The History of Cadfor: An Account of the Years from the Fall of House Llud to the Present

The History of Cadfor: An Account of the Years from the Fall of House Llud to the Present
by Wulfsige sé Stærtractere
(Published 540 IR)
Most of the misfortunes of Cadfor over the last century can be traced to the whelming of Llydaw in 451 IR and the subsequent failure in 455 IR of the Great Houses to agree upon a new Emperor for the Naceadan-Rhadynnic Dual Empire. Once the Great Houses fell into war amongst themselves, the Freeholds were left to fend for themselves without the protective shield provided by the Sky Empire. During this time of chaos, all of the Freeholds suffered to some extent, from the persistent raids launched tribes of giants against Ersav and Melin, to the depredations of the Dark Prince endured by Ceniþ in the 530s, to the extended occupation of Nuþralia by Kivutar’s Polþian armies that was only ended a few scant years ago. Save for Loring, which still labors under the rule of the White Hand, few of the Freeholds suffered as much as Cadfor did under the heel of the Crimson Duke.

Though his origins are shrouded in such obscurity that his true name is unknown to history, the overlord known only as the Crimson Duke arrived in Cadfor in 469 IR with an army of giants, orcs, and ratmen raised from tribes in Elizon, the Hills of Brann-Galedd, and Crespor Mountains. Utterly devoted to Ishi, and wielding mighty arcane powers, the Crimson Duke treated the Ruby Sorcerer as his personal patron, and naturally he sought to emulate his demonic master. Emulating Ishi himself, the Crimson Duke enticed a myriad of evil creatures to his side by forging an alliance of the elemental deities Halpas, Iku-Tyrma, Khil, and Surtan as his following, even including the worshipper of Bål and Lug among the ranks of his armies. In an odd twist for a coalition that was so laden with giants and giant-friendly allies, Abonde’s priestesses were strangely absent from the Crimson Duke’s followers.

Some sages have speculated that Abonde’s absence was the result of jealousy expressed by the Crimson Duke’s consort Nakhtmoy, a dark and shadowy spider-demoness who served as his mistress of assassins. Some assert that the Crimson Duke simply did not recruit any of Abonde’s disciples into his armies out of deference for his fearsome consort, while others have expressed the belief that Nakhtmoy must have arranged for all of Abonde’s followers in the invading army to be murdered, while still others maintain that Abonde’s priestesses simply refused to rally to the Crimson Duke’s banner. No matter the reason, all agree that Nakhtmoy would brook no rivals to her mistress Gangyn, and not only was Abonde’s influence absent from the Crimson Duke’s armies, also apparently banned from his retinue were the followers of Kivutar, Ninkurra, Seþra, and even Tunar.

After a mere three years of war, the Crimson Duke had exhausted the armies of the wily and resourceful King Emyr Bane Tan of Cadfor, but only at the cost of extending his own forces dangerously close to the breaking point. That all changed in 472 IR when King Emyr was assassinated in his sleep, most likely by Nakhtmoy. Soon thereafter, a wave of assassinations resulted in the deaths of every one of King Emyr’s family, ending House Bane Tan. The Crimson Duke’s army soon crushed the remaining feeble forces of resistance in Cadfor and nearly forty years of brutal, iron-fisted rule began.

Befitting a devoted follower of the Soulblighter, the Crimson Duke was not content to merely conquer Cadfor. With one hand the Red Tyrant crushed the people of Cadfor, and with the other he waged war upon his neighbors. Almost as soon as he established his control over the kingdom, the Crimson Duke led his armies to war against Melin and Gwenarþ and when those campaigns went awry, he pushed into Elizon and tried to seize control of Loring in an effort to expand his dominions northwards. In Cadfor itself, the countryside was stripped bare and its industry and populace put to work fueling the Crimson Duke’s war machine. The youth of the nation were drafted into the Duke’s armies, or forced into labor battalions to craft and construct the materials of warfare to supply them. Many daughters were forced into a life as camp followers, servicing the needs of the Duke’s favored soldiers.

Those denizens of Cadfor who refused the Duke’s demands were killed. Some slaughtered outright by the partols of orcs and giants who roamed the land, others were simply found dead in their beds with their throats cut, killed by Nakhtmoy’s omnipresent network of spies and assassins. Fear ruled the land, as no one could be sure that their neighbor wasn’t secretly an agent working for the Crimson Duke who would turn you in for shirking your work or failing to pay your taxes or expressing disloyalty or even dissatisfaction. Though he was not the sole reason for the creation of the Freeholder’s Council, in 492 IR, the Crimson Duke’s depredations were certainly a significant motivating factor in convincing many of the Freehold kings to join.

After years of war and destruction, the first glimmers of hope for Cadfor shone through in 508 IR, although almost no one knew it at the time. The small village of Laragh in the foothills of the Crespor Mountains was the site of a minor dispute over tax collection that set a rebellion into motion. When four black orcs sought to collect what they claimed were unpaid taxes owed by the village blacksmith Osian, the exchange turned violent, and they killed him. According to legend, Osian’s apprentice Girion killed all four of the Duke’s tax collectors with his blacksmith’s hammer, and then fled into the wilderness as an outlaw.

For two years Girion lived in the mountains, coming down from the high passes to raid the Crimson Duke’s camps and strongholds. For two years Girion was able to confound and evade the Red Tyrant’s forces, and the tales of his exploits caused others to rally to his cause. In 510 IR, however, Nakhtmoy’s spies discovered that Girion had been secretly meeting with a farmer’s daughter named Siân, and soon the order was given to kill her family and capture her as bait. Even though Girion knew it was a trap, he could not leave his beloved in the hands of the crimson Duke, and he mounted a rescue of such epic daring that it is now recounted in song. Realizing that his presence in Cadfor was endangering those he cared for, Giron fled the country with Siân at his side, vowing to return one day.

In 520 IR, Girion made good upon his vow. In the intervening years, Girion and Siân had made names for themselves as sellswords and privateers and returned to their homeland as seasoned, battle-hardened veterans skilled in both physical and mystical combat. In their travels they had acquired several allies whose names have become famous: Wulfric, Elena, Heinrich, and Colwyn, all of whom joined the pair in their return to Cadfor. Leading this small band of allies and supported by a devoted retinue of followers, Girion launched a war to liberate his nation from the heel of the Crimson Duke.

Over the succeeding years, Giron’s rebellion grew from this tiny kernel to a full-fledged popular movement. Inspired by this former blacksmith’s apprentice and farmer’s daughter, the common-folk rallied to their cause. Girion forged alliances with the dwarves of the Haearn Hills, obtained support and troops from Melin and Gwenarth, and even recruited the aid of tribes of khulen from Elizon who had grown weary of the Crimson Duke’s attempts to bring them under his power.

The war was long and hard, and Girion’s forces suffered many setbacks and scored many victories, but they ever pushed the Crimson Duke’s forces back, liberating towns and villages one by one. These triumphs were not without cost- Girion suffered a personal loss in 529 IR when his eldest son Liam was killed at the Battle of Féarach Hill. In 531 IR, Girion seized Celliwig, wresting control of the city from the Crimson Duke after an eleven month siege, forcing his foe entirely out of the eastern and central parts of Cadfor.

Finally, in 533 IR, Girion scraped together every soldier he could muster and led his troops against the Crimson Duke’s amassed forces at the Battle of Bythwrdd Meadows. For this titanic battle, both Melin and Gwenarþ sent their own armies to aid Girion, and even Girion’s remaining son Padraig took to the field at his father’s side. The battle went badly for the allied army, and just when it seemed that the Crimson Duke’s companies of giants would overwhelm them, Ådon, Dallen, Mannan and the rest of the Conclave of Eight came to once and for all deal with the threat posed by the Crimson Duke and Nakhtmoy and turned the tide of battle and the Duke’s forces were scattered. Despite the victory, this was a day of sadness as Siân, Girion’s faithful spouse of more than two decades, was slain in the battle. Though his body was never found, the Crimson Duke was never seen after this day, and he presumably died on the field with his troops.

After his victory at the Battle of Bythwrdd Meadows, Girion laid siege to the Crimson Duke’s stronghold of Cær Colur, now the refuge of the vile Nakhtmoy. Within a year, the dread fortress fell and though they could not locate the demoness to banish her, the Conclave of Eight was able to trap her inside the network of tunnels that honeycombed the earth beneath its ruined walls. Seals of mystical power were placed on the place, imprisoning the elusive spider-demon within the complex.

Having driven the Crimson Duke and his armies from Cadfor, Girion was declared king of that nation in 534 IR. In that same year, King OEngus Lairdsonne of Melin and King Brann of Gwenarth sponsored Girion’s membership in the Freeholder’s Council, and he was admitted to that body in that same year. Girion chose a black crossed hammer and sickle on a silver field with a red border as the symbol of his house, and chose Lámh Casúr as his House name, becoming King Girion Lámh Casúr.

