bickando

I like it!

AN OPEN LETTER TO BERCHARD OF THE LORRAINÉS or; PREVENTING OUR FAMILY’S CURSE As penned the 10th of Godfrey’s Triumph, 1746 Dear Brother, Let me not beat around the bush as to the purpose behind this letter. The peasantry Lorrainés, the ones that cannot spell Lotharingia and that you have allowed to rights by your name have been a blight upon civilized society; the untrained, undisciplined forces that have been raised abide by few rules of proper conduct, laying waste to the countryside and taking prisoner constantly all those that inhabit the realms of Man. How could it be that they are able to capture their own allies’ children, to execute them on occasion, without realization of wrong? Perhaps they lay its blame at the feet of their Red Faith overlords; it is not, after all, the way of the Red Faith to avert its gaze upon the shedding of blood. The morality of this continuing war is as grey as the rock upon which Morsgrad rests; right and wrong, therefore, are only what we make of it. Executing children however, is a crime always, and so too is the capture of clergymen. I have found myself oft in the company of those preachers of our family’s faith, and I wonder how it is that your signature, Berchard, could be found affixed to a missive of the Darrowmere robber-baron. Were you, too, captured by their ilk? It is our mutual issue that now have the tacit approval of a d’Amaury where before they were but a band of brigands. Do you remember not the fate of our good uncle Leufroy, he too a figurehead of such bandits? Do you, too, know the fate of the man for which I am named, the last Archduke of our homeland, that went quietly into the night? For each transgression of our House, for each sin we yet commit, our curse is extended further. Will you be flayed alive as with our ancestor Hughes? Our father abandoned our name, took up the title of Provins and the name de Leumond to avoid recognition, and perhaps avoid a similar fate. You and I both recognize his faults; we appear to disagree, however, on the necessity of the rule of law for which he so fought. You now claim his title, but wish to disavow yourself of his surname. Have you paid homage to the Emperor that sits in Helena? If you have, why do you collude with the Morsgradie? If you have not, why have you taken the title from Jon-Paul, the de Leumont Impériaux to which the title was willed? In the latter days of our House, when our ancestors rested in the walled city of Metz and when we were called the Lotharingians, we were peaceful. The Honor Guard patrolled the realm in orderly columns, protecting its commonfolk from bandits. Holy men could travel, too, without worry of attack by those of their own faith, and it was not a crime to play in fields of flowers. This attempted restoration is wrong, Berchard, and the memory of our house grows ever more stained as it continues. We were built upon the ashes of a rebel city, our conquering forefather remembered as a man of iron, a feared general, and a butcher. Perhaps some still remember us that way. Perhaps the fear sowed by your new folk in the east will lead to an era of strength among the Lorrainés; more likely it will lead to the same massacre that brought our uncle to his grave. Leave our ancestors to their graves, brother, and lay roses upon those graves, and remember their wishes to better our house. Perhaps the curse will have died with them. Do not follow them to it. -+- Mes sentiments respectueux et dévoués, Lothar Frédéric d’Amaury

Lothar d’Amaury considers paying the girl’s ransom so that he can ransom her to the Morsgradie. “Next time,” he decides.

The Archduchy of Andros-Bellica as it was the Year of Our Lord, 1890 YEAR IN REVIEW, 1890 -+- 3 Jan. | The Ministry of Commerce has approved the Archduchy’s plan of massive media investment; its 1890 budget includes a final trade depot in Lovken, but otherwise the majority of its budget goes to fulfilling the government’s promise to the newly arrived; 10.000 ABM of investment goes into the development of the entertainment industry in Bellograd, such as building studio lots, founding talent agencies and media groups, and investing in various productions. Furthermore, 10.000 ABM is set aside to build a Vitraium mine and refinery. 18 Jan. | The Throne puts its own budget into the industry; for 5.000 ABM, it begins to build up Briartown to be the entertainment capital it was always meant to be! New houses, paved roads, telegraph lines, and, most importantly, civilian radio frequencies, are approved throughout both the region of Briartown and the rest of the capital city. 30 Jun. | The Throne announces 5.000 ABM in sponsorship for the production of films; this year, it hopes prominent directors, producers, actors and other figures will apply to join the production of The End of an Era, a movie about the collapse of the Nikstranan monarchy of old, and the brutal end of the noblesse therein. The implication, of course, is that the communist and republican states ended an age of enlightenment, of grand balls and gilded halls, and that Andros-Bellica is among the only remaining bastions of that time. Towards the filming of the movie, the Palast Klennsburgh, a palace from Andros’ golden age of the 1600’s, is opened to the crews, and intricate manuals as to the lifestyles of both the Andros-Bellican nobility and Nikstranan nobility of the time are released from archive for their use. 15 Aug. | As the CSAC builds up the Steel Horizon, the Archduchy more than doubles its fortifications along the southern river-line [3.000 ABM], and a communications wire is opened with Modevia. 20 Aug. | 20.000 ABM is written off the books. 23 Aug. | Two steel mills begin construction in Andrograd, bringing its total to three. XX XXX | Project C-2 and Project G-8 begin. -+- OFFICIAL REPORT OF THE NATIONAL MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR -+- Approx. Population Growth Est. Population 1 Jan. 1889: 41.616.000 Est. Population 1 Jan. 1890: 42.448.320 Industrial Centers and Fortifications Heavy Industry, Bellograd Heavy Industry, Andrograd Airshipyard, Bellograd Airshipyard, Bellograd Steel Mill, Andrograd Bunker Line, South Bellica [2.000 ABM] National Income Metropolitan Taxation | 10.000 ABM | Bellograd Civilian Taxation | 8.000 ABM | 1.000 ABM per 5.000.000 Commercial Districts | 20.000 ABM | Bellograd, Andrograd, Poval, Klennetsboro, Lovken Civilian Industry | 1.000 ABM | Bellograd International Trade | 10.000 ABM | Greater Modevia, Commonwealth of Grenheim, Free Guilds of Estfeld, Tsardom of Pozharin, Republic of Volta-Solvan, Republic of Tormina, Venzeatic League, Grand Principality of Cumberland, Free Junta, Republic of Sorent Trade Depot | 20.000 ABM | 10 Partners = 5.000 ABM per Depot, 4 Depots [Bellograd, Andrograd, Poval, Klennetsboro] Total Income: 69.000 ABM National Upkeep Military Upkeep Halved [National Idea] Army Upkeep, Howitzers | 500 ABM | 175 Howitzers [500ABM/100] Naval Upkeep, Med. | 500 ABM | 1D, 2HC [500ABM/3] Total Upkeep: 1.000 ABM National Expenditures Trade Depot, Lovken | 10.000 ABM Civilian Industry, Bellograd [Entertainment] | 10.000 ABM | x2 Vitramite Mine, Bellica | 5.000 ABM Vitraium Refinery, Lovken | 5.000 ABM Investment, Capital Development | 5.000 ABM Investment, Film | 5.000 ABM HIDDEN | 20.000 ABM Steel Mill, x2 | 5.000 ABM Fortifications, Southern Bellica | 3.000 ABM End-of-Year Reserves 69.000 ABM | Income - 1.000 ABM | Upkeep - 68.000 ABM | Expenditures 0 ABM | Reserves -+- OFFICIAL REPORT OF THE NATIONAL MINISTRY OF EDUCATION -+- [Education 6 | Army 10 | Aviation 5] Completed Research | Radio, Bomber Wing [1] – Technical forays into the usage of armored cars to pierce stagnated enemy lines. [Armored Brigade Research][Started ‘88][Due ‘91] [2] – Project C-2 [Started ‘90] [3] – Project G-8 [Started ‘90] -+- -+-

“What good Canonist captures a man of the cloth...” frowns Lothar d’Amaury de Leumont, upon his tutor bringing him the news of the Lorrainés’ affront to the Church.

