VonEbs

No, I have not. I do not know what the CT is nor do I know how to contact them. I would appreciate it this issue could be brought to their attention.

Hey, I have been locked out of my Legacy Minecraft account (VonEbs) due to an inability to migrate to Microsoft. I have an alt account (NonEbs) that should be whitelisted but when I log in I am an Wandering Soul. Please see the accepted alt application below.

 

 

Hail friends of Malinor!

Weaving a Tapestry of Man

 

 

Volume I: From the Ashes, a Phoenix Rises

Ebs Telrunya

 

If a layman inquired which event most influenced the course plotted by the Descendant races, humanity in particular, a thousand voices would cry out in unison, ”The Phoenix Rebellion!” The political conflict between the Phoenix Rebels and Hochmeister Gaius Marius’ Teutonic Order was kindled in anarchy and caused no small share of acrimony. The state that emerged from the void left by the destruction of Al’Khazar is their progeny. 

 

Gaius Marius’ Rise of True Rectitude serves dual purposes as a chronicle of both his and the fledgling Sariants rise, as well as providing insights into his motivations and vision for man. Marius intended, with the formation of the Teutonic Order, to combat the “arrogance of Man”, which he outlines as man’s tendency to set themselves apart from their fellow man, behind isolated fortifications and atop hordes of materiel. Instead, Marius prefered human unity, though he is unwilling to concede the mantle of that unity to the, in his view, moribund and feckless Kingdom of Oren. Still, Marius, a practicable man, was willing to set aside his grievances against Oren in the face of the growing Undead threat. Marius’ ultimate goal was to install himself and his Sariants as the new leadership of the Kingdom of Oren. After the abdication of King Enor Sheffield, he seemed poised to do so. However, the Phoenix would have its say. 

 

The Phoenix Rebellion began as a conspiracy of high officials and prominent citizens of the Kingdom of Oren to overthrow King Enor Sheffield, the latest in a series of unimpressive kings selected through tumultuous successions. Following the fall of Al’Khazar the conspiracy grew into a popular revolution centered among the refugees in Galahar. Orenian citizens both demanded greater participation in the Kingdom’s governance and rejected Enor’s belated attempt to pass the crown to Marius. As Agnub Hightower succinctly stated, “A crown must be earned,” and Marius through his hostile actions towards the people has earned their ire and made his ascension to the throne unpalatable. Eze’kial Tarus retorted to Lord High Treasurer Zibaen Vivyaen’s that putting an imperialist tyrant on the throne was unthinkable. Following his coronation as the Phoenix King of Renatus, Tarus built a new government that gave more power and influence to members of the early privy council and the noble families coalescing around the Renatian throne. 

 

After the Kingdom of Renatus, the Sariants in the Kingdom of Hanseti, and loyalists under Houses Perea and Sheffield in the Kingdom of Salvus arrived in Asulon, power continued to decentralize. Many of Renatus’ noble families were granted lands of their own to administer, and the power of the Kingdom concentrated in the lands of Hightower, Silverblade and Tarus at the expense of the neglected capital, Arethor. While Eze’kiel Tarus has been crowned by the emergency Phoenix council as the inaugural Phoenix King due to his popular support, by the time of abdication both he and the Phoenix Rebellion were spent forces. Godfrey Horen’s succession to the throne happened under more peculiar circumstances, but this hereto as unknown man claiming to be a direct descendant of Horen would start to steer the Renatian state in a new direction. 

 

By the time of the Solace Crisis, power was so decentralized in human lands that the bandit lord Augustus Flay had carved his way into a position on Renatus’ privy council. As long as his Lords were willing to support him when asked, Godfrey was willing to give them tremendous leeway. By instituting feudalism, Renatus had transformed what had been a mostly equal society into one that was highly stratified by class, with the peasants and laborers owing loyalty to their lords, who owed loyalty to the higher nobility, who in turn swore directly to the King, and later, Emperor. Reynard Lycian, who was Lord Regent between Eze’kiel Tarus and Godfrey Horen, remarked during the Solace Crisis, “our realm has acted as if they each were their own King, making war, and making peace without a plan or… agreement on the ends or means.” 

 

Lycian was the primary theorist and administrator of the late Kingdom of Renatus and Early Empire, and he attempted to keep the rest of the council focused on achieving that goal which Marius had also sought, human unity. He was supported in this by the Church, which under James Hightower declared, "It is the decision of the church that the reunification of Oren is both a righteous and noble cause.” This was the first visible sign of the close relationship that the House of Horen would cultivate with the Church.

 

Salvus, Hanseti and Seventis were incorporated into the Kingdom of Renatus, and a new Empire was declared. In this Empire, much focus was given to the rights and responsibility of the nobles. Among these rights included autonomy in their own lands, the ability to maintain personal troops and fortifications, immunity from most courts and exemption from taxation. In exchange, they would provide counsel, financial and military support when asked by the Emperor. In a nod to its revolutionary roots, the new system granted the great houses the right to rebel against the sovereign if they suffered grievous abuse. It is not a surprise that said great houses availed themselves of this right time and again in the following centuries.

 

Subsequent to the unification of man, the superiority of the Empire and Man itself over the states and Descendant races became the ideological consensus within the Empire. Perhaps its greatest advocate was Godfrey I himself, “Since its formation, our country has been a world power rivaled by none on an international level. Oren has always been incomparable to all other states, past and present, and I pride myself and my country in our integrity and development as an institution.” At the end of his reign Godfrey I went on to declare in his Final Speech:

 

You are a people who have faith such as no one else on the face of this land. And [to] you who have chosen open warfare against this people that pride themselves on their history, civilization and culture and possess the material resources and the capacity, the expertise, the knowledge, the coolness, the initiative, the determination, the steadfastness and the bravery. You shall never succeed, our people have become one that can not be disregarded, one that can not be ever defeated, one that shall never kneel to foreign race or creed.

 

The coronation of Horen I as Emperor brought about a marked shift in Imperial policy. The major factions of the previous generation (the Teutonic Order, Houses Blackmont, Hightower, Valois and Stafyr) were either defunct or sidelined in favor of ascendant Kaedrin under House Chivay and Ruska under House Carrion. Anti Elven sentiment, which has to this point been a fringe view tolerated by the crown among the Order of White Rose became its official policy. erial policy towards the elves was two fold, expulsion from within Oren and confinement in their own lands under harsh Imperial supervision. Vast swathes of land were seized from a subjugated Malinor at the same time as the White Roses were encouraged in their pogroms against elves within the Empire. Up to this point, elves had been tolerated as a matter of course throughout Oren, and even many noble families had some measure of elven blood. And while the Highlander Raevir people of nearby Ruska were not fond of elves, they also suffered persecution from the Heartlander Kaedrini. As the influence of House Carrion and their Raevir subjects grew, so would the Heartlander urge to humble them.

 

The Exodus by the Imperial court to the distant shores of Aeldin and the Empire’s subsequent dissolution by the Grand Kingdom of Urguan brought an end to its elven adventures, at least for now. The successor states to the Empire existed in a kind of anarchy, and order was only restored when Siegmund I completed his military, diplomatic and religious campaign to reincorporate the Empire. High Pontiff Owyn I was a kinsman of Siegmund, and upon the latter’s return Siegmund was handed the religious estates held under the Kingdom of Ruska by Owyn I. Owyn I was the first notable theologian to emerge from the Church of the Canon in some time, and both during his tenure and after Siegmund’s rise to Emperor the Church of the Canon was entirely reformed. For the first time the Church had true independence from the Crown. It is one of the great ironies of Orenian history that the Church would eventually use this independence to destroy the Carrion dynasty.

