Archon's Curse [Pathfinder Kingmaker]

[Imperator Pax]

Obviously not as prominent as in out of the dark, where Arjun while also lacking electronics, is capable of recreating earth music, and in turn this is used to public effect as both sides of propaganda this story does have some earth music that make it to Golarion in bits and pieces





Indeed I play both of these albums (Tales From The Emerald Sword Saga, and Endless forms most beautiful) rather frequently while working on this, though not exclusively, discounting just general period medieval style music there is more general folk stuff, and also things like CCR and Miracle of Sound as well, Beethoven's ode to joy This is just two easy examples, and whose lyrics or snippets there of may make appearances in this fic because they can easily be applied or reused for Golarion

 

[Imperator Pax]

Arodus 4712

Axes, and mauls clambered against wood as the summer sun sat high in the sky. The ground had been ploughed level ahead of time by a team of heavy horses with a large steel plough. It had cut through roots, it had found and pushed rocks up and all other debris dragging them to where they could be sorted into piles by workmen. Still other men with files, and saws, and chisels worked on pieces of wood meant for projects in later stages of construction.

Unlike larger more complex structures that the barony had constructed in Shrikewall to the North there had been little need for concrete footings for support. The heavy timbers were being anchored into place by stout wood poles being beaten several feet into the ground, or in some cases by other wooden beams, or shale stone. Again, this was another contrast to Shrikewalls more complex masonry where the Church of Iomedae had been invested in larger buildings to use brick, and concrete and arches.

This was simpler, and while not as rustic as Erastil's clergy normally used it was close enough for them. It was a compromise to make use of their labor services, as well as other portions of the labor pool based on housing that the barony had become used to raising over the last two years.

Linzi's Chronicle made the first royal tour a far more grand matter than it was. Much, as the small bard wanted to record things as they had actually happened it was too quick for her to quickly pour ever expansive descriptions of what they were supposed to be doing... and the result of that was to make things so much bolder and larger than life as they set about making a kingdom.

She was right about one thing. It had been an eventful year. There were still nearly four months left in the year. Harggulka had decided he liked the idea of Armasse... even if the troll king didn't care a whit about Aroden, Iomedae, or Milani.

Clad in his new 'jeans' the surprisingly erudite troll was observing the small works of reinforcing the turnpike further from the houses under construction. Vordakai had utilized the existing natural reserves of stone coming from up river to begin the process of raising, and repairing iobarian ruins that had been left behind into something approaching a not like new condition. The cyclops rejected that he was doing most of the work, merely a portion of the labor. Valerie doubted the old one eyed monster was being modest.

Still the road, and its protected post were a mass of work, and bustling bodies. The road bed was to be grouted with concrete and was to be carefully levelled for overland trade of wagons, and horses going east to west from the lakeshore towns with the idea of being as level, and well drained as was practical. Straight was good, but flat would be better.

With the harvest of grain crops beginning, the largest portion of the fall harvest even for the baronial fields, there was work to be done but it was already looking to be an impressive year. Even now gourds were being added to the table, squash and melons joining the harvest of potatoes, tomatoes, and corn from the ... no longer Baronial fields. The royal estates, Valerie amended internally. It had been the road they had been walking though, and that as chancellor she should have seen it before... seen the potential of what they had been doing...

Their party had done more than simply stop the predations of the Stag Lord and his gang. Even before the bandit's demise the ground work, the foundations of something more than a simple barony had been being laid. Valerie had found herself somewhat dismissive, and a little sour at the homage and involvement his grace had paid towards his church, placing the construction of a cathedral over the raising of a stone fortified redoubt that would have been the envy of many a brevic noble house... but in hindsight...

There was a thump as the koloran giant placed the heavy bound tome on the table. "I am skeptical that there is much this two week drilling will accomplish." The undead cyclops grunted, his new replacement eye milk like as it rolled around in its socket, "But if only to furnish guards then I suppose that is success."

Once Armasse concluded then they would need to determine both the travel of the royal tour and to potentially address quelling any potential further conflict between longtails and thick skin lizard folk in the south. There were a wide range of other places in the south that needed to be surveyed without even touching upon the northern half of the Tors of Levenies, or the western Dunswards. The migrating barbarians coming from south of the Little Sellen carried with it news from elsewhere.

Which of course worried Kesten Garess since there were no ... really they had done very little exploration across the other side of the Sellen River. That was a potential issue since as it happened they had the ability to reach Vordakai's tomb more or less directly by sailing up the Little Sellen River. There were no fortifications along the river, and currently the available stone they had quarried was needed for other projects... the Kamelands weren't precisely a wash with forests to harvest trees from either... and much of the realm's labor would be tied up either with the harvest or with the process of preparations for winter.

Valerie turned and watched as, at one of the smaller tables, the diminutive form of Mikmek scooped a slice of freshly carved melon and raised it up over his head squeaking something she didn't understand and then began to devour the sweet water treat. It reminded her of the abandoned ferry station where the little sellen flowed into the shrike about ten fifteen miles to the west of the cave where the beserked owlbear had lived. His grace was suspicious of the large cave system, but the ferry station had once been the sight of an attempt by the sootscales to establish a colony generations previous... and besides the koblds there was also Harrgulka's people settled to the west which could potentially provide some labor.

Harrgulka would probably have preferred being directed to smash hostily lizard folk, but they could not necessarily plan for that at the moment... there were so many other things that were going on.
--
The always bright magical globes of daylight insured the chamber was well lit.

Valerie struggled to keep her attention focused on the matter at hand. Her liege, the king, had asked the cyclops about something he had called the underdark after the two had spoken of serpent folk in ancient times... but Vordakai had known nothing of these 'Drow', of these horribly malicious elves.

Harrim knew of the underdark as the place his ancestors had tunneled out of and apparently the ancient orks had also been driven from the bowels of the underdark by the dwarves charging for the sky. Jaethal knew of the Drow, but less of the specifics of the 'underdark', the lands below.

They were preparing to put the matter aside though. "Well," Eire remarked prefacing his statement with a sigh, "It is unfortunate that we have had to delay this matter as long as we have, but there were other matters. We have had visitors from the church of Shelyn in Brevoy."

The former paladin tensed as another former paladin stood. The ex paladin of Erastil was such a contrast to her. Akiros had fully changed from his home culture assimilating into Kellid Numeria traditions despite having originally been from the inner sea. She would have preferred they talked about the need to tour the kamelands, the horse estates, the matter of farriers. Not this. "They," The Sharp Fang, "have departed my king," Akiros remarked, preferring what was really the hallit title of kingship, "But they, in their comments suggested that the situation is more complex."

Jaethal looked smug, more so than she had at the recent visit from envoys of her native Kyonin, as the paladin turned barbarian tribesman finished as if she had coached him on how to deliver this news. No this particular facet of courtly life was one that Valerie could understand, even if she did not wish to be the center of attention for the life she had left behind in Brevoy.... but her attempts to escape that legacy clearly failed as the Church of Shelyn within Brevoy pursued.
The undead inquisitor tossed the letter on the table.

It was addressed to Valerie but she'd never seen it, but she recognized the handwriting.

"Not yet." The elf chided. "it was delivered any hour ago. Animal messenger."

Akiros took this as instruction enough to continue. While the Brevic church of Shelyn did not technically consider Sir Fredero to be rogue he was away without leave. He had left his post without official sanction. This might have attracted overmuch attention if all had been going well, but the truth was that apparently the new temple that Federo's letter had initially spoken of was apparently behind schedule.

Fredero had dipped off somewhere apparently having gone to search for a lost taldane shrine to Shelyn somewhere within the boundaries of the Narlmarches. So he had headed over the border from Drelev's domain in not in secret , then at least without the Order of the Rose's approval. He certainly hadn't declared his travel... though the river folk would have surely said that was walk any road.

... or at least that was the Order of the Rose's side of thing. Apparently they had misplaced him long enough to grow concerned and had sent word to Shrikewall when Eire had been in Varnhold sorting out the crisis at hand.

Sir Fredero's latest letter was odd. It was certainly as high handed as the last one. The details did not quite add up.

Eire stood up to pace. "There is the possibility that the Order of the Eternal Rose is unaware of Sir Fredero's first letter. Certainly they must be unaware of this most recent one. It does not explain the long absence." It did suggest the knight was still alive. "I assume this shrine of the golden grove is the same shrine," He paused turning on his heel, "is the same shrine that was mentioned as being lost."

"He talks of other priests in restoring the shrine."

"Though not the largest church in Brevoy, there are many noble contributors to the church." Kassil Aldori added joining the conversation.

"Hidden conspirators more likely," Harrim snorted, then sourly continued, "Certainly I've not been told of this supposed restoration work. Certainly this ruffian would have known of the work on any of the Old Deadeye's temples or shrines."

"Has the church of Erastil suggested Shelynite activity?" The King questioned.

"They certainly have mentioned nothing to me." The surly dwarf said continuing to grumble about the the lack of his office being informed. Jaethal also denied being told.

"Valerie I must request you wait until we have completed our tour before acting on this challenge... we will move on it once I have spoken Lord Maegar in Varnhold, and more importantly after the three of you have," He fixed Jaethal, Harrim, and her with a look, "locate this shrine in my realm. We will contend with this once we have a location."

--
Notes: While I will use material from 2E for the most part 1st​ edition pathfinder lore largely takes precedence, additionally again I am not hewing entirely to canon. Particularly I chose to ignore most lovecraftian events, and I do this when I run most of my golarion table top games, if I want to do lovecraft stuff there are other settings. Anyway, but second edition lore, some of the ethnicities will be used some other stuff won't. This july there is supposed to be a dwarf three part AP coming out, I hope thats good, I'd like more dwarf stuff.

Anyway this is based off of the Companion Book, which I've already mentioned as being a bit overpriced for what it is. To the point it and the P2 book seem almost contradictory on some of the characters, like the P2 book (the AP) introduction seems to go out of the way to soften the characters like Jaethal and Valerie to lesser extent, but Jaethal in particular changes does little for my opinion of the P2 book.

Also: Just to clarify Vordakai here states Armasse is Two weeks long, this is not a mistake, even then the cyclops has a point its not long enough. Eire has basically differed from from Arodenite orthodoxy by doubling its length from a week to two weeks... which of course its not as if the Church of Milani or Iomedae are going to complain, with the transition to Monarchy. This is significantly more martial, so its a return to early Orthodox traditions over a longer span of time rather than extravagant partying..

 

[Imperator Pax]

Note: EDIT: 4-12-23: This post speaks largely in stream of conciousness and outlines some of the thinking that went into the story as it stands.​

So as I've mentioned, in the original version of this basically the premise is that Shyka basically interrupts Kiaransalee's plan (the Drow CYOA) as Eire is just finishing a 'True ending' playthrough of Kingmaker the PC game. Through some wibbly wobbly deity level time travel shennigans Shyka gets rid of the Lantern King, and Eire wakes up with some of the boons from the Drow CYOA in Golarion BEFORE the events of the AP. This would be in the Golarion calender 4710 AR and would be 1915 on Earth.

Now among other things this sets up for a number of things, including Kiaransalee making an appearance as a minor (emerging) drow goddess in Golarion since she tags along for the ride from earth, as well as the Drow CYOA sets up for Shaoyu (Draconic Ally), Eire's inherent powers from getting shattered divinity (Both Kiaransallee nearly getting wiped from existence as well as the Lantern King dying.) and slowly absorbing it, I'm trying to think what else comes from the Drow CYOA in particular without having my notes in front of me, but basically that was the original. The remaining fragments turning into 'digestible' for lack of a better description spheres of power as Eire does noteworthy things (obviously in the story thus far, most recently its the foundation of the monarchy)

Spoiler: Shard absorptions to date

Staglord's death / Barony foundation
Eranex's quest
Varnhold Vanishing/Kingdom foundation

--
Anyway, moving on an alternative to that a variation since the power ups come incrementally with each broken fragment of divinity I have considered simply having each fragment correspond to a different jump document

Obviously: Pathfinder Kingmaker by Songless. Generic Pathfinder (https://i.4pcdn.org/tg/1567739084008.pdf), and I've already talked about both of these and both of these are in play.

Spoiler: Generic Pathfinder

The Cleric Tree for Reference:


Ear of the Divine [100]: The gods are worshipped by many, and the most popular gods are always inundated with a caconophy of prayers. Desperate pleas for help, choirs singing their praises, someone hitting their finger with a hammer – that type of thing. But you are not some peasant praying for rain or something so mundane. You are a Cleric, a holy man, a living conduit of divine power. And when you pray to a deity, your voice is the sound of thunder amongst the rain of other prayers and it will never go unheard. This extends to any other beings that can hear prayers, not just your own god. Something about your inner voice is simply impossible to ignore, even if such a being were actively attempting to tune out prayers.

Will of the Gods [300]: In a world where gods are an active presence in the land and their servants walk about healing the sick and smiting heathens, it is not hard to convince the common folk to venerate them. For you, this is particularly true. Just interacting with people in a positive light will cause most you meet to start adapting your ideals and beliefs. Something more extreme such as saving them from a grisly fate at the hands of a monster or raising their child from the grave would likely cause most to drop to their knees and convert to your religion on the spot.

Holy Man [600]: No mere priest are you. You are a living avatar of the god or concept that you worship. All those who look upon you can instantly see that you are more than a man of flesh and blood, you are an icon, a living saint. Were you to worship a god of the sun, all who saw you could tell that you burned with your god's light and you could summon an aura of sunlight to literally burn with glorious incandescence. Furthermore, you overflow with divine energy. Without even channeling energy, your mere touch can heal minor wounds or repel the undead. And your domain spells can be cast at will as often and as many times as you wish without preparing them, so long as you are capable of casting spells of the level of the domain spell you wish to cast. Finally, you can create copies of your holy symbol and favored weapon at will which will remain in existence so long as you are in contact with them but will slowly fade away otherwise.

Not Valeria's Wrath of the Righteous Jump, despite Wrath of the Righteous being an important background event. I do not plan to use it.

I've considered The DnD Dragons Jump [Mithril, Axial, or Orium] the three Fall from Heaven segments, principally because they relate to realm building perks: https://drive.google.com/drive/fold...MYWk5Ync?resourcekey=0-81gzOg9roLJympR0A4C8yw, Crusader Kings. [Though the CK3 jump is 253 pages.]

The reason this idea hasn't been implemented is one the amount of content already written, and the idea is that that last fragment of old divinity from Kiaransalee and the Lantern King when nyrissa is confronted at the end of the adventure path in her domain that's been the canonical plan since the misc thread its one of the first things that I wrote for this story idea is how the end of Kingmaker AP events ends.

/ anyway this has just been me talking about ideas that rattle around in my head. EDIT: I should state that part of the build originally, though made much more fixed once this got its own thread was that Eire didn't bring any electronics with him, and that that restriction impacts which jumps I would be willing to take. Because in the future we will touch on that its the 19teens / end of ww1 and that is to a degree relevent / leaving aside some of the numerian content that is also forthcoming

 

[Imperator Pax]

Arodus 4712
Amiri was bored, which was largely mirrored around by the others who were sitting here... but it was either be here listening to reports... or have to listen to the reports about weights and measures that Kaessi was giving... and she'd rather hear what was going on in the north. Even Linzi had preferred to come and listen.

"Another Kellid tribe," Jubilost snorted as he sorted through more papers from Kaessi, that were in turn weird city folk things Eire had outlined. "Alright lets have it, what are they clan Hell Horse, I've heard his grace mention them in relation to the White Scars, or those Jade Falcons, hmm?" The gnome scoffed, "Well I suppose we should get on with it before the horse folk start talking about Sjohvornor again." It was clear that after the umpteenth time hearing of Iobaria's steppes and stories of the white dragon on more than one occasion the story had lost its bite, Jubilost had gone so far as to say it was nothing more than a story to frighten children, rather foals in this case.

"Six bears." The armored man remarked cradling his helmet.

There was a scratching of the quill as the gnome wrote it down almost suppressing a yawn as he made a note on a piece of paper to one side of the crowded table.

Amiri had frozen up, "What did you say?" It was one thing to Amvarean call her Six Bears but the Gnome had not even batted an eye at it. Jubilost must never have heard the dragon refer to her as Amiri Six Bears and thus the clan meant nothing to him. "Say that again." She demanded.

"Six bears." The dark haired arminger replied. "I made nothing of it Lady Amiri." The swordsman remarked straightening slightly. "The Nomen with me did not know them either, but we accepted their pledge of good conduct and allowed them to pass us and continue on their way. I did not think to mention you."

They were dealing with this, this was just luck, because Jaethal, Harrim, and Valerie had all been tasked to deal with this Sinnet braggart who was skulking around. Unfortunately that had to wait... this 'monarchy' thing had rules and since Maegar had joined their following it meant examining his part of the realm. She had originally been hoping to go wyvern hunting while they were doing this ... she'd been looking forward to a winter hunt all summer the chance to face some big monster in battle and cut its head off... but now...

Now she had to demand answers. Like: Why were there Six Bears this far from the Realm of The Mammoth Lords?

"Obviously, they're part of the other barbarians looking at this Armag." Jubilost interrupted grumbling, and scoffing. "It was only a couple weeks ago we had to deal with another group passing through. They'll move along soon enough."

The alternative of following the mammoths was put forward as well. They could be following the herd as it migrated south. It seemed outlandish that they would have made their way so far south for any of the other reasons put forward. It had also been years since she had departed the land of the mammoth lords, and with no real sources of news there was no telling how much had changed.

"Maybe there was a really big war!" Linzi suggested standing on the table. Then after a minute she hopped back off.

It could have possibly been that but the great distance overland made it seem more likely that Jubilost was probably right. The gnome clapped his hands at the admission, "Good I am pleased we could come to a perfectly logical conclusion, now what are we going to do about this." Well obviously they would have to find and ascertain what the Six Bears were doing or at least where they were in the northern stretch of the kingdoms. Thus far most tribes had had passed through heading north west if they had come into the narlmarches then there was the chance this Armag and the Tiger Lords were moving.

Not that Jubilost was volunteering to help with that of course, he'd been planning to make a trip to Lake Silverstep apparently to look for a purported shrine. Not the one that Valerie, et al, were looking for, "This is a shrine a colleague wrote to me about, one to the Eldest. Supposedly to Shyka the many in this region," Shyka was Eranex's patron deity, but the silver dragon was currently absent from the castle, and kingdom, and her sister was at the Lake so Jubilost hadn't been able to ask.
--
Eire recognized that Iobarian was ... basically the Taldan Empire of old's equivalent of Scythian, perhaps was the best classical comparison he could make. It referred to nearly every sort of person who happened to live in the north steppe lands of Casmarron. Frankly from what he gathered a similarly broad habit had been used to label Kellids... well Kellids, and the Varisians and maybe even the Ulfen to a lesser extent. Ghol can written sources were no help either. In both cases, both Taldan classical sources, and the ancient cyclopes sources, basically describing pre literate people, humans as barbarians who lived on the margins to the north of them. What little beyond that was unhelpful and largely generic.

The Thasilonians and the Azanti who seemed to be the same broad ethnic group had been known to the cyclops but because they were complex magic users they were not barbarians to cyclops of Ghol Kan or its own source civilization. Similarly the elves were not barbarians were the same reason... but complex magic using societies required the written word. It required a substantive knowledge and an advanced economy. The 'Iobarians' of the classical period had lacked this measure as well.

