DLkmZ3UZ

1On the wiki:
2Introduction
3
4The hospice hallway was dimmed and there was lingering smell of bleach as I walked down towards Vance’s room. I knew that he was dying and the summons I received from his sister meant that the end was near. It had been a long year and Vance, my friend since college, had struggled with and will finally succumb to, the cancer that he was diagnosed with last Christmas. What a lousy year this had been. 
5I knocked at the door and entered, pulling the linen drapes aside I saw that he was lying in one of those high end hospital beds, a bright red blanket up to his chest and an IV drip was attached to his left hand. I knew it was morphine. He looked gaunt and tired, his hair was uncombed and he had a pale look to him. Not just pale, but worn, almost translucent. He smiled as I entered. 
6“Hello champ how goes it?” I bantered as I sat down in the chair closest to the bed. 
7“Hey! I have been waiting for you slacker.” He said in a strained voice, barely above a whisper. “How am I? I’ve been better.” A small mischievous smile crept across his face. “You see that hot nurse out there? Too bad she’s taken. I can’t talk her out of dumping her fiancée and running off with me to Tahiti.” His smile ended in a slight grimace and a spasmodic cough. “Sorry, the morphine is still kicking in. The pain is not fun.” He said. There was a moment pause where we just looked at each other. 
8Memories flooded me, the times we had shared, and a sense of what this man meant to me as my friend. Dam few friends these days to lose any more, especially ones that were so important. 
9Seeming to sense my mood, Vance smiled, “I still think you should have bought the Jag.” I laughed as my mind flashed back to a time when I could have bought my dream car for a song. I procrastinated and it was sold out underneath me before I mustered the guts to sign on the dotted line. Vance said that I was a fool and went to some pains to remind me of his ignored advice for going on twenty years now. Never of course, in front of my wife, but when we were alone, it was almost a mantra. Twenty years? Yes, I recounted them; I had known this man as my friend over half my life. 
10“I have something for you.” He said and he motioned to the table next to him. There was what looked to be a large stationary box. “Open it.” he said. 
11I reached over and grabbed the box. It was much heavier than I had anticipated and brought to my lap where I carefully opened it. Inside was what looked to be a typed manuscript. 
12“I have been working on this for a long time”, he said, “and now I want you to have it.” He paused as I took a moment and inspected the pages, several hundred, neatly typed. This surprised me, as I had no inkling that Vance was a writer. 
13“I don’t understand” I said, unable to contain my confusion. 
14He smiled, and said, “Read the introduction.” He then closed his eyes and sighed, “I will just take a short nap here while you do. Wake me if that hot nurse comes in. I have to work in her some more.” 
15I smiled then turned my attention to the box in my lap. The introduction was twenty pages long, talking about of all things, the nature of the universe. Specifically how there are infinite variations of reality played out in alternate dimensions and explained fairly well under the general term of Quantum Physics. It went on to cite references and theories and wove an intricate argument of how every story, every act of artistic creation was a momentary breach between these infinite dimensions bringing that “reality” back into our own. Every story, every novel, every “fantasy world” was in fact, in some other alternate dimension and therefore real. It ended with a question in that do we really pull this stuff from alternate dimensions, or by the act of inspiration do we cause its existence? Do we create infinite universes by our acts of creativity and storytelling? 
16I looked up maybe twenty minutes later to see Vance watching me. He smiled and whispered, “Keep reading.” then shut his eyes again. 
17I looked down at Chapter One, and I started reading about the history of this medieval fantasy kingdom: Pendor. 
18Almost a Millennium ago
19The war of the Titans laid the foundation for the ascension of Man. A terrible war, between ancient elder races left the world stripped of magic, and those magnificent mythical people, once so powerful, were now only the stuff of folklore and legends. Only the reclusive Noldor, what since “The Lord of the Rings”, we call “Elves” remain from those times, and their once great cities are all destroyed save perhaps one. 
20Three hundred fifty four years ago – the Founding of Pendor
21It is the time of Man. The story centers on the fertile lands of Pendor and the struggles of the peoples, their leaders and their destiny. Several hundred years ago, a single Kingdom was forged by sword and fire. A peace was maintained and prosperity came to the kingdom and it flourished. Five generations of Pendorian Kings sat on the Silver Throne in Sarleon and for nearly two hundred years they guided the destiny of their land and it’s subjects. 
