LORDS OF THE EARTH CAMPAIGN 54
"LORDS OF THEEURTH"

Home     Map     Newsfax    MSI     Background     Rules     Magic     Cultures    Archive     Theeurth RPG Site

1. Thanks to all who sent pictures.  I have kept most of them for possible later use.  But for now I'm sticking to my all-girl theme (I like to change pictures every five turns).  Generally, I will not use cheesecake/beefcake (i.e., you can stop sending me Boris Vallejo pictures).

2. All roads for which upkeep is not being paid have begun to degrade.  In four turns they will disappear altogether if not maintained.

3. I've updated and corrected the troops of feudal and full allies.  The changes were all slight.

4.  Being in a region is NOT the same as being in a city within that region.  From now on, if you don't move into the city, then any actions intended for that city (say, govern) will fail.

MEDARHOS -

North-Western Medarhos -

The Skane Jarldoms -  Ruler - King Yars Capital - Vanaheim Dominant Race - Human Dominant Religion - Medahros Spirit Cult Diplomacy - Tigelion [-], Crown Lands [+3YfC]

The Kingdom of Tirgonia -
Ruler - King Merrimillien
Capital - Tirgon
Dominant Race - Human
Dominant Religion - Lords of the Grail

King Merrimillien stood watch over the ancient city of Alqualondë with a small force, bracing for the siege that never came, though the Skane and orcs seized control over the meads and leas of the Greenwood. His uncle, Prince Marcus, led a band of desperate and angry men north by secret paths, arriving at last in the Skane lands to seek some measure of vengeance for their losses.  (See The Tirgonian Wars, below). Alorien, spymaster of Tirgonia, waited in hidden dells within the Greenwood with a few companions.  Their cruel Tirgonian arrows were tipped with poison and they lay in wait for the coming of the Skane army. The regions of Aonach and Bekanor revolt from Tirgonian control.

THE TIRGONIAN WAR

Elmindon, 2861 - The Skane fleet puts to sea under Prince Yars.

Erdhonis, 2861 - A fleet of warships sets sail from the holy city of Conorr under the command of Patriarch Constantikos. A second Grail fleet under command of Bishop Dorus, not waiting for the first, sets sail from Armorica in Lorraine. This fleet includes most of the Grail mercenary warships and transports as well as a thousand Paladins of the Grail.

Strynod, 2861 - Dorus's fleet arrives at Morthales to join the Harkorian fleet.  Both fleets now come under the command of First Councillor Cheos.  Braal the Callous, orcish warleader, enters the Edgemoor mountains in search of reinforcements. Tigonian Prince Marcus slips silently northward to avenge himself on the Skane.

Maravis, 2861 - The Harkorian/Grail fleet sails north from Morthales.

Cleon, 2861 - The Patriarch's fleet arrives at Tarrentica, capital of the Llyran Republic and adds the strength of the Llyran fleet to his. Prince Marcus's tiny army reaches Tigelion.

Daarlem, 2861 - The Battle of Stone Harbor - As Cheos's fleet sped north, lookouts espied the the sails of the Skane fleet in the west.  Both fleets had orders to move in and destroy the other, and as they maneuvered for advantage in the wind, the tides took them north of Alqualondë, abreast of the small inlet of Stone Harbor.  There, the clash took place between Yars's thirty-six ships (including eight swift dragonships) and the combined Harkorian/Grail fleet of sixty ships (including fifteen Harkorian Galleys and fifteen transports).  Both fleets were well-manned with experienced sailors. First Councillor Cheos was an excellent commander and a passable mariner, and Prince Yars was a peerless sailor who deployed his ships flawlessly. Nevertheless, the weight of numbers told.  Slowly, the Grail/Harkorian fleet began to get the better of Yars and his Skane.  Harkorian marines and Grail paladins fought in ship-to-ship boarding actions wherein the Skane captains sorely regretted not having marines of their own. 

The Skane fleet was broken and its remnants sent flying north to the safety of Tirgon.  Many of Yars's ships littered the sandy bottom of Ben-Thael, while others were ground upon the rocky Greenwood shore and yet others were captured by the allies.  But the Grail/Harkorian victory was only had with great cost, for the greater part of their fleet was also sunk or scattered and it many of its surviving ships were laid up in refit for months.  But worst of all, maybe, was the loss of the Grail commander, Bishop Dorus, who was taken captive by an enterprising Skane captain when Dorus's ship was taken in desperate fighting. 

Unaware that Prince Marcus has stolen a march on them, the combined Skane and orcish armies move south from the Crown Lands to seize the Greenwood.  Boris Bamsndvaerder commands seven thousand Skane (including two thousand elite Skane Berserkers) and seven thousand mercenary Rhanalorian cavalry, as well as four thousand bloodthirsty orcs.  

Northhale, 2861 - Unseen bowmen in the Greenwood attempt to kill Boris Bamsndvaerder, but his alert guards rapidly cover and protect the general, foiling the attempt.  The Skane/Edgemoor conquest of Greenwood begins.

The Patriarch's Grail/Llyran fleet, which now includes more than one hundred fifty vessels (including mercenaries, transports and airships) and ten thousand troops leaves Tarrentica bound for Armorica in Lorraine.

Berlas, 2861 - Prince Marcus and four thousand mixed Tirgonian troops enter the Suomar highlands south of Godemar.  They manage to avoid local patrols.

Elmindon, 2862 - The Grail/Llyran fleet arrives in Armorica.

Agaleon, 2862 - To the dismay of the Edgemoor orcs, the Skane refuse to besiege Alqualondë.  Braal is furious, pointing out the city's light fortifications and strategic importance.  Boris Bamsndvaerder refuses to be swayed.  "Those are my orders," he insists.  After leaving a light garrison in the Greenwood, the Skane army returns to the Crown Lands.  Disgusted, the orcs march east into Aré.

Maravis, 2862 - Tirgonian Prince Marcus marches into the wealthy Skane heartland of Godemar with three thousand mixed troops.

Cleon, 2862 - The Tirgonian army begins to subdue Godemar.  Two orc armies under Kron the Brilliant and Braal the Cruel meet and combine in the empty lands of Aré.

Northhale, 2862 - The Battle of Godemar - Just as the Tirgonians bring Godemar under their control, Skane feudal allies in Suomar and Foldbjerg march into the region to oppose them with sixteen hundred warriors. Despite their superiority in numbers, the Tirgonian gambit fails miserably.  The Tirgonians lack a supply train.  Far from home and forced to forage for supplies, the army is dispersed into work parties when the blond northman come screaming out of the hills.  The blood of southerners waters the fields of rye in Godemar as the Tirgonian army is put to flight and mercilessly pursued.  Barely six hundred men make it back to Tirgonia alive.

In the same month, the monstrously large Grail/Llyran fleet sails into Alqualondë harbor and are welcomed as heroes by the king and populace.  Ten thousand troops quickly pour into the city and look to its defenses, so recently threatened.

Elsewhere, the Edgemoor army marches into Estwilde.  Ignoring the local farms and villages, it follows the via brythnia towards the Ormswood.

Agaleon, 2863 - The Edgemoor army marches from the Ormswood into Gaudhon in what used to be Daerond.  The Grail/Llyran army marches out of Alqualondë's Forest Gate and heads north to liberate the Greenwood.

Cleon, 2863 - The Grail/Llyran army sweeps aside the small Skane garrison in the Greenwood.  They are supplied during their march by a vast armada of merchant vessels filled with stores.  

The Edgemoor army similarly trounces the local orcs of Gaudhon, losing a few hundred soldiers in the process.

Daarlem, 2863 - The Grail/Llyran army marches north towards the Crown Lands. The dwarf mercenary Khedem-Var sails north with the combined Grail/Llyran fleet.

Northhale, 2863 - The Battle for the Crown Lands - The Grail Patriarch and ten thousand Grail troops (including six thousand Paladins of the Grail) march into the rich vales of the Crown Lands.  Opposed to them are eight thousand Skane warriors (including two thousand Skane Berserkers) and seven thousand Rhanalorian mercenary cavalry under the command of Boris Bamsndvaerder. The two forces met on a broad green plain by the banks of the small Brandel Stream.  The glorious paladins in their brilliant panoply flashed silver and gold in the sunlight while the milling mass of berserkers and half-wild horsemen were a dark and roiling blanket upon the land.  Though outnumbered, the valor of the paladins in that hour was great indeed, and the desperate deeds of the Patriarch's guard were after renowned in song.  But the flat terrain lent itself perfectly to the advance-and-retreat tactics of the Rhanalorian horsemen on their shaggy ponies.  This, and the very great distance from home spelled the doom of the Grail army.  They were surrounded and slowly cut to ribbons by repeated wild assaults of the Skane and the suffered greatly from the arrows of the wheeling horse-archers.  When only a few thousand men were left to the Patriarch, he ordered his men to escape however they could, and his guards hewed a path to retreat for their lord.  A great many of those who fled the battle were slaughtered on the plain by the pursuing cavalry.  Constantikos lived to limp back into Alqualondë, but his army was in ruins.

The Raid on Skaneholme - The huge Grail/Llyran fleet sliced through the frigid waters of the Kaddern, its lookouts peering intently forward for rocks and other hazards.  Their target: Skaneholme.  The fleet was huge, and though King Bjarnalf's forces struggled to maintain order and protect the villages, the raiders were easily able to storm ashore and take most of what was valuable.  They then departed into the sea. The only casualty was the life of Bishop Boaz, commander of the Llyran forces.  With Strategos Athelny already dead at the start of the voyage, command fell to the oddly-named Pip Topkapi.

Elmindon, 2864 - Lorraine leader Sir Haden, with thirty-five ships and a thousand Lorraine Marines leaves the port of Lothian and sails north. The Grail/Harkorian fleet leaves its station at Ben-Thael, where it has patrolled since the Battle of Stone Harbor, and returns south. As it goes it takes with it young Andaur, heir to the throne of Tirgonia.

Strynod, 2864 - First Councillor Cheos and the Grail/Harkorian fleet arrive safely back at Cadares.

Cleon, 2864 - Raid on Chrondemar - Sir Haden's fleet raids the Skane region of Chrondemar. As this lightly-defended region is almost entirely forest, little of value is seized on the raid.

