NB: In the year 518, King Arthur will fight the Saxons at Badon Hill. This is the victory which will secure his legend forever, as the war chief who saved Britain for the Saxons, if only for a time. The knights of Salisbury will fight at Badon Hill, and many of them will not live to see Arthur's victory. But to prepare for this adventure, which is the climax of the first half of the campaign, we had a special session first. It's time to see things from the other point of view...
King Aelle of Sussex was well-aware of the threat that Arthur Pendragon posed to the Saxons. The eventual victory of the Saxons against the leaderless and divided Britons had seems certain. However, a Britain united behind a powerful warrior king might well be able to defeat the disparate Saxon kingdoms - unless they, too, were united. Ever since the sword Excalibur was drawn from the stone and Arthur proclaimed as King, Aelle had been leading a campaign of politics, warfare, and bribery, to unite the Saxons under his banner. He wished to become the Bretwalda, or High King of the Saxons. The events of 516 and 517 had done wonders for his cause, for the fate of Colgrin, and the defeat of Anglia and Wessex, gave a very real demonstration of how powerful King Arthur had become. The last kings agreed to join King Aelle's grand alliance against Britain.
There was only one final problem. In Anglia, in the Little Ouse River Valley, two ealdormen, Gladwine and Leofdag, had a petty feud that was interfering with his diplomacy. His envoys had finally managed, through a mixture of flattery, bribery and threats, to convince the ealdormen to end their feud by marrying Gladwine's son to Leofdag's daughter. King Aelle sent some of his heorthgeneats to make sure that the wedding went ahead as planned.
Aelflaed was the leader of the heorthgeneats on the mission. She was an illegitimate daughter of Aelle, who had been given this chance to prove herself. She was immensely proud of her lineage, though nervous about leading others who were more experienced. Siegland was the daughter of Sir Albrecht, who had kept her father's Wotanic faith. Wyman was the oldest and most experienced of the group. He was the only member of Aelle's heorthgeneats to have been born in Saxony. He was also a Christian, unlike the other Saxons. Sir Logrin's father had been a knight of Cornwall, and had been dispossessed when King Uther had invaded. Sir Logrin now wished for revenge against the Pendragons, and served King Aelle loyally. He was touchy about his honour, since some saw him as a traitor. Finally, Nelda was not a member of the heorthgeneats. She was a Saxon witch who supported Aelle's cause, and decided to accompany the group, as she thought Aelflaed would be important in the future. In addition to her magic, she was interested in science. She could read, and had collected a few old books of natural philosophy.
The group took ship to Anglia, and then travelled by horse to the Little Ouse River Valley. They first went to see Coelfrith, another eorlderman whose lands were between the Little Ouse and Logres. He was loyal to Aelle and would help the heorthgeneats with their task. Coelfrith and his wife Heagyth explained the origins of the feud. Gladwine and Leofdag's fathers went hunting once and both claimed to have killed a stag that had both their arrows in it. They also offered their opinions of the bridal couple, Sigeward (mighty, handsome, and brainless) and Mildgyth (shallow and spoiled). The group also met Coelfrith's son Ganulf. He asked them about the upcoming war, and impressed them with his desire for glory, tempered with practicality and common sense.
Next the heorthgeneats went to see Gladwine, and collect the dowry. Gladwine was constantly insulting to his guests, and offered them only scant hospitality. The dowry he offered for the wedding was insultingly small, though enough to technically fulfill his obligations. The group was also upset by how his wife Baldeth showed clear signs of domestic abuse. When they tried to ask her about this, Gladwine claimed that they had upset her and threw them out. He also revealed that he had two sons. Instead of his heir Sigeward, he was offering his second son Wigmund, a skinny and effete poet. Wigmund went up into the hills with his similarly useless friends to get blind drunk and prepare to ritually abduct the bride.
