Gnashtooth and Harkan Permanently Slain
Years ago, Ashbans learned of a prophecy involving the
gnolls which apparently brought them to Ashbury.
The Gnoll Prophecy apparently referred to an ancient
weapon that had been used by a great gnoll leader named Gnashtooth to fight
against the sarr who had enslaved his people. The weapon had been magically
destroyed and its pieces hidden in Icenia, far from the sarr lands.
The Curse of Galanthia then took Icenia, and nothing
more was heard of the weapon until the Curse was lifted upon Ashbury’s
arrival on Tar-Navarria. Soon thereafter, a gnoll claiming to be Gnashtooth
reborn started sending his gnolls to Ashbury to seek out the pieces of the
weapon.
For the past four years or so, Ashbans have uncovered
pieces and hid them from the gnolls. And then, a few months ago, it all ended.
The prophecy said that there was no way to defeat
Gnashtooth except through a magical song which “no one could sing.”
Although papers had been found years ago with gnoll writing that claimed to be
the song, the sages of Ashbury could not translate anything, saying that it all
came out gibberish. And even if it could be translated, no one could sing it
anyway.
The local gorbe, upon recently
discovering that the song was in the possession of Ashbans who had not shared
it with them, were able to obtain a copy. Tinagra, Parduc, and Dar Lep in particular were quite
angry at being left out of the loop over something vital to their people.
With the aid of a dark elf named Morai, they began to
crack the translation of the song. Upon doing so, they realize that while the
prophecy was easily discernable once you understood the gnoll alphabet, the
song was “gibberish” because it was completely in the gnoll’s
own language of grunts and howls.
While this translation was taking place, BazHoq, a
gorbe bard of mixed parentage, was visiting Ashbury from Darclag in
Junjeq. Upon learning of the song, he informed the gorbe that he knew the
melody but had never known the words. He taught the melody to Natialia the
gypsy, who also passed it on to Bran the crow-man.
Late that same night, a gorbe named Zsla Nikklag came
to town and rallied the adventurers of Ashbury. He offered the Ashbans the
glory and honor of attacking the gnoll Harken Irontail and his minions, to
recover the piece of the weapon he was guarding. (As many Ashban adventurers
are aware, in the “alternative future” where Galanthia ruled
Ashbury, and where gnolls were citizens and gorbe were “monsters,”
Harkan had been named Sheriff of Ashbury.)
Harkan had a piece of the weapon that he had purchased
at an auction a few years ago. Luigi and Cedric, among others, had traveled to
the auction via Pentathos’ Map but had been unable to outbid Harkan for
the artifact.
Months later, the gorbe Lord Kuwo of the Three
Kingdoms parlayed with Harkan to get the item but only convinced him not to
turn it over to Gnashtooth.
After being led by Zsla to the cave where Harken was
hiding, a brief skirmish began. During the fight, Harkan was destroyed, largely
through the efforts of the gorbe Ikmoqs accompanied by the many Dragon’s
Breaths of Cedric.
As the assembled Ashban adventurers investigated the
cave and congratulated themselves for destroying Harken Irontail, Gnash-tooth
marched up with his army. He was coming to recover the weapon piece from
Harken, and was surprised to find the adventurers in his place. Gnashtooth
immediately saw and magically recalled the weapon piece to himself
and ordered his army to advance.
Bran, realizing he was the only person there who knew the
melody to the magical song, took out a parchment and began chanting the magical
lyrics. He stood and sang the song as the battle raged around him, not
distracted by any of it. If he had failed, misspoken, or been killed, the
consequences could have been dire.
As the adventurers engaged the gnolls, a small group
stood in defense of Bran to ensure the song would be complete successfully. The
song seemed to have no affect on Gnashtooth until others joined in. It was a song
that no one could sing, but apparently more than one would
work.
Upon the completion of the song, the magical weapons
Gnashtooth wielded vanished, and he appeared to weaken. After a long,
fierce battle, where countless gnolls were slain, Gnashtooth was finally
dropped with a mighty blow by Parduc and killed on the field. This only
appeared to enrage the remaining gnolls, who increased their attack.
Dame Glorianna meanwhile had snuck behind gnoll lines
with Derek Dreamweaver, Redcloud and Gilwing, and led the retreat after
Gnashtooth and Harkan’s permanent deaths.
Gnashtooth’s body was dismembered and his heart
consumed by Tinagra, Parduc, and Ikmoqs.
Order
Elementals “Unmake” The One, Bring Gift for Biata
During the Annual Tournament, a grey skinned humorless
being suddenly appeared on the field, interrupting the annual revelry. He
introduced himself as Currier, a messenger from the Method Assembly – the
ruling body of the Order Elementals.
He read aloud this proclamation, and left a copy of it
to be distributed.
Mortal Races, most especially the Getragen,
By authority of the Methodic Assembly, the Arbiter
Constabulary Gendarme has sentenced the Order elemental known as Tendentious to
Re-Creation. His mind has been completely cleansed, all vestiges of his personality
and memory have been eradicated, and his spiritual energies have been separated
into their component parts, to be reused to birth new elementals.
This sentence has been carried out in full.
It is with our deepest apologies for
Tendentious’ unauthorized involvement in mortal conflicts that we present
you this token. This token was assembled by
Tendentious prior to his re-creation and is of rituals and components taken
from Fortanis to be used by his Plane Touched to slay biata. We understand that
the Mortal Races now face similar forces so it is our hope that this token be
used to maintain balance – to that effect, we have introduced a flaw into
it rendering it only useable by biata.
The Methodic Assembly hereby resumes its
non-interference, non-involvement stance in the development of Mortal Races.
Arbiter Constabulary Gendarme.
The token was seen wielded throughout the following
few days by Lord Jonothan Dragonhart and Ducal Soldier “Iggy” and
in such capable hands it is thought that it will be a perfect weapon to use
against the Dominion in the up coming war.
It seems that the threat of “The One” has
completely passed, thanks in no small part to the heroic efforts of the Ashban
adventurers and nobles.
Curse of Lempur
Lifted
For more than three centuries, the people of Lempur
have lived with the curse wrought upon them by the fey Glantri. Families were
ravaged, and the land uninhabitable. Their misfortune followed wherever they
went, and the mere sight of their fleshless hands has caused the people of
Lempur to suffer not only from the curse, but the disgust of their fellow man.
