Paparazzi Glantri

Rumors About New Kolland

“We will never take that kobold seriously! Why, he is even shorter than some Glantrians I know! But at least even they can be respected as fellow Glantrians, no matter how despicable! How can we ever consider that ugly cur and his big hole in the ground as a legitimate part of Glantri?”

—Carlotina Erewan, Princess of Erewan

Until recently, many a Glantrian would not even deign consider the Great Crater a part of Glantri. But with the dramatic defeat of the Ethengar hordes, thanks to the crucial participation of the humanoid armies from New Kolland, the rest of Glantri has begun to take a new look at the humanoid principality. The Paparazzi Glantri has this exclusive interview with one Sir Thurstol, a human representative of Prince Kol XIV, to shed new light to the newest, largest, and most populous of the Principalities.

Rumor: Prince Kol XIV is actually a hideously deformed shadow elf, abandoned at birth, and adopted by his kobold parents. His shadow elf ancestry explains his particularly powerful magical talent.

Truth behind the Rumor: “The heir of Kol XII and Kol XIII is a kobold of kobold of impeccable pedigree. He is the legitimate son of Kol XIII and the legitimate grandson of Kol XII. The line of Kol has no elven blood tainting it!”

Truth behind the Truth: While it is true that Prince Kol’s paternal ancestry is undoubtedly and unquestionably pure kobold, his maternal ancestry (something most kobolds do not bother with)  has recently been put in question. It has been surmised that it was not Prince Kol himself, but his mother, who was an abandoned shadow elf baby. Shadow elves are often cursed such babies who bear such horrible disfigurements (horrible in the sense that she looks nothing like a shadow elf), and who they promptly abandon at birth. It was probably from his mother from whom Prince Kol inherited the arcane gift.

Rumor: Prince Kol is a shaman and can cast clerical spells.

Truth behind the Rumor: “If Prince Kol is such a thing, then what Immortal does he worship? Prince Kol has no church, no rituals, no religious doctrines? What should he be suspected of being a cleric? He is a wizard—and a very powerful wizard at that! He can challenge any Prince of Glantri and defeat them in magical combat!”

Truth behind the Truth: Prince Kol is a witch-doctor, a primitive form of spellcaster, whose practices are similar to the wizardly arts, but whose magic cannot be separated or distinguished from wizardly sorcery and clerical mysticism. He can cast some spells similar to those of clerics, but these are not granted by an Immortal as with clerics. What is more important for Glantrians is that Prince Kol wields magic that simulates wizardly spells. And about the boast of Prince Kol’s magical power, the only way Prince Kol can seriously beat another Prince of Glantri is with his whole army of humanoids with him.

Rumor: The Great Crater is filled with magical minerals, which has caused its inhabitants to become more attuned to magic.

Truth behind the Rumor: “Yes! This is absolutely true! Soon, we shall send our whelps to the Great School of Magic like any Glantrian noble! And New Kolland will no more be just a joke to you Glantrians!”

Truth behind the Truth:  While it is true that some minerals in the Great Crater have been identified to have magical properties, (such as urthellis and bluestar), it is too early to tell if there are such minerals which can cause the New Kollanders to become more inclined to magic. If this would be so (perhaps a few generations later), it would prove interesting to the whole of Glantri, as human and elven students of the Great School will find themselves alongside powerful magic-users of the humanoid races.

Rumors: The ruins of a tower in Blackhill has been recently found in the Great Crater, and it was discovered that Alphatian Prince Volospin Aendyr is still alive.

Truth behind the Rumors: “No! There is no Blackhill in the Great Crater. The Great Crater is New Kolland. How can one Alphatian survive the Great Meteor? (In fact, how can one Caurenzan survive the Great Meteor? It is not true that the Prince of Caurenze is alive. Prince Innocenti is dead, crushed by the Great Meteor!)”

Truth behind the Truth: Prince Volospin Aendyr, the former Prince of Blackhill is alive. The High Master of Air Elementalism was imprisoned by the Elemental Lord of the Elemental Plane of Air before the Great Meteor crashed into Blackhill (which explains why he was not able to save any of his principality), and recently freed. His whereabouts are currently unknown, but it is likely he will contact his surviving son, Sir Lathan Aendyr, at the Great School of Magic. Princess Dolores Hillsbury, who is allegedly his illegitimate daughter, would also like to find him, but for very sinister purposes. And the former Prince of Caurenze, Innocenti di Malapietra is indeed still living in the ruins of his principality.

Rumors: Prince Kol is the illegitimate child of Prince Malachie du Marais, the White Wolf of Morlay, and Duchess Margaret Hillsbury, the Old Dragon of Fenswick.

Truth behind the Rumors: “This is a stupid rumor by some sick human mind that does not deserve a justification.”

Truth behind the Truth:  The rumor is very much untrue. While Prince Malachie du Marais (a werewolf) did have reasonably good relations with Duchess Margaret Hillsbury (a human), when he was still Baron of Morlay and she was still alive, to suggest a match between them would have been absurd. And to suggest that such a match produced a kobold-looking child like Prince Kol, besides being highly unlikely (The child would be human, with wolfish features, perhaps.),  would have been impossible, as Lady Margaret was barren. Speaking this ridiculous humor in Glantri would get one into trouble with not one, not two, but three Princes of Glantri: Prince Kol (whose kobold sensibilities will be reasonably offended), Prince Malachie (who also does not wish to be publicly known as the White Wolf of Morlay), and Princess Dolores Hillsbury (Duchess Margaret’s daughter, who will be keen to kill anyone who hints that Duchess Margaret was barren.)

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