The Old Kingdoms and the New: Prologue [OOC]

[Palanan]

This will be the OOC thread for the Prologue phase of the Old Kingdoms campaign, spanning the years 854-877.

Players, please post a link to your character sheet(s) and repost your backstory, governance questions and any other materials, so we’ll have that as a reference here. Once everyone has posted, we can discuss how we’ll approach the Prologue phase.

Please note I’m still developing the setting overall and your provinces in particular, so there will be some time yet before we start. That said, I expect we’ll have plenty to discuss here, so feel free to post any questions or suggestions you have in mind.



𑁍 𑁍 𑁍

Players:



Player
Character
Concept
Cohort
Backstory
Governance
Progress


Athaleon
Korwin Vandermere (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2763846)
wizard
Arnhem Voss (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2764292)
✓
✓
✓✓


Lord Bayushi
Gudfred “Greybear” Lodbrok (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2757525)
human totem skald
Alteara’kel (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2758062)
✓
✓
✓✓


Metastachydium
Varhel Marmor (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2757575)
tengu shaman
Leän Sitera (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2761515)
✓
✓
✓✓


Dark_Archon_
Oddvarr the Broadhead (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2761393)
dwarf soldier/alchemist
-
✓
✓
✓✓



Alternates:



Player
Character
Concept
Cohort
Backstory
Governance
Progress


Auranghzeb
Friso (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2757957)
half-orc barbarian
Ardid (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2763128)
✓
✓
✓✓


JbeJ275
Rickard Widhill (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2758840)
cavalier
Gwyndolin (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2762362)
✓
✓
✓✓


Enceladus
Jonathon (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2757360)
shaman/mortal usher
Alicia Brightwater (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2759694)
✓
✓
✓✓


Ancient
Lady Margrena (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2760498)
half-orc ranger
Varag Kaust (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2758206)
✓
✓
✓✓



Recruiting Thread: The Old Kingdoms and the New (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?654150-The-Old-Kingdoms-and-the-New-3-P)

.

[Metastachydium]

Hey, everyone! It's good to be in and in such illustrious company at that. Now, I'll get the bit with the consolidated wallpost out of the way:

The Man Himself:


Lord Patriarch Varhel Marmor (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2757575),

by the Grace of the Heavenly Magisters, by Stone and by the Sky, Father to the Rite of Platanë; and as Decreed by His Most August Imperial Majesty, Governor of all <PROVINCE>

; middle-aged, Tengu Witch Doctor Shaman and his little thrush, Gryn.



https://i.ibb.co/qM44Q8V/CaptureM.png


Everyone Else:
–a certain cohort: Vicarian7 Leän Sitera (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2761515); 28; personal aide; a vishkanya Cleric/Marshal.


7Vicarian is an honorary title awarded to Church officials that serve under Archpriests directly in some capacity, and as such usually exist outside the standard Church hierarchies. Their exact function and influence varies wildly.




https://i.ibb.co/k9nyc8L/Capture-L1.png

–a bunch of close relatives:


Lady Intendant1 Telek Marmor; 45; wife;
Lord Custodian2 Varhel Marmor; 21; first son to hatch and and heir apparent as governor;
Lady Custodian Mergan Marmor; 21; first daughter to hatch;
Lady Sign-Bearer3 Vigas Marmor; 21; second daughter;
Lord Almoner4 Haval Marmor; 21; second son;
Rasophore5 Kallta Marmor; 67; (adoptive) son; an oread;
Lady Sian Marmor; 61; (adoptive) daughter; a sylph;
Lord Antel Marmor; 46; brother;
Lady Auditor6 Igat Marmor; 46; sister;
two more siblings.



1Intendants are members of a province-level body of high-ranking administrators with a dual function: they oversee taxation and commerce on the governor's behalf and develop pertinent policy (usually subject to approval by the Lord Patriarch, although this is often a mere formality).
2Custodians are six to ten honorary palace guards serving beside the Lord Patriarch, their role being partly protective and advisory, but mainly ceremonial. However, unlike even the comitatus, they are privy to both public and personal auditions with the governor. Lately, the Lord Patriarch has begun to have his eldest children flank his Chair during such auditions, with Varhel holding the Green Blade and Mergan the Staff of Office for him.
3Sign-Bearer is a middling officer's rank in the Governor's Own companies. They rarely carry the battle standards of their companies themselves, but they are usually issued a special polearm with a large, flat blade bearing the governor's arms.
4In accordance with the paternalistic principles of the Lord Patriarch's regime, charity is heavily encouraged as a virtue throughout the province and it has institutionalized forms mostly subordinated to the Church; Almoners are Church officials supervising the division of alms, as well as the related bookkeeping.
5Kallta, the Lord Patriarch's eldest son by years doesn't currently have a lordly title to his name. The reason for this is that shortly after he came to age, the Lord Patriarch, recognizing his exceptional piety, began to gentle nudge him towards monastic service. He renounced on his worldly titles on the day the Lord Patriarch personally ordained him as a Novice in a prestigious ascetic order. He was anointed and mantled by his father himself as a Rasophore, a senior monastic, two years ago.
6Auditors are high-ranking clergy of extensive legal training that hold the privilege of being allowed to preside over courts, even lay ones.


–plus a few notable enemies:

–"Friend Belshar" or "the Fat Man", a pretentious, glorified bandit in his forties, presumed to be the illegitimate son of a city councillor and a former priest of the Twelve, claiming to work towards dismantling the tiered system of society and bringing true equality for all; his brigands would ambush and rob travelling nobles and assault common folks "complacently aiding the oppressors"; though he kept the slow-burning insurgency contained before as well, after an assassination attempt on Lady Mergan perpetrated by a serving girl, the Lord Patriarch cracked down on Belshar hard and his revolt is all but suppressed – the man himself remains at large and with the growing instability precipitated by the succession crisis, this might, however change.

–Lady Gazophylact8 Onden Agriba, a young and energetic elven aristocrat and current head of the former ruling family of the province, from before it was conquered. The Lord Patriarch petitioned the capital to offer the Agribas a high station in another province to preempt friction, but nothing came out of it. Reluctant to grant her unchecked power, he arranged for her to become Assistant Gazophylact in the Office of the Treasury instead, composing her laudation himself and made his younger brother, a member of the Church, the Eparch9 of the district covering most of their remaining estates. The two continue to hold these offices – but they hold their grudges still never the less, and ever more openly.


8Headed by the High Gazophylact, the Office of Treasury is a body of five that cooperates closely with the Intendants; its function is to approve various expenditures and to allocate funds for them as needed.
9Eparchs and Politans are Archpriests heading the Church in districts (administrative units incorporating rural communities, market towns and the manors or keeps of the nobility in the countryside) and cities, respectively. They rank below Prelates General overseeing territories, who, in turn, serve directly under the Lord Patriarch.



♣

Backstory:


The second to hatch from a nest of five, Lord Varhel Marmor was born 40 miles NW of the capital to well-off, if not wealthy, parents belonging to the old imperial nobility; his great-grandfather was a member of the Senate, but their star has eclipsed since. With his elder brother, Antel set to inherit the main family estates, Varhel and her sister, Igat, the third child chose to try their luck in the Church instead, and set out to study theology in the capital. Varhel finished his studies with high honours and for the time being, elected to remain in the great city – a youthful lapse of judgement on his part.

His name soon ended up tarnished by a scandal: he was accused of sermonizing despite not being ordained and the court rejected his argument that he was merely providing dogmatic counsel. Still, when he pledge to repent publicly and seek ordination, the court proved more amenable. To atone, Varhel travelled on foot to a western province affected by an infectious disease known as the bleeding fever to offer aid or solace to the diseased. This led to a major turning point in his life: within the first year, he was both ordained and exposed to animistic religious practices, the latter prompting him to silently begin working on what was to become his most influential theological treatise promoting his then newly found synchretistic views.

Naturally enough, the Church was less than enthusiastic about this development. A few years later, they acquired the treatise and learned of Varhel openly preaching according to its spirit and accumulating (albeit in part inadvertently) a growing following. He was immediately recalled to the capital and tried for heresy; Church authorities, however, soon found his heresy surprisingly innocuous and even beneficial to efforts undertaken to proselytize in rural communities. Further swayed by legal arguments presented by Igat (who, by now, had established herself as a reputable expert of canon law), they became willing, in theory, to waive the accusations, but they found it hard to reach a satisfying verdict that can both exonerate Varhel and allow them to save face.

As the trial dragged on, an unwanted opportunity presented itself: a great, grim threat to the empire itself. Varhel was offered a Trial by Service: he would volunteer to help tackle the issue, and were he to succeed and to be preserved by the grace of the Twelve, they would recognize his alternate creed as a Rite within the church. Feeling honoured more than anything else, Varhel accepted and the rest was history.

Being made governor was something Varhel understood to be a punishment: his achievements and reputation, he figured, made him if not a liability, at the very least a risk. His new office was certainly a position of great prstige, but a burden nonetheless that would ensure he has neither the means nor the time to stir up trouble that could shake the Throne. This theory, nonetheless, made him respect the Emperor more rather than less: he saw this as a wise precaution and he wouldn't have proceeded otherwise himself. The province being freshly incorporated into the empire likewise prevented him with a unique opportunity: the imperial faith was yet to become widespread in these lands which meant that he could hope to find fertile soil to sow the seeds of his new ("Marmorite", as church officials in the capital sometimes jokingly called it) Rite in.


Governance Questionnaire:


1. Your character’s priorities for governing a province?

The palace of the Lord Patriarch is a thick, squat, ungainly and puritanical edifice dominating the slopes of a high hill overlooking the provincial capital; above the main gate, an inscription is engraved into the stone, made more visible by the white paint the grooves were filled up with: "THE SUN SHINES ON US ALL". And the guiding principle behind most of the Lord Patriarch's actions and decisions: it's quite as simple as that. Lord Varhel is hardly an egalitarian, of course; his ideal is, rather, a society without resentment, jealousy and greed, where each social stratum fulfills specific functions on the basis of the understanding that such a distribution of tasks, as well as the obligations and rights that come with them, is essential to maintain order and achieve prosperity. "Be humble before your betters, polite to your peers and patient with the small and the lacking" he likes to say; and while he leaves the privileges of nobility and charter-holding cities intact (in exchange for military service on the one hand and providing ample tax revenues through keeping the mercantile and craftsguilds in good order on the other), his paternalistic system offers increased mobility by seeking out those whose skills would serve a different station better and, so to say, relocating them to the "caste" more properly corresponding to the function that would allow them to be most useful (as such, it is relatively easy for a disciplined militiaman to rise into the petty nobility, a village blacksmith to be admitted into a city guild with the provincial authorities vouching for them or a sharp-minded child from among the common folk to be welcomed into the clergy); and it puts a great emphasis on charity, state and church both making sure there is always a steady flow of surplus wealth reaching those in need and the nobility heavily incentivised to try and emulate these endeavours.

Two additional priorities, achieving a high degree of self-sufficiency and expanding the influence and presence of the Church in general and the Rite in particular, bear mentioning as well, albeit they go hand in hand with the aforesaid objectives. Besides the former being a practical precaution and the latter a pious exploit, these goals also serve to create a strong sense of regional identity backed up by the implicit bonds established by a shared religion of the province's own which is part of the broader dominant faith of the Empire but at the same time sufficiently distinct from it, so that it becomes easier for the locals to see themselves as part of a unified front standing opposite What is Outside.



