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The vote is currently: Forebears: 6 Nibenay: 5 Reachmen: 5 Bretons: 1 Imperial: 1 Colovian: 1 It's really close between Forebears, Nibenay and Reachmen, so I'll leave the vote open another day and close it tomorrow.
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Jun 27, 2017 15:06
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Nibenay
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Jun 27, 2017 15:10
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Forebearers
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Jun 27, 2017 15:13
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Nibenay
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Jun 27, 2017 16:36
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Forebears
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Jun 27, 2017 18:03
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Forebears
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Jun 27, 2017 18:22
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FORBEARS! Because Redguard are awesome 
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Jun 27, 2017 19:00
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Reachmen
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Jun 27, 2017 19:30
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Nibenay
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Jun 27, 2017 22:31
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Nibenay
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Jun 27, 2017 22:42
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Forebears
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Jun 28, 2017 00:48
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Colovians But only if you get the hat
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Jun 28, 2017 02:01
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Forebears
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Jun 28, 2017 02:54
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Forebears
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Jun 28, 2017 03:29
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mcclay posted:Reachmen
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Jun 28, 2017 03:37
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 The writing seems to be on the wall as a definite winner has pulled ahead. I'm closing the vote, final tally: Forebears: 13 Nibenay: 9 Reachmen: 7 Bretons: 1 Imperial: 1 Colovian: 2 Nords: Nada We'll be starting as a Forebear in Hammerfell, with the end goal of uniting all of Hammerfell and High Rock into one empire. I'll start working on the first update tomorrow. Thanks all for voting!
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Jun 28, 2017 04:53
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Chapter I: The Short Life of Baron Sason I   In the year 808 of the First Era the elven and human colonies and native beastfolk who lived along the coast of Volenfell witnessed the unparalleled martial prowess of the Yokudans in the Ra Gada invasion. Those who were not killed were enslaved and the region soon became known as Hammerfell, homeland of the Redguards (a name easier for Tamrielic tongues to pronounce). Soon the old nobility of Yokuda were fetched from the island of Herne, to resume their rule. But the Ra Gada warriors where forever changed by their time as conquerors, giving rise to a new Forebearer culture. Over the years Hammerfell stayed independent and often isolated from the rest of Tamriel. This changed after the Battle of Pale Pass in 2703 of the First Era. There the great Reman I Cyrodil led an army of Colovians and Nibenay to victory over the invading Akaviri. Rather than execute or ransom the defeated Akaviri, he recruited them into his army and conquered all of Tamriel, except for Morrowind. Over the next 217 years Hammerfell would be ruled as two provinces; one for the Crowns and one for the Forebears. The Reman dynasty died out, betrayed by the Akaviri bureaucracy which had come to form the backbone of the empire. The Akaviri Versidue-Shaie took up the title of Potentate and declared that his rule marked a new era for Tamriel, thus began the Second Era. In 324 of this new era the Potentate died, felled by Dunmer assasins. His son Savirien-Chorak ruled until 430, before also falling to an assassination, along with all of his sons. Thus ended the Second Empire, and Tamriel entered an age of strife.   In 2E 450 the Baron of Matama and Aidhab died. To be precise, he was assasinated by his liege the King of Rihad. It was only fair, the man had slept with Assurbanipal's first wife after all. But in Forebear culture it is taken as a given that if you seek to kill a man, make sure your first stab hits. Assurbanipal's assassins failed to kill King Shamar, who then sent assassins of his own. The childless Assurbanipal died and his lands returned to the king.  But this presented a problem to the king. Nobody blamed him for killing Assurbanipal, the man had sent assassins first, but to keep hold of the dead baron's lands would have made King Shamar seem like a tyrant who killed his subjects to seize their riches and lands. The counties needed to be distributed, but to who? Here the House of Azethal enters the story. Nazorter Azethal had bought his title, like so many merchants before him. He'd made his fortune trading salt in High Rock, or at least that is the official story of the dynasty. Like most Redguard captains it is probable that he did some piracy in his day. However he got the coin, he got it and in the waning days of the empire noble titles came cheap. His son Leshik had joined a knightly order and served honorably, before retiring to the city of Rihad, taking up a position as courtier and marshal for Shamar's father. Unlike his father Sason I was not inclined to the knightly life. He proved competent with a sword, necessary to get anywhere in Redguard culture, but that was it. Sason was, to the embarrassment of his father, an incredibly competent mage. He studied in the city of Elinhir during his youth and returned to Rihad when his father died, serving as a courtier and court mage for Shamar. Viewing the young man as competent but nonthreatening, Shamar granted the baronies to Sason.    