So who do you guys think is behind the basilisk alliance?

Could be someone within the involved racial factions (goblins (Ashstalkers, ???,....), hobgoblins, orcs, trolls (mercenaries but I doubt those two companies were the only ones), drow and likely others).

The bloodstone could mean Yves is involved for some reason, they seem like they should be very rare and valued objects, beyond the reach of tribal goblins (plus they would definitely have used it before this if they had it all along. They are not that diciplined). We know Yves has three from dealing with a trio of sanguimancers in the past. The king may have given one to the goblins in order for them to quickly take out the kobolds and as payment for their role in the war.

Lots of other options.

 

Except that the ashstalkers are suppose to be an absolutely massive goblin clan, in a largely inaccessible location for yves army’s. Swamps are horrible for medieval troop formations. Not to mention the mountains in the way. Yves isn’t an all powerful nation, rione is proof of that.
As to the blood stone, an objects value is effected by its usefulness. so if they have no blood mages it isn’t going to be quite as valued. If they had a blood mage they would likely have invaded someone like yves with it

 

Where is "The Basilisk Alliance" actually mentioned in the books?

 

Its not mentioned in the books, its mentioned in the epilogue of book 7.

 

Long post.

Currently we know of goblins (ashstalkers) with a vast underground territory to the north, northwest of the village who are fighting the kobolds. We also know goblins from the azergoth swamps are involved in that war. Finally we know there has been at least one hobgoblin from the mountain tribes (my money is on the firetip mountains as we have textev of them containing goblin/hobgoblin tribes) involved. Sion recognizes where he is from.

Said hobgoblin says the following in book 1

Pretty much outlining his own motivation and probably that of his tribe. Maybe even the entire Basilisk alliance.


None of the forest tribes as far as we know are aware that the invaders call themselves the Basilisk alliance. Some like the kindir are starting to wake up to the threat to their homeland however

In addition to the troll mercenaries and the drow sorceres that were active in a remote corner of the forest. I'd guess they have a presence elsewhere but that can't be proven yet.


tldr
My point with all this is that I don't think so many evil tribes and races would be able to form even a loose coalition without someone or something smoothing out the differences, paying out bribes and intimidating their leaders into compliance where necesary.

 

Yves crushed a triad of sanguimancers in the past. Not easily but they won. One sanguimancer wouldn't be as much of a threat as they were unless he was both very highly skilled and had a very, very high mind stat. He wouldn't be able to resist the influence of the blood magic long enough otherwise, and once he went crazy it wouldn't be nearly as difficult to take him out. Yves is too big and too powerful for one bloodstone to turn the tide.

The ashstalkers are currently facing off with two adversaries in their own weight class, the kobolds and the bugs. The blood stone would have been an invaluable weapon for their side in that war.

 

I still hold fast to my original prediction. The Alliance is being managed the Dark Court and their children the Exiles. The count could possible have indirect contact with them as he is probably third or fourth tier in the pyramid of power. The Count a good friend to the king would also be in a good position to gain access to a bloodstone. The market in Yves for slaves being sold as sacrifices for the dark court should mean something as well. We also know that someone has been guiding the goblins not only to old places of power but to powerfully magical items such as the shard of chaos. I don’t believe they would have had the knowledge or abilities to do that until recently. It seems all of these things have been coordinated for a greater purpose to me. I can only imagine it was part of a push to break the lock.

 

Diden't the four exiles that were involved in the trade get executed or am I remembering that wrong?

The 3 bloodstones were used to attack Yves, with entire duchies laid waste and the kingdom almost being brought to its knees. If it was me those three stones would be treated with the same care as a trio of 2 megaton nukes. Not worldending, but bad enough that they'd be placed in a heavily guarded vault unless they are in use.

That said, the current king isn't the sharpest butterknife in the drawer and he is under the influence of some really bad advisors, but would he really allow one of his own nobles to carry away a weapon that can devestate duchies without knowing what its for?

 

Tortured yes, but anything else is off stage and not revealed as of yet.

 

Who knows the kingdom could have destroyed the bloodstones. Then again they could have been kept for some future purpose or lack of knowledge on how to destroy them. I wish Ricther had learned more lore and history of the Land. I think it would have been worth while to ask the Chaotic Bloodstone if it knew the whereabouts of other bloodstones. I’m sure it could tell him approximately where they are. As soon as one is used I would think it could lead Ricther right to it. Seeing how other blood mages sensed Ricthers use of blood magic I would think the bloodstone could do it as well.

 

More likely the kingdom of yves would have claimed to have destroyed them and hid them away for a rainy day. Then of course failed to maintain the storage facility and lost the ability to use them.

 

I also don't think they would have gotten rid of them, the deterrence value is just too great. Staying purposefully silent on where they are and how they are being used would work towards that.

 

The Kingdom of Yves was almost brought to its knees. Several duchies were destroyed utterly.

I am sure this was already said somewhere else. Just be a cause Yves was not destroyed does not mean the attackers were. The sanguimacers could have been killed and the Goblins fled with the stones. The stone wielders could have been burned out by using the stones so much. The attacking army could have been decimated and the stones left to start a blood coven when they could not overcome the combined might of hundreds of high level mages

 

Assuming that their BloodStone(s?) was the same as the Goblins, it might have been a Lesser knockoff of the Goblins one or (less likely) the God that created the one the Goblin had might have made more then one, possibly of varying degrees of strength?

 

I imagine there are a lot of them. At least three confirmed in the river peninsula, maybe four, with who knows how many more beyond it.

 

The head sanguinmancers could have been absorbed by the bloodstones pushing them to their maximum. The lessor bloodmages could have ran away with the stones or as you mentioned it could have been the Goblins. We know they did have one anyway. AK still needs to fill in some blanks.

I think that the bloodstones were likely all made equally. I would bet my eye teeth that all the bloodstones have developed differently since then. All of them will have absorbed the knowledge of different mages. Some would have seen more use then others. We do know one of them came in direct contact with a blast of pure chaos. I would be shocked if there were another Chaotic bloodstone. I would agree that none of the bloodstones would be equivalent to any other at this point.

I wouldn’t expect more bloodstones then I would magic cores or seed cores.

 

In that case I really hope the current pattern doesn't hold. Richter found 3 magic cores within the forest of nadria. There could be hundreds across the peninsula hidden in ancient ruins that no one has the strength to clear out

That many bloodstones would be very, very bad.

And yes I know only the greatest countries have a pop, a core and a Dungeon. I'm assuming that is only true for the river peninsula and that while having all three is extraordinarily rare, having just one is merely rare.

Its unknown how many seedcores there are and its unknown how much the pixies will change the frequency with which they are formed from the hearth trees of sprite kind.

 

I am personally not expecting anymore bloodstones for a while, Perhaps one more magic core, and No more seed cores for the village. I do expect new things to crop up.

 

I would like to see Ricthers people start mining some of the marbleized quarts striated with the bloodstone. There are several structures that might be improved with bloodstone. Others might could be built entirely of bloodstone. With the right crafters they might find several other uses for it. That’s the only bloodstone I can see being used for anything and NO I don’t think it would be anything like the Chaotic bloodstone.

 

You mean inside the Dungeon? I was thinking off that as decorative, but it could definitely be worthwhile. Not sure how the Dungeon would react, its not really loot but...