ZEVA, TIMELINE of CONQUEST of SOREEL

[Dungeon Master]

This Tale Was penned by renowned Bard, Robbi Rothwell, To the future, do we bid thy well . . .

ZEVA, TIMELINE of CONQUEST

370 AC

Zero: *Zeva, residing on Krynn with her husband, Rotas, is unaware that everything is about to change.

1 WK: *Zeva starts to get sick in the mornings but ignores it. Manages to conceal it from Rotas who is a few days away from departing to spend time among his people.
*Messengers ride in and inform Zeva that there is new information on her brother, Jonivar. It appears he managed to find a way to return to Soreel years earlier.

2 WK: *Zeva recalls her troops to the Fortress and begins to prepare for a campaign.
*Rotas departs.
*A message is sent to Karnea.

3 WK: *Karnea replies and a deal is struck for passage to Soreel.

*Zeva’s illness has not gone away and Zeke, her chief military aide, summons a Healer to look at her. The discovery that she is pregnant does not deter Zeva from her decision. She decides to leave a note explaining everything to Rotas.

4 WK: *Most of her troops have gathered, curious about what is going on and rumors start to fly.
*Zeva, after debating it for over a week, decides to call for volunteers to come with her. She makes the following speech early on a crisp morning:

“Comrades-in-arms, I salute you. Before me lies the greatest military strength known on Krynn and it has been a privilege to fight beside you. You have protected me from enemies, bled for me throughout the seasons and some of you have died so that I may live to bring us to victory. In return, I have bled, known loss, and guarded the camp through a long winter’s night so that we may once more see the dawn. It has been my greatest honor to lead you."

"However, I must leave Krynn. Nay, hear me out before you grumble! I must leave Krynn and return to my own world to settle a debt. This debt is to the brother who sold me into slavery, who betrayed all honor, and I must repay it, no matter what the cost nor the time involved.
You do not have to come with me. In fact, I will only accept volunteers. I will not command you to abandon all that you have known, all that you love, in order to accompany me to a realm unknown with dangers unknown and no clear indicator of the time involved or if we will return. This is a personal vendetta and I would not be much of a leader if I issued that command."

"If you wish to follow me once more into the great unknown then I gladly embrace you, comrades. And if you wish to stay here, then I will not condemn you for I understand the difficulties in leaving everything behind. No matter what you choose, remember that every one of you has been a supreme soldier of uncompromising morals and honor and it has been a privilege to have fought with you.”


1 Mth: *With the aid of Karnea, Zeva and the Wolverines march out, leaving Merrilee behind as acting commander to those that stayed behind.


*They arrive approximately where Zeva desired--on one of the larger unoccupied Free Isles. After settling the troops in, Zeva and a few others set out to find locals and do some recon work. For the first time in over a decade, Zeva speaks her native tongue.


*They come across a small trading village comprised mostly of elves. After talking some, the potential of an entirely new, untapped market to work with convinces an elven trader, Tabitha, to take a few of the non-human troops with her on a trading mission to the more predominate Free Islander cities for recon work.


*While they are gone, Zeva starts language lessons so that her troops will understand the common language of Soreel.


*Mages and healers are forced to make some adjustments to their spellcasting methods with the help of local spellcasters.


3 Mth: *Recon troops return with encouraging news. Jonivar has become a ‘pet’ to an unfavored Queen, Marlis, and resides in the main city of Tarish with her. Queen Marlis is known for her cruelty to her subjects and is slowly sucking them dry with her greed and ever-growing need for ‘games’. These games were originally the concept of Jonivar and he encouraged the Queen to let herself go and enjoy them. The nation is ripe for a rebellion and her fellow Queens are so disgusted with her behavior that they will not offer aid.

*News of Marlis and Jonivar works the troops into a frenzy. Any doubt that they did the right thing by coming with Zeva is banished by the growing consensus that both need to be put down.

*Zeva decides to travel to one of the few permanent Free Islander cities, Offi, and negotiate passage with one of the pirate or smuggling outfits. Her plan is to travel overseas to the port city of Larsh, then march overland for three days until she knocks on Tarish’s gates. Anything else will lose the element of surprise.


4 Mth: *Her arrival in Offi is noted with surprise and suspicion. Her entourage is comprised of quite a few non-humans plus Karnea, Zeke, and the commander of her ariel troops, Heru with her griffin, Zaboo. While all are dressed plainly, it is obvious that they mean business. Within minutes of settling into one of the many shabby inns, they are approached by rumormongers and traffickers of other, dubious, goods. Finally, Zeva manages to negotiate meetings with three people: Xavier, leader of the Gilded Knife pirate outfit, Bito, leader of BloodJewels trading/ smuggling outfit, and Catspaw, leader of the local thieves guild.

*To Bito and Xavier, she offers a large amount of gold and weapons in return for their boats. When they refuse to sell, she drops her price and wrangles passage for her and her troops. In return for their silence about her mission, she agrees to pay each of their crew members one gold piece. She can tell that they think she is crazy as a loon and that this will be easy money.

*From Catspaw, she extracts a wealth of information about the events of her home world and the current ruling Queens. Also, she gets info on the laws and customs (many of which she had forgotten) that will allow her to make demands of Queen Marlis without offending the other rulers. When the cheeky 16 yr old wants to know why she needs all this, she merely smiles and replies,

“Just as I never forget those who help me, I never forget an insult or betrayal. It’s time to make someone see his still beating heart removed from his chest and know that he has paid for all that he has done.”
*She leaves Offi with rumors and whispers flying behind her.

5 Mth: *Bito and Xavier arrive at the assigned cove to see an army waiting to
board. When they try to back out of their agreement, Zeva gently reminds them that they had known of all of this beforehand. They have two options: 1) continue with the agreement or 2) she will seize their ships and continue
anyway.

6 Mth: *All troops are encouraged to talk with their guides to practice language as well as gather information. Several friendships start.

*Zeva is starting to truly show her condition. She has to be coaxed to eat anything. It’s almost as if she is being consumed from the inside out by her slowly growing rage. Karnea stays at her side being the only one on board willing to risk Zeva’s temper.

7 Mth: Only Zeke, Karnea, Xavier, and Bito have any influence over her behavior. Zeke because of who he is and the history between Zeva and him and
the other two because they can get her to laugh and distract her mind. Karnea just seems to understand what she is going through.

8 Mth: *Her ship arrives at Larsh. The others are arriving at various secluded coves and will march overland to await her word.
*Much to everyone’s surprise, including their own, Bito and Xavier offer to stay in the area to transport her troops back to the Isles. By now, they know the story of the Greysword.

*She rides to Tarish with a small escort (which includes Zeke and Karnea). Upon her arrival, she declares herself betrayed by blood and demands an audience with the Queen to air her complaint and demand justice. According to law, Marlis cannot refuse and so she is granted access to the Palace.

*After cooling her heels for a week but increasing her temper, she is admitted to Court. There she meets Queen Marlis and sees Jonivar for the first time in years. He is lounging at the foot of the throne and is obviously well-trusted by Marlis, who refers to him several times as her ‘darling Gamesmaster’. Using all the protocol and etiquette she can master, Zeva states her complaint and demands justice. Marlis immediately refuses to the shock of her court. Zeva insists that she be allowed to tell her full tale under the eye of a Truthsayer (a Low-level psion who can always tell when someone is lying and in return is incapable of telling a lie). Under pressure from her nobles, Marlis agrees and Zeva lays bare her tale of betrayal at the hands of her brother. The Truthsayer verifies the tale. Marlis still refuses.

