Time Setting: 1173
Genre: Fantasy
Minimum Word Goal: 90,000
Timespan: August–November
Locations: Deneków and Wielisów, Małolasnaród, Lasnaród
Main Characters: Mikolaj Wiktorowić
Background Information:
Born the third of four sons and sixth of twelve children to a farmer and his wife in the little village of Deneków, in the Województwo of Małolasnaród, just north of the Książȩlas of Zielonyliść, a day’s journey east of Wielisów, the capital of Lasnaród, Mikolaj’s life has not merely revolved around the family farm on the edge of the Książȩlas, but has also been marked by tragedy.
First it was his oldest brother dying when he was a year old, then the sister born immediately before him when he was three, the sister born immediately after him when he was seven, his oldest sister and his youngest sister at the time when he was eight, and his younger brother when he was twelve, before his last remaining brother and his father were killed while battling with the forces of the Wódz Książȩ when he was fifteen — and that didn’t even include the siblings that were miscarried over the years, including a miscarriage his mother suffered at the news of her husband and son’s deaths that nearly claimed her life, and has left her in quite delicate condition.
As a result, Mikolaj has only four sisters still living, one who is married with seven children, and three who are younger than him, making them his responsibility, as well as his mother, although his last remaining brother had married and sired two daughters before his death.
Since his brother and sister-in-law lived on the farm at the time of his brother’s death, his sister-in-law and two nieces are also under his care, which is something Mikolaj doesn’t appreciate, mostly because his sister-in-law is lazy, greedy, and — as far as he’s concerned — responsible for the troubles he’s had to wrestle with for the last year.
The conflict wherein his father and brother were killed didn’t conclude before Mikolaj’s sixteenth birthday, meaning that he was called upon to serve the Wódz Książȩ in the conflict, which was between two sons of the Wódz Książȩ’s older half-brother, and the son of one of those two sons — who was, thus, the Wódz Książȩ’s great-nephew — until it concluded about about six months after Mikolaj’s sixteenth birthday.
Upon returning home, Mikolaj was shocked to find his brother and sister-in-law’s home in ruins, and two thirds of the family’s grain field charred stubble. When the surviving grain was harvested, it was found that a third of the harvested grain had fire damage as well, making it unsuitable for eating or using as seed.
No one really knows how the fire started, but Mikolaj is convinced that it was his sister-in-law’s doing, even if he doesn’t know how or why she did it; thus he doesn’t appreciate the fact that, during the ensuing lean winter, his sister-in-law seemed to be completely ignorant of their predicament.
Netting only a quarter of the expected harvest left Mikolaj’s family unable to sell any extra grain for money, and on a limited supply of bread for themselves to make sure they had enough grain to plant the following year in an effort to rebuild.
As a result, Mikolaj was forced to butcher the family’s milk cow because her meat was more valuable than her milk, as they didn’t have the money to buy food from anyone, even if they did have fruits and vegetables from their garden to consume, as well as eggs from their laying hens — and the hens themselves.
Throughout it all, however, Mikolaj’s sister-in-law continued to eat heartily, even as Mikolaj, his frail mother, and his oldest younger sister took smaller portions to ensure his youngest sisters and nieces were able to eat well, and had to be goaded severely to lift a finger in help around the farm.
To make matters worse, the ensuing year has yielded inadequate rain throughout the area, setting the family up for another lean year, even if Mikolaj was able to get work logging in the Książȩlas to earn the family some money until things get better.
Since his sister-in-law’s father is still alive, Mikolaj wants to see her move in with him, but his mother continues to urge him to be patient with her, although Mikolaj doesn’t know how much more he can take.
He hopes that the brother of the Wódz Książȩ, who ascended to the same title in the spring on the death of his older brother, will lead to some positive changes that might alleviate his family’s predicament, but, at the same time, he’s not altogether sure if the Wódz Książȩ — despite living just a day’s journey away — really has any interest in the needs, cares, and struggles of the residents of little drought-stricken villages, no matter how near they might be.
Pronunciations:
Deneków: dehnehkawv
Wielisów: veeehlihsawv
Małolasnaród: mahwawlahsnahrawd
Lasnaród: lahsnahrawd
Mikolaj: meekawlae
Wiktorowić: vihktawrawveech
Województwo: vawyehvawdztvaw
Książȩlas: k’seeohsahlahs
Zielonyliść: zeeehlawnihleeshch
Wódz: vawdz
Książȩ: k’seeohsah
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