Of Kings and Thanes, What I Forgot
Posted: 19 Jan 2016 02:14
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| |
| o o |
| More Kings and Thanes |
| |
| I received many letters from frustrated readers that I ended my |
| previous story so abruptly without answering all of their |
| questions as promised. Forgive this old servant in his age, and |
| read on. |
| |
| The first question I received was, What is a thane? Is it like |
| a King? |
| No, nothing like a King, a position of Trust and of Regality |
| and Solemnity. To understand what a thane is, you should first |
| understand Neidar history... A handful of decades ago, the Neidar |
| hill dwarves were abandoned by the high dwarves and locked out of |
| Thorbardin (trans. "Thor's Bard Hall") and left to starve in a |
| time when foul beasts roamed the famine-stricken lands. Over and |
| over did these beasts ravage the Neidar leaving the poor dwarves |
| wondering if the ravaging would ever stop, the painful violation |
| ever end. |
| Low and high dwarf warred upon each other until low was broken. |
| These low Neidar reluctantly fled across the Eastwildes. It was |
| there their ravaging continued at the hands of marauding bands of |
| ogres, giants, trolls, goblins, hobgoblins, and minotaurs (races |
| that are now their sworn enemies) until they founded Iron Delving |
| (trans. "metal hole") where they reside to this day. So, a thane, |
| it can be said, is a dwarf who was kicked out of a bard hall, |
| attempted to murder dwarves to get back in, was instead ravaged, |
| but survived long enough to make it to metal hole where he |
| realized he could just open his own bard hall all along. |
| |
| Wait, you said ogres and minotaurs were the sworn enemy of the |
| Neidar by their own decrees? Why were so many of them with thane |
| Irk when he attacked your King? |
| Hmm, yess, young reader, those are very sharp questions indeed. |
| Why would the thane of such a clan of ravaged dwarves with long |
| memories be found leading their sworn enemies about on a scavenge |
| hunt? I suppose that's a question best put to the elders of their |
| clan. Likely, they're considering the matter now and will be able |
| to answer you very soon. It may just be they've fallen on dark... |
| or rather, darker times. |
| |
| The next questions I received were about the nature of the |
| Neidar. Who are they, what are their uses, what do they do? To |
| answer, we turn to several Neidar publications on the matter. |
| Here are some excerpts: |
| * Dwarves are a proud and honourable race in their own way. |
| One must act such at all times. |
| * A dwarven saying is that trouble comes back two-fold, and |
| so trouble-makers are discouraged. |
| * A good axe cleaves better. |
| |
| To most species the third point is widely accepted, so we'll |
| pass over questions about that. Regarding the many questions |
| asking why the thane acted in a shameful and dishonourable way, I |
| can only agree with the Neidar on the second point. Trouble does |
| come back two-fold, thane. |
| |
| Stay close, young reader. I'm certain a third post is to come. |
| |
| ~ Hail Melkor! ~ |
| |
| o o |
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