The Bog-Child's Echo

The day after his birth a crone of the wilds came to the castle gate to declare Magnus Haugan Draumadal the lordling of The Bog-Child's Echo, a myth of the region which in its various forms proclaims auspicious events are to follow the birth and actions of a young local leader.  

Through ancient forests, dark and tall, A king, long cursed, endured his thrall. His sorrow bound a monstrous thing, A shadow on the land did cling.   Young lord, born where bog-mists rise, With curious heart and eager eyes, He struck the vein, where sorrow lay, And freed the king's most dark dismay.

  The myth is an old one with a loosely described protagonist, who performs some actions related to an old cursed king. Nearly all interpretations suggest the old cursed king is Harvald of Hoabb, but if the young lord is releasing the curse, finishing an old enemy with new strength, or unleashing a horror sealed by the cursed king varies among the many versions of the myth. For many years the crone's declaration was not spoken of, but after a duel between Magnus and a neighboring lord, word of it rose again and rumors of its portent began spreading.   In the vast Mark of Gelofrisk Dal of southern Alderhorst the Barony of Draumadal lies in a central commanding position. Magnus is sole heir to Draumadal, a prosperous family with blood ties to many neighboring lands, and a bourgeoning population of serfs to command. His father passed the title to him at the age of fifteen, after fatal injuries during a hunt from an owlbear.   The Barony of Draumadal is a wealthy one long held by the family of the same name, resting along the Clambibur River. It benefits from the fertile lowlands of the river and the trade of its neighbors leaving the valley for the Eisenschmelze River and northern markets or port of Wihtmassus. The settlements of the barony have been growing under the wise care of their lords for decades, and the robust levies contributed to the campaigns of the Margrave have earned Draumadal much favor in the court. In recent years young Magnus has decided to leverage this good will of his superiors to wage wars of conquest on his peers, with the clear goal of expanding his holdings and influence. He has taken to referencing the words of the old woods witch as prophecy of the great deeds he is to achieve, and many knights and soldiers seeking their own fortune have joined him.