FYRMONT 1, AC 1015: Day of Heroes.
Location: Five Shires. OW
Description: On the first day of the month, the tombs and
battlefields of famous hin are respectfully visited and strewn
with flowers and trophies. Many non-hin learn about the tragic
history of the numerous occupations of the hin lands. The
athletes of the Games are also showered with gifts from hin and
non-hin alike as "modern day heroes." (See Kl. 22, Fe. 15; Fy.
15, Fy. 20.)
FYRMONT 1, AC 1015: Crusaders Gain Ground.
Location: Great Forest of Geffron, Denagoth. NW
Description: After a month of minor skirmishes with the Shadow Army and the feral monsters that dwell inside Geffron, the Crusaders have conquered the whole western tip of the forest, while the Shadow Army keeps retreating after every battle. The elves are more than ever convinced of their superiority and keep heading east. (See Fe. 9, Fe. 13; Fy. 10, Fy. 22.)
What This Means: The Crusaders have easily taken over the
western part of the forest and are now advancing deeper into the
woods, leaving some warbands behind to protect them from any rear
attack. They have retaken about one third of the entire forest
in less than one month and have seen no significant resistance on
the enemy's part after the battle of Felmont 13. If everything
goes as the Generals scheduled it, they will conquer Geffron by
the end of Ambyrmont.
Unfortunately for the elves, the Shadowlord is just toying
with them at the moment.
FYRMONT 1, AC 1015: The Horde Scatters in Glantri.
Location: Glantri. OW
Description: Moglai Khan's horde separates into several groups and scatters throughout the countryside. The majority proceed into the principality of Krondahar, while others decide to attack Bergdhoven and Aalban. (See Fe. 23, Fe. 26; Fy. 4, Fy. 5.)
What This Means: The northern principalities, which were largely untouched by the goblinoid invasion during the Wrath of the Immortals, are now the major scene of devastation and war. Still, the Glantrian military is not a pushover, and the Ethengarians must fight hard for every inch of ground it advances.
Aalban is thankfully well defended thanks to Jaggar's militaristic rulership of the principality. Bergdhoven also has a mysterious gold dragon flying around and protecting the land. Most Ethengarians wisely steer clear of it. Krondahar, unfortunately, bears the brunt of the assault.
FYRMONT 3, AC 1015: Peace Talks Resumed.
Location: Favaro, Darokin. OW
Description: Peace talks between Shadow Elves and Alfheim refugees open again in Favaro under the patronage of the DDC. Old Falanen, in his new diplomatic role, leads the Shadow Elves delegates, while King Doriath himself speaks for the Alfheimers. Meanwhile Treekeeper Jorodrin Feadiel, Radiant Mage Kanafasti and their assistants work hard in Rafielton trying to find a way to save the forest. (See Th. 26, Fl. 18; Fy. 26)
What This Means: Peace talks were abruptly stopped more than one year ago when someone attempted to kill Treekeeper Jorodrin Feadiel. Peace talks were then restarted, though informally, late in 1014, but the civil war put an end to any diplomatic relationship between Rafielton and the Alfheim refugees. Now, having settled the religious disputes over the right way of Rafiel, Princess Tanadaleyo takes her last chance in saving Canolbarth forest.
What PCs Can Do: They can act as bodyguards for Doriath during the peace conference both if they are elves or if they are humans: it is indeed likely that DDC (which is in charge of conducting the meetings) will provide both sides with their own personal bodyguards.
FYRMONT 3, AC 1015: Jennites Strike Hard.
Location: Faraway, Verdan, Esterhold Peninsula. AS
Description: A Jennite war band led by former governor Talin makes a foray into the fortified city of Verdan. Thanks to supporters inside the city they manage to sneak by the city walls at sunset and split into small war groups that roam the streets in search of Alphatians and Jennite "traitors" alike. They break into houses of those they consider their enemies and slaughter every last man, woman or child. The groups also steal valuable items or jewels that are easily carried and can be traded for more weapons later. Those that encounter resistance prove to be a match even to the Verdan military. They leave the city at sunrise with few losses. (See Ya. 9, Fe. 26; Fy. 7, Fy. 25.)
FYRMONT 4, AC 1015: Prince Jherek Slain.
Location: Braastar, Krondahar, Glantri. OW
Description: During an intense battle at Braastar, Prince
Jherek himself faces the invading Ethengarians, intent on
protecting his people and to prove, once and for all, that he is not
allied with the enemy. The wizard easily manages to keep the
horse warriors at bay with his illusionary magic.
Then Bakalgu the Destroyer, a hakomon [Ethengarian mage. Ed.]
confronts the prince, and they proceed into a great magical
battle. After many powerful spells, Bakalgu gets the upper hand
and fries the Glantrian Prince with a meteor swarm. (See Fe. 26,
Fy. 1; Fy. 5, Fy. 8.)
FYRMONT 5, AC 1015: The Glantrian Air Fleet Launches.
Location: Glantri City, Glantri. OW
Description: Jaggar launches 20 new skyships to help defend
against the Ethengarians. Many are amazed at how quickly he
accomplished the incredible feat.
FYRMONT 7, AC 1015: Elections Postponed.
Description: President Favian Vern today issues a proclamation
following the recent rebel attack on the city of Verdan. In this
proclamation he announces that the elections are postponed until
the rebels stop their attacks and slaughtering. He invites the
rebels to drop arms and start talking about peace. (See Fe. 26,
Fy. 3; Fy. 25, Am. 4.)
What This Means: The inhabitants of the province of Verdan
live in constant fear of attacks since the Jennites' massive
attack on their capital, when all sorts of people were
arbitrarily killed in the Jennites' killing frenzy, including new
immigrants who had never held any slaves. Favian Vern also calls
for troops reinforcements from Commander Broderick.
FYRMONT 7, AC 1015: Ka-Boom!
Description: At the military testing grounds of Torres
Caliente, Torreoner engineers finally manage to invent the
cannon. They call their invention "the bombard" for its ability
to bombard enemies at a distance.
They begin preparing to use them to invade Terra Vermelha,
which the Barony has wanted to do for years now. Baronesa Isabel
does her best to keep her cannons a secret from the other
baronies. (See Ei. 1.)
