» Fri May 04, 2012 9:53 am Of Princes and Power
The year is 4E 28 and the mighty Cyrodiilic Empire has finally taken its last breath. Having no legitimate heir to the throne the Elder Council had taken the responsibility of governing the Empire and all of its provinces upon Martin Septim's death. Needless to say personal interests became involved and corruption ran rampant throughout the council as the years passed. Contradicting claims to the throne where made by many and a struggle for power ensued. In the end the once great Cyrodiilic Empire forged by Tiber Septim brought about its own death. During the internal struggle for power many of the provinces saw a chance to relieve themselves of their Imperial overlords. Morrowind was the first to secede, as was expected by many. The Dunmeri nation had long held contempt for the Imperials and their empire. The nation Resdayn was reforged anew and the traditional aristocracy and house system reigned supreme once again. King Hlaalu Helseth was betrayed and executed in the city of Mournhold with the representatives of all the Great Houses present, except for Hlaalu. With their Imperial supporters and main source of income gone House Hlaalu lost the majority of its power to the other houses. Redoran struck the first blow to its old nemesis and seized the majority of Hlaalu lands on Vvardenfell and the mainland while they fled south near their Dres allies. House Indoril and Redoran emerged as the largest political Houses in the North, except for the Telvanni who kept to themselves, while the Dres and the remnants of House Hlaalu formed the majority of the Southern political powers.
The second nation to secede was the Altmeri nation of the Summerset Isles. However no sooner had they seceded then a new war began within their own borders. Two radical groups, the Thalmor and the Beautiful, fought a quick and brutal war for power over the Isles. The Thalmor emerged victorious after just two years. Soon after the victory of the Thalmor Valenwood seceded from the Empire as well, reforming the Aldmeri Dominion with their Altmer kin.
Black Marsh and parts of Skyrim and Hammerfell soon followed. The East of Hammerfell still maintained its allegiance to the Empire while the West split into two kingdoms. The Sentillian Empire reigned supreme in the North, while the Kingdom of Rihad took power in the south. In Skyrim there was a brief civil war resulting in a truce between the Empire and the newly formed Nordic Confederation. The Confederation took the majority of the holds, however The Empire still controls The Rift and The Pale. After its succession Black Marsh was consumed in tribal wars. However a few major tribes in the North have taken up arms against the Dres and Hlaalu of Resdayn.
High Rock was the last to secede from the Empire and did so without incident or conflict. The Empire had their hands full with the internal struggle for power and wars in the North and South; they offered no resistance as the independent states of High Rock seceded one by one.
The independent states that once formed High Rock warred between themselves for a long time. As time passed and wars raged many of the lesser kingdoms swore fealty to the larger and more prominent political powers of High Rock. Eventually nine realms reigned over the entirety of High Rock, including the now independent nation of Orsinium. Of the eight Bretic realms four allegiances where born. Daggerfall and Camlorn allied in the West, Northpoint and Sharnhelm in the North, Wayrest and Evermore in the South, and Jehanna and Farrun to the East
The political situation in High Rock in tense to say the least. Wayrest and Daggerfall are at each others throats once again. Jehanna and Farrun are plagued by Nordic hosts in the east and the overly ambitious Elysana of Wayrest in the West. Northpoint is caught in the middle of the Wayrest-Daggerfall conflict, wary of choosing sides and trying to focus its attention on holding itself together.
High Rock has become a battlefield of Princes and Powers...
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The setting is High Rock in the 28th year of the 4th era, and it is a tumultuous time. Opposing Kingdoms are at each other's throat and the realms sit on the brink of war. You are in service to a realm of your choosing. Whether you be a gallant knight sworn to uphold your kingdom's honor, a devious assassin hired to bring down a nation from the bottom up, or even a Lord who rides as a bannerman to your King, all will be swept up into this conflict of steel and power. How you wage your war is up to you. You may command an army of ten-thousand men-at-arms and batter your foe into the ground, or you may choose to wield a silver tongue instead, so that you can manipulate the realms to your liking. All is up to you to decide, and when it comes down to the game of Princes and Powers, you live or you die.
Alright, you may choose who you wish to play as so long as it is within reason. I will list all of the Kingdoms and the Lordships they reign over so that you may choose who you wish to serve or perhaps who you wish to lead. However, be warned, there are only a few spots open for Kings or Queens so it is up to the discretion of the Hosts (aSaPp!5@, and Woolymammoth) as to who will receive those positions. The lesser lords are free for choosing though, but I encourage some of you to take on other more mundane roles as well. It will be rather boring if everyone is a King or Lesser Lord. I will require that if you choose to play as a Lord or King that you have at least one other more mundane character such as a Knight, assassin, court wizard, etc. Multiple characters are allowed and encouraged. You may introduce new characters whenever you like and have as many as you want. Some characters will die or be killed in this RP so plan accordingly.
Rules:
1. No ubering or god-modding. Your character is limited by the laws of nature. He/she is not all knowing or all powerful, if any of the GM's sense that a character is being played in a all powerful or all knowing way then we will take the appropriate action against it. Remember to give and take when you play your character. Don't expect to get away with slaying 50 men at once, you'll end up with a random arrow in your neck. Play your characters the right way and play them sensibly. It's just stupid when you have a guy in the RP that just seems to be able to guess everything. RP your character unknowing of something if he really doesn't know even if it means his/her death.
2. I encourage you to read http://www.gamesas.com/topic/1343911-geraldduvals-guide-to-battle-rps-reposted/ as well ashttp://www.gamesas.com/topic/747418-so-you-think-you-can-rp/. However it is not mandatory.
3. Use good grammar and spelling. Type your post up in Word if you don't think you can do it. Everyone makes mistakes so I don't have anything against people who aren't good at the language, but not using precautions such as Word shows you really don't care. Make your posts lengthy and descriptive. Even if it is just a boring conversation, describe, describe, describe! Four line posts are not very appealing to most people.
4. Familiarize yourself with the lore of the region so you don't look like and idiot when posting. You don't have to go too in depth, just enough to know what you're doing.
5. Try not to dwell too much on game mechanics, especially as far as magick goes. It is rare to be gifted in the arcane and those who are gifted are not limited by game mechanics. You may improvise as you wish when it comes to magick as long as it's not over the top.
6. Keep in mind the ethnic/racial composition of your armies and factions. There shouldn't be an huge amount of non-Bretons making up your armies. For instance no legion of 5000 Dunmeri battlemages, etc.
7. Character sheets should be posted in the discussion thread.
(And yes I borrowed a few of these from the IBT.
)Character Sheet Format:
Basic Requirements:
[b]Name:[/b][b]Title:[/b][b]Age:[/b][b]Race:[/b][b]Gender[/b][b]Appearance:[/b][b]Skills:[/b][b]Equipment (Weapons, armor, misc.):[/b][b]Background:[/b]
You may add sections as you like so long as that base information is down.
Maps:
http://i40.tinypic.com/2zr13te.png
http://i865.photobucket.com/albums/ab216/asapp152/OPaPGeoMap2.jpg
List of Realms and their Lordships:
*****Not all Lordships will be occupied. Choose one you like if you wish to be a Lord, the ones that are not filled will be filled with NPC's. And remember, not everyone can be a Lord. The number next to each Lordship corresponds to its position on http://i865.photobucket.com/albums/ab216/asapp152/OPaPGeoMap3.jpg.*****
- Open- Free to the taking
- Reserved Unclaimed- Approval Required to claim
- Locked- Not Claimable
- Claimed- Already taken.
