The 'Alysian' Era (465-468)

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This article describes The 'Alysian' Era (465-468) of the History of Arangoth.


Note: References such as (38:7) are to passages in the Shoonaben.

AngelSin and BLKDRAGON Meet

Amidst her wanderings, AngelSin tarried awhile at a far distant alehouse known as the Red Dragon Inn in Rhydin. There she met an enormous purple-eyed, jagged-scaled black dragon named, not surprisingly, BLKDRAGON. His nature was evil, like that of black dragons generally. During his murky past he had been sworn as a shadowy "keeper of the void" to serve chaos for eternity. Yet AngelSin, for reasons she could not explain even to herself, was drawn irresistibly to the dragon. "Please, milady," the dragon begged her, "do not involve yourself with me. I bring nothing but sorrow." And yet she did not heed his words of warning. Night after night she lingered with the creature at the inn, and love for him engendered itself within her bosom. Again and again BLKDRAGON protested, "You are a good and precious being, AngelSin: keep yourself far from me, for I do not wish to cause you pain and grief." AngelSin could respond only with tears and proclamations of her undying love for the dragon. Finally BLKDRAGON summoned forth a Gypsy soothsayer, telling AngelSin: "Fine, I'll show you what doom awaits you if you stay with me."

Fates Intertwined

However, the Gypsy wove for them a very different vision from the one BLKDRAGON had expected, saying, "I see you two standing on a grassy knoll; you are watching two children play, and you are happy." With those words she vanished. BLKDRAGON had been cautious until now of AngelSin, and he was reluctant to allow her to enter his life. Indeed, when they first met he had been plotting an assassination, and he feared the vulnerability she awoke within his spirit. Yet now, despite his pledged servitude to chaos, he brought himself to proclaim his own devotion for the fallen angel. As a token thereof, he presented unto her the very carrier of his soul, and before many days had passed they had become husband and wife, making a name for themselves as adventurers in certain regions of Rhydin. Upon their return from an island honeymoon, they found that Rhydin had become an unfriendly and violent place.

Birth and Rebirth

AngelSin became pregnant with twins, after which BLKDRAGON "went against his wife." He forgot the love they shared and wanted to leave her. But, somewhere inside his soul he knew this was wrong, and so his soul began to fade, and he was dying. AngelSin, starting to die also, went into labor, and their friend Sir OneStab, a Rondissian, stayed by her side, telling her not to give up. A wizard by the name of Simon Horus Phoenix was there at the Inn and was summoned to help. He cast a spell that made the children inside of her grow so they could be born.

OneStab and Simon delivered the two children, Orion (a boy) and Andromeda (a girl). After this, BLKDRAGON and AngelSin recovered. Literally sick of Rhydin, they set out for the land of Arangoth, a place which Sir OneStab possibly knew about from his childhood in nearby Rondis. In March or First Seed of the year 465, BLKDRAGON and AngelSin first arrived at the mouth of the Darian River and built Castle Black and the BlkDragon Inn from scratch, near the humble fishing village of Drache. They assumed the titles of King and Queen of Arangoth, and they were the first in a vast wave of migrations that took place out of Rhydin into Arangoth and the Isles of Myst over the next year.

Notable Native Arangothians

Of course, there were people in Arangoth, and even in Drache, prior to the arrival of BLKDRAGON and AngelSin. These notable natives were among the first to meet and greet the king and queen when they arrived.

  • Cay`tln Von Sariv was born in Southern Arangoth about the year 411. She stated, "You know I was born in Arangoth? I managed a pub not too far from here...."
  • Lord Kain came to the land of Arangoth in the year 430.
  • Ambiul Daergon, probably born in the mid-440s, "was born to a peasant family that lived at the east end of Arangoth."
  • Aralyn Ellisede, born about 452, worked in her youth "as a field hand among the more rural areas of the Kingdom."
  • Amanda Kureh was born "in a small town outside Drache" about the year 453 and moved into the "slums" of Drache about 462.
  • Aldebaran grew up with abusive parents "in a small cabin out in the woods" and later moved into Drache itself.
  • Dice was born in roughly 456, "somewhere in the back alleys of Drache."
  • Sylrekia "was born on a warm afternoon to a lovely couple who lived in the city [sic] of Arangoth."
  • Karesh, fl. 466, was "a farmer from [and presumably born in] southern Arangoth."
  • Chilsian of Arangoth, a master swordsman who helped train Sir Raych Kjeldoran IV, had evidently been a long-time resident, judging from his name.
  • Rowan Banendrag was identified as an *Arangothian* dwarf, presumably born in Ruthmarna.
  • Valance al`Valdebran had been "born the son of Lord Valance the first of house al`Valdebran, one of the lower lords of Arangoth." his father died when he was seventeen, and at nineteen he had renounced his noble status.
  • Delia Trelain "grew up in Drache."

Princesses of Arangoth

In the early days, Queen AngelSin dispensed several royal titles to friends who do not appear to have been actual kin.

  • Calsey and Wintermist, two unrelated dryads, were made Princesses of Arangoth by AngelSin's decree, and Princess Calsey became the royal healer.
  • Petal Jusep also bore the title Princess of Arangoth, but the terms under which she received this title are obscure, so it is hard to say whether her children (the twins Xune and Merinid, and Jasz) have inherited it.
  • Sir Daedil Shadowhisper was the royal court jester.
  • Jessie Kevelmere of the Fields was named royal baker.
  • Yegg was the royal ferret.
  • Risa Brightmeadow was hired by the Queen herself to work in the BlkDragon Inn.
  • The mage Talliseer somehow obtained the peculiar title "Grand Duke of Arangoth."

It is interesting to note that there is no record of King BLKDRAGON ever granting a royal title of any sort. As to actual blood relations, the royal couple had two more children at various times (for a total of four by the time of their departure in 467), of whom the third had a name beginning with T and was delivered by DVampyre (formerly Sir Kuroi).

AngelSin Learns of Her Heritage

On an unspecified date, AngelSin's *sister* Narisa McDorn arrived in Arangoth. She revealed that AngelSin's grandfather Ware McDorn was himself from Arangoth, and that AngelSin's family had ruled there for hundreds of years, but had been forced to flee during an invasion of "Satan's Army." AngelSin had been born in a place founded by the family in exile, called Alysia, and her birth name had been Alysia McDorn. AngelSin and Narisa's mother, Marias, had been infirm and died on the voyage to Arangoth.

The Spread of the Royal Government through Arangoth

According to the Chronicle of the Kings of Arangoth, written in mid-467: "When the news went forth throughout the land that two daughters of the line of King Dorn had returned at last to Arangoth, there was great celebration everywhere. For all had known that three princes had fled before the forces of darkness had overwhelmed the Arangothian nobility and the knights of the Order of the Beady Eye, and no member of the family had since set foot back in the kingdom during the time known as the Fifty Years' Interregnum. From distant parts of Arangoth the multitudes flocked to Drache, which swiftly grew into an enormous city, if only to catch a glimpse of Queen AngelSin and her consort King BLKDRAGON, or of Princess Narisa. The darkness that had once enveloped Arangoth had long since dissipated.

