The Lands of Brisbane
Forward
The following document has been prepared at the request of Lady Niomi Avendale
by the Royal Historians Guild of Evendarr. Lady Niomi commissioned the guild
to provide her with information about the lands north of the Shimmerglen Forest
known as Brisbane. The material contained within this document is sanctioned
for general dissemination. Regretfully, several scrolls concerning these lands
have been ordered clandestine by the throne. The Guild charter and Evendarrian
law precludes release of any information contained within these documents without
proper consent from the throne.
Lord Theodore Hammin
Senior Guildsman
Royal Historians Guild of Evendarr
February 9, 597 E.R.
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The territory of Brisbane occupies a vast area approximately 20,000 square miles north of the Shimmerglen Forest and east of the River Hadran. The Shimmerglen Forest constitutes the southern fringe of the territory. The border measures perhaps 17 leagues from the northeastern edge of the Shimmerglen Forest on a line north-by-northwest until it meets a spur of the Frostpeak Mountains. The periphery follows this spur of the Frostpeaks northwest-by-west-by-southwest until the range diminishes into foothills approximately 10 leagues east of the River Hadran. Finally, the border follows the course of the river south until it disappears into the Shimmerglen Forest.
The southern region of Brisbane is dominated by wide, rolling fields of tall grass and a large knob of hills. The plains are occupied by a sizable hardwood forest to the north at the foothills of the Frostpeak Mountains, but otherwise remain remarkably flat and clear throughout the region. The western stretch of land along the shores of the river and north of the Shimmerglen Forest is rather arid and rocky terrain, teeming with caves and canyons carved by harsh dry winds, while the remaining grasslands are lush and fertile.
In 139 E.R. a brilliant sage named Cobel wrote an essay entitled "The Malison of Karveki" proclaiming that the territory of Brisbane is cursed. Cobel wandered far past the borders of Evendarr to study the various cultures of Avalon, and eventually reached the plains north of the Shimmerglen Forest. He claims to have found evidence of an ancient civilization called the Empire of Brisbane which once prospered in the region. The uncharted territory was dubbed Brisbane by the throne due to Cobel’s findings.
The sage speculated that the great dominion of Brisbane was annihilated centuries before the throne of Evendarr was established in a terrible war with a horde of Barbarians from the Frost Peak Mountains. Undoubtedly, these are the ancestors of the very same Barbarians which occupy the region today. Cobel insisted that a terrible curse also had a hand in the ruin of this once mighty empire, and that this curse will plague the region for eternity. Cobel became a raving lunatic shortly after completing the composition, and as such his work has been discounted by most scholars.
Many historians are convinced that the legendary palace of Xzaven, an enchanted alcazar of gold and jewels, lies somewhere in the northern region of Brisbane. Many fortune hunters have headed off into these lands seeking the riches and magic of Xzaven through the centuries. Most of these adventurers have never returned, but some have resurrected at Earth Circles in Elysia and Niman telling horrible tales of their trouble in the plains. Many of these stories are greatly exaggerated, but it is clear that the region is quite dangerous and inhospitable to strangers.
The plains of Brisbane are home to the Northmen Barbarians known as the Snake Nation. The Snake Nation is comprised of many Barbarian clans, and are among the most fierce warriors found anywhere on Tyrra. Guild records indicate that they once numbered almost one hundred thousand strong spread across the Northlands. The Barbarian numbers have diminished in countless wars with Niman and Evendarr, and current estimates place their population at no more then forty thousand.
During 429 E.R., an expedition into the region of Brisbane was lead by a royal knight named Lady Katherine Galenson. Lady Katherine was searching for the Hadran Empire at the request of Queen Katherine Endarr, and diverted her course north after discovering the ancient Nimani city of Gorm Kherz. The Nimani people told her that Gorm Kherz was once a military outpost of the Hadran Empire, and they suspected that the dominion still existed somewhere north of the Shimmerglen Forest. The expedition departed Gorm Kherz in the Summer of 429 following the course of the River Hadran northward, and all communication with the group was lost shortly thereafter.