2. How your character would go about governing, both in general and to advance your priorities?

The Lord Patriarch understands all too well that his autonomy as a marcher lord is a sword that cuts both ways: it gives him the freedom to effect the changes he would see happen, but if he fails to keep the populace, and especially the old nobility (many of them still sore about their past defeat in the Emperor's war of conquest) in line, he cannot expect the Throne to both save his feathery hide and leave him at the helm afterwards. Therefore, for all his power, he must dance on the edge of the sword and woe befalls him should he make a misstep. For this reason, he has spent the last decades constructing a safety net strong enough to bear his weight with ease if needed: he plays a duplicitous game where he delegates as much responsibility to subordinates spread all about the province, most often nobles, wealthy Archpriests or wealthy burghers as he sees safe to make them feel important and have their hands full at all times, but at the same time, he places strong, central institutions above their heads where the decisions that truly matter are made. Since he cannot afford to keep these clean of potential discontents and adversaries either, these institutions are designed to be heavily interdependent and constantly checking each other: the Office of the Treasurer cannot directly make policies, but the Council of the Intendants has no direct access to funds; the Nomothetes can pass judgements, but Auditors can overturn these and neither can enforce their decisions on their own. Likewise, while leading men and conducting warfare is nominally recognized as eminently a function of the nobility, in practice, the military rests on three pillars, two of which are kept outside the direct reach of nobles: besides the Standing Retinues, Garrisons and levies that a Noble Insurrection can raise, the provincial government can call upon two further forces, the Governor's Own Companies, a small professional force stationed in each district and city, serving the Lord Patriarch's interests as Governor directly, and the Patriarch's Own Host, rural irregulars trained for territorial defense and asymmetrical warfare that the Church can call upon. Whenever he travels the lands, to overtly survey the state of affairs, or to covertly do so under the pretext of ordaining or releasing clerics and elevating Archpriests, the Lord Patriarch has these two forces drilled before him. So far, they never disappointed, although they remain mostly untested in battle.

In the middle of this intricate net sits the ultimate arbiter, the Lord Patriarch himself, his eyes open, his hands feeling and pulling the strings, the true keystone of the vault. As the years pass, however, Lord Varhel grows ever more worried about the viability of this arrangement. When he began to bend the province to his will, he was in his prime, a tireless, headstrong youth; but that was twenty odd years ago, and he is not getting any younger. All that he has achieved, he fears, can only outlive him under the direction of a successor of equal strength – and that seems impossible: as hereditary governor, he can hope to pick a suitable replacement to cit on the Chair and carry the Green Blade. But his real power lies in the fact that he is not merely governor; he is the head of state and church at the same time, and it is all but guaranteed that this is a feat his heir, most likely Varhel, or perhaps Mergan cannot quite replicate. He cannot in good conscience vindicate the right to appoint the new Patriarch to himself; this would be in violation of protocols. Nor does he have a wealth of good candidates at his disposal; Leän, whom he finds most deserving, would be difficult for the clergy to accept, given that his favour with the Twelve seems outwardly quite modest; Haval, dear as he might be to the Lord Patriarch, is, in the meantime, woefully unsuited to lead and Kallta… Kallta Lord Varhel is sometimes all but afraid of.



3. What kinds of retainers and advisors your character would have in place to carry out these plans?

As said above, the Lord Patriarch makes a very deliberate show of ensuring the major noble families feel appreciated and invested with authority. Their presence in most advisory bodies and offices where decisions are made, however, severely limits the trust Lord Varhel has for the counsel these bodies can offer. He will listen to their advice of course, and very attentively at that, acting on it surprisingly often, but that is usually the result of much weighing and pondering that happens far from the prying eyes, with the participation of a select few, some of them largely unknown to the general public.

There are, primarily and above all else, three none too broad groups of people the Lord Patriarch is comfortable enough around to allow for their becoming privy with his innermost thoughts. One of these is, of course, his family, chiefly Lady Telek with her quick mind and experience with administration, Lady Igat whose expertise in all matters legal would have made her indispensable even if the two siblings weren't as close as they are, as well as the young Varhel and Mergan whom he trusts will strive to live up to his faith in them, young as they are. He openly shares secrets with Kallta, knowing that if anyone, he will keep them and having found his almost alien insight occasionally quite valuable, and listens to any story Vigas (who spends the most time among the common folk) has to share with keen interest, but he usually spares Haval and Sian of the burden of being involved in statecraft, on account of the temperament of the one and the age of the other.

Another such company is a small circle of clergymen, long-standing peers of the Lord Patriarch from the Capital or (especially) the days of the Plata exile whom Lord Varhel knows to be loyal and dependable and many of whom arrived to the province with him when he first set foot in it with orders to pacify and govern the land on behalf of the Emperor. Among them we find Vicarian Nur Zhavad, Leän's predecessor as the Lord Patriarch's chief aide, Lord Eparch Detrig Tannem, a lizardfolk Archpriest who was among Lord Varhel's chief supporters within the Church during his trials, Almoner Esa Forstad, a level-headed female oread and former missionary and Hegumen Tigan Fellfar, a senior tengu monastic from the Lord Patriarch's own homeland.

Lastly, he is often ready to lend quite some trust to the "newly made", loyalist locals he helped place in a position of authority himself to capitalize on their skill or acknowledge their services. These include further clergyman, including some Prelates General, military officers (mainly the Governor's or the Patriarch's Own), such as the human Sisenna twins and, needless to say, Vicarian Leän Sitera herself, perhaps his closest associate overall: it is not uncommon that on the eve of some important decision, the two and Gryn seclude themselves behind close doors for hours to draw up designs.



4. How would you approach raising and educating your children?

The Lord Patriarch became an actual father for all the wrong reason: he was to project a fatherly image and the image of a grown, settled man. He married his mate (he first began to court back when he came of age) on the day of assuming his new titles, and a mere two years later, Lady Telek laid a clutch of four eggs. All four of them hatched, and within six days of each other. The chicks were hardly a month old when two more souls joined the fold, Kallta and Sian, both older than their new foster father (who refuses to ever call them adoptive members of his house, insisting they are his own blood regardless). This was likewise conceived as a gesture of mainly symbolic significance, given the emphasis the Rite placed upon the earth and the wide heavens.

The Lord Patriarch may or may not have recognized the error in treating family ties as a matter of cold calculation; nevertheless, it is certain that eventually, all his children have grown upon him – even as he had considerable difficulty convincingly expressing this genuine affection. Instead, he adopted the same serene, strict but fair facade when dealing with them that he would display to the outside world, albeit making sure to maintain a comparativey more informal rapport between himself and his next of kin and to show, at least outwardly, a somewhat higher tolerance to breaches of decorum, so long as these were harmless and remained within the sphere of domestic affairs.

In view of these, it is, mayhaps, hardly a surprise that the six children were brought up in a cautously controlling millieu. In conformity with his broader principles, the Lord Patriarch strived to identify their chief talents through diligent observation, and focused on honing these peculiar skills first of all, making liberal use of his wealth and influence to acquire the resources, be them schoolmasters, books, trainers or tools, that he deemed the best suited to that task, gently and subtly nudging his little heirs towards a career of, ultimately, his choosing. The young Varhel, his designated heir, and Mergan he placed by his own side to watch the dealings of a ruler and learn from them, expecting the two to pursue a political career not unlike their parents; the mellow, kind-hearted Haval and the ever serious Kallta, dogmatic and religious nearly to the point of zealotry were inducted into the church, one as a lay priest to grow into a Palace Almoner, the other as a mantled ascetic (the sharp tongues of the malicious would have it that cloistering the oread, and thus stripping him of his titles was the Lord Patriarch's way of making sure he would not challenge the right of his younger siblings to inherit – and there is, perhaps, a kernel of truth to that, even if so formulated it is certainly an exaggeration); whereas Sian, due to her innate, radiant grace is currently corraled towards a future of diplomacy.

The sole exception is Vigas, the second daughter and third child. Though initially small and sickly, she defiantly clinged to the idea of becoming a warrior to the point that her iron-willed father relented, on condition that she would not rely on her name to advance in the ranks. She entered service in the Governor's Own Companies as a simple underofficer and the Lord Patriarch left her tutoring entirely in the hands of the same trainers that drilled the children of the common folk.

[Lord Bayushi]

Congratulations. I'm sure this will be fun. And now for the spoiler block:


Gudfred 'Greybear' Lodbrok (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2757525)

https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/vornair/images/b/b7/Old_warrior_by_reza_afshar_art-d95r88v.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20180205201051https://cdnb.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/002/153/723/large/gil-art-pirabear-baja.jpg?1457973682

"In my grandfather's words, to be a chieftain, or Jarl in the old tongue, is to be the memory of a people. The past should guide the future, and so the past must be known.

"My grandfather's people came from the hjemland, across the great sea. The advance of scholarly logic and natural science had taken the land by storm, and those that followed the old ways were seen as backward at first, and eventually as unwelcome. Before persecution could turn violent, the ætt, or clan, left from the old shores, to new lands where they could continue to live as their ancestors had.

"The Nordbo, from my grandfather's tongue, were people of the sea, but the trek was long and hard, taking perhaps as long as a moon. Several boats were lost, and even when the shore was in sight, their troubles were not over. Other men had claimed these shores for themselves, and my grandfather's people were feared as invaders. Given the reputation of the Nordbo, and the events to follow, this wasn't an undue fear, but my grandfather's ætt was strong and tested by the sea, and the natives were not.

"Though initial relations in this land were bloody, my grandfather wanted to live in peace. He sent an envoy to the rulers of the land, laden with what valuables his people could spare, and offered to serve the native lords in battle in exchange for the lands of the shores. My grandfather was a shrewd negotiator, and managed to secure a foothold for his people without further violence, and my Clan, as our people now know it, began.

"My father was less wise than his father. The ways of the Nordbo are sometimes cruel, and he influenced the younger men to embrace the way of the sea raid and of plunder. This could have been the end of our people, the local lords had trained armies that greatly outnumbered our Clan, but what my father lacked in wisdom, he made up for in bolster. His strength was great, but his ability to project that strength in the minds of others was greater still. The Nordbo of the Broken Oak, as our Clan became widely known, were feared, and our strength was yoked rather than broken. We became a mercenary force within the coastal lands, with many willing to employ us. Despite my father's intemperance, our people grew in wealth, lands, and reputation under his rule.

"My father always saw his father in me, and he cared not for it. I was born with what my mother called the Ocean Sickness, not a sickness of flesh but one of spirit. Like the tides, my temperament would come to flow, from joyous energy and hope at the high tide to crushing melancholy and doubt at the low. My father called it weakness, and set to remove it from me with the lash and hard living. Perhaps his cruelty worked, for though I still have my tides, I have learned to live with them.

"My father's hard ways made me strong of arm, but my gifts made me strong of word, like my grandfather, and of spirit. I claimed the bear as my totem in my rite of passage. When the time came, I defeated my older brother for the right to lead the clan, and had the support of our people. As my father grew long in the tooth, I lead the clan into battle, and was seen as the face of the Broken Oak before my father was burned.

"I had wanted more for my people than a life by the axe. The people of the Empire lived peaceful, productive lives. Their men grew old with their wives and children, and, while they were soft, they did not earn these lives by blood. The way of the raid and plunder was a cruel way, it produced cruel people as my father was, and as my brother still is. With the songs of my grandfather, I taught the youths of heroes. Warriors strong for defending the weak rather than conquering them. I changed our rites of passage so that they would always challenge nature and beasts rather than our neighboring peoples.