22From the Founding of Pendor – the year 198
23The downfall of the Kingdom was as swift as it was and vile. A single month, thirty days, and the Empire was in tatters. The irony was it was not by the sword in battle, nor by some dark magic that caused the deaths of the King and his family. But by an unseen killer, a disease, the red plague that ravaged the land and cut down the peoples of the Kingdom, great and small, like an assassin in the night. 
24The royal family had perished, and there was no King to rule the land. Then came the invasions that seemed to shatter the once proud kingdom into slivers and the glory that was once the Kingdom of Pendor, was now itself the stuff of legend. 
25With the death of the King and his heirs, there was chaos. Multiple lords laid claim to the throne and nearly every noble of the land began squabbling over succession. 
26From the Founding of Pendor – the year 199
27The carefully laid agreements, truces and alliances with neighboring powers became suspect. In the North, the mountain tribesmen began raiding the heartlands of Pendor. Embolden by their success and the lack of response from the Knights of the Realm, they struck even deeper and soon this led to the siege to Rane. The Earl of Rane sought help from the nobles of the land, but the schemes of the powerful found reasons not to come to his aid. Many Northern Lords, banded together and formed a small army that marched to defend the city from the onslaught of the northern Mystmountain warriors.. The battle was bloody and fierce, and in the end, the siege was lifted, and the barbarian tribesmen and their shaman leaders, routed back to their mountain homes. The Northern Lords, who fought so valiantly that day, decided to establish a knighthood order, the Order of the Dragon, comprised of the valiant warriors who defended the city. News of this new order was not well received by other knighthood orders or by the nobility to the South. They demanded that the Order of the Dragon be disbanded which in the minds of the proud warriors of the North, was an unforgivable insult to their valor. The scorn of other established knighthood and the lack of support to route the invaders from Rane prompted the Northern Lords to break ties with the southern lords and declared themselves an independent Kingdom:The Kingdom of Ravenstern. 
28Reeling from the succession of the Northern cities and lords, the remaining Pendorian nobility were not prepared to meet the next challenge that followed within a few short years. 
29From the Founding of Pendor – the year 202
30From the South, over the southern sea,the Great Baccus Empire launched an invasion fleet and landed a powerful army on the shores of Pendor led by the war hardened General Oasar. He drove inland conquering cities and castles, and seemed unstoppable. Ironically, within a few short months of campaigning, the general received by messenger that the great Baccus Empire itself was in civil war and that the Emperor had been assassinated. After receiving this shocking news, Oasar established himself, with the support of several Pendor Lords, as Overlord of Janos and officially broke away from what was left of the Baccus Empire. The great Baccus Empire convoluted and fragmented into dozens of principalities, city-states and kingdoms. The greatest and most powerful is the under the dominion of the priesthood of the serpent: a powerful and seemingly mystical religion of warrior priests who worship the unnamed goddess of darkness who manifests herself in the form of a snake. 
31For the once great kingdom of Pendor, that meant that a large portion of it’s Southern lands, cities and nobility were now either dead or sworn to service under this upstart general who calls himself Overlord. 
32From the Founding of Pendor – the year 204
33After the establishment of the Northern Kingdom of Ravenstern and the invasion of Oasar, the powerful Lord Alfred, Duke of Sarleon, consolidated the remaining lords of Pendor and declared himself King of Sarleon. For ten years a measure of peace was maintained. 
34From the Founding of Pendor – the year 213
35To the far north, across the seas lived the hearty warriors of the Vanskerry. Segmented into Jarldoms, they were raiders and traders. With the Baccus Empire gone, many of the Vanskerry mercenaries in their employ were free to return home to the frosty shores of their fathers. A wise man’s musings in the reaches of Vanskerry goes “Death is found in the blade of your enemy and trouble when a warrior has nothing to do.” When word came to the North of the troubles of Pendor, it was greeted with a call to arms and promises of plunder and women. Soon, raiding ships found the shores of Pendor a ripe land full of gold and wealth. Their well-armed and hearty warriors began raiding the towns and villages along the coast and met very little resistance. The Knights of the Lion and Lords of Sarleon responded by patrolling the coastal shores. Yet, still the crafty Vanskerry raiders managed to sack village after village. With so little ability to defend themselves, the merchant lords of the Pendorian coastal provinces sent delegations to the Jarldoms to seek alliances and protection. At first they were rejected, but in time as offers included titles and lands many Jarls and their huscarls began to listen. 
