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Alebard's Tower c.1620


Trotsky

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Hi everyone, I hope some of you knowledgable players out there might be able to help me.

Our game is set in 1620, and the adventurers are interested in maybe visiting Alebard's Tower. I only have the information from the Gamemaster Adventures book, which has a brief entry c1625. Can anyone tell me what the situation was at the tower in 1620? I would be most grateful :)

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From Sartar:Kingdom of Heroes, p.278:

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Alebard’s Tower
The Empire of Wyrms Friends or perhaps the Second Council built this sturdy stone watch tower high in the Thunder Hills. A haunted place, it was avoided by the local clans until the Humakti priest Alebard cleared it of its ghosts and claimed it as his own.
Queen Leika acknowledged the Humakti’s claims and the tower is occupied by a Humakti warband in the service of the Colymar tribes.

(S:KoH uses 1618 ST as its reference year.)

So this basically is the same information as found the the Adventure Book of the Gamemaster Screen Pack. Alebard is a member of the Wooden Sword.

The Sartar:Companion contains more information on p.136:

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Alebard’s Battalion
The name of this mercenary warband of Humakt cultists is something of an exaggeration as it has rarely numbered more than 40 followers of the War God. Nevertheless, this battalion is feared throughout Sartar, in part because it is the heir of the famous battalion of Londra of Londros, and commanded by her former Standard Bearer, Alebard Elf Friend.

The battalion is based in a sturdy stone watch tower (popularly called Alebard’s Tower) high in the Thunder Hills that serves as their House of War and Death. Alebard leads his battalion to fight for any Sartarite chief or king that meets his price.

Alebard Elf Friend is a devotee of Humakt and powerful with the Truth Rune. Alebard is a better tactician and leader than he is a fighter. His oaths are binding and fearsome; to swear on Alebard’s sword is to be irrevocably bound by your words. In turn he is bound by several geases, including one forbidding him from killing an elf. Alebard recovers instantly from any wound that does not immediately kill him. Alebard is dutiful in his sacrifices to Humakt and his tower is now one of the more important temples of the War God in Sartar.

Nameless the Humakti (see Sartar: Kingdom of Heroes, page 172) is an occasional Hundred-Thane of the Battalion. She is one the best swordfighters in all of Sartar and the most powerful Death magician of the Battalion.

The members of Alebard’s Battalion are all Humakt cultists and wear heavy bronze armor and swords. They are all skilled swordsmen and disciplined in battle. The Humakti can fight on horseback or on foot, and typically fight in loose but drilled formation. On foot, they are skilled at fighting and breaking shieldwalls and phalanxes.

The battalion of Londra of Londros is the Wooden Sword.

Edited by Oracle
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2 hours ago, Trotsky said:

Thank you, so in 1620 the denizens of the tower would be loyal to the Colymar King?

Given King Kangharl's affiliation with the Lunars, I would guess no.  (Kangharl might be trying to get them to swear oaths to him though)

More likely, they are simply willing to hire out to those who meet their price (probably not hiring out to the Lunars?).  That might mean folk like Queen Ivartha of the Cinsina hire some of them to fight Telmori, or the Dinacoli might hire some to fight Brangbane and his ghouls, or maybe there are rich merchants who hire them to move goods through the Lunar siege around Whitewall?

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The Temple of the Wooden Sword dissolved in 1615. 
Some members moved away from Dragon Pass (Londra to Old Wind Temple, another reknown member to Pavis, etc.), some stayed in Dragon Pass (Naimless/Nameless is still the Champion of the Colymar, and another reknown member is running an Inn, etc.). 
A lot of the Humakti stay with Alebard (and his wife Eril Silksword) as part of the battalion of Alebards Tower. 

This seems to be the case from slightly after the dissolvement of the Temple of the Wooden Sword in 1615 and it seems to haven´t changed by 1625. With your campaign right in between these two dates (1620) you can be sure that this is also the status quo then. 

Edited by AndreJarosch
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Just wanted to add the following quote from Sartar:Kingdom of Heroes, p.333:

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The heroes can demand the Combat Option and challenge Darsten to a duel. King Kangharl will have his champion stand in for Darsten: a fearsome Sword of Humakt named Alebard, who long ago swore an oath to fight for Kangharl. Alebard is Very Hard to defeat in a duel, but if the hero wins he gains a Lingering Benefit to his reputation.

It's not completely clear, if this is the same Alebard, but this oath could well be from the time of Starbrow's Rebellion or before, when Kangharl was not yet affiliated with the Lunars ...

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I seem to remember that Alebard led the Battalion on an ill-fated raid into Delecti territory that severely depleted their strength for some time. I don't remember the date. There is also the unexplained mention by Leika in GA that Tarndisi would not be receptive to her because of her support for the Wooden Sword. Given Alebard's relationship with the Wooden Sword and that he is an "Elf-friend", that is a bit confusing.

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7 hours ago, Oracle said:

Just wanted to add the following quote from Sartar:Kingdom of Heroes, p.333:

It's not completely clear, if this is the same Alebard, but this oath could well be from the time of Starbrow's Rebellion or before, when Kangharl was not yet affiliated with the Lunars ...

Something like 1617-1620 sounds right for The Colymar Campaign (the Wiki has 1618).

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