Toffee

GREATER RENARIAS: THE OF ILLIVIRA Penned by Illynora Sylvaeri in the Two Hundred and Seventh Year of the Second Age Amathine, Nevaehlen, Illivira. Across these realms of Elvendom, great murals decorate the walls and cliffs, crafted from pieces of stone and gems and seaglass. These mosaics come from the culture of the Almenodrim, but over the centuries the practice has been absorbed by the culture of the Mali’ame and used to depict the Aspects and the Mani. ISTORY In that land Sylvaen built his holding, which he named Almenor, and few citadels were fairer in that time, or in any time since. In that place of silver fountains he came to know Serinwë, who would come to be his wife—and together they reared the Seven Sons of oath and legend, who led their people to glory and tribulation in equal measure. Their names were Aegnor, Edrahil, Renarion, Muindir his twin, Ilurien, Vitras, and Erendriel who was youngest of all; and they themselves were fruitful, so that the pillared halls of their kin rang with the laughter of children which the Elves valued more highly than any treasure. This great family was known as the Almenodrim, and they are remembered thusly in many songs, most chiefly by their own descendants. – A passage from the Tale of Dagnir, the first part of the Lay of Aegrothond Renarias is the Almenorean tradition of mosaic-like art created by the careful selection and placement of gemstones, seaglass, stone, clay, and other materials. It is named for Renarion, thirdborn son of Sylvaen and Serinwë, who was the first to create this artform. The lesser variety can be seen on small objects such as weapon hilts, belts, and bowls. The greater variety—large seaglass mosaics set into walls and cliff faces—is far more well known. Greater renarias traditionally depicted tales and feats; Sylvaen’s marriage to Serinwë, Edrahil of old slaying the dragon, the migration from Atlas to Arcas. In Aegrothond, and later Elvenesse, the seaglass mosaics were also created in deference to the Aspects and the Mani, influenced by Mali’ame culture. This tradition continues in Illivira, brought there by Medli Oranor, who spent her youth in Aegrothond and was the High Princess of Elvenesse alongside her husband. ETHOD Firstly, a charcoal sketch is made upon the wall or cliff where the mosaic is to be placed. The design often changes depending on the shape and size of the pieces collected, but the sketch serves as a basic outline. Next, the mosaic-makers must gather materials, typically as a community and sometimes intertwined with the ritual to Hamatsa, the Prince of Dolphins. This ritual involves diving beneath the waves for seashells, some of which are given in offering while others are used to construct the mosaic. Once the materials are gathered, it is time to craft the mosaic itself. A layer of mortar consisting of limestone, sand, and water is applied to the wall. Less experienced crafters of greater renarias will then score the design into the mortar with a stick, while more experienced artists will work from memory, able to visualise the completed pattern. The gathered pieces of seaglass, stone, shells, and other materials are carefully pressed into the wet mortar in the desired pattern. Because greater renarias take so long to complete, an oiled canvas or sealskin is hung up over the partially-completed mosaic to protect it from the elements in between sessions. Once the mosaic is complete, a thin veneer of beeswax is polished across the entire surface, creating a glossy finish and protecting the greater renarias from rain and wind. ATERIALS A mosaic is only so beautiful as the materials used, which is why the Almenodrim of old took great care when collecting their pieces. White Frosted white seaglass Porcelain tiles Conch shells Clam shells Marble White clay Pearls Bleached driftwood Black Obsidian Jet Textured black seaglass Slate Basalt Charred wood Blue Cobalt seaglass Lapis lazuli More rarely, sapphire Turquoise Blue scallop shells Abalone shells Blue painted clay Green Green seaglass, which is the most common Jade More rarely, emerald Green marble Mossy stones Abalone shells Yellow Yellow seaglass Amber Citrine Yellow ceramics Dried sunflower seeds Coloured driftwood Orange Vivid orange seaglass Carnelian stones Coquina shells Terracotta tiles Purple Rare but stunning purple seaglass Amethyst Lavender painted ceramic tiles Violet sea snail shells Purple scallop shells Red Less common but striking red seaglass Rarely, ruby Red ceramic tiles Terracotta Brick Coral fragments Red mossy stones Cochineal beetles Pink Rare pink sea glass Rose quartz Painted beads Pink tellin shells Melissa shells Pink scallop shells Brown Brown seaglass Driftwood Brown marble Clay tiles Terracotta Dried cocoa shells Packed dirt Grey Various stone pieces XHIBITION Tunnel leading to Illivira from Nevaehlen This mosaic depicts the island of Aegrothond on Atlas, as seen from a ship as it sails into the small harbour. The island itself is the shape of a crescent, covered in windswept trees and small, stone-carved pavilions with red terracotta-tile roofs. Beach walkway Stalashaan the Orca | Sednakki the Walrus Kalii’mari the Squid Sequana the Whale Beach Tāmatu the Crab Bai’janik the Penguin Wi’wun the Crane Gaehr’ee the Snail Ny’alphis the Catfish Kholibrii the Hummingbird Cavern Cerridwen the Mother and Cernunnos the Father Meracahe the Beaver The Mariner (on the ceiling in the library) Ohowaki the Owl (in the library) Hamatsa the Dolphin (in the clinic) Illynora the Healer (in the clinic) Cerridwen the Mother (in the clinic) The Institute of Healing, Arcas (in the clinic) Upper levels Llan’sae the Turtle Island of Aegrothond, Atlas Amphitrite the Otter Luna’illi the Moth Kwakwani the Raven Sabio the Albatross

After reading this tale, Adalfriede was eternally grateful none of her children had married outside the tribe.