*Zeva informs the court that the Queen has made a grave error and will suffer for it. All who stand with her with die for the foolish pride and lust of one woman for Zeva will have justice. Then she leaves the city and assembles her troops.
*Before the closed gates of the city, Zeva speaks so that the citizens can hear her.

“Citizens of Tarish, listen to me and pay heed to my words! War is coming to you, brought upon because Queen Marlis has abandoned her honor and replaced it with greed and lust. My quarrel is not with you, however. You are not protecting the villain I seek nor are you to be blamed for Marlis’ refusal to give him over to me. With that in mind, I will allow any citizen that wishes to leave before the bloodshed begins this one night to do so. If you do not leave, then stay indoors where my troops will not bother you as long as you do not bother them. Unlike the Queen, I do not like the suffering of innocents; nor do I want your blood on my hands. Remember, you have until sunrise to leave.”

*There is a huge exodus from the city. People are detained long enough to determine that neither Marlis nor Jonivar are hiding with them.

*At sunrise the attack begins. The city guards are no match for the Wolverines and within 48 hours the enemy troops have surrendered and every building has been checked. Marlis and Jonivar manage to flee through the sewers and troops
are sent in pursuit.

*Wolverines occupy the city. Squads replace the City Watch that were destroyed in the fighting. The engineering corps started repairing and rebuilding buildings that were damaged. The Healers offer their services to the injured and the magus, led by Karnea, round up all of their brethren to verify intentions. For the average man on the street, the Wolverines are a better deal than the Queen’s guards.

Zeva accepts the surrender of many enemy troops after verifying that they were not involved with the Queen’s sick games. Those who were involved were quickly executed. All enemy troops that are killed are tallied and compared to a list of enrollment. Money is sent, along with a short note of apology from Zeva, to their families to help tie them over until another member can provide income.

9 Mth: *Very quickly the city and surrounding communities become used to the Wolverines and Zeva’s occupation of the throne. Slowly, her troops move outward, pacifying resistance and winning over the common person by not raping anyone or destroying things needlessly, paying for supplies, stopping and helping out whenever possible.

*News reaches Zeva that her troops have caught up to Marlis and Jonivar. There are pockets of resistance in the realm but no major threats from inside or out.

*Zeva goes into labor and after 35 painfully long hours gives birth to a silver-eyed, pale blue baby boy she names Lucius d'Janikar.

10 Mth: *Marlis and Jonivar are returned to the city. In the Throne room, Zeva formally presents her son to each of them and to all the nobles present. Then she calmly hands Lucius over to Karnea and proceeds to behead Marlis and Jonivar. One look at her eyes is all it takes for the nobles not to say anything.

*Zeva requests that all those eligible for the throne to meet with her.

Unfortunately, she doesn’t like the choices. Several are too greedy or stupid and will turn out like Marlis. The others are too weak or not old enough to hold the throne for long.

*She speaks again before her assembled troops.

“Friends, the battle is over and we are victorious. Justice has been done and this kingdom stands the chance to regain the glory that Marlis denied it. If you wish to return to Krynn, then feel free to do so with my full blessings. I, myself, am going to stay until I am certain that a worthy Queen has been chosen that will see to the people’s needs before her own, who will be just in her rulings, and unfailing in her honor. Since I have left this nation bereft a ruler, that is the only honorable thing I can do. Whichever way you chose, I understand.”

*She settles in to wait for the new Queen.

[Dungeon Master]

ZEVA, TIMELINE of CONQUEST
371 AC - 378 AC

371 AC 1 ST: *Karnea, with a small handful of troops, departs for Krynn.
*Under pressure from the populace, the nobles gathered and declared House Janikar eligible for the throne. Almost before she realizes what is happening, Zeva is declared Queen.

*Soreel scholars declare an epoch event establishing the new date as 1 ST, for Seija no Tochi 1, Seija no Tochi translates to "Reign of the Saint"

*She started to make minor changes in the laws--primarily the promotion of equal rights. She lowers the taxes on all items but instates a program that issues a minor tax on everything. Her troops move throughout the realm repairing roads and building granaries. Most people adjust with minor grumbling though a few are violently opposed to her rule and leave to the other nations.

*Midway through the year, she cements a non-aggression treaty with 2 of the other Queens which will result in the growth of trade. The other 2 Queens, provoked by the disgruntled nobles, declare war.

*Zeva marches to battle once more.


372 AC 2 ST: *She has accepted the surrender of the Queens. (One commits suicide shortly after capture and the other one is imprisoned for conspiring with another noble to poison Zeva). Again, the populace is behind Zeva and there is pressure to make her Queen. Again, she accepts and starts to make gradual changes to the laws.

*Bothered by strange dreams, she orders the construction of a large fleet of ships capable of reaching the stars.

373 AC 3 ST: *Unari Empress falls ill and rebellion breaks out. The dwarves refuse to commit to a side in the battles. The rebels approach Zeva for aid. After hearing about the corruption of the current government, she gives them military aid, food, and weapons. She devises several effective tactics which ultimately lead to the defeat of the Imperial Army in several key battles.

*Seers across Soreel start having visions of impending doom coming from the stars. Zeva’s efforts to build a fleet are redoubled when this is made known to her.

374 AC 4 ST: *Unari Empress succumbs to her illness and her troops are left in disarray. Her advisors, in fear for their lives and seeing no other clear way out, declare Zeva to be descended from the Gods and thus fit for the Imperial throne. (The rebel leaders had been spreading lots of rumors to this effect about Zeva, promoting her as the only clear path available to return to honorable living, as her divine heritage would allow her to defeat the approaching enemy.) While surprised by the offer, she accepts after she realizes that a refusal will throw the Unari people Into greater turmoil.

*She approaches Xavier and Bito, offering them positions within her government if they can convince their people to pilot ‘Jammer ships for her.

*She launches the first of her fleet to do a recon of the system and see if there is any truth to her premonitions or the visions others are having.

375 AC 5 ST: *Scout ships return with dire news. A vast horde has approached and entrenched its position on the edge of the system. An attack could come at any time. Zeva orders martial law and orders all humans between the ages of 18 and 20 years old to report to the nearest garrison for training. All former militia or army remnants are called up. Zeva petitions the other two Queens, Culana and Funi, for their troops under her command. While they initially bulk, she has her scouts spread the tale of what they encountered to any and all that would listen. Their own populations panic and demand that their Queens take action.

*Leaving Lucius in good hands, Zeva assumes command of the fleet and goes forth to challenge and defeat the enemy that has the audacity to bother her just when things were calming back down here boyos,


376 AC 6 ST: *Zeva and her fleet eventually emerge victorious over the ravenous horde of Neogi, She returns to Sorrel only to find herself hailed as Protector of the People and a message waiting for her from Islana, daughter of Culana. The old Queen has died but Islana doesn’t want the throne. In exchange for the chance to live her own life and be a scholar (not to mention the ability to marry whomever she wants), Islana offers the throne to Zeva. Zeva agrees under two conditions:

1) Islana must make this proclamation herself, and 2) she must use the money and land grants Zeva gives her to find a large library with
an attached school. Islana accepts and thus begins the first Imperial Library.

*As part of her celebration, Zeva approaches the Free Islanders with an offer. She will pardon most of them for their crimes (the small, lesser ones) if they will agree to join her forces as naval commanders and sanctioned merchants working for her regime. For most of them, this is too good of an offer to pass up and they agree.

