Archon's Curse [Pathfinder Kingmaker]

[Imperator Pax]

Vernal Equinox 4715
There was soft rustling of golden wings as hopped around to the king's other shoulder. Jaethal regard the canary with appropriate caution. It had not been something that had been discussed with the council... though she had via circumspect inquiry did recognize that Iomedae had had a gold dragon companion, and though less common than silvers there were gold dragons who considered themselves a part of the faith to which Eire himself counted himself apart. It had not been readily discussed with the council the circumstances of Ilthuliak's demise... no one had questioned the severed head of the black wyrm.

The severed head which Amvarean had presented to be seen by all visiting eastern chief tans. The Iobarians of Casmarron were long separated from their living cousins in the lands of the linnorm kings... but Casmarron was home to many dragons Metallic and Chromatic alike, and thus the tribes and clans were quick to pay heed to the death of the Witch.

Given that the Tiger Lords had already been fighting for Pitax, and also Drelev that had been the correct decision. Armag was a capable fighter, Jaethal wasn't so arrogant to ignore that detail, but when given the option the defeat of a black wyrm had decisively lead to favoring the kingdom. Ilthuliak's demise stabilized the southern marshes as well. There had been a slew of after effects to contend with... much work for her and her bureau .Just as she was sure that it had created work for Valerie as Chancellor of the realm.

"We will have to speak with Kanerah shortly." Eire remarked

His tone though suggested what he was actually saying was to tell him now what she had forewarned Valerie about. The truth was Lamashtu was not an uncommon cult in Brevoy, she was one of the more... 'popular' she supposed was the word .... and Lamashtu was a goddess not a demon lord and thus not quite the same issue as worshipping or offering sacrifices to certain other powers, which Eire acknowledged. "The Church of Sheyln has vouched for a cult of Nocticula, the cult of the redeemer queen."

Eire blew out a breath of hot air, so warm it came as a cloud of steam. For a moment Jaethal considered what she might do in Eire's position... but she'd never been put in this position she imagined. "And why?" The red headed man asked, "Would Sheyln want that?" She almost considered telling him he should ask Sheyln herself... the gods listened when Eire spoke... which was vexing at times. That was nothing new, and perhaps asking the Azlanti goddess might well provide them an explanation.... or saddle them with some expanded chore. Jaethal though had no explanation as to why the Azlanti goddess might want that. When it was clear she had no answer Eire shook his head, "We will deal with this later, you were right telling Valerie, I don't know what to make of this," He replied, "And for the moment we have more immediate issues. "

Eire surveyed the expanse, throngs of men. His objective was not changed by this news, or by forefather's arrival and visit. The Church of Sheyln and of Nocticula that was more problematic... the lady in shadow was a demon lord and though Eire would not profess to be an expert on the politics of the Abyss it created an issue given that cosmological divide.

The Tigers confederation of tribes would divide. That was a given. He had expected that in the wake of Armag's defeat in single combat... where some following tribes would slough off in expectation of better prospects. The more important divide, at least for now, was not those tribes who would pursue employment abroad. It was about the ones remaining in the northern river kingdoms and adjacent or within his own de jure borders. There was a division there to consider as well, the split between Armag's coalition aimed at sedentary reform, tribal chieftains and clerical conservatives and the mercenary confederation.

The last of which was the easiest to address though for Eire. He would need them to secure his western border, and possibly depending on other conditions his eastern one in order to secure the caravan routes that crossed the great steppe to the Padishah Empire. Securing that would mean another revenue stream for his realm to action, and he needed the caravans because he lacked the resources to support expanding construction of airships.

He didn't have the manpower to crew ships, or the volume of spell casters to support a professional navy as he envisioned it... and truth was from what understood of the geography, of the geology of Numeria his western border the Branthelds in particular might provide him the reserves of coal and iron he needed for still other projects. So his western border need to be secured... which also meant he needed to stabilize the internal divisions.

Eire moved with purpose to address the assembled, for he and Armag he met in a duel even if if it had not started under the open sky, had concluded there. And that Eire held Gorum's largest and most important Holy Site arguably in all of Avistan, word would spread of that, would reach the Gorumite clergy in Belkezen amongst the Orcs. Something to prepare for. The gathered were unlikely to care much for his discourses on economics, of how he would regulate how cities and settlements could charge taxes... there was no point in discussing such things.


What mattered to the warrior chiefs, and lesser petty kings Eire knew to be the prowess. That was the point of this feast to outline that he had commitments. "There is one other thing," Jaethal remarked keeping in lockstep as the approached the central hearth.

He turned, "Yes?"

"There is an option I believe for a western strongpoint," What she actually meant was a religious site to anchor the kingdom's forces... a church or temple. "It belonged to Cayden Cailean, but was abandoned probably for the same reasons as the Temple of the Rose nearer still to us." Cayden Cailen was hardly an unknown deity but certainly not one that the royal institutions actively supported the church of.

"Thank you," He replied. A temple, or in this case an abbey though was something, "I will consider it before I speak with Armag." Or for that matter Dugath, or Gwart or the other clerics of Gorum Kellid or not. A giant blew a great horn as he signaled to the stone giant druid he was prepared to address those assembled. After the blast a gathering of warriors voiced their support for his abilities, by listing accomplishments of arms... including killing the wyrm ilthuliak. Jaethal did not join him remaining in the throng of supporters, overshadowed by giants. Vordakai remained aloof from such barbarians proceedings, an aloofness that some paladins emulated, while others cheered the king as defender of the faith... even the ones who belonged to other churches, like those knights of Ragathiel, or those armingers of the Godclaw. The cheers were all but deafening as it built to its crescendo.

 

[Trek]

You have such endurance in writing, even if its slow I expect one day this story will reach a ending unlike countless others who go on hiatus.

 

[Imperator Pax]

Pharast 4715
The rain come down in sheets off of the eaves of the palace high above the lake. The noise a drone in the distance as the academic spoke. The Maestro was animated, but unfortunately for the majority of the council it was such a dry academic discourse on history that they had lost interest. Personally Eire was interested in Golarion's history... and if he were right it was aboust 1920 on Earth. Osirion had risen to prominence thirty five hundred ish years before the Arodenite calendar. Aroden had uplifted Taldor, raised the starstone four millenium nearly five before the present day...which suggested though it was just a hypothesis... that Osirion's gods had been active here first, before reaching Earth.

