Ghillodahn

== Ghillodahn ==
The continent of Ghillodahn is populated by many different peoples. Ghillodahn is a wealthy, self sustaining collection of nations fiercely divided by historical and religious grievances. 
To the north lies the verdant Tetrad Hills, plains, forests, and the Dusken land. Here are the remnants of the Dalecarlian Legacy. The north chiefly worships Hustalen, and Pelor, with few exceptions. To the east lies the Drakensberg Mountains which are chiefly populated by proud dwarves, nearly all of whom worship Moradinn. Further east lies the spindrift isles, a twisting collection of islands home to ancient secrets, pirates, and treasures left there since the first cycle. To the west and south lies the gale woods and the great Pergola Fields. These lush fields sustain much of the continent. The south itself is the seat of Chivalry. Nearly all small folk here worship the goodly God Pelor or the goddess of order, the Raven Queen. Further to the west lies Sarenia. A harsh land home to some of the original inhabitants of the continent. 
The plains of Kairihen, the bloodied shores of Skaldergate, the curse of Verelen, The Hills of Illion, places on a map. Each one harbors its own stories and legends waiting to be told.
=== Countries of Ghillodahn ===
The continent of Ghillodahn is comprised of many different countries. Their histories are so intertwined, that they are discussed on this page. For general information, follow these hyperlinks: Dalarnae, Flanae, Marchae, Eskay, Andalus, Sarenia, 
== General Ghillodahn Culture in the Present (Updated for (81, 3C) ==
Since the second cycle and the arrival of the Dalecarlians, the people of Ghillodahn have held a great reverence for anointed knights. Knights have always been at the center of tall tales and legends among both the small folk and lordly people of Ghillodahn. Being knighted is one of the few ways to climb the social ladder in Ghillodahn. Thanks to old Hustalen roots, the sharing of fables and stories are a longstanding tradition. Musical composers, bards, and historians are held in high regard and are employed by many lords, ladies, and knights to chronicle their lives. These well paying patrons are rewarded by their commissioned musicians and chroniclers with newly composed songs or stories. Music and its playing are a large part of both commoner, and lordly life. Lords and Ladies of Ghillodahn grow vast gardens to demonstrate their wealth and power. Thanks to the ready availability of dyes and fabrics from western Pergola, both small folk and lordly people alike wear gaudy and outrageous clothing. For instance, ribbed and poofy hats along with striped lederhosen and puffy sleeves are all the rage in fashion at the capitol, Illion. Pelorism is practiced nearly continent wide. Heironeous and other goodly deities are also worshiped. In the Kairehen protectorate, the Raven Queen has many devotees. Saren and Hustalen are also worshipped. 
== Ghillodahn Governance in the Present ==
Like many continents of Adunorh, Ghillodahn features its own unique form of governance. Before the Dalecarlian conquest, Ghillodahn hosted a variety of governments and nations. After the Dalecarlian Conquest at the second year of the Second Cycle, the Magistrate was established by the dominant Dalecarlians comprised of citizen rulers presided over by a Grand Magister. The magister was selected from among the houses of Ghillodan by the citizen council itself. Most provinces became beholden to Dalecarlian rule except those that are discussed later.
== Universities of Ghillodahn ==
General education is available to lords and small folk alike in the form of apprenticeships and guild partnerships. Young children can be accepted into trades and develop a vocation relatively easily, no matter their birth. However, expensive and rare apprenticeships are usually left to those who can afford it. Nowhere is is this more true than the Military Officers Commandante Echole Militare College of War in Prague or the Wizards college of Toulon, and, to a lesser degree, the Musicians’ and Historians' Colleges in Skaldergate.
== The Histories of Ghillodahn ==
=== The Time of Heroes (Pre Cycle)(Ghillodahn) ===
In the times before the cycle, many nomadic clans of men wandered the lands of Ghillodahn. The clans warred little and prospered on the richness of the continent. On a fateful day, the sky grew blood red over Ghillodahn, and the being called the Heirowrax arose from the icy north. Few know much about this being, but it is rumored that some chronicles exist in the libraries of Beneghast in the isolated library of the Montagne ranges. In any event, the Heirowryax walked amongst the clans and poisoned the minds of those men. For the first time, the clans sought war with each other. All people of Ghillodahn bled in those days as the minds of men became blackened and twisted. The being called the Heirowryax manipulated the arcane in order to drag the Devil Belial from his dwelling place in the 9th level of hell, and the demon Ediardius from his place in the abyss. For many years the demon Ediardus, the devil Belial, and the being that calls itself the HeiroWryax, ravage the nomadic peoples of Ghillodahn. 
Julius and Margonifer vs Ediardius 
Hustalen, Verelen and the Heirowryax 
Yung Greg 
Hustalen seals the HeiroWryax inside the city of Verelen, dooming its inhabitants forever. 
=== The First Cycle ===
==== The Chronicler's prologue ====
The first documented events of Ghillodahn came only slightly later than other places in the world of Adunorh. The chief inhabitants of Ghillodahn, the Hustalens, were wise but unlearned. They preferred to pass their stories down by word of mouth and in legends rather than on parchment. Much of what they left us remains only in strange runes and glyphs carved into rocks and ancient trees. Otherwise, the Baliene empire, The Sarenians, and the Drakesnberg empire provided meticulous accounts of their times, which will now be discussed.
==== The Sarenians ====
By the time history was being recorded, the Sarenians of the west had already made great advancements in agriculture, mathematics, and many other areas of early study. The Sarenians were governed by a Qaliff and operated under a feudal caste system. In the second year of the first cycle, the Sarenian Qaliff Ashraff Ageule died, leaving his sister and brother to vie for control of his seat. The sister ultimately won the conflict. The people accepted her for ability alone. There was no law of primogeniture among the original inhabitants of Ghillodahn, though the idea would be introduced by the Dalecarlians in the second cycle.
===== Sarenian Civil War Aftermath =====
The brother was forced to flee Sarenia with his constituents. They managed to escape the Sarenian force by crossing the Balienes river.
