Wiki Category: Events 268/2019

With the tensions between Clans Grimward, Stormjarl, and former Clan Squallborn dying down, there was little else to do but breathe and recover from a year’s worth of stress and work. With no battle to fight, no war nearby, no mordok or bandits to kill, or puzzles in need of solving those gathered at the settlement, many decided to relax and share a drink around the fire.

While drinking went on, some decided to heal the wounded, repairing their heavily damaged bodies to the best of their ability. Some others labored around the camp, improving it in some way shape or form to keep away the cold of the winter that was approaching or because being still not in their nature. Some plotted towards the future, and some told stories of the past. 

 

However that time was spent, it was spent in good company around a warm fire reflecting on the past, and looking towards the future.

The Clans met upon the approved grounds of the Attenjav, along with many that came to support Clan Stormjarl and Pack Squallborn while some others came to support the challenging packs that sought their independence. With the forces gathered, armed for whatever challenge that may lay ahead, the challenges of the Packs were laid out before them. Tests of martial might, endurance, divine power, and accuracy were laid at the feet of Pack Squallborn and those backing them, each a mighty task in their own right.

Trial after trial the rebelling packs attempted to win, each with almost a fanatic drive to succeed. However, throughout the day the might of Pack Squallborn’s supporters held true, winning the pack multiple victories with their valor and physical prowess. They even succeeded in winning against the ancient and lethal Wolf’s Maw challenge, a death match between two champions. But at the end of the day, two packs won their independence from Pack Squallborn and left to join Clans Whiteoak and Steinjottun 

Those backing Clan Squallborn claimed the day a victory, even though they did not win all the challenges. With the day finally at an end, the packs that had lost at their respective challenges bared their throats to Pack Squallborn and to Clan Stormjarl, and with the setting sun Clan Squallborn became a part of history.

SATURDAY
Revisiting the Treaty (Pre-Event Story Summary)

Warriors of Clan Stormjarl raided the Grimward coast last fall in an attempt to fight back against Clan Grimward after their continued public stance that the civil war is not over for them. With Clan Grimward recently entering into the Iron-Ward Alliance with Clan Ironmound, it seems like some of the Clans are poised to escalate into full scale conflict.

With an uneasy peace among the rest of the Ulven clans continuing on into the beginning of the fall, a loud message has been made public by Greytir Stormjarl, Clanleader of Clan Stormjarl. The Clanleader has proclaimed that they wish to enter into discussions with both Clan Grimward and Clan Nightriver and revisit the “Treaty” that was put into place at the end of the civil war. They have voiced for several years now that the Treaty was unjust and deeply wounded them but wants to give diplomacy a chance. Clan Grimward has countered saying that they agreed to this treaty and paid their fair reparations which was what the combined efforts of Clan Nightriver and the City-State of Newhope asked them to do. They see Clan Stormjarl’s aggression as unwarranted and pushing to continue an ended civil war.

Branthur Nightriver, Clanleader of Clan Nightriver, has agreed to send an ambassador to meet with delegates of both Clan Grimward and Clan Stormjarl to discuss the treaty and to see if there is a diplomatic resolution to this friction. A neutral ground location has been selected just across the Yurnai River in an area known as Haygreth’s Scar, a no-man’s-land territory on the border between Clan Grimward and Clan Stormjarl. An open invitation has been made to all for a chance for adventurers, travelers, and faction representatives to come and be involved in the discussions.

Can diplomacy mend wounded honor? Can those in attendance speak words to the hearts of these rivaling Clans in order to stop further conflict? The impact of this meeting to discuss the treaty, the stances and actions taken by those parties involved, and how some of the Clans move forward will be critical in laying the foundation for what these “tensions” look like into the rest of the year.

SATURDAY AFTER EVENT SUMMARY
As delegations from both sides of this conflict met upon the chosen location in Haygreth’s Scar, many were unnerved to see warpacks of both Clans positioned nearby to respond should violence erupt. For many people across the continent, the civil war had been over for several years. For these two Clans, it was something they were willing to fight over.

