Seven great noble houses dominate the political landscape of
Brevoy, most dating back to before the arrival of the Conqueror, when
they existed as powerful tribes of raiders and barbarians. Choral
apportioned lands and titles to those lords willing to pledge fealty to
him, reordering the houses into their modern forms. The past two
centuries, coupled with various marriages of alliance, have shifted and
expanded the influence of the noble houses, extending well south of the
rivers and Lake Reykal.
House Garess: The valleys and lowlands
of the Golushkin Mountains are the domain of House Garess, founded on
both the defensibility of the mountain terrain and the mineral wealth
the house has brought out of the peaks for generations. House Garess
once had a profitable alliance with a clan of dwarves living in the
Golushkin Mountains, serving as brokers of a sort for the ores, metals,
and worked goods the Golushkin dwarves produced. Lord Howlan Garess even
took Toval Golka, the son of the clan-chief of the dwarf hold, as his
ward (some say more as a hostage than a guest in Grayhaven Castle). This
proved fortunate for young Toval, as Grayhaven lost all contact with
the dwarf hold of Golushkin during the same winter as the Vanishing.
With his own son Bren lost inside the mountains, Lord Howlan, a widower
with no other children, has named Toval his adoptive heir. This has
earned the dwarf, now a skilled young warrior in his own right, few
friends in Grayhaven. House Garess’s crest is a snow-capped mountain
peak in gray against a dark blue field like the sky, with a silvery
crescent moon in the upper right corner and a black hammer across the
base of the peak, head toward the left. Its motto is “Strong as the
Mountains.”
House Lebeda: The Lebedas of Lake Reykal are known
as the most “Rostlandic” of Brevoy’s noble houses, having inherited a
good deal of Taldan blood and tradition, including a fondness for sword
fighting and an appreciation of the finer things. Their family seat of
Silverhall is one of the grandest castles in Brevoy, its spires rising
above the shores of Lake Reykal. The Lebedas earn and maintain their
fortune as merchants and brokers between the northern and southern
reaches of Brevoy, and control much of the shipping across the lake.
Dame Sarrona Lebeda has ruled the house as regent since the death of her
husband, but their son Lander is approaching his majority, when he will
become lord of the house. His older sister Elanna spends a great deal
of time representing their house in New Stetven, and rumors claim the
Lebedas are looking to arrange a marriage between her and Noleski
Surtova. Naturally, Natala Surtova hates the young and charming Elanna
Lebeda with a passion. House Lebeda’s crest is a white swan, serenely
sailing across a blue expanse, with the sun on the horizon behind it.
Whether the sun is said to be rising or setting depends on the house’s
fortunes, but the Lebedas’ sun appears ascendant at the moment. Its
motto is “Success through Grace.”
House Lodovka: Whereas House
Surtova slowly changed their waterborne ways to focus on their lands and
political affairs in Brevoy, House Lodovka has remained strongly
interested in maritime affairs. They have steadily grown their fleet of
ships in the Lake of Mists and Veils and their influence along their
lakeshore lands and the trade routes crossing the waters. House Lodovka
claims comparatively little land in the northernmost areas of Brevoy,
and much of the land they hold is unsuitable for farming, but the house
has many vessels hauling catches of fish and freshwater crabs from the
Lake. Lord Kozek Lodovka is at heart a cunning old pirate with a love of
the water, looking to do right by his house, his family, and his
people. House Lodovka’s crest is a greenshelled crab climbing from the
blue waters toward the gray band of shore surmounted by a gray
tower-keep in the center, against a backdrop of black. Their house motto
is “The Waters, Our Fields.”
House Medvyed: The easternmost
house, Medvyed claims lands nestled against the Icerime Peaks and the
Gronzi Forest, and rules them from the fortress of Stoneclimb in the
lower peaks. They are a hardy folk, raisers of mountain goats and sheep,
hunters in the Gronzi Forest, and cultivators of what good land can be
found on the edges of their harsh territory. The Medvyeds and their
people hearken back to the “Old Ways” of worshiping nature in its myriad
forms. Isolated forest and mountain shrines to Old Deadeye (and, it is
rumored, Lamashtu) are more common than temples of Abadar or Gorum. Lord
Gurev Medvyed loves to hunt, ride, and feast with his men, and dotes on
his wife and children. House Medvyed’s crest is a black bear, rampant
against a red field, with a spread of black antlers above the bear’s
head. Its motto is “Endurance Overcomes All.”
