bickando

William Jrent, standing vigilant behind his grand-niece at the banquet hall, reads the story, learns of the death of that distant relation. His countenance grows solemn as he gazes towards the Horens, and the clacking of armored boots against stone signal his departure from the dining room. In the fading light of a Renatian sunset, he bids a quiet farewell to the greatest commander the realm had seen in a century.

THE COURTS OF THE DRAGON “IN NOMINE DEI” Issued and confirmed by His Imperial Majesty, Godfrey III of the House of Horen, 17th of the Sun’s Smile, 1717 The depths to which distant relations stoop in their claims to the throne of Man and to the lineage of its greatest rulers continues to confound the Imperial Crown; it has therefore been found in the best interest of the Crown to dissociate itself with such mean factors, and create for future reference a list of the officially recognized Horenic spawn and associated dragonblood of the Imperium Renatum and beyond. On Claims and Heirs Of the various thrones of Oren and Man there have existed many systems of claims. Listed herein are the officially accepted models within the House of Horen, notwithstanding those made after the creation of this document. Herein, they are listed generally by legal order of succession, ignoring agnatic-cognatic defaults (for instance, Adeline Margaret of the Johannian line falls behind Jamie Oliver in order of Johannian succession; she is, however, listed earlier on the list, as her father is the current head of line). The Old Horenic Model - Agnatic Lateral, Primogeniture Contingency Such was the will of Exalted Godfrey I to create a system by which a hundred generations might pass with the crown safely held. In the Old Horenic Model, the Emperor chooses his inheritor from among his children, and should the Emperor have not made such a choice or the crown otherwise passes, the firstborn son of the current Emperor inherits, then his brothers by date of birth. Should no such candidate exist, the family trees are moved up generation by generation until a suitable candidate is found. The titles of the First Empire, those of Exalted Godfrey and of Horen V, follow such a model. The Johannian Model - Agnatic Primogeniture, Cognatic Contingency It was found doubtful in the golden ages of Johannian rule that such a system had served the Horens well in eras past given the pruned tree of their time. The Johannian Model dictates that the firstborn male of the Emperor inherits, and should no such candidate exist, the tree returns to as far back as John I to find possible inheritors. If none are found, it then passes to eligible, matrilineally-married female children of past Horens, and if none of those are found, it passes to sub-lines, then to elder and younger Horenic branches, then to cadet branches. Herein, those that have taken sub-line names, such as Horen-Cantal or Horen-Marna, are considered secondary claimants. The titles of the Fifth and Sixth Empire, such as those of John I, John II, and John III, follow such a model. The Pertinax Model - Absolute Lateral Upon Aurelius’ ascension as Emperor of Man, the decision was made once more to be rid of the systems of yore. The Pertinax model holds that all descended from Pertinax ‘the Dragonknight’, son of Exalted Godfrey, or from the main line of the House of Horen, hold equal claim to the thrones of his descendants, with the previous holder of the titles the decider of his or her heir. Should no heir have been decided on, succession defaults to the Old Horenic Model. The titles of the Seventh Empire, called the Empire of Man, such as those of Aurelius I and Augustus I, follow such a model. Recognition and Degrees of Separation The House of Horen Each branch of the children of Horen is classified by the degrees of separation from its main line, originally that of Godfrey I and Horen V, in modernity the Johannians, and from its line of primacy, that which holds the most power in the realms of man, in modernity the Pertinax. Those of either of the lines are always considered Horens, and by right utilize the surname and ancestral coats of arms of the House of Horen without bastardization or other additions. Named Branches and Sub-Lines A named branch, or sub-line, is by definition one with patrilineal descent from an actual Horen, with no breaks in Horen lineage before their transformation. These are classified as, similarly to the primary lines, “Horenic”, and are by and large allowed the use of the name and background of the House of Horen. They are, by extension, also considered ‘dragonblood’, and may use it where contextually correct, and may additionally take sigils or coats of arms utilizing the Dragon in its varied forms. Legally they are considered part of the House of Horen, but by the classification of the Courts of the Dragon are for succession purposes separated, and in styling do not generally use Horen-[Branch Name], but simply the branch name. Cadet Houses A cadet house is by definition one with patrilineal descent from an actual Horen, with a single break of some kind in lineage before the raising to nobility. This almost always means the existence of a Jrent as its founder, and the enfeoffment of him and/or his children lands within the empire, creating them nobles. They are termed ‘dragonblood’, as they are born and originated from the Horens, and may use it where contextually correct. A Jrent is afforded rights on the same level, called ‘dragonblood’ when acceptable. The Dragon in coats of arms may only be used in a bastardized form, with a black line marked over all. Tertiary Relations Finally, there are the tertiary relations. This includes those with some form of Horenic ancestry that permeates through all currently living members of the House, usually through the mother’s side, and accepted as related in such a way by both the heads of the line of primacy and the main line, and three sitting members of the Courts of the Dragon. Without such acceptance, issued and confirmed in official documentation, any claims of dragonblood in any form, and the use of Horenic ancestry in the pressing of claims or other official business is deemed illegal, punishable as deemed fit by the Courts of the Dragon of the House of Horen. When given the privilege of relation, however, they may make use of the term ‘drakesblood’ where acceptable. The Dragon is banned from use in the coats of arms of all such houses. Non-Horenic Those with tenuous or no claim to Horenic ancestry, considered unrelated both legally and in the eyes of the Courts of the Dragon. This includes bastards of Jrents, those claiming to be of lines confirmed to be extinct, those bearing only similar physical features to the dragonblooded, and otherwise. As explained