The adventurers of Ashbury were exposed to the curse
at Halloween of 603 when Air Raksa picked up a dagger which was linked to the
curse. But they became even more keenly aware of the curse upon the Lempur
people when an adventurer known as Daedric and his companion Cora came to our
fair city.
Then, in the last few years, Ashbury city was plagued
by strange occurrences. Things were further complicated by the involvement of
Sylva, who offered time and time again to assist in lifting his brother’s
curse. Daedric and others refused to trust the fey.
However, ultimately, the adventurers accepted
Sylva’s assistance, with the caveat that nobody but Daedric be harmed.
They were told that they would need fey marks from Seelie, Unseelie and Wild
fey. It took the adventurers some time to acquire these, and several
volunteered to be marked for the cause, including Lyle, Morgan, Redcloud, Lira,
Analia, Ket and Parduc.
Finally the last mark was obtained. This difficulty
would pale in comparison to the battle ahead.
Meanwhile, in the last few months, Daedric traveled
the countryside searching for other displaced Lempur refugees. Just before the
tournament, they formed an encampment outside of the city to reduce the chance
of misfortune befalling people staying in the city for the tournament. Not long
after the tournament was concluded, Sylva appeared, ready to perform the
ritual.
The ritual to lift the curse had to be performed in
the fey realm. To get there the adventurers had to travel through a gauntlet of
wil o’ wisps, which thinned the ranks of the town considerably as they
dominated adventurers and lured them off the path.
After that the adventurers had to battle through the
portal to reach the point where the ritual could be performed.
The fight was long and arduous, and at several points
Cora and Daedric were calling for a retreat, particularly when people
resurrected. But the town would not see those lives lost in vain.
Finally, after hours of battle, Sylva was approached
and asked if he could rift the people needed for the ritual to the required
spot. Naturally, his cocky response of “Of course I can. I can do
anything” was aggravating to say the least, but in the end he rifted
Daedric and the fey marked adventurers to the necessary location.
The ritual began when Sparticous, the new wielder of
the Lempur Dagger, ran Daedric through with the accursed weapon. The strange
ritual caused the dissipation of Daedric’s body.
When the adventurers returned from the fey realm, the
remaining Lempur refugees outside of Ashbury city began to return,
seemingly cured.
However, unlike the adventurers who resurrected in the
battle, Daedric’s spirit did not appear in the Earth circle. As of this
writing, he is still unaccounted for.
Garuda Permanently
Dies
“Garuda
- I will always love you. Untill my last breath I will fight the Dominion
until I bring back the sun.... for you. – Glori”
Known
only as Garuda, the champion and Hero of Nordenn, beloved adopted son to
Ashbury has met his permanent death fighting the Dominion. His loyalty,
favor and service to his Barony, Duchy and Kingdom will never be
forgotten.
Posthumously
honored as the Tournament Champion and member of the Order of the Silver
Gryphon, Garuda’s valor and heroism will forever be imprinted in our
hearts and spirits.
His
Grace gave the following statement:
To
all,
Let
it be known that we have lost a brave and valiant warrior. The esteemed high ogre Garuda was of unreproachable
character and remarkable courage. His
spirit now dwells with his proud ancestors.
Let him hold an honored place in the hearts of all who had the privilege
to have known him and let his honor and deeds serve as an example for all those
he protected as a defender of the good and right.
Garuda
has been named the Duchess’s Champion of the Ducal Tournament of
606. He has also been named to the Order
of the Silver Gryphon, the highest ducal accolade attainable.
Do
not mourn his death; celebrate the righteous path that was his life.
In
Remembrance,
Duke
Frost
A
drawing of Garuda that was entered into the Tournament by Nordenn
After many years of placing second or third, the
This year saw a large number of teams participating,
which added to the thrill of the competition. A late entry by FOIL (Free Our
contamInated Land), a pro-amani group, caused some difficulties along the way, angering Duke
Frost at points with their blatant disrespect for Baron Rorii of the Ash
Forest.
The competition began as usual with Colors, and, as
usual, the
The
The Team Combat competition was next, with the
This competition brought grumblings from the
Healer’s Guild who objected to the fact that padded weapons were no
longer being used. Despite teams all contributing healing potions, the Guild
had to delve into its own stockpile to make sure all combatants were healed.
His Grace later compensated the Guild for their donations.
The Hunt list was handed out next, and teams spent the
better part of that day and the next attempting to find all the items on the
list (if they could first figure out what the items were.)
The next competition was the Spellcaster’s
Entertainment was next. First place went to the
Third place went to the Cove who did a funny song
about a moose that had everyone singing along, and fourth went to the Untiring
Phalanx with their skit about “Old Sparticous.”
Nordenn did a tribute to their fallen team member
Garuda, who had died the night before.
They had pretty much lost interest in the Tournament after that, and
never really put much of an effort into any of the following competitions.
FOIL bored everyone to tears with their anger-filled
speeches about how the
Riddles came next, and went on for some time.
“The problem is that there are only so many good riddles out there I can
use,” said Sir Eros, host of the Tournament. “And teams who have
participated for years after a while get to know them all.” This was won
by the
At the end of the Riddles Competition, the
The Race was exciting but the judges differed over
whether the
The Archery competition was handily won by
Jo’Quinn of the Untiring Phalanx, who beat the previous record in the
Archery competition set by Mithglin years earlier. Redcloud of the Black Forest
placed second, followed by Ket of No Code, Mithglin of the
The Hero’s
A fight between Baron Rorii of the
Other competitors included Tinagra of The Cove,
Malakai of No Code and Telos of FOIL.
At the end of the Hero’s
There were some humorous and talented entries, with
Nordenn winning a Hunt entry for “The Best Portrait” for a drawing
of Garuda.
For the traditional “Best Top Ten List” a
number of humorous entries were given. The winner was the alchemist group The
Cove’s “Top Ten Reasons the Cove is Bright Orange” which
included “Gryphon landing control” and “What better way to
represent alchemy than to look like gas globes?”
No Code’s “Top Ten Reasons Why No Code is
Not Winning The Tournament” included “A gnoll ate our Top Ten
List” and “Most of the team died of old age during Baron Rorii and
Gilwing’s battle.”
