Part I

[Charlemagne. 372]

 

Let it be known that I am no scholar, for the writing of this simple tale I have hired a young nobleman who will record my dictation. I am neither a historian, and the only source I shall use is my own memory, and the tale which was passed down to me by my forefathers in rather plain fashion.

 

I wish to relay a tale that has been passed down to myself, without the garnish that it might otherwise be given in books of history: the tale of Aurelius, or from his obscure birth at the fortress known as Dogger's Den, 'Canonius' to his obscure demise in Aeldinic retirement 'Aurelius'. Canonius here shall be given to you as was told to me by my father and his before him, and I will begin with his birth. Canonius was born under the watchful eye of his matriline grandfather Lord Deano Romstun, a man whose tale is worthy of recording somewhat here itself; Lord Romstun was born a son to the ancient gods of war rather than to mortal kind, as a man of his era would have conferred, self-proclaimed Duke of Lorraine and a wise tactician whose love for his retainers was without equal, by their leal arms he had claimed his large demense in right of conquest, a way that had long been thought antiquated by the time of his life, and in the process of that meteoric rise the martial lord had garnered great respect but ever greater fear from the courts of mankind. After an era of prosperity taken by the sword even those closest and blinded by love for Lord Romstun could understand how it was that his war-like house had earned the massive invasion that subsequently struck and swept over their conquest-given lands, for those who live by the sword will often indeed meet their end by it.

 

In my dictation of these tales which so encompassed my upbringing I have forgotten that I set out to tell the tale of Canonius, and so we may tie in the destruction of the house of Romstun thus; Canonius was but a boy when the Ducal lands of Lorraine were seized by Lord Romstun, but he had at that time a great epiphany, first he had witnessed the nature of fear, recognized the mechanation that pulled each man to and fro, and with this recognition came many ideas in the young Canonius' mind, one can speculate that it was here that Canonius adopted his characteristic iron will, heart steeled from fear, refusing to allow such a phenomenon to guide him as he had witnessed it do to so many others. I now tell of a later time in Canonius' life, as emerging from the Fortress of Dogger's Den a young nobleman cunning and able, It was now when the Ducal lands were torn from Lord Romstun by a massive coalition which I shall say was shepherded by the fear of Lord Romstun's rise to power, and I shall say that Canonius too recognized this fact, and it was then that he knew surely how to rule man's hearts. To speak on fear, fear is a sharp sword for those who can apply it to great effect unto the hearts of man, evil in principle if your desire is merely to bring terror to them, as the wolf, but to that I counter-point, does not the shepherd use fear of the sheep-dog and the stick to guide his flock away from danger, does not God bestow fear unto the heart of a sinner to urge him off that path? In closing, the shepherd guides and protects, but the flock certainly do not feel love of him. Love is another phenomenon that Canonius learned to steer man's hearts, but it is clear by the nature of his rule that it was the lesser of his two powers as a man.

 

Canonius loved his father, Carolus, a name rather unknown to history but entirely necessary to this tale, Canonius' father was not a great warrior or renowned figure of that age, but rather an unfortunate footnote that influenced more with his death than he ever did in his life. A member of a displeased republican underground in the city of Adelburg, Carolus was slain at the hands of the city guard in an obscure dispute that was never truly documented or understood, but might have involved a plot to seize the gates and to hail the city as a republic. Regardless of the true nature of that misfortune, the young Canonius was now faced with the first great decision of his lifetime, for at this time to his back stood a displaced Romstun host, seasoned warriors who lacked leadership and direction, and would soon scatter to the winds without. Canonius knew it was love of his father that caused him to act, but it was the fear of a life without purpose that he used to make his Romstun host to follow. Canonius gathered to his banner these veteran men, and into their sails he blew the winds of purpose again, filling their minds with grandiose ideas; no longer would they be warriors left without purpose, they would build the foundations for an empire of their own, an Emperor of their own.

 

Perhaps I will continue this dictation at a later date,

 

Leonid Vilac

Edited March 3, 2023 by Charlemagne.

[Mannamannaa 1626]

Kor'garr the Clanless looks over the historical introduction with a grin of approval around thick tusks. The mustached Uruk nods as a low, rumbling hum leaves his lips.

"Braveri agh ztrength uv zull. Hozh werk, tu rikord dah ztoriez uv lat'z 'onurabul ancezturz... Kor'garr wyll peep vor more chapturz uv diz tayl. Lup'Kor!"

 

Spoiler

Translation:
"Bravery and strength of soul. Good work, to record the stories of your honorable ancestors... I will look for more chapters of this tale. Praise Kor! [spirit of the Dead]" 

 

[milkyi 1504]

Emerentia felt a sense of nostalgia as she read the narrative, it reminded her of the times in her youth when she had heard it before.