Subject: MYSTARA-L Digest - 30 Jul 2002 to 31 Jul 2002 (#2002-198) From: Automatic digest processor Date: 01/08/2002, 17:00 To: Recipients of MYSTARA-L digests Reply-to: Mystara RPG Discussion There are 5 messages totalling 662 lines in this issue. Topics of the day: 1. Houses of Darokin: Mauntea House (revised) 2. Houses of Darokin: Linton House (revised) 3. Houses of Darokin: Corun House (revised) 4. The Thoth-Ath Gnolls 5. Houses of Darokin: Hallonica House (revised) ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/ To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 31 Jul 2002 17:47:01 -0500 From: Aaron E Nowack Subject: Houses of Darokin: Mauntea House (revised) I was cleaning up my computer when I came across a number of Mystaran projects I was working on some time ago before I lost the interest and energy to continue (hopefully temporarily). One of these was the beginnings of a revision to my Houses of Darokin series. Originally the revisions were going to be posted all at once, but since I haven't done any substantive work on them in some time, I figured I would release the completed ones separately. I don't know if/when the other revisions will arrive. Mauntea House "Power Corrupts. Never Again." A Brief History of Mauntea House: Mauntea House was established in 714 AC, during the reign of Santhral II, the Last King of Darokin. Already, the King was no more than a relic, and the Kingdom of Darokin was fragmenting into city-states. Mauntea House's first claim to fame was its masterful handling of the Akesoli-Akorros war following Santhral II's death and the official dissolution of the Kingdom of Darokin. Thomas Mauntea, then head of the family, played both cities against each other, selling weapons to both. When Akorros eventually triumphed, confirming its position as capital of the now independent Duchy of Amsorak, both cities were desperately in debt to Mauntea House. Mauntea House would later use this debt to stop a threatened war between Darokin and Amsorak, firmly establishing itself in Darokin's power structure. Mauntea House was the de facto ruler of Darokin City by 927 AC, and it did a vast amount of trade with foreign powers, including Alfheim, Heldann, Rockhome, Soderfjord, and Thyatis. When the Great Houses met to discuss the Great Merger, there was only one logical person to lead the nation... Charles Mauntea. In hindsight, the leaders of the other Houses would regret not establishing a firm constitution then and there, but they made the foolish mistake of not doing so. In the six years of Charles's reign, he ruthlessly exploited his position, nearly bankrupting many of the Great Houses and actually bankrupting many minor ones. With no checks on his power, Charles could run rampant... and he did. Upon his death, the new Republic was ready to fragment. At the instigation of Corun House, Linton House was threatening to withdraw from the Merger, and with it would go most of the other Houses. Lydia Mauntea, Charles's widow, knew that something had to be done, as foreign powers were greedily awaiting the nation's collapse: Thyatis hoping to seize Darokinian assets in its territories, and Alphatia hoping to establish a vassal state to threaten Thyatis with. The humanoids of the Broken Lands were already sharpening their swords in anticipation of the bloodshed to come. So, Lydia, regretting what was to come, gave an order her reputation would never recover from. For one night, the streets of Darokin's cities ran red with blood, as assassins in the pay of Mauntea House struck, slaying the leaders of every major House and all of Mauntea's main enemies. The House most grievously hit was Corun House, with every person bearing the Corun name dying in a fire set at their mansion. It would be a minor branch of the family that would eventually emerge to once again take control of Corun House's assets. With the other Houses in disarray, Lydia unilaterally declared herself Chancellor of Darokin. By the time any other leaders could protest, troops in Mauntea colors were outside their homes and marching down the streets of the major cities. In 934 AC, Lydia called a Second Great Merchant's Council, and forced the other leaders to confirm her takeover at the same time as she set up safeguards to prevent any future Chancellor's from imitating her husband. It would be over forty years before Mauntea House was trusted enough to even have a chance in the Chancellor elections, when Corwyn was elected. [The vote in the inner council to elect Corwyn was: Corwyn Mauntea: Mauntea, Corun, Pennydown, Franich Bertram Hallonica: Hallonica, Al-Azrad Lucius Linton: Linton, Toney, Umbarth] Mauntea House Assets Far too many to fully list here. Mauntea House maintains hundreds of caravans, warehouses all over the Known World, and many more mercantile operations. It's most significant foreign possession is the Mauntea Complex in Thyatis City, a massive collection of offices, warehouses, and hostels which acts as a hub for Darokinian caravans from all houses operating all over the Empire and beyond. The Darokinian Embassy and the local DDC Branch (one of the largest outside the Republic) are also contained in the Complex. Mauntea House Relations Al-Azrad: Neutral. The two house's businesses don't overlap, and neither is a threat to the other politically. Corun House: Friendly. Before Lydia's takeover, Corun was one of Mauntea's staunchest foes. However, the Kalimi's, who eventually were determined to be the legal inheritors of the House, were actually close friends of the Mauntea's. Franich House: Friendly. Franich did not suffer during Lydia's takeover, and owes its prominence partly due to that event. Hallonica House: Neutral. Hallonica is not particularly interested in playing politics. Linton House: Hostile. Linton has always been second to Mauntea, and the amount of hostility that has generated is astounding. Linton fiercely competes with Mauntea in the foreign markets as well. Pennydown House: Friendly. Pennydown often serves as a domestic outlet for Mauntea's foreign goods. Toney House: Neutral. Neither House is particularly involved with the other, commercially or politically. Umbarth House: Neutral verging on hostile. An ally of Linton, Umbarth is slightly hostile to Mauntea. Mauntea House Personalities Corwyn Mauntea (3rd/3rd/1st level Rogue/Aristocrat/Wizard, NG) Corwyn is the great-grandson of Charles and Lydia. He has spent much of his life trying to restore his house's honor from his great-grandparent's actions. He has sharp blue eyes which shine with intelligence, though his once black hair has turned gray. In his youth, Corwyn was actually somewhat of a disgrace to the Mauntea family, as he dabbled in thievery and other mischief. However, he quickly settled down, and became one of the greatest leaders the Republic has ever known. He has a piercing wit and is well suited to the job of leading Darokin into the new millennium. He is married and has two children. Allana Mauntea (3rd/1st level Expert/Aristocrat, N) Allana is Corwyn Mauntea's wife. Their marriage was a political one, but has deepened into true love. She has gray hair and green eyes. If a adventuring party is hired to work for Mauntea House, she is likely the one they speak to. Allana is quite popular in Darokin City society, and is in charge of organizing the annual Masked Ball. She might hire adventurers to protect that event, should some threat to it appear. Charles Mauntea (2nd/2nd level Fighter/Aristocrat, NG) Charles is Corwyn and Allana's eldest child. He has brown hair and blue eyes, and is being groomed to be the next leader of Mauntea House. He is quite adventurous, and might join a party for a time. Ellisa Mauntea (2nd/3rd level Rogue/Aristocrat, CG) Ellisa is Corwyn and Allana's second child. She chose to train as a thief after her father, much to his embarrassment. Fortunately for Mauntea House's fragile reputation, she was never caught. Since then, she has settled down, and is managing the Mauntea Complex in Thyatis. Rumor has it that she is engaged in an affair with Tahir Al-Azrad. that family's Thyatian representative. The Complex is always looking for guards and agents, and Ellisa might personally hire adventurers for politically sensitive missions. Aaron Nowack "Never let reality get in the way of a good hypothesis." http://www.geocities.com/anowack/ ________________________________________________________________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/web/. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 31 Jul 2002 17:48:11 -0500 From: Aaron E Nowack Subject: Houses of Darokin: Linton House (revised) The second of the revised Houses... Linton House "It is better to reap than to sow." A Brief History of Linton House Linton House has always been second to Mauntea. It was founded in 715 AC, just a year after Mauntea House. Its achievements were never as great as Mauntea's, its fortunes were always just a few daros poorer. Needless to say, this resulted in a great deal of anger on Linton House's part. This rage was the cause of a series of particuarly bloody wars between Malpheggi and Darokin City called the Elstrich Wars for the region in which they were fought. Linton, with its strong position on Darokin's only coast, was able to easily become the largest sea trader in Darokin. It opperated wherever Mauntea did, always with a shade less success. It has clashed with the Minrothad Guilds often, and both groups often hired, and still do hire, privateers to attack each others fleets. At one point, Linton House and the Guilds were actually openly at war with each other over Ierendi trading rights! After Charles Mauntea's death, Linton House was manipulated by Corun House into threatening withdrawl from the Great Merger, precipitating Lydia Mauntea's takeover. Since then Linton has been an avowed enemy of both Houses. During the takeover, Athenos was the only city to offer armed resistance, doomed though it proved to be. This caused the crackdowns in Athenos to be particuarly bloody, including the execution of all the city's leaders. Though the obvious benefits of remaining in the Republic keep it muted, ever since there has been a groundwell of support for seccesionist thoughts in Athenos. The greatest irritant to Linton House is that there has never been a Linton Chancellor. Mauntea, Corun, Hallonica, and even the tiny Toney House have boasted Chancellors, but the second largest merchant family has never had one of its own in charge. It is suspected that Lucius Linton may have been responsible for the premature death of the Toney Chancellor, Corwyn Hoff... Linton House pretends to be content with the status quo and disinterested in politics, but it is a well-known secret that such are no more than lies. Its internal politics are fragmented, with the expected death of Lucius in the next ten years, or twenty at the most. Employees are starting to take sides between the three possible heirs, and tensions between the factions are steadily rising. If the Linton patriarch were to die now, it would likely spark a conflict that could leave Linton House crippled or permanently divided. Linton House Assets Linton House's main asset is its merchant fleet of over 50 ships of varying sizes. In a pinch, it could hire more than twice that number in privateers and pirates, and the Darokinain Navy, small though it is, is near certain to support Linton in any conflict. Linton maintains extensive foreign operations in the Five Shires, Ierendi, Ostland, Sind, Soderfjord , Thyatis, and Vestland. As well, it occasionally sends ships to Slagovich. Linton House does not use the Mauntea Complex for its Thyatis buissiness, instead operating an independant office nearby. Linton House has several operatives in the Minrothad Guilds' power structure, a favor which is reciprocated. Linton House Relations Al-Azrad: Neutral verging on hostile. Despite Al-Azrad's long history in Darokin, Linton still considers them foreigners. This is exaberated by a mutual personal dislike between Luicius and Eshram Al-Azrad. Corun House: Hostile. Corun is not only an ally of Mauntea, but has had a Chancellor while Linton has not! Franich House: Neutral verging on hostile. Linton House dislikes the speed with which Franich has become a Great House, and its friendship with Mauntea dosen't help either. Hallonica: Neutral verging on Hostile. Not only has Hallonica had a Chancellor, but it is allied with the disgusting Al-Azrad! Mauntea: Extremly Hostile. Nearly every move Linton House makes is designed to somehow hurt Mauntea House. Pennydown House: Friendly. Pennydown has informed Linton that it's apparent supprot of Mauntea is due to blackmail by the larger house. Linton hopes to use this information to politically weaken Mauntea. Toney House: Neutral verging on Friendly. Though, Toney has had a Chancellor, since the death of Hoff it has done nothing to irritate Linton. Umbarth House: Friendly verging on neutral. The two Houses have compatible political goals, though trade issues in Sind and Slagovich are a wedge between the houses. Linton has also noticed returning Umbarth caravans that claim to be from Slagovich that never arrived there and carry goods of a type not available in the city-state... Linton House Personalities Lucius Linton (2nd/3rd level Expert/Aristocrat, N) Lucius Linton is a man of average hight (a few inches shorter than Corwyn Mauntea, of course). He seems to constantly strive for every inch of height. He has gray hair and brown eyes, and wears a beard. Lucius is obsessed with destroying Mauntea House, to the exclusion of all