Over 900 years ago, a great and mysterious rift appeared separating the continent of Palymidia. As a result, contact with the other side was made impossible for all this time…
Penned on June 23rd, of 1206
The history of Travance starts with its namesake. It all started four years ago when a commoner by the name, Jonathan Travance rescued the King’s daughter from her hideous captors. In the process of rescuing the Princess, this commoner had also discovered a series of caverns deep within the rift were the two sides meet, making passage to the other side once again possible. The King granted this commoner the noble title of Baron and as a reward quested this man to claim land on the other side of the rift in name of the Kingdom of Kormyre. The King sent his diplomatic advisor Klarington Everest to accompany the Baron to this new land and teach him the ways of etiquette becoming of nobility. Klarington would act as the Barons advisor, and would report all news of their progress back to the King. Within a years time the first caravan crossed the rift filled with farmers, tradesmen, guards and adventurers. After a treacherous two-week journey through the rift, they reached the other side and within many hours they found the ruins of an old, abandoned town. For the next many months they chased away the local monsters, and rebuilt many of the structures left in ruin. Within these few months, all sorts of people began to travel to this newly discovered land, some seeking fame and adventure through exploration, some seeking to be part of history in the making, and some simply seeking to start a new life in a new land. This was the beginning of the Barony of Travance…
"Year One" (1198)
Surrounding the town of Travance was many hostile goblin tribes. In the midst of wiping out one of these tribes known as the Brok’tog clan, the town found the goblins worshiping a brightly glowing gem. Later on in the year it was discovered to be a Healing Focus, a tool used by healers to resurrect the dead. This newfound treasure was a milestone in Travance’s development, it allowed healers to bring the dead back to the living, and thus the town became a more formidable opponent for those evil forces that surrounded it and sought to reclaim the land.
An undead alchemist, necromancer, named Uton Alexander claimed that the land was rightfully his property and attempted to reclaim it with evil hostility. He was a Lich and controlled the forces of the undead, making Travance a very unsafe place to be after dark. The Baron ended up placing a curfew on his citizens, forcing them to lock themselves in their homes after dark for their own protection. Many brave adventurers took up arms again Utons oppression, and the battle with Uton lasted many, many months before he was finally defeated in his lair and his phylactery destroyed in sunlight and holy water.
Near the end of the year the Baron Travance was stricken with a dark illness brought on by the bite of an unknown undead creature. For many months the Baron was incapacitated and thought to be possessed by dark forces, but with the aid of a physician he finally overcame the disease and was brought back to health.
"Year Two" (1199)
Year two saw many strange monsters invading Travance, including a plague elemental, an illithid, an ice spirit and even a mummy. One by one the brave citizens of Travance successfully defeated these creatures to defend their home.
In the middle of the second year Baron Jonathan Travance mysteriously disappeared. He was last seen with his advisor Klarington Everest who was helping him to complete noble reports. Klarington left the barons side to visit the quartermaster shop and upon his return the Baron was gone. To this day his disappearance remains a mystery, and it was soon after this tragedy that Klarington was called back to the King’s side to negotiate peace with a neighboring kingdom that verged on war.
Near the end of the year a new ruler of Travance was crowned. Lord Corum from Loez was sent to take the place of the absent Baron and rule as lord of the lands of Travance. There was a great gathering and ceremony upon his arrival and the people were fast to embrace their new lord… but alas within only one month, the new Lord was slain by horrid beasts, and so once again the Barony of Travance fell into disarray.
"Year Three" (1200)
Many months had passed and finally the Kingdom sent the Duke of Kormyre to Travance. For six months he restored order to Travance. The lands of Travance expanded and three lords were made, Lord Geoffrey Le’Thresher of Alisandria and Lord Gallamah Treston of Pendarvin and Lord Kashmire Swan of Rowinna.
Alas as the strange curse of Travance continues… its leader once again disappeared. The Duke left leaving only a message of his intention to face an adversary known as the dark queen. This dark queen was a threat to the people of Travance, and while the duke seemed sure he could stop this threat, he somehow knew that he would not survive the battle… and thus once again leaderless the barony quickly fell into chaos.
The very next month the king got news of the Dukes demise and sent his diplomatic advisor, Klarington Everest to act as Baron of Travance. The Baron Everest quickly continued expansion of the Barony and named a new Lord Altarus of the province of Dreaga’Mire. Lord Geoffrey also was called to the king’s side and was forced to forfeit his lands, leaving his apprentice to be named the new Lord of Alisandria, Lord Garrison Corvin.
