Tale of Two Barons
War of Nations
A Tale of Two Barons Lord Cryheart Thaxin and the Order of the Silver Gryphons
This tale begins like many other stories of legend, with two men -- two Barons, to be exact. Baron Lerep Hochstib of Jantalar and Baron Dunrith Malwind of Vornavis happen to share opposite ideologies and philosophies about their baronies, though they sit adjacent to each other.
Hochstib came to rule his barony by legitimate succession, the rightful son and heir of the previous Baron of Jantalar. Little is known about Malwind's background, but it appears he was also the rightful son and heir to the Barony of Vornavis.
Situated near the northwestern boundaries of the Human Empire, Jantalar began as an Imperial outpost built to protect the Empire's settlers from attacks by giantmen and other "less human" races that dwelt in the mountains, forests, and wastelands to the north. It is a relatively large city, primarily due to the fertility of the plains that it guards to the south and east. Jantalar has grown as much as it can without requiring a major increase in its resources. It is this limitation that Baron Hochstib seeks to remedy -- with the expansion to his territory (as evidenced by his political behavior over the last decade).
Standing to the southwest of Jantalar is the Barony of Vornavis. This is a seaport area, with the Free Port of Solhaven standing adjacent, and is ruled by Baron Malwind. A widower, he has a clever young son and a daughter who bears a crush for Sir Brinn Mithrandir of the Order of the Silver Gryphon (who was knighted by the Baron).
Baron Malwind has allied himself to the Landing for deliberate reasons. He knows that should it fall under Hochstib's control, Vornavis will be next.
In The Beginning
Early in history, the dwarves were mindful of the unusual regard shown to their race by the people of Vornavis, and directed a majority of the silver trade from the mines of Talador westward, to Vornavis and the port of Solhaven. In an official petition to the Imperial Throne, the ruler of Jantalar detailed the loss of revenue experienced from the inland territories to this racially based favoritism, and requested that the port's free status be revoked. The Emperor chose to do nothing, since the throne was receiving taxes from the silver trade in any case. This situation became the first official instance of animosity between Vornavis and Jantalar.
In the last twelve years, Baron Hochstib has gone to war with his neighbors twice, both conflicts resulting in victories for Jantalar. The first occurred in 5087 over Talador, a small Barony that had sprung up around a dwarven mining community that had played out its wealth decades ago. Talador's leadership had passed to humans several decades before it gained Hochstib's notice, but its dwarven heritage was strongly evident in its layout and buildings. Hochstib refused to believe that the once-rich silver mine Talador had been built on could not produce more wealth. He also saw Talador as a stronghold of Dwarven influence within imperial lands, and viewed its neutralization as a secondary benefit of taking over the barony.
It was after the taking of Talador, and the Baron's realization that the mine was worthless, that he became convinced he had been the victim of a nonhuman plot. In his mind, he had been drawn into expending his effort and resources on a worthless target by clever nonhuman agents bent on denying humans their rightful power in the area.
In 5091, a merchant power struggle in Jantalar between Dwarven gem cutters and Human jewelers left three human citizens dead. Enraged citizens called for the enforcement of Chaston's Edict against all nonhumans. Through this, Baron Hochstib was able to declare hundreds of Ordlyn (nonhumans) to be criminals, thus clearing the path for their enslavement in accordance with Imperial policy (which is still current to this day). A few Hathlyn (half-elves) that lived in the human community escaped this treatment, largely due to Hochstib's compassion for others of mixed race (like him).
Over the next several years, as the Baron set his sights on the Barony of Mestanir, he realized he needed outside help in order to neutralize the large number of magic users that dwelt there. To combat the wizards and sorcerers in Talador, Hochstib employed witch hunters -- mercenaries who specialized in countermagic and who trained specifically to dispatch magic users. However, the magic-using segment of Mestanir's populace was much larger than Talador's had been, and Hochstib knew that witch hunters would not provide the complete answer at that time. He would need something else....
Rumors were already afoot about Empress Mynal'lyanna's access to mana disruption crystals (so-called "Mandis Crystals"), huge "living" crystals of black stone that, once brought to life, would absorb all mana from the surrounding area. Hochstib saw this as the solution to his problem. Whether wholly of his own accord or as a result of questionable counsel, Hochstib embraced the Empress's doctrine of human supremacy in order to gain her favor (and her Mandis Crystals).
The Baron's initial conflict with Mestanir inflicted great losses on Jantalar's side; the witch hunters in Hochstib's employ were simply not enough to stop the spells of mass destruction flung at the army. Hochstib petitioned the young, new Empress for assistance, suggesting the use of a Mandis Crystal. The Empress consented to Hochstib's request and, with the power of the magic-dampening stone behind them, the mages of Mestanir were easily dealt with.
The angry townsfolk openly harassed the nonhuman business owners in the city of Jantalar, and "public outcry" demanded enforcement of the edict that prohibited nonhumans from owning property or holding guild positions within the city. As sentiments against nonhumans grew, nonhumans were first invited and later forced to leave the city. Those who would not leave of their own accord were taken to the silver mine at Talador to labor until "their souls were purified in labor for the good of Jantalar."
In truth, it was a death sentence for anyone sent to the mine at Talador. Sufficient food was never provided for the numbers working there. The only drinking water available was the water that flooded the mines' lower levels, and nothing was done to create even a semblance of safety in the ancient tunnels.
