Kingdom of Silverspire

The **Kingdom of Silverspire**, also called the **Kingdom of Dawn and Dusk**, is a Breton realm in central High Rock.

Since the death of Henri X in 2E 612, the land is engulfed in civil strife. Though the younger son, Henri Victorien was granted the crown in Silverspire. Charles Philip, the elder son of Henri X, rules from Darkshard and is the chief pretender to the realm.

## **Geography**

Marked by mountain and valley, the land of SIlverspire is in parts a terrain most treacherous for the unaccustomed and the unguided. It is a wilderness of country and beast; hill and valley. Thick forests, said to be High Rock’s most dense, spot the realm. Rivers and streams flow across the landscape, their primary source troubling the scholars for centuries. In spite of its dangers, posed by tall spires, sharp cliffs, and great waterfalls, it is considered by many to be a rare paradise. Much of the kingdom remains untouched by man or mer.

Found in the central part of Bretony, at the heart of the Great Bay, the kingdom is bordered by a number of realms friendly and otherwise. There is a natural defence in the kingdom’s mountain ranges and treelines, which form natural borders along all fronts. The royal demesne, else called the Crownlands, has but two passages by which one may enter it. The realm’s strength lies in these ranges, which have proven vital in the wars of old. Said to be raised by Father Armand in a display of divine power, many of the peaks are considered sacred; some are today sites of pilgrimage for the faithful.

Though the realm’s coastline is that of the Northern Sea, a vicious water of rocks and storms, Silverspire is for the most part saved by its position. Much of the sea’s destructive force is reduced by the lands to the east and west.

## **Timeline**

#### **Reign of King Henri VIII *(543 - 559)***

**2E 558 — Prince Henri Philip is born *(55 years ago)*.**

* He is the only child of Prince Henri Charles and Elisabeth of Darkshard.

**2E 559 — King Henri VIII dies *(54 years ago)*.**

* The king succumbs to blood rot, the disease having long troubled him.
* Prince Henri Charles, the king’s eldest son, ascends to the throne as Henri IX.

#### **Reign of King Henri IX *(559 - 570)***

**2E 570 — King Henri IX dies *(43 years ago)*.**

* The king succumbs to undiagnosed chrondiasis. There is rumour that of intentional malpractice on the part of the court healers.
* Prince Henri Philip, the king’s only child, ascends to the throne under a regency as Henri X.
* This regency is led by the Duke of Talonmere, the king’s uncle.

#### **Talonmere Regency *(570 - 573)***

**2E 572 — King Charles II of Darkshard dies *(41 years ago)*.**

* His death, caused by seemingly incurable Knahaten Flu, was late yet deemed to be inevitable.
* The throne of Darkshard passes to neither the king’s daughter, Elisabeth, nor his grandson, Henri X. Instead, it would go to his distant cousin, Duke Charles.

**2E 573 — The Regency over Henri X ends *(40 years ago)*.**

* While hunting, Henri X escapes his watchers. Returning to the capital a day later with a company of knights, he demands his uncle surrender his role as Lord Protector.
* Talonmere, hoping for a favourable outcome and position in the King’s court, complies. He is arrested a fortnight later and stripped of his titles on charges of treason.
* The king declares his right to the throne of Darkshard, amassing an army in preparation for an invasion.

#### **Reign of King Henri X *(573 - 612)***

**2E 575 — The Kingdom of Silverspire declares war upon the Kingdom of Darkshard *(38 years ago)*.**

* The king personally leads the royal force, his court itinerant during this time.

**2E 583 — The Kingdom of Silverspire is victorious over the Kingdom of Darkshard *(30 years ago)*.**

* Henri X of Silverspire is proclaimed Henri IV of Darkshard. The king remains in the capital (of the same name) for some weeks, taking oaths of fealty.

**2E 585 — King Henri X marries Laurette Bailleval *(28 years ago)*.**

* She is the daughter of Earl Raymond Bailleval, the strongest nobleman in Darkshard.
* The marriage is chiefly organised by Duke Kingsford, the Grand Chancellor.

