Kings of Cassel and Surrounding Nations

This article is a staging area where I list the various rulers of the Kingdoms of Cassel and surrounding nations. The formatting of the article will list and describe Each of the Twenty Kings and Queens of Cassel over the 2980 years of the Iron Age (commonly referred to as The Vernador, a Silver Age word for Wanderer. It is as much the surnames of the kings and queens of Cassel as it is their title.), and will use a column on the right to describe kings of surrounding provinces and kingdoms during the reign of each, and a few other things. Goal is to later expand into future articles.

Before the First Vernador:

The Elves were humans once. They were members of the Silver Race. Powerful, long living beings with great magical abilities. They grew greedy and and powerful. they overthrew the gods and started construction of a machine that would grant them immortality. This machine did grant some of them immortality. These became the first elves. some elves can be very long lived, and are said to be able to match the age of the Queen Issia, the greatest queen of the Silver Age and the longest lived human in history

The Two elves below, Teres Dryadalis and Lapido Fraye, are two former humans that were turned into elves at the end of the Silver Age, and are the leaders of the Elves in Cassel. They lived through the Bronze Age seeing dozens of human kingdoms come and go. Cassel is just one of many kingdoms they have dealt with over the many thousands of years. they will outlive Cassel, and will outlive whatever kingdom comes after Cassel.

These Elven Kingdoms survive by allying with whatever the dominant power is on the Tiabre peninsula, and they allied with Cassel rather early in the kingdom's life, when the first Vernador was establishing the kingdom. The Elven Kingdoms rule themselves, but throughout history are often considered part of the larger kingdom of Cassel.

Teres Dryadalis

Matriarch of the Elves of Lyonne. Teres Dryadalis was once a human, alive at the time of the Silver Age Cataclysm that occured 45,000 years prior. She lead some forever changed survivors of that cataclysm north into Wrethas until she found a grove of sky trees. This was in the far northwest of the land.

Lapido Fraye

Patriarch of the Elves of Ledo. Lapido Fraye is similar to Teres Dryadalis. He was a human alive at the time of the Silver Age Cataclysm. He lead a group of survivors north into Wrethas until he found a grove of sky trees. This was in the eastern area of the land.

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Vernador I

(300 I.A. - 520 I.A.)

Born at the end of the Bronze age, Vernador I was a child of Saint Nora, and was blessed with long life. His name was a Silver Age word that translates to Wanderer. Vernador spend hundreds of years wandering, before he had a desire to have lands of his own. As the story goes, he came upon the Sea of Wrethas, and saw a gleaming palace in the middle of the sea, but no king lived there. He is said to have killed the serpents living in the waters, then claiming the entire sea for himself. As more human settlers built villages along the sea, and by 300 I.A., Vernador was soon the leader of an entire Kingdom.

One major thing he is notable for during his reign was killing a so-called Dragon God. this creature was in fact a Dragon, but not comparable to the Dragon Lords of the Silver Age. He had the Doric people worshipping him. Vernador, as he was the child of a former and actual elder goddess, was unable to tolerate a false god. He raised an army and invaded Dorias, killing the Dragon God. The Seven Kings of the Seven Cities of Dorias bent their knees to Vernador. Vernador allowed them to keep their kingly titles, and proposed an alliance that would last though the ages.

Other Rulers

Sharee the Ineffable

Sharee was a spawn of Xiralgus, the Nova, a long dead dragon lord of the silver age. When the Bronze Age ended, and a weaker race of humans, the Iron Race awoke in the world, Sharee sought to rule over them, and attempt to become a god herself. Having nowhere near the power of the dragon lords of old, she was quickly defeated and killed.

Seven Kings of Dorias

Technically five Kings and two Queens. They each rules a city-state of Dorias, an area surrounded by the Tsenae Mountains and also a volcanic chain known as the boiling Islands. Even in modern times, many Barons of Dorias maintain the title of King, but they are known as lesser kings to the Vernadors.

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Vernador II

(520 I.A. - 770 I.A.)