... but that was not the subject of this discourse. Merely that Osirion's gods were old. That it was 1920on Earth, that World War 1 was over... there was nothing that Eire could about that, only that he understood that there were ways to access Earth, and also that humans, and elves for that matter, and he had to presume still yet other races were spread across the stars. Some of those humans he also understood with regards to neighboring Numeria and its rain of stars were such that they had become spacefaring... they had a technology beyond the earth that was and the Earth he remembered, and whose books he carried with him when he had come to Golarion. He was not trying to catch up to Earth as it was now. The Earth of 1920. "You believe our mission to Osirion will be fruitful."

It had been a rhetorical question, "I do your majesty." The maestro replied, "The textiles are of goodly quality and more impressively is the profit they provide." Pendrod was one of the few in his realm's close knit council who readily expressed an interest in the statistocs and book keeping that his printing presses recorded.

It was those records which were unusual for a kingdom to keep. Cheliax kept records, had printing presses, legions of scribes but not publicly accessible. Spring was upon the realm, and with the thaw there much that needed to be done. "And what is your opinion of the Numerian issue?"

"The Black Sovereign may face a challenge to his power," The first wave, the first large splinter of tribes had crossed into Numeria before the actual gathering on the solstice. Eire had accepted their leaving with some degree of relief. Several thousand kellids moving into Numeria removed from his realm a substantial portion of the coalition Armag had assembled and more importantly the ones most likely to cause trouble. "If Kevoth-kul had not been so torporous of late I would be less concerned," Pendrod remarked leaning forward to stroke his chin, before stopping to toy with his pipe in further contemplation... "on the other hand the Black Sovereign's allies in the technic league will probably act against the tribes."

There were still other tribes in the confederation. The Black Gars had been the next to leave, moving south west and sailing down the river network. Their removal was also a relief, but they had been only a small portion of outer confederation. Far more kellids were now decamping, unfortunately some of those would likely go south, and find patronage from Pitax,and its petty king... Eire was resolved to that reality even though he disliked it.

Just as he resolved himself to all other challenges he would face this year. That had been the message he had given at mass. That was he supposed because there was no legislative tradition among the people. Codifying written and fixed laws reduced the arbitraryness of government. He had townsfolk, but little in the way or rural gentry, not like Brevoy had nor communities of long established small hold farmers which he might otherwise have preferred.

There were advantages to writing the laws, or borrowing heavily from the Earth that he remembered. He written out the frame work for limited liability corporations, and established a central bank, but they were less important less impactful directly to the people in the countryside. Centralized agriculture on baronial, then royal farms provided most of the crops of the realm by virtue of heavy draft horse pulled plows and rotating crops. Such rotations provided fodder through the winter, which supported much larger herds of livestock.

That was a demonstration of wealth to kellids, Iobarians, and the people of Southern Avistan, or of Kelish, or Osirion stock. The mechanism though was less clear because of its systematic approach to reaching that carrying capacity. In a sense the textile revolution wasn't much different. He had consolidated weaving, even though he needed to import cotton from Osirion to support his mills, and that allowed an economy of scale. Enough cloth goods to clothe his population and export the denim to Osirion another places.

Money that flowed into coffers. That was where Pendrod came in. Eire needed a professional bureaucracy, and in order to train that he needed a school, a university to instill a baccalaureate education. Eire had already resolved that as important as his army was likely to be, priority was not to emulate the states by establishing a west point equivalent to train engineers. Not at the time, not right now. "Two years ago," As he looked up at the clock tower which were found in all of his cities to tell time throughout the day, but the one here marked time in the flying island was a black obelisk with a green face luminescent jade. "I envisioned more for Shrikewall, a university of great potential. I have given much thought to that over the past year, there will be two Universities."

"Two your majesty?"

It wasn't an Oxbridge idea, but, "Yes, one here, and another at Wintersun for while the realm needs those seminaries, it will require more than that. I will need wizards Pendrod," He agreed with Vordakai on that, "And I will need alchemists, perhaps more than you can know, but I will need men of letters more than most kingdoms. Trade is not a zero sum game Maestro, but it grows as a kingdom, as a town grows." Eire turned and walked around as the magical swirling sands that formed a map of his realm quieted becoming still. The latest change of note was the sky palace, the islands above his capital... but Jaethal had told him of the Church of Sheyln and their drow guest... so he suspected he would have to look for the underdark to be added. Something he would have to consult Vordakai about... perhaps it would prove best to simply construct a separate layer. The dwarves had dug up from the under dark in their quest for the sky long ago, the Orcs had also emerged around that time. "I will need men who can read and write, I intend to build a kingdom where education is compulsory. It will take time, Pendrod, but I will have a literate society."

The sand illuminated bathing the model of the capital plaza had caught Pendrod's eye. "Your majesty?"

Eire turned his head at the rippling black and white energy taking on a vaguely feminine form though one whose height outstripped his own. This was not the first time Nethys's herald had visited after all, "Auferon has visited." The outsider remarked in what passed for conversational.

"He has." Eire answered aware as the Arcanotheign paid no mind to the Maestro, "I mean to have Shaoyu resolve this." Though he had decided upon that course relatively recently... but the threat of the soul eaters was one he had not been expecting. At least of the sense of having to deal with it now, and the truth was he needed Amvarean and Vordakai on his eastern border. Besides, Shaoyu would be in the company of clerics ofthe Faith, and this would be a good outing for the warriors of his Inquisition.

The truth though was Eire expected this was a plot within a plot, and that was why an organization had to exist to shoulder the tasks that he could not address directly. It was about diversification of the resources available to the realm to resolve problems. It was about building a support apparatus to insure his government could answer crisis.

 

[Imperator Pax]

Pharast 4715
Valerie considered all the documents before here. All of them were documents printed up by a machine, to be recorded for posterity and reviewed whenever it became necessary. The timber born, the beaver folk, were working feverishly as it was their efforts went further this year in controlling the spring thaw but also to the labor of putting the flow of water to greater 'mechanical advantage'.

The king envisioned a realm which was linked by metal, and stone roads to reach where waterways alone could not. Some thought this allegorical, some presumed it a vision of what Axis must have looked like, inspired by the plane of Law. Arsinoe, the senior cleric of Abadar, had said as much.

Eire had spoken of such things before, of the necessity of good roads, and safe roads. She had consideredthat they had been making goodly progress. The realm grew. After ilthuliak had been slain the sky island had formed above the capital... and its presence drew more people in from the frontier...but not from Brevoy.

