The Oral History of the Blood Wings of Jechran; Part I

The Oral History of the Blood Wings of Jechran; Part I
As Recited by Sul'Dove
Documented by Ophiviel of Dormiria

ATU Northern Culture and History Collection

The original Blood Wings formed in the days before Jechran. The lands of Dobrekan were in chaos from the First Fey War and the Great War and then the lands of Orcs in the east no longer existed. They had been fought and pushed from the edge of the Great Eastern Seas all the way to the Vast Western Sea coastline by the Humans and Elves. This created the Great Carnage in the lands soon to be called Jechran. At that moment, there were revolts and coups within tribes and settlements as many sought power. Banditry flourished and prospered from plying their trade in the madness of the moment. One band of wayward souls was called the Grey Arrows. They took great pleasure in raiding villages and settlements taking what they wanted and needed. This was not just food, gold and arms but women too.

As they raided tribes and ambushed those fleeing the lands for their processions; they had a small band of captured and shackled women following them to maintain their camps and prepare their meals, among other things. Those that didn't submit would earn death for themselves and all the other women. The Grey Arrows had made camp in a secluded thicket along a creek not far from some waterfalls and sent the women out in their shackles to pick fruit and fetch water. The women obey and did as they were told. As they did, they discovered a lady standing by the waterfall. She spoke of empowerment and not obedience to men, to take up arms, to train, and to stand up and reclaim their pride and their lands. These words echoed with the women as they walked back carrying their buckets of water and baskets of fruit. They returned and prepared the evening meal but were denied such as they were late getting back. That night, they all sat by a tree in their chains and whispered to each other about what the woman had told them.

As the first rays of light appeared on the land was the cue for the women to start preparing the morning meal for men. On this day, with a night of plotting the preparations would take on a bloody mess. The fires were stoked and while the men still sleeping off the wine and drink. The women struck back in bloody and violent ways they had been shown; daggers to throats and chest, chains used to strangle, and even rocks pounded into skulls. By the time the sun could be seen. Not a single man lived in the Grey Arrows and no women fallen. They stripped the camp of everything and anything of use and torched the bodies so that animals wouldn't eat their foulness of men. They took all that they gathered and returned to the waterfall where the lady took pity on them for their ordeal and how they freed themselves.

They made camp within sight of the waterfall and daily the lady taught them how to fight with the weapons they acquired from their capturers. Others came and the women helped and taught them as they were being taught and then the lady said there were more in need of her help and departed. The women stayed helping and training until the first group that showed was as skilled as them. The women broke camp and told the other women to help those that come and when some are as skilled as you then you leave and they teach the others.

The women first took to raiding and ambushing bandits using the skills they were taught to great successes and freeing those held against their will. They soon started being known for leaving no bandits alive even if they begged or pleaded for their lives. Those they freed helped them gather up supplies and directed to the waterfall to learn the ways of Dre'Ana from others. As the bandits became lesser prey and with a taste for spilling the blood of men and freeing women meant a change in prey. They start raiding villages that had not embraced or had refused the word of Dre'Ana. They would mark village gates with a blood-red wing which to them meant freedom by battle and told others to die or flee. The first few times they fought didn't go as planned but the women learned and improved. Soon they were doing to villages ruled by men and where women were oppressed as they had done to bandits. In time, when the mark of the Blood Wing was spotted there would be males fleeing the village.

One of the last villages they librated was known as Cloudforest in the northwestern reaches of Jechran as it was called now. They were shocked that they Blood Wing hadn't scared of the men and in turn found themselves in a pitched battle against the heavily armed men of the village. The Blood Wings were victorious and pursue the fleeing men and shocking a number of women and children to the border. Upon their return, the women that stayed offered them a place and that the borders needed watching. In time the women of Cloudforest would be known as the Bright Eagles and the Blood Wings the loyal protectors of the Jechran border. About the reciter: Sul'Dove of the Blood Wings was taken as a battle prize by the Circle at the age of eight at the Battle of Thick Trees; where the Blue Foxes and their allies the Circle fought the Blood Wings of Jechran. For over a decade Sul'Dove known as Luyu by her new tribe was raised within the Blue Foxes and taught their ways. She escaped in a snowstorm to avoid being given away to the Circle to honor them for joining the Blue Foxes. She now resides in Elysia and is a Bow Maiden with the Warrior Maidens of Dre'Ana, and has taken to using her birth name of Sul'Dove or Sky Dove.

About the Documenter: Ophiviel is from the city and lands of Dormiria. She has spent her life documenting the stories of the people that come to The City of Refugees seeking new lives. In recent years, she has taken to travel and is currently employed by the Avlis Tower University for her skills at documenting the living history of people and interviewing skills.