Odo Drakaene holds his scythe high in the air before swiping swiftly downwards at the barley before him. He watches the stalks flutter to the ground with satisfaction when, suddenly, he notices something strange! It’s a conspicuously-dropped journal entry, written by one ‘John the Polyamorous’!

**Description** When using /charter manage, if you try to cancel a pending charter, the mina won’t be refunded. **Date of occurance** Yesterday 6:15-6:30 AM EST. **In game specifications** username edelos, persona Odo Drakaene. **Steps to Reproduce** 1. Have a charter Use /charter manage Try to cancel charter No money refund **Expected Behavior** I should get the money back. **Actual Behavior** I don’t get the money back. **Additional Information** I checked my bank too, money didn’t show up. **Error Message** <!--- If you received an error then please post it in the empty space below, -->

The Archduchy of Andros-Bellica as it was the Year of Our Lord, 1889 YEAR IN REVIEW, 1889 -+- 5 Jan. | The Ministry of Commerce announces its yearly expenditures, this time on the postwar buildup of international trade. Depots are to be built in Bellograd, Andrograd, Poval, and Klennetsboro to better accommodate this influx. 3 Mar. | After reevaluation, the influx of commercial district cash has resulted in enough money to fund a new Civilian Industry sector in Bellograd. As such, beginning March, the buildup of sound stages and studios for aspiring film-makers begins in the Bellogradic neighborhood of Briartown. The Crown itself commissions a movie to be made here, once finished – a tale of heroism in the Great War, the patriotic story of Field Marshal Hugo Linden’s ironwall defense of the Bellic Front against the forces of the Free Provinces. Thought to be an impossible feat during the war, his ingenious defense-in-depth strategy allowed the Bellicans to hold off wave after wave of attacks! 5 May | The majority of Bellican troops begin to move towards their border with the newly-minted CSAC and take up defensive stations, obviously wary of the Communist state. They do, however, send a telegraph across the border, assuring that no offensive action shall be taken so long as the peoples of Andros and Bellica are left to live peacefully, and that this movement is only conflict deterrence. 6 May | The Andros-Bellican government approves 2.000 ABM towards the construction of bunkers along the long riverline border. They make it very, abundantly clear to the Anaerin Cantons that this is a precautionary measure that Andros-Bellica takes whenever there is a major regime change, and that they bear no ill-will towards the Red Menace newly freed Socialist State. -+- OFFICIAL REPORT OF THE NATIONAL MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR -+- Approx. Population Growth Est. Population 1 Jan. 1888: 40.800.000 Est. Population 1 Jan. 1889: 41.616.000 Resources and Industrial Centers Heavy Industry, Bellograd Heavy Industry, Andrograd Airshipyard, Bellograd Airshipyard, Bellograd Steel Mill, Andrograd National Income Metropolitan Taxation | 10.000 ABM | Bellograd Civilian Taxation | 8.000 ABM | 1.000 ABM per 5.000.000 Commercial Districts | 20.000 ABM | Bellograd, Andrograd, Poval, Klennetsboro, Lovken International Trade | 10.000 ABM | Greater Modevia, Commonwealth of Grenheim, Free Guilds of Estfeld, Tsardom of Pozharin, Republic of Volta-Solvan, Republic of Tormina, Venzeatic League, Grand Principality of Cumberland, Free Junta, Republic of Sorent Total Income: 48.000 ABM National Upkeep Military Upkeep Halved [National Idea] Army Upkeep, Howitzers | 500 ABM | 175 Howitzers [500ABM/100] Naval Upkeep, Med. | 500 ABM | 1D, 2HC [500ABM/3] Total Upkeep: 1.000 ABM National Expenditures Trade Depot, Bellograd | 10.000 ABM Trade Depot, Andrograd | 10.000 ABM Trade Depot, Poval | 10.000 ABM Trade Depot, Klennetsboro | 10.000 ABM Civilian Industry, Bellograd [Movies] | 5.000 ABM Fortifications, South Bellica | 2.000 ABM End-of-Year Reserves 48.500 ABM | Income - 1.000 ABM | Upkeep - 47.000 ABM | Expenditures 0 ABM | Reserves -+- OFFICIAL REPORT OF THE NATIONAL MINISTRY OF EDUCATION -+- [Education 6 | Army 10 | Aviation 5] [1] – Technical forays into the usage of armored cars to pierce stagnated enemy lines. [Armored Brigade Research][Started ‘88][Due ‘91] [2] – Forays into the dropping of Howitzer shells and other bombs from specialized craft. [Bomber Wing Research][Started ‘88][Due ‘90] [3] – Technical forays into radio communication. [Radio Research][Started ‘88][Due ‘90] -+- -+-

