Failte, agus ciamar a tha thu? The Legend of the Siol Lear - as recited by our laird, Loden MacLear   The Sons of Lear or in the eldritch tongue, Siol Lear, live today in Midgard of Percival but it has not always been so. Long, long ago, in a time beyond times, Lear was born in this land. To the north was the land of fire and ice and to the south were the sea and wastelands. Lear, and the peoples others came to call “Norse,” lived in the “middle–land” called in their tongue Mitgaard. The people into whom Lear was born called themselves the Siol, meaning “sons” or “people,” believed Mitgaard was the whole world of mortals. The legend of Lear says that the Siol were the first mortals to live in Mitgaard, granted leave to do so by Odin All-Father himself after fleeing from some great disaster that befell the world of men.   The Siol lived in as hunters and fishers in the coastal forests and fjords of Mitgaard. Gradually others began to come to the homeland of the Siol, each claiming they were first in the land. From the dense forests in the south of Mitgaard came the giant Trolls. From the mountains to the west came those we call Kobolds. Others of the race we call human came from the forests and hills of Mitgaard. Now the Siol were a wanderung folk who loved to venture out for days and weeks, hunting, exploring, and raiding the godless peoples. They soon found that the new races were often honorable and worshiped the same gods as the Siol, and thereby were not to be raided or made war with. Still, the Siol soon felt the pressure of many people in the land that had long been theirs alone. It was in those days that the Blodfeleg separated themselves from all god fearing folk and began to war on those that followed Odin All-Father. They rebelled against the gods and hated all those who were not like them and all who associated with the other races. A great war began between the Siol and the Blodfeleg that is not settled to this day.   Under the pressure of more and more "others" in the land and facing the continued raids of the Blodfeleg, Lear and his sons chose to go a' Viking, which meant in the auld language to “venture out and find new lands.” Little understanding such things, it was then the new races first began to call the Siol “Vikings.”   The Sons of Lear ventured out to a newly found land simply called The Highlands where they settled and lived in peace for many years. It was in that land that the Sons of Lear first took the surname MacLear. Again, though, there came into the land new races. Humans from the land of Albion soon began to attack their villages. The soldiers of Albion slaughtered their women and children as if they were animals and showed them no respect or honor as people. Their Chief or King was called Uther Pendragon and was a warrior without understanding or honor in anything he did. It soon became clear that MacLear could not stand against the Pendragon’s endless hordes. The High Council of MacLear met with Lear and determined that once again, the Siol must find new lands.   MacLear viking’d to the south and east in their long boats. Agonisties, a Son of Lear, was the first to find the land across the Ether Sea, now known as Britannia, where he offered allegiance to Lord British and the gods of that land. Lear and his other sons, Daran, Conan, and Erath, soon joined him. Those northern lands, oft covered in snow and cut by deep fjords reminded the Siol of their ancient home in Mitgaard and they settled there. The land was wild and filled with wild and strange beasts that the Clan MacLear soon learned to defeat both on the land and beneath it in the many caves and ancient dungeons.   Soon others wished to join the Sons of Lear and so was born The Hand of Virtue, who’s Chief was Agonisties MacLear. The Hand of Virtue was a band of citizens who guarded the roads leading out of Britain to the Northlands. All those who joined with MacLear in those days called themselves The Free People and first began greeting each other with the words, “I salute you as a free person!” or in the language of that place Mi failtich thu co saor neach! For many seasons the Hand of Virtue fought well and defended the roads and commerce between the Highlands and Britain. Finally even Lord British was driven from Britannia by the bands of murderers. The Clan MacLear withdrew back into the frozen highlands where they carved out a small portion of that land to call their own and defended it against the savages who were devastating the rest of Britannia.   Once again, MacLear believed they had found rest as their fighters were grouped into well organized bands and the terrain lent itself to defense. They were easily able to defend themselves against the tribes called PeeKay in their strange and twisted language and even enjoyed venturing out of their new homeland to ambush the bandits.   