Report on the state of Argrathi affairs
Earth/1634

The Heartland and beyond

There is an Emperor on the throne of Dara Happa; his name is Eremdaivu the Golden. According to reports from trade sources, he was in the position of Golden Proxy for the last Red Emperor incarnation when he disappeared and has since passed the Ten Tests of Dara Happa but not the Acceptance Codex of the Lunar Synod required to be named Red Emperor, he is missing many of the "parts" they require as proof. As a result, though he rules from his golden throne in Raibanth, he is not accepted as Red Emperor and has a seat, not a sovereign position on the Ordanestyum, the ruling council of the entire Empire that sits in Glamour. Rinliddi and Carmania refuse to acknowledge his rule, as does Sylila and Darjiin. They all maintain the increasing fiction that they support the Lunar Empire but await the return of the Red Emperor, even though it has been 6 years. The Tripolis do acknowledge Eremdaivu for he has passed the tests so much of the Heartlands are in his power. Eremdaivu is known to be tough minded and responsible but neither a great general nor a potent magician. The Provinces and their troubles hold little sway for him right now, as he is more concerned with the control of Rinliddi, Doblian and Oronin as well as the threat of the nomads in Oraya.

Carmania is independent under Shah Avanshar the Liberator and has conquered most of the western parts of Doblian and Oronin as well as controlling much of Brolia and Anadikki. Avanshar came from Charg when the Ban came down and is Shah of a resurgent Neo-Carmania Empire that has powerful armies and control of the Sweet Sea. Word of ferocious wars in Fronela indicates that Carmanian power will not be a great factor in Heartland diplomacy at the moment, though if her attention turned to the east, her armies would be formidable.

Rinliddi has deified the Paradisal Aviator; Merkinoros the Iron Wing and has become a militarised state to defend itself from the nomads occupying much of Oraya.

Darjiin has declared its Satrap as the Manimat of Darjiin and announced that it will only accept the rule of the Red Emperor. It is currently skirmishing with Sylila over the Dara-Ni region and watches the hell city of Alkoth with strong forces in case of an attack from their ancestral enemies who have already made demonstrations against them.

The Sable riders of the Hungry Plateau have become independent of the Empire once more as their Satrapy revolted beneath them with the fall of the Red Emperor. Several assaults on their plateau have failed and they are still a force to be reckoned with, however they are effectively isolated from events thanks to the hostility of the Kostaddi.

Sylila

Sylila is our truest foe currently, they have orchestrated a campaign of aggrandisement that has seen their lands expand and their vassal states take over wide expanses of territory from the old Provincial kingdoms and the Talastari.

Satrap of Sylila Pardidas the Axebringer

The long ruling scion of House Erriounit is reputed as something of a dandy for his brilliant white clothes, shining Carmanian armour and elegantly waxed moustache. He is also a famous hunter, cavalier and general, as comfortable sleeping under the stars on an icy hillside as holding court in his splendid palace in Jillaro. Pardidas has earned his war name, 'Axebringer', from his recent conquests and militarisation of Sylila. While professing undying loyalty to the Empire, Pardidas has refuted claims that Eremdaivu the Golden is his Emperor for Sylila never gave obeisance to the Solar Emperor, only to the Red Emperor, which everyone agrees, that Eremdaivu is not. Therefore though he will not struggle against the Empire or declare himself independent, he continues his search for the Red Emperor and conducts his own policy. The Provinces have naturally attracted his attention and with the positioning of his own family in all the key spots within the Provincial Government, Pardidas has attained hegemony over the entire region.

Pardidas intends to unify the rule of Saird and Sylila under his son, Ingkotarm, when he dies, creating a Sylilan dominated empire in the Provinces. This has long been the dream and goal of Sylilan policies in the region and it appears that without Argrathi interference his strategy will likely bear fruit.