Born under the sign of the Mage and unusually tall, even for a Redguard, Sason I was a Forebear with great promise. Like his father before him, Sason chose Tu'whacca (often associated with the god Arkay in Cyrodil, Skyrim and High Rock) as his patron and offered sacrifices of thanks upon receiving his new titles.   Sason's first order of business as baron was to find a wife. As the only son of an only son, the Azethal dynasty might well have died out with Sason. In Morning Star, 450 2E, Sason married his first wife, a talented woman of low birth named Anwen. At the festivities Sason's liege presented him with two gifts; a small sum of gold and the position of commander in the kingdom's army.  Sason threw himself into his studies of the martial arts as he had his studies of the arcane.   In an age of strife such talents were always in high demand.   Sason's first child, named Anwen for her mother, was born sickly and nearly died in the cradle. Although she survived the firstborn of Sason would remain a frail woman throughout her life.  His second child, Sason, was born under the sign of the Warrior and was much stronger.   Chronicler's of Sason I are always careful to point out that the baron only practiced destruction and summoning magic. In Redguard culture, then as now, necromancy, illusion and enchanting are viewed as unholy and cowardly. Acts such Sason's binding of a Will-o-the-Wisp to his service are begrudgingly accepted.  In 458 2E the duke of Sutch was embroiled in a war with the Republic of Hunding Bay. The barony of Hafar was a Forebear region which had chafed under Colovian rule for many years and to Sason this was viewed as an opportunity.   Declaring himself the "Liberator of Hafar" Sason called upon the knightly orders of his realm, along with a force of Forebear mercenaries and headed east across the Brena River.   At Hafar his forces easily beat the the Colovian legionaries.  But the funds for Sason's war quickly evaporated, forcing him send the mercenaries away.    But Sason's diminished forces were, by this time, more than enough to take the province. Sason himself proved a talented and inspirational military leader, his many hours of study proving useful.   Smelling blood in the water like a wereshark, King Shamar declared his own war for the barony of Sutch. Sason was encouraged to keep up his war for Hafar by the king, who sent a small sum of gold to help him hire mercenaries.   By 461 2E the duke of Sutch, now facing an invasion of his capital, was done resisting and offered terms to Sason. The conquest of Hafar ended and the one for Sutch came shortly thereafter.    With a growing reputation as a skilled general and a powerful noble, Sason made sure to make grand displays of wealth. He carried a masterfully forged elven saber with a gold hilt wherever he went and displayed a number of holy relics at his keep in Matama.  News came to Baron Sason in 464 2E that the duke of Stonemoor was away working with the FIghter's Guild of Hammerfell. The duchy of Stonemoor had been an imperial division before the empire fell, containing the baronies of Hafar, Hare's Cross and Stonemoor. With Hafar already under his control, Sason set his sights on the title.   King Shamar encouraged Sason's warmongering once more, sending funds in exchange for promises of support within the king's council. With the addition of 600 Sword-singer mercenaries the conflict went quickly.  Stonemoor fell to Sason in 465 2E.   The growth of Rihad had not gone without notice. In 467 2E the Kingdom of Kvatch and the Duchy of Linchal went to war for the provinces of Hafar and Sutch, claiming that these regions were rightfully Colovian.   At Stonemoor and Hafar Sason was able to turn back the forces of Linchal. But the Kvatachian army was far larger and neither he nor the king could gather a force large enough to beat it.  By 470 2E Sutch was taken by Kvatch and Linchal had abandoned its war for Hafar. While King Shamar's power was shrinking Sason's was only growing. The young man Shamar had seen as nonthreatening was now his single largest vassal and would soon declare himself duke of Stonemoor. Sason was a threat and Shamar intended to see him cease to be thus.   Promised gold and place in the king's court, Sason's own wife Anwen was enticed to betray her husband. She told Shamar that Sason planned to take a trip to the city of Taneth, to purchase some alchemy equipment. Along the way mercenaries under the employ of the king ambushed Sason and his knights and killed the baron. At only 44 years of age with a great talent for command and magic, Sason had a promising future, but it was cut short by a jealous king's plot. The crown thus passed to his daughter Anwen, named for the woman who had killed him.
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Jun 28, 2017 22:28
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An auspicious start! I'm thinking that the king's days are numbered, though. What do the random Dragonborn do? Do they get some get CB's, or just stat bonuses?
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Jun 28, 2017 22:47
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Lord Cyrahzax posted:An auspicious start! I'm thinking that the king's days are numbered, though. So Dragonborn get a poo poo ton of bonuses AND every one of their descendants gets a "Dragon Blood" trait that is a watered down version. Also if you are a Dragonborn or Dragoonblood and you somehow find the Amulet of Kings and you are the emperor of Tamriel you can light the dragonfires and when you die you become a god and the eight divines faith becomes the nine divines. All of your descendants get a bonus for being offspring of a literal god. Non-dragonborn Nords can make a pilgrimage to High Hrothgar and, if lucky, can convince the greybeards to teach them how to shout.