As a result Iobarian was an outsider's catch all term for a polyethnic people. He was pretty sure given the wide ranging differences of Kellids across central and western Avistan that it was basically the same issue. The migrating nomads, and agro-pastoralists could range in size from small scattered bands of a few dozen individuals to great extended kin groups 'clans' of many thousands. Indeed he was unsurprised that the eastern horse folk used a base ten system that rose up the unit of ten thousand, going from ten, hundred, thousand and then ten thousand. "Whats the latest word then Jubilost?" Because they were now definitely in the category of tens of thousands of nomads.

"Stretched from Numeria all the way across the Glenebon and into the south rostlandic plain." The gnome declared, "We'll be lucky if the summer bonfires don't start a wildfire."

They were peaceful for the time being. Armag had yet to declare some grand enemy, and it was possible that he was waiting to be acknowledged as elected by the greatest tribes before doing so... but as a member of Gorums faith he had invited Gorumite clergy from Brevoy to his court seeking an ancient Kellid burial ground ... something about a magical sword.

But Harrim was probably not being dramatic in saying that it was only a matter of time before they had to move.

That estimation that they were stretched across the thousands of mile area from eastern Numeria north of the Branthlend mountains across the rostlandic plain, enough that he could seek out the priest of gorum from Brevic cities for consultation... spoke of a truly massive confederation potentially being assembled.

... and that was only part of the problem. Kingship was not simply a slightly fancier ceremony, a fancier title and more land. To that end this chamber itself had not changed much simply because of the change in rank, "If there are tribes moving down out of the land of the mammoth lords then it is best we confirm that. Go with Amiri," he said speaking to Akiros, "See if you can locate her tribe and ascertain their intentions." And it was here that was the division of labor. "If they're within in our domain. If they're in the Slough or parts further west leave them be, if they're encamped in Brevoy thats different. If Amiri likes she can invite Regongar, Octavia, and Ekundayo if any of them wish to join. Once my business with Maegar is concluded I may return to the temple of the elk, or more likely recall directly to Shrikewall's cathedral." If they could locate the tribe so much the better, but summer had a month left, and four months left in the year.

There would be advantages and disadvantages to a mild winter. A couple of months spent in purely local construction could do a great deal to shore up local roads if nothing else. That was likely to be the principle sort of work they could manage in winter that would be long term productive.

He ran a hand over the raised edge of long wooden table, and looked down at the swirling sands as the map of his domain refreshed. Eire rested as the sands settled back, and he wondered if any had thought to create such a diorama. Was this unique? Or had some ancient wizard in a bygone age also contemplated such a model? It was a question that didn't ultimately matter. This was most likely unique within the Stolen Lands, maybe even Avistan as a whole, but if it wasn't if some ancient wizard had made an equivalent that was fine as well.

The truth was Eire viewed this as a utility. It accomplished an objective. It was a tool to provide a solution to the problems he had to deal with as a ruler. This was a land filled with ruins. Elf, Cyclops... he doubted there was anything Azlanti this far north and east, but it wasn't impossible for the continent lost ten thousand years ago to have had some distant fragmentary collection of exodites make it this far up the sellen. Whether they had or not it didn't matter. It was the Sellen that was the lifeblood of the realm, "If Valerie does leave the capital I trust you can handle administration in her absence." He remarked to Kaessi. The tiefling's air shifted and then she nodded. As it was they really were depleting the realm's administrative brain trust. Jubilost would be at Silverstep during his visit to Varnhold. The acknowledgement was perfunctory and the conversation turned back to the model... and what would happen with the Varnhold's addition. Technically Varnhold itself was close enough to appear within his map without any real change in scale, but not the whole of the dunsward. "I will probably need to make a map room that occupies the whole floor," He replied... his thoughts turning to diagrams of Qin Shi Huang's tomb and the flowing rivers of mercury... well he wouldn't need the mercury, but it was an idea.

The conversation turned to the barbarians, and beyond the matter of guest and host relations. Presumably as a result of The Earth fall or the reign of stars in Numeria, or some facet of the realm of the mammoth lords the majority of kellids didn't ride horses. There was no institutional cavalry.

That didn't mean they were stupid. The kellids even those that didn't ride understood the value and utility of roads, and there were tribes who might not have cavalry but did possess and utilize carts pulled horses, or oxen or onagers. Oxen weren't a good draft animal for cold grasslands. Bovines simply didn't forage in snow. It made sense that they wouldn't be suited to the lands of the mammoth lords outside of certain protected valleys.

"My understanding is that there are a dozen or so Followings of note among the kellids at any given time. If Armag could swing even just one of the large followings it would represent a significant population."

"There is," Jaethal paused, and using his phrase, "already a significant population." Which was true, every tribal passage west represented a gathering portion of an army that might eventually march on Restov.

 

[Imperator Pax]

Arodus 4712
As the month approached its end, and Armasse drew to its close Eire prepared to take his leave from his capital, but part of the end of the month also entailed drafting missives, and directive. As well as receiving such memorials to the throne that had been commissioned to answer his questions. He was unsurprised by some of the reports. Faerie Dragons had already been common relatively speaking within his realm. With Amvarean responsible for a fiefdom on Lake Silverstep it was no surprise to see that her assessment would speak of Dragon turtles in the lake, of course it was also an account of Faerie dragons, of pseudo dragons, and even of tidepool dragons.

He was a little more concerned about the apparent Kongamatos that was a fixture of the garrison of New Colton especially given the amusement the old beldame seemed to take of the adolescent dragonic creature's presence. She had not specified if these were naturally native to the area or if some of the colonists had brought the clutch of eggs from the inner sea... he wouldn't have been surprised if it was either.

Indeed the settlement of the lake the emphasis on his kameland holdings and New Colton would broadly had occupied his focus in terms of holding development. The kamelands had rich black soil underneath the steppe grassland. Wild horses were abundant across their expanse. It made sense to settle a place somewhere along the Gudrin to support horse raising, or accurately breeding and training for royal needs.

Maegar's Varnhold though was more than just a major human settlement. The linking of the road would mean that caravans from the Casmarron interior, and thus ultimate from the far south the Padishah empire of Kelesh could reach Varnhold and also pass through there to Shrikewall as well as up the Kiravoy to Restov and thus beyond into Brevoy proper.

He did wonder why they specified it as the padishah empire.... that seemed redundant to him. Padishah meant emperor. Regardless with the possibility of a better supported overland trade route into the north through the windswept wastes it was possible more trade would flow their direction... and if not trade could still up the sellen from Qadira.

Truly though his realm was a wild land, a wonder to behold. Jaethal had already spoken to him about the attention the realm's proximity to the First World would attract, a comment echoed by Jubilost independently, but the inquisitor's remarks also focused on the attention the flora, fauna, and fey denizens would attract from her homeland of kyonin to the south.

Attention that was likely to be both official scrutiny and unofficial in the terms of migration. Kyonin was a stuffy judgmental place, not that Jaethal would have described in quite those terms, but it was an apt Linzi-ism summary of what Jaethal had actually said.

Linzi would be accompanying him to Varnhold, which was supposed to be settling back into a more normal state of affairs, and truthfully he looked forward to seeing that. Linzi intended to record in full detail the real look at a settlement rebuilding for the historical record of course.

Eire suspected Keleshite was ... most likely a shared ancestor language with Taldane. Azlanti couldn't readily be described as proto indo european ... or at least that allegory didn't work in a historical context because well Azlanti civilization had been very advanced linguistically... more likely Azlanti potentially was a part of the same language family and it had cross pollinated with the other daughter languages of that ancestral language. Whatever the actual case was, whatever role draconic played it did matter in the context of legal overlordship, "And your advice remains that we should wait until Kyonin extends to the offer of an ambassador?"

"Yes." Jaethal replied. Diplomatic and trade envoys were one thing... but the principle matter, especially given permanent immigration was swelling the population of Narland... they were still simply too small to be taken seriously as a real kingdom so soon. Kyonin was to that end most likely to ignore them for the foreseeable feature ... but at the same time, "Unless we do something that attracts the attention of a particularly flighty bird," The word she actually used was probably more accurate specific to magpies, "We can expect that the isolationists will keep foreign relations to a minimum."

Kyonin was always slow to recognize river kingdoms. They were effectively at war with Razmiran, and were in an... what amounted to a cold war, regarding the elven nation's imperialist ambitions against Sevenarches over frankly presumptuous historical claims to the druid lead nation. What was perhaps interesting about that what that Sevenarches seemed quite similar to Narhold in relation to its proximity to the first world and its fey population... but sevenarches was much closer to Kyonin... so in theory they shouldn't have the same issues

"So we wait," He replied. They couldn't pretend that with the river that those five hundred miles were all that far. Eire had also been pointed that he wouldn't recognize Galt, and not just because that was the Orthodox Iomdeaen position regarding that the Red Revolution were a collection of chaotic evil murderers and accusations of abyssal cults being involved in the creation Galt's 'Final Blades'. He had entirely practical personal and political reasons to eschew the red revolution beyond just the allegations regarding demon worship... and having a government that had turned out to be dominated by a hag coven. "Cheliax is unlikely to ever," At least so long as the House of Thrune ruled, "extend an ambassador, and like Taldor the best we might expect is nominal recognition ala galt as a post imperial taldane successor state." Which was political recognition on the grounds that all had originally been a part of the post Earth fall human empire of Taldor... but such recognition was potentially double edged. "Qadira's recognition runs much the same issue of affiliation given the Padishah reputation for expansionism." Thankfully while the river made reaching the inner sea commercially viable, it was also a distance too far in the modern age of division and border tensions for the great powers to try and be expansionist.

"We're too far for them to care. Its why they're all too happy to shove their exiles, and bastards this far north." Kyonin was included in this category. They'd happily displace malcontents whether forlorn or embarrassing half elf ... indiscretions further north, much as Cheliax and Taldor and Qadira would do, were doing. "Osirion is the one who is the odd one." And even that could just be that word had reached traders and merchants from Absalom and that they didn't wish to miss something.... but there were enough Osiriani migrants that they had to be considered in royal decision making.
--
Linzi had sketched the Kellid murals painted, that depicted Kellid life thousands of years ago, and provided those sketches to show Maegar. They showed daily life before the arrival of the second army of exploration. Barrows which suggested them to be four thousand years old, and most likely the kamelands kellid structures were probably contemporary to the sites in the north.... which itself created another dynamic to relations with Qadira... and potentially wider interaction of the church of Sarenrae.

Frankly it was difficult to really describe the broad spaces to the east of the area of the Tors themselves as culturally part of the River Kingdoms. That would have required the area to have enough people to be able to speak of some kind of shared culture, and what people there were was largely the migrating Iobarians passing through as seasons and years passed.

Varnhold had been constructed as the Kiravoy flowed, a couple miles north, down out of its source waters in the Tors proper to take advantage of the terrain and establish farms to the east of the river for hte original settlement, which had gradually expanded as Varnhold had grown. Eire wasn't precisely sure when Maegar, or Drelev for that matter, had set out to stake their claims but the thirdborn son of house Varn had constructed a fairly traditional brevic settlement in the region, and from Varnhold had spread out small secondary hamlets like the one in Varnhold pass that anchored the road through the pass.

The baron of Varnhold put the sketches aside, "The word from back home isn't good."

Maegar didn't immediately elaborate on what he meant. He could have meant Issia, or be speaking more broadly of Brevoy's tensions in general. It had been thirteen years since every known member of House Rogavaria had mysteriously vanished and the Issian House of Surtova had taken up the throne proclaiming themselves initially regent but increasingly clear that Lord Surtova no longer viewed himself as regent... and that was causing tensions with more than just with the Rostlandic South Brevoy was far from stable, and the risk of civil war existed even without the growing volume of barbarians.



He paused, and thought about the slow trickle of people south, and of course the comments from Mendev, "So you believe Civil war is inevitable?"

"I'm astonished that its managed to this long without it breaking out," and Eire found himself nodding at the candid statement. It hadn't occurred to him... not really just how impressive it was that Noleski Surtova had managed this long without one erupting. Eire thought of the year he had spent in Brevoy, and the small Iomedaen church, Noleski had already sat ten years as regent... even if they were increasingly emphasizing King instead of Regent in the title of King-Regent. "The Surtovas attempted to send an expedition of their own, but they just disappeared."

"Into the Stolen Lands you mean,"

"Right. Into the glenebon highlands, which," he paused and shrugged, "Was where the Iron Wraiths disappeared from as well." The other mercenary company, besides the Varnling host, offered a charter to settle land. The conversation wound back to the Surtova's ambitions. Negotiations between House Lebeda and the Surtova were apparently aimed at wedding Elenna Lebeda to Noleski Surtova, which was apparently imperiled by Lander Lebeda's 'apparent' association with his Aldori sword styles... which was absurd given the sheer breadth of dueling culture across Brevoy.

"Could they also have been destroyed by barbarians then?" It was part of among other tribes, the historical range of the Tiger Lords as they well knew.

It was possible Maegar was willing to admit. He was too far away to have heard anything more than rumors about the situation with regards to Armag twice born though he did know of the Tiger Lords as mercenary bands. They had uncovered in the northern narlmarches indication of tiger lord settlements that had existed in the age before the Taldan Empire. Of course the Tiger Lords were far from the only Kellid tribe which had existed in the region either before, or after the arrival of the Taldan from the south.

Frankly they weren't here to talk about hypotheticals. The Iron Wraiths had disappeared into the Glenebon upplands... whether or not they had ended up on the wrong side of the barbarians, or giants or whatever it didn't matter really. That was on the opposite side of the realm, There was an entire other domain between them. However the migrations to the great gathering was a concern to the realm, and one where Eire knew he needed to look at military preparations. He didn't require grain provisions from Varnhold... even if Varnhold had started their harvest on time he wouldn't have needed it. What he did need was the Varnhold pass reinforced, and done before the years end... there needed to be a safe route of travel between the baronies original seats per the original plan that was more important now than it had been when concerning two independent states. He was concerned about the situation in Brevoy to be sure, but if Restov wasn't capable of providing aid to not one , but two distinct threats involved undead, then he doubted they would be able to provide military support against Armag if that came into open warfare.

The meeting concluded an hour later, as the sun began a slow descent, but had not yet brought darkness. Linzi looked like her hand hurt. A quill was simply not ideal for taking the sort of lengthy minutes such a session entailed, and Eire wondered if might be possible to have someone make a ballpoint pen.

He had examples of them in his backpack, but that created the problem of not just ink, but also needed paper that was practically suitable for using pens. Fountain pens had been the intermediary of choice even into the 20th​ century for a number of reasons. They had been generating a great deal of written records, and while movable type press made it possible to print copies of documents it wasn't practical for composing minutes.

"Do you really think war is coming?"

"Within Brevoy, or on our own frontier?"

It was no secret that Amiri did not approve of the feudal systems ideal distribution of labor, especially not the tripartite system of farmers farming, clerics praying, knights fighting. That was of course an ideal that reality often did not actually reflect, but Amiri could be said to basically just not like the societal concept.

For Linzi it wasn't that cut and dry. He was tempted to remind her when they had first met he had said he was more mercenary than hero. It would have seemed ridiculous at this stage. Maybe it had been ridiculous then. He did occasionally wonder whether or not he might have fit in better if he'd moved north from Brevoy, gone west to fight in the crusade... or just gone to Numeria to investigate the strange marvels of the star scorched wastelands.

"You wanted to chronicle the real course of history. This is simply a part of that story." He settled for instead. "That means that war is something that will happen at some point, just in the course of building a state, a central government must create the organization to allow tradesmen to be tradesmen, and soldiers soldiers." Did those occupations need to be fixed and hereditary? No. He did need soldiers, but he also needed roads and granaries. For someone from the Tumultous land of Galt was a fundamentally optimistic person, "Peace is something to hope for, but it is never given. It is not the default state of affairs. It is a period where something, some factor, had caused an absence of conflict."

Linzi looked crestfallen at the lesson, but Maegar nodded. "Right some body has to be there to knock enough heads to get everyone to act right." The mercenary swordlord remarked.
--
Notes: This is not technically the conclusion though its note is somewhat finality, but that note is necessary because most people have grown up with the peace dividend of the post second world war that somewhat takes for granted that peace between large states is anomalous. This is very much not the case for the majority of human history, and especially in a medieval context. At the same time medieval armies were not large conscript armies either.

You tried to avoid conscripting your peasantry because you needed them to do other things. Like make linen, or other cloth thats labor intensive prior to the advent of the spinning jenny in particular though not just limited to that invention. You needed them to farm. Wood products, metal products.

Speaking of products, I have skipped over/ glossed over, somethings as basically not being a priority, typically these things take place of the winter season but also to handwave one of the typical 'isekai' / in another world tropes of introducing goods, and part of that is handwaving some of integration of industrial developments via drafting documents, examples, but also magic in order to get around. Golarion already has potatoes, and chocolate, and coffee, and corn and, etc at lot of various modern commodities because kitchen sink fantasy for food but it would be one of those things where Narland's nascent industrial revolution is still in the future, despite some proto industrial developments made possible by magic... which of course is why Brigh, and Casandalee (which she ascends) are going to be prominent in the realm in a view years.... because Narland is a major religious center, because chuches with divine magic make it easy to have near universal health care coverage at least in your cities

This also goes to trade. Narland is too far north even in the Kamelands, and the Dunsward to grow coffee, it could feasibly grow tea, and mulberries, but coffee isn't a practical option, neither is cotton. Cotton needs to be imported from Osirion, finished and reexported... and while as a story this is about kingdom building, I also get that the degree of economics is probably not what most people want to slog through, and I don't want to focus all of my time on it. Thats part of the reason we will be getting some Amiri centric stuff, and some good old demon punching down the road... in addition to the bellflower network stuff, halflings, half elves, half orcs, tieflings etc.

 

[Imperator Pax]

Rova 4712
Eire was fully prepared to accept certain facts particularly that ambitions were different. That different people had different ambitions. The Varnling host had been settled in decent agricultural land, defensible territory...More to the point it had been granted a vast expanse of territory in their charter, and given its location in the eastern valleys of the Tor of Levenies Varnhold had access to both good agricultural land but also the thing that Brevoy generally lacked, quariable stone to build robust masonry fortifications.

In short Maegar and his company settling down here had gotten a really good deal, but it was hard to describe Varnhold as aiming to be an independent nation. That was the issue though, they were fresh settlers who had retired from being a mercenary company, the officers of the company who had succeeded maegar had gone off to fight for other contracts and left the retirees behind to carve out new farms in the wilderness.

Outside of an emergency mobilization reconstituting the settled Varnling host simply wasn't practical. These were men who had been promised farm plots upon which to settle their families, and raise children in order to be minor land holding gentry, or even potentially future town fathers. What Varnhold had not been planned to be was a 'condottieri' city state... because of course the vast expanse promised by the charter was so far as Brevoy was concerned just empty wildneress with no people... or maybe some horse lord savages with their herds passing through.

That was not say that Maegar couldn't provide swords, but that it would a generation before a new professional fighting company could be established, and that was optimistic. Indeed really what Jamandi Aldori had hoped to establish besides of course a trading partner was to have a school and a urbane dueling culture in Varnhold along the lines of restov or mivon, to culturally bind together the settlements in a broader Aldori identity.

It was precisely the long term political thought that was a hallmark of elven planning, even if Jamandi was 'only half elf'... and frankly Jamandi might well have expected to potentially see a point in the future where she might still be able to hire Maegar's grandchildren to fight as mercenaries on Restov's behalf in some far future conflict.

"Dave has informed me he believes it will be possible to complete the roadwork," A revision of his earlier statement but reflective of growth in the kingdom, and success.