War Prince of Sylila Pardidas Ironsides

Brother of Axebringer, both were named after their father but usually the younger Pardidas is usually known to all as' Ironsides'. Though not the heir to the Satrapy he has the title of War Prince of Sylila and is a grim, burly and utterly ill tempered man of great military experience and skill. Ironsides is famous for his love of the infantry of Sylila's armies and has campaigned incognito as a common foot soldier many times, much to the despair of the courtiers and his teachers over the years. Word among the Imperials of the Sylilan court is that Ironsides is a throwback to the days of barbarity and baseness and many in Sylilan elite circles are more enamoured of his young nephew, Inkgotarm for his grace and rulership skills. Ironside's love of battle and his understanding of infantry tactics have earned him the command of the Sylilan Royal Army that is currently based in Kistium facing the Darjiini hosts. Ironside's is also a disciple of the War Bear aspect of Odayla and commands a small army known as the Iron Band of likeminded warriors of the traditional Odayling fighting cult and the newer Moon Bear faith.

King of Saird, Heir of Sylila Ingkotarm the EverReady

Eldest son of Pardidas, Ingkotarm is the premier hero of Sylila, since a boy of 8 Ingkotarm has been heroquesting to add or discover powers within himself or to take them from others. Pardidas has long prepared his son to become King of Saird, and has had a thousand priests, heroquesters and scholars working for twenty years to aid him and prepare him for this endeavour. Known as the EverReady, Ingkotarm is a deadly warrior and well-schooled ruler. He can be expected to make few mistakes and even fewer mistakes twice. However, his strength is not in his sword arm, formidable though that skill is, it is in his magic. He has a dozen or more heroic weapons and artefacts that make him invulnerable to mundane assault and his magical defences are comparable to an entire regiment of mages.

Provincial Overseer Pardikot Mindtrap

The fourth child of the Satrap, Pardikot is a sage and explorer of knowledge, a man of great curiosity and esoteric wisdom, magic and power. Pardikot is quite young but he was born of Pardidas and Erendana the Great Thinker, high scholar of Irripi Ontor in Jillaro as part of the Divine Potentials project. Erendana manifested Irripi Ontor in a perverse Lunar ritual while Pardidas heroformed Odayla All Knowing to create a unique blend of Lunar insight and Odaylan practical thinking in their Demigod child. Pardikot was thus born complete with some impressive skills that he has honed for the last 25 years. His position of Provincial Overseer is a puppet role but also an education in politics and rule enforced by Pardidas over the objections of his brilliant son who would rather be buried in esoteric knowledge.

Pardikot is popular in Mirin's Cross for his liberal policies and support for expensive state projects that have seen great wealth freely dispensed in the city. However, he is not Appius Luxius in style or substance and the administrative systems of the Provincial Government are resistant to his family's assumption of power. Some of them even covertly oppose his rule.

High Priestess of the Provincial Church Gwaerida Roadlayer

One of the new gods born of Pardidas and a carefully bred Lunar heroine of the Deezola cult, Gwaerida is third child of Pardidas. She is beautiful and cruel, cunning and forceful. Her recent take-over of the Provincial Church has seen many of the old guard crucified or exiled and a series of reforms instituted designed to make the Church more militant and less forgiving of the worship of other deities. The High Priestess has lost much support among the Provincials for her aggressive ways but those that do support the lunar way have become even more fanatical in their dedication to it. Funds have been directed her way by the Provincial Overseer for the formation of an active and professional Provincial Field Magical force similar to the Imperial College of Magic. That and the formation of Church Soldier units to enforce her edicts has meant the Provincial Church has had a direct input in military matters for the first time since its inception.

The New Gods

The Provincial Church and the Satrapy of Sylila had been working for years on a special project called the Divine Potentials or colloquially - the New Gods. The basic premise is to create demigods that will serve the Empire as heroic warriors and leaders, cult figures that will be born with great powers and skills in place that then develop other skills an abilities with experience or enhance their initial advantages. To that end a decades old breeding program was instituted using heroformed deities as the parents in highly enhanced and complex ceremonies. The product of the third generation of this great experiment is now leading the Sylilan and Provincial forces against us, including several members of the Sylilan house and the Provincial Government. Rumours of elite units of lesser scions of the project have been heard for some time in the Provinces, though they have yet to have been seen in action.

Saird

The reformed Kingdom of Saird has become a powerful entity within the Provinces, with something like 700,000 people or more and a great deal of wealth and military potential. King Ingkotarm is popular and heroic and his support of various Sairdite institutions that have long been repressed by the Kingdoms that had carved up Saird has created a strong bond of loyalty to the new King. The Jajalaring minority have also given him their loyalty and serve as a source of troops for his rapidly expanding army.