House Orlovsky:
From Eagle’s Watch on the slopes of Mt. Veshka, House Orlovsky seeks to
remain above the conflicts in Brevoy, both figuratively and literally.
Unfortunately, the house’s role as a staunch ally of the Rogarvias has
placed it in an awkward position under the current regime. Thus far,
House Orlovsky has refused to acknowledge Noleski Surtova as anything
other than Lord Regent in the absence of King Urzen or a true Rogarvian
heir, but it is becoming increasingly clear which way the political
winds are shifting. Lord Poul Orlovsky will soon be forced to either
declare for the man he considers a usurper and opportunist, or seek to
overthrow him and claim the Dragonscale Throne for himself (or another
he finds worthy). An alliance between Orlovsky, Garess, and Medvyed
could divide the nation, and cut the Surtovas’ travel and supply routes
between Port Ice and New Stetven, but any such arrangement must be
cultivated discreetly. House Orlovsky’s crest is a black eagle against a
gold field, wings spread, feathers almost touching at the point of the
base. Its motto is “High Above.”
House Rogarvia: Looking to
secure himself and his progeny as high a place in the new order as he
could, Nikos Surtova offered the hand of his daughter, Myrna, in
marriage to Choral, binding the house of the Conqueror with his own.
Since Choral’s final victory in the Valley of Fire, House Rogarvia has
ruled Brevoy, until the recent mysterious disappearance. The house built
the Ruby Fortress in the city of New Stetven as its stronghold, and
Urzen Rogarvia sat on the Dragonscale Throne up until 4699, when the
entire family vanished overnight. The Rogarvias were well known as
ruthless rulers, determined to hold Brevoy together in the Conqueror’s
name by whatever means necessary. Still, while their loss was not overly
mourned, the stability they represented has been. Loyalists have
continued to call for investigation into the Vanishing and make much of
the fact that their rule lasted precisely 200 years, but it has become
increasingly clear that House Rogarvia will not return soon, if ever.
House Rogarvia’s crest is a two-headed red dragon, one head breathing
flames, the other bearing an unsheathed sword, representing Choral’s
legendary conquest, against a quartered field in white and gold. Its
motto is “With Sword and Flame.”
House Surtova: The most
influential house in Brevoy, House Surtova, is also the oldest,
established in Issia centuries before Choral’s arrival. The Surtovas
were infamous pirates and raiders in those early days, and with the
Conquerer’s coming were able to parley captured wealth into lands and
titles. What started out as a defensible fortress became Port Ice, a
settlement that has been the seat of Surtova power for generations.
Nikos Surtova’s alliance with Choral secured House Surtova’s place at
the right hand of the ruling house, and allowed them to move quickly
into place after the Vanishing. The Survotas established a “regency” in
the absence of King Urzen, which has quickly become the de facto
succession to the crown. King Noleski Surtova sits upon the Dragonscale
Throne, while his sister Natala Surtova reigns as unofficial “queen,” as
her brother is as yet unmarried. Rumors say Natala enjoys her role (and
her influence over her brother) far too much to embrace the idea of a
proper sister-in-law. Still, there is considerable pressure for Noleski
to choose a bride and produce heirs for his new dynasty. The Surtova
crest is a gray ship against a field of blue below and black above, the
upper shield spangled with silver stars. Its motto is “Ours Is the
Right.”
Monday 10 June 2019
Kingmaker Locations
Brevoy is a place where you can travel
for days between small villages, to say nothing of the long journey
between larger strongholds of civilization. These places tend to huddle
in the shadows of the mountains, and along the shores of the rivers and
lakes, leaving the lands between dotted with small settlements making
their way as best they can.
The Golushkin Mountains are home to Issia’s greatest concentration of natural resources, as the peaks sit upon deep veins of iron, nickel, copper, silver, and tin, along with some other useful or precious ores. Humans like the Surtovas showed little interest in mining these riches, particularly since the Golka clan of dwarves were already doing so. House Garess established trade with the mountain dwarves, building a reputation on metalworks and a stronghold in the defensible mountain lands.