"We don't have the manpower, not with fixing all the damage those gray skinned freaks did." Maegar replied, referring to the spriggans, "It'd take us months to build the roads and finish the bridge laying to accept two carts side by side." The standardized road dimensions for Narland, which were unusual for a feudal lord to establish, maintain and actually enforce.

"I am aware, but I have other resources to call upon."

"The cyclops?" It was clear Maegar wasn't precisely thrilled at that prospect. He had the cyclops and the centaurs as his most immediate feudal neighbors, unless one wanted to count Amvarean once she had established her own fortified residence on the southwestern side of Lake Silverstep.

Eire shook his head, "No. I require Vordakai's assistance elsewhere." He stated. The truth was that after his coronation, and the initial report Davik Nettle had provided with the timetable Eire had told him to do what he could, and, "Before i departed Shrikewall Dave informed me he was confident that sufficent progress was made that coupled with available resources he could probably cut the stones and embankments to complete the project."

"How I was told that we'd be lucky if it hadn't set us back almost a year?"

There was no denying part of it was the acceptance of foreign settlers from distant lands. Clerics and druids from the church of Minderhal and Fandarra alike had been accepted whether they were human or giant, and in the latter case that meant guardian animals capable of understanding, and in some cases speaking languages. Maegar had no real response to this. Instead turning the subject to his own settlement, "I could use the services of a cleric of Phrasma... the truth is I didn't have time really to send word to home before all this happened, but as the settlement has grown up and we've expanded," even if it wasn't as fast an expansion, people had started wanting more religious access, and with a mostly brevic population base that meant Pharasma as goddess of the common people within Brevoy. "We'll need a temple to Pharasma sooner or later."

Eire nodded, "I'm not sure how doctrine differs but the Osirion Church of Pharasma should be able to provide someone." And it wouldn't be all that troublesome to sponsor their building of a church here, or in Varnhold pass next year.

The conversation meandered. "Are you going to Oleg's nest?" Amvarean questioned.

"I truthfully considered visiting Kressel and Davik," There were some minor religious matters there that needed to be patronized. He was fairly certain Kressel was considering a shrine to Cayden Cailen while Davik of course... the undead engineer's patron deity was Abadar. There was no reason that they couldn't build both in different parts of the settlement, but he knew that the task of holding a fief and selecting a patron for her fief to publicly declare had been a difficult one for Svetlana's sister.

The conversation did wind around returning to Restov, and the Aldori, and that Jamandi's patron goddess though he hadn't noticed at the time of his visits to the manor was Milani.

He paused, "Yes, I've had that mentioned to me in passing," It had never come up with the half elf, which admittedly probably wasn't that strange, and he had no issue with the Milani church. In truth he actually kind of thought that Kressel might select Milani as her hold's patron, but it was ultimately her choice. He paused and shook his head, "Beyond the matter there have been other complications."

Eire doubted that Maegar was particularly religious, and he doubted the Issian house of Varn was a particularly religiously minded dynasty. Maegar's nominal patron, despite his bachelor status, was Erastil, and old Deadeye was the nominal patron divinity of Varnhold as both a barony and the town itself. Eire doubted that Maegar had much contact with the church of Shelyn, mercenary captain and the paladins of the order of the rose doubly so. Even so it did not hurt to broach Valerie's situation. Nor did it hurt to broach the matter again regarding the migration of various 'barbarian peoples', not just hte Kellids certainly word of the Six Bears did come to mind.
--
The visit had been relatively perfunctory, even with the added line item of 'Pharasma clergy / help wanted'. The Varnling host as large comprised of former mercenaries looking to settle down were a bit more accepting of previous enemies being allies, and were willing to tolerate the presence of Vordakai in terms of guest right, and hospitality. Not that the old cyclops had apologized for his actions, and Eire really didn't expect him to, but so long as they could move forward from there he would have been happy... so having a sudden fire at the town's inn was... unfortunate.

The burning to the guest room was significant, and localized clearly the fire had had some sort of accelerant used. That was clear enough indication of foul play, but even without a body to the crime it already a capital offense given it was clearly arson. "Any reason that the Technic league would be here?" Eire had not outlawed them by name, but given their slaving proclivities freedom of travel had been less than normal passer throughs... so them in the former domain of varnhold was unusual.

No one among the denizens of Varnhold was forthcoming with any suggestions.

He started to question what they knew of the dead man, and if he had met anyone recently, or planned to do so, but there was a chuff. There was a noisy exhale. Vordakai ... seemed to need air to talk, but he also used it as a social cue to indicate he had a question or was going to speak. "What is the Technic league?" The lich asked after a moment once he was sure he was being paid attention to.

Eire was actually glad that Regongar and Octavia weren't here, but he still explained the situation in relation to their story... since really it was only through them, barring Jubilost perhaps knowing something to add, and the actions of the league which ... just lead to the conversation turning into a broader explanation regarding Numeria to the west, but for the lich the bigger question was why let them come over the borders at all. There were reasons admittedly, but probably the most realistic was the simple fact that there was no practical way to secure the borders... high sorcerery could have accomplished it in theory but they didn't have the resources for that.

 

[Imperator Pax]

Rova 4713
The smell of burned sod, the thatch roof, and other medieval flammable materials made an awful odor, but it certainly could have been worse. The fire had crashed in from the window overlooking the street. The inn was oriented so that the rooms were that way... and it was a little surprising no one had seen anything. More interesting was the man who had presumably died from smoke inhalation, even though he was burned, which was an odor that Eire was unfortunately all too inured to.

The dead man that they had found in the room had come from Restov, but was originally from Alkenstar. That really didn't help them. His room was pretty severely charred but the ... napalm for lack of a better description which had coated his room from the window hadn't caught the rest of the inn on fire, and burned itself out relatively quickly... probably a facet of the late summer early fall rains that Varnhold was prone to receiving this time of year, but also the town watch seeing all the smoke and rushing to form a queue to put it out.

Apparently he and another friend from Alkenstar had been travelling together, but it was one thing that mercenaries liked to do it was drink. The Varnling host had been parceled out farms and farmers often brewed their own beer, and thus there was no shortage of pubs and taverns compared to the town's size. With good reason it seemed as if each of Varnhold's columns, company equivalents, had established a pub for their traditions.

To that end it had simply been a matter of heading over the river and through the dale to one pub after another looking for a man from Alkenstar. Simple, but tedious, and rather something that in more developed realms would have been left to the town guard, or even the Kingdom's constabulary to resolve... but Varnhold's people were still resettling their lands and with Summer near its end they needed to get the late summer harvest in and soon to save what they could so the communal fields were busy, and thus the pubs were busy once the men finished.

Thus strangers fighting stood out... though fighting was probably less accurate than describing it a drunken brawl having sprawled out into the street if not for the fact that they all looked so weird. Maegar, and one of his Aldori retainers unsheathed their sword even as the the men sprawled apart scrambling either for dropped weapons or for improvised ones in order to continue.

Eire strolled forward picked up the blocky golden gaudy even pistol and raised it to eye level with the first of the men in the costume of the technic league. The man's features underneath the cybernetic augmentations bulged slightly. Eire depressed what felt more like a button ala a mid 20th​ century sporting shotgun than a military single or two stage trigger, and watched the man's face evaporate as the laspistol did its grim work. A muzzle blast of burning dust and then a second as he wheeled to fire into the surprised second league man.

Neither men had been wizards, so probably not actually members of the Technic league , but merely enhanced hirelings of the numerian organization. Eire flipped the energy weapon to the side looking for identifying marking that weren't obviously decorative, but the pistol looked as if it had been built as a presentation piece,and while obviously dangerous its lack of moving parts didn't impart any insights into its operation.

The dead man's name was Bernhanius. He was from Alkenstar and had come from Restov, but before that he had been in New Stetven, where there had been ... certain not quite public auctions of materials that had their source in Numeria. They weren't 'stolen goods' per se... at least they hadn't been stolen from the Technic League, but they were artifacts and material that the Technic League didn't want in the hands of outsiders.

That Brevoy was a neighbor of Numeria meant it was easy for Numeria artifacts to go over the border, but the Technic League often tried to pursue leads of alleged numerian artifacts, even going so far as to occasionally chase down supposed relics of the 'Mad Mage Karamos' who had a thousand years earlier laid siege to Absalom with his machine armies. This put them naturally at odds with among other nations and organizations, Alkenstar, the Apsis Consortium and the Pathfinder society.

The church of Brigh had helped finance the mission to the auction in hopes of spreading mechanical knowledge, the exact opposite of the Technic League's mission statement, and had been looking to buy a copy of a book known as 'A Thread of Silver'. Supposedly it had been penned by one Lucius Worznik, a member of the league, in 4515, but had been originally stolen in 4625 where upon it had been duplicated and those copies found their way to market from time to time.

Unfortunately, according to the Alkenstar native, they had been outbid at the auction, though and had only been able to glimpse at a copy of the book. The actual winner of the auction was unknown to the Alkenstar pair but apparently they'd seen enough to kill for... or whatever numerian artifacts had been enough to kill over, though the gunslinger claimed that he'd already possessed his laser pistol before journeying to the auction.
--
The very night seemed to threaten to overwhelm the camp as the chill bit at the campfires trying to keep the dark at bay.

Amiri parried the attack. Feeling the biting cold against her arms and the reverberating crack through the sword as the spectral giant attacked. The ghost was crazy. He was talking to his brother. The handful of Six bears Nilak had lead into the Narlmarches had been fleeing this monster.

It had kind of hurt to know that they weren't really looking for her, that Nilak hadn't been really looking for her so much as running from the threat... that the whole following had fled the Realm of the mammoth Lords pursued by the ghostly giant, but at least her childhood friend was alive..

... for now.

The iron blade had a crack as long as her arm. The Great sword was failing.

If Amiri had been in a different state of mind she might have considered this a sign of Gorrum's displeasure, that she wasn't focusing on the battle ahead of her, or that she had failed to properly be aware of her sword's condition. Instead she swung.

The blade broke leaving her with a haft and a still sizable piece of attached ettin wrought iron that was maliciously sharp. She waved it against the monster. The giant scoffed and then recoiled at a sudden burst of frigid artic air driving any remaining hint of summer warmth from the evening.

"Outlaw." A new feminine voice hissed. The silver dragoness bared her teeth even in half elf form and brandished a fey touched mace in the spectral giant's direction. The ghostly form of Fionn had been openly contemptuous of the six bear group when Amiri had first arrived, he'd dismissed them as a threat when she and the others had rushed to their aid even as they hewed through his undead minions.

Eranex's single word declaration, not even an attack had changed all of that.

The giant backpedalled looking at the night's sky and then turned and fled as quickly as his ghostly limbs could carry him, and quickly faded into the twilight backdrop.

It would have been almost comical to watch if she hadn't just been involved in fighting the giant.

The evil spirit left the undead behind to be destroyed and Eranex did not pursue but seemed to seethe with a fury that felt like an avalanche just waiting to tear down the side of a mountain that she was standing on. The six bears around Nilak gave the half elf figure a berth of nervous contemplation.

Suspicion, anger, and curiosity radiated from their defensive posture as they surveyed her party and their sudden gratefully so reinforcements. The half dragon turned, and regarded the small collection of Six Bears. "We are Eranex, daughter of Silverstep of the line of Apsu." It was a start ... of introductions, and then questions, and reunions.

... this giant exile had been cast out of Skyka the many's realm. He had once been one of the vassal lords within Shyka's realm within the first world, Fionn however had grown bored with his immortality and delved into unspeakably vile crimes. The process of this banishment from the first world had left Fionn a ghost unable to reincarnate into a new body as he would have done upon his death had he been in the fey realm. The best that he could manage was occasionally possessing a new body hunting for the sword which held his brother's bound soul.

The sword... which she had found years ago on a frost giant's corpse.

The result of course had been that Fionn had traced the sword back to the Six Bears following and had rampaged through the following eventually splintering the following as they fled south. None of the six bears could say how many of their following still survived after their flight south had begun... they had been pushed further south first by the old chieftan's son but after his death the splits had increased, splintering the six bear following.

 

[Imperator Pax]

So on a lark [Humble Bundle Link] picked up the humble bundle map bonanza thing... I'll probably regret this as I'll probably eat time and more importantly take up space on my SSD that will annoy me whenever Genshin impact decides ti needs a bajillion gigs in order to update or whatever... but I've been looking into getting back into doing maps for stuff... and this story is a prime candidate for it. So I will be attempting to learn how to use Campaign Cartography 3 to make terrtain maps... and I may try and make city maps at some point for Narhold and more broadly the Stolen Lands and the first world and maybe other places to post in this thread.

I'll probably start by seeing if I can approximate what the canonical northern river kingdoms / the Stolen lands look like and work from there.

 

[Trek]

My own tries at map making for my dnd games taught me they take many many hours to get good maps. But sometimes it's worth it.

 

[Imperator Pax]

Rova 4712

[4712 AR Year Conclusion]​

Eire took the news in as well tempered a manner as he could. In truth he was somewhat relieved by the news that the Six Bears as a collective following were not going to swell the Tiger Lords ranks with manpower. The issue of borders was more of a general idea... the idea of cross border immigration control and such simply wasn't practical... barring tremendous amounts of magic... and of course it would have looked absurd to contend with the movement one way while simultaneously expending effort to encourage settlers from the inner sea to leave homes in Taldan, or Cheliax or across the sea.

It also wasn't as if his return from Varnhold was solely reliant on the matters of the intrusion of the Brevic Church of Shelyn within the realm, or Amiri's former tribe being chased into his realm by this apparent criminal from Shyka's realm.

Nilak, Amiri's childhood friend, suggested that some of the other six bear splinters had likely moved to camp with the Tiger Lords and other Kellid tribes to the west, while bands and individual families might still be in Numeria, or in southern Brevoy. Ordinarily her small collection probably tried to move on, but Fionn's breaking of Amiri's sword and encounter with Eranex suggested that the malevolent spirit might stop pursuing the six bears ... though that did raise the issue of whether the ghostly exile would refocus his attention to the kingdom itself.

Eire didn't have the time to deal with Nilak and her collection of tribesemen and if they were going to stay or go. They could work out their differences with Amiri over the latters deparature, or not but the giant would need to be dealt with... and preferably soon. This business with Sir Fredero at this Shrine of the Golden Grove as well. Then was the speculation of the continued blockage of the river traffic in the slough and what could be causing that... though despite chatter in Mivon, the southern Aldori didn't seem to consider it pressing... probably because they accepted they had an alternate trade route... and for that matter might have tolerated him better than Hannis.

He had heard little from the neighboring realm since the end of Harrgulka's escapades so he assumed Drelev's domain must have largely been running smoothly. Next week, this approaching week was going to be busy. Sunday would be the somal new moon and the following week would entail the Day of the Inheritor following on oathday, starday would mark the last day of summer by the calendar and the following sunday would be the fall equinox. In short at least two potentially as many as five different civil and religious officiatings over a span of four days. That would depend on the churches of Desna and Erastil, as well as Sarenrae and of course two weeks from the fall equinox would be ascendance day.

He had already expected that he would be travelling through the first month of the year, but with Amiri's broken sword to contend with, "Dragn has settled into bronzeshield," even though Eire had yet to find the time to visit the dwarf's shop, he had planned to visit the foritication soon, "And there are other smiths he can repair the weapon, As for Fionn," He turned to Eranex.

"No I will deal with the giant."

Amiri's protest was noted, but so to was the rejoinder that that might be more difficult than simply beating the giant. The six bears had driven the ghost off before... they needed a way to permanently dispatch the specrtal menace. That meant research and magic most likely.
--
The Golden Grove's story was as Valerie described at testament to her former's faith's hare brained and foolish obsessions with pursuing beauty in all its forms. It had been established several centuries ago, after the Taldan Empire's collapse and well beyond the early empire of Cheliax's control. This was a mistake because the group of Shelynites who had ventured into the Stolen Lands were doing so before the era of Brevic foundation. What would become the Brevic branch Church of Sheyln, after the Rogavarian conquest, never bothered to try and reclaim the remote shrine.

In short centuries ago the worshippers of Shelyn had migrated to a nice spot in the wilderness constructed a lovely shrine to their goddess of obscenly expensive marbel... and not long after their construction had been completed... were all killed by the monsters native to the region.

During the heyday of the rogavarian monarchs about eighty years earlier there had been an attempt to expand into the region, much as how Jamandi Aldori and the Issians before her had done over the past decade, ultimately culminating in their present state. To that end it wasn't that surprising to Valerie that an unsanctioned collection of idiots had moved into a shrine long abandonned for the risk of monsters and lack of governance to support them.

The Shrine of the Golden Grove was only partly maintained. Still it was an impressive structure if for the sheer expense that must have gone into quarrying the marble and hauling it here. It was built in the styles of the Inner Sea, of the Taldan empire not unlike the high dome that formed the basillica of the shrine if in miniature to the one in Shrikewall.

"Its smaller than I was expecting." Linzi remarked she trailed off looking up at the shrine's double doors and the facade of marble."I thought it was going to kind," She paused doing another double take, "of going to be bigger."

It was if as much as a third the size than the bassilica Shrikewall's cathedral to the Inheritor. Eire suspecting the interior dome height perhaps as little fifteen meters above the sanctuary floor. "I suspect that this was built with -"

"They didn't have magic, or at least only limitted means." Jaethal snorted cutting him off. "They surely built this to evoke memories of when Taldan's empire was this far north." She waved to a veranda supported by a colonade of ionic style columns, that were largely overgrown by flowering vines. The vines were nearly everywhere, except for the main double doors... and at one point they had probably been intentionally cultivated in order to blend well with the shrine... they had just not been tended for so long that they had gotten a bit out of hand. "But certainly Taldan esque architecture in miniature... or Azlanti I suppose." She dismissed, the elf waved a gloved hand.

That had been one of the observations of the Cathedral in Shrikewall that the cyclops had made when visiting was the obvious Azlanti influence in the cathedral's architecture that had passed down through Taldan's church of Aroden. He felt none of the radiance that permeated Shrikewall's cathedral grounds and that presumably rendered the city's protection against fire... but then again he suspected that that was domain magic.

Whatever the case the Golden Grove held a small cluster of human priestesses. Eire held a hand out to slow his chancellor and ward before they could move further. "The builders may have lacked magic," but there were multiple alarm spells placed around the grounds, which immediately prompted Jaethal's naturally suspicious nature, though did not necessarily prove anything.

Given the nature of Shelyn's clergy or even just the fate of the original shrine's builders it could easily have been a bard who had set the spells... or frankly a surprising abundance of caution... or Fredero was an inquisitor and able to cast the spell to protect the shrine. Eire had assumed from Valerie's recounting of her studies that the Shelynite knight was a paladin but that might have been in error.

They didn't have to wait long after their arrival as one of the sisters went to fetch the night. He was almost as grating, though not quite as perfumed and no where near overdressed as the Pitaxian dandy of a knight Moskoni. That wasn't really a surprise his letter had been obnoxious, "Valerie, you arrive at last!" The knight called out. "I worried that you lacked the conviction and bravery to answer my challenge," Shaoyu bristled at this, and even more so as the brightly dressed man continued "Or that your new companions would prevent you from doing so. Good that you came, though for is not this a place of beauty?" That was what he was concerned with, Eire kept a hand on his ward's shoulder, "I could understand if its sight alone could compel you to recant your ways and seek absolution but if you remain obstinate I am ready to make good on my challenge. Draw your steel to test against me , and we can exchange pleasantries anew after your defeat and return to the faith!"