King Girion is closely allied with King Œngus Lairdsonne of the neighboring kingdom of Melin, and Girion's only living son Padraig was betrothed to Œngus' daughter Iarfhlaith in 535 IR , a union that would have united the two kingdoms in a mutually beneficial alliance. Unfortunately, in a sad turn of events Padraig vanished while campaigning against a goblinoid incursion in the Lloftmelin Mountains in 538 IR, and he is presumed dead. Girion’s only remaining heir is his thirteen year old daughter Andrella.

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A Brief History of Sakaþa, the Great King of the Lizardfolk

Excerpts from Brief History of Sakaþa, the Great King of the Lizardfolk
by Demetrios ap Varin
(Published 536 IR)
The Great King Sakaþa is an enigma, shrouded in myth and legend. Venerated by the lizardfolk of the Great Southern Swamp as their true and eternal leader and feared as a demonic figure of terror by all of the civilized peoples of Nuþralia, it is almost impossible to disinguish between fact and fiction concerning this creature. Among the lizardfolk, the legend of Sakaþa has taken on such epic proportions that virtually any deed one can conceive of has been attributed to him. Among the non-lizardfolk that live in Eor, the folk tales and stories told about him paint Sakaþa alternatively as a figure of ineffable terror who name should only be spoken in hushed whispers and a comical buffoon whose ineptitude is a suitable subject for mockery.

No one knows for certain where or when the dread creature known as Sakaþa was born, but it is reasonable to assume that it took place in the early part of the 4th century IR, presumably somewhere in the depths of the Great Southern Swamp. With the strength and stamina of the lizardfolk, but intelligence that rivaled even the most brilliant of men, Sakaþa quickly rose to a position of power and leadership among the tribes of the marshes, gaining such renown that his name appears in texts as early as 348 IR. Sakaþa proved to be a skilled arcanist, and he used his magical prowess to great effect, defeating his enemies with both the physical prowess of his troops and the arcane power of his wizardly abilities. In short order, Sakaþa ruled over a vast nation of scaled folk. Despite his success in taming his fellows, Sakaþa was clearly unsatisfied, and all accounts provide the same reasons why: He had a larger than normal share of the greed, rapacity, and evil found among both the lizardfolk and men.

Sakaþa's ambitions likely would have gone unfulfilled had the lizardman not formed an alliance with a powerful sect of Belial’s church called the Cult of the Black Flame. The power wielded by the Cult's priests and the dark mysteries of Belial's power they commanded gave Sakaþa's armies a strength and vigor that was nigh-unstoppable. Within just a few years, Sakaþa came to be the supreme ruler of the lizardfolk and other denizens of the Great Southern Swamp, extending his hegemony over all who dwelled there and becoming a constant thorn in the side of his neighbors as raiding parties were frequently sent forth to plunder all those on his borders.

Following his conquest of the denizens of the swamp, Sakaþa decided that plundering his neighbors was not sufficient, and launched an invasion of Eor in 351 IR, and completing his conquest of the region by 356 IR, defeating King Comyn of Nuþralia’s army and killing the king in the process at the Battle of Ongal Hill. Once he seized control of Eor, Sakaþa enslaved the population and carried away vast riches to the Great Southern Swamp. In addition to his loyal lizardfolk and vast army of slaves, Sakaþa’s overflowing treasury enabled him to employ many powerful mercenaries in his service, further cementing his position as unquestioned ruler of both the Great Southern Swamp and Western Nuþralia.

After Sakaþa’s invasion of Eor, Nuþralia was in disarray, with the newly crowned King Cadwalandr unable to respond right away due to incursions by Ahaliat tribesmen and yet another invasion by seafaring raiders from Kysthjem and Langjord that not only overran much of the eastern half of the realm but also kept most of the Imperial fleet occupied for years. Fortunately for the young king, Sakaþa was strangely quiescent during this period, giving both the Nuþralian royal house and the Imperial Throne the time they needed to marshal their forces for a campaign to liberate the lands the Grat King of the Lizardfolk had seized.

In 364 IR, Cadwalandr’s pleas for Imperial aid were finally answered, and High King Ghilchrist IV assembled a host that included knights from the Order of the Gauntlet, and forces contributed by House Gilfaethwy and House Llefelys. In an unexpected turn, King Cadwalandr was able to turn Håkon, one of the chieftains of the invading northmen, by promising him lands for Håkon's followers to settle upon, and thus was able to swell his own forces for the campaign. Over the next three years, the King Cadwalandr aided by the Imperial forces was able to reconquer most of what Sakaþa had seized a decade before.

Sakaþa was not a particularly wise or judicious ruler. It was this weakness that caused him to ride into battle at the head of his lizardfolk in the Battle of Vendare, where he was mortally wounded. Legend holds that it was Håkon himself who dealt the fatal blow upon the Lizard King, a story many consider dubious, but which Håkon's descendants consider to be iron clad fact. What is known is that Håkon was made Æorldorman of Vendare for the services he rendered to King Caldwalandr during the war. As for Sakaþa, his shattered army was scattered, but stories tell that a few loyal servants carried his dead and broken body from the field of battle and off into the Great Southern Swamp to a locale unknown to his enemies.

Since that day, Sakaþa’s name became a talisman of power among the lizardfolk of the Great Southern Swamp. Powerful tribal leaders often style themselves as the “New Sakaþa’, but none has ever been able to match his combination of power and cunning, and none was ever able to equal his glorious career. In time, it became de rigeur for the lizardfolk of the Great Southern Swamp to claim they were acting in Great King Sakaþa’s name, and invoking his name in their battle cries and curses. Fact turned to legend, and legend turned to myth, and over the years it became impossible to distinguish between the reality of Sakaþa’s life and the array of stories concerning heroic feats and exploits that were attributed to him in tall tales. Stories about Sakaþa’s acts have become a staple of tavern tales and songs even among the men living in the regions bordering the Great Southern Swamp, although he was almost always depicted as a villain in them.

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The History of the Rhadynnic-Naceadan Dual Empire

Excerpts from The History of the Rhadynnic-Naceadan Dual Empire
by Dillion pen’Llefelys
(Published 512 IR)
On the Founding of the Great Houses:

The records detailing the origins of the Great Houses, and their kingdoms they now rule are lost to us, destroyed by the ravages of time and the depredations of our enemies. Our legends hold that more than a thousand years before the founding of the Rhadynnic Sky Empire, Llud pen’Beli founded Great House Llud and assumed rule of Llydaw as gor'Brenin, a kingdom legends hold was established by his father Beli Mawr, the great legendary warrior-king and first Brenin-Mawr of the Rhadynn. As told in The Chronicles of the High Kings, authored by the historian Ymerawdwr Conall III, nine of Llud's ten siblings left Llydaw with their followers to establish their own Great Houses and becoming gor'Brenin of their own kingdoms. The ten Great Houses sometimes fought each other, and sometimes banded together. Legends speak of great wars against the fomor, partholan, and seelie, with the warriors of the ten houses emerging victorious.

The ancient tales speak of many dangers facing the splintered kingdoms of our forefathers, but none so terrible as the dread Hallitsijainen, whose power and evil still plague the free people of the world. For hundreds of years, the Kansattu sent their black-sailed ships throughout all of the Three Worlds, demanding tribute and any who refused to offer wealth and slaves to the Cold Lords were destroyed. Imperial records maintain that the first signs of true unity among the Great Houses came in 1109 YE when Brion, Dewintir, Dyved, Gwydon, and Llydaw banded together to form the Rhadynnic Confederation and together refused Hallitsijainen demands for tribute, a decision that was timed almost perfectly as the Cold Lords were weakened by the Leucadian struggle detailed in the epic poem Epikotos Leucadian¹ and the subsequent exploits of the Geureciman General-King Rafaele as detailed in the Song of Rafaele². Many ships and warbands were sent by the Hallitsijainen to punish the recalcitrant kingdoms, but they were defeated as the Great Houses allied against the common foe under the banner of the Golden Hawk. Within fifty years all of the Great Houses joined the Rhadynnic Confederation, and in 1161 the gor’Brenin of Llydaw was elected to be ruler of the Rhadynn as the first Brenin-Mawr since Beli Mawr. The High Kings set about using their mighty sky ships in coordination with the drake-empowered armies of the Great Houses to resist the Hallitisijainen, marshal great fleets against the Dekkulde islanders, and send their armies against the jattilainen and euroz of Elizon and elsewhere, even against the wild nomads of the At'viras Steppes.