A Monarchy Welcomed

All along in Inner Arangoth, Sresaria, and elsewhere, hardworking peasants had been toiling in their fields, townspeople had practiced their crafts, and in their little communities they had managed to keep themselves at peace and avoid complete anarchy, though sometimes there were skirmishes and feuds. Still, the people remembered with yearning the golden age that had gone before, when there had been a glorious king of all Arangoth and not just the local landlords and town mayors who had exercised authority for fifty years. Queen AngelSin and King BLKDRAGON treated their well-wishing visitors generously and showed them gracious hospitality at their splendid alehouse, the BlkDragon Inn. Now this was the sort of royalty the common folk of Arangoth could appreciate! And so it was with more joy and the ringing of more bells than Arangoth had ever seen that their reign was ushered in by popular acclaim.

Song Deep Swears Fealty

As to Northern Arangoth, around Song Deep, once it became known that Queen AngelSin of Drache was a descendant of the old royal house, the Diet met, and as a body elected to swear its allegiance to the new King and Queen in return for a royal confirmation of its traditional rights and privileges. Those rights and privileges included:

  • the right of the Diet to approve any taxes or military contributions each year;
  • the Provincial Guard, although subordinate to the Royal Guard, would maintain its autonomy, structure and membership;
  • no citizen of Inner Arangoth can be extradited to Drache for trial except by vote of the Diet; and
  • the royal treasury would pay half the expense of keeping up the fortresses along the Khalar frontier.

Although this agreement had NOT been officially confirmed, the terms had not yet been violated either. The peasantry would be kept securely under the thumb of the nobles.

Sresar Vale and Ruthmarna

The people of Sresar Vale, on the other hand, were farmers and shepherds who paid their taxes directly to the crown, as no nobility had a claim to such a rustic and unprofitable place. The Vale was ruled by a council of elders and elected officials, but still obeyed the word of the crown and it's agents, including the Royal Guard.

In Ruthmarna, when the inhabitants learned of King BLKDRAGON and Queen AngelSin's arrival in Drache, they sent a delegation to recognize them as rightful sovereigns of Ruthmarna and bestowed the honorary title Grand Duke of Ruthmarna on their son, Prince Orion. From that point on, the roads were safe again, patrolled for the most part by heavily-armed detachments of the Arangothian Royal Guard. The mountainous hinterland, though, was still in the hands of bandits, most notably Tarla Nixkenixe and Norpovath Quar, but there were others too. Several times they staged raids on caravans carrying gold and silver to the mint of Drache, but they were always fought off successfully by the Royal Guard. More disturbing however, were the periodic and merciless raids on the gutsy village of Quarpodar, conducted to avenge the death of old Tatarn ul-Tarrath, the most fearsome bandit of them all.

Royal Knights of Arangoth

Of the Royal Knights, it was written, "I [Dakoran the minotaur] stayed there [in Arangoth] for a few weeks before I heard AngelSin say something that I wanted to try out. She asked for any who would like to be a knight. I thought it couldn't hurt and so I joined." Sir Shadrak MacAllister claimed the title "second" Royal Knight of Arangoth. Sir OneStab, Sir Kith Razorline, Sir Daedil Shadowhisper, ThornSpike, and Sir Kuroi (later DVampyre) were Royal Knights, and Darcon Talanthas held the idiosyncratic title "Guardian" Knight of Arangoth. New Royal Knights were still being titled as late as early 466; Sir Raych Seldon [known now as Sir Raych Kjeldoran IV] was knighted by AngelSin on the 16th day of January, 466. By the time of the flight of Sir Shadrak MacAllister into exile due to his wife Cay`tln's treason in 468, it appears most members of this order were deceased, with the exception of Sir Raych and possibly Sir OneStab.

Lysira Farraige and the Gaiscioch of Aran Keep

The Gaiscioch were a mercenary force led by the intrepid Lysira Farraige, a Gaelaran from the Aran Islands. Queen AngelSin also appointed Lysira as the Captain of the Arangothian Royal Guard, an entity which seems to not previously have existed. It is hard, however, to distinguish a separate Royal Guard from the Gaiscioch at this early date, and, because no names are given for other Royal Guards, it is just possible that Lysira was the only one prior to mid-467.

The Gaiscioch did much to defend the borders of Arangoth, and they were *the* warrior heroes of the day, probably largely responsible for winning over the far-flung Arangothian peasantry to King BLKDRAGON and Queen AngelSin. Among their foes were the evil Kor'odoshi; the leader Gil`reath of the Khalar Legion of Val'halra; and a supernatural being called Si`ganth, who for awhile managed to band the Khalar tribes together in the north. Today there are but vague accounts of this noble Gaiscioch order, or of the drinking parties at which Lysira, Vindice and Warsong are reputed to have astonished onlookers by their ability to down alcohol. Their home was at Aran Keep, on the southern shore of Arangoth to the west of Drache; this place, known for its vast library, was built from the ground up by Lysira herself.

The time of Lysira's arrival in Arangoth is not recorded, but she must have been there long enough before Second Seed (May), 466 to have established her authority prior to the outbreak of the Vernorian War. Still, it is known that Silvan Elestriel's time in the Gaiscioch began in February, 466, so perhaps the organization dates only from the new year. Other similar organizations may also have existed; for example, of the "Black Rose" or "Black Thorn" of Storm Quickning and Rand al`Thor, but neither of these guilds proved stable enough to survive for more than a short while. Guilds had also been declared illegal in principle. According to the Chronicle of the Kings of Arangoth, the King and Queen "paid close attention to the lesson taught by the treachery of the Order of the Beady Eye, which had brought fifty years of misfortune upon the land, and they vowed never again to suffer guilds of any sort to operate within the borders of their kingdom."

The Gaiscioch Roster

The Gaiscioch roster read as follows: Mokole, Vindice, Arhea, Marusk, Warsong, and Moondiver. "Soon-to-be Gaiscioch" were Haedrian and Altair. Those declared "Lost to Clan Gaiscioch" were Valen, Silvan, Syra-Ken, and Lan.

Mysthaven

Some of the early immigrants from Rhydin to Arangoth chose to resettle on islands to the south, the Isles of Myst, where Potts Cest'Evalion and others established the Red Dragon Inn at Mysthaven. The inn's foundation and building were created by magic within days of their arrival. Other proprietors who made the voyage included LdyShiael, CrazyWolf, SilvrDmon, Merikus, LadyMirl, THUNDER-x, Syra_Ken, Marusk, BloodTide and SoftBird. This inn, the second to be founded primarily by immigrants from Rhydin, was soon afterwards renamed Dragon Myst Inn.

