[The following is a summary of major events in Rakos since the death of the party 44 years ago, as related to them by Cedric and his friends shortly after their resurrection. It reflects the clerics' limited knowledge and understanding, and it is not an objective, omniscient historical account. This is not necessarily the truth, the whole truth, or nothing but the truth.]
- At the Grand Council, shortly after the death of the party, the main topic was the war between Cindre and Valen over a slice of contested territory. After much negotiation and political wrangling, the duchy of Valen generously offered to stop fighting and to relinquish the territory to Cindre, but asked for a modest payment in exchange and, as a gesture of goodwill, an official pardon for the Duke of Valen's new behind-the-scenes advisor, Baldric. (Avisha suspects that he may have attained this position through mind-influencing spells.) The Duke of Cindre agreed to the deal, though she lived long enough to regret it.
- In the years after their death, the party became famous, thanks mostly to a famous tavern song and to an endless series of stories originating from the village of Fairway, traditionally attributed to a villager named "Old Tuck".
- Baldric rapidly grew his reputation as a competent adviser and administrator. About 40 years ago, five of the dukes (all except for the Duke of Cindre) voted to appoint Baldric as the first "Regent" to the figurative throne of Rakos. At first, the idea was that he would hold very limited power, but could better coordinate the joint endeavors of the six duchies and ensure peace among them. (And indeed, there has not been a true war between any of the duchies since that date, largely thanks to Baldric's mediation and political maneuvering.) But before long, he began to assume a greater role. The Regency (as his administration became known) was authorized to levy its own taxes, and it took direct responsibility for running the Treasury and the Capital Hall.
- About 30 years ago, Baldric established the Peacekeepers, (essentially his own personal army) who were originally intended to patrol the roads between the duchies. Their numbers have grown immensely since then, while the armies of most of the duchies have correspondingly dwindled.
- Also about 30 years ago, Rath (the halfling Sage of the Silver Tower) abruptly announced that he was graduating all the current students in the Tower, kicked out everyone except a small circle of close colleagues, and refused to admit any new students. Visitors are sometimes welcomed, but the few that actually do visit the Silver Tower unanimously report that Rath has gone mad and established a sinister cult around himself.
- The old Duke of Cindre, Lanna Greydale, was known to be a fierce opponent of Baldric. Coincidentally, she and her family were the target of multiple assassination attempts. (Her cousin Galbarth was killed defending her from one such attack.) She ultimately died of "food poisoning" about 25 years ago. She was succeeded by her cousin Saphira, who took a much more friendly stance toward the Regency. However, many rumors claim that she remained a steadfast enemy of Baldric behind the scenes, and it's well-known that Cindre maintains the strongest army among the duchies.
- About 20 years ago, Rawlish Boswell (the head of the Capital Rangers) was killed by wild beasts while traveling. He was succeeded by his nephew Emmon, but shortly thereafter, Baldric disbanded the Rangers, claiming that they were no longer capable of fulfilling their purpose. Emmon and most of the remaining Rangers later resurfaced as a group of bandits calling themselves the Outcasts, robbing merchants on the road between Wayport and Balenor.
- Soon after disbanding the Rangers, Baldric formed a new elite corps of bodyguards and soldiers called Seraphs. They are easily recognized by their trademark uniform (plate armor trimmed with white), and their fighting prowess is widely respected.
- About 7 years ago, Duchess Saphira Greydale and most of her family died in a tragic fire, leaving only one heir: Anna Greydale, granddaughter of the Duke who hired the party. But Duchess Anna was only eight years old. The other dukes agreed to let Baldric take responsibility for her, and she has lived most of her life since then in the Capital Hall of Balenor. She is reputed to be a shy, bookish girl who has passively accepted her situation and supports Baldric's regime.
- In the last six months or so, "soul sickness" has begun to strike the people of Rakos. The symptoms progress from apathy and listlessness to outright catatonia and eventual death over the course of several weeks. Nobody knows the source or cause. The epidemic appeared to start in the northern duchies and is more severe there, but there have been isolated cases throughout the island. Neighboring nations have set up a naval blockade in hopes of preventing the spread of the epidemic.
- In the last year, Rakos has fallen into crisis, which has been greatly accelerated by the emergence of the soul sickness epidemic. The cities and roads have been flooded by desperate refugees. Famines have struck several regions, and when the Regency collects food for its relief efforts, it seems to spread the famine rather than subdue it. To make the roads more safe, the Regency has begun to demand that travelers carry travel permits or risk arrest. Many of those arrested and some of the refugees have been shipped off to be "resettled", but are never heard from again.
