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Gurutama Timeline Revising Part 27

Mister Ed Dungeons and Dragons, Writing , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Previous: Gurutama Timeline Revising Part 26

With the Hykman League now under the power of Navillus they’ve gotta start doing some evil stuff, like taking over other cities with bloody massacres for example! Rotandean is reintegrated into the League and Elves become second class citizens. The Hobgoblins are locked out as well. Amidst all this turmoil in the Eastern Maw, the Rana initiate a artistic revival. While playing Dawn of Worlds we imagined this to be kind of like the Renaissance. That should give us an excuse for pretty much any sort of art style existing in Gurutama if the DM wants to describe something in a particular way. It also gives the DM the excuse to have crazy Renaissance tech like pedal-powered hang gliders.

This post also features the return of the Avians. Prior to this point we’d imagined the Avians as something similar to a slave race. They’ve been a subject population to the Merfolk for centuries and the Merfolk had been exporting sentient beings from Rontu-Aru. Slavery is bad and all, but this is the way the world worked in the past and still somewhat today. I wanted the Avians to have a little bit of power in the last stages of Gurutama, so I initiated the uprising with my Dawn of Worlds points.

Najar also cleanses the Grez ice, proving that such a thing is possible. Maybe that’s a campaign plot there! And we’re closing in on the final Gurutama Time Revising post. Next one should be the last!

743 NA: With battle hardened soldiers at Hykma and the Hearth, the new Hykman League exploded outward. Troops from the Hearth were sent northward to conquer Farpoint and integrate it into the empire.

And with word of the Elven betrayal ruminating in Hykma, the city struck south at Rotandean. Despite being unaffiliated with the True Arrows, the Elven soldiers of Rotandean were mercilessly slaughtered by the followers of Navillus.

Finally, rather than brave the Freedom Road and the fighting between the Hobgoblins and the Elves, the Hykman Empire sealed the Homestone Bridge. The Bastion was fortified to defend the bridge and more soldiers quartered there in preparation for future conflicts.

744 NA: The strife of the wars tested the mettle of the Rana. They overcame and learned from the challenge; their ways of peace and kindness grew. Strife, chaos, and unchecked emotion ravaged the lands of the Hykman League, and yet the Rana were able to channel the horrors. An artistic renaissance permeated from Pulchrito and Domicilius: painting, poetry, literature, sculpture, and theater. For the first time, creativity and expression began to overcome the blunt wealth and splendor that previously dominated the minds and hearts of the Hykman people.

745 NA: With the world at war, mercenaries were in high demand. On Balkus, Captain Lucrais DeBaal of the Zephyr formed a fleet of sails for hire. He was quickly contracted by the Bastion to defend their channel. A fleet was formed to defend the Canal from Elven small boats and to prevent passage across the Canal by any means other than the Homestone Bridge.

746 NA: Farpoint falls to the Hykman siege and becomes a subject province the the League.

748 NA: Shrieking noises could be heard day and night in the southern jungles. Old fears awoke in the hearts of the Merfolk. The Avian menace had returned at the same time that passage through the Great Canal was disrupted. Izquitl sent forth her feathered warriors. The city of Tortuga was taken and renamed. The place became Hobru-Peche to the Avians, or New Roost in the Human tongue.

The Merfolk, not wanting to start a war with Hykma, begin fervent negotiations to move an army through the Great Canal. The Hykmans delay and block negotiations.

749 NA: A Merfolk fleet is sent to Rontu-Aru via the Groshan Sea. The fleet sustains heavy losses to Avian aerial raids on the way and is unable to retake Tortuga.

750 NA: The Avians, now firmly in control of Hubru-Peche, started flying across the ocean to harass the Elves of the southern forest as well as any ships that sailed in The Neck or the Groshan Sea.

