Post by piñata on Apr 10, 2004 11:49:50 GMT -5
I'll be updating this thread with new chapters whenever I have time. Now, on with the story...
Chapter 1 -- Of the Great Exodus and the Founding of The Conclave
It began, as all great stories do, with a great man who had a grand vision. His name was Lord Morbaruk, and he was a lower-ranking member of the royal house of Essential Magic. He saw the rampant corruption and political infighting among his fellow Lords, and wondered how he could make things better, saving those who were worthy from having to suffer when Essential Magic inevitably fell. So he called together his most trusted friends and advisors, and told them to spread the word among the worthy that there would be an Exodus -- a march across the Great Desert into the unexplored territories of the North.
And when the day came, hundreds turned up to follow Morbaruk, to leave Essential Magic and possibly, perhaps even probably, never return. The trek across the Desert was difficult, and many were lost to the harsh elements, or the barbaric Tusken Raiders who wandered those parts and made a habit of raiding Morbaruk's party whenever they could.
There was one such raid where Angowë, a man as fell of countenance and severe in judgement as he was fearsome in battle, had been assigned to stand watch in the night while the others slept. The sounds of fighting awakened the rest of the party, but by the time anyone arrived to assist Angowë he had already defeated the Raiders, and the survivors were fleeing before him in terror; and from then on he was known as Angowë the Valiant, although sometimes he was referred to also as the Lord of Snakes, for he could speak to serpents and make them do his bidding.
On the next day, Morbaruk decided to establish his new society at the site of their first military victory, and he named the region The Conclave. He then appointed four Overlords, who were to help him govern the outlying territories on the borders of The Conclave. They were all great men; Duke Paul Atreides, the only one besides Morbaruk who had actually been born into royalty -- which made him haughty and arrogant, but also a skilled swordsman and rider, and an adequate enough ruler for the South Conclave; Angowë the Valiant, hero of the First Battle, for the West Conclave; Omeguz the Just, whose judgements always carried more wisdom, and seemed somehow more fair as a result, than any of the other Overlords; and "Piñata" Frost, a semi-retired professional Quidditch player, whose sharp mind and clever tongue entertained the other members of the court so much that they often forgot he could be even more severe than Angowë when needed. These were the first four Overlords of the Conclave, of whom only two are still in service today.
The Overlords, in turn, selected Counts, Earls, Barons and other minor lords to help them govern their territories; and so the royal house of The Conclave began to resemble the royal house of Essential Magic in its golden age, before it was torn apart by strife. It was a happy time for the people of The Conclave, for the land they had settled was far enough north of the Great Desert that there was little danger of famine or pestilence; and the Tusken Raiders left them alone more often than not, for they still remembered the wrath of Angowë well enough to fear the new arrivals.
And so the people lived in relative peace and harmony for a time; but the good times would soon come to an end.
Chapter 1 -- Of the Great Exodus and the Founding of The Conclave
It began, as all great stories do, with a great man who had a grand vision. His name was Lord Morbaruk, and he was a lower-ranking member of the royal house of Essential Magic. He saw the rampant corruption and political infighting among his fellow Lords, and wondered how he could make things better, saving those who were worthy from having to suffer when Essential Magic inevitably fell. So he called together his most trusted friends and advisors, and told them to spread the word among the worthy that there would be an Exodus -- a march across the Great Desert into the unexplored territories of the North.
And when the day came, hundreds turned up to follow Morbaruk, to leave Essential Magic and possibly, perhaps even probably, never return. The trek across the Desert was difficult, and many were lost to the harsh elements, or the barbaric Tusken Raiders who wandered those parts and made a habit of raiding Morbaruk's party whenever they could.
There was one such raid where Angowë, a man as fell of countenance and severe in judgement as he was fearsome in battle, had been assigned to stand watch in the night while the others slept. The sounds of fighting awakened the rest of the party, but by the time anyone arrived to assist Angowë he had already defeated the Raiders, and the survivors were fleeing before him in terror; and from then on he was known as Angowë the Valiant, although sometimes he was referred to also as the Lord of Snakes, for he could speak to serpents and make them do his bidding.
On the next day, Morbaruk decided to establish his new society at the site of their first military victory, and he named the region The Conclave. He then appointed four Overlords, who were to help him govern the outlying territories on the borders of The Conclave. They were all great men; Duke Paul Atreides, the only one besides Morbaruk who had actually been born into royalty -- which made him haughty and arrogant, but also a skilled swordsman and rider, and an adequate enough ruler for the South Conclave; Angowë the Valiant, hero of the First Battle, for the West Conclave; Omeguz the Just, whose judgements always carried more wisdom, and seemed somehow more fair as a result, than any of the other Overlords; and "Piñata" Frost, a semi-retired professional Quidditch player, whose sharp mind and clever tongue entertained the other members of the court so much that they often forgot he could be even more severe than Angowë when needed. These were the first four Overlords of the Conclave, of whom only two are still in service today.
The Overlords, in turn, selected Counts, Earls, Barons and other minor lords to help them govern their territories; and so the royal house of The Conclave began to resemble the royal house of Essential Magic in its golden age, before it was torn apart by strife. It was a happy time for the people of The Conclave, for the land they had settled was far enough north of the Great Desert that there was little danger of famine or pestilence; and the Tusken Raiders left them alone more often than not, for they still remembered the wrath of Angowë well enough to fear the new arrivals.
And so the people lived in relative peace and harmony for a time; but the good times would soon come to an end.