Crusades, Adventures, and Tomfoolery

The People of Stone greatly value their Legends and Stories. While written records exist of the origin of these myths, in many cases the truth has be disregarded for the embellishment of bards and story-tellers. Below are a number of the stories who's retelling is so wide-spread and embellished that one is unlikely to hear the same story told twice, despite the tale claiming the same name.

## The Autumn Kushan Crusade

As a part of the celebrations in Kushan around the time of the harvest, monster hunters are invited into the Kingdom for one night only to combat the Haunted Forests. After discovering this festival, it has become a long-standing inside joke and initiation rite among the Armored Riders. Boastful older nights tell of the multitude of Kushanese women and the easy glory of cutting down man monsters in the woods. The implication being that just like in the Kingdom, monster-slaying would be enough to earn a young rider the adoration and attention of said numerous women. What young Riders who fall into the yearly trap and ritual of entering Kushan find instead is a throng of people all dressed in outlandish styles, which muffle the body so that the high spirited Riders cannot tell man from woman. To further add relish to the joke, even after the Rider emerges from the Forests with their trophies, they're forced to leave them at the city walls. The women themselves of Kushan rarely if ever accept Riders into their company as the cost of doing so is too high among the mildly xenophobic isolationists.

Due to the cultural expectation of boasting and exaggeration though, the cycle continues as the hoodwinked Riders regale the new trainees of the next autumn of their mighty conquests in Kushan of both monsters and women. Nearly every Rider in the Kingdom makes this journey at least once, so while they all know the truth of the matter they continue to exaggerate and boast with no one willing to admit they spent a miserable night fighitng unholy creatures then had to ride home disappointed and frustrated when their deeds were met with a raised eyebrow at best by the unimpressed natives.

## The Blewhz Brothers

The tale of two brothers from the House of Blewhz who undertook a dangerous journey through Tallet lands to deliver a payment to the Family Hearth in behalf of the Truest King prior the Great War. A local favorite, how much of the tale is true is debatable. The heart of the tale follows two young Riders performing what should have been an easy task, but their high spirited and traditional ways run them afoul the Tallet Empire's laws. What ensues is one of the greatest chase stories ever told, with unlikely escapes and comical antics performed by the Blewhz Brothers to make it to the territory of the Merchants.

## The Oaken Foot

The story follows the tale of of a boy born with a club foot deformity who wanted to become a knight. Throughout his life he attempted to train, become strong, but just a year into his training it was told to this 11 year old boy that he would never be able to follow his dreams because of his deformity. He became distraught, not eating, not moving, not speaking his father and mother sent out envoys to anyone who could help.

An inventor from The Circle arrived to have a look at the problem. He looked over the nearly catatonic child and his foot, stating that he might be able to build him a new functional foot, but not if the old one was still attached. The young boy, spoke for the first time in months, and grabbed his father's ax, handing it to the inventor telling him "Go ahead"

The artificial foot and ankle was a success, the boy trained for years to get used to it, in the end became known as the Knight of the Oaken Foot.

## Knights of the Solar

> *"Praise the sun"* (The sole inscription in the temple of Solaire)
>
>

Towards the end of the Great War, the Corpsebloom epidemic had started, bringing the world into a dark period of great death, destruction and sadness.

Through the darkness came a joint order of knights from the Broken kingdom and the Circle determined to stamp out the corruption and undead not just in the Broken kingdom, but throughout the world. To the Knights of the Sun however, it was not enough to destroy the undead. They made it their mission to return hope to the people of Soi.

The Knights of the Sun were known to lead small groups against enormous armies of undead, luring them to open areas where they would be trapped in the open until the sun rose and using their formidable fighting skill to keep themselves alive. After the battle, any riches, spoils or wealth was distributed among the war refugees and survivors they found, doing acts of charity and kindness both great and small.

They are often credited with having taken out significant portions of the undead foes, slowing the spread of corpsebloom, and protecting countless Unclaimed from the effects of the plague. They sun knights were able to gather defectors from nearly every nation to their cause. The Knights of the Sun offered their services not as saviors, but as allies in "Jolly Cooperation" as they called it after true Kingdom condition.