The Isles of Myst had no central government at this time. Alaricc de Medici was an early immigrant to Arangoth who found it to be a place of "dischord and turmoil" which destroyed his marriage to Allysa De'Marco. He relocated to Arangoth, and found his second wife, Frostfire Wolf'Song, at the BlkDragon Inn. Close connections between Drache and Mysthaven continued. A guild known as the Night Runners was powerful in Mysthaven for some time. It was run by the aforementioned SilvrDmon, a Rhydinian immigrant who experienced a "not-so-warm" welcome in Arangoth and opted to reconstruct his old mansion on the southern shore of the Isles of Myst. Chief among the natives of the island must be reckoned the Lady Desirea Silver, who came from the Wild Lands of the northern island. The northern island was not always the final stopping point for settlers, however, as shown by the example of Tamarinde, who first moved there, but later purchased Equine Island and established Pirates Cove on it.

EVENTS OF THE YEAR 466

The Founding of the Royal Church

Father Kylus Dragonsbane migrated from Rhydin to Arangoth in Morning Star (January) of 466, and became Royal Priest to King BLKDRAGON and Queen Angelsin, in charge of the Royal Church of Arangoth, a position which he still holds. This appears to be the oldest continuously-held official title in Arangoth. Sir Raych Kjeldoran IV, Royal Knight of Arangoth, was knighted by Queen Angelsin on January 16, 466, and would be the only other potential contender for this distinction.

The Vernorian War

Around May of this year [see 40:3], Arangoth went to war with the inhabitants of the desert of Vernor, or Rashnad [105:2] (referred to at the time incorrectly as "Asyr" [104:1a]). A Rashnaditz leader by the name of Xandur is said to have been causing havoc raiding villages along the Arangothian frontier. His main opponents were Lysira Farraige's Gaiscioch, who defended the borderlands. Xandur captured and enslaved some prominent Arangothians, including one Kesstryl. Lysira went forth to free Kesstryl, but when that proved impossible, Lysira killed him to save him from servitude to the Rashnaditz. Lysira herself was stabbed in the throat and captured. It was also said that Kesstryl had a few old flames who were very angry at Lysira and blamed her for what happened.

Queen AngelSin demanded that Xandur release Lysira and any other Arangothian subjects the Rashnaditz had enslaved. The details are hazy at this point, but it is reported that a foolhardy poisoning attempt was made by some of the Gaiscioch, and finally Queen AngelSin and Princess Narisa themselves were captured by the Rashnaditz. Elsewhere, with Queen AngelSin having gone missing, Simon Horus Phoenix summoned to Arangoth his Phoenix Dragons (Inferno, Titanus, ArrowWing, Dante and Hades) to aid him in locating and rescuing her. Simon met with a certain Sun`Zen (alias Sunaj), asking for his help in finding Queen Angelsin, not knowing that Sun`Zen was in fact Angelsin's kidnapper. Inferno tracked the path of the kidnappers to the pyramid in the Vernorian desert in which Sun`Zen resided. Sun`Zen insisted that the path Inferno had followed was the track of desert nomads with whom he had regular commerce. Inferno, however, was not convinced and took up a watch outside the pyramid, which later vanished into the "northern mountains," taking the queen with it.

Sun`Zen finally handed Queen AngelSin over to the Rashnaditz tribesmen of Vernor, and then wrote a full confession of his crimes, sending a clone of himself to the Arangothian authorities for punishment (which was meted out by Dethfang) [97:2f]. Spectre, an elven assassin and a bit of a ladies' man, who had earlier fallen in love with Princess Narisa, spent a month searching the desert after learning that AngelSin and Narisa had escaped from the Rashnaditz by unknown means. BLKDRAGON eventually rescued Queen AngelSin, and Spectre rescued her sister Princess Narisa [40 appendix 2]. The veteran of the Gaiscioch who gave the account of the opening of the war noted that Xandur himself was finally captured and killed. The Vernorian War appears to have ended by the beginning of Last Seed (August) in the year 466 [104:1a].

Plague in Arangoth

An odd illness swept through Arangoth in Frost Fall (October), with peculiar symptoms. It appeared to involve three phases: first giddiness, sweating, dry mouth, nervousness, fever; then changes in appetite, apparent intoxication, uncontrollable urges and fits of extreme emotion; and finally loss of strength, nausea, memory loss, confusion and depression [114:4h].

EVENTS OF THE YEAR 467

February, or Sun's Dawn, 467

THE SO-CALLED NORN WAR. The so-called "Norn War" in which Norns appear to have invaded Outer Arangoth, probably near Caern (but nowhere in Arangoth proper), may have taken place at or slightly before this time. The defending party did refer to itself as an "Arangothian army," and granted its members titles accordingly, but was more likely a ragtag frontier force that had no connection with the government of King BLKDRAGON and Queen AngelSin. Since the episode did not become a part of Arangoth's official history and was disavowed by the central authorities, all surviving information about it is scant and confused. In any event, whatever happened took place after the Vernorian War [46:3]. Some veterans of the Norn War appear to have founded an independent state known as LoeGlahan after they had been rebuffed by the central Arangothian government, but this development is quite obscure. Rayzark Blackmoon of Eveningstar was regent of LoeGlahan at one point.

March or First Seed, 467

The "Shoonaben" began publication on the 8th day of this month.

April, or Rain's Hand, 467

THE RAVEN, REGENT OF ARANGOTH. The second BlkDragon Inn mail or postal service was founded sometime during the first half of this month. King BLKDRAGON and Queen AngelSin were in the process of departing from their kingdom at this point and had relinquished control of the kingdom to their trusted servant, The Raven; however, they had not yet left. The Raven, a wizard with human and bird forms, came from the southeast, from Ethcabar-Antara at the mouth of the River Nie, or at least he spent some time there before coming to Arangoth. Although a close friend of Lysira Farraige, his name does not appear on the old roster of the Gaiscioch of Aran. An even closer associate of his early days in Arangoth was Rue, about whom scant information survives. Nevertheless, his past is largely unknown, as are the sudden journeys he was apt to embark upon alone, by his choice. He seems to have already become Royal Advisor at the time of the Vernorian War, perhaps considerably earlier.

PELT-HUNTING. Pelt-hunters, who took the skins of sentient beings for sport, were active at this time in N'Teryan and Arangoth; among the most notorious of the pelt-hunters was a creature (or rather, a machine) known as Parafaith [23:3, 26:3, 28:4]. Colonel Blade RathBourne (ostensibly of the Arangothian army, now known by the name Tyarel Thistlebane) put out a bounty of 75 million gold pieces on Parafaith's head, announcing that BLKDRAGON and AngelSin had proclaimed pelt-hunting in Arangoth illegal [28:4]. TheRaven countered this, contesting RathBourne's title and declaring that hunting animal pelts had NOT been declared illegal or punishable by death in Arangoth, because that would include fur trappers and the like who make an honest living at the trade. The official reaction to this was that pelt-hunting from sentient beings were considered attacks on the citizens, and there were patrols riding the nearby lands in search of Parafaith's hideout.