else. However, to those who support him, he is a loyal friend. He loves his family, but is quick to anger against them. He is also somewhat paranoid, and fearful of assasination. Therefore, his public appearances are few, far between, and heavily guarded. Lucius is aware of his sons' plots against each other, and refuses to interfere in them. In his opinion, if one could defeat the other, it would be proof that the victor was more worthy of being his heir. Mere adventurers are not likely to ever meet Lucius, unless they are heroes of the highest caliber and trusted allies of Linton House. Ansa Linton (1st level Aristocrat, LN) Ansa is Lucius's wife. She is a short woman, with gray hair and blue eyes. She is very frail, and is constantly catching rare dieseases which require equally rare and expensive cures. Her personality is bland, and she is quite shy. Astinius Linton (1st level Aristocrat, NE) Astinius, the eldest child, is a cruel man. He looks like a younger version of his father, and shares his obsession with Mauntea House, but lacks his father's competence in pursuing it. His personality is much like his father's, but without the redeeming features. Lucius recognizes the disaster the Astinius would be as head of Linton House, and has specifically disqualified him from taking the post in his will. Astinius has discovered this, and is obviously displeased. It is possible that in the future he will hire less than reputable adventurers to rectify this situation by replacing the will. If this fails, he might be driven to attempt to dispose of the competition for the post, but he has not reached that level of treachary... yet. Calen Linton (1st/3rd/2nd level Aristocrat/Fighter/Expert, LN) Calen, the second child, takes after his mother, being short, brown-haired, and blue-eyed. He much calmer than any of his siblings, and is seen by many as the heir apparent. He still shares the hatred of Mauntea House, though not so violently as his elder brother. Calen is well aware of his elder brother's plots to regain his position as heir, and is quite likely to be looking into discrete adventuring parties to foil them... and if necessary remove Astinius from the picture. Lyasa Linton (1st/5th level Aristocrat/Fighter, NG) Lyasa, the third child and only daughter, loathed most of her family. She ran away from home and joined the army, for which she was disowned. Her father has since forgiven her, but is too proud to reverse his decision. However, Lucius has arranged that Lyasa will be given only safe duties, for which she hates her father even more. Corwyn Linton (4th/10th level Aristocrat/Fighter, N) As a child, Corwyn, the youngest child, idolized his sister, and left home shortly after she did. His father, regretting his mistake with Lyasa, did not punish him, but gave him a position guarding House Linton's caravans. Since then, Corwyn has become an accomplished fighter and merchant, and only his lack of hatred for Mauntea House prevents him from being the most obvious choice as heir. However, Corwyn does have a large ammount of support among the lower ranking members of House Linton, who tire of the divertion of resources to the fruitless struggle against House Mauntea. Though he publicly disavows interest in the succession, he would not be displeased were he to find himself leading the House. For more information, see Gaz11. Aaron Nowack "Never let reality get in the way of a good hypothesis." http://www.geocities.com/anowack/ ________________________________________________________________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/web/. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 31 Jul 2002 17:56:35 -0500 From: Aaron E Nowack Subject: Houses of Darokin: Corun House (revised) Last for the moment, but never least. Corun House "Loyalty can only bought in like coin." A Brief History of Corun House Generally, it is stated that the only Great House descended from the old nobility is Hallonica House. This is not quite true, as Corun House was the ruling family of Corunglain when it was first founded, and remained so for some time, as a nominaly independant city from the Kingdom of Darokin up till the sixth century AC. The "Free City" of Corunglain and the Kingdom of Darokin were closely allied, and had a unified military command. As such, when Corunglain was besiged by orcs during the Elvenwar, Darokin was forced to send forces to aid the city. Through the heroism of Theon Corun, the city held out long enough for forces from Darokin to break open a route to flee