#Children of Lothar

[semioticapocalypse]

Lothar Rübelt. Wiener Kinder beim Fußballspielen. Karl-Marx-Hof. C. 1950

I Am Collective Memories   •    Follow me, — says Visual Ratatosk

[findmeinshattrath]

Okay so...

To the best of my knowledge, there is only one known NPC in the game who was born in Outland to members of the Sons of Lothar: Caretaker Dilandrus, who watches over the graveyard in Honor Hold. I, however, do not for one second believe that he could possibly be the only one. They were in Outland for over 20 years with no idea if they would ever be able to leave; even with all of the challenges, I think people would end up trying to develop some sort of life in that situation and children wouldn't be an unlikely possibility.

I am so interested seeing more characters like that and learning what life in Outland must've been like. I mean that for all residents of Outland, but the Sons of Lothar are in the unique position of being aliens trapped in an unfamiliar and shattered world that they have minimal experience with and any children they have would have a pretty unique upbringing.

I don't really have many fleshed out head-cannons about this currently, but the few I can think of now are:

Any children that they did have would at least attempt to be taken to be raised in the Allerian Stronghold, which was the only base they had in a remotely healthy landscape and seems like the one with the smallest amount of imminent threats (Honor Hold would become surrounded by demons and Fel Orcs, same for Wildhammer Stronghold plus all the lava, and Kirin'Var was in the most shattered location and had to deal with the mana storms)

Definitely at least had Draenei influence since they started interacting before Draenor even shattered, even if it was a limited capacity initially.

A fair number of hybrid children. I know Blizzard tends to treat this as a rare thing for whatever reason they give, usually some form of fantasy racism, but 20 Years plus a limited pool of potential partners, casual or serious, seems like it would have happened a decent number of times.

[vigilskeep]

i feel like i’m being deliberately confusing so i’ll go over the barest of facts as it’s shaping up and pin some names on the background characters

bann lothar trevelyan has five children. his first wife, lady gisela, was a sickly noblewoman from the anderfels who he met when she moved east for her health, and he married her for love despite her family’s history of mages, something the trevelyans historically strictly avoided for centuries (both pious and perhaps desperate to kill rumours of tevinter connections). they had four children:

arthur trevelyan, circle mage necromancer, liar extraordinaire, engaged to josephine montilyet as a kid before found out as a mage, has an adopted daughter from the circle

helena trevelyan, templar, kind of terrible, muscles like you wouldn’t believe, maybe loves you but will only show it 6-12 months after you’re dead

maxwell trevelyan, his class is civilian. family disappointment, kind of useless and very pathetic but in a sort of charming way occasionally, NOT thrilled that his siblings are all insane and the titles ended up with him. the moustache situation is bad

caitriona “cat” trevelyan, circle mage. professional baby of the family which let her get away with way more than it should

when the shock of her mage children eventually killed gisela—or so the story goes, though one might say that she was already weak and probably shouldn’t have been having four children in the first place—bann trevelyan was eventually convinced to remarry. but this was for political gain, a marriage to the lady joan, a much much younger woman from an influential ostwick family. she wanted none of it, and a year or two after her first and only child’s birth, immediately accepted an offer to join the grey wardens. the child was:

beatrice “bea” trevelyan, who grew up quiet, reserved, and kind, but became considerably less reserved after she was lauded the herald of andraste, took up the assassin specialisation, saved the world, and married red jenny herself

lady joan—or ser joan of the grey wardens, as the lady preferred to be called—died with many other grey wardens at the battle of ostagar.

bann trevelyan always regretted her fate, as if his regret after the fact was any good to her. it made him unwilling to push their daughter into an arranged marriage or the chantry life as he was expected to do with his younger children. this made the remaining children from his first marriage deeply anxious, sure his intention was to push them aside and give her their inheritance. (the bann was very distant with all his children, except perhaps his beloved eldest son, thoroughly convincing the rest that he disliked them specifically.)

bea was thus somewhat mistreated by her elder siblings thanks to their anxiety/jealousy, though she would assure you it never got out of hand. she spent the majority of her time simply ignored, in the library or with the trevelyans’ horses, except during the visits of her aunt: a templar named ser adelaide, bann trevelyan’s younger sister who had been passed off to the chantry as she was supposed to be. she saw herself in bea for that reason, and also had never been fond of lady gisela, so bea was her particular favourite and she visited whenever she could

[dozydawn]

“Women and children of the Maasai people.”

Photographed by Lothar Kucharz.

[camisoledadparis]

THIS DAY IN GAY HISTORY

based on: The White Crane Institute's 'Gay Wisdom', Gay Birthdays, Gay For Today, Famous GLBT, glbt-Gay Encylopedia, Today in Gay History, Wikipedia, and more … December 18

1788 – Ferdinand Philipp Grimm, born in Hanau, Germany, (d.1845) was a German collector of sagas. He is known as the "unknown brother" of the Brothers Grimm, Jacob and Wilhelm. The portrait above, of Ferdinand at 19 years old, was drawn by his artist brother Ludwig Grimm.

From 1815 he worked as a proofreader at the Berlin publishing house Reimer and was financially supported by his brothers Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm. Dismissed from the publishers in 1834, he lived with his brothers in Göttingen until 1836 , then as a writer in Wolfenbüttel.

He helped his famous brothers collect legends, but also published three collections of his own under the pseudonyms Lothar , Philipp von Steinau and Friedrich Grimm.

Heiner Boehncke writes that Ferdinand was wrongly overshadowed by his brothers, as his fairy tales are of very good literary quality. He writes that Ferdinand was very lonely and that this showed in his work.

Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm wrote in a several letters that their brother was extremely strange and the Germanist Heiner Boehncke came to the conclusion that Ferdinand had come out as homosexual during the Grimms' public Christmas party in 1810.

When he was dying, Jacob visited him, but Wilhelm had broken off contact completely.

1939 – Born in Leavenworth, Texas, gay rights activist Tim Campbell (d.2015) was perhaps best known as the publisher of the GLC Voice newspaper in Minneapolis, which came out from 1979 through 1992. During that period he was the go to person in Minneapolis for the media whenever they needed a quick quote on some gay related event. Campbell was also known for a number of street theater type gay rights protests scattered over the years.

Campbell was pushed into an openly gay lifestyle by the US Army in 1962 when he was called to register for the draft. He checked the box for people who had “homosexual tendencies” even though he had never yet acted on them. For years thereafter, Campbell had to list "1Y" as his draft status on every application for employment he filled out. This had a chilling effect on his pursuit of respectable employment, so he worked in department stores and waited tables.

Bruce Brockway partnered with him to start the Positively Gay newspaper, which became the GLC Voice newspaper.