 

The two primary sects (diverging from the Traditionalism of the majority) of the Canonist faith that developed in those early days were the Lucienists, descended from the Kaedreni and Hansetians, and Ruskan Orthodoxy, which found its adherents among the Raevir and the new Imperial House Carrion. The Lucienists were doctrinal descendants of High Pontiff Lucien I, a reactionary White Rose of Ashford extraction. The rivalry between the Lucienists and Ruskans would prove to be incredibly long running. In his Thesis on Church Tradition Tobia Sarkozic concludes that these divisions within the Church were the consequence of the secular political scheming conducted by Owyn I, Radomir I and Lucien I, each in turn pulling the Church in different directions at the expense of their political rivals.

 

Upon Siegmund I’s death, he was immediately raised to accompany Godfrey as a Prophet, as he had claimed to have received the final of the Holy Scrolls in an act of divine revelation. The Second Empire dissolved with him, and though House Carrion continued to hold the throne of the Kingdom of Oren for some time, it was gripped in continuous decline until in the Franciscan Massacre.

 

Volume II: Schism

 

While Josephine Augusta’s excellent entry into the Imperial historical record, Epochs of the Empire: Volume II, the Schism Era, provides an excellent account of the Schism Era, it marks the beginning of the Schism era with the immediate events leading up to the Schism war during the reign of Alexander I of House of Carrion. However, the author is of the view that the Schism really finds its genesis during the reign of Seigmund I; that by granting the Church of the Canon, which had acted so favorably towards House Horen in the past, autonomy for the first time, a confrontation between the partisans of House Horen and House Carrion became inevitable. The first flash point was the Ruskan Revolution.

 

The Jolly Band of Ruskan Brothers, espousing proto Sanoist views, rose against House Denims in the Barony of Flotsam in western Ruska. The revolution was declared during a storming of the Flotstad, “For Flotsam is free, to be ruled by the People! No longer will we be oppressed by a Lord! We have liberated Flotsam, and now we will soon march towards the Lucien scum! The Ruskan Peoples’ Army will prevail against all odds, for we are blessed by Godan!” Far from seeing it as God’s will that a Lord be placed over them, the strelts burned with a revolutionary and religious zeal against the twin devils of feudalism and lucienism. The Lucienists, for their part, had achieved autonomy by reconquering Kaedrin from the Adunians, who had taken possession following the Exodus under the protection of Urguan. Though eventually suppressed, the Raevir revolt and ensuing battles with the Lucienists were one of the first conflicts between ideological factions within Oren. Evidence suggests that the conflict was encouraged by the Church at the time under Regulus I.

 

Few figures in Orenian history will generate as much controversy as John of Darfey, enthroned High Pontiff Paul III. Head of the Darfeyist faction within the Church, John of Darfey masterminded the Franciscan Massacre where the uncrowned King Franz Carrion was cut down along with a dozen loyal followers during a supposed truce. This followed increased interference by the Church under Regulus I at John of Darfey’s direction, favoring a Horen claimant to the Orenian throne over a Carrion one in the succession crisis after the poisoning of King Ostromir Carrion by alleged Darfeyist agents. 

 

Though the crisis would be averted by the crowning of Peter I of House Chivay as Emperor of the newly reformed Third Empire, Peter I would utilize the Destructio Ecclesiae Darfesium, or the 21 Theses for the Dissolution of the Darfeyist Church to dissolve the Church of the Canon and elevate Thomas I as head of the Reformed Communion. In the 21 Theses, the crimes of John of Darfey were laid bare. Condemned were the Lucienists: “The fact that several thousand sworn swords do the bidding of the Church and the Church alone is something that should by no means be tolerated in this Empire.” and the interference of the Church in the succession: “This is a direct violation of the precept that the Church and state are separate, and as a result we must call into question why John of Darfey believes it is righteous for the Church to interfere with the affairs of the state, but upon the vice-versa occurring, it is a most grievous sin in the eyes of God.” As stated, Peter I dismantled the Church of the Canon and reinstituted caesaropapism, having seen what an independent and active church has gained the Carrions. Peter I’s diminishment of Lucienist influence within the Church is all the more odd given the Waldensian nature of his supporters, but he sensed threats lurking against his fledgling dynasty. Having seen the Darfeyists end one dynasty, they would not get the opportunity to end his. While caesaropapism would be reversed by Thomas I following the Vibian Coup, this would not be the end of the Church’s intrigues.

 

Following the disappearance of Emperor Boris I, his father Tobias I secured election to the Imperial throne as outlined in the Edict of Aanen. Following the Bull of Restoration the Church of the Canon was reformed with greater, though not unlimited autonomy. In Daniel I’s First Pontifical Address he addressed this, “With the horrors of both ultimate pontifical power and negligible pontifical power fresh on our minds, I have chosen to assume a middling stance, which recognizes the role of the Imperator as sovereign over man, yet acknowledges the pontifical role in the faith.”

 

Openly dissatisfied by their waning influence within the Empire, the Lucienists gathered around Frederick I Rovin to form the Kingdom of Aesterwald, nominally under the Empire. The Waldenians agitated for more autonomy and against Carrion hegemony of Man. The Apostolic Königreich of Aesterwald was set up along much more authoritarian lines as compared to the Empire, with the Konig reserving most powers to himself and criminal law being harsh and carrying capital punishments for anything resembling heresy, treason or sexual immorality. Aesterwald would attempt to secede from the Empire three times, the first two unsuccessfully during the reigns of Robert I of House Chivay and the second being talked down by Tobias I. The correspondence between the Imperial and Konigsreich courts contains several notable statements. From Tobias I, “We have delivered this ultimatum upon you, the Sovereign of Aesterwald directly, in hopes you may see the goodness in unity, for in the histories of man there has never existed a lasting peace between multiple Oren states which were not brought together by common imperial law. We wish to see the realm bound together in a prosperous union so we may once again have that sweet peace only known that as in the times of Godfrey that man shall not strike upon man again.” Frederick I of Aesterwald replied, ‘If we are compelled to unifying action, it cannot be by force, but by common heritage in humanity. No strategic interest can justify the barbarism inherent in laying such a demand upon a brother people, and to accept such a claim would sacrifice the honor of the Waldenian people and their duty to Athera.” Lord Korrektor Edward II advocated for an Orenian-Aesterwaldian confederation with true autonomy in his Counter Proposal, the terms of which were largely adopted. 

 

Maric II Varodyr, Grand Knight of the Third Empire, emerged as the dominant figure among Heartlanders in the Empire. His Heartlander National League would form the basis for his eventual rebellion against the Vibian Carrions, drawing its ideology from reactionary progenitors, including his father Maric Varodyr, High Pontiff Lucien I and St. Adrian of Kaedrin. Heartlanders in this period believed in patriotic allegiance to an Empire lead by and of unity with the Heartlanders themselves, superior to the Highlanders and the Raevir especially. Though not as reactionary as the Lucienists, they were broadly on the right and supported a highly militarized and territorial acquisitive state. Most interestingly, they advocated for the formation of an democratically representative Imperial Legislature, though primarily as a means to increasing Heartlander influence contra the Carrions’ well known success in the power games of the nobility.

