LORDS OF THE EARTH CAMPAIGN 54

Søren Overgaard at Lycia

But the old ways were far from forgotten.  Bjarnalf gave patronage to the traditional Skane warrior societies, theDrakendvaerder, Ulvdrabsmandand Bamsndvaerder, (dragonslayer, wolfslayer and bearslayer), those semi-mystical groups whose spiritual connection with their totem beasts gave them great strength and fury in battle.  The loyal societies sen four hundred berserkers to the king’s armies at Vanaheim.

The king’s uncle Søren Overgaard guarded the cold northern seas, but his ships did not raid the south as they had for the last generation, and many of his fleet grumbled that the Skane had become a soft people of farmers and merchants.

Canoarch’s lieutenants, Lords Trevor and Maxim, aided him by gathering the scattered forces and by spending a year training some of the men-at-arms in advanced combat techniques in the tangled wilds of the Ormswood.

Grey-robed Tirgonian missionaries worked in tandem with Lord Percilus in the steppes of Aonach to recruit the families of the chieftains to the cause of both Tirgonia and the Lords of the Grail.

In the summer of 2835, old king Quinn’s eldest son, Gareth, came of age and was crowned king at the Stone of Kings in Estwilde, as had all the kings before him going back to Arkemon Dragonsbane. The Grail priests frowned upon this deeply pagan ceremony, with its roots in Tirgonia’s druidic past, but said nothing. Gareth’s first act as king was to appoint Canoarch as a Prince of the Realm, and as his Chancellor.

But the nation had weightier matters to consider, such as the succession and the attacks from both north and south it had recently suffered.

As in previous years, mercenaries moved out of the hills to come to the Empire’s aid.  This time, however, they were human. Four thousand infantry marched with Melisandre out of Aicherai in 2831.

Emperor Vantos stood guard for a year in Hastaalm, where he spent a single idyllic month with his beloved Melisandre.  Alas events would prove that the now-aging emperor had failed to quicken his wife’s womb. Their idyll over, the lovers parted, each marching an army towards a border.  They would never see each other again. 

Empress Melisandre von Landegol

The Council came to term with the haughty pirate fleet, agreeing to pay a hefty bribe over the next fifteen years in exchange for the pirates leaving Harkorian shipping and coasts unmolested.  The Harkorian navy promptly put to sea and began hunting down Daeron merchant vessels in the Archelos Sea and the Daeron Coast. The pickings were slim as the Black Empire had never truly been a trading power and had few ships at sea.

Harkoria’s armies regrouped at under General Alexeos at Trolium and, empowered with defensive and offensive spells, watched the northern border with suspicion, though the Daerons made no move towards the border.

Bishop Tritus governed in Cadares for five years.  Most of his proposals languished in Council for years while the First Councillor led the privateer fleet, and little was accomplished, although ground was broken for a new hippodrome on the city outskirts.  Horse racing is an Harkorian passion.

Elsewhere, Tor led his army into the restive region of Veddakh and, after putting down an uprising there, enslaved all the orcs of the region, leading them in shackles to Dakhash, which he also subdued to his will in a short series of battles.

Finally, Corash gathered together what passed for scholars among his rude folk and ordered them to begin teaching the old ways and traditions to a larger number of orcs.  A small series of disused passages beneath Zaramaka became the first Edgemoor university.

Lord Megaira governed in the burned-out ruin of Carrenthium, proving to be an energetic and forceful civic leader.  By 2835, much of the ruin and rubble of the Great Fire had been cleared out or reused and new buildings, mostly densely-packed (for taurids) dwellings clustered around the harbor.

Eight thousand leaderless halflings of the Aelissian army stood a sullen and restive watch over the Dacian Hills.

Fatfish returned with the Artence army to the Great Delve where he took up residence and was officially crowned king of the realm.  His secretary, Leeland Brownbarley, governed the Great Delve in his name, and folk were pleased with his handling of the rat problem and his improvements to the brewing process used at the Old Farmer breweries. Meanwhile, another Fatfish relative, Kendall Lowtide, effectively ran the government as a sort of unofficial chancellor until the king’s return to the capital.

In the far-off Dacian Hills of Brythnia, an army of eight thousand halflings continued to await a new commander. The junior officers did their best to suppress rebellious sentiment, but the army was displeased at being left so long with nothing to do in a foreign land and without the moderating hand of a general they could look up to, the Small Folk soldiers began to mutter against their officers in the barracks burrows they had by now dug into the hills.