The intent was to capture, not kill Parafaith in order to bring it to justice. Lysira Farraige was still considered to be the head of the Arangothian army at this time [29:2]. Parafaith was captured at the end of the month by Jon Talbain. The Raven issued a proclamation, the beginning of which was lost, about the capture of the creature known as Parafaith, and on behalf of the people of Arangoth, thanked Talbain for capturing Parafaith and turning it over to the Royal Guards. A trial was scheduled for Sundas, the 5th day of Second Seed, to determine the fate of Parafaith. The trial was to be held in the Royal court, no sooner than two strokes to midnight. All citizens of Arangoth and those that bear testimony or evidence regarding the acts of Parafaith would be allowed attend.

In the meantime, Poison Arsenica Hawthorne and Kyra appear to have drawn other bands of pelt-hunters into Northern Arangoth in order to destroy them there. Poison was captured and killed by the pelt-hunter Jahred Klavin [38:7]. Jahred Klavin in turn was killed by Ebony, Loendal, Slademan, and Snowdrift when he tried to collect the bounty that was on Poison's head.

DOVA, THE WHITE GRIFFONKIT. Excaliber "Arkady" Galyulian and Moira discovered Dova, the White Griffonkit, during a visit to Drache [16, 17]. While returing with Dova to Griffon's Aerie, where White Griffonkits are considered rare and sacred beings, they were waylaid by a group of bandits and Moira was slain [18: 1, 2, 5, 19:1]. Excaliber then placed Dova in the custody of Wylcros, a trustworthy griffon official [27:1] and was subsequently educated in griffon ways by Moira's sister Katrina [57:1, etc.].

May, or Second Seed, 467

THE ROYAL FAMILY'S DEPARTURE. King BLKDRAGON and Queen AngelSin's departure from Arangoth was finally announced as follows on the 14th day of the month: "Angel sighs as she walks from the Inn--for perhaps the last time ever. Her eyes misting over, she barely makes out the form before her. "Hurry Luv' we've not much time," he calls to her as he reaches out a hand. She sighs and takes one last look at the Inn, its inhabitants not knowing the circumstances of their departure, nor [that] their very lives [are] depending upon it. She grabs his hand as he helps her into the carriage. She forces a smile as she sits next to her children: "I want ye to rest, li'l ones.... we have a long journey in front of us." BLKDRAGON whistles and the carriage abruptly heads on its way. She looks out the window as her Kingdom fades into the distance" [48:3].

PARAFAITH'S TRIAL. Parafaith's trial took place on the evening of the fourth day of the month (not the fifth, as scheduled), with The Raven presiding. The Raven's verdict: "Parafaith, It is entirely possible that you were acting in self-defense on several of the mentioned occasions. That certain citizens of Arangoth were conspiring agaist ye, and plotting your demise. They were wrong in this. Not because of your actions, but because they took it upon themselves to be executors of the law. Your actions brought this upon ye, and the citizens' actions were with good intent. Ye maimed and attempted to slay the subjects of this kingdom in the name of purification and your long-dead or far-off empire. I hereby sentence ye to death. Obviously, a traditional execution may be out of the question here. Death by beheading, then send the body to the royal smith and have him smelt it" [41:1]. This would be the last public appearance of The Raven, ten days before the official departure of King BLKDRAGON and Queen AngelSin. Parafaith's execution was carried out within a day of the sentence [43:3].

ARANGOTHIAN POLITICS. After the departure of the King and Queen, the Arangothian Royal Guard was revamped principally under the leadership of Naelean Glaide, alias 'Everless'. Lysira Farraige, though still mentioned as holding a position somewhere between Glaide and The Raven, soon disappeared from the roster and had withdrawn entirely from Arangothian affairs by mid-year. Titles held officially at the time were:

  • The Raven - Royal Advisor to the Kingdom, Regent in the King and Queen's absence;
  • Lysira Farraige - Commanding General of the Arangothian Military, as appointed by the Queen;
  • Naelean] Glaide - Recently adorned Magistrate of Arangoth's judicial committee;
  • Alathrel Desheol - Guardsman, Royal Guard;
  • Seorah L`Azraine - Guardsman, Royal Guard;
  • Adorak - Guardsman, Royal Guard;
  • Alinol Lonila - Guardsman, Royal Guard;
  • Hunter/Henrietta Kay Wind - Guardsman, Royal Guard; and
  • Cain SilverStar - Guardsman, Royal Guard.

The Royal Guard was still distinct from the Royal Knights, who were deemed to be the King and Queen's personal escort, with none of the same ties or connections as the Guard. The first codification of Arangothian royal law, drawn up by Naelean Glaide, also dates from about the middle of this month, and was in effect for a little over a year until superseded by a new codification in Sun's Height (July), 468 [44:4, 53:5o-q, 54:3, 304:1].

TREASON. Immediately after the departure of the Royal Family, there were various signs that treasonous plots of various sorts were afoot [Caitlyn and Ludger 54:5i, 55:3f; Sunaj/Sun`zen 54:5l, 55:3n]. The most direct, however, was a posting at the BlkDragon Inn discovered on the 21st of the month that read:

"Citizens of Arangoth: Do not allow yourself to be lied to anymore, as the King and Queen have left their lands for parts unknown, and whether [they will return] is unknown at the moment. The Lands are in sha[m]bles, the state of affairs by which the reigning leader of Arangoth [reigns] is in disarray. He is a tyrant. [...] He cares nothing at all for your beliefs, nor your ideals, he cares only for the power that he has gained from the King and Queen's departure. Join in the rebellion to free our nation from this Tyrant and his lackeys. TheRaven, and the so-called Royal Guards are nothing more than evil beings that are here to enslave you to their way of life. [...] To any Assassin or Would-be mercenary of the Lands of Arangoth and the surrounding borders, we are offering 5,000 gold crowns of the Lands to the person(s) that take down this evil Tyrant. [...] Also we offer 2,000 gold crowns of the Lands, for the heads of [Naelean] Glaide, Hunter, Adorak, Seorah [L`Azraine], Alinol [Lonila], Alathrel [Desheol], Cain [SilverStar], Agravaine [Gwendal-Dumas], and Rhayna, as these are the evil enforcers of the Tyrants' power. [...] Help us free our brothers and sisters that have been placed into the Dungeons of the Castle, just so the Tyrant, The Raven, can eat cakes and drink wine in his castle, while the people suffer undue hardships with the increased taxes that are laid upon us all" [55:3k]

Magistrate Naelean Glaide responded:

"Many of you have met The Raven, knowing of the man's kindness and fair-thought, knowing [...] such atrocious claims otherwise [...] to be false. [...] There are no tax increases, no shortages of wheat. No further worries than before, only a greater comfort for your children as they twine in their bed at night. Believe the Guard, the Royalty, to be tyrannical, and you would fall into the very fingertips of the thieves and bandits we haven you from. We cannot make the land better, with all of our magic, our strength and weaponry, if the people, who are this land, have turned their tide against those who would serve them and wish to be at their sides" [55:3l].

