Kiernan Jowenys on the Vargoth: Why passivity is no longer an option
By Wyn Philar
This season, an old friend invites me to dinner. There are no warnings, absolutely none. “It’s a collection of acquaintances,” he assures me. “And friends of friends. No need to fuss over the dress code.”
I arrive a little late. As a writer, I’m accustomed to the rhythm of these things. The wine is poured. Guests begin to nibble on the hors d'oeuvres.
I’m just beginning to discuss the weather with someone when I come to the realization that on my left by the salad platter is Kiernan Jowenys. General Kiernan Jowenys—the public figure. The war hero. He notices me staring immediately and offers me an easy smile. I stammer a clumsy hello, and, like a coward, devise a reason to move away from him. Half an hour later though, I understand the folly of this and change my mind, deciding to approach him after all.
Unbelievably, he seems to know who I am. “I respect your reflections and thoughtful statements on the loss of Valarmore,” he says. “They’ve given me and I’m sure countless others a lot of comfort.” I thank him for this. Seeming to divine that I’m going to ask, he gives me permission to print information about our conversation, and we’re off.
Of course, I want to know about his recent tour. “It’s been interesting,” he shares. “Some nations will engage in discourse about the Vargoth, and some are more reticent. But more and more, I believe the enemy have set their sights beyond the Duchies. It’s part of why I’ve been traveling so much. More war is coming. I’m hoping I can convince others to join our fight.”
It is odd to encounter Jowenys in such a setting, and I remark on the kind of company my host thought it appropriate to call, “A collection of acquaintances.” The general merely smiles again and shrugs, saying, “There is no wrong way to garner military support. I can’t make people join me. But I can ask them, and to do that, I have to get to know them.”
“What,” I ask him, “Do you say to ambassadors who don’t believe they can afford to get involved?” And he smiles grimly in response. “That they can’t afford not to. There is no endgame. The Vargoth will take everything—and passivity is no longer an option.”
As he speaks, I’m struck by the certainty in his voice. But then I remind myself just who I’m talking to.
Jowenys was born in Valarmore City and trained at the prestigious Elistara Military Academy. He personally saw to the installation of the watchtower at Thamrius, recruited and drilled all personnel stationed there, and was instrumental in defending the coast from privateers mere weeks later. Later in life, he returned to Elistara to teach at the same academy where he’d trained, often going from city to city in Valarmore to tour, recruit, and train young soldiers. And during the Vargoth invasion—this is when Jowenys became a household name—it was he who devised that the Howling Gate be secured as a holding point against enemy forces. He and his strike team kept the Vargoth busy and distracted while many refugees fled the country south through the Gate. He was horrifically wounded in that battle but would go on to make a full recovery.
Perhaps it is in bad taste, but I cannot help asking. “Do you still think about that night? Wonder if there was anything you could have done differently?”
There is honesty in his eyes when he answers. “I think about it all the time. Who wouldn’t? It’s been a terrible struggle. But I’ve done a lot of processing. Of course, it occurs to me to blame myself. We lost it, after all. We lost Valarmore.” But his voice is steady. “I can succumb to the shame and the failure of it all, or I can choose to celebrate the lives of the people we did manage to save. I got close to the Vargoth. I know how they work. And I can use that information to protect others from them in the future.”
The general is calling for an international summit to discuss the Vargoth threat. The complete list of attendees is unknown at this point, but here are the rumors so far:
Konningstrava will definitely be at the summit thanks to the lasting impression a very young Kiernan made on the country when he brought troops from Valarmore to assist in the horrific uprising of the undead. For about a month, Jowenys and his soldiers labored to free those trapped inside fortified buildings and on rooftops with very little hope of escape. For his service there, he was awarded an honorary knighthood and the title, “Hero of Konningstrava.”
The Vale of Scyllina is at least willing to hear Jowenys out. Some years ago in a debate with courtier Clement Viraggio, Jowenys managed to use honesty as an effective weapon when laying out the human cost of the war. He lost, as we know, but his statements as an expert witness captured the hearts of the people. The Vale will send a representative to the summit.
Spyndelmere is interested in what Jowenys has to say, most especially because he once rescued Prince Aeron Winterseeker from being trapped inside a building.
During an unseasonably warm winter in Merrigor that resulted in a surge of Ilfraic activity, Jowenys dispatched wagons, masks, and other supplies for the people trying to make their way back to Alletas. While Merrigor isn’t overly concerned about the Vargoth, public opinion favors the general, and so it appears that Merrigor has also agreed to send an emissary.
Melluria’s representative will go to the summit too, for similar reasons. When Jowenys visited friends there, he demonstrated a willingness to work alongside laborers to complete even humble tasks, impressing… Well, everyone.
Prime Guardian Clay Raynor of the L’Dahn learned martial prowess and leadership from Kiernan and as a result, the L’Dahn ostensibly will send someone as well.
“I hope others will do the same,” he concludes. “We will need every advantage we can secure.”
At this point, he urges me to talk about my latest book. The man is undeniably charismatic, but as the evening wears on, I am convinced that it is all guileless, artless, seamless. Kiernan Jowenys is the real thing.
When it’s time for dessert, he leans over and whispers, “I’m embarrassed to admit this, but what are those? Are those ground cherries? How does one eat a ground cherry?”
How indeed.
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