History of Man -- Book 1: Westrun Part 13

Shortly after taking the High Throne in 4901, Favian III of Bolden began the Debtor Wars to extinguish the debts owed by the crown to the great lending houses of the Principalities of Vyruma Serpentis. This led to the subjection of the princes of that coastal land and their absorption into the Eight Kingdoms as the so-called Free Provinces. Favian was able to install Westrun barons over each of the provinces, promising them a lighter hand in their oaths of fealty than on the continent.

Favian was succeeded in 4921 by Timaldus of Treft. As High King Timaldus was called upon to settle the matter of succession in Collonia, for the last King (the son of Marten the Good) had died without an heir. So Favian created a Congregation of Nobles to appoint a Steward to rule until such time as an heir be found in Collonia. By this decision the fate of Collonia was sealed for many years.

In 4930 Gelder I the Paver of Bolden was sentenced to the High Throne. Gelder was named "The Paver" for the most ambitious and enduring project of the Eight Kingdoms Pact, the revitalization and expansion of the highway system in use during the Vyrum Empire. Under Gelder, every mile of the system was marked with sign showing the distance to Peakshadow. Every place where the highway crossed a river was spanned by a stone bridge, if not already. This ambitious project was carried out by grants in each kingdom simultaneously and managed from the capital using the same standard for construction. The success of this project made the High Throne an immensely popular force in Westrun. From nobility to merchants to peasants, all had recourse to the highways of their High King. Gelder died an untimely death the night following the completion of the last mile of road.

In 4946, Gelder II the Less began a project even more daunting than that of his father. He saw to the rivers and canals of Westrun, hoping to provide towpaths and quays where previously only footpaths had existed. Perhaps the project was overly ambitious, but it was not helped by the short reign of Gelder II who died in the Seige of Peakshadow during the Winter Rebellion.

 

During the Winter Rebellion, the Kings of Collonia and Balduren had withdrawn their troops garrisoned in Peakshadow to defend their own marches. Their action was swiftly followed by the monarchs of Rath, Menea, Treft and Saklan who did so in protest of shouldering disproportionate costs of the High Throne. Even the Steward of Bolden did not support his brother on the High Throne. Within a fortnight, all of Peakshadow was left to the Silver Swords Mercenary Company and those few soldiers still garrisoned in the city of the High King by the King of Talir.

To this day little is known about how the falling out occurred, but what is known is that the Talirean garrison turned on the Silver Swords after a night of some revelry. In response, the mercenaries besieged Sudhall Keep itself. The Winter Rebellion had begun as a protest of monarchs, but had metastasized into violent action that quickly claimed the life of the High King. While the City of Peakshadow never lost a day of commerce, many of the courtiers of Gelder were kept under house arrest until the Spring of 4950.

After a long Winter of protracted negotiations, the colonello of the Silver Swords, Cassirus, drunkenly declared himself High King of All Westrun from the parapets of Sudhall. In response to this declaration, the following morning 12 knights from the Grand Temple of Heaven arrived at the keep. Assuming the knights were there to continue the previous day's parley, Cassirus allowed them and their squires admittance. 

The knights informed the rebels that they were there to deliver justice, and proceeded to do so with alacrity. In the ensuing battle, all of the mercenaries were put to the sword, and by battle's end all but one of those delivering justice (a mere squire) lay dead or dying. The body of Cassirus was hoisted upon a pike in the throne room of the High King and his blood ran out upon his floors. A model of that gruesome death remains above the inner door to the throne room to this day.

The surviving squire was elevated to knighthood by the High Priest of the Grand Temple and the Order of the Dawn was founded that day. In the present time, all of its members are Paladins and are considered the strong right arm of the Patriarch of the Church of Westrun.

Larcus IV of Rath, sometimes sarcastically called Larcus the Liberator, arrived at Peakshadow's gates in the van of his own army, augmented by Southrun mercenaries. The bewildered citizens of Peakshadow (who did not know their city was in danger) did not forbid his entrance. He ceremoniously marched to Sudhall Keep and assumed control of the High Throne. After several days of negotiations with the Grand Temple, Larcus was declared the High King in 4950. Despite ruling as High King for twenty-seven years, his election was not ratified by a counsel of Kings until 4977. During that time, Larcus opened trade across the Rampart Mountains into Eastrun. By establishing the Peace of the Eastrun Bandits, his payments to the Daizu tribes meant overland shipments to and from the Empires of the East. Larcus' sentence was followed by that of Dane the Halfeleven of Saklan in 4980.

Like all of his sires, Dane was extremely long lived and believed to be of elven blood through Gladfiolas the son of a Elven King, and his human bride. Dane was extremely well-liked by the commoner and respected, if feared by the nobles.

After 100 years of incursions, he brokered a peace with the barbarians of Northrun which meant that Damon's Wall would be left unfinished and undiminished in Collonia and not expanded into Bolden.

He rode into battle at the head of his banners against the Goblins of the Rakag and is known for having put down Ferano's Rebellion in the Free Provinces. He also waged a sea war against the Eastrun pirates and sailed an armada to free the blockaded ports of Byza and Midir.

Dane sired many children, and thirty-eight sons. He ruled until 5010ey. 

There are some rumors that Dane Gladfiolas is still alive, but living in obscurity among his own kind, or else in some long forgotten noble house in Saklan. Others say he died at war at various times in the next eight decades. The truth is not known with certainty.

