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Crownflame
The War of the Well destroyed Old Maltheria, and with it the sons of stone and daughters of the rock died. Prince Drask Thithe’s blood lies still and black in the Well of the World, a poison that corrupts the very soul of all mortal beings in Arileth. Without the well’s sacred waters, the blood of the First Ones is naught, and so too does any mortal ability to use the well’s innate powers. Powerless, the world’s maegi slip deeper into the recesses of madness, yearning for the well’s connection and the arcane forces they once wielded. The paragons of the world fall victim to hatred and greed, and even the most benevolent creatures of the world lose themselves to mortal sin and anger. With such beings populating Arileth, the world is bleeding. The lessons learned during the War of the Well are forgotten, and the world stands on the zenith of the Despairing Age.
In the Blessed Kingdom of Lorinth, King Vormand of the Holy House of Meryn has formed a tenuous alliance with the vrakis. The vrakis, scaled and black and reptilian, enemies during the War of the Well, of whom Drask Thithe was prince, blamed by humanity for the Calamity that destroyed magic, rule the Protected Land upon which the Well of the World rests and divide the Twelve Kingdoms of Mandorvan from each other. It is for these such reasons that Vormand’s vassals are left seething, forced to swallow their rage for the sake of their holy oaths. Yet Vormand is weak in his will and in his convictions, and for each blunder, he loses another ally.
Lord Athryn of the Holy House of Peirvale see’s with eyes that his liege lord cannot. The king’s last friend, the Lord of Perynbridge stages a grand tourney on the banks of the Valon River, of which such an event no one in Lorinth has seen since the Days of the Divines one thousand years before. Here, he hopes to unite the Holy Houses and stay true to his king, his home and himself.
Our story starts in Valian, an idyllic city on the Valon River. Here, the lords and ladies of the Holy Houses have gathered with their knights and vassals to celebrate the tourney. You can be one of these lords and ladies, young and old, influential or uncertain; or a knight, a woman of the sword and shield or a champion set to play in the tourney. But why limit yourself? Crownflame isn’t all about physical combat. It is a political and social struggle that you are free to roam in and determine your own fate.
“There is no limit to a man’s ambitions but a man’s own doubts.”
The War of the Well destroyed Old Maltheria, and with it the sons of stone and daughters of the rock died. Prince Drask Thithe’s blood lies still and black in the Well of the World, a poison that corrupts the very soul of all mortal beings in Arileth. Without the well’s sacred waters, the blood of the First Ones is naught, and so too does any mortal ability to use the well’s innate powers. Powerless, the world’s maegi slip deeper into the recesses of madness, yearning for the well’s connection and the arcane forces they once wielded. The paragons of the world fall victim to hatred and greed, and even the most benevolent creatures of the world lose themselves to mortal sin and anger. With such beings populating Arileth, the world is bleeding. The lessons learned during the War of the Well are forgotten, and the world stands on the zenith of the Despairing Age.
In the Blessed Kingdom of Lorinth, King Vormand of the Holy House of Meryn has formed a tenuous alliance with the vrakis. The vrakis, scaled and black and reptilian, enemies during the War of the Well, of whom Drask Thithe was prince, blamed by humanity for the Calamity that destroyed magic, rule the Protected Land upon which the Well of the World rests and divide the Twelve Kingdoms of Mandorvan from each other. It is for these such reasons that Vormand’s vassals are left seething, forced to swallow their rage for the sake of their holy oaths. Yet Vormand is weak in his will and in his convictions, and for each blunder, he loses another ally.
Lord Athryn of the Holy House of Peirvale see’s with eyes that his liege lord cannot. The king’s last friend, the Lord of Perynbridge stages a grand tourney on the banks of the Valon River, of which such an event no one in Lorinth has seen since the Days of the Divines one thousand years before. Here, he hopes to unite the Holy Houses and stay true to his king, his home and himself.
Our story starts in Valian, an idyllic city on the Valon River. Here, the lords and ladies of the Holy Houses have gathered with their knights and vassals to celebrate the tourney. You can be one of these lords and ladies, young and old, influential or uncertain; or a knight, a woman of the sword and shield or a champion set to play in the tourney. But why limit yourself? Crownflame isn’t all about physical combat. It is a political and social struggle that you are free to roam in and determine your own fate.