the city and briefly end the siege. However, Darokin was not willing to reclaim or rebuild the city after it finally fell in 523 AC. Theon waged a brilliant political war, forcing Corwyn XIII to liberate the fallen city. When the city was rebuilt, however, it was rebuilt as the fifth Duchy of Darokin. The Free City was no more. To further spite Theon, it was not a Corun that was appointed as Duke, it was an Attleson. The Coruns eventually turned to buisness as a way to survive, though they were forced to base their operations out of Ardelphia rather than Corunglain (an attempt by the new Duke to rename the city Corwyn failed miserably). Eventually, the Coruns were once again powerful enough to return operations to Corunglain, and after the death of Santhral II, the Coruns seized control of the city in a relatively bloodless coup. However, the Coruns swiftly established themselves as one of the most ruthless and ambitious merchant dynasties in Darokin. It is generally believed that the bloody civil wars that caused the breakup of the Kingdom can be laid directly at Corun House's door. Indeed, the final war before the Great Merger was between the Darokin-Amsorak alliance and a Corunglain-Malpheggi alliance. Corun House was one of the strongest opponents of the merger, and after Charles's death, caused the crisis that forced Lydia Mauntea's bloody takeover. Unfortunatly for them, Corun House was hard hit by the takeover, with the entire family dying in a fire at their mansion outside of Corunglain. At first, it seemed as though the House would dissolve, but an obscure branch of the family was uncovered, and Vardon Kalimi became head of Corun House. Vardon was far less ruthless than his predecessors, and managed to keep the high popularity in Corunglain the Coruns had always enjoyed, but also gaining enough popularity nation-wide to be elected Chancellor in 949 AC. His widow, Nathalie Kalimi, now runs the family. Corun House Assets Corun House practically owns Corunglain outright, and also maintains extensive offices in Darokin City. Corun House's main trading takes place in Glantri and Ethengar. Unlike most other foreign trading Houses, Corun House manages its own domestic trade. Corun House has a large merchant river fleet, though only has one ship suitable for ocean trading, and that ship is only capable of coastal travel. Corun House Relations Al-Azrad: Neutral. Neither House has any real relations with the other. Franich: Neutral verging on friendly. Their slight friendship is not based on political of economic reasons, but is due to a personal friendship between Nathalie Kalimi and Arturo Franich. Rumors that those two guilder's relationship goes beyond mere friendship are denied by both Houses. Hallonica: Neutral. There are no major ties or enmities between these two Houses. Linton: Neutral verging on hostile. As an ally of Mauntea and for manipulated Linton after Charles Mauntea's death, Corun House has earned Linton's enmity. Mauntea: Friendly. The Kalimi's were good friends of the Mauntea's before being called to take charge of Corun House, and that relationship continues. Pennydown: Friendly. Both Houses are allies of Mauntea. In addition, Elissa Pennydown has been trying to become gain the friendship of Nathalie Kalimi, an effort which has only recently begun to suceed. Toney House: Neutral. No political relations exist between Corun and Toney. Umbarth: Hostile. These two Houses are competing for the Ethengarian and Glantrian markets. Corun is also trying to edge into the very profitable Alfheim trade. Corun House Personalities Nathalie Kalimi (4th level Aristocrat, LG) At age 68, Nathalie Kalimi is the head of Courn House. She has never been a pretty woman, and age has not improved her looks. However, she has a sheer force of personality that often overwhelms new aquantinces. She is tall, with gray hair and blue eyes. She dotes on her son, and is considered by many too soft-hearted to be involved in Darokinian buisness and politics. Aldon Kalimi (4th/2nd level Fighter/Aristocrat, CG) Nathalie's son, Aldon is the heir to Corun House. He is tall with brown hair and blue eyes. He could have claimed leadership of the House after Vardon's death, but chose not to, as he was not interested in the responsibility. He still dreads this responsibility, and is not looking forward to when he will have to takeover the House. Because of this, and of his inexperience as a merchant, certain elements of Corun House are displeased over the concept of his succeeding Nathalie, and