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Marked by Ashes - DnD Succession Quest

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To everyone who reads the quest, I have an announcement.

I have contracted some type of bacteria and my throat is hurting a lot thanks to it, which means that I can not write like this as the pain messes with my concentration. So, until I get rid of this, I will leave this quest in temporary hiatus.
 
9. King Ghesh Sethrekarion "The Bard King"
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    • "A song a day keeps sadness away"​

    Longevity roll: 75+28 = 103 Years Old by time of death
    Marriage roll: 81
    Number of Children: 3
    — First Child: Daughter
    — Second Child: Son
    — Third Child: Son

    Early Reign

    Living up to Past Rulers and Surpassing Them: 1d100+10= 85 Great Success
    Defeating The Abyss: 1d100+10= 110 Critical Success
    Ending Turmian Resistance: 1d100+10= 26 Failure

    King Ghesh Sethrekarion was crowned King of Tymanchebar in the greatest time of need of his people since the times of King Drinaar, where he confronted the resurgent Wyrms and battled against returned Unther. The new crisis that reached even the halls of their allies, said crisis, was the impending invasion of the Abyss upon the Material Plane, starting in the east and potentially expanding towards the west.

    But even then King Sethrekarion, or as he would be known as The Bard King, did not allow despair to cloud his thoughts. Optimistic since his childhood, the King didn't think that his people nor his allies would fall to the Abyss. Indeed, many would die against the Demonic menace, but they would triumph in the end, of that he was sure.

    His physical appearance was considered to be an effect of divine providence, this was the case thanks to his silver scales, which were the color of Ghesh's own scales in most depictions of the Ancestor God. Alongside his shining blue eyes.

    Sethrekarion would be sent to the Royal Academy of Magic to learn upon it, much like his own grandfather had. Thanks to his interest in magic, which his father allowed and made all provisions, his stay would not be in any way disparate to the young prince. At fifteen, he had already become a proficient adept at magic, though his style was using songs and instruments to use spells, something not practiced as much in the Academy compared to more traditional forms of casting.

    It was also at fifteen that he would adopt an alter ego, Rion, to publish works under his own merit and not have them judged good because he was a Prince. His father, of course, was perfectly aware of this habit thanks to the Shadows keeping an eye on the young prince. And while his works would become successful, it would also attract the wrath of Clan-Master Cephel Iorbarum who almost launched a witch hunt against 'Rion' when one of the Prince's works unintentionally mocked his clan.

    His advisors were from all circles of society, the King not caring for their wealth or clan status as long as they could achieve results that benefitted his kingdom. This was a policy already imposed by past rulers of Tymanchebar. This was not a surprise as the King was an avid reader of history and had many books detailing key parts of history both on Faerûn and on Abeir. He learned the way that past rulers acted and what made their rules either good or bad, and applied such lessons to his own form of rulership.

    Marriage & Children

    The King would marry in 1729 DR, one month after his coronation, to Lady Vacer Welsirina after hearing her sing in a concert arranged by her clan. It is said that after hearing her voice, the King was moved to tears by how beautiful it was, and fell in love with her. Following a period of courting and talking with her clan, the two would be married in the Spring of 1730 DR.

    A greater festival would then commence in the Capital, with the King being a renowned patron of the arts, it came as no surprise that it was so extravagant. It was a feast of seven days and nights, all the Clan-Hold participated in the festivals, no matter where their clan stood on the pyramid of power. Even Clans from outside the personal domain of the Ghesh came to the festivities. Mainly because not coming would have been seen as a message against the authority of the Ghesh, especially if it was done in some official capacity.,

    The King and Queen would have three children. Their firstborn, a Daughter, would hatch from her egg in the beginning of 1730 in the first month. Much to the joy of her parents. She and her two younger brothers hatching would lead to another round of festivities, though they were not as long as the one who held for the King's marriage, being only held for a full day.

    That their hatching would be in the same year as the invasion of the Abyss was considered by many to be a twisted coincidence. New innocent life was brought forth in a time when death would be expected.

    The Preparation

    The invasion of the Abyss was something ever present in the King's mind, preparing for it would be something he would dedicate a large part of resources in the name of the protection of the Kingdom. Firstly and most importantly, the Golem Armor, the name given to the armor created under the orders of King Vesomir as well as the other new vehicles created by his late uncle such as the Land Ships.

