Giyhonan Chronicles

The Falcon's Hood

2011-05-02T19:36:00.000+01:00

This is the account of the travels and travails of the Alcurans Sharun hem Waltor, Seda hem Waltor, Gianbhar, Dratapn Alcura and Drinos as recorded at a later date by the acolyte Cermano at the Temple of Biladon in Alcus.

The Nameless Danavan

We were dispatched to the city of Hadaril to investigate a mysterious Danavan living in an inn without any apparent contact with his race. The Baron wished to ensure compliance with Treaty obligations and make sure that the demon in question was not a member of the exiled Sol Ka clan.

The Danavan in question was very mysterious. It claimed not to be able to remember its name. This made us suspicious and led us to question it most closely about its provenance. Its story was outlandish even by its own inhuman standards. It claimed to have been a standard bearer for the Gol Tar clan during the wars against the humans, and boasted of murdering and raping many humans. It said it had been a kind of squire during the wars, and that it was of no particular significance.

In recent years it had travelled to Darazi after the fashion of its race. This was evident to us anyway, for it had no colouration in its hair or eyes.

It said that it found the ruined city which had been the centre of demon civilisation in Darazi. The city had been ruined in the wars between demons (especially between the free Danavans and those whom the Harlequins had enslaved) and now had a great fissure at its heart. It claims an ancient black dragon still lives in the ruins of the city.

It told us about some of the lost demon races which had fought in that war. Most interesting was the Atonolie, a race which had the power to draw the life force out of creatures close to it. This power of the Atonolie was so great that (the Danavan believed) any humans present during the war would have been killed – implying that humans arrived in this world only after the end of the war between the demons.

While in the vicinity of the ruined city, the Danavan twice encountered a group of Danavans under the thrall of a Harlequin. This party attacked it and left it so badly injured that it did not expect to survive its wounds, but it recovered of its injuries in a manner which it could not explain.

It escaped Darazi and returned to Moldaeron but was bored there and eventually left, intolerant of the company of its own kind.

It shared with us some of its people's myths, including about the Great Players, which it said were great from the beginning and whose roles represented the great acts of their race, the things that needed to be done.

It denied any knowledge of Shalebrol being a Danavan and said that it believed our Gods did not exist at all. However, if Shalebrol had been a “dragon” as some stories suggest, then it would probably have been a Great Player.

While discussing these and other matters with us, the demon demonstrated the ability to read our minds. This manifested itself when we pursued certain lines of inquiry for lengthy periods, and it then started to volunteer information which it could not have known, and of which we had not spoken, but which were close to the surface of our thoughts. This frightening ability put us in great fear and we desired to terminate the conversation. It said our thoughts are “leaky” and easy to read.

However, the demon made us an interesting offer which we could not rightly refuse. It asked us about Aroks and where one might be found. We told it the little we could remember. It suggested that it would bring down the Arok which we believe to be close to the throne of Fontarbria. In return, we committed to considering an expedition to destroy a Harlequin (though not any particular Harlequin) should the Danavan succeed against the Arok. It said that Harlequins could not enslave humans, implying that humans might have a better chance of killing one.

We were as convinced as we could be that it was not a Sol Ka and thus had no further business detaining it. We accepted its outlandish offer and it went on its way to kill or capture an Arok.

To Vinaria

We went to Vinaria to see what we could learn from the Magus Sharun about Harlequins.

He wasn't there. His house was being cleaned out by some gentlemen who said he had moved to the far depths of Shanaras, far, far away. We made further inquiries and were eventually contacted by a young man claiming to be Sharun's student, one Bertan. He said that the strange men at the house had actually murdered Sharun and were stealing his property.

It was not clear to us whether Sharun was really dead. The student Bertan had seen lots of blood in the house, though it wasn't clear that he actually saw a body.

With little evidence, we were somewhat constrained in what we could do about Bertan's accusation. Things came to a head when some removal men were carting away Sharun’s property. We reported them to the local authorities, who commenced an investigation, delaying the men’s departure. Our story was given some credence by the murder of the young student, but he had fallen out with people over money and there was no firm evidence as to who had killed him. The authorities eventually let the men on their way. They travelled upriver on a barge, allegedly for Barasiumar

We kept watch on Sharun’s deserted house, hoping that someone from his order might arrive - the young student having told us that he had written to another member of the Order after Sharun’s death.

Someone did arrive, though not (he said) in response to the letter. He was a well-heeled looking Histran who claimed to be a messenger from the Order come to warn Sharun that the Artuli (Tokan Liod's order) were about to make some hostile move against Sharun’s order. The messenger's name is Pertan Acetana from Tomara.

Sharun hem Waltor (our Sharun) pursued the alleged murderers’ barge north. He learned that the barge was a ruse. The cargo had been transferred to a seagoing vessel, the Blue Gryphon, at a town up the river. We set our Sharun’s uncle to keep an eye on the Blue Gryphon's return and chat to a sailor on her to find out where she had been.

We learned that the Artuli Adrieste had left Vinaria about three years ago after having lived there for as long as anyone could remember. She left in an orderly fashion.

We considered the fact that Sharun (the mage) had started organising his departure over a year ago, whereas his visitors (and alleged assassins) arrived only a month or two ago. This raised the possibility that his departure was being kept secret by him from his apprentice (and thus his Order).

Xenor, Sharun’s body man, was nowhere to be found despite Pertan's searches.

The dead apprentice Bertan received a reply to the letter he had sent to the Order member resident in Kalmar. We opened it. It was sealed not with a personal seal but with the seal of the Order (of which Gianbhar took a copy). Their letter summoned Bertan to meet the Order in the Kalmarese city of Talistar. (The Order of Iarnos was formed to protect and defend the former kingdom of Histra. It seems they had broadened their mandate).

To Talistar

We decided to travel to Talistar.

On the way we heard rumours of war with Fontarbria. We also hear rumours that one of the Free Cities had fallen to forces not specified to us.

We met three members of the Order of Iarnos in the royal palace in Talistar. The king was not in residence. We were told that two other members were definitely dead, with the possible addition of Sharun, and the last two members were on a mission to the east.

One mage, a well-dressed Kalmarese called Laracer, told us that their colleague Waltor hem Tanath (our Sharun and Seda's father) was not dead. He had returned about 16 years ago with a party of followers. He had said that he had returned the Tonrar sword to its hiding place, but wanted to further study its provenance. He said that he planned to go to Dyria and Harmoria so to do. Laracer believed he may possibly be in Dyrasc or Ioltanar (in Harmoria).

Laracer told us that all Artuli have a talon as well as a dragon – though most have only one. A talon, Seedara, was seen in the vicinity of the assassination of one of the two dead order members (the one in Tomara).

He also said that the Order had a run-in with another Harlequin about 70 years ago. Members were in Kalmar hunting Shanir for experiments. A Harlequin arrived and took command of the Shanir, resulting in a huge battle. The Harlequin died and so did a member of the order. Harlequins seem to be of a different nature to Danavans or Shanir – they have no viscera and are made of obsidian-type material. They are faster than humans (though slower than Danavans) and stronger than humans (though weaker than Shanir). It takes a fair pounding to kill them – though lots of fireballs worked in that case.

To the Fontarbrian Marches

Town was abuzz with rumour that the King of Fontarbria had invited King of Kalmar to a parley at the border. We trailed the royal party to snoop on the parley. The day before it was due to begin, the Fontarbrians cancelled. Their King had been subject to an attempted assassination by a Danavan. The Danavan had been captured and was being put to the question.

We remained at a border town for several days, making inquiries about what was happening across the border. It appeared that the King of Fontarbria was safe and now protected by the Order of Irchilan, which is the militant order of demon-killers (whose name is based on the Fontarbrian word for Shanir).

The Fontrabrians had formed a belief that the Danavan was from Moldaeron, not Cathnaeron. Fontarbrian spies (part of a court-run network) were believed to be active in Kalmar, Histra and Ankheras learning more.

To the wild north of Kalmar

We returned to Talistar to learn more from the Order of Iarnos. We met a servant, Melrano who said that they had left for a mountain hold seven days north of the city to perform certain divinations. We were invited to join them there. We travelled north.

We arrived at the tower, located in a remote place, to find that it had been attacked by demons. The charred carcasses of two Aordi were amongst the eviscerated remains of most of the men-at-arms, servants and mages who we had expected to find there. The mage Laracer was amongst the dead, his arms and eyes burnt black. Another mage, Kassoda, was also dead. The third, Virtan, was nowhere to be found and one or two other men may also have been missing.

The place had not been robbed of food or weapons, but there were none of the books or arcana that one would expect to find around mages.

We buried the dead and left that place.

A half-day's march out, we came across a Shanir. It was seven feet tall, with coppery, scaly skin, big sharp teeth and a horny head. It wielded a huge stone axe, very ornately engraved. It wore stones bound in leather thongs around his arms and legs and a loincloth but was otherwise naked.

It was butchering the corpse of a dead man. We examined the man's remains after the Shanir was finished, though there was little of it left (to the extent that Melrano could not say whether or not the corpse was that of his former master Virtan). We took some shoes and some embroidered cloth in the hope that we might use them to identify the dead man.

Against all sense of logic, a further day's travel brought us back to the tower which we had left previously. There, roasting food on a spit, we met a man called Kirbur. He was a Histran-speaking Tibulani of about sixty who claimed that he had formerly been a priest of Vilcanat.

He said that he and we had been brought to this place by a powerful miracle of Vilcanat, suggesting that some great vengeance might have fallen due to be exacted. He said that if that was so, he would be the bridge for the miracle; we would be (or take the place of) the wronged parties; and the guilty party would arrive during the night. He asked us who we thought the guilty party might be, and Sharun and Seda suggested their father Waltor.

The Return of Waltor hem Tanath

In time, Waltor arrived, alone but for his familiar, a snow leopard.

He and we spoke for a while about the great matters of the day. He said that the Cathnaeron have frequent wars against Harmoria, Fontarbria and other places far from our ken. The most recent was 60 years ago, when the demons extinguished a Harmorian barony.

He said that Shaliok is the Free City which has fallen to a big new cross-confederation of tribes. Alfiok was suspected of complicity. He himself is based in Dyrasc but had not yet heard how great the devastation had been. He doubted that any grown men had been left alive.

He said that the Fontarbrians have started openly worshipping the Seventh – or at least the King and his Court have, which would soon mean that all would follow. In a generation or two, the Gods would be eliminated. He believed the Fontarbrians to be poised to launch a crusade for the Seventh against the Gods, which would be cloaked in terms of restoring the Fontarbrian Empire.

In time, Sharun and Seda made clear their identities as Waltor's children. There were harsh words and accusations between the three. Waltor said that he had stayed away from Alcus after returning the Tonrar sword because he did not wish to have hostile forces trail him back there. He said that these hostile parties (not clearly specified) had killed his wife and most of the travelling party; only he, Grond and Sevarax had survived.

He said that the Aordi who had attacked Alcus and later him had been in the service of a Harlequin which had established itself Highlands of Ilknakor with two Aordi.

He said that the reason for him being in Kalmar was because he thought that the legendary Taran Kun may be in Kalmar rather than Tibulanus. Although the myths about Taran Kun are Tibulani, and they speak of him leaving Bar Askenji (??) in search of a dragon, those myths do not specify where Taran Kun finished his quest. The mountains of Kalmar are similar to those of Tibulanus. Waltor hoped to find Taran Kun's sword, although it might not be precisely magical.

He told us bizarre and blasphemous theological stories. He said that Darazi Danavans are pure-blood but that the Danavans of Moeldaeron and Cathnaeron are somewhat cross-bred. They are the offspring of humans and Danavans. He claimed humans were created by Danavans with two particular attributes – to be resistant to Harlequins and to be able to breed with Danavans. The ultimate aim was to reduce Harlequin influence in the Danavan breeding stock.

He said Danavans had created the Gods to govern humans. He said the origins of the Seventh are unknown.

The discussion with Waltor dragged on inconclusively for a time. Though Seda once attempted violence, Waltor forbore retaliation and there did not seem to be occasion for the kind of bloody vengeance for which the miracle of Vilcanat had prepared us. The discussion petered out and Waltor and his leopard went on his way.

We questioned Kirbur on what he had heard. He seemed unperturbed by the suggestion that Danavans may have created the human gods. He gestured to his knife, which was of Danavan manufacture but serves him well enough to kill Danavans with. The allusion to our gods was clear enough. Sharun would later speculate that when Kirbur had said that he used to be a priest of Vilcanat, he might have been hinting that he had achieved a much higher status within the cult of Vilcanat. Major miracles are normally the province of saints. Perhaps Waltor's revelations were not unthinkable to those to whom the mysteries have already been revealed?

To Alcus

We commenced the long journey home, believing we had serious news to impart. Melrano was left in Talistar with little to console him. We rode the long leagues of Kalmar and Matora alert for Fontarbrian spies, but did not engage with those Fontarbrians we encountered. In Vinaria, we enquired of the Blue Gryphon, but heard nothing.

On returning to Alcus, we imparted our news to the Baron of the apparent capture of the nameless Danavan. After consideration, it appeared that the only prudent course was to inform the Danavan ambassador. Sharun attended to the ambassador (Ci Lar Shøl Dræv) and explained how the nameless Danavan had come to depart on a mission to investigate the human King of Fontarbria and how it appeared the Danavan had been captured.

There were surprisingly few recriminations.

The Ambassador was concerned with two matters. The first was the rise of the Seventh; the second was how the nameless Danavan might be rescued.

It appears that the Seventh is a long-standing enemy of the Danavans. At some point in history, long before our ken, the Seventh had risen in power amongst humans. The Danavans responded with a war of enormous severity, even by their inhumanly merciless standards. The power of the Seventh was eradicated at the cost of untold suffering. Discussions with the Ambassador were on the contours of how a similar war might need to be fought again, with the implication that Histra would fight alongside the Danavans. This war might be of a different nature to that in the past, when the followers of the Seventh were less clearly defined. Now, those followers are clearly identified with the temporal power in Fontarbria. Sharun suggested that the ability of the priests of Biladon to identify Aroks of the Seventh might also permit a more focused assault that that which occurred in the bygone era, which seemed closer to a wholesale slaughter of humans by demons.

In relation to the rescue of the nameless Danavan, the Ambassador pressed us as to where it might be held captive. We suggested that the most fruitful place to search would be the Fontarbrian capital, Tobara. We decided that a combined party of Alcurans and Danavans would travel there by the quickest route possible. This, it transpired would not be the landward route, nor the seaward route to the East. Instead we would travel by Danavan bark westward to the coast of Fontarbria, and overland thereafter.

To Fontarbria

The mission was arranged with surprising haste. We boarded a simple Danavan vessel soon after. It was crewed by four Danavans and a further seven demons were expressed to be the Danavan part of the rescue team. One member of that team, one Te En Gon Al (a young Danavan with colouration of cobalt blue) spoke Histran and interacted with us. There were two Shøl Dræv and four others whose clans we did not recognise.

The journey was wondrous fast. After only 13 days travel, we set eyes on the Eastern realms of Timoria, a mountainous land covered in jungles. We turned south and back to open sea.

After a few more days, we saw more land. This was rough territory of uplands, pine forest and heath. We were told we were in the territory of the Alkori, who once worshipped Danavans. The northern Alkori were the people who fled to Tibulanus after they had been displaced by the Kranthori invasion.

After several further days, we saw Tibulani-style longships, which we took to be Alkori. They kept their distance. Days later, we passed the Alkori islands, and then returned to open sea. After another week, we made landfall in Fontarbria.

The Danavan team of seven – all with the same style sword, bows, armour, led by a big revenant who seemed to be their war leader – debarked, as did we. Leaving the vessel, we made for Tobara.

Travelling under cover of night with the Danavan war party as guides, we reached Tobara with surprisingly little incident. The capital is a large city on a lake. The two places which most interested us were the citadel within the city and a royal palace on an island which is connected to the city by a bridge. These were the places most likely to hold a prisoner such as the nameless Danavan. We also wished to learn the extent to which worship of the seventh had spread beyond the Court. We decided that the Alcurans would infiltrate the city and spend a day scouting; the Danavans would infiltrate the following night with a view to making an attempt on the most likely prison.

The scouting mission disclosed a well-ordered city not in any apparent state of terror of the Seventh. We entered a shrine of Biladon and questioned a priest there with a view to establishing whether there is any resistance to the Seventh. There is not. It appears that the major cults have come under the sway of the subversive religion. Sometime previously, royal decrees had begun to issue, the tone of which indicated that the Seventh would be regarded as superior to the six major gods and would coordinate the efforts of those gods. The implication was one of reproach – that the established gods and their cults had failed to pursue their proper work, which is the annihilation of demons. Fontarbria was adopting a posture better suited to fighting demons, with a particular focus on Cathnaeron.

The tenor of the young priest's account gave us the impression that he was in agreement with the royal policy. By extension, this was a hint that there is not necessarily any great opposition to the agenda of the Seventh amongst the cults it has subjected. The priest himself indicated that his place would, in due course, be at the front, and he did not evince displeasure at the prospect.

The priest also indicated that the captured Danavan had been paraded through the city some months ago to the citadel.

We scouted the citadel and identified an appropriate place for infiltration.

That night, six of the seven Danavans entered the city. We brought them to the Citadel and, as a group, infiltrated it. The sorcerer was of great assistance in diverting the guards.

Our interest was piqued by a new building which had the impression of being a temple. We entered and investigated, searching both for signs of a prison and information about the cult of the Seventh. There was not much information about either. The prisoner was not detained in or under the temple, and the temple was devoid of statuary or other cult objects. The most distinctive element was a geometric pattern on the floor. (This was laid out as five squares by five squares inlaid in a larger circular depression with a recessed star pattern becoming deeper on opposite corners of the square.)

We were interrupted by two men who entered the temple from an internal door which linked the temple to the keep of the Citadel. We apprehended the men and put them to the question. One was a noble, one Count Karniad, and the other Kestute, a courtier. While we were questioning them a third man, also a noble, followed the first two. We learned from the three that the Danavan prisoner was being held under the keep. We used one to lead us through the internal door and into the keep where, after some engagements, we located the prisoner and released it.

For a prisoner which had been held for months by its enemies, the Danavan was in remarkably good condition. It laughed at the surprise which its former captors had endured at their failure to break him. He quickly confirmed that the Royal Court is deeply under the sway of the Aroks. The primary Arok is a courtier called Algirte, but the King of Fontarbria himself is also an Arok.

We asked how he had been captured by the humans and he said “They shot me full of arrows”, which was not really an answer to the question.

The citadel itself was by now roused by our incursion, and we egressed under arms and with the aid of Danavan sorcery. Our three prisoners were killed while trying to escape and raise the alarm. The nameless Danavan later told us that the third man we had captured, named Samotir, had been the leader of the loyal opposition in Fontarbria, the main faction set against the growth in power of the Seventh.

The city being roused, we left it quickly.

Outside the city, we conferred about the best route to safety. The Danavan party did not seem entirely at ease in the company of the prisoner they had travelled so far to liberate.

It was decided that the Danavan party of seven would return to their vessel in a manner likely to draw attention to themselves. Under this cover, we and the nameless Danavan would proceed in the opposite direction to Cathnaeron.

To Cathnaeron

On our travels, we asked the Danavan its views on the provenance of the Seventh. It reflected on the fact that the Danavan rescue party which had accompanied us had seven members, of which six entered the city and the seventh remained outside to ensure the success of the mission. It said this was typical of the approach of Danavans to such situations. Having regard to Waltor's story of the creation of the six human gods by the Danavans, the implication of this reflection was clear.

After hard leagues of travel, we passed through the heavily fortified Cathnaeron marches and reached the forests at the boundary of that demon nation. Accosted by frontier guards, the nameless Danavan engaged them in conversation. In a tone that we might have mistaken, but sounded like one of introduction, we heard him say:

“Ca Lai Brø Ol”

The Tyrant's Heart

2009-07-29T22:30:00.007+01:00

Some months after our return from Sinarqa, Waltor, Tylora and I went three separate ways in order to pursue the various agendas of which I have written.

Waltor' s missions with mages

Waltor traveled to Bar Likan in Tibulanus with an etching of the Sinarqan stone. He hoped to gain certain insights in the process, but unfortunately Tokan Liod and his Talons were not present. It seemed that some pockets of resistance remained in northern Tibulanus which Tokan had not yet annihilated and he was eager to finish the job.

Tokan's man Skutan met Waltor and effected the exchange of quatrains. The two received by Waltor were as follow:

Quatrain 1
Reported to have been in the Imperial Palace in Kartaga

Across the Narrow Sea
With Earthen Shell in thrall
The Seventh ascends in
Fearful cataclysm

Quatrain 9
Located in the Chapel of Qor Rolanre in Fontarbria

Key to forgotten dead
Among skull and carcass
Near cities never free
Powerful Well of Souls

The first quatrain is truly terrifying, given that our continent is across the sea from Kartaga.

On his return to Matora, Waltor discussed various matters with his master Sharun, who indicated pleasure with Waltor's progress. Sharun told Waltor what his master piece was to be. Waltor's task is to travel to Apertus; recover the sword of Taran Kun which the legendary King of Shanaras used to slay the Dragon; and learn its secrets. This project was understood to be one which would take some years to complete. We later discussed the matter between ourselves, and I undertook to try persuading my father to fund the expedition in return for certain matters being arranged, including that Waltor would take up a residence in Alcus and that the sword would be made available if it ever needed to slay demons or servants of the Seventh.