- King
--- Queen
----- Archduke
------- Grand Duke
--------- Count
----------- Baron
------------- Knight
--------------- Serf
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The Kingdom of Daggerfall(1):
A brief synopsis of the Kingdom of Daggerfall by Person From Anticlere:
Spoiler
Daggerfall is among the most densely populated regions in High Rock, and one of the most prosperous as well – at least as far as its nobility is concerned. A land of pleasant rolling hills yet stark social contrasts, many areas that have been part of the kingdom for longest have inherited from ancient times of Elven rule a habit of treating the commoners almost like slaves; many peasants remain serfs to this day and age, and sometimes even the burghers of the towns and cities cannot feel safe from the selfish designs of the nobility. Meanwhile, countless barons, sur-barons, baronets and their ilk cling to the right to call their bloodline noble, treasuring ancient documents, treaties and privileges in vast record books that are iconic of the Daggerfallians’ love of all things dusty, old and proven, all in the name of protecting their freedom. Even the lowliest chevalier – the martial lesser nobility of the realm – may have proof of his (or her; female knights are far from unheard of in the realm, though Bretons of some other realms may find this odd and even preposterous) status that goes back to the first known knightly privileges granted by King Thagore in the early years of the First Era.
The nobles of Daggerfall are thus the most politically active of the estates; in fact, they have a virtual monopoly over all offices and goings-on in the realm, as well as a dominant position in the economy and making up the backbone of the kingdom’s military. This is at the expense of the other three estates – the clergy, the burghers and the peasantry, all of whom have little to no say in the General Estates of the realm, despite the fact both the king and his blue-blooded vassals feel the need to maintain some facade of the others’ involvement and activity in the rule of the realm. Just around 7% of the kingdom’s inhabitants (a higher percentage compared to most other Bretic realms, where nobles may make up only 2-4%, but nevertheless just a small portion of the whole population) therefore have nearly complete control over the whole rest, except insofar as they are checked by the king in his own pursuit of unquestioned control.
Titles of the nobility in Daggerfall are as follows, from the monarch himself to the lowliest, most destitute and least influential of all:
King and Queen – in theory equal by Daggerfall’s law, but one or the other invariably dominates the other; the case for most of the kingdom’s history has been the king taking the dominant role, as they nearly always come from House Thagor and thus are well established in the realm, whereas their queens tend to be foreigners – either from other Bretic realms or other corners of Tamriel altogether.
Archduke and Archduchess – mistakenly often believed to be a new title created for the purpose of establishing Camlorn’s status in the new joint kingdom. In fact, there are four other families that can claim the title; all of them based in the old heartland of the kingdom’s core and all of them vastly influential and powerful.
Duke and Duchess – lesser in relation to the Archdukes, those of this rank are usually considerably more powerful than elsewhere in High Rock, owing to Daggerfall’s influence and wealth compared to many less fortunate Bretic realms. It is not uncommon for them to have holdings beyond the old borders of the kingdom, particularly in the previously independent Barony of Tulune – something that made politics between the two realms vastly complicated.
Lord-Marcher and Lady-Marchess – an ancient title mostly unique to Daggerfall and several surrounding realms that inherited their social structure from the kingdom, nobles holding this title are quite rare and usually are referred to as simply Marcher or Marchess. This is a title granted to nobles handpicked by the king to take charge of problematic border regions, being granted authority to call a levy from the surrounding lands without the word of the ruling monarch; understandably, this makes this position rather problematic and that is why this is not usually a hereditary title.
Baron and Baroness – the lowest title that still confers peerage upon a noble, i.e. the right to carry oneself as an equal among other nobles of Daggerfall and even the monarchs and be respected as such.
Sur-Baron and Sur-Baroness – most easily explained as those who are not considered peers but are also too influential or nevertheless honoured to be granted the rank of baronet. Daggerfallian heralds claim there are quite distinct differences between these three titles, yet there are no recorded explanations of such.
Baronet and Baronetess – an obscure middle ground between the ‘proper’ nobility and the vast ranks of lesser nobility, baronets are quite far from being considered peers, however may be granted the privilege of ‘the Cloth’ – exemption from personal war service. This does not stop many from confusing baronets with chevaliers, which is usually a great insult to those who hold this rank.
Chevalier – the title itself does not differentiate between male and female, however men of this rank are referred to as ‘sir’, while women – ‘dame’; as mentioned above, female knights are not so unusual in Daggerfall. The status of chevalier is the only more promising hint of social mobility in the kingdom – far from being peers, chevaliers are often not even considered proper nobility and may not be granted the Cloth; their status depends entirely on service in war and they are what is most often meant when one says ‘bannerman’ in Daggerfall. While usually hereditary, their status depends more than other nobles’ on being able to actually perform their function – chevaliers who cannot prove that they own at least two horses for their own personal use are stripped of the rank.
The nobles of Daggerfall are thus the most politically active of the estates; in fact, they have a virtual monopoly over all offices and goings-on in the realm, as well as a dominant position in the economy and making up the backbone of the kingdom’s military. This is at the expense of the other three estates – the clergy, the burghers and the peasantry, all of whom have little to no say in the General Estates of the realm, despite the fact both the king and his blue-blooded vassals feel the need to maintain some facade of the others’ involvement and activity in the rule of the realm. Just around 7% of the kingdom’s inhabitants (a higher percentage compared to most other Bretic realms, where nobles may make up only 2-4%, but nevertheless just a small portion of the whole population) therefore have nearly complete control over the whole rest, except insofar as they are checked by the king in his own pursuit of unquestioned control.
Titles of the nobility in Daggerfall are as follows, from the monarch himself to the lowliest, most destitute and least influential of all:
King and Queen – in theory equal by Daggerfall’s law, but one or the other invariably dominates the other; the case for most of the kingdom’s history has been the king taking the dominant role, as they nearly always come from House Thagor and thus are well established in the realm, whereas their queens tend to be foreigners – either from other Bretic realms or other corners of Tamriel altogether.
Archduke and Archduchess – mistakenly often believed to be a new title created for the purpose of establishing Camlorn’s status in the new joint kingdom. In fact, there are four other families that can claim the title; all of them based in the old heartland of the kingdom’s core and all of them vastly influential and powerful.
Duke and Duchess – lesser in relation to the Archdukes, those of this rank are usually considerably more powerful than elsewhere in High Rock, owing to Daggerfall’s influence and wealth compared to many less fortunate Bretic realms. It is not uncommon for them to have holdings beyond the old borders of the kingdom, particularly in the previously independent Barony of Tulune – something that made politics between the two realms vastly complicated.
Lord-Marcher and Lady-Marchess – an ancient title mostly unique to Daggerfall and several surrounding realms that inherited their social structure from the kingdom, nobles holding this title are quite rare and usually are referred to as simply Marcher or Marchess. This is a title granted to nobles handpicked by the king to take charge of problematic border regions, being granted authority to call a levy from the surrounding lands without the word of the ruling monarch; understandably, this makes this position rather problematic and that is why this is not usually a hereditary title.
Baron and Baroness – the lowest title that still confers peerage upon a noble, i.e. the right to carry oneself as an equal among other nobles of Daggerfall and even the monarchs and be respected as such.
Sur-Baron and Sur-Baroness – most easily explained as those who are not considered peers but are also too influential or nevertheless honoured to be granted the rank of baronet. Daggerfallian heralds claim there are quite distinct differences between these three titles, yet there are no recorded explanations of such.
Baronet and Baronetess – an obscure middle ground between the ‘proper’ nobility and the vast ranks of lesser nobility, baronets are quite far from being considered peers, however may be granted the privilege of ‘the Cloth’ – exemption from personal war service. This does not stop many from confusing baronets with chevaliers, which is usually a great insult to those who hold this rank.
Chevalier – the title itself does not differentiate between male and female, however men of this rank are referred to as ‘sir’, while women – ‘dame’; as mentioned above, female knights are not so unusual in Daggerfall. The status of chevalier is the only more promising hint of social mobility in the kingdom – far from being peers, chevaliers are often not even considered proper nobility and may not be granted the Cloth; their status depends entirely on service in war and they are what is most often meant when one says ‘bannerman’ in Daggerfall. While usually hereditary, their status depends more than other nobles’ on being able to actually perform their function – chevaliers who cannot prove that they own at least two horses for their own personal use are stripped of the rank.
