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Thread: Historia Quod Britonum

  1. #61

    Default Re: Historia Quod Britonum

    Quorum Praeteritum XX
    Early Fall, 1107 AD

    Thored stood on the bow of his ship, watching as his fleet sailed through the Baltic Sea on their return to England. He didn't want to do what came next, but he knew he had to. He didn't even have to look back to know that his guards held Wulfthryth behind him, as he could hear her struggling.


    The King turned to face his sister, and with a nod the guards let go of her and backed away. "I need names."


    Wulfthryth chuckled, seemingly delighted at the fact that she had something he needed. "Of who?"


    "Your supporters. Primarily the ones within my realm. And please do note that I do not have the time for games."


    "Seemingly you do," she said, gesturing to the water around the ship, "We are a long way from England."

    King Thored sighed in annoyance. "This is your last chance to redeem yourself. Take it, please." he said.


    But that only fueled her stubborness. He needed something from her, and she loved keeping it away from him. However, she also knew that the information she had was the only thing that kept her alive, though she wasn't entirely sure if her brother would kill her.


    "You know, I love to hear you beg. It just makes me-"


    She stopped midsentence as she saw the banner of her husband over Thored's shoulder. She stepped to the left to get a closer look at it. Surely enough, she saw her husband pacing across the Danish ship's deck as it slithered passed Thored's other ships. They were a lot farther along then Wulfthryth had thought.


    King Thored turned to look at the ship as well, before looking back to his sister. "I'll give you one more chance. Take it, and I'll return you to your home."


    Wulfthryth looked down at the water, and saw her reflection. She could see the marks on her face, from where she had tried to resist the guards. Not Thored's guards though. Danish ones. They had held her down and beat her, and she tried to stop them, but that only made it worse. Wulfthryth lifted her head and looked at her brother, now full of spite. He had been the one that had caused all of it. He had sent her to Denmark. He had chosen the Normans.


    "Then it will be a foolish gift. Do you know what was done to me at my 'home'? I haven't had a home since you and your soldiers burned it."


    Thored closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them, he had accepted what came next. "I'm sorry." he said, before speaking to his guards, "Kill her."


    He watched as she was brought to her knees, and a spear was driven through her chest. As it was pulled out, she was wrapped in a cloth. Thored then proceeded to watch the Danish ship as it came up alongside the boat, and the wrapped body was carried onto it.

  2. #62

    Default Re: Historia Quod Britonum

    About 30 minutes ago, I had no plans at all to do this. However, I saw the Tale of the Week and decided to make a submission, and it instantly morphed into this. It actually fits with plans I already had for this. Now your challenge is to figure out which future this takes place in; is it Aiden Braun's future, is it the HQB Timeline's future, or is it the future of an entirely different timeline? I'll let you guess!


    A Teaser of things to come...



    Ulon was tired, his weariness almost enough to overcame his ironclad resolve to see the end of it all. The end of a conflict that defined everything he was, everything that anyone was. Yet, his resolve also existed simultaneously in his mind with the knowledge that he could do nothing. The continuity that was the War of Eternality could not be stopped by one man, nor could it be stopped by a hundred thousand.


    He had been into this war, and he would die in it. He knew this, and yet that did not stop him. He had a mission. A Goal. An Objective. A Purpose. That was more then anyone could wish for, at least now. He still faintly remembered the tales of a time long gone, separated from the date of his birth by hundreds of years. They were tales that his Father would recite to him, as his Father did, and as his Father before him did. Everyone held on to these faint memories, memories that were as valuable as a weapon was, or as it would have once been, a bar of gold.


    Shouts echoed over the landscape. Some were shouts of pain, others of orders, passed from rank to rank until they reached the bottom, at which point it would materialize itself as death and destruction. There was no joy. No moments of exhilaration, with children laughing and their parents smiling in reflection upon what had lead up to this moment. It all had been replaced by fear. Any smiles or laughs were forced, an attempt to preserve a moment, to lock it away as a precious memory to be kept for when the inevitable occurred, and the soldiers came like so many ants to swarm your home, and take anything that you had, no matter if it was a blade of grass or a crate of ammo; they wanted.


