Cruenti Dei: Sahûl TheVo l u mChronicle e 1: 1445 t o 1500 P Thom Ryng

Sardarthion Press Tacoma 2009 For Francine my love

Who is absurdly tolerant of my unhealthy fascination with imaginary worlds and marsupials.

Sardarthion Press, Tacoma Washington, Republic of Cascadia. www.sardarthion.com

Cruenti Dei Player Rules copyright © 1994–2009 Thom Ryng. Cruenti Dei: Sahûl copyright © 2007–2009 Thom Ryng. Cruenti Dei, Sahûl and all related properties are trademarks of Sardarthion Press. Interior illustrations copyright © 2007–2009 by the respective artists. Interior illustrations by Jacqueline Brasfield, Cort Winters.

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Cruenti Dei Chronicle, Volume 1. (CDC01) (v1.1) The Sahûl Chronicle Turn 7 1481–1485 SA Cutting through crisp air / The sword our scripture in steel / Leaves before the wind (Master Bo) emember: the details are important! If you are expecting resources from another player, tell me how much from who. Tracking these things down is both time-consuming and irritating. If you are moving from point A to point D, be sure to write down your route (B and C). If you’re doing Rmultiple Spell Crystal exchanges, please please please write out a summary at the end of your orders showing clearly who is getting what from whom, and what you expect everybody to end up with. I am easily confused. Also, please do not assume that I read everything on the boards. I certainly try to, but in the heat of processing, I will miss things if they’re not right in front of my nose. If we’ve exchanged PMs or e-mail to fix a stat sheet problem, you must note that on your orders. My memory isn’t what it used to be. There is continuing confusion about trade and movement in the Byrrin River. The Lower Byrrin runs from the Western Gulf of Iphil to the city of Adndar. TheUpper Byrrin runs from Adndar to Sardarthion. So, for example, if your only outlet to the sea is on Lake Sardath, you cannot trade by sea with someone whose only outlet to the sea is the Western Gulf of Iphil, no matter how much you may want to. Next Turn Due: Monday, 7 September 2008.

Fr e e Co m p a n i e s & Er r a n t r y &c. Fi n a n c i a l Institutions

Company of the Black Claw–3sc 25hi 19mc Imperial Bank of Einandhu Captain: Tirabinis Aranthes (l995w) yg age 63 Location: ...... Einandhu Location: Tichiir, Iantier Province Available to borrow:...... 500 gp Min. Bid: 45gp/Turn (No single borrower may borrow more than 700 gp) Investors may purchase shares in the Imperial Free White Lotus Company–10hi 24mi 25li 20lc City of Einandhu for 200 gp each, all profits to be Captain: Mistress Exata (l993i) il age 39 divided by shares. Rule 10.5.2 investment income Location: Plormel, Biralis Province accrues normally. The four chief shareholders, Min. Bid: 60gp/Turn together with the Tiger of Arms, form the Darein’s Destroyers–3hc 35mi 22li 19mc board of directors (indicated * below). Captain: Darein Gorthes (la84w) tr age 31 Shares: Location: Einandhu, Sardior Province House Gwariva of Ingazi...... 2* Min. Bid: 50gp/Turn House Pangku of Araxes...... 3* House Sakkath of Zarkhandu...... 2* Red Dragon Company–10cv 15pk 30mi Ancient and Undaunted Order of Heralds.... 3* Captain: Tarrid the Fiercer (la69s) ur age 40 Guilds Council of Adndar...... 3* Location: Somewhere in Ingazi Printers Guild of Zadres...... 1 Min. Bid: 30gp/Turn / hired Loans: Araxes (360/t8), Ingazi (910/t8)

Trang’s Fleet–3cr 22wr 13tr Bank of Itaxik Commodore: Neris Caranthes (l956w) yg age 36 Location: ...... Itaxik Location: Cappargarnia City Available to borrow:...... 1050 gp Min. Bid: 50gp/Turn Loans: None outstanding

Cruenti Dei: Sahûl 107 he wildly popular (and beautiful and witty and Western Sahûl Tclever) Grand Duchess Jera concluded a defini- Th e Ki t ’i x i Co a s t tive treaty with the Duchy of Thace, thanks to some timely imperial diplomacy. The Treaty of Korassan Co u n t y o f To k a t l (13 i/t a ) (1482) provides for recognition of Jorun and the Her Excellency, Tinikatua v, Mistress of the Totek town of Korassan as Averese, while Averon cedes Hive, Countess of Tokatl. all claim to Sandír and its town of Drannhír to Trade: Averon, Chi’tixi, CM, Kachar, Taneki the Duchy of Thace. The of Sandír was most DP: None certainly not amused at the turn of events. Never- inikatua V invested the usual amounts in the theless, he saw which way the wind was blowing Tusual things. Tokatl’s siege rating improved, as and paid tribute to the Urdan . Similarly, the did the general quality of life throughout the tiny Urdans of Korassan dutifully accept their Iluvarian county. , though few of them embrace the religion of their new masters. Du c h y o f Ta n e k i (13 i/y g ) Averon built the port town of Mardahn on the Her Grace, Toktoka i i i , the Mistress of Akeltl, Duchess South Muleen Road in Tueteen. of Taneki, Baroness Ketatl. The usual lightning storm accompanied the sum- Trade: Averon, Chi’tixi, Itaxik, Kachar, Pexiki, moning of the Deva Thuban in Kongros in 1483. Sakkar, Tokatl, Yax’te Shortly afterwards, several blocks of tenements in DP: None the older parts of the city are evacuated and the aneki found itself oddly at peace. Not know- buildings themselves are partially torn down, re- ing what to do with themselves, they did noth- T vealing an ancient marble arch in the style of the ing. The treasury groans with gold, while many are First Empire. Almost three stories tall, the arch is without work or bread. Sorcery quality improved. stout enough to have been a portion of a city gate Th e Ch u r c h Mi l i t a n t (13 i/i l) complex, but it is strangely far from the ancient Her Holiness Aketika v i i , Iluvarian Matriarch of the walls. The site remains under military control. West, Archemandrite of Tikata. Averon extended their Lake Muleen autobahn Trade: Araxes, Averon, Tokatl into Selid in the north and Kib in the south, leav- DP: None ing the only gap in the high deserts of Pantun. Naval and sorcery quality both improved. he Church continued to be paralyzed by inde- Tcision and inaction as the aging hierarchy aged Co u n t y o f Pe x i k i (19 i/y g ) further. Some new blood was injected as the very Her Excellency, Ixix i v, Mistress of the Coactoka Hive, oldest died at their desks, but the Church Militant Countess of Pexiki, Amoxcali. seems to be have become the Church Bureaucratic. Trade: Itaxik, Kachar, Taneki El e c t o r a l Gr a n d Du c h y o f Av e r o n (23 s i /i l) DP: None. Her Gracious Majesty, Jerai i i , Lady of Clan Drax, ountess Ixix IV proved that genius does not Countess of Darida, Admiral of the Green, Cnecessarily mean action. Indeed, the Pexiki Electoral Grand Duchess of Averon. were eerily silent and still. Tiketua i i i of Tishrak, of the North. El e c t o r a l Pr i n c i p a l i t y o f It a x i k (28 i/u r ) Trade: Araxes, Atuburrk, Chi’tixi, CM, Taneki, Lady Tis’chak Yautlatoaya, Regent of Itaxik. ThaceD, Tokatl Trade: Kachar, Pexiki, Sakkar, Taneki, Yax’te DP: Kib (F), Sish (F), Khorassan (see below)

