The Fifth Era
The Year of the Return (749 N.C.)
This name, for the year 749 N.C., was assigned years after by scholars in the Eastern Shores. NPCs won't refer to the name 'Year of the Return', as the campaign story line unfolds. As far as anyone knows it is just another year.
The Tabaxi Return
1,001 years have come and gone since the end of the Divinity War and the continent of Harqual is about to go through a shocking change. A young, charismatic barbarian-priest of Cronn, living in Twilight Valley, is shown the true nature of the tabaxi through dreams sent to him by the Lord of the North. The young priest tries to convince his elders of the truth. Unable to sway them, the young priest sets of on a journey to warn the rest of Harqual of the return of the tabaxi. (He changes his name to Taith-El or Teller of the Past.)
This journey leads Taith-El through The Kingdom of the Greystones, The Kingdom of Thallin, and onto The Kingdom of the Silver Leaves. When Taith-El and a group of halfling followers arrive in Silverleaf, the barbarian-priest tells Menkhar Silversun of his dreams. The High One tells the young barbarian-priest that he had heard rumors of a city appearing somewhere in the south. It could be the city of the tabaxi that Taith-El was warned of by Cronn. Silversun and Taith-El pray together in the temple of Corellon together for the entire day, seeking the Creator of the Elves’ consul.
And indeed, the tabaxi have returned to the Storm Jungle along with their powerful and vengeful god Tu, from parts unknown. Tu has vile-hearted revenge on his mind and has set his sights upon the communities just north of the Storm Jungle. From Avion City to Valora the cities of the Monarchy of Avion find themselves under constant attack by tabaxi led forces including orcs, ogres, and a new creature loyal to the tabaxi. The City of Ilasi takes the worst of this assault, barely managing to hold on. Valora is not so lucky as the tabaxi laid waste to the city dragging its residents into the Storm Jungle in chains.
East of the Monarchy, no word comes from Nasundria, and Lady Felicia, Queen of Avion, worries that the city is lost. She sends a rider with a message to the City of Nasundria.
At dawn on the 27th of Zealot, Silversun and Taith-El both receive the same vision from Corellon. Tu is planning to conquer Harqual for his people. Taith-El is warned not to go further south than Onaway by the Elf Lord. No reason is given for this but the barbarian-priest accepts it as the will of Cronn. News spreads through the elven lands of this new threat. Hundreds of silver elves flock to Silverleaf to meet this godtouched barbarian-priest of Cronn. Many of them pledge to follow him in his quest to warn Harqual.
The next day, the High One contacts Lord Than LaMarche of Onaway to tell him of the tabaxi threat. He is shocked to learn that the southern lands have already had violent conflict with the tabaxi. Taith-El insists that he must go to Onaway and confer with Lord LaMarche. Dozens of silver elves go with him and his halfling followers.
Taith-El and his followers arrive in Onaway immediately being brought to see Lord LaMarche. The barbarian-priest shares his dream, from Cronn, with the Lord of Onaway. Lord LaMarche magically contacts Lady Felicia in Avion City and tells her of the barbarian-priest’s arrival and dream. Intrigued, she immediately sends an emissary to Onaway to meet with Taith-El.
News of the barbarian-priest’s dream soon spreads through the populace of Onaway. The citizens start to panic and rioting breaks out in the city, as well as the city of Onaco, down the coast. Taith-El goes out amongst the populace of Onaway to calm them down. The charismatic barbarian-priest preaches a steady hand and patient attitude and wins over many converts to Cronn’s faith. Many of the faithful start calling him Cronn’s Chosen. The small, local shrine to Cronn becomes a popular place to pray overnight. (Unrest continues to be a problem in the city of Onaco, however.)
Lady Felicia’s emissary reaches Onaway and meets with Taith-El. The barbarian-priest’s prophetic dream from Cronn accounts the destruction of Valora and warns that if preparations aren’t made, all of the Monarchy of Avion and the lands of the Onan Territory will fall. The envoy asks Taith-El to come with him and meet Lady Felicia in Avion City. Taith-El tells him that cannot – that Corellon warned him that he must not go any further south then Onaway or disaster will befall them all.
Taith-El assures the envoy that he would be honored to meet with Avion’s Great Lady, as he refers to her, but it would have to be in Onaway. The Queen’s emissary journeys back to Avion City to tell her of his meeting with the charismatic barbarian-priest. Several of Taith-El’s loyal followers go with him, as an escort, and to spread his words amongst the populace of Onaco, in order to calm that city. The emissary arrives back from Onaway, on the 22nd of Sialic, and recounts his meeting with Taith-El. To her surprise, the escort of followers proclaimed that they were sent to ensure the Great Lady’s protection – it was Taith-El’s will. They would stand by her side from now on as loyal guards of honor in Cronn’s name.
Lady Felicia was touched by the barbarian-priest’s concern for her welfare and decides to journey to Onaway with a full escort of soldiers and Taith-El’s followers Cronn’s Pride, as they now call themselves. The caravan is attack by a tabaxi war party and several of her closest advisors are killed. Several members of Cronn’s Pride die, heroically, protecting the Monarchy’s Queen. Lady Felicia’s caravan arrives in Onaway. She immediate goes to see Lord LaMarche and meet the barbarian-priest.
Lord LaMarche informs her that
“Taith-El is currently preaching at the new Temple of Cronn being built where the Lord of the North’s shrine use to be. His devotion is unlike anything I have ever seen before.”