Near the end of this year more changes in power took place Lord Altarus was found to be a force of evil and was destroyed. Lord Swann also fell from the Baron’s favor and was stripped of lands and title, replaced by Lord Mortugana who renamed the lands Kaladonia. The lands of Dreaga’Mire was quickly claimed by a neighboring evil Kingdom known as Markovia. Markovia was the first signs of another intelligent civilization on this side of the rift, but by all appearances they were unmoral, selfish and dark in demeanor.
"Year Four" (1201)
In the third year there were two major enemies that the town faced. The Kingdom of Markovia and the Vampire Lord Pesmerga of Alok Malagan, an undead necropolis that hailed northeast of Travance. In the final battle with Pesmerga into the fourth month of the third year the vampire lord was defeated, but on the battlefield laid the body of their Baron Klarington Everest. Upon further examination it appeared as though no life signs were visible, however strangely his spirit remained trapped in his dead body. He was rushed to a holy site were the greatest medical attention was given to him. But all attempts to bring him back to life failed… he was dead and alive at the same time, but for all intensive purposes the Barony was once again leaderless. A will was soon discovered written by the barons hand that stated upon his death Lord Corven of Alisandria would inherit the Barony.
Within the same month Lord Corven inherited the Barony and became Baron Corven. This Baron was a paladin and brought the experience of goodwill to the noble chair. For the rest of the year Baron Corven became loved by the people of Travance and helped to bring the land through its darkest times and into the light. But secretly unbeknownst to the citizens, Baron Corven did not desire his position, and wished deeply for the return of his predecessor and father figure Klarington Everest. When a glimmer of possibility crept into his view of the old Barons return, a secret team was assembled who’s mission was to restore Klarington Everest to his normal state.
"Year Five" (1202)
This year would be known as a year that a great cataclysm occurred. A powerful astral being known as the dark rider threatened the very course of the future through the will to release a dark and powerful entity that exists trapped deep beneath the soil of Travance. The team had achieved its goal of restoring Klarington’s spirit, but he lay unconscious for many days and missed the great events that transpired… and a chance to say goodbye to one that he considered a son. Baron Garrison Corven, who wielded the demon slaying sword Agravain slayed the dark rider in an apocalyptic battle between good and evil. The dark rider delivered a killing blow to the Baron as it died, and both icons of good and evil fell forever silent. Mixed emotions clouded the land. A great happiness for the world was safe from danger, but a great sadness for their beloved Garrison Corven was taken from them as a sacrifice, and finally confusion as to what cataclysmic effects would transpire from the result of the dark riders death…
Soon after strange occurrences transpired, including the unlikely death of the King of Kormyre and his two closest companions, the unexplainable loss in power of many great individuals… and an indescribably air of nervousness that blanketed the lands. Some look at others with a raised brow and a whisper of dark rumors and accusations float about like wildfire. No one seems to know what’s happening, and most either do not notice it... or pretend not to. It cannot be named, but it can be felt every were and in even the bravest of hearts creep a feeling of the unknown.
Two months later Klarington Everest regained full consciousness and power. He rose to reclaim the Barony of Travance and plans to see the lands through its new year… a year of uncertainty.
On the fourth month of the fifth year, the armies of Markovia were defeated and the lands reclaimed by Travance, under the care of its newest Lord Valon Su’Tehk. This same month, a war broke out between Travance and New Gaaldron. After two weeks of war Kellindell Starsong was able to successfully bring together negotiations of peace that ended the fighting and set a date for the two kingdom's to meet and resolve any disputes.
"Year Six" (1203)
The year of the Grand Betrayal.
The year of twelve hundred and three was to be one of the most deceptive and shadow laden years of recent known history. Though there was great promises of the Barony growing in strength thanks to the aid of Quinyarian and Calasvorian diplomats, and the renewed vigor of our Baron Klarrington Everest, it was to be only a precursor to the most dreaded of days.
First it came to us in portents of Karma enacted against those the town did love and value. The Baron lost a young man who he cared dearly for, a young scholar by the name of Benjamin, who was due to marry a girl named Isabella, who sought refuge away from Duke Balliol of Kormyre's contracts of courtship. Stolen from our grasps by a vile black sorcery poisoned bolt, Benjamin's plight would not be unlike our own as a town.