What This Means: Torreon now has a secret weapon to use
against her enemies. The statistics of the Bombard are as
follows:
[AD&D]
For a better description, see the Concordance of Arcane Spacefrom the
Spelljammer boxed set.
[D&D]
For a better description, along with alternate forms of canons
(from Small Bombard to Great Bombard), see Dragon Magazine #199.
FYRMONT 8, AC 1015: Bensarian Kidnapped.
Description: Bensarian disappears while staying in Wendar
City. His followers and friends discover he's missing when he
doesn't return to his room at the inn. The following days he's
still missing, so they begin to search for their mentor. (See
Ya. 27, Fe. 18; Fy. 15, Sv. 10.)
What This Means: Bensarian has been kidnapped by Idris' spies.
He was coming too close to the head of the secret network of
Idris in Wendar and so the leader of the cult has arranged a
meeting with Bensarian to kidnap him. Lured into a small house
in the countryside by a false rumor, he's been incapacitated and
later transported to a hidden hideout near Woodgate. He's now
being guarded twenty-four hours a day and has been dressed with a
Robe of Non-Detection (cannot be found by any scrying devices nor
by the use of Detect spells) while the Spy Leader contacts his
master to know what to do with the old sage.
What The PCs Can Do: If they were working for Bensarian, it's
likely they will begin to organize the researches to find him
together with other Bensarian's followers. They can also be
contacted by the Elf King himself who wants to discover the fate
of his best friend and advisor. Either way, the PCs will have to
retrace back the sage's last movements and to delve deeper into
his investigations to get a chance to find him.
FYRMONT 8, AC 1015: Bombardments.
Description: Throughout Krondahar, Aalban, and Bergdhoven, the
Glantrian skyships harass and bombard the Ethengarian raiders.
The Ethengarians respond by regrouping and marching straight
toward Glantri City. (See Fy. 4, Fy. 5; Fy. 16, Fy. 20.)
What This Means: Moglai Khan was letting his troops vent their
anger and have a bit of free time when the horde scattered
throughout Glantri. He figured the Glantrians could not stop
him, and as his men gain plunder, their morale will increase.
FYRMONT 9, AC 1015: Expedition Leaves Ionace.
Description: Now that the Alphatians have gathered enough
airmasks for the crew of the Concordia, the Joint Polar
Expedition leaves the city, their numbers and supplies to the
maximum. They head for the Sundsvall Maelstrom. (See Th. 15,
Kl. 2; Am. 13, Am. 15.)
What This Means: Captain Delarius of the Concordia hopes a
ripstorm will happen soon; he chose to fly above the maelstrom in
hope the Skyshield is weaker at this location, following the
advice of Favian Vern.
FYRMONT 10, AC 1015: The Invisible Menace.
Description: During a standard scouting of an unexplored area
of Geffron, the scouting party that precedes the main body of the
elven army is reported missing. When the other Crusaders start
looking for their comrades, they found their corpses hanging from
the high branches of the trees completely skinned. General
Durifern orders another scouting party to be formed and its
members doubled and then splits up the army in units of 100 elves
to investigate the area of the massacre. (See Fe. 13, Fy. 1; Fy.
22, Am. 1.)
What This Means: Somebody or something has hit the elves bad
and they want revenge. Durifern is especially worried since the
killed scouts were some of the best experts of his clan and he
reasons that anything that has disposed of them so easily is a
powerful and obvious threat to the whole army. The Generals have
decided to solve this mystery before going any further.
The Shadowlord's elite troops are responsible for this
carnage. They have the duty to keep the elves on their toes and
to frighten and hinder them as long as possible without being
discovered. The elves will suffer greatly from these death
squadrons.
What The PCs Can Do: The PCs can help the other elves to
uncover the perpetrators of the massacre, but this will be a long
time task. However, they must first avoid to fall in the death
squadrons' hands.
FYRMONT 12, AC 1015: Thyatians in Porto Liberto.
Description: The Ironclad, a thyatian military ship, docks in
Porto Liberto, the Vilaverdan trading post on the Serpent
Peninsula. The captain immediately sets about ordering barrels
of smokepowder and about one hundred wheellock pistols and a few
flintlocks. Once his purchases are complete, the ship is to sail
back to Thyatis City in the Old World. (See Ya. 11; Ei. 2.)
What This Means: Thyatis has heard about smokepowder and
wheellock pistols for quite some time now. This is their attempt
to acquire some for their own men. They're hoping they can
somehow reproduce the smokepowder and pistols, thereby becoming
without a doubt the most powerful militaristic nation in the
world.
FYRMONT 12, AC 1015: The Dead Place.
Description: Synn's agents make a breakthrough at discovering
how the Dead Place's magic works. They send a message to Synn,
who teleports there immediately.
Synn's agents show her how they've managed to create their own
mini-portal to the Pits [the Pits is the Mystaran name for the
Abyss. For pure D&D players, the Pits is an evil Outer Plane of
its own]. They believe by continuing the ritual for an
undetermined amount of time, a portal as big as the one here in
the Dead Place can be obtained.
What This Means: Most mortals remember with awe the massive
war and destruction caused by the Immortals the previous decade.
The time and events are now collectively called "the Wrath of the
Immortals" by most inhabitants of the Old World. Little do they
know, but the Wrath of the Immortals was not the first such war
caused by the powers of Mystara.
About 1500 years ago [that is, circa 500 BC], in an event
known only to a handful of sages, the Immortals waged another
war, this time with the intent to wipe out the followers of
Entropic Immortals in the Empire of Nithia. Rathanos led his
group (including Ixion and many others), which they called the
Guardian Immortals, against the forces of Thanatos. This time,
however, the Immortals took a direct involvement in the battle,
in what was called "the Flame's Apocalypse" war (due to the
energy and fire from the destroying forces of Rathanos and
Ixion). To bolster his own forces, Thanatos opened a gigantic
gateway to the Pits [Abyss], unleashing thousands of fiends upon
the followers of good.
Eventually, Thanatos was defeated and Nithia destroyed
[Remnants that were of Good alignment were transported into the
Hollow World. Ed.]. The lush land was turned into a desert and
all memory of Nithia was erased from the surface of the world of
Mystara. Several Immortals then banded together to place an
immense, bowl-shaped obsidian seal over the gateway to the Pits.