Xavier is placed in charge of the Free Isle contingent as Admiral to the Gilden Fleet and Bito assumes the position of Tade Minister to
the throne.

*Zeva places aside large sections of unclaimed lands as preserves with stiff penalties for illegal immigration. She’s trying to keep an eye on the future when her people will want to retire. She also grants large islands and sections of her realm to the non-humans so they can live without fear.

*After an off-chance comment by Xavier, she orders an expedition to chart the seas.

*She then retreats to a small hunting lodge in the mountains for some quiet time with Lucius, leaving a group of trusted advisors behind to keep an eye on things. There, Karnea finds her and they travel to the Fountain where Zeva’s vitality is restored. She sidesteps Lucious’ innocent questions by telling him that Karnea is an old friend, with a daughter about his age, who has come to show her something special that would be boring to a little boy. While she is gone, she has a trusted aide begin the boy’s instruction into fighting to keep him occupied.

377 AC 7 ST: *After doing a brief tour of her realm, she decides to accept the invitation that had been waiting for her return. Apparently, there is a small outpost of Marikan traders on the desert continent of Arun who would like to meet her and officially offer allegiance.

*She decides on a full state visit, complete with formal dress uniforms and fancy, pompous gifts to impress the traders. Zeva decides to take Lucius but leaves Zeke behind. If there is a problem while she is away, she trusts him to deal with it most effectively.

*After a four-month voyage overseas, they finally arrive at the small, dusty city of Verth where she makes a suitable impression on the trading clan of Merik. While there, she tours the local marketplace and becomes fascinated by a weapon set, the likes of which she had never seen before and didn’t know how to use. She eventually learned that they were made by a tribe deep inside the heart of the continent and were considered to be the masters of these, along with other, weapons. Over the protests of her advisors and much to the dismay of the Merik clan, she decided to extend her visit to Arun by traveling to meet these mysterious people

378 AC 8 ST: *Zeva and Lucius had a wonderful time. She teaches him the basics of survival in hostile environments as well as self-defense. They both grow lean and tan under the harsh sun while others in their party are forced to turn back. They meet numerous tribes and clans and with each one, Zeva impresses them by learning their ways and Lucius by learning their language. For the most part, considered ‘simple people’ (mostly by those who don’t know them), the tribes value honesty and loyalty above all else and after Zeva convinces them of her good intentions, they accept her with mostly open arms.

*As she tours the continent, she leaves behind a series of water oaths and treaties--all binding until her death, and then they must approach Lucius--and gains a small train of children. They are all fosterlings about the same age as Lucius to stay with her until a certain age before returning home with their newly gained knowledge. She is to care for them and raise them as if they were her own. Their lives are in her hands and, as she sits under the flimsy shade of a tree while waiting for the heat to pass, she glances down at the small sprawled bodies around her and realizes something she never knew so clearly before: she loves her life and she willingly accepts the responsibilities of all the people she has met but it is for these children, especially her son, that she would kill for in order to keep them safe. Especially for Lucius’ happiness and health would she risk everything or die trying.

[Dungeon Master]

ZEVA, TIMELINE of CONQUEST
379 AC - 381 AC

379 9 ST: * Zeva’s return to Marika causes quite a stir among the populace. Never before have they seen such strange people, unusual animals, and above all such peculiar and rich items: Archana silk, heavy and smooth, made from the webs of large poisonous spiders; delicate Aka pottery, so thin that a person can almost see through it; handwoven leather armor, lightweight yet more durable than plain boiled leather. When her nobles protest the inclusion of ‘savages’ in the court, Zeva points out that those ‘savages’ are responsible for the wealth they are gawking over. Besides, she has given her word.

*Funi, the last remaining Queen, dies without naming an heir. When it is discovered that she has been poisoned, her country is thrown into a civil war. In an attempt to quiet things done and minimize the damage being done, Zeva inadvertently takes over. When she determines that all those with a legitimate claim to the throne are dead and those left would make everything worse through greed, she claims the throne for herself.

*Her fleet returns from mapping the oceans and informs her of a previously unknown continent that the natives call Seles. Over the protests of her nobles, who immediately want to send a military force to occupy and pacify the natives for the wealth their land might have, she declares it a closed continent. The only people, for the moment, that will have access to Seles will be a small select group of surveyors and linguists accompanied by a squadron. Their mission is to learn about these people and map the land.

*There is a surge in ‘beasties’ attacking outlying villages. Zeva does several things:

1) she orders out one battalion to the problem areas with the instructions to break into smaller units and assume fortified positions near enough to the front to be able to respond but pulled back enough to be able to serve the needs of a large area;

2) she reinstates the mandatory enlistment for those youths of appropriate age, religious sensibilities, and physical capabilities regardless of race. Part of the proclamation that she sends out.

reads:

‘Any family with a person in mandatory service will receive a break on yearly taxes (the only area of taxes that did not previously receive a large cut) while that person is enlisted. Said youth will be paid as if s/he were a regular member of the army with all the benefits of enlisted until his/her time is up.

s/he will be taught the basics of self-defense, and standard military exercises, and educated the first year while performing defensive actions against unwanted attention.

In the second year, s/he will encouraged to pursue those activities in which s/he has previously been trained in civilian life or encouraged to
find something that his/her abilities are best suited for so that after discharge s/he will still be able to support his/herself. While not engaged in pure military actions, these units will be put to work building granaries, repairing roads or in some other way making themselves useful to the realm at large. If, after two years, s/he wishes to continue in military or governmental positions pay rate will increase in accordance with the results of a review board.

If s/he wishes to leave service there will be no stigmata attached nor pressure applied to remain and said person will be willingly released back into civilian life with whatever gear s/he may have purchased while in service. The outlying areas will receive this benefit first and gradually as one area has been stabilized and the program is in place, it will gradually work its way inward on the continent until all of Marika is under it. Then it will move to the other lands under Queen Zeva’s rule so that no one may declare that she has been unjust. There will be no exceptions to this proclamation without good cause.

380 AC 10 ST: *Zeva finds herself yearning for another vacation, some excitement, something other than the tedious plotting at court. All her nobles want to do is raise taxes and grow rich. Too few of them want to actually help and guide the people that they are supposed to be leading and it is bad policy to kill someone simply because they are greedy. She needs something more to stir them up.

*She decided to do a bit of traveling. Perhaps, if she is out of the picture for a while, her nobles will wither shape up in the way she wants or do something so stupid she can find cause to execute them without the entire court grumbling. She orders a military expedition prepared for outer world exploration. She overcomes protests by stating that while she feels the Neogi has been eliminated, she will not be caught unprepared if they return.

She decides to leave Lucius behind, along with her fosterlings as they are in the middle of tutoring and having fun being children. She makes him a promise to return as quickly as possible.

*The first planet out, Arimal, with its sharp peaks and rugged terrain, catches her eyes and she orders the fleet to settle down. Right from the beginning there is a fierce battle merely to maintain what she has without being forced to retreat down into a valley. Gradually, she and her troops stabilize the area and force the enemy to withdraw to a nearby mountain range. While attempting to stabilize the Wolverines’ defensive line, she questions those enemies that her people have captured as well as the few local civilians caught behind her lines. She learns that she is in the middle of a vicious Clan War that has been several generations in the making. No one is exactly sure how it started anymore only that it keeps growing and consuming all before its path. In the past two years, it has gone from involving two clans to six of the nine and as casualties mount all clear roads available for ending it are being closed off.


381 AC 11 ST: *Much of her time is spent slowly increasing the clear area she has obtained and talking with the locals, attempting to find out exactly what happened and how to stop it. She learns more about the complex family structures that make up much of the population--human or otherwise.

