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ACQUITAINEThe Realm Of The Summer King

TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 3

History 4

Acquitainian Society 6 King And Commoner: The Eshelle 6 The Economy 7 Religion 7 Warfare 9 Arts And Entertainments 9

The Lands And Lords Of Acquitaine 10 Politics And Rivalries 10 Map of Acquitaine 11 The Royal House Of Montfort 12 Teshiana, The Glory Of Acquitaine 14 Armagnac 15 Armorica 15 Autun 16 Auverne 16 Aveyron 16 Avranche 17 Brigainne 18 Canais 18 Estmarque 19 Guyenne 19 Mornac 20

Navairre 20 Neustria 20 Perigorde 20 Rossillon 21 Touraine 21 Tournai 22 Viennes 22 Vivrais 22 Ronceval Forest 23

Acquitainian Characters 24 Acquitainian Templates 24

Acquitainian Magic 26 Acquitainian Theurgy 26 Acquintainian Standard Spells 27 Acquitainian Spells Table 28-29 Acquitainian Demonology 30

Acquitainian Monsters 32 Granne Demme 32 Chevalier Verde 34 Korred 35 Melusine 36 Nehgrú 37 The Beast Of Armagnac 38

Bibliography 39

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Acquitaine Copyright © 2012 by SSL Enterprises, Inc. d/b/a Elvensong Street Press. All rights reserved.Produced and distributed by SSL Enterprises, Inc. d/b/a Elvensong Street Press.ESP-G-0001For further information, visit www.stevenslong.com.

Author: Steven S. LongLayout and Graphic Design: Steven S. LongCartography: Steven S. Long using Campaign Cartographer 3Cover: Peter CorlessCover Image: Styphnolobium japonicum (Pagoda tree)By Cruiser (Own Work)GDFL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)

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Chapter Seven of Tuala Morn briefly (and from a Tualan-skewed viewpoint) describes the other realms of the Northlands, the greater setting of which the land of the Ten Kingdoms is but a part.

Acquitaine is the first of what will hopefully be several small supplements providing more (and more accurate) informa-tion about other parts of the Northlands.

Lying a hundred leagues across the bitter sea from Tuala Morn, Acquitaine is a kingdom grown fat and prosperous thanks to a combination of bountiful harvests and natural protection from any potential enemies. But it’s also a land where the nobles often quarrel and fight with one another — and where sorcerers, werewolves, and other terrors lurk in the dark forests and forbidding mountains, waiting for an opportunity to wreak evil. In short, it’s a realm ready-made for adventure!

Part One, History, describes the history of Acquitaine, with emphasis on relatively recent events (such as the rise of the House of Montfort, whose latest scion currently rules the kingdom). Part Two discusses Acquitainian society — the social structure and economy of the realm, the religion the Acquitainians follow, how the warriors and nobles of the Summer Kingdom fight.

Part Three, the longest in the supplement, describes the lands and nobles of Acquitaine. The politics of the land is a web of rivalries, arranged marriages, alliances, hatreds, and opportunism which can easily ensnare unwary Player Characters.

Part Four, Acquitainian Characters, presents some Tem-plates specific to the setting. Part Five, Acquitainian Magic, discusses how spellcasting works in the Summer Kingdom, and includes several new spells.

The final part of the book, Acquitainian Monsters, has character sheets for six new monsters found in the Summer Kingdom (such as Granne Demmes, korreds, and melu-sines), and notes on others from the HSB that are likely to be encountered in the kingdom.

So get your swords, spells, and social skills ready — ad-venture awaits you in Acquitaine!

INTRODUCTION

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The earliest days of the Acquitainians are lost in the mists of time. Tales speak of mighty tribal chieftains leading their people to war against monsters and other tribes, of clever shamans who mastered the powers of magic, of the worship of strange gods. The first true records are the chronicles writ-ten by Talianoran historians after the legions of the Empire marched through what later generations would call the Gor-dienne Pass and conquered the land now known as Acquita-ine. (The name seems to derive from the Old Talianoran Ven Aqa Tainra, meaning roughly “green land of the west.”)