Mimicking a strategy used by Haygreth Grimward 4 years ago at the Armistice Meeting, the Clanleader himself surprised all in attendance by being present to push negotiations forward. Negotiations between Clan Stormjarl and Clan Grimward looked pretty bleak for most of the day as both sides refused to give in or back down. It wasn’t until the representatives from Clan Nightriver stepped in and were willing to give back Grimward Honor-Bound to get the Stormjarl Thralls returned. An agreement was made and hostilities ended… but just barely. All of the Stormjarl Thralls will be returned to their clan and all of the Grimward Honorbound will be returned from Nightriver. Everyone had to pay a bit of a cost to compromise; Nightriver had to give up the honorbound, Grimward had to give up a bit more in thralls than they received in honorbound (but the numbers were close), and Stormjarl had to relent on their lost territory. With the Treaty amended to make this happen, Clan Stormjarl finally agreed to sign. All three large clans involved walked away with their honor intact and a cease to hostilities.

 

An interesting twist that took place during these negotiations was that Calder Whitecap, Warleader of Clan Squallborn, attended and talked to some of the major groups in attendance. His goal was to look towards the future of his Clan and what options were available to him. After several vocal, and public, outbursts between him and Haygreth Grimward, Calder was seen speaking to the Clan Stormjarl representative and making an agreement with them. He decided that despite their differences and the conflict of the past, he intends to form an agreement/alliance with Clan Stormjarl, working with them on the future of their clan, bypassing the offers made to them by Clan Nightriver, Clan Grimward, and some colonial forces. How the rest of his proud people will respond to “siding with the enemy” will act will be crucial to the future of Clan Squallborn.

 

SUNDAY
Iron and Honor (Pre-Event Story Summary)

Clan Ironmound has long been an economic and bartering powerhouse among the Ulven people. Quality metals, weapons, and armor made by their smiths have been used all over the continent for many generations. Their recent stance to enter into an alliance with Clan Grimward came as a shock to many; including some of their own people. A growing friction among their people has become noticeable as some have voiced their concern at how this alliance looks to the rest of the Clans. For the most part, the people of Clan Ironmound are content with this new forged alliance and how it will bring stability to their Clan… along with great business opportunities.

However, Clan Ironmound’s association with Clan Grimward has made them a target for wounded honor and vengeful family members and pack mates. Although the civil war is over and most of the continent is content with peace, there are those that do not agree with the big picture. Raiders have collected in numbers and begin to target small opportunities as they are presented. Their backgrounds vary; dissenters from Clan Ironmound willing to take action against this alliance, Watchwolf of Sol warriors from Clan Nightriver territory who seek to avenge their conquered kin to the west, or various warriors looking to pay for perceived wounded honor with blood. Denounced by the Iron-Ward Alliance as “unlawful and dishonorable bandits” and condoned by those who feel that honor and the Greatwolf’s judgement is at stake, these small scale skirmishes represent a growing wedge in the Ulven people.

There appears to be more visible “lines in the sand” being drawn in various large and small groups within the Clans and the Clanless. Word has spread that a shipment of goods being sent through the Great Wolf’s Hackles heading south will be targeted by these raiders. It seems like a confrontation is inevitable.

Will the actions of those involved and the outcome of the Treaty meeting make an impact one way or another in which side of this conflict is supported? Will unaffiliated forces step in and choose a side or stay out of these conflicts lest they be judged by their decision? Will those that have chosen a stance in post-civil war Mardrun take action or merely sit idly by? Although these raids are small scale conflicts, the ramifications for being involved on either side of the “line in the sand” could be profound.

SUNDAY AFTER EVENT SUMMARY
After a rather public and vocal opposition to the Iron-Ward Alliance, the caravan scheduled to pass through the Great Wolf’s Hackles continued on as scheduled. More and more guards were drawn to the defense of the caravan and the control of the surrounding areas. Without any fanfare or public declarations, the Raiders in the pass hit pushed in to try to tackle control of the area and make picking apart the caravan defenses easier. However, the Iron-Ward guards were ready and sent equal forces of warriors out to oppose them. Fighting broke out immediately.