“There is no limit to a man’s ambitions but a man’s own doubts.”
Historical Overview
When the Light’s Grace touched the world, the Well of the World came to be, a pool of still white water. From this small lake, the world began to form. First the grasses, patches at first, that soon grew into trees and flowers and ferns, spreading across the world in rivers and tendrils of green. White mist rose from the Well, and from this mist, the clouds were born, and the heavens wept for weeks over the world, filling the seas and lacing the world with rivers and lakes and streams. From the sea, the animals emerged, and then the four mortal races.
It was the Well of the World that made the mortal world greater than the animals. Twenty-five members of each race were called to the well, seduced by its sweet song and smell. From the Well, they drank, and their blood ran pure with the power of the Well. Their eyes changed and began to radiate in the colours of the world, and gained power of the earth and beyond. They rose beyond the others of their race, and lead them into establishing kingdoms and laws. Using their powers and new knowledge, they forged Arileth and became the First Ones.
The Well of the World is a large inland lake located in the Protected Land, a hilly mass between the Mountains of Maltheria and Vrak Nathal. Before the Calamity, its waters were white and pure, and the rock beneath a faint blue that radiated with a soft light, casting reflections on the water. All maegi draw power from the Well, as they have the blood of the First Ones who first drank from it and became mortal gods. However, with the blood of Drask Thithe tainting it, the water is so thick and black that no stone can be seen. The pool has become stagnant and produces the odor of rotting dead, as if thousands of dead bodies were burning beneath the dark sludge. Over the Well, the Ward grows, a massive tree that punctures the sky. Giant roots crawl in the hills around the Well, and a thick jungle of forest has grown to guard the pool from those who would seek to corrupt it or use it for their own nefarious gains.
The Ward was conjured by two of the First Ones, a fey identified as The Verdai and a human known as The Wild Man. They also began the Wardens of Vuur, who built great wooden fortresses around the roots and boughs of the Ward, and down upon the steep stony hills around the Well. However, the Wardens of Vuur died out when the Maltherian Empire seized the Protected Land.
Descendants of the First Ones are known as maegi. The abilities of a maegi boil down to being able to control the earth and its denizens, using their connection to the Well to weave magic. They are easily recognised by their unnatural glowing eyes, which are described as being coloured flames in hollow sockets. This glow intensifies when a maegi is in the midst of casting spells.
In legend, the First Ones were said to be the masters of the world. The earth and sea and sky answered to their command, and they could be in a thousand places at once. Great forests rose with the flourish of a hand, and mountains sunk into the ocean with the whisper of a word. They were even capable of entering the minds of the world’s creatures, and rearrange the chords of life and death. However, millennia of breeding with the untouched have watered down their talents to mere scraps of what they once were. Sadly, since the Calamity, maegi have been unable to use their abilities. The maegi of old yearn for their powers, and lose their sanity as a result, diving deeper into illnesses of the mind. Would-be maegi are never given a chance to wield the Well’s power, though they are marred by blindness as their eyes are solid stone.
It was the Well of the World that made the mortal world greater than the animals. Twenty-five members of each race were called to the well, seduced by its sweet song and smell. From the Well, they drank, and their blood ran pure with the power of the Well. Their eyes changed and began to radiate in the colours of the world, and gained power of the earth and beyond. They rose beyond the others of their race, and lead them into establishing kingdoms and laws. Using their powers and new knowledge, they forged Arileth and became the First Ones.
----~----
The Well of the World is a large inland lake located in the Protected Land, a hilly mass between the Mountains of Maltheria and Vrak Nathal. Before the Calamity, its waters were white and pure, and the rock beneath a faint blue that radiated with a soft light, casting reflections on the water. All maegi draw power from the Well, as they have the blood of the First Ones who first drank from it and became mortal gods. However, with the blood of Drask Thithe tainting it, the water is so thick and black that no stone can be seen. The pool has become stagnant and produces the odor of rotting dead, as if thousands of dead bodies were burning beneath the dark sludge. Over the Well, the Ward grows, a massive tree that punctures the sky. Giant roots crawl in the hills around the Well, and a thick jungle of forest has grown to guard the pool from those who would seek to corrupt it or use it for their own nefarious gains.
