Laterre
and Old Averoigne
by Daniel
Boese
Dimension of Myth
An alternate dimension which has
been visited by Immortals and high-level mortal adventurers on
several occasions, and one which strongly resembles the
multiverse, is called the Dimension of Myth.
The world corresponding to the
Known World in that dimension's Prime Plane is very much like our
own planet Earth as it was in the Middle Ages; each nation and
culture corresponds very closely to a nation and culture of
Earth. However, in that dimension magic works and magical
creatures that are merely mythical here are very prevalent. Like
Mystara,
Laterre is populated by humans and
demihumans, wondrous creatures and savage monsters, familiar
animals and plants. This is the world where the households of
Sylaire and Klantyre (the d'Ambreville and McGregor families and
their dependants) came from before they settled in Glantri on the
Known World. In the land of Averoigne, there was magic, as on
Mystara - but it was forbidden, and its practitioners burned
alive at the stake. In this nation lived the wealthy d'Ambreville
family. Many of the d'Ambrevilles were brilliant scholars, and
some of them were sorcerers. Unfortunately, eccentricity verging
on madness was a common family trait, so it was very hard for the
d'Ambrevilles to keep their magical researches secret.
As a general rule, this dimension
is populated by worlds, creatures, Immortal beings, and themes
which strongly resemble the mythologies of our Earth. However,
these elements, instead of being blended together as they are on
the Known World, are kept separate according to their real-world
cultural backgrounds; for instance, characters will see pegasi
and dryads in the worlds of Greek myth, but never in the worlds
of mythologies where winged horses did not appear.
Averoigne could be part of a
magical Europe around A.D. 1600 in HR4 .
Timeline
of Events
On Laterre:
662.
Marie-Hélène de Montagnevert born.
665. Camille de Montagnevert born.
684. Camille and Michel d'Ambreville marry. Richard d'Ambreville
born.
689. Marie-Hélène and Marcel d'Ambreville marry.
692. Étienne d'Ambreville born.
695. Charles d'Ambreville born.
699. Simon d'Ambreville born.
700. Geneviève de Sephora born.
701. Isabelle Gravelotte born.
707. Magdalène d'Ambreville born. Isidore de Foret born.
709. Michel d'Ambreville, leader of the family, dies in battle;
his wife Camille assumes control of the family.
710. Henri d'Ambreville born.
715. André-David de Foret born.
725. Gaston d'Ambreville born.
Eventually King
Húber the Kind of Averoigne begins to suspect the family and
investigate the rumours of witchcraft. The king's suspicions
would inevitably lead to public exposure, seizure of properties,
and execution. The d'Ambrevilles would have to flee to some less
civilised part of the world to avoid this fate, abandoning their
wealth and sophisticated lifestyle.
But young
Étienne d'Ambreville, an accomplished magician, suggests an
alternative. In his adventures, he'd discovered a way to travel
between worlds. He'd found a land where the d'Ambrevilles might
feel at home. If the family went there, they might not have to
build a new nation out of wilderness, nor was it likely that
their old enemies from Averoigne would ever follow them. After
debating the matter, the family agrees. The world they choose to
flee to was Mystara.
727. Guillaume
d'Ambreville born. Richard marries Isidore de Foret.
728. Étienne creates a magical gate, enabling the d'Ambrevilles
and their dependants to leave the world of Laterre.
During the
final days of the transfer of goods through the magical gate,
disaster strikes. The forces of King Húber the Kind attacked
sooner than expected, and Marcel is killed while valiantly
protecting the rearguard. Marie-Hélène badly injured but
survives.
Étienne
constructed an enormous magical gate between Laterre and Mystara.
While politically adroit allies stalled the king, the most
powerful d'Ambreville magicians transported all the clan's goods,
animal herds, servants, favourite retainers, and treasures across
the barrier. Then they moved their entire castle, Chateau
d'Ambreville, to the new world piece by piece. The king of
Averoigne, alerted that there was unusual activity in the
d'Ambreville's dominion, sent his troops there, but they were too
late. A rearguard commanded by Marcel d'Ambreville held off the
soldiers until the transfer was complete. Although the soldiers
killed Marcel and decimated his warriors, all they found were the
castle's foundations. The d'Ambrevilles had escaped.
On Mystara:
728. The
d'Ambrevilles and their vassals, persecuted in their world of
origin, arrive in Glantri.
743. The d'Ambrevilles bring more settlers from their mysterious
home world. Brannart McGregor and House Crownguard also use this
magical passage to Glantri.
747. The Council
of Lords prohibits the teaching of clerical views or practising
of clerical magic. The penalty for violating this law is death by
burning. The law makes the d'Ambrevilles uncomfortable.
Étienne's brother Simon is a cleric, and most of the rest,
remembering the burnings performed by the Inquisition in Old
Averoigne, have no love of the new law.
979. Petit-Singe manages to open a gate from Nouvelle Averoigne
to the castle in the mists, as well as one of Étienne's old
gates from the castle to the land of Old Averoigne.