Their order was disbanded and disappeared after the Corpsebloom epidemic ended with the promise to return if they were ever needed again. The Temple of the Sun stands in disrepair on top of a hill in the southeastern Broken Kingdom with the only intact structure being a reflective obelisk with the phrase "Praise the Sun" carved upon its face.

* Relics of Solar are highly sought after by collectors and historians, many of which are believed to have been made of bronze, silver or other noncorrosive metals due to an incorrect belief that it had a greater effect on Corpsebloom than iron or steel.

## The Blessing of Elder Hopstein

*"These people insist on creating a magical story of some well meaning and magical immortal grandfather who blesses their houses with a keg of ale in exchange for their common winter fare of sausage and cheese. Despite the fact the patriarchs of each house see each other in the middle of the night rolling kegs into position at their neighbor's houses and eating the offerings, not one of them will admit to doing so the next day. I've had more than one threaten to turn violent at my insistence of such a confession. The people of this land make no fucking sense." - Circle Doctor serving residency in the Broken Kingdom*

To the bemusement of outsiders, the general populace of the Broken Kingdom maintain a superstitious belief in a mythical figure referred to as Elder Hopstein. In the late of winter, when ale stores are running low or still sealed away for aging tempers often run high and morale runs low in among the common folk of the kingdom. Observed on the spring equinox is the Blessing of Elder Hopstein ritual. An offering of sausages and cheeses is prepared and left outside the front door of each home, a tribute to the mythical figure who drives a large wagon through the land in a single night to exchange precious kegs of ale ready for consumption for the meals. So resoundingly reliable is this practice, that anyone found to have not received their Hopstein Keg (denoted by a stylized stamp of a man with a handlebar mustache) is considered to have done some deep wrong against their neighbors that has gone unnoticed. These passed over families often spend much of the next year currying good will among their fellows and performing charitable acts to shake off the curse. Adult and child alike swear by the visits of Elder Hopstein as factual occurrences and participation in the Blessing is almost universal.

## Four Fist the Rider

Holding a unique position within the Broken Kingdom the Four Fist Knight was the first non human to take the Oath of Stone and earn the position of Armored Rider. Born in the Ashed  necropolis OakMont the Four fist knight was but a humble ape of the Goran  breed Aruckn. Survival was not easy in the necropolis. He was able to survive entirely on his own quick wit and wisdom from his elders. The elders signed of a day that the God of Fire would return but, he was not hopeful. When he reached adulthood at his 15th summer he decided to go out find something greater for his people.

On his travels he members of a group called the Red Trail found him and gave him guidance to lands where he would be safe. He was told of a group of former Goran that are free now. He sought out this land called the Broken Kingdom and his Dwaran kindred.

   After great hardship he managed to get to the city craggy peaks named NorthForge. The Dwaran still knew the sign language of the Goran and heard the tale of the lone ape. The High Dwaran King was strong storytellers and foresaw how amazing of a tale this ape may one day have. Special armor was crafted to fit the ape. The Dwaran taught him the ways of the Broken Kingdom’s people, riding a horse and how to fight with weapons. The Dwaran King gave this simple ape his own Heavy Charger  of whom was gifted to him by the True King himself.

Equipped with knowledge and skill the ape rode down to the Kingdom to earn his place in the world. He joined the tournaments and bested riders in jousting, swordplay, horsemanship, and athletics. Alcohol sales were at a all time high that season as all in attendance drank until the events they were watching made sense. Afterward the ape took the Oath of Stone and was recognized as an armored rider of the Broken Kingdom.

It was around this time that he received a message from an unknown source that the Ashed were to soon attempt to retake OakMont. As is typical in such cases, Four-Fist called for a crusade to save his people in OakMont from the Ashed Armies. In an interesting twist of fate, his call was issued shortly after the Feast of the Mammoth during a High Tournament. A number of charismatic riders hesitantly answered his call following an address from the Truest King.

*"This creature, this ape has matched some of our finest! Borne of abominations committed in the Lands of Fire he has risen above the blasphemy committed by the Goran! Despite his differences, I recognize him and his as a people. A people different from us, but a people in need. Give aid to Four-Fist with my blessing on this undertaking, help his people win their home, show them the might of those who serve your god." - Vahr Reiter, The Truest King*

What came next is known as the Rae Rider Crusade.