Please read In Recent Years: Introduction before reading this post.
Year 1479
Lord Farek Gallendris spends his days working on administration for his sister’s rule of the city of Soros and the great Bank of the Old Empire of Noress and his nights partying in taverns with beautiful women. But Farek longs for more—enjoying the sight of ships sailing out across Raider’s Bay more than the blurry embrace of ale and arms. When approached by an old man claiming to be a magician, Farek initially laughs at the prophesy the man offers him—a prophesy to save his life. But, as his daily routine resumes, Farek realizes that, whether the prophesy of his impending fate is true or not, he wants to take his life into his own hands for once. He seeks out the old man to hear him out.
Gravagan appears bumbling and half-senile throughout their encounter, but his words continue to stir Farek. Gravagan claims to have provided similar prophesies to Farek’s mother and grandfather. For Farek, he offers the prophesy that Farek must act correctly in certain circumstances: he must save Lord Dorgan Thrane from assassins in Soros and he must set fire to the house of the golden dog, when he stands within it. Gravagan claims that neither Farek nor the dog will die in the fire—only the one who would kill Farek would be burned.
As Farek begins looking into the matter of Lord Thrane’s security, his family becomes involved in a strange bargain entered by the Empire of Noress—a plan to buy the city of Lo Mallago from a criminal lord named Lerran of Sheld. Jannia, Farek’s older sister and the Mazaar of Soros, must join the delegation to Radregar and leaves Farek overseeing the city in her absence. During her absence, Farek witnesses a crime in the markets—but rather than call for aid from the guards he decides he doesn’t like all this worrying about the future of his life. He intervenes directly, saving a merchant from peril and feeling the thrill of such action himself. He settles a gambling debt for a friend in a similar fashion, and begins looking into Lord Thrane more personally; he learns that Thrane is unfaithful to his wife, a disgusting though not unsurprising tidbit of gossip.
When Lord Paral Mavagar comes to Farek requesting a withdrawal of a surprising fortune from the bank, citing only a personal investment as the cause. Uncertain what Jannia would do, Farek tries to delay the withdrawal but is forced to comply due to the laws of the Bank.
Farek infiltrates Thrane’s estate once more, during a session of public audience. While there, he spots an assassin—just as Gravagan prophesied. Unwilling to resign his life to some cosmic fate, Farek waits until after the assassin takes his shot before apprehending him. To Farek surprise, the assassin did not kill Lord Thrane… instead eliminating an industrial foreman in Thrane’s employ. Lord Thrane thanks Farek profusely for saving his life and offers to buy drinks with Farek when Farek asks what he has learned from the assassin. From the assassin, Farek only keeps a strange leather glove with the apparent ability to paralyze somewhere where they stand.
Thrane reports the assassin’s final words: that Houses Viodro and Mavagar plot against the wellbeing of Soros. Though Farek is not sure if he can trust Thrane, the duo begin plotting to sabotage Viodro’s income. Eventually, members of House Viodro come to Thrane begging that he relinquish the pressure their economy has come under. Farek investigates further himself, not trusting Lord Thrane’s word—and worried how Viodro might have found out who was targeting their income.
Meanwhile, Jannia returns to Soros claiming the bargain to buy Lo Mallago will be advancing successfully. Farek begins seeing a young woman named Silea—something more regular than he often does. His younger sister Simi—short for Simisar—approves. Jannia gives Farek a new position of overseeing their finances, which gives Farek a chance to look into the family archives more closely. He learns that Gravagan spoke truly when he claimed to have counseled their family before. Attempts to find Master Gravagan in the city once more are fruitless as the bungling magician seems to have departed for the Great Isle.
Lord Thrane comes to Farek livid, accusing Farek of crossing him; it seems that some of Thrane’s mercenaries have been captured by House Gallendris. Farek asks Jannia about it, only to learn that Jannia now suspects Thrane and Mavagar of plotting against them. It seems that, soon after Jannia’s return, Thrane and Paral Mavagar deposited nearly matching amounts of coin to the bank of a comparable amount to the sum that Lord Mavagar withdrew during Farek’s tenure. Fortunately, they are able to deduct that Thrane’s deposit is likely the money he extorted from House Viodro… in the very least it is not proof that he works against them. Paral Mavagar, however, falls into Farek’s new sights.
