Summer 1001 - Apocalypse Now

"My Emperor," the messenger announced, "I have news of the war with the Mangu hordes."

The Emperor paused briefly as he swallowed the soft flesh of the nectarine.

"Proceed."

"My Emperor, we have defeated them and driven them back. Our domination of Mangu will soon be complete. They have fewer places than ever to retreat and their army is in disarray. Victory will soon be ours. My scouts also report that Altengard has lost ground to both Treyine and Tereken. The jackals fight among themselves and make our next task easier. They will be easy pickings once Mangu is disposed of."

The Emperor nodded, the nectarine in his hand forgotten as he envisaged ultimate victory.

"There is one thing more, my Emperor. The general commanded me to bring this to you."

He waved his two companions forward to join him with a large shrouded package.

The Emperor looked warily at it, but the captain of the palace guard knew what to do without instruction. He ordered two of the guards to take it and open it. When they did so, the court wizard's eyes widened. He strode forward from his place at the left hand of the Emperor and examined it.

"My Emperor," he declared, "This appears to be genuine. This is the third artefact. We now possess all three: the Amulet of Sorbrowane, the Brazier of Durmun and the War Horn of Naz-Goth. Our victory is assured for the prophecies all foretell how the world shall bow before you when you present these artefacts to the gods on the peaks of Gorath. It is fortunate that you had the foresight to conquer that land so far in advance. That will make our task so much easier."

The emperor's eyes widened.

"So, it is true then? I shall rule this world? Make the preparations. We march to Gorath as soon as you can organise our forces. This world shall be mine!"

And so, the campaign ends with all three artefacts in the possession of Mirish and the Emperor of Mirish soon to declare himself God-Emperor of Talomir. The End of Days is here. Prophecies foretell that the owner of the artefacts cannot be defeated and will rule all Talomir. Other prophecies declare that the final battle between the Red Sun and the Black Moon will happen when the artefacts' power is invoked on the peaks of Gorath, and the Creators will walk Talomir once more, but I don't think that the court wizard told the emperor those ones.

So, that is this chapter of Talomir Tales complete. We only used the north of Talomir for this campaign, and found that a little unwieldy at times; too many nations and not enough players. Still, it has been great fun, and I think it is quite the achievement keeping a campaign going for eight years. Even with occasional breaks that is still better than any other campaign I have tried. There is still room for a game or two in this campaign. We could fight out the last battle as an epic gods and heroes game, or we might have sneaky spies trying to steal the artefacts in Warrior Heroes skirmish games. It's a fairly long trip to Gorath from the Mirish capital, and there is plenty of room for extending the campaign at a later date with these additional games. I'm not going to do that immediately. It is time to let Mirish bask in its victory for now.

ALL HAIL THE NEW GOD-EMPEROR OF TALOMIR!

Spring 1001 - Campaign Update

As spring approaches, armies polish their armour and sharpen their weapons. Mirish chooses to continue its invasion of Mangu to teach the upstart steppe riders not to invade Mirish territory. The Tereken warriors, after an extended enforced peace, are itching to see battle again and choose to invade Altengard. Taking advantage of this attack, Treyine declares war on Altengard too.

Wars
Mangu invades Mirish
Tereken invades Altengard
Treyine invades Altengard

Talomir in 1001

Winter 1000 - Campaign Update

The Mangu invasion of Mirish did not go as planned, but it provided a brief respite for Treyine. Both Mirish and Mangu are eager to pursue their hostilities against each other, but enthusiasm for the war against Treyine is waning in Mirish (Pass 1D, NM -1). Before any more can happen, winter sets in and the armies must retire to their winter quarters.

During the winter, a freak snow flurry freezes a Tereken mage in place, and she dies. No other deaths are reported this season.

Through the winter, the doves have the ear of the Grand Vizier of Mirish and morale plummets as a result of this (pass 1D versus Mangu, but 0D versus Treyine). Mirish sues for peace with Treyine and national morale goes down another point. The hawks must hope that a successful invasion of Mangu will restore national pride, and their place of influence.

Talomir in Winter 1000

Autumn 1000 - Campaign Progress

Summer saw Treyine lose to the Mirish hordes. In the process, they lost the War Horn of Naz-Goth. Mirish has recovered the War Horn but may not use it for one season.

Come the Autumn, the peace treaty between Mirish and Mangu reaches its end and Mangu immediately launches an assault on Mirish. Elsewhere, Talomir remains quiet as the other nations respect their treaties and lick their wounds.