The Ward was conjured by two of the First Ones, a fey identified as The Verdai and a human known as The Wild Man. They also began the Wardens of Vuur, who built great wooden fortresses around the roots and boughs of the Ward, and down upon the steep stony hills around the Well. However, the Wardens of Vuur died out when the Maltherian Empire seized the Protected Land.
----~----
Descendants of the First Ones are known as maegi. The abilities of a maegi boil down to being able to control the earth and its denizens, using their connection to the Well to weave magic. They are easily recognised by their unnatural glowing eyes, which are described as being coloured flames in hollow sockets. This glow intensifies when a maegi is in the midst of casting spells.
In legend, the First Ones were said to be the masters of the world. The earth and sea and sky answered to their command, and they could be in a thousand places at once. Great forests rose with the flourish of a hand, and mountains sunk into the ocean with the whisper of a word. They were even capable of entering the minds of the world’s creatures, and rearrange the chords of life and death. However, millennia of breeding with the untouched have watered down their talents to mere scraps of what they once were. Sadly, since the Calamity, maegi have been unable to use their abilities. The maegi of old yearn for their powers, and lose their sanity as a result, diving deeper into illnesses of the mind. Would-be maegi are never given a chance to wield the Well’s power, though they are marred by blindness as their eyes are solid stone.
In the 9874th Year of the Great Age, the War of the Well began as the result of six hundred years of brewing tension. When the Maltherian Empire ruled, they held dominion over the north and the ancestral lands of the vrakis before falling to their slaves in the Rise of the Dragon. Even after reclaiming Vrak Nathal, the vrakis were unable to snatch the Protected Land from Maltheria, as they believed that the Well of the World should be ruled by all of the races of Arileth.
Six centuries later, Drinor Thithe, the King of Vrak Nathal and Overlord of Murzhak, requested that the Maltherians allow his only son to drink from the Well of the World, so that he might gain the power of a maegi and be fit to rule as dictated by vrakis custom. His request was denied, and Drinor faced being the last king of his line. He was growing desperate, and his son was growing restless, while different stories spread throughout Vrak Nathal and Murzhak, of a powerhungry human king who wanted the Well for himself. Dissent followed, and soon the vrakis blocked the humans of the north from trading with the humans of the south, and vice versa. Skirmishes erupted across political borders, and like fire, the war began to spread.
Toward the end of the war, after the Kingdoms of Jesarys, Selaharys and Taraste crushed the traitorous Bhokari at the Breaking of the Bhok, Drinor Thithe led his army to the Protected Land, prepared to punch through the humans guarding it. The combined forces of Lorinth, Maltheria and Kaidmar were prepared to mount a defence, manning the castles below the great tree, the castles around and on the tree, and in the forests that surrounded the Well of the World. The vrakis surged right into their defences, swarming over them like a tide. Their first line fell, and while the northerners held the vrakis at their second lines, Drinor sent Drask to find the lake beneath the tree and drink.
Tales vary at this point, for there was no witness to the death of Drask Thithe or how the Calamity came to be. It is said that as he drank, someone or something killed him and left the dagger in his back as he bled into the white waters of the Well. The dagger is of an unknown make, not human or vrakis, and an even greater mystery is who or what killed the desperate prince. However it went, the enigma known as the Sword in Shadow is a figure hated by most.
Following his death, the maegi lost their powers. Many fighting in wars or battles died in the midst of spells, being able one minute and being unable the next consuming their physical forms. The Calamity intensified the war, as vrakis blamed human and human blamed vrakis. The vrakis, consumed by anger for the death of their prince and heir, pushed into Maltheria. Their sudden vigor caught the awaiting forces in surprise, and soon the vrakis were able to cut off the Lorintines from delivering reinforcements and supplies. In the same token, important commanders from Lorinth such as Danwell Peirvale, Karavyn Allaster and Matrim Ormondine were unable to leave Maltheria, and all perished in the disastrous siege on Tir Ingrith.
Six centuries later, Drinor Thithe, the King of Vrak Nathal and Overlord of Murzhak, requested that the Maltherians allow his only son to drink from the Well of the World, so that he might gain the power of a maegi and be fit to rule as dictated by vrakis custom. His request was denied, and Drinor faced being the last king of his line. He was growing desperate, and his son was growing restless, while different stories spread throughout Vrak Nathal and Murzhak, of a powerhungry human king who wanted the Well for himself. Dissent followed, and soon the vrakis blocked the humans of the north from trading with the humans of the south, and vice versa. Skirmishes erupted across political borders, and like fire, the war began to spread.
