(291-352*) Duke of Montour. Simon was an old friend of King Vandrad, and had fought with him during the Rebellion of 313. A founding member of the Order of the Golden Spurs, Simon later married the divorced former wife of Vandrad, Lady Julienne du Valier, and became a close ally with her brother Hector, Duke of Rossilion. Simon was a supreme machiavellian plotter. In 333 he betrayed Geoffrey Sabatier to the King, and took his office of Lord Chancellor. He was a proponent of detente with the Gel noyan, especially after the capture of Raymond, Duke of Aguiliers, in 341. With the wits of the King declining, Simon reached new heights of power. He was bestowed with the title Duke of Montour, and outmanoeuvred Prince Erling, forcing him into exile. Now de facto ruler of the kingdom, Simon moved to cement his legacy by marrying his son Guy to Princess Alice, heir-apparent with Erling in exile. In 350, however, Simon's plots unravelled as Erling returned from exile at the head of an army paid for by King William of Valliore. In 352 Simon's allies were defeated at the Ford of Harloc and Simon himself was captured seeking sanctuary in Shalgreth. Delivered to Erling, Simon was tried for treason, found guilty and executed.
The heavily-fortified towns of Rideforth and Sardeth. It was from these two towns that Kings of Montour and Megadukes of Thestria vied for control of the Warlands.
The Gel are a southwestern people from beyond the frontiers of the Castrovian Empire. Perhaps because they come from such cold climes the Gel are a very pale race, with blond or white hair and strange slanted eyes. The Gel are barbaric, worship strange gods and seem to value conflict and strength over most other things. The Gel tribes that have been encountered by the Montese and Castrovians are excellent light horsemen, and use swarm tactics in their warfare. Their rulers title themselves Noyan.
The inhabitants of the region to the west of the Kingdom, especially the Kingdom of Karakiraz. The Ghorgandi are a civilised people, well known as traders and scholars.
Ghorgandi are a mix of Voor, Fendal and Gel bloodstocks, so any given individual could pass as one or more of those peoples. Clothing-
men typically wear long, high-collared cassocks and wide brimmed hats. They could be said to look a little like cardinals. Women, on the other hand, are colourful, with multi-layered skirts and pullover blouses with rounded bodices (some of which actually show the breasts, though in this case they are usually covered by lace or shimmering cloth). Lace-work is quite common for both men and women.
The Ghorgandi have traditionally lived in a number of independent city-states, clustered around the Sea of Ghor. These states were ruled by a variety of leaders - sometimes by oligarchic councils, sometimes by warlord tyrants, sometimes by short-lived hereditary dynasties. All this changed after the Orcwar of 200 years ago, when the warleader Kiraz used his military muscle to unite the cities. However, old loyalties died hard, and there is still great rivalry between the cities, and until the Gel conquest, at least, there were occasional outbreaks of inter-civic violence.
As of 358 the Ghorgandi are ruled by the Gel warlord, King Yum Kax, and his army of loyalists and mercenaries, with individual cities controlled by civil governors and military commandants.
Ghorgandi warfare has long been the province of heavily-armed civic militias, meeting in short-sharp clashes between the cities. In the era of the Kings, however, the infantry were first supplemented by mercenary units of nomad cavalry recruited from the plain's tribes, and then largely replaced by them. When these nomads deserted to the Gel, the cities were largely defenceless. The average Ghorgandi is not very warlike, except in extremity. Typical weapons include short swords and spears. Crossbows are more common than bows. Ghorgandi nobles wear coat-of-nail armours, while the lesser classes made do with padded armours and great shields.
The Ghorgandi are a settled people, very urbanised (about 50% of the total Ghorgandi population lives in 4 cities). There is intensive agriculture around the Sea of Ghor and along the rivers that feed it. Ghorgandi eat a lot of grains and vegetables, but little meat except for fish.
The Ghorgandi are renowned as merchants. Their lands are poor in resources, and thus they have had to rely on trading skills to obtain what they need. This has garnered the Ghorgandi a certain reputation as mercenary in the broader sense - that everything has a price. While this might be an exaggeration, it is true that Ghorgandi are even willing to engage in the buying and selling of each other; they are one of the few peoples that engages in slave trading as a profit-making venture.
Another offshoot of this reputation is that the Ghorgandi also have a reputation of honesty - once a Ghorgandi has made a deal he will stick to it, and kick himself later if it turns out poorly.
Ghorgandi status is determined by wealth more than bloodline, though there is some respect to those whose families are old and distinguished, more respect is provided to those with money. The old families with money are the most revered. Those that are left - most of them were extirpated by the Gel noyan after the conquest. Demonstrations of wealth are necessary to maintain the image of status - more subtle things than gaudy jewellery or massive mansions, such as large retinues or the patronage of scholars or performers. Ghorgandi live in extended family groups, with several generations living under the same roof. Marriage is standard. Usually these are arranged rather than love matches, even amongst the poor folk. Children come of age in elaborate ceremonies.
Ghorgandi worship is split almost evenly between the Mother and the Trickster Twins of Luck and Chance, though Solana, the daughter of the Mother and the mother of the Twins, also has a fairly strong following. While the Church of Montour has some following, and there is even a Matriarch living in Kavkaz, the Mother of Karakiraz is a more earthy type than her Montese equivalent, possibly due to the influence of the faith of Solana.
The Dwarfish term for halfling. See Halfling.
