Birthright Campaign: Divers Knowledge I

Shadows over Anuire

Ferocious Vos tribes and nomadic northman tribes of Rjurik warriors, fired by the disappearance of the Crown of Glory, symbol of the Anuirean oppressors, rise in triumph against their neighbours and any who would stand in their way. Inevitably, the awnsheghlien do rise to do battle with the lands of Men, most notably the Gorgon, who is destined (it is said) to sit upon the Iron Throne, and his puppet rulers of Mur-Kilad and Markazr; Rhuobhe the Manslayer and his declaration of the gheallie Sidhe; the mindless Spider and her goblinoid minions; the Raven and his Vosgaard warriors, and many others whose deeds of infamy go unsung. In their fear (and not without an element of self-serving ambition), the leading scions of Anuire, Aeric Boeruine and Darian Avan, have descended upon the capital, much to the dismay of the Imperial Chamberlain. He can see their lust for the trophy of the Iron Throne, yet is either worthy? Tensions between the regents Avanil and Boeruine escalate. In their lust for power, and hatred of one-another, conflict ensues, and before long, in her most vulnerable hour, Anuire is in the grip of a bitter and bloody civil war!. Enter Ghoere, prophesied some say, heir to the throne. His appearance, at the head of an army comes as news of the Manslayers depredations reaches Anuire1 Meanwhile, General Lyien Charie, former commander of Boeruines armies, mysteriously abandoned his troops during the swift and sometimes brutal march through Taeghas to Anuire. His sights set on the Capital, Boeruine pressed on regardless, vowing to make an example of the mutinous general at a later time. Lyien is of Sidhelien blood. His maternal grandfather serves the Manslayer. Lyien has been ordered to return to Rhuobhes lands to lead the awnsheghs troops in raids against their now-weakened Mannish neighbours. Fearing the retribution of Boeruine, Lyien has coerced the Dukes eldest daughter and heiress to accompany him to a friendly court, lest she be wedded off to some barbarian jarl in a marriage of alliance.2 Trouble is also brewing in Brosengae. The monarch, Eriene Mierelen has allowed Boeruines troops to land at the capital, Bindier, and cross her realm in their march on Anuire. Clashes with Avans garrisons follow, and the fields of Coere are awash in the blood of the commonfolk caught in the middle of the conflict. The sudden arrival of the Gorgons host in eastern Avanil prompts Avan to withdraw his troops for the defence of his capital, Daulton. The news of the Manslayers rampage (and the intercession of, some say the Lady of Mourning, others the Storm Lord, by the House of Wave, Tree and Stars), in turn, prompts Boeruine to abandon the blockade of the capital (designed to hamper any naval support of Avanil from Taeghas) and return troops to his beleaguered provinces.
1

553/III/4.1.2 (nine days before the vanishing of the Crown of Glory as seen from the Royal Observatory of the Imperial Capital) 2 In truth, she is the product of a liaison between Lyien and the duchess, and therefore related to the Manslayer himself!

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Shadows over Anuire
It isnt long before Roesones forces are detected and courted by several parties. On the advice of Cerincascael, Speaker of Nesirie, and the Celestial Archpriest Jacob Enlien, the Chamberlain of Anuire, Calidhe Dosiere invites the Black Baron into the capital. He refuses the invitation, but extends one of his own to the Chamberlain! The much-anticipated tearing of the veil between worlds fails to eventuate as predicted. No shadow-spawned legions spill into Anuire as was feared. But other, all too human threats abound, and Roesones march has not been in vain; a herald of Avans arrives with this invitation: Render your uncalled-for aid freely and with good intent in this, our hour of need, and enjoy our patronage and support. Refuse and consider yourself an enemy, having already declared war on the sovereign state of Avanil by virtue of your uninvited and unlawful arrival on our fair shores. While Avan would welcome any assistance, no doubt so would Boeruine. Both are well-known for rewarding their allies handsomely, and for holding a grudge against those who ally with their enemies. The Barons scouts confirm the siege of Daulton, beset by a great host of goblinoids, purportedly from Markazr. This news is grave, indeed, for it surely means the fall of the northern Heartlands states. Roesone will not suffer the presence of these barbarians, and means to repel them. At the 11th hour the Black Barons forces strike the besiegers, sending a wave of panic through their ranks, and giving the besieged the opportunity to launch a counterattack. The goblinoids, scattered, flee into the surrounding countryside. Attacking the pavilion of the goblins leaders, Marcio Greenleaf retrieves an item of great interest. This Ebon Mirror is clearly an item of Power, and warrants further study. Its very presence weighs heavily upon the assembled scions, and Roesone orders it secured and secreted away. Under cover of the Black Barons attack, the goblins prisoners stage an escape attempt. The prisoners were in the retinue of Gavin Tael, the Baron Ghoere, and were ambushed during his march on the Capital. Numbered among the rescuers is the knight of the Militant Order of Cuiracen, Guy de Conallier and some of his worthy knights. Ghoeres guard can shed no light as to the whereabouts of their lord; a detachment of knights of Cuiracen continues its search in the goblin-infested lands on the Endier border.3 The item is soon discovered to be a form of scrying device, a crystal of scrying. Placing the mirror on a Ley Line will allow it to function as a Scry Province Realm Spell anywhere along the Ley Line. Marcio, against all better judgement, snuck a glance at the mirror, and saw, ever so fleetingly, a throne of skulls and a trophy suit of radiant armour before being tackled to the ground by Guy and a Roesonean Blackguard. He claims the mirror beckoned to him, but is placed in the stocks regardless.
3