The ancient cyclopean lich made a good point, leaving aside any rumors of the flying ships constructed around the mana plants of the first world that Eire carefully tended, the seers, and shamans of the myriad races inhabit anting Iobarian might well have had visions of the sky island forming. Even if the island wasn't the driving factor, if they were drawn by the favor theking enjoyed from holding the ear of the gods, Iobarians coming east could from the steppe see the sky island in the far distance.

Valerie recognized that the kingdom had shielded Brevoy, unknowing as her homeland, oblivious to it as they seemed. Armag would have assembled a much larger confederation if he had been able to pull together the steppe lords, and even with just a small fraction of his confederation had been able to range through southern rostland's fertile plains. Ilthuliak's demise though had caused the horse lords to pause, even as Issia and Rostland's great names vied in the game of thrones and argued among each other turning increasingly insular away from the world outside. Valerie regarded the reports from the beaver folk, and their work in putting the waters to greater feats of engineering. Those were concerns, not Maestro Penrods obsession with tales of flying cities, which included writing instructions to the mission to Osirion, with the co signing of the Church of Nethys at Candlemere, to speak with Osirion's officials regarding some legendary flying tomb.

Her responsibilities were the here and now. It was spring for the year 4715 of the Arodenite calendar. There was no shortage of projects the realm was busy with. The beaver kin had settled the rich wetlands of the rivers and lakes, and in the shores and floodplains. Controlling that inundation meant being able to water crops of rice through dykes and levees... and from the ledgers a lucrative crop in terms how much could be cultivated. That was a detail made clear by the records kept by the kingdom.

The beavers would plant their crops in carefully irrigated paddies, and harvest in Rova and Lamashan like they had done this previous year. There would be grain, and corn to be harvested in thick rich black soil of the realm's eastern grasslands. It provided, or show she was informed, a protection against crop blight. It was a hedge against something that might stifle those who only grew one set of crop. It also insured there was plenty as the rotating fields of royal farms grew fodder for the herds of cattle, hogs and sheep.

Such efforts insured a steady flow of animals into the urban center at all times of the year. Those stockades kept all the social classes with an ample supply of meat at market. It was a statement of wealth... and it allowed the kingdom to feed its various denizens. Amiri had spoken of the appetites of giants, and how in the realm of the mammoth lords it was all but unheard of for a following to include anything but a handful of giants. For all the grumbling Erastil's brevic faithful would complain about how their grandfathers and their grandfathers had tilled long strips with the oxen, there was evidence presented in strong horses and deep cutting steel plows in even sided square fields.
--


Eire recognized that while he personally didn't need a heavy destrier that was not going to be true for the needs of the kingdom. He rode a horse with relative frequency, and he walked a great deal as did most of his realm, particularly the fighting portion of his population.

His textiles produced shoes, socks, and jeans designed to keep men in comfortable care in weather, and whether or not they were riding or marching. As spring set in, and the mud came his forces were beginning to assemble for what was intended to if necessary be an exertion of direct force into the southern brantheld to exert direct control over the remains of the White Rose Abbey.

He hoped that Jaethal was correct that the brewery that had been dedicated to Cayden Cailean would suffice for their purposes. If it didn't pan out that way, he would have to wait perhaps another month or two, and consecrate ground as a waypoint near the Brantheld mountains which would then serve as a frontier outpost for his airships as they made the flight across Northern Avistan to ferry supplies to Mendev, and the crusaders. That would serve a second function. It would shaves days off the return trip, allowing refugees from the shanty towns that sprawled around the crusader states great protected cities.

... if the Abbey sufficed it would be much quicker.

They would be able to settle the refugees when the ships returned from Mendev, and that would provide a seed population to people the countryside. This ride out would also allow the founding of permanent Tiger Lord settlements, and castle towns in the Glenebon. Those would in turn provide him the ability to secure his border with Numeria further west. The Tiger Lords, and the other Kellid tribes, spoke of mammoths, and smilodon and still other what he still thought of as prehistoric megafauna... that included apparently things he believed were descriptions of dinosaurs that were found more commonly as one entered 'Numeria proper'.

It was a detail to take note of, and it was something he would make better effort to document once he had erected the religious strongholds which anchor his ability to transport hither and to from his more established seats of power.

Eire raised hand in invoking gesture, and a curtain of divine flame wrapped around the gathered array of knights, and clergy. It lifted them away carrying them to Armag's tomb, and the greatest holy site of Gorum in Avistan. When had envisioned the matter of connecting the barony, it had been England ,and river boats, and ferries but Golarion was a world of magic, and of active gods and while travel by road was necessary it was not the only option. The aged tiger lord chief was waiting for them and nodded in greet. What remained of Armag's sundered confederation had divided into those last wings and followings which would remain within his borders. Dugath and his companion Gwart approached. The aged Tiger Lord nodded again, "You will have to host an all thing in the summer to speak law to the easterners," He remarked, referring to the Iobarians, "But Armag waits for you now."

 

[Imperator Pax]

You have such endurance in writing, even if its slow I expect one day this story will reach a ending unlike countless others who go on hiatus.

Click to shrink...

I actually have a sequel planned if we ever get through the first decade, with more Shyka, but as a story that will be less empire building as it does involve Shyka and portals and time shenanigans [Armag, Amiri adventuring other stuff]

I think right now the epilogue of this story is I think 4721 though I have events for the kingdom extending into the 4730s

 

[Imperator Pax]

Late Pharast 4715
They made their way along carefully laid granite sets of the roadway, a recent addition... one that had not been here when he had met Armag in the duel last year. It expanded upon the Tomb's many benefits. Armag's Tomb was located and well chosen for its ability to be support grazing stock, and the Tiger Lords would have no trouble establishing protected hill forts around the area, or in sewing grains like wheat and Barley here. The spring thaw had expanded the river but it was small in comparison to the likes of the Shrike.

It was however clear that between probably some kind of water conservancy work, and just the spring thaw the water was deeper. The Tiger Lords were expanding their presence here, and that also meant shrines if not full on temples to deities besides the Lord in Iron. Armag clearly had grand plans but Winter and the change in political conditions had effected putting such ideas into practice.

