LORDS OF THE EARTH CAMPAIGN 54

Søren Overgaard at Lycia

The king ruled his peaceable realm from Vanaheim, where he fathered two strong boys and a darling little girl.

Ivan Grenhildt, a trusted schoolmate of Bjarnalf’s and a true friend, died in 2838 after a brisk winter swim in the icy waters of the Kaddern.

In 2839, movements among the goblin tribes of the eastern forests caused a few thousand hillmen, distant relatives of the Skane, to travel westward and settle in Vanaheim. 

In the Spring of 2837, Daeron ships came out of the south and raided the Skane March, stealing dozens of ship and some of the taller, blonder women. They set fire to anything they could not grab and left a bloody trail back to their black galleys on the shores of Ben-Thael.

The King’s Road was extended into Bekanor, paving the way for eastward expansion.  Missionaries sent into Buidhe Creag to spread the Grail faith met a cold reception in the birthplace of Tarl Wolf’s Paw.  The plains nomads, relatives of the now-settled (and thus despised) Bekanai, had no use for the soft religion of the cities and eyed the western road with mixed concern and greed.

With his army gathered about him at Tirgon, King Gareth also concerned himself with continuing his dynasty.  His wife give him two sons to make the young king proud.

Tolen the Younger appeared in the Hills of Terror in 2840 and made a brief but unsuccessful bid for the increased allegiance of the orc tribes.

Empress Melisandre von Landegol

General Alexeos, at the head of his considerable army in Trolium, recruited fifteen hundred heavy elite cavalry and watched the northern approaches. 

Maradoxus III went to sea to raid the Daeron sea lanes, but the inept and disliked Councillor went down to disaster (See Daerond, above).

Before his death in 2838, Bishop Titus was governor of Cadares, a role to which he was admirably suited.  The Bishop built the great Basilica of the Sea, one of the wonders of Harkoria.

Disaster truly struck in 2838 when dozens of important government officials were murdered in a single night of terror.  Witnesses

A thousand orcish raiders harried the steppes of Braelin Don and the woods of Buidhe Creag.  Little loot was garnered on these routes, but it was necessary to expend the aggression of orcish youth, lest it turn inward and destroy the nation.

The orcish nobility was squeezed for private loans to the crown, and gave grudgingly.

Coeus died in the Dacian Hills in 2837.  She was succeeded by her heir, Queen Rhea, six weeks later.  Rhea and her nobles waited and watched the borders for any incursion, but none came.

Lady Kore, a persuasive and attractive centaur, traveled among the centaurs of Unialus and the Minotaurs of Orosel, convincing each to allow Brythnian armies free movement over their lands.

As they had for so many decades, farms and villages were slowly cultivating the Great Meadow.

The ten thousand Aelissian halflings guarding the Dacian Hills shifted east to the Brythnian Hills while the Order of the Dawn, which had been guarding the Brythnian Hills, shifted eastward into the Conorrian Empire.

Missionaries from the Great Church spread amongst the tribes of the Great Meadow, and converted many of the province’s most influential citizens to the worship of the Lords of the Grail. As a result of this break with the ancient traditions of their ancestors, the centaurs of the Great Meadow also began to fall away from the Confederation.  They still sent taxes and support to Carrenthium, but paid little further heed to the political or religious influence of the Queen.

Another great undertaking was the work of Leeland Brownbarley, who set off with ships and halflings to found a city in Artence named for the national hero, Brandobaris.

Kendall Lowtide sailed to Carrenthium, then rode to the Dacian Hills, where he took command of the ten thousand halflings stationed there and marched them east into the Brythnian Hills, where he assisted in the defense of the region.

Bishop Monteverde governed in the Great Delve.  Though a charismatic halfling, he was no administrator, showing more interest in religious affairs than the affairs of mortals.

Lord Balgar meanwhile traveled to Mauredoc and convinced Lord Guiscard to become the vassal of the King as his ancestors had been for so long. 

Sir Morgan and Sir Boru governed in Cassivelaunus and Meergeld, the former with little energy, the latter with great energy.  Meergeld, though tiny, was becoming a popular trading station within the Valesian Sea because of its good harbor and fine amenities.

