The Future of Tharda

Tharda’s history (according to the Thardic Republican Module) seems to taper out after 714TR, with the split of the Cohorts of Gashang from Herpa the Red Mace, and the political agreement between Andasin IV and the Senate to end the Thardic-Kanday war. But there is no end to history.

Each year is presented with Items before the Senate, their results, as well as rumors and social activities. These items could be used to found a campaign in Tharda, but are best suited to build rumor tables for background activities. The Hârnic timeline ends at the year 720, but by request I’ve expanded this to the year 724.

This future was written in a vacuum. It assumes that:

(a) no one attacks Tharda for this time period and

(b)Tharda does not attack anyone for the same period.

If anyone is willing to write similar histories for other countries, I will gladly modify this document to better fit their timelines.

For more information on a particular clan, the senate or the social aspects of Tharda, refer to the Schylla & Charibdis web site.

712

The year began peacefull enough until just before the end of the senatorial session when Marshal Kronas Elernin learns of a Kandian military presence in two villages that partially lie within the borders of Ramala Province. He sends a request to the Senate and begins to move his forces into place before the senate can fully debate the situation.

Ordered by the Senate to take Kuseme, he invests the castle and leaves a small force to maintain the siege. After a few months of countermarching, the Ramala Legion and the Kandian army finally meet outside Eidru Keep. Through superior military skill, Kronas routs the Kandian force and takes the keep. He then besieges Kuseme Castle but is forced to stop as winter sets in.

In the ensuing chaos all appointments to the Senate are almost delayed for the year.

713

General Kronas Elernin is made Marshal and Magistrate of the new Eidel Province. Kronas is furious over the Senate's decision to make peace with Kanday: he believes that he could have conquered all of Kanday. Over the months, he executes, exiles or enslaves most of the Kandian nobility foolish enough to remain behind.

Parga Ostardis (24) is made Marshal of Ramala Province.

714

715

The Thardic Republic renews its demand for the return of Themeson Keep. King Chafin III avoids the issue by claiming that the attack took place during the reign of his predecessor, and that he has no control over the matter.

716

In Taztos one of the most bizarre events took place. A small party of merchants and their horses were admitted to the fort, entered the stables and then disappeared. No less than forty soldiers saw them and they spoke to five reliable men, including the garrison commander.

717

The winter of 717 was mild and the festivities of new year were joyous and long. They also marked the retirement of Senators Ithonto Marium and Tobias Kainel, both of Kuseme. There were few candidates for the election at the next senatorial session and for once it was the Marium and Kainel clans that were actively campaigning to place people in the Senate, instead of the individual senator applicants. The election hoopla reached an all time high in expenses and lavishness. The Prefects of Coranan and Shiran both declared the clans the year’s favorites of Halea. Speculations of how much such a blessing could cost were astronomical.

The various legion fortresses, damaged in the flooding of 703TR, are still petitioning their senators for money to make repair. Many believe this fight to be a lost cause and have begun looking at other, more pressing legion matters - like the land grant issue. The legion has handed the problem over to its litigants who promise movement on the issue in the coming year.

The Legion, after two years of preparation, has at long last presented a treaty presenting the idea of granting 10 acres to each retiring legionnaire. The land grants would be positioned in the less-habited areas of Tharda. If a legionnaire refused the land grant, they could alternatively receive a cash settlement. The Legion also has a petition of 87 freedmen to be made citizens for this year alone. Lists from the last four years total up to 300 freedmen who have served a full 8 terms in the legion. The legion has been paying out a pention to each of these retired legionnaires, and would like to be reimbursed for their efforts.

Items before the Senate

Results

Rumors

Society

718

This year there is a position open in the senate. Currently held by the Nordaka clan, insiders have said it is likely the clan will loose their seat. Turin Markas, of Shiran, has already spent over 10, 000 denari on his parties. Rumor has it that he began campaigning early, the day that the senate closed at the end of winter in fact. Other clans (the Wytels, the Baral, the Gyben and the Exenion) have all laid claims to the seat. Voting will begin when the senate renews its session in the winter. Of all the other candidates only Mitchell Wytel seems the most likely. Hailing from Coranan, he too has begun campaigning - but he is quieter in his methods than the Markas clan.

When the senate renews, the question of taxation will be put forth on the roster; as many landholders feel they are already being overtaxed. In comparison, the legion claims it needs more money for the upkeep and repair of its fortifications. The legion proposes starting the building of 18 more outposts next year, and requires senatorial approval before they can begin.