==== The Baliene Republic Rises (3, 1C) ====
The people who crossed the river Balienes were now their own people. As the river guarded them from the Sarenian soldiers, they adopted it as the new name of their nation. The Balienes were quick to institute their own form of governance as a means to climb out of the chaos following the Sarenian civil war. It consisted of a cabinet known as The Directory. The Directory was formed of 40 elected citizens who held court for delegations from all castes of society. As the years went on, the middleclass began to dominate the directory in terms of membership. They had more money to buy votes than the poor citizens did, but also had more people within their caste to contribute votes than did the upper class. The capital of Chaleur was established on the east side of the river Baliene in the 12th year of the first cycle.
==== The Drakensberg Empire (12, 1C) ====
The Ratmen came out of the frozen northern wastes in the 12th year of the first cycle. They pillaged their way down the east coast threatening the goodly races who lived there. The Drakensburg dwarven family's 6 sons proclaimed a united coalition of goodly races to combat the Ratmen threat. The Dwarves of Ghillodahn were quick to consolidate their power within the Drakensburg mountain range. They were contested heavily by the Ratmen who infested the ranges. The dwarves routed the ratmen with the help of the SunTree Sylvans from the south and Hustalen soldiers. The Drakensburg sons became the informal rulers of the goodly races in the east. 
===== The Thoroughfares (20, 1C) =====
In the 20th year of the first cycle, King Lance of the eastern and dominating dwarven empire ordered a system of tunnels to be carved and built underneath Ghillodahn. King Lance used the tunnels to subjugate the Baliene Empire, using passageways to surround their heavy Legionary Cohorts and bypass difficult sieges. The Sarenian soil of the far west was silty and prone to collapsing the tunnels that were built. In his bid for continental dominance, he was forced to march overland against the Sarenians. The Sarenian cavalry and skirmishers made fighting difficult. King Lance could never force the Sarenians into a decisive conflict. Many of his soldiers perished in the desert though the dwarves were hardy, and the army did not collapse. He withdrew through the cliffs which guarded the entrance to Sarenia, where he was routed by Sarenian Skirmishers lead by Princess Gallipoli. The cliffs were named in her honor. Halfling mercenaries settled in the plains of Pergola outside the Gallipoli cliffs when King Lance V ran out of money to pay them. King Lance passed of old age on the journey back east. His son, King Lance VI demanded that the thoroughfares be expanded to tighten the Dwarven grip on Ghillodahn. Unfortunately, new tunnels were made so quickly and aggressively that the protective wards surrounding the town of Verelen were accidentally breached. The seal on the HeiroWryax was broken and the Thoroughfares became a cursed and dangerous place. 
===== Order of Stone Chanters founded (20, 1C) =====
An order of stone singers was quickly organized into a corps called the Stone Chanters. Experienced miners lead Stone Chanters into the darkest reaches of the Thoroughfares where the Dwarves quickly erected magical and physical defenses against the evils that had infected the tunnels. Using the Thoroughfares as a means for war, communication, or trade was still possible, but the HeiroWryax influence on the tunnels made traversing them an uncertain and dangerous task.
==== The Husto-Dwarvo-Sylvan war (24, 1C) ====
Hustalen climbs the sunglass mountain and vanishes. He is believed to have ascended to godhood.
First churches of Hustalen created
Jarl Eskevensa is told to build the House of Hustalen on the island of Eskay in a dream.
Kairihen and Pergola's harvests are saved from a great swarm of locusts by a huge conspiracy of starved ravens.
==== Ghillodahn and the War of the Eye (0, 2C) ====
Ghillodahn was not in the center of the War of the Eye like their neighboring countries of the Reach but the Sarenians were forced to confront the stirrings of great beasts from the Frothy Sea with their Baliene allies to the north. Baliene Legionary Cohorts and Sarenian Lords and Levies fought together to defeat the strange creatures. Sarenian monuments to the trials and ultimate victory of Humanity still stand today (80, 3C) in Damasqus.
Following the completion of the War of the Eye, the Gods blessed the lands of Adunorh with prosperity and great harvests for several decades. During this time, Collette the Baliene was elected by the Directory as Citizen Consul. Collette ruled wisely and kept Balliene out of the Husto-Dalecarlian war. 
=== The Second Cycle ===
==== The Settling Dalecarlians (2, 2C) ====
At the beginning of the 2nd year of the second cycle, the Dalecarlians, fleeing conflict in the western reach, arrived on the eastern coast of Ghillodahn. Traveling up the River Magnolia they settled many cities, including Illion and Amaldor. The Dalecarlians brought much of their culture with them, including the ideas of Pelorism, Knighthood, and Chivalry. Both the Dalercarlians and the Hustalen people were born of war, and territorial and cultural differences lead to a war based on hate. The Husto-Dalecarlian war went on for many years. The Dalecarlian's strong martial culture and use of heavy cavalry caused the Hustalen people to suffer many defeats. However, the Hustalen knowledge of the land and their fierce willingness to defend their home lead them to victories in their own right. 
==== The Husto-Dalecarlian War (2-22, 2C) ====
Two decades after the Dalecarlians sailed up the River Magnolia and founded the city of Illion, the Queen of the Hustalen people, Svenia the Storm, claimed to have received a vision from her God, Hustalen. Hustalen warned her that the Dalecarlian's brought a false God with them to their shores, and that they would strive to utterly destroy her people till they were naught but dust. Svenia sent riders to every Hustalen settlement and to the Jarls that presided over them. Every one stood for Svenia and joined her in mustering substantial forces at Castle Lacomte, south of the River Magnolia. When the Dalecarlian Ruler, Lord Marshall Hrimbold heard of the Hustalen army movements he called the banners of his people and mustered a small force of anointed knights and heavy cavalry on the north banks of the River Magnolia. Lord Marshall Harald Hrimbold sent a message to Queen Svenia warning her that if she attempted to cross the River Magnolia, he would destroy her force, as well as her family, root and stem. Svenia was an impetuous ruler and had already earned the nickname, The Laughing Storm, for the rush she felt in battle. Being baited by Hrimbold, she crossed the river magnolia in force. The Husto-Dalecarlian war had begun.
