The Question of the 'Man in Furs'
The ceiling fresco of the ballroom, formerly the Great Hall, dates from Amil II's reign. Its striking design, bold execution and unique contribution to the historical record place it amongst the most valuable artworks of the palace. […] Prominent in the southern grouping of the main panel is the so-called 'Man in Furs', whose identity has generated considerable debate. The tall, bearded figure, depicted greater than life-sized, is clad entirely in furs and carries an unidentified rod-like object. Early scholars concluded, based primarily on the comparative size and primitive clothing, that the image represents a mythological figure, perhaps the Earth Shaker. A donation to the Tannoreth Palace archive in 2968 of notes and sketches attributed to Harilla Flissdaughter, the artist responsible for parts of the Great Hall frieze, shed fresh light on the question. The Flissdaughter material supports a tentative identification of the figure with the leader of Dalemark for the Free, a small band which fought across Southern Dalemark during the final years of the Civil War, indiscriminately opposing both Amil I's army and those of the southern earls. The group continued to operate sporadically until June 2811, three years after the signing of the Treaty of Neathdale.
The late Professor Anor Orilson argues in his book Hobin: Man & Myth that the figure depicts Hobin of Waywold, innovative gunsmith and leader of the Holand insurrection, and identifies the object the figure holds as an early example of the rifle that Hobin invented. Orilson concludes that Hobin joined Dalemark for the Free after Holand was taken by Amil I, and rose to become its leader. The fact that he is not named in contemporary sources after 2804 has, however, led the majority of contemporary scholars to consider that Hobin perished either in the sacking of Holand by the armies of Waywold and Dermath, or in the later siege of the city by Amil I's forces.
From Singer, L. Art Treasures of Tannoreth Palace (Royal Kernsburgh Press; 2999)
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The Seventies: Hobin's Way
The late seventies and eighties saw historical drama hit the mainstream. Ahead of the pack was Hobin's Way, a low-budget docudrama created by historian Anor Orilson, which ran for three series between 2977 and 2980. Set during the Civil War, it was loosely adapted from Orilson's best-selling books on the life of Hobin the Bloody. Orilson first offered the concept to Royal Dalemark Broadcasting, going to Mount Tanil only after they turned it down. It was to become one of MTTV's most successful series, with a particular following in Nepstan. The theme music, based on the song 'Hobin the Free' (believed by many fans of the show to have been written by Amil the Great himself), reached number two in the charts.
The series is remembered for its bleak tone and realistic depiction of the atrocities committed by both sides during the five years of conflict. Featuring starvation, cannibalism, rape, torture and every manner of gruesome death, the programme always pushed the limits of what was acceptable to the board of censors, but captured the public imagination during a period of economic downturn. The shocking final episode, 'The Rebel and the King', attracted a record-breaking 9 million viewers, despite being moved from its usual early evening slot because of 'extreme images of violence'. Just over 30 seconds of footage were cut from the episode by the censors; the uncut version was not shown in Dalemark until 2995.
Generally positively received by reviewers, with particular praise for Ham Amilson's mesmeric Hobin – proud, brilliant, savage and ultimately self-destructive – the show attracted criticism from academics for playing fast and loose with history. 'The programme brought the Civil War alive,' said one. 'It's a pity it's more fiction than fact.' Another went further. 'Inventing human interest stories about Hobin's wife and daughters is one thing. Inventing the notion that Hobin was Amil the Great's stepfather is quite another.' Some viewers were even less forgiving: Orilson received death threats after 'The Rebel and the King' first aired.
From Pennsdaughter, E. Mount Tanil Television: The Early Years (Neathdale Publishing; 3000)
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Lessons in Dalemark History (I)
During the Civil War, Alk turned his attention to flying machines. The Aberath Archive has a series of early sketches which reveal that he considered and rejected as infeasible several designs involving flapping wings before hitting on the idea of the hot-air balloon, according to some anecdotal accounts while observing soap bubbles in the bath. The first balloon flight was launched in 2806 from the observation tower of Aberath Fort in the presence of Amil the Great, and carried a tabby cat named Ginger. The flight lasted nineteen minutes, rising to the unexpectedly great height of 2000 feet. Ginger survived his ordeal and was renamed Eagle in commemoration. The first manned flight followed eight days later, carrying two kitchen boys whose names have been lost to history. Alk recorded his sorrow that his great bulk made him unsuitable for the role of the first human aeronaut.
Hot-air balloons of similar designs soon began to be used for reconnaissance, but their dependence on wind speed and direction placed severe restrictions on their use, especially in mountainous regions. After several fatalities in crashes, Alk wrote in his journal 'power, power, POWER!' and set about designing what came to be called 'Alk's Flying Fish', a whale-shaped dirigible with a fin-like rudder, from which was suspended a slender basket with a large rear propeller. Powered by four pedalling aeronauts, the Fish could fly at almost eight knots. The design was not completed until after the Treaty of Neathdale, but was used during the early years of the reconstruction to seek out pockets of rebel fighters. In 2811, Alk returned to his first love, steam locomotives, and it was left to an apprentice to perfect the steam-powered dirigible over a decade later.
From Andersson, K. Great Geniuses of the 29th Century, 3rd edn (New Holand Press; 3003)