Sir Cain SilverStar responded similarly [55:3r]. It was also noted, a little later, that "most everyone in the inn knows that The Raven has given from his own pocket to help the peasants in their struggle through life" [84:8d].

TOLLOR [i.e. Elluria ]. Some background: the land south of Aslar is known as the Southland Peninsula. On maps today this comprises the kingdoms of Elluria and Teldanar, but until very recently it was made up of numerous smaller states. Among them, the most prominent was the Kingdom of Tollor, which had gained its independence from Aslar under the leadership of the heroine Kel Ellure almost two hundred years before the beginning of the Arangothian Era. Now civil war had broken out there between the Imperialists, supporting King Winthorpe, and another faction.

After their loss at Capital City, the Imperial army surrendered. King Winthorpe escaped to El-Ekki. The Tollorians planned to erect a new capital on Potter's Hill and call it Ruflin City. The High Priestess Janil added Sir Charles Ruflin's portrait to the Kel Ellure Hall of Warriors against his wishes, and Sir Ruflin resigned his rank of General on May 16, 997 [i.e. 467]. He was offered a seat on the High Council of Tollor but declined [50:1].

King Karos IV proposed an international conference on the Island of El-Ekki off the coast of Elluria, intending to set up a commercial treaty between as many nations as possible [51:4], and the various independent states of the Southland Peninsula responded favorably. The Kingdom of Arangoth was invited to send a delegate but did not avail itself of the opportunity [53:2]. A messenger from N'Teryan also appeared with a note from Overlord Toren Nicharion to The Raven asking that he extradite Khyaris Sha'Vandyr, alias Thistle [70:7c, see also 60:4e]. The Raven did not respond to any of these entreaties, and foreign heads of state appearred to have given up trying to contact him after this point. Following a sudden hurricane, a "huge tower of granite, reaching almost to the clouds" appeared about five miles south by southeast of the Blkdragon Inn [62:4q].

June, or Mid Year, 467

"The Queen and King have lent the throne [of Arangoth] and all the powers of rule to The Raven for a time, and peace still rides within the land" [98:3].

UNREST IN TOLLOR. The murder of Tollorian naval bigwig Sir Roger Eurek towards the end of this month brought ethnic tensions to fever pitch in the states of the Southland Peninsula. The Ellurians had long felt at a disadvantage in the Kingdom of Tollor, where they were a slender minority [86:4]. The trial of Sir Charles Ruflin, the Tollorian hero of Potter's Hill and the War of the Hordes, began early the following month [91:1]. He was ultimately acquitted, and the true culprit--an Ellurian named Safael Lafat--was sentenced to life imprisonment in Garusk [114:1].

July, or Sun's Height, 467

GYPSYSCARAVAN. The caravan relocated between the 10th and the 24th of this month from near Rewop's Castle in Outer Arangoth to the town of Dingalmi on the outskirts of the free port city of Secca, nestled between Griffon's Aerie and the land of Leturia [92:3, 94:1]. The party was attacked while passing through Elvendeep but was not seriously harmed [96]. Conflict in Griffon's Aerie erupted between Salinost, leader of the royal religious institution known as the Rastra, and Wylcros, the sqaqraa or district administrator of the eastern frontier [103:2]. The Merchants' Square in Drache was founded at this time [106:3h, 107:2h-i, 109:4b].

August, or Last Seed, 467

ELLURIAN UNIFICATION. After the Kingdom of Tollor had imprisoned the Ellurian Safael Lafat for the murder of Sir Roger Eurek, the province of West Elluria seceded in protest. Sir Eldryn was proclaimed King of Elluria after negotiating the reunification of the two regions. King Eldrich of the nearby kingdom of Emil died, leaving his lands to his only child, the fourteen-year-old Laravelle of Marland; King Eldryn married her, thereby uniting Emil with the Ellurian state. Meanwhile, another neighboring state, Tyranor, experienced a military coup which shifted power to General RedSword. He immediately began to build his "Dark Army" and quickly overran the neighboring lands of Teldanar and Bahr. General RedSword then demanded that King Eldryn abdicate and acquiesce in the unification of Tollor-Elluria-Emil with the evil Tyranori state [114:1]. War ultimately broke out the following Sun's Dusk (November) (see below).

September, or Hearthfire, 467

Dova, alias Nikea, the sacred White Griffonkit, was recaptured by the nasty owner of a carnival in which she had been shown as a freak early in her life [122, 123]. Excaliber 'Arkady' Galyulian contacted Wylcros to seek help in recovering her, offering afterwards to stand trial for the murder of Moira, charged by the griffon authorities, who referred to him as 'the Slayer' [124:1]. The griffonkit was successfully recovered shortly afterwards [127:1].

October, or Frost Fall, 467

An odd cube about fifteen miles in length was seen hovering over the treetops in the forest to the east of the city of Drache [142:5f]. A little while after, the cube fired upon Phoenix Castle. It caused various other sorts of havoc as well, some involving two Arangothian nobles, Sir Shadrak MacAllister and Cay`tln Von Sariv of Castle RathBane [144:3i, 146:2a-c, e], who were soon engaged to be married [148:5a, 151:3c]. Sir Shadrak purchased a plot of land [151:3e], probably the site of the later Castle MacAllister. Meanwhile, a pyramid was being built by mysterious persons [i.e., Atlanteans] in Sresar Vale [147:3a]. A group of provocateurs calling for an Arangothian peasant uprising against "foreigners" in favor of Queen AngelSin was imprisoned in Drache. One of them hanged himself, and the fate of the others was not revealed [144:2]. On the twentieth of the month, Sevule beat Leturia in the year's grubball championship, six to five [146:1].

November, or Sun's Dusk, 467

WAR BETWEEN ELLURIA AND TYRANOR. A Tyranori force destroyed the Tollorian town of Suleki in Elluria towards the end of October, and refugees fled to Green Hills. King Eldryn of Elluria and his government issued a declaration of war to General RedSword of Tyranor on the first of Sun's Dusk (November) [155:1, 155:2, 156:1, 160:1]. From a speech delivered in the Tyranori capital of Yorklawn by General RedSword at the end of the month: "If it is a fight they want, then it is a fight we will give them! (cheers) We will fight, fight, fight will all of our fists! ("Our might is superior!") We will fight, fight, fight with all of our cleverness! ("Our wit is uncompared!") We will fight, fight, fight with all of our souls! ("The gods favor us!") We will fight, fight, fight until we have no fight left in us, then we will rest and fight some more! ("We will trample their crops and burn their cities!") [172:1].

Excaliber 'Arkady' Galyulian was tried in Griffon's Aerie for the murder of Moira and acquitted [165:1, 166:1]. Princess Petal Jusep of Arangoth appeared requesting an audience with The Raven [168:2b], but there is no information as to whether such an audience was ever granted.