    Sometimes he was ashamed of himself. He was one of those soldiers. He attributed to the death and destruction that wrecked the world, but then again, who didn't? What choice did he have? Once you passed the age of fifteen, if you were a man you were a soldier, and if you were a woman, you were a womb meant to produce more soldiers and more wombs. This was the way of the world.


    Ulon turned as he heard shouts. He had had his time to think. Now, it was again time for war.

  3. #63

    Default Re: Historia Quod Britonum

    I am definitely teased, I demand more! Time for war always sounds good, pleases the gods!

  4. #64
    Alwyn's Avatar Frothy Goodness
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    Default Re: Historia Quod Britonum

    Great updates - I like the idea of using your Tale of the Week entry as the basis for an intriguing teaser.

  5. #65

    Default Re: Historia Quod Britonum

    Quote Originally Posted by theSilentKiller View Post
    I am definitely teased, I demand more! Time for war always sounds good, pleases the gods!
    Quote Originally Posted by Alwyn View Post
    Great updates - I like the idea of using your Tale of the Week entry as the basis for an intriguing teaser.
    Thanks guys! I actually didn't expect to do the teaser at all, but I'm glad you guys enjoyed it!

  6. #66
    Caillagh de Bodemloze's Avatar to rede I me delyte
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    Default Re: Historia Quod Britonum

    I like the recent chapters, Rabbit. Poor Wulfthryth didn't really seem to have anyone on her side, did she? And the teaser was definitely teasing!






  7. #67

    Default Re: Historia Quod Britonum

    Thanks Caillagh! Perhaps she had more people on her side then you might think...

    Quorum Praeteritum XXI
    Early Spring, 1105 AD


    Deorwine Tempest looked over the manifests of his ships. His Father had left this business to him, and he was determined to keep it going, but at times it was very difficult to manage. Nevertheless, it was not only an obligation of his to his late Father, it also provided funding for the small village of Ayesley, which he was a Tenant-in-Common of.


    He had taken the death of his Father very badly. His Father had always been a very important figure in his life, and Deorwine had great love and respect for him. Deorwine had not wanted his Father to go north to Northumbreland, wanting him to stay in Ayesvale, but his Father was a stubborn man, even in his old age. Deorwine regretted letting his Father, Luke, leave, almost as much as he regretted not being there to see his Father's killer lose his head.


    As Deorwine sorted through the manifest, a man appeared in front of him. In fright, Deorwine leapt up and pulled out his dagger. The man stood there very calmly, his eyes boring into Deorwine. "My...my Father told me about you. You're the Flickering Man! He said he learned about you only a few months before he went to Northumbreland!"


    The Flickering Man smiled and nodded. He then vanished, reappearing next to Deorwine. He grabbed Deorwine's dagger from him and threw it to the ground. "I have a mission, and so do you. Every moment that I don't spend driving that dagger through your skull is considered to be a moment wasted in relation to that mission. But that mission is not mine anymore. I have another one. I have someone I have to find, and you have something you need to know. Thus, we can help each other."


    Deorwine was confused. He had no idea whether to think of the man in front of him as a friend or foe. "What do you mean?"


    "There is a woman I need to find, and the same man that knows where I can find that woman also has information about your Father that even I don't have. As your Father may have told you, I have powers. But you have influence and money, and sometimes that can be worth even more."


    "My Father? How did you know my Father? He said to be weary of you!"


    "Your Father told me that he had said as much. When he came to Northumbreland, he was coming to aid me. Together, we learned of the existence of a woman with the same powers as myself. We were able to uncover rumors that she was hiding in Beloozero under the protection of Yevstafii before your Father was killed, and I was forced into hiding."


    "But, what do you plan to do?"


    "Now that I am no longer being searched for, I intend to find this woman, and with your help uncover who ordered the death of your Father, but I need your help."


    Deorwine nodded without even a second thought. "Whatever you need."

  8. #68
    Alwyn's Avatar Frothy Goodness
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    Default Re: Historia Quod Britonum

    Powers, influence and money sound like an effective combination, I look forward to seeing what the Flickering Man and Deorwine do with them and whether they can find out who ordered the death of Deorwine's father.

  9. #69
    Caillagh de Bodemloze's Avatar to rede I me delyte
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    Default Re: Historia Quod Britonum

    The hunt for the mysterious woman continues...!

    I really like this chapter, Rabbit. It sets up Deorwine's character nicely, as well as making me want to know how their search will go.






  10. #70

    Default Re: Historia Quod Britonum

    Quote Originally Posted by Caillagh View Post
    The hunt for the mysterious woman continues...!

    I really like this chapter, Rabbit. It sets up Deorwine's character nicely, as well as making me want to know how their search will go.
    Quote Originally Posted by Alwyn View Post
    Powers, influence and money sound like an effective combination, I look forward to seeing what the Flickering Man and Deorwine do with them and whether they can find out who ordered the death of Deorwine's father.
    Thanks for the encouragement! I think Deorwine is, and becomes, a very interesting character. As of the beginning of his arc, he's very trusting, and is generally quite invested in legacy and his family's legacy, for reasons that will later be revealed...

    Also, Deorwine's Father is Luke Tempest. I only mentioned his name once in the writing, so we, as readers and writers, and the Flickering Man already know who killed Luke Tempest; the Flickering Man. Deorwine, however, doesn't know, and his reaction is quite interesting.

  11. #71

    Default Re: Historia Quod Britonum

    Quorum Praeteritum XXII
    Late Summer, 1105 AD


    Ayesvale was a small and quiet village, owned and controlled by three different individuals acting as Tenants-in-Common. However, Deorwine was acknowledged as the superior of the three, with his business providing most of the income for Ayesvale.


    The Flickering Man had learned this in a very brief amount of time, and was intrigued by the village. Nevertheless, he didn't have much time to study the city. Soon, he would find the mysterious woman he had been searching for for years.


    He looked at Deorwine and chuckled. He had lied to Deorwine, and he didn't even know it. He hadn't been friends with his Father, or worked to investigate the woman with him; the Flickering Man had ordered the death of Luke Tempest and watched him be killed, and had been working by himself to investigate the woman, primarily through his visions. And he hadn't been in hiding, he had been making sure that he was entirely prepared to leave this timeline.


    The Flickering Man had seen her a year or two before he ordered Tempest's death, but only faintly. As the years passed, his vision became more and more clear as he concentrated on that one moment. A few months ago, the vision had become clear enough that he had seen her talking with Yevstafii the Conqueror.


    "So, what's your plan?" asked Deorwine.


    The Flickering Man grunted. Deorwine was a pawn in his game. To the Flickering Man, everyone was a pawn to be used by higher beings such as himself. Deorwine had the influence, resources, and money that he needed, and so could be useful. He also had ties to the Leofricsons through his Father, even if they were very loose ties.


    Of course, he had already figured out the answer to Deorwine's question when he had looked into the future. Wulfthryth Leofricson was the key to his plan. Everything and everyone was falling into place for the orchestration of his plan. He had been playing chess against an invisible opponent, and now it was time to unveil her.


    "Wulfthryth Leofricson. You go, and convince her that there is an army organized who would support her in a bid for Thored's throne, and direct her to Beloozero. If she uses the secret about me as a card to convince Yevstafii to join her, then he might offer information on the woman we're trying to find. But he's smart enough, so he'll imprison Wulfthryth and offer her up to Thored. Thored goes to Beloozero, and if Wulfthryth offered up information on me, then Thored and Yevstafii will begin to talk about my existence and the woman's. If this happens, then we will know that she is still here, and I can go after her."