Agaleon, 2865 - Sir Haden's fleet returns to Armorica. Boris Bamsndvaerder and Grunni Sleetstave both die as disease runs rampant through the Skane encampment at Tirgon.

The Harkorian League -
Ruler - First Councillor Cheos
Capital - Cadares
Dominant Race - Human
Dominant Religion - Lords of the Grail

The Edgemoor Orcs -
Ruler - King Hauge
Capital - Zaramaka
Dominant Race - Orcs
Dominant Religion - The Dark Court
Diplomacy - Vanuma [FA]

South-Western Medarhos -

The Brythnian Confederation -  Ruler - King Boran Clovenhoof Capital - Carrenthium Dominant Race - Taurid Dominant Religion - Lords of the Grail Diplomacy - Great Meadow [-], Bodhria [-], Carrenthium [F]

The ongoing strife of the conversion to the Lords of the Grail was muted.  An uprising in the Dacian Hills was put down by agents of Regent Keltos. Regent Keltos gave over command of the entire army to a young and energetic minotaur general by the name of Boran Clovenhoof, and then went off to conduct dipomacy at the Great Meadow, offering his own hand in marriage.  Keltos was a capable warrior and ruler, but a pitiful diplomat, for he blustered and made demands which the tribes of the Great Meadow rejected out of hand. Frona Quickstep traveled to the central region of Bodhria and worked long and hard to improve relations until the natives pointed out that they were already friendly to the crown. Kallos Twospot harangued the natives of the capital until they once again submitted to their ancient loyalties and  recognized the young queen as their rightful ruler. Boran Clovenhoof took his army and won renown by quickly capturing the Brythnian Hills and subduing them. The elvish army of Neldorea arrived by sea in 2862 and took up a defensive position around Carrenthium.  In 2865, Kallos Twospot loaned the Tablets of Varanthissa to the elves.  Then, Lord Taralom and his huge elvish army marched west into Harkoria. In 2865, Regent Keltos retired, handing over the crown to young queen Phaidra, who had just come of age.  Seeing his opportunity, Boran Clovenhoof declared himself king of Brythnia, with the enthusiastic support of his army.  They marched on Carrenthium and the land, which had withstood the ravages of religious conflict, erupted into war over control of the throne.  Clovenhoof easily captured the capital and took Phaidra prisoner, killing her and her entire family in a brutally simple act of regicide.  Unialas, Bodhria, The Great Meadow, Vahdrian, Hailh Endhor and Vilayan all refused to follow Boran's rule and so rebelled. Agents of the new king crushed the rebellion in the Great Meadow.

Aelissia - Ruler - King Kendall Lowtide Capital - The Great Delve Dominant Race - Halfling Dominant Religion - Lords of the Grail Diplomacy - Great Lirien [F], South Downs [-]

Corland - Ruler - King Bohemund Capital - Khairais Dominant Race - Human Dominant Religion - Lords of the Grail Diplomacy - Maggardh Fens [EA], Lilloger [T], Rhavais [EA]

The industrious Corish moved into the fields of Tullieres and on the shores of the Windhaven Channel built the new port village of Port de Brises, a charming collection of fisherman's shacks and whitewashed stone warehouses.  A single long wooden quay stretched out across the tidal flats to the deeper water offshore. Sturdy men dug irrigation channels in Courronais, occasionally unearthing some remnant of the har'keen dominion.  Further south, colonists in Serry strove to build communal markets and grain storage.  Port d'Armand on the Sea of Bells was surrounded by a stout whitewashed limestone wall, while several small castles were built as outworks in the fields of Votois. King Bohemund summoned his sorcery to aid the diplomacy of Lord Percivale.  He also fathered two daughters and a son during this time. Princess Sirienne traveled to the Maggardh Fens where she convinced the sauruses to swear allegiance to her brother, the king. Lord Phillip likewise held talks with the sauruses of the Cavadhe, who agreed to an alliance with the humans. Lord Percivale traveled to Lilloger and there extracted a treaty of tribute from the northwoodsmen.  He took with him Beatriz, daughter of the king, to teach her the ways of diplomacy. Lord Gareth remained in Rhavais and convinced that city to sign favorable trade contracts with Khairais. Lord Reginald poked about in Oulenne and the ruins of Caxonne, seeking for rare wild shorebirds.

 

The Sea Empire of Lorraine - Ruler - Emperor Dindandus Capital - Armorica Dominant Race - Human Dominant Religion - Lords of the Grail

The Emperor conducted a census of his people to aid in the efficient collection of taxes.  He also crowned his son Dindanus as his heir. Sir Haden governed the city of Lothian throughout 2861-62, and in the summer of 2863, sailed north to raid the lands of the Skane (See The Tirgonian War, above). Sir Richard ferried the army of Neldorea back to the mainland in his fleet, and then turned that fleet over to Sir Haden, taking up command of two thousand troops and nine warships at Lothian. The Emperor died of a bloody cough at the age of fifty-six in 2863, leaving his son Dindanus in possession of the throne.  When word of this reached the ears of Sir Richard, he immediately revolted and declared himself the Emperor. He immediately marched for Armorica.  At the same time, the regions of Bruenor, Malidisant and Sadok and the city of Lothian all declared for Richard. As he marched through them, he also brought Lynet, Meliodas and Howel under his banner. At Armorica, Richard and Dindanus confronted each other with their tiny armies. There, Dindanus proved to be a masterful speaker and politician, haranguing Richard's troops and convincing them to abandon their leader.  Richard tried to escape into the lands loyal to him, but was killed by the peasants of Andred. Hearing of the war, Sir Haden and his fleet forswore their allegiance to Lorraine and took up the life of pirates. Dindanus took possession of a much reduced realm.

The Neldorean Wood - Ruler - Queen Nereil Capital - Elenuil Dominant Race - Elf Dominant Religion - Lords of the Grail

The Neldorean elves built beautiful pools and watercourses in the woods of Tiriya, and seven tall ships in the harbor of Elenuil. In conjunction with the men of Lorraine, they ferried the elvish army to Carrenthium in Brythnia, where Lord Taralom and his army defended the taurid capital for several years before marching west into the former Harkorian region of Vaanes. In Belfirth, there was great excitement at court when news arrived that the lost lady Senelra had arrived in the middle of the night with a small guard of elves. She was recognized by the priests of the cathedral and welcomed in.  She claimed to be seeking sanctuary, as she and her companions had just escaped from the slavery of a dark-elf city far below Elenuil.  Word was sent to the queen, but arrived too late for her to respond.  Before dawn's light reached the city, the cathedral was ablaze, an inferno of wood and glass. The charred remains of a few priests were found, but no trace of Senelra or her compatriots. In 2865, Lord Taralom and his 16,000-elf army revolted, refused the orders of the queen and melted into the Harkorian countryside.

The Exarchate of the Great Crusade - Ruler - Exarch Bradley Capital - Pontezium Dominant Race - Human Dominant Religion - Lords of the Grail Diplomacy - Thyestes [C]

Despite continuing and impressive investment in the nation's magistracies, The Crusaders seem unable to create a more efficient government.  However, work proceeds unhindered on defensive works, and a line of forts springs up across the Salt Shore and South Akasia. Expensive subsidies to the nation's merchants have succeeded in forming a powerful and lucrative trade guild in Laedrus, overseeing trade between the Empire and the western Successor States.  Meanwhile, the settlers in the Salt Shore continue to slowly hack out a civilization from the swampy pine barrens. A flurry of magical spells invoked spirits of the unseen worlds to improve the roads and wells in Saxetus and the Akasian Hills. Crusader missionaries to the Aeolan heathens of Mocarre were met with indifference.  The worship of the god-father is still the official religion of the noble families, even if most of the peasantry have turned to the Lords of the Grail.

Aging Exarch Bradley named his son Maros as his heir and successor.  The royal family held a celebration in the city that lasted for months and gave out free bread and grain to the rabble on alternate weeks. The old Exarch then ordered twenty of his best transport ships into service as merchantmen bringing goods between the cities of the realm.

Sir Beau traveled to the halfling hills of Thyestes, trying to establish a land-based link to the Empire.  He was unable to do much more than smoke pipe-weed and eat mutton pie with a seemingly endless array of diminutive folk.  In the end he sighed and sent a notice to Pontezium claiming the land for the Crusader States, if only in name.

Sir Linden traveled to Regaldros, where he took up the post of governor.  This energetic and popular leader gave the city its first true theater and demolished many of the oldest slums to make way for a new merchant's quarter.

The Crusader's adventuring company, The Company of the Wanderers, traveled into the Firefall East in search of a demon said to lair in the forest, but never returned.

The Holy Order of the Dawn - Ruler - Grand Mistress Daresia Capital - The Akasian Hills Dominant Race - Human Dominant Religion - Lords of the Grail Diplomacy - Thyestes [OH], Isurium [OH], Calodunum [OP], Saxetus [OP]

No army moved to stop him, but his raids encountered little of value. Though no martial forces opposed him, Domitius was the target of two apparent assassination attempts which left his aide-de-camp and his first lieutenants dead. After the raids, Domitius and his army withdrew to the wilds of Borokoth.

Representatives of the Order to the elven court of Menelcandara improved the Order's influence within the Whisper Wood.

A large number of the Order's sites remained well beyond its ability to administer.  The lack of central direction caused the perceptory in Faloricum to wane in power until it was accounted a mere Order House.  The Order Houses in Echoriath and Mynos simply ceased to recognize Order authority at all, becoming independent.

Rhanalor -

king Eldareth Hammerhand with tokens of Ascarlon's esteem, including sailing charts of the Hammersea.

Shipments of grain traveled from Ascarlon to the orcs of the Worldspine Mountains and the Edgemoor Mountains.

In 2863, the Order of the Dawn raided the Black Forest and Vartalan with three thousand light cavalry under the command of Master Domitius. They did little harm, but the peoples of those regions demanded that their native forces be left to guard them against such raids in the future.