The dark expanse of the Gronzi Forest is simply “the Forest” to the people of Brevoy. It extends from the highlands of the Icerime Peaks to the shores of Lake Reykal, forming part of the old border between Issia and Rostland. Although technically the forest belongs to the Brevic crown, hunting and even woodcutting is largely unregulated around its outskirts, particularly in the western reaches. The stretch of forest nearest New Stetven was largely cleared generations ago for the wood to rebuild and maintain the city, and Brevic woodcutters must delve deeper each year to meet their needs. Although there are many tales of the hazards of the deep forest, the most recent stories are of human origin. A mysterious bandit chief known as Duma the Sly has led raids on merchants, travelers, and tax-collectors near the bounds of the forest. He and his band are known for their ability to strike without warning and vanish just as quickly into the greenery. Duma is no friend of King Noleski Surtova, but the common folk love him for his generosity, and therefore aid him in evading royal sanction. Tales claim Duma is everything from the son of a wronged Aldori nobleman, a fey-blooded trickster, or the lost Rogarvian heir.
The Icerime Peaks wall off most of Brevoy from the former lands of Iobaria to the west. Their heights are perpetually covered in ice, even in the summer months, when cold rivers tumble and cascade down their sides, forming towering waterfalls and clear mountain lakes. The late spring thaws open what passes there are through the mountains, although few make use of them. Skywatch is by no means the only ancient site in the Icerime Peaks. Tales tell of half-buried entrances to mountain dungeons, some of them outposts of old Iobaria, others even older. Some of the ruins are said to be haunted by the chill shades of soldiers or miners who perished there, still guarding whatever treasures they found in life.
The Lake of Mists and Veils is known simply as “the Lake,” and it defines the northern border of the land as well as dominates Brevoy’s seasons and weather. In the winter, the fiercest storms howl down from the foggy waters, driven between the mountain peaks to pour freezing rain, sharp hail, and heavy snow drifts upon Issia, slowed only slightly by the forest and the hills around Rostland, before exhausting their fury on the southern hills and plains. The lake gets its name from its tendency to warm enough in the peak months of summer so that when the first chill of winter sets in, the water “steams” with heavy layers of mist at night, slowly burning off each morning.
The Brevic capital of New Stetven was established by Choral the Conqueror after his campaign, building over the ruins of the original Taldan settlement of Stetven. It remains the center of political and economic power in the land, in spite of the recent upheavals. Of particular importance is New Stetven’s place as a trading city, carrying goods to and from Brevoy along the East Sellen River and the major trade roads that meet here along the shores of Lake Reykal. New Stetven earned the nickname “The City of Wooden Palaces” for the abundant use of timber to build everything from walls and houses to mansions and forts. Even some of the city streets are “paved” with planks laid in the nearconstant mud from the snow and slush. Raised wooden sidewalks are common in the wealthier parts of the city, allowing people to walk up out of the mud as much as possible. The only great stone structures of the city are the Ruby Fortress, the seat of power to the crown of Brevoy, and the Bulwark of Gorum, Brevoy’s greatest temple to the Lord of Iron. Fire, like that which destroyed Old Stetven, remains a constant threat, and the city relies heavily on the services of volunteers aided by local spellcasters to put out the handful of fires that occur each winter.
House Surtova’s ancestral lands extend from Port Ice, a settlement that has shifted increasingly inland, like its masters. Although connected to the lakeshore villages by a reasonably well-maintained road, Port Ice is locked behind its walls for much of the cold winter months, visited only by sled and the occasional foolhardy traveler. The rest of the year, the city is open to stockpile all the supplies needed for the next season. The White Manor is the Surtova ancestral seat, currently in the care of King Noleski’s uncle, Domani Surtova.
The Free City of Restov is where the rostlandic spirit is most alive. The city owes its allegiance to the Brevic crown, and Lord Mayor Ioseph Sellemius must bend his knee before the Dragonscale Throne like any lord, but otherwise Restov belongs to no house, making it a haven for the lost glories of the Aldori swordlords and those who look back to the old days before the coming of the Conqueror. Restov is a city of both refinement and rough-and-tumble manners, as only a colony can be in fondly recalling and imitating its motherland. The gentry of Restov consider themselves sophisticates, although a Taldan visitor would consider their ways quaint, and touched with no small amount of northern barbarism. The city is a bustling trade center along the border. Restov’s relative wealth supports no small number of idle and titled lordlings and merchants’ sons. They frequent the various Aldori and Taldan dueling schools, as well as the alehouses, and fight each other in street corner challenges at dawn and dusk. The schools, salons, and taprooms of Restov are also hotbeds of rebellious talk against the reign of King Noleski Surtova, with young firebrands in search of a leader to rally them to the cause.
The Rostland Plains are the region of grassy plains and rolling hills to the east of the Sellen and south of the Gronzi Forest. They are dotted with farming towns and villages with a mixture of Issian and Taldan heritage and manners. Although close to the capital of New Stetven, the Rostland Plains harbor some simmering dissent against the crown, the man who presently wears it, and the very idea of Brevoy as a unified nation.