Tylora travels to Karia

In an effort to gather more information on the sword of Taran Kun, Tylora travelled to Karia in search of Cermano, the priest of Iosre who had previously been most informative. The temple was deserted. Tylora made inquiries about the priest's whereabouts, but little information was forthcoming. It appears that Cermano returned home to Cuinar with little warning to his few friends in Karia.
The unreliable Danavan shares further information
I remained in Vinaria, awaiting the arrival of my father the Baron. I anticipated that my father would not delay in traveling, because the veterans of the Long March had succeeded in their great quest and returned to Matora with the remains of the late Prince Hemarl. My father would want to pay his respects.
While there, I had a lengthy interview with the Danavan Ke’Ala Sol Ka. He asked if we had met with Ambassador Ne'Ol Bre Os. Given that we had been sworn to secrecy, I did not disclose to Ke’Ala any element of our conversation with the Ambassador, despite that it is clear from the context that Ke’Ala is the one Danavan whom the Ambassador does not need to hide the conversation from. I did indicate that we were aware that Ke’Ala had not given us an accurate account of the facts known to him, and that he was a member of the Sol Ka clan. I also told him that we had been sworn not to talk about certain matters. From these things, he may well have drawn certain correct inferences about our trip to Karia, without my having forsworn myself.

He asked about the Kartagi knife. I said that it was no longer in my family's possession and that I could not, in honour, discuss its provenance. He was not pleased to hear this, but did not press the matter. I offered the information that his fellow Danavan had been hiding in Sinarqa, but gave the impression that this information was of no interest to him.
Ke’Ala, in response to my questions, asserted his belief that Shalebrol was one and the same as “Ca’Lai Brø Ol”, the Danavan Great Player. I asked him how a Danavan could become a Divine Servitor and he said: “In the same way as all other Divine Servitors; he was called and he answered.” Ke’Ala hinted that he knew even more revolutionary facts but he declined to share them on the grounds that to learn them would threaten my sanity. Whether this was truth, or hyperbole, or another of the outright lies which it is his wont to tell us, remains to be seen.
I asked about the myth which indicated that Shalebrol was a dragon. He explained this by reference to the ambiguous use of the word “dragon” in the Danavan language. “Dragon” is an epithet given to anyone (Danavan, human or otherwise) who commits some great act of creation or destruction. Shalebrol, prior to having being called to be a Divine Servitor, committed such an act when he destroyed a river flowing through a human city in eastern Apertus. Such earth-shattering actions were not unknown in the war between humans and Danavans.
Ke’Ala described the creation of the Harmorian Sea as the work of such Danavan “dragons”, who performed some terrible feat of sorcery in what was then a great plain. The sorcery broke the earth and created the Harmorian Sea.
Ke Ala said that he was about to depart for Darazi for the pilgrimage which many of his kind make. He revealed that some Danavans are native to Darazi, their forebears never having left in the great exodus. Those Darazi Danvans resent the descendants of those who fled. As a reward for my assistance in securing him passage on a ship for part of his journey to Darazi, Ke’Ala told me the seven Great Roles of the Danavans, which are as follows:
Keratok – she discovers the truth by stinging the conceited
Shaenastoi – he restores balance by betraying the mighty
Turachaern – he sacrifices himself to save his people
Vesa Kai - he makes mistakes so that others can learn
Danaktun – he does his duty no matter what the cost
Forusna – she keeps her promises
Maktunos (“the Drake”) - she creates, she destroys
I asked him about the Ygril, the demons who inhabit Darazi. He described them as being taller than Shanir, broader of arms, but not as squat. Their appearance is vaguely mammalian and they have thick, leathery skin.

He clarified certain facts about the Danavan island of Moeldaeron. He also said that the population of humans in Timoria is low but did not shed any light on the reason why those humans were subjected by the Shanir.

The Years Turn

At this time, the war against Shanaras took a disastrous turn for the Ankherans. At the battle of Montrelis, King Votlira was killed. Shortly thereafter, his son and heir, Sienan died during the siege of Shanmalik. The news threw the kingdom into turmoil, worsened by the fact that the surviving heir, King Sienan's son Nijhad, was a nine year old boy.

The consequences of the wars between the Kingdoms of Ankheras, Shanaras and Histra were many. One of the least significant for the kingdoms at large – but of great consequence for our small fellowship – was that our plan to travel to Apertus was deferred for a number of years.

Tylora and Waltor remained in Matora to develop their respective careers and to research the matters described below, while I returned to Alcus to assist my father. My focus was in developing the maritime commerce of the Barony, and to position Alcura among those who worked towards a diplomatic end to the wars.

Such a peaceful approach was very difficult in the early years. The humiliation of Ankheran arms at the hands of the Shanarans forced Histra to aggressively prosecute our own war against Shanaras. It was not until King Nijhad of Ankheras came of age, appointed Hadraden Matora his Marshall and resumed hostilities with Shanaras that a peace could be made with the Shanarans, albeit at spear-point.

We are Elevated

Sadly, our own dear father passed away some time after that. The duties of the barony – including providing for the succession by marrying and later siring children – kept us from pursuing the long-held dream of accompanying Tylora, Waltor and Yloe to Apertus on our mission. However, during that time we did not neglect the long-term objective of establishing a group within Alcus dedicated to continuing the study of the various arcane matters with which our friends, family and ourselves have been concerned for may years. A few trusted counsellors are part of this very discreet group, which is now based around the new Temple of Biladon near the citadel of Alcus, maintained by Bishop Gieron.

Researches Continue

Over the years, Tylora and Waltor's industry provided us with useful clues in advance of the mission we proposed to undertake. Waltor learned that the site in question is on a plateau region dominated by gorges east of the Free Cities and north of Delchara. That is to say, well inside Apertus, but roughly near where the tribes of Wagetal, Praghis, Getal and Relai were originally based before being transported to Kalmar. There is a ruined Niban fortress nearby. Waltor furnished us with a sketch of the area, based on long-term attempts by a Master of the Order to descry the location.

Tylora's researches into the heathen barbarians of Apertus disclosed some means by which we might survive our trip into that country. The Apertans do not trade and raiding is the only common form of interaction they have with either Shanaras or the Free Cities.
They do not write, nor do they practice agriculture. If one sees them before they see one and one approaches them without weapons, one is their guest. They do not breach their own laws of hospitality. They will give one a decent head start before hunting one after one leaves their presence. Less contentious partings can be arranged if gifts are exchanged and promises made.

Tylora also made efforts to learn more about Sinarqua and its fate. The only hint she could find at the reason for Fontarbria's wrath is as "vilest treason". In Fontarbrian law this is a term used for violation of the King's person (his life, his wife, eldest unmarried daughter or heir). Other forms of high treason are the usurpation of the great offices of the Kingdom, levying war against the King, and giving aid and comfort to traitors or to the King's enemies.

Fragments and references to older texts exist which suggest (though not without contradiction elsewhere) that the name of the Kingdom was Sinarqa, but that the name of the city was Sinas and its port Torpedis. The royal line of Sinarqa was formed from a cadet family of the Kings of Kranthor and tallies of the line of succession vary from 10 to 16 Kings.

As we came closer to our departure for Apertus, Iavaran (the younger) volunteered as a guide, despite his father's misgivings. Our former guardian Ventakesh had formed a small mercer house of 6 lances since our last expedition, and we retained him for escort duty. We were to travel incognito, such that Alcuran men-at-arms would be entirely out of place, so Ventakesh was our only protection.

Final Preparations and Departure

In the period prior to our departure, Tylora and Waltor (who had since married each other) moved to Alcura to assist with the final preparations. They, Yloe and ourselves were to be joined by Grond, an adventurer with a colourful past and a strong sword arm who had proven to be a valuable man to have in many difficult spots during the years of conflict with Shanaras. We eventually set out for the Free Cities, from where we planned to move into Apertan country.

We made landfall in Shaliok, the largest of the Free Cities. It is one of the most impressive cities of the world, with impossibly high walls and vast fortifications. We did not linger long to see the many wonders there, but pressed on to Alfiok, which is not as great a city as Shaliok but nevertheless wondrous in many respects. We were anxious to move promptly, bearing in mind the death penalty for all mages who enter that city, and the fact that young Iavaran could only be regarded as a deadly enemy by his uncle, the Highlord, if discovered. We stayed only long enough to allow the Alcuran factor in Alfiok to arrange mounts and pack-horses for our group, and for him to purchase an Apertan slave called Xephirax, who proved to be a trusty guide during the months of our travels.

We travelled upriver for as far as we could, before debarking and pushing east across the undulating plains. The land was featureless but oddly attractive; the people were precisely the opposite. Squat, ill-featured and waddle-gaited, the heathen Apertans are people of rude manners and unpleasant food. We bribed our way into the good graces of many tribes and learned some of their customs. We learned that in times of peace, it is wise to approach an encounter openly, with hand raised in greeting and pocket full of silver. In times of war (that is, when the Apertans are fighting each other or the Free Cities), the wise course is to avoid encounters and ignore strangers who are armed for war; even a friendly greeting might lead to confrontation. Xephirax helped ensure that we caused no heinous offence.

Our Quest Successful

Eventually, we reached the highland region which (Waltor had been advised) contained the old Niban fortress which was our landmark. Rolling grassland gave way to scrubby hills and narrow gullies, and the land seemed deserted until we came across a grisly warning. A totemic structure of spears and skulls was (Xephirax said) a warning against entry into an area, which warning we ignored.

After several days of exploration, we discovered an old fortress of an architectural style we did not recognise but one may assume is Niban/Harmorian. The fortress was perched at the edge of a plateau within the highlands. Near to the fortress stood four large animal statues, which had weathered well and still retained shining jewels for eyes. Several gullies close to the fortress contained areas overgrown with ivy, which Ventakesh's lancers began to clear while the rest of us explored the fortress and environs.

The ivy concealed the two decisive clues we sought. Under one patch the lancers found the entrance to a subterranean tunnel; under the other was the skeletal remains of a mighty beast, the skull of which measured two yards in length, and contained fearsome fangs. Undoubtedly, this was the carcass of King Votlr's dragon. Excitedly, we entered the caves in search of the sword that killed the beast.

The tunnel was, for a few spans, submerged in water, and our exploration would have been unproductive but that the mage Waltor brought us through the depths by magical means. Pushing onward, we reemerged in daylight into a copse of trees. There we found the object of our searches. An ancient sword of a type we had never seen jutted from the trunk of an ancient oak. Waltor drew the sword, sure that his quest had been successful. We returned to our camp, making ready to depart at first light.

The morning brought unwelcome visitors. Five Apertan riders overlooked our camp, and one approached once he was sure that he had our attention. His words were curt; we could leave the place, but all that we had found must remain. Xephirax suggested that if we could see five then we should expect twenty or thirty tribesmen to be hidden around the hills, especially since the group we could see included a chieftain and a shaman. We could not beat such a number here, on their home ground, so fighting the apostate savages was not a realistic option. Instead, we outwitted them.

Returning to the site where we had discovered the sword, Waltor thrust it as deeply as he could into the same trunk from whence he had withdrawn it the night before. We broke camp and marched away, as if defeated. Several days later, when our party was safely distant, Waltor returned to the tree by magical means. Seizing the sword once more, he returned to us, successful.

Unhappy Homecoming

Our long march back to Alfiok was uneventful, and on reaching it we laid low for several weeks, wishing to avoid the attentions of the local authorities who are so fiercely hostile to mages and undesirable nephews. Our factor arranged passage back to Alcura by ship.

On reaching home, a new crisis presented itself. It appears a party of Danavans had, in our absence, arrived at the gates of our keep alleging a breach of the Treaty of Riklopej. Denied entry, they blasted the gates with dark Danavan sorcery, killing several men-at-arms. Entering the keep, they kidnapped our lady wife, one of her ladies and several Alcuran nobles. Their threat on departure was that they would return in a year, demanding an answer to their (baseless) allegation.

The demons were said to carry with them a trussed and bound Danavan, said to be their ambassador to Karia.

We endeavoured to learn as much as we could about the Danavan wars and the Treaty of Riklopej which ended the second war. We were aided in our researches by the mages Adrieste and Sharun and the royal chancery in Karia.

We learned that Iarnos, a mage and founder of Waltor's order was the one who brought Albert I (first king of Histra after the Fontarbrian period) back from exile. Iarnos died in the Second Danavi war.

Adrieste indicated that the Sol Ka clan came to power 50 years before the second war, deposing the Clan Skri Tai. She speculated that this fact, combined with the warlike approach of the Danavans a similar period after the demise of the Sol Ka, may indicate a trend to warlike behaviour early in the Danavan cycle of power.

A copy of the Treaty of Riklopej was sent to us from Karia, and from it we learned of a number of provisions of which we had previously been ignorant. These included the following articles:

“Seven- that any Moeldaeran exiles or outlaws shall be brought before the Ambassador unharmed and without delay.
...
Ten- that any Moeldaerans who break Histran laws shall be brought before the Ambassador unharmed and without delay.”

We inquired if there had been any known disputes over the Treaty. We found no disputes, but learned that several of the articles of which we had been ignorant had been invoked at different times. For example, approximately 100 years ago a Danavan ran rampant in an Ankheran town. The sheriff took him to King, the King to the ambassador, and penalty was administered.

We also learned that letters had been sent from the embassy to the successor kings after the Sol Ka exile, notifying those kings of that exile.

We learned a little of the manner in which the Danavans wage war. Their methods are monstrous and barbaric; they do not limit themselves to slaying combatants, but murdered all humans indiscriminately, to the extent that large swathes of Histra were laid waste during the Second Danavi war. Some parts of the kingdom never recovered.

We learned that Danavan traders had been paying (in aggregate) less tax than previously in both Karia and Alcus, which led us to suspect that many Danvans traders were staying away in expectation of hostilities.

The Danavans Return, Armed as if for Battle

In due course, a Danavan fleet arrived at Alcus. It was a fearsome sight, and from the number of fat-bellied alien craft, we estimated a thousand Danavan warriors had come to our modest port. We feared a savage treatment at the hands of the demons on foot of their trumped-up charges.

Most of the Danavans remained on their ships, and only a small delegation made its way to our keep. They were led by one Ci Lar Shøl Dræv – judging by his name, a kinsman of the Danavan whose death sparked the Second Danavi war. We thought that a pointed appointment. His colouration was reddish. Shøl Dræv and his guards were armed for war, an unprecedented sight for us.

One was dressed differently. We believed him to be a sorceror. He had an accentuated skull structure and bore no armour. He wore an oddly embroidered outer garment which appeared to bear some form of writing. Waltor later said of the garment that “The letters are Danavan, of an ancient mode, but the language is not one I will utter here....”

Shøl Dræv was hostile and accusatory from the start. He said that Ke'Ala, the Danavan ink merchant we had twice spoken to twenty years previously was in fact a member of the Sol Ka clan. He said that in failing to bring Ke'Ala before the ambassador, we were in breach of the Treaty of Riklopej. Shøl Dræv displayed an astonishing level of knowledge about our activities all those years ago an interrogated us in detail about several matters.

We defended our actions robustly and demonstrated that we could not have committed a breach. We had been aliens in a foreign kingdom and had no ability or authority to apprehend anyone. We had brought Ke'Ala's “letter” to the ambassador indicating that we did not have any inclination to conceal our contact with him. We did not have actual knowledge of the treaty article in question. These and other points, we advanced in our defence.

At the end of a long and harsh meeting Shøl Dræv appeared to relent. He indicated that the Treaty of Riklopej would need to be renegotiated to prevent similar issues arising in future, and that he would return some months hence to do so. The Danavans departed, returning to us the hostages they had taken, apparently unharmed.

We breathed again.

Preparing to Treat with Demons.

We judged that there was still a serious risk that the return of the Danavans would bring war, especially if the treaty negotiations were only to be a sham designed to give them the justification for war which our response to their earlier allegations had denied them.

We arranged to have the treasures of the Barony moved to remote parts of it, in case there was to be war.

We learned that the Go Nal are the new preeminent clan in Moldaeron.

In the intervening period, Waltor conducted further studies on the sword which had been recovered from Apertus. He found that it has some odd characteristics. It apparently is “null magic”, immune to magic effects, though it does not confer any such immunity to its wielder. He transported the sword to his master Sharun in Vinaria for further study and so that it could better be protected.

Travelling with him were Tylora and our lady wife, whom we thought would be safer in Vinaria than here in Alcus, presuming the treaty negotiations between Ankherans and the Danavans would take place at the embassy in Karia. (In that we were wrong – ironically, the negotiations would take place in Vinaria itself).

Foul Revelations

Tylora and Waltor's return brought two shocking and appalling revelations.

One was historic. Tylora's researches disclosed that, during the Second Danavi war, many thousands of human women reported defilement by Danavans and subsequently giving birth to Danavan offspring.

The other was more shocking still. Our beloved wife, recently returned from imprisonment in Moeldaeron, had herself been defiled in the manner of the the Danavan victims of old. Though she had no recollection of it, and though she showed nor felt any signs of pregnancy, she had since her return been carrying some demon's bastard offspring. One night while in Vinaria she took gravely ill and then gave birth to the creature.

Shortly after hearing this awful news – and seeing with our own eyes the wretched infant that Tylora and Waltor carried back from Vinaria – Yloe arrived from the outpost to whence she had brought the Barony's treasures and the other former hostages. Our wife's lady had also given birth to a Danavan bastard, though neither she nor any other hostages had any recollection of any defilement or opportunity for it to have occurred.

Quite apart from the mortal insult to our noble house, this development gave rise to a terrible dread. What if the Danavans periodically seek war against humans precisely because they wish to have the opportunity to sire bastards on our women? If so, we were in mortal peril; the treaty negotiations would be a fraud and would end in our slaughter.

We mobilised the Barony for war. The King arrived for the parley with some force, but declined to mobilise the entire kingdom. We sent a priest of Nebilo to warn the other kingdoms of these developments, and suggested they try to have a clause inserted into their respective treaties to prohibit the defilement of Histran women by Danavans.

Talons Reveal Provenance of the Sword

Shortly before the date on which the Danavans were due to arrive, two of Tokan Liod's Talons arrived unheralded to Alcus. Etrao and Billador expressed the grave displeasure of their master at the fact that we had brought King Votlr's sword from its resting place. They said the sword had been made by the Tun Rar, a demon race believed now to be extinct.

The purpose of the sword is to confer on its wielder a terrible power over other demons, giving the wielder powers like to a Harlequin, the demon Tyrants. Such a power is far too great to allow the sword to be at large. The Talons claimed that the ancient oak grove in which the sword had been hidden had a property which defied demons, and the sword could only be removed by a void-souled human.

Waltor did not accept their statements at face value, but agreed to make all speed with them to Vinaria, there to speak to his master for further guidance as to what to do. The three left at once, Billador pausing only to warn us that he believed that Danavans fight with poison on the edges of their exotic brown metal weapons.

Demons Return

The night before the Danavans were due to return, we faced a raft of difficult choices. Should we attempt to evacuate the city, so to send the demons a message that we would not make it easy for them to defile our women? Should we confront them with the evidence of the ravishment of our wife and her lady? Should we push to insert a clause against future defilement in any new treaty?

After much debate, the King agreed with our proposals as to how to proceed. We would enter treaty negotiations in good faith, hoping the demons would do likewise. We did not evacuate the city, but we briefed the clergy and nobles on Tylora's historical investigations, so that if war did break out, word could quickly be spread about the filthy habits of Danavans in wartime, the better to protect our women. We reserved judgment on how to address the issue of our wife, depending on how the demons behaved.

Shøl Dræv returned on schedule, though with far fewer Danavans than before – more an honour guard for negotiations, than an invading army. Negotiations commenced immediately; they were hard-edged but genuine, and we of Histra conceded relatively little. The Treaty of Alcus is well known and we need not recite its terms here, save to say that the concessions we made were enough to address the concerns the Danavans had raised in their previous visits. No vital interest of Histra was conceded.

Similar treaties were negotiated in Shanaras and Ankheras, though the terms were slightly different, as more onerous than on the human kingdoms. Kalmar concluded no treaty, and made it clear that they do not hold themselves bound by the Treaty of Riklopej, as Kalmar is not properly a successor kingdom to the former Kingdom of Histra.

Because the Danavans seemed to be acting in good faith, we (after receiving the approval of the King) privately raised the defilement of our wife with Shøl Dræv. We produced the issue, which proved our allegation beyond doubt. Shøl Dræv's response was immediate. He went to the docks, made summary inquiries as to which Danavans had been responsible for the custody of the human hostages, and produced two alleged perpetrators.

In an act that is no so celebrated that it requires no elaboration here, Shøl Dræv beheaded one of the perpetrators and we beheaded the other. Justice was done and good faith restored between the parties. The treaty negotiations were concluded.

In the course of those negotiations we established that the Sol Ka are the only Danavan exile clan.

A Demon Assaults the Keep

The night the Treaty was signed, we hosted the Danavans for a feast. It progressed well until the point that the Danavan sorceror En'Tol Shøl Dræv leaped to his feet and warned us that the keep was about to be assaulted. In the tumult that followed, we saw that our walls had been breached by a hideous beast never before seen by any of the humans present. It was dark brown with a mottled shell-like carapace, about 5 feet tall and as many wide. It was clearly a demon, having six limbs. Its two “arms” ended not in hands but in blades. Its insect-like forelegs had joints at an unnatural angle. Its hind legs were more normally structured. It had a great bladed skull with no visible eyes, but fearsome, monstrous teeth. It clearly was a beast of war, and quickly butchered every man-at-arms it encountered in its traverse of the keep on its way to, and through, the main tower. It was clearly headed to Waltor's quarters, so we stood aside from its path in that direction, but formed up for battle in case it came after us in anger when it found that Waltor – and the sword which must have been its objective – were gone.

The creature thrashed Waltor's chambers and then launched itself from their window, careless of the eigthy foot drop into the courtyard. We braced for a fight, but the demon ignored us, skittering with shocking speed from the keep, in the direction of the royal road on which Waltor and the Talons had departed a day before.