Vernador II had a shorter lifespan than his father, being born in 370 I.A. and dying 413 years later in 783 I.A.. The Blessing of Saint Nora that allowed Vernador I to live nearly 600 years would gradually lessen over time. At the time of Vernador XX, the blessing is so diluted that their maximum lifespans were around 150 years but usually much shorter. When Vernador II took the throne in 520 I.A., he was at peak physical fitness and looked no older than thirty for a normal human, despite being a hundred fifty years of age.

Vernador's claim in the history books was the downfall of the Diamond God in what is modern day Mataro. The true nature of this god is kept secret, but many widely agree that it wasn't a god, but some sort of being with extremely powerful magic. Vernador II led an army into the Diamond kingdom in 654 I.A. and was able to capture the Diamond God and execute the King that worshipped him and forced his subjects to do the same.

With the conquering of the Diamond Kingdom and gaining their lands, Cassel also gained control of the island of Rosika. Rosika is a place where Aethercite Crystals can be found in great abundance.

Other Rulers

Lucius the Diamond King

Lucius was originally a man from the Bronze Kingdom of Irellith. He made a bloodpact with a powerful demon. this demon claimed to be the Diamond God. Lucius used this demon's power to rule over the lands of Southwest Cassel for nearly a century before Vernador II conquered it.

Elven Kings

While Teres and Lapido were still very much alive and are seen as the leaders of the Elves in Cassel, they aren't actually the rulers of their lands. Elections are held every century or so for a new King (or Queen), and every adult elf gets a vote. This ruler forms the new government for the next century. During the time of the Second Vernador, the Elf King Series was the most notable.

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Vernador III

(770 I.A. - 885 I.A.)

Vernador III was a cruel and unjust king. He sent many people to Rosika to mine Aethercite crystals. He drafted many of his subjects into his armies to fight in wars againt other nations, especially Irellith. He also demanded that the Kings of Dorias drop their titles as kings. Eventually, several of Cassel's provinces were getting tired of Vernador III, and declared war on him.

This started the first Cassel Civil War. On one side was Dorias and the Elf Kingdoms of Lyonne and Ledo. On the other was Vernador III, controlling the provinces of Mataro, Aquarius, Wrethas, and Nessa. In 885 I.A., Vernador III was murdered at the palace of Wrethilin by his own son, Vernador IV.

The Civil War ended shortly after. The Elven Kingdoms did not pledge loyalty to Vernador IV, and Dorias claimed independence and became a collection of city-states once again.

Other Rulers

King Plumo

King Plumo of Ledo convinced the seven kings of Dorias and Queen Aeris of Lyonne to ally with each other against Vernador III. This proved to be successful as none of the kingdoms could withstand the power of Cassel's armies alone.

Queen Aeris

Queen Aeris of Lyonne convinced her brother, who was king of Faeon at the time, to send armies to protect her kingdom while Lyonne's armies were fighting Cassel. Faeon didn't want to risk open war with Cassel, but didn't take issue with defending another Elf Kingdom. Vernador III split his forces and tried to attack Lyonne anyways, thinking Faeon was a weak nation. This foolish move resulted in the destruction of the army Vernador III sent there.

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Vernador IV

(885 I.A. - 915 I.A.)

Vernador IV was as cruel as his father. With Cassel weakened, he attempted to conquer new lands by heading to Northwest Cassel, to the Kingdom of Marsan. Marsan wasn't having any of it, and with an alliance with the Elf Kingdom of Lyonne, was able to soundly defeat Cassel's army. Vernador went back to Wrethilin in shame. During this time of Cassel's Weakness, the tribes of Nessa broke away and ruled themselves, cutting Wrethilin off from Mataro and the Aethercite crystal of Rosika.

Vernador IV was known for going mad just a few years into his reign. He didn't trust anyone. At one point, he had the entire staff of the palace executed, had his brother and brother's wife executed, and also executed his first-born son

Vernador IV was ended in much the same way as his father Vernador III was killed. Vernador's Second son, Eldon, was the one who did it. Not wanting to take the crown of Cassel, he left, and much like the Vernador name, he wandered for several decades. Vernador's Wife, Vivian, became Queen.

Other Rulers

Reggie of Marsan

Reggie was king of Marsan from 868-900. He is known to have constructed several foundries in the city and turning the city famous for its weapon making ability, especially when it comes to swords.