There were real questions about how Armag would pursue agriculture here. Whether he hewed closer to brevoy's communal plots of land, or followed an enclosed set of plots. Then, beyond that there was going to be how the land was worked, and what was planted. Rostland's broad largely flat fertile plains were a breadbasket to not just Brevoy ... the brevic economy was agricultural like most pre modern economies were. Its power structure medieval... the disappeared house of the king, of the 'dragonbloods' had left the Issian Suratovan dynasts in power on the tenuous connections of shared kinship to the Rogavarians.

Eire wondered how long that could maintain. He wasn't the only one The problem was the revolutionary change which had swept over the stolen lands. Armag's confederation being allowed to grow unchecked by the lack of a powerful northern monarchy would have effected the entire region if the Tiger Lords had been able to sway the horse lords of Iobaria. The population of the Kamelands was over a million now, a number that was difficult for a normal person to grasp... and that completely upended the idea that Rostland or Brevoy as a whole exerting pressure into the frontier. The mass movement of people over just the last two years changed the dynamics, and now with the tens of thousands of kellids who in settling either under Dugath a somewhat more conservative Tiger Lords principality, and Armag's followers who intended to push forward with a more radical view of constructing a new state. Most likely Armag would form the more northern state if they did settle along those lines... but even that was not settled as a question for age old questions of traditions sat open in the air.

So it was not just the ambitions of Issia or Rostlandic nobles... it was that for all intents and purposes after his Imperial core the tens of thousands of kellids were the second and third most populated regions of his realm... and they were well west of the Hooktongue county, or the Dunsward. Amvarean's suggestion was to balance matters by pushing east ward. It was a suggestion supported by Vordakai who wanted the realm to exert control over the ruins of cyclop's empire for which the various denizens of modern Iobaria had overrun or had left well enough alone.

It was the east that Eire had directed Minderhal's clergy next. That was in no small part their own preference as well, for it gave the stone giant clergy contiguous connection to the Kamelands populous urban centers. With few dwarves, far fewer than brevoy, the stone giants presented the best overland option... and they would take example from the road of shields.. and it was in the southern kamelands that Eire recognized the entrance to the underdark lay. A passage he meant to defend even he did not have dwarves aplenty in his realm ... and also that he wouldn't have been surprised if he needed to secure the road of shields from down below... and the shield castles were important examples of fixed fortifications and trade outposts.

Dugath, and Armag agreed that they should follow that example.

Eire settled into place at the round oak table a reminder that from the Kellid perspective he was first amongst equals... and indeed from Feudal perspective he was here to at least moderate the arguments between the two powerful chieftains.

The two members of Gorum's faith however disagreed on implementation of that example.

He accepted there were differences of opinions. Just as he recognized that part of that disagreement was he had not built the road of shields. Work to restore it had been labor intensive, and in the south had entailed asking trolls and kobolds, and then also the river giants and timber born to fulfill obligations of labor, and in the north efforts had focused on other contributions largely from immigrants more affiliated with churches friendly to Iomedae's own church.

That created problems. What was worse, was that Dugath and Armag's difference in opinion at least to Eire seemed to be slight. A matter of degrees, or perhaps tradition. Dugath wanted an approach of fortified camps, Armag wanted the same at least in broad strokes. For the more conservative Tiger Lord position it was that Dugath envisioned that these fortified camps would be the basis to raise and train a crown sponsored mercenary company, where as Armag while still agreeing viewed it necessary to focus on the broader territorial kingdom role.

Dugath shook his head. He had had the sides of his head shaved close, showing the sides of his skull with a flange of shock white, and gray hair combed over to one side. "Numeria has little trade with us, and trade with the northerners or the cheese mongers to the south is equally unproductive."

Eire wanted access to Numerian goods. It sounded like a fascinating land. An insane land of techno-savagery to be sure but Dugath was right there was little trade with Numeria... and the Brantheld mountains were a hurdle before one even considered Numeria's manifold perils and its rival tribes and it was that group... "It would be prudent," The aged chief declared to fortify the west, to withstand the wolf clan's efforts, and the black gars as well... there are others but the Ghost Wolves in the north will make a nuisance of themselves."

Armag didn't disagree. "We will build cities for our people Dugath. Our Lord in Iron wears a suit of protective armor, and wields every conceivable weapon forged from the ores of the earth. It is thus we must build cities to house great foundries to provide our warriors weapons aplenty."

Eire sat there as Dugath protested that attempt at a lecture. What followed was a rapid shift from Taldane into Hallit that Eire had a much harder time processing as the two chiefs attempted to use their religious grounding to argue their positions... for which if he were supposed to be brokering made his task harder.

Dugath pivoted abruptly, "RedHair," Which was the loose translation from Hallit, and actually had inclinations to the Kellid branch of Sarenrae's faith, "When you were a boy you rode horses, yes? You lived in a land of roads the kind you build now, yes?" They weren't questions so much as a rapid fire 'statements' phrased in ritual form as questions but more of 'this is the way for you, because it was the way of fathers and grandfathers'. "Our people range in the spring, under the open sky like tigers. We drive the herds from summer to winter camps so as not to overtax the land. What Armag would suggest is to simply ape the customs of one born far from our own. To do so would be foolish as it is not our way and we do not know it as one who grew to manhood with such lessons all around him."

"We Tiger Lords have journeyed far, from the roof of the world to the distant sea, For thousands upon thousands of years our people have both learned lessons and taught them wherever we have travelled. Such was it when I first lived, and such was it when you were a boy, such is it now in this life." Armag stated flatly, "It was from Others the tribe learned to forge Orvinbaane even though we already knew how to forge iron. It is by cities that we will forge much iron. Cities which will require changes to our herds, and to the way we conduct our camps."

Dugath gave a grumbling low growl. "You made promise that once that same sword had been recovered you would assist another in locating it."

Eire glanced to Armag. "Aye," Orvinbaane pulsed as he replied in the affirmative, "I made this promise, My word is my bond."Armag stated. "This will be honored, and such a search will require learned men, and those who practice magic beyond just that of clerics."

Eire realized now that part of Dugath's protest was that Armag had a much more academic, written magical society in mind for the future tiger lords. Not because he personally liked magic, or wizards, but that he saw it was a means to the task at hand. Armag still viewed the best way to handle laws as to speak traditions and refer back to them. People would hear the law spokenand have to commit such things to memory. It was still slightly more formalized than Dugath who simply wished to maintain the Tiger Lords traditions of having laws decided and arbitrated by councils of elders and chiefs with the consent of the clans at large.