On the Founding of the Rhadynnic-Naceadan Dual Sky Empire:

Although the records I have found do not give a complete picture, as closely as I have been able to determine, finding themselves both under threat from the Cold Lords, Brenin-Mawr Ghilchrist pen’Llud and Christobal Santiago, the Amparar of Oropais, formed an alliance in 1193 YE to unify their domains against this common foe. According to imperial records stored in the Council archives, in 1209 YE, Ghilchrist cemented this relationship by marrying Christobal’s only daughter Alejandra, and when Christobal died in 1211 YE he ascended to the throne of Oropais and was crowned Ymerawdwr Ghilchrist I. Ever after this, the standard of the empire was a two-headed golden hawk on a field of green, showing the union between the two great empires of the Rhadynn and the Naceadans. Ghilchrist I declared the year of his ascension to the throne of the dual monarchy to be a holiday year, and founded a new counting of years to be counted starting with that year as the “0” year and named the “Imperial Reckoning” or “IR”. In 2 IR, Ghilchrist issued his Atal Proclamation, or Prohibition Proclamation, a copy of which signed by the Ymerawdwr’s own hand can be found in the House Llefelys’ collection, in which he ordered all of his subject domains to cease paying tribute of any kind to the infernal and depraved Cold Lords.

On House Llud and the Imperial Faith:³

In their realm, House Llud promoted the holy faith the Lords of Heaven, and made it the faith of the nation, elevating the priests of the Holy Faiths to an honored place in their lands. In 1158 YE Brenin-Mawr Iain I founded the holy order devoted to Yng named the Milwr Awyr, also called the Warriors of the Sky, to guard the ten kingdoms from the depredations of the heathen Rodhar dragon raiders and godless Sjorover island pirates⁴. In 15 IR, Ymerawdwr Ghilchrist II granted the Milwr Tarian an Imperial Charter, an order of holy warriors devoted to Heim intended to serve as guardians for sacred places, monasteries, and temples. Upon his ascension to the throne in 126 IR, Ymerawdwr Kunagnos II issued his Eithrio Proclamation or the Exclusionary Proclamation in which he declared the worship of the Lords of Heaven the true faith of the Sky Empire, and specifically outlawed a list of cults condemned as demonic in nature5 and the worship of the vile power of the Ilkeastasisin. Those heathen faiths not mentioned in the document were still tolerated, but quite properly looked upon with disfavor.

In his first act upon ascending to the throne in 135 IR, Ymerawdwr Kunagnos III gave Imperial sanction to the Milwr Dwrn, a sect devoted to the Celestial Lord Forseti, to rule over and guard the land provinces of the Sky Empire. In that same year, Kunagnos III ceded Ranska to this order or holy warriors who henceforth directly ruled that land in the Ymerawdwr’s name, and under the laws of Heaven, until it was lost to the Hallitsijainen in 418 IR.

On the Crusades:

Few things more defined the reign of the Ymerawdwr’s than their enmity towards the cruel and unholy Kansattu Empire, a hatred driven to a crusading zeal by their alliance with the holy faiths of the Lords of Heaven. In 42 IR. Ymerawdwr Tamnais II launched the first Imperial crusade and conquered Saksa, claiming it as a foothold that he claimed would allow the conquest of all Ilkeas. Ymerawdwr Artur II continued these just and holy wars, seizing most of Ranska in 73 IR, and launching attacks into Kreikka before dying in glorious service to the gods on the field of battle, while Ymerawdwr Seain II completed the conquest, having assumed complete control of Ranska by 105 IR. After many more wars, Ymerawdwr Seain III conquered the province of Kreikka in 122 IR. The Ymerawdwrs built armies, fought great just and holy wars to press the Hallitsijainen, and the Sky Empire prospered for many years under the benevolent and protective eyes of Heaven, but the evils of the world, as is their nature, tirelessly worked to undo the work of the faithful and righteous.

In 391 IR, after years of war, the province of Kreikka was overwhelmed by heathen nomads, and was lost. Beginning in 402 IR. the Hallitsijainen began a campaign of corruption and depravity against the province of Ranska, engaging in a series of small wars, the records of which speak of terrible cruelty visited upon the good people of that land by the invading armies. By 412 IR, the weak-minded Ahaliat tribesmen in Kreikka were subverted by the corruption of the Hallitsijainen, and became subservient to the Kansattu Empire, allowing the terrible Verijuoma to rule over them, slavishly worshiping his power. Saksa soon fell apart into small territories ruled by disloyal Lesser Houses, who turned away from the just rule of the Ymerawdwrs and sought unholy alliances with the Cold Lords. Saksa completely disintegrated by 427 IR. Finally, in 418 IR. Ranska was invaded and conquered by the depraved Kreikkans and the cruel Hallitsijainen, the Milwr Dwrn were smashed, and Miesurmata and Herranoita became the lords of this realm. Proud and loyal subjects of the Ymerawdwrs and the remnants of the Milwr Dwrn fought on desperately against the invaders, some holding out for years, but eventually all were hunted down and destroyed.

On the Last Crusade and the Fall of House Llud:

In 427 IR. Ymerawdwr Cearnach VI was killed in battle during his failed campaign to try to retake Ranska. His son was crowned Ymerawdwr Cearnach VII, the boy-emperor, even though he was only eight years old at the time of his ascension. In this time of need, the Lords of Heaven sent the Arwr to the aid of the recently crowned Ymerawdwr bearing with him mystical artifacts of great power. In 434 IR. accompanied only by Nyniaw pen’Beli, the Arwr journeyed into the Kansattu Empire, and over the next several years stole or destroyed many objects of power that the Hallitsijainen valued greatly, and used the blade Kersyti to destroy the Hallitsijainen Susiherra and Sarviherttua and several of their most powerful and vile servants. Emboldened by the Arwr’s successes, Cearnach VII launched a great and holy crusade in 441 IR, seizing Pisekost and Varoastrov in 444 IR.

Heartened by the success granted by the Lords of Heaven, Cearnach VII landed his fleets on Jaotuli Island in 446 IR. quickly destroying its garrison, and laid siege to Pelkonnoitus in the same year. Not content with these successes, in 449 IR, filled with the might of the Lords of Heaven, Cearnach VII moved his grand imperial army from Pelkonnoitus up the Taikajulma River to directly attack Iltorni. In the siege of the dark tower, the Arwr was killed in combat with Murskilta who was destroyed at the same instant. After a year of siege, Ymerawdwr Cearnach VII, the last member of House Llud, was killed on the field of battle before the gates of Iltorni, leaving no heir. The Kansattu forces attacked the ring of besiegers around Iltorni during the depths of winter from within and without, crushing them in battle. The once proud armies of the Sky Empire were smashed by the Kansattu legions and their ships burned on the cold beaches of Ilkeas.

On the Whelming of Llydaw and the Fall of the Rhadynnic-Naceadan Dual Empire:

After Cearnach VII’s death, the infernal Hallitsijainen summoned their vile powers in a great enchantment to smash Llydaw, which they whelmed under the sea, leaving scattered islets where the landmass of the great island of the Ymerawdwrs once stood. From that point forward, Llydaw has been known as Llœgyr, the Lost Land. In 455 IR the remaining Great Houses met to elect a new Brenin-Mawr to lead them, but the just claim made by House Llefelys of Alwyr, was contested by demands made by House Amæthon of Brion, and House Arianrhod of Crœsfan, which prevented the Houses from agreeing upon a single successor. In a great parallel tragedy, the death of Cearnach VII, ended the dynastic succession of the Amparars, throwing the Naceadan nation of Oropais into chaos. Because of the treachery of Houses Amæthon and Arianrhod, wars have begun as those false claimants have sought to displace the valid claim of House Llefelys.

To the dismay of all righteous men everywhere, after the fall of the Ymerawdwrs the churches of the Lords of Heaven have found the holy message of the true Gods difficult to spread, as many lacking in stoutness of heart attributed the extinction of their most ardent mortal advocates as a sign of their disfavor, or, more heretically, their impotence. In Oropais, many of the weak in spirit have turned to the infernal treason of Arrioism as the advocates of that heresy postulate the destruction of Llydaw to be a sign of the disfavor of heaven. In 487 IR the Arrioist church illegally seized the imperial holdings of the Amparar of Oropais, trumping up the Writ of Oropais as a justification. Many others turn away from Heaven’s path and take refuge in the long-discarded faith of the y’Grym, a heathen faith foolishly and readily embraced by House Amæthon and House Gwydion.

Cursed by the infernal powers, our people suffered a further insult, when in 494 IR, the great dragon sire Mahthildin descended upon Carmathen and destroyed all those remaining there to claim as his own the holy treasures of the Sky Empire and the holy relics of the Lords of Heaven. In 504 IR, calling the sinking of Llydaw and the assault of Mahthildin signs of the displeasure of Heaven, the Fielidor of Arrio publicly called upon our people to set aside the true faith in the Lords of Heaven and embrace his apostasy, a plea all right thinking people rejected as obviously heretical.

---

¹ A detailed review of records from the remaining Imperial archives now located in the Council libraries leads me to the conclusion that the events detailed in the Epikotos Leucadian took place during the reign of gor’Brenin Fionn I of House Alwyr at some point between the years 995 YE and 1005 YE.

² Although the Song of Rafaele is somewhat vague in its attention to details such as exact dates, correlating the poem with other sources leads me to conclude that Rafaele’s exploits took place at some point between 1050 YE and 1150 YE.

