From: RICHARJE (Jeff.Richard@metrokc.gov)
Date: Wed 12 Jul 1995 - 10:36:06 EEST
Hi folk,
Because of the great response I've gotten from my Taming of Dragon Pass
posting, I thought I'd give some background to the Taming of Dragon Pass
Campaign in the form of the Jarangssaga. I am trying to personalize that
time period that KoS pg 201 referrs to as when "the internal affairs of
Heortland had grown tumultuous" as well as gain a better personal
understanding of how Heortland became a "semi-feudal" society. Some of this
isn't finished (like the name of Jarang's clan) but here is my draft:
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
THE JARANGSSAGA
Orlgandi Ivrikson was an excellent man from (somewhere on the Bullflood
River in the lower highlands). His older brother Kagradus was a godi for the
Bullfloodsaetan. A prosperous and respected carl, Orlagandi married Tiri
Unnsdottir, a wealthy woman from the (somewhere near Backford). Orlgandi had
three sons, Kjarten, Umathkel and Jarang, and two daughters, Unn and
Karendra.
Orlgandi's stead was prosperous and two of his kinsmen, Munn and Jon,
moved their families to Orlgandistead and helped in the fields and with the
livestock. His hall was tall and proud, with an ornate roofbeam and an oaken
throne. He and his household owned four sulungs of land, although much of
the land was farmed out to cottars.
Kjarten, as the oldest son, married a well-born woman - Benera, and he
was an able and steadfast carl. He was called Kjarten Stone because of his
rock-like steadyness. Orlgandi and Tiri both expected Kjarten to become head
of the family after they died. However, it was their youngest son, Jarang,
who was Orlgandi's favorite.
Jarang was a bold youth, who often quarrelled with his brothers and was
never intimidated by their age or greater strength. At a young age he killed
a wolf that threatened the cattle he was tending. Unfriendly outsiders often
thought Jarang slow because he did not often speak, but the truth was that
Jarang kept his own counsel.
When Orlgandi and Tiri announced their intention that Kjarten be
elected head of the family when they passed on, Jarang stood up and said:
"It is all very fine that Kjarten-Stone be head of this stead after
you, but he will not be my headman for I am going to found my own stead and
make my own bloodline. It is better to be poor and struggling, but chieftain
of my own stead, than to wear silver armbands and grow fat on feasts but be
known only as Kjarten-Stone's little brother. My brother may become a great
man, but I do not want his honor to be my only claim to honor."
This sentiment greatly impressed Jarang's family, for a man who chooses
his own wyrd is always greater in the eyes of Orlanth than a man who meekly
follows a wyrd set by others. Orlgandi approved of Jarang's words and the
family agreed to arrange an advantageous marriage. With Kagradus the Godi's
aid, Orlgandi arranged a marriage to Inanna Ernaldnessdottir, a well-born
woman of the Karandoli. With the money provided by the wedding-gift, and
with generous gifts from his kinfolk, Orlgandi bought rights to a sulung of
land east of Backford.
There Jarang built his stead. Although it was not large, he and Tiri
built it out of oak, strong and sturdy. The first years were hard and thin,
but Jarang managed to increase the size of his herd of cattle with the rents
from the family of Nim Sarnagson who farmed a portion of his land and by
judicious purchase of stud-access from the local chieftain.
The birth of Jarang and Tiri's first child, their daughter (?) was a
joyous occasion. Jarang had the bloodline which he so greatly sought. Two
years later a son, Otag, was born. With the birth of their second son (?)
tragedy struck, for Tiri died giving birth. Jarang was hearbroken, but knew
that his three young children needed a mother and was too proud to foster
them to a patron.
Jarang soon married a charming and somewhat mysterious dark-haired
woman, Leika the Herbalist. Leika was a wise woman from the Kitori lands and
knew many of the secrets of the Earth spirits. Jarang considered this to be
a good marriage even though she brought little dowry and her kin were quite
distant. Their first (and only?) child was little Svarr.
For all these years, Jarang's stead prospered. As a respected carl and
as a carl who chose his own wyrd, Jarang's council was always welcome at the
(?) clan moot. He was recognized by the elders of the clan as a juror
because of his ability to look at issues fairly and honestly.
