Red Cliff Domain
Contents
Red Cliff Domain
Background
Moon reeds and moon boats
In distant Darjiin, Bevelatia wears the Heron Mask for her goddess, SurEnslib, and guards her most precious secrets. It is she who must be courted when the Emperor wishes to have a new moonboat constructed. Worse to Dara Happan eyes, it is she who holds the Water Marriage Secret to enthrone the legitimate Emperor (see Imperial Lunar Handbook1 p.31).
Among Dara Happans, it is the leagues of noble families that form alliances and act behind closed doors to decide the future of the Empire. Few of these leagues accept that the Darjiini, who have been conquered many times by Dara Happa and should remain subjugated, have this hold over the Emperor. To seek to break Darjiin, they have unravelled the moon reed secret and have enlisted a league of Dara Happan military familes, the Pure Sky Burnished Kite League, to act as the spear that will pierce the gut of Darjiin.
General Theophilon Faius Gisto is known for his cunning and willingness to adopt unconventional strategies. Finding agents from among his own troops, he has spent almost a decade manouevring into position. Following the invasion of Heortland, news of the Third Ford Incident reached Raibanth. The plan was finally set in motion.
The General was to engineer a situation in which he would be seen as a liability to the Lunar Army and would be awarded a grant on the Zola Fel in distant Prax and so disappear. There he would grow the moon reed and build the first moon boat with the aid of a magician from the College of Magic, Bellabarisruk. Break the Darjiini monopoly.
News of his success is awaited in Raibanth...
Timeline
- 1602 - Boldhome sacked by the Lunar Empire - Theophilon Faius Gisto is present in the Lunar forces.
- 1610 - Lunar conquest of Pavis.
- 1615 - Duke Raus is ceded a land grant on the Zola Fel.
- 1618 - Setting out from Corflu, Faius Gisto leads a series of raids into Heortland as a precursor to an invasion. He is held responsible for the Third Ford Incident.[1] Almost simultaneously, activities of the subcult Urvairinus Origine are unearthed within his troops. The General retires from the army, taking up a land grant (the Red Cliffs Domain) on the Zola Fel. By the end of the year, the grant is settled, fortified and irrigation channels have been dug.
- 1619 - Lunar forces invade Heortland.
- 1619 - Although the land on the Red Cliffs Domain is quickly being turned to agriculture, and alliances formed with an assortment of local groups, Faius Gisto succumbs to the chills and dies, to be succeeded by his daughter Beltis. Shortly afterwards, his wife and son quit the grant.
- 1620 - It is now Sea Season and the River of Cradles is in full flow.
The Red Cliffs Domain grant
- It is generally understood that it is Fazzur Wideread who was responsible for the recent allotment of land grants to the north and south of Duke Raus' grant.
- Those in Faius Gisto's inner circle were made well aware, upon his arrival in the Red Cliffs Domain, that the documents in his possession awarded him land north and south of the North Bog but also an equal area extending down to the Great Bog. This land is under Raus' markers, although the Duke refused to show his own papers to the General and has continued to refuse to show these to Beltis. If appropriately irrigated, this land would make excellent rice beds, yet Raus has yet to alot the land to settlers.
- Following the General's untimely demise, ownership of the grant became an important issue. Beltis has not shown the documents awarding the grant to her father to anyone so the nature of the award is unknown, in particular whether it is to be inherited or to return the Governor of Pavis. If inherited, Dara Happan customs would pass the grant to the General's son, but the boy is barely a Dara Happan. Meanwhile, Lunar customs would pass the grant to his eldest daughter, Beltis, though some interpretations might grant one of his wives. By driving her stepmother and brother out, Beltis appears to have resolved the issue for the time being, but the rumours that Erinetha has been associating with Raus in Pavis have generated a lot of speculation and uncertainty.
- Currently the Polemarch is planning to lay claim to Raus' land and then place him in the city of Pavis as an asset. Once there Lok plans to steal Raus' et and make him look an ass....
