The Path of Kings: February 2017

As time passes and our Heroes continue to play the roles of Rulers of the fledgling Kingdom of Latveria a number of events begin to take shape. Will our Heroes have the where-with-all to handle everything as it unfolds around them?
The following is a listing of Events (in order) that take place in and around the Kingdom of Latveria during this most recent run of downtime. Will our Heroes nation be able to withstand against the unyielding march of time?

Grand Opening: Olympus Medical Center ( Month 18)
Dr. House finally introduces his newest venture to the citizens of Ascension in the form of this state of the art, advanced medical physicality! Olympus Medical Center is the largest and best stocked Hospital anywhere within 500 miles and features individual patient rooms, practical healthcare, and superior patient service for next to no cost to the average citizen!
The completion of The Olympic Medical Center has seen the populace of Latveria swell as it becomes both safer and more affordable for colonists from all around to migrate into the frontier kingdom of Latveria.
Olympus Medical Center also provides regular physical exams and healthcare to the nations rapidly military forces, encouraging even more citizens to sign up to serve General Marshal under King Uldons Banner!

Traveling to Numeria, Land of the Warrior Kings: Uldons Family Ties ( Month 20)
A great ceremony is set to take place, a time honored tradition amongst the Barbarian Clans of fabled Numeria. All clans follow a set of "rules" or proclamations" set forth by the First Men and regarded as the highest form of law throughout the Barbarian Kingdom. One such law from the First Men has caused our Heroes to travel far west from their homes in Latveria so that their comrade Lord Uldon, Breaker of Men can show support to his family within the Iron Lion Tribe!
Killdon, Eldest Son of Hrothgar Slayer of Dragons, and Heir to the Iron Crown Lions has finally reached his 27th name day (birthday). By the traditions of Numerias Tribes Killdon must now either challenge his Father for his place as Warlord of the Iron Lions OR forsake his claim to to throne forever. Uldon knows his brother and is certain that Killdon will challenge his father... and thus die a valiant death in the arena. For both this ceremony and his brothers inevitable funeral Uldon has taken his fellows into Numerias harsh wilderness.
Crossing out of the eastern forest territory of Latveria, you enter Numeria, into the Sellen Hills, an area that Hrothgar has explained to you as a land full of insurrection against The Black Soverign, the barbarian king of Numeria. Although Hrothgar asserted his tribe, The Iron Lions, as the mightest of tribes in the region, he also warned that this would not be a guaruntee of safe passage from other tribes. Riding through the bounding hills, you find the are mixed with patches of soft, low grass and rough scrub, dotted with massive, half-buried boulders of pure of white stone, and the occasional outburst of colossal jagged shards of partially rusted skymetals stabbing up from the earth.

At one point, you re-route your course as you near several of the massive white boulders embedded in the earth. Sitting atop them, you see half a dozen hill giants who spot you, and begin to stand up, guaging your numbers. One of them reaches into a sack, and draws a smaller boulder, every bit as white as the ones they sit on, and hurls it in your direction. It falls short of striking your party, but close enough to make you change course and ride at an accelerated pace.
A herd of dire elk roam the country side, and you ride by the occasional small town, with a few on-lookers eyeing you from a distance, but otherwise the trip remains un eventuful.

High on a hill, you spot the waving banners of Anbessa, the moving tent city of the Iron Lions tribe. Spiked fortifications, bowmen, and the occasionaly oddly shaped "firearm" mounted to a constructed wall display an intimidating array of defenses for anyone foolish enough to attack such a large collection of warriors. Several Iron Lions recognize Uldon, and come out to greet you all, offering you waterskins of water and wine. They cheer Uldon, several of them seemingly on friendly terms with him, congratulating him for tricking the Sword Lords into gifting a kingdom to a barbarian such as he. Walking through the tent city, you see that Uldon's people are every bit as wild as the group that visited Ascension. Men and women, their bodies hard from years of battle and always being on the move, and scantily clad. The tent city has few walls, and the lack of privacy seems hardly a concern for most of the people, who stare at you with a mix of suspicion and amusement. Several members seemed to have even domesticated the tribe's namesake, large, powerfully built cave lions, their pelts ranging from soft grays to very murky colored whites. You pass a crudely designed fighting pit, where two adolescent males engage in wrestling while several others cheer them on.
You come to one of the few walled tents, noticably bigger than the rest, and with several guards. As a flap is pulled aside, you look at barbaric nobility, King Hrothgar sitting on a savagely crafted throne, pelt rugs of various animals (none of them cave lions) decorate the room, eight women, adorned only in jewelry and tatoos sit off to the side,playfully feeding each other food and wine. Several important figures are seated at a nearby table, several maps splayed out on a table, seemingly in the middle of a heated discussion, look up to you as you enter, their faces breaking into wide, gap-toothed smiles.

"My son, welcome home!" roars King Hrothgar

**To be continued...**

Strings of Diplomacy (Month 21-22)
With Grand Diplomat Pcson finally establishing Embassies in both Restov and Varnhold the nation of Latveria has finally gained two strong Diplomatic Allies. The Embassies in both of these neighboring Kingdoms count as Latverian Territory and are watched over by 2 capable Ambassadors in order to see that our Heroes interests are sufficiently met in the allied kingdoms!
In Restov, Pcson has constructed a Noble Villa to serve as an Embassy and assigned a man named Jackson Terick as Latveria's official Ambassador.
In Varnhold, Pcson has constructed a Mansion to serve as an Embassy and assigned a woman named Victoria Montegrue as Latveria's official Ambassador.
With these two Embassies established Latveria's futures look to be stable but can our Heroes maintain and improve upon these good relations? That remains to be seen!

A Rash of Disappearances! ( Month 23)
Reports from both Warden Akiros and Counsilor Yosser claim that a number of citizens have been reported missing throughout Ascension. The City Guard has been unable to uncover any leads on this rash of disappearances thus far but Councilor Yosser believes the reason could magical in some way. As such Akiros has enlisted the help of the Ascension Civic Cabal ( FMMkingmaker/blogspot.com ) in hopes that they can succeed where his men have failed. As of now this matter is well in hand as does not need the direct attention of Latverias fearless leaders... but they should be well informed.

The Path of Kings

Tuesday, February 21, 2017

Events over the 5 months of Downtime ( Months 18-23)

Wednesday, February 15, 2017

Map of the Kingdom of Latveria! (Updated 2/15)