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cincinnatusvirtue · 5 years ago

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On this day: The Sack of Constantinople 1204, The Fourth Crusade damages Christendom and shapes history...

The Christian Crusades of the Middle Ages have a mixed legacy in the the long lens of history. In the modern age, they are reviled by some and still upheld as noble, even holy ventures by others. Depending on the particular Crusade the participants, their motivations and their outcome had varying degrees of impact long term. Perhaps none however had the long term ramifications, though unforeseen at the time of the Fourth Crusade of 1204.

The Fourth Crusade stands out because it saw not only the one time the Crusades were not directed at their original target of removing Muslim powers from the Holy Land in the Levant but instead changed their trajectory to attack a fellow Christian power, the Byzantine Empire or Eastern Roman Empire as it was known as or just Roman Empire. The Byzantine Empire was the successor to Rome, since it was the continuation of the ancient Roman Empire, albeit with its capital in Constantinople, straddling Europe and Asia between the Balkans and Anatolia between the Black and Mediterranean Seas. Overtime it had shifted its language and cultural focus from a Latin one to a Greek speaking one and a religious flavor of Christianity different from the Catholic Church of Western Europe, known as the Greek or Eastern Orthodox Church.

The Fourth Crusade came out a complex mix of ever present Byzantine internal politics and civil war, Western Crusader and Papal idealism and economic opportunism. As well as a mix of cultural and religious differences between the Western and Eastern branches of Christianity. To get a sense of how we get to the events of 1204 we need to look further back to an overview of the Byzantine Empire and the various threats they faced.

The Byzantine Empire was essentially an outgrowth of civil division within the ancient Roman Empire and the subsequent split lead to the founding a new capital in the east, by Roman Emperor Constantine, the first Roman Emperor to become nominally Christian. The city was named Constantinople though this was not initially Constantine’s planned name. It was located on the shores of the Bosporus, a channel that runs between the European continent and Asian Continent in modern day Turkey, where the Balkans and Anatolia meet. A literal crossroads of East meets West. It was located near the site of a former ancient Greek colony called Byzantium, hence the name later attached to describe the Eastern Roman Empire. The Byzantine Empire was name given centuries after its fall, it was only ever referred to by its inhabitants as the Roman Empire, because even though it evolved from Latin speaking Romans to Greek speakers, the political institutions remained very much influenced by the ancient Roman Empire and unlike the Western Roman Empire, it withstood the invasions of the various Germanic and other barbarian tribes in the 5th century and continued unbroken into the Middle Ages. The terms Byzantine Empire and Eastern Roman Empire, Roman Empire are used interchangeably hereafter in this post to mean the same polity.

The Byzantine Empire struggled as a bulwark against various barbarian tribes of differing origins over the centuries and increasingly it turned to its Christian religion as an inseparable component of its culture, which also took on a Greek flavor. The Greek language was the majority of the populace in this part of the world but the political and military elites spoke Latin until the 7th century, after which they too spoke Greek which developed from Koine Greek into Medieval Greek. Simultaneously there were serious differences between the religious authorities and the Emperors. While the Byzantine Empire did reclaim parts of Italy and Western Europe and North Africa, the differences between the Pope in Rome and religious authorities in Constantinople along with the Emperor himself was causing a rift between the East and Western Churches. As a result with these schisms lead to the development of the Eastern Orthodox Church separate from the Catholic or Roman Catholic Church. A particular break came when King of the Franks Charlemagne was crowned Holy Roman Emperor in the 9th century, giving rise to a new “claimant” to the Roman throne among the German speaking peoples of Central Europe who had also converted to Christianity. The Holy Roman Empire was never unified completely in the format of the Byzantine Empire, it was actually a collection of various kingdoms, fiefdoms and principalities among Central Europe, namely in the German, Italian, French speaking regions as well as the Low Countries. However, it too proclaimed itself the successor to the ancient Roman Empire, albeit its formation was really a form of political solidarity with the Roman Pope now at odds with the Roman Emperor in Constantinople, this lead to a break in relations between Rome and Constantinople that never really recovered completely.

In the 7th century a new threat, that of the Arabs and religion of Islam appeared on the Roman Empire’s southern borders in the Levant and North Africa. The Arabs surprisingly and quickly overran much of the Eastern Roman Empire. Taking the Levant including Syria and spreading to North Africa and eventually to Sicily, parts of Southern Italy and even the Iberian Peninsula then part of the Germanic Kingdom of the Visigoths in the coming generations. The Eastern Roman Empire was eventually able to stabilize parts of its eastern borders in Anatolia but had to withstand Arab invasions and even attempted sieges of Constantinople itself, but the city with its famously thick and high walls proved too much for the Arabs to defeat them. Additionally, they were helped by their sometimes rival the First Bulgarian Empire, a synthesis of Slavic tribes who migrated south in the 6th century from Eastern Europe along with the nomadic Turkic Bulgars who ruled over the area known as Bulgaria as the elite. Ultimately, the Islamic Caliphate which spread from Spain to the Middle East was divided by internal rivalries and new dynasties which lead to a fracturing within the Islamic world. This development provided some relief to the Byzantines as time went by, the Byzantines were able to regain parts of their strength in territories lost to the Arabs, at least partially.

The Byzantine Empire also dealt with the issue of various peoples from the north including the aforementioned Bulgarian Empire which originated with the Slavs intermingling with Byzantine citizens and later included the nomadic Turkic Bulgars. However, the Slavs south of the Danube River were the most populous group in this region and eventually the Bulgars were absorbed into their people which now called themselves Bulgarians. The Bulgarians however did adopt Christianity, namely the Orthodox branch of Christianity and spread this among their fellow South Slavs, this worked to occasionally smooth relations with the Byzantine Greeks but the rivalry remained both powers for control of the Balkans. Additionally, various other Turkic tribes and nomadic peoples over the years such as the Avars, Pechenegs, Cumans and Magyars (Hungarians) rode into the areas bordering the Byzantine Empire and variously they battled the Byzantines as well as each other. This was Constantinople’s preference, a paid for form of diplomacy, to play off the various barbarian peoples as soon as a new one showed up, the Byzantine Empire was immensely wealthy due to large amounts of gold, valuable trade routes and territories to tax. By paying off the latest arrivals, they could replace an older threat and work as vassals or allies of the Byzantine Empire at varying times.

Another, people the Byzantines had to deal with was the Kievan Rus, a combination of East Slavic tribes that due to internal strife supposedly invited a group of Vikings, known as Varangians to the Greeks to rule over them. The Vikings founded Kiev, the modern capital of Ukraine and ruled over as a political elite over these Eastern Slavs, in time they were absorbed into the Slavic majority like the Bulgars and their Slavic subjects. They formed a medieval state that served as the later basis for the modern states of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus and their Slavic peoples. The Kievan Rus, raided Byzantine lands including Constantinople but were repelled by the city’s famously impregnable walls and the secret weapon of the Byzantines, a Medieval take on the flamethrower known as Greek fire which destroyed the Rus’s navy. Greek fire’s exact method of deployment is a mystery but suffice to say it was a fearsome weapon that effectively repelled many an enemy. In time, the Rus too converted to Orthodox Christianity, becoming a sometimes ally of the Byzantines. They further assisted the Byzantines by sending Scandinavian mercenaries from Sweden, Denmark and Norway to Kiev and onto Constantinople to serve in the Byzantine army, first as mercenary infantry and later into a specialized elite personal guard of the Byzantine Emperors, the Varangian Guard which were quite fearsome in their reputation. This tradition would carry on for the remainder of the Byzantine Empire’s existence. Though the composition of the Varangian guard switched from Scandinavian Rus to Anglo-Saxons from England and others following the Norman Invasion of England.

The Normans, descendants of Viking raiders who pillaged France and were given their own duchy, Normandy, also spread to different parts of Europe. The Normans named after their Viking ancestors called the Norsemen or Northmen which became Norman. Developed their own distinct subculture of Viking influenced warfare, French dialect along with unique architecture and customs. The Normans most famously attacked and conquered England under William, Duke of Normandy or William the Conqueror. Ending Anglo-Saxon rule of England in 1066, the Normans formed a new political elite in the British Isles in union with Normandy. They also conquered Southern Italy, including Sicily, ending Arab/Islamic rule there and they attacked the Balkan possessions of the Byzantine Empire in raids. To varying degrees both sides were successful.

In the 11th century, the Byzantines can reconquered Bulgaria, ending a threat their but to the east were facing a new threat, the nomadic Turks coming from the steppes of Central Asia. The Turks had converted to Islam along with the Persians and other Iranian peoples of Central Asia and with this brought a renewed threat of Islam to the Roman Empire’s borders. In 1071, the Byzantine suffered a defeat at the Battle of Manzikert from the Seljuq Turks who established the Great Seljuq Empire, the first major nomadic Islamic Turkic Empire to threaten the Byzantines. They quickly settled into the Anatolian heartland of Byzantine lands replacing the previously Greek majority here. During the reign of Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Kommenos (1088-1118), the First Crusades were called by the Alexios working with then Pope Urban II in 1095. Promoting a reconciliation of sorts between East and West Christendom. The goal was to restore Anatolia and the Levant to the Byzantine Empire from the various Muslim rulers since the Seljuqs and their fellow Muslims in the Levant were divided. Eventually a mix of Italo-Norman, French and other Western European armies “took up the Cross” and became the Crusaders hell bent on Christian restoration of the Holy Land. The deal was they were to get help drive Muslims from these lands and restore Byzantine rule to them in exchange for spiritual clean slates from the Pope himself to satisfy their religious fervor and get monetary and military support from a reformed Byzantine army and navy that prior to Alexios had been neglected and underfunded due to corruption, civil war and decreased tax bases. The Crusaders had to swear and oath of nominal fealty to Alexios, even the Normans he previously fought. The First Crusade turned out to be successful though its intention of restoring lands to Byzantium only went so far. In Anatolia, the Crusaders with their heavy armor and weaponry decimated the light cavalry of the Turks and the Byzantines were able to partially restore control over Anatolia. In the Levant however, the Crusaders receiving limited support from the Byzantines decided to take matters into their own hands and create Crusader states in parts of modern Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel and Jordan for themselves, even retaking Jerusalem. Forming the Counties of Tripoli and Edessa, the Princapality of Antioch and the Kingdom of Jerusalem, these states were nominally to become vassals of the Byzantine Empire since their Christian populace was majority Greek but they would be de-facto independent at varying times over the course of their existence.

As the 11th century gave way to the 12th century other Crusades were undertaken, the Second Crusade was more widespread trying to curtail Muslim reconquest of Anatolia and the Levant which resulted in a Crusader failure in Anatolia but a stalemate in the Levant preserving the Crusader states there. Meanwhile, Christians successfully retook the Muslim controlled parts of Portugal and Spain, known as Al-Andalus and the Crusaders in Northern Europe started to locally convert some Western Slavs who had long resisted conversion to Christianity to moderate levels of success. By the end of the 12th century, the Third Crusade was launched to revive the now reconquered parts of the Levant including Jerusalem that fell into Muslim hands of the Ayubid Sultanate, founded by an ethnic Kurd, named Saladin who became Sultan of Egypt and Syria and fought against Richard the Lionheart, King of England. The Crusaders regained partial control of the coastal regions of the Levant but not the interior and a truce was made between Richard and Saladin out of mutual respect and exhaustion.

The dawn of the 13th century saw Pope Innocent III, want to build on the successes of the Third Crusade and launch a Fourth Crusade to complete retaking Jerusalem once more. During the time of the Third Crusade though, tensions with the Byzantine Empire and Western Europeans resumed. Frederick I Barbarossa, Holy Roman Emperor and his army tried to get permission from the Byzantines to cross over into Anatolia but which was granted but saw an early end after Frederick drowned fording a river. The Germans were accused of conspiring with the resurgent Second Bulgarian Empire and Serbia both of which had broken away and reclaimed their independence from the Byzantines once more after a century and half of reconquest. Furthermore, the English took Cyprus from the Muslims but did not return to the Byzantines, instead handing it over to the Knights Templar, one of several Latin (Catholic) Christian military orders founded during the Crusades.

The Byzantines had for centuries been the most dominate city in Christendom in Constantinople, it was the largest and most cosmopolitan city in Europe reaching populations between 500,000-1,000,000 at its peak. It had long retained ancient Rome’s political machinations, as well as cultural innovations, public baths, forums, aqueducts, a racing arena for chariots and other classical Roman monuments and structures. It also housed ornate Christian churches such as the Hagia Sophia and with the Orthodox’s Church’s rich artwork of elaborate mosaics and golden icons it was awe-inspiring to anyone ,Christian or pagan who entered it’s triple set of walls for its sheer grandeur alone. A sense of bringing “Heaven on Earth” was something the Byzantines sought to do for any foreign dignitary.

The Byzantine capital was also the center of commerce in the Mediterranean, where east meets west. Its former vassal, the Italian city-state, the Republic of Venice had over the centuries become independent and became a commercial and naval power on its own and it had sought to become the Byzantine Empire’s biggest benefactor for trade. In time it sought to replace the Byzantine Empire as the commercial power of the region. The Venetians at first were granted favorable trade conditions which actually disadvantaged and further weakened the Byzantine economy and customs-tax revenues, this was the result of short-term convenience the Byzantine rulers often needed to lighten the burden on their treasury, making short term political gains at the expense of long term financial ruin. While Alexios I and his immediate descendants increased Byzantine rule and prestige over the course of the 12th century, they gradually fell back into civil war, corruption and sometimes downright oppressive violence to maintain order. Eventually they were replaced in a coup by the interrelated Angelos dynasty and reigned from 1185 until the events of 1204. Even within the dynasty there was infighting. Isaac II Angelos ruled for years, incompetently until replaced by his brother Alexios III Angelos who had Isaac, ritually blinded and sent into retirement was typical of Byzantine custom. His own reign was marred by financial mismanagement and corruption, outsourcing the navy to Venetian mercenaries and corrupt bureaucrats selling military and religious equipment to for personal gain. Once again the Byzantine Empire found itself virtually bankrupt and unable to pay its armies.