The volcano at the heart of the Red Peaks continued to pulsate and radiate heat. The ice, both in the mountains and in the city of Najar, melted. The heat remained. The sun always seemed to shine bright and strong on the city and the place was always warm. The days could be sweltering, but the nights were simply heavenly. Cool breezes gently flowed throughout the city and from his throne, the Mercenary King Jizero smiled. The ruins themselves seemed to melt away and be reshaped. Soon enough, one could hardly see signs of the terrible plight so many years ago. Najar, the Holy City, the City of Endless Summer, was reborn.

-GoCorral

Next: Gurutama Timeline Revising Part 28

Gurutama Timeline Revising Part 24

Mister Ed Dungeons and Dragons, Writing , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Previous: Gurutama Timeline Revising Part 23

More maneuvering in this post by the merchants attempting to circumvent the Great Blockade set up by the Merfolk. And King Hrotomak expands his Empire. Hrotomak and the aftermath of his kingdom were never fully resolved in our Dawn of Worlds game. That resolution will come in future campaigns we play in Gurutama!

Another important part of this update is the civilization of the Hobgoblins. Up until now they were essentially bogeyman in the forest. By the end of this post they have a city and are members of the expanding Hykman League.

724 NA: Construction on Prestounasi was completed. At the end of the Freedom Road the Hykmans raised the resplendent city of Prestounasi and built a fleet to protect her. Along the new trade route they also built The Bastion at the eastern side of the Homestone Bridge.

725 NA: The redirection of Dwarven trade into the heart of the Hykman league brought even more fabulous wealth to Hykma and the Revered Administration. The city continued to grow in size, splendor, and wealth.

The Rana of Pulchrito fell in love with the thriving shanty communities that continued to grow along the western river, between Pulchrito and Hykma. Wealth from Hykma enriched the Shanties, but the poor could only see the widening gap between themselves and the rich. All the new advances meant nothing if those at the top continued to discriminate against the poor.

726 NA: Enamored with the heroic image of his ruby adamantine plate, King Hrotomak planned another invasion within the ruins of the Najar Empire. He formed up a new army and set off for Alixria. The city and her twin yielded quickly. King Hrotomak toured his Empire on a victory parade and the gems on his armor shimmered like rolling lava.

727 NA: The Hobgoblins in the north allied with Giants and Trolls. Another army formed. Communicating across the Freedom Road through the mystic power of their shamans, the Northern and Southern Hobgoblins planned an invasion of the only place unprotected by the Elves’ magical defenses in the Lower Maw, the city of Prestounasi. The armies formed up and attacked. The Elves hurriedly placed a few defenses around the city before the hordes arrived. Traps flared up destroying some of the Hobgoblin forces, but the rest got through and raided the city. The people fled and the Hobgoblins set up camp on the ruins of the city.

728 NA:The Frugal Profiteers, gleeful that the Hykman League’s route was interrupted, finished construction on their own land route around the Blockade. Roads were built to connect the cities of the west, Tylaniria, Syluk, and Cynelle. With a bit of prodding from other secret Profiteer members, the Dwarves built a port to receive the ships coming out of Tylaniria. The port was named Bronze Port.

The Elves offered their assistance to a Hykman expedition to reclaim Prestounasi. The response of the Hykman League was swift. The League raised a great host among her cities: soldiers were sent from Crolodan, The Bastion, and Hykma to deal with the troublesome Hobgoblins. The force was impressive – an army gilded in gold with a magnificent caravan behind it. When they arrived in the ruins of Prestounasi and confronted the Hobgoblin tribes, the Princes of Hykma named themselves gods. They were convincing, their show of wealth and power was well beyond anything the Hobgoblins, Trolls, and Giants had ever imagined.