✠ Addendum I to the Issued by the LADY VANDALORE In the Year of Our Lord, 1996 INTRODUCTION EINLEITUNG It is the duty of the Vandalore to maintain the records of the Waldenic Diet. Per the Code of Representation, this includes maintaining an accurate and official list of: ✠ Modern Vandalores; ✠ Elected Margraves of Vanderfell; and ✠ Electorates of the Waldenic Diet. This publication serves as an official addendum to the Book of Waldenia, which was first composed by Johann Barclay, the tenth Lord Vandalore, in the late nineteenth century. Many additions have been made to the Book of Waldenia in the last century by diligent Waldenian historians. This addendum specifically includes biographies of the twelfth, thirteenth, fourteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth Lords and Lady Vandalore, the compositions of the Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth Waldenic Diets, and a record of motions passed by those Diets. Adalfriede von Hexenwald HISTORIC VANDALORES HISTORISCHE VANDALOREN The Lord Vandalore is the cultural leader of the Waldenian people, a title which has existed for centuries, although records before the sixteenth century remain scant. From extant documents we know that Nafis Yar was the Lord Vandalore from at least 1524, and it served as a hereditary title until 1686, the year of the first Waldenfest. Convened by Hans Rovin, this meeting of Waldenian lords and patriarchs concluded with the decision that the Lord Vandalore would become an elective position, alongside the Margraviate of Vanderfell. There are therefore two categories of Vandalore. Historic Vandalores, who held the title before 1686, and Modern Vandalores, who were elected to the position. Biographies for Historic Vandalores can be found in the original Book of Waldenia. Nafis Yar | I Lord Vandalore | 1524–1537, 1544–1547 Decimus Rovin | II Lord Vandalore | 1537–1542 Harold Winter IV | III Lord Vandalore | 1542–1544 John Godfrey Horen | IV Lord Vandalore | 1547–1562 John Leopold Horen | V Lord Vandalore | 1562–1575 Leopold of Marna | VI Lord Vandalore | 1575–1607 Rakim Yar | VII Lord Vandalore | 1607–1665 Frederick Pius Horen-Marna | VIII Lord Vandalore | 1665–1694 MODERN VANDALORES MODERNE VANDALOREN As suggested in the previous section, Vandalores who were elected post-1686 can be considered Modern Vandalores. After the First Waldenic Diet disbanded in 1715 due to the onset of the War of the Two Emperors, another Vandalore was not elected until Ulrich Lothar von Alstreim in 1850; the first of the Modern Vandalores. Biographies for the ninth, tenth, and eleventh Lords and Lady Vandalore can be found in the original Book of Waldenia. Ulrich Lothar von Alstreim | IX Lord Vandalore | 1850–1860 Johann Barclay | X Lord Vandalore | 1860–1875 Johanna Barclay | XI Lady Vandalore | 1876–1894 Ottomar II von Alstreim | XII Lord Vandalore | 1894–1919 Ottomar von Alstreim was the first non-Elector to be elected as the Lord Vandalore, with all previous Vandalores either inheriting the title or already holding an Electorate. Shortly after his election, his uncle the Prince of Merryweather passed away, leaving no children and naming no successor. A grand council was convened by Calliope Renata von Alstreim, and with the consent of members of the House, Ottomar was chosen as Prince Heinrich Franz’s successor. Thereafter Ottomar was styled as Ottomar II von Alstreim, Prince of Merryweather. In addition to the Principality of Merryweather, he also inherited the Electorate of Merryweather-Alstreim, meaning he had no cause to adopt an Electorate of his own. Perhaps the most diligent of all Vandalores who had come before him, Ottomar II von Alstreim delivered on many of the promises of previous Vandalores and their respective Diets. This included publishing the Compact of Merryweather, the Affirmation of the Primary Waldenic Symbols of Merit, and protection of the Waldenian Walrus. He also embarked on a pilgrimage to Atheran Salvus in 1900 to venerate the relics of St. Ottomar the Perpetual King. After twenty five years of service, Ottomar II abdicated from the role of Lord Vandalore in 1919. He remained as the Elector for Merryweather-Alstreim and was awarded a knightly torse for continuing to uphold the Vander Code, even following his abdication. He eventually abdicated his titles as the Prince of Merryweather to his son, Heinrich II, in order to join the Church of the Canon, where he became Pontifical Secretary and Monsignor. After a long and prosperous life, Ottomar II passed away in 1948, succumbing to an illness at the age of seventy eight. He was posthumously awarded the Ferrum Cross for outstanding service to the Waldenian culture by the Ninth Waldenic Diet in 1988. Brandt I Barclay | XIII Lord Vandalore | 1919–1939 Brandt Barclay was knighted as a Knight of St. Tylos while his father, Leon I, was the Duke of Minitz. Brandt became Brandt I Barclay, Duke of Minitz, following his father’s death in 1914, and the Duchy was later raised to the station of a Grand Principality in 1928. As Lord Vandalore, Brandt I kept minimal records, with some sessions of Diet going completely undocumented and others recorded by his Vice President, Manfred Barclay. Although his recordkeeping left much to be desired, Brandt I was by all accounts a great man and an able warrior. He published the Waldenic Prayer Book in 1942 and later abdicated his titles, joining the Church of the Canon. Rising up the ranks of the Church, Brandt I eventually became the High Pontiff, taking the pontifical name Caius I. His tenure as High Pontiff was marked by a golden era of peace within the realms of Man, with any conflict directed towards purging all that is dark and evil in this world. It was only after his martyrdom in 1985 that the long-simmering conflict in the Heartlands finally erupted, resulting in the dissolution of the Heartlander Confederation into its constituent parts: the Apostolic Kingdom of Aaun and the Kingdom of the Petra. Caius I, once Brandt I, was posthumously awarded the Black Ferrum Cross by the Ninth Waldenic Diet in 1988 for his acts of valour in life and in death. Heinrich II von Alstreim | XIV Lord Vandalore | 1939–1952 Heinrich II von Alstreim made several promises following his election in 1939, including reviving the tradition of the Waldenfest and finishing the project of the Vander Knights started by the previous Vandalore. These promises would not come to fruition, though none can say that Heinrich II was not an extraordinarily accomplished man. King James I of Aaun passed away in 1937 and, with the heir to the throne having tragically perished two years earlier, the throne passed to the king’s grandson, King Edmund II, a boy of four. As the Prince of Merryweather, Heinrich II sat upon a regency council to oversee the affairs of the Kingdom of Aaun. This included signing the Heartlander Accord in 1941 to put an end to conflict that had plagued the Heartlands for many years, and responding to the aftermath of the Whitespire Floods of 1942. In 1945, Heinrich II became the sole Lord Regent of the Kingdom of Aaun until the young king came of age in 1951, at which point he stepped aside for King Edmund II to rule in his own name. Only a year later, House Stassion rebelled against the Kingdom, storming a Royal Diet meeting and slaughtering King Edmund II and Heinrich II as the Prince of Merryweather. The Lord Vandalore’s sudden and tragic death threw the Waldenic Diet into disarray. It would not reconvene for four years following his death, observing a prolonged mourning period far eclipsing the mourning for any other Vandalore who had died in office. Johannes von Alstreim | XV Lord Vandalore | 1956–1979 Johannes von Alstreim’s tenure as Lord Vandalore was marked by a series of absences, whether embarking on pilgrimage or travels relating to his duties as the High Commissioner of the Heartlander Confederation. He successfully implemented the Knights of Vander, an initiative first started during the Sixth Waldenic Diet, but the Waldenic Diet was otherwise mostly stagnant. Such can be expected due to the Aevos Coalition War of 1951–1962, sparked by the capture of Crown Princess Sibyl of Balian (later Queen Sybille I) and the murder of King Edmund II. Electorates of the Eighth Waldenic Diet were Waldenian Houses from the Kingdom of Haense, the Kingdom of Aaun, and the Commonwealth of the Petra, all of which participated in the war under the banners of the Grand Covenant. As such, the Waldenic Diet convened only once during the war to elect Prince Johannes as Lord Vandalore. The session was succinct and shortly brought to a close after only one petition. Even following the war, Prince Johannes was mostly preoccupied with his duties within the Heartlander Confederation, formed by the unification of the Apostolic Kingdom of Aaun and the Kingdom of the Petra in 1973, where he served as the High Commissioner. He abdicated from the position of Vandalore in 1979 but continues to serve as the Elector for Merryweather-Alstreim. Adalfriede von Hexenwald | XVI Lady Vandalore | 1979–present Adalfriede von Hexenwald became the Lady Vandalore in 1979, but she is said to have coveted the position from as early as 1965, winning support from key Electors in anticipation of her predecessor’s abdication or death. By the time of her election, she was backed by the Electorates of Minitz, Reinmar-Sutica, and Velen—unsurprising, considering her position as the Princess of Minitz by virtue of her marriage to Leon II, a Prince in Reinmar. Adalfriede proved to be a highly involved Lady Vandalore, frequently visiting the Electorates and dedicating significant time and energy to the Diet and its publications. In a missive prior to the convention of the Ninth Waldenic Diet, Adalfriede made ten key promises for her tenure as the Lady Vandalore. She can be said to have met all of these promises. This is in part because, unlike previous Vandalores, Adalfriede was not an Elector in her own right, and therefore did not have the burden of ruling over her House or nation. Although she had duties to Reinmar as its consort and, in her later years, as its Lawspeaker, she had the fortune of delegating much of her court-related functions to her daughter-in-law Frederica, the Baroness of Sigradz (later Frederica I, Princess in Reinmar and of Sutica). As the brewing hostilities between Ravenmire and Aaun became more heated towards the end of the 20th century, Adalfriede directed a lot of her effort and attention to the Chantry of Calliopeburg, a Waldenian polity within the Kingdom of Aaun which housed the holy relics of St. Calliopeburg of Merryweather. She is said to have made the long journey from Kretzen to Calliopeburg on several occasions, staying for weeks at a time to stand vigil on the walls. Even once an uneasy peace was decided, she spoke of Calliopeburg often, and sent riders to give her news of its defences. When the Church sought to refurbish the chantry, Adalfriede gained an audience with the High Pontiff for permission to remove the statues and shrines to the Temple of Waldenic Martyrs in Kretzen, along with the holy relics. The Pontiff granted her request, but only a few weeks later the chantry burned to the ground, believed to be at the hand of Saulites. Much was lost, though a select few statues were able to be recovered and brought into Adalfriede’s care, displayed in front of the Temple of Waldenic Martyrs in Kretzen. MARGRAVES OF VANDERFELL MARKGRAFEN VON VANDERFELL At the first Waldenfest of 1686, Hans Rovin gifted the title of his house, the Margraviate of Vanderfell, to the Waldenic Diet. The title Margrave of Vanderfell would henceforth fall to the elected Lord or Lady Vandalore. The Margraviate of Vanderfell was once held by His Majesty King Otto III of Hanseti-Ruska and bestowed upon Ser Anton Rovin in 1653. Hans Rovin later claimed the title, being the lastborn son of Anton Rovin with no other members of the mainline to challenge his claim. Hans Rovin | I Margrave of Vanderfell | 1686–c. 1747 Ulrich Lothar von Alstreim | IX Lord Vandalore, II Margrave of Vanderfell | 1850–1860 Johann Barclay | X Lord Vandalore, III Margrave of Vanderfell | 1860–1875 Johanna Barclay | XI Lady Vandalore, IV Margravine of Vanderfell | 1876–1894 Ottomar II von Alstreim | XII Lord Vandalore, V Margrave of Vanderfell | 1894–1919 Brandt I Barclay | XIII Lord Vandalore, VI Margrave of Vanderfell | 1919–1939 Heinrich II von Alstreim | XIV Lord Vandalore, VII Margrave of Vanderfell | 1939–1952 Johannes von Alstreim | XV Lord Vandalore, VIII Margrave of Vanderfell | 1956–1979 Adalfriede von Hexenwald | XVI Lady Vandalore, IX Margravine of Vanderfell | 1979–present WALDENIAN ELECTORATES WALDENISCHE KURFÜRSTENTÜMER The Electorates of the Waldenic Diet regularly change as Waldenian families rise and fall in status. Two families—Alstreim and Barclay—have remained consistent, with House Alstreim holding an Electorate since the first Waldenic Diet, and House Barclay and its various cadet houses since the second. Each Electorate is represented by an Elector, typically the head of House, who holds two indivisible votes on motions brought before the Diet. The Diet convenes in sessions, with historically two to four sessions per Diet. First Waldenic Diet | 1686–1715 Vandalore Frederick Pius Horen-Marna House of Rovin | Electorate of Neu Arnheim House of Denhardt | Electorate of Gilead House of Alstreim | Electorate of Blackwater-Alstreim House of Königsberg | Electorate of Königsberg House of Bran | Electorate of Bran House of Weißhardt | Electorate of Weißhardt House of Schulze | Electorate of Schulze House of Oxenstierna-Mühlen | Electorate of Mühlen The first Waldenfest was hosted in 1686 by Hans Rovin, marking the first convention of the Waldenic Diet. The Diet was comprised of the prominent Waldenian families of the time and overseen by the eighth Lord Vandalore, Frederick Pius Horen-Marna, the last of the Vandalores who inherited the title rather than be elected. This gathering of families was not the Waldenic Diet we know today, as many of the institutional structures had not yet been built. There was, however, one motion passed; the unanimous agreement to observe the customary laws of Waldenia and its rules of appointment and succession of the Lord Vandalore. The First Diet unofficially dissolved in 1715 at the onset of the War of the Two Emperors. ✠ Second Waldenic Diet | 1850–1860 Vandalore Ulrich Lothar von Alstreim House of Alstreim | Electorate of Merryweather-Alstreim House of Sutica | Electorate of Sutica-Sarissa House of Barclay | Electorate of Reinmar-Kretzen House Barclay von Freimark | Electorate of Freimark House of Mondblume | Electorate of Richtenburg House of Bishop | Electorate of Bishop Ulrich von Alstreim revived the tradition of the Waldenic Diet by hosting the Waldenfest of 1850. A twofold event, the festivities began with the Feast of the Waldenfest in the County of Freimark, followed by the Waldenic Moot within Merryweather Castle. It was at the latter event that the Second Waldenic Diet was born, with Ulrich von Lothar elected as the ninth Lord Vandalore and second Margrave of Vanderfell. The matters selected for discussion included the following: ✠ Election of the Lord Vandalore and Margrave of Vanderfell; ✠ Affirmation of the Chief of the Reinmaren; ✠ Affirmation of the cultural laws of Waldenia; ✠ The Compact of Merryweather; ✠ Brotherhood between the Daelish and Waldenian peoples; ✠ The Hall of Heroes initiative; ✠ Affirmation of the Waldenic Symbols of Merit; and ✠ Protection of the Waldenian Walrus as an endangered species. With such an extensive agenda, it is of little surprise that not all of this was achieved during the Second Waldenic Diet. These matters did, however, serve as a basis for motions and initiatives passed by successive Diets. First Session, 1850 Two non-Electors challenged their right to be nominated as Vandalore on account of their Waldenic blood: Roberta de Chalons and Eirik Baruch. After much deliberation, the nomination of Roberta de Chalons was unilaterally rejected and the nomination of Eirik Baruch was put to a vote. The vote failed, with three Electors voting no, two voting yes, and one abstaining. With no other nominations being put forth, Ulrich von Alstreim won the election, with five Electors voting yes and one being absent. Also during the first session, the Second Waldenic Diet affirmed the Reinmaren practice of electing the Chief of the Reinmaren. Johann Barclay, Elector of Reinmar-Kretzen, was affirmed as the Chief of the Reinmaren and appointed as a Mediator of the Second Waldenic Diet. Second Session, 1853 The Waldenian peoples hold a lengthy oral tradition, and historically the cultural laws were customary but never properly codified. The Second Waldenic Diet changed this, unanimously voting to codify the Sacred Law of Waldenia. This law consists of four sections: the Vander Code, the Code of Rights, the Code of Obligations, and the Code of Representation. It remains in effect to this day, with amendments to the Code of Representation passed by the Seventh Waldenic Diet. Petition to grant House Baruch an Electorate In 1850, shortly after the first session, the Lord Vandalore received a letter from Erwin Bishop urging him to instate Eirik Baruch as an Elector of the Waldenic Diet. His reasons were fourfold: I. House Baruch claims Waldenic blood as descendants of House Rovin; II. The Ayrian culture of the Baruchs is considered a subculture of Waldenia by those who practice it; III. Eirik Baruch’s request to be present at the Waldenic Diet suggests a keen interest in matters of Waldenian culture; and IV. House Baruch conforms to many Waldenian ideals, including clothing styles. The Vandalore responded by saying that to be Waldenian is not to trace descendancy on a piece of parchment, but rather by unfaltering practice of the culture. It remained open to House Baruch to strive for this and earn an Electorate, voted and confirmed by the Waldenic Diet, but it was not the Lord Vandalore’s place to grant it to them without first seeing evidence of sincere, lasting effort. Controversy surrounding the title Prince of Sutica Johann Barclay, Elector of Reinmar-Kretzen, issued a notice in 1850 entitled A Princely Return. In this notice, he laid claim to the title Prince of Sutica, claiming it as a sovereign title of House Barclay by virtue of the legacy of King Georg I. The missive was signed by a number of patriarchs and world leaders, including His Royal Majesty Sigismund III of Hanseti-Ruska, His Serene Highness Olivier Laurene of Savoy, and the Lord Vandalore Ulrich von Alstreim. Princess Catherine, daughter of Queen Johanna I and King Georg I of Sutica, penned a response. She cited the law codex of the then-defunct Kingdom of Sutica, which held that the line of succession went to the firstborn child, then to their siblings, then to the title-holder’s closest relative. After her brother’s untimely death, she held that the line of succession therefore flowed to her as Prince Corwin’s younger sister, then to her half-brother Prince Adolphus, then to Prince Ulrich of Merryweather (the Lord Vandalore) as the brother of Queen Johanna I. Her father, King Georg I, ruled jure uxoris by virtue of his marriage to Queen Johanna I—House Barclay could not, therefore, claim her mother’s titles. Princess Catherine sat upon the Waldenic Diet as the Elector for Sutica-Sarissa, while Duke Johann Barclay served as the Elector for Reinmar-Kretzen. The word of the Vandalore would therefore be highly influential in this dispute. Ultimately, the Lord Vandalore upheld his signature on the original missive, supporting Johann Barclay to claim the mantle of the Prince of Sutica. His line continues to hold the title to this day, with His Highness Prince Alfred I reigning as a Prince in Reinmar and of Sutica. ✠ Third Waldenic Diet | 1860–1875 Vandalore Johann Barclay House of Alstreim | Electorate of Merryweather-Alstreim House Barclay von Reinmar | Electorate of Reinmar-Sutica House Barclay von Freimark | Electorate of Freimark House of Mondblume | Electorate of Richtenburg House of Bishop | Electorate of Bishop House of Baruch | Electorate of Valwyck (granted in 1861) The Electorate of Sutica-Sarissa dissolved after Princess Catherine’s death, which is why it was not represented in the Third Waldenic Diet. Her descendants were of the House Ashford de Savoie given her patrilineal marriage to Olivier Laurene Ashford de Savoie (later Prince Olivier II of Savoy). Interestingly, her own husband signed the missive transferring the title of Sutica to Johann Barclay. Reflecting House Barclay von Reinmar’s new status as holders of the Principality of Sutica, the Electorate of Reinmar-Kretzen was renamed to Reinmar-Sutica. First Session, 1861 The Electorate of Freimark nominated Johann Barclay as Lord Vandalore, while the Electorate of Bishop nominated Heinrich Alstreim. The latter rejected his nomination, claiming that someone more experienced should hold the role. The vote passed in favour of Johann Barclay, with four Electors voting yes and one abstaining. During the Second Waldenic Diet, there had been much discussion about granting House Baruch an Electorate. This came to a vote during the first session of the Third Waldenic Diet, with unanimous approval to grant House Baruch the Electorate of Valwyck. Two men of Salvia approached the Waldenic Diet and pleaded for the Crown of Atheran Salvus to be titularly held by St. Ottomar of Merryweather in perpetuity. The Diet unanimously voted in approval of this motion, which was later enshrined in the Reinmar Accords. Second Session, 1864 The Third Waldenic Diet carried on much of the work left unfinished by the Second Diet. During the second session, the Diet voted to prepare the Compact of Merryweather, establish a Hall of Heroes within the city of Karosgrad, and protect the Waldenian Walrus. There was discussion on the affirmation of the Primary Waldenic Symbols of Merit, but due to there being no clear definition of who constituted a Vander by Blood or a Knight of the Waldenian Peoples, the motion was postponed until a future session. Although these motions were successfully voted on, official documents for the Compact of Merryweather and protection of the Waldenian Walrus would not be published until the Fifth Waldenic Diet. ✠ Fourth Waldenic Diet | 1876–1894 Vandalore Johanna Barclay House of Alstreim | Electorate of Merryweather-Alstreim House Barclay von Reinmar | Electorate of Reinmar-Sutica House of Bishop | Electorate of Bishop House of Baruch | Electorate of Valwyck House of Audrick | Electorate of Audrick (granted in 1877) House Barclay von Minitz | Electorate of Minitz (granted in 1890) House of Bardenwig | Electorate of Arentania (granted in 1890) House of Reuss | Electorate of Velen (granted in 1890) Following the dissolution of the Principality of Savoy in 1872, all titles held by House Barclay within the now-defunct nation transferred to House Barclay von Reinmar, including the County of Freimark. Thus, the Electorate of Freimark ceased to exist, instead represented by Prince Johann Barclay as the Elector for Reinmar-Sutica. By the time of the Fourth Waldenic Diet, House Mondblume had all but gone extinct. Hence, the Electorate of Richtenburg was not represented in the Fourth Waldenic Diet. The Fourth Waldenic Diet saw a swell of new Electorates, but no substantive motions were raised or passed. Indeed, much of the work first proposed by the Second Diet and voted upon by the Third Diet was not officially published until the Fifth Diet. First Session, 1877 As well as voting in Johanna Barclay as the Lady Vandalore and Margravine of Vanderfell, the Fourth Waldenic Diet also unanimously voted to grant the House of Audrick the Electorate of Audick. Second Session, 1890 The second session saw the granting of three new Electorates. Firstly, the Electorate of Minitz, represented by House Barclay von Minitz. Dietrich Barclay, once heir to the County of Freimark, abandoned his claims to that title following the Michaelite Schism. He would not turn his back on GOTT, and therefore struck out to claim his own lands. He was granted the Barony of Minitz within the Kingdom of Aaun and petitioned the Diet to grant him the Electorate of Minitz, separate from the Electorate of Reinmar-Sutica. This request was accepted ten years later at the next gathering of the Diet, although by that time the Elector was Leon Barclay of Minitz. Similarly, House Bardwenwig-Alstreim—a cadet house of House Alstreim by virtue of the marriage between Mathilda von Alstreim and Helwig von Bardenwig—claimed an Electorate separate from that of Merryweather-Alstreim. The Fourth Waldenic Diet granted House Bardwenwig-Alstreim the Electorate of Arentania, represented by Lady Mathilda as its Elector. House Reuss, claiming Waldenian heritage and being independent of any other Waldenian House, was granted the Electorate of Velen. It was at this session that the Lady Vandalore announced her intention to retire, and the Diet resolved to publish missives of unresolved motions from the Second and Third Diets. Although this resolution passed unanimously, these publications never came to fruition. ✠ Fifth Waldenic Diet | 1894–1919 Vandalore Ottomar II von Alstreim House of Alstreim | Electorate of Merryweather-Alstreim House of Barclay | Electorate of Reinmar-Sutica House of Bishop | Electorate of Bishop-Ostervik House of Barclay von Minitz | Electorate of Minitz House of Reuss | Electorate of Velen House of Bardenwig | Electorate of Arentania House of Baruch | Electorate of Valwyck (revoked in 1912) House of Audrick | Electorate of Audrick (revoked in 1912) House of Augusten | Electorate of Hohengarten (granted in 1912) House of Theonus | Electorate of Theonus (granted in 1912) The Electorate of Bishop was renamed to the Electorate of Bishop-Ostervik to reflect the House of Bishop’s new baronial status within the Kingdom of Hanseti-Ruska. First Session, 1894 The Fifth Waldenic Diet saw the first true contestation for the title of Lord Vandalore, with Ottomar von Alstreim nominated by the Electorate of Merryweather-Alstreim and Leopold von Reuss nominated by the Electorate of Arentania. Ottomar von Alstreim ultimately prevailed, with four Electors voting for him, two voting for Leopold von Reuss, and two abstaining by way of absence. This also marked the first time that a non-Elector had been elected to the position of Lord Vandalore. As a note, Ottomar von Alstreim may have been the first non-Elector to be raised to the position of Lord Vandalore, however, he did not hold his own Electorate as is permissible under the Sacred Law. Soon after his election, Ottomar von Alstreim was chosen as the successor to the late Heinrich I von Alstreim, Prince of Merryweather, and therefore held the Electorate of Merryweather-Alstreim. The Diet voted in approval of placing more importance on the Vander Code and awarding the status of Vander to any who faithfully observe it. There was also a successful vote for the Waldenic Diet to formally petition the Holy Mother church for the veneration of King George I and Queen Johanna I for restoring Canonist rule to Sutica. While there is no record that this petition was ever made, both were later venerated and forever bless the pages of Legenda Sanctorum. Second Session, 1897 It was agreed that the Lord Vandalore write up a formal document around clear rules for the Symbols of Merit. This was a motion postponed by the Third Diet due to there being no clear criteria. Furthermore, the Diet pledged to revive the effort to compose the Compact of Merryweather. The Third Diet had voted in favour of preparing this document but it never eventuated. More substantively, the Diet voted for the full denouncement by all Waldenic lords of any man or woman who would lay claim to the defunct title of Oren. This was a motion presented by the Electorate of Bishop-Ostervik and sparked much debate, with objections from the Electorates of Arentania, Reinmar-Sutica, and Merryweather-Alstreim (the Lord Vandalore). Katerina Matriach Jorenus was consulted and after heeding her counsel, the Diet agreed to condemn any who would lay claim to the title without the consent of the High Pontiff. Lord Vandalore’s Pilgrimage In 1900, the Lord Vandalore announced that he was to embark on a pilgrimage to Atheran Salvus; a journey taking a year and a half, weather permitting. In his absence, the Duke of Reinmar and Chieftain of the Reinmaren, Wilheim Konstanz Barclay, represented the Lord Vandalore as President of the Waldenic Diet. Third Session, 1903 The Lord Vandalore presented the document on the Waldenic Symbols of Merit which was approved by the Diet. The Compact of Merryweather had still not been drafted by this time, so there was a successful vote for this document to be prepared by the next session. The Electorate of Minitz raised the motion of writing a Waldenian prayerbook dedicated to reverend figures of faith. The Diet voted to compile this list, which was later published as the Waldenian Prayer Book during the Sixth Waldenic Diet. Fourth Session, 1912 The Electors of Valwyck and Audrick had been absent at the three previous sessions, failing to send a representative. There was a vote to revoke their Electoral status which passed unanimously. Both would have the ability to appeal in the future, and until such time as they regained full Electoral status, they would have one vote each rather than the indivisible two votes of full Electors. Two Electorates were revoked but two were granted, with House von Augusten being granted the Electorate of Hohengarten and House von Theonus being granted the Electorate of Theonus. The Compact of Merryweather was finally passed, in which the Waldenic Diet vowed to safeguard the Crowns of Aesterwald, Westerwald, Vandoria, and Waldenia against claimants until a legal and legitimate Waldenian polity is established. It also vowed to recognise no other Lord Vandalore or Margrave of Vanderfell than that person duly elected by the Diet. Finally, the Diet vowed to protect each others’ rights to their personal Waldenian titles such as Sutica and Merryweather through direct and joint action without breaking the laws of their respective realms or forgoing oaths of fealty. The Waldenian Walrus The Fifth Diet finally codified the protection of the Waldenian Walrus, which was first raised during the Second Diet and voted upon during the Third Diet. Claims to the Margraviate of Vanderfell House Baruch claimed that the title of Margrave of Vanderfell belonged to them as the descendants of House Rovin. The Lord Vandalore clarified that its last legal holder, Hans Rovin, formally gave the title to the Waldenic Diet, to be conferred as an elective title on the person voted as Lord Vandalore. ✠ Sixth Waldenic Diet | 1919–1939 Vandalore Brandt I Barclay House of Alstreim | Electorate of Merryweather-Alstreim House Barclay von Reinmar | Electorate of Reinmar-Sutica House Barclay von Minitz | Electorate of Minitz House of Theonus | Electorate of Einmont House of Augusten | Electorate of Hohengarten House of Bardenwig | Electorate of Arentania House of Reuss | Electorate of Velen House of Bishop | Electorate of Bishop-Ostervik (revoked in circa 1925) The Electorate of Theonus was renamed to the Electorate of Einmont to reflect the House of Theonus becoming a noble tribe within the Duchy of Minitz. First Session, 1919 Brandt Barclay received a nomination from the Electorate of Einmont, and there were no other nominations. He made a number of promises, including publishing a prayer book (voted upon during Fifth Diet) and bringing the Vanders into the Church. He also promised to host a weekly Waldenic Diet where the Electors must report to the Diet about Waldenian culture in their Electorates. It is unclear if this promise was fulfilled, considering the documentation of the Waldenic Diet during this time was sparse. The Diet voted to award Ottomar von Alstreim a knightly torse for renewing his oaths to upkeep the Vander Code, even after abdicating as Lord Vandalore. There was also a vote to award Cosima von Augusten the Ferrum Cross for the upkeep of Waldenian customs in Hohengarten. Second and Third Sessions We know that a second and third session must have been held, for there is a record of a fourth session. However, these records have never been found, potentially lost to fire or to flood. It is likely that the Electorate of Bishop-Ostervik was revoked during one of these sessions, for that Electorate does not make the composition of the Seventh Waldenic Diet. Fourth Session, 1930 The Electorate of Merryweather-Alstreim introduced a motion to adopt a Waldenian anthem to strengthen unity, which was voted upon and accepted. The Salvian Envoy from the Salvian Syndicate requested aid with the potential conversion of Lurin to Canonist ideals. There was no vote, but the Lord Vandalore promised to aid their cause. Wenzel Rovin approached the Diet to be recognised as the patriarch of the ancient House of Rovin. His genealogy was examined and authenticated by a man of the cloth, proving him to be a legitimate descendant of House Rovin. The Diet voted to recognise Wenzel Rovin as the patriarch of House Rovin. He therefore had a single vote until such time as the House was granted full Electoral rights once more. The Diet did not vote, but nonetheless recognised Manfred Barclay as Vice President of the Waldenic Diet due to the Lord Vandalore leaving on a missionary expedition for two years. The minutes of this session of Diet were therefore scribed and published by Manfred Barclay as the Vice President. ✠ Seventh Waldenic Diet | 1939–1952 Vandalore Heinrich II von Alstreim House of Alstreim | Electorate of Merryweather-Alstreim House Barclay von Reinmar | Electorate of Reinmar-Sutica House Barclay von Minitz | Electorate of Minitz House of Reuss | Electorate of Velen House of Theonus | Electorate of Einmont House of Bardenwig | Electorate of Arentania (revoked in 1946) House of Augusten | Electorate of Hohengarten (revoked in 1948) First Session, 1939 Heinrich II von Alstreim of the Electorate of Merryweather-Alstreim was the only candidate, and thus voted in as Lord Vandalore and Margrave of Vanderfell. He promised to revive the tradition of the Waldenfest and to finish the project of the Vander Knights started by the previous Vandalore. Neither of these promises were met, likely due to the Lord Vandalore’s tragic and sudden death. The Elector of Reinmar-Sutica, Manfred Barclay, proposed a motion to elect a Custodian of the Book of Waldenia. He was voted in by the Diet and resolved to fill in much of the history that had been left blank since the book was first penned by the tenth Lord Vandalore, Johann Barclay. Second Session, 1946 The Diet voted to revoke the Electorate of Arentania from the House of Bardenwig because they had not been seen in many years and failed to attend multiple sessions of the Waldenic Diet. The Diet voted to recognise House von Leopold as a legitimate Waldenian house. However, when the vote turned to granting House von Leopold an Electorate, three Electors voted no and three voted yes. Due to the tie, House von Leopold was not granted an Electorate. Third Session, 1948 The House von Augusten defected from the Kingdom of Aaun due to accusations levied against them that their House was plagued with vampyres. This was deemed to be a breach of the Vander Code, namely that of loyalty to one’s liege lord. The Diet therefore gathered and voted to punish the House von Augusten, resulting in a revocation of the Electorate of Hohengarten. The Walter Amendment was raised, which amended the Code of Representation within the Sacred Law of Waldenia. This amendment unilaterally passed and was incorporated into the Sacred Law, but a revised document reflecting this change would not be published until the Ninth Waldenic Diet. Dissolution of the Seventh Waldenic Diet Following the Lord Vandalore’s tragic murder at the hands of House Stassion in 1952, the Seventh Waldenic Diet dissolved, as per the Sacred Law. Other Vandalores had also died in office, for example Ulrich Lothar von Alstreim and Johann Barclay, but the Diet was reconvened after a mourning period of a few months. After Heinrich II von Alstreim’s death, the Diet did not convene for four years, and it was only when the Electorate of Einmont issued a call for the Eighth Waldenic Diet in 1955 that the Electors finally reconvened. ✠ Eighth Waldenic Diet | 1956–1979 Vandalore Johannes von Alstreim House Barclay von Sutica | Electorate of Reinmar-Sutica House Barclay von Minitz | Electorate of Minitz House of Alstreim | Electorate of Merryweather-Alstreim House of Reuss | Electorate of Velen House of Theonus | Electorate of Marignan House of Augusten | Electorate of Hohengarten (granted in 1966) The Electorate of Einmont was renamed to the Electorate of Marignan after the House of Theonus was released from its oaths of fealty to the Grand Principality of Minitz and Kingdom of Aaun. The name Marignan reflected their new title in the Commonwealth of the Petra. First Session, 1956 The Diet reconvened in 1956, four years after the previous Vandalore’s death. For the first time in history, there were three nominations for Lord Vandalore, meaning it was a closely contested election. The Electorate of Marignan nominated Thérèse von Theonus, the Electorate of Merryweather-Alstreim nominated Johannes von Alstreim, and the Electorate of Reinmar-Sutica nominated Ludwig Bishop. Four of the five Electorates voted for Johannes von Alstreim, even the Electorate of Reinmar-Sutica which had sponsored another contender. The Electorate of Marignan abstained. Friedrich von Augusten approached the Diet asking for the reinstatement of the Electorate of Hohengarten. Rather than putting this to a vote, there was a vote on whether to investigate the status of House von Augusten, which passed. This report would be prepared and presented before the Diet at the next session, where there would be a vote on whether to grant House von Augusten its Electoral status once more. Second Session, 1966 House von Augusten had its Electoral status returned, following a successful vote by the Diet. The Diet voted upon reforming the Knights of Vander, the spiritual successor to the Knights of the Black Eagle and the Vandorian Order. This passed, and Siegmund von Reuss, Elector for Velen, was voted as the Ritterkommandant. Third Session, 1973 The Ritterkommandant, Siegmund von Reuss, gave his report to the Waldenic Diet. The Diet voted to allow Anselm Barclay and Konstantin von Theonus to undergo their final trials to become Vander Knights. Furthermore, the Ritterkommandant announced that he would be preparing a set list of trials for future Ritterkommandants. The Electorate of Velen raised the motion to bar non-Waldenians from sitting at Diet, a rule which would later be called Siegmund’s Law, named for Siegmund von Reuss, the Elector for Velen. Fourth Session, 1979 Anselm Barclay, having served as a squire and completed his trials, had unanimous support to take the oath and become a Vander Knight. He is now Ser Anselm Barclay. The Electorate of Marignan was renamed to the Electorate of Vohenheim by official vote, even though precedent holds that such a change of name need not be put to the Diet. Nevertheless, the House von Theonus now holds the Electorate of Vohenheim. Breaking from precedent, rather than dissolving the Eighth Waldenic Diet and reconvening at a later date to elect the next Lord Vandalore, the Lord Vandalore Johannes von Alstreim announced his retirement and immediately called for a vote. The Electorate of Reinmar-Sutica nominated Adalfriede von Hexenwald. The Electorate of Hohengarten nominated Friedrich von Augusten. Three Electors voted for Adalfriede von Hexenwald, two voted for Friedrich von Augusten, and Merryweather-Alstreim, the Electorate of the Lord Vandalore, abstained. Adalfriede von Hexenwald would therefore be the next Lady Vandalore when the Diet reconvened. ✠ Ninth Waldenic Diet | 1979–present Vandalore Adalfriede von Hexenwald Adalfriede von Hexenwald | Electorate of Hexenwald House Barclay von Sutica | Electorate of Reinmar-Sutica House Barclay von Minitz | Electorate of Minitz House of Alstreim | Electorate of Merryweather-Alstreim House of Theonus | Electorate of Vohenheim House of Reuss | Electorate of Velen House of Augusten | Electorate of Hohengarten Although Ottomar von Alstreim was the first non-Elector to be elected as the Lord Vandalore, Adalfriede von Hexenwald was the first to create her own Electorate in line with the Code of Representation; the Electorate of Hexenwald. As set out in the Eighth Waldenic Diet, the House of Theonus changed the name of their Electorate to the Electorate of Vohenheim to reflect their new noble title as a ducal house. First Session, 1981 The Lady Vandalore first swore the sacred oath to uphold the Sacred Law of Waldenia and the Vander code, in line with the Walter Amendment to the Code of Representation. There was a vote for which Electorate would host the next Waldenfest, with the Electorate of Velen nominating the Electorate of Minitz, and the Electorate of Hohengarten nominating the Electorate of Hohengarten. The Electorate of Minitz won by simple majority. In a matter of some controversy, the Lady Vandalore summoned Siegmund Weiss before the Diet for a breach of the Vander Code due to his comments during a session of the King’s Duma in Hanseti-Ruska. This sparked responses from His Majesty King Ivan VIII of Hanseti-Ruska and His Holiness the High Pontiff Caius I, the former claiming that the Vandalore held no sway over his Waldenian subjects, and the latter urging the Lady Vandalore to leave the matter to the Church, considering the slanderous comments in question were against the Owynist Sect of Canonism. Recognising that the Vandalore and Waldenic Diet had a duty to maintain the Church, the Lady Vandalore ultimately decided not to hold a vote for Siegmund Weiss’ punishment. Electorates were encouraged by the Lady Vandalore to put forth squires for consideration. By the time of the first session, the current squires were Konstantin von Augusten, Erwin Barclay, and Konstantin von Theonus. Following the Diet came the Waldenfest, consisting of a horse race around the city of Kretzen followed by a grand feast in der Heidepalast, the Royal Palace of Reinmar. This marked the return of the Waldenfest, the first celebration since the second Waldenfest in 1850. Second Session, 1984 The Diet voted in favour of drafting the Waldenic Regelwerk, a collection of laws and customs that are not included in the Sacred Law of Waldenia. Furthermore, the Diet voted upon the precise wording of Siegmund’s Law, which had been raised during the Eighth Waldenic Diet. There was an intended vote on the criteria for granting the Waldenian Symbols of Merit (the Torse, the Ferrum Cross, and the Black Ferrum Cross). This was relegated to the next session, giving time for the Lady Vandalore to compile a list of everyone who had received the honour. Similarly, a list of all Waldenians inducted into the Hall of Heroes would be compiled, with a motion raised at the next session to build a physical hall. The Diet unanimously voted to allow symbols of merit to be awarded posthumously. The Ferrum Cross was awarded posthumously to Ulrich Lothar von Alstreim for his contributions to the culture. The Electors also raised an issue with descendants being able to wear their ancestor’s honour, which was put to a vote. It was decided to change the Affirmation of the Waldenic Symbols of Merit as published by the Fifth Waldenic Diet so that descendants can no longer wear their ancestor’s honour. There was an intended vote on the criteria for a relic being considered a Waldenian relic, but much like with the Symbols of Merit, this was relegated to the next session until a list of relics could be compiled. Electors were called to submit a list of relics to the Lady Vandalore. The Lady Vandalore announced she was embarking on a pilgrimage to Atheran Salvus and a vote was held for an interim president. Aurel von Theonus, Elector of Vohenheim, was nominated by the Lady Vandalore and voted in. The Waldenfest was hosted by the Electorate of Minitz within the Principality of Reinmar, consisting of a joust and archery competition. The Electorate of Velen won by simple majority to host the next Waldenfest. Third Session, 1988 By the time of the third session, conflict had broken out in the Heartlands, resulting in the dissolution of the Heartlander Confederation into its constituent parts: the Apostolic Kingdom of Aaun and the Commonwealth of the Petra. Although this conflict did not descend into open war, there was a very real possibility that Aaunic and Petran Waldenians would find themselves on opposite sides of the battlefield. In light of this, the Lady Vandalore called for each of the Electors to reaffirm their oath to follow the Sacred Law of Waldenia and uphold the Vander Code. If it came to war, Waldenians would find themselves torn between the duty to serve their liege lord on one hand, and the obligation to never inflict death on another Waldenian on the other hand. With the oaths sworn, the Diet moved to the next matter: posthumously awarding the Waldenic Symbols of Merit to two recipients. The Lady Vandalore nominated Ottomar II von Alstreim for the Ferrum Cross and High Pontiff Caius I for the Black Ferrum Cross, both of which were awarded unanimously. The Diet had previously voted in favour of drafting the Waldenic Regelwerk, which was presented in full at this session. The Diet unanimously voted to implement the Waldenic Regelwerk and appoint Nikolaus von Leopold as its first Keeper. Finally, the Diet had briefly discussed the criteria for a relic being considered ‘Waldenian’ at the previous session, but no vote was held until a list of relics could be compiled for consideration. Rather than present this list of relics, the Lady Vandalore instead proposed a set of criteria which was unanimously approved. Fourth Session, 1990 Only one year following the third session of the Ninth Waldenic Diet, the Lady Vandalore convened an emergency session due to the swiftly evolving conflict between the Sovereignty of Ravenmire and the Apostolic Kingdom of Aaun. In the direct path of this conflict sat the Chantry of Calliopeburg, a Waldenian domain in Aaun dedicated to maintaining the Sacred Law and protecting the relics of St. Calliope of Merryweather. Before turning to the war, Ser Siegmund von Reuss announced his retirement as the Ritterkommandant and named Ser Anselm Barclay as his successor. Ser Anselm’s appointment was unanimously approved by the Waldenic Diet. As the Ritterkommandant, Ser Anselm released the Trials of the Black Eagle shortly following the Diet session. As to the matter of the war, the Lady Vandalore compiled a detailed timeline of events leading up to the convention of the Diet in 1990. This version of events was approved by the Waldenic Diet. Should Ravenmire march on Aaun and the Proprietress of Calliopeburg was unable to defend the holy relics of St. Calliope, the Diet voted to remove the relics into the care of the Lady Vandalore, to be housed within the Temple of Waldenic Martyrs. Furthermore, a Waldenian contingent under the command of Ser Anselm Barclay, consisting of two soldiers from each Electorate, was sent to Calliopeburg to stand guard over the Chantry and its holy relics. This was later disbanded following the peace terms recorded in the Treaty of Minas Aranath, which the Lady Vandalore signed on behalf of the Waldenic Diet. The Pretender Empire A man naming himself Raqirer I Horen had released a missive proclaiming himself to be the Emperor of Oren. Per the Orenia Decree of 1897, the Waldenic Diet must denounce any man or woman who would dare lay claim to the Kingdom, or Empire, of Oren without consent of the High Pontiff of the Church of the Canon. The Waldenic Diet unanimously decreed that the ramblings of Raqirer Horen were so unfounded as to be made in jest, and therefore issued no condemnation. This changed following a letter from the Pretender Emperor, declaring that his claims were not made in jest. The Lady Vandalore swiftly penned a condemnation both of Raqirer I Horen and the man in his employ who claimed to be a Vander Knight. Third Waldenfest, 1994 The third Waldenfest of the Ninth Waldenic Diet was hosted in Velen, consisting of an archery competition, axe throwing, and a feast. Shortly after leaving the festivities, the Lady Vandalore and the Elector for Vohenheim happened upon the remains of the fallen Chantry of Calliopeburg. There they discovered the body of a deacon with a gruesome message carved into his flesh, suggesting that the destruction of the chantry was the work of Saulites. Fifth Session, 1996 The Ninth Waldenic Diet made history when it convened its fifth session. Each of the previous Diets had convened for four sessions at most, making the Ninth Waldenic Diet the most prolific and active of its predecessors. During this session, the Diet voted to invite three recognised families to sit on the Diet: Vourkehardt, Weiss, and von Leopold. These families would have a singular vote on Diet matters in comparison to the two indivisible votes of Electors, up to and until such time as they gained Electoral status. Interestingly, this is not encoded in the Sacred Law of Waldenia nor the Waldenic Regelwerk, but rather a customary rule spoken about in the Book of Waldenia. Finally, the Lady Vandalore announced that she was departing for Fausten in an attempt to recover the lost relics of St. Calliope. She believed, or hoped, that the relics had been saved from the wreckage of Calliopeburg and taken to Fausten, though she would only know the truth of it once she had seen for herself. In her absence, Aurel von Theonus was once again voted interim president of the Waldenic Diet. ✠ In the name of the sons and daughters of Waldenia, HER ROYAL HIGHNESS, ADALFRIEDE von HEXENWALD, Princess of Minitz, Lawspeaker of Reinmar, Margravine of Vanderfell, Lady Vandalore, Grandmaster of the Vandorian Order and the Order of the Black Eagle