"When time grew dark for the Empire, warriors from all walks were called, and the Clan of the Broken Oak, as we are now known, was no different. My songs are flush with the glory of our people on the field of battle, of our heroes both honored dead and honored veteran alike. Even the Empire's songs speak of our people now, not as savages from distant shores, but as defenders of the land for their enemies to fear. Our axes and blood earned a better life for the Clan, and for our efforts, the Emperor awarded us what I most wanted, a peaceful future for our people.

"The wooded province of Wortemburg was far from the Clan's home by the shore. It was here I was chosen to govern. To quell the fears of it's native people, and to temper our people's ancient ways, it was decided that the Clan should be land-bound in it's service to the Empire. It was a change that caused some strife, and still does, but my people have proven to be as excellent as shepherds, ranchers, and woodsman as they were as seafarers. Our proximity to the Empire's most active borders gave potential enemies pause, and what I learned from my father gave our reputation an even sharper edge than our axes.

"It was a province of conflict, even before the Clan came to call it home. As the most heavily wooded region of the Empire, the source of most of the Empire's lumber and much of it's meat, it is of vital importance to the economy. Elves claiming ancient ties to these forests had come into conflict many times with the hunters and lumberjacks of the Empire, and the wilds held many dangers. My grandfather's people held the ways of nature to be sacred, and I came to the Elves with strength and respect. Like my grandfather's people, they too could see times changing like sharpening blades. I negotiated treaties with the Empire, averted the possibility of great bloodshed, and managed to find common ground in our cultures. Today, there is even a village at the edge of the Great Stag Wood where people of the Clan and Elves live together under the cultures of both.

"One of the Elven wise-women, Alteara'kel, has become my closest advisor, and where she appears in age akin to my daughter, she has walked the earth from before my grandfather's time. Her temperament is much like the storms she is spiritual kin to, but it is kept in check by a wisdom that comes from her very long years. There are whispers, some seeing it as good and others bad, that we share a bed, now that my wife keeps company with my ancestors, but neither of us has want of that. What we do both want is a future for our peoples, and we are both willing to fight for that future fiercely.

"Or time in the province has changed much for our people. The most blood thirsty of our Clan refused to change, and chose instead to follow my brother, forming a settlement of the so called Clan of the Blooded Wolf. Their position in the rocky crags to the west makes them difficult to dislodge, and my reluctance to war with my own has strengthened both their numbers and their resolve. My oldest son has much of my father in him, but he has honor as well as strength, and I will be proud should he come to lead our people, despite the whispers that he claims I am becoming weak. His brother has shown no interest in leading our Clan, and lives with his Elven bride in the border village. His innate power shows that there are songs my grandfather didn't share, of dragon blood in the veins of our family, and I admit I distrust those powers, and that blood. My daughter worries me the most. Though I loved her the best, she grew cold after the death of her mother, and has married far outside the Clan to a man of logic and science. She was always the smartest and shrewdest of my family, and I fear she has designs on the Clan that would lead it far from the ways of our ancestors.

"Today, the clouds darken over our futures. The Emperor is dead, and old tensions rise. Hot headed youths and ancient elders among the Elven people seek to use this time to take back their ancestral lands. The border nations stir. Whispers speak of old evils awakening deep in the woods. My brother threatens more raids and will soon have to be met with the axe. I feel my low tide trickling into my soul, and I am weary of war.

"But I am the memory of my people, and I know their songs of heroes, of struggle, and of glory. Despite the private musings of my eldest born, and the much more public musings of my brother, the time of this old bear is far from done. I have forged a future for my people through word and deed, and there are more songs for the Clan of the Broken Oak to be written. Through axe and claw and storm and strength of spirit, I will fight for that future, and may the gods pity those that doubt it. We are the people with the strength to break the oak, and may our enemies fear our power."


-Gudfred 'Greybear' Lodbrok
Imperial Governor of the province of Wortemburg and Jarl of the Clan of the Broken Oak
Gudfred 'Greybear' Lodbrok (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2757525)
Male NG Human Totem Skald 9, Level 9, Init 0, HP 62/62, DR 1/-, Speed 20 ft
AC 20, Touch 11, Flat-footed 20, CMD 20, Fort 10, Ref 5, Will 9, CMB +9, Base Attack Bonus +6/+1
MW Greataxe +10/+5 (+8/+3 PA) (1d12+4 (1d12+10 PA), x3)
MW Throwing Axe (2) +10/+5 (+8/+3 PA; +7 Thrown) (1d6+3 (1d6+7 PA), x3)
+2 Mithral Breastplate w/ Armored Kilt (+9 Armor, +1 Deflection)
Abilities Str 16, Dex 10, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 22
Condition None

Gudfred 'Greybear' Lodbrok (Inspired Rage) (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2757525)
Male NG Human Totem Skald 9, Level 9, Init 0, HP 62/62 +36 Temp, DR 1/-, Speed 20 ft
AC 22, Touch 10, Flat-footed 22, CMD 21, Fort 14, Ref 5, Will 12, CMB +11, Base Attack Bonus +6/+1
MW Greataxe +12/+7 (+10/+5 PA) (1d12+7 (1d12+13 PA), x3)
MW Throwing Axe (2) +12/+7 (+10/+5 PA; +7 Thrown) (1d6+5 (1d6+9 PA), x3)
2 Claws +15/+15 (+13/+13 PA) (1d6+8 (1d6+12 PA), x2)
+2 Mithral Breastplate w/ Armored Kilt (+9 Armor, +3 Natural, +1 Deflection, -1 Rage)
Abilities Str 20, Dex 10, Con 22, Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 22
Condition Claw Attacks, Fast Healing 4, Intimidate 9 (+23)

Gudfred 'Greybear' Lodbrok (Bear Form) (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2757525)
Male NG Human Totem Skald 9, Level 9, Init -2, HP 62/62, DR 1/-, Speed 40 ft, Size Huge (15 ft Space, 10 ft Reach)
AC 15, Touch 9, Flat-footed 15, CMD 22 (26 vs. Trip), Fort 10, Ref 3, Will 9, CMB +14 (+18 with Grapple), Base Attack Bonus +6/+1
Bite +11 (+9 PA) (2d6+7 (2d6+11 PA), x2)
and 2 Claws +12/+12 (+10/+10 PA) (1d8+7 (1d8+11 PA), x2 +Grab)
No Armor (+6 Natural, +1 Deflection, -2 Size)
Abilities Str 22, Dex 6, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 22
Condition Polymorphed, Low-Light Vision, Scent, Intimidate 9 (+24, +28 if Larger than the Target)

Gudfred 'Greybear' Lodbrok (Inspired Rage Bear Form) (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2757525)
Male NG Human Totem Skald 9, Level 9, Init -2, HP 62/62 +36 Temp, DR 1/-, Speed 40 ft, Size Huge (15 ft Space, 10 ft Reach)
AC 14, Touch 8, Flat-footed 14, CMD 23 (27 vs. Trip), Fort 14, Ref 3, Will 12, CMB +16 (+20 with Grapple), Base Attack Bonus +6/+1
Bite +15 (+13 PA) (2d6+11 (2d6+15 PA), x2)
and 2 Claws +16/+16 (+14/+14 PA) (2d6+11 (2d6+15 PA), x2 +Grab)
No Armor (+6 Natural, +1 Deflection, -2 Size, -1 Rage)
Abilities Str 26, Dex 6, Con 22, Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 22
Condition Polymorphed, Low-Light Vision, Scent, Fast Healing 4, Intimidate 9 (+26, +30 if Larger than the Target)

https://de.ashesofcreation.wiki/images/thumb/2/2b/Oathbearer.png/675px-Oathbearer.png
Bjorn the Battle Bear
Grizzly Bear CR 4
N Large animal
Init +1; Senses Low-Light vision, Scent; Perception +6
DEFENSE
AC 23, Touch 10, flat-footed 22 (+7 Armor, +1 Dex, +6 Natural, -1 Size)
Inspired Rage AC 22, Touch 9, flat-footed 21 (+7 Armor, +1 Dex, +6 Natural, -1 Size, -1 Rage)
HP 42 (HD 5d8+20) +20 Temp HP and DR 1/- with Inspired Rage
Fort +8, Ref +5, Will +2
Inspired Rage Fort +12, Ref +5, Will +5
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
Melee 2 Claws +7 (1d6+5 plus Grab), Bite +7 (1d6+5)
Inspired Rage Melee 2 Claws +9 (1d8+7 plus Grab), Bite +9 (1d6+7)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
STATISTICS
Abilities Str 21, Dex 13, Con 19, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 6
Inspired Rage Abilities Str 25, Dex 13, Con 27, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 6
Base Atk +3; CMB +9 (+13 Grapple); CMD 20 (24 vs. Trip)
Inspired Rage CMB +11 (+15 Grapple); CMD 21 (25 vs. Trip)
Feats Endurance, Light Armor Proficiency, Medium Armor Proficiency
Skills Perception +6, Survival +2, Swim +11 (+13 Inspired Rage); Racial Modifiers +4 Swim
Wears +1 Mountain Pattern Barding [Large Mount, +7 AC, +3 Max DEX, -3 Armor Check Penalty, 30% Arcane Spell Falure, 30 ft Movement, 2150 gp, 80 lbs]
Also wears a Harness, Bridle, Military Saddle (Exotic), and Saddlebags [68 gp, 51 lbs]
Note: Light Load for gear worn, Medium Load when bearing rider
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/56/8d/4f/568d4f25c437c33afbb6812f12aa1adf.jpg
Alteara'kel (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2758062)
Female NG Elf Storm Druid 7, Level 7, Init 3, HP 41/41, Speed 20 ft
AC 19, Touch 13, Flat-footed 16, CMD 18, Fort 6, Ref 5, Will 9, CMB +5, Base Attack Bonus +5
MW Quarterstaff +6 or +2/-2 (Double) (1d6, x2)
MW Longbow (40 Common Arrows) +9 (1d8, x3)
+1 Lamellar (Horn) Armor (+6 Armor, +3 Dex)
Abilities Str 10, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 16, Wis 18, Cha 13
Condition None
"The earth is the great mother, from her all life flows. In the soil of her skin, insects, worms, and grubs form the feast of the bird, who is a meal for the cat, who lays down and dies in the soil, from which the mighty tree finds it's sustenance. Each part of the world is connected, each greater than the sum of it's parts. To live at peace in this cycle is the natural will of nearly all the creatures that live upon the earth, and only the most foolish, destructive, and greedy of the great mother's children would deny this.

"The Human, the Dwarf, and the Orc, each sees only what they can take from their great mother. Instead of her soil, they see only the crops they could sow and reap. Instead of her trees, they see lumber to be cut, fuel to be burned. Instead of her mountain side, they see blocks to be hewn, ore to be mined. Instead of their mother, they see a vessel to take from again and again, and they believe these gifts are rightfully deserved.

"So, should it not be natural that the Elf, who sees their great mother first in all things, would take offense? As the oldest of her children, should we not take up the mantle of parent to the others, show them, by the lash if we must, the wrong in their ways? Some would say so, and so we have tried, but our mother has designs that we cannot understand any more than we can deny her natural will. She provides for more and more of these takers, and time leaves fewer and fewer of those that would be her stewards.

"These Humans who take up the mantle of Empire have taken and taken from our woodland home for many generations. They claim ownership and title to the land on which they stand, as if it could somehow be lesser than they. Could they exist without the mother to provide for them? Could she exist without them to take? If such simple wisdom is beyond most of these men, then how are we to find any way to persuade or entreat? Should we grunt as beasts and hope that they find a tone they can comprehend? No, we discourage when we can and defend when we must, and we lay down to return to the mother side by side with those we called foes. But more of these takers are birthed each cycle than Elves, and should we continue on this path then they will take us, too.