Alexios III was now being plotted against by his nephew Alexios, son of Isaac II. It was his nephew who escaped imprisonment and made his way to the Holy Roman Empire and into the court of his brother in law, the King of Germany Philip of Swabia who was married to Alexios’ sister Irene Angelina. Alexios would play a pivotal role in the events of 1204. Quite separate from his own plans, the Fourth Crusade was already being planned by Pope Innocent III with the typical goal of reclaiming Jerusalem in mind at the same time. The Venetian Republic agreed to provide the naval fleet and some ground support in exchange for a handsome sum from the mostly French and German Crusaders who were to partake in the voyage. The Crusaders were expected to pay the Venetians a large sum for their transport. In part, because the Venetians halted all other naval and commercial development for a year to build a sea worthy fleet with the expectation of being paid upon the Crusaders arrival in Venice which was expensive to a maritime power reliant on seafaring commerce. The Venetian head of state, known as the Doge was at this time a man nearly 100 years old and partially blinded by the Byzantines years before, by the name of Enrico Dandolo. Dandolo and the Venetians were surprised when the French and Germans showed up with limited funds. The Venetians had seemingly built a fleet a great personal expense and now could not expect a reimbursement. As a result the Venetians held the Crusaders hostage and demanded a negotiated payment from the Crusaders since it looked like the Crusade would no longer happen now. They received a partial payment, taking a collection from all the Crusaders but it was not enough to recoup their losses and so the stand off continued. At this point Dandolo proposed a new idea, the Venetians would partake in spoils of the Crusade, not part of the original agreement and the debt could be paid off. Additionally, Dandolo decided the Crusaders could work off their debt in part by helping Venice reclaim the Croatian city of Zara on the Adriatic Sea. This area nominally belonged to the Venetians but a group of Croatian pirates had taken over this port and disrupted Venetian commerce, if the city could be retaken with Crusader help, the Venetians would consider the debt partially restored. This had the added benefit of deescalating tensions with the Crusaders residing in Venice out of fear that their hostage ordeal may lead to violence there and at least in Croatia they could be placed elsewhere.

The planned attack on Zara reached the Pope who threatened excommunication of any Crusader French, German or Venetian or other Italian who attacked Zara since it was a fellow Christian city and already the Fourth Crusade’s purposes were being perverted. A papal sanctioned legate and entourage was sent to oversee the religious aspects of the Crusade and report back to the Pope. The Pope’s threats were intentionally withheld from the bulk of the Crusaders by the Venetians and some of the Crusader leaders who saw profiteering opportunities here. Though some Crusaders, devout in their religious convictions and sworn oaths refused to partake in an attack against fellow Christians the bulk of the army joined the Venetians in November of 1202, despite the Croats displaying the Cross as fellow Catholics, the city was taken after a few weeks. Immediately the Venetians and the Crusaders fought into a violent brawl leaving 100 dead as they disputed the spoils of the conquered city. The Pope receiving the news of the attack, excommunicated the entire army, though news of the excommunication was likewise withheld from the rank and file. However, the Pope would later grant an absolution to the army.

While wintering in the warmth of Croat coast, Alexios Angelos, who had escaped his uncle and reigning Byzantine Emperor, Alexios III to Germany made his way to Zara. He had been plotting to overthrow his uncle and take control of Byzantium for himself but in his exile abroad he needed a vehicle for his plans. The cousin of his brother in law, the German King happened to be the nominal leader of the Fourth Crusade, an Italian noble and soldier of German descent by the name and title of Boniface of Montferrat. Though by the Siege of Zara Boniface was merely a figurehead, the Venetian Doge Enrico Dandolo had more or less usurped the Crusade for his and Venice’s purposes. Nevertheless, Alexios hearing about the Crusader army, arrived at their winter camp in Zara and proposed a new alternative to their venture, instead of going to the Holy Land as planned why not detour to Constantinople and force his uncle give up the throne, in exchange Alexios would be proclaimed the new Emperor and pay off the Crusaders handsomely including the Venetians with promises to more than recoup the Venetians present losses. The timing and machinations of the various Crusaders, the Venetian Doge and the would be Byzantine pretender to the throne could not have been more perfect. Like the planned attack on Zara, Constantinople was a controversial target as a fellow Christian city, albeit one the Catholic or Latin Crusaders as they were known as, saw as still somewhat for their adherence to the Orthodox denomination which was alien and strange to the Catholics. Both denominations had sense of superiority to the other. The Doge was eager to gain riches from Constantinople to recoup his country’s losses and also to avenge an earlier massacre of Venetians and other of Italians in the Venetian Quarter of Constantinople years before by the Greek populace. Some Crusaders who were present at Zara but refused to partake in the attack, including the English noble Simon de Montfort refused to partake in the attack on Constantinople and left for the Kingdom on Hungary and eventually lead a small but unsuccessful contingent to the Holy Land, attempting to complete the original mission of the Crusade as intended.

Alexios additionally promised not only to pay off the Crusaders debts to the Venetians for the Crusade’s assistance in his coup but to resupply and reinforce the Crusade onto the Holy Land. Additionally, he promised to bring the Greek Orthodox Church (nominally subservient to the Emperor) under Papal authority. Unbeknownst to Alexios while his promises were too tempting to the Crusaders and Venetians, the practical reality of implementing them were beyond his reach. Doge Dandolo however, had spent time in Constantinople as a diplomat for Venice years before and was well aware of the complex and fluid politics of Byzantium and likely doubted the veracity of Alexios’s promises. Nevertheless by early 1203 the Crusader and Venetian flotilla were en-route to Constantinople. When Pope Innocent caught wind of this plot he warned against further attacks against Christian cities, at least nominally, but did not outright condemn this specific venture for reasons not exactly known, though probably for political reasons.

The Crusader-Venetian army arrived on the outskirts of Constantinople in June of 1203, having left Croatia in April. The city had a population of half a million and a permanent garrison of 15,000 regular troops, including 5,000 of the Varangian Guard. The sudden appearance of a fellow Christian army caught the city off guard and indeed the Byzantines could not call for reinforcements from other parts of the Empire in a timely manner. They sent an emissary to the Emperor Alexios III, stating the goals were to depose him peacefully if possible. Indeed that was the primary goal of the venture, depose Alexios III and replace him with his nephew and then be paid off rather handsomely before continuing onto the Holy Land as envisioned. The first fight between Byzantine troops and the Crusaders was an easy Crusader victory as heavily armored Frankish knights from France easy outperformed their Byzantine counterparts. Nevertheless, taking the city itself was going to be a daunting task and not something they initially thought who be necessary, though they came prepared just in case.

In July, the Crusaders began the siege proper by trying to cross the Bosporus and take the suburb Galata, the Crusaders would break into the sub channel of the Bosporus, known as the Golden Horn, which would allow the Venetian navy to park their fleet there and they could assault the sea walls of the city proper. Indeed, the Crusaders launched an amphibious landing onto Galata and took routed the Byzantine defenders, though a mercenary force of English, Danish and Italian troops held the strategic Tower of Galata. Eventually the tower fell and many attacks and bloody counterattacks. The Golden Horde itself was defending by a large chain but by taking Galata, the chain was cut and the Venetian fleet was allowed entry into the Golden Horn. At this point, Alexios Angelos was indeed paraded outside the city walls as if he were to be the Emperor, but to his and the Crusaders’ surprise they were jeered by the Greeks. Constantinople had been accustomed to coups and changing reigns in their emperors over the years and they cared little about the exiled prince or his blinded and retired father, they felt Alexios III was adequate as a ruler, he may not have been especially popular but he wasn’t so disliked that the city would depose him for his nephew, not at foreign coercion. This in turn soured the mood of the Crusaders and built resentment, thinking they would be hailed as liberators.

Now the assault on the city was absolutely necessary to achieve their goals, even if it was limited in scope. The Crusaders and Venetians made several attempts but were repulsed by the Byzantine troops. Though in July 11th, the Venetians captured some portions of the sea walls and towers before the Varangian Guard dispersed them, but the Venetians set off a fire to cover their retreat, this fire damaged a good portion of the city and left 20,000 people homeless. Finally, Alexios III personally lead a force to confront the Crusaders but before a fight could commence, he lost heart and retreated even though he outnumbered the Crusaders at that juncture. The fire and the disgraceful retreat prior to a right disheartened the city, Alexios III abandoned the city in disgrace, fearful of the implications of this, the city’s nobility actually brought back his deposed brother, the blinded former emperor, Isaac II out of retirement and declared him the Emperor once more in the hopes this would dissuade further conflict and allow them to save face.

The Crusaders had achieved the goal of deposing Alexios III, though they had not placed his nephew on the throne which meant no guarantee of pay. To remedy this, the Crusaders demanded that Alexios be made co-emperor alongside his restored father, a tradition that had occurred on occasion throughout Roman history. Alexios Angelos was now Alexios IV Angelos and he realized upon taking the throne that the imperial treasury was in fact far more depleted than he thought, meaning he could fulfill his promises to Crusaders so easily. His uncle had made off with precious jewels, further depleting the treasury. The result was a demand to the citizenry and the Church to provide their religious icons and melt them down to make silver and gold coins with which to pay his mercenary army, it was only a partial payment. It was viewed as a sign of desperation and weakness, making the populace have disdain for their new emperor and his army of mercenaries. Alexios IV then asked the Crusaders to renew their contract for another six months until April 1204 to gather more time to collect their payment and to help him secure his rule against his uncle who was regrouping elsewhere. Taking 6,000 Crusaders he marched to fight his uncle Alexios III near Adrianople, a nearby large city. The remaining army of Crusaders and Venetians stayed in outskirts of the city sort of holding the city in an hostage situation. During this time a riot broke out killing some Venetian merchants in the Venetian quarter once more. The Venetian marines and sailors retaliated by setting another fire to the city, greater than the first leaving 100,000 citizens homeless.

Upon Alexios IV’s return from facing his uncle the tensions with his Crusader army lead a decline in relations between him, his subjects and the Crusaders. His own father resented his co-ruling and began to denounce him. He declared his refusal to help the Crusaders after December 1203 and lead at least an attempt to force the Crusaders away which failed. The Crusaders were incensed at having been shortchanged in their promises. Meanwhile, the Byzantine senate tried to declare a noble the new emperor in early 1204, following Isaac II’s death from natural causes. Their appointee declined and instead another Byzantine nobleman who apposed the Crusaders, named Alexios Doukas, from a previously imperial and noble family was declared emperor after he launched a coup in which he paid the Varangian Guard to arrest Alexios IV, Alexios IV was strangled to death in prison by the Varangians. Doukas was now declared Alexios V and he was committed to ridding himself of the Crusaders like he had just deposed his predecessor.

In fact, Alexios V personally lead several attempts to attack the Crusader encampment and forays to find food and supplies outside the city, though many Byzantine troops were killed and Alexios V nearly lost his life. His also raised funds to help the common citizenry endearing him to the populace. Nevertheless, that February he attempted to negotiate with Doge Enrico Dandolo. The terms were deemed to harsh and to no avail. It was around this time, Alexios IV was in fact killed, since his restoration to the throne was a demand of theirs. News of his death angered the Crusader encampment further, though relations had been strained they still saw him as the one negotiator within Byzantium who could pay them off. In March, all Catholic Westerners who resided in the city were expelled. Though the Muslim populace was allowed to reside and had in fact helped the Greek Orthodox citizens and troops in their fights. At this point, the Crusaders and Venetians planned to take matters into their own hands, they would take the city by force and the Byzantine Empire with it, dividing the spoils among themselves.

April 1204 saw the final siege begin which Alexios V resisted until April 12th when the Crusaders managed to penetrate the city walls, altogether, a first in the nearly 900 years of the city. Alexios V fled by boat. Another emperor was declared briefly in the form of Constantine Laskaris but when the Varangian Guard refused to fight further, the siege was over. The Byzantine capital fell for the first time, for the next three days a plundering phase took place, riches religious icons were stolen and melted down for coin, the Hagia Sophia, the most sacred cathedral was desecrated by the Crusader army, the Crusaders murdered and robbed every day citizens and raped Greek women including nuns. After three days, the pillaging was ceased and division of the spoils was made.

A treaty partitioning the empire was made between Venice and the Crusaders. The Venetians were given advantageous trade rights, a collection of spoils including Four Bronze Horses taken from the Hippodrome, known now as the Horses of St. Marks in Venice. The also acquired many Greek islands in the Aegean Sea. Meanwhile, the Crusaders got Constantinople and its environs declaring a new Catholic empire, known to them as the Empire of Constantinople but known to history as the Latin Empire. The Hagia Sophia became a Catholic Church during this time. The Latin Empire would exist for another 57 years. Baldwin of Flanders was elected its first Emperor, while Boniface of Montferrat was made King of a vassal state, the Kingdom of Thessalonica, based in northern Greece. Meanwhile, various Byzantine noble refugees established Byzantine rump states which claimed to be the true successors and continuation of the Byzantine Empire: The Empires of Nicaea and Trebizond and the Despotate of Epirus in various parts of Greece and Anatolia. These states over the next several decades would engage in civil war and fights with the Latin Empire and its vassal states. Meanwhile, the Latin Empire found itself at odds with the neighboring Second Bulgarian Empire and indeed in short time, the Bulgarians would defeat both Baldwin and Boniface in battle, killing them both and Dandolo would die of old age. Eventually in 1261, the Palaiologos dynasty which ruled Nicaea reclaimed Constantinople after the Latin Empire was weakened due to infighting and losses to the Bulgarians and other Byzantine rump states, was conquered. The “reunified” Byzantine Empire was partially restored for another two centuries but it never reclaimed its former glory and gradually gave way to more internal fighting and external threats such as the Bulgarians and eventually the Ottoman Turks whose empire eventually conquered Constantinople and later Trebizond officially ending the last remnants of the Byzantine and Roman Empire in 1453 and 1461 respectively, renaming the city Istanbul in the 20th century.