"Sight alone?" Shaoyu glanced around a hiss of sparks, before spluttering in outrage "This small garden, Goddess Victorious, Shrikewall is testament of-"

"Yes Shaoyu these things have been said." He replied in draconic.

One of the priestesses, indeed he wouldn't have been surprised if all of them, were from Brevoy translated from draconic into vulgar taldane, which still a few minutes before they could move on. The rules of the duel itself were simple. The shrine's interior were off limits and subject to forfeiture since it was the sanctum. Fredero had well maintained, but entirely too ornate to be field armor, though his long sword was at least a practical design, even accepting the amethyst inlays. He didn't strike Eire as someone who used magic, but more a fixture of courtly society, but one who could wield a blade.

With the rules accepted. Linzi, Tristian, and Saeya Mouri stood to one side as the bard prepared to chronicle the events from the shade of one of the apple trees and he and Shaoyu and Jaethal moved opposite.

Fredero wasted no time as soon as the duel began with surprising elan for someone so overdressed and immediately went down the stairs aiming to force the blonde back and off balance, and met in a clash of steel. Sparks of fire trailed from Valerie's sword an improvement rendered in the face of Harrgulka's particular troubles to the realm, given that she couldn't conjure the magical flames herself. She had partially accepted the sword in part because Tristian could enjoin his scimitar with magical fire, presumably the enchantments on Fredero's sword were a matter of Shelynite pomp and circumstance as it dealt a harmful song like ring.

Eire frowned at the sonic attack, and damage, but said nothing, allowing the duel to unfold as it was , because at the end of it, Valerie had a clear edge. Her equipment was better, and while it was true that Fredero probably had years of experience garnered over the course of his life Valerie was a more capable fighter.

Fredero Sinnet might have been an acrobat and dancer certainly he was spry but Valerie had lived as a mercernary and with the aldori. She had probably at least as much dueling experience with the bravos of restov. She was a juggernaut in the clinch, and proved this by leveraging her longer sword to pivot around the plate protection to hip throw Fredero down the short rise of marble steps to her left.

Even with magic swords defeating plate armor was hard, unless that magic entailed some way to bypass solid steel, but a rigid sword made an effective bar to leverage a fully armored man easily enough, Fredero's tumble also disoriented him as he hit the transept nearer to a statue and reflecting pool close to the stand of fruit trees where Linzi was hastily and somewhat inaccurately, in terms, describing the bout while Saeya attempted to correct misused terminology.

The noise of the fight had attracted attention from the shrine. Another of the priestesses seemed to have peaked out to watch, and then ducked back in... he spared the movement a look considering perhaps the mother superior or whomever was in charge to chide her for slacking off... who knew. The fight continued for about another minute before Valerie forced a concession from her former mentor.

"And that Shaoyu is why we practice fighting against armored opponents," Why grappling and striking and leverage and footwork, and terrain and other details were important even when you could set the enemy on fire. Eire crossed over the path as Linzi began congratulating the chancellor for her victory.

Sir Fredero had a clearly broken nose, and a laceration on his scalp that was at least three inches running to over his ear that was oozing blood, but he'd avoided having his arm dislocated, and really wasn't that worse off. He spared only a passing glance at the statue of Shelyn, before moving on to the two armored figured. Fredero wasn't seriously hurt, but Eire also wasn't particularly expecting the out of breath knight to do anything stupid.

It was Linzi, who also venerated Shelyn, who pointed out that the statue was crying. Eire's head snapped back to look at the unusually forlorn statute of the goddess and ineed the tears running down the round feminine cheeks of marble.

He didn't have much time to contemplate what it meant.

"TULVAK!" Saeya Mouri bellowed her hands on her pole arm. "Hag!" She called in warning.

Eire whirled. Long swords unsheathed at the name.

He knew the name. The green hag had leaked the names of her coven at Nivakta's crossing, and where they could be found for her own spite filled ends two years earlier. He had never seen the green hag in person but he trusted the knight of torrent was telling the truth.

Jaethal slipped like a grim shadow and tripped the priestess who had translated his draconic earlier. "Stay there." The inquisitor of Urgoataha purred in amusement, and sinister warning daring the young woman to defy the command as she faced the entryway.

"Tristian, Linzi, rear guard." He ordered. "Tulvak." He called

"Hello there dearies. I didn't think I'd see you again." The green hag called waving a ferocious looking scythe of her own in the air, "It was so pleasing to see you deal with granny Ferras's hideous face." He thought of the bloated purple features of the iron hag his summoned octopus had drowned in the rapid currents of the Shrike river west of Restov amid a broken bridge. "I don't see that strapping half orc lad with you, that's a pity, he looked positively scrumptious."

... and then she triggered a magic ring and disappeared. He recognized the recall spell, but the question was where she had teleported to.


--

Notes: This is using content from the companion book, which again I retierate runs into the problem of writers not tending to understand scale. That being said, Eire, and Shaoyu are comparing a small shrine to the cathedral at Shrikewall while a fifty foot dome is small for a shrine its not that unusual in reality for somewhere on the frontiers.

But also this can be neatly interpreted as religious chauvinism, or also the difference in aesthetics, given Shaoyu's position while a cute garden its lacks the imperial splendor of the cathedral... but it bears in mind that Shaoyu also hatched in the Cathedral as it was being built.

 

[Trek]

Scale in the companion book is indeed out of wack.

 

[Imperator Pax]

Spring 4713AR
If Amiri didn't really care for urban areas cities especially as anything other than a passing place to eat, drink sleep, and occasionally use the market... the handful of six bears who travelled with her childhood friend Nilak were even more out of place within the city walls. Eire was willing to go so far as to assume that the winter had been the longest that the six bears had spent in any single place since their flight into the land of Numeria had begun...

Shrikewall during the winter months was a very busy place. The baronial seat, the royal seat now did not ice over... at best it did receive some snow typically in the early second month of the year but the Tuskwater being fed from the Shrike which remained quite brisk never froze over thus the port of Shrikewall was never shut to the flow of foreign traffic coming up the Sellen system. This meant that during the winter months people arrived but largely did not depart the capital. This was beyond the migration, as feudal homage also was included over these months.

In the culture of the Mammoth Lords it was a great symbol of power and prestige for a tribe to have foundling giants raised among their tribes. A clan commanding more than a dozen was enough to place it among the strongest of Kellid tribes, and and insured their broader following commanded great influence at gatherings as well as choice hunting grounds.

There was no questioning that Narhold was dominated by humans in population, but the significant migration of kellid, and iobarian folk from Numeria and the east as well as up from the south was bringing with it others besides just various barbarian clans to meet the proclaimed 'twice born' and so coupled with migrations unrelated to the Tiger Lords Shrikewall was a place of cosmopolitan nature that made it alien beyond the small towns of Numeria or the fringes of the world wound or Brevoy the small group had passed.


Eire watched a ship tack into the wind. "Have they given thought to where they will settle?" It was no secret that Amiri hoped that Nilak and the handful of others would settle... perhaps at New Colton or in the east somewhere in the Kamelands or on Lake Silverstep... but that they would remain close since they had been pushed from the lands of the mammoth lords.

She accepted that they were unlikely to consider settling within Shrikewall's direct boundaries. "Nilak doesn't know. It would be premature so long as that ghost bastard is still around." Compounding that was that while the worship of Desna and Gorrum were common in the land of the mammoth lords... well even Amiri had been ignorant of Iomedae, and the inheritor's church within Brevoy was small.

"Yes," Well, they were working on it. Eire regarded the lake, and then to his capital at large. The spring thaw would be begin soon, and that would gorge the rivers, marking really spring.

--
Eire was looking forward to well eventually a clocktower, and a university but the printing press by itself made it possible to provide for academic matters.

Vordakai cleared his throat making a rattling noise in his atrophied chest. He and Maestro Pendrod, a guest of Maegar's, had been discussing linguistics before the latter's return to Oppara. Modern Giant or Jotun was actually a mixture of Cyclops and Thassilonian, which was itself a part of the Azlanti language family though from a different branch. This made it distantly related, at least in the Thasilonian side, to Hallit and Taldane. To that extent most giants if they were willing to put forth the effort could learn Common or Hallit comparatively more easily than they could Draconic.

"I assume we have confirmation?"

"We do." The atrophied lich looked at the swirling sands beneath their feet. "The tiger lords call to arms towards various giants have gathered several hill giant bands to hear him out, with more approaching." Vordakai paused and with a suffering scowl continued, "Gragglebeard is a hill giant known for the brutality his host of ogres and his suit of wyvern armor. He will have to be destroyed with his host."

Amiri straightened suddenly intrigued at the conversation going on. "Destroyed?"

"There can be no negotiation with this one." That was a very quickly unanimous opinion. He had a well earned reputation for terror across the river kingdoms having wiped many settlements and was known from Numeria to Galt where he had last been reported in the east, prior to the report of his presence travelling north through the Mivonese countryside. If you needed some rampant destruction and had gold, or commodities Gragglebeard would be happy to oblige as long as he got first choice of booty. "Mivon has already placed a bounty on his head."

Eire nodded. He took the consensus in stride. There were other hill giants moving to join or at least hear Armag out and of course there was another giantish problem. "That leaves Fionn." He remarked bringing forward the discussion he had had in private with Amiri that morning.

"We have made the preparations to reincarnate Kean, and free him from the sword, but it will require waiting for the spring equinox." Which was thankfully not that far away. "Once his soul is free of the curse binding him to the sword Fionn no longer be able to return from being defeated."

He didn't like the should in that sentence, but it was the best plan that didn't involve either human sacrifice or asking Shyka to do something about her exiled frost giant. Amiri immediately volunteered to fight Fionn once he was mortal... it had been training for such a rematch that had dominated her activity all winter.

That left him with the matter of handling the reincarnation of the frost giant... and that left them still to contend with the broader context of international relations... or one of their less immediate neighbors' internal politics. While there were Giants who would have found Shrikewall's cathedral still small the fortress had been built with giantish assistance and its hall had very high ceilings. The chamber beyond the sea of shifting sands that formed the magically changing map of the realm was built and furnished in the same dark hardwoods and plaster facades mixed Chelish and Iobarian directed appearances. Vordakai shut the door behind them making him the sixth giant in the room.

Shaoyu, Jaethal, Amiri, Mouri, and two armingers accompanying her had followed. Four giants stood around a bound gnarled fifth... a cleric of the demon lord Kostchtchie who had been arrested having come from Iobaria. The cleric of Minderhal, a stone giant elder well into his ninth century, nodded. "if it pleases you?"

The bound giant licked his cracked lips, and recognizing Eire's nod began to speak.

Iobaria wasn't the problem, not at the moment at least. It was the opposite direction to the west lay the land of eternal winter. The domain of "Baba yaga will return soon." He repeated.

"Yes," The captured cleric rasped. "To replace her daughter Elvanna, to place a new daughter on the throne." The giant remarked.

He wondered if he was over thinking things... but earth's memory stirred at him. "The Tiger Lords, this witch queen could be seeking to bolster her army against her mother." Amiri suggested, which wasn't an insane idea... other than they were talking about the fucking boogeyman.

Jaethal happily reiterated Irrisen's, rather lurid, history that this had happened time and again, every hundred years the crone and her walking hut showed up to put a new daughter on the throne, and and whisk the previous queen away. There had been rebellions and defiance before... they never worked since the first daughter Jadwiga had been crowned in 3313 at the end of the Winter War.

The cleric of Kostchtchie knew nothing of that, only that five hundred years ago the ninth daughter of the crone had rebelled... and as consequence Kostchtchie had been driven from Irrisen to Iobaria. Tashanna had managed to locate the Torc of Kostchtchie which contained the soul of the frost giant demon lord. The torc which was supposedly locked within the veil of frozen tears... but that was in the far north... it was well beyond the distance that the six bears had fled across on the other side ... but the mercenaries sent to the necropolis had managed to penetrate the wards of the necropolis all the same and so Kostchtchie had some idea where it was, which meant an overland trek but being a practical sort was willing to hire adventurers of his own to see if any of them could secure his torc even if they weren't giants.

That still raised questions of what Elvanna, the reigning queen, hoped to accomplish with all of this given the events of past history. Still if Elvanna was intended to rebel... it did explain some of the migration small pockets of strangers from the west, reports of winter wolves in southern Numeria and so on. Some of course had initially been assumed to be Varisians and ulfens migrating from further west but now he suspected that there might be more going on.

He looked at the bound cleric and the manacles, they could only prove cattle rustling charge... which the evil giant was obviously guilty of and that was hardly some great shocker, but he suspected the cleric being the servant to a demon lord was likely guilty of more. "You are exiled from my realm, and declared outlaw, you will be taken to the border with Numeria and given sufficient rations for three days. Do not enter my lands without my leave." The branding magic flared a rune appearing on the purple skin of the giant and pulsed briefly.

Vordakai nodded, and the assembly reduced as the other giants and the armingers departed for the trip to the Numerian border. River Giants were used to playing the river and would insure that the cleric was sent to Numeria... and of course there were other errands that needed to be conducted. A civil war in Irrisen was not something likely to effect them... and the more he thought about it he doubted Armag's host would be in a position to march across the north without significant magical aid... and besides that would have made their lives so much simpler if the vast kellid horde simply decamped for the west and took those flocking to join them with them.

Jaethal was right that if Elvanna intended to raise rebellion it was doubtful she would fare any better than her sisters various attempts.... and if tradition held then at the end of the year there would be a new queen in Irrisen and the point would ultimately be moot.

The afternoon's course of events had them contend with several other similar matters of state, and the growing diverse population of the realm, and the king of less than a year settled on a less ostentatious, stern even high backed chair. "You have other misgivings?"

There were always going to be arguments within the church. There were squabbles between nationality... and of course he suspected given time they would see a similar 'export' from their own borders. Half elves were a complicated subject... half bloods in general. Half orcs could make a pretty good living in brevoy... if they adapted to the country, or if both their parents were half orcs... their northern neighbor was complicated...

...and the condition of the bastards of Golarion was complicated. It wasn't half orcs that were the main matter. He knew the bellflower network was active in his land smuggling small folk north to freedom, and he knew all too well that the Church as well as Milani's church were facilitating their safe passage. Eire had expected more of the same. "There is trouble brewing in Cheliax," and less charitably that Taldor was a basket case... and that played a role.

What those two nations shared in common was well... nobles and their indiscretions. Half elves and tieflings. Most of the tieflings were from Cheliax originally of course but given their status, and indeed frequent enslavement in the infernal kingdom they did escape to Taldor when possible... and well nobles in both realms tended to want to shuttle off their half elf children far from the sight of the courts as well. As Jaethal had predicted they had seen some increase in elven, pure born wood elves, to migrate as word spread of the first world cultivars. Kyonin's envoy, envoy not ambassador, was still not keen on interactions with the undead inquisitor but made the best of it if only for a peaceful position at court. That itself was a development an outgrowth of the change from free holding barony to a territorial kingdom and the monarchy.
--
Notes: Irrisen, Winter War and the actual AP will play only limited role in this part of the story... I had considered Eire making a brief trip to 20th​ century Earth (Rasputin Must Die!), that has been scrapped, Anastasia will be named dropped but probably will not appear on screen for a while though again her ascension to the throne of Irrissen will be mentioned much later in the year or in the following one.

The larger point here is to comment on the broader potential conspiracy Elvanna may or may not have engaged on to try and rebel against Baba Yaga during the course of the AP, which 'starts' in midsummer of 4713 roughly two months before the world wound incursion. (The romanovs were murdered in mid July on Earth of 1918). Again in the current version I do not plan to cover the events of Reign of Winter in particular detail, or for that matter Wrath of the Righteous other than the events of the opening of the fifth mendevian crusade, but I consider the timeline of events important even though it makes the summer of 4713 rather busy.

That being said my best estimation of Winter Reigns is that it takes place over probably a couple of months, at least probably two or three , and certainly overlaps with the world wound incursion (Elvanna thinks she's going to save the world wound for last, which leads into the next thing) supposed Elvanna oped up winter portal all over golarion.

I fully suspect that result of that would be Cheliax, and Taldor, and Qadira and the Keleshite empire (etc etc) would start putting armies through those portals to rearrange Irrisen's national face if the AP had lasted much longer than that, which might have implications on the world wound situation.

Jokingly:
Kingmaker: Winter portals in the kingdom

Damn it Nyrissa stop fucking with my kingdom!
Not me this time.

That being said the events of the torc of Kostchie are IIRC 4711 but we're going to handwave that in this particular case as I don't have that particular book hand to double check

 

[Trek]

Which book are you missing?

 

[Imperator Pax]

Which book are you missing?

Click to shrink...

https://pathfinderwiki.com/wiki/The_Witchwar_Legacy

Which given publication I think would have already happened. Indeed would probably have been contemporary to the events of the Stag lord's death in all likelihood

 

[Imperator Pax]

I'm going to go ahead and give notice,

There is a canonical update this evening (probably in a couple hours, I'm revising now) dealing with 'pre spring' / late winter 4713 content.

Secondly, and this will probably be cross posted to my misc thread as well later, not necessarily today, a collection of JumpChain builds that while not necessarily canonical represent a theoretical alternative to the combination of DrowCYOA + Jumps used That will be a very large post with a lot of spoilered text. It can be safely ignored, as I've mentioned part of the reason I've retained the DrowCYOA by Bear ribs is because Kiransalee will show up later, once the drow actually show up as a population rather than lone individuals.

 

[Trek]

Can you make clear in that what you are using for the canon story also? I am pretty sure you are just using the drow cyoa and the kingmaker jump right?

 

[Imperator Pax]

Can you make clear in that what you are using for the canon story also? I am pretty sure you are just using the drow cyoa and the kingmaker jump right?

Click to shrink...

As of the monarchy's foundation Eire has the Generic Pathfinder Jump's cleric tree though that will be fleshed out particularly during the Mendev excursion, though it plays an increasing role henceforth with particularly the free Cleric perk Ear of the Divine.

That can be found (the tree) can be found here: https://forum.questionablequesting....athfinder-kingmaker.16402/page-5#post-6618369

 

[Trek]

As of the monarchy's foundation Eire has the Generic Pathfinder Jump's cleric tree though that will be fleshed out particularly during the Mendev excursion, though it plays an increasing role henceforth with particularly the free Cleric perk Ear of the Divine.

That can be found (the tree) can be found here: https://forum.questionablequesting....athfinder-kingmaker.16402/page-5#post-6618369

Click to shrink...

So all in all mc has stuff from kingmaker jump, drow cyoa and Generic Pathfinder Jump's cleric tree.

And he will gain more jumps/ perks/cyos as he absorbs fragments of divinity leading into the true ending? Is that canon in your linked post its says its non canon.

 

[Imperator Pax]

Pharast 4713
Because Shrikewall was dominated by its geography, which in turn overlooked both the Tuskdale valley to the north and the river courses, and the tuskwater lake that impacted the city's layout. As a result the urban center was impacted by the geography. The cathedral, even with completion of the stone fortress remained the urban center of the castle town's dominant commerce structure because it formed the dominant portion of the urban center.

This had the natural by product of congregating most open air trade. Iomedae might not have been a goddess of commerce but it made sense to have in the vicinity of the cathedral in conjunction with the rest of the realm's administrative buildings other buildings related to managing the markets.

Kelesh was twelve hundred miles away, the great grass seas which dominated northern iobaria separated the Padishah empire and its satrapies from north eastern Avistan. Yet, it was an overland route that did make its way to Restov, and indeed to New Stetven for whatever reason. It would have made more sense if the Rogavarian monarchs still reigned... if Choral the conqueror had still reigned ... but those merchants still travelled.

