The Alban Identity, Vol. I

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T H E     D A E L I S H    U N I O N

 

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Penned By,

 

Her Serene Highness,

the Princess of Alstion,

Jane of Dover

 

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“House Alstion formally departed the Orenian Empire when Henry Alstion was killed by Imperial State Troopers in his efforts to save Robert Helvets in Providence. His son, James, fled the Empire and settled down with a small band of Daelish attendants in some ruins later called ALBA.”   — Maxim of the Attenlund,  A Study Into The Patriarchs of Horen and Alstion

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Many origins might be proposed for the Alban polity as it is recognized today. Originally borne by the Aeldinic House of Morvelyn, the Ducal honours of Alba would pass unto the House of Horen and ultimately descend unto the Senior Johannian line following the Dissolution of Horen, becoming one among many hereditary dignities of the Princely House of Alstion. Yet, in the studied judgement of this author, the beginnings of the modern Alban state lie in the reign of James Francis, Prince of Alstion. The first of the Alstionite princes to have held Alba as a landed distinction, Prince James left an indelible impression upon both title and territory, with his legacy thereafter being upheld by his descendants, whose rule over Alba has persisted into this modern age. 

This volume stands as the first of three intended to illuminate the character of the Archduchy of Alba, not through the lens of its present standing, but by a deliberate return to the title's rise to prominence.

Accordingly, this volume shall focus on the reigns of the ‘Princes over the Water’, namely Prince James Francis and his immediate successor, Lord William Corwin, for their rule serves as the essential prelude to the Alban identity in its mature form. These figures may be traced to the earliest articulations of Alban governance, dress, social order, and political posture; forms that would be later refined, transformed, or rebuffed throughout the ebbs and flows of the House of Alstion, though never wholly erased. 

Particular care has been taken to situate the Daelish people at the center of this account, for too often has their influence been relegated to the periphery of Alban history. This work instead proceeds from the premise that Alba was not merely imposed upon Daelish land, but was reshaped by it. The Daels were not passively absorbed by the House of Alstion, but steadily impressed upon that ruling house, even when resisted or misunderstood.

What is hoped to be achieved is a comprehensive account of the histories of Alba, attentive to the actors who defined the title, and conscious of the shifting structures that have shaped what can best be denominated “The Alban Identity”.

 

 

 

 

 

T H E   R U L E    O F

 

20th of Tobias' Bounty, 1766 — 17th of Sun's Smile, 1833

 

Born to the martyred Prince Henry Stephen of Furnestock, who was styled by his more fervent adherents as the “Emperor over the Water”, Prince James Francis emerged the sole heir of the line of John and thereby the inheritor of its hereditary dignities and styles. Yet, these titles conferred little in the way of substantive authority, and offered less still as a shield against the recourse of the Empire. For this reason, Prince James’s rule is most aptly defined by his withdrawal from the Imperial state and his establishing of the Lordship of Alba, returning the title to its landed dignity for the first time in generations. 

 

 

THE EARLY DAELISH INFLUENCE

By the time of Prince Henry Stephen’s death in Providence, the fortunes of the House of Alstion had been considerably reduced from their former height. Though constrained in means, the House nevertheless retained a number of hereditary dignities, and continued to command the loyalty of a small contingent of retainers. And so, upon Henry’s passing, the burden of dynastic stewardship over the line of John fell to his son, Prince James Francis, who would gather these few possessions which remained to him and lead it beyond the bounds of Imperial influence. This self-imposed exile would carry him to a small, desolate region in central Almaris. There, he established himself with the remnants of a ruined fortress, to which he affixed the title of one of his ancestral dignities, Alba.

A portrait depicting the ruins of Alba.

The lands of Alba, though not bereft of settlement, could scarce compare to the fertile and well-governed Orenian heartland. The terrain was rugged and uneven, its soils less yielding, its climate harsher, marked by long winters and brief growing seasons. Yet, while the region lacked the prosperity to which the House Alstion was once accustomed, it was not wholly inhospitable. A number of Daelish tribes had already made their homes among its hills and valleys, carving out livelihoods through pastoralism and agriculture. The Daels maintained a simple lifestyle in contrast to Heartlandic bureaucracy, and there is thus little documentation of the Daelish tribes prior to their contact with House Alstion. Due to their principally agrarian lifestyle, it could be assumed that the Daelish had few political systems in place with the exception of an underdeveloped judicial system that largely settled disputes by way of armed duel. 