An army of colonists under the protection of Sir Bohemund traveled to and settled in the forests of Andelais, amidst the ruins of villages slaughtered decades before.  The scars of war were long gone, with only the occasional abandoned hamlet to remind them that their ancestors had once farmed these lands. Sir Bohemund died in Andelais of a burning fever called by the locals The Harkeen Sickness.

Sir Guillaume traveled to Niance and arranged a fine marriage between Sir Fredemund, lord of Niance and Sirienne, daughter of the king.  Fredemund was elevated to the royal family and swore his full allegiance to the king. The folk of Niance held holiday celebrations across the region, having had little to cheer them over the years.

Elsewhere, the king’s sons, Tancred and Bohemund came of age in Kharais. These fine young men were eager to follow in the footsteps of their glorious ancestors and loudly lamented the lack of any harkeen to slay.

Sir Morgan was appointed governor of Cassivelaunus and organized a small theater for the growing city.  Sir Boru, dispatched to distant Meergeld in Ryoril, proved to be an amazingly energetic and unstoppable leader.  The city’s population grew many times as the docks were expanded and the rule of law laid down. Meergeld became a favorite stop for sailors of many nations.

A strange flu-like disease swept across the island in 2833-2835, killing thousands.  Among these were Queen Gwynwhfyr and Princess Marguerite, Mordred’s wife.  Sir Savros of Lynet also died of the same affliction and was replaced by his son. After the loss of his wife, Mordred became even more bitter and withdrawn than before, and many secretly voiced the opinion that the king’s son had lost his mind.

In 2834, Princess Letheran, Artorius’s oldest daughter, traveled to the Conorrian Empire where she was married to Prince Arcalas, eldest son of the Emperor Constantikos.

Queen Nereil ruled her small kingdom from Elenuil and immersed herself in study. The Neldorean elves planted hearttrees and husbanded the forests.  As always, they stayed well clear of the ashen wastelands of their homeland.

A small fleet of light warships and transports was built by the shipwrights of Elenuil.  These simply rode at anchor for several years until Prince Taralom reappeared far to the east on the Esharias River.  He traveled south to the Valesian Sea and sailed to Elenuil where he picked up the small fleet and promptly put to sea again.  He did not return to Neldorea and was spotted on the Upper Lyodan river by a large fleet of ships from the Crusader States.

Queen Nereil

Queen Ava

A stout-walled port fortress of grey stone called the Acropolis was built on the Lyodan river to guard the capital, Pontezium.

Eustace’s army was eight hundred strong, mostly spearmen with a smattering of lightly-armored lancers to back them up.  Eustace came upon the army of Gulgash and his thousand warg riders in the rolling hills near the Salt Shore border. The superior mobility of Gulgash’s army proved decisive as his riders were able to get in behind the spearmen and break their line.  Though Eustace’s doughty hillmen did not rout, they were forced to break off the attack and retreat hurriedly before the superior might of the orcs.

Meanwhile, the unled Akasian Hills garrison fought off a Worldspine orc incursion, and the Oratory in the Querenia was burned (See The Exarchate of the Great Crusade, above).

As the evening mist enveloped the city of Pontezium one autumn night in 2835, a disheveled half-starved beggar in rags carrying a bundle staggered off a ship out of Accolon.  Limping and tired, he made his way through the streets of the port smelling of salt fish and old sweat.  Those who even deigned to notice this pitiful figure did so in order to step aside that he might not brush against them.  But the few who really looked at the old man noticed the deep blue eyes and the gleam of triumph in them.

As he approached the Order House, he was stopped by the guards at the gate.  “Alms are given in the morning, old father,” one of them told him, not unkindly.  “You’re too late.  Come back in the morning.”

The old man looked up at the tall guard in his full plate armor.  In a rasping voice he said “Not too late.  Almost…but not too late.  Look, the sun rises.”

As the recruits credulously looked toward the east, the old man collapsed at their feet.  By the time they reached him, he was dead. But what astonished them was to find that the old man was

Several thousand colonists marched north into Dhurkun, displacing some of the orcish majority and taking over the best farms. 

Missionaries convinced the spirit-worshipers of the Black Forest to turn to the Dark Court.