"When the great darkness came for their Empire, some among us were grateful. The mother was finally taking back from those who could not see her, or so we hoped. But those forces were not of the great mother, they were perversions of her will, and they came to take everything from us all. We fought back against the dark tide, as times grew darker we found ourselves shoulder to shoulder with former foes as often as not against such perils. When the battle was over, we wept for all of the dead, and each of us looked to how to rebuild what we all had lost.

"It was then that the bear chief and his savage tribe came to call this land home. A people from foreign shores, too young to this Empire to have forgotten their ancestors, they had different ambitions than those that lorded over the men before. We had heard of their reputation for war and death, and prepared for the worst. When they came to our wood in force, we feared we would all rejoin the mother soon. But they had not come for battle.

"The bear chief called out to the woods for our people to come forth and speak with him. We all feared it was a trick, some planned to shoot him down from a far, but he simply sat on a rock before his host and waited. A curious youth walked out to meet him, and he offered her bread and wine. When her father charged in to defend her from the invaders, the bear chief stepped back and showed open hands. He wanted to talk in earnest, and, through the mother's blessing, we all somehow avoided bloodshed on that day.

"His people valued the mother, they saw her and acknowledged her place and her needs. The bear chief asked for a conclave with our oldest and wisest, and he explained that he was tasked to feed this Empire in lumber and meat, and that if we didn't all find a way to deliver these goods, others would come to take them by force. He spoke of the ways of their elders, planting trees to replace those that were felled. He encouraged his people to lead their herds and flocks on long treks through the seasons, giving the land time to regrow. He asked for our blessings and our advice. And for our part, at least a few were wise enough not to stand dumbfounded at the course of events.

"Of course we were wary, at first. Trust comes slowly for our people, and that must seem slower by far for the races that live so short a time. But words gave way to deeds, and promises became treaties. There were still struggles, there always are, but the blood spilled between our people dwindled each year, and now, more and more, it is a time blood mingles between us.

"Shortly after our first conclave, the bear chief asked for a wise envoy to voice our concerns at his governing council. I was chosen, not because I am wise, for compared to many I am not, but perhaps because I have fire in my blood. Some probably hoped I would burn the walls down around their council in a fury, others probably hoped they would return me to the mother for my impertinence. Whatever the reason, I have come to know them best.

"These clansman are in the midst of a change of spirit. Their past is one of the sea, of conflict, and of taking. But the bear chief wants his people to be at peace, to live with their neighbors and with the land. Many have embraced this change, some have not. In the gulf between, this chief stands alone, trying to hold his people together with his words, his will, and his bare hands.

"I have come to respect this chief over the years, and I have spent more and more of my time among his people, as many other Elves have also done. The news of the death of their High King bodes an ill omen, and they fear shadows on the horizon. They are wise to. There are those who speak with poisoned words among my people, spurning the young to take up arms and drive the Humans from our woods. And both deep within the woods and at their far borders, dark things begin to stir that are best left sleeping.

"The bear chief sees, as I do, that the time will soon be on us to struggle for what we believe is right. He knows, despite his hopes, that he will have to war on his brother to have any hope for a future peace, and it tears at his soul. None the less, there is fire left in the old bear, and I think that he will fight, and how he will fight. And so will I. When else will we find Humans that can see their mother at our side? We must each fight for the future that seems brightest to us, and I will fight beside the Clan."
First, these answers are much more out of character than everything above. Second, I'm sorry if I am more in-depth than you wanted or needed. I can be long winded.

1. Your character’s priorities for governing a province:

First Stability
Jarl Gudfred and the Clan of the Broken Oak were outsiders moved into an established land. He first need to integrate his people into the established political and social landscape. Second, he needed to ratchet down those landscapes so that things didn't become chaotic or violent.

Then Economy
Being placed in governance is about expectations. Governments control land for many reasons, but one of the most important reasons is to be able to exploit the resources of those lands. To maintain governance, you must provide the government as a whole with the resources it expects.

Then Security
Security in this instance is mainly security for the populace. Life can be brutish and short, one of the primary responsibilities of a government is to provide for the safety of it's citizens from harm, both from outside forces (such as foreign invasion) and local forces (like bandits and dangerous wildlife).

2. How your character would go about governing, both in general and to advance your priorities:

In general, the Jarl has a three step approach to governance. The first step is diplomacy, trying to understand the needs of other parties and either manipulate them into choosing aims more in line with your own goals, or coming to a compromise that benefits both parties to an extent.

The should diplomacy fail or be unsuited to the situation, the second step is intimidation. The Jarl, and his father before him, have cultivated a fearsome and dangerous reputation surrounding the Clan of the Broken Oak for a long time, and this is only aided by the fact that the clan is made up of skilled combatants from a foreign warrior culture. Should it be necessary, subtle, then not so subtle threats of violence can be used to cajole parties to comply.

The final step is to coercion, through force of law, force of economy, or force of arms (it should be noted that this is really the final step for all forms of government throughout all of history). Either through passing laws against the actions of parties and enforcing said laws, using the force of government to make actions economically unviable or unsustainable, or brute military force.

To give specific examples of how the Jarl has applied these approaches to his priorities:

To establish Stability, the initial approach of the Jarl was to use a combination of diplomacy and intimidation to establish the Clan's place in the province. He made it known that civil disobedience during the transition of power would be met with violence, and it was easily believed due to the Clan's reputation. He then went to the major communities and established relationships with the leaders and councils of each, again using diplomacy when possible and intimidation when necessary, to establish rule of law and terms of governance. With the Elves, he brought his Clan, armed for battle, to their border and forced parlay, in effect using intimidation to initiate diplomacy.

To establish Economy, using diplomacy, or intimidation when required, the Jarl dictated expectations of municipalities in terms of providing for the government of the province, and, in turn, for the supply of the Empire. When words and threats failed, laws and economic pressure coerced compliance to those expectations. Rarely has it come to using troops to collect such quotas.

To establish Security, diplomacy has mainly taken the form of staying informed about the situations at hand and discouraging corruption and banditry. As often, or more often, intimidation through reputation keeps enemies at bay, but the unique circumstance of the Clan of the Blooded Wolf has made for an internal threat that can also use that reputation to extort from the province. This is why it has come to the point where violence will probably be needed to put down the threat, once and for all.

It is worth noting that diplomacy is often effective without the need to intimidate in the current time because the Jarl in particular and the Clan in general have shown themselves to act in good faith. They have not tried to make themselves rich off the economy of the nation, and, indeed, many members of the Clan live simple lives as soldiers, ranchers, herdsman, and woodsman. The tallies placed on the municipalities are not meant to be stifling, quite the opposite, there are great pains to see that they are just enough to provide for the needs of the Empire and the province, with a reasonable amount more in case of emergency. These municipalities have been able to become more wealthy under Clan rule. Stability and economy have increased and the security issues posed by the Clan of the Blooded Wolf have been relatively minor compared with the past troubles with the Elves that are now nearly at an end.

3. What kinds of retainers and advisors your character would have in place to carry out these plans:

The Jarl has a governing council, which consists of trusted elders of the Clan and envoys from each major municipality, and from the Elves. The council meets bi-weekly, which allows more or less up to date information to be discussed on each meeting. The governing council advises the Jarl on the economic affairs and domestic situation of the province. The council enacts laws and arbitrates judicial questions of provincial importance, though citizens of standing can find their way into a meeting to give voice on issues without having an actual vote. In the end, the Jarl has the authority to override the council, but rarely does so. In recent years, he has done so only once when they voted to formally declare all members of the Clan of the Blooded Wolf traitors to the Empire.

The governance of the individual municipalities hasn't changed from the earlier days of the province before the Clan arrived. They still have either their noble families or houses, or, in the case of a few more progressive communities, an elder or elected local government.

Each major settlement has a Clan Layamon, or marshal, to keep the peace and look after Clan interests. These originally were loyal men with adult sons, appointed shortly after the time of the Clan's take over, and their families acted as their deputies, though some postings are so large as to need a staff or more than one family assigned. Some of these original Layamons have stepped down over time, handing over their positions to their sons (in one case, to a daughter, who has proven to be capable). There are also Layamons assigned to more rural areas, expected to keep watch over larger territories but prioritize the communities. In general, the Layamons have shown themselves to be a trusted group, the few instances of corruption or incompetence have been publicly (and, in more than one case, brutally) dealt with.

Clan heralds maintain at least monthly correspondences between each Layamon and the capital, and it is widely accepted that the reports they provide are detailed and accurate enough to base governing decisions on. More often than not, heralds are also family positions, assigned points and areas of responsibility. Most of these families are headed by men who were skilled messengers in the war, and have a degree of pride in keeping up with their tasks with regularity.

Militarily, there are established outposts and barracks at key points through out the province, and especially along the borders. Most of the provincial tithes in the early years were used to reconstruct and upgrade the forts and castles that were damaged in the war, and to establish new forts in areas that showed themselves to be strategically important during those battles. Each post has a triumvirate, one a Clansman, one a local officer, and one an Imperial officer, that are supposed to work together to handle the day to day affairs of the post and it's soldiers. The ultimate chain of command varies from post to post, but the triumvirate are always the Captain, Executive Officer, and Third Officer of the post.

Heralds also maintain monthly communication between each post and the military council. Some members of that council overlap with the governing council, though it is only a few. Almost all the members of the military council are war veterans, nearly half are Clansman while the remaining are either local military leaders or Imperial officers. The military council doesn't do any official voting or governing, only advising the Jarl to make the military decisions, but much of the day to day business is simply moved forth on the council's recommendations.

4. How you would approach raising and educating your children:

Much of the raising of the Jarl's three children, all of whom are grown, was done by their mother. He has worked long hours as a chief and a governor, and when he was at home, he worked to make men of his boys, and doted on his daughter. Despite his own difficult experiences as a child, both of his boys were subject to hard love, and even his daughter to an extent, in order to shape them to deal with the positions they would have to hold in the future. Their mother taught each of them letters and numbers, and each had to have enough combat prowess at sixteen years to enter the wilds and slay a beast single-handedly through force of arms alone (no magic is allowed during the rites of passage), regardless of gender.

Lukas, his eldest born, is the most like his father, but is even more like his grandfather. Lukas was raised to be tough by his parents, as they had trouble conceiving another child and he was expected to eventually lead the Clan. He is aged just past thirty years, and was taught to be a war-leader from his early days. He has respect for the man his father was as a warrior, less so for how he has pushed his people to change. Lukas is still assumed by most, including the Jarl, to inherit leadership of the Clan when the time comes. His wife, of fine Clan stock, is with their first child, but the wise-women claim it will be a daughter.

Inger, his daughter, was best loved by the Jarl, and perhaps spoiled by it. He had always wanted a daughter, and she was clever, and even manipulative, from an early age. Inger was very close to her mother, and when she died while Inger was in her late teens, she was hit very hard. She closed herself off from her family and began travelling far from home. She took to reading and learning strange new things, and two years ago, asked her father's permission to marry a man from the capital that was a so called scientist. Unable to sway her, and seeing that she had little but contempt for her people now, he allowed it. Now, aged twenty three years, she rarely visits or writes, but she has inquired to when the trial of succession for leadership of the clan will be held. Gender doesn't prevent a claim, and it is possible that she might challenge her brother when the time comes. For this reason, and others, the Jarl has delayed the trial until he shows signs of ill health, or until her younger brother states he is ready (which he figures may be never).

