February 17th, 4907 YDC; 477 AFK (After the First King)
Azuria, Capital of the Kingdom of Endaria
“Bear your blade and carve a path for your own destiny, lest you be swept up in the ambitions of others.” - Azrulain Korkatholus, First King of Endaria.
A defining phrase for Endaria through the passage of nearly five centuries. Historians say the hubris of the first king generated a cycle of pain and suffering, the Age of Kings and Strife. They believe that those very words generated centuries of meaningless conflict and war. They believe it to be hypocrisy. He calls for everyone to rise up and carve their own destiny, yet it was he who swept everyone else up in his own ambitions. Though no one can truly say what he meant by it, The new king threw his hat into the ring with his own take of it.
“A true friend never relies on another's dream. Instead, it is the duty of friends to help one another to obtain their dreams. Together, they may achieve their goals and not be swept up in each others’ ambitions.” - Zealossus Laniset, Seventh King of Endaria.
Zealossus rolls back in his chair, groaning as he stands. He inspects the words he just wrote on his desk and comments, “What if your dream gets in the way of your friends’ dream?” He shakes his head and crumples the paper in his hands. Throwing it into a nearby bin, he turns to get dressed for the day.
The light of the morning sun pours through the windows into the vast stone halls of Castle Aura. A bustling city can be seen beyond the outer wall. In fact, the castle is surrounded by a city. It may be better referred to as a citadel. Striding further inward, Zealossus marches into the throne room ready mete out the usual administrative duties as king. Today however, he will be greeted with news of death and opportunity.
The doors to the throne room open. A man wearing the royal black armor of the Cassell family enters and kneels before his king.
“My king, I bring news!”
“What is it, old friend? Stand! And you know you can call me by name, don’t you?”
“Yes, but it sets a poor example among the royal staff, Zeal.”
“Trust me, Aideric. The day I care about formalities and nonsense will be the day I’ve submitted to the full rule of the Imperium.”
“As you say, Zeal,” He stands. “We can speak of random oddities later. I bear a missive from our Yllendyr Emissarial Office. It says that civil war has broken out on the Yllendyr mainland.”
Zealossus looks at his friend with a questioning eye. “Is that so?”
“It is. The Emperor passed away, the Crown Prince and the fourth prince are dead. We have been asked by both Prince Ecruir and Prince Olarth to join them in their war to reclaim the crown. They both claim that they are the true Emperor…”
Zealossus looks to the floor, his eyes frowned, thinking. “What exactly would choosing a side entail?”
“The Sentinels have declared neutrality, so manpower is strained. They are requesting some of our auxilia to be allocated to them.”
Zeal’s face continues to frown, until something clicks. He stands from his throne and approaches his old time friend. A fire stirs within his eyes, and a grin to match. “This is a crux in history, Aideric! We can choose one of them to fight for, deploy some of our auxilia, and then we have a small window to strike!” Walking past his friend, he continues, “The Sentinels may claim neutrality in that conflict, but it is likely that they will remain here and fight us should we rise up, alongside any remaining auxilia. But we are no strangers to war. We are Endarians!”
He pauses a moment and turns to see the expression on his friends’ face, one of excitement and delight. “Heh, summon the faction leaders, Aideric, it is time we discuss the future of Endaria.”
“As you wish sir!” He salutes, putting his arm horizontal to his chest with a fist and rushes to perform his royal task.
Alone in the throne room, Zealossus returns to sit in his stone cold throne. He wipes his face with his hand. “An opportunity for freedom, but what will the cost be I wonder?” Looking toward the door to the throne room, his eyes land on the banner hanging above it. The banner of Endaria bearing the Sword of Destiny and the Flames of Glory. “May our swords guide us to the destiny we seek…”
February 27th, 477 AFK
Azuria, Capital of the Kingdom of Endaria
It took over a week, but the faction leaders were assembled with all due haste.
