In our final entry into the Sarpadian Empires, Vol III. we shall look more in-depth at individual places, people and things that made up the denizens of Sarpadia. The following are some familiar and not so familiar names and places. Perhaps the name came from one mere flavor text, or a mention in an obscure source, but regardless it made up the essence of Fallen Empires. I left out one major source as it's canon is highly suspect seeing as it involved dragons and lots of things never shown to be on Sarpadia, but I digress.

If you enjoy lore read on, if not read anyway. Cause baby, at the end there's a contest!

Cave-Stormers
[Blank Image]
Cave-stormers were described as a creature composed of a central mouth ringed with razor sharp teeth surrounded by eight legs that could charge through orc caves, turning anything it met into a meaty red vapor without decelerating. Thrulls created this variant in order to seek out cowardly Orcs hiding in the Crimson Peaks.

Citadel of the Ebon Hand
[Blank Image]
The Bastion of the Ebon Hand. It's true name and location isn't known, but it may possibly be Achtep Keep located in the Western Swamps. Ritual sacrifices and Thrull breeding are among the highlights to found here.

Endrek Sahr
The master breeder of the Thrulls. Endrek's exact method isn't known, but it's quite possible he stole Phyrexian technology to create them. What we do know is using Black mana he infused dead flesh with life - not to be confused with Zombies who are Undead. This is the living dead...wait....dang it.

Endrek Sahr is a prime mover and shaker of Sarpadia who would start with the simple Basal Thrull and continue on. His works spanned far and wide in the attempt to create the ultimate Thrull. Unfortunately, his masterpiece the Derelor would tax the Ebon Hand resources to the point that Sahr himself would be executed for his failure. Yet, he's rumored to be alive and well thousands of years later - peculiar!

Ivra Jursdotter
[Blank Image]
Ah to be a mercenary in the Ebon Hand. It comes with all the perks and best of all no ritual sacrifice of a hand. Sadly, you have to wear icky Thrull flesh as armor. This may be the very reason why Jursdotter when sent to aid the Dwarves, decided to join the Orcs and Goblins instead.

Jherana Rure
[Blank Image]
No one likes a Thrull, especially Jherana. When the Thrulls rebel, she's who the Ebon Hand looks to in order to quash them. Unfortunately, its hard to kill something that's already been dead, and Necrites pretty much put an end to Rure who seems to spend more time whining about them than killing them.

Order of the Ebon Hand
The dark Cleric order of Sarpadia. It's members range across all species and entry is pretty wide open. All it takes is a little hand sacrifice and you're a member. I swear another dark order loved to worship and sacrifice hands as well, I wonder if there are any parallels (Claws of Gix). The Ebon Hand worships Tourach a dark Necromancer and directly opposes the Order of Leitbur.

Thrull
What's a Thrull? If you haven't been following along it's a little creature created from dead flesh to live again in order to die. Personally it sounds to me like they're from the Pet Cemetery, but Endrek Sahr claims to be their creator. His goal was to make a race of creatures more than happy to die, I think he did a good job. If you're looking for a big winner for Sarpadian Brawl 170 AR, here's your champion.

Thurzen Klathe
[Blank Image]
High Priest of the Order of the Ebon Hand. Looking to join up, he's more than happy to take you under his wing. Foreign leaders seeking aide need to merely promise not to kill his members and they'll come straight to your streets to hold service for the masses.

Tourach the Dark One
A dark evil little fellow. Not much is known about him, besides the devastating nature of his hymns. Although considered a god, he was once mortal and now is known as the Ebon Praetor. Together, along with the Easter Bunny, they rule some dark place judging the wicked.

Vaylesh
[Blank Image]
Is a fiery Ebon Hand priestess. With crimson red hair, Vaylesh leads a small contingent of the Order to capture a human female named Tymolin Loneglade. Being the ex-lover of Oliver Farrel, Vaylesh lured the Farrelites into a trap. Unfortunately for Vaylesh, Tymolin's brother showed up as well along with a giant fireball.