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Jun 28, 2017 22:59
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Chapter II: The Frail DuelistThe Improved Emperor's Guide to Tamriel: Hammerfell posted:
 During the early years of her life, Anwen I's father Sison employed a worshiper of the Daedric Prince Clavicus Vile as his court physician. The heathen's presence in the court was tolerated, for the physician was known throughout Hammerfell as a great healer. But when he failed to cure the frail and sickly disposition of Sison's first child, he was accused of having hexed the girl and was thrown in the dungeon. In Redguard culture everyone learns to fight with a sword. While they are not unwilling to use other implements, the sword is given special place of honor in both Crown and Forebear culture and nobody can pass into adulthood without at least being a novice of the craft of swordsmanship. As a girl growing up in Matama, it was difficult for the frail Anwen to parry heavy blows. So instead she learned to avoid being anywhere where she would need to block. It was said by Redguard poets (who describe a swordsman with the lust a Breton poet would describe a fair lady) that she "flowed like clear water". By the time of her father's death in 2E 470 Anwen I was a renowned duelist throughout Rihad.  Shortly into her reign Anwen married Rinina Owyren, second son of the patriarch of the Owyren merchant family in the Republic of Sentinel in Hegathe. A talented magistrate, Rinina was immediately put to work helping to manage the finances of the realm.  Finances were an important issue for Anwen during this time, as she sought to collect the funds necessary to push a claim on the ducal title of Stonemoor.   By 2E 471 these funds had been collected and Anwen was declared Duchess Anwen I of Stonemoor in a grand ceremony in Stonemoor Castle, where she moved her court.  Stonemoor was where Anwen gave birth to her first child, a son she named for her father. Sason was born under the sign of the Lover, on the first day of Rain's Hand 2E 472. He was thus blessed with a great charisma.    The next year King Shamar I of Rihad, who had assassinated Sason I, died of Consumption, robbing the young duchess of any chance for revenge. The new Queen Aubki offered the position of marshal to Anwen, in hopes of placing the conflicts of their fathers behind them and in recognition of Anwen's great talent. She agreed, and prepared to make the trip to Rihad to advise her queen.  While away for a couple months her husband Rinina caught Cholera and died.   Anwen did not mourn her husband long before remarrying, this time to a son of the Duke of the Colovian Highlands. Prince Malpenix of Cyrodil was both a political link to a powerful duchy and a descendant of Reman I, legendary founder of the Second Empire of Tamriel. He was also a talented administrator and took over those duties vacated by the late Rinina.   Duke Malpenix II was quickly called to honor his alliance, as Anwen declared a war for the barony of Hare's Cross, a narrow area between the Corten Mountains and the Brena River. By ancient custom and old imperial maps, the crossing was rightfully part of the Duchy of Stonemoor and Anwen intended to have it for her own. In 455 2E the combined forces of Stonemoor and the Colovian Highlands met those of Queen Saliah of Northhall near the town of Hare's Cross. With an advantage in both light infantry and skirmishers, the battle quickly turned in Anwen's favor.   From there the combined force marched north unopposed, capturing the castle and forcing the Queen to surrender the barony to its rightful ruler.  The next two years were calm ones, Duchess Anwen I spent time at home with her new husband and son. The realm recovered from the short conflict and when Malpenix II called for her aid she was able to call upon a sizable force.  The war ended abruptly when, in the midst of battle, Anwen cornered the countess Viatrix, whose revolt had started the conflict. For all their martial pride, few Colovians are equal to a well trained Redguard swordswoman and Viatrix was quickly dispatched by the duelist.   Anwen resumed her quiet life in Stonemoor, managing the duchy and attempting for another heir with her husband.  On the 14th of Morning Star, 479, Anwen gave birth to twin boys. Both were quite a bit paler than a normal Forebear, evidence of their Colovian heritage. They were named Endon and Trayvond. This was to be the last happy news for 479 2E.   Sutch and Linchal invaded with a large force later that year, intent on taking Anwen's barony of Aidhab. Unable to match these forces in size and with little support from her queen, Anwen was forced to keep her army distant from those of the Colovians. Instead she marched her forces in to recapture Aidhab every time the Colovians left it, slowing down the invasion.  In 482 Anwen had to retire from the field. Her treasury was drained and the constant assaults and retreats had worn her forces down. She herself was pregnant with twins again and had to retire to her keep. That year she gave birth, but her frailty and sickly disposition caused complications.  In the month of Rain's Hand, her forces and body exhausted, Anwen at last sent terms of surrender to the Duke of Sutch. Aidhab, which her father had received from King Shamar I, fell out of her hands.   At first, unable to afford the expensive equipment and ingredients to brew a cure illness potion, Anwen instructed her court physician to cast a cure disease spell. But he proved inept at the art of restoration and likely did more harm than good.  His alchemy skills proved no better, the potion he brewed for his liege doing little but waste the realms already stretched finances.  On the 14th of Heartfire 2E, Duchess Anwen I died, leaving her crown to the 9 year old Sason II. A talented duelist, most agreed that her soul would find its way to the Far Shore. But her son Sason was about to face a massive crisis for the Kingdom of Rihad.
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Jun 30, 2017 03:46
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Been seeing a lot more regencies since Reaper's Due, and I suppose Tamriel wasn't exempt either. Who is the god of disease for ES lore though? Maybe you should try worshiping them
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Jun 30, 2017 04:18
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Lord Cyrahzax posted:Been seeing a lot more regencies since Reaper's Due, and I suppose Tamriel wasn't exempt either. Who is the god of disease for ES lore though? Maybe you should try worshiping them I'm pretty sure that'd be Peryite. Could be worth a shot.
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Jun 30, 2017 04:29
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Jade Rider posted:I'm pretty sure that'd be Peryite. Could be worth a shot. No no no, If we need someone to help us combat death and disease we should look to Clavicus vile. He has loads of ways of getting people's minds off their current troubles. 
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Jun 30, 2017 05:01
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Why is she being called a princess?
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Jun 30, 2017 06:29
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GunnerJ posted:Why is she being called a princess? Prince can be a title of ruler. For example Monaco has a prince not a king. Gamewise Im pretty sure prince is equivalent of duke.