Skywatch is a city high in the northern Icerime Peaks and is built around an ancient observatory discovered by the Surtovas centuries ago in the early days of Issia. In spite of its apparent age, the observatory is perfectly preserved, maintained by a powerful, lingering magic. The same night House Rogarvia vanished, Skywatch sealed its gates, and the walled city has allowed no one to enter or leave since, not even couriers or supply caravans. Messages and envoys sent to Skywatch have been ignored and none are known to have left. Even divination magic cannot penetrate its walls to discover what is going on within, or even if anyone there is still alive.
The Valley of Fire lies in the southernmost Icerime Peaks where Aldori rebels fought their last battle against the forces of Choral the Conqueror. They were lured into the valley with the hope of cornering Choral, but instead found themselves in a trap when the Conqueror’s red dragon allies bathed the valley in fire, wiping out the men of Rostland. To this day, the Valley of Fire is an infamous place where life refuses to return to the blackened and melted earth, said to be haunted by the tortured shades of the men who died here, seen in the night as fiery shadows with a burning hatred for the living.
The Golushkin Mountains are home to Issia’s greatest concentration of natural resources, as the peaks sit upon deep veins of iron, nickel, copper, silver, and tin, along with some other useful or precious ores. Humans like the Surtovas showed little interest in mining these riches, particularly since the Golka clan of dwarves were already doing so. House Garess established trade with the mountain dwarves, building a reputation on metalworks and a stronghold in the defensible mountain lands.
The dark expanse of the Gronzi Forest is simply “the Forest” to the people of Brevoy. It extends from the highlands of the Icerime Peaks to the shores of Lake Reykal, forming part of the old border between Issia and Rostland. Although technically the forest belongs to the Brevic crown, hunting and even woodcutting is largely unregulated around its outskirts, particularly in the western reaches. The stretch of forest nearest New Stetven was largely cleared generations ago for the wood to rebuild and maintain the city, and Brevic woodcutters must delve deeper each year to meet their needs. Although there are many tales of the hazards of the deep forest, the most recent stories are of human origin. A mysterious bandit chief known as Duma the Sly has led raids on merchants, travelers, and tax-collectors near the bounds of the forest. He and his band are known for their ability to strike without warning and vanish just as quickly into the greenery. Duma is no friend of King Noleski Surtova, but the common folk love him for his generosity, and therefore aid him in evading royal sanction. Tales claim Duma is everything from the son of a wronged Aldori nobleman, a fey-blooded trickster, or the lost Rogarvian heir.
The Icerime Peaks wall off most of Brevoy from the former lands of Iobaria to the west. Their heights are perpetually covered in ice, even in the summer months, when cold rivers tumble and cascade down their sides, forming towering waterfalls and clear mountain lakes. The late spring thaws open what passes there are through the mountains, although few make use of them. Skywatch is by no means the only ancient site in the Icerime Peaks. Tales tell of half-buried entrances to mountain dungeons, some of them outposts of old Iobaria, others even older. Some of the ruins are said to be haunted by the chill shades of soldiers or miners who perished there, still guarding whatever treasures they found in life.
The Lake of Mists and Veils is known simply as “the Lake,” and it defines the northern border of the land as well as dominates Brevoy’s seasons and weather. In the winter, the fiercest storms howl down from the foggy waters, driven between the mountain peaks to pour freezing rain, sharp hail, and heavy snow drifts upon Issia, slowed only slightly by the forest and the hills around Rostland, before exhausting their fury on the southern hills and plains. The lake gets its name from its tendency to warm enough in the peak months of summer so that when the first chill of winter sets in, the water “steams” with heavy layers of mist at night, slowly burning off each morning.
The Brevic capital of New Stetven was established by Choral the Conqueror after his campaign, building over the ruins of the original Taldan settlement of Stetven. It remains the center of political and economic power in the land, in spite of the recent upheavals. Of particular importance is New Stetven’s place as a trading city, carrying goods to and from Brevoy along the East Sellen River and the major trade roads that meet here along the shores of Lake Reykal. New Stetven earned the nickname “The City of Wooden Palaces” for the abundant use of timber to build everything from walls and houses to mansions and forts. Even some of the city streets are “paved” with planks laid in the nearconstant mud from the snow and slush. Raised wooden sidewalks are common in the wealthier parts of the city, allowing people to walk up out of the mud as much as possible. The only great stone structures of the city are the Ruby Fortress, the seat of power to the crown of Brevoy, and the Bulwark of Gorum, Brevoy’s greatest temple to the Lord of Iron. Fire, like that which destroyed Old Stetven, remains a constant threat, and the city relies heavily on the services of volunteers aided by local spellcasters to put out the handful of fires that occur each winter.