The Archduchy of Andros-Bellica as it was the Year of Our Lord, 1888 YEAR IN REVIEW, 1888 -+- 2 Jan. | A congratulatory letter is sent to Enrico Reinzo, and the Archduchy is among the first internationally to reaffirm trade deals and diplomacy with the Union of Greater Modevia as the rightful successor to the Free Provinces! It would appear that, given the Bellicans’ hatred towards the old regime, they view Reinzo in an especially favorable light...? 5 Jan. | The Ministry of Commerce announces a nationwide project to improve the economic integrity of the Archduchy. As such, three new commercial districts are to be built in Andros-Bellica’s largest cities, rounding out a total of five such monetary centers. The Crown has approved a budget of 30.000 Andro-Bellican Marks towards this goal. 12 Apr. | The Ministry of Labor announces the opening of a new Steel Mill in Andrograd, which the Androsian Administrative District Office has confirmed for the cost of 2.500 ABM. 8 Aug. | The Crown announces a personal project of the Archduke in improving the infrastructure of the nation; towards this goal he pledges 2.500 ABM, with initial work first being done on repaving Bellican highways and erecting new telegraph lines. Perhaps this is a signal of the country’s will to modernize after the catastrophes of the Great War? -+- OFFICIAL REPORT OF THE NATIONAL MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR -+- Approximate Population Growth Est. Population 1 Jan. 1887: 40.000.000 Est. Population 1 Jan. 1888: 40.800.000 Approximate City Population Spread Bellica | 22.800.000 [+] Bellograd | 6.600.000 [+] Klennetsboro | 1.200.000 Andros | 18.000.000 [+] Andrograd | 3.000.000 [+] Poval | 800.000 [+] Lovken | 400.000 Resources and Industrial Centers Heavy Industry, Bellograd Heavy Industry, Andrograd Airshipyard, Bellograd Airshipyard, Bellograd National Income Metropolitan Taxation | 10.000 ABM | Bellograd Civilian Taxation | 8.000 ABM | 1.000 ABM per 5.000.000 Commercial Districts | 8.000 ABM | Bellograd, Andrograd International Trade | 10.000 ABM | Anaerin Confederacy, Greater Modevia, Commonwealth of Grenheim, Free Guilds of Estfeld, Tsardom of Pozharin, Republic of Volta-Solvan, Erdemir Industries, Caliphate of Ozan, Republic of Tormina, Republic of Sorent Total Income, 1888: 36.000 ABM National Upkeep Military Upkeep Halved [National Idea] Army Upkeep, Howitzers | 500 ABM | 175 Howitzers [500ABM/100] Naval Upkeep, Med. | 500 ABM | 1D, 2HC [500ABM/3] Total Upkeep, 1888: 1.000 ABM National Expenditures Commercial District, Poval: 10.000 ABM The construction of a commerce-focused region within city borders. Commercial District, Klennetsboro: 10.000 ABM The construction of a commerce-focused region within city borders. Commercial District, Lovken: 10.000 ABM The construction of a commerce-focused region within city borders. Steel Mill, Andrograd: 2.500 ABM The construction of a steel production facility within city borders. [MOD] – Upgrading Infrastructure/Development, Bellica: 2.500 ABM The improvement of much-neglected Bellican roads after years of war. End-of-Year Reserves 36.000 ABM | Income - 1.000 ABM | Upkeep - 35.000 ABM | Expenditures 0 ABM | Reserves -+- OFFICIAL REPORT OF THE NATIONAL MINISTRY OF EDUCATION -+- [Education 6 | Army 10 | Aviation 5] [1] – Early technical forays into the usage of armored cars to pierce stagnated enemy lines. [Armored Brigade Research][Started ‘88] [2] – Early forays into the dropping of Howitzer shells from fighter craft. [Bomber Wing Research][Started ‘88] [3] – Early technical forays into radio communication. [Radio Research][Started ‘88] -+- -+-

Bellica [Or, the Archduchy of Andros-Bellica] Type of Government: Constitutional Monarchy [Enlightened Absolutism] History/Culture: Woeful is the tale of the Bellicans, those faithful subjects of a bygone era. In their antiquated histories, the reign of the Archdukes of Bellica was paid its just tribute among the nations of the Continent. By 1700, after all, the lords of Andros and Bellica had ruled for nigh six centuries. Once, their territories stretched many leagues; historically staunch traditionalism and empowered nobility, however, threw into doubt their rule as tactics evolved. The Anaerin Confederacy’s 1762 expansion and consolidation came at the cost of the Androsian Heartlands, the sweeping plains to the south of Bellica, in the War of Anaerinic Aggression - or, in the Confederacy, the First Androsian War. The Free Provinces saw Bellica the oppressed territories of an outdated regime; in the mid-1830’s, a series of rebellions succeeded in overtaking the local administrators of North Bellica. The regime’s inability to quell these rebels caused them to lose the central territories of Andros-Bellica in the Bellican Partition, which saw for a brief while the Free State of Allmor, and within a decade an incorporated territory of the Free Provinces. Their greatest shame, however, had yet to come. The posturing of the Great Powers in the early 1860’s came once again at the expense of the already-disastrously aggrieved nation, and its central territory, the Bellic Strip, became the focal point of the worst war in the Continent’s history. With the pretense of protecting the ancient regime’s sovereignty, the Confederacy launched a series of attacks across the River Mar and into the recently-occupied Bellic Strip. None of the occupied territories in Bellica’s heartlands would be returned to the nation at the turn of the 80’s, though the lives of 13 million Bellicans would be claimed by starvation or execution, often from their Confederate “saviors”. For the duration of the Great War, the official stance of the Archduchy was that of having sided (unwillingly) with the Anaerin Confederacy. At the end of the war, their nation was split in two, with the Bellic Strip being split between the two Great Powers at their last armistice. Bellica, of course, was not present at the negotiations. Reduced to the Bellic Heartlands and Northern Andros, the Archduchy is a nation revolving around monarchic absolutists in an era of turbulent revolution and democracy. It is a union of Androsians and Bellicans in a vain attempt to protect their combined nations from total annexation, often with injurious consequences to their governance. It is a fractured set of territories with aging infrastructure and a weak economy. It has also lost much of its independent diplomatic abilities; a series of guarantees of independence by both the Free Provinces and Confederacy upon the armistice signings have also enforced warnings upon the nation, preventing it from beginning offensive wars and limiting its fleet capacities, though protecting it from invasions by either power or their aligned states. Starting Points: Size | 4 – Once, perhaps, Andros-Bellica was well-populated. A fifth of its population died during the Great War, another quarter fallen casualty to any variety of war crime and other injury. Now, its streets run empty and quiet. Population: 40m Metropolis: Bellograd Cities: Andrograd, Klennetsboro, Poval, Lovken Army/Navy | 10 – It was perhaps a miracle stemming from the militant resurgence of the Ducal Andros-Bellican Army and its General Staff that the nation was able to survive at all. Its overly competent commanders made up, in part, for their entirely lacking industry and economy, fighting constantly and with valour in the Great War. 4 Infantry Brigade [4] -20,000 Infantry 1 Howitzer [2] 25 Howitzers 4 Bellican Howitzer [12] 80 Howitzers 4 Field Artillery [8] -400 Pieces 2 Fighter [4] -200 Fighters Aviation | 5 – Men have no place in the skies – but war changes, as all things do. At the end of the Great War, just as did all their neighbors, whether friend or foe, so too did the Bellicans innovate. 2 Heavy Cruiser [6pts] 1 Destroyer [2pts] 8 Corvette [4pts] 9 Freighter [3pts] Industry | 2 – A weak but not nonexistent industrial base has allowed Bellica to, if not thrive, survive. 2 Airshipyards 2 Heavy Industry Economy | 2 – A weak but not nonexistent economic base has allowed Bellica to, if not thrive, survive. 2 Commercial Districts [Bellograd, Andrograd] Education | 6 – It is said that the children of Andros-Bellica are raised to become officers and mercenaries – how could they complete such tasks if they were not among the best? Development | 1 – Yikes. Notable Characters: You’ll notice there are no notable non-military Bellicans. That is, of course, because Bellica is not well-known internationally for anything but the talent of their officer corps... Archduke Karl Fredrik vi Androssov Patriarch of a dynasty considered as old, and antiquated, as absolute monarchy itself. General Field Marshal Alans Travsa vi Bellograd Nigh-legendary hero of Bellica, Alans Travsa’s use of well-coordinated counterattacks in Bellica proper kept the homeland secured at the rivers Mar and Steir to the west. Field Marshal Hugo Linden Commandant, Army Group I “Bellograd” General Jan vi Klennetsboro Commandant, Army IV General Arz vi Kaltzberg Commandant, Army VI Lieutenant General Stann vi Poval Commandant, XIV Battalion “Stett” Lieutenant General Aaren vi Lovken Commandant, XIX Battalion “Povalberg” Lieutenant General Victor vi Bellograd Commandant, XXII Battalion “Grannsmark” Count Anatoly Viktor vi Androssov Fleetmarshal Josef vi Arizh Commandant, Flying Wing III “Flood” Air Marshal Kurt Allevan Commandant, Flying Wing V “Thunderclap” Flying Ace in the pre-War and early stages of the Great War. National Idea: Between a rock and a hard place: Halved gold maintenance for military. Unique Units: Bellican Howitzers: Specialized weaponry, designed to take out enemy aerial support and airships. Decidedly not designed to hit sea-based targets, though performs just above average against conventional land-based armies. Map Position: The Archduchy of Andros-Bellica, modernity The Bellic Strip, postwar [not owned, obviously] Proof: I too enjoy enforced catholicism and the national pastime being passing out in bars...