The goal of Wetlands Crossing is to be the first player to remove all of their pieces from the board, thereby crossing the wetlands safely. The board consists of three rows of ten tiles, with each tile being known as a domain. Each player starts with five pieces, which begin on the top row in an alternated pattern. The game is played with throwing sticks, resulting in a number between one and five ((OOC: /roll 5)). The youngest player throws first. The pieces move from left to right in the top row, right to left in the middle row, and left to right in the bottom row, resulting in a zigzagging path across the board. During each turn, a piece can be moved according to how many throwing sticks land face up ((OOC: what number you get when you /roll 5)). Pieces can jump over other pieces, in a move known as Dzalar'onn's Leap. The exception to this is if a player has three or more connecting pieces in the same row, effectively creating a blockade that cannot be jumped over, even if the other player rolls the requisite number. This is known as Meracahe’s Dam. If the player has, for example, four connecting pieces, but they are split across rows, this breaks Meracahe’s Dam and their opponent can jump over it if they roll the requisite number. Players can always jump over dams created by their own pieces. There can only be one piece per domain at any given time. A player can move their piece to a domain occupied by their opponent’s piece if they land on it; doing so exchanges the pieces, and they swap places. A player cannot move their piece to a domain occupied by one of their own pieces. If a player has two or more connecting pieces, this is known as the Protection of Tāmatu, meaning that the pieces cannot be exchanged even if the requisite number is thrown. This protection lasts until the pieces are separated through gameplay. There are a number of special tiles on the board, known as Mani Domains. Red: Siss’siru Yellow: Wi’wun Blue: Kwakwani Green: Kri’ki Light green: Llan’sae The Domain of Siss’suru is a safe place, meaning that a piece in this domain cannot be exchanged, even if their opponent rolls the requisite number to land on it. Other safe domains where pieces cannot be exchanged are the Domains of Wi’wun, Kri’ki, and Llan’sae. Pieces must first land on the Domain of Wi’wun before it can progress further into the wetlands. For example, if a piece is on the tile before Wi’wun and the player throws a three, they cannot move that piece. This is likened with the Prince of Cranes judging trespassers attempting to cross flooded lands. The Domain of Wi’wun is a safe domain, and pieces on this domain can never be jumped over, effectively blocking one’s opponent from progressing. If a piece lands on the Domain of Kwakwani, the Trickster Raven moves their piece back to the Domain of Siss’siru. Being taken back to the Domain of Siss’suru symbolises that the piece has a second chance to continue playing the game, even if they have been knocked back. If the Domain of Siss’siru is occupied by another piece, the knocked back piece is moved to the first empty domain before it. The very last tile on the board is not safe. If there is a piece in the final domain, and a player with a piece in the Domain of Wi’wun throws a four, they can swap their piece to the final domain. Rather than the other piece being swapped to Wi’wun, it is instead stolen by Kwakwani and moved to the Domain of Siss’siru. Once a piece has passed the Domain if Wi’wun and is in the final domains, it can only leave by throwing a specific number. Pieces in the Domain of Kri’ki can only leave the wetlands with a three, pieces in the Domain of Llan’sae can only leave with a two, and pieces on the final unmarked domain can only leave with a one. For example, if a piece is in the Domain of Kri’ki and the player throws a one, the piece cannot progress to the Domain of Llan’sae, which is on the tile beside it; the piece must remain in place until the exact number is thrown. If a move is possible then the player must make that move. For example, if the player has only one piece remaining and they roll to land on the Domain of Kwakwani, they must make that move even though it is disadvantageous. If no move is possible, the player forfeits their turn. The first player to move all of their pieces off the board wins the game, having successfully crossed the wetlands.