Camarid
Camarid's are basically the babies of Homarids gradually growing into Homarid form. Very little is known about Camarids beyond them flourishing in the same conditions Homarids do. It's rumored a little meat can really foster their growth in the spawning beds.

Empress Galina III
[Blank Image]
Empress Galina is the leader of the Vodalian Merfolk. As the ruler of a militant and magic-wielding upper class society she of course was the first to turn heel and run when trouble started. The Homarid incursion lead her to escape thousands of years into the future to Etlan Shiis (mispronounced by us as Atlantis). There she continued the Vodalian reign.

Homarid
[Image of Homarid by Mark Tedin]
The menace of the Southern Arctic Sea. Homarids are somewhat humanoid crustaceans that seem to wax and wane with the very power of the tide itself. Their thick shells are capable of resisting many spells all together. When the climate cooled they migrated north flourishing in now cooling waters. The merfolk of course had some objections.

Marshall Karel Volnikov
[Blank Image]
General leader of the Vodalian armies. As Empress Galina took flight, Marshall acted nobly in her stead. Seriously. He got mad at Icatia for not sending them food, and then tried to wallop the Homarids. Unfortunately, and as is par for Fallen Empires he failed. So sad, too bad.

Svyelun, Goddess of the Pearl Moon
[Blank Image]
All around do-gooder goddess for the Merfolk. Something to do with the tides and oceans, but apparently has been forgotten. Now they kind of flaunt her around treating her an abstraction and a pretty thing rather than a goddess. Regardless her temples stand, and their disdain may be the reason why the Homarids won the day.

Vodalian

Merfolk central to the Voda sea. Vodalian is a general term for their species located to this specific region. The Vodalian are a militaristic caste society ruled by a magic-wielding upper class. Some worship a goddess by the name of Svyelun. Little is known about them, despite possessing extreme military prowess. Lack of food and supplies appears to be the main reason Homarids overran them.

Elf
Do I really need to go over what an Elf is? Well the Havenwood Elves in particular inhabit the woods of you guessed it Havenwood. They live in small clusters and instead of an organized army rely on their citizens to come together as a whole in defense. Farmers and hunters becomes scouts, druids turn the land alive, you know Elf stuff.

Hightrunk Chamber
[Blank Image]
The Romper Room of the Havenwood Elves. It's the end all be all of the upper crust society for our pointy ear friends. The elder council hangs out here taking orders from the Elven royalty. Notable members include Kolevi the Elder Druid, Loren the Master Scout, and Morgan a Thelonite Druid. The Hightrunk Chamber is split between two factions one wishing to treat the Saprolings as intelligent creatures and foster their growth, the other wishing to continue treating them as nothing more than cattle.

Kolevi
[Blank Image]
The Elder Druid of the Havenwood Elves. Very little is known about this high-ranking nature lover.

Kyliki
[Blank Image]
A surviving Elf of the Thallid attacks. Very little is known about his actual fate, but he seems to be run into the Homarids as well pushing as they push their territory inland.

Loren
[Blank Image]
The Master Scout of the Havenwood Elves. Holds court with the king and appears to be one of his favorites. When the King has a pet project, Loren seems to be his go to man. When the Thallids gain forms of sentience, the King sends Loren to inspect just how smart the little Fungi are. Loren a pro-Thallid kind of guy discovers the little things can actually use weapons and make shelters - interesting! Of course the King didn't learn all this because Loren is ambushed and killed by an anti-Thallid Druid.

Morgan
[Blank Image]
A high-ranking Druid of the Thelonite Order. He is one of the movers and shakers of the Hightrunk Chamber. He really hates the Thallids and has some kind of vendetta against Loren the Master Scout. When Loren heads out to grade the Thallids on their homework, Morgan stalks and ambushes him. Using the very forest against him, Morgan tries a couple times to kill Loren. Loren eventually succeeds before slaying him with a poison arrow.

Saproling
Saprolings are plant-like lesser life-forms. The Saprolings on Sarpadia are Fungal in nature and created by the Thallids from their spores. The Elves foster the Thallids to harvest the Saprolings they produce. Apparently besides being nourishing they are extremely delicious. Bad news is they tend to bite back and can mature into Thallids.

