Vangen Kingdom One- Off – Kednvald Bridge “B” side

As a young urog Lock suffered the razing of her village at the hands of rebellious Vangen Orcs. She proved herself in that battle and so Lock was taken in by a marauding Kromgaard urog named Grushnag. In time Grushnag grew fond of Lock and showed her much favor. This brought envy from the others in the tribe, especially from Grushnag’s eldest son Vlorg. Recently Lock has seen her able Hertog Grushnag fall under the spell of an orc shaman named Velizar. This shaman is Vangen but his majiks are too much for Hertog Grushnag to overcome.

The shaman Velizar had commanded Hertog Grushnag to hunt down and kill a troublesome Kromgaard orc shaman named Kluzga. Wary of Kluzga’s death curse and other potent majiks, Hertog Grushnag ordered Lock and Vlorg to attack the shaman. They each took their own group of five warriors and competed for the honor of the kill.

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Lock charged forward and was the first to reach the shaman Kluzga. She slew Kluzga and took his head as a trophy.

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………………………

Meanwhile to the south outside of King Valden’s capital city of Kednvald, the scrawny orcling Voshob survived by learning to gather the valuable herbs in the nearby wilderness.

The natural materials were sought after by the wealthy and powerful League of Nil-ith Horn alchemists living in Kednvald. In trade for these herbs, Voshob was taught some alchemy, numbers and letters by the foreign orcs.

Timor Zungath, the “Terror Reed” of the swamp Sharog Mokal, produced a potent resin which could be used by sorcerors to see far and wide. It was a powerful drug, highly valued for its hallucinagenic qualities. Sent to harvest these Timor Zungath resins, Voshob traveled north with Graf Trolgar and his Vangen patrol unit. The patrol was to cross Kednvald Bridge and keep safe the road through the swamp of Sharog Mokal (Ondskap Mere to the Gautrians) for King Valden’s troops.

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At Kednvald bridge the League of Nil-ith Horn forces stationed there and Graf Trolgar’s Vangen patrol wrangled over logistics. A cumbersome caravan of supplies for Valden’s army in the north lumbered slowly over the bridge. Slaves and laborers worked through the driving rain blocking Graf Trolgar and his Vangen orcs from crossing.

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The furious Graf was put into his place by Tulgan, a League of Nil-ith Horn dubsar. Tulgan was emboldened by the presence of Bozar, the urog hertog of Kednvald bridge. An angry Graf Trolgar was ordered to make camp beneath the tower and told to wait until morning for his turn to cross the bridge.

………………………

Since it was Lock who slew the treacherous orc shaman Kluzga, it was she that Shaman Velizar summoned into Kormak Hold. Many strange orcs and the severed head of the shaman Kluzga were gathered by the shaman Velizar.

webVangen_006Velizar filled the air with smoke from the Timor Zungath resin. Lock was bidden inhale the vapors.

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The zungath drug allowed Lock to fly about the high mountain peaks, where she saw the reach of the Vangen lands, and the great armies of men and orcs on the march. When Lock awoke she had a new understanding of the scope of the Vangen Wars, how they would change the future of her tribe, and a deep devotion to the cause of Velizar.

………………………

That night at Kednvald Bridge,  one of Graf Trolgar’s Vangen warriors slipped out of camp for a secretive rendezvous with Hertog Bozar.

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The two Vangens, orc and urog, spoke near the river’s edge so the rushing waters might drown them out. However the sly Voshob followed and eavesdropped, and he heard the Vangen orc from his own party speak to the urog of orders from “our master”. The urog in command of the bridge was told to delay King Valden’s League of Nil-ith Horn relief force when it arrived from Kednvald.

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“Keep those half-orc dogs on the southern side of Skarken River any way you can, until men in wolf skins come to burn this bridge.” said the orc. Hertog Bozar nodded agreement and the two parted ways without ever noticing the spying Voshob.

………………………

The next morning Graf Trolgar and Hertog Grushnag were both on their way to the great swamp of Sharog Mokal. Not far from the bridge, while Voshob gathered herbs, Hertog Grushnag and his Kromgaard warriors easily tracked down their target, Graf Trolgar and his patrol.

Voshob saw signs of the Kromgaards and unobtrusively slipped away to spy on them. Hertog Grushnag waited until Graf Trolgar’s unit had camped for the evening.