The riverine route was possible, one could sail up the great Sellen River nearly the entire length of the river... which was why he was surprised no one had reopened the slough. It would have made more economic sense... but he wasn't inclined to look into why they hadn't when he so readily benefitted from the trade

Of the modern human empires. The Padishah Empire to whom was overlord of Kelesh was the closest to merit Vordakai's respect... Chelesh was a distant second even without factoring in its clearly declining status of power. Taldor, was so far as the cyclops was concerned, lucky it hadn't been ripped apart by civil war or conquered... though that wasn't why he respected the Keleshite's overlord. He respected them for their proficiency with magic, and extra planar interactions the same reason he respected Cheliax, and also Osirion, because they had extra planar alliances, and powerful magic. In the case of the Padishah, and also their broader cultural sphere, that was the ties to djinn and elementals.

At the same time though they did not reach the power and influence of the azlanti civilization of Azlanti high society, or their Thasilonian breakaways. The modern human empires were more territorially expansive... they were larger, and had greater populations but that meant little to Vordakai compared to, well crudely put, how much magic they could wield.

The cyclops had a voracious appetite for knowledge, and thus read whatever books he could put his hands on. They'd need to build a library. They needed to build a lot of buildings for hte capital, and for the other core towns. Those core towns, even Hereford, were much more centrally planned in layout than Shrikewall. It was in part that they weren't medieval towns at all... they, in contrast to say Olegton, or Tatzlford were the traditional arrangement of charters.

It was in this arrangement that the cyclops had turned his attention from the matter of the Sarenite faithful of Kelesh delegations memorandums to the throne, to face his single eye. He easily towered over the others in the room... none of the stone giants were present being unnecessary for the day's proceedings, and the same was true for the other giants of note in the realm. Amiri was off somewhere with Nilak waiting for the frost giant to be liberated from within her broken sword. Regongar and Octavia weren't typically involved in these matters of the realm.

So it was Vordakai, Tristian, Harrim, Jaethal, Valerie, Linzi, Jubilost and Kanerah all around the original table of the first hall that retained an accurate enough map of the 'Stolen Lands' and its surroundings. The gathering represented the council and covered the important distinctions between secular and religious view points, as well as martial, and economic.

Unlike matters with the giantish gods, Minderhal, or the demon lord Kotschie as had most recently been discussed, the Sarenite Faith was largely accepted throughout the known world... which meant it had many many individual churches, and a wide range of iterations and sects, and differing view points. Eire would not have been surprised if Sarenrae's church was actually the largest faith on Golarion, certainly as the official faith of the Padisah empire and its satrapies and its favored status across the nations in its cultural gravity ... it must have certainly been up there. Sarenrae herself was an ancient human goddess... though that would invariably provoked arguments over creation myths... and so forth.

Shelyn was likely an equally ancient goddess, she had originally been a member of the Azlanti pantheon... which raised other questions, but the necessity to rebuild Shelyn's shrine of the golden grove did attract the attention and notice of the other faiths. Shelyn had directly asked, beyond just hte crying statue, and forcing the hag's withdrawal from the shrine... well he acknowledged that doing anything with the Shrine of the Golden Grove might have prompted attention... divine direct meddling was...

"Tristian?"

The blonde sarenite cleric nodded, coughed slightly, and started to speak, "Besides orphanages, and hospitals," Sarenrae was patron of among other things lost children apparently, but also patron of healers... "I cannot deny that the dawnflower's church does involve itself in the work of the bellflower network... however."

"Tristian, the Inheritor's faith is at a minimum turning a blind eye to their abolitionist work, and I have made my opinion very clear that I support the abolition of slavery..."

"However not all of the church may feel universally compelled to do so."

Eire paused, and nodded. That was true... Qadira, Kelesh, Osirion, the Padishah empire more broadly widely practiced slavery. Azlant had practiced slavery when it had still be extent. Iomedae church while more theologically predisposed against slavery than Arodens ... was more akin to the medieval catholic churches' opinion so far as accepting, and preferred serfdom as an alternative, but was not prepared to actually force a catastrophically destructive war to abolish it. The best that Iomedae's church had been able to do was largely to eliminate it within the church hierarchy itself, regardless of financial losses.

Milani's church might have preferred they went further.... but there were realpolitik concerns that pervaded the Inner Sea. The best that could be done was ato support and encourage one view point, friendly viewpoints over those of the other branches of the church, but without out confronting them with militant force.

"There is also the other matter," Kanerah didn't like the state church of her homeland.... for rather obvious reasons. The red eyed tiefling also found Tristian's sermonizing annoying... which Amiri, and Jubilost tended to concur, while ironically Harrim didn't mind the theological disagreement, and Linzi welcomed the sunlight cheeriness. "I've been receiving requests from both the Church of the Dawnflower and that of Iomedae, and others about what resources could be provided to Mendev..."

"Yes, I've been fielding similar petitions since the start of the year... and the conclusion," that he had reached before being told, "was that there is a fifth mendevian crusade being considered. It won't b e formally pronounced until the churches in common are certain they have the resources to support it but the faith has begun petitioning its monarchs," Of which he now counted, "for considerations of support for the conflict against the abyss."

"Hence questions of grain, and iron," Vordakai observed, "And thus why the realm examines how we can transport such goods from the lands between the rivers," The word he actually used was a vaguely greek word in ancient cyclopean dialect that; in short a variation of mesopotomia.
--
Notes: Yes, that is being canonized as we move forward... I'm going to go edit that post, and do something comprehensive down the road. The fragments of divinity being absorbed are canon thats already happened with the Kingmaker jump's perks I should have phrased that better.

 

[Imperator Pax]

Jumps and Builds​

This is a place holder post it is an alternate version of Eire's evolving power set as the divine shards are assimilated with a loose chronology. I will be editting in these builds reflective of this alternative version because to be honest the idea is bugging the ever loving shit out of me, and if I don't post it its going to continue to nag me. I am omitting some of the freebies, and item purchaes to save space.

Arrival on Golarion: Generic Pathfinder https://i.4pcdn.org/tg/1567739084008.pdf

The Generic Pathfinder Jump: 1000:

Spoiler: Cleric Tree: 450

Ear of the Divine [100]: The gods are worshipped by many, and the most popular gods are always inundated with a caconophy of prayers. Desperate pleas for help, choirs singing their praises, someone hitting their finger with a hammer – that type of thing. But you are not some peasant praying for rain or something so mundane. You are a Cleric, a holy man, a living conduit of divine power. And when you pray to a deity, your voice is the sound of thunder amongst the rain of other prayers and it will never go unheard. This extends to any other beings that can hear prayers, not just your own god. Something about your inner voice is simply impossible to ignore, even if such a being were actively attempting to tune out prayers.

Will of the Gods [300]: In a world where gods are an active presence in the land and their servants walk about healing the sick and smiting heathens, it is not hard to convince the common folk to venerate them. For you, this is particularly true. Just interacting with people in a positive light will cause most you meet to start adapting your ideals and beliefs. Something more extreme such as saving them from a grisly fate at the hands of a monster or raising their child from the grave would likely cause most to drop to their knees and convert to your religion on the spot.

Holy Man [600]: No mere priest are you. You are a living avatar of the god or concept that you worship. All those who look upon you can instantly see that you are more than a man of flesh and blood, you are an icon, a living saint. Were you to worship a god of the sun, all who saw you could tell that you burned with your god's light and you could summon an aura of sunlight to literally burn with glorious incandescence. Furthermore, you overflow with divine energy. Without even channeling energy, your mere touch can heal minor wounds or repel the undead. And your domain spells can be cast at will as often and as many times as you wish without preparing them, so long as you are capable of casting spells of the level of the domain spell you wish to cast. Finally, you can create copies of your holy symbol and favored weapon at will which will remain in existence so long as you are in contact with them but will slowly fade away otherwise.

The Stag Lord Defeated: The Dragons



Eranex's Quest Resolution: Pathfinder Kingmaker Jump

Spoiler: Kingmaker.

1000CP
Freebies:
Lawful Good:
- Knightly (100CP, free for Lawful Good)
You hold yourself to a higher standard, and it would not do for your dedication to waver in the face of opposition. You gain a high degree of physical and mental discipline, and you'll find that you not only inspire others around you to act with courage, but that you yourself will never be overwhelmed by fear. This does not mean you do not experience fear - rather, such emotions will never cloud your judgement, cause your hands to shake, or otherwise leave you with such deleterious effects.
- First World Flora (100CP, first free with 'Esoteric Gardener')
The wilds of the Stolen Lands contain more than mundane or even magical plants and wildlife. Thanks to the unusually thin barrier between the physical world and the so-called 'First World' where fey make their home, the Stolen Lands see an unusually high variety of otherworldly plants and unusual, plant-like creatures. With each purchase, you gain a number of seeds,
saplings or other such materials suited for growing one of these strange plant types, including instructions on how to plant and nurture them. You also gain the means to control the more dangerous variants and ensure you don't find yourself (or your friends) on the wrong side of a hungry mass of vegetation. Though this control remains fairly basic and instinctive, given these plants aren't exactly smart, it is usually enough to train even the most primitive of these plants such that they only harm those they're supposed to harm - or those being suicidally careless. You may choose from the following options:
Second, the large, lush petals of Mana Plants are used to collect vast amounts of magical power. Though these plants take time to grow and they are useless on their own, their supernatural nature allows even a single such flower to generate vast amounts of arcane energies. Once grown large enough to fill a small room, this type of plant could power a multitude of arcane enchantments, equipment, and wards across an entire castle without difficulty.
- Safe Travels (200CP, free for Lawful Good)
A nation does not end at its cities' walls, and you'll find that the roads and farmlands that crisscross the wilderness of the Stolen Lands are at least as important as the grand institutions of the capital. With this upgrade, you gain the advantages of a much better protected travel system to support your people. Where before you might have had mere dirt tracks and muddy paths leading to your villages, now you'll have roads made with cobblestone or even granite setts - allowing for far faster and easier travel all year round. You'll likewise gain high-quality stone bridges over any rivers that might otherwise form obstacles, including a small garrison for protection against hostiles, toll collection, and other such economic and safety concerns. As your kingdom grows and prospers, you might even find yourself with easy access to watchtowers and other small outposts to keep the roads safe, further reducing the risk of banditry, goblin infestations and wild animal attacks alike.
--
- Esoteric Gardener (200CP)
Having a 'green thumb' is not so unusual - there are countless farmers, herbalists, and other such men and women reliant on their ability to cultivate plants, to speak nothing of what experienced Druids can accomplish. But your gifts take on a rather more… varied approach, and your gift doesn't end with mere mundane or common magical plants. Rather, yours is a gift eminently applicable to the nourishing and cultivating of supernatural flora, in particular those with a strong tie to the First World - with all that implies. Plants and other flora will flourish under your hands, and you could grow massive, otherworldly flowers literally luminescent with gathered magical energies as easily as others might plant wheat or potatoes. You know just how to make plants thrive even in hostile environments, and breeding new, often supernaturally augmented, plants is a trivial matter provided you have some time and a bit of fertile soil. And for those who feel that flowerpots and soil are a poor way to power… think again. A single First World flower, in the hands of a true master, can become a threat more insidious and terrifying than an entire army of invaders.


- Unformed (600CP) The creatures of the First World come in many shapes, sizes and overall levels of power - first among them the so-called 'Eldest', including Shyka The Many, the Lost Prince, and the Lantern King. Beings of nearly godlike power, these Fey lords are nigh omnipotent in their own realms of the First World... but like any other creature originating from the gods' first 'test' of Creation, their powers are still mutable. Some may grow stronger or weaker through their own actions, outside circumstances sometimes result in strange differences in their apparent might, and in some, exceedingly rare cases... one may become an Elder without already possessing such power. Nyrissa once thought herself on this level, but her hubris saw her broken instead. You, on the other hand, share a certain spark, a dim flicker of power within that - should it be fed and fanned by experience and growth - will eventually see you rise to such lofty heights. Much like Magdh is a seer and prophet of surpassing skill, Shyka The Many's powers relate around the flow and manipulation of time, and the Lantern King is the Eldest of mischief, transformation and doom, so too must you choose a particular focus for your slowly awakening nature. With this power, you will learn any Pathfinder talents falling under your chosen focus at a vastly greater speed, simultaneously removing any limitations on how far these abilities might grow. You start only barely stronger than you otherwise would, but in time, you will be mighty enough to become one of Golarion's most powerful beings. You will need patience, however... the First World is old, and so are those who would rule it. Without continually pushing yourself to excel, to surpass old achievements and grasp even greater power, it could take centuries or even millennia before you are a peer to the other Eldest. Make sure you know when your claim is worthy - or you too might be forced to know Nyrissa's sorrow.


- Bountiful (100CP)
The Stolen Lands are a wild, untamed land, with few sites of civilization and barely any infrastructure. But while the region is little more than unmarked canvas on the map, behind its wild appearance lies a remarkable wealth of resources, ripe for the taking. This purchase ensures your entire kingdom is criss-crossed with a wide variety of advantageous quarries and mines, fertile soil or unique spices and crops, old fortifications that can easily be restored to working order, glades and vistas of unusual beauty to inspire bards and attract travelers, and other such locales of interest to a young but ambitious kingdom. The wide variety found in these improvements means improvements to any single aspect of your kingdom will be rather minor, but harnessing these resources provides one of the most reliable and effective ways to improve your kingdom's overall power, prosperity and influence with only minimal effort required.
- Waterways (100CP)
Rivers are the lifeblood of a region, with many towns and cities specifically built along riverbanks for the advantages they provide. Fresh water is quite valuable, fishing is a comparatively fast and reliable source of food, and rivers often enable much more convenient travel both by boat and along the side of the river thanks to (relatively) level ground.
Although the Stolen Lands barely count as being part of the so-called 'River Kingdoms', they are nonetheless criss-crossed with a variety of rivers, lakes, and other bodies of water. With this perk, the advantages of such terrain features are greatly improved. Rivers are made wider and deeper to allow for larger boats to travel their winding lengths, and your territory will become home to a wide variety of smaller streams that improve access to water for both drinking and farmland. You'll be able to easily construct any major towns you like next to rivers to connect them to the rest of your kingdom, with each gaining the benefits of piers, ports or even a lighthouse. You could even use the water for defense - creating moats around your cities or
heavily defended bridges across rivers that are otherwise hard to cross will not be a challenge for your people.

Varnhold Vanishing / the Kingdom foundation: Crusader Kings III
https://docs.google.com/document/d/18wMlZxqhvBclgnrHhGsADGCq6-_0oWFtkCBVdUlDYjc/edit

Crusader Kings 3 is very long...

Spoiler: Organization

You gain +1000 CP stipend to spend solely on this section.
This is the part where you're going to be building your own realm and giving them perks. Upon finishing this section, you will receive 500,000 refugees and many more people to help jumpstart a new realm anywhere in the setting.

The following discounts are given to you:
Six 50 CP perks
Four 100 CP perks
Two 200 CP perks
One 400 CP perk
Discounted perks are 50% off.
Discounted 50 CP perks are free.

Wetlanders [50] Your people are masters of living around water. They are comfortable with any amount of humidity, can swim as fast as sprinting on land, do not expend stamina nor get fatigued from swimming in water. Your people cannot be slowed down when walking or running through water nor can water push them down.
Melting Pot [50] Foreign or minority cultures within your organization are much more receptive to assimilating to your main culture, social values, and religion. You can choose one culture that people should assimilate to, and freely choose if this is a full-on assimilation, produces unique divergent or hybrid cultures, a mere acceptance and coexistence with the other culture, and et cetera. Full-on assimilation takes a few years to finalize.
Bureaucratic [50] Your people value consistent record-keeping as of great importance, and take great pains in logging down information for every situation imaginable. As such, it is impossible to permanently scrub any and all records logged down by your people, for such efforts will always be insufficient and result in the information being once again found somewhere else. Additionally, whoever logged down the record will always be able to find it in no less than a minute of effort. If they want this record to remain eternally accessible, they can also grant a similar level of accessibility to the organization at large, thus allowing anyone within the organization to find a copy of it just by looking around in their surroundings for a minute. The copy will then disappear once it is used.
Eastern Roman Legacy [50] Military personnel and mercenaries only need to be paid a fourth of the usual rate, thanks to their keen sense of frugality and loyalty of service. Additionally, it is impossible for such soldiers to grow bored during duty and they can be absolutely trusted not to fool around or cause unrest with the civilian population. They're mindful enough not to cause any trouble even if they're occupying enemy territory as well. As such, subjugated peoples are receptive to your army as long as your military doesn't threaten their lives.
Chernozem [50] Every soil is as fertile and bountiful as black soil when sown and harvested by your people. Their crops also grow as efficiently as if they're in the best suited environment, regardless of actual weather or environmental conditions. Sowing the same crop in the same land no longer negatively affects the soil's nutrition cycle either.
Crusader Skylines [50] Your organization is the absolute best at interior designing, city planning, and the optimization of all available spaces. All living space shall be created and managed to their utmost efficiency. Your cities could easily accommodate for unprecedented growth and modern developments in technology.

Horse Lords [100] Your people are born into the saddle. Starting from the age of four, your people can learn how to ride the saddle on any mount (and learn how to drive any vehicle) and master it on their own over the course of a month. If they receive help, this can be narrowed down to a couple of weeks or shorter. It won't be long before your people's children know how to outcompete adult riders from other realms.
Communal Festivals [100] Social events hosted by your people are an amazing experience. Festivities are far more boisterous, foodstuffs and goods on sale appear in greater quantities than even a participating merchant would expect, and all negative habits effectively cease to exist for the duration of the event. "Negative" meaning anything that may incur harm upon another person without their consent. Mutual duels could still occur if that is the nature of your people's society. Absolutely nothing can ruin the potential fun of these events without willful participation on your part.
Bourgeoisie [100] The elite of your society may sit high in their ivory towers, but they will never grow complacent or ignorant of what is happening below them. In fact, the elite of your organization are keenly aware of everything that is generally going on in lower society, even in incredibly distant regions. As a side effect, your elite never make out-of-touch comments or policies that could rouse the proles against them, or at least know how to enact such statements or policies in a way that is overlooked by the proles. This makes it much, much harder for your lower society to compete or rebel against their betters.
.Look After Yourselves [100] Your military always keeps perfect maintenance on their equipment, thus rendering attrition impossible among the ranks. They look after their equipment so well, there will never be a case where someone ends up losing something due to neglect or circumstance. Even thievery simply never happens. It may not sound like much, but having a poorly disciplined army that does nothing to maintain their equipment is a horrific rot that can destroy any military from inside out. With this perk, your military will not be left for want of a nail

Industrious [200] Your people are ridiculously industrious. They do not get bored nor burned out from doing the same thing over and over again, although they cannot get harmfully addicted to repetition.


Shock Troopers [200] Your people have a natural talent to make for fearsome warriors at close combat, particularly shock troopers and other heavy infantry that are meant for intense combat. It'd only take a couple months of training to churn decade-hardened veterans for any specialization of heavy infantry that are as impressive as the Druzhina, Huscarls, Sarawits and Varangians of old. This also affects modern counterparts of heavy infantry that are otherwise considered as specialized troopers or special forces of any military, e.g. mountaineers, marines, etc.