As at 553/III/1.2.8 (last day (Taelen) of the second week of the first month (Erntenier, month of harvest) of the third season, year 553 Michaeline Reckoning

Birthright Campaign: Divers Knowledge I

Shadows over Anuire
(What remains undiscovered, however, is that the mirror drains mebhaighl. Source levels of all neighbouring provinces and the value of all ley lines which cross through those domains are drained by one level each, and the energy creates a source value equal to the number of domains and ley lines the mirror taps. This reservoir of mebhaighl can then be used to cast scry province, however all excess mebhaighl is fed directly to the Awakening consciousness of Azrai. In time, he will gather enough energy to break out of his shadowy prison!) But these revelations are still some weeks away. A more pressing matter confronts our heroes: Aeric Boeruines daughter has, it appears, been abducted by the Manslayer.4 She is pivotal to his plans for Imperial alliances, and the Archduke would countenance one of two outcomes: her safe, unmolested return, or her marriage to the Manslayer himself. Only the most gifted of diplomats would stand any chance of success in this task. The impact of House Wave, Tree and Stars was felt keenly by Boeruine, and he has its agent sought out with the above proposition. For his part, Boeruine will foreswear any and all ambitions for the Iron Throne upon a successful outcome. Of course he means to strike again against the Capital in the protectors absence! Boeruine offers an escort of knights for the diplomatic mission ahead: twenty-nine sons of lesser nobles are assigned this duty, underscoring the importance of the mission (in truth, these are sons of sometime treasonous nobles, whom Boeruine considers expendable. 5 The fate of his daughter is of little concern to him once he sits upon the Iron Throne). Led by Sir Taresien and Sir Belladaen, the assemblage of (largely) worthy knights espouses the newly-conceived code of chivalry. The young knights are prepared to lay down their lives for the safe return of the Lady Maeglyn. The party must travel from Boeruines camp in Bindier, through the Seamist Mountains. This route is sure to prove dangerous, however, as it appears the ancient fortress-mines, long since abandoned, of the Karamhl have been breached by the Orogs imprisoned in the delvings beyond. Reports filter in of Orogs venturing from their subterranean prisons to terrorise the foothill communities of Taeghas (Brosen, Seamist) and Tournen (Vanilen). Stopping at the military camp of Roesone, Cerin persuades the out-of favour Marcio Greenleaf, along with his temporary custodian, Guy, to join
4

General Lyien Charie, former commander of Boeruines armies, mysteriously abandoned his troops during the swift and sometimes brutal march through Taeghas to Anuire. His sights set on the Capital, Boeruine pressed on regardless, vowing to make an example of the mutinous general at a later time. Lyien is of Sidhelien blood. His maternal grandfather serves the Manslayer. Lyien has been ordered to return to Rhuobhes lands to lead the awnsheghs troops in raids against their now-weakened Mannish neighbours. Fearing the retribution of Boeruine, Lyien has coerced the Dukes eldest daughter and heiress to accompany him to a friendly court, lest she be wedded off to some barbarian jarl in a marriage of alliance. Of course, she will be held as hostage by the Manslayer
5