108 Turn 07—1485 SA DP: Ormic Hills (downright hostile), someone mercifully brained her with a tankard. The Ymoski (F), Tatia (F), Omei (F), Itaxik delegation rolled the Pehuatokan envoy into Chilyohan (F) the barn and went back to the inn to sleep in peace. rincess Chass’ika was appointed Chancellor of By the morning, she had departed. The innkeeper Pthe Empire In 1481. One of the and groused that not only did she give new meaning to more promising hive was named Regent, the word “drone”, she hadn’t tipped, either. and the sailed to Sardarthion. The new Widespread investment resulted in advances in Regent is a ruthlessly efficient bureaucrat. infantry and naval technology. The Princely Engi- Itaxik continued their program of sending heav- neers attempted to build a road from the capital ily armed diplomatic legations through the Mictian into nearby Notekua. They stopped when a local River valley with mixed results. The new Regent farmer pointed out to them that there was already was most disturbed to hear that one of her legations such a road, and in fact, they were standing on it. was kicked out of the Ormic Hills by the secretive The Regent fired her engineers and saved the -as Saurian monastic brotherhood that rules there. signed resources while her new engineers figure out In Chilyohan (where things went very well in- where to build the next road. She also fired some of deed), Itaxik envoy Lady Notekua was met by a chit- her bureaucrats when she discovered that the town tering envoy from the Countess of Pehuatoka. The of Yautiua hadn’t paid their taxes in several genera- meeting was extremely polite, but the undercurrent tions. of barely-disguised hostility was hard to ignore. The The weather improved markedly. Even so, Itaxik Pehuatokan envoy (in very circuitous language, the is starting to get better at building those glass hous- nature of which can only be somewhat demonstrat- es. At least they ’t break nearly as often. ed here) indicated that her Countess considered all Co u n t y o f Ka c h a r (15 i/u r ) of the recent Itaxik diplomacy in the Mictian River Her Excellency, Kassa v, the Wily, Mistress of Calpolli, valley–lands that had been “under the protection” of Lady Tchantli, Countess of Kachar, Protector of the Pehuatoka since the formal dissolution of the Mic- tian Federation in 1313, even if precious little of it Fair Isles. Trade: have been actually controlled by them since the Kin Itaxik, Sakkar, Taneki, Tokatl, Yax’te DP: Strife and subsequent rebellions of the early fifteenth None century–to be the hostile act of an expansionist gov- achar continued to focus their time and en- ernment bent on an unwarranted hegemony in lands Kergy on their navy. Much time and money was to which they had no historical claim. Furthermore, spent searching for that elusive breakthrough in the County of Pehuatoka, despite its limited influ- shipbuilding technology. ence in those territories over which however they had The Church reforms reached Kachar in the per- never relinquished claim, would not sit idly by while son of Reverend Mother Verilia, who spent some (at this point an aide had to poke Lady Notekua as time in Yankuik Cathedral. After shaking things she was beginning to nod off) the naked aggression up there, she visited the city of Kana, where she of the running dogs of Itaxik, under the clear delu- proclaimed a great feast. She then left for parts un- sion that a fancy title and an enormous army some- known, reportedly to the east. how exempted them from exhibiting the decency and Ba r o n y o f Sa kk a r (11 i s /i l) courtesy of … Baroness Neallatalah i i i of Sakkar, the Vehement, It was at this point that Lady Notekua began Mistress of Nelhuayotl, Heir of the Prophet, Beloved snoring. The puffed-up Pehuatokan envoy feigned of the Light of Iluvar. not to notice and continued to lecture the sleeping Trade: Itaxik, Kachar, Taneki, Yax’te Itaxik diplomat for a further forty minutes before

Cruenti Dei: Sahûl 109 DP: None Trade: Adndar, Araxes, Atuburrk, Averon, he frugal and pious Sakkar expended some Hyrágec, ID, Ingazi, Kicitchat, Taneki, Tportions of their treasury in careful invest- ThaceD, ThaceE, Tokatl, Urdraháhn ment. They have yet to see much of a return. DP: Girkkah (T) he mighty Chi’tixi continued their regimen of Ic e m a r k o f Ya x ’t e (13 s/i l) Tinvestment. This time, the effects were mark- Margrave Tillein the Silent, Grand Master and - edly different, as naval and air tactics improved, Commander of the Champions of the Renewal. and sorcery advanced. Trade: Itaxik, Kachar, Sakkar, Taneki As part of Chi’tixi’s doctrine of “diplomacy in DP: Onisba (T) force” an army of 100,000 (including elephants for he Icemark planted a colony in the Aramond emphasis) visited Girkkah. They had a tremendous Tgreenwood that quickly prospered (2131)S. time there as guests of the martial Girkkahs, what Thanks to heavy investment, sorcerous learning with the drinking and dancing and war stories and advanced, as did air tactics. Diplomacy continued comparing weapons. Somewhat hung over, they in the Urdan north and west. progressed into Torikkah, where the mountainous Yax’te’s weather continued to improve, so much terrain proved both difficult and irritating. so that much of the grain they’d set aside in their The Chi’tixi navy came to the ’s support granaries ended up used to brew a particularly in the War of the Cappargarnian Chastisement. hearty ale, which Brewmaster Ninkasi Seraku Chi’tixi financed the bulk of the Imperial Reform. dubbed “Gorrne’s Blackbeer” after the Margrave’s Clan. This same brewery also produces “Icemark Du c h y o f Th a c e (17 s/u r ) Ale”, a lighter beer popular north of the Choloa. His Grace, Biard x i v , Lord Goshtikka-Ourane, Baron Tillein’s heir, Tillein the Loquacious, died of of Brennadein, Duke of Thace. natural causes in 1483. The Gorrne Clan Mothers Trade: Aradéc, Araxes, Averon, Chi’tixi, Ingazi, (both of them) agreed on the youngest member of Hyrágec, ID, Kicitchat, ThaceE, Tigers, the small clan as the new heir, Tillein’s grandneph- Urdraháhn ew Cleon. DP: Anderim (F), Enrid (F), Sandír (T), To the north, the twenty atheist goat herders of Lahai (A), Apéric (F), Senetar (F) Zanisba reportedly converted to Urdanism. uke Biard concluded the Treaty of Khorassan Dwith Averon. Thace gave up claim to Jorun, including the Urdan town of Khorassan, while Thacia & Aret Averon relinquished Iluvarian Sandír. Both sides were fulsome in their praise of the Imperial diplo- Th e Hi g h Pl a i n s & No r t h e r n Co a s t mats that helped broker the deal. More work was done on the grand bridge being El e c t o r a l Qu e e n d o m o f t h e Gr e a t Hi v e o f built across the Hûrn to connect Ourane with Her- h i t i x i i r r i x i i y g C ’ T K (32 / ) roc. The pylons remain hidden behind scaffolding Her Most Puissant Majesty, Antaxi i v, Mistress of and canvas to keep away prying eyes. Tirrix & the Great Hive, Duchess of Chax and A huge expansion was undertaken at the Library Tix’itikata, Countess Itax, Electoral Queen of Chi’tixi, of Ourane. Once completed, the addition was &c., &c. sealed off from the general public, with access con- Her Excellency, Tannix i i i , Lady Ch’tort, Countess trolled by the Duke himself. of Cærrat, Vice-regent of Western Chi’tixi. The Duke’s heir, Lord Willor Agröeš, went on a pilgrimage. To celebrate, three priories were built.

110 Turn 07—1485 SA The Duchy’s government expanded (again), and holy warriors to meet in the Holy Abbey in 1490 Ourane was definitively established as the capital. to dispute and discuss the theologies of Urda. The A state visit from the charming Lord of Corinn town of Shandú rose in Nemelyssa. to tributary Nottesan was strained. Although the Reverend Mother Berthilde continued leading young Urdan Lord there was eager to become an the Nöenian Order’s healing works throughout ally of Thace, the older Iluvarians in the region the Tiger lands1. The Order adopted both the new would have nothing to do with it. Peasant rebel- habit decreed by the Church, and the motto “by lions were threatened, and the Prefecture was sub- works alone”. ject to several one-day general strikes to make the point. Fearful of losing his precarious throne, the Th e Pi l g r i m a g e o f t h e Si x Lord of Nottesan backed down and remained a After many strange journeys with nights full of tributary. troubling dreams, five pilgrims converged in the lonely scrublands of Harza Prefecture before the l e c t o r a l o u n t y a l a t i n e o f h a c e s u r E C -P T (22 / ) great rock of Ranarádu. Two were Saurian: Sar His Most Excellent Majesty, Ebalondriri v, the Lax, Tahnik of the Tigers and Lord Willor Agröeš of Lord Goshtikka-Snamarthis, Marshal of Thacia, Ducal Thace; two were Wenemet: Reverend Moth- Governor of Thacia Maior & Minor, Electoral er Lasiora and Gwariva Razhim, former in Thace. Palatine of Ingazi and now simply a Captain of the Trade: Adndar, Araxes, Atuburrk, Averon, East Riding (wherever that is); there was a single Chi’tixi, Golmath, Hyrágec, ID, Ingazi, Malebolge: Lady Nabari of Itaxik, Kicitchat, Taneki, ThaceD, Tigers, In deference to Tiger sensibilities, both Lady Urdraháhn Nabari and Captain Razhim had dressed in high DP: None desert garb, concealing their features beneath volu- balondrir Lax (as he is known to his subjects) minous hooded robes. Sar Tahnik and Lord Agröeš Epursued no agenda higher than drinking, play- wore similar robes, much mended and worn with a ing at cards, and pursuing assorted amourous en- lifetime of riding the vast steppe. Reverend Mother counters with the of his court. He has consis- Lasiora wore the pale blue burka-like habit of the tently refused to meet with the Tiger peace envoys, Nöenian Order. or anybody else “boring”. In accordance with the ancient tradition, they Captain-General Brakus, the leader who defeat- had left their horses and their retinues at the nearby ed and killed the Tiger Sar Gortahn in open battle, village of Dhûl. They had walked through the open died at age 70 in 1484 in Carcë. He was buried desert for much of the night. Come mid-morning, with full honours in the cemetery at Tíogar. this place would be unbearably hot. Together, the five approached the towering Th e Ti g e r s o f Ur d a (3 s/t u /u r ) rock—more of a plateau or a rounded mesa than Sar Tahnik the Wise, Master of the Horseclans, Scourge a mere rock. It glowed orange red in the sunrise, of Urda the Fierce. a deep and brilliant hue, so bright it was almost Trade: ThaceD, ThaceE painful to look at. The Pilgrim’s Path passed by a DP: Herrek (F), Slazjun (F), Temmel (F), small stone hermitage before ascending. Outside Zimrandrim (T), Drazjun (T) sat a hunched and hooded Saurian on a stone, trac- reaty negotiations continued with little sign of ing figures in the dust at her feet. She gave them Ta breakthrough. There was much trade through 1 The Nöenians are quickly becoming the largest and the Holy Abbey of Tíogar, and Sar Tahnik called most popular Order in the West. There are even ru- for a conference of priestesses, nuns, monks, and mours that one or more of the daughters of the of Araxes are considering entering the Order.

