Kingdoms of Cassel

Xana

"One of the Seven Faithful Nations under the light of the Tower of Heaven in the shade of Meliheal, defenders of the wellspring, scions of Saint Nora, followers of Sillnos. Also explorers of far away dark lands, discoverers of exotic foods, and they perfected the art of making chocolate! This place is the best!"

Cassel is a nation in Eastern Vreathe that currently consists of three human kingdoms and two elven vassal kingdoms. It is one of the largest nations in the known world aside from the Empire of Irellith just to the west, and the Empire of Xinopta in the Dark Lands. The largest city is the Mesa city of Wrethilin in Aluviane. Other major cities include the Fortress City of Lornar in Verdina, and the Shining City of Tesiadem in Baileon. There are also the large elven cities of Delphia in Lyonne and Karrask in Ledo.

The nation was founded over 2700 years ago in the ruins of the Bronze Age city of Rekalo. The city was renamed Wrethilin and from there, Cassel slowly grew into a world power. Currently the nation is going through a crisis that started eight years ago with the death of the Northern King. The nation is difficult to manage due to the incessant power struggles between various nobles who constantly fight small wars against each other. Combined with the corruption in the government, the land is crushed under the weight of feudalism.

"Defendimus, Custodimus, Imperamus,
"Sancte Nora Per Virtutem Sanctæ Matris."

"By the Power of the Holy Mother Saint Nora,
We Defend, We Guard, We Rule."

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History

AUTHOR's NOTE: (1/10/2024) A much longer history of the nation is still planned for a chronicle and a separate article. Until then, here is a look at the start of the kingdom and its recent history

Founding (330 I.A.)

The City of Wrethilin was founded by a wanderer named Vernador. He was the son of Saint Nora, the Elder Goddess given human form. Vernador wasn't content in the civilized lands of Milcea and Irellith and desired to explore the frozen wilds of the world. With the blessing of his mother, he left, and wandered.

Vernador wandered for centuries until he desired to settle down and call a a place home again. This was when he found an abandoned castle peaking out of the waters of The Karras, the bronze name of the inland sea of Cassel and the surrounding floodlands. This castle was the uppermost portion of an ancient bronze age city, which itself was built on an even more ancient silver age structure.

The exact details for how he became Cassel's first king is unclear. One legend states that years before Vernador settled the island, human villages on the edges of the sea were being attacked by serpents. They went to Vernador for help, who they knew was a son of Saint Nora. He responded to these attacks by diving in the water with nothing but a spear. He surfaced three days later dragging a thousand serpent skulls out of the water behind him. The people were so thankful for his actions that they wanted him to be the king of the Karras.

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The castle that Vernador found still stands to this day as the uppermost level of the city of Wrethilin. Even as a Bronze Age Structure, it is still more impressive than anything Iron age humans are capable of building.

During this time, most of what would later become modern day Cassel was made up of many smaller kingdoms and unorganized tribes. The largest kingdoms were of the Elves. Lyonne and Ledo had existed since the earliest years of the Bronze Age, but like all elves, they were wary of humans and their borders were built up with walls and forts. It was Vernador that approached them with offers of trade and an alliance. The two elven kingdoms took that offer. Lyonne, Ledo, and Cassel have been loyal allies to each other in the 2700 years since.

The rest of the kingdoms at the time were splintered leftovers of mighty Bronze Age human nations that fell apart in the final war of the gods. Some of these kingdoms like Gwerra hardly play a part in the history of Cassel, while others like Dorias, Marsan, and the Diamond Kingdom, were in constant states of war with everyone for many centuries.

Cassel slowly grew over the 2700 years since its founding, until it ended up covering the entirety of the Intiabre peninsula and a little beyond. Every kingdom and every tribe here was integrated into the Kingdom. Some of the kingdoms like Gwerra were integrated without a fight, while others like Dorias and Marsan took centuries to fully subjugate. Others were allied with Cassel in the beginning like Aeris, only to later attempt to betray the nation and end up paying for it.

