but the very makeup of its men that decides its future... For nothing can crush the strongest of souls...yet kingdoms will crumble for nothing at all.




Glaumring steadied his horse as Aelwolf mounted his own, already now the morning sunlight had shifted and the turned the common bleak grey and storm clouds began their march inland, the rolling of thunder across the sky far away but coming fast.

" Aye, Averoth... The leader Serpentis before he was deposed, I have a brother in a far land who served with him... Of course that is all I know of their relations for my brothers do not speak with me often... Not since I left Port Raviel... So long ago now it seems... I felt that I could have worked with Serpentis and that is why I signed a peace agreement, you see... I have been speaking with Summerdale, and Averoth under Serpentis... to create a United northern penninsula kingdom, all independent yet federated to defend this meager strip of land... Alas, Averoth is to be destroyed and rightly so, and Summerdale is paranoid and fears everything around it... So, I defend this strip of lland with my men and we do well enough...There is a benefit to being forgotten by the world outside... We are of no threat, nor strategic value."

They kicked their horses and slowly their horses plodded forward, riding side by side, when they reached the edge of Storms Keep and the great manmade wind kite beasts of Storms end could be seen and the manmade wind howlers heard a mournful sound of a horn could be heard in long drones across the land coming from Storms keep.

"They play that horn for you Aelwolf, on the very top of Storms keep...The horn of the sun, it cries only when it rains and when men leave the keep to other lands... I hope that you may hear it another day for it calls you to return..."

 Glaumring was silent as the horn called out in long deep drones, the blighted grey land with flecks of rain and billous clouds blanketed overhead, the damp land of green stretched back towards the Storms end.


The Patrol froze in their tracks, on the outside of the walls wounded and pulling itself across the ground,streaking blood on the grass... Was a monster, still alive.

The troops drew their bows and surrounded the pathetic beast, they had rarely seen dead monsters even after a fight since so many of the bodies were taken back after an attack, it was even rarer to find a live one...

The beast was batlike, leathery and mottled with black spots, its face was vaguely human, rat and Daimon , its eyes yellow , darting about in fear. It recoiled and then wound itself in its wings fetal like on the ground and screamed. It was screaming in words first and then in whatever bastard tongue it did speak amongst its brethern, but all who stood around it knew what it had said.

Hulutha ahath..grod Bloodstars! Ackthrooroth, isolate...deemed, akthruthruh, ALTHRUTHA HIGH PROPHET AKLTH HYTHOTHAFYN!!!

 One of the soldiers kicked it and wound a cord around its arms and tied it, they deemed to bring it before the King and find out what they should do to this speaking beast, King Glaumring listened to their tale and as Ambassador Aelwolf mounted his horse he stopped him.

Aelwolf! Stop! before you go... Take this beast with you in cage... It will make a wonderful gift for those in Corsanctum to study... Perhaps it can teach them something about humanity? I have no need for such a beast, for here in the lands of Storms we have plenty...Be known that this is the first monster to be captured anywhere across this land. I wonder what tales it could tell?

And with that the beast was loaded in cage upon a donkey and tied to Ambassador Aelwolfs steed, and there they were led out of the small fortification and into the rising sun.

King Glaumring watched as Aelwolf faded away, and he was saddened by the day... Once again, they would face the day alone...

Torrential rain for days drowned the land in mud and mire, with heavy clouds here in Torrents breath, with raging river all around the sound of boulders being pounded by the breath of the black water, far off on the horizon shrouded by cloud and dark was Mt.Black Nostrond, forever hidden from view on this side of the penninsula.

King Glaumring was wet as always, with his great bear cloak pulled close around him, the sole village, a collection of ramshackle huts and brothels, vapid eyed malnourished children, orphans and men who had long abandoned the fall of Springdale, here huddled in this border refugee like enclave. Bear fights and dogs barked mad through cages lined on the side of the muddy walk. The Huts were smoke filled, where butter was churned into foul tea and liquor was distilled from the waters of the nearby river. Mean eyed men played bones on the bodies of recently dead, they won boots and gold teeth from the corpses.

Glaumrings eyes surveyed the town and none gave him heed, he was merely another warlord, a man with sword who would would pass by and never to return in their minds. Torrents breath and its minions were fiercely independent. They had never been subjegated. Glaumring moved to the center of the town with purpose his men trailed behind, Storm General Randemicos had surrounded the village and was already arresting smugglers and shifty peasants, nothing came or went without notice, yet none within the village stirred, this had happened before and they had beaten back the takeover force... They would like last time act docile and then when the guard was down murder this collection of men called Thulsomans.

"I hereby declare this village and surrounding land subject to the wills and laws of King Glaumring the Thulsoman ruler of the Kingdom of Bloodmoon..."  General Randemicos could be heard yelling through the rain.

 "Glaumring?..."

 Glaumring heard a voice come from a hut, a familiar voice long unheard, ages...Like waves on shore consistant...Thick Ravelian accent, oh how long had it been to hear that voice.

"Son?" The voice said again.

Glaumring turned and there huddled with sword and cloak, ancient beyond his years, his face a crag of scars and sun salted skin...

"Father?" 


The shore of the Torrents breath river that flowed through Storms end was more busy than usual, supply lines of men in canoes and small boats had finally opened up this area. Wispy grass grew along the shore and a small dock was built not long ago. The town that once feared the waters and lived far inland had finally moved closer to the supply of fresh goods from both Summerdale, vegetables and Morek clothe and down far the Ravians sent things like tools ever so often.

Glaumring rested amidst the boxes and cargo his men had recently returned from Valldir, where hordes of bat beasts haunted the forests and called out for blood, a cat was sleeping near Glaumrings feet. Having relaxed the cat stretched and meowed in circles then was off in sleepy saunter, Glaumring watched the cat and then took off his bear cloak and walked across the dock towards an old man that had a small sail ship on blocks being sanded and worked on the dry land.Glaumring ran his hand along the boat and smelt the scented wood. he had commisioned this sail ship a few weeks before and it was near done, perhaps a few weeks more.

A breeze came down from mt.Black and sent a refreshing chill through the working men, Glaumring breathed it in and his eyes turned west, across the grey sky, passed the kingdom of Summerdale and high reeling in the sky beyond the kingdoms of the westlands there were the omnipresent red stars twirling in the heavens.

With his star stone tablet he measured the distance and it was far, far from Thulsoma, far from this wretched place... Thousands upon thousands of leagues his father had said to him the other day as they spoke in Torrents breath town. His father had shown him a map, rolled on goat skin and old, there was a route along the north sea, but none had done it that way in many many forgotten years.

It had been ages since a man had sailed to the very edge of the world, to the very resting place, the pillars of the Bloodstars, out there in the infinite waters...

Glaumring rolled the map and stuck the stone tablet back aboard the small ship... And rejoined his men resting on the side of the shore.
We live lives in beautiful lies...