According to the Chronicle Of Imperial Lands by Parcoros and several other accounts, 1,300 years ago when the Empire expanded westward, Acquitaine was inhabited by numerous tribes. Some were large and controlled great territories, others were small; some were nomadic hunters and raiders, others lived in one place and farmed the land. None were capable of resisting the legions of Talianora. Within less than two decades all of Acquitaine was a possession of the Empire.

Over the course of the next three hundred years the Talianorans slowly bent the Acquitainian tribes to their way of living... at least in part. They built towns and cities, the remnants of which (such as their five-sided amphitheaters) often remain in use today. The Acquitainians settled in them and learned imperial ways. They farmed better, built better, and began to develop many of the arts and customs for which they’re known today. But at the same time the Talianorans never entirely broke the Acquitainians to the imperial yoke; local ways, practices, and beliefs still held sway, particularly in the less settled regions of the land.

Then came the Great Plague and the chaos that followed it. The terrible disease never reached Acquitaine, but it rav-aged Talianora and many possessions she’d held longer. In the turmoil many Talianoran soldiers returned home to take advantages of the opportunities open to men of skill and will; others, terrified of the sickness, remained where they were. In time they were eventually subsumed into the greater Acquita-inian population.

Over the course of the next several centuries Acquitaine grew and flourished. The methods of agriculture learned from the Talianorans, combined with native Acquitainian ingenuity, allowed the people of the “green land of the west” to begin to exploit their land’s natural bounty as never before. That in turn led to a thriving economy, the ability to support craftsmen and priests, and wealthy nobles with large armies of their own. And the latter, of course, led to frequent wars between powerful lords, each striving to increase his strength and possessions at the expense of his neighbor.

After the collapse of Talianoran rule, Acquitaine de-volved into a patchwork of petty kingdoms, each ruled by a lord of great ambition... but not necessarily great intelligence or great resources. As the years passed, conquest, assas-sination, accidents, failures of noble lines, and other factors caused these lesser holdings to coalesce into four regional entities. To the southwest was the Kingdom of Guyenne, consisting of modern-day Guyenne, Mornac, and parts of Navairre and Aveyron. To the east of Guyenne was the Kingdom of Balanac, comprising modern-day Perigorde, Avranche, and most of Rossillon. In the northwest the King-dom of Armorica occupied modern-day Armorica, Arma-gnac, Brigainne, and some of the western parts of Touraine and Auverne. Northeastern Acquitaine remained ununited; most of modern-day Touraine, Auverne, Vivrais, Canais, Au-tun, Tournai, Neustria, and Estmarque were strong, fiercely independent small kingdoms or regions of quarrelling nobles. For a few decades the powerful and charismatic King Hugues of Neustria conquered Estmarque and parts of Autun, Canais, and Vivrais to form a greater Kingdom of Neustria, but his sons, weaker and less intelligent than he, were unable to hold his gains.

THE RISE OF THE HOUSE OF MONTFORT

The roots of today’s Acquitaine begin nearly four hun-dred years ago with Jevraun Montfort, a nobleman from a prominent Canais family which ruled extensive lands in that region. Possessed of strength, skill, and intelligence in equally generous measure, he was one of the chief commanders of his father’s army at sixteen. By eighteen he’d won several victories in minor conflicts against neighboring nobles, and over his family’s strident objections had married a Turonian “prin-cess” who was visiting the regions west of her homeland.

When Jevraun was 21 his father died and he acceded to the title. By 24 he’d defeated enough other lords of Canais to declare himself its king. By 30 Neustria, Autun, and Auverne had all fallen to him as well, becoming duchies within his growing kingdom.

Jevraun died of an infected wound when he was 40, but fortunately for the House of Montfort his sons, and theirs, were cut from the same cloth. One victory at a time they carried the Montfort banner across most of the north — into Armorica, Brigainne, Vivrais, and Touraine. They called their realm the Kingdom of Canais and began construction of a grand capital, Teshiana, on the mighty River Sennais.