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Jun 30, 2017 07:22
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It's a small touch, but I like how they replaced the vanilla greetings with NPC chatter from the games. I can't read "It's a fine day with you around" without hearing it in Ysolda's voice. 
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Jun 30, 2017 07:44
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Lady Morgaga posted:Prince can be a title of ruler. For example Monaco has a prince not a king. Gamewise Im pretty sure prince is equivalent of duke. Yeah, but Clayren is calling her a duchess.
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Jun 30, 2017 14:35
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GunnerJ posted:Yeah, but Clayren is calling her a duchess. So titles in Elder Kings are a lot more diverse than in vanilla CK2. Sometimes a duke-level ruler is called a prince and sometimes a count-level leader is called a baron. For the sake of sanity I am sticking to the old baron -> count -> duke -> king -> emperor levels as best as I can. Lord Cyrahzax posted:Been seeing a lot more regencies since Reaper's Due, and I suppose Tamriel wasn't exempt either. Who is the god of disease for ES lore though? Maybe you should try worshiping them For Aedra you'd probably want Morwha, analogous to the imperial goddess Mara. She's the god of fertility, mothers and compassion and is depicted as having four arms. The daedric prince Peryite is the god of pestilence, but is more known for spreading disease than curing it. Namira is the daedric prince of repulsive and low things, including beggars and the diseases that often afflict them. But again, Namira is more likely to give you these "gifts" than take them away. Clavicus Vile might actually grant a request, but he's the god of Faustian bargains so it's probably not a great idea. Daedra are like Old Testament gods, they give and take at a whim and are right to do so because they are powerful. Aedra are like New Testament gods, benevolent and omnipresent but unlikely to manifest any great miracles.
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Jun 30, 2017 15:28
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Ikasuhito posted:No no no, If we need someone to help us combat death and disease we should look to Clavicus vile. He has loads of ways of getting people's minds off their current troubles. If you want to take your mind off things, Sheogorath will help. take your mind your mind off your mind to take off
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Jul 1, 2017 06:16
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Chapter III: The LoverThe Firmament posted:
 At 9 years of age young Prince Sason I became the lord of Stonemoor. Even at a young age Sason was a handsome child, blessed under the stars of the Lover constellation.  The regency council put in power by the sudden death of Anwen I was headed by the duchess' old spymaster, a lowborn of great talent named Hasell.  Malpenix of Cyrodil, father to all of Sason's half-siblings, returned to the court of the Duke of the Colovian Highlands. He had been named regent by his wife, but fears that he might seek to place one of his own children on the throne led to his losing control of the council.     483 2E saw a massive Colovian invasion of RIhad. Although only loosely aligned (and Sutch and Kvatch actually clashes once or twice over Brena), the combined effect of Sutch, Anvil and Kvatch troops flooding into Rihad all at once was chaos. Refugees streamed north into Hare's Cross where Stonemoor guards blocked them from flooding the ducal capital. A refugee camp was soon established in the narrow pass.  With a child for a duke and only minimal forces at the realm's disposal the council in Stonemoor could do little in the face of this invasion.  By 487 2E the entire duchy of Rihad, including the namesake city, were in the hands of one Colovian realm or another. The queen moved her court north, to Roseguard.   The kingdom was rapidly unraveling and Stonemoor, ruled by a corrupt regency council and lacking a strong leader, was of little help.   This came to an end in 489 with duke Sason I of Stonemoor reaching his majority. Born under the Lover and tutored by the brilliant Hasell, Sason I was a talented and well liked diplomat who won most people over with ease. This was just in time, as it was around this time that the duke of Sutch sought to expand his holdings in Hammerfell at Sason's expense.  At Stonemoor Sason's forces met with those of Sutch and grabbed an early victory.  Recognizing that he needed allies and a talented marshal, Sason I negotiated a marriage between himself and Aubk-I Naneren, a member of the Naneren family of the Republic of Hunding Bay.  At the wedding Sason I made a public oath to Zeht that he would repel the Colovians from Hammerfell. It was, by all accounts, a stirring speech and many men swore their blades to his cause.   But it would take more than flowery speeches to regain those lands, as Sason well knew. Leaving his talented new wife in charge of the war effort (which was well in hand at this point), Sason enlisted with the Scenarist's Guild and began traveling throughout High Rock and Valenwood. He wrote a few guides on local culture, none of which exist in print any more.   A respectful and gregarious man, Sason established a network of friends and contacts during his travels which served him well throughout his life.   The refugee camp in Hare's Crossing, meanwhile, continued to grow. The camp was plagued with disease and disorder and eventually Princess Aubk-I was forced to order most of the refugees to disperse, a black mark on Sason's public reputation.  After 3 years away Sason returned to Stonemoor in 497 2E, following the successful defense of Hafar.  Sason's first son was born came the same year, born under the Lover like his father.   The Gold Coast of Cyrodiil was distracted by fighting among the Colovian realms during this time, giving Sason I a free hand to act in Hammerfell. With the kingdom of RIhad quickly sinking Sason intended to win his independence from the realm.   Sason I was provided funds and even troops by many of his old Scenarist Guild contacts and the war ended in short order, Rihad was able to field only a very small army after years of failed conflict.   Rather than turn east and head to Stonemoor once this conflict ended, Sason and Aubk-I turned their forces south from Roseguard and besieged Saif while Anvil was still busy fighting with Kvatch. A loan to finance this conflict was quickly taken out.  The war went slow at first. Anvil had many holdings and each needed to be sieged.  No Anvil force of real strength ever showed up in Hammerfell during the war, too distracted by conflicts in the ducal homelands. In 502 2E the war ended and Saif was granted to Sason. 