 

The rising tensions within the Empire burst forth into the Schism War, the first of the great conflicts that shook Oren to its very core. The Kingdom of Renatus, led by King Maric Varodyr and Lords Edmond and Godfrey Horen, broke away from the now reduced Kingdom of Oren. The Renatians allied with Adunian exiles and the newly independent Kingdom of Aesterwald, strange bedfellows indeed. Though initially facing setbacks, upon Alexander I’s ascension to the throne the Kingdom of Oren quickly lost ground, causing both its and the Carrion dynasty’s collapse. A rump Carrion aligned realm was formed as the Kingdom of Akovia. 

 

The new Kingdom of Renatus set itself up along largely familiar grounds, and renewed Renatus’ historical friendship with the High Elves of Haelun’or. Haelun’or was then facing an uprising by a collection of wood, dark and high elves dissatisfied with Haelun’orian hegemony, and the new State of Laureh’lin had gone so far to seize Haelun’or’s capital. By making Haelun’or into a protectorate of the Kingdom of Renatus, King Maric managed to restore Sohaer Kalenz Uradir and his people to their previous capital. However, Renatus would soon come to regret this reengagement with elven politics.

 

Within both Renatus and Aesterwald, the defeated Raevir faced intense persecution. Aesterwald instituted the Raevir Exclusion Act which codified an expansive pogrom against Raevir within the Kingdom. House Carrion was also the target of polemic regarding their alleged mental disability. Edward Winter II penned In Defense of the Raevir People, “The Raevir people as a whole are not at fault for the transgressions of the House Carrion and their spawn. Nor are the people of Aesterwald violent racists as depicted by Kovachev propaganda in response to our now-annulled identification edict. We have no lingering grudge against the common Raevir man, except as an extension of the moral and political wounds inflicted by your Carrion warlords and leaders.” 

 

Winter then touches upon the reason for the recent Lucienist Schism against Daniel I’s Church of the Canon. While Daniel I stayed largely neutral in the conflict between Oren and Renatus, Daniel I’s Raevir ancestry led to him being viewed with distrust by Lucienists. His presence on the Pontifical Throne grew intolerable to King Arn I of Aesterwald, and he issued his Formal Declaration of Schism. Declaring Daniel I a pretender to the Pontifical Throne, it declared that Peter I’s dissolution of the Church of the Canon had been heresy and that the last true pontiff was, indeed, John of Darfey as Paul III. The Waldenian Schism also produced perhaps the strangest polemic in Orenian history, titled The Truth Of The So-Called High Pontiff "Daniel I". Its claims will not be repeated here, but in broad terms it raised doubts on the parentage of Daniel I. The Schism was not wholly supported, and Prince Otto III of Aesterwald issued a condemnation on Canonist lines.

 

The Schism War would pit the Canonist Kingdom of Akovia under Andrik Vydra against the Kingdom of Renatus, later the Mardonic League and the Kingdom of Aesterwald. Vydra swore, “Heresy will never abide so long as I draw breath. It will never abide so long as my grand allies keep to the faith. It shall never, even as the realm is torn asunder by disaster, be allowed any rest, nor sanctuary, nor peace of mind until I have stricken every single speck of it's Godless presence from every corner of this realm.” Historical sources claim that the Schismatics held a three to one advantage in men and materiel, though the Canonist forces were led by former Imperial officers. The Canonists experienced overwhelming success in the field, with Akovia taking the Mardonic capital of Petrus and issuing the Human Reunification Act, uniting humanity for the first time in decades under the Reformed Kingdom of Oren.

 

A lowly acolyte of the Church of the Canon, Paul, produced a significant work during the course of the Schism, On the Tragedy of Ignorance. Of the Schism, “for only in madness could a man like Arn Rovin stand by declarations of separation in the matter of which he does. It is of great cost to men everywhere, this schism; one of blood, faith and truth.” In defense of Canonism, “In the true faith, we take our learning from the sources of natural law itself; The Creator, The Prophets, The Canon, and the Godhead. In this schism, these anchors of truth are abandoned, the flames of reason extinguished.” He then linked the Schism to the Franciscan Massacre, condemning Lucienist propaganda against the Raevir people and further condemning Arvin’s caesaropapism, with no small irony considering it was caesaropapist intervention by Peter I that disempowered the Lucienists. A truly remarkable work, it is worth reading for its literary value alone. Of similar scholarly quality was An Equitable Retrospection on Contemporary Monarchical Deficiencies published by Martin Winter, in which he undertook analysis of the reigns of recent monarchs. Though condemned at the time, his critiques have held up better than most.

 

King Vydra was not one to rest on his laurels, and he set his sights on the petty Lords that inhabited lands to the north of the Crownlands. Issuing the Northsnow Doctrine, he embarked on a campaign to unite human lands under his reign and eject foreign influence, most particularly that of the old enemy, the Grand Kingdom of Urguan. Though he initially tried to obtain his objectives through diplomacy, it took some fighting before the dwarves conceded the point. Urguan abandoned its holdings to the north of Petrus and the independent fiefs that had served as a buffer were also incorporated by Oren. However, Vydra would not experience such unambiguous success once he turned his attention to the elves.

 

Upon hearing that Oren’s protectorate, the Silver State of Haelun’or, was attempting to establish an Emerald Dominion over its former wood elven and dark elven subjects, King Vydra issued a cease and desist. He claimed, “attempted domination of your fellow elf-kind is deemed as unacceptable when considering the interests of the Elven people as as whole [and] the Kingdom of Oren.” Like with the dwarves, Vydra attempted diplomatic overtures in order to achieve victory. This, however, would prove his downfall. Lured unawares to Haelun’or for a diplomatic summit, he was betrayed by his High Elven allies and, along with his retainers, dropped into a pit of acid. 

 

King Andrik Vydra’s death is one of the most controversial events in the history of the Descendants and the consequences for the elves were severe. Olivier I, Duke of Savoy and by far the most prominent and powerful noble in the Reformed Kingdom, was selected to succeed Vydra. This passed the crown from a Raevir to a Savoyard, from Highlander to Heartlander. That he was acceptable to the largely nobility was in no small part due to his contributions to the Canonist cause during the Schism War, for which he was named Fidei Defensor (Defender of the Faith). Though racial tensions would return, one can turn to “The Glory of Oren'' by August de Montfort to see expressions of Orenian solidarity in face of foreign threat.

 

Olivier de Savoie immediately gathered the Reformed Kingdom’s forces and called on its allies to wage a war of subjugation on Haelun’or. In his first known oration, the later Savoyard statesman Publius Braccus, now just an officer, declared, “There is no time in history where such treachery has been recorded! To be so wretched must have taken many years of practice, and by the Creator, they will pay in more than just gold, we will have their blood!” While much of the focus remained on the High Elves, the rest of the elves were scooped up as collateral damage. Bracchus confirms, “To my shock, after the near sacking of Halun'or, the men turned on the inhabitants of Cerulin! The mortal enemies of Halun'or, the men and women that fought our kings killers now, and even before his death, were turned on by the Orenai legion!”

 

King Olivier I was not much interested in the governance of his Kingdom, but he compensated for that by allowing a free hand to his Chancellor, Guy de Bar (a cadet branch of House Ashford). His Chancery is responsible for a number of key reforms, including the Lexicon of Ashford and its application to Oren’s feudal system. For the first time uniform laws were established across Oren, enforced by a central judicial apparatus. The Chancery also issued several notable documents, including Patriotism. Piety. Humanity and Means to Prosperity. The former was penned largely by Matthias de Lyon, and it explores the concept of Orenian patriotism and identifies human superiority with the unity under the Church of the Canon. The latter is a contribution from Publius Bracchus which argues that Oren’s newfound dominance and prosperity stems from the legal innovations under Chancellor Guy de Bar. August de Montfort would theorise in his state sponsored Success of Nations the reasons for Orenian/Imperial dominance in recent decades. The first volume concludes that the example of the two Exalted Emperors should be followed, while avoiding the mistakes that plagued the Carrion Vochna.