 

[Stickypiston]

The Hungarians expy will settle

 

[Imperator Pax]

Gozran 4715
Eire ran a hand through his hair as he inhaled the morning air. Many tiger lords had joined them on the ride westward towards the mountains. The spring thaw had slackened somewhat, and would continue to do so even as the temperatures rose. Parts of his kingdom didn't receive much snow at all, enjoying drier winters. Not so for the expanse of northern grassland, where it had been snowy, and the shepherds had been busy making sure cattle, the heads not butchered ahead of winter's chill, had forage to eat... but now that spring was hear an ocean of wildflowers bloomed across the distances, and game and plenty returned.

This procession was more like, was perhaps the most feudal expression of his rule he could think as he moved across the steppe frontier. The Kamelands while not too dissimilar were divided by several rivers flowing into or through great lakes and had been easy to seed populations across. While he had made visits to Varnhold along the road and pass that had been built while both had been baronies... but the influx of so many from the Inner Sea had changed the demographics, and while rich black soil had been plowed with an increasing number of heavy iron plows it had prevented the kind of manorial agriculture that predominated both Brevoy or for that matter Cheliax or Taldor to the south.

West of the source of the siltstrand all of this was open country. Seventy so miles south west was the source of the Pitax River, which eventually met the Sellen. Further west and not early so southerly, was somewhere high Brantheld Mountains the source of the Whisper River that flowed through the Thousand Voices forest. At confluence of Whisper and Pitax, on the eastern shore was the imitatively named Littletown, which had been a source of consternation and disagreement between Pitax, Rostlandic merchant interests.

Brevoy had attempted to exercise hegemonic claims over the stolen lands, the northern river kingdoms before, but it had never been a well formulated or acted upon policy. Brevic institutions were undernourished and limited in scope... and there was the change of dynasty. Irovetti coming to power in Pitax had given the city state ambitions or delusions of grandeur to exercise territorial claims on more than just Little Town, and the Rushlight lake north of Pitax proper.

Had Irovetti been able to promise Armag plunder it was probable that Irovetti might have been able to lay claim and hold territorial swathes, but the Glenebon expanse was home to few towns, and only limitted agriculture, regardless of its ability to support that... but for the Tiger Lords, and for other Kellids this had been a stopping off point, a passage way either north or South.

All such details were his concern. He would have to have extensive maps drawn up. The border with Mivon was an easy matter to settle. Pitax with Irovetti's schemes and ambitions and with his actions against Jamandi and his agents stirring trouble that would be something to deal with.

Dugath observed from the cream-colored horse, a contrast to the dark mounts most others in his commitatus rode, that Cayden Cailean was a popular god with many. His observation was also a comment that it had not escaped the aged chieftan that he was hardly the normal company for the pantheon of the kingdom.

The Kellids did not actively mistrust Pharsma, but Armag did distrust her clergy. He had yet to elaborate on that, but it would not have surprised Eire that her clergy had their own secrets. He could recall the issue that the rogue half elf inquisitor had had with Jaethal, and Armag seemed suspicious of other Pharasmin plots.

On the other hand it was also possible this was just a case of mortal clergy assuming they knew better than anyone else. Pharsma, truth be told, while not as hands off as say Nethys did not seem particularly proactive to Eire either. Her clergy made many claims, and she enjoyed a great degree of popularity with Brevic common folk, but the rostlandic church of Pharasma had not impressed him even if it was true that some of their ranks had moved to defend the Free City against its siege. That was commendable, his own coreligionists agreed, in spirit at least but it had contributed only a little.

"Rebuilding the abbey will be a start."

It was just a starting point. The truth was he wasn't sure what all they would build. Dugath, and Armag were in agreement that they would raise temple fortresses dedicated to Gorum in the Glenebon. What might achieve some mix between castle town and religious center. The grasslands would provide farmland, timber from the Thousand Voices forest... and if they were lucky ore from the Branthlend mountains... if they were very luck there would be no passages to the under dark. Branthlend Peak was not as he understood it especially high, though higher than any of its neighbors... from what he understood it was only five or six thousand feet. Vordakai could not attest to whether or not the range had access, but the Tors had provided the ancient cyclops access to the kingdoms of the surface folk in the nearest portion of the underdark but the serpentfolk had been destroyed before the star stone had plunged from space and destroyed Azlant directly and most of the other ancient empires as consequence.

With an eye towards the western expanse, Eire mentally recognized that somewhere in the slough was the lowest point of his kingdom. A curious detail, a foot note insome book not yet written or the like... and frankly even then... in a world there was still a place below what did the lowest point on the surface mean given the existence of the under dark?

The under dark aside the Abbey and the mountain to which it was in proximity to formed a clean western border. Whether they built a trade road to reach into Numeria, well he was less concerned with that at this point, just that they could link the western frontier of his realm with at least Hooktongue...that would be a step in the right direction. Armag hoped to settle the most innovative, and committed of his lesser chiefs to his vision. Dugath intended to run his potentials through an evaluation of the most religious and distinguished. Each of these sub chiefs would be settled to establish their own in time at least fortified towns.

Eire wondered for the moment how things might have been different had Jamandi not assigned them the Narlmarches and Kamelands. Regardless of other failings Hannis Drelev had made a good choice on where he had raised his castle town. Armag's Tomb while farther away from the great lake was still close to the East Sellen and besides that sat in proximity to a number of lesser rivers that flowed into the Hooktongue. The western Glenebon however lacked any of the powerful concourses of nature that defined the Kamelands... but there was the possibility that the Branthlend mountains might hold more than gold and silver, iron and salt. It might provide him with coal and if that were the case then he could bind more the realm together with overland routes in a few more years... but if not he would build fortified blockhouses and lay down roads in between the rivers, and eventually supplant those roads with canals once the kingdom could handle such programs.

The first steps though were securing the frontier by mapping it, and insuring that the kingdom could project power into the frontier lands... and for that the remains of White Rose Abbey needed to be found and inspected.

 

[Imperator Pax]

Gozran 4715
Valerie had woken this morning with the clock bell tolling the morning hour, rose washed her face in the magical basin, and dressed. She had paid no mind to the view her window gave her, as through the glass a silver dragon was alight high above the capital. There were things that she had never considered getting used to, and yet, here they were and so she put such things aside in favor of her usual morning duties. With the King absent in the west a variety of duties fell to her as Chancellor and others were handled by their respective counselors. Some were near, some had also left the capital.

