Laterre and Old Averoigne
by Daniel BoeseDimension of Myth
An alternate dimension which has been visited by Immortals and high-level mortal adventurers on several occasions, and one which strongly resembles the multiverse, is called the Dimension of Myth.
The world corresponding to the Known World in that dimension's Prime Plane is very much like our own planet Earth as it was in the Middle Ages; each nation and culture corresponds very closely to a nation and culture of Earth. However, in that dimension magic works and magical creatures that are merely mythical here are very prevalent. Like Mystara,
Laterre is populated by humans and demihumans, wondrous creatures and savage monsters, familiar animals and plants. This is the world where the households of Sylaire and Klantyre (the d'Ambreville and McGregor families and their dependants) came from before they settled in Glantri on the Known World. In the land of Averoigne, there was magic, as on Mystara - but it was forbidden, and its practitioners burned alive at the stake. In this nation lived the wealthy d'Ambreville family. Many of the d'Ambrevilles were brilliant scholars, and some of them were sorcerers. Unfortunately, eccentricity verging on madness was a common family trait, so it was very hard for the d'Ambrevilles to keep their magical researches secret.
As a general rule, this dimension is populated by worlds, creatures, Immortal beings, and themes which strongly resemble the mythologies of our Earth. However, these elements, instead of being blended together as they are on the Known World, are kept separate according to their real-world cultural backgrounds; for instance, characters will see pegasi and dryads in the worlds of Greek myth, but never in the worlds of mythologies where winged horses did not appear.
Averoigne could be part of a magical Europe around AD 1600 in HR4 A Mighty Fortress.
Timeline of Events
On Laterre:
662 Marie-Hélène de Montagnevert born.
665 Camille de Montagnevert born.
684 Camille and Michel d'Ambreville marry. Richard d'Ambreville
born.
689 Marie-Hélène and Marcel d'Ambreville marry.
692 Étienne d'Ambreville born.
695 Charles d'Ambreville born.
699 Simon d'Ambreville born.
700 Geneviève de Sephora born.
701 Isabelle Gravelotte born.
707 Magdalène d'Ambreville born. Isidore de Foret born.
709 Michel d'Ambreville, leader of the family, dies in battle; his
wife Camille assumes control of the family.
710 Henri d'Ambreville born.
715 André-David de Foret born.
725 Gaston d'Ambreville born.
Eventually King Húber the Kind of Averoigne begins to suspect the family and investigate the rumours of witchcraft. The king's suspicions would inevitably lead to public exposure, seizure of properties, and execution. The d'Ambrevilles would have to flee to some less civilised part of the world to avoid this fate, abandoning their wealth and sophisticated lifestyle.
But young Étienne d'Ambreville, an accomplished magician, suggests an alternative. In his adventures, he'd discovered a way to travel between worlds. He'd found a land where the d'Ambrevilles might feel at home. If the family went there, they might not have to build a new nation out of wilderness, nor was it likely that their old enemies from Averoigne would ever follow them. After debating the matter, the family agrees. The world they choose to flee to was Mystara.
727 Guillaume d'Ambreville born. Richard marries Isidore de
Foret.
728 Étienne creates a magical gate, enabling the
d'Ambrevilles and their dependants to leave the world of
Laterre.
During the final days of the transfer of goods through the magical /gate/, disaster strikes. The forces of King Húber the Kind attacked sooner than expected, and Marcel is killed while valiantly protecting the rearguard. Marie-Hélène badly injured but survives.
Étienne constructed an enormous magical gate between Laterre and Mystara. While politically adroit allies stalled the king, the most powerful d'Ambreville magicians transported all the clan's goods, animal herds, servants, favourite retainers, and treasures across the barrier. Then they moved their entire castle, Chateau d'Ambreville, to the new world piece by piece. The king of Averoigne, alerted that there was unusual activity in the d'Ambrevilles' dominion, sent his troops there, but they were too late. A rearguard commanded by Marcel d'Ambreville held off the soldiers until the transfer was complete. Although the soldiers killed Marcel and decimated his warriors, all they found were the castle's foundations. The d'Ambrevilles had escaped.
On Mystara:
728 The d'Ambrevilles and their vassals, persecuted in their
world of origin, arrive in Glantri.
743 The d'Ambrevilles bring more settlers from their mysterious
home world. Brannart McGregor and House Crownguard also use this
magical passage to Glantri.
In 747, the Council of Lords prohibited the teaching of clerical views or practising of clerical magic. The penalty for violating this law was death by burning.
The law made the d'Ambrevilles uncomfortable. Étienne's brother Simon was a cleric, and most of the rest, remembering the burnings performed by the Inquisition in Old Averoigne, had no love of the new law.
979 Petit-Singe manages to open a gate from Nouvelle Averoigne to the castle in the mists, as well as one of Étienne's old gates from the castle to the land of Old Averoigne.
A band of adventurers finds the castle, explores it, discovers its secret, and travels to Old Averoigne through the silver gate. There they find the magical items needed and use them to restore Étienne.