Two raiding parties of one thousand warg riders each were sent out with the audacious plans to raid deep into the Crusader States and into the Conorrian heartland. The first raid was somewhat successful (See The Crusader States, above). The second met with disaster early on as it ran into a much larger Conorrian army of six thousand light infantry under the great general Domus.  Domus and his limitanei were force-marching into Endorwaith and beyond when they found the orcs trying to evade any pursuers.  From the heights above the main southward trail through this empty region, the Conorrians poured fire and stones down on the unsuspecting orcs, breaking their morale in three straight hours of fighting.  Perhaps half of the orcs escaped and retreated back towards the Worldspine North.  Domus and his irregulars marched on north. (See The Empire of Carhallas, below)

The Imperial Flag

Now Skarkug gathered to him the empire’s feudal levies and marched towards the Worldspines.  Most of the levies would have to turn back before ever reaching the mountains, but would provide good cover and fodder along the way.  And this, it turned out, was precisely what was needed.  In the spring of 2833, Conorrian general Domus and six thousand lightly-armed spearmen came up out of the wilds of Rhundur heading west into Brolok.   It was there that the two Empires came to grips as Skarkug and his army (now swollen to more than ten thousand) intercepted Domus in the act of trying to subdue the loyal hobgoblins of Brolok. “No one,” cried Skarkug furiously, “enslaves hobgoblins except hobgoblins!”

In addition to the superb leadership of Domus himself, the Conorrian light infantry limitanei were perfectly suited to combat in the forests.  But though hampered as combat units, the Carhallas cavalry were far more mobile than the

Denerthaw died of a swollen liver in 2833, and after much debate the Council elected Councillor Torund to replace him.  Until that time Torund, a small man with a face that reminded many people of a well-fed stoat, had been governing the capital city.

Annvar had been trading up and down the Wolf and Mandarann rivers for years, and in those years, trade was established down the Wolf River to distant Nikitya by a minor merchant house that also brought back to the Council the sea rutter for the Rinyelan Strait.

From there, the Airnim rode quickly on, leaving the Whisper Wood in early 2832 and crossing into Conorrian-controlled Zenoton in the summer of 2833. The local militia stood aside in awe at the enormous force of cavalry as it passed into neutral Acaris.  But in 2834, the horde arrived at its final destination and the richest prize of all: Adoria. Heartland and breadbasket of the Empire, Adoria was the richest province in all of Theeurth, and Tarl meant to make it his own.

Conorrian Emperor Constantikos III had not been idle.  Though he was no military leader, neither was he a fool, and Adoria was replete with hill forts, strongpoints and castles.  Luckily for the Airnim, the Emperor’s plan for a huge addition to Fortress Kastro came a few years too late – the engineers were still quarrying the stone when the horsemen arrived.

Conorrian missionaries visited the Crusader-controlled former Ianthan province of Mocarre, but had no success in converting the locals who still held strongly to their mysterious god.

Constantikos III called to him the senior officers of the Order of the Dawn present in Echoriath. Reminding them that his ancestors had founded their order, he demanded the assistance of the Order in his war against the Worldspine Orcs.  Although the Order had no troops currently stationed in the Empire, the knights heard the Emperor’s word and obeyed without question.  Sixteen hundred men-at-arms, pulled from the ranks of guards, administrators and trainees assembled at the Order’s House in Echoriath to await further orders.

Thandor, god of the air

Bishop Tonali of Har’akir served as a lieutenant to newly-arrived Bishop Belsarus who commanded the Primacy forces in the Worldspine mountains (See The War of the Worldspine below)

Bishop Talerus, a brilliant diplomat, traveled to Har’akir and expanded the Primacy’s holdings in that nation, where he found the rustics of Har Mekelle more receptive than the more cosmopolitan folk of Akir.  Similarly, Bishop Tantalus spent five frustrating years amongst the halflings of Ninos and remained unable to interest them in so much as a simple church.  The small folk simply could not see why they needed the intercession of priests to commune with Calandra and the other gods.  Had the gods not always been good to them? They likewise turned deaf ears to the warnings that the Dark Primacy was very close – to the simple folk of Ninos, Hattu and the Kherouf desert were far-off lands, and Dammarask unfathomably distant.

Bishop Hermetus had greater luck among the sophisticated people of the Llyran Republic and founded a church in Nova Valis.

Lord Roin, always better known for his fine food and good fellowship than for his axe-arm, traveled instead to the dwarf-holds of Jaelitus on the Conorrian border and convinced the lords of that hilly and prosperous land to swear allegiance to Dhûnazhar and King Valand.