Mirin's Cross is the capital of Saird and the Lunar Provincial Government. It is a large city verging on a metropolis and rests on the raised wedge of rock between the Oslir River and the Black Eel River. The Daughter's Road cuts through the city on it's way to Filichet from Jillaro. The city is ancient, it was established by the Dara Happans as a religious city called New Nivorah during the first age, was taken over by the Orlanthi and became Domanand the Dragon Slayer city during the second age when it was home to the great Kings of Saird and waged stubborn but fruitless war against the EWF. Once conquered by the EWF it became a centre for trade and the regional capital for the EWF but with the fall of the Empire of Wyrms Friends the city once more passed into Sairdite control and served as a mustering point for the True Golden Horde. After the Dragon Kill it was capital of the Orlanthi land of Saird that eventually fell to the ambitions of Sylila when the Conquering Daughter took the city by creating a magical crystal bridge over the Black Eel that still stands today. The defeated King of the Cynnelfing Alliance against Hwarin Dalthippa was spirit bound as protector for the bridge and still guards it. With the onset of Lunar power in the area, the city served once more as a focal point for the expanding military campaigns in Dragon Pass. Now, once more it is the seat of the King of Saird. He has commissioned a great palace-citadel upon the northern shore of the Black Eel to mark the occasion and has progressed with the construction of new walls and defences for his capital that were begun by the last Provincial Overseer.

Provincial Government

Weakened with the death of Appius Luxius, the long serving Provincial Overseer, the Provincial Government has increasingly become a commonwealth facilitating body rather than a state organisation. It fulfils the role of ensuring smooth trade negotiations, land allocations and mutual defence between the various Provinces. However, since the effective domination of the Provinces by the House of Sylila, it has in point of fact become a puppet of the Satrap and a slave to his ambitions. There are several elements within the Provincial Government that resent this but they have little cohesion or power to change affairs in the face of overwhelming Sylilan hegemony.

The Provincial Army has also ceased to be an effective unified force. Though the Provincial Battle College in Mirin's Cross still trains troops in the modern Lunar way, the Provincial Army officer corps has few troops to command it that are not assigned to local armies and increasingly is finding that the officers are loosing their loyalty to the Provincial Army higher ideals and returning to their cultural and ethnic roots for recognition and opportunities of promotion.

The Provincial Church has adopted a new role in the last two years, a far more militant and hard line policy that has seen a series of pogroms against suspected Orlanth practitioners that has stirred up religious hatred as never before in the Provinces. To further that aim the Church has been pouring its not inconsiderable fiscal resources into providing its own troops and heroes to further the cause. These fanatics are finding the troubled times a suitable recruiting ground but their extreme activities are fanning the flames of rebellion among the die hard Orlanthi who have up till now kept many practices by disguising them or cloaking them with less offensive deities. These now are also anathema.

Imther

Since the disastrous civil war in the early 1600s and the annexation of large amounts of territory by Vanch and Holay, Imther was both weakened politically and militarily but was imbued with a yearning for retribution. Young King Arkrath the Warrior has resurrected ancient Imtherian heroic practices and become a stanch ally of the Sylilan Hegemony. Thanks to the support it has given to the creation of Saird, Imther has received control of many of its old lands, such as New Lolon and Hortugarth. This support is not without a price however. Imtherian troops are present in the Sairdite army as allies and the kingdom is armed for war in a way that it has not seen for centuries.

Holay

Queen Karsalla rules Holay from the ancestral city of Filichet, long considered the core of the Holayan peoples. Holaya was the founding heroine of Holay in the Second Age and held her throne against Verenmars Dragonslayer of Saird, the greatest warrior king in Sairdite history. Holay has a long history of antipathy towards Saird and has resisted the recreation of Saird, holding several items of that broken nation's regalia in their vaults including the War Hound battle banner and the Gloves of the Stone Man that allow a mortal to hold the Net of Souls, a Jajagappan artefact. These items were stolen and handed over to Ingkotarm by Anashayla, younger sister to Queen Karsalla, the Queen of Mirin's Cross and Deezola priestess. Anashayla the Traitoress has been offered the throne of all Holay by King Ingkotarm of Saird in return for her aid and support. She maintains a small but loyal army of lunarised Holayans and has her greatest support in the north of the Queendom.

