Part MMMDCLI: Rumors of the Empire
Rumors of the Empire
Twenty Ninth Day of the Second Month 294 AC
Against the Dead: The dead marched from Sarnor this day, the sins and sorrows of another age woken by some dark sorcery, and the Empire faced them as we faced all who came before us, living and dead. To the subjects of Queen Namaaru who still remembered themselves, who wished to have a future besides as bane and curse to the living, we came in peace and forged alliances, to those who served a power of ruin the Empire answered with steel. Twice the legions fought those who were already dead and they were not found wanting.
Some in Volantis might see in this the return of old glories when dragons flew over the plains of Essos and sorcerers worked their will upon the field of war, but it was not that, not merely that. Ships of the sky rained down fire and fury and those forged in the depths of far Gogossos wielded the powers of the Green alongside the mages of the Scholarum. Mountains of corpses that screamed, gibbeted and hungered fell to the relentless work of those who marched under the banner of the Dragon, be they Companion, sorcerer, officer or simple legionnaire.
Sword of the Realm: Though he is never far from the King's side Ser Richard Lonmouth is a man easy to miss at court, he holds no rank of nobility beyond the knighthood he was awarded by the King's elder brother years ago, he possesses no great wealth like Lord Drekelis, Lady Sandviper or Lord Royce, nor any high rank of office like Lord Vanor. Indeed some at court wondered if the King's keeping of a Sworn Sword was more of an affection of his youth, a way to reward a man who helped him rise so far. For what after all would a sorcerer, a dragon, need protection from by a swordsman, however skilled.
In one terrible and awesome battle not far from the ruins of Sarnor Ser Richard Lonmouth put paid all those rumors. He fought a god of crumbling stone and implacable hatred in a duel to the death. Though there are credible reports that the other Companions used their powers to bless and heal him in the battle, it was Ser Lonmouth who weathered the blows that shattered his shield and dented the plate of Valyrian steel and it was Oathkdeper that struck the final blow, a hero whose name will no doubt live on in tale and song.
Some are whispering, wondering what manner of man could strike down a thing such as that, a god, if a dying one. Magic has returned when it was thought naught but mummers' tales five years past, why not then gods who walk among men? The Imperial Times has interviewed several legionaries who were closest to the scene and there are some among them who speak with almost religious awe of the Knight of Skulls and Kisses. Is this the beginning of a new religious movement such as that which sprung up around the King, yet unacknowledged, small and obviously growing? (For more details on Dragon Worshipers, their beliefs and origins, turn to page 7)
Breaking the Shackles of the Damned: Following the calling of several imps by half-trained initiates, causing some consternation throughout Sorcerer's Deep, accounts of baatezu who have been granted citizenship and sworn fealty to the King have begun to circulate somewhat more freely in order to prevent more such ill-thought plans working off little more than whispered rumors.
From the Sisters of Vengeance who have acquitted themselves with honor above the bloody fields of Sarnor to the Scholarum lecturers helping to educate mages in the perils of the Lower Planes, all have turned their backs on the powers of Hell through personal sacrifice and arcane ritual as complex as they are hidden. These few dissenters among the ranks of Hell would be the first to argue against blindly calling their still Hell-bound fellows in search of power.
Rise of the Serpent God: From the very moment when the King and his companions returned from the east in the company of a enormous serpent rich in wisdom and great in power his faith has mostly been one of the cities, or merchants and middlemen, or burghers looking into the future of their enterprises, but over the past two month the Great Serpent has been appearing publicly in places all over the Western Essos, especially in the Hinterlands, offering his blessings and knowledge to the faithful and inspiring the construction of new temples.
While there has been some friction with existing temples, particularly the Red Faith, it has generally taken the form of theological argument as to the precise nature of Yss, not anything darker. In the few instances where the conflict escalated beyond that the Lawmen quickly calmed spirits with a hefty helping of fines.
What next?
[] Rumors and Reports from the Seven Kingdoms
-[] Write in which
[] Rumors and reports from the Summer Islands
[] Rumors and reports from Yi Ti
[] Reports from the War of Three spheres
[] Write in
OOC: Cults for individual Companions, especially the more recognizable ones, are actually not that uncommon, it's just that Ser Richard's deeds made his stand out for a moment there. Even without any incentive imagine being a low-level NPC born in a low fantasy world and seeing the sort of thing lvl 15-20 PCs can throw around.
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