36The lands of Vanskerry are rugged and cold, compared with the lush and rich pastures of Pendor. The lure of good weather, and the chance to become a Lord of a castle, or even a well-located mayor of a village, appealed to many of the Jarls. Soon, many Vanskerry households left the shores of their fathers and sought fortune and prosperity along the coast of Pendor. Some entered into the service of the Pendorian lords, others married into the noble families. This changed many things in the Kingdom, as the warrior culture and attitudes of Vanskerry were brought into the noble houses of the coastal lords. Within a generation the culture gap was so great that the coastal nobles broke away from the King of Sarleon and formed a rough alliance of city-states called collectively the Fierdsvaain. 
37From the Founding of Pendor – the years from 204 to 245
38The story continued and detailed intrigues, war and heroic actions as well as the great villains of the land. There were stories of the Jatu tribesmen and their flight from the Empire and General Oasar, becoming nomads in the Eastern prairies of Pendor. There are the detailed accounts of the Order of the Lion, a knighthood order of Pendor, and their history and their betrayal by one of their own which had the order declared outlaw for years until their redemption under the current King of Sarleon. Chapters were dedicated to the D’Shar, a nomadic peoples who are evolving into a military and economic force only to find that their own worst enemy is themselves. Just as fascinating was the references to the encounters with the ancient Noldor and their powerful weapons and enchantments that changed the life of more than one adventurer. I was especially drawn to the story of Madigan, a wandering mystic who prophesized the coming of a hero who would unite the lords of the Pendor and reunite the old kingdom. His saga touched me as a hero himself, trying to speak the truth and being condemned to death for his beliefs. 
39I was startled out of my reading by the nurse telling me that visiting hours were over. 
40It was late, and I had spent most of the afternoon and early evening captured by the amazing story I held in my hands. I skipped quickly to the last pages and found them blank. I realized suddenly that the final chapters were missing. 
41I looked at Vance, who once again was awake, and watching me. Guessing my question and concern he said, “I do not have the answer to the last chapters. Those will have to be written. Perhaps when you write them, it will create those dimensions, those realities. I do not know for sure, but I suspect that is the case. I am too tired now to continue. That is why I asked you here today mate. Finish the story.” 
42He reached over and took my hand and gave it a hard squeeze. “I am tired mate and I have to sleep” he said in a half dreamy voice. It was the morphine I knew, finally giving him relief to the awful pain he must be feeling. I smiled at him and he shut his eyes and went to sleep. 
43
44On the mod:
45Pendor: The History
46 Almost a Millennium ago: The war of the Titans laid the foundation for the ascension of Man. A terrible war, between ancient elder races left the world stripped of magic, and those magnificent mythical people, once so powerful, were now only the stuff of folklore and legends. Only the reclusive Noldor, remain from those times, and their once great cities are all destroyed save perhaps one.
47 Three hundred fifty four years ago - the Founding of Pendor. It is the time of Man. The story centers on the fertile lands of Pendor and the struggles of the peoples, their leaders and their destiny. Several hundred years ago, a single Kingdom was forged by sword and fire. A peace was maintained and prosperity came to the kingdom and it flourished. Five generations of Pendorian Kings sat on the Silver Throne in Sarleon and for nearly two hundred years they guided the destiny of their land and its subjects.
48 From the Founding of Pendor - the year is 198.
49 The downfall of the Kingdom was as swift as it was vile. A single month, thirty days, and the empire was in tatters. The irony was it was not by the sword in battle, nor by some dark magic that caused the deaths of the King and his family. But by an unseen killer, a disease, the red plague that ravaged the land and cut down the peoples of the Kingdom, great and small, like an assassin in the night.
50 The royal family had perished, and there was no King to rule the land. Then came the invasions that seemed to shatter the once proud kingdom into slivers and the glory that was once the Kingdom of Pendor, was now itself the stuff of legend.
51 With the death of the King and his heirs, there was chaos. Multiple lords laid claim to the throne and nearly every noble of the land began squabbling over succession.
52 From the Founding of Pendor - the year is 199
53The carefully laid agreements, truces and alliances with neighboring powers became suspect. In the North, the mountain tribesmen began raiding the heartlands of Pendor. Embolden by their success and the lack of response from the Knights of the Realm, they struck even deeper and soon this led to the siege to Rane. The Earl of Rane sought help from the nobles of the land, but the schemes of the powerful found reasons not to come to his aid. Many Northern Lords, banded together and formed a small army that marched to defend the city from the onslaught of the northern Mystmountain warriors.. The battle was bloody and fierce, and in the end, the siege was lifted, and the barbarian tribesmen and their shaman leaders, routed back to their mountain homes. The Northern Lords, who fought so valiantly that day, decided to establish a knighthood order, the Order of the Dragon, comprised of the valiant warriors who defended the city. News of this new order was not well received by other knighthood orders or by the nobility to the South. They demanded that the Order of the Dragon be disbanded which in the minds of the proud warriors of the North, was an unforgivable insult to their valor. The scorn of other established knighthood and the lack of support to route the invaders from Rane prompted the Northern Lords to break ties with the southern lords and declared themselves an independent Kingdom.