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The Vangens were thrown into turmoil as Lock and the other Kromgaard warriors attacked. No organizing orders came from Graf Trolgar’s command tent. Voshob watched Hertog Grushnag’s Kromgaards slay every orc in the encampment.

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As they gathered the bodies afterward, Voshob was keen enough to notice the Graf’s corpse had its throat slit, and the orc which Voshob had spied upon at Kednvald Bridge was not among the slain.

Voshob heard howls in the distance and the Kromgaards hid.

Men of Gautria clad in wolfskins raced by, unmolested by the orcs. Soon there was a glow over the flats of the swamp as Kednvald Bridge burned above Skarken River.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The End, for now…  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

See the Gautrian’s side of the story as Jarl Kvig Melgarson leads his men on their dangerous mission in Sagas of the Gautrian Kings #37- Kednvald Bridge

Kildarians

 

Hundreds of miles south of the Gautrian Lakes, on the western coast of the Valensian sea, lies the once proud and mighty human kingdom of Kildare. Two generations ago the Valensian Empire conquered Kildare, imposing a new religion and social order upon them which caused tremendous upheaval and chaos within the kingdom. The Kildarian King was deposed, his family sent away to the Valensian capital, and the rule of Kildare granted to a Valensian Imperial governor. Many noble Kildarians, young and old, struck out north finding their way to the Gautrian Lakes where they have settled and prospered among the native Gautrians.

During their time in Gautria, the Kildarian warriors and mounted knights have become essential allies against the numerous orc tribes. Kildarian knights are renowned throughout the lands of Gautria for their effectiveness against massive urogs on the battlefield. The wealthiest kings and jarls of Gautria often hire Kildarian mercenaries for their campaigns.

Common Kildarians now living in Gautria can be found practicing all manner of crafts; their skills and knowledge have done much to advance the prosperity of the Gautrian people. Four noble houses of Kildare now hold land and titles in the two kingdoms of Gautria, and their rising power is cause for concern among Gautria’s jarls.

 

The Kildarian Houses

House Voclain: “The Warrior House, The Mercenary House, The Rising Star”, originally from the northern border reaches of Kildare these men are fierce knights and urog slayers known to fight for the best paying kings and jarls and barons of Gautria. Among the other Kildarian houses they are seen as greedy and self-serving because of their recent rise in North Gautria where King Kvig has granted them valuable holdings in reward for their glorious victories serving him on the battlefield. Baron Vulmar Voclain has been a particular recipient of Kvig’s generousity, earning the title of “Silver Lord” when granted the mines of Hellgate (Sagas of the Gautrian Kings #52- The Battle for Hellgate Mines ).

House Marren: “The First House, The Bastard House, The Fallen House”, House Marren is remembered for establishing the original Gautrian Kingdom and building Mosveld Keep in the North. Success as merchants and mercenaries made it the wealthiest of all the Kildarian houses, and House Marren had lands and titles from the North Gautrian Queen Svalla and her late King Gorm. However the upstart House Voclain has gained much reputation and riches under Queen Svalla’s new husband King Kvig and threatened House Marren’s predominance in North Gautria.

House DeGrance: “The Immortal House, The Usurpers, The Hemus Lords”, the most powerful and influential house in all of Gautria has a long and sordid history in the two kingdoms. A House of Kildarian priests, sorcerers and ‘demi-gods’ claiming divine ancestry and practicing dark forbidden magic, they came to influence when Alexander DeGrance arrived in the lands of Timlin. Alexander transformed the fishing village of Herstal into the Great Town of Timlin as he took control of the swamp lotus hemus production, made favorable terms in several business ventures, and financed the resettling of many noble knights from Kildare. To many Gautrians he was a foreign usurper and tyrant, but to the Kildarians of Gautria he is remembered as the “Preserver of the Way” for helping thousands of their countrymen resettle in the Gautrian Lakes after their conquest by Valensia. Alexander was treacherously betrayed and murdered by his own cousin Gottfried DeGrance, who in turn was deposed at the behest of the South Gautrian King (SGK #12- Lords Of Timlin). Charibert DeGrance, Baron of Chalgrave Hold and Steward of the Vangen Border, is the last known blood relation of the Noble Alexander DeGrance.