The
In the end, the
Sir Eros has since announced that there will be even
more changes to the Tournament in the future. “Riddles will be replaced
by a trivia competition,” he stated, “although we are still working
out how to do that. Most importantly, we will be holding the Team Tournaments
only in even numbered years, and in odd numbered years, we will hold a new
Tournament for individuals.”
He went on to explain that the new Individual
Tournament will consist of a number of competitions and participants do not
have to enter every one. There will be prizes for each competition and then an
overall prize to anyone who competes in a number of them.
“We will also have separate categories for certain
competitions,” Sir Eros elaborated. “This way, a novice fighter
would not have to compete against Sparticous.”
There will probably still be archery, race, and entertainment
competitions, but other ideas are still being debated. “Chess?
Arm wrestling? Trap disarming? Anyone with ideas may
contact me,” he said.
Necromancer Steals
Pets!
A suspected member of the necromantic organization
known as the Brotherhood had been reported in the outskirts of Ashbury. The
necromancer was seen stealing dogs and making them into undead abominations by
the use of some type of ingested substance.
A local family’s dog had been attacked and
murdered in April. A member of the family named Abby came to Ashbury to seek
help for her “sick” dog. The dog appeared to be dead and had parts
of it falling off.
Abby reported that a strange man had been seen feeding
something to her dog before he got sick. Aven, Shenk, Dikembe, Katyreena,
Man-at-arms Alduin, Town Guard Kimbiri went to investigate, but could not find
the strange man.
A month later, a young boy from the aforementioned
family returned to Ashbury. He had seen the strange man and had followed him to
a shack.
Aven assembled a group consisting of Squire Raven and
Zephrin of the Court of Norden, Man-at-arms Lokegon, Town Guard Daedric, and
Cora.
The group went to investigate and found the
necromancer in a Circle of Power. He admitted to stealing the local pets in
order to perform his foul experiments. He then ordered his undead abominations
to attack.
The group successfully destroyed the undead but was
unable to capture the necromancer.
Citizens are asked to report to the Town Guard any
sightings of a human male who appears to be skulking about, stealing local pets
and/or feeding unknown substances to them. If your pets appear to be sick and
have pieces falling off them, please kill them immediately and report to the
Town Guard.
Ducal Ball a
Success
Alchemical lights twinkled in splendor between swaths
of red and white tapestries which draped from the ceiling. A beautiful
buffet spread of the finest foods and wines were prepared in an artistic
display. And Squire Trevor stood at the top of the stairs with roses to
give to every lady at the ball.
The minstrels played light festive music and the giant
gyphon statue made by Lauroc Der Wyvernhaus stood at the head table.
The guests arrived all in their finery and everyone
milled about in pleasant company. Indeed, the first Ducal Ball was a great
success.
A fundraising auction took place early on, with Glorianna
passing master of ceremonies duties over to Lauroc. Lauroc in turn
auctioned off many handsome men for the Ducal men at
arms for charity to feed the orphans. Man At Arms
Lokegon went for 4 gold, Jo’Quinn went for 2 gold, Ignatius went for 2.5
gold, and Baron Rorii for 4 gold.
Other prominent guests who attended included Sir Eros,
Sir Harrison, Sir Padryn, Squire Koshi,
Lady Darlassia (soon to be Dame), Squire Raven, Squire Trevor, and
Guildmistress Zaterina.
Dame Glorianna Wyndancer then strode out and began a
ritual to summon the spirit of her fallen champion Garuda, who had died the day
before in battle against the Dominion.
By the time the auction had ended, Garuda’s
spirit was there, a bit confused, as he was
heard to call out “Are you all dead, too?”
The evening was then in full swing and people danced
and mingled. The Duke squired Ulthoc Warcry and Baron Rorii knighted Lady
Darlassia. A toast was sung to all and more festivities ensued.
When the night wore on and after that parties began,
and the last remaining few listened to a tribute song to Garuda before his
spirit returned to his rest.
Decision to Free The One Continues to Cause Controversy
The decision to free The One has continued to cause debates
around the duchy. Royal Seneschal Dame Sonia responded to the letters sent to
His Majesties and sent this missive:
People of Ashbury,
On the eve of your tournament I spent a good amount of
time speaking with nobles and commoners alike regarding the decision to release
the dominion. My thanks to Squire Koshinara Murakami for his
assistance in scribing the information. I have presented and discussed
the statements gathered with their majesties.
The decision presented to His Grace and the assembled
nobles was not an easy choice by any means. They had to decide the fate of
thousands of people, and were only given a few hours to come to a conclusion.
Their choices were these: bind Tendentious and allow the Plane Touched to grow
stronger, and continue killing thousands or unbind him so that the Arbiter
could do justice upon him, thereby releasing five civilizations of biata (who
call themselves Getragen) one of whom was a powerful and evil entity: the
Dominion.
I was challenged with the task of determining whether
or not this decision was against the guidelines of the Code of Chivalry. I
shall detail the tenants which were alleged to have been broken:
“Thou shalt respect the weak and constitute
thyself defender of them.”
At all times members of the peerage are obligated to
protect those unable to protect themselves. Not only were the victims of the
plane-touched considered here, but also the four civilizations of Getragen who
were too weak to fight the Dominion and who chose to imprison themselves to contain
them. Their sacrifice was admirable. Now we are strong enough to allow them
their freedom and destroy the evil they fought so hard to contain. Some
went as far as to compare this situation to the sacrifice of Dame Natasha
to Amora Dun. As with the Getragen, there was no other choice at that time. If
there were a way to save Dame Natasha and fight the legions of evil trapped
within Amora Dun with her, it might be considered.
“Thou shalt never lie and thou shalt remain
faithful to thy word”
Several commoners alleged that some of the nobles
abstained from the decision, as they did not agree with it. In truth, some
nobles questioned admitted that they would have liked to abstain, as it
was a horrible choice to be made. In the end there was no vote, but a consensus.
One cannot abstain from voting when no actual vote takes place.
“Thou shalt scrupulously perform thy noble
duties be they not contrary to the laws of the land”
One of a noble’s duties is to ensure that
justice is done. The Dominion will be defeated just as was Glenrake. They will
be held accountable for their abominable practices.
