GROWING PAINS
For a time, life continued apace for the rulers and citizens of Kardashia. There were minor troubles…a brief feud between two wealthy families in Veritas that Mox quickly and wisely adjudicated, and a terrible flood during the Spring thaw that would have been much worse had it not been for the quick thinking of Selena and Tungdill. The druid and witch were able to magically create dams that saved many farmsteads, not to mention lives. Overall, however, the young nation continued to thrive, and to grow. More and more miles of the Greenbelt were annexed as new roads were built, and new farmlands were carved out of the wilderness. The Narthropple gnomes, having learned of the discovery of the troll-infested dwarven outpost, swore their allegiance to Kardashia in exchange for the rights to fully explore and restore the ruins.
By late spring of that year, Kardashia’s borders had reached the ruined elven keep deep in the Narlmarches. There, Mox and her comrades founded a new city around the ancient fortress…the town of Lohan. Within months, the town became known for its militia…a cadre of halfling cavalry known as the Riders of Lohan, or in whispered titters out of earshot, the Low Riders. Two months after that, as the summer heat began to envelope Kardashia, civilization finally reached the Tatzyl River ford, where the pioneers that had petitioned to set up a trading post there were thriving. With the completion of a major road to the area, the wilderness outpost quickly grew into a thriving community dubbed Fort Spears. Within several months, the new town quickly gained a reputation as a destination for those with more…diverse tastes. A brothel opened in short order, and there was growing excitement when news broke that a gladiatorial arena would soon be following.
In early autumn, Kardashia was abuzz with word that a foreign dignitary would soon be arriving for a state visit. This caused ripples of excitement, as it could only mean that the fledgling nation was finally getting recognition as something more than a vassal state of Brevoy. The dignitary, as it turned out, was none other than King Herc I, monarch of Korvosa and current occupant of the Crimson Throne. The king’s reputation was legendary. Tales of how he and his close companions had wrested the throne of Korvosa from the demon-queen Ileosa were bard favorites across the whole of the continent. The people of Kardashia were doubly stunned then, to hear that King Herc had made the journey to personally congratulate Mox on attaining the title of Duchess of the Duchy of Kardashia. In the wake of this announcement, a company of elves made a pilgrimage to Veritas to offer their allegiance to Mox, in exchange for access to the ancient ruins in Lohan, which had become the center piece of the new town.
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The year turned, but as the new one dawned, there were new troubles on the horizon for Kardashia. Rumors came of a fearsome creature terrorizing the farmlands south of Candlemere. The monster was said to be able to turn people to stone, and had left a virtual living garden of statues in its wake. It proved an easy task for Mox and her companions to follow the trail of the beast, but when they finally came upon it in a cow pasture, they were momentarily confused. A dozen or more cows stood placidly in the field, showing no signs of agitation. It was only after several moments of observation that the group realized that the cattle were not moving at all…they had all been turned to stone…all save one. An enormous bull stalked among the petrified cows, but as it turned its glowing red eyes upon the heroes, they could see that it was anything but livestock. The creature’s horns spanned six feet from tip to tip. Its hide was not fur-covered, but instead looked like cut granite, and its hooves looked as if they’d been shod in steel. It lowered its head and pawed the ground, snorting billowing green smoke from its nostrils.
Davrim and Velox stepped forward as the gorgon charged, but as it came, its mouth opened and exhaled a cloud of noxious vapor that washed over the inquisitor. As Velox watched in horror, Davrim went rigid, his limbs becoming locked in organic stone. The oracle threw himself to the side as the beast trampled past him, kicking him viciously as it passed. He rolled to his feet, hacking at the brute’s flank as it rushed towards his allies. He need not have worried. Mox held in her hands a roiling ball of acid, and as the gorgon came for her, she hurled it into the creature’s face. It reared on its hind legs, pawing at its face with its forelegs. It couldn’t see Mox’s eyes turn brilliant copper, the pupils becoming reptilian slits. She opened her mouth wide, and spewed forth a caustic spray that pitted and smoked as it covered the gorgon’s body. As the beast fell to the ground, rolling and writhing in agony, Selena quickly put an end to its suffering with a well-placed searing bolt of electricity.
Velox turned away from the smoldering corpse to see what could be done for Davrim. As he approached the inquisitor, he saw a fine web of cracks begin to appear all across his body. A moment later, the stone shattered, revealing Davrim to be hale and whole.
“What did I miss?” he asked, blinking in bewilderment.
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In the months that followed, the government of Kardashia erected several monuments throughout its holdings, serving to remind the populace of the sacrifices that had been made to provide the current stability and peace they were enjoying. In Fort Spears, a statue was unveiled that depicted Chester’s valiant death at the hands of the troll chieftain. In Lohan, the monument was of Stevhan’s heroic near-death battle against the rampaging owlbear. Finally, in Veritas, Davrim’s image was shown facing down the gorgon…only this time in truly eternal stone.
Unfortunately, as the year wore on, more bad news sucked away the jubilation and ebullience that had accompanied the new monuments. First, and most inexplicably, a vicious rumor began to circulate that Tungdill’s relationship with the owlbear cub he was raising was somehow…unnatural. This was quickly quashed by Mox, but then a second scandal broke when news broke that her administration had withdrawn funds from the national coffers to pay for certain items to “enhance the leadership capabilities of the rulership.” This led directly to a second feud among the nobility, soon followed by the exploits of a flamboyant thief who claimed to rob from the rich to feed the poor. It took considerable time and effort on Mox’s part to restore a sense of calm and order, but a bumper crop at harvest time helped to soothe the grumblings of the masses. As for Tungdill’s wounded pride, Mox had a special park cleared in the middle of Veritas while the druid was away for an extended sabbatical. When he returned, he was rendered speechless by the untamed beauty of the nature preserve dubbed Tungdill’s Bush.
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It had been two years since the owlbear attack on Veritas, and the young nation of Kardashia had settled into a quiet routine. News from Restov was infrequent, though rumblings of civil unrest with Issia still surfaced from time to time. Then, one cold winter morning, a messenger arrived from Brevoy bearing a dispatch intended for Mox’s eyes only. It bore the seal of the Aldori family. Mox called her council together before opening the missive, and then read it aloud to her companions.
“Greetings from Restov, and congratulations on your triumphs. I hope that we are entering a time in which these lands will be called stolen only in history texts! Yet it would seem that for all your victories, your fellow colonists to the east have met with trouble. The settlers of Varnhold are not responding to messengers…and indeed, some envoys have gone missing as well. You may have noticed this on your own, but as the political climate here in Restov grows more turbulent, we find ourselves increasingly limited in the amount of aid we can send. Certainly, we cannot send troops south to Varnhold to investigate without our overly watchful lords to the north misinterpreting the act. And so it falls to you, I fear, to investigate the Varnhold mystery. For if something dire has befallen the colony, you must realize that your own could be next!
Trusting in your discretion and expedience,
Jamandi Aldori, Swordlord of Restov”
“Varnhold?” Mox asked as she folded the letter. “Wasn’t that the group of mercenaries Restov sent to the Nomen Heights?”
“Led by a man named Maegar Varn,” Selena nodded. “His band was called the Varnling Host.”
“Clever,” Mox smirked.
“Varn was the third son of Androth Varn, if I recall,” Selena continued. “He’s a Brevic baron, Issian descent. Maegar wouldn’t have stood to inherit, so I’m sure the opportunity to found his own colony sounded like a golden opportunity to make his own fortune.”
Mox sighed as she tucked the letter back in its envelope.
“Guess we’re heading east.”
