“Tell me again about the axe.”
“It was forged for Glwyn, the first Alpha of Clan Threist and legendary hero of old supposedly. The story goes that Glwyn sought the Gods out for a weapon that could be used to maintain peace and protect those he cared about, he wanted a weapon that would last generations and would be a symbol of the enduring spirits of Lupo. The majority of the Gods did not offer much, preferring to bestow gifts to Clan Svard than the rest of us. However, Cérmæ listened to Glwyn, she saw the dedication and honour that he held towards the Gods. She sat and conversed with Glwyn, who swore to give up his role as Alpha to act as her avatar and protect the Lupo people from threats from outsiders if she would help him find a weapon to ensure his clan’s safety. Cérmæ found Glwyn endearing, his honesty and deep desires to protect appealing to her, and despite the other Gods refusing to acknowledge our Clan, she took his axe that he used for wood chopping and transformed it into the legendary Medelwr. The axe was not only seemingly indestructible, it would remain sharp, never needing a whetstone and surprising light for its size. Glwyn took the axe and asked Cérmæ why she chose to transform his ordinary axe into this beautiful gift, her reply was that it was now a weapon that could be used in battle but also a tool that could provide warmth and healing for peace and protection. It is said that this response brought tears to Glwyn’s eyes since he finally had a weapon to defend but a tool to maintain peace, something to uphold the legacy of the clan he wished to make. Falling to one knee, Glwyn dedicated his life to serving Cérmæ and protecting the lives of all Lupo, not just his clan.” His mother spoke in a slightly bored tone that she had when speaking of the myths of Clan Threist, she did not think Glwyn was significant enough for Brynjar to concern himself with. At least the legends of Glwyn were less important than his leadership as Alpha, those she thought had actual advice and guidance on how to begin leading a clan, which with the state of Clan Threist was a similar position for Brynjar.
Brynjar had been thinking a lot about the Clan’s mythology and history. There had been classes from his mother on the history, spirituality and legacy of the clan, but living on Islimore he had wondered if there was more to the story than what he was told. “If Glwyn dedicated his belief to Cérmæ then why do we pray and dedicate ourselves to Aerðs? Why did we turn our backs on Cérmæ?” It was curious to Brynjar why the switch when it was clear that only Cérmæ from the story cared about Glwyn and his clan whereas Aerðs was focused solely on Clan Svard.
“Clan Threist began dedicating our faith to Aerðs after Gwyfr became Anasi. Gwyfr believed that he should be dedicated to the ruler of the heavens since he was ruler of all clans, when our parents fled Islimore before the purge, we continued that faith since it was believed only our clan survived the purge and therefore our descendants would be Anasi. And for all his faults, Gwyfr was correct that an Anasi should dedicate themselves to Aerðs and not a lesser God.” His mother explained as Brynjar nodded his head, taking notes, it was due to his note taking that his mother allowed these conversations to happen. Usually it would just be lectures at Brynjar but when he started taking notes and being more engaged in conversation, his mother relented and allowed Brynjar to guide his learning in the clan’s history.
“Gwyfr also shattered Medelwr as well, didn’t he state that only a worthy Alpha successor would find and reforge it?” His mother nodded, “so, I should journey to find the axe then? How can I seek to be Anasi when the previous Threist Anasi decreed that only his worthy successor would find and reforge our legendary axe?” Brynjar was hoping his argument would allow him to go on an adventure. It would be the first adventure he had ever done but he wanted to be free for a time. Away from the other clans and away from his parents, hunting down the relics of his ancestors. It wasn’t just Medelwr he wanted to find, Glwyn’s grave was still lost somewhere on Islimore and the legend of that was important to Brynjar too.
His mother tilted her head as her eyes narrowed in on Brynjar, “you want to go find this axe? It was shattered and lost. Gwyfr brought dishonour and betrayed your ancestors because he didn’t want Bradwr to have a legitimate claim as Alpha, without that axe civil war was inevitable and then there was no support from Clan Threist for the other clans in fighting the purge. If Gwyfr hadn’t been so selfish and egotistical then that axe could have been used to end the purge and save so many lives.” Brynjar felt shivers, he knew his parents did not like Gwyfr, they felt his decision to break tradition was what caused not only the clan’s demise but the Lupo people’s as well since he had been Anasi around the same time. “Finding that axe would not help your claim, it would be meaningless or even harm your claim. Gwyfr was a coward and dishonoured himself as well as the clan.”