The battle of the river Magnolia ended in horrible defeat for the Hustalens. Lord Marshal Hrimbold's vast martial experience and highly mobile, heavily armored force allowed him to out maneuver the more numerous Hustalen Army. The Dalecarlian knights charged again and again forcing the Hustalen soldiers back into the river. Where they drowned and died. The Laughing Storm, Queen Svenia, was taken prisoner and made to watch as the Dalecarlians cut down her army. She was not given the "honor" of a Knight's death by beheading but was hanged after the battle. The remaining Hustalens quickly surrenedered and the survivors were executed after the battle, some 15,000 Hustalen soldiers died that day."The Knights had come, Invincible in their steel plate. They killed everyone who stayed to fight. It was run, or die." -Jarl BrynildaDuring the Dalecarlian advance west, a regiment of Dalecarlian great-swords was caught on the Belt barrier islands at high tide. They were surrounded and killed by Hustalen soldiers coming from longboats. A Dalecarlian's final spell melted a huge swath of sandy beach creating a perfect glass lens. Dalecarlian galleys eventually discovered the lens and dragged it back to the great southern mountain. It was set at the top of the mountain where it refracts the sun's rays. The settlements at the mountain's base, as well as the mountain itself was renamed; Sunglass. The Dalecarlian people named it a gift of Pelor and religious zeal and fervor for the goodly God increased amongst the Dalecarlians.
A year later, a Hustalen regiment of Axemen is spotted sailing down the river Gilsuf. Once the Hustalen men and women reach the shore, they are confronted by Dalecalrian Lord General Jocke Grimcomb and his mounted lancers. The ensuing fighting sees the heavy lancers utterly destroying the Hustalen force. Yet, for all the damage the dalecarlians inflicted, the Hustalen soldiers did not die. An account of the day was put down in parchment by Jocke's brother, Barnum Grimcomb."Even after our lances broke their lines and littered the ground with blonde haired savages, the Hustalens would not die. They rose up from the ground, men we thought slain now screaming like wild animals. Neither blade nor weapon could harm them, they killed man and horse alike, and all of us who stood before them died that day." -Barnum GrimcombThe Hustalen people had entered a berserker rage and called on their god, Hustalen, to give them strength. The horror of this defeat resolved many dalecarlian commanders to take action in destroying the Hustalen Religion.
As the Dalecarlian's spread south, they founded several cities. Not the least of which was the island city of Toulon, originally built as a fort to guard the gold water rush from raiding Hustalen soldiers, it quickly blossomed into a refuge for Dalecarlian wizards fighting Hustalen sorcerers in the south. The city was named for Lord Captain Toulon Grimcomb, who died leading a band of dalecarlain sell swords into a Hustalen city under the cover of night. The wanton slaughter caused by Toulon and his soldiers that night were lauded by other Dalecarlians. The caves below the fort is home to many rare metals and objects that quickly became a point of interest for the Dalecarlian wizard soldiers and Viziers. Soon after the Hustalen people were ousted from the south, fort Toulon became a city, then a Wizarding university itself. Years later, the university would perfect the art of crow craft. The sending of messages over ghillodahn, enabled by the intelligent birds called Storm Crows, is soon adopted continent wide. The story of these birds most commonly told states that the storm crows are descendants of Dalecarlian Wizard familiars and common crows that rosted on the island crags of Toulon. 
===== March Across The Belts and the Founding of Toulon =====
Nearly a decade after the battle on the Gilsuf, Lord Marshall Hrimbold awoke in Toulon to the coldest day the world of Adunorh had ever seen. One of the last remaining Hustalen Jarls, Jarl Sigrunn, had mustered all the soldiers he could in a final attempt to stop the Dalecarlian's Advance west, nearly 18,000 soldiers. He made camp on the west side of the Golden Gulf, not willing to march through the cold. Due to the freezing temperatures, Lord Marshall Hrimbold was left with only the spell swords and knights already within Toulon, which was a substantial force of about 7,000. Lord Marshall Hrimbold did not wish to march north around the Golden Gulf and exhaust his men. Instead, in a military feat the likes of which had not been seen since the War of the Eye, he marched oversea. The seawater between the barrier belt islands had frozen, making an attack by amphibious assault not possible. Lord Engineer Lise Dahlberg was dispatched by the Lord Marshall Hrimbold to ascertain whether the ice would support the weight of the Dalecarlian Heavy Cavalry. Dahlberg reported that a crossing over the ice was feasible. The 7,000 cavalry and heavy infantry Dalecarlian force was regimentalized and marched across the frozen water. The combined weight of man and horse warped the Ice such that seawater was up to the mens' knees for much of the march. The Dalecarlians made it to the far side of the belt islands and the Golden Gulf. Taking advantage of the hard-packed, frozen ground, Lord Marshal Hrimbold took Sigrunn's force with a devastating cavalry charge from the rear. The confusion and death in the Hustalen camp was so overwhelming that most of the army fled. A blizzard followed the Dalecarlian charge and many more Hustalens perished in the cold. 
===== The Defense of Eks (22, 2C) =====
As the Dalecarlians continued to roll west, they finally stopped once they encountered the Sarenian Desert, the Baliene republic, and the small native village called Eks. Eks was besieged by a once Dalecarlian scholar turned general: Hector Halfgarr. The adventurers Guinea Pelners and Hammond the Harmonic lead the defense against the invading Dalecarlians. The townsfolk and the adventurers made their stand on the great bridge of Eks. The defenders made the attack so costly for the Dalecarlians, that the besiegers gave up attempts to take the town. Hammond fought and slew many whilst having a crossbow bolt protruding from his neck. He died before the siege's conclusion. The dalecarlian's say he proved his bastard's blood by turning against his own people. In the 20th year of the second cycle, Guinea raised the towers of Rowan, an impressive wall of trees that cut off the blue woods from the rest of Ghillodahn.
==== The End of the War and the Forming of Protectorates and the Magistrate (22, 2C) ====
The Dalecarlians were successful in occupying nearly every Hustalen settlement across Ghillodahn in the astoundingly short time of nearly two decades. The Hustalen people were made to adopt Pelorism as well as many aspects of western reach culture. Lord Marshall Hrimbold made lords of those Dalecarlian Commanders and Soldiers who most distinguished themselves in the war. Land and fiefdoms were carved out for many Lords and Ladies in the 30th year of the Second Cycle. These lords and ladies were commanders and veterans of the war. Presiding over these Lord Protectors was a Grand Magister and appointed council of important Dalecarlian citizens. The Dalecarlian overlords were so harsh, local Hustalen uprisings were sometimes quelled before they even began. By the 50th year, the cultures of the Hustalen and Dalecarlian peoples had assimilated each other. Grand Magister Hrimbold was crowned Grand Magister in the Dalecarlian outpost of Chevalie at the end of the war. Grand Magister Hrimbold soon encountered many issues with his haughty Dalecarlian Lord Protectors. Every Lord Protector governed a province, and payed homage to the Grand Lord Magister in Illion. In their own right, every appointed Lord Protector enjoyed the homage of several local lords and landed knights that lived within their province. It was an unsteady time, made even more so by the Grand Magister Hrimbold's political incompetence. Although a legendary battle commander and strategist, the man's failings at governance in peace time would lead to the horrific war known now as, the war of the Colored Crowns. 
==== The War of the Colored Crowns (22-27, 2C) ====
Lord Marshal Hrimbold, now fleeing his political errors and mistakes, set out with his Knights and men at arms to sate his bloodlust against the Hustalens one final time. Jarl Margonifer, hearing of the Dalecarlian approach, gathered a native alliance nearly two thousand men, determined to fight until death. The Dalecarlians were warned, a message written in blood. Harald Hrimbold, still running from the political turmoil behind hihum, pushed his men on. When the Dalecarlians entered the valley of the RoundHouse, they were greeted with a hundred-score of arrows from Hustalen longbows. The Dalecarlian infantry took shelter behind the rocks. Hrimbold and his cavalry were left on their own, driving themselves into hell. Hrimbold realized, then with arrows falling behind him and screaming Hustalens afore, that this was the final day of his life. He called to his men: "My household knights! My brave boys! Follow me and let us deliver these pale savages to hell!". And so died the Lord Marshal, Grand Magister, and Lord of the Protectorates. Harald's young son, Gelten Hrimbold, a boy of 12, was not prepared to inherit his father's mistakes, nor to face the wrath of the slighted House Hohenstaufen. Hrimbold in exile, found by the shinsen
Exalted Shinsen Empire Departs (27, 2C)
=== The Third Cycle ===
====Grand Sundering (0, 3C) ====
The "Grand Sundering" was a cataclysmic event that occurred in fall of the 1475th year of the second cycle, ultimately ending it. The progression of magical proficiency and magnitude of the power wielded ushered in a new age. The wizard, Pegasus LeBlanc, was attempting to perfect his spell, Pegasus' floating fortress, instead, the spell misfired. The energy Leblanc had gathered to cast the spell poured forth in an explosion of force that almost entirely eradicated the city of BlacCross. The Lord Protector Harriman BlacCross II perished when walking the streets of his city, along with many of his townsfolk. 
=====Founding of the Faithful Folk =====
The chaplain of Harriman BlacCross II, Mother Petara Hollard was a devoted servant of the Lord Protector. Petara preached to the frightened people and angered knights still alive in the city. She denounced the magicians of Toulon and their arcane magic. With her fiery oratory, Petara created an angry mob of the residents. The Knights of BlacCross battered down a dog gate of Toulon with war hammers and gained access to the University of Wizardly Arts and Toulon tower. Against the knights and people of BlacCross, the wizards stood little chance, only a fraction escaped capture. Petara blessed the water of the fountain of glass in the college, and anointed the heads of her mob, proclaiming them her "Faithful Folk", some believe that the Faithful Folk were something of a precursor to the Inquisition. One thing is certain, the religious devotion to Pelor and distrust of arcane magic help shaped the culture of south eastern cities throughout the third cycle. Finally, the faithful folk played a role in the Siege of Shwarzenbruin.
After the sundering, cultural rifts began to divide parts of the continent. The lord protector of Amaldor, Simon Belidrad levied a huge tax on arcane magic and began giving great tithes to the church of Pelor. The church became very strong in the early years of the third cycle. When Belidrad died childless, he named his leprous chaplain as his heir. From then on, Amaldor and her local lords and towns were beholden to the church of Pelor
After the Faithful Folk’s raid upon the Wizard’s Tower of Toulon, the surviving magicians of Toulon cast their eyes all over the world of Adunorh for wizards and other such arcane magicians to fill out their ranks. The Magician Paramount, named Annafurst Cjallita, went personally to Sarenia to extend Toulon’s invitation to the desert dwelling westerners to join the wizarding organization. Of the few that answered her call, Ishmael Hafar was the first to be anointed with the golden oils and join the magicians of Toulon. Ishmael pursued many different crafts and colleges of magic, but none more so than the black art of necromancy. Ishmael had been fascinated with the idea of defeating death since his brothers died to the pox ravaging Sarenia in the first year of the third cycle. His experimentations with death were met with harsh reprimands by Grand Magus and peers alike. The war of the open graves was still painfully fresh in the minds of lords, small folk, and wizards. After a particularly painful admonishment, in which a Grand Magus confiscated Ishmael’s spell book and set him to the role of a scullion, he had had enough. Ishmael’s hubris and lordly roots could not abide this insult. Ishmael took what he could and walked hundreds of miles north to the blighted lands, where he discovered dark secrets. He allowed his anger to ferment and carried on his own personal studies.
