Freedom to Crusade
Posted by Tenebry on 02/19/20
It would be entirely expected for Archlector Astrid and her party of Liberators and Faithful and Liberator-adjacent to experience some resistence in the Oathlands. One need not be there to hear the expected arguments. Freedom and obligation exist in opposition, or, at least, opposition enough that nobility and seraphs alike are very concerned about serfs skiving off and going godsworn. Or freedom does include the freedom to go against the ideals and worship the abyss and therefore can hardly be an ideal. And so on. Astrid's team is very well-equipped. Prince Talwyn brings party-planning and connections, opportunities to get a bunch of folk together to be taught. Sister Raya brings music with new words, and old patterns. Sir Jeffeth brings, well, muscle tricks. Protection. Lord Gaston brings his strange status as an Oathlander Liberator, and Aleksei brings a way with the commonfolk. Princess Zara makes connections between Gild and Skald, Sir Holden makes connections between Limerance and Skald. Trade and freedom, freedom to enact honor. Archlector Hamish argues hard and Anisha Whisper argues soft. They bring words and arguments and action and passionate stories and talents, but all their mustered persuasion and cunning goes over so surprisingly well that they begin to suspect that many of the seraphs and nobility and commonfolk are not actually listening . . .
Crusade fever has swept the Oathlands. And while some people, the commoners in particular, are swept up in the idea of Skald, the ideal of choice and potential, of a life decided rather than decided for, far more are swept up in an ideal of freedom that doesn't seem to have much to do with creating a path. Save one path. Crusade, crusade, crusade, crusade in the name of liberation, crusade in the name of crushing slavers and heretics, crusade in the name of the bright and righteous path. They build up an idea and image of Skald as a bright sword against dark chains, a bright blade against dark seas. They are restless to march, brightly and boldly, and the banner of the broken chain serves well as a sigil for this crusade.
Again, not everyone is so immediately excited by Skald as a call to war versus a call to gentler abstractions, but the wildfire that grows from Astrid's trek certainly seems to be more along the line of "freedom from slavers and heretics" than it would be otherwise. On the other hand, otherwise, there wouldn't be a wildfire of passion for this Skald business, this uncomfortable newness that might be its own kind of heresy. The trick will be harnassing it. Or redirecting it when the initial fervor fades. If it fades.
Crusade fever has swept the Oathlands. And while some people, the commoners in particular, are swept up in the idea of Skald, the ideal of choice and potential, of a life decided rather than decided for, far more are swept up in an ideal of freedom that doesn't seem to have much to do with creating a path. Save one path. Crusade, crusade, crusade, crusade in the name of liberation, crusade in the name of crushing slavers and heretics, crusade in the name of the bright and righteous path. They build up an idea and image of Skald as a bright sword against dark chains, a bright blade against dark seas. They are restless to march, brightly and boldly, and the banner of the broken chain serves well as a sigil for this crusade.
Again, not everyone is so immediately excited by Skald as a call to war versus a call to gentler abstractions, but the wildfire that grows from Astrid's trek certainly seems to be more along the line of "freedom from slavers and heretics" than it would be otherwise. On the other hand, otherwise, there wouldn't be a wildfire of passion for this Skald business, this uncomfortable newness that might be its own kind of heresy. The trick will be harnassing it. Or redirecting it when the initial fervor fades. If it fades.