1_Shadows Over Anuire

8/4/2019 1_Shadows Over Anuire

1/5

Birthright Campaign: DiversKnowledge I

Shadows over Anuire

Ferocious Vos tribes and nomadic northman tribes of Rjurik warriors,fired by the disappearance of the Crown of Glory, symbol of the Anuirean

oppressors, rise in triumph against their neighbours and any who wouldstand in their way. Inevitably, the awnsheghlien do rise to do battle withthe lands of Men, most notably the Gorgon, who is destined (it is said) tosit upon the Iron Throne, and his puppet rulers of Mur-Kilad andMarkazr; Rhuobhe the Manslayer and his declaration of the gheallieSidhe; the mindless Spider and her goblinoid minions; the Raven and hisVosgaard warriors, and many others whose deeds of infamy go unsung.

In their fear (and not without an element of self-serving ambition), theleading scions of Anuire, Aeric Boeruine and Darian Avan, havedescended upon the capital, much to the dismay of the ImperialChamberlain. He can see their lust for the trophy of the Iron Throne, yet

is either worthy? Tensions between the regents Avanil and Boeruineescalate. In their lust for power, and hatred of one-another, conflictensues, and before long, in her most vulnerable hour, Anuire is in the gripof a bitter and bloody civil war!. Enter Ghoere, prophesied some say, heirto the throne. His appearance, at the head of an army comes as news ofthe Manslayers depredations reaches Anuire1

Meanwhile, General Lyien Charie, former commander of Boeruinesarmies, mysteriously abandoned his troops during the swift andsometimes brutal march through Taeghas to Anuire. His sights set on theCapital, Boeruine pressed on regardless, vowing to make an example of

the mutinous general at a later time.

Lyien is of Sidhelien blood. His maternal grandfather serves theManslayer. Lyien has been ordered to return to Rhuobhes lands to leadthe awnsheghs troops in raids against their now-weakened Mannishneighbours. Fearing the retribution of Boeruine, Lyien has coerced theDukes eldest daughter and heiress to accompany him to a friendly court,lest she be wedded off to some barbarian jarl in a marriage of alliance.2

Trouble is also brewing in Brosengae. The monarch, Eriene Mierelenhas allowed Boeruines troops to land at the capital, Bindier, and crossher realm in their march on Anuire. Clashes with Avans garrisons follow,

and the fields ofCoere are awash in the blood of the commonfolk caughtin the middle of the conflict. The sudden arrival of the Gorgons host ineastern Avanil prompts Avan to withdraw his troops for the defence of hiscapital, Daulton. The news of the Manslayers rampage (and theintercession of, some say the Lady of Mourning, others the Storm Lord,by the House of Wave, Tree and Stars), in turn, prompts Boeruine toabandon the blockade of the capital (designed to hamper any navalsupport of Avanil from Taeghas) and return troops to his beleagueredprovinces.

1 553/III/4.1.2 (nine days before the vanishing of the Crown of Gloryas seen from the Royal

Observatory of the Imperial Capital)2 In truth, she is the product of a liaison between Lyien and the duchess, and therefore related to theManslayer himself!


2/5


Shadows over Anuire

It isnt long before Roesones forces are detected and courted by severalparties. On the advice of Cerincascael, Speaker of Nesirie, and the

Celestial Archpriest Jacob Enlien, the Chamberlain of Anuire, CalidheDosiere invites the Black Baron into the capital. He refuses the invitation,but extends one of his own to the Chamberlain!

The much-anticipated tearing of the veil between worlds fails to eventuateas predicted. No shadow-spawned legions spill into Anuire as was feared.But other, all too human threats abound, and Roesones march has notbeen in vain; a herald of Avans arrives with this invitation:Render your uncalled-for aid freely and with good intent in this, our hourof need, and enjoy our patronage and support. Refuse and consider

yourself an enemy, having already declared war on the sovereign state ofAvanil by virtue of your uninvited and unlawful arrival on our fair shores.

While Avan would welcome any assistance, no doubt so would Boeruine.Both are well-known for rewarding their allies handsomely, and for holdinga grudge against those who ally with their enemies.

The Barons scouts confirm the siege of Daulton, beset by a great host ofgoblinoids, purportedly from Markazr. This news is grave, indeed, for itsurely means the fall of the northern Heartlands states. Roesone will notsuffer the presence of these barbarians, and means to repel them. At the11th hour the Black Barons forces strike the besiegers, sending a wave ofpanic through their ranks, and giving the besieged the opportunity to

launch a counterattack. The goblinoids, scattered, flee into thesurrounding countryside.