✠ Fifth Session, 1996 HEXENWALD REINMAR-SUTICA MINITZ MERRYWEATHER-ALSTREIM VOHENHEIM VELEN HOHENGARTEN INTRODUCTION EINLEITUNG In convening its fifth session, the Ninth Waldenic Diet has made history as the most prolific Diet. No other Diet has convened more than four times. This was a session of happy tidings, congratulating Friedrich von Augusten on his House’s elevation to the Margraviate of Schwyz within the Petra and awarding Erwin Barclay with a horsehair brooch, a symbol of coming of age in Reinmaren culture. However, this session also brought grave tidings of the fate of the Chantry of Calliopeburg. The Lady Vandalore brought news that the chantry had burned to the ground, and that the holy relics of Saint Calliope were unaccounted for. She did, however, manage to recover two statues from the ruins; the likenesses of Saint Nafis and Saint Otto, both of which are on display outside of the Temple of Waldenic Martyrs in Kretzen. The Lady Vandalore will be embarking on a journey to Fausten to enquire after the missing relics. MOTIONS ANTRÄGE RECOGNISED FAMILIES A vote to open the Waldenic Diet to recognised families. HOST OF THE WALDENFEST A vote on which Electorate will host the next Waldenfest. INTERIM PRESIDENT OF THE WALDENIC DIET A vote on an Interim President of the Waldenic Diet while the Lady Vandalore is absent. RECOGNISED FAMILIES It is customary for recognised Waldenian families to sit upon the Waldenic Diet but not be considered Electors. Usually, these families are houses that were once of prominence, and are granted a singular vote until their Electoral status can be confirmed again. This is in comparison to the two indivisible votes granted to Electors. The Diet voted whether to formally invite the families of Vourkehardt, Weiss, and von Leopold to sit as recognised families with the opportunity to earn Electoral status. VOTE: Extend Invitation to Recognised Families JA Hexenwald Reinmar-Sutica Minitz Vohenheim Hohengarten ABWESEND Merryweather-Alstreim Velen The vote passes. The Lady Vandalore will extend invitations to the families of Vourkehardt, Weiss, and von Leopold to attend the next session of the Waldenic Diet. HOST OF THE WALDENFEST The Lady Vandalore nominated the Electorate of Hohengarten to host the next Waldenfest. VOTE: Hohengarten as the Host of the Next Waldenfest JA Hexenwald Reinmar-Sutica Minitz Vohenheim Hohengarten ABWESEND Merryweather-Alstreim Velen The next Waldenfest will be hosted in Rikardsburg, House von Augusten’s seat within the Commonwealth of the Petra. INTERIM PRESIDENT OF THE WALDENIC DIET The Lady Vandalore is embarking on a pilgrimage to Fausten in an attempt to recover the lost relics of Saint Calliope, if they have indeed been sent there. In her absence, the Diet requires an interim president to deal with any emergency matters that may arise. The Representative for Minitz, Erwin Barclay, nominated himself. The Elector for Hohengarten nominated the Elector for Vohenheim, Aurel von Theonus. VOTE: Interim President ERWIN BARCLAY Reinmar-Sutica Minitz AUREL VON THEONUS Hexenwald Hohengarten Vohenheim ABWESEND Merryweather-Alstreim Velen Aurel von Theonus will serve as the interim President of the Waldenic Diet until the Lady Vandalore returns in 1999. MOTION TO ADJOURN THE FIFTH SESSION OF THE NINTH WALDENIC DIET VOTE JA Hexenwald Reinmar-Sutica Vohenheim Hohengarten ABWESEND Minitz Merryweather-Alstreim Velen The vote passed and the session was adjourned. ✠ In the name of the sons and daughters of Waldenia, HER ROYAL HIGHNESS, ADALFRIEDE von HEXENWALD, Princess of Minitz, Lawspeaker of Reinmar, Margravine of Vanderfell, Lady Vandalore, Grandmaster of the Vandorian Order and the Order of the Black Eagle