Queen Karsalla appears to have thrown her weight behind the Argrathi but is clearly concerned at her people being the front line in a rapidly widening war.

Vanch

The Kingdom of Vanch has seen its fortunes diminish greatly since the death of Appius Luxius. The formation of Saird at the behest of the new Provincial Governor saw much of their lands annexed and the support given Imther in the Provincial Assembly saw Vanch forced to hand back the lands taken from Imther during the civil war. Vanch is now a rump state returned to its ancient tribal and cultural boundaries around Bihky and the Vanch Hills. The Empire or more precisely, the Sankenites who are ancient allies of Vanch and never forget a debt are guaranteeing their independence. Even Sylila does not care to risk battle with the hoplites of Sanken for there are none tougher or more stalwart.

The Vanchites control a significant trading and monetary Empire that extends across the Empire, they have access to funds of seemingly limitless scope and may be a source of revenue at a favourable rate should they be assisted in reclaiming their lost lands.

Aggar

The division between Winter and Summer tribe Aggar is more than just a cultural one, it is also religious. The Summer tribes have accepted the Lunar way wholeheartedly over the years while the more traditional Winter tribes have clung to many Orlanthi ways, especially when the agents of the Provincial Church were elsewhere. Now that Argrath Storm Maker has gained the throne, the division is clear and one that will likely only be sealed in blood. Northern Aggar was once part of Saird and those lands, revenues and forces have been lost to Aggar when Saird was reformed three years ago. Old King Rascius is said to be infirm and unable to protect his realm as before, however others have taken on the role with the old king as a figurehead. Sandor Redsword, Champion of Aggar and Glittering Scimitar of the Tarnils branch of the Provincial Church has assumed the role of Warlord of Aggar and commands those forces remaining to the King. He has raised the warbanners of the lunarised tribes and called on monies and troops from the Provincial Government and Church. To date, only the Church has responded with any help but it is not insignificant and the magical forces Warlord Sandor has to call on are not lacking, nor is his fanaticism. He promises to be a difficult foe.

Prax

Whitebull maintains control of Prax and the Zola Fel river valley by a policy of encouraging the nomads to pursue their ancient history of raid and small-scale war while promoting settlement in the valley and trade through Corfu. Currently much of Whitebull's free resources are going into funding the war effort against the Empire, he has not held back or been stinting in his part.

The Praxians themselves have been quite as some rumours come from the deep wastes of great rituals and quests designed to awaken the ancient magics of Genert and his hero Tada. It is unknown how true or resultant such rumours are.

Bilini

King Ketil the Fearless of the Bilini is a man beset by foes. Since the defeat of the Chaos horde in 1625 and the subsequent war against the Empire in 1630 which saw the death of King Oddi the Keen and the loss of many Bilini warriors, Ketil has worked on maintaining the peace and protecting his fragile borders. Though a doughty warrior, he will not risk his people in a great war or risky venture. He is an Orlanthi but while Dorastor sits on his borders, a festering pit of enmity and hate, he will not march is fyrds away to war elsewhere. Should Dorastor be removed as a threat then he can face Lakrene and western Sylila without fear.

Borronus Blackbrow, High King of the Lakrenea is covetous of the Bilini lands and their great sheep herds that supply much of the wool for the Lakrenea's vast loom industry. He is concerned that a war with the Orlanthi will leave his looms bereft of wool and thus his people destitute and himself unable to pay the loans to the Sylilan Cartels that have allowed his ambitious building program in Voranel.

Skanthiland

The hard core conservative Orlanthi of the Talastari tribes, the Skanthi are stubborn hillmen and foresters. They acknowledge no great tribal kings but operate as a group of clans held together by a mutual faith and hearty dislike of foreign influences. Typically they feud and raid each other constantly but unite under the priests, devotees and disciples at the great Skanthi temple at Oxhead, their only settlement that might be classed as a city. Many heroic warleaders gather their own personal bands to fight, raid the lowlanders and assail chaos in Dorastor, many grow large and take over or form clans, others wither or die in pitiless battle.

Alliance with the Skanthi as a people will be impossible but it is likely that many of their warriors and heroes will be attracted by the promise of booty and glory in wars against the Empire, a power they have had to ignore due to the power of it's arms.

