Rise of Rurik

A towering wooden tower stands outside the city of New Rose Fort, it is conspicuous enough that people from a distance can see its phantom.

The tall object made people eager to try it, and even some children tried to climb, but they noticed that there was sticky grease on it, and they left by themselves crying.

A batch of fat harvested from seals and minke whales is refined into oil, which can be used as lamp oil and refined into soap, and this festive season is an excellent fuel for combustion.

A variety of animal fats are boiled into liquid and sprinkled on the wooden tower. Due to the low temperature, the fats harden and paste a layer, and even paste on the charcoal of the base.

A large stack of hay was piled up, and on the night of the sacrifice, Rurik personally lit the hay stack, and then ignited the entire wooden tower.

Just so that a fire tower can be quickly made?

Rurik secretly prepared some special operations.

Two large sacks of stinky white powder, mortals do not know what that means, only that these things are obtained from deliberately fermented dung.

It is soil nitrate, and the nitrate that could have been used as fertilizer was sprinkled on the haystack. Now, as long as the tiny sparks are very likely to cause the haystack to explode.

Rurik wanted to give the onlookers a splendid viewing experience, and secondly, to systematically test whether these nitrates, which were made from dung, worked well.

The preparations for the festive season are coming to an end, and people who went to hunt in remote areas have also returned with their prey to "Chinese New Year". For a while, the ice fishermen disappeared, and forest catchers gathered in the city. They returned with their supplies, and the city's market was further noisy, with clamors of hawking one after another.

Behold! There are hunters selling squirrel skins everywhere, and even tough squirrel meat at a lower price.

In some areas outside the city, especially on the sandbars along the coast, open-air BBQ stalls are set up one after another. Some families simply bring their families to set up tents, just to participate in the grand ceremony at close range, and even see the towering wooden tower burning.

A piece of news is circulating that the so-called princes will show a kind of miracle, and there will be a flame column that shoots directly into the sky in the fire tower, just like Yemengade is breathing fire. The giant python Yemengad is said to be a terrifying sea monster, and it has even been seen burrowing out of the sea to breathe fire. I don't know where this statement came from. In short, the Viking people from all walks of life have the same memory. They believe that the fire-breathing Yemengade really exists. (That is, the Icelandic volcanic eruption was seen by a vote of fishermen fishing far away)

Of course, Yermengard could not have appeared in New Roseburg, and Odin would not condone the appearance of such a terrifying monster.

Then the prince mentioned this monster,

Presumably this year's fire tower must be gorgeous.

This is the reason why a large number of temporary tents are assembled on the coastal sandbar. The cold wind from the north can sweep this open area, and the north wind is like a knife, but no one wants to leave.

Today is the shortest day of the year. In the hometown of Roseburg, it has been plunged into "day without day", while Elrond Castle and Narvik Port further north are simply plunged into complete polar night.

Although the latitude of New Roseburg is lower, today's day is also pitifully short.

The pleasant thing is that the sky has been clear for the past few days.

Now it can be said that the moon and stars are sparse and clear, and the high moon is so bright that even the emerald green aurora is dimmed.

Before the time for the sacrifice, some smart people found the positions of the Pleiades and the Big Dipper, and observed their current positions to determine the current time. This method is no problem to use in the polar night. In a sense, the astrolabe of the sky makes a large virtual watch, and the Pleiades and the Big Dipper can be used as the hands of the watch. Of course, among the Vikings, such iconic stars were crowned with the symbol of the Valkyrie.

Rumia is making final preparations at the Great Temple in the city.

Even with a big belly now, the majesty and nobility of the high priest cannot be lost! What's more, this year's situation is really special!

For a girl, this year's Hanukkah ritual was the beginning of her fortune.

Among the many lower-level priestesses, a small figure was extremely dazzling.

She is only four-year-old Velika, and her destiny in this life was established before she was born - the hereditary high priest of the duchy.

Even if a four-year-old girl lives a pampered life, she is still weak, even walking clumsily and talking with milk in her milk. But now that she has learned to run, she should fulfill her destiny.

Velika hasn't seen her biological mother for a while. She obeys her mother's words, and how curious is her mother's dress like a reindeer now?

Rumia also arranges her big braids with the assistance of the lower priests. As the so-called psychic braids cannot be lost, all the priestesses have the same big braids. Her long black hair reached her waist, and the whip tied like a cable could be wrapped around her head. The fact is that the uniform hairstyle of the priests of the temple has attracted some women who go to the temple to worship the god to follow it. Their blond hair can't be straight down, and there are many people around their heads, which are fixed with wooden branches to form a garland.

Four-year-old Vilia had her braids tied up like her. Seeing that her mother had no time to take care of herself, her curiosity drove her small body to embrace the ancestral antler helmet of the Rus people with both hands.

The antler helmet was placed on the table, but she was stunned by it. The heavy helmet fell, bringing the poor child down.

The voice attracted Rumia's side glances, and she saw her daughter sitting on the ground with her helmet on her head, with her big eyes as if she was about to cry.