    Deorwine nodded. "Are you sure it will work?"


    "No. There's still the possibility the woman we are searching for could leave, in which case we'll have to begin again. But if she is still there, then we will have our answers."

  12. #72
    Caillagh de Bodemloze's Avatar to rede I me delyte
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    Default Re: Historia Quod Britonum

    Well, now I feel even more sorry for Wulfthryth!

    (But I'm beginning to think I shouldn't be surprised - that every time anybody meets an untimely end it will be as a result of the Flickering Man's machinations...)






  13. #73
    Alwyn's Avatar Frothy Goodness
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    Default Re: Historia Quod Britonum

    Ah, the Flickering Man's plots are devious ... I wonder whether Deorwine will discover the truth about his who killed his father and what effects that discovery will have on Deorwine's trusting nature.

  14. #74

    Default Re: Historia Quod Britonum

    Quote Originally Posted by Caillagh View Post
    Well, now I feel even more sorry for Wulfthryth!

    (But I'm beginning to think I shouldn't be surprised - that every time anybody meets an untimely end it will be as a result of the Flickering Man's machinations...)
    Quote Originally Posted by Alwyn View Post
    Ah, the Flickering Man's plots are devious ... I wonder whether Deorwine will discover the truth about his who killed his father and what effects that discovery will have on Deorwine's trusting nature.
    Thanks for the encouragement! Indeed, the Flickering Man is very skilled in the art of manipulation, primarily due to his powers (which will be explained in-depth soon). But as Wulfthryth is a pawn of Deorwine, and Deorwine is a pawn of the Flickering Man, perhaps the Flickering Man is a pawn hmself...

    And time will tell if the woman he's been hunting will be capable of outsmarting him, or rather if he will be capable of outsmarting her...

  15. #75

    Default Re: Historia Quod Britonum

    Quorum Praeteritum XXIII
    Late Fall, 1105 AD


    "Who are you?" asked Wulfthryth.


    A letter had arrived several days prior, a very vague request to meet at the docks on this day. Wulfthryth didn't know whom it was she was meeting with, but she did know that he intended to aid her, yet in what way she did not know.


    The man standing at the docks turned to Wulfthryth and bowed his head. "My lady, I am Deorwine Tempest, the son of Luke Tempest, Tenant-in-Common of Ayesley, and quite an accomplished businessman."


    "And what is it you want with me?" she asked bluntly.


    Deorwine smiled. "As I said in my letter, I intend to aid you. Your brother, Thored, rules as King of England now, and has for several years. But the reason that I come to you is that I believe that you have a right to his throne, as do any of your sons. Even his own son has left him. Yet, you and I both know that there is another reason he is not fit to rule. He has a secret."


    Wulfthryth was slightly taken aback. "How do you know of that?"


    "Of the Flickering Man? My Father knew, and he told me of the secret. I know not how my Father knew of the Flickering Man's existence, but it is information that I see may become useful to me. Thored and his Father concealed and continue to conceal the existence of a Demon in their lands. You tried to drive it out, and you challenged Thored. I admire that about you. Let me help you challenge him again."


    "How?" Wulfthryth asked inquisitively.


    "I have amassed support for you in Scotland, France, and in England. There are many men who are willing to march with you against King Thored, more then he will ever be able to amass. If you accept what I propose, then within a few years time you will be Queen of England."


    Wulfthryth smiled. All her years of turmoil, and all she had been through, had finally paid off. This man she had never seen before was now telling her that she could be Queen, and oust her traitor brother from his throne. Though, she had to admit that she was slightly paranoid of Deorwine. "What is it that I need to do?"


    "All that is required of you," said Deorwine, "is that you travel to Finland to appeal to Yevstafii the Conqueror, Prince of Beloozero. He is a very proud man, and he will not speak to an ambassador for your cause, only you. This will also allow me time to enact the plans that I have developed over the years while your convince Yevstafii to join us, and within a year's time we will be on the shores of England."


