Talestria

Freelands of Talestria
Capital	Garthen
Demonym	Talestrian
Government	Kingdom
Ruler	Queen Evaine (during MS 5050)
Population	53,000+ (MS 5050)
Currency	Lune
Resources	Timber, fish, agriculture
Relations	Palmyrion (ally) Bor (ally) Ilion (ally) Dessi (ally) Sommerlund (alliance) Freelands Alliance (ally) Drakkarim nations (enemy)

The Freelands of Talestria is a country in Northern Magnamund. It is a staunch ally of Palmyrion.

History

Early history

The river valleys of Talestria were wrested from the Agarashi during the Wars of Restitution (MS 1660). Talestria began to expand, pushing back agains the Danarg, and established strong alliances with Palmyrion and Bor.

After the arrival of the Drakkarim in MS 2650, they began to raid Talestria via Ogia; with Palmyrion's aid, Talestria has fought against the Drakkarim for millennia. According to Lone Wolf: The Roleplaying Game, Talestria was a target due to its bountiful lands, which powered its fishing and farming industries; the Drakkarim raided and plundered Talestria, destroying its lands and capturing slaves. Talestria then requested aid, and Palmyrion and Bor answered the call; at the Battle of Gornest Valley, the Drakkarim were soundly-defeated.

Its alliance with Palmyrion has endured for a long time, and the two remain staunch allies.

Darklands War

See also: Darklands War

In MS 5060, during the events of The Jungle of Horrors, Darklord Gnaag became Archlord, and the forces of Darkness began to mobilise. Talestria was attacked by Warlord Zegron of Xanar, Ogia, in far greater numbers that Talestria had ever experienced, and Zegron's forces destroyed Luukos. Palmyrion came to Talestria's aid, and the two countries fought struggled to withstand Zegron's assault for three days. The battle was broken when the forces of Bor arrived on the fourth day, and Zegron's forces crumbled. The three forces then marched north, captured Xanar, and continued to advance along the Blackshroud Trail.

By MS 5062, the forces had managed to advance on Torgar, led by Lord Adamas of Talestria, who was aiming to recover enslaved captives at Torgar. Along the way, the forces encountered Giak armies led by Darklords Kraagenskûl and Chlanzor in the Battle of Zuttezna. Although the allies were successful, it came at a heavy cost, with Adamas unsure if he had the strength to assault Torgar. However, as he was too far away from Talestria, and faced with the prospect of reinforcements from Tanoz and Mozgôar, decided to risk an assault on Torgar. At Torgar, Adamas met Lone Wolf, whom he had helped navigate the Danarg two years before. Lone Wolf was seeking the remaining Lorestones, which were stored in Torgar, meaning the two had a common goal.

However, this was a trap by Darklord Gnaag. The Darklords had been confined to the Darklands, as the air of Magnamund was poisonous to them. Gnaag's Nadziranim had managed to create the Tanoz-tukor, allowing the Darklords to operate outside of the Darklands, and at Torgar, just outside of the Darklands, Gnaag revealed himself. As Lone Wolf was about to retrieve the Lorestones, Gnaag blasted him and the Lorestones into a Shadow Gate to the Daziarn, a place where nobody had ever returned from. Spurred on by Gnaag, the forces of Torgar crushed the allied forces, ejecting them from Torgar, and Adamas was slain.

The Darklands forces then marched on Talestria and Palmyrion. An attempted assassination on the new Lord Constable of Talestria was foiled by Paido, who had mysteriously risen from the dead after falling at Torgar with Adamas. On the battlefield, however, the Freelands posed limited threat, with Darklord Chlanzor and his forces alone sufficient to rout both Talestria and Palmyrion. At Phoena, however, Chlanzor met his match in Lord Ardan, who, with the power of the Triple Towers, defeated Chlanzor and forced his army to retreat.

However, this was only a small respite, as the Darklords continued to roam Magnamund. At some point between MS 5065 and MS 5070, Talestria and Palmyrion fell to Darklords Chlanzor and Menashga. The Darklords were finally defeated in MS 5070, during the events of The Masters of Darkness, when Lone Wolf destroyed the Transfusor powering the Tanoz-tukor, destroying the Darklords in turn.

The New Age of War

In MS 5096, Talestria was attacked by a combined Magador-Ogia force, but Palmyrion once again marched to Talestria's aid, and defeated them in the Second Battle of Luukos. A year later, the creatures of the Danarg began to rise once again, and raided Talestria, forcing it to contain them.

In MS 5101, King Haigh V of Sommerlund married Princess Emyla of Talestria. In MS 5102, the creatures of the Danarg began to overwhelm the Talestrian army, reaching the River Kinam and occupying Fort Kazlo and the farming region enclosed by the rivers Tardo, Siyad and Trusk. Palmyrion was unable to come to her aid, as it was itself under attack by the Cener Druids of Ruel, and suffering from a plague inflicted by them. King Haigh V sent three infantry Cassels to help, against the warnings of Lone Wolf, who believed that Sommerlund too was under threat. With a portion of Sommerlund's forces in Talestria, the Nengud-kor-Adez spread to the Mines of Maura in Ruanon, and Archlord Vashna and his undead army marched on Sommerlund.

This section contains spoilers for Light of the Kai.

In the Fehangor of MS 5103, a horde of Agarashi (possibly the same as the above) invaded Talestria from the Danarg, striking all the border forts and towers. Attacks on Fort Niot, Fort Thai, Tower Luun, Fort Loz and Tower Jedas were repelled, but Fort Damlo, Fort Kazlo and Fort Melak fell to the Agarashi. The Agarashi advanced as far as the border with Palmyrion at the Syad Bridges by the Hestangor of that year, where they were defeated in the Battle of the Syad Bridges by Palmyrion and Talestria in the Hestangor. Phoena was also besieged from the east and south throughout the Solangor and Hestangor of MS 5103, but succeeded in repelling the Agarashi.

Geography

Talestria is a large nation that sits north of the Tentarias in Northern Magnamund. It is bordered by Bor and the Danarg to the east, Ogia and Magador to the north, and Delden and Palmyrion to the west. Ilion lies across the Tentarias.

Talestria possesses fertile lands. A vast farming region is enclosed by the rivers Tardo, Siyad and Trusk, and the River Kinam bisects the country.

Politics

Talestria is a kingdom. It has close ties with Palmyrion, as well as alliances with Bor and Ilion. A regiment of cavalry forms part of Queen Evaine's army in Talestria.

Known rulers of Palmyrion

• King Varnos II (MS 1660)
• Queen Evaine (during MS 5000, MS 5050 and MS 5077)

Economy

Talestria once had a fertile northland, but it was destroyed by Ogia. It exports timber, fish and agriculture.

Demographics

In MS 5050, its population was 53,000.

According to Lone Wolf: The Roleplaying Game, its population in MS 5000 was 90,000, of which 53,000 were Vaderish.

In the gamebooks

Talestria is one of the main settings of The Jungle of Horrors. The first arc of this book involves the player, accompanied by Lord Paido, travelling across Talestria to reach the Danarg, where the Lorestone of Ohrido is located. Towards the end of the book, Paido is captured, and is encountered once again in The Dungeons of Torgar.

In Dawn of the Dragons, the player makes a brief stop in Talestria, en route to rushing back to Sommerlund.