Well, Reade and Anya may have more in common than Reade thought. That’s what happens when you get a book/history lover talking.

Speaking of history, you know the Battle of Teutoberg Wald (9 C.E.)? Arminius led a band of Germanic tribes who bushwhacked and wiped out three Roman legions, making off with their eagle standards? “Quintillus Varus, give me back my legions!”?

Well, the Chuckleslovakians have a different version. It seems a large group of Steel Falcons were returning from a combination religious festival/outdoor concert/new husband hunting expedition when they ran across the 3 legions. Apparently the Roman soldiers offered some rather rude remarks. The Falcons (who were, for the most part, powerfully hung over) showed their displeasure by slaughtering a number of troops and carrying off the rest (abandoning most of their Germanic capt-I mean, future husbands).

Chuckleslovakian historians claim Rome cooked up the whole “ambushed by overwhelming forces led by Roman raised turncoat bad weather mud swamps blah blah blah” to cover their embarrassment at getting their sundials cleaned by a group of women. Germanicus later led a huge expedition against Arminius and claimed to have recovered two of the eagles. Chuckleslovakians claim that he brought two eagles with him so he could save face, since he knew darn well the women were too far East and he had no chance of getting them back anyway.

The Chuckleslovakian version has generally been laughed at by most historians. At least until recently, when metallurgical testing showed that the gold alloy making up most of the Chuckleslovakian Crown Jewels was identical to that used to make the Roman Legion Eagles.  Oh, and Chuckleslovakian genetic testing shows a surprisingly high percentage of genes from residents of the former Roman Empire (where all them soldier husbands came from).
As the Chuckleslovakians say:  “Popstru Krs Popstru Drgonsrich”: We believe what we know.

And we know what’s coming next, don’t we?  You’re so lucky, because we’re gonna spend time with The Most Important Character in the Entire Groovyverse! None other than, that’s right, Her Royal Miffyness! Oh, it’s a Groovy, Kinda Christmas present, just for you!

Seriously, I think you’re in for a surprise or two.

Also, since I’m so darn proud of it, here’s the original of that first drawing: