Guerren Decio

The son of Provincial sea captain, Guerren Decio first practiced his swordsmanship on the rolling deck of his father's trader in the narrows of the Dagger Sea. While in his youth he is said to have helped fend off Northruners bent on piracy, often engaging in pitched battles among the ships rigging. 

The sailing life is one of intemperate approaches to drink and gaming. Guerren was not immune. On his 18th birthday, he was put ashore in Watersedge for gambling debts incurred. A stint in debtors prison saw him ransomed on his 22nd birthday. Having run afoul of the Vicegerent, he could not be licensed for captaincy, and he left the life at sea for the life of a caravan guardsman. 

His travels eventually brought him to the lawlessness of Harmony and there he began his reputation for fighting in the style of the Fraternity -- with sword and axe. 

At the Tournament of Darhollow he taught an exposition of saber and dagger, scoring blooms on 22 opponents. His skill at arms was unparalleled in his lifetime and he is famous for having dueled two men simultaneously while armed with two longswords. This was said to be over a game of chance.

Guerren lived for a time in Balduren as a horse breeder and gentleman about town. At the age of 40, he was brought before the Marksmarshall of Balduren for unpaid debts. In satisfaction of which, he was forced to give his right arm at the elbow. Humiliated and impoverished, Guerren made his way back to the Provinces and taught himself to fight left-handed. 

Even handicapped, he had few true rivals. He won multiple tournaments using sword and shield, and the Saier Trophy without a sword, at all. Attendees agree that Guerren strapped a small shield on each arm, alternately using them for defense and for bludgeoning his opponents -- this odd combination the result of a sizable proposition bet made with another gentleman.

At the age of 50, he founded the school which bears his name in Old Dovaris.

Guerren is consistently named as one of the greatest swordsmen of all time.

The Tables of the Histories of the Stoneborn of Dynkyr - Table XX

In the days when Fyveld ruled Dynkyr alone, the Humans were freed from the restraints of the Vyrum and began to make themselves heard in all the open places of Erenth. No longer bound to the strictures of imperial order, they gathered into tribes and banners, raising their own lords and laws.

Then the Hierophant Vetran spoke from Dovaris and declared that the Seventh Age had begun.

This pronouncement stirred great controversy among the Stoneborn and the Regns of the Seven Duns. No agreement could be reached in council. For until the Edict of Vetran, many had believed that the time of our people would rise once more—that the glory of Dynkyr and the strength of the Deepwards would yet set the measure for all Erenth.

But if a new Age had begun, then it was not named for us.

Thus the Seven Duns withdrew from one another. Councils grew infrequent, and envoys returned unanswered. Each Dun followed the counsel of its own Regn and looked first to its own walls. The fellowship of the Stoneborn endured in name, but not in common purpose.

In those same years Dun Duergar made war upon the Fairies, and the conflict spread until Festog, Oromir, and Balnolmar were drawn into strife. Fyveld kept Dynkyr from that war and would not commit his spears to quarrels that did not threaten his own halls. When at last an armistice was made, he set his name upon it and pledged to renew the peace in due time.

More than Stoneborn or Fairy, it was the Urok who were most angered by the pronouncement of Vetran. For they were an older race, ill-used by time and happenstance, and they took the naming of a new Age as an affront. When the Urok marched against the young race, they came with rage and vengeance, and the Humans were sorely pressed.

Thus it was Fyveld who granted them gifts of Mithril long kept since the Wars of the Deep, that their blades might stand against the rising might of their foes. For the Urok, once roused to anger, were the match of any among the Besnir—save that they knew not immortality, having lost it in the First Age by the pronouncement of Baere.

Yet the gifts did not take root as they once had.

For Humans live but a short span before death claims them, and what one learns is often forgotten by the next. Their kingdoms shift as swiftly as their seasons, and their memory does not endure in stone as ours does.

Fyveld was Regn for thirty and two hundreds of years before he died. He was succeeded by Keldor the Regn.

Siege of Ald Dovaris

"Siege of Ald Dovaris" was painted by Sylvio Firena and is a famous work of art. 

It is his rendition of part of the Taming of the Serpent. Like many of his works, sages of history question its accuracy as Agronar the Conqueror is not known to have had siege equipment at Ald Dovaris or elsewhere. 

The original hangs in the High King's gallery of art at Kathmbir Keep in Peakshadow.

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.

Nino the Blade

The Black Prince of the City is reputed to be Nino Vitelli.

Ald Dovaris

The City of Old Dovaris is located in the Free Province of Aristia.

Its White Prince is Hurbert Fieldstone, originally of Collonia.

Its Black Prince is reputed to be Nino Vitelli.

In 5230 the Cardinal Prefectory of the Church of Westrun was built in the city and became its defining feature.

Its most popular attraction is the Fighting Pits which are brick lined arenas in the central market. Each provides a ring of about 25' diameter.