Kimbertos Skotti
| Kimbertos Skotti | |
|---|---|
| Names and titles | |
| Nickname: | The Commoner |
| Title(s): | His Peerless Majesty, the King of Keoland |
| General info | |
| Home: | Niole Dra |
| Alignment: | Lawful Good |
| Gender: | Male |
| Species: | Human |
| Class: | Ranger 15 |
Kimbertos Skotti, His Peerless Majesty is the King of Keoland. For his humble upbringing and lack of connection so the major noble houses of Keoland, he is nicknamed "The Commoner".[1][2]
Skotti previously held the titles of Lord of the Gran March, Plar of Sterich and Protector of the South.
Description
Skotti is an old woodsman of the noble House Lizhal.
Personality
King Skotti is a grizzled veteran of war and combat. He holds a great deal of regret that he did not act more decisively during the Greyhawk Wars, with the result that Keoland's influence has diminished, particularly among its neighboring vassal states.[3]
Skotti dislikes city life, preferring the temperate Keoish woodlands of his upbringing.[2] Though lacking somewhat in political acumen, he is famed for his bravado and skill in battle.[4]
He understands the value of subtlety and information gathering.[5]
Skotti is Lawful Good in alignment.
Abilities
Skotti is a 15th level ranger, and an experienced woodsman.
Possessions
As King of Keoland, Skotti uses a signet ring as a seal to stamp pronouncements and other important documents.[6]
Activities
King Skotti's political goals include diplomatic overtures to see the return of Keoland's former vassal states to Keoland rule, a move largely rejected by those kingdoms.[7]
When he is not leading the kingdom's armies to reconquer lost lands, Skotti likes to spend his time at the forest retreat of Duke Anladon of Axewood.
King Skotti also has plans to develop Keoland's southern coast, both as a defensive measure against the Scarlet Brotherhood, Sea Princes and other threats to the region bordering the Azure Sea; and to establish the historically poor area as a powerhouse of sea trade with other kingdoms. He has recently taken interest in the development of the fishing town of Saltmarsh.[8]
Relationships
Family
Skotti is a member of House Lizhal, a relatively minor Keoish noble house.[2]
Kimbertos Skotti is the elder brother of Markos Skotti, currently the Baron of Grayhill, the position which Kimbertos held before becoming King. He is cousin to Viscount Richart Jorgos of Name Eor[2]
In 591 CY, King Skotti currently has no heir. Should he die without heir, his brother Markos would be one of the prime candidates for selection by the Council of Niole Dra. Other leading candidates include Cedrian III, Duke of Dorlin; and Luschan VIII, Duke of Gradsul.[2]
Enemies
Skotti's primary concern is the Scarlet Brotherhood.[3] He has also made many political opponents among the nobility of Keoland.
Friends and allies
Skotti has been a long-time friend of Querchard, the disappeared Marquis of Sterich.[9] He is a strong friend with Baron Anladon II of Axewood, who finds his forest retreat reminiscent of his home lands of Dreadwood.[2]
Skotti's activity in the south has been supported strongly by Duke Luschan, whose naval maneuvers were critical in the reconquest of Westkeep. Countess Allita Elgarin of Flen is a strong ally to Skotti.[2]
The elves of the Dreadwood are strong supporters of King Skotti, a former forest ranger who shows great respect to the wood. Reynard Yargrove, Great Druid of the Sheldomar Valley, is a long-time friend of the King.[2]
Skotti is supported by the Royal Archmage Lashton, a powerful and politically active wizard from the Barony of Grayhill.[2]
Skotti's favorite bard is Dohnibor, a highly perceptive half-elf who serves as his court musician, and was previously a jester. Skotti's court jester is Dohnibor's Pyn Trillos, a ranting fool of a jester but secretly a spy for the Scarlet Brotherhood.[10]
History
Early life
In his youth, Kimbertos Skotti spent his time as a ranger, a role in which he attained a legendary level of mastery.
Kimbertos Skotti was Baron of Grayhill, a small region of Keoland occupying the northern reaches of the Dreadwood.[1]
Ascension to the throne
In 564 CY, King Trevlyan III of Keoland died suddenly. House Neheli, whose scions had held the throne since the death of Tavish IV in 488 CY, were unable to produce an heir to the throne owing to five unlucky decades in which the family was afflicted by illness , accident, and rumors of madness.[2]
The following winter, the Council of Niole Dra began a long debate over their replacement. The council selected Baron Kimbertos Skotti of House Lizhal, citing obscure blood ties to the throne. Skotti was the first of House Lizhal to ascend to the throne of Keoland, which had primarily been ruled by House Rhola and House Neheli for centuries.[1]
The decision to elect Skotti was influenced in large part by Lord Kharn, Margrave of Middlemead, whose goal was to select a disinterested and unprepared monarch in order to maximise his own power.[2]
Rulership
King Skotti's rulership has been controversial.
