The Peoples and Nations of Scalgard - Revision history

JasonK at 20:51, 16 February 2009

2009-02-16T20:51:26Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:51, 16 February 2009
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	* '''DC 20''' -		* '''DC 20''' -
	* '''DC 25''' - ''Walking the Halls of Gold'' - The secret wheel that moves the Keepers of the Hoard and ensures the Plutarch's continued rule is a ritual of fiscal power. Hidden in the Estrian tax codes, secreted away in the Keepers' ledgers, is the formula to move, mystically, a whole person into the Plutarch's treasure vault. This transit does not come without cost, but the Keepers' job ensures that they are wealthy men. The trip, however, is one way; though a Keeper can walk past the many guards and out of the Hoard, the Plutarch is too greedy for a ritual to take anything away again.		* '''DC 25''' - ''Walking the Halls of Gold'' - The secret wheel that moves the Keepers of the Hoard and ensures the Plutarch's continued rule is a ritual of fiscal power. Hidden in the Estrian tax codes, secreted away in the Keepers' ledgers, is the formula to move, mystically, a whole person into the Plutarch's treasure vault. This transit does not come without cost, but the Keepers' job ensures that they are wealthy men. The trip, however, is one way; though a Keeper can walk past the many guards and out of the Hoard, the Plutarch is too greedy for a ritual to take anything away again.
	* '''DC 30''' - ''The Plutarch's Face'' - The Plutarch's bloodline has run strong for a hundred years and more, and ruled Estria all that time. In truth, it is no line, but one blood - the Plutarchs are not father and son, but one man, alive for centuries. No, not a man... A Dragon! The last heir of The Dragonthe Plutarch has hid himself well and indulged his native greed, happy to remain undiscovered. A good thing, too, for the knowledge at his disposal must surely be vast and his power, if ever it had to be brought to bear, enough to strive with a god's.		* '''DC 30''' -

JasonK at 03:43, 12 February 2009

2009-02-12T03:43:59Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:43, 12 February 2009
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	A collection of low-lying land around the delta of three rivers and bordering the northern sea, the Low Countries are, like Ceumri, resource-rich. Unfortunately, they do not have Cemrui's natural protections of tall mountains and turbulent waters, so while the Low Countries support a dense population it is also one of the most war-torn areas in bloody Scalgard. Bordered by Ceumri to the west, Estria to the south, Saesony and Thrudvang to the east and dotted with orcish settlements along the north shore, the Low Countries are really an outpost for other lands' influence, with walled cities swapped back and forth seasonally between different armies. Out of these wars arises only one constant: banditry. As men flee the predations of each new army and flock together in the wilds, they form rag-tag armies of their own and take whatever their numbers will let them.		A collection of low-lying land around the delta of three rivers and bordering the northern sea, the Low Countries are, like Ceumri, resource-rich. Unfortunately, they do not have Cemrui's natural protections of tall mountains and turbulent waters, so while the Low Countries support a dense population it is also one of the most war-torn areas in bloody Scalgard. Bordered by Ceumri to the west, Estria to the south, Saesony and Thrudvang to the east and dotted with orcish settlements along the north shore, the Low Countries are really an outpost for other lands' influence, with walled cities swapped back and forth seasonally between different armies. Out of these wars arises only one constant: banditry. As men flee the predations of each new army and flock together in the wilds, they form rag-tag armies of their own and take whatever their numbers will let them.

	But those cities that stay free of foreign influence fare little better. Acrhen is ruled by a ~~Witch-~~King, who claims to have wrested his power from a giant and who sends a brotherhood of Huntsmen, their lives linked by magic, to protect the surrounding fields. Charmar's only lords are the dead, thirteen mummified men and women who sit in council and whisper commands to their vizier only in dreams. Power here, more than anywhere else in Scalgard, goes to they who can seize it.		But those cities that stay free of foreign influence fare little better. Acrhen is ruled by a Horned King, who claims to have wrested his power from a giant and who sends a brotherhood of Huntsmen, their lives linked by magic, to protect the surrounding fields. Charmar's only lords are the dead, thirteen mummified men and women who sit in council and whisper commands to their vizier only in dreams. Power here, more than anywhere else in Scalgard, goes to they who can seize it.

	The Low Countries are also the site of mankind's first welcome to Scalgard, and home to their first kingdoms. Though those days are not long gone from the world, the rise and fall of of rulers has spotted the land with a rich history of ruins, ripe for exploitation. Many are the band or noble who, seeking easier work than the taking of a peopled city, have taken one of the ruins for their own and called folk from afar to make it home. But many, too, are the giant, Tuatha-Sidhe or Undead prince who've done the same.		The Low Countries are also the site of mankind's first welcome to Scalgard, and home to their first kingdoms. Though those days are not long gone from the world, the rise and fall of of rulers has spotted the land with a rich history of ruins, ripe for exploitation. Many are the band or noble who, seeking easier work than the taking of a peopled city, have taken one of the ruins for their own and called folk from afar to make it home. But many, too, are the giant, Tuatha-Sidhe or Undead prince who've done the same.

JasonK at 02:37, 12 February 2009

2009-02-12T02:37:14Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:37, 12 February 2009
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	==The Low Countries==		==The Low Countries==
	A collection of low-lying land around the delta of three rivers and bordering the northern sea, the Low Countries are, like Ceumri, resource-rich. Unfortunately, they do not have Cemrui's natural protections of tall mountains and turbulent waters, so while the Low Countries support a dense population it is also one of the most war-torn areas in bloody Scalgard. Bordered by Ceumri to the west, Estria to the south, Saesony and Thrudvang to the east and dotted with orcish settlements along the north shore, the Low Countries are really an outpost for other lands' influence, with walled cities swapped back and forth seasonally between different armies. Out of these wars ~~arise~~ only two constants. First is each city's Guild, which maintains local order no matter who is in charge; though their loyalty is never to any conqueror, even the orcish northmen have found it easier to leave the guilds be than to replace them. ~~The second constant is banditry, as~~ men flee the predations of each new army and flock together in the wilds, ~~forming~~ rag-tag armies of their own and ~~taking~~ whatever their numbers will let them.		A collection of low-lying land around the delta of three rivers and bordering the northern sea, the Low Countries are, like Ceumri, resource-rich. Unfortunately, they do not have Cemrui's natural protections of tall mountains and turbulent waters, so while the Low Countries support a dense population it is also one of the most war-torn areas in bloody Scalgard. Bordered by Ceumri to the west, Estria to the south, Saesony and Thrudvang to the east and dotted with orcish settlements along the north shore, the Low Countries are really an outpost for other lands' influence, with walled cities swapped back and forth seasonally between different armies. Out of these wars arises only one constant: banditry. As men flee the predations of each new army and flock together in the wilds, they form rag-tag armies of their own and take whatever their numbers will let them.

			But those cities that stay free of foreign influence fare little better. Acrhen is ruled by a Witch-King, who claims to have wrested his power from a giant and who sends a brotherhood of Huntsmen, their lives linked by magic, to protect the surrounding fields. Charmar's only lords are the dead, thirteen mummified men and women who sit in council and whisper commands to their vizier only in dreams. Power here, more than anywhere else in Scalgard, goes to they who can seize it.

