The Redeemed Kingdoms
Political entities from the Westsong Cycle
The Redeemed kingdoms began as a confederation of city-states planted along the northeastern coast of the Fledgling World in the second epoch. The founding monarchs of most of these kingdoms were legendary men and women from the Elder World. Their folk claimed descent from the Children of the Garden and the hill-folk of the lesser Fangs of Livyat. The Nordlings also exerted considerable influence on northern Redeemed society.
Originally, there were seven Redeemed kingdoms: Shihreh, Hæwg, Viddus, Albii, Pehtos, Mikil, and Gwohð. Some of the kingdoms were successful at expanding inland, and their number had increased to twelve by the end of the fourth epoch.
Regional factions formed quickly among the Redeemed, primarily the northern kingdoms (colloquially, “frost-folk”) and the southern kingdoms (“river-folk”). The younger, landlocked frontier kingdoms also developed a regional identity distinct in part from their coastal kin. The factions often cooperated against external enemies, like Nordlings or Southrons, yet their rivalries persisted. Inter-kingdom competition and regionalism deteriorated into outright hostility during the “squabbles” of the second to fourth epochs.
“Our Shield” (from the Westsong Cycle, fourth epoch)
Several dozen Gwohtth skirmishers loosed a scattering of arrows into Gron’s company. He flinched, but they had aimed high—the missiles flew overhead to land somewhere behind the Viddusi phalanx. Like his brethren at either elbow, he held his pike level, or near enough, and kept planting one boot in front of the other.
Under the midday sun, across gently rolling pastures, river-folk skirmishers fled before the tide of frost-folk phalangists. None are standing before us! It’s a proper route so far.
A wave of cheers rippled through the ranks and files of frost-folk pikemen. Gron spotted a troop of their Hæwger allies barreling in from the left flank. Mounted on squat, shaggy goat-oxen, the Hæwger scampered after the retreating river-folk. The Wright is bringing us from victory to victory! Those Gwohtth who escaped their hooves and lances scurried into the woods on the right.
The ground ahead swept into a hillock, higher than most. Drums beat the advance. “On and up!” Grun called to his troop, packed beside and behind him.
It was tough to keep the line neat on such uneven ground. There was no stopping, but Gron and the other lieutenants in the front rank slowed the advance to avoid stumbling. His pike got heavier, and the steel shell of his armor, too. The officers kept their heads, but angry oaths filled the air behind them. Good thing the battle is already won.
Finally, Gron and the rest of the front rank shuffled their way to the crest. “Aurochs-heads!” spat someone a few files to his left. The Shihrehv. “Shields!” Gron yelled.
From the base of the hillock below, hundreds of river-folk arrows took flight. Gron and his neighbors dropped their pikes and unslung their bucklers. He raised his little shield against the incoming shower. Wright preserve us!
Yips and shrill cries prompted him to peek under his buckler as arrows thudded into it. Teams of tiny sprite-horses, pulling one-man chariots, raced past the clusters of Shihrev longbowmen and charged uphill. Prongs and antlers sprouted from the drivers’ crested helms. The chariots themselves, painted bright red, were adorned with bright green vines and leafy boughs.
Stick with the shield or pick up the pike? Shield? Or pike?
A hymn sprang to mind and decided the question. Gron dropped his buckler and snatched up his polearm. The Wright is our shield. Steel points bristled as his troop thrust their pikes into position, protruding over his helm and shoulders. Together, they raised a defiant, wordless shout to greet the river-folk onslaught.
Author Note
My aspiration of posting a short snippet nearly every weekday is, as of yet, elusive. I’m writing a bit most days, mind you, but I’m picking scenes that require too many words (at my pace). Hence, two snippets per week the last couple of weeks, and maybe one or two this week. I’ll persevere—in a self-forgiving sort of way.
A pronunciation reminder: the eth (ð) in Gwohð is pronounced like the th in these (that is, voiced).
Below is an updated pic of Ghrem’s grey wolf.
Thanks for reading, y’all!
How do I view the map that is icon for the post? Sorry if there is an obvious solution that I am missing here