Introduction
The Rathic Principalities are an archipelago of floating islands to the east of the
The Solustine High Kingdom in the Celestial Realm. The rulers of the principalities are descendents of Emperor Hordale, the first mortal king of what became the Solustine Kingdom. The Rathic Principalities are disunited and weak due to internicine feuding and intrigue.
The Principalities
Mortals were first introduced to the Celestial Realm by the Graces loyal to the Keeper who hoped that they would be able to influence the development of the early Vannic Empire. The Graces who served the now ailing Keeper saw this influence as essential, because they believed the rebel Thaladic Graces would shape the destiny of the Mortal Realm otherwise. The Vannic Empire and the Aruhvian Religion were created by the loyal Graces, who knew that the natural instincts of humans to obedience, subjugation, conquest and authoritarianism could be exploited through imperialism and religion.
When Hordale An Rath returned to the Mortal Realm at the instruction of the Graces, he left behind three of his sons and took his two daughters with him. He died of despair in the Mortal Realm, never to return to the celestial home he had come to love, and his followers quickly looked to a new figure, Andyraes Solust, for leadership. Hordale’s sons and their children at first tried to accept the rule of Solust and her knights, the Solustines, but following her death, the first Solustine monarchy was created, under the Knight-King Glerand, who demanded that the descendants of the former emperor swear fealty to him. Gradually, their resentment grew and they left the Losivaa of the Solustine Kingdom and established a series of principalities. The princes and princesses refused to take the title of king, as they believed they were entitled to the Solustine throne, and that it had been usurped from beneath them. For centuries the principalities, which now are divided into five main fiefdoms, with dozens of smaller dukedoms and lordships, fought and squabbled amongst each other. It was easy for Solustine Kings to play one faction off against the other, until the establishment of the Iron Baronacy.
The largest of the five principalities is Liravael, which exists in an uneasy alliance with the Solustine Kingdom. The other four, Storumnael, Thyvan, Horonas and Cormanae all place pressure on the Liravaelian Prince, known as the Castus Hordalus, to extract greater concessions from the Solustine Kingdom each year. The five principalities have acquired greater bargaining power in their relationship with the Solustine Kingdom since the arrival of the Ankhala Dynasty in the Celestial Realm. The Solustines are quite capable of fighting raiders from the Ankhala Losivaa on their own, but they fear an alliance emerging between the Rathic Principalities and the Ankhalans, meaning they effectively pay for the prince and princesses neutrality.
Liravael
Liravael is the largest of the Rathic Principalities and is ruled by Prince Taymourinde of the Strydan dynasty. Once Liravael was at the forefront of efforts to resist, undermine and subvert the Solustine Kingdom. Many Solustines have long and bitter memories of the Liravaelians, but in the past fifty years, the Strydans have recognised that a relationship between the Solustines and Liravael is vital for the principality’s future. Despite the best hopes of many Liravaelian princes, the Solustine Kingdom never collapsed and its dynasties never abdicated or stepped aside for the Rathic Princes to return to the throne. Instead, Liravael and the other principalities have become weaker and poorer, as the Solustine Kingdom simply allied itself with the Iron Baronetcy whenever it had troubles from the princes. Taymourinde’s grandfather, Athredes, was convinced by the Solustine King Varadine that Liravael’s future lay not in undermining the Solustine Kingdom, but by uniting the Rathic Principalities under the rule of Liravael as a kingdom. The Solustines were happy to encourage these ambitions, as they directed the troublesome principality away from directly causing strife for the Kingdom. In the past half century, relations between the Solustines and Liravael have become increasingly cordial, adding to the suspicions of the other principalities.
Hornaster
The capital of Liravael is a small city built in a river valley, around the great watchtower of Zyan-Tao. The huge white citadel reaches into the low lying clouds and a circular city of grey Liravaelian stone buildings has been built around its base. Long ago, most Hornasterians ceased to pay any attention at all to the dynastic schemings of their masters. They enjoy wine, song, good food and value the exquisite craftsmanship of the city’s smiths and metalworkers. Gnomi are a common site in the forges and workshops of Hornaster and it is also a city frequented by travelling groups of Atrushki, who seek out well made armour and weapons. The city is also a centre of secret activity, as diplomats and spies from the Solustine Kingdom meet to discuss how to help the Liravaelians to seize control of the other principalities. The agents of Thyvan and Horonas also haunt the city’s taverns, listening for vital rumours.