Cruenti Dei: Sahûl 111 no notice. As they came closer and the sun rose, sion is to continuously pray for the emperor and to the quality of the light changed. Now, at least, they provide Keepers for the Holy Rock.” could look upon Holy Ranarádu without shading The sun set behind Ranarádu, and the world fell their eyes. The old Saurian hermit raised her head. into sudden darkness. Her eyes were a milky grey. Though she was “Come,” said Sister Birra, “we shall be six to- blind, she stared at the pilgrims and cocked her gether.” And with that, the blind old hermit began head slightly. climbing the steep path towards the summit of the “I had,” she croaked in an ancient and gravelly great rock. The others wordlessly followed, leaving voice, “expected six.” only the young Sister Talia at the stone hermitage. The pilgrims gathered around her in silence, The path wrapped around the rock, and they were taken aback by her statement. Finally, Reverend soon in sunlight again. Mother Lasiora found words. “We were expected?” “We shall see the sun set twice this day,” gasped The hermit nodded. “Indeed. The prophecies are Reverend Mother Lasiora. fragmentary. Six are to climb the Holy Rock when “Most of us, at least,” replied Sar Tahnik, gestur- the stars are right.” ing at the blind Sister Birra. Sar Tahnik interrupted. “Who are you? Perhaps They continued on in silence. you are the sixth?” The pilgrims arrived at the top of the rock as- “I will serve if no others arrive. Already my suc- tonished by the beauty of the desert vista spread cessor has been dispatched, should it prove neces- out before them in the twilight. They could see the sary. I am Sister Birra, the 285th Keeper of Ranarádu long shadow of Ranarádu stretching across the from the first, who was appointed by the Emperor desert towards two nearby villages and the Priory Belesar XXII of blessed memory. I succeeded Sister of Harun in the distance. The colours of the desert Nera, who succeeded Sister Adair.” were rich with golds and reds, and the five sighted “What is here?” asked Razhim. “What are you members of the party spent some time in simply keeper of?” looking out over the vast, stark beauty of the place. The old, blind Saurian smiled. “Go and see. Sister Birra waited, occasionally scratching figures None who come to holy Ranarádu leave un- in the dust with the end of her staff. changed, but to those who fulfill the prophecy, to As the sun set in the desert, the visions began. the six who climb when the stars are right, wonders Shadowy Saurian figures moved in and around are shown.” them. They were insubstantial, like vapours, and The Malebolge Nabari chittered, “And are the one would occasionally walk through one of the pil- stars right?” grims, as though they weren’t there. Their dress was “The stars circle and come around time and archaic, and their manners were formal. Though again. Tonight they will be right.” they spoke amongst themselves, no sound did they And so the six of them waited through the day. make. Gradually, shadowy buildings and streets In late afternoon, a figure was spotted in the dis- could be made out, and a small formal garden there tance. It proved to be a Saurian dressed exactly as on the top of the rock of Ranarádu, and a tower, Sister Birra. She introduced herself as Sister Talia, almost like a lighthouse, stretching upwards to the of the Harun Order. sky. The pilgrims gasped and walked about, try- “I’ve served the Church since I was a cub, and ing to take it all in. Several tried to speak with the I’ve never heard of the Harun Order,” said Rever- shadows, or gain their attention, but to no avail. end Mother Lasiora. Twilight turned to night, and the visions faded, “We are an old order, Reverend Mother, with but to be replaced by a sky of stars so bright that the a single priory a day’s walk east of here. Our mis- pilgrims cast shadows on the rock.

112 Turn 07—1485 SA Razhim spoke first. “What the hell was that?” Cappargarnia. They shambled mighty slowly. Some Sister Birra looked up and answered him. “That of them are still shambling. was the Empire that was. You saw the shadows of Cavalry and siege quality improved. what was here three millennia ago. You are now El e c t o r a l Gr a n d Du c h y o f At u b u r r k (22 w/y g ) sensitive to these shadows. In places of power throughout Sahûl you may be able to see them, see His Gracious Majesty, Adhanggar Challik i i i , Count the world as it was under the First Empire at its of Odol, Elector & Grand Duke of Atuburrk, Imperial height. If you do this long enough, you will soon Governor of Ardebon. see them everywhere. You will live in two worlds, Trade: Adndar, Aradéc, Araxes, Chi’tixi, the hard reality of the Empire of today, and the Einandhu, Golmath, Hyrágec, ID, Ingazi, shadows of the mighty Empire that was.” Kicitchat, ThaceE, Tokatl, Urdraháhn “And then?” DP: Ardhchi (F) The old Saurian shrugged. “Eventually you will hallik mobilized his Realm at the request of the be blind, like me.” CEmperor. Fleets and armies were dispatched into Cappargarnia, firmly reminding the Atuburrk Gr a n d Du c h y o f Ar a x e s (26 w/u r ) why they usually stay on their island. Mountainous His Grace, Pangku Tramandes the Valiant, Baron Kurrch fell to the inexorable Atuburrk advance. Pinyerrel, Grand Duke of All Araxes. Two priories were built, and infantry and siege Ronnel Rannes, Lord Protector of the Realm. quality improved. In order to better govern his ex- Trade: Adndar, Aradéc, Atuburrk, Averon, panding realm, the government was expanded. A Chi’tixi, CM, Einandhu, Golmath, sizeable donation was made to help the Imperial Hyrágec, ID, Ingazi, Kicitchat, Taneki, Reform. ThaceD, ThaceE, Tokatl, Urdraháhn DP: None he Araxean Parliament continued in its state Central Sahûl Tof paralysis while Grand Duke Tramandes re- Th e He a r t o f Em p i r e mained in the western steppes. He visited Tiger- held Pivrassa briefly for a pilgrimage to the Priory of Saint Nöena. Tramandes the Younger entered Th e Cr u s a d e o f t h e Si x Kn i v e s (1479–1485) the Naval Academy in 1484; he is reportedly excel- (also the War of the Cappargarnian Chastisement) ling at his studies. Sorcery improved. Atuburrk, Chi’tixi, and Kicitchat, acting on behalf of the Emperor; Duedhyn vs Cappargarnia Co u n t y o f Ki c i t c h a t (18 i/y g ) Her Excellency, Xant’ki i x, Lady Tchac’at, Countess 1481: Emperor Onin Zho, after consulting his advi- of the Kicitchat Hive and Associated Dominions. sors and the ancient laws of the Empire, issued the Armourer’s Decree Trade: Adndar, Aradéc, Araxes, Atuburrk, , declaring the Cappargarnian Einandhu, Hyrágec, ID, Ingazi, Steene Dronex guilty of numerous offenses (See the for the offi- Kommolek, ThaceD, ThaceE, Tiryowglas, against Imperial justice. Gazette cial text.) Urdraháhn Prince Dronex was incredulous and more DP: None than somewhat incensed. He was, perhaps, not the ant’ki mobilized her Realm at the request of only one. The Electoral Prince sent an open letter the Emperor. Thousands, nay, tens of thou- to the Great Clans of the Empire: X When the fanatical Raven cult called for holy war sands of zombies shambled southwards towards against the Sublime Republic of Cappargarnia, our

Cruenti Dei: Sahûl 113 forces went into action. Our intelligence agency an- a nearby rooftop. The knife-wielder took the bolt to ticipated the war and we issued conditional orders that the head and died instantly. were executed (almost) flawlessly by our defensive forces. By the autumn, the Prince was refusing to come Which of you would not do the same? out of the palace. Even so, the increasingly theatri- We see the actions of Araxes and Thace against their cal and desperate attempts on his life continued, fellow Urdan Tigers as a clear precedent for our justi- on one occasion burning down the palace kitchens, fied actions to eradicate the fanatical Ravens. In pri- killing two cooks, a baker, and an unknown Wen- vate talks, the Emperor Deric agreed to the use of the emet clutching a vial of poison. Admiralty of the Blue for blockading purposes, and he The army of Jareb, Swordmaster of Cappargarnia, clearly condoned our reactionary actions to put down complete with 55,000 troops, the Banner of Ma- the aggressors. lygris, and an angry Efreet, stormed into Dramûl With holy war called by Duedhyn, the Sublime Re- with the intention of liberating that Tarotist region public sought out the chieftain of our new enemy and from Raven control. The weakened Duedhyn gar- executed him, invaded his lands, and destroyed his rison proved unable to hold back the onslaught. property. Should Duedhyn choose to cease the war, we The Raven Crusaders were an unruly lot. On the will withdraw our forces. Until such time, we will con- east side of the river, the Prophet Barugh was eas- tinue to grind their oppressive anti-Tarotist regime into ily able to motivate his forces, but organizing them the dust. proved more difficult. Eventually, other Duedhyn The Sublime Republic holds no ill-will towards the troops had to be brought in to herd the crusaders Church of Urda. We will endeavor to leave all Urdan together as they ambled their way towards the Cap- holy sites intact, unless they are a bastion or launching pargarnian front. point of aggression for the fanatical Raven cultists. On the west side of the river, Sir Spernenn Wynn Regardless of their bravado, the Church reported tried a different tack. He brought in drill sergeants. that the Cappargarnians were beset with Curses. By the end of the year, the crusaders were no longer Due sacrifice was tendered to each of the Hidden an untrained barely-controlled mob dressed in rags, , which mitigated the problems a bit, but they were a well-trained, disciplined mob wearing Cappargarnia remained stupendously unlucky as actual armour2. Still, their enthusiasm for battle the war progressed. Their enemies, however, fared was much greater than their senses of discipline or little better. self-preservation, and he could do little more than One good example is the matter of the overlap- hope that some of the training had stuck and point ping assassination attempts. While no one knows them at the enemy. how many mysterious strangers skulk around Cap- The Emperor, meanwhile, marshalled the forces pargarnia on a regular basis, it was obvious even of his Yagnarist brethren from all over Sahûl as “the to the casual observer that there were considerably Twilight March” against Cappargarnia and issued more than usual. Given the horrible bad luck af- orders for the recall of the Blue Fleet. flicting Cappargarnia’s normally elite intelligence service, no one was surprised that they couldn’t 1482: Cappargarnia, confident that it was in no way catch the would-be assassins. Several attempts were in violation of Imperial law (and not about to start) made against Prince Dronex, but each time the indicated that it would comply with the recall of sheer number of competing killers would trip each the Blue Fleet. Accordingly, Sir Sevas Psu was dis- other up and prevent any deadly blow from land- patched with a small flotilla to fetch the Blue Fleet ing. On one occasion, a knife-wielding would-be 2 The Prince ordered special breastplates for Spernenn’s assassin jumped down from a balcony only to get in forces, featuring an insignia of a raven between the way of a perfect shot from a crossbow sniper on crossed swords.