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Jul 3, 2017 17:51
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Things seems to be on the up and up for the Azethal family! Although they are admittedly fairly weak right now, surrounded by much stronger neighbours...
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Jul 5, 2017 09:48
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Chapter IV: The Rihad CoalitionResolute Ally posted:
  The city of Rihad, with its graceful domes and towering mist-catcher sails, was the jewel of the Brena river. With the grand city of Sentinel under the control of the Kingdom of Hegathe it was the largest Forebear-controlled city in the 400's 2E. Its fall to the Kingdom of Anvil was a major blow to the Forebear nobility in Hammerfell and taking it back was a major goal for Duke Sason I of Stonemoor. Sason took his time in preparation, however. The marriage of his son and heir to a daughter of King Rhano I of Elinhir and the resulting alliance they negotiated was an important first step.   The other key participant in what was to be known later as "The Rihad Coalition" was Duke Jathlanic I of Rimwatch, whose daughter Clesa was also betrothed to one of Sason's sons.  In 506 2E Sason I, increasingly called "Sason the Handsome" for his pleasant personality and fortuitously good looks, made it known in a speech before the refugees of Hare's Cross that he intended to retake the city and expel the heathenish foreigners. Alarmed at the news, Anvil called the Kingdom of Kvatch into the conflict.  Stonemoor's levies, bolstered by volunteers from the refugee community, numbered around 1,500 when they gathered at Hare's Cross under the command of Duchess Aubk-i.  An additional 1,000 soldiers from Elinhir soon arrived and together they marched into Matama, scoring an easy victory over the small garrison stationed there.   Before additional mercenary reinforcements could arrive a Kvatch force met Aubk-i at Saif. Although the Redguard's outnumbered the Colovians the battle turned against the Coalition and Aubk-i was forced to retreat back to Hare's Cross.  New funds were raised, through a combination of loans and donations from Sason's network of friends and contacts. A force of 1,200 mercenaries from Valenwood was hired to reinforce the Stonemoor army.  In 508 2E, with the larger Kvatch army separated from their Anvil allies to defend Rihad, the strengthened Stonemoor force struck. This time Aubk-i scored a major victory, reversing the momentum of the war.  Further good news came as Maormer ships began to raid Anvil and Kvatch supply ships crossing the river Brena.  With supply lines cut and the local Forebears unwilling to feed their forces (when they weren't outright rebelling) Kvatch pulled its remaining troops back into Cyrodiil. Without the backing of its ally Anvil had no way to beat the larger Stonemoor army. The next four years saw Anvil's holdings in Hamerfell slowly fall to siege one by one. At last the stubborn Queen of Anvil offered terms of surrender.   With the counties of Rihad and Matama taken Sason I reorganized the realm. Matama was handed off to his half brother Gogan and Saif was given to another half brother, Endon.  The refugee camp at Hare's Cross shrank over the next few years, as most returned to the city. Some stayed behind in the crossing or even moved north to Stonemoor. The realm, after some time and adjustment, prospered.   In 513 2E Sason's heir Sason came of age, a humble but competent commander much like his mother Aubk-i. As part of the Rihad Coalition he had been betrothed to Rohssan the Shadow, now countess of Ahvaz. Upon their marriage Sason granted his young heir the county of Rihad.   In 514 Sason's attention turned north, to the realm of the mad mayor of Northhall. The war that followed was short and would perhaps not be worth mentioning, but for what came after its conclusion in 515 2E.    Unbeknownst to Duke Sason, he was not alone in desiring the county of Northhall. His good friend the King of Lankara as well as a Forebear adventurer by the name of Kewan both had designs on the county. Upon winning the war with Northhall Sason found himself in conflict with these two.  By bleeding his already low coffers nearly empty, Sason was able to supplement his army with enough mercenaries to give it a numerical advantage to either force individually.     At Saif, Stonemoor and Matama Aubk-i scored victory after victory over the forces of Lankara. It was enough to convince the King of Lankara to agree to a white peace.   With the band of pirates, mercenaries and adventurers under Kewan Doryaf still loose in northern Stonemoor Sason I had little time to listen to rumors about the rest of Tamriel. Of the many tales that escaped his attention, the beginnings of the Knahaten Flu in Argonia was undoubtedly the most important.   In 517 2E Kewan Doryaf was caught while attempting to escape across the Brena River. It seems that once the ambitious man's money ran out most of his men had abandoned him. The additional finances he had waiting for him back in Colovia (no doubt part of which was a gift from the Queen of Anvil) were used too ransom the noble, rather than allow him to hire another army. This princely sum allowed Sason I to refill his coffers, badly drained from the two conflicts.   In that same year the duke's son and heir, Sason of Rihad, died from an apparent accident involving some stairs and a baker's dozen arrows. His sister Rona was chosen as the new heir by their father. Rona, like Sason I, was a tremendously gifted diplomat.  In Hearthfire of that year the Knahaten Flu crossed the Nibenay Bay. Before it would leave it would take more souls to the Far Shore than any since the Thrassian Plague.
