Good stories are woven like cloth from threads and fibers of all sizes and colors. If you stand very close to the finished product, you can follow the warp and woof of one strand through the fabric, laterally across its breadth and linearly along its length. If you take just one step back however, maybe two, you may lose track of that one thread, but you can't help being taken in by the overall beauty of the cloth.

Players in the Horselords game start out being one thread. Their choices and decisions direct how they're woven into the fabric of reality on the planet of Menelon - a fabric that will be forever changed by those choices.

What is presented here is the weaving of this particular section of the tapestry of Menelon, to date.

Beginnings...

Once there was a Great War, if you'll forgive the cliche. It lasted almost 100 years and before it was over, it involved every great nation on the face of Menelon. It was a bloody century, with those nations not participating in the Great War finding themselves embroiled in, and in one case consumed by civil conflicts.

First Weaving: The Sun-Yani Rebellion of 533 - 535

While the rest of the world's attention was thoroughly diverted to defeat their would-be oppressors, the oldest continuous theocracy in existence was overthrown by an internal rebellion in 535. It was the nation of Sun-Ya. Its nobility and royalty were the monastic knights of the goddess Urilia. Organized into enclaves that nurtured, served, and protected those under their charge, they were woefully unprepared for the kind of brutal, organized coup that swept them aside. Survivors of the brutal uprising scattered across the war torn globe, disappearing into a life of exile.

Until the ascension of the rebel government, the length of the reign of the Knights of Sun-Ya exceeded even that of the ancient Empire of Sudaan. The exiled elders selected new temple monasteries in well-hidden, strategic locations around the globe. Thus dispersed, the expatriate nobility did their best to preserve their ancient ways and rituals. They prepared for the day they might return to their rightful place.

They trained their children and gave them the ancient marks of service and rank. They sent them out to protect Sun-Ya. Not by overseeing the land and its people as they once did, but by serving as wandering knights-errant, hunting the rebel Hunters, drawing their eyes away from the hidden remnants of their kin-circles, and sometimes sacrificing themselves for the safety and well-being of their charges -- the common people back home.

High up, hidden deep within the mountains called ``Spine of the World'' there remained the very spiritual heart of the overthrown Sun-Yani nobility. A temple fortress known as Domnach Maige Slecht, it was populated by revered masters of the martial arts and religious teachings that had underpinned Sun-Yani life for centuries. A constant stream of young people passed through its massive gates even after the rebellion had obliterated almost everything else. Here the very core of the Priest-Knighthood continued to be trained, even if they had to travel across the endless plains fo the Horselords of Bak'Tiar to get there.

So it remained, for three human generations.

Second Weaving: Korzeth

For a time beyond human reckoning the elves of ancient Sylantia and the drow to their north had fought. Only when their dwarvish cousins joined in the fray were the elves of Sylantia able to drive their darken brethren back to their dank caves under the Sylantian mountains. It had been many ages of men since elves and dwarves had friendly relations, but they banded together nonetheless in the face of a common threat.

Finally, in a series of political machinations far too complex to go into here, drow elves gained enough legitimacy in the eyes of the post-war world to form the nation of Korzeth in 588. They settled a grouping of barren and rocky islands off the Northwestern coast of Balkland, on the continent of Korak. Islands technically owned by Balkland, and whose waters were extensively fished by the massive Balcheri fishing fleet. Naturally the Balcheri, recently sworn to help the elves and dwarves defend the elven wood within their borders, promptly declared war upon the outcast drow and declared the island chain's coastal waters off limits to merchant shipping. With naval skills outmatched by no-one and a fleet comprised of a growing number of cutting edge war ships, they quickly proved they had the power to make good on their threat of blockade.

The armed conflict ceased when a truce was negotiated by Cascadia early in 589. Balkland continued a near-blockade of Korzethi ports, though Korzethi ships were permitted to pass (mostly) unmolested until the dispute was settled in international arbitration. With no natural resources to speak of and precious little fresh water, it was obvious that the Korzethi drow must be dependent upon some external source for their existence, but its identity remained secret for over a year while talks stalled out.

Until 592, when Cascadia's king blew up the post-war world peace by declaring war against the usurping government of Sun-Ya for attempts at sedition and destabilization of the former Cascadian duchy of Balinford, now known as the Allied City States of Korak. Simultaneously, Cascadia accused Sun-Ya of using the drow of Korzeth to foment acts of aggression against Balkland. Damning evidence was provided in diplomatic packets sent to the other nations signatory to the Treaty of Amiens, the document that formed the first world body in the council that governed the IMMC. Ironically, in a dazzling series of political and financial maneuvers, the IMMC was dissolved early in 592, with its constituent parts absorbed by the host countries and payments levied to the other signatories as agreed to (some would say strong-armed into) by diplomatic treaty.

