"At this time I would like to start out our Celebration by welcoming Lady Wulf to share words and bring some perspective to why we have gathered here today."
Brynhilde Wulf bows and steps forward, the strength of her form not diminished by the dark cowl.
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“We are the children of Ala Mhigo, and Rhalgr is our Lord. Ever do we walk in your thunderous steps, O Breaker of Worlds. Grant us the strength to turn our fists toward destruction where we must, and our hands toward mercy where we can.â€
“ … Oft have those of other nations asked me what kind of a life can be lived in the worship of destruction. And oft have I replied that there can be no good life lived without it.â€
“But that we shall get to shortly. First, we shall have a tale. ‘Tis a glorious tale of bravery and battle, courage and suffering on an unimaginable scale. ‘Tis a tale of war most terrible, of death, of shattered lives and sundered dreams. ‘Tis a tale of destruction.â€
Brynhilde pauses, a wide smile stretching over her lips. “Enjoy.â€
“The scene; the western banks of the Velodyna river, five-score cycles past. The Ala Mhigan king, driven by avarice, sought to conquer parts of the Shroud for Ala Mhigo. The Kingdom began mobilizing for war, and Gridania scrambled to bolster its defenses.â€
“Thus came the start of the Autumn War, a war of great and terrible destruction. To the field took two bold leaders, each beloved by their people.â€
“Leading the ‘Mhigan charge was the great General Gylbarde, brave and true, loyal to the Fist of Rhalgr and ready to see King Manfred’s will done.â€
“To save them from the ‘Mhigan onslaught, the renowned lancer Vainchelon, a man of cunning and patience, rose to lead Gridania.â€
“These two great men and their troops clashed time and again at the border, with neither side yielding an ilm.â€
Brynhilde raises her staff, and slams it hard against the stone before her feet. Are the shadows stirring at the corners of your eyes, or is it a trick of the light?
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"To break the stalemate, Vainchelon devised a plan; feign a retreat to the Nine Ivies and lure the ‘Mhigans into territory that would better favour the Gridanians.â€
“But fate dealt the forest nation a cruel hand, and malady struck Vainchelon low before he could see his strategy to fruition.â€
“In his place rose Osbern, an inexperienced yet ambitious officer. Lacking Vainchelon’s patience for a long, defensive war, he disregarded his predecessor’s plan and instead ordered a full assault on the ‘Mhigan position.â€
“But Gylbarde learned of this. He ordered his men to take up positions along the path the Gridanians would take in their attack, and ambushed them as they moved in. Like wolves among the herd the ‘Mhigan forces tore through Osbern’s lines. The Gridanians suffered terrible losses.â€
The shadows stir once more, becoming briefly the forms of men falling. When you look, they vanish from sight.
“Osbern stubbornly pushed forward, ordering his beleaguered soldiers onward on a long and exhausting march through enemy-held territory. Eventually they reached a hilltop,  where they entrenched themselves and prepared to hold the ‘Mhigans off.â€
“... But this had been Gylbarde’s plan all along. Encircling the Gridanians on their hilltop camp so as to deprive them of food and water, the Mhigans rained a relentless hail of arrows upon them, slaughtering many of their number.â€
Brynhilde slams her staff once more against the stone. A pained cry rings from the shadows.
“Thus ended the First Battle of Tinolqa, with countless dead littering the banks of the river and a crushing Ala Mhigan victory. However, the tide of battle was about the change…â€
“Fate, as if to make up for robbing Gridania of Vainchelon, ordained that the Holy See of Ishgard should intervene. Appealing to Limsa Lominsa and Ul’dah to see that the defense of Gridania was in their shared mutual interest, the See convinced each of them to join with in saving Gridania in their bell of need.â€
“Thus was the first Eorzean Alliance born.â€
“The four nations together joined forces against Ala Mhigo, and after a long and bitter war of move and counter move, of death and turmoil and a sea of blood, Gylbarde was slain and Ala Mhigo’s war of conquest was ended.â€
Brynhilde drums her staff once more. The dark seems to lift slightly.
“Treaties were signed and borders were drawn. Agreements were settled, and the realm entered a tenuous peace thereafter. The nations signed a pact; to co-exist in independence, and never to encroach upon another’s lands.â€
“... You may wonder why it is that I offered you a tale that I called ‘glorious’, and yet is a tale of my own homeland’s defeat. The truth is, this story - a history lesson, if you will - tells us much of what we should know of Rhalgr’s philosophy.â€
“In the raging fires of destruction were the bonds of Eorzea’s nations tested, and in those fires did they hold true. Amidst death and chaos did rise something new; the Eorzean Alliance, which of course would be revived when the cycle of destruction inevitably repeated with the arrival of the Empire much later.â€
“Although Ala Mhigo fell to the invaders twenty cycles passed, the legacy of its aggression generations ago preserved the rest of Eorzea in the face of another invading aggressor.â€
Brynhilde bows her head. “ ... Thus have our Shamans always taught; a life lived without destruction will only ever be life devoid of creation.â€
"Thank you." The crowd erupted in applause and some deep cheers as Brynhilde stepped back down to join the group, nodding as she passed. "Thank you. Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall."
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