The Wars of Cinders and Silence: The Last Struggle of the Arcane

The Wars of Cinders and Silence, waged between 4992ey and 5046ey, were the series of escalating conflicts between rival wizards before the imposition of the Censure. These wars began as an outgrowth of the political contests between nobles who were employing battle mages in their retinues. As rivalries between the mages grew, their loyalties to the various lords were shifting and faltered. 

In time, these mercenary wizards were more concerned with the supremacy of their own magic than the political aims of their masters. This sometimes meant the wizards were more concerned with choosing opponents that boosted their reputation, rather than those whose defeat benefitted their lords. In time, the battle mages fought arcane contests without regard for the political alliances and rivalries of their employers. The resulting wars, spanning over five decades, saw the landscape of Westrun, and even beyond, scarred by the unchecked chaos of unregulated magic use.

What began as individual wizards battling for supremacy eventually evolved into a growing divide between two opposing schools of magical philosophy. The Pyromancers of Erenth, in league with the self-styled Archflame Vaelgor the Everburning, believed that magic should be a force of absolute power, wielded by those who could command it without restraint. Their ideology saw them forge pacts with infernal entities, trading their souls and servitude for devastating magical strength. In contrast, the generalist wizards, led by Archmage Ghrylan at the outset of the war, sought to maintain structure and discipline in the arcane arts, emphasizing controlled study and careful governance over magic’s destructive potential.

What began as minor eruptions between competing mages escalated into open warfare when, in 4992ey, a conclave of Pyromancers laid siege to the city of Alduldaros of Collonia, burning it to the ground in a single night. The battle mages, unable to ignore such unchecked destruction, retaliated with a devastating counterattack in 4995ey to erase the Archflame's stronghold at Ruinspire from existence —an act that would come to be known as the First Silence.

The Aftermath and the Censure

With the Pyromancers effectively eradicated and their infernal allies banished, the kings of Westrun and the remaining arcane order realized that such unregulated magic could no longer be tolerated. In 5046ey, the Censure was enacted, imposing strict controls over the practice of magic. Only those licensed by the Dweomersecte could lawfully wield the Art, and unregulated sorcery became punishable by death.

The war also marked a shift in magical philosophy. The Dweomersecte, once a loosely affiliated society of scholars, became the official governing body of magic in the Eight Kingdoms. The kings of Westrun, who had previously tolerated a wide range of magical traditions, now became strict enforcers of the Censure, fearing a return to the devastation of the past.

Legacy of the Wars

Though the Pyromancers of Erenth were eradicated, rumors persist that some survived in exile, hiding in the lawless wastes beyond the reach of the Eight Kingdoms. Meanwhile, the Dweomersecte’s dominance over arcane law continues to shape the world, with their authority growing even stronger in the centuries following the war.

The devastation of these wars serves as a cautionary tale for all practitioners of the Art—a reminder that magic, untethered by wisdom, is as much a force of ruin as it is of wonder.

Histories of the High Kings of All Westrun: V - High Throne Expanding

Era of the High Throne Expanding

4901 Favian III of Bolden

4921 Timaldus I the Sage

4930 Gelder I the Paver (Bolden)

4946 Gelder II the Less (Bolden)

4950 Larcus IV the Liberator (Rath)

4980 Dane I the Unnoticed

5010 Gelder V the Wise (Bolden)

5030 Alacan II of Menea

5036 Gregory of Rath

5048 Alfrend of Saklan

5070 Edwar of Menea

5088 Leltward of Talir

The Moon of Winter

Long ago, when the kingdoms of men were still young, a bitter and unrelenting winter descended upon the land. Crops withered under frost, rivers froze solid, and entire villages succumbed to the cold. The common people whispered of a curse cast by a lesser god, enraged by humanity. Desperate for salvation, the High King of the realm turned to the Grand Temple of Divines.

The priests, steeped in forbidden knowledge, revealed that a god named Vyel had been rebuffed by his one-time paramour - a half-mortal woman named Irenee, daughter of the Goddess of Night. Because Irenee would not continue to give herself to Vyel, he cursed all the land with perpetual Winter. 

The priests sent an emissary to convince Irenee to give herself again to Vyel, but Irenee fled far to the North to avoid such a fate. There she died atop a frost-bound glacier.  Before breathing her last, a single tear is said to have fallen from her cheek, and fell into a deep chasm becoming a precious gem -- the Moon of Winter. 

The stone was said to be like a piece of the moon itself, encased in flawless crystal. The priests of the Grand Temple claimed that giving this last tear of Irenee to Vyel would turn aside his wrath and release the curse of perpetual Winter upon the Eight Kingdoms.

The High King dispatched a company of knights to retrieve the Moon of Winter from its resting place in the frozen wastes of the north. After months of perilous travel, battling frost giants and evading packs of ravenous wolves, the knights found the gem guarded by a ghostly spirit—an avatar of the demi-goddess.

The knights, driven by loyalty to their king and the desperation of their people, deceived the goddess, seized the gem and began their return journey. The knights never reached Peakshadow. On the eve of their return, their camp was attacked in the Silverlode Mountains by a warband of orcs, led by a shaman named Gragrith Frostwalker. The orcs overwhelmed the knights in a brutal ambush.

Gragrith claimed the Moon of Winter as a prize, dedicating its moon-like glow to Gruumsh, the one-eyed god of orcs. When Vyel learned that his intended gift had been dedicated to Gruumsh, he forgot his wrath against humanity and went to war against Gruumsh. But the orc's god emerged the victor and Vyel was banished for 100 years from the mortal realm. The stone passed to Magrul Sharpfang and with him it remained -- a sign of his horde and a symbol of divine favor upon his line.