After a little skirmishing, the Hobgoblins were subdued by what appeared to them to be divine beings. Not only was Hkyman technology superior, but the temptations of Hykma were overwhelming – succulent meats that seemed to melt in the mouth, fine wines and beer from around the world, honey, spices, and of course gold. Proper swords, shields, and spears. And greatest of all… A home. Coaxed from the city, the Hobgoblin tribes and their allies were taken to the mountainside below the ruins of Nanatok. On that site the skilled masons of the Hykman League built a new city and gifted it to the Hobgoblins for oaths of fealty, loyalty, and fervent fanaticism to the revered gods of the Administration and the Hykman League.

-GoCorral

Next: Gurutama Timeline Revising Part 25

Gurutama Timeline Revising Part 20

Mister Ed Classics, Dungeons and Dragons, Writing , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Previous: Gurutama Timeline Revising Part 19

And the new world begins taking shape. Hykma becomes a commercial center, the Najar Empire officially disintegrates, and the Dwarven Curse on the Bwarlor wears out. The Bwalor are finally able to start a civilization that could rival other nations in power. This is symbolized by the expansion of the previously small city of Balkus into a large port stop in The Maw.

We also see the Hykman League forming which will become similar to the Delian League of ancient Greek history. Cities will join, but then be forcibly prevented from leaving.

652 NA: The Twins, Alixria and Alrdia, the wiliest of the old Najaran Quintet, saw their chance for prosperity alongside Cynelle. In the days of old Najar they had been shining jewels reduced to a dull glean by long centuries of toil, war, and occupation. Now, they too renounced Navillus and declared themselves free of the old ways.

664 NA: The flame of Najar had been extinguished but many of her people yearned for the days of comfort beneath an imperial banner. An exodus from the great valley and the cities of Old Najar began, traveling east, then south down the Lower Maw towards the majestic city of Hykma, untouched by war and turmoil. With her help, refugees settled in the fork north of the Tonsil and build a new city, The Hearth, to house the culture and history of old Najar. Battered by centuries of turmoil, they too embraced peace and extended an olive branch to the mixed city of Farpoint where, removed from the turmoil of the great valley, Najaran and Dwarven kind had melded into a peaceful order.

666 NA: The Rana, almost overwhelmed by the influx of battered and tired refugees into their region, rose to the occasion. First, they constructed a place to house their great sages and the great spawning pools from whence all Rana come. On their great lake they built Pulchrito, an amphibious city of immense beauty, peace, and serenity. With their own affairs in order and under the guidance of the Monks of the Gossamer Waves, the Rana built another city, Domicilius, to the northeast, where the river splits. It was a good place, a bastion for all folk fleeing the horrors of the north and the monsters of the southern jungles.

679 NA: The city of Hykma, a refuge for the princes of old Najar and those that could sail to her shore, swollen by an influx of wealth, history, knowledge, and culture, expanded in extravagant majesty. Long friends with the Rana and happy to welcome their neighbors, both Elven and Najaran, she became a radiant gem on the coast of the Lower Maw, and in time, the capital of a new alliance between her, The Hearth, Pulchrito, and Domicilius. The new alliance was bestowed with the name, The Hykman League. Invitations were extended to Rotandean and Farpoint as well.

691 NA: The Dwarven Curse upon the Bwarlor finally ended. Only a few Bwarlor still gave birth to Dwarven children. The Bwarlor rejoiced. With trade revived on the Maw and an end to much of the turmoil of the previous wars, the Bwarlor looked to their own isle. New wealth began to congeal and soon a new city grew up from the towns. Balkus was born, a mighty port and a safe haven for those crossing the treacherous Maw.

-Mister Ed

Next: Gurutama Timeline Revising Part 21

Gurutama Timeline Revising Part 18

Mister Ed Classics, Dungeons and Dragons, Writing , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Previous: Gurutama Timeline Revising Part 17

Now I know I said the great figures were named from now on, but there is one notable exception, The Hero. The Hero is like everyone’s favorite folk hero, but larger. Greek mythology gives a decent comparison. Theseus is the local hero for Athens. Agamemnon and Jason are the heroes for Argos. Odysseus is the hero for Ithaca. You get the idea. Every Greek city had a local hero. The Hero of Gurutama is like that, but he is the local hero for everyone. And not how Hercules is the national Greek hero. I mean that almost every city on Gurutama has a myth about how The Hero visited them and learned so and so skill or slayed so and so monster.

