A century ago, the seven kingdoms of Elathra made war upon one another. The great and terrible conflict went on for years, with massive losses of life on all sides. The war came finally came to an end when King Gortallis of Revenne, a sorcerer of unparalleled power, laid waste to his rivals with a display of incredible magic power.
In an instant, Gortallis burned tens of thousands of soldiers to ash in a sea of flame, sweeping the remains away in winds as furious as any hurricane. What little opposition remained swiftly surrendered.
Gortallis offered unusual terms of surrender to his defeated foes. His six rival kingdoms would be allowed to retain their ruling dynasties and some degree of autonomy. In exchange, they would swear fealty to Gortallis as Eternal Emperor of the Seven Realms, Liege of the Adamant Throne. The new Emperor went on to take control of all military matters within the realms, but allowed his six vassals to see to their domestic matters with minimal interference.
There was one additional condition of surrender. One the Emperor would not waver on. Each of the six defeated royal families was required to send a single member of their families to be a guest at Castle Darchen, the Emperor’s island fortress. These guests would stay for a period of ten years, after which they would be swapped for another member of each ruling family.
Speculation runs rampant about the reasons for this condition. Most assume that the ‘guests’ are intended to be hostages, with the implied threat that the Emperor will torture or kill them if any of his vassals entertain the idea of rebellion. Others think the Emperor employs some form of arcane brainwashing to ensure loyal followers. Many of the current rulers of the six realms were once his ‘guests’, and none have yet dared disobey.
Others believe this is all somehow tied to the Emperor’s apparent immortality. After a century of this odd tradition, Gortallis has shown no signs of aging. ‘Eternal Emperor’ may not merely be a grandiose title Gortallis gave himself, but a reality for the seven realms.
It is difficult to predict who the Emperor will choose as his guests. There are a few constants. The guests tend to be in their late teens or their twenties. Often they are the current heirs to their respective thrones. They seem to always have some outstanding talent or quality beyond their royal blood, though the nature of those talents vary greatly.
Beyond that, the Emperor could choose almost anyone. He has taken both men and women, the strong and frail, the scholarly and the dimwitted. When it comes time for the selections to be announced, each family is always nervous and uncertain about who will be chosen.
Now, as the hundredth anniversary of the empire’s unification approaches, another six ‘guests’ are chosen from the royal families. Six new royals will be taken to Castle Darchen, with little idea of just how eventful their stay will be.
Hosted and narrated by:
Lux Tizer (Luxtizer)
Started 07/03/17.
Scenes played: 2
License: Host License
18+