The new year brought still new things to the realm's administration. For all that the year was twelvemonths in Brevoy winter came and there was a breach in the activity. Eight months of work throughout the year eight months largely determined by farming and the needs of farming. A space in time where for most everything seemed to have little. Farmers tilled what they could, and taxes were collected from the manors, who in turn paid homage to still greater houses.

Things were very different in Narland to Brevoy. Part of that was the difference in persons who lived in towns, which Eire had observed. The king made comparisons to other, no doubt far distant lands as he planned his towns, and cities. In Brevoy Valerie wasn't even sure if one in ten persons lived in her homelands great towns. Very, very few of those towns had populations that consistently numbered several thousand.

That was, she expected perhaps why Eire had appointed the dragon to the post that he had. To oversee a compulsory education. The crown's printing presses churned out instructional primers intended to teach children from all social backgrounds how to read, and do arithmetic. Eire did not wish to copy a system of complex examinations for all students but between encouraging private study and funneling magically adept students to schools of rhetoric and broader studies he had expressed that it would widen the professional middle class bureaucracy that would make administration of the realm easier.

Within the great hall, dominated by the swirling magical sand that modelled the realm, Meiqi was involved in a conversation that Valerie was well used to. The Sky Dragon and a questing silver spoke of their respective churches, and their respective patron goddesses. The mutual good will that the two faiths shared and the influx of various adherents to the Queen of Heaven's faith meant that Shizuru church had been brought into the favored circle of the Royal Church alongside the likes of Ragethiel's own clergy. The difference though was Shizuru's church had Meiqi to take place as secretary of the department of education as it had been rendered into common Taldane.

It was perhaps ironic given how martial Shizuru and Iomedae's faith were the the king had chosen the Sky Dragon... but even Abadar's clergy admitted that neither they nor, Shelyn had a viable candidate better suited. Of possible candidates Brigh's church might have been the only potential contender as no clear candidate had emerged from Nethys's ranks, nor from that of the Osirion god Ptah's priests; certainly not with so many having journeyed to Osirion as part of the mission to that country.

The work was focused predominantly on the Kamelands, though it extended into the road of shields line of fortresses and Hereford. Valerie knew that Eire envisioned the system applying across his direct holdings, across the entire realm, but the system of compulsory education was only likely to be effectively run within the towns. Varnhold, the northern band of the greenbelt, the slough's expanse, never mind further west simply couldn't support it.

It was why she, Amvarean, and Meiqi were all here. Harrim and Tristian did not need to be. For all the involvement of various faiths in good favor with the crown this was not really a matter of doctrine or law as Valerie thought of it. Besides, the truth was Tristian was too occupied with the investigation of some chaos cult to some demon lord... though in truth Valerie had hoped to speak with him about Shelyn's church thinking, what were they thinking, when it came to vouching for a cult to Nocticula who was almost certainly involved in opposing the Mendevian Crusades. Shelyn's church had gone to great pains to try and curry favor with his Majesty so this move was almost absurd on its surface... and yet they claimed it was still the will of the goddess. That vexed her, both as a person, and also in her capacity as chancellor of the realm. It was all a balancing act, her former faith's actions infuriated her with how arrogant or just stupid the decision was, and also that right now the crown was dealing with much more. Eire had ridden west to insure that the Tiger Lords would no longer be a threat to the lands. It remained to be seen how effectively they would settle the westerlands, and what would develop, and still in the mean time there was the enfeefement of the Lake Hooktongue County, of the youngest Numesti daughter, and the consecration of churches there.

That occupied Harrim's attention because it meant balancing the Rostlandic congregation of Erastil,the Church of Milani to which the new Countess belonged, and her personal support for the Church of Calistria. All three enjoyed some degree of royal recognition, though if Valerie were to voice her opinion she doubted that the King personally cared for her homeland's branch of Old Deadeye's faith.... he seemed more predisposed to that of the stone giants. Then as if those questions weren't enough Hanspur's small faith had departed Pitax's repressions in some numbers, and had returned which required evaluation as well.

All of which further delayed the work Harrim had laying in front of him in the southern Slough which was to be formed into several smaller administrative units. Ilthuliak's demise meant reopening the passage of trade from Mivon up the East Sellen river, even with the Suratovan chain across the river on the border with Brevoy. It also meant stabilizing the small holds and realms of... well largely non humans. Bog striders, Boggards, and River giants to name a few. Harrgulka had attempted to subjugate the handful of trolls of the Slough though some resisted his claims but that was not so much a religious question. Harrgulka would have the benefit of Regongar and Amiri to support his efforts in preventing banditry as the season turned and the slough grew hot and humid as spring came in force.

Amvarean had as she sat pouring, brooding over the milieu of reports appeared. She had the appearance of a fine boned jewel eyed half elf woman dressed in sky blue finery that was still practical. In short she would have blended seamlessly at court. "Shelyn's church, and this cult of redeemer queen they vouch for seek entry in my domain and that of the Slough." She remarked amiably enough. "And I admit that her church is quick to speak of their goddess as ancient and benevolent." Valerie could imagine, Shelyn had been worshipped by ancient Azlant and while far removed the pre earthfall church the Brevic church she had grownup apart of was loathe to let any forget that storied history.

"The Godclaw does not approve?"

"I imagine not," Amvarean replied, "They swore to uphold the king's peace," And thus religious toleration within reason, "but they are wary. For nowthough I should expect the Cult of the Cleansed occupies much of their Ire," The dragoness remarked with a wry chuckle, "Shelyn's church will have to explain itself."

Shelyn's church though had had other recent successes. It was a popular church not just with immigrants intowns who hailed from the Inner Sea, but also had won some favorable attention from the immigrants from Irrisen who needed to adapt to arealm of more than just winter's grip.

--
Notes: This is mostly to touch on what other counselors are doing as we will see Shaoyu and the Twins later .


Also, as I mentioned previously Paizo seems to have decided to replace Gorum with Arazni for the sequel (which will not be any time soon so all of this is tentative) what I am currently considering is instead of Gorum dying its Pharasma with Arazni replacing her in the pantheon. I think that makes much more sense in terms of domains in terms of lore but that won't have any bearing on Archon's curse or its progression. Its only 4715 at present, and even if I keep War of Immortals timeline of the Godsrain in 4724 thats almost a decade inthe future in universe. The godsrain does nicely line up for Eire being cast through the portal by Shyka, and Shaoyu ascension to the throne in his absence but its not going to effect this story's course.

