Kingdom Ellowe
Ellowe_crest.png
Heraldry for The Fallen Kingdom of Ellowe
HOUSE INFORMATION
Kingdom: Ellowe
Seat: The Ivory City
Fortification: The Ivory Towers
Motto: "To Know, To Be" — Rumored
Colors: Gold, White and Violet
Liege: None
Vassals: Various, all deceased
LEADERSHIP
Rank: The Potentate of Ellowe
Honorific: Potentate
Head of House: Queen Kerilyn Raethkin
Predecessor: Potentate Gorgius IV (deceased)
Heir: None Yet
MILITARY
Military Emphasis: {$militarytype}
Cavalry: {$cavalry} Men-at-Arms: {$menatarms} Archers: {$archers}

Overview

To the East, across the water, lies what was once the great kingdom of Ellowe. It was a flourishing wonder that was fierce, beautiful, and a true rival to its western sister. Nearly seven hundred years ago, the lands of Ellowe were struck by a cataclysm. Myths and legends tell of a bright flame on the eastern horizon that rivaled the setting sun. And then there was nothing. No one in the kingdom survived the holocaust, but the wondrous towers of the Ivory City still stand.

To Eikeren's east sits what remains of that kingdom. The once rolling grasslands, fish-infested rivers, and dark forests have been consumed by the dark residue of the cataclysm. They still say that great fortunes lie forgotten in the cities, and there is always the question of exactly what destroyed the Kingdom of Ellowe. The only thing that keeps the blasted fens and arid wastelands from being overrun with fortune-seekers is that any who dare to venture into those blighted lands are either never heard from again, or return changed. Strange things have found a way to survive in those lands-strange, dark things that they say are the backlash of the Ellowean's people quest for power.

History & Culture

The Kingdom of Ellowe were always advanced in comparison to their Eikeren counterparts. They had unlocked the power of alchemy, allowing it to feed into every aspect of their lives. Some would say they became slaves to the alchemical technology that they presumed to control. What is known for certain about Ellowe was it had some of the greatest minds, unlocking invention and power that have now been lost to perhaps never be recovered.

Civil wars were not unheard in Ellowe's early history, though it was always won by who had greater control over the elements of the world. It was only through the incredible charisma and competence of Potentate Edwarus II was the feuding fifes united under the banner of the columns and laurel. During this time of peace, the Ellowean turned their attention toward technological and scientific advances. They became isolationists and xenophobic in the eyes of the rest of the known world. There were several assaults on the Ellowe borders, but their phalanxes and war-machines kept the possible invaders at bay.

Centuries of peace gave much of the citizens of Ellowe the opportunity to focus on advancing their intellectual capital and refining their society into what they believed was perfection. Every Ellowean citizen was required to attend some manner of schooling, and literacy was prized. Even the lowest plebs were educated in writing, reading, and the lowest forms of alchemy in order to make their lives easier. Their technology was a considerable step up from those of their Eikerenin neighbors. Some of their known accomplishments included flying machines that harnessed the wind and golems made of gear and clay. These golems replaced the majority of labor forces, working the fields, hewning stone from the quarries, and other laborious work; it is said that scrolls of symbols were locked inside their heads which contained their lifelong tasks. They were closely monitored by foremans, and while there was always a question of their sentience and freewill, they remained dutiful gearwork slaves of the Ellowean.

Much of Ellowean's culture was founded in the balance that alchemy is based on. Their moral code was deeply rooted in the idea that whatever you put into the universe, the universe must give back to you in equal quantities. There is little known of the Ellowean's had any sort of religious order, which suggested that alchemical science was their higher power — a power that was obtainable.

The ruling body of Ellowe consisted of a sizable senate, lead by a man or woman called the Potentate. Like a royalty, the duty of Potentate was passed down a ruling bloodline. It was their job to speak on behalf of the senate, while the senate's job was to speak on behalf of the people. There were times throughout their history when conflict arose between Potentate and Senate, and political power struggles were commonplace. It was not unheard of for senators to meet unfortunate fates so that more favorable individuals could be elected into their seat; similarly, the Senate had worked to assassinate the current Potentate so their brother or sister could step up and end the period of corruption.