Player Characters
- Lok Stok played by Walkie Talkie Noise Decoder
- Sistan Partesh, Polemarch of the Anusiya played by Nexus Indivulsus
What type of game do you want?
Please put these in your personal order of preference, one order for each of you unless you wish to arrive at a consensus. If you think of anything else, please put it in your list. Note there is a fair amount of overlap and we can revise the order as we go..
- Our choice
- All about your characters and the scrapes they get into
- Causing trouble for the neighbors (especially like the idea of messing Raus up)
- Causing trouble for the authorities (Whole point we're there)
- Mostly by the following methods:
- Political intrigue
- Dangerous Liaisons
- Troubleshooting for the boss
- Banditry if furthering the above
- Interaction with different folk - ducks, Agimori, nomads, newtlings and some of the monsters mentioned too.
- Troubleshooting for the boss
- Defending the territory
- All kickers and bangs
- All about your characters and the scrapes they get into
- Political intrigue
- Dangerous Liaisons (half inspired by the film of the name, half by soaps - can be fun)
- Travel
- Banditry proper
- Heroic saving of villages masked as banditry
- Causing trouble for the neighbours
- Causing trouble for the authorities
- Fighting
- Lots of monsters - trolls, broo, scorpion men, tusk riders, giants, elves, others and combinations thereof
- Interaction with different folk - ducks, Agimori, nomads, newtling
- World events (Hero Wars)
Non-Player Characters
Faius Gisto family and entourage
- Beltis Mageera Eldest daughter of General Faius Gisto. Recruited by the Pure Sky Burnished Kite League, she took a caravan of Lodrili farmers to Pavis to reunite with her father in the Red Cliff Domain. When her father died she took on the mantle of running the colony, stating that her father's soul had not departed but was now resident in his unit's standard and that she was taking instruction from him. She soon entered into conflict with her stepmother and half-brother. Eventually these were driven out. On more formal occasions, Beltis wears the headress and robes of a Hon-eel acolyte.
- Erinetha of Alda-Chur A tribeswoman of the Tovtaros, Erinetha took up with Theophilon some two-score years ago and travelled with him on his campaigns until his death. Something of a wild woman, her exotic dress and her insistence on going barefoot to show off her blue tattoed feet only contributed to Faius Gisto's ever-spiralling reputation. Although Erinetha seemed to get on with Theophilon's daughter Beltis, the two began arguing after his death, eventually leading to Erinetha quitting the grantland with her son in tow. Traders have brought rumours that she has since been seen frequenting Duke Raus' townhouse in Pavis, sporting fine silks and leather shoes of all things. No-one knows quite what to make of it, while none have dared broach the subject with Betis. (Erinetha's epithet was given her by her husband's men, though naturally she is not from Alda-Chur and in fact always despised the place).
- Theophilon Faius Gisto III (deceased) Dara Happan General, hero of the invasions of Sartar and Heortland, father to Beltis and holder of the Red Cliff Domain grantland before his death. While Theophilon was on campaign, his wife (Beltis' mother, a minor noble) and daughters remained in their native Raibanth. During the Sartar campaign, he took a tribeswoman from the uplands near Alda-Chur to his bed. She was named Erinetha and with their two sons travelled with Theophilon on his subsequent campaigns, though the elder of the boys was killed by a river spirit while boating. After the Third Ford Incident, a disastrous manouevre that led to the loss of almost an entire polemarch, Theophilon retired to take up the Red Cliff Domain on the Zola Fel. He died of the chills some three seasons later. According to Beltis, his soul now resides in his unit's standard, that she keeps in her house.
- Theophilon Faius Gisto IV Son of Faius Gisto and Erinetha, driven out by Beltis with his mother.
- The Blue Beetle Mageera' most expensive slave. Once groomed for priesthood in Teshnos, the eunuch now serves as scribe and steward.
- Bellabarisruk, Warden of the Seven Keys Lunar Magician who stole the moon reed secret from the Darjiini. The secret alone is not enough, so he rode the Crimson Bat to the moon to steal the reeds too.
