Category Archives: Lunars

Eleanor du Saren

Lunars, NPC's

Young Lunar noble on the run
Runes: Moon, Harmony, Illusion
Threat Level **
Traits: Optimistic, Emotional, Energetic, Humorous, Adaptive

Currently going by the moniker Ellie, Eleanor is a stunning young woman of 19 who has eloped from a prominent Lunar noble house with her former bodyguard and lover.She is fair haired, slight and small build and bright eyed, with a sharp wit and engaging laugh.

She is an illegitimate daughter of a powerful Lunar Lady of the House Saren in Glamour. She was born rune touched to the Moon rune, and subtle rumours recently circulated in certain circles in  Glamour that she may be a daughter of the Red Emperor.  She is unaware of this rumour.

Due to this rumour she became of significance and a target in dart competitions of the Lunar nobility. After an attempt on her life, she and Darin her bodyguard lover fled Glamour and the Lunar Heartlands and came to lie low in Balazar where he had previously served in the Lunar army.

After quickly passing through Elkoi, she is now lying low in Trilus with her lover. After staying at the Stuck Pig for a week or so, they have become house guests of Quintas Ven Olartas. She is attempting to be in the background and play the role of soldiers girl, but is unable to do that convincingly due to her character and nature.

She has transitioned to a less than noble life well and is enjoying the freedom she now has, she has a passion for both clothing and dogs the first is somewhat frustrated in Balazar.

She has no real combat skills, but has a few interesting magical spells that should enable her to escape many situations.   She is also touched by the moon Rune.

She has a deep affection for Darin who is her lover and a father figure in her life, but she is not as madly in love with him as he is with her. She has not realised this fact, what she has done to him or that this relationship will eventually cost him his life.

Though well behaved Eleanor has caught the attention of most men in Trilus and thus has earned the enmity of Pay Surney who has used a few choice words to describe her.

Halycon von Enkorth is aware she is not all she claimed to be, and has started to make low level enquiries back in the empire, they have yet come to nothing but may bring him very useful information to him in time.

Plot Uses: Can start to open up internal Lunar intrigue to the players, also an excuse to bring very powerful Lunar figures into the campaign if you desire.Also she becomes a possible kidnap victim for unscrupulous Orlanthi characters.

Retainers of Quintas

Balazarings, Lunars, NPC's

Wulgar Farsee,

Balazaring Guide, Foundchild Initiate
Runes:  Water, Death, Harmony
Threat Level ***
Traits: Pessimistic, Dependable, Sour, Calm

Wulgar is an experienced hunter and has a good knowledge of Balazar and of tribal politics, however contrary to what his employer thinks he does not know the Elder Wilds, even though he claims the opposite.

Due to the bitter experiences of his clan Wulgar has a Fear and hatred of trolls which has kept him from exploring deeper into the Elder Wilds.

Tybosh

Balazaring Guard, Initiate of Foundchild, Lay member of Orlanth
Runes: Earth, Death, Harmony
Threat Level ***
 Traits: Passive, Stubborn, Cautious, Reliable

An older man of some bulk and strength Tybosh is one of Quintas’s full time guards, who looks after both his person  and house. Tybosh likes Quintas but is actually spying on him for King Yalaring. He is glad to be able to report nothing of note or consequence to the king.

Tybosh is an experienced warrior and was one of the citadel guards of the previous dynasty. Spared by the King  he is not his sworn man but feels he owes him honour due the mercy shown by Yalaring.

Using a longspear and large shield and usually wearing thick furs Tybosh is not a subtle site at the door to what used to be the Red bear lodge.

Kalaring the Black,

Personal Guard, Initiate of Foundchild
Runes:  Fire, Death, Man
Threat Level ***
Traits: Funny, Amiable, Determined

A Balazaring hunter who has made his living for the last 10 years as a mercenary around the borders of the Empire. He has drifted back to Balazar this last 2 years

Named after his prized possession of a lined black cloak, Kalaring is short, quick, stealthy and competent warrior. He uses a shortsword and dagger combination and is considered a skilled and determined fighter by most of the locals.

As a mercenary Kalaring works for the highest bidder but has a good reputation and has worked with Toraths Orlanthi, Joh Mith and the Greatway  dwarves on occasion, he has no serious allegiances but like his employers to be of some standing and have trustable reputation.

