Filibert Chubb

Nel Faldur, in the land of Vilda, lies a couple of kilometres to the west of the river Dira, located at a stream (the Berbuih) leading to the river from the mountains. The village has a population of around 3000 people. It has a wooden wall and its own town militia. There is no higher authority than the town’s mayor that has anything to say about Nel Faldur’s doings and goings. The village is surrounded by grain and hop fields. The farmhands are almost all from within the village, where it is safe. They either have to walk or be transported to the fields and back every day.

It wasn’t always like this. Filibert Chubb, a sturdy halfling, worked as a farmhand in the hop fields of Nel Faldur, for the majority of his life. Only he lived in a little village back then, just a few steps away from the hop fields. He enjoyed the simple life and its modest rewards. Many would call it boring, but Fillibert liked the predictability and peacefulness of it all. Drinking the beer from ‘his’ hop was all excitement he desired.

That was some 40 years back, days before the 'Bug Plague'. The wars fought centuries ago had left Vilda in a sorry state. The country could not muster enough strength to fight the bands of bugbears that started emerging from the mountains. Fillibert was no fighter and instead decided to flee his village when the bugbears started raiding nearby. He fled to the walls of Nel Faldur, from where he saw the smoke rising from what was once his home. In this, he was not alone. Nel Faldur stood as a safe haven in an increasingly hostile land, attracting many other scared folk.

Fillibert helped the city expand when the previous walls could no longer house the increasing number of inhabitants. He hoped to continue the life he knew and loved as soon as possible with the new power structure that was locally established. What followed, however, was crime and lawlessness. In a region stripped of riches and prosperity, many fight for the crumbs. Still, nobody dared to oppose the bugbears, making it increasingly dangerous to leave Nel Faldur's walls during the night (and even the day), the village itself was no longer safe at night either. Not even the beer – Fillibert’s only joy at this point – got spared: being sold as quickly as it was brewed to shady merchants that leave as soon as they show up.

It was a sorry life, until one faithful day changed everything. It was a morning like any other. Fillibert sat in a cart next to other farmhands. Looking to his left, he saw a fresh grave being dug for tonight’s murder, some hundred metres from the gates. Then when he looked forward, he saw them in the distance: the Order of Saint Rabban, it’s banners flying high.

Their methods weren’t exactly subtle, but damn, did they bring order back to the place. Fillibert looked in admiration at the counselling, training of the militia and the trials – though some were a bit overly harsh. The punishments for offenders were an unpleasant, yet necessary task. The mayor of Nel Faldur was one of the first to be tried and sentenced to dead. Many trials followed, with sentences ranging from a slow dead to small fines. It was noteworthy that not one arrested person left the trial rooms without a sentence.

Besides the harsh punishments, there was something else Fillibert didn’t quite like: the Order thought that the whole world should follow a ‘One True Way’. As if other people may not make slight alterations to their ethos corresponding to their culture and history. Applying a standard set of laws for so many different people may even lead to increased disorder! That send Fillibert thinking of certain set of ‘basic’ laws, which he started writing down.

When the Order was done with their work, they headed out, on to a new settlement that needed Pholtus’ guidance. Fillibert now among their ranks. After completing a tour through a large part of Vilda, the company reached Tuzic Brac, the capital. There, at the rank of vigilant, Fillibert left the company with a new mission: protect civilized order and collect the laws of the world, so that the world may read, understand and learn from the laws and values of other peoples (or otherwise for his own joy and curiosity). So he set out to collect the law and make his remarks. Surely, this is what Pholtus wants.

He travelled to Haza and Otteun, from where he crossed the Tal river at Midtal. From there, he went to Fir Lanear, where he stayed some time, during which his lawbook gained considerably in size. After that, he continued his journey and made for The Godfall.