Ethengar pre-unification by Moglai Khan
by LoZompatore.Ironclad wrote:
When the Maghurs were defeated all males were killed while the Hajiks were completely wiped out. No mention of why this was but they must have really upset Moglai. Working on some ideas for why that might be (working with Glantri perhaps?).
My very personal take on this would be to involve Krugar Khan of IM3 module.
He is described as a potential unifier of the steppes, killed before his time by an Immortal conspiration, which I set in AC 996.
The idea is that 985-996 there is a struggle between Krugar Khan and Moglai Khan, with Krugar Khan being the leader of the Taijits (and possibly, also of the Maghurs and Hajiks) and an ally of the Alphatians. The Alphatians work with proxies such as Krugar Khan in order to expand their sphere of influence over Ethengar, Vestland and part of Soderfjord and Ostland, to create a suitable bridgehead for a later attack on Glantri (this plot would be foiled by Krugar Khan's death and by the PCs involved in the relevant adventures). This would indirectly lead to the ascent of Moglai Khan as the unifier of the steppes.
See below a few selected entries for a possible timeline connecting events and adventure modules in Vestland, Soderfjord and the Ethengar Khanates.
AC 974: King Maramet of Vestland dies at Knife's Ridge (the eastern peak of the twin volcanoes called the Red Fangs) while leading a force of riders against barbarians from the Heldannic Territories. While the king is killed by the barbarian chieftain, both warriors fall and are entombed into a glacier, with the Sorona, the legendary crown of Vestland, lost to its people. (X13) Vana Cullen, the vestlandian Duke of Estine, secretly employs Ethengarian warriors to attack the rescue party organized by Prince Thendel and kills the heir to the throne, which he claims for himself (X13).
AC 979: By this time Vana Cullen of Vestland has undermined the efforts of those who are still seeking the Sorona, the crown of the king of Vestland. Moreover, Vana is in a secret agreement with the Ethengarians, offering them a land traindg corridor through Vestland in exchange for Ethengarian help in conquering the southern provinces of Vestland, that still resist his authority (X13). A party of time-travelling adventurers (the same who defeated Landryn Teriak 47 years before) manage to recover the Sorona, defeat the evil sea witch Ala of Narvendul, discover Tenitar - learning of his right to the throne of Vestland - and, finally, defeat Vana Cullen (X13). Tenitar is crowned king of Vestland with the name Harald Gudmundson (PWAI). The planned Ethengarian invasion is called off (X13). By this time Freiburg is a city of thieves (X13)
AC 988 (supposed): the Duke of Rhoona in Vestland is cursed by Xanathon, the Ethengar-friendly High Priest of Cretia, with the aim of creating turmoil, strife with the dwarves of Rockhome and a civil war in the Duchy of Rhoona, so that the Ethengarians may sweep in and claim the land (X3) [This date is suggested because as in X3, in GAZ 7 the duke's palace is still unfinished, so X3 should not happen much earlier than AC 1000. AC 988 is set as a middle date between the finiding of the Sorona and the death of Krugar Khan]
AC 991 (supposed): Flosi the Fox, a cleric of Hel, enter service as counselor of jarl Harek Hard-Sailer in Soderfjord, and starts conspiring to weaken his rule (GAZ 7 The Jarl's Hall adventure plot)
AC 996 (supposed): Krugar Khan of the Taijits (supposed), a prominent Khan leader and unifier and possibly also an Immortal candidate, is killed with his personal guard by an Immortal conspiration guided by Pharamond while campaigning against the Yakkas (IM3, GAZ12). It is assumed he was killed by demons summoned by Yakkas' agents (IM3, GAZ12). His murder marks the end of Ethengarian infiltration in Vestland (as per X2 module) and indirectly paves the way to Moglai Khan rise to power. Emigration of dissidents from the Ethengar Khanates, also to Norwold (GAZ12, CM1; Broghann of the Steppes may be one of such dissidents). It may be inferred that Krugar Khan was an ally of the Alphatians, trying to unify the nomads and subjujate Vestland in order to have a seaport from which Alphatian aid can be sent to attack eastern Glantri. Relationship between the Ethengarians and the Kingdom of Vestland normalize (GAZ 7)
AC 996 (end of the year - suggested): Harek Hard-Sailer the Jarl of Vastergard - a powerful ally of Ragnar the Stout - is tricked by his counselor Flosi the Fox, who alters the magical helm of the jarl to bewilder his judjment. The jarl hexiles two of his sons to foster his thirdborn Hoskuld. Hoskuld mother Gjaflaug is the second wife of Harek and wishes to see her son to power, so she allied with Flosi (the plot can be enriched by having Flosi as a Thyatian or Ostlandian agent trying to weaken Soderfjord governemtnt and establish a safe haven in the wake of the Thyatian fleet invasion of Nowrold) (GAZ 7 The Jarl's Hall adventure plot)