Tuesday, September 11, 2018

Ballad of the Pigeon God #75 Where Are They Now?

On 5th of DecDec in the year 1073 of the Ancien Empire, Rurik Bloodblade was crowned Emperor Rurik IV of the Empire of Feraso.  The great apocalypse had been adverted.  The nations of man were reunited as they had been in generations past.

But unlike fairy tales, there is no happily ever after.

Re-establishing an entire empire based on prophecy and a glowing sword is a hard thing to do, but by the time the formal coronation was conducted four months later, most kingdoms, duchies, independent cities, and principalities fell in line.

Ras-Prythax: Krugraf Henrik I was a weak, but conniving King of Ras-Prythax, worthy of the nickname "The Follower."  With the Knights of Feraso supporting Rurik IV, he immediately pledged his fealty.

Aragain:  The death of William I with no immediate heir caused great issue with the mountain kingdom.  Many of the other cousins and uncles in the line of succession had married into noble and commercial families within the hated Senzar Empire. The noble houses selected Sanzo, a first cousin once removed, king, not for his ability, but for his marriage to a local girl ("Pureblood Ferasean" whatever that meant...), Emesinda.

Crosedes:  The death of the "Dread Lord" Cervinal II, and rumored involvement of his only daughter, Celeste, in his nefarious plans, caused a crisis with the Council of Nobles.  Unwilling to give Celeste the crown, they elected Duke Nobquin Silvershield II of Ferrand, second cousins twice removed from Cervinal, as Council Regent to administer the kingdom for "the will of the nobles and the glory of the Emperor".

Masgoth: King Boson V had been King of the Gnomes since the early days of the Imperial Pretenders' claims right after the barbarian hordes receded back into Galmar.  He acknowledged Rurik as the Lord Protector of the Realms, and never sent a copper piece to them in taxes.

Agenmoor: Rurik let bygone be bygones and allowed the elves equal footing at the Imperial Court.  While relations improved with government official between the countries, even the rumors acts of the lost Winnebago tribe, Markuus Brighthelm, and Torm Touchberry did little to lessen the public hatred for most elves.

Skyforge: Already embarrassed by a dishonored shaved dwarf ex-mushroom farmer in battle, the Dwarves of Skyforge could do little but recognize the emperor, under threat of any other embarassment.

Emron: The Mage-Princes were never part of the Second Empire of Feraso, but with certain key courts in disarray within the Principalities, is was deemed smart to swear devotion to the Emperor.

Ispatlia: In the midst of a religious revival involving Akana pushing out the old Argivian gods, the Ispatlian Sydincrats deemed it essential to join the empire, if only for monetary gain.

Markovia, Weissmach, Talmark:  The other countries once part of the First and Second Empires with their warring tribes, bloodthirsty warlords, and corrupt kings fell in line when the rest of the nations swore their oath to the empire, less they become the first targets of war.

The Third Ferasean Empire bloomed into example of stability in a troubled time.   No surrounding nations dared triffle with their might, and Rurik was wise enough not to be lured into diplomatic machinations beyond his ability.  The future of the empire looked bright.

Except that Rurik and his Empress, Fiame II, could not conceive a child, and with sages and scholars unable to find any other blood relations within his Wyrmnalian villages, the empire was on borrowed time.

With the death of Rurik in 1105 and the ascension of Fiame to full rulership, The demi-human and fringe nations rescinded their oaths, or simply failed to acknowledge them anymore.  Upon Fiame's death ten years later, the empire splintered, much into the same familiar boundaries from 1072.  The last few personal effects of the Bloodblades were still being loaded into wagons headed to a museum, when Ernest II of Ras-Prythax seized control of the Imperial Palace and a Pretender claim to the throne that is rarely acknowledged twenty miles outside of Feraso City.

Ballad of the Pigeon God Presents "Where Are They Now?"

The World of Georic, is a homebrew, ever-evolving campaign that I've been using since 1990.  When I started the next campaign in the world, I moved up the timeline 60 years to 1132, and it continues to advance as we scheme about playing again.  Only the future actual play of "Adventures in Gulluvia is outside this timeline.

For those brave enough to read seventy-plus entries in this actual play, it's only fair to pretend to be VH1 and see where everyone, both PC, NPC, and even towns, nations, and items, ended up.  For fairness, I'll only mention any stories post-1132 if such things were mentioned in either The Journey of Mutumbo or The Burning Trogs Rule! campaigns.

In Alphabetical Order, by First Name: 

A. Warren Corkbarrel:  On-again, off-again mayor of Lowdale.   Became a Knight of the Pigeon by Baron Timoth in 1115.

Ariel the Bard:  Survived the battle and went back to Fayette at the Blue Wizard Inn.  Fayette's sister Emeretta, died in the Siege of Eding, so Ariel took over many of her duties.  Ariel passed away in 1102, and Fayette sold the Blue Wizard in 1113.  In celebration of 1115, the new owners changed the name to the Green Griffon Inn.