Each family unit has ties to all the people connected to it. For example: Papa and Mama have two children, Son and Daughter. Papa is from A family but he married someone from B family. While his children are technically members of A family (it’s patriarchal based) they also have ties to B family because of Mother.

Now if Son marries a woman from C family, his children will be A family but have ties to B and C and if Daughter marries someone from D family her children will be of D family but have ties to A, B, and C families which must be honored.

The rules for interaction are very complex as each family also belongs to a Clan--a large organization comprised of many families. It is possible for two people of different Clans to marry though usually not encouraged due to complications of family loyalty during times of war.

To make it more complicated, non-family members can be ‘adopted’ through a ceremony, and not only do they have their own Clan and family ties to worry about, but they also inherit their adopted family and Clan as well. There are levels to adoption and each level has its own restrictions and binding ties.

It is possible for a dwarf to be adopted into Eagle Clan even though Eagle Clan is all human and while his own family would come first, it is possible that harm done to Eagle Clan will force him to take action, even though his people usually do not involve themselves in human affairs.
In other words, a huge mess can result and in Zeva’s case, she landed in the middle of such a complicated cluster ****.

*She manages to meet and talk with the three non-combatant Clan Chiefs. They, out of sheer desperation, offer her an idea. If she can get the Clans to stop fighting within two years, they will throw all their support behind her and make her a Clan-Chief, making her cause their cause, i.e. they will offer her the greatest of adoptions--the Blood-Oath, Clan-Chief to Clan-Chief.

All of her people and her blood will be safe from them and vice versa because to violate such a sacred oath would instantly cause the violator to be shunned and even the gods would turn their backs on such a person. She agrees and sets out to make it happen.

[Dungeon Master]

ZEVA, TIMELINE of CONQUEST
382 AC - 383 AC

382 AC 12 ST: *She starts extending her forces in such a way as to make no-fire zones between the warring clans. Finally, it gets to the point that to attack each other, the Clans have to go through her first. Towards the end of winter, they started to send embassies to her, requesting that she remove her forces from something that did not concern her. To each Clan Chief, she sends the same.

reply:

Hail Chief *Name* of the mighty *Name* Clan,
As the woman in charge of a very large military force, I greet you and request that you read this message carefully. I am tired of all this fighting and would like to see it end. I am willing to meet with you on Andori Mountain, at Summer’s peak, to discuss how we may put aside our differences and unite behind a common cause. What I offer is Blood Oath. Accept me as Sister and Clan Chief, and my Clan will unite with yours for such glory that you have not envisioned. Fail to do so, and I will unite with your enemies and be forced to crush you beneath my heel so that peace may once more reign on this planet. If you arrive, you will be allowed a suitable entourage of thirty men per your rank--no more, though of course you are allowed less.

Sincerely

General-Queen Zeva, The Greysword, Protector of the People

*She sends for Lucius, praying that she has not miscalculated.

383 AC 13 ST: *Zeva moves the bulk of her command post to Andori Mountain and waits. When Lucius arrives, she sequesters herself with him and spends several weeks merely being a mother in a wartime situation.

*Midsummer comes and with it arrives the Clan Chiefs. Zeva, warned by her scouts, has them led to the meeting point where they are kept separated from one another by squads of her men. Ignoring their cries of treachery, she calmly announces that she has sent the message to every one of them and since they all arrived, they all wanted the same thing: her as Sister and an end to the fighting. These goals are not incompatible. She is willing to be a Sister to them all. If they refuse, then she will make good her threat from the letter: she will crush them now the fighting will end. She then calls on one of her allies to start the ceremony with one slight change--Lucius is also to be part of the ritual.

By that point in time, all the Clan Chiefs have had a chance to
look around and realize the situation they are in and while they don’t like it, there is grudging respect for Zeva and how she maneuvered them into doing something their advisors couldn’t--bringing peace. One by one, they submit to the ceremony, and in a matter of hours, peace has been returned to Arimal and Zeva is the one technically in charge.

*Concerning the Blood-Oath ceremony: It is a magical and religious ritual in which the participants are placed under strong geas.
The conditions of the geas are formulated during the ceremonial recital of what it means to be blood-bound to one another and it is triggered fully by the exchange of the charged blood. In the case of Clan Chiefs, there is the implication that through their blood flows the blood of every member of their clan, and thus the geas is binding for every member. At the time the ceremony ends, every person involved will feel the geas fall into place and there is an instant of total understanding between participants. In the case of Clan Chiefs, there is understanding but each member of their Clan will hear a faint bell, the ceremonial phrase, and in their minds they will suddenly know not to fight this person or betray that person.

As Zeva and Lucius go through the ceremony, the Clan Chiefs gain a greater understanding of the two of them until, by the end, they know more about Zeva than anybody in the system but Zeke and a few others. Also, as an unusual side-effect that Zeva was counting on, with each additional Clan, they are bound not to harm one another because they would be betraying her and Lucius. By the time the ceremony is done, no one on Arimal can attack or betray another, they are bound to her and she, in return, cannot attack or betray them.

She and Lucius must do everything within their power to aid them and help them live good, plentiful lives and they are bound to do the same in return until her bloodline, through Lucius, fails.

*She and Lucius spend the rest of the year in a bemused state on Arimal. She let the Clans continue to govern themselves with the knowledge that they would now work towards peace and goodwill.They enthusiastically embrace her ideas of granaries and equality before the law as well as mandatory military service, with certain modifications made for their world. She learns that much to her dismay, the Blood Oath has some unusual side effects that she didn’t consider.

The Clan Chiefs all view her as a sister or daughter which, for the Clans, means they feel they have the right to comment on her private life and how she is raising Lucius. Also, they have an uncanny ability to know when she is upset or moody and will seek her out to try and help. This also works in return as she and Lucius will occasionally set aside plans to spend time with a chief who is troubled by his youngest daughter’s choice of husband or worried that his crops will fail and his people starve.

*When she leaves Arimal, it is the most painful parting she has endured for years. She finds herself leaving behind many good friends though she has gained a wealth of soldiers and traders as well as more foster children.



On Krynn 383 AC Summer of Flame on Krynn, at the close of the Chaos War, the Planet Krynn disappeared from all sight. No mortal or God knew where the World went. Krynnspace is still present, but the World has vanished.



384 AC 14 ST: *Zeva returns to find Soreel quietly running itself with minimal problems. She spends much of her time fine-tuning laws and trying to figure out how to properly introduce Arimal goods into the market without either side gauging the other. Finally, she comes up with an Imperial system. She declares that the language that all Imperial transactions will occur in will be Sorrelian common.

The Imperial year will be 13 months, each month to be 28 days, each week 7 days, and each day 24 hours.

The Imperial currency will be 1 platinum=10 gold,
1 gold=10 silver, 1 silver=10 coppers.

Each Imperial gold will weigh 1 Imperial weight=10 oz. One Imperial gold is equal to 1 3/4 Arimal gold and 1 Soreel gold.

One Imperial measure is 1000 cubics, 1 cubic=10 ells, 1 ell=1 inch.

While all local systems will be honored any transactions concerning the government, military, or off-planet efforts must be conducted using the Imperial standards to avoid confusion and illegal actions

[Dungeon Master]

ZEVA, TIMELINE of CONQUEST
385 AC - 387 AC

385 AC 15 ST: *Much to her relief, the effects of the Blood-Oath ceremony only seem to be in effect when she is on Arimal or surrounded by a large number of Clansmen.