114 Turn 07—1485 SA and bring it back to Sardarthion, while Vice-Ad- each bearing stacks of paperwork in their arms. He miral Tiribissi Enya was to maintain the blockade was speaking to each in turn, examining papers as of Pareis with only Cappargarnian vessels. It was presented. a solid military plan, with much to commend it. The Vice-Admiral waited, clutching her hat and Unfortunately, the Emperor had sent the Colonel standing at attention, for a very long time indeed. of the IVth Regiment of the Emerald Watch to per- Suddenly, there was a flurry of activity at the sonally deliver the summons to the Vice-Admiral. throne, and the bureaucrats vanished through side She received him graciously aboard the Imperial doors in a display of synchronization rarely seen flagshipHIMS Dauntless. Colonel Mattahonga La- outside of formal dance. zar proved the very image of Wenemet courtesy The Vice-Admiral was announced, and as she (and persuasion), and the two spoke deep into the had been instructed, she strode forward to the pale night. In the morning, the Vice-Admiral ordered yellow stone set in the floor about five yards from the withdrawal of the Blue Fleet to Sardarthion. the throne and sunk down on one knee in a pro- The army of Jareb, Swordmaster of Cappargar- found bow. nia, withdrew from Tarotist Dramûl back into The voice from the throne was surprisingly reedy. Tythyen. Free Dramûl decided it wanted no part “You may rise, Admiral.” of war; they raised an army for their defense and She stood and saw Colonel Mattahonga just to then joined Adndar instead. the right of the throne. The Emperor was consult- ing a single piece of paper, probably the Colonel’s 1483: A Chi’tixi flotilla of about 150 warships ar- report of their meeting on the Dauntless. rived in the Upper Byrrin River to blockade Cap- The Emperor handed the paper back to the Col- pargarnian trade. Their commodore reportedly onel and dismissed him with a wave. He took two groused about being a “customs agent”. steps backwards and then spun on his heel with a The Blue Fleet arrived in Sardarthion, and its click, vanishing out one of the many side doors of Vice-Admiral was summoned before the Emperor. the great hall. Before she responded, however, she did her duty “Vice-Admiral Tiribissi Enya of our Realm of by the Republic and relinquished command of her Cappargarnia, please come forward,” the Emperor 200 Cappargarnian warships to Sevas Psu to sup- said as he stood. A Saurian page appeared, gingerly plement the 85 or so he already had. Sevas had just holding the great Sword of State. “For your service missed the Chi’tixi flotilla in the Upper Byrrin, and to the Crown, it is our intention to create you an he had no desire to face it now. He continued on to Imperial Knight. Do you accept?” Lake Sardath to resume the blockade of Pareis. The Emperor drew the great jewelled sword, and Tiribissi hesitated. The Emperor waited a long The Interview moment, smiling slightly at the indecision playing across the Admiral’s features. Finally she bowed her Vice-Admiral Tiribissi Enya arrived in the an- head. cient imperial audience hall known as the Blue “Your imperial majesty, I cannot.” Chamber wearing the full dress uniform of an “Hoom.” It might have been a laugh. “Explain admiral of the Capparganian Republic’s Navy, in- yourself.” He handed the sword back to the Page, cluding its tall had with ostrich feather. The dress who gratefully retreated from the chamber. of those in the Emperor’s Court was far more so- “Your imperial majesty, my House of Tiribissi ber, reflecting the style of Zarkhandu. Onin Zho has served the Republic since the time of the Cru- sat on the great iron throne, flanked by its golden sades. We were of Erphan for a time, and lion statues, surrounded by a corps of bureaucrats we have served in her army, airfleet, and most es-

Cruenti Dei: Sahûl 115 pecially her navy. The last four generations of my tract) had left the area some time before on their House have produced Admirals of the Republic, way to Sansoleth. and I have eight nieces and nephews in just my im- The mercenary of Saint Jarrod con- mediate family serving as officers in her navy.” quered Sansoleth (except for the Urdan cathedral “So you would rather serve a criminal regime there, whose name bore an uncanny resemblance than the Empire.” There was no hint of emotion in to that of one of the Raven crusader leaders). They his voice. It wasn’t a question, but a statement. proceeded to loot the region, reducing them from “No, my Emperor.” She was speaking very fast poverty to penury. now, trying to get it all out before she was silenced. The army of Jareb, Swordmaster of Cappargar- “I would rather save my country from the tyrant nia rendezvoused with reinforcements, including a now ruling it, than help you destroy it. Would you siege train. The assault of Balyow commenced im- destroy one of the oldest realms in the empire for mediately. It was a brief affair, as the Efreet Rej- the crimes of its prince? It is Steene Dronex,” she moos and the Cappargarnian siege engineers con- practically spit the name, caught her breath and be- ducted a contest to see who could tear down which gan again. “It is Steene Dronex you want destroyed, walls first. Some casualties were taken, but nothing not Cappargarnia.” terribly serious. An uneasy quiet filled the Blue Chamber. The eyes of two dozen or so Imperial functionaries 1484: Tarotist missionaries in Bufalein and Tew- shifted rapidly from the Admiral to the Emperor ynn were unable to convert the local Urdans. Syg- and back again. The Admiral clearly hadn’t thought hor was strengthened in its newly adopted faith. she would be allowed to speak her mind, and she Sir Spernenn Wynn’s crusaders and the merce- didn’t appear to have rehearsed much beyond this nary Knights of Saint Jarrod converged in Tewynn point. The Emperor regarded her in silence from in the early spring. Neither side had any particular the throne. reason to avoid battle, and so battle was joined. And then, the Emperor Onin Zho laughed. Suddenly, the throne’s clockworks were set into The Battle of Senn Darghor (Tewynn) motion. Tree branches of bronze, complete with The Knights of Saint Jarrad were outnumbered chirping mechanical birds, unfolded from the sides some six to one, but the crusaders had incompe- of the throne as it rose majestically into the air on tence as their ally. Sir Balorri Withini led a cavalry unfolding works of steel. The golden lion statues on charge straight into the bulk of the light infantry either side rolled their eyes and roared with opened that made up the overwhelming majority of the mouth and quivering tongue. crusader force. Despite the odds (and some bad The audience was over, and the Admiral was luck), they still inflicted enormous casualties on the ushered out of the chamber and out of the palace, Raven forces. Again and again they pounded them, apparently free to go. but the enemy numbers seemed limitless. Finally, the crusader cavalry also engaged, and In the south, Sir Spernenn Wynn’s ability to the tide began to definitively turn against the contain the enthusiasm of the crusaders finally mercenaries. Seeing his cause was lost, Balorri at- succumbed to the inevitable. Nearly 100,000 tempted to surrender. By the time Spernenn finally holy troops crossed the border from Tiogyon into received the message, it was too late. The remain- Avalow, liberating that region for Duedhyn. There ing mercenaries had been torn from limb to limb. was little fighting, as the mercenary Knights of The heralds account the crusader losses at more Saint Jarrod (under continued Cappargarnian con-

