Banecroft Barony

Feast of the Leviathan II

Diamond Banecroft Veros and Diamond discuss things Diamond, Veros and Savyne attend the Feast of the Leviathan. Diamond wins the signature tourney. Veros is appointed Sherrif of Chimeron. This is Veros' last event as a Baronial. After 5 years of faithful Baronial Service, Veros requests and is granted an honorable discharge.

Big Game Hunt

Diamond Banecroft Diamond, Darwin, and Rebel go on a monster hunt in Rockwood. They are joined by new adventurers, Auric and Keshoon. Team Banecroft earns second place of all the hunting teams. Darwin nearly defeats a dragon. Keshoon figuires out how to stop the endless waves of zombie cows.

Seasons Change, Wisdom Passes

Diamond Banecroft Diamond and Rebel fight a bandit horde in Lunataris. While the horde is defeated, the reason for the uncharactaristic power of the bandits is still a mystery. Also, the motivations behind the dark man who was also after the bandit's item of power is unrevealed.

A Knight to Remember

Diamond Banecroft Diamond, Darwin and Matthew help determine villain from patron in a complex plot that threatens Northbrook. Colin Tate tricks the adventurers into suspecting that the Talaxian Knights are in league with the Harvest Moon Invantry. After succeeding in a series of quests to prove themselves worthy of knighthood, the true villain is revealed and a sharp battle leads to what is believed to be Colin Tate's death

Green and Gold II

Diamond Banecroft Dawrin, Diamond and Gwen Diamond, Darwin, Rebel, and Brighthammer attend Gold and Green 2. They help Lysis in his attempt to gain another item of Regalia. Diamond saves an slave from an alternate reality from being slain by Sebudai, and the slave accepts sanctuary in Banecroft.

Feast of Chimeron

Diamond Banecroft Diamond, Darwin, Rebel, Savyne, Auric, Brighthammer, Matthew, Cathryn and Gek attend Feast of Chimeron. There they rescue Sir Pyr from oblivion in a difficult, three step process. Darwin and Savyne help find Sir Pyr's remains. Diamond is one of the few questors who brave the Death Dimension for Sir Pyr's soul. During the ritual to sacrifice enough to empower the final restoration of Pyr, Diamond gives up his claim on the western territories of Banecroft, Matthew gives up his sanity, and Darwin gives up his connection to the dream realm.

Tournaments of Creathorne

Diamond Banecroft The famed "blindfold duel" Gwen and Rebel attend Tourneys of Creathorne. Rebel accomplishes many knightly challenges, and rescues Twenaria from the clutches of the Knights of Destruction. He also beats a knight of destruction in honorable combat.

June

Diamond Banecroft Diamond, Rebel and Auric journey north of Folkestone where they stop Fenris from calling down Ragnarok. Along the way they fight huge armies of evil dwarves and Ogres. Diamond and Rebel are the first two of four adventurers recognized by the Valkaries as heroes worthy of Vallhalla, and they meet Odin and party there until it is their time to reenter the Realms and defeat Fenris, an operation which goes smoothly.

Convergences

Diamond Banecroft Diamond, Rebel, Auric, Brighthammer, and Matthew fight to close a Banein gate and help Sir Lysis quest in an attempt for yet another relic of Teng Hua succession.

North/South War VI

Diamond Banecroft Gek in the heat of battle Diamond, Gwen, Rebel, Auric, Brighthammer, and Matthew fight on the side of the North during the North/South war. At Barony court, Gwen and Luin recieve the Hrothgar award for bravery and service respectively. Brighthammer and Matthew are inducted into the Barony as true followers. Twenaria, Gek, and Cathryn join the newly formed Borderguard. During the night quest, Matthew brings back the Southern flag. Diamond faces a Knight of Destruction in honorable combat, but is defeated.

June

Diamond Banecroft Diamond, Auric, and others hear Fenris's case. Diamond, Rebel and Auric journey north of Folkestone where they stop Fenris from calling down Ragnarok. Along the way they fight huge armies of evil dwarves and Ogres. Diamond and Rebel are the first two of four adventurers recognized by the Valkaries as heroes worthy of Vallhalla, and they meet Odin and party there until it is their time to reenter the Realms and defeat Fenris, an operation which goes smoothly.