The Fourth Crusade increased East-West tensions and unknowingly paved the way for the Turkish takeover of the Balkans and rise of the Ottomans centuries later. The impact could not have been experienced at the time and the events leading to 1204′s Sack of Constantinople developed out of a complex and at times reactionary web of intrigue with multiple actors that lead to its happening, the ripple effects of which would help shape the modern world.

#on this day #byzantine empire #latin empire #constantinople #fourth crusade #venetian republic #the crusades #military history #east west schism

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voidcrow · 5 years ago

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Lord Alfred’s Homecoming

A historical treatise by Josephine Childress-Busey Published June the ninend, MMVII

St. Michael's Mount is a little island off the southern coast of Cornwall, on which a Catholic monastery was built sometime in the 900s. The following century, Pope Gregory guaranteed an indulgence to those who made a pilgrimage to the site, which led to the town of Marazion being built on the nearby coast.

In said town, on a muggy summer night in 1097, Alfred Codd came screaming into the world in a coating of amniotic jelly, and celebratory drinks were had among the local peasants. Legend has it that a sip of beer was given even to the newborn Alfred; if true, this answers a few questions about his life's deeds, but raises several more. He would leave Marazion at the age of four, his family being relocated to replenish the serf workforce at newly-conquered Rennes, but he never forgot his Cornish roots.

Codd grew up in a turbulent time for the Kingdom of England, for even as its foothold in northern France strengthened, ground was being lost on the isles of Britannia to a new wave of Viking raiders. His ambitions elevating beyond the mere plundering of English settlements for gold and slaves, King Snorri Ragnvaldsson of Norway was now dispatching warlords to claim Britannia's fertile land as well, rewarding those who succeeded with governance over the won territory.

One such Viking leader was Knut of Anslo. In 1113, embarking with a fleet of longships gathered from multiple coastal towns along the Skagerrak, he and his army rowed across the North Sea, then through the English Channel, and made landfall near Britain's southwestern tip. He swore on his arm ring (a bracelet traditionally worn by Norse pagans) that this land would be his, and when his raiders were successful in securing it, he became Jarl Knut of Cornwall. Finding St. Michael's Mount to be a fitting site for his throne, he enslaved the resident monks and repurposed their monastery as a mead hall.

In Rennes, a young Alfred Codd recieved this ill news. He simmered on it for years, pacified only by near-daily visits to the pub. Once he was adopted into the English nobility as a reward for his victory on the road to Caen, Alfred insisted upon having Cornwall's colors (a white cross against a black background) incorporated into his family's new coat of arms-- for, you see, he never forgot his roots. Nor was he of the sort to forgive.

Fortuitously, retribution was not far out of his reach; early in the year 1120, Lord Alfred was called across the Channel to do battle with the Norwegians once more. A collective of small earldoms swearing allegiance to the crown of Snorri Ragnvaldsson had perforated the isles of Britannia. Raids and even full-blown sieges were occuring with greater frequency across Enlgand and Scotland alike, and the kingdom of Wales was on the verge of collapse. Lord Alfred vowed that the English crown would reign supreme in Britain once more, and that the reclaimation would start with Cornwall, freeing the House of Codd's ancestral homeland.

Jarl Knut saw him coming. A well-placed spy in Rennes sent warning across the Channel, aleting the Norwegians occupying Cornwall to an imminent English attack. Knut consolidated his forces, gathering a total of about 830 Viking warriors in Marazion and sending 400 more to outposts along the southern coastline.

Lord Aflred made landfall in Britain quite some miles to the east of Marazion with a force of mailed knights, longbowmen and swordsmen that totaled a little over two thousand. The westward march to their destination would be a days-long slog through near-constant rainfall, and Jarl Knut laid multiple ambushes in the Britons' path. Yet Codd and his loyal subordinates were relentless. Despite the men lost each time, no Norwegian that lay in wait to hamper Alfred's army survived the Englishmen's wrath, and these victories spurred them ever onward.

On a rainy morning coming on the heels of a rainy night, Alfred Codd and his force regrouped outside of Marazion, reduced to about 650 men (mostly melee infantry), their tabards stained with mud and Viking blood, their chainmail rusting and their bellies growling, but their resolve little worse for wear. Inside the monastery at St. Michael's Mount, Jarl Knut heard a dire thunderclap and must have figured Thor was sending him a good omen, because he then casually ordered his second-- one Halfdan Nine-Fingers-- to assume command of Marazion's defenders in his stead.

Alfred's company charged forth into Marazion's streets, defying the armor that bogged them down in the mud and rain. Finding the opportunity ripe for a cavalry charge, Halfdan bade all of his mounted Vikings (a few hundred in total) to plow into what he assumed was a tired, vulnerable rabble of longswordsmen and archers.

Halfdan himself turned the corner to join his men and discovered, to his confusion and horror, that the aforementioned Norwegian cavalrymen were already decimated. The charge had broken against English shields. Alfred and his men clambered over the piled bodies of Vikings and their mounts as the few surviving horsemen fled in stark terror. Halfdan turned to make his own escape, but a yeoman's arrow found his back.

Leaderless, the remaining Norwegian forces fell back across the knee-deep strait between the Marazion mainland and St. Michael's Mount, so as to make a stand just outside the monastery. They hoped to use the strait as a chokepoint and rain down on the English with arrows, but did not take into account the superior range of their enemy's longbows, which thinned out their ranks before Alfred then ordered a charge onto the monastery grounds. By the time Lord Alfred captured the isle, his force was reduced to about 400 men, but the Norwegian defenders had been put to rout.

Inside his "mead hall," Jarl Knut listened as another thunderclap pierced the victory howls of his enemies. He was starting to think this weather was the omen of a different deity, particularly when Alfred Codd kicked open the door across from him and strode in, hair and tabard soaked but eyes ablaze with a terrible fury.

"This past year," said the English general, "When first I led the charge against Northmen, I expressed a degree of grudging respect for your kin. I reserve none of it for the Northman that now sits before me. For you walk on Cornish soil and call it your own, take Cornish monks and Cornish women as slaves, desecrate the house of God, and cower in it while your warriors fight and die!"

Knut disagreed. Accepting defeat, he stood up, arms spread out, and dared Lord Alfred to strike him down-- to send him to the halls of Valhalla, where he and his would drink in the company of the gods forever.

Alfred instead ordered him imprisoned. As the province came back under English rule, the Codds used their influence to ensure that the once and former Jarl of Cornwall would rot in a dungeon, denied the death in battle for which he had yearned.

And as Knut's long incarceration ensued, so did Alfred Codd's campaign to destroy the other Viking earldoms of Britannia.

#total war #Alternate History #story

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sillyrabbit81 · 3 years ago

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Captain Syverson Fic Recs

This is a list of my favourite stories and I will add to it as I go. It is by no means complete.

Please read the authors notes and warnings on all fics as some are dark. Be responsible for your own reading.

🥵 Smut

🤗 Fluff

😭 Angst

Recs below the cut

Of course my Sy list would be massive! 🤣

Captain Syverson

Series

@diegos-butt Unnoticed He had watch her grown up. He had seen her transform into a beautiful woman, with a strong will but insecurities. Despite being away from time to time, he had fallen for her, hard. She on the other hand, had seen him become a big, strong man. But deep down she knew he had a soft side. She had fallen, hard, for him too. Another thing they have in common? The believe that the other will never feel the same. Will their feelings for each other always stay unnoticed?

@invisibleanonymousmonsters Syverson After Y/N's job declares that employees may continue working remote for as long as they want, she wonders if this is sign from the universe to take a break from New York City. When her crazy cousin finds out, she begs Y/N to spend a year with her in Texas. For some crazy reason, Y/N agrees. A true city girl and a northerner, Y/N immediately feels like a fish out of water in the south. And her cousin's friends enjoy teasing her for all their differences – especially a certain Ethan Syverson.

@thesaucynomad Lone Star Dancing (Currently go through a re-write)

@thesaucynomad Bad Ideas Captain Syverson goes on leave and decides that he needs a distraction. A summer fling is just what he needs. No strings attached. But life’s never that simple, is it?

@just-chirpin Eyes That See Your life consists of caring for others. This is a story of you learning to care for yourself.

@littlefreya Lines In The Sand She is one of the best snipers serving in Iraq, but she is also suffering from an attitude problem and ironically has a hard time following orders. After an incident in her former base, she is sent to join the Special Forces unit led by Captain Syverson, who requires a talented sniper. Unlucky for her, Captain Syverson is a hard man who likes things by the book and according to order. He ain’t got the patience for troublemakers.

@radiantheartbeat I See Fire Dr. Vienne Moseley is still a fresh face in the medical ward in Iraq, but she’s discovered that men are being murdered and their Captain is the only common denominator. Is he their killer? Or is someone framing him? The only way they can make it through is by working together.

@rmtndew Where Kindness Grows The Great Depression took its toll on a lot of people and some had to get creative to survive. Seraphina’s father decides his solution is to sell his only daughter to a much older man. But when Sy overhears a conversation about the young woman, he makes a decision that will change his life - and Seraphina’s - forever.

@wolvesandhoundshowltogether Kissed By Fire Petra’s small art studio takes fire and a beefy cocky soldier-turned-firefighter is among the responding fire crew members. The acquaintance wouldn’t be long-lived but Lieutenant Syverson accidentally👀 takes something that belongs to her.

@viking-raider Southern Generation After more than a decade of service, Captain Syverson as retired from the military, but now that he is retired, he still needs to find a job.

One-shots

@angryschnauzer No I in Team 🥵 Having been dumped, you find yourself standing in the mud and rain as a bootcamp instructor yells at you. Finally you snap, telling him your mind before storming off. Later when he appears at your room to see if you are ok, he makes sure you are fully over your ex, proving that some men are a lot better than others.

@blakerogue Call Me That Again 🥵 You are one angry brat, Syverson fucks it out of you.

@blakerogue Riding the Stallion 🥵 You wear the hat, you ride. Simple.

@blavikennbutcher Fresh Ink 🤗 A girls night out is always a great laugh, but after a particular night out you find you have a new tattoo. And you have to wait an entire week to get it covered up. Will you be able to keep it secret at tonights party?

@captainsy-cookiemonster Of Short Girls and High Shelves 🥵 Your husband loves how small you are. Sometimes he shows you in the worst way possible, but makes up for it in the best way. That being said, he likes to put your favorite coffee mug on a shelf just out of your reach and then watches you struggle. @cruelfvkingsummer Don't Blame Me 🥵 Sometimes what an old bear needs is a young little Goldilocks or your mum can't keep up with his appetite, so he found himself another outlet in the form of his spoiled little stepdaughter.

@feralrunaway Yrsa 🥵 A supernatural AU from this prompt: “Berserker Captain Syverson, and ‘I want to hear you beg for it’.”

@keanureevesisbae Call Me Daddy 🥵 When Sy overhears you and your friends, he discovers something interesting.

@littlefreya Feral Collision 🥵 After quitting the military, Captain Syverson began working at your university as the coach of the football team. You hardly ever crossed path with him, until an err in time set your on a collision course.

@littlefreya The Captain and The Maiden 🥵 Plain and simple, the Captain is your first.

@nashibirne Truck Stop 🥵 You use a little trick to make your boyfriend Sy show you his truck. It’s huge…

@omgkatinka The Captain vs The Seven Nation Army 🥵 Sy give you a strip tease (challenge).

@peachyvulpixie Homecoming 😭 Nope.

@poledancingdinos I'm on Fire 🥵

@capncassas Supply Run 🥵 It’s the Z-pocalypse and who better to have in your camp that Captain Syverson, there’s just one problem. You have a huge crush and he loves to tease so when he tells you that your going on a supply run together it’s your worst nightmare…until it turns into your ultimate fantasy.

@princess-of-riviaa My Captain 🥵 You are the only one by his side to heal him after Captain Syverson gets attacked in the field. As an army medic, you do your best to stay professional, but Syverson makes it a bit of a challenge.

@thelastsock He Very Much Gives A Fuck 🤗 the origins of the Dilligaf t-shirt.

@thelastsock Anytime, Anywhere 🥵 You’ve fantasised about your neighbour Sy, but what happens when he comes home one night is beyond your wildest imagination.

@the-soot-sprite Regrets, I've Had A Few 🤗 The regrets you had playing spin the bottle with Sy.

