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Tonnesbridge Vanguard of Monaides
The Tonnesbridge Vanguard of Monaides is a specialized force operating in the Riverdans of Dunstrand. They operate in close conjunction with local and ducal forces to gather intelligence and ensure the movement of information out of the Riverdans. They range over all the Riverdans, and some of the Earldom of Bar-Innis and County Faer of the duchy mostly.
A n c i e n t Blood – A Living World storyline Set in the Grand Duchy of Dunstrand of the [Fantasy] Steel Realms.
Activities: To accomplish their missions, they have a few way points that they keep well fed mounts at. These are used to run messages, packages, escort rangers, knights and functionaries. They all have a breastplate that is a symbol of their valor and service. They wear no medals – instead engraving awards and honors into the breast plate. Mostly they are quiet, and move from one place to another in silence. Security and scouting were the the Queen’s Dragoons specialty – as are the members of the vanguard.
Membership: Applicants for the Vanguard are taken from only inside the Duchy, preference to the Riverdans. Members of this force serve for years as logistics and light field skirmishers in local lords, and on the frontiers as assistants to the ducal guards in pairs. They are used as skirmishers wherever a band of Orrish are tracked as well.
Traditions: The corps are offered Hruba and Feyloise as languages they can learn and become literate in. Each graduating soldier is literate in at least one language. All training commands and routine keywords are learned in these languages as well. The traditional greetings of the members is “Blood is the river we all travel upon.” It is unknown what this phrase is in reference to, perhaps the Riverdans themselves, but it is spoken in both languages in addition to Gladnorian.
- To serve the Lady of Monaides.
- To aid in the defense of the Riverdans when any lady or lord calls.
- To Provide assistance to the Ducal powers of Dunstrand of House Malor; As messengers, escorts, and in defense of the land and family of the Duke.
- Required Background: Military/Soldier
- Code of Conduct: Lawful
- Ideal: (Oath to) Nation/Land/Lord – My city, nation, or lord and their peoples are all that matters. I will hold allegiance to no god, no demon, no spirit above my ladies and lords of Dunstrand – especially those of the independent River Lands.
- Bond: I would lay down my life for the people I served with.
The Tonnesbridge Breastplate: This is a fitted breastplate, emblazoned with the head of [what appears to be a smiling] lioness. All the honors bestowed upon the wearer are stenciled, tapped or filigree by the smiths of Tonnesbridge Villa – where the rosters contain the rank and honors of all members. It is VERY distinctive, and easily identified. In general, these have +1 Resilience.
i20™ Tonnesbridge Vanguard Details
Broken Bond or Ideal: The character cannot gain Advantage on any actions as they are plagued by doubt and guilt.
All: Gain Proficiency: Breastplate; donning the fitted breastplate only takes 1 minute (as if it were Light Armor)
Fighter Class: Any use of Second Wind gains a bonus equal to the character’s Proficiency Bonus while wearing their breastplate. Second Wind can be used as a Reaction while wearing their breastplate.
iCore™ Tonnesbridge Vanguard Details
Chronicle of the Tonnesbridge Vanguard of Monaides
Information Sources: Mundane Reference | Associated Phenomenology Only | Specific Lore
Pervasive Knowledge / Very Easy Difficulty
The Vanguard was formed by the adventurer Belim Hardiven in CY 9150. After Belim’s Rebellion of the Bondeu Riverdan, he and his companions had retired to rebuild the Riverdan and its relations with the others. They were in the midst of a multi-decade quest to catalog and detail the fates of the most ancient families of the Riverdans of Dunstrand. During this time, they had become patriots of the River Lords and Riverfolk, and Belim’s rulership was aggressive in pushing the ideals of the League of the White Lily. Belim lead a retinue of Riverdan warriors against a force of Twin River council supporters and their mercenary forces hired through Cerrans Grant. Belim was killed in the battle, which took place on and old dried up stream bed that was a tributary of the Nanford that once flowed through the area. A small village was founded on the site, named Tonnesbridge after his original soldier’s service.
One of the first 2 hand made banners for Belim’s Right Red Hand hangs in the main hall.
Common Knowledge / Easy Difficulty
Belim chose to attack against a foe that outnumbered him 2:1 in order to draw them away from a town which would have been drawn in as collateral damage. Tonnesbridge is the site of a battle in the Riverdan of Monaides of a dried up stream bed and a collapsed stone bridge that once spanned it. Pursued by enemies, Belim and his companions made a stand at this place – the only place that they could put their backs to. It was spring, and the weather was foul and has been pouring rain. They succeeded in killing many of their attackers and as they attempted to ride out of a muddy gulch, they caused a mudslide that exposed an ancient cave on one bank. The slide buried a hundred of their pursuers and caused the stream to route back to the dry bed they were fighting in. Belim made it out, only to be killed in the final attack – though the battle was considered a draw because of the losses suffered on both side, and the goal of imposing the order of the Council of Cerran’s Grant was lost… Belim accomplished his goal. With him was a force of a half dozen Grollen from families of their kind that had settled in the Altha Hill Country as part of Belim’s efforts.
Those that survived, they witnessed the scene of Belim striking the hillside with the Radiant Ax (used against Sira Kravus Burren in the duel at the end of Belim’s Rebellion) one last time, and causing an earth tremor which precipitated the final collapse. It seemed it was on purpose, and not accidental. The axe has never been found, lost in the aftermath, probably carried away and buried under tons of slurry. Many have searched for it, and none have ever found it. It is mostly forgotten now except by historians.
Uncommon Knowledge / Average Difficulty
In the cave that caused the collapse was a ancient troll lair. In it was a great deal of copper coins – a ton of copper. The site was named Tonnesbridge and a small villa and village was constructed. The commander left alive from Belim’s action were rewarded with land and wealth. They chose to honor his name and memory on the spot where he died (though his body was returned to Bondeu and the Cunaigh family there). The Tonnesbridge Vanguard was founded, and their home is the Tonnesbridge Villa. It has a stables of some 20 horses (almost all Reivians now), and a large hall and smithy. Outside of the stone villa walls is small set of farmhouses, a barracks that holds 40, a tavern, and a couple boarding houses. The Lady of Monaides also poured money into the project, to help move those affected by the stream’s change of flow to the new village around the villa.
Lioness Head: It is said that this device combines the Lion symbol of Rastur, from the famous priest Porthias of lore, and the matriarchal reference to the Riverdans and Belim’s service in the Queens Dragoons.
Scarce Knowledge / Hard Difficulty
There has been repeated claims that the Vanguard members are one of the only means that the lords of the Riverdans interface with House Malor of Dunstrand – never in their short history has Vanguard members betrayed the trust of the Riverdans. Until that day, they are trusted to work with House Malor outside the Riverdans.
Rare Knowledge / Very Hard Difficulty
It is said that there is a group of members that are part of the League of the White Lily and direct some of the group’s actions to directly benefit its causes.