The metalcrafter's guild has a petition already formed for the senate. It requests that the senate specify, in an order to the legion, that all armour work be done by metalcrafters bonded to the legion. Their attempt to remove business from weaponcrafters has yet to be noticed by the other guild, but many believe that, once discovered - a guild war may erupt between the two guilds in Tharda. Just in case, the legion is recommending all members with metalcrafting or weaponcrafting skills keep quiet.

The legion is not currently happy with the temporary hold placed by the Senate (last session) on the land grants given to legionnaires retiring with 20 years of service. The Senate appointed Markus Hediro to look into the amount of land required to continue such a tradition. He is to give his report after the election of a new senator in the winter session.

Marshal-Magistrate Kronos, in his second year under that title, is in Eidel province. He is in charge of the ongoing treason trials of the remaining Kandian nobles. Rumor has it that there is an underground operation ongoing by Kandian rebels attempting to sneak whole families out of Eidel prisons and whisk them safely away to Kanday. But no truth of such operations has been found. A few nobles have gone missing only to be declared dead by the treason tribunal.

Four years ago (714TR) The Thardic Republic ended a war by political negotiation with Kanday. Triberties Linari Primus Kronos is seen as having won the war single handedly. Many in the legion grumble that Kanday would no longer be such a problem if the Senate had not ended the war so quickly. Kronos (now both Marshal and Magistrate of Ramala Province) has become very popular. He regularly supports veteran land grants, and legion-bills in the senate. His political support and abilities only match his military prowess.

Marshal-Magistrate Kronos has several well-placed clients, and a few better placed enemies. The Senate would rather not post the General anywhere, but they have to do something with him. The Nordakas want a road built and a new town established. The legion would, naturally, be required for the worker's safety (and to help as an additional work force.) A few of the Senators have suggested that he be put on that project.

A few have recommended giving him what he wants (Ramala) and if he can indeed tame the savage place - then perhaps he deserves to be the people's darling. If he fails there however, he will have no escape or excuse. His patrons will desert and once alone - he can be destroyed.

Of course if there will be a campaign against Rethem (or Themeson keep) and Kronas (Tharda) wins the situation he will be ever more powerful. The Senate probably won't get unanimous enough to start any hostilities against Rethem at least. So some senators think Kronas will solve the situation and his enemies think that he will do something foolish in this delicate situation and spoil his fortunes.

Currently Marshal-magistrate Kronos is in the process of cleaning out all the remaining Kandian nobles still in Eidel province. Being in charge of the ongoing treason trials has given him a great deal of money and lands. And with this he has begun buying clients. Unfortunately he is not buying friends in the senate.

The legion has begun to increase its patrols along the Rethem border in a seemingly futile attempt to stem the flow of bandits and raiders. The Legatus Jithis Mariam of the Gerium Legion has petitioned the Senate for more men and more outposts along the Rethem border. The Legatus has gone as far to say that official sanction should be made and extra taxes levied on Rethem's merchants since it is their country that is causing the problem.

Items before the Senate in the Year 718TR:

Results of items before the senate in the year 718TR:

Rumors

Society

The Thardic Society, always very tolerate of other religions, has begun to show signs of wear. Eighteen legionnaires died in religious-related matters. In most cases the victims were believed to be either Navehian or Morgathian followers who joined the legion under false pretense. In two cases the legionnaires seem to have gone absent from the legion without permission. Those died from exposure (possibly to irate peasants, but that has yet to be proven.) Those living on the border of Rethem seem to have no tolerance for Agrikans. Two requests for Agrikan temples on legion land have been refused by request from the people. In Kom province Agrikan wanderers were banned from the small area of civilization and told, should they return, it would be on pain of death.

The Feast of Halane was at its most spectacular this year. It took two weeks for the city of Shiran to prepare and four weeks for it to recover. Coranan was in a similar state. It seemed as if the entire country was drunk for a week and had a hangover for the following month. Smaller towns and villages shared in the seven-day celebration with many people temporarily becoming Halean. For seven days all ills, politics and troubles seemed to be forgotten as the entire country fell into an orgy of pleasure, shopping and feasting. At its end only the Haleans seemed to have little or no trouble returning to normal.

The Shiran boat races drew large crowds as Cohors Urbani I, The Great Hru, beat out Cohors Urbani III, the Flying Dragons, by a nose in the final race. The Kaldorian ambassador was impressed with the display of strength and coordination between the two teams. The award of a 100d purse and small wooden trophy was awarded to Vando, head of Cohors Urbani I. The team promised to renew its success next year.