Adventurers are drawn to le Chateau d'Ambreville and break the curse. Étienne is released from his dormant state. The chateau crumbles into ruins; all the d'Ambrevilles except Étienne age and die.
Étienne visits Old Averoigne to see what had happened there since the d'Ambrevilles left. Little had changed; a new generation of rulers still hunts magic-users and burnt them as witches. If anything, the nation is in worse shape than ever.
But he discovers that an old friend of his, one who had not come to Mystara, is still alive. Geneviève de Sephora, now posing as her own great-granddaughter, still rules the territory of Sylaire from her great tower. She is delighted to see Étienne and weary of the worsening situation in Averoigne. She makes him an offer for safe passage into Glantri. She'll help him transport her entire tower to Mystara for him to live in and help him rebuild his life. He agreed.
Together, they move the great tower of Sylaire, carried stone by stone, through a magical gate back to Nouvelle Averoigne.
Malachie du Marais comes to Nouvelle Averoigne from Laterre thanks to the family's magic. Dame Geneviève de Sephora follows hot on his trail.
House of Crownguard, Principality of Klantyre
Origins: The McGregors came from the same world as the d'Ambrevilles, from a land similar to medieval Scotland. The McGregors arrived in Glantri when one of them found the d'Ambrevilles' magical gate (see House of Sylaire for details). Wanted and persecuted for witchcraft in their own world, many made the transition to this world, and today's nobles of the House of Crownguard are their descendants.
These otherworldly settlers are human - only their culture and accent distinguish them from Mystarans.
Ties to the House of Sylaire: After moving a substantial number of people, the McGregors were unable to keep the gate open. This loss provoked the anger of the d'Ambrevilles, who also were in the process of bringing more people over. Since then the d'Ambrevilles have carried a grudge against the McGregors.
The Houses of Crownguard and Sylaire have long feuded, the d'Ambrevilles angry that the McGregors used /their/ magical gateway to reach Glantri. Crownguard's passage prevented some d'Ambreville retainers from making it through before the portal closed.
McGregor, Sir Duncan: This brave highlander had to follow his clan into new Averoigne, leaving his beloved Scotland behind.
House of Sylaire (La Maison de Sylaire), Principality of Nouvelle Averoigne
Origins: The d'Ambreville family, some of their friends, and their retainers came long ago from a parallel world similar to medieval France, where sorcery was forbidden and mages burned at the stake. The d'Ambrevilles left through a magical gate and settled in Glantri. However, the clan has never told outsiders details of their mysterious home.
In the years following their return to Glantri, the d'Ambrevilles managed to assist the passage of other spell-casters from their world to this. These people are now nobles faithful to Sylaire; they, with many of their servants and retainers, now form a fair portion of New Averoigne's population. Most speak both Common Glantrian and French. They were quick to call their new domain "La Nouvelle Averoigne," and rule it the more to resemble their homeland. Alas, they brought with them the curse of lycanthropy, spreading it through New Averoigne's hills.
These otherworldly settlers are human - only their culture and accent distinguish them from Mystarans.
Ties to the house of Klantyre: The d'Ambrevilles accuse the McGregors of losing one of their /gates/ through negligence. Étienne hated the members of House Crownguard for using one of the d'Ambreville gateways to
Mystara.
Sire Gilles Grenier came from Old Averoigne with the d'Ambrevilles when they opened their portal. He murdered his wife Sabine in a fit of passion when in Old Averoigne, and now his potions are /cursed/.
Sire Malachie du Marais is one of the mages who made it across the magical portal to New Averoigne. Although they both belong to the House of Sylaire, he is a fierce enemy of Dame Genevieve de Sephora, who has been stalking him since the times of Old Averoigne.
Dame Geneviève de Sephora used to be the chatelaine of Sylaire in Old Averoigne.
The Mansion and the Tower
The Dungeon
Room 125: Storage: Treasure
In the centre of the west wall is a strange object. It looks like
a large gate-like doorway that appears to be made of pure silver.
In it are three keyholes. This is a magical /gate/ leading back to
the other- dimensional realm of Old Averoigne. It requires three
identical special silver keys to unlock.
When three keys are inserted in the door and turned simultaneously, the gate will open, revealing a multicoloured mist beyond; characters entering the mist will appear in a roadside clearing in Old Averoigne. This is a one-way gate; there is no similar gate in that clearing to allow return. The companion gate is in a hidden cave on the old d'Ambreville property in Old Averoigne and may be entered the same way; it brings characters to a wooded spot just outside Chateau Sylaire.
This and that on Laterre
10,000 copper pieces and 1,000 silver pieces are a fortune in
Laterre.
Étienne and the others concealed their magical powers while
on Laterre.
In Old Averoigne women were expected to fulfil certain restricted
roles in society, and "soldier" was not one of them.
Richard, not Étienne, was the oldest of Camille's children,
and on Laterre he would have become the family patriarch.