Ashe Winnebago:  Ashe and his brother Binkley led the Winnebago tribe of elves retreated back into the darker woods of Agenmoor, until the dark elves erupted from the Shadowdark around 1130.  Rumors have placed some of the lost tribe, and possibly Ashe, around the Elvish Citadel at Ilvablight.

Babette de Hydincall: The Chateau d'Echelon was rebuilt, stone by stone, by "Baron" Felix to the dreams of its former owners.  All of the heroes and their families were always offered a hot meal and a place to lay their head.  When he passed in 1090, Babette de Hydincall purchased the grounds. Her sons, Yuri and Darius, and their families run estate.  There has been no change to the invitation.

Brutus: The dim-witted but loyal ex-gladiator realized soon after the battle that he wasn't getting any younger for mercenary work or manual labor.   He would move out of the Chateau soon after it was rebuilt and worked as a bouncer at the Blue Wizard and new new taverns that opened up after Eding began to grown: The Greedy Goblin, and The Broken Keg.   While clearing up a brawl at the keg in 1094, a travelling drow found a soft spot on the big guy's thick head and killed him.  The entire village showed up for the funeral and Baron Timoth superseded the magistrate's powers in the only time of his reign and instantly sentenced the drow to death.

Celeste Silvershield:  Princess Celeste was the only daughter of the Dread Lord, and following Crosedes' enlightened order of royal succession, should have been next in line for the throne.  The Council of Nobles, who were established to act as a rubber stamp in such simple matters, had other ideas.  Naming Duke Nobquin II of Ferrand as a "Council Regent" to rule was a surprise to all. The one thing the council  did award Celeste was the title of Duchess of Hydincall.  The Duchy of Hydincall was normally awarded to the King to avoid a petty noble from surrounding the capital.  It was never determined if giving her this title was a peace offering to the daughter of the Dread Lord, or a way for the Royal Court to keep an eye on her, but she was an active and congenial member of the Court.  She married Gotzoeff, one of the officials of Magic Lyceum and seemed to settle down to a life child rearing, duchy-ruling, with some courtly affairs mixed for good measure.
In reality, she bid her time in court, waiting for the old guard to die out and influence their heirs.  By the time of her death in 1108, the Council of Nobles decided to overrule the wishes of the second Council Regent, Duke Nobquin Silvershield III, and put Celeste's son, Prince Celowin (V) on the throne.

Celowin Silvershield V: The new King of Crosedes showed none of the sadistic streaks of his grandfather and all the long-term planning of his mother.  He consolidated enough power that, after the death of Empress Fiame II in 1115, Crosedes announced their independent sovereignty with only the loss of some minor pre-1073 territory.   His son Geoffrey II would strengthen the bonds with their immediate neighbors to reassemble the splintered branches of the kingdom, including marrying off his young son, Prince Cassius, to bring in the Duchy of Alois into the fold .

Dag di Velandro: Dag and his family survived the battle, helped rebuild the town, and left to live in Ispatlia and continued to grow a monastery of Akana dedicated to kobold acolytes.  They would travel north to visit the Chateau every year during Yule.

Lady Iris de Hierylat: 
Lady Iris was knighted to the rank of White Knight of Crosedes (not bad for a two-bit village thief).  At the Emporer's command, she stayed in Eding to formally act as Regent for Baron Timmy for day-to-day activities.  Upon Timmy's sixteenth birthday in 1078, the Emperor gave her the title of Baroness of Lansluck.  She married a local horsetrader from Ras-Prythax, Timon Weissluck, and had three children.

Kannex:  The fire mage from Talislanta barely survived his encounter with Baraxus the Destroyer, but upon recovery, set out for a new career path.  Apparently a certain cabal of mages from the City-State of Anon-Maxis had openly sided with evil and upon their destruction, opened a power vacuum that Kannex, "The Red Mage of Anon-Maxis", was willing to fill.

Jenny d'Echelon: As the adoptive mother of Baron Timmy, she held a high place in the community.  Upon Timmy's sixteenth birthday, she accepted an appointment as Baronial Magistrate, a title she would hold until her death in 1108.

Kane: Kane retired yet again after the Battle.  He helped rebuild Eding and cared for his friend Mohammad.  From time to time, the adventuring bug would bite the water monk and he would don his Chain Mail +3  for "one last adventure," but that ended in a unfortunate encounter with sahaugin off the western coast of Crosedes in 1107.

Mohammad: Echelon's mentor was found in the ruins of the Chateau, completely catatonic.  It was revealed years later that even his moments of clarity hiding in the Chateau's broom closet were all an unfortunate coincidence.  Outside of being a divine lightning rod for the will of Tshang Kai Shing, Mohammad had lost his mind years before. He would live his final eight years (d. 1081) being moved by his friend, Kane, between the second floor broom closet, talking to mops, and once a week to a large windowbox seat down the hall, to watch some of the adventuring family arrive for a communal dinner.  He never responded to anyone.