Again I personally didn't like War of Immortals as a lore book so I may just ignore it entirely, I think itdoes a lot of stupid shit. (As should be obvious by this story, Ilike Osirion having 'Egypt's' gods, and I think there is too muchLovecraft in normal pathfinder, I don't care about the Dark Tapestry)/personal rant.

So laconically if Arazni ascends to the core 20 she'll probably replace Pharasma not Gorum here and if that the case it will only matter in the sequel story.

 

[Imperator Pax]

Gozran 4715
The kellid entourage had diffusedslightly as they moved. It was a process of pitching permanent camps,or at least camps where they could begin searching for good sites forcattle and sheep. That
was one of the few things that Dugathand Armag had agreed to was to lead the transition from semi nomadic lifestyle to one of permanent towns, even though that would mean changes in the traditional chieftain roles.

They were in one such camp, the pastureland here had access to the Pitax River, whose source was probably a few more miles north. When they moved on from here the Tiger Lords would move further north. The Pitax River was not unlike the Narlmarches, though it lacked the more expansive woodlands that defined the Narlmarches. A few miles further west was the beginningof the Thousand Voices forest, and to the north were the Branthlend Mountains beyond which lay Numeria proper. In truth Eire was casting an eye south towards the town, and petty kingdom that took its name from the River. As spring wore on, and as their presence became more pronounced he would need to begin to post sentries.

The Tiger Lords spoke of a wyvern of immense size in the mountains; Minognos Ushad the eater of kings as it were. It was that topic which had over shadowed most other talk, such as the split remains of the tribal confederation that had moved south, as well as other local tribes who Armag had not succeeded in swaying to his cause at least at the time of discovering his tomb. Then of course there was also the mastodon riding hill giants who competed historically with the TIger Lords, who had the nearest competitor for talk at the table beyond the monstrous wyvern.

The arrival of one of the centaurs as a messenger was unexpected, but not particularly concerning per se. Portents, and prophecies had been the hallmark of ancient cyclopean civilization... and so too was it form the Nomen centaurs who sought from the heavens signs from Desna in her aspect called mother Moon by the horse folk.

It was a comparison that Vordakai was on the fence about especially since the Death of Aroden and that prophecy had been made so much more uncertain. Truthfully Eire wasn't entirely convinced that prophecy had been all that reliable before ,but he withheld that... it had to have some practical value at least in the times of Vordakai's mortal life given how central it had been with the wizard dominated magocracy that had stretched to his east.

Mother Moon spoke of a rising power or powers, the Aecora had not been certain, but the vision suggested that there were powers stirring in the west... and opportunities from those. Dugath crossed his arms, "What do you make of it?"

"An Elf Gate is what she describes," Which they had expected on to be somewhere in the west based on what they had pieced together from from the records of a kingdom that was long gone, "Beyond that," Beyond the location implying something was happening in Numeria, "Something is going on in Numeria." A conflict between Iron Gods who hadlaid sleeping since the rain of stars four thousand years before Aroden's calendar had begun. The problem was even with the rivers that did flow in the western Glenbon there was unlikely to be the same degree of brick construction in this part of the realm relative to the Narlmarches or the Kamelands. On the other hand it might be in his interested to following George Washington's example and order stick and post buildings to be erected to keep costs down since there was timber to harvest in order to construct royal administrative centers. Still Eire could hardly deny he had become somewhat accustomed to the red brick row houses that formed neat lines in his core towns... along with their clock towers and other features. He had earmarked in his notes that while quick and inexpensive those facilities should be only temporary at until the economy could support efforts to build more sturdy construction. "We will ride for the Abbey first," There was no denying having the Elf Gate in hand would be great... and raising a temple to Alseta there would further reinforce his hold on the region, but nothing Aecora's messenger could tell them pushed them from their current course.

Dugath was not finished, "And that it connects to this gate of Dreams?"

That was another matter. The Dreamgate either meant it connected to Alseta's ring in Isger, or ... if Mother moon's message was to believed it it connected to the gate in Ravounel on the Chelish coastline... which assuming Cheliax were willing to to tolerate that connection might further allow immigrants from Western Chelish lands to leave the realm of the Infernal House of Thrune. "There are two possibilities I can think of, both of which have the potential for long term implications... but any Aiudara that we hold will attract Kyonin's look."

Dugath familiar with his plans nodded, "You will raise a strong," what the Hallit word literally meant though used to also meant great, "temple to Alseta," It was not a question, and then being accustomed to how Eire thought and planned for such things, "Perhaps also to the Wise One," Yuelral,"In hopes of her support for your wizards, perhaps also the Bronze Lady."

"Perhaps," He replied.

Dugath nodded. In contrast to Armag the older Tiger Lord chieftan was more restrained. Dugath asked questions but made no attempt to rush into cosmopolitan urban solutions. The surrounding highlands that they were travelling through was sparsely populated, and there was little here for which the Kellids needed to actually contest by arms. If anything Dugath was quick to point out that if Armag had desired it, there were no effective competitors and he could have easily taken and held the potential Barony of the Iron Wraiths's charter and faced no likely resistance.

This would not have won him fame though, and that was likely why Armag had felt the need to allow lesser chieftains to mount forays into the Rostlandic plain culminating in the battle on the outskirts of the free city of Restov. Had those chieftains succeeded then Armag might have justified invading further north.

But they had not.

Restov had ultimately mounted a defense but not one that had proven decisive. Dugath was quick to point out that while it was a viable argument to other chiefs that they had been defeated by a powerful territorial kingdom that was not Brevoy, and also Dugath was quick to argue that a noteworthy portion of Narland's army was assembled of Iobarian kinsmen of the Kelllids who split their time between pasturelands, and migrated between significant towns and trade cities. This arrangement was not much different than that practiced by the Tiger Lords, or most Kellids as like on Earth it was an effective method of supporting a population.

Armag was quick to rebut that it had not escaped him that the complex agricultural program allowed the sustainment of the military force Eire had called upon to face the substantial confederation built around the Tiger Lords. That was a hallmark of a settled territorial state. These arguments were just rehashing of the push and pull between the two Tiger Lord chieftains.