#sillyrabbit81 fic recs #captain syverson #captain syverson fic recs #syverson #henry cavill #henry cavill fic recs

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floridaboiler · 6 years ago

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Letter to the Editor

No matter which side you are on in the matter of renaming the Washington Redskins, this is funny. This guy is hilarious... Here is an e-mail sent to Clarence Page of the Chicago Tribune after an article he published concerning a name change for the Washington Redskins. Dear Mr. Page: I agree with our Native American population. I am highly insulted by the racially charged name of the Washington Redskins. One might argue that to name a professional football team after Native Americans would exalt them as fine warriors, but nay, nay. We must be careful not to offend, and in the spirit of political correctness and courtesy, we must move forward. Let's ditch the Kansas City Chiefs, the Atlanta Braves and the Cleveland Indians. If your shorts are in a wad because of the reference the name Redskins makes to skin color, then we need to get rid of the Cleveland Browns. The Carolina Panthers obviously were named to keep the memory of militant Blacks from the 60's alive. Gone. It's offensive to us white folk. The New York Yankees offend the Southern population. Do you see a team named for the Confederacy? No! There is no room for any reference to that tragic war that cost this country so many young men's lives. I am also offended by the blatant references to the Catholic religion among our sports team names. Totally inappropriate to have the New Orleans Saints, the Los Angeles Angels or the San Diego Padres Then there are the team names that glorify criminals who raped and pillaged We are talking about the horrible Oakland Raiders, the Minnesota Vikings, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Pittsburgh Pirates! Now, let us address those teams that clearly send the wrong message to our children. The San Diego Chargers promote irresponsible fighting or even spending habits. Wrong message to our children. The New York Giants and the San Francisco Giants promote obesity, a growing childhood epidemic. Wrong message to our children. The Cincinnati Reds promote downers/barbiturates. Wrong message to our children. The Milwaukee Brewers. Well that goes without saying. Wrong message to our children. So, there you go. We need to support any legislation that comes out to rectify this travesty, because the government will likely become involved with this issue, as they should. Just the kind of thing the "do-nothing" Congress loves. As a diehard Oregon State fan, my wife and I, with all of this in mind, suggest it might also make some sense to change the name of the Oregon State women's athletic teams to something other than "the Beavers (especially when they play Southern California. Do we really want the Trojans sticking it to the Beavers??? I always love your articles and I generally agree with them. As for the Redskins name I would suggest they change the name to the "Foreskins" to better represent their community, paying tribute to the dick heads in Congress.

#sports teams #humor

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blog-cosmosuniverse1 · 2 years ago

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Subject:Awesome letter to the editor. Made my day! (Don’t miss the end!)

I think all sports fans and most everybody else will get a kick out of this letter written to the Chicago Tribune. No matter which side you are on in the matter of renaming the Washington Redskins, this is funny. This guy is hilarious...

This is an e-mail sent to Clarence Page of the Chicago Tribune after an article he published concerning a name change for the Washington Redskins.

Dear Mr. Page: I agree with our Native American population. I am highly jilted by the racially charged name of the Washington Redskins. One might argue that to name a professional football team after Native Americans would exalt them as fine warriors, but nay, nay. We must be careful not to offend, and in the spirit of political correctness and courtesy, we must move forward.

Let's ditch the Kansas City Chiefs, the Atlanta Braves and the Cleveland Indians. If your shorts are in a wad because of the reference the name Redskins makes to skin color, then we need to get rid of the Cleveland Browns.

The Carolina Panthers obviously were named to keep the memory of militant Blacks from the 60's alive. Gone. It's offensive to us white folk.

The New York Yankees offend the Southern population. Do you see a team named for the Confederacy? No! There is no room for any reference to that tragic war that cost this country so many young men's lives. I am also offended by the blatant references to the Catholic religion among our sports team names. Totally inappropriate to have the New Orleans Saints, the Los Angeles Angels or the San Diego Padres.

Then there are the team names that glorify criminals who raped and pillaged. We are talking about the horrible Oakland Raiders, the Minnesota Vikings, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Pittsburgh Pirates!

Now, let us address those teams that clearly send the wrong message to our children. The San Diego Chargers promote irresponsible fighting or even spending habits. Wrong message to our children.

The New York Giants and the San Francisco Giants promote obesity, a growing childhood epidemic. Wrong message to our children. The Cincinnati Reds promote downers/barbiturates. Wrong message to our children.

The Milwaukee Brewers. Well that goes without saying. Wrong message to our children.

So, there you go. We need to support any legislation that comes out to rectify this travesty, because the government will likely become involved with this issue, as they should. Just the kind of thing the do-nothing Congress loves.

As a die-hard Oregon State fan, my wife and I, with all of this in mind, suggest it might also make some sense to change the name of the Oregon State women's athletic teams to something other than "the Beavers (especially when they play Southern California. Do we really want the Trojans sticking it to the Beavers???

I always love your articles and I generally agree with them. As for the Redskins name I would suggest they change the name to the "Foreskins" to better represent their community, paying tribute to the dick heads in Washington DC

0 notes

littlefreya · 4 years ago

Note

Hiii, I just want to ask a little question. A few weeks ago, I was reading a Sy fanfic about him working for a girl on a farm. I can't remember her name, but I do remember some specific details. In one chapter, they go to a fair. She eats something called an elephant ear. She's agoraphobic. Her neighbor's daughter wins an equestrian competition, and I think Syverson's name is Austin. I want to know if you've read it or you know the title? Tysm!!

Hey lovely, happy Hump Day!

The story is Southern Generation by my sis @viking-raider

#captain syverson #fic found #ask freya #anon asks

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bandstolookup · 3 years ago

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greensky bluegrass

white zombie

system of a down

kyuss

rockwiz live

mudvayne

Brendon small

dethklok

death from above

regelbau presents

drakeo the ruler

ohgeesy

skellism

the wild dutchman

vicious summer

prince teejay

binghamton vibes

hudson taylor

new hope club

less than hate

galaktikon

spinal tap

uncle acid and the deadbeats

mercyful fate

Jeff hanneman

the transplants

enter shikari

king nun

less than jake

alexisonfire

the ghost inside

Bruce dickinson

shaggy

ten tonnes

Peter steele

totus

letters from new york

mdc

aus-rotten

kreator

lower expectations

anti-flag

napalm death

airbourne

escape the fate

Phil Rudd

ocelot

intimin8

zac ivie

the outsiders

house of lewis

cannibal j

rugged method

Norma Jean

Memphis May Fire

after the burial

cryptopsy

between the buried and me

machine he

maximum the hormone

unearth

suffocation

meshuggah

belly

name taken

kojo funds

High on fire

disturbed

carcass

rush

blue oyster cult

deep purple

all that remains

August burns red

ritchie valens

parkway drive

the ruminaters

hollywood rose

rapidfire

aquilo

the transmitters

terrible things

louis berry

ben parker jnr

blancmange

eric serra

the scars

frankie goes to hollywood

gowan

yehme2

dzihan kamien

Ritchie Blackmore

fredo

ygnwie malmsteen

creed

thin lizzy

misery index

m.o.d.

misery

soils of fate

nothnegal

sylencer

decrepit birth

hate eternal

dååth

ocean wisdom

the internet

united pursuit

levi whalen

the lighthouse and the whaler

wilkes

sea fret

the frogs

dustin tebbutt

audiomachine

against the current

billy raffoul

brian logan dales

jason isbell

ben rector

eclipsica

paradise fears

young rising sons

chimaira

matt nathanson

the wild feathers

trash cats

iron sausage

rufus wainwright

Viking crown

southern isolation

brobecks

Christ inversion

arson anthem

steel banglez

superjoints

down

Philip H. anselmo & the illegals

crowbar

soilent green

vision of disorder

fat joe

jarboe

metal allegiance

cattle decapitation

busted guts

embrace the dawn

feared

skengdo x am

terrible johnny

grot

the art of hate

them

throes

wretchedpain

horror of horrors

worlds divide

implore

all the way to the bank

consumned

castrofate

suspect

bullet for my Valentine

dead kennedys

them crooked vultures

five finger death punch

fekky

wykked wytch

war faction

vacuus

unfathomed of abyss

truth corroded

together as one

the alien blakk

solium fatalis

science of disorder

necrosis

nagant neckshot

murashita

misanthrope monarch

metal mike

khiazma

Jeff hughell

kelly clarkson

invertia

southern avenue

invade

Heisenberg

hatred for all

goatmill

Fred brum

Enders game

ecliptic vision

divine era

divine disorder

darkrise

dark days

cross up yours

creative waste

construct of Lethe

collapse

bleeding utopia

blade of Horus

and utero dominae

amicable treason

absence of the sacred

battlecross

the last hard men

devildriver

the red chord

blind faith

protocol

Bill & phil

body and blood

En minor

the graham bond organization

metal all stars

metatron nganga

scour

eibon

enoch

razor white

samhain

superjoint ritual

warbeast

eyehategod

satyricon

halford

rigor mortis

King parrot

haarp

cerebral bore

satyricon's frost

fadades

morbid anal fog

ed sheeran

the creepy freaky band

manowar

powerwolf

saxon

hammerfall

annotations of an autopsy

wolf

sylosis

architects

sepultura

speed theory

firebrand super rock

the defiled

trigger and bloodshed

grand magus

skindred

powerquest

paradise lost

blood island raiders

attica rage

gotye

stephen malkmus & the jicks

hexagram

waylander

gama bomb

erudition

the rotted

sylosis

alestorm

the hollow earth theory

pongo

joselito

blackaby

DYAN

st. paul & the broken bones

westerman

natty reeves

muna ileiwat

ross from friends

insomniac bears

tom waits

ray charles

linda montana

souxie and the banshees

soulja boy

mulberry street

harold faltermeyer

t-bizzy and the management

monrose

haemorrhage

General surgery

dead infection

regurgitate

impetigo

exhumed

the mentors

air supply

0 notes

nightbringer24 · 7 years ago

Text

Dark elf questions

I couldn’t really work on these yesterday (work sucked!), but I did managed to think on them a bit, and then I did a bit more thinking on them, and so I’ve managed to work on the questions asked by @diseonfire (who I can’t tag which fucking sucks!) and @swedebeast. So they’ll be under a read more.

Word of warning: this is the single biggest bit of world-building I have ever done in fiction, so... it might not be 100%. But we’ll see.

@diseonfire’s questions:

>You mention raiding and elf lords. So how is the hierarchy structured? Are they vying for alliances with humans or just some means to get close enough to their technology out so they can use it against them?

Hierarchy is very much structed along traditional the Viking lines of the three classes: jarls (aristocracy) on top, karls (free peasants) in the middle, thralls (indentured workers) at the bottom. The dark elves clans that live in the south, and thus closest to the humans are vying for more interaction with humans mainly for economic growth while some are using it to help in old blood feuds against other clans (and since these are elves, these feuds are VERY old). Some of the more militaristic clans are, but some of them are knowledgeable enough not to strike at a united human society. Some of them.

>Who tends the sick, in these societies? who dictates policy and delivers justice? How is justice and punishment served?

The sick are tended to largely by the family, but the more serious life-and-death sicknesses/illnesses/injuries by the followers of the god of healing, which is made up of both male and female elves. Policy is dictated by clan jarls while their housecarls deliver carry out certain sentences such as death penalties for severe crimes. Criminals are brought before the jarl and his housecarls along with other important dark elves such as priests, where judgement is considered before a sentence is carried out. Minor crimes are normally settled between the offended parties under the supervision of the jarl or his most trusted housecarl, while major crimes that can be proven between parties are sorted by a ritual duel between two chosen fighters, which are normally non-lethal. If the offended party wins the duel, then the loser is outlawed from society for a certain period of time, normally decades or possibly even a century. If the criminal wins, then the matter is considered settled.

>Who raises the children? How are their families structured? What is allowed to do what in the society?

Children are raised normally by the mother until the age of 25 (early adolescent for humans), before they are given a choice: join the hird, the retinue, of one of their clans housecarls, or tend to the settlement. If the former, they are placed under the care of the housecarls house, the latter are kept in the family to learn whatever trade the family practices. Families are structured around the basic mother-father pairing, although single parent families aren’t uncommon, nor are same-sex pairings. Male and female roles are not strictly ordered, although it is heavily expected for the males to join the hird and fight in raiding parties or join the town/village guard, but there is nothing stopping females taking up arms. Sigrún Flamestrider of the Flamestrider clan, daughter of the deceased Jarl Sigvid Flamestrider leads her clan’s forces in to battle alongside her uncle Gunnhautr.

>What kinds of clothing do they wear? Are there any special details?

Cloths reflect the status of the elf. Higher class elves have expensive woollen or even silken garments, middle class have more basic but no less well-made clothes while the lowest have the most basic clothing. Wool, leather and fur are the main components, while jewellery in the form of necklaces, broches, amulets and bracelets are the most common. Rings and earrings are worn by both male and female but are more commonly associated with the sea-borne raiders. Details showing clan motifs or symbols associated with chosen deities are the most common.

>Why do the elves hate humans? Is it to do with social or species difference? Is it because of religious beliefs? General fear of the unknown? Do humans looks scary or ugly to them? Are humans intruding on sacred traditions or are they attributed blame for changes in the environment or new diseases? Do these elves get sick/can they get sick with human sicknesses?

The dark elves don’t have a hatred for humans. They simply hold themselves as being superior to humans and other races due to their belief that because of their position in the world closest to the northern poles, they hold themselves as being closer to their religious pantheon. Since dark elves can’t grow facial and body hair to the same extent as humans can, they hold humans as oddities, but not enough to stop any form of interaction (outside of the very idiotic elves). Only the elves that live in the north view the humans as intruding on a sacred tradition: again, these elves have been pretty isolationist and view themselves as being more important to their own deities than humans because of their location in the world, so to have elves interacting openly with humans and other races in trade is seen as an affront to them. Sicknesses can be transmitted, such as cholera and the plague to name some big ones, but elves can get through them quicker than humans can.

>How are they transitioning from one form of society to another? What is prompting them to do that? Is it environmental stresses, religious practice, social, technological or ideological, or maybe population? Do they require/want specific kinds of resources?

The transition is mainly through to open trade, but the main prompt was a battle between a large dark elf raiding party that attacked a large human settlement, which was unfortunately (for the elves) close to a city that held a religious military order. The raiding party was quickly trounced by a combined force of the city militia and military order, which then launched a punitive expedition against the clans the elves came from. That was a bit of a wakeup call for the southern dark elves. For resources, grain and cattle are the main resources they need for trade since they mainly get their sustenance from fishing, hunting and small-scale farming operations. They don’t live in a nice area of the world.