*To appease her nobles, Zeva agrees to review numerous palatial building plans submitted by architects throughout her realms. After much arguing and ‘polite discussions’, she and her top engineer finally agreed on one that is simple and elegant in its lines, truly magnificent in scale and function but still with great defensive capabilities. The biggest arguments are over the function of the buildings but Zeva finally prevails in her desires for an Imperial Library (with attached school), a Healerie, a Magus’ building complete with four towers, and several barracks for top-notch guards, as the necessities that the nobles seem to feel a Queen's needs: an indoor riding salon, large throne room, impressive guest chambers, etc. Her design will incorporate the various native styles and building materials found in her realm as well as be easy to add on to as her realm’s needs grow.

She selects a property near Tarish that the realm already owns that has many of the basic buildings she desires for her complex.

There is a slight tax increase but the most heavily hit are the nobles that wanted her to build a palace to begin with.

*She decides that the various children under her care, plus Lucius, are old enough to undergo a formal state tour of the realm without her supervision. She assembles an impressive group of servants, tutors, aides, animal handlers, etc. to accompany them as well as a large group of hand-picked warriors (land and ariel-based) to escort the group from city to city. The seven children from the tribal people of Arun will have the option of remaining with her court or, if their parents wish, returning home to resume their roles within the tribe.

The primary adult supervisors she includes with the group are three of her Ministers: Islana, newly appointed to Education/Entertainment; Deacon, newly appointed to Religion (to replace Islana); and Grevil, Infrastructure.

*After the children leave, Zeva is overcome by fatigue and a general weariness. After quietly discussing it with Zeke, she decides that a true vacation is in order, a clean break from the day-to-day grind of ruling, no military activity, just rest and relaxation. To hide her true intentions (as well as her weakened state), she announces that she is planning on taking a retreat to the mountains so that she may observe her Ministers and nobles in action without interference or prejudice. (The basic message comes across as I’m going to hide somewhere and watch so don’t **** up or else you’ll regret it.)

*Taking a small group of aides and servants, plus plenty of books, she slips away one evening to the ‘Jammer fleet and commandeers a vessel. She sets course for the outer rim of the system (primarily because astronomy charts show nothing is out there but two gas giants) and spends much of her time reading, sleeping, and learning new languages and fighting styles.

She barely notices when they pass Nuva, a gently swirling blue and green gas giant, or Tisha, a large and violently agitating red giant, though as they approach Tisha her sleep is crowded by dreams of ice and large pale blue eyes, voices gently raised in song, deep soothing shadows of large caverns, and a compelling need to continue in the direction she is heading.

386 AC 16 ST: *As they pass Tisha, Zeva notices a faint shimmer in the distance. Deciding to investigate, she and her crew are shocked to discover an anomaly never heard of before a small planet surrounded by a sphere of tiny ice chips!

Closer inspection reveals that while the planet rotates clockwise, the sphere orbits it in perfect synch other than the fact it rotates counter-clockwise. Also, the planet is mostly hidden from the Sun and Soreel by the enormous gas giant in front of it, occasionally its orbit will move it to one side of Tisha and the Sun will reach it creating a dazzling light show of blues and whites.

On Soreel this phenomenon was dismissed as a quirk of the gas giant’s violent storms.

*After locating a small rift in the ice sphere, large enough for maybe two ships, Zeva decides to land and investigate this frozen world: after all, she reasons that no people could survive such a desolate wasteland. With careful maneuvering, her pilot manages to land them on what appears to be the only bit of the planet not covered in ice or trapped in permafrost. Watching for a few days, she and her crew figure out why such a small zone of life exists on the planet: as the Sun manages to reach the sphere, some of it slips through the opening and then is reflected and magnified over a small patch of ground. It is just enough for a struggling forest and a few non-frozen meadows to flourish.

*Zeva’s explorations reveal that there are ‘people’ living on the planet. Apparently, from what she can deduce, the Sunspot moves, slowly warming up one area while abandoning another. The people probably shelter in one of the ice mountains until ‘spring’ reaches them. With that in mind, she leads her crew toward the nearest ice mountain to investigate.

*After much searching and barely surviving increasingly severe storms, they reach the base of a mountain. There Zeva discovers a solidly built door of bones. Before she can do anything, the door opens to reveal a soft white glow and several beings. After a moment of stunned surprise, Zeva’s crew starts to draw weapons. Zeva stops them and, as if bemused, approaches one of the figures. Very softly, in a heavily accented voice, she and her crew are bid welcome to the planet Marook.

*She and her crew are led down into a deep maze of caverns lit by gently glowing stones. While the under-Mountain structure seems immense their guide, Bera, assures them that only a small area is ever used at one time. Her people, the Maru, are linked quite closely with the Sun and the brief periods of warmth that touch the planet. As the Sun comes through and warms a spot, the portion of the hibernating Maru nearest to it awakens and tends crops, speaks, writes, love, and carries on normal lives until the warmth leaves and they sink back into hibernation or the Dream. Eventually, the small group of humans is led into a cozy room covered with various mosses in delicate shades, numerous stones that glow on touch conveniently placed, and a warm spring running through the middle which effectively heats the entire thing. they are told to make themselves comfortable and food will be brought (mosses, lichen, fungus, etc..).

*The Maru are a gentle people of philosophers and diplomats, possessing great insight into behavior and yearnings of the heart. They are roughly bipedal, standing between 5’-7’ tall. One assumes that they weigh a lot but it is hard to tell any details beneath their long, glossy coats though their large ice-blue eyes can be clearly seen. They are strict vegetarians and the thought of killing another sentient being makes them uneasy. While not seeming to talk among themselves, to outsiders they have a low, melodious voice which they will occasionally raise together in a breathtaking song. The greater portion of their population is always in hibernation, experiencing the Dream.

The Dream is a type of racial conscience. What one Maru experiences in the waking world, the others will know once that one sleeps. In the Dream, all things are considered, all things taken into account, and all things may be glimpsed both past and future for the Maru possess a type of telepathy and general psychic ability.

The ice-sphere or shield as Zeva calls it, is the remains of their moon which shattered eons ago and trapped the planet beneath a sheet of ice. After many years, when the Maru were trapped in hibernation, a small rift appeared in the sphere and not only did warmth come in but so did the feelings and thoughts of others. Over the years, the Maru have listened to these fragments and pieced together much of what the system, and the people in it, are like. While they were listening, a millennium ago, a particularly deep Dreamer, Bera, was struck by a prophecy.

‘There shall come one who is of this place but who shall leave in betrayal for a life of a hard-work and pain.

A conqueror, a madwoman, vengeance’ blade, she shall return in secrecy, leaving her heart behind to destroy her blood and give birth to her hope.

She will right the wrongs of the flesh and bring change in her wake.

She shall conquer the known realm with sword and word, leveling the rich and raising the poor, seeing all as equal before the law.

She shall prevail against the ravaging darkness, the devouring horde that comes from the deep black of space.

She shall walk on worlds never before explored and unite them behind her in a vast Empire of peace and prosperity.

Know well the marks of the Star-Child, Bringer of Change. She shall be like ice in both coloration and personality. And she is just as fragile. Surrounded by people who admire and trust her, she cannot turn her back on their pleas and never will be able to return to her second home, the home of her Dream, to reclaim her heart. All she will have is the promise found in her hope and the legacy left behind.