Campbell himself often said his most important contribution to the national drive for gay rights was the energy he put, during 1974 and 1975, into convincing the Advocate (a national gay publication), the Minneapolis and St. Paul newspapers, including the university's Minnesota Daily, the Washington Post, Dear Abby (Van Buren), and the New York Times to direct their style sheets to use "gay" or "gay and lesbian" or "lesbian and gay" instead of "homosexual". Ever since the mid 1960s, gays themselves throughout the gay bar system and other fledgling organizations had started using "gay" for themselves.

Campbell was also very involved in helping gays, lesbians and others to recover from alcoholism and drug addiction. He sobered up August 25, 1973, in Minneapolis. He was the founding Chair of the Lambda Sobriety Center in Minneapolis in 1981.

Tim Campbell died December 26, 2015, in Houston, Texas, at the age of 76, from esophageal cancer.

1945 – Robert Eads (d.1999) was an American trans man, whose life and death was the subject of the award-winning documentary Southern Comfort.

Eads began transitioning in his forties, after a marriage to a man and after having borne two children. Eads later described being pregnant as "the best and the worst (time) in my life," as he was thrilled by the feeling of having another life grow inside him, but was also disgusted by the fact that his pregnancy made him as a trans man feel even more "trapped" inside his female body. He divorced his husband after the birth of their second son, and presented for some time as a lesbian, though he would later point out that he always viewed his attraction to women as the product of being a heterosexual man rather than a homosexual woman.Eads began transitioning in the late 1980s following a move to Florida. He began testosterone therapy and underwent a modified double mastectomy to create a male physique. However, given his age (early- to mid-40s) as well as the fact that he had already begun to show symptoms of menopause, Eads was counseled that he would not need to undergo a hysterectomy and oophorectomy as part of his sexual reassignment. Eads transitioned later in life and as such it was deemed unadvisable to seek surgical sex assignment to male genitalia. Eads never underwent phalloplasty, and retained external female genitalia throughout his entire life. After living in Florida for some time, and following the failure of his second marriage (to a female psychologist), Eads moved back to Georgia in 1996.

In 1996, after a severe bout of abdominal pain and vaginal bleeding, Eads sought emergency medical treatment, and received a diagnosis of ovarian cancer. However, more than two dozen doctors subsequently refused to treat Eads on the grounds that taking him on as a patient might harm their practice.

It was not until 1997 that Eads was finally accepted for treatment by the Medical College of Georgia hospital, where he underwent surgical, medical, and radiation therapy over the next year. At the time Southern Comfort was filmed in 1998, his cancer had metastasized to the uterus, cervix, and other abdominal organs, and his prognosis was poor. Despite aggressive treatment, Eads died in a nursing home in 1999 at the age of 53.

1950 – Ankha Shamin (nee Donn E. Holley d.2012) was a committed activist for gay rights beginning in the 1970s with the Mattachine Society of New York.

He was born in Rochester, New York. He graduated from Buffalo State University, New York. Most recently he worked as a records manager/senior analyst at Allianz Life and was previously employed as a reference and corporate librarian for Minnesota Technology and Braun Intertec.

Early years in Minneapolis found him singing with the Twin Cities Gay Men’s Chorus and helping to develop and facilitate “Voices and Visions.” He trained with the School of Body Electric organizing and facilitating numerous BE workshops here in the Twin Cities. He avidly participated in the Mankind Project Rainbow Circles and Midwest Radical Faeries.

His life partner and soulmate, Mark S. Mueller, died some time before him.

1990 – Anthony Bowens is an American professional wrestler signed to All Elite Wrestling.

Bowens was born in Nutley, New Jersey. He attended Nutley High School and Montclair State University. He played baseball for eleven years, including at Montclair State and Seton Hall University. He was discovered by professional wrestler Santino Marella, who asked him whether he had ever thought about professional wrestling. He went on to train under Pat Buck.

Bowens started training in 2012 and made his professional wrestling debut in 2013. In November 2016, he suffered a concussion during a match on WWE NXT. In November 2020, All Elite Wrestling President Tony Khan announced that Bowens, alongside Max Caster, had been signed to a five-year contract with the promotion. The announcement also stated that Bowens and Caster would compete as a tag team named The Acclaimed.

Bowens came out as bisexual in January 2017 (he now identifies as gay), showing courage and bravery in that decision, and acting as another role model in the world of pro wrestling.

“It means something when a person can see someone that looks like them, gets them, and understands what they’re going through,” said the 28-year-old Bowens.

“I’m representing the LGBT community and athletes that are LGBT, but even more than that, too. I’m representing the small-town kid who was told he’d never make it, and I’m here for the shy kid that is ready to burst out of his shell and be that beautiful butterfly."

1997 – Navy Secretary John Dalton denied that the US Navy violates the "Don't ask, don't tell" policy by participating in witch hunts.

[geekcavepodcast]

"Defenders of the Earth" Gets Collected into Graphic Novel

1987 Star Comic Defenders of the Earth miniseries is being collected into a paperback graphic novel from Mad Cave. The graphic novel will collect issues 1-4. Defenders of the Earth hailed from writers Stan Lee, Bob Harras, and Michael Higgins and artists Alex Saviuk and Fred Fredericks.

"Flash Gordon must team up with the Phantom, Mandrake the Magician, and the super-strong Lothar to defend planet Earth against the dark forces of Ming the Merciless. Luckily, they’ll get some help from the next generation of heroes: their children!" (Mad Cave)

Defenders of the Earth goes on sale on June 19, 2024.

(Image via Mad Cave Studios - Cover of Defenders of the Earth)

[wonder-worker]

The career of Bertha, daughter of Lothar II [and Waldrada], reveals that women were not simply passive bystanders in the politics of the period. As the transmitter of legitimacy through blood, she was in fact a key player. [...] She was considered a major force in Italian politics, and her political aspirations may have extended much further than the Tuscan region or even the kingdom of Italy.

-Patricia Skinner, "Women in Medieval Italian Society, 500-1200" / Daniel G. König, "Bertha of Tuscany's Correspondence with al-Muktafī bi-llāh in the Version of Ibn al-Zubayr."

[Bertha of Lotharingia was] an ambitious and politically successful female member of the Carolingian elite. The daughter of Lothair II of Lotharingia, she was born around 860 or 865. Married before 880 to count Theobald of Lorraine, she shared her husband’s exile in Arles, where he had sought refuge with Boso, the King of Provence (r. 879–887) after the latter’s brother Hugo had attempted to conquer Lorraine. She bore him four children who were to attain influential positions in a region spanning southern France and northern Italy.

