Raptorman — Roleplayer Guild

House Name: House Tallurian

Head of House:  Queen Elector Varminia Tallurian

House Specialty: House Tallurian is known for its very close spiritual connection to the goddess Alluria, a connection that has manifested in their mastery of divine healing magic in particular. While it is true that you cannot teach faith it is possible to teach healers how to be more skilled at the art of using their faith and calling on the gods for healing. The Tallurians are very gifted in this art and many healing priests are trained by them. The Tallurians are also the founders of the Vaels(Purifiers) of Alluria and have always headed the order that provides healing and a firm line of defense against vilespawn incursions throughout the Empire. Magic is quite literally in their blood.

The most proud military tradition of the Tallurians is that of swordplay and in their history the Tallurians have produced many great exemplars of the art. The greatest living Tallurian swordsman or swordswoman is awarded the title of Vael of the Blood, the holy champion of Alluria herself, wielder of the sacred sword said to have been made from the goddess' own solidified blood. This is a goal to which almost all martially inclined Tallurians aspire and the pursuit of excellence in this area has always been a proud tradition. The Tallurian school of swordplay focuses on the use of the greatswords known as lroist though there have been occasional members who have practiced other techniques. Tallurian swordplay emphasizes an unrelenting offense designed to crush the enemy with power, relying on the offensive power of the lroist as well as the heavy armor worn by the wielder to protect oneself. The Tallurians with their innate healing magic were the original pioneers of this particular school of swordplay, and are still typically the masters of it due their innate advantage in that sort of contest.

House Ancestral Artifact: The ancestral artifact of House Tallurian is the Bloodletter. A seemingly indestructible lroist that appears to be made from some sort of red half transparent glass that glows with a deep crimson light, supposedly forged from the blood of Alluria herself. The Bloodletter is supernaturally sharp and is always handled with extreme care. This sword is a holy relic and only ever used by the Vael of the Blood, always chosen from House Tallurian. The Bloodletter is never to be drawn unless blood is to be spilled for it is said that once drawn it cannot be sheathed until the blade's thirst has been sated. For Tallurians the blade is like an extension of the body and seems to sing to the wielder, granting almost supernatural abilities on the battlefield, these abilities grow in strength the more blood is shed but the longer one holds the sword and wields it in a battle the greater the chance of madness or entering into a berserk frenzied state. To non Tallurians the blade seems hostile and those who have attempted to wield it have often found that mishaps come frequently.

Important Members:

Primary Bloodline:
Queen Elector Varminia Tallurian, Age 43: Varminia Tallurian is a statuesque woman who does not truly look her age. Like many of her lineage she has appeared to age very gracefully. She possesses the crimson eyes and hair along with the alabaster skin that mark her as a Tallurian. She was in her youth one of the most radiant young women of her day and evidence of that remains. She is also highly intelligent and organized always keep a close eye on what is going on in her realm. She has a friendship with Alexander III Valian despite the distance between them and has for years now been raising two of his children as wards as part of an attempt to establish closer bonds between the distant states. She was previously married to Siegfried of house Amrothan though he has been dead the past 3 years.

Princess Avalia Tallurian, Age 18: Avalia Tallurian is the Hieress to the throne of Tellaria. She is widely regarded as rather beautiful in the traditional way of her house with long flowing red hair and almost flawless alabaster skin. She is also the spitting image of her mother in her youth. She is however notably severly nearsighted with very poor vision. She like all members of the Tallurian line has the ability to perform healing magic. She's also shown an instinctive grasp for politics and while she may have issues due to her impaired vision she has potential to become quite a capable ruler in her own right. She is betrothed to Rodan Valian with the marriage planned for the next month.

Prince Morion Tallurian, Age 17: Morion Tallurian is a quite dashing young man who is possessed of many of the intrinsic aspects of Vaelhood. He has shown martial talents from an early age and expressed nothing but eagerness to fulfill his hereditary role to become the next Vael of the Blood in the future. He's a quick witted and valiant individual who is nevertheless fond of humor and always one of the first to laugh at a joke. He is betrothed to Alais Duvard, who has spent the last two years in Tellaria, and the two appear to be quite taken with each other.

