The religious irony was not lost where the timing of this press release was concerned. The World Viking Organisation announed on Christmas Day 2009 that Viking District of the Mid West of the United States of America was now under the control of First Daughter Sigrún Aasgard, by right of challenge and conquest, in that the First Daughter Iðúnn Aasgard of the Western United States, who previously also held control of the Mid West had delined to travel to the Mid West to participate in a formal duel, and her representative in the Mid West, Fourth in Line Sonia Aasgard, was challenged under the Right of Formal Conquest for control of the region and was defeated by First Daughter Sigrún Aasgard.

This change ends a period of interregnum in the Mid West, after the departure from the United States of First Daughter Arnhilde Aasgard and her line, as they left to explore new conquests and opportunities. Sigrún gave formal thanks to the line of Iðúnn for stepping in to provide stable custodial management of Viking interests in the Mid West during this time.

This is the week it all went wrong for Mathilda! Was it hubris? Was it ego? Was it foolish?

Once again showing the flair and showmanship that has come to characterise a Mathilda! battle, this week’s opponent had a sting in his tail. Already down and fading fast, clearly Mathilda! considered him gone and forgotten as she turned to take the applause of the royal box. But today she had an opponent with a grudge, and with a last death gasp, he managed to slit Mathilda open and unleash several feet of her small intestines over his dead remains.

The fight already having been called a Mathilda! victory, the healers rushed on to attempt to save her life, but with such massive injuries, the only available option was the coat rack spell, and the entangled bodies of Mathilda! and Brutus Reiker were carried rigid from the arena as silence fell.

As we eagerly await news of her status from the Mathilda! camp, odds are going crazy as to whether she will be back as scheduled next Saturday, whether her bold pledge to fight successive weeks is now in tatters, or whether her life is now in real danger – can she recover sufficiently to regain her fighting fitness in even the mandatory 3 months until she must fight again.

15th September 2009

In news just released today, the Icelandic government announced that the country had accepted terms to underwrite the entire debt burden it had suffered under the world banking crisis. The World Viking Organisation, previously a privately funded group, has in effect purchased the entire Icelandic banking industry with hard currency and commodities, including bullion and gemstones.

Details of the deal are yet to be fully revealed, but the government did announce that there would be wide ranging changes throughout Icelandic life as a result of this deal.

A later release stated that the Icelandic parliament had ratified the deal to restructure the finances of the country, and that the first clause of that deal, the details of which would remain secret in the interests of national security, was the unanimous election of First Daughter Rán Aagard as President of Iceland. The new President will immediately begin a national tour, where she will visit every township in the land and address local people at a series of open meetings, to put forward the vision of the new Viking Nation of Iceland.

The marriage takes place before an altar to Roland in the open air in the forum of Casablanca, and George, Arnhilde and Geraldine stand at the foot of the steps facing the altar, with George on the right. The High Priest of Roland, Alex Westgate, and the Casablanca Minister of Religious Affairs, David Erikson, stand atop the steps looking down at them, and out at the people seated all around the forum. The Emperor and Empress are seated in a Royal stall, which has been built on the left hand side of the altar. The high priest’s stall is built on the right hand side, and the High Priest of Truth is seated there next to Alex and David’s unoccupied stalls. Alex speaks:

Today we are gathered together before the eyes of the all seeing deities, and also in the presence of their most noble majesties the Emperor and Empress, to celebrate and witness the joining of this man and these women in the holy state of matrimony, as ordained in the Words of Roland.

Marriage is an honourable estate, and therefore should not be taken into hand unadvisedly, lightly, or wantonly, to satisfy the carnal lusts and appetites of man, like base beasts of the field that have no understanding, but reverently, advisedly and soberly, considering at length the reasons for which the Words of Roland did ordain it.

Primarily, it was ordained for the procreation of children, that they might be born with the honour and dignity of their line, fit to stand before the Emperor and offer their service in honour to him when their time comes, sure in the knowledge that they will be found worthy to serve, and not distasteful and tainted in his sight.

Secondly it was ordained that a household might live together and support each other both in prosperity and adversity, for their mutual help and comfort.

Thirdly, it was ordained for the protection of women, that those who devote their lives to the raising of children and the running of a Household might have the protection and security of that Household enshrined in Law.

Therefore that is the state into which these persons now desire to be joined, and I must ask whether any here present know just cause or impediment why these persons should not be so joined, under the Laws of the Empire. If so, they should speak out now, or forever keep their peace unto the grave.

When none speak out, he turns to George, Arnhilde and Geraldine and continues:

I require and charge you all now, as you will answer at the dreadful day of judgement, when you stand before the Divine Dorlan, master of the Halls of the Dead in all his Glory, your soul naked and laid bare, that if you know of just cause or impediment why ye may not be joined into matrimony ye must declare it now, for as Dorlan sees all, so he will know that if ye are joined outside of the Law, then your joining has no validity, being exposed to sin, and your offspring will be forever defiled.