King: Camaron Thagor of Daggerfall (Played by Person From Anticlere)
Queen: Kelmena Thagor of Camlorn, Daughter of Archduke Senhyn (Played by Person From Anticlere)
Vassals:
- The Lordship of Anticlere(3): Manfred Flyte (Played by Person From Anticlere)
- The Duchy of Daenia(17): (open)
- The Duchy of Shalgora(2): (open)
- The Barony of Illessan Hills(14): Hector Salford (Played by Magus the Red)
Spoiler
For 28 years since those troubled times now, the reigning Flyte has sat on the throne, weathering the winds of change as Wayrest’s rule was changed by Daggerfall’s; he steered his realm away from the major military confrontations of those years, focusing instead on maintaining healthy trade relationships with the now-foreign port of Anvil as well as the much closer Redguard ports on the other side of the Iliac Bay. As a result, Anticlere has entered a miniature renaissance of economic prosperity and culture following the downfall experienced after the disastrous Riot of Reich Gradkeep years ago; something that has not gone unnoticed by her neighbours, who remain wary of the lordship’s continued neutrality and indifference to High Rock affairs – something that, according to the predictions of some, could not long last, not now when Daggerfall pulls together its resources for an anticipated confrontation with their age-old enemy across the Bay – a confrontation that many Anticlerians, Manfred included, view with distaste.
In the Bretic West, Anticlere is unusual in that its western border was actually outside the easternmost limits of the ancient kingdom of Daggerfall – which conquered nearly all other western Bretic realms (with the interesting exception of Glenpoint), eventually contracting politically but leaving behind its social structure and enormous cultural influence. Not only was Anticlere not a part of Daggerfall, however – it hardly had any dealings with it at all, at the time being far from the single realm we know it as today, but rather a mess of various magocrats’ holdings in the east and petty hillmen chieftains’ holdings in the west, who held off the unenthusiastic thrusts into what Daggerfallians of the time considered ‘the far east’ without too much difficulty, continual border raids and minor conflicts being the norm for the time of Daggerfall’s stay in what is now Shalgora. These circumstances make Anticlere rather distinct, but not, as some Daggerfallians might claim, inferior – in fact, some might say it actually has more vigour than the stagnated ancient structure that dominates the kingdom to its west.
The Lordship is quite easy to divide into two rather distinct cultural groups. In the west, the hills that stretch from the north almost to the very coast in the south of Anticlere and abate into the central plains of Shalgora are home to a rather independent and quite rugged people – the descendants of those same ancient semi-nomadic hillmen who were warlike even among the Bretons of the times, among whom conquerors and warriors numbered far more than artists and bards. Here, the petty nobility – and there is hardly any other sort in the Western Hills – is hardly distinguishable from the freemen, who dominate in this region and guard their status rather fiercely from their preferred solitude of farmsteads that seem almost like miniature fortresses.
The hilltop fortresses that dot this land are almost all those of the Flyte or maintained communally by the guilds of the capital – testament to a nobility that never quite formed, at least not in the way it did in most other parts of High Rock. To a Daggerfallian eye, these are almost the lands of barbarians who have no notion of order, though in fact to refer to them as hillmen would be rather archaic – the term is usually associated with the less advanced tribal people who wandered High Rock with their herds in its earliest years, while the freemen of the Anticlerian west are hardly any less cultured and sophisticated than their eastern lowland brothers; most often it is simply the case that the lack of sizeable estates and large collective fields upsets an eye used to the serf villages that dominate the rest of western High Rock.
It is the Gradkeep Plains in the east – who once gave their name to the entire realm – that seem more acceptable and appealing to foreign Bretons. Here one might even find a dozen or so families of greater nobles in the sea of their lesser counterparts, descendants of either the ancient magocrats or the more recent Gradkeeper barons who fought one another for influence and control before the eventual forming of Reich Gradkeep. Castles dot the land far more readily, and some are far grander and more imposing, than in the west, bastions of the last few remaining barons, whose power was mostly broken at the forging of a united realm and then again by Auberon Flyte’s ‘iron years’ – with the exception of the barons of Chestermarket, distant relatives of the now-extinct Graddock line.
Of note is the fact that in Anticlere, the social ladder for the nobility never became quite as extensive as elsewhere in High Rock. This has less to do with any inferiority that the Daggerfallians so readily ascribe anyone not following their example and more with the fact that the nobles haven’t for long held complete power here, overshadowed a fair bit by the emergent burghers of the capital, particularly the Guilds – who are by now more of political powers than unions of craftsmen.
Lord and Lady – the rulers of the realm, in Anticlere they have several titles; Flyte is the most recent, in honour of Auberon Flyte’s successful reign, however Gradkeepers in general most often refer to their ruler by the archaic title of captal, while their nobility also often use the title of Grand Baron, a remnant from the times when the Gradkeep was divided into dozens of little baronies.
Duke and Duchess – few exist in Anticlere, all invariably located in the eastern Gradkeep Plains, and even fewer of them often use this title, which is often considered with disdain a mere import from Daggerfall. Most prefer the much more established title of baron, though the ducal titles are more often used when dealing with Bretons from outside Anticlere to avoid confusion and insult.
Baron and Baroness – a catch-all term for Anticlerian nobility, unlike in Daggerfall and the realms that follow its model where it is merely the lowest rank of peer nobility. If one hears an Anticlerian talking about ‘the barons’, he or she may well be talking of nobles in general.
Chevalier – hardly a term for nobles anymore, however worth noting since there remain some traditional knights in some parts of the Gradkeep Plains. Much like what a baron is to the nobles, a chevalier is a term for all well-trained soldiers in Anticlere and in this day and age more often refers to a noble’s hired retainers (who are very popular – few nobles do not keep at least a tiny permanent force of several dozen well-trained fighters, almost always lead by battlemages) rather than what other Bretons might consider to be knights.
In the Bretic West, Anticlere is unusual in that its western border was actually outside the easternmost limits of the ancient kingdom of Daggerfall – which conquered nearly all other western Bretic realms (with the interesting exception of Glenpoint), eventually contracting politically but leaving behind its social structure and enormous cultural influence. Not only was Anticlere not a part of Daggerfall, however – it hardly had any dealings with it at all, at the time being far from the single realm we know it as today, but rather a mess of various magocrats’ holdings in the east and petty hillmen chieftains’ holdings in the west, who held off the unenthusiastic thrusts into what Daggerfallians of the time considered ‘the far east’ without too much difficulty, continual border raids and minor conflicts being the norm for the time of Daggerfall’s stay in what is now Shalgora. These circumstances make Anticlere rather distinct, but not, as some Daggerfallians might claim, inferior – in fact, some might say it actually has more vigour than the stagnated ancient structure that dominates the kingdom to its west.
The Lordship is quite easy to divide into two rather distinct cultural groups. In the west, the hills that stretch from the north almost to the very coast in the south of Anticlere and abate into the central plains of Shalgora are home to a rather independent and quite rugged people – the descendants of those same ancient semi-nomadic hillmen who were warlike even among the Bretons of the times, among whom conquerors and warriors numbered far more than artists and bards. Here, the petty nobility – and there is hardly any other sort in the Western Hills – is hardly distinguishable from the freemen, who dominate in this region and guard their status rather fiercely from their preferred solitude of farmsteads that seem almost like miniature fortresses.
The hilltop fortresses that dot this land are almost all those of the Flyte or maintained communally by the guilds of the capital – testament to a nobility that never quite formed, at least not in the way it did in most other parts of High Rock. To a Daggerfallian eye, these are almost the lands of barbarians who have no notion of order, though in fact to refer to them as hillmen would be rather archaic – the term is usually associated with the less advanced tribal people who wandered High Rock with their herds in its earliest years, while the freemen of the Anticlerian west are hardly any less cultured and sophisticated than their eastern lowland brothers; most often it is simply the case that the lack of sizeable estates and large collective fields upsets an eye used to the serf villages that dominate the rest of western High Rock.