The Danavans looked rattled and were glad not to have been forced to fight the new demon. Shøl Dræv named it an “aordi”, a demon war machine used by the Harlequins as shock troops. The Danavans had thought them extinct. The Danavans were curious as to why such a hated enemy from their history should emerge to assault the keep of Alcus and we told them the minimum truth to assuage their curiosity; that Waltor's order had some dispute with the Harlequins which dated back many years. We implied that we were ignorant of the detail of the dispute and no further questions were asked, though we have no doubt that the Danavans will make further investigations; we will take such steps as we can to keep our secrets.

The aordi's attack was proof enough to our mind that the Talons had told the truth; clearly this sword was connected with Tyrants to some extent. Sadly, we had no way of warning Waltor of the coming threat, and we could trust only to his strength, and that of his Talon companions.

Waltor Returns and all our Friends Depart

Some months later, Waltor returned with the Tun Rar blade. He explained that the aordi had attacked him the night he arrived at Sharun's home in Vinaria. Waltor, his master and the Talons had combined to destroy the demon, though all sustained severe injury. The incident had been sufficiently frightening to have Sharun agree to the return of the blade to its resting place in the glade in Apertus. We had anticipated that plan, and had a ship ready to depart for the Free Cities. All those who had traveled on the original quest would return with Waltor, with the exception of ourself and the absent Iavaran. We decided to remain in Alcus to avoid the problems a prolonged departure might provoke in those turbulent times.

In particular, Alcus had been selected for the location of the new Danavan embassy to Histra pursuant to the Treaty of Alcus, and we were concerned to ensure that no difficulties arose in its establishment. Though the treaty negotiations had gone well, it could not be said that the Danavans were welcome guests, especially as word had spread about their rapacious nature in wartime.

We expected that our friends, under the careful guidance of Xephirax and protected by Ventakesh and his lancers, would be able to conclude their task. Waltor assured me that he had spent much time preparing and saving many spells which could quickly be unleashed to devastate any enemy, and this gave us great comfort. It struck us how strong and confident the man had grown, far removed from the scrawny lad we had first met so many years before in the University in Vinaria. With his beloved wife Tylora and our constant friends Yloe and Grond to protect him, we trusted that there was no danger on the road that could prevent this achieving his goal.

Sadly, as we write these words, we must admit that we were wrong. Two summers and two winters have passed since our dear friends left on their vital mission and no word has come to us of their fate. Our factor in Alfiok has heard nothing, though we have promised him a fine reward if he can bring me news of our friends' fate. We must now conclude that some awful fate has befallen them. While it is possible that they concluded their mission before meeting that destiny, we must assume the worst; that some agent of the Harlequins has killed them and stolen the sword of Tun Rar. Demon Tyrants may again terrorise this part of the world.

We must now turn to the unpleasant task of writing to Tokan Liod, Adrieste, and the Temple of Mantniaras in Karia to warn them of this development. Our vigils, already worried by the threat of the Seventh and the renewed rise of Fontarbria, will now be punctuated by a new terror.

May Biladon guard us from harm, and may the righteous ever keep watch against our enemies.

The 1st Quatrain

2008-07-30T17:59:00.002+01:00

Across the Narrow Sea
With Earthen Shell in thrall
The Seventh ascends in
Fearful cataclysm

Reported to have been in the Imperial Palace in Kartaga
The first quatrain is truly terrifying, given that our continent is across the sea from Kartaga.

The 9th Quatrain

2008-06-30T17:57:00.003+01:00

Key to forgotten dead
Among skull and carcass
Near cities never free
Powerful Well of Souls

Located in the Chapel of Qor Rolanre in Fontarbria
An apparently clear reference to the Well of Souls unlocked by the Fontarbrians at the end of their civil war.

The 16th Quatrain

2008-04-30T11:30:00.004+01:00

Dreams advances slowly
As Fire reaches its ebb
God and Demon will rule
Once conjoined and blooded

Located in the Temple of Vilcanat in Sinarqa

The 19th Quatrain

2008-03-31T11:30:00.003+01:00

Where deep shadows lie
An endless ancient stands
It holds a mighty glaive
And there it will remain

Located in the main hall of Bar Likan

The Lords of Midnight

2008-02-12T10:59:00.004Z

Background to our Arrival in Vinaria

I, Wodarn Salosa-Alcura, wrote this account pursuant to the instruction of my father Roan, the Baron Alcura, to chronicle my activities in Vinaria. This injunction was given as I departed Alcus for Vinaria to commence my candidacy at Prince Hemarl's College.

The kingdoms of the former Histra had, for several years, enjoyed a peace unknown in the younger days of my father. With the exception of raiding between Histra and Shanaras, the Kingdoms were at peace amongst themselves. The threat which so concerns my father – from the Fontarbrian Empire – had (and has) yet to result in any tangible ill effect. The Fontarbrian King, Talzim, had concentrated his military efforts on the closer countries, Harmoria and Tuonetar.
I arrived in Vinaria with my companion Yloe, a postulant of Mantniaras. By arrangement between our three fathers, Yloe and I were joined in halls by Waltor Hemtanath, a child prodigy dedicated to becoming a magus. After taking up residence in our hall, we met another candidate called Tylora Hemtanath, a postulant of Mantniaras.
We chose as our master for the year one Melrano, a Dyrian with an interesting perspective on various matters over and above his core subjects. We had trouble making our lectures on time. Young Waltor, on being upbraided for tardiness, refused to accept that he was late. “A wizard is never late,” has said “nor is he ever early. He always arrives exactly when he wants to!”
Adrieste's Hospitality
Not long after commencing college, we four were invited to dine with the magus and historian Adrieste and her assistant Vol. An exchange was made of the Akharoli quatrain of Alfiok for the quatrain of Aleso, further to an agreement previously made between Adrieste and our fathers. Adrieste also imparted some news which greatly troubled young Tylora, being that her true father was not Tanath, but rather a man called Garryl.
On visiting the Temple of Belgris, Tylora contacted the spirit of this Garryl, thus establishing the truth of Adrieste's statement. This Garryl was a member of the companionship of our fathers which had slain the Arok. The spirit suggested that the Arok had been his own father, Garryl Taresadar.
Learning this surprising news, we had a long discussion with Adrieste. She speculated that, as Aroks must somehow be created, perhaps the original Arok which had been captured in Karia had infected Garryl at some point and then moved to Fontarbria. The two would then have been able to communicate. However no light was shone on the timing of Garryl's transformation into an Arok, so it is unclear whether he was in that evil state during the period when he was a companion of my grandfather, or only entered it at a subsequent point.
Our discussion turned to the meaning of the Alfioki quatrain. Adrieste had a surprising insight that the Son of Fire, if translated to Danavan, would read “Ca Lai Brø Ol”, the pronunciation of which is very close to “Shalebrol”. This led to a discussion of whether the divine servant Shalebrol could have been a Danavan by birth or adoption. This in turn led to discussions of what we knew about Danavans.
Adrieste said that the Danavans originated in Darazi, in the great central desert of the Northern continent. It was in Darazi that the gods and humans first arrived. The Danavans were driven from Darazi and divided into their two nations, Moeldaeron and Cathnaeron. The nation of Moeldaeron, despite living on a faraway island, is the nation with which Histra has most dealings; very few of the nearby Cathnaeron Danavans travel in our lands
(The northern continent is now occupied by the demon Ygril to the north, and by humans in settlements on the southern coast. The great central desert of that continent is now reputed to be largely empty.)
In the context of that discussion, we considered the attack of the Harlequin (in the time of my great-grandfather) on the magus Laracer, who had been investigating the decline of the temples of Shalebrol. A Danavan connection to Shalebrol might explain why the demon-general Harlequins might take an interest in a member of the pantheon (presuming Laracer's studies were the reason for the Harlequin's attack). It was also noted by Adrieste and Waltor that, at the zenith of the Moon of Shalebrol, magic is more difficult to perform. Adrieste said that in times long past it was easier to perform when the Moon of Shalebrol was full. This led to further hypothesising that the Harlequin(s) might somehow be suppressing Shalebrol to the detriment of human magic.
Adrieste, on being told of our grandfathers' meeting with a Danavan elder, suggested that his lack of coloration indicated that he was a “revenant”, a venerable Danavan who has lost his clan-distinguishing features. She was skeptical of his being an “emperor”, but suggested that he may have been a clan leader. She also said that Danavan sorcery is unlike human magic, and involves capturing using the magic of others, of the by taking their hearts or other organs.
Our conversation with Adrieste ended with a question that she could not answer, namely how it was that the Arok in Karia in our great-grandfathers' time found itself captured, bearing in mind its formidable powers. Adrieste did not know. We asked a number of questions which Adrieste thought impertinent, leading young Waltor to warn us: “Do not meddle in the affairs of wizards, for they are subtle and quick to anger!”
Whether as a result of these discussions or otherwise, Adrieste later sent us word that we had been invited to discuss these various matters with Tokan Liod or his representatives. Choosing to interpret this as an invitation to Tibulanus, we accepted it as such, and made plans to travel to that place at the end of the college year.
Assassinations and Invasions
Not long after this meeting with Adrieste, the lad Waltor, by magical means, overheard a conversation between three veterans of the Thousands Swords in which they discussed a plan to return to Fontarbria, recover Hemarl's remains and assassinate King Talzim.
We disclosed this discussion to Tanath, Waltor's father, who brought us to Prince Hadraden to be questioned about what we had overheard. We were not told the outcome of our revelation, but were treated most hospitably at court from that time on.
Through our contacts at court we learned news of developments in Otgaidar. Hadraden's neighbours in Iaradar, apparently taking advantage of the last fine days of autumn, invaded his Kingdom. They may or may not know that word of the invasion reached Vinaria by ship before the winter came in, and Hadraden will therefore be in a position to send a relieving force as soon as spring comes in.
Dining with a Danavan

Our interest piqued by our conversation with Adrieste, we sought out a Danavan ink merchant with the intention of luring him into conversation. He was far more forthcoming than we hoped. After a conversation in the marketplace, this Danavan, whose name was Ke'Ala, agreed to join us for dinner, at which we learned much about Danavan politics and mythology.

The Sol Ka, members of whose clan our fathers encountered, were the pre-eminent clan of the nation of Moeldaeron for many years. The Sol Ka remained too long in their privileged position. The other clans turned on them and they were exiled, a process which is akin to outlawry. If members of the other clans of Moeldaeron meet with members of the Sol Ka, they will kill them if they can.

Other clans have been exiled in Danavan history, perhaps as many as six. Ke'Ala said that he was not able to name all of the exiled clans. He said that he had never heard of a clan called Brø Ol, so it is possible that a clan by this name may have been exiled long ago (thus fitting in with the hypothesis about Shalebrol).

The Cathnaeron Danavans almost never travel in the human lands. Ke'Ala said that he meets one occasionally, often posing as a Moeldaeron Danavan in order to avoid taxes. For every 20 Moeldearon Danavans here, there might be one Cathnaeron Danavan. Cathnaeron Danavans are identifiable to humans by the way that they dress in rustic fashion and travel armed.

To explain the answers to our questions, Ke'Ala gave us some insight into Danavan history and religious/ethical structures. In these matters, the most important historical figures include the seven Great Ancestors, and the important religious/ethical positions are held by the “Players”, including the most important of these, the “Great Players”.

The seven Great Ancestors led the Danavans from Darazi. When the humans and their gods triumphed over the Danavans, the Great Ancestors split. Three went with the Moeldaeron Danavans; three with the Cathnaeron Danavans; and the seventh returned to Darazi with some plan for glory in mind.

Tylora pointed out the symmetry between this seventh Great Ancestor and the Seventh who opposes the gods.

In relation to the religious/ethical figures, we learned that each of the seven Great Players plays a “role”, which we speculated might be analogous to the division of spheres of influence which the human gods have achieved. Ke'Ala was extremely reticent about what these roles might be, and declined to admit any correspondence with the spheres of the human gods.

In addition to the Great Players, there are 42 Players. These play the same roles as the Great Players, such that for each role there is one Great Player and six Players. To our mind it appeared that Players might be the equivalent of human Saints, and Great Players the equivalent to human gods. That analogy may be somewhat flawed, as players do not necessarily serve the Great Player corresponding to their role. Also, Players have a political significance. For example, Cathnaeron is troubled by Harlequins, about a dozen of which are active in that country. Resistance to the Harlequins is led by the Players.

Ke'Ala was dismissive of the idea of the Danavans ever returning to Darazi. He felt this would (among other disadvantages) lead to conflict with humans. He also said that Danavans are not friendly with the Ygril who live on that continent.

Ke'Ala was unable to answer all of our questions, so we took the audacious step of asking whether we might be introduced to the Danavan ambassador in Karia (who may be the same gentleman whom our great-grandfathers met after witnessing the Harlequin assassinate the magus Laracer). Surprisingly, he agreed to write a letter of introduction which was to gain us admission that coming midwinter break.

After this long and interesting discussion, I asked if there was any trade opportunity in Alcus which might interest Ke'Ala. I had expected him to request some concession in honey or the like, but his answer was very surprising. He said that he had heard about the incident in which some “demons” attacked a ship in Alcus some years ago. He also described the knife which one of the "demons” dropped and which was recovered by our family.

He wanted to trade for the knife and hear all about its provenance. He clearly has heard about the knife of the Kartagi Imperial Assassin held in Alcus.

Looking for Guidance

We sought guidance from Tanath, who expressed great displeasure at the idea of dealing with Danavans in any respect. He referred us to the Kartagi Haakesh, who runs an inn under sign of an Elephant on Vinaria. We sought out Haakesh and explained the situation.

Haakesh was most adamant that the Danavans should never see the knife, which he intimated has some function or property other than the obvious one. He said the knife would be marked in a way that would identify it to its maker, but probably not to an outsider. He suggested that the knife either be returned to its original owner or himself. He seemed to prefer to retain the knife himself and expressed skepticism that the Talon who lost the knife would have survived the fight in which it was lost.

We said that we would suggest to my father that we endeavour to find out, on our visit to Tokan Liod, whether his Kartagi companion still lived. If so, we would offer the knife in exchange for a quatrain of Akharol; if not, we may return it to Haakesh.

At that point I wrote to my father asking for his instructions in the matter, indicating that I would prefer his reply not to issue in haste, so as to give me a defence if any of the interested parties were to complain at my own delay in giving them an answer. Ke'Ala had told us that he would be leaving Vinaria in the spring, to return in the late summer, and I certainly wanted no answer before the spring in case it was bad news for Ke'Ala. I expressed to my father young Waltor's concerns about the safe keeping of the knife. Waltor had asked me: “Is it secret? Is it safe?” but I had been unable to answer.

Conversation with a Veteran

One afternoon, not long before our departure for Karia, we were interrupted in our common room by the arrival of Jarnad, who was looking for Brannan, the warden of our hall. Young Waltor recognized the man as one of the veterans of the Thousand Swords who had been plotting the recovery of Hemarl's remains and the assassination of Talzim. Feeling somewhat guilty about having reported the veterans' plans to Hadraden, we accompanied Jarnad on a social visit to a local inn. He regaled us with many stories of the war, and impressed us with his hatred of Talzim, but shed little light on the details of any plot.

Jarnad had a perspective on the activities of Talzim since the end of the war. He thought that, in waging war against Tuonetar and Harmoria first, Talzim might be following some strategic logic similar to the logic followed by the early kings of Fontarbria in the sequence of their conquests. Jarnad had been traveling outside Vinaria since the time we discovered his plot and was unaware of developments in Vinaria since then. We left him on good terms.

Tylora later observed to young Waltor that it may have been a mistake to report the plot to Hadraden, as Talzim so clearly deserves death. “Deserves it?” rebuked Waltor. “I daresay he does. Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement!”

At the Temple of Mantniaras in Karia

Our journey to Karia was uneventful. On arrival, we decided first to pay homage at the temples of gods relevant to our inquiries. We first went to the Temple of Mantniaras, where a priest spoke to us about the nature of the gifts of Mantniaras, including the ability to know secrets and mysteries. We observed that this tied in with Mantniaras' title (the Keeper of Secrets) but the priest counseled us against taking too literal an interpretation of the titles of the gods, as they can sometimes be misleading.

Young Waltor admired a scroll-case held by the temple which was said to hold a scroll on which some great secret was inscribed. The rest of us admired a huge Shanir war-axe and other more compelling heirlooms.

We asked to speak with the Bishop of Mantniaras, who was at first unenthusiastic about admitting us. When I mentioned that I wished to discuss the matter of the killing of one Garryl Taresadar 20 years ago, he immediately admitted us to his inner sanctum of the Temple – a great library – and discussed many matters with us. His predecessor as bishop (the man who our fathers dealt with) had predicted (before his departure from Karia) that some day someone would return to investigate such matters.

It appears that the temple has been conducting inquiries over the years to determine the identity of the Arok, though with little success.

We postulated the involvement of an Arok in the death of King Vanam, based on the extraordinary fact that no priest of Belgris had been able to contact Vanam's memory to determine his will in the matter of the succession. The Bishop (as his priest had done before him) admitted that this fact was surprising. He thought other possible explanations for this fact (such as the possibility of a descendant, having contacted Vanam, heard unwelcome news, and killed the priest to suppress the story) were unlikely. He agreed that it was possible that an Arok courtier may have persuaded Vanam to entrust the secret of his chosen successor to that courtier, who then suppressed it for his own reasons.

However, the Bishop did not accept the basis of our belief that Aroks can interfere with the priests of Belgris in contacting souls of the dead. The failure of the former Bishop of Belgris in his attempt to contact Mictila's memory was not sufficient to prove that matter to him, as that attempt was made many years after Mictila's death. He also said that it was not known how Vanam had died – there were conflicting rumours, though it was known that Vanam had been campaigning the year before, so a very slow draining of his life by an Arok seems unlikely.

We addressed the question of the decline of Shalebrol. The priest of Mantniaras had previously mentioned that the decline had commenced c.1,400-1,300 years ago and seemed to have been completed by about 400 years ago. We asked whether there had been any significant event corresponding to the start of the decline of Shalebrol, and the priest had said that he thought it might correspond with to the death of Taran Kun which occurred c.1,400 years ago.

The young priest had agreed that the decline of divine servitors sometimes does correspond with significant events. He used as an example the decline of a divine servitor who had been associated with fertility, particularly in the Niban Empire. In the centuries following the conquest of the Niban Empire by the Fontarbrians, the Niban identity began to go into decline, as did the significance of this divine servitor. By the time that no-one remained who considered themselves to have Niban heritage – that is to say, after centuries of Fontarbrian dominion, and by the time of the emergence of a Harmorian national identity – that divine servitor had disappeared.

Young Waltor raised the issue of dragons, which led the Bishop to refer us to the old lay of Shanaras composed by Cermano, reciting the killing of a dragon by a King of Shanaras and his Earls. Waltor observed that the guide who led the King to the Dragon's lair was called “Iosr”, a name very similar to “Iosre (the Master of Dragons).”

We mentioned to the Bishop that we hoped to speak to the magus Arnoal on our visit to Karia but we did not know where to find him. The Bishop said that Arnoal visits the temple most days and we could find him there.

At the Temple of Iosre

We proceeded directly to the temple of Iosre, which is as low key as one would expect for the temple of such an obscure divine servitor. A young priest, Cermano, greeted us there. Cermano was far more knowledgeable and forthcoming about historic matters than the Bishop of Mantniaras had been. He shared a name with the composer of the lay about the king of Shanaras slaying a dragon and confirmed that the “Iosr” therein mentioned was the divine servitor Iosre.

Cermano emphasized the point previously made to us by another priest that we should not take the titles of the gods too literally. In this context, we took him to mean that Iosre may have acquired his title (Master of Dragons) only because he helped destroy one particular dragon. Cermano did not contradict that interpretation. He said that the gifts of Iosre do not relate to dragons. They relate to do mastering beasts, path-finding in the wilderness and being in the right place at the right time.

At one point in the conversation, he referred to Iosre in the first person (“I am a divine servitor...”) leading one to wonder whether there may be more to this “Cermano” than meets the eye.

Cermano's comments about the titles of the gods may lead us to rethink our assessment of Shalebrol. Could he be Lord of Magic in the same was as Iosre is Master of Dragons, that is to say, that he has or had a negative influence over magic? This is not a theory favoured by young Waltor, who has emphasised the point that, in the time when Shalebrol was still influential, he had a positive effect on magic. Only since his decline has magic become harder to perform at the moon of Shalebrol. Waltor believes that it seems fair to suppose he had a positive relationship with magic – while it lasted.

Cermano told us that the order of magi dedicated to deciphering the quatrains of Akharol are called the Artuli and that their order is 7,000 years old, having been established not long after the arrival of humans into the world. The order is based on a distant continent which is not any continent of which we have ever heard. He declined to name the continent.

Cermano said that he believed that Akharol is not dead, but hiding for purposes of his own. He may or may not have been joking when he said this.

Cermano discussed with us the legend of Taran Kun, the last member of the great Niban demon-slaying order. He mentioned that dragons are the top of the chain of “demons”, being the most powerful of the original inhabitants of the world.

Young Waltor raised the issue of the number of dragons in the world. Though the answer he received was not clear-cut, Waltor was not corrected by Cermano when Waltor mentioned that there may be 40 in the world, though it was not clear if this includes tawny dragons.

Cermano did mention that there had been as many as six wild dragons in Tibulanus, though slayings such as the recorded slaying of a dragon by Taran Kun, and other slayings by the Belydi have reduced the number to perhaps one or two. (The Belydi were a people of the apostate kingdoms Alkor, which is a region on the continent which also includes Kranthor and Kartagakeen. Fleeing from Alkor on the invasion of their country, the Belydi conquered Tibulanus. They gradually integrated into the Tibulani population over the following centuries, rejoining the faith in the process.)