Queen Aeris

Queen Aeris was still Queen of Lyonne during this time. Knowing that Cassel would likely attempt to conquer Lyonne if Marsan fell, she allied with King Reggie, and sucessfully defended the kingdom from Cassel's advances.

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Vernador V

(935 I.A. - 1010 I.A.)

As queen, vivian was able to realign Cassel with Lyonne and Ledo, and prevented Dorias from declaring another war. But her reign didn't last long. She died in 924 I.A. Cassel then went eleven years without a ruler. The kingdom quickly fell apart. the provinces of Wrethas and Aquarius splintered into squabbling baronies, argument among themsleves over who should take the city of Wrethilin.

Eldon Vernador, who would later become the fifth king, had left Cassel in 885 I.A. He is said to have wandered as far away as the Centaur Lands south of the Olimian Wastes, and as far north as Altus, the imprisoned god of giants. He was said to have even went to Tenson, a mythical western continent. He was also said to be the last person to have seen Saint Nora before the elder goddess finally died as a mortal and became the supreme judge once again.

When Eldon returned to Cassel, he retook the throne of Cassel as his birthright, becoming Vernador V. He ruled over Wrethilin, and parts of Aquarius and Wrethas that recognized his rule. About a year later, a Centaur came to Wrethilin, carrying a sword. This Centaur, Toxote, was said to be a king of the Centaur Lands. He presented the sword to the king of Cassel, then left back to his lands.

King Vernador V was said to use this sword to execute criminals. He tried to cut off the head of a woman accused of stealing, but the sword bounced off harmlessly. A second, a soldier said to be a murderer, was also unharmed.

The captain of the that soldier accused the king of granting mercy and using a magically enchanted blade that won't cut anything. Vernador V offered the captain to test this. The Captain laid his head on the block. Vernador V sliced the captain's head off with one clean swing. It was later found out that the Captain had comitted the murder, and tried to frame the soldier.

Vernador V is also known to have saved his kingdom from a devastating flood. In the year 948 I.A., The city-states of Dorias had started to worship a sea dragon, a spawn of Senget, the Wellspring. This lesser Senget attempted to flood Cassel, trying to raise the sea of Wrethas to its greatest height in many thousands of years.

Vernador V used the Aciam Fulgriff to activate the fortress under the city. the entirety of the sea was lifted. Vernador V then sent the water flooding over the Tsenae mountains, causing a cataclysmic flood of the city-states of Lycuria, Sykia, and Veria. The remaining city-states saw this destruction and immediately stopped worship of the sea dragon and once again bent their knee to the king of Cassel. Vernador stripped the city-states of their monarchies, and took control of them all.

The rogue baronies in Wrethas and Aquarius also pledged allegiance to the King. By the end of his reign, Vernador V has also regained control of Nessa and Mataro.

Aciam Fulgriff

Also known as the the Sword of the Judge, and the Sword of the Fifth, this legendary longsword is said to be unable to cut the innocent. The sword will also grow heavy and impossible to wield, even growing hot and burning the user if it finds them unworthy.

The sword is said to have other abilities, like causing blindness to those that mean the user harm (false), heal the innocent (false), communicate with the Elder Gods (also false).

One ability the sword does have, and has only happened once in history, was the activation of Sky Fortress Aquarius. This colossal Silver Age vehicle is buried under the city of Wrethilin, and has power over water.

Other Rulers

Toxote

Toxote was the king of the Centaurs. Similar to Elves, Centaurs are extremely long lived and Toxote was alive at the time of the Silver Age Cataclysm. He claims to have been captain of Sky fortress Sagittarius. Toxote learned how to forge all manner of magic weapons in his long years alive, and also knew the secrets to activating a sky fortress's long dormant magic. He put both into a sword: the Aciam Fulgriff.

Senget the Lesser

A spawn of Senget the Wellspring. This lesser sea dragon had absolute control over water and used it to threaten the city-states of Dorias into worshipping him. He then attempted to drown the Kingdom of Cassel. When it was realized that the King of Cassel had greater control over water than he did, Senget fled. Where the sea dragon fled to is unknown and it didn't play a part in Cassel's history again.