Toward the end of the war, after the Kingdoms of Jesarys, Selaharys and Taraste crushed the traitorous Bhokari at the Breaking of the Bhok, Drinor Thithe led his army to the Protected Land, prepared to punch through the humans guarding it. The combined forces of Lorinth, Maltheria and Kaidmar were prepared to mount a defence, manning the castles below the great tree, the castles around and on the tree, and in the forests that surrounded the Well of the World. The vrakis surged right into their defences, swarming over them like a tide. Their first line fell, and while the northerners held the vrakis at their second lines, Drinor sent Drask to find the lake beneath the tree and drink.
Tales vary at this point, for there was no witness to the death of Drask Thithe or how the Calamity came to be. It is said that as he drank, someone or something killed him and left the dagger in his back as he bled into the white waters of the Well. The dagger is of an unknown make, not human or vrakis, and an even greater mystery is who or what killed the desperate prince. However it went, the enigma known as the Sword in Shadow is a figure hated by most.
Following his death, the maegi lost their powers. Many fighting in wars or battles died in the midst of spells, being able one minute and being unable the next consuming their physical forms. The Calamity intensified the war, as vrakis blamed human and human blamed vrakis. The vrakis, consumed by anger for the death of their prince and heir, pushed into Maltheria. Their sudden vigor caught the awaiting forces in surprise, and soon the vrakis were able to cut off the Lorintines from delivering reinforcements and supplies. In the same token, important commanders from Lorinth such as Danwell Peirvale, Karavyn Allaster and Matrim Ormondine were unable to leave Maltheria, and all perished in the disastrous siege on Tir Ingrith.
Lorinth, the Blessed Kingdom
Lorinth was once a principality of the Maltherian Empire, conquered and founded by the House of Guilius. A thousand years before the War of the Well, ten knights of that house rode north and made war with the scattered tribes that resided there. The campaign was a swift one, with so very few numbers in each tribe and no formal union to oppose the invaders. When the war was done, the knights split the land they had conquered amongst themselves, all together under the rule of their eldest brother, Prince Merynas. The years following are known as the Days of the Divines.
Four hundred years after, the Maltherian Empire fell as their vrakis slaves revolted. When they did, Vordyllon Meryn gathered the remnants of the empire in the north and established the Kingdom of Lorinth, under which the House of Meryn would rule. During his reign, the Lorintines grew to see themselves as their own entity and nation, and when Vordyllon died, his son Vormir did his best to change all Maltherian customs, starting with a new faith.
Tyrion Glastelle, Giordin Crevayne and Astellon the Archivist were charged with the drafting of this new religion. From their tinkering and scribing, the ten knights of old who conquered the north were recalled and portrayed as not only men, but gods. Each knight become synonymous of a single trait, and as each knight founded one of the ruling houses of the kingdom, each house was granted the title of ‘Holy House’. The faith continued to unfold, with a deep focus on the developing concept of the Great Oath.
Following this, Lorintine history is full of borderland conflicts with the Kaidishmen of Kaidmar and the Assarish Spidercult north of the kingdom, both of which originate from the kingdom’s lands.
Four hundred years after, the Maltherian Empire fell as their vrakis slaves revolted. When they did, Vordyllon Meryn gathered the remnants of the empire in the north and established the Kingdom of Lorinth, under which the House of Meryn would rule. During his reign, the Lorintines grew to see themselves as their own entity and nation, and when Vordyllon died, his son Vormir did his best to change all Maltherian customs, starting with a new faith.
Tyrion Glastelle, Giordin Crevayne and Astellon the Archivist were charged with the drafting of this new religion. From their tinkering and scribing, the ten knights of old who conquered the north were recalled and portrayed as not only men, but gods. Each knight become synonymous of a single trait, and as each knight founded one of the ruling houses of the kingdom, each house was granted the title of ‘Holy House’. The faith continued to unfold, with a deep focus on the developing concept of the Great Oath.