    A surge of recruitment into Tymanchebar's legions started as well, the standing army going to 80,000 trained men, most of them recruited from militias that already had an idea on how to handle a weapon. While the 10,000 were already stationed on the eastern holdings would receive another 10,000 legionnaires bringing the forces stationed in the area to 20,000 soldiers ready to lay down their lives for Tymanchebar.

    All military arms of the realm were ordered to remain vigilant and ready to move as rapidly as they can in the case that the Abyss surges from the East and into the West. Particularly the Sky Fleet as they would be the ones that would help move the vanguard of Tymanchebar and help keep them supplied alongside more traditional naval ships and land vehicles.

    Mighty fortresses were raised to serve as bastions and strongholds in the east, nicknamed the eastern wall, it would serve as the headquarters for the stationed legionnaires in their watch against any demonic activity. In these bastions, Clerics of Ghesh were a common sight, the state religion having been contacted by the King to lend any warrior it could spare. The Church of Ghesh answered the call and hundreds of Clerics would go towards the east and would practically live there as they too waited for the Demons to arrive.

    But the Kingdom was not the only one readying itself for the coming invasion of the Abyss.

    The Empire of Imaskar was without a doubt among the ones that would be hit first among the members of the Alliance, as it was situated in the east, and so they started preparing with rigorous fervor. The forging of magical weapons went to an all-time high, with hundreds of magical weapons being created every single month. While not as powerful as they were rushed, they more than served their purposes, as their creation allowed the Empire to arm all of their soldiers with magical weapons. Not just their elite soldiers, low quality ones, but even then it would give them an edge against any conflict with the Demons.

    Akanul was the farthest from the East, but they too readied themselves as they knew that after the Demons finished with the East they would be the next on their list. Utilizing their own innate abilities to create elemental weapons in mass. Much like the new glut of magical weapons in Imaskar, they were of low quality, but they too would grant an edge against any conflict with the Abyss.

    Both nations also considerably expanded their armies, for the fight against the Abyss would be a bloody one, and they would need all who could wield a weapon or fling a spell towards a Demon.

    Okoth also prepared itself in the face of the coming of the Abyss, but in different ways. They did not have the massive resources that their ally did, nor a massive population to expand their army. So they decided to play on the defensive side of combat. Fortifying the rejuvenated sarrukh empire as best as they could and using their agents in constant hit-and-run attacks meant to slow down any Demonic advance, and whittle their numbers, even if by a little.

    But all of their preparations would only come to fruit if the Abyss did in fact invade. Even now, there were a few that were still skeptical about the invasion of the Abyss, especially in the fact that it was the words of unknown foreigners. And as the end of the year arrived, which the dead Prophet said would be the year in which the Abyss invaded, it seemed that they would be proven right in that it was false.

    But then they felt it, all of them felt it, a wrongness in the air, a shiver in their very souls. And some said that they heard the world itself scream in horror and pain as the barriers between the Material Plane and the Abyss came crashing down.

    Upon the distant East a gigantic portal appeared, and the first demon stepped foot, and in a second a thousand more followed.

    The Invasion of The Abyss

    The East:10, 77, 12, 30
    The Abyss:20, 51, 68, 73

    Abyss advances to the west.

    Alliance and Okoth:12, 54, 65, 9
    The Abyss:64, 40, 58, 1!

    In the opening days of the invasion of the Abyss not much happened in the territory of the Alliance and Okoth, but such could not be said for the East. The Eastern Nations had prepared for decades for this exact conflict, buying magical weapons and armor, increasing the size of their armies, and even working with people who once were their mortal enemies. All in the name of combating the Abyss.

    It was not enough.

    The majority of the East fell in the first week, the Demons rapidly advancing and killing or enslaving any that came close. Of course some managed to resist, winning some battles here and there, but in the end even they fell to the Demon Tide. The Alliance and Okoth only learned of the fall of the East, when refuges started arriving in Imaskar, and so immediately took action.

    More than 80,000 soldiers moved towards the East, by foot, by air, or by sea. It was an enormous effort on the part of the Alliance, and those 80,000 soldiers were only to be the tip of the spear. They were to secure a beachhead so that the new troops could be sent, and sturdier logistical lines be established for the hundreds of thousands that would fight and die in the coming battles.

    The initial battles went well for the Alliance, with the multinational army recovering much land from the invading Demonic force. And most important of all securing the flanks of Imaskar who would be the first to feel the force of the Demons if they were not stopped alongside Okoth. However, as they continued to advance, they met more and more ferocious Demons that eventually stopped the advance of the Alliance. But only for a time.