³ No record exists of an Imperial charter being granted to the Milwr Llwon, also known as the Order of Oaths. Scholars have speculated that the founding of and sanction granted to the holy order of warriors devoted to Tiwas predates the Sky Empire, and may have been instrumental in legitimizing the ascension of the Ymerawdwrs.

⁴ In 492 IR House Llefelys ceded the island of Lleyn to the Milwr Awyr to replace the ports lost to them when Llydaw was destroyed.

⁵ The cults listed include cults devoted to (among others) Abonde, Bål, Belial, Darmas, Gangyn, Halpas, Iku-Tyrma, Ishi, Kalma, Khil, Kivutar, Lug, Ninkurra, Oxoßi, Seþra, Sirchade, Surtan, Tunar, Tuni, and Vaßatar. In addition, the document banned worship of the faiths promoted by the Hallitsijainen, specifically banning the Verituska cult. These denominations are known as the Eithrio Cults.

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Campaign Design - Military Organization in the Freeholds

Military Organization in the Freeholds

Standing armies are essentially unheard of in the Freeholds. In addition to being expensive to maintain, a ruler or noble who keeps a large fighting force on hand without an obvious threat to defend against is likely to be viewed with suspicion by his neighbors. Consequently, most of the lords and kings of the Freeholds rely upon a small cadre of household troops that are supplemented in times of need with a call to a lord's feudal subordinates and a citizen militia.

One of the most important offices in a Freehold is the folcgesiþ, the warleader or marshal of the kingdom. This is a position appointed by the ruling monarch, usually from his own household - it is fairly common for an æðeling to also be the nation's folcgesiþ - but it is not uncommon for the office to be held by a sibling or cousin of the monarch, or more rarely one of the æorls or þegns of the realm. In wartime, the folcgesiþ is the ðengel's commander in the field, assuming that the ðengel doesn't command his armies himself. He is assumed to speak with the ruler's voice, and act with the ruler's hands, and consequently in military matters all others in the realm are supposed to defer to the folcgesiþ's authority. When not leading armies in the field, the primary responsibility of the folcgesiþ is to ensure the readiness of his sovereign's troops, by recruiting and providing for his household troops, ensuring that the various noble Houses are able to fulfill their feudal military obligations, and by keeping watch on the readiness of the fyrdd. In practice, these responsibilities mean that the folcgesiþ often ends up acting as the senior official in a kingdom on almost all administrative matters.

For the most part, a king or landholding noble will maintain only enough troops to garrison key castles and fortresses and handle everyday problems such as bandits, counting on his ability to expand his forces in times of need. These household troops are referred to as the folgoþ and are commanded by the húscnehts acting as both an officer corps and an elite component. These troops are generally professional soldiers, skilled at arms and equipped as well as their liege can afford. In many cases, household troops will supplement their provided equipment whenever possible, under the reasonable assumption that better armor and weapons will improve their chances for survival when they are called upon to fight. When answering the call of their liege, a House will usually bring their húscnehts and a portion of their household troops to fulfill their obligations.

In times of great danger, such as when a Freehold is invaded, its rulers can call upon the fyrdd, a citizen militia composed of all of the free men in the kingdom.Fyrddmen are expected to provide their own equipment, although many ruling Houses have taken it upon themselves to create armories stocked with basic supplies to ensure that their fyrddmen are adequately provided for. Although there is no hard and fast rule concerning what a fyrddman must arm himself with, the basic assumption is that every fyrddman will be equipped with a bow and spear and wear some sort of light armor, usually leather. Many commoners have the Fyrddman feat, which provides them with the basic skills needed to fulfill their obligations. Although some might think that the obligations of being a fyrddman would grate upon the populace, it is an important mark of social status, and as a result, most denizens of the Freeholds eagerly claim the role. Even so, most ruling nobles are reluctant to call out the fyrdd except in the most serious circumstances, as keeping the farmers and artisans of the nation in the field for battle for any length of time can be crippling for their land's economic health.

When a king or noble calls upon his vassals and assembles his forces for war, the resulting assembly is called a herefolc, or sometimes an innhere, although the second only applies to a purely land-based force. When an army is composed entirely of húscnehts, it is often referred to as an ísenhere, or iron-clad army, due to the fact that all such individuals are almost always armored in steel armor. On those rare occasions in which the fyrdd is also called up to fight alongside the herefolc, the resulting panoply is referred to as a þrymm, which is roughly translated as "host".

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Campaign Design - Nobility in the Freeholds

Nobility in the Freeholds

The Freeholds are governed by means of oaths of service given in return for grants of land and authority. Like the Rhadynnic Isles, the Freeholders organize their affairs by Houses - with allegiance being counted from family to family rather than individual to individual. A ruling House will accept an oath of fealty, called a hyldájj, from the head of a House who symbolically pledges the loyalty of his entire family to his suzerain, and who receives lands to hold and authority to mete justice, collect taxes, and otherwise act in his lord's name. This form of allegiance is called helde, and the head of the subordinate House is called a heldeman. Most heldemen pledge not only their loyalty, but also specific promises to their feudal superior, usually taking the form of a promise to provide a set amount of funds, goods, and soldiers on an annual basis. The hyldájj. is not a one-way oath - in addition to providing property and power, the suzerain also promises to defend his subordinate so long as they hold to their oath of service.

In common parlance, the land held by a heldeman is referred to as their læn of fiefdom. The land held by a ruling House that they directly control is called their innland. Land that a House has control over but has parceled out to subordinate houses by means of a hyldájj oath is referred to as utland. Technically, all of the land in a Freehold is under the control of its ruling House, but they only directly control their innland.

The fundamental title in the Freeholds from which all other ranks of nobility flow is the ðengel or King. There are currently nine recognized kings in the Freeholds. In the days of the Rhadynnic Sky Empire, the rulers of the Freeholds owed allegiance directly to the Bronze Throne, and not to any one of the Great Houses. Since the whelming of Llydaw and the fall of House Llud, there is no longer any power that bestows the title of ðengel upon the rulers of the Freeholds, and since the Bronze Throne of Beli Mawr is currently vacant and there appears to be no realistic chance it will be occupied any time soon, no higher authority. In recent years the generally accepted marker that one is entitled to call oneself a King in the Freeholds is recognition by and admission to the High Council.

Most of the royal houses in the Freeholds have long pedigrees, dating back to the days of the Sky Empire and beyond, but a few are of much more recent vintage as the chaos following the whelming of Llydaw has provided opportunities for the bold and determined. Ðengel Girion of Cadfor is the first of his house, having conquered the lands he rules over the last few decades. Ðengel Seluc of Nuþralia owes his position to the wars waged by his father Kiarr Hewædsonne to seize control of the territory Seluc now rules from the nation of Polþia. A sufficiently strong and willful individual could conceivably drive off the evil denizens of places like Loring or the Hills of Brann-Galedd and claim a kingship for themselves.

In the distant past, the title æðeling explicitly meant "prince" in the Freeholds and was applied to the eldest son of a ruling ðengel, but that usage is now regarded as archaic. In current parlance, the æðeling of a Freehold is the designated heir to the mantle of rulership, whoever that might be. The title evolved in this direction as the rules of succession became more flexible, mostly as the result of the influence of the Rhadynnic Great Houses.

The most powerful noble outside of the royal house is the æorl, sometimes referred to an an ældorman. This is generally a hereditary title, held by a particular house designated by the ðengel of the Freehold, although a house can technically be removed from the position. As ældorman are often quite powerful, both politically and militarily, this step is usually only taken in extraordinary circumstances. In general, an æorl is a critically important figure in a given kingdom, and owes his fealty directly to the king, with no intervening authority between them. A king relies upon his ældormen to manage territory, ensure justice, and provide troops in time of war. This dependency means that a kingdom with too many ældormen almost inevitably has a weak king, and consequently most of the kingdoms in the Freeholds have three or fewer ældormen.

The next rank below the æorl's are the þegns, the most minor of landholding hereditary nobles. Like an ældorman, a þegn holds lands granted to his House in return for service. Unlike æorls, who can only derive their authority directly from a ðengel, a þegnhood can be created by an æorl. Although many þegns owe their fealty directly to the king of their Freehold, many are subordinated to one or another æorl. In most respects, a þegn's House is much he same as an æorl's House, just on a slightly smaller scale. One must note that although most þegns hold smaller læns and exert lesser influence than æorls, this is not a hard and fast rule. There are a number of notable þegns who have acquired an outsized level of power and influence for their Houses.