When neither speak, he continues:

George, dost thou take Arnhilde to be thy wedded wife, living together in the estate of matrimony. Wilt thou love her, comfort her, honour and keep her, place her above all others and take no others but that she consents as long as ye both shall live?

George answers:  I do.

George, dost thou take Geraldine to be thy wedded mistress, welcoming her into thy Household. Wilt thou love her, comfort her, honour and keep her as long as ye both shall live?

George answers:  I do.

Arnhilde, wilt thou have George to be thy wedded husband, living together in the state of matrimony. Wilt thou obey him, serve him, love, honour and keep him, and forsaking all others bear thy children only unto him, as long as ye both shall live?

Arnhilde answers:  I will

Arnhilde, wilt thou consent that George shall take Geraldine to be his mistress. Wilt thou welcome her into thy Household, comfort her, honour and keep her as long as ye all shall live?

Arnhilde answers:  I will

Geraldine, dost thou take George to be thy wedded consort, living in his Household. Wilt thou obey him, serve him, love, honour and keep him, placing yourself subject to Arnhilde, and forsaking all others bear thy children only unto him as long as ye all shall live?

Geraldine answers:  I do

Alex continues:

I now call upon you to make your oaths to each other, heard by the gods, binding in Law, and witnessed by this august company present here today.

George and Arnhilde join hands and then Alex leads George in his oath:

I, George Helgram, do take thee, Arnhilde Aasgard, to be my wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part, in accordance with the Words of Roland, and thereto I plight thee my troth.

Alex leads Arnhilde in her oath:

I, Arnhilde Aasgard, take thee George Helgram, to be my wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better and for worse, for richer and for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, cherish and obey, till death us do part, in accordance with the Words of Roland, and thereto I give thee my troth.

George and Arnhilde join hands with Geraldine and then Alex leads George in his oath:

I, George Helgram, do take thee, Geraldine, to be my mistress, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part, in accordance with the Words of Roland, and thereto I plight thee my troth.

Alex leads Arnhilde in her oath

I, Arnhilde Aasgard, do welcome thee, Geraldine, to be our mistress, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part, in accordance with the Words of Roland, and thereto I grant the my consent.

Alex leads Geraldine in her oath

I, Geraldine, do take thee, George Helgram, to be my wedded consort, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part, in accordance with the Words of Roland, and thereto I plight thee my troth.

George and Arnhilde exchange rings, each in turn saying:

With this ring I thee wed, with my body I thee honour, and all my worldly goods with thee I share, in accordance with the Law.

George and Arnhilde give a ring to Geraldine, with George saying:

With this ring I take thee as mistress, with my body I thee honour, and all my worldly goods with thee I share, in accordance with the Law.

David Erikson then concludes the marriage saying:

For as much as George and Arnhilde with Geraldine have consented together in wedlock, and have witnessed the same here in the presence of the Emperor and this congregation, and thereto have given and pledged their troth and consent either to other, and have declared the same by the exchanging of rings, and joining of hands, I pronounce that they be a wedded household together in the eyes of the gods, the Light and the Law.

Let the blessings of all forces considered holy by any here present this day shine forth upon these who have given themselves to each other, as they go forth into the rest of their lives together, in the names of those which we here each hold in our hearts as sacred.

At this point a flash of Lightning and a loud crack of Thunder splits the air in the otherwise blue skies, and there is a pause as the rumble of thunder subsides.

Then, taking a white sash is brought from the altar by Alex, and with it David ceremonially binds the hands of George, Arnhilde and Geraldine together, saying:

Those whom the gods have seen joined this day, let no man put asunder.

At this point, David and Alex turn and bow to Sirius in his stall and then retire to their own stalls. Emperor Sirius rises, and followed by Empress Sirenna who bears two laurel wreath coronets, walk to stand in front of George, Arnhilde and Geraldine. George and Arnhilde kneel before Sirius, and geraldine kneels behind them as the Emperor faces them.

George and Arnhilde, in recognition of your services to us, and as our formal gift to celebrate your marriage, We would give to you all the Lands and Shadows now known as the External Empire, to rule as Regens and Regensia. Will you swear here to us and before these witnesses, to rule, protect, and administer these lands in our name, and bring forth such aid and dues as we might from time to time request, and defend these lands for the greater Empire of Eboracum, with your lives and all your means and abilities, in accordance with the Words of the Gods, the Decrees of the Emperors, and any such other Decrees as you feel necessary and right for the benefit of your people and the discharge of this oath?

George and Arnhilde answer together:  We do so swear.

Sirius takes the coronets in turn placing them upon George’s and Arnhilde’s heads. Then he says:

Arise Regens George and Regensia Arnhilde of Casablanca.

A fanfare sounds, and then then music from an orchestra starts playing, and the procession forms up with Alex and David leading the happy couple, Geraldine directly behind them, followed by other Imperial ministers and priests and immediate family of the new Household, and finally the Emperor and his retinue. The procession walks accompanied by the music, in to the gates of the Regens Palace, where the wedding banquet will be held.