The birthright campaign I play in has passed about 8-9 years so far.
Players are playing the following characters:
- Baron of Talinie & Supreme Heirarch of the Northern Imperial Temple - (That's me) a ran1/pal1/cleric14
- Count of Endier and Guildmaster of Heartland Outfitters - human, rogue/shadowdancer(total levels = 16)
- Duke of Tuornen - half-elf, arist1/wiz15
- King of Halskapa - ersheigh (former human) ranger18
- Supreme Guildmaster of the Taelshore Combine (a mainly player-created guild located mainly in Halskapa) Fighter/Rogue of about 17th level.
Major changes to the realms include:
1. Formal alliance between Talinie and the goblin kingom of Thurazon has resulted in Talinien troops assisting the goblin king in putting down several palace coup in the name of the mutual stability of both kingdoms.
2. The Nothern Imperial temple has healed its philosophical differences with Haelyn's Bastion of Truth in Dhosone. The High Priest of the HBT married the cousin of the Supreme Heirarch, cementing the re-integration of HBT properties back into the Northern Temple. High Priest James Ardannt of the HBT was given the title of Heirarch of the Northern Temple and continues to oversee the old HBT properties in Dhosone. Talinien (Northern Temple Troops) were then dispatched to bolster the Baroness of Dhosone and as a show of the might of the Northern Temple and as a show of the Northern Temple's support of the Baroness' rule.
3. Talinie and Boeruine entered a more formal alliance and Talinie provided troops and ships in support of Archduke Boeruine's claim to the Imperial Throne. The Northern Imperial Temple also officially backed Archduke Boeruine's claim to the throne. As part of the agreement regarding the official backing, temples in Boeruine are split between the Northern Temple and the Hidden Temple of Cuiricaen (sp).
4. Talinien troops led by the Supreme Heirarch himself repelled an invasion of Dantier Island by the wizard known as The Eyeless One. This opens a new era of understanding between Talinie and The Awnsheigh known as The Siren, who controlled the island. With permission of The Siren, the Northern Temple opens temples in her realm on Dantier Island, Ghiga and Newtonor.
5. The Five Peaks officially ceaseed to be unclaimed territory as a result of a combined Boueruine and Taliniean Five Peaks Pacification Project. Two of the five provinces are ceded to Boeruine. One province is ceded to Talinie (The Gorge). One province (Puinol) remains in control of the Warlock of the Stonecrowns. One province (Floodspaeth) is in control of the great dragon Lifesbane. Temples in the Five Peaks are split evenly between the Northern Temple and the Hidden Temple of Cuiricaen (sp.) as part of the Pacification Articles of Agreement.
Regretably, the renegade wizardess known as The Eyeless One was killed in the change in administration in The Gorge. To insure that she never again plagues the land, King Dherg Weir of Halskapa beheaded her, baked her body into bread before eating it.
5. Talinie continued its push toward greater political influence as the Supreme Heirarch of the Northern Temple is married to Lassica Diem, daughter of the Baron of Diemed.
6. Carilon Alam, Duke of Alamie died in an otherwise bloodless palace coup led by a Vos adventurer named Nikolai Volkstead (an NPC). Voklstead declared himself Tsarevo of Alamie. Nary a tear is shead for cruel old Duke Alam (who allegedly slipped and fell from the castle turret while trying to escape house arrest). Tuornen and Alamie then sign a mutual defense pact.
7. King Dherg Weir of Halskapa died in the course of his adventures. His son, a khinasi wizard succeeded him and married the head of the horse clans of Halskapa to quiet the discontent of the jarls of the land. Dherg Weir is later resurrected and goes on to continue his adventuring career free of the burdens of rulership. (The PC playing Dherg Wier also plays his son. Our DM prefers the players continue to run their dynasty after characters die.)
Unfortunately, Dherg Weir's son died 6 months later in an unfortunate incident with a beholder. The ceremony was closed casket (i.e. the character was disintegrated.) The former chieftain of the Horse Clans now reigns as Queen of Halskapa.
8. Tournen recently suffered a palace coup. The Duke of Tuornen (PC) was with a Tighmaevril weapon in the ensuing melee, by his former chief of intelligence (an NPC). The Duke's bloodline and his realm were then stolen by the blade and given to the usurper. Fortunately, the usurper's reign was one of the shortest in history as he was killed by the former duke's companions (specifically the Count of Endier) within a minute of the duke's murder. The duke's body was then secretly rushed to the main temple of the Northern Imperial Temple whereupon the duke was restored to life.
In the interim, Tuornen fell into chaos. The other regents of the land could feel the duke's ties to Tuornen being severed and they began their own bids for power. The Western Imperial Temple, backed by Prince Darien Avan of Avanil, chose one of the duke's vassals, a blooded noble, to act as puppet for Avanil and began a campaign to take control of Tuornen. At the noble's request, Avan's troops then invaded Tuornen to "restore order."
Meanwhile, the newly raised duke began his own secret plan to retake his kingdom. He contacted the rival church in the kingdom, the Millitant Order of Cuiricaen (sp?) and offered them official recognition as state religion and further benefits from the ruler in return for them supporting him and restoring his bloodline. Backed by the Millitant Order, the duke then went to his neighbor, the afore-mentioned Tsarevo of Alamie, and called upon the Tuornon-Alamie mutual defense pact. The Tsarevo, fearing Prince Avan's control, agreed and sent his court wizard and several legions of vos berserkers to drive Avanese troops out of Tuornen.
In a move that surprised everyone, Avan's rival Boeruine also moved to take advantage of the situation and launched a naval bombardment and marine assault of Avan's primary seaport. The attack caused significant damage to the dock facilities, and it did demonstrate that Avan couldn't maintain an invasion of Tuornen and protect Avanil at the same time. Avanil's invasion forces rapidly withdren from Tuornen when Baron Diem, at his daughter's (who is also my PC's wife) request, also sent Dieman troops to Avan's border to demand he withdraw from Tuornen.
Unfortunately, while Avan's troops withdrew, his political presence didn't. Tuornen's problems were then further compounded when the awnsheigh Ruhobbe invaded and seized two of Tuornen's provinces. Ruhobbe's forces then devastated the countryside for two seasons before the Duke of Tuornen could expel them.
9. Problems continue to plague the land of Anuria as Endier is afflicted with a magical plague. To kill the plague, the Count hires a group of wizards to "fumigate". The City of Endier is evacuated for a "holiday in the countri" at the Count's expense and then the wizards set about covering the city with Cloudkill spells. The infestation is wiped out at no loss of life but at a trully astronomical cost. The plague is later traced to a bio-warfare program created by the awnseigh known as The Gorgon.
Further investigation reveals that the Gorgon's armies are on a war footing and he has launched a campaign of destabilization against all of the lands not under his boot. Attempts to form a unified front among all the rulers of Anuria recently came to nothing except vague promises of money and mutual support to Mhoried, the country on the Gorgon's border. Meanwhile - - the Gorgon's mobalization continues. . .
This is where our campaign stands so far.
Tzarevitch