With the Iron-Ward Alliance guards gaining the upper hand early on, especially with the support of some members of various factions, attrition caught up to them. By the afternoon, the lead was lost and both sides pushed heavily to contest the area. Ulven warriors tore into each other. By the end, the Raiders pulled off a victory over the Iron-Ward guards; the strategic path around the caravans defenders was under Raider control and the caravan itself was raided. Supplies and various goods were stolen, causing a rather harsh economic cost to Clan Ironmound.

However, the staggering deaths and brutality of the fighting would really consider this a pyrrhic victory. Although the caravan was overrun, the Iron-Ward Alliance stands firm in their stance to defend itself and its interests and was not willing to give up on the fight and dishonor themselves. They did not give up or retreat and were willing to fight and kill their enemies. The Raiders died and paid a heavy blood price to be able to send their message to the rest of the continent. Personal honor may be avenged for some of them by standing up and fighting for what they believed in, but the cost means that it is unlikely any organized effort like this will rise again anytime soon… if at all.

 

Click here for photos from the event!

Updating soon!

Updating soon!

Updating soon!

Story Event Info

After intense and bloody fighting, the threat of the undead has been cleared from the forest after it was confirmed that this area was attracting all of them to it. Why is still unknown, but hunters have reported seeing no additional hungry ghosts after the combined forces helping the expedition moved to put them down for good. What was discovered at this location was an ancient Syndar device, called a “Pylon”, that had apparently been damaged and had been influencing the mana in the area. Records kept near the Pylon indicated that it was once part of a vast network and that in it’s prime it would have been connected to neighboring pylons. With the undead laid to rest and the odd nature of the mana stream fully researched before the Pylon was destroyed, Arragones’ scholars were able to reference the new notes and logs, as well as some of the magical readings taken in April, and triangulate the location of this “neighbor pylon.” Following on revelations uncovered by the researchers and adventurers during their expedition into the Great Forest, Celestial Arragones’ scholars have located another area of interest.

Upon arrival the scholars were unable to find any traces of the ancient Syndar artifact. Much to their surprise; however, they found a small locked chest that contained another series of notes and ciphers that pointed to another ancient Syndar Cache of some sort. Unfortunately the location indicated stood deep within the western reaches of the Dirge Swamp. Examining the location noted in these texts coincides with the estimated location of the Scholar’s previous divination ritual; whatever is out in the Swamp in that area is connected.

Arragones’ and her scholars have again asked for volunteers to help on this Dirge Swamp Expedition. Duchess Madeline d’Argent has stepped forth and pledged resources to assist this expedition with a full security detail, support wagons, and scouting forces to help navigate this area of the swamp. With the lack of mordok forces, presumably due to heavy losses during the war throughout the winter, this could be a narrow window to get into the swamp, setup camp, and secure more knowledge. However, the remote location of this forward camp being setup means that should the Expedition run into danger, their will be no reinforcements coming to aid them… they are on their own.

Event Summary

Upon arrival the first day the scholar and her team informed th expedition that the cache found in the swamp required a reclament scholar to open. It was made known that a reclament had sent word to Celestial Aragones as Rialvis. It was said he would make contact and produce the reclament tool as proof of his claim. Many of the assembled group had headed out to the cache location to inspect it and the surrounding area. It was at this time the the Red Eyed Syndar made himself known to the group and introduced himself as Rialvis the reclament scholar. He was promised safety and brought back to the camp to discuss his terms for aid.

While in the camp it was made known that he knew what was in the cache and that he requested a small piece of the contents for himself with no questions being asked to know what it is. This was agreed upon by the scholar. Rialvis the red eyes spent time talking to the camp members and offering to trade knowledge if they had something of value. He had offered one question for free and another the Celestial’s scholar traded her magic for. As night fell a group was gathered and included the red eyed syndar. They got to the cache and were able to open it and the red eyes retrieved his portion. Before much else could be done a blood curdling scream was heard that caused even the mordok to show fear. The mordok and the red eyes fled and the party made a hasty retreat back to the outpost with the cache. Once opened and examined it turned out the cache, known as the luna cache, had only a few notes, a key, and talked of a final research cache. This second cache, referred to as the sol cache, must be found before sundown the next day or its contents would be permanently destroyed. It was determined more important to get camp defenses set up and deal with the rest of the cache the next morning.