Adalfriede added the diligent study of heraldry to the royal library. Surely young Heledd would be made a knight soon... anything else would be a travesty.

Adalfriede read about the Barony of Wesenburg while puffing on a pipe packed with Sturmweber tobacco. Her youngest daughter Josefina had married into that House, strengthening the bond between Barclay and Wesenburg, and both of her hirdwomen hailed from that loyal family. Once, there was a time when her ambition consumed her, and she constantly hungered for more. Now she was beginning to be content with knowing that her blood would flow in Oswald’s veins, and in his children’s, and his children’s children’s. A legacy. A line of descendants to remember her and tell her tale on a runestone. She blew out a stream of smoke and closed the book.

Adalfriede received a copy of the writings of Lukas—Lucien—whatever he was calling himself that week, pondering over them with the help of her polished red beryl. The stone helped her to read when her eyes began to fail her, but it was not her eyesight that had her struggling to make sense of his scratchings. For all Lukas wrote of injustice, she was a merciful Lawspeaker, to even let his missives be published from the blackness of his cells beneath the streets of Kretzen. Justice would be done, in time. Perhaps a few more years of languishing would make the man more repentant.

Erika ran through the woodland meadows with her arms flung wide, fingers streaming over every stalk and flower she passed. Amberiddle hung from the branches and brushed at her face, tickly and scratchy all at once, but she never got cut. Amberiddle was not a spiky plant. Neither was the coltsfoot dotting the narrow paths with bright yellow flowers, nor the draugr tongue, which looked like tulips but were not tulips. Even a young herbalist like Erika knew what to look for to tell the difference, which was important, because you couldn’t use tulip petals to wash wounds, but draugr tongue made the skin soft and supple enough to remove anything that had been stabbed there. Mamej said so, and she was the best physicker in the whole kingdom. Catching her breath, Erika leaned against a tall birch tree and looked up at the hawfinches twittering and hopping between the branches. One, two, three, four, five… Erika could count higher than five, but the birds were just too fast, and she didn’t want to count one of them twice. Papej took her and her siblings birdwatching once, but Andrei and Markus started play-wrestling and frightened them all away. That made Karlotta angry and she yelled at them, but Primrose’s cheeriness never faltered. Primrose was always smiling, but she smiled the most when playing with Erika. Bright blue flowers grew in clumps at the base of the birch tree. Erika crouched down beside them and picked a bunch, but as soon as she touched the petals her fingers instantly tingled and soon spread with numbness. Oh, no. Blissfoil! How could she be so stupid? She should have known from the colour and shape of the petals, and where it was growing. Mamej had warned her again and again and again! Erika tried brushing off her hands but that just made the numbness creep higher up her fingers and into her palms. “Mamej!” She sprinted through the trees to where she had last seen her mother harvesting some soggy roots from the edge of a stream. “Mamej, help!” Silence. Her mother was not where Erika had left her. Was this even the right place? Erika recognised that rock jutting out of the stream, she thought, but all rocks looked very much alike, and had there always been that much lichen clinging to it? Were the trees always so mossy? Erika took another step and something crushed underfoot, hard and brittle, splintering and snapping under her weight. Erika rolled her foot to the side. Down there in the dirt and moss… a bone. A human bone. She knew that because of how the delicate wrist bones connected to the hand bones, then the finger bones, just like when Karlotta broke her hand playing at swords and Mamej taught Erika how to spot the break under the surface of the skin before healing it with a few potions and bits of stick Mamej called splints, with bandages to keep it all in place. Erika bent down and picked up the skeletal hand, but it slipped right out of her fingers, still numb and clumsy from the blissfoil. Something had cut the person’s hand off around the middle of the forearm, because the break was clean, with only a few splinters. Maybe a sword? Probably quite a long time ago, too, because the bones were all yellow and dry like the skeleton in Mamej’s office in the clinic, the one propped up on a stand with bits of twisted wire. Right by the edge of the stream, a rusted upturned helmet collected water. Drip, drip, drip, plinking from the end of a leaf, the foliage still wet from recent rain. Erika left the hand and kept running. She found her mother kneeling beside the rest of the skeleton. It must have been the same person, because this skeleton was whole except for its right hand, severed in the middle of the forearm just as Erika had seen. Small, flaky brown mushrooms grew out from between its ribs, where the breastplate had rusted away to reveal them. Purplish grey ones grew out of its eye sockets, but Erika didn’t look too long at that. It upset her stomach. Mamej only scraped up the brown mushrooms and put them in a glass jar. “How did he die, Mamej?” Erika kept her voice to a hushed whisper. It felt wrong to speak too loudly around the dead. Even the birds seemed to fall quiet in the clearing. “I don’t know, sweetness.” Her mother straightened up, tucking the jar into the satchel hanging at her hip. She pulled over stones, the smoothest and flattest she could find, to cover the skeleton starting at its feet. Erika tried to help, but the stones were too heavy, her hands too numb and useless. If she could, she would put a pretty speckled red and brown and grey stone on the very top, and a yellow flower. She hoped the dead knight liked flowers. “There’s a bull on his armour, but not like our bull. It’s facing us and only shows the head, not the whole bull, with a cross between its horns. What does that mean?” “It means this man was from the League of Veletz, or at least fought for them.” “Fought for them in the…” Erika scrunched up her nose and thought and thought and thought about all the history lessons her Papej taught her. He was the Lord Palatine, the trusted right hand of the King and Queen, so he knew everything there was to know about everything. Veletz fought against the Grand Covenant in the… “the War for the Heartlands!” “That’s right, the Aevos Coalition War.” “Then… why did we bury him? Wasn’t he the enemy? Our kingdom was part of the Grand Covenant, Papej said so. Papej was born during the war, he said.” “In the end, we are all just men and women. He worshipped Godan just like we do, and should have a proper place of rest now that his soul is in the Seven Skies.” Erika mulled over this as they walked back to where their carriage waited on the main road. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to be buried under a mound of stones in the middle of the woods far from home. That would be very lonely. Now that she knew her letters, she had read the beautifully illuminated book in the library written by one of her long ago ancestors, or at least someone who had been related to her ancestor. The book was called The Woldzkiy People and talked about how, when someone died, their eyes were carefully removed and fed to a murder of crows to fly their soul away to the Seven Skies. Erika didn’t want that to happen to her either. I don’t know what your funerals were like in Veletz, but I hope you’re resting peacefully now, Ser Knight. That thought made her a little happier, even though the sunny day had turned grey and overcast, and raindrops started pattering down as the carriage rolled into motion. The big wooden wheels splashed through the ruts and puddles; that was her favourite part. Swoosh, rumble, whoosh. “Mamej,” Erika swung her feet, because her legs were too short to touch the yellow-red-and-black panelled floor of the carriage. “What were those mushrooms you collected?” Mamej reached into her bag and brought out the glass jar, holding it out to Erika. “They’re called cryptus shrooms, dearest. They can be ground into a powder and used to dry out herbs or cure meats.” “Like salt!” Her mother laughed quietly and picked a twig out of Erika’s hair. “A little bit like salt. Would you like to look at them?” “No, thank you. My hands are still numb from touching the blissfoil, and I don’t want to drop the jar! It might break.” “From touching the…” Her mother’s eyes widened and Erika got an earful about the proper way to harvest blissfoil, and that she had to be careful in their line of work or she would wind up with numb fingers forever. Erika just kicked her feet and stared out happily at the world as it rolled by, all the way back to Krusev.

