The Fireseed Wars

After the Highpriest of Dralm made the opening invocations to Dralm, Speaker Kyphanes, Prince of Meligos, addressed the assembled princes. Kyphanes was a tall man bent by age and worry. There had been rumors in the past that he was in the pay of Styphon's House, but a team of three intelligencers had been unable to uncover any link to the False Temple. In truth, he was a chronic worrier and resistant to change. In many ways, Kyphanes was the embodiment of the worst features of the Agrysi nobility, overly cautious and distrustful.

"My fellow Princes, it is only with great reluctance that I open this meeting of the Council of Dralm. I had prayed to the Allfather that we might avert the coming conflict, but the hounds of war have been unleashed. Grand Master Soton and his army are invading Hos-Agrys without provocation. It is up to the League to help our King and stop the Styphoni before they sack the City and hunt us down one at a time."

There were nods of agreement from most Princes, but a few looked askance.

Prince Kyphanes looked as though he'd just bit down on a bitter seed. "It is my recommendation that we declare war on Styphon's House and send an army to support our Great King."

Prince Ptophlos of Orchon jumped to his feet. "Where was Demistophon when Orchon was invaded by Prince Nador of Pellor? I had to spend my last gold piece and mortgage my palace to get enough mercenaries to keep that Zygrosi cur from adding my domain to his holdings. The King refused to even answer my pleas. As I recall, none of the rest of you were eager to help, either!" Ptophlos plopped back down in his seat, his face set in a grimace.

Hestophes was beginning to resent all the time he'd wasted sailing to Port Glarth and the long overland journey that had followed. I would be a lot more useful back in Thagnor fighting the Grand Host than refereeing this bunch of wastrels.

Prince Thykarses rose to his feet. "We can argue over past mistakes and feuds, or we can concentrate on the crisis at hand. No one here, Oath of Galzar, has more reason to distrust and dislike our Great King than myself. Demistophon sent gold and money to my younger brother to foster a rebellion that only ended when he died in battle."

The assembled Princes nodded as they recalled the rebellion twenty winters ago that had almost split the Princedom of Eubros in half.

"However, I ask that we do not turn away from the hard light of day. Styphon's House will not be content with taking Agrys City and the surrounding territory. No, they want to put one of their puppets onto the Throne of Light and in the seat of every House in Hos-Agrys! If we do not pick up arms to defend our Kingdom, Styphon's House will roll up our Princedoms like a Lyrosi rug. Remember what happened when we dithered over supporting Great King Kalvan of Hos-Hostigos? Now the war has come to our Houses.

"If Styphon's House defeats Demistophon, those Princes who are in the Union of Styphon's Friends will retain their titles but lose most of their powers. The rest of us will be planted in the soil and badly remembered by our subjects, or we will face Investigation by Archpriest Roxthar!"

Everyone at the table paled at the mention of Roxthar's Investigation.

Prince Ptophlos shook his head. "How do we know that these tales are true, and not just Hostigi lies to garner our support?"

Hestophes jumped up, knocking over his chair in the process. The resulting crash got everyone's undivided attention. "Because I was in Hos-Hostigos. I saw the battered peasants and eyeless women and children, and the unending cries of those who had survived the Investigation. Hadrons Own Work! Anyone accused of being a follower of Allfather Dralm was ripe for torture. Anyone with a grudge against a neighbor could report them as a follower of Dralm and they would be Investigated. Many tens of thousands were Investigated throughout the Princedom of Hostigos and only a few hundred lived to tell about their ordeal. And those who did would have been better off dead!

"We know that Arch-Butcher Roxthar is bringing his Investigation along with Master Soton's army and the Red Hand of Styphon to Hos-Agrys. Do any of you believe that Roxthar will leave Agrys until every man, woman and child-regardless of rank and wealth-has been Investigated? If you do, you are worse than fools!"

Hestophes went into further detail about Roxthar and his Investigators. By the time he was finished, all the Princes were in various shades of shock and Hestophes realized why Duke Mnestros and his father had withheld this vital piece of information.

Mnestros rose. "I vouch for his words. I saw the miserable wretches, broken in body and spirit, left in the Investigation's wake! It is time to wake up and face the truth. Styphon's House has broken the contract between man and the True Gods; they are now working for demons. What else could this Styphon be, to allow such practices in his name?"