As of this writing, diplomatic channels are worn smooth with traffic, and Cascadia, Balkland, the Empire, and Miruvor are all arming for war with Sun-Ya and Korzeth.

Third Weaving: Bak'Tiar

As is noted in the Campaign Wiki, the Bak'Tiar were quietly instrumental in helping the nations of the Alliance defeat the Confederation during the Great War. The Sealords not only ferried food, medicines, the injured, and other non-military goods around the world but, the clan fleets also sunk more than their fair share of Confederate ships that stood in their way. The Horselords supplied meat, gut, and glue, and all other manner of products from their cattle. The Riverrunners, with their understated competency, simply kept goods and information moving throughout the vastness that is Bak'Tiar, as always the glue that holds their ancient culture together.

But while the world was at war with the Confederacy, another tragedy was happening much closer to home: The ancient theocracy of Sun-Ya was overthrown, and their priest-knights were forced to flee. And the only safe path was the most dangerous: Over the impenetrable mountains separating Sun-Ya from the Endless Plains of Bak'Tiar.

Over the intervening decades, the Bak'Tiar have developed a good relationship with the priest-knights that trickle in through the port of Tiran, joining up with various clans to travel from the foothills below the Spine of the World; then back out again years later, when their training is complete. Though personalities differ, of course, without fail the priest-knights are polite, respectful, and usually downright helpful when traveling with the clans. The older returning priest-knights especially have earned great respect amongst the clans, some easily wielding as much power as the greatest of the Bak'tiarian shamans or elders -- but always with gentleness and respect for their hosts.

The Sun-Yani Hunters, on the other hand, have managed to make themselves very unwelcome among the Bak'Tiar. Unfailingly arrogant, dismissive, and often cruel, these agents of the usurping government reflected the oppressive philosophies and motives of their masters. They often don't discriminate between the one they hunt and those unfortunate enough to get in their way. The Clans have taken it upon themselves to, at the best, leave the Hunters to their own devices. At worst, an irritated clan will not hesitate to kill an unruly Hunter, though by and large the Bak'Tiar would rather stay out of the Sun-Yani conflict. Their interest (or disinterest) is rather elemental: The priest-knights are polite, gentle and respectful; the Hunters are cruel, arrogant, and obnoxious. They help the priest-knights and shun the Hunters.

Life could sometimes be just that simple for the Bak'Tiar -- at least, until the refugees started arriving.

The first groups were small, terrified bands fleeing the purge that followed the ouster of the theocratic priest-knighthood. The Bak'Tiar found it relatively uncomplicated to give them passage to other lands where their expatriate brethren had already fled. Over the past ten years, however, the trickle turned into a steady stream that settled into the foothills along the margins of the Spine of the World faster than the Bak'Tiar could escort them out or run them off.

The Elders have held council after council without consensus on the matter of the Sun-Yani refugees. Their make-shift settlements breed disease, exhaust the resources of the lands around them, and worse, have proven to be convenient hiding places for the Hunters, who continue to prey upon the priest-knights as they pass into and out of the mountains. In desperation, the Elder's Council of the winter gathering (payr al kidret) in 591 elected to send a diplomatic contingent to King Edward IV of Cascadia, asking for his country's help.

Then Cascadia declared war on Sun-Ya early in 592, and all bets were off.

The stream turned into a flood. Frightened refugees carried tales of renewed purges as the Sun-Yani governing council, led by a man known only as ``The Premiere'' clamped down upon possible sympathizers to the old priest-knight nobility and retaliated against all dissenters with extreme prejudice.

Publicly, relief for the refugees poured out of wealthy Cascadia like a font. Privately, King Edward sent ambassadors to the Clans warning in rather plain language of what was to come. The priest-knights were certain to begin an exodus across the Endless Plains back into their mountain hideouts. From there they could insinuate themselves back into their homeland and fight an insurgent campaign to complement the military action. But Sun-Ya was big. The overt war would likely be long and bloody. The refugees would keep coming, and the Hunters would no doubt want to kill as many migrating priest-knights as they could. The foothills at the Spine of the World would likely become a guerrilla style front line. Simple proximity meant Bak'Tair was involved whether it wanted to be or not. All that was left for the elders to decide was exactly how they would direct that involvement.

And so it stands, as all the clans send their representatives to Lake Torogan for the kum al kidret of 593.

Events compiled and presented here by Songstress and Blackhawke.