Princess Visia Tallurian, Age 15: Visia Tallurian and her sister Meliri are identical twins. Both are on the short side by the standards of their family, standing only 5'4. They are both delicate in their appearance. Visia is particularly gifted at the divine healing magic of the household and is a shy bookish girl most often found in the archives. She has a very close bond with both Ethias and Alexia Valian. Visia and Ethias are promised to each other and engaging in some courting.

Princess Meliri Tallurian, Age 15: While the spitting image of her sister Meliri does have her own rather different personality. She is outgoing and adventurous, with her mother often comparing her to how her aunt Velhara was when the two of them were children. Meliri loves the outdoors and is fond of boating on the great lake. She is like her sister very close friends with both Ethias and Alexia Valian, though her bond with Alexia is more intimate as the two have been best friends for years.

Secondary Bloodlines:
Lady Velhara Tallurian/Gracieux, Age 39: The younger sister of Queen Varminia of Tellaria. She is wed to Lord Reynold Gracieux and together they have two children. Velhara was and still is one of the most cheerful people in the Empire. As a child she was a boundless source of optimism and good cheer, always able to put the best spin on situations and make people smile. It is a trait that she still possesses. She still visits Rianis every couple years with her children.

Tsirine Gracieux, Age 12: The younger of Velhara and Reynold's children Tsirine takes after her mother in appearance if not in personality. She is the party pooper rather than the life of the party. She says she is a realist but most people would see her as the glass half empty, or more than half empty sort of person. Tsirine is an adorable young woman however with intricately styled crimson hair and the finest clothing that her family can provide and being adorable can make up for less winning personality traits at times. She's also sharp witted and enjoys strategy games (such as chess or some sort of equivalent).

Vael Divorain Tallurian, Age 46: The current Vael of the Blood and a highly respected warrior across the Empire. Divorain Tallurian has trained several scions of the Imperial family along with a select few members of the great houses from the other realms within the Empire. Married to Sybila Tallurian(Formerly Zurand)

Lady Marra Tallurian, Age 33: The official representative of House Tallurian and Tellaria to the Prime Estate. She is the youngest sibling of Queen Varminia of Tellaria. She loves the city and is a socialite, and has quite possibly the worst attendance record of any of the representatives. Still, no one can say she does not know how to throw a party, and when she does show up she is mostly competent. When there are actual serious issues though she is one who always calls for delays to send the question back home for further consideration due to her not trusting herself to make those decisions and a few early occasions where she successfully voted the wrong way on important issues. Despite not being the best at her job, she is helped by her social know how and the fact that she is very attractive.

Nation/Realms Name: The Kingdom of Tellaria

Flag:  The flag of Tellaria features the three colors of white, black, and red. The white crowned serpent is twined around a red robed woman upon a black field. The crowned white serpent is said to represent the house Tallurian and the red robed woman is a clear representation of their goddess Alluria.

House Motto:"Pure of Blood"

Region/color on map:Yellow

Race name:  Tellarian

Racial appearance:  The typical Tellarians have rather pale skin, but not as pale as those of the Tallurian bloodlines. They also tend towards lighter hair colors, blonde is common in various forms and so are lighter shades of brown. Blue eyes are the most common eye color as well. Tellarians also tend to be on the taller side for the most part with the average height being 6 feet for males and 5'10 for females.

Racial traits:  Tellarians are known for being very devout and very stubborn people. You are very likely to find that most of them feel they have a deep personal relationship with the deities that they worship, more so than many places where the gods are simply part of the backdrop. The fact that they are stubborn is always well known. There is a saying about the merchants from Tellaria. "They may not be the smartest, or the most skilled, but it's easier to get blood from a stone than coin from them."

