Conagal Mac Ewan

Player: Kevin    Type: Companion    Status: Active

Last Update: Winter 807

Character Sheet

Character Story

 

Conagal mac Ewan

 

Conagal was born in 775 AD. He was born into Clan Moray, the seventh child of his parents. Clan Moray had agreed to let the Abbey at Murback be built on their lands. For several generations the Clan regularly served at the Abbey both helping where needed and providing protection in times of strife. Conagal was enamored with the Abbey from an early age. He showed great enthusiasm for the Gospel and quickly became a favorite of the Abbot. At first the Abbot thought he might join the brethren there, but eventually realized that the boy didn't have the makings of a good monk.

In his twelfth year Conagal began to grow. And grow he did. He was soon a head taller than all the other boys his age. He loved to be outdoors running and hunting with the boys a couple years his senior. Whenever possible he sailed with the fisherman and worked the livestock with the herdsman. He worked hard at war-play, eventually mastering the great sword and giving seasoned warriors a run for their money. He still spent time at the Abbey in the dark of winter, but for some reason could never master his letters. Abbot Fordun, among the most patient of men, finally gave up trying to teach him to scribe, and settled for teaching him to recite the Hymns in Latin.

Conagal never really discussed his friend Tuc. He soon realized that everyone could see Tuc, who generally came around as the shadows lengthened at the end of the day. But Tuc was great company and made Conagal laugh with his funny stories and ridiculous lies. The two became fast friends. Conagal had heard of the Night People, but never really believe the tales. There were even stories that his grandfather had a lover from their lands. Occasionally, when he was young, one of the boys would make the mistake of teasing him about the stories. Conagal vigorously defended his family honor and left more than one or two lads bleeding their apologies.

As is often the case, Clan Moray feuded with other clans and were called upon by the King to join his war band. Young Conagal marched with the men as soon as he was allowed. His bravery and recklessness earned him high praise among the Clan members. Around this time he discovered girls and attacked that particular interest with the same youthful enthusiasm he had his other physical pursuits. Conagal was happy in his life and things were going well for his Clan. He began to settle down and was courting a special lass with his eye on making her his bride.

Until his 19^th birthday.

Clan Migvie had been growing in power and began feuding with Clan Moray over grazing lands and livestock. At first it was all the usual sort of events that happen when clans are feuding: livestock being chased away and scattered, the occasional brawl at the market, boats found on shore with a hole in the hull. This soon escalated to outright hostilities. Then strange things started happening. Crops went bad, cattle died mysteriously, and the weather turned awful. But other clans in the next glen had none of these problems. Talk of a curse on Clan Moray began to be muttered among the people. Other clans would find reasons not to trade them and visitors became rare.

The Abbot counseled prayer for aid from God. But no matter how much the Clan prayed, the curse got worse. The Abbott went to visit Clan Migvie to see if he could patch up relations between the two Clans. One of the brothers that accompanied him came back a few days later, disheveled and scratched up from running through the wild lands. He met with the elders of the Clan at the Abbey for the better part of a day. Word soon spread that the Clan Migvie had taunted the Abbot and challenged his faith. They took him and put him to a test. All kinds of wicked things were called up and sent against him, but prayed fervently to God for protection and the foul things could not touch him. Then they whipped him with a flail of thorns until he bled and cried out to God to end his suffering. So they tied him to a holly tree and left him there, stopping now and then to throw stones at him or piss on him when he asked for water. The brother escaped and ran back to Clan Moray to tell this tale.

The Clan elders were enraged. Soon every able bodied man and boy were armed and marching for the Migvie Clan. Everyone knew that despite his size, Conagal could slip through the night unseen. Conagal's father, Ewan, pulled him aside and told him that his job was to get into village and rescue the Abbot. Conagal desperately wanted to fight the Migvie. But his father explained that Conagal could do the job of two men since he was good at not being seen and strong enough to carry the Abbot back, for he doubted the Abbot Fordun would be able to walk back himself.

So Conagal broke from the band and began making his way towards the Migvie. Meanwhile, the Migvie had heard of the Clan Moray's approach and went forth to meet them, carefully choosing their ground.

