Lumera
Kingdom of Lumera | |
|---|---|
 Coat of arms
| |
 | |
| Capital | Lumeris |
| Largest city | Seaport |
| Official languages | Lumeran Standard |
| Religion | Luminism (state religion) |
| Demonym(s) | Lumeran |
| Government | Feudal Absolute Monarchy |
• King | Darion II |
| Legislature | Great Council |
| Establishment | |
| 0 A.U. | |
| 154 A.U. | |
| 295 to 297 A.U. | |
| 343 A.U. | |
| 474 to 475 A.U. | |
| 488 to 489 A.U. | |
| Population | |
• Estimate | ~90,000,000 |
Lumera, officially the Kingdom of Lumera, is a feudal absolute monarchy encompassing the entirety of the continent of Solaria. It is ruled by the King of the Moon, the Sun, and all of Humanity, who rules in that capacity in the capital city of Lumeris from the Lightkeep. The name Lumera is derived from Arthur I Lumera, the legendary first king of the continent who vanquished the Dark Invaders.
During the Age of Many Kings, the lands of Lumera hosted hundreds of independent kings, who conducted frequent war, diplomacy, and trade. By the end of the Age of Many Kings in -100 BU, many of the small kingdoms had merged into twelve large realms, each ruled by a liege king and containing vassal lords. In -3 BU, dark entities known only as the Dark Invaders made landfall in Lumera, initiating a genocidal campaign of extermination and terraforming, using dark magic to wipe out populations and transforming the land. The armies of Lumera were crushed by the Dark Invaders, and soon large territories of the continent were conquered. Only through the efforts of Arthur Lumera, who many claim as the prophesied Son of Night and Day, led a combined army in vanquishing the Dark Invaders in 0 BU. Following the war, the shattered kingdoms united under Arthur's banners, forming the Kingdom of Lumera.
The Lumera dynasty ruled for nearly two hundred years. In 154, the realm sufferred from the Succession Crisis, in which Elyse Lumera was affirmed as a future queen through politicking and agreements. With Elyse's death, House Kingsbane assumed control of the Luminescent Throne. The Kingsbane dynasty was marked with frequent instability and conflict with noble lords. The realm was thrown into civil war following the ascension of Brynden I, as his popular elder sister Myranda lead a rebellion against her brother for rights to succession. While she was defeated, the war left the realm and the Kingsbane dynasty weakened.
In 343, Brynden II died without offspring, transferring the throne to Darion I of House Caedmon. The Caedmon dynasty brought stability back to the realm, and introduced reforms to the Lumera Codex, the list of laws governing the realm. However, their reign was not left unquestioned. The ineffective reigns of Dustyn III and Harlan II caused much discontent amongst the noble lords, particularly House Voss. In 475, Kael Voss led a successful rebellion against Harlan II, usurping the crown through right of conquest. Kael I's reign was marked by brutal oppression, instability, and frequent rebellion. The brutality of the Voss dynasty allowed for the Caedmon claimant Prince Darion to return from secret exile and restore his family to the throne in the War of the Restorer, killing the usurper. Darion's reign has brought stability back to the realm.
History
Age of Landing and Beginnings
| “ | We arrived in a land of shadows and storms, of mountains and vales, of sands and jungles, guided by no more than hope and the whispers of forgotten gods. Our hands built this new world, but our hearts still longed for the old. | ” |
—High Sage Sandor Weyland in the Histories of Our People.
It is not known if sentiment life existed on the continent of Lumera prior to human settlement. Evidence suggest a wide array of mythical creatures may had once called the continent home, though it is unclear if any of these creatures shared the same intellect as man. Humanity is not native to Lumera, rather they travelled to the continent from somewhere in the Outer Realms, the collective term used to describe the distant foreign kingdoms to the east and south. From -12,000 BU to -10,000 BU, hundreds of thousands sailed to Lumera, settling in different locations across the large continent. There is no concreate reason as to why there was a surge in human interest of Lumera. Some sages believe some threat in the Outer Realms had forced thousands from the home in exile, while many solar and lunar priests believe that sun god Aureon and lunar goddess Lunessa had guided their chosen people to Lumera, a homeland free of heretical false gods. This period of exploration and colonization is known as the Age of Landing.
The period of time from -10,000 BU to -1,000 BU is known as the Age of Beginnings, and was marked with the establishment of permanent settlements and proto-civilizations. What is known of the Age of Beginnings, along with the Age of Landing, is gathered from oral stories passed down over several generations. The practice of record-keeping, specifically physical record-keeping, was not common in Lumera until late -2,000 BU. Even then, the reliability of these early records not produced by sages of the Academy are still scrutinized.
At some point during this time, House Theobane was established by their legendary founder, Aedward the Sword of Light. House Theobane asserts that Aedward the Sword of Light was the King of All Humanity, and had led humans from the Outer Realms to Lumera under the guidance of the gods. While their assertions are generally rejected by the sages of the Academy, it is accepted that House Theobane is an ancient and long-lasting family, that could have descended directly from the first settlers of Lumera. It is also believed that during this age of humanity, the rivers and grass of the Redfall were colored in crimson red by an angered witch queen. It is known that the rivers and grasses were normally colored when humans arrived.
One of the few events known to the sages during this era was Ragnar's conquests. Sometime in -1,400 BU, Ragnar the Fearless, the semi-mythical founder of House Nordkavn, engaged in a conquest of what is now considered northern Winterholm, establishing one of the first stable and documented kingdoms in Lumera. Ragnar's conquests are only known because they a inscribed in the Snow Throne, the stone-made throne of House Nordkavn. While some details are questionable, the sages believe that the throne tells an accurate story.
In -8,000 BU, the religion of Luminism emerged in the dunes of what is now Sedania. A duotheistic faith, the solar priests and lunar priestess of the Luminescent Church preached the supremacy of the sun god Aureon and the moon goddess Lunessa. By -1,000 BU, the religion had become the dominant faith in all the kingdoms of Lumera. It is unknown what gods were worshiped prior to Luminism, as much of the historical record documenting heretical gods were destroyed. It is believed that the lava gods of the Magma Clans of Emberpeak were at one point worshipped by those who lived in the fiery realm, while in remote parts of Silverglade and Winterholm worship obscure gods not well documented by the Academy.
Age of Many Kings
| “ | The Age of Many Kings was a time of glory and grief, where crowns were as numerous as stars, and each shone bright before falling into darkness | ” |
—Prince Arden Caedmon in the Tales of House Caedmon; Sons of the Bear.
The Age of Many Kings began in -1,000 BU, and was a period marked with hundred of stable, long-standing kingdoms, which gradually dwindled to only twelve kingdoms. The events of this era were well documented by the Academy of Learned Men, which itself was established in -999 BU by Garth the Sage. Sadden over the lack of known history of the world, Garth established the Academy with the goal of recording the histories of the continent, though very soon this singular purpose was expanded into a dedication towards the study of all knowledge. By the end of this era, the Academy had seven different focused halls, and by the modern day as ten, all focused on specific fields of study.
In -850 BU, House Redfield was established by Gerwyn of the Redfield, who usurped the ancient Kingdom of the Red Rivers from his half-brother, Baylan Redrivers. From the seat in Reddingforth, House Redfield would soon control all of the Redfall by the end of this era, a feat achieved through a mixture of bloody conquest and careful politicking. It is noted that Gerwyn's reign was not unchallenged, facing seven different pretenders during his lifetime, all of whom claimed to be the son of his half-brother.