Balazaar

Aside from the three citadel cities of the Balazaarings, the land of Balazaar is poor and lightly populated. However, the Balazaarings have strong shamans and hunters, a number of decent fighting men and an abiding hatred of the Lunars who occupied Elkoi, their greatest citadel. They could prove allies if approached the right way and if their land were unified under one ruler loyal to the Argrathi.

The cult of Yelmalio is strong there and agents of Ogunjar may have been active in the region for Sota Lamplighter has yet to preach his Doctrine there.

Jarst, Garsting & Ezarcos

The lands on the western bank of the Arcos river have increasingly come under the sway of the growing power of the Kingdom of Estvenor ruled by the chevalier King Loris Debarden. This land is of semi-pastoralists and farmers who are allied firmly with the Elder Wilds elves that seek to return the region and the Elf Sea to its former glory as an Aldryami homeland. The Estvenori are known of little in the region of Holay though some traders claim they have superb heavy, medium and light cavalry as well as deadly archers armed with bows made by elven artifice and magic for human wielders. Whether these tales are true or not, it is beyond doubt that in the last 10 years they have absorbed many of the small clans and tribes commonly known as the Zarcosians into their hegemony.

Maniskisson paid the Estvenori to allow the Pentan nations through their lands to wage war on the Empire and his negotiators said they worked a hard bargain and gave nothing for free.

Heortland

The realm of Sharpsword includes Volsaxiland as well as Karse, the Rightarm Isles, Three Step Isles and all of northern and central Heortland. Sharpsword has considerable fleet assets, estimated at close to 100 war hulls with which he is dominating trade along the southern Genertelan coast and in Choralinthor Bay. All grain and goods shipments from Esrolia to foreign lands are controlled by Sharpsword. The Protector of the Holy Country as he likes to be known has a strong land army and contributes significant forces to the war against the Empire. However these troops, though of high quality, are but a tithe of his true strength. He has a well trained core of professionals, mercenaries, marines and Huscarls to back up his militia and fyrds when called. All are well equipped with decent armour and weapons.

The main opposition to his domination of the region comes from Archduke Gerard of Mt Passant who refuses to pay Sharpsword his trade tithes. Gerard also has a strong army and is building a navy in the God Forgot Islands, Vizel and Refuge, his main harbours. The integration of the God Forgoti into his domain has seen Gerard's strength increase greatly and the renewed faith of the God Forgoti who now call themselves the Remembered has seen his realm become a serious potential problem for Sharpsword. The Archduke is the Secular leader of the Aeolian Church and has demanded that Sharpsword remove the Rokari Church representative from his position as Archbishop of Heortland in Duchamp. The Rokari are strong supporters of Sharpsword, so this is another source of conflict.

The Kitori of the Troll Woods are also opponents of Sharpsword and retain their independence of his power. Sharpsword counts them as part of his lands and has begun to array forces against them.

The Pentaverate

The five great Sun dome Temples of the Saird region have formed an alliance under the command of their Supreme Polemarch Ogunjar Straightarm. Ogunjar has heroquested to prove himself Palangio the Conqueror and has gained many articles of power to back up those claims. The Pentaverate operates as an autonomous body within the Provinces but are backing Saird and Sylila in their war against the Argrathi. This is doubly the case now that the Argrathi have identified their cause with that of Sota Lamplighter, considered the great anti-prophet of the Yelmalio religion by the Pentaverate. The Pentaverate believe that Yelmalio is a name for the High Sun, a mystical deity once known as Daysenarus. Since his defeat in the Gbaji wars, Daysenarus has been almost forgotten, but Ogunjar and others have resurrected him and seek a return to past glories.

The army of the Pentaverate is a strong one, with many Phalangites and specialist troops of great skill and experience. Ogunjar has been leading phalanxes for twenty years, almost all on campaign and is one of the foremost infantry generals of the age.

Dagori Inkarth

The Troll Queendoms of Dagori Inkarth have increased their activity with the Argrathi of late, they are particularly friendly to Argrath Storm Maker who is considered a great Troll friend. Troll mercenaries are potential hires for the wars in Saird and it is likely that if approached in the right manner, an army could be gained from the Uz.

Cragspider

The plans and portents of Cragspider are unknown at the present. The Firewitch is as inscrutable as she is powerful. However, it has been seen that her Great Troll bodyguard has reached the largest size it has seen since the 1300s and many more trollkin and dark trolls have been seen training in arms in Crabtown and around Cliffhome. A great store of weapons and armour has been gathered in the mountain fastness, but to what purpose, it is unclear.