In 2837, a horde of orcs boiled out of the forests of Dines and attacked Lynet, even shooting at the watch on the walls of Lothian. The orcs, numbering more than sixty thousand strong, rampaged through the forest hamlets, slaughtering and looting to their hearts content.  Mordred and his fleet, backed up by Sir Thark of the Closed Helm, lord of Persant and Sir Cathal of Meliodas, attacked the orcs.  Though the marines fought well, they were not well-suited to combat on land, and were driven back into the sea by the orcs, who then sent a demand to Prince Mordred to ransom his father’s kingdom.

A thousand elven infantry were released from the garrison of Brandian to settle in the Moonglades.

Lady Vaire spent her time amongst the elves of the Sunglades and convinced them to return to the worship of all the Lords of Grail.  They agreed only once she told them that the queen would allow them to take Artorius as their patron god, and honor him with special rituals each year.

Lord Fealurë, aided by the queen and much of the court, dazzled the giants of the Central Stormcrowns into allowing elven armies to pass unmolested through their territories.

Lord Taralom and Lady Senelra returned from their time away, and immediately left again.  Senelra took command of the Neldorean army, sixteen thousand strong, and marched into Ianthe, conquering the Riftmarch and driving the Aeolan-worshiping humans before her in vengeance for old wars that no living man remembered. Thousands of refugees fled east into Ianthis and Halianis.  The cruelty of the elves did not stop there, for they looted the lands and killed any human who remained after their warnings to leave.  Tens of thousands of innocent men, women and children were slaughtered.

Queen Nereil

Queen Ava

Bolstered by little magic to make a persuasive woman even more arresting, Queen Ava herself held talks with the Lord of South Akasia and convinced him to enter into an alliance with the Exarchate.

Such was also the fate of the expedition of Lord Yaral to Ianthe itself.  There, the locals chased the unlucky lord out of the region with bricks and stones.

In 2840, Ava’s sister-in-law Princess Tertia (the wife of Prince Candos and daughter of the Conorrian Emperor Constantikos) died in childbirth.

Master Claudius hastened from the Dacian Hills to Echoriath, where he took command of the tiny force of fifteen hundred men with whom the Order had responded to the Emperor’s call.  From there he marched north into Dhûnazhar.

After the death in 2837 of Grand Master Aneias, Master Lactantius was elected to replace him.  Lactantius was already in the Order’s Fortress and was easily able to administer the Order from there.

The most audacious (and fateful) move by the Order of the Dawn was the Quest of Master Gnaeus, for Gnaeus chose to challenge a dragon.

As the Four Hundred rode into the great woods, the local elves all told them of the devastating might of the dragon, not to mention the Queen’s prohibition against any elf, much less armed humans, entering the ruin of Neldorea.  But ride on they did.  Nor did the horrid wasteland of ash and bone deter them.  Indeed, it fired their anger and holy indignation against the beast and their determination to destroy it or drive it from mortal lands.

Meanwhile, Urugall watched and waited. He allowed Gnaeus and the Four Hundred to ride to the very walls of Melorias, whose ruin was now his palace, roost and cathedral. The knights of the Order could see within the grim walls that elven maids served the cruel worm as slaves. Now Urugall came upon them, and yet it did not at first attack them, but regarded the Lance with what might have been fear. But when the dread master of Melorias spoke, its voice dripped with malice and hate.

“Have you come now to slay me, Slave of the Usurpers?  Think you that yon shaft has my death writ upon it?  Death is indeed summoned this day, but not for Urugall. Tell me thy name, youngling.”

“Thou dost not deserve it, worm,” cried Gnaeus.  “Knowest thou only that I am a Knight of Golden Dawn, and that I come in the name of Erdhon!”

“Do you indeed?” hissed the dragon.  “I wonder if he has ever even heard of you.  Come then, and do your best.”

And so the Knight lowered his lance and spurred his horse straight at the ancient evil.  But he either never knew or did not concern himself with the gaze of the dragon.  Long before he arrived where Urugall still stood, Gnaeus and his mount were ensnared in the baleful stare of Urugall.  As it had ensnared the elf Senelra half a century before, so it now ensnared him.  Silent and unable to move or even to cry out, Gnaeus watched as Urugall tore his bodyguard limb from limb and strew their remains across the forecourts of the city.

When the horror was over, the dragon returned.  It plucked the Lance from the cold hands of the Knight and smote the ground with it, seeking to sunder it apart.  Though the might of that dragon was as that of a titan, still the Lance was unharmed.  “Hmmm…  Interesting,” it said.