The Books of the Archflame of the Infernari vol. 10

• 4927 Saeed the Dark was the first of the Archflames to dabble in undeath. He believed that the source of undeath was called shadowflame. He openly consorted with negative plane influences. 

• 4943 Arecelos IV was a purist who denounced all reliance on extra-planar beings for power and advancement, believing that they should be mastered and subdued by practitioners of the arcane arts, not served. His followers referred to themselves as The White Embers.
  
  
• 4968 Belo the White was a disciple of Arecelos IV, Belo mastered the power to summon servitors from other planes, specifically the cacodemon. 
  
  
• 4992 Hu Lon was an Eastrun pyromancer, he successfully merged the elements of air and fire, super-charging both and introducing a set of spells which he infamously refused to share with others. Hu Lon also led the Infernari during the first part of the Wars of Cinders and Silence. Under Hu Lon, the Pyromancers laid seige to and eventually destroying Alduldaros of Collonia in Westrun. The Dweomersecte retaliated by destroying the Runespire of the Archflame.

Journal of Agronar

I take these blank pages from my hosts and begin my journal anew. The rest lay at the bottom of the Dagger Sea along with everything I held dear. When I have recovered fully, I will recreate what I am missing. Until then, I count from the night of my betrayal.

**Day 1, Knives at Night!:**

They tried to take my life on the open sea. The dagger missed its mark by inches, but the wound it left is deeper than flesh. The assassin—one of my own men. I trust no one now. I go to renew my oath, but the weight of betrayal shadows every step.

**Day 2, At Sea:**

After the assassin’s strike, I split his skull. There were too many of them. I had no choice but to slip overboard and leave the ship behind. The waters were colder than I remember, but I knew I must swim. It was the only way. More might have been watching, and I need time to think—time to decide my next move.

**Day 3, Near Dawn:**

I spent this day at sea. Hours passed, and I was weary. My muscles burned, but I did not stop. The stars above were my only companions, guiding me towards the coast. The salt stung the wound from the blade, but it kept me awake, focused. I knew I must survive this, even if it meant swimming until my strength gave out.

**Day 4, Midday:**

Land. It was distant, but I could just see it—a thin line on the horizon. I pushed forward, though my body screamed for rest. The goblins, the High King, even my own men—they all faded into the background. There was only the rhythm of the sea and the promise of solid ground ahead.

**Day 5, Early Morning:**

The sun rose, and with it came a small fishing boat. Crabs were their quarry, but they fished a half-drowned old man from the sea instead. They asked no questions, and I offered no answers. They took me aboard, fed me, and brought me closer to the shore. I kept my identity hidden. In their eyes, I am just another lost soul.

**Day 10, Noon:**

I walked away from the fishermen’s camp at first light. My uniform, soaked and ruined, lies buried beneath rocks near the shore. I’ve taken simple clothes from my hosts—a plain tunic, rough sandals. No one recognizes a General of Westrun in this guise. It’s better this way. Anonymity grants me the freedom to move unseen.

He recalled me to give an oath anew. I believe he hired the blades which sought to end my life.

I go now to confront him.

**Day 12, Nightfall:**

The road is long, the journey slow. I walk the High King’s Highway alone, the weight of each step reminding me of what I once was—and what I am now. The landscape is unfamiliar, but I keep moving, driven by something I cannot yet name. Every person I pass is a potential threat. I speak little, keep my head down, and move forward. The signs say I am ever closer to Peakshadow. The High King expects word of my death, but I wonder—what will his words be to me now?

**Day 17, Somewhere in Bolden:**

I walk with pilgrims. To Peakshadow I go.

**Day 20, Peakshadow:**

Peakshadow looms before me like a shadow from my past—its black towers piercing the sky, a monument to power and ambition. Tomorrow I will enter with the farmers at first light. The walls are as formidable as I remember, but the keep’s heart has grown cold since I last walked its halls. The streets leading to the keep are bustling, but I remain unnoticed, just another traveler beneath a hooded cloak. No one suspects that Agronar, once the sword of Westrun, now moves in the shadows of the ancient city.

**Day 21, Peakshadow:**

Through the teeming crowds and the endless refuse of the city. I realized I had forgotten its stench. It smells like betrayal and dishonest blood here. I stay on the terrace tonight. Tomorrow the Inner City. I am filled with conflict.

** Day 22, Peakshadow:**

Entering the High Keep was easier than it should have been. The guards are lax, more interested in their dice games than in watching who carries bread in through the gates. I walked with purpose, though I had none. Would I kill him who recalled me?

Marten was a king who understood the weight of the crown—a man who valued strength and honor, and who chose his generals not for their flattery. Under his rule, Westrun was worth fighting to preserve. Favian is no Marten.

I made my way through the keep’s labyrinthine corridors with ease. The servants avoided my gaze as I passed, sensing that I am not one to be trifled with. Finally, I reached Favian’s private chambers—a place that should be the seat of power, but which felt like an animal’s cage.

The door creaked open, and there he was—Favian, sitting at his desk, surrounded by scrolls and letters. He did not hear me at first. The light of his candle illuminated his rat face, casting long shadows that made him appear smaller, almost diminished.