The mother came hurriedly, bent down and picked up the helmet, but this act caused Velika to cry.

"What's the matter? I heard the child cry as soon as I came in."

Rurik's arrival was too coincidental. When he first came in, he saw his precious daughter crying while covering her face, and Rumia, who was already holding a huge antler helmet, was embarrassed.

"What's the matter?! How can a good child cry?"

Hearing that his father was coming, Villa immediately cried in a milky voice: "Re-give-me--"

"Give it back to you? Okay, I'll give it to you." Rumia hurriedly looked at her helmet, and simply buckled it on her daughter's little head with a hint of anger.

For a moment, Willia stopped crying!

This move really surprised Rurik, Rumia, and even the other lower-level priests present.

Or perhaps it was more joy for Rurik.

At least Veria giggled with both hands on the huge helmet buckled to her head, as if it was hers.

"Lumia, it looks like she can't wait to be a high priest. She... accepts her destiny completely."

Rumia was overjoyed by Rurik's words, but she still took the antler helmet back and warned her daughter: "It will be yours in the future, at least not now. You will attend the ceremony in person tonight, and promise me not to be afraid. Don't cry."

"Um!"

"When you see your father killing a deer, you must not scream. When you see a wooden tower on fire, you must not scream."

"Um!"

...

The young mother personally taught the ignorant daughter verbally, and Rurik could see it strangely, not to mention how happy he was in his heart. He was very happy to see this funny and warm scene, but the memorial ceremony that would happen later was destined to be too exciting.

The wives and concubines brought by Rurik must all participate as priests of the lower level, and his daughter Verika is the youngest priest. She is too young, and this year's ceremony is just showing her face. As she grows older, she will gradually become the natural deputy of the high priest.

The stars are changing, the constellation is drifting to its proper position, and the sacrifice will begin when the station is completed.

The Great Winter Solstice Ceremony in AD 837 was the grandest sacrifice since the founding of New Rose Fort, and the first sacrifice after the completion of the "Valhalla of the Crystal Temple".

Although the main sacrifice site is the open-air stone boat altar near the sandbar at the mouth of the Neva River, the towering wooden tower is it.

The sacrificial activities started from the Great Temple, and in the form of a torch parade, the priests went to the altar outside the city.

Everyone is looking forward to the grand platoon leader, and Rurik will give everyone a splendid pomp.

Behold! All the towers along the walls of New Roseburg were lit with turpentine torches, the Harvest Square was overcrowded, and a large number of people held up torches, brightening the world, which was already illuminated by the moon and lasers.

Look at those cavalry units, the Pechenegs including Kagan also participated in the festival of Hanukkah in the Principality of Ross in the form of horsemen. From Kagan's standpoint, today Japan is the Karakin Festival of the prairie people.

The one hundred and thirty cavalry all held high torches, dressed as standard Rusian warriors, and even the war horses were wrapped in a white cloth stitched with blue stripes.

The cavalry was of course particular about their appearance. They escorted the walking priest team to the altar. The so-called escort was sacred, and it showed their nobility. Ideally, they should show the new cavalry regiment of the Principality to the parading Valkyries.

All the soldiers of the Principality of Ross in the city put on their own uniforms, and they spontaneously assembled for a very suitable armed parade.

The sacrifice started from the Harvest Square. Thousands of torches gathered into a gorgeous light and shadow. One of the torches, a fire dragon, began to walk on Nevsky Prospekt and went straight to the west gate of the city.

Rurik rode a tall Turkic horse, and Rumia, wearing a helmet with antlers, sat sideways on the front of the saddle.

She was treated like this as a high priest, and the wives and concubines of Svetlana, Noron, and Carlotta who were walking on foot were really envious.

Envy is envy, and now he is a guest of the lower-level priest in plain clothes, thanks to the woolen and leather clothes wrapped in it, so that he does not shiver.

A cheerful girl tried her best to catch up with the team, and Velika was already jogging happily on the snowy road without worrying about her exhaustion.

Many accompanying people noticed this cute little guy, and it was no secret that they underestimated Velika's identity.

At least the grown-up Veria serves as the high priest, and any criticism of the high priest candidate will be dissipated. After all, Rumia herself was born as a slave. She was appointed by the deceased high priest and was the first servant of the prince. That is why she has the status she has now. Her identity cannot be completely convincing by nature. . This innocent girl is the princess of the Principality, and she will be a great high priest in the future.

Ten deer as sacrifices were led, and finally the deer were placed in the stone boat altar outside the city.

Regarding the smoothness of Hanukkah sacrifices, the Principality has retained written instructions since the tribal era, and now it is simply transcribed on paper. In theory, as long as Rurik wishes, mass production of printing can be done immediately. This is the official document of the so-called Hanukkah Sacrificial Etiquette Code, which is to be preserved from generation to generation, and its wood-carved version has directly become one of the relics of the Principality.

According to the tradition, Lumia led the middle and lower priests to perform ethereal "Nordic singing", and the drum and horn sounds added during the period enhanced the sense of sanctity.