When Conagal arrived, he waited outside the village until darkness came. His friend Tuc joined him for a while, but said he couldn't enter the village to help. He did promise to keep an eye out in case the men returned. Conagal crept into the village and found the Abbot right away. The Migvie village had a circle of holly trees in the center and the Abbot was strapped to the largest one. As Conagal began cutting the binding that held the Abbot to the tree he heard a noise behind him. One of the Migvie women, looking as wild as any animal was rushing forward with a knife in her hand. Conagal gave her a stout punch the jaw and knocked her out. But the damage was done. Two other women came out and began chanting and pointing at him. The hair on the back of his neck stood straight out. The Abbot moaned something unintelligible. Conagal rushed the closest of the two woman and struck. Her head came off cleanly with a single blow. The other woman shrieked as if she had been struck. As Conagal rushed her a strange thing happened – her body turned into a mist and his sword passed harmlessly through her.

Though he could see the shape of her in the mist, he couldn't find anything solid to strike. But she kept chanting and he began to see dark shadows at the edges of his sight. Strange things, unholy things, moving about like shadows. The Abbot moaned again. Conagal, seeing nothing else to do, savagely cut the last of the rope binding the Abbot and threw him over his shoulder. The strange shadows seemed to recede. He carried Fordun as far and fast as he could. When he could go no further, he cut some boughs to fashion a crude shelter and fetched water for the two of them. He kept watch throughout the night. But as long as the Abbot was close, the shadows did not come.

The next day as he continued home he heard the marching of men and much laughter. He quickly hid and kept his hand over the Abbot's mouth as the Migvie men returned home. As soon as they were out of sight, he hefted the Abbot over his shoulder and moved as quickly as he could. Soon the Migvie came howling out of their village, eager to avenge the death of one of their own.

The pursuit forced Conagal to move in a different direction. He moved through streams, across hard rock when he was able, and doing his best to obscure his path when there were trail junctions. For three days he ran as fast as he could, carrying the Abbot and only rested when he could go no further. Finally they saw lights from another monastery and sought shelter there. The monks took them in and did their best for the poor Abbot. Finally, after a few days, Conagal was convinced his pursuers had given up the chase. Rested and fed, he made his way home.

When he arrived his friend Tuc stopped him and told him to go no further. Fearing the worst, Conagal pushed past him and came upon the village of Clan Moray. There was nothing left but corpses and burned out buildings. He searched frantically as tears streamed down his face. He found his mother and sisters – all dead. As he continued to look for survivors he realized none of the bodies had a wound on them, but many had looks of terror frozen on their faces. He ran to the Abbey and found more of the same. Not a single brother was left alive.

After checking every body twice he was convinced there was no one left alive. After some time, Tuc came and threw his arm around his shoulder and led him away. They crossed into the land of the Night People before they rested. Somehow Tuc had food waiting for them and they sat in silence. Conagal could not eat, but he consumed all the beer Tuc had brought along. Finally Tuc told him what had happened.

The men of Migvie fought his clansmen near the Firth. At first Clan Moray looked as though they would prevail. But then bad things came and fought alongside the Migvie. Near the end of the fight the bad things, as one, cried out, and rushed back towards the Migvie village at inhuman speeds. But the damage was done and the men of Clan Moray were wiped out. Stragglers were chased down and the wounded killed without a second thought. There were no survivors.

A couple days later the bad things came into his village and finished the last of Clan Moray. But Tuc was clever, he had seen the leader of Clan Moray stagger away with a grievous wound and fall into a thicket. Tuc took his Torc and the clan sword and hidden them away for Conagal. They were here in his lands, waiting. The two spent several days together, mostly in silence. Tuc always had food and beer for them. Eventually, Conagal asked for the sword and torc and swore his revenge. But Tuc told him that he would need friends to come back and face the Migvie. And that Tuc had heard their witches were in a froth after he had killed one of their number. But Conagal was not to be dissuaded. Finally Tuc relented and told him he would lead him out.

But clever Tuc lead him out into strange lands, across the water, and far from the Migvie. He told Conagal that he needed time to plan and gain friends to face the Migvie. He said that Conagal would be safe, for a while at least, on the other side of the water. Conagal was pissed, even though he saw the wisdom in his friends words, he wanted revenge and he wanted it now. He didn't care if he died in the Migvie village as long as he could creep in and kill the witches first. But Tuc told him they would be careful now and that the bad things were watching for him.

At some point when Conagal wasn't watching, Tuc disappeared back into his lands.