House Surtova’s ancestral lands extend from Port Ice, a settlement that has shifted increasingly inland, like its masters. Although connected to the lakeshore villages by a reasonably well-maintained road, Port Ice is locked behind its walls for much of the cold winter months, visited only by sled and the occasional foolhardy traveler. The rest of the year, the city is open to stockpile all the supplies needed for the next season. The White Manor is the Surtova ancestral seat, currently in the care of King Noleski’s uncle, Domani Surtova.
The Free City of Restov is where the rostlandic spirit is most alive. The city owes its allegiance to the Brevic crown, and Lord Mayor Ioseph Sellemius must bend his knee before the Dragonscale Throne like any lord, but otherwise Restov belongs to no house, making it a haven for the lost glories of the Aldori swordlords and those who look back to the old days before the coming of the Conqueror. Restov is a city of both refinement and rough-and-tumble manners, as only a colony can be in fondly recalling and imitating its motherland. The gentry of Restov consider themselves sophisticates, although a Taldan visitor would consider their ways quaint, and touched with no small amount of northern barbarism. The city is a bustling trade center along the border. Restov’s relative wealth supports no small number of idle and titled lordlings and merchants’ sons. They frequent the various Aldori and Taldan dueling schools, as well as the alehouses, and fight each other in street corner challenges at dawn and dusk. The schools, salons, and taprooms of Restov are also hotbeds of rebellious talk against the reign of King Noleski Surtova, with young firebrands in search of a leader to rally them to the cause.
The Rostland Plains are the region of grassy plains and rolling hills to the east of the Sellen and south of the Gronzi Forest. They are dotted with farming towns and villages with a mixture of Issian and Taldan heritage and manners. Although close to the capital of New Stetven, the Rostland Plains harbor some simmering dissent against the crown, the man who presently wears it, and the very idea of Brevoy as a unified nation.
Skywatch is a city high in the northern Icerime Peaks and is built around an ancient observatory discovered by the Surtovas centuries ago in the early days of Issia. In spite of its apparent age, the observatory is perfectly preserved, maintained by a powerful, lingering magic. The same night House Rogarvia vanished, Skywatch sealed its gates, and the walled city has allowed no one to enter or leave since, not even couriers or supply caravans. Messages and envoys sent to Skywatch have been ignored and none are known to have left. Even divination magic cannot penetrate its walls to discover what is going on within, or even if anyone there is still alive.
The Valley of Fire lies in the southernmost Icerime Peaks where Aldori rebels fought their last battle against the forces of Choral the Conqueror. They were lured into the valley with the hope of cornering Choral, but instead found themselves in a trap when the Conqueror’s red dragon allies bathed the valley in fire, wiping out the men of Rostland. To this day, the Valley of Fire is an infamous place where life refuses to return to the blackened and melted earth, said to be haunted by the tortured shades of the men who died here, seen in the night as fiery shadows with a burning hatred for the living.
Kingmaker Background
The history of Brevoy is actually the history of two lands, Issia
and Rostland, united into one by force. Issia, the northern half of the
nation, has been sparsely settled for centuries. Numerous small villages
cluster on the southern shore of the Lake of Mists and Veils and in the
foothills of the mountains to the east. With the land too rocky and
cold elsewhere for proper farming, the people of Issia survived on a
combination of fishing and raiding—the most successful tribes even
venturing across the great lake to sack settlements along its western or
northern shores. Rostland, south of Lake Reykal and the Gronzi Forest,
is quite different than Issia—a vast stretch of rolling hills and
grasslands fed by the East Sellen River and its tributaries. Taldan
colonists settled this area centuries ago under the leadership of Baron
Sirian First, who became Sirian Aldori, first of the Aldori swordlords.
