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Lorespeakers

Lorespeakers are a group within Ulven society who find themselves outside of the normal bonds of Ulven society – having ceremonially severed their ties with Pack, Clan, and name, they are in a unique position of honored outsiders. Wandering from Pack to Pack, retelling the stories of the Ulven, they turn themselves into living representatives of stories and sagas of the Ulven as a whole, bringing news, spreading the stories of the dead to other Clans, and making sure that the stories are being told correctly. They are sometimes considered to be the representatives of the Great Wolf, as the Daughters are to Gaia, and while their words are seen as advisory, they are merely tolerated outcasts – separate, yet vital, to Ulven society. This is in part due to their migratory nature, and in part due to their oaths to the Great Wolf – they rely entirely on the hospitality of the Ulven as a whole, seeing how the Clans can support one outside of their known bonds. Each Lorespeaker has a duty to train their successor in the correct recitation of the stories and sagas before their death, with the duty often falling to orphans and other outsiders in Ulven society.

The Great Wolf has no formal priests – the closest he has to representatives are the Lorespeakers, who play a similar role in testing the Ulven and reminding them of their duties. Though in the year 269 a new figure has appeared on Mardrun and has become known as The Great Wolf’s Priest.

May 264

An expedition into the Dirge Swamp simultaneously tried to explore deeper and activate the secrets of an Ulven Orb. It eventually did activate once a nearby corruption idol was destroyed, and the orb recalled two adventurers through the mana stream and into the swamp. A search party was sent out and the two were found recalled to a specific point. Upon digging into the ground, a cache was found containing some magical artifacts and notes from what appears to be a lorespeaker. In the cache was a well known saga and what appeared to be the original which featured ulven battling each other. The implication of the history of the ulven was profound, but more questions needed answers.

July 264

Gustav Ironmound, Clanleader of Clan Ironmound, has made it known that after his Clan’s expedition into the dirge swamp, he has acquired a number of old Ulven texts that he intends to share with the other Clans. He has no intention of hiding these texts or keeping them from the Ulven people as a whole and apparently takes great pleasure in making sure it is known that representatives from his Clan had the honor of leading this expedition with the support of both sides of the war. Daughters, bearing copies of the texts, have begun traveling to numerous locations and freely share this information with others. Deep concern and confusion begins to set in with some of the Ulven people as the content of the texts is unsettling and questions many details of their history as a people. Whether this is a show of bravado and personal honor or a piece of some sort of larger plan is unknown at this time, but the impact of these texts being made public begins to travel like wildfire through the Ulven people.

August 264

Following the release of many documents detailing the true history of the Ulven people, a joint effort between Clans Nightriver and Spiritclaw has been formed, seeking any information regarding the Lorespeakers. Rewards have been offered by both clans for information leading to the discovery of these traitors, with substantially larger rewards for their capture, assuming they are kept alive. A number of smaller packs, namely among Shattered Spear, have taken matters into their own hands, branding and severing any Lorespeakers they come across.

September 264

A number of Lorespeakers has already been captured and turned over to Cahal Spiritclaw and Branthur Nightriver, who have set about the delicate task of learning the truth from those who have proven themselves liars. The will of the Lorespeakers already captured seems to be stronger than anticipated, however, and efforts to extract information from them have proven relatively futile thus far. Threats of violence, shame, and even death seem not to faze the captives as they would a normal Ulven. Branthur has continued to offer rewards for the capture of any living Lorespeakers, however, hoping that one of them will reveal the true depths of their deception in due time. Many Ulven feel betrayed by these supposed historians, who appear to have willfully deceived the Ulven people for generations about their true history. As a result, vigilante justice continues to pop up in some of the more remote locations of Mardrun, the perpetrators eager to have their sense of vengeance appeased. This anger, justified or otherwise, has begun to spill over into other groups, however: A handful of reports indicate that a number of Truthseekers have gone missing in the past weeks, with others voicing their disapproval of the group’s inability to discover a lie of these proportions.

October 264

The Truthseekers of Clan Spiritclaw have been hard at work attempting to locate any and all Lorespeakers they may be able to find, though their resources are stretched thin. Many packs have begun offering rewards for information that leads to the apprehension of a Lorespeaker, more for the capture of one alive. They insist that they mean to question those they find, although rumors of vigilante justice among other clans have led to some concern about Spiritclaw’s true intentions.

Currently

A village in Nightriver Territory has taken over housing the captured Lorespeakers. They are barred from saga-telling and instead live as members of the community though they are not allowed to leave. Many of them have become welcome members of the community, but the ghosts of their past continue to haunt them.

Occasionally strangers calling themselves Lorespeaker Agents appear in areas where people are trying to dig up long lost caches of information. It appears that though many Lorespeakers were captured there are still those out there who are willing for fight and die so that some information is never revealed.

A brief summary of the Lorespeaker Conspiracy

Ulven Sagas and Texts recovered during the June 264 expedition into the Dirge Swamp.