Capital: Rianis. One of the wonders of Ethica the city of Rianis is built entirely upon the waters of the great lake. No one is entirely sure how the construction first began but the city has existed in one form or another for a very long time. Rianis is composed of many separate platforms connected by bridges and with canals of lake water running through it. In the center of the city are the royal residences and the Cathedral of Alluria. In truth the lake was once much shallower and long ago Rianis was a city upon an island. Over time the water has risen and Rianis has become the 'floating city'. Reaching Rianis proper requires the use of a boat, something that has always been the city's first line of defense against attack.

Rianis also has a large secondary 'city' of sorts on the shores of the lake, a number of settlements and marketplaces along with mooring sites for boats. Coastal Rianis is a thriving microcosm linked the the great, if unable to expand further, floating city on the lake.

Capital Population: 56,000 Inner Rianis, 25,000 Coastal Rianis

Other Major Settlements:
Tressanis: 23,000
Vilanis: 8,000
Lorialn: 17,000
Hevordin: 20,000
Messiala: 14,000
Niliphi: 29,000
Shilorvan: 14,000
Mephori: 18,000
Vaelithrin: 14,000
Lilrilin: 6,000

Population:  1,723,000

Culture: Tellaria is a great and ancient place, sheltered between the rivers and with a capital city that seemed unassailable it was quick to develop early civilization and was already a well established feudal state by the time the Empire set eyes upon it. Tellaria has for this reason often been described as the one true bastion of civilization in the north, an element that the citizens are extremely proud of even if it is debatable if they are truly in the north or not. It has great markets in its cities, prestigious academies, thriving industries, and even one of the main education centers for divine magic where healers are taught their trade.

Due to it's age Tellaria does have elements that distinguish it from the Empire at large such as the titles used. While in much of the Empire the title of Kuman is used for sanctified and holy warriors those in Tellaria are referred to by the title of Vael. Another difference is the prevalence of the worship of Alluria, who while she is worshipped as part of the pantheon everywhere is preeminent in Tellaria. Further Tellarians on the whole are very devout and loyal people who have an almost religious reverence for their royal family.

Type of Government: The Kingdom of Tellaria is typically ruled by a Queen. Should there be no eligible female heirs to the throne than it will fall to the eldest male child of the previous Queen. 

Influence and relations: (open to more, just get in touch with me)
The Kingdom of Xandria: In recent years there has been friendship between the distant realms. Queen Varminia and King Alexander III have formed a bond over their shared blessing of twin offspring that has been strengthened by the presence Ethias and Alexia as wards in Tellaria.

Erayis: Relations are currently a bit chilly. Varminia took offense to an offer to marry the cripple Melvan Cragmore to her daughter Meliri and has not deemed to forgive the perceived insult as of yet. On the whole though the relations between Erayis and Tellaria have been cordial and friendly.

Ignis: Ever since the first Darthii invasion of the Empire, when Valora Tallurian sent her brother, the legendary Vael Valorin Tallurian at the head of her own personal retinues to aid in the defense of distant parts of the realm there has been friendship between the two states. Both are loyal supporters of the Empire, and with the scarcity of true loyalists those who are must stick together.

Violette: While relations with Violette have waxed and waned over the years, often with the fortunes of Tellaria's own merchant houses there are currently strong ties between the two. The leading families of both regions are linked and the close ties are leading to prosperity and increased wealth for both states. 

The Septentrion: Relations with the Septentrion have always been cordial since the realm was founded and Tellaria has had a longstanding trading partnership with the northern region to supply much needed food in return for honey and other uncommon resources that are found there.

Military -
While most of the subrealms of the empire do not have a standing army Tellaria does possess one albeit a small one. As a reward for the sacrifice and bravery that the soldiers of Tellaria showed to break the siege of the Imperial City in the Great Darthii War the Emperor has provided a small stipend to the Kingdom in order to keep a force ready. Outside of this small force and the personal guards of the Tallurians themselves the rest of the army is made up of levies. Unsurprisingly perhaps Tellaria is not particularly skilled in mounted combat and while it can field some number of cavalry they are a pittance compared to the true core of Tellarian forces. Tellaria is heavily focused on heavy infantry clad in armor and wielding the greatswords known as lroists(a claymore variant) Tellaria's navy is primarily made up of a large number of river and lake galleys that are very useful in the small confines of rivers and lakes, or on the relatively calm waters of the Bay of Tellaria and less so out on the open sea. They are potent defending Tellaria, less so anywhere else.