When he finally noticed me, he did not react as I expected. There was no alarm, no call for the guards. Instead, he looked up with a mixture of surprise and something else—relief, perhaps? Or was it resignation? I couldn’t tell. He bade me sit, and I did, though I felt like a wolf in a sheep’s den. He spoke of duty, of the need to renew my oath. But as I listened, all I could hear was the fear in his voice.

In place of my oath, I gave my resignation and named him coward. I drew my dagger and watched him pale. I drove it into his desk, but even as I did so I was not sure it would not land in his skull of my own hand’s accord.

His was not the Westrun I fought for, nor the one I bled to defend. Favian accepted my imprecations with a coward’s tremble. There was no pride in his eyes, only the weakness of a man burdened by a crown too heavy for his brow.

I could not bear to spend another night in the city that houses his throne. I slept under the stars on a hill off the Highway. All night I heard the horses and riders… men I might have commanded… searching for me.

** Day 26, Somewhere in Rath:**

The road back to the Goblin Kingdoms stretches before me. My heart is heavy with doubt. I journey with the knowledge that this Westrun is no longer the kingdom I fought to build.

The Debtor’s War they call it. They say I tamed the Provinces, but did it to avoid the King’s default. Is this how I will be remembered?

The Hall of Splendor seems a distant dream now, a relic of a time when our victories meant something. What lies ahead is uncertain, and for the first time in my life, I find myself questioning whether the path I tread is the right one.

**Day 31, Somewhere in Treft:**

He would have had my oath renewed. He threw it away. The High King looked me in the eye and lied that his purse bought the blade. I saw the truth. Did he question my loyalty after all these years? Or did he suspect I might snatch his Kingdom from him? I return to the Goblin Kingdoms – to the last place things made sense.

I am too weak to travel long this way. The cough will not leave my lungs. My fever comes and goes.

**Day 33, At Sea:**

I chartered a boat after selling the ring of my office. The sea is calm, yet I cannot shake the unease within me. My dreams are haunted by the faces of the fallen—those I’ve led into battle, those who trusted me. I should be eager to reclaim our lost lands, but all I feel is a gnawing dread.

Sleep brings no rest. I am cold no matter how many blankets I use.

**Day 40, The Goblin Kingdoms:**

We’ve landed, but the news is worse than I feared. All my gains, all the blood and sweat spent—lost. The goblins are stronger than before, as if mocking my efforts. I bartered a sword from my captain. It feels heavier every day. Perhaps it is the weight of futility.

**Day 46, The Hall of Splendor:**

I am back in the Hall of Splendor, but there is no joy in these walls. The names of my fallen companions echo in the silence. We built this place as a testament to our victories, but it feels more like a tomb. I fear I will join them soon.

The fire cannot touch the chill in my bones. I hear whispers all around me. I thirst.

 

**Day 47, The Hall of Splendor:**

Last night, I sat before the statue of Sir Edric the Valiant. His deeds are carved in stone, immortalized for all to see. The Siege of Bloodridge—none fought harder, none bled more for victory than he did. He held the line when others faltered, his courage unbreakable. I led the charge, but it was Edric who inspired the men to follow. I feel small before his memory, a shadow of the man who once commanded such loyalty.

**Day 48, The Hall of Splendor:**

I spent the morning in the crypt, where the remains of Lord Elowir rest. The Shield of Westrun, we named him. He defended the retreat at Iron Pass, his company holding back the goblin horde while the wounded escaped. His sacrifice saved hundreds, yet I feel unworthy to stand beside his memory. He was the embodiment of selflessness and honor, virtues that now seem foreign to me.

**Day 49, The Hall of Splendor:**

Today, I knelt before the shrine of Toran the Unyielding. The Battle of Thundertop—how he laughed in the face of death, charging into the heart of the enemy with nothing but his warhammer and a fierce grin. He never knew fear, not even in his final moments. I gave the orders that day, but it was Toran who made victory possible. How can I, weakened and doubting, hope to match his indomitable spirit?

**Day 50, The Hall of Splendor:**

I visited the tomb of Seralo the Whisperblade. He commanded the scouts and raiders. His blade struck down the Goblin we called Ironsleeves. His skill was unmatched, his loyalty beyond question. I depended on him in countless battles, yet now, as I sit among these heroes, I feel like a fraud—an old man clinging to past glories while the present crumbles around me.

**Day 51, The Hall of Splendor:**

As I walk these halls, I am haunted by the faces of my fallen companions. Their exploits are legends, their sacrifices the foundation upon which Westrun was built. And yet, here I am, feeble and fading, unable to live up to the legacy we forged together. I was their general, their leader, but I no longer feel worthy of the title. They gave everything, and now, as I falter in my final days, I wonder if I truly gave enough. The weight of their memory is more than I can bear, and in their company, I feel only inadequacy.

**Day 52, The Goblin Kingdoms:**

My body fails me. The strength I once commanded is gone. Every movement is a reminder of the years that have passed, and the victories that now seem so hollow. The men whisper of my decline, and I can see the doubt in their eyes.

**Day 55, The Hall of Splendor:**

I tried to rally the troops today. I could see them on every hill, but they would not approach. My words fell flat, as lifeless as the stones of this hall. The men follow me out of duty, not respect. Perhaps that is all a man can hope for in the end. But I had hoped for more.

My fever robs me of rest. I cannot hold food.

**Day 58, The Hall of Splendor:**

Goblins probe. I will fight bravely. Perhaps they are wiser than I. I once thought I could conquer the world. Now, I struggle just to hold on to what little remains.