Lord Asgrave de Ashintol, ruler of Asharia, is the first to arrive. His face is scarred from the stray shrapnel of a grenade. A gift he received during Zealossus’s conquest. Asgrave bears both ill will and a great deal of respect for his new ruler. To Asgrave, Zealossus is a living reminder that he has much to learn before he is worthy of ruling Endaria. His first opponent won't be Zealossus however, it will be his own people. The Ashintol family is responsible for the famine that occurred following Yllendyr occupation. The use of scorched earth proved to be effective during the war against the Imperium, but it damaged the majority of arable farmland in Asharia for several decades.
The next leader to arrive is Warrior King Grimmock of Clan Dawi, a level-headed dwarf whose mind is constantly thinking of ways to reclaim the Elways, an ancient underground highway overrun by elemental horrors. During Zealossus’ conquest, he chose to stake his kingdom on a duel rather than wasting the lives of good soldiers for both sides. He was defeated, but spared by Zealossus. In exchange for his loyalty and aid in defeating the Dark Elves, Zealossus promised to aid the people of Clan Dawi in the reconquest of the Elways. A promise that Grimmock intends to make him keep.
After him, everyone else piled into the throne room.
Lydia Valcrutio, High Mage of Quental (Ken-Tal), is very arrogant, but very intelligent and powerful in the ways of magic. Her arrogance is especially apparent when she feels that she is surrounded by idiots. It is that very arrogance, intellect, and wit that prevents her from losing face when people bring up the “Betrayal of Quental.” The Quentalians have faced a great deal of discrimination following the Yllendyr conquest. Serving as the stepping stone to Naerzos’ victory isn’t exactly the best look on their resume. Lydia is working tirelessly to make up for the mistakes of their recent ancestors.
Olerphas, Guild Master of Varak Haronar. The Dwarves of this hold no clan name. Instead, each person is a clan unto themselves. They work hard to do well at whatever craft they choose, and bring honor upon themselves through their financial achievements. The person with the biggest coffer is the most honorable in Varak Haronar. Olerphas is the most honorable among all his people, consistently winning the Trial of Assets. Put simply, it’s a competition to see who owns the most money and financial assets. The winner becomes the Guild Master of Varak Haronar, taking on great responsibilities and reaping great benefits from the station. Olerphas has maintained rule over Varak Haronar for over 3 decades, and has no plans of stopping. Money is number one to him.
Wulfrik Warriorbane, General of the Lodnorian Army. With the rise and fall of Lodnoria, the way of the warrior and sword falls on deaf ears as the sound of explosions ring in the air and bullets rend through weak flesh. Instead of finding new ways to continue the tradition of warriorship, Wulfrik studied ways to undermine warriors and decided to make the weakness of his people into the weakness of their enemies. His embrace of modern doctrine led him to enjoy the subjugation of the Yllendyr Imperium, allowing him access to many books portending the subject of modern warfare.
Drakonicus, Chief Dragon Sentinel of Clan Draka. Much like his ancestors before him, Drakonicus has taken on the dynastic role of defending the ancient Ice Dragon, frozen in solid ice atop Mount Draka. The dragon is healing her wounds that she supposedly sustained when fighting an Arch Dragon Demon. Drakonicus cares little for the squabbling of anyone beyond his own mountain hold. However, the transition from simply existing to paying the Imperium a monthly tribute proved to be difficult. With his people near constantly on the brink of starvation, the removal of the Dark Elves would be a great boon to the Dwarves of Clan Draka.
Alaan du Seras, King of Seraventa. Although the Seraventans never claim to be Endarian, their proximity and history are undeniably Endarian in nature. Alaan absolutely hates Zealossus. So much so that simply entering Castle Aura makes his blood boil. The second recorded Seras to be defeated by an Endarian faction is now him. No other Endarian ever successfully invaded the island save Azrulain, the First King of Endaria. He's highly volatile due to this great humiliation, but isn't so unreasonable that he won’t answer the call of the "rightful" king. There are rumors of a coup in the works, but Alaan has marked it up as "an populace unhappy with the current situation."