	The Low Countries are also the site of mankind's first welcome to Scalgard, and home to their first kingdoms. Though those days are not long gone from the world, the rise and fall of of rulers has spotted the land with a rich history of ruins, ripe for exploitation. Many are the band or noble who, seeking easier work than the taking of a peopled city, have taken one of the ruins for their own and called folk from afar to make it home. But many, too, are the giant, Tuatha-Sidhe or Undead prince who've done the same.		The Low Countries are also the site of mankind's first welcome to Scalgard, and home to their first kingdoms. Though those days are not long gone from the world, the rise and fall of of rulers has spotted the land with a rich history of ruins, ripe for exploitation. Many are the band or noble who, seeking easier work than the taking of a peopled city, have taken one of the ruins for their own and called folk from afar to make it home. But many, too, are the giant, Tuatha-Sidhe or Undead prince who've done the same.

JasonK at 02:19, 12 February 2009

2009-02-12T02:19:44Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:19, 12 February 2009
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	Resting entirely on the sheltered shores of the Inland Sea, flanked by dwarven mountains and it's back pressed firmly against the Low Countries, Estria has a natural protection from orcs and the Fir Bolg that other lands lack. A mild climate mitigates the harshest weather Mannanan throws down and, combined with a wealth of natural resources and an aggressive desire to trade, this has made the people rich. The only land in Scalgard that could rightly be called a "nation", Estria is filled with farmers who walk their fields largely without fear and tradesmen who travel safely from town to open town.		Resting entirely on the sheltered shores of the Inland Sea, flanked by dwarven mountains and it's back pressed firmly against the Low Countries, Estria has a natural protection from orcs and the Fir Bolg that other lands lack. A mild climate mitigates the harshest weather Mannanan throws down and, combined with a wealth of natural resources and an aggressive desire to trade, this has made the people rich. The only land in Scalgard that could rightly be called a "nation", Estria is filled with farmers who walk their fields largely without fear and tradesmen who travel safely from town to open town.

	But while the single Estrian is safe, his nation struggles on. At the center of Scalgard, Estria is a crossroads for all nations, with none so dependent on trade that the spoils of war aren't a worthwhile gamble. ~~Estria's~~ response to ~~the threat~~ is numbers~~, and her army drills regularly~~; ~~though her soldiers are less than~~ the ~~heroes of other lands~~, ~~they~~ fight in strong formation ~~and can easily outman the common, wild warband~~.		But while the single Estrian is safe, his nation struggles on. At the center of Scalgard, Estria is a crossroads for all nations, with none so dependent on trade that the spoils of war aren't a worthwhile gamble. She fights constant small border wars with warbands on all fronts, and her response to these threats is numbers; Estria does not send heroes to the field, but drilled men, who fight in strong formation.

	The Plutarch holds the reigns of Estrian power, and uses the Keepers of the Hoard as the whip that drives his nation on. These tax collectors, trade-police and spies keep the barons honest and carry their advice to the Plutarch. The barons tread carefully, though, for their nobility and the power it entails can be literally bought and sold. The Plutarch's family is, of course, the wealthiest, and though they could theoretically lose their hereditary position should their trading ventures fail, Estria's strict laws governing land and taxes prevent the Plutarch's treasuries from growing too empty.		The Plutarch holds the reigns of Estrian power, and uses the Keepers of the Hoard as the whip that drives his nation on. These tax collectors, trade-police and spies keep the barons honest and carry their advice to the Plutarch. The barons tread carefully, though, for their nobility and the power it entails can be literally bought and sold. The Plutarch's family is, of course, the wealthiest, and though they could theoretically lose their hereditary position should their trading ventures fail, Estria's strict laws governing land and taxes prevent the Plutarch's treasuries from growing too empty.

JasonK at 02:05, 22 January 2009

2009-01-22T02:05:07Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:05, 22 January 2009
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	* '''History DC 20''' - ''Hope in Hidden Springs'' - At a small lake nestled in the hills in the Ceumric north an Aelfin warlord, Uldane the Rivers' Son, calls heroes to his hold. He welcomes all to his table, but takes care to send emissaries of his own to his fellow cantrev lords, outside the bond of the Three Crowns, who he seems to tolerate only barely. Uldane has fast become a force to be reckoned with, while cantrev lords and nearby Fenian clans wait in wonder and hope that the reckoning he plans is not with them.		* '''History DC 20''' - ''Hope in Hidden Springs'' - At a small lake nestled in the hills in the Ceumric north an Aelfin warlord, Uldane the Rivers' Son, calls heroes to his hold. He welcomes all to his table, but takes care to send emissaries of his own to his fellow cantrev lords, outside the bond of the Three Crowns, who he seems to tolerate only barely. Uldane has fast become a force to be reckoned with, while cantrev lords and nearby Fenian clans wait in wonder and hope that the reckoning he plans is not with them.
	* '''Arcana DC 25''' - ''A Fair, Inconstant Castle'' - When the morning mists have lately parted on Ceumri's southwest shore, shepherds have seen a new castle in the distance, battlements gleaming. Though the castle's gone by mid-day, those same shepherds report the beating of hooves far behind as they turn east and bring their flocks home with the twilight. The castle is almost certainly a Sidhe thing, and the local lords seem content to wait for one of the Crowns to wander by to deal with it. But while the Strange Lord who rules the new keep has sent no messenger so far, he, or she, or it may grow tired of waiting.		* '''Arcana DC 25''' - ''A Fair, Inconstant Castle'' - When the morning mists have lately parted on Ceumri's southwest shore, shepherds have seen a new castle in the distance, battlements gleaming. Though the castle's gone by mid-day, those same shepherds report the beating of hooves far behind as they turn east and bring their flocks home with the twilight. The castle is almost certainly a Sidhe thing, and the local lords seem content to wait for one of the Crowns to wander by to deal with it. But while the Strange Lord who rules the new keep has sent no messenger so far, he, or she, or it may grow tired of waiting.
	* '''~~Streetwise~~ DC 30''' - ''Uneasy Rests the Crown'' - It is hard to find hope in a land so beset by darkness, and even the greatest may succumb to despair. So it is with some of Ceumri's Crowns who, seeing total annihilation ahead, have sold some of the Ceumric to the enemy to keep the rest safe. The Fir Bolg sneak in through opened secret passages, the giants come up over unguarded walls, and in the course of a night castles fall. If any knew of their treachery, trust in the whole tradition, and the tenuous unity among the Ceumric that it brings, could come crashing down as sure as those few, betrayed castles' walls.		* '''History DC 30''' - ''Uneasy Rests the Crown'' - It is hard to find hope in a land so beset by darkness, and even the greatest may succumb to despair. So it is with some of Ceumri's Crowns who, seeing total annihilation ahead, have sold some of the Ceumric to the enemy to keep the rest safe. The Fir Bolg sneak in through opened secret passages, the giants come up over unguarded walls, and in the course of a night castles fall. If any knew of their treachery, trust in the whole tradition, and the tenuous unity among the Ceumric that it brings, could come crashing down as sure as those few, betrayed castles' walls.