The two elven kingdoms became vassal states in all but name, relying on Cassel for protection, but were also exploited by the human nation.

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Modern Day Cassel (2973 I.A.)

On King Vernador XX's sixtieth year as King, he without warning made a decree that Cassel be split into three smaller kingdoms. He then gave each to one of his children. King Eldon Vernador XXI took South Cassel with the Mesa city of Wrethilin as the capital. King Brenon Vernador took North Cassel with the Fortress city of Lornar as the capital. Queen Larielle Vernador took West Cassel with the shining city of Tesiadem as the capital.

This caused quite a bit of strife at first. Brenon was in a long stable marriage with the love of his life, Eryka. The issue was that Eryka was an elf, and Brenon's children were half-elves. By divine law they had the silver trace, marking them as beings unable to rule a human kingdom. Brenon had to end his marriage and take on a new wife. Eryka used her influence to become queen of the elves in Lyonne, while Brenon married a woman named Maria to have a new heir. He then figured that if his father thought he was worthy to be king, he should have the entire country instead of just part of it.

King Eldon was furious that his birthright was divided with his siblings and regularly sent threats to his brother. A year later, this escalated into a short Three Day War that no one fought in. The two main generals never showed up to battle. By tradition, the kings were by their wives' side when their first heirs were born. Vyerin was born in the north and Aerynn was born in the south. Days later, Larielle forced her brothers to sign a treaty to end the war and ensure Cassel's stability as Three Kingdoms like their father wanted. In 2974 I.A. the Treaty of Three Kingdoms was signed.

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The Murder of King Brenon (2984 I.A.)

On August 17th, 2984, King Brenon and Queen Maria were assassinated, and Vyerin disappeared. What is known is that the King shot a flare in the sky bearing his symbol, but when the city guard got to the scene, the King and Queen were found filled with arrows. The young Princess Marla was safe, protected by the bodies of her parents. A search was conducted for the King's son, but Vyerin wasn't found.

During the funeral, King Eldon made the decree that he was taking over his brother's lands in the North. As Marla was crowned Queen of the North at eight years old, Eldon became the Regent. This only lasted a few years. in 2987, Maria was murdered and the palace at Lornar was burned to the ground...by order of the king of South Cassel. With no one else to take the North, Eldon made himself king of those lands. At the same time Larielle gave up her title as Queen of the West and disappeared. Larielle had no heirs, so Eldon also took control of those lands. People currently see this history as a bitter man taking control what he believed was rightfully his, but things are not usually what they first appear...

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Invasion of the Iruakint (2991 I.A., Ongoing)

It started around ten years ago, when the Elven kingdom of Iruakint, the Iron Kingdom, started their conquest of the world. They conquered Pellensk, chased the Gallesken king into the Mountains of Cil, made the Seven Elven Nations of Teross bend their knees, and much more.

Their conquest seems to be unrelated to any of Cassel's troubles. The Iruakint want to rid the world of every last human with the golden trace. So far, they have found no one with golden ancestry, but with the approach of the Lesser Moon Nodan and the return of their Lord Tazil, they are getting desperate and are starting to invade every human nation to find the last one. Cassel is weak and the Iruakin have found little resistance as they started their invasion.

They reached the borders of North Cassel last year, conquering most of it except the Valley of Kings. The Elf-Kingdom of Lyonne stepped aside and allowed the Iruakint to pass through, betraying King Eldon and the humans. Some human lords, such as the Ferretors, have allied themselves with the Iruakint in secret in the hope of ending King Vernador and taking Cassel for themselves when the Iruakint move on. This hope is misplaced...

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Powers in Cassel as of the year 2990 I.A. A conflict was brewing before the Iruakint's invasion. The Ferretor Family, along with their various branch families and loyalists, directly controlled almost a third of Cassel and wanted to challenge King Eldon's power. A further third of the country was neutral, unwilling to join a side, wanting to see how the conflict played out. The invasion of the Iruakint threw everything in the country into chaos...