In what is now known as Silverglade, the Wyvern King formed House Verdwyn in -850 BU, and led a conquest of the kingdoms surrounding the Dark Lake. According the legends, the Wvyern King was born from a wyvern itself, and as a result he was half-man, half-scales. He was rode a wyvern into battle, which helped solidify his conquests. As of the present day, he is the only documented wyvern rider in history, a feat associated with a connection to dark magic and the mystic arts as a whole.
In -600 BU, Manden of the Oak Grove, a legendary knight and famed swordsmen, established House Oakgrove after carving out his own kingdom in forests of Brightstone. During his time as a knight, Manden was known as the very image knighthood, known across the continent for his chivalrous, honorable, and just personality. He soon became the model for knighthood across the world. He was married to Jeyne Knightlyn, who the first of twelve documented female knights in Lumera. Manden's son and successor, Gwayne I Oakgrove, conquered almost all of northern Brightstone, establishing the largest kingdom of his and his son's lifetime.
Around -550 BU, the merchants of Dunespire overthrew the Lord of the Spire, establishing the only self-proclaimed merchant republic in Lumera. The city operated as an oligarchy ruled by a council of merchants and burghers. Fifty years later, the street vendor Lysan led a successful revolt against the tyrannical merchant class and was proclaimed King of the Dunes, establishing House Lysander. In the same year, Gwayne of the Bright Seas inherited a kingdom centered around the city of Seaport, establishing House Seabright.
In -547 BU, House Pryde, rulers of the Kingdom of the Prydelands, was split into House Pryde of the West and House Pryde of the East, with the Prydelands split into two separate kingdoms. The reason for the split has been lost to time; the Western Prydes alleged that their founder Alaric was cheated out of his inheritance by his twin brother, Thaddeus IV, while the Eastern Prydes accuse Alaric of greedily splitting the kingdom and murdering Thaddeus's wife. Regardless of the reasoning, the Western and Eastern Prydes hold a legendary, and sometimes bloody rivalry with each other.
By around -450 BU, the kingdoms of Lumera had been consolidated into the twelve realms existing today. The Kingdom of Dunsbaria was ruled by the Kings of Mountains and Thornes from House Thorne, the Kingdom of Winterholm was ruled by the Kings of Ice and Snow of House Nordkavn, the Kingdom of Silverglade was ruled by the Kings of Scales and Shadow of House Verdwyn, the Kingdom of Emberpeak was ruled by the Kings of Ash and Embers of House Molton, the Kingdom of Calworthia was ruled by the Kings of the Worthy Storm of House Calworth, the Kingdom of Brightstone was ruled by the Kings of Oak and Stone of House Oakgrove, the Kingdom of the Redfall was ruled by the Kings of the Red Rivers and Plains of House Redfield, the Kingdom of Berlow was ruled by the Kings of the Grapevines of House Beryll, the Kingdom of Alterbia was ruled by the Kings of the Dark Hills of House Voss, the Kingdom of Esorough was ruled by the Kings of the Sword of House Theobane, the Kingdom of Sedania was ruled by the Kings of Dunes and Sands of House Lysander, and the Azure Kingdom of the Reach was ruled by the Kings of the Waves and Vines of House Seabright.
In -398 BU, the kingdoms of Brightstone and Redfall engaged in a brutal war over control of the Luminescent Isthmus, then known as the Solar Crossing. The First War for the Crossing was a brutal conflict, ending with the deaths of both King Corwyn I Oakgrove and King Roger II Redfield. Control of the isthmus changed hands over six times and saw seven wars in a period of three hundred years, creating an bitter rivalry between House Oakgrove and House Redfield. Similarly, in -345 BU, King Ryker III Voss engaged in a brutal invasion of Esorough, and after conquering most of the smaller kingdom by -343 BU, he engaged in a similar invasion of the Azurereach. He was slayed by King Corwynd I Seabright, and soon afterwards his gains were lost.
The time period between -300 BU to -250 BU was known as the Quinquennial Peace, as no new wars were started. During this fifty-year time of peace, the Academy expanded into each of the realms, relocated many of its unimportant halls across the continent. The Quinquennial Peace was broken by King Gaspar I Redfield, who led a host of fifty thousand men in conquering the Solar Crossing in the Fifth War for the Crossing. Although his son and heir was slain, Gaspar established Redfaller rule over the crossing for nearly a hundred years.
In -142 BU, disputes between the kings of Winterholm and Silverglade started the Mountain War, which ended without bloodshed. In contrast, in -107 BU, the rivalry between both branches of House Pryde brought the kingdoms of Alterbia and Redfall into a devestating and bloody conflict with one another, and resulted in no clear winner.
Dark War and Unification
| “ | When the rift was sealed and the invaders banished, we did not merely win a war—we forged a kingdom, born of fire and bound in unity | ” |
—King Arthur I Lumera at the Great Council of 0 AU.
In -3 BU, a portal between the world of mankind and the world of darkness was opened above the Dark Lake in Silverglade. As to how the portal was opened remains a mystery debated upon by the sages of the Academy. Some sages believe that the portal had been opened by a dark wizard hellbent on the destruction of the natural world, some believe that the Dark Invaders, the inhabitants of this dark and evil dimension, had opened it themselves using their own archaic magic, while others believe the portal was opened by the gods, who wished to punish mankind for a perceived slight, or test their resolve. Regardless of the reason, a portal had been opened, and soon the monstrosities of the dark dimension made their way into the world of man.
Encounters with the creatures of darkness was instant; the towns and keeps along the Dark Lake were sacked together in the Night of Tears with brutal efficiency, using dark magic and hellish creatures to wipe out the human populations. In response, the King Tyberious I Verdwyn, known as Tyberious the Elder, gathered a host of ten thousand men to take vengeance against what he believed to be an organized band of sellswords. The king's army was decimated at the Battle of the Sorrows River, not prepared nor expecting to face an army of hellish creatures led by silver-haired, pointed-ear dark mages. During the brief battle, Tyberious I was slayed by the leader of the Dark Invaders, known by the sages as the Dark King. Tyberious was succeeded by his younger son, Tyberious II Verdwyn, known as Tyberious the Younger, though he did not properly rule. Days following his ascension, Tyberious and his family were forced to flee the capital of Longnight, which was captured and burned by the Dark King.
From Silverglade, the Dark Invaders began the Dark War, a mass conquest of the remaining eleven kingdoms. Though the goal was unclear at the time, the Dark Invaders wished to conquer the continent in order to enact a process of terraforming, hoping to transform Lumera into a new homeland, filled with evil. With the fall of Winterholm in -2 BU, the threat of the Dark Invaders became understood by the kings of the northern kingdoms. In the Summertide of -2 BU, King Corwyn V of Calworthia and Queen Ashlyn I of Emberpeak combined their hosts into an army of sixty thousand men and marched north to confront the Dark Invaders. However, like the Verdwyn army before them, the Army of Fire and Storm was annihilated by the Dark Invaders at the Slaughter of Fire and Storm, and King Corwyn, Queen Ashlyn, and all six of their sons perished in the fighting. Like Silverglade, without their charismatic monarchs, the kingdoms of Calworthia and Emberpeak were quick to fall shortly after the battle.
