Today is the first day of Spring and VER is sending out Her green shoots but HIEMS remains reluctant to release His icy grip, especially from the North.
The Proclamation of Kyarlin takes effect today, restoring the boundaries of the Valdrean Empire to the Demarcation of SARAN. The new Provinces and Military Areas of 2501 become self-governing, but are granted the special status of Protectorates provided that they retain certain basic laws; such as the Duelling system (which may be open to non-Valdreans and non-Nobles but must still be open to Valdrean Nobles), the outlawing of Evil and Chaos and the ban on Demon Summoning; but not including the Teleport ban or the licensing of Elementalism. In return the new Protectorates are granted free trade with the Empire and mutual defence treaties. Hazki Province is restored to its former name of Border Province. To celebrate the last day of Winter and of the extended boundaries of the Empire, yesterday the Valdrean Emperor Kyarlin I led a big hunt in the Imperial Hunting Forest, which culminated with a storytelling round the camp fire by the Empire's High Elvish allies.
The Badlander Clans have begun their Clanmeet at Horning Crags, and are holding a contest for a Warlord. The Valdrean Army have reinforced the new border at Kanaya in Gap Province and remain at North Camp in the new North-Western Gap Protectorate at the notional invitation of the Valdrean Protector. But the rumours are that the Badlander Warlord, rather than invading Valdrea, will make a legitimate Duelling Challenge for the NW Gap Protectorship. This may be a tougher challenge than it might appear, as it is currently held by Tarrimar, 3rd Champion of Normeikl.
Elsewhere, some of the stronger Valdrean Nobles quietly challenged for and took the other Protectorships in their last days as part of the Empire.
Morro McOmechar has triumphed in the contest at Horning Crags and been acclaimed as Warlord of the Badlanders. He has flown off on hippogriff-back with a smallish honour guard of Children of AMON to North Camp in the North-Western Gap Protectorate to challenge the incumbent Protector, Tarrimar, 3rd Champion of Normeikl, to a Duel. Meanwhile, Tarrimar has called on the Imperial Valdrean Army under the new mutual defence treaty to move its existing forces in the Protectorate up to the border for a face off with the massed Badlander Clans who are now heading SE through the Gap after their Warlord.
The Gnomes, KOROS adventurers and Werebears have ventured out of the New Hidden Grove and Zill to reclaim the Gaprillîki from the Cold Ghosts, which so far have not been found in anything like the numbers encountered in the depths of Winter. The Hill Dwarves are, however, conspicuous by their absence. King Dorin has withdrawn all his loyal fighters to Taramkhazâd-Dûm, Barrakizdîn and Tumunzahar in anticipation (or fear), it is said, of an attack by his exiled brother the former King Borin. Thráin, King of All the Dwarves has also sent Mountain Dwarf forces to the Hill Dwarf cities in support of his vassal Dorin, which has not gone down well with some amongst the Hill Dwarves.
Adventurers defending the Kingdom of the North against Goblin raiders have been hunting down and killing Goblin warbands and camps in the Northern Wastelands. The FIDAR and SHELDA adventurers have mostly left the North in protest, but the ESCUS worshippers have pursued the Goblins with their usual zeal. Stories have been emerging from these expeditions of Wolf and Werewolf Ghosts fighting with some Goblins and of other Goblins claiming to worship the "Great Wolf ESCUS" and to oppose the warbands using Undead. The latter have confused some ESCUS worshippers following the time-honoured "convert or die" policy.
Morro McOmechar, Warlord of the Badlanders, has defeated and killed Tarrimar, 3rd Champion of Normeikl, in a controversial Duel for the North-Western Gap Protectorate. Witnesses claim McOmechar filled the Arena with an illusory (or possibly real) forest and then summoned swarms of ravens to attack Tarrimar, whilst attacking him thievishly with his two axes wielded ambidextrously from behind the trees. Valdrean experts claim the summoning of ravens from outside the Arena broke the Standard Duelling Rules and McOmechar therefore forfeited the Duel. But with Tarrimar dead and his Second, the Deputy Governor, fled rather than contesting the issue, McOmechar is in de facto control at North Camp. Immediately on defeating Tarrimar he legalised Evil, Chaos and Demon Summoning and ordered all Valdrean troops to vacate the Protectorate as the mutual defence treaty no longer applied. War now looks likely in the Protectorate between the Imperial Army troops North of the River Nivran, under the command of Cedric, 2nd Champion of Bavenne, Lord Warden of the Northern Military District, and the massed Badlander Clans moving South from Horning Crags. There has been sporadic fighting in North Camp, but most Valdrean troops and adventurers retreated from it rather than submit to McOmechar's command and his Children of AMON now control the town.
Reports are emerging of fighting in the Taramkhazâd-Valga between Hill Dwarves loyal to King Dorin and their Mountain Dwarf allies against insurgent Hill Dwarves supporting the exiled former King Borin. Most of the attacks have been on small garrisons along the approach roads to Taramkhazâd-Dûm from Barrakizdîn and Tumunzahar and the insurgents are said to have been using the Creeping Death (formerly deployed against orcs in the War in the Dungeons) on their fellow Dwarves. Dorin claims to have driven off the rebel attacks, but with the high passes mostly still snowbound and Teleports often Blocked it is difficult to know the truth of this. There are unconfirmed rumours circulating in the cities of whole towns and their garrisons having gone over to Borin and attacked King Thráin's Mountain Dwarves.
Meanwhile in the Gaprillîki, the Gnomes, KOROS adventurers and Werebears have reoccupied the deserted village of Mind without encountering any great number of Cold Ghosts and have sent scouts ahead to Kro on the edge of the Forest. The High Elves of the Aldalië (who have been pursuing their own Mysteries in the Forest itself) say that the main Army of Ghosts is busy fighting Giant Spiders on the far side of the Forest near the Golden Lake, but significant numbers remain elsewhere in the Forest, where the snows still lie deep.
In the War Zone of Hulmo a new, semi-fluid frontline has become established between the sieges of Fort Invincible and The Spire. There is a double encirclement to the North of Fort Invincible, whilst the supply tunnels through the mountains remain open to the East of The Spire. In between stretches the Zur Salient, where a series of largely inconclusive battles have been fought between Orcish and Hulmo armies, with entrenched defenders mostly holding out against wasteful frontal assaults.
In the Land of Harrig the Army of the Most Hateful Inquisition of HAERIM claims that its Red Scorpion riders have defeated an Imperial Orcish Army in the Blasted Lands. The Empire denies this, or dismisses such skirmishes as unimportant diversions, but continues to recruit mercenaries for the War of the Blasted Lands in the Place of Mercenaries in Ashazôrg.
A battle has been fought on the River Nivran in the North-Western Gap Protectorate between the Valdrean Imperial Army, under the command of Cedric, 2nd Champion of Bavenne, Lord Warden of the Northern Military District, defending the river line, and the massed Badlander Clans heading South from Horning Crags, under the command of Morro McOmechar, Warlord of the Badlanders and Lord Protecor of the Gap. The Valdreans have been driven back from the river line, but the official line in Valdran is that they have inflicted heavy casualties on the reckless and ill-disciplined Badlanders, and are falling back in good order in a strategic withdrawal. In North Camp, however, McOmechar has claimed a great victory.
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