A Divine Schism

Diamond Banecroft The Barony, ready for the challenges ahead. Diamond, Gwen, Darwin, Auric, Brighthammer and Matthew rush to aid Rebel who has discovered evidence of cult activity in Northern Banecroft. They are joined by Twenaria, Gek and Cathryn. Also, the allies of the Barony come through with strong support from Thorn Valley and Phoenix. Thundar and Orchid of Creathorne and Celtrix and several others. They discover a titanic contest between avatars of Law and Chaos. Furthermore, the Harvest Moon invantry are back. Between questioning a captured Harvest Moon invatryman, deciphering secret messages taken from attacking goblins, and talking with local inhabitabts, the adventurers piece together what happened. Rebel was captured by the Harvest Moon Invantry and taken prisoner. The Harvest Moon Invantry performed a horrible ritual in an attemp to slay a local goddess. The ritual was only partially successful, spliting the goddess in two halves - law and chaos. Those avatars came to rest in nearby vessles, namely Rebel and a hapless ogre. During a pause in the battle, Baron Diamond inducts five new members into the Borderguard. Fay, Draken D'Averon, Rydith Krychon, Gilead and Tinrax join the team and fight valiantly that night. Now the adventurers strike back in earnest. Cathryn and Fay learn the ritual to reunite Law and Chaos to restore the goddess with some help from Diamond's library of runes. Morgil's clever (but completely truthful) ruse tricks Law and Chaos into standing still long enough for Thundar and Darwin to entrap them in circles of protection, then Cathryn conducts the ritual. Once restored, the goddess gives us the healing power needed to support an assualt on the Havest Moon Invantry's fort as well as the power to slay Colin Tate. The adventurers stage a very difficult assualt on the fort. After a terrible battle in which teamwork and bravery are critical, the adventurers take the fort. In the final moments as the inner defences of the fort crumbles, a very new adventurer bravely breaks through and kills Colin Tate. Only the general of the Harvest Moon Invantry escapes.

King of Rouges - IV - Royal Rumble

Diamond Banecroft Borderguardians Gek and Cathryn observe contenders for the dubious title of "King of Rogues" in the North before rushing back to Banecroft to help investegate suspicous cult activity.

Tournaments of Chiron

Diamond Banecroft Baronials Darwin, Elwick, Brighthammer and Matthew; and borderguardians Twenaria, Gek and Catheryn attend the Tournaments of Chiron. Matthew won the Newbie's tourney. Elwick won both 'Swarm' and 'Spirit and Steel' (the latter partnered with Ender Khye). Mathew also second place in 'Dagger and Archer' (partenered with Gilliam), and Elwick placed second in the 'Hand and a Half' tourney. That night, the embodyment of Murder posessed all of the adventurers, except for certain knights and very new adventurers. Gek and Catheryn were among those left unposessed, and they labored with the knights to save the others.

Idle Hands

Diamond Banecroft Baronials Diamond, Elwick, Auric, Brighthammer, Matthew, and borderguardians Twenaria, Gek and Catheryn journey to an isolated village in need of help. There they learn that minions of the Erl-King have devestated the town, leaving only a handful of survivors. After fighting off increasingly powerful waves of monsters all day, the Apprentice showed up just as dark was falling. He sardonically thanked the adventurers present for being idle all day and allowing him to finish his evil ritual! Diamond believes that while everyone fought monsters in the vicinity of the village, the Apprentice had been hiding deep in the woods working on his ritual. If only we had explored farther afield we might have stopped him. As a side effect of his ritual, he mutated the surviving villagers into avatars of moral failings: Avarice, envy, and two others. The Barony teamed with Seraph to destroy avarice personally. But it was Baba who saved the day, for he somehow learned the secret vulnerabilities of the avatars.

The Reality of War

Diamond Banecroft The next day two warring goddesses split the adventurers in two groups which they forced to fight for their amusement. Diamond, Brighthammer and Matthew fought Elwick and Twenaria. After a long day of tourneying, the gold team which included Diamond, Brighthammer and Matthew was victorious.

The Light of Hope

Diamond Banecroft Baronials Elwick and Brighthammer with borderguardians Twenaria, Gek and Cathryn uncover mysteries and fight monsters. When they are briefly joined by Diamond and Savyne, they discover that someone is trying to take control of the Shadowpack, and that the shadowbeast's old programming to assasinate Diamond is still in effect! Diamond and Savyne depart quickly. The next day, Matthew shows up. They help slay the Banein Theurge.

Darkness Falls III

Diamond Banecroft Baronials Gwendolyn and Elwick, and borderguardian Twenaria battle the Knights of Destruction in Hemenshire.