It is the Gradkeep Plains in the east – who once gave their name to the entire realm – that seem more acceptable and appealing to foreign Bretons. Here one might even find a dozen or so families of greater nobles in the sea of their lesser counterparts, descendants of either the ancient magocrats or the more recent Gradkeeper barons who fought one another for influence and control before the eventual forming of Reich Gradkeep. Castles dot the land far more readily, and some are far grander and more imposing, than in the west, bastions of the last few remaining barons, whose power was mostly broken at the forging of a united realm and then again by Auberon Flyte’s ‘iron years’ – with the exception of the barons of Chestermarket, distant relatives of the now-extinct Graddock line.
Of note is the fact that in Anticlere, the social ladder for the nobility never became quite as extensive as elsewhere in High Rock. This has less to do with any inferiority that the Daggerfallians so readily ascribe anyone not following their example and more with the fact that the nobles haven’t for long held complete power here, overshadowed a fair bit by the emergent burghers of the capital, particularly the Guilds – who are by now more of political powers than unions of craftsmen.
Lord and Lady – the rulers of the realm, in Anticlere they have several titles; Flyte is the most recent, in honour of Auberon Flyte’s successful reign, however Gradkeepers in general most often refer to their ruler by the archaic title of captal, while their nobility also often use the title of Grand Baron, a remnant from the times when the Gradkeep was divided into dozens of little baronies.
Duke and Duchess – few exist in Anticlere, all invariably located in the eastern Gradkeep Plains, and even fewer of them often use this title, which is often considered with disdain a mere import from Daggerfall. Most prefer the much more established title of baron, though the ducal titles are more often used when dealing with Bretons from outside Anticlere to avoid confusion and insult.
Baron and Baroness – a catch-all term for Anticlerian nobility, unlike in Daggerfall and the realms that follow its model where it is merely the lowest rank of peer nobility. If one hears an Anticlerian talking about ‘the barons’, he or she may well be talking of nobles in general.
Chevalier – hardly a term for nobles anymore, however worth noting since there remain some traditional knights in some parts of the Gradkeep Plains. Much like what a baron is to the nobles, a chevalier is a term for all well-trained soldiers in Anticlere and in this day and age more often refers to a noble’s hired retainers (who are very popular – few nobles do not keep at least a tiny permanent force of several dozen well-trained fighters, almost always lead by battlemages) rather than what other Bretons might consider to be knights.
The Archduchy of Camlorn(20):
A brief synopsis on the Archduchy of Camlorn: (Coming Soon)
Archduke: Senhyn Valtieri of Camlorn (Played by aSaPp!5@)
Archduchess: Lysa of Anticlere - Deceased
Prince (Heir): Astien Valtieri (Played by aSaPp!5@)
Vassals:
- The Duchy of Urvaius(18): Duke Arniel de Athee (Played by Athell)
- The County of Dwynnen(4): (open)
- The County of Kambria(6): (open)
- The County of Koegria(7): (open)
Spoiler
The Duchy of Urvaius, Vassal to the Archduchy of Camlorn, presided over by Duke Arniel de Athee heir to the late Duke Credal de Athee and Grandson to Duke Brelau who captured the castle in the year 3E 403 and kept his lands during ‘The Miracle of Peace’ the following decade.
The History of Urvaius, from the year 3E 403
Urviaus, the fertile county nestled in the south of High Rock, bordered by Dwynnen, Anticlere, Camlorn and Daenia. Perhaps the most recent change in the Duchy occurred in the year 3E 403, when this history handily begins, when the county found itself with no living heir. A battle for power promptly began, if it can be called that, sharp word were exchanged and many councils called but eventually Brelau de Athee was chosen to run the Duchy, made legitimate by a relation on his mother’s side from the end of the second era.
At first it seemed that the various councils had made a mistake, the new made Duke struggled to grasp his new role and Urvaius suffered. However eventually Duke Brelau settled into his position and started to work for the county.
In those days the county was smaller than it is now, the ‘Miracle of Peace’ also known as The Warp in the West had an important impact on the Duchies borders. Overnight Duke Brelau found his lands increased and the Lesser Lords that held the lands around him either dead or bearing his banner.
In the following months Duke Brelau swore the Lesser Lords into his service employing them where their talents were needed, Baron Ancus Gaerhouse became the new Master of the Coffers and six Knights were sworn into the Duke’s own guard.
The following decade was good for Urvaius, whilst not particularly expansive, it was a settling period and Urvaius became comfortable, able to produce for its own but not a notable name in High Rock.
In the four-hundredth and twenty-eighth year of the third era Duke Brelau de Athee died in his sleep aged sixty-two and his son Crendal de Athee and his wife Phebe de Athee, nee Buckwing, inherited the Dukedom.
Crendal was thirty-three when he inherited the position and he was ready for the responsibility along with his young wife. The story behind Phebe and Crendal’s marriage is an odd one, the young duke-to-be was on a trip to nearby Dwynnen and when he returned he returned with a wife. Neither refused to speak of how they met or their reasons for marriage. Needless to say Duke Brelau was not pleased with his son’s marriage, however a few weeks later it is rumored that Crendal was called to the Duke’s chambers, after this the Duke relented and allowed the marriage. It is still unknown as to what was said between father and son that night, however the damage was never fully repaired and for the rest of his days Brelau was frosty towards Phebe.
Years passed and Urviaus endured, quietly surviving in the middle of Camlorn and Daggerfall. However Duke Crendal had not yet sired a child and more importantly had not named an heir. Rumors that Phebe was barren or unable to give Crendal a child began to spread through the Duchy.
The rumors were dispelled when it was revealed that a child had been born. The child, a son, had come at a great cost to Duke Crendal and Urvaius, his wife Phebe died in the effort. The death of his wife changed the Duke and he became reserved, pulling away from public life. He left the running of the Duchy to his Masters and advisors and retired to his grief. It was this grief that killed him.
In the twenty-second year of the fourth era Duke Crendal was found dead in his rooms. His funeral was a somber affair and Urvaius spent the day in mourning for its brokenhearted Duke. The next day his son, Arniel de Athee, was named Duke of Urvaius.
The third de Athee duke made an instant impact on the Duchy, in his acceptance speech he declared his intent to turn the Duchy into one of the great powers in High Rock. After that, however, he was oddly quiet on the subject.
Six years down the line the only major changes Arniel has made to the county is to improve the food output by increasing the efficiency of the farms producing food for the cities and to follow through with a decree supposedly written by his father in the depths of his grief, the decree ordered all graveyards to be moved closer to the city walls, some were even moved next to Castle Urvaius itself.
The Duchy of Urvaius, Vassal to the Archduchy of Camlorn, presided over by Duke Arniel de Athee heir to the late Duke Credal de Athee and Grandson to Duke Brelau who captured the castle in the year 3E 403 and kept his lands during ‘The Miracle of Peace’ the following decade.
The History of Urvaius, from the year 3E 403
Urviaus, the fertile county nestled in the south of High Rock, bordered by Dwynnen, Anticlere, Camlorn and Daenia. Perhaps the most recent change in the Duchy occurred in the year 3E 403, when this history handily begins, when the county found itself with no living heir. A battle for power promptly began, if it can be called that, sharp word were exchanged and many councils called but eventually Brelau de Athee was chosen to run the Duchy, made legitimate by a relation on his mother’s side from the end of the second era.
At first it seemed that the various councils had made a mistake, the new made Duke struggled to grasp his new role and Urvaius suffered. However eventually Duke Brelau settled into his position and started to work for the county.
In those days the county was smaller than it is now, the ‘Miracle of Peace’ also known as The Warp in the West had an important impact on the Duchies borders. Overnight Duke Brelau found his lands increased and the Lesser Lords that held the lands around him either dead or bearing his banner.