December, or Evening Star, 467

ELLURIA. General RedSword and his minions were defeated at the Battle of Akulek Ridge by the Ellurians and compelled by a mutiny to surrender in early Evening Star (December). RedSword himself was sentenced to death by hanging. King Eldryn announced that he would "take this time of rebuilding to unify all of the peoples of this great Southland." [174:2, 177:1]. The Tyranori lands were later partitioned between Elluria and Teldanar. The disappearance of King Eldryn some time after (into the distant past) led to the assumption of the throne of Elluria by his fourteen-year-old spouse (Laravelle of Marland) as Queen Laravel.

PHET'KREE. The eighty-strong Nightcoat Tribe of the Phet'kree, catlike monsters worshiping the insidious Phrenna under their Chieftess Kuret`Kalas, had emerged from a rift in Elgar Forest around November or Sun's Dusk, 467. In mid-Evening Star (December), they attacked Aarna's Vale, just northeast of Ruthmarna. There they slaughtered all the vale's inhabitants save one, Erid Grawnna, who fled for the city of Drache seeking help against the monsters' onslaught. Collapsing of exhaustion along the way, poor Erid Grawnna was found by Princess Petal of Arangoth and taken to the city to await an audience with The Raven. In Drache, meanwhile, the were-hyena Varassa skirmished with and triumphed over a Phet'kree scout, and then followed its trail back to Aarna's Vale, where a further skirmish with a Phet'kree hunting party ensued. Although Varassa escaped, this fight reduced the southern end of the vale to "smoldering scorched earth," a column of black smoke having been visible as far away as Drache [176:4e, 177:3a, 178:2b-g, 180:2f, 185:5, 346:2e].

EVENTS OF THE YEAR 468, the "Year of Reflection"

January, or Morning Star, 468

RUMORS. About this time it was spoken of that some folk had beheld "a giant flying fish, which raged through several yards, ruining laundry and causing widespread hysteria. Panicked maids ran through the streets in terror, causing several horses and a deranged cow to stampede" [181:2a]. Moreover, it was rumored that several snowmen had been brought to life [188:4].

POLITICS. An unnamed person [i.e., Kreshak, alias the Demon Mask Killer] was sought around New Year's Day by the Royal Guard for kidnapping an elven child and murdering twenty sailors [182:2, 183:3b]. About the same time, a warrant was put out upon Dahlver for felonious vampirical assault upon a royal officer [180:2l, 182:3b, 182:3c], and shortly after upon her husband, Latham ThonTelanis, for felonious assault. They were said to be in league with one Alexander Belisle. Alathrel Desheol was the Captain of the Royal Guard at this time [183:3c].

As if in response to this proliferation of warrants, Sunaj (self-proclaimed Champion of Arangoth) posted a declaration that The Raven should be placed under arrest for suppressing information as to the whereabouts of King BLKDRAGON and Queen AngelSin; for enslaving the Arangothian people; for imprisoning and murdering "innocent warriors of the lands"; for making a "mockery" of royal justice; and for orchestrating "the kidnapping of various nobles and imprisoning them under false names within the dungeons under Castle Black." Along with The Raven, this notice condemned Jyhad, Ka-tuul, Ebony-bbd, Alathrel, Hunter, Storm Quickning, Aelanna, Altair, Cay`tln, ShadwDrgn and Alinol, all accused of various abuses of their authority. Sunaj forged the signatures of Princess Petal of Arangoth and Kaejo Ruatha alongside his own [183:3e ff, 185:4b ff]. Alathrel Desheol retaliated with a warrant for Sunaj's arrest, noting that the two other signatures on the document were forgeries, as Princess Petal was believed dead, and Kaejo Ruatha was in exile [183:3g]. Princess Petal followed with a notice that the reports of her death were exaggerated. Cyrus Flametamer, mage of the Royal Guard, observed: "The Raven has guided Arangoth well. If you will notice, there has been no war, and the economy is doing well. The writings of disaffected nobles and former Royalty in hiding should not cloud these issues, nor should it cloud the fact that following the three whose signatures were affixed to the original note are in treason against the crown, as The Raven was the chosen regent in the absence of the King and Queen" [185:4e]. The ghost of Simon Horus Phoenix made an appearance to scorch away the title "Champion of Arangoth" from Sunaj's signature [187:4e].

UPON THE ARANGOTHIAN FRONTIER. In mid-Morning Star (January), Varassa met up with the dragons B`sat, whose kin the Phet'kree had slain, and au`Rissa, and also the kender ranger Thicket Whistletoff. This group surprised a band of Phet'kree "greys" attacking and burning a forest village and fought them for a time; however, a band of black Phet'kree with white paws appeared on the scene and battled the greys to the death. Phet'kree bands hate their rival Phet'kree above all others [197b].

The Sresar Vale had become safer over the last couple of years, with fewer monsters roaming about, and the great prosperity of the freeholding Valespeople had attracted the greed and jealousy of the Northern Arangothian noblemen, who hoped to reduce the farms of the vale to their control [180:2a].

February, or Sun's Dawn, 468

THE ROYALS. In secret, Queen AngelSin returned to the outskirts of Drache on the 8th day of Sun's Dawn (February). The queen recalled her grandfather's words: "Thy Kingdom will be a glorious one! But child -- remember the evil. 'Tis always there -- will be thy battle forever, and ye must never give up." She looked at Castle Black and saw but one light burning in its towers. Only one lone light shimmered from one of the castle towers. "My dear friend Raven.. Ye have been so loyal and patient. Perhaps tomorrow I shall visit thee..It may be safe...." Then King BLKDRAGON appeared and admonished her for coming there without him, and in the dead of winter, no less: "For now they [who?] has told ye this. We must keep the children safe, and for the sake of your people ye must stay away. Your visits have already brought back the demons -- several have died down there. Ye are getting too close" [207:2b].

PHET'KREE IN THE BORDERLANDS. Varassa and her companions, wandering in the fog after their last encounter with the Phet'kree, came upon the lands of the Ietsai, an Assi tribe of the Nie Valley, and were intercepted by Meriasithantorli of Venthine, captured, and charged with trespassing. In the meantime, Erid (the sole survivor of the Phet'kree attack on Aarna's Vale) had waited a month without obtaining any sort of audience with the elusive Regent of Arangoth, The Raven [205:2c]. The Phet'kree soon appeared in Drache itself.

THE KIDNAPPING OF THE CHILDREN. Towards the beginning of the month, Arangothian children began to disappear in increasing numbers, and the populace directed complaints about this to The Raven. Winter, The Raven's faithful servant within Castle Black, sought in vain to discover some means of solving the crisis. Xandy showed up, claiming to know where the kidnapped children were being kept. At her insistence, Warburton the Ghosthunter was subpoenaed by Winter to Castle Black, and Xandy and Warburton worked to devise a foil to the kidnapper's plans. Kylus and other local priests were accused by the peasantry of stealing the children and of angering the gods, who were believed to have conjured up the monsters as divine punishment for something or other. The priest Paetines was even forced by a mob of peasants and monsters (including Phet'kree) to barricade himself in the Royal Church and to seek refuge behind the Great Seal, which evil things cannot cross.