Aksel, his youngest, is the strangest case among the children. Nearly from birth, Askel had the power of sorcery, a trait that his father believed impossible. No songs of the Clan's history mentioned sorcerers among them, and he went so far as use magic to confirm the boy's heritage. Aksel has the most gentle nature among the three, seemingly able to shrug off his parents harshest lessons with an air of disinterest. He took to any lesson of history, art, or numbers with a talent that made them simple, and handled matters of labor magically whenever he could. His father feared that his rite of passage would be the end of his youngest son, as magic was forbidden in the rite, and breaking that law would force the Clan to kill him. In a strangely unexpected twist, the willowy boy took up the spear who's training he had shirked through out his life, headed out into the woods under the watchful eye of a Clan priest, and skewered a boar like a veteran. The priest swore no magics had been used. In recent years, Aksel found the one thing that has ever been able to hold his attention, an Elven woman named Jannel'eska. They fell madly in love with one another on meeting, and recently wed. They live in the border village near the Great Stag Wood and are trying to start a family. Aged twenty one years, he seems to care about nothing except his bride and their future together.
Obviously names/situations/geography are subject to change, but I hope for the feel to remain the same.
Now adding:

Gudfred 'Greybear' Lodbrok (7th lvl) (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2797750)

[Athaleon]

Glad to have made the cut, and glad the extra time I got was worth it for both of us.


Governor-General Korwin Vandermere (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2763846)


His adjutant, Arnhem Voss (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2764292)


(Portrait pending.)

A tall, gaunt human approaching seventy, with a weather-beaten bronze visage, steel-grey hair, and dark blue-grey eyes. He was quite handsome in his youth, and can still charm with a grandfatherly twinkle, command the respect owed an officer and a gentleman, or frighten with the piercing gaze of a powerful old wizard. He dresses simply for a nobleman, with a preference for elegance over elaborateness. His voice still carries the resonant timbre and hard edge of an old soldier.



Korwin Vandermere hails from a long line of nobility, one in which magic runs in the blood. Almost every member of the family has at least a small spark of the Talent, and every third or fourth generation produces a particularly powerful arcanist. Korwin is the most powerful of his time, though he is said to pale in comparison with his most famous ancestors. His grandson (and apprentice) is also said to be approaching Korwin's level of skill as a youth of just nineteen. Korwin was also his father's eldest son, heir to a dynasty, and a noble of one of the Empire's core provinces. Thus he had many obligations to fulfill to family, academia, government, and—fatefully—to the army.

The Kingdom of Vothwael had a strong knightly tradition for centuries before becoming one of the founding realms of the Empire. In the present day, it is still expected that all male nobility should be military officers. Korwin was no exception, and though he was a lanky and somewhat uncoordinated youth, he was nevertheless forced to play soldier. Like his fathers before, he was educated at the prestigious Helberech Academy, where he found he excelled at tactics, strategy, and the science of war to almost the same degree as he failed in fencing, marksmanship, and equestrian skill. The Academy also had tutors for those wealthy students who possessed the Talent, and Korwin proved an able and eager learner. These skills would be put to the test almost as soon as Korwin had graduated.

The Empire had begun the long and bitter campaigns to bring the border kingdoms into the fold, and Korwin was apprenticed to the battle-wizard Joris Rennkamp. It wasn't long before Korwin began to loathe the stuffy officer corps, fellow nobles though they were, for their pomp and incompetence. Corruption was also rampant, as the nominally-superior Imperial forces stumbled from defeat to disaster as supplies, fortifications, and even whole companies of soldiers were found to exist purely on paper—embezzled by enterprising quartermasters, or simply not reported for fear of repercussions. The Empire's professional soldiery still fared well, when their officers were honest, and only their valor kept the offensive campaign from collapsing into a rout. The Empire's peasant levies, on the other hand, were worse than worthless: Mouths to feed and hands to equip, who wanted no part of the fighting, who would desert at the first opportunity, whose defeatist attitudes spread faster than the disease they bred due to lack of camp discipline and hygiene. To them, the Empire was merely a cruel collective delusion that compelled rich men to sweep up the poor to throw into a meat grinder, that was shocked to find they didn't want to go, and that spitefully insisted that if they would not line up voluntarily to be put to the sword by foreigners, they would be lined up forcefully and be put to the sword by their own countrymen. Korwin found he pitied them, and of all the lessons of those wars, that left the most profound mark on him. He swore it would not all be for naught, that the Empire would be worthy of the sacrifices made in its name, and that if some sort of karmic balance really did exist, that Korwin would ensure that he and his would be on the right side of it.

By the end of the war and beginning of the occupation, Korwin and his mentor were assigned to the storied Wolf Rampant Company, whose soldiers self-deprecatingly nicknamed themselves the "dead mutts" in mockery of their own unit's heraldry. They were among the best in the Empire, and should have been more than able to pacify the countryside with the border realms' armies now broken. Their patrols began to go missing under mysterious circumstances however, and all attempts to discover the cause were stymied by official interference—from very high indeed, it was rumored. Whispers abounded that agents of the Concordat, a special council of highly influential clergy, had visited the Company's commanders. Joris Rennkamp was suddenly recalled to the capital and was never seen or heard from again, leaving Korwin as the only battle-mage attached to Wolf Rampant. When it finally became clear that supernatural forces were at work, and that the threat was far greater than merely a hostile army or local insurrection, Korwin found himself thrown in with an unlikely band in a desperate race to stop the darkness from overtaking not only the Empire, but the world at large.

In the decades since, Korwin had been too busy governing his new home to do much to advance his arcane knowledge, but he still did so whenever he could. He believed that the Empire should learn all it could about threats from Beyond, and that such knowledge had to be kept only in trusted hands. The nightmarish experience also quelled his thirst for knowledge and wizardly ambitions; he preferred to use his knowledge for the betterment of his own home and that he would very much prefer to avoid attracting any more attention from the entities that lurked in other planes.



1. Your character’s priorities for governing a province:

a. Defend the province from enemies foreign and domestic. The following are obviously moot if the Empire loses control of a province to invasion or rebellion.
b. Uphold the Rule of Law. Without this, the realm degenerates into tyranny, anarchy, or the worst of both and the de facto loss of control is only a matter of time.
c. Improve the lives of the populace. If life is better within the Empire than it was before, the people will have a vested interest in maintaining Imperial rule.

2. How your character would go about governing, both in general and to advance your priorities:

Korwin considered his life's work to ensure the Empire is, and will be in the future, a force for good in the world. He believes the Empire's expansion will spread peace by uniting disparate and historically warring people under one banner, but also that the institutions, systems, and prosperity of the Empire are what will make it worthy of continuing. In these times, he is trying desperately to keep it all from fracturing. It would truly be a tragedy of history if all the effort and sacrifice were to come to naught in the end.

In his early career, Korwin made extensive use of unconventional tactics in warfare, and due to the nature of such work he found himself working closely with lowborn soldiery. To this day he fancies himself a great reformer and modernizer, a holdover from his a trait that has put him at odds with his fellow nobility, the establishment clergy, and even some more conservative-minded commoners under his rule. While a firm believer in the law, he believes strongly in upholding the spirit of the law over its letter, (believing that to do so will lead to fewer deformities of justice) and will as such leave language somewhat more open-ended than most lawyers and administrators would like. He also believes that the law is changeable and should reflect the will of the people; the nobility rules by consent of the governed (whether formalized or not) in that egregious or consistent outrage of the sensibilities of the people will lead to insurrection. He had firsthand experience of this problem during the early conquest and occupation of the Empire's newest territories.

He prefers to delegate to trusted allies who are experts in their field, as he knows that even intelligent and capable administrators can be overwhelmed by trying to do too much at once, or by assuming that expertise in one field translates to another. He also believes in thorough analysis before making a decision, but also knows that a good plan doable today beats a perfect plan executed next week, and that more complex plans with more moving parts means more things can go wrong. Both these tendencies are being slowly undermined by impatience, as his creeping mortality has caused him to fear that he will die with his life's work undone.

Despite breaking with the nobility on many matters of pomp and procedure, he still believes in etiquette, integrity, and a certain degree of noblesse oblige. He is always mindful to conduct himself in a way that paints himself, his family, and the Empire in a positive light. He believes that as a public administrator, he should not only do good work but be seen doing good work, going among the people and being charitable, and so forth. Detractors have called it vanity, or propagandizing, or both, and they may not be entirely wrong.

3. What kinds of retainers and advisors your character would have in place to carry out these plans:

- Korwin values retainers who act smartly but independently. He even tolerates, to an extent, the practice of asking forgiveness rather than permission—another holdover from his military career.
- His grandson, Arnhem Voss, is also his apprentice and adjutant. A brilliant young man with more arcane potential than any the family has known in generations—and one who had shown an arrogant and indolent streak since early adolescence that even the proctors at Helberech were not able to break—Korwin took it upon himself to keep the lad close and guide him along the right path.
- His comitatus is made up of a few old soldiers, close friends from the war years, and a similar number of younger "apprentices". They are all veteran soldiers and most are also well-suited to infiltration and espionage work. This core group are "true believers", with similar dedication to doing the right thing (they have, after all, stuck around through the decades) and similar ideas to Korwin about what constitutes doing the right thing. They refer to themselves humorously as the "mutts", partly for their varied (and mostly humble) backgrounds, and partly for the army unit that the original members belonged to.
- Due to his absence for most of his children's youth (see below), and the ongoing demands on his time more generally, Korwin defers to his wife, Cassia, in all family-related matters. Also, despite the emotional distance between them, Korwin considers his eldest son Garren to be a worthy heir and a good man to guide the family though the turbulent times ahead.

4. How you would approach raising and educating your children:

Korwin's children are middle aged themselves, and thus there's little raising or educating left to do. He was largely absent during their formative years, as these were some of the most tumultuous in the Empire, and thus their care was entrusted to their mother and to extended family. Korwin tried to compensate but found his ongoing duties of governing a newly-conquered territory kept him almost as busy as it did in wartime, and his overtures rang hollow. There is still resentment for his absence and Korwin himself has largely given up on having a close family life with most of his children. Of all his familial relations, his closest by far is to his wife; his grandson and apprentice is a distant second.

[Dark_Archon_]

Glad to be part of this council :) I have to do a few adjustments to my character sheet, as I've found some errors, and spend the rest of money (so what about that ring of arming? :) ), but here is the background. I'd post a link to character sheet, but don't have enough posts yet, two more to go.


Governor Oddvarr the Broadhead ('https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2761393')



https://linkpicture.com/q/Unknown.jpeg


The Soldier:
As a son a great military leader, Wulfrick the Hammer, Oddvarr was destined to become extraordinary commander for the dwarven kingdom’s army, just like his two older brothers. To become that, first he was mustered by his father, then send to the military academy for professional training. And he have achieved this, however not as his father expected. Oddvarr was always more free-spirited and unconventional than average dwarf, he didn’t like the idea of standing and fighting in tight formations. There he became friends with some similar thinking dwarves and while focusing on studying the art of siege warfare, together they managed to practice some unconventional tactics. After some years of obligatory service they came together and formed an adventuring five-dwarf unit of extraordinary soldiers, specialising in unorthodox warfare and diversion.
So they went off into the world, bringing their professional assistance to the people in need for many years. They finally arrived in the Empire, becoming small, but experienced band of mercenaries, and they were working there for a few years when the dark forces invaded. That was the time when their skills were most valuable. Despite small number, their team was doing its best to help people and the empire in their struggle, behind enemy lines. Their greatest deed, that eventually brought on them attention of the emperor, was when they sneaked out of the besieged city and released imperial emissary that was imprisoned by the besieging army, while also significantly damaging their supplies. That bought enough time for the emissary to call the reinforcements and rescue the city. That was the game changer for the dwarven soldiers. For their help, they were requested and were granted funds from the imperial treasury, enough to form a significant mercenary force in the empires service, with Oddvarr as its leader. The company had grown to dozens, mostly dwarven soldiers, that answered Oddvarrs call and came from the territories of the empire, but primarily from beyond. However, even with forces that strong, he didn’t abandon his style of fighting. With his company he brought expertise in engineering, subterfuge and siege warfare, that helped imperial forces get the upper hand in war.
Finally, with the great effort and at the cost of many lives, the war was over, the dark forces driven away, some lands subjugated to the imperial rule. In gratitude for the aid Oddvarr was offered by the emperor to become the governor of one borderland province and further to help in the restoration of land.

