The Munchking Saga
Part I: The Onddami
From the first rays of sunlight glinting on the newly formed earth, the lands of Påmidgard were inhabited by all forms of magical creatures. Most revered of these were the Onddami Elves: immortal, resplendent, and endowed with tremendous power. It was said that the Elven smiths were capable of weaving the very essence of Påmidgard Land into all variety of crafts. All was well in those days, as the benevolent watchfulness of the Onddami prevented the wasting evil from encroaching on the Realm of Light.
However, one among the Onddami--Lemilech--was not content with the blissful ignorance of the other races watched over by the vigil of the Onddami. To Lemilech, these creatures ought to serve the Onddami obediently out of respect for their duty in keeping the forces of evil at bay. Exiled for such heterodoxy, Lemilech vowed to return to Påmidgard once more as a conquering hero. Journeying far beyond the boundaries of Påmidgard Land to the Hanging Hills of the Shadow Realm, Lemilech grew entranced by the terrible fire-drake Hais, who promised immense power in return for Lemilech’s aid in freeing him from his imprisonment in the enchanted Castle Craig. Turned by the eldritch influence of Hais, Lemilech instead returned to Påmidgard in secret, and constructed a great well in which to capture and seal the power of the Onddami. Caught in the act, Lemilech was thrown into the well before the sealing spell could be fully completed, but the damage was done: the influence of the Onddami was waning, and the great dragon Hais was gaining strength.
Part II: The Sealing of Magic
In the ensuing eons many fell as the Onddami fought the hordes of maligned creatures led by the fire-drake Hais that sought to overtake Påmidgard Land. Although able to combat the batrachian host, the Elves could not quell the flames and fury of Hais as the fire-drake entered the battle himself. Sustaining heavy losses, and recognizing the growing futility of their position, the Onddami sacrificed themselves and with the last of their power sealed the essence of Hais into full 52 enchanted gemstones. As his last act, Nodoben--the final Onddami smith--forged the Ring of 52 Weeks, channeling the power of the glades and glens of Påmidgard Land to contain Hais’s essence indefinitely. He then threw the ring, and himself, into the Well of Lemilech so that the blight of wasting darkness would not again touch the land. In so doing, all magic within Påmidgard became sealed away forever, and the ring was lost to all living memory, or so it seemed. To this day, the Barrier of Nodoben stands around the Shadow Realm of the Hanging Hills from whence Hais came, testament to his sacrifice and representing the sole remaining enchantment in Påmidgard.
Some insist that the ring too still endures, and is not destroyed as Nodoben had planned. If indeed still in existence, the potential for the reawakening of magic--or of the dreaded dragon Hais himself--may yet persist long past the well-nigh forgotten days of yore.
Part III: The Rise of Chief Tamzei
Eons have passed, and the Onddami are now all but forgotten by the people of Påmidgard Land. In the Time After the Sealing of Magic, men set up many feudal kingdoms, squabbling over the territories once overseen by the Onddami. In the absence of the enlightened rule of the Onddami Lords, much of the land has been laid to waste in centuries of civil warfare. Yet the ancient sacrifice of Nodoben continued to maintain a barrier between Påmidgard and the wasting darkness of without. Only recently as the lands have grown close to reunion under the headship of the Munchkings have the borderlands again reported of evil creatures and raiding horsemen seeping into the realm.
Principal among these threats are the clans of Aelrimcosians--nomads from the north. Atop swift-footed steeds, the light cavalry and mounted archers of Aelrimcos layed waste to the kingdoms of men and dwarves, unaccustomed as they were to such lightning-quick tactics. Capitalizing on a moment of intrigue during the War of Munchkingian Succession, the Arvarddeth Aelrimcosate to the Northeast swept across the hills and fields of Bloom, threatening the Munchking capitol of Deercross. It was only through the extraordinary leadership of the then-Munchking that the entire realm was not overrun. Uniting Aldergotham, Stiftewald, and the dwarves of the Uncanny Valley, Arvardeth was forced to retreat and cede his gained territory to the Munchkingdom. Since then, an uneasy truce had been maintained until the death of Chief Arvaddeth. Tamzei, son of Arvaddeth, has claimed his father’s mantle, and his newly christened Great Aelrimcosate of Tamzei stirs anew. Scouts have noted riders from the Chokinguy Aelrimcosate and the Aelrimcosate of the Potassium Horde treating with Tamzei, suggesting that renewed hostility with these clans of horsemen is near.