Then the plagues fell upon us. Creatures manifested of pure vileness of filth corrupted our water supplies and poisoned the minds and bodies of many of our towns members. Only through enacting a grand ritual of purification were the forces of Travance able to repel this beasts and remove the taint of disease at least temporarily from the wintry land. Little would we know the true cancerous disease which spread through our town unchecked and unwatched.
The rise of the horde then came against our front doorstep yet again, the brutish forces of the northern Goblinoids marching on Travance from the wilderness. These forces, backing a champion who called himself Eulrog, crushed all in their path and brought with them a weapon which was discovered to be able to crush even the most potent of mystical barriers like they were flint wood. The forces were ultimately driven back with the help of Emissaries from New Gaaldron who were as surprised as anyone by these attacks. Sadly, even the help of our neighbors would not be able to prevent the disaster coming ahead.
From the shadows, the creatures of the night returned once more, though not in the forms we were so familiar with of the past. No, for this time, we fought were-creatures and vampires who's faces had remained unseen in Travance ever before, and had been locked away for eons in the darkest of places. The shadows were rising and the very stars themselves began to reveal that there was darkness lurking now around every corner.
A brief glimmer of hope and good will came to Travance in the form of the Grand Kormyrian Games, sponsored by Lord Willoughby of Wolfhaven. His games showed that Travance had finally been recognized as a major player upon the Kingdom's stage and several champions were chosen to go on and compete in the Kormyre wide games. This glimmer only came a moment before the shadows would show their true intent and the decent into madness among some of our most important towns members would manifest in acts of depravity and greed.
The Noble Baron Klarrington Everest, wise beyond all days, fell to the blade of an assassin in the night. It was later discovered that it was his own lords and nobles who had plotted his demise in an effort to overturn the power of Travance, villainy of the worst kind from the lands of Drega Mire once again. The town was scattered and bickering amidst themselves in the power vacuum, and it looked as though no one could bring the town once more together in unity under the Baronial flag. Word was given from Kormyre that a new Baron, Baron Duncan Inverness, would take the charge of Travance's prosperity and safety. With his assistance, the town slowly pulled itself together once more, though deep mourning would linger for many months to come. Some even to this day mourn openly the loss of Baron Klarington Everest.
With the coming of autumn, Travance, too, changed her colors. For the first time, the people of the eastern kingdoms met one of the lost races of the west, the Moon Elves. These elves, who bore an indigo colored skin, informed us of the coming evil of shadow creatures which wished to feed on a substance known only as "Glammor". These magical anchors were found within the ancient groves of the moon elves, but were being slowly eroded away. With the help of the people of Travance, the Glammors were transplanted from the ancient and dying Moon Elven grove to the Druid's Grove of Travance, as well as scattered to some of the other safer, less traveled places of the Barony.
Deep within the month of October, a scholar from the Bedouin lands came to us. This Katta had been part of an archeological expedition that had fallen foul of some great and ancient curse. It was only mere hours after his arrival that the full power of this came to bear against the people of Travance. We learned that every town this Scholar had stopped in had been decimated by these strange creatures. Through the tenacity of Travances citizens, the curse was lifted and the souls of these foul creatures dispatched to the guiding hands of Galladel.
In November, a joyous festival was held. Jubilee of Annunciation, or the rise of the Golden Light as some refer to it. The Festival grounds once more were opened to the citizens of Travance, and the Cardinals of the churches of Valos, Galadel, Andorra and Gaia all came to investigate the most pious of individuals within Travancian society. With all their wisdom, they chose that the by the divine graces in her, Bishop Faith Starsong should become the new Arch-Bishop of Travance. A new dawning of light in the lands of Travance, and the coming of a great era where the churches of light work under one leadership.
At the closing of the year near the time of the coming of Yule, the true power of Travance's faith shone through the darkened nights. The great houses of the Underdark were in turmoil and upheaval as a civil war ripped through the many caverns and caves of the underdark. Bargains written between demons and drow of ages past came to fruition and the demons turned against their once allied compatriots. In a desperate attempt to reclaim their power, many drow assaulted the forces of Travance, hoping to gain ground, literally, through the spilling of mortal blood. Using a strange portal linked to the plane of shadow, the drow left a bloody swath through the citizenry, killing many beloved towns members, some passing on finally to Galladel's embrace. Thanks to the great heroism of several of the town's most upstanding citizens, the drow were attacked while they were least prepared, weakening them for the final assault that came that evening, where the town thoroughly drove back the foul creatures of the shadows. For the first time in years, Travance could sleep well knowing that no Drow created evil would befall them that night.