==== Sarenians arrive in Court (15, 3C) ====
At this time, the Grand Magister, Athra Hohenstaufen, took the Sarenian Sultan, Hakim the Rich of Damasqus as her husband, securing trade between the Sarenians and the rest of Ghillodahn. The court upon Illion's high hill became very different. Exotic silks, spices, and fumed candles began to adorn the palace, and more Sarenians appeared at court. The lords from the other protectorates became very jealous of Sarenian influence over the Grand Magister. Once, when Hakim was visiting Jericho on magisterial business, the halfling lord protector, Pasha Bieverfeldt, allowed Hakim to stay in his own lord protector's chambers. During the night, Hakim pulled a rope to ring a bell and summon servants to his bedside. Instead, the hangings on the bed tore and he was covered in a pile of venomous snakes. The Pasha had just cruely assassinated the magister's husband. In response, the Sarenian people banished pelor worshippers and Ghillioners from Sarenia. In the 8th year of the third cycle, Jacque Dupre of Chevalie invaded Sarenia and took the capital of Damasqus, killing many Sarenians and building a new cathedral on the hill above Sarenrae's temple. Jacque Dupre forced Sarenian merchants to resume trade with the rest of Ghillodahn. Damasqus becomes a place where Pelorites, Hustalens, and Sarenians all worship.
==== The Plight at Piedmonte (16, 3C) ====
Lord Guy de la Piedmonte, in the 16th year of the third cycle, offered his son as a match to Emilia, the daughter of Lord Protector Charles DuBec of Chevalie. DuBec considered the match Illy proposed and beneath his daughter, despite her being a simpleton. The son of Guy, Guy II, lured Emilia to Piedmonte. Guy I was horrified at his son's foolishness and, acting out of fright, improsined Emilia DuBec in an attempt to use her as leverage to cover his son's mistake. Lord Pasha Beetroot of Jericho, Elayne Lathandre of Toulon, and Abbot Hohenstaufen were among the Nobles who marched to Piedmonte to aid the Dubecs. In a panic, Guy de Piedmonte promised the besiegers that Emilia DuBec would be executed if they attempted to take the city. It is rumored that Pasha Beetroot pointed to Lord Protector Dubec's nethers, and said: "What of it? He can always make more, and better ones at that." That night, lady Lathandre scryed the location of the young lady DuBec. Abbot Hohenstaufen and a few of his men from High Victory stole into the Piedmontese castle and rescued the lady before the sun rose. Guy I was hanged. Abbot Hohenstaufen and Lathandre were very much taken with eachother and were thought to have had an affair, the House of Lathandre would eventually use this branch of their family tree to claim the Hohenstaufen seat for themselves in the 80th year of the third cycle.
==== The Pffeifer Rebellion (60, 3C) ====
In the 60th year of the third cycle, Lord Protector Andrew Pffeifer of Trafalgar refused to pay taxes to the Grand Magister in protest of the heavy tariffs on peaches, tea, tobacco, and many other goods that Trafalgar and her sister cities produced. It was costing the Lord Protector Andrew so much in trade with the Reaches, that he even went so far as to call his banners and gather men at Trafalgar's gate. Valeras Hohenstaufen was loath to make peace with the lord, as many other lords were suffering great taxes to help build both the Bold and Pilgrim roads. Valeras' brother in law, Hohenstaufen of High Victory marched his force of Victorians to the walls of Trafalgar. Hohenstaufen set no siege works or trenches. Rather, he sent for a skald from Skaldergate and dispatched him as an envoy. The loyal Skald sang Victorian battle songs and, most pointedly, she sang the Pity for the Piedmontese. A song which detailed the execution of the Piedmontese by the Hohenstaufen family years earlier. Lord Andrew Pfieffer gave up the walls after entertaining the Skald in his halls. Andrew was allowed to keep his status as lord protector, even his tax burden was relieved somewhat, but he was stripped of all his auxiliary lands and holdings, as well as his pride.
==== The Hustalen Rebellion (72, 3C) ====
The Hustalen rebellion was a short and bloody conflict that occurred in the 72nd year of the third cycle. Despite its duration, it involved nearly every major protectorate of Ghillodahn, including houses Essen, Hohenstaufen, Thealavandron, and many others. The Hustalen people had been a subjugated people since their defeat in the Husto-Dalecarlian war. Roebert Hohenstaufen installed Illioner peace keepers in the last of the Hustalen holds to help uphold Ghillioner laws in the region. The Illioner sheriffs were all from ancient houses that had a custom for forsaking their lands and holdings to join the Gryphonic Knights. The Illioners, desiring to fill out their knightly order's ranks, began taking the first born Hustalen daughter or son from the Hustalen families to serve as Gryphonic Knights. The Hustalen children had ancient ties to the beasts and were very apt at controlling them.The war itself, began when the Jarl of the Hustalen folk, Jøseff Sørensen, had the occupying Illioner sheriffs imprisoned. Jarl Jøseff referenced the vision of Queen Svenia, who had claimed she saw their ascended god Hustalen and that he warned he of the danger the Dalecarlian people posed. Jarl Jøseff proclaimed that Hustalen's words stand as a warning, that the Round House will fall, and that Hustalia and Eslay itself will fall. He stated that only great wooden ships and the sacrifice of the Hustalen people could save them from the Dalecarlian's descendants, the lords of Ghillodahn. Jarl Jøseff, who presided over the RoundHouse in the west, built a great peninsular fleet based on the great battleships that the Illioners favored. Combining ancient Hustalen magics and shipwrights with modern designs lead to the Hustalens creating an great navy. Growing anxious at the mustering of Hustalen forces, Illioner diplomats attempted to reach out to Jarl Jøseff. When they sent a letter of writ and demands to Jarl Jøsef, they decided to address it to "Jøseff Sørensen" rather than "Jarl Jøseff Sørensen". Jøseff now believed that Illion and Roebert would never recognize his authority as a leader of a people. Understanding that he was not seen as an equal, he knew he would never be able to negotiate for the absolute freedom of the Hustalen people. He sent the heads of the Illioner sheriffs back to the diplomats in Illion. In response, Roebert and his generals began to call their banners and prepare for what they thought