Highrelm: Golden Insurgence

## About:

**Highrelm: Golden Insurgence** is the first book ever created in the Highrelm Universe. It takes place during the beginning of the Great Valistan-Astrary Conflict of 505 AV, which divided nations worldwide across all of Highrelm into two major factions: the Pact of the High Kingdom and the Golden Insurgence. In this book the Prince of Valistan, Nolon Abilart, is captured by a group of mercenaries working for the Kingdom of Astrary called the Azure Hounds, who take him and his surviving party members to Captain Huet Batan of Astrary's Eagle Company.

After realizing his son's convoy was raided and captured, High King Andreu Abilart recruited the best warriors from each Kingdom allied with Valistan during the war to locate Nolon and bring him back. This rescue party consisted of the legendary father and daughter Arnot and Quinne Montabannes of Rossau, Ammaria Zaw of Fleys Brana, Klayd Verrock of Evresan, Kanou Swuen of Szhimaene, and Barrulien Sahl of Bazyph, and they set out to save Nolon from his entrapment, while High King Andreu and his war party fight the Golden Insurgence in the Southlands.

## Summary:

### The Capture of Nolan Abilart:

The Book begins with High Prince Nolon Abilart and his Convoy making their way back to Valistan from a peace summit between two of their vassals in the Western Isles. As they travel through the Valley of Kas, Nolon plays fetch with his Valistani Shepherd Kopho, and talks to his personal bodyguard Emerick le Golem. The two exchange their thoughts on the rivalry between the two kingdoms they met with, and Nolon tries to avert Emerick's attention to a matter up the road. As Emerick rides up towards the head of the convoy, completely distracted, another soldier comes up behind Nolon, trying to get the jump on him. This Valistani Royal Guard member turns out to be Ysac du Vert: an immigrant from Evresan and the secret lover of Nolon Ambilart.

As the two ride in the back of the convoy, with Kopho the dog trailing not too far behind, Ysac tells Nolon how he can't wait to get back to the capital, and how he hates squashing the petty rivalries between the smaller kingdoms. Nolon reminds Ysac of all of the good they're doing by leaving Valistan's territory, and says he definitely enjoys spending time outside of the capital as much as possible. As they continue to banter, they both notice the convoy start to slow down. Knowing they had to be back in Valistan by the end of the week, they both rode to the front of the convoy to see what was holding them up. As they made their way to the first wagon, they noticed Lord Emerick, fighting off four mercenaries at once beyond the convoy, along with other members of the Valistani Royal Guard fighting their own opponents. Nolon and Ysac draw their swords and jump into the fight, but the convoy's forces were no match for the mercenaries above the valley, who bared bows and arrows in-hand. One by one, more and more members of Nolon's party were getting cut down by blades or pierced by arrows. Nolon eventually decides to surrender, forcing everyone to drop their weapons.

This mercenary group turns out to be the infamous Azure Hounds of Myghelle lead by Haldar Galot, who emerges from his crowd of blue-tunicked knights to get the group onto their knees. He says to Nolon that he has a very large price on his head, and that the people he's working for will give him and his boys a very, very good sum of Golden Tolars for *"gifting them the High King's son."* After kindly spitting on Haldar's boot, Nolon and the remaining members of his party were loaded up into an Azure Hound wagon, and he began his journey as a prisoner of the oncoming war.