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	* '''DC 20''' -		* '''DC 20''' -
	* '''~~Streetwise~~ DC 25''' - ''Blood Feud'' - Cinaeth MacAeda's critics say he puts on airs. He builds great stone orreries across his lands; imports dyes, spice, fur and steel by ship from as far off as Thrudvang; and calls wizards to his halls to give him advice. And he does stand out amongst their Lairds of the Fenian, but his strangest attribute is also his most secret, and his most horrible. Deep in the privacy of his halls, Cinaeth feasts on the flesh of men, as indeed do all of his kin. This is a rite of blood and power, but in service to what god or monster is a better-kept secret still.		* '''History DC 25''' - ''Blood Feud'' - Cinaeth MacAeda's critics say he puts on airs. He builds great stone orreries across his lands; imports dyes, spice, fur and steel by ship from as far off as Thrudvang; and calls wizards to his halls to give him advice. And he does stand out amongst their Lairds of the Fenian, but his strangest attribute is also his most secret, and his most horrible. Deep in the privacy of his halls, Cinaeth feasts on the flesh of men, as indeed do all of his kin. This is a rite of blood and power, but in service to what god or monster is a better-kept secret still.
	* '''DC 30''' - ''The Soldiers of Frost and Bone'' -		* '''DC 30''' - ''The Soldiers of Frost and Bone'' -

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	I character knows the following with a successful skill check:		I character knows the following with a successful skill check:

	* '''~~Streetwise~~ DC 20''' - ''Keep On the Borderlands'' -		* '''History DC 20''' - ''Keep On the Borderlands'' -
	* '''History DC 25''' - ''The Raven Banner'' - When Richard of Woaden had cause to war with Henry the Bold over Elaine of Herester last summer, he hired a mercenary company called The Raven Banner to fight for him. They came in dark armor and rattling chains, with a tattered flag covered over in feathers. They seemed hard, desperate men, little better than brigands, and lead by a woman they called the Raven Queen. Beautiful, pale and black-haired, she owned a withering power of unknown source and led her army to slaughter Henry's irregulars. She won Richard his woman, but he still has nightmares about what he saw and has yet to visit his new wife in the marriage bed.		* '''History DC 25''' - ''The Raven Banner'' - When Richard of Woaden had cause to war with Henry the Bold over Elaine of Herester last summer, he hired a mercenary company called The Raven Banner to fight for him. They came in dark armor and rattling chains, with a tattered flag covered over in feathers. They seemed hard, desperate men, little better than brigands, and lead by a woman they called the Raven Queen. Beautiful, pale and black-haired, she owned a withering power of unknown source and led her army to slaughter Henry's irregulars. She won Richard his woman, but he still has nightmares about what he saw and has yet to visit his new wife in the marriage bed.
	* '''~~Streetwise~~ DC 30''' - ''The High King's Fate''		* '''History DC 30''' - ''The High King's Fate''


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	* '''DC 20''' - ''Crowns in the Mud'' - Not all Thrudvanir nobles war with their siblings for land. Some join the clergy of one god or another and seek power through the faith; some do not have the heart to kill their brothers and retire to a small town, with no land to call their own but a farmer's plot. A very few, though, like the brave fighter Sigrun Holdrsdottar, take a stand against it all. Sigrun has left the comfort of castle, handmaids and bondsmen, unlimbered her shield and hefted her hammer in service to a small band of ''landsers'' and seeks to end the very real slavery of the serfs and the idealogical slavery of her noble kin.		* '''DC 20''' - ''Crowns in the Mud'' - Not all Thrudvanir nobles war with their siblings for land. Some join the clergy of one god or another and seek power through the faith; some do not have the heart to kill their brothers and retire to a small town, with no land to call their own but a farmer's plot. A very few, though, like the brave fighter Sigrun Holdrsdottar, take a stand against it all. Sigrun has left the comfort of castle, handmaids and bondsmen, unlimbered her shield and hefted her hammer in service to a small band of ''landsers'' and seeks to end the very real slavery of the serfs and the idealogical slavery of her noble kin.
	* '''DC 25''' - ''Plague Knows No Master'' - This fall, Gotfried, king of Straslund hired a mercenary troupe called The Raven Banner to claim his brother Lothar's lands of Achvart. Lothar set in for siege, but would have done better to fall on his sword. The Banner's leader, the Raven Queen, is not a patient woman. She hung a great cauldron above a strangely crackling fire and, naked and pale, she danced before it, chanting in a strange tongue, throughout the night. As dawn broke, all of Achvart's men, Lothar included, fell over dead. The women wailed as she turned and lead her banner from the field, but they shrieked in terror when their dead husbands rose once more and, weapons in hand, to shamble after their new Queen.		* '''DC 25''' - ''The Plague Knows No Master'' - This fall, Gotfried, king of Straslund hired a mercenary troupe called The Raven Banner to claim his brother Lothar's lands of Achvart. Lothar set in for siege, but would have done better to fall on his sword. The Banner's leader, the Raven Queen, is not a patient woman. She hung a great cauldron above a strangely crackling fire and, naked and pale, she danced before it, chanting in a strange tongue, throughout the night. As dawn broke, all of Achvart's men, Lothar included, fell over dead. The women wailed as she turned and lead her banner from the field, but they shrieked in terror when their dead husbands rose once more and, weapons in hand, to shamble after their new Queen.
	* '''DC 30''' -		* '''DC 30''' -

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	A character knows the following with a successful skill check:		A character knows the following with a successful skill check:

	* '''~~Streetwise~~ DC 20''' - ''The Lord of Kyiv Castle'' - Ivan Tsarevitch is a mountain of a man; tall, strong, square-jawed. But tired. Once he was one of many proud kralj in Volkhov; now the others are all dead, scattered, or poor guests in his lonely castle. Ivan laughs rarely, and sleeps less. He wins small victories against his foes, but can never enjoy them, for there's always another village in need of aid, and the village he saves now will be mad again by next week. Ivan Tsarevitch presses ever on.		* '''History DC 20''' - ''The Lord of Kyiv Castle'' - Ivan Tsarevitch is a mountain of a man; tall, strong, square-jawed. But tired. Once he was one of many proud kralj in Volkhov; now the others are all dead, scattered, or poor guests in his lonely castle. Ivan laughs rarely, and sleeps less. He wins small victories against his foes, but can never enjoy them, for there's always another village in need of aid, and the village he saves now will be mad again by next week. Ivan Tsarevitch presses ever on.
	* '''DC 25''' -		* '''DC 25''' -
	* '''Religion DC 30''' - ''Wolves in the Night'' - Though Mannanan brought the storms, Ivan is truly the one responsible for Volkhov's woes. Five years gone, the godless Ivan turned one of Cerithwen's Luminous away from his gate, and suffered a curse in return; on the nights that the moon goddess was fullest in the sky, Ivan would become a raging bear and no good host at all to any that he loved. A pact with Mannanan now keeps Cerithwen from ruling the nighttime sky and grants Ivan relief from the bear-curse. But the state of Volkhov is a curse far more terrible to weather.		* '''Religion DC 30''' - ''Wolves in the Night'' - Though Mannanan brought the storms, Ivan is truly the one responsible for Volkhov's woes. Five years gone, the godless Ivan turned one of Cerithwen's Luminous away from his gate, and suffered a curse in return; on the nights that the moon goddess was fullest in the sky, Ivan would become a raging bear and no good host at all to any that he loved. A pact with Mannanan now keeps Cerithwen from ruling the nighttime sky and grants Ivan relief from the bear-curse. But the state of Volkhov is a curse far more terrible to weather.

