Lord Protector Hans of Ettonia's Story

" Ettonia was order. Ettonia was power. Ettonia was civilization!"


These words had once propelled the Ettonians to great lengths. In their original world, they were the dominant Human force. An Empire with many puppet and vassal states paying tribute. Ever vigilant of their Elven neighbors, their armies were vast and always at the ready. Ettonia stood as Infernian's favored people. So had he decided to forsaken them?
An entire Kingdom, abducted and thrust into an unknown wood. A sky that was foreign. In their own world, Ettonia was strong. What about here? The distance between rival lords was gone, the coffers to buy loyalty were nonexistent, and the parchment which bound them to one another were no more. Chaos was quick to envelope them and the differences grudges, although archaic, were many and great. This led to violence. And so it was Violence that stopped it.

Whilst commoners bickered, lesser Lords drew blood, and all manner of decency was discarded. Queen Emilia Auguste Von Dornburg kept her cool. It was an unpredictable crisis her country had found itself in but the same was said when Ettonia was to have a woman as it's ruler. Emilia had not navigated the tangled web of the Court, traded wit for wit and honey coated venomous words with foreign dignitaries, showed the strength of her now Queen's Royal Army on the field of battle against would be Usurpers that thought they could best her for it all to be brought down by the tricks of elven magic. She knew how to bring this lot back under her boot. Sure these inbred commoners and country bumpkin nobles were quick to forget their standing when there was no noose or parchment to remind them of it but among them were men who were bound by more than mere parchment or fear of punishment. Emilia still had the Knighthood.
The Knighthood were bound by a code. A code of chivalry that demanded they remain loyal to their rightful ruler and the people of Ettonia. It was something that was indoctrinated into them from a very young age. The more prestigious the Knight Order, the more harshly the chivalric code was push onto them. Like moths to a light, they flocked to her. Kneeling and of course this caught the attention of others. There was no crown on their head and yet, the icon of Ettonian military might bowed in submission to their Queen. Lord Protector Hans was amongst them as well. The Queen's faction, by her merely being alive and visible, was gathering strength.

No doubt others had similar idea but the Knighthood were the heroes of the common man. Any who was not too enraptured by brawls, fled, or were merely stunned by the confusion, came to her. The Dwarven engineer caste were also bound by their unwritten word and by debts they were too proud to leave unpaid and thus they came to her fold. Ultimately she had what she needed. Skilled Craftsmen, Competent Protectors, and those willing todo the arduous but necessary labor. Perhaps more hoped to follow but they would have to catch up. With a motion of the hand, they cleared a path for her and in absence of a Sedan a large Infernian Knight carried her so that she would not have to suffer walking.


"Yisser majesty, excuse me questionin' but we are gonna let dohs idiots stay oyt dare?" Lord Hans asked his words made obscure by the dialect he spoke. In her younger days, she too struggled to understand and the old man was far too stubborn to adjust or retire. He was a proven military commander and despite his age, his sword arm was still strong. Over time she came to like the old fool and more importantly, she learned how to understand what he was saying.

"We have no money, no food, and no castle wall. No doubt we could perhaps outmaneuver my opponents here but they would not be still alive to call themselves my adversaries if they did not hold some form of competence. Any real threats to me have gathered what they could and left. We must make haste and establish ourselves before we move to bring more into the fold."

The old man pondered her words and nodded." Roi, true so 'tis. gran' so den. naw doubt more 'ill cum an' not al' loyal ter yer. i'll 'av dis lot orderly an' ready ter start gatherin'. Maybe we can even fend yer a 'orse. surely a few got tossed in wi' us whaen dis cutty knife eared witchery 'appened. "

"That would be splendid. I'm sure even one as light as eye would eventually become a burden to carry."

The Knight beneath her answered without hesitation. "The Queen's place is to bask in Luxury and govern over her people. We of the Infernian Order shall sooner die than permit you to march any distance on foot.".


Pleased with that remark, they ventured deeper. With cautious, anxious steps some followed while others remained stalwart and courageously vigilant. The future of the Ettonian people would be decided in these woods.

The sky brightened above, a great beam of light casting down from the heavens to shine upon the Queen. After a few moments of dazzling golden light the beam withdrew back into the clouds.

Thunder and lightning...

