Ill-met in Ilmiora
Bomilcar's Narrative
I am Bomilcar, son of Masinissa, Chief Rider of the Pure Horse Tribe. We come from the steppe lands known to the city dwellers as the Weeping Wastes, due to the frequent rain squalls that cross the land, turning dry land and even desert to lush pastures. I have reached my majority, and now that it is spring time I have travelled to Karlaak to meet with representatives of my father's employer, Nikorn. They are to conduct me to Nikorn's castle, there to join my father in his capacity as Captain of the Desert Guard, the feared horse archers who are allied with Nikorn.
The three who greet me are equipped similarly, wearing the rare laquered wooden armour of the horse peoples, together with a hardy steppe pony each. There the resemblances end, however. The most striking of the three is also the most disconcerting, even intimidating: a Melnibonean woman who introduces herself as Destiny ("Lady Destiny to humans, don't you know"). She is taller than me, and I am considered tall for my people. She is beautiful to behold, with flowing long blonde hair, but the beauty is rendered alien by the cold slate grey eyes that peer almost into one's soul. A particularly long bowcase is slung across her back, a weapon that will be too long to use from the saddle, and she carries a battle rider's shield. A rather nasty looking battle axe hangs at her side and she handles her pony with practised ease. Her equipage is rounded out with a covered quiver of what I presume are rather long arrows, and a covered case of javelins. All is of exquisite workmanship.
The second of the group is an equally tall woman of generous proportions called Marion. She has short black hair and carries several knives about her person. She reeks of the dark alleys of so-called civilisation and can obviously take care of herself. She seems adequate rather than comfortable in the saddle.
They are accompanied by a rather foppish looking young man, who seems slightly older than the rest of us. He is Sir Blanque, and his riding style betrays the influence of an Ilmioran heavy cavalry regiment; he must have seen some military service in the last couple of years. He carries a broadsword and a reasonably large round shield bearing a peculiar device of some sort of stylised eagle. He may well have curious depths under his handsome exterior.
These are the three who are to accompany me to Nikorn's abode. The Melnibonean in particular seems to arouse suspicion and even fear in the locals, which is perfectly understandable. Her people are fast slipping into folklore, and nobody alive can claim ever to have seen one, since their time of empire is long past. What brings one of them out into the Young Kingdoms from their degenerate dreaming is anybody's guess. Best not to speculate. Sir Blanque, though, does a fine job of easing what little business we have before leaving, partly making up for the effect of Destiny's presence. Nobody seems to notice Marion; she just naturally seems to blend into the background.
After collecting some necessaries for the journey from Nikorn's emporium in Karlaak, we set off on a journey that should take us a week or so. With some time at our disposal, we each introduce a little of ourselves in snatches of conversation over the course of several days, albeit with some natural reticence. My companions are all attached to the Nikorn household in one way or another, so I feel that I can describe to them the nature of my tribe's alliance with the famous merchant-adventurer: "My people's pastures tend to be quite close to the rolling farmlands around Karlaak, so the traders have long cultivated our friendship as one of the more powerful groups dotted across the path of the famous silk trade route to the fabled East. This gives their caravans some safety on at least part of the long journey, and our warriors are in high demand. The relationship became more formal with an alliance between my father and Nikorn after the two of them put down a serious challenge to my family's leadership around the time I was born. Our craftsmen are kept busy producing our fine composite desert bows and wooden armour for use by the Ilmiorans, and they find our trained ponies to be essential for the dangerous but profitable trade eastwards. Warhorses in particular tend to struggle in our conditions. It is now time for me to join my father and my elder sister Ehlessa, who has been riding with the warriors for the last few years."
At this, Marion and Sir Blanque exchange what seem to be rather knowing looks. Seeing the question forming on my lips, Sir Blanque says that Ehlessa, who is reputed to be one of the most beautiful women our people has ever produced, seems to have captured the heart of his friend Jorthan, the son of Nikorn, and the two are now inseparable. "Technically, she is his bodyguard" he says, and at this Marion lets a bit of a smirk pass across her usually impassive features. I realise that everything is a bit more complicated than I had thought at first, and I wonder if I am about to acquire a brother-in-law. Sir Blanque takes the opportunity to explain his own story; a nobleman from a far-off southern place that I can't remember, he was orphaned while still a baby. Nikorn apparently knew Sir Blanque's father, who was an important diplomat, and took the child into his household. There, he grew up with Jorthan, and the two have become fast friends. "Jorthan is a couple of years younger than myself," he continues, "although his mother was lost at the birthing. He sort of considers me to be almost an older brother."