Joraidan Soren traveled to Nasilia, where he took command of a considerable portion of the Republic’s mighty navy and joined the navies of the Kingdom of Lorraine and the Grail Primacy in attacking the Northern Pirates (See The Northern Pirates, above.) The Joraidan did not return from that adventure.

Bishop Ayld Flewelling traveled to the Worldspine mountains, where he took command of the Republic’s air forces and joined the allied attacks on the Worldspine Orcs (See The War of the Worldspine above)

In the Summer of 2831, Constans Harko Marova struck his head on a binnacle during a hard turn to starboard aboard one of his airships and fell into a coma from which he never emerged.  By autumn, the Senate had named the Strategos and Harko’s nephew, Emratur z’Accotto Marova to be the new Constans.  Emratur was confirmed in that office while commanding the defenses of the fortress-city of Vorogrod on the Ianthan mainland.

Angry members of the Laroved family demand that the Republic provide answers about the disappearance of Senator Deitr Laroved ten years before.

The regent declared that there would be a contest at the Second Spire, in the Grounds of the Royal Contest, and that the victrix in that contest would be named heir to the throne of Ahuran.  The regent set the theme of the contest as “Drama, Poetry and Oration” and set the date for summer, 2831.  Each of the great ladies of the realm appeared and on the appointed morning performed the classic works of Ahuran theater, or recited the speeches of Alia Magehand.  But Rhia Moonshadow, the old queen’s daughter appeared in a simple white toga and declaimed a speech of her own, on the spirit of Parmaadan and how the goddess loves those that best use her gifts.  Smiling, Regent Yvonne gave the grass crown to young Rhia.

That was where the good news ended for Ahuran.  In the summer of 2832, Regent Yvonne assembled her army, including all her lieutenants and vassals and as many mercenaries as the nation could hire (and stomach, given that they were mostly men) and gave orders to march into Sendorin to challenge the reign of Sirrush the dragon. They numbered sixteen thousand strong and included three thousand elite Knights of the Ring of Gold. For many weeks they rode the hills of Sendorin seeking the lair of the great beast.  During those weeks many hundreds of the soldiers and knights began to show the signs of a strange disease, including black blotches on the neck and face. But this disease never had the chance to run its course.

The slaughter was total.  Though the dragon’s hide was pocked with a thousand arrows, it seemed not even to notice.  The valiant, suicidal charge of the Knights of the Ring of Gold brought forth a dozen gouts of black blood (for no more than these survived the charge), but the dragon contemptuously swept these doomed swordmaidens aside and charged the knot of commanders around the general, Deirdre Lynxpaw.  As the army began to scatter, the dead soldiers suddenly arose from the battlefield and of their own accord began to erect macabre walls of their own flesh to bar the escape of their former comrades!

Deirdre Lynxpaw was eaten alive by Sirrush.  Ariel of the Woods and Drusel Farcloud were crushed beneath its bulk.  Miranda Foxglove, Jenna Storm and High Witch Elahtiel escaped, though the former two were sorely wounded.  Worst of all, perhaps, was the fate of Trianna Copperblade.  She was captured by the dragon and taken prisoner. The armies of Ahuran were no more.

Socacia spent much of his time engineering a more efficient trade system, rearranging shipping to suit his arcane designs, but found time to wed again and father yet another son. He had lost count of how many he had.

In 2832, his second, never-named (sob!) son died at the age of five of whooping cough.  In 2834, Sococia’s sister Azmeralda died in childbirth.

Admiral Bajid took his fleet of some thirty ships to sea in the areas near to his base at Muzir, proudly flying both the banner of Har’akir and the battle ensign of the Red Pact of Vales. 

Lord Nooldor traveled to Khars, where by arranging the marriage of the sultan to the chief’s granddaughter, he convinced the noble families of that region to become part of the sultan’s realm.  Similarly, Prince Munsif prevailed upon the reclusive elves of Damo to become allies of the sultan.

In 2835, a Sendhalese merchant seeking to curry favor with the sultan brought him a detailed chart of the distant Mardoin Gulf.

Repeat.

General Lyansys himself traveled to Qassara and there married the daughter of a local chieftain in a show of sathla unity.  Speaker Ydrik spoke movingly to the sathla of Kerma and Pyrayus of their ancient ties to the people of Thedelos and Merwal and the ecstatic throngs demanded readmission into the realm. They dreamed of the day a powerful Luxur would bring the truths of Autumna (and reptilian superiority, of course) to a benighted world.