The skies were furious with their display of lights and shadows. Down below, the mountains trembled with the clammering of thunder and lightning. The misty rainbow which formed over the waterfall at Kadota Peaks had disappeared, though the river still flowed. Deep within the rockface, inside the Weargtooth Mountains, another presence was felt. The chaos and loud bellowing of the mountains had disturbed Asvith Thrym from his slumber. The enormous frost jotunn had been sleeping for centuries, appearing to those around him as just another snowcapped mountain. But as one of the large rock formations began to move, soon the mountain was turned sideways as Asvith Thrym lifted his head to sit up and open his giant eyes for the first time in eons.

Asvith yawned deeply, the sound carrying for miles over the mountain tops, echoing throughout the many nearby lands of Ellaria where they could be felt from across the sea. His breath was like a cold blizzard, his mouth as wide as a gaping cave, his eyes as large and icey as Gaia's moons. He had a forest of trees for hair, large giant roots dangling from his rocky hands and feet, and a long frozen white beard formed from the centuries of ice and snow. Asvith Thrym was a giant among giants, an enemy of Asgard since the days of old, banished to Gaia at a time that had long since been forgotten. As he sat up slowly, his massive head stood at eye level with the surrounding mountains. Even now, sitting down, the jotunn was mighty and terrifying to behold.

He would slowly rub his eyelids and look around as small boulders, rocks and earth fell from his head and shoulders like dandruff, smashing and crushing the ground below. The massive rock giant was too large to notice the elves and dragons, and other creatures in his vicinity. Confused and still waking up, Asvith was incredibly slow but incredibly mighty, an echo of legendary gods from ancient times. He would briefly swat at a large dragon as it circled around his head and soared above the sky into the clouds, as if shewing away a common gnat or mosquito. But just like a mosquito, the dragon was much faster and likely able to dodge his enormous hand with relative ease as it soared past him and disappeared.

Taking a moment to gather his strength, Asvith looked down at the settlements below. Noticing a rather large redwood tree sticking out of the forest, he reached over and plucked it from the ground by its roots, as if picking a small piece of broccoli from a salad. The tree itself was enormous, over a hundred feet tall and as wide as a house. But the jotunn would bring the leafy substance to his lips and bite down on it with his sharp jagged rocky teeth, snapping branches and crushing the tree in half with one big crunch. He then chewed the sustenance slowly, the sound of grinding rocks and wood carrying over the forest below until he had devoured the whole tree. Afterwards, he would slowly turn over and bring himself up to his hands and knees before pushing himself to his feet. As he stood up, his silhouette could be seen from miles and miles away, his frame now larger than even the highest mountains as he stood with his head in the clouds.

Asvith Thrym had awakened...

The Queen was placed on the ground when the dazzling light was noticed. The Knights of The Infernian Order knelt down as members of the clergy recited prayers. Others were also in a state of awe as this event was interpreted as the doing of their patron God, Infernian. Emilia skillfully played her part. She lowered herself to her knees and extended her arms out to the heavens as if accepting some unforeseen gift. She was not entirely certain if this was the works of Infernian but she was not going to miss an opportunity like this.

The Ettonian common folk either respected the authority of nobility or the authority of the Church and whilst they were always careful not to, Emilia had figuratively crossed swords with the Church before. It would be difficult to muster an army of Ettonians against her with their God favoring her. Yet knowing that the possibility was there, being chosen by a God normally meant some trial or great crisis was to come. And as if to dispell her doubt and refocus her on what mattered, it occurred.

The light disappeared back into the heavens and a mountain stood revealing itself to not be a mountain at all. It was so distant, yet the cold from its breathe caused them to shiver even from here and its motions shook the very earth they were on. Such beings only existed in Legend or beyond the great seas kept at bay by Leviathan and Draconian. Now one such being stood on the same earth as them. Mass panic would have devoured them were it not for the Queens quick thinking.

"Infernian himself favors me and surely looks kindly upon all who stand with me! Elf kind could not extinguish his flame nor shall this mountain of a beast!"