Arnoal the Magus

On the following day, we approached Arnoal the magus in the temple of Mantniaras. After we introduced ourselves, he brought us to his home, a building full of arcane devices. He and his assistant Raliol were helpful in the information they gave but appeared intent on intimidating us.

Our questions related to the Arok(s). Arnoal was able to confirm that there had been two Aroks, as he had set eyes on both of them. The Arok Garryl Taresadar was not the same Arok as had previously been imprisoned in the dungeon of the royal palace. He confirmed that he could not use magic directly against the Arok, but that he had detected the presence of the Aroks indirectly, through certain experiments.

When asked how the Arok could possibly be kept against its will, Arnoal mentioned that there are a small number of people in the world who are impervious to the power of the Aroks. He speculated that the Arok's gaoler may have been one. He also said that the older and more powerful Aroks can influence people outside their immediate presence.

Interview with the Magus

Unfortunately I was forced to depart from Arnoal's home at this stage, having previously made an appointment to attend at the temple of Biladon for that time, on an errand which proved fruitless. I understand from conversation with Waltor and Tylora that they had an extensive conversation with both Arnoal and his companion, Raliol.

After some time, the Magus had to excuse himself and attend to some business. My companions were allowed to peruse the workshop under Raliol’s supervision for a while. Then my companions went on their way.

The salient facts to emerge included the following.

● The Danavan ink merchant Ke'Ala is of the Sol Ka clan. His sending us to the Danavan Ambassador was most likely a sign from the Sol Ka to the other clans
● When Raliol examined the invitation baton given us by Ke'Ala Sol Ka, he dropped it, there was some kind of momentary change in him, too fast to see clearly
● The invitation baton was made of “moonshard” - a euphemism for Danavan bone
● In response to a direct question, Raliol indicated that he is at least 900 years old
● Each member of the Artuli has a dragon familiar – implying that an Artuli is to Waltor as a Dragon is to a cat. Raliol denied that dragons are shapechangers
● It is unusual for an Artuli to retain more than one companion of great longevity

● Arnoal’s workshop contains a great store of arcana, including: a large volume of Shanir lore; a puzzle sacred to Roslof which entranced Tylora and the original acceptance of surrender and re-grant of title by the Fontarbrians to the line of Alcus
● Taran Kun, from the fallen Niban Empire, was the last of the Order of the Thousand Swords. He did not have his mighty Niban blade with him when he arrived in Tibulanus. The Niban blade once possessed by Arnoal was found along the likely route of Taran Kun’s travels from the Niban Empire to Tibulanus. Though it cannot be proved, it seems likely that the two blades are one and the same. The blade Arnoal had was number 713
● Taran Kun translates as ‘Mighty Taran’ or the ‘The Mighty’, further connecting him to the quatrain in which it is written ‘The Mighty slays scores...’

● The magus Laracer, killed by the Harlequin, was mentor to Sharun, Waltor's master

The Ambassador's Hospitality

With some trepidation, we presented the letter of introduction – written by an outlaw, encased in Danavan bone – at the Danavan embassy. We were not received into the embassy, but the ambassador, one Ne'Ol Bre Os, came with us to a local inn, serving us fine wine. Through lack of knowledge about Danavan etiquette, we failed at first to serve him in turn as we should have done, but that matter seemed not to cause any great offence.

The ambassador was remarkably forthright in his discussions with us. Part of the reason why he spoke frankly was that we took oaths (by our own gods and ancestors, not by any demonic means) not to divulge the contents of this conversation with any other Danavans. I was deeply concerned about the making of such an oath to a demon. I remain concerned that some hidden implication may cause me harm in the future. However I am less concerned about this than I was. Having heard what the ambassador had to say, his concern seems to be based in his fear of his own people, arising from his friendship with the outlaw Ke'Ala Sol Ka. In deference to the ambassador's apparent openness toward us, I implore any future reader of this document to maintain the secrecy of the conversation. The ambassador will live for many generations of men; it would be unfortunate if some future revelation of our conversation were to cause him difficulty.

The ambassador indicated that several of the things said to us by Ke'Ala were not correct. It appears that, in feigning ignorance of information which he must certainly have known, Ke'Ala was engineering a situation whereby we would be led to ask the same questions of the ambassador. This, it appears, was Ke'Ala's way of indicating to the ambassador that our questions might be worthy of his (the ambassador's) own investigation.

The ambassador explained some of the causes and consequences of the exile of the Sol Ka clan. Such exile seems to be the (ultimately) inescapable fate of the pre-eminent clan of the day. He said that two great sorcerers of that clan had escaped Moeldaeron. One was En'Nos, who appears to have been in reality the senior member of the group of Danavans met by our grandfathers on the road from Ertures many years ago. The reference to one of that party, Il'Ona, being the “Emperor” of Moeldaeron appears to have been a ruse on the part of the Danavans to conceal the significance of the real leader of the group.

The other great sorcerer to escape was the “ink merchant” himself, Ke'Ala. The ambassador put Ke'Ala's power into context by saying that if Ke'Ala had presented himself at the embassy, the embassy staff would have been obliged to attempt to kill him. That attempt which would probably have led to the deaths of all the Danavans at the embassy.

The greatest of all the Sol Ka to escape was Ala'Ra Sol Ka, the mysterious Danavan who received the assistance of our grandparents in Tibulanus. Ala'Ra is a Great Player. His role is Danaktaen - he who does his duty no matter the cost. The last the ambassador knew about Ala Ra was that the six Players who hold that role went to find him, in an effort to kill and supplant him. We were able to recount the story told by our grandparents, indicating that Ala Ra had killed his pursuers.

The two questions which had led us to the embassy were:
(a) whether there might ever have been a Danavan called Ca Lai Brø Ol and
(b) whether anything further had been learned about the assassination of Laracer by the harlequin.

Regarding the first question, the ambassador confirmed that there was a very important historical figure called Ca Lai Brø Ol. He was a Great Player. His specific role was Vesakae – to make mistakes so that others can learn.

The Brø Ol clan spent themselves in the exodus from Darazi.

Regarding the second question, the ambassador was unaware of any further information. The Harlequin in question had left Karia after assassinating Laracer and returned to its hunting grounds in Cathnaeron.

In respect of both issues, bearing in mind Ke'Ala's evident interest in these points, the ambassador said that he would investigate as best he could, consistent with his duties as ambassador. He thought himself unlikely to learn much while he remained in Karia, which he was likely to do for the next 20 years or so. He suggested that we return at some point, years from now, and confer with him. To ensure secrecy of any future meeting, he gave us a medallion, which he suggested we should hang on the gates of the embassy if we want to meet him. Hanging the medallion means that we want to meet him at the White Corvette inn (or at the site of it, if the inn itself no longer stands at that time).

Return to Vinaria

We thought it prudent to return to Vinaria immediately after our meeting with the ambassador. On reporting what he had learned to his master Sharun, young Waltor learned that the order to which Laracer and Sharun were members is dedicated to learning about the fate of Shalebrol. He was pleased with Waltor's interest in the matter but declined to shed any light on it at that time, implying that Waltor would learn more in due course.

For the next number of months we focused on our studies. Over the next number of months, bad news came from the war. The invasion of Otgaidar was not a mere raid by Iaradar; it was joined in its efforts by the Kingdom of Sheodar and the northern Tibulani province of Requan. This major invasion would be enormously difficult to defeat. Hadraden ordered Matora stripped of every man at arms who can be spared with the intention that a force of 2,000 men would follow the 500 already sent there.

I received a letter from my father which included the Kartagi knife. He gave me liberty to me to trade it to Tokan Liod if the magus was willing to make an appropriate offer for it. I placed both the knife and the Danavan medallion in a strongbox which I rented for an indefinite period at the Dyrian house in Vinaria.

To Tibulanus and Tokan Liod

After we had passed our summer examinations, we set sail for Tibulanus. After a difficult passage, we arrived at Bar Anonn. We were met by a big Tibulani warrior called Skutan Tarani, who guided us on the road to Tokan Liod's capital, Bar Likan.

Tokan Liod received us hospitably. Though he was not forthcoming in every respect, he gave us a certain amount of information.

On the tribes and gods of man

There are 4 tribes of man. Each tribe has one apostate scion. The tribes are as follows:
● The dark-skinned Asdaroi who live on the northern continent
● The Niban-types, including Apertans, Harmorians, Dyrians, Petraeans and inhabitants of the Free Cities. The Apertans are apostate
● The Kartagi-types, including Timorians, Tuonites and Fontarbrians. The Timorians are apostate and are also enslaved by the Shanir
● The Kranthori-types, including Histrans and Alkori. The Alkori are apostate

Insofar as their origin can be established, it seems that Divine servitors tend to come from the primary tribes (i.e. the Kartagi, Kranthori, Niban and Asdaroi peoples) more often than from the other descendant peoples. Iosre, Vilcanat and Hoskoli were Kranthori. Biladon was Kartagi.

On the Quatrains of Akharol

We made an agreement with Tokan Liod that he would give us one quatrain in return for the return to him of the knife formerly possessed by Kirigino, the female Kartagi King's assassin who is now a talon. He then showed us the stone he himself possesses in Bar Likan.

There are 24 quatrains, 6 for each of the 4 tribes of man. The quatrains are believed to be specific to the tribe which possessed it. Of the 7 we then had, 5 or 6 appeared to be of the Kranthori tribe. These are the quatrains located in:

● Barasiumar in Shanaras (though this may be Niban),
● Tenaril in Kranthor,
● Karia in Ankheras
● Vinaria in Matora
● Bar Likan In Tibulanus and
● The Fortress of Aleso which is located in Timoria but which was built by the Kranthori against the Timorians (though this stone may be Kartagi)

The seventh we then had is from a Niban-type dominion, Alfiok

Tokan Liod told us that if we do not have all six of them, then the last Kranthori-type quatrain may have been located in Sinarqa, the principal city of the former dominion of Sinarqa. That city was long ago razed by the Fontarbrians. As part of the above-mentioned arrangement relating to the knife, we also committed Alcura to mounting a mission to the forbidden city of Sinarqa in Fontarbria. If that mission resulted in us finding another quatrain, we were to trade it with Tokan for two more quatrains.

There is no known Danavan connection with Shalebrol. There are ancient apocryphal myths suggesting that Shalebrol may have been a feral dragon.
The decline of Shalebrol has been followed by an unusually long period in which the vacant position has not been filled by another. This, coupled with the fact that the Taran Kun death-myths lack an absolute confirmation of the dragon's demise, led Tylora to speculate that perhaps
(a) Taran Kun fought Shalebrol-as-dragon and
(b) did not kill Shalebrol but severely wounded him and
(c) Shalebrol has been kept alive by some nefarious trick of the Harlequins in order to suppress the emergence of another divine servitor.

On Dragons, Danavans and Demon Spirits

Tawny dragons can be taught to change shape; feral dragons cannot do it.
Dragons don't have a verbal language of their own, but can learn the languages of those they encounter.
Ca Lai Brø Ol translates as the “eldest son of fire”, the personal name of a member of the Brø Ol clan. It implies a strong affinity with fire. I suggested that, if dragons don't have names of their own, perhaps the Danavans might have referred to a powerful feral dragon as the “eldest son of fire”.
In relation to elemental forces, Danavan sorcery involves compelling the elements. Human magic uses a more technical process of influencing the elements. Apostate humans tend to worship or make deals with spirits or ancestors. Spirits are native to the world and might therefore be classed as demonic.
Wights are not dead humans; they are pagan humans who expect to die achieving one enormous act of vengeance or hatred. It was not made clear precisely how a human becomes a Wight, but covering the body in a phoenix tattoo is part of the process. A Wight is enormously strong and able to withstand violence which would kill a normal person.

On the Fontarbrians

Tokan Liod believes that the favour which led King Votlira to ask King Talzim for the death of Hemarl Matora was the release of the elder Arok from its prison in Karia.
The feasibility of putting a spy into Tobara to observe Talzim's court was discussed.

On Tokan Liod and his Dominion

He claims to have been born in the first year of the interregnum. His father was a smith, thus his name “Liod”, which means “smith”.
He made deferential reference to the masters of his order.
His main hall has a geometric pattern on the floor. The pattern is arranged in a square, five flagstones long by five flagstones wide with a margin around them. The pattern is similar to the puzzle sacred to Roslof which Tylora previously saw in the quarters of Arnoal the magus. Waltor noticed that the flagstones are the size of the stones on which the quatrains of Akharol are inscribed and indeed it transpired that the Bar Likan prophecy stone is on one of these same flagstones.

The 19th Quatrain
Where deep shadows lie
An endless ancient stands
It holds a mighty glaive
And there it will remain

There is practically no circumstance in which Tokan Liod or the other southern governors would assist Otgaidar, even against their mutual enemies, the Requani. The Raven emblem of the Otgaidarese causes a reaction of intense primitive hostility on the part of the Tibulani, arising from their pagan past. The Belydi who once ruled Tibulanus regarded the raven as an evil symbol because of its association with the gods. Return to the faith has not softened this hostility on the part of the Tibulani.
Tokan's man Skutan described killing a chieftain who had the effrontery to propose peace with the northern provinces. He described Tokan Liod as being first among equals among the southern governors.
Tokan denied that there was anything odd at his having infiltrated his man Bilador into the confidence of my great-grandfather Wodarn and leaving him there for several years. He implied that it was the easiest way to put a Histran like Bilador close to Ertures. Bilador's accent is faintly Alcuran.

On Taran Kun

We found an old Tibulani called Kener who seemed better informed and more discerning in his interpretation of Tibulani sagas than the average. (It later transpired that this man is a priest of Iosre). He believed that Taran Kun was Kalmarese of the old (pre-Apertan) nobility, not Niban. He believed a Niban would not have been able to do what Taran Kun had done because ethnic resentments would have prevented his integration.
Kener said that Taran Kun settled in Bar Askenji, at first helping one faction to achieve victory in a civil war in that province. After achieving notable feats, he eventually went hunting a dragon which had plagued Ra Karat in a time of famine. Though he tried to go alone, he was accompanied by men of Bar Askenji who died performing various feats of bravery in his company.
The sagas do not record any evidence of the remains of the dragon being found. Neither is there any evidence that Taran Kun sired any children in Tibulanus.

Talons

The talons of Tokan Liod's court appeared to us to be very much at their ease in his presence. We saw Kirigino and Bilador at games and Soros giving Tokan lessons in swordsmanship.

We did see one instance of a talon “on duty”. While returning to the keep at night, Tylora and I witnessed a demonic shape perched close to the keep, apparently on watch. The creature was easily recognisable as a talon from the earlier descriptions we had read.

Despite our unease at the thing's frightening appearance, we took a moment to look at it. The demonic appearance is not created by the artifice of a cunningly designed mask or helm; we were looking at an actual face which was demonic in nature. We passed through the gate and returned to the main hall where, judging by Bilador's absence, we speculated that the talon on the wall must be him.

We awaited the return of Fenroln so that we might get the measure of him as well. That Fontarbrian talon was then monitoring the border area between the northern and the southern provinces. The border had been quiet thus far this year. As it was then half way through the campaigning season, it was thought very unlikely that there would be any fighting more serious than skirmishes along the border this year. Many of the soldiers mustered in the early summer had been sent home, and most of the remainder were spread along the border. There were rumours that next year would bring very substantial fighting, and that the southern provinces would invade the richest of their northern neighbours.

War and Assassins beset Bar Likan
Fenroln Itkoviro returned several days earlier than expected and in great haste. He brought news of an unprecedented invasion by the northern armies. Having concentrated in secret, the northerners had punched through the border area and were marching directly for Bar Likan, ignoring other possible targets on the way. It seemed that they were intent on a massive battle at Bar Likan, hoping that Tokan Liod would not have time to muster sufficient forces to beat them. Victory here would have given them a fighting chance against the remaining provincial armies of the south, and thus the war might be prolonged or conceivably won by them. Defeat for the north here would surely end the war in short time. The stakes were enormous, and Tokan's keep sprang to life in anticipation of the coming blow.

The next day, on his way back to further scout the enemy army, Fenroln raced past Yloe and I as we stood speaking to Bilador in the Keep's courtyard. As he exited the gate, we heard the whinnying scream of a dying horse. Horrified, we looked out to see Fenroln fly from his mortally injured mount, which had been felled by the axes of two big Tibulani warriors.

Thinking myself safe even from such assassins because I was in the presence of several talons, I reached for my own sword, but was surprised to see Bilador turn and race into the keep. Yloe and I followed, running to our room and barricading the door. Minutes later, a heavy thudding tread descended the stairs and someone – or something – banged at the door, but did not break it. We called out, and the person (or thing) plodded away.

We looked out through the narrow windows of our second-floor room. Our view was limited to a stretch of courtyard, a portion of the wall, and the Fontarbrian-style chapel located in the keep. Walking along the wall was a Tibulani man, almost naked, covered in heavy black tattooing in the image of a phoenix. We recognised the pattern as that previously described by my grandfather as the tattoo of a man who had given himself over to pagan spirits to become a Wight. The thing was headed towards the chapel. Aware as I was of the terrible, ungodly, strength of such things I sought to raise the alarm to any that could hear, calling out that there was a Wight on the wall.

I had not intended to draw the Wight’s attention, but that was what happened. The thing turned to look up at me and then reversed its direction, trudging back across the wall and towards our room, a single story above. Reaching a point directly below us, the Wight began to climb towards us.

Not trusting the narrow window to keep us safe, I drew my sword. Soon, the clawing hand of the Wight appeared at the window, dragging the rest of its body behind. I lunged, hoping to sever the arm, but the beast caught my sword in one hand, holding himself to the wall by the other. The only damage I had done was to sever a small finger.

The beast dragged me close to itself. It flung my sword away and grabbed my tunic. I was pressed so tight to the wall that I could not draw my dagger. Yloe grabbed it and tried to slash away at the back of my tunic, that I might be free of the thing, but there seemed no chance that she would succeed in time. For a moment I believed that the Wight would crush me to death.

Then something enormous crashed into the keep, knocking mortar out of the walls and causing bricks almost to pop inwards. The Wight was wrenched away from its perch outside and tossed aside. A noisome, sulphurous smoke gushed in through the window but we did not immediately jump away. We were, for a moment, entranced by the pupil of a huge eye, tall as a man, which was peering at us through the half-destroyed arrow-slit window. It seemed that we had been rescued by a dragon.

Tokan Liod's Fury

As events transpired, the Wight which attacked us was only one of 14 such creatures who had invaded Tokan Liod's keep. A massive bloodletting was taking place around us. In the aftermath, all the Wights had been cut down, as had dozens of Tokan's soldiers. Tokan himself was unharmed and no other Talons had died.

While taking shelter in our room during the fighting, we were accosted from without by a woman's voice speaking in a Kalmarese accent. She demanded that we open the door but declined to identify herself. When we did not open, the stones around the door began to grow warm and glow in an unnatural way, and through some magical means the woman began to thrust her arm through the locked door without breaking the wood. We opened the door, at that point believing the woman to be the dragon who had saved us. She had some conversation with Waltor without speaking, and he indicated that she had entered the room to recover a fang which had fallen out when she struck the Wight. The “lady” later declined to tell us her name. We later observed that all the Artuli companions (Vol, Raliol and this lady) appear Kalmarese.

During the fighting, Tylora explored the keep. She encountered Tokan Liod, who was in a mighty rage, almost beyond the point of reason. His dragon had also warned Waltor not to use any magic in the keep, except in direst need, because Tokan in his rage might lash out at him if magic were used. Later, when people gathered in the main hall amongst the debris of the battle, Tokan's rage was still evident. Even his Talons feared where his rage might carry him, and only his “lady” seemed to be able to calm him down.

Over the next few days, Tokan's rage did not abate. He caused the remains of the 14 Wights to be strung up on the keep's walls, and gathered the people of Bar Likan before them. He delivered an enraged oration culminating in his beheading the Wights with his axe. This clearly stirred the crowd, causing them to hunt the city for those suspected witches who had created the Wights. Some people were found and unceremoniously killed; whether they were innocent or guilty I do not know. No-one was in any doubt that the northerners were responsible for the outrage, and Tokan's oration also served to strengthen the resolve of his troops for the coming battle.

Several days later, the northern armies met Tokan Liod’s forces on a ridge outside the gates of Bar Likan. After a hard fight, the superior resolve and elevated disposition of the southerners outweighed the fact that many of their men were inferior levies, and the northern army was routed.

Pausing only for a day or two to give his friend and general Fenroln a dramatic funeral (burning him in his boat with all his possessions) Tokan made preparations to hunt the remaining northerners all the way back to their homes. He was particularly intent on killing the northern governors who must have hatched the plan to create the Wights. Talk around the keep was to the effect that “because we no longer have the knife, we will have to take the old-fashioned way of denying their soul to Belgris”. This led us to conclude that the function of the Kartagi knife is precisely to deny the comfort of the afterlife to those killed by it. (This may offer a different explanation for the fate of King Vanam – it may be that the failure of the Fontarbrians' clergy of Belgris to contact Vanam after his death was due to his death at the hands of a Kartagi assassin).

At this point we left Bar Likan, hoping to use the last winds of summer to bring the news of the battle to Hadraden in Otgaidar, on the chance that it might have an impact on the way in which he was dealing with the Requani, the only northerners not to have been thrashed at the battle of Bar Likan. We found that Hadraden's war was progressing well for him. Forced to winter in Otgaidar, we returned to Matora in the spring, after seeing how Hadraden had suppressed Sheodar and Iaradar, and was investing Bar Requan. Victory for him seemed only a matter of time.