“I just thought having Medelwr would be good for us. Legends state some of the amazing things it did. Glwyn used it to defeat giants, Gwyn built our village on Islimore using only the axe, Eiria taught Lagertha how to use the axe in fighting styles that have been continued to pass down as the superior fighting styles. Yes, Gwyfr shattered the axe due to his son’s death but before that he used Medelwr to attempt to keep peace between Lupo and the Fayth, not through violence but through carving wood and sharing art.” Brynjar explained, there were a thousand more stories surrounding Medelwr and the legacy it held not only as a weapon of war but as a tool for healing and building. “Having a weapon that holds a legacy like that, with the stories of not only winning wars but maintaining and keeping peace the way only Medelwr can… Isn’t that something worthy of reclaiming?”
There was a long pause, his mother not facing him, or even acknowledging the words that came from him. She remained still for so long that Brynjar feared the holovid had frozen before she sighed and nodded her head. “The axe is more than just Gwyfr, you are right. We must remember the great leaders that held it before him. The only information I know of its location is that the whole clan believed it remained on Islimore since Gwyfr did not have the ability to leave the planet for the length of time it would take to hide the shattered Medelwr. Where on Islimore it would be, that is something no one knows. So, may the Gods help you with finding it Brynjar, but do not become Ofin and lose yourself in the pursuit of an impossible task.” Ofin was often used by his mother as a cautionary tale of glory seeking. Though his mother did not know that he would also be seeking the location of Glwyn’s grave, it supposedly held something that would help the clan in its darkest hour. What that could be, he had no idea but it felt like Clan Threist’s darkest hour since the civil war in the clan had left it with only Brynjar, who had no heir.
Spending a few days to prepare, Brynjar knew he needed to take with him rations and bottles of water. He wasn’t letting anyone else know of his journey, he doubted that the other Lupo were curious about where he went. They were busy with their own business and he felt that he needed to do this quest to find what he wanted to be. Perhaps even learn more about Clan Threist’s history, most of his clan’s history was oral but he had located a diary or two that was kept by Gwyfr that stated at one point Glwyn and Gwyn kept extensive journals on their journeys in building Clan Threist and what the core tenets of the clan were. Brynjar was curious if there might be a journal at Glwyn’s lost grave that stated how he built Clan Threist to the golden era it had, guidance on how he could proceed.
The idea of a grave was what had Brynjar puzzled since his family always stated that tradition was funeral pyres, freeing the soul and helping it transcend to the Gods and continue the hunt in the Freann. However, Glwyn supposedly had a grave somewhere and Brynjar had read from Gwyfr’s journal that he intended to be buried in the same grave as his son. Which was where Brynjar intended to start his journey, visiting the grave of Gwyfr and his son. It was due to the dishonour of Gwyfr that sadly his son would never be named, it was tabooed and considered to bring grave misfortune to speak the names of traitors. Gwyfr was only named because the honour of being Anasi outweighed the dishonour of destroying the clan. Brynjar worried if he failed to become Anasi if his name would be removed from the history of the clan. If only a couple generations would his name be forgotten and then be abandoned by the Gods. The grave of the father and son took a few days from the Clan Threist abandoned homestead, nature had taken back the land that Clan Threist once called home but that wasn’t bad in Brynjar’s mind and he was happy to rebuild once he got the chance. The grave was barely noticeable, the boulder carved with their names faded and scratched out with traitors being a much fresher carving on the boulder. It left little doubt in Brynjar’s mind who this grave belonged to.
Dropping the bag of supplies, he shifted into his wolf form and started digging. His claws ripping up the earth and piling it behind him. Digging this way was so much easier and faster than carrying and using a shovel, he would have been a wolf for most of his adventure if he thought he could carry the supplies easily. It took several long minutes before Brynjar felt his claws scratching at stone. Shifting back to human form, he cleared the earth from the top of the stone, it was long, rectangular and felt very heavy. How would he lift this on his own? Who placed it here?
“This isn’t what I expected…” Brynjar muttered aloud as he paused for a long moment. He shifted into a swat and tried lifting the heavy stone plate, it was way beyond his physical strength. He would need at least two or three other men helping him. Was this impossible task for a lone Threist? Was this part of Gwyfr’s test? Have many of the clan working as one in a singular goal. Would demonstrate the unity that he thought Threist had lost during his life. “Damnit. Is this something I will never have?” Brynjar placed a hand on the stone and felt a warmth, as if the stone was alive or connecting to him in a way that was beyond the physical. “Wait… I.. No. I… Can’t hurt.” Brynjar’s mind was whirling around as he thought about things and reached out with the Force. He could see an orange/red colour glowing from like veins in the stone as he was able to lift the giant stone tablet from the ground and place it next to the hole. Underneath the stone, there seemed to be an empty pit. No bodies, just cold air rushing from the darkness, the stone had been concealing a crypt. Why did Glwyn and his son have a crypt? Brynjar took a step into the darkness.