 

In an effort to consolidate authority over the surrounding territory and its local Daelish population, Prince James Francis wed Mairi Adelheid Gromach, the daughter of a local chieftain and patrilineal descendant of the Dukes of the Daeland. In further accordance with Daelish custom, the Alstion patriarch would adopt the local title of “Laird”, foregoing its historical Ducal honors. Despite this union, the Alstionite retinue retained Johannian sentiments. The Alstions had spent nearly a decade prior in Imperial politics and many of those close to the Lord found it difficult to assimilate to the agrarian lifestyle the Daelish people led. It is important to note that the Daelish way of governing was far humbler and less bureaucratic than the Johannian style; thus, it is safe to assume that this was a laborious melding of beliefs. The Daels likely rejected James’s beliefs during his time as Lord of Alba, leading to his coexistence rather than a proper rule over the tribes that surrounded Olde Alba.

 

THE JACOBEAN COUTURE

The union of Alstionite and Dael was a tenuous and uneasy conjunction; at least, it was certainly no seamless integration of interests or traditions. Prince James, though a noted critic of the Imperial polity in its later Petrine form, nevertheless bore within his household the inheritance of that culture. His father, the late Prince Henry Stephen, had been reared amidst the refinements offered within the court of his great-uncle, Emperor Alexander II, and thus carried into his household the manners and dress of a courtier. By contrast, the Daelish presented themselves in a fashion wholly distinct from the vanities of Imperial dress. Their attire, fashioned from sheepskins and coarse wool, was suited not merely to the severity of the harsher climates of Alba, but also the rhythms of an economy rooted in pastoral agriculture. This divergence of material culture thereby juxtaposed, with particular clarity, the disparity between the vanities of Imperial dress and the provincial austerity of the

Daelish.

Accordingly, this era of fashion was characterized by an awkward melding of the Daelish staples and traditional Imperial values. The influence of Imperial tastes were made discernible in what this author would refer to as “Jacobean Couture”: the fusion of gold-trimmed sleeves and frilled collars with the tartans and plaids so distinctive of Daelish identity. Within the household of Prince James himself, Jacobean Couture was standardized amongst his kinsmen and retainers. It may be reasonably inferred, however, that those outside the immediate circle of the Alstionite household retained the standard Daelish mode of dress.

Mairi Adelheid in the Jacobean Couture.

 

THE ALBAN GAVELKIND

The remainder of James’s life was spent ruling over his quaint holdfast before falling ill. The first recorded instance of Prince James’s illness may be traced to the month of Owyn’s Flame, 1831. By the following year, after a series of apparent recoveries punctuated by recurrent relapses, his condition had become hopeless. By ordinary succession laws, the estates of the Prince would have passed in their entirety to his firstborn son, the Hereditary Prince Leopold John, in keeping with the dictates of Johannian custom. Yet, for reasons which we can only surmise, Prince James elected instead to partition the Johannian inheritance among three beneficiaries. 

 

The first enumerated in his testament was his elder son, the Prince Leopold, to whom he bequeathed the Princely styling of Alstion, together with the honours and dignities attached thereto. This followed naturally from his position as firstborn and traditional heir to the line of John. The second designation fell to Olivier Renault, a close confidant and companion of the Prince, who was invested with the title of Corazon; this was possibly done with the intent of securing his line a dependable ally within the Sutican court. Finally, to his younger son, William Corwin, James entrusted the Lordship of Alba. For what reason he chose to transfer his landed domains to his younger son rather than the Hereditary Prince remains uncertain, as James did not elaborate further upon his intent in his will. Even so, it may be conjectured that he perhaps intended to shield the Johannian heir from the potential threat posed from Orenian designs upon his life, whether real or imagined. Such a supposition is consistent with the fact that Prince Leopold was reared within the protective confines of the Church. 

 

All the same, at last, in 1833, Prince James would succumb to his illness and the dispositions of his will were brought into effect, thereby bringing an end to the Jacobean Era.

 

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T H E   R U L E    O F

 

12th of Sun's Smile, 1821 — 4th of Horen’s Calling, 1860

 

Upon the passing of Prince James Francis, rule over Alba passed to his second son, William Corwin. Though limited in power, the lordship began to reemerge as a minor political actor under William’s rule, which is made distinct by two key events. Firstly, during this period, Alba contributed modest financial support to the early efforts to restore the Principality of Savoy, with William pawning several inherited titles to fund Olivier Renault de Savoie, then Lord-Protector of Sutica. As a result, Alba eventually entered vassalage under Olivier’s newly formed Principality. Secondly, Alba would take on an active role in the campaign to install Prince Leopold John, William's elder brother, upon the Imperial throne.