In the following months Duke Brelau swore the Lesser Lords into his service employing them where their talents were needed, Baron Ancus Gaerhouse became the new Master of the Coffers and six Knights were sworn into the Duke’s own guard.
The following decade was good for Urvaius, whilst not particularly expansive, it was a settling period and Urvaius became comfortable, able to produce for its own but not a notable name in High Rock.
In the four-hundredth and twenty-eighth year of the third era Duke Brelau de Athee died in his sleep aged sixty-two and his son Crendal de Athee and his wife Phebe de Athee, nee Buckwing, inherited the Dukedom.
Crendal was thirty-three when he inherited the position and he was ready for the responsibility along with his young wife. The story behind Phebe and Crendal’s marriage is an odd one, the young duke-to-be was on a trip to nearby Dwynnen and when he returned he returned with a wife. Neither refused to speak of how they met or their reasons for marriage. Needless to say Duke Brelau was not pleased with his son’s marriage, however a few weeks later it is rumored that Crendal was called to the Duke’s chambers, after this the Duke relented and allowed the marriage. It is still unknown as to what was said between father and son that night, however the damage was never fully repaired and for the rest of his days Brelau was frosty towards Phebe.
Years passed and Urviaus endured, quietly surviving in the middle of Camlorn and Daggerfall. However Duke Crendal had not yet sired a child and more importantly had not named an heir. Rumors that Phebe was barren or unable to give Crendal a child began to spread through the Duchy.
The rumors were dispelled when it was revealed that a child had been born. The child, a son, had come at a great cost to Duke Crendal and Urvaius, his wife Phebe died in the effort. The death of his wife changed the Duke and he became reserved, pulling away from public life. He left the running of the Duchy to his Masters and advisors and retired to his grief. It was this grief that killed him.
In the twenty-second year of the fourth era Duke Crendal was found dead in his rooms. His funeral was a somber affair and Urvaius spent the day in mourning for its brokenhearted Duke. The next day his son, Arniel de Athee, was named Duke of Urvaius.
The third de Athee duke made an instant impact on the Duchy, in his acceptance speech he declared his intent to turn the Duchy into one of the great powers in High Rock. After that, however, he was oddly quiet on the subject.
Six years down the line the only major changes Arniel has made to the county is to improve the food output by increasing the efficiency of the farms producing food for the cities and to follow through with a decree supposedly written by his father in the depths of his grief, the decree ordered all graveyards to be moved closer to the city walls, some were even moved next to Castle Urvaius itself.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Kingdom of Wayrest (10):
King: Deceased
Queen: Elysana of Wayrest (Played by Hi!)
Vassals:
- The Duchy of Alcaire (8): (Open)
- The County of Menvia(9): (Open)
- The County of Markwasten(5): (Open)
A brief synopsis on the Kingdom of Evermore by Vincent McCool:
Spoiler
Published 4E28 by the Bjoulsae Historical Society, University of Wayrest, with the Blessing of her most Gracious Queen Elysana of Wayrest and all her Dominions:
Our Noble Ally, The Kingdom of Evermore: An Introduction
The History of Evermore
Evermore. Jewel of the South East. The Gateway-House to the Reach, Wrothgaria and Hammerfell. The Hidden Kingdom in the Mountain. Invariably described as "sleepy" or "isolated" in outdated historical accounts of High Rock, the last few decades may have been among the most dramatic in Evermore's history. In a short passage of years the ancient Kingdom of Evermore's fate has been transformed. As it embarks bravely into the future by our side, none now can say what lies next for the once-overlooked dominion of Queen Syllawen Direnni, nor put a limit upon her future accomplishments.
The City of Evermore itself perches high amongst the snowy mountain peaks of the eastern arm of the Wrothgarian Mountains. It's immediate surroundings are thick pine forest, small outlying hamlets and farmlands have been hewn in the numerous plauteus along the winding road connecting Western High Rock to the East. Historically, it has been this strategic position on the only safe trade route through the trecherous mountains that has allowed Evermore to grow into the remarkable city it has become: the sprawling metropolis of wood and granite, set alone in the Wrothgarian Mountains. It is believed that, like many of Bretony's great cities, Evermore was originally founded as a trading depot by the Direnni Hedgemony in the First Era. Traditionally, the Barons, Dukes and more recently Kings of Evermore have held dominion over the the neighbouring pastoral County of Gwened, though some rulers of Evermore's deep past have streched their dominion as far west as Orisinium or far into the Reach itself.
For most of the Third Era however, Evermore faded into obscurity in the accounts of historians. Holding dominion over no more than its surrounding mountains, Evermore was never the less recognised as a Kingdom in the Imperial Court ever since its part in the War of the Red Diamond, opposing the dread armies of Queen Potema of Solitude. The rest of the third era passed almost without incident. Seasons came and went, snows fell and thawed. Petty wars would sometimes entangle Evermore, but no nation was capable of launching an attack through the narrow mountain paths that are the only access to the Capital. The Kings of Evermore were long content not to expand upon their borders.
All this was changed, of course, by the Miracle of Peace. The events of the 10th of Frostfall 3E 417 altered the political landscape of the entire region for ever, wiping away centuries of relative stability. Evermore briefly found itself an apparant Vassal of Oricinium (though this claim was never to be properly staked). In the confusion that followed, Evermore was brought into a hasty Alliance first with Gauvadon and then Wayrest, as the Orcs where pushed out of Eastern Wrothgaria. The victorious armies of Evermore consolidated their position with a number of short conflicts against local Baronies that bordered the ancient Kingdom, reconnecting Evermore's dominance of the corridor between the Bay of Hearts and the Bjoulsea River. As Wayrest looked eastward, the Kingdom of Evermore moved to guarantee the independance of Gauvadon from the advances of our great nation, a treaty that was ratified by the marriage of young Prince Titus to the fair Yvonne of Gauvadon.
In 3E 420 Titus would accend to the throne of Evermore to lead a personal union with Gauvadon. This marriage was however to end in distaster, in a scandal too infamous too be repeated here. Suffice to say, Lady Yvonne fled her husband's wrath and returned to Gauvadon in disgrace. The scandal only intensified as accusiations of quite unimaginable baseness where flung, and King Titus was brought to war with the Duchy of Gauvadon. The resulting conflict was drawn out and bloody, ending in a decisive victory amd the swift execution of Lady Yvonne. The remaining members of the Ducal family of Gauvadon where driven out, imprisoned or executed and the total vassalisation of Gauvadon was quickly brought about, completing Evermore's dominance over the northern horseman of the Bjoulsae.
An inbittened King Titus was soon to test Evermore's military might again, as the crumbling fortunes of Sharnhelm caused a split in its southernmost dominions, between the Counties of Gwened and Portdun. Titus' father had almost sparked war with Northpoint over the County of Gwened, the breadbasket of north-east Wrothgaria, but with the two northern kingdoms at each-other's throats, the way was clear for King Titus. Evermore entered the local conflict, backing the Count of Gwened, and defeated Portdun in a decisive, short war. In gratitude for this service, the Count of Gwened swore fealty to King Titus, stretching his dominion from the border with Wayrest all the way north along much of the Bay of Hearts.
Evermore prospered under King Titus and he was well loved. The mountain Kingdom gathered in celebration when King Titus accepted the hand in marriage of a new bride, the Altmer Syllawen Direnni, widely known as the most beautiful Princess in all the Iliac. The people of Evermore where soon to learn that Queen Syllawen did not quite live up to her illustrious name, as a member of perhaps the most famous of all Altmer familes, Great Clan Direnni. The Queen consort showed no particular prowess for the arcane arts; it was often said the only magic to Evermore's new Queen was her beauty. Although Syllawen Direnni was 14 years her husband's senior, in terms of a well-groomed Altmeri princess she was in the blossoming of her youth, and was seen throughout the Kingdom as the crowning jewel in their beloved King's accomplishments.