“As barbaric as child-killing is, perhaps the Ruberni would not have slain her if the Orenians hadn’t called their children to arms,” muses semi-neutral historian of little renown Mr. Odoaker Drakaene.

Mr. Odoaker Drakaene, Ph.D. fears this mysterious plague!

“Who wrote this, a dyslexic child?” asks Mr. Odoaker Drakaene, Ph.D. to a nearby illiterate barley farmer as he reads through the missive.

“Didn’t you appear out of nowhere after the toesucker died” asks Orenian historian Mr. Drakaene.

SEVENT ANTIQVE; THE SARVN ROLL or The Collected Arms and Heraldries otherwise of the Kingdom of Seventis and its Subordinate Fiefdoms as beheld from its capital of Sarun, the Year of Our Lord 1376. Foreword The houses of the Seventian Kingdom of Asulon were caught between the ancient traditions of Aegis and prior and the quickly-evolving political landscape that would culminate in their collapse and the rise of the First Empire. Those of Seventic heritage, and whom spoke the classical Seventian language, nearly always utilized Or, or Aurum, in their heraldry – a callback to their Aegisian capital. This is best exemplified by the coat of arms of Seventis itself, Chequy Sable and Or. The only exception to this rule was the personal arms and armor of Princess Maria of the House of Vallark, who used an inverted form of the greater Seventian coat of arms, and with her own House’s colors of white and blue. Notably the House of Drakaene, whose blazon is Gules a Falcon Or wielding in its beak a Cross Argent, did not use individualized coats of arms for its titles held in commandery; instead, these are beheld in nearly all surviving historical documents by imagery of the military coat of the House, Gules a Falcon Or. Of minor note, the County of Ascella retained the coat of arms of the County of Azar from which its rank was usurped, and the two that would come to rule over it in its post-capital era, Marcus of the House of Powell and Jullius of the House of Andromeda, would not change its armorial, but would instead take it as their own coats of arms for the duration of their rule. The other dominant tinctures of the nation were Gules and Argent. Modern experts would take this as derived from the Auvergnat ducal coat of arms of the time – Argent, a chevron Gules inverted in the chief a Cat Sable. Those houses subordinated to the House of Gracchi, whom had risen in stature just as their predecessor, the House of Guivret, had fallen, and both of whom would merge in eventuality to become the House of Valois of Anthosian fame, nearly all donned this same tincture scheme in both their personal heraldries and those of the titles which they ruled. The exception to this rule, of course, comes from the barony of Pont Vert – for in those times, the rule of Human nobility was perhaps less solidified in Asulon, just as many social structures were not left intact from the ancient Kingdom of Oren, and so an Elvish ruler was allowed the rulership of the title. Whilst the Sintels were never raised to Seventian nobility, and instead held the title de facto in perpetuity, the coat of arms of the barony were altered from its original form to reflect their rulership. The furs and verdant green of the Elvish forest were chosen to signify the barony’s holder, and this coat of arms would not change until Seventis’ ultimate collapse. The nation of Seventis was in many ways politically advanced in its formation, allowing only Human nobility and disallowing Human marriages to nonhumans (though documents such as the Memoirs of a Magnate are nearly uniform in their statement that, “...the First Lady Gracchi did by the day [daily] spend nigh Qente [Five] hours with her Sintel ally,” and may point to rather taboo events by today’s standards simply being ignored), as well as continuing hereditary feudalism (whereas the Salvian nation of the time had unmarried co-rulers in Dawn Perea and Enor Sheffield, and the Hanseti ruled by a Hochmeister), titular precedence (as is noted in the Sarun roll, where only one title, the Duchy of Old Sevent, holds higher priority among duchies than its subordinates do among counties and baronies, likely due to its prior status as the crownlands), and holdings de jure marked as different from holdings de facto, wherein one might capture the land of another vassal, but would not then be noble themselves (as was the case in the Auvergnat-Green Point Dispute). While it was advanced politically, though, it struggled to outgrow its roots as a tribal domain; it lost battles even against bandits and mercenaries with unusual frequency, was wracked with internal strife, and found its Seventic ruling class simply not numerous enough to produce leadership on the level or at the scale of the Renatians and Hansetians, nor to be able to properly exert control on its peasant class. Such is why the Seventians were both able to wed a princess of theirs to Exalted Godfrey in Rose Amedius Vallark (and from whose womb would be brought such forebears as Pertinax the Dragonknight), but would be unable to protect themselves from simple Subudai horse-raiders; it is also why, whilst Seventis has graced the list of titles of every true claimant to the Holy Orenian throne, it will in all likelihood be unable to succeed at a national level even should one attempt to revive it. Penned and compiled by Mr. Odoaker Drakaene, 1742 I THE KINGDOM OF SEVENTIS as held by Renati I of the House of Vallark II THE PRINCIPALITY OF SOMNIA as held by Renati I of the House of Vallark while subordinated to the Kingdom of Seventis III THE DUCHY OF OLD SEVENT as held by Symodimi of the House of Drakaene while subordinated to the Kingdom of Seventis IV THE DUCHY OF AUVERGNE as held by Ariana of the House of Gracchi while subordinated to the Kingdom of Seventis V THE COUNTY OF SARUN as held by Renati I of the House of Vallark while subordinated to the Principality of Somnia VI THE COUNTY OF AEDEN as held by Maria of the House of Vallark while subordinated to the Principality of Somnia VII THE COUNTY OF TYR as held by Ursolon of the House of Ironheart while subordinated to the Duchy of Auvergne VIII THE COUNTY OF BOURDONNEMENT as held by Ariana of the House of Gracchi while subordinated to the Duchy of Auvergne IX THE COUNTY OF SEVENTIS-SENEVO as held by Symodimi of the House of Drakaene while subordinated to the Duchy of Old Sevent X THE COUNTY OF ASCELLA as held by Jullius of the House of Andromeda while subordinated to the Duchy of Old Sevent XI THE BARONY OF ELLAMERK as held in commandery by Sasae of the House of Drakaene while subordinated to the Principality of Somnia XII THE BARONY OF AEDENSHAVEN as held by Maria of the House of Vallark while subordinated to the County of Aeden XIII THE BARONY OF ROCKEFORT as held in commandery by Bitazity of the House of Drakaene while subordinated to the County of Aeden XIV THE BARONY OF RIENNA as held by Ariana of the House of Gracchi while subordinated to the County of Bourdonnement XV THE BARONY OF PONT VERT as held de facto in perpetuity by Relgard Sintel while subordinated to the County of Bourdonnement XVI THE BARONY OF URSAKAR as held by Balian of the House of Guivret while subordinated to the County of Tyr XVII THE BARONY OF FAIRFIELD-RAMMSHALLE as held by Ursolon of the House of Ironheart while subordinated to the County of Tyr XVIII THE BARONY OF PINEHARBOR-HENNESHALLE as held by Dimatrik of the House of Drakaene while subordinated to the County of Seventis-Senevo