When Theobald died around 887, Bertha married the margrave Adalbert II of Tuscany (r. 885–915). Adalbert’s family had much property in Provence, carried the epithet dives and led a lavish court life in Lucca. […] Theo Kölzer described Adalbert’s policy as

“characterised by a skilful manoeuvring between the individual candidates for the royal and imperial crowns, which he played off against each other for the sake of his own advantage, always taking care that the autonomy of his margraviate and his quasi-royal position did not suffer any damage in the turmoil of the time.”

Adalbert’s policy involved reacting to the ambitions of margrave Guido II of Spoleto, his son Lambert, margrave Berengar of Ivrea, duke Arnulf of Bavaria, and King Louis of Provence, all of whom aspired to the crown of Italy between the end of the ninth and the beginning of the tenth century. Adalbert II and Bertha first sided with Guido II and his son Lambert against Berengar, thus ensuring that Guido was crowned King of Italy in 889 and emperor in 891, his son Lambert becoming royal and imperial co-regent in 891 and 892 respectively. The couple’s support for Guido and Lambert expressed itself in the fact that their two sons were christened Guido and Lambert between 891 and 894. Adalbert tried to impede Arnulf of Bavaria from interfering in Italian affairs in 894, but then turned against Lambert by cooperating with Berengar of Ivrea between 896 and 898. If we believe Liutprand of Cremona, it was around 898 that Adalbert tried to become king of Italy himself.

Around 900, Adalbert and Bertha supported the aspirations of King Louis of Provence to become emperor, possibly in the hope that Bertha’s son Hugo would thus be able to become King of Provence instead. When Hugo’s promotion failed to materialise, the couple turned against Louis, first by not impeding, then by actively supporting Berengar in his conflict with Louis. In this period, the couple already exerted enormous influence in Italy: the anti-pope Sergius III (sed. 898 and 904–911) had sought refuge with Adalbert and, according to Liutprand of Cremona, was “made pope by Adalbert” (papa per Adalbertum constituitur) in 904. In this year, the couple felt strong and independent enough to begin dating their documents according to their own regnal years. When Louis was eventually captured and blinded by Berengar in 905, he entrusted Bertha’s son Hugo—count of Vienne and Arles, duke and margrave of Provence—with the government of Provence.

[During this time, Bertha has been identified the royal woman who most likely sent a letter with an embassy in c.906 to the Caliph of Baghdad, al-Muktafi, where she described herself rather grandiosely as "queen of all the Franks". First brought to light by Muhammad Ḥamīdullāh , it has been rigorously studied and re-examined by historians. According to Daniel G. König: '...it becomes impossible to presume with Ḥamīdullāh that Bertha was a woman without political ambition who offered her hand in marriage to the caliph to escape her allegedly weak and unsuccessful husband [...] Rather, it becomes conceivable that Bertha could have developed a foreign policy strategy that looked beyond Italy and Byzantium and as far as Aġlabid North Africa. When she eventually understood that the Aġlabids were nominally subjected to the ʿAbbāsid caliphate, she looked eastwards to ʿAbbāsid Iraq. If there was a marriage proposal at all, she may have wanted to offer one of her daughters to the caliph, as François Bougard suggested [...] Bertha’s son Hugo (r. 903–947) certainly pursued a Mediterranean strategy as soon as he became king of Italy in 926. His intensive relations with Byzantium are recorded by the emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus, his complex relations with the “raider colony” of Fraxinetum by Liutprand of Cremona. According to Ibn Ḥayyān (d. 468/1076), he approached the caliph ʿAbd al-Raḥmān III of Córdoba in 328/939–940 with the demand of a “security guarantee for merchants of his territory that travel back and forth between there and al- Andalus.” It does not seem far-fetched to assume that Hugo’s mother had already begun to think in the same lines of securing the Tyrrhenian Sea for Tuscany and of expanding the region’s security and economic purview.']

In 906, the year in which Bertha is said to have sent her letter to the ʿAbbāsid caliph, Louis of Provence had retired from the competition for the imperial throne, whereas Adalbert and his wife were confronted with the imperial ambitions of Berengar of Ivrea, which they opposed by blocking the Apennine pass leading him to Rome. Bertha seems to have been strongly involved in containing Berengar. That she wielded power at the side of her husband is evident from her correspondence with the archbishop of Ravenna. Germana. Gandino proposed that, in the contest with Berengar, Bertha was able and willing to present herself as a descendant of Charlemagne, as heiress of the Carolingian dynasty in Italy, and thus as a legitimate alternative candidate to the imperial throne. While this may seem unconceivable at first sight, we should consider that her husband Adalbert II did not have an equally prestigious pedigree and, by 906, had receded into the background politcally. Bertha’s quest for power also seems to have prompted contemporaries such as Liutprand of Cremona to harshly polemicize against her in particular and against women striving for power in general. Gandino believes that Berta may have even called herself “basilissa” (Βασίλισσα) in her letter to al-Muktafī bi-llāh, thus seeking imperial recognition from a foreign leader in a time, in which she—not her husband—formulated a claim to the imperial throne.

Bertha’s activities in the period after writing the letter demonstrate that she occupied an important political position in a region spanning the Provence in the west, Ivrea in the north, and Tuscany in the south. Still confronted with the imperial ambitions of Berengar when her husband died in 915, she installed her son Guido as margrave of Tuscany with herself acting as regent and married her daughter to the margrave Adalbert of Ivrea after his wife’s death. When Berengar chased Adalbert from Ivrea and arrested Bertha and Guido in Mantua between 919 and 920, she still managed to prepare the ground for her son Hugo. He was to become King of Italy in 926, shortly after Berengar’s assassination in 924 and Bertha’s death in 925."

[istumpysk]

OPERATION ICEBERG: THE TIER LIST

THEORY:

Olyver Frey is Rosby's ward

TIER:

50/50: These theories are complete toss-ups.

[Tier list overview]

EVIDENCE:

What is the theory?

Lord Gyles Rosby had no immediate heir when he died in A Feast for Crows.

Gyles Rosby's ward is a young man residing at Castle Rosby, located in the crownlands.

Presumably, Gyles wanted his lands and castle to go to this ward.

Cersei Lannister prefers to seize the lands and give them to an ally as a reward. She doesn't seem worried that the ward will cause any issues.

The inheritance is still in question by the end of A Dance with Dragons. Kevan Lannister, Hand of the King, dies before any resolution.

"Is there aught else?" The Grand Maester consulted his papers. "We should address the Rosby inheritance. Six claims have been put forth—" "We can settle Rosby at some later date. What else?" - Epilogue, ADWD

The author has deliberately not revealed the ward's name; many in the fandom believe it's Olyvar Frey.

Who is Olyvar Frey?

Born in 281 AC, Olyvar Frey is a member of House Frey.