Turning to Gnaeus, it spoke in a clear voice.  “Hear me, woeful son of man.  You will go hence from this place and live.  But never shall you remember aught of your old life or anything of Urugall.  All your days you shall wander in the knowledge of your failure, never able to recall quite what it was.  But know this, also: I shall make of thy hall a ruin.  Yea, and all thy brethren shall wither before me.”

With a wail of anguish and despair, Master Gnaeus, faithful servant of the Order, fell into a swoon.

Hundreds of talents of gold and hundred of men began to farm the lands of Orodea which had lain fallow since the Airnim invasion.

Garal of the Yellow Sails traveled to the Rimehorn mountains to treat with the orcs for a route to the wealthy city of Waertag, but the orcs showed little interest in furthering the Ascar agenda.

Lord Khodor of the Black Forest died in 2837.  On his deathbed he repudiated his will and left the governance of his realm to Baron Gauros.

In 2839, the great warrior-hero Cambyses joined the Baron’s Court, eager to assist one of the oldest nations on the map.

Gulgash the Rude, still wounded from battle, led a force of two thousand orcs into the Blue Peaks to watch for any dwarven incursions.  Gulgash, to whom even walking or riding was brutally painful, had constructed a mobile War Altar, astride which he rode, grimacing in pain every time the bulky Altar bounced over some stone or rut in the primitive path.  Luckily, his warriors took these grimaces for fury or religious fervor and few perceived how weak their leader was.

Word came to Gulgash that an army of dwarves and men was slaughtering the orcs of Orodh Dhorn, but unwilling to travel further, he dug in and held his ground at the Blue Peaks.

Mendak Half-Goblin rode with a thousand goblin cavalry first east and then south down the eastern bank of the Phaedon river, intending to strike into the heart of the troubled Empire.

The Imperial Flag

The majority of them were disappointed, for it was the will of the Emperor that they remain in defensive positions around the city.  Only a small raiding force of some fifteen hundred goblin cavalry was released to beard the elves in their lair.  Maugroth’s vassal, the Lord of Zhagon, had this honor.  In 2838, his troops raided into Orodel.  The fast-moving raid encountered no defenders, and so after having stripped what few portable goods the small forest hamlets had, Zhagon remained to conquer the elven province.  This turned out badly for the goblins, precisely as the Emperor had foreseen.

First Councillor Torund took command of the Varthane garrison and guided the Council watchfully.  Generals Laskal and Maras rode with six thousand cavalry from the Worldspine Mountains, across Carhallas and Annvar, finally arriving to take up the defense of Tusainiai in 2838.  In the meantime, the locals had built a system of defensive fortifications across the province.

Elsewhere, the Council continued to subsidize small farms and settlements in the fertile plains of Marvald along the Middle Wolf River.

Councillor Voriax was appointed Governor of Varthane for the

King Elorian Mistmantle

King Eldareth Hammerhand

King Eldareth Hammerhand and his kinsman Lord Balan interviewed the chiefs and princes of the realm, that they might know exactly what resources the god Malbor had placed in the hands of his mighty regent, Eldareth.

Lord Cerelindas marched into Mithelan at the head of an army of craftsmen and settlers and founded the port town of Narbyndahl on the waters of the Lower Wolf River. Soon, traders from Annvar and Nikitya were flocking to purchase the wares of the elves.

Prince Namardil, son and heir of Eldareth, governed the capital at Laurelindë.  Under his stern and farsighted guidance, the capital experienced a renaissance.  A great triumphal road was driven through the city, slave markets expanded and war cisterns established.  The Great Cathedral of the Final Dissolution was founded at the city’s center.

Lord Aeliniel was governor at Dalariadh.  There, the tensions of war and the shortages in nearly every important material made any real progress difficult, but Aeliniel cajoled, commanded and drove the locals as best he could.

Meanwhile in far-off Lenicum, Prince Varantius seized five thousand troops from the garrison, added them to his army and marched towards Echoriath with thirty thousand men of his own.  Before he could march out, his war wizard, Mikal Oak, was found murdered in his villa, his throat cut.  No evidence of the killer was found, but all assumed the murderers were agents of the orcs.

