Huscarl

Overview

There comes a time when the greatest of armies fall, when the heroes of The Valley lie cold and alone in the mud. The life of war that so many of the Valley’s greatest heroes pursue is one that very rarely ends in calm, quiet success. For many, it ends in short, sharp pain. When these warfighters fall, many see their memories fall as well. The children of distant buroughs of little regard, dead in foreign lands of little knowledge. Unremarkable save for their bones in the soil. But it is the Huscarls of Arcadian that stand against this consignment to oblivion for the lost fighters of the Valley. The Huscarls of the Iron Valley take up the Banners, Honours and even titles of the lost. These warpriests of the dead will shepherd the legacy of the fallen, carrying it on their backs until a time comes that the honours of the lost can once again fly high on the field of battle.

The Huscarls of the Iron Valley are Warpriests who carry the banners of dead armies, bands and heroes as Banner-Cloaks, fighting in the name of these fallen bretheren, continuing to earn battle honours for the dead, until a time comes that the Huscarls themselves fall or they can endow the Banner to a new band or hero that can carry its legacy. Many Huscarls go even further, taking no Burough, claiming only to be Buroughmates of the dead.

Need:

Divine Lore: Arcadian / Combatant

Huscarls are priests of Arcadian, the Sphere of Steel and their duty is deeply tied to combat and warfighting. Without both, they are neither.

Shouldn’t:

Magus

The charges and life of a Huscarl are a life of travel and of war. There is often very little time for complex study, particularly something as complex as Magic. Even in that, the only way a Huscarl would be seen as an appropriate mage would be in the style of a Battlemage, a skill difficult to attain without distraction.

Costume Marker:

Bannercloak

The ultimate marker of a Huscarl, a Bannercloak is literally what it sounds like, a banner worn as a cloak. These garments are often massive, guady and scarred, bearing the wounds that saw their original weilders to the grave. Great items of improtance, these Banners were often ostentatious when carried aloft, speaking to the wealth, skills and power of the units that carried them. As such they are often trimmed with fine cloth, adorned with images of powerful creatures or weapons and marked with souvenirs and treasures of distant battles.

The Huscarls wear these cloaks as they are, adding a simple clasp to wear the banner as a cloak. To the Huscarl, the cloak is a physical representation of their dedication to the dead of the Valley and the specific memory that they are keeping alive. As such they treat the cloaks with religious reverence, folding them neatly when the bed down for the night, ensuring they remain clean and in good repair and only modifying it to track new honours that the Huscarl has earned in the continuation of its name.

History:

It is known that the First Huscarl was Frida the Axe, who took up the Banner of The Sharp Ones, a band of young warriors from Anderslee who took part in the early Mountain Wars. The Sharp Ones were a burough of now reknown, who’s battle honours mentioned only a single conflict ‘The Fight at the Wolfstone’. Frida, who took the name Frida Sharpone, is known to have said “Even the smallest of us do not deserve to be forgotten.” At first, Frida’s actions began sweeping efforts to retrieve fallen battle standards and artifacts of Iron Valley warriors who had died far from home. It became common place to see Iron Valley Arcadian priests in strange places of the world, pursuing rumours of a long lost mercenary company or a heroic Summiter gone missing.

However, when most priests would simply return these banners home, to rest in a fortress or above a hearth, Frida and her acolytes interpreted their duty far differently. To them, it was the duty of the Priests of the Champion to carry these banners until they could find a new home on the field of battle. Frida would carry the Sharp Ones Banner as the first Bannercloak for thirteen years. Eventually, after adding half a dozen battle honours to that scrap of cloth, Frida met a band of hunters from Bolsterlee in a tavern. These young people were full of wanderlust and battle-hunger. They reminded Frida of those long lost Sharp Ones who fell so long ago. With her blessing and guidance the Banner and name of The Sharp Ones left Frida and once again she was Frida The Axe and Once again the Sharp Ones took to the field. To reclaim their honour and to rewrite their destiny with new honours.

This began the tradition of Hucarls. Searching the world for the lost Banners and honours of the Valleys dead, both great and small. They would keep the stories of these honoured dead alive, both adding new honours to their banners and ensuring there is something to pass along. The ultimate fullfillment of this cause is to finally hand off the name, achievements and colours of these long passed Bands to new ones within the Valley, ensuring that their history is etched in blood and song forever and on.

Becoming a Huscarl:

Those of the Valley who carry the burden of their ‘Charge’ do not find themselves doing so accidentally. To become a Huscarl is to choose the fallen over the self, to earn honours and glory in the place of those who can no longer earn it themselves. Some find this calling through community, talking with veteran Huscarls and learning of the various legacies that exist to be proudly honoured on the field of war once again. Still others find the call of the Huscarl through tragedy and woe, carrying forever forward the lives of some gone too soon.

The first step of a would-be Huscarl is to find their Bannercloak. While seemingly simple, it is the act of finding this history and learning these legacies that truly allows a Huscarl to honour the Charge they will one day wear. While there is rarely a shortage of worthy causes, each priest of war must know and be truly ready to carry the tales of the dead upon their backs before they may proudly don their Bannercloak.

True recognition of this does not come from others of the Valley, but instead from the aspiring Huscarl themselves. When they believe themselves ready, all that remains is a public announcement of their intent, usually before their borough, a reeve’s council or other suitably important gathering. This announcement is traditionally known as a Naming to Huscarls, and begins with an introduction of the aspirants current name. The soon to be Huscarl then declares their Charge, telling all present the tales and memories that they have learnt and what they will carry for the sake of the past, answering any questions that the gathered would have. At the end of this declaration and as acknowledgment to the dead, a name is forgotten as another takes its place, earning the Valley another Huscarl dedicated in purpose.

Three Things Huscarls Are:

Companions of the Dead

Each Huscarl carrys a Bannercloak of a defeated Iron Valley warband, this is their ‘Charge’. They will carry the memories, names and tales of this charge, ensuring that they aren’t forgotten. In order to preserve these memories many Huscarls will change their names, titles or Burough to reflect this companionship to the lost. In this Huscarls are priests of the honoured dead, as such it is not uncommon to see Huscarls leading funeral rights for others who fall.

Warpriests of Battle

While they carry their Charge, Huscarls ensure that their dead companions honour does not fade by earning them new honours on the field of battle. Huscarls will fight from the front, against all odds, hoping to gain recognition from the Realm, the Spheres and their foes, all done in the name of their Charge. These honours will breathe new life into their Charge, ensuring they are never truly forgotten. It is important to remember that Huscarls know better than most the cost of death, as such Huscarls are often relied upon for their ability to control a retreat, not throwing the Valleys living into death.

Steel Mentors of the Next Generation

Huscarls do all this in order to pass on the history, lessons and heart of the Valley to the next generation. As such, any Huscarl worth their cloak should be deeply involved with the martial training and organisation of the Realm. This way they can ensure that the teachings of their fallen brethren are heeded and that when the time comes, they know who to pass their charge to.

One Thing Huscarls Aren't:

The End and the All

Huscarls aren’t fighting for their own honour or pride and they shouldn’t claim it in their own name, part of the reason many Huscarls change their names to those of their Charges. Huscarls also know that the ultimate goal of their cause is to pass off their Charge to a rightful group, rather than cling to it till their own death.