above, a confirmation by the heads of the main line and line of primacy, and by three members of the Courts of the Dragon, can raise a Non-Horenic to tertiary status. On the Titleage Inherent to the Blood of Horen It is the opinion of the Emperor of Renatus and of the Courts of the Dragon that not all spawn of Horen are to be considered in their time Princes, Imperial or otherwise. It is therefore determined that only the children of monarchs royal and above, and the ongoing lines of their firstborn sons or heirs, may style themselves as a Prince or Princess of the level of their lord fathers. In such a way, all the sons and daughters of an Emperor are Princes and Princesses, but only his grandchildren and great-grandchildren by way of the Crown Prince are also considered as such. If the Imperial title should be lost, only those styled Prince of some kind on the date of its loss retain its use as a prefix unless a Princely title of some kind is afforded to the lineage as recompense. On the Horens of Aeldin and those Newly Returned It is the opinion of the Courts of the Dragon that newly returned brethren may be welcomed, but must be confirmed through the existence of certificates of birth, of written, signed, and sealed letters by continental Horens that had left to Aeldin, or of other confirmation of existence by accepted sources. Without at least one such source, the legitimacy of the newly returned or Aeldinic Horen should and will be called into question by those Horens on the continent, and it is then made necessary for officiators of the Courts of the Dragon to initiate tests and investigations. Until duly audited and without validated proof, those lines not affirmed herein are considered extincted. On Dragonblood Marriages and their Legality All marriages and births to main lines, lines of primacy, named branches, sub-lines, and cadet houses must be confirmed by an eyewitness officiator or dragonblood of at least sub-line status and reported to the officiators of the Courts of the Dragon. Any elopements or otherwise illegal marriages are deemed null and void, even to other dragonblood, and any births not reported or witnessed are considered in kind to have been illegitimate. Any children born outside the realms of the Crown are considered illegitimate unless proven additionally by a minimum three eyewitnesses of at least sub-line status as possessing the traits of the children of Horen. On the Functioning of the Courts of the Dragon Henceforth it shall be that a system of courts are established for the auditing and tracing of Horenic lineage and claims, called the ‘Courts of the Dragon’. The membership shall always be exclusively of dragonblood, and shall be headed by the head of the line of primacy of the House so long as it exists as an entity. Furthermore, the number can be as many or as few as deemed necessary, but once a member is declared to the Courts, they cannot be removed so long as they live on the main continent, and cannot remove themselves. Additionally, it is considered ideal for those of the main branch to outnumber any of the side branches, for the sake of majority votes. Any have the authority to witness the birth or marriage of a Horen as proxy of the Head of the House of Horen (though cannot act as sole witness to the birth of their own children), and any combination of three have the ability to confirm a returnee or Aeldinic Horen’s lineage (also as proxy of the Head of the House of Horen). A general meeting of the Courts of the Dragon can be called by its head to for matters of determination of the line of primacy, succession in lieu of the privy council of the primary realm of the House of Horen, or for other matters concerning the well-being of the House. A majority vote of all sitting members of the Courts of the Dragon is necessary to raise an unaffiliated House to the tertiary status, to confirm the creation of a sub-line or named branch, to confirm the re-emergence of a line considered extincted, or to determine the acceptance of the various coats of arms of its constituent houses. A vote cannot be held on the naming of a new main line without the full and confirmed extinction of the previous main line. The following are the grandfathered-in members of the Courts of the Dragon, declared officiators of dragonblood; John Alexander, son of Alexander Frederick of the Johannian lineage. Thomas Elliot, son of Charles Elliot of the Johannian lineage. Adeline Margaret, daughter of John Alexander of the Johannian lineage. William Jrent, son of Charles Elliot of the Johannian lineage. Godfrey III, son of Romulus of the Pertinax lineage. Romulus, son of Augustus I of the Pertinax lineage. Vitus, son of Tiberius of the Pertinax lineage. Those listed below have been confirmed as grandfathered into the system of the Courts of the Dragon, and are recounted for posterity. As of the writing of this document, all recognized and confirmed living continental Horens or associated dragonblood are herein - any not on this list are considered beyond tertiary in relation, and therefore not Horens. Those that wish to lay claim to Horen blood or its associated matters may request a trial from the duly inducted members of the Courts of the Dragon, laying bare their whole selves and all pertinent evidence of their birthrights to be judged wholly and fairly by those of the House of Horen. Signed, Godfrey III of the House of Horen, Head of the Line of Pertinax and the House of Horen John Alexander of the House of Horen, Head of the Line of the Johannians Aleksandr of the House of Renault Robert of the House d’Anpalais Jonathan Theodore of the House of Horen-Vimmark -=- Those of the Line of Pertinax ‘the Dragonknight’; or, colloquially, the Pertinax Considered the Line of Primacy by the standards of the Courts of the Dragon. Head of Line Godfrey III Horen, son of Romulus Horen By blood and blade the rightful sovereign of the Imperium Renatum, with claims to all titles therein, and a claimant to the thrones of Godfrey and Horen V. The Line of the Dragonknight The Blood of Augustus I, Emperor of Man Romulus Horen, son of Augustus I Horen By blood and blade the Duke of Cascadia, a claimant to the thrones of Pertinax, of Aurelius I, and of Augustus I, and a claimant to the thrones of Godfrey and Horen V. Achilius Horen, son of Romulus Horen By blood and blade a claimant to the thrones of Pertinax, of Aurelius I, and of Augustus I, and a claimant to the thrones of Godfrey and Horen V. Laurentia Julia Horen, daughter of Romulus Horen By blood and blade a claimant to the thrones of Pertinax, of Aurelius I, and of Augustus I. Octavia Horen, daughter of Augustus I Horen By blood and blade a claimant to the thrones of Pertinax, of Aurelius I, and of Augustus I. Antonius I Horen, son