Marion realises that we are expecting her to join in, and says that she is from the western continent. Nikorn "acquired her" (her words!) at the age of seven on one of his adventurous trips, and she has been part of the household ever since. "He says that I bring a touch of grubby realism to his son's existence, and this makes me laugh. I think Nikorn is worried that Jorthan will grow up too soft, but I don't see it. He has had the good sense to hook up with your sister." I change the subject, rather hastily.
Later, at a convenient moment, Sir Blanque draws me aside and tells me some gossip about Marion. "There are two theories," he says. "The first is that she tried to steal something from him; she was obviously a street urchin. That's pretty much what everyone else thinks. But I like to tease Jorthan with my own version, which is that she is secretly Nikorn's daughter from a wild liaison. It's obviously not true, but it's worth a laugh."
Destiny - excuse me, Lady Destiny - doesn't say much at the beginning. Over the course of several days, however, it becomes clear that she is extremely well versed in regional politics. She describes Nikorn's main estate in Northern Ilmiora as: "Strategically well placed, astride the natural route from the western port cities to the edge of the Weeping Waste. This passes for a highway, and links the two halves of the region, which is split by the immense and rather unpleasant Forest of Troos. Nobody really knows what goes on in there, because anyone who ventures in is never seen again." At this, a wistful look appears on her delicate features; she is exactly the kind of person who would be attracted by the notion of investigating such a place. This time, it is Marion who changes the subject and asks what has brought someone of such stature to Ilmiora; I am unsure if Marion is subtly baiting her, and I am equally certain that Destiny is easily capable of noticing this too. However, she probably just doesn't care. Destiny replies: "I arrived here a couple of seasons ago and became rather attached to the Nikorn family. He seems to be an interesting man." None of us presses her any further.
After a couple of days waiting in a town, I like to stretch my pony's legs as much as I can, while still not straying too far from the others on the main track. Surprisingly, Destiny joins me on several of these side trips, and seems to pick up on the quirks of her pony rather quickly. She explains to me the concept of a room in a house called a 'toylet' - or at least that's what I think she calls it. I wonder what's wrong with simply doing your business behind the second dune on the left; just make sure you use a stick to beat out any lurking snakes. Of course, if you get lucky and stun one, that's lunch sorted. Destiny says this is probably why people in Karlaak were giving me some strange looks; apparently this isn't necessary in a 'toylet'. Admittedly, using the stick indoors was a bit noisier than usual.
The closer we get to the Nikorn estate, however, the quieter the road becomes. Too quiet...
Umpire's Notes
This is the first campaign diary entry, and I have decided to do two things each time. The first is to write it from Bomilcar's point of view; this should make it easier to follow, especially with unfamiliar characters. The second is to follow up with some notes like these, to explain a little of what is going on in the campaign in general. I don't want to give too much away, because the players will end up reading this, but it should help flesh out the setting and fill in some of the gaps that Bomilcar wouldn't necessarily know. Since I am basing this (at least initially) on the plot-line of some published scenarios, I decided to give the characters something in common, service of some kind in the Nikorn household. This provides a rationale for them to come together as a group. I used my old copy of Central Casting to give each of them a history in addition to standard character generation; it is distinctly possible that one or more has a quirky event or secret as a result. This was first published in 1988, which should give some idea of how long ago I was running RPGs. I am hoping to start putting up pictures, maps and so on as and when time allows, but for the moment I'm just getting started.
I specified that my character would be a Weeping Waste hunter-warrior, but allowed the players to roll on the full nationality table to add some variety. Thomas rolled a nobleman from Filkhar and Beth got a thief from Shazaar. Cate, though, rolled up a Melnibonean on a 2% chance - kids and dice, eh? Central Casting provided a couple of family history hooks that allowed me to tie in Thomas and Beth to the projected storyline, but the Melnibonean would be more difficult to explain. The answer simply is not to do so, and await the events of time. Most of the first session was, as is traditional, taken up with rolling for characters, establishing their relationships, and setting things up for the first gaming session proper.
Having said that, my overall context for the campaign is geopolitical. Nikorn is a major player in Northern Ilmiora and yes, he is based on the character who appears in the Elric saga. My theory is that Ilmiora is one of the most vibrant cultures in the Young Kingdoms, and I had the idea of weaving in some strategy that seemed appropriate. So here goes:
The Melniboneans ruled the known world for 9,000 years before entering into a great sorcerous war with the semi-mythical Dharzi, another prehuman race of great power. The Melniboneans won the war, but at great cost to themselves, especially because of a great cataclysm in the northern seas. Some say this was when the hated island of Pan Tang first appeared in the Young Kingdoms, torn from some other malevolent dimension. Or perhaps it was the transition itself that drove its inhabitants mad; whatever the reason, they are justly feared and hated, perhaps even more so than the Melniboneans themselves. At least they have the excuse of not being human.