Tileran Shadowsong, Prime Defender of Elaria, is the representative of the Elven people. He takes his role quite seriously, rarely making decisions on his own. He has the ability to do so, but only under certain circumstances that he deems necessary. He is an Yllendyr who immigrated to Endaria running away from the crimes he committed in his youth. Elaria boasts the widest variety of Elves, but a Dark Elf is always a rare sight. Ninety years ago, the people of Elaria were facing serious racial tension. The Elven Council consisted of one member from each race except the Yllendyr. The populations of each race were completely lopsided, leading to discussions of balancing power based on populace. The debates back and forth eventually formulated the Prime Defender position, a leader above the rest who holds no bias toward any of the races. Then another debate raged as to which council member would be selected. By this point, Tileran had become a member of the Elarian army and achieved the rank of captain. He was scouted by military command and put forth as a candidate. They debated for many more weeks, until they finally agreed on the young Tileran. His early story may invite lessons to be learned of failure, but he thrived in his new station. When the Imperium invaded, his efforts to fight them showed that his true colors are of Green and Red.
Gwyndolin de Azuria, princess and current head of the Azurian State, the smallest human faction. With her father bedridden and suffering from dementia, Gwyndolin had a difficult transition into power. The day her father dies is when she officially becomes queen of this large city state. Until then, she is constantly encouraged by her advisors, specifically elderly male advisors, that she should find a man to marry and allow him to govern. Angered by their incessant traditional views, she took the reins and drove Azuria to a state of prosperity despite being under the thumb of the Yllendyr Imperium. Eventually, she met Zealossus and fell hopelessly in love with him. His grand dreams for the future of the world kept her at a distance. She has yet to tell him her feelings, fearing he may tell her that he has no time for her. The passion he exudes in pursuit of these ambitions made her love him even more. And so she has always sided with Zealossus on any decision, even if it goes against what she believes in. It is likely that this spark of love is what allowed Zealossus to become the Seventh King.
With the faction leaders gathered it was time to discuss their future, and their destiny...
Azuria, Capital of the Kingdom of Endaria
“Bear your blade and carve a path for your own destiny, lest you be swept up in the ambitions of others.” - Azrulain Korkatholus, First King of Endaria.
A defining phrase for Endaria through the passage of nearly five centuries. Historians say the hubris of the first king generated a cycle of pain and suffering, the Age of Kings and Strife. They believe that those very words generated centuries of meaningless conflict and war. They believe it to be hypocrisy. He calls for everyone to rise up and carve their own destiny, yet it was he who swept everyone else up in his own ambitions. Though no one can truly say what he meant by it, The new king threw his hat into the ring with his own take of it.
“A true friend never relies on another's dream. Instead, it is the duty of friends to help one another to obtain their dreams. Together, they may achieve their goals and not be swept up in each others’ ambitions.” - Zealossus Laniset, Seventh King of Endaria.
Zealossus rolls back in his chair, groaning as he stands. He inspects the words he just wrote on his desk and comments, “What if your dream gets in the way of your friends’ dream?” He shakes his head and crumples the paper in his hands. Throwing it into a nearby bin, he turns to get dressed for the day.
The light of the morning sun pours through the windows into the vast stone halls of Castle Aura. A bustling city can be seen beyond the outer wall. In fact, the castle is surrounded by a city. It may be better referred to as a citadel. Striding further inward, Zealossus marches into the throne room ready mete out the usual administrative duties as king. Today however, he will be greeted with news of death and opportunity.
The doors to the throne room open. A man wearing the royal black armor of the Cassell family enters and kneels before his king.
“My king, I bring news!”
“What is it, old friend? Stand! And you know you can call me by name, don’t you?”
“Yes, but it sets a poor example among the royal staff, Zeal.”
“Trust me, Aideric. The day I care about formalities and nonsense will be the day I’ve submitted to the full rule of the Imperium.”