**Day 59, The Hall of Splendor:**

My sword arm is useless. I sit here, surrounded by the memories of what was, knowing that I will not be remembered for what could have been.

**Day 60, The Hall of Splendor:**

I have given everything, and now I have nothing left to give. The Hall of Splendor, once a beacon, now feels like a prison. They taunt me. Something prevents entry.

I have no water left.

**Day 61, The Hall of Splendor:**

No relief is coming. I am to hold the line until the end. So be it. I will die here, among the stones we built with our hands, in the company of ghosts. I only hope that death comes quickly, for I have already lived too long.

**Day 62, The Hall of Splendor:**

The end is near. I can feel it in my bones. The goblins will overrun me soon, and yet I think I will not live to see it. I die faster than they can gather courage. Perhaps that is a mercy. I have spent my life in the service of Westrun, and what do I have to show for it? A broken body, a shattered dream, and a hall that will soon be nothing more than ruins.

---

Remember me thus… I am Agronar, Loyal Soldier of Westrun. I fought with honor, but lived to die with regret. I fought with heroes.

Roll 006

4520    Biorn

Then came Biorn

4556    Sarik

Then came Sarik.

The Fergus Codex: Law VII -- Concerning Marriage

Vyrum Law

Only the prince may have more than one mate; and only the prince may have a mate who shares an ancestor within three generations. 

Law of Fergus 4275

We desire that the customs of marriage be preserved in each kingdom and held inviolable by the other kings and their faithful lords. Neither daughters nor wives shall be carried off, lest the offender be treated as evil. Yet a couple may enter elopement and after seven years be treated as if a valid contract were made.

Law of Fergon 4301

We desire that each woman enter marriage with the maiden fee paid to her father, and that a dower be drawn from that sum and entrusted to her, to maintain her in widowhood. To that dower the husband will add an annual stipend for seven years, and to it he shall also add again the maiden fee first paid for any infidelity.

Law of Fergus II 4328

We desire that each man who sires a bastard must see to the upkeep of mother and child or else be fined the tenth part of his income until the bastard reaches his 18th summer. 

Law of Wald 4422

We desire that each woman put away by her husband be given her dower whole, and the same sum again in silver for her maintenance. But that her children must not become bastards thereby, nor lose their right to inherit. But a woman put away on account of infidelity shall not be entitled to the sum.

Law of Marten 4858

We recognize that the contract of marriage may not be valid without the express consent of the intended husband and wife. No man may become a husband before his 18th harvest and no maiden before her 16th with a visible flowering evidenced by blood.

Law of Gelder 5011

A contract which promised a maiden, but which was not delivered as such, shall be considered without force.

The Fergus Codex: Law V -- Concerning Crimes Felonious and Petty

Vyrum Law

The crimes of treason and murder are abominable and shall be avenged by the Range in which they occurred. Kinslaying is an abomination which must be punished by the faction which suffers the loss. Save that for all offenses, hallowed ground may offer safe haven to all those who seek its protection. 

Law of Fergus 4275

We desire that the crime of harboring those who have committed treason or murder shall be punished in like manner as the abominable crimes. For sanctuary can only be found on hallowed ground by a Priest. 

Law of Fergon 4301

We declare that nothing shall prevent a lord from seeking his own justice, if he is the victim of any abominable crime, regardless of where the crime occurred. Moreover, the crimes of robbery and theft shall be be worthy of maiming on the second offense, and considered abominable only upon the third offense. Moreover, no one who has stolen only food or water shall be guilty of robbery or theft if they have passed at least three towns without receiving any by begging.

Law of Etru 4376

We desire that to the abominable crimes of treason, robbery, murder and theft are to now added the crimes of counterfeiting, forgery and arson upon the second offense. For all abominable crimes a debt of silver may also attach and ransom accepted in lieu of punishment.

Law of Wald 4422

We desire to clarify that crimes can only be committed abominably when exercised against someone of equal or greater station: 

• Treason is the taking of arms by vassal against his lord, or else plotting with others to do the same. 
• Robbery is the unjust taking of property by force of arms, but shall not include the lawful spoils of war. 
• Murder is the unwarranted taking of a man’s life by a person outside of his family, except under a flag of war. 
• Theft is the unjust taking of property by deception, subterfuge or cloak of darkness, 
• Counterfeiting is the attempt to pass some material thing as an item of higher value by concealing its true nature. 
• Forgery is the attempt to pass as legitimate, the illegitimate seal or signature of a lord or noble house. 
• Arson is the burning of property belonging to another, or endangering the property of others by uncontrolled burning. 

Law of Marten 4858
We desire that the protections of forgery be extended to duly chartered companies, orders and factions which are enrolled with either the Devout Order of Clerics Regular of the Penitent Knights of Poverty, or of any of the noble banking houses. 

Law of Gelder 5011
We desire that Treason also be defined so as to include murderous threats breathed against any King, and affirmation of the same either by word or silence. 

Law of Thelstan 5108

We decide that the following offenses may only be punished as petty crimes in accordance with local customs: 

• Any abominable crime committed against someone of lesser station. 
• Assault 
• Bastardy 
• Bigamy 
• Excessive Indebtedness 
• Disturbing the Peace 
• Drunkenness 
• Riotous assembly 
• Oath-breaking 
• Poaching 
• Rape 
• Slander 
• Slave-dealing 
• Tax avoidance 
• Trafficking stolen property 
• Vagrancy 
• Witchcraft 

Law of Halinard 5285

Because Bounty Hunting is a dangerous profession, but one that is necessary for the good order of all societies and the protection of nobility everywhere, we therefore, bind ourselves to the institution and protection of the articles instituted by the Bounty Hunters Guild.

