Amric Al’Aeshir Presents a Hurricane Production
War Between the Gods: A MES AAR
The old man sat in front of the massive hearth. One so large it seemed it would easily accommodate an entire tree. Which at one point, it had, but such had burned down to mere embers. His once lustrous blond hair had turned a scraggly grey, and his one good eye peered down at the drinking horn where the dregs of the mead had settled while he pondered his fate and that of his entire family and realm.
His wife, grey haired as well, but still having rather a large bosom came over and refilled his drinking horn silently. She patted his shoulder briefly, sadly before moving away. His once muscular shoulder had melted away in the intervening years of his youth and power.
What had once been part of a powerful physique had atrophied to a large, rawboned man whose flesh had wasted away to nearly nothing. The dying firelight gleamed in his eye as he raised the horn and drank deeply. With a muffled oath he hurled the horn into the hearth, where it shattered into many pieces of bone. The fire flared up briefly as the last of the mead was quickly consumed.
“Where did I go wrong?” He shouted,” How could I have been so wrong?”
“Nobody is perfect,” his wife said softly from across the room.
“HE is, supposedly,” the man growled.
“HE is no more perfect than you, husband,” She smiled,” He has his hubris, just as you once did. Yours has been stripped from you. His may be as well, some day.”
“He rules what was once mine!” the man roared.
“You let him,” she reminded him.
“I did no such thing,” he retorted angrily,” I hunted his followers down like dogs. I created elaborate traps and tortures for them. Yet they refused to recant. They were faithful unto death.”
“As were your own followers at one time,” she reminded him.
“But why did they stop?” He complained bitterly.
“He offered them hope,” she sighed softly,” You offered them endless war and ultimate defeat.”
“It was fated,” he shrugged,” What was I to do? What could I do?”
“Change it,” she snapped,” I am sick and deathly tired of hearing you rant and rave and whine and complain about him. And his son.”
“And how do you expect me to do that?” he rasped.
“By doing what you do best,” she frowned,” Sow discord amongst your enemies and gather your forces for war.”
“What forces?” he grimaced,” Few of my followers are gathered in any one place, save for the eastern coast of the Baltic.”
“You have many thousands more in the lands of your enemy,” she countered,” Call them home.”
He opened his mouth to shout at her, then closed it with a snap. He shook his head and sat there quietly for a time.
“Call them home, you say?” he mused,” That is an intriguing idea.”
“Yes, I thought so,” she smiled,” As does your own family. We have waited for an eternity for you to do something.”
“And so I shall!” he stood up suddenly,” I shall call my people home! And we shall prepare for war!”
The walls shook from the force of the winds outside as if in agreement. He turned and stalked to it, opening it quickly and dashing outside. Cold wind and snow drifted inside until the old woman closed it softly with a bitter smile.
“Finally,” she whispered,” You are going to do something about this situation. I have waited for an eon nearly for you to get up off your ass and do something. Anything!”
The door slammed open and a younger man trudged into the dwelling, his long blonde hair plastered to his head.
“Mother! Is it true? Is father finally going to do something?”
“Yes, Loki. He is finally going to do something.”
“Ever since he lost Rome, he hasn’t been the same,” Loki complained,” Oh, he went through the motions, but once the Viking raids started to taper off, he just…..gave up.”
“Well, he had his ‘vision’,” she sniffed.
Loki looked shamefaced,” I said I was sorry.”
“Look what it did in the end?” she snapped,” Just be glad that your father doesn’t know.”
Loki shuddered,” I don’t even want to think about that.”
“We are in the state we are because you just HAD to play a joke on your father,” She snapped,” And now we are at the near end of our strength and our enemy has grown oh so very powerful.”
“And ever so eager to persecute our followers,” Loki frowned.
“It is your fault!” she screeched.
“I know, I know!” he held up his hands in surrender,” How many times do I have to say I am sorry!”
“You will work hard to restore our power, Loki,” she glared daggers at him,” Or you will answer to me. Then I will tell your father of your perfidy.”
Loki paled,” It will be as you say. What do you want me to do?”
“Sow discord amongst our nearest enemies,” she ordered,” I want them at each other throats, wearing themselves down until we strike at their hearts.”
“As you wish,” Loki stepped back outside and stepped quickly aside as his older and far more powerful brother stalked into the abode.
”Finally! What should I do first, mother?”
“Thor,” she smiled,” Yours will be a task that you might find somewhat distasteful, but it must be done.”
Thor frowned,” And what might that be, mother?”
“You will ensure our people have nice weather,” she told him.
Thor gasped,” You have got to be joking. The harsh winters and difficult spring, summer, and autumn keep our people strong!”
“Look what it has done for us,” she snapped,” We are nearly extinct! We must have good weather if we are to make sure we produce enough food to sustain ourselves and the population boom that we can expect.”
“Population boom?” Thor looked puzzled.
“Your father is calling those who live beyond our borders home,” she informed him,” But I am planning on there being a natural population boom as well. Women will prove to be very fertile and their babes will live. Few will die of plague or other disease or lack of enough nourishment. We will need an army.
An army marches on it’s stomach, so we need food. But to have the army, we need PEOPLE.”
Thor nodded in sudden understanding,” I see. It shall be as you say. But can I make things unpleasant for our enemies?”
Frigga smiled,” Yes, my son. Be my guest.”
”Thank you,” Thor bowed and left the home, closing the door behind him softly.
“Yes, Jehovah,” Frigga whispered,” We will show you what Ragnarok looks like. You, and your ‘son’, will lament ever coming to my world and upsetting my happy home.”
This is a Mongol Empire Scenario story. Based on the Baltic Tribes in the year 1150. There will be a few modifications. I will add more population to the two provinces that the Baltic Tribes start with to reflect the exodus of pagans from Christian lands back to the lands of the pagans. And a bit more ducats.
Version 1.08 using the .3 Mongolian Empire Scenario with settings on Normal/Normal. The Baltic Tribes seem to have nothing but horrible rulers and no real leader types, so who knows how hard this will be, but I am no masochist.
I will attempt to reunite the pagans in the north and then take the fight to the Christians. I don’t know how far I will get, but it ought to be fun. There will be more appearances by the Norse Gods, of course.
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