would be a quick skirmish with the Hustalens. The Illioner Navy could not navigate the Magnolia river to challenge the Hustalen fleet, so they were forced to rely on the combined fleets of Kairihen, Chevalie, and Jericho on the west coast. The Sarenians refused to join the the coalition navy. Unlike the Hustalen fleet, the coalition navy was equipped with cannon, but not manned by professional soldiers and knights, who instead were marching overland with their heavy armor and horses. Lord Captain Drummen Margrave of the western naval coalition challenged Jarl Jøseff in the strait of Hellias. In the strait, the coalition's numbers were an active hindrance and they became heavily disorganized. Their sides locked and their cannonry become useless. The underarmed Hustalen fleet rammed the coalitions ships and boarded their enemy. The Hustalens boldly wore armor even when fighting on the deck of their ships and were nearly uncontested in their boarding actions. The captured and re-crewed many ships. Meanwhile, the Illioners crossed soldiers over the southern portion of the Helias strait in small transport boats. The Sterich Greatswords and especially the Gryphonic Knights helped the Illioners win a quick victory over the Hustalen forces at the town of Wenegar. The exiled wizard Ishmael, found refuge in Hustalen towns from the rest of Ghillodahn's prejudices. Ishmael felt for the Hustalen cause and did his best to aid them in their plight against Ghillioner supremacy. Ishmael took from amongst the second sons and daughters of the Hustalen town of Uppsala and used his magics, forbidden by the wizards of Toulon, to turn them to cunning and dark warriors. Today, the remnants of these warriors are called the despondents, or the Fortvivlan in the Hustalen tongue. The Fortvivlan and the Hustalen forces of Berograd were able to repulse all the Ghillioner forces from the Isle of Eslay. The Illioner generals were dumbfounded. Now that the Hustalen warriors had retaken the beach heads, there was no way to attack them. Jarl Jøseff was forced to pursue the coalition fleet down the western coast to prevent any large scale amphibious invasions. Jøseffs second in command, Huscarl Hollan Trebörn, landed men near Chevalie by crossing the Hellias strait. Hollan Trebörn learned from an unknown Hustalen sympathizer that the lords of Jericho, Chevalie, and Kairihen were marching to combine forces at the town of Breuga. Hollan Trebörn arrived there first and defeated each of the cities hosts as they arrived individually from their respective cities. Hollan won three victories in a single day. Hollan marched south to Pergola to take supplies and then carved his way east towards Illion, defeating every host that marched to stop him. 
===== The Battle at Sodom Hill (73, 3C) =====
Pelorite outriders and Inquisition members road up the pilgrim road from Amaldor and cut off the Hustalen force from the sea. Hollan advanced onward to Illion and captured the forests of Geldenwald. There the Gryphonic Knights of the 4th hill of Sodom and Geldenwald were all ready fighting each other to determine which side they would take in the rebellion. The Hustalen sympathetic gryphonic knights triumphed. Hollan took the fourth hill of Sodom and challenged the Illioners to come and face him. Forces from every protectorate and house of Ghillodahn marshaled in Sterich on the third of Illion's high hills over two weeks. Robert Hohenstaufen and his older brother, Barbossa Hohenstaufen, lead the attacks against the Hustalens upon the hill. Barbossa lead the Knights of the Long March and his own plumed guard. Barbossa was guided by his dwarven friend, Sur Marq Hayford into the thouroughfares underneath Ghillodahn. The heavily armed Illioner force was able to follow their guide through a series of tunnels and come out on top of the hill, taking the Hustalens by surprise. On cue, the rest of the Ghillioner force attacked. The Gillioners were assaulting a fortified Hustalen position. Ishmael cursed lady Micah Essen, the wife who was leading WhiteBridge soldiers. The curse stripped her of her hard won magical ability, and a measure of her sanity. Ishmael, Hollan, and some 100 Fortvivlan and Hustalen veterans broke through Ghillioner lines and made north and east. Hustalen druids and the sorcery of Ishmael, himself, helped ensure that they were never caught. 
===== The Aftermath =====
Even before Jøseff Sørensen returned with his fleet, Illioner soldiers crossed the Helias strait in rafts and captured many Hustalen holdfasts. Jøseff was forced to depart, having nowhere to disembark. Jøseff harbored in Sumeniyah, an old port town in Sarenia. His fleet was disguised and he and his soldiers established their own Hustalen government in exile with the blessing of Caliph Malachi Sulya. 
Micah Essen loses magical ability, Toulon magicians deem her unfit to inherit Husband's seat thanks to her Hustalen sympathies and demeanor 
Micahels druid travels ghillodahn awakening many animals like the legendary Mr. Cheese. S
==== The Great Ghillioner War ====
===== Siege of Baerilyon (77, 3C) =====
After the siege of Baerilyon in the 77th year of the third cycle, the Grand Magister of Ghillodahn, Lord Paramount Roebert Hohenstaufen, late of husband of Micah Essen, realized that Ishmael could amount to a great threat if left unchecked in the blighted lands to the north. Not only that, tensions between Amaldor and the rest of the continent over religious, political, and historical grievances caused Roebert to fear for the internal affairs of his nation. As a result he scattered diplomats and adventurers to the winds to both calm the storm brewing within Ghillodahn, and recruit a coalition to crush Ishmael's gathering army of abominations in the northeast. Many and more of the adventurers reportedly perished while most of his emissaries proved ineffective at convincing Lord Protecters to rally to Roebert's banner. The Lord Protector Carolus Linnaeus, and Hannes Essen of Prague and Bondhome respectively, agreed to raise and levy men to ride out and defeat Ishmael. Roebert rode out to Prague to tour its defenses and speak with Lord Protector Carolus about future plans when he went missing. The Grand Magister disappears on the Bold Road
Bianca Lathandre is hastily wed to Tempus Thealavondron and Crowned the new Grand Magister by Toulon Magi, in spite of the Lady Micah's rite of inheritance. Lathandre is refused to be traditionally coronated by Arch Bishop of Chevalie, Tuamos Durand, as he sees it as an affront to the law and Pelor. 
