History of Man -- Book 1: Westrun Part 10

In 4204ey, barely 14 years after the War of the Half-goblin Kings, the Goblins were again rallied to the cause of sacking Westrun in the Great Goblin War. Under Bariq Broketooth, the goblins pushed the cavalrymen of Balduren behind their walls and made incursions in force beyond the Saar Mountains. Not since the retaking of Ald Morin one thousand years before had the people of Westrun known such fear. A combined army of the Earls of Westrun managed to push the Goblins back onto the Southwestern Plains, where they could only prey upon the people of Balduren.

To commemorate the victory over the Goblins, Simmon the Builder, High Priest of the Decadon commissioned the expansion of the Grand Temple in Peakshadow in 4211ey, a project intended to take ten years. From the start, the expansion project would be plagued by material shortfalls, weather delays and accidents. These setbacks would continue for the next 160 years. Many in Peakshadow claimed the Dwarves of Oromir were jealous of the grand edifice that mankind was creating and sabotaged the work. No evidence for this was ever found.

In 4224ey, animated with a religious fervor, the Goblin armies returned with the so-called Chanters' War. The goblins took for their standard a crude depiction of the Collosus at Talir, believing it to be the god of their people and a marker of their rightful home. The goblins believe that a certain war chant renders them all but invulnerable. 

Their forces drove hard to retake and resettle Edgewater Fortress, which once stood within view of the great statue. They had a prophecy which said if they could retake their ancestral home, it would never again be lost to them. Once again a combined army of the Westrun Earls repelled the goblins. This time an alliance with the Marksmarshall of Balduren saw the goblins driven back behind the Graymantle Hills far in the West.

In 4236ey Fergus the Lame, youngest son of Ferag, Lord of Sudhall stood to inherit his father's house. His older brothers having been slain in the Chanters War, Fergus set out from Sudhall to see the ratification of a new pact to join all of Westrun together. He began with only one nominal supporter -- Jarl Rigus of Wanderhalt who still owed fealty by five hundred year old oath and intermarried blood. Fergus promised Rigus (his distant cousin) that the latter would be released from his oath, if the pact cannot be ratified by five others within five years.

4238ey Fergus won an official finding from the Grand Temple of Heaven that Heimos is no longer ruling the Eight Kingdoms through his vassals, the twenty-five Earls. Therefore mankind had the right to recognize mortals as Kings once more. 

In 4240ey Fergus began the Wars of Ascension. These were a series of low-level conflicts and confrontations that eliminated minor tribes and smaller kingdoms across Westrun, while ratifying and providing legitimacy to larger ones. Rather than set himself up as a conqueror, he extracted oaths of loyalty from those he defeated. They were not loyal to him nor to his line, but to a five-part pact of mutual defense. 

Within 10 years the Eight Kingdoms Pact joined the kingdoms of the Boldish, Rathors, Menes and Saks to those of Talir and Treft. It also recognized the Jarl of Wanderhalt and the Marksmarshall of Balsrest as Kings of much wider expanses called Collonia and Balduren.

In 4266ey after nearly fifteen years of negotiation and disputation, Fergus was elected as the first High King of Westrun -- a largely titular office with only theoretical power.

4272ey saw the Edict of Artifice issued by the Priesthood of the Grand Temple of Westrun and this sent shockwaves into the newly formed Eight Kingdoms Pact as the men of Balduren and Collonia did not recognize the Grand Temple, nor its Decadon.

4286ey Fergon succeeded his father as High King of Westrun -- a title still spoken with something of a smile. 

The Second Book of Compiled Appendments of the Eight Kingdoms Pact (Appendments 11 & more)

Appendment the Eleventh
Given the long simmering and incomprehensible dispute between Saklan and Rath that has plagued this compact from its founding, a swath of land in contention between both Kingdoms, each with equal hereditary claim, will be abandoned and left ungoverned, so to return to the state of nature and left unmolested, and un-administered by both parties.

Appendment the Twelfth
Each King shall be responsible to raise and submit three companies of soldiers (either of foot, of horse, or of archers) to the armies of the High King, as well as to pay for their upkeep and the upkeep of a fourth. However, in recognition of their long and often thankless duties, the King of Collonia and the King of Balduren shall be named as Lord Protectors of the Northern and Southern Marches, respectively. As the breastplates of their young men have formed the true walls against the incursions of the goblinkind, they shall be exempt from costs of upkeep of the armies of the High King, yet they shall continue to provide three companies per year in his command.

Appendment the Thirteenth
In recognition of the stability that must come from a constant presence on the High Throne, the Congress of Sovereigns agree that the High King will no longer serve a term of ten years, but for life.

The Pact of the Eight Kingdoms of Westrun in the year 4266

In the name of all that is good and holy, be it made known to all who are now present, and to all who shall see or hear of this public instrument, that in the shadow of the ancient peak of Mount Oromir, in the presence of me, Firan the Dispassionate, their majesties' secretary and notary public and the undersigned witnesses, the Eight Princes here gathered, swore, by the blood of the children and their children's children and all their children after them, to bind themselves forever to the instrument foregoing in five parts.

