49 AD East England, Tribe of the Iceni

Their Tribe had faced many hardships since the Romans landed with their legions. Boudica, queen of the Iceni tribe, couldn’t believe it had only been four years since their ships landed on Britain’s shores. Many tribes had tried to resist but the roman legions proved themselves too strong to face in open battle. Their soldiers were trained and experienced and their warmages rained destruction over their enemies. The Iceni under the leadership of her husband the proud warrior Prasutagus had fought bravely against the roman invaders but witnessed the futility in putting up resistance. Boudica had convinced her husband to ally with the romans to protect their tribe from destruction, while this went well for a few years, the romans started asking them for more and more. The last straw came in form of a sweaty, roman man who handed them a letter from the roman proconsul, commanding them to relinquish all their weapon as well as handing over all their druids. While the romans could ask a lot of them, she knew that her people would never give up their weapons. The Iceni prided themselves as warriors and would rather face death than willingly give up their swords.

In the ‘throneroom’ of King Prasutagus, three man were standing in front of a chair, which seated a tall, muscular man. The three man waited for a while for the king to address them but realized that he wasn’t going to address them first.

“Prasutagus, I figure you will realize that you have no other choice than to hand over weapons to us. The roman legions will guarantee your peoples safety, there is no need to keep them.” Said one of the man as he stepped forward.

“You will address me as your highness or king. And who is going to keep us safe from your legions?” asked Prasutagus spitefully.

“There is no need to protect you from our legions as long as you pay your tribute, your highness.” The man answered though everyone could hear the sarcasm when he addressed Prasutagus as ‘your highness’.

“Well my Wife and I have decided to send your Master a message of our own.” Prasutagus grinned at them and then nodded at his warriors that were lining the wall.

The other two roman man started to draw their swords as the first warriors started to step towards them but a man stepped forward from behind Prasutagus. He was dressed in dirty robes and vines were covering his arms. In his hand was a long oak staff, which he used to walk. Many people may have mistaken him for a helpless elderly man but they had been on this godforsaken island long enough to recognize a druid. The druid slammed his staff into the ground and started mumbling something as vines started shooting out from the ground, binding the roman man.

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Meanwhile the Iceni warriors were moving towards them, swords drawn. As they reached the man that spoke to their king they each stabbed him simultaneously. Blood starting flowing over their blades and dripping on the floor. The druid walked towards the skewered man. As he reached him he leaned forward, placing his right index finger in his wound, licking the blood of his now bloody finger. “That will do just fine. Keep the other two for the ceremony.” He said.

Later that day.

A crowd of Iceni Tribesman gathered around huge stone altar. On top of the altar two man were bound with vines. Everyone stared intensely as to not miss when it started. The crowd separated as the druid walked through. He walked up to altar, his wand in one hand and dagger in the other.

“Welcome” he turned to the crowd “tonight we shall sacrifice our enemies to the spirits of nature to fuel our powers, to destroy these invaders and take back our lands.”

The crowd started cheering, but were cut short with a gesture from the druid. He slowly placed the dagger on the mans artery and cut deep into his neck. The blood started gushing out, slowly flowing down the mans body until it reached the stone altar, where it started to follow the carvings the were inlaid. Like a river of blood it flowed that split up more and more the further it got until it reached its destination. The blood started to fill out runes and as the second man was stabbed and all the runes were filled with blood, they started glowing. The red blood was glowing like in an intense red that got brighter and brighter until the glow vanished and the onlookers felt something washing over them that they couldn’t quite place but knew it to be the effect of the ritual. When they next looked to the altar everything they could see were two blood drained man and a plain stone altar.

Next day in Camulodunum seat of the roman Proconsul Quinuts Gaius Longinus.

Longinus was sitting in the bathhouse with some of his subordinates when his secretary stormed through the door.

"Get out! Whatever it may be it can wait. How often do I have to tell you not to bother me in the Bathhouse." yelled Longinus.

"But Sir, there is an urgent issue that has come up."

"Well whatever it is, I'm sure it can wait for half an hour. Or are you telling me I can't even shit in peace anymore."

"I'm really sorry but this is urgent. The general is already waiting for you." the secretary tried to convince him.

"Well okay. But if it's just that man trying to get better rations for his men again I will personally take care that you will clean the latrines in the armies next march."

Longinus pulled his pants up and walked out the bathhouse, following his secretary. When they reached his Office, there were already people gathered inside.

"General Plautius, it's good to see you. How can I help you?" Longinus set on his best smile. But the general didn't respond instead he pointed at the chest on the table. Longinus walked up and looked inside. His face whitened as he looked inside. The head of his messenger sat inside, the eyes missing.

"The Iceni sent back this chest. I guess your messenger didn't come upon open ears." said Plautius.

"This, this..." the procurator stuttered "Send your man to the Iceni, take their weapon kill their king and take their boys, they will be sold to reimburse the families of the dead."

"We will march on the Iceni tomorrow at first light." Plautius replied.