are subtly pressuring the Guildmistress to appoint a new heir. Mithras Lorenson (5th/4th level Wizard/Aristocrat, LG) Mithras is the choice for heir for many of those who oppose Aldon's succession. He is a high-ranking member of the House, and is actually distantly related to the old Corun family. He is highly competent and srcupulously fair and just in all his buisiness dealings. The only problem is of course, that Aldon is the rightful heir. Mithras himself is ambivelant about contesting the succession. He honestly believes that he would be a vastly superior leader, but has no desire to advance himself at the cost of his morals. As such, he half-heartedly accepts the adulation of his supporters, while hoping that Aldon, who he personally likes, will abdicate when the time comes. Aaron Nowack "Never let reality get in the way of a good hypothesis." http://www.geocities.com/anowack/ ________________________________________________________________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/web/. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 31 Jul 2002 18:07:38 -0500 From: Aaron E Nowack Subject: The Thoth-Ath Gnolls The following was produced for the (now defunct?) Skothar project, and is not very fleshed out. However, I decided I might as well post it publicly, on the off chance someone might get some use out of it. As I recall, the reason I wrote this was to explain why James Ruhland's Thonia (which I believe has been incorporated into the MA) had a gnollish population, despite being so far from Brun. The Thoth-Ath Gnolls Location: Thonia and the Steppes of Jen, Skothar Area: Indeterminate Population: aprox. 200,000 (in various tribal groups) Languages: Thoth-Ath (a bastardized form of Nithian), Thonian, Jennite, Alphatian Coinage: mainly barter, occasional use of Thonian or Alphatian coins Government Type: Many tribes each ruled by a Phar (Thoth-Ath bastardization of Pharoh) advised by a council of tribal elders who choose the new Phar after the old one's death. On special occasions such as a great threat or oppurtunity, a council of all the Phars is held to elect a Sa'Phar, who rules over the all the tribes. Description: Coexisting with the Jenites in the north-western portions of the Steppes of Jen, the nomadic Thoth-Ath are the only known gnollish group outside of Brun. They are more intelligent and larger than their western bretheren, and speak a language apparently related somehow to Thothian. They are nomadic raiders, and have adopted several cultural elements from the Jenites. The Thoth-Ath often raid into Esterhold and Thonia, and indeed around the year 0 AC they launched, along with the Jenites, a massive invasion into Esterhold which suceeded in temporarily driving most of the Alphatian presence out of Skothar. When the Alphatians returned, they drove both the Thoth-Ath and the Jenites out of the area once more. The Thoth-Ath mainly worship Hort (Ixion) and Rather (Rathanos). A few tribes worship Ranith (Ranivorus) but they have been expelled from the Thoth-Ath community. The shamans hold great power in every tribe, and a decision made without their blessing is seen as a bad omen, and is often enough for a Phar to be deposed. The head shaman of the tribe also presides over the council when the time comes to choose a new Phar. Important Figures: None. There are no Phars even close to becoming Sa'Phar at the moment. Flora and Fauna: The Thoth-Ath are famed for their horses, at least among the region. They are larger and stronger than the steeds used by the Jennites, though they are also more wild. Several Jennite heroes are said to have ridden a Thoth-Ath steed. Notable Sites: The Black Pyramid. Locted just outside the borders of Thonia, this is a pyramid of the Thothian style, made entirely out of obsidian, though it is relatively small. It is the most sacred site to the Thoth-Ath, and the tribes encamp around it when a Sa'Phar is chosen. History: The Thoth-Ath are descended from a group of Nithian gnolls. The Alphatians stole them from the Nithians and dropped them on Skothar for further study. Then, Nithia was destroyed. The Spell of Oblivion caused the Alphatians to forget about the gnolls they had stolen. Interestingly, the Spell of Oblivion did not fully take effect on the Thoth-Ath's ancestors, perhaps due to their extreme distance from Nithia. However, it was causing them to slowly lose their past. Realizing this, the shamans built the Black Pyramid, which contained the entirety of the Thoth-Ath's history. Deciding that they knew