    "How will I leave here though? My husband would never allow me to leave his realm." asked Wulfthryth.


    "Tomorrow night, after I have resolved some business here, there will be a boat waiting at the docks, along with several mercenaries I have hired. They will help you to escape the Castle at midnight, and before day break we will be out on the seas, where we will then meet up with my fleet."


    Wulfthryth nodded and smiled. It was finally time for her to rise again. Now she would truly live up to the name of Leofricson.

  16. #76

    Default Re: Historia Quod Britonum

    Quorum Praeteritum XXIV
    Early Fall, 1107 AD


    Yevstafii lay for a moment in his bed wondering if he was dreaming. Shadows danced under the door as he heard the ringing of steel and the shouts and cries of his men. Was he dreaming of one of the many batles in his life, his mind attempting to convince him that those battles had come to him? Suddenely he realised he was awake and the sounds were just outside his door.


    He reached out and grasped his sword, the cold steel warming his mind, reminding him that he had survived countless battles before, and he would survive whatever was at his door now. He stood and gazed at the door in anticipation, only a bit of fear lurking in his mind. The sounds of metal had stopped. The sounds of fighting had stopped. There was now nothing but silence. His hand was wrested against the grip of his sword as he slowly unsheathed it, not wanting to alert whoever was on the other side of the door.


    From the sound, he couldn't tell if it was one man, or ten. It had all went by so quickly. Out of habit he looked behind him to see if his wife was hidden already. Of course, his wife was where she usually was; in the bed of her lover. He was suprised that she had even found a lover. She wasn't known for being particularly beautiful. Yevstafii didn't know why he cared though, she had been nothing but trouble for him for years. And yet she was trouble he had to deal with, for the stability of the realm.


    His eyes returned to the door, adrenaline rushing through his body. There was nothing but silence. By the time that the man appeared in front of him Yevstafii's sword was half way out of it's sheath. He completed drawing his sword in less then a moment and leaped forward. The Flickering Man smiled and appeared behind Yevstafii, grabbing him and throwing him into the wall. "Tell me about her. Who, you ask? The woman who came to you, the one with power men do not possess, I believe you know her as Sága," he said proudly, "King Yevstafii Rurikovich, Prince of Beloozero and King of the Land of the Fins. I wonder how can you call yourself a protector and conqueror of a religion you don't even follow?" said the man in Old English.


    Yevstafii's thoughts spun wildly. How did this man know about Saga, that she had come to him? Was this another God, come down to move men like pieces upon a board of zatrikion? He must be. How else could he do these things that Yevstafii had just been witness to. He felt himself becoming enraged. How dare he, whether he be God or Man, attack King Yevstafii in his castle. He determined that of the woman he would tell him nothing!


    Yevstafii chuckled. "When I was young, my Father and his Sister were lovers. Their first son belonged to them. Everyone knew, and nobody paid attention. Then I came along, and everyone knew that I was the only legitimate son they had, but nobody said a word. My Mother began to hate my Father. At first she had accepted who she had married, a beast who wished he could marry his own sister, but once she had a son, he began to beat her. She protested, and she even tried to convince the Priest to protest the appointment of a spoiled, inbred boy as Prince. Can you guess what the priest did?"


    The Flickering Man, intrigued by the tale, stood in front of Yevstafii whom turned to face him, the crimson blood streaming from his broken nose now in view, "Tell me."


    "The Priest beat her until she swore to be silent about the matter and never tell anyone what she knew, and then he told my Father. And guess what my Father did? He killed her. He picked up his sword, and he drove it threw her and made me watch. So, you want to know why I'm not a Christian? That's why. Because men who called themselves Champions of the Faith, appointed by God to spread his word, knew all that happened, and did nothing. In fact, they aided my Father, because he gave money to them. So no, I will never follow a religion that can be purchased with gold."


