Background
Two centruies ago, the Red Church of the Blood God put their wealth and influence behind eight powerful nobles of northern Italia. This “League of Eight” conquered much of southern France, Switzer, Slavia, and Osterland, spreading the word of the church and vastly increasing the power and wealth of the nobles. The wars against the league continued until recently - Count Brass himself won renown in the last battles in Italia that crushed the military power of the League. The League’s political support evaporated after this climatic battle, and the death of Pope Gelasius IV the following winter was the final nail in the League of Eight’s coffin
The dukedoms of the eight noble families continued to squabble amongst themselves. The two major dukedoms, Padova and Milan, fought amongst themselves for control of the fragments of the League. Milan initially possessed more influence, but recently the dukedom of Padova has sought an alliance with the Dark Empire and the influx of wealth and weapons has seemingly tipped the balance in their favor
The lords of the courts of Milan are known as much for their intelligence as they are their eccentricities and insanity. Prospero, the current lord, is locked in his tower by several arguing members of his family. He has openly been accused of being a sorcerer, and the large telescopes jutting from his tower do little to dissuade people from this belief. Recently, Milan began encroaching on lands held by Padova and the warring noble families finally joined together to face this common foe.
The Black Moon Ravens were hired by the court of Milan to fight the armies of Padova. They were fighting in the northern reaches, on the borders of the Tainted Lands near the Switzer Mountains. You were fighting alongside a platoon of Milanese soldiers against some Padovan when you were flanked by a force combined forces of the Order of the Boar and the Mantis. They came from the Tainted Lands and cut through your ranks with flame lances and mutated beasts that could only have come from the tainted mountains.
You fled back to Milan where the combined forces of Pardova and the Dark Empire were heading to besiege the city. Many of the nobles of Milan had been slain by the Pardovans, but a few still survived. It was decided that to stay in Milan would be their death, so it was arranged to have them escape to separate lands friendly to Milan.
Olaf jumped at the chance to leave the doomed city. He was presented with Bella Pantagino, the grandaughter of Prospero, and her younger half-brother Fiolo, and charged to make their way to the estates of Louis Barbon, outside of Karlye in Normandia. The remnants of your small band left through the sewers of Milan and moved north through a pass in the Alpes, through France toward Normandia.
Fiolo is about eight years old and is desperate to prove himself a man. He has latched on to one of the player characters as a father figure and Olaf has “requested” that this relationship be fostered for the protection and management of the child. Bella, on the other hand, is in her late 30's and has been spoiled by the life in court. At best, she is difficult and at worst, she will be the death of you all.
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Olaf Eriksen, poor son of a Scandian noble and captain of the Black Raven mercenary band. Father is Erik the Blood Hand, a pirate and reiver who is still at large raiding the Northern seas. He is currently hunted by Granbretan because of his ties with his father and because his mercenary band has opposed several Granbretan offensives in the past few years |
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Gunther Helgen - Atrificer from Koln who was educated in Nurnberg. Granbretan’s recent conquest of Koln has caused this once jovial man to become much more moody and remorseful. |
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“Black” Anthony Chapman - Exile from the Pig Legion of Granbretan. A viscous fighter, but not one you’d like to cross in a dark alley. |
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Jakob - Athenian buccaneer. An average swordsman, but he is utilized by Olaf as the company quartermaster. He loves to gamble more often than Olaf would like to admit, the fate of the company has been determined by his luck with dice... |
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Kadriye hails from the far east. Little is known about her - it is rumored that she is a princess, escaped concubine, or even a sorceress. What is known is that she is equally proficient with a sword and bow and she is one of the best scouts that Olaf |
The War Begins
The War in Europe formal began in the spring of the 76th year of the Bear (and concluded two years later in the 81st year of the Raven - it is currently the 76th year of the Bear).
The first to fall were the frigid mountainlands of Scandia. Scandia is rich in minerals and strange energies from the ancients which the Empire coveted. The Scandian were loosely united under the Queen of Kalamar Union but barbarian reivers from the western coasts continued to raid European ports.