Consolidation and Preparation

The next few years saw us pursue our studies at university, while making plans for our journey to the lost city of Sinarqa. In that time, Tokan had successfully conquered the north and Hadraden had reduced Bar Requan. The northern governors had been very harshly dealt with, including the governor of Marin, who fled as far as Vinaria before being butchered and strung up by Bilador, unshriven.

Kirigino's knife was given to Bilador at this time.

Waltor told me of a conversation he had with his master Sharun during this period. Waltor had noticed a stone in Sharun's study which was of similar dimensions to Tokan Liod's prophecy stone, expect that it was sliced diagonally through the center and bore floral decorations instead of an inscription. Sharun told Waltor that this is one of two keystones to the same set of prophecies. Sharun warned Waltor that the Artuli's obsession with the prophecies of Akharol was dangerous and had led to many tragedies and at least one disaster – that being the suppression of Timor.

After completing our degrees, and after a long period of preparation and study, we set out for the lost city of Sinarqa. Tylora had, through her temple, obtained some very helpful information which gave us a number of possible avenues for discovering the city. We took with us Ventakesh, a nephew of Haakesh, as well as three trusty young men vouched by Tanath (Waltor’s father).

To the lost city of Sinarqa

After a number of incorrect landfalls, we eventually landed at a site which was clearly the lost city for which we had searched. Almost entirely ruined and overgrown, the city was barely identifiable amongst the overgrowing forest and brush. We spent an entire summer, clearing the city and making our searches.

From what remains, it is clear that the city of Sinarqa was enormous. The maps and charts I attach demonstrate that the area of the city was a multiple of the area of the great cities of the current day, such as Karia; Sinarqa must have been one of the most populous cities in the world.

The size of the city was not immediately obvious to us. When we initially landed, we explored a place which at first seemed to us to be the main city (being of a similar size to many cities we have visited) but which later turned out to be merely the port attached to the main city.

The Port City

The port consisted almost entirely of great warehouses and government buildings, identifiable as such from their thick walls and huge floor areas. The most interesting element of the port was a series of subterranean rooms and corridors which we explored at length. Some of the rooms seemed to have been for storage purposes; others had strange designs and layouts which we did not understand. The tunnels contained the several corpses, including one of a long-dead person which – through several magical and mundane observations – we concluded was decomposing at an unnaturally slow rate. That partially decomposed corpse bore an amulet with a representation of a hawk, together with four words, two unrecognizable (possibly proper nouns) and the other two “Through” and “Amity”. Our magical observation indicated that a shade may have been haunting the area around the corpse.

The tunnels also contained a ghoulish ossuary (or at least a room in which many skeletal remains lay) and a small shrine of Vilcanat.

The only intact buildings in the port were temples of Soek and Tomarto, which were full of human remains. It appeared to us that many people had taken refuge in the temples and had been left there to die by the Fontarbrians.

Sinarqa

The main city of Sinarqa was clearly enormous. It contained large temples to all the major and minor gods (apart from Soek and Tomarto); a large fortress, a huge palace complex and several large squares. Almost every building had been leveled by the Fontarbrians. A mound of thousands of human skulls, piled dozens deep in one of the main squares, bore eloquent testament to the extent to which the Fontarbrians hated the citizens of this place.

Most of the temples were in poor condition, having been damaged by fire or decay, but had not been violated by the Fontarbrians. The temples of Korak and Belgris were in the best condition. The palace complex had been thoroughly destroyed but for a statute of a king, Waltor, who we deduced was the king responsible for bringing the wrath of Fontarbria on this place. The statue wore armour which bore a hawk emblem similar to that which we had seen on the corpse’s amulet in the port city.

Detailed examination of the floors of every building which was to any extent intact failed to disclose the prophecy stone which we sought.

A Mysterious Danavan

In the last days of summer, half of us we rowed across to the small island close to the port city. Tylora’s researches had led us to believe that an earlier Alkori settlement may have existed on that island prior to the foundation of Sinarqa by the Kranthori. We failed to find any such settlement, but we did find definite signs of life on the island – recently trapped fowl and a strange, cunningly made boat. No-one made contact with us, but Tylora on watch was sure that someone approached our camp in the night. On Tylora’s instinct, we spoke some Danavan names aloud, but the visitor did not respond.

That same night, while coming back to our main camp in the port city, Waltor had a brief encounter with a Danavan who did not respond to his greeting but instead slipped away into the night. We know nothing more about this strange neighbour.

Discovery

During the days immediately before we expected our ship to return, we revisited many of the buildings previously cleared, checking for some clue we may have missed. Though we wished to avoid the haunted tunnels under the port city, Tylora’s instincts led us back to the shrine of Vilcanat located there. The shrine contained a life-sized statue of that Servitor perched on a plinth. Moving the statue, we found under its feet that which had eluded us for so long; the prophecy stone. The plinth also contained some relics, which we were careful not to disturb. Taking the stone back to our camp, we waited for our ship to return us to the comforts of Vinaria.

The 16th Quatrain
Dreams advances slowly
As Fire reaches its ebb
God and Demon will rule
Once conjoined and blooded

On Shalebrol

The 21st Quatrain

2007-05-14T13:59:00.001+01:00

Those without faith shall rule
The Chosen People when
The Raven flies over
The Unconquered and Free

The 11th Quatrain

2007-04-14T13:56:00.001+01:00

The Son of Fire passes
No longer are conquests
Or destruction his aims
Nor service to his Clan

High Lord's Palace in the Free City of Alfiok in Apertus. Located by the third generation.

A controversial interpretation of this quatrain arises from the fact that the Danavan name Son of Fire would be written “Ca Lai Brø Ol ”, the pronunciation of which is very close to Shalebrol, the divine servant. One of Shalebrol's titles is “Brother to the Moon”. Danavan sorcery is believed to be connected to the moon.

The 7th Quatrain

2007-03-14T12:54:00.001Z

Eastwards exiled Dukes flee
And conquering as Kings
Exiled and first Houses
Both in thrall to Empire

Temple of Barias in Tenaril in Kranthor. Given to the third generation by the magus Adrieste.

The conventional interpretation (which is not questioned by us) is that this refers to the conquest of the Histra/Ankheras region by the exiled Dukes of Kranthor, who elevated themselves to kingships. Both Kranthor and the kingdoms of Histra/Ankheras were then conquered by Fontarbria.

A Thousand Swords

2007-02-14T09:59:00.004Z

The Book of Alcus

To Baron Alcura
Alcus
My Lord Father,

I hope that you will not think me impertinent in writing this letter. I have been involved – at your instruction – for most of the past few years in a sequence of events which led ultimately to the investiture of our ally Hadraden as Prince of Matora. During these events it struck me how frequently the actions of myself and my colleagues were steered by the stories and anecdotes related to us by you and some of your former comrades in arms about your own adventures. In some cases, the stories you related had, in turn, been told to you by your own noble father about his own actions and these too were helpful to me.

I have developed a strong sense, father, that the role of our family in the lives of the late Princess Mictila and her descendants has not come to an end. I am conscious that my son Wodarn and my future children and grandchildren may not have the benefit of you or I recounting these stories at length. Therefore, in aid of those future members of our noble House, I am taking the liberty of setting out a record of the events in which we have been involved. (If nothing else, this account will serve to pass the days of a long sea voyage!).

Hemarl Alcura
Off the coast of Matora

I would welcome your considered views on the matters I will proceed to relate, and your corrections and eludicdations where appropriate.

The campaign for Matora was divided into two theatres by the Bay of Vinaria. Hadraden – accompanied by our group and Lecaha – fought on the western side of the Dominion, while Ertura led the fight in the east. Our landing from the island of Terakor onto the Matoran mainland was marked by the capture of a Shanaran ship which held a number of interesting passengers.

The Future
Now father, I am returning to Alcus, but only for a short time. My intention is – with your permission - to fit out a “trading mission” to Alfiok. The real purpose of my visit is, of course, to transcribe the Akherolian quatrain which I believe is set as a flagstone in the palace of the Highlord, and also to make discreet inquiries about the mysterious Javaran. Then I hope to treat with Tokan Liod to trade the Alfioki quatrain for one in his possession, and later to visit with Adrieste in Vinaria to collect a further quatrain known to her. After that, perhaps there will be time to spend time with my beloved Anim and my dear son Wodarn.

Into the future, I do not know where the service of the House Alcura will bring me. I have no doubt, though, that the fates of you and I and our descendants will continue to be entwined with those of the progeny of the third issue of the alignment of Mandrake and Stars.

Javaran of Alfiok

One was a man calling himself Javaran, claiming to be a former War Master of the Highlord of the Free City Alfiok. Javaran had been travelling to Vinaria to offer himself as a mercenary, having suffered a falling out with the Highlord regarding a personal matter. The man was clearly educated in the military arts and we secured Hadraden's consent to hire him to our ranks, albeit in a less lofty post than he had anticipated.

Javaran at all times served to the highest possible standards and did no act which have us reason to suspect his loyalty. However we have always treated him with circumspection. His arrival into our midst appeared too good to be true, as we had at that time an excellent body of fighting men but a shortage of competent captains to lead them. His arrival happened (as you will recall) shortly after we had sent a message to Tokan Liod with a view to opening talks aimed at ending the generations of conflict between him (on the one hand) and Alcus, Ertura and Mictila's line on the other. Given Tokan Liod's history of intrigue I thought it possible that Javaran might be a spy.

The only questionable issue which arose in relation to Javaran arose later in the campaign, when soldiers serving under him reported seeing him use arcane powers in a tower assault. According to the soldiers, he used these powers to burn an enemy soldier alive. On being questioned, Javaran disparaged the suggestion that he was a magus and said that the man in question had fallen into a fire. The soldiers' story was not sufficient to cast serious doubt on Javaran's account, and I have never heard any evidence that he is anything other than appropriately loyal to Hadraden. However I have continued to recommend vigilance to Hadraden. I hope to travel soon to Alfiok on other business and plan to take that opportunity to inquire into Javaran's history.

The Ankheran Envoy

An Ankheran knight called Hietan (from the Viscounty of Laetaras) was also a passenger on the captured ship. The ship's captain, Alberan, told us that Hietan had boarded in the port of Vanadiumar in the Duchy of Dumata and that he had paid the captain to bring the ship to a place off the coast of south-western Matora, where Hietan went aboard a Fontarbrian vessel also moored there.

As you will recall, Hietan told us very little, but was more forthcoming with yourself when we sent him to Alcus. He confirmed to you that he had handed a letter to the Fontarbrian Viscount Tursela. He also reported a belief in the Ankheran court that King Votlira of Ankheras had engineered the death of Hemarl Matora. This Votlira allegedly did by way of a letter which requested that Talzim, then the scion of the CoDratapnan line and now King of Fontrabria, secure the death of Hemarl. This was to be done in return for something previously agreed, though what that might have been we do not yet know.

Tokan Liod's Envoys

Shortly after we landed on the Matoran mainland, we were approached by two emissaries of Tokan Liod. The first was a Dyrian called Etrao, who may be the same emissary as previously spoke to my grandfather Wodarn, in which case he is likely to be a Talon. The second was Bilador, who admitted being the same Bilador as thwarted Wodarn, and thus is almost certainly a Talon. I outlined to them my own personal desire for a peaceful settlement, undertaking to use my good offices with you, Ertura and Hadraden to attempt to bring this about. We agreed to meet again at the end of the campaign season as near as possible to Vinaria to see whether these talks could be brought any further.

The Campaign

The first phase of the campaign involved the capture of a sequence of towns and towers in the southern part of the theatre. Our line of march followed a similar route to the one you followed in Hemarl's war, though the way was easier for us because the mercer houses and certain towns had secretly remained loyal to Hemarl and his line.

Our first major engagement was outside the city of Kasodael, in which Arnohil had been invested by a substantial Ankheran force. The enemy force was badly disposed and poorly organised and we overcome it.

Our next target was the larger city of Monperlo, whither we moved with dispatch. There we narrowly avoided disaster. Unknown to us, Monperlo was the site of a large Ankheran concentration which would have been far superior to our own. Having drawn a numerically superior Ankeran force out of the city to give us battle on ground we had chosen, we found out at the last minute that a second – still greater – force was marching toward our rear.

Heavily outnumbered, we retreated, and continued to retreat through territory only recently captured. The Ankheran army, 8,000 strong, was led by King Votlira himself, accompanied by his brother and Marshall, Varana. Our own force, numbering less than 3,000, was disposed to encourage the Ankherans to continue their pursuit, so that we might find appropriate ground on which a battle might be fought.

Ankheras Vanquished

We found such ground at the town of Monrosh, which was protected with sturdy walls and a strong river. Snaring a body of knights in an ambush, and positioning Javaran's companies in a series of amubushes, served to lure the Ankherans into a hasty assault through the hayfields which lay between them and the town. Pre-positioned Matoran incendiaries fired the fields, causing panic in the Ankheran ranks, which were then further depleted by heavy crossbow volleys. As the sun set, a rout began and we sallied toward a hill where Votlira had established himself with a bodyguard of 500 who remained steadfast.

Hadraden himself led that charge but the hero of that bloody night was Tanath Hemnerasun who battered through countless Ankheran armsmen, struck down the Ankheran standard and captured King Votlira himself.

In that fiery hour, the war was won. An enormous ransom was paid by the Ankherans to our allied forces, and Hadraden and his line were confirmed as sovereign Princes of Matora, albeit that Matora would remained within the Kingdom of Ankheras. Votlira also swore never to treat with the King of Fontarbria. In due course, our group returned to Vinaria in advance of Hadraden, to prepare the city for his coming triumph.

The Triumph of Hadraden

The Triumph of Hadraden will never be forgotten by any who witnessed it. It was far more than a procession; it was an ecstatic religious experience shared by thousands. Giving obeisance to Korak in an obscure form, Hadraden had painted his face pitch black from eyebrows to mouth. His beard and hair were bleached white. He rode a horse and carried an axe and a knife. Behind him marched his massed army, led by the proud-stepping veterans, Hemarl's Thousand, who had marched the long, long leagues of Fontarbria to join this war. Proudly, the banner of Alcura fluttered too amongst the victorious ranks as our group took its rightful place of honour in the procession.

As Hadraden marched, the crowd underwent a kind of hysteria unrelated to any modest joy they would have felt at Hadraden's victory. For all that many would have remained loyal to Hemarl, Hadraden was a foreigner to them, an Otgaidarese prince who had never before set foot in the ancient city of Vinaria. One expected a certain joy at the ending of a war and the return of a popular royal line, but what occurred was several orders of magnitude greater than any normal level of festivity. This ecstasy was not experienced by those who marched; only by those who watched.

Knowledgeable experts whom we later consulted suggested that the triumphal procession had become a collective manifestation of Korak himself, and that the onlookers' reactions were those of people enraptured by the direct presence of a god. Having seen the people myself, I find that hypothesis convincing. Certainly something extraordinary occurred. The explanation was accompanied by ominous words too: we were warned that, when gods take a direct interest in people, the end result is seldom happy for those people.

Things Learned in Vinaria

During our stay in Vinaria, we were approached – as previously arranged – by Etrao and Bilador, emissaries of Tokan Liod. Since our last meeting, I had made various representations to yourself, Ertura and Hadraden concerning the possible establishment of a peace between you three and Tokan Liod, and all three were agreeable to it. Long years of war had profited us little, cost us much, and had only slowed Tokan Liod's inevitable victory in Tibulanus. The principles of a lasting peace, including the opening of trade, were agreed at that point.

A curious altercation at that point led to several useful discoveries. Our group had made the acquaintance of one Adriesta, the Dean of History in University of Vinaria, in the course of inquiries about the events at the Triumph. We invited the lady and her attendant, a Kalmarese called Vol, to dinner. Thinking to make an evening of it, we also invited Etrao and Bilador, not telling either duo about the expected presence of the other. When Tokan Liod's men set eyes on Adrieste and Vol, all four reached for weapons. A stand-off ensued, which only ended when Etrao and Bilador departed with apologies.

It transpired that Adrieste is a magus of the same order as Tokan Liod. Clearly, relations between the members of this order are not entirely cordial, though both sides later insisted that there is no actual hostility between them. Each said they were merely surprised by and suspicious of the unannounced presence of the other.

This led us to a discussion about the 24 quatrains of Akharol, which are the subject of inquiries by the members of Adrieste and Tokan Liod's order. It transpired that these quatrains were dispersed long ago throughout the world. Some are readily accessible (for example those we had previously unearthed in Karia and Vinaria). Some are accessible to those with sufficient resources and dedication to retrieve them, such as one, known to us but not until then to Adrieste, in Alfiok.

Some of the quatrains appear to be lost or inaccessible. These include those hidden in the great northern continent about which Adrieste informed us, a continent inhabited by the Ygril, the third major surviving demon race.

We have a great interest in these quatrains, believing that at least one of them refers to Hemarl Matora. For that reason, we came to an agreement with Adrieste. We said that we would recover the prophecy in Alfiok in return for her giving us the details of two quatrains in her possession but not ours. She agreed, with the proviso that we must not only produce to her the text of the prophecy, but also its number, which is carved on the side of the prophecy stone. We resolved to travel to Alfiok at a later time to conclude this matter.

Hadraden Summoned to Karia

In the meantime, we had a more pressing concern. King Votlira had summoned Hadraden to Karia to swear fealty of him. Given the terms of the Treaty of Monrosh, this was a very difficult summons to decline, as Hadraden was still to owe fealty to Votlira. However there was a significant chance that Votlira would simply murder Hadraden and reassert his brother's claim over Matora. Despite the danger, Hadraden decided to obey.

Curiously, Tokan Liod's envoys requested that they be given several months notice of any visit by Hadraden to Karia. They suggested that they could be of assistance to him if given such notice. After some discussion, we decided to tell the envoys of Hadraden's expected date of arrival – the midsummer festival. They advised us that, if things went badly, we should make for “the White Corvette” at the docks in Karia, which is an inn.

It would not have been wise for me, an avowed enemy of Ankheras, to travel openly to Karia with Hadraden. However our group greatly desired to go there, not only to help protect Hadraden but also to finish the job which our grandfathers' had left unfinished – the destruction of the demon previously imprisoned in the dungeons of Karia's royal palace. With that task in mind, we requested the loan from the Temple of Javarus in Ertures of the ancient sword, forged for demon-slaying and left there by Soros. The sword reached us in time for our departure.

In keeping with plans agreed with Hadraden, I staged a display of anger in Vinaria, pretending to disagree with the new Prince's decision to travel to Karia. I made a large sacrifice at the Temple of Vilcanat, asking that if anything should happen to Hadraden in Ankheras, that vengeance should be visited on Votlira himself (this sacrifice and attendant request was not feigned!). I then boarded a ship bound for Alcus, but left that ship in disguise and rejoined Hadraden as a humble clerk in his entourage, which also included my friends.

Hadraden's army was massed on the Ankheran border, ready to strike should Hadraden need help. He himself travelled with only 100 men at arms.

Revelation in Karia – the Evil of the Arok

There was no obvious sign of evil intent in Karia. We settled in our accommodations and began to make certain discreet inquiries in the days leading up to the midsummer feast.

One of our first visits was to Raliol, the magus who had requested that our grandfathers' slay the demon. He was more forthcoming about the nature of the creature at this point. He explained that it was not a true demon, but a thing called an Arok. Aroks are humans with powers equivalent to saints, but they do not follow any god. Instead, they serve the Seventh, a power of the nature of the gods but implacably opposed to them. The Seventh, operating in secret, schemes to supplant the gods and destroy the demons in its own name.

The power of the Arok lies in the control of mens' minds, whether through subtle persuasion or brutal supernatural domination. It is ageless and feeds, not as normal men do, but rather through the diabolic means of sucking the life-force from normal mortals. It is immune to the magic of humans and demons – void and moon, as Raliol said it – and can only be killed by ordinary humans. We reckoned that the creature would by now be enormously powerful, both in its supernatural abilities and in the political influence it would have.

Raliol described the motivation of the Arok to be to cause discord between people and countries, and in that respect we saw many possible hints of its influence in Karia over the years.

We also learned that the way in which the late Princess Mictila and members of her family died in Karia was consistent with the way an Arok would drain the life from a normal human over a long period. This led us to conclude that the Arok killed Mictila, though whether this was done purely to satisfy its evil thirst, or was also intended to provoke conflict with Hemarl and his line, is unclear.

Investigations in Karia

We set about investigating figures in Votlira's court whose behaviour was consistent with being that of the Arok. We looked for shadowy figures with influence but not great public profile who would, at the time of Mictila's death, have had access to the royal palace.

As part of our researches, we enlisted the help of the local bishop of Biladon, Guardian of Heaven. Though he had never heard of the Seventh or an Arok, he believed that his particular gifts would allow him to identify one if he set eyes on it.

We also consulted the Bishops of Korak and Mantniaras, ostensibly to get their help (though there was little practical help they could offer) but more importantly to prepare the ground for the event which would take place. In the event that we discovered the Arok in Votlira's court, and were required to kill it, we wished to have a story already disseminated which might limit the extent of Votlira's retribution.

The last bishop we spoke to was the Bishop of Belgris. The current Bishop is known to be close to Votlira and his intercession might well have been of great benefit to us. We first asked him to perform the relatively innocuous task of assisting Hadraden to contact his deceased great-grandmother, Mictila. We did this in the hope that Mictila could shed light on the existence and identity of the Arok – and help convince the bishop in the process.

The Bishop failed to make a connection with Mictila and, though the length of time and remoteness of the relationship might have been factors in the failure, he clearly felt that something more sinister was thwarting his efforts. Therefore we told him about the presence of the Arok and of our plans to kill it. He was very concerned at the news but broadly supportive of our intention.

We also in this period made inquiries about the presence of the Harlequin in Karia several decades ago, which I have referred to previously.