The aftermath of the great war saw the Melniboneans sink into self-centred degeneracy, as they took less and less care for their dominions. This was a period of social advances among the human subject peoples of the Bright Empire, and after six more centuries they rose en masse and threw off the chains of Melnibonean domination. This grand revolt was led by Earl Aubec, a great Champion of Law from the southern continent. The remnants of the Melniboneans retreated, almost gratefully, into oblivion in their secure fortress island. Here they mostly spend their days in a drug-fuelled haze, deliberately dreaming of other planes that would drive mere humans insane. At least, this is what the peoples of the Young Kingdoms think.
The grand alliance of human peoples fragmented when Aubec disappeared during his last great quest to wrest the Black Swords from the Melnibonean Emperors; it seems that he succeeded, albeit at enormous cost. Certainly, the swords have not been seen since his times. Nations of all hues have since arisen, with various allegiances to Law, Chaos, something in between, or nothing at all.
There is now a new threat. The warrior-priests of Pan Tang have spent the last 1,000 years coming to terms with their new homeworld. Fanatical devotees of the Lords of Chaos, they have become synonymous with all that is despised and evil. Being human, they seem to see only the dark side of Chaos, and lack the eldritch grace of the Melniboneans. Humans fear their former masters, to be sure, but they also reluctantly admire them; almost nobody admires Pan Tang, including those nations that tend towards Chaos. It is rumoured that the current Theocrat of Pan Tang, Jagreen Lern, is trying to set himself up as some sort of Arch-High Priest of all Chaos, with Pan Tang at its centre, so even most chaotics treat the black-bearded Mabden of that island with a healthy hatred.
Jagreen Lern is simply continuing the strategy of his predecessors, albeit with more determination. Perhaps this is due to the culmination of a generations-long grand plan, or perhaps it is down to his own choice. More likely it is an unholy marriage of the two. Whatever the true reason, the feared black galleys of the northern isle have become emboldened of late. There is also a new Melnibonean Emperor, Elric, a sickly albino who nevertheless has become the greatest sorcerer his people has seen for many a generation. Whatever the source of his preternatural energy, he seems to be very interested in this new world of shifting alliances and darker chaos. No one knows what will transpire.
As a major region on the northeastern continent, Ilmiora is unfortunately best placed to feel the growing strength of Pan Tang. The Ilmiorans control the lucrative silk trade, along with other goods such as the spices of the far east. They also have access to the tough steppe warriors of the Weeping Wastes, together with their manufacturing secrets of the desert rider's composite bow and the famous wooden armour, which rumour says is taken from a single species of tree native only to those lands. This armour gives protection as good as half plate without any of the associated encumbrance, the best protection one can usually wear under ordinary conditions; after all, battle plate isn't something you wear anywhere other than a full-scale conflict. The wooden armour also has a peculiar quality of buoyancy, which has saved many a wealthy ship captain in dire circumstances. Immersion in salt water ruins the armour, but then again it does save your life. The other commodity produced by the desert nomads is the hardy steppe pony, which has immense stamina and can be trained like a warhorse. It does, though, have the temperament of a camel, so beware of getting too close to one of them unless you own it. Things like these are very expensive.
Nikorn of Ilmiora is a well known merchant-adventurer, a nobleman with a taste for the unusual. He has been the main driving force behind Ilmiora's steady increase in wealth and prestige over the last twenty years or so. Helped by the location of his family estates in Northern Ilmiora, he has created a web of alliances with the desert peoples designed to protect and enhance the trade routes with the East. Accordingly, he has become a major player on the ruling council of Ilmar, the western metropolis that is the notional capital of this fiercely independent country. Known as the Consortium, this council is rumoured to be conducting a secret cold war against the encroaching power of Pan Tang. The latter would obviously love to get their greedy paws on the silk trade, destroying Ilmiora to boot. This would give them a major hold over the entire region, with the added bonus of it being geographically close to their home island. It seems a logical first move on a path to world domination, and that is exactly what most people think is the Theocrat's ultimate goal.
However, the Melniboneans are now becoming more active under their new Emperor, and there is no telling how they will react to this new power in the world...