The onlookers maintained an absolute tacit understanding, they shut up spontaneously, and even scolded the stubborn children to keep quiet.

Neither Kagan nor Ragnar had ever seen such a sacrifice scene.

The sacrifices in the grasslands are more of the priests dancing the gods. After that, there is a feeling of heaven and man with Tengger, and the gods declare that the weather will be good for the cattle and sheep next year. After that, the people ate, drank, sang and danced at the Karakin Festival.

The Hanukkah Ragnar experienced in his lost homeland has a similar routine to that of the Rus, but the lively ceremony and variety of the ceremony are still invincible by the Rus.

The Pechenegs and the Danes were eye-opening, watching what would happen next.

Thousands of eyes were fixed on the dagger held by Rurik.

Behold! Ten bucks were brought down one by one.

This move is really a ceremonial reserved program, and the sacrifices are slaughtered by the prince himself, so as to communicate with Odin in the most convenient way.

The deer livers were dug up one after another, and Rumia held a deer liver in her hands and let the deer blood drip on her face, announcing the omen of "good luck".

As soon as she finished speaking, Rurik took his dagger and raised a torch.

In this situation, the scene that everyone is looking forward to is now, the prince is going to set fire to it!

Rurik knew very well that everyone was paying attention to him, but his daughter Veria, who had been ordered to remain stable, suddenly ran over and grabbed his pants.

The daughter's reckless behavior was very inappropriate, but it was not easy for Rurik to get angry in public now.

But looking at her daughter's serious face again, it seems that she knows exactly what she is doing.

For a moment, Rurik shuddered.

Velika smiled calmly and muttered in milk: "Fire tower. Give me the torch."

"For you? Why?" Rurik asked softly.

"You said it, and my mother said it. I am the future high priest. This is my first time. I want to set fire to it."

The daughter's attitude was stubborn, but Rurik knew that he had added a lot of raw material to the haystack, and the entire tower was a pile of charcoal and oil spilled. It was already a dangerous "powder keg". ,

If Veria throws the torch unreliably, she must not hurt herself, which is contrary to the good omen.

"How about we go together?"

"it is good."

Under the watchful eyes of the public, the situation developed into the prince holding the torch high and holding the hand of the princess of the duchy.

Standing in front of the haystack, Rurik knew that he threw the torch over, and the deflagration started immediately.

Velika was simply picked up by him, and the father and daughter held the same torch.

"Are you ready?"

"Um."

"Now, let's throw!"

Rurik threw the torch vigorously, and Veria's little hand lightly loosened the torch. It was Rurik who threw the torch vigorously, only to see that it touched the haystack, and the expected deflagration occurred decisively.

The soil and salt burned, and the fluffy dry reeds that were deliberately piled up instantly burst into flames. What everyone saw was a fireball that appeared instantly from nothing, and the entire haystack burned.

Rurik could feel the heat from the deflagration. He subconsciously covered his daughter's face in his arms, while he squinted to watch the fireball being born.

People roaring and cheering!

Just like the detonation of haystacks, the quiet people instantly released their backlogged emotions. People from all over the city came to participate in the grand event. More than 5,000 people roared at the same time, and the sound wave even shook off a lot of snow.

The haystacks turned into fireballs, the flames encountered dry charcoal and grease, and the combustion was rapidly expanding.

The resin-rich branches began to burn, causing sky-high soot. The onlookers were not choked, just because the hollow structure of the wooden tower that Rurik deliberately did became a chimney, or a blast furnace. Indeed, the temperature of the core area in the lower layer is enough to burn bronze.

The grey smoke is getting thicker, but...

what is that? !

It's flames! It is the flaming breath of Yemengarde!

Not really. That is the long-awaited fire tower.

People watched the burning of the wooden tower with great interest. The initial smoke and dust had been dispelled by the flames. A giant torch stood outside the city of New Rose Fort. The wide area was illuminated by this burning object comparable to the sun, and the light actually came back.

The cheering people began to retreat, but even so, the brave warrior wiped his face with snow, rushed to the fire tower with the deer carcass in his hand, threw the deer at the risk of being burnt to death, and then hurried to the distance and jumped. Cool down in the snow.

The snow is melting in a large area, and people are happily evacuating to safe areas, including but not limited to the full evacuation of priests from the stone boat altar.

It is like the sun, with deadly heat and a sense of security. It touched the depths of everyone's heart, and everyone was inexplicably excited when they saw the fire, and now this giant torch directly aroused everyone's excitement.

Ragnar and Kagan were stunned, they never thought that the Russ would actually like this kind of grand pomp. Looking at the pillar of fire rushing into the sky, the two of them didn't understand the chimney effect, and they really thought this was the miracle of the prince.

Everyone saw a flame column that was thought of by the fire tower itself, and the entire fire tower was there, burning violently.

It is destined to burn for a long time, and in this case, as long as it burns, everyone will revel for as long as possible.

This is where the festive carnival begins with the flames of the fire tower.

In this way, the Duchy of Rus ushered in the dawn of AD 838!