of Augustus I Horen By blood and blade a claimant to the thrones of Pertinax, of Aurelius I, and of Augustus I, and a claimant to the thrones of Godfrey and Horen V. Antonius Horen, son of Antonius I Horen By blood and blade a claimant to the thrones of Pertinax, of Aurelius I, of Augustus I, and of Antonius I, and a claimant to the thrones of Godfrey and Horen V. Magdalena Horen, daughter of Antonius I Horen By blood and blade a claimant to the thrones of Pertinax, of Aurelius I, of Augustus I, and of Antonius I. Persus Horen, son of Antonius I Horen By blood and blade a claimant to the thrones of Pertinax, of Aurelius I, of Augustus I, and of Antonius I, and a claimant to the thrones of Godfrey and Horen V. Vesperia Horen, daughter of Antonius I Horen By blood and blade a claimant to the thrones of Pertinax, of Aurelius I, of Augustus I, and of Antonius I. Octavian Horen, son of Antonius I Horen By blood and blade a claimant to the thrones of Pertinax, of Aurelius I, of Augustus I, and of Antonius I, and a claimant to the thrones of Godfrey and Horen V. Catherine Horen, daughter of Antonius I Horen By blood and blade a claimant to the thrones of Pertinax, of Aurelius I, of Augustus I, and of Antonius I. The Blood of Antonius Horen, son of Aurelius I, Emperor of Man Ophelia Horen, daughter of Antonius Horen By blood and blade a claimant to the thrones of Pertinax and of Aurelius I. Hannibal Horen, legitimized bastard son of Antonius Horen By blood and blade a claimant to the thrones of Pertinax, of Aurelius I, of Augustus I, and of Antonius I, and a claimant to the thrones of Godfrey and Horen V. The Blood of Tiberius Horen, son of Aurelius I, Emperor of Man Tiberius Horen, son of Aurelius I Horen By blood and blade a claimant to the thrones of Pertinax and of Aurelius I, and a claimant to the thrones of Godfrey and Horen V. Theodosia Horen, daughter of Tiberius Horen By blood and blade a claimant to the thrones of Pertinax and of Aurelius I. Vitus Horen, son of Tiberius Horen By blood and blade a claimant to the thrones of Pertinax and of Aurelius I, and a claimant to the thrones of Godfrey and Horen V. Titus Horen, son of Vitus Horen By blood and blade a claimant to the thrones of Pertinax and of Aurelius I, and a claimant to the thrones of Godfrey and Horen V. Margaret Horen, daughter of Vitus Horen By blood and blade a claimant to the thrones of Pertinax and of Aurelius I. Bastards of the Line of the Dragonknight Janos Jrent, son of Martius Horen Illegitimate child born by way of an unnamed lowborn. -=- Those of the Line of John I, Holy Orenian Emperor; or, colloquially, the Johannians Considered the Main Line by the standards of the Courts of the Dragon. Head of Line John Alexander Horen, son of Alexander Frederick Horen By blood and blade the Prince of Alstion and Duke of Alba and Furnestock, with claims to all titles therein, a claimant to the thrones of John I, John II, John III, Philip I, Peter II, and Charles Elliot, and a claimant to the thrones of Godfrey and Horen V. The Line of the Johannians The Blood of Charles Elliot, Prince of Alstion Adeline Margaret Horen, daughter of John Alexander Horen By blood and blade a cognatic claimant to the thrones of John I, John II, John III, Philip I, Peter II, and Charles Elliot. Amelia Philippa Horen, daughter of Charles Elliot Horen By blood and blade a cognatic claimant to the thrones of John I, John II, John III, Philip I, Peter II, and Charles Elliot. Thomas Elliot Horen, son of Charles Elliot Horen By blood and blade a claimant to the thrones of John I, John II, John III, Philip I, Peter II, and Charles Elliot, and a claimant to the thrones of Godfrey and Horen V. Jamie Oliver Horen, son of Charles Elliot Horen By blood and blade a claimant to the thrones of John I, John II, John III, Philip I, Peter II, and Charles Elliot, and a claimant to the thrones of Godfrey and Horen V. Bastards of the Line of the Johannians Joanna Jrent, son of Alexander Frederick Horen Illegitimate child by way of Ailsa of the House of Gromach. William Jrent, son of Charles Elliot Horen Illegitimate child by way of Livia of the House of Vladov. -=- Those of the Line of Alexander Louis, Duke of Marna; or, colloquially, the Marnanites Considered a Johannian sub-line by the standards of the Courts of the Dragon. Head of Line Joseph I Horen-Marna, son of John Horen-Marna By blood and blade a secondary claimant to the thrones of John I, a claimant to the thrones of Alexander Louis Horen, Leopold Horen, and Caius Horen-Marna, and a claimant to the thrones of Godfrey and Horen V. The Line of the Marnanites The Blood of Caius, King of Westerwald Joseph Henry Horen-Marna, son of Joseph I Horen-Marna By blood and blade a secondary claimant to the thrones of John I, a claimant to the thrones of Joseph I Horen-Marna, Alexander Louis Horen, Leopold Horen, and Caius Horen-Marna, and a claimant to the thrones of Godfrey and Horen V. Unconfirmed legitimacy. Francesca Pietia Horen-Marna, daughter of Joseph I Horen-Marna By blood and blade a secondary cognatic claimant to the thrones of John I and a cognatic claimant to the thrones of Joseph I Horen-Marna, Alexander Louis Horen, Leopold Horen, and Caius Horen-Marna. Unconfirmed legitimacy. Catherine Frederique Horen-Marna, daughter of Joseph I Horen-Marna By blood and blade a secondary cognatic claimant to the thrones of John I and a cognatic claimant to the thrones of Joseph I Horen-Marna, Alexander Louis Horen, Leopold Horen, and Caius Horen-Marna. Unconfirmed legitimacy. Margarita Eleanora Horen-Marna, daughter of Joseph I Horen-Marna By blood and blade a secondary cognatic claimant to the thrones of John I and a cognatic claimant to the thrones of Joseph I Horen-Marna, Alexander Louis Horen, Leopold Horen, and Caius Horen-Marna. Unconfirmed legitimacy. Josephine Philippa Horen-Marna, daughter of Joseph I Horen-Marna By blood and blade a secondary cognatic claimant to the thrones of John I and a cognatic claimant to the thrones of Joseph I Horen-Marna, Alexander Louis Horen, Leopold Horen, and Caius Horen-Marna. Unconfirmed legitimacy. Ernesta Horen-Marna, daughter of John Horen-Marna By blood and blade a secondary cognatic claimant to the thrones of John I and a cognatic claimant to the thrones of Alexander Louis Horen, Leopold Horen, and Caius Horen-Marna. Samantha Horen-Marna, daughter of Frederick Horen-Marna By blood and blade a secondary cognatic claimant to the thrones of John I and a cognatic claimant to the thrones of Alexander Louis Horen, Leopold Horen, and Caius Horen-Marna. James Sigismund Horen-Marna, son of Frederick Horen-Marna By blood and blade a secondary claimant to the thrones of John I, a claimant to the thrones of Alexander Louis Horen, Leopold Horen, and Caius Horen-Marna, and