The Fergus Codex: Law III -- Concerning Titles and Coat of Arms

 Vyrum Law
The Prince is the lord paramount and known by his title of property and by the coat of arms which he bears. These he shall have the right to pass to whomsoever of his faction can properly inherit them.

Law of Fergus 4275
We desire that Princes should pass their worldly titles and goods according to custom. That sons should inherit in the order of their birth, but if no sons be found, then the sons of the sons, in the order of their birth. But if neither sons nor sons of sons be found, then the sons of the son's sons.  If none be found in that line, then brothers of the Prince in the order of their birth, but if no brothers be found, then the nephews of the Prince in the order of their birth, then the uncle and male cousins and male distal cousins. Yet we will not prohibit the curious customs of Saklan, nor that of the Kings of Balduren, Treft and Talir, which shall be in force in their kingdoms.

Law of Wald 4422
We desire that men of noble bearing have the same protection of title and arms that are due the Kings of the realms. That those which are land lords and who have kept their domains current with respect to taxes will not be dispossessed of title, arms and lands upon the death of their leige.

Law of Damon 4449
We declare that in cases among kings, where no heir can be found, it shall fall to the High King to determine who shall ascend to their vacant throne.

Law of Marten 4858
We desire that men of gentle bearing have the same protection of title and arms that are due the noble men of the realms. That they are likewise unharmed as land lords over any estates they hold, upon the death of noble men. We find also that the Captain's privilege as understood by the Vicenary Ports is incorporated into these laws.

Law of Gelder 5011
We decide that in cases among noble men, where no heir can be found, it shall fall to the king of the realm to determine who shall inherit the vacant manor and titles.

The Fergus Codex: Law II -- Concerning Principalities

Vyrum Law
The Prince occupies the place of honor and has no rival to his authority. He acts to shelter and support, serving as both father and mother to the masses. As his children the masses must be loyal and filial. Should they cherish wickedness and have rebellious hearts, they will offend the order established by heaven itself. 

Law of Fergus 4275

We desire that the Prince of Peakshadow shall only be seen as the first among princes. As the first among equals, he is able to judge among them for any disputes he shall be invited to hear. 

Law of Fergon 4301
We declare that whenever matters are in dispute among princes that only one party to the dispute must request a hearing for the Prince of Peakshadow to hold court. 

Law of Wald 4422

We acknowledge that the masses have no champion greater than the Prince of Peakshadow, and their mistreatment shall be as an affront to his throne. 

Law of Damon  4449

We recognize that the right to rule proceeds from heaven and to those princes who bear that divine right, and whom we now name Kings. We now name the Prince of Peakshadow as the High King. Beneath us are other noble classes, owners of estate and means, who along with kings rule the masses, but only when invested by kings with the divine right to do so. 

Law of Marten 4858

We specify that precedence shall be given to Kings and then Princes and all manner of royalty which are descended from them as custom shall allow. Next in precedence are the noble classes which rule over duchies and counties and baronies who shall in no way be denied the right of their stations and names. 

Law of Gelder 5011

We declare that inasmuch as the Patriarch has given places of honor above what is common to members of his ignoble clergy, we also deem that by acts of valor and other greatness, Princes may likewise elevate certain men to this gentle station. Such men shall in no way be denied the right of their stations and names. 

Law of Thelstan 5108

We recognize that when men of noble station are not on hand to make knights of the valorous and great, that other knights shall not be forbidden from doing so, as they are often the only witnesses to such acts as are deserving, and that this is in keeping with the most ancient of customs. In any case, we declare that it shall fall to men of nobility to ratify that which is recognized on the fields of glory.

The Tandis Lists: List XVIII

 The Tandis Lists are the compiled lists of all of the Old Bears since the First Gathering of Rangers in 3278ey. They are kept by Tandis of Peakshadow -- a well-respected historian of the Fraternity.

In the 49th century there was:

4948 Hansor who fought in the armies of Agronar the Ghost King.

4958 Ravenslan who was the first of the White Robes to become a Ranger and hold membership in the Fraternity and the Continuum simultaneously.

4968 Mahuud of Kalani 

4978 Grok the Betrayer who was of goblin blood and was slain.

4988 Selibrindor

The History of Dane Halfelven

This is the history of Dane Gladfiolas, called Halfelven.

Dane of Saklan was sentenced to the high throne in 4980ey succeeding Larcus IV.

Like all of his sires, Dane was extremely long lived and believed to be of elven blood through Gladfiolas the son of a Elven King, and his human bride. Dane was extremely well-liked by the commoner and respected, if feared by the nobles.

After 100 years of incursions, he brokered a peace with the barbarians of Northrun which meant that Damon's Wall would be left unfinished and undiminished in Collonia and not expanded into Bolden.

He rode into battle at the head of his banners against the Goblins of the Rakag and is known for having put down Ferano's Rebellion in the Free Provinces. He also waged a sea war against the Eastrun pirates and sailed an armada to free the blockaded ports of Byza and Midir.

Dane sired many children, and thirty-eight sons. He ruled until 5010ey. He was succeeded by Gelder V.

There are some rumors that Dane Gladfiolas is still alive, but living in obscurity among his own kind, or else in some long forgotten noble house in Saklan. Others say he died at war at various times in the next eight centuries. The truth is not known.

