The Tale of the First King

‘I am sure you all know the story of the Vagrangian  Horde, although what is myth and what is history is difficult to determine. Before the Enlightenment and rule of the Commonwealth, when this land was a petty squabbling of small kingdoms in a sea of barbarians, there came a great war. A warrior-king named Uralsk Khan, having conquered and salted his world, sought new tribute and sacrifice on ours. They say he used his own sword to cut a hole through the material that separates the planes, and he lead his horde of warriors through the tear, leaving his own world a burning, desolate waste behind him. Uralsk Khan began immediately his work again, sending his horde from Frisia in the east to far beyond the Vandal kingdoms in the west. His Warriors were dauntless, fearless, who took such glee in their slaughter that they would butcher surrendered cities without a second thought. The world burned for years, before the Lords of the Pre-commonwealth met at what is now the capital and pledged to band together to defeat the Vagrangian Horde. The early commonwealth suffered many defeats at first, but soon a Charismatic Lord, Jan Henryk Dabrowski, who would become our first king, argued that the armies of each lord should be brought together in a united force, rather than acting independently. The other lords were not too happy with this idea, as each wanted to be the one to defeat the Vagrangian horde alone, and so they continued to launch attacks independently, and be destroyed in turn. In this way, The Vagrangian horde spread across the lands of the commonwealth, until the only bastion that remained was Zentrum, the Capital, the city of Jan Henryk Dabrowski. Knaz Dabrowski was the only lord who had not yet attacked the Khan, and so when the other lords brought their defeated armies into Zentrum, they accused him of treason. Why had he not shed his blood for the commonwealth? They asked. Why did he expect them to to fight and die if he was not willing to do so, they asked. As Uralsk Khans armies appeared before Zentrum, Knaz Dabrowski had his cavalry rally at the gates, and all the other lords turned to Jeer at his men, who they said were babes not yet off their mother's milk, who has never seen battle against the Khan. Knaz Dabrowski once again asked the lords to pool their men together to defend the Capital, and when they asked who would be the commander of the Commonwealth army, Knaz Dabrowski proclaimed, ‘It shall be me, for of us all I am the only one who has not thrown men away in pride.’ The Other lords laughed, at him and began to argue amongst themselves who should lead the army, and Knaz Dabroski calmly asked the congregation, ‘If I am not to command the Army of the Commonwealth, I have no business in the commonwealth.’ and left. None of the other lords took notice of him, and so Knaz Dabrowski left the city with his cavalry, it’s number taking up a whole two-thirds of the remaining forces of the Commonwealth. That night, the Lords had still not come to a decision on who could lead the army, and once they realise Knaz Dabrowski had left, they branded him a traitor to the commonwealth, and resolved to have him executed as soon as the Vagrangian horde were destroyed.

That morning, Knaz Dabrowski rode back into Zentrum with his cavalry, their armour blood-splattered and the eyes tired. Knaz Dabrowski threw the doors to the great hall open, and immediately the lords called for his arrest, for desertion in the night. Knaz Dabrowski stood before them as the guards approached him, and threw a sack to the ground. From the sack rolled the head of Jochi Khan, the son of Uralsk Khan. Knaz Dabrowski gestured to the head and proclaimed, ‘It is not I who is traitor to the commonwealth, It is these lords who would let her burn outside even as the argue amongst themselves. Execute me if you wish, but know that with my head, so falls that of the Commonwealth.’ The Guards were unable to move, and Knaz Dabrowski left the Lords of the Great hall behind to address the army, and proclaim that it was time for the army to come together - not as men as this or that house, but as men of the commonwealth, to vote for their leader. Despite the protestations of the lords, Knaz Dabrowski was voted the first King of the Commonwealth. With all the armies of the commonwealth behind him, Knaz Dabrowski pushed the Vagrangian horde away from Zentrum. He gathered all the wizards of the land and together they defeated the Horde, Trapping Ulrask Khan and his Great Horde deep underground, where it is said they remain to this day

So goes the story. The true site of the final confrontation between Ulrask Khan and the first king of the commonwealth has remained a mystery for hundreds of years, but we have known is is somewhere across our current border in Vandal territory. A temple, now lost, was built on the site, and it is said that Ulrask Khan remains there, trapped inside. His final words were a promise to Knaz Dabrowski that one day he would return and take Zentrum, and it is said that Until Ulrask Khan fulfils this promise, he remains Immortal.