Summer 1000 - Campaign Progress

The Tereken army was thoroughly defeated and driven back by the Treyine juggernaut. Seeing nothing else for it, they surrendered immediately and signed a peace treaty that allowed their survivors and wounded to escape. With most of Talomir bound by peace treaties secured in the gods' names, all thought that peace must reign. However, Treyine's hungry eyes turn towards Mirish, while General Pereira's successor is eager to prove his worth. Both nations mobilise immediately, but Treyine is slightly slower and finds a Mirish army already entering its borders.

New Wars
Mirish invades Treyine

Spring 1000 - Campaign Progress

Spring arrives early in Talomir this year and is unseasonably wet. The seers claim that this is a result of all three artefacts being present and known in the world. They say that the weather will only get worse as the Time of Resolution nears. However, their prophecies are belied by the peace that reigns generally in Talomir. Only Tereken is at war as it continues its assault on Treyine.

Winter 999 - Campaign Update

Tropilium lies crushed under the hobnailed heel of Treyine. Mangu has once more cut its losses and fled to its heartland. Where then will the fate of Talomir's nations go next?

Talomir in Winter 999

Death Checks
The King of Altengard dies of a surfeit of peace. He is replaced by his eldest surviving son Sivrit III [WR 3].

General Pereira of Mirish chokes to death on a nectarine! His young nephew succeeds him [WR 2]

National Morale
Tereken morale goes down by 1 point again, but the war will continue.

Campaign Update: Autumn 999

Tropilium carelessly lost an emperor in the summer, but the new emperor is a real firebrand devoted to making Tropilium great again. Pundits round the agora think he may well have been indulging in the divine ambrosia a little too much, and are already getting into production the usual range of trinkets and souvenirs that invading armies are made bankrupt by.

Mirish continues its invasion of Mangu. General Pereira has repeatedly been heard telling anyone who will listen that Mangu represents the greatest threat to Mirish security that Talomir has ever known. It has been reported that his dislike of Mangu stems from their preference for preserved nectarines over the more proper fresh nectarines.

The treaty between Tereken and Treyine ends this season and already the Tereken army seeks to take advantage of Treyine being distracted by Tropilium. They board their longships and launch an assault on Treyine at the first opportunity.

Treyine chooses to ignore the Tereken incursion for now in favour of completing their current plans.

Campaign Update - Summer 999

Treyine has split Tropilium in two, but the fight spirit that forged an empire remains strong in the Tropilian people and they resolve to go down swinging if go down they must.

The peace treaty between Mirish and Mangu ends. It is no surprise then that both nations mass their armies on their borders for immediate reprisals against their hated enemies. Mirish takes the initiative though, and launches an invasion of Mangu.

Talomir Summer 999

Ongoing Wars:
Treyine invades Tropilium
Mirish invades Mangu

Spring 999 - Campaign Update

With the fall of Stygustan, only six nations remain. The winter was peaceful, but the victory over Stygustan has reignited the warlike hearts of the Treyine people. Tropilium is their target. All other nations remain at peace for now ...

New Wars
Treyine invades Tropilium

Winter 998 - Campaign Update

Once the mightiest and most enlightened empire on Talomir, Stygustan is no more, a victim of the international desire to control the nectarine trade and production.

"Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair"

With Stygustan defeated, peace reigns over Talomir, enforced by legally binding treaties for the time being.

Death Checks

A minor (Level 1) wizard of the Mirish army choked and died on a nectarine stone.

No other personalities died this winter.

Magic Items

Tereken has found the Pipes of the Dead

Holy Relics

Altengard has recovered the Spear of St Lindorf.

Talomir in Winter 998

Autumn 998 - Campaign Update

The ancient empire of Stygustan, home of the oldest gods of Talomir lies in ruins, its nectarine orchards now controlled by the dastardly General Pereira, whose lust for the delights of this fruit knows no bounds. Meanwhile, the Mangu army drinks kumis and licks its wounds after a hard-fought battle that nearly meant a heroic defeat under the chariot wheels of the effete Stygustani.

With the collapse of Stygustan, Talomir's fields are briefly quiet, untrampled by any armies until rumblings are heard from Treyine. Wind maiden ships appear over the horizon flying above the colourful standards of the Treyine nobility. Treyine has seen an opportunity and plans to pluck the last of the nectarine orchards before General Pereira can do so. Will Stygustan still be a sovereign nation by the winter? Only time will tell.