1. Notwithstanding the realms of the fairy people and the various halfmen whose envoys are here gathered, the Land of Westrun shall be fixed forevermore as comprised of eight peoples: the Saks, the Boldish, the Menes, the Rathor, the Collors, the Talireans, the Treftans, and the Marchmen who follow Bal. Forevermore, that these eight peoples be ruled by eight reigning princes, each according to their laws and customs, and as have been found in the favor of their own gods.

2. That each Prince shall have the inviolable and hereditary right to rule his lands and be subject to none within his own borders, except his own conscience and his god.

3. That each Prince shall hold the borders of the others as sacred and inviolable, and shall keep the peace found here in perpetuity. If one of the Princes or his children afar off should violate the peace, then the other seven issue notice; and if peace be not restored within one moon, then the other seven shall ride to war against the violator until he be removed to his own borders and up to half of his wealth be taken in payment of the malefaction.

4. Further that there shall be appointed from among them, a Prince among princes, first among equals in the matter of disputes, and one with whom the other realms of the world might treat. The reign of this Prince among princes shall be decided in the congress of the sovereigns, and shall serve for a period of at least ten years; and his replacement shall not enjoy hereditary privilege to the throne, but be selected within one year of his death.

5. Moreover that the inhabitation of the Prince among princes shall be fixed here as the fortress in the shadow of the peak of Oromir. Notwithstanding its location near the lands of the Boldish and the Menes, it shall serve forever as a place of neutral assembly. Its walls shall be held as sacred and inviolable as the borders of the eight princes, and therefore subject to the same protections, save that in the case of violation the malefactor shall be deposed and his wealth be taken entire in payment.

Therefore, having seen and understood the said instrument and treaty, incorporated above, and every part and parcel of it, and being certain and assured of everything set forth therein, and desiring to observe and fulfill it, just as it stands, we commend, confirm, approve, ratify, and, so far as necessary, authorize anew and promise to observe, the said instrument and treaty to which we affix our signs and signatures.

The First Book of Compiled Appendments of the Eight Kingdoms Pact (Appendments 1-10)

Appendment the First
The congress of sovereigns shall be impaneled whenever a dispute, doubt, or a difficult case, whether of peace or war, comes up between the princes [later copies show Kings] and that case shall be drawn up in writing and read in full; and shall be treated of and disputed there among the peers of that body. If it be necessary, it shall be personally enjoined by the princes [later copies show Kings], or on the part of the princes [later copies show Kings] if they be not present.

Appendment the Second

As the peace of the Prince among princes [later copies show High King] depends on maintaining a place of congress free of danger, there shall be roads established as the swiftest and surest route from each of the eight principalities to the fortress in the shadow of the peak of Oromir. While upon these routes, all princes [later copies show Kings]  and envoys and their men and their effects shall be held as sacred and inviolable and therefore subject to the same protections as the fortress itself.

Appendment the Third

As necessity dictates, the fortress at Peakshadow shall be permitted to grow and its protections will apply to all buildings and lands enclosed by its wall and contiguous to the original gift of the halfmen of Oromir as a gift to the Eight Kingdoms of Westrun.

Appendment the Fourth
In all cases where a King has not established an heir, it shall fall to the Prince among princes [later copies show High King] to convene a congress of the lands nobles, and establish the line of succession. Notwithstanding, the Prince among princes [later copies show High King] shall not tend an opinion unless it be necessary to settle a dispute between otherwise equal factions.

Appendment the Fifth

As the highways of the Prince among princes [later copies show High King] enjoy the protection of that throne, so shall they be maintained by that throne, who shall levy only those taxes necessary to see to their upkeep and protections, and only in equal proportion to each of the Eight Kingdoms.

Appendment the Sixth
In all cases of dispute and controversy between the borders of the Eight Kings, a congress shall not be called, but the High King shall serve as the arbiter, following the advise and consent of the white beards from the fairy people and the halfmen.

Appendment the Seventh

That the eight peoples: the Saks, the Boldish, the Menes, the Rathor, the Collo, the Talireans, the Treftese, and the Marchmen be known as the loyal subjects of the Kingdoms of Saklan, Bolden, Menea, Rath, Collonia, Talir, Treft and Balduren. Forevermore, that their princes be styled as King and that the Prince among princes be styled as High King of Westrun.

Appendment the Eighth
That to the role of the High King shall be added Protector of the Faith of the Divines and their Grand Temple, which shall be located in Peakshadow for all time.

Appendment the Ninth
That in addition to the borders of Peakshadow and the High Kings Highway, there shall be erected two walls, one each on the Northern and Southern border, whose upkeep shall be paid for by a tax upon the Eight Kingdoms, save that neither Balduren, nor its King shall pay for upkeep upon the Southern wall.

Appendment the Tenth
That the High King in Peakshadow shall host no fewer than three men at court for each of the Eight Kingdoms, and that those three shall be selected by each King and will be charged with keeping the High King's confidence and must be trained in law, religion, or the arcane arts to be qualified, and shall serve upon the congress of sovereigns when impaneled and when not attended by their king.