a contingent of the Anvardian Army lands in Vurren Bay to help prepare the defenses in case of invasion. consisting of heavy cavalry, archers and spearmen and siege equipment.
The young Viking warrior Brand Olafson son of Eorl Olaf leads a Mannareið (a band of mounted Viking warriors) across the border of Verendia into blood dragon territory into Harragos to raid, pillage and cause as much disruption as possible before the enemy invasion of Verendia. King Rollo himself has given him the command, a high honor to be sure. a chance for a young Warrior to prove himself. He is given strict instructions, burn, destroy and loot, but do not engage the enemy troops. the second the enemy forces ride out to challenge you, flee back to Verendia and safety.
although the leader is young, he is accompanied by veterans who will not be lured into battle and glory, they will follow their king's orders to the letter.
ooc: a Viking Cavalry force of 25 crosses into Harragos to raid, orders are to avoid battle.
word had reached the western alliance, that the blood dragons mean to invade Drakehaven, you must prepare for battle, the West will stand with you, but you must also prepare for death and suffering, Anvard urges all women and children to temporarily relocate to western lands in Anvard, the holy order and elsewhere, for the duration of the war. Even now, Anvardian ships sail toward Drakehaven ports to provide passage to safer lands. you will be treated as equals and homed and fed. The order of the Beard (wizard order in Anvard) is tasked with spreading this message across Drakehaven.
ooc. all women and children and elderly leave Drakehaven, unless Jamewestman intervenes.
saw these hats online on a custom shop, i got dozens of them lying around without the white band, figured i'd try to paint some myself... how hard can it be right? haha. seriously though any suggestions? I have never really painted minis or lego before, what type of paint should i use? do you think brush or dip?
Vyryn Lakes was unsettled before Anvard arrived, now it has become some of the most beautiful countryside in all of Anvard, nobles have summer estates here and palaces dot the edges of the lakes. some of the finest wine in Rutland comes from this region. King Rollo enjoys spending time away from the kingdom here.
High King Rollo of Anvard, first Emperor of the Grimwood and Vyren Lakes, Lord of Minas Anvardel, high chieftain of Bjorsland and Duke of Renhook and Sternhead, and Lord protector of Orsca and Dustpike, and defender of the light, calls a joint exercise of his navy and army. War is ever only a ship on the horizon away, and for too long Anvard had enjoyed peace. To preserve peace a wise king must prepare for war. King Rollo seeks only peace with his neighbors, but it is not always his call. will the world accept his kingdom?
it has come to my attention that Anvard is not viewed the same by everyone, I am genuinely curious what the greater realm thinks of Anvard and its actions.
please note, depending on the results of this poll, things could change in the Anvardian Empire...
Hear ye, Rulers of the Realm of Rutland.
From the eastern shores of the Bjorska Sea to the deepest bounds of the Rimwood, our continent is plagued by petty territorial squabbles. But while we fight over borders, a borderless threat grows. Dark magic festers in the shadows, threatening to consume the light we have all fought so hard to build.
No single kingdom can root out this darkness alone. Therefore, I am stepping forward to found a new, landless martial brotherhood: The Order of the Star.
We do not fight for land. We cleanse keeps. We exist solely to eradicate dark magic wherever it rears its ugly head, and to defend the light.
I cast this call out to every sovereign in Rutland. Whether you rule a massive empire or a modest village, you are invited to pledge your arms to this holy cause. To ensure the purity of this mission, the Order is bound by the following Charter:
I. The Open Tithe: The Order holds no towns or farmers or castles of its own. It is sustained by those who answer the call. Any Kingdom may pledge a detachment of their bravest men—be it a vanguard of 10 or a battalion of 100—to fight under the Order’s banner when darkness strikes.
II. The Vow of the Standard: Upon joining a crusade, these knights forsake their home kingdom's heraldry. In battle, they will be identified solely by the emblem of the Order: A white star on a dark blue field.
III. The Sovereign Separation: The Order operates entirely independently of its host nations' politics. A knight of the Order acts for the Order alone.
[OUT-OF-CHARACTER / META MECHANICS]
Hey everyone! I’m starting a cross-faction, landless Order to hunt down dark magic/fantasy factions in the lore, and this is an open invitation for anyone on the subreddit to join me.
Here is how the mechanics will work to keep things fair and easy for the mods to judge:
How to Join: You don't have to leave your current faction or change your main army. Just outfit a detachment of your existing troops (any size you want) with our visual marker: a dark blue field with a white star (dark blue shields/capes with custom decals, or a specific banner). If you want in, shoot me a DM and I'll add you to the Order's Group Chat, all decisions will be made via democracy.
