Gameworld News

November 20, 1008:

Bilgosh:
   The takeover of Bilgosh by Emilian, the self-declared Overlord of
Bilgosh, and his minions engendered horrified reactions across the
continent.
   To the country’s northwest, the Czarina announced that this takeover
only justified what she had said when going to war with Bilgosh, that
"the unholy are strong and uncontained" in that land.
    In Collegium Hall, Presider Elaine of Ornach declared that "we live
in troubled times when the unholy no longer lurk, but openly and
brazenly seek worldly power" and that the faithful of Hesket "have a
duty to oppose this menace".


Bilgosh:
    When the dust settled from the coup that put him and his ilk into
power, Emilian of Bilgosh set into place a new hierarchy across the
land, with various zones of the country now under the power of "Dark
Lords": powerful vampires, werewolves, and even mortal necromancers.
    In the capital, peasants led each night into Emilian's palace --
formerly the ducal palace -- failed to return.  Souls brave enough to
come near the palace report that the bodies piled up beside it are
intact but very pallid, seeming to indicate that the new Overlord is
himself a vampire.


Bilgosh:
   Starting in early summer, burghers and peasants across the
countryside of Bilgosh arose in scattered rebellions against the new
regime, especially where the Dark Lords' authority was less evident.
These uprisings were put down brutally, with some torn apart by bands of
ghouls or werewolves, others drained of blood by vampires, or some
simply suppressed by devoted human (or at least human-seeming) troops.


Collegium Hall:
    Religious orders of the Collegiate kingdoms declared their holy duty
to fight the unholy, and rallied their numbers to head into Bilgosh.
The various crusader orders, especially Rannashites, Zotrans,
Brinnigites, Balthazarians, and Traladosians, called their knights and
members to arms.
    However, the orders recognized that they face a dangerous foe and
would be wise to coordinate their efforts, as well as their travel and
transport, and so met with Collegiates to begin this planning.


Grendarr Mountains:
   Without ceremony or warning, the gates and tradeholds of the dwarves
in the mountains bordering Bilgosh were closed on August 8.  Traders
attempting to approach the gates were met with warning shots from ballistae.


Bilgosh:
   The Sultan declared on October 12 that the Empire of the Kiljuks
cannot tolerate an unholy kingdom on its borders, and he ordered up his
troops.
   On Bilgosh's northwestern border, the Czarina ordered her troops to
guard her realm, but with the exhausting war with both Bilgosh and the
Steinlands so recent, few expect her to be able to muster enough
resources to make any attempt to oust Emilian and his supporters.
Similarly, the duchies of the Steinlands are seemingly unable to muster
any offensive -- and protective as they are of their hard-won
independence, they are unlikely to take kindly to anyone trying to move
large numbers of troops through their lands en route to Bilgosh. 

June 16, 1008:

Bilgosh:
   On March 3, Svetlana of Tragania claimed the ducal throne of Bilgosh.
   Svetlana's cousin Gordana is the daughter and heir of the previous
Grand Duke, Milos, but Svetlana, perhaps taking advantage of discontent
with Milos' ineffective rule, declared Gordana unfit for the throne.
   Gordana had herself crowned Grand Duchess Gordana on March 7 and
called all the nobles of Bilgosh to arms to put down Svetlana, as well
as "any others who will not stand" by her.


Buska, Bilgosh:
   Lord Denislav of Buska refused the summons from Gordana and stated
that he cannot swear fealty "to Milos' broken house".  He did not
declare whether he would support Svetlana or will perhaps seek
sovereignty for his lands altogether.
   The knights of Buska had already raised arms and come to his side;
Lord Denislav also called upon his peasants to provide footmen and
footwomen for his army.