Odoaker Drakaene reads through the Haeseni publication, gasping at every other line! “Cutting tongues?! Almost as barbaric as being a princess’ hidden lover!”

Dragonblooded house of Renault, Seventian man Odoaker Drakaene frowns at the coat of arms that doesn’t follow tincture rules, and at the message down below. “Yikes,” says he. “Double yikes. Doesn’t follow tincture rules and claims to be something they’re not.”

skins are all of girls while u r secretly boi, pls explain???

Renellic Velulaei’onn, a Dark Elf entirely unrelated to the Onyx Sanctum infringing upon Dwarven burial grounds, frowns upon hearing this message. “Well that’s not very fair,” says the flamboyantly-dressed man as he sips his morning ale. “I’ve never even been to the Dwarven mountains!”

Drakaene of Seventis Δρακαινε του Σεβεντις A history of the Drakaene family of Rykalos and the greater Seventic peoples, as compiled by David Hevron, 18th Sigismund’s End 1740. CONTENTS I. INTRODVCTION II. ANTIQVITY III. MODERNITY IV. SEVENTIC HERITAGE V. THE SEVENTIAD Battle Standard of the House of Drakaene I. INTRODVCTION Those of Seventis are called by various names; those descended from Aurum or Rykalos were called Seventic, while those that were later recruited from wayward travellers were called Seventian. The Drakaene of Seventis trace their lineage to the Seventic founders of Azar, and before that to the Rykalod peoples of the northern Aegisian wastelands. Their sigil, a falcon or upon a field gules, bearing an argent cross in its beak, is said to symbolize the crucifixion of Damien Drakaene upon the Conversion of Seventis for his refusal to bend to Canonist teachings – and the punishment he surely receives in the outermost of the Seven Skies. The golden falcon harkens back to the village of Aurum that began their momentary rise to glory, and the red field their tribulations. Whilst hundreds of years have passed, various traditions and histories have been preserved, or can be inferred from secondary sources. The Drakaene battle-standard, the same as its coat of arms sans its white cross, is similarly symbolic in origin in the belief that holy symbols are not to be sullied by warfare or other mortal dealings. II. ANTIQVITY As an entity, the Seventic ruling class of the Asulonian Kingdom can be traced from among the tribes of Northern Aegis; of those city-states within the wastes, two villages in close proximity would eventually go on to be known as “Seventian”. The first, known as Rykalos and whose people were known as the Rykalod, were said to be descendants of Shona, nation of intermixed Highlanders and Farfolk, and the latter, known as Aurum and whose people were known as the Norjuni, were of common Aegisian Highlander stock. From among the Norjuni was born one Dezios of Vallark [now known to be a somewhat primitive combination of ‘Valley’ and ‘Arch’]. Dezios claimed leadership of the tribe in Aurum and called for a show of strength within those wastes. In the early 1310’s, the Norjuni Invasion of Rykalos began, and by 1320 the Rykalod people are known to have submitted, their chieftain Symod-imi Drakaene laying down his spear. The integration of the Rykalods into the Norjuni, however, would be cut short by the Battle at Aurum, a conflict that disputed sources state occurred between Undead forces and Dezios Vallark’s newly combined tribes, causing the death of the ruler and many of the Rykalod footmen. Their defeat at Aurum forced them to flee south, where in time they would find themselves minor vassals of the Sheffield king of Salvus. In Salvus, the Drakaene diverged from their Norjuni fellows; Edwin Sheffield afforded the clan a set of townhouses and farms, and hired from among them hunters and guards. It would not be until the grandson of Dezios, one Renati Vallark, called upon them personally to found a new settlement that they would rejoin the greater Seventic peoples. Their migration from the Salvian capital of Solace in the mid-1300’s to the outskirts of the Temple Sanctuaries, and thereafter the founding of the towns of Azar [later called Ascella] and Seventis, would cause a rise to power at speeds unseen elsewhere. Whilst such conflicts as Mandarin’s March and the Usurpation of Ascella caused the burgeoning city-state to falter multiple times, and eventually to move their capital from Azar to the newly minted city of Seventis, the Seventic also began to gather international renown. Their alliance with the newly-resurgent Kingdom of Renatus for the legendary Battle of Das Boot would mark the beginning of a golden age for the small kingdom. It is said that silver lined the streets of Old Seventis, its people wove with gold, and that, when called upon by Exalted Godfrey for monetary assistance, a caravan of gems arrived in Abresi not a fortnight later. It was at this time that the Conversion of Seventis occurred, wherein the Vallark dynasts forcefully converted the pagan Seventic ruling class; those that rejected, like Damien the Heathen, were crucified, a punishment later made far more infamous by the White Rose inquisitions. Seventis, however, would not enjoy this era forever. The city of Seventis itself, called Grata in Rykalod, bustled with activity – too much, some began to think. Many among the Seventic nobility called for a new migration, for the beginning of a Seventian Empire in the eastern reaches of Asulon. Renati, young and ambitious, was inclined to agree, and so even as the beginnings of the Holy Orenian Empire could be seen on the horizon, Seventis abandoned its greatest strengths to found the city of Sarun. It was said that Sarun’s walls reached the clouds; historical records note that while this may have been the case, Sarun only ever completed three such walls. The wide savannah they had moved to lacked the necessary mines to construct a new capital in the same quick manner as had been done in Asulon, and soon major issues began to trouble the nation. It was at this time, though, that the Drakaene reached their greatest territorial might; while they had always been the chief generals of the Vallark, they were now given vast swathes of land to rule as near-dictators – within such regions as Somnia, Green Point, and Pine Harbor, bannermen of House Drakaene and the power that the family wielded far outmatched that of the House of Vallark itself. Even in the city and capital province of Sarun, it was said that Symodimi Drakaene controlled the land, Cultor Drakaene the sea, and Renati only the palace. Three primary factors caused the depopulation, and eventual collapse, of the Seventic