a claimant to the thrones of Godfrey and Horen V. James Horen-Marna, son of James Sigismund Horen-Marna By blood and blade a secondary claimant to the thrones of John I, a claimant to the thrones of Alexander Louis Horen, Leopold Horen, and Caius Horen-Marna, and a claimant to the thrones of Godfrey and Horen V. Commodus Frederick Horen-Marna, son of Frederick Horen-Marna By blood and blade a secondary claimant to the thrones of John I, a claimant to the thrones of Alexander Louis Horen, Leopold Horen, and Caius Horen-Marna, and a claimant to the thrones of Godfrey and Horen V. Annunziata Almas Horen-Marna, daughter of Commodus Frederick Horen-Marna By blood and blade a secondary cognatic claimant to the thrones of John I and a cognatic claimant to the thrones of Alexander Louis Horen, Leopold Horen, and Caius Horen-Marna. Caius Horen-Marna, son of Commodus Frederick Horen-Marna By blood and blade a secondary claimant to the thrones of John I, a claimant to the thrones of Alexander Louis Horen, Leopold Horen, and Caius Horen-Marna, and a claimant to the thrones of Godfrey and Horen V. Richard Horen-Marna, son of Commodus Frederick Horen-Marna By blood and blade a secondary claimant to the thrones of John I, a claimant to the thrones of Alexander Louis Horen, Leopold Horen, and Caius Horen-Marna, and a claimant to the thrones of Godfrey and Horen V. Bastards of the Line of the Marnanites John d’Arkent, son of Joseph I Horen-Marna Illegitimate child by way of an unnamed woman of the gentry class. Henry d’Arkent, son of Joseph I Horen-Marna Illegitimate child by way of an unnamed woman of the gentry class. -=- Those of the House of Renault Considered a tertiary relation by the standards of the Courts of the Dragon. Those of lineage by way of Seth Renault and Ophelia Horen of the line of Pertinax. Raised to the status of tertiary relation but granted the use of the greater term ‘dragonblood’ under the reign of Godfrey III. The Blood of Ophelia Horen Lucian Renault, son of Seth Renault Aleksandr Renault, son of Seth Renault Isaac Renault, son of Seth Renault -=- Those of the House of Vimmark Considered a cadet house by the standards of the Courts of the Dragon. By way of Bryce Horen-Vimmark (born Bryce Jrent), a house patrilineally descended from the main lines of Horen, but with degrees of separation applied for its bastard break. Called the House of Horen-Vimmark until the Saltstone Plot, thereafter called the House of Vimmark. Classified as a cadet house, and granted the use of the term ‘dragonblood’. Head of House John Theodore Vimmark, son of Arthur Reginald Horen-Vimmark By blood and blade a claimant to the thrones of Bryce Horen-Vimmark. The blood of Maric Vimmark, sole survivor of the Saltstone Plot Philip Vimmark, son of Jonathan Theodore By blood and blade a claimant to the thrones of Bryce Horen-Vimmark. William Owyn Vimmark, son of Jonathan Theodore By blood and blade a claimant to the thrones of Bryce Horen-Vimmark. -=- Those of the House d’Anpalais Considered a cadet house by the standards of the Courts of the Dragon. By way of Thomas Jrent, son of Henry Joseph Horen, the House d’Anpalais traces their patrilineal Horenic heritage with great recency through Daniel III. Classified as a cadet house, and granted the use of the term ‘dragonblood’. Head of House Robert d’Anpalais, son of Thomas d’Anpalais The Blood of Thomas Jrent Thomas d’Anpalais, son of Edwin d’Anpalais August d’Anpalais, son of Thomas d’Anpalais Edward d’Anpalais, son of Stephen d’Anpalais Theobald d’Anpalais, son of Henry d’Anpalais By blood and blade the Prince of Beaufort, with claims to all titles therein. Charles Alexander d’Anpalais, son of Theobald d’Anpalais By blood and blade the Count of Marsen, with claims to all titles therein, and a claimant to the thrones of Theobald d’Anpalais. Maria Henrietta Horen, daughter of Henry d’Anpalais -=- Those of the House of Preussens Considered a cadet house by the standards of the Courts of the Dragon. By way of John I Jrent, King of Vandoria and son of John I Horen, the House of Preussens traces its Horenic heritage patrilineally and with well-documented and widely accepted marriages. Called the House of Horen-Preussens until Frederick Augustus, thereafter called the House of Preussens. Classified as a cadet house, and granted the use of the term ‘dragonblood’. Head of House Elisabeth Maria Preussens, daughter of Robert Frederick Preussens By blood and blade the Countess of Österland and a cognatic claimant to the thrones of John I Jrent, Frederick Augustus Horen-Preussens, and Robert Frederick Preussens. The Blood of Frederick Augustus Horen-Preussens, Prince of Pruvia Charles Louis Preussens, son of Robert Frederick Preussens By blood and blade a claimant to the thrones of John I Jrent, Frederick Augustus Horen-Preussens, and Robert Frederick Preussens. Caroline Elise Preussens, daughter of Charles Louis Preussens By blood and blade a cognatic claimant to the thrones of John I Jrent, Frederick Augustus Horen-Preussens, and Robert Frederick Preussens. Sophia Maria Preussens, daughter of Elisabeth Maria Preussens By blood and blade a matrilineal cognatic claimant to the thrones of John I Jrent, Frederick Augustus Horen-Preussens, and Robert Frederick Preussens. John Henry Preussens, son of Elisabeth Maria Preussens By blood and blade a matrilineal claimant to the thrones of John I Jrent, Frederick Augustus Horen-Preussens, and Robert Frederick Preussens. Johanna Maria Preussens, daughter of Robert Frederick Preussens By blood and blade a cognatic claimant to the thrones of John I Jrent, Frederick Augustus Horen-Preussens, and Robert Frederick Preussens. Eleanor Augusta Preussens, daughter of Robert Frederick Preussens By blood and blade a cognatic claimant to the thrones of John I Jrent, Frederick Augustus Horen-Preussens, and Robert Frederick Preussens. Bastards of the House of Preussens Markus Stone, son of Robert Frederick Preussens Illegitimate child by way of Sophie Henriette of the House of Schwarzengut -=- Those of the House of Horen-de Savin Considered a named branch by the standards of the Courts of the Dragon. By way of Achilleus I Horen-de Savin, son of Valerius Horen, the House of Horen-de Savin traces an unbroken patrilineal descent from the line of Pertinax. Classified as a named branch for its cessation of claims, and granted the use of the term ‘dragonblood’. Head of House Laelius Horen-de Savin, son of Achilleus I Horen-de Savin By blood and blade a claimant to the thrones of Pertinax and of Achilleus I, and a claimant to the thrones of Godfrey and Horen V. The Blood of Achilleus I, King of Santegia Aurellia Horen-de Savin, daughter of Achilleus I Horen By blood and blade a claimant to the thrones of Pertinax and of Achilleus I. -=-

