Ruminations and sundry bits....

It's highly unlikely that anyone is reading this yet. I am currently working on a special project that will ultimately be important to this blog space. Stay tuned...

Created another city-state for The Sword Marches. This one is Swordheim, home base of the March Wardens faction. Need to flesh it out, but you get the idea....

Names, Places, & Organizations of the Sword Marches

From the Epic Heroes Lost Empires of Arkantis setting: Copyright Robert A. Faust 2014

Names for Fantasy Characters

A’Ruhn, Earth Mother

Abadant-Vothf

Abbakhar H’Aen

Akaton Theurge

Alarik Fontaigne

Antierk’an Starshard

Arlemon Grist

Ashen Mournstar

Azz’Drughar-Xekk

Briapus Knobbycock

Calabhon Dearth

Carver Gravehook

Cestigus Dei, Ragemaker

Chaplain Judge

Davion Splinterstar

Debn-Rho

Diabacchus, Lord of Torments

Dread Harbuckle

Droghan Vhaall

Durl Starfane

E’vandhras K’Zhoull 

Eryius Dreadbloom

Fangus Godbreaker

Fitz Grumblejoy

Gheddakuur Darklock

Glorian D’Arcane

Grymson Daro

Gunson Daro

Gurghuz the Black

Hagsmar the Ripe

Hanso M’Nok

Hanto Kalevala

Harganel Kozz

Hasperax Vilepus

Hawker Woodfane

Heinrich Voss

Hurgaz the Hammer

Jack Dragon

Jagger Kilmane, Father of Sorrows

Janus Vecht

K’Nala of Te’Hathas

K’Thon, Keeper of the Abyss

Karnus Hornwrath, Master of Hunts

Kaspar True-Bold

Kazz the Slayer

Keiros D’Nath

Keon Witherstar

Khur’Z’Kai

Kimble True-Bold

Klavian Helspike

Konrad True-Bold

Kraggsman Grist

Kristoph Hellspite

Pantu Monnad

Rho’Ghan Vhaal

Shaggass Burlybuck

Silas Gorehand

Sir Dunmarkham von Draco

Skaarzen, Warblade of Ah’Ruhn

Skarhoc

Taalkis V’Aahn

Teth’Taarii

Toltus-Vokk

Thurgo Drak

Tyrkus Voidstriker

Ur’Daan, Lord of Storms

Urnst von Gryph

Urghaz Braybold, Keeper of Storms

Urzhy K’Vactian

Uu’Kon Soulflay, Cephalarch of the Clutch of One Thousand Shrieks

Vakko Parraka

Vanregard the Mighty

Vanu-Zaine

Varukall D’Ka

Volgan the Unruly

Vonson Darro

Vurtu-Moq

Woodmire the Wise

Xar’Ziel the Almighty

Zagmar Kissaxe

Zhar’Qainen

Wraithstalkers

Etheric Knights

Ghost Watch – Order of Witch Hunters who hunt and kill spectral entities.  Specialist troops with big cloaks and Phantom Form carrying Great Swords that are called Eidolons.

Symbol is the Invisible Sun or Sol Invisibilis

Eidolons – Phantom Form warriors wielding Great Swords that hunt and kill Ghosts, Wraiths, and other spectrals.

Holy Temple is The Sphere – totally sealed fortress monastery only entered in ethereal form.

Warblades of A’Ruhn – Ranger’s Lodge tasked with being the Body Militant of the Earth Mother’s cult.

Wychwood Cabal – Druidic College with the most influence and diversity of membership.

Nolander Tribes of Note

Sword Fangs

Blood Hawks

Iron Horns

Dragon’s Maw

Ascendant Deities

Kostos, The Blind Architect

Q’Altus Zheer, Queen of Stars

Igneon Starfist, Fiery Hand of Justice

Primeval Deities

Karnus Hornwrath, Master of Hunts

Ur’Daan, Lord of Storms

A’Ruhn, Earth Mother

Diabolic Deities

Diabacchus, Lord of Torments

K’thon, Keeper of the Abyss

Cestigus Dei, Ragemaker

Secret Societies of the 3 Planes

Ghost Watch – Ascendant Order – stands guard of the Etherium between Planes. Motto – ‘Till Etherium Come’

Order of Echoes – Primeval Order – stands guard against the ‘Echoes’ of Creation called Abominations.  Motto – ‘Harmony from Discord’

Lords of Entropy – Diabolic Order – stands guard against the encroachment of Ascendants into the Primeval plane.