nothing dangerous, Rathanos infused the pyramid with some of his energy, turning it into an artifact which made the Thoth-Ath immune to the Spell of Oblivion. Though their stories and legends are still vague, and the shamans do not let any not one of them into the Pyramid to read the writings inside, the Thoth-Ath are one of the best sources available in the outer world for information on Nithia, or they would be if anyone asked them. However, unknown to Rathanos or the Thoth-Ath, the Black Pyramid rests on the exact same spot where, many millenia ago, the Carnifex raised a hideous shrine to the Outer Beings. Indeed, some of the materials used in constructing the Pyramid were the long buried ruins of that blasphemous structure. The Thoth-Ath's unknowing veneration of the Pyramid has awakened some of the dark powers to whom the ancient temple was dedicated. Though they are not yet able to influence the Multiverse to any great degree, they have been able to subtly twist the Pyramid's contents, slowly corrupting the histories with dark magics and knowledge, including some of the same information that lead to Nithia's downfall. This makes the Pyramid the only place on Mystara where that extremely dangerous knowledge is preserved. Aaron Nowack "Never let reality get in the way of a good hypothesis." http://www.geocities.com/anowack/ ________________________________________________________________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/web/. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 31 Jul 2002 17:49:21 -0500 From: Aaron E Nowack Subject: Houses of Darokin: Hallonica House (revised) Number three. Hallonica House "Justice can only be bought by blood." A Brief History of Hallonica House Hallonica is the only merchant family to be a direct descendant of a noble family of the Kingdom of Darokin. In fact, the family's history goes even further back than that. The Hallonica family was a powerful aristocratic family in the old Kingdom of Selenica. During the Traladaran Wars (412-417 AC), Selenica allied with the Traladarans, causing enmity between it and Darokin. This also caused unrest among many of the prominent families of Selenica, who were related by blood and commmon interest to the nobility of Darokin. This led to the ill-fated Selenican Civil War (413-414 AC) which pitted the pro-Darokin nobility and city-dwellers against the King and the rural population, which supported him. The reprisals after the royal armies retook the city sent most of the nobility, including the Hallonica's, fleeing to seek refuge in Darokin. They only returned after the Peace of Marlinev (417 AC), where the nominally victorious Darokinians demanded their reinstatement as a condition of peace. This, of course, did not lead to a restoration of friendly relations between Darokin and Selenica, or the nobility and the crown. This emnity was was strengthed in 493 AC, when Darokin, taking advantage of the collapse of the Traladaran coalition, annexed the Cruth region, which was declared neutral by the Peace of Marlinev. However, fear of a second revolt kept the King from launching a reprisal, even as the Elfwar drained Darokin's resources. However, border raids became a matter of course for the next 80 years. It was Hallonica mercenaries who ended the conflict by taking the city of Selenica in 574 AC, slaying the King and declaring the city part of the Kingdom of Darokin. This time, exhausted by the decades of border raids, the peasantry did not rise, and the coup was fairly bloodless. In return for this service, Raros Hallonica was appointed Duke of Selenica. He quickly eliminating all surviving opposition, and Selenica has since been practicaly owned by the Hallonica family. Selenica managed to avoid the bloody civil wars following the breakup of the Kingdom, though local tensions forced the Hallonica's to change over to a democratic form of government, with a six person City Council and a Mayor. However, all these positions were most often filled by Hallonica's, preserving the family's power. Selenica remains unique in that it is the only city in which all citizens, regardless of wealth, are allowed to participate in the local elections. Over the years, the Hallonica family invested in buisness and trade, eventually becoming primarily a merchant family, rather than land-owning aristocracy. The greatest threat to Hallonica's existance was the arival of Al-Azrad House in 853 AC, but Hallonica managed to turn this enemy into a friend, catapulting it to its high position among the