Kings of Dorias

Each City-State of Dorias had a king, but by the end of the reign of Vernador V, they were kings no more. Three of them died during the great flood in 948 I.A., four survived. For worshiping a false god that attempted to destroy cassel, these four were executed. Modern day Dorias has nine baronies and all of them still list their title as king of the barony they rule over, but they are not kings and Cassel does not recognize them as such.

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Vernador X

(1620 I.A. - 1635 I.A.)

Vernador X was a greedy king. He ran the known Aethercite mines of Rosika dry. The crystals in Rosika are known to regenerate every thousand years, due to the unstable magics on the island. The King wanted more, he wanted to power his war machines that he used in wars against Marsan, Irellith, and others. There was one valley he didn't go to yet, the The Sun Valley, where the Aethercite was in such abundance that it was visible on the forest floor, intermingling with the rocks and plants.

First he tried to be reasonable, sending envoys to the Sun Valley, attempting to ask the fairy Xana for the aethercite there. Xana refused. Angry, Vernador raised the largest army he could. He marched into Esurian. While his armies were camped along the edges of the Azure Sea, Xana paid the king a visit.

Vernador X was somehow able to capture Xana in a bottle. When Xana still refused to give up the Aethercite, Vernador ordered to have the fairy killed. Several dozen methods were attempted, from boiling the bottle, to attempting to smash it with a large hammer. Finally Vernador got tired of this and ordered his mages to cast every manner of magic spell on Xana, including Death Magic. Nothing worked. Xana then admitted that she was screwing with the king this whole time. Xana then said that the King needs to be punished, along with his army.

By the time Xana was finished, the King and the entire army had turned into bears and tore each other apart. Xana then took the King and the survivors and placed them in the Sun Valley where they now live as a warning to not cross Xana.

Xana also took the Aciam Fulgriff, which was passed from king to king for hundreds of years, saying the monarch of Cassel doesn't deserve that power. She kept it for hundreds of years and later left in a place for an heir of Cassel to find.

Other Rulers

King Òs

King of the Bears. This particular bear is a large black bear, covered in bright white and red markings, stripes, and dots. He wanders the forests of the sun valley, wearing a golden crown set with hundreds of aethercite crystals. King Òs is actually Vernador X, given immortality and forced to wander the Sun Valley for all time, as punishment for what he did.

King Òs didn't learn his lesson. That or he is spending eternity being quite arrogant. Xana claims she left the Doric Bears with their human level intelligence, but the king always attacks her on sight.

The Fairy Xana

Xana is an unbelievably powerful fairy that makes her home in the Sun Valley. She was a human born on the moon a few hundred thousand years into the Silver Age. She was blessed by the Goddess Kalbeth, though the exact nature of that blessing is not something Xana wants to reveal. When the Silver Age Cataclysm happened, the moonfolk were turned into fairies, extending their lives to virtual immortality and increasing their magical capabilities far beyond that of any other human or fey.

According to Xana, she would have let the King take some Aethercite from her valley, but only if the king went to the valley himself and asked very nicely...or brought her sweets. She claims she told the envoys the same thing, but the king didn't take her request seriously.

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Vernador XI

(1636 I.A. - 1710 I.A.)

Eldon Vernador XI was on the battlefield the day his father and the armies of Cassel were turned into bears and started ripping each other apart. Eldon was around fifteen years old at the time. Xana took pity on the boy and other squires and servants of the army and cast a teleport spell on them. Most of the squires and servants found themselves at the edge of the baronies of Esurian and Nikria. Eldon himself was teleported to the Sun Valley at the edge of a spring, said to be Xana's home.

Xana then appeared. Eldon, now knowing of Xana's terrible power, fell to his knees. He bowed before her. Xana laughed, then asked the boy if he knew why Xana spared him. Eldon said he had no idea. Xana explained that as much as she hated arrogant kings, the line of Saint Nora and the line of Casselian Kings must continue. She told Eldon that he was king now. She then tossed Eldon a fist sized glowing rock, an aethercite crystal that Vernador X wanted so badly. She told him that if he took nothing else from this valley, the aethercite would become a powerful weapon. It would become a necessary weapon of Kings for ages to come. Xana then told Eldon to leave her valley.