A band of
adventurers finds the castle, explores it, discovers its secret,
and travels to Old Averoigne through the silver gate. There they
find the magical items needed and use them to restore Étienne.
Adventurers are
drawn to le Chateau d'Ambreville and break the curse. Étienne is
released from his dormant state. The chateau crumbles into ruins;
all the d'Ambrevilles except Étienne age and die.
Étienne visits
Old Averoigne to see what had happened there since the
d'Ambrevilles left. Little had changed; a new generation of
rulers still hunts magic-users and burnt them as witches. If
anything, the nation is in worse shape than ever.
But he
discovers that an old friend of his, one who had not come to
Mystara, is still alive. Geneviève de Sephora, now posing as her
own great-granddaughter, still rules the territory of Sylaire
from her great tower. She is delighted to see Étienne and weary
of the worsening situation in Averoigne. She makes him an offer
for safe passage into Glantri. She'll help him transport her
entire tower to Mystara for him to live in and help him rebuild
his life. He agreed.
Together, they
move the great tower of Sylaire, carried stone by stone, through
a magical gate back to Nouvelle Averoigne.
Malachie du
Marais comes to Nouvelle Averoigne from Laterre thanks to the
family's magic. Dame Geneviève de Sephora follows hot on his
trail.
House
of Crownguard, Principality of Klantyre
Origins: The
McGregors came from the same world as the d'Ambrevilles, from a
land similar to medieval Scotland. The McGregors arrived in
Glantri when one of them found the d'Ambrevilles' magical gate
(see House of Sylaire for details). Wanted and persecuted for
witchcraft in their own world, many made the transition to this
world, and today's nobles of the House of Crownguard are their
descendants.
These
otherworldly settlers are human - only their culture and accent
distinguish them from Mystarans.
Ties to the
House of Sylaire: After moving a substantial number of people,
the McGregors were unable to keep the gate open. This loss
provoked the anger of the d'Ambrevilles, who also were in the
process of bringing more people over. Since then the
d'Ambrevilles have carried a grudge against the McGregors.
The Houses of
Crownguard and Sylaire have long feuded, the d'Ambrevilles angry
that the McGregors used their magical gateway to reach
Glantri. Crownguard's passage prevented some d'Ambreville
retainers from making it through before the portal closed.
McGregor, Sir
Duncan: This brave highlander had to follow his clan into new
Averoigne, leaving his beloved Scotland behind.
House
of Sylaire (La Maison de Sylaire), Principality of Nouvelle
Averoigne
Origins: The
d'Ambreville family, some of their friends, and their retainers
came long ago from a parallel world similar to medieval France,
where sorcery was forbidden and mages burned at the stake. The
d'Ambrevilles left through a magical gate and settled in Glantri.
However, the clan has never told outsiders details of their
mysterious home.
In the years
following their return to Glantri, the d'Ambrevilles managed to
assist the passage of other spell-casters from their world to
this. These people are now nobles faithful to Sylaire; they, with
many of their servants and retainers, now form a fair portion of
New Averoigne's population. Most speak both Common Glantrian and
French. They were quick to call their new domain "La
Nouvelle Averoigne," and rule it the more to resemble their
homeland. Alas, they brought with them the curse of lycanthropy,
spreading it through New Averoigne's hills.
These
otherworldly settlers are human - only their culture and accent
distinguish them from Mystarans.
Ties to the
house of Klantyre: The d'Ambrevilles accuse the McGregors of
losing one of their /gates/ through negligence. Étienne hated
the members of House Crownguard for using one of the d'Ambreville
gateways to Mystara.
Sire Gilles
Grenier came from Old Averoigne with the d'Ambrevilles when they
opened their portal. He murdered his wife Sabine in a fit of
passion when in Old Averoigne, and now his potions are /cursed/.
Sire Malachie
du Marais is one of the mages who made it across the magical
portal to New Averoigne. Although they both belong to the House
of Sylaire, he is a fierce enemy of Dame Genevieve de Sephora,
who has been stalking him since the times of Old Averoigne.
Dame Geneviève
de Sephora used to be the chatelaine of Sylaire in Old Averoigne.
The
Mansion and the Tower
The Dungeon
Room 125: Storage: Treasure
In the centre of the west wall is a strange object. It looks like
a large gate-like doorway that appears to be made of pure silver.
In it are three keyholes. This is a magical /gate/ leading back
to the other- dimensional realm of Old Averoigne. It requires
three identical special silver keys to unlock.
When three keys
are inserted in the door and turned simultaneously, the gate will
open, revealing a multicoloured mist beyond; characters entering
the mist will appear in a roadside clearing in Old Averoigne.
This is a one-way gate; there is no similar gate in that clearing
to allow return. The companion gate is in a hidden cave on the
old d'Ambreville property in Old Averoigne and may be entered the
same way; it brings characters to a wooded spot just outside
Chateau Sylaire.