The Worldspine Orcs -
Ruler - King Azog
Capital - Mount Kauroth
Dominant Race - Orc
Dominant Religion - The Dark Court
Diplomacy - Rimehorns [-]

Gripped by famine, the orcish economy suffers a crippling shortfall.  The troops in Waertag are not paid and when their warleader Gulgash dies, they revolt from Worldspine control and take up plundering in the countryside. A timely shipment of grain from Ascarlon helps save the orcs from starvation. Squint Honeytongue tried again to recruit the Rimehorns to his king's cause, but the independent mountain orcs were not interested.

The Empire recruited four thousand light cavalry and spent very heavily on erecting small villages and farms throughout Sauthor, working to repair the damage of the Order of the Dawn raids five years earlier. A significant investment in magistrates, archons and law-priests failed to improve the government's control over the provinces. While the Emperor ruled from the Vulture Throne in Carcaroth, his armies were wreaking havoc on their neighbors.  Lords Nadrauth, Grazhahk and Durthaur ceded control of Minnuin and Annathel to the elves of Meledrian.  They then marched their twelve-thousand hobgoblin army into Duinan, where they pacified and enslaved the elves after several months of battle in the woods.  Still roughly eleven thousand strong, the hobgoblins then marched on Bremenium, where by late 2863, they had done the same thing.  Grazhahk then marched away north with the prisoners while Nadrauth and Durthaur advanced south into Othona, athwart Pelendur's route to its colony at Magrod. There, the ten thousand hobgoblins under Durthaur ran into three thousand Othonan troops fresh from their victory over Pelendur.  Durthaur's hobgoblins were far better trained than the Pelenduri, however, and after a hard-fought battle, defeated the Othonan attacks and established an armed camp in the midst of the fertile plain.

Meanwhile, Maugroth's vassals assembled four thousand light cavalry at Elsend and went into the woods of Dauros, planning to similarly drag back elven slaves into captivity.  But they were met by more than twenty-five hundred elves under a determined commander, and the elves broke up the ranks of cavalry and sent them reeling back into the plains.  The hobgoblins suffered seventeen hundred dead, wounded or lost in the battle.  Their ranks thus thinned, they refused to continue with their planned attacks and simply returned to their homes.

So distant from Carcaroth was the garrison at Lederata that rumors of mutiny abounded, but Grazhahk's victories in Othona assured the continued loyalty of that distant outpost...for now.

The Great Kingdom of Annvar - Ruler - First Councillor Gudge Capital - Varthane Dominant Race - Human Dominant Religion - The Dark Court Diplomacy - Marvald [-]

The Standard of Annvar

light cavalry of Gurvolynas and Sharu that did assail the woods were torn to ribbons by the fierce elves there.  The survivors limped home to lick their wounds.

In 2865, the distant elvish woods of Orodel refused to send tribute, repudiating the rule of Varthane, nearly a thousand miles away.

The Forest Realm of Meledrian -
Ruler - King Eldareth Hammerhand
Capital - Laurelindë
Dominant Race - Elf
Dominant Religion - The Dark Court

King Eldareth strove to control his suddenly vast territory by planting castles and hidden forts in Nimbreth, Imlarond, Rainas and Ithancelos. He ruled from Laurelindë. He imposed an onerous tax on the elvish people in order to pay off his war debt, which loomed large now that his enemies were defeated.  The lords complained about the burden, but remained obedient to his will, which was all that Eldareth required of them. Ascar ships arrived at Narbyndahl and took away tons of food later distributed to the orcs of Edgemoor and the Worldspine. Prince Namardil recruited three thousand elvish warriors and then journeyed to Dor Emmen, where he summoned another three thousand from the war garrison.  Then, joined by Rhias of Tirielinan, Voronhad of Finrothel and Cerelindas of Dor Emmen, led an army of nearly ten thousand elves into Annathel and Minnuin, accepting the control of those cities from their hobgoblin allies.  WIthin days the restless elves of both region and city were in open rebellion, and though outnumbered, they fought bravely and with such ferocity that they nearly drove the Dark Court elves from the city.  But at last Namardil had the populace under control.

Then, the hot-headed young prince slew every Grail priest he could find, and looted their temples.  He forced the populace of Annathel to swear oaths of allegiance to the Dark Court, and this started yet another bloody rebellion which had to be put down at great cost, nearly costing the prince his life.  After a great slaughter of the natives and the loss of more than two thousand Meledrian troops, Annathel was converted to the Dark Court, albeit in a sullen and restless manner.  The priests were aware that nearly every family harbored idols of the Lords of the Grail, or worshiped in secret groves.

Meanwhile, Aeliniel and Nishraan the Clever had an easier time subduing Imlarond to the will of Malbor and the other Dark Court gods.  The slight resistance was easily met and overcome with an entirely acceptable loss of life (mostly those of the civilian populace).

Lord Balan disappeared from our story...never to re-enter it again!

The Duskwood Reavers of Azhran -
Ruler - Grand Master Nath-Imperator Melenchlaenith the Archdisrupter
Order Fortress - Silithos
Dominant Race - Elf
Dominant Religion - The Dark Court
Diplomacy - Sarion [OH], Laurelindë [OP]

The Duskwood Reavers sent a cleric of their order to serve the Empire of Meledrian at Dalariadh, while also raising the first of the troops, four hundred light cavalry, that would eventually form the nexus of their fighting strength. Agents of the Reavers established an Order House in the eastern woods of Sarion, while Nath-Imperator Melenchlaenith made political alliances with the great families of Laurelindë and Archon Carbonelor drilled his troops in Silithos. Misisonaries sent into Celebdilas were beaten with wooden rods and sent back to Belaira by the locals.

The Kingdom of Tiringol -
Ruler - King Borlath
Capital - None
Dominant Race - Halfling
Dominant Religion - The Dark Court
Diplomacy - Elrothas [A]

The halflings of Tiringol, having resolved to form a kingdom set about with an uncharacteristic energy to build a capital worthy of the name.  The former dwellings of their chieftain were dug deeper and made grander, so that they formed a complicated and large burrow under several hills.  This new capital went by its ancient name: The Underhalls. King Borlath ordered that the forests of Bethelas be cleared for cultivation and many halfling settlers set about felling trees (though, out of consideration and fear of the elves, they left standing those nearest to the elvish woods.)  The King spent the next several years industriously compiling lists of all that his people owned and that could be taxed.  His occasional and somewhat distracted dalliances with his young and impatient queen produced no heirs, much to the amusement of his courtiers, though they would never say so in his hearing. The king's friend, Tobias Bullroarer, traveled to the woods of Elrothas and convinced the halfings there to ally with Borlath's kingdom.  The duke of Elrothas is a powerful sorcerer, said to have elvish blood in his veins.

The Conorrian Heartland -

The Conorrian Empire - Ruler - Emperor Saxonius II (Saxonius the Younger) Capital - Echoriath Dominant Race - Human Dominant Religion - Lords of the Grail Diplomacy - Flavium [C], Eatris [-], Sexaginta [FA]

Madragar, the Primus Ordo venefices (leader of the Domus Illuminatus), joined Prince Kaius (and later Prince Vargus) in support of the army at Adoria.

Phaedonikus, allied Comes per Conorr, took two thousand troops into the forests of Liburnum to burn and pillage until the Liburnii should submit to the Emperor's authority.  They stood against him with four thousand native troops and surrounded Phaedonikus's army in the woods.  With a howling cry, the men of Liburnum descended on the smaller army, prepared to tear it to pieces. But the legions of Conorr were tough and ready, and scored a signal victory that day, slaughtering and routing the Liburnii army, losing only four hundred of their own men in the process.  Having thus exacted tribute from Liburnum, Phaedonikus marched back to Conorr.

Bishop Furius, Pontifex per Echoriath, traveled to Eatris to treat with the nobles there, urging them to return to the fold of the Empire.  But the Eatran nobles made it clear that their current economic alliance was all they desired from Echoriath, and they warned the Bishop against sending troops against their lands.

The mercenary diplomat Melial, meanwhile, traveled to Sexaginta on the Esaharias river and there arranged a marriage between the Emperor's daughter (sister, by the time the negotiations were concluded) Eva and the lord of the region.  The Sexagintans agreed to provide the Emperor with troops upon demand.

The dwarves of Pautalia, who so rarely heard from any official of the Emperor, decided to stop paying the annual tribute they owed the Emperor.  Agents of the Empire arrived soon enough, and with harsh words and threats convinced the dwarves that their future was far safer if they continued to send gold and silver to Echoriath.

The Great Church of the Lords of the Grail - Ruler - Patriarch Constantikos Holy City - Conorr Dominant Race - Human Dominant Religion - Lords of the Grail Diplomacy - Malidisant [-], Eleucria[-], Armorica [-], Khafour [-], Centauris [AB]

The Patriarch's Standard

The Dwarven Realm of Dhûnazhar -  Ruler - King Thorin Capital - None Dominant Race - Dwarf Dominant Religion - Lords of the Grail Diplomacy - Bregor [EA]

Queen Georgette ruled her fractious kingdom from the city of Vigilum and gave command of a small army to her son, Prince Ulfast.  In 2862, Ulfast and allied lord Belson of Edhel Gorthas took an army of four thousand Pelenduri into Othona, intending to crush resistance to their rule.  Their fate was to be something altogether different. Belson, a brilliant commander, was subordinate to Ulfast, a workaday general with few aspirations to greatness.  They were opposed by thirty-six hundred Othonan hobgoblins fired by a bloody determination to resist the human invaders.  The battle took Ulfast and the Pelenduri completely by surprise and Belson loudly bemoaned that the queen had not sent more of her host through the Hidden Gate to their aid.  The Pelenduri were crushed and sent flying in scattered bands, hunted across the moors by vengeful hobgoblins.  It was cold comfort to them when the armies of Carhallas shortly thereafter bested the Othonans and seized the region. Queen Georgette never heard of the defeat, however, for she died in bed the same month at the age of fifty-seven.  She was succeeded by her son, Gregor II, in a lavish ceremony in Vigilum.  Gregor himself tried without success to convince the men of Keldior to submit to his rule.  He greater success with his wife, who bore him a son in 2861. Lord Forrester continued to try to convince the hobgoblins of Magrod to become the allies of Pelendur, but the Carhallas victory in the plains of Othona assured that the hobgoblins would remain noncomittal. The only diplomat with any real success was Lady Chanrey, who convinced the mountain elves of Kiringlo to permit the transit of armies and merchants across their territory.