William Jrent thinks back to about a year ago, when a mere child was brutally murdered by Orenians. “Huh.”

William Jrent’s reaction to the dead halfling on the floor:

Actions of the State Population 5.151505 billion Resources Generated: 15000C [Base] 9000C [Civilian Infrastructure – Capital Sector] 2L 2M 2S 2R Prior Stockpile: 7000C 24000C 12S 2M 10T Allocation-Ready Resources: 55000C 2L 4M 14S 2R 10T 10,000C – CI Capital Sector 40,000C – CI Left Sector (Ers) 2R – Civilian Infrastructure. [6 Total] End of Year Stockpile: 5000C 14S 4M

William Jrent wonders why a 13 year old would try to de-legitimize his close family in Charles Elliot in favor of a sub-line 4 generations removed just before his death. Did he see false betrayals, then, as the mercenaries accosted him, and shout as so many crazed, falling Emperors do, that those loyal to him were traitors? William Jrent shrugs. The Marnanites and their Haeseni vassals had made half a dozen differing claims as to why the Johannians didn’t exist, even whilst their own codices held John Alexander, a Johannian, as an eventual heir to the Haeseni throne. Perhaps the Caliphate sun had ruined their comprehension; perhaps, more likely, they were grasping at straws.

“Religious human sacrifice sounds like a cult of Iblees to me,” frowns William Jrent. “I hope this is a joke.”

William Jrent questions the use of the Imperial sigil over that of Baruch, but applauds the return nonetheless.

William Jrent smiles as he hears of the letter, reminded of the new sigil he had prepared for the pretender Joseph.

“AVE HOREN, AVE RENATUS!”