He is the eighteenth son of Lord Walder Frey, and the fourth born to his sixth wife, Bethany Rosby.

Robb Stark took Olyvar as a squire, a role in which he excelled.

"You have done House Frey a grievous insult, Robb." "I never meant to. Ser Stevron died for me, and Olyvar was as loyal a squire as any king could want. [...]" - Catelyn II, ASOS

x

"I'd hoped to ask Olyvar to squire for me when we march north," said Robb, "but I do not see him here. Would he be at the other feast?" - Catelyn VII, ASOS

Olyvar Frey was notably loyal to Robb Stark; he expressed a desire to stay with Robb even after he married Jeyne Westerling, and was not present at the Red Wedding. He is considered a Good Frey™.

"You have done House Frey a grievous insult, Robb." "I never meant to. Ser Stevron died for me, and Olyvar was as loyal a squire as any king could want. He asked to stay with me, but Ser Ryman took him with the rest. All their strength. The Greatjon urged me to attack them . . ." - Catelyn II, ASOS

x

Lady Westerling had remained at Riverrun with her children; Jeyne, her little sister Eleyna, and young Rollam, Robb's squire, who complained bitterly about being left. Yet that was wise as well. Olyvar Frey had squired for Robb previously, and would doubtless be present for his sister's wedding; to parade his replacement before him would be as unwise as it was unkind. - Catelyn V, ASOS

x

"I'd hoped to ask Olyvar to squire for me when we march north," said Robb, "but I do not see him here. Would he be at the other feast?" "Olyvar?" Ser Ryman shook his head. "No. Not Olyvar. Gone . . . gone from the castles. Duty." - Catelyn VII, ASOS

x

Olyvar Frey had been devoted to her son as well. Hadn't Robb said that Olyvar wanted to remain with him even after he'd married Jeyne? - Catelyn VII, ASOS

What is a Good Frey™?

A Good Frey™ is a member of House Frey who isn't entirely reprehensible. Believe it or not, there are members of House Frey who are actually good, although the author makes it challenging to distinguish who they are.

Other members of Good Frey™ include:

Roslin Frey, the wife of Edmure Tully and the sister of Olyvar Frey.

"And Lady Roslin was distracting you." "She . . . they made her do it, Lord Walder and the rest. Roslin never wanted . . . she wept, but I thought it was . . ." - Jaime VI, AFFC

Perwyn Frey, personal escort to Catelyn Stark, member of Robb Stark's personal guard, and older brother of Olyvar and Roslin Frey.

"Well met, sers. Is Ser Perwyn about? He helped escort me to Storm's End and back, when Robb sent me to speak with Lord Renly. I was looking forward to seeing him again." "Perwyn is away," Lame Lothar said. "I shall give him your regards. I know he will regret having missed you." "Surely he will return in time for Lady Roslin's wedding?" "He had hoped to," said Lame Lothar, "but with this rain . . . you saw how the rivers ran, my lady." - Catelyn VI, ASOS

x

"You were speaking of the Freys you wanted dead. Ryman, Edwyn, Emmon . . ." "And Walder Rivers," Daven said, "that whoreson. Hates that he's a bastard, and hates everyone who's not. Ser Perwyn seems a decent fellow, though, might as well spare him. The women too. [...]" - Jaime V, AFFC

Willamen Frey, a maester of the Citadel and the brother of Olyvar, Roslin, and Perwyn Frey. He seems to be minding his own business.

I'm sure there are other Good Freys™ hiding about, but for whatever reason, George seems rather fond of this specific Frey family. Good job, Bethany Rosby.

Why do we suspect Rosby's ward might be Olyvar Frey?

Olyvar is related to Gyles Rosby through his mother, Bethany Rosby.

Some of Olyvar's relatives, like Merrett Frey and Geremy Frey's children, have been fostered with maternal families.

Olyvar's older brothers are either dead, knighted, or serving as maesters, making him the logical choice.

The maester at Rosby, Melwys Rivers, is a bastard son of Lord Walder Frey.

Olyvar was sent away on "duty" before the Red Wedding, which could be both an excuse and a legitimate reason for his absence.

Do we know anything else about the Rosby ward?

Rosby's ward refused to offer hospitality to House Stokeworth.

"Uncomfortable," complained Falyse. "It rained most of the day. We thought to spend the night at Rosby, but that young ward of Lord Gyles refused us hospitality." - Cersei V, AFFC

Why it might be Olyvar: As a Robb Stark loyalist, Olyvar Frey may be unwelcoming to friends of House Lannister.

Why it might not be Olyvar: One doesn't need to be a Stark loyalist to avoid hosting Falyse Stokeworth in their castle.

He's an "ill-born wretch."

She sniffed. "Mark my word, when Gyles dies that ill-born wretch will make off with his gold. He may even try and claim the lands and lordship, though by rights Rosby should come to us when Gyles passes. My lady mother was aunt to his second wife, third cousin to Gyles himself." - Cersei V, AFFC

Why it might be Olyvar: Despite Olyvar being a legitimate child of Walder Frey, and House Frey's power and prominence, the house has a low reputation in Westeros.

Why it might not be Olyvar: "Ill-born" could mean lowborn or illegitimate.

He's not of Gyles Rosby's blood.

"No children of his body, but there is a ward . . ." ". . . not of his blood." - Cersei IX, AFFC

Why it might be Olyvar: Olyvar is not a direct descendant of Gyles Rosby.

Why it might not be Olyvar: Olyvar has Rosby blood through his mother.

Is there anything else to consider?

Not Olyvar: Olyvar would not be the first in line to inherit Rosby; legally, his older brother Perwyn should come before him.

Yes Olyvar: The author may eliminate around 30 Freys from the line of succession, possibly saving Perwyn, Good Frey™, for a larger castle that sits on the Green Fork.

If it's not Olyvar Frey, who the hell is it?

STUMPY'S THOUGHTS:

You guys have the opportunity to do the funniest thing ever by making this a tie vote.

VOTE:

I welcome discussions. Feel free to reblog, respond, or challenge my perspective—I won't be offended by any of it.

Please note, if "no" is the eventual winner, or if it's competitive, a second poll will be conducted to determine the proper location.