Finally, the lowest rank of "nobility" is the cneht, also referred to as knights. This is a non-hereditary title, bestowed upon an individual, usually as a reward for faithful service or recognition of superior achievement. This is also a title that many æorls and þegns hold in addition to their hereditary title. Unlike other ranks of nobility, a cneht does not swear their oath on behalf of their House, but only on behalf of their person. In broad strokes, there are two types of cneht: The ordinary landholding cneht, who is granted a læn in exchange for an oath of loyalty and service, and the húscneht or "household knight", who who holds no land but serves as a key element of a feudal lord's retinue. Nobles of all higher ranks may create cnehts, although there is a general order of precedence among cnehts based upon who bestowed the rank upon them, with a cneht created by an æorl having more prestige than a cneht created by a þegn, and a cneht created by a ðengel commanding greater respect than either. In practice, this distinction is mostly ceremonial, and usually only truly matters when determining who has priority of command on the battlefield.

Although not a rank of nobility, a common appellation used for well-placed individuals who serve as advisors to a ruler is þéodwita, which roughly means "wise counselor" or "man of counsel". Many such individuals are also æorls, þegns, or cnehts, but they do not have to be, and otherwise untitled people are sometimes given this honorific due to their service.

In formal usage, nobles will list out the succession of authorities from whence they derive their titles using the term helde, and sometimes the name of the læmn using the term fram. For example, Æorl Sihtrc of Eor would formally give his name as Æorl Sihtrc fram Eor helde Seluc fram Nuþralia, indicating that his demesne is Eor and he holds it by grant from Ðengel Seluc of Nuþralia. Similarly Cneht Elidyr, a húscneht of House Kindelan would formally write his name as Cneht Elidyr helde Þegn Eanion fram Gwenith helde Ðengel Girion fram Cadfor, showing that he holds his rank as a result from a grant from Þegn Eanion of Gwenith who holds his title as a result of a grant from Ðengel Girion of Cadfor. This sort of formal usage is not commonly employed, its use being reserved primarily for ceremonial functions, official documents, and legal proceedings. For everyday use, most nobles will simply use their title and given name or sometimes even simply the name of their læn. For example, Þegn Eadred of Varin would generally be referred to as Þegn Eadred, or simply called Varin.

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Organizations - The Navigator's Guild

The Navigator's Guild

There are many forces both natural and supernatural that divide the Three Worlds from one another, and divide different regions of the individual worlds of Ilkeas, Cærulus, and Midrun from other parts of those same worlds, often making travel over long distances difficult or impossible. This is the case only for "unskilled" travelers and not for the secretive and enigmatic cadre of arcane casters that make up the Navigator's Guild. Made up of a variety of factions that appear to have divvied up the Three Worlds into areas of jurisdiction, the Guild is comprised of experts in both mundane travel and transportation magic. The Guild is treated warily by nearly all of the peoples of the Three Worlds, but they are regarded as a necessary element if there is to be regular and reasonably safe travel across and between worlds.

There are several ways to contact the Guild, should one have the cash and the inclination to travel. Great monuments in the form of purple amethyst crystals, generally four feet square and standing twenty feet tall are scattered across the Three Worlds. Many are in large cities or towns - and in some cases are the reason for the city or town being located where it is - but others have been found deep in the wilderness. They are unmarked, and seem to be virtually indestructible. One needs only place a hand on one and say, in just about any language, something to the effect of "I require the services of a Navigator" and one will magically appear in relatively short order. He or she will then discuss terms and payment - almost invariably cash up front. Conventional transportation, such as riding animals or sea vessels, is never supplied by the Guild, and in fact such for the Navigator must be supplied by the client. The Navigator will advise an ignorant client on what mode of transportation would be most appropriate. It is sometimes possible to make much of a journey by arcane means, but long jumps, especially those involving many individuals, are tricky and correspondingly more prohibitively expensive. Regular clients may be rented personal beacons by the Guild, allowing them to call upon the services of a Navigator without the need to find a standing crystal beacon, but these devices are exceedingly rare.

All Navigators are masters of arcane magic, for not only can they guide ships and caravans along the safest route, but they are able to use teleportation and even plane shifting magic to move groups and sometimes even ships across vast distances. All Navigators use some sort of device they refer to as a compass in their trade, though its nature and appearance can vary tremendously from guild faction to guild faction. These items often look much like an intricate sextant, and are almost invariably decorated with purple gemstones such as amethyst, tourmaline, iolite, and so on. A single Navigator is invariably the guide for an entire journey. If a Navigator has ever failed to deliver his charges safely due to his own failure, the Guild has hushed it up.

As part of their code, the Navigators favor no one, instead charging all a high prices for their services. They steadfastly refuse to transport military personnel or items, whether the journey is for attack, espionage, or sabotage, and they maintain the right to immediately terminate any assignment should it become clear that their services are being used for such a purpose, even if it leaves their former clients in jeopardy. If any Navigator has been successfully bribed to betray their code in the past, the organization has managed to keep it quiet. On the other hand, there have been a few recorded instances in which some power hungry individual has attempted to coerce a Navigator, or worse yet, killed one and tried to use his compass, and the failure of such attempts ate well-known, and the vengeance meted out by the Guild has been swift and sure.

Navigators are businessmen and they are notoriously unsympathetic to people with no money in difficult situations, through they have been known to accept payment in kind - after criminally undervaluing the offered goods. In the event that an expedition accompanied by a Navigator is attacked, the Navigator will not fight unless he or she is personally threatened. This rarely becomes an issue, partly because of the famous vengeance inflicted upon those who attack Navigators, and partly due to the fact that Navigators wield very real power over the flows of arcane power in the Three Worlds. The symbol of the Guild is the color purple, and Navigators always wear at least some purple in their clothing, and many dress inclusively in that color. Informally, the Navigators are referred to by many as the "Purple Wizards".

Although little is known about the Guild, one thing that is clear to all is that they zealously guard their secrets, both mundane and arcane. The obvious reason for their secrecy is the desire to protect their monopoly, but some have speculated that the member of the Guild have a more malign reason for their secrecy. others have posited that the Guild maintains a tight hold on information concerning arcane methods of traveling about the Three Worlds out of a sense of altruism. The truth is, as all other things concerning the Guild, shrouded in mystery. No one outside the Guild even knows where they reside, although the most common theory is that they dwell in an extradimensional fortress.

Although they are renowned for their transportation magic, their extensive knowledge of the geography of the Three Worlds is at least as important to their profession. Navigators always seem to know of the existence of gates and hidden pathways along any route their client wishes to take, and have been known to even lead their charges through the Færie Realm, the Elemental Planes, or, more rarely, the Realm of Shadow if they deem that to be the best way to get to their destination. They will lead their charges on routes that wind through one of the Three worlds, into another, and back to the first if that is what they deem to be the best means of traveling. Though they have never been known to carry actual maps, they have a preternatural talent for understanding geography and a virtually all-encompassing knowledge of trails, pathways, and shortcuts.

In addition to their mundane skills as guides, the Navigators are also masters of transportation magic. Among the spells attributed to the Guild are Anticipate Teleportation, Astral Projection, Ethereal Jaunt, Etherealness, Plane Shift, Teleport, Teleport Object, Greater Teleport, and Teleportation Circle. The Navigators hoard this magic like miserly dragons, refusing to teach thse spells to those who are not members, and making efforts to dissuade others from trying to unlock these secrets for themselves. Universities that try to stock books on the subject find that the books go mysteriously missing. Scholars studying teleportation often arrive in their laboratories in the morning to find their notes destroyed and their work spaces ransacked. There are persistent rumors that the Guild has even killed mages who ignored their warnings not to pursue particular lines of arcane research further, although these are unconfirmed.

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Campaign Design - Nobility and Offices in the Freeholds

Nobility in the Freeholds

The Freeholds, like the Rhadynnic kingdoms of the Heulwen Sea, are ruled by aristocratic Houses consisting of extended families that trace their ancestry to a common origin. Each these Houses form an extended network that surround the rulers and vassals within the various Freeholds. In general, where a position within a Freehold is held by a member of one of these Houses and the holder dies (or needs to be replaced for other reasons), a successor is chosen from the members of the House. Traditionally, any member of the House was eligible to succeed to a title held by that House, with the new holder chosen by acclamation by electors from within the House, or by allied Houses, or, for subordinate Houses, selected by he head of their ruling House. Since the fall of the High Kings, many of these positions have become markedly hereditary, with sons, and sometimes daughters, succeeding their fathers, although for the most part the ancient forms are followed and the electors go through the process of casting votes, even though the conclusions are preordained.

King or Queen: At the top of the political order of each Freeholds is a king, or in some cases a ruling queen, elevated to the position and chosen by the earls of their realm serving as electors. By tradition, every king in the Freeholds is also an earl - a fact that allows them to participate in their own elections - and holds lands and power by virtue of that title as well as by virtue of holding royal power. Kings in the Freeholds do not have anything remotely close to absolute power, although they are technically the final arbiter and authority within their domains. The kings in the Freeholds, even those who have conquered their domains in the years since the fall of the High Kings of the Rhadynnic Sky Empire, are constrained by a body of inherited law and tradition that limits their powers and grants those living under their rule certain rights. These laws and traditions are, in practice, enforced by the earls of each Freehold, and to a lesser extent by the thanes and ceorls. A king who loses the confidence of his Earls can find himself replaced by another member of his House, or in extreme cases, by one of his own earls.