The Governor:
Seeing the horrors of total war with the dark forces, the dwarves decided to stay and help rebuild the land, with Oddvarr as their leader. He took his wartime codename as his mantle and became Governor Oddvarr the Broadhead – he stubbornly refused to be called lord, as he thought of his rule as an appointed office granted for his expertise and not for being born into a family of certain social class. His company became critical in ensuring initial security and stability in the province, and the beginning of a provincial standing army. During his rule he highly promoted professionalization and technification of means of production, to base the wealth of province not on land-ownership, but on work of its citizens. Skilled artisans, merchants and other middle class professionals became more important in the province, at the expense of nobility. The aristocracy was not contented, many of them refused to accept the new rule, but some saw an opportunity to enrich themselves, founded workshops and patronised craftsmen. Guild system was introduced to consolidate people of different trades and represent them in court.
Meanwhile, governor Oddvarr was ordering construction of many facilities – roads, mills, workshops, bathhouses. A lot of them overseeing personally, actively counselling local communities and guilds about their needs. He also established obligatory military service. Every guild and other groups was obligated to send specific number of its members, depending on its size, for a few years long military training and service, which also could grant some privileges to the servicemen. The idea was to make the community able to defend itself in case of another great war. The army was also often used to construct public facilities, to keep them busy, when not on active duty. The core of the army was made by dwarves, encouraged by Oddvarr to settle in his province and granted land and some privileges in exchange for their military service. That brought political tensions, but loyalty of the dwarves and growing importance of the middle class kept the province in one piece and helped maintain stability. It was a small revolution, that unfortunately wasn’t bloodless, however after years, the profit from trade increased, bringing wealth to many who managed to use the opportunity.
Oddvarr tried to encourage meritocracy in his rule, putting in charge people that know their subject greatly, despite their social status. His inner council was made from his original party, with a few exceptions. The greatest was Arsaces of Nisa, one of the most influential local nobleman, who became the chancellor, responsible for diplomatic affairs and relations with aristocracy. He also convinced Oddvarr, in order to integrate and reduce tensions with local nobility, to take his daughter as his wife. This was nonsense for the dwarf, as this union between dwarf and human would never produce offspring, however he agreed for political reasons. He also adopted her nephew, orphaned by her brother during war.



1. Your character’s priorities for governing a province:
After restoration of province, Oddvarrs priority is to maintain security and stability, and to promote development. He put great focus on craftsmanship and other trades, both to increase wealth of his province by exporting goods and to ensure provincial self-sufficiency. His other priority is a professional army, made by skilled people. This army should be strong enough to discourage any invasion. This also connects to provincial development, as a good army should have great logistics and stocks of supplies.

2. How your character would go about governing, both in general and to advance your priorities:
Oddvarr value merit and work. In his rule he tries to get things done by people most skilled in the subject. He also maintains a small level of decentralisation, as he believes local communities knows best what they need and could take care of themselves. This is however overseen by higher authorities, but governor’s council is open for hearing from any party. He also often oversee his province personally, to provide his expertise, when it could be needed and also to check what is currently going on.

3. What kinds of retainers and advisors your character would have in place to carry out these plans:
His inner circle is made primarily by members of his former unit and friends. He trust them and their expertise mostly. Andavri the Paw is provincial Grand Marshall responsible for internal security, controlling militias and spy networks. He was also made informally to take care of war widows and orphans. Farr the Old, the oldest of the Oddvarrs original party, however not much older than anyone else, is Grand Commander, responsible for military affairs and also critical infrastructure. Viggr the Fat is the chief commander of dwarven units, but also responsible for military training of soldiers. Last but not least is Sindri the Snowflake, with half of his face burned horrifically, is a chief alchemist. His father-in-law, local aristocrat Arsaces of Nisa is Chancellor. Another non-dwarf is provincial Treasurer, however with dwarf deputy. Despite this, Oddvarr tries to choose people in charge by their expertise and honesty. However, he doesn’t trust politicians, even though having to rely on them in many cases, and being surrounded by them as a governor often makes his head ache.

4. How you would approach raising and educating your children:
Oddavrr adopted four children, orphaned during great war. One human girl, Ariazate, dwarven siblings, Frida and Frosti, and Orodes, his Chancellors grandsons and his wifes nephew. He thought of it as his responsibility as a governor, to take care of children that lost their families, but he never found himself in this role and grew distance between him and his adopted children, eventually pushing the everyday responsibility more and more on his wife, Muse. Nevertheless, he tried to offer them the best possibilities for self-development, encouraging them to learn and take responsibilities. He often took them with him, so they can take part in his activities and gain experience. And now every one of them is a young adult. Considering his wife, he must not have been the greatest husband, as the marriage was strictly for political reasons and he didn’t trust her in the beginning for being politician, however he through all of those years he grew fond of her and more respecting. Despite all of this, he has never thought about succession, own children and starting a dynasty, thinking someone most competent will take his place. But now, maybe it is time to start thinking about it seriously?

[Lord Bayushi]

Hello everyone.

Palanan, can you give us a sense of what you want our character's previous experience and relationships to be like with one another, once we have adjusted our backgrounds?

Also, can we get a little more detail on how the modified downtime rules will work?

Thanks.

[Palanan]

Thanks to everyone for checking in and reposting your character material. I’ll update the first post with the current roster of players and alternates.


𑁍 𑁍 𑁍

So, as to where we go from here:

I’ve been reading through the kingdom-building rules, and while we may end up using aspects of them, I’ll need to adapt them to what I have in mind for your provinces. The kingdom-building rules are designed for starting a kingdom ex nihilo, beginning with an extremely small patch of ground and slowly building out from there.

But your provinces will be in a very different situation, having been established political entities for several centuries or longer. I may borrow some features and mechanics from Ultimate Campaign, but I’m also going to be looking into other options. If anyone has suggestions about other approaches I’ll be glad to give those a look as well.

I’m also continuing to develop your provinces, their histories and populations, as well as the history and major issues of the Empire as a whole. This will be a fairly long process, and there will still be a while to go before we can get underway. I have a basic outline of the provinces and the surrounding geography which I’ll post in the next day or so—along with the Emperor’s decision as to who will be assigned to govern which province—but there’s a great deal more I’ll need to fill out.


𑁍 𑁍 𑁍

In the meantime, we can discuss your characters’ builds, relationships and adventuring history, although keep in mind that everyone’s background will need to be adjusted to one degree or another. We can also work on developing your respective families, advisors and other functionaries, as well as anything you’d like to be working toward in your provinces.

To address a couple specific points:

1. As far as your shared adventuring history, I’m thinking that you would have come together when you were around fourth level, together with several other heroes, and you all would have spent several highly intense and lethal months together, pursuing and confronting indescribable horrors before finally defeating an otherworldly threat to the Empire. Your characters are the heroes who survived.

I have some further ideas about what happened to your noble company during that time, but if you have anything in particular you’d like to include, feel free to suggest it. Also note that while your party struck the decisive blow, there were other fronts in the otherworldly war, and other heroes have been rewarded with positions of lesser rank throughout the border territories.

2. As for downtime in general, I’m still going through those rules as well, and it might be easier for you to give me a sense of what you’re interested in doing. As I mentioned during recruiting, I would rather not have anyone building up magical arsenals, but I’m open to constructive efforts within reason, especially those which might contribute to the stability and prosperity of your provinces.

Any other questions, feel free to ask, and I’ll answer as I’m able.

[Palanan]

So, first a brief overview of the basic geography, and then a bit more detail about lands, peoples, and their new rulers.


𑁍 𑁍 𑁍

The provinces you’ll be governing make up the borderlands of a region long controlled by the Empire, but separated from the Empire’s core territory by a long narrow sea, extending roughly from north to south.

The western shoreline of that sea has long been the boundary of the Empire’s old provinces, lands reaching further west to the capital city and the Empire’s ancient heartland. The western shoreline has been inhabited for thousands of years, with many villages and towns devoted to coastal trade; but only in recent centuries have ships ventured the cold currents and strange dense fogs of the narrow sea to explore the lands beyond.

The far northern end of that sea is fed by two great rivers running down from a forbidding landscape of cold mountains and deep chasms, isolated and rarely explored. Those mountains continue along the northeastern coastline of the sea, a jumble of high peaks and deep fjords, before running further inland and towards the south and east.

As the mountains continue inland, they expand into a region of highlands marked by a string of higher peaks, descending to the west into a series of ridges and foothills embracing a broad river valley, lush and fertile, which slopes gradually further west towards the coastline of the narrow sea. To the east of this great river valley, the mountains continue south, diminishing into a landscape of forests, folds and rocky hills, before spending themselves further to the south in a jumbled rocky plain.

South of that plain rises a region of semi-arid plateaus and rocky highlands, extending broadly to the south and southwest. There the coastline of the narrow sea reaches a rocky cape and bends sharply to the east, where a narrow shore beneath the highlands faces onto a broad southern ocean.

Beyond the range of mountains and highlands, a vast expanse of steppeland reaches far into the unknown east—for many centuries a source both of trade and waves of aggressive invaders. The steppelands are immense, home to nomadic tribes, thinly scattered settlements and countless strange creatures.

Somewhere beyond the eastern horizon of the steppes, a thousand miles and more from the border realms, lies a land of great kingdoms and exotic wealth—and for centuries the best of that wealth has trickled west along a slender network of trails, borne by caravans making their way through the perilous steppes towards the narrow rocky plain between the southernmost hills of the mountains and the steep cliffs of the southern plateaus. That narrow region is known as the Sulgu Gap, and the wealth of the eastern trade moves through that region on its way to ports and entrepôts on the eastern shoreline of the narrow sea, there to be loaded on ships crossing to the heartland of the Empire and regions beyond.


𑁍 𑁍 𑁍

In the far northeastern coastline of the narrow sea, where the cold water cuts deep between the mountains, the waters and high stonelands are known as the Fjordfells. Fishing-villages find what purchase they can along the waterline of the fjords, and the many rocky islands offshore are refuge to hidden bands of sea-raiders. Here the Lord Friso has been tasked to drive out the raiders and govern the folk of the fjords.

To the east and south, the rolling highlands and mountain-peaks are home to wild folk and a chain of proud dwarf-holds, as well as scattered towns and settlements in the valleys. Here the Lord Oddvarr is made governor, to rule equally over both dwarves and men.

Further to the south, rising to the east of the broad river-valley, the mountains are gentled into a folded landscape of forested ridges, countless dells and coombs, in which many odd creatures are found, in forms of both beast and man combined, as well as many homesteads and small settlements. Here the Lord Varhel is made governor, to bring peace and prosperity to all.

