Hakon
It was a sunny day. The prefect day for a crowning by another name. Imperial Lord General swore the oath of the Jom, and the office of the Imperial Lord General in front of thousands of many of the assembled legions on the world of Jom.
The Imperial Lord General of the Jom was a king in all but name. More powerful than most kings throughout Furse Space. The King Makers of the Furse.
Frea had been in a sour mood ever since the results of the election had come through. She had already been in once since the discovery that Edmund Lynch had found and donated a Book of Rodger ‘The Lawgiver’ Aegis to the Jom. That priceless artifact was worth more than any of them would make in a lifetime.
Hakon had been thankful that at least Frea had not asked him who he had cast his vote for. He did not believe he could lie to her, no matter how much he might have wished to lie about that small fact. It was not how he was brought up or taught.
Dagfinn stood on the raised platform and recited the oaths in the dress uniform of the Jom that they all wore. The slight difference in color that they all shared based on their legion, and their own clans and houses.
The Imperial Lord General stood a head taller than most. Everyone on that platform was shorter than at least a head, and none held as many medals and pins as the man known as ‘The Giant’. His sash was filled with them from years of service in both the Imperial Guard of Fist and the Imperial Guard of Jom.
Hakon stood with the rest of his retinue in parade formation among the rest of the 113th legion. Large display screens allowed them to witness the event as though they were within the front ranks of the many legions present on world.
Many legions had returned from contract to be part of such an event. Although many more remained off world. Unlike the three major kingdoms that made up Furse Space with their king’s elected and approved by their House of Lords, the Jom gave every member of the Jom a voice in that selection. There were some minor kingdom in the east of Furse Space, in Bothina that likewise had public elections, but they were mostly single planetary system kingdoms.
“For over fourteen hundred years the Order of the Jom as stood strong among the Furse. A pillar of strength and protection. We defeated the Skoll. Removed them from the Old Ruins section of space. We have brought peace to many worlds throughout Furse Space, Bolgar Space, and even Fabian Space. We have defeated the likes of the Baatar in defeat, and the dreaded Techno-Mage Empire,” The newly elected Imperial Lord General said.
“We, the Jom,” Dagfinn continued. “We are all that remain of the once great Empire which ruled this vast section of Space. I will do all in my power to see that our proud traditions don’t just continue, but grow and expand. I will give my life for the Jom, and as we have cleansed the Old Ruins, so to will we cleanse the rest of Furse Space from the foulness of the Fabian Faith.”
“Whoo,” chanted the assembled legions, and even Hakon joined in as he felt Frea’s eyes land on him from next to him. The last orders of High King Jom, the man whose death led to the destruction of the Skoll Gate in the Old Ruins, and founding of the Order by his surviving personal forces was still a strong rallying point, and almost faith onto itself.
The Fabians had continued to push into Furse Space year after year. One small world at a time. One lord, or king, and worked their magic of convertion bring the Furse away from the ways of their ancestors.
“My life for the Jom,” the Imperial Lord General said sharply on his platform.
“My life for the Jom,” Hakon joined into the chorus of shouts which followed and drowned out all other sound. He even thought he heard Frea’s voice chime in, and knew so must have pained her.