State. The first was the Subudai War – constant Farfolk raids upon the colonizing nation collapsed the import-export businesses it had so relied upon to thrive in the Sanctuary lands and weakened its military forces. The second was the War at Midnight, a time of political turmoil between the Seventics, traditional leadership and nobility of the nation like the Houses of Drakaene and Centaurum, and the Tyrian, new-blood houses raised to balance against them aided by dark forces, namely Ursolon Ironheart, Relgard Sintel, and the Shade Sister. Culminating in open civil war and causing minor fame for such names as Rhaegal the Cat, Kilgrim ‘Mastersmith’, and Bitazity Shadeslayer, Renati would become a paranoid mess, angry at both the new houses and old and causing political stagnation within the kingdom. The final, and most famous, was the Doom of Seventis, known more widely as the Asulonian Plague. Thought to have originated from Subudai merchants, and, perhaps more often, raiders, the Seventic population was decimated, reduced to but a tenth of its former size. Among the earliest casualties was King Renati, and the majority of the original Seventic people would meet their end along with him. As Seventis fell, so too did its ability to defend itself – the power of both the royalist and vassal banners greatly diminished, Exalted Godfrey’s vassals became able to make demands. A force of Flay horsemen delivered the letter that would seal the nation’s fate – bend the knee to Godfrey, or face war. Young Aerios, son of Renati, accepted, and, never coronated, pledged his servitude to a land he had never seen. His sister, Rose, became Exalted Godfrey’s second wife, and he was allowed to keep the destitute Sarunyr wastes as the Duchy of Norjun. The Drakaene, once first among Vallark vassals and commanders of seven fortresses, would suffer the same fate as their homeland; the vast majority would be executed in the years thereafter for some perceived treason during the time of the Plague of Asulon, and the rest would cling desperately to the traditions of their homeland. Their commanderies slowly depleted of manpower, the House fell to infighting until the House of Vallark had enough power to banish them entirely from the already-crippled Duchy of Norjun. The Drakaene banner forces evaporated and, over time, their name disappeared from the annals of Orenian history. III. MODERNITY A minor barley-farming and mercantile family that tended Helena Fields prior to the Protectorate Era in Arcas, the Drakaenes have recently been displaced. Their scion, Odoaker, was afforded a Vessian education by his bread-merchant father, but little else other than history books, bedtime stories, and legends. Coat of Arms of the Kingdom of Seventis, circa 1370 IV. SEVENTIC HERITAGE Black hair, pale skin, and green eyes are trademark features of the Rykalod Seventians, and such is reinforced within the Drakaene lineage. Idolatrous worship of both Saints and the Creator, traditions of bygone, pagan rituals, are not unheard of, and the flamboyant excesses of the Seventic Rise never quite left the family; purchase of jewelry and silks over perhaps more necessary items is common. The integration of the Seventic peoples over time, however, has long corroded more proper cultural aspects; the same food, the same speech, and the same writing is shared with the average Heartlander. V. THE SEVENTIAD A collection of the names of historical Seventic figures, the Seventiad details all those of Seventic descent, or of the Kingdom of Seventis in antiquity, that had previously achieved notable deeds. Uniquely, the Seventic leadership all died grisly deaths. This phenom, known as the Curse of Seventis, plagues them to this day. DEZIOS ‘OF AURUM’ OF THE HOUSE OF VALLARK United the original Seventic peoples. Shot in the back and ripped to pieces in battle against feral undead. Seventic-Norjuni. RENATI I OF THE HOUSE OF VALLARK, KING OF SEVENTIS First and last king of Seventis in Asulon. Died in the Doom of Seventis, plague-stricken and alone. Seventic-Norjuni. ROSE OF THE HOUSE OF VALLARK OF AMEDAIUS, SECOND WIFE OF EXALTED GODFREY Daughter of Renati and second wife of Exalted Godfrey. Locked in a tower and starved to death by Horen V ‘the Black’. Seventic-Norjuni. SYMODIMI THE YOUNGER OF THE HOUSE OF DRAKAENE, COMMANDER OF AURUM, GRATA AND SARUN Right hand of Renati. Beheaded, drawn, quartered, and his remains fed to the wolves by White Rose soldiery after the Doom. Seventic-Rykalod. DAMIEN THE HEATHEN OF THE HOUSE OF DRAKAENE, COMMANDER OF AZAR Chief architect and quartermaster of Seventis. The first to be crucified during the Conversion of Seventis, pecked to death by ravens. Seventic-Rykalod. DIMATRIK OF THE HOUSE OF DRAKAENE, COMMANDER OF URSAKAR General of Seventis and primary commander of its armies before the Doom. Beheaded, drawn, quartered, and his remains fed to the wolves by White Rose soldiery after the Doom. Seventic-Rykalod. BITAZITY OF THE HOUSE OF DRAKAENE, COMMANDER OF SOMNIA General of Seventis and commander of Seventic forces in the War at Midnight. Eyes gouged out and bashed to death with a blunt sword after the Doom. Seventic-Rykalod. URSOLON ‘OF TYR’ IRONHEART, LORD OF FAIRFIELD Commander of Tyrian forces in the War at Midnight. Slain by red-masked marauders outside his home and eaten by shadows. Seventian-Heartlander. ARIANA OF THE HOUSE OF GRACCHI, DUCHESS OF AUVERGNE Famed statesman and among the progenitors of the House of Valois. Lost all power to her Guivret rivals, her son forced into a lesser union, and disappeared in a ‘hunting accident’. One son also disappeared, the other found torn to pieces in gruesome fashion. Seventian-Auvergnat. MARKUS OF THE HOUSE OF POWELL, LORD OF ANDROMEDA Usurper of Azar. Declared himself King of Andromeda before being usurped himself by Jullius of Ascella. Seventian-Heartlander. JULLIUS ‘OF ANDROMEDA’, LORD OF ASCELLA Lord of Ascella, Queller of the Fairfield Rebellion. Limbs pulled from body by Ursolon of Tyr before being fed alive to the hounds. Seventian-Heartlander. NIKATIEN DRAKAENE, CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST Quickly garnered support for a Seventian Rights Lobby, putting a bill to vote before disappearing. Body found bloated in a nearby stream the next day, and bill unanimously struck down. Seventic-Rykalod. [[For forum posterity. This all happened in RP, including the Aegis and Asulon sections, and also including the horrible deaths.]]

this was a rule at some point, i just wanted to be crystal clear with the redlines..........