Young Prince Constantikos, third son of the Emperor was sent to be a prince of the Church and began his training with the Primacy. At the same time, a host of Grail priests flocked to the Imperial service.

Thandor, god of the air

Two thousand paladins joined the Patriarch’s personal army as he sailed from Conorr to Echoriath to join the Emperor in defense of the capital. They were soon joined by the dwarven mercenary Khedem Var and the small Primacy fleet.

Prince Tonali and Bishop Belsarus left the southern Worldspines with the dwarven army of Valand Dragonsbane and thirteen thousand Grail troops.  They marched against the orcs of Orod Dhorn.  (See The Dwarven Realm of Dhûnazhar, below).

Bishop Telerus, an amazing orator, traveled to Belfirth and convinced the elven gentry to support his plan for a large monastic community in the elven woods.

The orcs in the Blue Peaks under the command of Gulgash simply watched the border and took no action.  Having succeeded at conquest, the dwarves then turned to genocide, slaughtering every orc in the region while the Grail troops stood guard against the arrival of any avenging orcish armies.  There were none.

Lord Roin traveled to Jaelitus, where he convinced Lord Bombur, master of that

King Gregor convened representatives of his noble houses and conducted a thorough census of his realm.  Meanwhile, his heir and cousin, sir Ulfast ruled the realm in Gregor’s name.  When Sir Illidor failed to obtain a wife for Ulfast among the women of Iaurinum, Ulfast married a fine woman from a local family and started to raise a family.

Lady Chanrey governed the city of Eidolon, proving to be farsighted and deft at handling the many bureaucrats and noble families of the city.  Under her administration, a new market was built and several thoroughfares widened.

Constans Emratur returned from Vorogrod to Tarrentica, where he was welcomed by a formal convocation of the University and Senate, and then proceeded to deal with domestic matters for many years.

Giancola Bolusova, the Republic’s premier diplomat, sailed to the former Ianthan province of Halianis with a small fleet for protection and met with the survivors of the Airnim purge.  These traumatized people, now living in primitive conditions, seemed receptive to the offer of the Republic’s protection, but no treaty was signed because Giancola died after eating spoiled fish in 2838.

Incantorus Hermione, a mage and former adventurer, retrieved the bulk of the Republic’s armed forces from Nasilia and sailed home to Nova Valis where she remained watchful for foreign invasions.

Carnarvon Bolusova, admiral of the Republic’s navy, patrolled Llyran waters in the name of the Red Pact of Vales.

Rhia then took a Royal Consort from a good noble family and proceeded to rule her shattered realm.  She gave birth to a son in 2839.

Most of Ahuran’s efforts were spent tracking down and attacking the Cult of the Fleshweavers, whom the Matriarchy blamed for awakening Sirrush the Terrible.  Thus, much of their work was done in secrecy.  But the exploits of Karyn Tremorlyn were no secret.  With two thousand troops, including five hundred Knights of the Ring of Gold, descended on the estate of one Rhiannon Mournvale, a wealthy merchant of Sedeskan, and uncovered the secret shrine to Andobulos, Lord of Corruption, and the cultic lodge of the Fleshweavers it housed.  Mournvale and her acolytes were summarily executed, their heads set upon the city gates as a warning. Then Tremorlyn led an inquisition in Sedeskan, questioning thousands and torturing any who seemed to know something they were not telling. 

Har’akir got to answer that question.  In the summer of 2836, Sultan Socacia was enjoying a rousing game of polo (his team was winning 8-4) when an errant ball struck him in the throat, crushing his windpipe.  He lingered for five days, but finally died in bed at the age of forty-eight.  Socacia’s eldest son, Shazanon, was only fourteen, and had not been declared his father’s heir. 

There were loud protests in the market squares of Agazier and Mar Awas that the country needed a strong leader. Prince Munsif loudly claimed the throne, but he was in far-off Kumrat with no army, and no one paid him any attention.  Kumrat followed him, but more out of antipathy towards Har’akir than with enthusiasm for his cause. Mountainous Makhat tossed out the Sultan’s few representatives, but all the other regions of the realm carried on as before. All of Sococia’s followers closed ranks behind Shazanon and crowned him their sovereign. The revolution ended with a whimper.

