Today is the first day of Spring and VER is sending out Her green shoots but HIEMS remains reluctant to release His icy grip, especially from the North.
The Proclamation of Kyarlin takes effect today, restoring the boundaries of the Valdrean Empire to the Demarcation of SARAN. The new Provinces and Military Areas of 2501 become self-governing, but are granted the special status of Protectorates provided that they retain certain basic laws; such as the Duelling system (which may be open to non-Valdreans and non-Nobles but must still be open to Valdrean Nobles), the outlawing of Evil and Chaos and the ban on Demon Summoning; but not including the Teleport ban or the licensing of Elementalism. In return the new Protectorates are granted free trade with the Empire and mutual defence treaties. Hazki Province is restored to its former name of Border Province. To celebrate the last day of Winter and of the extended boundaries of the Empire, yesterday the Valdrean Emperor Kyarlin I led a big hunt in the Imperial Hunting Forest, which culminated with a storytelling round the camp fire by the Empire's High Elvish allies.
The Badlander Clans have begun their Clanmeet at Horning Crags, and are holding a contest for a Warlord. The Valdrean Army have reinforced the new border at Kanaya in Gap Province and remain at North Camp in the new North-Western Gap Protectorate at the notional invitation of the Valdrean Protector. But the rumours are that the Badlander Warlord, rather than invading Valdrea, will make a legitimate Duelling Challenge for the NW Gap Protectorship. This may be a tougher challenge than it might appear, as it is currently held by Tarrimar, 3rd Champion of Normeikl.
Elsewhere, some of the stronger Valdrean Nobles quietly challenged for and took the other Protectorships in their last days as part of the Empire.
Morro McOmechar has triumphed in the contest at Horning Crags and been acclaimed as Warlord of the Badlanders. He has flown off on hippogriff-back with a smallish honour guard of Children of AMON to North Camp in the North-Western Gap Protectorate to challenge the incumbent Protector, Tarrimar, 3rd Champion of Normeikl, to a Duel. Meanwhile, Tarrimar has called on the Imperial Valdrean Army under the new mutual defence treaty to move its existing forces in the Protectorate up to the border for a face off with the massed Badlander Clans who are now heading SE through the Gap after their Warlord.
The Gnomes, KOROS adventurers and Werebears have ventured out of the New Hidden Grove and Zill to reclaim the Gaprillîki from the Cold Ghosts, which so far have not been found in anything like the numbers encountered in the depths of Winter. The Hill Dwarves are, however, conspicuous by their absence. King Dorin has withdrawn all his loyal fighters to Taramkhazâd-Dûm, Barrakizdîn and Tumunzahar in anticipation (or fear), it is said, of an attack by his exiled brother the former King Borin. Thráin, King of All the Dwarves has also sent Mountain Dwarf forces to the Hill Dwarf cities in support of his vassal Dorin, which has not gone down well with some amongst the Hill Dwarves.
Adventurers defending the Kingdom of the North against Goblin raiders have been hunting down and killing Goblin warbands and camps in the Northern Wastelands. The FIDAR and SHELDA adventurers have mostly left the North in protest, but the ESCUS worshippers have pursued the Goblins with their usual zeal. Stories have been emerging from these expeditions of Wolf and Werewolf Ghosts fighting with some Goblins and of other Goblins claiming to worship the "Great Wolf ESCUS" and to oppose the warbands using Undead. The latter have confused some ESCUS worshippers following the time-honoured "convert or die" policy.
Morro McOmechar, Warlord of the Badlanders, has defeated and killed Tarrimar, 3rd Champion of Normeikl, in a controversial Duel for the North-Western Gap Protectorate. Witnesses claim McOmechar filled the Arena with an illusory (or possibly real) forest and then summoned swarms of ravens to attack Tarrimar, whilst attacking him thievishly with his two axes wielded ambidextrously from behind the trees. Valdrean experts claim the summoning of ravens from outside the Arena broke the Standard Duelling Rules and McOmechar therefore forfeited the Duel. But with Tarrimar dead and his Second, the Deputy Governor, fled rather than contesting the issue, McOmechar is in de facto control at North Camp. Immediately on defeating Tarrimar he legalised Evil, Chaos and Demon Summoning and ordered all Valdrean troops to vacate the Protectorate as the mutual defence treaty no longer applied. War now looks likely in the Protectorate between the Imperial Army troops North of the River Nivran, under the command of Cedric, 2nd Champion of Bavenne, Lord Warden of the Northern Military District, and the massed Badlander Clans moving South from Horning Crags. There has been sporadic fighting in North Camp, but most Valdrean troops and adventurers retreated from it rather than submit to McOmechar's command and his Children of AMON now control the town.