Every society claims The Hero as their figure. The Dwarves say The Hero was a Dwarf. Najarns say he was Najarn. Elves say she was an Elf. Rana say she was a Rana. And if you’ve caught on at this point, patriarchal societies say he was a man while matriarchal societies say she was a woman.

One thing is clear in each culture’s tales about The Hero is that s/he is an enemy of evil. S/he journeys the world and then goes to back to Najar with a Rana sword to defeat a great evil there. That much is true, but all other information on The Hero is in dispute. Whether a particular myth is true or not will be up to the DM that is in charge at that time.

563 NA: The Dwarven host issued forth from Syluk and crashed upon the walls of the Holy City of Najar in the largest battle in history. The Dwarves suffered under the arrows of the Najar and their strategies seemed to be constantly given over to the enemy. The Dwarven army attempted to storm the city, but they were repelled. The retreat to Syluk, at first organized, turned into a rout due to constant guerilla attacks in the night. The army scattered into the mountains. Many Dwarves were captured and enslaved. Others escaped and small Dwarven communities sprouted up within the Red Peaks.

564 NA: From the carnage a Hero was born. His initial years were sculpted by Najaran passion and the growing philosophy of Dwarven mechanization that had seeped into the Empire during the Dwarven occupation and integration. He drifted for decades throughout the continents of the known world. From the mighty Tiers of Golden Mach to the heights of Cui-Xoloc, the young man studied under sages and common men, learning mastery over all. And from his travels he gained incredible insight on the true plight of the Najar under the rule of their Black Emperor.

603 NA: On the misty shores of the Tonsil, the Rana forged a legendary sword for the young Hero, and at last he returned to his home, the Holy City and the seat of the Demon-God.

No one is certain what happened in the crypts below the fiery mountain, or if The Hero vanquished Navillus or died in the attempt. But silence sunk into the place in his wake, and the doors to the holy crypts were sealed. If The Hero returned, he did so without his sword, and he refused to speak of what transpired in the caverns. Regardless, all felt the Dark God’s influence shrinking away. The city of Najar nervously breathed in the freshness of the world…

The dwarves of Syluk rejoiced at the victory of the Hero over the Prince of Gorgoth.

619 NA: The Grez learned the ways of siege warfare. They prepared ice catapults, glacier towers, and icicle rams in the frozen north for an invasion that had long been brewing. The polar ice extended over the land connecting Ksilartlu to the Red Peaks and Najar. The Great Volcano of Najar fell dormant and blizzards and ice covered the ancient crater. The Grez sent all their strength to take over the city and kill all the inhabitants. Many died in the battle, including, some say, the Hero. Those who were not slain froze into terrible ice sculptures made by Grez magic. The world cowered in fear. None knew what to do in response.

-Mister Ed

Next: Gurutama Timeline Revising Part 19

Gurutama Timeline Revising Part 17

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Previous: Gurutama Timeline Revising Part 16

The lull continues. But as we get closer to the present day the great figures start having names! Or at least we were more motivated to give the great figures names. There have been gods and direct servants of gods with names previously, but that hardly counts.

We also start seeing the Rana develop a different branch of foreign policy besides the typical pacifism of the Monks of Gossamer Waves. Violence is a reality that cannot always be successfully confronted with pacifistic magic and healing techniques. Sometimes the best way to reduce suffering is to cause pain to others. The Monks are unwilling to engage in righteous combat themselves and after witnessing the pervasiveness of human cruelty, they aren’t willing to arm the masses either. The Monks instead elect to arm a few champions of order and good with the finest weaponry the world has ever seen. If you read or watch Game of Thrones then you can think of Rana swords as being similar to Valarian swords.