Nadina Crisis

Diamond Banecroft The dissapearance of 13 Baronial citizens prompts swift investegation. Elwick and Twenaria scount ahead on the western flank, closely followed by a strong force of Baronials and allies. Diamond, Darwin, Auric, Matthew and borderguardians Twenaria, Fey, Gilead, Tinray and Rhydeth journey to the Silent Isle in Nadina lake. There they meet a very old Baronial citizen who remembers the days of Diamond's father, Rhothgar! From a base of operations at his cabin, the adventurers set off in earnest to either rescue or avenge their lost commonfolk. The Harvest Moon Invantry reassert their claim to northern Banecoft, saying that they will consider our further presence a formal declaration of war. Similarly, an emessary of the Troll King demands the adventurers depart. Baron Diamond handles the Harvest Moon Invantry like hostile invaders, but his attempts at diplomacy go far above the goblin emessary's capabilities to handle. Other complications involve a group of adventurers, the brotherhood of the Crimson Lion, who have arrived after being lost in time for years. Also, water elementals are wandering around hoping to return to their home plane. Finally, the adventurers gather hints of a ritual. Nero's divinatory magic strongly indicates that the ritual is required for the planned rescue. The adventurers storm a crypt in which both Diamond and Auric are tortured. It is thanks to Morgil's arcane skills that they are rescued from this gristly fate. The adventurers finally manage to reach the center of the crypt, where Gilead gets a key. In the hands of the old man, the key opens his cubboard, where he discovers a magical artifact from the early days of the Barony. As the adventurers gather the remaining tools to rescue the Baronials, they are attacked by powerful Terrorlings. After a little bit of trial and error, they learn that the Terrorlings are diseased Baronial commonfolk, and when slain, cured, and raised are free. Several Baronials are rescued, but poor counting leaves the adventurers thinking that there are more to be rescued. During this battle Diamond and two other adventurers are scalped. Darwin's keen insight leads him to the culprit, and Nero's spells confirm it. The scalps are returned and the culprit punished. Several Baronials are rescued, but poor counting leaves the adventurers thinking that there are more to be rescued. Following the instructions laid out by mystic runes and Nero's spells, The adventurers battle their way into the crypt again to where the ritual must be done. They believe that the remaining lost commoners are in hell, and that this ritual will open a gate allowing them to enter and rescue them. The ritual is cast by Julia, and a Demon appears. It turns out this was exactly what the Harvest Moon Invantry was hoping would happen. The adventurers slay the demon, albeit with difficulty. Before entering hell through the gate, Diamond prudently uses his knightly power to check that this step is still required. Fortunately, he learns that all the commoners are now out of hell. Nero's spells had been accurate, but in the time since they had been cast the situation had changed. All of the commoners had been Terrorlings, and had been either slain or cured in the earlier battle. Nero uses his remaining intervention on behalf of the slain commoners while Diamond arranges the closing of the gate to hell and the permanent destruction of the Demon's scalp using the unique skills of the brotherhood of the Crimson Dragon.

Interlude

Diamond Banecroft Elwick encounters trouble when traveling with borderguardians Twenaria and Tinray. Weathering ork attacks and a big baddie (whom Tinray slays in honorable combat), the Baronials slay monsters and work dilligently on solving the runes. Unfortunately, their work is to no avail when a newly arrived mage calls forth the power of the gods and quickly wins the treasures.

Queen of Hearts VII

Diamond Banecroft Baronials Diamond, Darwin, Gwen, Elwick, Brighthammer, and Matthew; borderguardians Twenaria, Gek, Catheryn and Tinray supported Gwen for the title of Queen of Hearts! Although outnumbered, Team Gwen fought valiantly! So much so that marshals and generals of opposing teams were very impressed. In the Mage War, Darwin and Matthew executed a decisive surgical strike that won a battle for us. Exel, the Tinkerer newbie did an amazingly subtle and sneaky job in the rigorous RATs tourney. Gwen's clever use of combat raises allowed us to win a Folkestone Challenge battle against Rathkeakle. Elwick single-handedly saved 12+ adventurers from the demon on Sunday. While those rescued did not thank him from their chest of booty, his bravery is celebrated by us. Matthew won the dagger tourney. Diamond got honorable mention for best general. That night, we quested to destroy pieces of a wishing orb which had formed four dark futures. The Barony first quested into the Dark Future of Rathkeale. A sincere attempt at diplomacy degenerated into a desperate battle as undead attacked from every side. Diamond and Darwin organized the suriviors, but it was Catheryn who saved the day, as Artex gave the orb to her, the only one to come right out and ask for it nicely. Next, they adventured in their own Dark Future, where the Barony had grown corrupt as the old Baron stayed isolated from events. There Savyne and the other Baronials pleaded with the old Baron to change things, but it was thanks to a clever trick by Lysis and a yellow-eyed mage that saved the day and gained the orb. Shards of the orb were also gained from the dark futures of Chimeron and Folkestone, and the orb destroyed.

