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These are divided by geographical location. I've included in each section which people would be familiar with the history & events, etc., though others may have heard rumors in their travels. I don't expect all of you to recognize and memorize all these names. :-) If a person-from-the-past comes up or becomes important as a historical reference, I'll add an OOC comment summarizing the relevant parts. Otherwise, this should be available on-echo for players who might've misplaced this original message. In all cases, see People for other notes on personalities mentioned on this page.
Qenar and Avrezin
Qenar and Avrezin+ Who'd know about this: Qoren Talos, Marika Erren, Shakra Amal, So Fooyan, Takashi Shibano, Yasmaili, Tonar and Caeric Thalsingir (to a lesser extent). (David, Frenil might have some idea of what's going on just by listening to the people around him since his arrival in Qenar, but I suspect his background doesn't include Qenaren/Ezinen politics.)
enar and Avrezin have always been uneasy with each other. In the past, this meant border skirmishes and on-and-off hostilities. Trade between the two nations remained steady, though, and formed some incentive toward peace. About 27 years ago, Kelas Tavaien succeeded to the post of warlord. It soon became apparent that he was a rarity in Avrezin: a leader capable of uniting the disparate factions and persuading the 5 regents to join his cause. And that cause, it became clear, was expansion to the east...to Qenar. Previously unthinkable, Tavaien questioned the potential danger of the Ashen Lands' denizens and *made* the idea thinkable. Some provinces were more willing allies than others. But Tavaien also had formidable support: his protegée and appointed heir, the battle-mage Raesja Piromel; the mercenary captain Jannas Mirriyev; and those noble houses and merchants who saw profit to come. The situation came to a head 13 years ago. The Qenaren, long sheltered by Avrezin's customary fragmentation and occupied by troubles with the desert raiders to the south, had only a brief time to try and stave off the coming invasion. Diplomacy, a weakly developed art, failed. 13 years ago, in the autumn, Warlord Tavaien led the combined forces of the Six Cities to Blackrock Pass, the only feasible approach to Qenar. (Canton Sjehan is protected by Lake Swanfall, and Canton Birechan is protected by mountains, except at the pass.) The Qenaren, led by Commandant Aeres Yeriyen of Birechan, met them at Blackrock. The Qenaren were hopelessly outnumbered and planned a holding action, knowing they would fall and praying that the other cantons would be able to send reinforcements before Tavaien reached the lightly defended inner canton Tannaj--home to the Valley and most of Qenar's farming. It should have been a victory for Tavaien, however grim the casualties (Qenaren excellence in defensive engineering is known through a good part of the world). It wasn't. An inferno of spells-gone-awry consumed Blackrock Pass, decimating both armies. Warlord Tavaien was killed. His heir, Raesja, survived but lost half her face; to this day she wears a veil so her disfigurement won't disconcert others. Jannas Mirriyev managed to salvage the reserves. On the Qenaren side, almost all of Birechan's spellsworn were wiped out, including those who specialized in healing. Commandant Yeriyen came out unscathed, but took no pleasure in it. Post-battle casualties finished off many of those who lived through the initial onslaught due to a dearth of healers and physicians. It must also be noted that Qenar's current executioner, Cat, and Commandant-errant Vanen Miris were survivors of First Blackrock. In the following confusion, warlord-heir Raesja Piromel and Commandant Yeriyen negotiated a writ of peace. This was subsequently ratified on the Qenaren side by Marshal Ris Komera and high command at Tenu. While some voices called for retaliation, Qenar lacked the people and resources to do so...and the Black Wall, as Komera reminded them, was Qenar's primary concern. On the Ezinen side, Raesja was confirmed as warlord, but provinces Moruhan (given to Jannas Mirriyev, since Moruhan's regent died shortly afterward) and Kisria refused to ratify the writ. In the wake of Tavaien's passing, Raesja had insufficient authority to force those provinces' acceptance. The massacre's cause was unknown...even the few survivors could recall nothing coherent. Suspicions pointed to divine intervention (by deity-of-choice), a traitor on the Ezinen side, a traitor and oathbreaker on the Qenaren side...but no one knew for sure. After the First Battle of Blackrock Pass (read on for the second...), both Avrezin and Qenar focussed on rebuilding. An odd decade passed with no more than the usual skirmishes between Qenar and Avrezin. Warlord Piromel and most of the Qenaren seemed willing to leave matters at that indefinitely. During this time, it might also be noted that Cat, formerly a soldier, emerged as Qenar's most powerful spellsworn and was appointed executioner following High Magistrate Aruja's demise. But changes were coming to both nations. Shifting trade patterns suggested that Ezinen provinces Moruhan and Kisria would find themselves in decline. Poor in resources and historically unblessed with skilled artisans or ingenious engineers, those two provinces' regents, Jannas Mirriyev (of Moruhan) and Eren Vranos (of Kisria) allied and planned for war. For Qenar was blessed with mountains that provided ores, and one fertile canton (Tannaj) which reduced the necessity of trading for foodstuffs. Since Tavaien had already made the idea of attacking Qenar, bastion against the Ashen Lands, a possibility, Mirriyev and Vranos followed his footsteps. A series of border provocations succeeded in drawing a reprisal raid from the outlying lands of canton Sjehan. In addition, Mirriyev sent a squad of nine mages in an attempt to assassinate Cat. While Mirriyev doubted the rumors that suggested