Deployment & Visuals: We won't be mixing our physical Lego collections. When the Order takes the field for a battle, I will make a single "Collage Post" containing one photo from every player who pledged troops to that specific fight.
Total Strength: Because army sizes will vary based on who is available to post, the title of our battle posts will always state exactly how many total men are deployed across all the photos.
The Immunity Clause (Crucial): Because the Order is an independent entity, attacking the Order is NOT an act of war against our main kingdoms. If you defeat our detachments in the field, you are at war with the Order, not with our main empires. This allows us to participate in lore events without dragging our home territories into a world war.
Command: I will be acting as the first Grand Master to get things off the ground and will coordinate our deployment posts, but strategy will be decided together in the group chat.
The light needs defenders. DM me to take the oath!
I have permission from all the mods to try this epic experiment! hopefully it adds some spice to rutland!
the order formerly known as "The Order of the Cross" will be joining the new order. roughly 30 men.
following the siege of Bjorsburg, King Rollo thought that the Wolfpack had be destroyed... however word reaches the capitol that small farms and villages on the outskirts of Bjorsland are continuously being raided by small bands of men bearing the mark of the wolf. the king knowing that these scoundrels will never meet them in open battle, opts to send in his elite forces, "the Rangers of the Grimwood Vale" master hunters and marksmen, men who will track the enemy ruffians down, and kill them or bring them to justice. these rangers, wear a clock and hood and carry the Anvardian longbow, a unique weapon that only men who have been trained from youth are able to wield due to the incredible strength required to draw them. roughly 30 men are sent to hunt them down and ambush them
ooc: Anvard seeks to remove the Wolfpack emblem that is still sitting on Bjorsland region of map.
while I am stuck killing time on night shift, I got to thinking... Rutland is set in a medieval fantasy era, however there is no real time period it is stuck in, each person kinda decides for themselves. so the question:
roughly what year is your kingdom in? early, mid or late medieval era?
or is it a mix?
Anvard for example is definitely early medieval when it comes to its vikings, but definitely late medieval when it comes to its navy and army (tebuchets, cannons)
long has Anvard had the preeminent navy in Rutland, however with the expansion of the blood queen fleet and troll horde fleet, high king Rollo has ordered the building of 2 of the greatest ships to yet sail the Rutland seas... with these 2 flagships, Anvard will once again rule the waves, protecting the empire from those who would do her harm!
ooc. one of these is my brother's but he let me use it, since he doesn't play.
brother and I both built our ships together, took alot longer then anticipated, we watched Master and Commander, and the first 3 pirates of the Caribbean! epic built, probably my favorite set ever as far as presence on shelf goes...
following the great Anvardian Kinstrife, Anvard finds itself in a golden age, an uneasy peace has been made with the troll horde, non aggression pacts have been signed with the northern vikings... and Anvard has been at peace for the longest stretch in its history. trade fleets depart Minas Anvardel and Cair Anvareth, the leading 2 cities in Anvard, and trading increases everyday in Bjorsburg, the Viking settlement to the north, and Osca meanwhile is a beacon of the faith to all of Rutland... meanwhile in Renhook, lots Drinian is finally able to step back from royal duties and enjoy his forest estate, a gift from High king Beornhelm long ago.
the wealth of Anvard and the quality of life it's citizens have and expect, are an envy of the world. how long can this bountiful peace last?who will try to rob Anvard of her glory and joy next? time will tell, already there are rumors of war approaching, and High King Rollo is training his men for battle.
the new land of Vyryn lakes had quickly become a region full of wine and merriment, several lords have built summer manors along the various lakes, only the most faithful knights are given estates in this beautiful new land. orchards and vineyards increase daily it seems. apples, and grapes and other various fruit sail out of the harbors daily, going to the far reaches of Rutland.
please note not all castles and cities are listed, only the largest in each region.
battle lines were drawn up between the host of the wyrmgaard and the Anvardians, fortunately a parlay was called...
representatives from both sides met in a tent in the middle of the battlefield, halfway through the day, a squire rushed back to the Anvardian lines and returned with a lone knight.
Lord Mordred, who was fulfilling his liege duty to king Rollo, had been personally requested by the wyrmgaard, for whatever reason, they viewed him as one of the only true Vikings left in Anvard, and this the only man they could realistically treat with... he was lucky to still have a head, but fate has a way of rewarding men who do right, by sparing him, king Rollo had unknowingly opened up a path to peace with his northernly neighbors.