In March of 2991, a member of the Golden Race of humans appeared in Cassel, possibly the last. Her name is Chryssa Sil. She was in the north at first, but has made her way around the east coast over the last few months. Her appearance in Cassel now of all times is strange but the people have welcomed her. Chryssa along with her three companions (Saya, Raini, and Myles) have performed numerous heroic deeds, making quite the names for themselves.

There are rumors that the missing heir of the north is with her. None of Chryssa's friends match Vyerin's description, but people claim to have seen one of them bearing the Northern Ring, an unbreakable marker of the rightful ruler of North Cassel. Some people claim that this same person wield's the Aciam Fulgriff a legendary sword from Cassel's distant past, that has the power to defeat all of the nation's enemies. Whether this is true or not doesn't matter much to the people who have been slowly watching their nation unravel over the years. They need a hero and leader in these uncertain times.

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The Individual Kingdoms

Verdina (North Cassel)

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Characterized by rolling forested plains, marshlands, snowy highlands, and a large chain of volcanic islands, Verdina is the second largest kingdom in Cassel. The capital is the Fortress City of Lornar in the Barony of Marsan. Marsan itself used to be an entire kingdom and an ancient rival of Cassel. This kingdom's distinct culture and language was heavly influenced by the elves of Lyonne, and that influence still has an impact on the rest of Verdina to this day.

King Brenon Vernador

When Vernador XX split Cassel's human lands into three smaller kingdoms, his second son, Brenon Vernador, was made king of these lands. Brenon was popular for the decade or so that he was king. Relations with the neighboring elven kingdoms were improving, and he barely interfered with the Lords of Verdina, with one exception.

Usually Cassel's many Barons and Counts are allowed to war against each other which changes land holdings all the time. Brenon outlawed it, and regualrly used Verdina's royal army and mediators to enforce peace. This greatly annoyed some of the north's more powerful lords, such as Countess Valeria Ferretor of Aeris.

After Brenon was assassinated, everyone pointed fingers at each other, though most of them would have hired the assassins if they knew it was somehow going to work. Eldon had to be quick in appointing himself Regent and getting Brenon's surviving child Marla crowned queen, otherwise someone else would have quickly taken control.

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Baileon (West Cassel)

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Dry and warm, with deserts, dry scrublands, dragon corrupted wastelands, and coastal forests, Verdina is the smallest human kingdom in Cassel. The capital is the Shining city of Tesiadem in the Barony of Mataro. The city is the first stop for ships from the kingdoms of Irrelith and Milcea, bringing goods from as far away as the empire of Tensen. There is also the Aethercite from the mines on the Island of Rosika, the greatest concentration of magic crystals in Cassel. This makes Baileon rather rich for its size. A number of Cassel's guilds also have their HQ located in Tesiadem, such as the Explorer's and Cartographer's Guilds.

Queen Larielle Vernador

When Cassel was split apart, Vernador XX gave the west to his daughter Larielle Vernador. Larielle was only 14 at the time, and didn't get full control of the kingdom until she 16. Vernador XX made himself Regent and kept rule over the West for those two years.

After that, between Larielle's bickering older brothers that were almost on the verge of war, the long list of suitors, the dozens of barons who sought to manipulate her, and having no idea how to run anything, she had an eventful reign as Queen of West Cassel. She was quite active in managing every aspect of her kingdom, much more than the previous ruler was, which greatly annoyed the lords of Baileon. She was popular with the common people though.

After Brenon was assasinated, Larielle gave up her lands to Eldon. She went east to the town of Farossa in the Ledon Frontier Lands. Occasionally loyalists to the Casselian crown will track her down, wanting her to take the kingdom back, but she is nothing more than a tavern maid and owner of the Beacon's INN now. She always sends these loyalists back west in disappointment.

