Writing

Kingdoms Sprouting Up Part 2

Mister Ed Dungeons and Dragons, Writing

Previous: Kingdoms Sprouting Up Part 1

Jipangu
While the races of the defunct Conclave were distracted by the Dragon War, the Hobgoblins of Eastern Cimmeria were preparing for war. In 876BCE the leader of the Hobgoblins, Kruk-Sho-Kar, invaded, laying waste to all of the small settlements around the Aral Sea.
Toffoun had been trying to stop the Dwarven Civil War. He realized that his efforts were getting him nothing and that his talents could be better used defending his old home in Eastern Cimmeria. Toffoun went with his old friends, Amalgami and Jovy, to stop the Hobgoblins. Together they organized the Eastern Cimmerians into an army. Continue reading →

Kingdoms Sprouting Up Part 1

Mister Ed Dungeons and Dragons, Writing

The end of the Dragon War is a climax for the history of Cimmeria. I knew pretty well what built up to it. I knew the relative timing for events that happened during the war. The activities of the heroes after the war is largely dictated by the natural length of their lifespans depending on their race. It’s the transition to the next stage of Cimmerian history that I never figured out. Most of the harsh challenges of settling in the new land are resolved, so now the people just… settle. I don’t have any large conflicts for another 200 years after the Dragon War.

My next step is to set the stage for the next conflict and mix in a few smaller problems that the successors of the Dragon War Heroes will have to deal with.

Kingdom Sprouting

Smaller Settlements
After the Conclave dissolved, the Humans, Dwarves, Elves, Halflings, and Orcs of Cimmeria spread out. They settled in small communities across the land. These communities would eventually develop into the various tribes, cities, and towns that are spotted across the landscape.

Nox
Most of Sadroston’s descendants died defending Nox when the dragons attack. The remaining few signed their lives away to the White Dragon pair, Shivara and Tikanile. The White Dragons disliked ruling personally in the relatively warm city. They coronated one of Sadroston’s weakest children, Tachydorn, as King of Nox. The stronger of Sadroston’s remaining descendants were taken back to the White Dragons’ lair at Doom Peak. Continue reading →

Cimmerian Timeline Part 28

Mister Ed Classics, Dungeons and Dragons, Writing

Previous: Cimmerian Timeline Part 27

1091BCE: Hephaestus presented Karnafaust with a gift, the Fierce Axe of Dwavish Lords. With the Axe came a promise, that the Dwarves were Hephaestus’s favorite people, even beyond death. King Karnafaust adopted the Axe as a symbol of his right to rule.

1045BCE: With Karnafaust’s death the Fierce Axe of Dwarvish Lords passed to Cogard. The Dwarven Regency Council held the Axe to Cogard came of age, just as they held his governmental powers.

996BCE: King Cogard turned 50 and came of age. He was coronated, but the Dwarven Regency Council did not relinquish governmental control to their designated sovereign. Cogard received the Fierce Axe of Dwarvish Lords at his coronation. Continue reading →

The Fierce Axe of Dwarvish Lords

Mister Ed Classics, Dungeons and Dragons, Writing
Fierce Axe of Dwarvish Lords
Dwarvish lord not included

The Fierce Axe of Dwavish Lords is the symbol of supreme Dwarven leadership. It was gifted to Karnafaust after his resurrection by Hephaestus. With the Axe came a promise, that the Dwarves were Hephaestus’s favorite people, even beyond death.

Karnafaust held the Fierce Axe until his death in 1046BCE. The Axe passed to his swaddling nephew, Cogard. As the boy had just been born, the Axe was entrusted to the Dwarven Council. The Axe was wielded by the head of the council, not as a weapon, but as a symbol of the infant king’s authority. Continue reading →

Mortals and Dragons

Mister Ed Dungeons and Dragons, Writing

There was no isolated incident that instigated the Dragon War. Toffoun and Amalgami killed Blackheart. Tentineh revealed his army in Greshendale. Lord Shaelin killed Kenderax. Gorwinua’s army was earliest of all, waging a guerrilla war against Bavastatner for six years before the Dragon War officially began. The combination of these events led to the meeting of the ten heroes of the Dragon War.

While the ten heroes of the Dragon War were united in their efforts, the same could not be said for all the leaders of Cimmeria. The heroes asked for help from the mortal leaders of Cimmeria and most came to their aid. King Cogard of the Dwarves wished to remain out of the war, but Shaelin’s attack on Fangaroot made neutrality impossible. He joined the fight against the dragons. The Elves of Valor and Hardtop fought for the mortal armies. Tracy brought Crafterton and Nomingburg into the fight. The human settlements of Nox and Phoenix joined the mortals as well. Continue reading →

Cimmerian Timeline Part 27

Mister Ed Dungeons and Dragons, Writing

Previous: Cimmerian Timeline Part 26

1099BCE: The Elven leaders became jealous of the Dwarves independence. Constant complaints by the Humans about the Dwarven traitors further frustrated the Elves. The Sylvan people left the Conclave and setup new societies in the forests of Cimmeria. Croshan the Honorable took his people to the Whitewood Forest. Rarventataa the Wary took her people to the Dry Woods (which would later be known as Bigby’s Forest). Valor the Boastful took his people to Valor’s Forest and promptly named the forest after himself. Kithania the Strong took her people to the Hardtop Forest (now known as the Robber’s Forest).