Ahmeer, Emir of Dikhil and ally of Har’akir died in the same year, having drowned during a boating accident. His heir continued to pay tribute to Mar Awas, but took a much less active role in the realm at large.  The Emir of Damo died of the flu the following year.  His sons coordinated the province’s economy with that of the sultan, but likewise sent no armies to his aid. Lord Nooldor, traveling to Dikhil after the death of Ahmeer, coaxed his heir to agree to closer economic ties with Mar Awas.

Tempus, brother and heir to Centorius, governed the capital for five years.  As governor, he saw to the building of a temple to Fargalann, Lord of Victory, but was widely believed to have lined his own pockets with a fortune skimmed from the temple’s sizeable budget.

Foodstuffs, in the form of cattle, pigs and fish, were sent in generous quantities to the Arch-Priest at Merwal.

Wizards and priests in the employ of Thedelos summoned wind giants to repair some of the damage done in Badar.  These elemental creatures of the plane of air, broad of shoulder and dim of mind, plowed fields, dammed streams and uprooted trees to help reorder the wounded land.

Priests loyal to the crown continued to harangue the humans of Egu and Gatz about the glories of Autumna.  They made few converts among the humans, however, and priests of the Grail went among the people of those forests preaching that Udjo and her ilk were mere demons seeking to twist and corrupt the souls of men.

Lyansys and his lieutenants rounded up the scattered armies of Luxur under a unified command at Thedelos. But when the General thought to remove troops from the holy city of Merwal, the governor refused to send them.  Even forty-five years after its conquest, the city was still restive and the governor foresaw a bloodbath if he let the troops leave the city.

Arch Priest Pysus, known as Pysus the Pious, personally canonized a monastery in Habu, about thirty miles upcountry from the great holy city.

In Sia, the Mykele homeland, the Church established an abbey.

Emissaries arrived from the Grail Patriarch to speak with the Arch-Priest at Merwal.  What was said between them is not recorded, but it is certain that many, if not most sathla still hated and feared the Grail because of the Keferis conquest of the holy city.

Elsewhere, Sauressh Sishtreth II presided over the opening of a Wizard’s Guild in the capital of Sia, dedicated to the ancient wisdom of the Winged Serpent and founded in the aspiration of creating a great center of occult learning.

Prince Vlasthess was governor of Oroyon, during which time he built the first marble building in the small city – a library.  Much of his efforts on behalf of the Serpentine were hampered by corruption and factionalism within the city.

Lord Sssam governed the western outpost of Mikkulizim, where he proved to be a powerful force for change, improving the small town’s sun baths and saunas.

King Mogrihan was nothing if not far-sighted.  The diminutive monarch easily foresaw what would happen if the Empire did not fight the Airnim horde – they would move southeast towards Thariyya.  The King had many eyes watching the Esharias river, in the form of spies, scouts and even the Thariyyan navy.  When the massive horde crossed the Esharias into Kildaruensis in the Spring of 2836, Mogrihan knew within days that his nightmare was coming true.

While the Airnim were still in the deserts of Kildaruensis, Beneasis Al-Oghram and the Thariyyan navy raided and looted the desert tribes of Shai in an attempt to limit the supplies the horde would have.

Sezir and Relequa Vahdin, cousins of the king, led a team of assassins into Shai where they

“So the Empire has not a single man with the courage to face me?  They must send a woman?” he demanded.

“Perhaps the men are all busy preparing an army to expel you,” replied Princess Anna.

“I had hoped so,” replied the Khan, “but now I see that they have no stomach for the fight.  Show me the loot.”

Ships slipped out of the harbor at Nuradeem well after dark.  It was at first rumored that these were mere smugglers trying to avoid the Warlock’s heavy taxes.  But soon after, the ships were spotted unloading a vast fortune in grain at Shenthalass in the Valraj.

Emperor Kurotsuki ruled from his spider-draped throne in Dammarask until his death in 2838 at the age of 64.  He was peacefully replaced by his own chosen heir, Lord Jozan North.  Lord North spent much time trying and failing to produce an heir of his own.

Lord Cuu prevailed upon the lord of Mitan to fully join the Empire, after working with him for many years. Likewise, Ezekiel the Cipher continued to labor to bring the separatists of Eumana into the fold.

Ignatius Thayer was governor of Nuradeem until his sudden death in 2837 at the age of forty-one. Bishop Caine was governor of Agharra, where he proved to be a competent administrator.