In 583 CY, following the Greyhawk Wars and the invasion of Geoff, Sterich and the Yeomanry by giants, King Skotti signed the Treaty of Niole Dra, allying Keoland with its neighbors.[1]
In 584 CY, Skotti refused to send troops to defend Sterich, then a practically independent vassal of Keoland, unless Querchard, Earl of Sterich, swore fealty to Keoland. Querchard refused, and Sterich was utterly overrun by giants and other monsters, its capital of Istivin abandoned within days. In 585 CY, Skotti promoted Querchard to the rank of Marquis and accepted Sterich's semi-independence from Keoland. Skotti's promises of rich rewards for the recapture of land in Sterich has also led to internal conflict there, with multiple claimants frequently asserting ownership of land.[9]
In Patchwall of 587 CY, Skotti reclaimed the Viscounty of Nume Eor from the lizardfolk of the Hool Marshes, establishing his cousin Richart Jorgos as viscount.[2]
In early 590 CY, Skotti personally led an army to seize Westkeep, a feat last disastrously attempted by King Tavish III in 453 CY. The invasion was a success, but morale is poor at Westkeep and it is heavily reliant on naval support for supplies.[11][2] Nevertheless, this conquest stands as an important symbol of Keoish resistance against the machinations of the Scarlet Brotherhood.[12]
Skotti's dislike of the city has seen him frequently retire to his retreat near Linnoden, in the Barony of Axewood to the north. The resulting failure of the King to engage with Keoish politics has allowed the rise of intrigue in Niole Dra, where numerous factions lobby the Council of Niole Dra.[2]
In spring of 591 CY, Skotti announced an amnesty for former agents of the Scarlet Brotherhood in exchange for information on the organization. This radical move outraged many of the southern nobility, with some calling it treason.[7]
In Living Greyhawk
 | This section contains content from the Living Greyhawk organized-play campaign. |
In the Living Greyhawk organized play campaign set in Keoland from 591-597 CY, King Skotti appears in several plot threads. Most notably, in 594 CY, Skotti is murdered by Holphin Neheli wielding the cursed artifact sword Blackrazor, throwing the kingdom into chaos as the throne is usurped. In 595 CY, Skoti is restored to life and reclaims the throne, while Holphin is acquitted due to having been magically compelled at the time of the murder.[13]
New characters related to the king include Falkas, his agent in Gradsul; Princess Calisse Skoti; and Kialla Skoti.[14][15] The Living Greyhawk adventures are no longer available.
The king also ordered a census taken in 584 CY, which was completed five years later in 589 CY.[16]
References
Citations
- ↑ a b c d Living Greyhawk Gazetteer, p.63-33.
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Living Greyhawk Journal #1, Keoland.
- ↑ a b Greyhawk Player's Guide, p.25.
- ↑ The Scarlet Brotherhood, p.24.
- ↑ Ghosts of Saltmarsh, p.32.
- ↑ GDQ1-7 Queen of Spiders, p.12.
- ↑ a b Living Greyhawk Journal #4, p.29.
- ↑ Ghosts of Saltmarsh, p.7.
- ↑ a b Living Greyhawk Gazetteer, p.108-109.
- ↑ 1992 TSR Trading Cards, #104 and #106.
- ↑ Living Greyhawk Gazetteer, p.102.
- ↑ The Scarlet Brotherhood, p.7.
- ↑ Overview of Keoland (2007).
- ↑ Crime and Punishment (PDF)
- ↑ Synopsis of KEO1-01, March Through Keoland.
- ↑ Census, 589 CY.
Bibliography
- Mearls, Mike. Ghosts of Saltmarsh. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2019.
Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index
The Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index (EGI) is based on previous work of Jason Zavoda through '08, continued by numerous other fans. The EGI article has a list of sources, product names, abbreviations, and a link to the full, downloadable index.
| Topic | Type | Description | Product | Page/Card/Image
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kimbertos Skotti | Non-player character | [3e R15], | Reference | SEE Skotti, Kimbertos |
| Skotti, Kimbertos {Scotti} (King) | Non-player character | [3e R15], | From the Ashes: Atlas of the Flanaess | 29 |
| Skotti, Kimbertos {Scotti} (King) | Non-player character | [3e R15], | GDQ1-7 Queen of the Spiders | 12, 121 |
| Skotti, Kimbertos {Scotti} (King) | Non-player character | [3e R15], | Ghosts of Saltmarsh, D&D 5e | 7, 8, 22, 28, 32 |
| Skotti, Kimbertos {Scotti} (King) | Non-player character | [3e R15], | Greyhawk Wars: Adventurer's Book | 20 |
| Skotti, Kimbertos {Scotti} (King) | Non-player character | [3e R15], | Living Greyhawk Gazetteer | 63, 66, 102, 107 |
| Skotti, Kimbertos {Scotti} (King) | Non-player character | [3e R15], | Living Greyhawk Journal #1 | 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19 |
| Skotti, Kimbertos {Scotti} (King) | Non-player character | [3e R15], | Living Greyhawk Journal #4 | 29 |
| Skotti, Kimbertos {Scotti} (King) | Non-player character | [3e R15], | Living Greyhawk Journal #5 | 29 |
| Skotti, Kimbertos {Scotti} (King) | Non-player character | [3e R15], | Player's Guide to Greyhawk | 25 |
| Skotti, Kimbertos {Scotti} (King) | Non-player character | [3e R15], | The Adventure Begins | 32 |
| Skotti, Kimbertos {Scotti} (King) | Non-player character | [3e R15], | The Scarlet Brotherhood | 7, 24 |
| Skotti, Kimbertos {Scotti} (King) | Non-player character | [3e R15], | World of Greyhawk boxed set (1983) | 27 |
| Skotti, Kimbertos {Scotti} (King) | Non-player character | [3e R15], | World of Greyhawk boxed set (1983) | 17 |