He has turned down the offer of joined Baron’s Blackshields and bad blood exists with that group for that reason. He has enjoyed his time with Quintas and is loyal to his employer

Tinirin

Lunars, NPC's

Lunar Acolyte of Irippi Ontor
Runes:Moon, Truth, Man
Threat Level: ***
Traits: Pessimistic, Dependable, Sour, Calm

He is Quintas secretary, steward and close friend.  Originally a farmer’s son from the from Mrins Cross area. Tinirin is middle aged, a serious scholar and a master of geography in his own right. He is a little more practical than Quintas and gets bothered by day to day matters.

Has enjoyed working for Quintas over the years and  has made choices where he has valued  their friendship over his career on numerous situations. He is also illuminated and shares many interests with the older sage. However Tinirin does not share his masters positive and friendly personality, he does not have his masters warmth or generous disposition even in the best of circumstances. His is distant and often sour, he is also every aware of his status and is quick to use it to keep lesser in their place.

He does not enjoy being in Balazar and is not comfortable in Trilus. He has been known to take this frustration out on some of the servant girls and has badly beaten a couple of them.

Quintas knows and doesn’t approve but so far has turned a blind eye to his friend’sbehaviour. If it becomes an issue he will publically back his friend, but privately chastise him.

Tinirin wears is an ostentatious dresser and usually can be seen  well-made lunar clothes adorned with showy jewellery.

Plot uses: Tinirin has beaten a servant girl who is in Quintas employ badly; dependent the players loyalty’s he can be involved in the following ways;

  • Go fetch Tinirin and bring him to the girls clan
  • Get Tinirin out of town for a while before he is arrested
  • Negotiate with the beaten girls Clan to bring this incident to an amicable solution.
  • Servant girls approaches players to get her out of town and back to her clan
  • Servant girls clan members corner Tinirin in front of the players

Quintas Ven Olartas

Lunars, NPC's

Lunar Priest of Irippi Ontor
Runes: Moon, Truth, Harmony
Traits: Passive, Humorous, Mental, Generous.
Threat Level *****

An old but hale scholar, who seems independently wealthy who has set up home in Trilus, in the old Lunar establishment which used to be called the Red Bear lodge.

He appears to all a nice guy (and is), he has a fatherly demeanour and has a generous spirit to most if not all. He is illuminated which he sees as just a philosophical position, but he is sensible enough to be quiet about this in these lands.

At a surface level he seems a very mundane scholar interested in very mundane things, but those who spend time talking to him will occasionally see evidence of more esoteric law, knowledge of deeper magic’s and an interesting history.

He works independent of the lunar government, and has little interest in politics or political conflict. However he is starting to acknowledge that Balazar is becoming more dangerous and political than he realised.

He is in Trilus researching Balazaring and hunter culture and religion, only because he wants to and thinks it is an enthralling subject and a much understudied region.

He is spending good money round Trilus on his research project and has good reputation because of it.  He has hired a few guards and servants, and will often run short expeditions to the local clans for research purposes.

He is currently housed in what used to be the Red Bear Lodge, which is far to large for his parties needs, he often ends up hosting visiting lunars when he is convinced they wont bring dishonour or discord to his house.

Gets on very well with Dushi Sone, and wants to meet Bluebird (who isn’t keen). Torath Manover has even been heard to say that he ‘Is a decent chap for a Lunar’.

Plot Uses: He is a classic lunar illuminates can be nice guy character. He can be a source if employment, interesting information, and maybe the odd interesting item if the character are so inclined.

Hopefully ads complexity to the way Lunars are viewed by some characters, this guy is genuine and people have little reason to dislike him.

Holay Mercenary Companies

Background, Lunars, Setting

Just some background I did to give me an understanding of what company sized mercenary units the Lunars could rotate through Elkoi.