Lo and attend me, for I sing the song of Ewald, the first man to speak the laws of the Reinmaren long before the days of Theoderic and Gelimar and their feud. Not a young man by any means, white hair sprouted from Ewald’s ears and his nose but not from his head, his pate as shiny as a riverstone worn smooth by the current. He raised a runestone by the river’s edge, a tall spire to tell the tale of his chieftains. Three in all, each marked by a spiral graven with Ewald’s own wrinkled hands. The fourth chieftain approached, a boy of six and ten. I know not his name, and Ewald’s Song remembers him only as the Young Chief. The Young Chief puffed his chest and planted his spear in the ground. Verily he looked the part of the chieftain, with a horsehair tassel around his spear and a warhorn at his hip, but he grew no beard, and his face held the soft roundness of youth. He turned to his elder for wisdom and advice, for his father was dead, and his father’s father, and his father before him, for if they had lived he would not be chieftain, but his ancestors had left him all alone in the world. ‘Good elder,’ the Young Chief cried. ‘I know not what to do. My goatherd spreads bad rumours of my craftsman, and the tribesmen turn to me for justice.’ Ewald rose ponderously from his spot on the riverbank. ‘The tongue is a scythe and everything that it reaps. Planting bad rumours grows in your tribe as a poisoned weed, and the man who tills the soil is a bad worker, joshqiptar. You must burn the weed away. Let none call the goatherd to work, let none give him pay for his meat and cheese until his tongue is cleaned of bad rumours.’ ‘I will not punish a man who speaks only words. Words are wind, not daggers,’ declared the Young Chief. ‘Punish him, you will,’ said Ewald. ‘I am the chieftain! It is I, it is I! Who are you to put your word above mine?’ ‘I served three chieftains before you. This stone tells of their deeds, but it is also in here.’ He tapped the side of his bald head. ‘Your father punished the man who spread bad rumours. I know it, for I was there. Your father’s father had the tongue of the joshqiptar. I know it, for I was there. His father before him forbade the tribe from calling the bad worker to work. I know it, for I was there.’ ‘The tribes of our neighbour to the south punish the man who steals a stallion, taking his hand for a thief. The tribes to the west reward the stallion-stealer with a horsehair braid made by the chieftain’s own hands. The northern tribes have abandoned the way of horses and now tend the fertile lands as farmers. My father and my father’s father are dead. I do not follow the commands of dead men!’ ‘Our way is the way of the ancestors. Your ancestors have spoken the deeds and laws of our tribe, and you will follow. So says I, the Lawspeaker.’ The Young Chief raged against his elder, brandishing his spear and speaking harsh words, but he stood in the eyes of the three chiefs who came before him, their runestone casting a long black shadow over his face. At last he relented, and punished the goatherd, for even chieftains are not above the law. Ewald stayed by the river, listening to the ancestors and the old gods speaking to him in the whisper of wind through the trees and the soft trickle of the water. When he grew too old and tired to rise, he called two men to him, tribesmen of middling age with strength still in their arms and fire in their bellies. ‘O tribesmen, lend thine ears to the laws I speak. I am an old man and dying but the deeds and laws cannot die with me.’ For three days and three nights Ewald spoke unto these two tribesmen, pausing only for swallows of water from the river to wet his throat and tongue. He ate no food and took no ale, and as the dawn rose on the fourth day, he slipped peacefully into the spirit realm, the last of his wisdom passing from his lips. From Lawspeaker to Lawspeaker the knowledge passed. Tribes rose and fell, grew larger with conquest and with marriage, and the Lawspeaker recorded all in the annals of his mind and the runestones left in the forests and mountains when the tribe moved on. Then came the Lord GOTT to the tribes of the Reinmaren, and the nameless, faceless gods of the land faded from living memory. Runestones still rose, but with the priests of Canon came scrolls and books, parchment and charcoal. The Lawspeakers passed on not only words, but books, fat tomes bound in leather and heavy bronze clasps. Hark, traveller! The Kanun, the Book of Deeds and Laws, remains ever open. No mortal hand, no power beneath the heavens, may close it. From the moment of your birth, the angels of the high heavens thus write and record your steps, your words, and your very heart's whisper upon its pages. They do not tire, they do not err, and they do not stray from their sacred task. If the weight of your misdeeds pulls at your soul, know this: repentance is your sword, and good deeds your shield. Though the Book cannot be shut, its darkened pages may yet be cleansed. Each breath you draw is a gift, each heartbeat an offering, that you might mend what has been done. Heed this truth, O wayfarer—your path leads ever forward, but no step escapes the gaze of the Kanun, and no man escapes the reckoning of his deeds, nor the words of his schwur. Seek the righteous way, and thou may find peace, though the Book forever watches. So says the song of Ewald. So says the Kanun.

Amazing post thank you for sharing your knowledge!!

Far out in the distant permafrost, a certain Mali'fenn by the name of Myrrha Tathvir stirs.

Another rival, dead. Adalfriede sat at the base of Robert's runestone, scratching away the moss already gathering in the crevices with her fingernail. Nature reclaims all, just as history reclaims us. He had been a noble man, a dutiful man, and she could scarcely hope to serve as Lawspeaker for as long as he had. But he was dead, and Adalfriede was alive. She left a sprig of heather at his runestone and did not visit again.

The Year of Our Lord, 1966. Adalfriede walked with a nine-year-old Frederica through the camp on the site which would later become the city of Kretzen, took her hand, and asked her to be the Seneschal of the fledgling Heather Court. A role Frederica took to with grace and enthusiasm for a girl so young. Now she was a woman grown, a princess in her own right, and something warm and buoyant flooded Adalfriede's cold, shrivelled heart to see the legacy pass on. May this young girl Wilhelmina be as well-suited to the role as little Frederica had been.

Adalfriede sat in the gardens surrounded by smoke, rising in lazy circles around her from her pipe. She had packed it with pipeleaf from the Sturmweber company, paid by Roland as Isolde's dowry when she wed Adelmar. She had acquired a taste for the stuff, even if she usually liked to keep her head clear and unaddled by drink or smoke. Rest well, Erstkanzler. You have earned that much.