116 Turn 07—1485 SA than 30,000, but the Knights of Saint Jarrod are The Assault of Cappargarnia City no more. Just after noon on the 23rd of Sextilis, the Atu- Sansoleth reverted to Duedhyn control. burrk Armada and their mercenary auxiliaries A Chi’tixi fleet of 390 ships landed the White sailed into Cappargarnia harbour under heavy Lotus Company in Cappargarnian Plormel. The fire. Signalling was at a minimum as the superbly- fleet then withdrew, leaving the mercenaries to fend trained Atuburrk navy manœuvred into position. for themselves. With nothing in the way of instruc- The small Cappargarnian fleet, scarcely 100 war- tions, they ate, drank, and raised their prices. ships, moved to intercept. They were soon burn- Meanwhile, just outside the port of Cappargar- ing. Shouts rose from the Atuburrk lookouts—the nia City, the mighty Atuburrkan Armada hove into vaunted Cappargarnian airfleet was rising from the view. Commanding the 300 caravels, 125 warships, city. Although they had expected many more than and 150 transports was Admiral Jannes, a venerable the 65 airships they now saw, the Atuburrk were and experienced veteran of the Pirate Campaigns. prepared. Two fire bolts issued from the deck of the His already considerable force was augmented by flagship, and within minutes the reportedly invin- the mercenary fleet of “Mild Trang”. Aboard the cible Cappargarnian airships were falling in flames Admiral’s flagship HMS Count of Erran, a conver- to the city. A third firebolt tore apart a section of sation takes place. the city’s impregnable walls. “My Lord Admiral.” Then the Efreet appeared. Confident their luck “Captain Stiels, how fare we?” was turning at last, the Cappargarnians cheered as “My Lord, the enemy’s defenses are in place, the their Efreet hurled balls of fire into the Armada, Prince’s flag still flies over the ramparts, and there shattering a score of warships and setting fire to are no disturbances in the city.” many more. From HMS Count of Erran, however, “None at all?” a single signal flag was raised, and hundreds of “None my Lord. And no sign of any allied arms flatbottomed boats dropped into the water, loaded whatsoever.” with 13,000 marines. They herded 5,000 merce- The old Admiral rubbed his whiskers a moment nary marines, who were much more dubious about in thought. The younger captain, always nervous in the whole affair. All charged directly into the Efreet the Admiral’s presence, shifted his weight from one firestorm. Few survived. The venerable Trang was foot to the other. It was subtle; no one not looking himself among the dead. for it would have noticed. The Admiral noted it ab- The marines, however, were just the tip of the sentmindedly, along with the speed and direction spear. The fleet itself followed them directly to the of the wind, the strength of the river’s current, and docks. The fighting there was fierce, as the Cappar- the angry cry of distant jara-birds. The Admiral garnians put every soldier they could find into re- grunted. pulsing the assault. A handful of knights led 13,000 “Can’t be helped. Captain, signal the fleet. We pike and an additional 10,000 mixed cavalry and shall proceed as planned. I expect the enemy air- infantry against the invaders. At one point, the fleet presently.” Cappargarnian Efreet picked up one of the landing “Aye, aye, my Lord.” craft and used it as a club, sweeping aside whole “Mister Chillik!” platoons at a time. A midshipman appeared at the Admiral’s elbow. The Armada continued to disgorge troops into “My compliments to Colonel Nimmithes, and the desperate fighting while great siege engines on have him ready his marines. And Mister Chillik...” both sides rained indiscriminate destruction on “Yes, my lord?” the developing dockyard battlefield. By late after- “Send a boy for that damned sorceress.”

Cruenti Dei: Sahûl 117 noon, it was obvious that the first wave of the as- Deirn was captured during the final Atuburrk at- sault was being repulsed. Amidst horrific casualties tack on the city’s citadel. on both sides, the invaders clung to the smallest At precisely noon, the Cappargarnian flag flying possible beachhead. And then, a great cry went up over the Senate Building was lowered by a contin- amongst the Cappargarnians as Captain Deirn Er- gent of Atuburrk marines. Moments later the Atu- ates fell to a well-placed crossbow bolt. Instantly, burrk naval ensign was raised in its place. Admiral the Efreet spun around in mid-swing and, spying Jannes took possession of the Prince’s Palace as his Deirn’s limp body, he howled in laughter. While headquarters in the city and tried to figure out how the soldiers on both sides looked on in horror, the to put a defense together with his few remaining Efreet spun itself into a tornado of fire, sucking up forces and virtually no walls. soldiers, sailors, boats, shacks, and a horse into a The acclaimed Cappargarnian airfleet—some whirling inferno. 150 vessels all told—was discovered in the city, un- And then it was gone. In the stunned twilight, powered and still in their berths. Admiral Jannes the fighting slacked off and then stopped. As the claimed them as spoils of war. sun set, both sides built barricades and tended to their wounded and their dead. 1485: In the Western Gulf of Iphil, Chi’tixi fleets During the night, the comical parade of at- took up positions to capture or reroute all Cappar- tempted assassinations finally came to an end. garnian trading vessels. Steene Dronex II was done in by a fairly fetching The dispirited Cappargarnian Senate convened Wenemaiden who spiked his wine with something across the Byrrin in Croubal and appointed a painful and ultimately deadly. It’s hard to say which fifteen-member Collegium. A hasty election - fol was more terrifying to the shopkeepers of Cappar- lowed. Given the gravity of the situation, the Col- garnia, the continuation of the Atuburrk assault, legium made the only realistic choice now available or the prospect of an election. As the news filtered to them and elected Vice-Admiral Tiribissi Enya as through the Great Houses of Cappargarnia, an Electoral Princess of Cappargarnia. exodus of aristocracy occurred. In the south, the Raven crusaders (finally) struck With both of the city’s defending leaders now Tythyen. They did so with great enthusiasm, but dead, military preparations fell into the hands of a not much competence. They met the Cappargar- little-known career military Wenemet by the name nians before the shattered walls of Balyow. of Captain Senessi Ardane. With little left to work with, Senessi did the best he could to both calm the The Second Battle of Balyow defenders and to put them in some sort of order. He The Cappargarnians numbered 10,000 dragoons, sent messengers to what Senators had not already 23,000 pike, 5,000 engineers, and some 16,000 left the city and urged them to do so immediately, mixed auxiliaries. They were commanded by the both for their own safety and to guarantee the con- cream of the Republic’s military genius in the person tinuance of the Republic. of Jareb, Swordmaster of Cappargarnia, and by the The invaders began the second wave of their wizard Anabrin Thornley. The Efreet Rejmoos was a assault shortly after dawn. While the remaining constant fiery presence, and the mystical Banner of marines and infantry concentrated on the fixed Malygris was carried at the head of the army. defences, including the city walls from which the On the Duedhyn side was the full weight of the Cappargarnians continued to rain death, a force of Order of the Raven—some 65,000 knights in full 5,000 cavaliers charged into the city. Within hours, regalia, plus 9,000 cataphracti, almost 10,000 long- it was over. The defenders fell quickly, and Captain bowmen, an additional 31,000 auxiliaries of vari-

118 Turn 07—1485 SA ous kinds, 25 airships, and 92,000 crusaders: a to- Krittix they numbered 43,000 knights, 50,000 pike, tal force of over 200,000 under arms, commanded and 55,000 assorted auxiliaries. They were support- by the Prophet Baraugh and Dhanos Allyn, Grand- ed by a small airfleet and considerably hampered master of the Order of the Raven. They were even by more than 50,000 zombies. Resistance consisted aided by the battle magics cast by a visiting Ingazi of twelve hive forts. They did indeed try to resist, sorcerer. but the Yagnarists had a little trick up their sleeve: Although outnumbered nearly four to one, the a two-story whirling cuisinart6 of pain known as addition of the Efreet (and some other assorted the Demon Beherit. He took apart the hive forts magics), as well as the superior quality of their forc- (and the nearby Tarotist monastery of Xix) stone es, filled the Cappargarnians with resolve. by stone. The port city of Inyib remains in Cappar- Battle was joined with a crash of arms so loud, garnian hands. Not a single zombie was harmed in that it was said in later days that the Emperor him- the conquest of the region. self heard it in Sardarthion. In Thichat, the Kicitchat attack was not nearly The crusaders were decimated. And then things so impressive. The 6,000 pike (and double that started going horribly wrong for Cappargarnia. number of zombies) had some trouble reducing the Scattering the Tarotists with a well-place firebolt, hive forts there, and several thousand zombies gave the Raven Knights struck hard, and there wasn’t their un-lives to the cause. Eventually, their lifeless anything on the Cappargarnian side that could forms were simply stacked against the walls like stop them. The great Efreet waded in and slaugh- cord wood, and the pike climbed over them. tered thousands, tens of thousands, and yet they El e c t o r a l Re p u b l i c o f Cappargarnia (23 m/t a ) kept coming. By mid-afternoon, they brought down the Efreet, taking many, many thousands of Her Sublime Majesty, Tiribissi Enya, Electoral Princess casualties when his body exploded into white-hot of Cappargarnia. fire3. So overwhelming was the final charge, that His Great Holiness, Carberic v i , the Obscure, Pontiff there were few Cappargarnian survivors. Even the of the Hidden Lords at Golluz. great Swordmaster Jareb was slain. Trade: Adndar, Zadres (3) The Banner of Malygris was lost in the battle, but DP: No. Balyow itself remains in Cappargarnian hands. teene Dronex survived fourteen assassination Sattempts and fared less well on the fifteenth. After literally years of purposeful shambling, The government was partially scattered and par- Kicitchat armies finally crossed the Cappargarnian tially destroyed in the assault of the city, and the border. It was a grand army in the uniform of the Senate and its new Princess are meeting in Croubal Twilight March4. Many of the Kicitchat soldiers across the Byrrin. Although Cappargarnia had not also bore grey shields with a red (setting) sun5. In suffered the dismemberment that many had feared, 3 The Ingazi sorcerer Lamorak was among those killed.. it was grievously wounded. With the election of 4 Grey tunic, grey woolen cloak lined in blood red silk, Tiribissi Enya, there is some hope within the Re- red tabard with white chess piece tower. public that peace is possible. 5 The Heralds were in conniptions about the Twilight March having two separate arms. After much con- Meanwhile, the realm is neatly bisected by the sultation, they disallowed the shield design (which Byrrin River, and if the Chi’tixi blockade becomes violated the rules of heraldry anyway), and granted gules, three towers in bend argent. The simpler gules, a of Trouserdale to “a bunch of damned zombie- tower argent was already taken by a certain Sir Besar herders”. The gouty and grumpy old prof- Trandes of the little-regarded village of Trouserdale fered some other colourful opinions, which (alas!) we in Upper Ingazi. Although amused at the request simply must omit for the sake of brevity. (and quite drunk as well), he nevertheless refused to 6 No doubt a brand of windmill popular in Golthoth yield the arms borne by eight generations of the proud before the Fall.

