Jan 8, 2014

Rotharkin and Rathuf

Exode tells the story of Parthney's mission to Earth. However, there have been other clones of Thomas who visited our planet.

I previously mentioned Rechmain and Humget. Rechmain lived in Europe during the first half of the 1500s. He teleported Jane Grey from Earth to Klyz.

Many years earlier, Humget had a similar encounter with King Henry's daughter Katherine.

During training for his mission to Earth, Parthney learns about Rechmain, Humget, and another Thomas clone, Rathuf.

Rathuf
Rathuf
Rathuf is is an Interventionist agent who has his own mission to Earth around 1500 years before Parthney is born. After some training on Oib, Rathuf brings some "advanced" technological know-how to ancient Kent. During his visit to Earth, Rathuf resides in Cantwaraburh. He moves into an abandoned building that was originally built by Romans then taken-over by immigrating Jutes then used by a fringe Christian cult before falling into ruins. Rathuf applies his masonry skills to rebuild the crumbling pagan temple.

Rathuf also sets up a glass working facility and tries to interest the local Jutes in "modern" equestrian skills. For the most part, Rathuf's efforts to advance the technological level of England are ignored.

Of course, Rathuf is literate and he makes use of a runic script to record local events and correspond with what passes for the "literati" of ancient east England.

Rotharkin
Rathuf crosses paths with Rotharkin, a local woman who is trying to get on with her life after the death of her husband who was a rich Briton of west England. Rotharkin was born into a Jute clan, but she was married off as part of a peace plan between Britons of west England and Jutes of east England. Her husband was a Christian -of sorts- and Rotharkin adopted the religion of her husband.

After the death of her husband, Rotharkin returns to Jute east England and follows rumors of an abandoned church to Cantwaraburh. She's rather amazed when she finds Rathuf and discovers his talents. Similarly, Rathuf is pleased to find a literate woman who knows the value of cavalry and loves horses.

Rathuf shows Rotharkin the little telescope he has constructed and explains how the positions of the stars can be carefully measured. Rotharkin quickly learns to do calculations and use a compass that Rathuf made.

Rotharkin wants to teach Pelagianism to her fellow Jutes and start converting the local pagans to her religion. Rathuf has no interest in Earthly cults, but he teams up with Rotharkin in order to help further his own Interventionist agenda.

Rotharkin knows that Rathuf is not an ordinary Jute: he speaks the local dialect of what we would call Old English, but he has a non-native accent. When pressed, he claims to be from the mainland of Europe.

Luri in Gwyned's lab
Eventually, Rotharkin attracts the attention of an Overseer. She is teleported off of Earth by Rathuf and debriefed at Klyz. Rathuf and his mission to Earth becomes one of the lessons for Parthney during his own training at Lendhalen.
__________________
A Human Library: 100 BCE, Thrukta's Interventionist mission to the Alps results in the addition of Luri to the human library of the Pla.

No comments:

Post a Comment