THE TALE OF AND HER HIRD the Reinmaren were separate, and the tribes of Minitz lived in the Franklands in the town they called Kanunsberg, Leon the Second took a Waldenian woman to wife. They called her Adalfriede, of the family Rademacher with the grinning skull on its banner, and she kept this name even as the blood dagger swiped across her palm and she became one with the tribe of her husband. A Frank arrived on the day of their wedding feast bearing a poisoned gift. A barrel of mead, he proclaimed, but the smallest spark set it afire, the tavern with it, and soon all of Kanunsberg stood at the mercy of the hungry flames. Trapped in the tavern with his cousin Adelmar, Leon’s face bore the brunt of the fire, becoming singed and blackened in the minutes ‘fore his hirdmen pulled him from the burning wreckage. Leon the Young, they had called him, for he was but fifteen years when he assumed the mantle of Chieftain, but now they called him Leon the Burned. The very same Frank who had slain his lord father, the man they called Roach, slipped into the city amidst the smoke and confusion and, like his insectile namesake, scuttled onto the gables to enact his foul plot. A vile potion he flung, shattering in the house of the physickers and spreading acrid smoke to the ill and injured within. Goodwoman Isolde! called Adalfriede to the shieldmaiden. After him! At once, meine Fürstin! Verily, the dutiful Isolde did climb to the rooftops with her spear in hand, but the Roach, craven that he was, had long since fled. That very same year, Chieftain Leon sent two warbands into the Franklands—one afoot and one on horseback—to root out the Roach as a boar would truffles. The Roach they did not find, but instead came upon a Frankish war party. The Franks fell from the trees like rotten fruit and landed on the unsuspecting heads of Johanna Stroheim and Albert Barclay, the Chieftain’s own brother, hacking and slashing with battle axes and feathering the tribesmen with arrows. Isolde fought as a windswept storm, granting three of the Franks the sweet kiss of Death from the tip of her spear before they had time to cry for their mothers or their pagan gods. The tribesman Ælfred killed two of his own, yet the Frankish warriors dealing death to Johanna and Albert remained breathing. Adalfriede nocked a blue-and-green fletched arrow and drew it close to her ear. A warrior stood off to one side in the treeline, swathed in shadow. Verily, he had the look of a right-hand, a great shaggy goat pelt over his shoulders. She could let fly her arrow, sprouting from the throat of Johanna’s assailant to spare her life, or she could catch the Frankish right-hand in the leg so that he might be brought to Kanunsberg and put to the question. The mounted tribesmen thundered over the ridge just as the right-hand went down with a scream, Adalfriede’s arrow jutting from his leg. Adalfriede the Ruthless they might have called her, a friend to none. Yet even a young, friendless chieftess needed a household around her, a hird, just as her husband the Chieftain had Sir Varik and Sir Stanton guarding his person as hirdmen. She started with Gertrude, the maid of fourteen years who was sister to Leon. Too old to be a cupbearer, yet too young to do aught of real import in her brother’s household, the gormless Gertrude floated, aimless, under their mother Helena’s wing. Adalfriede stole Gertrude away, taking her as her own lady in waiting, and thus her hird was born. Yet a chieftess and a lady did not a hird make; Adalfriede had need of hirdmen, warriors to fight and bleed at her side and keep safe her secrets. Men, she did not want. Give her shieldmaidens, warrior women cut from the cloth of Runhild. Who better a shieldmaiden than Isolde Sturmweber, she whose name meant weaver of storms? Adalfriede took her up onto the walls at dusk, when the world glowed golden and purple and the insects hummed with autumnal laziness. She told her the tale of Gelimar and the birth of the first hird, which she herself had learned from the tracing of a runestone. Theoderic and his warbands flung the might of their ancestors against the gates of Gelimar’s holdfast. Lo! cried Theoderic. Your people are slaughtered and your warriors abandon you! Open your gates and give unto me the plunder which is mine by rights. Verily, his tribe had seen much battle, and the grey-green rivers ran red, but it had been Theoderic who set the crimson spear at Gelimar’s feet to declare the feud, and Gelimar would not lay down in the face of such grave insult until his legs no longer carried him. Gelimar took up his battleaxe and mounted the nearest boulder, a great runestone carved with the story of his father and his father’s father, the chieftains Sigtrygg and Sigmund, great warriors both. Doomed or not, we must have courage, for the brave man can win glory among men while the feigling will wither and rot in his soiled honour. You who are my true brothers, come before me now! All but six of his men baulked. To the six who came forth, Gelimar asked them why they stayed, when certain death awaited them. Tis better to die boldly than live an imperfect life, one brother proclaimed, the warrior they called Ælfwig. We will stand with you until death claims us and we walk into the feast halls of our ancestors with honour. So Gelimar’s hird was born, and the seven of them fought the oncoming foe, raining arrows on them from above and hacking at the ones who climbed over the walls. Ælfwig cut down Alaric, son of Theoderic, with a mighty swing of his axe, the metal biting down deep into Alaric’s shoulder and spilling his lifeblood. Sick with grief, Theoderic called his men to him, so that Alaric might be burned with his stallion and warhorn and all the ivory and gold he could need in the spirit realm. The feud now called for a blood debt to be paid, but Gelimar took his respite with gratitude. Better it is to avenge than to lament, he said unto his hird. When Theoderic slays me, have no rest until he is dead, and my spirit will find peace. In turn, Gelimar owed his hirdmen the duty of generosity, feasting them every night and ensuring the free flow of ale, mead, and treasure to hold them to himself as loyal warriors. With the tale done, Adalfriede looked out over the rolling fields and farms of the Franklands. You will be to me as Ælfwig and the hirdmen were to Gelimar. So it was that Isolde spake her oath at a great feast Adalfriede held in her honour. I solemnly swear to faithfully serve as hirdman to Adalfriede Barclay of Hexenwald, to protect her person, honour, and that of her hird, with unwavering loyalty and commitment. I vow to uphold the values of the Reinmaren while in her service, to defend her hird against all threats, and to stand as her shield and her spear until my final breath. With my blood, I give my sacred schwur. Adalfriede and Isolde cut their palms and clasped forearms in a warrior’s shake, thus the vow was done and the schwur spoken. Adalfriede gave unto Isolde a spear, a symbol of Isolde’s loyalty and Adalfriede’s unwavering trust, which along the haft had been carved with runes and a scene of Isolde impaling a Frankish warrior through the throat. Friendless she might have been, and cold, and scheming, but Adalfriede was still a mortal woman, and all mortals yearned for kinship. She found herself leaning on Isolde and enjoying her company, though she tried to keep a bulwark around her heart so that it could not be broken. When she rode to the hinterlands, that quiet place betwixt the pine trees and the river where their new home would be built, she brought Isolde with her. Not for protection but for companionship, a welcome figure at her side as they came to camp by the great waters gushing down into the gully below. Isolde sought her counsel on matters of the heart and of men, for Adalfriede was wedded, and Isolde still a maiden. Men do not know what they want until you show it to them, said Adalfriede. They will tell you that it is men who rule the world as princes and kings, pontiffs and knights, but each and every one has a woman behind him, aiding in his success. Isolde pondered on her chieftess’ words, throwing stones off the edge of the falls where they skittered down, down, to the river far below. She smiled then, and said, Reinmar is lucky, then, to have such a wise woman behind its Prince. They hunted together, rode together, trained and fought and feasted together. Sat together at Moot, whispering all the while. Wherever Adalfriede went, Isolde was not far behind, a smiling shadow with a very sharp spear. Yet when the Angel Raguel descended from the skies and spoke unto Chieftain Leon and his grandfather, the old Chieftain Brandt One-Eye who was now a cardinal, it was not Isolde who rode with Adalfriede through the realms of Canondom, spreading the Lord’s word, but her sister Mariola. Sisters not by blood but by tribe, for Mariola was a child of Malin, and Isolde a daughter of Horen. Still, those of the elfblood could rise high in the lands of Minitz; one need only look to Sir Varik to see the truth of it. So Adalfriede and Mariola took to the country roads on horseback, thundering through the Heartlands and even as far west as the lands of the Haensemen. The angel’s words they spread, to any who would listen, even when they were met with scorn and disdain from the non-believers. Man has shunned the Lord. They have put selfish desires over Him; the vicar of GOD has put secular affairs over his vow and commitment to our Lord. Too filled with rage, is one who must guide the flock of Man. Look, as the Kingdoms of GOD fight and ramble, so incessant in their needless rebellion against the Kingdom of Heaven. Be it so, then, that should this continue, that no Man will ascend to the Seven Skies again, and that I have been tasked to lock the gates of heaven. Verily, the old Chieftain Brandt became the Shepherd of the Lord’s flock, taking the name Caius Primus. He swept the Lord’s flame through the lands and burned them clean, placing heretics on the stands and demons on the pyre. The gentle, softhearted Gertrude retched at the smell of crackling flesh, but Adalfriede looked on unblinking, Isolde beside her, and took the demon’s burned skull to add to her array. Life went on that way for a time, until the good kings John of Aaun and Aleksandr of Hanseti-Ruska released the Reinmaren from their oaths of fealty. The tribesmen of Minitz and Reinmar joined together in a long caravan, wending over farmlands and through valleys with all their livestock and worldly goods, the ritters and warriors serving as outriders in a wide net around them, keeping away the brigands and thieves plaguing the roads. Many weeks of travel brought them to the hinterlands, and the craftspeople among them struck up tents, dug latrines, and set fire pits to blazing. All the while, Adalfriede was great with child. She spent the journey in a wayn, not on horseback as she would have liked, and her daughter Josefina came screaming into the world some weeks later while the Reinmaren were still encamped, the new city slowly rising behind them under the hands of the stonemasons and carpenters. Too weak to ride or to hunt, Adalfriede sent Mariola to the edge of camp to watch for game or for bandits, both of which were to be shot. Adalfriede herself remained behind with the young Frederica, daughter and heir of High Chieftain Alfred, she whose mother had died just months before. As they sat amongst the sea of heather rolling all the way to the northern hills, Adalfriede tasked Frederica, a girl of nine, with a great burden. The girl was to be her right hand, a leader of the court she would one day rule as Princess in Reinmar. Thus Adalfriede’s hird grew again, though not in truth, for Frederica remained in the household of her father the High Chieftain. Daughter or no, part of her hird or no, nothing would stop Adalfriede from imparting her words onto Frederica, shaping her as a young girl while the fingers of grief caught and spun her. You must never let them see your pain, your frustration, your sorrow. You can weep in the privacy of your bedchambers and you can give way to your emotions with me, but from this day and to the end of days, no man will see you cry. Womanly emotions have power, you see. Men will mock us for them, as if it is a weakness, a softness in the soul like an old fruit. But they are afraid. They know that the strength of our hearts can level mountains and shift the course of rivers. That our rage can scorch the earth and salt the fields. That is why you must hold them close to your chest; lest they know how powerful you truly are and try to douse your flame before you have even begun to burn. The city grew taller still, the dark stone spires of the temple scraping the belly of the sky. Even with the noise of construction and the camp teeming with life, a great white bear lumbered to the cook fire while a trout crackled on the spit. The beast maimed Nikolaus, the boy of Kanunsberg and Chieftain Leon’s dear cousin, raking its claws down his face, but ran off when Mariola charged with a hatchet in hand. She landed two deep blows, staining the pure white hide a bloody red, and the bear loped off to lick its wounds or haply die in a hollow log. Already had Mariola proven herself to Adalfriede, even training Gertrude in the sword and spear when all others thought it hopeless, but this act of bravery against the white bear made the thought solid and clear in her mind. Mariola would be her hirdman, standing alongside her sister Isolde. So did the ceremony come to pass, the first of its kind to be had in their new home, the city they called Kretzen. Chieftess and hirdman stood on the adler in the central square, and Mariola spake the same oath as Isolde, though instead of a spear, Adalfriede gave unto her a hatchet, the edge honed to an edge as keen as a winter’s frost. She gathered her hirdmen to her that first week in their new city. Let no other raise a hand or whip in punishment to you, for you are mine, and honour demands that your discipline rest with me. Verily, those were the words she spake, yet the words the warchief heard were that he had no power to control his warriors, for Isolde and Mariola were hirdmen and soldiers both, sworn protectors of their chieftess but under the command of the warchief. Thus her feud with Wilhelm von Berkhoven began. Twas only after Chieftain Leon brought the two to talk that a conciliation could be reached, the feud between them done. This was not the first of Adalfriede’s feuds with the men who gave her husband counsel, and it would not be the last. First among them was Adelmar von Kanunsberg, cousin to Chieftain Leon and a man who loved her not, trusted her not. Adelmar stood to inherit Kanunsberg from his father the Herzog Gottfried, for he was the eldest of his brothers, the most learned, and had been tried in battle. He had the chieftain’s ear, as trusted and loved as Leon’s own brother, and he in turn loved his chieftain. So much so that he tested Adalfriede, believing her devotion to be false, her dedication thin and flimsy. Again and again he searched for gaps in her armour, but again and again she turned his probing questions away, stonelike in her reticence. He pledged his troth to Isolde and Adalfriede thought it another trick, a way to steal her hirdman away. All changed the day the raiders of Ailmere came. They carried off Isolde while she scouted the Ferdenwald and kept her captive in their frosty northern camp. Hearing the news, Adalfriede snatched up her spear and readied her horse, but Adelmar waylaid her ‘fore she thundered out in search. I see you, he proclaimed. You play at being Reinmaren as the skalds play at ancient heroes. You have allowed Isolde to be taken. Adalfriede tried to ride past him but he seized her reins. Stay, and I will make you Lawspeaker. That highest of roles, the speaker of the Grand Kanun, the sacred lawbook that bound even princes and chieftains. Adelmar tested the bounds of Adalfriede’s ambition and the extent of her loyalty; finding her lacking, he would surely bring wrath down on her head. She pulled free of his grasp and rode out in search of her hirdman, thus passing his test, and a score of years later became Lawspeaker without his aid. Once Isolde returned to the fold of the Reinmaren hale and healthy, Adalfriede took her to the waterfalls where they had sat years ago when the city of Kretzen was naught but forest and stones. Adelmar and I have feuded, Adalfriede said unto Isolde. He sparked my ire, saying I allowed you to be taken. In this, he is right. You are my bloodsworn protector, but so too do I have a duty to you. Thus, Adalfriede forbade her to face the raiders in battle again, not to rob Isolde of her honour, but to keep her close to home, so that she might honour herself in protecting Adalfriede and her hird from those threats which would surely come to their walls. By a twist of cruellest fate, the danger came not from without the walls but within, in the form of a sweating sickness burning through the districts. It laid Mariola low, keeping her bedridden for years, diminishing Adalfriede’s hird by one in truth if not by death. So one hirdman remained to her, the faithful Isolde, betrothed to Adelmar with whom Adalfriede continued to feud, and in this she was not alone. Adelmar yearned for the life of a simple farmer, not a Herzog. He demanded Chieftain Leon release him from his schwur, for without such a release he would surely die from grief. The chieftain relented, though not without great strife, and branded his cousin Adelmar von Kretzen, a Kanunsberg no longer. Lest Kanunsberg fall into the lands of their half siblings, those with the blood of the Raevir in their veins, Nikolaus was honour-bound to turn away from his life as a man of the cloth and take up the Herzog’s mantle in his elder brother’s place. Are you not wroth with your intended? Adalfriede asked of Isolde. You were to be a Herzogin, and now you will be a farmer’s wife. Isolde pondered on this, though not for long. I did not accept his offer of marriage for the title he could bring me, but because of the man he is. Herzog or farmer or skald, he is still my Adelmar. What a foreign thing to the coldhearted Adalfriede, to think of love and not of status! Years passed and the feuds continued, simmering under the surface like a pot at constant threat of bubbling over. Harsh words here, a lesson there, even descending into outright duels, the spirit of the Grand Kanun turned into weapons. At last, Leon and Adelmar ended their feud, raising the Brother’s Stone to mark their peace and the brotherly love they had for one another. Adalfriede’s ire could not be tempered so easily. It was only when Adelmar bestowed many gifts upon her that Adalfriede relented and the feud was put to rest. These gifts became heirlooms: the Fürstinsbrok, a gold brooch with a shieldmaiden on its face; Guldaur Adalfriediskja, gold pendant earrings carved with the ouroboros, a snake devouring its own tail; Gildfaaesten, a smokeleaf pipe with the name Hexenwald carved in Reinmaren runes; and Juliaskjöld, a heavy oak shield with Saint Julia of Paradisus emblazoned on its front. Verily did Adalfriede wear these gifts every day, and smoke of her pipe, and carry her shield into battle. The feud was done, and when Adelmar and Isolde finally married, it was with joy in their hearts that no strife existed between them and their kin and chieftess. In turn, Adalfriede gifted to Isolde the Hirdmanbrok, a silver brooch carved with runes of loyalty, honour, and bravery, with a chip of unpolished sapphire at its centre bearing a rare, unrefined beauty. The feud with Adelmar may have been set aside, but Adalfriede continued to battle with his brother Nikolaus, now the Herzog of Kanunsberg. None knew from whence the animosity came, only that it seemed to flare when the topic of Gertrude arose, or Leon. Nikolaus misliked the influence and control Adalfriede held over his kin, and sought to remove her claws from them whenever he could, and lo, tempers flared so high that Nikolaus drew a dagger on Adalfriede and threatened to cut her. Verily did Isolde draw her spear and bade him stand down, for her brother by marriage Nikolaus may have been, and uncle to her son Theodemar, but Adalfriede was her chieftess, and Isolde her bloodsworn protector. Nikolaus took his leave from the keep, and the two strove for their paths never to cross, though this proved difficult. Both sat upon the princely Herrenhaus and gave counsel to the chieftains, and their duties brought them face to face more often than they would have liked. It was not until many years later that Adalfriede gifted unto Nikolaus the Herzogbrok, a brooch of shining silver for Nikolaus to pass to Theodemar, his nephew and heir, that their feud came to a tentative end, and Isolde had no more cause to stand between them as a shield. So life went on. Anselm Barclay named Isolde a member of his warband in the march against Ravenswood, but Isolde was Adalfriede’s hirdman, and so she bore the right to claim Isolde has her own. Verily she did, naming Isolde, Adelmar, and the tribeswoman Ivona as her warband. The drums of war never beat and the warhorns never sounded, for the cravens of Ravenswood folded before the fighting began, but the warband set out on one scouting trip before disbanding. So too did Adalfriede train Frederica and Josefina to kill with knives and daggers; not to fight or to duel but to kill, as she was once taught to kill. Isolde came to know this well, for even in spars to first blood, Adalfriede could not feel the slice that meant Isolde’s victory, and would continue on with bloodlust glowing in her eyes. Still Isolde remained loyal to her and never wavered. I am content as your hirdman, Isolde said unto Adalfriede, when she had become the Lady Vandalore and sought to make Isolde a Vander Knight. I have no greater ambition of knighthood, and wish only to serve at your side. No dreams of becoming Herzogin, nor ritter, even when her position as hirdman to the Chieftess would afford her many and more privileges. Sir Varik, hirdman to the Chieftain Leon, had been named Geehrte, and later Herrenmeister, yet Isolde remained Auserwal, looked over for raising to Hauptmann in favour of younger, greener tribesmen. No longer! Lo, after twenty years of leal service did Isolde rise at last. The hird of Chieftess Adalfriede saw another happiness, the return of good Mariola. Her illness had kept her bedbound for many a year but now her health bloomed like a springtime flower. Verily, Adalfriede’s hird was whole once more. SO THIS TALE ENDS, EVEN AS IT GOES ON

Wholeheartedly support these new rules! A problem I was running into when trying to have conversations with people about OOC driven narratives is that there wasn't a term for it. I would say "OOC plotting" and get strawmanned with the response that logistics need to be planned, timezones exist, and you need to check if people are comfortable with XYZ thing happening. I'm glad that "metaplay" is now the term used, because there is so clearly a difference between telling people what OOC time the event is and meticulously planning out a detailed dramatic storyline then bullying people into using their characters as your own personal puppets in a play you've already scripted the ending for. I'm hoping that these rules will be strictly enforced going forwards not only to break the mindset of doing metaplay in the first place, but also the idea that "everyone else is doing everything in Discord, I'm at a disadvantage if I don't do it too."

A SUMMONS TO EINE AUFFORDERUNG ZUR MOOT | A SUMMONS TO MOOT Issued by the LAWSPEAKER OF REINMAR In the year of our Lord 1990 ÖHNE UND TÖCHTER VON REINMAR, IT HAS BEEN MANY YEARS since the last election of Lawmen where we saw Baldric von Kretzen and Anselm Barclay rise as the first Lawmen in Reinmar’s history. Let us once again convene to elect those tribesmen and women who would submit themselves to greater responsibility within the tribe. The role of a Lawman is to bring edicts and laws before the tribe at Moot, so that the Landtag may vote upon them. They shall serve for a duration of four years, at which point the Lawspeaker may call for another election. No more than two Lawmen may serve at any one time. Any member of the Seated may nominate themselves for Lawman by announcing so to the Lawspeaker, and they may campaign for the position in the months before the election. The members of the Seated have one vote each, including the tribesmen nominated for Lawman. The Moot will gather in one year’s time, though not in the Moot Hall of Kretzen. Let us gather in the Ferdenwald, as our ancestors held moot in the forests and fields of their forefathers, and have our words flow around the runestone raised in honour of the previous serving Lawspeaker, Lord Robert Stroheim von Langenkirch. WER RASTET, DER ROSTET HER ROYAL HIGHNESS, ADALFRIEDE of HEXENWALD, PRINCESS OF MINITZ, LAWSPEAKER OF REINMAR, MARGRAVINE OF VANDERFELL, LADY VANDALORE

TO THE PRETENDER EMPEROR, We spared you from our condemnation, believing your rambling missives to be in jest. You should not have disabused us of that notion, for now we must do as was promised by the Fifth Waldenic Diet in 1897 and issue a stern condemnation of your wrongful claims to the defunct Orenian Empire. You have not been crowned by the High Pontiff. The waters of Gamesh have not touched your brow in holy anointment. You are a pretender of little renown, and I must proclaim you so. As to the matter of your guardsman, who claims to be a Vander Knight; a true Vander would follow the sacred code and recognise no other cultural authority of the Waldenian peoples but the Vandalore, who was rightfully elected in line with the Sacred Law of Waldenia. To that end, I invite this Vander Horen to stand before the Diet when it next convenes and prove his mettle to the Ritterkommandant. We may make a knight of him yet, but until such a time as he completes his trials and swears the oath while the Waldenic Electors bear witness, he is no ser. ✠ In the name of the sons and daughters of Waldenia, HER ROYAL HIGHNESS, ADALFRIEDE von HEXENWALD, Princess of Minitz, Lawspeaker of Reinmar, Margravine of Vanderfell, Lady Vandalore, Grandmaster of the Vandorian Order and Order of the Black Eagle

Favourite RP moment? Fave OOC memory? Fave storyline, of your character or otherwise, that you’d turn into a book? And finally what’s it like playing multiple characters in the same niche like druids? Do you have a certain aesthetic you like to play or did you try to keep them different? ❤️

The Lady Vandalore's lips curled in a rare smile as the publication crossed her desk. Surely the Vander Knights would thrive under the leadership of Ser Anselm, and another one of her promises would be met during her tenure.

