At-A-Glance

The following page is a summary of all the major elements in play leading up to the start of the podcast. While not an in-depth discussion of any of them, it serves as either a quick refresher or a resource to provide a touchstone before delving deeper in.

## Current Politics

### The Candlebrooks

* Royal Family and Rulers of Merion
* Previous King, now dead, Lawrence XII
* Currently King Colin I

### The Cataclysm

* Occurred in 1085 Year of Grace (YoG)
* Lawrence XII Invited many royal heirs and others to a meeting
* Everyone was found dead, uncertainty as to what happened
* Kicked off succession crisis (focus of the podcast)
* Colin is now ruling

### Merionese Succession Crisis

* Colin was chosen to rule by the Council of Graces, the major governing body of Merion (outside the monarchy)
* Four major claimants refuse this, citing The Barandean Theory
* Alistair Candlebrook: Skip Colin, make me Heir
* Hannah Candlebrook: Exception to century rule (current heir is male, next century heir is female), make me Heir
* Caleb Burns: Ignore my (supposedly royal) bastard status, make me Heir
* Ben-of-the-Green: Complete Mystery

### Colin Candlebrook

* Married a foreign woman (from neighboring country Barande) for political reasons at Lawrence XII insistence
* Was never expected to inherit the throne/previously tenth in line for the throne
* Successful Knight of the Earth (Trained as a skilled Diplomat) and generally liked, if thought to be dull
* Ruled in the Clifflands

### Alistair Candlebrook

* Renowned Knight of Fire (Trained as a combat specialist and military leader)
* Hot headed and holds grudges
* Hero of Krakentide (Annual festival to hunt Kraken, giant creatures that invade Starry Mark once a year)
* Prior to Cataclysym, was on diplomatic mission to foreign Dawnerland Empire

### Hannah Candlebrook

* Knight of Water (Trained as a scholar and historian)
* Governor of Towerlands
* Popular with Lawrence XI but not Lawrence XII
* Prior to Cataclysym, on a decade long mission to neighboring League of the Palisades AKA Eastern Duchies
* Innovative and favors Eastern Duchies style of government
* Widowed with a 14 year old daughter

### Caleb Burns

* Knight of Air (Trained in espionage, assassination, and wilderness survival)
* Corsair (Pirate) of the Ocean Contested to the west of Merion
* Supposed bastard son of Lawrence XI, brother to Lawrence XII

### The Barandean Theory

* Conspiracy Theory pushed and/or supported by other claimants
* Barandeans orchestrated the Cataclysm
* Colin implicated, either knowingly or not
* Discredits his right to rule

### The Council of Graces

* A governing body consisting of Candlebrooks and non-ruling members of noble houses
* Serve as advisors to the monarch through a single Speaker position
* Determines order of succession for monarchy
* Over half of the members are Knights of the Gardens (Trained in more than one Knight Academe)

## The Knights of Merion

### General Info

* Based on The Golden Knights of the League of the Palisades
* King Zachary III created the Academes to restructure the knights
* Academes also served as frontier forts

* Most knights are nobles, but some are commoners
* Nomination is done by an existing knight and verified by a noble of the Twelvescore
* A (usually Candlebrook) headmaster makes final say
* Six-Sided Church, Board of Patrons, and Headmaster create curriculum
* Commoners are employed by the academy (called Spars), and are experts in their field
* Burial rites differ based on their Academe

### Knights of Fire

* Academe originally located on the red-hill border between Merion and Barande
* Border pushed further forward so it's no longer first line of defense

* Light and fire focused aesthetic
* Physical skills are highlighted, best fighters and military leaders

* Also good cooks (fire and blades)
* Good entertainers, especially in tournaments
* Patron is Jonah Aft, known for pursuit of justice and personal improvement

* Faulted for being hot-headed, loud, brusque, etc. to the point of crassness at times

### Knights of Air

* Academe located high in the Slates mountains
* Stark, spartan, and even clandestine design
* Known for both reconnaissance and espionage
* Value exploration and survival skills
* Most likely to sport commoners
* Renowned for mental fortitude and not acting to court favor
* Patron is The Golden Knight, leader of Golden Knights during Seven Great Years
* Faulted for offensive conversation styles, unlikability, and considered morally compromised by some

### Knights of Water

* Academe located in an island in the Ocean Contested just off the shore of the Western Marks

* Water-centric architecture, including fountains and free-flowing water

* Originally studied natural sciences, now focus on all scientific and intellectual fields

* Known for being experts in their fields and general geniuses
* Leading scholars in the land
* Skilled at mind games and games of strategy
* Respected for dignity and professionalism
* Patron is the Mathematician Lane, friend to Alice I, the first Candlebrook monarch

* Generally introverts and the weakest fighters
* Faulted as pedantic, conservative, and bookish to a fault

### Knights of Earth

* Academe located in the side of a mountain wooded territory in the southern Eastern Marks
* Entire architecture down to the steps and open caverns are carved out of the natural stone