“It was forged for Glwyn, the first Alpha of Clan Threist and legendary hero of old supposedly. The story goes that Glwyn sought the Gods out for a weapon that could be used to maintain peace and protect those he cared about, he wanted a weapon that would last generations and would be a symbol of the enduring spirits of Lupo. The majority of the Gods did not offer much, preferring to bestow gifts to Clan Svard than the rest of us. However, Cérmæ listened to Glwyn, she saw the dedication and honour that he held towards the Gods. She sat and conversed with Glwyn, who swore to give up his role as Alpha to act as her avatar and protect the Lupo people from threats from outsiders if she would help him find a weapon to ensure his clan’s safety. Cérmæ found Glwyn endearing, his honesty and deep desires to protect appealing to her, and despite the other Gods refusing to acknowledge our Clan, she took his axe that he used for wood chopping and transformed it into the legendary Medelwr. The axe was not only seemingly indestructible, it would remain sharp, never needing a whetstone and surprising light for its size. Glwyn took the axe and asked Cérmæ why she chose to transform his ordinary axe into this beautiful gift, her reply was that it was now a weapon that could be used in battle but also a tool that could provide warmth and healing for peace and protection. It is said that this response brought tears to Glwyn’s eyes since he finally had a weapon to defend but a tool to maintain peace, something to uphold the legacy of the clan he wished to make. Falling to one knee, Glwyn dedicated his life to serving Cérmæ and protecting the lives of all Lupo, not just his clan.” His mother spoke in a slightly bored tone that she had when speaking of the myths of Clan Threist, she did not think Glwyn was significant enough for Brynjar to concern himself with. At least the legends of Glwyn were less important than his leadership as Alpha, those she thought had actual advice and guidance on how to begin leading a clan, which with the state of Clan Threist was a similar position for Brynjar.
Brynjar had been thinking a lot about the Clan’s mythology and history. There had been classes from his mother on the history, spirituality and legacy of the clan, but living on Islimore he had wondered if there was more to the story than what he was told. “If Glwyn dedicated his belief to Cérmæ then why do we pray and dedicate ourselves to Aerðs? Why did we turn our backs on Cérmæ?” It was curious to Brynjar why the switch when it was clear that only Cérmæ from the story cared about Glwyn and his clan whereas Aerðs was focused solely on Clan Svard.
“Clan Threist began dedicating our faith to Aerðs after Gwyfr became Anasi. Gwyfr believed that he should be dedicated to the ruler of the heavens since he was ruler of all clans, when our parents fled Islimore before the purge, we continued that faith since it was believed only our clan survived the purge and therefore our descendants would be Anasi. And for all his faults, Gwyfr was correct that an Anasi should dedicate themselves to Aerðs and not a lesser God.” His mother explained as Brynjar nodded his head, taking notes, it was due to his note taking that his mother allowed these conversations to happen. Usually it would just be lectures at Brynjar but when he started taking notes and being more engaged in conversation, his mother relented and allowed Brynjar to guide his learning in the clan’s history.
“Gwyfr also shattered Medelwr as well, didn’t he state that only a worthy Alpha successor would find and reforge it?” His mother nodded, “so, I should journey to find the axe then? How can I seek to be Anasi when the previous Threist Anasi decreed that only his worthy successor would find and reforge our legendary axe?” Brynjar was hoping his argument would allow him to go on an adventure. It would be the first adventure he had ever done but he wanted to be free for a time. Away from the other clans and away from his parents, hunting down the relics of his ancestors. It wasn’t just Medelwr he wanted to find, Glwyn’s grave was still lost somewhere on Islimore and the legend of that was important to Brynjar too.
His mother tilted her head as her eyes narrowed in on Brynjar, “you want to go find this axe? It was shattered and lost. Gwyfr brought dishonour and betrayed your ancestors because he didn’t want Bradwr to have a legitimate claim as Alpha, without that axe civil war was inevitable and then there was no support from Clan Threist for the other clans in fighting the purge. If Gwyfr hadn’t been so selfish and egotistical then that axe could have been used to end the purge and save so many lives.” Brynjar felt shivers, he knew his parents did not like Gwyfr, they felt his decision to break tradition was what caused not only the clan’s demise but the Lupo people’s as well since he had been Anasi around the same time. “Finding that axe would not help your claim, it would be meaningless or even harm your claim. Gwyfr was a coward and dishonoured himself as well as the clan.”