Guide the Star-Child gently for her wrath will burn like the Sun yet her friendship will warm even the coldest heart to reveal goodness. Be a friend to the Star-Child, for those she can trust fully will be rare and she shall become worn from the bickering. Give her comfort and a place to rest within the Dream so that she may continue with her work and achieve the promise of her light which will burn brightly enough to guide entire worlds.’

Troubled by this prophecy that echoed through the Dream, the Maru debated for nearly a century before coming to a consensus: in order to aid the Star-Child, a group of them would have to make a sacrifice. A select group pulled themselves deep into the Dream, where dreams can become flesh, and began to work. Slowly they began to alter themselves making themselves humanoid in appearance, more tolerant of heat, slight changes to their fur to shorten and thin it, etc. Eventually, the changes were completed and the results were as follows:

the Lariu are approximately 4’-6’ tall, bipedal with mostly human features such as jaw structure, noses, and hands (though with only three fingers and an unusually long thumb). Large ice-blue eyes that seem much too large for their delicate faces. A short pelt of fur that grows longer on the head to give the semblance of hair. Life expectancy is severely shortened from several thousand years (due to the Dream) to a mere three or four hundred. They can tolerate quite a range of heat if given time to acclimate though they still prefer cold temperatures. Their sleep cycle is much like a regular human’s though they can still share the first levels of the Dream while asleep. The deeper realms of the Dream are cut off from them. Their psychic abilities have been increased somewhat and they are capable of breeding true to their altered forms.

*Zeva has a wonderful time in the caverns. The Maru treat her and her crew with great respect and honor and are more than willing to explain things to them. Eventually, she meets the Lariu, who hail her as the Star-Child and immediately pledge allegiance and undying loyalty. After her crew is settled in, she agrees to accompany the Maru and Lariu on a tour of the under-Mountain. There she discovers many things to baffle the eye and dazzle the mind: crystals that change colors with sound, ice so dark and smooth it’s like looking into space, soft beds that bloom brilliant colors when someone lies down so that the person may drift off to sleep smelling sweet things. It is in a cavern of filled beds that she is asked to partake in a ceremony. All she has to do is sleep.

*By accepting the Maru and Lariu offer, she finds herself attached to the Dream on a specific level. From this point on, her sleep will be restful and full of positive things. If there is a danger that the Maru are aware of, they will inform her, carefully, through the Dream. If she is puzzled by something or unhappy, through the Dream, they will try to help. She is bound to them and, to a limited extent, they are bound to her. It is the only gift that they feel is appropriate for the Star-Child and the only way they can help her emotionally without her knowing. She spends much of her time on Marook either sleeping the Dream or talking with the various philosophers and artisans that have woken up to greet her.

*It is with great regret that she finally leaves, taking with her all the Lariu her ship can handle and promising to send for the others. She also has samples of the light crystals and her own personal moss bed, carefully tended by the Lariu.

387 AC 17 Yr: *She returns to Soreel completely rested and restored to her previous energy. Carefully and in stages, she brings the Lariu to the Planet’s surface where she places most of them under the Minister of Religion’s care where their uncanny sensitivity and natural diplomatic natures will best serve the realm. Bera insists on staying with her, both to tend the bed as well as tend Zeva.

Zeva agrees as she finds the Lariu’s gentle nature very soothing even though the thought of anyone ‘tending’ her is quite amusing.

*She settles down into a comfortable routine of guiding her realm. She smooths out several trading problems and reaffirms that the nobles are still nobles and no one will change that if they play by the rules, and in general enjoys herself.

*An amazing amount of work has been done on her palatial compound and she takes to watching with great interest.

*The children return from their formal state visits and she hardly recognizes her son. He’s shot up inches, lost a lot of baby fat, developed an assurance that is uncannily like Rotas, and in general is no longer a child. His tutors give rave reviews on his performance and the military commander of the escort agrees that he kept up with practice, was quite competent for his age and on occasion displayed almost eerie insight.

*She holds a ceremony that officially names Lucius Janikar Royal Heir-Apparent to the Imperial Throne.

*At Zeke’s insistence, she agrees to send Lucius on a military tour of duty so that her Wolverines can get a chance to know him.

[Dungeon Master]

ZEVA, TIMELINE of CONQUEST
388 AC-390 AC

388 AC 18 ST: *By being in constant attendance, her court truly begins to take form around her. While most of her nobles are loyal and see the good in what she does, there are a few scattered disgruntled people who seem to think that either she should rely solely on them or she should step down and let one of them rule.

Zeva orders that these people be carefully watched and sends for Catspaw, who has managed to claw his way up to the ranks of the thieves guild until he has control of all of it. He masquerades as a nuevo riche merchant and has occasionally sold Zeva or her people a piece of useful information. She offers to pay him a handsome amount of money if he will watch the disgruntled nobles for her, telling her of everything they do, as well as keeping an ear to the ground for problems among the population.

*She sits down and hammers out the trading policies off-planet, what items receive a restriction, what doesn’t, the amount of import or export tax--that sort of thing.

*She visits Arimal briefly to attend the wedding of a Clan Chief.

*Rumors start that she is actually a god. No one has seen her age. She is unbeatable in a fight; She’s united many people in a short amount of time. She’s gone places that no one has heard of before. She’s improved life for many people. She tries very hard to be fair and just in her judgments and laws.

389 AC 19 ST: *As her palace draws near completion, she starts to grow restless again. Too many people are pressuring her to divorce Rotas, a man they have never met, and re-marry to produce more heirs. Worse yet, they are starting to pressure her to force Lucius to marry even though he isn’t fully grown yet!

*She decides that she could benefit from a journey towards the sun. There are three planets to explore and her Wolverines could use the experience. After Lucius returns from his tour, she places him in charge, with the admonishment to listen to her Ministers, and prepares the fleet.

*The journey is rather uneventful except for the growing romance between a cold-loving Lariu and a desert nomad.

*Her advance squad of scouts returns with a recon of Nakeel. It is a torturously hot planet with a minimum of water. There are desert people and a variety of creatures that all appear to be poisonous or otherwise unpleasant. There is often fighting and large-scale bloodshed is not uncommon. It is another patriarchal-based society though a few women seem to have achieved quite a bit of status.

There is a small but thriving slave trading business. The highest density of the population seems to be centered on one large oasis. It acts as a hub for trade and is held by a group of religious zealots who believe in the Sun Goddess Akuma, and her ability to protect them from demons.

*She thinks for a while about how to see down on the planet without creating more bloodshed. Due to an offhand comment of Bera to the other Lariu, who will not be able to set foot on the planet because it is too warm, she decides to try a different approach, She orders a small group of Wolverines to return to Maroook and under the guidance of the Lariu retrieve a large ice chunk after bespelling it against harm and melting.

*Zeva and her entourage wait until the ice chunk (which turns out to be the size of a small glacier) is brought. To pass the time, various scouts and linguists make discreet landings on Nakeel and pass on tidbits of information and customs to Zeva. On hearing how the natives believe that demons are incapable of wearing holy blue, she orders a large quantity of blue cloth bought and modifications be made to all uniforms

390 AC 20 ST: *Under the cover of night, she and her troops land right outside the Oasis. She has ordered that all the troops wear their modified, blue-trimmed uniforms while they are on-planet and she wears an entirely blue and gold uniform instead of her comfortable and familiar She positions her command center right next to the covered ice chunk and waits until daybreak when the natives notice her.