See Birthright Campaign: Divers Knowledge II- the Archduchy of Boeruine document

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Shadows over Anuire
this foolhardy foray into the Awnsheghs lair. They are accompanied also by the mendicant Dust and Ashes. The lateness of the season would ordinarily preclude an overland expedition. In any case, the Manslayer is said to command the very winds above his domain. However, confident in his mastery of Wind and Wave, Cerin urges the company to attempt the dangerous crossing The expedition runs into difficulties when it encounters goblin scouts. Marcios ill-advised attempt to slay this hateful people draws the attention of a much larger contingent of goblins nearby. They spot the party and give chase. Sir Guy, bathed in supernatural radiance at the command of Cerin, leads a desperate charge from the foothills, smashing the goblin ranks and scattering their number, but not without some casualties. The party buries its dead, and entrusts the wounded and the arms and armour of the deceased to the care of seven knights. These worthies will return to Brosengae, and report the recent clash of arms to the Duke Avanil and Baron Roesone. Meanwhile, the remainder of the party (21 souls in all) pushes into the Seamists foothills, trusting in their strength of arms, will, and righteousness. Marcio recalls, from the deepest recesses of his mind, that Lyien is, like himself, fey-touched. The implications are disturbing The difficult trek through the Seamists is punctuated by evidence of ancient Dwarfish citadels delved into the mountains, wide avenues cutting through mountain vales. Orogs are clearly active, and the deep rumblings of their foundries threaten to shake the mountains apart, at times. Of concern is the revelation that the accompanying knights from Boeruines household, all of whom are young and relatively inexperienced, are sons of (so-called) treasonous nobles, who at one point or another have spoken out against Boeruines heavy-handed rule. Of even greater concern is a commemorative stele that is discovered erected in the Dwarfish avenue proclaiming, in Elfish script, the imprisonment of a great wyrm in the bowels of the mountain. Whether true, or a cunning deception of the Manslayers, none can tell, but the possibility that the delving of the newly-awakened Orogs may disturb the wyrms imprisonment is not lost on the party Finally the peaks are traversed, and the party looks out upon the ravaged land of Taeghas to the west. The pristine, yet harsh, primal forests to the north reflect their masters dark nature, and Cerin makes for this direction. It quickly becomes apparent that the very land itself recoils from the despoiling touch of the party, and it beckons Cerin to come alone The true intent of Boeruine is discovered when Cerin opens the gifts to be presented to the manslayer on behalf of the Archduke: the sarcastic congratulatory note on Rhuobhes betrothal, and his gifts of an axehead of cold iron along with his retinue of household knights! The knights reluctantly accede to Cerins request, he having dismissed them of their duty to him, but turn to Guys counsel as to their status to their lord. Guy

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Shadows over Anuire
advises that they cannot gainsay Boeruines intent, and are not absolved of their oath of fealty. He suggests they uphold their oaths of chivalry, and render assistance to the down-trodden and weak of the settlements before them, to bring a measure of order to the bandit-ravaged lands. This they do with vigour, aided by Dust and Ashes and under the guiding hand of Sir Guy, while Cerin and (the fey-touched) Macio proceed apace. Before long, Cerin and Macio find themselves in the thick of an ancient forest, a forest which both beckons and rebukes, its message carried in the rustling of the wind on the pine needles. Marcio, declared despoiler and tainted by the unseen sentries, challenges them to a test of skill at archery. This challenge is met with an arrow through the thigh, to which Cerin tends. Fearing further progress along this difficult route, they instead head seaward and reunite with the knights who have restored a small semblance of normalcy to the devastated communities. As luck would have it, Cerin learns that the faith of Nesirie is wellrepresented along the coastal provinces, and the party sets forth for the two-day march to Portage on Taeghas north-western border. There they arrive to find the township on high alert, having just endured lightning raids from Boeruines troops and Avanils brigands. The local priestess of Nesirie, Avril Dovenseil,6 recognises Cerins status as a Speaker, and offers his party succour.7 A small expedition braves the borders of the Manslayers realm, but the memory of what transpired there is erased

6 7

The Chief Priest, Daffyd Tamaere, is based in the province of Bhaine, in Taeghas As at 553/III/2.1.1 (first day (Firlen) of the first week of the second month (Sehnir) of the third season, year 553 Michaeline Reckoning