 Speaker Grusst likewise convinced the highly independent folk of Aysira to join the tidal wave of Luxurite unity.  The Speaker died en route to speak to the folk of Keferis. However, as fate would have it, Kansag of Keferis perished the same week when he fell out of a tree during a foraging expedition for the rare fungi he so loved to eat.  Uncomfortable with fresh memories of the Grail invaders, the settlers of Keferis petitioned for full admission into the body politic of Luxur. In 2835, they were granted the status of citizens.

The other major item on the Grand Assembly’s agenda fared far more poorly. Admiral Sesthan ordered sixty warships built.  As soon as they were delivered, he put to sea with his entire navy of nearly ninety ships. (See The Southern Pirates, below).

But all that was now changed.  Arch Priest Pysus led seven thousand fervant worshipers in a month of fasting, ritual and sacrifice to purify the sacred precincts and once more gain the blessings of Artaxes, servant and daughter of Udjo. The Arch Priest released two thousand acolytes from his personal service into the running of the Great Temple.  And thus it was done with great exactness and careful creativity – the Holy City had returned!

Attendant upon the great day was the conversion of Patu in Drormt, the first new saurus region to worship the Scaled god in a thousand years.

The Regent also hired the Company of the Silver Axe and sent them south on a mission of great secrecy.

Vlassthess also recruited a thousand warriors.  These he then transferred to his ally Tailheresh of Vaaltoth.  Tailheresh took his fifteen hundred men raiding into the jungles of Galzus, Kilni and Ibkurru.  The lord of Vaaltoth was an outstanding tactician, but no battlefield brilliance could make up for the fact that he was raiding thousands of square miles of dense jungle which contained little more than scattered grass-hut villages and plantain groves.

In 2835, the son of the old Sauressh came of age and amidst fervent religious celebration assumed the duties of King as Sauressh Sisthreth II.

Prince Zarahan cruised the Gulf of Thariyya on patrol with the Red Pact of Vales.  His twenty warships cut a fine figure on the briny deep with all their red pennons flapping bravely in the breeze, but encountered little in the way of a threat.

Similarly, Lord Sezir and the lords of Bari and Meheskar patrolled the plains of Hassar, but encountered only peaceful halflings and the occasional caravan from Shanatar or Accolon.

Lord Kaedir traveled to Hassar and tried to move the forest tribes into a closer alliance, but without success.  Kaedir died during a drunken bout of boasting in 2834.

Lord Relequa had more success in the wilds of Naushqa, where the steppe tribes acknowledged Thariyya’s right to cross their lands.

The plains of Mitan were brought under cultivation and Mitan itself became an ally of the Empire under treaties negotiated by Lord Elijah Cuu. 

Ezekiel the Cipher continued to try to soothe the anger and rebellion of the Eumana tribes, while Ignatius Thayer became governor of Nuradeem and its garrison.  Thayer promptly ignored all directions of the Emperor (later claiming that the great distances involved meant that he rarely received timely orders) and created a hedonistic fleshpot of slaves and sycophants in which he indulged his every whim for five dissolute and shameful years.

Bishop Caine, on the other hand, proved to be an energetic and responsible governor for Agharra, dredging it harbor and building a glorious temple-arena to Caravok the Destroyer.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz….

Queen Madariel

Prince Alitcean and several of the realm’s great lords followed up on the deaths in Windan, only to discover that yet more elves had been slain without a mark, only looks of horror and terror on their faces. 

Princess Vaeril Fallingwater remained in Balan and regained the allegiance of that folk who now largely forgave the queen for the death of their lord in battle.  Lord Ebabarear likewise reminded

The remainder of Tlazolteotl’s lieutenants watched the borders for any signs of invaders with an almost paranoid zeal.

In 2833, Tlazolteotl’s languid demeanor was belied by the birthing of his first child, a daughter, in the Royal pools above the falls near the capital city.

In 2835, Lord Kru’ursh of Erlet choked to death while trying to swallow an eel as long as his arm. Kru’ursh’s heir was a believer in Tlazolteotl’s “New Age” and immediately swore complete fealty to the king.

The shaman were alarmed to note the conversion of Patu to the ridiculous faith of the jungle-dwellers, Autumna.