 

After the conquest of the elves, Helton Chivay was appointed Viceroy over the Province of Laureh’lin, the Protectorate of Haelun’or and the Ancillary of Ker’nor. The elven states were occupied by troops from the March of Adria, with Haelun’or in particular chafing under its bindings. In contrast, the wood elves of Laureh’lin, led by Tristin Tresery, the son of the White Rose officer Leric Treser, and dark elves preferred Orenian hegemony to that of the mali’thill. Anti elven sentiment persisted among men. Theodosius, an Acolyte of the Church and later High Pontiff Sixtus III, wrote in his On the Godlessness of Elves a confused analysis of elven religious practices, which seems uncertain whether lack of religiosity among the elves is responsible for their dire political situation or their dire political situation is due to their lack of religiosity. 

 

A number of matters were explored by Church theologians during this period with some measure of competency. A Thesis of Church Militarism contains analysis of the ups and downs of the religious military orders within Oren, and while it concludes a positive influence by these orders, its actual analysis suggests the opposite. Sixtus III, in his Pontifical Response To The Call For Crusade, rejected the Lucienist Order of St. Amyas’ request to conduct a crusade against the Orcs of Krugmar, stating, “It is a secular assault, one which has had little to do with faith, and the monarch King Olivier is your secular overlord. He is one to approach for a war against these Ogres, not I. For I am the High Pontiff of the Faithful, Vicar of God, Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church, no king who commands men. I hold not power over secular actions.” Indeed, it seems as if a reckoning of the Lucienist faction was underway, with at least some attempts to reform it theologically along “Flamenist” lines by Aemolius Lepidus Bracchus and Oscar of Norfolk. How much was actually being reformed rather than repackaged lucienism was disputed by Sixtus III, who the Flamenists were criticizing for what they viewed as the Church’s inactivity. 

 

While the tensions growing within the Reformed Kingdom are obvious in retrospect, that a trial of a member of House de Sola would cause a conflagration that would set off perhaps the most bitter civil war in Orenian history is still almost unbelievable. In 1516 the de Sola family, descendants of Vibius de Sola of the Vibian Coup, attacked the unarmed Vladov family along with other Adrian and Royal officials at Wett during the trial of Xavier de Sola. The Massacre of Wett led to the Adrians under Duke Hughes Sarkozic to issue the Ultimatum of Redmark calling for the blood of the De Sola family. Olivier I was willing to hand over Xavier de Sola for his crimes, but was unwilling to allow the Vladovs and their supporters to prosecute a war against the entire de Sola family. 

 

It was in response to Olivier’s indifference to aggressive persecution by the Lucienists that Arik Vanir penned An Open Letter to my Adrian Brothers. It bears extensive quotation as one of the finest Orenian essays ever penned, a rival to the later writings of Joseph of Marna:

 

I speak to you, my lords, of rebellion.The passions of late have stirred the once noble people of our kingdom into a righteous frenzy, setting brother against brother, father against son. From the four corners of the realm, blades are placed to the throat of one’s own kin, and more banners rise daily in defiance of the crown. This is without a doubt due to the reprehensible actions of our King, whom has seen fit to ignore the cries of his people, and, with his response to your ultimatum, extinguished the noble flame of unity that has for so long guided us. With this vile response our King has set our course to oblivion, and it is clear to me now that there is no redemption to be found, no solidarity to be achieved. Look, I plead, to the arrogant dismissal of your lawful petition! To his continued ineptitude to listen to his own people!...

 

As I learn further and further of the extent of the crown’s disdain for those who themselves established it, as I observe the ever increasing lengths to which Olivier will go to shun those who placed him upon the throne, I feel naught but righteous anger at his own conceited selfishness! To the cries of justice and honest reparation, he delivers in return only decrees of oppression and hidden scheming! Each sentence of his reply bears with it the increasing burden of despicable dread - “How!” I rage silently, “How may it grow worse? How might Olivier desert further the cause of justice, the values of nobility, and the pleading cries of mercy from those who have for so long loyally served him?”...

 

Such actions of late have proven one thing, and one thing only: Justice, my lords, is dead! It lays in its grave more crippled than the noble August! It rests in its tomb more silent than than the late Kozlovskii and Johann! To petition our noble God in granting us restitution is naught but a waste of breath; it is only through swift and sure actions that we may now have our say! We have pled, we have petitioned, we have knocked upon the gates of the court, only to be dismissed at every turn!...

 

It takes no scholar of high education nor noble with years experience in the court to see through this vain and sinful wording for what it truly is; a snare that lies at the feet of those who would curb Ashford power... Our supplications have been ignored with disdain by His Majesty, our cries for justice answered by a weak crown with a war inside of its own borders! There is no further action we may take, no other course we may seek - the time for hope, my brothers, has long since passed! For us, there lies no other path to take but that of defiance, no other appeal to be made save that to the God of Arms who has so long guided us!

 

Whether we look behind us to the past, or ahead of us towards the future, the conduct of the Savoys remains hideous and revolting, unaware even of its own injustice and wrongdoing! Olivier has in his actions of late bound himself solely to the path of tyranny in the future, and stands as an immovable wall between our people and justice! Suffer not the fear of the crown! Wait not in worry of death; it is better to suffer a thousand deaths than to receive once more the injustice of the crown!... There is no peace to be had! The stars shall fade away, the sun itself grows dim with age, the world we inhabit shall sink below the tide of years, before an Adrian or Vanaheimr receives JUSTICE, before a Savoy knows of TRUTH! The foul head upon which our kingship rests mutually begets only with moral corruption, and produces only indifference to its people! We can no longer hold hope that Olivier may see the error of his ways! What an absurd thing to cling to; that a Savoy knows of integrity!

 

Stand beneath the lash no longer! Endure no more the throne’s pressing weight! Abandon reason, abandon supplication, abandon the hope for justice… Upon the brink of a new age, a better age, we stand! It is within reach! All that is left, my brothers, is for you to take it! Carry these words with you in your heart, and march reassured that you do not go alone! We once carried together towards the resounding field of battle our banners united; let us do so again! March alongside us, and show the world once more what Adrians can do!

 

In response, the Dukes of Adria, Haense and Vanaheim jointly declared themselves to be in lawful revolt against Olivier I. While the Othamans joined the Ducal Coalition, a rising House Staunton chose to remain loyal to Olivier I when promised new lands as reward. The Dukes’ War would be characterized by some of the bloodiest fighting and worst atrocities in Orenian history, with the Savoyard forces at the direction of Olivier I and Guy de Bar targeting the leadership of the Ducal Coalition with a campaign of assasinationa. These decapitations (quite literal in the case of “Headless Hughes” Sarkozic) decimated the leadership of the Ducal coalition, and combined with the Savoyard campaign of terror led by Count Augustus d’Amaury, ground down the Raevir duchies. The Duke of Northal’s A Piece on the Raevir is as pejorative an attack on the Raevir people as has been penned in any age, accusing them of cultural degeneracy, incest, Olog blood, cowardice and duplicity towards the rightful Horen line. Though those such as Sister Lorina protested this characterization, this dehumanization of the Raevir justified the campaign of slaughter carried out by the Savoyards.