Ships from the Order of the Shark crossed the Norwegian Sea and established a beachhead in the uninhabited wormwoods. From this they launched their invasion of Stockholm, captured and imprisoned the queen. The capital and government fell quickly, validating the Granbretanian philosophy of lightning warfare. The fall of Scandia greatly reduced the raids on European ports, but pirating continues to the present day.
In March, Normandia fell to the Dark Empire. Normandia had been in the thrall of the Granbretan for centuries, bound to Londra by ties of trade and politics, but this was not enough. Jewelard, the ruler of Normandia, was trying to break these bonds and gain more independence, but the was betrayed by his cousin Ziminon, and allowed the soldiers of Granbretan into the capital. Adrienne, Jewelard’s daughter, fled and mounted a desperate but utterly futile resistance. Meliadus of Kroiden lead the assault and soon had her head mounted on a pike (it was rumored that she had been passed among all the generals of the assault and only her head remained...) Meliadus then cut across northern France like a bloody sword.
At the same time as Meliadus’ troops marched on Parye, an invasion force swept from the sea onto Hollandia while another army crossed from Scandia into Dahnmark. Caught in a sudden pincer, Hollandia army crumpled in mere days.
The Belgic States took longer to conquer and were the first real resistance encountered by the Dark Empire. However, each domain fought independently and divided they fell. Ornithopters and Serpent sorcery made a mockery of the once-mighty fortresses of Belgium. Liege held out against the invading army for almost a month, but the Weasels had previously infiltrated the courts which made the siege of the Badgers that much easier.
The Summer of Blood
Even as Jackals picked the bones of fallen Liege, the Hounds were moving into Germania. Their spearhead, a huge wedge of Boar and Bear assault troops, were squarely aimed at Berlin. Meanwhile, Meliadus and his wolves raced east across northen France. The Duke of Burgundy himself rode out to meet the Wolves in battle. The two generals fought and the Duke managed to unhorse Meliadus, but he responded by leaping on the Duke, wrestling him to the mud, and tearing out his throat with the steel fangs of his mask.
Plague soon struck Burgundy. The Order of the Fly, commanded by Jerek Nankanseen, had strafed the lands with disease. Baron Meliadus was forced to share his triumph over Burgundy with the Flies, which rankled deeply within him.
Meanwhile, Vultures and Falcons cut a swathe of blood through Aquitaine and Shengar Trott to the fabled city of lyon using guile and sorcery.
Espanya was a danger to the Empire. The war land was rich and powerful with a strong king commanding a strong army and an even stronger navy. King-Emperor Huon, it is said, prayed to Aral Vilsn and Chirshil for nine days and nights before beginning his campaign against Espanyia. The Order of the Shark engaged and destroyed the Espanyian navy and then took Gibraltar before reaching the docks of Catalonia. Pigs and a few Tigers took over Catalonia and mounted an attack of Espanya. King Manuel of Espanya was assassinated on his throne of Mahdrid as the Eels and Pigs marched on the City
Meanwhile, the Wolves, reinfoced by the knights of the Stag and Fly air support crossed the ruins of Burgundy into the German province of Koln. The young duke of this land, Dorain Hawkmoon, put up a spirited resistance, but he was captured and the people of this peaceful land suffered greatly for this. They were tortured, the men slaughtered before the wives’ and daughters’ eyes before they were marched off by the Jackals to be sold into slavery.
By now, the Granbretanians were far ahead of their timetable for conquest. They had planned the conquest of Europe to take up to twenty years but they had destroyed half of the continent in only a year’s time. The various Granbretanian armies are now competing against each other to conquer yet more of the continent. However, the pace of the war is slowing somewhat. The armies are being spread out more and more, reinforcements are becoming more difficult. The seeds of discontent have been sewn by agents of the Dark Empire - few wish their people to suffer the same fates as those of Koln.
Map of Tragic Europe during the first Year of the War