Following this, Lorintine history is full of borderland conflicts with the Kaidishmen of Kaidmar and the Assarish Spidercult north of the kingdom, both of which originate from the kingdom’s lands.
The Blessed Kingdom invests their faith and devotion in the Lords of Lorinth. The Lords of Lorinth are the ten knights of the House of Guilius who rode north and drove the barbarian clans out and claimed the fertile lands north of Maltheria for their empire. Each of the ten knights is given a trait by which their servants pray to them for:
A key part of the faith is the Great Oath.
The Great Oath is the holiest and most divine of vows, sealed in blood when children are born. The Great Oath contains a series of chapters known as Oaths; each chapter addresses different people, for example kings, knights, women, commoners, etc. However, the Great Oath places particular importance on knighthood, with four of its chapters focusing deeply on the codes of a knight - one for honour, one for service, one for faith and one for abstinence.
The Great Oath, in general, condemns murder, rape and theft, and all of your other typical crimes. To spill blood in the name of ‘animal urges’ (a different term for sin) is considered to be evil and marks you to be of ‘black blood’. The Great Oath makes greater emphasis on its laws for knights, and outlines how knights should behave. For instance, a knight’s honour is to be put before all other priorities including his life and the life of his family. Before his honour, however, his king comes first, and then the lord he serves. The Great Oath explains that a knight’s duty is to serve, obey and protect, though it is written differently in various texts depending on the region you’re in. Knights under the Holy House of Tarquinn, for example, are told to put down their swords once their first child is born, and must tend to the lands he has been given and protect his family.
Another part of the Great Oath allows women to take the knight’s oath if they are maidens, unwed and without children. They are free to serve and protect their lords, but how they are rewarded is at the behest of their liege lords. A female knight must put down her sword once her hand is promised to another, or she is pregnant with a bastard child, in which case she is disgraced. With this, women are put at odds with men, though there are still instances where women are treated poorly, particularly in the commonfolk.
A key part of the faith is the Great Oath.
The Great Oath is the holiest and most divine of vows, sealed in blood when children are born. The Great Oath contains a series of chapters known as Oaths; each chapter addresses different people, for example kings, knights, women, commoners, etc. However, the Great Oath places particular importance on knighthood, with four of its chapters focusing deeply on the codes of a knight - one for honour, one for service, one for faith and one for abstinence.
The Great Oath, in general, condemns murder, rape and theft, and all of your other typical crimes. To spill blood in the name of ‘animal urges’ (a different term for sin) is considered to be evil and marks you to be of ‘black blood’. The Great Oath makes greater emphasis on its laws for knights, and outlines how knights should behave. For instance, a knight’s honour is to be put before all other priorities including his life and the life of his family. Before his honour, however, his king comes first, and then the lord he serves. The Great Oath explains that a knight’s duty is to serve, obey and protect, though it is written differently in various texts depending on the region you’re in. Knights under the Holy House of Tarquinn, for example, are told to put down their swords once their first child is born, and must tend to the lands he has been given and protect his family.
Another part of the Great Oath allows women to take the knight’s oath if they are maidens, unwed and without children. They are free to serve and protect their lords, but how they are rewarded is at the behest of their liege lords. A female knight must put down her sword once her hand is promised to another, or she is pregnant with a bastard child, in which case she is disgraced. With this, women are put at odds with men, though there are still instances where women are treated poorly, particularly in the commonfolk.
Lorinth is divided into ten administrative divisions known as dominions. Each dominion is held by one of the Holy Houses, and all resources, people and lands within that dominion belong solely to that Holy House.
House Meryn - "We The Sword"
The Crowned Holy House of Meryn has ruled Lorinth for so long that their ancestral seat, Vordyll Castle, has become the Holy City and capital of the Blessed Kingdom. Even though they rule the kingdom, their dominion is the Crownwoods, a thickly forested area around the Holy City known for its terrible wolf infestation. The Meryns have developed a bit of a reputation as reckless and hopeless kings.