Farek tries to get into Thrane’s good graces once more, so they can work against Mavagar, but the other lord will have none of it. Farek’s contact in House Viodro provides him with a foreign spy who may know more about the glove of paralysis that Farek obtained from the late assassin. Farek attends a feast at Lord Mavagar’s estate, learning that Lord Mavagar senior is in poor health and Paral manages all their affairs currently.
With three trusty soldiers—Sievus, Diaren, and Matek—Farek sets out for the capital, Noress-That-Was, which lies on the other end of the isle of Var Nordos. While there, he observes the Castles of the Three Matriarchs, the rulers that oversee Jannia and the Bank. He also meets with Erril, a spy master who has risen to fame on the continent—though Farek pretends to be a lackey in service of Lord Thrane instead of a lord of House Gallendris. Erril banters and trades information with Farek, in turn telling him about a syndicate of criminals operating on Var Nordos through which the wealthy might hire scoundrels of their choosing. This syndicate is simply called the Organization; it is contacted by publicly donning a golden wolf’s face ring of specific design. He also tells Farek that the particular assassin with the magical glove was trained at the House of Kiaraka on the Great Isle. Farek wonders, due to the ring of the Organization and the roots of the assassin, if this is the house of the golden dog that he was to burn to save himself—according to Gravagan’s prophesies.
As Farek prepares for a great voyage, he hears that House Mavagar has sent forth another massive shipment of coins to the continent, though it is unclear for what purpose. With his loyal soldiers in toe, Farek departs Soros once more. He sails to the Great Isle, landing first at Oshibor, then on to New Mallam. Matek, one of Farek’s guards, grows ill with sleeping sickness.
In New Mallam—the alleged location of the House of Kiaraka—Farek first seeks out a healer of renown. He finds one at the Ageless Academy, a mysterious cloister of sorcerers. He is also able to bargain with them, by way of stealing an artifact from an auction, to tell him where the House of Kiaraka is. In the wild inland of the Great Isle, they assure him, likely where the Baron of New Mallam has taken his army.
Farek finds the House of Kiaraka under siege from the Baron. Questioning the Baron reveals that another assassin forced him, by capturing his wife, to bring his army inland. This assassin has now entered the House and not returned. As Farek and the Baron speak, a strange, middle-aged man appears from thin air. The magician, named Tarro, demands they leave his home or face the consequences. When the Baron is antagonized into attacking the apparition, all hell breaks loose. A miasma rises over the walls of the mansion estate, causing the army to turn on itself in a wild bloodlust; Farek and his friends barely make it to safety—where, with certainty, Farek launches a flaming arrow back onto the House of Kiaraka, setting it ablaze.
Year 1480
Farek gradually makes his way back to Var Nordos and his home, picking up gifts for his loved ones along the way. Along with the gifts, Farek hears news—one of the Matriarchs was caught plotting against the other two and was summarily executed.
Upon his return to Soros, Farek learns that Lord Paral Mavagar now works with House Gallendris. He openly admits that he worked against them in the past—he was in league with Matriarch Belsara. Claiming reform, Paral offers evidence of all the aid he has now provided House Gallendris and clears up the details of the strange financial transactions from 1479. According to Paral, the Matriarchs indeed paid for the city of Lo Mallago in a huge financial transaction, leaving those moneys in Sheld, in the hands of a crime family. Next, several separate investors provided enough money to the Grey Brethren—the influential religion that was fast becoming an ally of Noress—to hire a sizeable mercenary army. The army brought Sheld and the crime family to its knees, reclaiming the lost coin for the Matriarchs—who essentially won Lo Mallago for free. The Grey Brethren repaid their investors with their plunder from Sheld; their win was simply the spread of their influence and the destruction of a powerful criminal organization.