Earl: The earls of the Freeholds are collectively the most politically powerful men in the region. The earls in a Freehold together form a ruling council, creating a potential counterbalance to the power of the king. A king who is supported by his Earls is a powerful monarch. A monarch who finds themself at odds with their earls is a weak ruler, and may find him or herself out of a job. The title of earl is the one title that has been traditionally determined by heredity, with the powers of the position being handed down from father to son, or sometimes daughter. The question of who is next in the line of succession to an earldom is a matter that is accounted for by the Earl Marshal of each realm, a royal office that is obviously of utmost importance and is almost always occupied by one of the most powerful figures in a kingdom. Earls are generally powerful landowners, ruling over an earldom, sometimes called a march, aided by the members of his House and his chosen thanes and ceorls, and possessing the power to raise armies, make war, levy taxes, and mete low, middle, and high justice.

Thane: Landholding nobles and vassals of the earls who appoint them, thanes are responsible for most local administration, handling matters such as tax collection, enforcement of duties and customs, levying troops, and the right to administer low, and sometimes middle justice. Thanes are charged with hunting outlaws, carrying out the edicts of their king and their earl, and otherwise managing their domains in the name of their liege lord. A thane usually has a military obligation to his liege, typically a requirement to provide a certain number and specified type of troops or ships, often including a requirement to maintain a set number of ceorls as well. The title of thane is not hereditary, although it is traditionally held by particular Houses, with the ruling earl holding the right to determine which member of the House the title passes to, and the right to remove a thane under certain circumstances. In practice, the title is usually hereditary, and some thanes have argued that this common practice has made this form of succession a legal right.

Ceorl: The title of ceorl is decidedly not hereditary, being bestowed upon individuals by Kings or Earls, a bestowal of power and rank in exchange for military service. There are generally two types of cerols, the husceorl, a group that generally makes up the household and personal retinue of a noble lord, and the more common free ceorl. Both types of title are bestowed in much the same way: The prospective ceorl pays homage to his liege who then empowers the applicant with the privileges and authorities of a ceorl in exchange for certain duties, almost always spelled out in a covenant taking the form of a warrant or commission that is valid for the duration of the life of the liege or the life of the vassal (whichever ends first), or such time as the liege revokes the grant.

The husceorls are created by kings and earls to serve as their personal retainers, and form the core of their personal armies. Most husceorls are drawn from the House of the ruling noble, and many serve in important positions within his household. In many kingdoms and earldoms, the critical or particularly personal offices of state are held by husceorls. They form the personal guard of their liege, serve as trusted emissaries, agents, and messengers, and in times of war, take up arms as officers in their liege's armies.

Most free ceorls are "country" ceorls, having a grant of land to establish a manor upon and rule over as a petty lord, subject to being summoned to perform duties to their liege as commanded. A ceorl has some autonomy, usually being empowered to mete out low justice among other sundry powers and derives his income from his granted demense, typically in the form of income from their farms and the farms of those living on their lands, or for those granted suzerainty over a village, income from the customary fees paid by the villagers. This income allows a ceorl to maintain himself and some number of armed warriors ready for service to his liege, and allows the kings and earls of the Freeholds to call upon substantial military force should the need arise.

Offices in the Kingdoms of the Freeholds

Even though ultimate power is vested in the various nobles of the Freeholds, they do not administer their domains by themselves. No single person could handle the vast responsibilities of administering an entire kingdom or earldom, and few can handle running a thanate on their own. So the kings of the Freeholds have taken to delegating authority and power to office-holders as a means of political patronage, and many earls and thanes have followed suit. The kings and queens of the Freeholds will typically appoint officers in all of the positions given here, if for no other reason than it gives them a benefice that they could hand out to a loyal supporter or political ally. Earls typically follow suit, appointing officers to similar positions within their own retinues, although in the case of offices in earldoms the prefaces ""great", and "high" are not used. Some thanes appoint officers as well, but they usually use a significantly truncated roster.

Chancellor of the Exchequer: For most kings and earls, one of the most important officers among his servants is his chancellor of the exchequer, an officer responsible for collecting taxes and handling the treasury of the realm. The exchequer is also responsible for overseeing the minting of coins and licensing mints throughout his liege's realm. Almost every noble has an official designated as their exchequer to manage their finances, and as one might expect, it is a position that is only handed to the most loyal and trusted vassals. In many cases, the chancellor of the exchequer is the second most powerful man in a kingdom, as he controls the purse strings and all of the other officials are dependent upon him for their funds.

Chancellor of Justice: The chancellor of justice is the senior judicial official in a realm, responsible for the administration of justice throughout a ruler's holdings. Although a king or an earl possesses the power to dispense justice personally, most delegate the handling of most legal matters to their chancellor of justice. The chancellor of justice is also responsible for the supervision of any subordinate justices who might be appointed to handle lesser matters.

Earl-Marshal: The earl-marshal is a uniquely royal appointment, as this official's responsibility is to maintain the proper records of the members of the aristocratic Houses within the kingdom. This position is usually held by the most powerful earl in a realm that the king believes he can depend upon, because it is this person's responsibility to make sure that those who hold the titles they hold are actually entitled to hold them. As this involves certifying who the electors for a royal succession are as well as determining the order of succession for earldoms, this job is of great importance. Because the earl-marshal is so intimately involved in matters of succession, this official is also responsible for managing a deceased monarch's funeral. The earl-marshal is also responsible for sorting out disputes between earls in the event that the sovereign is unable to or declines to do so personally. Finally, the earl-marshal is generally regarded as the second or third most senior military official in a realm, falling behind on the high constable and the high admiral in authority.

Earl-Regent: The earl-regent is an office usually only granted in fairly limited circumstances when a king of one of the Freeholds assigns the responsibility of running and administering his earldom to another person, usually his heir apparent. This office is almost never appointed in other situations except in the rare case in which an earl has died or been removed and there is no valid adult successor to take his place.

Great Chamberlain: The chamberlain is a position that was originally responsible for managing the household staff of his liege and the provisioning of his residence, but like most of the offices of state, his responsibilities and authorities have expanded. The great chamberlain of a realm is generally now responsible for managing the officials of the entire realm and ensuring that they have the required equipment to fulfill their duties - often effectively serving as the leading quartermaster for the entire royal apparatus, including the king's armies. In some places, the chamberlain's status has risen even higher, and the position's responsibilities include coordinating other officers of state, becoming the single fulcrum around which administration of the realm revolves.

High Admiral: The high admiral is, as one would expect, the commander of the royal fleets. This title is sometimes rendered as "lord high admiral". Among the warring great houses of the Rhadynnic Sky Empire this title is usually bestowed upon the senior military commander in a ruler's forces, but in those Freeholds where it is used, this is usually the second ranking military commander in a realm, ranking behind the high constable and above the earl-marshal.

High Constable: The high constable is the senior military commander in a realm, charged with leading the royal armies in battle. This title is usually held by an individual who is closely related to the ruling sovereign - frequently his heir or brother, but sometimes a trusted uncle or cousin.

High Steward: The high steward is charged with the administration of a ruler's domains. The responsibilities of this position vary wildly, ranging from merely managing his liege's residence in some cases, to managing and maintaining all of the royal fortresses, to managing all of the royal holdings. Consequently, the importance of this office varies wildly as well. In some places, the office of high steward is regarded as being equal in prestige and responsibility to the chancellor of the exchequer or the earl-marshal, while in others it is seen as little more than a sinecure of little importance.

Keeper of the Seal: The keeper of the seal is an office with great responsibility and prestige, but little actual power. Every land ruling king or noble uses a seal to mark official documents, and the keeper of the seal is charged with holding and carrying this seal on behalf of their liege. Because many documents are not "official" unless they bear the imprint of the seal, safeguarding this object is of critically vital importance. The keeper of the seal has also become the oath-hearer, the officer that hears the taking of oaths on behalf of their liege, and who assigns penalties to oath-breakers.

Master of the Gates: The master of the gates is one of the oldest offices in existence. In the past, those holding this position would serve as champion, and fight on behalf of his liege when it came to matters of law or honor. Legends speak of entire wars being decided by a contest between masters of the gate serving opposed rulers. In a world in which legal or political disputes are only very rarely decided by the trial of arms, the position has evolved a sword bearer, a figure responsible for maintaining and safeguarding the king's sword and armor, carrying them when the king goes on campaign, and outfitting the king and fighting by his side when the sovereign goes into battle. This position is almost always held by a husceorl of the king's household, usually one of his most trusted men. This position is also appointed by most earls and even thanes, and in some cases, the master of the gate has substantial administrative responsibilities and authority as well.