1082BCE: Trading villages were established on the edges of the Elven forests to move valuable goods between the Elves and the other communities of Cimmeria. Shalemstead served Valor’s Forest, Semanarie served the Dry Woods, Harbinston served Hardtop Forest, and Jeutontic served the Whitewood Forest. These villages were initially populated by humans, but in time their demographics changed into multi-racial communities.

1018BCE: Eathirilu was born to an Elven couple in the Dry Woods.

975BCE: The Green dragons killed Rarventataa in their initial attack and claimed the Dry Woods as their territory. The Gold dragons claimed sovereignty over the Hardtop Forest. Kithania admirably resisted, but the Gold dragons were too much for her. The same was true for Valor against the Silver dragons.
Croshan had a plan to evade death without surrender to the dragons. He took his people into the Underdark. The Elves of Whitewood gathered together and cast a great spell that changed their physical appearance and their magical abilities. They evolved into the dark-skinned Elves we know as Drow today. Croshan attacked the beasts below the surface and carved out a position for his people beneath the earth.

972BCE: Two Elven factions formed within the Dry Woods. One, a group of druidic naturalists allied themselves with the Dragons, viewing them as the pinnacle of the natural order. The other, a group of Elvish patriots who sought to subvert and overthrow the Dragons. The Patriots named the western river of the Dry Woods in honor of the martyr, Rarventataa. The Patriots and the Naturalists of the Dry Woods bickered and skirmished with each other until open hostilities broke out during the Dragon War.

936BCE: Eathirilu became enamored with the Naturalists within the Dry Woods, but disliked the discordant political situation created by the factions.

925BCE: Increasingly frustrated by the infighting of his kinsmen, Eathirilu left the Dry Woods and traveled west.

920BCE: Eathirilu returned to the Dry Woods as Cecilia arrived for training. Eathirilu took no part in the woman’s training, but he spoke with her frequently. Eathirilu rejoined the Naturalists and rose swiftly to become a major leader of the faction.

883BCE: Ashamed of his actions during the Dragon War, Eathirilu left the Dry Woods. He went to the Dark Reaches and studied the saurian monsters of that region.

Next: Cimmerian Timeline Part 28

Cimmerian Timeline Part 26

Mister Ed Classics, Dungeons and Dragons, Writing

Previous: Cimmerian Timeline Part 25

1072BCE: The Orcs took matters into their own hands. They left the Conclave and elected a group of elders to lead them. This council is known as the Maglibarjil. The Orcs went east and carved out a region of Cimmeria for themselves. The Orcs integrated the Goblins of that region into their new society instead of enslaving them.

1046BCE: War with the Humans had subsided and the leaders of the Maglibarjil separated to lead their individual communities. These communities developed their own cultures and became the many tribes of the Orclands.

1021BCE: Bugbear raids against Orc settlements increased drastically. The Goblinoid cannibals carried away Orcs and ate them.

1020BCE: The Maglibarjil reformed to combat the Bugbear threat, but each tribe sought to protect only itself from the incessant attacks. The cannibal raids continued.

1018BCE: A powerful Orc, now known as the First Chief, rose up and drove away the Bugbears around their tribe. No one knows for sure which tribe the First Chief came from or what their name was. Each of the oldest tribes claims the hero as their own. The First Chief commanded their tribe to protect the closest neighboring tribe. They drove off the Bugbears there and the process continued.

1016BCE: Each of the Orc tribes worked together under the First Chief’s leadership. No quarter was given to the cannibal Bugbears. The First Chief’s genocidal war resulted in the almost complete destruction of the Bugbear race.

1015BCE: The First Chief swore that the orcs would never know fear like the Bugbear raids again. The hero took their fight to the source of the Bugbears menace, Zeus himself, for who else controlled the fates of mortals? The First Orc Chief marched against Mount Olympus and engaged Zeus in combat. Zeus killed the rebellious mortal, but not before the First Orc Chief had cut off a tusk of Zeus’s. The tusk fell to the earth beside the First Chief’s body.
To honor the hero the Maglibarjil took the tusk of Zeus and forged it into the tip of the First Chief’s sword. Additionally they took the First Chief’s skin and made a suit of hide armor out of it. These items were to be wielded and worn by the greatest champion of the Orkish race. The sword is known as Ynedg-Drathul the Tusk of Heaven and the armor is known as the Skin of the First Chief.