 

The Church, under High Pontiff Sixtus III and then Daniel II followed a policy of neutrality during the Duke’s War, though Sixtus III was compelled to excommunicate Xavier De Sola for his crimes. This, along with his Raevir heritage, resulted in him being defenestrated along with Lord Justiciar Adam de Gleveisen by suspected Savoyard agents. However, as it became clear that the Savoyards would likely prevail, Daniel II (Thomas I during the Chivay caesaropapist era) took on a more favorable disposition towards the loyalist Savoyards.

 

Siguine Barbanov, Duke of Haense, would attempt to rally the Ducal Coalition after Hughes Sarkozic’s death. He stated in A Golden Crow Marches South, “When King Andrik was assassinated... none benefited except for Ashford. The crown’s sworn vassals were left in disarray, and from amongst themselves Duke Olivier Ashford de Savoie snatched for the crown… Instead of a meritocracy, our privy has evolved to be composed only of Savoyards and their supporters. Instead of justice and unity, we have seen only unpunished bloodshed. If any man should doubt this, he need only look to the massacre of unarmed men at a trial of the King’s justice that received no punishment, at the assassination of the High Pontiff Sixtus III and the Lord Justiciar Adam de Gleveisen, at the murder of Castor Chivay in a session of court, and most recently at the brutal butchering of our own Duke Hugues Sarkozic.” Unfortunately for the Adrians, their armies were unable to prevent the destruction of the Adrian capital, Brelus, in one of the most brutal sackings in recorded history. 

 

After Singuine Barbanov’s death and the destruction of Brelus, the leader of the Ducal forces, Franz Sarkozic, was compelled to agree to the absolutely brutal Edict of Retribution. All members of the houses Sarkozic, Vladov, Vanir and Othaman would be executed once taken into Savoyard custody, along with the rest of the nobility of Adria and Haense. The Savoyards were as savage in victory as they had been in prosecuting the civil war they had provoked, holding public executions in Felsen of the captured Adrian nobility. 

 

During the Dukes’ War, Olivier de Savoie had become too senile to rule, and thus his Chancellor, Guy de Bar, had ruled, first unacknowledged but eventually as Regent. Upon Olivier’s death, Guy de Bar succeeded him on the throne as King Guy I. However, from the very outset of his reign the Reformed Kingdom was clearly in a downward spiral. The Savoyards had won the war, but at such cost that Oren was at the nadir of its power. Guy I had made so many promises to his allies during the course of war that he could not possibly keep them, and he had gained a reputation for scheming and dishonesty that did not suit a sovereign. As soon as the crown touched his head, he was marked for death, though the events surrounding the conclusion of his short reign will be explored in the next volume.

Hard to support the removal of birds when the alternative is to drive even more of the server onto discord. 

VonEbs

Warhammer and Warhammer 40k are both table top games produced by the same company. Warhammer is focused on a high fantasy medieval setting whereas Warhammer 40k takes place in the far future, and while there are similarities between the two settings, best to just consider them entirely separate. Warhammer takes place on an alternate Earth and features an all consuming war between the forces of Order (Humans, Dwarves, High Elves, Lizardmen) and Chaos (Orcs, Trolls, Norscans, Dark Elves, Beastmen, Vampires/Necromancers and the denizens of the Realm of Chaos). As you have noticed, Warhammer has been adapted into the highly successful Warhammer: Total War franchise which has been well received by critics and fans alike. There have also been numerous games and other media based in the Warhammer 40k universe. 

Absolutely based.

Put together an imgur album of some that I happened to have in my google drive, I probably have more on my external hard drive: https://imgur.com/a/3XILLzX

 

Most controversial lotc character ever? (Kalenz Uradir)

 

Actual most controversial lotc character ever! (Philip I Augustus)

 

Execution in Kingston (Salvus)

 

My very memorable interview with the Lord and Lady Blackmont.

 

My even more memorable encounter with the White Roses.

 

Interview with Pok'Ugluk outside of newly conquered Salvus.

 

The wall at Dawn's Bakery in Al'Khazar.

 

My little house in Laurelin, which will always have a special place in my heart.

 

Malinor Elves looking very martial.

 

Election for Grand King of Urguan.

Been a long time since I had seen the pink trees (cherry blossoms I suppose) outside Kingston!

Did not always agree with you Shift but glad to hear you are doing well and that today's LotC is truly a monument to your vision. Cheers!

15 hours ago, _Sug said:

Where is the Cappy or Urasept interview?

Been a long time since I thought about the Bread Bans.

As much as I am sure it is irritating that people have been ignoring the ruling on Aeldin from 3.5, unfortunately that ruling hasn't been enforced up to this point and the proverbial cat will not be returning to the bag. I do like to idea of shelving Aeldin by us actually going there, perhaps during or following some kind of disaster. Of course, that sort of thing is a long ways off as this map has plenty of potential left in it. 

 

I voted yes to soft shelve Aeldin because in a perfect world, that is what I would do. However, you have to acknowledge reality that half the playerbase has an interest in not soft shelving it and it isn't feasible or desirable to just override their wishes. Such high handed moves have caused more harm than good in the past.

You love to see it.

@yopplwasupxxxI basically agree with what you have said, but this is the logical conclusion of having an "off screen" continent like Aeldin. It provides a solution to some problems, but unfortunately it has become a solution to all problems.

I appreciate the hard work many have put into this! But I think it is a little strange to get upset at people putting in fictitious characters into the family tree; this is quite literally what real nobility did to strengthen their own claims. They fabricated documents, pretended they were cousins with this or that House through the marriage of obscure relations, etc. All of the "pre-Aegis" figures are equally fictitious. My character, when he has written as a historian on the server, has treated all of the claims regarding illustrious ancestors from various groups (not just humanity) with a very large grain of salt. For example, it was in Godfrey Horen's interest that he supposedly has these great royal ancestors, making him fit to be handed the throne of Renatus. Godfrey very well could have been a huckster and scam artist, as many actual nobles have been. Whether or not he is a liar is something that needs to be mediated in rp, not in "official lore" or the bloodline police. I think the group that has mostly controlled Oren for the past 8 years has used Aeldin as a crutch to hobble away from many sticky situations, but are surprised that others would use that same crutch?

Ebs Telrunya receives a copy of the latest edition of the Providence Post. "Always gratifying to see one's work has come to the attention of a publication of such fine quality."

Who knew that the invisible hand of the market was actually just the Cloud Temple Monks driving farmers into dire poverty.

16 minutes ago, Minuvas said:

A letter is written to the Author;

 

"An excellent study on the seat of his Imperial Majesty. I would offer the author to consider data sets that include the Church of Canon, the level of integration between the two entities, and the nature of the Holy Father to the Empire. The two entities are wrapped in the same vine and we are missing some critical context when looking at how and why the Sovereign is in charge. 

 

We must further look, beyond 1750, at the strength and choice of the Arch Chancellor and the level of authority they ceded or used during their tenure - given the reforms of the era.

 

In addition, a study of his Excellency Arch Chancellor Simon Basrid and His Imperial Majesty Peter III is worthy of an epoch of itself. 

 

Otherwise, as an Imperial Scholar, I consider this work to be rather well done - and would gladly offer context and qualitative information a simple study of timelines may not yield. 