Reports are emerging of fighting in the Taramkhazâd-Valga between Hill Dwarves loyal to King Dorin and their Mountain Dwarf allies against insurgent Hill Dwarves supporting the exiled former King Borin. Most of the attacks have been on small garrisons along the approach roads to Taramkhazâd-Dûm from Barrakizdîn and Tumunzahar and the insurgents are said to have been using the Creeping Death (formerly deployed against orcs in the War in the Dungeons) on their fellow Dwarves. Dorin claims to have driven off the rebel attacks, but with the high passes mostly still snowbound and Teleports often Blocked it is difficult to know the truth of this. There are unconfirmed rumours circulating in the cities of whole towns and their garrisons having gone over to Borin and attacked King Thráin's Mountain Dwarves.
Meanwhile in the Gaprillîki, the Gnomes, KOROS adventurers and Werebears have reoccupied the deserted village of Mind without encountering any great number of Cold Ghosts and have sent scouts ahead to Kro on the edge of the Forest. The High Elves of the Aldalië (who have been pursuing their own Mysteries in the Forest itself) say that the main Army of Ghosts is busy fighting Giant Spiders on the far side of the Forest near the Golden Lake, but significant numbers remain elsewhere in the Forest, where the snows still lie deep.
In the War Zone of Hulmo a new, semi-fluid frontline has become established between the sieges of Fort Invincible and The Spire. There is a double encirclement to the North of Fort Invincible, whilst the supply tunnels through the mountains remain open to the East of The Spire. In between stretches the Zur Salient, where a series of largely inconclusive battles have been fought between Orcish and Hulmo armies, with entrenched defenders mostly holding out against wasteful frontal assaults.
In the Land of Harrig the Army of the Most Hateful Inquisition of HAERIM claims that its Red Scorpion riders have defeated an Imperial Orcish Army in the Blasted Lands. The Empire denies this, or dismisses such skirmishes as unimportant diversions, but continues to recruit mercenaries for the War of the Blasted Lands in the Place of Mercenaries in Ashazôrg.
A battle has been fought on the River Nivran in the North-Western Gap Protectorate between the Valdrean Imperial Army, under the command of Cedric, 2nd Champion of Bavenne, Lord Warden of the Northern Military District, defending the river line, and the massed Badlander Clans heading South from Horning Crags, under the command of Morro McOmechar, Warlord of the Badlanders and Lord Protecor of the Gap. The Valdreans have been driven back from the river line, but the official line in Valdran is that they have inflicted heavy casualties on the reckless and ill-disciplined Badlanders, and are falling back in good order in a strategic withdrawal. In North Camp, however, McOmechar has claimed a great victory.
There are unconfirmed reports of fighting in the tunnels below Taramkhazâd-Dûm. The Rumourmongers are telling stories of a raid by Borin's supporters using the Creeping Death.
The Valdrean Army are falling back upon and reinforcing a defensive line around the border of the former North-Western Gap Protectorate, along the Dyke from Kanaya and through the woods along the boundary with the Caldrick Moor Protectorate to the crags of Raven's Edge (where they are said to have opened a Teleportal). Meanwhile the Badlander Clans have dispersed into large raiding parties, many of which have disappeared into the woods.
The Gnomes, KOROS adventurers, Werebears and Aldalië are venturing into the North East Forest to clear Cold Ghosts, reclaim deserted forest settlements, dispel areas of Madness and establish new Stone Circles. Some parties are seeking to contact surviving Wolf Cultists, with limited success.
There are reports of a resurgence of attacks by the Rat Cult in Greenwoods Province, following the supposed take-out of their stronghold on 18 XIV 2504. It is suspected that there is a connection with infiltrating parties of Badlanders - most likely Clan Tessid.