    Soon reinforcements arrived, fresh soldiers that bared their weapons towards the forces of the Abyss, and soon the Alliance began to move forward once again, killing thousands of Demons while keeping their own casualties in a manageable level. The greatest triumph of the Alliance would begin in the ruins of the once great nation of Estagund. There is where Demon Lord who led the invasion would be fought by all the Alliance.

    The Demon Lord was a 30-foot-tall, shark-headed human covered in red scales. He was surrounded by an aura of bloodlust and hate, his weapons constantly dripped with the blood of all of his victims. And his voice could be heard even in the minds of the soldiers of the Alliance hundreds of feet away from him.

    He was without a doubt a formidable opponent, a veteran of innumerable battles and conflicts. Which is exactly why the Alliance's commanders didn't even consider fighting him fairly. Instead, when it was communicated his location, the Alliance gathered 300 Sky Ships, carrying more 2,000 War Mages, and ordered them to hit the Demon Lord with their strongest spells.

    This tactic worked, and the Demon Lord was then banished back to the Abyss. Without their leader the Demonic armies became easier to handle as they seemed to have entered a state of panic, though still dangerous, they did not have the same coordination that they had before. And so with this in mind, the Alliance quickly advanced towards the portal of the Abyss, where even now Demons continued to appear.

    Arriving at the portal, the greatest wizards of the Alliance alongside a contingent of Clerics, mainly ones heralding from Tymanchebar who worshiped the Ancestor God Ghesh, would seal the portal ending the invasion of the Abyss. However, even with the portal sealed, many issues started to appear.

    The most important of them was, what to do with the crumbling East?

    The Alliance had fought against the Abyss not for the East but because they knew that if the East they would be next, which is exactly what happened in the end. With the invasion stopped, they had no more reason to stay, and so all leaders of the members nations of the Alliance agreed to leave the East for its own fate.

    The Turmian Resistance

    Following the war against the Abyss, another matter came to the King. That matter of course being the resistance against the rulership of Tymanchebar present in Turmish, previous monarchs had tried to rot out the resistance and finally achieve total control of Turmish, but they failed. Now King Sethrekarion would be the next in line to try to stamp out the resistance movements in Turmish.

    Initially, he would try a softer approach, trying to win the hearts and minds of the Turmian people through investments in public infrastructure that would help make life easier for them. But these attempts failed and worse of all many of the newly built infrastructure would be vandalized with particularly infuriating vandals even daring to paint the symbols of the Wyrm God Bahamut in them.

    Following these and other incidents, alongside with the King's patience growing thin with the resistance, the King would switch to a more hard approach. Showing exactly what those that went against the rulership of Tymanchebar. Venerable Witch Hunts were launched against the resistance, any that was a member or helped the resistance in any way, would be sentenced to death.

    And while this managed to calm down things in the puppet state that Tymanchebar had set up, it eventually saw an increase in rebel activity, as they gained more and more members from a wrathful populace. Which lead to more and more reprisings by forces of both Tymenchebar and the collaborators that decided to throw their lot with one of the current powers of the Sea of Fallen Stars.

    But even with both of their efforts, it was not enough, and the resistance continued to act with impunity. Especially when historical relics that had been kept in secret locations had been taken from Turmish and put in the personal reliquary of the King.

    The Ash Giants

    Diplomacy: 1d100+10=94 Great Success

    The Ash Giants were an ancient enemy of the people of Tymanchebar, having firstly fought against one another during the times of King Drinaar. The legendary hero went towards their domain in retribution for their raids upon Dragonborn lands and for being collaborators with a Wyrm. It was upon their home that Drinaar slayed the first Wyrm in decades, earning the loyalty of all Dragonborn with this feat.

    It was also Drinaar who practically destroyed the Ash Giants when he invaded the Black Ash Plains. Entire Clans were exterminated, with not even infants being spared from the King's fury, where once were tens of thousands of Ash Giants now only a few hundred remain after a full century of rebuilding. Worse for the Ash Giants, the Ashhold, considered a holy ground by them, was practically destroyed following the week's long siege done against it.

    All because they chose to align with a Wyrm.

    But King Sethrekarion felt that they had suffered enough, that their sins were finally paid in full, and that those that still lived do not suffer for the crimes of their Ancestors. Particularly because none of said Ancestors had living descendants. And so, he decided to open diplomatic channels with them. It was not a great process, as many resources were being fueled to other more important projects, but the King hoped that it was enough.