Master of the Horse: The master of the horse was originally an officer charged with managing their liege's stables and horses. But, like the master of the gate, the responsibilities of the master of the horse have grown over time, and this official is usually charged with overseeing the rolls of the ceorls created by and beholden to his master. The master of the horse holds their commissions and is responsible for ensuring that they satisfy their duties and obligations as required. In times of war, it is the responsibility of the master of the horse to ensure that the ceorls are called out and organized for service.

Master of the Hunt: The master of the hunt is, quite naturally, responsible for managing his liege's hunting animals, such as dogs or falcons. But the master of the hunt also has a greater responsibility to manage the royal forests and hunting lands, employing a number of foresters to maintain these areas and the wildlife upon them. The master of the hunt has also become associated with the responsibility of providing scouts during war, and in some cases, spies as well.

President of the Council: The president of the council is the one office in a realm not usually determined by the king, but rather by the common choice of the earls within the kingdom. Every king in the Freeholds is elected and supported by a council of earls, and the holder of this title is the head of that council. The president of the council is selected, not by the king, but rather by the council of earls, who choose one of their number to lead their meetings.

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Campaign Design - Money in the Freeholds

Money in the Freeholds

The most common form of currency used in the Freeholds is Imperial coinage minted during the reign of the Ymerawdwrs of the Rhadynnic Sky Empire. The standard means of exchange in the region is the Imperial Shilling, a silver coin about the same size as a U.S. Quarter. In game terms the coin is roughly equivalent to a gold piece, and eighty of them weigh a pound. The shilling is frequently cut in half and traded as half-shillings as well.

For smaller transactions, people use the Imperial Penny, copper coins roughly the same size and shape as the shilling. Ten copper pennies are worth one shilling. These are also cut in half and traded as half pennies. Pennies are also frequently cut into eight pieces called "bits" which are used for very minor purchases.

On the other end of the scale is the Imperial Guilder, a heavy gold coin about the same size and shape as a U.S. Half-Dollar worth eighty shillings. Roughly forty guilders weigh a pound. As with shillings and pennies, the guilder is sometimes cut in half and traded as a half-guilder, and sometimes cut into eight pieces which are called "cobs" or "pieces of eight".

Currency from the northern kingdoms is commonly used in the Freeholds as well. Elizon, Langjord, Midtenjord, and Kysthjem use the Scætter, a small silver coin about the size of a U.S. Cent that is worth just slightly less than half an Imperial shilling. About a hundred and eighty of them weigh a pound. These are sometimes cut in half and traded as half-scætters, but they are not generally cut smaller than that.

Also used in the northern kingdoms is the Mark, a gold coin about the same size as the scætter, and worth about thirty-six shillings. This is frequently cut in half and traded as a half-mark, which is traditionally reckoned as the price of a longsword in those regions. The mark is not usually cut into smaller pieces.

As practices such as shaving, clipping, dusting, or simply counterfeiting coins are an unfortunately all too common practices in the Freeholds and surrounding areas, most merchants will keep a set of scales on hand and weigh coins brought in by someone they don't know, or brought in by someone who wants to make a trade involving a large number of coins, or merely because they suspect that the coins might have been tampered with.

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Organizations - Urdd Crefft

Urdd Crefft

After the fall of House Llud and the ensuing chaos that swept through the Freeholds, the wars of succession, the foreign invasions, and the rise of banditry in the countryside and piracy in the Heulwen and Galation Seas, many merchants in the towns and cities of the Freeholds where trading is common formed a loose knit organization. The goals of the organization are to combat problems with pirates and raiders as well as to facilitate trade by forcing local rulers to lower or eliminate tolls, duties and tariffs. This organization is named the Urdd Crefft. The Crefft, as they are commonly called, do many things: From placing bounties on particularly troublesome pirates, to handling currency exchanges, to negotiating with local rulers for tariff breaks and tax relief for members. The Crefft can also locate buyers or sellers for particular goods on behalf of a member and honor money notes for large sums of cash that members can transport across long distances without worrying about carrying large, heavy valuables.

Most importantly, the Urdd Crefft are a counterbalance to the power and authority of the nobility, giving voice and weight to the concerns of the mercantile classes. Because the members of the Crefft control so much trade, any ruler who ignores them does so at his own peril. Even more critically, because the Crefft includes so many bankers, and engages in some banking as an organization, a nobleman who turned a deaf ear to the organization's concerns is likely to find it exceedingly difficult to secure funds in the event that he needed them. And because every noble is always starved for cash, this is a substantial concern.

Members of the Urdd Crefft usually wear identifying gold brooches in the shape of a miniature ship. Becoming a member appears to require sponsorship by another member, plus an initiation fee and an audit The Crefft's endeavors are funded by its members who give ten percent of their profits to the organization, paying their shares at designated clearinghouses located in most trading centers. Urdd Crefft members in good standing generally get a variety of tax, toll, and excise breaks as a result of the agreements and concessions negotiated by the organization. Members also obtain access to a wide array of contacts through the organization as well as the benefit of a variety of commercial services and the ability to suggest (and promote) commissions and projects using Crefft funds.

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Campaign Design - Nations: Cadfor

Cadfor

Largest City: Celliwig

This land has been free less long than any other in the Freeholds, most of which was previously having been under the dominion of a tyrant known only as the Crimson Duke. The Crimson Duke rose to power in the chaos following the collapse of the Rhadynnic Sky Empire, and under his iron rule the inhabitants of the land groaned. He was a known devotee of Ishi, the Oathbreaking Ruby Sorcerer. The Crimson Duke was a vicious, cruel ruler, who enforced harsh laws and condemned those who opposed him to slavery, torture, and death.

That all changed three decades ago, when Girion Lámh Casúr, an adventurer from across the sea and long time servant of the High Council rallied his followers and went to war against the Crimson Duke and his armies. After more than a decade of war, Girion drove out the Crimson Duke and asserted his power over the land, assuming control over the the Duke's former capital city of Celliwig and expanding his dominions to much of the territory between the Tinnsaker River and the Crespor Mountains. The war came to a climatic end after the decisive Battle of Bythwrdd Meadows in 533 IR, and in the following year Girion's forces laid siege to and destroyed the Crimson Duke's fortress of Caer Colur, imprisoning the Duke's demonic mistress inside its walls.

Dominated by the virtually barren Hills of Brann-Galedd to the north and west and the hostile Crespor Mountains to the north and east, this land had long been eschewed by the rulers of the more established kingdoms. In more recent years, Girion has expanded upon his hard fought gains, pushing his reach deep into the Don River valley all the way to the Glasddu Pass, and extending his dominion deep into the Hills of Brann-Galedd.

The most important contributor to Cadfor's economy is the northern trade route that runs through Celliwig and then down the Tinnsaker River, bringing goods across the Hills of Brann-Galedd from east to west and then sending commodities back again. Although this northern route is longer and more dangerous than the southern trading route, in recent years it has gained greater favor among those merchants who desire to avoid dealing with the increasingly authoritarian Queen Mæva of Ersav. Otherwise, Cadfor relies upon shepherding, pig farming, and a moderate amount of barley farming for much of its income, supplemented by a single rich silver mine that has only recently been discovered near Celliwig in the foothills of the Crespor Mountains.

This kingdom sits astride the linguistic split between Sorglish and Jedlic, with many of the inhabitants being fluent in both languages. This split has caused some friction, but since King Girion has taken power this has been minimized. Due to the polyglot nature of this land, coupled with the fact that it has only been recently organized, troops from this area use a wide variety of weapons and no particular method of warfare is associated with the military of Cadfor. Battles are frequent in this land, as humanoids, giants, and other dangers are all to common in the Crespor Mountains. The White Hand, which dominates the nearby land of Loring is a perpetual threat, and the fact that the Crimson Duke was never captured or killed is a source of constant worry.

Cadfor is also home to the sage Dallen, who resides in Cær Dallen deep in the Don River valley, and who has provided Girion and other members of the Council with invaluable advice over the years. The Order of the Shield, the Order of the Gauntlet, and the Warders of the Council all maintain a strong presence in Cadfor, which Girion seems to regard as a mixed blessing: He is grateful for their assistance, but the presence of so many powerful organizations that do not answer to him is chafing.

King Girion is closely allied with King Œngus Lairdsonne of the neighboring kingdom of Melin, and Girion's only living son Padraig was betrothed to Œngus' daughter Iarfhlaith, a union that would have united the two kingdoms in a mutually beneficial alliance. Unfortunately, Padraig vanished while campaigning in the Lloftmelin Mountains in 467 IR, and he is presumed dead.

Ruler: Girion Lámh Casúr of the House Lámh Casúr

Girion is a native of Cadfor who became an outlaw in that nation after a brief apprenticeship as a blacksmith. Forced to flee his homeland by the forces of the Crimson Duke, he enlisted on the side of the High Council early in his life, and after an extensive career as a privateer and sellsword, he returned and eventually carved a kingdom out of the inhospitable terrain. Bringing with him several companions, Girion focused his considerable will on taming the area, and in less than ten years had ascended to the High Council.

