Kaleth - Recent History

The following information is updated after every session. To get the whole story read from the bottom up. Every 4 sessions (or so) I will post a “Revised Overview”

Recent events (424 - late Autumn to mid Winter)

Countess Camilla Argento, whose family has managed lands on the border of the Wylding Wood has ceded her claim to a Hearthlander, which effectively gifted those lands to Omal without the approval or consent of Aeorid. Rumor is this was done to avoid having the lands come under the control of the Fey because of some age old contract but Thane Gale of Aeorid is unhappy about the turn of events and there has been hostility on the Aeorid/Omal border.

Commander Hale of Celedon has entered into some kind of alliance with Warlord Tempus. This allowed Celedon to sweep north and take all of the lands held by Haven - which has been eliminated. Celedon forces are massing in the north. There are concerns that they will continue north into Iandir.

No longer pinned down by his battles with Celedon, Tempus has moved west into Aredor. 

Aredor is in serious danger and may not survive into the new year. Arch Duke Thrace called upon the Freehold Alliance to help defend them against Warlord Archus Grail. The forces of Omal have answered but that may just delay the inevitable. 

The Dwarf King has directed his forces to march on Gharash and slaughter as many Uruks as they can. They have taken control of several islands and have a foothold in several more. Scouts have reported that all in fighting among the Uruks has ceased and that they seem to have withdrawn. No one seems to know to where or for what reason.

Recent events (424 - late Spring to late Autumn)

Newvald has established itself through Rijik, one of the busiest ports along the northern coast. Hundreds of Nords have resettled in Kaleth, bringing many ships with them. 

The situation in the core of Kaleth is ongoing. Aredor and Celedon contend with Warlords Tempus and Grail. The UI entire area is war torn and standards of living have become quite low. Celedon only persists because its “humans first policies” have given it a steady influx of new troops. 

The Dwarves of Durgen have driven the Uruks out of their lands, bringing an end to the current conflict between them. Consequentially, the in-fighting between the Uruk leaders of Garash has become worse. There is reported to be no Thane, just between six and eight Bosses. It is rumored that Tulgar of Durgan is considering moving his victorious forces into the Shatterbone Isles to take advantage of this vulnerability. It would be a slaughter. 

The borders of the Wylding Woods have moved as the Wyldlings have become every more isolationist - lying claim on ever less and the Fey have begun to withdraw. This has left more territory for Aeorid, whose Thane has built three new settlements in the new lands. 

Recent events (424 - Spring)

You received the call and walked the gray road, arriving at Barston Mill in Margelis. There is a small crowd gathered that seems to be expecting you and is very glad to see you. The Gatekeeper explains that the staff was given more notice than usual that so they sent the word to the local community that they could come petition the adventurers for help. The response has been enthusiastic to say the least. 

Recent events (423 - Summer)

Welcome guests. I am Rafe, who works for the Mistress of the Ram’s Head as scout. When we arrive in a new place it is my job to gather whatever information I can about where we are before the call goes out and adventurers arrive.

Today we find ourselves in the Heathers, an estate in the foothills of the Fallowdrake Mountains on the northern continent of Cereborn in the Realm of Kalenoth.

The Heathers was once a luxurious retreat in a very inhospitable land. A man known only as “The Foreman” has amassed a substantial fortune investing in mines along the Fallowdrake. Several of these paid off and a great deal of silver was pulled from the bones of the earth, enough to pay for the estate.

From what I have been able to gather, his downfall was love. He married a woman of suppressing beauty who locals all describe as having a cold heart. She gave him two daughters before she left him, taking most of his treasury with her.

The daughters both married and the Foreman was left alone in an estate that was far too large for him and far too full of memories. He died two weeks ago. They say from heartbreak and neglect. His daughters, Primrose and Iris, were called home to bury him.

Because there was no male heir (Cereborn is backwards like that) ownership of the estate is apparently in question.

Your hosts are the sisters and Camille, the nurse who helped raise them. Camille was also called back for the burial and has been helping Primrose and Iris get their affairs in order.

I have informed them of our presence and purpose. We have appeared inside what is normally a barn in a neglected field. I smoothed over some initial concerns with a small chest of coin, but it would be best if we tread a bit lightly. Kiss the ring, as it were.