    And surprisingly enough, it was enough.

    The Ash Giants had been suffering from constant raids of Brown Wyrms, a subspecies that liked to live in deserts, that had migrated towards the Black Ash Plain and found it to be a perfect habitat for them. The Ash Giants could do nothing against them, as they practically made the entire plains their territory, with the sounds of their moving underground becoming a constant to the remaining tribes.

    So when the Dragonborn diplomats came and started talking with them. Especially since they used a rhetoric against Wyrms, they immediately jumped at the opportunity of getting rid of the annoying Wyrms that constantly raided the tribes and took their pound of flesh. With time, they would come to waver towards Tymanchebar.

    But King Sethrekarion would not come to see that happening.

    Death & Legacy

    King Ghesh Sethrekarion would die in the beginning of 1804 DR, found dead by his daughter in his bed. The King had died in his sleep, at peace. Like all previous rulers of Tymanchebar he would have funeral procession. Through not a normal one, as the King had actually written on how exactly he wanted his funeral to be.

    In short, it was more of a festival than a period of mourning, as the King had not wanted sadness to be the thing that he left with his death. Instead, he wanted people to smile as he ascended to meet with the Ancestors. And that is exactly what happened, even as his feats were read aloud by a member of the High Clergy of Ghesh. He told of how he pushed against the forces of the Abyss and helped end the threat that could have consumed the entire world. Not one present cried for the fact that the King was no longer here. But instead they smiled for the life that he had lived.

    Sethrekarion would arrive in the Halls of The Ancestors with a song in his lips, the parties then become somehow more festive now that he had all the time in the world to sing away without any worries.

    …..

    POTENTIAL ISSUES

    Turmish. It is clear that the resistance is going to become an issue instead of an annoyance.

    There is a deluge of refugees coming from the East, people fleeing from the remaining demon hordes or threats more mundane now that the order in the East has collapsed. Do we accept them in Tymanchebar or send them away to other lands?

    There is still a minor demonic presence in the East, through little more than pests, there is still the possibility that they could become a threat.

    …..

    State of the Realm (1804 DR) is up next today.
     
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    State of The Realm (1804 DR)
  • Informational

    • (Light Red is Akanûl, Yellow is High Imaskar, Light Tan is Unther, Light Green is what remains of Chessenta, and Grey is the Tymanchebar)
    Form of Government: Feudal Monarchy
    Ruling Dynasty: Ghesh
    Succession Law: Absolute Primogeniture
    Language of the People: Draconic
    Culture of The People: Abeir Dragonborn
    Religion: Ancestral Worship based around legendary clan members of the past.

    Modifiers: Golden Age (All actions gain a +10)

    Divine

    Divine Power
    How powerful is your nation's god?
    [Quasi-Deity | Demigod | Lesser God |>> Intermediate God <<| Greater God | Overgod]

    Numbers
    How many gods are there in your nation?
    [>> Monotheism <<| Dualism | Polytheism]

    Societal

    Prosperity
    What is the state of the realm's economy and agriculture?
    [Starvation | Famine | Stable | Prosperous | Robust |>> Miraculous Abundance<<]

    Social Order
    How do your subjects feel about your rule?
    [Revolting | Discontent | Ambivalent | Content |>> Adoring Subjects<<]

    Vassal Stability
    How do the vassal clans feel about your rule?
    [Revolutionary | Upset Lordlings | Hints of Discontent | Approving Lords |>> Devoted Subjects <<]

    Governmental

    Treasury
    What funds are available to the government?
    [Bankrupt | Mounting Debt | Balanced Books | Growing Surplus |>> Miracle of Wealth <<]

    Military Quality
    How effective is our soldiery?
    [Useless Rabble | Scruffy Militia | Dutiful Soldiers | Fierce Warriors |>> Dragonslayers <<]

    Naval Quality
    How effective is the Navy?
    [Fishermen | Tattered Sails |>> Competent Sailors >>| Powerful Fleet | Masters of The Sea]

    Mage Quality
    How great is your magical knowledge and power?
    [Nonexistent | Initiatives | Adepts |>> Grand Magus <<| Masters of The Arcane]

    Noble Power
    What is the balance of power between the Crown and Nobility?
    [Absolute Ruler |<< Brought to Heel <<| Clan Pact | Autonomous Vassals | Dominant]​
     
  • Informational
    • Hello everyone, I am back and much healthier than before. Which means that I am lifting the hiatus on this quest and updates shall resume once more.