The Coranan archery contests were a summer treat. This year the games took place at the same time that the Weijik Salt-Route caravan arrived in town. The caravan, as per its habit, set up in the south common at the edge of the archery field. The archers ranged from the pathetic to the sublime. Prizes were awarded for distance, accuracy and a new category - the most inventive shot. The winner of this odd prize won for his ability to shoot the target without taking time to aim, judge wind or distance. A close runner-up thought to rebound his shot off what he thought was a metal shield hanging off a nearby caravan. The caravan owner was irate that the would-be-archer pierced his silver mirror.

The favorite stories in the Republic this year were those of Marshal-Magistrate Kronos and his successful tactics against the Kandian forces four years ago. Few storytellers are willing to tell tales of the White Rose and his activities for fear of displeasing the mob.

719

The year 719TR begins in unusually cold and damp weather. Senator Atos of Medak was murdered in the spring of last year. His is one of two seats open for election this year.  The other seat, held by Syngrea of Cosele, was emptied as Syngrea decided to retire to Shiran and live the last of his days in contemplation of the City of Sin. Campaigning began just as the new year dawned when Sinaza of Cosele threw a party for the Senators wintering in Coranan that was said to last for two days. Other candidates include members of the Seris, Pesed, Asarn, Wejik, and Levrel clans. Surprisingly all these clans already have Senatorial seats. None of the lesser clans seem willing to risk the expense. To insiders this seems to imply the senatorial elections have a new form of rigging, one the lesser clans have yet to figure out.

The mercantile guild is asking for permission to see the mule-walkers added to the full length of the river. Mules are used to pull the rafts and boats back up the River Thard. In some places these mule-walkers are in Kanday rather than Tharda because of the speed of the river and the height of the bank. These mule-walkers are part of the mercantile guild, and they pay their dues to Kanday instead of the guild in Tharda. Using their services costs each boat a few ds, depending on the distance they need to travel. There are several stretches on the Republican-side of the border that do not have mule-walkers. The Mercantile guild would like a team of legionnaire-engineers to examine those parts of the river, and figure out how much it would cost to install a walkway for the mule walkers.

Legionnaires have become adamant over land grants. They are insisting 20 acres per retiring legionnaire is more than reasonable (one acre per year of service). The legionnaires want the senate to at least examine their proposal this year (and not avoid it as they did last session). Various senators have been having trouble keeping their body guard forces as the veteran and retired legionnaires show solidarity. This pressure tactic seems to be working. It is also making body guarding a very profitable profession.

The Jeweler's guild is petitioning the guild of the Mangai for the right to purchase land. Instead of being given charters to work senatorial or legion land, they wish to have the right to purchase land directly. Land owned by the Jeweler's guild would be placed in the care of a clan chosen by the guild of the Mangai. This bizarre request is suspected to actually come from the miner's guild. If so, it may be the start of an acknowledgement of secret and illegal mines somewhere in Tharda.

In the spring of the year the building of Hediro begins. The area is surveyed and cleared. A working encampment and a temporary timber mill quickly replace a small village. The trees are used primarily to construct a walled encampment which will be the temporary home of the legion. Within three weeks of the encampment being built the attacks begin. Once every few months someone goes missing. They are found in several parts over several feet the following day. The builders expand their walled compound to include the rise on which the outpost will be built. Stone is carried in from the nearby quarries, but by summer, no one leaves the encampment at night. The building is greatly delayed as shipments of stone go missing, or are scattered whenever they are left outside the enclosure. Many suspect tribesmen, or perhaps something more religious, is trying to deter the work. The Jeredostas are applying for more money to continue the building and hire more guards.

The Nordakas are claiming they need a survey done to the build a seaport on the Gulf of Chakro connected directly to Telen by a new road through the Ramala Gap. The roadway will have to be lined with outposts to protect travelers from tribal and wild-animal attacks; but the clan claims, with the senate's help, that this will only improve Tharda's reputation. An additional port town will reduce traffic along the Salt Route and thus lesson profits earned by Kaldorian merchants thanks to their trade concessions. The Weijiks claim this is an intentional snub to try and steal business from their caravan enterprise. The Weijiks see it as a needless expense especially when there are more important keeps and outposts to be built than in a non-settled region of Tharda. It promises to be an interesting debate in the senate.

Kom province is petitioning to be permitted to appoint its own local leaders (who would be subordinate to the Legati and Triberties Primus already there). The very marshal province is comprised primarily of retired legionnaires and their families. There is some talk of trying to found a free-town on the edge of Lake Benath, but nothing official … yet.