Thallid
When the natural fruits of the woods began to fail due to the cooling climate, the Elves panicked. One daring young Elf took to an unlikely source to save his people. Using the same dark magic the Order of the Ebon Hand used to make the Thrulls, Thelon infused Fungus with Green mana and created the Thallids. At first they were dumb and stupid, but like the Thrulls quickly began to evolve and flourish. New varieties evolved and they began to show signs of sentience. Eventually they rebelled, apparently frustrated with being eaten and destroyed the Elves. They never gained true intelligence though and the Thrulls tolerated them for thousands of years.

Thelon
Mr. Thallid creator himself. Thelon is the one responsible for creating them, and the druids of Havenwood followed his ways creating the Thelonite Order. The Thelonites had a very dark and twisted method of nature worship. They used blood and sacrifice to cause the magic they weaved. The order itself seemed split when the Thallids began to show signs of intelligence. Thelon presumably died in Havenwood during the Thallid revolt but thousands of years later time bubble dinto the future and was seen once against amongst his Thallids.

Captain Sarya Haasendel
[Blank Image]
Sarya Haasendel is a Dwarven captain serving when the Orc-Goblin alliance attack Gurn Keep. With the Dwarven leader General Danhelm slain, Sarya took control leading the surviving Dwarves into a nearby abandoned mine. With limited medical supplies and food while being constantly raided, the last of the Dwarves held out for aid that would never arrive.

Dwarf
The Dwarves of Sapradia reside in the Crimson Peaks. Little is known about them as the Orcs and Goblins utterly decimated them and effectively destroyed them and their history. The Dwarves do appear to be a hodge-podge of their normal selves. They are short, stocky, and have beards and love to make things. They also are stoic and fight to the very end.

General Danhelm
[Blank Image]
Leader of the Dwarven armies. He is slain in an early attack by the Orcs and Goblins. Not much else is known of him.

General Khurzog
[Blank Image]
Leader of the Orcish army. Khurzog is cowardly yet ruthless and employs harsh tactics to accomplish victory at any cost. Basically he's an Orc.

Goblin
The Goblins of Sarpadia are in cahoots with the Orcs. The Orcs generally use them as frontline fodder and for their willingness to sacrifice themselves. The Goblins breed in fierce numbers and appear to be cannibalistic as well as sadistic. Despite their ability to breed superior numbers, the Goblins are the first to fall when the Thrulls turn on the Orcs and Goblins.

Kaylen
[Blank Image]
A proud Dwarven Warrior that is married to the Human Tymolin Loneglade. Kaylen is a capable fighter, but when the Orcs and Goblins attack is he is among the Dwarves that falls. In true Orc fashion, Kaylen is struck from behind never seeing his attacker.

Orc
The Orcs of Sarpadia are your standard Orcs. They are capable fighters, but also are cowardly as well letting the Goblins do much of their dirty work. The Orcs never get into a fight they can't win, and when the Thrulls turn on them take to the hills. The Thrulls eventually evolve Cave-Stormers and that's the end of the Orcs.

Pashadar Dirf, Goblin Flotilla Commander
[Blank Image]
Goblins on water? Sounds interesting. Pashadar is the leader of the Flotilla which is obviously a bad idea. Merfolk magic quickly sinks his boat despite it's ability to Islandwalk.

Ailis Connaut
[Blank Image]
An Icatian Scout stationed at Montford. When the Orcs and Goblins attack Ailis gives her life to reveal the position of the Orcs and Goblins. Her sacrifice is not in vain as the Icatians repel the initial attack and are spared for awhile.

Bethan Leitbur
[Blank Image]
Founder of the order of Leitbur. There appears to be a link between Tourach and Bethan, but it's not known. Bethan's works praise the Hand of Justice and are chronicled in his life's work "The Way." Benthan is diefied upon his death, much like Tourach.

Cpl. Peter Douglas & Cpl. Dobbs
[Blank Image]
One of two Icatian corporals that are court-martialed for cowardice. They broke rank dropping back at the sound of the Goblin's War Drums.

