Imperial Court Herald

Issue 2, Summer 1526 HC (553 MR)

(Anuirean Realms Invade Rhoubhe): As the portentous comet above brightened throughout the season, the Anuirean realms of the west staged a massive attack on an old enemy. Boeruine, Avanil, Mieres, Tuornen, the Western Imperial Temple, and the Militant Order of Cuiraecen mustered thousands of troops and struck at the heart of the Manslayer's redoubt. Marching into the three openings of Clearwater Pass, perhaps more aptly called Redwater Pass now, the Anuirean army numbered over 12,000 men. The human armies were immediately beset by their elven enemies. The hidden and highly mobile elven archers and ambush parties in the mountains slew many a armored knight and infantryman. By night, the human camps were raided by elven sorcerors, who inflicted heavy casualties. Despite these setbacks, the allied army was able to drive the elves back toward the Tower Ruannoch with their sheer numbers. It was at Ruannoch that the final, cataclysmic battle was waged. In an assault that lasted all day and all night, the Anuireans pushed the elves back up the causeway that lead to to the gates of Ruannoch. Once they had broken through and were ready to assault the gates, they slammed open and a new elven host descended upon the allied humans lead by Fhileraene, the Prince of Tuarhievel. Aerial battle mages rained death down upon the assaulters from griffons and hippogriffs, immolating the siege equipment and destroying the Anuirean Siege Company. The assaulters broke and fled back down the Causeway until they were rallied by the Archduke Shaene Boeruine and his elite White Lions knight company. It is said that the Archduke nearly slew the Prince of Tuarhievel, but the Manslayer himself intervened, nearly killing the Archduke. It was at that moment that the human lines broke once and for all and the Archduke and the Manslayer were swept apart by the tide of battle. With the presence of many skilled commanders and priests, the remnants of the Anuirean host were able to retreat back to their lands. After it was all over, the assaulters could take stock of what had been lost and what had been gained. The hosts of the Manslayer and Fhileraene both took severe casualties, and many elven commanders, generals, and sorcerors were slain. The Anuirean host lost Sir Oeren Tannien and his Siege Company. They were incinerated before the gates of Ruannoch. Sir Landen Connal and his Crusaders of Haelyn were so badly mauled that the company has disbanded and Sir Landen succumbed to his wounds during the retreat. Sir Oervel Lastier, Lord Marshal of Avanil's Seasmist Field Army, was slain whilst keeping his liege safe from harm. Gaelen Riel, Boeruine's ambassador in the Forum, was slain during the assault on the Causeway.

(War on the Southern Coast): The campaign season was in full swing this year as Diemed sought to reclaim its old territories. Marching across the border at the head of a large host, Heirl Diem, Duke of Diemed, met only minor resistance from a small cadre of cavalry under the command of Kotrin Skirvin, Lord General of Medoere. Though they were harrassed the entire way by Skirvin, the Dieman armies began to besiege Moonstrike Keep. In Caerwil, Bram's Elite Guard invaded the province and occupied it. Diem's liege-lord, Prince Avan, lead an army up from Ilien. At the northern end of the neck of land between the Spider and Adele rivers, a host of Medoereans and Roesenweans waited for them. Though Avanil emerged victorious in the battle, they sustained heavy losses from the combined spell power of Suris Enlien and Hermadhie. It is believed that Suris and Hermadhie escaped back to Roesenwe with the retreating armies. Beaten and demoralized, the militia at the city of Braeme only put up a paltry resistance to the Avanese army. After entering the city, the army's commander lost control over the mercenaries under his command. These mercenaries looted and burned the city, burning the Celestial Palace and the Temple of the Ninth Spell to the ground. Elsewhere in Medoere, the priests of Rournil's Celestial Spell accepted Diemed's terms and withdrew their numbers to Roesewe.

(Invasion of the Five Peaks): The campaign season continued with Alamie's invasion of the lawless Five Peaks. With a dwarven host at his side, Duke Alam lead his forces into Sufanie, only to find the place abandoned. The dwarves, however, discovered some goblin warrens beneath the province and cleansed them. After re-assessing the situation, Duke Alam lead the army on into Torain, where a massive host of goblins, trolls, ogres, and brigands awaited them flying the banner of the Eyeless One. In a bloody and hard fought battle, the dwarves and the Alamiens emerged victorious. Duke Alam slew the leader of the army, the ruthless, cutthroat, goblin mercenary, Quazzar the Terrible. With Quazzar's death, the remnants of the Eyeless One's army broke and fled into other provinces.

(Ghoere Invades Elinie): This summer saw another large military campaign, this one in the eastern heartlands. Ghoere, assisted by the Militant Order of Cuiraecen, thundered across the Elinien border and siezed vast swaths of territory, destroying the temples of the Life and Protection of Avanalae along the way. The largest battle was in Mholien, where an Elinien host, hardened after years of guarding the border from the Gorgon, fell before the massed charge of the Iron Guard, though not without damaging the Ghorean army heavily. In Ansien, Duke Tuorel personally lead an assault against Castle Ansien and captured it, along with two Daouta family members. The current location of the Patriarch, Assan ibn Daouta, is a mystery. In Hope's Demise, the man claiming to be descended from the Elin line, Aedan Elin, siezed control.

