Ophenial Ward
Pronunciation - /oh-FEN-ee-ahl/
Were it not for its obvious gravity, one might mistake Ophenial Ward for being no more than a local ruler's fief. Consisting of a single impossibly ornate gothic castle, and the surrounding several miles in which the nearly exclusive industry is livestock production, Ophenial Ward is most notable for the perpetual shroud of darkness that lays over its border, plunging any who enter the Ward into the depths of a moonless night. Archon Openial, much like Archon Entaneta, is focussed primarily on his personal enjoyment of his position, though his lifestyle takes on a much more grim hue when the palor and occasional lethargy of his Bonds reveals the clues to his magical specialty: Hemomancy.
Despite appearances, the livestock industry in Ophenial Ward is not for the sale of meat, nor the enjoyment of its elite, it is the primary diet of the Bonds. The combination of physical labor tending to the farms and constant high-iron diet keeps the supplies of blood among the populace just high enough to support the weekly collection of survivable amount of each one's vital essence in return for their primary source of income. The constitution of Openial Bonds is legendary, as any who can't survive their weekly "duties" is quickly culled by circumstance.
The other primary export of Ophenial Ward are covert agents. While Archon Diyurgen uses his connections to have the information in his personal possession, bringing people directly to him, Archon Ophenial instead contracts out the use of his elite network of combination spy/assassin/saboteurs, each one of them a vampire, to anyone with the extravagant wealth to pay for them. The loyalty of these operative is guaranteed by both the Bonds' tithe to which they are entitled a portion, and the shelter granted by the magical effect which sits over Ophenial Ward preventing any untoward solar accidents.
Neighboring Nations
Related Ethnicities
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