"For now we will go north and attempt to find White Rose Abbey." After they could then search for other noteworthy features of the western stretch. HIs priority remained being able to project power and influence into the region and for that without way stations for horses he would need a religious site with grounds substantial enough for his purposes. Really once they had a viable site he would need to return to Shrikewall, and so Eire elected to change the subject and quiz Dugath on what he thought about the wyvern threat in the mountains, and any other threats in that direction.

 

[Imperator Pax]

Gozran 4715
Eire did not personally consider the mountains they approached especially tall. Still there were stories aplenty of them and the forest that descended down its broad southern slopes. Ilthuliak had been born on this mountain, her mother Noarra had rampaged across eastern Numeria in response to the barbarian lord who was forbearer of the black gars leaving her. To this day though the Black Gars still carried the blood rage of black dragons in their veins, at least so the stories went.

Noarra had long since vanished into the pages of history. Remembered by the barbarians for the devastation she had wreaked across eastern Numeria, but as a threat she had been gone so long as that aspect was forgotten. Ilthuliak had probably slain or driven off any of her surviving siblings in the region and it was unlikely there were any adult black dragons around... indeed there were probably no dragons in the vicinity at the moment... but it didn't hurt to be wary of such.

He would once a royal presence was established in the west have surveys conducted to take stock of the draconic denizens of the Thousand Whispers, the mountains for wyverns and still yet other considerations that Golarion's environment made him wary of. He needed to know what his realm entailed.

Whether or not he considered the Branthlend to be a tall range did not matter. It was tall enough to create a rain shadow effect that blocked clouds and kept Numeria's eastern lands drier, as the river kingdoms were precipitously rained upon with the seasons. Over the mountains lay the Sellen River and on its eastern banks was the village of Mormouth. Ordinarily that would have been too far west for Eire to be concerned by the events of the past year and the de facto overlordship over the four charters expanse meant it was a concern.

Rostland, and Brevoy had never recognized Pitax's claim to overlordship of Mormouth, and the settlement was near enough to Numeria to be host rumors of being the entry point into the Stolen Lands for the Technic League , which was yet another reason to build watch posts as they established themselves. Though he had not directly stated it Valerie as Chancellor of the Realm had in effect confirmed the kingdom's position on the legal borders as that espoused by the four charters Rostland had recognized.

That created competing claims with Pitax that had already existed between the petty kingdom and that of Brevoy. It also in de jure terms meant that the Kingdom of Narland's legal western border was the Sellen River. It was still not quite as absurd as the Varnhold Charter's eastern frontier being put on the shores of the Castrovin sea. That though would be something he would endeavor to address through a combination of Amvarean, the Noemen centaurs, the Varnhold, and Vordakai and by leveraging the Iobarian horse lords.

As Eire moved up the hills he understood that the situation here in the west would be different. How different remained to be seen, but he expected that things would be different with the resources allocated to the east. He could not afford to spend an inordinate amount of time here that was why finding a suitable religious site was so critical.

Cayden Cailean was not ... was far from the orthodox first choice for a deity. If the abbey sufficed though then it would acceptable... and so they continued to trek north west up into the hills. Brevoy seemed on the precipice of civil war something he'd already been worried about before word had reached them about the debacle between the crown and house lebeda which had tangentially touched upon the politics of supporting the mendevian crusade. Brevoy had likely never expected the four baronies to unify, and certainly not this quickly, but that was what had happened. He needed time though to make good on those claims that made this apriority. The sooner he had a working holy site the faster he would be able to return to Shrikewall and push the kingdom forward into the next stage.

Jaethal had speculated, though had no documentation to confirm such, that like with Shelyn's little temple the Abbey of the White Rose had been abandoned because it was simply too far and across too hostile terrain from civilization. Perhaps had Mormouth not dwindled after Pitax's Civil War the previous century then perhaps it would have remained or could have been better supported. The same might have been said if Littletown weren't quite so little. It was just too small to support the distant abbey.

He crested the hill, a score of priests of the Inheritor following. Dugath had taken some of his grandchildren, all of whom were Amiri's age, to see about hunting wyverns in the peaks to the west. "There my lord." One declared gestured to a further hill. As the days had passed they had iffused their numbers into parties to contend with the variety of the landscape, and its untamed denizens. The Glenebon uplands perhaps for its proximity to Numeria, perhaps for just an oddity of Golarion's ecology was a mix of wandering woolly mammoths and still yet other mega fauna and included what Eire thought of as dinosaurs to a greater extent than existed in the Kamelands and beyond. "It does not look in such terrible condition as I expected."

The cleric was right. From the distance at least that appeared true. The abbey was on a foothill on the southern slopes of the still taller mountains. If the attempts at cartography were right, they were some eighty miles from Fort Drelev. Which underscored Jaethal's point, too many people came into the stolen lands and built these sorts of things only to abandon them in the face of the dangers of the monster filled landscape... and Brevoy while it had dispersed kellid and other barbarian confederations had never been able to exercise real political power to incorporate the region further south.

Something, that if Eire were honest was likely only now viable for the influx of settlers from the Inner Sea. He lifted his binoculars that had come with him from an Earth sometime in the future and swept the hills. The wild roses for which the abbey had taken its name were sprawling untamed but they were hardly the only untamed flora. He was grateful he had not included any clergy from Shelyn's church though depending on how things went the Ssthenos might well be welcomed into the abbey after it was secured.

He lowered the field of view. There wasa low stone wall that did appear intact, but what truly tickled his senses were the familiar tangle of magic that marked ties to the First World. "We will have to clear that track," The pathway was overgrown, "And be on your guard," He declared already regretting not having brought Eranex with him on this outing, Amvarean's sister would have been useful. "When we secure the," Dilapidated, "Gatehouse scour everything, and send a messengerto Dugath and Armag we will establish a camp here." He raised his field glasses again and swept over the architecture... he had little familiarity with Cayden Cailean's church, but the architecture was clearly taldane, of the empire that was past its heyday and still clung to old memories of glory. The bell tower's base looked intact, but the bell house at the top had toppled probably under the weight of winter storms and overgrown vinery... Irrisen's mad queen and herplot most likely had just been too much for the neglected abbey.

Cayden Cailean he recalled had been a god now for one thousand nine hundred and fifty years or at least would be in the last month of this year, one of his clerics made a similar observation that surely the accidental god's faithful would appreciate if the temple were restored by their patron's ascension day.