 

House Conley: “The Merchant House, The Horse Lords, The House of Tyrants”, these men of Kildare are defenders of Timlin and renowned horse breeders. House Conley have proven themselves successful landlords who own many productive farms, fisheries and orchards throughout the lands of Timlin in South Gautria. House Conley has always been a loyal supporter of House DeGrance and Timlin’s beloved founder Alexander DeGrance; Lady Etterna Conley was apprentice and seer to Alexander for years, as her brother Austerchild Conley provided stalwart defense of the hinterlands.

 

Gautrians

The Gautrians are a fierce race of Northmen who have inhabited the Gautrian Lakes for generations. They are said to have wrested the fertile plains and bountiful lakes from hordes of savage Great Northern Orcs.

The Lands of Gautria, split into two Kingdoms by the waterway connecting Lake Tagova and Lake Sund.

The Gautrian peoples are made up of several clans, the Volsung, the Sverkers, the Vastars and the Skanes. All four clans are represented throughout the kingdoms. The Vastar and Skane clans are by far the largest and most predominant; the Volsung are the most wealthy, and the Sverkers are rising quickly to new power.

The Volsungs King Magnus the Defender and his wife Queen Inga the Warlord rule over South Gautria from their fortress of Loland Keep, built of stone by Magnus’ father King Ulfrik Volsung. South Gautria is a land rich in valuable swamp lotus (hemus flowers or grey lotus)- the key ingredient for the making of healing potions. Orcs and men have fought over access to these lotus swamps since days unrecorded.

King Magnus and Queen Inga array for battle

North Gautria is ruled by King Kvig Melgarson The Usurper, a Sverker warlord, and his Queen, the bewitching Svala. King Kvig occupies the capital city of Mosveld, while he gifted his cousins valuable holdings such as  key North Gautrian coastal towns, and Kvig’s ancestral home fort of Helvik. King Kvig’s lands are not so rich as his southern allies, but Kildarian deep mining at Hellgate has recently brought a wealth of silver and other valuable minerals. North Gautria also has its own small swamps where the hemus lotus grows, ensuring competition in the hemus markets of Gautria.

Mosveld, with the Queen’s Tower at the Harbor Wall and the King’s Gatehouse at the main city Gate

The Gautrian Clans

The Volsung Clan: “The Royal Clan, Horse Clan, Clan of Kings”. The Royal Clan were the first of the clans to establish a Gautrian Kingdom between the lakes. Ruled by King Magnus the Defender and his wife Queen Inga the Warlord, the Volsung consider themselves the champions of Gautria as they are always at the fore in bloody battle against the orcs. In all of Gautria their heavy cavalry is second only to the vaunted Kildarian knights. Known as elitists and considered a disconnected ruling clan by many of their subjects in the south, the Volsung account for the majority of South Gautria’s jarls.

The heavy infantry of King Magnus rushes the gate of the LNH Orc occupied North Gautrian town of Larbro.

The Sverker Clan: “The Iron Clan, The Bandit Clan”. The Sverker King Kvig Melgarson rules North Gautria, but many say Kvig’s uncle Skala Grimson, the Jarl of Jarlin has more sway among the clans. The Sverkers are fierce warriors whose jarls are known for their effective diplomacy and ability to hold together feudal coalitions against Gautria’s many enemies. They are considered the “Iron of the North”. Clan Sverker’s smiths are renowned for their iron smelting and weapon making abilities.

Helvik, ancestral home of King Kvig Melgarson

The Vastar Clan: “The Boat Clan, The Pirate Clan, The Slave Clan”. This once powerful clan has seen many of its jarls slain in recent battles against the Orcs of the League of Nil-ith Horn and their Great Northern mercenaries. In the north, Kvig the Bandit king has conspired to dispossess their valuable holdings. Kvig granted the Vastar’s birthright, the rich mines of Hellgate, to Kildarians of House Voclain. Once known as the hardest working clan, the Vastar are now openly mocked and called the “Slave Clan” for losing so many holdings to orcs and men alike. Still, Clan Vastar are the most skillful shipbuilders and sailors in all the Gautrian Lakes, qualities which allow them to dominate the Hedemark, a Gautrian peninsula between Lake Sund and Lake Kisilev not ruled by either of the two kingdoms. The Vastar of the Hedemark are considered pirates and untrustworthy because of their frequent dealings with the League of Nil-ith Horn.

