Edana Farrow

Written for Prompt 14 (2019 Summer Camp)

Written by David_Ulph

Empress Edana Farrow of Rumarsh

Sirra Edana, Known as the Younger of House Farrow, now of the esteemed Imperial House Dragorlan, Empress of the Great Western Empire, Queen-Consort to Emperor Julius Dragorlan, Dragoness of the North, Maid of Rumarsh

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History

Early History

Edana, named after her mother Edana Durna, was the oldest of the two children that managed to survive through childhood. Despite being the daughter of the Earl of Rumarsh, the Lords of North Dagorland, Edana was born and raised in the Imperial Capitol situated in the very south of Main Dagorland. Her parents ensured that Edana was raised in the company of others that would be in power when she grew up and strove to gain favour from the Emperor at the time, Marcus Dragorlan, with aspirations to become Empress to his son, Julius Dragorlan. In her teens, Edana studied in the Arcane Academy on the Faar Isles where she stayed in the personal villa of the young Archduke of Slinzir, Galivar Seeciro. Later in her life, many would claim she bore the Archduke's bastard children. It was during her studies where she heard word from her father that she would be betrothed to the newly appointed Emperor Julius.

Reign as Empress

While the Emperor was a great speaker, philosopher and influencer within the courts of the Capitol, his marshal prowess was needed to continue the wars with barbarian tribes in the Untamed Lands and ensure the Great Western Empire's borders were secure. Noted to be as intelligent as she was beautiful, as wise as she was fair, Edana Farrow was an extraordinary Empress. She was devoted and close to her husband - despite the spiteful rumours of her adultery with lowborn labourers - and the influencing and work she conducted in the Emperor's Courts in his name gained the woman immense respect from nobility and military alike, despite the main cultures' typical views of women.

Many Imperial Scholars suggest that, without the so-called Dragoness of the North, the GWE would have imploded in on itself long before her son and the last Emperor Doughtaticus Dragorlan came into power. On the larger scale, Edana near reformed the Court systems with the help of a young Kandar of Icedrake Hall and decreased the numbers of literal and figurative backstabbings in the den of vipers.

Additionally, she was popular with the lowborn in the Capitol, with many of the commonfolk actually knowing their Empress' name. Under the protection of the Eagleguard, Edana would walk the streets preaching charity and giving to those that need it most. Many charity schools and orphanages were established while Edana was Empress.

Dragorlan Civil-War

When her husband, Julius the Great, decided to take their only son, Doughtaticus Dragorlan, to the front lines in the Untamed Lands to the east so that he could groom him into becoming a true warrior and leader, as well as to gain respect from the Legions he would one day command. Edana, with her three daughters, were tasked with keeping the den of vipers settled. Octavian however, still offended by the choice of Doughtaticus as Imperial Heir, took there being no other male Dragorlans in the Capitol as his advantage and united several noble Houses in open rebellion against his brother. Much to Edana's dismay, this included her father, the Earl of Rumarsh.

While many nobles started to flock to Octavian's side, Edana used her manipulation skills to gain the loyalty of the most important and influential people to protect her daughters. Finding refuge in an Order of Saint Vortarius Temple, Edana ensured word would get to Julius and Doughtaticus at the front-lines to put down this rebellion. Before long, some Frontier Legions were dispatched to put down the gathering forces under Syre Octavian Dragorlan and Earl Andras Farrow in Rumarsh.

Afterwards, while Doughtaticus exiled Octavian to the southern continent of Sanaros, Edana deposed and imprisoned her father in the Imperial Citadel with her brother Gratianus Farrow being put into power and under constant Dragorlan guard.

First Death of Julius

The Legions had not yet returned from the occupation of North Dagorland when the barbarian hordes broke through the first line of defences in the Untamed Lands. Soon, rumours started flooding into the GWE that the Emperor Julius' health has deteriorated and had died. Paranoia spread throughout the Empire that Octavian had spent his year in exile amassing a mercenary army to invade the Empire and take the Throne for himself.

By the time the actual truth reached the ears of the Empress, she had fled with her family to the Faar Isles and the protection of her old friend the Archduke. Edana was determined to not allow her brother-in-law to take the Throne from her son like he tried to before except this time, she couldn't just rely on the military influences of Julius. Therefore, she sought the protection and armies of the secondmost powerful title in the GWE; the Archduke of Slinzir. The Faar Isles are positioned in between the northern continent of Elgerlia and the southern continent of Sanaros and the only known moderately safe route from the Merfolk Khanates. Therefore, Legions were raised to defend the Throne against Octavian.

Suicide

Before long, the rumours that the Empress was openly betraying the alive and well Emperor were considered as the truth and she was forced to travel across the entire width of the GWE to her husband and tell him the truth. When the Empress finally reached Julius and Doughtaticus, she couldn't seem to sway their opinions with her truth and Julius felt he could do nothing except execute his mother for rebellion. The next noon, Doughtaticus was expected to execute his own mother to prove his training and resolve to finally show he was the true Imperial Heir. During the night however, Doughtaticus, wanting to spend one last night with his mother and mulling over the idea of helping her escape, found Edana Farrow the Empress of Elgerlia had poisoned herself.

Legacy

To commemorate his wife's life, the settlement in which she died was renamed Edanopolis. The military town was then planned to act as the forefront city of the GWE's conquered lands in the Untamed Lands however, with the arrival of the Narradu Hordes to the front lines, the settlement was overrun just weeks before the Empire collapsed with the assassination of the Emperor Doughtaticus. Some Imperial Scout reports claimed that the settlement was in fact occupied by the barbarians and due to the lack of understanding of western naming conventions, they have renamed it Edin's Forts.

In the Capitol - after her body was burned and placed in the Mausoleum of Farzalinbar - the Baths of Edana dedicated to the Empress were built near the Emperor's accommodation, where statues of Edana, Julius and all their children line the walls of the Baths. Julius also opened up a charity school for orphan girls in Edana's name in the lower levels of the Capitol.

Family Coat of Arms

Personal Coat of Arms

Titles

Species

Human

Ethnicity

Coyedd

Religion

Order of Saint Vortarius

Culture

Imperial, Coyeddic