Unit demographics:
Totals
Heavy Cavalry: Roughly 1,000
Heavy Infantry: Roughly 12,000
Light Infantry: Roughly 1,000
Crowsbowmen: Roughly 4,000

Standing
Heavy Cavalry: Roughly 50
Heavy Infantry: Roughly 1000
Light Infantry: Roughly 500
Crossbowmen: Roughly 200

Landscape:WIP
Wildlife: WIP

Economy:  Tellaria is quite comfortably well off. It is not so lavish as some of the southern realms but it is a bastion of culture and vastly more civilized than some of the more northern realms. It has a strong market scene and attracts merchants from all across the Empire.

Religion:  Tellaria venerates the goddess Alluria most heavily. Prior to Tellaria's integration into the Empire the goddess Alluria, then known as the Queen of the Blood was venerated as their sole goddess. Hers was a religion of bloody sacrifices and steep costs, but also one of great miracles and acts of divine favor. In the old myths it was said that the Tallurian line, rulers of Tellaria, were born from a dalliance between the goddess and a mortal, though that tale has fallen out of favor since the rise of the empire.

Currently Alluria, now the Princess of the Blood is still most heavily venerated but now she is one of many along with the family that adopted her. Still there are many great temples to Alluria in Tellaria, and very few great temples to the other gods. Rianis possesses the greatest of Alluria's temples, a grand cathedral made primarily of large blocks of a reddish veined marble, imported at great expense many years ago. The Tallurian family still occupies the upper echelons of the faith of Alluria, now primarily a church of healing and many who possess the gift of divine magic come to Rianis to learn the ways of healing. 

History: WIP Still building this.

Strengths: 
Strong Defense: Tellaria is a land surrounded by rivers and mountains with a capital city floating in the midst of a great lake. It is difficult to lay siege to their lands and their natural borders make them particularly potent in a defensive war.

The Truly Faithful: While their focus on the goddess Alluria more so than the other gods of pantheon occasionally draws questions from the inquisition none can deny that they are extremely devout and that the faith is an integral part of their lives. If something can be couched in terms that portray it as a holy struggle or even a holy war Tellaria will fight on until utterly ruined for the cause and then likely stand defiant in the ashes until killed.

Weaknesses:

Lack of Metal: Tellaria has always been dependent upon importing metal from other lands. The almost complete lack of usable metal reserves in Tellaria means that should it be unable to import more it would be in trouble rather quickly.

Lack of Warships: Tellaria has a large number of river galleys and other craft made to defend the waterways on which their nation depends but they have a noticeable lack in ability to project naval power outside of their rivers and lakes as well as the Gulf of Tellaria. They do however have a merchant marina. The open sea is not friendly to their light coastal defense vessels and as such their navy has almost no offensive potential. 

Export: 
Grain: While not the biggest exporter of Grains, Tellaria does produce a surplus of it unlike most of the northern houses, and they are capable of being a local supplier to the northern houses when necessary. They grow large quantities of wheat and other similar crops.

Fish- With access both to the sea and to a large network of rivers and a massive lake Tellaria has ample opportunities to fish. There are a few types of fish that aren't found in other places living in the great lake and for those with particular tastes things that are not found everywhere can be quite in demand. One particular kind of fish, an ugly bloated creature pulled up from the depths of the lake is both extremely poisonous and extremely delicious if cooked properly. 

