Medec Battle Heralds
By Valeria Cavalieri
Medec and art have a long history together. The land has sprouted many famous musicians, and children of well-off families are generally educated in at least one musical imstrument. Playwrights and bardic troupes are not uncommon either, and at the spring and harvest festivities many plays are performed upon stages erected in the capital for the ocasion. During the year, most of these troupes travel around the country, going from village to village to perform. Some are famous abroad as well.
One such troupe, a rather successful one, the Fairwater Thespians, consisted mainly of young men. They were led by one Oliver Oflottigo, the main actor and playwright. Unfortunately, in this time, bandit raids plagued the south of Medec, and many young men were conscripted into military service. The entire troupe had to serve as soldiers.
The freespirited Thespians had quite some trouble adjusting to the rigour of military life. They had always been able to make their own decisions and follow their own feelings. Having to follow orders did not go well, and they chafed at being told what to do all the time. They often ended up on sanitary duty, having to clean the latrines usually right after Lt. Legrasse, father of Sgt. Maj. Legrasse, had served his family recipy for spiced sausage stew.
One night the stew was especially spicy and the cleaning took until well into the night. The Fairwater Thespians took their punishment equanimously, and were halfway through composing the Latrine Song, when one of them went outside for a much-needed breath of fresh air, and writing equipment, lest the Latrine Song was lost to posterity. As an afterthought he decided to bring his lute to the latrines, they could take turns at entertaining their scrubbing comrades while figuring out the proper chording.
When he was walking back, he suddenly saw something on the hills around the camp. Bandits were approaching! Without hesitation he raised the alarm, letting his clear voice ring through the camp. Since he did not have his weapons on him, he did not join the soldiers hurrying into readiness in the fray. Instead he started singing battle hymns to encourage them. With his voice strengthening them, the drowsy army was soon into full readiness.
It was this event which led the commanding officer to recognize the worth of the Thespians, as long as they were allowed to use their own strengths. They were encouraged to bring their instruments into battle and improve the morale of their troops (1). The Fairwater Thespians were in a way Medec's first Battle Heralds. Later, a large official unit was formed.
(1) This is the official reading in the officer's report. Eyewitnesses report that the commander's actual words were "Let them play around, then, since that is all they are good for, as long as they don't get in my way."