I am Bomilcar, son of Masinissa, Chief Rider of the Pure Horse Tribe. We come from the steppe lands known to the city dwellers as the Weeping Wastes, due to the frequent rain squalls that cross the land, turning dry land and even desert to lush pastures. I have reached my majority, and now that it is spring time I have travelled to Karlaak to meet with representatives of my father's employer, Nikorn. They are to conduct me to Nikorn's castle, there to join my father in his capacity as Captain of the Desert Guard, the feared horse archers who are allied with Nikorn.
The three who greet me are equipped similarly, wearing the rare laquered wooden armour of the horse peoples, together with a hardy steppe pony each. There the resemblances end, however. The most striking of the three is also the most disconcerting, even intimidating: a Melnibonean woman who introduces herself as Destiny ("Lady Destiny to humans, don't you know"). She is taller than me, and I am considered tall for my people. She is beautiful to behold, with flowing long blonde hair, but the beauty is rendered alien by the cold slate grey eyes that peer almost into one's soul. A particularly long bowcase is slung across her back, a weapon that will be too long to use from the saddle, and she carries a battle rider's shield. A rather nasty looking battle axe hangs at her side and she handles her pony with practised ease. Her equipage is rounded out with a covered quiver of what I presume are rather long arrows, and a covered case of javelins. All is of exquisite workmanship.
The second of the group is an equally tall woman of generous proportions called Marion. She has short black hair and carries several knives about her person. She reeks of the dark alleys of so-called civilisation and can obviously take care of herself. She seems adequate rather than comfortable in the saddle.
They are accompanied by a rather foppish looking young man, who seems slightly older than the rest of us. He is Sir Blanque, and his riding style betrays the influence of an Ilmioran heavy cavalry regiment; he must have seen some military service in the last couple of years. He carries a broadsword and a reasonably large round shield bearing a peculiar device of some sort of stylised eagle. He may well have curious depths under his handsome exterior.
These are the three who are to accompany me to Nikorn's abode. The Melnibonean in particular seems to arouse suspicion and even fear in the locals, which is perfectly understandable. Her people are fast slipping into folklore, and nobody alive can claim ever to have seen one, since their time of empire is long past. What brings one of them out into the Young Kingdoms from their degenerate dreaming is anybody's guess. Best not to speculate. Sir Blanque, though, does a fine job of easing what little business we have before leaving, partly making up for the effect of Destiny's presence. Nobody seems to notice Marion; she just naturally seems to blend into the background.
After collecting some necessaries for the journey from Nikorn's emporium in Karlaak, we set off on a journey that should take us a week or so. With some time at our disposal, we each introduce a little of ourselves in snatches of conversation over the course of several days, albeit with some natural reticence. My companions are all attached to the Nikorn household in one way or another, so I feel that I can describe to them the nature of my tribe's alliance with the famous merchant-adventurer: "My people's pastures tend to be quite close to the rolling farmlands around Karlaak, so the traders have long cultivated our friendship as one of the more powerful groups dotted across the path of the famous silk trade route to the fabled East. This gives their caravans some safety on at least part of the long journey, and our warriors are in high demand. The relationship became more formal with an alliance between my father and Nikorn after the two of them put down a serious challenge to my family's leadership around the time I was born. Our craftsmen are kept busy producing our fine composite desert bows and wooden armour for use by the Ilmiorans, and they find our trained ponies to be essential for the dangerous but profitable trade eastwards. Warhorses in particular tend to struggle in our conditions. It is now time for me to join my father and my elder sister Ehlessa, who has been riding with the warriors for the last few years."
At this, Marion and Sir Blanque exchange what seem to be rather knowing looks. Seeing the question forming on my lips, Sir Blanque says that Ehlessa, who is reputed to be one of the most beautiful women our people has ever produced, seems to have captured the heart of his friend Jorthan, the son of Nikorn, and the two are now inseparable. "Technically, she is his bodyguard" he says, and at this Marion lets a bit of a smirk pass across her usually impassive features. I realise that everything is a bit more complicated than I had thought at first, and I wonder if I am about to acquire a brother-in-law. Sir Blanque takes the opportunity to explain his own story; a nobleman from a far-off southern place that I can't remember, he was orphaned while still a baby. Nikorn apparently knew Sir Blanque's father, who was an important diplomat, and took the child into his household. There, he grew up with Jorthan, and the two have become fast friends. "Jorthan is a couple of years younger than myself," he continues, "although his mother was lost at the birthing. He sort of considers me to be almost an older brother."