@swedebeast‘s question:

>What are their gods, and what is their afterlife like? What behaviour is required of them to get there, and what will make them less likely to attain favourable seats after death? What is taboo? How do they worship their gods, and is there a priest profession, caste, or is everyone responsible for their own salvation and spiritual guidance? Their gods are not named (as of yet. Again, I’m just bad at names), but some of their gods are as follows: • Goddess of time • God of knowledge • God of healing and life and death • Goddess of war, strife and honour • God of craft (smithing, forging, sewing, shipbuilding, etc) • Goddess of hunting and fishing • God of the wild (sea, mountains, forests, etc) The afterlife is… not really clear. Like, I haven’t decided yet on what it would be. But I know that each deity has their own sphere of the afterlife. To get to them, basically the dark elf that worships that deity just has to do right by that god (in as few a words). Those who follow the god of healing and life and death are rewarded for helping as many as they can through whatever ailments they have, the goddess of war (no surprise) rewards brave and honourable fighters, but she also punishes the dishonourable and cowardly (this extends to assassins as well as deserters).

Cannibalism is a big taboo, especially with such long lived creatures as elves. The body is seen as a vessel created by the gods and to break that vessel through such means as cannibalism is an affront to their power.

Some of the more esoteric deities (the goddess of time for example) are worshipped in a way that could be considered the most ritualistic: burnt offerings, prayers and such. The deities that are considered to be practical are worshipped through the acts of their followers: for every body healed and life saved, the god of healing is worshipped. For every animal hunted and catch of fish brought in, the goddess of the hunt is honoured. The goddess of war is… pretty self-explanatory. Priests do exist in a fashion for some deities. The god of knowledge is revered by the intellectual elves, so they are considered his priests, while a form of chaplain exists among the ranks of the dark elf fighting forces.

#my writing

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tomorrow-is-won · 7 years ago

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No matter which side you are on in the matter of renaming the Washington Redskins, this is funny. This guy is hilarious. Here is an e-mail sent to Clarence Page of the Chicago Tribune after an article he published concerning a name change for the Washington Redskins.

Dear Mr. Page:

I agree with our Native American population. I am highly insulted by the racially charged name of the Washington Redskins.

One might argue that to name a professional football team after Native Americans would exalt them as fine warriors, but nay, nay. We must be careful not to offend, and in the spirit of political correctness and courtesy, we must move forward.

The Carolina Panthers obviously were named to keep the memory of militant Blacks from the 60's alive. Gone. It's offensive to us white folk.

I am also offended by the blatant references to the Catholic religion among our sports team names. Totally inappropriate to have the New Orleans Saints, the Los Angeles Angels or the San Diego Padres.

Then there are the team names that glorify criminals who raped and pillaged. We are talking about the horrible Oakland Raiders, the Minnesota Vikings, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Pittsburgh Pirates!

Now, let us address those teams that clearly send the wrong message to our children. The San Diego Chargers promote irresponsible fighting or even spending habits. Wrong message to our children.

The New York Giants and the San Francisco Giants promote obesity, a growing childhood epidemic. Wrong message to our children.

The Cincinnati Reds promote downers and barbiturates. Wrong message to our children.

The Milwaukee Brewers. Well that goes without saying. Wrong message to our children.

As a diehard Oregon State fan, my wife and I, with all of this in mind, suggest it might also make some sense to change the name of the Oregon State women's athletic teams to something other than "the Beavers,” especially when they play Southern California. Do we really want the Trojans sticking it to the Beavers???

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viking-raider · 3 years ago

Text

Southern Generation - VIII + Epilogue

Summary: It's the biggest event in Sy and Lily's lives, the birth of their daughter! Then, the life that follows.

Pairing: Captain Syverson/OFC

Word Count: 7,962

Parts: I II III IV V VI VII

Warning: M - Language, Fluff, Angst, Pregnancy, Labor and Delivery, Medical Terms, Blood, Body Fluids, Soft!Sy, Dad!Sy, Very Small Mention of Love Making, Parenting, Character Deaths

Inspiration: Sy and the hunk of man he is!

Author’s Note: Wow! This took forever to finish, but here it is! I hope you enjoy it and thank you so much for the support and patience!

Tag List Blog: @VIKING-RAIDER-TAGLIST

Lily smiled as a firm movement woke her, her hand fishing underneath the mess of blankets to her belly and felt it again, against her palm. She laid there for a few moments, enjoying the feeling, before rolling onto her back and searching for Sy's hand, pressing it against her stomach.

“Sy.” She whispered softly to him, rubbing noses with him and smiling at his sleepy grunt. “Austin.” She hummed, grinning at him, and kissing his forehead.

“Wake up, sleepy head.”

“Hm.” Sy moaned back, eyes fluttering behind his closed eyelids, his fingers flexing on her stomach, unconsciously feeling what she had felt.

“Someone wants to meet you.” She chuckled at him, brushing her fingers through his hair.

Sy's brow creased for a moment, then his eyes opened, his pupils taking a moment to focus on her. “Who?” He rasped in a sleepy voice.

Lily nudged her round belly against his palm. “Your daughter, silly Bear.” She giggled at him.

He blinked at her several times, before his hand and his brain registered what was happening and an ear splitting grin came over his face, feeling the baby move against his palm. “That's our little one.” He cooed, excitedly.

“That's her.” Lily nodded, resting her forehead against his. “She's active, just like her Daddy.”

“But spunky, like her Mama.” Sy chuckled back, kissing the tip of her nose. “Man, feel that kick! That's a field goal, if I ever felt one!” He grinned, his face beaming like the proud papa that he is.

“Feels like several from this side.” Lily chuckled, snuggling in closer to him. “I know you've been waiting weeks to be able to feel her move.” She said softly, as he sat up, pulling the blankets away from her stomach to press his lips against it.

“So long.” He agreed, smiling as he felt the movement against his lips. “I've known she's in there, from the doctor's appointments and watching your belly grow. But being able to feel her movement inside of you, concretes the reality of her to me.” He whispered, as if he was only talking to the baby and not Lily.

“If that makes any sense?” He added, glancing at Lily from the corner of his blue eyes.

“It does.” Lily nodded, gently carding her fingers through the curls at the back of his head. “It was sorta the same, when I felt that first little flutter in my stomach.”

“What did that feel like?” Sy asked, shifting to lay on his belly, and caressed the line on the underside of her plump tummy.

Lily pressed her lips together, her brows knitting together as she tried to find a way to describe it to him. “It was sorta like, there was a gold fish in my stomach, just teeny movements, like the flutter of their fins moving, before going still for a little while.” She explained to him, the best she could.

“What's her moving around feel like now?”

“Almost what I imagine it felt like was happening before that creature popped out of John Hurt, in Alien.” She giggled at him, grinning.

Sy laughed, laying his cheek against her stomach. “That's a lively explanation.” He smiled at her.

“It's the best one I have.” Lily chuckled back at him, laying a hand on his hand and the other on the underside of her belly, enjoying the warmth of Sy's cheek and the strong kicks of the baby, nothing could make for a more perfect morning.

After laying in bed for a little while longer, with some soft love making, the two of them rose, taking a warm shower together, before Sy went about finishing off the nursery and Lily sat in her office, getting a bit of work done on the computer. It was around lunchtime that Sy slid in behind her, resting his bearded chin on her shoulder as she made them lunch, gently swaying side to side with her, making her chuckle.

“Is my Captain in a good mood?” Lily asked, turning her head to kiss his temple.

“He is.” Sy replied, returning her affection. “I finished the baby's room.” He informed her, proudly.

“Oh, did you?” She inquired, turning away from the counter. “Is it up to Army regulation?”

“My good lady, everything I do is up to Army regulation.” Sy answered, looking almost offended by the accusation. “But, one thing.”

“And what would that be?”

Sy licked his lips and held her tighter. “How I love my woman.” He smirked, his blue eyes sparkling.

“No one can regulate the beast in the sheets.” Lily laughed, quoting another of the lines Sy had told her, during their rounds of love making.

“You know it.” He purred, wiggling his eyebrows at her. “Now, why don't you take a small break, and come see the nursery.”

“Is that an order?”

“It is.”

“All right then.” Lily chuckled, kissing him gently.

Sy took Lily's hand and guided her upstairs to the second floor, then down the hall to the room that had once been his, when he first came to the property, but was now the room of pride for their little girl. He made Lily close her eyes and opened the door, before leading her into the middle of the room, letting her feel the soft and shaggy rug rolled out over the floor, under her bare feet.

“Open your eyes, Angel.” He cooed, biting his lip with excitement.

Lily opened her eyes and a small gasp past her lips, seeing the light purple walls in the sun filled room. “Oh gosh, Austin.” She cooed, pressing a hand to her chest and turning in a slow circle, seeing the changing table and rocking chair put together and in their places, the matching purple rug underfoot and pictures of animals and Lily and Sy on the walls.

She noticed something by the crib, covered with a sheet. “What's that?” She asked, pointing to it.

“I had lumber over, from repairing the porch. So, I made something with it, for the baby.” Sy explained, stepping towards the covered object and yanked the sheet off, showing a small, hanging cradle with a stained finish.

“You made this from scratch?” Lily asked, surprised, even though she knew better, as she went to admire his craftsmanship. “It's so beautiful, Austin.” She told him, running her fingers along it and giving a gentle push. “You've outdone yourself!” She gushed, straightening up and grinning at him, overcome by emotion.

Sy smiled at her. “I thought we could keep it in our room, when she sleeps with us.” He explained his reasoning.

“I think it's an amazing idea.” She nodded, leaning forward to kiss his cheek. “She'll love it, just like her papa.” She grinned, proud of him.

Lily groaned, shifting in bed as her lower back throbbed, before getting up, not wanting to bother Sy as he grunted in his sleep. Lily rubbed at her back as she went downstairs, Aika on her heels as she went, hoping a change in position and stretching her back some, while getting a glass of water, would help with the soreness. Her pronounced belly rubbed against the kitchen counter as she leaned towards the sink, filling a glass from the faucet.

“Oh, little girl, could you be like your mama for a moment and calm down.” She begged the stirring life inside of her, patting her stomach as she downed some of her water. “Oh okay, I'm sorry.” Lily groaned, as a sharp pain shot through her. “Christ on a rubber shingle.” She cursed, setting her glass on the counter and gripped the edge of the sink, leaning over as the pain clamped down for a long moment, before relaxing.

“All right.” Lily sighed, figuring she was just having a cause of Braxton Hicks and knowing the likelihood of finding sleep with them, she wandered into the living room and lowered herself down onto the couch, where her laptop was sitting on the coffee table, and powered it on, deciding to try and get some work done, while they ran their course.

But, three hours later, the Hicks didn't go away, they only got stronger and closer together. Aika whined as she laid curled up beside Lily on the couch, sensing Lily's discomfort and pain. Lily patted her on the head and set her laptop on the coffee table, shuffling back into the kitchen to refill her glass and drank it down, trying to calm her nerves.

“Right, right.” Lily nodded, taking slow and deep breaths, before pushing herself off the sink and crawled back up the stairs to the master bedroom. “Austin.” She called out, kneeling against the edge of the bed, and pressing her forehead to the cool blankets for a moment. “Austin Wyatt Syverson, if you don't wake up this instant, I'm going to scream.” She said loudly, while tugging on his foot.

“What, what!” Sy cried out, jerking upright and flaying sightly, startled. “Angel?” He panted, spotting her at the bottom of the bed. “Jesus Christ, what is it?” He panicked, flinging blankets back and rushing over to her, resting his hands on her back and hips.

“It's D-Day, Captain.” She groaned, breathing heavily.

“But, it's not supposed to be D-Day for another...” Sy jerked his head towards the calendar behind him. “Month.”

“She doesn't care and nor do I, Austin.” Lily snapped, biting her lip as more pain flowed through her.

“Right.” Sy nodded, rushing to pull on some clothing. “Here, let me help you put something light on, it's cold out.” He said, taking her hand and helped her up to her feet and sit on the bed, then helped her into a pair of pajama bottoms and one of his black Lynyrd Skynyrd, followed by a pair of socks and her slippers. “All right, Aika, we'll be back, hopefully with your little sister!” He said, as he helped her back downstairs, then out to the car.

“Here, Angel, squeeze as hard as you need too.” Sy told her, offering Lily his hand as he drove down the dark road towards the hospital.

“Thanks.” Lily sighed, grabbing his hand and held onto it for dear life, hugging it to her chest.

Sy helped Lily out of the car and waddle across the parking lot to the Emergency Room doors, having a flashback of the last time he had taken her to the ER, when she had overdosed on a bottle of pills, in an attempt to get away from her abusive ex-boyfriend. He had almost lost Lily that day, and now, he was taking her into the same ER to potentially deliver their daughter, a new life, a contrast of day and night.

“Can I--” The nurse at the station started to ask, but cut herself off, seeing the state Lily was in. “Oh, I see we're having a baby.” She smiled at the two of them.

“Yeah.” Lily replied with a huffy laugh, leaning against Sy. “Oh, very much.” She whimpered as another contraction washed over her.

“How long between the contractions?” She asked, grabbing a wheelchair.

“About four and a half minutes.” Sy answered, grabbing both of Lily's hands and helped ease her into the wheelchair. “They last little more than two minutes, but less than a minute and a half.” He added, having kept track of them on his phone, on the way over in the car.

“Excellent, you're a very attentive Daddy.” The nurse praised Sy, as she wheeled Lily to a small room behind the check-in desk.

“That's my Captain, Military precision.” Lily chuckled, looking up at Sy with pride, even when she was in pain.

“Looks like you're in good hands, then.” The nurse grinned at both of them.

“The best.” She nodded, before another contraction hit her.

The nurse put a pressure cuff around Lily's upper arm and took several of her other vitals, trying to be as careful and gentle as she could in the process, knowing she was already uncomfortable, and didn't want to add onto it, before handing a clipboard of paperwork for Sy to fill out, which he found a lot easier to do this time around.

“All right, I've contacted the maternity ward and they have a nurse coming down to receive you.” The nurse informed Lily and Sy. “They'll take you both up to a private room there, where you'll be more comfortable to have your little one.”

“Thank you so much.” Sy nodded, smiling at her.