“As you say, Zeal,” He stands. “We can speak of random oddities later. I bear a missive from our Yllendyr Emissarial Office. It says that civil war has broken out on the Yllendyr mainland.”
Zealossus looks at his friend with a questioning eye. “Is that so?”
“It is. The Emperor passed away, the Crown Prince and the fourth prince are dead. We have been asked by both Prince Ecruir and Prince Olarth to join them in their war to reclaim the crown. They both claim that they are the true Emperor…”
Zealossus looks to the floor, his eyes frowned, thinking. “What exactly would choosing a side entail?”
“The Sentinels have declared neutrality, so manpower is strained. They are requesting some of our auxilia to be allocated to them.”
Zeal’s face continues to frown, until something clicks. He stands from his throne and approaches his old time friend. A fire stirs within his eyes, and a grin to match. “This is a crux in history, Aideric! We can choose one of them to fight for, deploy some of our auxilia, and then we have a small window to strike!” Walking past his friend, he continues, “The Sentinels may claim neutrality in that conflict, but it is likely that they will remain here and fight us should we rise up, alongside any remaining auxilia. But we are no strangers to war. We are Endarians!”
He pauses a moment and turns to see the expression on his friends’ face, one of excitement and delight. “Heh, summon the faction leaders, Aideric, it is time we discuss the future of Endaria.”
“As you wish sir!” He salutes, putting his arm horizontal to his chest with a fist and rushes to perform his royal task.
Alone in the throne room, Zealossus returns to sit in his stone cold throne. He wipes his face with his hand. “An opportunity for freedom, but what will the cost be I wonder?” Looking toward the door to the throne room, his eyes land on the banner hanging above it. The banner of Endaria bearing the Sword of Destiny and the Flames of Glory. “May our swords guide us to the destiny we seek…”
February 27th, 477 AFK
Azuria, Capital of the Kingdom of Endaria
It took over a week, but the faction leaders were assembled with all due haste.
Lord Asgrave de Ashintol, ruler of Asharia, is the first to arrive. His face is scarred from the stray shrapnel of a grenade. A gift he received during Zealossus’s conquest. Asgrave bears both ill will and a great deal of respect for his new ruler. To Asgrave, Zealossus is a living reminder that he has much to learn before he is worthy of ruling Endaria. His first opponent won't be Zealossus however, it will be his own people. The Ashintol family is responsible for the famine that occurred following Yllendyr occupation. The use of scorched earth proved to be effective during the war against the Imperium, but it damaged the majority of arable farmland in Asharia for several decades.
The next leader to arrive is Warrior King Grimmock of Clan Dawi, a level-headed dwarf whose mind is constantly thinking of ways to reclaim the Elways, an ancient underground highway overrun by elemental horrors. During Zealossus’ conquest, he chose to stake his kingdom on a duel rather than wasting the lives of good soldiers for both sides. He was defeated, but spared by Zealossus. In exchange for his loyalty and aid in defeating the Dark Elves, Zealossus promised to aid the people of Clan Dawi in the reconquest of the Elways. A promise that Grimmock intends to make him keep.
After him, everyone else piled into the throne room.
Lydia Valcrutio, High Mage of Quental (Ken-Tal), is very arrogant, but very intelligent and powerful in the ways of magic. Her arrogance is especially apparent when she feels that she is surrounded by idiots. It is that very arrogance, intellect, and wit that prevents her from losing face when people bring up the “Betrayal of Quental.” The Quentalians have faced a great deal of discrimination following the Yllendyr conquest. Serving as the stepping stone to Naerzos’ victory isn’t exactly the best look on their resume. Lydia is working tirelessly to make up for the mistakes of their recent ancestors.
Olerphas, Guild Master of Varak Haronar. The Dwarves of this hold no clan name. Instead, each person is a clan unto themselves. They work hard to do well at whatever craft they choose, and bring honor upon themselves through their financial achievements. The person with the biggest coffer is the most honorable in Varak Haronar. Olerphas is the most honorable among all his people, consistently winning the Trial of Assets. Put simply, it’s a competition to see who owns the most money and financial assets. The winner becomes the Guild Master of Varak Haronar, taking on great responsibilities and reaping great benefits from the station. Olerphas has maintained rule over Varak Haronar for over 3 decades, and has no plans of stopping. Money is number one to him.
