Click on the map for a larger view of Morval Earth.
A Brief History of Morval Earth
The
Maghi
It
is generally accepted that the overall Deity Arragh created Morval Earth and all other lands. He set up the sun
and moon and gave the year thirteen Moons each of twenty-eight days The
continent he peopled with his normal mix of humans, elves, dwarves, and goblins
as found in many other places. To Morval Earth he gave magic properties to the
elements of earth, water, fire and above all the air. Then to control these
magics, he appointed two groups of powerful beings known as the Maghi.
One group, the Lawotte, he set at Valhoth, amongst the elves in the Southeast
and the other, the Kaodici, at Hadol Guldur in the land of the goblins in the
Northwest.
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In
time these Maghi met and there were
some unions between them. Eventually they quarrelled and started a conflict that
has continued ever since. In time some of both sides, led by Baphomet
declared themselves neutral in conflict as they felt their personal ends were
better served in that manner. In the times of which we speak fully half the Maghi
are Neutral, whilst Hagoth leads the
Chaotics and Valarian the Lawics.
In
brief the Chaotic creed decrees might is right and the Lawic creed is do to
others as you hope they will do to you. The Maghi have offspring called demons in the case of the Chaotics and
fatae or angels in the case of the Lawics and Neutrals. The Maghi
and many of their offspring have the facility to transfer from Flache to Flache.
The
known Flaches are of the Earth, the Ghost (where they can be seen) the Spying
(where they cannot) and the Otherworld where the dead souls go. The Maghi
soon had influence enough on the inhabitants of Morval Earth, to be worshipped
and various priesthoods were formed. Hagoth
decreed Eternal War, Aishagh, until every supporter of the Lawic creed was
killed or enslaved. When all out war was not possible, his followers were
instructed to devote their efforts to Bellagh, the policy of corrupting and
weakening the opposition. The Maghi
would give their favoured devotees magic powers provided their brain was
receptive to them. It was found that bestowing magic powers on a person, could
result in his or her descendants also having them. Even so the numbers of
magicians never totalled more than a very small percentage of the population and
their powers were weak in relation to the Maghi.
Thus the peoples of Morval Earth were roused to war with one another for many
centuries.
The
Peoples of Morval Earth
As
has been mentioned the Elves occupied the countries of the Southeast and still
do but once they held a great Kingdom in Belmain. The many breeds and hues of
goblins inhabited the Northwest, favouring the mountainous areas. The dwarves
are split into two Kingdoms, Varadh and the breakaway colony of Neradh. Men
spread nearly everywhere else speckled with other oddities such as the trolls
and the dimini. Many a change has taken place over the centuries.
In
a time of legends the Chaotics were defeated in a great battle at the Cleve,
where the River Arwyn passes through the mountains. From this victory the Lawics
were able to claim all central Morval earth and States as far West as Ogrimor
and Omgano. It did not last. As the tide turned against them most of the Omgano
people fled East, eventually settling around the mouth of the River Arwyn in
what is now Fara and Elysia. Over three hundred years after the Cleve the
Chaotics were again threatening central Morval Earth and won a great victory at
Talarth Narnienor near the Nymph Water. After three days of battle the bulk of
the Lawic army was slain. So many that their bereaved womenfolk were forced to
become Amazons sheltering in the Thalian forest, where they have held out ever
since. All Loriador, the central plain of Morval Earth fell, eventually
including the great Elf Kingdom of Belmain. Typically the gloomy Elves use
Talarth Narnienor as the primary date of the present age. (ATN = After Talarth
Narnienor) The chaotics drove the Elves out of Narchad and began their great
left thrust in the North circling around into the grasslands of Edorad.
In
ATN 238 the Magha Lilith created a
new sickness, the Green Plague, to use against the Lawics. To everyone's
consternation it got out of hand, infecting Lawic, Chaotic and Neutral alike.
Nearly 80% of the population died and the people were no longer interested in
fighting. The next three hundred
years were called the 'lean times', as hand to mouth survival was the order of
the day. In ATN 381 a few boatloads
of Aughed goblins arrived from across the sundering sea. Hagoth incorporated them into his forces and sets up breeding
colonies and training camps in Gashad. He also delegated control of his armies
to the Chaotic High Command at the fortress of Gashad Dur.
Count
Elys, in ATN 506, brought the first of the Edin speaking peoples from across the
Sundering Sea. He founded the state of Elysia with such a strict highly moral
code, that later settlers, mainly the Thentii, move further inland. These
incomers were lead by well-armoured knights who proved to be almost invincible
in the open field. Slowly they swamped the indigenous people, the Franks and the
Barii, north of the Arwyn. These Edin newcomers had little magic; some say none!
Hence they feared and detested that of the original peoples. Their own Maghi
were left back over the sea, so they worshipped Arragh
under the Edin name of Eru.
