The Lost Wars of Clan Atreides
The Lost Wars
The Wars were fought with ardent might
and Clan atreides won the fight
The Brothers in arms were humiliated
first of all was our clan rated
Then came ambush by the Bene Gesserit Witches
but we trounced those sons of snitches
Alas the gods played us not fair
of ancheint laws we were not aware
they tried to steal our hard won vic'try
but annulled were records both honorable and tawdry
Now although the annals are clean
no longer do the banners gleam
But soon we shall again prove our right
to boast and roar of our awesome might
Hail Atreides! Always Atreides! Long Live the Fighters!!!
One Rune and the Sorcerer
His name was One Rune, which is two words in our language, but one in his.
It was written with a single rune, of course, and meant literaly, the number
one. It also meant unity, solidarity, and well beginnings. I guess words
and runes have to take a lot of jobs in the language of the northmen, but in
any case, One Rune certainly had well beginnings.
He was the first born son of a cheiftain, strong of limb and long of bone.
His hair was golden and fell across his shoulders in loose curls. His ruddy
face seemed chiseled of granite, and was adorned with a close cropped beard
and a luxurious mustaich which drooped down around his hard set mouth.
his mail and arms were of the finest make I had seen, outside of the work of
legendary mages. He bore a horn trimmed with bronze which would sound out a
clarion call fit to summon an entire flight of angels.
We met at the northern border, along the cliffs by the coast. He approached
me solenmly, and I was surprised with his mastery of our tongue and of the
fair words of diplomacy. Not all northmen are barbarians.
One Rune had a message for the king, and he desired an escort to his palace,
and assistance in obtaining an audience. I think he assumed I was of the
upper class because of my sorcerer's robe, which would be rare and expensive
in his country. In any case, I saw a rare opportunity to gain the aid which
I had been seeking in my quest. We struck a bargain.
He followed me to the rough cut path which led down the precarious cliff
towards the sea caves. The crash of waves gradually became louder as we made
our way down the narrow, steep ledge. In one spot the ledge had broken away,
forcing me to leap across. I was not sure he could make it in all that mail,
but he scoffed at me and cleared the gap easily, his powerful legs bunching
and stretching out like the strike of a cobra.
The path let out on a small sheltered beach, a mere crescent of sand bounded
by shear cliffs on either side. We walked out into the surf a few yards and
I bid him to gaze up and down along the cliff face which we had just descended.
A myriad of dark caves pock marked the rock face.
"Behold, the caves of the sea creatures. Pick one, my comrade." Said I.
"If they are otherwise all the same, we should choose the easiest one. I
would rather wade into one of those black holes at sea level, than to have
to weary myself with a dangerous climb before a fight."
So we waded through hip deep surf into a dark cave. The roar of the crashing
waves was amplified within. We would not have heard it coming in any case, for
it swam through the dark waters until it was almost upon us, and burst up out of
the turbulent foam spraying salt water and roaring like a devil.
I raised my arms and began to channel the magic power through me, speaking
the words of power which I had learned from the ancheint scroll. The burst of
flame broke across its scaly skin, evaporating liquid into steam. Over and over
I pulsed the magic fireball into it's vicious visage, trying not to succumb to
the fear I felt under it's inimical gaze. One Rune flanked the beast, and cut
a deep score into it's scaly green hide with his blade, which he referred to as
a scaramasak, although it looked like a basic sword to me.
When it turned it's long razor sharp talons on him, and lashed
out at him with it's long spaded tail he retreated, and I once again gave the
creature a blast of arcane fire. Distracted, it turned towards me again, but
One Rune dashed forward through the dark water again, and cut it deep.
We went on thus for some time, both of us depleted in energy and leaving blood
to fall into the equally salty sea. But in the end it fell.
We drug its corpse out of the cave and carved it up on the beach. I knew
which organs would bear a high price at the spell shop back in Algadon city. The
hard and sharp tail blade I left for One Rune to take, knowing the weaponsmith
would either craft it into a formidible battleaxe for him or take it in trade, all at a
fair price.
We rested and built a small fire of driftwood, and cooked some of the creature's flesh for a quick meal, but we dared not tarry the night in that place. So, it was a hard climb in failing light back to the top of the cliff, Where we camped and talked long into the night over some fine Algadon wine and northmen's mead.
In the morning We packed up and turned south. I upheld my bargain and got him his audience. I never found out what it was that he had to say to the King. When I asked him, all he would respond was; "It's a private message"