Dyes-  Tellaria is a main producer of Dyes, in particular the rich crimson red that thus far has only been able to be extracted from Bloodlilys. While Bloodlilys can be grown in other parts of the realm they grow best in the climate of Tellaria and the large amounts of ritual sacrifices over the years has made the ground particularly well suited for their growth in certain sites. Even so, there is only so much dye that can be made in a given year and with the high demand for the crimson color this is one of the key sources for the crown's income.

Tea- While it is true that Tellaria is not the main gateway to eastern trade, there was one particularly eccentric and ambitious merchant who several centuries ago sailed off to the east on an unsanctioned expedition and returned with a plant with leaves that could be boiled to create tea. Cultivation of the tea plant has been one of the newer and somewhat lucrative endeavors for Tellaria.

Gold- While Tellaria does not possess much in the way of metals they do possess several gold mines in their mountains. While none of the mines are particularly rich they do provide another source of income.

Import:

Metal- While Tellaria does have a few gold mines there has otherwise been little metal in their mountains and they have been largely forced to import metal for pretty much everything that it is used for.

Salt- An essential, especially for the fishing industry, salt allows for the long term preservation of food. Most of Tellaria's salt is directly imported from their neighbor Erayis.

Luxury Goods- Tellaria's does not produce much in the way of luxury items and there is a great desire for them.

Age
43

Relations
Siegfried AmrothanDeceased

Appearance

Personality

Abilities & Skills

Age
18

Relations
Rodan ValianBetrothed

Appearance
Avalia Tallurian is a classical example of the Tallurian lineage, she possesses fine crimson hair that she wears long and loose. It falls down to the center of her back in a crimson cascade. Her face is delicately sculpted and well formed with large expressive if clouded crimson eyes. Her skin is alabaster white and with the notable exception of her hands rather free of marks or blemishes. Her hands are worse for wear with many old scars and scrapes, a legacy of stumbles and falls in her youth. She stands a full 6 feet in height and has a slender elegant figure. She is most commonly clad in fine, somewhat padded garments of green and red fabric. She also will always have a mid length staff of white wood that she uses to help her navigate and avoid running into people and things, especially in places she does not know by memory. 

Personality
Avalia is dedicated and focused. She has applied herself a great deal despite her issues and while it was difficult knows how to read and write, difficult because for her to read requires her to raise the papers to withing inches of her face and then squint. Avalia has known from birth that she would one day be expected to follow in her mother's footsteps and become the next Queen of Tellaria, something that has always intimidated her. She desperately wants to succeed and live up to expectations but is always worried that she is failing to meet them at the best of times. She is highly intelligent and is surprisingly well read despite her difficulties. The death of her father three years ago affected her fairly deeply as she was reliant in ways that her other siblings simply weren't and to have one of the big supports for her world vanish did not make things any easier. Avalia also has rather poor self esteem and is easily flattered. 

Abilities & Skills
Well Read: Avalia is quite well read and has spent a fair amount of time pouring over old books and stories. She has favored accounts of great legends, holy knights, epic quests, ect. While not the most useful knowledge she can tell many stories and has commits them to memory.

Tallurian Healing Like all Tallurians Avalia possesses a link to the goddess Alluria that allows her to call upon her faith and the goddess to heal herself and others.

Musically inclined Avalia has a wonderful singing voice and likes to use it.

Trained to Rule Avalia has been thoroughly educated on who is important within the realm the brief histories of the various realms, the stories of the conquest, and other knowledge that is important for a future Queen to possess. She has also been trained to some degree in how to behave properly regal, though she is still working to master that.

Age
17

Relations
Alais Duvard Betrothed

Appearance

Personality

Abilities & Skills

Age
15

Relations
Ethias ValianPromised/Courting

Appearance

Personality

Abilities & Skills

Age
15

Relations
NA

Appearance

Personality

Abilities & Skills

Age
46

Relations
Available

Appearance

Personality

Abilities & Skills

Age
39

Relations
Lord Reynold GracieuxMarried

Appearance

Personality

Abilities & Skills

Age
39

Relations
Available

Appearance

Personality

Abilities & Skills
Raptorman Banned

Status

Bio

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