Dissatisfied with the rate at which the nonhumans imprisoned in Talador's mine were dying, Baron Hochstib was dismayed to learn that some of his soldiers assigned to guard duty there were providing food, water, and healing herbs to the prisoners. Recognizing that transferring them to other duty would simply spread their pro-nonhuman sentiments elsewhere, he assigned any soldiers that evidenced pro-nonhuman behavior to duty at Talador. Within six months he had all of his bad apples in one basket, and after covert agents incited a riot within the mines, he sent an entire guard contingent to quell the disturbance, collapsing the mine head behind them. He blamed the entire catastrophe on dwarven elements within the ranks of the prisoners, and pointed to their collapsing of the mine as an indication that their hatred of humans could have driven them to acts of self-destruction.
The "Crab" in the following song is a reference to Baron Hochstib.
Deep in the mines, down in the dark Up rose a cry from deep in the heart "Freedom!" they cried. "Freedom!" they called. Freedom arose from the dwarven halls.
"They must be stopped," the Crab did cry. "They must be stopped or I'll know why!" Down the dark maw his troops did slide Into that horde of dwarven tide.
They fought and yelled to no avail Nothing would stop that rising wail. And so at impasse they did arrive But impasse does not the Baron drive.
"Seal the caves I do command! "Seal the mines to the last man!" So the Crab called out, so it was done From the dark maw the sounds there were none.
Sealed in the dark both dwarf and man Sealed in the dark by the Crab's left hand Sealed in the dark was one man's soul Sealed in the dark was the Crab's true role.
The Birth of the Order of the Silver Gryphon
Early in 5096, Hochstib sent his chief knight, Sir Maldon Wellesborne, to take command of a holding near the Landing, so that he could lay claim to the land there when the time came for the Baron to enact his next expansion plan. Maldon's son stayed behind, as he was the lieutenant in charge of the army sent by Hochstib into the mines to put down the uprising.
He was still inside the mines when the Baron ordered them sealed.
Once Maldon arrived at the Holding, he made it clear that his intention was not to lay claim to the Landing in the Baron's name nor assist his plan, but instead start an order of knights to help protect the town from Hochstib -- both militarily and politically. By producing a class of nobility here, he hoped to thwart the Baron's contention to the Empress that the Landing was unclaimed territory free for the taking.
There were some who assumed that Maldon was acting out of anger, turning against Baron Hochstib over the alleged death of his son. Regardless of his motives, twelve warriors were present when Maldon assembled his order in an effort to stop the Baron's expansion and racial tyranny. The Order of the Silver Gryphon was born.
The Soul arrived on Landing's water Shorn of son, no longer father. A dozen warriors strong and brave Stepped up and heard the story grave.
The Holding searched and death was found Death abed and beheaded to ground. Assassin's badge and parchment torn Knife in hand and armor worn.
Forge discovered, dwarves revealed Message to Baron safely repealed. A dozen warriors stood side by side And swore to avenge that dwarven tide
Landing Safe and People true The warriors pledged their strength to You A dozen warriors a fortress small Warriors against the Landing's fall.
Another Knight of Jantalar had previously occupied the Holding, and discovered a a forge and a dwarven mine in the basement. He disappeared under mysterious circumstances, his whereabouts and final fate unknown until the Holding was rediscovered by Maldon.
Upon searching the Holding, two bodies were found in the upstairs bedroom, revealing the knight's final fate. One corpse, a headless skeleton, still clutched a rusted knife that had been dipped in a sticky substance -- no doubt poison. On the skeleton's persons was a small triangle of parchment, a sort of Imperial "permit to kill" that Maldon claimed was often give to assassins and the ilk.
The other body was found on the ruins of the bed. Apparently, the assassin had managed to get his job done -- possibly nicking his target with the poisoned blade -- before losing his head to the dying knight's sword. Some armor was also discovered, as well as a page from a journal in which the knight noted that he found out something by accident during the solstice, and did not think the Baron would be pleased to hear of it.
Baron Hochstib sent a champion to the Holding to kill Malwind. Malwind picked his own champion, Lord Waldo2 Ptolomy, to fight him and succeeded in vanquishing Hochstib's errand boy.
Two other attempts on his life would follow. The most noteworthy was in 5098, when an assassin named Craban Agnarkris attacked from the shadows at Dame Deavon Laeran's and Lord Errick Dyfedd's wedding; an event well-attended by members of the OSG. A parchment found on Craban read: "Craban, you are to journey to the town of Wehnimer's Landing and seek out this group calling themselves the Order of the Silver Gryphon. You are to remove as many of these individuals as possible, as they have interfered in our plans too oft {the parchment is torn here and is missing a large section, near the bottom, you can barely make out the following} ...ron Hochsti.... {the rest of the letter is unreadable}." The second attempt was mere months later, but that assassin was also defeated.
Early on, the Order had heard rumors about the Mandis Crystal in the Baron's possession, supposedly obtained from the Empress by him. According to reports given by Sir Maldon, clerical and empathic spells were unaffected by it, but the Order discovered through intelligence work that bane weapons might be used against this threat.
Korm Khorzanamdur, a dwarf from the first Juggernaut, indicated that he might be able to assist them with the creation of these types of weapons, and so he became an ally, teaching the members of the Order how to forge.
Unfortunately, in a scouting trip to find more glyphs for forging he was kidnapped by Jantalarian forces and imprisoned. Talenni Shadowkyn, the Queen of Thieves in Jantalar, aided the Gryphons with their plans for a rescue mission to Jantalar.
It was at this time that the Order decided a "spy" should be sent to Jantalar to see if any information could be discovered about the Mandis Crystal.