Hand of Justice
A deity worshipped by the Icatians and heralded by the Order of Leitbur. The Farrelites as well revere the Hand of Justice praying for him to come and cleanse Sarpadia of the unfaithful and impure. Judging by his ability to destroy creatures as long as he has followers, the Farrelites were fairly close to their vision of him.

Icatia
The White aligned Human settlement of Sarpadia. It's a class based society dominated by nobles, merchants, and knights. Ranging across the wide plains of Sarpadia the cities of Icatia stand far apart, but with a large and well-equipped army they prove readily able to defend their country. The Icatian army has superior fighting techniques and is capable of fighting off numerous enemies. Unfortunately, the masses of Thrulls, Thallids, Orcs, and Goblins that beset them are far too much for even their capable hands.

King Henry Joseph I
[Blank Image]
Little is known of the ruling member of Icatia. He is a King though, and that's something right?

Lady Margaret Ellsworth
[Blank Image]
The King's steward, she acts on the King's behalf and is the one who lets every other nation know they are on their own. Hmm, maybe that's why they all fell.

Lydia Wynforth, Mayor of Trokair
[Blank Image]
Mayor of the fallen city of Trokair. Trokair was sacked by the Goblin and Orc army and it's fall pretty much sealed the fate of Icatia. Lydia rallied its citizens itself to fight the Orcs and Goblins, putting up an admirable, yet inadequate effect. The Flagstones of Trokair would last well into the future, but the immediate effect of Trokair's fall would be the Farrelites breaking ties with Icatia.

Oliver Farrel
[Blank Image]
Renegade and zealotorous leader of the Farrelite Cult. Oliver is a powerful religious figure being a former member of the Order of Leitbur. He separated from the Order finding them too nancy pancy when it came to destroying the Order of Ebon Hand. Oliver organized his followers into a vigilante movement that put some serious internal strife into Icatia. Oliver himself died after killing his ex-lover Tymolin Loneglade. His death was considered a martyrdom by his followers increasing their fanaticism.

Order of Leitbur
A Clerical Order of Knights. No, not secretaries, holy Knights. The Order are the direct enemies of the Order of the Ebon Hand and follow the teachings of Benthan Leitbur. Although they are capable fighters, their style provided little good against the Goblins and Orcs that later attacked them.

Sianna
[Blank Image]
Sianna of Montford is a Human follower of Farrel. Despite being suspicious of his motives, she is taken as Oliver's concubine and later champion. Wearing his mantle, she attacks Tymolin Loneglade believing her to be Tourach incarnate. Tymolin's brother Tev eventually slays her and she is considered a martyr as well as Oliver to the Farrelites afterwards.

Delif
[Blank Image]
Not much is known about Delif. Apparently he has a cube and a cone, unknown on a sphere though. He seems to be quite the geometric artificer.

Rainbow Vale
A mystical place that is akin to the Holy Grail of Sarpadia. Fledgling knights go on a journey to seek it out. I have no clue if they found it but I assume someone did if we can tap it.

Tev Loneglade
[Blank Image]
In a former life, a powerful planeswalker named Tevesh Szat was a humble hermit named Tev Loneglade. Tev loved his sister Tymolin very much, and sadly she was slain. Tev didn't take this very well. He sought out her killers and presented each with a giant fireball. Actually, it was more like one big fireball that killed them all. Tev then sought out to destroy all of Sarpadia. Tevesh did a really good job.

Tymolin Loneglade
[Blank Image]
The enchanted sister of Tev Loneglade. She married a Dwarf named Kaylen and at some point had made love to a crazy Cleric named Oliver Farrel. When Kaylen is killed by Orcies, Tymolin and Tev go to warn the people of Icatia about the incoming army. Unfortunately Tymolin is slain by Oliver sending him into a 3000 year rage.

What's that you say, the Appendix is incomplete? Did you notice I had some things that were entirely left blank? You should have because it definitely was not accidental. These are important names and places and while I would love to see them get official printing, I just don't see it more follow-up beyond what Time Spiral gave us. The following is a card design contest like no other. Your goal is to help me complete the Fallen Empires story.

