Introduction
Yula Ordrish, the first of the second generation of Ordrish rulers, ascended the throne at the age of sixteen. The circumstances surrounding her early reign were shrouded in mystery and intrigue, further fuelled by her sudden disappearance and subsequent return from Gol, an event that left an indelible mark on her and the realm she ruled.
Her unexplained absence from Arc raised many eyebrows, and rumors circulated that she might have met with some sinister fate or stumbled upon secret knowledge. The fact that she returned barefoot and chose to remain so for the rest of her life, a stark departure from royal norms, added fuel to the fire of speculation.
Yula's unusual behavior sparked fearful whispers among her subjects, who began to see her as a figure of otherworldly power. They questioned whether she had become a sorceress during her time in Gol, a belief she did nothing to refute. This was especially strange as it was commonly understood that magic had long since faded from the world.
Yula's rule was marked by her refusal to adhere to convention, from her mysterious absence to her disregard for royal footwear norms, and even to the way she handled rumors of sorcery. This marked her as a unique figure in the history of the Ordrish dynasty and lent an air of mystique to her reign.
Yula bore two children: Ravaar and Thorane. Both, born into the aura of mystery and controversy that surrounded their mother, would later engage in a fierce feud for the throne following her untimely death in -2018. This feud, borne of sibling rivalry and ignited by the tantalizing allure of power, marked another tumultuous chapter in the saga of the Ordrish dynasty.
The Reluctant Empress
Yula Ordrish, the second empress of the Ordrish dynasty, was a woman of quiet peculiarity and an enigmatic charm. From an early age, she was marked by an aloofness that distinguished her from her peers. Her gaze, seemingly always fixated on some far-off, unseen horizon, reflected her unique preoccupation.
Her father, Verren Ordrish, was a figure of power and influence in the Ordrish dynasty, while her mother, Lady Kyas Corran, was of noble lineage. However, the political landscape of the time held little interest for young Yula. Tragedy struck early in her life with the death of her father, shortly before Empress Annai's death. This led to her sudden, unexpected ascension to the throne - a position that Yula accepted with an apparent lack of enthusiasm.
Since the tender age of ten, Yula was haunted by a mysterious song that seemed to originate from the west. The music, a curious mixture of harmonious and discordant tones, was something only she could hear. This inaudible melody became her obsession, its enigmatic tune seeming to call her towards an unknown destiny.
Upon her coronation, she sailed to Gol under the pretext of seeking counsel from the Archimandrite, a move that drew criticism from the Archimandrites of Dancare and Arc. However, the true purpose of her journey was to seek the source of the inexplicable song that had gripped her imagination for so long.
The enigmatic music and its strange allure defined Yula's rule as much as her unconventional behaviors and disinterest in the throne. Her journey to Gol, her constant preoccupation with the inaudible song, and her unconventional return, all contributed to her reputation as an eccentric and unknowable ruler - a reluctant empress swayed by invisible forces.
Among the Stone Arches of Gol
Yula vanished while walking amongst the great stone arches of Gol and was gone for seventy days, leading to a succession crisis in Arc as there were no heirs that were acceptable to the nobility and the rising power of the Azure Chamber. Teparas Tror, the Archimandrite of Arc even proposed that the rulership of the empire be entrusted to the stewardship of the church, a process that was underway when Yula returned.
Yula's sudden disappearance amidst the grand, hushed stone arches of Gol sent shockwaves throughout the empire of Arc. With the young Empress gone without a trace, Arc teetered on the brink of a political upheaval. The absence of any acceptable heirs to the throne compounded the looming crisis. The nobility, as well as the influential members of the Azure Chamber, found themselves grappling with uncertainty and fear.
A succession crisis was in full swing. As the days turned into weeks, with no word of the Empress, the tension among the nobility escalated. The situation grew increasingly precarious, leaving a void that many were ready to fill.
One such ambitious figure was Teparas Tror, the Archimandrite of Arc. He proposed a radical solution to the brewing crisis - that the rulership of the empire be entrusted to the stewardship of the church. This idea, though controversial, was gaining traction. The process of shifting power was already underway when the unexpected happened.
Seventy days after her mysterious disappearance, Yula returned. Her sudden reappearance disrupted the unfolding plans of the church, sparking a mixture of relief, suspicion, and intrigue among the court. The reluctant empress, once thought lost, had returned, and with her, she brought more questions than answers.