Houses. After the death of Corwyn Hoff, Rypien Hallonica was elected Chancellor, with the most support in the Inner Council of any Chancellor in Darokinian history. Hallonica House Assets Hallonica maintains extensive operations in Selenica and Karameikois, as well as minor operations in Ylaruam. The Hallonica House offices in Specularum are among the most prominent buildings in that city. Hallonica is the only Great House to not maintain at least an office in Darokin City, instead merely owning a handful of villas for the comfort of Hallonica representitives visiting there. Hallonica House Relations Al-Azrad: Friendly. The two Houses cooperate in running Selencia, and Hallonica purchases over half of Al-Azrad's imports from Ylaruam. Corun: Neutral. These two Houses are related neither politically nor economically. Franich: Neutral. Neither House has much to do with the other. Linton: Neutral verging on hostile. Linton House has a feud with Hallonica, though the later would like nothing better than to end the wasteful conflict. Mauntea: Neutral. Hallonica is disinterested in becoming entangled in any political struggles. Pennydown: Friendly. Hallonica often sells the goods it buys from Al-Azrad to Pennydown for domestic distribution. Toney: Neutral. Hallonica has few relations with the smallest Great House. Umbarth: Neutral. Like with most Houses, Hallonica has little to do with Umbarth House. Hallonica House Personalities Bertram Hallonica (3rd/2nd level Aristocrat/Expert, LN) Bertram is the head of Hallonica House and sits on the City Council of Selencia. He has two sons, though his wife has been dead for some time. He desires nothing more than to be able to ignore Darokinian politics, though Hallonica's high position makes this impossible. Though Bertram is a more than competent leader, he feels that he fails to match up to his father, who is fondly remembered as the greatest head of the family since the nigh-legendary Raros. Bertram is of a slightly shorter than average height, and his blonde hair has begun to whiten with age. Sarah Hallonica (3rd/2nd level Wizard/Aristocrat, NG) Bertram's younger sister, Sarah is the Mayor of Selenica. Since taking that post, she has retired as a merchant. She is unmarried, though it is well known that she has had several lovers over the years. As Mayor, she is known as being stern but fair, and has every reason to expect to gain reelection as many times as she cares to run for the post. Sarah was considered a beauty in her younger years, and she still has a striking appearance. Like her brother, she has blonde hair and green eyes. Anders Hallonica (2nd/3rd level Aristocrat/Expert, NG) Bertram's older son, Anders is the heir apparent and is in charge of the Karameikan operations. He has a good sense of humor, and is fond of practical jokes. He is not likely to be an exceptional leader, but nor is he likely to be a poor one. He takes after his mother, being short with brown hair and grey-green eyes. Dafford Hallonica (2nd level Expert, CG) Dafford is Bertram's younger son, but shows no interest in buisness. He is very scholarly, but has no aptitude for magic. He is Head Custodian of the Selencia Library. Dafford appears similar to his father in the prime of his youth. Garon Hallonica (4th/2nd level Fighter/Aristocrat, LN) A relative of Bertram's and a close friend of Rypien, Garon sits on the Selencia city council. He also harbors a slight grudge against Bertram, as he feels he would have been a more worthy succesor to Rypien. He is good friends with Huron Ironhammer, the dwarven member of the city council. William Hallonica (12th level Cleric of Asterius, CG) William, another of Bertram's relatives, is the High Priest of Selencia's Church of Darokin, and sits on the city council. He is good friends with Eshram Al-Azrad, and never ceases in his light-hearted attempts to convert Eshram from the Eternal Truth. William makes a point of regularly going among the population of Selenica, freely healing wounds and curing diesease. Many of his priesthood have followed him, and because of this he is well loved by the people, and disliked by the Church's treasurers. Aaron Nowack "Never let reality get in the way of a good hypothesis." http://www.geocities.com/anowack/ ________________________________________________________________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/web/. ------------------------------ End of MYSTARA-L Digest - 30 Jul 2002 to 31 Jul 2002 (#2002-198) ****************************************************************