Assassins

While in Karia, we came across several of the Kartagi mercenaries last seen during the siege of Qan Saloso. They were led by Haakesh, he of the curve-handled knife. In discussions, he admitted that the knife was the badge of office of the Kartagi King's Assassin. The term used (“King’s Assassin”) was explained as deriving from the fact that the holders of the office are beholden to his service as the King of the City of Kartaga and not as the Emperor of Kartagakeen.

Haakesh had previously held that office, but had fallen from favour with the God-Emperor and had fled. He explained to us some of the theology of that bizarre country. It holds that when Shalebrol has ceased to be a divine servitor, and has been replaced by the magus who is now god-Emperor of Kartagakeen. Furthermore, the God Emperor does not suffer any other magus to live within his empire, mistrusting their loyalty.

We explained to Haakesh our dilemma with the Arok. He was aware of the nature of the Seventh. He volunteered to assassinate the creature, for an enormous fee. We said we would consider that option, without making any commitment. In the meantime we retained the Kartagi mercenaries on Hadraden's behalf. At that point, we feared that we would not be fast enough to find the Arok, and that it might try to have Hadraden killed at the fealty ceremony. Every available sword might (at that point) be of great value to us.

That situation did not come to pass. With the help of the Bishop of Biladon, after ruling some other suspects out of consideration, we identified the Arok as one Garryl, a courtier often used by the king as a messenger and envoy. Luring this Garryl to a meeting – ostensibly to conduct intrigue between Alcura and Ankheras – we attacked him. Evidence that this Garryl was indeed the Arok was incontrovertible - not only did the Bishop indicate that this was so, but the Arok also possessed Tanath and made him attempt to kill Gunnar.

I was not present at the assassination, but I know it was bloody indeed. By the end of it, the Arok Garryl had been killed, but so had Hietan Hemalberan, most loyal knight of Alcura, and Garryl hem Garryl, that most ingenious merchant, pirate and spy. Their loss weighs heavily on me, they who had soldiered alongside me for many thousands of miles.

After the fight, we brought the bodies of those killed to the Temple of Belgris. The Bishop of Biladon had been our herald, and confirmed that the courtier we killed had been an enemy pf the Gods. The Bishop of Belgris brought the news to the King, whom he later reported to be angry at how he had been manipulated by the Arok, but who accepted our story. Thus the killing of the Arok was achieved without causing danger for Hadraden. Nevertheless, fearing for our own safety, we stole from the city with the help of Tokan Liod's men at the White Corvette. We paused only to ensure the return the ancient sword to the Temple of Javarus.

We returned safely to Vinaria, as eventually did Hadraden, whose fealty ceremony had passed went without incident.

The Lion and the Rose

2006-08-03T09:52:00.003+01:00

The role of myself and my companions in this long saga started seven years ago with the news that Princess Mictila had died. No other close relatives of Hemarl's survived in captivity. You sent us to bring this news to him so that he could return to Matora in strength and reassert this claim to the principality.

The group entrusted with this mission were, a multi-talented merchant Garryl Hemgarryl; an Alcuran scout of Tibulani ancestry called Gunnar; an Erturan called Hannsan who had been an acolyte of Korak before leaving that god's service in circumstances of some controversy; yourself; Tanath Hemnerasun, a talented Alcuran armsman; and Hietan Hemalberan, a Knight of Alcura.

Talons in Alcus

Before we left, several of our number witnessed a confrontation the import of which was not immediately clear. Prior to the confrontation, Tanath was present at an incident where his associate (and yours) Roan Ealdar saw a man who Roan insisted was Soros Yi Grisane.
Soros – former weapons master to the last Baron Ertura and associate of my grandfather Wodarn – had been Roan's master until an argument of some sort had divided them. Soros was by this point have been an old man, but Roan told Tanath that Soros had not appeared to have aged a day in the 30 years since Roan had last seen him.
Later Tanath and Garryl witnessed an attack on a Fontarbrian vessel tied up at the docks by two demonic creatures answering the descriptions previously given of Talons, the servants of Tokan Liod. These were of human height but demonic in form, with very dark, lizard-like skin. One of these two Talons were carrying twin short swords, weapons very similar to the weapons which Soros had favoured in years gone by. This, coupled with the fact that Soros had not aged, led us to later conclude that Soros is a Talon. Longevity appears to be a virtue, not only of Tokan Liod, but also of his servants, as the later appearance of Bilador, and the enduring vitality of the general Itkoviro Fenroln attest.
The other Talon was winged, and carried a curve-handled knife which it dropped in the course of the fighting and which you now have in your possession. I would suggest you take the greatest care with that knife, father, as I now believe it to be the badge of office of a Kartagi imperial assassin.
Shape-shifting appears to be another likely attribute of these demonic servants. You have told me that my grandfather Wodarn frequently said that he had seen Tokan Liod in the presence of half a dozen or so demonic Talons in a building in Karia. They could hardly have arrived at Karia in demonic form without drawing attention, and it seems more likely that they arrived in the form of ordinary men, only to transfigure themselves at need.

Survivors of the Talons' attack

The attack by the Talons on the ship failed. Despite killing several Fontarbrian knights present on the ship, the Talons were driven off by several powerful magi present on the ship. The magi escaped the ship and the city and would (as we later learn) make their way back to Fontarbria with the heirloom which was the object of the Talons' attack.
A surviving knight, Halcira Ronril, Knight of Jhilesa, declined to explain any relevant details of the attack, but later events would allow us to piece together most of what happened. The ship belonged to the Knights of the Irchilan, a Fontarbrian Militant Order dedicated to fighting the Shanir. They had traveled to the island of Illkankor, far to the north and west of the Free Cities, in search of The Well of Souls.
The Well of Souls is an ancient heirloom which permits (through the device of a complex and dangerous ritual) communication with the long dead. Through this heirloom, the Militant Orders sought to resolve the Fontarbrian civil war by contacting the last undisputed King, Vanam, and asking him which of his lines was the line of legitimate succession. As you know, Fontarbrian succession works not through primogeniture but through nomination from a possible group of eligible successors.
Halcira Ronril, though unassuming in manner, had been very senior within his Order prior to the attack and had become Grand Master now by virtue of the death of the former Grand Master in the attack on the ship.
Ronril, although he divulged little or nothing of his mission, was indebted to you, father, because of the delicate manner in which you handled the matter of several suits of Fontarbrian plate armour, which by the laws of their country the Fontarbrians should not have transported abroad, but in which the bodies of the dead knights were armed. Halcira Ronril agreed to travel with us to Fontarbria and to use his good offices to keep us as safe as practicable during our search for Hemarl.

We travel to Fontarbria

Thus we duly travelled to Fontarbria in the company of Halcira Ronril. A number of incidents befell us on the seas and in the cities along our journey including Ertures, Esakom and Darlis but in due course we entered Fontarbria. We made landfall in the city of Farlar, where Halcira Ronril was treated with honour by his fellows of the Jhilesa Order, and it became clear that he was senior among them. He heard some important news there, which we later came to understand was the news that the escaped mages had reached home with the Well of Souls.

Ronril, now recognised as Grand Master of his Order, was to travel to a convocation of the Grand Masters of all the Militant Orders with a view (we believe) to unlocking its power. We in turn heard rumour that Hemarl was campaigning to the north east of that vast country, and resolved to continue by sea as far as we could. Halcira Ronril travelled with us for as long as our two routes coincided.

As we were preparing to leave the city of Farlar, we received an entreaty that would prove fateful for me and the House of Alcura. A noble called Arnohil approached our ship and asked for passage for himself and a lady in his care, Lady Anim ay Saloso. We agreed and the two – with a single servant, Wat – joined us on our journey. In time, as you know, it became clear that this lady was the wife of Talzeem, the scion of the CoDratapnan line and claimant to the Fontarbrian throne. Talzeem was infamous for his cruelty on the battlefield and he was no more gracious in his private life; Anim had chosen to return to her father, Count Saloso in territory close to where we believed Hemarl was campaigning.

Explosion and curse

We travelled with Halcira Ronril to the city of Rolanre, where it became clear to us how senior a figure he was. The city was full of members of all the militant orders, joined for what was then a secret ritual, but which we later came to believe was the first, abortive, attempt to use the Well of Souls. The attempt failed with spectacular results, killing all the Grand Masters, including Ronril. We left the city promptly.
However, before the explosion, we had cause to overhear an expression which peaked our interest. One member of a militant order, in a tone which suggested a curse against another person, said “The Seventh will take him”. We did not understand at that time the import of that curse, but later came to understand that it referred to that being which I have mentioned, not a God but of their kind, their eternal enemy who works in secret.

We enter the civil war

Having left that city, we travelled further through the wreckage of the war between CoDratapna, CoNarlosa and CoRendasa factions. We learned that Hemarl was besieging the very city from whence Anim had come, Qan Saloso. Leaving our ship in the city of Egevir, we hired a group of Kartagi mercenaries led by one Ashesh and his lieutenant Haakesh. Haakesh was of interest because he carried a large knife with a distinctly curved handle similar to and another which had been dropped by a Talon in their attack in Alcus. The Kartagi proved excellent guardians on the road.

Travelling a hard overland route, we eventually came to Qan Saloso, which had by now been taken by Hemarl. We met him there, in the Count's keep, for the first time; an older and surely harder man than you had known. He was shown deference and respect equal to any Fontarbrian count, as far as I could see. He had lost his wife and all but one of his children to the plague several years previously, and there was a quality of bitterness about him. The news we brought of the death of his mother clearly did not cheer him, but there was no doubt that he would soon begin to prepare for the long journey home.

However, there were more immediate problems to hand. Talzeem, called the Impaler, had decided to lead his army to recapture Qan Saloso, and was approaching fast. Volunteering our services, our group were given the task of policing the city while Hemarl's veterans and his Fontarbrian allies prepared to receive siege. We retained the services of the Kartagi mercenaries to assist us.

If I may say so, father, our group performed our functions very well during the weeks which followed, both before and during the Siege of Qan Saloso. We uncovered a plot to destroy the city using Kartagi Fire which, in addition to saving the city, provided us with a supply of Fire which we used to devastating effect, destroying much of Talzeem's great naval fleet, as well as doing other great damage to Talzeem's efforts.
Aided by the presence of Anim, we helped persuade Saloso himself to join the CoRendasa cause and defend his city. We contracted the Kartagi Haakesh to discretely remove the threat posed by a number of disloyal Salosan knights, in the process learning that Haakesh is a man of exceptional talent; a matter to which I shall soon return. Interestingly, the curve-handled knife which he carried was very similar to one held by a statue of the God-Emperor of Kartagi which sits in Qan Saloso.

On a personal level, this was the period in which Lady Anim agreed to be my wife. According to Fontarbrian law, she had by this time been divorced from Talzeem and her father agreed that I might take her hand. I had little concern for dowries or the like; I had a bride who was literally fit for a Fontarbrian King, beautiful, witty and erudite. The noble line of Alcus will long be enriched by my fortunate marriage.

Crushing defeat at Qan Saloso

Our defense of the city was conducted in the hope that a relieving force would soon arrive. We received word of such possible relief shortly after Talzeem's army did; this spurred him to a desperate assault on the city which succeeded. Hemarl's forces retreated to the city's keep. The relieving army arrived and a great battle was fought outside the gates of Qan Saloso.

What we only later learned was that the militant orders had by then all thrown their weight behind Talzeem, swelling his numbers. It is unclear whether those numbers were the reason for the CoDratapna victory, or whether Talzeem's CoRendasa rival had made a desperate grab at victory before the strength of the militant orders could be brought to bear but failed – dying at Talzeem's hand – in the attempt. Our guess was that the orders had successfully operated the Well of Souls and resolved the issue of the Fontrabrian succession to their own satisfaction. It appeared that – the CoRendasa's last effort having failed – the united strength of the Militant Orders would now be decisive. The war was effectively over. We were defeated and besieged.
Hemarl made preparation to fight through the city to freedom. My companions Garryl and Gunnar secured 1200 spears and other implements of war. Gunnar also parlayed in private with Arnohil, former protector of my wife Anim. Arnohil, being the son of Viscount Saloso had returned to his father and remained nominally loyal to the CoDratapna alliance, to which the County of Saloso was allied. Previously having conspired with us against Talzeem, Arnohil was at this time minded to act as a loyal armsman to the (now undisputed) King. However, when presented with incontrovertible evidence, collected by Gunnar, that the King was planning his (Arnohil's) execution along with that of Count Saloso, Arnohil became agreeable to assist Hemarl's plans.

The death of Hemarl Matora

It was that night that we gave counsel to Hemarl which would prove to be disastrously uninformed. He asked us for our views on whether he should attempt to break from Qan Saloso in force, or instead should stay and parlay with Talzeem. Believing – how wrong we were! – that flight across the whole of Fontarbria would be impossible, we counselled that he should parlay.

I know, father, that Hemarl was a wily and experienced general who knew far more about Fontarbrian affairs than any of us could ever learn, and that in the end he made his own decision. That said, I cannot help but wonder whether, if we had argued differently, we might have persuaded him to lead his unequalled army of veterans out through the gates of Qan Saloso that night. If he had done so, I do not doubt that Hemarl would now be receiving all his due honours as Prince of Matora.

That was not to be. Thanks to the intrigues of the accursed court at Karia – manipulated, no doubt, by the evil of the Arok – an agreement had been reached that Talzeem would murder Hemarl in return for something previously agreed, which thing is not yet known to us.

Thus it was that Hemarl Matora rode out in good faith to parlay with the anointed King of Fontarbria and was by that King murdered. History will record Hemarl as a great general and leader of men but the last of his wars – like all of those before it – ended for him in bitter defeat.

News of Talzeem's treachery came in the form of one of Hemarl's guardsman who escaped during the fighting. Gunnar and Garryl led a ferocious sortie in an attempt to rescue Hemarl. Having fought their way through the enemy-held city, they were separated from their soldiers and made their way – alone but for each other – into the heart of Talzeem's camp. There they found that faithless butcher and his henchmen feasting and toasting their successful assassination. The desecrated corpses of Hemarl and his guards lay stacked without ceremony nearby. Gunnar and Garryl recovered Hemarl's ring and returned to the keep with their terrible news.

The greatest march in history?

In Hemarl's absence I assumed command of the surviving Matoran forces and a number of allies, notably a company of Harmorian cavalry. Saloso and the other Fontarbrian lords were resolved to stay and parlay with their new King. We “Histrans” (as the Fontarbrians would collectively call us, Histran and Matoran alike) would leave that very night. Suborning Arnohil (who commanded a section of the CoDratapnan lines adjacent to the keep) we stole out of the city with one last explosion of Kartagi Fire to mark our passage – and collapse the only bridge at our rear.

A small company of Hemarl's men left us then, intent on recovering his body and giving it the ceremony due to such a man as he. Their story is not mine to tell, and I will leave its telling to them. I will say only that they were successful, and that great honour should be accorded those brave few for as long as they live.
I will not recount in detail the passage of our small but mighty army through the entirety of the great Kingdom of Fontarbria. At all times harried; frequently hungry; occasionally in danger of utter annihilation by greatly superior Fontarbrian forces, we marched ever onward for not less than three thousand miles. If there is an equal to that feat in all of history, then I am not aware of it. The men who survived that march constituted one of the most admirable groups of fighting men ever to march under any banner. I will never be as proud as I was they day we crossed the Kalmarese border into safety.

It was on this longest march that many of us were inducted into the mysteries of Korak who had blessed us with His favour and to whom we have ever since offered due obeisance.

Campaigning against Ankheras for Hadraden Matora

We travelled through Kalmar. It became clear that border raiding between the Duchies and Kingdom has escalated in outright war. We were not to be delayed though; we proceeded to Otgaidar to contact Hemarl's Matora's heir, the young Hadraden. Hadraden is the son of Hemarl's only surviving child, a daughter who had married the King of Otgaidar. By our lights, Hadraden was not only the recognised heir to the throne of Otgaidar; he was also the rightful heir to Matora.

After a period of rest and recuperation, Hemarl's Matoran's campaigned against the crown of Ankheras, participating in the conquest of Anhagus and of Laetaras with the joint armies of Ertura, Lecaha, Pacose, and Marisa.

The Ankherans thusly weakened, the time was right for Hadraden's claim to be pressed. The signal – long awaited – was sent to the Matoran mercer houses and was answered. The mercer houses rose against Ankheras, and our allied forces invaded

The 22nd Quatrain

2006-02-28T14:01:00.001Z

The Mighty slays scores but
Unknown he is betrayed
His sword alone survives
To be unlocked in time

Located in the University in Vinaria in Ankheras. Located by Garryl Taresadar.

We suspect this may refer to the legend of Taran Kun, whose name translates as “the Mighty Taran”. He is a common subject of Tibulani mythological epics. Tibulani legends suggest that he was a foreigner who achieved legendary feats, including the slaying of a dragon, who died in a cave from the wounds inflicted by that dragon. Artuli research suggests that this Taran was the last of the demon-slaying order of the Niban Empire, who lost his sword prior to arriving in Tibulanus.

The 4th Quatrain

2006-01-29T13:51:00.001Z

From the greatest Empire
A thousand swords will swoop
To slay the Demon Lord
At the heart of malice

Located in the Temple of Korak at Barasiumar in Shanaras. Requested by Garryl Taresadar in correspondence after he had been told about it when visiting the tenth quatrain in the temple of Belgris in Karia.

Conventionally believed to refer to the thousand swords forged in the ancient Niban Empire to fight the demons. The identity of “the demon lord at the heart of malice” is
unclear.

An egotistical interpretation might be to that the Thousand Swords refers to the thousand veterans who swept from the far side of Fontarbria back to Ankheras, which events led to the killing of the Arok (not really a demon, but previously referred to as such at least by the magus Arnoal and certainly a malicious influence). Adrieste endorsed this interpretation. She also pointed out that the survival of the thousand for so many years during the wars in Fontarbria was remarkable and – coupled by the manifestation of Korak at Hadraden's coronation – indicated that Korak had protected them, possibly for the fulfilment of this quatrain's prophecy.

The 10th Quatrain

2005-12-29T13:46:00.001Z

When Mandrake and Stars align
Their third issue rises
Eastern Kingdoms tremble
At a new born power

Located in the Temple of Belgris in Karia in Ankheras. Located by Garryl Taresadar.

We follow the former Bishop of Belgris in believing that this refers to Hemarl Matora. Six stars form the arms of Ertura, thus referring to Mictila. The mandrake is the emblem of the house of Tarashonis, referring here to Prince Bertan. The third issue of Mictila and Bertan was Hemarl. The Eastern Kingdoms may refer to Histra and Ankheras, which are “Eastern” by the reckoning of Kranthor, where our ruling lines originated.

The Dragon's Fury

2005-11-29T09:47:00.002Z

Coronation of King Hiasr

Father, I understand that your next visit to remote Otgaidar was several years later, when you attended the coronation of King Hiasr, (otherwise Jhadar Ialtan, Bishop of Vilcanat). This was something of a reunion, as your companions from the previous campaigns also attended.

You and your companions then joined King Hiasr and a group of the northern Tibulani alliance in a military campaign into southern Tibulani territory. One of the main aims of the campaign was to destroy the forces of Meraln Harkyni, governor of the southern Tibulani province of Lukani. He was the grandson of the last Viscount of Silhar, whose line was attainted during the events which took place in my grandfather Wodarn's time, as previously described.

Harkyni's forces were possessed of Histran arms taken from the Viscounty by the last Viscount, which arms were superior to those possessed by normal Tibulani troops. Breaking Lukani's forces would greatly slow the advances of those southern Governors who were in alliance with Tokan Liod, and who had been slowly winning their long war against the north.

Two armies set out to converge on Lukani. The Erturan Knight Sir Valdarn Tarfarso commanded the eastern army, which set out from the north-eastern city of Bar-Marin. Traveling with him were the Kings of Sheodar, Iaradar and Otgaidar; your ally Viscount Gianbhar Lecaha; and the troops of several northern Tibulani provinces. Your companionship was part of this army.

The second army was commanded by Hemarl Matora, which set out from the
north-western city of Bar-Nirdin. Under his direct command was 800 Matoran men-at-arms, and he was joined by the forces of several other northern Tibulani governors.

The Eastern army stormed the city of Bar-Lukani and seized the armoury of the Governor of Lukani. The Eastern army then fell back before the arrival of a superior enemy relieving force. However, at Ashontar, near Kal-Duras, retreat became impossible, as the fords of a the river which flows past that place were held by a second Tibulani force.

Guarding the fords at his rear, Tarfarso turned at bay to give battle to the oncoming southern Tibulani. The battle was well fought by Tarfarso and his subordinates, but would have been lost but for the timely arrival of Hemarl Matora with the western army. Matora had marched his men across 700 miles of hard and hostile terrain to arrive just in time to save the day. It was one of the feats of generalship that would prove Matora to be one of the finest commanders of his day. Caught by surprise and taken in the rear, the southern Tibulani forces were slaughtered.

The ford was negotiated promptly and the combined army returned north with great booty, having inflicted a defeat that would slow Tokan Liod's advance for almost a generation.

Following this, the Matorans marched northwards to relieve the northern province of Gronji, while Hemarl went with you and your companions, via Otgaidar, back to Vinaria, whence his mother Mictila had summoned him.

Betrayal of Vinaria

There had been a period of protracted tension between Vinaria and Karia. Hemarl's father Bertan had died, as had Bertan's sister Queen Inaris. Thus in the law of the old Kingdom of Histra (before that Kingdom ceased to exist) the principality of Matora would have devolved to Kakurton, the younger brother of King Votlira. Princess Mictila, however, was mindful of the changes to constitutional convention which had arisen since the Treaty of Kulanan and the dissolution of the old Kingdom, and believed the issue of succession in Matora had become more complicated. Pending a resolution of these very complex issues, she was not minded to relinquish the honours of Matora. For this reason, the King conspired against her.