===== Lady Micah’s rebellion (80, 3C) =====
Tuamos Durand is murdered by Henry Lathandre's sworn shield at the altar of the cathedral in Pelor. Chevalie's lord protector, Lord Protector Emile DuBec deposes the Grand Magister Lathandre and declares for Micah Essen. Lady Protector Micah Essen has her Whitebridge's marble throne plated in gold to resemble the one-ton Magisterial seat in Illion. She allows a Hustalen priest and local bishop to set a silvered crown, recovered from Lacomte Keep upon her head. She names herself queen in the stile of an old Hustalen Ruler. Queen Micah declares her Hustalen ward as her heiress and proclaims all of Ghillodahn as her rightful domain. The Sørensens of the Roundhouse declare for her.
===== The Lion from the North (80, 3C) =====
Barbossa Hohenstaufen continues to gather about himself his holy mercenary armies from across the Reaches in anticipation of sailing to Ghillodahn to take what was his younger brothers seat. His uncle, Lord Protector Gilbert declares for his nephew and expels Toulon magicians from his city of High Victory. Gilbert Hohenstaufen begins courting Lord Protector Balthazar and Amaldor in anticipation of his nephew's return.
===== The March to War (80, 3C) =====
In Illion, Magister Lathandre summons all of her generals and loyal lords to her call. Her Regency is now challenged by many houses of Ghillodahn, and she must fight to retain her seat. She names many generals and knights to take commands. She marches against the Lord Protector Balthazar and his Children of the Light, Lord Protector Gilbert in high victory, the Shinsen in the east, the Chevalie and Lord Protector DuBec in the west, the Hustalen rebels in the north as well as "Queen" Micah in the east. Unfortunately for her, The general she sent to lay siege to white bridge, Sur Harriman Kikshaw, defects with his 10,000 Heavy Horse and Infantry, and they join Micah's cause. Another army under the command of Sur Joseph Aldermann is dispatched to confront Micah driving Illion's reserve of men dangerously low 
=====Battle of Lacomte Keep Spring (80, 3C) =====
Lacomte Keep was a highly sought after strategic objective by both the The Inquisition, and Magister Lathandre's Crown Forces. The castle commanded the River Arabelle and control of the keep would have allowed the Crown Forces to easily ford the river into the Sun Tree Protectorate. The castle was considered untenable by Crown Army commanders on account of it being haunted by ancient Hustalen spirits and devil worshippers. When the Lord Inquisitor Amalric "The Grim" and his companion Bundalen purified the castle. A Magesterial army scout named Qorthyxian was quick to relay the information to his superiors in Illion, just as Amalric dispatched a force to claim the keep for the Children of the Light from Sun Tree. Lord Protector Cristof of Trafalgar also sought the castle as he deemed it his ancestral property wrongfully taken from him during the Pfeiffer Rebellion 13 years earlier in the 67th year of the Third Cycle. Lord Protector Cristof convinced Qorthyxian to help him claim the keep in return for a reward. Inquisitor Euric and a holy seraph of Pelor named Jordan commanded a force of heavy cavalry in the name of the Children of the Light. Sur Daveth Kikshaw and Sur Emily Routre commanded Magesterial Forces composed mainly of gunman and heavy infantry. Lord Protector Cristof Pfeiffer commanded Edessan and Red Helm mercenaries to claim the keep for himself. Initially, the battle began in favor of Magesterial Forces but Inquisitorial heavy cavalry and continuous small arms fire drove most of the Magesterial Forces from the field. Magesterial Fusiliers attacked Lacomte town proper to push out Cristof's mercenaries but were repulsed with heavy casualties on both sides. Jordan and Inquisitor Euric killed both Sur Daveth and Sur Emily, weakening the Magesterial cause irrevocably by their loss. The Children of the Light and Lord Protector Cristof were soon in a stalemate. A deal was struck wherein Cristof could claim the castle as one of his own holdings, but must deny the crossing of the river Arabelle to Magesterial forces. Cristof agreed as he had just committed an act that branded him a rebel to the crown. Cristof named his nephew, Trisophan Pfeiffer as castellan of the Lacomte and rode south quickly to swear oaths to Lord Protector Oakheart of Suntree to defend the keep against Magesterial advances.
===== The Skaldergate Navy Sails east to join Barbossa Autumn (80, 3C) =====
Black Kaiser and the last of the unified Ghillioner pirates were in a precarious position after Wilhelm, Carmen, Duramor, and Sherry LaVelle used borderland ships of the line to destroy two pirate fleets off the coast of the Spindrift Isles (78, 3C). The Wandering Wayfarers, lead by David and Shunta destroyed the majority of the pirate crews in the summer (80, 3C) through the underhanded use of poison. Black Kaiser and his few remaining crews were forced to attempt an all out attack on Skaldergate harbor in attempt to destroy policing government vessels before they could come and capture him. such an attack by pirates on Ghillodahn's great harbor city of Skaldergate was unprecedented. If it weren't for the defense mounted by Duncan Deepwater, Torsico, and Belaheim, nearly all of the skaldergate navy would have been sunk at anchor. Ironically, following his defeat at the adventurer's hands, Black Kaiser was forced to enter into Government service as a privateer to preserve his life. In spring (81, 3C), the Illioner 3rd army then lead by Marshall Pendleton was charged with securing the skaldergate fleet after the multiple rebellions that were breaking out against Magister Lathandre. In a boldly aggressive act, Skaldergate was occupied by Illioner forces. To prevent the fleet from being captured, Walter LaVelle and Admiral Charles Rosenge ordered ships to full sail. Walter and Charles offered their services to Emperor Barbossa in return for certain rights granted to Skaldergate at the war's conclusion. 
