'Lord Bygone and the Satyrs'
A Flintloque Background Article by Danny O'Hara
The various islands off the coast of Aegypte are actually inhabited by Satyres. Long regarded as beasts, it is now becoming apparent that they are in fact the degenerated survivors of a once advanced culture.
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The Othari patrol marched back through the Valley of Polpetes, clambering over the strewn rocks. Their skin itched under their fur in the dusty heat, and they were tired after combing the countryside for Satyre rebels. How good a posting to the Islands had once sounded! An idyll with a tranquil sea to swim in, and little to do but watch the beastmen grow their olives and tend their flocks (which, the Othari joked, were really the families of those hairy savages!)... but now a serious rebellion had broken out amongst the Satyres, and innocent Othari had been murdered! Time to hunt down the beastmen and give them something to complain about...
From ahead of the patrol, a whistle from the "point" trooper was followed by a barked report - "Rockslide ahead!". The Bolukbashi went forward to examine the finding, and the soldiers lounged around chatting, complaining and drinking in gulps from their waterskins.
Then, like rolling thunder, a further rockslide came crashing down into the Othari - squeeking and shouting, they rushed for cover, though several did not make it...Shots rang out from the heights, and several Othari fell, bleeding, to the ground. Nimble Satyres roared through the settling rocks, and lay into the stunned Othari with knife and sword. Soon they held a victory dance amongst the cadavers...
The Satyres
The various islands off the coast of Aegypte, while owned by the Othari, are actually inhabited by the beings known as Satyres. Long regarded as semi-beasts of limited technical advancement, it is now becoming apparent that they are in fact the degenerated survivors of a once advanced culture. The strange ruins dotting the islands, at which the Satyres hold festivals and rites, have been found (by foreign excavators and adventurers) to be ancient buildings of some complexity. In a similar way, the Satyres use a series of "magic" symbols to form spells and amulets - and these are now thought to be the remains of an ancient alphabet. (As an interesting aside, it seems that the Othari culture was largely based on this ancient one - a fact which the Othari will go to great lengths to suppress!).
Long subject to Othari rule, and oppressed by the Otters, the Satyrs have lived simple existances on their islands (including the Cyclones, Streetos, Dykos, Konkreta and many others) fishing, herding, growing olives and vines. Their festivals involve drunken rites, blood sacrifices, singing of ancient songs and wild dancing to pipe music. Few outsiders ever get to see any of this Satyrical culture, and even fewer realise the true depth of their songs and stories, rooted in the ancient past. The Satyres are born philosophers - after all, what else is there to do when watching flocks than sit and contemplate the Universe? When they get together, the shepherds expound their differing views and observations - and become involved in lengthy arguments about what-would-happen-if-you-split-rocks-down-into-parts-so-small-that-you-couldn't-even-see-them, and other such subjects... all theoretical rubbish with no possible use, of course.
Physically, the Satyres are hairy, horned bipeds with the upper body roughly "human" and the lower portion like the back legs of a goat. They are extremely light-footed and nimble, able to run across scree and along narrow ledges. While wiry and tough, they are generally of small stature and cannot last in a "stand-up" fight with larger opponents such as the Othari.
But the Satyres are a strange race - for different "strains" of Satyre develop under other conditions. In the presence of richer food supplies and less mountainous terrain, the basic Satyre develops (in only a very few generations) into a truly monstrous sub-type - the Minotaur. Bull-headed and hugely strong, they are as large as Ogres and fearsome opponents in battle, though lacking their cousins' agility and possibly some of their intelligence. If placed in an area of plains, the Satyres develop into a quadruped form - the Centaur. These are as fast as horses, and skilled hunters with the bow. The Minotaurs are most common on Konkreta, while the Centaurs are rarer still - they mainly occur in communities in Aegypte, where they are used by the Othari as cavalry. No-one knows how these varieties occur in the Satyres.
The Islands Erupt
But recently, after years of only minor disturbances, the Satyrical Islands have erupted in a frenzy of anti-Othari activity. This began with the massacre of the Othari garrison at Taramasalata, which was followed by the Othari back-lash at Kofte. In the first, the revolting Satyres overwhelmed a surprised Othari garrison at the Konkretan town of Taramasalata, slaughtering them. The Satyres at Taramasalata declared a new "Hedonistic Republic", independent of the Othari. Outbreaks of violence by both races then spread quickly through the islands, and an Othari Fleet landed at the island of Kofte. The Sea-Otter Janissaries rampaged through the countryside, killing or enslaving the Satyre populace. As a revenge, a Satyre fisherman named Konstantinos Kanary led a pair of "fireships" (fishing boats with incendary material on board) into the midst of the Othari Fleet at Kofte - they destroyed several ships, including the flagship.
