The Tale of the First King

‘I am sure
you all know the story of the Vagrangian  Horde, although what is myth and
what is history is difficult to determine. Before the Enlightenment and rule of
the Commonwealth, when this land was a petty squabbling of small kingdoms in a
sea of barbarians, there came a great war. A warrior-king named Uralsk Khan,
having conquered and salted his world, sought new tribute and sacrifice on
ours. They say he used his own sword to cut a hole through the material that
separates the planes, and he lead his horde of warriors through the tear,
leaving his own world a burning, desolate waste behind him. Uralsk Khan began
immediately his work again, sending his horde from Frisia in the east to far
beyond the Vandal kingdoms in the west. His Warriors were dauntless, fearless,
who took such glee in their slaughter that they would butcher surrendered
cities without a second thought. The world burned for years, before the Lords
of the Pre-commonwealth met at what is now the capital and pledged to band together
to defeat the Vagrangian Horde. The early commonwealth suffered many defeats at
first, but soon a Charismatic Lord, Jan Henryk Dabrowski, who would become our
first king, argued that the armies of each lord should be brought together in a
united force, rather than acting independently. The other lords were not too
happy with this idea, as each wanted to be the one to defeat the Vagrangian
horde alone, and so they continued to launch attacks independently, and be
destroyed in turn. In this way, The Vagrangian horde spread across the lands of
the commonwealth, until the only bastion that remained was Zentrum, the
Capital, the city of Jan Henryk Dabrowski. Knaz Dabrowski was the only lord who
had not yet attacked the Khan, and so when the other lords brought their
defeated armies into Zentrum, they accused him of treason. Why had he not shed
his blood for the commonwealth? They asked. Why did he expect them to to fight
and die if he was not willing to do so, they asked. As Uralsk Khans armies appeared
before Zentrum, Knaz Dabrowski had his cavalry rally at the gates, and all the
other lords turned to Jeer at his men, who they said were babes not yet off
their mother's milk, who has never seen battle against the Khan. Knaz Dabrowski
once again asked the lords to pool their men together to defend the Capital,
and when they asked who would be the commander of the Commonwealth army, Knaz
Dabrowski proclaimed, ‘It shall be me, for of us all I am the only one who has
not thrown men away in pride.’ The Other lords laughed, at him and began to
argue amongst themselves who should lead the army, and Knaz Dabroski calmly
asked the congregation, ‘If I am not to command the Army of the Commonwealth, I
have no business in the commonwealth.’ and left. None of the other lords took
notice of him, and so Knaz Dabrowski left the city with his cavalry, it’s
number taking up a whole two-thirds of the remaining forces of the
Commonwealth. That night, the Lords had still not come to a decision on who
could lead the army, and once they realise Knaz Dabrowski had left, they
branded him a traitor to the commonwealth, and resolved to have him executed as
soon as the Vagrangian horde were destroyed.

That
morning, Knaz Dabrowski rode back into Zentrum with his cavalry, their armour
blood-splattered and the eyes tired. Knaz Dabrowski threw the doors to the
great hall open, and immediately the lords called for his arrest, for desertion
in the night. Knaz Dabrowski stood before them as the guards approached him,
and threw a sack to the ground. From the sack rolled the head of Jochi Khan,
the son of Uralsk Khan. Knaz Dabrowski gestured to the head and proclaimed, ‘It
is not I who is traitor to the commonwealth, It is these lords who would let
her burn outside even as the argue amongst themselves. Execute me if you wish,
but know that with my head, so falls that of the Commonwealth.’ The Guards were
unable to move, and Knaz Dabrowski left the Lords of the Great hall behind to
address the army, and proclaim that it was time for the army to come together -
not as men as this or that house, but as men of the commonwealth, to vote for
their leader. Despite the protestations of the lords, Knaz Dabrowski was voted
the first King of the Commonwealth. With all the armies of the commonwealth
behind him, Knaz Dabrowski pushed the Vagrangian horde away from Zentrum. He
gathered all the wizards of the land and together they defeated the Horde,
Trapping Ulrask Khan and his Great Horde deep underground, where it is said
they remain to this day

So goes
the story. The true site of the final confrontation between Ulrask Khan and the
first king of the commonwealth has remained a mystery for hundreds of years,
but we have known is is somewhere across our current border in Vandal
territory. A temple, now lost, was built on the site, and it is said that
Ulrask Khan remains there, trapped inside. His final words were a promise to
Knaz Dabrowski that one day he would return and take Zentrum, and it is said
that Until Ulrask Khan fulfils this promise, he remains Immortal.