A group of nine knights freed Castle Black and its grounds from the siege; Xandy healed the knights afterwards, and then collapsed for a spell before returning to the fray. Sanadina, the kidnapper, meanwhile left a gutted child stuffed with dung in a washbasin at the Blkdragon Inn [204:2c, 207:2a, 207:2c, 208:2c, 209:2b, 211:3a-c, 212:3c, 213:3a, 215:2a, 215:2e]. Xandy and Warburton finally triumphed over the kidnapper, Sanadina, slaying her, but at her death some odd gas was emitted from her corpse, and although the children were soon returned to their parents, they exhibited peculiar symptoms known as the "snake plague" [217:3l]. Moreover, Sanadina's "power" was transferred to a monster known as Alybathre, still at large as the new month dawned [217:3e, h-i, n].

POISON ARSENICA HAWTHORNE AND THE DAYOTENT CRYSTAL. The Dayotent Crystal was a crystal with an evil spirit encased inside it; whenever the spirit became enraged, the crystal levels the territory around it, even whole villages. It was written that:

"A long time ago, a vicious overlord by the name of Dayotent went on a rampage in Arangoth. His armies wiped out entire cities and slew all the townspeople, including women and children. A party of warriors, led by the Royal Knight Sir Shadrak, went to face this foe. The warriors were slain, and Sir Shadrak was gravely injured. For many more years, the band of [Dayotent's] followers would descend on small towns in Arangoth. The pure evil contained in the crystal would magically set fire to the buildings, laying them to waste. The fires could not be put out no matter what the townspeople tried before they were slaughtered. When the band decided to attempt to take Drache, the capital city, Sir Shadrak stepped forward again and wiped out the band just before they could reach Drache. With Daytoent's followers gone, no one was left to figure out the crystal. It is said that if any evil being were to get ahold of it, the destruction would start again. Sir Shadrak brought the crystal into Drache, wrapped in a silk bag. He delivered it to the Royal Church and the Royal Priest, Kylus for safe keeping. Word is, the crystal remains in the vault under the ruins of the Royal Church to this day."

Poison Arsenica Hawthorne had been dispatched through a "gateway" to Arangoth in the company of the dragon Sarq to obtain this weapon in late 467 [150:4, 175:3e, 180:2i, 187:4f]. Sir Shadrak Niles McAllister sent word to The Raven in Sun's Dawn (February), 468, stating that Poison had broken into the vault of the Royal Church, accompanied by Sir Shadrak's wife Cay`tln, and had released the above-described spirit of Dayotent. About the same time, Poison overflew Castle Rathbane, riding upon Sarq, and wielded the Dayotent crystal from this position, utterly obliterating the castle [216:2a ff]. This was, claimed Poison, but a test, "to teach that wench Cay`tln a lesson" [216:2h]. Poison wrote a letter and posted it at the Blkdragon Inn:

"What kind of King and Queen would abandon their kingdom and leave it in the hands of a two bit parrot? Are you sick of all the guards looming everywhere? Afraid to do anything at all lest they make up some reason to throw you into the dungeon? The time has come to put an end to this insanity. To free ourselves of the shackles of oppression and make ourselves known. We do have minds of our own. We will not be commanded around like dogs. Unite with me citizens of Arangoth, The King and Queen are gone, they no longer care for us, nor does the regent. Now we make ourselves known. Castle Rathbane was just a test, they have no choice to listen to us or be wiped off the face of this world" [216:2d].

Poison also wrote to Simon Horus Phoenix, "As you by now have no doubt heard, I am rallying the citizens of Arangoth against a King and Queen who no longer care for their kingdom. Since I have been friends with your house for quite some time, I want to ask you personally if you will be with me on this" [216:2e].

Lord General Anubis Thunderman responded in no uncertain terms, "We of Phoenix Castle, representatives of the Phoenecian Empire, and Home of the Phoenecian King, have hereby denied your request for assistance in overthrowing the King and Queen of Arangoth, BLKDRAGON and AngelSin. As much as we agree their leaving their kingdom seems a poor choice, We are sure they had good reason to do so, for the sake of Arangoth and its people" [213:3c, 216:2h].

March, or First Seed, 468

THE SNAKE PLAGUE. The Snake Plague was rampant among children at the beginning of the month. The villagers had no idea what went on, but mostly still blamed rumors for the sickness. They thought it was the church, since the gods are known to plague those that displease them. The plague was called the Snake Plague because of what it did to children; it made their skin scaly and turned their speech to hisses. It dilated their eyes and caused them to spit out blood [216:2m, 219:2a]. A mute priestess of Mishakal appeared, known as Jemikima, who knew of a cure for the plague [216:2p]. Her friend DragonPup was particularly ill from this plague, and she required transportation back to Krynn to effect the cure, which various persons were willing to offer her [220:2e, 221:2e, 222:2a-i, 224:3b-h, 225:3b].

Scapegoats for the plague included the church in general, and a Dark Elf named Dorraj Namrahs who was subsequently attacked by peasants [219:2b]. Jemikima, DragonPup and Dorraj together made the voyage to Krynn to locate the cure for the snake plague [226:3a, 227:4a, 227:4e, 234:2a, etc.]. Alybathre and the Phet'kree withdrew from Drache around the middle of the month, their siege of the Royal Church having proven unsuccessful [227:4b]. Alybathre et al. later tangled with Jemikima, Dorraj and DragonPup [229:1a], but after that the perpetrators of the snake plague fell silent for a few weeks.

CAY`TLN AND POISON'S REBELLION. Cay`tln Von Sariv McAllister joined with Poison Arsenica Hawthorne in issuing a proclamation calling for the overthrow of The Raven at the beginning of the month, noting that the government was failing to respond to a spate of fires in Drache [222:2j]. Alathrel Desheol and Glaide Naelean immediately published an official response:

"People of Arangoth.. it seems yet another childish group of malcontents seeks to undermine the rightful regime and take power for themselves, at the expense of those who can least afford it- yourselves. Their claim of Our Lord Regent working for some preposterous secret society is quite false, and this should be obvious- the kingdom is run well, the harvests are good, and problems are dealt with. The fires currently being set are somehow cooincidentally always discovered by Shadrak, Cay`tln, or Poison, and never reported to the Guard until much later. If there were any such secret society, they would have to be pathetically small in number to prevent anyone from hearing of them, and if they were small, it would mean they lacked the power to overtake a powerful magician such as TheRaven. The nobility in Arangoth is mostly new, appointed by the King and Queen within the last twenty years, but even they can make fallible choices, as evidenced by the former princess petal and Sun`Zen, and the current revolutionary attempt by Caytln. We, the Guard, the Magistrate, and the Regent implore you to see past their lies, and take no violent action on either side -- there is enough bloodshed here already" [222:2l].