So it was until a foul daemon ruler of the undead came against MacLear. He poisoned the land and brought death and destruction wherever he went. Hoards of Undead followed him and acknowledged him as their lord liege and soon the bandits and killers joined in the madness and destruction. MacLear fought against them hard and long but soon realized that they once again must migrate to some new land in order to survive. In the battle to cover the withdrawal, Lear their first Laird, was slain, but Siol Lear and many of those who had joined themselves to the Siol were able to board the longboats and escape. Agonisties rallied the remaining fighters and began a campaign of guerilla warfare that continued to harass and extract revenge on the bandits for many years thereafter.   After a long journey through the darkness and myst that had descended on the world, Siol Lear came ashore in a new land called by its inhabitants, Norrath of Xegony. They soon swore allegiance to the gods of light in that land and were granted the right to settle in Halas a city hidden in a land of eternal snow and ice, surrounded by high mountains and protected by a maze of passes through a region the Siol learned to call Everfrost. One of their first actions was to elect a new Laird in the land of Norrath, Leod MacLear, a son of Erath, who was a son of Laird Lear himself.   Leod was a fiery warrior who led the clan in battle to secure the land they had claimed as their own. His hatred of the undead and those who associated with them was famous across the new land and earned him, and the Clan MacLear, the eternal enmity of the very kingdom of the undead. From far away Miragul heard of MacLear’s war on the kingdom of the undead. Miragul was a great Wizard whose advances in power distorted his very being until he became so entwined with the majiks of Undeath that he became one who had not died but was part of their kingdom, caught between the world of Undeath and the world of the living. In his inability to return to the living he evolved a hatred of all that was alive until that very hate was the force that gave him immortality, but deprived him of his soul. Soon he assumed leadership of the Undead in the land of Norrath. He survived on his hate by spreading fear and terror amongst the free people of the living. The living soon became afraid even to speak his name and began calling him The Twisted One.   Miragul came out of his home in the east to make war on the Free People. A time of darkness came upon Norrath as hordes of Undead belched out of the deep holes in the earth slaughtering the Free People wherever they found them. It was then that Laird Leod called upon the gods to join with MacLear to defeat the Twisted One. In the battle that followed, the Clan, which was in those days mostly Barbarians of Norrath, was reduced to a small part of its strength so that to this day there are only small villages of Barbarians in the lands where they once ruled and in others only ruins mark the places where The Free People once dwelt.   Much is written of those, the first Days of Darkness, in the scrolls of the Clan MacLear of Norrath as the Clan and the Free People struggled against the forces of the Twisted One. The Twisted one followed them to Everfrost where the final battle of the Days of Darkness occurred. Laird Leod and the Clan MacLear defeated Miragul and his horde in a long and bloody battle on the plains of Everfrost. The great forces unleashed by both sides in that battle laid ruin to the great temples and buildings that once crowned the civilization of that icy land. Miragul was banished by the gods to a cave deep under the ice where he is said to still dwell in agony and hatred of MacLear and the Free People. Even imprisoned beneath the ice by wards keeping him locked in his dark cave, Miragul continued to study the secrets of the Undead. From his prison he learned to send his soul out to capture the mind of mortals.   After the banishment of Miragul, the Clan MacLear began again to venture out into the lands of Norrath. Following the death of Lear, the Free People elected Tormod MacLear to lead them again against the remnants of the followers of The Twisted One. Tormod spoke to the gods who answered him and promised their support against the forces of darkness. The Free People would once again be heard throughout Norrath. For many seasons, the young Laird Tormod led the Clan MacLear to destroy the forces of the Undead and those who called upon them until the central lands of Antonia in Norrath once again rang with the battle cry “For Halas! For MacLear!”   Once while Laird Tormod was away from Norrath on a journey to meet with the Sons of Lear in Britannia, one of the trusted leaders of the Clan MacLear, an esteemed member of the High Council, fermented a rebellion against the officers Tormod had charged with leadership in his absence. It was only later that the Siol came to realize he was an agent of the Twisted One who had infiltrated The Free People. The light of MacLear waned as they fought amongst themselves, led astray by the lies spread by the follower of The Twisted One. Laird Tormod returned to rally the Clan and do battle with the traitor. Miragul had granted him invincibility though, and he could not be harmed by any force known to man. By careful words and deep majiks, Laird Tormod was able to cause the Twisted One’s servant to ban himself from our people. Afterward his name was wiped from our scrolls and sagas lest in speaking it we would call him back to us and again unleash his lies and deceit upon our people.   