The Shadowed Primacy roared back to life with a push to the southeast.  Gezz Half-Shadow founded an abbey in the forests of Carru, while Bishops Serakin and Malkin traveled to the island nation of Kerendis to begin establishing orthodoxy there. 

The High Priest established an independent religious army, The Talons of Malbor, consisting of highly trained and fanatical horsemen.

Finally, the Primacy opened its considerable coffers and commissioned irrigation and the foundation of villages throughout Habburah, and several impressive churches in the city of Unaagh.

Queen Madariel

The trade city of Annuminas was enlarged and its port on the waters of the Mulgaunt expanded.

Queen Madariel spent several years in Nastaldo, revisiting the old battlefields of the Ogre Horde invasion.

Prince Alitcean Searider and his House Cavalry spent many years in Windan.  It was no secret by now that the prince was hunting shadows that had somehow escaped from the Shadowlands.

Alitcean Searider

Tlazolteotl recruited one thousand Saurus Elite warriors as his personal guard while Lord Gu’lomp collected the various garrisons together at Breeka, creating a single unified command.

Several sathla monks entered Breeka and preached to the noble sauruses of the city about the great truths of Autumna and the love of Udjo for all her scaled children.

Then Askaldor rode north with an army of four thousand to round up and enslave the populations of Kurmarz, Ibkurru and Galzus.  Lizard’s Claw, Lord of Syniken, rode south into Kohes and enslaved all the people there, too.  All these thousands of slaves were brought back to Desiket to till the fields and care for the livestock.

Mla*tak the Shaman governed the city of Nyange, and created a working sewer system for the first time in Sendahl.

Finally, Rhen*das continued to meet with the sathla of Durudin to try to ease tensions. He died in 2839.

Prince D’Hargi raised a huge force of leatherwing riders at Menrat.  He loved to take to sky astride the immense flying reptiles, but the died before putting them to use in battle. He suffered a stroke in 2837 and died later that year.

Warleader B’set governed the city of Kaznuma well for three years before his death of the green fever in 2838.

Banner of Khor-Naland

Lord Thulnor traveled to Ordla. There, he offered the hand of Annwenn, daughter of the king, in marriage to  the chieftain of that land.  Elevated to royalty, he readily accepted..

As the Emperor guided the nation and his son Namaril the Hunter guarded it with the main body of the army at Vanua, Princess Gahaliel consulted with the Prince of Kibeyes, at last convincing him to join his realm with that of the Empire.

:Lord Talan of Mita remained among the elves of Ozhayar and harangued Marcil, their prince, with all the reasons why the Emperor would be a superior master for his lands.  Talan, who was born without a shred of tact or insight, failed to convince Prince Marcil and indeed their meeting narrowly avoided coming to blows.

Princess Janriel of Kyelepe put forth her power into the land, blessing its harvests and ensuring good crops.

Piccarome’s brother, Prince Rikorious stood guard at the capital with the King’s Royal Guard.  Piccarome’s adult sons, meanwhile, chafed at their lack of status.

Lords Nachin and Batu governed in Khulank and Mindarie, respectively.  Nachin tried to govern, but his rule was marred by fits of hysteria and a habit of sending anyone who displeased him to be sacrificed at the Temples of the Sun. Batu, on the other hand, accumulated a considerable fortune skimmed from the farmers and petty lords of Tsu’u, and spent it on an impressive family tomb and a likeness of himself in marble, twenty feet tall.

The docks of New Mhynar, Ivallkyu, Mogallyu and Weeliya rang with the hammers and adzes of the shipbuilders whom the king employed in droves.  Some of the more unwary young men of the cities were pressed into service as laborers to create the kingdom’s first trading fleets.  Soon, a swarm of small dhows, barges and punts plied the waters of the Mogalla river, tying together the commerce of the previously distant cities of Zikuyu.  Ocean-going vessels called nef soon rolled down the beams and began to ply the waters as far south as the Rendej Sound and the as far north as the Nekinet Sea.

Finally, the king sent Lord Maroof to Urrides to convince the queen’s family to return to an alliance with Zikuyu.  Aided by a considerable bribe, and the death of the queen’s rebellious father, Maroof succeeded.  Weeliya’s brother Veezla swore an oath acknowledging Mwa’q Kashk as his liege lord.