The History of Larcus IV

This is the history of Larcus IV the Liberator.

Larcus of Rath was sentenced to the high throne in 4950ey succeeding Gelder II.

Larcus ruled while his father, Larcus III, still sat upon the throne of his own realm, Rath. This remained a source of great controversy throughout his first sentence, for while his father had first abdicated in favor of the son, once the latter was seated upon the High Throne the father took up his crown again. This lead many to assume that Larcus IV would be a puppet of the designs of the King of Rath. It was not to be, however.

Larcus proved himself a fair and just High King, brokering great peace with the Eastrun bandits and opening trade to the many princes of Southrun.

Larcus sired but one child, a son. He ruled through three sentences until 4980ey. He was succeeded by Dane Gladfiolas.

Larcus died along with his father in a tragic hunting accident in the year 4986ey after having returned peaceably to Rath.

The History of Gelder II the Less

This is the history of Gelder II, oft called the Less.

Gelder II of Bolden was sentenced by his fellow monarchs in 4946ey, succeeding his father Gelder the Wise, upon the elders death.

Gelder the Less showed none of his fathers able skill at administration, nor in dealing with the pride of his vassal monarchs. A bitter disappointment to all, Gelder II was said to be likely to suffocate without a valet to remind him to breathe.

Gelder sired three children but no sons, though he married no fewer than eleven times and survived each wife's untimely death. He ruled until the election of 4950ey, finishing only his father's reign before being deposed by after a lengthy seige of Peakshadow by the Southern Kingdoms and Rath in the Winter's Rebellion. His reign was but 4 years long. He was succeeded by Larcus IV.

He died in relative anonymity while enjoying a sort of retirement enforced by his younger brothers, who had seized most of the power in Bolden.

The History of Gelder I the Paver

This is the history of Gelder I the Paver.

Gelder of Bolden was sentenced by his fellow monarchs in 4930ey, succeeding Timaldus I.

Gelder the Wise was a cunning ruler and a gifted administrator who resolved many of his predecessors conflicts and is said to have avoided twice as many of his own. The Eight Kingdoms showed great growth and prosperity and the High King's Highway was begun and finished under the able hand of this one monarch.

Gelder was an accomplished sage and a master of many tongues. It is said that Gelder read until the late hours of every night and still rose before most of his servants to ponder the ledgers and scrolls that begged his attention. His love of learning was eclipsed by nothing, though its closest competition was said to come in the form of female companionship. Still, it took only the promise of an unread tome to pry him from the company of wanton women.

Gelder sired six children and five sons and as many as fifteen bastards, though he was married but once. He ruled until his death (of the Trollop's Madness and attendant fever) in 4946, making his reign but 16 years long. He was succeeded by Gelder II the Less, his eldest son. 

The Tragedy of Agronar the Conquerer

This is the history of Agronar, Conqueror and Ghost King, tamer of the Principalities of Vyruma Serpentis and scourge of all its Black Princes.

In 4902ey the Eight Kingdoms were at last united, not only in name, but in practice. Favian III had succeeded Marten the Good, also called the Pauper King, to the High Throne and had become the liege lord of the Eight Kingdoms. The Northruners had been beaten and driven afar off. The hordes were cowed, as well. So there was peace across all of the Eight Kingdoms.

At that time, across the narrow Sea there was a vast land on the edge of Eastrun which traded with Westrun and Eastrun alike. It was the home of the Principalities of Vyruma Serpentis -- these were the human domains which had been raised on the last of the old Dragon Kingdoms which themselves had once ruled all Erenth. And the wealth of these domains was without peer for they often sold slaves and hired out mercenaries to kings of all lands. These people were also great exporters of dyes and of spices from around the world. More importantly Vyruma Serpentis was home to the great lending houses of old which had lords great and small in their debt.

The Principalities had grown fat during all the war years of the Eight Kingdoms for their houses had provided many of their wares to the High King. Agronar had been a general of good King Marten at that time, and having earned the fealty of both Collonia and Balduren, was called the General of All the Armies of Westrun. He was recalled to Peakshadow and returned at the vanguard of a massive fleet. It anchored off of the shores of Bolden and a large parade conducted him to the Silver Keep in Peakshadow, City of the High King. There he did obeisance to the new king, Favian.

Though Favian was pleased that the Goblins had been vanquished, the Northruner driven off, and the Eight Kingdoms finally united, he was nervous about the return of the general. For Agronar had a massive army which still numbered in the tens of thousands, and a vast allegiance with the Lances which had won Balduren and the Rangers which had won Collonia. His ships filled the harbor of Bolden so that a man standing on the shore could not see the horizon. It is known that even the slave armies and mercenaries of Vyruma Serpentis had grown to love Agronar their general, and were loyal to him beyond what money could pay. All of this greatly discomfited Favian, who desired Agronar dead.

And Favian was also a greedy man who loathed to pay the debts that the Throne had incurred. For while good King Marten had made regular payments, he had done little to diminish the principle of his debt. And though Favian collected the shield money from his Eight Vassal kings, he would not part with it and be called the Pauper King as his predecessor had. So Favian did not repay the moneylenders of Vyruma Serpentis. Many threatening letters were sent by the Principalities to the High Throne, until the High Throne was pressed on all sides by those calling for repayment.