Steinlands:
   On April 15, Duchess Wilhelmina of Silbermark called upon her
Steinlander peers to gather in Silbermark on June 19, to mark the
four-year anniversary of the fighting that began the Steinlanders'
rebellion.
   Since the conclusion of hostilities with their former liege, the
Steinlander dukes and duchesses have not come to any consensus on the
future relationship between the seven duchies.  Some believe that the
duchies should unite under a common liege, perhaps Silbermark herself,
but many of the group may be hesitant to surrender any of their hard-won
sovereignty so quickly.  Similarly, many believe that the duchies need
to stand tightly together for mutual self-defense, while others are
reluctant to tie their fortunes to that of their peers.
   Courtiers in Silbermark say that Duchess Wilhelmina hopes to use the
gathering to set the seven dukes and duchesses to begin such discussions
and hopefully come to an agreement.


Tragania, Bilgosh:
    With her troops gathering and the weather warming enough for
battles, Svetlana of Tragania was found dead in her bedchambers on May
15.  Her supporters immediately blamed her cousin Gordana and stated
that having stooped to assassination "clearly demonstrates [Gordana's]
lack of dignity" and unfitness to rule.


Buska, Bilgosh:
   On the morning of May 16, Lord Denislav of Buska was found on the
grounds of his keep, horribly mangled.  His vassals expressed shock and
outrage and how their liege had been treated.


Desdovo, Bilgosh:
   On May 17, Gordana's chancellor and two of his guards were found
hanging upside-down in the halls of the ducal palace, their bodies pale
and drained of blood.


Desdovo, Bilgosh:
   During the last two weeks of May, over a hundred ducal officials,
nobles and knights from across the county, no matter to whom they swore
allegiance, were found dead in a wave of unexplained murders and
assassinations.
   A wave of panic swept the capital, kept in check by the city watch
and Gordana's soldiers.  The next morning, the captain of the watch was
herself found dead, her face and left arm apparently gnawed off.


Desdovo, Bilgosh:
   At midnight on June 5, the residents of Desdovo, Bilgosh heard a
keening coming from the ducal palace, followed by a vast rumble, which
many believed to be an earthquake.  When the rumble had ended, the doors
to Gordana's chambers were thrown open, and from her chambers emerged a
tall, dark-haired figure holding Gordana's severed head in one hand and
the ducal orb in the other.  The figure strode from the chambers down
the hall.
   Guards who rushed to contain the man were struck down by pale,
dark-cloaked figures waiting in the shadows of the palace.  From the
city streets, lupine figures surrounded the palace and brought low any
who opposed them.  Robed figures leading brigades of zombies marched
from the countrysides and graveyards towards the palace as well.
   Now standing in the palace's throne room, the man assumed the throne
itself, placed the crown upon his own head, and proclaimed himself
Emilian, Overlord of Bilgosh.
   Simultaneous with these horrifying events, noble houses throughout
the land found their lieges slain, in each case a new figure proclaiming
itself Lord or Lady of the region.

February 2, 1008:

Silbermark, Steinlands:
   Emissaries from the court of Zdunarova arrived in Silbermark on January 18 
bearing a missive from the Czarina herself.  Upon their departure, the gathered 
Steinlander dukes and duchesses declared that the war in the Steinlands was 
over, as the Czarina has relinquished her claim upon the seven duchies no 
longer under her control.
   As part of the agreement between the Zdunarovans and the Steinlanders, the 
rebel duchy of Gravenia, still held by her army, remains part of the Empire of 
Zdunarova.  In addition, Duke Karl of Elsitz, taken captive by the Zdunarovans 
nearly two years ago, was released, to return to his now-sovereign duchy.  
With the Steinlanders' coffers depleted from hiring so many mercenaries, many 
speculate that the dukes and duchesses could not afford Duke Karl's ransom and 
therefore traded Gravenia for his freedom.
   It is not yet certain whether the seven Steinlands duchies will swear fealty 
to a single individual (perhaps Duchess Wilhelmina of Silbermark, arguably the 
rebels' leader) and form a new country, or whether they will each retain their 
own full sovereignty.