Storumnael
The Principality of Storumnael is Liravael’s traditional ally, and whilst being smaller and less prosperous, is generally more warlike in its outlook. The Barros family has ruled Storumnael for the past three centuries from Stonepeak, the ruins of an abandoned Grace stronghold, now rebuilt by human hand, on the top of the windswept Tolgarrah Mountains. The Storumnaelians are deeply resentful towards the Solustine Kingdom and many have started to question Liravael’s rapprochement with them. Prince Kassiyan Barros and his sister Princess Sionaheya have both listened to Taymourinde, who has persuaded them that all principalities must end their claim to the Solustine throne. What he has omitted to mention is that he intends to unite the principalities into the Liravaelian Kingdom with himself on the throne.
Stonepeak
The fortress of Stonepeak is huge and fills one side of a long glacial valley in central Storumnael. It was once the home of Y’Dula, one of the chief allies of Y’Thaladican. Y’Dula fought along the other Thaladics in the Devourer War and was lost, presumed slain, in Damnation. The fortress now houses much of the Storumnaelian peoples, and the Barros family believe it is their insurance against an uncertain future. Most of the population have been encouraged to settle inside the fortress, though life in some outlying farms and towns continues. Stonepeak presents Taymourinde with a significant problem; in the event of a war it would be impossible to conquer and most of the population of Storumnael would be able to hold out inside, far longer than an army of occupation could remain supplied, if the Barros siblings chose to torch the farms and fields. The prince of Liravael needs cooperation from Storumnael above all things.
Thyvan
Thyvan is one of the smaller Losivaa of the Rathic Principalities, but it is ruled by the cunning and devious Prince Dorland Mothe, the oldest of the Rathic Princes, now in his sixtieth year. Dorland had long resented the other Rathic Princes and Princesses and has sought to influence Rathic politics through blackmail and subterfuge. He has seen confrontation with the Solustine Kingdom as pointless, and has hoped to use his age and charm to influence the Liravaelian and Storumvaelian thrones. When he encountered the cunning and headstrong Taymourinde, he realised that his plans to control Rathic politics were at an end, and he also began to suspect that Taymourinde had plans of his own. Soon after this realisation, Dorland was visited by emissaries of a mysterious ruler who wished to entreat with him and quickly came under their power. He had welcomed into his court the servants of Y’Luran. The vengeful Grace seeks to use Thyvan a staging post for the conquest and purge of the Rathic Principalities and the Solustine Kingdom. Dorland has been assured by Y’Luran’s emissaries, that he and his people will be spared and he believes Y’Luran’s promises that he will be raised up as a king when the blood letting is over.
Horonas
The most densely populated of the Rathic Principalities is Horonas, a small losivaa where the Thaladics once met and openly debated their suspicions about the Keeper in a forum known as the Zalaridh. This open expanse of polished stone, surrounded by white marble pillars is all that is left of the Graces presence here. It stands at the centre of the city of Horonas, which now sprawls across the entire losivaa. The city acts as a giant vault for the Rathic Princes, the Solustines, the Iron Barons and others across the Celestial Realm. It is where money is kept safe and more importantly, where it is borrowed from, and it is ruled by the Dowager Princess Asolte. She succeeded her husband Thantis, a brutish drunk who came close to bankrupting the principality and who dismissed his wife, wrongly, as weak and incapable of ruling. Asolte has proven herself a strong willed and shrewd leader in the fifteen years that she has sat on the throne, using the power of the banks and their gold to further her ends. She is well aware of Taymourinde’s plans, her spies are among the most effective in the Celestial Realm. She knows that ultimately, he will turn to her to finance his ambitions and pay for the mercenary armies he will inevitably need. Asolte isn’t sure whether it would be wiser to help the young prince and find a place in his new order, or to use her guile to undermine him and stop a war of conquest before it begins.
Cormanae
Cormanae is home to the tombs of the Rathic Princes and is populated mainly by the priests who tend them. The Lathcarites are a religious order that used to have great influence in the Rathic Principalities but in the last few centuries has gone into decline. They believe in Lathcarus, a god who judges the souls of the dead and who guides them to the afterlife through the Light of the Keeper itself (most mortals, other than Suraians, have little idea about what the Light of the Keeper actually is). In reality, they worship one of the many faces of Levanto, though he has never made any direct attempt to cultivate a following among mortals at all. Cormanae is a cold, windswept losivaa of immense, rugged beauty; desolate valleys and snow capped mountains shape the terrain. Throughout the many centuries of the Rathic Principalities, Cormanae has fallen under the control of different princes, though very few pay much attention to it and see it as an unnecessary expense. It is currently controlled by Asolte of Horonas, who seems strangely reluctant to abandon the island and its priests to their fate.
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