54 The Kingdom of Ravenstern.
55Reeling from the succession of the Northern cities and lords, the remaining Pendorian nobility were not prepared to meet the next challenge that followed within a few short years.:From the Founding of Pendor - the year is 202:From the South, over the southern sea, the great Baccus empire launched an invasion fleet and landed a powerful army on the shores of Pendor led by the war hardened General Oasar. He drove inland conquering cities and castles, and seemed unstoppable. Ironically, within a few short months of campaigning, the general received by messenger that the great Baccus Empire itself was in civil war and that the Emperor had been assassinated. After receiving this shocking news, Oasar established himself, with the support of several Pendor Lords, as Overlord of Janos and officially broke away from what was left of the Baccus Empire. The great Baccus Empire convoluted and fragmented into dozens of principalities, city-states and kingdoms. The greatest and most powerful is the under the dominion of the priesthood of the serpent: a powerful and seemingly mystical religion of warrior priests who worship the unnamed goddess of darkness who manifests herself in the form of a snake.^For the once great kingdom of Pendor, that meant that a large portion of its Southern lands, cities and nobility were now either dead or sworn to service under this upstart general who calls himself Overlord.:From the Founding of Pendor - the year is 204:After the establishment of the Northern Kingdom of Ravenstern and the invasion of Oasar, the powerful Lord Alfred, Duke of Sarleon, consolidated the remaining lords of Pendor and declared himself King of Sarleon. For ten years a measure of peace was maintained.:From the Founding of Pendor - the year is 213:To the far north, across the seas lived the hearty warriors of the Vanskerry. Segmented into Jarldoms, they were raiders and traders. With the Baccus Empire gone, many of the Vanskerry mercenaries in their employ were free to return home to the frosty shores of their fathers. A wise man's musings in the reaches of Vanskerry goes 'Death is found in the blade of your enemy and trouble when a warrior has nothing to do.'  When word came to the North of the troubles of Pendor, it was greeted with a call to arms and promises of plunder and women. Soon, raiding ships found the shores of Pendor a ripe land full of gold and wealth. Their well-armed and hearty warriors began raiding the towns and villages along the coast and met very little resistance. The Knights of the Lion and Lords of Sarleon responded by patrolling the coastal shores. Yet, still the crafty Vanskerry raiders managed to sack village after village. With so little ability to defend themselves, the merchant lords of the Pendorian coastal provinces sent delegations to the Jarldoms to seek alliances and protection. At first they were rejected, but in time as offers included titles and lands many Jarls and their huscarls began to listen. The lands of Vanskerry are rugged and cold, compared with the lush and rich pastures of Pendor. The lure of good weather, and the chance to become a Lord of a castle, or even a well-located mayor of a village, appealed to many of the Jarls. Soon, many Vanskerry households left the shores of their fathers and sought fortune and prosperity along the coast of Pendor. Some entered into the service of the Pendorian lords, others married into the noble families. This changed many things in the Kingdom, as the warrior culture and attitudes of Vanskerry were brought into the noble houses of the coastal lords. Within a generation the culture gap was so great that the coastal nobles broke away from the King of Sarleon and formed a rough alliance of city-states called collectively the Fierdsvain.:From the Founding of Pendor - the year is 204 to 245:The story continues about detailed intrigues, war and heroic actions as well as the great villains of the land. There were stories of the Jatu tribesmen and their flight from the Empire and General Oasar, becoming nomads in the Eastern prairies of Pendor. There are the detailed accounts of the Order of the Lion, a knighthood order of Pendor, and their history and their betrayal by one of their own which had the order declared outlaw for years until their redemption under the current King of Sarleon. Chapters were dedicated to the D'Shar, a nomadic peoples who are evolving into a military and economic force only to find that their own worst enemy is themselves. Just as fascinating was the references to the encounters with the ancient Noldor and their powerful weapons and enchantments that changed the life of more than one adventurer. I was especially drawn to the story of Madigan, a wandering mystic who prophesized the coming of a hero who would unite the lords of the Pendor and reunite the old kingdom. His saga touched me as a hero himself, trying to speak the truth and being condemned to death for his beliefs.