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Jul 5, 2017 23:47
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Chapter V: Killed by KindnessArchivist Neleminduure posted:
For those who can afford it, disease is generally not a death sentence in Tamriel. Although the ingredients may be expensive and rare and the talent necessary to brew the elixir may not always be present, potions of cure disease are a common item throughout the continent. For those who cannot afford a potion there is the cheaper (and less surefire) method of hiring a talented restoration mage to cast a spell of cure disease. For the truly desperate it is not wholly uncommon for the gods to grant this blessing to pious souls who pray at the shrines of the divines. Despite this outbreaks do occur, but those who can afford the more expensive cures are generally spared and the disease burns itself out quickly. Two notable exceptions have existed, however. The first is the Thrassian Plague, which arrived in western Tamriel in 2260 1E (notably, the plague is the first event with a well established date since the Dragon Break of the First Era, meaning that by 2260 linear time had been restored). The plague, taking its name from the land of Thras where it was created, wiped out more than half of the population of Tamriel and was completely resistant to magical and alchemical cures. The exact method by which the plague was eventually cured is lost to history, but we know that afterwards the vile Sload of Thras were punished by a united Tamrielic force for creating the plague. The second example was the Knahaten Flu, which appeared in Stormhold in 417 2E.  But the flu would not reach Hammerfell until 418 2E. During 417 Duke Sason I of Stonemoor was more concerned with his wife Aubk-i, who suffered for a time with severe abdominal pains.  A lowborn Forebear physician, named Thaik, was hired to administer to Sason's wife. Despite being famously alcoholic, the man's skills were true and Aubk-i shortly recovered.  Prior to the arrival of the flu the town around Stonemoor Keep was gradually growing into a bustling center of trade along the Brena River.   But arrive the plague did. By 418 the Colovian Estates were fully infected and the Jerall Mountains proved only a temporary barrier. Refugees streamed across the Brena, seeking safety from the Knahaten Flu. Mostly they only accomplished spreading the disease to a new land.   By Morningstar the plague had reached Rihad. Alarmed, Sason I ordered his court into seclusion and had the gates of Stonemoor Keep closed until the disease had passed. He would never live to see them opened once more.  With most of the guard recalled to their posts to preserve order in the cities and towns the countryside was abandoned to beasts and bandits. Vampires stalked the roads around Stonemoor brazenly, attacking and draining refugees and peasants. A kindhearted man, Sason felt for his people and hired bands of adventurers to restore some semblance of safety to the countryside.   By 520 2E Sason, like many lords throughout Tamriel, was desperate to find a cure. Large sums were spent on new alchemy equipment and tomes on restoration and alchemy for his court physician, Thaik. The disease by this point had spread everywhere except for the isolated lands of the Reach, Black Marsh and Morrowind. Despite having started near the lands of the Argonians, the disease did not effect more than a few thousand Argonians, which was perhaps due to the natural disease resistance of the beastfolk. For a time Thaik, like many scholars, thought that the ashy air and soil of Morrowind might be the cure. This hope was shortly dashed, as the mainland and even the island of Vvanderfell fell to the flu.  When news came that Elsweyr was thoroughly ravashed muttering began among the human and mer populations. If the Khajiit and Argonians were both immune that would make sense, both were beastfolk. But if the Argonians alone were immune, what might that mean?  Given that the disease began near Black Marsh and the Argonians were seemingly immune, many began to think that the Argonians, like the Sload in the First Era, had concocted the disease magically. Perhaps as a way to punish the Dunmer for their frequent raids in Black marsh for slaves. Many, peasant and noble alike, demanded that the small population of Argonians in Stonemoor be forced to leave the duchy.   Such feelings were common throughout Hammerfell. Mufti Shenk Ibn Sentinel sent letters to the lords of Hammerfell begging the Crowns and Forebear to look beyond this hysteria and spare the Argonians. Some, like Sason, agreed and refused these demands. Others, however, went ahead with expelling the beastfolk.  In the case of Sason I, this pronouncement had to be enforced with arms.  While some complained of Sason "favoring the Argonians over his fellow Redguards", many viewed Sason as a man of moral bravery for standing up to the crowds.   That is, those who survived the plague did. While not as disastrous as the Thrassian Plague, the flu claimed a good third of Tamriel.    Duke Sason attempted to keep his people's spirits up. 25th of Sun's Dawn in the city of Stonemoor to this day is still celebrated as "Rat Feast", to commemorate the day that the duke appeared before his subjects on a castle wall and informed them that the infestation of rats and skeevers was a blessing and not a curse. He officially renamed the animals "long-tailed hares" and distributed strong spices from the castle pantry to make vermin flesh tolerable for his people. Today the holiday is celebrated with actual hares, heavily spiced and a competition to see who can make the most hilarious speech.  Sason I did what he could for his people, and is today remembered fondly as a kind and noble soul by most.    But the shame of hiding himself away in the castle while his people outside suffered weighed heavily on the man. Sason grew increasingly depressed and withdrawn, often refusing to eat.  On the 12th of Morning Star, 523 2E, the combined stress and weakness took Duke Sason I's life at 49 years old. His daughter Rona took the throne.  By the next month the Knahaten Plague had begun to leave Hammerfell.
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Jul 7, 2017 22:19
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That's a pretty loving massive plague, holy poo poo.