Most of the sultan’s gold and men were spent attempting to rebuild the devastated villages and towns of Luud.

Grand Duke Salene personally visited the elves of Urvupal and convinced them to pay tribute to the Grand Duchy.

The circle of wizards whom Valoss kept employed were made to summon spirits of the earth, who moved hillsides and caused fertile meadows to grow in Yezhu’u.

Lords Irithul and Deron returned to the  jungles of Hydrsha (with a thousand infantry and a thousand cavalry for protection) and there worked to soothe the angry jungle tribesmen who were so infuriated just five years before. With significant bribes of steel, sheep and woolen goods, they assuaged the hurts of the past and perhaps established some possibility of closer relations in the future.  This was good enough for Valoss, who had the scribes add Hydrsha to the map of Ukanve.

Missionaries of the God-Emperor pushed even further north, recruiting followers from among the devotees of the Dark Court in Eumela.

Nivraan III returned to Chamir, from whence he ruled his empire and fathered a baby girl in 2838.  The birth of the princess was attended by announcements of joy and celebration across the Empire. The God-Emperor also summoned his angelic servants to improve the storage of water across Chamir.

Nivraan’s brother (the brother of his mortal body) and heir, Nivarnaan also returned to Chamir, where he served as an administrator and fathered three sons.  He summoned fire spirits to clear away dead wood in Goldpardin.

Lord Uruk governed the city of Nystalma, but spent most of the time holding vast, sybaritic orgies of sex and food and art, and so accomplished little of lasting value.

Lord Banar died of a heart attack after governing the capital for a single year. 

Lord Zhayene continued his exemplary service as governor of Huzzein, but also died of a heart attack in 2840.

Lord Sioun al Amakhar raised four thousand troops and distributed most of them into garrisons of these same three regions.  He kept a thousand House Troops with him as he returned to govern Amakhar.  Sioun proved to be a loyal and conscientious emir.

Prince Aouda “Gullwing”, heir to the throne, died in Azhkatûm at the age of fifty-

Vataun meanwhile was busy riding around the northwest intriguing with marcher lords.  The Ugashi had no interest in joining Hecadia, seeing themselves as too far from Verifar and too close to Chamir.  Vataun had more luck in the forests of Emawan, where the woodsmen agreed to economic treaties with Hecadia.

Prince Avedis, one of the most charming and convincing fellows ever to stride the Hecadian stage, performed similar duties in the northeast, convincing the lords of Embulum and Amoka to ally with the Sylvan Realm despite their religious

The formerly close ties with the forest halflings of Anshuyo were proving unprofitable, so Voidan granted the land as his personal fief to Sorin Albardes, sending Sorin home to take a more active role in the governance of the stiff-necked halflings.  Sorin died there of intestinal parasites in 2837. King Voidan also released the woodsmen of Epirvur from their feudal bonds, deeming the region more trouble to administer than it was worth.

The King gave the governance of the capital into the hands of his close friend Mairadh Varantis.  Varantis immediately tore down the old city walls and used the raw materials to help build a large new quarter of the city.   Mairadh was an excellent administrator, but died in a duel with a jealous husband in 2840.  The famed Varantis tendency to bed anything in a skirt had once again cost the family an influential member.  Though his battle-kite project had never become practicable, the halflings of Anshuyo breathed a collective sigh of relief at the quiet shelving of his plans for an Observation Kite.

Prince Harako traveled to Methedras where he governed the city while nursing his wounds from the ill-fated expedition to Emparar years earlier.  Harako worked diligently but without much imagination to bend the city to his will. 

Lord Estaldan Nereeko stood guard over the nation as general of the armies at Ambalas.  The general died of an infected weasel bite in 2837.Curiously, his sister, the Empress Valenthe, died of an infected stoat bite in 2838.  Voidan mourned, and had a large number of terriers brought into the royal palace to root out any remaining mustelids.

Dremeko Camard, halfling lord of wealthy Nisvet, choked on some roast vole in 2839.  Immediately after the funeral, his sons repudiated the alliance with Kerendis and vowed that Nisvet would remain free of the rule of Orbelain.

Prince Bloodspear governed in the city of Suwelho, where his martial nature chafed at the sonorous pronouncements of the interminable city councils and courts.

Lord Juelans traveled to the ancient homeland of Lekandi and immersed himself in study and research of an unknown subject.