[Some sages speculate that they merely blasted the area with
powerful magic, and the intense heat created the crater and
melted the surrounding sand into obsidian, hence its bowl shape.]
With time, it was soon buried beneath the dunes of the desert.
Occasionally, the winds would reveal a section of the obsidian
seal, and even more rarely, a fiend would actually manage to
break through the seal. These few events have caused enough
death for the locals to call the area the Dead Place.
FYRMONT 13, AC 1015: Our Goal is Near.
Description: On this day in the journey across the Meghala
Kimata Plains, Herr Wulf announces to the Knights that their
journey's end is near. The conviction of his announcement
surprises many of them, and brings fresh hope to more than a few.
(See Fe. 9, Fe. 13; Fy. 25, Fy. 26.)
What This Means: Vanya sent another dream message to Wulf the
previous night, in which he saw a walled Milenian town near the
source of a great river. This town is Polakatsikes, and it was
made clear to Wulf that soon the town would be reached.
FYRMONT 14, AC 1015: Oh What Magic We Have.
Location: Aquas, NACE. AS
Description: A group of underwater treasure seekers return
with a cache of magical weapons they've acquired from the sunken
cities of Alphatia. And their discovery shocks the mages
throughout the entire area.
What This Means: The use of the Doomsday Weapon on Sundsvall
has had many side-effects that have yet to be discovered. Two of
the semi-known (although still poorly understood or secret)
properties include the increase in ripstorms over the area and
the portal to Alphatia in the Hollow World.
FYRMONT 15, AC 1015: The World Games.
Description: With a large parade and huge spectacles, the
Sheriffs of the Five Shires declare that the World Games have
begun. (See Fe. 15, Fy. 1; Fy. 20, Fy. 28.)
What This Means: This year, there are not as many athletes as
in previous World Games. Both Glantri and Ethengar have no
representatives as the two nations are too broiled up in their
war to care about the games. Ylaruam, on the other hand, refuses
to step into infidel territory.
FYRMONT 15, AC 1015: Rescue Mission for Bensarian.
Description: The friends and retainers of Bensarian have
finally found out the location of their mentor thanks to some
clues left by his kidnappers. After a thoroughly planned
strategy, they assault the compound where Bensarian is held
captive and are able to free him without too many casualties.
Most of the kidnappers are able to escape but a few of them get
killed in the fight. Bensarian thanks his rescuers and explains
them that they were spies working fot the Church of Idris. He is
now more than ever convinced that the evil priests have something
in mind that involves the downfall of Wendar, but he hasn't
figured out the whole plan yet. Thus he asks them to resume
their undercover work to keep him informed of their progress.
(See Fe. 18, Fy. 8; Sv. 10.)
What This Means: Unfortunately for the good guys, this is a
major achievement for the Church of Idris. In fact, the fellow
rescued by the heroes is not Bensarian, but an imposter who has
impersonated him to unmask the infiltrators of the Church and to
mislead their investigations. Also, the mastermind who's behind
all this plan has decided to use these heroes as unwitting pawns
to further his plans, and the fake Bensarian is pivotal in the
success of this operation.
FYRMONT 16, AC 1015: They're Here.
Description: The Council of Princes watches as Moglai Khan and
his horde surround Glantri City. The siege has begun. The
Council returns indoor to debate their next move.
What This Means: When Morphail claimed he regained control of
his minions, most Council members assumed this was because
Dolores was no longer present. Seeing how all the Princes spy on
each other, it wasn't hard for them to learn that Malachie and
Jaggar both suspected Dolores. With her gone and Morphail back
in control, others are beginning to assume the same thing.
Still, assumptions are nothing without proof in Glantri.
FYRMONT 18, AC 1015: Knock, Knock. Who's There?
Description: Synn and her followers manage to create a 10
meter diameter portal to the Pits, identical to the gigantic one
lying only several dozen meters away beneath the obsidian seal.
Synn is happy about the result; until a fiend actually comes
through the portal, that is. At that point, she becomes
ecstatic. The huge, winged fiend (some would call it a Balor
[Greater Tanar'ri, AD&D], others a roaring fiend [D&D]) demands
to know for what purpose Synn opened the doorway to his realm.
She says that she is merely opening the door, and the fiend can
do as it likes here on Mystara. All she cares about is the chaos
it is sure to cause.
What This Means: Synn was only too glad to let her followers
die at the hand of the fiend. Now, she is the only one who knows
the magic to make such a portal again. And she definitely
intends to do so sometime in the future.
FYRMONT 20, AC 1015: Visiting For Red Steel.
Description: At sunrise, a small squad of 30 soldiers suddenly
appear marching out from under an archway of a bridge in
Slagovich. These soldiers are all wearing platemail painted red
with a symbol of a sword and sun on it. Behind them appears a
wagon being pulled by a strange horse with tentacles.
What The PCs Can Do: If they are wealthy enough, they can
purchase their own red steel weapons and armor and try to sell it
to this group for a hefty profit.
FYRMONT 20, AC 1015: The Green Cloak Strikes Again.
Description: The infamous hin thief known as the Green Cloak
has successfully broken into several manors being used to host
nobles visiting the World Games from all the nations of the Old
World. In the place of the valuables are notes boasting the
Green Cloak's abilities and the pathetic nature of the victim's
security. (See Fy. 1, Fy. 15; Fy. 28, Am. 1.)
What This Means: The Green Cloak is an infamous thief in the
Five Shires who disappeared over a decade ago. Back in AC 1013
(Fyrmont; see Joshuan's Almanac), the Green Cloak reappeared on
the scene. Although many believe this Green Cloak is merely a
copycat of the original, none have yet managed to catch this
daring rogue either.
What The PCs Can Do: Capture the thief. Anyone who manages to
capture the Green Cloak will become famous throughout the Five
Shires. If captured before the World Games are over, visiting
nobles from several nations will hear of the PCs' exploits,
earning them an international reputation.
FYRMONT 20, AC 1015: The Final Battle.
Description: The Ethengarians are surprised as a huge horde of
goblinoids viciously attack them from behind. The goblinoids
outnumber the horse warriors at least three to one, and they
attack without fear.