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Jul 8, 2017 00:36
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Chapter VI: The Lady of RihadLord Gharesh-ri, Speaker for the Mane posted:
 The second child of Duke Sason I, Rona surpassed her famed father in diplomacy, but lacked his kindly demeanor. That is not to say that she was by nature cruel, but Rona I was a practical woman who understood well that Stonemoor could not recover from flu without stepping on some toes.  Rona I was married to her uncle, Trayvond I of Stonemoor. A dull and incompetent mage, Trayvond's prestige value as a descendant of the Reman bloodline at least helped prop up the legitimacy of the Azethal family.   Although the flu continued to rage in large swathes of territory, by the rule of Rona I the plague was gone from Hammerfell. She and her court were able to open the gates of Castle Stonemoor and behold the devastation firsthand.  The tax rolls which survive from before and after the Knahaten Flu came through Hammerfell are telling; by 523 2E the money coming into the treasury was less than a tenth of what it had been. Employment rolls likewise show that Stonemoor, like every other realm, was employing fewer guards and patrolmen. In the villages and countryside the law held little sway.    Those who survived were scarred, mentally and physically. Hysterical outbreaks were common and Rona's minuscule military struggled to keep the peace during such events. The duchess' skills as a diplomat were often all that could soothe the crowds of the capital.   One side effect of the immense loss of sentient life was an explosion in wildlife populations. Deer, antelope, hogs and other game animals were in good supply for many years and Rona was often found out in the wilds with her court hunting.   But the wilderness was increasingly home to bandits and poachers, as patrols became infrequent. With tax income so low, many rulers turned to piracy, raiding or seizing land from their neighbors to be divided among soldiers as payment. In 527 2E Duchess Rona I gathered a force of 900 men and women under her mother, Aubk-i, to seize the county of Djenne from Count Nannithon. She planned to divide what little farmland there were in the region among those who would agree to serve her when called upon for a period of 30 years.    The count's forces were pitifully small, made of half-starved farmers in leather armor wielding spears and slings. Aubk-i lost only 4 men in fighting the enemy army and another 77 in the siege, mostly to disease. In short order the war was concluded and Djenne was parceled out, with Rona's brother Rinina granted the title of count.   Success with little loss of life and opportunity for land and riches attracted further recruits. The next year Rona used these forces against the duke of Stonedale.   For Aubk-i and her daughter it was another quick and nearly bloodless conquest.  Foolowing the quick and bloodless capture of Stonedale Castle the Duke Therdon Hiliene's heirs were all taken captive by Rona. Rather than see any of them come to harm he quickly sued for peace.  It was granted to Rona's other living brother, Mansel.  Rona was not alone in taking advantage of the undermanned forces of Tamriel following the Knahaten Flu. In 532 2E the Orc King Borkul the Hammer declared his intentions of conquering the Gold Coast and turning it into a new Orsinium. Thousands from the Orsimer diaspora flocked to his banner and Anvil and Kvatch soon found themselves fending off an invasion.   This presented Rona I with an opportunity, but she could not grasp it alone. Seeking an ally, she negotiated a betrothal between her daughter Theth-i and the young brother of the Duke of Nimbel. Hugging the edge of the Dragontail mountains, the realm of Nimbel had been isolated enough to miss the brunt of the flu and thus had many soldiers to lend.  Rona would need them, along with the holy knights of Leki, to drive Sutch out of Hammerfell and retake County Aidhab.  The conflict began well enough for Stonemoor, with Aubk-i taking the holdings of the county early on.   But at Brena, despite being outnumbered 3-2, the Duke of Sutch scored a surprise victory and forced AUbk-i to retreat. But while AUbk-i's force could lose 1,000 men and still be effective, the duke's force could ill afford the losses.   At the battle of Saif Aubk-i got her revenge and the Sutchian army was scattered to the winds. Duchess Rona made something of a name for herself in that battle, charging at the front of her light cavalry to slaughter the Colovian skirmishers from their flank.  Constantly at war with her own mother, Rona Azethal saw little of her daughter during her childhood. In 536 2E Theth-i came of age and was married. An ambitious and zealous mage, Theth-i was regarded as a capable heir to the throne.     That same year Rona I ended her war for Aidhab in victory. As well, she declared herself the Queen of a reborn Kingdom of Rihad and was hailed in the streets of Rihad and Stonemoor as "The Great Lady of Rihad".   According to some legends, even the cats of Stonemoor bowed to the new queen, the notoriously feckless and disrespectful creatures recognizing her accomplishments and thanking her for protecting them from the peasants during the years of plague and hysteria. Such tales are almost certainly fabrications.
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Jul 10, 2017 23:35
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What's that scary blob down in the Sumerset Isles? Did they get plagued?
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Jul 11, 2017 01:11
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Livewire42 posted:What's that scary blob down in the Sumerset Isles? Did they get plagued? At the start of the Interregnum there are very few really large realms. The two exceptions are the High Elf Kingdom of Alinor (the big yellow blob) and Morrowind. The houses of Morrowind are all mostly independent, but at the start pay 40% of their taxes to the Tribunal Temple on Vvanderfell (they can also be called into war by the temple).
