Delvos

Delvos is one of the four major kingdoms in the Known World. Ruled by an elected monarch and a senate comprised of their spouses, Delvos places great emphasis on culture, technology, and expansion.

## History

The land that would become Delvos was known as the Hundred Kingdoms-- filled with small, warring territories and kingdoms that rose, warred, and collapsed in rapid succession. In 6:12 Tower, the kingdoms of Tirric and Borgue were unified through marriage. The newly-risen Queen Devereaux I (dubbed Devereaux the Conqueror) began a campaign that would, over the course of the next several decades, subsume much of the territory that forms the contemporary kingdom of Delvos. Delvos' borders would continually grow for the next two centuries.

Following the Brynthian Plot in 8:8 Imperial, Delvos absorbed a significant portion of the kingdom of Brynth, including the city of Morgana.

## Geography

Delvos' landscape is dominated by rolling green fields and old oak forest. Numerous small rivers and lakes dot the kingdom. Central Delvos' fertile soil makes in an agricultural breadbasket. The northern country grows sparser and stonier, until it gives way to the badlands of Bel Lagoor and beyond. The climate of Delvos is temperate, with generally mild summers and winters.

Delvos is home to a wide variety of wildlife, including foxes, rabbits, secret monkeys, waterfowl of all sizes and colorations, boars, salamanders, and wolves. The catoblepas, or loathesome-beast, is frequently hunted, but not consumed (its meat is considered inedible). Flower-sprites are extremely common in the warm months, and their larger cousins, brackles and marilanths, can be found deep within forested regions. Cockatrices are relatively common pests.

Delvos, particularly its forested regions, are known for being home to many fey. Villages have long-standing pacts and celebrations that honor and appease their local spirits.

### Major Settlements

* Borgue
* Edelgate
* Greywind Bay
* Morgana
* Silverrift
* **Tirric** - Capital

The landscape of Delvos is filled with old castles and keeps, remnants of old wars and fallen duchies.

## Culture and Society

The Delvosi people are known to be cultured, educated, fashionable, and ambitious. They value technology, ettiquette, wit, and audacity. Individual exceptionalism is celebrated. Bluntness, adherence to tradition, and ignorance are looked down upon. Delvosi citizens speak Delvish.

### Technology

Delvos is the most technologically-advanced of the four major kingdoms. The Delvosi University is the foremost center of learning in the world. They possess witchpowder weaponry, impressive medicine and mathematics, and their mercantile fleet is unparalleled. Tirric and Borgue share the Donjon, an enormous sewer system that improves urban hygiene dramatically (it also provides a miles-long maze of tunnels that are utilized by the crown as well as thieves and apostates).

### Food

Delvosi food traditionally utilizes subtle seasoning and fresh ingredients, allowing for the natural flavors to speak to themselves. Fresh fish is prepared raw, and beef is served bloody. The staple grain in Delvos is barley, served as a light barley bread. Greater Hogs, allowed to grow to the size of a barn, are eaten in day-long celebrations where they are cooked and eaten from within their own ribcage. Delvos is famed for its wine, although cider, barley beer, and mead are also popular libations. Hunting is uncommon in Delvos, due to the prevalence of fey in the forests.

### Magic

Magic in Delvos is strictly regulated. All magical instruction is centralized in the Delvosi University, and all accredited mages are employed by the government. Delvos maintains a close relationship with the Mysterium. Those born with sorcerous blood are raised and trained by the University. Self-taught mages, unregistered sorcerers, and those who refuse to work for the crown are labelled apostates and imprisoned. In severe cases, apostates are executed or lobotomized. Nevertheless, magic in service to the crown is a respected field, and crown mages are comfortably accommodated.

### Vampirism

Vampirism is a major problem in Delvos, owing to its proximity to the ever-expanding White Woods. While it takes many years and many feedings to develop any significant power as a vampire, and as such there are few powerful vampiric threats in the kingdom, there is an epidemic of fledgling vampires infecting the major cities. It is not an uncommon sight in Tirric and Borgue to see gutter vampires on the steps of the palace or University, begging for a drop of blood. The crown has warred with Rhossac of the White Woods for decades, to little permanent success.

Unbeknownst to the public, the Queen has plans to turn this epidemic to her advantage. Desiccated, catatonic vampire fledglings are collected off the streets and spirited away into Donjon catacombs beneath the city, where they are stacked like firewood. When the kingdom is in need of an army, they can be awoken with a few drops of blood.

## Politics

Delvos is a 'concubinocracy.' It is ruled by a monarch, who has ultimate authority in wartime but is limited in all other areas by their senate, which is comprised of the monarch's spouses. These spouses are often chosen from other noble families, for political means, but it is not uncommon for the monarch to marry out of affection as well. The senate holds veto power over the monarch's actions. Senates are typically between 10 and 25 spouses.

Upon the death of the reigning monarch, a new monarch is chosen from amongst the noble families-- no family may sit on the throne for two consecutive reigns. It is expected for the widow-senate to commit suicide following the death of their monarch. This is both a ritual of respect for the deceased and a balance against a senator assassinating the monarch.

Delvos is portioned into several duchies and marches, operated by dukes/duchesses and marquises/marquesses, respectively. These are in turn divided into counties and baronies, overseen by counts/countesses and barons/baronesses.

All government positions, aside from the monarch, are held by a married couple. If one of the couple dies, or the couple is divorced, their position is immediately vacated (with very few exceptions).

The reigning monarch of Delvos is Queen Devereaux Weiss IIX.

Although not an official part of the government, the Immortal Index is an important and powerful advisor to the Queen, and many of Delvos' economic, martial, and technological successes in the past century are owed to it.

## Military

Delvos maintains a small standing army, which is well-equipped with witchpowder weaponry and supplemented with crown-sanctioned battlemages. Within cities, crown guards act as a peacekeeping force. Delvos is home the Tapestry Knights, an order of itinerant knights that serve the crown. During wartime, Tapestry Knights are given commanding roles in the military.

Queen Devereaux keeps a secret force of catatonic vampire fledglings, thousands in number, to be awoken during wartime.