What This Means: Moglai Khan is dead. Ethengar will probably
be in a state of unrest for years to come. The remaining horse
warriors, still rather large in number, are not safe yet.
Although they have escaped the goblinods, they must still pass
through the undead blocking their exit through Boldavia.
Unfortunately for them, most won't survive. In the end, only
several handfuls of warriors make it back to the Steppes.
FYRMONT 22, AC 1015: Fiends Attack.
Description: Nomad refugees begin arriving in the larger
cities of Ylaruam, declaring that their tribes have been attacked
by fiends from the Pits.
Off an important note, due to events that have taken place in
the AD&D PLANESCAPE campaign, all fiends, including the Tanar'ri,
have lost their ability to teleport without error. All their
other standard abilities remain.
FYRMONT 22, AC 1015: The Elf Skull Units Discovered.
Description: After two bloody weeks of ambushes and raids
during which the elves have suffered many losses, the Crusaders
are finally able to discover and capture one of the members of
the Shadowlord's death squadrons. After a brutal interrogation,
the elves manage to get some information about the responsible
for the ambushes using their magics. They discover that the Elf
Skull Units are behind the attacks, a special military force made
up of humanoids only who have sworn to serve the Shadowlord and
Idris to death. They are masters at using camouflage tactics,
ambushes, swift raids and know a hundred different methods to
slay their opponent without making any noise. Some of them are
also capable of wielding magic. The Generals devise a counter
plan to use against the Elf Skull Unit that relies heavily on the
use of elven magic and camouflage tactics. (See Fy. 1, Fy. 10;
Am. 1, Am. 22.)
What This Means: The Elf Skull Unit have been unmasked and
this is a small advantage for the elves. However, in the past
days the death squadrons have been able to kill hundreds of
unlucky elves without sustaining any major losses. The Crusaders
know that until they eliminate this problem, they will never have
the chance to continue their military campaign against the
Shadowlord.
FYRMONT 24, AC 1015: An Evil Alliance.
Description: Two dwarves, a male and a female, walk boldly
into the camp of a large force of goblinoids located in
southeastern Rockhome between three pyroclastic volcanoes. When
threatened by the perimeter guards, they state that they merely
wish to speak to the leaders of this horde: Thar and Psa'gh.
What This Means: Way back in AC 1011, Rockhome underwent a
civil war now know as the Clan War. In it, a returned hero from
ages past (Denwarf) tried to reclaim the throne, but died in a
Challenge of the Kings. Afterwards, his named successors, Duric
and Bifia of Clan Hurwarf, tried to continue the Clan War, but
were ultimately turned in by their own people. King Everast XVI
sentenced the two to exile from Rockhome.
FYRMONT 25, AC 1015: Polakatsikes Sighted!
Description: In the morning, scouts return to the Knights'
camp, reporting the discovery of a large town only one mile
beyond a range of hills just to the west. Wulf declares
immediately that this is the object of the quest, and
preparations must be made immediately for an invasion, so that
Vanya's honor may be restored at the expense of the Milenian
people. He orders several small reconnaissance teams to
investigate the town, its defenses, and its troops. He then
commands the remainder of his force to practice their tactics,
and otherwise perform drills until they are a perfectly
co-ordinated unit. Finally, some Knights are picked to explore
the land around the camp for good defensive positions. (See Fe.
9, Fy. 13; Fy. 26, Fy. 27.)
What This Means: Wulf knows that this is the town he must
conquer as proof of his loyalty to Vanya, and as a means to
further expand the influence of the Heldannic Knights. He knows
that information about the town is needed if he is to have a hope
of conquering it, hence the scouting missions. He also knows
that his small force must be well-trained and disciplined, or
this quest will have been for nothing.
What The PCs Can Do: Players could easily find themselves on
an intelligence mission to obtain information about Polakatsikes;
or they could remain at the camp, assisting the Knights in
drilling for warfare, practicing tactics, searching for defensive
positions, and so on.
FYRMONT 25, AC 1015: Life Back to Normal.
Description: With the war over and the worse of the cleanup
done, life in Glantri starts going back to normal. The
Parliament meets today to take care of a few things.
What This Means: Many expected Jaggar to press into Ethengar
and wipe out the horse warriors once and for all. He would love
dearly to do this, but without his arm, Jaggar is unable to cast
even the simplest of his spells. He views, correctly, that he
would be defenseless and useless in such a war. The Prince of
Aalban is now devoting his time to discover a way to replace his
arm and return his spellcasting.
What The PCs Can Do: If they're mages, they can try and win a
title of nobility. DMs will notice that most of the "free"
positions will be around Boldavia and Klantyre, therefore the
local Princes (Morphail and Brannart/Angus) will more than likely
try to "persuade" new PCs nobles to join their fold. Morphail
will probably even try to turn them into his minions.
Of course, they could win a title in a dominion elsewhere in
Glantri if one of those nobles were promoted to replace those
lost in the darker principalities.
FYRMONT 25, AC 1015: Confederate Troops in Verdan.
Description: Commander Broderick arrives in Faraway with fresh
troops from Surshield and Lagrius. He sets them to patrol the
city and countryside, while he discusses with Favian Vern about
the Jennites' underground organization. (See Fy. 3, Fy. 7; Am.
4, Ei 3.)
What This Means: Broderick is convinced that the attack was
much too organized for the Verdan Jennites who were completely
disorganized not so long ago - thanks to Xanthus's oppressive
rule. They must have had help from someone else with an interest
in a civil war, as well as weapon supply, and Broderick is intent
on discovering who. He sends spies to infiltrate the rebels'
ranks.
FYRMONT 26, AC 1015: Peace Treaty Signed.
What This Means: This time, thanks to the sponsorship of both
Immortal patrons and to the non-intervention by Atzanteotl (busy
planning the destruction of the Shadow Elves) the peace talks
proceed well.
FYRMONT 26, AC 1015: Von Klagendorf Decides.
Description: The scouting parties sent out yesterday have
returned. They report that the Milenian town seems to be
well-fortified, with two guarded gates leading into it. The
scouts also estimated that a town of this size might have about
1000 soldiers. Since none of them could enter Polakatsikes,
details of the inside of the town are unknown. Herr Wulf reviews
the information, and decides that the town must be taken, no
matter what the odds might be, if Vanya's faith in the Knights is
to be restored. (See Fy. 13. Fy. 25; Fy. 27, Fy 28.)