The
wars continued and in the West settlers also arrived from across the Khanish
Sea. These drove out the Undo natives to claim Jedon, Zythay and Khmeron. Later
some of their peoples, drafted into the Chaotic armies settled in Hunara. The
Chaotic High Command raised recruits in all the Chaotic states for the armies.
Those in Narchad were normally penned in the forest and in the grasslands. In
the latter were the brief Chaotic Empire of Khargon and the fluctuating fortunes
of Elysia. Elysia's strict code of Supher was warped into a caste system that
much better fitted the Chaotic Creed. Despite being invaded several times by the
Lawics Elysia became a perennial Chaotic state. The Thentii people eventually
founded the Kingdom of Foix with its capital at Valles. This also become the
seat of the Monseigneur the head of the Church of Eru.
Recent
History Relevant to the Adventures of Morgana, (706ATN)
Many
are the notable exploits recorded in the great Libraries of Crogh and Faralon.
In 597 the Elysian Witch Mirziam cursed Isuelt, Grand Duchess Consort of Fara,
with a sore affliction. This relatively insignificant event, had ramifications
still evolving. Mirziam, Lady Vatheck founded a vice and blackmailing network
based in Sumeer the second city of Elysia. She made or had made certain
palantyte spying devices to aid her work. In 617 Sir Gram Lefey, Morgana's
ancestor captured some of these devices and enough treasure to buy the family
estates, when Sumeer was sacked.
Click on the map for a larger view of Eastern Morval Earth.
The
Church of Eru had many learned
disputes within its ranks principally between the Divine Interventionists and
the Benign Observationists. Church members were banned from marrying and it was
decreed that only Church members could perform magic. Following the heresies of
Bishopess Barbara (she claimed Eru
was female) women were denied full priesthood. The Orders of St. Simon, St.
Frederick, St.Lucrecia, St.Joan, St. Fabiola, St.Dogma and St. Judas were
created, covering various aspects of the Church. The order of St.Judas has the
duties of enforcing Church law within the area where it has a monopoly position
and for establishing its influence elsewhere.
In
648ATN a Grand Lawic Alliance is formed, at Zarza Tanque in Oblivia. It
collapsed when King Balshazar of Azelad was murdered there, at a victory feast
six years later. However, it was the root cause of the conflict between the
States of the East and the Chaotics ever since. In 650, David III, at the age of
four, ascended the throne of Foix. Under him Foix reaches the peak of its power.
His son Reginald, however married a widow Donna Bettrys Feretro from Stetia
against the advice of the Monseigneur. A devotee of the Magho
Doucer, she had magic powers as did her daughter Maudette. In Stetia,
the entire Royal family is poisoned in 663. They set up their Juanta system of
elected government, led by a Mirador and three Perons with short terms of
office.
In
681ATN Lady Morgana Lefey was born of a Stetian mother, Berenezia, at Closin in
the Royal Province of Bara. It was a time when the Chaotics from Narchad,
carried out many raids and Berenezia was carried off. Morgana's father Sir
Daffyd, then married Lady Mavys Decret who bore him a son and heir, Arthur. On
the death of David III, Reginald ascended the throne and the witch Bettrys
became Queen. She affronted the Church of Eru
by introducing the fashion for magically shimmering gowns. Under Reginald the
raids from Narchad were curtailed. In the Eastern plains, the armies of the
Lawic Alliance gradually got the upper hand once more. Led by Prince Eudes,
nephew of the King, they achieved a mighty victory at Lungstrete in Hamora. The
Chaotic army was destroyed and Hamora, Hunara, Elysia had to sue for peace as
their fortresses are taken one by one.
Alas,
before the Foixian army could return to Valles to celebrate, King Reginald and
his Queen Bettrys, were murdered at Naigre Manor. Princess Maudette was taken
prisoner. Thus a power struggle developed with Perigord and Bara setting
themselves up as independent Grand Duchies. Reginald's brother Moro, retaining
the rest of the Kingdom, had himself crowned King of Thentis with his capital at
Ekthalon. Two year later, he, his Queen Ernestine and half his court, died when
their well became polluted.
Prince
Eudes has succeeded as King of Thentis. Since a curse laid on him in Hunara
declares he will die on his wedding day, he remains single. Militarily Thentis
and the Chaotic Kingdom of Belmain are the strongest powers in Eastern Morval
Earth. Many of the other states are still sparsely populated.
In
early 706ATN, the Consigliore Kralja, at a parley near Sumeer, murdered
Morgana's father Sir Daffyd. His brothers, Sir Phanuel, Dean Lothrop and Sir
Congal then conspired to murder the heir Arthur and consign Morgana to a
nunnery. Unknown to them Lady Morgana is a skilled swordswoman and obtains
Arthur's magic sword. This resulted in the 'Lay of two unicorns Morgana', sung
in every castle and city from the Cleve to the Sundering sea.
For
modern readers a prose translation, corrected of its many exaggerations will
soon be published as 'The Adventures of Morgana'. The first of its three volumes
'Exiled' should be published in early 2002 AD.