“You're welcome and congratulations.” She smiled back at him, before going back to her station.

“Can I do anything for you, Angel?” Sy asked, kneeling down in front of her.

“No.” She shook her head, leaning forward to press her damp forehead to his. “You just being here with me is enough, Bear.” She whispered to him, looking him in the eyes.

“Well, if you need more, I'm at your command.” Sy said, gently rubbing her tense sides. “As always.”

“Mr. and Mrs. Syverson?” A voice called from the door.

Sy pulled away from Lily. “Yes.” He replied, finding a young female nurse.

“I'm here to take you to the Maternity ward.” She informed the two of them.

“Excellent.” Sy nodded at her.

Nodding her head, the nurse stepped behind Lily's wheelchair and pushed her out into the hallway, acknowledging the station nurse that had admitted Lily, before wheeling her down the hall to a set of elevators and pressed one of the many buttons on it. After a short wait, the lift doors dinged and rolled open, allowing the nurse to push Lily onto it and Sy to follow suit.

“New parents?” The nurse asked, to make small talk.

“Yeah.” Sy smiled at her, giddy and nervous. “Our first.”

“New implies first Bear.” Lily laughed, looking up at him, amused.

“I knew that.” He answered, grinning down at her, shyly, making her laugh more.

“Lord, I love it, when you get nervous.” She teased him, reaching out for his hand.

“Silly butt.” Sy chuckled, giving her his hand and brought hers to his lips, kissing her fingers.

The elevator jerked and came to a stop, announcing its arrival to the Maternity ward, and the doors opened, allowing the nurse to push Lily out into the hall and down to her room, Sy close at her heels. With Lily finally in her room, a few more nurses came scurrying in, helping her into a hospital gown and into bed, before hooking her up to an IV with fluids and several other machines.

“Your OBGYN has been contacted and she's on her way.” The head nurse informed Lily and Sy.

“Okay, thank you.” Lily nodded, settling into her bed.

Sy set down the baby bag he'd been carrying around since getting ready to go to the hospital, then sat on the edge of the bed with Lily, taking one of her hands between both of his, and massaged it. “You're doing great, Angel. I'm proud of you.” He told her, kissing her knuckles.

“Thanks, Bear.” She replied, just as another contraction washed over her, making her hiss in pain.

Sy squeezed her hand and rubbed her leg, trying to offer her all the loving support he could through it, while not knowing how much she wanted to be touched. “You're doing so good, Angel. Just breathe.” He whispered, once he noticed the pain had lessened

“Do you want anything? Water or something?”

Lily took a moment to gather herself, before answering Sy. “Ice, maybe.” She sighed, pressing her palm to her warm and sweaty forehead.

“Okay, I can do that.” He nodded, feeling useful for the moment, leaning forward to kiss her flushed cheek. “I'll be right back.” He promised, raising to his feet and going down the hallway to the nurse's station. “Is it possible for her to have any ice?” He asked, looking down at the nurse behind the desk.

“Yeah, of course.” She nodded at Sy, getting up from her chair and disappearing into a little room behind the station for a few moments, before coming out with a large, clear cup of pebble-shaped ice and a plastic wrapped spoon.

“There you go.”

“Thank you so much.” Sy smiled at her, taking them with a nod of his head, then returned to their room. “Here, Angel.” He grinned, setting the cup of ice on a rolling tray to open the plastic spoon, then stuck it in.

“Thanks, Bear.” Lily replied, picking up a spoonful and depositing it into her mouth, chewing away. “I think we might be here a bit.” She commented, rubbing her stiff belly with her free hand.

“That's all right, as long as the two of you are sound and safe.” Sy replied, sitting beside her and resting his hand on leg, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “I remember reading that first time labors can take a really long time anyways. So, I came prepared.”

Lily laughed, grinning at him. “Oh, did you?” She asked, amused.

“Yes, ma'am.” Sy nodded at her, proudly, standing up and moving over to the baby bag. “I brought my iPad, and I have it loaded with a couple of our favorite movies and I downloaded that show you started watching.” He said, holding up the black device, before setting it down on the small built-in couch. “I packed your book and some cards, so we could play a game.”

Lily stared at Sy's back as he kept pulling things out of the lavender colored bag, touched and enchanted by her Bear pulling out all the stops for her.

“Oh!” Sy exclaimed, finding something in the bag he had forgotten about. “I also packed this.” He said, turning around to show Lily, a white bottle of Coconut oil and Peach scented massage lotion. “If you want a massage.” He grinned, proud of himself.

“However, did I find such an amazingly thoughtful man?” Lily asked, smirking at him.

“You put an ad in the paper.” Sy grinned back at her.

Lily snorted. “Captain Smartass strikes again!”

“At your service, ma'am.” Sy replied, saluting her with all the seriousness as if he was saluting a commanding officer.

Lily started to laugh at him, but was cut off with a sharp hiss, her back tensing as she pressed her hand to rock hard belly. Sy bit his lip, before opening the bottle of lotion and squeezing some of the thick and fragrant substance onto his fingers. Stepping up beside the hospital bed, he carefully slipped his hands inside her loosely tied gown and methodically started to rub up and down her back, helping her relax.

“Deep breathes, Angel.” He cooed at her, kissing the back of her neck. “Just like in our classes.” He encouraged her, drawing a deep breath in.

Pushing back against Sy's palms, Lily took a deep breath and slowly let it out again, then took another and another, until the pain and the contraction faded away and she could breathe normally again. “Thanks, Bear.” She sighed, dropping her head forward and closing her eyes, focusing on the feeling of his hot hands on her skin.

“It's what I'm here for.” Sy replied, kissing the back of her head. “We're a team, Angel.” He said, kneading up her back to her shoulders.

“The best team.” She whispered, moaning at the amazing feel of his hands.

A few minutes later, a gentle knock roused Sy and Lily from their quiet bubble, as Dr. Evers walked in, grinning at the two of them.

“How are you doing, Mama?” Dr. Evers asked, standing on the opposite side of the bed from Sy.

“Like I have this Bear of a man's child tearing out of my body.” Lily replied, an amused smile lingering on her tired face.

“Hey, now.” Sy replied, his voice lined with a fun-loving warning.

Lily looked up at him. “I'm pushing that head.” She pointed up at him. “Out from between my legs.”

Dr. Evers chuckled, despite trying to remain professional. “I see you're in good spirits.” She grinned, turning away to wash her hands and pull on a pair of gloves. “Let's check and see how dilated you are, Mrs. Lily.” The doctor said, taking a seat on the bed near Lily's feet and gently folded back the edge of her gown, before slipping her gloved hand beneath it.

“Just relax and breathe.”

Nodding and gulping, Lily took a deep breath, feeling the tips of the latex gloves brush her sore nether regions, and hissed, but managed not to tense by gripping Sy's hand. Dr. Evers gave her an apologetic look, before refocusing on her task and a moment later, removed her hand.

“You're almost four centimeters dilated.” She said, standing up and pulled off her gloves, tossing them in the bin. “So you're just in the door of the Active Phase of Labor.” She told them, smiling. “Once you reach ten centimeters, you'll begin the Transition phase and your baby girl will join you in the world!”

“I can't wait to meet her.” Sy said, grinning like a madman.

“Neither can I.” Lily agreed, hugging his arm.

“I'll see you guys in a bit, you just rest and if you need anything, hit the call button.” Dr. Evers explained, before excusing herself from the room.

“Just a little bit longer, Angel.” Sy said, wrapping his arms around her and resting his chin on top of her head. “Then, it'll be the four of us against the world.” He sighed, content and excited, before letting out a jaw cracking yawn.

Lily laughed. “Austin Wyatt, why don't you rest?” She suggested, tipping her head back to look up at him. “We're going to be here a while.”

“I don't want to sleep, while you're going through this.” He protested, shaking his head.

“All right.” She sighed, scooting to the edge of the bed. “Turn the lights out and lay down with me. Problem solved, Captain.”

“You're so smart.” Sy cooed, moving around the foot of the hospital bed.

He closed the door and turned out the lights, but paused to grab his phone and turn on the gentle ASMR rain sounds Lily had grown to love falling asleep to, then stepped out of his sandals and removed his hoodie, before laying down in the space she had created for him, his palm cupping the underside of her prominent belly as he curled his body around hers.

Lily whined, as a particularly harsh contraction bared down on her, forcing her to curl in on herself. She felt a gush between her legs, then a surge of back and abdominal pain hit, making her cry out and wake up Sy with the sound.

“Lily, what's wrong?” He asked, frightened.

“Something's not right.” She gasped, whimpering in agony, face pinched and drenched in sweat. “Something's very wrong, Austin.” She panted, shaking her head.

Sy scrambled out of bed with her and yanked the blankets back and saw the bed was wet, but it wasn't the wetness that startled him, it was the blood on part of her hospital gown. “Christ.” He scrambled for the help button, jamming it with his finger several times, before rushing out into the hallway.

“Help!” He screamed, his heart pounding in his chest like a heavy machine gun.

A nurse materialized in the hall in front of him. “What is it?”

“She's bleeding!” Sy cried, his blue eyes wild with fright and desperation.

The nurse sprinted into Lily's room and found her rolled onto her back, still gasping in pain, she pulled up her drenched and bloody gown and saw some of the issue, before calling a code, that only made Sy panic even more.

“What's happening to them?” He demanded, gripping Lily's trembling hand.

“I don't want to say, unless I'm wrong and I cause you to worry.” The nurse told him, turning up the drip of Lily's IV fluids.

“We're already scared shitless!” Sy barked at her, bearing his teeth.

“Austin!” Lily mewled, weakly.

Sy looked down at her, his terror-stricken eyes still flashing with anger, before it faded. “I'm sorry.” He wheezed, gulping thickly.

Dr. Evers and several other nurses came bursting into the room, a half moment later.

“What's going on, Mandy?” Dr. Evers asked the nurse, quickly washing her hands and pulling on gloves.

“She's leaking amniotic fluid with a good amount of blood, Doctor.” Nurse Mandy answered, moving out of Dr. Evers' way.

“Is that unusual?” Sy asked, looking around the room.

“It's not unusual for her amniotic sac to break during labor, no. As it should, so the baby can be delivered. But, it's a question of premature breakage, and if it has broken prematurely, coupled with blood, could mean a Placental Abruption.”

“Lord have mercy.” Sy gasped, raking a shaking hand through his hair.

Dr. Evers took the wand of the ultrasound machine from one of the nurses and, as carefully as she could, pressed it to Lily's stomach, moving it around, her brow pinched as she watched the grainy black and white monitor in front of her.

“It looks like she has a Revealed Placental Abruption.” She told them, finishing up with the ultrasound. “We're going to need to change birthing plans and deliver via a C-Section with a possible blood transfusion afterwards.”

“Is it that bad?” Lily asked, looking at her, pale with pain and fright.

“You have nothing to worry about, you and the baby will be just fine.” Dr. Evers replied, trying to encourage her and keep her calm. “Let's get you ready to meet your little one.” She smiled, standing up and going out into the hall, Sy on her heels.

“How bad is it?” He asked, lowering his voice. “And don't lie to me.”

Dr. Evers sighed. “Her Placenta has come away from her Uterus and there's blood filling between that space, then coming from her cervix. Lily is showing signs of shock from the blood loss.” She told him, plainly.

“God.” Sy huffed, turning away from her and pressing his hands to his face. “How?” He asked, turning back to her.

“I'm not completely sure, but I think she just possibly had a particularly hard contraction, seeing how hard they were on her, and it ruptured the sac in just the right way.” She explained, feeling for him. “I don't think we'll lose either of them, Mr. Syverson. But, this C-Section needs to happen, for their well-being to be maintained.”

“I don't care what you have to do for my girls.” Sy told her, bluntly. “Just---” He bit his lip and shook his head, hot tears blurring his vision. “I-I can't lose them, they're my only reason.” He choked, rubbing hard at his eyes.

Dr. Evers gently laid a small hand on his beefy arm. “You have my word.” She whispered, giving it a soft squeeze, even though she knew it was against her job to make promises. “Now, get back to her, she'll need you.” She told him, with a little nudge back into the room as Lily called out his name.

“I'm comin', Angel!” Sy called out, but took a moment to rub and wipe the tears out of his eyes, not wanting her to see he had been crying and worrying. “Hey, sweetums.” He grinned at her, cupping her face and kissing her cool forehead. “I'm right here.” He whispered, brushing her damp hair out of her face.

“I'm right here, love. I'm not going anywhere.”

“I'm scared.” Lily sniveled, looking up at him.

Sy's jaw quivered, hearing her words and seeing her face, the way her eyes shined with tears. “It'll be fine, Angel.” He cooed, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. “You're in good hands with Dr. Evers and all these amazing nurses. You and the baby will be safe and sound.” He tried to reassure her, stroking her hair and the side of her face.

“You'll be there.” She asked, hugging her arms around his waist.

“Oh, they'd have to call in the Special Reaction Team to keep me out of the room, Sweetheart.” He laughed, pressing his lips to the top of her head. “I'll be right by your side, the whole side, Sweet Pea.” He promised, sighing softly.

“All right, Mrs. Syverson, we're ready for you.” Nurse Mandy said, coming back into the room.

“Okay.” Lily nodded, reluctantly pulling away from Sy. “My husband can come with me, right?” She asked, wanting to make sure.

“Of course.” She nodded, looking at Sy, who smiled softly at her. “We wouldn't want Dad to miss the birth either, would we?” She said, grinning, then put up the sides of Lily's hospital bed and wheeled her out of the room.

They got Lily and Sy down to the operating room, separating the two long enough, so they could get Sy in a pair of scrubs and Lily set up for the C-Section. When they met up again, Sy stood beside Lily's head, a small screen shielding their view, unless Sy stood to his full height and peeked over it, but he re-framed from doing so, too terrified to see them cut into his wife, especially knowing there was nothing he could do for her; other than kiss her forehead, stroke the side of her face and neck, and speak quietly to her.