An angry Vastar mob confront Kildarian guards in the North Gaurian capital city of Mosveld

The Skane Clan: “The Stone Clan, The Bonder Clan”. They are by far the largest and poorest of all four Gautrian clans. No jarls and only a few warlords hail from Clan Skane; instead they are renowned as quarry workers, stone cutters and for their skill in agriculture. Clan Skane is often called the “foundation of Gautria” and their farmers joke that it is the many stones in their fields which earned them their nickname “the Stone Clan”. Some of Clan Skane claim no land or lord, roving the lands of Gautria seeking trade and other opportunities. A few of these traveling merchants or “Rovers” have become quite wealthy plying the dangerous roads of the two kingdoms and beyond.

Rovers stop to give service to a South Gautrian warcamp

League of Nil-ith Horn

The Men and Orcs of the League of Nil-ith Horn

The League of Nil-ith Horn is a merchant association formed by an alliance between the cities of Grunevald, Korvald and Kirkisvald, the major cities surrounding the Bay of Nil-ith Horn. Trade in these lands is a dangerous and risky business and the only way for merchants to protect themselves is by traveling together. The impetus for the formation of the League of Nil-ith Horn (LNH) was to protect its merchants involved in trading highly profitable Gautrian hemus potions (made from the healing swamp lotus only found in Gautia), and in the vast slave markets of the Vangen Orcs. While each city has its own merchant association (merchants’ guild) the alliance forms a loose Diet, or parliament, to govern inter-city trade and common policies. The trade between Grunevald, the only human city in the League, and the Valensian Empire (the dominant human empire) provide sea routes to all Imperial cities and the only legitimate port for the orcs of the League to ship any goods through. In most respects the policy of the merchants is protectionist and aimed at producing a Grunevaldian monopoly in the slave markets they supply.

The League of Nil-ith Horn and surrounding lands

The League of Nil-ith Horn Diet meets only infrequently and is filled with divisive politics based on differences in regional priorities. It is more frequent that the regional assemblies, known as ‘Thirds’, meet. There is a Grunevald ‘Third’ based on the internal and sea trades, a Korvald ‘Third’ based on slaves bought out of Kednvald, and a Kirkisvald ‘Third’ based on the hemus trade from Gautria and minerals from the Great Northern mountains. The predominant city in all dealings is Grunevald, which holds a central position as the only human port on the Nil-ith-Horn. The orc cities often complain that the merchants from Grunevald are given advantages over their own merchants.

The Grunevaldians, a race of seafaring men now under the rule of the Valesian Empire, claim the title of Masters of the League of Nil-ith Horn. From their capital city of Grunevald they dominate the other towns and cities of the League. Recently these men have raided and taken Gautrian lands on Lake Kisilev. Led by their famous conquering hero Boyar Gert Theovald the Grunevaldians have established a small kingdom of their own from the keep town of Berwik.

Boyar Gert Theovald and his Grunevaldian heavy infantry

LNH Orc Valdgrafs in the Grunevaldian market at Theovald Hall.

Kirkisvald is the more powerful of the two orc city states within the League of Nil-ith Horn. Its position on the northern most point of Nil-ith Horn bay makes it a wealthy and important trading port in the region. The political and financial interests of this LNH city-state are closely tied to that of their human “masters”, the men of Grunevald. As such many of their orc soldiers (called smerdi or “stinking ones” by the men of LNH) serve in the armies of Grunevald under human commanders. Some of Kirkisvald’s more wealthy and prominent clans have become belligerent recently, often acting autonomously in the LNH frontier regions.  

Graf Gozek and his LHN smerdi

Korvald is an orc city-state situated on the southwestern coast of Nil-ith Horn Bay. Not as important or wealthy as its sister city Kirkisvald, the orc sailors of Korvald are known to plunder the sea ways of Valensia’s great empire, and its greedy merchants are said to smuggle slaves through their own illegal routes. Korvald has suffered damaging reprisals and repudiation as a result. Recently some ambitious orcs of Korvald have devoted their energies to bring the LNH “Temple of The One God” to the neighboring Vangen orcs who have long harried their western borders.