Their fascination with alchemical weaponry may have eventually led to their downfall. It is said on a clear morning some seven hundred years ago, a great burst of light was seen from Eikeren toward the east. The flash lasted for no longer than a few mere minutes before it faded into nothing. It started a chain reaction that spread out across the wild grasslands in the South, and the lush wetlands and forests to the North. They say it was only the strength of Four Guardians that kept the cataclysm from spreading into Eikeren it self. It wiped every last sentient life from within the blast zone, and completely changed the face of the lands of Ellowe.

Since its fall, there have only been a handful of pilgrimages into Ellowe from curious Eikerenins. One of them went as far as the Ivory City itself, though few of the pilgrimages were ever heard from again; those that returned were sent into madness from their journey. It was from these pilgrimages, however, that various artifacts were collected which have helped scholars investigate the fall of their powerful neighbors. Truth be told, though, there is more myth about the Fallen Kingdom of Ellowe than there is fact.

The Lands of Ellowe

The current map of Ellowe is divided into two primary areas. To the north are the Blasted Fens; they were once lush and wonderful stretches of wetlands and dense forests. Today, they are merely stretches of fens and ghostly woods. Within the Fens are many empty hamlets and settlements, but Underlake is the most known from Eikerenins. South of the Fens are the Wastes, which had once been rolling grasslands. Toward the southern edge of the grasslands is the beautiful Ivory City, and all of its ghosts.

The Blasted Fens of Kinhill
Before the cataclysm, the Fens of Kinhill were actually a network of hills and forests cut up by streams and brooks. Much of the Ellowean agriculture originated from the region, and it was also famous for its sheep. Compared to the the southern hamlets, those of Kinhill were much more rural — though they still used quite a bit of alchemical technology, and a vast majority of this was in the form of golem workers. After the blast, however, the landscape turned toward marshy fens and swamp forests. Farms and hamlets became empty shells, and within a few generations, became overrun by the natural world.

Much of the vegetation became poisonous to herbivores, and the loss of prey greatly impacted the carnivore populations. It took several generations before the fen animals began to adapt. Similar to the creatures of the Wastes, fen-creatures became almost solely carnivorous. Some, like the fendeers, became scavengers who grazed on rotting carcasses, while monstrous predators like the fenwolves became the dominant hunters in the swamplands.

There are still whispers that the golem workers still work the fields, though most believe they have log ago ceased operation.

Underlake
It was once known as Overlake, and was a sister settlement to Laketown. It was a hub for trade, where goods from the South and North would converge. Besides some of the more favored settlements, Overlake held a substantial amount of power. Should it decide to close its gates, its protest could have completely dismantled trade within Ellowe for months while new routes were created. In all of the Kingdom's history, this only happened twice.

Like the Ivory City, Overlake was fashioned from a variety of towers with the city growing out from its center. Half of the settlement actually sat on stilted platforms over the lake itself, making it appear as though it floated on the surface of the water. It was looked after by a council of merchants, and the head of the council always held a senate seat in the Ivory City. They also had an ambassador to Laketown, who worked as a trade adviser to the Eikerenins. Various goods from the Northern settlements were offered to their neighbors, though technology was never traded between the two Kingdoms; Ellowe felt that Eikeren was not yet intellectually advanced enough to learn the alchemical arts.

After the cataclysm, Overlake — like every other settlement in Ellowe — became devoid of people, and thus its purpose became moot. Boats no longer traveled between the two lakeside towns, though the towers of Overlake could still be seen from the banks of Laketown. As generations passed, and the town fell into disrepair, portions of it began to fall into Shelter Lake. Soon, the Eikerenins began to call it "Underlake" as more and more of the city slipped into the water.

Though trade no longer passes through its gates, it is still an important portal into the Ellowean Kingdom. Treasure hunters, adventurers, and pilgrims — particularly those from Taniford — still journey to Underlake in order to enter Ellowe as safely as possible.

Haven
Haven was once an Ellowe settlement before the fall. It was famous for its glasswork, including remarkable pieces of blown glass. The town itself was nestled on an island with its namesake on the eastern side of Haven Lake. It was the closest Ellowean settlement to Eikeren, and thus it was not as xenophobic as others. The people of Haven had many interactions with Eikeren, particularly Brivey and what would become Rhaedan. There are still buildings that contain magnificent colored glass windows from the craftsmen of Haven. Much of their art was lost after the cataclysm, though there are still small communities of glaziers who specialize in the Ellowean art throughout the split Kingdoms.

On that fateful day, the bright light that wiped nearly all of the Elloweans from the face of the world just barely touched the settlement of Haven. The eastern edge of the island was mutated like much of the neighboring fens, but the opposite edge remained almost entirely free of the taint. It is said that the last survivors of Ellowe — mostly serifs and craftsmen — were integrated into the rest of Eikeren and their bloodlines have all-but died out.

Haven now acts as the last stronghold on the edge of the blight. The settlement has been transformed into a watchtower that carefully monitors the edge of Rhaedan and Ellowe. For the most part, soldiers that are assigned to Haven are there to keep the beasties out, while also ensuring that the mutated vegetation and soils do not spread into the healthy regions of Rhaedan. This is the only area of Rhaedan that, before peace was called, allowed for both Taniford and Rhaedan soldiers to stand watch since both kingdoms are equally concerned about the threat of the blight.

Those assigned to Haven are known as the Haven Guard, and bear the crest of Eikeren before the split to signify that they are united under a single purpose. Most consider assignment to Haven to be a punishment, and it is rare to get volunteers.

The Wastes
Once rolling grasslands, the Wastes consume the southern portion of Ellowe. Before the cataclysm, they were expanses of arid prairies with pockets of lush oases. Hamlets were centered around these fertile swathes, though the greatest of these was the Ivory City to the far South. Now, the grasslands have been converted to dark and rocky wastes. The much of the once green and teeming oases have turned brown, though there are rumors of carnivorous pockets of jungle tucked into canyons and caves.

The creatures of the waste are frightful chimeras that, like the Blasted Fens, have adapted to solely carnivore food chains. It is said that they are the feral species of alchemical experimentation of creating cross-species animals. Some are merely scavengers, while others are fierce and terrible hunters.

The Ivory City
In the libraries of the Citadel is a thin journal that documents the journey of Prince Bastien Eikeren to the Ivory Towers of Ellowe. He remarked that he had never seen such impossibilities as those seen in that grand place. Towers that seemed to float in midair, buildings crafted from ivory stone, and monstrous beasts controlled by the words in their head. Their libraries were the largest Bastien had ever seen, and the magics in their alchemy labs were almost heresy against the One.

Indeed, the Ivory City was the perfect example of Ellowean life. Intellectual endeavors, powerful inventions, and an inability to stop their ultimate fate. There has been only one pilgrimage to the Ivory City since the cataclysm so many centuries ago. They had hoped to recover lost artifacts, including some of the sacred scrolls that documented the Ellowean inventions and technological advances. In the end, though, only one of the pilgrims returned, and by then, he had succumbed to madness. He ranted about the labyrinthine city, and strange monsters that were half-man, half-animal.

The Ivory City continues to tempt adventurers and scholars, and young squires often claim they will march through the city gates and bring home the head of a minotaur or a claw of a harpy… if such things actually exist.

The Beasts of Ellowe

Before the Cataclysm, the fauna of Ellowe was no different from that of Eikeren. The grasslands surrounding the Ivory City was home to wild cattle, monstrous crocodiles, and other animals that found a way to survive in the dry climates. The wetlands and forests to the North, in contrast, were overrun with lush life and unique animals.

Once the Cataclysm destroyed and mutated much of the lands, it also affected the fauna. Strange chimeric animals began to take over the native species of the grasslands — now called the Wastes. These creatures included wolf-crocodile hybrids known as crocwolves, bovine-lizard hybrids called tarusards, and other such oddities. The food chain took on a much more predatory lean, though predators easily hunted other predators.

To the North, in what was once wetlands and forests, the entire balance of prey and predator changed. New generations of wolves were becoming larger and more aggressive, hunting in smaller packs with more structured hierarchies. The Ellowean deers who were hunted by these new wolves were forced to develop better defense mechanisms, and over the course of hundreds of years, evolved poisonous bites that were able to fell these new predators. Other animals also changed, from the alligators that inhabited the lakes and rivers, to the rodents who became solely nocturnal and developed sightlessness. Giant cave spiders, carnivorous scavenger sparrows, and others all adapted to the new and stranger lands of the Fens.

Political Relations

thumbnail.jpg The Kingdom of Taniford: TBD
thumbnail.jpg The Kingdom of Rhaedan: TBD

Family Tree

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