**2E 588 — Prince Charles Philip is born *(25 years ago)*.**

* He is the only child of King Henri X and Queen Laurette Bailleval.
* There is rumour of infidelity on the queen’s part, bringing the prince’s legitimacy into question.

**2E 590 — Queen Laurette is expelled from the royal court *(23 years ago)*.**

* The king seeks an end to his marriage, requesting the Grand Priest of Dawn annul it. He is denied.

**2E 591 — Earl Raymond Bailleval revolts *(22 years ago)*.**

* Though still married to Laurette, Henri forms a romantic relationship with Victoire Cabourg, the daughter of the Duke of Eastbourn. Their courtship is a public affair.

* An outraged Earl Raymond demands the King break off his affair and return the Queen to the royal court. When ignored, he launches a revolt in Darkshard.

**2E 592 — Queen Laurette is executed by hanging *(21 years ago)*.**

* She is accused and quickly found guilty of treasonous conspiracy, said to be in league with her father.
* The execution prompts a larger uprising in Darkshard.
* The king shortly thereafter marries Victoire Cabourg.
* Prince Henri Victorien, the king’s second child, is born at the end of the year.

**2E 595 — The King is victorious over the Darkshard Uprising *(18 years ago)*.**

* The rebellious nobles are met with gruesome ends.
* Earl Raymond is shackled and later brought to Silverspire, where he is cast off the peak of the mountain.
* Henri X replaces much of the Darkshard nobility with Silvermen.

**2E 597 — Princess Emma Melisande is born *(16 years ago)*.**

* She is the third and last child of King Henri X, his second with Queen Victoire.

**2E 610 — King Henri X raises the tax burden of the Southern Baronies *(3 years ago)*.**

* Henri X seeks to weaken the oft-troublesome barons and break the coalition.

**2E 612 — King Henri X dies *(1 year ago)*.**

* The king is killed in a hunting accident. There is rumour that his death may have been arranged by the disgruntled southern barons.
* A council in Silverspire elects that the King’s second son, born to a silver mother and of undoubtful legitimacy, should succeed him.
* Prince Henri Victorien, the king’s second son, ascends to the throne as Henri XI.
* Prince Charles Philip, the king’s first son, inherits the Kingdom of Darkshard. He thereafter presses his claim to the Kingdom of Silverspire.

## **Government**

The political situation of Silverspire is one of two distinct spheres. The first is of landholding and feudalism; the second is of crown authority and central government.

### **Feudalism**

The landed nobility, the Lords of the realm, are required to make military and monetary contributions to the King. In return, land and protection are afforded to these nobles. This is an ancient system, not one unique to Silverspire, and is for many sacred.

There exists both a Royal Army and a Royal Navy. These professional forces are kept even in times of peace, taking regular conscripts from the realm in a move away from the traditional feudal societies of High Rock. These forces, unlike the levies and banners raised during wartime, is truly the crown’s own.

Some small amount of overlap in the landed titles of Silverspire exists, coming from a history of absorption and a culture of ostentatiousness. There remains a clear hierarchy, though this is not always reflected in real terms:

### **The King**

The Prince of Goldenheight

The Dukes of the Realm

The Marquesses of the Realm

The Earls and the Counts of the Realm

The Barons of the Realm

Without exception, these titles are hereditary and bound to the laws of noble inheritance outlined in the Black Book.

### **Parliament**

The institution of Parliament is a body chiefly responsible for legislation. Parliament and its upkeep is considered to be a right of the King’s subjects; noble and otherwise.

Larger meetings are hosted at the pleasure of the king, while smaller meetings might occur as often as every week. These smaller gatherings are most commonly held to review laws and create suggestions for laws. While the realm is ruled in a sense by decree, all legal acts must be passed by Parliament to be considered wholly legitimate.

There exists an Upper House, called the Phoenix Hall, reserved for the nobility and the clergy, and a Lower House, called the Stag Hall, reserved for the burgher class.

In the Stag Hall are many members, all elected by the wealthy citizens of the realm. These members, commonly well-read in law, can be expected to be paid handsomely, though their exact influence rarely surpasses that of the nobleman whose territory they come from. In parts of the kingdom with a weaker burgher or guild presence, members of the Stag Hall are often beholden to the local Earl or Count.