Intrigued even more, Lady Felicia goes in secret to the new temple and listens to Taith-El preach the word of Cronn. She finds a barbaric, yet intelligent young man, quietly addressing Cronn’s new flock of followers.
“He speaks with such conviction, such passion, I must meet him.”
She walks through the crowd, stopping near the simply wooden beach that Taith-El sits upon. Taith-El noticed the woman approach and stops speaking to the crowd. He immediately knew who she was, through the power of Cronn, and knelt before her on the ground like his god Cronn had done with Mirella in the beginning.
“Ask what you will of me, milady, I am your servant!”
Everyone present knew the words from the Legend of Cronn and Mirella and a murmur rises through the crowd. Lady Felicia is shocked, no one knew she was one of Mirella’s faithful. Yet to address her in this fashion left no doubt in her mind that this young barbarian-priest was chosen by Cronn himself. And she instantly knew the response she must give in return.
“No Taith-El, your destiny is not with me but with the land that gave you life. You are its master and slave, you must guard it against those that would destroy it.”
With that she left him. So great was his sorrow that he could not serve the lady, tears streamed from his eyes to dampen the ground. And thus, a great place of power was created in homage to both Cronn and Mirella. The two would never meet again, as Lady Felicia left for the Monarchy that same day.
And in the months to come, the news of the tabaxi spreads out from the Onan Territories to the rest of the states of the Wild Plains, while rumors circulate through the Eastern Shores about trouble brewing in the southwest. The question on everyone’s mind is where and when the tabaxi will attack next.
The following dates detail events related the major tabaxi activity during the Year of the Return:
- On the 1st of Thorn, an army of tabaxi and strange humanoids appears out of the Storm Jungle, laying siege to the City of Anthmoor. The cities defenders hold off the attacking army but the tabaxi refuse to surrender or retreat. They camp several miles from the city, raiding the surrounding countryside for supplies and slaves.
- On the 14th of Thorn, the combined might of the tabaxi, their strange griffon-like humanoid slaves, mountain orcs, and ogres attack on three fronts – Anthmoor, Hutmallia and Tallawan. The army attacking Hutmallia breaks through the city’s defenses, captures the city and it’s residences. Tallawan holds its ground with the help of several powerful adventurers. Anthmoor knocks back the invading army, destroying hundreds of enemy soldiers with powerful magic and the aid of the Majestic Bronze Dragon of Harqual, Nethmalinor. The great dragon warns the attacking army: “You threaten my home and the Balance, evil ones. Continue your onslaught on this city and I will make you pay… personally!”
- On the 16th of Thorn, the tabaxi armies attacking along the coast of the Storm Peninsula pull back into the Storm Jungle, its leaders unwilling to face the epic power of Nethmalinor. The tabaxi occupying Hutmallia refuse to leave, however, entrenching themselves into the city. They watch the sky, praying to Sa, the tabaxi god known as The Tolerant, for protection against the great Majestic Bronze.
- On the 23rd of Thorn, a huge army of tabaxi and their allies attack the City of Ilasi. The defenders barely hold of the attack hordes. Tabaxi shamans and sorcerers use powerful magic to block the ability to teleport in or out of the city or cast sending spells beyond the city’s walls.
- On the 1st of Truce, In the City of Eversink, several of the city’s night watchmen notice several strange humanoids skulking through the darkness, in the swamp, outside the city. The humanoids, which appeared to look cat-like, don’t attack but the city remains on guard none-the-less. The humanoids might be tabaxi, or even rakasta, but the watchmen could not be sure what they saw.
- On the 8th of Truce, a tabaxi raiding party is spotted outside of the City of Shaule, east of Lake Nest. The tabaxi seem to vanish from sight, as if by magic, before any of the guards can inform the city’s ruler, Prince Winston Hallet. Prince Hallet triples the guards on the walls of his city and the number of patrols sent out each day.
- On the 2nd of Hansa, outside of Avion City, a tabaxi army, which arrived in the night, begins assaulting the Capital City of the Monarchy. The fighting is brutal and hundreds die, on both side. By the end of the night, the tabaxi are entrenched around the city. No one is able to leave the city by land, although the sea is still controlled by the Monarchy.
- On the 14th of Hansa, in Eversink, several high ranking officials are found dead, their throats slashed and the victim’s scalps taken. The local authorities are sure if tabaxi assassins are to blame or if it is simply home spun assassinations.
- On the 25th of Hela, an advancing army of the tabaxi and Cronn’s Regiment, as it is later named meet on the field of battle just west of the Hills of the Holds. The battle is short and brutal, as the tabaxi overrun the small regiment of Monarchy soldiers. Two dozen humanoids die for every member of Cronn’s Pride whom falls. The remaining Monarchy soldiers, no more than 50, divide into two groups. One group retreats back towards Nidbor Keep and the other retreats southwest to the Town of Jalmur. The conflict is later named the Battle for the Hills.
- On the 30th of Hela, the advancing tabaxi army arrives at Nidbor Keep. They lay siege to the fortress with everything they have including foul Necromantic magic, animating the fallen from both sides to fight on in the army of the Priests of Tu. The tabaxi use every sneaky and dirty trick they can think of including summoning monsters upon the walls of the keep and ethereal assassins. The Battle of Nidbor Keep continues on into the night.