 

Servus,

Minuvas Melphestaus

Imperial High Elf & Scholar

 

A response is penned by the author:

 

Thank you for your kind words of support and your insightful suggestions for further study. I will confess that the interaction points between the Imperial Throne and the Church is where it is most difficult to see clearly what is occurring. As an outsider, I am limited in my access to Clerical sources, but I agree that the Church's role in succession and governance more broadly is a vital component that requires examination. 

 

In response to your comments on Arch Chancellor Basrid, I am pleased to report to you that you should be pleased by the contents of a forthcoming essay on closely related topics.

 

~Ebs Telrunya

18 minutes ago, Taketheshot said:

A letter is also written to the author;

 

"My good author you should also know that the House of Novellen is a cadet branch of House Horen and as such should be included in the wider House Horen field upon the chart as the Johannians, pertinaxi and Helenians were. John IV was also not the youngest Emperor, the youngest was Emperor Alexander II who came to the throne at the age of 12 whilst John IV was 16."

 

Yours sincerely,

Joseph d'Azor 

A response is penned by the author:

 

Thank you for the correction regarding the youngest Emperor, that will be corrected in any further editions. In regards to your first suggestion, I discussed the reasoning for Novellan being considered as a separate dynasty from Horen due to what, as an outsider, seemed to be an essentially different nature of the Novellan dynasty from that which proceeded it due to the coequal influence of House Carrion. I defend my choice on those grounds but grant that the alternate decision could have also been made by a reasonable scholar and is ultimately a matter of small importance to the work as a whole.

 

~Ebs Telrunya

Imperial Analysis

Ebs Telrunya, Elven Scholar

 

 

---

Introduction

 

The Holy Orenian Empire has come to dominate social, economic and political life among the Descendants. The Empire was born out of the wreckage of the old order so decisively repudiated by the Phoenix Rebellion. Godfrey I’s ascension as Holy Oren Emperor was not especially controversial to mali observers at its time, though the Silver State of Haelun’or was more sensitive to political headwinds in the Kingdom of Renatus due to their long standing alliance. Over and over, the Empire and its Emperors have redrawn national boundaries, reformed government and social institutions and waged war. It is necessary to admit that the Empire has seen a blossoming of scholarship, literature, philosophy and culture unrivaled amidst the other Descendant races. The elves, dwarves and orcs as well as their respective government have struggled to respond to the changing tides.

 

There have been numerous wars between the Empire and its peers as well as not shortage of armed struggles within the Empire, over the succession or otherwise. The Empire at its peak fields massive armies that the rest of the Descendants struggle to meet, even when uniting off of their forces. Yet, there has been very little serious attempt by those on the outside to understand the Empire. Those among the longer lived races tend to treat the antics of humanity with less seriousness than they deserve. This failure to take the Empire seriously has led to no end of trouble. The analysis contained herein is an initial attempt to observe the Empire on its own terms and understand it better. It was conducted as background on a larger work still in progress, yet it is hoped that the analysis will stand on its own merits.

 

Design

 

In order to render the following analysis as comprehensible as possible to laymen, the simplest design has been employed. Two datasets were created, one containing the Emperors of the Holy Orenian Empire and the other, slightly more abstract, containing all of the Imperial Successions. For each observation (either Emperor or Succession) data was collected for a number of variables, which will be expanded on below. Of note, when the term average is employed, it is taken to mean the median, as in, that half of all observations are less than the figure stated and half above. 

 

For the first dataset, Year α (First Year of Reign), Year ω (Final Year of Reign), Length of Reign (taken by subtracting Year α from Year ω), Year of Death, Age at Death, each Emperor’s Dynasty, the number of Legitimate Children, and each Emperor’s Ethnicity. For each Emperor’s Dynasty, the four possible entries were Horen, Carrion, Chivay, and Novellan. This may be a controversial move, but it was decided that those Emperors of the cadet branches of House Horen such as House Helene or Cascadia would be considered as being Horen Emperors. Novellan, though, is being treated as a separate dynasty, as though its Emperors and Empress trace their lineage to House Horen, they are also equally tied to House Carrion, creating something entirely new for the Empire. Ethnicity was a little harder to parse. The vast majority of Emperors have been Heartlanders, though some of those were the products of unions with Highlanders. For lack of a more obvious solution, ethnicity has been passed through the male line, which results in all of the Horen and Chivay emperors being considered Heartlanders with the Carrions being Highlanders. This leads to the current Emperor, John VIII, being coded as a Highlander from his father. Finally, in those cases where the year of death is not known for a given Emperor, that Emperor will be excluded from any analysis.

 

Turning to the second dataset on successions, all are binary variables, meaning that each variable has either a positive or a negative response. The variables are whether a succession is the result of a Death, the result of an Abdication, whether the crown passed within the same dynasty, whether it passed to either a son/grandson/daughter of the previous Emperor, whether the succession was caused by or was during a dissolution of the Empire and finally whether the succession was preceded by, concurrent with, or followed by a political crisis. The last of these is the trickiest to explain, as what qualifies as a political crisis is highly subjective. Roughly, what it meant by a political crisis for the purposes of this study is that a succession was brought about by political pressure by factors internal or external to the empire, that the succession kicked off a contested or even uncontested passing of the crown, or that the succession lead to the dissolution of the empire or the fall of the current dynasty. This is a broad definition and is certainly an area that could use further refinement in follow up research.

 

Findings

 

There have been 27 Emperors of the Holy Orenian Empire (including the 3 of the Empire of Man). Of those, 18 (two thirds) have been of House Horen or its cadet branches, 4 of House Carrion, 3 of House Novellan and 2 of House Chivay. Only 6 (two ninths) have been Highlanders with the balance of 21 being Heartlanders. The Emperors of the Holy Orenian Empire have had on average 3 legitimate children. John I was the most fertile, fathering 7 legitimate children. 7 Emperors have died without issue, though 3 of those were unwed at the times of their premature deaths. 26 of 27 have been men, with the one woman being the mother of the current Emperor, Anne I, who coruled with her husband, Joseph II.

The median length of time spent on the throne was 7 years. In total, Emperors have spent 307 years in office, the largest share of which was Peter III, who reigned 47 years (~15%). Of the 20 Emperors who age upon death is known, the average lifespan was 57 years. The oldest recorded Emperor was Aurelius I at an impressive 107 years, and the youngest was the boy Emperor John IV. The average number of years lived following their ascension was 17, with the longest lasting Emperor being John II. Three Emperors were driven from office the year of the ascension: Boris I, John IV and Robert II, the latter two of which were in the Year of the Four Emperors. 

 

Turning to Imperial Successions, there have been 32 instances of Imperial succession, though not all of those resulted in a new Emperor taking the throne. The “ideal” succession is that where the Emperor dies and his next closest male issue, either son or grandson, succeeds to the throne. That has occurred only 12 times, ~38% of the time. A further 5 times a succession has been within the same dynasty, for a total of just over half. The remaining half resulted in a change of dynasty, were the result of the formation or reformation of the Empire (6 times) or resulted in the dissolution of the dynasty (5 times). A succession has been caused by the death (14 times) or the abdication (11 times) of the current Emperor. Finally turning to the before described Political Crises, 20 of the 32 Imperial Successions were preceded by, occurred during, or were followed by a climate of political crisis within the Empire, nearly two thirds of the time. As could be gathered from the prior description, the year 1585, the Year of the Four Emperors, had 3 succession crises, the most. 1467 comes in second, with two successions and three Emperors. 