On An Open Field! [200] Your people have a natural talent to make for swiftsure light cavalry. It'd only take a week for them to be completely attuned with any mount or vehicle, and a couple of months of training to churn out decade-hardened veterans for any specialization of light cavalry that are as impressive as the Mongols, Konnis, and Mulathunums of old. This also affects modern counterparts, such as any cavalry role that relies on light combat vehicles to perform adequately.z

Hell Chargers [200] Your people have a natural talent to make for daring heavy cavalry. It'd only take a week for them to be completely attuned with any mount or vehicle, and a couple of months of training to churn out decade-hardened veterans for any specialization of heavy cavalry, whether they're charging forwards with warhorses or leading armored spearheads in the modern era. They'll demonstrate as much impressive prowess as the cataphracts and gendarmes of old. This also affects modern counterparts, such as tanks, assault mechs, and any heavy frames that require an operator to pilot.

Unyielding [400] Your military is no longer affected by issues of morale because they're always at peak morale. They'll rationalize every terrible situation as something that could be overcome, no matter how staggering the odds. If they were the type to be constantly depressed or otherwise doubt themselves, they'll mentally compartmentalize and treat their job as if they were passionate about it. An army that knows no fear would completely nullify the psychological effect of certain weapons and tactics. With unbreakable morale, your soldiers would never break formation against cavalry charges, and soldiers wouldn't freeze at incoming projectiles either. Your soldiers would never retreat on their own accord unless they are ordered to retreat or their military doctrine indicates they should. Their unbeatable warrior spirit also grants immunity to anything that may mentally influence them against their will, such as fear, possession, charms, suggestion, illusions, and torture.

Spoiler: Religion

The following discounts are granted: Six 50 CP perks for free Four 100 CP perks Two 200 CP perks One 400 CP perk You gain +1000 CP stipend to spend solely on this section. Companions do not receive stipends or discounts for this section.
Adorcism [50] All spirits and supernatural entities view your adherents as people of interest, and never in a bad way. To these entities, your adherents are peculiar, harmless, and worthy of doting attention. Good-natured and indifferent spirits go out their way to help your adherents over matters of small convenience. Malicious spirits generally avoid your adherents wholesale, unless your adherent desire an encounter with one, in which case the malicious spirit will only have a neutral attitude at worst. Even devils, demons, and undead have neutral feelings to your adherents, whether or not they're capable of feeling in the first place. Whoever the spirits are, your adherents can make efforts to befriend them and form a friendship that is no less interesting than a friendship between normal living people. This perk is subverted for each adherent if the adherent intentionally acts offensively or harmfully to the entity somehow.
Adaptive [50] Your adherents won't ever convert to an entirely different faith, nor will they betray their virtues. They also know effective measures to practice their faith in secret, which can be useful if they're facing persecution. In such cases, their religious practices cannot be discovered by any investigative effort, and their faith won't ever deteriorate or die out across generations.
Armed Pilgrimages [50] All adherents do not have any difficulty expressing their language and intentions to each other and their allies. Additionally, cooperation between your adherents and their allies are always genuine, and all adherents actually invest themselves to supporting their faith. You can trust your adherents to never jeopardize a situation due to infighting.
Esotericism [50] Your adherents consider being knowledgeable as a virtue, and always go out their way to understand topics given to them. They need only a few seconds to formulate a well-thought judgment, and they can see through any logical errors in arguments or decision-making, whether it's from themselves or someone else. If you want, this won't ever go against the development of your faith.
Legalism [50] Your faithful adherents are intuitively knowledgeable about how the law should work. They are aware that precedents must be established and maintained, and that there is an order of things in regards to justice. As such, you may either have your adherents abide by legal codes strictly as written, or flexibly by interpreting the spiritual meaning of the text while accounting for their own personal morals and religious virtues.
Sacred Childbirth [50] Your adherents are familiar with modern practices pertaining to childbirth. Additionally, all pregnant adherents are intuitively aware of every stage of conception, pregnancy isn't physically apparent on the adherent (this is optional, you may also set conditions), pregnancy does not hinder their mobility, there are absolutely no complications from pregnancy and birth, childbirth is always painless, and the infant's birth takes only a few minutes. Each mother could easily go through the entire process by herself.

Alexandrian Catechism [100] Your adherents always think critically and objectively about any topic they're thinking of. As a result, they can instantly receive the full context and nuance of any conversation they're involved in, identify logical errors in arguments, and identify all efforts intended to mislead or control other people. This gives them the ability to see through all lies and forms of illusions. As a toggleable feature, this perk may not work against your faith or your organization.

Aniconism [100] Nothing can tamper, dilute, or otherwise nullify the magical capabilities of your faithful adherents, if they have any. This prevents adherents from losing the ability to cast any sort of magic and their spells won't ever get nullified by anti-magic sources, although it doesn't stop things like magical ice walls being melted down by fireballs.

Unrelenting Faith [100] Your adherents learn all martial-related things 2x faster and similar boosts can stack multiplicatively. This applies to learning things about combat, tactics, and strategy. You may restrict which aspects of these don't apply. Physical training is also 2x more efficient, their results cannot be lost due to time or disuse, and physical improvement never results in deteriorating health conditions, i.e. a bulked body won't increase the risks of heart failure but you can still tear your muscles from exercising the wrong way.
Warrior Priests [100] All your faith officials and leaders, such as priests, cardinals, imams and rabbis, learn martial abilities and hone their physical bodies 10x faster and similar boosts can stack multiplicatively. Their martial and physical capabilities cannot be lost due to time or disuse. They cannot injure themselves from over-exercising.

By the Sword [200] All your faith adherents are capable of physically interacting with ethereal or otherwise intangible entities just as effectively as normal people could to other normal people. Enchantments and magical abilities are not required. Spirits wounded this way may still regenerate from their wounds like normal people can, though spirits don't really have many options to perform healing other than magical or spiritual means. They normally bleed ectoplasm which acts as their lifeblood, and upon "death", the spirit disintegrates into the immaterial realm.
Ecclesiarchy [200] Your adherents are immune to all unconsented effects regarding spiritual and mental phenomena. Their souls cannot be tampered with in any way whatsoever, and their memories cannot be interfered with or read. You and your organization can still mess with their spirit and mind, even if they wouldn't consent. Additionally, deceased adherents that were once governed by your organization or have served within your organization can be resurrected by you if you have the power to do so. If people within your organization also have a similar power to resurrect them, they can do it too.
Reincarnation [400] All your adherents are capable of reincarnating after death. At default, they reincarnate as newborn human infants within the same culture, society, and organization. You may freely change or loosen conditions for where they reincarnate, thus allowing them to reincarnate in different places or perhaps outside of your organization. You may also change how they can reincarnate as, i.e. can be born in different cultural families, only born through a specific sapient race, reborn as an animal, or as other living organisms. The person's genealogy always fits the parents. Reincarnation isn't always immediate; it can take a while for a person to reincarnate, perhaps even longer depending on how strict the reincarnation criterias are and how often people are born. There's a queue for each reincarnating person, after all. Whether they retain full knowledge of their previous lives are up to you.
Saved from Damnation [400] Religious events hosted by your adherents have the profound effect of cleansing the souls of all participants by removing any ailments to the soul, restoring said souls to perfect condition, and granting them immunity to any malicious phenomena that could tamper or mess with their souls & minds without their consent. You and your organization alone have the power to tamper or mess with their souls and minds even without their consent. If the ailment was possession, the spirit is forcibly expunged. How the spirit is disposed of is up to you, and you may set conditions for which spirits are given different treatments. Total irreversible destruction of affected spirits is optional.

--
In the Future:
https://drive.google.com/drive/fold...MYWk5Ync?resourcekey=0-81gzOg9roLJympR0A4C8yw

There are a couple of others including one potential technological one for dealing with Kiaransalee as well as with the Numerian arc, but those are still far in the future... and these seven jumps (out of a total of ten) will take a while to post in this post.

What I do want to be clear on, is that this is not at risk of turning into the problem that befell my DxD stories of this compelling a rewrite, this is a story of kingmaker, of kingdom making as well as of the actions of the First world, not just nyrissa but of Shyka and the other eldest. I want that to be understood because from a basic outline, Bear Rib's drow cyoa provides a lot of the initial powerset, and other factors both directly and behind the scenes

 

[Imperator Pax]

Notes Irrisen (Mythkeeper video)


So not terribly relevant because the Witchwar Legacy does not directly play a role in this but the Mythkeeper has posted a video on Irrisen, and he does state that the Adventure takes place in 4710 (or when Eire first arrives in Golarion), where as Reign of Winter's AP takes place three years later in the current story year of 4713.

 

[Imperator Pax]

Pharast 4713
As she wandered the plateau over looking the great lake Nilak was unsure of what to do, Amiri was doing her best to convince her small gathering of the surviving six bears to remain nearby, but that was a daunting prospect. She was glad to see her childhood friend, and the winter had been a respite, but it was more complicated than that... Nilak was happy that her friend was alive, and healthy, but her new following even contending that it was a settled people following with all accompanying oddities bordered on terrifying and would have been outrageous all the same even without the ghostly frost giant's unyielding pursuit of the six bears from the realm of the mammoth lords.

The totem animal of Amiri's new following, the great lion sat on the banners from the stone fortress gate houses, a common feature of settled people. Traditionalists would have rejected it out of hand for the frivolity of the work that went into such banners, but would have settled for simply scorning such a waste of time.

As was typical of southerners, of settled folk in general, there were a mass of of workers toiling at various tasks that produced goods that the Realm of the Mammoth Lords occasionally traded for, but usually saw no need to. The utility of far eyes was occasionally recognized, but most glass goods were simply too fragile to be of interest to nomadic tribes at least so far as conservative elders were concerned, it was rarely acceptable to trade for such frivolous things. Though sometimes the six bears had agreed to help transport such things to large gathering places where some other followings would meet to trade, that was generally harmless and often beneficial. She understood how markets worked.

It was better they had been told as children to render all you could from the hides of the great animals under the sky. To make beads, and catches and bindings from the bones and sinews of animals... though yes working iron or what the southerners called 'arsenical bronze' ... in comparison to some other sort of bronze Nilak supposed... to make weapons was a different story. Even those came from the earth itself, or from the stars falling to the world rather than the complex practice of glass making. Amiri had been gone so long that these things no longer really effected her, they were simply a facet of the life here, and that these crafts people created them.

It was normal for Kellids to view such alien goods with some degree of suspicion... but that wasn't what made this land's dominant following terror inducing. No that was better exemplified by the the silver dragon banking into the wind and flying down towards the great gathering hall... because such a thing attracted little notice. Within the realm of the mammoth lords it wasn't unheard of for a tribe to have giant members... and it was not unheard of for giant tribes to have White dragons among their ranks.

That was a frame of reference for what could be seen. Giants, and their kin, here spoke the southerner's tongue, the language of the once massive Taldan following of the far south. It was the language they called 'common'. It was almost unheard of for a giant tribe to in its gathering to pay homage to a human following.... at best giant tribes might settle for some token trade of goods, or perhaps mutual grudging respect... but submission was the sort of thing one only heard of happening far to the west in the great icy lands of Irrisen, where the daughters of the witch queen commanded the loyalty of ice trolls, and frost giants.... and like fey as well. There was no land of eternal winter here... but Nilak had to wonder if that was just an exaggeration, after all most southerners seemed to think that the realm of the mammoth lords was all snow drifts and taiga... so maybe the stories exaggerated too...

Whatever the truth was Nilak didn't know how to react to stone giants, and others pay home to a single great chief. It was too strange, and made all the more by seeing increasing numbers of people wear the same standard pieces of clothes turned out by these 'factory' things where people followed rote steps.
--
He shook his head. He had had his own dreams of dragon's fire, and there was the kellid shaman, and others... so maybe something was coming... but the experience with Shyka, and then the foundation of the kingdom and the dreams of what he assumed was a great island in a river valley in the first world still vexed him when he remembered the dreams. The occasional changes the shifting reflection.

Eire washed his hands, and his face, which never failed to remind him that Shrikewall, and indeed the core settlements had the benefit of running water... it was in part the use of bronze age hydrology, but it was also more complex metallurgy... and magic as well. Magic played an important role as well particularly in the construction of infrastructure, but it was not an all important part.

Jaethal was correct to observe that his magical abilities, and those of other spellcasters made it possible to build the cathedral but there was nothing impossible from an engineering standpoint in the cathedral itself. It was simply a matter of resources, and labor.

... and the elf came through the doorway, "Congratulations Eranex has returned," Not that he was surprised, the stone giant elder, a druid of several centuries, had told them he'd be ready soon... that wasn't today's item for the agenda, but he was sure that Eranex's arrival likely had excited the kobold population of Shrikewall as 'auspicious', which was a good translation of the draconic word. "She should be here momentarily."

He nodded to the inquistor of Urgothoa and collected the various documents he'd been purusing the evening before. Eire finished the draft documents, and turned the conversation to the morning greetings.

"yes, yes good morning." Jaethal rolled her eyes, but wasn't nearly as acerbic as her words might have suggested. Elves did sleep, their rem process was different, but not that different, but as an undead and one directly reanimated by a goddess Jaethal did not sleep per se. Her occasional torpor condition was further removed from trancing but was also sort of like meditating... the end result was Jaethal tended to work through the night. "I still have a lot of work to do." She replied, "But we're at least on schedule."

Schedule. He should have considered it more thoroughly but one of the problems with early adoption of mechanical crafts. Powered looms and so forth, like those manufacturing jeans was the matter of standard time keeping. That was without even touching on the matter of things like time zones... which was something he didn't want to start to deal with...

He hadn't thought to start dealing with organized time keeping. All the towns were new construction... they were going to need the introduction of standard timekeeping, with clock towers ordinarily he'd have put them in the time square... given the core townships in the kamelands... he'd revised that for those to integrate them into being apart of the new churches of the Inheritor being built in those royal settlements... but urban clock towers were not going to be enough. They'd need smaller ones ones that provided time at workplaces and also in bureaucratic institutions a step that by and large had not occurred in earth, despite clock towers having been a medieval invention and even considered a requirement of a proper city in northern european settlements in particular hadn't become standard work and government fixtures until the period of proto industrialization several centuries later with complex coal mines developing.

... and that was a whole other matter of the Royal Government. Eire just nodded, but he didn't say anything as they entered the adjoining solar. Valerie looked significantly more tired than either of them, and the blue eyed tiefling while chipper was also still dragging. It was a pity that Shrikewall's climate was wrong for coffee... they seemed like they would be able to manage tea, but they would deal with agricultural matters, especially ones that might require mechanized investment that they didn't have time for. Especially when any such discussion would be sidelined from tea and silk, towards the matter of either foodstuffs or yet still more exotic first world plants...

"Your majesty."

He nodded. "We have a few more days until the spring equinox," the half moon right around the corner, and a week from that would be the Rebirth, full moon bringing them fully into the spring season. "I believe that we can dispense to leave the farmers to farm, and focus entirely matter of the challenges to the peace..." which was a nice way of saying Gragglebeard, and the ghostly frost giant Fionn both needed to die. Those would be the first rides of the spring of 4713 by the Arodenite calendar, and today they would work out the allotment of resources, and the plans to make it happen.

--
Notes I was playing with the map, and leaving aside that Absalom is the prime meridian on Golarion, Restov would roughly correspond to Hamburg on Long/Lat projections, which again doesn't really meant that.

 

[Trek]

Pretty cool that the story has gotten to 160k words, I guess stable output over years does add up.

 

[Imperator Pax]

Pretty cool that the story has gotten to 160k words, I guess stable output over years does add up.

Click to shrink...

This is true, like AoE, I generate a lot of small scenes for this, and regarding word count I would estimate that the rest of Pharast to early Sarenith will be another twenty thousand words there are a number of scenes in that packet aren't done yet even though they're broadly outlined... and part of the reason I'm updating this a couple times this week is because I've got enough content that I can update daily when I'm not ready to post other stuff for my other threads. I really wish there was more dwarf lore content for golarion (there is stuff thats due out this summer) but I guess when in doubt I will blame extra planar shenanigans.

 

[Imperator Pax]

20 Pharast 4713
Spring came with the rains as the colloquial wisdom proclaimed. That coupled with the thaw as temperatures rose insured that the great rivers that comprised their portion of the Sellen river system were busy. The rain currently sheeting off the eeves of the hall tinged faint memories, but Eire turned his attention to other things.

Amiri didn't waste any time on the matter. As soon as Kean, the now freed frost giant, was able to stand on his own, she immediately went to the matter of 'can we please go kill his evil brother for good this time'.

And well lack of ceremony aside she was right it did need to be done. "I trust you know where Fionn is hiding then?" He inquired

The fierece barbarian warrior was quick to answer, and explain.

Apparently Gary had found the portion swamp in his exploring of the western frontier another of one of the Taldan border encampments like where they had originally found the boggard living. That was therefore the last impediment to the logistical matter. Fionn should now be able to be permanently laid to rest... but even if that were not the case, they'd know in a week if he returned after the full moon... which he hoped was simply a coincidence that it was called the rebirth moon. Amiri had begrudgingly agreed to permit Eranex to go with them in his absence. Shaoyu was not happy about not being permitted to go with Amiri and Tristian, and Regongar and Octavia... but the truth was there were matters of state.

Eire nodded, and while he would have preferred they waited for the rain to cease he bid them good luck, word from Mivon 's traders and those coming from the city state suggested Gragglebeard remained in the eastern frontier of that country. He was making a mess of things, including attacking some of the caravan trade that they received. .

The royal court, the great hall was a vast structure, cavernous in its height to accommodate people, to remain cool in summer and indeed to allow giants to stand unbent. It did mean that there were limits in the number of rooms, and that the number of floors were limited but it served the purpose it needed to... and of course part of that construction was that the foundation of the original cyclopean structures that the taldan settlement had been built up on were still solid, and had just been divided into two or even three levels when the Taldan's had repurposed the 'palace' site.

"Well since they're gone we should get on with it." Harrim complained. "I'm sure its terrible news... civil war perhaps? Are we to see a great tide of refugees upon our stoop?"

Eire accepted the letter from the brown haired priest... which as was never a good sign opened with ecclesiastic salutations of our brother in the faith. He suspected that he might well have begun to be looked at for support to this endeavor the new crusade before the monarchy but the actual proclamation did change the legal or accepted cultural process. He had been expecting these kind of communications once it became clear that there were inquests arriving through other offices of the kingdom's offices.

Officially speaking in Draconic his title translated to mean Sovereign of Narhold. In Common, in Taldane, it was King of Narland. Beneath such rested 'overlord of the narlmarches' which was functionally identical in either language... but at the kingdom level he was suzerain to the lands to the east of the Kamelands. There were the tors, and hills, and steppe.. per the brevic charter his realm's legal claim expanded deep into Iobaria as overlord to the Varnhold charter. It was a lot of land...

It was a matter of Chelish pride, and probably diabolic realpolitik that the nation supported the Mendevian crusades. The infernal house of thrune continued the tradition of support for the crusades against the abyss and its demonic denizens. Still it was more complicated than something as absurd as Evil and Good versus Chaotic. That wasn't the case, or at least it was a gross oversimplification that among other things ignored the participation of chaotic good entities that abounded.

Eire rose from his chair, which as the original hall was not on a raised platform, instead simply placed in the center of a great table. It was an arrangement that made the most sense to retain, and his motion of rising caused a small clamor as various warriors came to attention. "An army marches on its stomach," He remarked... and if there was any singular development of the realm implemented it was the agricultural reforms that underpinned his realm; such as the bringing in of stocks of 'iobarian wheat' which was typically planted after the late summer crop and grew over the cold months. Winter wheat in other words. Certainly a written law code and non arbitrary proceedings were good for stability, but the state of the granaries were arguably more important.