At the break of day the camp came together to fully examine the Luna cache. It contained a puzzle key as well as notes speaking on a number of three more keys needed to unlock the sol cache. The luna cache also contained the location of the first key which was contained in a research teams private cache. A party was assembled and found the first cache which lead to the second which in turn lead to the third. After all three were found all of their notes were assembled and the location for the sol cache was determined. A party was assembled and went out in search of the cache but they were beset upon by mordok. The party searched for what must have seemed hours but to no avail. The party returned to the camp with barely enough time to pack up and reach the boat.

 

From the libraries of the illustrious Celestial Arragones,

Her Grace, Celestial Arragones as well as ourselves, her illustrious scholars, were quite saddened to hear of the loss of the second cache that was mentioned in the notes of the Luna cache. That being said we were all fortunate enough that the Reclament scholar was knowledgeable in many of the areas in which questions were raised. Rialvis’ notes were sent to us and compiled with some of the information we already possessed.

To the question of the origins of the swamp; it has been reasoned that it was created as an incidental byproduct of the experiments of the ancient Syndar that had come to Mardrun. We know that these experiments and subsequent calamity had much to do with the nature of divinity, however; the information we had gathered lacked specificity towards the exact nature of the aforementioned experiments. More knowledge in this area may be able to be uncovered with further investigation.

Regarding the cause of the Siphoning which has long plagued our people; much has been learned on the nature of mana and this new knowledge has been able to be correlated with the notes sent from the Reclament scholar, Rialvis. Mana has been shown to be able to be destroyed and warped beyond use and recognition. This has been noted to be caused by those casters who have unlocked a practical and working knowledge of both the divine and arcane schools of magic. Known as “Witch Magic,” this ability seems to be antithetical to the continued stability of the mana stream.

To the question of what exists north of the Dirge Swamp in the area known as The Outlands; the Reclament Scholar has reported that he has been north of the Dirge and has witnessed what is contained in the strange northern lands. He wrote of a lost colony of Syndar that have had a calamity worse than that of the worst punishments doled out by and to our people. A second group that was mentioned in his notes was that of an Ulven clan which he referred to with a previously unknown name of Clan Stonetooth. Lastly he made mention of a city of the Mordok which he referred to as Amor’dacca. He says that this city only for the “chosen Mordok” and that they are “called north.”

The information gained on this expedition was an astounding triumph however it is greatly unfortunate to think that some of this information may have been expanded on further if only the notes of the Sol cache had been uncovered.

Compiled by the scholars of the esteemed Celestial Arragones.

Story Event Info

 

Worried about overstaying their “welcome” in Clan Grimward territory, the expeditionary forces made haste to leave and returned to the City-State of Newhope.

 

After the successful completion of the first expedition into Watchwolf territory, Celestial Arragones’ scholars have deciphered some of the texts and, as promised, the information was made public. Within those texts show proof that Syndar had indeed visited Mardrun in the past and seem to have had some sort of hand in the shaping of the Ulven as they are today. The public outrage of these texts being denounced in February has seem to have grown in volume as more and more Ulven find these “truths” and “evidence” hard to believe. While some answers are found, more questions remain. One aspect that has been unsettling is the sudden and coordinated appearance of Ulven that claimed allegiance to the Lorespeakers and their cause, refusing to back down even when up against suicidal odds. Dozens of Ulven lay dead after repeated attempts to stop the Research Team and their allies failed. What the Lorespeaker’s true agenda in this is still unknown.

 

Now, the Celestial’s scholars have pointed at the second area of note which is deep within the Great Forest of Mardrun. Something inside the Great Forest has shown up during the divination rituals of the Scholars of the City-State. The southern region of the Great Forest was host to a bloody campaign as Mordok forces pushed into Clan Riverhead territory several years ago. Wayward villages or remote settlements in the Forest were massacred or pushed away from their homelands. Although the survivors were absorbed into several Clans, existing Riverhead Ulven to this day have been concerned about the dead left behind in their former territory and have been more vocal since others have joined them in this concern due to the end of the battles of the War in the Dirge.

