The Screaming Lord of Sutch

Post Reply
User avatar
Svartalfar
Forumite
Posts: 16
Joined: Fri Nov 15, 2019 9:03 am

The Screaming Lord of Sutch

Post by Svartalfar »

A two books-one story semi-rare biography of an obscur Sutch Count. Found in Gold Coast librarians and book sellers as well as Sutch Count Castle?

Tribute to the Screaming Lord Sutch and its Savages.

The Screaming Lord of Sutch


First part: Youth and Infamy
Third Count of Sutch, Eddarius Harrowhawk (a thousand years old colovian dynasty, destroyed by the Camoran Usurper), called the Savage Lord, Lord of the Savages or Lord of the Dread Rock, was a peculiar noble of the mid-Reman Empire, known for his madness and the screams that pierced the sky from the high towers of Castle Sutch during its reign.
At that time, Sutch had only recently risen from a Colovian baronny to a County, thanks to his grand-mother and first Countess of Sutch, Lady Perdin the Wise.

Lord Eddarius grew up as the second son of Count Tacitus and Countess Sylloria (born Sylloria of House Hastrel). First engaged in priesthood, he had to abandon this path when his older sister Vilbia died. Now heir of Sutch County at the late age of seventeen, he had little time to prepare himself to rule, a task he never fancied. The young lord was indeed more found of music and poetry than aristocratic duels and harsh administration.
During his priesthood, he was part of the Dibellian chorus, but according to various testimonies, the Divine of Arts never blessed him with talent. One of his political enemy, the Nibenian Lord Nirtunus Carbo once said that his screams were in fact failed attempts to sing.


Once crown as the Lord of Sutch, a thorny life began for clueless Lord Eddarius. Not shrewed enough for the ferocious battles waged by politicians, he quickly made a fool of himself in front of his peers, despite being quite competent in managing his lands.

Knowing that nothing could fixed his damaged reputation and grewing more and more frustrated, the Lord's behavior became more and more excentric. He dressed up in clashing colors or pitchblack attires, supported peculiar artists and hosted parties where his protegees and himself could performed. His court became infamous for attracting misfits, shaddy spellcasters and coin artists. As a result, his reputation make a turn for the worst, collapsing from a laughting stock to a deranged Lord.

Rumors said he embrassed basphemous faithes, worshipping Sheogorath, Clavicus Vile, Sanghin, Boethia, Namira or all the Princes at the same time. Others said he was possessed by a spirit or cursed by Vaermina, whitch could explain the screams and howls that every nights, kept Sutch awake. But infamous stories kept piling.
Farmers sweared they saw their Lord running in the dread of night, screaming like a beast. But every morning, the Lord was acting like nothing happened. Priests of the Eight accused him of lycanthropy and vampirism, but no evidence were found. Witchhunters and exorcists tried to free him without result. In the end, the Screaming Lord was deemed an excentric and considered a pariah by most of the Empire nobility. He lived in seclusion with his followers, nicknamed the Savages (members of the Savage Court), and Sutch became a backwater land.


Last part: The Bloody Legend
At that time, there was a nefarious location in Sutch County, upon the Brena cliffed and savage banks, known as the Griffin's Roost. It was a big rock that overstepped the cliff edge and was infamous for being a gathering spot for suicidal and daredevil individuals that jumped into the Brena River below. In local tales, Griffin's Roost attracted Death and was haunted by the ghost of the deceased.
Despite (or maybe because of) that reputation, Lord Eddarius fancied that rock, and even built an adobe nearby, where he loved to withdraw alone or with his Savage Court. Unfortunately, Griffin's Roost vicinity was also a gathering spot for Trolls and carrion eaters, and the adobe never granted him the peace he longed for.

The Savage Lord started a great campain against the Trolls, and soon the Griffin's Roost was painted in red. Dozens of guards and knights died while slaughtering those beasts, and protecting Lord Eddarius that insisted to fight by their side. Most Savages also died or leaved his side during those battles. As a result, the Lord's villa was renamed "the Bloody Adobe", and the Griffin's Roost the "Dread Rock" but in the end, the Trolls were exterminated and peace returned. A cemetery was built near the Bloody Adobe, and every years, Lord Eddarius held a ceremony in memory of his fallen men and comrades (often alone, as his popularity grew thin).
If this campaign was saluted by other Colovian nobles which were also plagued by the Trolls, the death toll was too great for citizens of the county. The Lord's popularity started to crumble in his own land and devoided of friends and capable men, he never succeeded to regain their trust. Some years later, an angry mob deposed him and crown his nephew, Lord Arnoc Harrowhawk, as new Count of Sutch.

However, the Screaming Lord was spared, as he refused to fight his own people, and was allowed to live the rest of his life in his adobe, as long as he took care of the cemetery. The Dread Lord embraced priesthood once again and became an ermit, fulfilling faithfully his duty as a keeper.

Under the leadership of Count Arnoc, Sutch (as well as House Harrowhawk) rose again as a decent county, in the eyes of the Reman Empire, and the age of the Screaming Lord was soon forgotten.

Post Reply

Return to “P:C Literature”