Thorstein Staff-Struck
Lament of Athr
Softpaw Saga
Banded Man
Another Ulven Saga

Conversation between the Allied Group and the Archons

Alliance Group Treaty

The Raven’s Accords

Archon’s Counter

Reyna Longfang’s letter to Vice-Magus Faolon of the Archons asking for clarification on Archon heirarchy

• Agreement between Archmage Vazra of the Archons, Al-Haddad of Bos Mesar, and Reyna Longfang
• Reyna Longfang’s letter to Brother Oliver Coswell of the Order of Arnath’s Light

Archmage Vazra’s Letter to Anariel of the Phoenix and Anariel’s response

Archmage Vazra’s Letter to Commander Volrok of the Broken Blades

Aifric Camden’s letter to Reyna Longfang, and Reyna Longfang’s response

Tobias Del’Green’s of the Ranger’s of Crows Landing letter to the Order of Arnath’s Light

Proclamation of the Order of Arnath’s Light’s Intentions

Prince Aylin to Commander Volrok of the Broken Blades

Duchess Mary Tricuspis to Laertes of the Phoenix

Branthur Nightriver to Ranmir Longfang

“Huntmaster Ranmir Longfang,

Thank you for bringing this issue to my notice. I remember the outcome of the trial well; it was all many of my chieftains could speak of for weeks. Clan Nightriver must remain steadfast in our dedication to striking back against the Mordok and exterminating them from Mardrun. While the thought of a conflict such as this on my doorstep brings me no measure of joy nor peace, I do condone the course of action chosen, and am pleased to see so many of the colonists willing to control those that would besmirch their honor.

I will grant my blessing and permission to you, Ranmir of Pack Longfang, and to your warriors and your colonist allies, albeit on two conditions. The first is that unnecessary bloodshed will be avoided. By fighting and warring with each other, we lose sight of the true enemy. It was this sort of conflict that led to the great schism between clans, and Clan Riverhead has ultimately paid the price for our choices. I will not see this wretched event repeat itself on any scale. My second condition is that those who are able to continue fighting following the confrontation with the Archons and their leader will march north and assist against the Mordok for a duration of no less than two months. We can discuss the logistics of feeding these troops after the issue with the Spire is resolved, or they can contact me directly if they wish to negotiate on their own behalf.

His ears will ring with our names, now and always.

Branthur Nightriver, Clanleader of Clan Nightriver”

“Laertes, Steward of the Phoenix Commune,

I must admit I am saddened that the criminal Vazra has remained such a consistent thorn in our sides, enough to stir even the gentle Phoenix to such action. He has repeatedly evaded capture, ignored pleas to turn himself in, and spat in the face of his probation. His bounty has continued to rise to reflect my disappointment in his actions; it is now currently set at 75 silver. I will give you my blessing, but I ask first that you offer the fugitive this proposal: Newhope has thus far only set a bounty on his head. He will be given one more chance: turn himself in, escorted by his peers at his doorstep. He will be hollowed and imprisoned to ensure that he no longer poses a threat to Mardrun, and to show others who would follow in his footsteps that such crimes shall not go unpunished. If he does this, his debt to society will be considered paid, and the black mark tarnishing the Archons and the Spire will be officially lifted (though I cannot promise that others will not hold grudges). Should he resist or refuse this offer, you have my blessing to bring him in using any means necessary, though alive is preferred. If he eludes your capture, Newhope will be forced to pursue him using our considerable resources. Let us all pray he sees reason.

Duchess Mary, Council Member of the Council of Ten, City-State of Newhope”

“Greetings Commander Volrok,

It pleases me to hear from you and may I just say, I am flattered that you would be willing to look out for my honor. You truly are the shining example of a professional mercenary and soldier. Frankly put, I am surprised that there is such an initiative forming to “bring the Archon’s to heel” from the smaller settlements. The settlements and their faction leaders are not known for working together towards a common goal.

I worry about the public reaction to agreeing to a business deal with the Archons and then simply burning the Spire to the ground. However, I have interest in seeing justice be served… New Aldoria will donate supplies to the cause of dispensing justice at the hands of your “alliance”. Simply have your units or wagons come to New Aldoria and several loads will be available. I will monitor the progress of your campaign and if things appear to be getting out of hand, I will consider becoming more involved.

Your terms are agreeable; I will allocate troops to passively defending Baile Onoir for the duration of your campaign.

Signed,
Prince Aylin, Ruler of New Aldoria and Aylin’s Reach”

Proclamation of the Order of Arnath’s Light’s Intentions

The Order of Arnath, Chapter of the Light, has joined with many concerned groups to bring resolution to the ongoing conflicts with and around the Archons of the Spire. We hope to resolve this peacefully; we are undeterred if it cannot. Our demands have already been presented in the treaty. We are dedicated to these demands. Our intentions behind these demands have not been explained. We shall do so now.

