The Abori

**The Abori**

 Shortly following the defeat of Aramaz, the vast portion of the Palouan military, enraged at the chaotic battle commands of the King’s Counsel, declared their sovereignty. Although they stated their intention to remain the armed force of Palou, they made it poignantly clear that they would be self-governed, and would not sway under the word of the King nor his Counsel. Although outraged, King Nolen Belekar had little power to resist, and made the change to the Palouan Law. The military, then, was thus called the ‘Abori’, an early Paulentai word meaning ‘broadsword’.

The great city of Ogorsponn was founded along the northern Palouan coast, and subsequent villages and bases were built on Mei’run. The Abori occupation of Mei’run greatly upset King Belekar, indeed it caused him such great stress that it eventually ended his life prematurely, bringing his eldest son Prince Khores to the Throne. Khores was greatly influenced by the Abori, whose Lords had made certain to tailor to the heir prior to his crowning. Subtle manipulation within the Palouan political realm was the priority of the early Abori, whose Lords realized the fragility of their structural infancy. Although they made up the vast majority of the Palouan military, there were sparse local forces(the Gandanar) loyal to the King that the Abori Lords feared could become the secret weapon of the Throne. In having influence with the new King, they had measure over the influence of the Gandanar.

Khores gave the Abori Lords the freedom they sought in the north. Given the absolute power of the Palouan Royalty during this period in history, and the solidity of the word of the King over the local Barons and Landlords, Khores was able to assist the Abori in achieving vast power in their right. Although it was a time of peace in the region, military spending increased five-fold. The Abori Lords, particularly one named Madrak Mosak(once a Palouan General-turned-Abori founding member), held several meetings with Khores to discuss the ‘looming threat’ of Ramaz who, although allied to Palou during the Aramaz conflict, were supposedly harboring surviving members of the Aramaz ruling counsel. More accusations were made, weapon forges and fortifications along the southern border with Palou, all to serve the desires of the Abori Lords to conquer Ramaz and take the north peninsula, opening up the (route to the Jubeian Sea) and securing a place of permanence for the Abori. And for some time, things were going their way. But agents of Ramaz, wary of the Abori since their inception as an independent body in Palou, learned of the intentions of Mosak and his associates, and made it a point to form ties - strong ties - with the powerful-but-isolated Seragahn, who had a great settlement along the coast north of the Nedian sea. Ramaz Lords sent an envoy to Seragahn, to their capitol city of Syboulzan, where they made quick friends with the like-minded Seragahn Lords, and were quick to sway them to their side after informing them of the Abori-militarization of Mei’run, which was just as close to Seragahn as it was to Palou. The ‘Abori threat’ hastened the formation of an alliance between Seragahn and Ramaz, with both sides mutually strengthening their forces.

Khores was informed one day of the Abori agenda during a visit with delegates of the Ramaz ruling counsel, who knew all too well the void between the Abori and the Royal House. Khores took the full weight of the news and, convinced he had contributed to a possible catastrophe, ordered the immediate ceasing of activities aiding the Abori in their campaigns. He summoned the leaders of the Gandanar to counsel, where he laid out his plans for the reformation of Palouan legions to counter the Abori, whom he felt were acting far outside the boundaries of their sovereignty in the region. Although he overlooked the vast majority of the Abori ranks, Khores ordered, secretly, the capture of Madrak Mosak. A well-trained unit composed of Gandanar soldiers, after several weeks of secret activities within Ogorsponn, managed to bring in a subdued Mosak to Khores’ feet...