Next: Cimmerian Timeline Part 27

Cimmerian Timeline Part 25

Mister Ed Dungeons and Dragons, Writing

Previous: Cimmerian Timeline Part 24

982BCE: King Cogard elected to build a new capital for his kingdom at a site he had seen while traveling. He and most of the Dwarves of Dalleer left, heading north by northwest. Lord Shaelin of the Dwarven Regency Council was left behind to rule Dalleer.

974BCE: To preserve his new capital, King Cogard surrendered to the Dragons. Lord Shaelin had sworn an oath to resist the dragons, but he gritted his teeth and followed his king’s orders. The surrender proved fruitful and the bulk of construction on Jord was completed. Cogard invited Dwarves from all across Cimmeria to come to a ceremony declaring the new capital as the center of his kingdom.

971BCE: Queen Pristanon gave birth to quadruplets, all sons, named Coldruin, Steffern, Yentbern, and Albirnon.

961BCE: King Cogard sent his four sons to be raised by different Dwarven lords. Coldruin to the Terror Mountains, Steffern to the Underdark, and Yentbern to Dalleer. Albirnon went to the Dominarie Mountains to be raised in Queen Shortrastor’s court. In exchange, Queen Shortrastor sent her daughter, Alfeita, to be raised by King Cogard.

905BCE: Lord Shaelin completed his long guardianship over Prince Yentbern. During the prince’s time in Dalleer the city had grown into an industrious multi-racial city. Shaelin’s teachings gave Yentbern a healthy respect for hardwork and the other races of Cimmeria.
Lord Shaelin sent a request with Prince Yentbern to King Cogard. With the guardianship concluded, Lord Shaelin wished to be released from his oath of fealty to King Cogard. Cogard granted the request and allowed Shaelin to name his successor. Shaelin passed over his own son  and gave the leadership of Dalleer to Bjorn, a respectable and qualified friend of Shaelin’s.

904BCE: With his vow to King Cogard fulfilled, Shaelin was free to fulfill his oath to oppose the Dragons of Cimmeria. He sent out a clandestine call for all like-minded people to join him in Dalleer for an attack on the Dragons in two years time.

902BCE: Lord Shaelin took his gathered warband and attacked Kenderax in Fangaroot. Shaelin led his army admirably. They penetrated the city and Shaelin himself slew the dragon. Unfortunately, the kobolds were too numerous. They drove the army out and Shaelin’s body was left behind, never to be recovered.

Next: Cimmerian Timeline Part 26

The Rise of Shaelin

Mister Ed Dungeons and Dragons, Writing

Shaelin vs Kenderax

King Cogard of the Dwarves arrived at the temporary capital of Dalleer in 983BCE. In 982BCE, he left to build a new capital for himself. He took most of the Dwarven populace of Dalleer with him. Those left behind were ruled by Lord Shaelin, an honorable Dwarf paladin.

Shaelin vowed to resist the Dragons when they took flight to conquer Cimmeria. Unfortunately, it wasn’t too long before King Cogard ordered him to surrender. Shaelin complied, choosing his oath to his king over the oath to resist the Dragons. Continue reading →

Characters of Cimmeria: Eathirilu Part 1

Mister Ed Dungeons and Dragons, Writing

Eathirilu Head

The Patriots and the Naturalists of the Dry Woods bickered and skirmished with each other for fifty years. The young druid Eathirilu grew up in this environment. He aligned more with the Naturalists in his personal desires, but was frustrated with the discordant political situation of his home. Frustrated with his kinsmen, Eathirilu left on a journey of self discovery upriver.

Eathirilu encountered Danar’s attempt to civilize the swamp. Eathirilu opposed Danar’s efforts. Invernix the Red Dragon Patriarch took notice and inserted himself into their conflict on Eathirilu’s side. Not for the first time, Eathirilu felt that Invernix went too far. He allied with Danar against Invernix, but both were defeated. The young elf’s goal of reducing civilization in the marsh were successful, but at great cost of mortal life.

Eathirilu returned to the Dry Woods as the hero, Cecilia, arrived for training. Eathirilu took no part in the woman’s training, but he spoke with her frequently. He found her hopes for a world free from the dragons unrealistic and dangerous to the natural order. The doubts that Invernix’s harsh behavior had kindled were extinguished by Cecilia’s heroic optimism which Eathirilu saw as naive. Eathirilu rejoined the Naturalists and within a few years was a major leader of the faction.

Eathirilu fought with the Dragons in the Dragon War. He switched sides in the final years of the war, just as he had in his conflict with Danar. Ashamed of his actions after the war, Eathirilu left the Dry Woods. He went to the Dark Reaches and studied the saurian monsters of that region.

Eathirilu would eventually return to Cimmeria, but not for many centuries.