Cruenti Dei: Sahûl 119 a little more effective, trade and communications Kommolek, ThaceD, ThaceE, Tiryowglas, between the two halves will become impossible. Urdraháhn DP: None Im p e r i a l Fr e e Ci t y o f Ad n d a r (21 m/t a ) IIP: 26 His Excellency Tiribissi Lanharnes, Guildmaster of the Innkeepers, Chancellor of the Guilds Council, For appointments, see Gazette. and Hereditary Burgrave of Adndar. nin Zho decreed a far-reaching reform of the Trade: Aradéc, Araxes, Atuburrk, Cappargarnia, Ocreaking Imperial bureaucracy. Unfortunately, Chi’tixi, Duedhyn, Einandhu, Elphárec, much of the joy that might otherwise herald this ef- Golmath, Hyrágec, ID, Ingazi, fort was lost in the uproar over the Cappargarnian IOC, Kicitchat, Kommolek, ThaceE, War. Nevertheless, a top-down audit of Imperial Tiryowglas, Urdraháhn, Zadres (3) administration and finances began in Sardarthion. DP: Dramûl (A) All documents and council reports were seized in dndar’s army outfitted all of their heavy in- a well coordinated sweep by special Auditors, ac- Afantrymen with shiny new pikes. The fine old companied in many cases by soldiers of the Emer- city of Hunnychar expanded. Otherwise, Adndar ald Watch to ensure that the various departments attempted with some success to lay low and hope and agencies complied with the “requests”. Several nobody noticed them. accidental fires were put out by the Watch, who for some reason were carrying about sacks of earth. Im p e r i a l Fr e e Ci t y o f Ei n a n d h u (4 m/u r ) What the Auditors found was simply a mess. After Sir Graxes Aratan, Tiger King of Arms. (in some cases) five hundred years of layered regu- Trade: Aradéc, Araxes, Atuburrk, Elphárec, lations and agencies, it was virtually impossible to Golmath, ID, IOC, Kicitchat, Kommolek, make any sense of what was actually going on in Tiryowglas the government. Monastic tutors were brought in DP: Constantly for the Emperor’s son, and there is talk of a compre- he Tiger King of Arms spent much of his time hensive education system in Sardarthion. Tsorting out the whole “Twilight March” fias- Reform was not limited to the central bureau- co and corresponding with the irritating of cracy. Auditors were sent to the Provinces of Ar- Trouserdale. adaun, Keirmon, Jumarand, Narchoal, and Tepalis Th e Im p e r i a l De m e n s e (12 m/u r ) with instructions to investigate and streamline the His August & Imperial Majesty, Onin Zho, Lord bloated and inefficient civil service. As part of the Sakkath, Count of V�hlath & Mlideen, Duke of reform, offices were open to any who would pass a Hyáglion, Electoral King of Zarkhandu, Sovereign series of examinations, designed to recruit suitable candidates regardless of social class. Of course, in of Sahûl, Lord of the Nine Hills of Sardarthion, practice, only the wealthy could afford the tutors Holder of the Emerald Throne, and Emperor of All required to pass the initial exams. Nevertheless, the the World. Auditors reported that several sons and daughters Her High Majesty, Princess Chass’ikai i , Mistress of the of peasants had passed the exam and were admitted Tis’chak, Countess of Takkikik, Elector of Itaxik, Golden into the Imperial Civil Service7. Sardarthion being Beetle of the West, Chancellor of the Empire. what it is, the Auditors have become essentially a Trade: Adndar, Aradéc, Araxes, Atuburrk, new branch of the Civil Service. Chi’tixi, Einandhu, Elphárec, Kicitchat, After his traditional pilgrimage to the Shrine of Golmath, Hyrágec, Ingazi, IOC, Master Moroko, the Emperor began a new phase 7 This was particularly true in Aradaun and Narchoal.

120 Turn 07—1485 SA of the reform, concentrating on the economic de- Ba r o n y o f Fe l l Ko m m o l e k (20 w&s/y g ) velopment of the Imperial Demense. Public works Baron Goesek Terthynn of Kommolek, Lord Treskaw, were built to redevelop the worst of the ruined and Burgrave of Fair Belsûnd. abandoned parts of the capital. The port town of Trade: Aradéc, Duedhyn, Einandhu, Kicitchat, Sakkarah was built in Sondrim. Hyrágec, ID, Zarkhandu Emperor Onin Zho was not the only one invest- DP: None. ing in the long-neglected city of Sardarthion. First ell Kommolek responded to the Emperor’s call Matriarch Ardona began gathering funds and per- in the form of large piles of cash in small, easy- sonnel in the city, preparing for a herculean effort F to-carry bags. Great sacrifices to the Dark Father to refurbish the Urdan holy places. She warned that rang out throughout the Barony, strengthening the a tithe of material and resources might be necessary faith of the lukewarm. Relatively large investments to bring forth the grand structure now planned. into the Barony’s sorcery proved beneficial. Many church workers were ordered to Sardarthion The soldiers of the Baronial army were outfitted to begin building up the area around the ruined with the uniforms of the Twilight March. walls of Iurdana in order to house pilgrims, as well Prince Andel, tired of being in the shadow of his as those working on the project. In addition, nuns twin brother Prince Annavas, left to seek his for- and monks were sent into the surrounding neigh- tune in Sardarthion. borhoods to help feed, clothe, and house all those employed in the work of restoring the site “for all of Co u n t y o f Ti r y o w g l a s (19 s&w/i l) Sahûl to enjoy”. As part of these ongoing projects, His Excellency, Count Sarrik i i , Baron Kwilkyn, the Priory of All Saints was built. Count of Tiryowglas, Defender of the Faith. The Emperor sent a scientific and cultural expe- Trade: Adndar, Aradéc, Einandhu, Elphárec, dition to the Imperial Preserve of Wanangi. The Golmath, Hyrágec, Ingazi, ID, IOC, Imperial Geographical Society sent writers and Murali sketch artists along. They produced a fascinating DP: None. and extremely popular pamphlet titled “Humans ight priories were built throughout Tiryow- in the Mist”. Eglas, greatly edifying the people and sparking a resurgence of popular piety. They were named Pr i n c i p a l i t y o f Du e d h y n (9 s/r a ) after the seven virtues, except the one in Sennow. His Highness, Prince Dallyn i i i , the Young, of Duedhyn, This one, in the shadow of the Imperial Free City Baron Dhanos, Hereditary Marshal of the Order of of Deriháhn, was named Amity. the Sacred Raven. The Count’s eldest son was given command of Trade: Adndar, Kommolek the Army of the Antean, and its former command- DP: None. er, his mother the Countess Tesenn, rode with all rince Dallyn attended the Sorcery Academy haste back to her husband’s court at Bronnow8. Af- Pin Pareis, where he met a lovely little sorcer- ter twenty years of separation, Sarrik and Tesenn fell ess. They were married shortly after graduation and into each other’s arms amidst a great celebrations. already are expecting their first child in early 1486. The couple retired to their palace chambers soon Meanwhile, Duedhyn struck back against the in- after. To the surprise of many, the Countess bore vading Tarotist bastardsTM. A representative of the the couple’s seventh child in 1484. The Countess Church Universal & Triumphant spent some time is well past her childbearing years, and it was a dif- with the young Prince and his advisors. ficult egg-laying. The doctors were worried that she

