Campaigns » PnP:Shadows over the southern seas » PnP:Shadows over the southern seas/Chapter 1

[top]Chapter 1: The seas are burning

[top]March of 553

The events take place immediately after the Sword and the Crown, held in Ilien in 553. Darien Avan has appointed El Cidro Radim, merchant prince of the Freedom Shipping Corporation, as the new Earl of Serien, However, the eccentric pirate will never make it to his destination - his ship will be destroyed by the Seadrake. Ectarius Diem, son of Eirene Mierelen, Duchess of Brosengae, took the title of Baron of Diemed a few months ago by marrying the baroness Lasica Diem and took the name Diem, after the death of the baron Heirl Diem, (during the Family Matters adventure). Norvien Alwiere, son of Cole Alwiere, sheriff of the Erebannien forest and 2nd steward of Aerenwe, goes to the province of Westmarch, in the Erebannien forest, helped by a mercenary, Azeem ibn routa, in order to find his father, who has been missing for weeks. Inside the forest, the ranger and his companions are attacked by 4 humber hulks, creatures never seen in the forest before. They found out pirates released them in that area, pirates who landed in secret and hid a treasure in what had become the monster lair. In this lair Norvien found the remains of his father. Riding as far as reaching the coast, Norvien discover that large pirate ships have disembarked hundreds of soldiers, armed in the khinasi fashion, and appear intent on invading the kingdom. Norvien then returns to Calrie, awaiting the return of the queen Liliene Swordwraith to prepare the army and march in defense of the forest. But one fateful night a dream reveals a terrible truth to him: Liliene died on the return journey from Ilien from a fever. The land chose him to take the title of Swordwraith and become King.

[top]Spring 553 - A shadow looms

A period of chaos is gripping the southern coasts. All realms receive invasions from pirate ships almost simultaneously. In Diemed, a riot, sparked by the guild leader Orthien Tane, breaks out in Duene. The baron, with a group of adventurers, will personally enter with a group of soldiers in Faramar Falls Castle, to save the countess Paeghan Maedhaenewe and the constable Rian Eldaere. King Norvien of Aerenwe receives an unusual message: a little bird alights in the center of the court and transforms itself into an image of the Doge of Ilien, Rogr Aglondier. Ilien is under siege: a Brecht knight, Martel von Groot, who goes by the nickname The Architect for his tactical prowess, has encircled the city in siege by cutting off supplies from land and sea. The wizard Count warns the king of Aerenwe: Do not take the ships, the Seadrake is destroying all the ships that rush at the pirates! Norvien then contacts Roesone, who is preparing to intervene, while putting the defense of their borders first. A similar message arrives to Baron Diem, who cannot intervene, because Medoere refuses to let troops pass freely. The clerics of Ruornil send this answer to the Baron: Braeme's library will burn before a dieman sets foot in the sacred lands of Ruornil.

[top]The heart of the Seadrake

On June 3 King Norvien Swordwraith decides to go speak with the sage Danzig, inside the Imperial city. How to get so far in a short time? The wizard of the Erebannien helps him, casting a spell that teleports him to Ilien. he will be greeted by Rogr Aglondier, who will show him the situation: only 3,000 men to protect the city, including a wizard! Before leaving, Norvien meets Bretaris Genuair, mother superior of the Vigilant sisters of Nesirie, and Edmund Volarae, steward of El Cidro Radim, who asks him to take him with him. Rogr Aglondier teleports the king, the steward and mother Genuair to Medoere, where they explain the situation to Suris Enlien. The archprelatess summons the sorceress Hermendie, who sends them to Moerel, the city of the bridges of Diemed, where they can arrive in Avanil. But Edmun betrays Norvien, and has him arrested, bringing the king in chains in front of the baron - The Volarae have always been allies of the house of Diem, after all! The baron decides to accompany the king and the cleric to the Imperial City. After an assassination attempt, in the Dieman district, the kings talk to Danzig, who explains to them that they will have to find an heirloom that is close to the Seadrake's heart, to convince him. Such an object is found only in the beach of memories, a cave overlooking the sea in a lost temple of Nesirie in Aerele, Diemed. The temple is now known as the lighthouse of the sea, one of the two lighthouses of Aerele, and the counts who held the mystical key are long dead. The villa of the counts was bought by Orthien Tane, who has kept the key. Before leaving, our people talk to the chamberlain, who tells them that Avanil has voluntarily decided not to intervene in the matter unless he is first recognized as emperor. Back into Aerele, Orthien Tane willingly gives the key to the Baron. The kings enter the lighthouse, where a sea witch appears and prevents entering without the blessing of Nesirie. Mother Genuair gives this blessing, and then casts a breath underwater spell, so the kings starts diving down.

In the submerged temple, they find the beach. Using a spell written by Danzig, they find an ancient music box, a gift that the daughter of the Seadrake had given to her father on his last journey as a human being. Mother Genuair also finds an ancient trident, blessed by nesirie.

On exiting the lighthouse Dalien Claw, Orthien Tane's lieutenant, blocks the kings - he wants what they found inside the temple. Fortunately King Norvien, by deception, convinces Dalien that the trident is the object they were looking for. From this episode there will then be bad blood between the sisters of Nesirie and Aerenwe, accentuated by the rivalry with the sisters of the Temple of the East Sea.

On June 20 a boat carrying the kings and Lavalan Briesen, head of the orthodox imperial temple, ships from Aerele to the open waters. They clerics perform a ritual that summons the Seadrake, who is pleased by the gift they bring him. He swears neutrality in men's affairs, and will be their ally for the next 10 years.

With the seas free, the kings do not hesitate any further. On the 1st of July, when the armies are ready, they set sail for Ilien.

[top]The Battle of Ilien

Official accounts of the battle say this:

For Martel von groot, knight:

• 400 Grabentod Raiders;
  
• 200 khinasi archers;
  
• a unit of Rhlzev's siege engines and gunners;
  
• a wizard protected by 200 irregular vos;
  
• 200 privateers;
  
• 200 pirates;
  
• 50 heavy horsemen led by himself.
  

For the kings of the south:

• 800 infantry between Diemed, Roesone, Aerenwe;
  
• 150 black knights of Diemed;
  
• 800 Anuireian archers;
  
• A troop of imperial legionaries sent by the chamberlain;
  
• 400 Anuyerian pikemen.
  

The baron will immediately go hunting for glory by going to look for von groot in the field with the cavalry. Foreseeing this move, the Architect has channeled many units of infantry around him. King Norvien tries to break through the wall of irregular and pirates created around the gunners, who sow many problems on the battlefield. The legionaries try to stop the magician but are buried by a heavy shower of fireballs first, then by the javelins of the vos. The intervention of the Knights of Ilien, who take the field to help the forces of the south, is worth little. The dieman baron calls for a change: he disengages the brechts cavalry and charges head-on against the artillerists, while the pikemen make a wall to prevent the brechts from following them. The battle is effective, and at the end of the day both the architect and the magician are on the run. Southern forces won, losing nearly 1,000 men in the attempt.