@yopplwasupxxx The Explanation of the Two Empires of All Humanity OR The Second Response of William Jrent To Joseph I, pretender to the Holy Orenian Empire, I hope your travels in the lands of Renatus’ rebellious vassals fare well. Your response was met with a smile, for I had heard of the speed of your quill upon parchment, and have now seen for it myself. It is only unfortunate, in my mind, that that speed does not translate to ability, and that it is not matched similarly with reading comprehension. My reasoning is as such; there can be a Pertinax Emperor of Man just as well as there can be a Johannian Emperor of Oren, as the Empire of Man and Holy Orenian Empire are now, and have always been, distinct states. You are fooled by the Khalestine, or perhaps those long-lived miscreants that have so supported you in this unnecessary conflict. It is understandable, for their words are honeyed just as their tea, and I fault you not for it. The corrections are stated herein; The line of Pertinax was created royal upon their dismantling of John VI, that so unfortunate of my father’s brothers. What you declared a footnote was passed over by me, but not for lack of trepidation over the way the royal crown passed, but for the fact that the Empire of Man the Pertinax so ruled was not the Holy Orenian Empire. Perhaps this distinction was made to avoid the legal consequences; perhaps it was to avoid the name of the so-anguished Sixth Empire. Whatever the case, it has been widely agreed that the Johannian line has no claim to its throne within seven generations, and, in fact, never has. By extension, then, the Imperium Renatum that it backs does not ruin its name or honor, for the Johannians have seen fit for many decades to assist in the maintenance of a peaceful mankind. Your argument that there cannot both be a John Alexander with the best claim to Oren and a Godfrey III with the best claim to the Empire of Man, then, is just as fictional as you have deluded yourself into believing my declarations are. The acceptance and backing of the Johannians is in regards to, as previously stated, their rule over the realms of Man – not of Oren, which you now lay claim to. By extension, then, I wonder at your most recent of attacks – is your declaration that a Johannian dynast is not a Johannian legally binding because of lacking will to take an office that has so injured its prior scions, or is it because, if there are no Johannians, the Marnans are the second-best claimants of the Orenian throne? It would behoove you to look through the prior records of the House of Horen; generally, the declarations of lesser lines are because of their wish to overtake weakening senior lines. I again ask where the invitation of John Alexander to lead this new Holy Orenian Empire was. You and your brigands have laid claim to his birthright without him ever declaring his voided; I find that strange, and he has also related to me his confusion. In a lesson on primogeniture Johannian succession, it passes only so many generations up the line until a valid living heir can be found among the last ruler’s ancestry. John Alexander is only two generations back, while you are – how many? Five? Six? If you so wish to tout the rule of Law, then I await your abdication to the holder of the Johannian claim to their Empire. Arguing past each other in such a fashion is of no further use; I would back John Alexander for the throne of the Holy Orenian Emperor, and I would back Godfrey III as Emperor of Man. Mutual exclusivity only holds for titles the same. These are not. On natural laws, I inquire to your claims of rights to them, of fighting for the common man. You did not live all your life among the Renatians, the Adrians, the Curonites or the Haeseni. You lived in exile, among Farfolk and not men of the Heartlands or Highlands, yet speak for their lesser nobility all the same. You possess not the noblesse oblige of our shared forebears, but the rampant ambitions of those you consort with. To your retort that the patricians of Ves should be included as common peasantry, I can only recount their recent histories. The rich aristocracy of Ves have indeed been trampled upon and destroyed by Renatus; such a fate befell them because they backed and hid Reiver bandits for half a decade, terrorizing the citizenry of all the Empire. Families could not walk the roads and children were not allowed to leave cities. Even as our good Emperor demanded their removal, and even as the burghers claimed they did, the Reivers were traced to their protected hideouts within the city of Ves, not a guard in sight. After the burning of Ves, the smoking out of those hedonistic animals, the banditry upon the travelling poor of the Empire decreased tenfold. The people of Renatus cheered, the people of Curon and Haense respected the authority of the House of Horen, and the wanton disrespect of the greater good showcased by your Adrian followers had ceased. I speak of Marius’ inactivity only on my confusion at his lacking judgment. If he wished to protect the people of Ves, he would have drawn his blade and rebelled then. If he wished to continue on under the Empire loyally, he could have continued to watch a peaceful Empire for decades. Instead, he raises his blade just as we bloodlessly remove the knife-eared menace, backing a pretender to a throne we last saw a shadow of gloried histories, beginning the largest rebellion of a generation with the assistance of our Fennic enemies of three hundred years. Declaring that Renatus has always been absent of virtues and law is an unfortunate smearing of your own declared ancestry. The nation that rose to prominence under the prophet Godfrey has always been the Crownlands of the Holy Orenian Empire, and of humanity as a whole; the two are synonymous in the minds of the lesser-taught peasantry, and its nearly unbroken primacy among men for ten generations proof of our holy ancestors smiling upon us from the Seven Skies. Of the de jure kingdoms of Oren, you hold only Hanseti. Salvus, Seventis, and Renatus, held true to their ancient creeds for so long that they have been essentially incorporated into the Imperial title, and your followers are a man with either no courage or no honor, a murderer acting as regent, and a cabal of merchantmen that opened their gates to bandits. Our followers are the loyal men, women, and children of the Empire, those that heed not the word of a man that escaped his duties to Aeldin and returned just long enough to release vassals he had never truly controlled, but the holy blood of Horen and the safety commanded by the lands protected by the Renatian Legion. I am saddened by your continued use of your old coat of arms; perhaps you had grown accustomed to the one afforded to you by those same patricians that now fund your armies. I have attached again the correct one, if not for you, then for your children. Do let me know when you’ve made the adjustment. Yours sincerely, Upon the day of our lord GOD, 16th GODFREY’S TRIUMPH 1716 William Jrent, Fellow Bastard

“Ironic,” comments William Jrent.

“Antonius disbanded the Empire of Man. Wrong Empire. Stick to your poor banter, love.”