A Bagful of Banein

Diamond Banecroft Lord Elwick, Brighthammer, Matthew, Lt. Twenaria, Cathryn and Gek battle Banein. Among the Banein they helped slay was the one whose minions were swarming in the swamps near Nadina lake, eliminating the threat to that region. Brighthammer Half-Dwarven Aeston coordinated a Strike on few very powerful Banein That had possioned themselves in the Realms. A few were tough, and Aeston had to drink a nasty tasting Banein soul, but we in the end Killed the ones we set up to kill.

Northern Games

Diamond Banecroft Lord Elwick, Brighthammer, Matthew and Lt. Twen attended. Apparently "Ghetto Style" meant that when a tourney started, you could kill your opponents _even_ if they had not heard the starting sign, forcing everyone to stay very alert. Elwick won the Ghettoblade, hand and a half, and spirit+steel tourneys and got 4th place overall; the highest placing among those who eschewed the aforementioned backstabbing. Brighthammer won the eating tourney, which was made more rigorous than it sounds thanks to the raucous heckling they were subjected to. Twenaria won a tourney as well. More important than even such stellar tourneying, Sir Guilliam was restored from the ranks of the fallen.

Crimson Sight

Diamond Banecroft Myrddin, Gek and Catheryn faced Crimsoneye's forces. Myrddin gained valuable leadership experience supporting Sir Lucas by leading elements of the Realms army. Gek and Cathryn succeded in transelating the star rune book!

Festival of Yoma

Diamond Banecroft Lord Elwick, Brighthammer and Lt. Twenaria helped the bleagured town of Yoma banish it's undead namesake. Twen was controlled by a Fox goddess despite Kwartz's efforts to prevent it. Finally freed thanks to Da'oud and Makela, Twen joined the adventurers in attempting to forge a jade sword to banish Yoma. After a chaotic and deadly night battle, the adventurers extricated themselves. Later, thanks in great part to the efforts of Da'oud, Makela and Muggles the jade sword was forged and Yoma banished for another year. During the day's tourneying, Elwick won an unprecidented six tourneys! Namely, the daggers, single short, hand and a half, single men's, florentine, and tiger pit. Twenaria won the single woman.

Black and White Masquerade

Diamond Banecroft Baron Diamond, Lord Elwick, Myrdden, Savyne, Auric, Brighthammer, Matthew, Gek and Catheryn partake of the festivities at the Black and White masquerade. During the day, two threats appear: a group of bandits are causing trouble, and a minor goblin invasion is in the works. The goblins are unique in that they are unusually well organized for their kin, each with an uniform tabard and starting pay. They attempt to lay claim to the land but are repulsed. Meanwhile, the bandits seem to have some sort of connection to the symbolism of playing cards. Their leader (a mysterious "Queen of Hearts") sends a message to a local thief. The bandit's scalps look like playing cards. The dance proceedes as night falls with much romance and feasting. Chimeron court honors Catheryn for her dilligent work on Crimsoneye's runes. Later Diamond, Elwick, Brighthammer, Matthew, and Morgil go on a short quest to help defeat a local menace. They are successful with their phase of the quest. In the final minutes of the Black and White Masquerade, a chance encounter reveals that there are minions of Pathos in Banecroft. A few quick divinations later, they discover that Pathos is attempting to corrupt Banecroft's commonfolk with an insanity plague as part of a larger plot to destabilize the Realms. Banecroft's forces are mobilized, and with invaluable aid from her allies the threat is prevented from getting out of hand.

For the Preservation of Banecroft I

Diamond Banecroft The Harvest Moon Invantry have allied with the local goblins and trolls. Diamond, Auric, Brighthammer, Matthew and Criv reinforce Elwick and Twenaria in turning aside this latest threat. While battling the local monsters, they render humanitarian aid to a diabled member of the Harvest Moon Cavalry. He puts them in contact with Chancellor Ariath who explains that his nation of Illanar was the source of the Harvest Moon attacks. Moreover, that nation was responsable for the death of Baron Hrothgar Bancroft and the fall of the original Barony! Ariath demanded that Banecroft surrender to them, as the first step in their subjugation of the Realms. Baron Diamond refused. Later, the adventurers root out the lair of the new troll king. This troll killed the original Troll King whose respect Diamond had earned. The new troll king did this with support from the Harvest Moon Invantry. A magic amultet provided by them is what brought the new Troll King to power. The Baronial adventurers slew the troll king and gained posession of the amulet.

Winter's White

Diamond Banecroft A political crisis marrs the wedding of Morgil and Julia. Happily, Morgil and Trent set aside their differences and make peace. Diamond, Savyne, Auric, Brighthammer, Matthew and Fay attend. Diamond tasks Fay with a quest to learn about other nations which she completes thouroughly.