### **The Grand Council**

Six Grand Officers are regarded as the most powerful figures in the realm after the King. Responsible for high government, these individuals are necessarily noblemen; a commoner appointed would first need to be granted a noble title.

Also referred to as the King’s Councillors, they are generally expected to remain in the capital.

In order of rank:

The Grand Steward

The Grand Chancellor

The Grand Admiral

The Grand Treasurer

The Grand Marshal

In addition to these five secular roles are the Grand Priests of the Temple: that of Dawn and that of Dusk.

The current makeup of the Grand Council is as follows:

* **Martin Geraise**, the Duke of Northmarch, serves as Grand Admiral since 2E 601.

[-]

### **The Lower Council**

Lower councillors belong to a body of civil servants with various duties. Chiefly responsible for supplying the Grand Council with information, Lower Councillors perform regular censuses and studies of the land. To join the Lower Council, one might be appointed by a Grand Officer or the King himself. A Lower Councillor can expect to serve for life.

## **Religion**

The Temple of Magnus, also called the Temple of Dawn and Dusk and the Armandian Temple, is the monolithic faith of the realm; its authority and influence never matched by any other temple.

An ancient religion, the Temple was founded by Father Armand. A legendary figure around whom much myth and story exists, Armand is considered to be greater than any saint. Though on occasion referred to as the son or scion of Magnus, the prevailing orthodoxy on this relationship is that it is one of fostering and wardship.

Led by two co-rulers, the Grand Priests of Dawn and Dusk, the Temple holds that there exists only one divine: Magnus. All other divine figures are deemed to be corruptions, wrongly apotheosised saints, or mistaken identities of Magnus. Auriel and Julianos, for example, are held to be great saints - but no more than that. The Temple is rather novel in this monotheism.

The two sections of the Temple, considered equal and twin pairs, are that of Dawn and that of Dusk. It is said that Magnus smiles on those loved by the Dawn, and that he frowns on those not; that he protects those loved by the Dusk, and that he leaves defenceless those not.

The Temple of Dawn is principally concerned with practise: worship, blessings, and proselitysation. Its priests are tasked with performing rites and rituals, completing Temple services such as marriage, and preaching the teachings of the Faith.

The Temple of Dusk is instead concerned with preservation: purity, inquisition, and even holy war. Its priests perform inquisitions, gathering intelligence on heretics with the aim of purging the realm of heresy. The priests of Dusk are also charged with managing the Temple’s courts and the punishment of those found guilty of religious offences.

Influence in the Temple from outside, secular forces is as great as the Temple’s influence on the Kingdom. Many secular rulers hold positions as Holy Electors and take part in the election of clerical figures, allowing them to mould the Temple’s hierarchy and priesthood.

## **Customs and Traditions**

* It is not uncommon for a child to be given a second name. The most common choice is the name of the saint on whose day the child was born.
* To see a silver stag is a good omen. To kill one is imparts a curse.
* Bright blue feathers are considered to be great gifts.
* Royal children are named at the highest point of the Silverspire. When a person ascends to the throne, they are named in the same way once more.
* Regnal names are common amongst the monarchs of Silverspire. For a ruler to keep his personal name is a rare thing.
* The dead are not burnt, instead buried in large catacombs. Much of the realm’s nobility possess family tombs.
* While darker magics are sometimes employed, corruptive magics (such as necromancy) are abhorred.

## **Population and Culture**

The peoples of Silverspire are collectively called Silvermen. Almost exclusively of Breton stock, pronounced Elven features common in the nobility, there is a natural aptitude for magic found amongst all people. Pointed ears, greater height, white hair, and yellow eyes, are not uncommon.

In some aspects of its culture, the kingdom is perhaps most unique. Its greater sense of unity beyond traditional feudal or urban ties, its religion, and its particular love for and fascination with the arts, distinguish it from its neighbours. Poetry and song are said to be found in every hut and hall, and a king-composer is not at all unheard of. A number of colleges exist across the realm for the training of bards and artists, and to be even solely a ptron of the arts is no less than to be a great commander or statesman.