Weapons of Renown

The Edge of Reveries – Greatsword (Ascendant)

The Edge of Harmonies – Greatsword (Primeval)

The Edge of Miseries – Greatsword (Diabolic)

Firbolg - Inferno Great Sword

Shiverdamn – Frostbite Great Reaver

Testament – Radiant Great Bludgeon

Order of the Astral Seal – Astral Seal is Iron Cross that spans the 4 cardinal points of 3 Dimensions plus Time.

War Seraphs – Three Ranks

1. Starchons

2. Solaraphim

3. Cherubim

Gheddakuur Darklock

Jagger Kilmane, Father of Sorrows

Chaplain Judge

Whisperfalls

Farport

Skyhall

The 3 Great Seals

            Astral – Multi pointed Star motif

            Ashen – Black equilateral cross

            Abyssal – Multi pointed tentacles

The Chaocculus – 8 pointed chaos symbol with all seeing eye in center.

Border Marches – Central region that touches the borders of all the City States/Realms

Vanis-Trymno’s ruins float above the earth and drift across the world and sometimes the planes.

Drew’s Dwarf Knights of the Order of Cogbreakers

            3 Ranks

                        Novice – Bulwark Knight

                        Adept – Bastion Knight

                        Master – Fortress Knight

Sea Elf Wave Warden

Wych Warden – rank of Wychwood Cabal Druids

Bone Devils – enemies of Ghost Watch.

Live in the Netherium – phantom realm between the Primeval and Diabolic Planes.

Their equivalent to the Eidolons are the Agonarchs who oversee the judgments and revels. Travel through portals to ambush enemies in the Primeval Realm.

Wear rictus masks on their helmets.

Bone Devil’s ride horses while their wizards ride in Star Skiffs.

Hornwraiths – Paladins of Karnus Hornwrath – Wardancer like fighters who wear antlered helmets/masks.

Woodwych – Elemental druid/wizards

Wavewych – Sea Elf wizard

Warclad Infinites – Construct Paladins/Fighters animated by the Sigil Infinite

Growling Griffons mercenary company

Sword Marches Factions

Sword Marches Factions Copyright 10/08/2016 by Robert A. Faust

March Wardens – Between the settled fortress-cities of the Sword Marches lay the farms and free towns that stand alone against the darkness. These communities, and the travelers of their byways, have a group of vigilant protectors who intervene when the odds favor the darkness. These are the March Wardens, and their ranks consist of Paladins, Fighters, Rangers and Clerics who protect the places forgotten by the governments of the City-States.

            Rank 1 – Reeve

            Rank 2 – Bailiff

            Rank 3 – Stalwart

            Rank 4 – Marshal

            Rank 5 – High Marshal

Wold Walkers – Off the beaten path made by more civilized folk, the Wold Walkers patrol the broken crags, deep forests, and wild places of the Marches. Travelers and pioneers set a place at their tables and campfires to give thanks and respect to these stalwart defenders of the wildlands. Consisting of a loose alliance of Rangers, Druids, Barbarians, Nature Priests, and Bards the Wold Walkers share news, troop movements of hostile forces, and aid and defend those who fall prey to the evils of the road.

Rank 1 – Wayfinder

            Rank 2 – Strider

            Rank 3 – Road Warden

            Rank 4 – Thorne Warden

            Rank 5 – Hierophant

Guilders – In all ages wealth is power. The faction known as the Guilders holds the most cumulative wealth of all the others combined. Built on the bones of the craft guilds of old, the highest members of this organization are veritable Merchant Princes whose authority, reach, and influence cross borders, fortress walls, and transcend religious dogma. Guilders are interested in accumulating and controlling the wealth of the world. They fund Explorers’ Guilds and adventuring companies with an eye toward finding and retrieving greater riches. They have the largest number of Alchemists at their command whose transmutation of precious metals is held in guarded secrecy.