*When the sun comes over the horizon, she is stunned by the number of people that hurry by her encampment, making signs of protection. She has her linguists start making a speech, that she and her troops are not demons but visitors from another world that wish to see the wonders of this planet; see how we can wear blue without burning and our shadows are long and dark, moving with the sun; we mean no harm to anyone but are here in peace; to prove that we are not evil nor are we servants of demons, our gracious leader has a surprise for the population of Oasis, which will be shared at sun height.

*Slowly, she and her troops manage to gather a group of natives that are not afraid of them. At noon, even though the crowd gathered is small (though Zeva can feel many eyes on them from the Oasis), Zeva steps out of the shade and glitters under the harsh desert sun. She makes another speech about how good her intentions are and then pulls away the covering to the ice chunk. For a moment the crowd is puzzled over the giant glittering crystal and then

Zeva
speaks once more:

‘Dear friends,
To prove my intentions are noble, I have brought a gift, unlike
anything you have seen before: ice, frozen water. For any that wish it, I will remove a piece and give it to you. As you move away from here, the ice will melt and you will have water.’

*One by one, the crowd approaches her and tentatively reaches for the ice chunks she gives them. Some drop them because they are cold.& Others gasp in wonder at this miracle. Some fall to their knees and pray to Akuma in thanks. Seeing that no harm has come to the daring, the rest of the Oasis emerges and each receives a chunk of ice.

*After being convinced that she is not a clever demon, the religious fanatics of the Oasis come out to meet her. Upon seeing the miracle of ice for themselves, they fall to their knees and immediately begin a song of thanks to Zeva, the incarnation of Akuma. When she realizes what they are doing, she tries to stop them but it is no use. Each person she talks to just smiles knowingly at her protests and continues the hymn. (No true goddess would claim her identity. She walks among us for a reason our mortal minds cannot comprehend. We will refer to her by the name she has chosen but we all know that only a goddess could produce so much water and in such a form. Her powers have been demonstrated to us and we believe.)

*A call goes out among the desert people: the Goddess is here in the flesh to bless us and lead us to a new way of life. She is awe-inspiring in her beauty which is cold like the night but her wisdom and heart burns with the Sun. Akuma walks among us. Akuma-Zeva is here to lead the way.
*During her stay, Zeva is a public spectacle. She is given a house with servants to see to her every need. A parade of men and women entertain her and offer themselves to her. Countless wise men and religious leaders approach and ask for her wisdom. She is beseeched for blessing from everyone. Her troops
fair only a little better as obviously they are the host of heaven, warriors
supreme to be given the honor of serving Akuma-Zeva and riding the strange beasts of the sky (SpellJammer ships).

*Finally, out of desperation, Zeva declares that the Goddess needs to consult with the High Father (the Sun) but she will be back soon. She returns to the remainder of her fleet, hovering a safe way from Nakeel and the Sun to consult with Bera and some of her other advisors. She also sends a missive to Zeke asking for his advice.& What Bera and the others tell her is not exactly what she wants to hear. They remind her that she has done godly acts on several planets now--bringing peace to Arimal, delivering Marook from its isolation, and uniting Soreel in times of trouble. She shouldn’t be surprised that she is being hailed as a god for bringing ice and water to a barren planet. When Zeva protests that all those things were done in the heat of the moment, to stop the suffering of innocents and silence fools, Bera calmly replies, “Isn’t that what a good and just Goddess would do?”

*Finally, Zeva grudgingly agrees that many of her actions may seem fantastic to someone who doesn’t know her but anyone in her situation would have done the same thing. But, since she has somehow altered the beliefs of these people and they seem determined to follow her, she owes it to them to provide the best protection and lives she can.

*She returns to Nakeel, disgruntled but resolved. She asks if the people truly believe that she is the avatar of Akuma. At their resounding roar, she bows her head a moment and then speaks,

‘People of Nakeel,

I am merely a woman of flesh and blood gifted with a strong arm, trusted advisors, and a healthy dose of luck. I do not feel like a Goddess nor do I feel that I am qualified for such an exalted position. I am not worthy of your admiration nor your devoted love. I am someone who in times of need tries to reach out and make things better for all people involved.

Anyone with my training, my experience, and my life, would do the same thing. If you wish to follow me then I cannot promise you a home in the Sun’s Heart nor life eternal. I cannot promise you a life filled with your heart’s desires. I cannot promise you much of anything other than I will do all that I can to help you lead good lives, safe and protected, just and righteous before the Gods, but only if you accept me as who I truly am: a mere woman of flesh and blood who has led a full life and tried to bring peace and prosperity to those around her.

If you join with me, then each of you will have the possibility of meeting strange people or traveling to unusual places. You will be bound by my laws before which all are equal. There will be no more slavery except in the case of Imperial punishment. People are not to be traded back and forth like a child’s toy. Women will have the right to decide their husbands and will not be confined to cozy rooms to await a man’s pleasure. Each of you will have the option of joining my military or helping me run my empire but based on your own merits, not your wealth.

I tell you once more, people of Nakeel, I am not the Goddess Akuma made flesh. I am merely a woman trying to do what any of you would do: live a good life and help others along the way.’

*She finishes to a resounding cheer. There are tears on some people’s faces and others seem caught up in a type of ecstasy. She feels that she has finally gotten through to them and gracefully retires to her house. And, to a few of them, her words held the meaning she was hoping for that she was merely a person with extraordinary vision and luck, not a god. However, to the vast majority of Nakeel, she just re-enforced her status as Akuma-Zeva. Akuma would never presume to just give people a good life, a person must work for it. And Zeva’s lack of worthiness is understandable: no goddess would brag about herself, it’s unseemly, and besides, even goddesses can feel unworthy of devotion. That’s a sign that they are good for good people question themselves.

Akuma-Zeva has many people who worship her, probably under different names so as not to attract jealousy from the other Gods. As for her decision concerning slavery and women, that is understandable because she is a woman with a delicate nature. The last incarnation of Akuma was male and viewed things differently.

*Zeva finishes her trip to Nakeel working on trade agreements and the timetable for imposing her laws on the populace. After conferring with Bera, she agrees to send one be-spelled ice chunk each Imperial year of her reign to prove her loyalty to Nakeel’s people and to remind the people of her words.

Then she makes good her escape, her spine-tingling with the anticipation of a thunderbolt being hurled at her for faith-stealing.

[Dungeon Master]

ZEVA, TIMELINE of CONQUEST
391 AC - 392 AC

391 AC 21 ST: *She takes a slow, leisurely flight back to Soreel, leaving recon scouts behind at Sigoon and Ke’un.& She doesn’t need another headache but it doesn’t hurt to be prepared either.

*She returns to find her court in quiet upheaval. While she was gone, Lucius made several rash decisions which resulted in the loss of one village and severe droughts throughout another region. This, while being bad enough, could have been fixed early on but he refused to listen to anyone, stating that he was the Heir-Apparent and knew what he was doing. When the death toll began to come in, he merely shrugged and commented that peasants were a dime a dozen and easily replaced.

Her Ministers managed to keep most of the court from learning this but a group of highborn children Lucius had recently been running with knew the entire tale. (These ‘children’ range between 16 to 23 yr. old and would have been queens, princes, and rulers if not for Zeva.)

*She doesn’t even wait for Lucius to be brought to her before she snaps out a way to fix the problems and what Imperial aid to give, plus an order that there is to be no yearly tax collected in the afflicted areas for the next three years to help the villagers get back on their feet. She then orders a fully assembled court to be held the next morning as she has some things to say.

*Lucius and the others are ordered confined to their rooms until summoned the next day to appear in formal court.