 

The concern to properly put to rest the fallen Ulven combined with increasing reports of walking corpses and hungry ghosts in the forest also combined with the strange magics being detected with the Great Forest have many speculating that something abnormal is going on this side of the border to the Dirge Swamp.

 

Event Summary

 

The Celestial’s team and a number of allies went into the Great Forest to uncover the meaning behind the anomalous readings of the area. Armed with the notes and locations found out from the divination ritual and a rediscovered tool for reading into the mana stream the Celestial’s scholars began their research.

 

It was a difficult start to the expedition with the threat of the undead looming. Luckily the many allies had come along to help deterring or destroying the restless dead. The scholar’s team was able to take readings of the mana flow in the area from a number of points of interest. During the day some sort of device had been discovered and reported to the scholar. A team was assembled and sent to investigate the object. It was determined that this device was left here by the ancient Syndar and was designed to draw in some form of mana but it had broken at some point in history and was reaching a catastrophic state. It was decided on by the investigating team that it must be destroyed before it caused a bigger problem. It was also discovered that a corruption idol had been set up in the area by some of the Mordok and a team was organized to dispatch this threat as well.

 

In the end the research mission was a resounding success for all of those involved. Celestial Arragones has promised the quick dissemination of the information brought back by her scholars.

 

From the libraries of the illustrious Celestial Arragones,

We would like to start this proclamation with giving many thanks and our appreciation to  those who gave their time and dedication to uncovering the anomaly within the Great Forest. With everyone’s aid given to helping our scholars and the readings taken by them we have been able to determine that this area of the Great Forest has been flooded by a deformed and broken version of mana. We have not determined what has caused this malformation but it seems that this mana is not naturally drawn into the mana stream. The Syndar device found in the forest that seems to be referred to as a Pylon appears to have been created to collect this broken down mana and store it for some purpose. We have run some smaller tests and determined that this malformed and broken mana does seem to exist in many areas of Mardrun. This is concerning to us as whatever may be causing this deformation most likely is adding to the Siphoning that has been plaguing us all for quite some time.   

 

Compiled by the scholars of the esteemed Celestial Arragones.

Story Event Info

After last month’s political assembly, all of Mardrun is abuzz with rumors as to what is going on. Could the revelation of Celestial Arragones, that Syndar had visited Mardrun long ago, be true? While some draw correlation between events such as a common knowledge and existing similar symbolisms, a cry of outrage has erupted by some of the Ulven people. Not only has their recent history been shattered by the arrival of the colonists and the proof of the Lorespeaker Conspiracy, this new revelation again questions the history of the Ulven people. Several loud voices have begun to question these theories and have called for others to denounce them.

However, what is true is the existence of some undeniable evidence and places that have been noted as holding some sort of importance. Research of ancient Ulven texts point towards a “cache” of importance in the western Watchwolf territory. A Research Expedition is being put together to travel to the area detailed by Celestial Arragones and her scholars. A hawk has been sent to a local Chieftain to try to see if they will cooperate and they have agreed; this cache is actually something their people have kept hidden for a very long time, but they have not been able to possess the ability to open it.

The Watchwolves seem intent on helping in any way that they can. Considering the guarding of this cache a part of the former Clan’s sacred duties to the Ulven people, they feel that they must help in discovering what it could mean. They have replied via hawk to the Celestial’s scholars that they know the location of this cache and that it is cryptic, difficult to understand, and has several security functions that suggest tampering with it is dangerous. Rumor has it that not every Watchwolf is viewing the hosting of this expedition favorably; it seems that some of them have mixed feelings on how the Ulven Civil War turned out.

Unfortunately, the previous territories of the Watchwolves of Luna were conquered by Clan Grimward during the Ulven Civil War. Exploring this location of note would mean walking straight into Clan Grimward territory. The Watchwolf Chieftain who has pledged to help is attempting to stall local Clan Grimward concerns about colonists in their lands and have given “guest rights” to the Research Expedition. While this may keep most of Clan Grimward’s forces at bay, it is only a matter of time before the Watchwolves can no longer hold back ambitious Grimward Chieftains who may wish to confront the Expedition or get involved in what is going on in the Clan’s territories.

