The Frewyn Herald: Home of the Haanta Series

The Haanta have many games, most of them strategy or sowing games, but there is one racing game taught to children which teaches them about an important discovery made when the Haanta first made their settlements-- a game which Rautu hates with his whole soul: Akaaphu: the game of the red crab . A s the children were fawning over the new games before them, Varthrasta said his quiet salutations to Baronous and to Martje, who was just returning with the daily shipment for the larder in hand. He placed the bag that he was carrying onto the table and went to assist, though Martje would deny all assistance, leaving the children to marvel over the hand-carved stone playing pieces in Varthrasta’s effects, begging to shown their intended use. Had Varthrasta still been on the islands, and had there been no one to lavish the children with such exquisite gifts, he should have brought them to the temple in Diras where they were certain to have similar games if not the very same on...

Many in Frewyn wear various types of caps: Tyfferim flat caps, Kileen fishing hats, vintage tweeds, but only the Hallanys patchwork cap, though made in various styles, can mean one thing: My favourite hat from Donegal's Hannah Hats She would have responded with an equal assertion of her adoring her Big Beryn, but even the purposeful misconstruction was silenced when Beryn lay down and drew her into his arms upon him. He wrapped his arms around her, trapping her within his unassailable hold, and would caress and coddle her the few minutes before each of them must begin the day. In the midst of their gentle kisses and fondling of one another, Meraliegh’s legs began curling around her husband’s thickset waist, and her feet began brushing against the portion of him that had been so lately stirred.                 “Gonna be late to the chandler’s if you keep doin’ that,” he said with a blithesome aspect. “...

Alasdair would rather play Frewyn's Brandubh T he board was placed, the seats round the table taken up, the pieces representing weapons and health were duly allotted, and the characters were claimed as Alasdair took his place at the head of the table. While the children began their negotiations as to which pair of them should play as which of the three hero characters, Alasdair took up the rule book in the box and began to read the regulations. He had played the game only a few times in his youth, and as he had played only with his grandfather, he was desirous of knowing if there were any differences in the rules whether playing with two people or with four. They were seven people together: Fionnora and Ennan as the cleric, Soledhan and Dorrin as the barbarian, who looked remarkably like Rautu, and the commander and Little Jaicobh as the ranger; but the rules seemed the same whether the game should be played with two people or with ten. Each character was to take a turn, the...

As proof that Twisk has unbelievable and somewhat prophetic skill, here is the map that Soledhan drew of Frewyn when she asked me about where everything in Frewyn is situated... And from that, this is what she came up with: I think Twisk might be Jesus.

Tafl board with Fidchell variant setup Frewyn has many games, but two of its most popular games are Brandubh and Fidchell . Frewyn's versions of these ancient Celtic games are Tafl game variants, each of them with differeing regulations, number of pieces, manner of captures and movements, but what is Tafl? Tafl is Old Norse for table. This is a term used to describe a specific family of board games that were widely played throughout the Viking and Middle Ages. Some believe that this term was used to describe any game played on a board with a common setup. Tafl games, though different from one another in several ways, all have certain commonalities: they are all played on a board of either 7x7, 9x9, 11x11, 18,x18 squares; they all have king at the centre whom the attackers at the sides must capture; they all require their pieces to move in straight lines. There are thought to be two separate families of Tafl games: the  Germanic/Nordic family, incliding...

Frewyn has many games, and though Alasdair loves playing games with his friends and subjects, he absolutely abominates dice.                  T he game of letters won, Alasdair was well inclined to sample another of the games found at the fair. He was all sanguine good humour as he perused the selection laid out upon the table, humming to himself and twiddling his fingers about in high glee. He was young again, it was evening, his grandfather was coming from his afternoon spent at court to pass an agreeable evening with him, full of games and gaieties, music and animation. Every game he had been used to see hidden under his bed or laid out in his grandfather’s  from the time he was five years old was before him. Though he may have traded the playing of games for the practicing of reels and reading books, he never outgrew his enjoyment of games. Ailimentau, Estates and Hovels, he loved them all ...

There are many different types of mothers in the world. Though Beryn may be a poulterer and Lochan a husbandman, that doesn't mean that they are any less mothers. L ochan was full of frolic and mirth as they secured the hens safely away in their new home until Shirse should be by on the morrow to take them to Farriage. What was to happen to old hens who had past their prime for laying, Lochan could only conjecture, but he distracted himself from any unpleasant cogitations by showing Beryn the new chicks that had recently hatched. Twenty small chirping creatures, their eyes wide, wings outstretched, and golden feathers fluffed assailed Lochan with warbling cries as he neared their nest in the warmest corner of the barn. “Won’t be ready to lay for a few months,” said he, taking one of the chicks gently into his hand, “but I was hopin’ you would take ‘em.” He cooed at the small golden wisp and grazed its willowy down with the back of his forefinger. “She don’t like chicks much,”...

Here it is 99% done! Twisk's map of Frewyn! When it's 100% finished, I'm going to frame it!

This is a lovely piece I received from Irish artist and musician Wayne O' Connor. Please visit his website and peruse his gallery:   http://pyramidlagota.deviantart.com/ Many thanks to Wayne for the piece!

A piece about Rautu's many dislikes and his one true love: dark chocolate A Giant’s Delectation                  Though many in Frewyn were disposed to pay tribute to the Den Asaan, acknowledging his gallant efforts to save the kingdom and honouring his general splendor, it was unknown to the denizens of the kingdom as to whether he had eaten and enjoyed their tribute or had merely cast it off with a laconic and diffident huff. Some conjectured that he accepted his gifts with a pout and a very good grace, but then was wont to give them away, the confirmation of this being a defined form betraying no distinctive hints of his having ate anything so agreeably unwholesome. His daily training must be owing to his excellent condition; he must exert himself if only to relish in all the pleasures of eating so much, that every arduous movement or strenuous exercise must have been done only for the object of...

I love seeing two older people still professing their love for one another, Jaicobh and Calleen especially. He accepted her fond osculations and gave her haunches a loving tap as he passed through the kitchen into his bedroom. As Calleen was busy about the supper, he would sit and write his letters now under the guise of making out his usual letters to Tessiegh . He should have peace enough for the next hour, and after making his addresses and writing the directions, he wrote the same letter to various farms along Frewyn’s eastern coast, taking care to add every detail of Beryn’s history.                     “Supper’s on the table, Jaicobh,” was the call to remove him from his task.                 “Aye, darlin’. In a minute.”               ...