“I just thought having Medelwr would be good for us. Legends state some of the amazing things it did. Glwyn used it to defeat giants, Gwyn built our village on Islimore using only the axe, Eiria taught Lagertha how to use the axe in fighting styles that have been continued to pass down as the superior fighting styles. Yes, Gwyfr shattered the axe due to his son’s death but before that he used Medelwr to attempt to keep peace between Lupo and the Fayth, not through violence but through carving wood and sharing art.” Brynjar explained, there were a thousand more stories surrounding Medelwr and the legacy it held not only as a weapon of war but as a tool for healing and building. “Having a weapon that holds a legacy like that, with the stories of not only winning wars but maintaining and keeping peace the way only Medelwr can… Isn’t that something worthy of reclaiming?”
There was a long pause, his mother not facing him, or even acknowledging the words that came from him. She remained still for so long that Brynjar feared the holovid had frozen before she sighed and nodded her head. “The axe is more than just Gwyfr, you are right. We must remember the great leaders that held it before him. The only information I know of its location is that the whole clan believed it remained on Islimore since Gwyfr did not have the ability to leave the planet for the length of time it would take to hide the shattered Medelwr. Where on Islimore it would be, that is something no one knows. So, may the Gods help you with finding it Brynjar, but do not become Ofin and lose yourself in the pursuit of an impossible task.” Ofin was often used by his mother as a cautionary tale of glory seeking. Though his mother did not know that he would also be seeking the location of Glwyn’s grave, it supposedly held something that would help the clan in its darkest hour. What that could be, he had no idea but it felt like Clan Threist’s darkest hour since the civil war in the clan had left it with only Brynjar, who had no heir.
Spending a few days to prepare, Brynjar knew he needed to take with him rations and bottles of water. He wasn’t letting anyone else know of his journey, he doubted that the other Lupo were curious about where he went. They were busy with their own business and he felt that he needed to do this quest to find what he wanted to be. Perhaps even learn more about Clan Threist’s history, most of his clan’s history was oral but he had located a diary or two that was kept by Gwyfr that stated at one point Glwyn and Gwyn kept extensive journals on their journeys in building Clan Threist and what the core tenets of the clan were. Brynjar was curious if there might be a journal at Glwyn’s lost grave that stated how he built Clan Threist to the golden era it had, guidance on how he could proceed.
The idea of a grave was what had Brynjar puzzled since his family always stated that tradition was funeral pyres, freeing the soul and helping it transcend to the Gods and continue the hunt in the Freann. However, Glwyn supposedly had a grave somewhere and Brynjar had read from Gwyfr’s journal that he intended to be buried in the same grave as his son. Which was where Brynjar intended to start his journey, visiting the grave of Gwyfr and his son. It was due to the dishonour of Gwyfr that sadly his son would never be named, it was tabooed and considered to bring grave misfortune to speak the names of traitors. Gwyfr was only named because the honour of being Anasi outweighed the dishonour of destroying the clan. Brynjar worried if he failed to become Anasi if his name would be removed from the history of the clan. If only a couple generations would his name be forgotten and then be abandoned by the Gods. The grave of the father and son took a few days from the Clan Threist abandoned homestead, nature had taken back the land that Clan Threist once called home but that wasn’t bad in Brynjar’s mind and he was happy to rebuild once he got the chance. The grave was barely noticeable, the boulder carved with their names faded and scratched out with traitors being a much fresher carving on the boulder. It left little doubt in Brynjar’s mind who this grave belonged to.
Dropping the bag of supplies, he shifted into his wolf form and started digging. His claws ripping up the earth and piling it behind him. Digging this way was so much easier and faster than carrying and using a shovel, he would have been a wolf for most of his adventure if he thought he could carry the supplies easily. It took several long minutes before Brynjar felt his claws scratching at stone. Shifting back to human form, he cleared the earth from the top of the stone, it was long, rectangular and felt very heavy. How would he lift this on his own? Who placed it here?
“This isn’t what I expected…” Brynjar muttered aloud as he paused for a long moment. He shifted into a swat and tried lifting the heavy stone plate, it was way beyond his physical strength. He would need at least two or three other men helping him. Was this impossible task for a lone Threist? Was this part of Gwyfr’s test? Have many of the clan working as one in a singular goal. Would demonstrate the unity that he thought Threist had lost during his life. “Damnit. Is this something I will never have?” Brynjar placed a hand on the stone and felt a warmth, as if the stone was alive or connecting to him in a way that was beyond the physical. “Wait… I.. No. I… Can’t hurt.” Brynjar’s mind was whirling around as he thought about things and reached out with the Force. He could see an orange/red colour glowing from like veins in the stone as he was able to lift the giant stone tablet from the ground and place it next to the hole. Underneath the stone, there seemed to be an empty pit. No bodies, just cold air rushing from the darkness, the stone had been concealing a crypt. Why did Glwyn and his son have a crypt? Brynjar took a step into the darkness.