Transporting those goods meant travelling overland to the Numerian border and then down river before sailing up to Chesed, or the usual crusader route of up the west sellen. Grain unfortunately took up a lot of space... and arms and armor would be significantly heavy as well. The granaries would be a matter he could see to in private, but making his decision he began mental itinerary of who all he'd need to speak to. Decision made he called up the representatives from the church of Minderhal, Brigh, and deciding on including Arsinoe from the Abadar delegation. There was no notable presence from the church of Torag present at court, and it was only at this point that frankly that realization struck him. That was a little odd... but he supposed partly a result of so few dwarves in the realm at large.

It was not however intended to be an exhaustive gathering so much as the beginning of a list on what they could produce... to get the ball rolling. Just as a medieval army needed to start mobilizing months before the campaign season the process of supporting a crusade entailed many of the same steps even if one was only supporting the logistics of the war rather than directly sending troops.

--

Eire listened to the water powered hammer drop, and contemplated his options. Coal. That was what he needed to source, and a lot of it. He had seen no evidence reported of sources north of shriewall despite the gold, and silver reserves that the taldan had known about, and he had access to plentiful iron reserves. He wondered if his holdings along the marsh might hold coal reserves, or the opposite direction... it was preferable to use coal than to deforest timber to fuel furnaces, he'd need to produce steel en masse...

He stopped musing, and looked to his ward. "I will spend most of tonight studying," And that was true, that was very much what would dominate his evening, "indeed probably the remainder of the month." Though he was going to need to make certain journeys out of respect to his feudal obligations to his vassals, including New Colton, "If you go now you should be able to catch up with Amiri and the others." Shaoyu didn't need to be asked twice, if she wanted to join the punitive expedition against the spectral monster to the north. "Was there something else Valerie?"

With a somewhat reserved expression she nodded, "Sir Fredero has volunteered for the crusade." She was clearly uncomfortable with her former mentor's choice.

Eire rolled his eyes, he couldn't help it. The truth was with winter he had little focus on hunting down the green hag tulvak... and truthfully he much expected that now that Saeya thought the hag was within the realm she would eventually find the old monster, but Fredero remained as he recuperated naturally from the fight hoping to find his own redemption. He would have preferred to ship Fredero back to Brevoy, but he had withheld... the truth was Shelyn had made it clear she wanted the shrine restored...

... which was an imposition on the realm, but he would do so. That was part of the reason he hadn't outright expelled Fredero ... he didn't need the paladin committing suicide in disgrace he was already likely to have to contend with more interactions with the Brevic church of Shelyn than he wanted to. One of the storm giants who worshipped Shelyn as Syriss, their goddess of music, had made the now painfully reiteration that it was small. Still the first step to making sure the golden grove could function was a road connection, and of course having a protective wall built. He wasn't sure whether any of the Varisians would permanently settle they had a reputation as nomadic carvanners but there were likely gnomes and halfling, and half elves who might.

That was only part of his need to scour the current estimates of their population, and dispersion of people through the realm.

After a moment he turned, "Do you disapprove of this?"

"I do not disapprove of the realm supporting the crusade, without the crusaders to hold back the the tide of demons the world as we know it would be much worse." Valerie replied, "But I'm skeptical of how much thought has gone into it."

"Yes, well that is why logistics wins wars." He replied. "We will do what we can to provide aid to support the crusade, and do so best according to our means," But there were going to be questions about how successful this fifth crusade could be, "Speaking of crusaders, how are Jubilost's guests doing?" His visit to Lake Silverstep had found a kellid shrine to Shyka, and from there an invitation to something called the inconsequent debates that was being put on in the first world... after which the Many had simply deposited the participants on his side of the 'border' in the material world.

Sheyln's shrine of the Golden Grove, and Varnhold were very much a part of the growing east to west, horizontal, expanse of the realm, but the Kamelands and silverstep represented a more coreward version of that same sort of expansion. An irony given his titular titles focused more on the west, but it had been in the east most of the sudden explosive form of kingdom building was really taking shape. He thought of the road that was to run from New Colton to Hereford. The shield road as well that would need to be restored. The dwarf fortresses, and watchtowers were something to work on, as were the Taldan ruins that dotted the landscape.

There was a pause and a shuffling of large figures. The largest of them was a so called Slag Giant, her skin a dull orange. The others were mountain trolls who formed a separate collection from Trobold, which he also needed to visit, to the south. The mountain folk, who were themselves quite large, dwelled near Silverstep and were allies of the good fey who already were known to dwell in the region. Finding that out had been a relief.

Though he had not actually broached the matter, he suspected that word of mouth had likely carried the settlement of trobold had likely passed through the fey and brought the word to the mountain folk, and likely to other non evil giants, as well more neutral tribes in the iobarian border land. Whatever the truth, whether their movements were a result of that or related to the great barbarian convention to the west the few hundred different true giants, and the slightly smaller population of mountain troll tribes who dwelled near Silverstep were thus far a welcome part of his no longer so eastern realm.

He and Valerie waited as the objects were placed on the table. The long swords were all functionally of the same pattern. Scent stopper style pommels almost genteel quillons on the otherwise cruciform crossguard, the blade length just shy of three feet came to reinforced piercing tip. Together creating a blade that was unyielding enough for a knight to use against an armored opponent while still capable of being used as a cut and thrust sword.

The metals were treated alchemically during forging gave the cinderblade their namesake coloring, what distinguished these from normal flaming swords were that they were designed to imitate the properties of flame strike. Careful experimentation had shown that Jaethal could charge the sword with negative energy as well though the channeling only enhanced the blades default 'flame strike' esque effect.

They, this first batch of swords from the castle's smithy, were intended though for clerics of the Inheritor in the realm's service. With the prospect of the crusade though, there would be a renewed demand for magical weapons with such properties. These represented a change. The process that made these swords was a uniform, an industrial process in a way that Eire was relatively sure was unique in Golarion... and even if it wasn't the process of that alchemic treatment in the steel had other applications than just making magic swords.
--
Notes: We will resume normal update patterns most likely next week. That means we will round out Pharast 4713 monday, and I will update other things throughout the next week.

 

[Imperator Pax]

Pharast 4713
Linzi heaped significant praise on Trobold's progress since the summer of the year before. She was right that a significant amount of progress had been made. Hargulka's tribe of trolls had been compelled to move from the Bronzeshield fortress for a number of reasons, but among them was that the size, and strength of the trollls, if somewhat limited by their lack of book learning, and experience was they could help raise their own lands.

Unlike his Kameland territories he'd largely allowed Hargulka to workout how to organize his settlement without creating a plan. It was not a surprise that Hargulka had focused on obvious things he had learned from the river folk. Most of the houses were a mix of sod and timber long houses that wouldn't have been too out of place in Brevoy... other than their scale.

One of the thing Hargulka had specifically requested assistance on was the matter of the river's flow rate. Simply put the murque was not fast enough to efficiently turn a waterwheel, or at least not of the type that was commonly employed in Avistan, not for what all they were using mills for. Its tendency to silt up was another complication as well, but more complex mills that could do things beyond just grind grain.

The trolls progress ...

Well at the core of it they were jumping well beyond the level of development most trolls on Golarion lived at. Harrgulka was no pun intended largely been aping human society, 'borba', trolls were willing to use fire for cooking and metal working but since most trolls lived in solitary groups or at best in small collections of extended families of hunter gatherers, with an emphasis on marauding hunters than gathering. Trolls were inherent omnivores not pure carnivores so they needed a mill to grind grain, because well borba kingdoms farmed, thus a troll kingdom needed to farm. The same logic applied to wanting to move from any sort of tribal system to a feudal one.

Also, by engaging in large scale agriculture a troll could farm enough land to stockpile through the winter... and indeed could actually support livestock through the winter which was bound to be even more popular with the common troll than bread alone.

So to address the matter of the water wheel they had used troll labor to dig a large mill pond. That had been the easy part, and now as green returned to the trees, and grasses bloomed, metal gearings were installed to insure the axles within the mill house worked efficiently and were more robust than a wooden gearing mechanism.

In the mean time Hargulka had other projects. Trobold's fields lay naturally beyond its simple palisade wall, but he had done the sensible thing of organizing a work to raise a rather impressive eight foot wattle fence around the fields. This a process of taking saplings in the spring, or other greenwood and bending the fences into formation it was the same broad technique that brevic peasants used to make their house walls.

This was useful as well since the trolls had not gotten to the point of needing to clear and drain the swamps they had started the process of raising pigs, as well as some cattle, probably some sheep on of the more marginal land. Hargulka planned to plant corn in part of his adopted three field system this year on top of that.

All in all things were going well... though... his actual reason for Corn was because the formerly wandering hill giant Munguk had set up with the assistance of some enterprising kobolds and mites a still to produce what was effectively high proof shine for local consumption. Hargulka had tried it, while visiting Shrikewall, and like most trolls who had tried it liked it, and wished to cultivate his own attempt.

As with the metal gearings for the mill, that was a specialty product that would take time to build, but it was good that Hargulka was looking to other products. Also Hargulka was wondering about fighting Gragglebeard.

The sluice gates opened, and the wheel began to turn, the installed gears turned the turbine within and the hybrid mill after a few minutes begin the process of turning. Then it was just a matter of making sure it properly ground the grain... they'd see what else it could do over the next couple of days

So that was what they did next with a few of the clerics of Brigh and, the Empyreal lords Bharnarol, and Eldas. The Archon lord's sacred animal was a beaver, and the beaver folk viewed him as their divine patron... though Eire wasn't actually clear if Eldas had created them or not. Their presence though was not unusual, far from it as the Empyreal lords were fairly well represented among Shrikewall's wide range of good deities who were broadly affiliated with Iomedae's own church. Somewhat less represented, and absent today's gathering were the small inclusion of Osirion and Tian Xia's clerical communities, but he didn't hold that against them. The presence of clerics of Minderhal, well their presence didn't surprise him at all.

In the mean time Hargulka also had questions about coal, besides the matter just making shine.
--
Shaoyu regarded the Mivonese Aldori with annoyance. She huffed and threw her red hair over her shoulder and continued to scowl at the upstart bravo who had the gall, the utter ridiculous absurd wherewithal to come and complain to the the great basilica of the inheritor regarding their problems.

It didn't help that she'd been left behind in Valerie's tutelage to over see the matters of the realm, not that she wanted to go see the trolls and their new water mill. The chancellor told the man that they had heard of Gragglebeard, "As of yet the giant has not crossed the frontier, and his majesty is currently down the river. So thus if the hill giant did cross with his brigands the problem would resolve itself in its natural course."

In heaven's righteous fire, but Shaoyu didn't interject that because Valerie hadn't stated Eire was away visiting Trobold, but the chancellor didn't specify that. Trobold was not a human settlement... well it had humans in it but the gathering of the settlement was built more along the lines of giantish scale... which was odd for the kobolds who lived there.

Shaoyu stopped... it made sense of course that Gragglebeard however dim and unintelligent hill giants were it had to recognize crossing north would be to stand against heaven's will... but why was this blackguard mercenary busying himself with plundering a ... what was the word, "Condeteri," She muttered stumbling over it, and drawing their attention, "Why does this mercenary tear across your hinterlands Aldori?" She demanded hastily.

The Mivonese man startled at the question.

Brother Vaclav clearly wanted to chastise her manners, but withheld himself. She had clearly struck upon something. Gragglebeard was not a mercenary of the city state, did not belong to the free city's companions, and great companies of armsmen... so there was no reason why he shouldn't per se. Brigandage wasn't exactly unexpected, but he was still far to the east of where he was presumed to be heading...

... but that was the thing they were assuming that Gragglebeard the giant and his company were moving to answer the call of Armag twice born.... what if he wasn't? A year ago she would have hastily rushed to accuse the preening cockerels who lived west beyond the great swamps... this Pitax place that Linzi spoke of... after all they had mounted several disreputable attempts of low warfare against not just the realm, but also were surely responsible for the attack on Jamandi Aldori's mansion before she had herself hatched.

... and indeed the attack on the manor home in restov struck her as suspicious. Such an attack by cut throats and brigands in such a brazen manner? Given the lessons about the history of the region and past behavior she would have accused Pitax without real proof... but she withheld the accusation... at least in front of the foreigner. Shaoyu would speak to Valerie after he was dismissed she decided.

The Mivon Aldori frowned in contemplation, and tugged at the end of his waxed mustache as he turned the rampage across his country's boundaries over in his head.

It was obvious that the strange land of Uringen and the dwellers of the Embeth forest would not do such a thing. Pitax was the only possible explanation... perhaps save unless the brutish murderous galtians were... but the simplest answer was in the direction Gragglebeard was attacking from... he was in the east... if Mivon moved to respond they would surely have to redirect troops weakening their western border away from Pitax.

An hour later she outright exploded the accusation within the sanctuary of the great cathedral.

Harrim scratched his beard, wrapping his fingers around the patchy hairs and tugging at his own facial hair, though with more force than the bravo. "I have to agree that its possible..." The dwarf grumbled and recalled how the attack on Jamandi Aldori's mansion had come in the middle of the night... and that while it wasn't entirely the same it was hard to dispute that such an underhanded craven tactic would very likely be within Pitax' wheelhouse of tricks.
--

 

[Imperator Pax]

Gozran 4713
The magical lights provided far better illumination than fluorescent style bulbs for his table. They didn't put off heat either, but magic could provide heat as well, though there was a fireplace. Eire had some idea how his contemporaries lived. He'd seen a few Brevic barons, and he'd seen Jamandi Aldori's home, and he had seen how Maegar lived... and thus his inner sanctum was at least by the standards of North eastern avistani nobility strange... probably. It was nice to have an abundance of paper though.

Gunpowder worked. Eire knew that because after arriving in Golarion he'd been put in the situation where he'd used precious ammunition that he couldn't readily replace to put down bandits... before he'd realized the exact extent of his magical abilities. That was ammo he wasn't going to get back, but it did tell him that science largely worked as it was supposed... except in areas where it didn't.

Gunpowder though worked.

Black powder worked like it was supposed to and indeed was manufacturable. That was less useful than it actually sounded on paper. Alkenstar had yet to develop corning... it had taken him a minute to recognize that was the chemical reason for how unreliable their guns were... but it made sense corned powder had taken centuries to supersede early blackpowder in Europe where it had been developed and even into the 19th​ century had still been used on other continents until industrial mass production.

Pouring over, the previous night the books that occupied one waterproof rucksack from Earth, he had again recognized the difficulty of practically introducing scientific concepts even without Plato looming over everything as a giant inertial boulder... or Galen for that matter. No the major problem was that magic made medical treatments, typically in the application of positive energy directly or through more complex spells the explicit domain of divine spell casters...

Bards could heal, and were arcanists, but that exception didn't change the fact that institutionally the ability of healing magic tended to make healing in general a domain of the church... even if churches didn't legally monopolize it. Then there were healing potions and other alchemy. That made... well a book on the development of science over the course of the 18 and 19th​ centuries on earth... pretty useless... which admittedly in retrospection it probably wouldn't have done him much good on Earth either... excepting perhaps jogging his memory on topics he might have forgotten... but on a world of magic it didn't do him much good at all.

The sort of things 'discovered' and codified by early 19th​ century French, and Englishmen just weren't actually all that useful in his situation. Or the development of two and four stroke diesel engines in England and German. Nor were the arguments they had with one another particularly the theology given he was on another world. The history book, which was what it was rather than a purposeful engineering treatise, wasn't that useful. Science, and specifically pure history wasn't that useful, geology, since golarion seemed to largely follow normal rules in geologic formations, would have been more useful, engineering processes, physics, and mechanical movements were useful... pure science less so.

It wasn't the first time he had recognized that he had made the journey into another world with presumably at best incomplete information. In much the same way the books themselves were not perfect. Golarion already had new world crops. Potatoes, and Corn... what it hadn't had, and made sense was the lack of uniform agricultural standards... standardization which frankly didn't exist even on the earth he had left behind.

It made sense. He'd asked Nilak about how the Kellids of the Realms of the Mammoth Lords.... which itself was a Taldan appellation .... handled agriculture... and the simple way was that while largely nomadic full followings... the dozen or so great confederations of nomads were large enough that at any one time some limited cultivation could be undertaken in the large valleys of that region while others pursued the great prehistoric game or drove aurochs or other pastoral animals.

Cheliax and Taldor had never moved beyond Manorial... not really There were some planation farming, which was more an intensive cultivation of planation crops, and even that on earth had been a Mediterranean or Levantine development on earth... though Cheliax did seem to have started colonization efforts... which well beyond his concern. Success was more determined by the monopoly on political power, sufficient monopoly to bypass institutional conservatism, while still having a fall back in the event he had fucked up and his agrarian reforms were too fast or made a mistake somewhere.

But he hadn't... agrarian reforms, and successful implementation of multi field farming, and crop rotation along with horse collars and steel plows were so much easier than attempting to endow universities and conduct pure scientific research. He still wasn't in a position where that was practical.

He looked at the mechanical clock, and back to his papers and to all of the instruments that were a part of his kingdom or would be. Agrarian reforms were the basis of the realm's prosperity, but they could purchase cotton from Osirion, were purchasing cotton from osirion and use it to produce jeans... and that had significant functionality... spinning jennies could be run by water power, they didn't need coal for that.

After a moment he grabbed a sheet of paper... gelatinous monsters for cleaning... oozes were slimes... maybe they could be used to clean up coal mining... something to write down for later.
--

Eire watched the heat begin to recede. These bellows were not driven by coal. They were magic, and that made them impractical for the industrial process because it was difficult to scale them up. He had the iron and material to in small batches make crucible steel, but he did not have the furnace fuel and resources to fuel it by coal.

Amvarean waited for him beyond the entry way. "It is insufficient?"

"Regretably. I will make do with a water mill, but," What he really needed was a source of coal, and it was looking like his best option would be up the murque river on the border with the slough, that was weighed out by calculated the regional characteristics of sedimentary rock formations and other conditions. He suspected that even before the ice age engendered by the Earthfall cataclysm the previous ice age, which there idence of had created the conditions for coal deposits... but unfortunately while he suspected the road of shields probably sat astride such coal deposits or in proximity no dwarven records of such reserves survived. They would have to search. "We will need to re garrison and rebuild the entire road of shields." He informed the silver dragon.

Amvarean nodded as if this was the most natural thing in the world.

As for the mill... they could rely on the Shrike's flow to turn and power the mill... that was doable but it would require more work compared to the energy density provided by hard coal. He didn't regret settling Amvarean on Lake Silverstep... in fact that was probably the safest enfeefment possible... but the road of shields was a string of dwarven fortifications and was almost purpose built to serve as his marcher lands with Drelev... if only he had people to settle there and bring them into service... but that would ideally be labor and manpower who could be full time craftsmen and wage workers rather than subsistence farmers.

... and given everything they might be dwarves... probably wouldn't given how little in terms of dwarven immigration the realm had attracted thus far but they would be other races.

He paused, and regarded the lakeshore, "In the mean time..." well he had another project, and one more in line with arcane magic practices. One he suspected would only be potentially viable due to the mana plants that he had been cultivating... but he needed a second opinion before he brought it to the castle at large... he probably needed to discuss it with Jaethal as well.

The dragon in the guise of a half elf tilted her head head, "a metal flying machine?"
--
Regongar was happy to leave the sweet teeth to... whatever it was they were going to go do, instead he was going to prod Garess again. It was a brisk walk, that took him into the upper city, or town as it was coming to be known had changed a lot.

