Nine rings
of silver from the mightiest of Mages
To nine
others he gave
One to the
other, one to the one
One for
remembrance
The other
to hold
Two rings
of silver went to the Dwarves
To guard
in their holds
One to the
slayer, one to the seat
One taken
in battle
The other
enthroned
Two rings
of silver sent to the Elves
To be in
their care
One to the
flame, one to the fuel
One
arrived safely
The other
was lost
Two rings
of silver to the King and the Queen
To far
apart lands
One to the
summer, one to the winter
One rest
in water
The other
in ice
Two rings
of silver given to the Counts
To hand to
their sons
One to the
follower, one to the first
One
entombed with shame
The other
is not
One ring
of silver to the Emperor of Men
To wear as
a badge
One to the
seal, one to the crown
One to
protect
The other
from harm
One book
of leather bore the mightiest of Mages
To record
his tale
One to the
tower, one to the lore
One to
remember
The other
to forget
A Realm Divided
Ostland, the northeastern most realm of the Empire, is during the best of times plagued with dangers. To the north lies Kislev bordered by Troll Country and beyond that the mysterious Northern Wastes of Chaos. Each spring the winds bring Norse raiders from across the Sea of Claws and brigands from Kislev. Within its borders is the dim and twisted Forest of Shadows, home to marauding Chaos warbands, savage Orcs, and human rogues. Dividing Ostland is the Middle Mountains, home to Troll, Giant, Orc, Beastmen, and Barbarian. These constant threats have bred a hardy, self-reliant race in the realm of Ostland. And leading these hardy folk has been the line of the von Raukovs, tough warlords whose constant vigil has protected the Empire’s northern borders since the Great War against Chaos.
But these are not the best of times and the threats to Ostland are worse then even the oldest gran can remember. Each day brings a new threat and it is all these battle hardened folk can do to stem the rising tide of corruption issuing from forest, mountain, and beyond their borders. Valmir von Raukov, Elector Count of Ostland, can feel the hands of Chaos reaching into his lands ripping it apart. Orc and Beastmen hordes, Skaven and Chaos warbands, Kislevite and Mountain brigands, Dark Elf and Norse raiders all plague his land. Old men whisper around the fires at night that even the restless dead have begun to leave their graves to walk again and take vengeance upon the living.
Worse yet Ostland is now a land divided. Faced with overwhelming threats the noble houses and burgomeisters sought aid from southern mercenaries. Many answered the call and marched northwards leading troops of hardened sell swords. Among these mercenaries came Voland, rumored to be the bastard son of a noble and famed leader of the Knights Venerator, to the town of Ustberg. Valiantly he and his men led the local garrison and free companies against each threat. With each successful battle Voland’s prestige grew until and more men flocked to his banner. The citizens came to feel that the Elector Count in Wolfenberg was to far away to protect their lands and that their taxes would be better spent supporting their own armies. Offering Voland the office of Lord Protector, Ustberg and the surrounding countryside has declared its independence. Von Raukov has vowed to crush this rebellion and bring Ustberg back into his domain. Civil war has become just one more threat to this strife plagued land.
The Hand of Chaos
The unusual number of threats now facing Ostland is not happenstance nor are they isolated. Rather they are part of something greater, a plot to throw the Empire once again into discord. The Winds of Chaos again blow across the land bringing corruption in their wake. Throughout the Empire whispers of past wrongs and slights renew ancient rivalries. But the Winds of Chaos blow farther and the tentacles of the dark gods reach beyond the Empire’s borders. Wealthy merchants in Brettonia speak of the rich woods in the Loren Forest that have been denied them and knights lament wars lost to the Empire. The Boyars of Kislev speak of the wealth of the Empire and that once they almost conquerored it. Elven minstrels satirize the greed and stubbornness of the Dwarves, and the insatiability and stupidity of humanity. And in Dwarven Holds the Books of Grudges are constantly turned to the pages recounting Elven treachery.
Though Ostland has become the focal point for the plans of the Chaos Gods; all of the realms of mortals have become a seething cauldron ready to erupt. As ancient allies turn upon each other with distrustful eyes the plots and preparations of the Chaos Gods go largely unnoticed. Everywhere the forces of darkness grow stronger, hatching plots, and making probing attacks. And many of those who have not succumbed to the seductive whispers of the Chaos Gods have still become unknowing pawns in the their grand design. But to bring their ultimate plans to fruition the Chaos Gods require ten ancient artifacts for which they desperately seek.
The Rings of Alliance
Before even the memory of the Elves the Old Ones traveled between worlds through the use of Warp Gates. The cause behind the destruction of their inter-stellar Empire and much of their knowledge is lost in time. However, the Book of Gates survived and in time came to be in the possession of the servants of Chaos. With it they learned the necessary spells to craft nine rings, one to channel each of the eight Winds of Chaos and one to bring order to those forces, that could be used to open and control Warp Gates. With these rings they could fully reopen the Warp Gates allowing Chaos unrestricted access to this world. But to their dismay they learned that the rings could only be fashioned and used by one untainted by the corruption of Chaos. Through guile and deception a young Loremaster studying in the White Tower of Hoeth came to believe he had discovered the secret to destroying the Warp Gates. For decades he labored in secret fashioning the nine silver rings and perfecting the spells necessary to use them. When all was ready he recruited eight champions to accompany him on a quest to close the northern Warp Gate.
The nine battled, to their surprise with little difficulty, to the borders of the Northern Waste where the Loremaster began the casting of the necessary spells. But their efforts were doomed from the start. The young Loremaster’s knowledge was flawed for he was the unwitting pawn of Chaos and his decades of preparation were in vain. As the last spell was completed the Warp Gate opened further and the Northern Waste rapidly expanded engulfing the nine within its borders. These nine champions were caught within the suddenly expanded Realm of Chaos. Warped and corrupted by their exposure to the forces of Chaos they were reborn as champions of the very Chaos Gods they had hoped to destroy. The nine who had sought to vanquish Chaos now led its minions south in conquest.
When the Siege of Kislev was lifted the nine rings were discovered by the elven mage Teclis. His study of them revealed their purpose and further research led him to discover that the Book of Gates existed. Realizing both the importance and danger represented by the rings he chose to hide the knowledge of their true purpose. However, he was reluctant to destroy them as he hoped to discover the Book of Gates and use them to close the Warp Gate. He came upon an ingenious plan to hide the rings among the greatest leaders of the time as mere tokens of the alliance that had saved the world from Chaos. With the rings safely headed for the distant corners of the world Teclis could then begin his quest for the knowledge to use them.