Attacking the pavilion of the goblins leaders, Marcio Greenleafretrievesan item of great interest. This Ebon Mirror is clearly an item of Power,and warrants further study. Its very presence weighs heavily upon theassembled scions, and Roesone orders it secured and secreted away.

Under cover of the Black Barons attack, the goblins prisoners stage anescape attempt. The prisoners were in the retinue of Gavin Tael, theBaron Ghoere, and were ambushed during his march on the Capital.Numbered among the rescuers is the knight of the Militant Order of

Cuiracen, Guy de Conallier and some of his worthy knights. Ghoeresguard can shed no light as to the whereabouts of their lord; a detachmentof knights of Cuiracen continues its search in the goblin-infested lands onthe Endier border.3

The item is soon discovered to be a form of scrying device, a crystal ofscrying. Placing the mirror on a Ley Line will allow it to function as aScry Province Realm Spell anywhere along the Ley Line. Marcio, againstall better judgement, snuck a glance at the mirror, and saw, ever sofleetingly, a throne of skulls and a trophy suit of radiant armour beforebeing tackled to the ground by Guy and a Roesonean Blackguard. Heclaims the mirror beckoned to him, but is placed in the stocks regardless.

3 As at 553/III/1.2.8 (last day (Taelen) of the second week of the first month (Erntenier, month ofharvest) of the third season, year 553 Michaeline Reckoning


3/5


Shadows over Anuire

(What remains undiscovered, however, is that the mirror drains

mebhaighl. Source levels of all neighbouring provinces and the value ofall ley lines which cross through those domains are drained by one leveleach, and the energy creates a source value equal to the number ofdomains and ley lines the mirror taps. This reservoir of mebhaighl canthen be used to cast scry province, however all excess mebhaighl is feddirectly to the Awakening consciousness ofAzrai. In time, he will gatherenough energy to break out of his shadowy prison!)

But these revelations are still some weeks away. A more pressing matterconfronts our heroes: Aeric Boeruines daughter has, it appears, beenabducted by the Manslayer.4 She is pivotal to his plans for Imperialalliances, and the Archduke would countenance one of two outcomes: her

safe, unmolested return, or her marriage to the Manslayer himself. Onlythe most gifted of diplomats would stand any chance of success in thistask. The impact of House Wave, Tree and Stars was felt keenly byBoeruine, and he has its agent sought out with the above proposition. Forhis part, Boeruine will foreswear any and all ambitions for the Iron Throneupon a successful outcome. Of course he means to strike again againstthe Capital in the protectors absence!

Boeruine offers an escort of knights for the diplomatic mission ahead:twenty-nine sons of lesser nobles are assigned this duty, underscoring theimportance of the mission (in truth, these are sons of sometime

treasonous nobles, whom Boeruine considers expendable.5

The fate of hisdaughter is of little concern to him once he sits upon the Iron Throne). Ledby Sir Taresien and Sir Belladaen, the assemblage of (largely) worthyknights espouses the newly-conceived code of chivalry. The young knightsare prepared to lay down their lives for the safe return of the LadyMaeglyn.

The party must travel from Boeruines camp in Bindier, through theSeamist Mountains. This route is sure to prove dangerous, however, asit appears the ancient fortress-mines, long since abandoned, of theKaramhl have been breached by the Orogs imprisoned in the delvingsbeyond. Reports filter in of Orogs venturing from their subterranean

prisons to terrorise the foothill communities ofTaeghas (Brosen, Seamist)and Tournen (Vanilen).

Stopping at the military camp of Roesone, Cerin persuades the out-offavour Marcio Greenleaf, along with his temporary custodian, Guy, to join

4General Lyien Charie, former commander of Boeruines armies, mysteriously abandoned his troops

during the swift and sometimes brutal march through Taeghas to Anuire. His sights set on the Capital,Boeruine pressed on regardless, vowing to make an example of the mutinous general at a later time.Lyien is of Sidhelien blood. His maternal grandfather serves the Manslayer. Lyien has been ordered toreturn to Rhuobhes lands to lead the awnsheghs troops in raids against their now-weakened Mannishneighbours. Fearing the retribution of Boeruine, Lyien has coerced the Dukes eldest daughter andheiress to accompany him to a friendly court, lest she be wedded off to some barbarian jarl in a

marriage of alliance. Of course, she will be held as hostage by the Manslayer

5 See Birthright Campaign: Divers Knowledge II- the Archduchy of Boeruine document


4/5


Shadows over Anuire

this foolhardy foray into the Awnsheghs lair. They are accompanied alsoby the mendicant Dust and Ashes.