Meanwhile, the heorthgeneats debated what to do about Gladwine's treachery. They extracted a promise from Wigmund that he and his friends would not act until Aelflaed and her companions had told them. They then returned to Coelfrith to lay their plans. Coelfrith and Heagyth agreed to top up the dowry to an acceptable level, if King Aelle would recompense them, and if Aelle would accept their son Ganulf into his hearth guard; the group agreed. Aelflaed then presented her plan: to reverse the customary marriage 'capture of the bride' by organising Mildgyth and other women to abduct Sigeward from under Gladwine's nose. This idea amused Heagyth to no end, and she offered to help. Ganulf and his younger sister Berchthild also offered their aid, by entering Gladwine's hall secretly and opening the back door to the wedding raiders. Wyman also laid out his observations about Gladwine's hall, analysing where the weakest points in the defences were.
With their plans laid, Aelflaed and her followers took the dowry to Leofdag. On the way, they were attacked by Cymric raiders, and made short work of them. They soon reached Leofdag's hall. Leofdag was sarcastic and henpecked; his overbearing wife Godrun took the dowry. The group met with Mildgyth and her gigantic nursemaid Oslafa, and presented her with their plan. Mildgyth initially started throwing a tantrum at the idea of her perfect wedding not going perfectly, but after much persuasion, she was won around to the Wedding Raid. Hers would be a wedding that would be remembered forever.
The raid was organised. That night, Nelda determined that the stars were in alignment. She took the raiders to a nearby battlefield, sacred to Wotan, and then invoked its power to bolster their spirits. Screaming 'Wedding Raid!' at the top of their lungs, the attackers descended upon Gladwine's unprepared hall, easily fighting past the few who stood in their way. When they reached the door, they found it barred against them: Berchthild had not opened it for them. Siegland took her axe and with a single mighty blow shattered the door. The raiders poured into the hall, and rushed to Sigeward's room, where Siegland stunned him with a single blow, and Oslafa picked him up with one hand. Gladwine himself appeared, screaming abuse, and Sir Logrin broke his nose. Then the wedding raiders vanished into the night, their mission accomplished.
However, Aelflaed was worried about where Berchthild and Ganulf were. She searched for them in the darkness, and found Ganulf's unconscious form on the road, surrounded by tracks. Wigmund and his friends had struck early, spurred on by the power of Nelda's spell - and abducted the wrong woman! When Ganulf came around, he was furious and demanded blood vengeance for his sister. The group followed the tracks to the stone circle where Wigmund and his friends were hiding out. Berchthild was not there: as soon as she had the opportunity, she had knocked Wigmund out and fled to the stone circle. However, on this night of magic, the borders of faerie were loose. The heorthgeneats followed her to the Other Side, where they found her being hypnotised by the song of a manticore. The terrible beast roared, and only Siegland and Ganulf were able to master their fear. They attacked the manticore, and hacked it to pieces. Then the team took Berchthild and retreated to their own world.
Aelflaed's mission was now complete. Ganulf returned to the south with them, bearing the manticore's head. Aelle was pleased with their deeds, and inducted Ganulf into his houseguard. The wedding would not be a happy one, but, it had secured peace, at least for a time, in the strategically important river valley. With the Saxons of Britain united behind him, he was ready to bring blood and war to the British. The hour of destiny was nearly here...
The group took ship to Anglia, and then travelled by horse to the Little Ouse River Valley. They first went to see Coelfrith, another eorlderman whose lands were between the Little Ouse and Logres. He was loyal to Aelle and would help the heorthgeneats with their task. Coelfrith and his wife Heagyth explained the origins of the feud. Gladwine and Leofdag's fathers went hunting once and both claimed to have killed a stag that had both their arrows in it. They also offered their opinions of the bridal couple, Sigeward (mighty, handsome, and brainless) and Mildgyth (shallow and spoiled). The group also met Coelfrith's son Ganulf. He asked them about the upcoming war, and impressed them with his desire for glory, tempered with practicality and common sense.