“Thou shalt not recoil before thine
enemy.”
In this decision, Ashbury had the chance to eliminate
not one, but two evils. We shall not fear the enemy which is caged. Nor shall
we flee from a foe simply because they use magic most foul. We shall meet it
head on and serve it justice.
“Thou shalt make war upon evil without
cessation”
Imprisoning evil is not defeating evil. It is delaying
the inevitable. When war was declared upon Glenrake, there was no cry of
dissent. Nay; noble and commoner alike took up sword and spell and valiantly
fought against evil. Why should this differ?
“Thou shalt be everywhere and always the
champion of the right and the good against injustice and evil.”
In all things we are the servants and protectors of
good. Should we have merely bound Tendentious, and risk his escape again?
Should we have left the Dominion to their slumber, only for them to awake and
destroy Icenia generations from now? Nay. I would not
lay in my bed, an old woman watching my grandchildren die at the hands of the
Dominion, knowing that in my youth I had the chance to destroy them.
I do not envy the decision that was forced upon Duke Frost
and his nobles. Nor do I envy their position now. The decision was made with
the best of intentions; to uphold the Code and protect the land and the
people.
Know that King Gareth ap Moire, Queen Sidraste Deannan
and the Kingdom of Icenia support Duke Frost and the duchy of
Ashbury to the fullest, and will lend any and all aid necessary in
defeating the Dominion. And know in your hearts that the right path is rarely
the easy path.
In Service,
Dame Sonia Forthiatis
Lord Jonathan also wrote a missive:
While many journeyed to the capital to partake
of the festivities of the Ducal Tournament, a crucial decision made by His
Grace Duke Sir Frost Vardik and his Noble Council has weighed heavy on the
conscience of many concerned citizens. Many try to imagine the very nature of
the conversation that had happened to bring about such a decision. It was
a decision that shall weigh heavy for time to come and shall clearly be
recorded in history as a time of great turmoil.
His Grace and his council came to a wise
decision by ordering the death sentence of Tendentious (commonly called
"the One"). Law demands no prejudice unlike the murderous genocide of
the One that cost many citizens, soldiers of our realm, and our own beloved
Duchess Dhara their lives. This set of circumstances is controversial
because any decision that may release necromancy into the world should be given
great thought but the situation is not as black and white as most believe.
We should be cautious not to give into
zealotry. When we focus on one particular evil we find ourselves blinded to the
many more evils we could have easily avoided. Four goodly countries were
imprisoned to keep one from harming the lands and people of the past. Their
ideals lead them to their decision of great sacrifice and so where do our
ideals lead us to today.
Many of you know we have no remorse in seeing
the full extant of Icenian law thrown at an unrepentant necromancer. More over
we would make many people who commit other vile atrocious acts submit to what
is the will of the right and good as defined by the Code of Chivalry. The
Icenian ideal of nobility does not focus its efforts on what is right and good
based upon just one evil. It is our duty to draw our swords and focus the might
of our will against any and all evils. We cannot simply just pick and choose
the evil which seems popular for the day.
Now with that said let us look at the evils.
On one side we have a being of unimaginable power committing mass genocide. We
all knew this must end and we have no contention on this point. The
disagreement truly begins with the decision to allow four goodly imprisoned
Biata cultures to be released with one evil culture that was known to use
rampant necromancy, instead of bottling these societies in their prison along with
the One for the foreseeable future but knowing that he will be more powerful if
and when they are released.
The Code of Chivalry is not a document that
one digests piecemeal. For those that think the Code of Chivalry states that we
should imprison them, it does not. When one interprets the Code to take every
tenant into account it guides us to find what the correction action is. One
most look at this thusly:
What are our noble duties here?
What are the ideals of our country that we
love that drive us to do so?
How are we being generous to the people in
this situation?
Who are the weak we must defend?
What is the truth in our actions or inactions?
How will we make war against this evil?
What makes us the champion of the right and
good against this injustice and evil?
How do we not recoil from this?
What was decided in this situation must have
all these questions applied. Many feel that the Code of Chivalry are immutable
statements to live life by but what people do not realize is that the Code of
Chivalry is a living statement that
gives us these questions that we must ask ourselves everyday and in every
situation.
Evil placed on a shelf is not evil defeated.
It is left in suspended animation still there, still ever hovering on the loom
of break. It festers and it always has the potential to be released. The
imprisoning of an evil over the destroying of an evil should always be the last
resort made in desperation.
We must also realize that with this
imprisoning was the increase in power of the Ones minions. Would it be
reasonable to think they would just wait until their master was released or
that they will be defeatable once he is freed?
Some state that it would have been more
judicious to wait and prepare for inevitable release of this evil. How many of
us have seen what the possibility of the future might look like in 10 years
when we do not act now? How many can say
with all honesty you know that we will be more prepared in the future then we
are now. One individual gave me this response when asked “How do you know
your race will be here when that time comes?” His answer to this was
“My race is mighty and will still be around.” How odd it sounded
that this individual considered his race mighty but was willing to put off the
conflict.
I, Lord Jonothan Dragonheart Vardik, stand
beside His Grace and beside the decision of his council. We should not leave it to our
children to fight an evil we could have defeated now. We are a strong nation
ourselves, we have many new allies, and we can defeat these villains as they
are now. We should leave a legacy of peace to our children, not evil societies
lying dormant. Our hope is that from our example they will have strength enough
to defeat Icenia’s future enemies when their time comes.
One Sword to
Keep Others in Their Sheathes
Servant and
Lord of the
In Service to
Duke Sir Frost Vardik
Seneschal to
the Court of Blythedale
Lord Jonothan
Lornlyn Dragonheart Vardik
Dwarrenagor to War!
The
Dwarves of Dwarenagor showed their stalwart resolution to not sit quietly in
response to an institution of learning that was attacked late last month just
after the Dominion was released. They sent delegations to all of Icenia
announcing that they plan to go to war against the Dominion.