539 NA: A new generation of Metal Dwarves was still racked with indecision. Navillus clearly must be defeated, but their grand invasion failed miserably. The world must be united in peace and harmony, but even the good Merfolk and the Bwarlor, sworn enemies of Navillus, turned against the Dwarves. The Books told them that the world must be made to follow the Dwarven way to be a good and just place, but this new entry into the cycle changed the predictions of the Books. The Dwarves knew not where to strike next with physical force or where to push with gentle words of encouragement. Lost, they descended into isolationism. They interacted only with the Gnomes and Halflings of Hearthland. The Dwarves still traded through the little people with the Merfolk, but few Metal Dwarves left the seclusion of their mountain homes. Fearful of the outside world, the Dwarves formed armies to defend themselves from the retribution they feared would come.

541 NA: The Elves, seeing that their forest was no longer safe, enacted a plan to evacuate. The Elves lived long and thus could plan for many generations ahead of time. They constructed a road through the forest to the east. The Freedom Road was defended by magical traps that similar to those that surrounded Crodolan. The Road stretched all the way from Crodolan to the Great Canal. Bridges spanned the various rivers and streams along the way. The Elves planned to construct a huge bridge over the Great Canal, so high that the mightiest ship could still pass underneath.

553 NA: The Rana, able servants of the world, began to expand their perspective as their Monks traveled the world. They learned the necessity of might even as they taught compassion and the peaceful way. The Rana lived to serve and so with somber hearts they began to make tools for the righteous to instigate change when faced with the towering forces of destruction. Practice and perfection came simply to the Rana, and soon Rana-forged swords became legendary. Rarely used and rarely gifted, the blades are an art form.

562 NA: The Empire Dwarves saw the corruption in their society, but only a rare pure soul could rise to a position of power within the Empire Dwarf society without being tempted and corrupted by bribes offered by Najar. The cycle ended with Lord Cormak, not a pure soul, but an exceedingly cruel one. Cormak gathered the Syluki Dwarf forces and marched to Najar. They brought along all their luxurious attendants, followers, silks, fine wines, and sweet desserts. After all, what is a conquest without a victory banquet afterwards? They planned to delve into the caverns of the volcano and smoke out Navillus.

-Mister Ed

Next: Gurutama Timeline Revising Part 18

Gurutama Timeline Revising Part 14

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Previous: Gurutama Timeline Revising Part 13

The Bwarlorn Dwarves finally get their vengeance in this post. Their act parallels the original Dwarf curse in many ways. They target a group that did not suspect such an attack. The group suffers heavy causalities and then forced pregnancies. The pregnancies result in horrible unwanted mutant babies.

The Bastards of the Book don’t target the Dwarves though. They attack the Dwarven allies, the Elves.

But in the grand scheme of history, rape is just another tragedy of war. What makes this special enough to include?

The creation of a new race because the hybrid genetics is why. The Hobgoblins will come to play a big role in the Lower Maw.

And we’ve also got the Rana slowly developing into their humanitarian selves by founding Gurutama’s equivalent of the real world charity organization, The Red Cross.

429 NA: The group of Najaran men sought to rebel against their Dwarven overlords. They sent scouts into the Eastern Maw to recruit primitive Humans outside of the boundaries of the Empire to assist in fighting the Dwarves. While the small rebellion of these men was one among many to be squashed by the Dwarven jackboots one good thing came of the Najarn scouts’ journey. They made contact with the Rana.

The words of the Najarns troubled the Rana and left a lasting impact. They had never heard of people who openly sought violence upon other intelligent beings. The Rana set about to bring light to all those who wanted to see once again…

The Rana gathered many of their beloved children, great sages, silver-tongued peace-makers, and humble friends, and sent them forth into the world. And they named them, the Monks of the Gossamer Waves, an order of peace, pacifism, and kindness.

