Lore of Ispar - Viamont

The three masted ship slid into the harbor of Tirethas. The rails of brass and the mass of storm wands signaled that this ship carried men of wealth and import. Despite the obvious wealth, as the ship made its way to the docks of Tirethas the beggars, who survive on the generosity of sailors, began to leave the area.

Curious as to why the beggars were fleeing the area, Nayt al-Yad approached one on the street.

"Excuse me sir, why do you shirk away from this vessel?" queried the young scholar.

Looking back with one eye and extending a withered limb the beggar replied, "For a small donation I will tell ye."

Nayt pulled out a few small coins and placed them in to the gnarled hand of the beggar.

"May the Blessing of the Beggars be upon thee", he said as he placed the coins in the folds of his tattered shirt. It was commonly believed that the beggars of Tirethas could give a blessing that would protect sailors from harm. Because of this they received many coins from the sailors who ported here.

"That ship," he said as he pointed with his good arm, "will never receive a beggar's blessing. Tis the craft of the Viamont privateer, Juan "Red Fist" Bullier. A ruthless man who considers himself a noble of the court. He is nothing more than a murderous dog who helps the expansionist courts of Viamont fill their coffers from piracy."

At this point the ship was tied up, and a man dressed in great finery with brocade and gems sewn into his clothing disembarked. A tri-cornered hat with a long feather sticking out sat rakishly upon his head.

"There be the daemon himself", spat the beggar.

"How do you know so much of him?" asked Nayt al-Yad.

The beggar pointed to his eye patch and his withered arm and said, "He did this to me."

Nayt nodded and watched the noble looking man as he walked down the docks with an entourage of muscular men, sending all the beggars scurrying to the shadows.

Two nights later a great storm came out of the Naqut and Juan "Red Fist" Bullier was never heard from again as his ship, Nessie, vanished beneath the waves of the Ironsea.

The Distant Past

Viamont, is one of Ispar's most agressive and expansionistic domains. Bordered on three sides by water, Viamont's only land border is shared with Aluvia. With an established navy and a large force of Privateers (known to everyone else as pirates), the Viamonters control most of the traffic that crosses the Ironsea.

A strong sense of duty to king and country (and rumors of a secret police), helped Viamont rise above the petty squabbles that consumed the neighboring Aluvian clans. As Viamont grew, expansionistic ideals began to take root in its courts. The squabbling Aluvians and the young Gharu'n made tempting targets. First came the invasion of Aluvia in 804 RC. Royal Governor Alfric I was installed, and Viamont now had a solid footing in the lands to the east.

While under Viamont's "protection", Alfric's son, Theolaud, repudiated Viamont overlordship, and established himself as independent king of Aluvia, Much to King Elous VII's chagrin. Irregardless of this political upheaval, a great deal of Aluvian treasure found its way to Viamont. More of the famous Viamont castles, known to be magnificent, airy white marble palaces, were built during this period than during any other.

The Aluvians began to chafe under the yoke of Viamont. The assassination of beloved King Pwyll III caused the Aluvians to rise up and expell the Viamonters from Aluvia. If it were not for the defenses already built along the border between the two kingdoms Viamont may not have survived.

Around the Roulean Calendar year 973 King Etien ruled Viamont. He accepted the petition of the new nation of Gharu'ndim, all the while keeping his eyes on it for weakness. He did not have long to wait, for within a few decades Gharu'ndim had fallen into chaos.

Stinging from defeat at the hands of the Aluvians, and needing money for expansion, the Viamont shipyards began to amass a fleet which eventually made its way to Gharu'n. Sailing south across the Ironsea, the Viamont navy and army quickly took control and set up a puppet ruler, Zahir ibn Ma'mun.

History would prove that the Viamonters had once again spread themselves too thin for the puppet strings to hold. Jawhar al-Shamshir led a revolution in Gharu'n. The Viamonters abandoned Gharu'n, but not before looting that country's coffers, and taking the wealth of the desert to their home.

The Present

Using the wealth of the Gharu'n and the time that has passed the Viamonters have been rebuilding and waiting. Viamont has not been idle. Realizing it had burned its bridges with both Aluvia and Gharu'n, it has focused its trading relationships on the Empire of Roulea. Viamont has been steadily re-establishing military strength, including but not limited to the hiring of Souia-Vey mercenaries. Some say that war with the Aluvians is not far off.

A diplomat to Viamont would find it a harsh land that has the mentality of a state always at war. Security is tight, and the military police rule the streets. While not as forboding as Milantos, a traveller in Viamont should be very careful in actions and words, as many "spies" fill the dungeons.

Viamont is a kingdom to watch carefully, for as the history of Dereth progresses, so will that of Ispar.

(The Viamonters seem to be an Isparian mix of historical Spain and France. With the Spanish pirates and the French Privateers it seemed natural connection. The Spanish were expansionists, and the French led the crusades against the Holy Lands. The constant wars against the German kingdoms by the French also support this connection.)