(Advisory note. The Author wishes it to be known that they cannot be held responsible for the way Word Press presents this narrative. To use a technical term ‘It’s Got ‘Em On It Today’) 

The three gathered were men hardened both by war and the politics of forging and holding together a new nation. The time had not been pleasant yet had been necessary.

‘He will be sorely missed,’ said Goreth thick-set, the greying of age had not diminished him.

‘Aye,’ agreed Mandran, feral thin, darting eyes, precise and short of speech.

‘Even the gods did pause in their work at his passing’ Kattrach, ever solemnly theistic, even in victory.

These words said each in their own way meditated upon the simple plain stone oblong which held the body of Thaindoch first king of Heydale. It had taken the allied forces of ages, strain, and age to bring him down.

Their thoughts concluded, each then knelt, kissed the oblong whispering their own farewell, wiped their eyes, and quit the room, outside would always stand an honour guard of four.

Two hundred years passed Laynedole III and his council sat at the ornate table. Although not an imposing fellow he did have an ordered civically inclined approach.

‘To the final matter of today’s business gentlemen,’ he said with solemnity ‘The anniversary of the passing of Thaindoch,’

As was expected everyone murmured respectfully, some made modest religious gestures; it did not do to be too effusive.

‘The founder of our great nation,’ Arch-High Priest Rhuyofla intoned, or droned depending on opinions ‘May his soul continue to rest from his labours,’ it was one way of skirting around the fact he had been distinctly pagan.

‘I feel, gentlemen,’ drawled out Laynedole III, a signal the meeting was far from concluded ‘Now that our nation’s borders have expanded thrice the size of when  Thaindoch had laid the foundations and inspirations for our enterprise, we should consider the question of the image of his last place of repose,’

The ten men present were admirable administrators, diplomats, and legislators. As were two generations before them. These were men of The Favourable Compromise, The Advantageous Marriage, The Trade Deal, The Economical Application of Force, and of course The Implied. None had drawn sword, hewn axe nor inspired armies however Implied had actually worked quite well. For in all these skills, The Image played its part.

‘We,’ continued the king ‘Are at something of a crossroads. ‘Heydale,’ is viewed as something of a bastion of,’ he paused as he gathered the selection of the next words ‘Commerce, Civic Organisation, Prudent Governance, Learning, Military Efficiency and above all Stability,’

Everyone agreed. And so it was decided that to create the correct impression Thaindoch’s lasting resting place should be surrounded by sets of three signature weapons; to the right his two-bladed sword, central his shield, and to the left his trusty spear in total there would be six sets, leaving the message that no matter what direction the threat came the spirit of Thaindoch in the nation of Heydale was ready. Visting royalty and nobles from other nations were obliged to visit it, citizens, encouraged to. The stern plain iron images left the right impression.

At the time.

Over the next three hundred years whereas Heydale endured and flourished, somewhat, Society progressed, Knowledge Expanded and more folk than the nobility preferred began to express views and ideas. Since a lot of the views and ideas led to more advancements and more wealth there was not a lot the nobility to do about it, except try and catch up with the wealth, Among this those who ruled or influenced those ruling began to appear from the classes normally associated which just doing as they were told. After a few mishaps and misunderstandings things did settle down. Eventually try as they might the previous ruling classes had to give way, a bit. Even so, it had to be noticed there was not the deference or respect there used to be. One king, Flori III felt he ought to raise the subject.

‘As much one accepts that young urchins are somewhat acceptable scallywags, being hailed as one passes in one’s coach as ‘Old Flabby Bottom’ and seeing the adults simply smirk and not administer mild physical punishment does make one wonder if all is well. Look into it, please. We do not want Unpleasantness my grandfather Flori I was confronted with,’

Since the Unpleasantness had been small but nonetheless a riotous expression of discontent verging on rebellion the matter had been being addressed for some time. Arrests were plentiful anyway but Causes needed to be looked into.

Not much progress was made until someone had the bright idea of calling in the Guild of Artisans, a widespread body representing those at the lesser end of Society. A group of the more thoughtful, and sober types were given the task. They were surprisingly swift in reply as if the subject was already embedded amongst the ordinary folk. One fellow Urburt Gnogginz a carpenter by trade addressed the select number of the government.

‘Before we gets to the business of Social Reforms,’ he said ‘It’s best to start with the Symbolisms. They are the more easy to sort out, and cheaper too. Now, the visits to the tomb of Thaindoch, a lot of folk are getting wearisome of traipsing there, when they could be earning. And there’s the other thing. Those iron whatchm’ callits,’

‘Sword, Sheild, and Spear,’ came the prompt reply from a Lord Herald.