Furthermore, Paral’s insights prove that Lord Thrane never worked against House Gallendris. With an earnest apology, Farek is able to convince Lord Thrane to joint their alliance of loyal lords once more. Thrane, it seems, has been investigating this mysterious Organization, but has learned little. At Thrane’s pushing, the trio of cooperating Houses decide that ensuring success in Lo Mallago is the best way they can aid the Empire without risking involvement in the sordid schemes of the various spymasters and Matriarchs.
Farek meets a newcomer to Soros, a travelling magician named Devender who is granted the position of Court Magician for the Bank. The two strike up a friendship and Farek asks Devender if he is able to contact the missing Master Gravagan. News arrives with Devender that the leaderless New Mallam has now been claimed by growing chaos on the Great Isle—that the wild bandits of the inland regions have seemingly allied. After a few weeks of assessing Devender’s trustworthiness, Farek asks him about the maddening miasma he witnessed at the House of Kiaraka. Devender sends letters to begin looking into the malicious magic.
Matriarch Valakono arrives in Soros next, delivering the ultimatum that one member of House Gallendris must marry a dignitary from Lo Mallago—and live in the foreign city—in an attempt from the Empire to gradually bring Lo Mallago under its influence. After all, the citizens themselves are not aware of its shifting ownership. Not delighted by the prospect of an arranged marriage of sorts, Farek reluctantly agrees he is the best candidate—after all Jannia runs the Bank far better than he ever would, and his sister Simi has been in a committed relationship for years.
As Farek prepares to depart for Lo Mallago for an initial visit, he stumbles upon commotion in his family’s kitchens—a sconce is toppled and a cloud of flour is set violently ablaze. Several of the staff die, Farek is battered, but Simi suffers the worst of it—severe burns covering most of her body. Devender manages to save her life.
The disaster drives Farek into a fury—after all this work and struggling, he feels he has failed to accomplish anything. He is able to determine that someone left the damaged flour sacks on purpose and tracks them to the nearest city. When Lannon, the would-be assassin, proves difficult to catch in Bogtown, Farek stirs the populace of the city itself to search their city. Lannon is caught, but not before he stabs Matek in the eye. Matek is saved, though his eye can’t be saved.
Knowing that upon returning to Soros, Farek’s access to the prisoner might be compromised, Farek tries to break Lannon himself. Lannon tells him nothing, but starvation and mental torture threaten to unhinge the assassin. Discouraged, Farek returns to Soros—and sure enough, Lannon is relinquished into the capture of Lord Sha, the Empire of Noress’s Master of Insight. Under Sha’s torture, Lannon breaks and claims that a Grey Brother paid him to kill Farek. Simisar was only in the wrong place at the wrong time—bonus pay would have been provided had the assassin killed both. After more interrogation, Lannon claims that it was actually a man in Lo Mallago who hired him, further confounding matters.
Farek sends Diaren and Sievus, two of his trusted guards, to track Master Gravagan’s long-lost trail. If Gravagan prophesied that Farek ought to burn down the House of Kiaraka, why then has such danger followed? Why had Gravagan not warned Farek of an attack such as Lannon’s?
As chaos continues to consume the Great Isle and threatens to spill forth, Farek sets sail for Lo Mallago, the city on the edge of the Raderan jungle. Devender accompanies him this time, as well as his guards—among them some new additions. The group learn that Harloss is likely a man in the employ of one Lord Polanar. While they investigate Polanar, Farek meets with some potential suitors; the best candidate among them may not be the most political option, but Farek finds himself enjoying his conversation with a woman named Ofena Wartha. Spymaster Lord Sha’s contacts in Lo Mallago offer Farek evidence that Polanar was operating under the name Harloss—all indications point toward Polanar being the man behind the explosion on the Gallendris estate.
Eventually, Farek captures Polanar while the embittered lord is drunk. During questioning, Polanar reveals that he did learn a foreign power was buying their city and tried to blow them up, but failed. He seems incredibly saddened by all this; in fact, he is far more a drunkard than even Sha’s spy network suspected. Farek’s last order of business on the mainland is to attend a meeting between would-be allies. The Grey Brethren and the Matriarchs of Noress seek to join forces to contain the bandit armies of the Great Isle.