Next the heorthgeneats went to see Gladwine, and collect the dowry. Gladwine was constantly insulting to his guests, and offered them only scant hospitality. The dowry he offered for the wedding was insultingly small, though enough to technically fulfill his obligations. The group was also upset by how his wife Baldeth showed clear signs of domestic abuse. When they tried to ask her about this, Gladwine claimed that they had upset her and threw them out. He also revealed that he had two sons. Instead of his heir Sigeward, he was offering his second son Wigmund, a skinny and effete poet. Wigmund went up into the hills with his similarly useless friends to get blind drunk and prepare to ritually abduct the bride.
Meanwhile, the heorthgeneats debated what to do about Gladwine's treachery. They extracted a promise from Wigmund that he and his friends would not act until Aelflaed and her companions had told them. They then returned to Coelfrith to lay their plans. Coelfrith and Heagyth agreed to top up the dowry to an acceptable level, if King Aelle would recompense them, and if Aelle would accept their son Ganulf into his hearth guard; the group agreed. Aelflaed then presented her plan: to reverse the customary marriage 'capture of the bride' by organising Mildgyth and other women to abduct Sigeward from under Gladwine's nose. This idea amused Heagyth to no end, and she offered to help. Ganulf and his younger sister Berchthild also offered their aid, by entering Gladwine's hall secretly and opening the back door to the wedding raiders. Wyman also laid out his observations about Gladwine's hall, analysing where the weakest points in the defences were.
With their plans laid, Aelflaed and her followers took the dowry to Leofdag. On the way, they were attacked by Cymric raiders, and made short work of them. They soon reached Leofdag's hall. Leofdag was sarcastic and henpecked; his overbearing wife Godrun took the dowry. The group met with Mildgyth and her gigantic nursemaid Oslafa, and presented her with their plan. Mildgyth initially started throwing a tantrum at the idea of her perfect wedding not going perfectly, but after much persuasion, she was won around to the Wedding Raid. Hers would be a wedding that would be remembered forever.
The raid was organised. That night, Nelda determined that the stars were in alignment. She took the raiders to a nearby battlefield, sacred to Wotan, and then invoked its power to bolster their spirits. Screaming 'Wedding Raid!' at the top of their lungs, the attackers descended upon Gladwine's unprepared hall, easily fighting past the few who stood in their way. When they reached the door, they found it barred against them: Berchthild had not opened it for them. Siegland took her axe and with a single mighty blow shattered the door. The raiders poured into the hall, and rushed to Sigeward's room, where Siegland stunned him with a single blow, and Oslafa picked him up with one hand. Gladwine himself appeared, screaming abuse, and Sir Logrin broke his nose. Then the wedding raiders vanished into the night, their mission accomplished.
However, Aelflaed was worried about where Berchthild and Ganulf were. She searched for them in the darkness, and found Ganulf's unconscious form on the road, surrounded by tracks. Wigmund and his friends had struck early, spurred on by the power of Nelda's spell - and abducted the wrong woman! When Ganulf came around, he was furious and demanded blood vengeance for his sister. The group followed the tracks to the stone circle where Wigmund and his friends were hiding out. Berchthild was not there: as soon as she had the opportunity, she had knocked Wigmund out and fled to the stone circle. However, on this night of magic, the borders of faerie were loose. The heorthgeneats followed her to the Other Side, where they found her being hypnotised by the song of a manticore. The terrible beast roared, and only Siegland and Ganulf were able to master their fear. They attacked the manticore, and hacked it to pieces. Then the team took Berchthild and retreated to their own world.
Aelflaed's mission was now complete. Ganulf returned to the south with them, bearing the manticore's head. Aelle was pleased with their deeds, and inducted Ganulf into his houseguard. The wedding would not be a happy one, but, it had secured peace, at least for a time, in the strategically important river valley. With the Saxons of Britain united behind him, he was ready to bring blood and war to the British. The hour of destiny was nearly here...