 

 

THE WILHELMINE MODEL OF RULERSHIP

The second-born son of Prince James Francis, William would have ordinarily stood outside the line of succession which, as dictated by the Johannian customs of succession, reserved the inheritance of all titles for the elder son, Prince Leopold John. This, of course, would be made manifest with Prince James’s partitioning of his titles, from which William received the Lordship of Alba. That this succession was foreseen by his father may further be inferred from William’s upbringing, for he was not solely confined to his father’s holdfast, but rather reared amidst the Daelish, whose culture and customs left an enduring impression upon his character. Chroniclers remark his humility and honesty, traits which may plausibly be ascribed to the agrarian simplicity of the Daelish people.

The Lord of Alba amongst his people.

Accordingly, upon his succession to the Lordship, William’s rule was distinguished by an expansion of Daelish influence. This directly affected William’s chosen mode of governance, of which this author would coin the “Wilhelmine Model of Rulership”, a style which favored humility, as well as familiarity and nearness to the people. Though abandoned by his immediate successors of the Kingdom of Aaun, whose larger scale, cultural heterogeneity, and decentralized structure proved ill-suited to so intimate a form of rule, the Wilhelmine Model is nonetheless an essential prelude to the modern Alban governance, wherein authority is exercised not solely through aristocratic prerogative, but rather through a more centralized framework that affords the estates as well as the common people a voice and vested stake in the welfare of the realm. 

 

 

THE INFLUENCE OF SAVOY

Whilst William tended to his humble pastures, the reins of power shifted southward. As previously mentioned, Olivier de Savoie had been created the Duke of Corazon by will of Prince James Francis, and affirmed thereafter by Queen Johanna of Sutica. The incomes derived from this grant, coupled with a sudden power vacuum in the Sutica, enabled the beguiling Duke Olivier to swiftly seize control over the Cerulean Kingdom. Following the death of Queen Johanna in 1835, Olivier was appointed regent over her young son and, a year later, he had gathered sufficient support to usurp the realm, ruling it as Prince and posturing for his House’s ancestral holding of Savoy. Much of the early years of Olivier’s reign were devoted to purging the surrounding Sutican holdings of heresy, after which he installed loyal Canonists as stewards of these territories, granting them lordship on the condition that they maintain the estates and raise forces in the name of the Prince of Savoy. The gradual expansion of Savoyard authority across the region soon brought Alba within its orbit, and, some few months after the formal establishment of the Principality of Savoy, William Corwin rendered an informal oath of fealty to Prince Olivier, thus pledging the estates and dominions of Alba to the Savoyard coronet. In exchange for his fealty, William would be made Prince Olivier’s chancellor.

A reimagining of William Corwin swearing fealty to Prince Olivier, depicted in the Alban style of drawing.

Under Savoy’s oversight, Alba was reshaped from little more than a paltry fort and scattered farmsteads into a more proper and organized fiefdom, its holdings brought into formal alignment with the Prince’s expanding dominion. Accordingly, Savoy helped to urbanize Alba, introducing new technologies whilst also developing infrastructure within the region. Further did Savoy establish Alba as a player on the world stage, however modest the role it was to assume.

THE SIEGE OF HAVERLOCK

For much of William’s reign, the Daels experienced an extended period of relative peace. Yet, elsewhere, the intrigues of the Heartlands formented tension and conflict; Philip II, derisively remembered as “Priestlover”, had initiated hostilities against the dwarves. His rule, already unpopular amongst his subjects, would reach its sudden and violent conclusion when his grandson, the future Emperor Philip III, and his wife, the future Empress Anastasia I, deposed him in the Aster revolution. Deemed schismatics beyond the Empire and branded anathema by the Pontiff twice-over, the new Emperor and Empress were compelled to continue Philip II’s campaigns, as the dwarves and their allies, now backed by the Church, formed the Tripartite Accord.

 

During this period, Prince Leopold John of Alstion, the eldest son of James Francis, emerged from hiding to assert his claim to the Imperial throne. Although his claim garnered minimal political support, he secured the enthusiastic backing of his brother, who made efforts to consolidate various Daelish retainers into a personal guard for the Prince. This cadre, styled the “Nauzican Brigade” for the Emperor’s own elite guard of Old Johannia, was placed under the command of a Haeseni hedgeknight, Maxim of Attenlund, who oversaw their training. Beneath his command, the Nauzicans were deployed alongside the forces of the Tripartite Accord, bringing Alba into what was to become the Sinner’s War.