Girion is now a middle aged man in his early sixties who remains a formidable warrior. He is a popular and charismatic leader and regarded as an excellent warrior. As one would expect, Girion is a vocal proponent of taking the fight into the Hills of Brann-Galedd and the Crespor Mountains even suggesting punitive expeditions into the wild regions of Elizon and Loring, and has vigorously campaigned in Council meetings for an aggressive policy towards the northerners, putting him somewhat at odds with King Seluc of Nuþralia, but aligning his interests almost completely with King Œngus of Melin.

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Campaign Design - Nations: Pen-Loring

Pen-Loring

Largest City: Cær Her

This small nation on the southern flank of Loring has only recently become part of the Freeholds. During the reign of the High Kings, Pen-Loring was, as the name implies, a dependency of Loring, a region that owed allegiance to House Llud. After the sinking of Dáiríne and the fall of the High Kings, Loring went into a slow but catastrophic decline that ended with the realm in anarchy. As its northern neighbor descended into chaos, so did Pen-Loring, and within living memory it was a desolate land inhabited only by pirates, brigands, humanoids, and other more nefarious denizens.

The fact that Pen-Loring is currently inhabited at all is a testament to the will and fortitude of the warrior Beowalt. For the first thirty-seven years of his life Beowalt won fame and respect as the foremost warrior in the service of the nations of the Freeholds. About sixty years ago Beowalt brought his followers to this cold, rocky land and set about conquering and establishing himself as the kingdom's ruler. He built a fortress named Cær Her and began waging a twenty year war against the bandits, orcs, goblins, and giants that inhabited much of the countryside. His warriors, tested by many previous battles smashed the disorganized tribes of evil creatures and pushed them back into Loring and deep into the Œfel Forest. When the High Council was formed, Beowalt was given a seat despite Pen-Loring not technically being part of the Freeholds, as the kings of the region desired his counsel in their deliberations.

It was after ten years of peace that the White Hand unified the disorganized bands of humanoids in the Loring and struck back, pushing Beowalt's forces out of Loring itself and back behind the protective shelter of the Steinig Mountains. After enduring many years of war against the Polþians and facing hostile bands of brigands, giants, and humanoids on their own borders, the kings of the High Council were unwilling to offer more than token assistance to the new inhabitants of Pen-Loring. Despite his requests, the High Council turned its back upon its most renowned hero, seeking to enjoy the fruits of peace after long years of war. Denied assistance from the other Council nations, Beowalt’s followers struggled simply to survive against the now organized threat to their lives. Soon, the beleaguered inhabitants were pushed to the coast lands, barely able to hold back the tide of evil that washed across the nation. It was only the heroics of Beowulf and his loyal warriors that quelled the uprising and blunted the threat of the White Hand.

Now the land is at relative peace. Although much of the land remains hostile, the coastal areas and farmlands are protected by the fierce warriors who follow Beowalt’s banner of the Golden Dragon. The citizens of Pen-Loring have turned to the sea for their sustenance, and fishing and whaling are among the most common professions among the inhabitants of this inhospitable nation.

Ruler: Beorwalt Hewardsonne of House Gelban

At one point in time Beowalt was regarded as the mightiest warrior in all the Freeholds. His strength and skill made him unmatchable on the battlefield, and his exploits are said to have been instrumental in the victories scored by the High Council during its early years. Among his other accomplishments, Beowalt was instrumental in founding the Warknights of the Council.

King Beowalt is now almost one hundred years old, having spent virtually all of his life fighting to expand the lands ruled by the High Council. Although his legendary strength has waned, he is still a capable warrior, and age has given him wisdom and insight and he has become the voice of experience within the Council chambers. He has outlived three wives, and has nine living children.

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Campaign Design - Nations: Medwyr

Medwyr

Largest City: Peniarþ

Located in the valleys to the south of the Steinig Mountains, Medwyr is a prosperous and relatively peaceful land. Except for the occasional incursion from nefarious inhabitants of the eastern arm of the Nimlau Mountains there is really no threat that directly borders upon this land. Since Loring has come under the sway of the White Hand, Medwyr has become an important trade route for products from Steinigreich, although the route from Tiefburg to Peniarþ is long, difficult, and treacherous.

This land is best known for the volume and quality of its finished products and the sharpness of its merchants. With large numbers of shepherds in its highlands, Medwyr produces copious amounts of wool. Textiles, woodwork, and other manufactured products are the most prized items from this land. Because it has a long, rocky coast and no navigable rivers, Medwyr has no substantial trading ports, but does have a moderately large fishing fleet.

Warriors from this kingdom favor the battle axe and throwing axe as weapons of choice, possibly due to the influence of the many Steinig dwarves who pass through the nation on trading caravans, and the longsword is a commonly used weapon as well. Maþ’s academy of wizardry is also located in Medwyr, near its northeastern border in the town of Calleva.

Ruler: Adalbeort Leifsonne of House Rodblad

Adalbeort is in his early thirties, but unlike many of his fellow Council members he is somewhat bookish and has little interest in war and power. He is more of an administrator than a warrior and has made his kingdom more prosperous over the last few years through his wise management of the modest amount of trade that passes through his lands. Although he is not much of a soldier or battle leader, Adalbeort is generally respected due to his decent administration of his kingdom, although it is unlikely that he would ever be regarded by other members of the Council as any kind of leader.

Adelbeort, however, is said to have something of an inflated opinion of his own abilities, and it is rumored that he has aspirations of political leadership. It has been noted that Adelbeort has expressed a distaste for the attitudes of the other lords of the Freeholds whom he terms “warmongers” and clearly believes that he would be better suited to leading the Council than any of them.

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Campaign Design - Nations: Eidling

Eidling

Largest City: Arras.

With no particular trade routes crossing through it, Ersav has a decidedly provincial reputation, with jokes about dim-witted Eidlingers being popular throughout the rest of the Freeholds. In truth, Ersav is often plagued by trolls, hill giants, and ogres from the Nimlau Mountains, and many of its inhabitants are experienced giant fighters. Ersav is ruled by House Hæl, a house of limited note save for the prevalence of giant-slayers among its ranks, including the legendary King Olvin Howelsonne who is credited with turning a massive two-headed giant into what is now Mount Pire.

Eidling is farm country, a fact that serves only to reinforce its reputation as a land of country bumpkins. However, this fact means that when the harvest is good, the kingdom is prosperous, as her farmers are able to export all of their surplus grain, whiskey, and vegetables down the Gjol River through Dunnum to the ever hungry port of Enselm. The open fields of the south and west of the kingdom are excellent country for raising cattle and horses, and the Warknights of the Council often come to Eidling to purchase mounts for their members.

Unfortunately, the ruling House Hæl has seen its coffers and military power wane in the last few years due to the neglect and mismanagement of its young ruler. Queen Astryd has shown little interest in military affairs and has neglected them, resulting in a substantial degradation in their morale and effectiveness. As a result the famed cavalry of Eidling has degraded into a poorly equipped force with low morale and limited effectiveness, a development that especially worries Astryd's neighbor Smoit, who fears that he will have to spread his already stretched forces even thinner to shore up his erstwhile ally.

Duin Deva, located at the foot of Mount Pire, is the location of the Fochluchan College of Bardic Study, and one of the most important bases of operations for the Warders of the Council, which serves to offer the kingdom some measure of protection even though its own military forces are in disarray.

Ruler: Astryd Eatunsdottor of House Hæl

This kingdom has been traditionally ruled by the members of House Hæl and is currently governed by Queen Astryd Eatunsdottor of that line. Despite the military fame of House Hæl, Astryd has allowed her military forces to decline through neglect. As the only real threats facing the kingdom are the nefarious denizens of the Nimlau Mountains who are mostly held in check by the power of her neighbor King Smoit and the Warders of the Council, Ersav's military decline has not had any substantial consequences as of yet, but should the bands of humanoids and giants on her borders ever organize under one banner, Astryd may find herself unable to effectively deal with the invasion.

Before his disappearance, Astryd was betrothed to Prince Trystan of Ceniþ, a pairing that her father Eatun and her intended father-in-law Smoit saw as a means of unifying their two kingdoms, ostensibly to provide a counterweight to Queen Maeva's growing political influence. Others in the Freeholds believed this to be the first step in a long term plan to weld the Freeholds under the banner of a single king, but whatever the intent was, it was derailed when Prince Trystan went missing four years ago. Since the disappearance of her fiance, Astryd has shown little interest in other suitors, although it is unclear whether this is out of devotion to her lost love or simply due to the inattention of a somewhat flighty young woman.

Astryd, in the meantime, relies upon a collection of advisers to administer her kingdom while she indulges her whims. It is the general opinion of many individuals throughout Eidling that Astryd has been poorly served by her chosen advisers, who are said to have given concessions and monopolies to their friends and pocketed much money that should be going to her coffers. Astryd is convinced of the value of these men, however, and those who speak against them do so at their own peril.

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