In the face of this response, Poison Arsenica Hawthorne backed down and Cay`tln Von Sariv MacAllister departed into exile [225:3f]. Eric and Elissa LeCarde appear to have been entrusted with the remaining MacAllister properties in Arangoth.

April, or Rain's Hand, 468

THE ROYALS. King BLKDRAGON and Queen AngelSin set out to return to Drache, placing their two children "into the void for safe keeping." Alas, there would be no Royal Ball, for which BLKDRAGON apologized, saying cryptically, "They [?] needed to speek ta' me." As it was, they would arrive only the next day, at best.

They advanced to a clearing, but BLKDRAGON could not morph into his dragon form "due to the magic covering this part of the land, and the need they had to go to the old creature's lair." The creature, a "small troll type creature," admonished them: "R'member ye two..R'member wha' I says to ye." As agreed, they would be permitted to pass, but, "I ha' one last warnin for ye'. The time comes to pass soon. Ye can no stay to long er' ye won' ever be able ta go back."

BLKDRAGON demanded to know why he had not told them this earlier; the troll-creature said it had slipped his mind. After the creature had departed, BLKDRAGON consoled AngelSin, saying, "We will get there, and we will secure the stone. Arangoth won't fall. I won't let it" [250:2c].

OPAL SPIDERWEBS. The first opal spiderweb had been spotted by Dulcina at the Blkdragon Inn on the 18th of the previous month [226:3c], but soon these odd structures began to appear all over, in out-of-the-way locations [227:4g]. Nobody seemed to pay much attention to the work of the opal spiders, although they might have noticed a few more dead birds about than usual [232:2c]. Cocoons then began to form, representing vanished dogs, cats, wolves, etc. [235:2a, 236:1a]. "Opal" animals, such as opal lions, seem to have emerged from these cocoons; Rosha Silvermane undertook a vendetta against an "opal" mountain lion that had been plaguing his dreams, etc. [241:2 on through the month of May].

THE PHET'KREE. Alybathre and the Phet'kree attacked the village of New Drache, a short distance north along the Darian from the capitol, and Alybathre sent one of the villager's hearts to Father Kylus [247:4b]. A little later, Phet'kree under Jezinthe slaughtered a band of pilgrims just north of Drache [250:2g]. Rumor had it that they were about to advance upon Drache itself, and with this Jezinthe drew back to let things progress on their own--to what end was unclear [251:2d].

May, or Second Seed, 468

ASLAR. It was announced that the King of Aslar for the following year would be selected by lottery and then ritually slain after one year. Applicants were invited from all neighboring lands, including Arangoth [263:2]. Various Arangothians went to the city of Selrose Bay in Aslar to apply, including Silvermir Swiftwind, Dizzy Longtongue, Danya, Methrin, and Savannah (who, supported by Simon Horus Phoenix, hoped to use the position to the detriment of the Arangothian kingdom) [264:2a, 265:1, 265:2, 266:1, 267:1c, 268:4, 269:1b, 272:1, 273:3g, 274:1, 275:4d, 277:2a, 279:1]. Jorlath the Whacked was meanwhile employed to be Aslar's national architect [275:1].

June, or Mid Year, 468

THE ROYALS. Queen AngelSin was in captivity--somewhere--at the end of this month. "Your husband, I believe, has gone quite mad in his search for you," said her captor.

"Ye will die slowly," promised Angelsin.

The response, "Nay, my Queen... 'tis YOU who are dying slowly dear.... do enjoy your stay" [293:2d].

Simon Phoenix's ghost took the eldest two children of AngelSin and BLKDRAGON , i.e. Andromeda and Orion, from their nanny, explaining, "Arangoth has become unsafe for you, as has this place... I am taking you to my new Queen.. Consider it, a fun trip that you'll always remember...." [293:2e]. The "new queen" was evidently Savannah, who had attempted with Simon's help to gain the Aslarian throne a short while before.

ASLAR. The royal lottery resulted in the selection of the Arangothian kender Dizzy Longtongue as King of Aslar for the following year, under the regnal name Tashli. Grand Vizier Gangisirip resigned and was replaced by Grand Vizier Sha`ishua [283:1].

OPAL SPIDERWEBS. The grand melee took place at the beginning of this month, drawing this two-month-long course of events to a bloody close [283:2a, 289:2a].

LAW AND ORDER. The Royal Guard tangled with a were-creature in the Blkdragon Inn towards the middle of the month [288:3j]. A little later, a group of goblins picketed the Royal Guard's offices demanding the release of one "Zarkan the Destroyer," of whom, however, there was no record in the books [290:3c]. Finally, the month closed with an invasion of an undead horde into Drache, which was engaged with much ado by sundry Arangothian heroes. A group of necromancers had raised them for an attack on the city, and Jezinthe and the Phet'kree soon joined the fray on the side of the undead [294:1, 296:2b, 297:2a, 299:3a]. Jinnai Halfmoor was largely responsible for their defeat.

July, or Sun's Height, 468

Repairs were still underway on the Royal Church, following the siege by the Phet'kree during First Seed [295:2a]. Meanwhile, however, Darak`mas (a Death Knight) was searching about for the Drekari Stone, leaving the corpses of his opponents in his path, and Arms-Major Jaonos Mistwinter was tracking Darak`mas [300:4c]. Kylus went forth as well, evidently in pursuit of him, all very mysterious. A new redaction of Arangothian law was codified during this month [304:1]. At this time the members of the Arangothian Royal Guard were:

  • Captain of the Guard Alathrel Desheol
  • Arms-Major Jaonos Mistwinter
  • Arms-Major Ardneh
  • Arms-Sergeant Seorah L`Azraine
  • Arms-Corporal Solace
  • Arms-Corporal Taltos
  • Armsman Lemi
  • Armsman Haen
  • Armsman Cairshen
  • Recruit Salur Mandagor
  • Recruit Haroken
  • Recruit Tevian
  • Recruit Friva Rockcrusher
  • Recruit Aralyn Ellisede
  • Recruit Sakura

Alybathre, Oth and Jezinthe took most of the Phet'kree north into Kahlahra to feed [307:1a].

Norpovath Quar and Tarla Nixkenixe, leaders of the Riders of the Horn, murdered a girl in the Ruthmarna village of Quarpodar, and local authorities requested help and advice from the Royal Guard [304:3, 306:1, 308:1, 310:1a, 311:1, 312:3b, 313:3].

August, or Last Seed, 468

The brothel known as Dasmia's opened at the beginning of this month [314:2b, 315:2, 328:4g, 331:1b].

There was a slight tremor in Drache on the second of the month [314:2d, e].

Phet'kree were seen in the Gosling Valley in Ruthmarna [315:1, 319:3h, 322:3].