Yula and her enemies
Her personality seemed far less anchored in the day to day realities of rulership and she delegated much of this to her steward Ampharas, who it is believed was the father of her children. Her exasperated advisors, noble supporters and the Archimandrite plotted to depose her, but on learning of these intrigues she called them together in her chambers. It is not known what was said, but those in attendence left, ashen faced and silent. In the coming months many succumbed to mystery illnesses, accidents and the Archimandrite took his own life. Instead of ruling, Yula became consumed with searching through the ancient records at the Great Library of Harenis, the vast archive created by Dures II.
Following Yula's return, her rule was marked by a noticeable detachment from the day-to-day administration of the empire. This shift in her focus led her to delegate significant responsibilities to her steward, Ampharas, who was rumoured to be the father of her children. As the Empress buried herself in ancient scrolls and cryptic texts, the empire's affairs fell heavily upon Ampharas' shoulders. This transition led to unease among the court, the nobles, and the church, as they saw their Empress distance herself from her duties.
The discomfort escalated into full-blown conspiracies. Plots to dethrone Yula began to take shape in the shadows, but the Empress was not oblivious to these undercurrents. In a surprising move, Yula summoned the plotters to her private chambers. The details of the encounter remain shrouded in mystery. All that is known is that the conspirators left her presence ashen-faced and silent, their plans of dethronement abruptly extinguished. In the months that followed, many of them fell victim to unexplained illnesses, accidents, and one notable suicide - the Archimandrite Teparas Tror.
Undeterred by the political turmoil, Yula continued her insatiable quest for knowledge. She delved deep into the ancient records at the Great Library of Harenis, the extensive archive commissioned by Emperor Dures II. Her fascination with the past, the secrets buried in ancient texts, seemed to consume her entirely, distancing her further from the realities of her rule.
Yula in Harenis
Spies sent by Ampharas reported that the Empress sought out esoteric knowledge and anything written about the lost world of the Fey. This enraged the new Archimandrite of Arc, Thescuspe Orandus, one of the most vengeful and reactionary Archimandrites of the era. Knowledge of the Fey was forbidden, associated as they were with Aruhvian heresy. Thescuspe led a coup against the Empress while she was absent in Harenis and it had widespread popularity.
Fear that Yula had become a sorceress and anger that she had neglected her people combined. Thescuspe seized control of Arc and began to rule, using Ampharas as his steward. He took custody of her two infant children. Yula vanished again, deep inside the great archive of the Library of Harenis, so vast that a small city could fit inside it, and was never seen again.
Yula's son and daughter would grow to adulthood during the dictatorship of Thescuspe and witness the assassination of Ampharas without ever truly learning whether he was their father. In the twelve years of the dictatorship they secretly rejected the rule of the Church and at the age of sixteen overthrew the hated Archimandrite.
As Yula's obsession with the forbidden knowledge of the Fey grew, so did the concern of those around her. This pursuit was met with vehement opposition from the newly appointed Archimandrite of Arc, Thescuspe Orandus. Known for his vengeful disposition and reactionary views, Thescuspe harbored a deep-seated hatred for all matters related to the Fey - a taboo associated with the heretical beliefs of the Aruhvian Church.
The tension came to a head when Thescuspe, fueled by public discontent over Yula's neglect and fear of her rumored sorcery, staged a coup during the Empress's absence in Harenis. With the backing of a disillusioned populace, the coup was successful, and Thescuspe seized the imperial throne. He installed Ampharas as his steward and claimed guardianship over Yula's infant children, Ravaar and Thorane, who were caught in the crossfire of these political upheavals.
Yula, learning of the coup, disappeared once again, this time into the labyrinthine depths of the Great Library of Harenis, never to be seen again. In the subsequent years, Ravaar and Thorane were raised under the oppressive rule of Thescuspe, watching helplessly as Ampharas, the man they suspected to be their father, was assassinated under Thescuspe's regime.
Yet, amidst the tyranny, the seeds of rebellion were being sown. Ravaar and Thorane, their hearts filled with resentment against Thescuspe and the Church's rule, started secretly plotting their revolt. On their sixteenth birthday, they overthrew the detested Archimandrite, reclaiming the throne that was rightfully theirs, ending a dark chapter in Arc's history, and marking the start of a new era.
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