A
Flamefist messenger named Conner Rubyfist (who was heard to loudly complain
that a brief stop in a Lempur camp robbed him of his beard color) came to town
and requested permission to read a proclamation and nail it to a tree
(proverbially). His Grace stopped the festivities of the Tournament to allow
the good dwarf to speak:
Citizens
of and visitors to the great nation of Icenia, friends of the Dwarves of
Dwarenagor:
We
have been the recipient of an unwarranted, unprovoked, and deadly attack from
the nation of biata that have risen from the Plains of Rage calling themselves “The Dominion.” They have attacked
our largest shared library, carrying off books of lore and historians vital to
the continuation of our rich history.
The
Clans will not stand idly by while they sit back and pillage our history and
mock our honor in this undignified attack. Unified in our goal of retribution
and eradication of the Dominion, three clans have joined in the war effort. The
Flamefists, the Steelbeards, and the Blackaxes have all pledged their
clan’s blood, sweat, and honor to this task.
Be
ye descended of any of these noble and honorable clans; it is your family duty
to return home and join your brethren in preparation of war. Cover yourself in
the best dwarven crafted plate you can, carry your family’s honor on your
shield crest, and bear up the axe or hammer of your own good name. The time of
peace is over.
Prepare
for battle.
Prepare
for victory!
Flamefist,
Steelbeard, and Blackaxe clans
A
round of applause and a cheer greeted the dwarf as he finished his
proclamation. Dwarenagor has asked for no aid in this endeavor, but dwarves are
notoriously proud creatures and aren’t wont to ask for aid for anything.
Corner of
Chivalry: Examining Some of the Tenets
of the Code
Sir Ivan’s renewal of his “Corner of
Chivalry” has apparently encouraged others to discuss the tenets as well.
Below are three submissions to this issue’s Corner.
The Sixth Tenet
by Sir Ivan Drake
“Thou Shalt Never Lie and Thou Shalt Remain
Faithful to Thy Word”
The first part of the sixth tenet of the Code of
Chivalry (“Thou Shalt Never Lie”) seems about as straightforward as
you can get. Yet there are those who would bend this seemingly rock-solid
verbiage.
“Well, it’s okay to lie to undead,”
they might say. It is? Then is it okay to lie to a necromancer?
What about a slaver? Any evildoer? What
about someone who’s not really evil, but perhaps not really good? And who
decides who is evil and who is not? Where do we draw the line?
Another issue is with interpretations that believe
it’s acceptable to bypass the tenet on a
“technicality.” For example, a knight is asked if Duke Frost
is in the tavern and the knight nods his head, knowing full well that the Duke
is somewhere else. “I didn’t actually say he was
there,” the knight protests when confronted.
What about not telling the complete truth? If it is
permissible to lie by omission, then it is also acceptable for a merchant to
sell a barrel of apples in which fresh apples are placed atop old, rotten ones
at the bottom? The purchaser complains and the farmer replies, “I
told you it was a barrel of apples. You didn’t ask if there were any
rotten ones.”
Clearly, that is wrong.
Sir Eros Clearbrook’s treatise on the Code of
Chivalry puts it best. “There is no room in this tenet ... for
loopholes,” he writes.
Let us remember this: a lie, by definition, is a
deception. Therefore, intent to deceive is a lie, no matter how you look
at it.
I implore all citizens of Ashbury: Hold yourself to
the highest standards of truthfulness and be known for your honesty.
The First and Last Tenets
by Guard Daedric Kregst’yan
“Thou shalt respect the weak and thou shalt
constitute thyself the defender of them.”
Recently, I read Lord Ivan Drake’s commentary on
this subject. It described one facet of the truth that needed to be addressed.
There is one more that I believe must be stressed.
The weak are everywhere. There are those people, who
by choice or by circumstance, have not the means to
defend themselves. They are just as important to society as the adventuring
heroes, as they perform the menial tasks of our feudal society.
There are entities that cannot defend themselves. These may be forces of nature that need our
protection against those who would abuse them. I often hear the elves speak of
the defense of the forest. This too, is defending the weak.
There are adventurers who are stronger than many, but
perhaps less capable of defending themselves than some of their peers. They too,
deserve protection, but not at the expense of the completely helpless. These
so-called ‘weaker’ adventurers have made a conscious choice to
pursue a life of danger. They have, by virtue of this choice, become the
enforcers of the concept, rather than the beneficiary of its designs.
That being said, there are those out there who need
and deserve our protection. Perhaps they were at one time able to defend
themselves, but have been oppressed by a more powerful enemy. Perhaps they once
prospered, but now have nothing but a desire to survive. Perhaps they are your
friends and family, who could be crushed by evil if we do nothing to defend
them.
“Thou shalt be everywhere and always the
champion of the right and the good against injustice and evil.”
This is often the tenet of the Code by which all other
tenets are measured. When in doubt, this final tenet provides a guiding light
to those who doubt. We often second-guess our actions with pertinence to the
Code.
Too frequently, we debate over the semantics of what
means what. Everywhere and always provides us with the reminder that no matter
what we are doing, it should always be done on the side of righteousness, and
in defiance of evil.
Sometimes, there are situations that are deemed to be
of less import than others. Peers can forget that, though a cause may seem less
urgent, that does not make it less important.
Any cause, which stands in the defense of the good, is a worthy one.
Just because it does not offer the same potential reward of defeating a powerful
foe of the land, does not mean that one should not pursue a thief who has
stolen from a poor commoner. The next time you question whether or not an
action is required, refer to this tenet. It may be the difference between
action and non-action.
Remember that the commoner you help today may give
rise to the hero of tomorrow.
The Second Tenet
by Man At Arms Lokegon Whiteearth
“Thou shalt love the country to which thou hath
sworn fealty.”
Depending on where you live in Icenia, it is often
common to see soldiers in the colors of their land signifying their previously
sworn obligation to defend it to the best of their mortal ability. The nobility
and their vassals are often given much publicity for their efforts and it is
common opinion that those of us in colors would lay down our lives for serving
the King Gareth ap Moire and the Queen Sidraste
Deeannan and all those in their nation. These are the oaths that we make.
The battle to protect Icenia is not won purely by the
effort of the nobility and their vassals, however. To guard Icenia it requires
the strength of many citizens to keep our country from the grasp of evil.
All sorts of civilized races have taken up arms to
defend our land because they too love it as much as our nobility. And these
people are heroes and should be recognized and respected as such because they
love our country too.