During the meeting in Squora, Farek meets with Matriarch Haladia, General Coranno, and Erril, who has earned himself even greater favour with the Matriarchs. Their delegation meets with Speaker Serand—the leader of the Atmos Septi or Grey Brethren—along with his peers, Archpriests Hartho and Par. Also present is Councillor Ghomal of Eastpoint. During the affairs, Haladia chokes on her drink and the delegates realize a poisoner is in their midst. Despite Devender’s best attempts, Haladia perishes to the poison. In the chaotic aftermath, the new assassin is caught and killed; in his supplies is evidence he was hired by Archpriest Morrus of the Grey Brethren, but the investigation makes it apparent that this was an attempt to disrupt the potential alliance by another, unknown and malicious party. A strategy is devised to proceed with the alliance—Farek urges all involved to work together. He, more than many of the others, knows the dangers of what lurks on the Great Isle… the man named Tarro, whose house Farek burned.
Year 1481
Even after the assassination fails to incite violence at the meeting in Squora, the final Matriarch, Valakono, hesitates to seal the alliance. Nonetheless, they decide to proceed for fear of the growing war. Reports arrive daily of cities falling to the as-of-yet leaderless bandit horde. Among their discussions are added security by seeking a party that does not pose them threat, such as the landlocked city-state of Ith, the foreign Empire of Numa’nakres, or the mysterious men and women of Varravar who are said to have the strength to topple walls single-handedly. Additionally, Valakono speaks to replacing the fallen Matriarchs, but warns Farek that she may have to pass over Jannia simply to preserve loyal control of the Bank of Soros—Jannia’s current duty.
As an example, they order the execution of Polanar—the depressed old man hesitates when offered last words, but then belts out his love for his son before the axe falls. Farek knows only that Polanar is estranged from his son, who now lives in Sheld.
As the alliance prepares for the coming war, Farek is tasked with seeking out new groups, namely the inner lands rules by Ith and the Crimson Highway. Before he departs, Sievus and Diaren return, reporting that the great industrial city of Starath has been besieged by the bandit hordes. They also recount that they encountered Gravagan, but lost track of him during a battle. Allegedly, Gravagan would seek Farek out after the chaos, but he has not by the time of the duo’s return to Soros. Devender, Farek’s closest magician friend, informs Farek that he must pursue some personal matters in light of the spreading war and departs Farek’s service—seeming withdrawn and saddened by the state of things.
With his trusted guards in toe, Farek sets sail once more. They are joined, in Noress-That-Was, by Lord Sha, Ambassador Tolia, and a cartographer named Enora Roek. Their first stop is Sheld, briefly, where Lord Sha makes contact with his local network of spies. As they approach High Raena, where they will sail upriver toward Ith, they meet with a blockade of ships conscripted by the Joyous King of the city. King Fareon, Military Minister Welrek, Intrigue Minister Nolarim, as well as the Royal Consort Zeleya meet with Farek and his delegates. After a discussion of strategies, the Joyous King agrees to aid their alliance with an allotment of vessels that can be spared from the security of his city-state.
They continue their voyage toward Ith, this time sailing up the Raena River. While they tour sights along the river, Farek’s old comrade Matek asks him if they should come forward with what happened at the House of Kiarak. Farek assures him that they are fighting against Tarro the same as if it was public knowledge or not.
Farek and his colleagues arrive in Ith at last, a city only recently repaired from the sort of strife that now seems to face the rest of the world. They learn of Domeran’s Gang, though Domeran himself is now dead, which continues to harass the ruling group, a military council called the Advisory. While they wait for the glorified city watch to make a move, Lord Sha drinks too much at the tavern one day and laments a mistake he made which has cost him his place of trust at the Matriarch’s side. Then, at last, the Advisory agrees to provide what they can, namely tributes guarded by their own soldiers to supply the war efforts in distant lands. With the Advisory and High Raena secured for the alliance, Farek’s remaining task is to contact the Crimson Highwaymen themselves—another bandit army of sorts—to see if they will support the fight against Tarro and the lawless hordes of the south.