8 Rumour has it that she killed four horses in her haste.

Cruenti Dei: Sahûl 121 would die, but the Countess proved them wrong. Trade: Adndar, Aradéc, Atuburrk, Chi’tixi, Little Lady Dallethmyr is lively and healthy. Elphárec, Golmath, Ingazi, ID, IOC, Oldest daughter Dulaga was married in 1481 Kicitchat, ThaceD, ThaceE, Urdraháhn to the Lord of Bûkleth. They gave the Count and DP: Tregerieg (F) Countess their first grandchildren in 1482 and ueen Sardira designated the ancient city of 1485. There’s mounting pressure for Lord Kerens QPahasar as her kingdom’s official capital. Six to marry as well. He’s not getting any younger, you priories were constructed throughout the kingdom, know. bringing a noticeable increase in vocations to the Il u v a r i a n Or t h o d o x Ch u r c h (22 i l) religious life. In 1481, the Emperor Onin Zho teleported to the His All Holiness, Pope Sanguine x i v , Pontiff of Shrine of Moroko to make the traditional Imperial Sistrameides, Archemandrite of Il�hir. pilgrimage. A courteous welcome was provided by Trade: Adndar, Aradéc, Einandhu, Elphárec, Lord Whirripi Mendathes of Endani, who was 71 Hyrágec, ID, Ingazi, Tiryowglas at the time, but still hale. The Emperor spent some DP: None. time at the Shrine in deep contemplation of the anguine XIV pursued a Concordat with Tir- simple but elegant tomb of the ancient Master. In yowglas. Unfortunately, Count Sarrik forgot S the gardens of the Shrine, he engaged in a poetic to sign. Mawali was inundated with missionaries, exchange with the current guardian of the shrine, Iluvarian and otherwise. Most of the Urdans there Master Bo. The Emperor offered, decided they’d rather be Iluvarian than Tarotist. Carrying on the new tradition of travelling That which striketh! Popes, Sanguine made the difficult journey to what is this which striketh! Murrugapa to hobnob with the Baron there. Ah, who shall convey to thee what the Striking is? The Day when men shall become like scattered moths, Mo s t Sa n g u i n e Du c h y o f El p h á r e c (27 w/i l) And the mountains like tufts of carded wool, His Grace, Eparreb Caranthes i v, the Pious, Count Then as to him whose scales are heavy of Angûron and Siddhan, Duke of Elphárec. He shall enter into paradise; Trade: Adndar, Aradéc, Einandhu, Hyrágec, And as to him whose scales are light Ingazi, ID, IOC, Tiryowglas The Abyss shall be his dwelling place! DP: None. And who shall convey to thee what the Abyss is? uke Caranthes the Pious fell ill in 1482, and A pillar of fire! Dhe accomplished very little as he recovered. Unemployment is endemic. The treasury, however, To which Master Bo replied, grew in leaps and bounds. Cutting through crisp air Baron Ilkurr Valdiss, the Toymaker of Mungg, The sword our scripture in steel experimented with various automata of his own Leaves before the wind invention. So far “Madame Mad, the Soothsayer” is really raking in the silver at the local fairs. The Just then, a gust of afternoon wind scattered au- chess-playing machine is proving more difficult. tumn leaves through the garden, covering the asters Ki n g d o m o f Hy r á g e c (22 w/u r ) and the chrysanthemums. The Emperor teleported Her Valiant Majesty Irrjir Sardira, the Virgin Queen, back to Sardarthion soon after. Thanks to large investments (and a fair bit of Reigning Queen of Hyrágec, Beloved of Urda. luck), Hyrágec’s cavalry, airship, and sorcery qual- ity all improved. The government also expanded.

122 Turn 07—1485 SA Lord Trememeres and, later, the Abbess of Din- The Gawan Peninsula kumbi investigated the wreckage that could be Th e Fe u d a l No r t h e a s t salvaged from the waves. There was no trace of a sorcerer or a Spell Crystal. The vessels flew Aradéc colours, but based on crew manifests, Trememeres Co u n t y Pa l a t i n e o f In g a z i (24 w/u r ) believes they were of Cappargarnian origin. His Most Urdan Excellency, Gwariva Laharnes v, Amazingly enough, nobody was painted blue. the Farsighted, Overlord of Gawan, Captain of the Ch u r c h Un i v e r s a l & Tr i u m p h a n t (45.1 u r ) East Riding, Count Palatine of Ingazi. Trade: Adndar, Aradéc, Araxes, Chi’tixi, Her All-Holiness Jerröe i x, the Cry of the Owl, First Golmath, Hyrágec, ID, IOC, Kicitchat, Matriarch of Urda, Protector of Sahûl. Murali, Murrugapa, ThaceE, Tiryowglas, Trade: Adndar, Araxes, Aradéc, Atuburrk, Urdraháhn, (z)Arkhandu Chi’tixi, Golmath, Hyrágec, ID, Ingazi, DP: Gawanyi (F), Prándhi (F) Kicitchat, Murali, ThaceD, ThaceE, ount Laharnes continued the economic devel- Zarkhandu Copment of the County Palatine through copi- DP: None ous investments in public works and the expansion irst Matriarch Ardona put in place what would of the towns of Istahn, Ednbon, and Regwynn to Fprove the last of the Ardonan reforms, institut- cities. In addition, infantry quality improved. ing a new style of dress for the clergy: One dark and moonless night, some merchant The habits of the people change and therefore those airships, supposedly en route from Abijar to Isahn, of Urda’s clergy must too change in the literal sense. crossed the Yali River and flew over the Cathedral The face and hand coverings We proclaim for all cler- of Saint Mirra. Suddenly, a lightning bolt launched gy go into effect due to our respect for all sophonts and from the ground somewhere nearby struck the ca- our view of equality among them as Urdans. We will thedral. It struck near to the storehouse, causing show only our eyes and the dark veils we wear serve to considerable damage and starting a raging fire in unite us all under one face. The Face of Urda. the cloisters. Moments later, a second lightning bolt Adoption of the new habit was greeted enthu- arced from one of the vessels and actually struck the siastically in the West, where the Nöenian Order storehouse, which inexplicably exploded in a great in particular is contending with the presence of roiling fireball. The awakened locals scrambled to Wenemet and Malebolge sisters amongst the insu- put out the fires, but they were ultimately unsuc- lar Saurians of the steppe. In the East, some of the cessful. The ancient structure blazed for two days more progressive Orders are dragging their feet. before finally burning itself out. Nothing remains The great First Matriarch Ardona XIV, Claw of but ruins and ashes. the Dragon, died peacefully in her sleep one warm Ingazi’s northern airfleet under the command of summer’s night in 1482. The Sibyl came out of her Air Marshal Lord Gwariva Trememeres in Apha- ritual trance with the name of the Abbess of Adeni ranggal scrambled to intercept the “merchants” re- in Hyrágec on her bloody and foam-flecked lips sponsible for the attack. A dramatic chase soon de- with the murmured motto “the cry of the owl”. The veloped, as the invaders tried to escape to the open new First Matriarch was quickly fetched back to ocean. Ingazi’s superior tactics eventually brought Urdraháhn, but in the interim, disaster struck at the perpetrators into range. The battle was short Saint Mirra. Some of the more ardent Urdans im- and sharp: the “merchants” were outnumbered five mediately urged holy war against the perpetrators to one and didn’t stand much of a chance. of this outrage against the Church, but for the mo- ment cooler heads prevail.

Cruenti Dei: Sahûl 123 In 1484, the Holy Office of the Inquisition -ef One morning, the inhabitants of Madran awoke fected the arrest of a junior cleric in Urdraháhn. to the sight of a new fortress, that had mysteriously The charges against him are sealed, and Reverend appeared overnight. The army quickly moved in to Mother Tareina of the Holy Office has thus far de- take control, and they named it Laksmih. clined comment. His Great Holiness Mordican I died in Morcan- Many investments were made. The government nis. His successor was elected in Serri. expanded, and a breakthrough was reported in sor- The final game of the 1485 All-East Rugby cery, perhaps one that could change the course of Championship was between the heavily favoured history. Or not. Yet again, Mount Pupini erupted Thunarr Thunder and the upstart Callam Kilted several times. Maniacs. The game ended with an 8–4 Thunarr victory and a riot in the streets. A splendid time El e c t o r a l Gr a n d Du c h y o f Go l m a t h (45 w/t a ) was had by all, and the pubs of Golmath City actu- His Gracious Majesty, Walarri Sardhan i i i , the ally ran out of whiskey. Glorious, Baron of Madran and Kamadhi, Count The Grand Duke sent Distahn the wandering of Agdora, Imperial Governor of Kaparis, and Elector mendicant and all of his whoopee cushions, seltzer, & Grand Duke of Golmath. and pies in the direction of Urdraháhn in hopes His Great Holiness, Mordican i i , Hierarch of the that he would meet a peaceful, quiet death some- Fellowship of Connate Tarotists and Pontiff of the where en-route. Instead, he vanished. Hidden Lords at Serri. El e c t o r a l Ki n g d o m o f Ar a d é c (38 w/i l) His Excellency, the Volpel Zhogian the Fearless, Baron His Royal Majesty, Sansollen Dirharn i, Baron of Volpel & Count of Runazar. Wanumarra, Electoral King of Aradéc, Imperial Margrave Volpel Tregarion of Ebalon. Governor of Aradior. Trade: Adndar, Araxes, Aradéc, Atuburrk, Trade: Adndar, Araxes, Atuburrk, Einandhu, Einandhu, Hyrágec, ID, Ingazi, Elphárec, Golmath, Hyrágec, ID, Ingazi, Murali, Sidith (2), ThaceE, Tiryowglas, IOC, Kicitchat, Kommolek, Murali, Urdraháhn, Zarkhandu Murrugapa, ThaceD, ThaceE, Tiryowglas, DP: Dalawathi (F) Urdraháhn rand Duke Sardhan the Glorious was appalled DP: Failed! Gat conditions in his Realm of Runazar, and radéc did what they do best: they built. Three set out to correct them as quickly as he could. The Anew port towns were constructed: Kefinar in scale of the public works projects undertaken were Bidigapa, Mikalas, in Darrayi, and Lisamet in Pa- truly phenomenal. Villages that once had dirt com- girri9. Aradéc’s road network was extended, con- mons and a single well now have cobbled plazas necting the cities of Yaliháhn and Monithirri to and stone fountains. The walls of Morcannis were Kefinar. The Academy at Darnuldeis became the rebuilt, and the great stadium of Volpel was built University of Darnuldeis, and the Military Acad- there. Rugby, Golmath’s national sport, proved emy was expanded as well. equally popular in Runazar. Capacity crowds watched the fireworks during Golmath’s other investments fared less well, summoning of the Deva Dorett in Darnuldeis in though Thunarr in Daryis expanded. 1481. People picnicked, and vendors plied their Just for a bit of fun, the Grand Duke gathered wares. It’s become more popular than the Pranyi up about 35,000 soldiers and plundered the crum- Prefecture Fair, and that’s saying something. 9 Lisamet is on both the Crinmi River and the Syrinais bling ruins of time-eaten Parrkulu. There’s hardly Coast; Mikalas is on the Azure Coast, and Kefinar is anything left now. on the Sea of Arad.