It is a race against time to discover the answers that could gain access to the cache.

After Event Summary

The beginning of the day was tense as the two sides of the Watchwolves interacted with the colonists. Few words were shared, but many actions were taken as the group of adventurers helped the Truthseeker as well as the Researcher from Celestial Arragones.  Many came lightly equipped, expecting the expedition to help open this Lorespeaker cache to not carry many martial threats, but rather came with the power of knowledge and magic to help discover what truths have been hidden for countless years. Rituals were completed in time to divine the location of the long lost keys, rituals that seemed only to speak themselves to the most powerful of the Syndar ritualists. The tablet that had lain dormant in the protection of the Watchwolves for generations, came alive in the presence of the Syndar.

In the outing to locate the first of the three missing keys, the land proved itself to be more hazardous than anticipated. Icy water stood in many areas of the landscape, sitting above the ankle at it’s shallow points, and well up to the waist as it grew deeper.  Many bodies were soaked with the land’s icy chill and all could feel it penetrate deep to their bones. However, they persevered and headed towards the first divined area of where one of the keys  was hidden.  It was then that they were set upon by Lorespeakers and those sworn or indebted to them. Words were had, but it eventually came to combat as the Lorespeaker agents descended upon the group. While there were no major injuries other than some dented armor and some light wounds, it was now clear that the expedition became more dangerous than anticipated.

When the location of the second key was divined, the adventurers took to the trails with a more martial mindset. The Lorespeaker agents again struck out with ferocity and determination. Through the pointed efforts of the adventurers and researchers, the key was located and the antagonizing forces were held back long enough to allow everyone to escape, though they did so along the shortest path available to them,  through thigh high icy cold water.

The third outing was one of frustration for both the researchers and those protecting them from the Lorespeaker forces. However, time, grit, and patience prevailed, and the third piece of the puzzle was finally discovered and then quickly returned to the encampment so that it could be examined and worked into the puzzle so that the cache could be opened. Through the combined efforts of the Ulven and Syndar people, with a degree of aid from their Human counterparts, portions of the puzzle were translated and the meanings of the riddles that obscured the placement and orientation of the keys were uncovered. Together in a ritual, a Syndar and two Ulven worked in tandem to unlock the tablet.

The Truthseeker thanked the adventurers for their help and announced that he would be returning to his village immediately to be sure that the tablet was kept safe. Several people volunteered to escort him home for both his and the tablet’s safety. As they made their preparations to exit the camp a call came from the edge of the outpost.  Several agents of the Lorespeaker forces pressed through the deep water descended upon the encampment and began to attack in earnest in hopes of stopping those who wished to dig up a past they thought best left buried. The Researcher and Truthseeker were able to escape unharmed with the puzzle and get to the location of the cache.  While the rest of the encampment fought hard to kill the Lorespeakers that rushed them. There were some more wounds taken, but no one heard the call of the afterlife just yet, the day was won.

As for the cache itself, the Researcher was rather shocked, for after some quick glances and very cursory research, came to the realization that this cache was Syndar in origin rather than Ulven as previously thought. Within were some very delicate and ancient scrolls and notes left by whatever Syndar came to this land, and within these notes were some odd mentions of their activities, though they were often vague on details, they offered much insight into their motives..

Most of the notes seemed to be detailing various readings of arcane energies, but one set of pages seemed to be the most prominent. Though the scroll was in rough shape from it’s years spent in the cache, Arragones’ researchers were able to clean and translate most of the text.:

Siala Kai nu, Children of Solar and Lunara, to the land we have named Mardrun.