56ip pendor present Pendor: The Present From the Founding of Pendor - the year is 354 - The Prophesy has awakened.:The North - Ravenstern and the Mystmountain Barbarians:To the North, the Kingdom of Ravenstern sits on the southern slopes of the impassible Cloudmist Mountains. They are a hearty, proud peoples having adapted to the harsh Northern climate. The ruler of Ravenstern is King Gregory IV, the great grandson of King Gregory I, who led the final charge that drove the shaman of the northern barbarians back into their homes in the Cloudmist Mountains. Every since that battle, Ravenstern has been tested by constant raids and sorties from these bloodthirsty clansmen. The Lords of Ravenstern are fearsome warriors, yet they are quite proud and very individualistic. There is a strong underlying culture of competition among these peoples that makes them outstanding individual warriors, though in groups they tend to be undisciplined. The Knights of the Order of the Dragon, the cream of the Ravenstern nobility, are to be feared in combat. Like most of the other Knighthood Orders in the realm, these Knights do not swear allegiance to any noble, but rather travel with the Lords of the realm when it suits them.:The West - The Fierdsvain and the raiders of Vanskerry:Along the coast to the West is Fierdsvain, where some of the Jarls of Vanskerry have intermingled and intermarried with the old Kingdom to form a unique warrior culture. Most of the former mercenary Jarls of Vanskerry who went to war on behalf of the Emperor of the Baccus Empire had difficulty in returning to the cold barren shores of the North. When the emissaries from the coastal lords of Pendor arrived, many jumped at the chance to establish themselves in better climates. However, there were many in Vanskerry who looked upon these mercenary Jarls as turncoats to the code of the North and have sworn to make it a point to plunder the lands held by these traitors. Regardless, infused with new blood, strong warriors and an appetite for both battle and trade, the Fierdsvain have flourished and have become as powerful as Sarleon itself.:The ashes of Pendor - The Kingdom of Sarleon:The Kingdom of Sarleon dominates the center of the game map. The current King, Ulric of Sarleon, is the descendent of King Alfred I, former Duke Alfred of Sarleon. Once King Alfred established the Kingdom of Sarleon, most of the Knighthood orders charged with defending Pendor were outlawed. The most famous of the outlawed orders was the Order of the Griffon: the guardians of the royal line of Pendor. Today only one order, the Order of the Lion still exists in Sarleon. This noble order backed Alfred's claim to rule. The Order of the Lion since that time has had a murky past, and for a score of years they also were outlawed. Today they have been vindicated and are now in the good graces of King Ulric of Sarleon and are the guardians of the realm.:The Southern Steppes - The D'Shar Nomads:The South, along the Shavanir Desert is the Principality of D'Shar made of dozens of separate individual tribes. At the height of the founding of the Kingdom of Pendor several tribes supported the peace and prosperity that the Kings of Pendor offered them for a treaty of peace. The peace turned into an alliance and these tribes began trading with the Northern Kingdoms. The makeshift tents and stalls that they set up in the plains of D'Shar over several generations became small-fortified towns and villages. No longer were they nomadic, but settled down, built homes and planted crops. Their prosperity quickly propelled these tribes into prominence in the D'Shar plains. Yet, those tribes who were staunchly tied to the old ways, remain nomadic and have rejected the 'city dwellers' completely. Recently they have reverted to raiding the many caravans coming into and out of these towns. This has caused a great deal of tension between the cities and the tribal nomads closer to the great desert.:The Southeast - The Empire and the Snake Cult:The remnants in and on Pendor of the Great Baccus Empire are now called just 'The Empire'. However, some portion of the old Baccus Republic (Pre-Empire by several hundred years) must have had profound influence on General Oasar, as he decreed that a democratic council of Lords selects each new 'Overlord' when either the existing ruler dies or reaches the age of sixty. The strong military of the Empire could have long ago swept Northwards into the Pendor heartland and conquered the interior towns, but for the ties that the Empire has from their homeland across the Southern Sea, which have plagued them to no end. The Serpent Cult has been a constant threat, both politically and empirically to the Empire as they almost successfully corrupted the Empire ruling class from within. It did not help that the many civilians and