“You're doing great, Lily. I'm so proud of you.” He told her, kissing her on the lips. “Soon, she'll be in our arms. You're little Rose Bud.” He smiled, his heart thundering with a mixture of nerves and excitement. “You're going to be an absolutely amazing mama.”

Lily smiled weakly at him. “You'll be a great Daddy too, Austin.” She whispered, sighing. “You'll have all her future boyfriends shaking in their cowboy boots.” She chuckled, fresh tears glittering in the corners of her eyes.

“Oh, she won't be dating until I'm long in my grave, Angel.” Sy laughed back at her, wiping her tears away.

“We have to call my grandparents, Sy.” Lily suddenly realized, her eyes growing.

Sy nodded at her, his fingertips ghosting over the side of her neck. “Don't you fret yourself, Angel. I'll call’em after she's out. You have my word.” He promised, bending over to rub noses with her.

There was a small noise in the room, drawing Lily and Sy's attention, they paused, time around them seemed to freeze in place, as a moment later a shrill wail filled the bright and sterile room. Both of them let out a relieved and surprised laugh, realizing it was their daughter, making her first protest of being in the world. Sy straightened up, but his hand still cupped the side of Lily's face, as his eyes zoned in on Dr. Evers skillfully handling his bloody and messy baby daughter, her teeny, purple face pinched and wrinkled as she let out another scream, hands clenched, her arms and legs curled into her wee body; his legs almost gave out at the sight of her.

“She's gorgeous, Angel.” He cried, letting his tears run free.

“Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Syverson.” Dr. Evers grinned, looking over at Sy, before handing the baby off to a nurse and returning to her task with Lily.

Sy let his eyes off Rose for a moment, to look at what Dr. Evers was doing with Lily, and regretted it, as he felt a hot lump instantly form in his throat at the sight. He had seen miles of blood before, blown apart and severed body parts, dead bodies and dying men, and not once did he blanch at the sight of it. But, the sight of the doctor's hand deep inside of Lily's abdomen caused bright, flashing spots in his blue eyes and the room to tilt at a funny angle. He nearly passed out, when she removed Lily's placenta, just managing to pull himself together at the last minute.

“Are you all right, Mr. Syverson?” A nurse asked, as she approached him, a pair of scissors in her hand, but a deeply concerned expression on her face.

“Yeah, I'm fine.” Sy replied, clearing his throat. “I'm okay.” He repeated, more steadily.

The nurse stared at him for a moment longer, assessing him, before she was reassured Sy wasn't actually going to lose consciousness. “Would you like to cut your daughter's umbilical cord?” She asked, getting to why she had come to him in the first place, holding out the scissors to him.

“Yes, I would.” Sy nodded, taking the implements from her, smiling at Lily as he started to follow the nurse to where they had the baby laying down on a small table, all cleaned off and checked out. “Hey there, sweet thing.” He cooed at her, reaching out and gently resting his hand on her chest, his large palm nearly covering her entire squirming body.

“You can cut right there.” The nurse said, indicating to Sy, where to cut the cord.

“All right.” He nodded, biting his lip, and with a small bit of nerves, cut through the thick, gray cord.

The nurse slipped a little beanie onto Rose's head, then wrapped her in a hospital blanket, before picking her up and turned to Sy, who's eyes flared, realizing she was about to hand him his daughter. He gulped as he awkwardly held out his muscular arms for her, allowing the nurse to show him how to hold Rose, how to support her head and cradle her body, until she stepped back, letting Sy hold her solo.

“Oh gosh.” He mumbled, staring down at her, his eyes huge and his mouth hanging open. “Welcome into the world, Rose Imogene Syverson.” He said and smiled at her, feeling as giddy as a school-boy. “I'm your Daddy.” He told her, unconscionably swaying side to side as he watched her settle in against his chest, transfixed. “You are just as angelic as your mama, you know that?” He chuckled, delicately tracing his fingertip down the bridge of her nose.

“Do you wanna meet your mama?” He asked, tilting his head at her, then looked up at the nurse. “Can I take her over there?”

“Of course. She's yours!” The nurse grinned, charmed by this hulk of a man brought down to a big marshmallow by his little baby daughter.

Sy beamed, turning and went to Lily. “Angel, meet our little Rose.” He said, sitting down in the little stool they had provided him, when he came into the room, and shifted close to Lily's head. “This is your mama.” He purred at Rose, positioning himself so the two of them could see the other.

“She's so beautiful, Austin.” Lily replied, smiling at her daughter's face, tears slipping down her own. “She's perfect.” She sniffled, overcome with emotion. “God, I love the two of you so much, Bear.” She said, grinning at Sy through her tears.

“I love you too, Angel.” Sy replied, choking up. “I love the both of you, with all my heart.” He gulped, leaning in to kiss her temple.

“This is the second best day of my life.” He said, looking between Lily and Rose, with pride, as he sat on the edge of her bed, now that they were back in their room in the maternity ward.

“What was the first?” Lily asked, chuckling at him, gently stroking Rose's head as she nursed her.

“When I married you.” Sy answered, grinning and patting her thigh.

Thankfully, Lily and Rose seemed to have no ill effects from the Placental Abruption, but Dr. Evers did give Lily one blood transfusion, to be sure and safe, while also wishing to keep the both of them in the hospital for a few days for monitoring and tests, in case there was any lingering dangers.

“What did my grandparents say?” Lily asked, carefully shifting, feeling the stables of her C-Section pull as she did.

“That they were super excited to have a great-grandbaby. They wanted photos of her and were thankful neither of you were seriously harmed and would pray that the both of you would remain in good health.” Sy recited the basics of what Lily's grandfather had said to him on the phone, when he finally found the moment to step away and call him.

“I figured, we'd take a photo, when you were feeling better.” He added, seeing how pale she still was, and the dark circles under her eyes. “There's no rush, neither of you are going anywhere soon.”

“No, we are not.” Lily agreed, smiling down at Rose. “Like you said, Daddy Syverson, it's the four of us against the world.” She said, then looked back up at him, feeling proud, complete and safe.

“For now, and ever, Lily Ana Syverson.”

Epilogue - Eight Years Later:

“Stop touching me!” Rose roared, smacking at a hand poking into her side.

“London James!” Sy barked over his shoulder as he stood at the stove, flipping pancakes. “Stop buggin' your sister.” He said, scolding his six-year-old son, who sat at the table with his sibling.

“But, she stole my pancake, Pap!” London huffed back, crossing his arms over his chest, defiantly.

“I don't care, I'll give you another one.” Sy answered, shaking his head, and picking up the surviving plate full of steaming hot pancakes, to toss two more on his errant offspring's plate. “So, keep your hands and feet to yourself, young'un.”

“Can I have more, Daddy?”

Sy looked down at the sweet, faced girl sitting across from her twin brother, his sweet as pie, Poppy Eloise. “Of course, my little blossom.” He cooed at her, playfully winking at her and doling out a couple more pancakes to her, before sitting down in a seat beside her. “We have to be quieter; you know your mama hasn't been feeling too well.” He said, drizzling syrup on his own breakfast.

“Well, well, well!” Sy grinned a few minutes later, turning sideways in his seat and grinning brightly, as he held his hands out. “Look at this little tumbleweed.” He cooed, as his youngest carefully bumped down the kitchen stairs on a full pamper. “Dallas Cole, it looks like you've set a whole box of IEDs off in that diaper of yours.” He commented, scooping Dallas up and sitting him on his knee, which only made the three year old giggle with delight.

Sy grinned at the toddler, gently bouncing his knee and tickling his sides, making his shriek with laughter and squirm in his hands. The older children just rolled their eyes and continued to eat their breakfast, hoping to finish, so they could go outside and play. But, Sy stopped terrorizing his son, when he noticed Lily coming down the stairs and felt guilty for having bothered her, knowing she was tired.

“I'm sorry, Angel. I kept telling the kids to keep quiet and I didn't do it myself.” He apologized to her, gently patting Dallas on the back as he fussed, upset that his father stopped playing with him.

“It's not your fault, Bear.” Lily replied, smiling at him and her collected family, pressing a hand to her back.

“You all right, Lily?” He frowned, seeing the expression on her face, slipping Dallas off his leg and stood up, to go to her. “Is it the baby?” He whispered, laying his hand on her protruding stomach.

Lily was a few weeks shy of nine months pregnant with her and Sy's fifth child and agreed upon last. After the joy of two girls and two boys, they decided they had enough blessings in their home to go around. But this baby was going to be a surprise though, they had learned the gender of the other four, but with this one, they wanted to know when the baby came into the world.

Which might be sooner, rather than later.

“It's time, Austin.” Lily sighed, looking at him with an experienced expression, and rested her hand on his beard face.

Sy's eyes flared for a moment.

”Okay!” He nodded, kicking himself into gear. “Guys, you need to quickly go to your rooms and get dressed, then meet on the porch in five minutes.” He said, turning to the older kids, who looked at him with alertness. “Pronto!” He added, with urgency, bending over to grab Dallas and settled him on his hip. “I'll be right back, I need to change his diaper and get him into some clothes.” He said, mindlessly kissing Lily's cheek, before rushing off upstairs with the kids.

Lily calmly chuckled, watching everyone around her rush about, grabbing a sticky pancake off of Sy's abandoned plate and nibbled on it. Labor and contractions had all become nature to her, almost nothing like labor with Rose, where she was in crippling pain. The contractions hurt and some caused her to pause, pressing a hand to her stomach and breathe, but for the most part, Lily could work through them with little issue. There was still the scary possibility of another Abruption. However, with luck she hadn't had a repeat, but she did need another C-Section with the twins, London and Poppy.

Thankfully, with Dallas, she was able to have a normal labor and delivery.

Sighing, she waddled into the living room and smiled fondly at Aika, who lounged on the couch. The German Shepherd was a Senior Citizen now, her long snout graying, and had survived a war and the trials of child rearing. Lily fondly remembered watching Rose holding onto Aika's black and brown fur and taking some of her first shaky and wobbly steps, the dog patiently and slowly walking with her. The pup had been as much of a parent to the kids as Sy and Lily had been themselves.

“You're a good girl.” Lily whispered, patting Aika, who twitched an ear at her, but didn't move anything else.

Continuing on, Lily made it to the front door, the sound of chaos on the second floor reached her down below. When they found out about the twins, Sy converted Lily's office into another nursery, pushing Lily's workspace into the living room, and when the test strip turned out positive with Dallas, there was only one thing to do, and it wasn't moving out of the house that had brought Lily and Sy together; it was making it bigger. Sy had gone to city hall and found the blueprints to the house, and in no time, the house transformed, adding three more rooms, one of them being an office for Lily, a surprise, since Sy knew sometimes she needed her space from the kids and a quiet place to do her work, and an extra bathroom.

When he wasn't tearing the house apart and putting it together again, Sy had transformed the land it sat on. He fixed up the barn and put up fences, before buying four horses, something he had wanted to do since he was a kid, and he knew Lily loved horses as well. It broke both their hearts when Juniper, the horse next door, passed away. Sy raised the horses and had grown to be quite adept at foaling, which hadn't surprised Lily in the slightest, he would sell the foals at the local county auction that came up every year, then started all over again.

It brought in good money, on top of Lily's own business, so the Syverson family was rather well off in their own right, and they had fallen into a peaceful, if not somewhat chaotic, existence and neither Lily or Sy would change a bit of it

“Nope.” She said aloud, shaking her head, as she sat down on the porch swing and looking out over the land, remembering how overgrown and isolated it had once been, until she found the bravery to put an ad in the paper and a Captain came to answer it.

“Mama, I can't find my shoes!” London's voice screamed from the stairs leading into the living room.

Lily drew a deep breath, smirking. “They're under your bed, LJ!” She hollered back to him, rocking on the swing.

A grand total of five minutes later, like the military promptness the house had the habit of falling into at times of need, a herd of feet came roaring out the front door. Sy barreling out first, Dallas tucked under one arm and the baby bag under the other, with Rose, Poppy and London trailing close behind him. Lily looked over at them, as they filed out, clustering on the porch and staring at her, like a bunch of new recruits, waiting for orders from their General.

“All right, troops!” She said, pushing up onto her feet. “Let's go meet your new sibling.” She said, going down the front steps.

“I want another sister!” Poppy said, from her booster seat. “I want to play barbies with her, since Roo-Roo won't play them with me.” She said, kicking her feet, excitedly.

“I want another brother!” London echoed his sentiment, from the back seat. “So, we can play GI Joe's and like we're in the Wild West!”

“What about you, Rose?” Sy asked, looking at his oldest through the rear-view mirror. “What do you want?”

“A sibling that doesn't drive me crazy.” She replied, as Dallas tossed some of his goldfish at her.

“So, three boys and two girls.” Dr. Evers grinned at Lily and Sy. “Talk about a full house.” She joked, standing beside Lily's bed as she held the latest Syverson, a son.

Dr. Evers delivered all of the Syverson children and had become very good friends with Lily and Sy.

“You can say that again.” Lily nodded, snuggling her newborn.

“What are you going to name him?” Dr. Evers asked, tilting her head at them.

Lily looked up at Sy and bit her lip, but Sy laid his hand on her back and nodded his head at her. “Boston Davis.” She revealed, looking down at the baby, her heart became sore. “We're giving him my grandfather's name as a middle name, to honor him.” She whimpered, a hard lump in her throat.

“Her grandfather passed away four months ago.” Sy whispered, rubbing Lily's back. “He really went downhill after his wife passed from a bad stroke, three and a half years ago, and it finally caught up with him, I suppose.” He explained, deeply saddened by the loss as well, as if it was his own grandparents.

“I'm sure that he would have loved and appreciated it.” Dr. Evers said, quietly, as she gently touched Lily's arm.

