The Ancient Order of King's Patrollers (Before Year 0)
Long before the Fall of the Old Gods shattered the world, the King's Patrollers served as the High King's elite frontier guardians throughout the vast realm of Darshavon. From their base on the Isle of Oslo, these elite rangers maintained order along the kingdom's far-flung borders, operating with an independence and authority that regular military units could never match. They were the High King's eyes and ears in the wilderness, tasked with monitoring threats that conventional armies could not handle.
In the ancient Simmaron Woods, a contingent of King's Patrollers maintained a small outpost near what would later become Homewood. These early patrollers worked within the framework established by Darshavon's treaties with the dryads of Sollin-kel, serving as official liaisons between the fey realm and the kingdom's administration. They were among the few mortals granted deep access to the Woods, earning this privilege through generations of respectful service and diplomatic skill.
The pre-Fall patrollers faced many of the same challenges their successors would encounter: goblin raids from the Ugull Mountains, the ever-present threat of corruption from the Cavern of the Well, and the delicate balance required to maintain peace between human settlements and fey territories. Their success in managing these complex relationships made the Simmaron posting one of the most prestigious assignments within the King's Patrollers, reserved for veterans who had proven themselves capable of both diplomacy and warfare.
The Shattered Crown (Year 0-100)
When the Third Great War destroyed the gods and brought down Darshavon, the King's Patrollers found themselves without a king to serve. The organization's command structure, based on the Isle of Oslo, was obliterated along with most of the kingdom's other institutions. Individual patrol units were left to make their own decisions about how to survive in a world that had undergone a fundamental change overnight.
The Simmaron patrollers, led by Commander Aldric Ironwood, made a fateful choice that would define their successors for centuries to come. Rather than abandoning their posts or attempting to return to the destroyed heartland, they chose to honor their oaths to protect the frontier communities, even without royal authority to back them. They declared that they would continue serving as King's Patrollers until a rightful authority could be restored, making them guardians not only of the territory but also of the principles their order had always embodied.
This decision proved crucial during the chaotic years that followed. The patrollers helped organize the defense of refugee settlements, coordinated with the dryads to manage the influx of displaced persons, and maintained what order they could in a region that might otherwise have descended into complete anarchy. Their presence provided stability and continuity during the darkest period in recorded history.
However, the small unit faced tremendous challenges. Cut off from reinforcements and supplies, they had to adapt their methods to work with greatly reduced numbers. They began training local volunteers and refugees, sharing their knowledge and traditions with those who proved worthy of the trust. These emergency measures inadvertently created the foundation for the Hall system that would later emerge.
The Age of Adaptation (Year 101-200)
As the world slowly recovered, the surviving King's Patrollers faced a fundamental question: what did it mean to be a King's Patroller when there was no longer a king? Different regional groups answered this question in different ways. Still, the Simmaron patrollers chose to interpret their loyalty as extending to the people and principles they had always served, rather than to any specific political authority.
When the Four Fiefdoms emerged from Darshavon's ashes, the patrollers found themselves in a unique position. Their organization predated the new political structures, yet their mission remained as relevant as ever. The rulers of the emerging fiefdoms, many of whom were themselves descended from survivors the patrollers had helped protect, generally recognized the value of maintaining these experienced frontier guardians.
The Simmaron patrollers negotiated carefully with Vranna's early rulers, establishing a relationship that honored both their ancient traditions and the new political realities. They would continue to operate as King's Patrollers, maintaining their historical identity and methods, but would coordinate with Vranna's government and accept recruits sponsored by the emerging fiefdom.
The Formalization of the Hall System (Year 200-350)
As the Four Fiefdoms solidified their borders and governments, the need for a more formal structure became apparent. The various regional groups of surviving King's Patrollers had evolved differently during the chaotic centuries following the Fall, and coordination between them had become difficult. Around the Year 200, representatives from the surviving patrol groups met to establish the Hall system, creating a structure that could preserve their traditions while adapting to the new world.
The Hall of the Simmaron was formally recognized during this period, incorporating both the surviving pre-Fall patrollers and the local volunteers they had trained over the previous two centuries. The Hall system allowed each regional group to maintain its unique specializations and local relationships while preserving the overall identity and standards of the King's Patrollers.
This formalization coincided with the growing threat from Lord Gral's increasingly organized goblin forces. The traditional patroller mission of frontier defense took on new urgency as it became clear that the post-Fall world would not be a peaceful one. The Simmaron Hall found itself at the center of strategic planning for the region's defense.
The Simmaron Compact and Unique Evolution (Year 350-381)
While other Halls operated within relatively straightforward military frameworks, the Simmaron patrollers faced challenges that required unprecedented adaptation. The relationship with the dryads, the presence of the Cavern's corruption, and the complex needs of communities like Homewood demanded approaches that went beyond traditional patroller training.
The breaking point came during a series of incidents in the 370s, when conventional military thinking clashed disastrously with the realities of the forest. A visiting commander from another Hall, attempting to apply standard patrol doctrine, nearly provoked a diplomatic crisis with the dryads and failed to address a corruption outbreak near the Cavern.
These failures led to intensive negotiations between the Hall, Vranna's government, and the dryad courts. The resulting Simmaron Compact of Year 381 granted the Hall unprecedented autonomy while formalizing its unique relationship with the Woods' fey inhabitants. The Compact recognized that the Simmaron patrollers, while still King's Patrollers in name and tradition, required special provisions to fulfill their mission effectively.
Continuity Through Change (Year 481-539)
Today's Hall of the Simmaron operates as a direct continuation of the King's Patrollers, who first came to the Woods during the height of Darshavon's rule. While their methods have evolved and their political relationships have adapted to new realities, their fundamental identity remains unchanged. They still think of themselves as serving the crown—not necessarily any current political crown, but the ideal of righteous authority that the High King once represented.
Commander Elena Brightwater, the newly elected current leader of the Hall, can trace her position back through an unbroken chain of command to Commander Aldric Ironwood, who made the crucial decision to maintain the patrol during the Age of Resilience. The Hall's records, carefully preserved through all the chaos of the intervening centuries, contain the names and deeds of every patroller who has served, creating a continuity of service that spans the entire history of the post-Fall world.
Recruits to the Hall still swear the ancient oath of the King's Patrollers, though it has been adapted to reflect their unique circumstances:
"I swear by oak and iron, by star and stone, to serve the crown that was and shall be again, to guard the frontier against all threats, to protect those who cannot protect themselves, and to honor the compact between the world of men and the realm of the fey. I am a King's Patroller, guardian of the Simmaron, keeper of the ancient trust."
The Living Tradition
The Hall of the Simmaron represents both continuity and adaptation within the long history of the King's Patrollers. While they have developed unique practices and relationships that set them apart from their sister Halls, they remain fundamentally the same organization that served the High King centuries ago. Their success in the Simmaron Woods demonstrates that the core principles of the King's Patrollers—independence, adaptability, service, and honor—remain as relevant today as they were before the Fall of the Old Gods.
As Lord Gral's threat grows and the corruption in the Cavern continues its slow spread, the Hall faces challenges that would be familiar to their ancient predecessors. The specific threats may have evolved, but the fundamental mission remains unchanged: to stand watch on the frontier, to protect the innocent, and to serve as the bulwark between civilization and chaos.
In the Simmaron Woods, where the past and present intertwine like branches in an ancient forest, the King's Patrollers continue their eternal vigil, carrying forward traditions older than kingdoms while adapting to face whatever threats tomorrow might bring.