124 Turn 07—1485 SA A diplomatic duel in Derridon was indecisive. Ia t h e d e k : t h e Pr o t e c t o r a t e o f Fr i b æ l d An Imperial expedition arrived on “tributary” eace prevailed in the lands of Iathedek. At least, Wanangi just in time for the annual yam-giving Pif it didn’t nobody knew about it. Trade contin- ceremony. They brought tools and cloth, and they ued bustling along the Antean River. impressed the natives with minor magic tricks, in- cluding flying and three card monte. Several of the El e c t o r a l Ki n g d o m o f Za r k h a n d u (40 s/y g ) expedition members seem convinced that these ba- His Majesty, Sakkath Sharret Radohl the Very Young boons possess a rudimentary language. Yet, Prince-Regent of Zarkhandu. Ba r o n y o f Mu r r u g a p a (1 w/i l) Vahl, Margrave Draconis, Commander of the Horse Baron arYarwain Didrel of Murrugapa. Guards. Trade: Aradéc, Ingazi, Murali Trade: Golmath, Ingazi, Kommolek, Murali, DP: None. Sidith (2), Urdraháhn DP: Mekellan (F), Zahn (F), Tyldek (T), aron Dirdel welcomed a visit from Orthodox Yannek (T), Zodrek (F), Ganteth (A) Pope Sanguine XIV. He gladly signed a pledge B ueen Kwadan stepped down as Vice-Regent, on behalf of himself and his Barony to the Ortho- though she continued to have a voice in the ad- dox Pope rather than to the Aradécan Abbot. Q ministration of the Realm. In Mlideen, Zarkhandu Co u n t y o f Mu r a l i (13 w/t a ) built the river(s) port town of Dornath. Govern- His Excellency, Kilyara Torthes i, Baron of Karrka, ment expanded, and the city of Zarkhandu became Count of Murali, Lord Admiral of the Red. the permanent capital. Sacrifices were made to Yag- Trade: Aradéc, Golmath, Ingazi, Murrugapa, nar’s glory. These culminated in late 1481 with the Sidith (2), Tiryowglas, Urdraháhn, ritual summoning of the Demon Kehturak. Few Zarkhandu were allowed to see the rites, and fewer still allowed DP: Treal (T), Shékon (F) to live through them. The Church Universal and Triumphant con- aron Torthes ordered a port town built in In- tinued to lobby the nearby Urdan Prefectures to zana at the mouth of the Antean, just across B join Zarkhandu’s Draconic March. They promised the river from Pundraki. It’s called Antraki. roads, granaries, and priories. Zarkhandu rebuilt Due sacrifice was tendered to the Lords of the the ruins of Vænor into a port town. It’s still only a Balance, and shortly thereafter, a most prodigious shadow of the great city it was, but it’s a start. display was seen in the eastern skies, including A diplomatic duel in Derridon was indecisive. strange glowing green clouds and flashes of violet lightning. In Mandri, a goat was born with three heads. What it all means, none can guess. Vice-Admiral of the Red Narynn Yustomon took The Sahûl Chronicle copyright ©2008 Thom Ryng. All rights the fleet out for a little spin in the Bay of Ebalon. reserved. Cruenti Dei, Sahûl, and all related properties are trademarks of Sardarthion Press. He ran down some pirate vessels10 and captured and interrogated their captains. The remains, he sent to Sardarthion in small boxes tied up with bows as a q gift for the Emperor.

10 No, he literally ran his ships over theirs. There’s less mess that way.

Cruenti Dei: Sahûl 125 Imperial Gazette Published by the Ancient and Undaunted Order of Heralds by Appointment to His Imperial Majesty

Pr o v i n c i a l Go v e r n o r s o f t h e Em p i r e Emperor Onin Zho Province Governor Province Governor Agador bureaucrat Kembul bureaucrat Anabreis bureaucrat Kiermon bureaucrat Aradaun bureaucrat Kinsidan bureaucrat Aradior Aradéc Kordier bureaucrat Ardebon Atuburrk Kumarand bureaucrat Artier vacant Lambris bureaucrat Balashan bureaucrat Larloc bureaucrat Belegaridor bureaucrat Mondahan bureaucrat Biralis bureaucrat Muralis bureaucrat Chos Itaxik Narchoal bureaucrat Dorthacia bureaucrat Nauatidran vacant Dranchoal vacant Orinos bureaucrat Dranmul Averon Sachon bureaucrat Drazhan bureaucrat Sardior vacant Endior bureaucrat Sistramidor bureaucrat Iantier bureaucrat Tepalis bureaucrat Iasedior bureaucrat ThaciaMaior ThaceE Kaidu bureaucrat ThaciaMinor ThaceE Appointments Kanapad vacant Thebia bureaucrat

To Chancellor of the Empire: Electoral Princess Kanmul bureaucrat Tramelis bureaucrat Chass’ika of Itaxik. Kaparis Golmath Withidan bureaucrat Kassaria bureaucrat Yann vacant To Governor of Ariador: Electoral King Dirharn of Aradéc. Kastier vacant To Governor of Anabreis, Aradaun, Dorthacia, Kanapad, Kiermon, Kumarand, Narchoal, Nauatidran, Tepalis, Thebia, Yann: by exam.

Op e n Off i c e s

Due to death or incapacitation of the previous office- holders, the following are now vacant: Lord Admiral of the Blue and governors as indicated.

126 Turn 07—1485 SA The Armourer’s Decree o f Em p e r o r On i n Zh o

earken Heralds and brand this to your mind’s eye. Let it be known throughout Sahûl that His August & Imperial Majesty, Onin Zho, Lord Sakkath, Count ofú V hlath & Mlideen, Duke of Hyáglion, Electoral King of Zarkhandu, Sovereign of Sahûl, Lord of the Nine Hills of Sardarthion, Holder of the HEmerald Throne, and Emperor of All the World has pronounced this Doom. That heretofore the peace- ful and law-abiding Cappargarnians did unlawfully invade the peace-loving and diplomatic Principality of Duedhyn in the year 1477. The following judgments have been pronounced: First, that in Fourteen Hundred and Seventy-Seven that Mercenaries known as “The Knights of Saint Jarrad” did under Cappargarnian employ foment, support, and with force of arms cause a rebellion to occur under direct orders and support fromthe Electoral Republic of Cappargarnia and His Sublime Majesty, Steene Dronex II, Lord Admiral of the Blue, Electoral Prince of Cappargarnia, and that rebellion was similarly fo- mented in the prefecture of Dramul by the aforementioned Steene Dronex II. Second, that in 1478 the Electoral Prince put himself in Dereliction of his duties as Admiral of the Blue by deploying the fleet against a lawful Imperial Clan. Third, that in 1478 the city of Pareis was infiltrated by means of a society of secret agents who dwelt in unknown number lurking to foment and cause Revolution which is a direct violation of the Golden Edict. Fourth, that in 1478 in the same city of Pareis did these selfsame Cappargarnian agents commit Regi- cide and did assassinate in base fashion the sitting, legitimate, and lawfully inherited Prince Tewas III. teene Dronex ii, having been judged guilty of all these acts by the divine and lawful right of His SAugust & Imperial Majesty, Onin Zho, Sovereign of Sahûl, etc., the Electoral Republic of Cappargar- nia is deemed to have on these Four attacked the basis of Sahûl which is Law. Having chosen to work outside the law, the Cappargarnian punishment is to remain there. Know this, Sahûl: the Cappargarnians are engaged in a Trial by Combat. They have chosen to run against the Empire, in defiance of the Empire, and in defiance of their Honor.Be it known that the Cappar- garnian War is declared illegal, that any and all who wish to do themselves honor in support of the Empire may enjoin against Cappargarnia in any way they see fit excluding Genocide. There is no Cappargarnian Innocence here but there may be Survival. If Cappargarnia on their own manages to defeat all those clans who choose to defend the Honor of the Empire then they may continue. Any who intervene on the side of the Cappargarnians will be held to be outside the law as well. We instruct also that any city, soldier, dra- goon, serf, prefecture, or holy place that does not wish to share this fate may escape it by flying the Imperial Colors and putting themselves under the temporary care of the Emperor and the Emerald Watch. We also declare that the Church of the Illimitable is not to be harmed in its Prefectures of Aretar or Djarden unless it is by other Tarotist Clans. Such is the reverence and esteem with which our Most Pious Emperor views the Church of the Illimitable. q

Cruenti Dei: Sahûl 127