Norm Dingleberry:  Norm had gained a few minutes alone with Rurik IV, and garnered the Imperial Duchy of Mercadia, a number of miles south of Eding.  He proved to be a far more effective Duke than mushroom farmer.  With Fiame's death in 1115, Norm declared Mercadia independent of any other country, naming himself King.  He's warred with Masgoth, Crosedes, Skyforge, and Emron for territory, and his risky military and diplomatic maneuvers have given him the nickname "The Mad Dwarf" by ally and enemy alike.  He's married multiple times and had a few children.

Pathfinder: Echelon's faithful wolf companion suffered a battering during the apocalypse which was permanent, both mentally and physically.  When Echelon moved into Maless Manor outside Omsjik, he took the pain-stricken wolf with him.   He would spend his days near the hearth in the great hall in the winter or in the observatory during the summer.  His psychic connection with Echelon grew stronger the more Pathfinder was in pain, reaching such a point, that the cleric needed to use Wave to put his poor friend out of his misery.

Rolf Wolfsblood:  Rolf and his new tribe of tattooed warrior-barbarians proved to be a thorn in the side of law and chaos, roaming throughout the land, correcting those who were wronging others, be it brigand or government official, and taking a substantial cut of the loot as their payment.   The clan seemed to disappear before the death of Rurik, and rumors of heavily tattooed warriors leaving the small fishing town of Saltmarsh on a ship known as the Tanaroa Dreams has never been been substantiated.

Sigard Slategap:  The paladin was maimed by the battle, found a place within Eding.  He eschewed the warrior values of being a paladin of Akana and turned into a simple priest of the faith.  He was responsible for constructing the first Temple of Akana Eding had in decades.  He married, and had a number of children.  By the time of Rurik's death, Sigard had been transferred to a larger position as the High Priest of Akana for the Duchy of Draloite.

Sterling Riverbend -  There were rumors after the great battle that Stiriling could be found swinging his Spetum of Awesomeness at the king's cavalry, orcs, or even a displaced pilgrim.  After the battle, Sterling felt great guilt for capturing and collecting on the bounty on Mellandria, enough to travel to the far side of the Empire, but not enough to stop his bounty hunting career.

Timmy d'Echelon (Baron Timoth):  Becoming a hero in an apocalyptic battle and conducting the Imperial Coronation of Rurik IV at the age of ten, might have set a high standard for Baron Timmy, but he strived to do the best for his barony until his death in 1126.  Although an outward opponent of Princess Celeste, and nay vote on the Council of Nobles to elect her son Celowin, the king, he immediately reached out to the young king and established a report with him.  Upon the death of Empress Fiame II and Celowin V's independent rule, now Baron Timoth asked a two favors.  First, he asked to be awarded his barony again, in a full ceremony, but with a new name for the barony: Athelstane, in honor of the old family of landed knights that once protected the area.  Second, he asked that village (now town) of Eding have its name changed on all records as Dechie.   Over the years the traveling pilgrims and tourists visiting the village of Eding were really looking for the village near the Chateau d'Echelon.  That was truncated to d'Echelon, and over the years, the slang had turned it into Dechie.  No one remembered how Eding got it's name, anyway, so it was fitting that it would now be formally relegated to legends.

Thorrin:  Thorrin could be seen tagging along with Norm, acting as the Ducal, then Royal armorer.

Zabty: There was no sign of Count Zabty after the battle.  In later years the Count of Rowand erected numerous statues in his name.

Zoe Alberhold:  The housekeeper still worked at he Chateau into old age.  Her son,  Luke, was the only child living in the Chateau to get bit by wanderlust.  He became a trusted courier throughout the land, getting ensnared in numerous adventures, and rumored to have a certain special lady in every town.  His father Maloran, and Uncle Talis, would be proud.  

Echelon:  After the reconstruction of the Eding and of the Chateau, Echelon decided to spend more and more time at his family estate at Maless Manor.  He would still visit the Chateau on occasion, but with the deaths of his mentor Mohammad, and his companion Pathfinder, he disappeared entirely.  By his accounts he traveled "the world," finding truth and enlightenment.  In the Summer of 1102, he returned, declaring he had discovered a way to ascend into godhood and that Tshang Kai Shing had blessed his journey.  On the 1st of SepDec 1103, Echelon was celebrated at the Chateau before leaving.  A few pilgrims and friends that escorted him to the northern coast of Crosedes claim the "Pigeon-God" simply walked right into the water, trident (Wave) in hand.

The Cult of Echelon soon appeared, supplanting the long-ignored god Brianthos.  The first true priests as a god actually came from a small bird cult originally worshiping Etnosus.

As a recognized religion, Echelon is still small, mostly relegated to well-maintained shrines in coastal communities, although a shrine can be found in between the pigeon coops behind the barn at the Chateau d'Echelon.

In the Echelon mythos, he is assisted by three loyal servants.
  • Krazo: Who blesses though that prepare for the trials of the seas, and punishes those who do not.
  • Enak:  Who controls the waves and tides 
  • Mohammad:  Who blesses those that hunt sharks.

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