What This Means: The information is mostly correct, given how
much the scouts could learn. Polakatsikes' army is actually
closer to 800 men. Wulf knows that this is a test from Vanya,
and he is determined to prove himself, and the Knights, worthy of
her favor.
What the PCs Can Do: If the players performed scouting
missions the previous night, and were able to enter the town
unseen, they may be able to obtain useful information - this is
up to the DM. Otherwise, there is nothing for the players to do
but prepare for battle.
FYRMONT 27, AC 1015: Knights Attack Polakatsikes.
Description: Wulf orders one quarter of his forces to attack
Polakatsikes at dawn today. The Knights are to try to break down
the gates, and otherwise test the defense of the town, and where
possible to launch flasks of flaming oil over the walls using
small, portable trebuchets. The Knights are unable to smash the
gates, but they are able to launch several oil flasks over the
walls. Polakatsikes' archers are ineffectual against the small,
highly mobile groups, who retreat out of range before enough
arrows can be fired in any direction. The town is also caught by
surprise, and several hours pass before all the fires are put
out, or the type of enemy is determined. Before a large force of
soldiers can be sent out against the Knights, the invaders melt
into the surrounding wilderness, leaving no trace of their
passage and only a few casualties. (See Fy. 25, Fy. 26; Fy. 28,
Am. 2.)
What This Means: Polakatsikes' army is not used to fighting
against a well-disciplined, well-armored, and highly mobile
force. They are accustomed to fighting off small armies of
humanoids and desert nomads, who often charge in waves and give
themselves away minutes before they arrive. This type of attack
totally surprises them. The town council resolves to send a
large body of soldiers outside the gates to locate the enemy, and
destroy them.
What The PCs Can Do: If the players are with the Knights, they
can participate in the assault - perhaps their skills may allow
the Knights to do more damage. If they are with the defenders of
Polakatsikes, they will have their hands full with putting out
fires - or directing other to do so - or trying to destroy the
attackers. They might also take part in helping the army prepare
for battle.
FYRMONT 28, AC 1015: End of the World Games.
Description: The IVth World Games ends. At the end of the
closing ceremonies, the World Games Council announces that the
next World Games will take place in either 3 or 5 years, the
exact time being still under debate by council members. It is
also announced that either Thyatis or Ierendi will be the host
for the next World Games. They exact place will be determined
next year. (See Fy. 15, Fy. 20; Am. 1, Am. 7.)
What This Means: The fact that many nations cannot afford to
put as much money into training and funding their athletes has
not gone unnoticed by the World Games Council. For that reason,
they have decided to allow more time between World Games. The
extra time will allow the nations to amass more money and give
their athletes more time to train. As for the debate on time (3
or 5 years), they have agreed to discuss the situation with
economic experts from Darokin to decide how much time would be
sufficient to not destroy any nation's economy by participating
in the World Games.
FYRMONT 28, AC 1015: Sultan Declares Emergency.
Description: Sultan Hassam "The True" Al-Kalim orders all of
his armies to strike out against the fiends that are running
rampant in the desert. He claims that the release of the fiends
is merely a tactic of the Infidels desiring to destroy Ylaruam.
Once the fiends are dealt with, he promises by Al-Kalim that the
infidels of the world will be taught a lesson they will not soon
forget. (See Fy. 18, Fy. 22; Am. 14, Sv. 1.)
What This Means: Hassan believes that the Thyatians are
responsible for releasing tanar'ri [D&D: fiends] into Ylaruam.
He has now declared Ylaruam to be in a full state of war.
FYRMONT 28, AC 1015: Enemy Engaged.
Description: The first real battle between the Knights and the
army of Polakatsikes takes place today - 100 Polakatsikan
soldiers against 50 Heldannic Knights - not far from the site
Wulf's Knights are using for their campsite. The Polakatsikans
advance in two phalanxes of 50 men each, while the Knights form
into five wedges of 10 men each. The two forces collide, and the
Polakatsikans attempt to surround the wedges, but the Knights
easily hold off the assault and push them back, killing many of
the Milenians in the process. The Polakatsikans are dismayed to
find their opponents better-armed and armored than themselves
(the Knights are wearing banded and plate mail and wielding long-
bastard- and two-handed swords; the Polakatsikans are wearing
leather and cuir-boulli armor, and are carrying spears and short
swords). Before long, the attack on the Knights falters, and a
handful manage to flee to the town. By evening, the Knights
effectively blockade all approaches to the town, turning back
anyone who approaches - including farmers going to the town's
market to sell their crops, who are unaware of the hostilities.
(See Fy. 26, Fy. 27; Am. 2, Am. 4.)
What This Means: The Polakatsikans are clearly outclassed in
terms of weapons and armor, and they are poorly trained in
comparison. Of the 100 who attacked the Knights, 63 are killed,
and 20 are taken prisoner.
What The PCs Can Do: If the players are with the Knights, they
may take part in the battle, and possibly prevent any
Polakatsikans from escaping. If this happens, the town's morale
will fall greatly. If they speak Milenian (even the Hollow World
dialect), they may find themselves responsible for gaining
information from the prisoners, and ensuring that they are not
abused. If they are with the Polakatsikans, they may try to kill
as many Knights as possible, or help as many men flee as they
can. They may also try to break the Knights' blockade, or
otherwise smuggle food into the town.
And finally they met. Nine years after the fall of Alfheim,
the old and the new ruler of Canolbarth forest, King Doriath and
Princess Tanadaleyo finally met in Favaro to sign a peace
agreement.
This was the first time that King Doriath left his exile in
the cold wendarian lands accepting to talk with his former
enemies, the same elves that invaded his homeland after cursing
the forest with some evil and still unknown magic. And it was
this same magic that prompted the so-called Radiant Princess to
try for peace again earlier this year when she sent a desperate
message to King Doriath in Wendar. And thus the Favaro meeting
was born.
The DDC arranged for the ancient Eastwind mansion in Favaro to
host all the diplomats and a substantial number of bodyguards and
the town itself was heavily guarded: no one could enter the town
without being thoroughly questioned and searched. A few
Alphatian mages were also hired to provide security against air
and underground attacks by Shadow Elves.