JasonK at 01:53, 22 January 2009

2009-01-22T01:53:51Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:53, 22 January 2009
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	* '''DC 20''' -		* '''DC 20''' -
	* '''DC 25''' - ''Blood Feud'' - Cinaeth MacAeda's critics say he puts on airs. He builds great stone orreries across his lands; imports dyes, spice, fur and steel by ship from as far off as Thrudvang; and calls wizards to his halls to give him advice. And he does stand out amongst their Lairds of the Fenian, but his strangest attribute is also his most secret, and his most horrible. Deep in the privacy of his halls, Cinaeth feasts on the flesh of men, as indeed do all of his kin. This is a rite of blood and power, but in service to what god or monster is a better-kept secret still.		* '''Streetwise DC 25''' - ''Blood Feud'' - Cinaeth MacAeda's critics say he puts on airs. He builds great stone orreries across his lands; imports dyes, spice, fur and steel by ship from as far off as Thrudvang; and calls wizards to his halls to give him advice. And he does stand out amongst their Lairds of the Fenian, but his strangest attribute is also his most secret, and his most horrible. Deep in the privacy of his halls, Cinaeth feasts on the flesh of men, as indeed do all of his kin. This is a rite of blood and power, but in service to what god or monster is a better-kept secret still.
	* '''DC 30''' - ''The Soldiers of Frost and Bone'' -		* '''DC 30''' - ''The Soldiers of Frost and Bone'' -

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	A character knows the following with a successful skill check:		A character knows the following with a successful skill check:

	* '''DC 20''' - ''The Wolves of Maldeen'' - Though the warlord whose name they bear is a generation dead, this grey band of mercenaries carries on his work. Drawing ranks from the orphans and dispossessed of the Low Countries' many conflicts, the Wolves pledge themselves to the idea of a free land. They take service with whatever local leader or guild will have them, using their knowledge of their home to fight back Estrians, Thrudvangir and orcs alike. They are ideologues, true, but the past ten years have seen more of the Low Countries' cities ruled by Lowlanders than any decade before.		* '''History DC 20''' - ''The Wolves of Maldeen'' - Though the warlord whose name they bear is a generation dead, this grey band of mercenaries carries on his work. Drawing ranks from the orphans and dispossessed of the Low Countries' many conflicts, the Wolves pledge themselves to the idea of a free land. They take service with whatever local leader or guild will have them, using their knowledge of their home to fight back Estrians, Thrudvangir and orcs alike. They are ideologues, true, but the past ten years have seen more of the Low Countries' cities ruled by Lowlanders than any decade before.
	* '''DC 25''' -		* '''DC 25''' -
	* '''DC 30''' - ''Palace of the Silver Princess'' - Lifetimes past, the lady Argenta raised a kingdom on the western shores of the Low Countries. She was friends with dwarves and kept court with Tuatha-Sidhe, and from their joined work gained a fist-sized ruby in which she kept her death. But such glory was not to last and scaly creatures rose from the sea to bring her realm to ruin, changing the land to swamp and sealing her palace behind a magic wall; at their head, flew an ancient black-scaled drake. But the power of the scaled folk seems now faded, for through the swamp-haze shine the flash of silver walls.		* '''History DC 30''' - ''Palace of the Silver Princess'' - Lifetimes past, the lady Argenta raised a kingdom on the western shores of the Low Countries. She was friends with dwarves and kept court with Tuatha-Sidhe, and from their joined work gained a fist-sized ruby in which she kept her death. But such glory was not to last and scaly creatures rose from the sea to bring her realm to ruin, changing the land to swamp and sealing her palace behind a magic wall; at their head, flew an ancient black-scaled drake. But the power of the scaled folk seems now faded, for through the swamp-haze shine the flash of silver walls.


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	I character knows the following with a successful skill check:		I character knows the following with a successful skill check:

	* '''DC 20'''		* '''Streetwise DC 20''' - ''Keep On the Borderlands'' -
	* '''History DC 25''' - ''The Raven Banner'' - When Richard of Woaden had cause to war with Henry the Bold over Elaine of Herester last summer, he hired a mercenary company called The Raven Banner to fight for him. They came in dark armor and rattling chains, with a tattered flag covered over in feathers. They seemed hard, desperate men, little better than brigands, and lead by a woman they called the Raven Queen. Beautiful, pale and black-haired, she owned a withering power of unknown source and led her army to slaughter Henry's irregulars. She won Richard his woman, but he still has nightmares about what he saw and has yet to visit his new wife in the marriage bed.		* '''History DC 25''' - ''The Raven Banner'' - When Richard of Woaden had cause to war with Henry the Bold over Elaine of Herester last summer, he hired a mercenary company called The Raven Banner to fight for him. They came in dark armor and rattling chains, with a tattered flag covered over in feathers. They seemed hard, desperate men, little better than brigands, and lead by a woman they called the Raven Queen. Beautiful, pale and black-haired, she owned a withering power of unknown source and led her army to slaughter Henry's irregulars. She won Richard his woman, but he still has nightmares about what he saw and has yet to visit his new wife in the marriage bed.
	* '''Streetwise DC 30''' - ''The High King's Fate''		* '''Streetwise DC 30''' - ''The High King's Fate''
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	* '''Streetwise DC 20''' - ''The Lord of Kyiv Castle'' - Ivan Tsarevitch is a mountain of a man; tall, strong, square-jawed. But tired. Once he was one of many proud kralj in Volkhov; now the others are all dead, scattered, or poor guests in his lonely castle. Ivan laughs rarely, and sleeps less. He wins small victories against his foes, but can never enjoy them, for there's always another village in need of aid, and the village he saves now will be mad again by next week. Ivan Tsarevitch presses ever on.		* '''Streetwise DC 20''' - ''The Lord of Kyiv Castle'' - Ivan Tsarevitch is a mountain of a man; tall, strong, square-jawed. But tired. Once he was one of many proud kralj in Volkhov; now the others are all dead, scattered, or poor guests in his lonely castle. Ivan laughs rarely, and sleeps less. He wins small victories against his foes, but can never enjoy them, for there's always another village in need of aid, and the village he saves now will be mad again by next week. Ivan Tsarevitch presses ever on.
	* '''~~Religion~~ DC 25''' -		* '''DC 25''' -
	* '''DC 30''' - ''Wolves in the Night'' - Though Mannanan brought the storms, Ivan is truly the one responsible for Volkhov's woes. Five years gone, the godless Ivan turned one of Cerithwen's Luminous away from his gate, and suffered a curse in return; on the nights that the moon goddess was fullest in the sky, Ivan would become a raging bear and no good host at all to any that he loved. A pact with Mannanan now keeps Cerithwen from ruling the nighttime sky and grants Ivan relief from the bear-curse. But the state of Volkhov is a curse far more terrible to weather.		* '''Religion DC 30''' - ''Wolves in the Night'' - Though Mannanan brought the storms, Ivan is truly the one responsible for Volkhov's woes. Five years gone, the godless Ivan turned one of Cerithwen's Luminous away from his gate, and suffered a curse in return; on the nights that the moon goddess was fullest in the sky, Ivan would become a raging bear and no good host at all to any that he loved. A pact with Mannanan now keeps Cerithwen from ruling the nighttime sky and grants Ivan relief from the bear-curse. But the state of Volkhov is a curse far more terrible to weather.