 

The early stages of the conflict seemed promising. The dwarves successfully annexed sizable land grants from Oren, including a province granted to the Prince of Sedan, whose own House de Joannes was a cousin line to Alstion. Here, the Prince established his seat at Haverlock, where his court took root alongside the Nauzicans, among them William and Maxim. Unbeknownst to them, the early successes of the Tripartite Accord would prove short-lived. By 1860, an Imperial force of roughly fifteen thousand men had mustered, marching for Haverlock. The Imperials circled and ultimately defeated the garrison of some thirteen thousand Tripartite troops, among them the Nauzican Brigade. 

 

The reversal of fortune at Haverlock thwarted any chance for the Alstionite claim to the Imperial seat, the entirety of the Nauzicans annihilated in their last stand at Haverlock. Though defeated, the principles for which the Nauzicans fought endured in public memory, particularly during the later Alstionite restoration of the Heartlands. So was their martyrdom enshrined in the legend of Haverlock, which would come to be celebrated in modern Alba as the “Hero-City of Haverlock”, a symbol of resistance against the Petrine world order, and testament to the enduring nature of the old Johannic ideals for which these men fought.
 

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AAUN | Referring to the ancient Kingdom chiefly held by Godwin Horenson, later reestablished by Charles I Alstion. 

 

APOSTOLIC KINGDOM OF AAUN | The later state of the Kingdom of Aaun following John I’s ascension to Apostolic King.

 

UNITED KINGDOM OF AAUN | The second state of the Kingdom of Aaun under the rulership of Charles I until its elevation under John I.

 

ALBA | Referring to the polity of Alba, held firstly by the House de Morvelyn, thereafter by the House of Horen, and later inherited by the House of Alstion.

 

DUKE OF ALBA | (referring to the Dukes of Alba prior to the creation of Lordship)

 

LORD OF ALBA | (referring firstly to the leaders of the Alban Lordship, thereafter to the heirs of Aaun)

 

ALSTION | Referring to the dynasts of the senior most branch of the line of John, by way of Charles Elliot, Prince of Alstion, thirdborn son of Peter II, Holy Orenian Emperor.

 

PRINCE OF ALSTION | A titular honor denoting the senior most dynast of the House of Alstion.

 

DAELISH | Denoting the people descended from the Lords of Daeland. The tribes that had previously settled the lands of Alba.

 

HOREN | Among the most influential houses in human history, later dissolved thus creating House Alstion as one of its five cadets. 

 

JOHANNIAN | Denoting a scion of the Horenic Line of John.

 

MORVELYN | The House from which Elizabeth de Morvelyn, Holy Orenian Empress descends. They were the bearers of the Duchy of Alba before its passing onto the House of Horen. 

 

OREN | Referring to the polity initially established by Horen I as King of Oren and later the Holy Orenian Empire until its fall following Emperor Philip III’s death.

 

KINGDOM OF OREN | (Referring to the Kingdom under the rulership of King Frederick.)

 

HOLY ORENIAN EMPIRE | (The Empire that preceded the aforementioned Kingdom of Oren until the fall following the death of Emperor Philip III.)

 

SAVOY | Referring to the settlement on Almaris established by Olivier de Savoie.

 

PRINCE OF SAVOY | (referring to the leaders of the Principality of Savoy.)

 

[Mattiii 1663]

Long had the freshly bound volume rested upon the Archduke’s ebon secretaire, long enough to gather a thin layer of dust upon its cover, yet only after returning from the lists with the good men of the White Hart did his hand at last take it up and open its pages.

 

Edward reached the end in silence, his gaze lingering upon the account of the Nauzican Brigade, his slender fingers resting there before he closed the book with care. "The Crown has endured. . ." He murmured unto the quiet of the wood-paneled study, the words carried faintly up toward the vaulted ceiling.

 

After a slow rise from his seat, he added,

"Far have We come."

[mojanghunter 566]

Bemused, William of Glasgon read through that preliminary volume of THE ALBAN IDENTITY, and on a certain chapter his gaze lingered: William of Alba. How curious was it that he, born to ease and plenty, should share a name with one who endured such great ruination. For hours he remained in his chambers, pondering the life of William Alstion, who had lived some hundred years prior, whose own hardship had wrought the fortune that now bore his name.

[LithiumSedai 5750]

Egon Albrecht, kinsman to the Daels of Gromach, heir to the Alstreim namesake of Prince William, inheritor of the venerable Alstreim martyr of the Nauzica, whistled a Daelish tune as he perused the historical account.

 

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