Lord Mordred spent the afternoon drafting a non-aggression pact with the wyrmgaard, the terms were as follows
3 years (30 days irl) of peace, neither side would march an army into the others land, by their honor.
no Anvardian missionaries would enter wyrmgaard territory. both armies would return from where they came.
prior to marching on Veryn Lakes king Rollo authorizes the construction of a new city, a epic citadel that will serve as the capitol of the Anvardian Empire for generations to come. Minas Anvardel, translated from old anvardic "the tower of the star of Anvard" carved into the very face of the Grim mountains, a sight to behold. May all who see it behold the glory of Anvard.
apparently on the frontier, word travels slowly, and somehow during the fog of civil war, our allies were pushed back from their territory they claimed. King Rollo has plans for these lands and immediately seeks to establish imperial rule in them.
volkarad is attacked by a Viking fleet of 65 men.
the Vyren lakes are attacked by the imperial Anvardian army of 160 men led by High King Rollo himself.
following the feast, more serious matters took center stage. The reality was this, the northern lands that belonged to Sturgia once upon a time, had never adopted the faith of its conquerers, they were a heathen people, and fundamentally different than the average Anvardian. what's more? the New lands to the west were young, fertile and begging to be settled. King Rollo himself had fallen in love with the Grimwood and the lands surrounding it. although Mordred had usurped his lawful king, he had in fact had the backing of a large percentage of the people. and while the right to rule is from the divine, it must be confirmed by the masses.
It was with these thoughts running through his head, that King Rollo announced a deal that had been made with a neighboring kingdom. King Bormund of the Iron Legion had accepted a deal to swap his unsettled territories of Vyren lakes, Volkarad and Harrag, asking only to be able to freely mine the mountains without conditions, in exchange he would Steward the Anvardian lands of Renhook, Verentyne and Yarroks demise, until a suitable king could be raised up, who would be friendly to the western alliance.
Anvard would never force its religion on a people who didn't want it, and this presented an opportunity to consolidate its lands in the West. King Mordred humbled by this new revelation gratefully accepted King Rollo's offer to act as a Steward of these lands, during this transitional time, and depending on who ultimately becomes ruler, perhaps he will be able to assist the new King. the only condition King Rollo demanded, was that Mordred publicly accept King Rollo as the rightful king of Anvard, and promise never to draw swords against Anvard again.
it was a cool brisk Autumn morning, King Rollo and his army were camped outside the liberated Cair Anvareth, dealing with the aftermath of the great siege, when sails were first spotted over the horizon.
the next hour was filled with hustle and bustle as men got ready for a potential battle, and defenses were quickly thrown together, not knowing who or how many were in these ships, the king was on high alert. soon however his fear was relieved and he identified the ships as Anvardian in nature, and they were flying his flags, they were the his Norsemen! but why? why come now?
only when they landed and Chieftain Olaf explained what had transpired upon the high seas, slightly blushing at having to admit to his illegal trading with troll ships, did the full story come to light. King Mordred was brought forth chained and bound, and delivered to King Rollo as an offering of forgiveness for having stayed neutral, chieftain Olaf had seen first hand what Mordred had done to the cities that stayed true to their God, and wanted nothing to do with it.
King Rollo decided that a feast was in order, and after that, the fate of Anvard would be decided!
following the battle of Cair Anvareth, King Mordred having run to the coastline climbed aboard the troll ship and they set sail, to gather a new army!
unfortunately for the Usurper King, the only thing Trolls and goblins love more than killing and thwarting Anvardian plans, is food and gold! 2 things the Viking raiding fleet that accidentally stumbled upon them at the straight of the eye of Rutland, had in plenty courtesy of their southern neighbors...
and that brings us to the just a few minutes prior.
the Viking captain, hailed the troll fleet and arranged what they thought would be a normal trade on the high seas, food for gold. nothing more. the 2 fleets met up, under a certain air of apprehension, technically the 2 realms were locked in a neverending struggle, but practically money is money, so both sides look the other way. soon however it became apparent that this trade held way more significance, for aboard the troll ship was a army less king Mordred.
The Viking captain quickly realized that King Rollo (he supported the loyalists in the civil war) would reward him heavily for delivering this king into his hands. offered the Troll fleet all the bounty they had captured in exchange for this one man. the trolls who had no real use for him accepted upon seeing the food. and so the trade was made and the Vikings set sail for Cair Anvareth.