 

Conclusions

 

The most striking finding of the study is the paucity of “ideal” successions. Instead, the succession of the Holy Orenian Emperor is more often characterized by discord, political crisis. While there has been a recent run of mostly peaceful transfers of power, this has been the exception, not the rule. The succession of the Imperial Throne appears to be incredibly unstable, and there is a ~15% chance of a succession resulting in the dissolution of the Empire, and that increases to just under 20% when excluding those successions classified as ascensions to the Imperial throne due to the constitution or reconstitution of the Empire. However, excluding those same cases would produce a rate of 27% for the passage of the crown from father to son or grandson, better though still not spectacular. 

 

The average reign of the Emperors, seven years, seems to be incredibly short, though there is no data for other political systems to relate it to. This provides an interesting opportunity for follow up research, though records for all others exempting the Grand Kingdom of Urguan might prove impossibly fragmentary. Comparison to the Grand Kingdom of Urguan might be particularly instructive, as Oren and Urguan have alternated as the most powerful polities among the Descendants. Another route for future study is a deeper analysis of the political crises surrounding the factitious Imperial Successions, as there might be some way to form a qualitative schema that could bear revelations. Perhaps a keener or more informed researcher could find proscriptions for a successful Imperial reign or orderly succession, either by the avenues suggested above or a more detailed examination of each Emperor. There is hope that this analysis will produce enlightening discussion and further research on the Holy Orenian Empire, both by those without the Empire and those within it. If any reader would like a copy of the data utilized in this study or has some relevant commentary, please do not hesitate to contact the author. Attached to this report is an appendix containing some particularly revealing figures created for the edification of the reader.

---

 

Appendix I

 

 

 

 

                 

   Average Age at Death                   Average Length of Reign

 

 

 

Thank you Zezimus for putting this together!

I seem to have lost my Gold VIP status at some point, so idk what the problem it.

An essay is posted among other notices in the elven lands, printed in a neat script and signed by a familiar name.

 

Huffing Silver

 

Gone have I been from the halls of my kin, travelling distant lands in search of knowledge. However, even in those far off places I wandered, word came to me of Malinor reborn, Malinor triumphant. This news confused me greatly, for I remember having buried it in the unforgiving earth of a dying realm. It is sobering to consider that Malinor has been dead for longer than it was alive, and that the mali have continued on, in success and in failure, without the Princedom, for some four elven years. 

 

For those of you who might understandably not be familiar with who I am, I am Ebs Telrunya, and I have held many titles and roles over my centuries among the Descendants, the greatest of which was Prince of Malinor. Twice I was called into the ranks of the High Council to serve our people, and I did so out of ambition for my nation and, in some part, for myself. Malinor was a place where an unknown mali could make a good, decent life if they so chose, and both improve themselves and their nation through their citizenship. There was discord, there was tragedy, but we cherished each other and lived our lives as best we could, ‘ame, ‘aheral and ‘ker, united if not by cultural tradition and cosmetic differences than by a great heritage and kinship.

 

It is said that the mali’thill have no great appreciation for humor; certainly a pile of evidence has been accumulating in recent weeks. It was perhaps not as surprising as it might have been that upon my return to Arcas, I discovered that this New Malinor was merely a fraud perpetrated by the Demented State of Haelun’or and it’s Imperial paramour. To be quite frank I have no great quarrel with this new High Prince, he will likely not last long, as is the custom among the thill. I merely wish that he and his handful of acquaintances that comprise this New Malinor had chosen a more appropriate foil; perhaps that of their savior, Kalenz’Uradir, who once brought their comrades the Empire down on all our heads by brutally murdering the reigning monarch of Oren. They, however, can be forgiven for neglecting their history lessons; the Eternal Library’s shelves have been bare for some time, reflecting perhaps some deeper reality of the Silver State. 

 

From a certain perspective, things do seem quite grim my cousins. Beset by terrifying forces directed by a malicious hand, the Empire poised to wipe us out to distract its populace from its burgeoning internal issues. What has happened before will happen again. However, perhaps I qualify as an authority on matters of time: this too shall pass, our enemies will shrivel and die among the sands of time, and the mali will rise again, if not in triumph, then at least in dignity. Shelter each other and remember Malin, our father.

 

Van’ayla, and may the trees shade your path

Ebs Telrunya

 

The Flagship

Vol. III No. 1

 

The Descendants Flee Atlas, Find Their Way to Arcas

 

Following the invasion of Atlas by the Vaeyl Order, the Descendants pursued the Red Vaeyl forces through to Serrimor, an land of icelocked ravines. Following a short yet frigid stay in lingo, the Descendants arrived in a new land rich in virgin wilderness and vast resources, Arcas. As the first new issue in some time, the Flagship will attempt to inform and guide any confused Descendants in their first steps into Arcas!

 

The ice ravines of Serrimor.

 

===

 

Contents:

The Descendants Flee Atlas, Find Their Way to Arcas

Guide to Arcas for Returning Readers

Elves, Men, Dwarves, Orcs

What You (the Reader) Need to Know

Editor’s Note

===

 

Guide to Arcas for Returning Readers

 

Any time that the Descendants enter a new realm, it is a confusing experience. Many old and new faces are thrown in the tumult and beings can be forgiven for being a tad bit mystified at how things have changed since they last walked among their kin. In this section of this first issue on a new realm, I will endeavor to inform you of the basics of what you need to know about the nations of Arcas and where things stand politically.

 

Elves

 

The Elves are, controversially, currently split between by most recent estimate five city-states spread throughout Arcas. Though there had been some element of separation between the Elves prior to somewhat recent political events, the true splintering occurred following the collapse of the Dominion of Malin and its transformation into the Kingdom of Gladewynn, which tepidly claims to be the main elven nation. I shall endeavor to cover all of the elven factions in sufficient detail below:

 

The Kingdom of Gladewynn

Primary Culture: Wood Elves

Ruler: Layla Atraedes

Government: Monarchy, Royarch advised by High Council

 

The Kingdom of Gladewynn traces its roots to the fall of the Holy Princedom of Malinor, though the players did not enter onto the scene until late Axios. Its founders were mostly mercenaries, having separated themselves from the Dominion of Malin, and following certain political events, they usurped the Dominion and established their own Kingdom in its place. Though once considered the strongest elven faction militarily, it has seemingly entered a terminal decline, and is characterized by political dysfunction and low levels of civic participation.

 

The Silver Enclave of Haelun’or

Primary Culture: High Elves

Ruler: Dimaethor Visaj

Government: Despotic Dictatorship

 

The mali’thill of Haelun’or suffered greatly during Atlas, with their first city, Okarn'thilln, being destroyed. Haelun’or reconstituted itself a short distance away under new leadership, but the loss of that city dealt a great blow to thill culture. Judging from its public pronouncements, it may entering another reactionary phase, and has been particularly hostile to the Principality of Aegrothond. It is allied with the Kingdom of Gladewynn, though it is unclear how far said alliance stretches.

 

The Princedom of Fenn

Primary Culture: Snow Elves

Ruler: Grand Prince Aelthir Tundrak II

Government: Monarchy, Grand Prince advised by Council

 

The most martial by far of the city-states, the snow elves have had to fight for many years to survive. Though other elves do reside in the Fennic Princedom, it is still primarily the demesne of the storied Tundrak line. Has had an especially acrimonious relationship with some of the other elven factions.