With the north largely secured, the Dark Invaders shifted their focus to the southern kingdoms. While the southern kingdoms were united in stopping the Dark Invaders, many refused to work together. Ancient feuds and recent bloodshed prevented any form of cooperation, and as such the southern response to the Dark War was one of disorganization and disunity. In fact, it is believed by some of the sages that a war between Redfall and one of its neighboring kingdoms could have nearly taken place as the rest of the continent was conquered by the Dark Invaders. It was only through the efforts of Arthur Lumera that the divided armies of man were finally united.
The life of Arthur Lumera prior to the Dark War is a mystery. What is known is that he spent most of his early life in the Solar Crossing, and was orphaned at a young age. Whether he was a man of noble origins, or a spawn of the low born remains a hotly debated within the walls of the Academy. Many of the commonfolk prefer to see the "Sword of the Gods", as he was later known, as a warrior of lowly origins, while some noble houses claim them as a ancestor, though with little proof. Regardless of his origins, Arthur emerged in -1 BU as a skilled swordsmen, thoughtful strategist, and more importantly, the only person at the time to have successfully defeated a host of Dark Invaders. At the First Miracle, Arthur took command of a host of five hundred men, many of whom were peasants from the surrounding farms, and was able to defeat the Dark Invaders in a surprising and stunning victory, slaying a Dark Commander, who were thought to be invincible.
News of Arthur's victory spread across the continent, and with them rumors of Arthur's divinity. Many within the twelve kingdoms believed that Arthur's victory was the work of the dual gods themselves. These whispers grew louder after Arthur again defeated the Dark Invaders at the Second Miracle, and now many believed him to be the prophesied Son of Night and Day, the savior of humanity and offspring of the gods, a claim enhanced by his wielding of Flameheart, a sword that can be light ablaze on a whim by a thought. In late -1 BU, thousands upon thousands flocked to Arthur's war camp along the Light River, pledging their swords to his army. Soon, Arthur commanded an army of over a hundred thousand men, composed of not just peasants, soldiers, and knights but also lords, princes, kings. In a speech made to his large host, Arthur declared his army the Army of Light.
In order to properly lead his new army, Arthur created the Retinue of Twelve, a group of twelve legendary warriors who were given command equal portions of the army. The Retinue of Twelve included: King Tyberious II Verdwyn of Silverglade, known as the Black Wyvern, King Edwyn IX Theobane of Esorough, known as the White Sword of Dawn, Prince Clovis Redfield, known as the Golden Griffin, Prince Darwyn Oakgrove, known as the Oak Tree, Lord Davyd Caedmon, known as the Roaring Bear, Lord Rybert Medine, known as the "Smoking Tower", Lord Ash Asher, known as the Ash Lion, Lord Harwyn Voss, known as the Dread Bastard, Lord Augustus Pryde, known as the Red Lion and Lord Davlyn Pryde, known as the Blue Lion, Lord Duncan Blackthorne, known as the Black Rose, and Bradlyn Kingsbane, known as the White Crown. Loren Lysander, the daughter of Prince Lysan Lyander of Sedania and Arthur's lover, worked closely with the retinue, though was never considered a member.
In the early Springtide of -0 BU, Arthur gathered his massive army and cross the Light River, which acted as a boundary between the north and south. Before leading his men northwards, Arthur declared a holy crusade against the Dark Invaders in the Declaration of the Light River, promising to wipe their kind from the mortal plane. At the Saving of Medine, Arthur lead his massive army in crushing the Dark Invaders, forcing them from the anicent port city. At Medine, Arthur divided his army in half, personally leading sixty thousand men northwards towards the portal over the Dark Lake while allowing King Edwyn IX and Harwyn Voss to lead the remaining forty thousand men west to liberate the kingdoms of Calworthia and Emberpeak.
Moving northwards, Arthur suffered his first defeat at the Only Doubt, in which he was forced to withdrawal after suffering continued losses. The defeat caused some concern amongst his men, some of whom doubted his claims to divinity. These doubts were subsided with the Confirmation at Stonebridge, where Arthur defeated the same Dark Invader host with resounding success. Further victories made by the "Lightbringer", as he became known as, coupled with surprise victories won by Edwyn and Harwyn's army in the west, inspired men across the occupied north to revolt against the Dark Invaders, in what is known as the Glorious Rebellion. Entering Silverglade, the Army of Light learned of the Dark King's terraforming machinations, and rode with greater haste to the Dark Lake. During this increased travel, Arthur slew three Dark Commanders at the Battle of the Dark Forest.
At the Dark Lake, the Army of Light, composed of sixty-three thousand men, was confronted by the hordes of the Dark King. Estimates made by the Academy based on eyewitness accounts puts the Dark King's army at nearly a hundred thousand strong. Despite the odds, Arthur continued forward, allowing the Prydes to lead the army in the initial charge, while remaining behind to lead the second wave. A calvary charged led by Lord Caedmon shattered the defenses of the Dark Invaders for a time, allowing Arthur and Tyberious to lead a charge towards the Dark King and the structure he had constructed over the lake. While Tyberious led knights against the Dark King's vanguard, Arthur engaged in a duel with the dark lord himself, his fiery Flameheart clashing against the king's shadowy sword. Their duel continued for a lengthy period of time before both warriors stumbled into the portal. Nothing is known of what occurred in the dark dimension, but what is certain is that in their duel, Arthur slayed the Dark King, beheading the evil lord before returning to the plane of man. Upon the death of the Dark King, his forces withered away, seemingly kept alive by dark magic, and with them the portal.
Presenting the head of his fallen foe to his gathered army, Arthur declared victory over the forces of evil. Amid the roaring cheers of the soldiers, Tyberious knelt before Arthur, declaring him the true Son of Night and Day. He pledged fealty to Arthur, proclaiming his friend the High King of All Humanity. Soon, the rest of lords present in the army bent the knee to Arthur, affirming Tyberious's proclamation. Arthur, hesitant at first to accept the title, remained uncommitted to accepting. However, while traveling back to Medine, Arthur seemingly had changed his mind, and when his army was reunited with the western army, Arthur proclaimed himself High King, and demanded the fealty of the lords of the realm. It is unknown what had convinced Arthur to accept such a daunting task, though many believe Aureon and Lunessa themselves had ordered him to. Upon his declaration, he was crown by the Archons of the Luminescent Church in a rushed coronation ceremony, signifying his favor with the faith and the church itself.
While receiving the support of the northern kingdoms, Arthur had difficulty receiving the submission of the southern kings, many of whom resist his claim. He sent the southern members of his retinue, who were famed in their own right, to convince their kinsmen or liege lord. In the Redfall and Berlow, Prince Clovis was able to convince both his elderly father and Ryndall III Beryll to submit to Arthur through diplomacy and familial ties, in the Azurereach and Altberia, Harwyn Voss and Bradlyn Kingsbane were able to convince their own lieges to bend the knee to Arthur through politicking and coersion, and Esorough submitted to Arthur after Edwyn IX had died of old age, leaving the throne to his weak-willed son, Edwyn X. The last remaining holdout was Sedania, with King Dorian IV Lysander refusing to pledge allegiance to what he believed was a lowborn pretender. He was only convinced of joining the forming continental kingdom after Arthur pledged to marry his granddaughter, and secret lover, Loren Lysander. With Dorian's submission, Arthur returned to Medine, and amid an assembly of gather lords, was crowned with the more suitable title of King of the Moon, the Sun, and All of Humanity.
Lumera dynasty
| “ | Arthur's line ruled with the wisdom of ages and the strength of legends. Yet, even the brightest flames can be snuffed by the winds of time, | ” |
—Lord Randall Caedmon to Prince Consort Arik Kingsbane, 160 AU.
With Arthur's second coronation and enthronement as the Arthur I, King of the Moon, the Sun, and All of Humanity, he became the first of twenty-two kings, seven of which were of his line. In his first act as king, he appointed Davyd Caedmon, Ash Asher, and Duncan Blackthorne as the lords protector of Calworthia, Emberpeak, Dunsbaria respectively. His appointments generated controversy; the powers and limits of the king and his vassals had yet to be determined, so it was not clear amongst the lords of the realms if Arthur had the right to appoint their liege lord. Along with that, there were several other individuals and houses with stronger claims over the sovereignty of these realms: House Caedmon was a relatively new house, with little connections to the extinct House Calworth, House Asher was unpopular amongst the lords of Emberpeak, and while a cadet branch of the extinct House Thorne, House Blackthorne was the oldest of the Thorne branches, and their claim over Dunsbaria was dated when compared to the more recently established House Rosethorne or House Thornepeak. In order to address the concerns of the lords, and to prevent civil war, Arthur organized a gathering of the lords of the realm, later referred to as the Great Council of 0 AU.
At the great council, the gathered assembly of noble lords protector and lords vassals worked to determine the laws of the new kingdom. Two factions had emerged during the duration of the great council, known as the Golden Cloaks and Brown Shields. The Golden Cloaks, led by Lord Simeon Westmoreland, composed of lords who supported a realm governed by the absolute authority of the king. Many within this faction were zealous believers of Arthur's divinity, and as such believed he should wield absolute, and unrestricted, power as the son of the dual gods. Members of this faction wore golden cloaks, a reference to the royal sigil and Arthur's divinity. The Brown Shields, led by Lord Rybert Redfield, composed of lords who supported a decentralized realm, in which the rights of the nobility and the independence of the realms were affirmed and the king was a first among equals in the structure of nobility and power. Many within this faction had initially resisted the unification of the continent, and afterwards shifted their resistance to the unchecked powers of the king. Some within the Brown Shields continued to resist the idea of a continental kingdom. Members of this faction fastened brown shields on their backs, a symbol of humble resistance. Arthur I worked as a mediator between these two factions, working with his allies to ensure that both factions were equally satisfied. At the end of the great council, a set of concise and clear laws of the realm were approved by the lords and gathered into a single document, known as the Lumera Codex. The laws agreed upon by the lords include setting the powers and positions of the lord protectors, the king, and the nobility at large, and included the codification of basic common law.
Following the great council, Arthur I spent the rest of his twenty-nine year reign nation-building. Hoping to foster unity amongst the previously independent realms, Arthur I was influential in organizing treaties and marriages between his vassal lords, which he hoped would prevent the dissolution of the realm. This practice did not stop with his vassals; when his own children came of age, Arthur and Queen Loren strategically arranged their marriages to the strongest and well-connected houses of the realm, regardless of whether they approved of their matches or not. In the Wintertide of 6 AU, Arthur I ordered the construction of a royal residence along the Light River, one which would properly display the grandeur of the Lumera dynasty and the kingdom at large. This white-stoned keep, finished in 13 AU, became known as the Lightkeep, and soon afterwards the city of Lumeris grew around the castle. In 23 AU, Arthur I, accompanied by his sons, prevented all-out war between the traditional enemies of Brightstone and Redfall, an event which affirmed royal authority over the lords protector. At the age of 59, Arthur I passed on in his chambers at the Lightkeep, dying of advanced age. He was succeeded by his eldest son, Arthur II, and his funeral was attended by thousands of onlookers.
Upon inheriting the throne, Arthur II worked hard to maintain his father's peace, and the stability of the realm. Unlike his father, who was known for his understanding personality, Arthur II was stubborn and demanding. In 30 AU, he put down a short-lived rebellion led by Lord Sarwyn Yrenne, whose goal was to dissolve the kingdom in favor of the independence of the realm. In the following year, Arthur rejected the demands of the Chameleons, a group of lords protector who wanted the king to relinquish more of his power to his vassal lords. When confronted by the leader of the Chameleons, his cousin Lord Mychael Lysander, Arthur II refused to hold a second great council, and threatened military action should his lords have any more "bright ideas". The Chameleons relented to Arthur II, and eventually dissolved, acknowledging that their current powers were acceptable. The rest of Arthur II's reign was marked by continued growth, though his conflict with his vassal lords caused a number of incidents and short-lived revolts.
The reigns of Trystan I and his son Arthur III were both collectively known as the Reign of Good Men. During this fifty-seven year period, no wars nor rebellions were wage and the monarchy at large was overwhelming popularity amongst vassal lords and commonfolk alike. Trystan I, known as "the Tradesmen", oversaw the construction of the Royal Mercantile Fleet, a standing royal merchant fleet, and established stable trading relations with the Outer Realms. Similarly, Arthur III engaged in various domestic projects, the most important of which was the construction of the Great Golden Road, the road network that connected each of the twelve realms and revitalized trade between them. During the reign of Arthur III, the word Lumera began to be used to describe the entire continental kingdom, and by the end of his reign, the kingdom was officially referred to as "Lumera" by the Academy.
The "Reign of Good Men" came to an end with the death of Arthur III and the ascension of Dustyn I in 109 AU. While a kind man, Dustyn I's reign was marked with controversy and a rise in tensions amongst the lords of the realm. A man who refused to bounded by marriage, Dustyn took on many lovers during in the years prior to his reign, insulting his lady wife Queen Sara, her House Vandal, and many pious lords and commonfolk. Upon ascending to the throne, Dustyn was pressured by his councilors to return to the bedside of his queen, which he did so for a time. However, following the birth of their daughter, Princess Elyse, Dustyn again abandoned his wife in favor of his lovers. In 133 AU, Queen Sara died of an unknown illness, and in the same year the king remarried, taking his highborn paramour Lydia Beryll as his new queen, though she was not respected. She soon gave birth to Prince Trystan in 135 AU, who replaced Elyse as heir to the throne, much to the ambitious princess's annoyance. Prince Trystan was sickly at birth, and remained plagued with illness all throughout his life. In 144 AU, Dustyn and Queen Lydia both contracted a lover's pox, and soon afterwards both died in 145 AU.
As Trystan II was a child of ten years, the realm was placed under the regency of Lord Gyles Seabright, a close friend of the previous king. However, his control over the regency was not secured, and he came into constant conflict with Princess Elyse, who wanted to assume control over her brother's regency. Trystan II was a studious and pious boy, a product of a lifetime of being bedridden with illnesses. On the days he wasn't plagued by his sickness, Trystan attended meetings of the high council and sat upon the Golden Throne to hold court. However, by 147 AU, his bouts of illness became more frequent, and soon the young king was unofficially confined to his quarters, and to his bed, and by the next year it became evident that he would not enjoy a long reign. As Trystan II was too young to marry, and perhaps even too sick to produce offspring, a crisis of succession began.
In accordance with the laws of succession of the realm, when Trystan II passed on in 150 AU, the throne would pass to his elder sister, Princess Elyse. However, many of the lords of the realm took issue with this. Beyond the fact that she was a woman, many were not comfortable with her husband, the infamous Sire Arik Kingsbane. Known as a dangerous fighter and a dishonorable rogue, many within the nobility believed that the domineering Arik would dominant Elyse's reign, and bring about an era of tyranny, war, and death. Along with that, Elyse herself was considered by some to be as cutthroat as her husband, and could bring about such a reign of terror with or without her husband's guidance. Due to these fears, some lords such as Lord Rybert Redfield and Lord Sylas Theobane proposed the hosting of a great council that could elect a new dynasty. Lord Gyles, a rival to Elyse, supported the idea of a great council, and planned to gather the lords of the realm sometime in the near future to determine a new succession. However, Trystan II opposed the great council plan, and on his sixteenth nameday in 151 AU, he declared Princess Elyse as his rightful and lawful heir, a final show of resistance to his domineering regent and loyalty to his sister. A year following this, Trystan II died of his illness and the throne was passed to Elyse, who became the first queen regnant of Lumera. Her ascension, however, was not without complications.
Lord Gyles and a select few lords rejected Elyse's ascension, and attempted to prevent her from seating the Golden Throne. He challenged the new queen to single combat, citing the rights of nobility established by the Lumera Codex. To the surprise of many, the queen agreed to his request, though instead of fighting herself, she chose her husband and now prince consort Arik Kingsbane as her champion. The duel between the men lasted only half a minute; Lord Gyles was easily bested and slayed by the prince consort, whose skills with the sword were superior and legendary. With the death of the former regent, the lords who supported him bent the knee, accepting rule of the new queen, though some continued to plot in secret. Elyse was crowned in a ornate coronation ceremony by the Archons of the faith at the newly-constructed Church of the Moon and Sun.
In her first years as queen, Elyse continued the policies of her grandfather, specifically in relation to trade and growth. She oversaw the completion of the Great Golden Road in 153 AU, and hosted a gathering of representatives from the Outer Realms the following year, continuing trade between Lumera and their kingdoms. Her efforts won her the affection of the commonfolk, who referred to her as the "Good Queen Elyse", though she still remained bitter towards many of her vassal lords. To prevent civil war, Lord Randall Caedmon, the queen's lord president of her high council, enacted most of her domestic policies, and acted as a mediator between the disgruntled lords and the demanding queen. Despite his personal rivalry with the prince consort, Lord Randall served the queen loyally throughout her reign, becoming the longest serving lord president for nearly four hundred years.
Beginning in 160s, a divide formed in the relationship between Elyse and her husband, the Prince Arik, over his roguish behaviors and perceived slights towards his wife and queen. In 165, amid food shortages in Lumeris, hundreds gathered around the Lightkeep demanding a response to their hunger. Enraged that the castle had become besieged by peasants, Arik, of his own volition, led a group of a hundred guardsmen in slaughtering the assembled peasants in what is now known as the White Stone massacre. In response, violent and deadly riots broke out across the city, known as the Summerfield riots. A mob of peasants nearly breached the walls of the Lightkeep before being brutally subdued by the prince consort. After the riots were quelled, the queen reprimanded her husband, beginning their divide. In 167, Arik was the subject of controversy after he was revealed to have manipulated the resignations of several high council members in order to gain more influence over the proceedings of the body, and in turn the rule of the queen. The final straw in their growing estrangement was in 170, when during a jousting match Arik purposefully unhorsed the son of his rival, Lord Aethan Theobane, unhorsing and killing him. Following this, the queen publicly rebuked her husband, and exiled him from court. Refusing to exist under his wife, Arik took his youngest son and fled the kingdom, traveling to the Outer Realms, where he had befriended various foreign rulers.
Known as the Estrangement, Elyse and Arik remained out of contact with each other for nearly five years. There were strong fears amongst the lords of the realm that Arik had the goal of leading a foreign army in an invasion of the realm, though this never occurred. In 175, the two were reconciled through the efforts of Lord Randall, who worked tirelessly to restore their relationship, not for any personal affection towards his rival Arik, but for the good of the realm. Queen Elyse had grew melancholy without her husband and youngest son, and her sadness effected her ability to run the kingdom efficiently. Upon his return to the realm, Arik submitted to Esorough justice for the unlawful death of Lord Theobane's son, though he was able escape punishment after winning a trial by combat. Many within the Academy believe the Estrangement acted as a preview to the upcoming reign of the Kingsbane dynasty.
Queen Elyse ruled for a total of forty-two years, one of the longest reigns in Lumera history. After the death of Arik in 190, Elyse fell into a deep depression, and followed him four years later in 194. With her death, came the end of the Lumera dynasty, which in total ruled for 194 years.
Kingsbane dynasty
| “ | The reign of the Crown Kings was a storm, relentless and wild. It began with thunder and ended with a thousand shattered pieces. | ” |
—High Sage Sandor Weyland in the Histories of Our People.
With the death of Queen Elyse, the Lumera dynasty had formally entered extinction, and with that came a new ruling dynasty: House Kingsbane. Upon her death, the queen was succeeded by her eldest son, Quinlan I. According to the sages of his time, he was the perfect blend of his parents. He had the restraint, willpower, and intrigue of his mother, and the strength, prowess, and cunning of his father. Through him, House Kingsbane was respected as the new royal dynasty, though many worried how the kingdom would fare under their reign.
Upon his death, his throne was obtained by his grandson, Dustyn II. As he was five years of age when he inherited the throne, the young Dustyn II soon felt the pressures of the crown and succumbed to madness. Some of his courtiers and officials claim to have seen the king dancing naked late at night, or having deep conversations with the walls of his quarters. Despite his madness, Dustyn and his wife, Queen Wilma Caedmon were deeply in love and their marriage produced thirteen children.
Upon his death, he was succeeded by his eldest son, Quinlan II. His ascension was challenged by his younger brother, Prince Arthur, who challenged his brother to a duel for the crown. A skilled swordsman, Quinlan easily defeated his brother, though forgave him and allowed him to resume his position at court. Quinlan II's reign was a short one. In 277, thirteen years after taking the throne, the king was killed at a tourney accident, with a jousting lancing piercing his armor and his eye. As he did not have any legitimate children, the throne passed to Prince Arthur, who became Arthur IV. Some believed that Arthur had organized his brother's death.
A vindictive, vengeful, and unforgiving man, Arthur was known as Arthur the Black both during and after his reign. He was brutal in the dispensing of justice, ordering the hanging of every criminal in Lumeris in 279, and was uncaring for the peasant class. Throughout his twenty-three year reign, Arthur put down three major peasant rebellions, the most of any Lumeran monarch, and after each rebellion the king punished his enemies with cruel torture. Arthur's marriage to Lady Yolanda Voss produced two children: Princess Myranda and Prince Brynden. While Brynden was his father's heir, Arthur IV preferred his eldest child and daughter, Myranda, who shared his affinity towards strict policies. With the death of Queen Yolanda in 289, Prince Brynden was virtually exiled from the Lightkeep, taking residence at Everlight, the traditional residence of the heirs to the Golden Throne. In 293, Arthur IV became deathly ill, and soon died of what many sages believed to be some sort of sweating sickness.
Brynden's succession to the throne was seamless, in contrast to the coming events. A compassionate man who cared for nobility and commonfolk alike, he worked hard to distance himself and the monarchy at-large from the legacy of his father. In his first year as king, Brynden revoked much of his father's strict policies, pardoned those wrongly imprisoned, and revoked the appointments of many officials who facilitated his father's ideals, replacing them with competent lords who shared Brynden's vision for the realm. In line with his own policies, Brynden removed his sister from her high positions at court, hoping to tame both her ambitious and wrathful nature. Instead of doing that, however, the king had greatly angered his sister, who viewed his actions as blatant disrespect of their father's legacy and grew resentful of her new position with every passing day.
In the late Wintertide of 294, under the cover of darkness and with the assistance of those loyal to her, Myranda and her family fled the Lightkeep, journeying to The Vinery, the keep of her husband's family and the capital of the realm of Berlow. Among an assembly of Berlowish lords, Myranda claimed the Golden Throne, affirming herself as her father's rightful heir and condemning her brother's reign as illegitimate. She sent transcripts of her declaration to each of the major lords, calling for their allegiance and support. Many of these letters were personalized and continue to serve in the archives of The Academy. Believing his sister to be mad, Brynden ordered the detainment of Myranda and her family, tasking Sire Ryland Torrent and a group of twenty knights to travel to The Vinery and take her into custody. Upon their arrival, all twenty knights, including Sire Ryland, were killed by the guards of Lord Rymond Beryll for refusing to pledge allegiance to Myranda. Their deaths shocked an already embittered realm, and it was evident that war was soon to follow.
Upon the deaths of Sire Ryland and his band of knights, Brynden declared his sister, her husband, and Lord Rymond Beryll as traitors of the realm, and called upon his banner men. Many lords were determined to seek vengeance upon Myranda for the dishonorable deaths of Ryland and his knights and heeded Brynden's calls. However, many other lords saw their deaths as a sign of defiance against a weak-willed king, who had become too fond of the love of the peasantry, and joined Myranda. There were other reasons as to why some lords decided to join Myranda in her rebellion; some sought higher titles after being scorned by their liege lords, others truly believed that as her father's eldest child, she had a more legitimate claim to the throne. However, all rebelling lords shared a desire to return to the strict and harsh reign of Arthur IV, and regardless of their own personal feelings towards Myranda and her cause, they believed she would be the one to return the realm to the past. By the start of what is known by contemporary sages as the War of the Crowns, House Beryll of Berlow, House Seabright of Azurereach, House Blackthorne of Dunsbaria, House Theobane of Esorough, and House Asher of Emberpeak joined in Myranda's rebellion and formed the , while remaining great houses remained loyal to Brynden or in the case of House Verdwyn of Silverglade, neutral due to the regency of their lord.
The first battle of the War of the Crowns took place at the Lionsgate, where the Eastern and Western Prydes engaged in the devastating Battle of the Lionsgate, where both lords Pryde were killed by each other. Skilled in martial strategy, Myranda accompanied the host of seven thousand men led by her husband and Lord Beryll, believing that as the rightful queen she should have a role in leading her armies. Similarly, Brynden led his own host of five thousand men southwards, where he was joined by Lord Symon Redfield and his host of four thousand men. Although always near each other, the armies of Myranda and Brynden did not meet until the very end of the war. In the north, the armies of Lord Lochlan Blackthorne and Lord Magnus Asher launched invasions into Winterholm and Calworthia respectively. Although seeing victories at the battles of Caedmon Bridge and Frost Plains, the forces of the White Crown suffered a major blow at the Battle of the Hand in the Springtide of 296 at the hands of Lord Leland Caedmon, who lead northern loyalist forces in pacifying the north for the remainder of the war.
With the defeat of her northern supporters, Myranda led her forces southwards in Alterbia. She surprised both supporters and enemies alike in successfully defeating the battle-hardened Lord Kalvan Voss at the Shatter of the Unicorn and devastating his army with the support of rebellious lords. With the capture of Vossport, Myranda named Lord Gerald Grimm as the new lord protector of Alterbia, and ordered the executions of Lord Kalvan and his family, who had fled to loyalist strongholds in the south. After string of defeats, Brynden led his forces in a successful campaign into southern Redfall in late 296 and early 297, attacking the invading armies of Lord Edmund Theobane and Lord Beryll. In a bold and surprising move, Brynden led a small contingent of his forces in attacking the Theokeep, the capital and ancestral home of House Theobane, capturing the heavily-fortified keep. With the fall of the Theokeep, Lord Theobane withdrew his armies and returned to Esorough, allowing Lord Redfield to defeat a smaller traitor host led by Lord Beryll at the Battle of the Red Forests. The capture of Lord Beryll, and the eventual surrender of Lord Theobane in exchange for the release of his keep, provided disastrous for Myranda's war effort.
Desperate to defeat her brother, Myranda gathered a large host of nearly eight thousand men and marched northwards to Lumeris. There, the traitor queen believed that if she conquered the capital, she would be in a position to negotiate victory. The folly of such a plan was lost to Myranda, who according to many of her supporter lords had slowly grown mad over the stresses of the war. Learning of Myranda's motives, Brynden marched his host northwards as well, though with a considerably smaller host compared to his sister. In due time, the two armies met near the border between Redfall and the Capital, along an unnamed river. Before any battle could begin, Brynden and Myranda agreed to a parlay organized by the high sage, Winston Sunspear. Due to his presence, we know of what was discussed. Both the king and the traitor queen came to the parlay to convince the other to surrender; Myranda boasted her large army, while Brynden countered by saying she was without allies, and predicted that if he were slayed in battle this day, then the armies of Lord Caedmon would descend upon Myranda with such a fiery vengeance that she would be queen for only a day. At a stand still, Brynden pleaded for his sister to surrender, appealing to her sense of loyalty to their family. She declined, restating her claim to the throne, and that Brynden would die that day. With no other recourse, both the king and traitor queen left the tent and prepared their armies for battle.
The Battle of the Crowned River began the next day, with Brynden's host of four thousand overwhelmed by the eight thousand strong host of Myranda, who against the wishes of her lords, had decided engaged directly the battle, leading a vanguard of Esoroughish knights in a charge. When all hope seemed lost for the loyalists, the host of Lord Leland Caedmon emerged from beyond the hills. A combined host of six thousand Calworthians, Winterholmers, and Brightstonemen, Lord Caedmon had marched from the capital to assist his king in battle after learning of Myranda's movements. Upon his arrival, Lord Caedmon and his twin sons led a massive charge into the battle, sweeping the traitor host's left flank. In the midst of chaos of battle, Myranda and Brynden engaged in a duel, Brynden armed with Flameheart and Myranda with the legendary Beryll sword Grapeswinder. The better swordsmen, Brynden easily disarmed Myranda, and with no other option, he begrudgingly slew his sister, ending her rebellion. With their queen slayed, the surviving traitor host surrendered to Brynden. Fearful of his own fate, Lorwyn Beryll fled Lumera with his and Myranda's children, arriving in exile to the Outer Realms, where House Queensbane was formed.
In the aftermath of the war, Brynden pardoned most lords who joined his sister in rebellion, though took many of their children and family members hostage. However, he ordered the execution of Lord Reymound Beryll for his role in the killing of Sire Ryland Torrent, and the exile of lords Edmund Theobane, Magnus Asher, and Lochlan Blackthorne. He also affirmed the ascension of Lord Quinlan Seabright as Lord Protector of the Azurereach. With the war's conclusion, stability was restored for the first time in years, and the realm was gradually rebuilt. However, in the years following the conflict, Brynden fell into melancholy and depression, having grown to regret killing his sister. The last years of Brynden's reign was managed by his son and heir, Prince Brynden, who reigned as an unofficial regent.
With the death of his father in 320, Prince Brynden ascended to the throne as King Brynden II. He worked upon the reforms his father had intended to enforce, including issuing the Edict of the Royal Line, which reaffirmed male-preference succession to the Golden Throne. The edict was made to address the claims that Elyse I's ascension to the throne nearly a two hundred years prior transition succession to equal inheritance, and to prevent any of Myranda's children from having a legitimate claim to the throne. A bachelor who avoided marriage, Brynden remained without a wife or heir during his twenty-three year reign. However, he did retain a number of prominent lovers, who birthed children who many believed to be Brynden's own bastards. During a royal progress to Seaport, Brynden contracted a fever which became exacerbated as the day went on.
Believed to be pox by contemporary sages, Brynden died in Seaport in 343, without no heir. With his death came the end of House Kingsbane, though the dynasty itself continues to exist under House Queensbane, and without an heir, a succession crisis ensued.
Caedmon dynasty and present
| “ | They say the Caedmons are as steadfast as the mountains of their homeland, unyielding in honor, yet even mountains can be shaken by the forces of fate. | ” |
—King Kael I Voss to King Darion II Caedmon shortly before the Battle of Medine, 488 AU.
In order to prevent a war for the throne, Lord Perseus Verdwyn was selected as the lord regent of the realm by the high council until a new king could be chosen. In his power as the lord regent, Lord Verdwyn called for a great council in Lumeris, and invited lords with identifiable traces of royal blood to present their claims to the Golden Throne. Over a thousand lords, both protector and vassal, travelled to Lumeris, convening in the grand hall Church of Moon and Sun. While hundreds of claims were presented, only six were truly considered candidates:
Lord Darion Caedmon, the Lord Protector of Calworthia, whose claim originated from his mother, Princess Engele, daughter of Brynden I; Lord Haegos Voss, the Lord Protector of Alterbia, whose claim originated from his grandmother, Princess Suella, daughter of Dustyn II; Lord Caldron Pryde, the Lord of Lionsgate, whose claim originated from his great-grandmother, Prince Gerroldina, daughter of Quinlan I; Celeste Queensbane, the daughter of Quinlan Queensbane, whose claim originated from her grandmother, Princess Myranda, daughter of Arthur IV; Sire Leeway Breaker, the bastard son of Brynden II, whose claim originated from his father; Sire Arik Ironheart, the son of Lord Jaspar Ironheart, whose claim originated from the legend that House Ironheart descended from a bastard son of Arthur I.
Celeste Queensbane and Arik Ironheart's candidacies were instantly dismissed by the great council before voting began. Celeste's claims to the throne were forfeited by Myranda's rebellion, and even if they hadn't been, the lords wanted to avoid a female and foreign-born monarch. Leeway Breaker was eliminated after the first round of voting, as many lords could not accept his bastard status. In the second round of voting, Lord Caldron was eliminated for having a too distant claim, though his elimination in truth a result of the backroom intrigue of the Western Prydes. The third and final round of voting was between Darion Caedmon and Haegos Voss. Both men lobbied amongst their peers to support their claims. In a narrow majority, Darion Caedmon was selected by the great council to ascend to the Golden Throne and become king. Enraged at this, Haegos refused to accept Darion's election, though at the threat of arrest, he conceded and joined his fellow vassals in pledging fealty to the new king. A rivalry soon began between House Voss and House Caedmon over this supposed injustice, which lasted a century and a half.
In the Summertide of 343, Darion Caedmon was proclaimed Darion I, King of the Moon, the Sun, and All of Humanity by the Archons at the Church of the Moon and Sun. With his ascension to the throne, House Caedmon was elevated to the status of royal dynasty. However, Darion I's reign nearly ended shortly after it began, as when traveling across Lake Aureon to gather his family at the Caedfort, Darion's fleet was nearly wiped out by a massive storm. Only through the navigational skills of his bastard brother, Markwayne, did the new king survived. In recognition of that, upon arriving in Calworthia, Darion proclaimed Markwayne the new Lord Protector of Calworthia and with that came the establishment of the Caedmon cadet brach of House Stormforge.
The reign of Darion I was relatively peaceful, despite its unusual beginnings. Other than the ravings of his rival, Lord Haegos, Darion faced no physical opposition to his rule. The king and his queen, Dana Blackthorne, were popular amongst nobles and commonfolk alike. Upon his death, he was succeeded by his son, Arthur V, supported and encouraged the expansion of the Academy. He provided royal funding to the construction of a new central campus in Lumeris, along with the restoration of many other academic schools across the country. He was the target of an assassination attempt in 397 during a royal progress to Silverglade, where members of the Cult of the Dark Ones attempted to murder the king and his family in an ambush on the Northern Road. Following the attempt, the road was shuttered for three months, and most trade to the northern realms was halted.
Arthur V was succeeded by his son, Harlan I. Early into his reign, Harlan was incapacitated following a tourney accident, and remained in a comatose state for the remainder of his reign. His son and heir, Prince Trystan, served as the lord regent of the realm and the de facto king. He served honorably in his capacity as regent, and prevented attempts by the high council to force the abdication of his father in favor of him. The prince regent was not without enemies however, and many within the walls of the Lightkeep plotted against him. One of these shadowy plotters was his own brother, Prince Lyonel, who wanted the usurp the regency from his older brother. While no blood was shed during what was known as the Regency War, the two brothers fought viciously against each other for control over the regency. Trystan prevailed in the end, and soon Prince Lyonel was exiled from court. With the death of Harlan I, Trystan assumed the throne as Trystan III. Most of Trystan III's reign was uneventful, though he worked diligently in reforming the various apparatus of the royal bureaucracy, entrusting the operations of the system to the Administrator of Laws.
With the ascension of Dustyn III in 439, resentment towards the Caedmon dynasty grew. A stubborn and arrogant man, Dustyn III attracted the ire of many lords of the realm for his actions during the Soto Crisis, in which he prevent aided from being given to the lords of Azurereach against the raids of pirate king Salman Soto because of a slight he falsely attributed to Lord Henrik Seabright. He attracted further anger in 463, when he sacked the members of his high council and refused to appoint new ones, instead taking on the task of ruling his continent-sized realm by himself. The task was so strenuous that it is believed he had overworked himself to his eventual death in 463. Despite these flaws in ruling, Dustyn was a family man at heart, and is remembered fondly by those family members that knew him.
His successor, Harlan II, was a weak-willed and paranoid man, who relied heavily on his advisors, though never truly trusted them. He was known to retract edicts he had issued on days before, and was known for his constant rotation of high council members, removing those he believed were plotting against him. Like his father, he was a family man, though so much so that he neglected many of his duties to spend time with his wife and only child and heir, Prince Darion. Despite his failures when ruling, Harlan II cared much about his image, and initiated a largely successful propaganda campaign promoting his piety, compassion, strength, and chivalry. However, this carefully crafted image was destroyed during the Lake Crisis of 470. After his kinsman, Lord Reynold Stormforge, blockaded the capital in response to the king's refusal to accept his requests for more power, Harlan II caved to the pressure and nearly accepted his kinsman's demands. It was only after the intervention of Lord Philander Medine and the Emerald Fleet did Harlan refuse his kinsman's demands, though his inaction was noticed strongly.
The reigns of Dustyn III and Harlan II greatly damaged the reputation of the Caedmon dynasty, with the perception of the bear kings going from being brave and honorable kings to being weak-minded, incompetent fools. House Voss capitalized on this growing discontent against the Caedmons, especially under Kael Voss. A young man by the time of Harlan II, Kael gathered a cadre of supporters, all of whom opposed the reign of the Caedmons and favored alternative kingship. Despite being informed of this group, Harlan II took no action against the lord protector of Alterbia, as he believed he had done nothing to warrant any hostile actions. This proved to be his downfall.
In 473, Lord Kael Voss gathered a large host of ten thousand men and began a march northwards to the capital, with the intention of dethroning Harlan II, who he declared a tyrant. Despite the king calling upon his southern bannermen to take arms against the rebel lord, many did not. The lords of Berlow and Redfall took no action as Kael Voss's army marched through their lands, and some of their vassal lords even joined the rebellious lord protector. Unlike their counterparts in the south, however, the northern lords strongly supported Harlan II, with Lord Cassius Verdwyn, the king's marshal, organizing the loyalist armies. Despite being outnumbered by the loyalist forces, the strategy-minded Voss outmaneuvered and defeated his enemies time and time again. By the start of 474, the armies of Kael Voss had entered the capital realm, and marched towards Lumeris.
At the capital, Kael captured the city of Lumeris, and engaged in a siege of the Lightkeep. On the sixth day of the siege, he personally led his forces in breaking down the white-marbled walls of the keep, and charging into the sacred royal residence. Slaying the royal guard, Kael captured Harlan II and his wife, Queen Lyre Swanstone in the throne room. The king, stricken with fear, pleaded to the lord protector, offering to abdicate and flee the realm. At this point in time, many did not know what Kael Voss's intentions were. Those that joined him believed his goal was the overthrow of the weak-willed Harlan, and placing the boy Darion under a regency controlled by Voss, while others believed he engaged in such a act of rebellion to remind the king of the power of his vassals. However, all were shocked by his next actions. Before an assembly of his bannermen and supporters, Voss brutally murdered Harlan II and Lyre Swanstone, and through the ancient right of conquest, declared himself the new king of Lumera, to the cheers of his loyal bannermen and to the shock and horror of his allies. In his first act as king, Kael ordered the death of Prince Darion Caedmon, but as the prince could not be found, he was assumed dead and thus the Caedmon dynasty as well. Unbeknownst to the usurper, however, Prince Darion had escaped the Lightkeep with Lord Cassius Verdwyn, and was raised by the Verdwyn family in secret exile. With the capital secured, and House Caedmon supposedly extinct, Kael arranged a coronation, solidifying his new position.
However, his new reign did not start unchallenged. Despite his misgivings against Harlan II, Lord Reynold Stormforge remained a strong supporter of his kinsmen during the War of the Usurper, and refused to recognize the legitimacy of Kael Voss as king. With Prince Darion assumed dead, Reynold claimed the throne for himself as the next living relative of the royal family. However, his rebellion as not supported outside of Calworthia, and soon the usurper king defeated Reynold, ending his short-lived rebellion and his life. Kael used the death of Reynold as an example of defiance against his rule, and while many of the lords grew to accept his rule, others silently plotted against him. In Silverglade, the exiled Prince Darion was educated in the arts of politics and warfare by Lord Cassius and the select few who knew his true identity. By the time he reached manhood, he was a skilled swordsmen, well versed in the intricate politics of the realm.
Under the cover of a secret identity, Darion and his friend, Lord Tyber Verdwyn, travelled across the realm from 494 to 496, differentiating those who would support his claim and those that would not. During this secret tour, Darion stole Flameheart in a daring robbery of the Church of Moon and Sun. In 498, he travelled to his family's ancestral home of Calworthia to seek the support of his kinsman, Lord Mace Stormforge. After convincing Lord Mace of his identity by lighting Flameheart, the lord of Calworthia made the foolish decision to announce Darion's return to the realm, foiling the young prince's plan of receiving the support of all the lords of the realm before launching his rebellion. However, to his surprise, Darion received the support of nearly every major lord in the realm, all of whom detested the cruel reign of the usurper. Lord Roger Redfield remained neutral, an act of spite against Voss, who scorned his family from court years prior.
With the combined strength of his supporters, Darion was able to secure important victories against the usurper king, though at great costs. Many of his southern supporters were crushed at the Battle of Plainfield, and while Darion and Tyber secured the southern regions of Brightstone, they remained in a precarious situation. However, through Tyler's strategies and diplomatic maneuvering, Darion was able to lure the usurper king to Medine. At the behest of Lord Sylas Medine, Kael Voss was lured to the port city of Medine, where Darion and his army ambushed the unprepared usurper. In a duel on top of the walls of Medine, Darion slew the usurper king with Flameheart, ending his cruel reign and all but ensuring his victory. In a desperate act to prevent the return of House Caedmon, the five year old Kael II was hastily crowned as king, though ruled for only a few weeks. Soon, Darion's host had captured the Lightkeep, and unlike the usurper peacefully deposed the boy king. He was crowned Darion II by the Celestial Conclave in a coronation ceremony outside the ruins of Lumeris.
In his first acts as the sovereign king, Darion issued pardons to the lords who supported the usurper in what is now known as the War of the Restorer. He also pardoned the young Kael II and his infant sister, Kalnora Voss, allowing the two to be raised in court, though without any honors or titles. He did, however, executed those responsible for his parents murder, including Sire Paymond Roswell, who allegedly assisted in the death of Queen Lyre. In 490, Darion II led a host into Alterbia, supporting House Reever in their successful usurpation of the lord protectorship from relatives of House Voss. In the same year, he unearthed a conspiracy to overthrow him, executing Lord Sulfyr Yrenne.
In 500, Darion organized the Great Council of 500 to propose a series of reforms to the Lumera Codex, building upon his previous work. While many of his proposals were passed, those involved improving the welfare of the common folk were overlooked or ignored. This angered Darion, whose entire motive for organizing the collective of lords was to improve the lives of his subjects. Despite his anger, the lords were successfully in updating many parts of the Lumera Codex. In 501, Darion and his lord president, Tyber Verdwyn, re-established trade relations with the Outer Realms, bring wealth back into the kingdom.
The current era, named the Caedmon Restoration, has been marked by relative peace, stability, and growth. Darion II rules with both a just and guiding hand, earning the love of the peasantry and respect of the nobility. Yet, some say with this era of peace, will soon come an era clouded by the utmost evil of darknesses. Only time shall tell.
Realms
The Kingdom of Lumera is divided into thirteen realms, though only twelve are considered true realms. The Capital, the realm which contains the capital city of Lumeris, is ruled directly by the king and is not considered its own, independent realm. Each of the twelve realms were once independent kingdoms, and hundreds of years before that contained hundreds of other kingdoms. The political power of the realms is codified in the Lumera Codex, a collection of laws that bind the realm together. Each realm is subservient to the will of the king, though rarely does the king exhibit total power over them. Instead, the realms are governed by lords protector, who themselves act as both regional monarchs and regal viceroys. Most of the lords protector descend from the independent kings of the past, and as such claim historical control over their lands and have been respected by their vassal lords for hundreds, or even thousands, of years.