Marion realises that we are expecting her to join in, and says that she is from the western continent. Nikorn "acquired her" (her words!) at the age of seven on one of his adventurous trips, and she has been part of the household ever since. "He says that I bring a touch of grubby realism to his son's existence, and this makes me laugh. I think Nikorn is worried that Jorthan will grow up too soft, but I don't see it. He has had the good sense to hook up with your sister." I change the subject, rather hastily.
Later, at a convenient moment, Sir Blanque draws me aside and tells me some gossip about Marion. "There are two theories," he says. "The first is that she tried to steal something from him; she was obviously a street urchin. That's pretty much what everyone else thinks. But I like to tease Jorthan with my own version, which is that she is secretly Nikorn's daughter from a wild liaison. It's obviously not true, but it's worth a laugh."
Destiny - excuse me, Lady Destiny - doesn't say much at the beginning. Over the course of several days, however, it becomes clear that she is extremely well versed in regional politics. She describes Nikorn's main estate in Northern Ilmiora as: "Strategically well placed, astride the natural route from the western port cities to the edge of the Weeping Waste. This passes for a highway, and links the two halves of the region, which is split by the immense and rather unpleasant Forest of Troos. Nobody really knows what goes on in there, because anyone who ventures in is never seen again." At this, a wistful look appears on her delicate features; she is exactly the kind of person who would be attracted by the notion of investigating such a place. This time, it is Marion who changes the subject and asks what has brought someone of such stature to Ilmiora; I am unsure if Marion is subtly baiting her, and I am equally certain that Destiny is easily capable of noticing this too. However, she probably just doesn't care. Destiny replies: "I arrived here a couple of seasons ago and became rather attached to the Nikorn family. He seems to be an interesting man." None of us presses her any further.
After a couple of days waiting in a town, I like to stretch my pony's legs as much as I can, while still not straying too far from the others on the main track. Surprisingly, Destiny joins me on several of these side trips, and seems to pick up on the quirks of her pony rather quickly. She explains to me the concept of a room in a house called a 'toylet' - or at least that's what I think she calls it. I wonder what's wrong with simply doing your business behind the second dune on the left; just make sure you use a stick to beat out any lurking snakes. Of course, if you get lucky and stun one, that's lunch sorted. Destiny says this is probably why people in Karlaak were giving me some strange looks; apparently this isn't necessary in a 'toylet'. Admittedly, using the stick indoors was a bit noisier than usual.
The closer we get to the Nikorn estate, however, the quieter the road becomes. Too quiet...
Umpire's Notes
This is the first campaign diary entry, and I have decided to do two things each time. The first is to write it from Bomilcar's point of view; this should make it easier to follow, especially with unfamiliar characters. The second is to follow up with some notes like these, to explain a little of what is going on in the campaign in general. I don't want to give too much away, because the players will end up reading this, but it should help flesh out the setting and fill in some of the gaps that Bomilcar wouldn't necessarily know. Since I am basing this (at least initially) on the plot-line of some published scenarios, I decided to give the characters something in common, service of some kind in the Nikorn household. This provides a rationale for them to come together as a group. I used my old copy of Central Casting to give each of them a history in addition to standard character generation; it is distinctly possible that one or more has a quirky event or secret as a result. This was first published in 1988, which should give some idea of how long ago I was running RPGs. I am hoping to start putting up pictures, maps and so on as and when time allows, but for the moment I'm just getting started.
I specified that my character would be a Weeping Waste hunter-warrior, but allowed the players to roll on the full nationality table to add some variety. Thomas rolled a nobleman from Filkhar and Beth got a thief from Shazaar. Cate, though, rolled up a Melnibonean on a 2% chance - kids and dice, eh? Central Casting provided a couple of family history hooks that allowed me to tie in Thomas and Beth to the projected storyline, but the Melnibonean would be more difficult to explain. The answer simply is not to do so, and await the events of time. Most of the first session was, as is traditional, taken up with rolling for characters, establishing their relationships, and setting things up for the first gaming session proper.
Having said that, my overall context for the campaign is geopolitical. Nikorn is a major player in Northern Ilmiora and yes, he is based on the character who appears in the Elric saga. My theory is that Ilmiora is one of the most vibrant cultures in the Young Kingdoms, and I had the idea of weaving in some strategy that seemed appropriate. So here goes:
The Melniboneans ruled the known world for 9,000 years before entering into a great sorcerous war with the semi-mythical Dharzi, another prehuman race of great power. The Melniboneans won the war, but at great cost to themselves, especially because of a great cataclysm in the northern seas. Some say this was when the hated island of Pan Tang first appeared in the Young Kingdoms, torn from some other malevolent dimension. Or perhaps it was the transition itself that drove its inhabitants mad; whatever the reason, they are justly feared and hated, perhaps even more so than the Melniboneans themselves. At least they have the excuse of not being human.