Lord: Vormand Meryn
Traits: Broad shoulders, wide hips, black hair, long necks
House Allaster - "Golden As The Sun"
To the east, the Golden Coast, the Goldenwood and the Peacewood are governed by the Holy House of Allaster. The lands here consist of hills laced with gold and silver ore, and the oak and fir sea of the Peacewood is abundant with harmless game, namely deer. Alvyrastream, the large canalled city build upon the Allas River, is the centre of trade in the region, well known for its venison and celebrated for its jewellers. The Allasters are most concerned with the Ormondines in the north, and though they detest the new alliance, they are willing to do anything to keep the Ormondines away.
Lord: Renault Allaster
Traits: High cheekbones, light brown eyes, a thirst for more than what they have
House Sareldon - "We Hold The Coin"
South of the Goldenwood is the Bay of Gold, where the Holy House of Sareldon reign as the richest and smallest of the houses. The land is almost a crescent slither that runs from Sarel Heads to the Agatian Headland. Almost all of it is beach, and all along the small swath of land, the city of Sarellan prospers, bringing in trade from all corners of the world. The Sareldons are a very greedy house, incredible lavish and well-versed in the world's luxuries. Their wealth makes them powerful, and so they will do whatever to keep their high position.
Lord: Matthias Sareldon
Traits: Violet eyes, incredibly pale, some have been known to be maegi
House Peirvale - "Rivers Flow"
The lands next to the Crownwoods and between the Triumphlands are dominated by three main rivers – the Peryn, the Cairn and the Valon. The lightly wooded lands and fertile soils between these rivers are under the governance of the Holy House of Peirvale. From their castle at Perynbridge, the Peirvales keep a silent vigil over their lands, and mourn for the many of their house who perished in the War of the Well. Despite hating the vrakis, the Peirvales are honourable and loyal, with a long history of friendship with the Meryns.
Lord: Gethias Peirvale
Traits: Light brown hair, short stature, quickness and lithe frames, hazel eyes
House Varyn - "As Unyielding As Stone"
The Varyns are naturally unyielding in their resolve. They are as stubborn and hard as the mountains they rule, and have a deep hatred for the vrakis. The Varyns, who rule the Mountains of Maltheria, consider themselves to be the purest of Old Maltheria and even go so far as to call themselves sons of stone and daughters of the rock. The Holy House of Varyn is seated at Stonefort, and deeply resent the king and his alliance.
Lord: Romulus Varyn
Traits: Big bones, broad faces, grey eyes, usually quite tall and expressionless, stubborn, proud
House Glastelle - "Hearts of Ice"
Though the Meryns have the Holy City, the Holy House of Glastelle considers themselves to be the most devout of all the houses. From their crystal castle of Glastellon, the Glastelles are tasked with guarding the realm from the Kaidishmen and Assarish, holding dominion over the steppes beneath the Ragefrost Mountains. The Glastelles are quite neutral in the political happenings of the kingdom.
Lord: Sean Glastelle
Traits: Light or crystalline blue or green eyes, white-gold hair, devout, have a tendency to be mediators
House Quaberon - "Lest The Vale Fall Upon You"
The Western Marches are the dominion of the Holy House of Quaberon. The Quaberons are powerful and numerous, and their lands are large and bountiful, with forests for hunting, lakes for fishing and plains for crops. The Quaberons rule from the Berona Vale, half a city and half a castle, and boast the largest military in all of Lorinth.
Lord, or Lady: Valysse Quaberon
Traits: Black hair, dark eyes, angular features and nubile figures, women are notably beautiful
House Ormondine - "The Sword, The Coin And The Tongue"
The Ormondines rival the Sareldons in wealth, the Quaberons in military power and the Meryns in political sway. The Holy House of Ormondine maintains the cold lands next to the Kaidguard Steppes, in the areas surrounding the River of Red, the Dagger, the Frostwater and the Ormond. To further add to their power, their seat is in Ormontown, the largest city in Lorinth. The Ormondines are fiercely opposed to the new alliance, as the death of Matrim Ormondine still haunts the family.
Lord: Laurellion Ormondine
Traits: Jade eyes, gold eyes, known to carry maegi blood, long necks and plentiful golden hair
House Crevayne - "Ours Is The First Blood"
The domain of the Holy House of Crevayne is north of the Crownwoods, in the ghastly realm called the Widow’s Wood. The Widow’s Wood is home to the Coven of the Wood, a matriarchal society separate from Lorinth who believe that they can still cast spells without the Well of the World. The Crevaynes are notably peculiar as a result of their dealings with the coven women, and ignore the Great Oath when it comes to baseborn children (as, due to the nature of the coven’s own religion, many of the Crevaynes are bastards).
Lord: Xavier Crevayne
Traits: Many maegi, grey eyes, dark hair, long limbs, some are born quite sick and are prone to weak bones
House Tarquinn - "Glory Eternal"
Rivalling the Quaberons in land size are the Tarquinns, a relatively progressive house in the fields of politics and society. The Tarquinns hold dominion over the Triumphlands from their hilltop castle, High Glory. House Tarquinn has their own version of the Great Oath that pays greater attention to the female plight in the world, and allows women to continue being knights beyond marriage and childrearing. Women under them are also able to divorce and hold land.
Lord: Frederic Tarquinn
Traits: Feminine facial features, long hair, a bronze colour with notably piercing blue eyes, fair of mind and honourable
House Meryn - "We The Sword"
The Crowned Holy House of Meryn has ruled Lorinth for so long that their ancestral seat, Vordyll Castle, has become the Holy City and capital of the Blessed Kingdom. Even though they rule the kingdom, their dominion is the Crownwoods, a thickly forested area around the Holy City known for its terrible wolf infestation. The Meryns have developed a bit of a reputation as reckless and hopeless kings.
Lord: Vormand Meryn
Traits: Broad shoulders, wide hips, black hair, long necks
House Allaster - "Golden As The Sun"
To the east, the Golden Coast, the Goldenwood and the Peacewood are governed by the Holy House of Allaster. The lands here consist of hills laced with gold and silver ore, and the oak and fir sea of the Peacewood is abundant with harmless game, namely deer. Alvyrastream, the large canalled city build upon the Allas River, is the centre of trade in the region, well known for its venison and celebrated for its jewellers. The Allasters are most concerned with the Ormondines in the north, and though they detest the new alliance, they are willing to do anything to keep the Ormondines away.
Lord: Renault Allaster
Traits: High cheekbones, light brown eyes, a thirst for more than what they have
House Sareldon - "We Hold The Coin"
South of the Goldenwood is the Bay of Gold, where the Holy House of Sareldon reign as the richest and smallest of the houses. The land is almost a crescent slither that runs from Sarel Heads to the Agatian Headland. Almost all of it is beach, and all along the small swath of land, the city of Sarellan prospers, bringing in trade from all corners of the world. The Sareldons are a very greedy house, incredible lavish and well-versed in the world's luxuries. Their wealth makes them powerful, and so they will do whatever to keep their high position.
Lord: Matthias Sareldon
Traits: Violet eyes, incredibly pale, some have been known to be maegi
House Peirvale - "Rivers Flow"
The lands next to the Crownwoods and between the Triumphlands are dominated by three main rivers – the Peryn, the Cairn and the Valon. The lightly wooded lands and fertile soils between these rivers are under the governance of the Holy House of Peirvale. From their castle at Perynbridge, the Peirvales keep a silent vigil over their lands, and mourn for the many of their house who perished in the War of the Well. Despite hating the vrakis, the Peirvales are honourable and loyal, with a long history of friendship with the Meryns.
Lord: Gethias Peirvale
Traits: Light brown hair, short stature, quickness and lithe frames, hazel eyes
House Varyn - "As Unyielding As Stone"
The Varyns are naturally unyielding in their resolve. They are as stubborn and hard as the mountains they rule, and have a deep hatred for the vrakis. The Varyns, who rule the Mountains of Maltheria, consider themselves to be the purest of Old Maltheria and even go so far as to call themselves sons of stone and daughters of the rock. The Holy House of Varyn is seated at Stonefort, and deeply resent the king and his alliance.
Lord: Romulus Varyn
Traits: Big bones, broad faces, grey eyes, usually quite tall and expressionless, stubborn, proud
House Glastelle - "Hearts of Ice"
Though the Meryns have the Holy City, the Holy House of Glastelle considers themselves to be the most devout of all the houses. From their crystal castle of Glastellon, the Glastelles are tasked with guarding the realm from the Kaidishmen and Assarish, holding dominion over the steppes beneath the Ragefrost Mountains. The Glastelles are quite neutral in the political happenings of the kingdom.
Lord: Sean Glastelle
Traits: Light or crystalline blue or green eyes, white-gold hair, devout, have a tendency to be mediators
House Quaberon - "Lest The Vale Fall Upon You"
The Western Marches are the dominion of the Holy House of Quaberon. The Quaberons are powerful and numerous, and their lands are large and bountiful, with forests for hunting, lakes for fishing and plains for crops. The Quaberons rule from the Berona Vale, half a city and half a castle, and boast the largest military in all of Lorinth.
Lord, or Lady: Valysse Quaberon
Traits: Black hair, dark eyes, angular features and nubile figures, women are notably beautiful
House Ormondine - "The Sword, The Coin And The Tongue"
The Ormondines rival the Sareldons in wealth, the Quaberons in military power and the Meryns in political sway. The Holy House of Ormondine maintains the cold lands next to the Kaidguard Steppes, in the areas surrounding the River of Red, the Dagger, the Frostwater and the Ormond. To further add to their power, their seat is in Ormontown, the largest city in Lorinth. The Ormondines are fiercely opposed to the new alliance, as the death of Matrim Ormondine still haunts the family.
Lord: Laurellion Ormondine
Traits: Jade eyes, gold eyes, known to carry maegi blood, long necks and plentiful golden hair
House Crevayne - "Ours Is The First Blood"
The domain of the Holy House of Crevayne is north of the Crownwoods, in the ghastly realm called the Widow’s Wood. The Widow’s Wood is home to the Coven of the Wood, a matriarchal society separate from Lorinth who believe that they can still cast spells without the Well of the World. The Crevaynes are notably peculiar as a result of their dealings with the coven women, and ignore the Great Oath when it comes to baseborn children (as, due to the nature of the coven’s own religion, many of the Crevaynes are bastards).
Lord: Xavier Crevayne
Traits: Many maegi, grey eyes, dark hair, long limbs, some are born quite sick and are prone to weak bones
House Tarquinn - "Glory Eternal"
Rivalling the Quaberons in land size are the Tarquinns, a relatively progressive house in the fields of politics and society. The Tarquinns hold dominion over the Triumphlands from their hilltop castle, High Glory. House Tarquinn has their own version of the Great Oath that pays greater attention to the female plight in the world, and allows women to continue being knights beyond marriage and childrearing. Women under them are also able to divorce and hold land.
Lord: Frederic Tarquinn
Traits: Feminine facial features, long hair, a bronze colour with notably piercing blue eyes, fair of mind and honourable
Lorintine currency is a simple system of gold, silver and brass. Gold coins are small and like buttons, inscribed with the helmeted head of a knight on one side, and a crown on the other. Silver coins are ornate and elaborately carved. They’re larger than gold and brass coins, are tetragonal in shape, with both sides carved differently depending on the region. In the domain of the Holy House of Peirvale, silver coins are inscribed with a hammer and sickle on one side and a tree on the other.
Brass coins, also called petties or brownies, are slightly larger than gold and have no carvings. Given their colour, legitimate brownies are set in with a small river stone.
Brass coins, also called petties or brownies, are slightly larger than gold and have no carvings. Given their colour, legitimate brownies are set in with a small river stone.
Name: (This is self-explanatory.)
Loyalty: (Are you a member of a Holy House? Or a servant of one? A knight, a petty lord? Or are you a freerider, whose loyalty is bought?)
Appearance: (Descriptions preferred, but images are welcome. This also includes age and gender, weapons and armour, and anything else you feel needs to be added.)
Background: (Your character’s history! I don’t care if your character doesn’t remember, he/she still has a past, and I would like to know about it, as would others, of course.)
For people intending on being petty lords, or the members of lesser houses, please provide a simple paragraph describing the house, its history, who its liege lord is (one of the Holy Houses), it’s words and it’s symbol if you’d like to go that far.
I haven't put anything to do with personality on the character sheet. If it helps you, write it down, but don't add it to your character sheet. This is because I like to get to know a character rather than read what he or she is like in a paragraph or less.
If you have any questions on lore or houses or customs, please do not hesitate to PM me! If you have any requests, feedback or suggestions, please do not hesitate to PM me! If you want something to occur that you think will make your experience more interesting, please do not hesitate to PM me or make mention of it in the OOC!
ACCEPTING!
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