Wulfrik Warriorbane, General of the Lodnorian Army. With the rise and fall of Lodnoria, the way of the warrior and sword falls on deaf ears as the sound of explosions ring in the air and bullets rend through weak flesh. Instead of finding new ways to continue the tradition of warriorship, Wulfrik studied ways to undermine warriors and decided to make the weakness of his people into the weakness of their enemies. His embrace of modern doctrine led him to enjoy the subjugation of the Yllendyr Imperium, allowing him access to many books portending the subject of modern warfare.
Drakonicus, Chief Dragon Sentinel of Clan Draka. Much like his ancestors before him, Drakonicus has taken on the dynastic role of defending the ancient Ice Dragon, frozen in solid ice atop Mount Draka. The dragon is healing her wounds that she supposedly sustained when fighting an Arch Dragon Demon. Drakonicus cares little for the squabbling of anyone beyond his own mountain hold. However, the transition from simply existing to paying the Imperium a monthly tribute proved to be difficult. With his people near constantly on the brink of starvation, the removal of the Dark Elves would be a great boon to the Dwarves of Clan Draka.
Alaan du Seras, King of Seraventa. Although the Seraventans never claim to be Endarian, their proximity and history are undeniably Endarian in nature. Alaan absolutely hates Zealossus. So much so that simply entering Castle Aura makes his blood boil. The second recorded Seras to be defeated by an Endarian faction is now him. No other Endarian ever successfully invaded the island save Azrulain, the First King of Endaria. He's highly volatile due to this great humiliation, but isn't so unreasonable that he won’t answer the call of the "rightful" king. There are rumors of a coup in the works, but Alaan has marked it up as "an populace unhappy with the current situation."
Tileran Shadowsong, Prime Defender of Elaria, is the representative of the Elven people. He takes his role quite seriously, rarely making decisions on his own. He has the ability to do so, but only under certain circumstances that he deems necessary. He is an Yllendyr who immigrated to Endaria running away from the crimes he committed in his youth. Elaria boasts the widest variety of Elves, but a Dark Elf is always a rare sight. Ninety years ago, the people of Elaria were facing serious racial tension. The Elven Council consisted of one member from each race except the Yllendyr. The populations of each race were completely lopsided, leading to discussions of balancing power based on populace. The debates back and forth eventually formulated the Prime Defender position, a leader above the rest who holds no bias toward any of the races. Then another debate raged as to which council member would be selected. By this point, Tileran had become a member of the Elarian army and achieved the rank of captain. He was scouted by military command and put forth as a candidate. They debated for many more weeks, until they finally agreed on the young Tileran. His early story may invite lessons to be learned of failure, but he thrived in his new station. When the Imperium invaded, his efforts to fight them showed that his true colors are of Green and Red.
Gwyndolin de Azuria, princess and current head of the Azurian State, the smallest human faction. With her father bedridden and suffering from dementia, Gwyndolin had a difficult transition into power. The day her father dies is when she officially becomes queen of this large city state. Until then, she is constantly encouraged by her advisors, specifically elderly male advisors, that she should find a man to marry and allow him to govern. Angered by their incessant traditional views, she took the reins and drove Azuria to a state of prosperity despite being under the thumb of the Yllendyr Imperium. Eventually, she met Zealossus and fell hopelessly in love with him. His grand dreams for the future of the world kept her at a distance. She has yet to tell him her feelings, fearing he may tell her that he has no time for her. The passion he exudes in pursuit of these ambitions made her love him even more. And so she has always sided with Zealossus on any decision, even if it goes against what she believes in. It is likely that this spark of love is what allowed Zealossus to become the Seventh King.
With the faction leaders gathered it was time to discuss their future, and their destiny...