On this small and distant land, you will find much that will bring you curiosity the same as we have. We have le_________    ____ these brief notes on ____ _____ _ ______ ____ and our reasons for doing so. It is our sincerest hope that our notes here will help you to find your bearings on what must look to you to be a savage and untamed land. Once you are properly oriented we hope to see you. Recent breakthroughs in our research have caused us to call all of our people to our Northern _______ _______, near to what we have come to call The  ___xus. I could not start to explain my excitement to share the fruits of our labors with you, brothers and sisters. That time, however has not yet come. Take our words and see us soon.

When we first arrived on this land we were unsure what we would encounter. We did not assume that there would be other sentient beings here, but on that note we were quickly proven wrong. The native peoples of these lands, whom we found refer to themselves as the Ulven, are entirely different from us. And we have found them as a people fascinating in multiple aspects. 

First most is their noted ability to channel both Arcane and Divine energies. Our people have made attempts to research how they do this, but through questions and observations we have not been able to determine how it is that they accomplish this feat. It seems as though these people don’t see a difference in the schools of magic. All magic is simply magic to them. This is fascinating, if not frustrating.

Secondly their physiology, it seems to have adapted to become extremely resilient to the venomous fauna and many poisonous flora on this land, so if they do become stricken with aliment, it is either shortened or the effects seem to take longer to begin their cycle. After some _____ on _____ we have discovered that the liver secretes ________ ______ than our Syndar kind. Which allows for ______ ____ of the foreign____. Also the blood seems to be ____ ___ _______ ___  than what we anticipated, which may explain it’s ability to endure venom.  They are a hardy people through and through and what they lack in civilization and proper culture, they make up for with strength of both body and will.

As a society it seems that they are very similar to our lesser Feral kin, tribal and primitive in their actions and structure. They have yet to _____ ______ ___  _____ with magic but have the potential to do so. They seem to follow a high priestess, or some sort of a female shaman, that is then followed by a chieftain. Together these two help guide their tribe through the wilds and survive. They seemed to have structured themselves in to “clans” and smaller groups within which they call “packs.”  It seems to be a society of the strongest leads their “clan” and makes decisions for that clan. Some clans have been noted to have a new Clan Leader every fortnight. Overall this seems to be a culture where the one who is most powerful has the right to lead their people. Physical strength determines the rightful chieftain and spiritual strength determines the most rightful priestess.

As for their religion we have found that the belief of the Ulven people is quite malleable. Gods are not set in stone and it seems that stories and words can easily shape and define their religions. The pack that you are no doubt surrounded by now has taken a strong liking to our gods, Solar and Lunara. It was through sharing our gods with them we were able to bridge the culture gap between our people and settle into a friendly relationship. That is not to say that the Ulven did not have their own divinity when we arrived. We have found that they have belief in _ _____ who ______ the important aspects of life and death. Life, Death, and ______. We have found this fascinating, their beliefs…their malleability, it has great potential for helping in our desires to help the Syndar.  We can expand more on this at our northern research station. Things have quickly grown incredibly interesting.

As you may know: Our Reason for being here is a simple desire, with complex questions and even more complex potential answers. Simply put; we are seeking to end the Syphoning. We discovered this land through an oddity in a divination ritual while on Faedrun. A ritual was developed by a team of Reclaimant Scholars to pin-point areas where the Siphoning seemed to be strongest. Upon completion this ritual did not point to any known lands or areas of Faedrun, instead it continually pointed far out into the seas off the eastern coasts. Given that there was no known land to the east in the ocean, the majority of scholars assumed that there must have been a mistake somewhere in the ritual itself. This one, along with my research team believed that there was a reason we were being aimed this direction. Though we were ridiculed for our choice we prepared our supplies and chartered passage eastward. Our colleagues maligned our efforts and hardly anyone came to the docks to see us off.. We sailed eastward and landed on a beach near this spot and found this land to be untouched by our people and our gods. The Ulven that we met did not have a name for this land, seeming confused by the question itself. We named this land Mardrun, or in trade speech: The Untouched Land.

