Valia plays a prominent role early in “Quest for the Red Sapphire”. It is
located on the southeast coast of the continent. The Kingdom of Rador is
its friendly northern neighbor. Several small kingdoms border it on the
west followed by Sartan. To the east lies the Great Eastern Sea. The
problem beings at the southern border. After the last Dark Age, the
goblins in Valia were pushed off the fertile farmland into the Southern
Marshes. Here the goblins plot endlessly to retake the rich land to the
north from its human inhabitants. Valia’s leader is King Hardurian.
The king rules from the magnificent walled city of Sarice. He is old and
wise but has a political hornet’s nest with which to contend. Much of the
real power in the country lies with her rich noblemen. For them there is a
problem. There are simply not enough people in Valia for all their
enterprises. Much of the country is farmland which needs massive amounts
of labor to work. They also possess arguably the finest navy in the world
and are constantly short of sailors. Then there are the new colonies
established across the sea where precious metals including gold have been found
in abundance and require adventuresome people to settle. With a wealth of
trade, the merchant class also is busy. That leaves very few soldiers for
General Linvin Grithinshield to command and try to fend off goblin invasion upon
invasion. In every encounter, the Valians are dramatically outnumbered and
must rely on leadership, strategy and training to prevail. Valia’s most
renowned inhabitant, however, is an old man by the name of Sedemihcra. He
is the foremost inventor and military strategist of the age. It is
Sedemihcra that Linvin is sent to live with and learn the skills he will need to
become Master of the Red Sapphire. As Chief Military Counsel to the King,
Sedemihcra wants nothing to do with Linvin’s training at first. After
seeing the boy’s abilities and Dirk’s generous endowment, the old man decides to
take in the boy of twelve and raise him to be a great general, leader and
person. At age eighteen, Linvin enlists in the King’s Bowmen to gain practical
experience. His career soars from there. King Hardurian takes notice
of Linvin as he rises up the ranks and begins to look at Valia’s military savior
as a son. Linvin’s success is a double edged sword, it seems. While
he pulls off miracle after miracle with meger resources to save Valia, it only
reinforces the oppinion of the noblemen that a large standing army is
unneeded. Thus, Valia continues to neglect the army in favor of income
generating pursuits. What their shortsightedness fails to see is that
Linvin’s destiny has always been elsewhere. He will not always be around
to save them. It will be then that the sad army will be truly tested by
the Marsh Goblins.
located on the southeast coast of the continent. The Kingdom of Rador is
its friendly northern neighbor. Several small kingdoms border it on the
west followed by Sartan. To the east lies the Great Eastern Sea. The
problem beings at the southern border. After the last Dark Age, the
goblins in Valia were pushed off the fertile farmland into the Southern
Marshes. Here the goblins plot endlessly to retake the rich land to the
north from its human inhabitants. Valia’s leader is King Hardurian.
The king rules from the magnificent walled city of Sarice. He is old and
wise but has a political hornet’s nest with which to contend. Much of the
real power in the country lies with her rich noblemen. For them there is a
problem. There are simply not enough people in Valia for all their
enterprises. Much of the country is farmland which needs massive amounts
of labor to work. They also possess arguably the finest navy in the world
and are constantly short of sailors. Then there are the new colonies
established across the sea where precious metals including gold have been found
in abundance and require adventuresome people to settle. With a wealth of
trade, the merchant class also is busy. That leaves very few soldiers for
General Linvin Grithinshield to command and try to fend off goblin invasion upon
invasion. In every encounter, the Valians are dramatically outnumbered and
must rely on leadership, strategy and training to prevail. Valia’s most
renowned inhabitant, however, is an old man by the name of Sedemihcra. He
is the foremost inventor and military strategist of the age. It is
Sedemihcra that Linvin is sent to live with and learn the skills he will need to
become Master of the Red Sapphire. As Chief Military Counsel to the King,
Sedemihcra wants nothing to do with Linvin’s training at first. After
seeing the boy’s abilities and Dirk’s generous endowment, the old man decides to
take in the boy of twelve and raise him to be a great general, leader and
person. At age eighteen, Linvin enlists in the King’s Bowmen to gain practical
experience. His career soars from there. King Hardurian takes notice
of Linvin as he rises up the ranks and begins to look at Valia’s military savior
as a son. Linvin’s success is a double edged sword, it seems. While
he pulls off miracle after miracle with meger resources to save Valia, it only
reinforces the oppinion of the noblemen that a large standing army is
unneeded. Thus, Valia continues to neglect the army in favor of income
generating pursuits. What their shortsightedness fails to see is that
Linvin’s destiny has always been elsewhere. He will not always be around
to save them. It will be then that the sad army will be truly tested by
the Marsh Goblins.
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