	----		----
	[[Legends of the Phantom World]]		[[Legends of the Phantom World]]

JasonK at 00:15, 22 January 2009

2009-01-22T00:15:11Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:15, 22 January 2009
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	* '''DC 20'''		* '''DC 20'''
	* '''History DC 25''' - ''The ~~Plague Knows No Master~~'' - When Richard of Woaden had cause to war with Henry the Bold over Elaine of Herester last summer, he hired a mercenary company called The Raven Banner to fight for him. They came in dark ~~leather~~ armor and rattling chains, with a tattered flag covered over in feathers. They seemed hard, desperate men, little better than brigands, and lead by a woman they called ~~their~~ Raven Queen. Beautiful, pale and black-haired, she owned a withering power of unknown source and led her army to slaughter Henry's irregulars. She won Richard his woman, but he still has nightmares about what he saw and has yet to visit his new wife in the marriage bed.		* '''History DC 25''' - ''The Raven Banner'' - When Richard of Woaden had cause to war with Henry the Bold over Elaine of Herester last summer, he hired a mercenary company called The Raven Banner to fight for him. They came in dark armor and rattling chains, with a tattered flag covered over in feathers. They seemed hard, desperate men, little better than brigands, and lead by a woman they called the Raven Queen. Beautiful, pale and black-haired, she owned a withering power of unknown source and led her army to slaughter Henry's irregulars. She won Richard his woman, but he still has nightmares about what he saw and has yet to visit his new wife in the marriage bed.
	* '''Streetwise DC 30''' - ''The High King's Fate''		* '''Streetwise DC 30''' - ''The High King's Fate''

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	* '''DC 20''' - ''Crowns in the Mud'' - Not all Thrudvanir nobles war with their siblings for land. Some join the clergy of one god or another and seek power through the faith; some do not have the heart to kill their brothers and retire to a small town, with no land to call their own but a farmer's plot. A very few, though, like the brave fighter Sigrun Holdrsdottar, take a stand against it all. Sigrun has left the comfort of castle, handmaids and bondsmen, unlimbered her shield and hefted her hammer in service to a small band of ''landsers'' and seeks to end the very real slavery of the serfs and the idealogical slavery of her noble kin.		* '''DC 20''' - ''Crowns in the Mud'' - Not all Thrudvanir nobles war with their siblings for land. Some join the clergy of one god or another and seek power through the faith; some do not have the heart to kill their brothers and retire to a small town, with no land to call their own but a farmer's plot. A very few, though, like the brave fighter Sigrun Holdrsdottar, take a stand against it all. Sigrun has left the comfort of castle, handmaids and bondsmen, unlimbered her shield and hefted her hammer in service to a small band of ''landsers'' and seeks to end the very real slavery of the serfs and the idealogical slavery of her noble kin.
	* '''DC 25''' - This fall, Gotfried, king of Straslund, hired a mercenary troupe called The Raven Banner to claim his brother Lothar's lands of Achvart. Lothar set in for siege, but would have done better to fall on his sword. The Banner's leader, the Raven Queen, is not a patient woman. She hung a great cauldron above a strangely crackling fire and, naked and pale, she danced before it, chanting in a strange tongue, throughout the night. As dawn broke, all of Achvart's men, Lothar included, fell over dead. The women wailed as she turned and lead her banner from the field, but they shrieked in terror when their dead husbands rose once more and, weapons in hand, to shamble after their new Queen.		* '''DC 25''' - ''Plague Knows No Master'' - This fall, Gotfried, king of Straslund hired a mercenary troupe called The Raven Banner to claim his brother Lothar's lands of Achvart. Lothar set in for siege, but would have done better to fall on his sword. The Banner's leader, the Raven Queen, is not a patient woman. She hung a great cauldron above a strangely crackling fire and, naked and pale, she danced before it, chanting in a strange tongue, throughout the night. As dawn broke, all of Achvart's men, Lothar included, fell over dead. The women wailed as she turned and lead her banner from the field, but they shrieked in terror when their dead husbands rose once more and, weapons in hand, to shamble after their new Queen.
	* '''DC 30''' -		* '''DC 30''' -

JasonK at 10:14, 21 January 2009

2009-01-21T10:14:18Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:14, 21 January 2009
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	Ceumri rests on the Inland Sea and reaps the green reward of moist winds carrying soft rain. A wide river valley cradled between low hills, the land gives its people a variety they use to the fullest. They mine iron from the hills, and quarry stone; they sift gold from rich deposits in the rivers, where they also fish for salmon; they grow wheat in the soft ground and potatoes in the hard, and hunt game in the forests. Where other nations trade and war for what they need, Ceumri has the luxury of choosing allies based on love and enemies based on hate.		Ceumri rests on the Inland Sea and reaps the green reward of moist winds carrying soft rain. A wide river valley cradled between low hills, the land gives its people a variety they use to the fullest. They mine iron from the hills, and quarry stone; they sift gold from rich deposits in the rivers, where they also fish for salmon; they grow wheat in the soft ground and potatoes in the hard, and hunt game in the forests. Where other nations trade and war for what they need, Ceumri has the luxury of choosing allies based on love and enemies based on hate.

	Unfortunately, the people of Ceumri have much to hate. The forests to their north are a surer home for the Fir Bolg than any other, and invasions of the wolf-men mirror those ~~from the~~ giants~~, who march~~ down from the mountains. Meanwhile, the Tuatha Sidhe have an easier crossing from their realm into Ceumri than in any other land in Scalgard. Orcish raiders have a hard time navigating Ceumri's southern straight, but the lure of gold drives them ever on. And across that straight lies Annwyns' Realm; Brother Worm is not an aggressive neighbor, but who can rely on the will of gods?		Unfortunately, the people of Ceumri have much to hate. The forests to their north are a surer home for the Fir Bolg than any other, and invasions of the wolf-men mirror those of giants marching down from the coastal mountains. Meanwhile, the Tuatha Sidhe have an easier crossing from their realm into Ceumri than in any other land in Scalgard. Orcish raiders have a hard time navigating Ceumri's southern straight, but the lure of gold drives them ever on. And across that straight lies Annwyns' Realm; Brother Worm is not an aggressive neighbor, but who can rely on the will of gods?

	These many threats have kept the Ceumri close to home, in small stone-walled cantrevs, a few days' dangerous ride from each other. Keeping them all one people, though, are their Three Crowns - a college of Bards, Druids and Heroes, wandering the land and each standing for one of the three types of people: the skilled, craftsmen and farmers; the wise, herbalists and doctors; and the strong, miners and warriors. The Crowns travel abroad and bring news, judgment and justice to each castle in turn in exchange for hospitality, and their travels unite their people. Feted as kings, they are guardians of tradition, an old ritual protection for a land that lives with dangerous magic so near around.		These many threats have kept the Ceumri close to home, in small stone-walled cantrevs, a few days' dangerous ride from each other. Keeping them all one people, though, are their Three Crowns - a college of Bards, Druids and Heroes, wandering the land and each standing for one of the three types of people: the skilled, craftsmen and farmers; the wise, herbalists and doctors; and the strong, miners and warriors. The Crowns travel abroad and bring news, judgment and justice to each castle in turn in exchange for hospitality, and their travels unite their people. Feted as kings, they are guardians of tradition, an old ritual protection for a land that lives with dangerous magic so near around.
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	==Dwarves==		==Dwarves==
	High in the mountains to the north and ~~west~~ of ~~Ceumri~~, the dwarves make their homes. The last of the Foimoire's kin, they live lives of strength and industry in sprawling stone castles atop the tallest peaks. Each dwarven castle is a complete community, ruled by a thane. "Thane" is a hereditary title, but long is the dwarven memory, and strong their pride - a son would not last as thane if he did not live up to his father's name.		High in the mountains to the north of Ceumri and of Thrudvang, the dwarves make their homes. The last of the Foimoire's kin, they live lives of strength and industry in sprawling stone castles atop the tallest peaks. Each dwarven castle is a complete community, ruled by a thane. "Thane" is a hereditary title, but long is the dwarven memory, and strong their pride - a son would not last as thane if he did not live up to his father's name.