Competing guilds, companies, and families belonging to every city of the League of Nil-ith Horn look for economic advantage and opportunity in neighboring Gautria.  From the lands rich in minerals and peoples, to the hemus lotus native only to its “troll swamps”, the kingdoms of Gautria posses vast and varied wealth to be exploited by the LNH. The League now is focused on control of Ondskap Mere, the great hemus swamp in the contested borderlands of the Vangen and Gautrian Kingdoms.

Vangen Orcs

The Vangen Kingdom

Valden the Ruthless and his personal retinue

The Vangens are a tribe of Great Northern orcs; their recent rise has been due to the great military successes of Valden The Ruthless. The Vangen Kingdom was established by Valden, a brutal and oppressive urog Hertog. Since his conversion to the “Temple of The One God” by the influential High Priest of Korvald, Ursio Erembald, Valden’s armies have unified many of the Vangen tribes into one strong kingdom.

Valden’s horde, well-armed through trade with the LNH.

Under the direction of High Priest Ursio Erembald, orc priests of the League of Nil-ith Horn provide Valden and his urog lords with a literate body of administrators and tax collectors. With their services Valden is able to run an efficient central government from his stronghold of Kednvald.

The Vangen Kingom and surrounding lands

All of the priests are protected by Valden’s laws and his vassal urog Hertogs, and all are held in high regard. The warriors answer to Valden as does the head of the League of Nil-ith Horn “Temple of The One God”, Ursio Erembald, the Habrok of Kednvald. At his capital of Kednvald Valden has seen the many wonders of the League of Nil-ith Horn civilization and the great benefits their new religion has brought to his orc subjects.

Vangen and LNH commerce over the Kednvald Bridge.

Great Northern orcs are free-spirited and fiercely independent however, and countless rebellions have broken out in Valden’s kingdom over its 22 year history. Many Vangens and Kromgaards refuse to accept the “God of Man” and persist in worshipping their own Ancient gods. Their complete conversion is an important matter to Valden, for he has renounced goblins and shaman. Valden believes the only true god to be “The One God, Lord of Light”.

Vangen orcs gather at “The Temple of the One God” in Kednvald

 

The Vangen orcs were part of the Great Northern orc migration and carried with them the gods and majiks of ancient orc lore. Their religion is polytheistic and majik oriented, goblins and shaman spread their cults through great displays of power. These orcs have many different beliefs and oft times magic cults will collide and bloody strife will result. Such is the way of the Great Northern orcs.

A Vangen margrave crosses Kednvald Bridge

Valden “The Ruthless” seeks now to change their ways. Adopting the more civilized religion of the League of Nil-ith Horn orcs, he has welcomed the priests of “The One God” and forcibly converted his own subjects. The “God of Man” has been well received in Kednvald, and other urban centers, but the borderlands of Valden’s kingdom have resisted. Led by powerful goblins, shaman and urog warlords the rebels have fought for over two decades with Valden’s mighty armies.

 

Removable Roofs

The settings are beautiful. The miniatures are perfect for the buildings.

But what if we could play inside the buildings too?

What if the roofs came off?

What if all the roofs came off?

Imagine…

Caravan Wagons

Caravan Wagons

We wanted to explore trade and transport in the lands of Gautria, so my husband began plotting a Caravan Campaign.

Before we could start our travels in North Gautria, we would need wagons.

These were mostly constructed with balsa wood. My husband made a few rough sketches and started building.

My character, as the caravan leader and primary financial backer, got the fancy wooden carriage. This wagon came complete with locking door and attached chests.

The other merchants’ wagons were constructed of balsa beds, with canopies of glue-dipped packing paper draped on wire frames.

All of the tops come off, and various cargoes can fit inside.

Orc Hall

Our Great Northern Orc Tribes needed some heavy fortifications (and feasting spots!) of their own.

Orc Temple

“What does a Great Northern Orc Temple look like?”

That question was asked at the crafting counter one fateful day. Those type of questions usually result in a hobbying frenzy and output of newly-actualized factions or architectural style. This question was no exception to the tool.

 

Orc City Dwellings

After construction on both the Great Northern Orc Temple and Orc Hall was complete, the workers and lesser chiefs got housing as well.