Derris Snapdragon, a young Hobling wizard who had accompanied the expedition, resurrected at the Royal Academy of Arcane Arts and Sciences during the Autumn of 431 E.R. He had suffered his third death at the hands of Barbarians which had been battling Lady Katherine’s expedition for almost two years. The Barbarians, which Derris disdainfully referred to as "Wilders," had been targeting him for casting celestial magics. Derris resigned from the Royal Army after giving a detailed report of the expeditions movements.
Derris reported that the group encountered the Stonewood Dwarves of the Lonestance Peaks on there journey northward, an area which now falls within the Duchy of Elysia. Lady Katherine found these Dwarves to be an amiable people and bartered for additional supplies. The Dwarves warned of the Barbarians which lived in the plains north of the Shimmerglen Forest and of the various Orc clans which had been at war with the Oak Wood Elves for centuries. The Dwarves had no knowledge of the Hadran Empire so Lady Katherine pressed northward into the plains.
The Snake Nation Barbarians soon discovered Lady Katherine’s expedition and attacked forthwith without any provocation. Lady Katherine was determined to accomplish her mission, and would not be turned back by these savages. Unfortunately, nightly raids and bloody skirmishes were depleting resources and making further advancement northward impossible. Derris reported that he suffered his first death in one such nightly raid attempting to prevent the Barbarians from stealing a wagon of supplies.
Lady Katherine established a stronghold called Fort Galen in the southeastern region of Brisbane during the Spring of 430 E.R. The settlement fought off numerous Barbarian attacks and continued to gather information about the territory. Progress was slow, and the Barbarians continued their unrelenting assault through the Summer. Derris suffered his second death in a Barbarian raid defending the Resurrection Stone (one of many enchanted slabs of granite used to resurrect dead spirits; the Resurrection Stones were quite useful as they could be transported; unfortunately these artifacts lost all enchantment during the Great Celestial Change of 591). He resurrected on the stone in the middle of the battle and continued to fight until the Barbarians finally retreated.
Derris stated that the Barbarians withdrew for several months to lands beyond the River Hadran after this last defeat. The expedition explored the territory of Brisbane during their absence and located some ancient ruins in the northern reaches. Unfortunately, the Barbarians returned by the following Autumn and launched a massive offensive in which Derris suffered another death at their hands. The Resurrection Stone was surrounded by these savages so Derris decided to resurrect elsewhere.
Lady V'ktara Solonori, a Stone Elf templar, had a mysterious dream on New Year's Eve, in December of 431. Lady V'ktara had earned considerable distinction as a scrupulously just Magistrate of Evendarr, and her wisdom and logic was seldom questioned by the throne. The vision compelled Lady V'ktara to travel north and seek out her close personal friend, Lady Katherine. Her Majesty Queen Katherine reluctantly granted Lady V'ktara leave to pursue this vision quest, and she departed alone two days later, without much fanfare.
Lady V'ktara returned late September of 432 carrying a small child wrapped in bundle. The child, as sworn by the Lady Magistrate and witnessed by Lord Ambrose, was entered into the Royal Archives as the true daughter of Lady Katherine Galenson. Lady V'ktara reported that the settlement of Fort Galen was prospering and they had managed to create a permanent Earth Circle at the site. Lady Katherine was in good spirits when last they spoke, and her search for the Hadran Empire had resumed in earnest.
Reports indicate that the settlement flourished for several years, and many people flocked to the area to seek their fortune. Unfortunately, all contact with the settlement of Fort Galen ceased during the Spring of 438. A search party lead by Sir Walter Groomswald departed Evendarr City during the Summer of 439. The search party returned during the following Autumn and reported that the settlers had vanished without a trace. The fort was in considerable disrepair and the Earth Circle had been destroyed. The fate of the lost settlement remains a mystery to this day.
Between the years of 512 and 537, reports reached the throne that a successful bandit army was staging raids on the surrounding regions. Their base of operations was suspected to be within the Wastelands of the Robber Barons, along the River Hadran, but it’s exact location was never discovered. The bandit leader was so successful that he was eventually labeled The Prince of Thieves, and no one could attest to his exact description. Eventually, the well planned ambushes stopped without explanation. Fortune hunters continue to search the Wastelands for the prince’s secret stronghold, in hopes of finding the vast wealth of stolen plunder hidden there.