Protection and defense are not the only elements
to loving one’s country. The Healer’s Guild (and many independent
healers) are dedicated to healing the injured and sick
of spirit and body. Many ask for little compensation; for most, a simple thank
you will suffice. Their contributions help heal not only the mortal races but
the life energy of Fortannis itself. They love the country too.
And people have come from all over Fortannis to join
in this love and they are our brothers and sisters. Their love is strong indeed
because many have lost everything to come here, many have had to leave friend
and family behind and many have come here to escape death by the very same people
they formerly called kinsmen. These people will forever be part of our family
and are never again foreigners. Welcome home.
The life blood of our country is in the unsung heroes
of Icenia: our carpenters, lumberjacks, bakers, cobblers, engineers, merchants,
barkeeps, jewelers, brewers, weaponsmiths, chefs, farmers, gardeners, bankers,
armorsmiths, trackers, butchers, tailors, metal refiners, shepherds, hunters,
fishers, miners, bailiffs, chancellors, masons, exchequers, diplomats, millers,
glassblowers, trappers, tanners, vintners, launderers, magistrates, watchmen,
sheriffs, alchemists, scrollmakers, heralds, musicians, librarians, toymakers,
potionmakers, ritualists, fletchers, sages, trapmakers, bards, artists and many
more. Without their tireless efforts we would have nothing to eat, no clothes
to wear, no arms to protect ourselves, no place safe to sleep and nothing to
lift our spirits. Their dedication is in everything that we do and it is few of
the fine craftsmen who would turn their head away from someone who is in true
need. It’s one of the things that makes me proud
to serve Icenia: the love we all have for our country and how we all serve her
in our own way.
Our common love of our country is a bond that no
ritual can penetrate and no army can ravage or destroy.
Love the
King and the Queen, love your country and country men, and together the Spirit
of this nation will exist beyond our individual existence.
Ducal Proclamations
To All Citizens and Visitors to Ashbury and Icenia,
Recently in written proclamation I stated,
“Those who bowed to me in feigned respect to merely satisfy their own
ends, those who were fair weather friends and those that were always truly
enemies but hidden behind masks of civility and propriety, they shall surely
attempt to make this an opportunity to slander and libel my name and my
honor.”
This in no way should be misinterpreted to mean that
it is now okay to disregard the laws of Ashbury and Icenia and not take knee to
a noble of the lands. Respect and
civility shall be shown to the rank and station of all Ashbury and Icenian
nobles. Failure to do so will result in
a fine of no less than two gold. If you
do not kneel to a noble because you are unaware of them or their station, it is
at that noble’s discretion whether to fine you or not.
Belligerence towards any noble shall be no less than a
fine of 15 gold and quickly increase to more severe penalties.
Disagreeing with the actions of a recognized noble of
these lands does not give you the latitude to disregard protocol and the
law. You shall not be fined or otherwise
punished for your opinions; but disrespect, disobedience and outright
belligerence will not be tolerated. If
you cannot maintain the level of respect and decorum intrinsic to a civilized
society, you may find yourself removed from these lands.
This is my will,
Duke Sir Frost Vardik
Let it be known:
Ulthoc, proud Vansir of the Sheep Tribe has been named
Squire of Ashbury. He shall be
officially under the tutelage of Lady Knight Glorianna of Nordenn.
Lady Daralassia Fairseer has been named knight of the
Lord Ivan Drake has been named knight of Blythedale
and shall henceforward be known as Sir Ivan Drake. In addition, his official duties shall
include the overseeing of the squires of Ashbury. He shall not replace their individual lieges,
but shall be responsible for the organization and administration of additional
testing and training of the squires.
The Paladin Sir Harrison Ryatt has appointed the Amani
Elf Tamiel as the Sheriff of both Dockside and
The
Paladin will keep his duty as High Sheriff, overseeing the sheriffs in all
estates throughout the duchy. Sir Harrison will be resuming his military
duties.
News From Around
Tar’Navarria
Zalinarik’s Keep: Much activity has been seen in this
estate recently, with Amani Rangers and Apprentices of Zalanarik moving in and
out of the estate in great numbers. The Rangers and Apprentices have also been
seen traveling to The Wold in greater numbers than usual.
Lempur: Cargo laden barges
have been seen sailing south from Galanthia into Lempur. Caravans guarded by Swords of Lore have also
seen. The Galanthians have been sending
large amounts of food, water and building materials to the newly uncursed
Lempurs. There have even been unconfirmed rumors that the vampire calling
herself Empress Arienne I has been seen in Lempur overseeing these activities
and helping to care for the people of Lempur.
Galanthia: A large army of Galanthian Swords of Lore led by the
vampire known as General Lochaber has moved north into the Plains of Range and
Sage’s Guild
Report
by Guildmaster Cedric Fruvous
I am pleased to announce the promotion of Lauroc
DerWyvrenhaus to the rank of Guildsman. He recently completed and donated a
treatise on the language of the Lizard people. Given the
treaty between Ashbury and the lizard people of Mishrak this can only aid in
communication between with their people.
Our current active roster consists of the following
individuals:
Head Elder Sage Cedric Fruvous, Guildmaster
Sage Aria
Guildsman Cuar Hyanda
Guildsman Lauroc DerWyvrenhaus
Apprentice Ivan Drake
I would like to apologize to those who sought to
petition the Guild for membership and were denied. Know that it was only time
that prevented this, and I hope that you will seek us out when next you are in
Ashbury so that we can discuss an apprenticeship.
Anyone who seeks to join the guild may speak with myself or, in my absence, Sage Aria.
In closing I wish to make an announcement. My opinions
about the decision of Ashbury’s leaders to release the Dominion has been
well known and well publicized. I make no apologies for my words, and it is not
my intent to step away from the stance I have taken. Know that the policy of
the Sage’s Guild is, at current, to maintain neutrality in this debate
and to continue to amass lore and knowledge so that we may better help the
people of Ashbury and defeat the horrors of the world. I urge the sages under
my tutelage to come to their own conclusions on the matter, but as Guild we
shall not take a position at this time, and will simply prepare for the long
fight ahead to the best of our ability.