The crops are poor in 719, but Tharda has enough surplus grains to manage. Even the legionnaires are forced to tighten their belts a bit. By early fall the slaughter of animals has already begun. The winter is hard and many small towns empty as people seek shelter in larger gatherings. The very young and the very old winter in legion forts and wealthier villas while those of the middle ages remain to try and assure their livestock survives the cold weather. The legionnaires are sent out in all manner of weather to stop bandits, who seem to have increased their numbers as the food grows shorter.

Mardova Seris (43) enthusiastically "purchases" the position of Magistrate of Ramala Province. After one month in Moleryn, he loses interest and returns to Shiran, vowing never to set foot in Ramala again. The role of Magistrate is unofficially passed to Marshal Parga Ostardis (30).

Jithias Mariam (19) obtains the office of Marshal of Gerium Province through the influence of his uncle in the Senate (who is assassinated a few months later).

Items Before the Senate

Results

Rumors

Society

There is some talk of establishing regular legion games outside of Coranan and Shiran. These games would be held somewhere around the various provincial capitals and would run from spring to the end of summer. Then in the first days of fall the finalists from all the provinces would come to Coranan and play out their games. The winners would compete against one another in Shiran where the year's victors would be chosen. Financing the teams is the current most hot topic discussed in the Halean Temples.

Most folk have begun to distrust the jewelers as much as they currently distrust the miners. There are secret mines out in the countryside worked by slaves who are killed when the mine dies. Only a few know the secret to its location. These mines are not taxed nor patrolled by the legion. They are an a front to the Republic and would be destroyed, if only they could be found.

A great disease plagues the northern Gargun tribes. The tribal people speak of it regularly. It makes some Gargun go mad and attack anything and everything -- others simply sicken and die. A few peonians have spoken openly about sending missionaries to the far north to see what can be done. They speak of "contagion" and fear of the disease spreading to humans. But many blame this foolish idea on the innate goodness of Peonians - something most priests have to be protected against. Locals have gone to great lengths to explain to their priests the dangers of Gargun, and how such a disease should not be wiped out, but encouraged if possible.

The religious tolerance in Tharda slipped another step when a creature for the Pamesani games got loose in Coranan and killed 15 citizens of the republic in its mad dash for freedom. The Order of the Octagonal pit had lost control of monsters before, but never within the city itself. While the order was fined and its animal keepers punished, the citizenry turned on the Order and began stoning any priest who dared leave the confines of his temple. For two weeks the priests had to remain under guard, not of their own brave knights, but of gladiators and bodyguards. The anger eventually faded from the populace, but many agree this single incident has marked a change in the people.

720

Relations with Kanday are presently peaceful. The Senate has been trying to pressure King Andasin IV to aid in restraining the Mimeyi Gozyda who occasionally raids the Salt Route. Andasin's position is that Kanday would view the wishes and overt action against them by the Republic with disfavour. Attempts by the Senate to reach an agreement with Kanday regarding increased or co-ordinated patrols of the Salt Route have so far proved futile.

The Cohorts demand that the negotiations between the Senate and the Cohorts of Gashang for the return of the land to the Republic remain secret. The fighting order is well aware of its tenuous position with the Rethem throne, and with its powerful parent order based across the river at Menekai. The grandmaster of the sponsoring order of the Eight Demons, Merele of Kantar, supports the return of Themeson to the Republic. Her influence, combined with the persuasion of the Senate, will probably ensure this result. Merele is forty two, an alluring if sinister figure in Shiran society.

Most of the Republic's problems are domestic. The Tulwyn and Gozyda and the Hefiosa brigands pose some threat to security. There is a trend towards lessening of the traditional religious tolerance in Tharda, particularly in settlements near the Rethem and Kanday borders. Primary targets of such persecution are followers of Larani or Agrik, who some folk see as anti-Republican, or as consorts of the enemy.

The most serious trend in Thardic policies is the Senate's increasing inability to compromise on important issues. Despite these problems, the Senate is still managing to deal with normal business.

General Kronas has effectively pacified Eidel province. In the process, he has executed, exiled or enslaved most of the Kandian nobility who were foolish enough to remain behind. As Magistrate, he has been the principal prosecutor of treason trials in the province, which have brought him considerable land and money. By redistributing these lands, he has effectively doubled the number of clients obligated to him and his clan. None of his enemies in the Senate are happy about the growth of his power.[1]

Items Before the Senate

Results

Rumors

Society

[1] Taken from the "Thardic Republican Module" p 3-4.


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