[centre][b]The Matter of Britain[/b][/centre]
[center][b]Act I: Seasons of Mist[/b][/center]

Britannia, Calendae Ianuarii, Anno Domini DCCCLXXVI.

The ship is slowly drifting on the sea, gently rocked by the shimmering black waves. The captain of the [i]Draco[/i] can be seen observing with his sextant the nightsky, embedded with thousands of stars. A crescent Moon lies enthroned in the centre of the firmament, and in the far distance, some sparse lights can be seen, gleaming from the shores of Albion. Some distant cries of seagulls are all that can be heard in the stillness of the night. A light western breeze is the only thing pushing the ship towards its destination, the coastal city of Glevum, in the kingdom of Brythonia. The ship's dock is silent and almost empty, with only a few sailors attending their business walking it. A lone warrior, in a great decorated armor, can be seen silently polishing his sword in a corner. 

The sounds of soldiers marching and warmachines being prepared echo in the high hallways of Caersŵs. The mighty fortress, standing on the Afon Hafren, is teeming with warriors, arrived from every part of Powys to repel the incoming Norse invasion. The castle's towers and battlements are lit by many torches and braziers, illuminating the dark, cloudy night. In the center of the fortress, in the courtyard near the main keep, a sacred oak stretches its branches towards the sky, near a small shrine, still bloody after today's ritual sacrifice. A cold wind is blowing from the North, and thunder can be seen striking in the distance. Not far from the castle's drawbridge, the Norse wait, and prepare to strike. The vast army under Gunnar has set camp southeast of the Severn, and the raven banners are flying high in the wind. The Viking encampment is more silent than the Celtic fortress, and not many warriors are still awake: the king and his trusted men, planning the attack, the more devout Norsemen, praying and offering sacrifices to their gods, and the more pragmatic ones, preparing their armors and weapons.