NEXT THEORY:

Ned Stark + Ashara Dayne = Jon Snow (N + A = J)

[Main menu]

[workingclasshistory]

On this day, 12 January 1904, a rebellion began by the Herero people in Namibia against oppression by German occupiers of their country. The rebellion had begun in January 1904 in response to rising tensions within the German colony and was initiated by an order from Samuel Maharero, leader of the Herero. In 1884 the German state had declared South-West Africa a German colonial territory. The Germans took land from local African inhabitants and instituted laws and policies that served to oppress the local population. The Herero remained more economically powerful until a plague in 1897 killed up to 90% of their herds, weakening the Herero. German policies became more brutal in response and the Herero people’s freedom and culture became heavily restricted. The rebellion began with the invasion of Okahandja, a city in central Namibia, by mounted Herero, who killed 123 people, mostly Germans, and set buildings alight. The uprising spread across the region with Herero occupying a military station and killing soldiers, besieging another city and ambushing a German military company. Eventually, however, the Herero were overwhelmed by German forces. Many died of starvation and thirst as they fled through the Omaheke desert. 12,000 were forced to surrender and were placed in concentration camps where medical experiments and daily executions occurred. Many people from the camps were enslaved and forced to build railways, docks and buildings throughout the country. 80% of the Herero population of Namibia were wiped out during the revolt. General Lothar von Trotha, who was sent to crush the resistance, ordered that, “Within the German borders every Herero, whether armed or unarmed, with or without cattle will be shot.” A report published in London in 1918 stated that German soldiers had killed unarmed women and children. The war and the extermination order by general Lothar von Trotha, are considered by most historians to be the first genocide of the 20th century. https://www.facebook.com/workingclasshistory/photos/a.296224173896073/2184461488405656/?type=3

[lesmerovingiens]

chlothar i: overview

(sometimes spelled clothar, lothar, or clotaire)

chlothar was the king that first grabbed my attention when I was learning about the franks. To give you a quick view of his character--he killed two of his nephews (who were still children) to remove the possibility of them growing up and making a claim on a portion of the kingdom. It wasn't even his own idea, it was his brother Childebert who had originally pitched this scheme.

The impression most seem to get from Chlothar is that of a scheming, amoral king, doing whatever needs to be done to seize and hold onto as much power as he can. This strategy seemed to work out decently well for him, as he did outlive his three brothers and in turn obtain all of their lands and more.

Chlothar was the youngest of Clovis' sons, inheriting the smallest share of the kingdom upon his fathers death. (Clovis had his lands divided among his four sons, rather than choosing a single heir. I will discuss this more in the future)

He would have been a teenager when he first became king, over the region of Soissons. Over the next 50 years, Chlothar would accumulate six wives, nine children (and probably more that were not legitimized/documented), and the lands of Orleans, Reims, and Paris. Around 558, he would gain his father's title, "King of All Franks"

Chlothar frequently teamed up with his brothers to subjugate neighbouring peoples like the Thuringians and Burgundians. He also teamed up with his brothers to attempt to wrest power from his other brothers, or sometimes was the one being teamed up on.

Chlothar's wives:

After the death of his brother Chlodomer, he married his widow Guntheuc as a means of obtaining his assets.

His second wife Radegund was a Thuringian princess, who he took as a war prize when she was still a child. She would go on to found her own monastery and become an influential religious figure free from her husband.

His wives Ingund and Aregund were sisters. Gregory of Tours describes a story where Ingund asks Chlothar to "find a suitable wealthy husband" for her sister. Chlothar then decided he would be a suitable husband, and goes ahead with marrying Aregund.

->E.T. Dailey's biography of Radegund makes an interesting argument for these two women not being "official" queens at the time, instead given the title retroactively, since they were the mothers of the kings that Gregory lived under.

His wife Chunsina is mentioned one entire time in The History of the Franks as being the mother of his son Chramn.

Finally, he took his grand-nephew's widow Vuldetrada as a wife for a very short period of time, because the church got so mad at him about it that he annulled the marriage.

Another event that contributes to Chlothar's infamy is the murder of his own son. After accumulating a large portion of land on his own, Chlothar's son Chramn sought to break away from his father's control. He even teamed up with his uncle Childebert to attempt this, but was unsuccessful. What ensued was a war with his own father, where he fought with his half brothers and was eventually chased into Brittany, where he took refuge with their king Chanao.

The war ended with Chlothar himself defeating both Chanao and Chramn in battle, after which he would have Chramn stranged to death and burned with his family in a cottage. What a supportive father!

Chlothar lived into his 60s (a big deal for the time, giving him the epithet "the old") and died from a fever (sometimes people say it was out of remorse for killing Chramn--Gregory even describes it happening exactly one year after the death of Chramn). Gregory attributes some very conceited last words to him:

"What kind of a God kills such great kings in this way?"

[lotharx]

starter for @prcspero.

where: nornwatch tower

when: after zee last night bestie

note: continuing our harrowing meetcute

Lothar had kept quiet the majority of the troupe, a reticent bystander who remained seemingly unfazed as more were culled by the elements, as starvation and disease took over. The Ax had some sorry knack for observation, he noted the few faces he'd recognized as witchers pulled them through the tunnels, up to the surface of Hrimthur's Wasteland; desolate, gelid and unforgiving. He spoke nothing of his recollections, his findings, how the biting cold became unbearable and though Nornwatch Keep was likely surmised as this solace from the frigid air, it too would soon be unbearable to live within. Sanctuary was a loose claim for the place, it spoke more of a prison, a final resting place; a beacon that stood more as an omen than a salvation. Blighted trees swarmed the tower and vermin scuttered by as an epidemic swiftly took hold of those weakest within the troupe's ranks. Lothar had his satchel, though it had special mushrooms and a canteen for water, it was void of anything that would aid in his survival through genuine starvation or disease and he kept mostly out of the way. He was not a healer, he'd been preened off of loss and violence, the scene before him was familiar enough but it etched a palpable memory. Famine, disease; Horsemen who reared their ugly heads and laughed at those who thought they could beat the call of Death.

Lothar did his best to aid where he could, but it seemed futile as more succumbed to the blighted world around them. He learned again to sit by and be an observer, idle hands calloused from the carved wood of an axe.

They'd spoken not a word to each other since Iskaldrik had fallen; a seemingly meaningless interaction swept further under the rug by the violent trek into the Wastelands. The troupe had once been a vast summary; children, miners, royalty and witchers. A hefty group of people which allowed even Lothar to blend within the masses. It warranted any avoidance as coincidental but the other had proven himself to be more than some Iskaran drunk as he flanked many who needed aid. He'd done more for the troupe than Lothar felt he was useful for and the brute berserker was teetering some line of envy as he felt more coded to violence than healing.

"He lives," it's the first words spoken to the other since he'd seen them drunk and mindless, living off the spoils of Bjarnheim and it's merchants. A nod to the state in which he last saw the other and a cruel tease to how a battle had forced the other to attention.