Part IV: Lord Hughseph the Munchking
Likewise, the Munchkingdom has seen a new leader assume the thrown. Newly crowned as Munchking, Hughseph Ordergiver responded to such reports by replacing the aging palisade fortresses of the borderland with stone keeps, a sight not seen in Påmidgard Land since before the Sealing of Magic. Hoping to both complete the reunification of Påmidgard Land and shore up the Northern border from raiding Aelrimcos Tribes, Hughseph Ordergiver has come to the Archiduchy of Cartensal seeking a political alliance with its Archiduchess, Princess Euphemily.
This is the latest of many efforts made by Lord Hughseph to consolidate his power and further unify Påmidgard Land under his benevolent--albeit strict--rule. The lush farmlands of New Holstein were--ahem--persuaded to accept the protection of the Munchkingdom Army, most especially the elite Order of Teal. Through a political-but equally romantic--marriage, the County of Perinia has fallen under Munchking rule, along with its advanced siege engineers and offensive equipment. Likewise, The Bishopric of Bellowgna has pledged its fealty to Lord Hughseph through much belabored diplomacy between Count David--now Lord Hughseph’s most trusted advisor--and Prince-Bishop Albert. (NB--the Prince-Bishop much prefers the humble and approachable “Brother Albert” to his regal title.) Finally, a coup d’etat in the Kroswain Kingdom--facilitated through no shortage of espionage and intrigue on the part of Lord Hughseph’s agents--has led to its recent annexation. So it appears that the Archiduchy of Cartensal may soon find itself the next fief in Lord Hughseph’s burgeoning empire.
Yet what began as a quest for aid from the most famed suppliers of quarries and stonemasons in Påmidgard has become a romantic affair. The Munchking and Princess--it is rumored--are soon to be married, bringing to close the matter of unification. Word has also been spread of a queer trinket utilized by the Munchking as a symbol of engagement--one with 51 stones set around a master stone…
While negotiations between the kind-hearted Archiduchess and the tactically-inclined King were under way, and while a garrison was sent to the Heublein Tower as its outer wall was under construction, a swift assault of Aelrimcosian Horse Archers made short work of the Munchking’s defenses. Arriving too late to bolster the garrison, and receiving word from the Sergeant-at-Arms of Tamzei’s attack, Lord Hughseph resolved to lead a small band of men-at-arms to the summit of Tall-Colt pass. Aided along the way by caches left behind at the Sergeant’s behest, Hughseph men managed to infiltrate the Aelrimcosian camp, discovering that plans were indeed afoot to unite the three clans.
Sensing the urgency of the situation, Hughseph pressed on. With the help of Brother Albert, Hughseph tricked the Aelrimcosian garrison into following a feigned withdrawal while the late-summoned reinforcements of the Munchkingdom’s army arrived. Seemingly cornered, Chief Tamzei escaped in disgrace, ending for now the threat of a unified Aelrimcosian Assault.
Part VI: A Disturbance in the Dynamism
Celebrating his victory, Lord Hughseph took this occasion to officially ask for the Archiduchess’s hand in marriage, producing the prized treasure of the Heublein Tower’s vault--a baroque ring beset with 52 gemstones. However, as soon as the ring was placed upon Prince Euphemily’s finger, a great fireball hurled past in the sky. Streaking by the tower from the north, it careened south, crashing with an immense cascade of earth and flame amid the Hanging Hills of Merrydale. Visible also, faintly, was a shimmer of light. At first, Hughseph and Euphemily thought this to be the warping influence of heat brought about by the curious omen, but on further inspection the phenomenon appeared to have a life of its own. It seemed as though the East Peak of the Hanging Hills had been surrounded by a sphere as translucent as bubbling sea foam.
In the ensuing months, Hughseph sent out regular patrols to the area, who reported that this was indeed a barrier of some kind erected around the East Peak, through which the remnants of an Onddami Castle could be seen intermittently. Yet no substance or projectile seemed to be able to pierce this well-nigh invisible field, and there appeared to be no visible portal through which to enter the area within the sphere. Perplexed by this dark portent, Hughseph ordered Brother Albert to set about researching the ancient Onddami texts held in the Bellowgnian Archives. It was not long before Albert came across the accounts of the Onddami Smith Nodoben.
And so it came to pass that the Barrier of Nodoben was rediscovered. Such a discovery was sure to become known to all in Påmidgard Land, both friend and foe of the Munchking alike. Such a thought troubled Lord Hughseph, for who knows what new devilry may yet emerge from within the Shadow Realm hidden behind the Barrier--particularly if summoned by one bearing a grudge against him...
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