Hopefully everything went quite well, except a couple of
tavern brawls and a serious fight involving the town guards and a
group of drunken dwarves that refused to being searched "for this
silly elvish thing". But let's get to the point.
Princess Tanadaleyo didn't attend the talks, she came to
Favaro only on Fyrmont 26 to sign the peace agreements, but
otherwise left the diplomatic stuff to her advisors led by an old
elf named Falanen. King Doriath was a bit annoyed by this, but
he nevertheless decided to attend the peace talks.
The discussion was mainly focused on the current situation of
Canolbarth forest: both sides agree on saving the forest, but no
one is able to do it alone. Shadow Elves asked for more Alfheim
wizards to be sent to help Treekeeper Jorodrin Feadiel, in
exchange Doriath asked the Shadow Elves to allow Alfheimers to
settle back in Canolbarth before the end of this year. The point
raised fierce opposition by the Shadow Elves and also some
internal debate among them, anyway, after a whole week of tense
discussion, the DDC managed to settle the contest and an
agreement was found. Alfheim elves agreed to commit more mages
to the saving of the forest, in exchange Shadow Elves agreed to
host a substantial number of Alfheimers, provided they come in
small groups.
Another important agreement was the creation of a Trust
Council, presided by King Doriath and Princess Tanadaleyo, that
will carry on the peace talks and decide over the day to day
arguments between Shadow Elves and Alfheim Elves that may pop up
in future.
According to the agreements Doriath will retain the title of
King over the small Alfheim community in Aengmor, but his
subjects will be subjected to Shadow Elves laws when inside
Aengmor borders. Taxes paid by the Alfheimers will go to the
Trust Council and will be used to rebuild the forest. Alfheim
elves will have freedom of cult, provided they don't worship
Immortals other than Rafiel in "open air".
This meeting is certainly one of the most important events
that happened in the Old World in these last years. The final
handshaking between the young King and the handsome Princess can
be the first step toward a future cohabitation of both races in a
healthy Canolbarth forest, but still several steps have to be
taken before reaching a complete agreement. Many problems still
have to be solved; the rebellious City of Aengmor in the north is
not the last of them. Next year will be a crucial one to see if
this area of the Old World will finally go back to the old
peaceful days before the Great War.
Of course, a simple Dispel Magic will destroy the control over
the elementals and bring down the ship, but Jaggar doubts the
Ethengarians (or any enemy without good information) would think
of such a tactic. Still, the ships have fuel for a normal fire
in case of such an emergency. It won't be hot enough to keep the
ship in the air, but it should give it a landing in which the
crew can survive.
Location: Faraway, Verdan, Esterhold Peninsula. AS
Location: Torres Caliente, Torreon. SC
Bombard: cost: 20,000 gp, range: 100 yards, dmg: 2d10 hp (or 1d6
against structures or ships), crew: 3, ROF: 1/3, THAC0 17
(critical hit on 20), 10 charges of smokepowder per shot.
Bombard: cost: 2,500 gp, range: 140/280/420, dmg: 1d12+13, Full
Crew: 6, Enc: 80,000 cn, AC -2, HP: 30, Fire Rate: 1/30
min., Ammo Cost/Week: 45,000 gp, 45 pounds of smokepowder
per shot.
Location: Wendar City, Wendar. OW
Location: Glantri. OW
Now that strange magical flying ships are harassing his horse
warriors, Moglai has decided that playtime is over. The horde
will destroy Glantri City once and for all.
Location: Ionace, NACE. AS
Location: Great Forest of Geffron, Denagoth. NW
Location: Porto Liberto, Serpent Peninsula. SC
Location: The Dead Place, Ylaruam. OW
Synn orders them to try the ceremony, so the wizards begin
casting the long and dangerous ritual. (See Fy. 18, Fy 22.)
Last year, Synn learned of the Dead Place and has since been
trying to find a way to reopen the portal.
Location: Meghala Kimata Plains, 150 miles southeast of
Polakatsikes. JC
Of the three dozen weapons they've found scattered hap-
hazardously throughout the ruins, all of them have major
enchantments upon them. The weakest magical weapon is of +4
enchantment, and they all have special side abilities, like
flametongue [Flames on Command in D&D], or frostbite. Even the
extra enchantments are often at least twice as powerful as the
norm.
The odds of finding three dozen such powerful magical items is
practically impossible. Considering two other items of renown
have also been recovered from the underwater ruins - the Pouch of
Winds now in the possession of the Monster of the Low NACE, and
The Burning Wand [a wand that can shoot five meteor swarms per
day!] - sages begin to speculate as to what exactly is going on.
The powerful magical items are soon called the Alphatian
Artifacts.
Another effect that the wizards and sages will soon discover
is that a couple hundred magical items in sunken Alphatia became
magnets for magical energy during the sinking. They have grown
into extremely powerful items, more so than most mages can
normally enchant. Yet sages will also discover a few drawbacks
to these items.
First of all, they still drain magic; it's how they keep their
own power. Any other normal magical item that remains within
five feet of an Alphatian Artifact for over 24 hours will lose
all of its magical properties. A mage or priest will lose one
memorized spell per hour he remains within five feet of such
artifacts (starting with his highest spell level). If two
Alphatian Artifacts remain close to each other for over 24 hours,
they will each lose some of their power (say, one side
enchantment, or maybe a -1 to the power [that is, a sword +4 will
become +3]). Therefore, anyone who wishes to use an Alphatian
Artifact will become a one-magical-item-only person.
Second, these magical items are somehow linked to the
Sundsvall Maelstrom. The Alphatian Artifacts only work at full
power when within 1500 kilometers (1000 miles) of the Sundsvall
Maelstrom (mainly at sea, but includes Ionace, Floating Ar, and
the various pirate isles scattered throughout the sea). From
1500 to 3000 kilometers (1000 to 2000 miles), the artifacts are
at half power (this will include the northern and eastern section
of the Isle of Dawn, the coast of Norworld, the Alatian Isles,
most part of Bellissaria, Qeodhar, and the western half of the
Esterhold Peninsula). After 3000 kilometers (2000 miles), the
artifacts lose all power.