First, concerning Archmage Vazra of the Spire. This man is a wanted fugitive from the Free People’s Court. He needs to answer to it for his violations of parole. The Archons of the Spire have had contact with Varza, as they were seen in his company not a few months ago at the Great Mordok Hunt in the Hackles. However, if they state they have no control over him, they must take responsibility and disavow him food and shelter in their territory. Anything else will be seen as tacitly condoning his actions.

Second, concerning the research project. The Archons of the Spire building a Recall Point that covers Mardrun is a wondrous, but dangerous, project. Were it only a danger to themselves the Order would simply advise caution. However, such unchecked projects have caused grievous harm to nations before. We speak of the Fall of Faedrun. Order Scholars who researched and lived through those terrible days have given us warning. This Recall Point would be a lighthouse to those in the Mana Stream. Greater Undead were known to traverse the Mana Stream on Faedrun. We will not mince words; if this project is not researched and constructed carefully, there is a chance that the same fate that befell Faedrun could befall Mardrun.

Just as with Serai, that is a risk the Order must attend. Just as with Serai, we will hope for a peaceful resolution. Just as with Serai, the Order will do what is necessary to maintain the safety and order of Mardrun.

To The Order of Arnath’s Light

After the events of the market fair and seeing that all of the Archons, not just Vazra are crazy and believe themselves to be above the law. I feel something needs to be done and soon. There is something that you don’t know and if it’s not stopped it could mean a lot of deaths. The Archons are working on a recall point. And I know they are almost done. This is bad as I know what Vazra wants to do with it as he has let it slip to me many times. He plans to use it to kill many people who have upset him or “pushed back his plans”. With this recall point he can deathbolt someone and recall to the Spire with there body. After doing this he will have his units kill them again to insure that there is no hope of them living.

This worries me greatly and because of it we must do something. What I plan on doing will need more troops. I understand if you can’t give troops, but anything helps. Calling in favors, supplies others, or just spreading the word. My plan needs a min of 3 units to have a chance at working or 5 to make sure it happens. I want to have one unit attack his town guard, another to attack his unit, if they do this the other units can run past them and burn the academy and the arcane labs to the ground. While also looking for any and all of his resource.

After everything that’s happened with them. I don’t feel they can be trusted and if you and others think we need to do more. Then maybe the labs and academy arn’t the only things that need burn to the ground. I hope you will reply to me soon.

Tobias Del’Green, Commander of the Rangers

(A letter arrives for Reyna Longfang. It is addressed from Aifric Camden personally, penned in her own hand and done in simple stationary.)

Dear Reyna,

It is unfortunate that our peoples have not been on the best terms as of late. I recognize tensions are high, but I wanted to thank you and the rest of the Longfang anyway for your help keeping the Mordok and lingering undead at bay last month. Although we have our policy disagreements, it is good to know we can still be decent neighbors.

Keep fighting the good fight.

Aifric

(The response that arrives via hawk is done on the typical paper of the ulven people, plain and serviceable.)

~

Aifric of the Archons,

I find little misfortune in the poor terms between our peoples. Had Vazra kept is word and fulfilled his side of the contract there would be no such harshness. I have little patience for oath-breaking. I shall include a copy of the missive presented to Brother Oliver shortly before Vazra fell out of the line with the punishments meted out by the judgement of a court of the free people of Mardrun that he submitted himself to. It outlines the damages we attribute to the failings of Vazra, the Magi Tyranus, and the people of the Spire. I suspect Vazra’s lack of obedience to his punishment resulted in him not seeing the copy that was presented to Brother Oliver.

As for your thank you for “our help”, I should like to point out that your leader was not permitted into the camp…by my order. I thank the Spire for actually stirring to defend themselves and work in service of people other than themselves for a change.

I do hope you have turned your studies towards mediation. I should hate to see you caught so ill prepared and untrained again as you were on this last outing. Longfang has not failed to stir against the Mordok since my time as the Runeseer began, nor shall it.

Unlike some, the Longfang do not let old fears lead us down foolish paths.

May you face the Great Wolf’s Judgement with dignity,
Runeseer Reyna Longfang, Daughter of Gaia to Pack Longfang

(The second sheet included is on the same paper, and written by a hand that matches that on the first sheet.)

Original written to: Brother Oliver of the Order of Arnath’s Light,

The Magi Tyranus were expected in Onsallas July 265. They were expected to stay until December 265. 5 Months of service were expected. Here is the requested inventory concerning the damages I wish to claim of Vazra for the broken contract.
They are as follows:

1.) Productivity was lost due to the extended siege that should have been broken with the Magi Tyranus’ backing. The Quartermaster Longfang values these losses in the amount of 3 loads of supplies.

2.) The Quartermaster Longfang places a blood price of 10 Silver Pieces on a fully trained Ulfednar Warrior, or 6 silver and an untrained civilian. Thus we claim as compensation for the 4 preventable casualties sustained during combat the Blood Price of 40 Silver Pieces, or 24 Silver Pieces and 4 civilians.

I look forward to a speedy resolution of this matter,
As it was originally signed: Runeseer Reyna Longfang, Daughter of Gaia to Pack Longfang