nobles were until recently openly in support of the path of the Serpent. All this has changed. The current Emperor, Marius I, has been successful in banning the Priests and temples from the cities of the Empire. This diplomatic feat has resulted in more of an all out war between the priesthood and the Empire and battles in and around Empire towns and castles are common. The Serpent worshipers in Pendor have gone underground, and receive help from across the Southern Sea where the heart of the Serpent resides. Marius I, has deftly turned the tables on the priesthood and has shown to the peoples of the Empire the depths of their unholy depravity. Escaping the death kiss of a Priestess of the Serpent is strong motivation for the average citizen to help their emperor in this task.:East - the Jatu tribesmen:Along the Eastern plains of Pendor are the steppes of the Jatu. The original Jatu lived across the Southern Sea in a land of vast plains. They were a fiercely independent nomadic people, well versed with bow and spear. The Jatu are skillful horsemen and boys at an early age learn how to fight from horseback. After years of conflict, the Baccus Empire brokered an agreement with the leaders the Jatu that in exchange for peace. The Jatu would provide mercenaries to the Empire to conquer other lands. When General Oasar invaded Pendor, his main compliment of cavalry was the Jatu Horse Lords. When word came that the Great Baccus Empire was in tatters and that the Emperor was dead, the War leaders of the Jatu had no way to return to their homeland. Instead, they left the service of Oasar, raided dozens of villages for women folk, and traveled northwards to establish a new homeland for their peoples. A closed society that refuses trade and diplomatic overtures, these warriors will attack anyone in their domain.:Everywhere - at-large - those with weapons and the will to use them:Once the Empire's armies began to stand down and call Southern Pendor their own, the more unsavory elements, to which the old Baccus Empire was famous for, began to emerge. The Red Brotherhood is a confederation of secret societies that crossed borders all across Pendor. They are bandits, thieves, slavers, and they deal in unsavory plans and sell whatever they can get their hands on. You will find them at times, helpful, and at times, they will be glad to relieve you of your possessions and perhaps your life. Town Militia and various lords try to wipe them out when found, but rooting them out of the various cities is like trying to kill rat infestation with a stick. You never seem to get them all. Note that the various gangs of Red Brotherhood operate independently of one another.:While there are many hazards in Pendor to be wary of, perhaps one of the most dangerous are the various Renegade Knights who wander the countryside. These knights are of various origins, some are from outlawed knighthood orders, others are twisted by the wild magic of the items which they carry, and some are just bent on the destruction of any who cross their path. One thing if for certain, they are deadly.:There are many religions and faiths in the lands of Pendor. Most of them are benevolent, and maintain a doctrine that is the bridge between life and death with a code of conduct that paves the way for a  pleasant hereafter. A few of the non-benevolent religions are bent upon destruction and hatred. These followers are termed heretics by the other faiths, and are looked upon as something to be stamped out. Heretics often are believers in human sacrifice, and other dark rituals and are unsavory at best. At worse, they bring the stuff from your worst nightmares to life.:In your travels you will find adventurer companies. These groups of adventurers are from varied backgrounds and have many different goals. Some are on missions for various lords, some are bounty hunters, and still others are explorers of the ancient cities destroyed long ago. If they happen to take an interest in you, be prepared for anything as it is these self-styled heroes that turn up in the most improbable places, with the most unreal equipment and do the impossible. :To the far East, the Noldor.:The last known remaining trace of the elder races are the Noldor. The war of the Titans was horrific, and the once graceful cities of these folks have long since been destroyed. Only this one place, hidden from outsiders, remains of their civilization. The Noldor were once wondrous workers of magic, but one of the results of the great conflict was that they were no longer able to invoke the cantrips and spells that were so central to their lives. Still, some of their lesser enchantments are still working as evidenced by their almost supernatural abilities on the battlefield. None who cross the paths of the Noldor near their home, come away unscathed.