There are, of course, a few other side effects, which have not
been discovered yet, but will show themselves in due time (see
the Day of Dread if you want a hint).
Note to DMs: be sure to give these items unique names. They
are very powerful items, and no two should be alike, therefore
they should all have individual names to represent them.
Location: Shireton, Five Shires. OW
Also, the nations of Vestland, Soderfjord and Wendar send less
athletes than before as these nations can no longer afford to pay
for such extreme expenses four years in a row. Even Karameikos
was hard pressed, but luckily many wealthy philanthropists helped
fund most of the athletes.
The World Games Council seriously begins considering delaying
the next World Games a couple of years.
On the other hand, a group of goblinoids from New Kolland -
here on their own rather than representing Glantri - make the
first goblinoid team to participate in the World Games. At first
many nations objected to the goblinoid presence - especially the
Five Shires (they still remember the orcish occupation). But
Darokinian diplomats smoothed things over and now orcs and
goblins were allowed to compete.
Location: Woodgate, Wendar. OW
Location: Glantri City, Glantri. OW
Many are displeased that Princess Dolores Hillsbury hasn't
even bothered to show up. Although she did claim she had
important matters that needed to be looked at right away, they
believe that the fate of Glantri should supercede any magical
experiment she might have.
Interestingly enough, Morphail claims he has managed to regain
control of the undead rampaging through Boldavia. He has since
directed them to move toward Glantri City. Still, the others
believe that it will be too late.
Jaggar merely says that the walls of Glantri City will never
be breached. He has waited his entire life for this moment, and
he guarantees that he will not fail. Besides, he claims to have
a special surprise for the Golden Khan. (See Fy. 5, Fy. 8; Fy.
20, Fy. 25.)
As for Morphail, he was expecting Dolores to use her "secret
forces" to stop the Khan before he reached Glantri City. He has
now realized, that with Dolores gone and the Ethengarians at the
city gates, there never was any secret forces. To allow Klantyre
to be destroyed is one thing, but never would Morphail allow
Glantri itself to fall. He is scrambling his forces as fast as
possible.
Location: Dead Place, Ylaruam. OW
The powerful fiend's reply is that no one can command
Frizgr'ath. Only he will create chaos for himself, and not for
the amusement of some puny mortal. Frizgr'ath then attacks the
mortals who opened the gateway. Synn teleports to safety,
leaving her followers to be destroyed by the fiend.
Afterward, the balor [D&D: roaring fiend] approaches the
obsidian dome covering the Dead Place. Frizgr'ath has been
trying to destroy the seal for centuries, but never succeeded.
Now, on the other side, the task is much easier. He breaks it
open thanks to his fiendish magic and powers. Soon enough, a
large force of tanar'ri [D&D: chaotic fiends] begins pouring into
the world of Mystara. (See Fy. 12; Fy. 22, Fy. 28.)
As for the horde of fiends, this bodes ill for the people of
Ylaruam.
Location: Slagovich. SC
Wealthy merchants of the town, who have been waiting around
this very bridge, quickly meet them and begin selling red steel
weapons and platemails for the huge amount of foreign gold they
have in their wagon.
A few dozen soldiers of Slagovich watch the exchanges
carefully, making sure an army doesn't poor out of the portal or
that these strangers don't cause trouble. They never have
before, but one never knows.
Then, by sunset, the group quickly marches back under the
bridge with their newly acquired goods and vanish without a
trace.
Or, if they examine the portal under the bridge, DMs just
might want to introduce them to Barracks of Sigil, the Prime
world of Ortho [recommended for D&D campaigns that aren't using
PLANESCAPE], or maybe the plane of Arcadia. The exact location
of the other end of the portal is up to the DM, but it's a sure
bet that it's fully under the control of the Harmonium.
Location: Shireton, Five Shires. OW
Location: Glantri City, Glantri. OW
In the Parliament, Jaggar tells the other Princes (including a
returned Dolores Hillsbury) how he had purposely left Kol's
forces out of the battle until this moment. He wanted the horde
of goblinoids to come as a surprise to the Khan. And it did;
even the Princes of Glantri were caught by surprise at exactly
how many goblinoids Kol could muster. Jaggar then excuses
himself from the Council. Jaggar personally leads several units
out in the field to help the goblinoids wipe out the
Ethengarians.
But then, the Ethengarians surprise everyone and charge, to a
man, the city walls. They ignore everyone behind them and in
their way, so intent are they on their goal. At the last moment,
several shamans and hakomons (wizards) cast spells creating a
huge bridge of earth to rise out of the ground: the horse
warriors can simply ride right over the city walls! With most of
the Glantrians now outside the wall, Glantri City doesn't have a
chance to stop them. Jaggar curses at this unexpected use of
magic (he severely underestimated their hakomons). [It is assumed
that the hakomons only used this magic because all appeared lost.
Otherwise, the Ethengarians would have rather not touched the
magic and would have probably refused to use the bridge. Ed.]
Just when all appears doomed, a lone mage appears over the
earth bridge, floating in the air with his magic. He casts a
couple of meteor swarms, burning down most of the front lines of
the Ethengarians. His next spell causes a thin blue beam to
streak out of his hands and strike the bridge of earth. Moments
later, the bridge explodes, knocking back the closest horse
warriors (including the Golden Khan himself) and even killing
several of them. [For those who wish to know, this is an enhanced
version of (Tenser's) Destructive Resonance.] The lone wizard
then disappears.
Jaggar does not hesitate and moves in with his men. Soon
enough, the powerful wizard confronts the Golden Khan directly.
The Prince casts his disintegrate, expecting to see the Khan's
ashes before him. But Moglai resists the spell and strikes
Jaggar with his sword, amputating his right arm just above the
elbow. The wounded prince looks up to see the Golden Khan
prepare his death blow and realizes there is without his arm, he
cannot cast another spell to defend himself. But the blow does
not come. Instead, Moglai looks down to see a sword sticking out
of his chest. He then crumples to the ground. Jaggar then
notices the leader of the goblinoid forces, Ludwig von Hendricks,
remove his sword from the Golden Khan's back. Jaggar then passes
out.