In addition to research and library services the
Sage’s Guild offers sale of armor, weapons, potions and alchemy as
supplies allow, rental of our spell or alchemy books for study, teaching on
nearly any topic, and Celestial spellcrafting. At current we have two scrolls
that can be rented for spellcrafting, Warder Glyph and Spirit Store. If you
wish to have other rituals spellcrafted you will have to provide the scroll.
Letters
People of Ashbury,
I am proud to announce the Baronial Court of
Blythedale has been formed. I am also proud to announce the knighting of Sir
Ivan Drake into the Barony of Blythedale. Sir Ivan has served the barony
previously under former Baron Thomas “Tristan” Grey and was a
member of the noble Paladins. I am
pleased to have him back within Blythedale.
The members of the court are:
Baron Indorian
Silverleaf
Sir Ivan Drake
Lord Jonothan
Dragonhart Vardik (Seneschal)
Lord Daniel
Grimsby
Squire Jocelyn
Fairfax
Man at Arms
Lokegon Whiteearth
Kerrigwen
Mellite
These six men and women have shown their
dedication and commitment to not only the Code of Chivalry, but to all of the peoples
of Ashbury and Iciena. May we continue
to serve for many years to come.
In Service,
Baron Indorian
Silverleaf of Blythedale
. . .
People of Ashbury,
A number of people have congratulated me on
becoming a Squire; I’m sure still more will. Before that
happens, I wanted to speak on this.
You do not congratulate someone for learning
to read a single letter, or taking the first few paces of a
I am no more or no less the Man of Duty I
was three days ago, saving that I have accepted to make the safety and
prosperity of every man and woman in the Duchy and perhaps the Kingdom a
personal responsibility. And even in this, there is little change, for it
is much as I have done these many years since leaving the Reclaim and traveling
to the capital city in the final days of the Reign of Duke Aramis.
I am no more or less a Man of my Word than I
was three days ago. I have lived The Code for three
years, and lived one much the same before that. As a smith and
craftsman, I have always stood by what I’ve done, strived to be truthful
and the best I could in all things, and stood by my acts.
I am no more or less a Man of Service than I have
been during my time on the Court of Nordenn, or the years guarding members of
the Healer’s Guild before that. I was raised to be a man I am by my
Father, and by Armsmaster Skolin, both of whom served as men of action under
Thorheim. The Honor of Fathers is sometimes visited on their Sons.
Congratulate me not for accepting the
responsibility to try to help, defend, and lead my fellow Citizens. There
is nothing more in this than realizing what must be done, and trying to do it-
something the Heroes of Ashbury have always done and will hopefully continue to
do. We all help the Duchy and the Kingdom in the way we feel we best can.
In choosing this path I deserve no more congratulations than the Guardsmen who
patrol the night streets, the men-at-arms who fight and die every day keeping
monsters from our doors, and the healers who see to the ill and injured. Perhaps even less so, for they do these things without glory,
without mention, and without special belts to set them apart.
May the Sons and Daughters of Vardik guide us,
Squire Ulthoc,
Warrior of Sheep Tribe
. . .
To all of Ashbury,
It has been four years since last I had an
opportunity to venture to your lands. Much changed during that time. The
members of the nobility, the active adventuring companies, and by the stars,
many who I expected to see were not there. I was glad to see however that your
honor and resolve has not diminished. I left this gathering, proud to know that
Ashbury continues to be a stalwart defender of the Light.
I would like to take this opportunity to
address many whom I was particularly impressed by during this Tournament
Gathering. First to Warlord Sparticus, rarely have I seen such honor displayed
by any individual as I witnessed by you during this year's Hero’s
To the group known as No Code, I think a more
appropriate name would be A Code of Your Own, for you displayed your own brand
of chivalry this gathering. I plan on visiting the lands of Moria during the
next time her forces gather, in the hopes of visiting Lord Knight
Aldric’s resting place, and I look forward to seeing you there.
To the members of the
To the Barony of Nordenn, I offer
congratulations to the raising of Ulthoc to the position of Squire. I know that
the peerage will benefit from his nobility when he is finally made a knight;
also I offer my condolences at the loss of goodman
Garuda. Though the only time I had with him was during an artifact recovery
mission to the Abysmal Gorge, I could see right away the kind of person he was.
He will be sorely missed during our struggles with all of Ashbury’s
enemies!
To the Court of the
Finally to His Grace Duke Sir Frost, when last
I was in Ashbury it was during the Reign of Duke Aramis Llyrr. He was much
loved by the people, and left you with mighty large boots to fill. After
watching you, I see that any fears I may have had about your abilities to lead
Ashbury were groundless. I see that King Gareth and Queen Sidraste chose well
in appointing you as Duke of Ashbury. I look forward to many long years of your
Reign.
To any I may have overlooked I do not wish you
to take it as insult, know that I was proud to be at your side this gathering,
and I look forward to spending many more years fighting at your side!
In Eternal Service to the Light
Galdor
Windblade
. . .
People of Ashbury,
It is a time of peril across the land. A great
evil has been unleashed, and left unchecked it could plunge all the world into
darkness as such have never been seen. There have been calls to arms made;
there have been cries for unity. These cries have not gone unheard.
For generations our Order has worked in secret
to hunt down necromancers, but the times are changing, and our numbers have
grown small. No longer is it sufficient to take down necromancers one at a
time; they have become as the heads of hydra: remove one
and two will take its place.
With this in mind, the Order of the Scarlet
Dawn is rededicating itself and taking its fight public. We will no longer
exist as a clandestine organization working from within the shadows, but will
stand proudly in the light. With this change comes the realization that we must
swell our numbers, thus we are reaching out to all communities where those
individuals and groups may be found; those who would wield sword and spell in
the name of Justice; those who would stand together to cut out the heart of
evil.
Every land has a military force. Every land
has nobility of one form or another. The Order both recognizes and respects the
roles these institutions take in the protection of the people, and it is an
important role indeed. However, the leaders of the land, and their armies, they
can act as no more than a shield to protect the people from evil. Theirs is
a world of compromise and negotiations; filled with the difficult choices of
deciding which evil is more tolerable.
The Order of the Scarlet Dawn is bound by no such
constraints. We are free to act not as a shield to defend against evil, but as
the sword to cut it down where it stands. We are not a position to be held, we
have no political ties to bind us. We are an organization edicated to an idea.