The Dark Elven Physique or, the Physical Traits of the Mali’ker, Ashen Folk, or People of Velulaei, among other names. CONTENTS I. Description II. Red Lines III. Purpose IV. Citations I. Description Dark Elves are famous for their ashen skin, ranging across the spectrum of grays from that of volcanic ash to that of obsidian or twilight. Due to their generally active lifestyles, and, among Elves, the most naturally muscular and toned builds, breakouts are uncommon, and the Dark Elves are almost equally famous for proudly displaying these benefits. While they are the most naturally muscular of the Elven races, however, they are not as adapted to such activities as climbing as their cousins in the Wood Elves, though their speed on the ground is known historically to be practically unmatched. Cheekbones, jawlines, and the like range in the normal spectrum, rather than the far more pointed impact on such physiques as the High Elves. Dark Elven ears are not as long and pronounced as High Elves, but are still easily visible as Elven ears. The color of their skin does not affect natural emotion portrayed through it; such indications as blushing, for instance, is still possible. Dark Elven males will always be between 5’10” and 6’4” tall and females between 5’8” and 6’3” tall, specific genetic conditions notwithstanding. Their hair is most often found in various shades of white to black or grays tinted with muted violet-blues [such as a dark ash-gray tinted, lightly, by periwinkle]. Tinted hair is most often associated with mixed heritage; hair with a golden tint, for instance, is perceived as indicative of partial High Elven heritage. Dark Elven eyes are generally a crimson, gray, or violet of some kind, though such colors common to overall Elven heritage as purple, blue, or green, are also found among Dark Elves. Like with tinted hair, such eye colors are generally perceived to be an indicator of mixed heritage – eye colors that are especially rare to the point that they are unheard of, like brown, guarantee such a heritage. When Dark Elven eyes are purples, blues, or greens, they are subdued – not the bright, vibrant colors found within High Elven eyes. Sometimes, it has been known for the whites in a Dark Elf’s eyes to be instead a reddish or gray hue, and, for those that had interbred with Mori, could very, very rarely inherit a blue tinge. Like all Elves, the Dark Elven race ages normally until they reach their twenties, at which point physical aging decreases to a pace at which one might believe they do not age at all. Dark Elves, similarly like other Elves, can live to a theoretically infinite age, though have been written as dying of old age when over a thousand years of age. Such cases are rare, and, truly, could have been written as dying of senility – having borne the burden of watching all those they once knew pass away, and having to sift through thousands of years of memories in order to function normally in conversation, such figures are unlikely to exist with all their functions intact. The oldest Elves alive have not met Malin; in all likelihood, they have not even met those that had met him, or further. The Elven curse follows the Dark Elves as usual; Dark Elven women can have children only once every ten years at the maximum, and both men and women grow completely infertile at about the age of 500. While Dark Elves can have children once they reach the physical age of an adult, such is culturally stigmatized; the age of majority in most Dark Elven cultures is fifty. II. Red Lines ✦ Dark Elves do not naturally have hair in saturated colors on the rainbow spectrum; electric blues, vibrant violets, and the like does not occur. Any tints to Dark Elven hair color are muted at most. ✦ Dark Elves do not naturally have blue skin. ✦ Dark Elves outside the normal height range [5’10” – 6’4” for males and 5’8” – 6’3” for females] must properly roleplay the negative effects that such conditions as dwarfism or gigantism incur. ✦ Dark Elves are not naturally stronger than all other Descendant races; just in relation to average builds among Elves. They are also not naturally stronger, having done no muscle training, than a Wood or High Elf that has done such training. ✦ Dark Elves become infertile no later than the age of 525. ✦ Dark Elves cannot have children within timespans below ten [10] years apart, and are highly discouraged from having them within timespans below fifteen [15] years apart. ✦ Any relation to the Mori’quessir requires the permission of a player that had played a Mori’quessir. Take note that due to the lore ‘The Curse of Nemiisae’, any Mori ancestry grandfather+ does not impact physical traits or curses; the only difference between them and their fully Dark Elven counterparts is an aversion to the light. Full lore can be found HERE. ✦ Albinism does not exist for Dark Elves, as the color of their skin was dictated [cursed/blessed] by Luara. III. Purpose Why, might you ask, am I writing a new description and red lines to Dark Elves? It’s because I wanted to get rid of blue Dark Elf skin and Power Ranger hair. The rest is flavor. IV. Citations Greater Elven lore by @Wretched [HERE] Input by @Dakirennis

In other news, William of Aanen dies of dysentery. 1700 – 1737 [[I don’t shelf.]]

Renellic, unfortunately, cannot respond to passive-aggressive thought-comments, or he’d explain why.