To the west of Lord Varhel’s domain is a region of rich piedmont and foothills, from which flow the many tributaries of the Kemat, the river which winds through the fertile lowlands further to the west until it meets the middle reaches of the eastern shoreline of the narrow sea. From time immemorial ancient kingdoms have held sway across this land, and it is now divided into two provinces, the wealthiest of all the Empire’s lands across the narrow sea. Aristocrats of the first rank of imperial families have long served as governors of these provinces, the most populous and productive of the eastern territories.

Their cities, temples, and peoples are too numerous to name; but in a lush valley hidden deep in the folds of the eastern piedmont, there is a community of monastics and spiritual seekers, many of whom have been touched in unearthly ways. Their protector is known only as Jonathon, rumored to be a half-spirit in man-form, and held to be a heretic by some; but his refuge is remote and not easily found, and few trouble those who dwell there.

To the south of Lord Varhel’s domain, where the forested ridges spend themselves in hilly outcrops and a rocky plain, the Sulgu Gap expands into a rolling landscape of dry grasses reaching further to the west, and here a string of towns carries the eastern caravans further towards the sea. Here Lord Gudfred is made governor, to defend the Sulgu Gap and ensure the trade is secure as it moves on to the coastal province encompassing the ports and entrepôts. That coastal province, though small, is second only to the lower Kemat in its wealth, and it too is ruled by scions of prominent imperial families.

East of the Sulgu Gap, as the land opens into the vast horizons of the steppes, the Empire has long tried to maintain control, and once a series of garrisons and settlements extended far into the east. But raiders, horse-tribes and fell beasts overran many of those settlements, until now only a single fortified outpost remains, over a hundred miles to the east of the Sulgu Gap. Once a lawless shell of a town, it is now ruled by the Lady Margrena, who allows many to dwell there who are fierce and wild; but the Lady metes out a justice equally fierce, and the outpost thrives as a bastion of trade.

To the south of the Sulgu Gap and the rolling plains, a realm of dry plateaus rises from the southeastern coast of the narrow sea and extends far into the east, a tough land inhabited by tough hillfolk of many tribes, who herd goats and worship strange gods at rough stone shrines. Here several retainers of the Empire have small districts they oversee, among them Lord Rickard, who is charged with maintaining peace among the local hillfolk and hunting the many bandits and renegades who have taken refuge in the rugged plateaus.

Between the southernmost plateaus and the waves of the southern sea extends a narrow strip of coastline, from earliest times home to a smattering of small seaports. This southern coast has long been dominated by the twin trading cities of Zinaj and Yasabat, each with great ziggurats that survive from forgotten empires. Here the Lord Korwin is made governor, to oversee these vital links in the Empire’s southern commerce and protect them from enemies across the far southern ocean.

There are smaller provinces and districts as well, each ruled by minor lords and other functionaries— some noble of birth and spirit, others less so. But they have all sworn to obey the Emperor and govern in his name…though how many will keep their oaths in the years to come, none can truly say.

.

[Metastachydium]

Alright. I'll need some time to process this properly, but that's just exquisite. Nothing short of what I've expected to see from you!

[Lord Bayushi]

As a visual learner, I officially request a map at some point, even if only something jotted down on paper and photographed. I can get the idea of the layout from what you have here, and the individual biomes, but not the spatial relationships.

Also, being a swathe of territories effectively cut off from the Empire proper, almost like isolated colonies rather than provinces, will make these regions heavily interdependent. There will almost certainly be political deals for mutual support and trade networks between each of our provinces out of the necessity of that isolation. Should some host appear from the 'unknown east,' we would be on our own for as long as it would take the Empire to ship forces across a sea, and should something impede trade or travel on said sea we would be equally alone.

Once we have a good idea of the economic assets of each province, we should probably begin establishing some trade and political networks.

[Athaleon]

Looks like Korwin may have to learn a bunch of Pathfinder's ship-themed spells, and will definitely have to get versed in maritime affairs and naval combat. Maybe I should tweak his backstory (and skillset to match) to reflect a naval rather than army background—it would help explain why he was made governor of that particular region.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Metastachydium
Alright. I'll need some time to process this properly, but that's just exquisite. Nothing short of what I've expected to see from you!

Thanks for the kind words, much appreciated.


Originally Posted by Lord Bayushi
As a visual learner, I officially request a map at some point, even if only something jotted down on paper and photographed.

Certainly understand, and I’m looking into map options. As with all the rest, it may be a minute.


Originally Posted by Lord Bayushi
Also, being a swathe of territories effectively cut off from the Empire proper….

Not at all cut off, since there are constant comings and goings from the ports on the coastline of the Kemat Valley region, as well as the entrepôts handling the caravan trade, plus commerce from the southern coastline as well.

The territories east of the narrow sea were relatively unknown several centuries ago, but even then there were cultural influences that crossed in the other direction, and the Empire has been in direct control of these regions for quite some time. The sea was forbidding to early mariners when they weren’t sure what lay beyond, but now the southern half is crisscrossed with trade lanes.


Originally Posted by Lord Bayushi
There will almost certainly be political deals for mutual support and trade networks between each of our provinces out of the necessity of that isolation.

To a degree, but it depends where and when. The border provinces were independent kingdoms for centuries before the Empire arrived, and for most of that time they were constantly fighting border wars. There is a great deal of animosity between certain quarters in each of these provinces, so that may be a complicating factor.


Originally Posted by Lord Bayushi
Should some host appear from the 'unknown east,' we would be on our own for as long as it would take the Empire to ship forces across a sea….

This is true enough, and for this reason the Empire attempted to establish agricultural colonies east of the Sulgu Gap. I’ll go into this in more detail later, but the Empire was very aware of the strategic concerns involving troops and supply lines, and wanted the colonies to produce surplus food for storage in support of military operations to pacify and secure the caravan routes.

That didn’t entirely work out as planned, and I’ll expand on this when I detail the individual provinces.


Originally Posted by Athaleon
Maybe I should tweak his backstory (and skillset to match) to reflect a naval rather than army background—it would help explain why he was made governor of that particular region.

I'm very comfortable with Korwin's background as it stands, at least in terms of his army background, and I wouldn't suggest changing it. The Empire has never been much of a naval power, and the army is where most of the aristocracy would naturally turn for military careers.

As for why Korwin was appointed to the southern coastal province, there are other factors that the Emperor and his ministers were considering. One personal benefit to Korwin is that Zinaj and Yasabat have an ancient tradition of astronomy and arcane lore, and while much of it may appear primitive or antiquated to such an educated gentleman, there may be revelations awaiting an open and inquisitive intellect.

.

[Dark_Archon_]

I support the map request. It will be very helpful. A brief history of those provinces would be useful also, to better assess political situation. And I'd like to know, what are the relations with those dwarf-holds. But all of that is probably under development, so no need to answer right now.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Dark_Archon_
I support the map request. It will be very helpful. A brief history of those provinces would be useful also, to better assess political situation. And I'd like to know, what are the relations with those dwarf-holds. But all of that is probably under development, so no need to answer right now.

As it happens, I’ve had a very kind offer from another Playgrounder to help me with working up a map. This will be dependent on everyone’s schedule, but it’ll be better than anything I could come up with on my own.

In the meanwhile, I have some deadlines and other RL issues crowding in on me. I’m continuing to develop the setting and the provinces as time allows. Please feel free to post questions or brainstorm as ideas come to you, and I’ll respond as I’m able.

[Dark_Archon_]

Yeah, real life always get in the way. Nevertheless, it’d also be nice to know something about demographics in provinces and theirs cultural and religious diversity, as it could be a great source of problems to solve. I also thought about dwarf population in Oddvarrs province to be mostly immigrants, settling when he became governor, to bring more tensions, but I don’t want to suggest anything that’s against your vision.

I’d also ask again about that item - Ring of Arming from Magic Item Compedium - if Oddvarr could get it, as I have 5k gold frozen :)

PS: As it is my 10th post, I add link to my character sheet.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Dark_Archon_
Nevertheless, it’d also be nice to know something about demographics in provinces and theirs cultural and religious diversity….

Working on all this, but as noted before, this will take a while, so please bear with me.


Originally Posted by Dark_Archon_
I also thought about dwarf population in Oddvarrs province to be mostly immigrants, settling when he became governor, to bring more tensions, but I don’t want to suggest anything that’s against your vision.

As it happens, Oddvarr’s province includes a number of dwarf-holds in the higher mountains which long predate the human kingdoms, and they have a deep and complicated history of their own.

That said, it’s also possible that once Oddvarr takes up his position as governor, additional dwarves may immigrate from elsewhere in hopes of benefiting from dwarf-friendly policies, causing tensions with both the settlers in general and the existing dwarf-holds as well.


Originally Posted by Dark_Archon_
I’d also ask again about that item - Ring of Arming from Magic Item Compedium….

Still need to think on this one, since the wording is a little vague. Will get back to you on this.

[Dark_Archon_]

Just writing some random thoughts. It needs time and much work, I know.



Still need to think on this one, since the wording is a little vague. Will get back to you on this.
Right, I’ll wait.

[Athaleon]

Looks like Korwin may have been chosen partly for his ability to handle competing priorities as well. The Empire has never been much of a naval power but it will now have to become one, if it plans to hold these new coastal territories and safeguard their shipping. A long-term project, to be sure, so I can assume it'll be on the back burner for now.

[Dark_Archon_]

The Empire has never been much of a naval power but it will now have to become one, if it plans to hold these new coastal territories and safeguard their shipping. A long-term project, to be sure, so I can assume it'll be on the back burner for now.
But you don't need to do it yourself. You could hire some privateers.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Athaleon
The Empire has never been much of a naval power but it will now have to become one, if it plans to hold these new coastal territories and safeguard their shipping.

Just to clarify, Lord Korwin’s coastal province has been under Imperial control for the past century or more, but the Emperor felt it was time for a change in management.

There are several primary trade routes which will become clear once we have the map (and more on that in a moment) but in general, it’s safe to say that while the Empire does have a maritime presence, it’s primarily coastal and focused on a few main shipping lanes. Governors have some latitude to build up their coastal patrols, although anything that starts to resemble a private warfleet may be frowned upon.


Originally Posted by Dark_Archon_
But you don't need to do it yourself. You could hire some privateers.

This is certainly one possibility.

Mu ha.


𑁍 𑁍 𑁍

So, I’ve been meaning to give everyone an update. I’ve been managing several pages of setting detail per day, but I’ve had some hard deadlines and other RL issues here lately. Also, here in the US we have something dark and cruel called Daylight Savings Time, and it’s really, thoroughly wrecked me this week. 0/10 stars, would not recommend.


𑁍 𑁍 𑁍

A couple things for both players and alternates:

1. I’ve roughed out a sketch of the provinces and their surroundings, and our friendly neighborhood cartographer will be working on that as time allows. If anyone would like to suggest any names for their provincial capitals and/or seats of local administration, I’m sure we can work those in.

2. Your current builds are at ninth level, but you were all appointed to your positions of governance in 854, when you were at seventh level. It makes sense that you might have followed different paths during your two decades as governors, so if you want to adjust your last two levels (eighth and ninth) according to how circumstances develop while governing, that would be fine. This is by no means a requirement, just an option to keep in mind.

3. I’m continuing to plow through the kingdom-building rules, but as noted earlier they’re more oriented towards initial founding and outward expansion, which doesn’t really fit here. I’m still mulling options and searching for examples of established kingdoms in play, which are curiously difficult to find. The quest continues, and in the meanwhile I’m hoping to have more background and details on the provinces up within a week or so.