The aftermath of the great war saw the Melniboneans sink into self-centred degeneracy, as they took less and less care for their dominions. This was a period of social advances among the human subject peoples of the Bright Empire, and after six more centuries they rose en masse and threw off the chains of Melnibonean domination. This grand revolt was led by Earl Aubec, a great Champion of Law from the southern continent. The remnants of the Melniboneans retreated, almost gratefully, into oblivion in their secure fortress island. Here they mostly spend their days in a drug-fuelled haze, deliberately dreaming of other planes that would drive mere humans insane. At least, this is what the peoples of the Young Kingdoms think.
The grand alliance of human peoples fragmented when Aubec disappeared during his last great quest to wrest the Black Swords from the Melnibonean Emperors; it seems that he succeeded, albeit at enormous cost. Certainly, the swords have not been seen since his times. Nations of all hues have since arisen, with various allegiances to Law, Chaos, something in between, or nothing at all.
There is now a new threat. The warrior-priests of Pan Tang have spent the last 1,000 years coming to terms with their new homeworld. Fanatical devotees of the Lords of Chaos, they have become synonymous with all that is despised and evil. Being human, they seem to see only the dark side of Chaos, and lack the eldritch grace of the Melniboneans. Humans fear their former masters, to be sure, but they also reluctantly admire them; almost nobody admires Pan Tang, including those nations that tend towards Chaos. It is rumoured that the current Theocrat of Pan Tang, Jagreen Lern, is trying to set himself up as some sort of Arch-High Priest of all Chaos, with Pan Tang at its centre, so even most chaotics treat the black-bearded Mabden of that island with a healthy hatred.
Jagreen Lern is simply continuing the strategy of his predecessors, albeit with more determination. Perhaps this is due to the culmination of a generations-long grand plan, or perhaps it is down to his own choice. More likely it is an unholy marriage of the two. Whatever the true reason, the feared black galleys of the northern isle have become emboldened of late. There is also a new Melnibonean Emperor, Elric, a sickly albino who nevertheless has become the greatest sorcerer his people has seen for many a generation. Whatever the source of his preternatural energy, he seems to be very interested in this new world of shifting alliances and darker chaos. No one knows what will transpire.
As a major region on the northeastern continent, Ilmiora is unfortunately best placed to feel the growing strength of Pan Tang. The Ilmiorans control the lucrative silk trade, along with other goods such as the spices of the far east. They also have access to the tough steppe warriors of the Weeping Wastes, together with their manufacturing secrets of the desert rider's composite bow and the famous wooden armour, which rumour says is taken from a single species of tree native only to those lands. This armour gives protection as good as half plate without any of the associated encumbrance, the best protection one can usually wear under ordinary conditions; after all, battle plate isn't something you wear anywhere other than a full-scale conflict. The wooden armour also has a peculiar quality of buoyancy, which has saved many a wealthy ship captain in dire circumstances. Immersion in salt water ruins the armour, but then again it does save your life. The other commodity produced by the desert nomads is the hardy steppe pony, which has immense stamina and can be trained like a warhorse. It does, though, have the temperament of a camel, so beware of getting too close to one of them unless you own it. Things like these are very expensive.
Nikorn of Ilmiora is a well known merchant-adventurer, a nobleman with a taste for the unusual. He has been the main driving force behind Ilmiora's steady increase in wealth and prestige over the last twenty years or so. Helped by the location of his family estates in Northern Ilmiora, he has created a web of alliances with the desert peoples designed to protect and enhance the trade routes with the East. Accordingly, he has become a major player on the ruling council of Ilmar, the western metropolis that is the notional capital of this fiercely independent country. Known as the Consortium, this council is rumoured to be conducting a secret cold war against the encroaching power of Pan Tang. The latter would obviously love to get their greedy paws on the silk trade, destroying Ilmiora to boot. This would give them a major hold over the entire region, with the added bonus of it being geographically close to their home island. It seems a logical first move on a path to world domination, and that is exactly what most people think is the Theocrat's ultimate goal.
However, the Melniboneans are now becoming more active under their new Emperor, and there is no telling how they will react to this new power in the world...
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