Finally, Lord Rhen*das and Mla*tak the shaman traveled to Durudin to convince the sathla there that the Sendahlese were their friends, not conquerors.

King Askaldor’s wife gave birth to a healthy son in 2832.

In 2833, the Emperor’s wife gave birth to his first child, a baby boy born under the sign of the wounded god.

Warleader B’Set governed the city of Kaznuma, showing more energy than skill.  Nonetheless, he laid the foundations for a large cistern system to supply the city with fresh water.

Lord Ezza of Eura died in 2835 during a gohla lizard hunt in the jungles of his homeland.

Banner of Khor-Naland

Norrim Forgemaster put into the hands of his son Belak Shieldbreaker, the largest dwarven army in generations.  Ten thousand dwarves, including four thousand super-heavy elite Burundur Guards, marched into the mountains of Vipuren and cleansed them of every orc that could be found, no matter how deep it’s hidey-hole.  It mattered little to Belak or his soldiers that the orcs were peaceful worshipers of the Valesian Spirit Cults.  They were orcs, and that was enough.

The Emperor continued his wise rule at Ezrand.  In 2835 he named his thirty year-old daughter Shariel a Princess Royal. A grand ceremony was held in the capital city to celebrate, and Shariel danced under the stars with so many dashing knights it made her young head swim.

Princess Gahaliel continued her long association with the elves of Kibeyes, and convinced that border province to enter into a close alliance with the Empire.  Meanwhile, Lord Talan of Mita convinced the lord of Ozhayar to swear oaths of vassalage to the Emperor.

Prince Rikorious traveled to Chesu to investigate the mysterious lost city of the ancients said to be found there.  He came back with many covered wagons guarded by more than a thousand frowning warriors from the jungles of Gaim and Siruvay.

Lord Nachin was governor of Rendulha, and used the opportunity to build a large ostrich farm at public expense.  Unfortunately, Nachin knew little of ostriches and raised them largely for their utility as mounts in his weekly polo games.  A great many of Rendulha’s elite politely commented that the governor was as brilliant at polo as he was at ostrich farming.

Lord Chinua was governor of Mindarie in 2831, but died of a severe fever in the winter of that year.

But the king’s lack of attention to his realm and his puny bureaucracy had disastrous consequences.  Instead of bringing new regions into the kingdom, several of the more distant members of the realm revolted.  Triyara, Zhayku and most personally of all, Urrides, threw off the king’s yoke and declared their independence.  In Zhayku, the locals slaughtered the Zikuyu garrison in a week of bloody murders known to exuberant local historians as the Days of Retribution

The king gave Maroof orders to loot the Valraji regions of Zathor Sor, Hajaxtas and Tas Dar.  Unsure of how to interpret these orders, Maroof chose to raid the targeted regions with his six thousand lightly-armed cavalry.  Zathor Sor, a wilderness of forests and tangled fens, proved destitute of riches.  Hajaxtas was both heavily defended and previously picked over by the fleet of Meneen.  The army of Umar Ghaas prevented the Zikuyu cavalry from accomplishing much in Hajaxtas. Finally, Maroof’s army picked over defenseless Tas Dar and then rode home to a changed kingdom.

Meanwhile, the sultan married Marlis, a pretty young woman from Shenthalass and settled down to rule his shattered nation and raise a family.  Unfortunately, Marlis and her baby died in childbirth that same year.  Undaunted, the sultan remarried, wedding Aliya, a noble girl from Muddakir in 2832.  Aliya’s first child, a girl named Vana, died in 2834 at the age of two, but she outlived her mother who died in 2833 while trying to give birth to a second child.  Khalood’s third marriage, to Misrullah, a somewhat scared girl from the Valraj, resulted in a single child, a boy, born in 2834.

In 2832, the Zikuyu riders returned, raiding Hajaxtas and Tas Dar.  Umar Ghaas, in command of the Hajaxtas garrison, saw off the western raiders with little harm, but they stripped bare the former homeland of the luckless Tas Daris.

Salene himself prepared the defenses of Yaz Meneen and looked to the seas.

Lord Garet traveled to the former Ukanvan province of Hydrsha and used the example of the conquest of Nyelru as an object lesson for those that defied the king. He also attempted to grope the chieftain’s daughter in an all too public manner.  The outraged chief’s son slew Lord Garet where he stood and threw his body to the chieftain’s dogs.

