1711–1714 Ostland Expedition

The 1711–1714 Ostland Expedition was a diplomatic and exploratory mission of Normark, sent to establish contact with the barbarian polities which had established a presence in eastern Keltia following the demise of Nova England. Ola Valtatsjakk, a leader of the Reindeer Herder indigenous nation and former speaker of the Nordisketing (1679–1685, 1687–1690), was chosen by His Majesty Tarjei Thorgilsson and the Prime Minister, Arnold Christianssønn Einhorn to carry a message of peace and amity to the purported court of Nikolaus VI, the man who had claimed sovereignty over a significant portion of Nova English territory along the shores facing the Warring Islands.

Once the primary mission of delivering the missive to the Reichsborg had been accomplished, the expedition was to continue onwards to Anahuaco, and establish contact with the newly admitted Raspur Pact allies there. The expedition was instructed to survey Arevacía, but not to tarry on its way to Anahuaco.

Departing from Revby, and travelling overland in a caravan of Snatch Land Rovers and pack horses, the expedition was to be accompanied by two eight-man teams from the Elian Militia and the Nordhær respectively, as well as a mounted warband provided by the chieftains of the Green Einhorns, intended to ensure the safety of the expedition as it traversed the Bassarid and harpy infested portions of the ungoverned wilderness.

Account of the expedition

Prologue

Ola Valtatsjakk, the aged Reinish statesman, was helping his eldest great-grandson, also named Ola, outside their goahti, in the central parts of the Boazodoalloguovlu, to tend to the birth of a new reindeer calf. The váža (as female reindeer are termed) was rather young, this was her first birth. Despite this, Ola (the younger one) was nervous. He had tended to many births before, but this was the first time in which he had responsibility. Being fourteen years of age, he had just passed the rite of manhood, and was considered a fellow adult among the Reinish people. It would be another four years before the rest of Normark's society would consider him a legal adult. But that was a matter of semantics.

As members of the Reinish nation, they had far-reaching autonomy. Reinish society was rather separated from that of the rest of the Norse society, and many matters of civil law, such as marriage and schooling, were delegated to the Reinish bodies. Ola and Ola paid little attention to the greater affairs of state – even though Ola the older had a long political career, culminating in holding the Speakership of the Nordisketing for almost ten years in total. This office had even forced him to travel to Eliria every week for meetings with the Council of Eliria. In those days, Normark was part of the Elwynnese Union, and as speaker of the Nordisketing, he was ex officio a member of the supreme legislature of the Union. He knew much of the world outside the Boazodoalloguovlu, spoke several languages (aside from his native Reinish, he spoke Norse, Elw, and some Babkhi, Martino, Alexandrian, and Saxon), but he felt only at peace, and at home, when tending to his herds of reindeer in the Boazodoalloguovlu. Time would pass slowly, it was quiet around him, and there was only he, his family, and their myriads of reindeer. And mosquitoes. Far too many mosquitoes. He hoped that he would never have to leave the Boazodoalloguovlu again, and that he could live out the rest of his days here.

He looked at his eldest great grandson, who had received his name in honour of him, and smiled. The lad was a good Reindeer Herder already, and he managed the váža's delivery without any problems. Great-grandpa didn't even have to intervene once. Suddenly, a tiny slime-covered calf emerged, dropped onto the autumn-reddish ground, and immediately managed to get on its four legs (albeit somewhat clumsily). The two Olas smiled to each other.

The calf was a female, and Ola the elder let the younger decide a name.

"Sigrid," he declared, "in honour of our queen". He referred to Sigrid Årud Jegerdatter.

Ola the elder assented.

Moments later, a helicopter bearing the coat of arms of the Kingdom emerged and landed a few minutes later right in front of them, scaring a way some of the herd (who fled some hundred metres – not a problem – they were all busy grazing anyway and needed some fresh ground to harvest).

Chapter 2: Revby

The party had now arrived at Revby by rail, the town founded to link Normark and Mercury through the Trans-Keltian Express. The town was even named Revby (fox town) in honour of Joe Foxon, the first president of Mercury.