(Roesoene and Aerenwe join): Marlae Roesone, Baroness of Roesone, was wed to Cole Alwier, heir-apparent of Aerenwe. With this marriage, Aerenwe and Roesone have bound their fates together and declared that they shall merge into one realm. The married couple and the children they produce will all hail from a new house, that of Roesenwe.

(Magistrates in Anuire renounce fealty): The magistrates and commanders of the City Watch in the City of Anuire have renounced fealty to the Chamberlain and openly declared for the Prince of Avanil.

(Storms off Medoere): A large storm, the likes of which have never been seen, brewed for the entire season off the coast of Medoere and Ilien. Merchant traffic was all but halted in the area and navies of Diemed and Avanil, blockading Medoere, were scattered about the Straits of Aerele by the ferocious winds. This allowed the Medoerean navy to escape the blockade and flee. Common opinion is that these storms are the Wrath of Nesirie. Consider the active support of Medoere by the Eastern Temple of Nesirie, this may be the case.

(Thurazor plague ends): The virulent plague in Thurazor has come to a brutal conclusion. The goblin king managed to stamp out the infection by ordering the deaths of all infected.

(Large castle constructions undertaken): Both House Avan and House Boeruine have undertaken projects to expand their home castles. However, the project in Avanil utterly dwarfs that of Boeruine. Prince Avan has ordered Avanhold to be expanded in the greatest expansion ever devised in Anuire. Once the newly expanded Avanhold is finished in several years time, it will be the largest castle in all of Anuire.

(Boeruine continues expansion): Boeruine has invaded the western half of Baerghos island, bringing the entire island under the Archduke's dominion. Only a few small goblin tribes and pirate coves were discovered. The Archduke has also appointed his brother, Aedan Boeruine, as Baron of Cataine, the two provinces ceded by Taeghas last season. To the position of Governor of Baerghos, the Archduke appointed Daeren Mhilar, son of the Count of Redoubt.

(Aerenwe clamps down on foreign guilds): The Queen of Aerenwe dispatched her troops this season and expelled the guilders and merchants who had recently accepted contracts with the Straits of Aerele shipping.

(Colonization efforts begin): The Spider River Traders have moved in colonists to their province on Caelcorwynn.

(Wedding in Tuornen): In a ceremony attended by the Duke of Tuornen and most of the higher priests of the Eastern Temple of Nesirie, Lanelle Elevensmiere, niece of Count Elevensmiere, was wed to Caelan of the Speakers of the Nesirie.

(Banditry in Osoerde): A tide of banditry has plagued Osoerde in Spiritsend, and the loyalty of the commonors and lords is beginning to ebb in the face of inaction from the Duke.

(Osoerde takes action against Moergan): The Duke, however, did take action against those lords who had sympathies for William Moergan. In the province of Moergan, the Duke's men arrested many of Moergan's supporters.

(Talinie buys contracts from guilds): Talinie has purchased the contracts of the guildlords there. Rumor has it that they were forced to sell their holdings or be expelled from the realm by force.

(Roesone guilds object to new decree): The Southern Anuire Shipping and Imports and Port of Call Exchange guilds of Roesone, or western Roesenwe as it is now called, have voted in that realm's Guildman's Council to veto to the decree, stating that the decree conflicts with the authority granted to the Guildman's Council in a treaty signed by Moergan Roesone, the current Baroness' grandfather.

(Roesone initiates new order of elite knights): Also in Roesenwe, the Baroness Marlae has created a new order of knights, the Order of the Black Hart of the Erebannien.

(Book of Days remains lost): There have been rumours spreading that the disappearance of Book of Days has nothing to do with cult activity of anykind. It has been said that the book was taken by a powerful wizard for some sort of sinister act. A number of wizards have been mentioned, but the word on the street is that the infamous Sword Mage is the prime candidate. The Duke of Osoerde, however, reports that the book was held by a cult, which has now dissappeared.

(Brosengae takes control of Lesser Baerghos): The isle of Lesser Baerghos has been formally added to the dominion of the Duke of Brosengae.

(Strange new cult in the Imperial City): Strange activities are plagueing the Imperial City. A madness seems to have claimed the minds of a small number of commoners, who, throughout the season, set themselves afire and burned to death while preaching to mobs of onlookers.

(Magian invades Khourane): From across the Suidemiere, travellers have brought more tales of destruction from the Khinasi Emirate of Khourane. Apparently, the awnshegh known as the Magian has invaded the Emirate and siezed control of most of the northern provinces of that realm.

(News from the Adurian Gold Coast): The massive war between the Gold Coasts largest cities continues. A legion of fearless Sasandran mercenaries has invaded Bessam's southern provinces and pillaged a great many of them.

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