“I hope so.” She sighed, softly kissing Boston's forehead. “They'll be a strong, Southern Generation, either way.” She said, looking up at Sy with pride.

-FIN-

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greensleeves888 · 3 years ago

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Thanks @diegos-butt

Favorite color: sea foam

Currently reading: fanfic, awaiting new Chapters on Electricity, Unnoticed (@diegos-butt), The Light (@nuggsmum), Kissed by Fire (@wolvesandhoundshowltogether), Southern Generation (@viking-raider) and Pretty in Pink (@rmtndew) (I think!)

Last song: Something Just Like This - Coldplay/Chainsmokers

Last movie: Destination Wedding

Last series: The Stand

Sweet, spicy or savory: Savoury - always

Tea or coffee: Coffee, freshly brewed, sweet & creamy

Currently working on (if it applies): the next chapter of Widow's Pique (Chapter 8)

No pressure tagging - join in if you like :0)

catch up tag game: tag nine people you’d like to catch up with or get to know better.

Thank you for tagging me @paisley-print (and all the people who tagged me before I am SO sorry)

favorite color: today.... I choose blue

currently reading: a boring book about technical terms in oil filtration (for work) and a whole lot of Fanfiction lol

last song: Up&Up from Coldplay

last movie: uuuuuhm... I think it was Bill & Ted 3

last series: The handmaids tale

sweet, spicy, or savory: savory

tea or coffee: tea. Currently, ice tea but when summer is over i'm going back to "normal" tea

currently working on (If it applies): a Marcus Pike OS in which he takes reader for a hike and she HATES it (ends in a cabin though)This is the WIP I wanna finish this weekend

Tagging: @keanureevesisbae @christhickevans @lunaserenade ugh I can't remember names this morning if you wanna catch up feel tagged lol

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junker-town · 5 years ago

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7 winners and 6 losers from Day 3 of the 2020 NFL Draft

Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images

After the final day of the draft, the Cowboys and Ravens should be smiling. The rest of us shouldn’t, because we’re not Antonio Gandy-Golden.

The 2020 NFL Draft is in the books.

The Miami Dolphins and Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady were among the big winners of the first round. The Baltimore Ravens and Broncos quarterback Drew Lock had a solid second day. But the third day is a little tougher to gauge.

In Rounds 4-7, NFL teams are searching for players who can make the roster and have an impact. Only a handful of players picked in Day 3 will emerge as stars and it’s anyone’s guess who that’ll be. There were still some big winners and losers, though.

Here’s who stood out, both positively and negatively, on the last day of the 2020 NFL Draft:

Winner: The 49ers for getting Trent Williams without a huge extension

Part of the reason it was so difficult for Washington to trade Williams was because he reportedly wanted a contract that averaged at least $20 million per year. While a deal with the Vikings almost got done, Williams’ desire for a massive extension led Minnesota to draft Ezra Cleveland in the second round instead.

But Williams isn’t making the same demand in San Francisco. For the cost of a 2020 fifth-round pick and 2021 third-rounder, the 49ers got a seven-time Pro Bowler who — at least for now — seems fine playing on his current contract.

Williams isn’t exactly cheap with a $12.5 million cap hit, but that’s way more affordable than the alternative. With Joe Staley retiring, the 49ers set themselves up for a smooth 2020 by landing Williams.

Loser: Leonard Fournette

About a week before the draft, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Fournette was on the trading block. It makes sense for the Jaguars, who have already traded away Calais Campbell, A.J. Bouye, and Nick Foles as part of their 2020 teardown.

There doesn’t much of a market for Fournette, though. Jacksonville tried to send him to the Buccaneers, but they drafted Vanderbilt running back Ke’Shawn Vaughn instead. The Jaguars reportedly had discussions with the Dolphins too, before Miami traded for Matt Breida.

Now Fournette is still on the roster of a team that clearly doesn’t really want him. Awkward.

Winner: Eric DeCosta

Baltimore general manager Eric DeCosta was already acing the draft before Day 3. In the first round, the Ravens drafted linebacker Patrick Queen, a perfect fit for their defense and a player who fills a major need. In the second round, they landed the No. 1 RB on their board (J.K. Dobbins) to improve their already scary ground game, and added three more college stars with potential to be big-time contributors in the NFL (Justin Madubuike, Devin Duvernay, and Malik Harrison).

On Saturday, they picked up right where they left off with a couple of late-round steals, including Mississippi State OL Tyre Phillips, SMU wide receiver James Proche, and Iowa safety Geno Stone.

In all, DeCosta took his 14-win roster and added these players:

Ravens 2020 NFL Draft Class: Rd 1: 28- LB P. Queen Rd 2: 55- RB J.K. Dobbins Rd 3: 71- DT J. Madubuike Rd 3: 92- WR D. Duvernay Rd 3: 98- LB M. Harrison Rd 3: 106- OL T. Phillips Rd 4: 143- OL B. Bredeson Rd 5: 170- DT B. Washington Rd 6: 201- WR J Proche Rd. 7: 219- S G. Stone

— Baltimore Beatdown (@BmoreBeatdown) April 25, 2020

Expect to see the Ravens bring home a straight-A report card from draft experts.

Winner: Special teams players

Day 3 was these guys’ time to shine. Look at all these specialists drafted on Saturday:

Marshall K Justin Rohrwasser, taken by the Patriots at No. 159 in the fifth round

LSU long snapper Blake Ferguson taken by the Dolphins at No. 185 overall in the sixth round

Georgia Southern K Tyler Bass, taken by the Bills at No. 188 in the sixth round

Texas A&M P Braden Mann, taken by the Jets at No. 191 in the sixth round

Syracuse P Sterling Hofrichter, taken by the Falcons at No. 228 in the seventh round

Miami (Ohio) K Sam Sloman, taken by the Rams at No. 248 in the seventh round

Somehow, Georgia kicker and Lou Groza winner Rodrigo Blankenship wasn’t drafted, but it didn’t take long for “Hot Rod” to sign a UDFA contract with the Colts:

Rodrigo Blankenship is going to the Colts! The Georgia kicker might be 47-year-old Adam Vinatieri's replacement. Big shoes to fill. pic.twitter.com/WlOq4M4Kza

— SB Nation (@SBNation) April 25, 2020

Loser: Aaron Rodgers, for a third effin’ day

After trading up to draft Jordan Love in the first round and collecting several non-wide receivers after that, surely the Packers would end up with at least one new weapon for Rodgers in the passing game, right?

Nope.

Two kickers and a long snapper now gone before the Packers took a WR. What a wild time to be alive

— Bucs Nation (@Bucs_Nation) April 25, 2020

The Packers’ final count: 1 QB, 1 RB, 1 TE, 1 LB, 3 OL, 1 DB, 1 Edge, zero WR.

Loser: The Jets’ sad QB draft history

It’s not really a surprise the Jets took a quarterback in the draft. The depth chart after Sam Darnold is David Fales and Mike White, who have combined to throw exactly zero passes in New York.

In the fourth round, the Jets selected Florida International’s James Morgan, who has a strong arm but some accuracy issues (he completed just 58 percent of his passes in 2019). Basically, he’s the most Jets pick possible:

James Morgan is the 10th QB taken by the Jets in the last 15 years, most by any team. He's the 2nd FIU QB drafted in the past 3 years (Alex McGough - 7th round, 2018). FIU is now 1 of just 4 schools to have multiple QBs drafted since 2018 (Oklahoma, LSU, Washington St). pic.twitter.com/CYNUyeuWU7

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) April 25, 2020

Darnold still has a chance to be a high-level starter — especially now that the Jets have spent the offseason getting him protection — but Morgan is not joining elite company here. The other QBs the Jets have drafted in recent years include Christian Hackenberg (never appeared in a game), Bryce Petty (4:10 TD:INT ratio), Geno Smith (punched in the face), and Mark Sanchez (buttfumble).

Morgan will need some time to develop if he’s going to stick in the league, but he’ll probably get thrown into the fire immediately when Darnold adds, like, gout to his list of weird injuries.

Winner: The Raiders, who basically drafted every player from the Clemson-Bama national championship games

Clemson and Alabama faced off in the national championship game three times in four seasons: 2015, 2016, and 2018. Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock must have liked what they saw. The Raiders have selected eight Bama and Clemson players who played in both of the last two title game matchups.

Raiders select another former Clemson Tiger, this time guard John Simpson. Raiders now have eight players on their current roster from the Clemson-Alabama National Title game. https://t.co/1IfEh7wvqU

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 25, 2020

There are obviously more Tigers than Tide players on this list, so it’s pretty fitting that the Raiders garnered the nickname “Clemson West” this draft cycle.

Loser: Joe Brady

Brady, the Panthers’ new OC, spent last season as the architect of LSU’s historically great offense. He saw seven of his former players from that Tigers offense drafted this year. Unfortunately for him, he won’t get a reunion in Carolina because the Panthers didn’t draft any of them. Or any offensive players whatsoever:

The Panthers have used up all their picks in the 2020 draft, so let’s look back at all seven players they drafted and grade the overall draft class. They went 7-for-7 on defensive players, which hasn’t happened in modern NFL history, so that’s neat. https://t.co/F0y7SqGj5l pic.twitter.com/xJAgelonw5

— Cat Scratch Reader (@CatScratchReadr) April 25, 2020

To be fair, the Panthers REALLY needed reinforcements on a defense that ranked just 25th in DVOA last year, allowed 29.4 points per game, AND just lost Luke Kuechly, Gerald McCoy, and Dontari Poe this offseason.

But sheesh, at least throw Brady a bone!

Winner: Jarrett Stidham

The Patriots didn’t trade up in the first round to find a franchise quarterback. They didn’t pick one in Day 2, either. That extended to Day 3, when they chose a kicker instead of Georgia’s Jake Fromm in the fifth round and then opted to take three offensive linemen and one linebacker to close out their draft class.

That means the starting job is still Stidham’s to lose. He’s likely to beat out Brian Hoyer, although there’s still a chance New England goes after a veteran — Cam Newton, Jameis Winston, Jacoby Brissett, and Andy Dalton are all possibilities — to take over.

For now though, Stidham is in position to be the Patriots’ long-term solution at quarterback. At the very least, he’s going to get a shot.

Winner: The Cowboys, who stuck with tradition at center

Travis Frederick was an All-American center at Wisconsin before the Cowboys drafted him to anchor the center of their offensive line in 2013. He retired in 2020 after battling Guillain-Barre Syndrome, so Jerry Jones replaced him with ... an All-American center from Wisconsin.

Tyler Biadasz is roughly as Wisconsin as they come. He came out of the womb eating cheese curds and shunting aside Iowa linemen:

Dallas swung a trade with arch-rival Philadelphia to target Biadasz, who slid from a possible Day 2 pick despite winning the Rimington Award — college football’s top center — in 2019. He’s a player who can immediately step into the Cowboys’ starting lineup and make himself anonymous. That’s exactly what you want from a high-level interior lineman.

Loser: The Eagles (and everyone in the NFC East not named the Cowboys)

The Eagles had weird draft. They went with receiver Jalen Reagor in the first round, which addressed a need but was a little higher than he was expected to go. Then they surprised everyone by grabbing quarterback Jalen Hurts in the second. Linebacker Davion Taylor in the third round was a bit of a reach, and they didn’t draft a cornerback.

But where they’re really screwed is in the NFC East. The Cowboys had an incredible draft, and as their top competition in the division, the Eagles need to keep pace with them. But the Cowboys lucked into top-talent players like CeeDee Lamb and Trevon Diggs, and are building what looks like one of the elite teams. They even replaced their best offensive lineman with one of the draft’s best offensive linemen in the fourth round.

The NFC East has been a division in flux for the better part of a decade, and it’s just been begging for someone to step up and take control. It looked like the Eagles would be that team after they won a Super Bowl two years ago, but since then have only seemed to make lateral moves at best.

Bonus: the Cowboys got rid of Jason Garrett, so they should be firmly favored to be the top team in the NFC East next season.

Loser: All of us who ain’t shit compared to Antonio Gandy-Golden

Gandy-Golden can solve a Rubik’s Cube, juggle, do backflips, once bowled a perfect game, has raised sheep and chickens, and he’s spent his time in quarantine learning guitar while the rest of are proud of ourselves for changing our underwear today.

Meet Antonio Gandy-Golden. The Liberty receiver’s first sport was gymnastics. He bowled a 300 game two months after picking up the sport. He is the most interesting player in this year’s draft, and this Rubik’s Cube never stood a chance. https://t.co/qOUJT4IwtJ pic.twitter.com/kMRUZGhnXv

— Andy Staples (@Andy_Staples) February 25, 2020

Oh, and he’s a really damn good receiver too. Washington selected Gandy-Golden in the fourth round. After three straight years of 1,000+ yards receiving and 10 touchdowns in college (if you even consider Liberty a real college), Gandy-Golden was a popular sleeper pick this draft season. He’ll give Dwayne Haskins another big receiver to target on Sundays, while he learns a new language, composes a symphony, and works toward his PhD in medieval architecture the other days of the week.

Winner: The all-name team

The final day of the draft isn’t just filled with “who the hell is Ben DiNucci?” players and special teamers. It’s also the time for the all-name to step into the spotlight.

This year, we chose one player per position to represent the all-name team. That ended up including three seventh-round picks, almost in rapid succession:

QB Cole McDonald (No. 224, Titans)

G Arlington Hambright (No. 226, Bears)

LB Casey Toohill (No. 233, Eagles)

And several others who just missed the cut:

G Lachavious Simmons (No. 227, Bears)

P Sterling Hofrichter (No. 228, Falcons)

CB Bopete Keyes (No. 237, Chiefs)

That’s quite the run of A+ names. It’s also a good thing Roger Goodell stopped announcing picks after Day 2, because he would’ve butchered every single one of them.

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