Name Troops Type Location Arms Cults
The Grey Lancers 100 Heavy Cavalry Filichet Lance, Sword, Shield, Leather Armour Redalya
Brother Hounds 80 Peltast Dog Plains Javelin, shield, short sword Jajagappa
Gowans Square 144 Heavy infantry Mrins Cross Pike, Shield, Sword, & Bronze Armour Lunar
Moon Swords 80 Infantry Thernan Spear, Shield,  leather amour Lunar
The Crimson Horse 180 Heavy Cavalry Mirins Cross Lance, Sword, Shield, Leather Armour Redalya
The Spears of the Dawn 300 Peltast Mirins Cross Javelin, shield, short sword Yelmalio
The Company of the Road 400 Heavy Infantry Mirins Cross Long Spear, Kopis, Shield, & Bronze Armour YanafalTarnis
Silver Stars 30 Light Cavalry Mirins Cross Lance, Bow, Shield, Leather Armour Yelorna
Grey Guards 3 * 100 Caravan Guards Filichet,
Fyliich Kwan
Dolsonin		 Sword, Shield, Javelin leather armour Orlanthi
The Watchmen 80 Militia Holay Fort Spear, Shield, Leather  with some bowmen Lunar
The Ploughmen 80 Infantry Dolosin Sword, Shield, Leather Armour Banatar
Dragonbreakers 200 Heavy Infantry Barnborn Axe, Shield, Bronze Armour AlakoringDragonbreaker
Bostok Bows 50 Archers Bostok Bow, Kopis, Leather Armour Lunar
Jabers Spears 200 Infantry Saird Spear, Shield,  Leather Amour Lunar
Red Sisters 80 Mixed Filchet Mixed Redalya
The Rivermen 120 Peltasts Banborn Javelin, shield, short sword Mixed
Sundome 800 * 2 Heavy Infantry Sundome Longspear Yelamaio

 

Lunar Military Policy in Balazar

Background, Lunars

For the Lunars Balazar is a backwater of little or no strategic importance. The Lunar incursion into Balazar over 50 years ago was never strategic, but a tactical attempt to stop raiding over a difficult border, and to buffer Imther, Tarsh and Holay from constant raiding from the Elkio clans.

Now this goal has been largely achieved the Leadership of the Lunar provincial government has no plans and little time for Balazar. All eyes are on Satar, Prax and Whitewall and events of strategic, religious and cosmological importance going on in that theatre.

This has left Balazar without strong Lunar governance, an unclear power structure and a lack of troops and resources for the Lunar leaders to implement the basic tasks assigned to them.  The limited Lunar garrison in Elkio has the following responsibilities.

  • Support the King of Elkio who the Lunars have selected.
  • Protect Lunar citizens within the Kingdom of Elkio and across Balazar
  • Suppress any revolts and raiding from within the Elkio clans
  • Patrol the border and stop other Balazaring tribes raiding the Empire
  • Scout deeper into the Balazar and the Elder wilds to detect threats or opportunities for the Lunar empire

For this task they have been provided with 200 Lunar troops, and have the 30 additional citadel warriors at their disposal. They even struggle to feed this limited number and have to use resources guarding the food caravans coming into the citadel.

The current situation is starting to get concerning for local lunar leaders with the following trends

  • Clans traditionally loyal to Elkio pulling away from the citadel and rule of the King Glyptus
  • Increased Orlanthi activity with balazaring Orlanthi appearing and the Windsword being found
  • Occasional raids on Lunar convoys
  • Killing of a Lunar Citizens in Trilius
  • Yelmalio temple relocating to Dykene after the opening of the new Lunar temple in Elkio

The view from Mirin’s Cross

The Lunar provincial government sees very little of value in Balazar, with the only opportunity of note being the rumors of the Giant Gon Orta and his pass into Northern Prax.

However to connect with Gon Orta the Lunar administration would have to;

  • Subdue another 80,000 Balazarings,
  • Subdue or reach treaty with 300,000 very primitive trolls,
  • Create a treaty with an elven society which still remembers the mooburn
  • Open up a new 200 mile wide front with a potential Pentian threat

Not things the provincial administration would want to do and even if firm data and good intentions were received from Gon Orta. It frankly would not be worth the effort to expand further east.

The Lunar Admirations sees Elkio as a buffer to the rest of Balazar, Balazar as a buffer to the Elder Races, the Elder races as a buffer to the Pentians who are still seen as a significant threat to the empire.

This status quo is a situation the provincial administration approves of and it would take significant changes in opportunities or threats for them to even consider a change of position. The activity to the south means they are unlikely to even recognize a change of threat level in Balazar.

Local leaders have been ordered to maintain the status quo and quash threats to the empire, with only the resources to hand, and to expect no more.

The View from Balazar

The day to day Leadership of this province has been left in the hands of three very different men, with three very different perceptions and agendas.

Halycon Von Enkorth

Sees himself an up and coming man, he is 25 years old in a position of power as ’Advisor to the Lunar Minister of Provencal Security with special consideration to Balazar and the Elder Wilds’ and is looking for more. He somewhat bemused with his posting in the backwater and sees it as a slight. However he is still looking wants to make a name for himself and looking for opportunities to distinguish himself to his superiors.

Halycon is firmly of the belief that to keep the border stable  the Lunar empire needs to keep rivals and opponents unstable. He is actively destabilises non lunar tribes clans and tribes, aids and support rebellions. He actively campaigns against opponents outside Lunar lands and has no issue in detaining or assassinating people anywhere in Balazar.  His agents are more circumspect in the other two citadels but apart from that he works with impunity.