The sagging, patchy palisade wall that had ringed the stag lord's fort was gone. Vordakai had begun the process of restoring the old dilapidated tower that looked out over the lake... there was talks about putting an observatory adjacent to it... or probably restoring the ancient cyclopean structure there. It wasn't going to be quite the same Kaessi, the tiefling trio's patron,... or elder whatever... had built her villa there, and there was already a strong Qadiran feel to that entire wing...

... or maybe Qadiran was wrong, the Cathedral shared that domed architecture ... something that blended Azlanti architecture of the Arodenite church but more than that more than the stone architecture it was the emanating magical nature that contrasted with most of the other buildings... and the handful of houses built on the plateau around the capital inn were the only brevic style architecture besides the hall.

... buildings that looked more out of place as granite sets were put down and something akin to how things had looked under wizard rule pre earth fall ...

Regongar didn't have any strong opinions on that one way or another. Even as an arcantist... well the book stuff was really Octavia's thing what he saw was the power that went into the statement. He didn't care about the brevic architecture , only that it was overshadowed.

That was the crux of the point Kaessi was making, as he walked right into the conversation upon entry to the new keep's hall. Regongar wasn't as dismissive as city people, as Amiri was... but the Kellid barbarian wasn't necessarily wrong... people in city's tended to look down their noses at people like him...

So Regongar always enjoyed it when bigger city people looked down at those sorts of people... it was funny how the city people had this pecking order of bigger cities, 'more civilized' stuff. Vordakai snorted drawing Kaessi and Kessil Aldori away from their discussion.

He wasn't stooping. That was the really impressive thing about the last year. The giants who had come down from the mountains had built everything to giant scale... they did a lot of talking about tradition this and tradition that... but Regongar couldn't fault their work. It was big... and it made a statement. The old wooden hall was comfortable, and nice to spend the winter in and be jovial in but it didn't make the same statement. That was what impressed him.

The Cyclops waved his hand, "The city will continue to grow, administration must develop. It is only the natural order that it will require the education of wizards," The ancient cyclopean word actually more generally meant any arcane spellcaster... "and while Brevoy was founded by dragons I suspect they had less interest in correct ways and means. Rather than to claim kingship for kingships sake."

That was the sort of comment that Shaoyu would have been insufferable about... but he didn't see the Red Dragon ... Regongar supposed she probably had lessons. He stopped at the table all the same and prepared to ask after the captain of the guard.

"With our lovely chancellor," The tiefling replied, "If you're searching after leads on the Technic league I doubt anything has changed." Regongar grimaced. "I can say with certainty that there hasn't been any word about them from Varnhold."

He growled and set his face in a teeth bearing face, "I'm telling you we're going to have to fight those bastards." Regongar didn't really care about religion, or technology. Gorrum didn't really ask a lot of questions or deep navel gazing and that suited him fine, he didn't have the tongue for lengthy prayer.

Vordakai's singular eye fixed him, which was always creepy, "It is possible given their alleged mandate to attempt to control the flow of technology that they may attempt to act, but thus far nothing... and they are in opposition to Brigh's church as well."

That was true. Brigh's clergy really didn't like the technic league... for all of the technic leagues tenants seemed to fly in the face of the clockwork goddess's beliefs.

He regretted that turn in the conversation though, because well.. they were a church, and churches wanted to build churches... well it was a little more complicated than that when it came to a comparatively odd faith like Brigh's.

 

[Imperator Pax]

15 Gozran 4713 AR
It was mid morning by the time they had convened, and he'd largely spent the intervening two weeks busy with other matters besides, but it could not be officially avoided... not given ... well some of the things he had in mind. Things that he would need to address sooner rather than later.

The announcement of the Fifth Mendevian Crusade was not unexpected. Not really. The fourth had, some what reluctantly, 'officially' ended in 4707 with a demonic retreat but with the crusaders too exhausted to press their advantage. It also had seen a number of changes and reforms the crusader kingdom, but the fourth had lasted fifteen long years and it had no doubt taken time for resources to be gathered against the malignant threat posed by the world wound.

The year 4707AR...

The truth was that it had been put forward as an official end after the fact. A recognition of low morale, declining participation... the fourth's reserves were scraping the bottom. The result was a petition across the Inner Sea, across Avistan as a whole, and beyond preaching the dangers of what would happen if the crusaders failed... and what would happen if the demon hordes of the world wound were able to sweep out from the hell blasted nightmare scape of sarkorsis unchecked by valiant arms.

Thankfully they weren't just having it sprung upon them. No, while officially the Mendev Crusades were organized under the inheritor's banner, and thus the Church of Iomedae was first among equals... they were not sole deciding factory. Far from it. They had to act in concert with the other great faiths who contributed to the crusade, and also the supporting nation states.

To that end... the 16th​ of Arodus, the beginning of Armasse was to be the proclamation of the first day of the fifth crusade... at least if all went according to plan. There was much in terms of preparation that needed to be done to gather consensus from the churchs of Torag, Abadar, Desna Shelyn as well as others. There were a number of good deities and empyreal lords whose churches were involved. That meant it was a complex balancing act. It was a complex, and delicate balancing act, not just of faiths, but also national participation.

It meant they had time. Time that perhaps they could make a flying ship, that could alleviate compelx rivering switching over, or long overland travel.

"You want a what?" Harrim asked tugging at his beard threatening to actually pull hair loose.

"Oh, yes I talked to one of the gnomes from Alkenstar about them." Linzi squeaked standing up in her excitement at the prospect.

Eire would have liked that he could have enjoyed that same excitement, but he had to consider the practical and what it would be used for. It was true he liked the idea, and that Alkenstar was what had allowed him to consider. The truth was though he had considered going north west to Mendev... it hadn't really occurred to him what that really would have meant... or the fact that perhaps of all of Avistan it might well have been the place he would potentially stood out least among the leadership at least. Iomedae's church in Mendev fielded a wealth of powerful clerics, inquisitors, paladins ranging from humans, half elves, aasimar and others and their ranks were further buttressed by gold and silver dragons united in the inheritor's service.

The truth though was more complicated still about the war torn realm of the world wound. He had been informed that cities like Kenabres were surrounded by favelas populated by thousands of refugees. That was another part of what could be offered in support for the crusades' cause. Just there were obvious military aims there was a political and economic sides to the equation, and that meant providing material to support the war effort.

This was not just a matter of donations. Torag, and Abadar were both gods of commerce and their churches expected fair trade, and fair pay for goods, but they also expected honored terms. The church of Erastil also expected similar continuance of practice for the common good. All of that aside, there were simple political reasons to work out provide x goods at y volume for a fixed per unit price and part of that was that this was the fifth crusade organized the churches of good aligned deities were looking for success.

There was a thump that jarred them from the discussion as the door banged open, Jaethal had been conspicuously absent from the meeting, but that in itself wasn't unusual. Spring this year was proving very busy, The Elf Inquisitor looked particularly exasperated, "Are you still talking about the sky ship?" She shook her head, "Well we have another issue closer to home. We have yet another new cult..."

He assumed initially Jaethal was being a little unkind. Technically speaking there were a wide range of schismatic and religious splinters that had chosen to settle in the kingdom... not necessarily to everyone's like. There was a cluster of various small pantheons, including ones who specifically chose to venerate triumvirate, groups of three, as well as ones who venerated groups of five gathered together deities.

"Some Kellid Shaman and some Taldan sorcerer have apparently come to the epiphany that a great gathering of dragons is inevitable. They won't shut up about the dragons return, and its spreading to the kobolds."

Because of course it was. That was without even touching on the recent church of Apsu who was a lawful good silver great wyrm of tremendous size. Their arrival stemmed through contact with church of Iomedae, though Apsu's church had connections with Torag and Sarenrae. The delegation though believed that Silverstep was a holy site to their dragon god.

It was very likely this year was going to be quite busy. "And the giants." Harrim added.

"Which ones?" Eire asked. The Stone and Storm giants worshipped Erastil had expressed interest in visiting the temple of the elk, but that involved crossing from the south eastern tors.

Harrim frowned, "They claim to be Taiga giants, come down from the far north east of the Dunsward. The nomen centaurs vouched for the druid leading them." The conversation wound. Taiga giants... whatever other distinctions between them and frost giants were, included a propensity to be nomads... and not exactly... or at least weren't rumored to be especially keen on civilization. So it made sense that they got along well with the Nomen centaurs and the militant followers of the Green Faith. It was the latter that was a potential pressure of its own, given that before the world wound the kellid nation of Sarkorsis had been largely one of adherrents to that ancient faith.

--
Tristian's faith in Sarenrae was less martial than was necessity for a crusader. This was not say his particular iteration was the dominant, or norm among the dawnflower's church, and Sarenrae was heavily involved in the Mendev crusade.. and thus there was a particular matter he was suited for in terms of contribution.

The human toll of the rusade and the resettling of refugees was not the same thing as settling normal migrants... and of course there was the matter of those orphaned by the crusade who had no where else to go.

There were security concerns of course. He'd been warned already that crusaders and witch hunts had been common across the past crusades ... and that there were treacherous demon worshipping cultists who masqueraded behind the ranks. Eire had done his best to impress upon Tristian these warnings, while still reiterating the actual goals of the kingdom and the humanitarian mission.

With the printing press operational it was ideal that Linzi be involved in this side of things. That was something the exuberant halfling was prepared to do. Even as the Halfling continued to talk about it loudly and excitedly Jaethal was regarding him in preparation for the other half of responsibilities that were coming with the task. He'd be having a conversation with Amiri and Valerie in particular as well about the need for a permanent standing army as well.

There were differences. The possibility of any heavy cavalry force, potentially any cavalry would like fall to Valerie. Thankfully the expansive grasslands that dominated the Kamelands supported horse breeding, was an option to support baronial efforts. Eire crossed the room to look down at the knave from the second storey vantage. They probably needed to relocate all gatherings like this to the keep, but the stone fortress was not yet complete... though that was a matter of mission creep than anything else.

In a corner he spied an aclove feature one of the new shrines added to the cathedral, the growing population of cat folk had added a small bronze statue of a cat sleeping by a hearth. Adanye. Another indication of a growing kingdom. Of a prosperous kingdom.

The undead elf joined him. "Not much use for a fight, but I have a collection of eldritch scoundrels, and archaeologists who are working towards what you asked for."

He nodded.

Despite being King there was still so much of the land they didn't know. The Kamelands were a great example of this even, how much they had not known, without considering the broad expanse of the charter maegar had been granted. Kame was well for all intents and purposes a synonym for cairn, referring to a collection of rocks or stones in the countryside. He knew also that Jaethal's efforts to establish the little ministry had included recruiting a handful of talented slayers into ministerial posts.... but the truth was the main fighting for would need to be a little more mundane.

... or as the elf referred to them warm bodies... and she wasn't wrong per se.

"it will cut down on the amount of time I need to spend actually hands on, in exploring." Or more correclty it would free up exploration to allow him to make a state visit in support of the Mendevian crusades this summer. It was not intended as a long trip, but there was a prohibitively extensive list of things that needed to be done this summer for the realm.

--
Notes: this was the easiest way to begin name dropping classes without being too overlty game mechanics / pnp.
https://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/bard/archetypes/paizo-bard-archetypes/archaeologist/
https://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/co...zo-rogue-archetypes/eldritch-scoundrel-rogue/
https://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/hybrid-classes/slayer/

I kind of sort of use Legendary games kingdom making expansion in table top... some times, so some of that stuff also show up its third party stuff. I'm still working on maps, after looking around I figured out I can import the canonical map as a sublayer and more or less trace over it... I'm having some scaling issues with it, and also the drawing of bodies of water into the softwater its a learning process.

Hopefully I'll be able to put up a map of Narland done via campaign cartographer at some point.

 

[PeaceMaker03]

Thought you might like this page since the river trade is so important to the kingdom.

http://theharniac.net/alienage/shipping_inland.htm

 

[Imperator Pax]

25 Gozran 4713AR
Ekundayo was himself originally from Absalom, but his career as an adventurer had taken him into the River Kingdoms where he had eventually settled down in the southern edge of the Narlmarches. The village of Bristlehill was quite close the shield wall, as the dwarves had named the forested mountain that both blocked the Slough, and also served as the source for the Murque Skunk, and thorn rivers. Bristlehill the actual hill was part of this mountain, and was in Eire's opinion little different in topography to the low laying southern Appalachia chain. It was not particularly high elevation, and thus its effect on wind and rain was mild. This was in comparison to say the nearby Tors, or the Rockies on Earth.

The village had been lucky to not have been attacked over the winter during the troll troubles, and frankly extremely lucky that they had realized it was under threat. Its geography as part of the geographic shift that shaped the river made it useful. Bristlehill might not have been particularly tall but it and the populace living there west of Candlemere provided them a useful place to start fortifications from that was in between Hereford, and Candlemere but north, and for that matter east of the Bronzeshield. That made Bristlehill important, because it gave them a logistical stopping point for supplies earmarked for the fortress, and for any work they did on other dwarven ruins along the shield road.

The spring thaws had not created entirely new rivers, but it had notably deepened the main arteries of the kingdom and the tributaries that flowed into them before they reached bodies like Candlemere or the Tuskwater. He wondered if the thaw this year had had a similar effect on the tributaries in the Slough. Whatever the case they had been lucky. The flooding had been manageable and that it deepened the little Sellen was probably a good thing. More than the river thaw though the spring brought with it trade as people were no longer confined to their home villages for concern of the cold.

Bristlehill had been subject to land clearing and repair after Harrgulka's submission but the real work would be this year... or at least the work having been done so far was a step beyond last years. Bristlehill hadn't so much had a market square so much as a common village field that was near-ish to the center to hold market days. What Bristlehill had lacked was now answered by a new cobblestoned district capped at one end by a large timber lodge style pub. It represented a part of the standardized building process of towns with royal attention.

Eire turned to the ranger, "You are certain this person is trustworthy?"

"I am." Ekundayo replied.

He reflexively growled. "We will have to move against Gragglebeard then." He nodded. "I cannot have him move on that Taldan fortress." It wasn't really a fortress more a dilapidated river crossing gate house...


Whatever one wanted to call the building, the ruins, whatever it was however an actual stone structure even if wasn't a fortified tower house... and clearly its purpose had been to facilitate crossing the river. It was legally that river which was his border with Mivon.... or at least notionally close enough to be an issue to the realm's security.

In the year 4499 the Iobarian warlord, or tryant interesting that historical records suggested he'd used the Cyclopean term, Choral the Conqueror had swept down and in the span of roughly a year subjugated the lands of Issia and Rostland. Choral the Conqueror's knowledge of cyclopean wasn't that unusual for an iobarian, nor was his mastery of draconic... but he seemed in his early reign had used the title.

This ascension of House Rogavaria displaced the families who would become the Mivon ruling elite, as well as the likes of the Liacenza and others who would go on to establish modern Pitax. A development that had been the norm as the River Kingdoms had been ungovernable and unstable since the collapse of the Taldan empire.

"He has a wyvern with him." Ekun pointed out, speaking up abruptly and unexpectedly.

"Really?" That was news. The Torag worshipping ranger merely nodded. "Well regardless him coming east makes him our problem," And that was unfortunate, it had probably been too much to hope for that the giant and his band would be dealt with by Mivon, or that they 'd go west to join Armag in a much straight forward route.

Still the wyvern would be in addition to the few hill giants, some ogres, some more trolls and a plethora of apparent orcs. They broke conference to tend to other matters allowing Jaethal to appear from the shadows, "Harrgulka?"

"No I had wanted to accompany him to deal with the thickskins." They should have dealt with the other lizard folk last year decisively, and now this year they were interfering with attempts to trade with another sensible and friendly lizard folk tribe to the west, and that was intolerable. "We will deal with this ourselves."

Jaethal shrugged but didn't question his use of 'we' in the context. She shook her head and moved on. It was suggested that it was possible that gragglebeard might be looking to breed the wyvern with native examples of the breed that were found in the Kamelands, and the tors of levenies, but that was pure speculation, and the truth was Jaethal had another matter she wanted to address.
--
As with Shrikewall Candlemere's ruins were originally those of Iobarian cyclops and thus it had been easy to clear the ancient debris and partition into two levels and several rooms for standard human sizes the structures of old. The lighthouse served as a heliograph to Shrikewall, though was mostly used as a beacon in favor of magical communication.

Candlemere was its own separate lake from the Tuskwater and its smaller size, coupled with the island which housed the town made the crowded waters seem that much more busy compared to the capital. The island township was a bustling urban city in its own right and home to the realm's church of Nethys... he knew of course that the twins maintained a house hold shrine within their villa at the capital but it was to gods of magic and trade that candlemere abounded.

Nethys was the largest, and the original structure. The Orsirion gods Thoth, Ptah, and Sokar formed a trinity, with small shrines to both Ra and Bastet reflected the several hundred permanent Orsirion residents who had settled on the isle never mind their frequent trade delegations from up the Sellen. The Orsirions were also the reason for the presence of a smaller temple to Abadar on the isle in the west quarter of the town. In the east built so as that the temple facing it rested a marble faced temple of Sarenrae which was of course where they were going to meet Tristian.

The Orsirion presence was complicated by their relationship with the smaller 'Keleshite', that was Qadiran humans, community... admittedly the populations had significant ethnic and cultural overlap. Katapesh, and Qadira had sent traders, and Qadira was still a satrapy of the of the Keleshite empire. If taken just as an ethnicity there were quite many Keleshites over all, a product of the Padishah's reign over all three realms for a long span of time in the past.

Most Chelish immigrants, of all races, had chosen not to settle on Candlemere favoring to move on to Shrikewall or settle in one of the settlements where a Church of the Inheritor had been erected. Originally Hereford in the west, but similar churches were already planned for the Kameland towns in the lands between the rivers and were drawing seed populations in the hundreds. Careful cartography presented Eire with the rough approximation that Candlemere island was roughly comparable in size to Manhattan, and thus the island had space even without accounting for the peninsula that created the narrow passage of the shrike that ran from Tuskwater into Cnadlemere... or the other shorelines of the lake.

Like Manhattan this was the entreport fro river travel into the realm, and thus it had plenty of reason to grow, and thus needed bureaucracy to manage the influx of new arrivals, and the business they brought with them. It behooved the royal government o insure that there was space for temporary but safe, secure, and healthy accommodations for both permanent residents, and temporary ones alike... it was in that that the clergy and the religious sectors of the settlement came into play. Baronial law had been drafted with taxation in mind, and particularly that taxes collected as part of the tithe would be allocated to support specific welfare and medical services. The Cathedral of Shrikewall's magic sustained clean water throughout the city, as well as of course protecting it from fire.

Such taxes also provided ample justification for things like legal distinction of who was a subject of the king, and travelling merchants, and registration of religious affiliation. It was far from a comprehensive national or identification system, but it was useful for government work. Especially with Candlemere having nearly three thousand permanent residents, and substantive transitory passers through.

He avoided entering the plaza proper there were too many people in it already, and standing here Tristian was more likely to see him. Sarenrae's temple was as he understood the architecture of 'southern' golarion was a mix of native Osirion building styles and those practiced by the Keleshite empire of the east. Eire gave indication of notice to the proselytizing and sermons given by a handful of Tristians co religionists as it ws for the most part standard Sarenite dogma rote barring the one on the corner professing a condemnation on the evils of slavery and the absence of the institution within the realm.

It took Tristian several minutes to join them from wading through the crowds of the plaza. A plaza that was impressive in its artistry compared to what it had looked like a year ago. This island was the entryway into the realm, and so it grew faster than most places... but the Kamelands were a wide open expanse of unsettled land and there were ruins that dated back to the Taldan period aplenty, and between then and the present others had tried to make there way.