The will is everything. If you make yourself more than just a man, if you
devote yourself to an ideal, you become something else entirely. More than an
individual;
you become part of something stronger than the sum of its parts. A single
breath may disturb a flower, but a hurricane gale may uproot forests. A single
tear may blot a letter, a river may topple mountains. A person may be silenced;
a people may topple nations.
Any individuals interested in learning more
about the Order, or who wish to file a petition to establish a Chapter House
may send correspondence to the Master of Novitiates in the Dream Realm by
private messenger.
In coming to Icenia, we have examined your
laws and customs. It is as homage to your Code of Chivalry that the
resurrection of the Order has adopted a new shibboleth:
Everywhere and Always...
Master of
Novitiates
Order of the
Scarlet Dawn
A Little Birdie Told Me
by Sue D’Onym
Huzzah! Lots
of News They Don’t Want You To Know in this
issue, and it’s all thanks to you. Remember, I can’t be everywhere
so I need your contributions!
One of the biggest surprises of the last few months is
that Gilwing was not the first name listed on the Healers Guild’s
“Wall of Shame.” In fact,
Gilwing not only provided the idea, but also the material for a fund raiser in
support of the freed Children of Camulus. He’s got to be happy though, as
he finally has a team that won the Tournament after so many years.
Two years ago when Mithglin of the
Glorianna sure seemed to take the death of Garuda personally,
perhaps a little too personally? It seems the lady knight was in
love with her champion and only had the guts to tell him after he was dead.
Freeing the Dominion has certainly given me a lot of
juicy scuttlebutt to talk about. Sources tell me that Cedric got into a
screaming match with Baron Indorian over the matter, and apparently the
sage called his Excellency some major Amani insult. Baron Indorian fined Cedric
but Lauroc immediately pulled out his coin purse and paid the fine.
I’ve heard that just a few days later Cedric was seen leaving Ashbury
without his trademark purple robes and carrying only his bow and a few books.
Lord Gwindor of the Amani Council traveled to
Ashbury to talk with the elves about the Dominion, but they held a secret meeting.
Only elves were invited to attend so I don’t know what was said, but I
would have loved to have been a fly on that wall!
Scarn certainly made a big stink by refusing to bow to the Duke.
I’m told that eventually the elf gave into wisdom and bowed, but that he
did it in the most disrespectful way possible. Making the Duke mad is probably
not the smartest thing one can do. Later, Scarn was seen talking with the FOIL
tournament team a great length, so I’m sure lots of people aren’t
thrilled with him.
The Ducal Ball was certainly a huge event! Sir Padrin
was seen putting away a lot of wine. Of course he’s Voltan so most people
probably never noticed, but is that proper bearing for a knight? Sir Eros
arrived with Guildmistress Zatarina, but they didn’t dance (at
least not in public).
His Grace Duke Frost had the first dance at the
ball, and it went to the young mystic wood elf Aven. She seems to be
spending quite a bit of time with His Grace lately. Other partners of His Grace
included Dame Daralasia, the young elf Jadathalia and the biata Gwendara.
And while we’re on the subject of ducal balls, Man-at-arms Ignatious
Vex seemed to quite enjoy the fudge mead provided by Darkan the
mystic wood elf. Ignatious might be in
trouble if it wasn’t for the fact that the Duke is the one who handed him
the glass.
The big news at the ball was the romance between Baron
Indorian and Kerrigwen as the Baron asked Kerrigwen to marry him. This
comes as no surprise; considering the two of them never leave each
other’s side. Supposedly they have asked Dame Glorianna, Dame Darlassia,
and the Romani Natalia to help out with their wedding festivities. The
next morning however, Kerrigwen was spotted speaking in the tavern quietly with
Simon. Oh well, she is a mystic wood elf after all.
The Barony of Blythedale has expanded as well. During the tournament, Baron Indorian was
able to recruit Lord Jonathan, Lord Daniel, Lokegon, and
Kerrigwen all into his Court. With Sir Ivan
also on the court, it almost looks like one of the previous Baronial
Courts. I wonder if his Excellency will
be changing Graystone to Silverstone to go along with his name? (I have also heard that these same people would have
gladly formed a Blythedale tournament team had the Baron responded to their
inquiries earlier and not waited until the actual Tournament weekend itself to
talk to them.)
During the battle for Lempur, after seeing very little
progress made and seeing the belongings of dead adventurers being carried back,
Daedric implored his fellow adventurers to pull back and retreat. His
companions, however, helped strengthen his resolve as he prepared to take the
final steps to save his people. Apparently, even people so committed have
moments of weakness.
Lord Xander and Lady Taryn of Home
(though not hoblings) were once again visited by the ubiquitous Lord Faust
and one of his friends. It is said much
giggling was heard from the building full of mystic wood elves until early in
the morning. What are they up to? Oh, never mind.
Well, that’s all for this issue. Keep those
cards and letters coming and remember:
If you can’t say something nice about someone, come sit by me.
Public Notices
SUPPORT F.O.I.L.! The
RITUALS CAST for a reasonable fee. Spellcrafting available. Half of all
proceeds donating to the Healers Guild. All rituals and
spellcrafting must be coordinated in advance. Seek Lady Knight Glorianna
Wyndancer.
LOOKING FOR JOURNEYMAN SMITH to help run
Smithy for me in Dara’s Grace. In return you will receive fair wage and
instruction. Seek me out with the Court of Nordenn. Squire Ulthoc
THE BARONY OF BLYTHEDALE is looking to
purchase and trade for all sorts of items.
Please contact any member of the
NO CODE is seeking new adventures to join their
ranks. If interested please contact Malachi, Analia, Thermosis or anyone with
the white circle within the triangle, by messenger or in persona.
REWARD for information about criminals in
Ashbury. Completely confidential. Reward based on the
value of the information. Seek the Sheriff or Town Guard.
RITUALS CAST for a moderate fee. Seek Lady
Knight Glorianna Wyndancer. Vast experience in creation of
Artifact quality items. Confidentiality kept. References
available upon request. Available for spellcrafting: Damage Aura, Render
Indestructable, Spirit
Recall, Warder Glyph. Must make arrangements for all ritual
magics in advance.