[squadron-goals]

The mother about the boy Manfred

Manfred had a particularly good, healthy nature from childhood on. Nothing bad could stick to him. Not even the vaccines caused the usual short illness - neither at the first nor at the second and third vaccination. I can only remember one instant that he got sick – with measles – otherwise, to his detriment, he never had to miss a day of school. He had a wonderfully skillful body. When he did somersaults as a very small boy, he never used his hands to do so, he put them tightly on the seam of his trousers. When he was eight years old, he once had to pick apples from a big old apple tree that no one else could reach. Afterwards he didn't come down the trunk, but let himself down on the outside of the branches. We watched him, but no one felt that anything could happen to him. It looked so skillful. In general, I loved watching him do daring things. I have never forbidden my children from doing so, because I remember from my own childhood how much I had loved to be wild and free, and how annoying it was for me to be restrained and to have to behave in a civilized way.

Once my children and I were in Zinnowitz. Manfred and Lothar were eleven and nine years old. The pier led quite far out into the sea. One day I went for a walk. Some ladies came towards me all excited: my boys were running along the railing very fast, it was hard to watch, I should come soon and forbid it, otherwise they would fall into the water. I had to laugh, because I knew that they would not fall. I think people thought I was a very careless mother, but I had the firm conviction that children can only be skillful if they are given every conceivable physical freedom of movement. They must learn to judge for themselves what they are capable of as early as possible. An anxious mother is a major obstacle to the good physical development of her children. Of course, minor incidents happened. Once - we went for a walk in the forest - Manfred stands on a footbridge. He says to Lothar: "Watch out, I'm going to fall into the water.“ Immediately afterwards he disappears in into the black water. When I got there, he was already standing on the bank covered in mud. We went to the mill. There he was bathed. Then - wearing only a shirt borrowed from the miller's wife, with his cadet's coat over it, barefoot - he continued the walk with us. Then came the return journey, which took an hour. It was a cool summer day. He didn´t even get a cold.

While at the cadet corps, Manfred got a knee injury. In the cadet corps, Manfred had suffered a knee injury. He had done a "Sturzhocke" (translation not possible as the author can´t find out what exactly that was) without assistance and a piece of cartilage in his knee had torn loose. Every now and then, this piece would jam itself between the kneecap, and then the leg would go uncontrollable to the side. That was bad. Massaging and all kinds of treatments didn't help. So more than a year and a day had passed without the leg getting better. When we were once again discussing what to do and I must have seemed depressed and he wanted to comfort me. He said: "If I can no longer walk on my legs, I will walk on my hands," and like a completely healthy person, he stretched both legs in the air and walked around the room on his hands. We then decided to have an operation, and within four weeks he was fully recovered, and shortly afterwards already jumped out of a window. The suffering with his knee spoiled his entire Lichterfeld cadet days. He did gymnastics and played games there, but of course he was terribly handicapped, and no one there probably guessed how wonderfully skilled Manfred really was. I think later in his regiment they realised it very quickly. I always regretted very much that he didn't get to ride bigger races. On the day when Antithesis was to run his first race in Posen, he rode him across the Russian border.

Manfred was happy and funny, often to the point of exuberance! But on the other hand, he was already very sensible and reasonable at a young age. So I got used to discussing important issues with him and he was often a good advisor and friend to me despite his youth. I often longed to talk about different things with him and most of the time he came up with the right solution.

Manfred was truth-loving. When we sat face to face, I got answers to my questions, regardless of sensibilities, and I rose with the happy knowledge that my son trusted me. I myself believed in him, in his ability, in his reliability and distinction. And I was proud of this son. I was convinced that he had to be recognised, that he would be recognised out in the world. He seemed to me like a rock around which it could surge and wave: He stood firm.

I remember a few other adventures from his childhood. Our housekeepers claimed our house was haunted. Someone once hanged himself up in the attic and a ghost has been going around there ever since. Manfred now wanted to experience this spook. He had the spot in the attic shown to him and then his and Lothar's beds carried to that spot. My daughter and I didn't want the boys to wait in vain, so we decided to do a little haunting. We quietly leveled up and began to roll chestnuts along the floor. Lothar was still awake. He called: "Manfred, don't you hear anything?" Manfred slept soundly; but waking up, grabbing a stick and rushing at us happened within seconds. I had to turn on the light quickly, otherwise we poor ghosts would have gotten a beating. At that time he was thirteen or fourteen years old. When Manfred was ten years old, he wanted to walk through the Moltkegrund (a somewhat gloomy part of the promenade) at ten o'clock in the evening to show his courage. Lothar too. I sent the servant some distance behind to see if they would do it. Manfred walked the whole way calmly, without speeding up. Lothar went too, but needed much more self-control. But he was younger. We often spent our holidays with the grandmother in Romberg, in the countryside. One day One day Manfred could no longer control his passion for hunting, he shot three or four tame ducks that were swimming on the Weistritz. Grandmother told me about it, laughing. These first trophies, three duck feathers, still hang in Manfred's room among all the proud war trophies. I can't look at them without getting emotional.

[agentrouka-blog]

Did Old Nan and Beth Cassel survive?

GRRM somewhat emphasizes the fact that some Winterfell residents survived.

"No," said Lame Lothar. "The women and children hid, my nephews Walder and Walder among them. With Winterfell in ruins, the survivors were carried back to the Dreadfort by this son of Lord Bolton's." [...] "I cannot speak to that. There is much confusion in any war. Many false reports. All I can tell you is that my nephews claim it was this bastard son of Bolton's who saved the women of Winterfell, and the little ones. They are safe at the Dreadfort now, all those who remain." (ASOS, Catelyn IV)

Lord Wyman nodded. "The tale you tell is one we all have heard, as full of lies as a pudding's full of raisins. It was the Bastard of Bolton who put Winterfell to the sword … Ramsay Snow, he was called then, before the boy king made him a Bolton. Snow did not kill them all. He spared the women, roped them together, and marched them to the Dreadfort for his sport." (ADWD, Davos IV)

There's reason to hope and we haven't seen any bodies.

[idrellegames]

Hi, I have a few asks! Hope they're not too much to answer!

What types of weapons do the Erebian League use? I'm thinking scimitars, rapiers..? Maybe poison-coated?

Can a magic-user give up their magic willingly? If so, then how would they be treated in society afterwards?

Out of the Origins you can choose from, who has the worst/best relationship with their parents? (excluding the Child of the Streets since they're an orphan/don't know their parents) I think the Child of the Sea hates their parents the most- they were sold off like a piece of merchandise for Gods sake! (Wayfarer curse reference!)

What age do Wayfarer's usually join the order? How long do they train for before graduating?

Which is the hardest magic sphere to master?

Are bloodbinders exclusive to those of Melusine ancestry- since only Rhodarth and Iaera have been mentioned to have this power and they're both of Melusine ancestry.

Which Origin is likely to receive the most discrimination based on where they are from?

Are Atheists rare- most of the characters mentioned seem to be religious- and if they are, then how are they treated?