*She summons her Ministers and has them recite the full tale, leaving out no detail. Apparently, Lucius had been approached by the highborn children and asked about his parentage. While he could answer most questions about Zeva after she returned to Soreel, he couldn’t tell them anything about her before that time. Nor could he tell them anything about his father, Rotas. In turns patronizing and cunning, they told him it didn’t matter that he was a bastard since he was going to rule the Empire but he would need people that understood how things should be run.

They started to invite him to their ‘parties’ decadent affairs that had harmed no one which is why she hadn’t been informed of them. Slowly, they weaned him away from his foster brothers and sisters until they were the only people he saw. By flattering him and playing to his ego and importance, they managed to get him to do several questionable things but no one had any idea how much influence they had until he ordered a river dammed up so that he and his playmates could have a lake to swim in. The dam caused the drought and the resulting deaths could be traced directly back to Lucius.

By the time her Ministers had caught wind of what was going on, it was too late to stop it though they had pulled down the dam days before her return.

*She goes through the papers awaiting her return until she finds Catspaw’s reports on the disgruntled nobles. She is not surprised to learn that the ringleaders of the children’s group, the ones most eager to goad Lucius, belong to them. What surprises and bothers her is the fact that several of the girls in the group have competed for and won his ‘favor’. The current mistress is a particularly cunning vixen that, if things had been different, might have been Queen Animar d’Livet. As it is, she and her father are living off their accumulated wealth from spice trading. According to the report, she recently informed her father that everything had gone according to plan and soon she would be married to Lucius and there was nothing ‘that savage upstart ****’ could do to stop it.

*She summons her Steward and has him run a discreet inquiry among the maids on when was this girl’s last period. The answer: three months ago. The little tart is pregnant. Yet, the maids also report that Lucius is not the only one sharing her bed. There is another man, the ringleader of the group, who has been seen leaving her room very disheveled on several mornings. Tushari Wasobi is an orphan, the last remaining member of the Unari Imperial House.

*She orders a trusted Healer from Arimal to check on each of the children to make sure that they are not suffering any ‘ill effects’ from their enforced
solitary confinement. Under the guise of checking general health, she is to
check all the girls for pregnancy and if possible, determine who is the father. The Healer reports back and everything is how she hoped.

*At the morning’s formal court, she has all the children gathered so she can look them over. She states that while there were troubles while she was gone, she understands that mistakes can happen and people can be led astray by a pretty face and sweet words.

However, she will chastise those who need it later, in private, as she has several happy announcements to make. She proceeds to divide the highborn children, sending them to various sections of her realm so that their talents may not whither away under the sedate pace of her court’ and of course, their esteemed parents will accompany them “so that their children may benefit from the wisdom and foresight of their elders” However, she saves the best for last by announcing that before Animar d’Livet and Tushari Wasobi journey to Arimal to promote trade (her father, alas, has requested to be sent to Nakeel thus breaking up a happy family for the good of the Empire) they are to be joyously married.

Animar protests, declaring she cannot marry Tushari when she is going to bear Lucius’s child. Nodding gravely, Zeva assures her that, if that is indeed the case, she will of course be allowed to marry the child’s father.

*She calls in a Truthsayer and a Healer (again from Arimal as the Blood Oath would permit him to tell if it was Lucius’s) to confirm the pregnancy and the paternity. While the Truthsayer verifies everything, the Healer declares that Animar is indeed pregnant but, while the child’s is not Lucius’s, he cannot determine who the father is. Zeva then politely asks Animar who else has she been sleeping with to get into such as state. When she tries to lie, Animar glows a brilliant white (the effect of a power Truthsayer doing a reading) and the entire court knows it. Finally, she admits to sleeping with only Tushari and Lucius. Zeva smiles and says,

“Then it’s settled. You will marry Tushari Wasobi and everything you deserve will come your way.”

*After court, she orders Lucius confined to his rooms until she has calmed down enough to deal with him.

*Once she has caught up, so to speak, with the affairs of the state, she goes to see her wayward son. She manages, barely, not to scream at him though her voice trembles with the effort. She rips him up one side and down the other, threatens to take away his position as Heir, and considers sending him to Marook for the rest of his natural life, all sorts of dire things that only a mother would think to say in the heat of an argument.

She only stops when she notices him quietly crying (which throws her off stride. She’s not used to tears.) Anger immediately turns to concern and she apologizes for yelling at him but people, especially the people under their care, are not toys to be moved around and played with.

Each person had the right to live their life as fully as possible with minimal, negative interference from those in power. And people in power will always be tempted to use it in a negative way causing harm to the people they need to protect. When that doesn’t completely stop the flow of tears, she finally asks him what’s wrong. The answer staggers her.

*Lucius truly believed Animar loved him and that they were going to marry. He knew that she was pregnant and believed the child was his.
By doing what she did, in the middle of court, Zeva broke his heart and shattered his illusion. On top of it, he wanted to be a father to see what it was like. He’d grown up seeing other children with fathers but never knew what having one was like nor even knowing what his father looked like. The closest he had to his paternal figure were the various clan Chiefs and Zeke--all of whom had concerns other than him.

*Stunned, Zeva sits down and tells him everything she can about Rotas and why she can’t go back to him because of her commitments to the people under her. “I never planned on being away from him for so long but there just isn’t anyone to take my place. And what I’ve built from the ashes of my heart may not be able to lay down with me at night and hold me in his arms but it is something good and I believe that it can be something grand.

Lucius, sweetie, I can’t just walk away from those people who need me, lowborn to high. I will be alone for the rest of my life because I can’t ask Rotas to abandon those people who need him. It’s something I don’t think he would understand even though he’s a Prince, maybe even King by now. You, however, have the chance to find love and be loved by someone very special. You may already know her or have only seen her in your dreams. But no matter what, you will always have to guard your heart against those that would use it because after I am gone you will rule and all the people of the Empire will look to you, and just you, for guidance.”

*Zeva declares that she and Lucius are going on a retreat together, mother and son, to spend time together as a family. What they do is slip, lose from their bodyguards, and mingle with the populace as ordinary people. Zeva leads Lucius through various ghettos and villages, taking her time and letting him see the population as people and not just numbers. They spend time hiding out with Catspaw and the thieves' guild. They work as guards for a caravan. They live in a variety of homes and talk with a variety of people.

By the time they are at the end of their journey, Lucius is feeling better, more resolved in his position as Heir, brimming with ideas for an information/spy network to crisscross the Empire. Happy to see him enthused, Zeva gives her permission and funding on the two-part condition that he reports only to her and swears he will not use the network to turn the Empire into a police state of fear and suspicion.

Later, during a visit to Soreel, She brings Aravis with her to meet Lucius, Karnea is unexpectedly granted a small parish of land and the accompanying title of (minor) nobility by Zeva on the Second largest Island of Unari. The Empress notices a growing interest between Lucius and Aravis, and decides to ensure that Aravis would be of sufficient nobility in case their love interest grows. Karnea surveys her new holdings and determines that the existing caretaker is doing an adequate job, elevating him to the regent and telling him to keep up what he has been doing. The incomes from these holdings are set aside for Aravis’ use.

392 AC 22 ST: *Life returns to normal for Zeva and Lucius. She spends much of her time working with the occasional visit to Arun, Unari, or the Free Isles. Lucius lays the groundwork for the network and makes the startling decision that he is best suited to be an assassin, focusing his military training in that area.

*Her palace is completed At Tarish (at the least the primary stage) and Zeva spends the year moving furnishings, offices, and people from the old to the new . . . .

And there it is, the Twenty-Two Year Odyssey of Conquest.