For the rest of Talomir, all nations are bound by treaties sworn in the presence of the gods. Peace must reign there, or the gods will wish to know why not.

The situation at the start of Autumn 998:

Summer 998 - Campaign Progress

The once mighty nation of Stygustan now lies in ruins, torn asunder by the depredations of its rapacious neighbours. Can it last much longer as an independent entity? One thing is certain. With Mirish controlling much of the main nectarine-producing areas of Stygustan, General Pereira will not be short of fruit to munch on.

Tereken, the newcomer onto the global scene has been beaten back by Altengard. Crippling war reparations have been demanded that are likely to leave Tereken too impoverished to wage war for several years to come. Altengard demand for Tereken pine nuts is thought to be a means to obtain goods readily tradeable for crates of nectarines from Stygustan.

With the number of wars and peace treaties in place now, peace has broken out across most of Talomir. Only Mangu, Stygustan and Mirish have targets for their aggression.

Wars
Mangu invades Stygustan
Mirish invades Stygustan

In this ongoing war, Stygustan decides to try to defend against Mangu and cede territory to Mirish without a fight. The pharaoh realises that he is unlikely to defeat Mirish at this time.

The beginning of Summer 998

Spring 998 - Campaign Progress

Like snarling jackals the nations of Treyine turn on once-mighty Stygustan. The evidence of its greatness is present all over that nation, but now all Stygustan's neighbours care about is the nectarine embargo. Their eyes envy the wide orchards of nectarine trees along Stygustan's coastal provinces and they seek to end the embargo by owning their own orchards. Thus, Mangu, Mirish and Treyine send their armies to seize the valuable fruit farms and perhaps to loot the tombs of the ancient Stygustani pharaohs.

Meanwhile, Tereken seizes the opportunity to invade Altengard, citing the presence in their army of a Capalan prince with the ancestral right to hold the invaded province but not the might on his own to take it.

A trader in antiques found an old bronze horn on his market stall. He knew not its provenance and never remembered buying it, but a passing centurion espied it and bought it for just a few coppers. He polished it and presented it to his legate in a bid to curry favour. The legate recognised it for what it was and hastened to the emperor seeking imperial patronage in return. Thus the War Horn of Naz Goth was returned to the fray. It is said that the emperor fills it with soapy water and blows bubbles through it.

Artefacts
The War Horn of Naz Goth appears in Tropilium.

Going to War
Mangu invades Stygustan
Mirish invades Stygustan
Tereken invades Altengard
Treyine invades Stygustan

Stygustan chooses to defend solely against Mirish

Military manoeuvres and fruit farming in Talomir, Spring 998

Winter 997 - Campaign Progress

The last year saw great changes in Talomir as war ravaged the land once more. Tereken gained surprising victories, only to be cast down at the end. Diplomats in Mirish sought peace where General Pereira wanted to carry the war to Mangu. Stygustan is under siege on two fronts and things do not look good for this once mighty nation. The map of Talomir now looks like this:

Who knows what the Spring campaigning season will bring? Well, apart from war that is. War is a given in Talomir.

Death Checks
The Tinn Khan of Mangu dies of a surfeit of figs in syrup. He is replaced by his eldest son Khan Du (WR 4).

A young mage (Level 1) in Mirish service dies in a freak incident with an alembic and a camel.

A Tereken mage (Level 3) dies when hit on the head by a slop bucket that was unexpectedly released while being emptied from an attic window.

National Morale
Stygustan reviews the current situation and surrenders immediately to Altengard and to Tropilium. Peace will last until Winter 999 in both cases.

Magic Items, Artefacts and Holy Relics
No new Magic Items, Artefacts or Holy Relics enter play this season.

Autumn 997 - Campaign Progress

As seems to be usual in Talomir, the summer was a grim season with many Brethren knights being slain and returned to their Red Sun. Tereken made advances into Treyine by using dark sorcery and Altengard bludgeoned Stygustan. The autumn is shaping up to be a similar season as each nation seeks to get a few licks in before winter prevents further fighting.

The remnants of the Tropilium Empire seek a revival of their colonial past. Their army invades Stygustan. Facing a war on two fronts, the Pharaoh chooses to defend against both incursions by splitting his army.

The Brethren, having been cut to ribbons in their invasion of Mirish, must defend against Mirish reprisals.

Tereken, buoyed up by their recent victory are driving on into mainland Treyine.