Is there any way to find a loophole in a blood oath?

Most of these are answered in the text, either directly or in the subtext.

1. Daggers and throwing knives. As demonstrated by Malsara.

2. No. You can't "give up" magic.

3. This is best left to player imagination and headcanon! How your MC feels about their family and their parents is up to you.

4. There's no standard as it depended on when they joined. But they were usually recruited as children and would graduate in their late teens/early 20s. The MC and Aeran are around 12-14 in the Prologue.

5. They're all difficult to master. The vast majority of the population don't have a grip on the full extent of their abilities because they don't have the training. Not every person who can run can run a marathon.

Of the six spheres, Dispersion is the least understood. Most practical research is focused on teleportation. There are a subset of people who can use it to see briefly into the future (augurs - you can meet one in Episode 2), but the applications aren't thoroughly researched. Similarly, there are aspects of Illumination magic that go unresearched and unexplored. The sphere deals in illusion and perception magic and the predominant focus on the crafting of illusions and manipulating the vision of others. However, manipulating emotions falls into the sphere's domain. Most lightseekers stay away from this aspect of their magic because it is frowned upon culturally outside of specific professionals.

Beyond that, combinations of different spheres for Dual and Triple attunement are even more difficult to master as there are very few people with this level of inherent magic and spheres interact in unexpected ways when you have access to more than one.

6. No, they aren't. The Corsida Brightblades (the largest contingent of bloodbinders in the world) are based in Corsida, a former Lotharic city-state now under Imperial rule. It is located on an island in the Lotharic Sea and very close to Maira, a melusine city below the waves. Many of their members are melusine as a result.

As a side note, Iaera is being re-worked. I'm not sure if they will be a character in Wayfarer.

7. The Wayfarer is going to receive far more shit for being a Wayfarer than where they are from. Child of the Wilds does get some minor flavour text in regards to their accent (since Artanis is considered a backwoods Imperial province), but I wouldn't go so far as to call it discriminatory.

8. I've answered something similar to this before - what gives you the impression that most of the characters are religious? As I said in the previous ask many characters may be culturally religious and participate in religious events, but that doesn't necessarily mean that they believe in gods. Belief and faith lands in many different places across the board.

9. Possibly, possibly not. But a named character who has been introduced is trying to find one.

[mamomare]

* TW: This post contains mention of characters who died during pregnancy/childbirth and suicide.

The dawn of a new century brought with it the winds of change. Alfred and his new bride, Anna, forsook the silk trade to move to Henford-on-Bagley to pursue nectar making. The move did not bring the family luck and on her 20th birthday, Anna lost the battle to typhoid and passed. Alone, and on an abandoned farm with almost no funds, Alfred had to work hard to rebuild his home and his family. Eventually, he met the humble Celestina, who was able to give him two heirs before, in 1409, he too was taken from this life. Going into the 1410s, our two main households - the Brookers and the Cliffords- must fight to keep their legacy alive, as there are very few eligble heirs remaining to pass on the family name. Meanwhile, the new families of Shaw and Bigod are blessed with a number of children to carry on the family name. Come 1420, will we still be able to call this the Brooker legacy?

Marriages [4] 1401 - Alfred and Celestina Brooker 1405 - Walter and Colette Clifford 1406 - Philip and Mary Brooker 1409 - Humphrey and Eva Beaufort

Births [10] 1401 - Adelaide Bigod 1403 - Petra Shaw, Leif Brooker 1406 - Adrian Bennet, Jeremiah Bigod, Dorothy Shaw, Marigold Brooker, Wymand Clifford 1407 - Sigrid Clifford 1408 - Wilkin Shaw Deaths [15] 1400 - Edmund Brooker (Dysentery), Fulke Brooker (Influenza), Anne Brooker (Typhoid) 1401 - Emil Bennet (Pneumonia), Solomon Bigod (Dysentery) 1404 - Theobald Brooker (Malaria) 1406 - Fray Bennet (Typhoid), Ricard Shaw (Hypothermia) 1407 - Walter Clifford (Stroke), Marion Brooker (Drowned), Malota Bennet (Diptheria) 1408 - Malyna Clifford (Heart attack), Philip Brooker (Suicide), Mary Brooker (Childbirth) 1409 - Alfred Brooker (Horse injury) * Babies that never were [9]: Aline Brooker, Erika Bennet, Florian Bennet, Edme Bigod, Osric Shaw, Pascal Shaw, Euphemia Brooker, Lothar Brooker, Orvin Brooker Family Tree at 1410

Gameplay

The Brooker Estate (1410)

(Still a work in progress!)

[embersoftheorder]

Beldwin Storm

The Green Son

The Basics ––– – Name: Beldwin Storm Nickname(s): Beld Age: 27 Birthday: Autumn Race: Human Gender: Male Marital Status: Single

Physical Appearance ––– – Hair: Black Eyes: Brown Height: 6 Build: broad, strong back, strong arms Distinguishing Marks: Scar around his neck; white scar along his forehead Tattoos: A large mural of a stag across his shoulders and back Piercings: None Common Accessories: old worn sword, bronze and copper plate mail, a well worn green travelers cloak, a broken antler at his belt, a large belt with a green gem in the center Likeness: Dev Patel

Personal Information––– – Profession: The Green Son; Gallant of Athair Hobbies: agriculture, reading, storytelling, cooking, archelogy, herbalism Languages: Common, Drust, Whisper of the Wood Residence: Drustvar Birthplace: Unknown Religion: Servant of the Wood Patron Deity: Athair Fears: Heights, gnolls

Relationships ––– - Spouse: None Children: None Parents: Unknown; Orphan; Raised outside the Saladean Farm Siblings: None by blood, but as an orphan of Westfall a kindship is felt with all those in that life. Other Relatives: Unknown Pets: None

Sex & Romance ––– - Sexual Orientation: Bisexual Preferred Emotional Role: submissive | dominant | switch Preferred Sexual Role: submissive | dominant | switch Libido: He's young Turn ons: Confidence, compassionate, kind Turn offs: Cruelty, fear, helplessness Love Language: Kind gestures Relationship Tendencies: Few and far between

Traits ––– - Extroverted / In Between / Introverted Disorganized / In Between / Organized Close Minded / In Between / Open Minded Calm / In Between / Anxious Disagreeable / In Between / Agreeable Cautious / In Between / Reckless Patient / In Between / Impatient Outspoken / In Between / Reserved Leader / In Between / Follower Empathetic / In Between / Apathetic Optimistic / In Between / Pessimistic Traditional / In Between / Modern Hard-working / In Between / Lazy Cultured / In Between / Uncultured Loyal / In Between / Disloyal Faithful / In Between / Unfaithful

Additional information ––– – Smoking Habit: Occasionally Drugs: Sometimes Alcohol: Occasionally

RP Hooks ––– – Born Under a Harvest Moon - Beldwin is an orphan and considered a ward of the county of Westfall, given the name Storm as is with most bastard children of Stormwind. Some wear it with shame or with anger, the young man has done well in accepting his past but seeking to rise above it as well. Raised amongst the wayward children of Westfall, a stiff lip was as strong as a closed fist to match an open hand in friendship. Life was hard living amongst the kingdoms farms but it wasn't impossible or dire as he learned and lived to become a man.