The contest is simple, yet complex. You are to take any of the blank entries and create a card for that subject. It must not only be well designed, it must match the Fallen Empires flavor, and it must make sense to the subject. There will also be a physical reward for this contest. You get two of my prized research materials for winning - it's not much but the MTG: Fallen Empires vol 1 and 2 comics will be direct mailed to you if possible.

Many people are familiar with creating a card based on a design concept or general fit, but how many can design one based on a character? The same rules of design apply, but instead of building from the bottom up, we start from the top down. We know the name, we know the story, we even know probably what they do. Now I'm going to show you how you might card one.

Svyelun, Goddess of the Pearl Moon

First the obvious things about our card.

Color: Blue - Every mention comes from a Blue card.
Type: Creature - Again, obvious, we're making a representative card it's a creature.
Creature Type: Avatar. There is no God type, so we'll use Avatar, since we're probably dealing with an Avatar of the God anyway.

Now, we know she's an ocean goddess, but not much more than that. So let's take the power of the oceans and give it to her. Basically I'm going with a tidal theme.

Svyelun, Goddess of the Pearl Moon 1UU
Creature - Avatar
U: Put a tide counter on each blue creature. Any player may pay this ability.
As long as there is exactly one tide counter on a creature, it gets -1/-1 and Defender.
As long as there are exactly three tide counters on a creature, it gets +1/+1 and Islandwalk.
Whenever there are four tide counters on a creature, remove all tide counters from it.
2/3

Not quite a simple card, but it is recognizable as a Fallen Empires era card. I find it believable for an ocean goddess to control the tide and effect all blue creatures. Could obviously go other directions and she's definitely an available choice.

Now for the fun and exciting part - the rules:
 

Sarpadian Empires Contest Rules:

• All entries must be posted on the forum in the designated thread.
• All entries must be submitted by 5/18/2008
• All entries must be based around one of missing entries from the above appendix. Designated by blank images.
• Your card must be flavorful, but don't think that all the flavor is in a flavor text, or that a flavor text is even needed. These are legendary creatures and places from a defined era they should resemble as such.
• Your card should be designed as if it is part of the Fallen Empires set. Naming, abilities, should be as such. Also, it should be easily recognizable as a Fallen Empires creature, thing or place. Don't worry about trying to match it as Summon X, do like a modern card, but it should reek of Fallen
• Empires just like Thelon of Havenwood and Icatian Crier did.
• Submit only ONE entry. All entries with more than ONE will be disqualified. If you need to edit your entry, edit the one you already submitted.
• There will be a discussion thread in addition to the entry thread. The entry thread is for submissions and submissions alone.
• Submit text card only! Don't attempt to card an entry.

Sarpadian Empires Contest Grading:
Grading will be out 50 points:

• /10 points Card Balance
• /10 points Card Flavor (Set)
• /10 points Card Flavor (Character/Locale)
• /10 points Card Originality
• /10 points Card Technical Aspects

Automatic Disqualifiers:

• Plagiarized or duplicated work (as seen on other sites, copies of existing cards)
• Multiple entries.
• Carded entries.

Rewards:

• Depending on legalities and location - a copy of the 2 Fallen Empires comics and token sheet (slightly used, but good condition) sent to your house.
• MSS Points at 3.0 multiplier (to be discussed with Tynion before release)
• Bragging Rights     

Discussion Thread for Contest: CLICK HERE.

Submission Thread for Contest: CLICK HERE.

You can discuss this article in the MDV forums here.
Find other articles by this author here.
Find other articles from this series here.

[ Back ] [ Home ] [ Up ]

Articles Spotlights from 2008:
How to Win with Milling: A Guide to a Slow Painful Death
Memories of an Old Magic Player 10: The Outsiders Journal #3.
The Apprentice Magician, Part Three.
Class-Wars Deckbuilding Contest Results!
Tribal Coffee: The Smaller Tribes.
[Mini-Article] Controlling the Game: Without Blue.
Raiding the Dollar Bins: Return of the Vault Ninja.
A Fresh Perspective: Stasis - Part One.
More Evil Than Evil.
Memories of a Jarhead.