57ip pendor orders Pendor: The Knighthood Orders History of the Pendorian Knighthood orders as researched and scribed by Hubris deAelswid of Sarleon, Scholar of the third order and keeper of the Seal of Sarleon.:The founding of Pendor was accomplished by a figure of legendary renown:  Cavalas of Valonbray, the son of a renowned knight who, depending on which historian you reference, either 8th or 12th in line to the throne of Valonbray. Regardless, through exploit and adventure Cavalas brought together the various noble lords and founded the Kingdom of Pendor and established the Silver Throne in Sarleon.:It is generally regarded as fact that King Cavalas, in his adventuring days formed the Order of the Griffin, which is considered the first Knighthood order of the Pendorian Kindgom.:Soon after his coronation, Cavalas drafted the Validus Charta, and it was signed by the various noble lords of the realm and through this document established the binding charter and legal grounds for the existence of a body of knights to form an organized order that had recognized coat of arms. It is generally argued that this was a condition by some Lords to support King Cavalas in the establishment of Pendor. This claim cannot be verified as no documents are known to exist that substantiate this theory.:Regardless, within several years a plethora of knighthood orders sprung up in Sarleon and other cities and castles. Few of course lasted more than the lifetime of the founder, and this document shall confine its scope only to those orders that have survived in some form, to this day, the 12th of April, 354, with one notable exception: that of the Order of the Griffon.:The Order of the Lion - Established in the 82nd year after the founding of Pendor by Sir. Roderick the Red. Colors: Red Rampant Lion on a silver field. The Order of the Lion is one of the largest and most renowned orders of Knights in the land. The charter of the order is strict in it's chivalrous by-laws. It is the oldest knighthood order that still has members in Pendor. After the untimely deaths of the royal family in 198, the order was instrumental, along with the Order of the Griffon, in establishing and maintaining order in the realm and preventing an all out war between rival factions contending for the throne of Pendor.:After the succession of the Northern Lords, and the war with the Greater Baccus Empire, the order backed and supported Duke Alfred of Sarleon in assuming the throne and declaring a himself the King of Sarleon.:In the 298th year after the founding of Pendor, the Order was outlawed. All texts and reference to the reasons and history surrounding this event have been destroyed by the order of our King, Ulric I of Sarleon, himself now a prominent member of this Knighthood Order. In the 346th year after the founding of Pendor, the Order was restored by the order of King Ulric I of Sarleon and all references to the events and histories since 298 were destroyed.^Scholars note: King Ulric was coroneted in 346.:The Order of the Radiant Cross. This Knighthood Order was established in the 113th year after the founding of Pendor by Baron Jorn of Dunglave. Colors: White Cross on a Black Field.^Scholars note: Dunglave was renamed to Janos after the occupation of the city by General Oasar in the 203rd year after the founding of Pendor.^The order was one of the prominent forces to battle the invasion by the Greater Baccus Empire in the 202nd year after the founding of Pendor. Overwhelmed in the battle of Sagent Glade, they were all but destroyed by the legions under General Oasar. When General Oasar became 'Overlord', and after the desertion by the Jatu, he incorporated the order colors to form the identifying marks of his elite cavalry units. While these Cavalrymen are not true Knights by any stretch of the imagination, and they do not operate under the Validus Charta, the colors survive and the citizens of the empire often refer to these mounted soldiers as the remnant of that once noble order of Knights.:The Order of the Dragon - Established in the 199th year after the founding of Pendor by Earl Klovis of Rane. Colors: Red Dragon on a field of Azure. There are some accounts that the order was actually ordained on the field of battle during the siege of Rane. Other accounts point out that the order actually came into existence when the documents were ratified and signed several weeks later by the traitorous lords of the Northern borders. I shall leave that debate in the hands of other brothers to determine, if indeed it shall be settled in my lifetime.:The Order of the Dragon was created to honor the noble warriors who stood and routed the armies of the Mystmountain Tribes during the siege of Rane. It is a rogue order, with no charter under the Validus Charta.:The Order of the Falcon - Established in 94th year after the founding of Pendor. Colors: Black Falcon on a yellow field. This order has the notable distinction of allowing females into it's ranks. The original charter allowed for this as one of the five founding members was a woman warrior by the name of Valera who was of no little prowess on the battlefield. This Order originated as a very successful adventuring company in the early years of the Kingdom that later transformed itself under the Validus Charta.:The Order fragmented after the breaking up of the Kingdom and over the years have declined to the point of extinction. The order was outlawed in Ravenstern in the 349th year after the founding of Pendor by King Gregory IV. Most of the order either retired or fled to other lands.^Scholars note: The order may have survived in a form with the Valkyrie in Fierdsvain as they wear the orders emblem upon their breasts. No documents survive that speak of this, and the initiation rites of the Valkyrie are not well documented nor understood. Though I daresay that I doubt that any of my scholarly brothers would want to risk their manhood by too closely examining the breasts of these female warriors. :The Order of the Griffon - Established prior to the founding of Pendor. Colors: Gold Griffon on a field of brown. This prestigious order of knights were the royal guards of the line of Cavalas. The plague of 198 wiped out a large amount of the Order Knights as well as the Royal family.^After the plague, they put aside their differences and worked with the Order of the Lion to maintain order in the land. In the 203rd year after the founding of Pendor, in the forests of Laria the order made it's last stand against a small army of the Jatu who were moving into the Larian farmlands. While successful in defending Laria from being plundered by the Jatu, not a single Knight of this once proud order survived. The great hall of the Griffon Knights in Sarleon stood empty for many years until being converted into an abbey. Scholars note: There is some reference in the recorded histories of the Order of the Lion that prospective knights applying to resurrect the Order of the Griffin were discouraged from achieving their goal. This will have to be researched further.:Order of the Rose - Founded in the 125th year after the founding of Pendor. Colors: White Rose on a green field. This order was founded by Sir Rhys of Avendor and during his lifetime was a prominent order of gallant knights. After his death in the 158th year after the founding of Pendor, his successor turned the order away from martial pursuits and more towards scholarly ones. Since that time the order has degenerated into an elite club for the sons of the Sarleon nobility to enjoy fine wine, and intellectual diatribe. I list it as it still does exist in the taverns and back rooms of Avendor.:By my hand and no other..:Hubris de Aelswid of Sarleon,^Scholar of the third order^Keeper of the Seal of Sarleon.
