Up to Now

The current year is 1626. Major events - the Battle of the Queens and the Pyre of Kallyr - have just concluded. Sartar, once again, is without a prince and the Lunar Empire gathers its strength in Alda-Chur.

The omens for 1626 were cursed.

The Lunar Empire waxes and wanes like the Red Moon does; it may be waning now, but it will wax again.
A whispered conversation between travelers overheard in the Tin Inn

Xte Godday, Death, Earth 1626

The Hungry Cabbage Heads were placated by putting out bowls of porridge in the patches.

oce Freezeday, Stasis, Earth 1626

Things are calming down once again in Apple Lane. Last week’s tribe-wide celebrations of Ernalda’s High Holy week were happy, but some were somber. Many in the tribe are still saddened by the loss of Kallyr: Dunorl Brandgorsson1 lead quiet services in Kallyr’s memory at the Lightbringer’s Temple in Clearwine, despite the muted disapproval of Queen Leika. Despite the appeals for guidance, Orlanth remained quiet on the subject of the House of Sartar. In contrast to the morose goings-on at the Lightbringer’s Temple, the Clearwine Earth Temple was a bustling hive of jubilant activity. The presence of Ernalda’s Mirror has greatly increased the standing of the Colymar temple, and important priestesses from Greenstone, Three Emeralds, and the Shaker Temple with their retinues descended on Clearwine to see the artifact and participate in the celebrations:

  • From Greenstone2, Ernalsulva and her Orlmarthing consort3 came, and were given roles of honor in the Wedding of Orlanth and Ernalda;
  • From Three Emeralds4, Aritha came wearing hippogriff feathers in her hair, a few of which she gifted upon lucky recipients at the festival. News of the temple’s rekindled Three Winds Celebration5, which the Lunars had outlawed, was especially welcome.
  • From the Shaker Temple6, the impressively massive High Priestess Lalana Tor in her ox-cart came, fully attended by her ferocious retinue of forty-seven cannibal virgins (male and female).

The presence of so many high ranking priestesses led to a heightened sense of ecstasy, which was on full display during the grand parade of the Marriage of Orlanth and Ernalda, when the Mirror was displayed. Lalana Tor heaved herself out of her cart to make the Shaker Dance and stamped the ground with such thundering force that it cracked the walls of the fort up the hill, which brought a swift rebuke from the queen.

Daravala Chan7 asked if Aeson would fulfill the duties of Flamal on the Clayday of the festival.

Now, everyone has gone back home, for the most part. Before she departed, Lalana Tor left a dozen of her virgins to repair the crack to mollify Leika and thus left on good terms with the queen.

  1. An old man in his mid-70s, Dunorl is the Storm Voice of Orlanth at Clearwine Fort’s Lightbringer Temple. He is one of the last surviving remnants of the time before the Lunar Occupation. The younger brother of two kings, Dunorl was a counselor to Prince Terasarin and Prince Salinarg, and is a staunch supporter of the House of Sartar. Dunorl’s reputation was enough to survive both the Lunar Occupation and Blackmor’s reign. ↩︎

  2. Greenstone is about 25 km north of Clearwine on Malani tribal lands: it is their major tribal temple. ↩︎

  3. Sarlanth. ↩︎

  4. Three Emeralds is a major earth temple built into the rock at the base of Pegasus Plateau, about 8 km south of Clearwine on Locaem tribal lands. ↩︎

  5. The Three Winds Celebration traditionally occurs during Fertility Week of Sea Season. The festival was halted by the Lunars before the Windstop and the hippogriffs on Pegasus Plateau were hunted by the local Lunar nobility for sport. Since the Dragonrise, the hippogriffs have returned and the temple started celebrating the festival again this year. ↩︎

  6. The Shaker Temple is at the center of the largest earth temple complex in Dragon Pass. It is built upon a holy place to Maran Gor and her sister, Ernalda. The temple was founded by King Arim the Pauper of Tarsh, though the cult claims to have been present at the holy place throughout the Inhuman Occupation of the Pass. It is about 60 km northwest of Clearwine, in the kingdom of the Tarsh Exiles. ↩︎

  7. Daravala is a priestess of Clearwine Earth Temple, who commissioned the adventure to retrieve the Mirror from the Smoking Ruin. Second cousin of Ereneva and Erannina Chan, and rival to Ereneva’s claim to High Priestess. ↩︎

Stories of the … Minaryth Blue's … The Varmandi …
Earth 1626