Eldon then spent three days walking through that valley. He grew hungry and thirsty, but didn't drink for any stream he came across, and he didn't eat anything, not of the berries, or the large, easily huntable rabbits in the area. As he left the valley, the aethercity crystal turned into a sword. With it was a note from Xana, explaining the new sword of Kings was named Bear Slayer.

When Eldon returned to Wrethilin, he was crowned King Vernador XI. He placed a ban on anyone entering the Sun Valley, for fear of Xana's wrath. Without the Aciam Fulgriff, he couldn't perform executions and let the sword judge people. Vernador instructed the parliament to elect judges and create a court system.

Bear Slayer

Sword of Vernador XI. This is a rather plain but functional longsword with an aethercite core, allowing the user to use it to cast magic with it. The Blade can be charged with fire magic and be used to slice/burn through flesh and armor with ease. It can't activate Aquarius, and it is not a sword of a judge, but a sword of a warrior. The Bear Slayer was passed down from king to king for the next 1300 years, and is currently in the possession of Eldon Vernador XXI.

The weapon is Called Bear Slayer, because according to Xana, Wolf Slayer was already taken. She also says she called the sword this name in mockery of the previous king of Cassel.

Other Rulers

Locaya

Countess of Azure, with rule over the lands of Esurian, Wheages, Gwerra and (on paper) the Sun Valley. Depending on the story, Xana was either going to spare the non-fighters of king Vernador X's armies or only spared them because Locaya asked her to.

After Vernador X's armies were turned into bears and finished destroying each other, Locaya ordered her troops to burn the bodies and gather the skulls. There is a temple at the base of the Nikria Cliffs overlooking the site of the battle. It has the name Bone Palace but is a tomb for the many thousands of people that died that day because of a king's arrogance and greed.

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Vernador XVI

(2450 I.A. - 2761 I.A.)

Queen Palmira Issia Vernador had a reign of 311 years, the second longest reign aside from the first Vernador. She was born far to the southwest of Cassel, in the Alluth Empire and was named after the trees that grow there. Growing up in Cassel, she wanted to go back to the land of her birth and explore the world. As Queen she funded numerous expeditions to all sorts of different lands, and is credited with starting both the Cartographer's and Explorer's Guild.

One notable expedition led to the discovery of lands to the east, across the Aetheric Ocean. In addition to rediscovering the Pharos of Nessa, a massive silver age lighthouse that keeps watch over the "edge of the world", There was the Empire of Xinopta, a nation of elves. When the explorer Karos Kole returned from the east, he had a memory crystal with a message from the emperor of that nation. What Issia saw was so terifying, she was afraid of what would happen if these elves ever decided to invade the rest of the world. After this expedition, she placed a ban on any ship heading to the East. She also set a garrison on the Pharos of Nessa

Other Rulers

Itzcoatl

The Elven Emperor of Xinopta. Similar to some of the Elves of Cassel, Itzcoatl was alive during the Silver Age. When the cataclysm happened, Itzcoatl and his tribe already lived on the eastern continents. With much longer lives, their empire grew. Itzcoatl became Xinopta's first and only ruler and is known as the Immortal Emperor.

Godly Avatars

Some things are different in the Eastern lands. Before the Gods were pushed away from Vreathe, many of them created avatar forms that would still live on the world. Thse mainly took the form of animals. In Central Vreathe in areas like Cassel, these avatars were imprisoned during the Bronze Age and in the Iron Age are still trapped in so-called 'temples'. In the East and West, these avatars roam freely and are greatly revered and in some cases worshipped by the locals.

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Vernador XX

(2911 I.A. - 2966 I.A.)

By the time of Vernador XX, the Aelurus Islands was absorbed into Cassel, creating four more baronies. While the borders continuously shift around the Dragon Marches in the southwest, at this point in history, there were now 151 baronies in Cassel, across 20 counties and two vassal states in the form of the Elf Kingdoms of Lyonne and Ledo. This country was becoming impossible to rule and manage....

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Vernador XXI

(2966 I.A. - current)