Cat was responsible for the tragedy at Blackrock (it seemed he only became a mage afterward), he had come to distrust magic and its practitioners. He also suspected Cat, formerly associated with the engineering corps at Birechan, might foil his ace-in-the-hole. The assassination attempt failed, but Qenar went on alert. Warlord Piromel, upon learning of the reprisal incident, knew what Mirriyev and Vranos intended--but was helpless to stop it, though she tried to limit the scope. She declared her province, Rekke, neutral, despite pressure to join the invasion from the Old Sects and other special interests. Thus commenced Second Blackrock, approximately two years ago. Mirriyev, like Tavaien before him, came close to succeeding. He took the Qenaren by surprise by bringing in several steam cannon for bombardment; previously the most powerful siege engines had been the catapult and trebuchet. (He spent the last decade developing the cannon.) Fort Blackrock fell, and the Qenaren were forced to resort to guerilla warfare to prevent the Ezinen from reaching the Valley. (Some attempt had been made to fortify canton Tannaj in the past decade, but money was needed elsewhere.) Commandant Yeriyen was killed in the siege, though her subcommandant, Irezan Esse, and in particular a young captain named Vanen Miris escaped to lead the guerillas. Cat, who had been sent to help with magical defenses, disappeared at the siege and was presumed dead. To shorten a long story, floods weakened the invaders' supply lines (the River Ezin often floods in the early spring) and Vanen Miris displayed a genius for tactics. Cat reappeared and devised cannon to besiege Mirriyev's own encampment, though he never explained where he'd been or how he'd gotten the cannon design. The second invasion was brought to a draw, and at last Jannas Mirriyev sued for peace. The final result: a second writ of peace (though no one expects this one to last long, either). Marshal Ris Komera, becoming paranoid, demanded--and received--custody of province Moruhan, to be administered as a Qenaren protectorate and buffer zone, and appointed Vanen Miris commandant-errant of that province. Irezan Esse succeeded Aeres Yeriyen as commandant of Birechan. Jannas Mirriyev accepted exile to the western lands and is forbidden to enter Avrezin or Qenar. * Recently: No one is happy. The Qenaren are aware that, if their neighbors have proved twice willing to compromise the region's safety against the wraiths in the past 15 years, others to the west may find Qenar a tempting target as well. Many in Qenar are disturbed at reports of increasing attacks by wraiths, to the point where the odd Ashen Lands nomad is willing to take refuge in the Forest Land (a rare occurrence). The Ashen Lands wraiths and other creatures have been known as dangerous, but canny rather than prone to bloodlust...and respectful of the Black Wall, which has become less true of late. In Avrezin, there is disgruntlement over foreign rule of province Moruhan. While Raesja is respected, many dislike her policies of peace. (Some say she lost her nerve after First Blackrock. A few think she's right.) Crops have been good if not great the past few years. There have been outbreaks of disease because of heavy flooding in the past and lack of relief for poor living conditions. Manufactories are becoming more common in Qenar and Avrezin...and some priests, whether of the Old Sects, Splinter Sects, or the scattered animistic Qenaren religions, call the new ways heresy.
Bereshen+ Who would know this: Takashi Shibano, Shakra Amal, So Fooyan, Qoren Talos (vaguely), Frenil Bentyr (dim possibility)
ereshen has been unscathed by the past two decades. Her policy of keeping out of others' politics except as it pertains to trade-rights and safe-passage for her physicians/healers has paid off handsomely...and in the wake of two invasions in Avrezin and Qenar, there has been much demand for healers and Bereshi medicines. Of particular interest to some Bereshi are those manufactories that are experimenting with chemical processes. While none of them come near rivalling Bereshen's pharmacology, a few promising medicines and dyes have appeared. Of more concern is the news that strange shapes and shadows--wraiths?--have been spotted in southern Bereshen, despite the Black Wall and the presence of natural barriers (not to mention murky swamplands).
The Diresands+ Who would know this: Yasmaili, Takashi Shibano (somewhat, from travels down south)
ome things, like the sands, never change. In particular, vengeance never changes. Two hundred years ago, Clan Aharaz defied a powerful clan lord and joined Qenar. As Harava is a site of religious significance to many northern clans, this deed has not gone unnoted...or unpunished. Legend says that the fountains and streams of (now-canton) Harava were a gift from the gods, a gift of everlasting water. Especially the Arch of Tears, the fountain at the city's heart. Raids on Harava are never-ending; and Harava, which borders the desert, is the only Qenaren canton to make any extensive use of cavalry...in defense against the raiders. But Commandant Jelwei's attention has been distracted of late, what with ominous news from both east and west...and it may be that, for the first time in memory, Harava's cavalry will be called upon in defense of a canton other than Harava. The northern clans have noted this. They're waiting. And when they come, even the mountains will not stop them.
Further WestI'm willing to have players make up history, since the only two players for whom this is a concern are Scott and Josh. One of my intents in leaving the west "open" was so players with special needs wouldn't feel cramped by having all the "story space" taken up...something I've found to be a problem in Legend of the Five Rings, which has its own storyline and such a crammed one that it's hard to think of major plots without having to rewrite most of the sourcebooks.
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