Due to there not being a direct line of command between himself and the Lunar garrison Halycon mainly uses mercenaries for his operations with varying degrees of success. Currently;

  • Barons Blackshields – A small group of adventures come mercenaries who are on permanent retainer with Halycon, these coordinate most of the other mercenaries for Halycon.
  • Elkio tribesmen- There are always a small number of Balazarings ready to do virtually anything for Lunar goods and gin.
  • Tusk riders – Halycon has recently imported a fair sized band of tusk riders, on the promise of land and payment. This is not turning out to be one of his better projects.
  • Imther, Holay and Tarsh mercenaries – Halycon will employ mercenaries on an ad hoc basis as they finish their work guarding the supply columns coming to Elkoi

Halycon knows Ergryptus is working against him and is considering having him eliminated if an opportunity were to present itself.

Ergryptus the Bold

The 55 year old career soldier and commander of the Lunar garrison wants to hit retirement alive. He knows situation is delicate, he does not have the resources to deal with a significant uprising and he is protecting an incompetent king.

He his however a highly competent and professional soldier and just wishes to fulfil his standing orders, with minimum of fuss and little interference. He has no need to prove his competence or curry favour with any politician.

It is his belief that a steady, competent garrison duty is what is required to maintain the border. He sees no reason to engage in behaviour that will provoke confrontation either within or without the borders of Elkio.

He is however concerned about the lack of manpower to garrison this frontier but has been informed from the Lunar Provincal Army that no extra resources will be forthcoming. His response is to start to train a local auxiliary of 100 Elkio tribesmen to supplement the lunar forces, this force is not part of the citadel guards but reports directly to him.

Due his competence over a 5 year period he has by far the best information network in Elkio and the allied tribes.

Lines of command are confusing with Halcyon reporting into a ministry in Mrins Cross and Ergryptus reporting into the Lunar provincial army.

He has a personal dislike of Halycon and his actions and thinks they will destabilise the border and create issues.  If Ergyptrus  can find a pretence and gets enough evidence he will have Halcyon arrested

Glyptus the Good

Though as a client King Glyptus is officially the supreme authority of the Lunar Empire in Balazar you would not know it, he dithers, confers and vacillates between the opinions of his two lunar advisors and subordinates, and then does exactly what his wife tells him to.

However Glyptus is bright enough to be concerned about his position. He is losing support of many  traditional Elkio clans and some have even raided the lunar supply caravans.

He is desperate to be seen as important within the Lunar Empire, and this with his wife encouragement makes him  pray to Halycons more strident manipulations.

However he is very aware that without Ergyptus support his head could be on a pike attached to castle gates very quickly. King Glyptus thinks he is cleverly following a middle path between the two lines of council, but the truth is he vacillates between opinions which infuriates each of the men in turn. It also makes lunar Policy very hard to predict.

 

Balazaring Perceptions

To most Balazarings the Lunar empire has unlimited resources and is wanting to invade neighbouring lands at the slightest provocation. Though this is not true, it is the widely held perception of the Empire of all who pay it any attention.

The exception to this is many of the formerly Elkoi clans who have stopped paying Glyptus fealty in recent years, they have realised that of Lunar Dominance over western Balazar does not extend far beyond sight of the citadel of Elkoi.

However the fact that the Lunar garrison is twice the size of the standing armies of Trilius and Dykene leaves an impression of strength, both kings are concerned about possible invasion and the hunting clans are rife with rumours of plots afoot,  the machinations of Halycon von Encorth keep the myths alive.

Trilius is trying to strength its light bringer connections to bolster itself against the empire, without being directly provocative to the empire. Dykene is strengthening its Yelmalion credentials and a the public perception of a stronger alliance with the Dwarves of Greatway to increase its position of strength. Both are unaware these moves are unneeded.

Current Lunar Troops

The current Lunar garrison is comprised of the following;

  • Permanent Garrison, Command staff, and logistics – Regular Lunar Army – 30 effectives
  • Elkoi Militia – Balazaring Peltasts Skirmishes – 60 effectives

The following units tend to be rotated on 2 or 3 season rotations.

  • 1 Company of Mercenary Peltasts from Holay(80 effectives)
  • 1 Company of Barbarian Mercenary Spears(80 effectives)  from Holay or Tarsh
  • 1 Company Mercenary Light or medium Horse (40 effectives) from Holay