HISTORY

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But the House of Montfort was not the only great power of Acquitaine. To the south the Kingdom of Guyenne, ances-tral domain of the House of Lenoir, waxed strong. Mornac, Perigorde, Rossillon, and Navairre paid fealty to the Guyenne king, while Armagnac and Aveyron paid tribute. From their castle at Miquelon the Lenoirs planned and plotted, eagerly seeking ways to weaken Canais and take its territory for their own realm.

Two such ambitious houses could not long occupy the same land without coming to blows, and so it was that the kingdoms of Canais and Guyenne went to war two hundred years ago. At first the struggle went against Canais, for the Guyenne army was strong, and well-supplied out of Guy-enne’s deep coffers. Teshiana itself came under siege for over a year, and Guyenne patrols roamed at will through the lands surrounding the city. But Folcard Montfort, as crafty as he was skilled at war, sent secret messengers to the dukes of Ar-magnac and Aveyron, offering them wealth and power if they cast their lot with him instead of Guyenne. His emissaries spoke well, and the promises he’d designed specially to appeal to each of the dukes did their work.

The arrival of the Armagnac and Aveyron forces on the battlefield broke the siege of Teshiana and changed the course of the war. After suffering heavy losses the Guyenne forces withdrew south with Canais’s soldier nipping at their heels almost every step of the way. They took refuge within the walls of Cassone to make their stand against King Folcard’s forces, and so began the siege of Cassone. It lasted nearly eighteen months, and in the end the city’s proud walls were shattered and cast down. The Guyenne warriors who did not flee were put to the sword, or if well off were ransomed back to their families for princely sums. King Bernart of Guyenne was beheaded; his young son Olivier was reduced to the rank of duke and forced to swear fealty to King Folcard and follow the “guidance” of a Montfort regent.

In the wake of his victory, King Folcard declared the kingdoms of Canais and Guyenne ended forever, and the Kingdom of Acquitaine begun as one great realm in their place. As his new kingdom’s symbol he adopted part of the Montfort coat of arms: a red cockerel.

THE RECENT PASTIn the two centuries since Cassone fell, the House of

Montfort has strengthened its grip on power as best it can, though in a land where every noble can afford to maintain a large standing army that grip can never be so firm as to crush all enemies. Guyenne rebelled a little over a century ago, defeated a royal army, and re-asserted its status as an independent land for a decade before King Waldher brought an even larger force to bear and destroyed the Lenoirs’ hopes once more.

Since then no major wars have riven the land — though it seems that every year some petty dispute between two or more noblemen flares into open conflict. If these minor wars don’t burn themselves out somehow within a month or two, the king stirs himself from his throne and orders one of his commanders to lead some portion of the royal army to the battlefield to force a truce. (Kings of a warlike disposition may even take to the field with their armies; thirty years ago

King Swingeld met his death this way when an arrow struck him in the eye.)

However, not all is truly peaceful in the Summer King-dom. Guyenne still simmers, nursing ancient hatreds and yearning for another chance to strike the Montforts and deal a deadly blow. Duke Sicard is strong, clever, and ambitious... a combination of qualities that does not bode well for King Helsicar. Rumors swirl that the death of Helsicar’s eldest son, Konrad, of fever three years ago was the result of a plot to assassinate the king that went astray. If this were ever proved true war, though perhaps one fought in the shadows rather than on the battlefield, would almost certainly result. Other stories claim that Perigorde and Avranche, made wealthy through trade and mining, care little for the laws of the king and would likewise prefer to rule themselves. And then there are dangers beyond mortal ken: the Beast of Armagnac still ravages the land; the fée appear here and there, playing their strange games with mankind; monsters of many deadly sorts dwell within Ronceval Forest. If King Helsicar cannot balance these pressures and respond to the threats facing his realm with a strong, sure hand, the future of Acquitaine may be one of turmoil and havoc.

