Heart of the World - A History of Yondar

A group of assassins sneak into Castle Tirav under the cover of darkness. They manage to slit the throat of Prince Edmund, the first born son of King Ignatz, before they are discovered and arrested by castle guards. The assassins were excuted, but the damage was already done. All of Yondar felt the weight of losing Prince Edmund.

A separatist faction in Yondar, known simply as 'the Stryken', rise up against the Yondar royal family and its allies. They seek to fight against the corruption and injustice that bleeds through Yondar. They believe that the only way to end the corruption is to remove the royal family from their ruling positions and allow the people to govern the kingdom.   Protests started out peacefully in the early years, but as time went on the Stryken felt ignored. They became more violent, taking the fight directly to the royal family and its allies, determined to incite some form of action.

A wonderous event indeed. The much anticipated birth of the prince was a hot topic in Yondar from the moment King Ronan and Queen Elise announced the latter's pregnancy. Many speculated on whether the child would be a boy or a girl, or tried to guess when the child would be born, with some citizens making wagers with their friends and family.   The birth was not a difficult one and both Queen Elise and the prince were healthy and happy. King Ronan took it upon himself to announce the birth to his people, addressing those who lived in Tiraven with a huge grin on his face. News spread quickly throughout the kingdom - and to the neighbouring kingdoms as well - and the people of Yondar spent many consecutive nights drinking and partying to celebrate the prince's brith.

There was a great deal of mystery surrounding Alexandra's birth. Elise hid away in solitude for months, her only company being that of her usual servants and her husband. Even her son, the young Prince Percival, was kept away and looked after by Ronan instead.   The people feared for their queen at the news. There were no wagers made, save for those behind closed doors where too much alcohol had been consumed. Instead, the people would express their deepest concerns. Was Elise ill? Were she and the child okay, or had the pregnancy caused unforeseen consequences.   There was no wonder then, when the child was born and King Ronan announced to the people that his wife and daughter were alive and well, that the people of Yondar cheered with a renewed sense of exhilaration. They sang and danced and laughed with one another, delighted at the news and none the wiser about the true circumstances surrounding Princess Alexandra's birth.

Five days after overthrowing his father, Percival finally had what he wanted - the throne of Yondar. Only after he truly sure that the castle was cleared of any potential enemies did Percival set his sites on making his ascension to the throne official.   His coronation was a very formal affair. A lot of citizens mourned their former king, all of them under the impression that he, Elise and Alexandra had all died during the coup. Some were openly happy, their support of Percival greater than that of Alexandra or Ronan, and celebrated well into the night of Percival's coronation. But no matter their opinion of the coup, one thing the citizens could agree on was that Percival's coronation marked a day of change. For better or for worse, that would soon be decided.