Shadowlands

The Shadowlands are increasingly remote from Esrolian affairs. Their intercourse with all outside groups has been distant of late and their hostility toward Sharpsword and his Protectorate has been quite overt. The Shadowlands council have long held plans secret to humans and we do not think that their silence is that of inaction.

Esrolia

Though firmly behind the Argrathi Alliance, the Queendoms of Esrolia are still rife with division and infighting. The Warlords of Porthomeka are still a threat, gaining in strength since their recent land gains and the barbarians to the west are as fond of raiding the fertile Esrolian fields as ever. Other recent concerns have been the sudden disappearance of many farms and small villages at the edge of the Arstola forest. It seems that the forest expanded over night and those communities within the new boundary have ceased to exist and their occupants have failed to appear anywhere. Strong bodies of Aldryami troops have been seen patrolling the area aggressively.

Grazers

The long war and the commitment of many of their best men has drained the Grazers. Some hostility to his persistent support for Maniskisson, his lifelong friend, has arisen for Jandetin the Luminous Stallion King. Karndaro the Leaper, chieftain of the Queens Post confederation of clans has proved the most staunch opponent of Jandetin's policy and seeks instead a return to the isolationist ways of his ancestors to let his people regain their strength. The Feathered Horse Queen is wife of Maniskisson and while she rules the women and Jandetin the men, there will be no shift in policy from the Grazers, their continued support in the war is guaranteed.

Tarsh

Though controlled by the forces of Mularik, the northern part of Tarsh, especially the lowlands is strongly lunarised with many Provincial Church priests and sympathisers to remove from their positions of power. This process will take time, even for one as ruthless as Mularik. If there is a shift in the fortunes of battle for the Argrathi forces, it can be expected that we will see rebellions and unrest in this region.

Other areas of Tarsh will likely remain pacified due to the almost complete eradication of the lunarised population in the various battles around Bagnot, Goldedge and Furthest. Fazzursson is working hard to cement his control over the rest of the land, especially the truculent Mellmuri in the east.

Sartar

The kingdom is bled white from the wars and badly needs a reprieve. The stress of so many years of conflict has manifested in an increase in brigandage, raid and tribal conflicts. The most pressing is the dispute between the Colymar tribe and the Malani over the long fought over Afritha Vale. Both tribes have brought their supporters into the feud and it threatens to become more widespread should the High King not resolve the issue.

The Prince of Far Point, Orgovalt, has issued warning that the chaos in Snakepipe Hollow is disturbingly active, more so than has been seen since the initial lunar invasion in 1602. Many steads and caravans have been raided, the Dwarfs have even begun to patrol the Tarsh road once more.

Dorastor

The chaos land is always and unknown quantity but recently the Unicorn Emperor form of Ralzakark the Chaos Lord has been seen outside the traditional borders of his lands leading warbands from his trained Broo army. Other odd news concerns the sudden absence of many of the teeming feral broo that usually bedevil the Bilini and Skanthi. All the clansmen on the borders of the chaos land have talked about it but no answer has yet been given. Speculation ranges from Ralzakark sacrificing them to the return of the Sky Terror.

Talastar

Harvar Ironfist declared himself king of the Talastari two years ago and he has been fighting to enforce his claim ever since. With him were many Aramnites, the Black Horse Troop and his own army of followers, many from his days as Prince of Far Point. His questing to name himself Lokamayadon reborn seems to have succeeded and the last Talastari resistance to his power was crushed early in 1634. Southern Anadiki also fell to his forces. The Provincial Government has recognised his rule as legitimate and he in turn has recognised the authority of the Provincial Overseer, making Talastar a Province for the first time. Harvar is now consolidating his rule, bringing errant clans to heel.

Sir Ethilrist has created a new Black Horse county in eastern Tenlingland and western Rist with the blessing of Sylila and the defeat of the Tenling by his forces and Harvar's. Many of his people from his now abandoned lands in Dragon Pass made the trek with him, as did a great mass of weapons, treasures and building materials. All reports indicated that the foundations for a new Muse Roost have been laid and a new city temple for Ethilrist is well underway.

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