Over the many seasons that followed, an older Laird Tormod led the Clan into all the continents of Norrath and the Free People grew in number and in honor throughout Norrath. Even in the midst of the peace and unity that came in those days, darkness came again out of Neriak. The Dark Elf, Lady Morgaene of Darkmoon and her legion of masters of the undead emerged to challenge the Free People once again in Norrath. Many battles ensued with brave warriors and workers of majiks on both sides littering the land with their corpses.   Tormod and the shamans of the Clan called upon the gods of Norrath again and again as the spells of the Free People oft times seemed to have no effect on the followers of Morgaene. While in battle, the Free People were commonly affected by a wasting sickness that was not of Darkmoon but a curse of the gods. In all the battles, the gods would not answer Tormod or any of the Free People, but were seen standing in conversation with the Dark Elves.   In the end, Darkmoon was driven back out of all the lands except their home city of Neriak. As MacLear closed in on their dark homeland, the Lady Morgaene emerged and acknowledged Tormod “Laird” and her nobles called him “My Lord Tormod.” Tormod faced them, long tired of endless warfare and disgusted with the gods who had withdrawn from his people, accepted her submission. He caused her and her nobles to swear that as they called forth the dead, they would solely call forth those warriors who had not been privileged to die in battle and so had not been allowed entrance to Valhalla. She further swore that such undead warriors would be given the opportunity to die in battle or be slain by the caller in fair combat. As is so oft true though, the elves did lie and to this day harass and attack MacLear in Norrath.   After the defeat of Darkmoon, Tormod retired to Halas to rest and recover from his wounds. As he meditated a voice came to him out of the darkness. Olaf the Black, Tormod’s father, who had gone a 'Viking many years before was calling to him. Olaf the Black called from Valhalla that he had found his way back to their ancient home but had died fighting a strange race of savages called the Tomte. He challenged the Sons of Lear and all who had been adopted into their fellowship to return to Midgard of Percival as it was now called, and avenge his death.   Recognizing his age, his wounds, and the need for him to stay in Norrath and lead the colonists there, Tormod called upon his brothers Loden and Torveig to avenge the death of their father and sent them forth to Midgard. As the word spread that Loden and Torveig were to go a' Viking many of the Sons of Lear claimed the ancient privilege of Viking allowing them to accompany Loden and Torveig. Word was sent to Agonisties and Daran in Britannia where they had been granted the boon of long life of the call to Viking. They too were weary of struggling against the bandits and a new wave of the followers of the twisted that was sweeping across Britannia, the savage tribe of EL1T3 D00DZ who having twisted their own existences into a perversion of life, sought to destroy all those who would follow the old ways.   Lanadena, the Shamaness MacLear read the runes of the gods of Midgard and brought the word to Clan MacLear that the newly rediscovered Midgard was at war with Albion and Hibernia. With the death of Uthur’s Son, Arthur of Camelot, his followers had been unleashed to attack Midgard. Sensing a weakness, the vicious Elves of Hibernia had also vowed to exterminate the citizens of the realm of Midgard and had begun moving toward the boundary of the realms.   Tormod called upon the gods of Midgard and asked that the Clan MacLear be granted a boon to come again to their ancient home Even as the Free People set off to Midgard of Percival full of enthusiasm and desire to reclaim their homeland and to extract vengeance on the Albions and Hibernians. Within a day of their arrival in Midgard, the gods spoke to Torveig and later to Loden granting the right of settlement with the provisions that The Free People reclaim their ancient name, Siol Lear, fight the forces of darkness that had infiltrated the land, and defend the realm against its enemies.   In the days that followed, Clan MacLear assembled in the Hall of Names in the city of Jordheim and  was granted the name Siol Lear. On that day, The Free People elected Loden MacLear their Chief in the land of Midgard. Those among the Siol that had been accorded kinship in the ages gone by commonly took the surname MacLear in remembrance of the land from which they had been unjustly evicted by the soldiers of Albion and to commemorate their oath to reclaim their home.   It was given as a boon to all those who were adopted by the Clan MacLear or were descendants of those so adopted in any of the lands the Clan had once lived, to take the surname MacLear in memory of those days and to bear witness to their stolen homeland in the Highlands of Albion. All others were to take the name only after application to the High Council of Siol Lear and approval by the Chief.