Prester

## Grand Duchy of Prester

The starfish of Prester. The starfish is a reference to Starfish Bay, as well as a symbol of tenacity. Tavern wits joke that the rays of the starfish pointing in different directions represent the fractious nature of the Prester Clans.

### Adjective

Prestish

One of the last territories to be incorporated into the Silent Empire, Prester is composed of the city of Port Prester and the mountainous hinterland to its south, composed of rugged moorlands and forested peaks separated by long, deep lake valleys known as "Glens". It is within the Glens that most Presters live, and the largest of them, the Great Glen, stretches from a few miles outside Port Prester to the foothills of impassable mountains to the south. Prester is not hospitable land for farming, so most of its people make their living as foresters or herders. The Presters organise themselves into clans, some of which control only a single village, some of which control a territory too vast to ride across in a day. The Great Glen is contested between three large and several smaller clans. Even during the height of the Empire, the clans were famous for feuding, but by common agreement the city and pale of Port Prester is considered neutral territory, although skirmishes still happen.

During the succession wars, Prester was invaded by both Vortigern and Marlia, but was able to fight off both attacks. By the end of the war, Prestish privateers and warriors were advancing on the southern borders of both states. Even during the war, Prestish internal feuding continued, and many of the Clans sided with the invaders or refused to fight in crucial battles due to their unwillingness to stand by their hereditary rivals. The rise of the Church of the Inner Sea and the appearance of the Archon Roland divided the Presters along religious lines, with many Clans adopting the opposite religion to their traditional rivals. Currently about half of the Clans follow the Archons, the other half follow the Church.

The rulers of Prester did not claim the title of King, instead satisfying themselves with elevation of their traditional Duke to the title of Grand Duke. The Grand Dukes have historically struggled to assert their authority outside of Port Prester. The current Grand Duke is Duncan III. There was a time when the Grand Dukes were often violently deposed, but after the second Treaty of the Accord the Clan Hunter have managed to maintain a grip on the Grand Duke's sceptre, but they have not yet regularised the succession - Duncan III succeeded his cousin, Duncan II, whose own son was vetoed by Clan Atholl because he was rumoured to have outraged one of the Earl of Atholl's daughters. A Prestish Parliament sits in Port Prester, but it is largely used simply as a way for the Clan leaders to promote themselves and makes few decisions.

Although Prester is small and its military is not large, Prester warriors and sailors have a reputation for ferocity. Prestish pikemen are particularly feared, and it is said that the only force that can stop the legendary Vortigern cavalry charge are a line of Prestish pikes. Prestish sailors are also renowned for their skill, and Prester's navy, though small, is considered the equal of Marlia or Vortigern due to the quality of its seamen. The massive Prestish oaks, found only in the most remote valleys of the hinterlands, are prized for making the masts of the greatest warships.

Perhaps surprisingly given the rustic, if not primitive bent of its inhabitants, the patron Archon of Prester is Kavas, Archon of Knowledge. Those who know the Presters well are less surprised, as they value knowledge very highly, albeit usually in non-scholastic forms. The Bardic tradition is especially strong in Prester, and many Bards are also leaders of the Church of Kavas.

Presters are usually tall and bulky – “as big as a Prester” is a well known saying throughout the Accord Lands. They usually have light brown or dark blonde hair and light brown eyes. They are known for their pale skin, which burns easily in the sun.