    @SolAnon1 you are next on the list, you have until Monday to make a character sheet.
     
    Ranan said:
    What would it take to have another god rise?
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    There are some ways.

    The most common one is worship, you are adored so much you gain a Divine Spark. The second one is killing a God, which is just as easy as it sounds. The third one, is the one that takes the longest and is going to get you hunted across the Planes, you eat Celestial Sparks, by killing Celestial beings, you have to kill a lot and eat their Sparks before you start to notice effects through. The final one, is for an already existing God, to grant a level of divinity to a mortal being.
     
    Making my character, question, does the realm have any academy/college/place of learning, cause I'm thinking of making a Scholar/philosopher ruler.
     



    Name: Ghesh Therdrish
    Date of Birth / Age at Ascension: 1730 / 74
    Relationship with Previous Ruler: Daughter

    Personality: Therdrish is mad, years working in a cave alone deciphering the knowledge of The Great Other Ones and the Far Realm were not kind for her sanity. Somehow she can still function in society and as a queen of the realm, being serene in the face of any problems and quickly to discuss her research, unfortunately she is obsessed with her research to the detriment of everything else and has sometimes bouts of mindless violence and paranoia. She also does not care for the whole "All Dragons must die" thing all the other Dragonborn have going on.

    Bio: Ghesh Therdrish was born in the year of 1740 to King Ghesh Sethrekarion and Queen Vacer Welsirina. From a young age Therdrish had no interest in ruling over the kingdom, much preferring the academic lifestyle, dedicating much of her early life to learning magic and philosophy.

    This distaste for politics and love of learning would in time see Therdrish divorce herself from society, turning into a "weird cave hermit".

    During this time she focused on the research of magic and the planes, which would see her delve into the secret lore of The Great Old Ones and the Far Realms, which along with her solitary nature would slowly erode her sanity.

    Unfortunately for her during one of her rare visits to her family, her father died and before she could flee to her cave, she was given the reins of the realm as its next queen, something she was strongly against as it would take time from her research.


    Style of Governance: Having no desire to rule, Therdrish would delegate her work to those she saw as competent, the only exception, where she would instead personally see to its completion is in academic and magical matters.


    Core Goal:

    1. The Academies of Ghesh - Education in the realm is not the best, thus Therdrish will use her time as Queen to standardize it, creating various academies of higher learning across the realm, finishing with the biggest one in the capital city.

    Secondary Goals:

    1. Deal with the refugee crisis, opening your borders to them.
    2. Therdrish has dedicated her entire life to studying the planes, from the Prime Material Plane to the Elemental realms, she has sacrificed much, from her blood to her sanity and becoming queen will not stop her from completing her life's work.

    Minor Goals:

    1. Deal with the minor demonic presence in the East.
    2. Deal with the Turmish resistance once and for all.
    3. Have at least one son or daughter to replace you when they come of age so you can finally retire and go back to your cave.

    Behold, Ghesh Therdrish, the greatest - and craziest - Warlock of the Realm.
     
    Last edited:
    SolAnon1 said:
    Behold, Ghesh Therdrish, the greatest - and craziest - Warlock of the Realm.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    honestly it would be more thematic if she was a wizard with dips into warlock(peaple get great old one patron warlock by accident often enough through sheer exposure) who is researching The Great Other Ones and the Far Realm than a pure Warlock as that is more than enough grounds for the crazy while justifying her research obsession as Warlocks don't actually understand how their powers and magic work nor do many of them care to find out or even have the talent to do so if they do care
     
    God, I'm already afraid of the consequences of her reign. Of course, the kingdom has a certain margin of safety, but all this research into plans can lead to dire consequences. For example, to a planar breakthrough in the middle of the kingdom. What's worse, such a psychopath can fall under the influence of powerful outsiders like the Great Old Ones, and I don't need to explain why this will have dire consequences.

    I hope her obsession does not affect the curriculum of the magic academy, otherwise instead of one psychopath, there will be many more of them.

    Against this background, the style of government of the new queen is the least of the problems and I have hope that the Gesh clan will be able to keep other clans in check and will not allow them to take advantage of such a unique opportunity to weaken the power of the monarch and the Gesh clan.
     
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