	Though the dwarves' best customers are each other, they are not isolated from humanity. Skilled metalworkers, their forge-goods are in high demand ~~as far away as Thrudvang~~. But, more, dwarves mix freely with the Fenian tribes. Family branches have lived with the human folk there as long as any can remember, stout and loyal members of the clan they call home. These dwarves travel freely between mountains and hills, living with their relatives in each land and setting aside their rivalries as they move between. This is part of the thanes' law.		Though the dwarves' best customers are each other, they are not isolated from humanity. Skilled metalworkers, their forge-goods are in high demand across Scalgard. But, more, dwarves mix freely with the Fenian tribes. Family branches have lived with the human folk there as long as any can remember, stout and loyal members of the clan they call home. These dwarves travel freely between mountains and hills, living with their relatives in each land and setting aside their rivalries as they move between. This is part of the thanes' law.

	The dwarves have no gift for human magic, no love for gods and no ties to the Tuatha-Sidhe, but their oldest thanes have kept alive an ancient lore, passed down from the Foimoire, and rumors say they are the only beings since their forebears left the world who know the rituals to bind enchantment with the power of the runes.		The dwarves have no gift for human magic, no love for gods and no ties to the Tuatha-Sidhe, but their oldest thanes have kept alive an ancient lore, passed down from the Foimoire, and rumors say they are the only beings since their forebears left the world who know the rituals to bind enchantment with the power of the runes.
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	==Estria==		==Estria==
	Resting entirely on the sheltered shores of the Inland Sea, flanked by dwarven mountains and ~~with~~ it's back pressed firmly against the Low Countries, Estria has a natural protection from orcs and the Fir Bolg that other lands lack. A mild climate mitigates the harshest weather Mannanan throws down and, combined with a wealth of natural resources and an aggressive desire to trade, this has made the people rich. The only land in Scalgard that could rightly be called a "nation", Estria is filled with farmers who walk their fields without fear~~. The roads are well-made~~ and ~~better patrolled, and the average craftsman lives in a white-washed wood and mortar home and sleeps the night away with no walls save those and still no fear for bandits or monsters~~.		Resting entirely on the sheltered shores of the Inland Sea, flanked by dwarven mountains and it's back pressed firmly against the Low Countries, Estria has a natural protection from orcs and the Fir Bolg that other lands lack. A mild climate mitigates the harshest weather Mannanan throws down and, combined with a wealth of natural resources and an aggressive desire to trade, this has made the people rich. The only land in Scalgard that could rightly be called a "nation", Estria is filled with farmers who walk their fields largely without fear and tradesmen who travel safely from town to open town.

	But while the single Estrian is safe, his nation struggles on. At the center of Scalgard, Estria is a crossroads for all nations, with none so dependent on trade that the spoils of war aren't a worthwhile gamble. Estria's response to the threat is numbers, and her army drills regularly; though her soldiers are less than the heroes of other lands, they fight in strong formation and can easily outman the common, wild warband.		But while the single Estrian is safe, his nation struggles on. At the center of Scalgard, Estria is a crossroads for all nations, with none so dependent on trade that the spoils of war aren't a worthwhile gamble. Estria's response to the threat is numbers, and her army drills regularly; though her soldiers are less than the heroes of other lands, they fight in strong formation and can easily outman the common, wild warband.
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	==The Low Countries==		==The Low Countries==
	A collection of low-lying land around the delta of three rivers and bordering the northern sea, the Low Countries are, like Ceumri, ~~one of the more~~ resource-rich ~~lands in Scalgard~~. ~~Unlike that other nation, though~~, they do not have ~~the~~ natural ~~protection~~ of tall mountains and turbulent waters~~. As a result~~, ~~though these lands~~ support a dense population ~~that relies on trade and manufacturing to thrive,~~ it is one of the most war-torn areas in bloody Scalgard. Bordered by Ceumri to the west, Estria to the south, Saesony and Thrudvang to the east and dotted with orcish settlements along the north shore, the Low Countries are really an outpost for other lands' influence, with walled cities ~~being~~ swapped back and forth seasonally between ~~their~~ different armies. Out of these wars arise only two constants. First is each city's Guild, which maintains local order no matter who is in charge; though their loyalty is never to any conqueror, even the orcish northmen have found it easier to leave the guilds be than to replace them. The second constant is banditry, as men flee the predations of each new army and flock together in the wilds, forming rag-tag armies of their own and taking whatever their numbers will let them.		A collection of low-lying land around the delta of three rivers and bordering the northern sea, the Low Countries are, like Ceumri, resource-rich. Unfortunately, they do not have Cemrui's natural protections of tall mountains and turbulent waters, so while the Low Countries support a dense population it is also one of the most war-torn areas in bloody Scalgard. Bordered by Ceumri to the west, Estria to the south, Saesony and Thrudvang to the east and dotted with orcish settlements along the north shore, the Low Countries are really an outpost for other lands' influence, with walled cities swapped back and forth seasonally between different armies. Out of these wars arise only two constants. First is each city's Guild, which maintains local order no matter who is in charge; though their loyalty is never to any conqueror, even the orcish northmen have found it easier to leave the guilds be than to replace them. The second constant is banditry, as men flee the predations of each new army and flock together in the wilds, forming rag-tag armies of their own and taking whatever their numbers will let them.

	The Low Countries are also the site of mankind's first welcome to Scalgard, and home to their first kingdoms. Though those days are not long gone from the world, the rise and fall of of rulers has spotted the land with a rich history of ruins, ripe for exploitation. Many are the band or noble who, seeking easier work than the taking of a peopled city, have taken one of the ruins for their own and called folk from afar to make it home.		The Low Countries are also the site of mankind's first welcome to Scalgard, and home to their first kingdoms. Though those days are not long gone from the world, the rise and fall of of rulers has spotted the land with a rich history of ruins, ripe for exploitation. Many are the band or noble who, seeking easier work than the taking of a peopled city, have taken one of the ruins for their own and called folk from afar to make it home. But many, too, are the giant, Tuatha-Sidhe or Undead prince who've done the same.