The lateness of the season would ordinarily preclude an overlandexpedition. In any case, the Manslayer is said to command the very windsabove his domain. However, confident in his mastery of Wind and Wave,Cerin urges the company to attempt the dangerous crossing

The expedition runs into difficulties when it encounters goblin scouts.Marcios ill-advised attempt to slay this hateful people draws the attentionof a much larger contingent of goblins nearby. They spot the party andgive chase. Sir Guy, bathed in supernatural radiance at the command ofCerin, leads a desperate charge from the foothills, smashing the goblinranks and scattering their number, but not without some casualties.

The party buries its dead, and entrusts the wounded and the arms andarmour of the deceased to the care of seven knights. These worthies willreturn to Brosengae, and report the recent clash of arms to the DukeAvanil and Baron Roesone. Meanwhile, the remainder of the party (21souls in all) pushes into the Seamists foothills, trusting in their strength ofarms, will, and righteousness. Marcio recalls, from the deepest recessesof his mind, that Lyien is, like himself, fey-touched. The implications aredisturbing

The difficult trek through the Seamists is punctuated by evidence of

ancient Dwarfish citadels delved into the mountains, wide avenues cuttingthrough mountain vales. Orogs are clearly active, and the deep rumblingsof their foundries threaten to shake the mountains apart, at times. Ofconcern is the revelation that the accompanying knights from Boeruineshousehold, all of whom are young and relatively inexperienced, are sonsof (so-called) treasonous nobles, who at one point or another have spokenout against Boeruines heavy-handed rule. Of even greater concern is acommemorative stele that is discovered erected in the Dwarfish avenueproclaiming, in Elfish script, the imprisonment of a great wyrm in thebowels of the mountain. Whether true, or a cunning deception of theManslayers, none can tell, but the possibility that the delving of thenewly-awakened Orogs may disturb the wyrms imprisonment is not lost

on the party

Finally the peaks are traversed, and the party looks out upon the ravagedland of Taeghas to the west. The pristine, yet harsh, primal forests to thenorth reflect their masters dark nature, and Cerin makes for this direction.It quickly becomes apparent that the very land itself recoils from thedespoiling touch of the party, and it beckons Cerin to come alone

The true intent of Boeruine is discovered when Cerin opens the gifts to bepresented to the manslayer on behalf of the Archduke: the sarcasticcongratulatory note on Rhuobhes betrothal, and his gifts of an axe-head of cold iron along with his retinue of household knights! The knightsreluctantly accede to Cerins request, he having dismissed them of theirduty to him, but turn to Guys counsel as to their status to their lord. Guy


5/5


Shadows over Anuire

advises that they cannot gainsay Boeruines intent, and are not absolvedof their oath of fealty. He suggests they uphold their oaths of chivalry, and

render assistance to the down-trodden and weak of the settlements beforethem, to bring a measure of order to the bandit-ravaged lands. This theydo with vigour, aided by Dust and Ashes and under the guiding hand of SirGuy, while Cerin and (the fey-touched) Macio proceed apace.

Before long, Cerin and Macio find themselves in the thick of an ancientforest, a forest which both beckons and rebukes, its message carried inthe rustling of the wind on the pine needles. Marcio, declared despoilerand tainted by the unseen sentries, challenges them to a test of skill atarchery. This challenge is met with an arrow through the thigh, to whichCerin tends. Fearing further progress along this difficult route, theyinstead head seaward and reunite with the knights who have restored a

small semblance of normalcy to the devastated communities.

As luck would have it, Cerin learns that the faith of Nesirie is well-represented along the coastal provinces, and the party sets forth for thetwo-day march to Portage on Taeghas north-western border. There theyarrive to find the township on high alert, having just endured lightningraids from Boeruines troops and Avanils brigands. The local priestess ofNesirie, Avril Dovenseil,6 recognises Cerins status as a Speaker, andoffers his party succour.7

A small expedition braves the borders of the Manslayers realm, but the

memory of what transpired there is erased

6 The Chief Priest, Daffyd Tamaere, is based in the province of Bhaine, in Taeghas7 As at 553/III/2.1.1 (first day (Firlen) of the first week of the second month (Sehnir) of the third season,year 553 Michaeline Reckoning

1_Shadows Over Anuire

Documents

Transcript of 1_Shadows Over Anuire