* Value appearances and presentation
* Known for debate skill and memorization
* Skilled diplomats, lawyers, and administrators
* Good landscapers, architects, writers, and artists
* Patron is Maryanne Baronese, known for maintaining poise despite switching sides in war to create Merion

* Faulted for being dull, overly formal, and career obsessed

### Knights of the Gardens

* Studied at 2 Acadames
* Less than 100 at a time in the kingdom
* Generally serve (more than half) on the council of Graces
* Considered higher rank and skill than other knights
* Every combination of two Academes gets a unique name

## Nations of the Continent of Merion

### United Merion

* Consists of 13 Regions
* Surrounded by 4 seas and 3 land borders
* Usually temperate plains, but specific areas have varying climates

* Candlebrook Monarchy
* Council of Graces decides succession
* Twelvescore Ennobled 240 noble houses led by lord or lady
* Each noble house gets a title and all the land that come with it

* Houses Wing, Illwol, and Golscat have most importance out of noble houses
* Atheistic Church of the Six-Sided Die
* Political Tension but trade with Barande
* Wary alliance with grudge for League of the Palisades
* Active war and contested frontier with Birchcrown
* Ides ignored politically, but treated warily by populace
* Neutral, low trade, and fear of immense power of Dawnerland Empire

### The League of the Palisades

* East of Merion and the Logmarshes
* Separated into four quadrants, each influenced by neighbor states

* Fairly consistent landscape, with plains and swamp
* Fifty equal duchies, larger than any Twelvescore house
* Duke/Duchess represented by (usually Golden Knight) Champion
* Duke of Dukes assumes control of entire nation during crisis, becomes superior to other duchesses/dukes
* Rule lasts for a "palisade," which lasts until whenever the next crisis occurs

* Secular, atheistic, with populace being influenced by neighbors

* Wary alliance with grudge for Merion
* Poor (almost hate) relationship with Barande, Merion acts as broker

* Extremely watchful of Dawnerland Empire due to proximity, neutral otherwise

### The Barande Supremacy

* Southwest of United Merion and Patreon Desert
* Ocean Contested on all other borders
* Five major regions
* Landscape varies wildly, but climate is dry summer or arid heat

* Constitutional Theocracy
* Sages commune with founder-deity (He-Without-Number) and deliver decrees to officials

* 31 counts who rule counties
* 13 "original" counts and 18 border counts
* Political Tension but trade with Merion
* Poor (almost hate) relationship with Palisades, Merion acts as broker

* Wariness, but distance and aggressiveness strains relationship with Dawnerland Empire

### The Dawnerland Empire

* East of the League of the Palisades
* Largest known political entity in the world
* Has strength to easily conquer Merion, Barande, Palisades
* Little known about Geography
* Capital far in the east, not visited by foreigners
* Imperial Theocracy
* Emperor/Empress considered god reincarnated
* Absolute power, no-name, only title, and highest authority
* Advising council called Diet of The Clouds
* Extremely traditional and self regulated
* Very spiritual, worship house animals and emperor/empress
* Isolationist foreign policy with neutral relations to all

## Geography of Merion

### Ashervale

* Southeast
* Acquired during the Second and Third Consolidation
* Chilly isolated mountains
* Various threats left mostly to the lords

### Bronzeclaw

* Northwest
* Acquired during the Third Consolidation
* Open icy planes

### Closethrone and Wick

* Two regions in the center of the continent
* "Acquired"/ Founded during the First Consolidation
* Closethrone is a region, Wick the capital city of Merion
* Medieval city and low country landscape

### Doublecrown and Red Hills

* Two regions in the Southwest
* Acquired during the Third Consolidation
* Doublecrown is a joint venture/joint rule with Barande
* Fire Academe located here
* Resemble Havana and Argentina

### Heartsplain and Shelf

* Two regions in the far North
* Acquired during the Third Consolidation
* Air Acadmee located on Border of Closethrone and Heartsplain
* Open Prairie lands

### Starry Mark

* Center-South of United Merion
* Acquired between the First and Second Consolidation
* Desert, Texas/ North Mexico style

### The Clifflands

* Northwest
* Acquired during Second and Third Consolidation
* Pacific-North West landscape

### The Eastern Marks

* East of Wick
* Acquired during the First Consolidation
* Foresty landscape (Black Forest) and Island
* Earth Acadame located here
* The Flighthaus, home of House Wing
* The Nine Fires, front line defense of House Illwol
* Home of the Great Forest Wurm

### The Magewood

* Far Southeast
* Acquired during the Third Consolidation
* Enchanted forest landscape
* The two mage conclaves of Merion, with their own Tomb of the Mages
* Ides and Birchcrown (Elf-like creatures; Ides are peaceful, Birchcrown are pure evil) are near/rarely in the region

### The Towerlands

* Northeast
* Acquired during Second and Third Consolidation
* Muddier parts of England, New England, and France

### The Western Marks

* Far West
* Acquired during First Consolidation
* Water Academe located just off western shore
* Carolinas and New Orleans landscape