Lead by Legends - Throughout his youth, Beld was raised around old hearths and campfires among the poor of coin in the fields of the west. For what they lacked in coin to entertain, the people made up for it with the gold of story and song. There amongst his brothers and sisters of the country he would hear the old tales of heroes and tragedies of Stormwind's past. Lothar. Uther. Turlyon. Medvih. Windsor. Gavinrad. The spark that lit his mind as much as his heart to guide him to the path of honor and glory.

The Wilds - It was during the Fourth War did Beld find himself among the islands of Kul Tiras and eventually to the west in the rural country of Drustvar. Having been raised among farms and dark times, the autumn trapped land caught his heart and eye to assist in the tragedy that the Coven unleashed upon the small folk. He would rise among them, fight for them, and see that the dark would not consume them.

The Green Son - Time is strange and his deeds were not unseen, even with the influx of heroes who came to try and protect the lands of Kul Tiras, especially by the eyes of a deeper kind within the wild country. Much like the stories of his childhood he stumbled wounded to small lake and it's crashing waterfalls, his blood mingling with the cold waters that poured down from the mountain. Accepting a fate that may have meant the end, a gentle hum came to his mind before raising his weary sight up into the brilliant silver eyes of a white stag. Athair, Heart of the Forest, had heard the failing beating of his heart and deemed it should not be. No words or oath were spoken, only the matching of hearts and souls. The land had offered and the young knight had accepted with tearful joy.

HOW TO CONTACT: OoC - tumblr; Discord ( Mogwai Kraken#7988) Ingame - Beldwin (MG - 42 A-H paladin)

IC - The Green Son wandered the lands of Drustvar with an easy smile upon his face, the air cool go skin and the sun setting into dusk. It honestly was how it always was in the woods, but he loved it and likely would beyond even the end of his service. Beldwin Storm was not a native to these shores but over the last few years he definitely was no longer a stranger.

Beld would slowly come to a halt near a small copes of trees, his gauntleted hand coming to gently caress the bark of one of the old oaks. He could hear a soft hum in his head that could be considered unpleasant but had become a song that he could more feel than understand. It was a gift that Athair had bestowed upon him to hear the natural wild words of the land he had adopted as his own. The land had been ravaged for so long by the terrible powers of the Coven that its soft song had been drowned out in the silent screams of agony as the druid death magic warped it. The Crimson wood always made him shiver at the cacophony of agony that never ended from the wicker beasts that were drawn forth. He leaned his head to rest on the oak letting its own hum drown out the memory. He didn’t need that today.

Today was a good day that needed not the dour notes from the western provinces of the country. Birth was the note, not death, this day.

Releasing the tree, the knight continued on his journey making his way with ease but still with purpose. There was time yet to make it to the pool where his patron waited and there was much to rejoice with the wilds about him.

A new prince would be born this day.

There were many of the lineage of Athair but each had a purpose to fulfill. Some were short lived and bright, others long and steady like a bountiful season. Beld prayed for bounty but knew it was not his decision. The Word willed and spoke, the ending was already being written.

Storm would finally break the tree line and find himself before the mighty falls of the white stag.

Athair, Heart of the Forest, stood silent before the waters. White fur shone bright and clean in the waning light as it cascade to bring a silver sheen to the might crown of horns upon his head. Eyes black as midnight would stare at Beldwin, the stag lord’s demeanor calm and face regal as he tipped his head to welcome his wayward gallant.

Beld would stride forward and gently drop to one knee, the ancient bronze mail clinking softly with his motion of reverence and respect to the king. No words had been spoken as Beldwin would never be able to speak the language of his lord but honestly it was never needed. Emotions, thoughts, and dreams were the humans guidance to the will of the forest. It made it hard to question some of the motives of the lord, but the knight had yet to be lead astray by Athair’s will. This was a just lord and he was glad to have been found worthy.

The final streaks of evening light had slipped behind the mountains bringing the evening and darkness of night. Where Drustvar was a land plagued by the nights terrors in most shadows, it was not truly something to fear. It was just a part of the order of things and the will of the Word as it had written long ago. So too was there heralds and protectors of the night, as from the shadows crept the stout boars of the wood, courageous wolves who maintained balance, and even the black eyes ravens who always kept watch. But the night had one lady and she was as much a soul to the forest as she was consort to the heart.

Athainne, secret keeper of the forest.

Made of starlight and moon shine, the doe was beautiful in her own right as the violets of twilight were intertwined in the black coat of night. She was of smoke and shadow as she stepped across the waters to stand with her lord. Tenderness was easily determined to match the love the two beings felt for one another as eyes closed but a moment in honest trust.

As the grand gathering proceed a hush fell upon all the unsettling silence of the wild as it waited with bated breath. Even the waterfalls came to silent half, the rock below their pummeling drive growing dry as the river waited.

Beldwin would bow his head in reverence as did other subjects to the forest monarchs, all in silence as they awaited the ceremony of the moon.

Ages passed in seconds as night fully came and the moon shone full far in the heavens above. As the moonlight struck the pool, the heart and keeper of the forest turned to the pool of sparkling water of the still lake.

Stories would speak of thunder crashing or a flash of great light or perhaps the heralds of the night screaming with horns of glory. But that was not how it was done. It was subtle, it was peaceful, it was instant.

He was beautiful.

Upon the lake the faun had come to be. Born of moonlight, strengthened by starlight, guided by sunset, and welcomed with love. His eyes shone with brilliant blue, the gift of the mother, while his white coat brilliant white shone with the majesty of his father. He stood shaky upon the mirror surface of the lake, searching amongst the audience for some reaction. Fight or flight was all the newborn would know at this moment.

The Green Son stood. He would draw away his gauntlet to reveal his bare flesh, brown as the earth and rough as the oak’s skin. His hand raised as he spoke with not a cry or yell, but a smooth even voice. The reason he as chosen and granted this station among the forest. “Hail. Hail unto the Prince of the Forest. Welcome son of the heart and secrets, we welcome you.”

The prince would raise his head. He would stare at Beldwin. The knight would look back.

The prince would step forward onto the land that was called Drustvar.

The waterfalls cheered once more.