✠ Fourth Session, 1990 HEXENWALD REINMAR-SUTICA MINITZ MERRYWEATHER-ALSTREIM VOHENHEIM VELEN HOHENGARTEN MOTIONS ANTRÄGE RITTERKOMMANDANT OF THE VANDER KNIGHTS Vote on a new Ritterkommandant following Ser Siegmund’s retirement. THE RAVENMIRE-AAUN CONFLICT Discussion on the nature of the conflict, the danger posed to Calliopeburg, and the maintenance of the Sacred Law of Waldenia during any hostilities. THE PRETENDER EMPIRE Discussion on claims to the Holy Orenian Empire and the title of Vander Knight. RITTERKOMMANDANT OF THE VANDER KNIGHTS Ser SIEGMUND of VELEN announced his retirement from the role of Ritterkommandant and named Ser ANSELM BARCLAY of REINMAR as his successor. VOTE: Ser Anselm Barclay for Ritterkommandant JA Hexenwald Reinmar-Sutica Minitz Merryweather-Alstreim Vohenheim Velen Hohengarten The vote passed unanimously. Ser Siegmund then took his leave from the Diet hall. THE RAVENMIRE-AAUN CONFLICT Due to the complicated nature of this conflict and the involvement of many factions both Canonist and otherwise, the Lady Vandalore thought it prudent for the Diet to agree on a timeline of events. The origins and nature of the conflict, as understood by the Waldenic Diet, are as follows: 1951–1962 | The Aevos Coalition War is fought between the Grand Covenant and the League of Veletz, ending with a Covenant victory and the League of Veletz dissolved and dismantled. The ruling family of Veletz was the House van Aert. 1986 | Prince James of Whitespire is murdered by Queen Hedwig of Warsovia within the clinic of New Valdev, as she later confesses to in the Confessions of an Aaunic Queen. 1988 | Tiberias van Aert writes a public letter to King Charles II, accusing him of slaying his own brother, Prince James of Whitespire. Tiberias van Aert vows to kill King Charles II for his crimes. 1988 | Men from Enswerp, a province of Aaun, aim to capture or kill Tiberias van Aert within the Duchy of Blackworth, a vassal of Ravenmire. They are unsuccessful, but kill Sir Yao of Ravenmire and injure Lord Constantine Haverlock, the heir to the Duchy of Blackworth. 1988 | The Pontifical Curia urges Tiberias van Aert to allow the Holy Mother Church to make its own investigations and bring King Charles II to trial. Tiberias van Aert responds, stating that he will not interfere with the Church’s investigation. 1988 | The Throne of Ravenmire releases a missive, The Crimes of Aaun, condemning King Charles II for kinslaying and accusing him of sending the men from Enswerp to assassinate Tiberias van Aert, who was at the time a guest of the Duke of Blackworth. 1989 | The rotting body of Prince James of Whitespire is discovered and recovered from the Royal Chapel within the Hand of Horen. Tiberias van Aert releases a missive, Kinslayers, Bastards, & Rotten Things which details the late prince’s discovery, allegedly confirmed by Mattia Cardinal Andrikev. Tiberias van Aert vows to deliver King Charles II to the Church for trial. 1989 | The Holy Church concludes its investigation into the death of Prince James of Whitespire. King Charles II, Queen Hedwig, and Ilya Ivanovich are summoned by the Interim-Auditor of the Tribunal of the Church of the Canon to stand trial. 1989 | The Sovereignty of Ravenmire declares war on the Apostolic Kingdom of Aaun for the murder of Prince James of Whitespire and for the attack on Blackworth by men from Enswerp. The demands of Ravenmire are as follows: I. King Charles II and Queen Hedwig of Warsovia are surrendered to the Church for imprisonment and trial. II. The councillors and political allies of King Charles II are removed. All accomplices of King Charles II are to stand trial. III. Tiberias van Aert assumes control of the Apostolic Kingdom of Aaun as the Regent of Whitespire. IV. All formal titles belonging to the House of Alstion are dissolved or transferred to the Ravenmire War Council. 1989 | The Grand Kingdom of Urguan formally announces its intentions to fight alongside the Sovereignty of Ravenmire and Kingdom of Norland against the Apostolic Kingdom of Aaun. 1989 | King Charles II writes to his allies, calling for aid. He states that the armies of Ravenmire march as the League of Veletz, with the purpose of the dominion of all Canondom. He claims that Ravenmire’s pagan allies, Urguan and Norland, will sack the hamlet of Enswerp followed by the holy Chantry of Calliopeburg, a Waldenian domain housing the relics of St. Calliope of Merryweather. 1989 | The Kingdom of Númendil and the Commonwealth of the Petra independently announce intentions to remain neutral in the Ravenmire-Aaun conflict. 1989 | Rhosyn Cardinal Albarosa, on behalf of the Church, calls for peace between Ravenmire and Aaun until the outcome of the Tribunal for King Charles II and Queen Hedwig. 1989 | The Lady Vandalore calls for an emergency session of the Waldenic Diet to discuss, in particular, the defence of Calliopeburg. 1989 | Queen Hedwig publicly confesses to the murder of Prince James of Whitespire. 1989 | The Lesanov Protocol is published, the parties to which are the Kingdom of Hanseti-Ruska, the Kingdom of Balian, the Principality of Reinmar, the Apostolic Kingdom of Aaun, and the Holy Church of the Canon. The following is decreed: I. King Charles II hereby abdicates the throne in favour of his son and heir, King Godwin I. II. King Charles II and Queen Hedwig are to take monastic vows and live the remainder of their lives in service to the Church. III. King Charles II and Queen Hedwig are exiled from the Apostolic Kingdom of Aaun and will live the remainder of their lives on the Isle of Dibley. IV. The High Pontiff Deunoro I will hold regency over the Apostolic Kingdom of Aaun until King Godwin I reaches the age of sixteen. 1989 | Cardinal Jean St. Godwin is excommunicated from the Church for his seditious support of King Charles II. 1989 | Leon II, Prince in Reinmar and of Minitz, releases the Vow to Tiberias in which he calls for Tiberias van Aert and the Sovereign of Ravenmire to lay down their arms now that King Charles II has abdicated and justice has been served. He vows that Reinmar will rise in defence of the Church should Ravenmire continue to march upon Aaun. 1989 | Rhosyn Cardinal Albarosa, on behalf of the Church, calls for Ravenmire to stand down its armies and cease its plans to invade Aaun. To do such would be to challenge the dominion of the Church. She states that the investigation into the attack on Tiberias van Aert in Blackworth is ongoing. 1989 | The Kingdom of Númendil invites Tiberias van Aert and representatives of the Church to engage in talks of compromise. The Princes of Canondom are invited to attend and witness the negotiations. 1989 | The Grand King and Grand Marshal of Urguan write to the Crown of Hanseti-Ruska. In light of the two-century alliance between the Grand Kingdom of Urguan and the Kingdom of Hanseti-Ruska, they request that Haense halts any and all support towards House Alstion and declares the cause of Ravenmire to be just. 1989 | Queen Amelya of Middelan, the Queen-Dowager of Aaun, petitions the Church to remove the Apostolic Kingdom of Aaun from the House of Alstion and instead form a greater papal state. 1990 | King Marius III of Hanseti-Ruska releases a response to the Grand Kingdom of Urguan, stating that justice has been served with the abdication of King Charles II, and that the men of Enswerp who raided Ravenmire will be apprehended. 1990 | The Waldenic Diet convenes to discuss the Ravenmire-Aaun conflict. VOTE: To confirm this version of events JA Hexenwald Reinmar-Sutica Minitz Merryweather-Alstreim Vohenheim Hohengarten ABSEWEND Velen The above timeline is the version of events as understood by the Waldenic Diet in 1990. VOTE: To remove holy relics from Calliopeburg JA Hexenwald Reinmar-Sutica Minitz Merryweather-Alstreim Vohenheim Hohengarten ABSEWEND Velen In the event that Ravenmire marches upon Aaun and Dame Katharina von Alstreim is unable to defend the holy relics of St. Calliope, the Diet voted to remove the relics from Calliopeburg and into the care of the Lady Vandalore, to be housed within the Temple of Waldenic Martyrs. VOTE: To send a Waldenian contingent to Calliopeburg JA Hexenwald Reinmar-Sutica Minitz Merryweather-Alstreim Vohenheim Hohengarten ABSEWEND Velen A Waldenian contingent consisting of two soldiers from each Electorate will be sent to Calliopeburg to stand guard over the Chantry and its holy relics. This advance force is to be commanded by Ser Anselm Barclay, the Ritterkommandant of the Vander Knights. Pending the outcome of the peace summit in Númendil, this contingent will either remain stationed at Calliopeburg or disband. THE PRETENDER EMPIRE A certain missive has come to the Lady Vandalore’s attention, issued by one ‘Raqirer Horen’, the self-styled Emperor of Orenia. He claims restoration of the Orenian Empire and names one ‘Vander Horen’, a so-called Vander Knight, as a member of his personal guard. Per the Orenia Decree of 1897, the Waldenic Diet must denounce any man or woman who would dare lay claim to the Kingdom, or Empire, of Oren without consent of the High Pontiff of the Church of the Canon. However, the Waldenic Diet has unanimously decided that this pretender releases his missives in jest, and will waste no time or ink on him until such a time as it is necessary. MOTION TO ADJOURN THE FOURTH SESSION OF THE NINTH WALDENIC DIET VOTE JA Hexenwald Reinmar-Sutica Minitz Merryweather-Alstreim Vohenheim Hohengarten ABSEWEND Velen The vote passed by the unanimous approval of the present Electors and the session was adjourned. ✠ In the name of the sons and daughters of Waldenia, HER ROYAL HIGHNESS, ADALFRIEDE von HEXENWALD, Princess of Minitz, Lawspeaker of Reinmar, Margravine of Vanderfell, Lady Vandalore, Grandmaster of the Vandorian Order and the Order of the Black Eagle

Once upon a time, many years ago, a young Jadwiga Jazlowiecki performed a puppet show just beyond the walls of Whitespire. The Dragon of Aaun, made of purple felt and crafted with child's careful but haphazard stitches, did battle against a wooden Richard Stassion, who ended the play with his painted head popped from his puppet's shoulders. It was difficult for Princess Adalfriede to imagine that child's hands driving a blade into a man's flesh again and again, but all things ripened with age, and thirty years was more than long enough to strip a young girl-turned-queen of her childhood innocence. She folded the Queen's confession into a neat little square and placed it on top of the rest of the documents relating to this twisting, turning conflict.

Adalfriede, the Princess of Minitz, stood on the high walls of Kretzen looking out over the Ferdenwald. Far, so very far from the rest of Canondom, but the Reinmaren had made the long march from the lands of Aaun before, and they would do it again, dozens of warbands sent in the defence of the Holy Mother Church. So she would stand vigil on the walls, watching and waiting until it was time to take up her spear.

✠ A Summons to the Fourth Session of the Issued by the LADY VANDALORE In the Year of our Lord, 1989 INTRODUCTION EINLEITUNG A scant year after calling for all Waldenic Electors to renew their vows to uphold the Sacred Law of Waldenia and the Vander Code, war is once again poised to devour the realms of Canondom. In its path, the Chantry of Calliopeburg, a domain dedicated to maintaining the Sacred Law and protecting the relics of St. Calliope. The Waldenic Diet must convene to discuss these events and make preparations to rally in the defence of Waldenian lands and Holy Relics. SUMMONS AUFFORDERUNG The following are hereby summoned to the Waldenic Diet. ✠ The Electorate of Reinmar-Sutica, represented by Her Royal Highness Frederica I Barclay, Princess of Sutica. ✠ The Electorate of Minitz, represented by His Royal Highness Leon II Barclay, Prince in Reinmar and of Minitz. ✠ The Electorate of Merryweather-Alstreim, represented by His Highness Johannes von Alstreim, Prince of Merryweather. ✠ The Electorate of Vohenheim, represented by The Most Honourable Aurel von Theonus, Duke of Vohenheim. ✠ The Electorate of Velen, represented by The Most Honourable Leufroy von Reuss, Margrave of Velen. ✠ The Electorate of Hohengarten, represented by His Lordship Friedrich von Augusten, Count of Hohengarten. The following are hereby invited to attend the Waldenic Diet. ✠ The envoys to the Salvian Syndicate. ✠ All sons and daughters of Waldenia who wish to observe. MOTIONS ANTRÄGE THE RAVENMIRE-AAUN CONFLICT Discussion on the nature of the conflict, the danger posed to Calliopeburg, and the maintenance of the Sacred Law of Waldenia during any hostilities. ✠ In the name of the sons and daughters of Waldenia, HER ROYAL HIGHNESS, ADALFRIEDE von HEXENWALD, Princess of Minitz, Lawspeaker of Reinmar, Margravine of Vanderfell, Lady Vandalore, Grandmaster of the Vandorian Order and Order of the Black Eagle