Following this, a large Othari army invaded Konkreta and began a merciless march through the island, killing and burning as they went. But, at the Satyre fort of Misalami, a brave defence by the rebel garrison (including several minotaurs and Lord Bygone) stopped the invading force in its tracks. The Othari sat down to besiege Misalami, and another Othari army under Mustai Basha moved up to reinforce the besiegers.
But, in a surprise night-attack on the advancing Othari, a warrior by the name of Minotauro Bozzaris led 300 Satyres to victory over the 4,000 Othari of Mustai's advance guard at the Battle of Karbonpaperis. Bozzaris was killed in the fight, and a monument was later built to him at the battle site.
Mustai gave up the siege of Misalami soon after, and pulled his forces back to Aegypte. However, the various prominent figures of the Hedonistic Republic started to form factions and fight amongst themselves. Under the cover of this internecine warfare, the Othari reorganised themselves and re-invaded Konkreta with a massive fleet and army under Cassiush Clai and his son, Irememberhim. The Othari swept through the island, overunning Misalami in a bloody assault, and forcing the Satyres back into the Acrappyplace (an ancient temple by the sea). Here a resolute defence (aided and abetted by Orcish adventurers such as Lord Cockroach; Lord Bygone having died at Misalami) was carried out by the Satyres, but eventually the Othari overwhelmed them. The other islands fell in rapid succession, and the heart appeared to have left the Hedonist movement.
The Allies Intervene
But, in Valon the Mordredian Wars had temporarily finished (Mordred was in exile, and Morganna's followers were once more in power). The Elves and Orcs were uneasy allies, and both were watching the rising power of the Witchlands with some disquiet. They regarded the Satyre rising as an opportunity which the Star Wraith was likely to take up, intervening in this savage conflict and gaining a foothold in the area... Thus the combined forces of Elf and Orc states, with some support from Östaria, were arrayed against the Othari to force their withdrawal.
Initially the Othari ignored the polyglot fleet, but then Admiral Lord Codswallop sailed the Allied fleet into the Bay of Neverino and blasted the anchored Othari fleet to smithereens. With no source of supply, and no way to retire, the Othari negotiated a peace with the Allies and left the Satyrical Islands.
The Satyres declared this a stunning victory for the Hedonistic Republic, and celebrated throughout the islands. But the monarchial Orcs, Elves and Dogs could not stand by and watch a new Republic flourish - so the Satyres were forced (quite literally at gunpoint) into accepting a King of Satyria. To keep the new state apparently neutral, the Allies offered the throne to a Dwarfen Prince - Otto von Finkelstein - who became King Otto I of Satyria.
And the Satyres went back to growing olives, tending their flocks and philosophy... oh, and occassionally killing one another.
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Gaming the Satyrical Wars
As can be gathered, the Satyres are based on the beastmen of Greek legend and other genres, which figure in several manufacturers' lines.
For stats, the Satyres are best treated as Joccians, while Minotaurs are similar to Ogres.
Equipment would vary from modern firearms to crude clubs and other handweapons. Satyres would rarely wear much more than a loincloth, so no real uniforms (well, unless you want to do Ezvones in pom-pom slippers!). I intend to expand these notes, and add some scenarios as time permits.
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Webmaster's Notes
The above Flintloque background was originally published on Danny O'Hara's excellent Flintloque website, Weird Wars, way back in June1999.
The scenario was first published on Orcs in the Webbe on the 15th November 2007 with Danny’s kind permission. Sadly it was absent for several years due to a prior regeneration of the website not transferring everything over correctly. That wrong has now been righted and it returned in it's original form on the 3rd December 2025 as the third entry in that year's Advent Calendar and, of course, is part of Orcs in the Webbe's ongoing Flintloque Archive Project.
Danny passed away a few years ago now and I miss both him and his fantastic contributions to the world of Valon.
Any comments in maroon in the article above have been added by me either to provide additional information or clarity. I may also have made small changes to grammar and layout but have not marked these.
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