Hemarl's return to Vinaria should have been an occasion of great celebration, coinciding as it did with the harvest festival. The city was at it most relaxed. It was at this time that King Votlira decided to betray his royal duties and attack his own subjects in Matora. Naval forces from Sothara, which had for years committed acts of base piracy against Matoran shipping, attacked Vinaria from the seaward side, while barges packed with Ankheran troops coasted down the River Shanvyl from Karia. Matoran forces, unprepared for such treachery from their own King, were quickly overwhelmed.

In the fighting, you and your companions – including Hemarl and King Hiasr – managed to reach a friendly vessel at the Vinarian waterfront. You would all have been taken by pursuing Ankheran troops had it not been for the sacrifice of King Hiasr, who remembered his oaths long-standing to protect Hemarl. Hiasr turned and, invested with the strength of his god, fought to the death to allow Hemarl's ship to escape. His last words were to shout to Hemarl that he (Hemarl) must go to Karia.

Hiasr's Instruction

Excuse me if I digress from the sequence of events to explain what we now believe to be the import of that cryptic injunction. It seemed an extraordinary suggestion that Hemarl should go to the heart of his enemy's power. In the years that followed, Hemarl was never able to visit that city. However, your companion Garryl did so not long afterward, in an effort to research the events in which he had become involved.

Garryl learned more about Hiasr, who was the first son of King Ciran. When his father died Hiasr had abdicated in favour of his brother in order to join the Temple of Vilcanat. His temple name was Jhadar Ialtan. He served as an acolyte in Vinaria, where he was under the care of Annilo Rholast but was sent to Karia when he attained the Priesthood. He took care of a small shrine in a basement, famous for its ancient statue of the Divine Servant and its icy well.

The Bishop of Belgris, Fasirl Tarkaria called for Jhadar Ialtan to ensure that the marriage between Mictila Ertura and Bertan Tarashonis took place, and that the third child from that union was protected. In the care of the Temple of Belgris in Karia is a prophecy stone, from the earliest age of mankind. These stones are reputed to come from the Divine Servant Akharol, the Lord of Mysteries.When Mandrake and Stars align
Their third issue rises
Eastern Kingdoms tremble
At a new born power

The Mandrake is the symbol of the House of Tarashonis. Six Stars form the symbol of the House of Ertura. The Bishop of Belgris was convinced that this quatrain related to the issue of the marriage of Bertan Tarashonis and Mictila Ertura, and pursuit of this belief has led you and I, my father, to take a tremendous interest in the various prophesies of Akharol, more of which I will relate in due course.

After the wedding, Jhadar Ialtan became a tutor to the new Household of Matora, and paid special attention to their third child, Hemarl. He accompanied Hemarl on the expedition to Tibulanus as an advisor and bodyguard and continued his long association with Hemarl, some details of which association I have herein related.

It appears, in the light of this information unearthed by Garryl, that Hiasr wanted Hemarl to be aware of the prophesies and of Hemarl's own possible role in them. While we who have stood alongside Hemarl could not deliver him from his own terrible fate, I hope that it is of some comfort to you, father, to know that we have pursued the interest of Hiasr in these prophesies of Akharol to the best of our ability, in the hope that we might serve the greater agenda of the gods.
Flight from Vinaria and Return in Force
I should now return to my summary of the events - which you so often related to me - of the flight of Hemarl and his companions from the King's crimes at Vinaria. At a stormy harbour to the south of the Shanvyl Estuary, you and Hemarl bade each other goodbye; he to travel to his kinsman Ertura, you to return to Alcus. You vowed to return with strength that coming spring, and if he did the same, Matora would be returned to the rightful rule of Princess Mictila and her issue.

You were true to your word. Ertura and Lecaha also rallied to Matora's cause, as did Matora's traditional allies Rampathar and Kanole. You had engineered a strong consensus among the Histran court to intervene in favour of Matora by attacking the Viscounty of Sothara.

That next spring, Lecaha captured the island fortress of Innoval in a cunning swoop of great tactical adeptness. A strong base thus secured, Hemarl landed on the Matoran mainland and proceeded to advance northward in a series of bold attacking moves. The forces from Tibulanus which Hemarl had led for so long and so well continued to demonstrate their superior skills, and the campaign proceeded well throughout that summer.

Defeats and Victories in Battle
However, Hemarl's forces were outnumbered by Ankheran-loyal troops and victory in Matora would require dramatic development. It was hoped that the Histran armies might inflict a defeat on the Ankherans elsewhere which would lead the King to rethink his position. Sadly, the opposite occurred. At Stonis in Sothara, Duke Tomara's army was smashed by Ankheran forces, and the Duke himself and many Histran nobles captured. The Ankherans would soon be free to concentrate their forces in Matora, and their war would be funded by Histran ransom money.

Hemarl, hardened by years of fruitless war in Tibulanus, formed the view that he must inflict a defeat on the Ankherans so terrible and irredeemable that it would radically alter the strategic situation. Thus it came to be that, when he drew a superior Ankheran army to battle in the boggy fields of Ashonat, that he ordered his captains – principally yourself and Lecaha – to take no prisoners.

The carnage that followed has been well described by others. I need not repeat those accounts. After the Battle of Ashonat, there was scarcely an Ankheran man-at-arms left alive in the whole of Matora. Hemarl proceeded to invest Vinaria, which must eventually have fallen, given the lightness of its surviving garrison.

Dire Retribution from King Votlira
However, the enormity of Hemarl's action provoked the entire Kingdom of Ankheras to action and gave the King freedom to make the direst of threats. Assembling an army the like of which had not been seen in greater Histra since the Battle of Kulanan, the King marched on Vinaria delivering a blunt ultimatum: unless Hemarl departed the kingdom immediately, his mother Mictila and all his surviving family would be put to death.

To this day, no-one can say whether Hemarl, had he been faced only with overbearing numbers, would have taken to the field and given battle. The possibility of battle, or of attempting to take Vinaria by some guileful stroke in order to receive siege there, had been canvassed before the King's ultimatum was delivered to Hemarl. However the threat to Hemarl's family settled the issue. He immediately decided to accept exile.

Defeat and Exile of Hemarl Matora
You, father, arranged the introduction of Hemarl to Baron Silhar, whose ward you had been. Silhar in turn referred Hemarl to his Tucinate kinsmen in Fortarbria, whither Hemarl went with his loyal Matoran troops, to pledge their swords to the CoRendasa faction.

Before he left, Hemarl gave those loyal mercer houses of Matora a solemn injunction. He promised that one day the line of Bertan and Mictila would return to Matora. On that future day the mercer houses would be relied on to stay true to their oaths to him and his family. Hollow as Hemarl's words might have seemed on the day of his exile, they clearly had force because for many years to come, the mercer houses of Matora would remain true to their Princess Mictila and their great general Hemarl.

In bitter defeat, you and your companions departed Matora, most to return to Alcus. A far worse end awaited Hemarl's family. Not only were they fated to suffer captivity for the rest of their days; they were also condemned to the clutches of the Arok, vile parasite on humanity, at whose hands they would eventually die. Whether their deaths were part of the Arok's machinations, or were incidental to them, is not clear. Either way, noble Princess Mictila – dear friend of my grandfather Wodarn and loyal ally to the Alcuran house – died in ignominious circumstances. I am glad to say, father, that her death has last been avenged, at the noble hands of your late, loyal, knight Hietan, in circumstances which I shall soon recount.

Alcuran War of Succession

2005-04-12T12:17:00.003+01:00

Diplomatic Groundwork:

Following the assassination of his half-brother, Gianbhar is crowned relatively quickly as Viscount Lecaha. His only nod towards Ankheran approval is his wait for the arrival of the Lord Deputy to witness the ceremony. He does however await the arrival of the great majority of his Knights.

Anistila, will however remain in Lecaha until her husband’s dominion is safe.

In negotiations in Swan Ertura, Roan received the promise of one hundred men-at-arms with several knights for his use in the Alcuran War of Succession.
In return he will promise a similar force for Ertura’s use, for a similar length of time. These negotiations also mention the possibility of marriage between the issue of Roan’s marriage and one of Ertura’s grandchildren.

A visit to Roan’s Warder, Baron Silhar, proves to be less profitable; apparently there’s a royal injunction against the export or private use abroad of Fontarbrian armour, and that this is taken very seriously (Baron Silhar, who had previously been the heir to the County of Tucinate, did not even bring his suit to Kalmar with him). However he promises to send a banner of household men-at-arms under the command of his Marshal’s son.

Over the following six months, Roan arranges a torturously diplomatic meeting between himself, Viscount Lecaha, Baron Pacose and Duke Ertura.
After much wheeling and dealing the parties agree on a truce between them, lasting until a year after Roan gains the throne in Alcura. Roan is forced to agree that if the treaty is breached he will aid the wronged party militarily.

Roan’s visit to Princess Mictila Matora is very pleasant, but unfortunately the Princess makes clear the military pressure she and her allies in the Barony of Kanole and Marquisate of Rempathar are under at present. With the strong naval blockade by the Viscount of Sothara, she cannot even promise any naval assets or safe passage home from there.

After almost a year of diplomacy, Roan decided that his allies are probably as committed as their ever going to be, and any further time spent will result in backsliding and the usurper gaining a definite upper hand in the war in Alcura.

Quickly he makes his way to an audience with the Queen of Histra.
She confirms her belief that he is the rightful heir to the Barony, and that any attempt to usurp his lawful accession to the throne will be taken very seriously. She reminds Roan that his father took his responsibility to the Kingdom very seriously, helping it become economically and militarily powerful, as well as being one of the key founding members of the Histran Court. She expects that her nephew (that is to say Roan) will live up to his responsibilities. Before he leaves she does invite him to pledge allegiance to her and all her heirs as Baron Alcura, suggesting that his crowning is a mere technicality. Roan does so.

At court some representative of the Barony of Falve are also present (this is the family of Wodarn’s second wife). They view their position as being precarious, as their position in Alcura was based entirely upon Wodarn’s patronage. And if Roan has no rights to the succession, then neither do they. The Ambassador there, a Votlira Taralciar suggests that while his Baron is often at war with the Viscounty of Sothara, he will approach the Falvean Admiral about the possibility of military aid, at the very least shielding Roan’s operations from Rienean interference.

Negotiations also take place there with the Duke of Murdesa on military aid for Roan’s claim. However, this man seems unwilling to take any guidance from Roan, and views his prime responsibility as that of keeping the Kingdom safe. He will only take action when it would be necessary to stop the conflict from spilling over, or affecting the Kingdom’s and Queen’s reputation. He advises Roan to act now and with the allies he has assembled in order to prevent any royal expedition being necessary.

Into Alcura

Roan makes contact with Knights known to be loyal to him inside Alcura, musters his allies and marches into Alcura.

His Knights
Supporters for Roan come from several different constituents.
There are those who were put into power by his father, and these are relatively new Knightly families. They certainly stand to lose if the usurper gains the throne.
Quite a few have family connections with the Duchy of Murdesa, either through Wodarn Alcura’s marriage to the now Queen’s sister or through older links across the border.
A few feel that Wodarn’s construction of the Royal Road has significantly benefited them.

The Usurper
The usurper, calling himself Dratapn Alcura, has moved slowly in consolidating his power. Only around the capital, Alcus, has he made any systematic attempt to impose his will upon the country. Elsewhere he has simply awaited one of Roan’s loyal Knights to disobey one of his edicts before marching to subdue that shire.

The FamilyWhile Roan is the only person in the family who has a direct link to the Murdesan line; his younger siblings are all linked to the Barony of Falve. These were generally given respectable posts in the Barony of Alcura, either being appointed to notable positions, or married into venerable knightly families. The fourth was married abroad into the Barony of Albera.

Some of them have not fared too well. Risiel Ralcura, the young Steward of Alcus Castle and wife to Sir Hadraden Teranos, was imprisoned following the coup. Narlos Ralcura, Wodarn’s squire was killed in the fighting following the Baron’s assassination. Senaol Ralcura, has fared somewhat better, as sheriff of a northern shire he has been quite active in opposing Dratapn.

The Alcuran War of Succession

First Skirmishes
Roan’s army comprising Erturans and Lecahans is just over two hundred strong, and being quite experience in border warfare, sieges and pitched battle, does quite well in the first engagements of the war.

Roan’s strategy follows his experience in Otgaidar, and he undertakes a steady advance towards Brogadac, an important inland city, with two supporting columns marching through the shires. These ensure the security of loyal Knights, mustering about half of their men-at-arms into the army. They ensure the loyalty of wavering or previously undecided Knights, mustering most of their men-at-arms as well as the knight into the army, and leaving a mixed garrison of about five loyal and five unproved men-at-arms in the keep. They neutralise enemy Knights, by defeating their men-at-arms in initial skirmishing or by besieging their keep. These defeated Knights are imprisoned or forced to swear allegiance to Roan as Baron Alcura, and wards are taken into the households of proven Knights.

Battle of BrogadacAt Brogadac, Roan discovers a large opposing army besieging that city. Roan’s army stands at about three hundred at this stage, and Brogadac’s garrison seems to be about forty men-at-arms and about twenty city watch.
Their arrival sparks huge confusion in the besieging army, who have just made a breach in the walls. Part of the army decides to assault the breach, part of it decides to defend against this new attack, and a small part runs for the hills.
Needless to say Roan decides to attack immediately and this results in a great rout of the usurper’s army. About a third of it is killed, a third captured and a third escapes.

Sir Hadraden Teranos is in command of the garrison; he has been the Castellan there for about three years. He is a keen young knight, in his late teens, who is eager to get to Alcus as quickly as possible.

With the opposition in disarray, and in no condition to oppose his continued campaign, Roan decides to continue on his march to the sea, and heads towards Vandaral.

The twenty mounted men-at-arms promised by Baron Silhar arrive at this stage, and this further proof of Roan’s diplomatic backing and military power convinces many of the captured Knights to swear allegiance to Roan.

The Fortress of Kararil
News reaches Roan from the south of the Barony, that Rienean forces have taken the fortress port of Kararil. Riene have long coveted the twin to their fortress port of Hadaril across the bay; and have seized upon the chaotic situation of the civil war to take control of it. This is the first time in two hundred years that one of the Baronies has controlled both cities.

Battle of Sereasal
While on the march to Vandaral, word reaches Roan that a significant force has moved out of Alcus and is reported to be heading eastwards towards the Murdesan border. Fearing that they intend to undo his campaigning by taking back each of the Keeps, Roan decides to attempt to intercept. Leaving behind his baggage train and moving swiftly and lightly, Roan’s army intercepts the usurpers at Sereasal, as they move through the pass. Silhar’s mounted men-at-arms prove decisive in catching the enemy on the move, as they had been very active in seizing outriders and scouts. The misty Alcuran weather further helped surprise the enemy, as each battalion was defeated in detail as they exited the pass. With the danger of losing command in the conditions, Roan gave the order that no quarter was to be given, but that he would compensate each man-at-arms for ransom lost. Eighty two enemy men-at-arms were slain.

With what must be a large part of the usurpers remaining forces destroyed, Roan decides to march on Alcus, before news of the great victory at Sereasal reaches the city.

The Final Battle
Reaching Alcus, Roan prepares to besiege the town. However he has no fleet under his command, and he does not have the numbers to completely surround the city. As he prepares to send half of the army out campaigning to subdue the rest of the Barony, he receives an emissary from the usurper.

The proposal is quite simple. That the two men fight in single combat, adjudged by a Priest of Javarus, and that as neither man has an heir, they will be bound by the result. Roan, hungry for victory and sure of his skill, quickly agrees.

The common field half a mile from the walls of Alcus is chosen as the scene for the combat. The flattest and driest ground is sought out, but the site is no parade square.
Dratapn exits with a small bodyguard of witnesses, Knights all, although they are not in armour. He seems older that Roan figured, probably in his early thirties. It is hard to see his physical attributes with armour on, but his stance and handling of his weapons while arming implies a fair level of skill.

The opponents are similarly attired, both in typical Knights armour; a mail hauberk with plate breastpiece and a typical spangenhelm. Their swords are both very much in the Histran style. Only their shields are different. Roan prefers the long Kalmari kite shield, while Dratapn uses a simple round shield.

After taking their blessing from a Priest of Javarus, and vowing themselves and their followers to uphold the judgement of combat, they engage each other.

Several moments pass while they attempt to gauge the other’s intent and disposition, and as Dratapn obviously intends to make a few tentative passes, Roan steps forward and makes a savage cut to the shoulders. Dratapn steps outside with his forward foot making a counter cut at the head. The blow slides along Roan’s helm, forcing him to retreat to compensate for the physical and psychological loss of balance.

Dratapn follows up swiftly with a downward cut to the crown, but Roan raises his shield and deflects the attack. Making a quick flurry of cuts at Dratapn’s upper body and lower leg, Roan forces his opponent to put his shield to good use, trusting in a slow steady advance behind the shield to keep the initiative. Dratapn catches this approach flat footed when his uses his sword to slap Roan’s attack away and swings his shield horizontally at Roan’s face. Roan’s helm has no nasal guard and his nose is broken with a sickening crunch.

Losing his footing after such a fierce blow, Roan slips onto the ground on top of his shield, feeling his elbow wrench out of his socket as the stout leather straps holding the shield to his arm prove their quality. Although screaming in agony Roan keeps his senses about him, parrying the killing blow to his left shoulder with his sword. Edge on edge Roan’s sword is chipped, but Dratapn’s sword shatters a foot below the point. Straining with all his remaining will and courage Roan thrusts hard and low into Dratapn’s belly, screeching through the plate.

Roan is crowned several months later with the Queen of Histra and many magnates of the Kingdom present. His wife arrives with her brother in escort to be crowned as Baroness.

Realm of the Wolf

2004-04-12T09:43:00.001+01:00

Some Background

Father, if I may be so bold as to recount to you the stories of your own adventures, insofar as they relate to dynastic conflicts which continue to afflict us, I will do so, subject to your correction. At this point my grandfather the Baron had remarried some years after the sad death of your own mother in childbirth. You had fostered with Jarnad Tucinate, Baron Silhar, who remained close to the Ertura family.

(Note that elements of the story told to the companions were untrue – see my account of my own discussions with Danavans. Wodarn Saloso-Alcura)

Capture by Lecahan Forces

The group continued peacefully to Monjhal, one of Lecaha’s twin port cities. There, delicate events unfolded which resulted in the identities of the group's members being discovered by the local authorities and the entire group being captured by the local sheriff.

They were sent under armed guard to Kaslinas, and there they negotiated with Pertan Lecaha, known as the White Fox, in an effort to keep the two Erturan boys safe from Queen Inaris. The party realised that Pertan was not the unequivocally loyal to the Queen.

However his two older sons, Bertan and Cermano, were fervent loyalists, and if Pertan died the group would have been in a lot of trouble. The group was keen to keep their presence unknown to the brothers, and when out hunting one day made an attempt on the lives of the brothers. However they ambush was spoiled by the passing of over a hundred Danavans moving northwards on foot. When the brothers later discover their presence, their messenger to Queen Inaris was apparently intercepted by their half-brother, the bastard Ghianbhar, who seems to be favoured by his father.

You, father, then negotiated a ransom treaty which included an agreement between Lecaha and Ertura on the safe passage of Ertura’s grandson to Matora. You were to lead a military expedition to Otgaidar to support Hiasr, older brother of the just deceased King, in a war of succession to the throne there. Ghianbhar was sent with them, to advise them militarily but also to get him away from his half-brothers.

War in Otgaidar

The Kingdom of Otgaidar is split between the Tibulani mainland and an island. The group, with their eight ships and about a hundred men-at-arms landed on the mainland near Ossori. At the shore they met the mercenary Jhadar Ialtan, who was revealed to be Hiasr, rightful King of Otgaidar, who was required to fight his two nephews to claim the throne.

The war that followed was chaotic, because the nobles supporting the three sides had holdings scattered throughout the country. Campaigning was a matter of marching through the rough countryside, raiding and besieging enemy strongholds, and always allowing for the prospect of nobles switching sides.

It was on campaign in Otgaidar that the group was caught in the coming-of-age ritual of a group of young Shanir demons. The demons attacked the Army to terrible effect. Most of the demons were killed, though one survived, which was apparently the purpose of this proving-ritual. The Shanir are huge, hulking warlike beasts who fight using enormous pole-axes. It was fortunate that the group which attacked did not consist of mature specimens.

The group also saw further evidence of unrest among the Danavans. They witnessed an attack on a single unarmed Danavan elder by a group of four younger Danavans. This not seeming a fair fight, young Gienvas lent her sword to the elder, who demonstrated a mastery of swordplay bordering on the sorcerous. The elder's name was Al'Ara Sol Ka, and he demonstrated great gratitude for the assistance offered by Gienvas.

After relieving the siege of Ossori the army marched around the countryside, until capturing one of Hiasr’s nephews, which led to a collapse of that nephew's faction. Completing the siege of Adare resulting in the vast majority of territories on the mainland being under Hiasr’s control.

Deaths at Home

At this juncture, news came from Histra that Pertan Lecaha had died. The same messenger recounted that your father had also died at the hands of a man purporting to be his nephew (the long-dead Dratapn Alcura) which impostor claimed the Barony for himself. Both you and Ghianbhar contacted your respective fathers using the talents of a local Priest of Belgris. With confirmation that your father was killed by an usurper with the help of a shadowy figure from the past, Bilador; and that Ghianbhar’s father was killed by his sons, you agreed to help each other avenge your fathers’ deaths. You returned to Lecaha.