So it was that Favian declined payment, and instead he brazenly demanded tribute from the Principalities that he claimed was overdue. Favian asserted that he had spared Vyruma Serpentis from the goblin hordes and that the money he owed the great lending houses should be paid by their own Princes. But these Black Princes protested, saying that the Narrow Sea had saved them from the hordes which had never threatened their lands at all. They were swift to point out that the goblins knew nothing of shipbuilding. Moreover, the Princes said, the Narrow Sea was the border of Westrun and Eastrun, and as such, they were subjects of Eastrun from old, and had no part of Westrun, at all.

So the High King answered saying, "If you be subjects of Eastrun, let Eastrun defend you." Now Favian had spent much of his youth in Eastrun and knew well the politics of those dynasties. He knew that Vyruma Serpentis was a holding of theirs in name alone and one they would not march to defend. So then Favian III, High King of Westrun went to war with the Principalities of Vyruma Serpentis. With the idea of war, he was greatly pleased. For he thought to diminish the armies of General Agronar and also to renounce the debt he owed the lending houses. It seemed to him that war might accomplish both.

Now Agronar was no fool, but he was loyal to his oath and landed his ships in the Principalities of Vyruma Serpentis and marched first to the Old City of Calta and demanded their surrender. When they would not, he sent his first general over the wall and narrowly defeated the guard which held it. With the gates opened to him, the wrath of Agronar was swift and sure, such that in Old Calta, no two stones remained atop one another, except the White Tower of Ris which was left as a monument of his conquest.

And bypassing the fiery darts of Old Cieral, the next city that Agronar came to was Old Dovaris. As the city prepared for seige, some of the mercenaries of that city remembered the general that they had loved, and opened the gates to him and joined his army, once more. So Agronar broke his first seige in less than a day and the cities round about quickly surrendered. And many of the people of Vyruma Serpentis were pleased for they had long languished under their Black Princes corruption.

So then Agronar went, Prince by Prince and province by province, until all was vanquished. Many more doors were opened to him, but some where not and these battles took many lives and many months. So that for 7 years the general was engaged in the art of war until at last the work was done. At the Battle of Seabird Bay he threw down the last of his opponents and tamed the Principalities and named them the Free Provinces of Westrun and appointed new lords and forbade to them the building of walls. He took from each of them the Oath of Everlasting Fealty and from that day forward the mountains called Rampart were reckoned the border between Westrun and Eastrun.

And Agronar was greatly loved though he was a conqueror. News of his exploits had reached the Eight Kingdoms so that men there were filled with great love for him. And banners began to be hung announcing that he should be made King. And many thought that he would return and throw down the rule of Favian, who they named the Tax Collector.

But Agronar's ship, the Waves Whisper, was lost at sea in 4909ey and did not return to Bolden. Many weeks later it was seen adrift and towed to port. All those aboard, the General, his Captains and Lieutenants were missing. The Captain and its crew, sailors and soldiers alike were dead, though their bodies did not show sign of violence. Some believe that the Black Princes had arranged for his death, for what they cannot achieve by war, they have long been rumored to accomplish through treachery. His ghost ship was burned at sea, for it was called cursed.

Ever after Agronar became known as the Ghost King, for his banners still flew in the Eight Kingdoms and people loved him all the more in death than they had in life. For all his schemes and taxes, Favian could not kill the ghost which haunted the rest of his reign.

The History of Timaldus I the Sage

This is the history of Timaldus I.

Timaldus of Treft was sentenced by his fellow monarchs in 4920ey, succeeding Favian III the Severe.

Timaldus sired eighteen children and six sons with as many wives. He ruled until the election of 4930, making his reign 10 years long. He was succeeded by Gelder the Wise.

Timaldus returned to Treft and wrote several tomes regarding politics and diplomacy which are still highly regarded, before his death some years into his dottage in 4977ey.

The History of Favian III

This is the history of Favian III, called the Severe.

Favian of Bolden was sentenced by his fellow monarchs in 4901ey, succeeding Marten the Good.

He inherited a Throne which was deeply in debt from the prosecution of Marten's twin wars against the Northruner and the Goblins. While the defeat of those two armies meant a time of great peace and prosperity for all of the Eight Kingdoms, Favian's inability to tax this prosperity directly put the treasury in dire straights.

Favian eventually went to war over the issue of debt with his principal lenders, the principalities of Vyruma Serpentis. After seven years of battles, placed them all under his subjection and greatly expanded the borders of Westrun, such had not been seen since the annex of Collonia.

Favian sired six children and two sons with his wife who died birthing his last. Favian ruled until the election of 4920, making his reign 19 years long. He was succeeded by Timaldus I.

Favian died on the throne of Bolden shortly after the sentencing of Timaldus in 4922ey.

The History of Marten I

This is the history of Marten the Good, also called the Pauper King.

Marten Rigel was King of Collonia until he was sentenced to the Throne, the first of that realm to have done so. He ascended to the High Throne in 4850ey, succeeding Milytus II. It is said that his great popularity was due not only to his own benevolence but in surrounding himself with lords and generals of great ability and benevolence of their own.

While his reign was long it was financially strained by the prosecution of two wars -- one against the Northrun clans and another against Goblin Hordes. Marten is credited with healing the rift that had separated Balduren from the other realms and by enlisting the help of the Lances to his aid. He also gave aid and succor to the Rangers of the Fraternity and was able to bring them into the cause of the High Throne.

Marten is also sometimes called Marten the Mason, for he commissioned the Great Wall which began to be built on the Northern frontiers of Collonia and was to stretch to the Narrow Sea.

He died, old and infirmed, just one year into his sixth sentence in 4901ey and was succeeded by Favian III.