VALES -

North-Western Vales -

The Llyran Republic -
Ruler - Constans Pip Topkapi
Capital - Tarrentica
Dominant Race - Human
Dominant Religion - Lords of the Grail
Diplomacy - Maidhan [-]

The Holy Matriarchy of Ahuran -  Ruler - Queen Rhia Moonshadow Capital - Sedeskan Dominant Race - Human Dominant Religion - Maddari Diplomacy - Ahristhon [F], Sendorin [-]
The women of Ahuran continued to rebuild their ravaged nation after the depradations of dragon and disease cult.  A new port city was erected in Ahristhon on the shores of the Race and the Pale Sea.  Missionaries sent to the elves of Galoins and Nevrest failed to impress that noble race with the glories of feminine rule or the stricture of parmaadan. Queen Moonshadow ruled from Sedeskan and promoted her daughter Karyn to the rank of princess in 2863 when she achieved womanhood.  Just a year earlier, the queen's chosen successor Dawn Wolfkin died at the early age of thirty-seven of a coughing sickness. Joyce Thistledown and Agnes Otterskin sojourned with the women of Ahristhon, convincing them to swear fealty to Queen Moonshadow, as their ancestors once had.  The noblewomen of Ahristhon gladly agreed to do so, sensing that Ahuran's star was once again on the rise. The colonists of Sendorin were more reticent, here where the dragon's wrath was still so omnipresent.  The agreed only to maintain their economic treaties with Sedeskan and nothing more. Princess Yvonne Moonshadow and her army searched through Madukkan for any signs of the hated Fleshweavers, but found only rumors.

Har'akir - Ruler - Sultan Qadir Alouda Capital - Mar Awas Dominant Race - Human Dominant Religion - Lords of the Grail
	A great wealth of coin and many landless men of Mar Awas were sent to Har Mekelle, where they farmed the land and to Akir, where they worked the ports and improved the wealth of both places. The leaders of Har'akir gathered together in the halls of the Sultan to search out and hear every local legend, every scrap of lore, until they found a magical artifact worth searching for.  The results of their search were something of an open secret - they found something, but revealed to no one what it was. During this search, Sultan Shazanon died while choking on a pheasant bone.  He was buried with honor and replaced by his seventeen-year old son, Qadir.  Qadir immediately married a noblewoman of Mar Awas, but alas no children were produced to continue the dynasty. The leader of the search, Nooldor, also died.  He was sixty-four and died peacefully in his sleep. Prince Kasim patrolled the waters around Muzir with forty ships, flying the banners of the Red Pact of Vales.

The Valesian Empire - Ruler - Primarch Diomedes Capital - Centauris Dominant Race - Human Dominant Religion - Lords of the Grail Diplomacy - Laedos [NT]

Primarch Diomedes permitted the war-weary and idle refugees of the late wars to settle down in the capital, provided that they each supply labor to improve the public character of the polity, and in so doing, improve their own lot as well. He dispatched the House of Blades to investigate strange occurrences in the land of Areon, but those worthies never returned from whatever befell them there.  It was said that they did not find adventure...it found them. In 2864, Diomedes's wife bore him a second son with dark hair and a healthy set of lungs, which drove Diomedes to practice at arms in the fields and forests more than had been his wont. He dispatched Tallius and Theolus, than whom there were no better fellows for embassy in all of Valesia, to soothe the angry and upbraided souls of the men of

Laedos, to whom the nation had so recently given affront.  These two stout fellows, by means of stirring speeches and appeals to reason, gained not only an end to the hostility but an agreement than the Empire might send across their lands both soldiers and goods of trade. In 2863, a curious smell was detected coming from Mount Ryssa in Laedos, just outside of the ancient city of Vales.  Strange colors were seen in the night sky and many small birds were found dead upon the shore.  Fearing an ill omen from the gods, many of the folk of Vales fled the city.  It turned out to a prophetic move, for one day in late autumn the mountain suddenly vomited forth clouds of scalding steam and furious rivers of steaming mud that ran faster than a wild horse.  Some few of the doomed residents of Vales hoped that the city's venerable and storied walls would hold back the mud, but such hopes were in vain.  The gates were burst asunder and the city inundated with mud, ash and burning cinders.  What was not buried was burned to

the ground.  Only a small, newer corner of the city, protected by natural shoulder of land, was saved from the ruin.  Here repaired in after days that remnant of the folk of Vales who had fled at the first sign of danger, and they eked out a miserable existence in the shadow of the tomb of their great city.

Luxur -
Ruler - General Adnassuk
Capital - Thedelos
Dominant Race - Sathla
Dominant Religion - Autumna
Diplomacy - Merwal [+7YfC], Zorches [NT], Lerope [-]

The Holy See of Udjo - Ruler - Pysus Holzilz Holy City - Merwal Dominant Race - Sathla Dominant Religion - Autumna

The Holy See sent its followers into Merwal and Oroyon and built dwellings, dug wells and healed the sick, thus making those cities more appealing and powerful. They also sent volunteers into Naqada to break soil and dig irrigation ditches as offerings to the god. But the Holy See was also busy far from home.  Pysus Zurthes-Li instructed queen Xochilti of Drormt in the mysteries of Autumna and when the queen accepted Autumna in the spring of 2864, he re-crowned her in the name of holy Udjo. The Pysus died in Breeka the following winter, to be replaced by young bishop Holzilz. The reach of the Holy See was even longer than this, for they hired the mercenary Company of the Silver Axe to pursue business for them in Darbizu, south of Mekebele. Both great priest Ssthaze and Kos died in 2862, of completely separate accidents with large river reptiles.

The Serpentine of Mykele -
Ruler - Sauressh Isskor
Capital - Oroyon
Dominant Race - Sathla
Dominant Religion - Autumna
Diplomacy - Kilni [EA]

However, their conversions were seen as cynical and heretical by the great majority of common sathla in the city. Vathek died in Mikkulizim in 2864.

Lord Sssam continued to harangue the simple satha of eastern Kilni until his death in 2863.  His last official act was to negotiate a treaty of economic alliance with the local tribes.

North-Eastern Vales -

The Kingdom of Thariyya - Ruler - King Mogrihan Vahdin Capital - Uls Fakhar Dominant Race - Halfling Dominant Religion - Lords of the Grail Diplomacy - Hassar [F]

The defense-minded halflings of Thariyya constructed a port fortress on the southern shores of Shood, and likewise moved most of their army, national and feudal, to the forests of Shood, there setting up strong temporary defenses among the cedars and lemon trees. While King Mogrihan ruled from Uls Fakhar, his trusted friend Wallastre Zendowan visited Hassar and showed the Zendowan halflings the wisdom of swearing fealty to the strength of Thariyya. Admiral Yryons put to sea with the Thariyyan fleet, flying the pennants of the Red Pact of Vales, throughout 2861-63.  He spent most of 2864-65 interviewing merchants and sailors, asking many questions about the lands they had visited.

The Warlocks of Accolon - Ruler - Emperor Elijah Cuu Capital - Dammarask Dominant Race - Human Dominant Religion - The Dark Court Diplomacy - Eumana [+3YfC]

soldiers into Carru, but died there in 2862 at the young age of thirty-two.  She suffered a head injury when thrown from her horse after the horse was startled by a dust devil beside the road.

Fitzroy von Jankmon remained in Eumana, patiently working to convince the southerners to return to the fold of Accolon.  His harsh northern accent and the disdain of Eumanans for the Valesian language spoken by most Accolonites hampered his progress.

The Shadowed Primacy of the Dark Court -   Ruler - High Priest Gezz Half-Shadow Holy City - Dammarask Dominant Race - Human Dominant Religion - The Dark Court Diplomacy - Unaagh [AB], Eumana [AB], Ishi [-], Harrud [C], Teush [-], Sharar [NT]

The Shadowed Primacy came more fully into the open in these years.  Vast numbers of religious faithful were put to work under the whips of Accolon overseers building the cyclopean network of irrigation ditches and terraced hillsides in Akin that would soon feed the multitudes of the Mulgaunt valley. Similarly, princes of the church walked abroad in the south, conducting open diplomacy in Ishi, Harrud, Teush and Sharar.  Princess Sialesse, High Priestess of Evaless the Mother of Monsters, claimed Harrud for the Primacy.  Prince Jalak negotiated a treaty of transit with the desert tribes of Sharar. Others, such as Drel Dorath of Ascarlon and Gezz Half-Shadow were not seen at all in those years.  Both were rumored to be invoking some dire deviltry in Dammarask.

The Shadowguard of Marador -  
Ruler - Queen Madariel Shadowfoot
Capital - Lantar
Dominant Race - Elf
Dominant Religion - Lords of the Grail
Diplomacy - Nivrost [F]

South-Western Vales -

The Steaming Kingdom of Drormt -
Ruler - Queen Xochilti
Capital - Drormt
Dominant Race - Saurus
Dominant Religion - Valesian Spirit Cult

The Pysus of Autumna himself, Zurthes-Li came to Breeka and instructed queen Xochilti herself in the mysteries of the faith.  She converted to Autumna in 2864.  The regions of Erlet and Munampt went into immediate and violent rebellion against the destruction of the old ways, vowing that the line of kings was dead. Xochilti handled this with calm resignation, recruiting two thousand warriors and building some small villages in Drormt.

Sendahl - Ruler - King Trist*an Capital - Nyange Dominant Race - Human Dominant Religion - Valesian Spirit Cult

The Grand Empire of Mekebele - Ruler - Emperor W'tanabe Capital - Awayal Dominant Race - Human Dominant Religion - Valesian Spirit Cult Diplomacy - Itu [T]

Emperor W'tanabe named his younger brother Dushil to be his heir, as he himself was childless.  This bad luck continued as the emperor's new wife died in childbirth in 2862. The Empire contstructed a new city in Eza by the name of Ushwana.  The site was quickly flooded by heavy rainfall, but as there was nothing else of value in Eza, no harm was done. A new aqueduct was begun which will eventually bring clean drinking water into the city of Kaznuma. Lord Tnute continued to take counsel with the sauruses of Itu and convinced them to ally with the Grand Empire.

South-Eastern Vales -

The Dwarven Realm of Aurdrukar - Ruler - King Thulnor Capital - The Brass Tower Dominant Race - Dwarf Dominant Religion - Lords of the Grail

Banner of Aurdrukar

Banner of Khor-Naland

King Bain outlived his father by only a few years and died childless and without an heir.  His wife Annwen was a widow at the tender age of sixty-one. Nor did the realm have any princes, for the dwarves breed slowly and are slow to place their trust in others.  But neither are they prone to wild acts of rebellion, and after sober deliberation, all agreed that Lord Thulnor, a dwarf of good repute and impeccable family, should be given the crown.  Thus it was that a new dynasty began in Aurdrukar. One of Bain's last acts was to found the Iron Hammer League, an adventurer's guild in Khor-Nhalad.  It is to be hoped that the League will be the home of many future generations of heroes. Many of the leaders of the realm sought in Shtekkten for giant bats akin to those ridden in Vaudan in the far north, but found no sign of them or any other creature suitable for aerial mounts. Lord Thulnor ceased his participation in this search when he was called to the Brass Tower to assume the crown, but the effort continued without him.

The Kingdom of Weshtayo - Ruler - King Uraji, Red-Feathered Lord Capital - Khulank Dominant Race - Human Dominant Religion - Valesian Spirit Cult Diplomacy - Bedraku [+7YfC]

The Imperial Realm of Zikuyu -
Ruler - Emperor Bhekizizwe
Capital - Ivallkyu
Dominant Race - Human
Dominant Religion - Valesian Spirit Cult
Diplomacy - Urrides [A]

The Valraj -
Ruler - Sultan Khalood
Capital - Muddakir
Dominant Race - Human
Dominant Religion - Valesian Spirit Cult
Diplomacy - Hajaxtas [+2YfC]

The Grand Duchy of Meneen -
Ruler - Grand Duke Salene
Capital - Yaz Meneen
Dominant Race - Elf
Dominant Religion - Valesian Spirit Cult

While Grand Duke Saleen ruled from peaceful Yaz Meneen and added five hundred elven archers to his army, Lord Feantë loaded ships with many elves and much material.  They sailed across the Jaundor Sea and Shorral's Mirror to the outpost of Olonár, where they built a new suburb of the city and expanded the walls to include it.  Though only an oupost, Olonár is the largest city in Meneen. Lord Habnar continued to govern that happy city, and continued to prove himself an able and popular governor.

The Kingdom of Ukanve -
Ruler - Queen Eamata
Capital - Ukanve
Dominant Race - Human
Dominant Religion - Valesian Spirit Cult
Diplomacy - Darja [NT]

Queen Eamata, now a widow, married anew, for she dreaded loneliness most of all things.  She ruled the nation and raised her three daughters, now fast approaching womanhood themselves. Lord Geneal taught the ways of spirit worship to the orcs of Torquas, slowly converting the city's nobility. Lord Norwalk traveled to Darja and negotiated a treaty with the elves permitting the transit of armies and goods to and from the east.  Her advisors warned the queen that the region's remoteness from Ukanve would make it restive and difficult to manage. Wizards, shamans, sorcerers and fakirs from all over southern Vales began to settle in Ukanve, and formed a school for the instruction of the young, promising or rich.

The Kingdom of Nikitya -
Ruler - King Olaf
Capital - Vikitana
Dominant Race - Human
Dominant Religion - Serriku Spirit Cult

Nikitya was far too large for its nearly non-existent government to control with any real power, and the woodmen of Kachka simply ceased to pay any attention to the Vikitana government.  It was years before anyone in Vikitana even noticed. Dagobert the Unsteady captained a fleet of six Nikityan ships on a small but wide-ranging series of raids.  They sailed to the north, spray flying from the prows of their sleek black-sailed ships, through Rimefrost Bay to strike at the dwarven lands of Itissik and Chakachka, then back around the Bay of Whales and all the way east to Sea Dragon Reach, where they raided the hobgoblins of Muha.  Then back to Permanga Sound to raid Tyusutta, Tuanani and Kyuinachka.  Only the last, with its militia and forts, really put up a fight.  Even so it provided more than half of the loot of the entire year.  The walled city of Orodask proved far too much for the small fleet.  But the Nikityans could gaze east and dream...

The Principalities of Korondor -
Ruler - King Vorin
Capital - Nikkildun
Dominant Race - Dwarf
Dominant Religion - The Lords of the Grail
Diplomacy - Achkain [F], Khond-Zelan [A]

The dwarves of Korondor, aware at last of the mighty deeds abroad in Theeurth, have unleashed their deep coffers of gold and gems and made such mansions and delvings in the hills of Innikuch as are the wonder of the north. Long galleries of echoing marble and deep mines of silver so that their hands flowed with wealth and beauty. King Vorin sat for many years auditing the accounts of his people's wealth, that he might tax them fairly...and without missing a single groat. Prince Torin traveled to the land of Achkain, where he offered his own hand in marriage to the daughter of Mogen, Achkain's lord.  Mogen accepted, retiring to his mansion of stone and swore fealty to King Vorin. Lord Bolan went with Torin, but bent his will to encouraging the dwarves of the city of Khond-Zelan to create closer ties with Korondor.  His crafty nature put him in good graces with the smiths of the city and they soon became allies of the king.

The Shanatar Empire -
Ruler - God-Emperor Talena
Capital - Feroe
Dominant Race - Human
Dominant Religion - The God-Emperor

The vast wealth and energies of Shanatar were once again put to use in changing the land they lived upon.  Armies of peasants toiled in the rich soil of Balasir and Rachif to create farms and fields of flax, barley, wheat and oats and to raise every sort of wholesome animal.  Now that much of his empire was connected by post roads, the God-Emperor also demanded that his engineers drive a wider, more durable royal road from Leilan to Afarees. Missionaries continued to spread the word of the God-Emperor amongst the benighted folk of Eumela. Princess Talena was married at the age of sixteen and declared Uruk's heir. Within a year she gave birth to two sons and a year later gave birth to a daughter. Lord Ferroi was governor of Naifir, and once again proved himself a venal and avaricious man. Lord Tunnivarian, governor of Huzzein, died of a coughing fit in 2861.  Prince Adnon of Afarees died in that region in 2863 when bitten by a scorpion. The God-Emperor died in 2863 at the age of seventy-two.  Within weeks, while Chamir was still in mourning, Lord Ferroi declared himself Emperor and began to march from Naifir towards Chamir, collecting troops and supporters along the way.  The regions of An'hirz, Fakkhrem, Malil and Mandek immediately declared their independence.  Agents of the God-Emperor's secret police attempted to quash the rebellions, but were publicly whipped (in An'hirz one agent was set upon by the mob and burned alive). Unwilling to make war upon her own people, despite having the overwhelming

support of the army, Talena tricked Ferroi into a conference where just the two of them were to meet, with no seconds.  There, she strangled the rebellious lord with her own robe.  She then gave word to her huge army to maneuver onto the plain and gave Ferroi's tiny army one minute to decide their own fates.  To a man, they knelt and swore allegiance to her, begging her pardon, which she gave.  She was crowned God-Emperor (there are no God-Empresses) three days later.

The Farmuz Emirates - Ruler - Sultan Yaman al Mukatir Capital - Azhkatûm Dominant Race - Human Dominant Religion - Lords of the Grail Diplomacy - Navilok [A]

Young Sultan Yaman trained his troops in cavalry tactics and siegecraft.  He built forts in Jahali and Balamel and on the island of Oras.  Around the forts at Jahali and Balemel he built small garrison towns with farms to support them. He re-opened trade with the island-continent of Kerendis, sending ships out of Azhkatûm to Methedras.  He reformed the adventuring guild known as the Gurek of the Red Stone.  They soon disappeared from the knowledge of men. Mustafa ben Shariz and Najya al Zahmer traveled to Navilok and arranged a marriage between the sultan and the daughter of Navilok's lord.  Navilok came to very close ties with the Emirates. Wakil al Azkhatum governed the capital and proved an energetic leader who put down several gangs who had begun to rule the immense docklands.

 

The Kingdom of Vaudan - Ruler - King Eldred Capital - Chegamum Dominant Race - Human Dominant Religion - Orithia Diplomacy - Vaklatos

The treasury and manpower of Vaudan went into building villages and farms in Noor'im.  When no other nation hired the Doomriders of Ul'il, Vaudan hired them, and sent them adventuring at will. King Eldred promoted his twin sons Ashfar and Afshin to heir and prince on their birthday, and almost simultaneously fathered another son, his sixth. Afshar was given the government of Chegamum at a very early age, and proved clever in his choice of laws.  He was quickly married to a girl of Vaklatos after Lord Merhvand arranged the marriage as part of signing a treaty of alliance with that forested region. Lord Tahnaseb, governor of Nrinayri, died during a strenuous wrestling match in 2862 at the age of twenty-seven. Lord Farvardin, Castellan of Nrinayri, traveled to Yezdarna in pursuit of rumors of ancient tombs high in the hills.

The United Clans of Mainos -
Ruler - King Kaedhrol Greyfeather
Capital - Badmira
Dominant Race - Elf
Dominant Religion - Orithia
Diplomacy - Aydu [T]

King Greyfeather ruled his kingdom from the city of Badmira while his son Auvo conducted a census of all the Mainan peoples. Lady Tarja Elsilä trained up the first thousand elves of the King's Own guard, known as the Talons, while Lady Aila Törni traveled to the forests of Aydu to exact an agreement of tribute to the United Clans. Meanwhile, the rest of the court searched diligently through city, field and forest...though none spoke of what they sought.

The Dragon's Reach -

The Kingdom of Uheju -
Ruler - Regent Gadai
Capital - Shkomyemri
Dominant Race - Hobgoblin
Dominant Religion - Orithia
Diplomacy - Inni [EA]

King Noordaihn II spent his final years (though he did not know them to be such) preparing a census for his realm.  He also married, but had no further children.  He and his queen both died in a boating accident in 2863 when the royal barge was caught during a terrible storm on the Lake of Dreams.  The census was left unfinished. Their infant son Gansukh was the rightful king, but Lord Gadai moved to take power in the boy's name. Gadai and Lord Kaidan traveled to Inni and convinced the local hobgoblins to sign a treaty of economic alliance. This time the Kasadiri did not interfere. Uhejan missionaries traveled to the island of Tanuan with high hopes of spreading the word of Orithia, but they were killed and eaten by the natives, their skins used to cover the native shields.

 

The Kingdom of Kasadir - Ruler - King Faren III Capital - Tamiyot Dominant Race - Human Dominant Religion - Orithia Diplomacy - Sekpata [NT]

King Faren III, a noted sorcerer, gathered the eldritch power of the city of Tamiyot to him and charged with the power of alley, avenue, merchant and soldier, prepared an accurate census of the whole nation. His son, Prince Maejith, another sorcerer, spent the years tramping about the Kasadir homeland, looking for...something. Young Princess Zlawa began at the age of five to tell all whom will listen about her future glory, and her destiny to rule as a god. Many thought the child was mad but others began to whisper that she had insight that no 5 year old should have. Perhaps she was a god on earth and the divine spark flowed more powerfully through her than others. Soon she began to question her grandfather and his rule of his "backward" kingdom, and preach about the great Destiny of the Dragon Kingdom. Frustrated the King banished her from his court to a small farm near the Fivari border to live with the family of one of his retired Dragon Kaptains, where he hoped her preaching can cause little harm. In exile she began to learn the ways of the warrior, and prepare for her rule as Dragon Queen

Lord Fonkh traveled to Sekpata and was negotiating tribute from them when he died of a heart attack in 2864.  The Sekpatans agreed to allow the Kasadiri to cross their lands, but scoffed at the idea of paying tribute.

The Kingdom of Ahandu -
Ruler - King Staraash
Capital - Zathurrin
Dominant Race - Saurus
Dominant Religion - Orithia
Diplomacy - Kaskino [F], Chojde [A]

Expansion was on the minds of the sauruses of Ahandu.  King Staarash and his stunning (if you're a bipedal lizard) daughter Hexoatl brought gifts and praise for the lord of Kaskino, going so far as to give him the hand of Hexoatl herself in marriage and elevating him to a royal prince.  This caused Kaskino to become loyal to the king, and the new prince became one of Staarash's closet advisors. Meanwhile, Lord Uaxgar and allied lord Chiccloq of Menjarmun convinced the far southern humans of Chojde to ally themselves with the sauruses, though many wondered how the sauruses would maintain such a distant alliance. Prince Conquarox was made governor of Zathurrin.  Being the very image of venal sentiment and a dissipated lifestyle, the capital groaned under his heavy expenses and lavish parties for three years until in 2863 he choked on a whole live chicken and died, bringing the party to a spectacular end. Lord Tochuan struggled with the hated administrative duties of creating a census for five long years.  But the rapid expansion of Ahandu's territory meant that the government was not able to effectively rule it, and the census proved useless.

The Empire of Mogodor -
Ruler - Emperor Kaidhoor IV
Capital - Aone
Dominant Race - Human
Dominant Religion - Orithia
Diplomacy - Venil [T]

Rather than add to his armies, Emperor Kaidhoor IV sent his peasant levies into the fields of Menembaga to dig wells, raise barns, cut irrigation ditches and erect temples to the gods. The Emperor then sat with his scribes, spies and magistrates and created an accurate census of the whole empire. Many of these functionaries fretted that the census would be worthless if the emperor did not soon produce an heir. :Lord Alsaid spent five years in the city of Venil, convincing the city fathers of the wisdom of sending tribute to distant Aone.  Unfortunately, Alsaid died in 2865 during a years-end celebration when fireworks set alight an alchemical experiment in the building from whose balcony he watched the display. There were many in Januaan who were unhappy with the arrangements made with distant Aone, and bandits harrassed the Mogodorian merchants traveling from Berpeku. Lord Marakve governed the capital city of Aone.  His tenure was quiet.

The Kingdom of Suhanir -
Ruler - King Valiel Sunlord
Capital - Kaonayu
Dominant Race - Elf
Dominant Religion - Orithia
Diplomacy - Miyotla [F], Galahant [F]
 

King Valiel Sunlord invoked the sorcerous power of his voice and prepared his armies to repel any invasion. His son, Prince Marahel, convinced Lord Vaeressë of Miyotla to retire and to deliver control of his port city to the king.  Likewise, Lord Halath convinced the elves of Galahant to swear their allegiance to the king and to Kaonayu. The peaceful sylvan realm of Suhanir went on in serene happiness.

The Kingdom of Amantai -
Ruler - King Sendoor the Younger
Capital - Mahlish
Dominant Race - Human
Dominant Religion - Orithia
Diplomacy - Baya [A], Ijal [-]

King Sendoor the Younger created a royal school for bureaucrats, but none of the graduates have yet filtered into important roles in the government. In addition, the king continued to make a small but steady investment into the cultivation of Baya. The king himself traveled to Baya and through wise words and good fellowship convinced the lord of Baya to become his ally. Counselor Benelor traveled to Ijar, trying through diplomacy to create a land link between Amantai and both Mogodor and Uheju.  But the Counselor died in a babbling fit during 2863 and the negotiations came to a sudden and uncomfortable halt. The nation's wars proved disastrous.  Prince Mardule garrisoned two thousand troops in Haga and marched east with twenty-five hundred to invade Distiar.  They were met by the Distiar militia, eighteen-hundred strong, and soundly defeated.  Mardule narrowly escaped death in the rout that followed, managing to bring home only fifteen hundred troops.  He then became governor of Mahlish and fathered a daughter in 2864. Allied Lord Janz of Jutuh marched north with a mere thousand light infantry to invade Keama and was routed by the local militia, also eighteen hundred strong. Unlike Mardule, Janz was unable to rescue any of his army, and came back to Jutuh in shame, his ragged cloak and worn boots a testament to his ordeal in the wilderness.

The Kingdom of Nuitai -
Ruler - Queen Ehlissa
Capital - Temanom
Dominant Race - Human
Dominant Religion - Orithia
Diplomacy - Basirzos [FA]

Queen Ehlissa directed that the peasants of Nuitai should arrive at the capital of Temanom and help to erect docks, wells, warehouses and housing tenaments. A large number of merchant ships were built and put to work servicing the port of Temanom. Prince Arpald journeyed across the Sea of Frozen Stars, observing the twinkling lights far below, and landed at Basirzos, where he proposed a marriage between his mother the queen and the lord of that region.  The marriage was agreed and Basirzos became a fiefdom of Nuitai. Lord Prajuk was given the task of conducting a census, but he is a spiteful and uncharismatic man to whom few wish to speak, much less reveal all that they own.  In addition, Prajuk spent no more than a year at the task, and in the end all of the queen's gold and manpower was simply wasted on Prajuk's halfhearted effort.

The Kingdom of Choran -
Ruler - King Parru
Capital - Choran
Dominant Race - Human
Dominant Religion - Serikku Spirit Cult
Diplomacy - Ketkume [C]

The Chorans built five warships and five cogs to continue their rule of the sea.  They sent traders to distant Akagekku beyond the Empire of the Pearl. King Si-Lentir (the title is really honorary, since Choran is an oligarchy) died in 2861, and Parru of the Red Triang Pang was elected to replace him. Nak'tor of the Lotus Pang and Lan of the Green Pang took joint command of a fleet of twenty five ships and four thousand troops, and sailed beyond distant Akagekku to land at the devil-worshiping region of Yukamoc, on the Hikubu Chi.  They stormed ashore and pacified the Yuka people, then forcibly converted them to the Serikku spirit cults through a bloody policy of murder and torture.  Then, with materials they had brought with them, they erected the walled village of Tolnek in the region. Drofu of the Storm Pang sailed to the free city of Ketkume and claimed it for Choran.

The Empire of Tekume -
Ruler - King Vo-Laareth
Capital - Suru'or
Dominant Race - Giants
Dominant Religion - The Dark Court
Diplomacy - Chobo [NT]

King Vo-Laareth directed that the giants erect farms and villages in Karisdu, to the number of ten. He had built for himself eighteen sleek warships, and for his allies a total of one warship and four transport vessels. The king then sailed north, his head filled with images of conquest and loot in the far away frozen lands, only to learn that his sailors did not know how to sail past Point Tunuan.  The king lost half his ships seeking a passage north, then returned home disappointed. Similarly, the allies An-Grothek of Taikime, Go-Batron of Tauntum and Mo-Blokreth of Kumi all raided into the western seas, but tried to go beyond the reach of their rutters into the Otorii Sea.  Nonetheless, they raided many places: Shanbao and Dehui south of Shen'xi, Bayindu, Erinden, Kur and Elera west of Choran, and Mende and Kimmaktu closer to home.  They were driven off by local militia at Shanbao and dealt a nasty defeat by the militia of Bayindu. Prince Ar-Nampur traveled to the human realm of Chobo and convinced the men of that cultivated realm to allow the giants to station troops there. Lord Ar-Gothten conducted a census of all the lands of Tekume.

The Kolyut Isthmus -

The Sylvan Realm of Hecadia -
Ruler - King Avedis
Capital - Belgramma
Dominant Race - Halfling
Dominant Religion - Orithia
Diplomacy - Ateside [F], Amoka [F]

The folk of Hecadia created new positions in their government and sent many scribes and scholars to Belgramma.  They also sent a thousand cavalry to serve in the garrison at Tetomo.  The city of Lepreum grew from a tiny village into a small town because of the trade that passed through it. Lord Feyd, governor of Tetomo, died in 2863 during a duel with the jealous husband of one of his many lovers. Lord Jasil traveled to Ateside and there offered in marriage the hand of Serah, the king's sister.  The lord of Ateside, smitten with the sweet young girl, retired with her to his villa in the hills, giving over control of his province to the king. Elekar the Fox, mercenary adventurer, traveled on the king's behalf to Amoka, where he peddled the hand and fair form of Serah's identical twin sister Helena to the province's lord in exchange for an oath of fealty.  All parties were satisfied with the agreements, though no one asked the twin girls what they thought of the arrangement.

The Kingdom of Kerendis - Ruler - King Jorald Makkure Capital - Orbelain Dominant Race - Human Dominant Religion - The Dark Court

The armies of Kerendis trained continuously for war, honing their skills in the belief that victory is won long before the enemy is sighted. A brief trade spat between the Kingdom of Kerendis and the Emirates of Farmuz was ended when trade resumed between Methedras and Azhkatûm.  The Kerendans announced that they and the Emirates had formed something called the Ymarian League, to ensure the safety of commerce upon the various waters of the Ymarian Sea. And indeed trade was much on the mind of King Jorald, who spent a year reorganizing the trade arrangements and mercantile contracts of the Kerendis merchants (much to their own annoyance). The king also named his son Lochilann to be his heir as soon as the boy reached his sixteenth birthday. Lord Karlos was appointed governor of Methedras, and at first the fat nobleman worked to improve the harbor and streets.  But soon the power of the position had gone to his head and the governor spent far too much time with the region's wines (and it, was whispered, with the region's halfling women).  He died in 2863 of a severe jaundice and fever. Lord Sembis sailed south to the Gates of Arthys with five warships, but was never heard from again. Bishop Dargune Soulhammer wandered about in the south-east of the country, poking into old ruins and troll-holes.

The Kingdom of Threns -
Ruler - King Nijon
Capital - Vaayil
Dominant Race - Human
Dominant Religion - Changshai Spirit Cult
Diplomacy - Artisva [UN]

Threns invested heavily in scribes and scholars, as well as passed laws  encouraging adventurers to settle, particularly in Vaayil. King Nijon ruled from Vaayil.  His wife queen Monaria died in child labor in 2862. Lord Riakak and Zagadis of Siruvargal traveled to Artisva for two years and managed to assuage the hostility felt by the Artisvans.  But their trip was too short to really improve relations beyond that. Riakak was appointed governor of the city of Vaayil for 2865, but died early that year in the arms of a mistress.  Zagadis of Siruvargal died within a week, and many suspicious eyes were turned towards Artisva.

The Kolyut Hegemony -
Ruler - Hegemon Vor the Merciless
Capital - Ketarid
Dominant Race - Hobgoblin
Dominant Religion - The Dark Court
Diplomacy - Rainda [-], Komirut [+5YfC]

The warlike hobgoblins of the Hegemony continued to expand their power.  They built three warships at Komirut and recruited two thousand warriors into their army.  Forts they built in the coastal plains of Prabum and Kuwasha, and both regions were garrisoned with thousands of troops so that the whole eastern coast was a fortified line of defense. The Hegemon cast his eyes north and west, marching into Phinmai with fifty-five hundred well-armed troops.  The men of Phinmai met the hobgoblins and fiercely withstood them, but their numbers and training were less and despite bloody losses, the Kolyut army prevailed.  Vor then had the spirit shrines thrown down and their idols burned, setting up a temple to Caravok the Destroyer.  At this sacrilege the men of Phinmai rose again in anger.  Moreover, this time they were joined by the men of Irnatra and Yekansi.  Of all the Indahl tribes, only Ramdegu had not marched forth to aid the folk of Phinmai.  Nearly six thousand Indahls faced off against the Hegemon's army.  They were fierce and well-trained, but they lacked the outstanding leadership and tactical vision of Vor the Merciless and so they fell before his hobgoblins, but not without costing the Kolyuts dearly.  Vor lost nearly fifteen hundred troops in that fight, and chose not to advance into Yekansi as planned. After spreading garrisons about, Mordo the Wort traveled to Rainda to arrange a marriage with Beekra, daughter of the old Hegemon Balegard.  Not wishing any closer ties with Kolyut (especially for a marriage which held no dynastic meaning), the lord of Rainda refused. Kadar Stonehand traveled to the city of Komirut and consulted with its leaders, trying to remove the anger against the Kolyuts for their seizure of the city by force thirty years before.

Allied lord Haggar of Nistha took three warships and sailed into the east, exploring the Soldu Sea.  He died shortly after his successful return.  His son was no friend of Vor's and ended the alliance, though he was not so foolish as to deny the Kolyuts shipping and basing rights in his city.

The Ruans added to their considerable trading fleets at Oprawa and Fashanru, sending more ships to Kerendis, mainly, and keeping many more for trade between the two cities. King Maglys (the title is a formality - the real power is the Council of Captains at Fashanru) traveled about the realm readjusting garrisons and moving supplies. Sir Verun and Lady Evris (both captains of strong repute and many hulls) traveled inland to Senkama, where the convinced the chiefs of many tribes to ally with the Free Cities.  Sir Verun died during these negotiations and was buried in the wooded slopes of Senkama.

The Delves of Ahum - Ruler - King Tolman Redbelly Capital - Saumya Dominant Race - Halfling Dominant Religion - Nuree

Religion was the issue of the day in Ahum.  Many great leaders traveled south to the sathla-infested jungles along the Rajahdan border to spread the truths of the Three-Faced god among the benighted savages.  Despite the awful jungle terrain and the innate hostility of the natives, the gentlefolk of Ahum proved to be remarkably adept missionaries.  Isumbras Lowstick sojourned in steaming Assa where he slowly began to win converts among the nobility who viewed the ancient ways of Autumna with increasing distaste. Haldred Earthcloak and Baris Dustycloak, cousins from Rusilam, did cardinal service in Amovish, convincing a full third of the nobility to convert to Nuree. But most astounding of all was the progress of Hamfast Roughbelly, who came to Sauryas (where much progress had already been made in the past) with a band of missionaries.  By 2865, nearly two-thirds of the nobility and fully a third of the peasantry supported the Three-Faced god. Fosca Proudfield was governor of Saumya and continued to prove an able and clever administrator.  Several cool deep delves were dug to store the grain against the rainy seasons. Queen Dahlia elevated her son Tolman to the position of heir in 2863.  It was well that she did so, for she passed away at the young (for a halfling) age of forty-nine a few months later.  There was much discontent at the accession of so young a halfling to the throne.  All eyes turned to Baris Dustycloak, who commanded nearly the entire Ahum army, down in Amovish. But the boy king proved shrewd and sent personal messengers bearing assurances of affection and respect to the general.  Dustycloak met with the messengers and kept his army in Amovish.  The crisis passed.

The Orcish Raj of Virityal -
Ruler - Raj Algoz
Capital - Chharit
Dominant Race - Orc
Dominant Religion - Nuree

Raj Algoz allowed his troops to sit peacefully in their garrisons.  For any other race, this would be a good idea, but the Raj's troops are orcs and ill-pleased at the lack of plunder and rapine.  They rioted and started fights amidst themselves and looted their local communities, costing the Raj large quantities of gold. Despite the martial unrest, large numbers of goblins were set to work building villages and draining swamps in Randar and Hilakav. Drendak, son of Taureg, was made a prince of the realm. Taureg tried to have other sons, but two wives died in childbirth.  Not before the first bore him another son, however. Taureg, Gordash and Vangandek governed the cities of Chharit, Kamada and Garupal.  "Governed" for the raj

breaking the appropriate heads and whipping the appropriate malcontents into line.  Each proved reasonably adept at this job (and all liked the whips).  Gordash died in an impromptu duel in the streets of Kamada in 2863.

The Empire of Rajahdan-
Ruler - Emperor Zlathex of the Jungles
Capital - Jalahl
Dominant Race - Sathla
Dominant Religion - Autumna

The sathla of Rajahdan sent their slave workers and peasants to improve the already wealthy region of Rajahdan, erecting temples and univesities, and clearing broad avenues through the great cities.  All this attention swelled the size of Jalahl so that its walls could no longer contain it and spilled out onto the sweltering plain of rice paddies and saffron root. Emperor Vaasthek Blood Arrows named his grandson Zlathex of the Jungles to be his heir.  This caused some muttering at court, but none opposed the will of the emperor.  Vaasthek then traveled to Gattapal to get himself a wife, marrying Zlathex's widowed mother, his own daughter-in-law Chiconqua, and thereby making her other heir his ally. Vaasthek died at the age of fifty-eight in 2864.  Many of the great families opposed the accession of young Zlathex to the throne, but despite all the tension and fears of the court, the matter never came to blows and the young emperor was crowned without incident. Chiconqua retired back to Gattapal, twice widowed at the age of thirty-nine. Before he died, Vaasthek created a merchant's guild in Jalahl, giving them the power to decide who could hold shipping contracts and to engage in various crafts.

Anku Elevya -
Ruler - King Vesileth IV
Capital - Jinguir
Dominant Race - Saurus
Dominant Religion - Changshai Spirit Cult
Diplomacy - Puntama [EA], Jugama [T], Bukuturru [UN], Banyak [C]

The sauruses of Anku Elevya called up six thousand warriors, including  two thousand saurek elite warriors, and marched south with ten thousand soldiers in Theeurth's most aggressive corps of diplomacy. While King Vesileth IV ruled from the throne of Jinguir, his son Jangula and all the leaders of Anku Elevya marched south with the army, under the lead of general Hesthi.  These included Merujuk, Ketepikan, Tidak of Haruang, Oleh of Mengil, Wano of Pekesedun, Betul of Mengkua and Atasnya of Umalatida.  Together, this team of accomplished diplomats quickly concluded an economic treaty with Puntama and exacted tribute from Jugama. Then in the fall of 2863,they marched into Lulipayat at Bukuturru and quickly arrested the various sathla administrators.  They expected to be treated as liberators by their saurus brethren, but the natives viewed them with hostility, for Lulipayat had always been very supportive of the saurus ways (it went almost unnoticed that Lulipayat had sent missionaries to begin to sway Bukuturran religious opinions). Though they had come with overwhelming force, the sauruses did not use it against the natives, save for driving off a few protesting sathla officials.  In 2864, the Lulipayat army came calling. (See The Battle of Bukuturru, below). Heshti and his diplomats then met with officials from the city of Banyak who agreed to give up their allegiance to Lulipayat, though they were not yet ready to declare for Anku Elevya.  That didn't deter the Anku army from claiming the city as theirs, however. In 2865, the feudal allies and a significant portion of the Anku Elevya national army marched back north to the swamps of home.

The Celestial Empire of Shen'xi -
Ruler - Emperor Li Dao II
Capital - Wu Lan
Dominant Race - Human
Dominant Religion - Kifan

It was an exceptionally quiet period in Shen'xi history.  Much building was done in Yunchuan by the peasantry, but the leaders of the Empire all either defended in place, added to the Empire's administration or snoozed on their verandas.