- Clan Cangachero. Earth, Life, Disorder.Rice farmers and ...erm...bandits. In that order...possibly. We are not a war clan, but a Take your resources clan.
- Weeders A few Darjiini, worshippers of Vargar, who came to the Domain with (DHG). They keep to themsleves. Includes our Moonboat pilot and a competent healer-witch.
Durulz
- Bullwush Bogsnipers, Illusion and Disorder and Durulz bandits who operate out of the North Bog, led by Sleek Goldeneye. Allies of the Red Cliff grant. We help them with their foes and they provide marsh-aware protection and early warning.
- Sleek Goldeneye - Durulz bandit, leader of the Bullwush Bogsnipers and arch-rival to Pinfeather. Sleek seems himself as a level above Pinfeather, though he is yet to match his rival's power. Sleek's dream is to fly...
- Wendy Wed Beak the bandit leader's dame, from Duck point.
The Ten Tall Men, Agimori bachelor group; Fire, Movement, Death
- Baba Gul Bir
- Fanazi Iki
- Uç is a strange one. His eyes are a disconcerting white, his cataracts bloodshot. His focus always seems to be slightly to the left. Finally, he has the appearance of a boy, though he is treated with great respect by the other Tall Men. He speaks little.
- Dörd is Uç's brother (or one of his brothers) and never seems to leave his side. Dörd is one of the most talkative and hospitable of the Agimori.
- Bes is, by all acccounts, a woman. Lok Stok has yet to fathom why she is with the others. She is, above all, serene.
- Altı
- Yeddi
- Sekkiz
- Doqquz
- On
Duke Raus
- Daine, Truth and Death Raus' man, a Kostaddi Humakti. Apparently a simple fellow, Daine has runes tattoed on his cheeks, Truth below the left eye, Death below the right.
- Jared, Daine's servant. Loyalty 2W. Not very communicative, has a sweaty brow and speaks very low.
Other groups
- Red Cliff Newtlings. Help out with the reed beds and run the ferry between the beds (East bank) and the main steading (West bank). A clutch of extended families (as far as anyone can tell at least) who were recruited from the Zebraside newtling population on promise of food and security (it's tough being a newtling).
- Fee'renzzoon (Fee) Nominal leader/spokesnewt and ferryman. Water, Harmony, Communication
- Ss'ulmakro Frog Woman/Zola Fel cultist and Wise Newt. Water, Harmony, Spirit
- NAMES Lunar Priests/Priestesses. Tend the Seven Mothers shrine and have been promised a temple sponsorship upon successful completion.
Places of Interest
- Red Cliffs Gazetteer - Enclosing the tributary to the Zola Fel, these cliffs light the sky red, an effect visible all the way up to the Sun Dome.
- Paddy fields.
- Rice: known as the Eggs of Biselenslib.
Organizations
- Anusiya of Urvairinus Origine A small unit of Sworn Companions in the Lunar subcult Urvairinus Origine. Dedicated to revitalising the Imperial Army through novel tactics and strategies. Disbanded when their subcult became known to a Dara Happan Staff Officer, Temar SixPens. They were given the option of trial on charges of Heresy and Unsanctioned Scriptural Innovation or taking early retirement without benefits.
- Pure Sky Burnished Kite League - A Dara Happan League, of which Faius Gisto was a member, that harks back to the days when Dara Happa was prominent. It is this league that is financing operations in the Red Cliff Domain.
Trade
- River from Corflu/Southerly Grantlands to Pavis
- Sea salt
- Certain exotic and civilized goods, with a high value-to-weight ratio, including spices, furs, and educated slaves, are imported through Corflu and shipped upriver to Pavis by boat.
- Food stuffs from Grantlands that aren't destined for export abroad to Esrolia.
- River from Pavis to Corflu
- Few items of comparable value are available for export (mainly unskilled slaves, hides, and curios, artifacts and precious metals and stones from the Rubble)
- Caravan from Corflu to Pavis
- Same as boats during Fire season?
- Wood from rafts that floated downstream with goods. (read that somewhere, can't remember where though)
- Caravan from Pavis to Corflu