‘Well that may have been three ‘undred years ago, but times change. So does perceptions. That two-bladed sword reminds folk of a fork, the shield a plate, and the spear a knife. Seems to be a whole lot of dining stuff, these days. Like Thaindoch was always eating, and well without being rude, we haven’t had a thin king for a long time. It irritates folk who rely on just slender meals. Y’see my meaning,’

Those who dined on fine and ornate wear went into consultation and had to admit the Guild had a point, since there was likely to be another war soon it was decided the Symbolism would be better served by simple spear-like, less thick poles with very sharp points. Thus, the war was brought forward a few years, the Sword, Shield, and Spear scheme taken and melted down for cannon, well one quite small cannon and replaced with cheap by very polished pointed poles. This appeared to satisfy the populous. Not one dared suggest Flori the III fatally falling off of his horse at a parade and being replaced by his gaunt, serious son, who insisted he be known as Graven I and had his father buried under a very flat piece of stone helped. Graven I in fact had everyone royal re-buried under flat pieces of stone, including his volatile disagreeable young brother Murble though this was his first burial and whether he was quite dead at the time was another matter.

The war went quite well. And the Haydalean Empire came into being.

One hundred and thirty years and five Gravens later the Haydalean Empire was bumping up against two other equally capable empires one to the south and one to the west. By good fortune, all five Gravens were very serious and forward-thinking men, with gloomy predispositions as to the inevitability of war. Thus, the War of the Grand Alliance was won by Haydalean at the expense of the said Alliance who had to pay for it.

Over the next seventy years, The Haydalean Empire flourished. Some people were very wealthy, others did quite well and most of the lesser classes had homes, jobs, and regular meals. Taydle II a fellow who felt Image was important gathered together his government.

‘It would seem to be,’ he said ‘That as there is spare money we should invest in a few more prestige projects. Whereas stern austerity was fine when things were tighter, now that diplomacy is done by money rather than wars, we should look as if we can afford a lot more than The Traybel Confederacy or the Stollovish Empire, that way folk will be impressed by us. I suggest we start with the tomb of Thaindoch. We’ve all had put up with being shown that ornate marble apparition of Stollovish king Ferosch I with all those annoyingly small carven figures purporting to show his great victories. And there’s the Confederacy making a big thing about not having an actual person but allegorical types, like that hideous half-dressed woman holding a lamp. No, we should be at one simple but ornate. We shall decorate around the original tomb with complex pillars and elaborate fencings all topped off with a golden canopy with tasteful drapes, and a few marble slabs surrounding with stentorian and inspiring words carved in in classical script,’

Since Taydle II had obviously spent some time thinking about this and his government wanted to get him to sign some tricky legislation to do with land reform, which the nobility did not care for, the government thought it an ideal opportunity to agree, have him potter about with the task so he would not notice what he was signing off on on land reform.

In later decades whereas nobility would concoct coded rude toasts at the anniversary of his death, he would be remembered with fond regard as The Great Reformer. To his dying day, he always assumed this had had to do with his initiatives to make places look splendid in particular the tomb of Thaindoch.

During the subsequent ages of machinery and industry wars became more spectacularly efficient and devastating. This enabled bigger and better wars to break out and Stollov tried again. One innovation was that craft flew through the air and dropped explosive devices. Much of the important parts of the Haydalean Empire were protected by large guns that fired back. Still, craft did get through. Explosions highlighted which buildings or construction had been robustly built. And which were not.

There was some concern about the ornate columns at the corners of Thaindoch’s tomb, they swayed a bit, because of all the noise. They were not supposed to. A committee was set up to look into it.

Ten days later some bold Stollovish aircrews attempted a raid on The Imperial Estates. The batteries of guns defending set up an even more furious barrage than usual, since they had something to shoot. They didn’t shoot down any attacking planes, who failed to hit anything apart from parklands. The combined vibrations did cause most of the ornate structure around the tomb of Thaindoch to fall in on itself. The tomb made of very ancient and sturdy stone remained undamaged.

While several courtiers and officers of Works and Means ran about in dismay, a couple of enterprising officials of the War Ministry arranged the remains of the ornate stuff into an image that suggested the tomb was holding everything up, then using the latest cameras took photos. These were passed to the Ministry of Information who ensured the various news journals put out the news displaying the tomb stalwart as ever. Purplish prose invoked the spirit of Thaindoch as symbolically holding the empire aloft. Some of the more esoteric writers suggested his spirit was indeed abroad. Thus, artists and tasteful cartoonists produced much work on this theme. There were many other practical factors as to why the war was another Haydalean victory, but those of romantic trains of thought would invoke the invincibility of The Great Tomb, and say no more.

Eventually, the wreckage would be tidied up, but not without some modest protests.

Upon a remote hillside within a very windswept part of the original borders of Heydale was a circle of several lesser circles of stones. Historians and folklorists could never agree on the foundations of what fort.

Once a year four spirits would gather.

‘Aye Thaindoch. You were right. There would no peace for any us elsewhere,’ said Goreth.

‘The place called mine moved ten times because of minerals. Always the money,’ said Mandran.

‘Some folks keep building mine and other knocking it down’ Kattrach observed ‘Something to do with paganism,’

‘Never mind lads,’ Thaindoch said ‘This is a good a meeting place as any. Around our old bones,’