Rank 1 – Apprentice

            Rank 2 – Journeyman

            Rank 3 – Vault

            Rank 4 – Treasurer

            Rank 5 – Lord Platinum

The Regency – Behind the kings, potentates, tyrants, and other figureheads of state are the true Powers behind the Throne. These bureaucrats, aides, viziers and councilors run the day to day operations of their realms. Quietly working behind the scenes, this organization makes policy, deposes ineffective leaders, and silently charts the course of the remaining civilized lands. This political powerhouse has a diverse membership that has connections in every government, guildhall, militant or religious order, and town council. Cross them at your peril.

Rank 1 – Whisperer

            Rank 2 – Watcher

            Rank 3 – Shadower

            Rank 4 – Invisible Hand

            Rank 5 – Grand Vizier

Reliquarians – This secretive order holds that Knowledge is Power to a fanatical degree. Obsessed with the retrieval and ownership of ancient magic items, relics, and artifacts this organization uses subterfuge and guile to amass raw magical power. Consisting primarily of Sages, Bards, Wizards, historians, and antiquarians this order not only seeks knowledge of lost magical items and spells, but of ancient lore, historical records and all useful knowledge. The enforcement arm of this group is a cabal of Arcane Tricksters known as the Ribaulds.

Rank 1 – Cipher

            Rank 2 – Sigil

            Rank 3 – Secret Keeper

            Rank 4 – Lorecrafter

            Rank 5 – Erudite Master

The Dragon League – Members of this society hold that the world was a better place under the rulership of Dragonkind. After the fall of the Draconarchy, during the Last Great Age, pockets of surviving subjects banded together and rejected their scaly overlords, hunting them to near extinction. Today the Dragon League works in secret to revive the notion that draconic rule will bring balance, prosperity, and usher in the Golden Age of draconic hegemony. Dragonborn of all classes, Kobolds, Lizardmen, and Troglodytes fill the ranks alongside other sapient races that feel their lives better with a dragon in charge. The Yuan-Ti actively oppose the League as they were the original betrayers of the Dragonarchy and see themselves as superiors.

                Rank 1 – Wyrm Scale

            Rank 2 – Kill Claw

            Rank 3 – Blood Wing

            Rank 4 – Dread Fang

            Rank 5 – Draconis Rex

Assorted Fiction by R.A. Faust

12/05/2016

Xavien 1

The rapier pierced the wizard’s veiny neck with a wet hiss. Staring down the length of the gleaming blade the dying man saw the instrument of his destruction wielded by a grinning killer dressed in the ritual garb of the Warstar Knights. The duelist’s thin, tapered face matched the sharpness of his sword and peered out menacingly from his ornate barbut styled helm adorned with a single white ostrich feather.

As the lifeblood drained down his neck and pooled in the fine silks of his own ritual raiment, the wizard jerked a bead off of the leather thong about his opposite wrist, which immediately detonated in a flash of green witch fire, immolating the mage and ending his slow descent to the grave. The blast threw the swordsman back a dozen feet into the stone archway of the laboratory, setting his hair and other clothing on fire.

Xavien D’Arkane patted out the flames and nimbly sprang to his feet. Flicking his rapier free of the wizard’s blood as he picked his way through the mounds of gore, he kept his wits about him in case there were any other surprises lurking about.

Rifling through the elaborate and disheveled bookcase on the back wall he pulled a crimson colored grimoire from under a jar of something questionable, blew the dust away and smiled, stuffing it into his satchel. As swiftly as he entered, he left the room, turning back to gesture while muttering arcane syllables indecipherable to the uninitiated. At the end of the spell blue white motes of radiant star-fire sprayed from his hand igniting the room behind him in a brilliant conflagration.

