OBSIDIAN BAY TRIUMPHANT

July 9, 1999 GM: Kenneth Newquist

The general already knew.

When the Blackrazors destroyed the portal on the Plains of Chaos, in the heart of the foul fortress known as the Cyst, the demons were banished from Obsidian Bay. Members of the Nightsearchers -- the army’s elite intelligence corps -- saw the banishment, and magically informed the army’s commanders.

The fiends had driven the original invaders, the Scarlet Brotherhood, from the city. The demons left, the city was left to its beleagured citizens.

It was ripe for liberation

* * *

On the 19^th of Good-month, CY 588, the Army of Obsidian Bay entered the city, and re-installed its rightful government.

After the retaking of the city, a delegation from Obsidian Bay headed to Stonehiem to negotiate a peace treaty with Turrosh Mak. Perhaps sensing a weakened prey, Mak refused to sign the treaty.

Obsidian Bay responded by declaring that a state of perpetual war now existed between it and the Empire of Mak. Furthermore, it declared itself the guardian of all that was noble and good on the Pomarj, and established a protectorate known as the Domain of Obsidian Bay.

The Domain stretched north from Obsidian Bay to the Drachensgrabs. All of the land from the Drachensgrab's southeastern foothills to the city of Blue was declared part of the Domain. Blue, which had been a free city of sorts, was incorporated into the Domain as well.

The citizens of Obsidian Bay flooded back to their home city, and rallied around the Proclamation of Domain. The mood in Obsidian Bay became one of rampant patriotism coupled with an emerging manifest destiny viewing all of the Pomarj as ripe for the taking.

Intolerance of evil faiths and groups rose to all-time highs. In the days after the liberation, guilds like the Orcslayers and the Band of Pholtus organized citizens into bands to drive humanoid stragglers from their lands. Half-breeds, such as half-orcs and half-ogres, were ridiculed, imprisoned, or worse by the triumphant citizens.

* * *

Over the next three months, human races like the Suel and Rhennee (the later of which were almost non-existent on the Pomarj) were also watched closely and persecuted at the slightest provocation. Those with any sort of business ties with the Scarlet Brotherhood's puppet kingdoms were boycotted and harassed -- some were forced out of business.

The same phenomenon -- although to a lesser extent -- repeated with those who deal with ethically-questionable countries such as the former Great Kingdom.

* * *

In light of the Dark Circle’s treachery, treason has become the worst crime imaginable in the city, surpassing even murder. Anyone committing treason against the city and its domain are punished by death -- even those who contemplate treason or otherwise plan to undermine the city's government through bribes and worse face a death penalty.

With an eye towards keeping the more under-handed elements in the city in line, the city has allowed the re-formation of the Thieves Guild, with the stipulation that it can not engage in any illegal activities within the domain, and that all thieves in the city must belong to the guild.

Vigilantism is at an all-time high in the city. Groups like the Orcslayers, the Band of Pholtus, the Blackrazor Guild, the Church of St. Cuthbert and even the Thieves Guild patrol the streets looking for wrong doers. Those who slip up while engaging in illegal actives had best pray to their gods that they are caught by one of the lawful groups. If one of the more chaotic groups finds them, chances are that they'll never see the light of day again.

* * *

In the three months after the Good-month liberation of the city, the Lord Mayor announced several new initiatives to defend and promote the Domain.

The Thieves Guild: The Thieves Guild had been disbanded four years earlier, after it had attempted to overthrow the city with the Scarlet Brotherhood. Two years later, the remains of that guild -- the secret organization known as The Dark Circle -- succeeded where its predecessor had failed. Realizing that disbanding the guild had only pushed it underground, the Councils voted to allow it to reform -- with stipulation that its members partake in no criminal acts within the domain.

The Knights of Obsidian Bay: To ensure the peace and security of the Domain and to reward warriors for their noble service, the city formed the Knightly Orders of Obsidian Bay. They created three orders -- the Shields, to defend the city; the Swords, to protect the Domain; and the Fists to strike against the humanoids.

"Festival of Liberation": a celebration that would be held every year and would start on the 19^th of Good-month. Because the city was in such terrible shape, and most of its citizens had not yet returned, Longriver announced that the present year’s celebration would be delayed three months.

New building projects: The occupation had badly damaged the city -- the Lord Mayor announced that all of the damage would be repaired. He also announced the construction of a sea wall to repel water-born invasions from the Azure and a second, larger city wall outside of the first.

* * *

After the Liberation, the Blackrazors re-took possession of their guild holdings -- the hall in the city and the farmstead and brewery in the Domain. They found that the farm and the brewery had made it through intact, but that the guild’s property in the city had been badly damaged by the demonic invasion. The manor house build by the Brotherhood-led version of the guild had been destroyed, and the barracks had several large holes it its ceiling and walls. They quickly patched these holes with miscellaneous supplies.

Other Blackrazor developments included:

Kalib Ironfist had lost all of his facial features save his nose after donning a cursed mask on the Abyss. Once returning home he sought out Ironsoul, the lead cleric of the Church of St. Cuthbert, and asked him to remove the curse. After negotiating terms favorable to his church, the cleric did so.

After the liberation, followers of Trithereon began to arrive in the city, eager to join Kalib’s church.

Scrappy’s reputation had also grown in power, and he attracted several followers of his own, as did Greggor and Malaclypse.

The Obsidian Tower, impressed by the Blackrazors magical abilities and reputation, invited the terramancer Sven Kildare, the guildmaster and elven mage Tanevir, and the human mage Aesop to join the Tower. All of the Blackrazors were given lifetime enrollments in the city’s Guild of Wizardry.

Finally, after three months of preparation, recovery, and repair, the Blackrazors and the rest of the city were ready for the first-ever "Festival of Liberation" celebrating their victory over the forces of evil.

This page was last edited on 08/16/99 -- The Griffin's Crier -- hosted by www.nuketown.com