The remaining Ethengarians realize they have been defeated and
try to flee. Most are cut down by the goblinoids. (See Fy. 8,
Fy. 16; Fy. 25.)
In Glantri, Kol and his goblinoids will be revered as heroes.
Even more acclaim will go to the warrior who slew the Golden
Khan. Ludwig von Hendricks will likely become the most famous
non-mage of all of Glantri.
Jaggar was rescued and saved by his men.
As for the solitary mage who appeared over the earth bridge,
no one seems to know who he is (several false claims were
revealed through ESP however). Rumors speculate that it was one
of the Princes, a master from the Great School of Magic, the
missing Etienne d'Ambreville, or even Rad himself come to protect
his people [Note that, since Rad doesn't have any priests to whom
he grants spells, no one in Glantri has even noticed that he
disappeared at the end of AC 1009 with the conclusion of the
Wrath of the Immortals; the Glantrians have been "honoring" him
the past six years as if nothing has changed].
Location: Ylaruam. OW
At first, officials are rather skeptical or believe it to be a
random incident. But as the number of refugees start getting
larger and larger, the officials begin to worry that something
horrible is truly roaming the sands outside their walls.
Soon enough, the Emirs and even the Sultan begin sending their
forces out to patrol and bring down the fiends. (See Th. 18, Fy
18; Fy. 28, Am. 14.)
What This Means: The tanar'ri [D&D: fiends of the Pits] are
too chaotic to plan anything, so they have been roaming around in
random groups and directions, causing whatever havoc they can.
Had they waited before proceeding, they might have been able to
produce an effective army. Now they are scattered and easily
defeated.
The Ylari, on the other hand, have been preparing to invade
Thyatis for some time now. Their forces are ready, and they are
already destroying the smaller bands of fiends they catch in the
desert.
Location: Great Forest of Geffron, Denagoth. NW
Location: Triangle of Ash, Makkres Mountains, Rockhome. OW
Soon enough, the dwarves receive an audience with the orc and
kobold kings. At first, the two goblinoid monarchs decree that
the dwarves are to be burnt and eaten in a feast, but when the
male proposes a plan to invade and conquer Rockhome, the order is
canceled.
The dwarves claim that they can teach the goblinoids all of
Rockhome's military secrets and tactics, how to disarm their
traps, and where all of their forces are positioned. Even
better, they say that they will be able to supply the goblinoids
with as many weapons as they need.
Intrigued by this offer, Thar and Psa'gh bring the dwarves to
their private chambers to listen fully to their plan. The
dwarves introduce themselves as Duric and Bifia of the
Modrigswerg Clan. (See Sv. 8, Sv. 14.)
Since then, the two exile dwarves made their way to the
Northern Reaches and eventually found shelter with the
Modrigswerg dwarves. These Rot Dwarves, as they are known to the
dwarves of Rockhome, were also exiled ages past for acts of evil
and treason (See Gazetteer 7: The Northern Reaches).
Now, Duric and Bifia are planning to reclaim what they believe
is their rightful throne of Rockhome. The Modrigswerg would not
agree to rally into an army to invade the dwarf kingdom, but they
did agree to supply weapons and armor to any forces the two
dwarves might be able to raise. The exiled dwarves, having seen
what damages Thar and Psa'gh did in the Northern Reaches, believe
the goblinoids would make the perfect army.
Normally, Duric would never even talk to a non-dwarf, let
alone a goblinoid, but Bifia has convinced him it is necessary
for them to regain their throne. Bifia is still the one who does
most of the talking to Thar and Psa'gh. Of course, the dwarves
plan to throw the goblinoids out of Rockhome after they win the
war. Needless to say, Thar and Psa'gh are also plotting on how
to eliminate the dwarves once the fighting is over.
The Modrigswerg however, couldn't care less. As long as all
the dwarves of Rockhome are killed, whoever rules the area is
irrelevant. Supporting the mad Duric and Bifia with weapons is
the least they can do to repay the Rockhome dwarves for exiling
them centuries ago. Except for the desire of revenge, they're
content with their new homes deep beneath the mountains of the
Northern Reaches.
Location: Near Polakatsikes, Meghala Kimata Plains, Davania.
JC
Location: Glantri. OW
First, they deal with an issue that the ambassadors of the
Five Shires and Karameikos have been continuously bringing up for
the past year. The Parliament declares that it will never turnover
Ludwig von Hendriks to their custody (up until this point, they
have been debating, but never agreeing; now it's confirmed) for
trial against the people of those nations.
Next, they set about discovering which nobles have been killed
during the battles and promote new ones to replace them. General
elections take place to see who will get the positions.
Prince Jaggar is now back to full health, but he is still
missing his right arm. He refuses to allow priests and their
Immortals restore it for him. Contrary to what most expected,
Jaggar declares the war over and states that he has no intention
of invading Ethengar to wipe them out.
Lan-Syn, Jherek's widow, is named as Jherek's successor in
Krondahar. She is also promoted to High Master of Dream Magic by
the secret craft in the Great School of Magic. (See Fy. 16, Fy.
20; Sv. 6, Sv. 25.)
Location: Faraway, Verdan, Esterhold Peninsula. AS
Via scrolls of communication King Doriath tells the Alfheim
refugees currently in Wendar and Karameikos that they can start
coming back to Canolbarth in small groups. Mages able to help
Jorodrin Feadiel in healing the forest are especially needed.
(See Fy. 3; Am. 1)
Location: Near Polakatsikes, Meghala Kimata Plains, Davania.
JC
Location: Polakatsikes, Meghala Kimata Plains, Davania. JC
Location: Shireton, Five Shires. OW
The winning nations at the World Games are up to individual
DMs.
Location: Abbashan, Ylaruam. OW
As for the Thyatians, they're extremely happy about the turn
of events as they couldn't have distracted Ylaruam better
themselves. Still, Eusebius augments the number of soldiers
along the border, both to prevent retaliatory Ylari raids and to
stop any fiends from crossing the border.
Location: Near Polakatsikes, Meghala Kimata Plains, Davania.
JC
The Knights lost only 13 men. Those who escaped will tell
tales of the battle, and the town's morale will no doubt falter.
The blockade will also cut off the town's food supply, while the
Knights are free to hunt and otherwise obtain food as they wish.
PEACE TALKS