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Aluviane (South Cassel)

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Arid valleys and floodplains, large sandy deserts, and snowy lowlands make up Aluviane, which is the largest kingdom in Cassel. The capital is the Mesa City of Wrethilin. This is where the Kingdom of Cassel started and slowly grew. Even as its own entity, Aluviane is still much larger and more powerful than most nations in Eastern Vreathe. It still has vast deposits of resources and large areas of farmland, and the country is natrually defended by a number of tall mountain range surrounding it on all sides except the south and east, which is protected by the icy cold of Nivema's Sorrow.

King Eldon Vernador

When Vernador XX split Cassel into three kingdoms, he gave Aluviane to his oldest Son, Eldon Vernador XXI. Just a year prior, Eldon believed that he was going to gain control of all of Cassel and has been bitter about this ever since. He wasted no time retaking Verdina and Baileon eight years ago when Brenon died and Larielle stepped down.

There was a lot of speculation about whether the three kingdoms would become one Cassel again, but King Eldon ordered that they stay separate kingdoms. He appointed himself Regent over them but mostly doesn't interfere. Wars between individual barons and counts are common under his reign and most of the countryside is ravaged by pointless conflicts over a little land.

Eldon Vernador is widely hated by the lords of cassel and the common people. He is also hated by the Elves. He is blamed for the death of Brenon Vernador and causing Cassel to unravel and fall apart over the years. Somehow, he maintains a grip over Cassel and has stayed the king.

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Elf-Kingdon of Lyonne

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Lyonne is the furthest north kingdom in Cassel and the oldest by a large margin. It was found at the end of the Silver Age by the first elves, who are the remains of the Silver Race of humans the Cataclysm destroyed most of them. The elves here never spready very far beyond their lands and the nation's borders are unchanged since the Bronze Age. Lyonne is mostly a large grassy plain in the eastern half of the country, and densely forested in the west. It is surrounded on three sides by tall mountain ranges and seems pretty secluded from the rest of Cassel, though the kingdom has been influencing the humans lands to the south for many thousands of years.

Queen Eryka Aria

Eryka was made Queen of Lyonne in the year 2976. She was always bitter that Brenon was forced to end their marriage, but she used the influence she gained in Verdina to win the election by the Council of Lords in Lyonne.

Known to be conniving and manipulative, Eryka has spent years making deals and bargaining with the rulers of other nations to give herself more power. She even used her own children to further her political gains. One of them was perfectly content being her mother's political pawn, and is now the Queen of the Elf-Kingdom of Ordland. The other two... not so much.

After Brenon's death, Eryka openly accused Eldon of the assassination. She canceled trade deals with Cassel and put soldiers on Lyonne's southern border, in watch towers that were abadoned for at least a thousand years. Recently, she closed the border to any human entering or leaving. Eryka didn't ally herself with the Iruakint, but she did allow them to pass through her lands, allowing them to hunt down the last golden human with no resistance.

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Elf-Kingdon of Ledo

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Ledo was founded at roughly the same time as Lyonne was at the beginning of the Bronze Age, and there is great disagreement over which kingdom came first. This new kingdom of Ledo quickly grew to cover the forested valleys and highlands of the area and today Ledo covers much of Eastern Cassel. Similar to Lyonne, Ledo is surrounded almost entirely by mountains and even most of its coastal lands are actually almost a thousand meters up on high cliffs. The kingdom has had some influence on Cassel over the course of the Iron Age, but they mostly keep to themselves, knowing they can weather and outlast any trouble that hits the human lands.

King Fraye

King Fraye is one of the oldest elves on Vreathe and one of three known living elves that were among the very first ones. He claims to have been born in the year 254 kSA, about a thousand years before the Silver Age Cataclysm. He was already an old silver human at the time he was transformed into an elf. Fraye led the survivors out of the newly created Olimian Wastes, and led them to the forests of Ledo, where he was made the king.