 

Principality of Aegrothond

Primary Culture: Mixed, Primarily Wood Elves

Ruler: Belestram Sylvaeri

Government: Principality

 

Formed by the House Sylvaeri after banishment from the Dominion of Malin, Aegrothond has been very insular during the late stages of Atlas. Having faced outright aggression from Gladewynn and Haelun’or, this position is perhaps understandable. The population is primarily of the Sylvaeri (Elder Elf) and Silma (Wood Elf) Houses, though the Principality appears to be diversifying and expanding its citizenry greatly.

 

Sable Principality of Vira’ker

Primary Culture: Dark Elves

Ruler: Vulnir Syllar

Government: Clan Confederation

 

The Dark Elves spent much of Atlas plagued by political dysfunction, but Vira’ker is a newcomer on the scene. Not as well established or defined as the other states, it however does resemble previous attempts to establish a strong state based around Dark Elf clan culture. It initially appears to be alligned with Gladewynn, and will at least temporarily be residing in the new capital of Gladewynn.

 

Men

 

It should come as no surprise that the Empire of Men has reconstituted itself after spending much of Atlas broken up into several lesser factions. It seemed inevitable following the joining of Renatus-Marna that a Horen-lead Empire would rise again, but the real shock in human politics during Atlas was the return of the Duchy of Adria to the scene. Adria, which traces its roots back to the Adria (and House Carrion, now Sarkozic) of old, was consistently the most powerful human faction throughout Atlas. Loyal to the Horens, they vied with the Imperial Capital for cultural supremacy within first Renatus-Marna then the Empire. As will be discussed below, the other major human factions have been brought under Imperial authority, including Curon and Haense, once independent realms.

 

The Imperial Capital, the Crown of Renatus-Marna

Primary Culture: Heartlander, Mixed
Ruler: Augustus Horen
Government: Absolute Monarchy

 

House Horen, as always, rules from the Crownlands, formed from the Crown of Renatus-Marna. The center of the Empire of Man, and some might argue, the world, the Crown has a relatively diverse population and has, in recent years, become more open to non-human residents. Politics have become more open in recent decades, with an actual elected Parliament being created, though it is unclear just how much power said parliament has. The crownlands are certain to be a center of culture and political intrigue for humanity going forward.

 

Duchy of Adria

Primary Culture: Highlander, Raevir and Auvergnian
Ruler: Paul II Sarkozic
Government: Elective Duchy, Vassal

 

Rivalling the Crown of Renatus-Marna in population and martial might if not necessarily in influence, the Duchy of Adria was reconstituted by Duke John Sarkozic in order to rehabilitate lands adjacent to Renatus-Marna at the Whispering Crossroads. Through good leadership and unexpected openness, Adria prospered during Atlas.

 

Kingdom of Haense

Primary Culture: Highlander
Ruler: Robert I Barbanov
Government: Constituent Kingdom, Vassal

 

Haense, tracing its origins back to Hansetti and currently ruled by another cadet house of Carrion, Barbanov, has often been under the Empire of Man. Having been independent for most of Atlas, it often struggled under the shadow of Renatus-Marna, and many of its Kings were murdered during political conflict before ultimately being incorporated back into the Empire.

 

Kingdom of Curonia

Primary Culture: Heartlander
Ruler: Regency
Government: Constituent Kingdom, Vassal

 

Curon, with its capital in Cyrilsburg, was the site of much political drama during Atlas, including being the site of the ill fated Global Assembly. It was typically a junior ally to Renatus-Marna during many of the wars. Destroyed at least once, it was incorporated into the Empire of Man following the Declaration of Empire. Curonia has recently passed into a Regency headed by the son of the elderly king Wilhelm I, Jarrack of House Devereux.

 

Dwarves

 

The dwarves, after the elves, had perhaps the most tumultuous stay in Atlas, with the usurping state to the Grand Kingdom of Urguan, the Kingdom of Kaz’Ulrah, collapsing due to violent conflict. First known as the Confederation of Hammers, the relatively newly minted Kingdom of Agnarum has now taken the primary position in Dwarven affairs, with some even speculating that it may retake the name of the Grand Kingdom of Urguan. Clan Irongut spent most of Atlas established near the Whispering Crossroad in the Counsalary Republic of Holm, though by the closing days of Atlas Holm seemed abandoned and prospects for its continuing in Arcas are unclear.

 

Kingdom of Agnarum

Primary Culture: Dwarf
Ruler: Fimlin Grandaxe
Government: Constitutional Monarchy

 

Founded recently through the confederation of several Dwarven factions for protection, the Kingdom of Agnarum appears to be finding its feet. Acrimonious relations with the Frostbeards, who controlled Kaz’Ulrah, are a given, but Agnarum appears to be positioned to rebuild some of what has been missing from dwarven society for some time.

 

Orcs

 

The situation in orcish lands is opaque to outsiders at the best of times, and now is certainly no different. The orcs have been unsettled in recent decades following the loss of their lands to the now defunct Dominion of Malin following a pair of controversial duels. Now, after years attempting to rebuild their strength, there appears to be a dispute with the Ugluk clan, of what nature the author cannot speculate. Whatever is going on, certainly the orcs hope that they will prosper more in Arcas than they did in Atlas.

 

Rexdom of Krugmar

Primary Culture: Orcs

Ruler: Mûrak'Gorkil

Government: Wargoth Council

 

Others

 

It would be remiss to mention that there are likely to be other options if none of the above nations sounds like a good fit. The Halflings, of course, will have their own village, though typically “big’uns” are not permitted to reside there permanently. There are a couple of nations that are worth elaborating on, however:

 

The Federation of Sutica

Primary Culture: Mixed

Ruler: Lily Helenson-Anarion

Government: Monarchy

 

Sutica, originally a small outlying settlement of the Caliphate, has survived many upheavals through Axios and Atlas. Primarily a destination for political dissidents, disaffected elves and magic users, Sutica tries to be many things to many people.

 

The Kardasi Sultanate

Primary Culture: Human, primarily Farfolk
Ruler: Abdullah Kharadeen
Government: Monarchy
 

Though the Kardasi tribe is a somewhat recent addition on the scene, the Kharadeen tribe has been involved in politics for some centuries, primarily as the leaders of the Caliphate and then Vandoria, at times coming together as allies and vassals of the Empire. They have struggled for recognition in Atlas, and have much to prove as the Descendants emerge into Arcas.

 

The Druidic Order

Primary Culture: Elves, Mixed
Ruler: The Archdruids
Government: Druidic Council

 

The Druidic Order has inhabited numerous groves over the years, but its dedication to maintaining the natural balance in the realms the Descendants have inhabited has not wavered. Having become much more insular over time, especially as their political influence in elven affairs has waned, they have recently undertaken reforms to revitalize their structure and expand their depleted numbers. One thing is certain to be true: the most dreaded thing a person could hear is the word “MOOOOOOOOOOT!” 

 

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What You (The Reader) Needs to Know

 

A couple points worth mentioning:

There is no resource island this map. Instead, the Cloud Temple Monks have established resource pits near the Cloud Temple for your convenience.

War has been banned by the Cloud Temple monks for an elven month in order to let everyone get situated.

If you are looking to set out on your own, there are Wildlands beyond the ring of nations, to the West.

 

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Editor’s Note

 

Thank you for reading The Flagship. The plan is to publish weekly, but do not be surprised if there is another issue to mark the beginning of the map, covering any breaking news events. Also, The Flagship will be including Letters to the Editor going forward, should any Descendants wish to have their views be heard in these pages.

 

~Ebs Telrunya

Editor in Chief

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