441 NA: With each year the ranks of the Bastards of the Tattered Book grew and their fury seemed endless. Many spoke of purging the Metal Tiers and of making the women and children of Hearthland suffer as their men made the Bwarlor suffer. Still more wanted to storm the Najaran coast and join forces with the Najarns against the Empire Dwarves.

But a cruel streak coming from their primitive ancestors inspired another course of action. The Bastards unfurled their black sails and set out, not west to the Hearthland nor north to join the numerous rebellions against the Empire Dwarves. No, the Bastards went south to the ripe forests hidden behind the indomitable Mandibles.

442 NA: It is said that history is doomed to repeat itself, and just as the Dwarves of Hearthland imposed their sons on the Bwarlor, so did these new Dwarves rape the city of Shianosoth and sow their children amongst the innocent Elven people. A new breed coalesced in the shadow of that damned city, mockery of the goodness and order, a savage combination of its three father races: the swiftness and stature of the good Elves, the greed and steadfast determination of Dwarvenkind, and the madness of their grandfather, Humanity. The first Hobgoblins were born into the world…

-Mister Ed

Next: Gurutama Timeline Revising Part 15

Gurutama Timeline Revising Part 12

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Previous: Gurutama Timeline Revising Part 11

This post is all about the initial backlash the Dwarves suffer for the curse they laid upon the Bwarlor. The initial descriptions went into a lot of detail about the new subrace of Dwarves born from Human parents. I’ve removed as much as I could while attempting to preserve the core of the new culture within the timeline. Also, there’s some not nice words in this post, just to warn you.

I plan to write more about each race and subrace in the future. The information on the culture of the Bwaloran Dwarves will be moved out of the timeline and into that section.

346 NA: For many years Dwarf-sons were slaughtered by the Bwarlor, their deaths meant to purge the wombs of Bwarloran women. As the years passed the killings slowed and the Dwarf-sons found a place within Bwarloran society. A horrifying existence, forever a second class, beaten and abused by their own parents. Hatred grew in the hearts of these Dwarves, not for their abusers but for those who cursed them. Guided by the passion of the Humans and tempered by towering hatred for Dwarvenkind, the Bwarloran Dwarves formed an order, the Bastards of the Tattered Book.

The guiding mantra of the Bastards of the Tattered Book is, “We are bastards left on another’s door step.” Abandoned by the Metal Dwarves that cursed them they now intend to destroy the Metal Dwarves, tear up the Books of Prophecy, and become the true DWARF. They are the servant rebelling against their master, creation destroying their creators, sons killing their cruel fathers. They are the Bastards of the Tattered Book, and dammit, they mean business.

349 NA: The Merfolk took notice of the curse now that the first Bwarloran Dwarves had reached adulthood. The Merfolk offered to help ship the Dwarves born to the Humans to the Dwarven kingdom. The Bastards quickly rejected the notion that they wished to be reunited with their “original families.” The Merfolk seers, still unsatisfied, looked to Drolfo for guidance as to why this terrible curse had befallen the Bwarlor lands. Drolfo answered, “A curse from the Dwarves. You must attack the dwarves for there will be no peace with them.” The Merfolk began marshalling their armies.

352 NA: The race of Rana rose from the waters of Tonsil Lake. Some say that they are descended from the stars, riding gossamer strands of heavenly beauty. Amphibious and humanoid, they seem to radiate goodness. They settled in the Tonsil and frolicked, peaceful and happy, little aware of the chaos of the world.

360 NA: After many skirmishes the Landers took Cynelle. The Merfolk returned control of the city to the Najar. The Merfolk learned from this experience and gained advanced knowledge of how to fight inside cities.

366 NA: The Grez froze the Northern Sea to make one solid line of ice.

371 NA: The wraith people built a city in the middle of the New Ice, Ksilardyh.

-Mister Ed

Next: Gurutama Timeline Revising Part 13