Soon after the arrival of Queen Syllawen, the courts of Wayrest and Evermore began to move closer together. Titus, like his father had been mistrustful of Lady Elysana of Wayrest, but his Elven wife, in her wisdom an ardent admirier of Elysana, soothed his fears and helped instigate what would prove to be a long-lasting and fruitfull alliance with our people. A non-aggression treaty was signed in 4E 15, and this was soon put to the test when the ever-ambitious King Titus again involved himself in the downfall of Sharnhelm. In a brutally short war, Portdun was again defeated and added to his Kingdom, declared a Barony of Evermore. In 4E 22, with Evermore's boundries now stretching from the moors of Markwasten in the north to the stretch of the Bjoulsae River in the south, Queen Elysana deemed it appropriate for Wayrest and Evermore to make offical their alliance. It is thought that Queen consort Syllawen Direnni had again been intimately involved with the creation of this treaty. While Evermore's lands were just as numerous as ours, they were paulty in population and wealth in comparison to Wayrest's holdings across the Iliac, and with King Titus aging and sickly, Elysanna assumed chief command of Evermore's political affairs. It is around this time that the phrase "Lesser Kingdom" returned as an epithet to Evermore, unused since the Warp in the West.
The Great King Titus died in 4E 26, aged 70, prompting the grandest funeral ceremony in Evermore's long history. The minor scandal that was caused by the contents of the dead King's will is not within the remit of the present piece. Again, the bare facts shall suffice: after an indepedant investigation conducted by the Court of Wayrest and after numerous arcane dating processes, the will of King Titus was proved genuine, and his widow, Syllawen Direnni was declared Queen of Evermore and All Her Dominions.
Evermore Now
Not two years have passed since Queen Syllawen's Coronation, and yet Evermore is unrecognisable to the Kingdom her beloved husband had ruled. Almost instantly, the Court of Evermore was opened up to guests from across all Tamriel. The prestige of the name Direnni and the unusual allure of Queen Syllawen herself has brought the famous and the brilliant flocking to the Hidden Kingdom in the Mountain. The wooden boulivards of Evermore are now draqed in exotic colours, banners that change for each day of the week. Festivals, tournaments of wit, artistry and magery are a constant feature of the life of Evermore. The Jewel in the Wrothgarian Mountains now never sleeps, and strange new faces are always to be found taking the picturesque road to Evermore, all to visit the restless, now-famous Court of Evermore.
Needless to say, the new Queen of Evermore is a somewhat divisive figure amongst her people. Whereas Syllawen Direnni is a reportedly a sensation in places as far-flung as Narsis and even Lilmoth, a large portion of the nobility of Evermore do not find their new Sovereign so agreeable. While the vast majority of her subjects find no qualm with her Altmer heritage, Queen Syllawen's eccentric behavoir and extravagant lifestyle has raised many brows amongst the traditionalists throughout her dominion. It is a common joke, heard espessically amongst the landed Nobility of Portdun and Gauvaden, to refer to Queen Syllawen's reign as "The Second Direnni Hedgemony".
Syllawen's reputation amongst the serfs could not be more different. All those not backward enough in their thinking to not allow for an Altmer on the throne appear to adore the Queen of Evermore. One of the few political contributions Syllawen has made in her so far short reign was the controversial abolition of all tariffs to Wayrest, and the entering into a trade league with our City-state. The result of this was an instant influx of guilds from Wayrest's holds in the Iliac, which already have swept away the old burgher order. While many of the middle classes resent Syllawen for this, the wealth soon followed, bringing more trade through Evermore's dominions than it has ever seen before. Gwened and Portdun in particular have benefited from this policy and it is said the lower classes in those lands hold Syllawen in even higher esteem than the indefatigable, late Titus. Strengthed with the trade and wealth of Wayrest, the highways of Evermore are safer than ever in the ancient Kingdom's history.
Even as Queen Syllawen splits opinion, she unites Evermore under a new ideal. It is the prominent mage class of her Kingdom that perhaps owes the most to the quite remarkable Queen. The flow of foreign ideas, philosophers, sorcerers and poets that pass through the Court of Evermore are sparking what some are already calling a new Golden Age of Culture for the ancient Kingdom. While the bitter, conservative-minded traditionalists whisper that some point the coffers will run out, or the Alliance of Wayrest may lead Evermore into conflicts inadvisable, what is undoutable is that Evermore has turned over a new leaf; and the next history to be written of the once-sleepy Hidden Kingdom in the Mountain will be more facinating and unpredictable than any preceding.
~ Louis Collywood, University of Wayrest, 4E28
Published 4E28 by the Bjoulsae Historical Society, University of Wayrest, with the Blessing of her most Gracious Queen Elysana of Wayrest and all her Dominions:
Our Noble Ally, The Kingdom of Evermore: An Introduction
The History of Evermore
Evermore. Jewel of the South East. The Gateway-House to the Reach, Wrothgaria and Hammerfell. The Hidden Kingdom in the Mountain. Invariably described as "sleepy" or "isolated" in outdated historical accounts of High Rock, the last few decades may have been among the most dramatic in Evermore's history. In a short passage of years the ancient Kingdom of Evermore's fate has been transformed. As it embarks bravely into the future by our side, none now can say what lies next for the once-overlooked dominion of Queen Syllawen Direnni, nor put a limit upon her future accomplishments.
The City of Evermore itself perches high amongst the snowy mountain peaks of the eastern arm of the Wrothgarian Mountains. It's immediate surroundings are thick pine forest, small outlying hamlets and farmlands have been hewn in the numerous plauteus along the winding road connecting Western High Rock to the East. Historically, it has been this strategic position on the only safe trade route through the trecherous mountains that has allowed Evermore to grow into the remarkable city it has become: the sprawling metropolis of wood and granite, set alone in the Wrothgarian Mountains. It is believed that, like many of Bretony's great cities, Evermore was originally founded as a trading depot by the Direnni Hedgemony in the First Era. Traditionally, the Barons, Dukes and more recently Kings of Evermore have held dominion over the the neighbouring pastoral County of Gwened, though some rulers of Evermore's deep past have streched their dominion as far west as Orisinium or far into the Reach itself.
For most of the Third Era however, Evermore faded into obscurity in the accounts of historians. Holding dominion over no more than its surrounding mountains, Evermore was never the less recognised as a Kingdom in the Imperial Court ever since its part in the War of the Red Diamond, opposing the dread armies of Queen Potema of Solitude. The rest of the third era passed almost without incident. Seasons came and went, snows fell and thawed. Petty wars would sometimes entangle Evermore, but no nation was capable of launching an attack through the narrow mountain paths that are the only access to the Capital. The Kings of Evermore were long content not to expand upon their borders.
All this was changed, of course, by the Miracle of Peace. The events of the 10th of Frostfall 3E 417 altered the political landscape of the entire region for ever, wiping away centuries of relative stability. Evermore briefly found itself an apparant Vassal of Oricinium (though this claim was never to be properly staked). In the confusion that followed, Evermore was brought into a hasty Alliance first with Gauvadon and then Wayrest, as the Orcs where pushed out of Eastern Wrothgaria. The victorious armies of Evermore consolidated their position with a number of short conflicts against local Baronies that bordered the ancient Kingdom, reconnecting Evermore's dominance of the corridor between the Bay of Hearts and the Bjoulsea River. As Wayrest looked eastward, the Kingdom of Evermore moved to guarantee the independance of Gauvadon from the advances of our great nation, a treaty that was ratified by the marriage of young Prince Titus to the fair Yvonne of Gauvadon.
In 3E 420 Titus would accend to the throne of Evermore to lead a personal union with Gauvadon. This marriage was however to end in distaster, in a scandal too infamous too be repeated here. Suffice to say, Lady Yvonne fled her husband's wrath and returned to Gauvadon in disgrace. The scandal only intensified as accusiations of quite unimaginable baseness where flung, and King Titus was brought to war with the Duchy of Gauvadon. The resulting conflict was drawn out and bloody, ending in a decisive victory amd the swift execution of Lady Yvonne. The remaining members of the Ducal family of Gauvadon where driven out, imprisoned or executed and the total vassalisation of Gauvadon was quickly brought about, completing Evermore's dominance over the northern horseman of the Bjoulsae.