[Lord Bayushi]

Also, here in the US we have something dark and cruel called Daylight Savings Time, and it’s really, thoroughly wrecked me this week. 0/10 stars, would not recommend.

Truly the most useless thing the US government enforces, and that is really saying something.


1. I’ve roughed out a sketch of the provinces and their surroundings, and our friendly neighborhood cartographer will be working on that as time allows. If anyone would like to suggest any names for their provincial capitals and/or seats of local administration, I’m sure we can work those in.

Godfred's people are very respectful of traditions, they wouldn't try to rename any of the existing cities, but might have some Nordic names for newly established castles, forts, etc.


2. Your current builds are at ninth level, but you were all appointed to your positions of governance in 854, when you were at seventh level. It makes sense that you might have followed different paths during your two decades as governors, so if you want to adjust your last two levels (eighth and ninth) according to how circumstances develop while governing, that would be fine. This is by no means a requirement, just an option to keep in mind.

Once you decide on how you are going to handle kingdom building/downtime rules, I may shift some Skill points around. Otherwise my build is likely to stay the same.


3. I’m continuing to plow through the kingdom-building rules, but as noted earlier they’re more oriented towards initial founding and outward expansion, which doesn’t really fit here. I’m still mulling options and searching for examples of established kingdoms in play, which are curiously difficult to find. The quest continues, and in the meanwhile I’m hoping to have more background and details on the provinces up within a week or so.

Looking forward to it. I will continue to lurk around until more information is available.

As a side note, I find it encouraging that you are taking your time and trying to get things right rather than out as quickly as possible.

[Metastachydium]

So, I’ve been meaning to give everyone an update. I’ve been managing several pages of setting detail per day,

That's quite the tempo! You're, like, good!


but I’ve had some hard deadlines and other RL issues here lately. Also, here in the US we have something dark and cruel called Daylight Savings Time, and it’s really, thoroughly wrecked me this week. 0/10 stars, would not recommend.

We have those too. Apparently, they've been set to get phased out for a while now, but sadly, it's yet to really happen.


1. I’ve roughed out a sketch of the provinces and their surroundings, and our friendly neighborhood cartographer will be working on that as time allows.

Nneat. Much looking forward to see the map.


If anyone would like to suggest any names for their provincial capitals and/or seats of local administration, I’m sure we can work those in.

Tempting, but I'm not sure I want to risk naming a settlement only to see it stick out like a sore thumb when I get to examine the lay of the land more closely (still, if you could give me some local toponymy to get a feel of it, I'd love to try my hand at that). There's something else pertaining to roughly the same context, nonetheless, that I'd be glad to see arranged if possible: the Lord Patriarch needs one of those large, terraced quarries that resemble amphitheatres (it's a Rite thing: an ideal place of worship is within the ground but under an open sky) or something like that; I therefore figured he would leave the former capital/equivalent thereof to its old masters and govern the realm from a repurposed mining town somewhere close to the province's centermost area (geometrically or logistically).


2. Your current builds are at ninth level, but you were all appointed to your positions of governance in 854, when you were at seventh level. It makes sense that you might have followed different paths during your two decades as governors, so if you want to adjust your last two levels (eighth and ninth) according to how circumstances develop while governing, that would be fine. This is by no means a requirement, just an option to keep in mind.

Noted and thank you!


3. I’m continuing to plow through the kingdom-building rules, but as noted earlier they’re more oriented towards initial founding and outward expansion, which doesn’t really fit here. I’m still mulling options and searching for examples of established kingdoms in play, which are curiously difficult to find. The quest continues, and in the meanwhile I’m hoping to have more background and details on the provinces up within a week or so.

That would be great, but, needless to say, proceed as you are able. We've all knowingly signed up for a no rush deal, after all.

[Palanan]

Hey, folks, this is your DM checking in.

I’m continuing to manage one or two pages of setting background a day, life allowing, but here lately life seems to be allowing less rather than more. Last week in particular really got away from me. Despite this I persevere.

Our friendly neighborhood cartographer has worked up a promising initial sketch of the campaign region, and the ball is very much in my court. Any delays on the map front are entirely mine, but I’m hoping we’ll be able to have an overall map in the next couple of weeks or so, schedules permitting.


𑁍 𑁍 𑁍

I’ve worked my way through the kingdom-building rules from Ultimate Campaign, and unfortunately they’re not what I’d hoped they would be. In keeping with their origin, they’re much more focused on carving a very small kingdom from raw wilderness than maintaining an established and much larger principality. We may end up using a modified version to build out your capitals and/or other significant locations, but the basic kingdom-building rules are a bit too cartoonish and abstracted to really do what I need.

Our friendly neighborhood cartographer has suggested a couple of alternative systems, and I’ll be looking into those as time and budget allow. Most likely I’ll focus on a narrative approach, with kingdom-building and/or alternative rules in a secondary role. As I’m developing the setting and its distinct regions, a lot of very specific elements and scenarios are resulting, and I’m thinking that we’ll spend a fair amount of time in the prologue phase, probably including some in-scene action for certain key years. In particular your first years in your provinces will likely be quite busy, as your provinces adjust (or don’t) to your rule—and vice-versa.


𑁍 𑁍 𑁍

Given this, what would be very helpful is if each of you could give me a character sheet representing your character at seventh level, when he or she was first appointed to rule your respective provinces or regions. I’d like this from both players and alternates, so I can be keeping level-appropriate challenges in mind as I continue developing the setting, the scenarios and the overall storyline.

Thanks to everyone for hanging in, and hopefully I can bring you folks a comprehensive map and more detailed provincial descriptions in the not-too-distant future.

[Lord Bayushi]

...what would be very helpful is if each of you could give me a character sheet representing your character at seventh level, when he or she was first appointed to rule your respective provinces or regions. I’d like this from both players and alternates, so I can be keeping level-appropriate challenges in mind as I continue developing the setting, the scenarios and the overall storyline.

What wealth level should we use? I was of the mind that most of my character's gear would be from his adventuring days, not taken from the wealth of his province over time. Also, the min-maxer in me is forced to ask if we can alter the order of feats taken, etc. in character creation, as I, for one, didn't really build my character with the need to function fully at lower levels in mind.


Thanks to everyone for hanging in, and hopefully I can bring you folks a comprehensive map and more detailed provincial descriptions in the not-too-distant future.

I believe that you are taking as much time as you can to work diligently. I, on the other hand, only have to wait patiently. Of the two of us, your task is more difficult. So thanks for continuing to work on this game and for the updates.

[Metastachydium]

Hey, folks, this is your DM checking in.

I’m continuing to manage one or two pages of setting background a day, life allowing, but here lately life seems to be allowing less rather than more. Last week in particular really got away from me. Despite this I persevere.

Let me tell you that I envy both your work ethics and your productivity!


Our friendly neighborhood cartographer has worked up a promising initial sketch of the campaign region, and the ball is very much in my court. Any delays on the map front are entirely mine, but I’m hoping we’ll be able to have an overall map in the next couple of weeks or so, schedules permitting.

Can we see the sketch? I'd love to see the sketch.


Given this, what would be very helpful is if each of you could give me a character sheet representing your character at seventh level, when he or she was first appointed to rule your respective provinces or regions. I’d like this from both players and alternates, so I can be keeping level-appropriate challenges in mind as I continue developing the setting, the scenarios and the overall storyline.

That shouldn't be too difficult; will do, and sooner than later.

[Athaleon]

Mine at least would be simple - 7th level Wizard. His build isn't broken or even made fundamentally different by removing his higher level feats and 5th-level spells.

[Metastachydium]

Alright, here's the young Lord Patriarch's 7th level version (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2777619). There's two small (or are they?) issues that still need figuring out:
1. accounting; shedding 23000 gp worth of gear might take a bit more time; and, more importantly,
2. the cohort. I shot myself in the foot there. When the Lord Patriarch assumed office, his current cohort, Leän was 5 years old. She does have a predeccessor in the backstory, but I never gave much thought to that grumpy dwarf's exact build and I'm not sure that's how cohorts work anyhow. Should I
2.1. just swap the 7th and 9th level feats and make do without a cohort; or
2.2. put together something for Level5!Nur Zhavad?

[Palanan]

Hey, folks, DM checking in. I appreciate the patience of everyone who’s here for the long haul.

I’m continuing to develop the setting and the storyline, and most days I’m able to get some work done on NPCs, locations and/or regional history. But after a couple months of working flat-out, I’m starting to run into some real creative fatigue.

My summer is also going to be very busy, with a fairly intense work schedule and a lot else going on. I’m going to continue working on the setting and plot details as often as I’m able, but it will be a while longer yet.

One thing that would help me very much is if each of you—provincial governors and alternates alike—could work up a short list of local leaders, appointed officials and other notables whom you would want to have working under you in your provincial administration, either in your local capital or elsewhere in your territory. This will help me greatly as I’m developing your provinces, and will give me a better feel for how you’ll implement your rule.

I know some of you have already been creative along these lines, and it would be extremely helpful for everyone to continue with that. I appreciate everyone’s patience in sticking with me, and I’ll be looking forward to see what you folks come up with.

[Metastachydium]

Many thanks for the update! For now, I can compile a list of the names I have so far (they are… Not all in the same place, so I suppose that might help) and start rounding out the established bodies (such as the Auditors and Gazophylacts), but in several other respects, a little more information would be helpful. I don't want to mess up what's done so far by accidentally making some major race present in the province an implied underclass (by assigning no functions to their members) or cretae, say, more Politans and Eparchs than the place has room for.

Edit: Oh, and I'd still appreciate some advice on my cohort conundrum of my Past!Bird.

[Lord Bayushi]

Good to hear from you, Palanan. I will repost my question from above for creating a lower level version of my character:

What wealth level should we use? I was of the mind that most of my character's gear would be from his adventuring days, not taken from the wealth of his province over time. Also, the min-maxer in me is forced to ask if we can alter the order of feats taken, etc. in character creation, as I, for one, didn't really build my character with the need to function fully at lower levels in mind.

I will try to find some time this weekend to list some local leaders/officials, as requested.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Metastachydium
Oh, and I'd still appreciate some advice on my cohort conundrum of my Past!Bird.

Will think on this and return with scintillating counsel, or at least something workable.


Originally Posted by Lord Bayushi
What wealth level should we use? I was of the mind that most of my character's gear would be from his adventuring days....

Go ahead and use standard WBL for seventh level. If there's something specific you'd like to include which puts you a little over the top, there's the possibility for a story-enabled exception.


Originally Posted by Lord Bayushi
Also, the min-maxer in me is forced to ask if we can alter the order of feats taken, etc. in character creation, as I, for one, didn't really build my character with the need to function fully at lower levels in mind.

If you want to tweak the order of certain feats that should be fine.

[Metastachydium]

Will think on this and return with scintillating counsel

The best kind of counsel, I say! Standing by.

[Athaleon]

Glad to see it's still going. I'll also need a bit of time to put together a team.

[Lord Bayushi]

I've added a link to the 7th lvl version of my character in my initial post. The original build was delicately balanced, and now the reduced version suffers greatly in most combat categories as a result, especially defensively. He won't be tanking anything at 7th lvl, at least not for long. Luckily, I was able to keep my battle bear, which is much better vs. 7th lvl challenges than 9th. Hide behind the bear, everyone.

I will find some time during the week for a list of local affiliates for my province.

[Dark_Archon_]

How many details would you like for those leaders? Only a list with names or something more? I've mentioned some in my characters backstory and can expand it.