Wars
Altengard invades Stygustan
Mirish invades Brethren
Tereken invades Treyine
Tropilium invades Stygustan

Summer 997 - Campaign Progress.

The spring saw a suitably bloody start to the campaigning season:

• Tereken took a province from Treyine without a fight, but this easy victory seems to have demoralised their warlike spirit as their National Morale went down.
• Treyine has capitulated to the Brethren and to Mirish, possibly in order to better focus their efforts on Tereken.
• Mirish has successfully defeated the Beastmen, and must now repel Mangu.
• Stygustan took a beating at Hecksmouth but will continue to fight Altengard.

Ongoing Wars
Altengard invades Stygustan
Mangu invades Mirish
Tereken invades Treyine

New Wars
Brethren invade Mirish

Talomir Summer 997

Spring 997 - Campaign Progress

The winter was peaceful as they usually are in Talomir, although the spate of nectarine-related deaths has still not been resolved. It is feared that the killer will strike again, so sales of nectarines have been banned and the nectarine orchards of Stygustan placed under armed guard. This has caused much unrest in Talomir including the emergence of an army of Beastmen in the former territories of the Red Sun Dwarves.

Recruitment
Mercenaries, heroes and magic users are in short supply this year.
Treyine recruits a unit of Wind Maidens.
The famed White Company was wiped out last Autumn but it has now been rebuilt as good as new. Altengard recruits the new White Company.
Stygustan recruited one Level 2 Wizard and 2 Level 1 Apprentices.

Magic Items and Artefacts
The Book of the Hungry Moon resurfaces in the former lands of Naz-Goth, thus winding up in Mirish hands.

Ongoing Wars
Brethren invade Treyine
Mirish invades Treyine
Stygustan invades Altengard

New Wars
Mangu invades Mirish in protest at General Pereira's continued access to nectarines.
Tereken invades Treyine because it seems like a good bandwagon to jump on.
Beastmen invade Mirish.

Battles
Mirish will fight the Beastmen, to crush them, drive them before the Mirish army and hear the bleating of the Beastwomen, before they can establish a hoof-hold.
Treyine chooses to try to defeat the treacherous Brethren before they gain more of a foothold.
Stygustan will fight Altengard

Mangu gains a Mirish province without a fight.
Tereken gains a Treyine province without a fight.
Treyine was not invaded by Mirish this season. Therefore it will invade Mirish next season, assuming that it survives that long.

Winter 996 - Campaign Progress

The Autumn saw Treyine take more catastrophic losses, but the stout Treyine yeomen remain largely undaunted. Altengard both gained and lost territory. The remaining nations at war successfully gained territories. Spring will see further depredations against Treyine.

In other news, a surprising rash of nectarine-related deaths have caused world leaders to consider an embargo on nectarine imports from Stygustan. Discussions are ongoing.

Talomir in Winter 996

Leader deaths
Stygustan:
Omnipohtent has died of a surfeit of nectarines and has been succeeded by his son Siccituem (WR 2).
A junior magus (Level 1 Magic User) was found dead with a nectarine pit stuck in his throat. The death is not being treated as suspicious.

Mirish:
Kahrpett the Magical (Level 1 Magic User) has died after being crushed by a crate of nectarines. There were no witnesses.

National Morale
Treyine surrenders to Altengard. Morale falters in the war against Mirish (-1 NM) and in the war against the Brethren (-1 NM).

Autumn 996 - Campaign Update

The Summer campaigning season saw Treyine take a kicking. Its mercenaries have left Treyine employ and set themselves up in northerly province of Treyine that was once the capital of Zog-Rot. The new army is led by Brother Schwester of the Brethren who hopes to form a new nation dedicated to the principles of the Red Sun. Mirish and Tropilium both took provinces from Treyine.

Tropilium is now at peace with Treyine because it has no access to Treyine territories.

Altengard was defeated by Stygustan and lost its easternmost province.

The Horn of Naz-Goth was lost and will not return for more than half a year.

Going to War:
Altengard invades Treyine
Brethren invade Treyine
Mirish invades Treyine
Stygustan invades Altengard

Altengard chooses to attack Treyine rather than defend against Stygustan, because it holds out little hope of defeating Stygustan this season. When the army is rebuilt on the other hand ...

Treyine chooses to defend against Mirish and leave the other nations alone. Its army is small and stands little chance against any of its invaders but it must make an effort.

Here's how Talomir looks now: