Exsil Vis
Forton per salvo. Our motto: strength through salvation. I never understood it before, but I daresay the fires of the Islands have changed me forever. I have been baptized in blood and flame, stronger for the salvation granted me.The Exsil Vis family has ruled Voco for as long as anyone there can remember. While Voco's rights of succession fall to the most violent, having many bloody coups in its history, somehow the Exsil Vis family continually climbs to the top. Whether it's because of the family's religious entanglement -- their name appears in many of the Holy Scriptures of Vulcanism -- or if it's because they simply are the most ruthless family on Mt. Voco is anyone's guess.
History
The name Exsil Vis has a long and esteemed history upon the Island. It is said the captain of the ship that first landed on Voco's shores was an Exsil Vis, and that he made the decision to stay on the island when the rest of the fleet went on to the mainland. This is actually partially true, though the rest of the details have been muddled and lost in endless repetitions of the same stories, down through the island's history. According to Vocan history as it presently stands, the Exsil Vis family first came to Voco leading their people from persecution in Athering. They founded a new country on the shores of the volcanic island, following their leader, Lord Antonius Exsil Vis. Lord Antonius had seen his people suffer under Athering rule -- not allowed to practice their religion, which followed the One True God Vulcanus, they were forced to participate in Atherian cultural practices such as Goddess-worship, group marriage, and submission of the man to the woman in the household. Lord Antonius gathered his family and followers in several ships and they sailed across the sea to Mt. Voco. Their landing spot was covered in thorny roses, and the rose and mountain motif became the crest of the Exsil Vis family. Rule was established originally in the first place they landed. Over time the Vocans moved further inland, eventually creating their capital and ruling seat of the Exsil Vis family in the town of Clifton.What Really Happened
History tends to give way to myth in a remarkably short period of time, and Voco is no exception to this rule. It is true that the first ship that landed on Voco was captained by a person with the last name Exsil Vis. The rest, however, is a narrative spun not of whole cloth, but from real threads: divergent cultures causing conflict between Athering and Voco, who originally come from the same stock, and a group of settlers on the island who truly did suffer persecution back on Terra Mater. In the flight from Landing (The Crossing), not all ships made it to the shores of New Erika. Some were lost in storms, some to monsters, and some elected to stay at Voco as their new home instead of pressing on. The captain of the first ship to make landfall on Voco, one Antonia Exsilvis (the name was all one at that point), was among those who elected to stay on the volcanic island. A scientist originally and made captain of the ship only through a fluke, Antonia was fascinated by Voco's climate, flora, fauna, and meterological events. She was not alone. Many of the scientists from Landing elected to stay on the island. All of Landing's natural phenomena had long since lost their shine to the scientific class of the burgeoning colony, and they were hungry for new experiences. In addition to the scientists, many members of an ancient, fringe religion from Terra Mater elected to remain on the shores of Voco. They had come along as colonists to Zarqon in the hopes of escaping the persecution they'd faced on Terra Mater, but it had followed them even to this new world. They were wary, and tired, and Voco told them they were home.Appearance in the Libri Vecuivi
Interestingly, the name Exsil Vis (with either spelling) appears in several places in the Libri Vecuivi, the holy scriptures of Vocan religion. Much has been made of this over the years. When the Exsil Vis family is in power on Voco, the priests will say the appearance of their name in the holy books is evidence of their being God's chosen, the only family truly equipped to rule Voco the way it needs. When the Exsil Vis family does not sit upon the throne in Clifton, the priests will say the name is evidence of God's testing his people: the Exsil Vis are ignis fatuus -- demons, devils, mirages, sent by the forces of evil to mislead the holy. Really, their name just appears in the books because the books have been cobbled together over thousands of years of history on the island, and the Exsil Vis family is the oldest family upon Mt. Voco. Don't mention it to a Vulcan priest, however, unless you want to be burned at the stake for your transgression.Structure
Lord / Lady
The Lord or Lady Exsil Vis is the leader of the family and, when the family rules Voco, of Voco itself. While women are able to hold the title, there are stipulations upon it: a Lady Exsil Vis must be married, even if she is the one of Exsil Vis descent, in order to retain her title. Widowed ladies are expected to hold the position until their eldest child comes of age to take their place. Confusingly, the term Lord / Lady is also used for any member of the family, no matter if they are in charge or not. It's likely at some point there were different terms used, but over the millennia words change. The main difference in use is whether the title accompanies the last name or the first name. For example, the family is currently led by Lady Exsil Vis, first name of Anala. Her sister is the Lady Miranda. Their parents were Lord (Maurice) Exsil Vis and Lady Hope.Culture
The culture of the Exsil Vis family has long been one of ruthlessness and cruelty. The family's history is peppered with instances of patricide, matricide, fratricide, and even filicide. In the Exsil Vis family, only the strongest survive, and often that means killing before your family kills you.
Even when family members are not the source of immediate danger, life as an Exsil Vis is fraught. Voco may be a theocratic monarchy, but the people do have a voice: it rests within the guillotine, or stake, or any other method of regicide as may be popular at the time.
Exsil Visians who survive to adulthood are made hard by the experience, and this gives them the toughness needed to rule such a forbidding land.
Public Agenda
Previous public agenda of the Exsil Vis family was one of conflict with Athering. The late Lord Exsil Vis was happy to stoke the fires of hatred among his citizens for Atherians so long as it served his own needs. (Those remain somewhat of a mystery to this day.)
Now the Atherian-raised Anala is in charge, things are changing--at a glacial pace. Anala's public agenda is to keep peace with Athering and to reforge trade connections that had long since been abandoned. Whether her people will go along with her, well. That remains to be seen.
Assets
So long as the populace is happy with the Exsil Vis ruling family, and they are not suffering coup d'tats from the other noble families of Voco, they technically own everything within the palace in Clifton and the palace itself.
This includes many pieces of art, furniture, historical artefacts, and a large stash of family jewellery, in addition to the family vaults of coin.
forton per salvo
Type
Political, Family
Alternative Names
Exsilvis
Demonym
Exsil Visian
Leader
Location
Notable Members
Related Species
Related Ethnicities
Comments