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Jul 11, 2017 01:24
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Bit of a short one, so I'm going to post it today. Chapter VII: The Pirate Queen Anonymous posted:
 Through conquest and piracy Queen Rona I was able to return Stonemoor and Rihad to something approaching prosperity, although tax income would not rebound to pre-flu levels for a long time.  The city of Rihad grew in importance, as Rona used the port as a launching point for a number of raids on Valenwood, Elsweyr and Black Marsh. Because of the Argonian immunity to most diseases, including the Knahaten Flu, Black Marsh was a relatively prosperous region of Tamriel during this time and a frequent target of Rona I.   During the latter years of her rule Rona I focused increasingly on these raids, but continued her military expeditions in Hammerfell as well. In 544 2E she seized the county of Wadathe and granted it, along with the county and duchy of Northhall, to her daughter Theth-i.   But piracy remained the focus of Rona I. She made plans for an expedition up the Nibenay, to raid the shores of Lake Rumare and besiege the Imperial City itself, but these had to be put on hold when she came down with a bad case of pneumonia in 545 2E.   But such issues are rarely life-threatening to those as wealthy as Rona I. A scroll of cure disease was commissioned from the Mage's Guild in Hammerfell and administered by Rona's court wizard and the planned raid on the heart of Cyrodiil was soon back on schedule.  On the 14th of Hearthfire, 545, Rona set out with her marshal Farmin and her daughter Theth-i with a force of 2,000 warriors to raid the Imperial Isle. Soon after the ship entered the Abecean Sea Queen Rona took ill. She refused to call off the expedition, however, believing it to be only a temporary bought of illness.  By the time the ship entered Topal Bay, however, Queen Rona was dead at age 44.
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Jul 11, 2017 17:20
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Chapter VIII: The Tower... Beredalmo the Signifier posted:
 Where does the rule of Queen Theth-i I leave the realm of history and enter the realm of legend? Was it the tower, the blades and their amulet, or something even earlier? It is hard to say. We know that at the beginning of her rule Theth-i was a talented and ambitious mage, but not incredibly remarkable. When her mother died off the coast of Elsweyr she was herself pregnant with her third son and was hailed queen by her mother's soldiers and commanders.  Her husband at this time was Kalorter Acelen, a competent commander with claim to the duchy of Elinhir.  Upon her mother's death Theth-i called a council of those commanders and councilors who had accompanied the departed Queen Rona I on her long-planned raid. Some counseled Theth-i to call off the expedition and return home so that she could establish her right to rule before news got back to Hammerfell and some upstart cousin or vassal decided to declare themself the rightful king. Others encouraged her to stay the course and return to Rihad draped in gold and glory, the queen who bested the grandest city in Tamriel. It was these latter counselors Theth-i listened to and in Hearthfire, 546, the Rihadi fleet entered Lake Rumare.   White-Gold Tower, the tallest structure in all Tamriel, fell to her forces the following year. The treasures of thousands of years of emperors were carted off and Theth-i's name became infamous throughout Cyrodiil.   But the raiding of the Rumare Coast could not last for long. The Colovian Estates at last gathered a force of size equal to Theth-i's in the latter part of 547 2E and word soon reached her that the duchess of Sutch was making war upon Rihad back west. Hulls filled with gold and silver, the Rihadi fleet sailed back down the Nibenay.   Upon her return Theth-i was hailed as the conqueror of the White-Gold Tower and warriors throughout Hammerfell flocked to serve under her.    These new recruits were soon tested in battle, as Theth-i repelled the Sutchian invasion. At Hare's Cross the queen's forces, their swords enchanted with fire, delivered a crushing blow to the army of Sutch.   It was to be the only battle of the short war. The duchess quickly realized her mistake as one by one her holdings fell to Queen Theth-i and sued for peace the next year.     Th celebrations that followed gave the queen a chance to flaunt the many riches she had taken from the Imperial City and to introduce her son and heir, Gancolm, to the realm.  But for Queen Theth-i such celebrations would be increasingly rare, as her rule saw almost constant conflict. In 551 2E, at the request of her uncle Rinina of Djenne, Theth-i declared war on the Kingdom of Lankara for Rinina's claim on Belkarth. Although roughly the same size as Rihad, Lankara was located mostly in the dry Alik'r Desert and rocky Western Reach. The large farms of the Brena River region and the Helkori Plains in Rihad were far richer and provided more men for the Rihad army.   Said army quickly went about besieging the Lankaran capital of Jandal, located just north of Rihad across the Chase River.   News of the cities quick fall was overshadowed by the death of young Prince Gancolm from several dozen poisonous snake bites while recovering from a recent illness.   Queen Theth-i left the front for a month to bury and mourn her son, but soon returned. Once victory was grasped she marched her army east towards the border with Skyrim and Cyrodiil. Her husband had long held claim to Elinhir and in 555 2E she sought to place her husband upon the ducal throne and have him swear allegiance to her.    The war was brief. Theth-i's veteran forces scored an early victory over the ducal levies and Kalorter was the ruler of Elinhir in less than a year's time.  Word was spreading throughout Tamriel of the Queen of the Helkori Plains and the raider of the Imperial City. One man especially, Grandmaster Demetrius of the Dragonguard, began to take note of Theth-i Azethal.
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Jul 14, 2017 19:45
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Are the Blades gonna recruit Theth-i? Late Dragonborn reveal?
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Jul 15, 2017 01:52
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