An inbittened King Titus was soon to test Evermore's military might again, as the crumbling fortunes of Sharnhelm caused a split in its southernmost dominions, between the Counties of Gwened and Portdun. Titus' father had almost sparked war with Northpoint over the County of Gwened, the breadbasket of north-east Wrothgaria, but with the two northern kingdoms at each-other's throats, the way was clear for King Titus. Evermore entered the local conflict, backing the Count of Gwened, and defeated Portdun in a decisive, short war. In gratitude for this service, the Count of Gwened swore fealty to King Titus, stretching his dominion from the border with Wayrest all the way north along much of the Bay of Hearts.
Evermore prospered under King Titus and he was well loved. The mountain Kingdom gathered in celebration when King Titus accepted the hand in marriage of a new bride, the Altmer Syllawen Direnni, widely known as the most beautiful Princess in all the Iliac. The people of Evermore where soon to learn that Queen Syllawen did not quite live up to her illustrious name, as a member of perhaps the most famous of all Altmer familes, Great Clan Direnni. The Queen consort showed no particular prowess for the arcane arts; it was often said the only magic to Evermore's new Queen was her beauty. Although Syllawen Direnni was 14 years her husband's senior, in terms of a well-groomed Altmeri princess she was in the blossoming of her youth, and was seen throughout the Kingdom as the crowning jewel in their beloved King's accomplishments.
Soon after the arrival of Queen Syllawen, the courts of Wayrest and Evermore began to move closer together. Titus, like his father had been mistrustful of Lady Elysana of Wayrest, but his Elven wife, in her wisdom an ardent admirier of Elysana, soothed his fears and helped instigate what would prove to be a long-lasting and fruitfull alliance with our people. A non-aggression treaty was signed in 4E 15, and this was soon put to the test when the ever-ambitious King Titus again involved himself in the downfall of Sharnhelm. In a brutally short war, Portdun was again defeated and added to his Kingdom, declared a Barony of Evermore. In 4E 22, with Evermore's boundries now stretching from the moors of Markwasten in the north to the stretch of the Bjoulsae River in the south, Queen Elysana deemed it appropriate for Wayrest and Evermore to make offical their alliance. It is thought that Queen consort Syllawen Direnni had again been intimately involved with the creation of this treaty. While Evermore's lands were just as numerous as ours, they were paulty in population and wealth in comparison to Wayrest's holdings across the Iliac, and with King Titus aging and sickly, Elysanna assumed chief command of Evermore's political affairs. It is around this time that the phrase "Lesser Kingdom" returned as an epithet to Evermore, unused since the Warp in the West.
The Great King Titus died in 4E 26, aged 70, prompting the grandest funeral ceremony in Evermore's long history. The minor scandal that was caused by the contents of the dead King's will is not within the remit of the present piece. Again, the bare facts shall suffice: after an indepedant investigation conducted by the Court of Wayrest and after numerous arcane dating processes, the will of King Titus was proved genuine, and his widow, Syllawen Direnni was declared Queen of Evermore and All Her Dominions.
Evermore Now
Not two years have passed since Queen Syllawen's Coronation, and yet Evermore is unrecognisable to the Kingdom her beloved husband had ruled. Almost instantly, the Court of Evermore was opened up to guests from across all Tamriel. The prestige of the name Direnni and the unusual allure of Queen Syllawen herself has brought the famous and the brilliant flocking to the Hidden Kingdom in the Mountain. The wooden boulivards of Evermore are now draqed in exotic colours, banners that change for each day of the week. Festivals, tournaments of wit, artistry and magery are a constant feature of the life of Evermore. The Jewel in the Wrothgarian Mountains now never sleeps, and strange new faces are always to be found taking the picturesque road to Evermore, all to visit the restless, now-famous Court of Evermore.
Needless to say, the new Queen of Evermore is a somewhat divisive figure amongst her people. Whereas Syllawen Direnni is a reportedly a sensation in places as far-flung as Narsis and even Lilmoth, a large portion of the nobility of Evermore do not find their new Sovereign so agreeable. While the vast majority of her subjects find no qualm with her Altmer heritage, Queen Syllawen's eccentric behavoir and extravagant lifestyle has raised many brows amongst the traditionalists throughout her dominion. It is a common joke, heard espessically amongst the landed Nobility of Portdun and Gauvaden, to refer to Queen Syllawen's reign as "The Second Direnni Hedgemony".
Syllawen's reputation amongst the serfs could not be more different. All those not backward enough in their thinking to not allow for an Altmer on the throne appear to adore the Queen of Evermore. One of the few political contributions Syllawen has made in her so far short reign was the controversial abolition of all tariffs to Wayrest, and the entering into a trade league with our City-state. The result of this was an instant influx of guilds from Wayrest's holds in the Iliac, which already have swept away the old burgher order. While many of the middle classes resent Syllawen for this, the wealth soon followed, bringing more trade through Evermore's dominions than it has ever seen before. Gwened and Portdun in particular have benefited from this policy and it is said the lower classes in those lands hold Syllawen in even higher esteem than the indefatigable, late Titus. Strengthed with the trade and wealth of Wayrest, the highways of Evermore are safer than ever in the ancient Kingdom's history.
Even as Queen Syllawen splits opinion, she unites Evermore under a new ideal. It is the prominent mage class of her Kingdom that perhaps owes the most to the quite remarkable Queen. The flow of foreign ideas, philosophers, sorcerers and poets that pass through the Court of Evermore are sparking what some are already calling a new Golden Age of Culture for the ancient Kingdom. While the bitter, conservative-minded traditionalists whisper that some point the coffers will run out, or the Alliance of Wayrest may lead Evermore into conflicts inadvisable, what is undoutable is that Evermore has turned over a new leaf; and the next history to be written of the once-sleepy Hidden Kingdom in the Mountain will be more facinating and unpredictable than any preceding.
~ Louis Collywood, University of Wayrest, 4E28
King: Titus -Deceased
Queen: Syllawen Dirreni (Played by Vincent McCool)
Vassals:
- The Duchy of Gauvadon (15): Tyanis Porout (Played by Kalamari)
- The County of Gwened (12): (Reserved to Gavril)
- The Barony of Portdun (11): (Open)
Spoiler
A Short History of County Gwened and their war against Shornhelm and Evermore.
The county of Gwened, bordered by the kingdom of Evermore, County Gauvadan and Portdan, was and has always been the farmland of its neighboring kingdoms, counties and dukedoms. For most of history it had been in the hands of the Kingdom of Shornhelm as a poor, rural land without any power.
It is only recently that county Gwened changed allegiance to the queen of Evermore after a series of bloody wars and rebellions. In the year three of the fourth era count Robert of Gwened died at the respected age of eighty and his son, Gwyde inherited his father’s title. Up until this day it is unsure if Gwyde helped speed up his father’s death or not, although every investigation to the matter has been ended abruptly after the disappearance of the investigator and now, years later no evidence has been found to prove Gwyde’s involvement because it has been probably destroyed.
From his adolescence Gwyde was the rebellious type and when he saw the poverty his people lived in grow each year the first act to undertake was to refuse the ridiculous taxes ordered by the king of Shornhelm and raise an army consisting of the elite troops of The Order of the Crypt and many peasants who all signed up willingly.
War followed and two years later Gwened announced itself as an independent state. They had lost all their coastal regions and the Crypt of Hearts, but instead owned a large part of the inner lands of Portdun. It took Gwened five years to rebuilt their economics and army.