Military order. This is a secret, outlawed organisation. The Order was one of the mainstays of the armies of Thestria, and was broken up by Michael II after his conquest of the Grand Duchy. However, a faction of the Thestrian population has maintained the Golden Lions in the intervening time, with the goal of the Order being the liberation of Thestria from the oppressive Montese occupation. Currently too weak to openly revolt, the Golden Lions operate covertly, undertaking minor hit-and-run operations against small royal detachments and the officials of the king and his Vicar. Rarely are more than a handful of members used on a single mission. They are currently little more than a nuisance to the authorities, but every small success they have encourages more of the citizens to support their cause. A large proportion of the time and energies of the King's Vicar and the loyal Thestrian nobility goes into hunting down suspected Golden Lions and searching for their leadership and base, but so far without success.
An order of Knighthood created by King Vandrad in 313, at the start of his rebellion against Michael III. It was named after the Golden Spurs offered as the prize at the tournament during which Michael discovered Vandrad's betrayal. The Order is small and exclusive, with a normal complement of fewer than 30 individuals. The Knights of the Order wear official robes in green and gold. There are extensive laws and rules for the Order, most important of which are that no member of the Order can leave the kingdom save with the King's leave, and that no member of the Order can withdraw from combat beyond a short distance, and always be the last to leave the field. There are several rights that membership awards, however, most importantly free access to the king and the right to be tried by a panel of knights from the Order.
Every year there is a great banquet attended by every member of the Order, where each member recites his deeds and adventures and feats of arms accomplished that year. These are all recorded in the registers of the Order.
These are not simply philosophical concepts for the people of the Kingdom of Montour, but living and breathing reality. After all, are not the actions of the Mother and the Old Man evident in so much? How else can one explain the existence of demons if there is not some Hell from which they come?
Sir Richard (b.323), Sir William (324-353), and Sir Robert (b.330). Three brothers from a minor Urlean aristocratic family who attached themselves to the exile court of Prince Erling. Reputed to be good at the chase and at the gaming table, but not at the council table. Sir William was killed at the Ford of Harloc.
This body officially exists to serve as an advisory council for the King, but in practise its primary function is the granting of taxation to the Crown. It can be summoned by the King at will, and all those entitled to attend may or may not do so, as they wish. Meetings of the Council typically descend into shameless haggling between the King and his officers on the one hand and the nobles and other representatives on the other. Gaining the vote of any given individual may cost the King a vacant office of state, or a small estate, or the granting of guardianship over a minor heir, or one or more of many other little things. A majority of votes is required to award the King taxation. The entire Council has, on occasion, linked the grant of taxation to some other issue, such as the repeal of unpopular laws, or the removal from influence of a hated royal favourite. Those entitled to attend the Great Council are-
the magnates, high ranked ecclesiastics of various faiths, representatives of the autonomous civic boroughs (some having more than one vote), as well as the four great ministers of state (marshal, treasurer, chancellor, steward).
The Great Lords are the titled nobility, the barons, earls, dukes and others. After the royal family, these individuals are the most powerful people in the kingdom. Their wealth and influence are extensive. Between them they probably own more than half of the kingdom, and they wield their influence, which is of a national extent, through money and the power to raise armies. Many of the oldest magnate families can claim blood ties to the royal family. The Duke of Montcoal, for example, is the cousin to the King. Their standing is such that in many instances they can meddle in the workings of the royal government, either directly, such by giving protection to felons, or indirectly through their access to the King's ear. Magnates do not usually serve the crown in any official positions, except perhaps commanding royal armies, but their support is vital to any major undertaking proposed by the King. Private wars between them are not unheard of, but their intrigues do not often reach such a point. They command large retinues including many knights and Lords, and can draw upon the influence of these individuals to augment their own. The Baron of Breakingdale, for example, can draw on the support of the retinue of the Lord of Bodwin's Howe. Many of the magnates have also gained, through marriage or inheritance, the lands and titles of other lordships, so that the Countess of Monistral can also be the Lady of Lesperon, for example. Often in these cases the smaller estates and lesser titles are passed on to younger children.
In 358, the Great Lords, in order of rough seniority, are-
King of Montour (138-146). Son of Baldwin II. Gregory was the reigning king at the beginning of the Orcwar. He led the first desperate defence of the realm against the orcs, and eventually began the human counterattack. However, he was cut off from his armies by a huge force of humanoid foes and deserted by his Knights Protector. He was presumed slain. Childless, Gregory left a power vacuum in Montour that enabled the orcs to complete the ravaging of Thestria while the Montese nobility vied for the throne.
(b.295) Lord Chancellor.
An expanse of rugged moorland, intercut with tangled forests and small but noxious bogs. The valleys of the Wastes are frequently enshrouded in fogs and mists, which give the region its name. Located equidistant between Breakingdale and the coast, the Wastes cover an area about 40 miles by 40 miles. To the north is the town of Upper Raracas, to the southeast the Aguilian plain and the Montese heartland, and to the south lie the Warlands. The river Raracas flows through the Wastes, and is navigable though rarely travelled. This is because the river runs close to the western edge of the Wastes and close to a vast forest widely believed to be haunted and a place of evil. Travellers from the southwest therefore usually circle around the eastern edge rather than cut directly north. The Wastes are uninhabited, though they are home to many types of animals, and, it is rumoured, to several forms of Beast.
In bygone days, during the 2nd and 3rd centuries, the Wastes were home to many brigands and refugees from the strife in the Warlands, and in the centre of the Wastes there is known to be the ruined keep of a long-forgotten robber lord.
Most crafts, and some other occupations, have long-organised guilds, which exist to-
maintain quality control and standards; lobby governments to favour the guild with tax exemptions and other boons; to maintain monopolies on their craft; and to provide social benefits to their members and, more generally, their communities. Guilds are not national organisations. The goldsmiths guild of Rossilion, for instance, is not officially connected to the goldsmiths guild of Montour. But there are connections and understandings between each guild. A member of the goldsmiths of Rossilion who decides to move to Montour can ask for a letter of introduction from his guild to the Montour guild to smooth his path into the Montour guild.
The Castrovian term for halfling. See Halfling.