Acting on information from an expedition into the Great Swamp led by Mildor of Heaven, Master of the Imperial Games, the Elven defenders of the Elven Roads have ambushed an army of Lizard Men on the Northern fringe of the Great Swamp. The Lizard Men had been attacking Snake Cultists amongst the Swamp Men, but were now threatening to raid out of the Swamp. The Elves have routed and dispersed them and are now hunting down their leaders.
A Grand Convention of Librarians has opened at the Imperial Library in Valdran under the chairmanship of Csiero of Heaven, Imperial Guildmaster of Librarians, Bookbinders and Archivists. It runs to 14 Varech.
Little news emerges from the remote valleys of the Mountains of the Dwarves, but reports from the cities confirm that King of All the Dwarves Thráin and his vassal Hill Dwarf King Dorin are raising troops to deal with the insurgency in the high plateau of the Taramkhazâd-Valga, a large area of which has apparently either declared for or been conquered by the former King Borin. The rebels have been raiding out of this area against the build-up of Thráin and Dorin's troops.
There are also reports of rebellion amongst the Gnomes, whom Thráin has been seeking to press-gang into providing Creeping Death to support his offensive against the rebel Hill Dwarves, to whom they are sympathetic. Some Mountain Dwarves too have been seeking to avoid conscription, objecting either to fighting their fellow Dwarves or to getting involved in a civil war amongst the Hill Dwarves.
King of All the Dwarves Thráin is also having a problem with large numbers of Giant Spiders on his far Northern frontier with the North East Forest, especially near the Gaprillîki. He is having some success deploying those Gnomes and Mountain Dwarves who object to fighting Hill Dwarves in dealing with this threat instead.
The fighting between the Valdreans and Badlanders around the borders of the North-Western Gap Protectorate has become highly mobile, as sizeable forces of Valdrean cavalry seek to engage Badlander raiding parties. The Valdrean line is mostly a light screen of infantry, that falls back and reports the movement of the Badlanders to the nearest cavalry force. There have been a number of cavalry skirmishes, but Cedric of Bavenne has yet to bring Morro McOmechar to battle.
The rival Hill Dwarf Kings Dorin and Borin have fought a battle in the high Taramkhazâd-Valga, when a large raiding force led by Borin fell into a trap laid by Dorin. Treachery is rumoured. Both sides used Creeping Death on each other and Dorin was victorious, claiming Borin was killed and eaten by the Creeping Death. But most accounts say Borin escaped with his life.
The Valdreans and Badlanders are still cautiously skirmishing along the border of the North-Western Gap Protectorate. Neither side seems willing to commit to an invasion.
King of All the Dwarves Thráin and Hill Dwarf King Dorin are re-occupying rebel-held territory, but are said to be suffering guerilla attacks. Rumours persist that Borin lives.
A number of factions are now active in the vastness of the North East Forest. The Cold Ghosts have retreated with the Spring thaw, but are still lurking in the dark places. The Clerics of KOROS and other Faiths are hunting them out, but not venturing too far into the depths of the Forest. The Wolf and Bear Cults have both returned from exile and are re-occupying some of their old villages on the fringes of the Forest. The Aldalië Tree Cult of the High Elves are also active in a number of locations, working their magic with the trees. The Dwarves have been fighting the Giant Spiders near the town of Trell on the far edge of the Kum-Valga.
Caravans crossing the Southern Deserts have reported a big increase in attacks by Giant Scorpions.
A Valdrean adventurer force (which some sources say was led by the Emperor Kyarlin) has taken the Fort in North Camp and proclaimed that the North-Western Gap Protectorate is now under direct military occupation by the Empire until order is re-established. Morro McOmechar and his Badlanders are considered by the Empire to be foreign invaders, who have declared war on the Empire by the incursions of their raiding parties across its borders to link up with the outlaws of the Rat Cult. Meanwhile, McOmechar (who has little use for a capital) is still at large with his raiders near those borders, but has not invaded the Empire in force.
The Valdrean Empire are reinforcing their occupation of North Camp by bringing in troops by Teleportal, as the Badlander main force is said to be returning to take them on.
The Valdrean Army and supporting adventurers have defeated a night raid by Badlanders and Undead on North Camp. Meanwhile in the town of Yarrulo in the Southern Plains Province of the Empire the local militia are being mobilised in response to Lizard Men attacks out of the forest against local farms. Evil Cultists are suspected of being behind this, as part of the continuing pattern of Evil raids by various creatures.
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