Panic turned to mere concern and lingering doubt but they were with her still. Now she needed to instill purpose.
"We cannot wait to choose a better spot. Ettonia must be united here. Members of the Clergy, send word of what you have seen. The Light that shone on me and me alone, let it be known that I am the Ruler Infernian has chosen to govern. All others are imposters at best and heretics at worst. The Knighthood and our God will surely protect you. This much I ask of you, the servants of Infernian. As for the rest. I will ask of you nothing! You will do as you are told. We are in an unknown land, unmapped and uncharted with dangers far beyond what we could imagine. As such there will be a great deal of sacrifice and death, but is that not merely the history of Ettonia since the beginning? Since the dawn of our existence, since we banded together under that name, we were Order and Power. Ettonia IS civilization. Our shoulders will give under this small of a burden, our ancestors did not struggle and die so that we could be extinguished in such a pathetic way! Right now we need food. Water. And shelter. All of you who were hunters, woodsmen, etc step forward now. Any who do not meet this criteria, see the Lord Protector. He will organize you and task you all."

With a voice and appearance that could not be ignored nor disobeyed, all listened and executed. The Queen began consulting, a Knight permitting her to use him as a chair whilst space was cleared for the woodsmen and hunters she called forward. As she predicted more came from the rabble that had chosen not to follow and over the course of the next few weeks the Ettonian Queen found that not many were willing to oppose her with such a towering beast looming in the distance, with size ample enough to crush an entire kingdom in a single step. With what they could, the forest began to be cut down to clear out space for structures. Animals were hunted and edible plants and bushes were discovered, often at a price. All of this was necessary and death in this regard was beneficial. With every one that died, it was one less for her to feed. What could have been a long civil war, ultimately became a matter of petty arguments and skirmirshes. Easily pardoned by the Queen during these chaotic times.

A ripple of glitter undulated across the entire planet of Gaia. Almost invisible to the naked eye, it passed through budding Ettonia. Foundations began to be laid for a grand society, and there was a great clearing in the Quaking Oaks. The trees themselves whispered of what was happening.

A ripple of glitter undulated across the entire planet of Gaia. Almost invisible to the naked eye, but nonetheless a sign. The World Spirit of Gaia herself appearing to the Queen. She was a leaf in a tree, a whisper on the wind, a falling rock, the pattern of the rain. If you were lucky enough, she appeared to you in a dream. No matter the approach, the message was clear.

The Champions of Gaia were called upon.

The Queen was chosen.
Deep in the Quaking Oaks, a tree sang out. Mournful was the song which carried on the winds. There was a gift in the great oak not far from the Ettonian settlement. Through the night it sang to the Queen.

With the Queen absent, Lord Protector Hans had the reigns over New Rouge. The man was a capable military leader, warrior, and his commoner's upbringing had earned him the admiration of the simpler folk. In turn, he had the resentment of most Noble houses in one way or another. They had good reason for it too.

Queen Emilia was a tactful ruler. She would permit the laundering of resources by the nobility, the ocassional skirmirsh, a good bloody duel, etc, all so long it was not excessive. She recorded evidence of wrongdoing but did not act upon it immediately, later springing it up to blackmail or extort favors out of her political rivals. Lord Hans had no such finesse. He was straight forward. You did wrong? You were punished. No buts and him being a commoner and career soldier, his lawful punishments could be cruel (for Nobles atleast).

Whippings, beatings, floggings, hangings, executions, fines... the list went on. He spared not the rod for the nobility. Without their own territories to place distance between themselves and him, he was free to enact justice. As such New Rouge ran without much hassle from the upper echelons of Ettonian Society, the Queen's return would be but a few days time. They could endure for now.
Construction efforts shifted into the construction of a proper wooden castle. The Ettonians lacked a large supply of stone for a traditional stone castle but such massive structures were essential in the defense of their territories. With no nearby strategic land for it to claim the Lord Protector demanded the earth be moved to accommodate them.

Yes. He told them to dig up dirt and make a hill for the castle to be built on. Thus if you werent cutting trees, growing crops, hunting or herding livestock, you were digging.

Elias decided that, quite frankly, he despised digging even more than doing his regular work. Work was a chore. Elias never seemed to quite digest the fact that in order to eat you had to suffer, but his head was in the clouds most of the days. So he dug and he thunk of anything but the task at hand. He knew why he dug and that was not his complaint.
Elias did not want to dig was all.
But he dug, and before he knew it, his break was to come.

Looking back he marveled at the progress they made in such a short amount of time. He stalked off for a snack, maybe an apple or something.

Just as suddenly as they came
The people of Ettonian were transported back to their own world. Perhaps it was the intervention of their own deities, the manipulation of some powerful wizard, or more fae folk shenanigans. Regardless of who was responsible, the Ettonians in all of their entirety disappeared without a trace. The only evidence they were ever there, is the town city of new Rouge.