In 4499 ar, the Iobarian warlord Choral Rogarvia, known as “the Conqueror,” crossed the Lake of Mists and Veils with a considerable force under his command. Lord Nikos Surtova of Issia met with the Conqueror on the shores of the lake under a flag of truce, and there the two men worked out an agreement whereby Issia would surrender its land and people to the Conqueror but the Surtovas would retain their power and wealth, serving the new ruler as stewards and duly sworn vassal lords. The Aldori swordlords of Rostland, with their history of resisting bandit raiders, were not so willing to bend their knees to a foreign conqueror. They immediately rallied for war and secured their strongholds south of Lake Reykal. Yet the fractious swordlords were no match for the discipline and tactics of Choral’s forces. By the time the survivors of the war against the Conqueror were able to unite in a last assault, they believed they had cornered part of Choral’s force in a narrow mountain valley. When the swordlords entered, the Conqueror unleashed his greatest weapon—a pair of red dragons. The devastation inflicted by these monsters upon the swordlords was the final blow, and with this fiery defeat Rostland pledged itself to Choral the Conquerer as a way to save its traditions from eradication.
The Conqueror sat only briefly on the Dragonscale Throne of the new nation he forged, soon leaving his family to rule in his name. For two centuries, the Rogarvias held the Ruby Fortress and ruled from New Stetven, pacifying minor uprisings and rebellions, and working to weld two disparate lands into one. Under Rogarvian rule, the nation came to be known as Brevoy and grew into a significant northern power. Yet even the greatest of dynasties do not last forever. In the middle of winter in early 4699 ar, every member of House Rogarvia vanished without a trace. Rumors flew of palace coups and sinister plots, but it quickly became clear that what had occured was something altogether stranger than a mere rebellion. There was no evidence of foul play or struggle within the royal palace, nor in any of the noble villas owned by the Rogarvias throughout the land—the nobles were simply gone, leaving empty manors scattered across Brevoy. A brief period of chaos and panic followed, but by the end of the year, the Surtovas had made their move. Citing their age-old ties with the Conqueror’s line, they were quick to seize power in New Stetven and extend their reach across Brevoy. With all of Issia seemingly backing the move, Rostland (whose standing army and defenses had increasingly shifted north during Rogarvian rule) had little choice but to bend its knee again. Today, King Noleski Surtova holds the Ruby Fortress and the Dragonscale Throne, yet it remains to be seen how long he can maintain this rule over a kingdom growing increasingly fractious.
In 4499 ar, the Iobarian warlord Choral Rogarvia, known as “the Conqueror,” crossed the Lake of Mists and Veils with a considerable force under his command. Lord Nikos Surtova of Issia met with the Conqueror on the shores of the lake under a flag of truce, and there the two men worked out an agreement whereby Issia would surrender its land and people to the Conqueror but the Surtovas would retain their power and wealth, serving the new ruler as stewards and duly sworn vassal lords. The Aldori swordlords of Rostland, with their history of resisting bandit raiders, were not so willing to bend their knees to a foreign conqueror. They immediately rallied for war and secured their strongholds south of Lake Reykal. Yet the fractious swordlords were no match for the discipline and tactics of Choral’s forces. By the time the survivors of the war against the Conqueror were able to unite in a last assault, they believed they had cornered part of Choral’s force in a narrow mountain valley. When the swordlords entered, the Conqueror unleashed his greatest weapon—a pair of red dragons. The devastation inflicted by these monsters upon the swordlords was the final blow, and with this fiery defeat Rostland pledged itself to Choral the Conquerer as a way to save its traditions from eradication.
The Conqueror sat only briefly on the Dragonscale Throne of the new nation he forged, soon leaving his family to rule in his name. For two centuries, the Rogarvias held the Ruby Fortress and ruled from New Stetven, pacifying minor uprisings and rebellions, and working to weld two disparate lands into one. Under Rogarvian rule, the nation came to be known as Brevoy and grew into a significant northern power. Yet even the greatest of dynasties do not last forever. In the middle of winter in early 4699 ar, every member of House Rogarvia vanished without a trace. Rumors flew of palace coups and sinister plots, but it quickly became clear that what had occured was something altogether stranger than a mere rebellion. There was no evidence of foul play or struggle within the royal palace, nor in any of the noble villas owned by the Rogarvias throughout the land—the nobles were simply gone, leaving empty manors scattered across Brevoy. A brief period of chaos and panic followed, but by the end of the year, the Surtovas had made their move. Citing their age-old ties with the Conqueror’s line, they were quick to seize power in New Stetven and extend their reach across Brevoy. With all of Issia seemingly backing the move, Rostland (whose standing army and defenses had increasingly shifted north during Rogarvian rule) had little choice but to bend its knee again. Today, King Noleski Surtova holds the Ruby Fortress and the Dragonscale Throne, yet it remains to be seen how long he can maintain this rule over a kingdom growing increasingly fractious.
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