Lords Uruk and Banar operated as the Emperor’s Chancellor and Chief Vizier.  In 2835, each was governor of an Imperial city (Uruk of Nystalma and Banar of Feroe), but Uruk did not have the time he needed to put any policies into effect.

Prince Nivarnaan, the God-Emperor’s son, traveled throughout the land, summoning sorcerous servants of his own in Navoud.

Lord Baryanar was the Emperor’s Tax Collector, but died in 2832 before he could do much to aid the Empire.

Most people in the Empire viewed Lord Zheyene as petty and punctilious, but through his superhuman wisdom, the Divine Nivraan III knew that these qualities could be made to serve the Empire.  He appointed the moist and perfumed man as governor of the port of Huzzein.  Zheyene showed himself to be an excellent, if feared and hated, administrator.  He caused to be built the great lighthouse of Huzzein, which guided ships past the dangerous reefs before the city.

Huar, the Dastir of Tirnad, was killed by a boar during a hunt in 2832.

In 2384, a young general in the God-Emperor’s armies by the name of Argabazos demonstrated a new set of tactics which revolutionized the usage of the heretofore somewhat hidebound Shanatar cavalry.  The God-Emperor granted Argabazos considerable estates in Golpardin and put him in charge of cavalry training at Feroe.

People flocked to the cities during these years, expanding the burgeoning urban population of this trade-heavy nation.  Many of these new inhabitants worked for one of the numerous merchant families that dominated the emirates, and many also took ship to Hecadia and Threns when the sultan expanded the trade routes to those nations.

The sultan’s heavy expenditure in the training of his cavalry did not turn out so well, but observers had hope that the Emirates’ horsemen would improve with time.

Both Prince Aouda and Lord Sioun of Amakhar turned out to be canny administrators, playing the merchants and emirs off against each other and managing to improve their cities in between.

Salasc’s heir apparent, Vataun of the Eight Ports, traveled to Amoka and tried to negotiate a treaty with these wild northerners.  But, being fervent worshipers of the God-Emperor of Shanatar, they had little desire to fall under the sway of the “false” worship of Orithia and bluntly suggested that Vatuan have his head examined.

However, Vataun’s brother Avedis traveled to the forests of Embulum, where the inhabitants were equally dedicated to the worship of the God-Emperor, but he managed to negotiate a treaty of economic alliance with the local brahmins, much to the annoyance of his older brother.

Meanwhile, Lords Haig and Eznik served the Emperor as Thakores, a position akin to chancellor, and administered the Empire through their personal houses and connections.

Voidan’s handsome but arrogant son Marako traveled to Emparar, where he brusquely demanded greater allegiance from the Empararis.  The wild and hot-tempered men of Emparar chased the prince with stones and dogs, and he only barely escaped, having been wounded for his efforts.  Later, in Chemada, he announced the Kerendan claim to to the region to a few gathered natives, to which the Chemadans politely nodded and smiled, then went about their business as before.  Feeling unloved, Marako returned home to Amabalas and fathered a son.

Lord Maraidh governed in Orbelain, proving to be an adequate administrator when he could be convinced to take time away from his passion for trying to build a kite large and sturdy enough to be used as a weapon of war.  His men cleared out some of the city’s worst slums and established a water reservoir.

Lord Sorin of Anshuyo, an ally of the king’s, marched into Chnuraj with twelve hundred warriors and raided the elven woods of Tamaina, burning a few miserable villages and stealing their pots and vegetables.  Forests being what they are, Sorin’s men did not depart with much in the way of spendable loot.

In the spring of 2834, curious elven children in Akufiki and Acheka noticed that the seawater had drained from their beaches and coves, and were delighted to be able to simply stride among the coral reefs beached fishing boats.  Some of the older elves knew a sudden unease when the land spirits fell silent and the animals were no longer to be found, or could be seen moving towards the hills.

Two hours later, the sea returned with an unimaginable fury.  A green-black wall rose up out of the northern depths and strode the land like a giant, collapsing and running inland for miles.  Thousands of villagers were swept away.  But at the very heart of this colossal oceanic assault lay the city of Gyanlay, home to more than five thousand elves.  By morning the waters had receded, leaving only flotsam where once a city had stood.  It was nearly a year before the last of the bodies were found and buried.

Lord Tanathasia governed Suwelho with a cruelty and indifference matched only by its arrogance.  Lord Kelen Farstrider arrived to govern Gyanlay just in time to see it swept off the face of Lekandi.