Mercenaries of Bitter Peak

Mercenaries of Bitter Peak
Motto
Aurum pro Sanguis.
Country Data
Date	1 DY (Sept 6 '11)
Symbol	White Mountain
Colors	Black and Red
Capital	Bitter Peak, Hex 2402
Alignment
Government	Military Junta
Racial Makeup	Human and Elf Majority; Minority of Goblins and Dwarves.
Leaders
Savalis Uulmshar Varador

The Mercenaries of Bitter Peak is the military junta controlling the large mountainous island in the North and several smaller islands throughout Dargarth. The capital is Bitter Peak. View a list of Bitter Peak members here.

History

Ancient times

It has long been forgotten when dwarves first came to The First Kingdom of Dargarth, but one of their largest and most impressive cities was built beneath the tallest mountain in the land, now called the Bitter Peak.
For hundreds of years, the dwarves under the mountain ruled their lands, but, for reasons unknown, they eventually left. Scholars speculate that they suffered famine due to the encroaching cold from the north, and fled south to more hospitable lands.

Circa 1000 BDY

The empty city beneath the mountain was never fully deserted. Criminals and vagrants settled into dark corners of their own, and, over hundreds of years, a township blossomed again. The once great city of the dwarves was now a ramshackle shanty town full of bandits, cutthroats, exiles, and mercenaries. It was not a happy place.

The Lords of Bitter Peak

The powerful will naturally subvert the weak. It happened here. Several individuals with superb skills of combat, influence, and mysticism came to hold onto positions of authority. They accepted the titles of lords, and agreed to keep peace between each other.
One lord, however, saw the inherent weakness of a divided nation, and started pulling strings and twisting his webs of influence. The twisting lord, Lucian, used his small group of spies to abduct prominent heroes from the surrounding nations, prompting the Lords of Bitter Peak event, where adventurers from all over The First Kingdom slew the other Lords, leaving Lucian the sole ruler.

The Mercenaries

The black flag of Bitter Peak became infamous on the island in the north over the next year.
After encountering the other people of the country, the military started offering their battle expertise for money, and called themselves the Mercenaries of Bitter Peak. This sword-for-hire work has brought even more wealth into the tundra land that this group call home, and they used it to expand. They captured the lands to the east of the mountains, opened up trade routes to the south, and claimed the island to the west.
The ranger, Uulmshar, suggested expanding beyond the immediate area. His spies reported that the Knights of Solaris - the nobles ruling the Isles of Langerhausen - were weak and did not return any diplomatic attempts. With Lucian's approval, Uulmshar gladly lead the rally to gather their men for war, which led to the events of the Day of Two Sieges, where Bitter Peak's forces were torn apart from within.
Betrayal at the battle for the Langerhausen Capital triggered an investigation, which led back to the Bitter Peak council of elders. They were dealt with, and replaced, by Lucian's leading military advisers, Savalis, Uulmshar, and Varador.

Future of Bitter Peak

Having left to rule Sanctuary, Sir Lucian is no longer leading the mercenaries, so the council of generals rule in his stead.
Bogged down in bureaucracy, the mercenary nation in the north has hit a bit of a stagnant streak, with the exception of the occasional exploration party.
Rumors are circulating about fresh claims to lordship.

Current Events

The fall of Langerhausen seems to have spurred the mercenaries into new activity, as they move quickly to secure claim on the island they once before invaded. After rebuilding the Langer capital city they moved outwards, securing in the west the ancient lighthouse and even finding an old castle that had remained unknown to Langerhausen in the south. However as they moved eastwards the Mercenaries encountered a troop of men-at-arms on the plains, and were rebuked.