    Yevstafii still grasping his sword, the rage boiling inside of him as the Flickering Man simply smiled, it being apparent that he was appeased by the dark tale. It wasn't but a few seconds before that anger materialized itself in Yevstafii's actions, as he brought his sword up towards the Flickering Man's neck. It was a perfect move that would have worked against any man, but this was no mere man. He was gone. Yevstafii looked around, and saw nothing. Suddenly he felt a hand on his back, and then his face again collided with the wall as he was turned and shoved forward into it.


    "A sad story, to be sure. As for now, however, it seems to be irrelevant. Now, tell me something that is relevant. Tell me about the woman."


    The Russian rolled over, now laid on the floor with a bloodied face. "If you think I'm going to rev--"


    The Flickering Man brought his fist down upon Yevstafii's face. "Yes, yes. The Hero makes a stubborn protest as he's captured by the villain, refusing to betray his friends in an act of nobility. This isn't an act of nobility, it's an act of stupidity, and I'm not the villain, and you're surely not the hero. You are going to tell me everything, describing this woman from the color of her eyes and hair to the range of her powers. Tell me all of it."


    "No."


    As the Flickering Man raised his fist again, he felt a seering pain in his shoulder. He turned his head to see the woman he had sought for so long standing there, smiling at him. "Boo." she teased, before bringing her fist into his nose, knocking him off Yevstafii. As he landed on the floor the pain only became more intense, and he now knew what the pain was; she had buried a dagger in his shoulder.


    He then rolled himself over and raised his weapon, something completely alien to this time. Yevstafii was astonished at the thing his attacker now held in his hands, but the woman didn't even flinch. She vanished and reappeared on the floor kneeling beside the Flickering Man, one hand on his wrist and the other on the weapon wrenching it out of his hand with suprising strength.


    "Well, this is fun, but now it's time to go." she said. She pressed the weapon she had taken from him against his chest, her other hand still gripping his wrist.


    Then, in a flash of bright light, they were gone. Yevstafii stood, astonished at what had just taken place. He looked around for his sword, and picked it up. He wasn't entirely confident that the Flickering Man wouldn't appear again. After looking around, he moved to the door and opened it, finding all eight of his guards lying in pools of their own blood. He wasn't suprised. In fact, this was exactly what he suspected.


    Yevstafii looked down and let out a deep sigh as he heard soldiers running through the castle to learn off their King's condition. It was time to bring his son into the fold.

  17. #77
    Alwyn's Avatar Frothy Goodness
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    Default Re: Historia Quod Britonum

    A big surprise for the Flickering Man! I wonder what will happen next for Yevstafii and his son. Great updates and congratulations on your second place win in the MAARC LXIV!

  18. #78

    Default Re: Historia Quod Britonum

    Quote Originally Posted by Alwyn View Post
    A big surprise for the Flickering Man! I wonder what will happen next for Yevstafii and his son. Great updates and congratulations on your second place win in the MAARC LXIV!
    Thanks! From here on out, it gets very interesting, as now we see what happens when there aren't two Mastermind Time-Travellers manipulating the world, and the timeline is left to it's own devices. But we'll also see what happens when these two time-travellers are forced to confront each other head-on. Will they be enemies, or allies?

    Also, a friend of mine has now begun to aid me in my writing (making certain scenes more descriptive and the like), so the writing should improve a bit. Ever since the AAR's start we've discussed certain ideas and plotlines, but now he's aiding me in full. And thanks to everyone who voted for Historia Quod Britonum in the MAARC!

  19. #79
    Caillagh de Bodemloze's Avatar to rede I me delyte
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    Default Re: Historia Quod Britonum

    I admit I hadn't expected the two time-travellers to meet so soon. That's an interesting development.

    I presume they'll both still be trying to manipulate history whenever either of them gets the chance, though...






  20. #80

    Default Re: Historia Quod Britonum

    Indeed, a surprise for the flickering man and that woman seems a few leagues higher than the he is (and I liked the slightly though 'appropriate' childish 'boo' )

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