58ip pendor althea Pendor: Althea and Qualis The storm raged against the cold stone walls of the castle.:Echoes of thunder rumbled down cheerless corridors and into the great hall, where reveling shadows danced across rough stone walls to the silent music of flickering torches.:Althea sat alone beside the pool, clutching a finely-patterned wool shawl to ward off the damp chill.:'I hear you, Qualis,' she said simply. She looked up into the high rafters where the shadows deepened, untouched by the torchlight.:Above her, the snap and whirr of leathery wings announced the descent of a small dragon. It touched down beside her, its sharp, curved claws scraping against the flagstones.:'Why do you not rest?' rasped Qualis.:'The storm keeps me wakeful. It reminds me of the night we lost our father, my brother and I,' said Althea, as she turned her gaze from the dragon back to the still water of the pool.:The meredragon regarded her silently, as she drifted into memories of her past. The pain of her sacrifice was still fresh, and as she thought back on all she'd given up, a solitary tear slid down her cheek.:The dragon watched her grief in bewilderment. He had lived with this elf-woman for years and still she remained an enigma. He could not comprehend her strong ties to her own kind, particularly her unbreakable link to her hatch-brother. He knew of the mysteries and the will. He understood the loose kinship of his kind, love of the hunt, the need every twenty winters to seek out a mate, but Althea's behavior was inexplicable.:He wondered, and not for the first time, if she was mentally defective or had a disease which caused a sickness of spirit.:He felt a familiar touch upon his mind then, a gentle shifting of perception, and knew that the Oracle was again coming to inhabit his consciousness. He had long ago ceased fighting this inner interloper. For centuries he had struggled against this possession, and always in vain. The futility of this resistance was at last borne upon him, and he discovered that cooperation was of mutual benefit.:Now, out of habit, he simply relaxed and cleared his mind.:'Althea, you are in pain,' rasped the Oracle through Qualis.:Althea started, as she always did when the Oracle took control of the dragon's body without warning.:'Yes', she began, 'I suppose I am. The storm has brought back so many sorrowful memories.':'I know that it is still difficult for you, however willingly your choice was made. Yet poor Qualis does not understand, and is disturbed by your grief,' the Oracle said.:She felt the warm, familiar touch in her mind, and let the Oracle enter her consciousness. The room began to fade around her, and she slipped peacefully into the black.:When she opened her eyes again, it was morning. The storm had passed, and brilliant sunlight had banished the torch shadows from the great hall. The air smelled fresh and clean, with a hint of the rain still lingering.:Sitting on his haunches and surrounded by glittering, sapphire-hued gems was Qualis, perched with wings folded back and forearms resting upon his knees. 'I am going release Qualis to himself now. Please be gentle with him, as he is deeply distressed.' said the Oracle.:Althea looked at the Oracle-Qualis in confusion. 'Why is he distressed? And what are these. ' she asked, as she indicated the dozens of glowing gems, scattered like shimmering raindrops about the room.:'I allowed Qualis to experience your sorrow, Althea. Dragons, even clever meredragons, are incapable of understanding elven emotion. Their needs are simple, and they lack the emotive expression of your kind. These gems are the tears that Qualis shed when he experienced your pain.:Still confused, Althea said, 'Dragons feel no sorrow, nor do they shed tears!':'Do not and can not are worlds apart, my dear. For last night, this little dragon did. Once Qualis is more composed, he will undoubtedly slink off to sulk, so please pick up this litter of gems. I believe that they just may be useful one day.'