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Acquitaine has a rich, vibrant society in many re-spects. With great wealth deriving from the land’s fecundity and the mountains providing a barrier that protects it from all but the most determined

invaders, the Summer Kingdom has been able to develop its society and culture to heights that seem extravagant, even decadent, by Tualan or Logren standards.

KING AND COMMONER: THE ESHELLE

Acquitaine is a land of rigid social distinctions and strong class privileges for the nobility. The Acquitainian term for this social structure is eshelle, literally meaning “ladder.” As the peasantry and lower classes often lament, “Even the nimblest man cannot climb the eshelle,” since it’s virtually unheard of for an Acquitainian to improve his social class. One is born into a class, and one remains in that class until one dies. There are plenty of stories of a beautiful peasant girl capturing the heart of a nobleman and becoming a duchess, but aside from the very rare exception that’s just idle day-dreaming.

THE KINGAt the top of the eshelle, like the snowcaps on the Bala-

nacs, stands the king. By Acquitainian law the kingship can only pass to the eldest surviving male of House Montfort; daughters cannot take the crown. So far the line of Jevraun Montfort has never failed of a male heir, though on two occa-sions the throne has gone to the king’s brother when he had no sons.

In theory the king of Acquitaine wields absolute power in the land. In truth, however, many of his chief nobles — the dukes, and even a few counts — are sufficiently powerful and wealthy that dealing with them involves delicate negotiations and the application of political and social pressure. And at times matters come to a head and the king must use his great army to enforce his will.

THE NOBILITYBelow the king on the eshelle are the noble classes, who

control the various regions of Acquitaine and reap enormous profits from their holdings. From highest to lowest, the ranks of the nobility are:

• Duke (Duchess)• Conde/Marques (Condessa/Marquisa)• Viconde (Vicondessa)• Chevalier, who goes by the title “Sieur” (Lady)

The feudal structure of Acquitainian government places stringent burdens on every noble. He must honor his feudal obligations to his lord (and often to his lord’s lords), while fulfilling his responsibilities to and looking after his vassals. By Acquitainian tradition a lord is not only supposed to pro-tect his vassals from physical harm but see to it that they do not suffer or starve. Generosity is considered one of the pri-mary qualities of a nobleman, though in truth many of them honor that tradition more in the breach than in obedience.

Since they tend to be quite wealthy, nobles often try to outdo one another in displays of extravagance. When a nobleman goes to war, his armor is elaborately engraved, and often washed with gold or set with gemstones, and his longsword and other weapons are similarly decorated. When he goes to court, he dresses in the latest fashions made of the richest cloth possible, and his rapier is as much a work of art as a weapon. On his estate he often throws great feasts and fairs with lavish entertainments and gifts for the attendees.

THE MIDDLE CLASS (MOYENNE)

The moyenne, or middle class, is the smallest segment of the eshelle. It consists primarily of craftsmen and merchants, most of whom live in the cities. Despite its relatively small size and lack of organization, it wields a great deal of political influence because many of its members are quite well off or occupy positions which, despite their lack of social stature, are crucial to the proper functioning of Acquitainian society. Some are richer than nobles, and nearly all of them live lives the lower classes envy.

ACQUITAINIAN SOCIETY

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THE PEASANTRYThe bulk of Acquitaine’s population falls into the peas-

antry, or lower classes. These people primarily work on farms, either their own small holdings or land rented from a cheva-lier or viconde. Some hold similar menial jobs in the cities and great manor houses: maids, servants, grooms, porters, laborers, and so on. They usually have little they can call their own, though Acquitaine’s rich harvests at least ensure that not many of them go hungry most years.

THE ECONOMYAcquitaine has one of the most robust economies in all

the Northlands thanks to one simple fact: it produces enor-mous amounts of food. The growing season in Acquitaine is long and the ground fertile, leading to bountiful harvests and herds of plump animals. It’s said in other parts of the North-lands that “a beggar in Acquitaine eats better than a noble in Logres,” and while that’s a gross exaggeration, the fact remains that few Acquitainians starve.