The nearest settlement is Mulligan, half a day to the north. It is an all but abandoned mining town that used to be a hub for the mines to the north and west. With activity down to two newly dry mines the region is nearly dead.

The local lord is a Viscount named Juris. I haven’t had time to get the lowdown on him. Local oversite is nearly nonexistent. We are days from anything that really matters. Basically, we are on our own out here expect for the sisters and this mausoleum of an estate. Fortunately, we have a Bard coming in, Portals going out and plenty of drink on hand.

OVERVIEW (WHAT HAS GONE BEFORE)

In Summary: The campaign is based on the continent of Kaleth. The Old Kingdom fell after a century and descended into the six year “Banner War” during which new leaders who called themselves Thanes laid claim on lands they called Freeholds. At the end of the six years, open war ended but the conflict continued. It has been 4 years since the Banner Wars ended. There are currently 9 Thanes, each leading a Freehold, several independent settlements and an unknown number of Warlords and Bandit Kings.

Our stories are based in Kaleth, one of three human homelands, the others being Cereborn (which lies to the West) and Norvald (in the far North).

Kaleth has been home to several Kingdoms even an Empire at one point but eventually all collapsed under their own weight.

Most recently, Maroth, had managed to unite most of Kaleth under the purple, red and gold of banner of the hawk. For more than a century the Emrik Kings kept the peace, and the Realm was prosperous.

Baros, the last Emrik King, overextended his resources by trying to use force to bring the few independent regions of Kaleth under his control.

With the King’s hold on his Realm weakened, the ambitions of pretenders led them to maneuver for more personal power. Baros was a poor statesman who lacked the finesse to give the most dangerous lords just enough to placate them. Instead, he chose to take a hard line despite his ability to back up his threats.

The Kingdom fell and war consumed the land. For six years, during what are now called the Banner Wars, borders were drawn and redrawn. Freeholds came and went. Thousands died. In the end, we were left with the nine we have now, each led by a Thane, many of whom had been Lords of Maroth.

During the Banner Wars, would-be Thanes struggled to find whatever allies they could to give them the edge they needed to persevere. Under the Emrik Kings, the policy had been “coexistence” - the other peoples were not subjects, they were granted lands of their own and lived side by side with their human neighbors.

The Thanes offered more than benign neglect. They invited these independent peoples to be a part of their Freeholds, to be stakeholders. They would enjoy the same benefits and protections as any other subject.

Some, like the Hearthlanders, were quick to join, guaranteeing success and stability to Omal. Others, like the Uruks of Gharash, decided that they would claim a Freehold for themselves and name their own Thane. The most fiercely isolationist peoples such as the Wyldlings of the western woods had no interest in change and let it be known that the considered their lands independent as they had always been.

The Thanes needed more than the participation of these other peoples. They needed whatever advantages they could muster if they were to survive.

Religion was one such rallying point. Some Thanes suddenly found their faith and began erecting grand temples to gods whose favor they hoped would help them emerge victorious. The Gods of War became very popular.

Another weapon that could be wielded by a Thane with the right allies was magic. Iandir’s most effective forces are the Adepts of the Word, sorcerers who spells tear through the armor of their opponents as if it weren’t even there. The Thane of Gharash is advised by Nharus Omenborn, a powerful wizard whose dark arts have guided her forces to victory against what seemed to be impossible odds.

The Emrik Kings of Maroth had been content to leave much of Kaleth wild. They built where they needed, let other cultures stand on their own and had no interest in expanding to fill every mile. The Banner Wars were a turning point. The Thanes were insatiable and pushed into unexplored and wild lands.

Bandits and raiders have become a persistent threat to merchants and travelers as have monsters that were roused when we disturbed the shadows.

The six years of the Banner Wars were chaos. The hard truth is that the things are better, but not by much. 

There is no open, ongoing war but there isn’t exactly peace either. There are still border skirmishes and many of the Thanes are not content with the lands they ended up with. Worse still, there are Warlords who didn’t manage to seize control of enough lands to become Thanes who struggle to carve out holds for themselves.