	A character knows the following with a successful skill check:		A character knows the following with a successful skill check:

	* '''DC 20''' - ''Palace of the Silver Princess'' - Lifetimes past, the lady Argenta raised a kingdom on the western shores of the Low Countries. She was friends with dwarves and kept court with Tuatha-Sidhe, and from their joined work gained a fist-sized ruby in which she kept her death. But such glory was not to last and scaly creatures rose from the sea to bring her realm to ruin, changing the land to swamp and sealing her palace behind a magic wall; at their head, flew an ancient black-scaled drake. But the power of the scaled folk seems now faded, for through the swamp-haze shine the flash of silver walls.		* '''DC 20''' - ''The Wolves of Maldeen'' - Though the warlord whose name they bear is a generation dead, this grey band of mercenaries carries on his work. Drawing ranks from the orphans and dispossessed of the Low Countries' many conflicts, the Wolves pledge themselves to the idea of a free land. They take service with whatever local leader or guild will have them, using their knowledge of their home to fight back Estrians, Thrudvangir and orcs alike. They are ideologues, true, but the past ten years have seen more of the Low Countries' cities ruled by Lowlanders than any decade before.
	* '''DC 25''' - ''Steeeve.'' -		* '''DC 25''' -
	* '''DC 30''' - ''STEEEEEVE!'' -		* '''DC 30''' - ''Palace of the Silver Princess'' - Lifetimes past, the lady Argenta raised a kingdom on the western shores of the Low Countries. She was friends with dwarves and kept court with Tuatha-Sidhe, and from their joined work gained a fist-sized ruby in which she kept her death. But such glory was not to last and scaly creatures rose from the sea to bring her realm to ruin, changing the land to swamp and sealing her palace behind a magic wall; at their head, flew an ancient black-scaled drake. But the power of the scaled folk seems now faded, for through the swamp-haze shine the flash of silver walls.

JasonK at 09:42, 21 January 2009

2009-01-21T09:42:22Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:42, 21 January 2009
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	Unfortunately, the people of Ceumri have much to hate. The forests to their north are a surer home for the Fir Bolg than any other, and invasions of the wolf-men mirror those from the giants, who march down from the mountains. Meanwhile, the Tuatha Sidhe have an easier crossing from their realm into Ceumri than in any other land in Scalgard. Orcish raiders have a hard time navigating Ceumri's southern straight, but the lure of gold drives them ever on. And across that straight lies Annwyns' Realm; Brother Worm is not an aggressive neighbor, but who can rely on the will of gods?		Unfortunately, the people of Ceumri have much to hate. The forests to their north are a surer home for the Fir Bolg than any other, and invasions of the wolf-men mirror those from the giants, who march down from the mountains. Meanwhile, the Tuatha Sidhe have an easier crossing from their realm into Ceumri than in any other land in Scalgard. Orcish raiders have a hard time navigating Ceumri's southern straight, but the lure of gold drives them ever on. And across that straight lies Annwyns' Realm; Brother Worm is not an aggressive neighbor, but who can rely on the will of gods?

	These many threats have kept the Ceumri close to home, in small stone-walled ~~castle-cities~~, a few days' dangerous ride from each other. Keeping them all one people, though, are their Three Crowns - a college of Bards, Druids and Heroes, wandering the land and each standing for one of the three types of people: the skilled, craftsmen and farmers; the wise, herbalists and doctors; and the strong, miners and warriors. The Crowns travel abroad and bring news, judgment and justice to each castle in turn in exchange for hospitality, and ~~gather together in council to~~ unite their people. ~~Both more and less than~~ kings, they are guardians of tradition, an old ritual protection for a land that lives with dangerous magic so near around.		These many threats have kept the Ceumri close to home, in small stone-walled cantrevs, a few days' dangerous ride from each other. Keeping them all one people, though, are their Three Crowns - a college of Bards, Druids and Heroes, wandering the land and each standing for one of the three types of people: the skilled, craftsmen and farmers; the wise, herbalists and doctors; and the strong, miners and warriors. The Crowns travel abroad and bring news, judgment and justice to each castle in turn in exchange for hospitality, and their travels unite their people. Feted as kings, they are guardians of tradition, an old ritual protection for a land that lives with dangerous magic so near around.

	A character knows the following with a successful skill check:		A character knows the following with a successful skill check:

	* '''History DC 20''' - ''Hope in Hidden Springs'' - ~~Around~~ a small ~~pool~~ nestled in the hills in the Ceumric north an Aelfin warlord, Uldane the Rivers' Son, ~~attracts~~ heroes to his hold. ~~One~~ of ~~the few castle lords~~ to ~~make alliance with~~ his ~~fellows~~ outside the bond of the Three Crowns, who he ~~tolerates on his lands~~ only barely, Uldane ~~is becoming~~ a force to be reckoned with~~. He has made no move, yet~~, ~~but the~~ lords ~~of other castle-towns~~ and nearby Fenian clans wait in wonder, and hope that the reckoning he plans is not with them.		* '''History DC 20''' - ''Hope in Hidden Springs'' - At a small lake nestled in the hills in the Ceumric north an Aelfin warlord, Uldane the Rivers' Son, calls heroes to his hold. He welcomes all to his table, but takes care to send emissaries of his own to his fellow cantrev lords, outside the bond of the Three Crowns, who he seems to tolerate only barely. Uldane has fast become a force to be reckoned with, while cantrev lords and nearby Fenian clans wait in wonder and hope that the reckoning he plans is not with them.
	* '''Arcana DC 25''' - ''A Fair, Inconstant Castle'' - When the morning mists have lately parted on Ceumri's southwest shore, shepherds have seen a new castle in the distance, battlements gleaming. Though the castle's gone by mid-day, those same shepherds report the beating of hooves far behind as they turn east and bring their flocks home with the twilight. The castle is almost certainly a Sidhe thing, and the local lords seem content to wait for one of the Crowns to wander by to deal with it. But while the Strange Lord who rules the new keep has sent no messenger so far, he, or she, or it may grow tired of waiting.		* '''Arcana DC 25''' - ''A Fair, Inconstant Castle'' - When the morning mists have lately parted on Ceumri's southwest shore, shepherds have seen a new castle in the distance, battlements gleaming. Though the castle's gone by mid-day, those same shepherds report the beating of hooves far behind as they turn east and bring their flocks home with the twilight. The castle is almost certainly a Sidhe thing, and the local lords seem content to wait for one of the Crowns to wander by to deal with it. But while the Strange Lord who rules the new keep has sent no messenger so far, he, or she, or it may grow tired of waiting.
	* '''Streetwise DC 30''' - ''Uneasy Rests the Crown'' - It is hard to find hope in a land so beset by darkness, and even the greatest may succumb to despair. So it is with some of Ceumri's Crowns who, seeing total annihilation ahead, have sold some of the Ceumric to the enemy to keep the rest safe. The Fir Bolg sneak in through opened secret passages, the giants come up over unguarded walls, and in the course of a night castles fall. If any knew of their treachery, trust in the whole tradition, and the tenuous unity among the Ceumric that it brings, could come crashing down as sure as those few, betrayed castles' walls.		* '''Streetwise DC 30''' - ''Uneasy Rests the Crown'' - It is hard to find hope in a land so beset by darkness, and even the greatest may succumb to despair. So it is with some of Ceumri's Crowns who, seeing total annihilation ahead, have sold some of the Ceumric to the enemy to keep the rest safe. The Fir Bolg sneak in through opened secret passages, the giants come up over unguarded walls, and in the course of a night castles fall. If any knew of their treachery, trust in the whole tradition, and the tenuous unity among the Ceumric that it brings, could come crashing down as sure as those few, betrayed castles' walls.
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	A character knows the following with a successful skill check:		A character knows the following with a successful skill check:

	* '''Nature DC 20''' - ''The Wolf-Sworn Chieftain'' - Three years gone, even other orcs did not know the name Graggar. He was one of an endless horde, struggling for glory. But since he pledged himself to Mannanan's service his name has been whispered on a stormy wind, and his life is strength and carnage. Already, he has slain his rivals and claimed three ships and crew for his service. He has raided towns and spread his name along the coast of the Low Countries and the Deiran Highlands. He rides the fury of a storm, and none can say where next he'll strike.		* '''Nature DC 20''' - ''The Wolf-Sworn Chieftain'' - Three years gone, even other orcs did not know the name Graggar. He was one of an endless horde, struggling for glory. But since he pledged himself to Mannanan's service his name has been whispered on a stormy wind, and his life is strength and carnage. Already, he has slain his rivals and claimed three ships and crew for his service. He has raided towns and spread his name along the coast of the Low Countries and the Deiran Highlands. He rides the fury of a storm, and none can say where next he'll strike.
	* '''Religion DC 25''' - ''Succor of the Wolf-Father'' - It seems that storms always nip at the heels of the orcs' raiding ships and their priests, in service to Mannanan are why. A sacrifice of blood and the promise of more calls thunder and fog from even the clearest sky, and cuts away the watchmen's vision that would guard against an orcish raid. Too many are the towns that, even expecting the raid that so often follows the storm, have had the orcs' arrival take them by surprise.		* '''Religion DC 25''' - ''Succor of the Wolf-Father'' - It seems that storms always nip at the heels of the orcs' raiding ships and their priests, in service to Mannanan are why. A sacrifice of blood and the promise of more calls thunder and fog from even the clearest sky, and cuts away the watchmen's vision that would guard against an orcish raid. Too many are the towns that, even expecting the raid that so often follows the storm, have had the orcs' arrival take them by surprise.
			* '''DC 30''' -


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	Despite these troubles, though, the Saesons are a people given to pageantry. If war comes, it will come with bright banners and the clear call of trumpets. Even the local farmers will turn out to watch in number from the sidelines, confident that they are not the targets of the war. From all of their festivals, the Saesons have grown a strong sense of family and community, and welcome outsiders who would join in. Those who keep to themselves find, instead, a strong willed and wary folk. The peasants may see the inevitable war between their dukes as a game, but when met with outsiders - orcs, fomoire, the Thrudvangir, the Volkhovi and wandering monsters - the situation is far more deadly.		Despite these troubles, though, the Saesons are a people given to pageantry. If war comes, it will come with bright banners and the clear call of trumpets. Even the local farmers will turn out to watch in number from the sidelines, confident that they are not the targets of the war. From all of their festivals, the Saesons have grown a strong sense of family and community, and welcome outsiders who would join in. Those who keep to themselves find, instead, a strong willed and wary folk. The peasants may see the inevitable war between their dukes as a game, but when met with outsiders - orcs, fomoire, the Thrudvangir, the Volkhovi and wandering monsters - the situation is far more deadly.

	* ''~~Knowledge (local),~~ DC 25''		I character knows the following with a successful skill check:
	* '''DC 25''' - ''The Plague Knows No Master'' - When Richard of Woaden had cause to war with Henry the Bold over Elaine of Herester last summer, he hired a mercenary company called The Raven Banner to fight for him. They came in dark leather armor and rattling chains, with a tattered flag covered over in feathers. They seemed hard, desperate men, little better than brigands, and lead by a woman they called their Raven Queen. Beautiful, pale and black-haired, she owned a withering power of unknown source and led her army to slaughter Henry's irregulars. She won Richard his woman, but he still has nightmares about what he saw and has yet to visit his new wife in the marriage bed.
	* ''The High King's Fate~~'' - ''Knowledge (local), DC 30~~''		* '''DC 20'''
			* '''History DC 25''' - ''The Plague Knows No Master'' - When Richard of Woaden had cause to war with Henry the Bold over Elaine of Herester last summer, he hired a mercenary company called The Raven Banner to fight for him. They came in dark leather armor and rattling chains, with a tattered flag covered over in feathers. They seemed hard, desperate men, little better than brigands, and lead by a woman they called their Raven Queen. Beautiful, pale and black-haired, she owned a withering power of unknown source and led her army to slaughter Henry's irregulars. She won Richard his woman, but he still has nightmares about what he saw and has yet to visit his new wife in the marriage bed.
			* '''Streetwise DC 30''' - ''The High King's Fate''


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	* '''DC 20''' - ''Crowns in the Mud'' - Not all Thrudvanir nobles war with their siblings for land. Some join the clergy of one god or another and seek power through the faith; some do not have the heart to kill their brothers and retire to a small town, with no land to call their own but a farmer's plot. A very few, though, like the brave fighter Sigrun Holdrsdottar, take a stand against it all. Sigrun has left the comfort of castle, handmaids and bondsmen, unlimbered her shield and hefted her hammer in service to a small band of ''landsers'' and seeks to end the very real slavery of the serfs and the idealogical slavery of her noble kin.		* '''DC 20''' - ''Crowns in the Mud'' - Not all Thrudvanir nobles war with their siblings for land. Some join the clergy of one god or another and seek power through the faith; some do not have the heart to kill their brothers and retire to a small town, with no land to call their own but a farmer's plot. A very few, though, like the brave fighter Sigrun Holdrsdottar, take a stand against it all. Sigrun has left the comfort of castle, handmaids and bondsmen, unlimbered her shield and hefted her hammer in service to a small band of ''landsers'' and seeks to end the very real slavery of the serfs and the idealogical slavery of her noble kin.
	* '''DC 25''' - This fall, Gotfried, king of Straslund, hired a mercenary troupe called The Raven Banner to claim his brother Lothar's lands of Achvart. Lothar set in for siege, but would have done better to fall on his sword. The Banner's leader, the Raven Queen, is not a patient woman. She hung a great cauldron above a strangely crackling fire and, naked and pale, she danced before it, chanting in a strange tongue, throughout the night. As dawn broke, all of Achvart's men, Lothar included, fell over dead. The women wailed as she turned and lead her banner from the field, but they shrieked in terror when their dead husbands rose once more and, weapons in hand, to shamble after their new Queen.		* '''DC 25''' - This fall, Gotfried, king of Straslund, hired a mercenary troupe called The Raven Banner to claim his brother Lothar's lands of Achvart. Lothar set in for siege, but would have done better to fall on his sword. The Banner's leader, the Raven Queen, is not a patient woman. She hung a great cauldron above a strangely crackling fire and, naked and pale, she danced before it, chanting in a strange tongue, throughout the night. As dawn broke, all of Achvart's men, Lothar included, fell over dead. The women wailed as she turned and lead her banner from the field, but they shrieked in terror when their dead husbands rose once more and, weapons in hand, to shamble after their new Queen.
			* '''DC 30''' -

JasonK at 04:19, 10 January 2009

2009-01-10T04:19:32Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:19, 10 January 2009
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	A character knows the following with a successful skill check:		A character knows the following with a successful skill check:

	* '''DC 20''' - ''Palace of the Silver Princess'' -		* '''DC 20''' - ''Palace of the Silver Princess'' - Lifetimes past, the lady Argenta raised a kingdom on the western shores of the Low Countries. She was friends with dwarves and kept court with Tuatha-Sidhe, and from their joined work gained a fist-sized ruby in which she kept her death. But such glory was not to last and scaly creatures rose from the sea to bring her realm to ruin, changing the land to swamp and sealing her palace behind a magic wall; at their head, flew an ancient black-scaled drake. But the power of the scaled folk seems now faded, for through the swamp-haze shine the flash of silver walls.
	* '''DC 25''' - ''Steeeve.'' -		* '''DC 25''' - ''Steeeve.'' -
	* '''DC 30''' - ''STEEEEEVE!'' -		* '''DC 30''' - ''STEEEEEVE!'' -