However, not long after Otag was initiated as a man by Orlanth and
given his first weapons by his uncle Kjarten, a new problem arose. A greedy
and ambitious Hendreiki thane named Ortossi Wilmsson set his eyes on the
wealth of the (?) clan and decided that he would unjustly take that which
did not belong to him by honor, by tradition or by hard work.
At first Ortossi and his retainers plagued the clan lawmoots with
complaints about local farmers ploughing lands which belonged by right to
the Sons of Hendrik and demanding that compensation be paid and boundary
stones be moved. Ortossi always sought the advice of a clever man named
Ermanrig Deep-Thought who was from Durengard and was said to understand the
mystical mysteries revealed by Arkat. The clan's lawspeaker was often amazed
that Ermanrig so knew the laws of (? clan founder) and several times
Ermanrig won a verdict because he outskilled Ortossi's opponents. However,
our chieftain Rostakos took a Greybearded Sage named Enderos the Old into
his Inner Council and Ortossi lost many decisions against upstanding men.
Eventually Ortossi grew impatient of this stalemate and appealed to the
age-old Law of Violence. He killed carls who worked land that he desired and
his followers intimidated those who thought to speak against him at the
law-moot, while others physically prevented people from speaking against
him. During one of his raids, Leika the Herbalist was killed defending
Jarnagstead until Jarang arrived with his sons and several carls to force
Ortossi off. Even so, Jarang was badly wounded by Ortossi and never quite
recovered. Eventually Rostakos decided to keep Ortossi away from the
law-moot and the next time Ortossi arrived at the law-moot, the carls
followed Rostakos and forced him away, killing several of his followers.
The next year, Ortossi and his men ambushed Rostakos and several of the
clan thanes as they travelled to Backford to trade, and there they killed
them. Among the thanes was Jarnang's brother, Kjarten-Stone. However several
of Ortossi's men were killed by the ambushed men and Ortossi had the nerve
to demand were-gild for his lost men.
With Rostakos dead, the leaders of the (?) clan decided to appeal to
King Venharl of the Hendreiki. The king said that the clan should give a
portion of their lands to another Hendreiki thane named Harstagar Ironsword
and that they should give him and his family tribute like a chief. This
Harstagar would defend the clan from other avaracious Hendreiki and in
exchange, the clan would support his family.
The clan held a moot to discuss their options. Many carls, wanting an
end to the pointless bloodshed that plagued Heortland (for this same problem
occured in many communities) wanted to accept King Venharl's offer. Others,
like Jarang and his son Utog, thought that this would be an intolerable
affront to their dignity, their rights and their well-being. Jarang pointed
to the wounds he took from Ortossi and asked if the clan really wanted
"protection" by exchanging one landgrabber for another.
Despite Jarang's speeches and other's like it, the moot accepted the
King's offer. Jarang announced proudly that Harstagar could graze his cattle
on his fields, because he would be leaving for elsewhere. For the brave and
adventurous, Jarang said, there is an alternative to craven submission.
To the north of Heortland lies the Wilderness of Dragon Pass. Ten
generations ago, the great kingdoms there were cursed and devastated by the
Great Dragons. The dragonnewts erected great stone crosses at the edge of
the Wilderness and decreed that no humans born of living flesh would ever
live if they came north. So for centuries the land lay wild.
That is until, brave Colymar of the Black Spear and his followers
broke the Dragon's Curse and settled in Dragon Pass around Clearwine some
sixty years ago. He showed the path by which bands of settlers - small and
large - have braved the Wilderness and begun to build new clans and new
kingdoms in Dragon Pass. Guided by Orlanth, these brave souls follow in his
path and the the eternal path of the Storm Tribe - to win a place for
oneself in a hostile world by one's courage, by one's strength and by one's
wits.
Gathering together in a Ring of Travelling, a group of (?clan) carl
families began the great trek north into the Wilderness of Dragon Pass,
where they would establish a new life and begin the ardous task of taming
the wilderness to
their will.
===========================================
This is of course, background material for the players in my campaign,
since they are playing Jarang's daughter and three sons.
Yours truly,
Jeff Richard
------------------------------
End of Glorantha Digest V2 #10
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