The Lulipayat Empire -
Ruler - Khathros IX
Capital - Kelakuan
Dominant Race - Sathla
Dominant Religion - Autumna
Diplomacy - Merhabibi [A]

The sathla of Lulipayat built stone temples to their scaly goddess and many villages, barracks, dikes and ditches in Dibalam.  They paid close attention to the eldritch arts in the echoing stone chambers of their sorcerer's halls. In Kelakuan, they built small, swift coastal ships to carry their trade along the Lulipayat Sea. Khathros IX lay coiled in his presence chamber, slowly sloughing off old skin and growing larger each year as the old serpent heard the accounts of his kingdom and formed a complete census. The childless Khathros named lord S'slehth as his heir and sent S'slehth and the alllied lord Fl'eljh marching into Keganga with four thousand troops (including three thousand elite sathran archers), where they swiftly defeated the easygoing saurus natives and enslaved them in a brief and nearly bloodless takeover.  S'slehth then marched his army back to Dibalam. Of course, in the meantime, the Lulipayat army failed to notice that a huge saurus army had decamped in Bukuturru.  By the time that S'slehth  did realize it, it was late in the year.  Taking command of the whole force available at Dibalam, plus a few allies from Merhabibi and Dentu, he marched out to meet the

the invaders with nine thousand troops of his own.

The Battle of Bukuturru
Northhale, 2864

Nine thousand sathla warriors ( a mix of infantry and light infantry, backed up by a reserve of a thousand cavalry) marched into the Bukuturru plain under the command of Prince S'slehth and several of his allied leaders.  They marched swiftly towards the Anku Elevya army of ninety-five hundred sauruses (a mixture of light infantry and heavy saurek elite) under the command of general Hesthi and his several commanders.  The sauruses had the advantage of a greater number of skilled commanders, and a thorough scouting of the battleground, while the sathla enjoyed the support of the locals, the presence of cavalry and a commander who was also a sorcerer.  Both armies were well-led and had many elite troops.  The difference was in training.  The saurus troops were disciplined, obedient soldiers who formed battle lines and fought where they were commanded.  The sathla, powerful warriors individually, were simply less capable of the orderly maneuvers of their saurus enemies.

The sathla came on in a great wave, pouring across the plain and raining down arrows and javelins on the saurus invaders.  And though they staggered back, the saurus lines did not break.  They closed ranks over their dead and held their positions as the sathla drove against them in screaming masses.  When the initial fervor of Prince S'slehth's attack faded and failed, General Heshti moved his saurek elite warriors out in a slow and deliberate pace, guarded on their flanks by slingers and archers with light reed bows.  The unnerving advance of the saurek middle caused Prince S'slehth to throw his forces against them a second time in an effort to break the Anku Elevyan lines.  Instead, the sathla warriors entered a disciplined and trained killing ground, pushed forward by the eager warriors behind them.  By the time the Lulipayat army began to break and run, it was far too late.  The victory of the Anku Elevyan sauruses was almost total.  Fewer than a thousand sathla warriors would struggle back into Dibalam, while the total saurus losses amounted to fewer than fifteen hundred dead or missing.

The Serenity of Wayahapta -
Ruler - Kelyor III
Capital - Keluan
Dominant Race - Halfling
Dominant Religion - Changshai Spirit Cult

The halflings of Wayahapta came together in their tens of thousands to build temples, irrigation ditches, cisterns, grain silos and roads in the plains of Kumpawi. Prince Alycor traveled to the islands of Ushuqua, to the city of Beranud, and convinced the men of Beranud to become the feudal allies of Wayahapta. Lord Mandrassu listened to accounts of all that Wayahapta held and created a census. The other great lords...played at darts and ate pie.

The Dwarven Realm of Khudukan -
Ruler - King Kodor
Capital - Nodo-Xan
Dominant Race - Dwarf
Dominant Religion - Chanshai Spirit Cult
Diplomacy - Tomarom [-], Okimo [-]

The dwarves of Khudukan started small.  In their homeland of Makomoe, they began to dig gold mines near to the city of Nodo-Xan. A small port village by the name of Ungin they built in Tomarom, on the waters of the Lower Oji River.  From the single quay of this small outpost, their wares began to flow into Akagekku and even (through their new port at Tolnek) to distant Choran. King Kodor conducted a complete census of all that his realm comprised. Lord Sirom Stiffbeard met with Dotag Stonefoot of Tomarom, but was unable to convince him to become part of the dwarven realm. No greater success was had by Lords Garf Ironfist and Kilor Blacklock, who tried to convince the giants of Okimo to join their ranks.  The mutual hatred betwixt dwarf and giant made this a difficult and ultimately fruitiless task.

The Empire of the Pearl -
Ruler - Saito Shimane
Capital - Hitotome
Dominant Race - Elf
Dominant Religion - Kifan
Diplomacy - Tsuko [NT], Chimiwa [NT]

The serene elves of the Empire of the Pearl built a postal road running from the city of Hitotome through Hanaze to the Inoe border. This cunningly built path was straight and level where possible, but always it stayed under the dappling leaves of stately elms or the needles of lush pines. The Emperor Shimane transferred command of his army to his daughter, Princess Kaoku.  He then traveled to the hills of Tsuko, where he negotiated a treaty with the local elves that allowed the Empire to trade through their lands to the dwarven smiths of Khudukan in the mountains beyond. Sakurako Hideyoshi traveled to the woods of Chimiwa and also convinced the local elves to allow the empire's troops and merchants to cross their lands unmolested.

The Jade Republic of Akagekku -
Ruler - Khoram IV
Capital - Akagekku
Dominant Race - Elf
Dominant Religion - Kifan
Diplomacy - Kumidor [F], Komotsu [F]

The elves of Akagekku burst into industrious activity.  The thin and winding post road from Akagekku to Komotsu was widened, straightened and toughened to bear the weight of many marching feet. Not incidentally, it also allowed trade to and from the Empire of the Pearl to travel over fine roads the entire way. A new trade village named Habuti sprang up in the midst of the fields of Karinoy, midway between the two great cities. The fields of Kenomus were enhanced by several small villages, into which the republic settled six thousand soldiers whom it decommissioned that they might begin the intensive cultivation of the homeland around the delta of the Oji river. In addition to all that, the shipwrights of Akagekku kept the slipways busy with many new merchant vessels destined to carry the Jade Republic's wares. In the fields of Kenomus, the remaining army trained hard at infantry and cavalry maneuvers, while at sea the tiny navy was also put through its paces.

While Koram IV ruled from the throne of Akagekku, his son Edorel governed the capital, wherein he built a new theater and several important temples.

Lord Faressë traveled to the great city of Komotsu and convinced Eldorin, the lord of the city, to retire and turn the city entirely over to the administrators of the Jade Republic.  Likewise Lord Findarwin traveled to the rich province of Kumidor and convinced the daimyo Madrung to join with the Jade Republic forever.

The Emerald Realm of Lekandi -
Ruler - King Galens Eagleheart
Capital - Suwelho
Dominant Race - Elf
Dominant Religion - Ukele Spirit Cult

The elves continued to improve Arumbom with pleasant groves, clean pools of water and delicate and delicious plants. The king and Lord Juelans both traveled to Fikosha, seeking something. Prince Elath trained the army in infantry and siege tactics. Life went on in the Emerald Realm as it always had: peacefully and with little thought of the outside world. A strange red tide washed up on the shores of the Aren sea, making the fish from the sea inedible.  The elves ate little fish and so barely noticed.

Each turn, I will use this space to present a useful rules hint.  Eventually, all of you will know what LOTE GM's and experienced players know.

DYNASTIC FAILURES -

There are numerous ways to lose control of your leaders, armies, regions and cities.  These include being outside the Command Control Radius (CCR), Low Infrastructure, the lack of an heir, failure to pay support costs and the Strongman's Overthrow.  But none is more dreaded than Dynastic Failure (DF).  A DF can occur as a result of a host of triggers, including:

• The death of a monarch (this is the most common trigger)
• Meddling from a foreign intelligence service
• Capture and destruction of the capital
• The nation's last substantial army is smashed by a foreign power
• Governmental, societal, economic or religious crisis (such as when a nation changes government types)
• The nation's leaders meddle in Things Man Was Not Meant to Know.

Chance of Failure - The base chance of a DF is 10%. This number is then modified by the following:

Factors subtracting from the chance of a DF:

• Bureaucracy Level
• Theocracy
• Federal Republic
• Caste Society

Factors adding to the chance of a DF:

• Feudal Monarch (strong)
• Dictatorship (strong)
• Religious Primacy size is over 1.0 (strong)
• Infra is less than Imperial size (strong)
• No current heir (strong)
• Imperial
• Tribal Government
• Emperor exercises Religious Authority
• Feudal Society
• Free Society
• certain religions (not gonna say which ones)
• certain races (ditto)
• National bank is in default
• New King is underage
• Heir is not of the previous bloodline

Results of a Dynastic Failure:

First, the GM checks the loyalty of every lieutenant, prince and Full Allied Leader.  Princes and lieutenants that fail their loyalty checks become rebels.  Allies that fail may go home to their provinces or they may join one of the rebel armies. Where there are loyal and rebel leaders in the same place, they vie for the loyalties of the troops in that place, and may possibly come to battle.

Second, the GM checks for the loyalty of ever city and region except the capital and homeland.  Claimed, Non-Paying Tributary and Pacified Tributary regions and cities will automatically revolt.  Friendly regions and cities must fail -two- loyalty checks before revolting. Loyal leaders without armies in rebel provinces must pass another loyalty test.

Third, all armies, whether loyal or in rebellion, move toward the capital in an attempt to seize and maintain power. Along their route, they convert regions in their path of march to their cause.

In most cases, this civil war will be resolved within the course of a single turn, and the player will receive a lessened nation wherein one faction has become ascendant.  However, in some cases, particularly with larger nations, the civil war may be ongoing at the end of the turn.  In this case, the faction that controls the capital is the nation, and all others are new "rebel" nations.

Good to Know:

During a DF, the player's orders are wholly ignored by the GM as the chaos of war swirls the nation out of control.  Any order that begins "in case of a DF..." is pretty much a waste of your time!

Page Completed 9 July 2007