William Jrent cheers for Ser Prince Nick 'the Chicken,' true Prince of Fenn, Imperial Knight of the Realm, Master of Forgeries, Man of at Least Two or Three Thousand Swings, Warden of Domesticated Feathered Bipeds, Friend of Donald Dabber and Risky Ralph, Glutton for Titles, Lacker of Attention as a Young Child, etc!

@yopplwasupxxx THE CHAIN LETTER To Joseph I, pretender to the Holy Orenian Empire, Your Circular Letters have made their rounds in the Imperium Renatum, and even I must applaud your ability to pen such correspondences. What I do not applaud is the lacking wit contained within, the illegal declarations your rebellion is founded upon, and your aggressive representations of those you pretend to be related to. I will firstly address the claims of the Nenzing Proclamation. Let us follow the family records of the House of Horen, and take notice of your blood. Of the line of Frederick, Caius, and Leopold, you omit the duke Alexander Louis of Marna, the second son of John I, and your claim to the throne of Oren. The first son of John, John II, ruled after his father, and his first son John III, ruled the Empire after him. In the crises that consumed the Empire thereafter, the Johannian line still did not collapse; with John IV’s untimely death by his unruly vassal, the crown was naturally succeeded by Philip I. After his passing, his son John V inherited, and with the death of John V’s son at the young age of three, the next in succession was his brother Peter II. His first son was John VI, the last Johannian monarch of the Sixth Empire, whom indeed was executed by Aurelius I. His second so,, Jon Renault, is also deceased, but his third son, Charles Elliot, lives still, in Aeldin. Charles Elliot’ first son, Alexander of Furnestock, is unfortunately disappeared, but Alexander’s first son, John Alexander, lives within Renatus and has not only accepted but backs the rule of the Pertinax line over Man. John Alexander’s daughter, even, is Empress Consort to young, heroic Godfrey III. Let us then examine the crisis in the House of Horen that must occur for you to inherit. First, John Alexander must release all claims, which would allow the line to trace back towards Charles Elliot once more. His third second and third sons, Thomas Elliot and Jamie Oliver, would then have to release their claims. The line would trace back to Peter II, whom had no other legitimate issue, and thereafter to Philip I. Through his third son, Philip Charles, lives uncertainly John and Peter of Drayas, and only then traces back far enough to take consideration of the line of Alexander Louis. Your claim, which you so tout over the heads of the Pertinax, is nearly as poor as theirs. In the Nenzing Proclamation you declare yourself descendants of kings and omit the fact that by primogeniture you are at best fourth in line, but more likely sixth. Where was John Alexander’s invitation to take the throne of the Holy Orenian Empire, according to the rules of primogeniture and natural law you claim to follow? That you declare the House of Horen extinct whilst the rightful lead of the Johannian line smiles upon its reign in Renatus is testament to the sheer lack in your claim, almost as lacking as the lands which you rule. This proclamation was made from Nenzing, Joseph – did you borrow the keep of the Haeseni Stafyrs for a bed when you returned from the Caliphate? The signatories of your Nenzing Proclamation, a collection of patrician swine and minor counts – how much did you bribe them from Marius’ coffers to scrounge up the courage to put their quills to such an illegal sheet of paper? To return from self-imposed exile, aided by the same Marius that allowed Ves to burn, I must applaud your courage. Are you not afraid that he will himself set fire to Nenzing once your Elven masses break upon the walls of Loches? You are courageous, but lack confidence in your claim just as the vassals that have returned to the Black Dragon’s embrace since the beginning of this war did. If you knew victory would come, as you so claim and as your righteous love-letters to Dwarves and merchantmen imply, you would be brave enough to bring your family to the palace of Ves or keep of Nenzing. Do you perhaps not have space for them, in the crowded bunks of that skeletal house of Stafyr? Is Ves’ palaces too filled with the burghers and the peasantry to find room for more? Where was your family’s invitation to your marriage, to your birth, to your parents’ marriage? While in exile, did they simply forget of the existence of their old homes? I know why my birth was not announced, why my parents’ marriage was not proclaimed across the realm. I am a bastard, and I do suppose that you must be. The Caliphate, an outlying state of Man, lacks proper records such as we have here in Helena, and your parents surely believed the true children of Horen had forgotten of their existence. A dalliance, perhaps, with a Khalestine bull, and there would be enough bravery in your corrupted, disingenuous blood to commit such a crime against the Empire. I hear your marriage was never accepted by the House of Horen, Joseph the Pretender, and so offer a gift, from me to you and your children. I hope you use it well and often. Yours sincerely, Upon the day of our Lord GOD, 7th GODFREY’S TRIUMPH 1716 William Jrent, Fellow Bastard [[Forward to 10 people or you lose this coming WC]]