Ghianbhar’s contacts in the city guard helped the party infiltrate Kaslinas, and the party approached Bertan as noble guests traveling to Alcura. Bertan was happy to accommodate them, and received you and your party in his keep. As Ghianbhar forced the keep with men loyal to him from the city guard, you and your friends faced Bertan, and you yourself slew Bertan in single combat. In the aftermath, Ghianbhar claimed the Barony and entered a strong alliance with Ertura and Matora to protect him from Ankheras’ wrath.

Following the assassination of his half-brother, Gianbhar was invested relatively quickly as Viscount Lecaha. His only nod towards Ankheran approval was his wait for the arrival of the Lord Deputy to witness the ceremony.

You were married to Lecaha's sister, my dear mother Anistila. Her dowry was a hundred Lecahan men-at-arms to fight in the Alcuran War of Succession. Duke Ertura and Viscount Silhar also provided military aid, and your kinswoman the Queen of Histra supported your lawful claim to the Barony. You rallied the loyal knights and fought the usurper, defeating his forces in battle several times and eventually killing him in single combat. To this day, it is not known who the supposed “Dratapn Alcura” really was.

Against The Dragon

2004-04-01T15:24:00.000+01:00

A Tale of Votlr
The King of Shanaras
Against The Dragon
Cermano Tarvanad

Then the Dragon came..........destroying the land
Black as night..........lightning on legs
Earthquake with arms..........genius amid catastrophe
Terrifying the victors..........of war with the Shanir

King Votlr knowing..........his people’s weariness
Resolved to go..........and face it alone
One last time he said..........to his faithful steed
We go to war..........to avenge our country

But his loyal Earls..........ignoring his decree
Went with him..........serving him as always
Going to war..........to avenge their country
Confidant in their sons..........to keep the Kingdom

They hunted the Dragon..........east and west
Finding nothing..........month after month
But villages and forts..........razed to the ground
Burnt with their folk..........the King’s people

Finally they caught it..........high in the mountains
Cold and furious..........tired and resolute
In the dead of night..........Iosr the King’s Karl
Guided their steeds..........straight to the Dragon’s lair

Into the dark cave..........they slowly went
The King and his Earls..........with grim faces
Spears held before them..........white knuckles
Breath heavy with fear..........stomachs empty

Albr led them..........steadfast Earl of Baras
Past narrow tunnels..........and across waterfalls
Deep inside..........past the mountain roots
Where even the air..........was red and scorched

The Dragon struck..........through his byrnie
Long fangs bit..........piercing his heart
Blood gushing..........Albr struck up
Leaving his spear..........in its throat

With his shield..........high above him
Branr charged..........fierce Earl of Nakra
Setting his spear..........on the chink in its scale
And striking well..........roars exultation

The Dragon struck..........smashing his shield
Shattering it like..........so much kindle
And even through..........his mighty helm
Cruel talons breaking..........his thick skull

And seeing this..........around its side
Leapt Valdr..........bright Earl of Aros
And grasping his spear..........tightly in both hands
Went straight..........for the heart

The Dragon struck..........chopping at legs
With tail barbed..........like a war arrow
Whipping across..........out of nowhere
Leaving him..........against the wall

Now taking his chance..........and onto its back
Climbed Waltr..........clever Earl of Fanador
Crawling up..........taking aim at its nape
Gathering strength..........holding on tight

The Dragon struck..........from beyond
Calling on the moon..........and mysterious power
Dazzling light..........engulfing Waltr
And throwing him..........off now blind

Seeing this yet..........without despair
Votlr stepped forward..........defiant King of Shanaras
Now with the blade..........gleaming with keenness
And taking Albr’s hand..........struck at his eye

Following him..........yet without despair
Young Cermr..........brave Earl of Darn
Spear heavy..........in expectant hands
Looked to..........poke out the other

Both valiant..........warriors of Shanaras
Now attached..........to his snout
The Dragon struck..........one last time
Breathing molten steel..........over them both

Soon Waltr..........climbing to his feet
Burning with shame..........surviving and blind
Took his King’s blade..........amid his friends
And their foe..........and planted it deep

Another may need this..........great and mighty blade
To slay one as this..........an ancient Dragon
And only those..........pure and valiant
May draw the blade..........clean out of the oak

The Gunnari Sagas

2004-02-01T09:48:00.000Z

So these kin of Dunan
Born of their father
Bright and fearless
Ambushed by
Scheming
Lynx

His brothers were cut down
Arrows from above
Without honour
Remorseless
Ravens
All

He leapt up beside them
Hacking left and right
Getting them and
Gutting them
Leaving
None

All around him enemies
Snow drinking their blood
Gunnar’s last son
Drew his last
Final
Breath

Saga of Taran Kunan

2004-01-01T09:39:00.000Z

from the Askenji verses:

Dinan’s first son
Looked out towards
The Great Mountains
Long in the tooth

From high towers
And the strong walls
That Asken’s Kin
Built long ago

Dreaded purpose
Death awaited
Glorious end
Never promised

But Asken’s Kin
Knew of his plight
And joined his search
Graves dug by now

They followed him
Deep into caves
Towards their end
Demons lingered

Scorpions Underfoot

2003-12-24T22:02:00.003Z

The same group of companions was reassembled a number of years after they had broken up. They were charged with an important diplomatic mission to the Governors of the northern Tibulani provinces to help give effect to the Queen's claim on the Governorship of Anonn, an ancient title held by the House of Tarashonis.

Tibulani law and politics

Tibulani inheritance rules are tainted by a peculiar system of elections. In particular, provinces are ruled by “Governors”, which positions, in Tibulani law, are not inherited in the proper way, but are elected from among the head men of the major clans. Inaris Tarashonis claimed the governorship of Anonn by virtue of Histran inheritance rules, but this was not recognised by either of the two warring alliances of Tibulani Governors – the northern faction (supported by Histra) and the southern faction (now hostile to Histra and dominated by one particular Governor, the magus Tokan Liod).

At the northern Governors' Conclave much progress was made in gaining Tibulani support for the Tarashonis claim, with promises that about 5000 men-at-arms will be sent to make war on Tokan Liod. Ertura's contingent were to arrive early on the east coast to aid the Governor of Nirdin. The other contingents were to arrive two years later on the west coast.

Success in war would not be sufficient to carry the Tarashonis claim, however. Hemarl would be required to produce natural-born Tibulani progeny, who would then require the support of the local clans before they could be recognised as Governor. This cumbersome requirement was deemed achievable and further planning continued.

It was here that the companions first encountered one of the Talons, demonic beings which serve Tokan Liod. According to the accounts given by my grandfather, this beast was of human height, but demonic in form, having scaly skin, dark grey or black in colour and textured like that of a lizard. The creature was winged and could fly. There are several Talons, since more than one have been seen in the same place. There are differences between them, including insofar as they carry different weapons and not all of them have been seen with wings.

Caught up in Tibulani wars

The companions travelled with the Governor of Askenji southwards to examine the frontier and prospective lines of advance for the following year. However soon afterwards word reached them of an imminent Southern invasion. After some skirmishing and raiding a large army from Dunan besieged the tower the group was in, and while it waited outside two more armies pass on the road northwards. Several battles and a siege occurred at Bar Askenji, but as a result both sides returned to their lines for the rest of the year.

After the Erturan contingent arrived in Tibulanus, the companions travelled to Bar Marin to take part in a large offensive on the eastern side of the island into Lovt. That city was besieged when they arrive, but the Erturans waded ashore and routed the Southerners.

Diplomacy at home and abroad

In the following two years two major diplomatic endeavours occupied the group. The first was for Alcura and Ertura to gain influence in the island kingdoms of Sheodar and Iaradar by brokering a peace treaty between those two warring island Kingdoms. The second was a personal priority of my grandfather - to gain support for the completion of the royal road between Karia and Alcus. This road was to be a symbol of the resurgent strength of the Kingdom of Histra, the first royal road to be built since the days of Fontarbrian dominion. As a symbol of and for Histra, the road was a failure, but as a measure to increase the prosperity of Alcura, it has proved a great success.

My grandfather also at this time made a contract with an assassin to kill Tokan Liod. This was justified at the time, as a measure which would end a decades old civil war in a single stroke. Unfortunately, the Baron made the mistake of using his closest aide, one Bilador, as an arranger of the assassination. It later transpired that this Bilador was an agent of Tokan Liod. Nothing was ever heard from the assassin again.

War continues with a disastrous setback

When the 4000 reinforcements from the rest of Histra arrived in Tibulanus, only the Matoran contingent led by the recently knighted sixteen-year old Hemarl Matora, had disembarked when a dragon appeared in the sky above the bay, incinerating the fleet and all still aboard with fiery breath.

With advice from the companions, Hemarl decided to take the offensive, and regain the initiative. Raising an army from the surrounding provinces, the army marched into the South, and was met by several provincial armies at Hoskolafa, where outright aggression and a risky deployment won the day for Matora and the North.

An encounter with an ex-knight outlaw, who was responsible for the attack on Mictila 20 years previously, cast some suspicion that Queen Yloe was responsible for the plot to assassinate Mictila, possibly as a means of gathering support in eastern Histra for the war which was coming against Kalmar.

During this phase of the campaign, the group witnessed the attack of a wight, a malevolent supernatural spirit which possessed the body of a man. After a grim fight, the body was dismembered and the wight destroyed by fire. Wights are created by the pagan rituals of the Tibulani past, dating from before that place was converted to worship of the Gihonan pantheon. Pagan shamans still linger in some secluded areas of the Tibulani highlands. The evidence of the ritual is the tattooing of the body with a phoenix in black. The soul of the person involved is believed lost to Belgris.

As the army cut a swathe through Southern provinces on route to Anonn, an assassination attempt was made by a Talon on Hemarl Matora. This Talon was winged and appeared to be armed with two long knives (or short swords). A quick response from the companions – especially an heroic intervention which almost cost Runesan his life – saved Hemarl. However shortly afterwards a letter reached Baron Alcura from Queen Inaris indicating that she wished him to treat with Tokan Liod, and that 800 additional men-at-arms would be arriving shortly to strengthen her negotiating position.

Agreement unratified, ignominious defeat

My grandfather made an agreement with Tokan Liod and his general, Itkoviro Fenroln, that the Matorans would revoke their arrangements with their Northern allies and would instead side with the southerners. However, in his boyish innocence, Hemarl Matora refused to revoke his alliance. Instead he sprung a trap on the vast Southern army arrayed against him. Despite this tactical surprise Southern numbers and generalship – together with possible intelligence from my grandfather's false counsellor, Bilador – won the day and Matora withdrew, albeit with his army intact.

Unrest, death and the unfair trial of Swan Ertura

Leaving Hemarl behind to prosecute the war, the companions returned to Ertura and to news of disquiet in the Kingdom.

A secret embassy between Baron Ertura, Duke Komaresa and the Kalmarese Barons was planned whereby the remaining Kalmarese barons would break away from the Kalmarese Dukes. Prince Bertan Matora discovered this, and he arrested Baron Ertura from the keep in Ertures one night. Swan Ertura (the Baron's son) chased and caught the Prince's group at Prantar, only to discover that his father was dead. An altercation of some sort must have ensued, in the course of which Prince Bertan was killed.

Months later, a knight from Karia arrived in Ertures with a warrant to arrest Baron Swan Ertura. In Karia all the nobles of the Kingdom gathered for his trial; but many were excluded from the trial which was held in the Queen's council. This was clearly a show trial held for the purposes of political expediency rather than to serve the cause of justice. Queen Inaris – though she did not yet know it – had lost the authority to lead the Kingdom, and had forfeited her right to the loyalty of her subjects

The trial went well for a time, with many strong factors in Ertura's favour. However Ertura was found guilty on all counts due to the Queen's machinations. The mood was tense, and the diplomacy feverish; most worrying however was the unsettling presence in the city of many men-at-arms of various factions. The northern lords retired from the city, ostensibly in preparation for anticipated Apertan raids; likewise the western nobles stole out of the city that same night.

The Erturan Chancellor Narlos, Swan's uncle, had secreted over 160 men-at-arms in the city, and was convinced that the Queen meant to execute Swan and attaint the entire family. Narlos heroically rescued Swan Ertura from his prison and the Kalmarese nobles returned to their realms, to make ready for war. This group of 160 later became the feared Erturan Black Guard.

Baleful influence of the Arok

It is not clear at this remove how great the influence of the Arok, servant of the Seventh and sower of discord, was at this time. During the period in which the trial was progressing, the group of which my grandfather was a member was approached by Raliol, the magus who had (twenty years previously) entrusted a sword to Soros. Raliol told them that a powerful demon was imprisoned in the Royal Palace in Karia, and it should be killed. Raliol suggested that the sword be used to kill the demon, but this was not possible, as Soros had, in the intervening years, entrusted the sword to the care of the Temple of Javarus in Ertures.

The group made an effort on the life of the creature, but it exercised terrible magical powers, possessing several members of the group and causing them to fight among themselves. The group escaped, but the creature survived. The revelation of the true nature of this creature came to me only very recently, in circumstances which I will relate in due course.

It is also unclear what role Tokan Liod played in the break-up of the Kingdom. He and his Talons were present in Karia during the time of the trial. This fact was witnessed by my grandfather Wodarn, who attempted to arrest Tokan Liod but was prevented from so doing by the presence of a number of the demonic Talons, about a half dozen in number.

The Kingdom shattered

Whether the discord had supernatural or mundane origins, its effects were devastating to the old Kingdom of Histra. The armies of the Queen (missing contingents from the north and west of the Kingdom) and of Baron Ertura and his supporters met at Kulanan. After unsuccessful last-minute negotiations, the Banner of Kalmar was unfurled and Swan Ertura swore fealty to Duke Komaresa, now King of Kalmar. Battle was joined and, after many hours of fighting, the Histran army broke, only to be caught in retreat by contingents from Matora, Kanole and Rempathar, which dominions had sided with Ertura.

In the following months, the Kingdoms of Shanaras and Histra declared themselves, leaving the centre of the country, the Kingdom of Ankheras, ruled by Queen Inaris.

A Few Grey Cats

2001-12-18T21:47:00.002Z

The Origins of our Involvement

As far as I can determine, the involvement of our family in the matters I am about to relate sprung from the fostering of my late grandfather, Wodarn Ralcura, in the household of Branan, the late Baron Ertura, at at time when Ertura was an easterly barony of the old Kingdom of Histra. This was in the time of Queen Yloe, the last Tarashonis monarch to be entitled to enjoy the support of the nobility of all the old Kingdom.

Wodarn was the third son of his house, and as such not central to the plans of his father. It appears that, at this young age, he led quite a dissolute and careless life, showing little of the discipline and nobility he would demonstrate in his later years.

Possibly seeing the potential in Wodarn, Branan requested his ward, shortly after Wodarn came of age, to join a group of trusted courtiers who had been given a task of tremendous importance to the Baron; guarding his daughter, Mictila, who had been betrothed to Prince Bertan Tarashonis, third in line to the throne of Histra.

The Companionship

The most distinguished member of that group was Soros Yi Grisane. Apertan-born, Soros had been taken into slavery by the Dyrians as a child, and later achieved fame as one of the greatest of all Dyrian pit-fighters. He had by this time taken service as the Weapons-Master of Baron Ertura and, despite his lowly status as a bondsman, was recognised as a tremendous talent and was shown respect far greater than his position suggested.

The higher ranks of Erturan society were represented by Branan Hemsienan, the eldest son of the Sheriff of Kordaes (which is to effectively to say, in this context, Sheriff of Ertures), and Runesan Hemsharun, a knight in service of Baron Ertura. These were powerful and respected men in the Barony. The final member of this group of guardians was Nijhad Hirajavarus, a priest of Javarus, a fearsome and enigmatic character.

The group, with a large entourage of more than 100 soldiers, set out for the capital Karia for the wedding.

Ambush and Assassins

On the road, the entourage was ambushed by a large group of bandits, which bandits they easily defeated. Upon interrogation, captured bandits divulged that a man from Vinaria paid them substantial monies and that they were told that there would only be 50 soldiers guarding the entourage.

After the entourage reached Karia, an attempt was made on Mictila’s life by a small group of assassins. The assassins were defeated and survivors divulged that they were to bring Mictila’s heart to a Magus for some evil ritual. Following this attempt the Erturan party was taken into the Royal Castle under the Queen’s protection.

It will be remembered that this was a time of tension between Histra and the Kingdom of Kalmar (as it then was). Rumours were rife regarding Kalmarese intentions towards war.
Eventually suspicion fell upon Viscount Silhar, and the Queen along with the Dukes and Barons of the realm, heard evidence against him in private session. That Viscount was convicted, stripped of all lands and titles and exiled from the Kingdom. Kalmar did not accept him and he eventually sought refuge in Tibulanus. The Crown was given a mandate to govern the Viscounty pending a more permanent settlement.

Magi, Priests and Demons

During the inquiries by the group into the allegations of black magic, the group made contact with a number of magi and other occult characters. Two such were Raliol, a magus, and his assistant Arnoal. The group also had discussions with another individual, Laracer Ashenard, who they knew as an academic from Vinaria who was staying at the same inn as the party, and doing research into shrines of Shalebrol, the divine servitor whose ambit includes magic.

Soon afterward, the group encountered a rare demon, known as a Harlequin, close to their inn. Harlequins employ a form of mind control over other races of demons, and for that reason are hated by (at least) the Danavans. The Harlequin proceeded to attack the academic Laracer Ashenard, who clearly (from the devastating magic which he employed in his own defense) was also a skilled magus. The group fled the scene of the battle. When it had concluded, the magus was dead and the demon departed.

The reason why a powerful and reclusive demon should take an interest in such a man – let alone kill him – is beyond me. The magus Raliol was most interested. In return for allowing him to magically review the memories held by Nijhad of Laracer Ashenard, they presented Soros a sword.

It was made clear to Soros that this was an ancient heirloom of great power, but Soros was not told why he was being given the sword. It later became clear that this sword was one of a thousand like it, forged in the ancient Niban Empire by the Niban master smith Artan Shaol for the purpose of slaying demons.

The group received the advice of a priest of Vilcanat called Jhadar Ialtan whom you, father, would later meet in very different circumstances. Jhadar Ialtan was the temple name of an Otgaidarese called Hiasr, who had (for reasons I will later explains) sworn an oath to ensure the marriage of Mictila and Bertan went ahead. He had played a major part in thwarting the assassination attempt on Mictila, having insinuated himself amongst the assassins and attacking them at a crucial moment.

Dynastic Events

The marriage of Mictila to Prince Bertan went ahead successfully. This happy event was offset by the death of the Queen’s second child, Yloe, in a horse riding accident later that year. This death had a profound effect on the dynastic conflicts which would later ensue, because Prince Bertan's elevation to the position of eldest surviving sibling to the heir meant that he would become Prince of Matora (and Mictila therefore would be his Princess) on the succession of his eldest sister Inaris to the Histran throne.

Rumours of pending war continued, and the Queen authorised a large increase in the recruitment of soldiers in the Kingdom by way of expansion of the size of each Mercer House.
Later, believing that they had received confirmation that Kalmar intended to invade, the Histran Dominions begin to mobilize. Count Tucinate – a Fontarbian Count whose son Jarnad was at Yloe's court– came to an arrangement by which he organized border skirmishes between the Fontarbrian Marquis and the Eastern Kalmarese lords.

During this time the companions were involved in a productive series of intrigues with Darlimar Komaresa, the Kalmarese ambassador to Histra. Darlimar Komaresa represented a coalition of 11 Kalmarese Barons who wished to break with the Kalmarese Dukes, either to join Histra or to depose them in a coup.

War with Kalmar

A large Kalmarese army crossed the border and assaulted Ertures City. The companions fought with distinction during the siege. They were joined in the fighting by Wodarn Hecak, a Fontarbrian knight and member of Order of Phaidos who was traveling in Histra in an effort to discover information which might lead to the resolution of the war of the Fontarbrian succession.
The siege of Ertures was eventually broken and the Histran armies began a counter- invasion. With several Kalmarese Barons defecting in the middle of battle, the counter- invasion went very well. Soon the Histran armies were advancing deep into Kalmar. The front lines solidified during the harsh Kalmarese winter and Baron Ertura’s forces were given winter quarters in Esakom, a southern port city.

In the spring, news reached Esakom that the Queen had been assassinated. Father, I know from what you have told me that it was the firm belief of my grandfather and his colleagues that this assassination was the work of Tokan Liod, the magus and magnate of Tibulanus, but there has never been any firm proof of this. While Tokan Liod certainly had some motive to slow the advance of Histra, surely the Kalmarese has more to gain from the death? In light of our recent detente with Tokan Liod, I would suggest that this particular conspiracy theory be left with my grandfather in his grave.

Victory in Kalmar

The King and the Dukes of Histra later signed a treaty with the Dukes and Barons of Kalmar, which made the 11 Kalmarese conspirator baronies Histran dominions.
Inaris Tarashonis was crowned Queen of Histra.
Baron Ertura was granted the southern third of the former Viscounty of Silhar.
The honour of Silhar was reduced to a Barony, and Jarnad Tucinate was made the Baron of Silhar.

Bertan Tarashonis was made Prince of Matora, and Mictila the Princess of Matora.
The companions went their separate ways at that point and prospered over the following years. As is well known, my grandfather Wodarn suffered a number of tragic bereavements – most notably a fire in a chapel – wherein his father, mother, elder brother, next elder brother, and all their respective children died. This led him to finding himself holding the title of the Baron of Alcura. Branan Hemsienan inherited his father's position as Sheriff of Kordaes and became a leading figure in the governance of the city of Ertures. Nijhad Hirajavarus was ordained Bishop of Javarus at Alcus. Runesan Hemsharun, the knight, grew in stature as an envoy in service of Baron Ertura. The fame of Soros Yi Grisane, the Weapons-Master of Baron Ertura continued to grow.