Thanks to this surfeit of food, Acquitainian nobles can afford not only to keep large households, but to lavishly patronize craftsmen and the arts. Acquitainian jewelrymak-ing, weaponcrafting, woodworking, tailoring, and artwork are all renowned throughout the northern lands (see Arts And Entertainment, below). The products of hundreds of masters’ shops not only fill the houses of the rich and powerful, but travel along with fine Acquitainian wines, horses, cheeses and other foodstuffs into other lands, where Acquitainian merchants exchange them for many things.

In a sometimes less beneficial vein, the bountiful har-vests also allow nobles to maintain large standing personal armies. In theory the King’s Law restricts this; in practice a noble can have as many armed men serving him as his purse, political influence, and social status allow. The result is frequent fighting between rival or enemy nobles (usually, but not always, on a small scale), and more than once outright revolt against the crown by groups of disgruntled nobles.

Although it doesn’t directly contribute to Acquitaine’s economic strength, another factor plays an important role: the kingdom’s geographic isolation. With tall walls of mostly impassable mountains guarding its flanks Acquitaine has little fear of invasion and only becomes embroiled in conflicts elsewhere on the continent (such as Talianora or Essania) when it wants to (which is almost never). If it weren’t for the fact that its kings and nobles spend so much on their per-sonal armies (and on coping with the effects of the conflicts that inevitably result), Acquitaine’s protection from invasion would allow it to get by with only a small royal force and devote the rest of its vast riches to improving society — or to ever more ostentatious displays of wealth.

TRADE ROUTESTrade leaves and enters Acquitaine through one of sev-

eral routes.First there are the passes through the mountains that

ring the Summer Kingdom. The largest of these is the Va-ristian Pass, but it leads only to Turonia and trade with the tribes there is relatively slight. Some merchants lead their wagons north to the Kelmark instead, but trade there isn’t much more extensive (mostly furs, amber, and some types of fine wood). Instead the smaller passes — the Gordienne through the southern Balanac Mountains, and the Annessy Pass near the headwaters of the river of the same name through the western Pierrainnes — are more often used to take goods to Talianora and Essania, respectively.

Second, goods often travel by ship. Trade heading south to Essania (or, for the truly daring mariner, Talianora itself) usually leaves from Miquelon port; trade for Logres (and occasionally Tuala Morn) from Angouleme, Compeigne, or even Teshiana since the Sennais is navigable by large ships that far. The Acquitainians aren’t known for their seamanship; their ships aren’t the largest and rarely leave sight of land, but they can still transport plenty of things worth trading for.

CURRENCYThe King of Acquitaine mints a gold coin known as a sol,

a silver coin called a denarius, and a copper coin referred to as a soli. A sol is worth 12 denari, and a denarius is worth six soli.

RELIGIONUnlike Tuala Morn (where it has only a foothold) or Lo-

gres (where it still struggles mightily against the native faith), in Acquitaine the Golden Temple — the worship of Varkulan the Most High — is firmly established as the religion of the kingdom. King Helsicar and all his courtiers and nobles wor-ship the Most High (though with varying degrees of sincerity, of course), and most of the common folk have been swayed to the Golden faith for decades if not centuries. In every town, and even most villages, the largest and most important build-ing is the temple, and the priests who serve the god there and administer to the faithful are among the most important men in the region.

But that’s not to say that the gods of the early Acquita-inians — deities of hill and forest, stone and stream — have passed entirely from the land. In the more isolated regions and villages the folk still swear by Solairne the sun-god, Luphrona the goddess of the moon, Seirbois the Lord of For-ests, Temprôs the storm-god, and many others whose actions and whims they believe affect their daily lives. In the deep, dark, primeval forests of the land it may be that brown-robed druids still lurk, and if so their intentions — particularly toward the holy men of the Golden Temple — are not always benign. Where the Temple’s power is strong the old gods and their priests have been reduced to the status of demons and monsters, but in the wilder parts of Acquitaine people still understand the truth of the matter.

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