Once outside Xavien sheathed his Starshard rapier, mounted his charger, and rode off into the night. He was pissed the prick burnt his feather.

Xavien 2

Drawing his blade into Prime, Xavien parried the brunt of the morningstar’s strike but not as much as he’d hoped. The weapon’s protruding spikes caught his helmet enough to twist his head about and throw his balance off. This distraction allowed the hobgoblin’s knee to connect with his midriff, knocking his wind out and sprawling him across the floor.

With a swiftness of follow through common to blooded warriors, the hulking soldier stomped across the span between them and made another overhanded strike down upon Xavien’s prone form. At the last possible instant, Xavien vanished amidst a swirl of cerulean light and suddenly appeared a short distance above and behind the hobgoblin as the morningstar cracked against the flagstones where his body had just been. Gravity took over and the full weight of Xavien’s slight frame bore down upon the ensorcelled tip of his wickedly sharp Starshard and pierced through the top of the soldier’s spine, down through its toughened hide and scale armor, and into its vitals. With a wet slap the hobgoblin sprawled to the ground and Xavien rode it down like the cunning beast it was.

No sooner had he landed on the slumped corpse beneath him, Xavien rolled to the side and blocked two crossbow bolts that had been fired by hobgoblin soldiers. One of the stout arrows embedded in his Starshield while the other skipped off the surface harmlessly. With a flick of his wrist, he sent his bonded blade back to the extra-dimensional space from which he summoned it, and formed his fingers into the arcane gesture that allowed him to hurl his star-fire.

With a brilliant burst of blue-white radiance dozens of motes of star-fire consumed the closest crossbowman in a violent conflagration while the second looked on in abject horror. Thinking it best to retreat from such eldritch wizardry, it turned to flee and was blasted apart by star-fire from a different caster.

“I fucking hate it when you do that!” exclaimed Xavien as the willowy mage Tanyl Larenethai revealed his position behind the opposite doorway. Star-fire motes dissipated in his hand as he grinned slyly knowing full well that his interference would cause a stir with his friend. “I’m just trying to help….” Tanyl proffered.

“I had them both and you go and pull that shit again…” he spat while inspecting the seared mounds of smoking hobgoblins. “You know what I call that?” he furthered.

“Superior legerdemain?” Tanyl quipped, “That’s what the Starseers would call that magnificent magery I just laid down.”

“Always with the pithy retorts…” Xavien replied while absently stabbing the hobgoblins as he passed, just to be sure. “Being a dick is what I call that…”

“Duly noted good Sir,” Tanyl quipped facetiously. He loved jerking Xavien’s chain because it was so damned easy. This had been their dynamic from the start when they first met before the Starseer Council back in Starspeak. They had formed an immediate friendship built upon a healthy foundation of verbal jabs and parries. Xavien assumed the role of big brother to Tanyl’s role of precocious sibling rival. When they were assigned their Darkstar companion, Aenendras Viltos, to complete their triptych the circle was complete. Viltos filled the hyper-competitive cousin role and the three excelled together because of this dynamic admixture of personalities.

Tanyl was shaken from his thoughts by a sudden movement behind him. The hobgoblin brought its morningstar down to crush the half-elf’s skull, only to have his blow deflected by a cerulean colored magical force field that sprung up to meet it. Tanyl never went into a battle without abjuring himself appropriate protective spells. The mage winked at the monster just before immolating it in magical star-fire. Tanyl found using more potent magicks on such lowlife monstrosities a filthy notion. They didn’t deserve more than a cantrip’s worth of effort.

And then Xavien was in front of Tanyl with his Starshield on his right arm covering their front and his Starshard rapier drawn up point first toward the enemies gathering at the threshold. The hobgoblins had murder in their eyes and bloodlust in their hearts. They had accidently discovered the pair exploring their stronghold and had sounded the alarm. The longer Xavien and Tanyl dallied, the greater their risk of death or capture at the hands of these born killers.

“Let’s dance.” said Xavien, and the two sprang into action. Xavien was a blur of steely death, while eldritch energies crackled from Tanyl’s war staff. Death and destruction followed.