After we had settled and made friends with the Ulven race we set into our research of the siphoning. It seemed as though ___ _____ _____ _____ was a major factor in leading to the siphoning itself. We explained this to our new Ulven friends and through their help developed a sort of pylon that was capable of reclaiming the mana that was being lost to the Siphoning. We found that one pylon would not be enough and instead we would have to build a network of these pylons, all linked, all looking to draw in this lost mana so that we could find a way of returning it to the mana stream. We as a way to test our hypothesis we set up a network in the north-central area of the continent. The southern most pylon was placed near a massive freshwater lake in a forest of large trees. The northern most pylon was placed nearly at the north most point of the continent, when you arrive at our station we will happily show you how it functions. We are ecstatic to say that our pylons seem to be functioning almost exactly as we had intended. We have reclaimed lost mana and we have sent it to the ___xus. This breakthrough has lead to a new  thoughts and new ideas, all of which more grand than the last, and all so very well within our reach. This is why we have recalled all of our scholars to our Northern ______ ______. This one simply cannot wait to share the fruits of our continued research with you and hopes that this small taste has stoked your curiosity.

This one does apologize for the lack of thorough explanation, however we can only fit so much in this cache and the glorious extent of our progress really must be seen to be properly understood. So much has happened in such a short period of time. Take time to orient yourself on Mardrun, but then please come north, and we will reveal so much more to you on our plans and efforts to elevate our people.

May Solar and Lunara bless you and your travels north,

In their pen and hand,

Celestial Galwashar, High Arcanus, Prime Scholar of Mardrun, Bringer of Divinity, Ulven Friend

Story Info

A deep winter cold has settled into Mardrun, bringing an end to a brutal campaign to the north. Multiple ulven clans were involved in the first ever Dirge Swamp War and after heavy fighting and a coordinated retreat those forces have either returned home or have been stationed at the outposts in the Shield of Mardrun. It is estimated that almost two thousand ulven died in the war but an even greater number of mordok were slain. At this time, the mordok army in the Dirge have not pushed to the Shield of Mardrun and seemed to have simply faded back into the swamp.

Far to the south, the City-State of Newhope is going to be hosting an assembly styled political gathering and dinner. The City-State Council is already starting to plan what they will be doing and what they will be involved in for the upcoming year. Representatives, nobles, and people of note are being invited to this assembly. A gathering like this is a step above a public assembly, similar to what you would see in smaller villages, and a step below a swanky and exclusive political affair. Colonial and Clan representatives will be in attendance to talk to visitors and discuss all sorts of important topics and work towards their agendas. Those planning to attend would be wise to pay attention to customs, manner of dress, and avoid any social faux pas while interacting with others.

Their are two major topics rumored to be talked about at this gathering. The first being that a diplomat from Clan Grimward will be in attendance to talk about life on Mardrun after the Dirge Swamp War. The second being that a representative from Duchess Arragones will be in attendance to discuss a major breakthrough in magical research. Many believe this was due to the breakthroughs and focus last year on different magical projects and the successful evacuation of the scholars of Serai.

After a year of mobilization to war and a harrowing series of battles in the Dirge Swamp, the people of Mardrun look forward to seeing what agendas are on the minds of the different groups. Although seen as boring or stuffy to some of the more adventurous type, these assemblies can be critically important to digging for information, making yourself or your factions known to important parties, or learning what different groups are looking into.

After Event Summary

During the dinner, time was opened up for those in attendance to speak on news of the lands.  Celestial Arragones herself spoke of some new information that had been learned of Mardrun’s history. She says that her researchers are confident that the Syndar have visited Mardrun long ago in the past and that the Dirge Swamp is some sort of unnatural phenomenon. What does this mean other than open up more questions than answer existing ones? The Council member is pushing for expeditions in the near future to seek out some “areas of note” that they have become aware of, possibly to hunt down more answers.

Khulgar Graytide announced that Clans Grimward and Ironmound were coming together to form an alliance for prosperity and defense of each other, aptly named the Ironward Alliance. Ideas for the future of the Shield were put forward but no hard decisions were made. Tensions between Clan Grimward and Clan Stormjarl representatives came to a head, but representatives for both sides seemed intent on pushing for their views to be heard and acknowledged. Whether this boils over into (more) open conflict remains to be seen.

The rest of the dinner went without a hitch as those in attendance ate and shared stories and ideas for the future.