Self appointed King Gwyde of Gwened demanded the Crypt to be given back to Gwened since in his eyes they were its roghtfull defenders. Shornhelm refused to listen and when they got involved in a war with Northpoint, after which Shornhelm would become a vassal state, Gwyde decided to attack Portdun again to reconquer the crypt.
Shornhelm and Northpoint created a temporary no attack pact, giving Shornhelm the time to turne its attention to Gwened again. With Portdun being backed up by Shornhelm, Gwened didn’t stand a chance and asked for help from its neighboring kingdom, Evermore. In return for fealty, Evermore, who had made a claim for Gwened in the third era got what it wanted, intervened and drove the armies of Shornhelm out of Gwened and at the end of this war the current borders have been set.
Gwyde had the Crypt of Hearts back, but Gwened was now a county again under the lordship of king Titus. Unhappy and wanting a new war it didn’t take long for Gwyde to restart a rebellion for Gwened’s independence once again, but the people were poor, tired and sick of the fighting and a single battalion lead by the current count Varnand Russaud of Gwened ended it in mere months.
the new count, Varnand De Valois, was installed in his new position. It was under his reign that the county prospered again. The rural land became richer and the city of Gwened grew in size while a new city was born at the other side of Gwened. The people were prosperous since there new count had taken care of the many bandits raiding the villages and the Knights of the Crypt managed to find a way to close the crypt and keep the undead from coming out.
It is now one of Evermore most loyal vassal states and an important farmland for its bordering neighbors located in the Wrothgarian mountains. With the farmers having no need to fear the bandit raids anymore, nor the attacks from the undead that came from the Crypt of Hearts, the harvest became larger and better and it Gwened became an important export county of important life resources that can’t be harvested high in the mountains of Wrothgarian.
They prospered from the trade and poverty is again a far away memory to the farmers and citizens of county Gwened.
A Short History of County Gwened and their war against Shornhelm and Evermore.
The county of Gwened, bordered by the kingdom of Evermore, County Gauvadan and Portdan, was and has always been the farmland of its neighboring kingdoms, counties and dukedoms. For most of history it had been in the hands of the Kingdom of Shornhelm as a poor, rural land without any power.
It is only recently that county Gwened changed allegiance to the queen of Evermore after a series of bloody wars and rebellions. In the year three of the fourth era count Robert of Gwened died at the respected age of eighty and his son, Gwyde inherited his father’s title. Up until this day it is unsure if Gwyde helped speed up his father’s death or not, although every investigation to the matter has been ended abruptly after the disappearance of the investigator and now, years later no evidence has been found to prove Gwyde’s involvement because it has been probably destroyed.
From his adolescence Gwyde was the rebellious type and when he saw the poverty his people lived in grow each year the first act to undertake was to refuse the ridiculous taxes ordered by the king of Shornhelm and raise an army consisting of the elite troops of The Order of the Crypt and many peasants who all signed up willingly.
War followed and two years later Gwened announced itself as an independent state. They had lost all their coastal regions and the Crypt of Hearts, but instead owned a large part of the inner lands of Portdun. It took Gwened five years to rebuilt their economics and army.
Self appointed King Gwyde of Gwened demanded the Crypt to be given back to Gwened since in his eyes they were its roghtfull defenders. Shornhelm refused to listen and when they got involved in a war with Northpoint, after which Shornhelm would become a vassal state, Gwyde decided to attack Portdun again to reconquer the crypt.
Shornhelm and Northpoint created a temporary no attack pact, giving Shornhelm the time to turne its attention to Gwened again. With Portdun being backed up by Shornhelm, Gwened didn’t stand a chance and asked for help from its neighboring kingdom, Evermore. In return for fealty, Evermore, who had made a claim for Gwened in the third era got what it wanted, intervened and drove the armies of Shornhelm out of Gwened and at the end of this war the current borders have been set.
Gwyde had the Crypt of Hearts back, but Gwened was now a county again under the lordship of king Titus. Unhappy and wanting a new war it didn’t take long for Gwyde to restart a rebellion for Gwened’s independence once again, but the people were poor, tired and sick of the fighting and a single battalion lead by the current count Varnand Russaud of Gwened ended it in mere months.
the new count, Varnand De Valois, was installed in his new position. It was under his reign that the county prospered again. The rural land became richer and the city of Gwened grew in size while a new city was born at the other side of Gwened. The people were prosperous since there new count had taken care of the many bandits raiding the villages and the Knights of the Crypt managed to find a way to close the crypt and keep the undead from coming out.
It is now one of Evermore most loyal vassal states and an important farmland for its bordering neighbors located in the Wrothgarian mountains. With the farmers having no need to fear the bandit raids anymore, nor the attacks from the undead that came from the Crypt of Hearts, the harvest became larger and better and it Gwened became an important export county of important life resources that can’t be harvested high in the mountains of Wrothgarian.
They prospered from the trade and poverty is again a far away memory to the farmers and citizens of county Gwened.
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The Kingdom of Northpoint (28):
King: Daric Caron (Reserved to Broken Scale)
Queen: (Reserved)
Princess (Heir): Elissa Carron (Played by Broken Scale)
Vassals:
- The Duchy of Thorkan (27): (open)
- The County of Auvernge (24): (open)
- The County of Alsace (25): Julius Scipion (Played by Magus the Red)
- The Barony of White Haven (23): (open)
Grand Duke: Allard Lariat (Reserved to VincentMcCool)
Grand Duchess: Deceased
Vassals:
- The County of Darguard (19): (open)
- The Barony of Thornvale (22): (open)
- The Barony of Eagle Brook (16): (open)
King: (Reserved-Unclaimed)
Queen: (Reserved-Unclaimed)
Vassals:
The Duchy of Kathgran Vale (33): (open)The County of Raven Spring (32): (open)The Barony of Dunkarn Haven (31): (open)
King: (Reserved-Unclaimed)
Queen: (Reserved-Unclaimed)
Vassals:
The Duchy of Bordaigne (29): (open)The County of Tregorrois (30): (open)The County of Dunlain (34): (open)
**You can find most of the banners for each Lordship http://www.gamesas.com/topic/1198646-the-royalty-of-high-rock/page__st__30__p__18605500__hl__banners__fromsearch__1#entry18605500**
Relations Between the Realms:
Daggerfall and Camlorn: Daggerfall and Camlorn are close allies. The Archduke of Camlorn's daughter has been married to the King of Daggerfall Camaron Thagor creating a tight bond between the nations. The Kingdom of Camlorn has sworn fealty to Daggerfall becoming the Archduchy of Camlorn. Daggerfall seeks to finally rid itself of Wayrest and Elysana, who has been nothing but a Thorn in its side for the past few decades.
Wayrest and Evermore: Kingdom of Evermore has sworn allegiance to Elysana of Wayrest and become a Kingdom within the borders of its ally. Even though the monarchs of Evermore hold the title of King and Queen, their power is diluted compared to that of Wayrest. Therefore it is now known as a lesser Kingdom than a full independent Kingdom such as Wayrest or Daggerfall. Wayrest seeks to destroy its nemesis to the west once and for all, which would paved the way to controling the rest of High Rock.
Northpoint and Sharnhelm: During a long a brutal war the Kingdom of Northpoint conquered the Kingdom of Sharnhelm. The citizens of Sharnhelm still hold a slight contempt for the Kingdom of Northpoint making the realm somewhat unstable. Northpoint would rather focus on keeping the peace within it's borders than engaging in the war between Daggerfall and Wayrest.
Jehanna and Farrun: Soon after the secession from the empire Jehanna and Farrun set up an alliance. Since then both realms have remained as their own separate Kingdoms and rule their nations as such. Lately, during the Nordic invasions from the East, Jehanna and Farrun have become even closer allies in an attempt to keep the Nords at bay. However now a new threat has arisen on the horizon to the West, Lady Elysana of Wayrest has become quite ambitious and seeks to gain more power in an attempt to smite Daggerfall once and for all. Jehanna and Farrun must fight off the Nords in the east and keep their eyes on the West.