The Kervira Luara’s Faithful CONTENTS I. The Matriarchy II. Luara and other Spirits III. Velulaei and other Ancestors IV. Markings V. Partnership VI. Death The Matriarchy The Kervira, or Moon’s Vigil, is both the name of the most ancient of Mali’ker religious rites and of the religion it so profoundly encompasses. It teaches that the Shrieking Night, that disease of the mind which so destroyed the Maehr scholars from which all Mali’ker descend, was only staved off by Luara’s Descent, the night in which Luara, the Spirit of the Moon, and Velulaei, daughter of Malin, made a pact – that for all time to come, Luara would protect the Mali’ker against the Shrieking Night, and in return sacrifice and prayer would be offered to the spirit. Its founder, and thereby also its first head, is the near-mythical Velulaei – the High Matriarch of the metropolis of Magara’lin whose society eclipsed any and all Mali’ker states to follow it. Her difficult decisions allowed the Maehr to survive to become the Ashen Folk, and her emphasis on religion, culture and society created an era of peace and prosperity that lasted a millennium. It is because of this influence that the Renelians, to date, live in temple-cities centered around Luara’okarn, Sanctuaries of Luara – for in the years and centuries following her death, there was only chaos among the Ashen Folk. The Matriarch is the head of the Kervira faith, chosen by the Archon as a worthy successor to Velulaei’s religious mantle, if not also her cultural and political standing, and is responsible both for the upkeeping of religious traditions and other rituals, but the conversion of aberrant Mali’ker to some form of Luaran worship. It is also her obligation to head the Kervira festival every five years at the minimum, which lasts a month from full moon to full moon, and to appoint naeri, or priestesses. The Matriarch and her naeri must always be female, so as to protect religious custom from military corruption and split-second decisions. The Matriarch of the Kervira faith, should she wish, may designate three Lesser Patriarchs – Mali’ker males of pure stock that have shown particular reverence in their worship of Luara, or assisted in some monumental way. They are the Book, the Mask, and the Blade of the Matriarch, in reference to Velulaei’s original three assistants, and while holding no duties and not allowed to perform rites in the stead of naeri or the Matriarch, they may be allowed access into the inner halls of the Luara’okarn – given the additional approval of the Archon. Luara and other Spirits The Spirit of the Moon takes most often the form of an incorporeal, white wolf. While she has been known to be at times playful and festive, as shown by Her love of ritual sacrifice and celebrations held in her name, it must be constantly reminded that it was also Luara that begot Azul’s Curse – that spell which turned the evil brother of Renelia into a sleepless abomination, and which caused Uradras to seal him beneath Magara’lin for all eternity. In ritual, she is represented in flora by Nightglow and in fauna by the wolf, and the Kervira festival and Partners’ Rituals are held in her honor. Whilst Luara is, of course, held at the level of a goddess, other spirits are known to the Kerviran faith, and are not necessarily ignored. Among them, Kotrestruu, Arwa, and Isuz draw particular reverence in Renelia – lesser shrines to these spirits are even maintained in the Luara’okarn. As overt reference to the three Patriarchs that assisted Velulaei in her governance of Magara’lin, Luara too is afforded three assistant spirits by Kervira faithful. Kotrestruu, the Spirit of Memory, reminds the Renelian people to take care in their actions, that they might be remembered as having bettered their society by their actions. He appears as a man made of scriptures, and both protects and takes away the memories of Descendants; it is by his efforts that ancient rites have been recalled, and in his honor that the Sable Ball is held, representative of the darkness that comes upon the closing of eyes, and the memories that come awash with it. Arwa, the Spirit of Fertility, reminds the Renelian people of their duties to society and self, that the legacies of their clans might be made more whole with their existence. She appears as a lady made of hay, though in social circles made partially of outsiders has been known to be switched in reverence with Delilah De’laronge, a Mali’ker ancestral spirit of womanhood. It is in her honor that all harvest festivals and banquets are dedicated, and stalks of hay built into a ceremonial pyre at least once a decade to be sacrificed to her. Velulaei and other Ancestors Confusing to some is the blending of Luara, the Spirit of the Moon, and Velulaei, sometimes referred to as a goddess of the Moon. Velulaei is, by Renelian tradition, the ancestor representative of the waxing and waning of the moon and of acal, which holds the dual meaning of value and curses – a reminder that both blessings and curses meet their ends in time. Her beginning as the fairest and most intelligent of Malin’s daughters, her middling as corrupted by the Shrieking Night, and her end as a beloved matron tells that story in full, and as such she is placed on a pedestal beside the spirit that so salvaged the Maehran. In ritual, she is represented by a crescent moon and in flora by the Starlit Monacrie, a glowing tree once found in the hot springs below Ceru’s icy mountain ranges, and the Uvuligne’aher, or Blessing of Ash, festival is held in her honor. Within the Union, she is the only ancestor to which a public shrine within view of the Luara’okarn may be built, for it was she that first led the Ashen Folk from their primordial, forested beginnings. Unlike Velulaei, the other ancestors of the Mali’ker are not specifically revered under Kervira doctrine. Whilst praise is to be given to the efforts of such figures as Khel Oussana, and indeed they must have ascended to a higher plane for their efforts, their contributions were, in the end, outweighed by that of their own ancestors – the decision of Uradras, in conjunction with the Oussana, Des’nox, Ravexi and Zanexes to abandon Magara’lin caused the collapse of ancient Mali’ker society into Laurelin and irreparable damage to be done to the Ashen Folk. Veneration of Maehran, ancestors alive in the era before the Blessing of Ash, is also discouraged – for with all of their intelligence, it was also foolish swagger that caused them to enter ill-prepared into the dense jungles of primeval Axios, and their descendants would pay the price. Among the ancestral spirits, Velulaei excluded, only Khel is openly approved of within Renelian social circles (perhaps due in part to their more recent entry into the global scene and lack of knowledge of others), and the uplifting of any lesser ancestors into a proper lesser pantheon of the Kerviran faith at all is a matter of continued controversy within the Union. Markings Commonplace among Mali’ker and Mali’ame is the existence of clan and otherwise symbolic tattoos; such is not a requirement of the average believer in the Kervira. This does not mean, however, that they are discouraged; often, clans will use unique markings to more easily identify their own – especially before battle, when disfigurement of the body might render the appearances of the deceased indecipherable. Additionally, naeri of the Kervira are marked always in some way by the Matriarch of the faith, a sort of territorial claim by Luara on the priestess. The traditional mark of the Kervira is three stripes over the heart, from where the collarbone meets the left shoulder to the end of the lowest left rib – Luara’s blessing, and scar, upon the Ashen Folk. Partnership In elaborate social dances, the Ashen Folk of Renelia honor their clans and those their wish to court by participating in the Partners’ Rituals, a set of banquets and balls undertaken at the beginning of, and hopefully successful transition, of courtships to partnerships. Protocol dictates that the member of the lower strata must approach the member of the higher with such rituals; in practice, this means that a citizen might approach a Laureh’ker, or a Laureh’ker approach a Velulaei’onn, rather than vice versa. It is only through the recognition of precedence and hierarchy, and by fulfilling Luara’s demands, that such an endeavor might prove fruitful at length, and it is through such rituals that the diligence and desire of the pursuing party is furthermore proven. A partnership therefore must be confirmed by a naeri of good standing, for it is by her judgement that Luara’s appeasement might be weighed; and, without the approval of the Spirit of the Moon, there can be no approval in Renelian society. Just as the Pact was confirmed between Luara and Velulaei, so too must it be reconfirmed between any party coupling for birth or prestige and Luara – for, by performing such acts, she is placated, and the recurrence of the Shrieking Night might be avoided. Entering into a partnership is not required, but a partnership cannot legally begin without the rituals, and those that bear children without being in such a relationship with their counterpart oft find themselves ostracized socially if not by religion. It is also of note that, while certain clans and strata hold as a requirement partnership with other Ashen Folk, the religion itself does not deny other Elves as companions, so long as they are not mixed with non-Elves. It is, in fact, the only way by which a non-Mali’ker might join the Kerviran faith and join its rituals; for Luara acts with dignity, and her worship need not be soiled by those without real connection to her. To mix with a non-Elf, however, is a death sentence both socially and by the Kerviran faith – such is tantamount to murder, for any progeny of such a coupling are cursed twice over. Death While veneration of ancestors and ancestral spirits is not a key doctrine of the Kerviran faith, the existence of the Ancestral Plane as a location to which particularly eminent figures of the greater Mali’ker populace might in time ascend to is well-documented both in ancient and modern history. As such, much like the ancestral worship found more often in Renelia’s contemporaries, the funeral rites of a deceased Mali’ker almost always involve a pyre – for the ashes to flee to the skies is viewed as an ascension spiritually to the Ancestral Plane, a paradise of sorts for the particularly faithful. Burials, likewise, are viewed as a trap for spirits, and it is therefore demanded of Kerviran believers to deny evildoers entry into the Ancestral Plane – murderers, race traitors, daemonic worshippers, and those that seduce Mali under the age of fifty are placed under posthumous trial by the Kerviran naeri, the result of which decides whether said individual is to be buried, and if so, if they are to remain there forever or for a set time. Whilst sacrilegious in contemporary ancestral worship, it is believed to be a service to Luara and the ancestors to deny such figures entry into the afterlife.