Pouring rain rolled down the dirt highways outside of Helena, sinking wagon-wheels and the boots of armored men-at-arms alike into the mud. As light flashed through the sky, and urban women ushered in their children, the howling winds hid the sounds of crumbling stone. It felt like the SKY itself fell that wintry night, or like pagan GODS had attacked the realms of man. The morning after, on the first morn of Horen’s Calling, did the daily patrols of the Renatian Legion ride forth from the gates of Helena. Across Carolus’ Bridge, past the still-decomposing battlefields of Rodenburg, past Nordengrad, until Martinus Horen held his hand up. The riders stopped, looked to where he was pointing, and their eyes shook as they beheld the carnage. Fort Loches after the Storm. For from the Sky had the pagan Gods of Fenn and Elvenesse descended upon Fort Loches, attacking its walls with a veracity their profligate followers never could. At its base stood its ruler, Robert d’Anpalais, and his ever-present right hand, William Jrent, gazing at the half-destroyed fortress. There would be no rest for the Renatians, for over the course of the next month were thousands of the poverty-stricken serfs of Helena obligated to assist in its reconstruction. Cranes were ferried from the half-complete temple at Rodenburg, used to lift great heaps of brick and stone to the top of the castle walls. Scaffolding was raised once more all across the walls and battlements of the grand fortress, that divine shield of Helena, and great bonfires lit for the workers to huddle around at night. Still present were many of the flames left by that storm, flames kept alive by the Renatians to remind themselves of the injustice they were served by the sky itself. GOD himself, however, was kind. By the beginning of Godfrey’s Triumph, the mighty Fort Loches was not yet fully finished once more, but the construction efforts were halted, its walls deemed strong enough once more to defend. In respect to the Emperor’s namesake, the Black Dragons began their rest as their able officers rallied and enlisted the strongest workers into the Legion, and the court-ladies wove magnificent new banners to line the walls of Loches. Soldiers began to patrol the battlements, a garrison prepared, and commanders were chosen from among the dozens of capable generals of Renatus. Here, among the flames, the blood of rebels would be spilled once more. Here, the pretenders would be reminded of their follies not with circular letters, but with straightforward steel. [!] An artist’s depiction of Fort Loches when the process was nearly complete is attached to the bottom. [!] ((screenshot by @Father-Ruric))

As William Jrent pulls the lever on the White Tower Guillotine, executing yet another rebel, he is handed the missive. His brow raised, the young bastard wonders aloud, “We didn’t commit any atrocities, just declared on their little union, and they burned down their own city before we could lay siege to it or meet them in the field. Now they rally with Oren, the nation that has destroyed the lands of Elves time and time again? Do you think they’ve read too many of those circular love letters?” he asks the decapitated head before kicking into the bucket below, frowning. “Strange.”

William Jrent had charged forth on that eve, been just close enough to the front to see Martinus Horen slay one among the rebel mob in but two strokes of his sword. He had charged forth in time to see the swarming animals trample upon themselves in abject terror, screaming as they died at the glistening blades of the Renatians. “Ave Horen, Ave Renatus!” he had shouted, slashing at a rebel even as a cavalier removed that enemy’s head. Through his mind, though, ran a question. How did they have the confidence to rebel when this was all they could muster?

William Jrent twists his blade in the chest of the man across from him. Gurgling, spitting blood, the grown man falls. Breathing hard, gasping for air in the depths of the melee, the teenager steels himself. He presses his boot against the dying warrior’s breastplate, pulls his sword out of its deathly sheathe, wipes the blood off on the man’s tabard. That makes four. The young soldier has just a moment of respite before the next rebel approaches, and the WAR OF TWO EMPIRES’ storms steal the life of another aged candle. William would return, battered, bloody, to his small home in Helena. The rebels would not.

“Ave Horen,” William said as he walked away from the dais, the peasantry mobbing forth to pick clean the body upon the White Tower Guillotine. “Ave Renatus.”

William Jrent doesn’t remember any fighting occurring, just some Reivers using the lift to sit on top of his cousin’s castle for five hours and kill one poor sap that didn’t follow orders. “Huh,” is his only response upon hearing the news.

THE CONSTRUCTION OF FORT LOCHES Completed 9th of the Amber Cold, 1715 -={+}=- For months men had been sculpting the land. It was, at first, the work of farmers ordered into their work by Imperial decree. Men with calloused hands and hard stares had piled up dirt and earthen mounds into a broad hill which blocked the horizon from behind the river. The work took long, hard hours but was finally done - facing the still placid Leuven. The next week a singular cart trundled along the road, stopping just before Nordengrad. With a soft bounce a uniformed figure leapt from the back, loudly berating the labourers waiting for new orders. These men were not the farmers but instead the urban poor of Helena, taken out and forced into hard labour. Browbeaten but loyal, they rolled out the enormous stones from the cloth-covered cart and pushed them up the hill. Pausing with a sigh - only for a moment lest they catch the overseer’s whip - the work of pushing the stones together quickly followed. Only the very base of the grand tower had been built when news came of treachery to the East and the threat of swords pressed against Helena and its citizens. It was news to make the labouring men weep and their hearts shake, but all it did was force the commander into greater action. The next day a new batch of soldiers arrived, helping the fortifications rise ever higher. With each day the fortification gained new heights, blocking out the sun on the far side of the fortification. Sprawling, maddening scaffolding sprung up about the enormous fort as men swung wildly from ladders and jumped from height to height. Occasionally a man fell - injured or dead - only to be quickly cleared away. Even the blood on dusty tracks did nothing to halt the fort’s rise. Within a month it was done. The fort, perfect and finished. It was an ugly and brutish creation, squat and made of broken cobbled stone mashed together; enormous banners hung from the walls, woven by the women of the palace. The seat of its architects, Robert d’Anpalais and William Jrent, there had not existed as dominant a fort for years. It was ugly, but it would serve its purpose - Helena would be protected from any threats, provided the walls of Fort Loches held. [!] An artist's depiction of the fort lays below the missive. [!]

William opens up a ledger in Helena, squinting as he looks between it and the letter. “John VI had no children, but he had brothers,” the bastard blinks, rubbing his eyes. “And His Imperial Highness, Prince Charles, does not seem to back this rebellion. Strange.” https://wikia.lordofthecraft.net/index.php?title=Peter_II,_Holy_Orenian_Emperor

“Ave Horen! Ave Renatus!” cheers William, his blade bloody with rebel blood!