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Post by Loegaire mac Niell on Jul 1, 2016 15:34:36 GMT
Loegaire had not forgiven the Britons for their role in the slaying of his mighty father. Niall was dead and the Britons slaughtered, but they must be taught to fear the new King of the Eireann. From the shores, the people of Venta first saw the three mighty Keels manned by Niall's favoured killers. Then, as the darkness began to dissipate through the dawn, hundreds of small raiding vessels sporting around a thousand Ceithern appeared on the seas beside the great ships.
Venta would be the first to feel the wrath of the Great Pagan.
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Post by Loegaire mac Niell on Jul 6, 2016 14:44:32 GMT
*Clears throat*
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Post by Admin on Jul 6, 2016 16:32:17 GMT
The Death of Owain Finddu
In the court of Ceretic Guletic in the distant north, beyond the wall, a new song is sung by the bards, inspired by recent events in the south. The poem recounts the tale of the century of Owain Finddu, a hundred of the bravest warriors from the lands of Britannia, gathered from all around to meet at the court of the ancient kings at Caerleon, the fort of the Roman legion. The first verses recount the names of particular heroes, and their origins, which seem to already have inflated to include lands way outside the reach of the petty king of Venta. The second verse recounts how they charge bravely, and suicidally, at the enemy. The final verse is all ravens pecking eyes and mourning wives. The poem barely mentions the enemy, simply referring to them as a barbarous multitude, barbarians, or Gwyddels. Ceretic doesn't like the poem, and asks for some Virgil instead.
Back in the south, the events are too bitter and personal to be remembered so vaguely. By the end of the day, the personal retinue, Teulu, of the king lay dead around their king. Venta has lost a ruler, the cream of its warrior class, much of its treasure, and its dignity. The heathens capture 2,500 Aurei worth of loot, mostly in slaves or other portable wealth, but a number of cattle are loaded onto the Keels. Due to space limitations, only the finest specimens are taken - the largest, healthiest beasts.
The raiders note the fertility of the lands of Venta, and the large stockpiles of wealth and food they had amassed. Though the ravaging will no doubt have an impact on the prosperity of the towns, the fertile plains of Venta will be remembered as ideal farmland for potential settlers.
A much-mourned casualty of the raids is a notable Bishop, found in a lavishly decorated but humbly-built Celtic church. It seems that this Bishop held an important role as the head of the episcopal see of the entirety of western Britannia, and administered lands in Corinium and Dumnonia as well as Venta. His death will leave a spiritual vacuum just as Owain's death would leave a political vacuum.
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