===== March of Mephisto =====
====== Battalions of Fear ======
===== Tragedy for Trafalgar Spring (81, 3C) =====
Appligat Du Losartan, an expert in espionage from Illion, was disguised as a royal messenger and given the mission of infiltrating Trafalgar. Richard Lathandre charged Appligat to kill Lord Tristophan Pfieffer. Richard intends that Tristophan's daughter, Josephine Pfieffer would inherit control of the city. Josephine was a friend of Richard's from her time as a ward in Illion. She had once been a ward to the Hohenstaufen house, but since the Hohenstaufen diaspora, she merely became a member of the court. She was also very concerned by her father's decision to join Amaldor in open rebellion against the Magistrate in Illion. The Grand Magister wanted to use her as a hostage to stop Tristophan's rebellion, but Richard instead set into motion his assassination plot, hoping that Trafalgar could become subservient, instead of by rote. Josephine knew nothing of the assassination plot set by Richard and Aplligat against her father. On Appligat's ride south he encountered an ex-coalition soldier from the Hustalen rebellion, Ace Crocryn, and a smuggler who called herself Cass. Ace in particular would earn Appligat's trust fending off a half-orc named Guz at an Oxcross inn, especially when Appligat recognized that Ace had fought under the banner of Illion at Soddom Hill. Ace and Appligat went their separate ways for a time near the town of Oxcross. Appligat met Ace again in Trafalgar a few days later where he invited him to join his table of conspirators in the Comb and Wattle inn. 
===== The Battle of the Moldavian cliffs Spring (81, 3C) =====
Lord Protector Tempus Thealavandron of Kairihen was charged by his wife the Grand Magister Lathandre with defeating Lord Protector Gilhbert Hohenstaufen before his usurper nephew Barbossa could land his forces on the continent. Tempus and most all his officers and marshals marched their force of about 50,000 professional soldiers north above the Salzach river intending to protect the city of Toulon from any attack by Gilbert. Gilbert's standing forces were reported to be small in comparison, no more than 10,000. It was suspected that he would hold his city of High Victory rather than attack. Toulon was the only city threatened because of its small garrison. In the spring (81, 3C), Lord Protector Gilbert Hohenstaufen marched his men through the Salzach river, effectively cutting Tempus and the city of Kairihen off from each other. Gilbert still had 3 gryphons of war which he used to destroy pickets and take scouts who would have been used to warn Tempus. Gilbert marched straight for Kairihen, intending to strike a disastrous blow against one of the Magister's strongest allies. The most senior officer of command in Kairihen was Marshal Blucher, currently without commission thanks to his aristocratic tendencies and known distaste for the lack of noble blood in Tempus. A gala thrown for Dupre de Depeuneux and Jean Mulligan was interrupted by Gustave Reichsbachen who warned the assembled officers of Gilberts approach. Marshal Blucher quickly gathered what forces he could, mostly house guards and garrisons and made preparations to meet Gilbert in the field. When asked what houses flags should be flown under the Black Bird standard of Tempus, He was reported to have exclaimed, "Tear up that filthy rag! The Red Hawk banner, or nothing!". Officers who marched with the Kairihenan army under Marshal Blucher were of houses: Pinochet, Mulligan, Blucher, and Ligne. 
The battle of the moldavian cliffs was fought over the
course of 4 hours.Gilbert Hohenstaufen allowed Blucher and his Marshalls to
occupy the Moldavian Hill, luring him into a state of false confidence in his
position. Gilbert arrayed 4000 of his soldiers at the base of the
hill. These men had seen fighting at Piedmonte, Trafalgar and Soddom hill in
the years prior and were seasoned troops. Gilbert ordered a feigned retreat
and Blucher attacked what he thought was a retreating foe down the moldavian
slope. Blucher’s soldiers were caught in a cross fire from three
directions as Gilbert had hidden men in the valleys on either side of the
slope. Blucher outnumbered Gilbert three to one but was cut down by
the impressive rate of fire and reloading ability of the Hohenstaufen soldiers
who had so thoroughly outflanked him. Notably, one of Blucher’s marshals, Dresdon Tovald, kept the
battle from becoming a complete route through use of his light Hussar cavalry,
who protected Bluchers rear and flanks during the retreat. Gilbert expected Bluchers army to retreat down the Bold road
to rejoin with Tempus’ 50,000 strong army and has such had positioned his
other 6,000 to cut them off. Blucher was urged by his marshalls to fall back on the dust
road to Kairihen. Gilbert pressed on to Kairihen marching an impressive 20
miles in just a few hours, far ahead of Tempus’ army. Gilbert’s Curassier cavalry broke
up the retreating force under Blucher, the sack of the city went almost
unopposed. Simultaneously, Captains Lavelle and Swann sunk
several Kairihenan ships of the line and took on Gilbert from Kairihenan Harbour all before Tempus arrived.  
===== Barbossa Arrives =====
====== Sack of Kairihen ======
During the Sack of Kairihen, Barbossa's Guards in Gold were activated and sent into the fray to execute on key objectives
====== Sack of Trafalgar ======
Henry Lathandre Captured by PCs
Richard Lathandre Routed by PCs
Pfeffier Pact Overturned by PCs
=== The Final Battle (Sometime in the (83, 3C) ===
George Jackson Davies leads the three Illioner Armies against Barbossa's forces at Taleruae, Queen Micah and the Crimson King march their 200,000 on the double quick to take part in the battle, eager to be seen as contenders for the crown, and not just rebels. Mephisto lies in wait underneath the battlefield while king Lance and Ishmael and his Hustalens push from the north in an attempt to kill all the major leaders of Ghillodahn in a single stroke. Lathandre's troops call her mother, Barbossa rallies his sons, Micah's troops are steeled to fight to the death, King Lance's kin will not stop, the Hustalens will sacrifice all for their freedom. The Crimson King Caliphate will destroy themselves for vengeance. It all ends at Taleruae. The Guards in Gold will make their mark on the battle and decide the ultimate victor for the golden throne. You will know them or not by the strength of their life.Category:Location