Fraye's mind is starting to go in his extreme old age, proving that even elves might not be immortal. He hasn't ruled Ledo directly in several thousand years, instead relying on a council of Lords to do it instead. These lords have for a long time wanted to get rid of Fraye and elect a new ruler, similer to Lyonne's system.

Having been loyal to the elder gods, and persoanlly knowing one of them, Fraye tolerates Nora's descendants the Vernadors, and has occasionally had to interfere with Cassel's history to ensure it stays on track. What that track is, only powerful beings like Fraye would know.

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Government

Cassel has been around for 2700 years in an unbroken line of kings. Institutions were created and grew organically as the kingdom needed them. While most nations have had some sort of major government reforms through the history of the Iron Age, Cassel's reforms have always been very minor. This has caused the government of Cassel to be an incomprehensible mess of kingdoms within kingdoms and a nobility that is bloated and impossible to control.

Monarchy

The Monarchy was once absolute, but in current times, the king only has specific powers. The head of state is the King of Cassel, who is also an Exarch of The Church of Saint Nora, which makes them in charge of the religion of the state. The King cannot levy taxes directly, but they have authorization from the legislature on how they can raise funds. The one thing the king still has absolute control over is the military. They can decide troop movements, and can decide whether to declare wars or call for peace.

legislature

For every other national matter, there is a bicameral legislature that passes bills that are then signed into law by the king. There is a lower house of 600 'common lords' and an upper house of 201 higher lords consisting of Barons, Counts, and Kings, as well as the council of high judges, each of the two elven supreme judges, and anyone who has a high military rank.

The upper house can either have the office holder participate directly or they can appoint a lower lord to vote in their place. Elections are held only for the house of common lords, and there is a requirement of being part of the nobility to even run for this office, which requires being granted an official title of peerage or being promoted to a high enough rank in the military.

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The original authority for Cassel's existence and the power of the King comes directly from Saint Nora herself, and this authority is depicted with this royal seal. Other than that... things get messy quickly...

Court System

Traditionally, the King of Cassel is the head of the court system, but in reality, there is a council of 7 high judges that make decisions about the laws of the land, and everyone is subject to these decisions, even the King of Cassel. There is also a court of judges in each of the 21 Counties of Cassel, plus a supreme judge in each of the elven kingdoms. Each barony within a county also has a council of judges composed of between three and five local judicial officials.

Nobility

Casselian Nobility is the only thing that is sort of simple about Cassel's government. There are around three thousand titles of nobility in Cassel, with some people carrying more than one title (King Eldon Vernador has at least twelve titles). The ranks of nobility from highest to lowest are as follows: High King (the King of Cassel), King (The Elven monarchs), Count, Baron, Lord. Barons that are in charge of a March are called a Marquis instead.

Military Officers also gain titles of nobility at high ranks unless they already hold a title. A Captain has the rank of Lord. Vice Generals and Vice Admirals have the rank of baron. Generals and Admirals have the rank of count. This only applies to Cassel Royal army and Navy. Each barony and county is allowed to have their own standing army, and lower ranks of nobility are granted at the discretion of anyone who is a Baron or higher.

The nobility system used to be much more complex with marquesses and dukes, and several titles to distinguish between lords that own land and don't own land, that are allowed to pay taxed and those that do not, but this was done away with in one of the kingdom's only serious reforms about a century ago.

Local Governments

Locally, the government of each county is run as the lords there see fit, which has led to many counties having its own unique government system. Rosika for example is sort of a republic, and the Count of Rosika locally called the High Council and is elected to that position every ten years by the three Barons of Rosika. These too are elected positions from among the various lords of the island. In the counties of Nessa, Azure, and Aelurus, elections are held every ten years to elect the allotted barons and then these barons elect a Count. The difference in these three counties compared to Rosika is that anyone can be elected to this position, who are then granted a temporary title of nobility for as long as they hold office.